#adding that tag so hopefully i can remember to find this later

[grapehyasynth]

Fic writing challenge - music edition!

i was tagged by @saynomorefic @hergrandplan @andthatisnotfake @rose-and-clover -- this is so fun! and i can't wait to read everyone's lil creations

Shuffle your on repeat playlist and let your followers pick their favorite of the 10 first songs WITH A CATCH!! You must write a five sentence fic (or drabble if needed) inspired by that song and / or containing a lyric!

(if you need to switch a song or two out for one you like more, we won't tell)

hey guys did you hear i like omar rudberg

tagging @enjoythesilentworld @dreamyelectronicmusic @goldenwilmon

@the-words-we-sung @tooindecisivetopickaurl @piebingo

@middyblue @skibasyndrome @shouldntbearevolution

[grimm-writings]

Hi there!

I'd like to request something for the Laios party x reader where reader licks rocks like how archaeologists sometimes do to determine if it's a rock or a fossil. They just won't stop licking stuff. One moment you are just having a chat and walking side by side and the next reader grabs a rock and licks it. How would they react to their crush licking things that are certainly not food?

“stop licking the damn thing!”

…ft! touden party x gn! reader, platonic izutsumi & reader

…tags! fluff, some crack, headcanon format, grimm doesn't know shit about rocks

…wc! 342 ; 400 ; 405 ; 344 ; 303 = 1794

…notes! this ask enraptured me i had to complete it posthaste. i’m not an expert in archeology or geology, but i hope you enjoy! 

Laios

“Ooh, can I have a lick?”

His ass does NOT give a fuck.

You could do anything and he wouldn’t be fazed I’m dead serious.

Honestly, once you do it in front of him he’d steer the conversation towards your study and how you figure out each time what is a rock and what is a fossil.

He may not fully take in all the information you give him.  This isn’t a topic he’s admittedly too interested in.

Honestly he’d probably take up some of your advice and see if he tastes monster he can figure out certain things about it.  Considering most monsters are made of raw meat, he has to be held back by your fellow partymates.

Someone (Chilchuck) usually has to encourage you to not “enable his behaviours.”

Overall, Laios simply does not judge!  He’s open and welcoming, and will even take part in your study with you!

(It’s an added bonus that he really likes how you explain things to him…)

Almost like an eager dog, Laios leans over your shoulder to look at the stone in your hand.  Prepared to explain yourself, like usual, you take a breath. “May I?” he interrupts you.  You still for a second.  Does he mean…? You slowly lift the rock up to the taller man behind you.  You don’t have any words as he leans down to give a small lick. You’re almost flattered from how open he is to it. At the taste, Laios’ eyebrows furrow, and he seems to seriously try to dissect the flavour.  He hums and tilts his head to you.  “Salty?” “Yeah,” you reply, slowly growing a bit more comfortable as you get an excuse to talk about your study, “so that means this rock might contain evaporite minerals.” Laios smiles slightly, leaning back to his full height to converse with you in a more casual position.  “Which are?” Your conversation continues, with Laios taking mental notes that he’ll hopefully remember for later next time he comes across a monster. Maybe if you find a gargoyle…

Marcille

Sorry she is so judgemental.

You are so lucky she likes you or else she’ll loudly give her opinion on how gross it is.

Well, that is until she learns the context as to why.

She’ll still be a little bit unsure, wondering if it’s proper conduct at all.

Marcille is trying her best, she really is, but you can’t just end a conversation so suddenly because you saw a rock, licked it in front of her, and said “hm… sedimentary.”

She wonders every day what she did to deserve such an… interesting taste in crushes. 

Though, like all things, give Marcille some time and she’ll warm up to your habits a bit more.  It may even be that she’ll be wondering about her study of the dungeon, running her hand along the wall, and thinking that she could call out to you to taste the wall and tell her the material.

She may not try out the method herself, but she’ll at least tolerate how you do it.  There’s a science behind it, after all…

Marcille stares as you lick your lips and hum to yourself.  Her mouth is a thin line and she’s trying her best not to come out with a disapproving comment. “Any… interesting findings…?”  She stiffly asks instead, gripping Ambrosia as if you’ll try licking her to figure out the levels of Mana too.  You can never be too cautious, even if she is only made out of wood. You smile at Marcille, either blissfully unaware of her austerity or pretending to be.  You hold up the stone in your hand and outline something with your finger.  “I think if we break this, we might find some fossils inside it.  You can keep it for your research if you want.” Marcille’s ears perk up slightly at that.  “For… me?”  She asks aloud, as if there’s anyone else who’d be interested in dungeon rocks.  As soon as she processes it she’s flushed and avoiding eye contact.  “I mean, this is your field of study, not mine!  I couldn’t possibly…” But you take her hands in your own, and place the fossil in her palm.  Marcille’s breath hitches when you take her fingers and fold them over the stone. “I trust you to come up with something.”  You beam at the elf, and she thinks that she might just have to take a chance in your skills.

Chilchuck

Not exactly open to it, not entirely critical about it either…

…But you will get a bit of a look whenever you do it.

He might be more the kind to make sure you aren’t outright doing it at stupid moments.  You better not get any ideas looking at those statues!

Sometimes you’ll be about to hold the stone up to your mouth, and right when your tongue is about to touch it, you’ll hear Chilchuck sigh a “don’t.”

Honestly this guy is treating you like a dog with something it shouldn’t have in its mouth.  Don’t worry, worrying and fretting is how he shows his love.

Even if he doesn’t like admitting to it…

If you try to explain how licking things helps in your study, Chil is inclined to raise his eyebrow and say that your field must be full of weirdos.

Then again, he’s the one who likes you so maybe he shouldn’t be too harsh…

He’s willing to let you do what you need to do but that doesn’t mean you’re free from his scathing commentary.

Crouched down, you analyse some rock in front of you.  It stands out a fair bit from most of the other geodes down here.  What could it be…? You lean in, your tongue grazing the stone slightly, and you lick.  The tip of your tongue familiarises itself with the taste.  Maybe metamorphic…? “Are you serious?”  You freeze at the sound of Chilchuck’s boyish voice.  On your hands and knees licking rocks isn’t exactly the ideal position to be judged in, even as you turn to look at the half-foot, arms crossed.  “Senshi is in the middle of cooking, no need to resort to eating rocks.” You roll your eyes.  You’re used to how Chilchuck treats your study at this point.  “I was just curious.” Chilchuck scoffs, walking up to pull you by the back of your collar up onto your feet again, which you do with some coercion.  “Yeah sure,” he says, “just wanna confirm you haven’t completely lost your marbles yet.” You look up at him, and squint.  Holding back a laugh, you mutter, “was that…?” “No, it wasn’t a dad joke,”  Chilchuck sighs, leaving you to your devices again.  “Just don’t do anything stupid when no one’s watching.” He hopes even as you giggle and confirm, you won’t notice the bright blush blooming on Chilchuck’s cheeks and tips of his ears.  How embarrassing…

Senshi

Also winning the dgaf war I fear.

He’d watch you lick some of the rocks you had picked out from your travels while resting.

It comes as no surprise that it then crosses his mind if the flavour changes when cooked, which he asks if he can do with some of your selection.

You can use your imagination on how Marcille and Chilchuck reacted when told that today’s dinner is … just rocks.

(Laios is disappointed that it isn’t any cool monster rocks.)

One delightful montage later, and ‘tis finished!  Since they are for your research, Senshi insists you have the first bite.

Crunch… and oh, such unique flavours!

You gush to Senshi about how this is a major breakthrough in how different minerals react to cooking conditions, and he gives you his observations too.

Honestly, just sort of wholesome bonding!

“Aye, this one cooked easily, while this one took plenty more time.” You nod eagerly as you watch Senshi point to two different stones.  “That’s because one is an igneous rock, which is magmatic.  The other is a sedimentary rock, which carries different minerals from lakes and oceans.  Separation in cooking must have resulted in different reactions!  I wonder how different metamorphic rocks would react…” As you mumble to yourself, Senshi happily continues his meal-making, occasionally responding back to you with hums and comments about what else each observed in his experimentation. Even when you had finished up your meal entirely, you thanked Senshi with the widest grin on your face.  He couldn’t help but be just a little flattered when you go on to joke that you should bring him home with you so he can help with your research. In return, Senshi listens to you, and hangs on your every word as you explain your findings to him.  Even if not too nutritious of a meal, the minerals from the rocks provide some calcium and other such buffs! And well…  If he can keep that happiness prolonged with his cooking, then he’s doing a very good job providing for you indeed!

Izutsumi

“Why are you eating rocks?  Looks gross.”

Make way for the #1 hater…

Izutsumi refuses to listen to any such rationalities you make about your study or why you lick rocks (even though she’s the one who asked), she’s still finding it icky and weird.

You’d have to fight fire with fire when it comes to her, you’ll question why she does some habits she does in return – such as licking her hand.

She’ll look at you like you’re stupid, before telling you that it’s a way for her to clean herself and notice if there’s anything caught in her fur.

“Ah, so like how I would lick rocks to identify anything embedded in them too!”

…How dare you try to rationalise yourself with her own logic, heathen.

Jail for reader.  Jail for 1000 years.

She’s not one to so readily accept other people’s weird quirks, but eventually she has to find that she’ll look stupid if she doesn’t…  It’s a bit of a dirty scheme, but it works.

“Come on, Izu, just give it a try!  I promise it just tastes like water.” “What kinda water?!”  She shoots back. You pause.  “W…Water?” This is how the argument between whether or not water has a flavour comes to be.  Izutsumi insists that some water tastes icky while others taste nice.  You have to explain that this pure water simply doesn’t have a taste.  She doesn’t believe you. In fact, Izutsumi makes you give the sedimentary stone another taste before affirming, it just tastes like water.  She’s about to grab your shoulders and shake you.  What kind of water?! It takes plenty of encouragement and an immediate failsafe orange juice Senshi squeezed out for her to ‘get rid of’ the taste when you get Izutsumi to taste the stone. She still hasn’t forgiven you… 

[so-long-soldier-writes]

drabble #14 - morning coffee

kai parker x fem!reader

summary: the sun rises. a new day starts. yet, everything remains the same, but nothing's where you left it.

tags: 1994 prison world, coffee, kai minorly stalking :)

word count: 955

a/n: wrote this short little piece last night after prepping my own coffee for the morning. hopefully getting back in the swing of things.

September 3rd, 2013

She wakes up, presses a single button, and waits for the coffee to brew. Her forehead falls to her hands as she prepares for another morning. Her to-do list is rather long, and she wonders how she’ll get it all done. The grounds turning to a hot, enjoyable drink seem to be the only thing that ever keeps her going, the only thing that provides her with enough strength to complete the day’s tasks. 

It beeps, and she fills a cup, plus a little added sweetener. Chores can wait an hour as she sips on this. 

One Year Later

A very tired girl shuffles down the long hallway of the boarding house. It seems to take ten minutes to get from her bedroom to the kitchen, very much unlike her old house, which seemed to have everything right where she needed. 

The girl is the first of the three to wake up. She finds her way to the kitchen and presses the button on her coffee maker, then waits a second for the brew button to light to flash. It doesn’t. She squints, then presses it again. 

“You have to prep the coffee first.”

“I did,” she replies to the gruff voice. 

“You did it yesterday. You have to do it again today.”

“I did it yesterday so it would be ready today.”

“Not in this world.”

She tilts her head in confusion. It takes a moment to understand the man’s words. 

“Oh. Right.”

Damon doesn’t reply. He scrunches his nose in distaste, then saunters towards the fridge. 

The girl sighs, then prepares her coffee. Filter, grounds, water. One step, two steps, three. 

Damon puts ingredients on the counter: eggs, milk, flour. 

She rolls her eyes at the sight. Pancakes. Every morning. 

By the time she’s finally able to press the button, Damon’s already heating up the stove. She moves out of his way so he can flip and miscatch his pancakes in peace. She’s gotten in his way before, and he’s too poor of a pancake flipper for her to make the same mistake twice. 

Bonnie comes down a minute later. She, too, rolls her eyes at the pancakes, then nods to the brewing coffee. Before the girl has a chance to explain, Damon beats her to the punch, rather rudely. 

“She forgot again.”

“It’s hard to remember,” Bonnie defends, throwing her an apologetic look. 

“Not really, considering it’s an eternal loop of the same day. You wake up with the same alarm beeping on your broken clock, in the bed with the sheets that have the same odd stain you don’t remember being there, then take a shower with the exact same water pressure and temperature, then come down to the half eaten box of cereal in the pantry-”

“We get it.”

“Just saying…. it’s getting hard to not remember that we’re stuck here.”

“Easy for someone who doesn’t stick to a routine to remember.”

Damon’s retort is luckily interrupted by the beeping of the coffee machine as it signals the pot is ready. He watches the girl fetch herself a cup, then Bonnie, and finally one for him, and he thanks her with a curt nod. He flips a pancake. She sips her coffee. 

~~~

The next morning, she shuffles down the long hallway once again until her feet carry her to the kitchen. She smiles at the sight of the coffee pot, presses the button, but then quickly frowns at its resistance. 

Same day repeating. The coffee empties, even if she prepared it the night prior. The girl sighs, puts her face in her hands, and holds back an emotional cry. Adapting to this world seems impossible.

She remakes her coffee, then waits longer for the beep. Damon bites his tongue this time, but she can see the tasteless comment in his eyes. 

~~~

She presses the button. The machine doesn’t respond. She must make the coffee again before it can brew. She needs coffee to process this same day repeating. It is madness. 

It beeps again. A painful five minutes passes between her eyes opening and her first sip. 

~~~

The cycle repeats. 

~~~

Kai watches from afar. Every morning she wakes and expects the coffee to be ready to brew. Every morning she’s faced with the disappointment of her pot empty, grounds still in the canister, filter absent. Every morning she remakes the pot, then waits five minutes with her head in her hands before she can start the day. 

Frustration shows on her face. Her lower lip trembles. 

The same day repeating gets to you quickly, Kai’s no stranger to it. 

But as stressful as it is, he can’t help but watch her go through it. Her apparent emotional response to something as simple as unbrewed coffee. Her joy when the machine finally beeps, and she can take that first morning sip. 

It’s absolutely adorable to him. 

How she forgets every time, and faces such a wide range of emotions first thing in the morning. 

Her scrunched nose becomes one of his favorite sights. Second is her smile triggered by the beep. 

Once or twice, he’s considered preparing the pot early in the morning, just to give her a bit of joy that her coffee is already ready when she wakes. Just to distract her, even if only for a moment, that the day is only the same repeating, time and time again.

But that little blip would surely give away his presence. 

And he’s not ready, yet, to face the three newcomers, nor to test Bonnie’s magic in hopes of getting out. 

Nor is he ready to give up seeing her like this every morning. 

So, he waits, and lets himself indulge in her a little bit longer.

[weeeeeekly]

quarter life crisis – ot5 tomorrow x together x afab!reader

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blurb !!! Reincarnation can bring soulmates together despite their time apart. Being a huge fan of TOMORROW X TOGETHER helped you get through the struggles of entering early adulthood. You would thank them personally if you ever could but when you possibly get the chance it’s more than what you could ever hope for.

info !!! txt are still idols, reincarnation au, soulmates au, polyamory, throuple²… they’ll all eventually date each other, mc has mental health struggles, universe assigned lactose intolerance, team no kids, glasses wearer, lives in the middle of fuck nowhere but still a city (just go with it), pet names used are “our love” and princess, & not edited.

wc: 2.4k

WARNINGS !!! NSFW, MDNI, 18+, extremely self-indulgent, soft yandere!txt, mentions of mental health & self-harm (nothing graphic) for entire series

author’s note !!! this is fiction!!! this is made up!!! i do not condone breaking in, stalking, and other ulterior motives to get close to someone you are romantically interested in.

why are there not more ot5!txt x fem/afab or gender-neutral reader… mandatory note that i do not think txt act like this in real life. I also cannot come up with a blurb for the life of me, so please peep the info tags.

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CHAPTER EIGHT

Yeonjun remembers living out the rest of his life with them, after you passed. They had to continue on with life. There was no choice.

Every time they passed by the part of the shore where they saw you last; they feel a wave of pain. A bunch of stones set in the form of a circle with a makeshift headstone in the center with your name. There was a proper headstone for you in the village cemetery, but they had personally made this one.

He doesn’t want to think about what happened after – all of them being put into arranged marriages, leaving the village, having kids, growing old, and finally, dying.

All while missing you.

When Yeonjun woke up again, the light was so bright, he was sure he made it to heaven. He couldn’t wait to see his soulmates again, but when he opened his mouth, the sound of a baby cry came out.

Yeonjun was a baby again. He looked around the room to see a set of 2 new faces who he surmised were his parents in this life.

He couldn’t believe this.

The next couple of years in his childhood flew by as Yeonjun went through the usual stages of growing up; walking, talking, singing and dancing for the first time. He did whatever it took to get back on track to finding his soulmates. And the best way to find them was to become famous.

He was enrolled in an academy to practice singing and dancing on his 14th birthday. And before his 15th birthday, Yeonjun stumbled upon an ad for auditioning for an unknown entertainment company that had just put out a boy group not that long ago. He felt the pull.

By the grace of the universe, Yeonjun passed and was accepted by the company to become a trainee under the label to then, hopefully, debut in his own group.

And because the universe bestowed its kindness, after Yeonjun had been there for a year, a new group of trainees came in and he met none other than Taehyun. When Yeonjun saw his side profile that looked somewhat familiar but ran into his arms to weep when he turned around. The staff and other trainees just thought that they were friends that were excited they were together, but it was deeper than that.

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Taehyun had gone through a similar childhood – being born and immediately understanding that things were different, deciding that being famous would bring everyone back to him, and having lessons at academies for song and dance.

It definitely paid off when he felt Yeonjun’s warm embrace 13 years later in his new life. The pair hugged each other to express how lonely they felt apart that not even all the words in the Korean language could properly explain.

Taehyun had dreamt of this moment ever since the day one of the head villagers told them at a meeting that since Yeonjun became of age at 25 without a spouse that he would have an arranged marriage along with the rest of them.

The dreaded memory of Yeonjun, months later, standing next to another girl with her holding his hand in a vice grip. The desperate look in his eyes with an unspoken plea upon his lips as a group of villagers with weapons in their hands threaten Yeonjun to stay still and obey.

Taehyun watching in agony, holding hands with Soobin and Kai as Beomgyu hugs him from behind, as the ship sails off to Yeonjun’s doom. He prays to mother nature to step in and do something so Yeonjun can swim back to them before it’s too late. But, just as before, fate is cruel and mother nature is not able to spare any favors.

She took you away just like Yeonjun was.

His feeling of bitterness washes away from Yeonjun’s warmth as Taehyun comes back to reality. His soulmate is back with him.

They’re going to find the others.

They’re going to find you.

The following year is spent with the duo practicing their craft. Sure, they were friendly to their fellow trainees, but they only needed each other.

They did thank their lucky stars when Soobin walked in after the next round of new trainees.

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Soobin had been lucky this time around.

He didn’t necessarily have that much experience in dancing or singing, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity when he stumbled upon a post for auditions while on his laptop. He filmed his audition in his room and sent it to the email address listed.

The waiting period was terrible.

He checked his email every single day after sending it in. He needed to get in. The pull told him so.

Thankfully, he received a call 2 months later when he was sulking on his way to school. The staff member told him that he was accepted into the company.

Later that week, he walked into the company to find his soulmates, Yeonjun and Taehyun, smiling at him.

Soobin was in awe of how talented his boyfriends were in this life. Yeonjun was consistently ranked as #1 for every monthly evaluation even before he got there. Taehyun had picked up on songwriting and started making his own lyrics for songs for evaluations.

Of course, they were talented, but in seafood related matters. In such a short amount of time, they were able to learn new skills and excel in them. Soobin couldn’t be prouder.

The trio trained together as much as possible to secure their spot in debuting. They needed to. There was no guarantee they would be 6 again without it.

Every spare second was spent practicing.

Free time between lunch and vocal lessons? Perfect time to go over the choreography. Not able to fall asleep at night? Time to get up and perfect facial expressions in the bathroom mirror. Walking to school? Humming the song until they get sick of it.

It paid off when Taehyun overheard two of the dressers whispering how their company boy group was gaining traction overseas in the West and approval for a junior group was confirmed.

Money started trickling in as small things started changing at first better recording equipment, better quality outfits, more staff, and evenly moving to a bigger building.

The move had been good for everyone. They were able to live in a bigger dorm and use an empty practice room to rehearse, especially when some trainees left, and new ones joined.

Soobin had been stretching as Yeonjun and Taehyun were rehearsing the beginning choreography when the door opened to reveal Kai.

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Kai had been blessed into another loving family. A loving family that was also musically talented. They were able to help him craft his singing and dancing abilities to audition for the company where 3 of his soulmates were.

Kai had been extra nervous the day of as every company before had rejected him. He knew it was part of his journey to them, but it stung.

He was relieved when he passed his final audition for this small company that was slowly growing. He was even more relieved when he walked down the hallway following the faint sound of voices only to find his leader and hyungs.

The rest of the practice was thrown out the window as the 4 raced to the dorm for some much needed cuddle time.

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Their dreams of becoming famous were becoming reachable as the next boy group was in the works. All they knew was it would be 6 to 8 members with an opposite concept as their senior group.

Evaluations were more serious than ever as standing out was a must. A handful of trainees had been dismissed last week for failing their evals. It made Soobin nervous.

The 16-almost-17-year-old boy started biting his nails again. A nasty habit you used to scold him for, but he couldn’t help it. The stakes were high. The pressure was on.

It was almost suffocating.

Almost like the exact feeling of helplessness he felt when he sank to knees in the cold ocean water as he screamed for you to come back.

He sighed as he walked out of the practice room, out of the building, and down to the corner convenience store.

As he perused the selection of cup ramen, contemplating if he should ignore his diet to eat his feelings for even if it’s just a minute, Soobin felt someone staring a hole into his back. He turned around to see no one, not even from across the store.

Weird. He thought to himself.

It was after he paid for his ramen when he bumped into another person while exiting.

“Sorry.” Soobin mumbled as he kept his eyes trained on his hands. The nerves eating him alive. A shame since he should be the one eating some delicious ramen.

The mysterious figure spoke up, “You look like shit.”

Soobin looked up from his hands to see Beomgyu’s smirking face. He dropped the cup as he brought the boy into a hug.

“I knew you would find us.”

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The 5 had a year before debut.

It wasn’t magic that they had been selected to form the new team. It was divine intervention – each of them wanting to become idols, auditioning for a small company, passing, and eventually debuting.

They wouldn’t be so sure of their future if they didn’t have memories of their past. The fact that you were out there in the world, waiting for them kept them going.

The final stretch of rehearsing was grueling. They sacrificed sleep for more hours of practice. Cut out junk food. Added working out to their daily schedule. Learnt their debut songs and choreography. Spent time recording and rerecording their vocals. Took media training and idol lessons to prepare themselves for their new life.

No one else was more relieved than them when March 4, 2019, rolled around and they officially debuted as SOOBIN, YEONJUN, BEOMGYU, TAEHYUN, and HUENINGKAI of TOMORROW X TOGETHER.

It was difficult for them to adjust to their new norm, but the amount of buzz on social media TXT got before and at debut gave them the extra strength to persevere.

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Having one’s senior group have major success and popularity years after debut was comforting. The guys were able to have an easier time paying off their trainee debt and when they were finally starting to get paid, they stashed some of their paycheck.

Soobin never felt the pull after Beomgyu.

There was no guarantee that you were even in South Korea or even their side of the world.

The world was vast. There was no way for them to explore it without going on tour, so when the company pitched the idea of a debut showcase in the United States, they jumped at the chance.

The guys worked hard in their English lessons. Being able to have another form of communication was vital besides some of their longing social media posts they disguised as expressions of love for their fans.

The first year as a rookie wasn’t easy, especially when Soobin finally felt the pull again when they took off from Seoul to New York.

They kept their hopes up as they toured, always making sure to make eye contact with everyone in the crowd at their concerts and while walking the streets in hopes of finding you.

Of course, they wouldn’t find you until years later.

Soobin’s institution landed them in the middle-of-nowhere with a piece of paper with your information that they intercepted under questionable acts.

A quaint family-owned diner served as their hideout as they stared across the street while eating burnt bacon strips and sipping black coffee to your apartment complex.

They were going to march into the leasing office and get the apartment next to yours, meet your new self, fall in love, and be together forever.

It was simple really.

20 minutes later, after their bill was paid, TXT crossed the street to enter your apartment complex. The main lobby was cozy; potted plants were in every corner and residents of all ages passed them, none acknowledging their status as idols.

Beomgyu grinned as he knocked on the leasing manger’s door. An elderly man answered the door and welcomed them in.

Taehyun stepped forward, “We are interested in renting an apartment.”

“You’re in the right place.”

After Yeonjun and Taehyun haggled the manager for the apartment next to yours, Kai peeked at the parcel lockers to spot your last name and first initial. The elderly man didn’t budge until Taehyun listed a number in the 5 digits to have them move in right away and relocate a couple that was slotted to live there before them.

The rest played out perfectly as they got a text from their manager that Miami was the break the needed and the cruise was about to set sail. They quickly bought the necessities from a bigger store downtown that would deliver later that day for them. Soobin ran around the kitchen in panic as he wouldn’t be able to bake cookies for you. Yeonjun quickly added that in delivery on his phone. The younger members started unpacking their suitcases to shower.

And they waited for you to get back.

masterlist | previous | next

author’s note heyyyy it's been a little bit since i posted. so sorry!! if you didn't know my computer started acting up so i stopped using it for 2 days then i messed up the charger and had to wait for my new charger to come in while also finishing out the last week of my summer class. everything's okay now!!

i’m not entirely sure of txt’s predebut history that well besides the most known facts that they themselves have shared, so fictionalized accounts!!!

[unhingedangstaddict]

tease tidbit tuesday

tagged by the fantastic @desert--moonchild here is a bit of the next chapter of I'll Hold Onto You While We Run that will hopefully be posted tomorrow??

Buck had stayed up fairly late writing letters to his friends and family, but he was so excited to hand them off to Tommy so they could get sent that he barely slept. He read over them all numerous times, editing them and adding details. As soon as it was a somewhat not insane hour of the morning to be awake, Buck headed into the kitchen and got himself coffee, then sat at the table and waited for Tommy to wake up.

Around 5:30 in the morning Tommy’s bedroom door finally opened and he stepped out of his room, headed for the bathroom as he yawned, rubbed his eyes, and stretched. Tommy’s hair was messy in a way that Buck’s mind wanted to call adorable, until he decided that was not correct. Tommy’s hair was messy from sleeping, and he was wearing nothing but grey sweatpants slung low across his hips.

It wasn’t that Buck was looking but he wasn’t blind, he did see. He’d seen Tommy in tighter shirts or tank tops at the gym, he knew Tommy’s arms were huge already and Buck knew that Tommy’s pecs were well developed. Buck wasn’t prepared for the washboard abs, or the intriguing scar over Tommy’s rib cage, or the well defined ‘v’ lines, or neat happy trail of dark hair standing out against Tommy’s pale skin. Buck also wasn’t prepared for the fact that he realized that he wasn’t thinking about it because he was jealous or admiring Tommy’s dedication to the gym. Buck was thinking about it the same way he used to think about Taylor when she’d walk around the loft in a lacy bra and panty set and a too-short silk robe left untied. Appreciation. Attraction. Desire.

Tommy didn’t seem to notice Buck and headed into the bathroom, unaware that Buck had seen him, or that Buck was thinking too much about seeing him.

Buck swallowed thickly and looked back down at his letters, and realized there was no way he could let Tommy read his letter to Hen- in which he asked her how she knew she was gay for research purposes. He grabbed his phone and went to his message thread with Lucy. It wasn’t hard to find. He only had Lucy and Tommy saved in his phone after all. He had to keep it vague in case someone saw the messages, and he hoped Lucy would understand what he meant.

Oliver : Hey, not sure if you remember that thing I was talking about writing but do you think you could read over some of it for me? Like today? Lou said he’d read over it but there’s one part I’d rather you look at instead and I wanna get it sent off ASAP

Buck didn’t expect a response as quick as he got one, but he was thrilled when Lucy responded almost immediately.

Lucy : Why are you awake so early???

Lucy : And why can’t Lou read it?

Oliver : You’ll get it when you read it. Please? 🥺

Oliver : If you come over and read it I’ll make you breakfast (but if you can’t come til later that’s okay too)

Lucy : Fine I’ll come over shortly.

Lucy : Is Lou even up yet?

Oliver : Yeah, just got up

Oliver : But can you be like, lowkey about the part I want you to read? I don’t want Lou getting suspicious or something

Lucy : 🤨

Oliver : Please?

Lucy : You’re being weird but fine.

Oliver : Thank you!!!

Buck put all thoughts of shirtless Tommy, and worries over Tommy reading the letter to Hen aside and went into the kitchen to start making breakfast. He let himself get caught up making breakfast, after all it was stuff he was best at, having learned it first and hence been doing it the longest.

[boomstab-papa]

Tae's guide to Pillowfort

So you fucking hate what tumblr is doing, you're fed up, but you don't know where else to go / what to do when you get there

Here's a guide what I've been up to over on Pillowfort:

For starters, new users need to either get an invite code (message me if you want one, because I literally always have some!) or donate to Pillowfort's operating costs to get started. I recommend getting a code first, and then donating later if you decide you like Pillowfort.

Recognize that Pillowfort has no ads and does not sell user data, so you are not the product. You are the customer. Pillowfort lives because users give their money to the webisite directly, just like how ArchiveOfOurOwn.org operates. If you give Pillowfort a try... and you want to see it keep growing... and you have a couple bucks to throw their way... please consider donating!

On your new account, you'll set up your blog. User icon, description, settings, etc. You get one blog per account. Consider making this your "everything" blog, where you make your original posts AND reblog things.

Consider making a Community that will serve the same purpose as a tumblr sideblog. For example, I made my main blog ceylon-tae and then made the Community "ceylon-tae-art". Just make the Community for now.

Did you set your NSFW and blacklist preferences? You should. Filters & Blacklist have their own link in the sidebar, so you don't have to go into your Settings every time you want to blacklist something. Easy!

Join some more Communities! Think of joining a [Fandom] Community like following the [Fandom] tag on tumblr. Posts from that Community will show up on your feed now! Here is a list of the currently-most-active communities.

Follow some people! You might have seen some of your comrades on tumblr posting their Pillowfort accounts, or maybe you really liked someone's post in a Community and you decide you'd like to follow them! Go follow them! Their posts will show up on your feed now!

Make a post! Remember to add any relevant tags to the post, especially if your post is NSFW, and don't cen/s0r your tags. Your post will now show up on your blog, and you can control who can see it, reblog it, or comment to it. You can make text, image, video, or link posts.

Now you can reblog that post you made to your Community that you made! Or to another Community someone else made! Some Communities review submitted reblogs before posting them, others do not. Remember to add the relevant tags to your reblog here as well.

Reblog posts you enjoyed, so you can show it to your followers!

If you have something to say about the post, Pillowfort has a nested comments section! Livejournal / Dreamwidth / Reddit users will find this familiar. Newbies will hopefully find it easy to learn: make your own comment, reply to the comments other people have made, talk to people in a space that's made for talking and replying.

You can make your own hush-hush commentary in your tags when you reblog a post to your blog, but these tags are not visible anywhere else. So Pillowfort is not gonna rat you out to OP when you make weird tags on your reblog. But also there is no bulit-in way to read everyone's tags in one long list.

You cannot make addendums to posts when you reblog them. If you want to add something, make a comment! Or make your own post and include link to the original post.

Seriously. Comments section. Good stuff. If you enjoy a post, check out its comment section. For comparison, tumblr discussions lived in reblogs, but comments on AO3 fics are what makes an author's world go 'round. Comments are where discussion lives on Pillowfort. So comment on the post if you have something to say! You can have real discussions again! GO. BE FREE. You can also do a Kung Pow Penis in nested comments if you want to. Nested comments are good.

Likes just tell OP you liked the post. That's it. It's just like how kudos works on AO3.

Remember, there's no algorithm, so Likes don't boost any post's visibility, and if you want other people to see a post, you reblog it. If you want to see posts, you follow people and communities, or you dive into the tags for yourself.

There's more details and things to know, but I think these are some good basics for "how the fuck do I even get started"

More how-to-pillowfort guides: https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/3459763 by DoktorHobo https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/4099124 by rah https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/4404622 by killerandhealerqueen

In summary:

Make a blog. Make posts. Make a niche-interest Community or three. Follow people and Communities. Reblog other people's posts to your blog. Reblog posts to your niche-interest Communities. Make comments. Reply to comments. Love the comments. The comments are a fertile land and we will thrive. And we will call it... Pillowfort!

[doahaesunshine]

Chapter 5: Scars Cure and Buds Shoot

Chapter WC: 3366

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I beg you to stop plaguing my dreams I’m sick with loneliness All because of you I still see you I still feel you In the fog of my mind

As you and the Archivist traveled along the overgrown stone pathway, you thought back to Archivist Jeon’s question. He had asked you if there was anything you remembered prior to you falling. Walking in relative silence, you filed through your hazy and broken memories, searching for any recollection of the time before. 

You remembered the freezing cold enveloping you, the thought sent a shiver down your spine. You had been soaked to the bone, body trembling to hopefully save yourself from hypothermia. Two people hovered over you. The first was resuscitating you, compressing down on your chest to get your heart beating again. The other was holding you despite the muffled protests of your proper savior, seemingly unable to let go out of fear of losing you.  

The one who held onto you had such a kind face. It was a shame that it was consumed with such grief. Why was he so sad? Did he know you? Did you know him?

Pain struck you like lightning. The once dull thrum of your heartbeat in your skull turned into tortuous and starling burning. The sensation was paralyzed you, stopping you in your tracks to keel over and grab your head. Hoping to find relief, you tugged viciously at your hair, wishing - praying even - for the pain to stop.

Archivist Jeon rushed over and crouched down beside you. “Can you walk?” He asked as he tried to pry your hands away from your head.

The deafening sound was mind numbing, hindering your ability to think. The more sentences and thoughts you attempted to form only added to the agony. All you were able to muster was a shake of your head. Moments later you were lifted off the ground.

“Forgive me, but this will be more efficient than dragging you.” 

With no energy to argue, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. He moved quickly, easily carrying you down the path to your destination. The light that pierced through the canopy hit your eyes. The added pain had you outwardly cringing, a broken whine left your lips at the pain it caused. Swiftly you tucked your face into the wool of the Archivist’s suit and begged him to hurry, needing something, anything, to diminish the pain.  

Met with the door to Dino’s cottage, Archivist Jeon muttered something inaudible to your ears but a thud came in response. “Pardon the intrusion, Dino, but our friend is in need of dire assistance.” 

Dino jumped from his work desk and rushed towards the table, quickly clearing the surface with a swipe of his arms. The Archivist took care as he placed you down on the table, letting his hand guard the back of your head so it didn’t hit the hard wood of the table. Dino took a stack of folded linens to use as a cushion for your head though they offered little comfort to the pressure building in your skull.  

“What happened?” Dino asked,voice shaking with worry.

“As we were talking in my office I slipped up and asked them about their past.” Archivist Jeon answered in a hushed tone. “They were fine one moment and then collapsed.”

A strangled groan escaped you as you contorted in pain. Your vision was clouded, both Archivist Jeon and Dino simple blurs of color in your sight.

“Okay.” Dino lightly smacked his face to help concentrate. “I have to do something about the pain first.”

Returning to his work station, the Alchemist scoured over various jars, running through concoctions to figure out what would work best. With haste he threw together different ingredients, grinding the herbs and various minerals in his mortar and pestle. Before long, a powdery scent accompanied by mint filled the room. His blurred figure appeared in your view once more with a vague shape of a large bowl brought towards your face.  

The scent of peppermint and iron flooded your senses, the smell alone made you wince but the head splitting pain dissipated into a familiar dull ache. For a moment, the aroma soothed you, letting you catch your breath, your heart began to settle. 

You believed the pain had subsided enough for you to move, to talk, but you weren’t given that pleasure. The burning sensation ripped through you tenfold like a raging fire leveling a forest. You bellowed out in agony, arching your back off the table and pleading to whatever entity to end the suffering. Your hands flew aimlessly around the table before one met flesh, taking hold of what you deduced as Dino’s arm to keep you mentally attached to the world around you. 

Your other hand found purchase on slamming against the table, needing some form of distraction from the searing torment your head provided. Beneath the pain you could make out waves of disembodied fear and doubt, only intensified as your grip on Dino's arm turned your knuckles white.

He had long forgotten the mortar, using every ounce of his strength to lean over the table and hold your thrashing arm down to prevent any further injury to yourself. 

“Wonwoo, we need a Vitae.” Dino demanded, eyes pleading with the older man.

“Are you positive you don’t have any medicine-”

“Now, Wonwoo!” Interrupted Dino, struggling to keep you still. “Please.”

Something clicked within Wonwoo and he rushed out of the home.

Your grip didn’t let up, clutching onto Dino as if he was your life line. As panic set in, your breaths became more labored, tears poured from your eyes and stained your cheeks. The pain was too much, you needed it to stop. 

“Dino-” You sobbed. “It hurts.”

Dino’s brow furrowed. “I know.” He soothed the skin of your forearm with his thumb. “You need to clear your mind, it will help.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” You choked out the words, sucking in a strained breath.

“I understand, but just think about the first things you saw here. Don’t cloud your mind with the past. Think of the present.” His tone was level, but there was still an unlying unease.

It was difficult to think, the pounding in your head messed with your ability to remember. It took time but you could clear your head enough to recall the scenery outside the bedroom window and the ivy that climbed the walls and ceiling above you. You remembered Dino’s head peeking in through the door and the calm but focused expression he wore when he first examined you. You thought back to the garden outside of his cottage, a breathtaking sight that you never wished to forget, and the craftsmanship of Diamond Hall that still left you in awe. 

As newer memories slowly flooded your head, you were able to think clearer. The fire that raged on was still prominent but you could ignore it enough to open your eyes.

You saw Dino, he appeared troubled. His brow was harsh, but his eyes remained soft and caring. 

“Did that help?” He asked, hopeful.

“Yeah-” You winced as you spoke, there was still a pressure in your head. “I can actually think now.”

Dino smiled, wide and bright. “Good! Good.”

You chuckled weakly. “Can you keep talking? It’s helping with the pain.”

“Uh-” Dino thought for a moment, pursing his lips. “About ninety-percent of the food we eat comes from only thirty plants. Oh! Exactly seventy-thousand plants are used in medicine. But I only use chamomile, peppermint, basil, aloe vera for burns- Fun fact about aloe vera, it cools down burns, but it is also an antiseptic!”

Listening to Dino ramble about plants made you smile. His childlike enthusiasm and endless facts easily distracted you from the pain, even providing comfort in the form of his voice. You knew he didn’t expect any response from you in this state, not that you would provide one in all honesty. You simply let his words wash a sense of calm over you.

Dino began another long winded tangent about the importance of being able to discern Baby’s-breath from poisonous Hemlock that was interrupted by the door creaking over. Tiredly, you turned your head the best you could to see who had entered the cottage. 

Archivist Jeon returned with another figure in tow. The stranger's face was long and sharp, however he wore an expression of concern. His hair drew your attention first, the dusty orange color stood stark in comparison to the man’s warm complexion. Letting your eyes trail down to the rest of his face, your eyes met and the burning in your head rose as your heart rate surged once more. 

The feeling of dread and nostalgia, hope and unknowing, washed through you all at once. The intensity sent your head slamming back into the linens as the pain returned in full force.  

“Hey- Can you hear me!?” Dino asked loudly, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Both Wonwoo and the unnamed man rushed over to the table. The stranger’s appearance was woeful as he approached and observed you. 

“Can you help them?” You heard Dino ask. 

Everything was muffled, but you heard a soft I’ll try my best. 

You felt a hand, warm and gentle, placed over your heart. Something light filled your chest and before your consciousness began to fade you heard the soft singing of a bird; A yellow warbler, so small and barely visible in your blurred vision, flew above you. There was one last pang of pain before everything went black.

A delicate weight rested on your chest as you roused from your slumber. It was small and radiated plenty of warmth despite its size. Opening your eyes, you glanced down and were met with a sea otter lying flat against your chest, small webbed hands grabbing the fabric of the blanket you were wrapped in. A heavier weight rested near your legs, much warmer and larger than the animal on your chest. As you craned your neck to see over your small friend, you found a black panther sprawled out at the foot of the bed. The large cat’s front paws and head rested along your ankles, hindering you from stretching out.   

“ What the fuck- ” You whispered as you saw the two creatures.

Your voice woke the otter and it whined as it rubbed its face with webbed paws. 

“ That was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Deciding to test the waters, you brought a hand up to your fuzzy friend’s head, gently running your fingers over its fur. The otter squeaked in delight, raising its head for more scratches. You genuinely thought you might explode from the cute display. Further down you heard the panther groan in annoyance at the happy sounds that emanated from the otter. 

The door softly creaked open as Dino poked his head in. His expression went from somber to elated in seconds.

“You’re up!” He exclaimed, pushing the door open, wooden suitcase in hand.

“Dino, why is there an adorable otter on me-” The panther groaned again. “And a big ass cat?”

He smiled down at the little fur ball and petted its head. “This is Kelpy, he’s my familiar.”

“Familiar? Like something a wizard would have?” You were half serious and half joking.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you read that fancy tome Archivist Jeon gave you?” There was a hint of sass in his tone. Touche.

You mocked Dino’s words with an over exaggerated frown, causing him to laugh at your horrible impression as he continued to pet Kelpy.

“To answer your previous question, you lost a little bit of blood and started to run cold.” He paused for a moment as Kelpy began to beg for more head pats. “Wonwoo and I thought it would be a good idea to have our familiars keep you warm.”

“Oh-” For a moment you had forgotten the pain you were in. “How long was I out?”

“You were in and out of consciousness for two days. I doubt you remember anything.” Dino explained as he pulled a chair over and opened up his suitcase.

You took a moment to think. Two days and you didn’t remember any of it. You surmised that it was your brain's way of protecting you from the trauma of nearly dying. 

“Kelpy, I need you to move buddy. Our friend here has to sit up so I can examine them.” Dino spoke to the little otter and with a huff, Kelpy scooched over to the panther and nuzzled into its side.

“I feel like I’m going to cry with how cute that otter is.” You said as Dino helped you sit up and began his process of examining you.

Dino looked over at the adorable display of his familiar cozying up to the much larger panther. Kelpy looked satisfied while the panther ignored the small creature.

“Cosmos is a good cat, but I expect nothing less from Wonwoo’s familiar.” 

“The panther’s name is Cosmos?” You meant to say it calmly but it came out as an excited squeal.

“Yes, her name is Cosmos. I sometimes call her Cosmo as well.” Wonwoo spoke.

You didn’t notice him enter, but then again you didn’t notice him at first in Diamond Hall either. The Archivist now wore a navy pinstripe suit with a black button up, the same round glasses resting on his nose. He held himself with similar confidence to the first time you met him.  

“Are you feeling any better?” His voice was modulated but his eyes held concern.

You offered him a reassuring smile. “Much better. I don’t feel like I’m dying anymore.”

Dino laughed at your words, but Wonwoo remained undisturbed. 

“I hope you can forgive me. I take responsibility for what happened to you.” 

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” You shrugged. “I’ll just be more careful.”

Wonwoo pressed his lips into a small smile and nodded as he absorbed your words. “I’m going to return to Diamond Hall proper. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask.”

You and Dino waved goodbye. As Wonwoo turned to leave the room Cosmos followed him, causing the small otter to tumble. The statues didn’t do the beast justice, her majesty was unparalleled. 

Dino took greater care than his original examination, double checking, even triple checking, to make sure you were at your full strength. 

“I have a question.” You stated absentmindedly as you rubbed Kelpy’s belly.

Dino packed away his tools and turned his attention to you. “Ask away! I have a bunch of free time now.”

“Where was I when I arrived here?” You were cautious with your question, not wanting to provoke another round of headaches.

There was a pause as Dino carefully and internally constructed an answer. “There’s a lake around these parts. You surfaced there.”

“Were you the one that found me?”

“No.”

You raised a curious eyebrow. “Then who was it?”

Dino hesitated as he began to think of an appropriate answer. “Someone wise.”

“You’re not giving me much.”

“Because I don’t want to see you in pain again!” Dino frowned as he spoke.

Your chest swelled with sadness as he spoke. The feeling was involuntary and alien to you. It was hard to explain but it didn’t feel like your own emotion. 

“You have to be careful with your questions.” Dino continued. “The other Arcanists have been notified and will be extra careful when addressing you.”

“There’s more of you?”

Dino smiled as a giggle emanated from the back of his throat. “You thought it was just Archivist Jeon and his little Alchemist?”

The realization of how absurd your question was made your face heat up in embarrassment. “I don’t know, man- I’m new here.”

Dino continued to laugh, loud and boisterous, so full of joy. It was contagious, the once lost feeling creeping up your spine faded before you joined in on the humor. The joy felt foreign, like you hadn’t laughed genuinely in a long time, not that you could remember the last time.. Warmth budded in your chest, the unknown sadness fading into happiness.

As the laughter died down another question popped into your head. “Can you take me to the lake I was in?”

The room went silent as Dino’s laugh faded into an uncertain hum. Kelpy perked his head up in confusion at the absence of sound. 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” He pursed his lips and tilted his head in thought. “I mean- You don’t even have a name for yourself. If you meet new people and you go through the whole Nice to meet you. I’m blank, and you are? Won’t you get annoyed?”

He made a good point. The two people you had met so far were hoping for a proper introduction but you couldn’t even offer a name. Though you wanted to know your name, you pushed the thought away, not wanting to fall prone to another few days of coma-like slumber.

“Should I just pick a name for myself?”

Dino shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Do you have any ideas?”

A bunch of names popped into your head. Some were good and others were questionable at best. You didn’t want to be a John or a Jane , you wanted it to be something meaningful. But the more you thought, the more complicated it became.

You groaned in annoyance. “I can’t think of anything! How about you pick one for me?”

As you addressed Dino, his eyes went wide and he pointed to himself as if he wasn’t the only other person in the room.

“Me? Why?” His voice came out sulky.

All you did was pout as you kept listing off names in your mind. Nothing stuck. Dino was also quiet as he closed his eyes and thought.

“Maybe-” Dino started, but soon retreated from his statement.

“No. C’mon, what were you gonna say?” You encouraged him with a waving motion. As if you were trying to physically coax the sentence from him.

He sighed. “Well- I was- I’m not going to lie, I was only able to think of plant names.”

That didn’t surprise you considering Dino’s occupation. Instead of teasing him you continued to persuade him with hand gestures.

“Sage is an herb of health and wisdom.” A rosy blush crept up to his ears. “It’s a helpful plant for when I create salves- maybe the name will bring you good luck…”

You hummed and nodded as Dino continued to explain the herb, telling of his properties pertaining to blood clotting and how it was rich in vitamins. 

“Sage.” You said the name once. It felt pleasant as it left your lips. “I like it.”

Dino smiled from ear to ear. “Really? Good!” He held his hand out. “Hello, my name is Chan, but everyone just calls me Dino.”

You grinned as you grabbed onto his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Dino. I’m Sage.”

Kelpy reached for your hand with his small, webbed paws and demanded more attention with a whiny chirp. You chuckled lightly as you scratched under his chin, the otter melted into your hand and gave quiet grumbles in contentment.

“Now that I have a name, can I go to the lake?” You asked, half joking.

Dino shook his head. “No. Still not a good idea.”

A dramatic frown was plastered on your face. “Can I at least look around the place? I feel bad staying here. You only have one bed-” You stopped yourself mid sentence. “Where have you been sleeping all this time?”

Dino grimaced. “I’ve just been dozing off at my alchemy station.”

Your mouth was left agape. “Is there anywhere else I can stay?” You felt terrible. 

“Maybe?” Dino thought. “I think the Evoker Dorm has an extra room, but then you’d be staying with three other people.”

“If it means getting me out of your home so that you can sleep peacefully? I think I can manage.” You pressed your lips into a tight smile and nodded your head in reassurance. “Also, what the hell is an Evoker?”

To join a tag list, please comment on the Fallin' Flower Master List!

@reiofsuns2001 @shinwonderful

[rose-sophia-isabella-rogers]

A Tide That Turned Everything: Chapter IV - I Still Think of You as My Friend

Chapter Summary: You leave to find Morozova's workshop and, hopefully, some clues about the Firebird. You meet Alina and you two finally have an honest conversation. Can you find out where to look for the third amplifier and convince Alina to join Aleksander's side?

Pairing: Aleksander Kirigan/Reader, Alina Starkov/Mal Oretsev, Ivan/Fedyor Kaminsky

Characters: Aleksander Kirigan, Reader, Alina Starkov, Fruzsi, Baghra, Fedyor Kaminsky, Ivan, Vatra, Mal Oretsev

Word Count: 4345

A/N: Inspired by prompts: https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089584618/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089684652/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089571712/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089683698/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089559872/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089571708/ https://pl.pinterest.com/pin/207306389089683673/ This chapter also contains some plot from episode six of the second season, and one dialogue from the episode fifth of the second season.

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed):

@budugu

@intothesoul

@mizelophsun11

@pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

@zeeader

You pack things in your chambers. Most of them aren't really yours. You didn't bring anything from the Spinning Wheel. And earlier you didn't bring much from the Little Palace. It makes you a bit sad. Thinking how much you have lost.

There's a knock on the door. You don't turn. Part of you hopes it's Aleksander. Part of you hopes it isn't.

'Come in,' you call. The door opens and someone walks in. Two people. Not Aleksander, then. You're both relieved and disappointed.

'Already packing?' Fedyor asks. You turn. Two of your favourite Heartrenders look at you. Kaminsky is smiling.

'If I want to stand a chance in being there before Alina, then I should leave soon,' you explain.

'You mean "we",' Ivan says. You blink. They straighten up. You smile and shake your head.

'You should stay with General,' you say. They open their mouth to protest. You silence them with a raised hand.

'I will leave feeling better, knowing he has you two by his side,' you say and look at them pleadingly. 'Please.'

Fedyor sighs, while Ivan exhales slowly. You relax, knowing you've won.

'Have it your way,' Kaminsky says and smiles. You smile slightly back and look away.

'But you have to let us choose who's coming with you,' Fedyor says seriously. 'We have to make sure you're going to be safe.'

'Go ahead,' you say with a nod. Fedyor nods back and exchanges a look with Ivan. Kaminsky leaves the room. You turn and return to packing. The Heartrender stares at you in silence.

'Is there something you want to say?' you ask after a moment. Ivan doesn't answer. You look behind your arm and see him staring at you with furrowed eyebrows.

'Ivan?' you ask, confused.

'I thought you'd want to stay close to General after weeks of being separated,' Ivan finally speaks up. Ah. You turn your sight.

'I can be more of use by going after the Firebird and Alina,' you say. 'I'm more than his lover, you know.’

'I know that,' Ivan says. 'I… We just thought…'

'Yes?' you ask. You turn to look at him again. Ivan stares at you.

'We thought that after all that happen you and General would be alright again,' he finishes. You smile sadly at him.

'I thought so, too,' you say and look down. 'I hoped for it. But he…'

You trail off. You remember how suddenly he pushed away. And how he keeps to the shadows whenever he speaks with you.

'I feel we're even further away than before,' you say. 'I still love him and I'll fight for us, but… it hurts.'

Ivan walks to you. He puts a hand on your shoulder.

'Fedyor was there when you called him,' he says. 'He later told me how they were talking and suddenly, he froze. He's always calm and collected, but at that moment emotions flashed on his face. Disbelief, hope, joy… and then fear, panic, anger. He told us all to get ready at once. He loves you. I don't know why he acts like that… but you must know he cares about you more than about anyone.'

You smile sadly at him. Ivan looks at you softly and pulls you in for a hug. You close your eyes, stopping the tears from falling. You press yourself against him, needing this hug so much.

There's another knock on the door. Ivan pulls away from you. You take a step back.

'Come in,' you call. The door opens and Aleksander walks in. Your heart skips a beat. He puts his hands behind his back.

'Ivan, can I have a moment alone with [Y/N]?' he asks.

'Certainly, General,' Ivan says. He squeezes your shoulder and leaves, closing the door behind him. You look at Aleksander. His eyes meet yours.

'Are you here to convince me to not go?' you ask. Aleksander shakes his head.

'I know you well enough not to do this,' he denies. 'I just… want to ask you to be careful.'

'I will,' you promise, nodding your head. For a moment you stare at each other in silence.

'Is there something else?' you ask, barely managing to mask hope. Aleksander exhales slowly.

'There is,' he answers. 'I… Since there's a chance you'll meet with Miss Starkov, I want to be the one to tell you this, rather than her.'

Your heart stops. No. He can't mean… Saints, no. You can't lose him to her again. Anything but that.

'Tell me what?' you ask. Aleksander gulps.

'Because of the Stag… there is a… connection between her and me,' he explains, causing you to frown. 'We've met a few times in dreams, both of us thinking it's just that. But they're not. I was also able to… show myself to her as a projection. She saw me and I saw her, but my body wasn't there.'

You try to process it. Then, you remember how the day you arrived here he was in his room, his back to you, his hand extended.

'That's what you were doing after we got here,' you say quietly. Aleksander doesn't deny.

'She can do that as well,' he says and your eyes snap to his. 'She visited me once. I think she was hoping to break the connection. I didn't let her get close enough to me to do it.'

'Why?' you ask before you can stop yourself.

'It can prove useful,' Aleksander explains and hesitates before slowly taking your hand in his. 'It's nothing more, milaya. You're the one on my mind. In fact, I dreamt of you more often than of her.'

You look at him with hope. He smiles softly at you.

'You dreamt of me?' you ask quietly. Aleksander moves his hand to your neck. You almost close your eyes.

'Very often,' he says. 'We were talking, missing each other. I wished so much our conversations were real. And that you'd tell me where you are. You were always so sad. Once, you said that you want to see me. Hold me. Hug me. Touch me. Kiss me. Cuddle with me. Love me. That it would stop you from being sad.'

You freeze. No. No way.

'And I told you that-' Aleksander starts.

'That you want it,' you interrupt him. 'So much.'

Aleksander stares at you with surprise. Your heart is beating fast.

'You said I looked beautiful on the night of the fete,' you continue. 'And that I was extraordinary during my performance.'

Aleksander's eyes go wide. You shake your head, still not believing it.

'So, it was real?' you ask. 'We… But how? We don't have such connection as you and Alina.'

'I think we do,' Aleksander says and grabs your necklace with his hand. On this hand is his ring that is the pair to it.

'David did a better job than we thought,' he says and cups your face. '[Y/N], I want you to know-'

He's interrupted by a knock. He closes his eyes, controlling his emotions.

'I'm very popular today,' you say, amused. 'Come in.'

The door opens. Fruzsi enters and puts her arms behind her back.

'I'm sorry, General, but you are needed,' she says. Aleksander nods, not looking away from you.

'Promise me you'll use it if you need it,' he asks. You smile slightly.

'I will,' you swear. Aleksander kisses your forehead. You hope for more but he turns and leaves with Fruzsi. Things are still not okay between you two. But you have now hope they will be.

*

Along with you are five Grisha. One Healer named Ted (Aleksander, Fedyor and Ivan insisted), one Squaller named Jordan, one Durast named Gerard and two Inferni – Vatra and Stefan. They're not very talkative. And neither are you. You have hand on your chest, feeling a little vial hidden there, and think about your conversation with Aleksander before your departure.

I need to ask you a favour.

You know you can ask me anything.

I need your blood.

… Come again?

I don't understand most of Morozova's writings. But the topic of blood comes up very often. I'm sure he has some security measures defending his workshop. I suspect something that involves his blood. And the blood of his descendant-

May be the key. Yes. That may be true. My brilliant [Y/N].

He went to Vladim for a vial and cut his forearm without hesitation. He put it in the vial and handed it to you, then a Healer patched him up. You were touched by how much he trusts you. Enough to give you his own blood.

'How far yet?' Jordan asks. 'Should we start searching for a place for a camp?'

'No,' you deny, shaking your head. 'If I'm right, it should be somewhere here.'

True enough, not long after you come to a place hidden by roots of a tree. It looks like a tomb.

'Now what?' Ted asks. 'The roots are covering the door.'

'I can burn them,' Stefan offers. You shake your head.

'We can't let anyone know we're here,' you say and tilt your head. 'I remember from school that plants are up to 90% water. What if…'

You bring your hands together and focus on the roots. After a nervous moment they slowly move, uncovering the door covered with markings. You smile, while others stare at you, impressed.

'There is no doorknob,' Jordan points out and looks at Gerard. 'Can you open it? Or we can try pushing it?'

You climb to the door. You take out the vial and pour some of Aleksander's blood on your finger. Then you press it to the place where normally would be a doorknob. The door rumble and open.

'Not at all omnious,' Vatra murmurs.

'Come on,' you say and take a step forward. But the Stefan grabs your arm. You look at him, surprised.

'General would kill us of something happened to you,' he says, giving you a pointed look. He walks in first, creating a ball of fire to give you some light. You all follow him. You with a blush on your cheeks. You force the roots to go back to their place and close the door.

Inside you find two tombs. You walk past them. You walk into another chamber that used to be Morozova's workshop. It looks as if it was suddenly abandoned. As if the owner was going to come back here.

'So, what are we looking for?' Vatra asks.

'For any mention of the Firebird,' you answer. 'Start looking through the journals. Something must be here.'

You and your companions start searching. Until suddenly you hear a rumbling, letting you know the door is opening. You all freeze, alarmed.

'Hide, now,' you order. You all quickly back away from the workshop. The Infernis blow out the fireballs and you hide in some nook. Just in time, as Alina, Mal and Baghra walk past you. Thankfully, they don't notice you.

You listen to their conversations with tension in your bodies. You fear to be discovered. Your heart breaks for Alina, listening how Mal lets her go so she could stitch Ravka back together. Then he follows Baghra to the room with tombs. You nod at two Infernis, They follow carefully behind them, to listen to their conversation. A moment later you see them leaving.

'When they will be coming back, warn me and slow them down,' you say to the remaining three. 'Don't interrupt us. And don't you dare hurting Mal nor Baghra. No matter what.'

Your companions hesitate, but leave. You take in a deep breath. It's time for a confrontation with Alina.

Slowly, you enter the workshop. Alina's back is turned to you. She's looking thorough the journals and papers. You put your hands behind your back.

'Fancy meeting you here,' you speak up. Alina jumps, startled, and whirls around with a ball of light in her hands. She freezes, seeing you. You raise your eyebrows. The light goes out.

'[Y/N],' Alina gasps and takes a step forward, as if wanting to hug you. But she stops herself and eyes you carefully. You calmly stare back at her.

'How did you get in here?' she asks and then her eyes widen in fright. 'Mal-'

'He's safe,' you interrupt her and slowly walk around the room. 'I do not wish him harm. Nor you.'

'And yet you left with Aleksander,' Alina says. 'Why? After everything he's done, all the suffering he caused-'

'Because he's all I have,' you interrupt her. She looks at you with hurt.

'What about me?' she asks. 'And Mal?'

You scoff and shake your head. Alina frowns at you.

'You never noticed how much pain you were causing me,' you say bitterly. 'Or in how big pain I was in the Spinning Wheel.'

'Why didn't you say something?' Alina fires back. 'I would have listened to you. I would… stop pursuing Aleksander. I would be your friend. But I had no idea how you feel.'

'Oh, don't be a child,' you scoff. 'I'm sure you heard rumours. About me and Aleksander. Maybe not that we're in love with each other but that we're sleeping together.'

Alina blushes and looks away. Of course she heard.

'You never confirmed them to me,' she defends herself.

'You don't confirm such things,' you say, shaking your head. Alina gets frustrated.

'But how could you fall for him?' she asks.

'Same way you did,' you answer, staring back at your friend. 'I saw magic in his eyes. Dirty, black, beautiful magic.'

You smile softly. You think about your special moments with Aleksander.

'From the moment we met, he's seen me like no one else does,' you say. 'He knew right from the start I was special. He was ready to be with me even when I still was just a servant… an otkazat'sya. He sees me, Alina. He sees me and… he calls me beautiful like it's my name. No one has ever made me feel like he does.'

'And how many times did he put you in danger?' Alina asks.

'And all but once he came to save me,' you retort. 'And I know he will continue to do it. I trust him with my life. I trust him with my heart.'

'[Y/N]… he's… he's evil,' Alina tries to put some sense into you. 'He's… he's devil or maybe even worse! How can you love someone like that?'

'Do you remember how my parents treated me? Even before I was Grisha? Even before my sister died? I've… felt unloved for such a long time. Aleksander was the first one to show me I deserve to be loved.'

'Tommy loves you as well. I know he does. I saw how he looks at you. Natasha and Jana also confirmed he has feelings for you.'

'I know. But I needed something he can't give me. I wanted something more. Surely you understand that.'

Alina looks away. Because she does. She feels what Aleksander told her. That she was meant for more. She wants that more.

'I don't care if I fall in love with a devil, as long as that devil will long me the way he loves hell,' you say softly. Alina looks at you with a hard look.

'Then why he was hiding your relationship from everyone?' she asks. 'Why was he hurting you? Why I'm the one that shares a bond with him?'

Her words feel like a slap. Because she says what you feel. It hurts he was never honest how he feels about you with others. It hurts how he was flirting with Alina, how he kissed her, how he still thinks of her. But that bond…

'You're not the only one that was meeting with him in dreams,' you say. Starkov looks at you with surprise. You touch your necklace. You're sure David has already told her about it. She looks at it and you see she understands.

'You lied to David telling him you had lost it,' she says, her tone accusatory. You sigh and look down.

'Believe me, I feel bad about it,' you say. 'But I couldn't have any of you knowing about it. I needed this in case…'

You trail off and exhale shakily. Alina frowns. She opens her mouth, ready to ask you why did you call him in the end. But you're quicker.

'He hurt me, yes,' you say. 'He hurt many other people. No, he's not perfect. He's human and flawed, but he's perfect to me and that's all that matters.'

Alina looks at you pleadingly. You know this situation hurts her and you hate it. But you can't abandon Aleksander.

'[Y/N], please,' Starkov says. 'I know you hate seeing people hurt. And if you side with Aleksander, more people will get hurt. Please, choose the right side.'

'Don't,' you say harshly. 'Don't do that. Don't make me choose. Every time I'll pick him. Every time. And I can't have you hate me for that.'

You have tears in your eyes. So does Alina. But you manage to give her a sure look.

'I'm with him,' you say. 'For better or for worse.'

'It'll probably be worse,' Alina points out. You smile.

'I knew that the day I met him,' you say, remembering how you were sent to bring him breakfast after his former personal servant was moved to the Grand Palace. How things have changed since then…

'I believe in him, Alina,' you say. 'He can fix this country. Make it so Grisha can feel safe.'

'So can Nikolay and he can do it without killing those that oppose him,' Alina says, her look hardening. 'He believes that Grisha and otkazat'sya can live together in harmony. He can keep everyone safe.'

'And where was he when his brother's soldiers tortured me and even-' you spat with venom but cut yourself off. Alina looks at you with wide eyes. She starts to suspect what happened. You take in a deep breath.

'When they attacked the Little Palace, I rushed to get children out safely,' you say. 'I did it but I had to buy them some time. I got caught. I wasn't imprisoned long, but during those days they hurt my body in ways I never imagined. I was beaten, cut, tied and hung in very uncomfortable positions. They didn't even realise who I am at first. So, all of that was because I am a Grisha. And when they realised who I am they planned on worse things. But I managed to escape before it. But not completely. They did it to me in the end…'

'"Worse things"?' Alina asks, dreading the answer. Your look darkens.

'One day Vasily came to my room,' you say. 'In the Spinning Wheel. He wanted to… how did he put it… "a bit attention from me whenever he asks".'

Alina stares at you with wide eyes. You smile wryly at her.

'I refused, of course,' you say. 'Same as I did when he asked me to spy on Aleksander for him. He made my life difficult then… and this time as well. His soldiers, same that had tortured me, entered. He left, because he wanted me to come for this to him. Naive fool. But his soldiers… they… took advantage of me.'

You exhale shakily. Alina looks at you with pain. You blink away the tears.

'I was… scared… and alone… and it hurt so much… I just wanted to feel safe… loved…' you say. 'So, I called Aleksander.'

'Why didn't you say something?' Alina asks, crying for you. 'To me, to Nikolay, to anyone…?'

'It was my word against theirs,' you explain, shaking your head. 'Before someone would believe me, I'd already be executed for treason.'

Alina opens her mouth. She wants to deny it… but she knows you're right.

'Nikolay is different,' she says. You smile.

'I know,' you agree. 'And it hurt me to turn my back on him.'

'You can still come back,' Alina says with hope.

'No one will welcome me or trust me now,' you say, shaking your head. 'There's no coming back for me now. But you can still change your mind. You and Aleksander can change the world. Let Grisha feel save.'

'Would you really let me to get close to him again?' Alina asks. You smile sadly.

'To save Grisha?' you ask. 'Yes.'

Alina stares at you with disbelief. She opens her mouth to say something. But is interrupted by a roar of fire.

*

You and Alina run out of the workshop to find complete chaos. Everything is on fire. Baghra and Mal are trying to block Grisha's attacks. It looks like they're all going to be dead soon.

'I seem to remember telling them not to hurt Mal nor Baghra,' you sigh, pinching your nose. 'Unless that's their idea of a distraction…'

'Well, it's distracting enough,' Alina scoffs and calls on the light. You grab her hand. She glares at you. You glare back at her.

'Don't you dare hurting them,' you growl.

'Oh, and they can hurt us?' Alina says through gritted teeth. You squeeze her hand.

'Let me get through to them and we will leave,' you say.

'Do you really expect me to just let you go?' Alina asks with disbelief.

'You could come with us,' you say quietly. Starkov shakes her head.

'No,' she says. 'I will never join you. Tell that to Aleksander.'

You stare at each other sadly. You know that next time you see each other, it will be on the battlefield, on opposite sites. You let go of her.

'I'll never forget our friendship,' you say and turn.

'Neither will I,' Alina calls after you. 'I can't say the same about him. Just ask him what he did to Genya.'

You stand still for a moment, then walk away. Infernis notice you at once and force flames not to hurt you. You join your Grisha.

'That's your idea of a distraction?' you ask. Jordan shrugs.

'It worked,' he says. He puts barrier of air around you and you walk out of the cave. But before you do, your eyes meet Baghra's. She mouths something to you.

Save him.

You nod and leave. You rush to your horses. You climb on top of them and gallop away toward your hideout.

'So, I'm guessing she's not changing sides?' Gerard asks. You shake your head.

'It was a complete waste of time,' you sigh.

'Not exactly…' Stefan says slowly. You turn your head, frowning.

'Explain,' you say. Others exchange a look.

'We heard Baghra and the tracker talking,' Vatra says. 'And we watched them.'

They tell you what Baghra told Mal. About her sister being resurrected by Morozova as a third amplifier. How this ability passed on through generations… until Mal. She proved it to him by telling him to open the door with his blood. It opened. You can't believe it.

'Not a word of it to General,' you order and see their confused faces. 'I… I'll explain everything to him. When I'll be telling him about my conversation with Alina.'

They accept this explanation. For some time, you continue to ride in silence. Until you hear a twig snap.

You all stop, alerted. This is a mistake, as at once you find yourself surrounded by a small party of the First Army.

'The Darkling's Grisha,' one of them spats. 'Get them!'

'Can we hurt them?' Stefan asks. You nod grimly. The party advances on you… and the fight begins.

It's not long. There's more of them, but not much and you have your powers. But still one of them manages to take you by surprise.

You gasp when you suddenly feel pain in your side. You fall on your knees and prepare for death. But Vatra saves you.

'Saints, we're dead,' she groans and turns. 'Ted, we need-'

She cuts herself off. You know what she's looking at. You noticed it a second before your fall. Ted is dead. So is Gerard. You feel tears in your eyes. You failed them.

'We're near our hideout,' Jordan says. 'While I don't like how close to it they were, we can manage to get her to others in time.'

'And then General will kill us all,' Stefan says grimly. They manage to put you on your horse. They climb on theirs and you gallop to your hideout. You are bended forward and grip reins tightly. You can do it. You can do it…

You almost cry with relief when you ride on the courtyard. Your companions jump off their horses.

'Healer!' Vatra shouts. 'Now!'

Your vision blurs. But you still see Aleksander coming out of the mansion. He rushes downstairs.

'What's going on?' he asks and freezes, seeing your pale face and bloodied kefta. '[Y/N]…'

'Aleksander…' you say with relief and fall from your horse. Straight into Aleksander's arms.

'[Y/N], no,' he says, panicked, and cups your face. 'Stay with me. Stay with me, do you hear me?! Please! I can't lose you! Not again…'

He cries. You smile weakly at him. You caress his face, breathing heavily. You're slipping. You can feel it.

'Healer!' Aleksander screams. Just then someone kneels by your side. You sigh, feeling the pain lessening. You close your eyes and soon you're unconscious.

'She'll be alright, General,' the Healer says quietly. Aleksander caresses your relaxed face.

'How did this happen?' he asks coldly.

'A party of the First Army sneaked out on us not far from here,' Stefan answers. 'We lost Ted and Gerard.'

Aleksander nods and picks you up bridal style. He turns to the door but first looks at gathered Grisha.

'Fruzsi?' he asks. The Tidemaker comes forward.

'General?' she asks.

'Take down the First Army encampments,' he orders.

'Understood,' Fruzsi says with a smile. 'We will refocus our efforts. And what of the Sun Summoner?'

Aleksander looks at your face. He feels anger boiling in him.

'The whole world will hear it… when I make her scream,' he answers and climbs up the stairs to the mansion.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts! Reblog, like and comment if you could.

This can also be found on Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49965037/chapters/126532174

[devildom-moss]

It may be a bit selfish of an ask.. but could you do some simeon dad content with the BOF!MC? (Fluff or angst, you choose!)

I dont care how you portray the MC, as i never actually set a personality for them, but I understand completely if you dont want to write such a story <33

Anyways, as always, remember to eat, sleep, and dont do drugs!

Sincerely, 💜

I hope you will enjoy this one 💜 anon. If anyone isn't familiar with 💜 anon's BoF!MC or their AU, you can read a bit more about it under this tag. (hopefully I got it all since I went back and added the tag)

If you just want enough context to read the story, in this AU, Simeon had a half-human, half-angel child in a similar way to how Satan was created. The child will be referred to MC in this, but it's not the normal/original MC (reader) I use. So it's not the standard x reader fic. It's basically just Simeon dad content. Also, the child has strong, persistent pain that they've adapted to over years. The child is around pre-teen years.

A Little Simeon Dad Story

(BoF AU) (some angst) (but some softness) (mentions of physical harm and bullying)

Word Count: +2,400

“I’m home,” MC announced – restrained and hoping that Simeon wouldn’t notice them coming through the front door. They tried to sneak off to their room as quietly as possible.

“Welcome back, sweetie. How was school?” Simeon hollered from the kitchen as he stirred the pot. He had a homemade loaf of bread baking in the oven; something had to distract him from the fact that his child insisted upon walking home on their own for the first time, and breadmaking was – at least – time consuming.

Yes, his child was probably old enough to walk home alone; they were the equivalent of Luke’s age when he first started going around the Devildom on his own. However, Simeon had grown into an overprotective father, and ever since his sweet baby began their education, he would walk them to and from school every day – if he couldn’t walk them, there were a handful of powerful members of their adoptive family that would. Although, the one time that Diavolo walked them to school, MC was embarrassed to be dropped off by the King. They didn’t hear the end of it for weeks. Simeon wanted to know that his child was safe and protected, but he also understood that his baby had to grow up at some point; it would only stunt their growth if he refused their request to walk back from school on their own today. Besides, if MC needed help, they had their D.D.D. with them; and they had taken to technology much quicker than Simeon ever could. After a month with it, they were already able to start teaching him about new features. Ah, youth. Simeon smiled to himself.

“How was walking home alone?” Simeon asked another question, trying to prompt his child to join him in the kitchen and talk about their day.

In truth, Simeon had been watching the clock carefully, calculating a reasonable time frame for his child to return, justifying every second past the earliest possible minute. Did they stay a little later to talk with a friend? Did they have to talk to a teacher after class? Do they walk slower when they aren’t trying to keep up with me? Maybe they feel sore? Or maybe they’re leisurely enjoying the scenery? Did they stop somewhere? No – they would have told me, right? What if they got lost? What if – Simeon had to silence those thoughts. When the door opened, and his sweet baby’s voice rang out, he was awash with relief.

“It was fine, but I’m pretty tired. I was thinking about taking a shower and going to bed. I’ll do homework tomorrow.” They tried to cover the strain in their voice that came from an added layer of pain today. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

That struck Simeon as odd, and MC needed to eat something after getting back. He turned the stove temperature down and peeked his head out into the living room to find his child slinking towards their room. “You have to eat, MC – even if it’s just a few bites. Dinner will be ready soon. It’s one of your favorites. If you want to shower before eating, that’s fine.”

“Alright, dad,” they paused, angling themselves away from Simeon, before adding, “thanks.”

“Is something wrong, sweetie?”

“Nope. All good.”

“You are awful at lying to your father,” Simeon sighed. It was a relief that they hadn’t learned how to lie well yet. “Can you look at me?”

MC turned around to reveal a bruised and scratched up cheek – evidence of being punched by someone wearing rings, and probably gaudy and cheap decorative ones at that.  The front of their pants was slightly dirty, as if MC had made an attempt to brush them clean only to stop when they realized it stung the scrapes on the palms of their hands and smeared specks of blood over the dirty surface.

Simeon’s jaw dropped, horrified. He rushed to their side, resisting the urge to pat them and check for other injuries. “What happened to you?!”

“It’s fine. Nothing happened,” they shrugged – although the motion hurt. “I just want to get cleaned up.”

Simeon took a deep breath in to calm himself. “I understand that, but we need to talk about this. You’re all scratched up and bruised. I’m worried.”

“I’m fine. Can it wait until after I’m clean?” There was a bite to their words.

“Okay,” Simeon conceded. “Do you need me to help disinfect anything?”

“I can do it.”

“Okay. Alright.” Simeon bit back his pain and concern. “I’ll finish dinner. Come to the couch in the living room when you’re done.”

“Fine.”

“I love you, okay?”

“I love you, too.”

Simeon rushed to finish dinner, trying not to accidentally stir his rage into the stew as it bubbled up. He pulled out the bread to let it cool. Why did I let them walk alone?! I should have protected them.

When MC left the bathroom, everything ached more than usual and their upper arm felt stiff where they had been punched – and after they fell to the ground, kicked. If the witch from the Demonus shop that Simeon never let MC go into hadn’t come out of her store to chase away those demons, it would have been worse. Thinking back, MC was embarrassed that they got up and ran away without even bothering to thank her. She had even bent down to ask if they were okay and if she should call someone for them.

Simeon was waiting on the couch for them. He was unusually scrunched up, bending forward and holding himself while tapping at the side of his thigh with one hand. The rhythmic sensation soothed him slightly, but he couldn’t get the thought out of his head: someone had beaten his baby – and it could have been much worse. His eyes were trained on the floor.

“. . .dad?” MC mumbled awkwardly. They hadn’t seen him this distressed in years.

“Oh, sorry sweetie.” Simeon jolted up and scooted over more. He pat the spot next to him, which MC took. They stared at him, waiting for him – as the parent – to breach the topic. Simeon nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know where to start. How bad is the pain? What happened? Who – I know this wasn’t an accident, so who did it?”

Although Simeon had intended to smother his wrath before MC returned, it came back just under the surface when he imagined someone daring to attack his baby. MC wasn’t meant to know how mad he was, but they could tell, so they told him a redacted version of the truth: a couple of demons from school had ganged up on them on their way back home. The demons had seen MC leave by themselves, and they waited until they were far enough from the school campus to attack. The specifics of the attack were left out, and no names were given. As much as Simeon wanted to know, he recognized that he had a desire for revenge more than justice. It was for the best that MC kept their identities a secret. MC explained that they ran home as quickly as they could after the shop owner rescued them, and that they waited outside for a few minutes until their breath calmed down. Simeon would never admit it, but he was a bit impressed that they had the forethought to wait outside for a while.

“. . .that’s about it,” MC added, hoping they were done with the awful ordeal of recounting the attack.

“I need to know where you got hit.”

“Nowhere bad. No head, neck, throat, spine, or chest hits,” they added, counting each one off on their fingers. “It’s not my first attack.”

At that solemn reminder, Simeon swallowed hard, gulping down his guilt; it wasn’t useful to him now. “I know, and I trust you, but I’m going to call the physician Barbatos and Diavolo found for you later. I’d feel better if we got you checked up.”

“I don’t want–” they started.

“I wasn’t asking,” Simeon interrupted. “I need you to do this for me. If you don’t like the doctor, we’ll get you another one.”

“She’s fine, but I really don’t need to go. I’ll be okay.”

“That’s good. Then your doctor will confirm that with us after your appointment.”

“Can it at least wait until tomorrow morning?” They sighed. It had already been such a long day, and they were certain they were going to be fine. If they needed a check-up to appease their father, they would get it, but right now, they just wanted to rest.

“Promise you’ll be okay.” Simeon held out his little finger. He hadn’t made MC pinky promise in years. If not for the seriousness on their father’s face, MC would have thought Simeon was just being an embarrassing, goofy dad again. They nodded and hooked their finger with his. Simeon gave them a soft smile. “Okay. We can wait, but if you feel worse at any point in the night, tell me right away – even if you think it’s nothing, understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Thank you, sweetie.” Simeon finally let go of his child’s pinky. “Can I ask you something else?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you want to walk home alone today?”

“It’s stupid.”

“That’s okay,” Simeon smiled, “even if you think it’s stupid, I want to know.”

“I wanted to walk home with Sylvia,” MC admitted. “She’s an incubus – or maybe it’s a succubus now? I don’t know – her mom’s a succubus. She’s really nice to me, and I want to be friends with her. We walk the same way home sometimes, so I thought – I don’t know. But she didn’t show up today, so I just walked alone.”

“So, you didn’t actually want to walk home alone?” Simeon was almost pleased to know that someone was nice to his baby. “Why didn’t you call someone to walk you home?”

“I didn’t want to bother or disappoint you.”

“Why would I be disappointed, sweetheart?”

“Because I was the one who asked if I could walk home alone.”

“You’re allowed to change your mind.” Simeon shook his head in exasperation. “Why didn’t you call someone else?”

“Barbatos is always busy, Satan has book club with Solomon and (original) MC on Friday afternoons, everyone fauns over Luke and Diavolo when they pick me up, and the last time uncle Raph walked me home, he caused 80 thousand grimm worth of damage because a demon said I smelled like a mutt. So, I just walked alone.”

“Why do you know so much about the adults in your life?” Simeon slapped his hand to his own forehead with a sigh. “Sweetie, can I have a hug?”

MC shrugged. “Okay.”

“My sweet baby.” Simeon wrapped MC in his gentle embrace. He was warm enough that the pain began to fade slightly – or maybe it wasn’t the warmth. Maybe their dad just had magical, healing hugs. Simeon rubbed their back softly, careful not to add too much pressure. “It wouldn’t have been a bother. I’m always happy to walk you home. I’m so sorry that you got hurt because you didn’t want to ask for help. I’m your dad. I’ll show up when I know you need me.”

Simeon pulled back and put his hands on MC’s arms, holding them affectionately. The swelling on their arm was evident under his hand, and Simeon felt his heart break. He couldn’t even see the bruise, but he knew it was bad.

“Wait here for one second, okay?” Simeon signaled for MC to stay put while he hurried to the medicine cabinet. He returned with a large glass jar containing an ominous-looking blue substance.

“What is that?”

“Solomon concocted a soothing lotion for you to help with some of your pain. It’s supposed to be pretty strong. He brought it by – probably on his way to this mysterious book club I’ve never heard about before. You should try some on the bruises. It might help.” Simeon sat down and set the jar between them. “Do you want me to put it on your arm for you?”

Normally, MC would have insisted that they could do it themselves, but after the day they had, they wanted a bit of attention and care. They nodded.

“Roll up your sleep for me, then.”

Simeon tried not to react to the massive bruises on his child’s arm. They were already turning dark shades of purple and brown. It looked painful, and there were multiple hard lumps under the darkest parts. Simeon gently applied the lotion, feeling his own hand start to tingle from the lotion’s numbing properties. He hoped it would be enough to help his poor baby. When he was done, Simeon rolled their sleeve back down – happy to not have to face physical evidence of his child’s pain anymore. “How does it feel?”

“It’s the strongest sh– stuff he’s ever made,” MC quickly corrected their desire to curse, shocked by the degree of pain relief Solomon’s concoction had given them. “It feels a little better.”

“Good. I’ll pass that onto Solomon. I’ll let you keep this, but if you want help putting it on, just ask.” Simeon smiled softly as he tightened the lid on the jar. He stood up. “How about we put on one of your comfort shows or a movie you like, and we can eat dinner in here while we watch it? Does that sound good?”

“For real?” MC perked up, which warmed Simeon’s heart.

“Yes, and maybe you can tell me about that girl you want to befriend. Is it the one with the single mom? I think I know her.”

“Yeah. But why do you know a succubus, dad?” MC smirked. “That’s sus. Should I tell Barbatos?”

“What? Why? I know most of the parents! I go to PTA meetings – whether they like it or not,” Simeon’s embarrassment gave way to bitterness as he grumbled the last part, mostly to himself. Some of the demon parents weren’t keen on him or his child being involved with the school. Still, if it was the succubus he was thinking about – the nice single mom who had actually been friendly to him during the first meeting, then Simeon was happy at the prospect of her daughter befriending his kid. Simeon added on, “And stop learning slang from your classmates. I don’t understand it.”

“I’m sorry.” MC didn’t mean it – not about the slang, anyway.

“It’s okay, sweetie. I love you.”

“I love you, too, dad. Now, can we please eat? Dinner smells so good, and I’m so hungry that I finally understand uncle Beel.”

“Okay, okay, my growing child,” Simeon laughed, “just don’t eat the plate like your uncle.”

A/N: Hopefully I did okay with writing a child character. I don't have a lot of experience there. I know this one is different, but hopefully y'all enjoy it - and if no one else, than that at least 💜 anon enjoys it. I hope you don't mind that I added some OC content in here. I wanted the MC to have a friend their age. Simeon also deserves a "technically single" parent friend. And what's more fun than a former angel being friends with a succubus?

[brown-eyes-and-beskar]

Discovery: Chapter 4

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader

Description: As night falls on Arvala-7, you and the Mandalorian find common ground and try to make some kind of plans for your very uncertain future as fugitives.

Rating: T

Word Count: 3k

Author’s Note: Mando and the Doc continue their journey and get a ~little~ closer in the meantime! Hopefully y’all are on board for some slow burn, because that’s exactly what this is going to be. I’m so excited that people are enjoying this, so please let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list or have any thoughts on the chapter :)

Link to Chapter 3

...or start at the beginning

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

Night descends on Arvala-7 as gently as the answer to a prayer. As the desert heat of the day slowly fades into evening twilight, the sky explodes into life with stars that seem to outnumber the sands beneath your feet.

You’ve never seen nightfall in the desert, and it’s the most breathtaking thing you can imagine. You’ve spent a lifetime staring at these same stars from the window of a Star Destroyer, surrounded by medical textbooks and suspension tanks, or shut up in a laboratory on some remote planet. Never in your life have you stood under the endless canopy of night and seen the stars as they were meant to be seen.

“Doc?” Mando’s voice reaches you where you stand behind Kuiil’s house, mesmerized with your face turned up to the sky. You turn around when you hear the Mandalorian walking around the corner of the house. His besker armor seems to glow in the quiet twilight.

“What is it?” You’re still a bit tense after your experience with Kuiil a few hours ago, when you unleashed all the guilts and fears you’ve been carrying since you escaped the Empire. Your defection feels like it happened decades ago, when you know it’s hardly been a full day since you ran away with Mando and the child.

Mando is standing very still at the corner, and it strikes you that you make him uncomfortable. Why shouldn’t you? You represent everything he’s been fighting against – and running away from.

“Kuiil is going to bed soon,” Mando tells you. “Has to be up early. He wants you to sleep in the side room.”

You nod, turning to face Mando. “Sure.” You hesitate a moment, then ask, “Where will the child be?”

“I’m keeping him with me. Why?”

You hesitate again. “I just… I wanted to be near him. In case he wakes up and needs me to tend to him.” You know Mando can hear the lie in your voice – you really just want to be with the child, not let him out of your sight for a full night.

Mando seems to sense this. “You don’t trust me with him?” he asks, not unkindly.

“It’s not that,” you backtrack. “I just want to be there for him if he needs me.” Then you add, just for good measure, “Do you not trust me with him?”

Mando sighs, stealing a glance back into the house. “It’s not you. It’s him.”

You furrow your brows, thinking Mando means Kuiil, but then your eyes follow the line where Mando’s arm is gesturing. He’s pointing through the doorway to the kitchen counter, where IG-11 stands at full height, polishing a dark bowl. You remember Mando’s defensive body language while you and he sat on Kuiil’s floor upon your arrival, then again at dinner. Mando didn’t let the child out of arm’s reach for a second, and his muscles were tensed, hand on his blaster, through the whole meal.

“You think the droid would come after the baby?” you ask, your voice hushed. You’re only a few paces away from Mando, and you don’t want to risk offending Kuiil if he hears you discussing his droid.

“I know he would.” Mando’s voice is tight. “He helped me hunt the kid down in the first place. He was going to kill first and ask questions later, but I shot him. Kuiil fetched the pieces back from the cave where the kid was being kept.”

This is news to you. “You mean the baby was here?”

“That’s how I met Kuiil. And IG-11.”

Your eyes go wide in astonishment. “I didn’t realize. I just knew you didn’t trust the droid.”

“I don’t trust any droid,” Mando tells you flatly. “And you don’t trust him either.”

“You noticed?”

Mando barely acknowledges your answer. “I’m not leaving the kid alone for a second in this house. Kuiil is with him now, and I haven’t taken my eyes off the droid since I came out here.”

“I don’t blame you,” you agree. “I know you’ll take care of him.”

Again, Mando doesn’t respond beyond an almost imperceptible nod of his helmet. He glances up at the sky, stars reflecting off his shimmering helmet. “You’d better come inside,” he says at last. “It’s not safe to be alone anymore.”

He turns his back and walks into the house, leaving you outside the doorway. You watch him go, a thousand questions spinning through your mind. This Mandalorian puzzles you in a way you’ve never been puzzled before, and you have a feeling that most of your questions will never be answered.

You tilt your head back one more time, closing your eyes and drawing a deep breath of the soothing night air. Then you turn around and follow Mando back into Kuiil’s home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“This will keep the little one comfortable,” Kuiil muses, tucking several layers of blankets into a makeshift pram. Mando had asked him to fashion something for the child to sleep in, and Kuiil put his craftsmanship skills to work immediately.

“You’re a fine craftsman,” you say appreciatively, taking in the smooth edges and curvature of the floating pram.

Kuiil nods graciously. “I learned much during my years of servitude. I have learned to recognize that some good can come from great evil.”

Kuiil looks at you meaningfully with these words, and you give him a soft smile in return. You know he’s referring to your conversation a few hours ago, and his words bring you another reassurance that calms your worries.

Mando looks back and forth between you and Kuiil, realizing that something is passing between you in that moment. He clears his throat and breaks the silence. “Where does your droid stay at night?”

Kuiil lifts an eyebrow, turning his attention to Mando. “You still do not take my word about IG-11’s reprogrammed nature?”

“I’d like to,” Mando replies, “but I’ve seen too many droids revert to their original programming. The last time I saw that droid, he tried to put a hole through the baby’s head.”

Again, Kuiil nods. “I understand. IG-11 stays in the shed behind my house at night. I will lock the back door, if it brings you some comfort.”

Mando seems almost embarrassed at Kuiil’s generous offer. “You don’t have to do that.”

Kuiil doesn’t respond, just tilts his head to acknowledge Mando’s words. He turns to you and asks, “Will you be comfortable enough in my side room?”

You swallow thickly, glancing down at the child as he slumbers peacefully in his pram. “Actually,” you say hesitantly, letting your gaze drift between Kuiil and Mando, “would you mind if I stayed with the baby tonight?”

You’re not sure which of them you’re asking for permission – and you’re not sure why you have to ask permission, considering all things – but Kuiil shrugs his shoulders. “Perhaps it is wise to have the doctor on hand in case the child awakens in the night,�� he suggests.

Mando sighs, giving you a look that probably means, why did you have to ask that. “There’s not enough room for all of us in the side room,” he says meaningfully.

“Then you may all stay in the center room for the night,” Kuiil answers. “I can fetch a pallet for each of you, and the child can stay between you. That way neither of you has to spend the night worrying about the child’s safety.”

You glance over at Mando to see his reaction, but it’s not as defensive as you might have thought. “Fine,” he sighs. “I’ll get my pack.”

He turns and walks back to the Razor Crest outside for a moment, and Kuiil smiles at you. “He did not protest as much as I thought he would,” Kuiil says, a laugh hiding behind his eyes. “Perhaps he is getting used to you.”

“Perhaps,” you agree.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You can feel the Mandalorian’s eyes on you as you’re leaning over the child’s pram, gently rubbing a greenish paste over his eyelids.

“What are you doing?” Mando asks, his husky voice sounding distant in the silent, dark little room.

“It’s a Ghhhk salve,” you answer softly. “Heals any internal wounds while providing comfort.”

Mando grunts in response, still keeping his eyes on your careful movements. The child hasn’t stirred a muscle since you stepped foot on Arvala-7, and you can’t conceal your worry. The Ghhhk salve is a last-minute solution, and you can only pray that it will combine with the stimulant you gave him earlier to help him wake from the drugged state.

You finish applying the paste, reseal the little jar, and store it in your medical bag. You don’t have a large supply of items, but you have enough to get by on a remote planet, at least.

Your task finished, you set the bag aside and lie back on the pallet Kuiil made for you. You and Mando are both sleeping on the floor of the center room, separated by several arms’ lengths and the hovering pram. Normally, you would be uncomfortable with such a set-up, but the room is very dark and Mando hasn’t made a sound. You hardly know he’s there.

Oh, but you do know he’s there.

You’re wondering how you’re ever going to fall asleep like this – with the worry of the child hanging over your head, and the mysterious presence of the Mandalorian – but your thoughts are interrupted by Mando’s voice again.

“You’ve… been taking good care of him,” Mando says in a voice so gentle that it hardly seems to have come from him.

You pause, thinking that Mando will say something else, but he doesn’t. “I’d do anything for him,” you answer.

“I believe you.”

Several silent moments pass, and you wonder if Mando fell asleep. You decide to chance it anyway. “Mando?”

More silence. “Yes?”

“I didn’t thank you for what you did earlier,” you tell him. “When you introduced me to Kuiil. When you told him I was trustworthy.”

Mando shifts, still lying on his back but with his helmet tilted just slightly towards you. “He wouldn’t have let you on the property if he thought you were Imperial.”

You curse yourself for the pang of disappointment you feel at those words. And here you had been hoping that Mando meant what he said about trusting you. “Oh.”

Another short silence follows – always silence with this man – but Mando doesn’t let it pass for long. “I did mean what I said,” he announces, reading your thoughts.

“Did you?” You roll onto your side to face him, though he can’t see you in the darkness. “You’ve known me for less than a day. How could you trust me with your life?”

Mando shrugs a little. “In life or death situations, you see a person’s true colors. You see who they really are and what they stand for. I knew from the second you threw that clipboard at me that you weren’t protecting yourself. You were protecting the child.”

“You’re right.” You have to force back a smile at the memory of hitting the Mandalorian right between the eyes with the clipboard. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

“Don’t be,” Mando replies, the hint of a chuckle in his voice. That’s new. “I would have been less impressed if you fell on your knees and begged me to take the kid and not you.”

You feel your face redden in the darkness. He was impressed by you?

“I didn’t know if I could trust you either,” you admit. “Seeing you barge into the room in your blinding beskar, waving a blaster around like you wanted to destroy anyone who looked at you the wrong way.”

Mando chuckles again, this time a bit more noticeably. “I wasn’t planning on taking any runaways. I almost didn’t take you with me.”

“I’m glad you did,” you blurt out, not worried about sounding too overeager. “If you hadn’t come along, I may have stayed trapped with the Empire forever.”

“Why not just run away? You said you father was killed a month ago. Surely you’ve had another opportunity since then.”

You pause, letting the silence wrap around you for a few moments. “Even if I could have escaped,” you say, your voice sounding small, “I wouldn’t have had anywhere to go.”

Mando doesn’t answer at once. Your words hang heavy in the air, blanketing you with their weight. This is really the heart of the matter – you ran away with the Mandalorian because you hoped you and the child might have a chance at a better life.

When Mando speaks again, he seems to be changing the subject. “I was talking to Kuiil after dinner,” he says abruptly. “I asked him what he thought of you.”

Why is he telling you this?

“Oh, really?” you ask, because you’re not sure how else to respond.

“Yes.” Another pause. “He said he thinks it would be wise to keep you with the child for awhile.”

Your heart almost leaps out of your chest at those words, and you push yourself up on your elbows to look in the direction of Mando’s pallet. “Does he?” You hope your voice doesn’t betray your excitement.

“He said having a doctor around would be an advantage,” Mando continues, “especially with him being sick from the drug treatments.”

“I… I’d be glad to take care of him,” you stammer, your heart flying faster and faster at the thought. “Whatever he needs.”

Mando makes a noise that sounds like approval. “He needs someone to look after him for awhile. I’ve never taken care of a kid before, so maybe you could… show me what to do to care for him.”

“Of course!” You know you sound too excited now, but you don’t care. “I mean, I’ve never worked with children of any species as a profession, but I know a decent amount from my medical training and work in the gene farms.”

“Good.” Mando seems to be pondering something now, and you let him think in silence, turning over the new possibilities in your head. You’ll get to stay with the child! You won’t have to give him up and start over in a new world that you know nothing about with complete strangers and constant fear and –

“It wouldn’t be permanent.” Mando is speaking again, and your breath catches as he adds, “Just until we’re sure the kid is stable. Safe.”

You exhale a slow breath, reminding yourself that this deal is better than any you could have hoped for. Just because you wanted it to be semi-permanent doesn’t mean that it’s best.

“Sure,” you agree hastily, cloaking the disappointment in your tone. “Just as long as the child needs me.”

“I’ll make sure you’re safe as long as you’re traveling with us,” Mando continues, sounding deep in thought. “You’ll have my protection as long as you’re caring for the child.”

You swallow hard, remembering that Mando’s us refers to him and the baby, not you. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Mando takes a very long moment before speaking again. “Whenever that time comes… when the kid is safe and doesn’t need your treatment anymore… I’ll take you where you want to go.”

You furrow your brow. Mando’s words seem foreign, as if they were spoken from another room or through a thick glass. Take you where you want to go?

You fight through the emotion that is slowly climbing into your throat. “Sure.”

“Any idea where that might be?”

You close your eyes, the first tear slipping down your cheek as you answer his question. “Anywhere.”

Mando shifts into a different position, probably so that he can face you more directly. “What does that mean?” he asks in confusion.

Another tear escapes your closed eyelids. “It doesn’t matter where you leave me. It’s all the same to me.”

He doesn’t seem to know how to react to your statement, so he lets the words hang for a few minutes. Then, after what seems like a lifetime, “Well… where do you come from?”

“Byss. Beshqek system.” You set your jaw. Your voice trembles slightly as you tell him, “Its pieces have been floating through space for a long time.”

Mando sounds genuine when he replies, “I’m sorry.”

You don’t answer that, trying to stop the tears from rolling down your face any more. “I have nowhere to go,” you confess. “When the time comes, when the child doesn’t need me anymore, just drop me off somewhere and let me disappear. One planet is as good as any other to me.”

At length, Mando says, “I understand,” and no more is said between you.

You turn onto your other side, facing away from Mando. The day has held so many extreme emotions – terror, desperation, anxiety, confusion, relief, hopefulness, and now disappointment. It wasn’t that you actually thought Mando was going to offer to take you on as part of his crew, sailing through the stars free as the wind with the child in your care.

Well, maybe you had hoped that a little.

Darkness rules the room now, and you let your eyes focus on the little round window over your head. Stars wink coyly through the desert air, a mellow breeze washing over your tear-stained face. As you gaze into the night, you wonder if you’re looking at the planet that will one day be your home.

One planet is as good as any other to me.

You squeeze your eyes shut and pray to some distant force that the child will wake soon, that you can see his joyful brown eyes light up when he sees you again. You pray that your guilt and shame might be absolved someday, that you might know what it is to live a life you can be proud of. You pray that somehow, the galaxy will give you the dreams you have dreamed your whole life.

As you drift away on the kiss of the breeze and the melodies of the night, a deep sadness sweeps over you, then a deep longing, and finally a deep, deep slumber.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When you awaken the next morning, dawn’s first rays streaming through the window onto your face, your heart leaps with delight at the sound of the child’s laughter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Link to Chapter 5

Tag list: @3zae-zae3, @seiphira

[ethoglrl]

Adding more onto my Eyes Ears and Mouths AU (btw I made a silly little tag for it so like.. if you follow it you'll see when I post more oooooo)

So guys.. consider more info on the triplets (Pearl, Grian and Jimmy) and their backstory...

Tw for mentions of like. Difficulty getting food(?) and parental death/abandonment

----- (idk how to do a break so you have to hit "read more" to keep going im new to Tumblr bare with me here)

Pearl, Grian and Jimmy, the triplets.. their parents dead (or maybe the three just assumed they were dead.. who knows :3) and them newly orphaned, around 6..

Them three struggling for food, shelter.. everything. Hanging out in malls and small shops until they were kicked out, trying to beg for food while staying away from any law enforcement - they've heard how bad foster care could be once you were too old and how they'd split you up and they didn't even wanna try it

Them three sometimes having to split up to keep from getting caught, going to different parts of the city, whether for few hours, or days.. or weeks.. sometimes even months if they couldn't find each other. They all hated the separation, but they knew it was better than being split up permanently if they were caught

Pearl, having not only been the oldest but also looking a couple of years older than the other two, had gotten a couple of jobs young, around 13 or 14. She could never keep them long, hence the stealing even still. Besides, when you're working at a small corner store (think like a 7-11) it's easy enough to steal without many people raising eyebrows. But, eventually, she was always caught and fired, and bounced from job to job, never giving any references since she knew what they'd say, and just hoping they'd be desperate enough to hire this (appearance-wise) 15-16 year old without any proof of age or references or.. anything

She never told her brothers about any of the stealing, like where the food came from, or how she got Jimmy and Grian a slice of pie to share around their birthdays, or how one day she came home with a beaten up.. thing ("it's called a gameboy, you can play games on it .... no not games like tag, Jimmy"). She just said she was getting luckier with her begging and that's why she kept coming home much later than when she ended work

At about 15 (it was hard to count the days, but they knew their birthday was during summer) Pearl tells Jimmy. He could run faster than Grian, which mattered in a bad case scenario. Those two stealing while Grian kept begging, getting them some loose change that they saved in a plastic bag they once found, hoping to use it to get warmer clothes or blankets if they couldn't find any during winter

Eventually, maybe about 6 months after she told Jimmy, Pearl tells Grian about her stealing, and he helps. The three would clean up as best they could (so as to seem normal) then go into a mall or a small corner store and figure out what to steal. Only one would steal, the other two would be more like backup in case things went wrong

Now.. in this world, many people had powers (yet another reason they were scared of law enforcement. You never knew who would have a power that was super speed, or could freeze you still, making it easy for them to be taken into foster care) but the triplets.. didn't think they had any

Most people discovered their powers as children, even if they couldn't get the hang of them until they were adults or teenagers, but the triplets couldn't remember any time that they've had a power, so they assumed they were all powerless, which did make things more difficult but, they still got by and that's what mattered

Until one fateful day when Jimmy tries to steal a jacket to help them for the winter (even if it's a rather thin jacket)

He tries to run to the exit doors of the mall, where he can simply run among the cars and hopefully get lost, but before he can make it he gets tackled to the ground. He tries to escape the mall cop's grasp, he can't get caught and he knows there's only so long until more show up. Grian and Pearl started running over but before they could make it..

Bright yellow feathers sprouted from their brother's head, and they would see feathery wings flapping, trying to help him push up from the hard tile floor of the mall. They also saw ears floating around Jimmy's head which.. confused them. They stopped in their tracks, both confused on how the fuck their brother just transformed into some bird being when.. they were all powerless, weren't they?

Before they could get over their confusion and go over to help Jimmy, they see some ears float into the man's ears, and then the man froze. They saw Jimmy still kicking, scratching - doing anything he could to get out of the man's arms, but.. something was off with Jimmy's hands

The ends of his fingers turned into claws.. no, talons, black as the darkest night, the darkness going up his fingers where it ended.. and they could see blood coming from the man as Jimmy scratched him. And although Jimmy didn't notice it at the time, he could hear every single conversation going on in the mall, and he'd remember them all too

Pearl and Grian finally got over their shock and ran over, pulling Jimmy out of the man's grasp and the three of them running for the exit, Jimmy still holding onto the jacket and going back to his human form

When they got.. for lack of a better term, "home" (pretty much just the warmest spot they could find in an alley) they finally stopped running, and then the three finally let out their questions and confusion, although they didn't have any answers yet

Jimmy noticed how the other two treated him a bit differently after his transformation, and it worried him that one day he'd wake up and they'd be gone (Jimmy always handled separation the worst) but Pearl and Grian never considered that, they were just scared of angering Jimmy, of him attacking them like he had the man (they had all seen the news footage from a tv store, of a "yellow-feathered avian attacking a mall cop", and had seen the aftermath of the man when it was shown. They just got lucky that none of the mall's cameras had gotten a good look at Jimmy's face)

Next was Pearl. She had been running from a cop after stealing some bread, Jimmy and Grian being back at their "house" for the day, her legs so tired, almost giving out, panting for breath, unsure how the cop managed to go on but she could tell they weren't gonna stop soon.. she was slightly panicked, unsure of what to do. She couldn't let herself get caught, couldn't let her younger brothers' down.. and then, next thing she knew, she was flying, flapping wings behind her and leaving the ground

As she finally took a much needed breath, she saw the cop staring at her, mouth agape, and she flew as quick as she could (a bit wobbly but she slowly got it) to get back to her brothers, landing in the alley and seeing just how surprised and.. mildly scared they were hurt. She realized she must've made Jimmy feel this way too after he transformed.. but, as she calmed down from her panic, she went back to her human form, and told the story of how she transformed to the other too, and apologized to Jimmy for how she treated him

After that, Pearl and Jimmy tried getting Grian's powers to activate, since if they both had nearly the same thing, surely Grian did too? But no matter how hard they tried, Grian just.. didn't transform

It took to the point of Grian, Jimmy and Pearl nearly getting attacked by people who their stealing had affected for Grian to finally unlock his power. And as he transformed, the attackers ran in fright, but a few of Grian's Watchers (those little eyes, remember) followed them, shooting at them until Grian calmed down enough and they came back, disappearing to wherever with the rest

After this, the triplets worked on their powers, trying to learn of them, whether to use as a defensive measure or offensive one, but either way, it was a way to help them. Not to mention they were curious. They wanted to learn of their abilities, rather then ignoring them, as they've never seen anything like their transformations and the eyes/ears/mouths that float around their heads before

So, they learned how to trigger their powers, and practiced fighting against each other (which yes, has caused more than it's fair share of deep cuts and bed rest after but.. they needed to practice. If they couldn't defeat someone their age and roughly their size, how could they defeat a cop?) fighting or practicing triggering their transformations whenever they could, and they got pretty damn good at it too, using them whenever they were being chased or attacked without hesitation

So, for years they were small thieves, living on the streets, saving up for more, sometimes selling things they had for money. And, a few years later (and maybe a wobbly robbery but shhh they were never caught) they had enough finally for a small apartment. They would all sleep, curled up together for heat, and they cleaned up and all got jobs after getting an ID, slowly but surely. And, they (mostly) stopped stealing, not needing the food as much (usually) and they became more "normal" citizens

Well.. until one day....

-----

And bam! That's what I've got for today :3 y'all better not get too used to daily posts cause after work during the week I doubt I'll have enough energy to post but I'll try to post at least once on the weekends!!

Don't forget to follow the AU tag (Eyes Ears and Mouths AU) to see when I post or even just follow me since I doubt I'll post much else here (I don't know how to do a Tumblr)

[middleearthpixie]

Brilliant Disguise ~ Chapter Fourteen

Summary: Speech therapist Josephine Asharm has been brought into Erebor to work with Bifur, but trying to find her place among people who eye her suspiciously would be difficult enough under normal circumstances, but when Sophie finds herself caught between the king, his most trusted lieutenant, and the dwarf she’s there to help? She’s certain no good can come of it. Being of Man, not only does she stand out in the dwarf kingdom, she’s not entirely certain she’s actually welcome there at all. 

Thorin only agreed to allow Sophie to live amongst them out of a sense of duty to Bifur, who is recovering from an odd head injury (is there any other way to describe having an axe blade lodged in one’s head, only to have it later dislodged during the Battle of the Five Armies?) Before the battle, he spoke only khuzdul. But since it? He’s regained the ability to speak Westron—if only he could but remember any of it. As for Thorin? He’s trying his damndest to ignore the speech therapist, not to mention his own growing feelings for her, even as he is also recovering from his near fatal wounding in the same battle. 

Both Sophie and Thorin are haunted by their pasts and are uncertain of their futures, but sometimes, chances must be taken…  

A/N: I want to apologize for the slow updates, but the end of the semester is right around the corner, so hopefully the updates won’t take quite so long in the very near future! 

Pairings: Thorin Oakenshield x OFC Josephine (Sophie) Asharm 

Characters: Sophie, Thorin, Heather, Bard, Balin

Warnings: None 

Rating: T

Word Count: 2.7k

Tag List: @mrsdurin @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knittastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78 @sorisooyaa @ruthoakenshield @frosticenow @quiall321 @dianakc @msjava1972

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here.

Thorin shivered as he and Bard trod along the newly reconstructed wooden walkways that made up the streets of Esgaroth. The scent of freshly cut wood and sawdust mingled with the damp smell of the Long Lake and the lake’s temperamental waters slapped at new pilings that had yet to grow slimy with algae. The sound of hammers striking wood, of workers shouting to one another (or at one another, as was the case with two in the midst of arguing over the placement of some pipes), of saws being put to use all jangled together in a cacophony that made his head ache before long.

“So, as you can see,” Bard was saying, raising his voice over the din, “everything is coming along nicely.”

“So why am I here?” Thorin shouted, wincing as someone, somewhere dropped a load of pipes and the resulting clang reverberated fiercely in his head. He couldn't wait to return to Erebor, to gather up Sophie and Heather and spend a relaxing evening in Dale. 

“You requested to be kept in the loop,” Balin reminded him as he finally caught up with them. “And it would seem everything is coming along nicely.”

Bard nodded. “I thought so. Thorin?”

Thorin sighed softly as he moved to the far end of the walkway, which stretched well toward the center of the lake. The last time he’d been there, it was cold and snowy and while standing on the steps of the finest house in Esgaroth—the Master’s house, of course—he’d promised the people of Esgaroth a share in the wealth to be found in Erebor if they would but help him and his Company. Bard had been the voice of skepticism, only to find himself overruled by an exuberant crowd and a greedy lakemaster with visions of adding to his own wealth. Although he’d meant the words when he’d spoke them, it wasn't long after they’d gotten into the mountain, that Smaug the Terrible had been defeated, that Thorin fell prey to dragon sickness and reneged on his word. Worse still, he’d allowed the Battle of the Five Armies to be fought because he declared he’d rather have war than return the White Gems of Lasgalen necklace to Thranduíl, as he’d demanded. 

Since then, he’d made up for it, or so he hoped, by having Esgaroth not only rebuilt, but renovated into the city he remembered when he was a boy and it was the trading capitol in Middle Earth. As for the necklace, that remained tucked away in Erebor’s vault, deep within the Lonely Mountain.

Of course, he had no idea that making up for everything meant he’d have to stroll the boardwalks, pretending he knew anything about the architecture or engineering that went into building a city on water, because truth be told, he had absolutely no idea what he looked at or how it was supposed to have been built. He smiled and nodded and made what he hoped were the right sounds, but all in all, he had no clue if any of it was right. He was a king by birth, a blacksmith by trade and knew nothing about architecture or engineering. All he knew was the buildings no longer leaned, the way they had before Smaug torched it after being basically angered enough to fly out of Erebor and wreak havoc elsewhere, so the city was already improved upon as far as he was concerned.

In the distance, he saw where the Forest River met the Long Lake and smiled as he remembered how he and his company traveled down that river to escape Mirkwood and an angry Thranduíl. It seemed like a lifetime ago, so much had happened since then. 

The lake itself was calm, the surface sparkling in the pale sunlight. Somewhere in those depths, Smaug would spend eternity, but Thorin couldn’t say for certain where and the waters were too deep and too murky for him to see much below the surface. Smaug had been somewhere near the center of the lake when Bard took him down with a Black Arrow, but again, Thorin was out on Erebor’s ramparts, not paying much attention to the goings-on in Esgaroth, but far more concerned with the treasures hidden within the mountain’s depths. Treasure that had since been divided and Erebor’s share tucked away into the vaults deep within the city. 

“Are you all right?”

He started at Balin’s murmured question, but nodded. “I’m fine, Balin. Just bidding some old ghosts farewell, is all.”

“Finally accepting your future might actually have some brightness to it?”

He glanced down at Balin, who offered up a knowing, almost smug grin, and nodded. “I might be, yes.”

“She’s good for you.”

“I have no idea what you’re about, Balin.”

“The wee one has a gift for saying exactly what you don't wish her to say, as most wee ones do. You’ll learn in time.”

Bracing his hands against the fresh wooden rail that ringed the edge of the dock, Thorin lifted his face to the crisp breeze and closed his eyes as the glare reflecting off the diamond-cut water’s surface stung them. “What else did she say?”

“She thinks you slept on the sofa and that you are a hero for chasing her nightmares away.” Balin also rested his hands on the smooth wood, and didn't turn away from whatever he stared at in the distance. “Are you ready to be a father to her, Thorin?”

“Dís asked me the same thing this morning,” Thorin replied softly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “And yes, I believe I am. That little girl has me and I think she knows it.”

“Thorin, she has had you since she ran into you all those weeks ago whilst trying to lose her mother.”

Thorin chuckled softly. “You’re probably not wrong.”

Footsteps sounded behind them and Bard said, “Is something amiss, Thorin?”

“No,” he turned, leaning back against the railing, “not at all. I’m just caught a bit by surprise at the speed with which so many things have changed. Esgaroth is coming along nicely, but are you certainly you’ll be able to convince those who found their refuge in Dale to return?”

“I’ve thought about that,” Bard replied, turning to look off in the direction of Dale, between Esgaroth and Erebor. Like Esgaroth, it, too, had come a long way since the dwarves of Erebor returned. What had been an abandoned city half in ruin from Smaug’s first attack and nearly finished off by the Battle of the Five Armies, was now the same bustling metropolis it had been in its heyday, with buildings being renovated or entirely rebuilt, merchants and tradesmen setting up shop for the citizens who’d chosen to make the city their home permanently.

“And to what conclusion have you come?” Balin asked.

“It’s simple—” Bard shrugged and grinned at them—“someone will eventually settle here. And when they do, we will be ready for them.”

“So you intend to take over as the new master?” Thorin asked.

“I’ve not decided, but I’ll stay on in the interim until I do or until it is decided for me. It’s a bit of work, but with Bain old enough to work with me and Sigrid and Tilda old enough to care for the house and all that entails, I see no reason not to.” He slapped his palms against the smooth wood. “Now, shall we head back to Dale? I promised my girls we could go to the Night Market so our supper will be earlier than usual.”

Thorin nodded. “I should be getting back as well. I, too, have promised people we could venture out to see how the new Night Market compares to the one Dale used to host.”

“Mama, when will Mister Thorin be home?”

Sophie smiled as she carefully worked her fingers through Heather’s sudsy hair. “Home?”

Heather nodded. “I like it here. Can we stay forever?”

“Oh, I don't know, love. Forever is a long time.” Sophie swished her hands through the cooling water in the tub. “Close your eyes.”

Heather did as she was told, squinching her eyes up with such force her nose wrinkled and went white. Sophie bit back a laugh as she carefully rinse the last of the soap from her daughter’s hair and made sure no suds remained anywhere they might slip into her eyes. 

“But can we stay?” Heather asked, opening her eyes to look up at Sophie. “I like it here. I like Gimli and I like Miss Narnerra and I really like Lady Dís.”

“What about Mister Thorin?”

Heather beamed, her pearly baby teeth gleaming as she said, “I like him the best, Mama. How about you?”

Sophie chuckled as she unfolded the towel that she’d set on the floor alongside her after getting Heather settled in the tub. “I like him the best, too, love.”

“He’s so much nicer than—” Heather stopped, her smile fading and the glint slipping from her eyes. “I like it here.”

Sophie pressed her lips together as she leaned in to pull the drain plug from the tub. Heather rarely spoke of her father, rarely asked questions about what happened to him, and at times, Sophie wondered if that was because she was forgetting him. She thought she should feel guilty for hoping just that, but then she’d remind herself it would be better for Heather if she did manage to forget.

But now, she realized that no, Heather hadn’t forgotten. At least, not yet. 

She wrapped her in the thick towel and lifted from the draining tub. “I like it here, too, Heather. And yes, as long as Mister Thorin doesn’t mind us being here, I plan to stay here.”

“Good. Although, I don't think he should sleep on our sofa every night.”

“He won’t, don't worry.”

“What were you talking about, that he was here so late?”

“Don’t you worry about it.”

Heather grinned. “Was it about Yule?”

“I’m not telling you what it was about, you nosy little bit.”

Heather laughed. “You were, weren’t you! I can’t wait for Yule!”

Sophie gave her a squeeze and then carried her out of the bathing chamber and down to her bedchamber. “Do you want to pick out your own clothes to wear tonight?”

“Can I, Mama?”

Sophie nodded. “Just keep in mind, it will be cold later.”

Heather’s expression grew solemn as she nodded. “I will.”

“All right.” Sophie set her on the floor as someone knocked at the door. “You get dressed and I’ll see who’s here.”

Heather gripped the towel tighter. “Is it Mister Thorin?”

“I don't know. I guess I’ll have to see.” Sophie ruffled her wet hair and straightened up, adding, “Dress warm.”

“I will, Mama.”

Sophie left her bedchamber, pulling the door by, and went to the apartment door, where she said, “Who goes?”

“Mister Thorin.”

She smiled as she pulled open the door. “You can just say it’s Thorin, you know.”

“I know. But, I rather like Mister Thorin. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Very well, then, come in, then, Mister Thorin.” 

She stepped aside to allow him room to pass, and as she closed the door, she said, “Heather is just getting dressed.”

“I’m a bit earlier than I thought I’d be,” he replied, thumping into the great room. “But, Bard was more than willing to cut our meet short this afternoon. It seems he promised his girls, as I promised mine, a  night at the market.”

“Your girls?” Sophie asked, arching one brow as she fought back her smile.

He bobbed his head “My girls. You are, you know. You and Heather both.”

Her stomach fluttered at his low, purring growl and the direct gaze accompanying it. “I have to confess,” she said after a moment off wracking her brain for the right way to phrase her words, “I rather like how that sounds.”

“Do you?” He bobbed his head. “Good. You should.” 

With that, he crossed to her and caught her hand to draw her into his arms. As he eased his arms about her waist, he said, “I look forward to seeing where this goes, Sophie, for I definitely see a future for you and I, and I have also have a confession to make. I hope I’m not about to overstep, but I’ve grown rather fond of Heather and look upon her as my own.”

Those were the last words she expected to hear from him just yet and while she knew Heather had won over the stoic King Under the Mountain, she had no idea just how much she’d won him over. “You—you do?”

“I do, yes,” he nodded, his thumbs brushing lightly across her lower back. “And in fact, I’d say—”

“Mister Thorin!” Heather came bounding into the room, dressed for the cold weather in black velvet leggings and a purple tunic with a rolled neck that was thick enough to definitely keep her warm.

He stepped back to catch her as she launched herself at him. “Easy, little bit,” he said with a laugh as she wrapped her arms about his neck and her tiny legs as far about his waist as they’d go. “You need let me breathe, Miss Heather.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she linked her fingers at the back of his neck and leaned back from him. “You smell like outside. And snow. Is it snowing?”

“I’m afraid not,” he told her, shaking his head.”But, it is cold and it won’t be long before it does begin to snow. And once it does—”

“Can we play in it?”

Sophie smiled at the hope in Heather’s voice. “I think we might manage it,” she said, coming up to tuck waylay curl behind Heather’s left ear. “But that’s still a few weeks away.”

“Mister Thorin?”

“What, mimûna?”

“Can we go up to Ravenhill? Gimli said a big battle happened there and that there might be arrowheads to be found in the ice.”

Sophie didn't miss the way Thorin’s shoulders stiffened at the mention of Ravenhill, nor did she miss the way his mouth tightened at their corners. Her gaze went to the thin scar along his forehead. Did what happened at Ravenhill cause it? She knew of the Battle of the Five Armies, of course, but only the basics, as she’d told Dwalin. And one of those basics was how the King Under the Mountain had been almost fatally wounded on the ice just beyond the fortress by Azog  the Defiler.

Then she remembered the scars she’d seen on his chest and belly the night before. Raised. Still slightly pink. One higher than the other, one twice as long as the other. She’ d started to ask him about them when he seized her lips with his, eased her onto her back, and that was the end of all conversation at that moment. 

“We will have to see, Miss Heather,” he told her softly, as if choosing his words carefully before speaking them. “It’s not very safe up there.”

“Why?”

“The river doesn’t completely freeze and I would hate to see either of us end up in the water.”

Heather shivered. “It’s too cold for swimming, Mister Thorin.”

“Exactly.”

“Would I freeze into a block of ice?”

“No,” he shook his head, “of course not. And if you fell in, I would jump in and grab you. But, perhaps we should wait until spring.”

“Can we swim there then? Mama taught me to swim a long time ago. But,” her nose wrinkled, “the Long Lake always smells funny.”

“The Long Lake is a terrible swimming hole,” Sophie said, moving to take her cloak from the tree near the door. “But I don't know the river is any better, either.”

Thorin smiled over his shoulder at her and to Sophie’s relief, it reached his eyes. “On the contrary, the river is fine for swimming. I used to swim there myself when I was Gimli’s age.”

“You were Gimli’s age?”

“Don’t sound so shocked, mimûna. I was not born fully grown, you know.” He gave her a squeeze, then set her down. “I thought we might have supper in Dale, unless you think Miss Heather will not find anything suitable.”

“I think she’ll be just fine,” Sophie told him, crouching before Heather to whisk her dark blue woolen cloak about her shoulders. “And you’ll tell me if you start to grow too cold, Heather.”

Heather nodded. “Yes, Mama.”

“Good.” She fastened the brass frogs at Heather’s throat, then straightened to whisk her own cloak about her shoulders. “Shall we go then?”

Thorin leaned in and brushed her lips with a kiss, then drew back with a smile. “Absolutely.”

[sometimesraven]

any writing advice for someone writing their first novel? (*cough, cough, aka me*)

<3

Disclaimer: what works for me might not work for you, so feel free to take, twist and scrap whatever you need. I recommend asking/shopping around for ideas and other authors' processes, and it'll take some trial and error before you find what works best for you. But here's how I personally write.

Disclaimer disclaimer: this got real long while I was writing it and I realised how terrifying it must look to a first time writer. Take it step by step, at your own pace. It's not as scary as it looks xx

BEFORE YOU WRITE

(I'm going to be focusing on the story itself, but I'm sure it goes without saying that you should have your characters planned out first)

First things first: have a basic idea of the story beats. It doesn't have to be a Big Old Detailed Outline, just a basic compass to keep you going in the right direction so you're less likely to hit a roadblock. Personally I use the Plot Embryo! Here's my favourite video explaining it:

It's a nice simplified, easy to use tool for plotting. Here's a page from one of my journals breaking it down in a way I can personally come back to and understand:

hopefully you can read my shitty handwriting but I've put a little breakdown in the image description.

I then use these prompts to scribble down the basic idea of what journey I want my main character/s to go through, and use that as my blueprint for when I write.

WHILE WRITING

First things first: if you're like me, and seeing errors or plot holes in the stuff you've already written will bug you forever, do what I do and NEVER READ BACK OVER YOUR WORK WHILE IT'S STILL IN PROGRESS. Sometimes I have to skim back to remember where I am but as a rule, once something is written it's no longer my problem until the whole thing is done.

Don't worry about chapters and other such structure. I use the plot embryo to split things up so I know where I am, but otherwise chapters and scenes Do Not Exist until the editing process. Here's the "chapters" of a WIP as an example (this is a slightly different embryo adapted for romance but you get the idea)

Then just keep going until you're done. You don't even have to do it in order. If I'm stuck on a scene, I'll just put a big word in all caps that I can ctrl+f easily (usually either ELEPHANT or PENIS sklfsgskjf) and move on to the next bit I have ideas for, then come back to it later.

This first finished story will be bad. It'll be rough, patchy, full of holes. THAT'S OKAY. This is what we sometimes call the "Zero Draft". The draft that literally exists just to get the story out of your head to make the whole thing easier.

EDITING

Warning: editing is the longest, hardest part of writing a novel. Your book will go through several different versions, be scrapped and torn apart and put back together again. This is what makes the story great.

This is where every author differs, and there's a whole bunch of ways this can go. Personally, the first thing I do once the zero/first draft is done is put it down. Don't look at it, don't touch it, don't think about it. For at least a month. This allows you to come back to it with fresh eyes that haven't been staring at the same words for so long they just hate the whole thing regardless (and you WILL HATE IT. This is normal).

Then, the first thing I do is read back over the whole thing, adding notes and reactions as if I am a reader. If a part of what I've written makes me go 🥺🥺🥺, I'll write that down. If something could be worded better, I write that down. If you think a certain thing that you would put in the tags of a tumblr post, write it down. Treat it like you're someone else's beta reader, note down every negative, every positive, every ???? part. This will give you an idea of what is and isn't working. Here's some of my funniest notes from my zero draft of book 2 just to prove how literal I'm being here:

Then, and this is a controversial move that doesn't work for everyone but it works for my autistic adhd self-loathing brain: WRITE THE WHOLE THING AGAIN. FROM SCRATCH.

This sounds daunting and it is, but you've already written it once, so the second time is easier. Usually I don't worry about making this perfect because again, this is just another draft. I'll copy from my zero draft anything that I think is fine and write new bits or scrap bits as I go.

Sometimes, the story is fine. Sometimes this is an easy refining process. However, if you're anything like me, sometimes the whole thing is messy and you'll realise halfway through rewriting that the whole thing needs restructuring. Do not despair. This is normal.

I'm using book 2 of the Truth Saga as an example for this. I got 40k words into rewriting it before I realised that the reason it felt so 'off' was because the whole thing was sagging in the middle, characters were being left behind, and the whole thing needed restructuring.

It was a rough realisation, as Reckless Truth (book 1) was such a comparatively easy process. I only did three drafts and didn't have to restructure much. Book 2 is giving me so much grief and I'm gonna slap it when it's done.

If you hit this roadblock, it might be time to do what all mood writers hate. Detailed plotting. Go right back to basics. Write down every plot point in detail this time. Act like you're spoiling the whole entire story for someone. Have you ever watched a movie or book review where the reviewer does a full breakdown of the plot? Do that. In this you'll find out exactly where you're going wrong and be able to tweak and fix it. If you have more than one main character, I recommend doing a separate plot thing for each of them and one for the book as a whole so that you can make sure their emotional arc is getting the attention it deserves.

Then, when you're happy with the new plot you've written based on the draft of your story, go back and try to rewrite it again. If this sounds like a nightmare, it is. But it's worth the work, I promise.

From there it's a case of rinse and repeat, reread, rewrite, re-edit until you're mostly happy with what you've got. Then send it to beta readers and editors to tear apart even more and put it back together until you think it's ready! I also recommend joining some writing discords, watching streams or videos about writing, just research research research basically

Happy writing!

[celiaelise]

I got caught up on the Shadows House manga! (spoilers!!! don't read this if you haven't read it :p)

(well, almost. The latest chapter hasn't yet been posted on the app I have that gives me manga in English, so I haven't read 158.)

I have SO many thoughts!! First of all, it did throw me off how the anime stuck so closely to the manga except for, like, adding an ENTIRELY NEW PLOT ARC which completely disrupted the timelines of when certain things were revealed to the characters. Like, if I remember correctly, the main characters in the manga still haven't ever infiltrated Grandfather's house, Kate only used a Veiled Doll disguise when they were in the Star Bearers' tower to avoid Suzanna, and they have no information about Edward's soot powers. So that's weird. And the Edward of the manga seems much more subtle than to do something as brash as kidnap Emilico.

I guess they wanted a very dramatic ending for the first season? But it seems probably unnecessary to me. Like, I didn't hate that part of the show, but I don't think I would've liked the show less without it. Plus, it removes a lot of the mystery and raises plot hole-type of questions about who knows what and who's, like, in the house. (and also how John got back? I think he said he held onto Edward's bird, but then where was he when Edward got there???) I think it probably would've been dramatic enough to end with the fallout of the debut, and the brainwashing/human reveal.

I am now going to share a bunch of my thoughts on various parts of the story, in no particular order. Sorry about the super long post, I know probably more people would read this if it was broken up, but I didn't want to flood the tag or my own blog.

Maryrose and Rosemary omg!!! 😭🥺😭🥺😭 I love them so much! I think their story was pretty much exactly the same as the show. I did notice, I think just because it was my second time around, that Rosemary doesn't talk, like, at all in the big showdown, or afterward when she's detained, except for when she reveals herself and then hugs Shaun and Emilico. Maryrose does all the talking, and it's kind of set up as just a fight between her and Kate and John, and then, later, Edward. Which I guess makes sense, given the circumstances of their relationship, and especially how they're used to interacting with others, or maybe that's just their personalities. But it would have been sweet to see them behave more like equal partners. I guess I may be projecting Kate and Emilico onto them a bit 😅 They are still great though, of course.

ANYWAY, I have a THEORY!! Or maybe more of a wish? I think it would be really cute if Rosemary and Maryrose ran away to join the circus! 🎪 They already have a lot of parallels to Kate and Emilico, so it kinda makes sense!! Especially considering that Maryrose can't disguise her shadow form, so it will be hard for them to integrate into normal society. (like Kate...) We already know they love to perform, they can do supernatural tricks with soot powers, and "the beauty and her shadow" would be an easy gimmick, as well as an interesting inversion of their relationship at Shadows House. Hopefully they can find one with a nicer ringmaster than Emilico's, but they're also much more prepared to throw down with a grown man than she was.

It was SO satisfying to me when the Patrick and Louise pairs finally got filled in on everything!!! Frankly I did not understand why nobody told poor Patrick about the soot powers right after the debut; it's not like Kate cares about respecting authority. And then even Rum came back 💜 I love when they all get to be a happy little family together 🥰🥰

In general I appreciate how many things seem to go well in this story, especially because it's usually because the characters have decided to work together and trust each other. Even though the fate of their uprising is far from sealed, it's still already had a lot of success, like them befriending the Star Bearers and eliminating the coffee. I feel like in a lot of other stories everything would have to fall apart so much more for the main characters before they got anywhere close to their goals. Which, like, of course there's nothing wrong with that, I just prefer a bit less hopelessness in my stories. Like, the Star Bearer election was such a huge victory!! And they just got to have that! (obviously there will be fallout, but they still got it, y'know?)

The criticism of capitalism really is, like, glaring. I feel like it's most obvious for me in the chapter where Emilico considers that she may have been less miserable if she kept drinking the coffee, but then Kate tries to help clean, and shares her table with her, and cheers her up. It's a tiny piece of the overall story, but it's such a sweet little reminder of, "this system exists to control us by breaking us down, and it will absolutely succeed if we are not there for each other. Relationships, empathizing with one another's struggles, and providing hope and help where it is needed are essential for progress." As someone who has dealt with burnout, that was really...yeah...🥺

I am so curious about where the story is going with Lou and Louise!!! Even before the recent invitation, I kept thinking, "we really don't know that much about them..." Louise's obsession with Lou's beauty is clearly unhealthy, and I assume it's inhibiting her own sense of identity. She's not the most thoughtful, and of the main team, seems to understand the least why what Shadows House is doing is wrong. I'm not even convinced she ever stopped brainwashing Lou, though I don't think she'd realize that's what she was doing. Especially because, in the manga, her powers weren't a huge discovery for her, she was just like, "oh yeah, that's something that I do". And when all the human kids are remembering their home and the selection together, Lou struggles to have an emotional reaction the way everyone else does. That reminded me of when Kate first broke Emilico's brainwashing after the debut, and she was confused at not being able to associate sadness with the memory of Rum and Shirley's loss. However, I do think Louise is firm enough in her connection to the group and their ideals that she won't be comfortable going along with unification. Even if she doesn't feel Edward is giving her a choice, she won't be like, "oh okay this is fine".

I have NO idea where they're going with Sarah and Mia. Someone in the tag pointed out that it looks like Sarah is crossing to the other wing along with Louise, and idk what to do with that!! Honestly, I have been a little confused by their characterization in general, because the first things we learn about them are the Sarah is mean and cruel, while Mia is helpful and kind, only for that to... not quite seem to be the case. Everyone seems to think Sarah is well-meaning but immature, and Mia begins to be the driving force behind Emilico's antagonization. I mean, it does seem like nobody would be aware of Sarah's abuse, and I can see that Mia's attitude toward Emilico would change once she is perceived to be a threat. But the abuse in particular seemed to sort of be swept under the rug? Like, they introduced it and then never mentioned it again, until Mia herself initiated it, which may not be odd if Sarah hadn't become a much more central character. (idk, I'm probably overthinking it!) Anyway, some people were saying they don't think Mia's going to make it, but idk...if either of them dies, it would be the closest-to-the-main-characters character to have a confirmed death yet. And if Mia, specifically, were to die, we'd have a faceless shadow, which we've never had to deal with before, because the Belles were able to share their...Belle. (speaking of whom, is Emi the only one who cares that she LOST HER TWIN SISTER??) Would Sarah be doomed to the death Rum described, or would our group have to rescue and hide her, somehow?

Speaking of all the Belles, again, I really feel like Barbara ought to apologize to them, specifically. She tried pretty hard to kill all of them, and succeeded with one out of four. Because if Belle hadn't made it, they'd have gotten rid of Isabelle and Mirabelle, right? I know Barbara has enough angst happening right now already, but, like, are we gonna talk about that??

Oh yeah, ANTHONY. What a little freak. His backstory puts him in one of the most sympathetic positions in the whole story, but after only a few short appearances, every reader is creeped out by him!! Truly an accomplishment. I mean, we can assume he was emotionally broken by the loss of Christopher, but still. Be cool, dude. One very interesting mystery surrounding him is that of Christopher's soot powers!!! I assume he has some of his soot in the vial, (a bit macabre, to think of him gathering it from a corpse) and is using it to do mind control of some sort?

(I do feel very bad for Barbara btw. Especially after she made such progress by opening up to everyone! I don't mean to gloss over that, I just don't have much to say about it.)

Okay, okay. KATE. 🎀🌹 Dearest, darlingest, mysterious girl. I was so happy when we finally learned the truth about her doll!!! Emilico meeting her (and everyone else tbh) in the village before they went to the House seemed kind of jarringly coincidental, but once I was able to suspend my disbelief in serendipity, it was really sweet!!! 😊🥰 And her having a different history then the other shadows makes her so much more interesting! (Though it does make Maryrose seem like more of an anomaly...) It's kind of funny that so many characters have a second, secreter backstory behind their secret backstory. Has anyone else considered that Kate may already actually be the equivalent to an "adult" shadow, the perfect union of a morph and a human?? I was going to say that she's the death-free version of what Gramps is trying to do, but then I remembered her mother died, so that's a lie. Possessing and killing pregnant women is actually not more ethical than whatever is currently going on.

Romance! As a lesbian who finds most "teen romance" stories grating, I kind of like what Shadows House has done so far, with the characters having various crushes and largely not acting on them, and that taking a backseat to both the main plotlines and their friendships. The crushes are more a vehicle for the characters learning about themselves than for drama. Probably eventually people will start getting together and that will change and I'll get annoyed, but 🤷🏻‍♀️. The only ones who are like "uwu we're made for each other 😚💕" are the ones who literally WERE. I like the head canon that Kate is a lesbian, and I don't really ship anything except the Roses, of course, and kinda Kate and Emilico. But that's, like...the whole story is about their love for each other, regardless of the form it takes? Not to be like, "they don't need to be gay because their friendship is just as strong", but it is. (I do think they're gay, though) I think I picture them ending up together, but, maybe, like, in a few years?? They are still learning that they are even people. (no hate if you do ship more, though. That's just me.) And I like imagining the main squad as found family besties. Like, "I used to be in love with you when we barely knew each other, then we got close, did a revolution together, and now both we and the shape of that love have changed so much, but we're all still here," type of friends.

Speaking of years, I wonder if the story's timeline will be clarified? rn it's, like, super ambiguous, and I think that might be intentional, but I wonder if we'll get answers.

Oh, okay! I think this'll be the last topic, and it's a totally superficial one. Kate's new digs!!!! ♥️ The scene where everyone came to say hi was so cute, I loved that. Do you think she'll have it redecorated to fit her color scheme more? Also, does this mean Emilico gets a nicer room, too??? And will this make it harder or easier to meet up with the others? Farther away, well, except for Patrick, now, but possibly more space and more freedom? And does Rum always patrol the tower? Cause then they'd get to see her all the time! In general I'm excited for what new things Kate will have access to as a star bearer, but that also means that if the adults find out about the coffee, she'll be blamed for sure.

All right, that's finally it! Thank you for reading, if you read all of this, I love you so much!!! Please tell me what you think about any of my theories or thoughts or whatnot. 💕

[d0zuki]

Hello Everyone!

As you can see my requests/asks are turned off, and that's because I have A LOT of work which I need to do, on this blog and irl I will finish everything off this week probably and do the days I missed of angstember. I would like to also say other stuff

1. Requests will change a little, and by that I mean that I will take priorities

Asks>request by someone>anon request>match up>other

2. I will add more tags which will be the:

Smau,[mutual]'s ask, managers recommended

3. You will be able to ask to be mutuals, and by that I mean just ask, confidence is key! Remember that I don't know you! And I won't know your private life! But if you are too embarrassed to ask in requests or for it to be shared you can always ask, and write In () that to keep it private, or private message me!

4. An section which will lead to more stuff by that I mean I want to add

Speiclas customers-mutuals

Where you can find me

Links to help Palestine+including daily link and donations I get asked to share

List of my faves

Fandoms I'm in

5. The look of the blog

I will try to make it more professional with more stuff, more fandoms more genres etc. of course I won't get into genres that aren't appropriate for me, I will also try to write a bit better, I see that people like it, but I want to write longer works too!

6. Series

I will start to have longer series, I want to be more professional in writing since this is how I practice, with that said it won't always happen, maybe I won't be able to so I won't force it, I will try to anyway

7. Like I said I want to be more professional, by that I mean writing better, having more words,having multiple fandoms and many works for them, I know that will take FOREVER but I want to try, I want this blog to be a safe place for everyone, more fandoms more characters etc, which is ton of work and will take a lot of time.

8.requests will be a bit slower and I will do a little thing that if I'm overwhelmed I will turn them off or when I'm adding something huge, like right now fandoms, requests will be written and posted then the requests will be back on, I hope you guys will understand and that's all!

Bye bye! Thanks for reading I will try to finish everything fast!! Once I'm done another update will come out! Hopefully tomorrow or two days later

[cowboymantis]

OKAY I figured out how I'll do the gifsets!!!

So just planning on making random gifsets for my favourite things bc I love doing those anyway!

But here are the ones I've settled on (for now, if I want to add another category I'll just edit this and add onto it):

[RGG] Gifsets

( via #rgg-gifsets )

Focuses on my favourite characters from Yakuza. All spin-offs included! Had to make a special category for Yakuza, simply because there are... so many...

[Games] Gifsets

( via #games-gifsets )

Focuses on my favourite characters from videogames. Well, any that aren't Yakuza characters, obviously.

[Toku] Gifsets

( via #toku-gifsets )

Focuses on my favourite characters from Tokusatsu shows/movies.

[Drama] Gifsets

( via #drama-gifsets )

Can be jdrama, kdrama, whatever. As long as it's not Toku! Focuses on my favourite characters from dramas.

[BiasETC] Gifsets

( via #biasetc-gifsets)

Started as a "bias" category (like for kpop) in my drafts, but settled on a much more broad one, but I like the term bias, so I kept it.

So this is basically for musicians and actors in general! Focuses more on the person themselves, not specifically the media they're in, as in a character they play, so if an actor I like plays a character that isn't my fav, WELL here's my less specific category :'D

[MV] Gifsets

( via #mv-gifsets )

MV = music video AND movie, but of course also shows count. Basically, just random media gifsets of either a certain mv/show I really like, a character I like that doesn't fit the other categories, or just think it looks cool! Since I'm not sure if I'll include much anime, I didn't want to do a specific anime category, so this can go in there too.

The format I'll (hopefully, if I remember) post them in:

Let's say, for example, if the first gifset in the category for BiasETC is of Taemin, then it'll be like this:

[BiasETC] Gifsets #1 - Taemin

I'll number them all, starting by 1 for each tag individually just for better organization. The numbers don't mean anything special, literally just to keep track!

But what if I decide a couple posts later (or just directly after that one), to make a part 2? Then I just keep the numbers going normally! So if I make a part 2, for example it could look like this:

[BiasETC] Gifsets #15 - Taemin [Part 2]

There is no time limit for this and there is no goal of how many posts I want to do until I stop, as long as I literally consume ANY type of media that moves, I will be adding onto this! :D And it will be completely random, just whenever I feel like it! Literally all just for fun

Why such a complicated, overly specific guideline list??? Because I love sorting random things, hell I've got hundreds of google docs just for lists about my current interests!!! Also it helps me better to keep track of what I've posted on here :]

Before I even started Kamen Rider, or Super Sentai, I have made specific lists with every season and special/movie on them, so that I can then make another list, aka my watchlist, to properly note down what I've watched. And for some reason, making the list was just as much fun as finally watching it, I was almost sad when I was done 😭😭

So yeah. You can always find this OG post again under #gifsets-explanation , and I'll be adding this onto all the posts I make!

I'll try to make a specific tag for every gifset I post, so if I ever make more parts, they can all easily be searched for. With the previous Taemin example, it could be something like #gifsets-taemin