#aderyn wilde

[artofalassa]

Some of you my still remember the Thedas version of my OCs! <3 Sometimes I miss my kids heheh

[help-an-alter]

Hello, my name is Dany, I’m a fictive alter who is in the process of source separation and I would like some help with finding an identity outside of my source(GoT) because of the triggering and problematic nature of the show. My favorite color is Red and I have recently learned that I am a fire sign if that helps at all! I am a fun loving person and an animal lover if that helps as well, thanks in advance!

hello! i added some names as well just in case you were also looking for those, even though you have one! i hope this can help :)

names: auburn, hazel, poppy, ruby, scarlet(t), phoenix, carmine, aderyn, garnet, blaze, crimson, vermillion, autumn, cerise, fox, cardinal, macaw, star (starfish), leo, amber, pyro, flare, soleil, leona, robin, arachne, bee, doe, draco, dove, espen

pronouns: red/reds/redself, scorch/scorches/scorchself, warm/warmth/warmthself, fie/fire/fireself, soot/soots/sootself, spa/spark/sparkself, fla/flare/flareself, py/pyre/pyreself, wild/fires/wildfireself, daey/daes/daemself, sca/scale/scaleself, hyp/hyper/hyperself, shi/zir/zirself, hy/hym/hymself, hon/honey/honeyself, li/lion/lionself, ro/roe/roeself, ae/aer/aerself

comfort: fire ambience, cozing up in blankets, the witcher (show), dragon prince (show), soup, hanging out with/making friends, drinking tea/coffee, playing old board games, cooking

- mod hawks!

[blackjackkent]

Help Me Pick My BG3 Character :D

Given that I'm almost done with Throne of Bhaal and going to start liveblogging BG3 pretty soon, I need a vote on which of these characters I should play for that playthrough, because I'm torn. :D

Poll at the bottom!

Some of these are my old D&D characters that I would be reviving in a new medium and some are brand new. All romance options are completely possible at this stage - waiting to see how the character actually interacts with them all in game. :D

Rhian Wolfswift. (Originally named Aderyn, but I already used that on this blog for one of my DAI Inquisitors.) My first D&D character, half-elf bard with the urchin background. Sarcastic, charming when needed; grew up busking on the streets for money and will do basically anything that gets her the coin to keep her mother housed and off the streets.

Jayce Fraser, tiefling ranger with the outlander background. Another of my D&D characters. A roamer and hunter of wild beasts, travels with a wolf companion named Caleb (if the game will allow it). More comfortable among animals than people and dedicated to the preservation and protection of the natural world.

Hector Carlisle, human monk, sage background. A certified BlackjackKent sad dad special. New OC for this playthrough, not played before. History nerd who was the illegitimate child of a monk in a monastery of Selune and was raised there after his father disappeared. Very smart, very dedicated to serving those around him, wildly unprepared for the outside world after having spent almost his whole life among other monks.

Trystan Sunguard, elven warlock, noble background. Another fresh OC. Was well on his way to becoming one of the most powerful wizards that had ever been seen at the extremely prestigious school to which he was sent - until he got far too confident in his own skill and opened a portal to the Far Realms, and something looked back.

[deannagrey]

Scene where Sam tells the boys he’s leaving

Note: I wrote this scene as a look at how the guys would have differing reactions to Sam’s decision to leave. It didn’t make the cut because I felt like the book was getting too lengthy and their reactions could be further explored in other books. 

I pulled up to our house. Everything looked clearer after talking to Aderyn and this clarity was warm. Bittersweet. I passed by Finn's van on the way to the front door, taking a quick peek at the wayward sweatshirts, forgotten earbuds, and old hockey equipment in the back seat. All of us often left things in the van, knowing that we'd come back eventually. It was our version of a scrapbook. I'd have to take my things out before leaving. I definitely wasn't looking forward to doing that. But it was going to happen. It needed to happen because I needed to grow. I needed a chance to figure out who I was when I took chances and didn't know what the outcome was going to be. I needed to completely shed old Sam for the new version. The hopefully stronger version. 

The guys were in the living room, sitting around the coffee table with the game Clue laid out in front of them. The sound of my shoes on the hardwood was enough to capture their attention 

"How did it go?" Henrik asked. They all looked at me, eyes wide with curiosity, ready to lend me a shoulder if needed. 

I nodded, smiling at the thought of Aderyn. "G-good. Better than good. Amazing." 

Lincoln raised his arms and smiled wide with pure happiness for me. As he cheered, Henrik and even Finn laughed at his excessive show of support. 

"I thought you were going to have bad news," Lincoln noted, eyes dancing with satisfaction. "You're still stammering a bit. But, thank God, I'm wrong." 

I tried not to let my smile fade. All in all, this was good news. 

"Right…well, there's something else." I cleared my throat. "So, next year, I'm not going to be needing my room."

Finn's brow knitted but he kept his questions to himself. His gaze ducked down as he focused on his hands. He could sense this was going somewhere he wasn't necessarily going to like. 

Henrik gave me a small nod. He knew what I was going to say. And the firm line his mouth made clued me into how he wouldn't give protest. His rapid blinking told me he wanted to but whatever argument he cooked up would stay in the back of his mind out of respect for my decision. 

On the other hand, Lincoln had no clue where I was going. We were on one side of the field and he was on the other. 

"You don't want to live here anymore?" Lincoln asked. "It's a fixer-upper sure, but we have our fixer." 

Finn grunted when Lincoln gestured in his direction. 

"No, it's not that–" I tried. 

"Fine, we can look for other options." He sighed like he'd given plenty of thought to the matter. "But, finding a place better and this close to campus is going to be tough – if not impossible. And moving costs are wild. We were lucky this place came furnished. I do have some savings and that couch we saw at Ikea is within budget if everyone pitches in two hundred." 

"Link–" I tried with a smile. His interruptions were annoying but hell, I was going to miss them. Going to miss everything about this guy who was wholeheartedly ready and committed to doing anything and everything in life together. 

"Naomi and Finn should get the master this time because they need the space," Lincoln said. "No offense but Aderyn's not exactly moving in this early…or is she?"

"Lincoln," Henrik's tone was harder than mine. "Shut up. Just for a second. He's not done and you're not making this any easier to swallow." 

Lincoln's forehead wrinkled but he followed the order. 

"I'm not going to need my room because I'm not coming back to Mendell next year," I said. 

"That's a shitty thing to joke about," Lincoln teased. When I didn't refute my statement his smile faded. 

"Are you…" Lincoln looked at the other guys for support. "Wait, seriously? This is happening again? First Finn's moderating for a streaming star. Naomi's said star. And now, Sam's leaving. Another thing I didn't know about?"

"What do you mean you didn't know?" Henrik asked. "You drove him to Aderyn. You had to deduce something might change, Sherlock."

"To stop her. I deduced that he was going to stop her, Waston," Lincoln insisted. "I drove him because I thought the plan was to stop her. To convince her to stay or convince her to have a long-distance relationship. Not leave…us." 

"Lincoln," I tried to soften my tone because I could see the genuine hurt in his eyes. "I'm only going a few hours away." 

"That's a lot, Sam. That's a lot and you know it and this is bullshit," Lincoln argued. There wasn't fire in his voice. He wasn't necessarily upset with me. He was sad and ready to mourn what would be the first time we all were in different places since becoming friends. 

"I think this is going to be good for me," I told him. "Healthy for me to try something new. To be in a place where I don't know everyone and they don't know me." 

To be with Aderyn, someone who didn't necessarily need me but chose me. Wanted me. Someone I could build something with that stood far longer than a college career. 

"So, spend a few months at a boot camp if you don't want people to know you. If you want a new challenge," Lincoln suggested. "Not transfer to a different program." 

"Bootcamp isn't the same as starting a life somewhere new," I told him. 

"It was going to happen eventually, Link. We all have to split up eventually to figure out our own path, so why not start now," Henrik said in a gentle tone. It sounded like he was trying to be empathetic to Lincoln's stance. He was going to have to learn how to be more understanding of Lincoln's passionate bursts of emotion. Especially since he'd be in charge next year. 

Lincoln huffed, unconvinced and desperate to have someone on his side. "Finn, are you going to say anything? Give us a clue to what you think about this?" 

Finn remained quiet for a few more seconds, taking his time to gather his thoughts. "Sam sounds happy. And he's right, it could be healthy for him to move on. Move forward somewhere else. Move forward with someone he can see a future with. If he's happy, I'm happy. That's all I'm thinking…I'm happy. Sad to lose him but glad he's doing what he wants."

I smiled. His answer was far more heartfelt than I would have expected. 

Lincoln groaned, slouching. "I'm happy too, of course, I'm happy."

"You don't sound very happy to me," Henrik mumbled. 

"I'm ecstatic," Lincoln insisted, voice flat. "All I would like is for Sam to consider that he has more options. We invented cars for a reason. Number one on that list is to drive a few states over to see your girl."

"Eh," I interjected. "I don't know about number one."

"Yeah, that feels more like a number five thing," Henrik agreed. 

"Five or five thousand," Lincoln said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whatever the number, it's on the list. My point is, I thought maybe your friends might be higher."

"I don't think his decision says anything about how he feels about us," Finn noted. 

"Agreed," Henrik said. 

"Maybe not, but it feels like it." Lincoln shook his head still in disbelief. 

I chewed on my lip, trying not to laugh at his stubborn insistence. "I love you, too, Link. I love all of you guys." 

Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Save your attempts at ending toxic masculinity for someone who cares." 

"You care." I moved closer to shove his shoulder. "And I care. We all care and that's why this is going to be hard but not impossible." 

Lincoln huffed but at least untangled his crossed arms. 

"I know you guys got this," I said as I joined them on the floor. "You guys are going to kill next season. You have the talent and the drive. Now, with Stoll out of the way, you have the support. We laid down a foundation, I cleared the way and now, you guys are going to finish this for me."

"You're still playing, though, right?" Finn asked. 

I nodded. "Hell yeah. I'd never quit. Just refocusing. I'll play for Westbrooke."

"Good." Finn nodded. My answer seemed to make his shoulders relax. 

"So, we're just going to kick your ass," Lincoln concluded. "You know what…fine, I'll take that as payment for the heartbreak you've caused all of us. That should cover half damages."

I laughed. "That so?"

Lincoln nodded. "And that other half is you telling us everything we need to do to win this goddamn championship. We need one." 

Henrik nodded in agreement and scooted closer to the table. "With Stoll out of the way, we can actually play without fear of people being benched or suspended out of the blue. Except for you, we have all our seniors coming back. Plus, some killer rookies."

I took a deep breath, pushing away the sadness of not playing with them and replacing it with the excitement of planning for their final season. 

"Jack's going to be a big asset," I said. "His suspension is long but he'll be back on the ice before playoffs. Finn, Jack, and Hen are the best wing players in the league. You have strong first and second lines."

"We're losing the best center, though," Henrik noted. 

I smiled but nodded. "You are but that rookie from Bellamy High is Mendell or bust. He’s almost as impressive as me" 

"Right." Henrik nodded and rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. I could see him moving players around in his mind. Working out plays and matching up the guys who could best execute them.

"Link," I said, leaving Henrik to his thoughts for now. "You're going to commit one thousand percent next year. I mean it."

"I always commit," Lincoln pressed his hand on his chest like he was offended. 

I gave him a look. "Seriously."

"What?" he asked, squirming a bit in his seat. "I do." 

"Don't fuck around. Give it your all."

He sobered a bit and nodded. "I will."

"Swear it," I dared with a little nudge of my chin. "Swear it on Darcy's grave."

"Who's Darcy?" Finn asked in a low voice.

"Link's hamster who he trained to count," Henrik explained. "And be a semi-decent acrobat." 

"Trained to…" Finn shook his head. "You guys get weirder and weirder the more I learn about you." 

I laughed and then looked back at Lincoln. "Swear it." 

He scoffed. "What are we, twelve?" 

"Chicken," I taunted. 

"Oh, well damn. That's the breaking point. Can't be seen as a chicken," Lincoln said sarcastically. 

"You do seem a bit scared," Finn joined in. 

"My God, fine." Lincoln held up his hands. "I swear on my beloved Darcy's grave. I will be the best damn goalie you guys have ever seen. And I will be the reason we win the championship."

"That's a lot of promises." Henrik raised a brow. "You could just stick to trying." 

"No, I'm calling it. I'll be the reason," Lincoln promised with a determined nod. "Mark my words." 

"Marked," I teased. 

"Well, there we have it." Henrik nodded. "We're going to have a season people won't forget…Training starts tomorrow morning. I'll text the rest of the team."

Lincoln and Finn's eyes widened. 

"Excuse me?" Lincoln asked. "We're on break." 

"Which is why I expect you guys to be at the rink bright and early," Henrik said. "We're not training for the playoffs this year. But that doesn't mean we have to stop training altogether. We have big plans. And since we only have Sam for a limited amount of time, we have to make it count." 

I smiled at the thought. "Off-season practice sounds perfect. Fun."

"A chance for Sam to give some parting wisdom," Henrik said when he heard Finn and Lincoln's collective sighs. 

"True…unfortunately true," Lincoln agreed. "Well, can I at least be in charge of the music on the rides to the rink?"

"No," Finn said sternly. 

"Come on, it's a short drive. And I need surround sound to pump me up." 

"Didn't I buy you a pair of noise-canceling headphones," Henrik asked, mouth turned down as he wondered if he was recalling things right. 

Lincoln shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not the same, you know?" 

"Sucks to be you," Finn joked under his breath. 

"Doesn't it?" Lincoln let out a purposely dramatic sigh. "Losing a friend to Westbrooke. Having to prove I'm the best goalie in the league to my other friends. Nursing a lovesick heart. It's rough out here."

I chuckled. "Your melodrama will be one of the things I miss most." 

Lincoln jumped at the opportunity to be sappy. "So, if you were to make a list, theoretically–" 

"You and this theoretically," Henrik muttered. 

"Who would you miss most?" Lincoln leaned closer, ready for my answer. "Theoretically." 

"I love all my children equally," I teased without missing a beat. 

"Boo, tomato," Lincoln mimed throwing the fruit at me. 

I laughed. "Seriously. I'm gonna miss you all in different ways. But the intensity of it feels the same."

Lincoln stuck out his bottom lip and nodded. "I would fake barf but that actually meant a lot to hear you say." 

"It did," Henrik agreed. "Thanks. For everything. Leading us in high school and here. We know it took a lot out of you." 

Finn’s gaze met mine as he said, "Yeah, thank you, Sam. For being there. Listening. Having you there for me after the accident – giving me a break from the drama just to figure my shit out – it means a lot." 

My throat tightened so I simply nodded. 

"Glad to know I'm not the only one who has a heart. For a second I thought you guys were going to let him leave without telling him how you really felt," Lincoln teased them. "And yeah, you deserve all the thanks, Sam. We will give it to you in the form of a trophy. We will win in your honor."

"In Sam's honor," Henrik seconded with a smile. 

"For Sam." Finn nodded. "A Mendell championship, for Sam." 

"I appreciate that, I do." I nodded, still feeling a little misty but proud. "You guys better win with all these promises. Or else, your speeches are all cheese and no backbone." 

"I told you I got this," Lincoln promised and gripped my shoulder for a gentle squeeze. "Cheese and all. I'm going to bring it home."

"We're going to bring it home," Henrik corrected.

"You guys will be there, too, yes," Lincoln agreed. 

Henrik snorted and Finn chuckled. They would be fine without me. They were going to win without me. That thought didn't hurt as much as I assumed it would. We were growing up, ready to trust ourselves just as much as we trusted each other. It felt incredible. It felt freeing. It felt like this was how things were meant to be. 

[musicblogwales]

Aderyn - 'Chip Shop Boy' (Official Video)

'Do you want Salt n Vinegar on them?' Cardiff Indie Grunge Pop Artist 'Aderyn' returns with fantastic new single 'Chip Shop Boy' which is available now everywhere! With hooky riffs and euphoric chord changes 'Chip Shop Boy' will make all your Chippy Dreams come true, and is certainly 'Aderyn's' strongest single to date. Love it!

Aderyn says “Chip Shop Boy is a song about the rush of first having a crush on someone, and how those daydreams can make the mundane feel magical.” Chip Shop Boy is available on all streaming sites and bandcamp, and will be released on CD and cassette as part of Aderyn’s debut EP Sea Glass on 14th September.

Chip Shop Boy was written about Aderyn's infatuation with the boy who worked at the local chip shop during Covid lockdown. Aderyn says: “The chippy was the only place open in lockdown, and my imagination ran wild with blissful visions of our future together. It turned into this really fun song thats always a big crowd pleaser on tour.” Chip Shop Boy is an irreverent and irresistibly fun indie pop song with moments of Pavement inspired guitars, and more hooks than a fisherman. Aderyn also played all the drums on the track, which was recorded in West Wales with producer Gethin Pearson (Orla Gartland, Charli XCX, Adwaith).

Aderyn will play Gwen Gwen Festival this summer. Chip Shop Boy is the second single from Aderyn's debut EP Sea Glass, out 14 September

Cardiff’s “Queen of Indie Pop” (Radar Mag), Aderyn grew tired of life on a Welsh sheep farm and left home at 16 to be a drummer in a grunge band. Now striking out on her own in her first solo project, Aderyn’s music weaves together irreverent hook laden pop, with a scuzzier grunge influenced sound. Aderyn won the Welsh Music Prize Triskel Award in 2022.

Buy 'Chip Shop Boy' Here

https://song.link/gb/i/1693584395

[imrisah]

Commission for @batbiscuit who is awesome and holy cow so patient.

And these are two of her ocs: Jim teaching Ady how to be sneaky and quiet, and Ady being terrible at it, but oh so stubborn. And for context, the setting is Ontario around the 1790s. I want to tell you a ton of things about these two but you better just go on Lass’ blog and check them out for yourself if you’re interested adjhf her art is amazing -> x

[encrucijada]

32 and 39 for the microfic challenge

You’ve said how much you like my project In The Wild Life Garden so… I wrote something for it! Still waiting for the moment of elightment regarding this but hey I got to write a new character: Opal, Bella-Rose and Vienna’s aunt.

The crawling flowers and vines that had grown from the crevices of the house had withered when Diantha and Adoette became ash. These plants they had grown didn’t become ash too, but they died on the following days and they were already gathering dust and cobwebs. No one touched them, we let them be, a homage or a reminder, I hadn’t realised how many of the flowers that we kept inside and in the garden were actually my mother’s until they all crinkled like parchment and washed out their colours. Opal ripped them off a week after Dad left and didn’t come back.

I watched her from the furthest corner of whatever room she was in.

Watched her climb on the furniture to reach the ceiling. Watched her pull the stems and vines that stubbornly held onto the wood from which they had sprouted with magic. It made the spiders from the cobwebs cower and sent dust flying and shine on the sunlight coming through the windows. I didn’t speak, didn’t offer to help her, didn’t offer to hold the table or chair or shelf steady. I couldn’t understand her anger. Everette had left things behind, so why not throw those off a window? Why take it out on Diantha’s flowers? While she was my mother Diantha was never my father’s wife. She was the flowers of the magnolia up the hill by the castle ruins. The flowers that died with her weren’t to blame for the decisions of my father, Opal’s brother.

Now, I have the hindsight to understand. Now, understand her behaviour later when new flowers poked among the ridges of our well-worn floorboards and wallboards.

[hunnybadgerv]

Some thoughts on Aderyn Hawke

@theoriginalladya

This got a little longer than I intended.

The character that would be interested in spinning and yarn making, would be Aderyn Hawke.

She is very much the most ... I'm not even sure which word would be right. She's an herbalist and alchemist and as the eldest she was the one that helped her mother with so many of the tasks of the household.

I think that given her foci and interests, fiber arts would be something she would find immense relaxation and joy in. I think it would be something to calm her nerves. It might even be something she takes up for herself, especially after her time in the Fade. It would help distract her from the memories. It might even be a way for her to also demonstrate that care for those she loves, another way she can make sure they are safe and comfortable.

Despite her skill on the field of battle, she is a woman whose life took a direction she never really wanted. She wanted what she saw her parents have--a loving marriage, a happy and safe family.

And while she did meet the love of her life early on, it took decades for she and Cullen to even get near to that domestic dream the two of them conjured together in the wilds near Lothering during long walks and talks under the lush boughs.

She's a talented woman, whose life detoured in many ways from her own simple plans and ideas for it. She tries her damnedest to snatch hints and touches of it. I think this might be another thing within her control that she could use to make her life more of what she wants it to be, rather than what the world her seems to keep moving it toward.

[claymotif]

hi hi hi!!!! how do you think your guys would react if they completely swapped universes with each other?? what are aderyn and keldan doing in the tsh universe how are delwyn junhee chan and co reacting to the sky sea universe etc etc

ben. you're a fuckin GENIUS for this question hold on

the funnest part is that both casts would totally be like what the fuck. what is going on here.

assuming they're just dropped in as they are. picked up from universe and stuck in the other. the biggest thing for aderyn and keldan is gonna be the technology!!! modern tech in general is gonna be super weird because their universe is just sooooo different. they're gonna see a plane in the sky and be like okay weird that it's a tube but ok. then they'll see the ocean and aderyn will go what the FUCK is that.

(aderyn and seia are both gonna adjust much faster i think. depending how long they're there. keldan and melati are both annoying and snobby thanks to the ~royal influence~ like they literally don't know how to interact with ppl normally. this works to their detriment in tsh universe, which is basically just modern-day new york with magic. that being said keldan would LOVE to have a cell phone. he'd send aderyn the most annoying memes at all hours of the day.)

because of the lack of magic* in the sky sea universe, i think the biggest thing is that the tsh characters are gonna feel like. Empty. they no longer have that well of power to tap into. super fuckin weird. i think delwyn would be relieved about it actually but chan and junhee would not react well at all. sasha's crew is relatively more normal so they would probably notice the no magic thing but care less. they'd be way more focused on the changes in society. hana especially would be fascinated by the tech (which in my head is very steampunk-inspired for some reason)

the universe swap comes with the added bonus of both casts being abruptly removed from . you know. their entire plot. like the ppl antagonizing keldan and co. will assume they crashed and died or something and give up. without delwyn and chan fucking shit up the tsh universe is no longer under immediate threat of apocalypse. if the swap is like permanent then both casts just get to like . chill. settle down and live relatively normal lives i guess. which would probably be the weirdest part of the whole thing for them. they're like yeah im in another universe i guess but holy shit there's nothing trying to kill me??? wild.

[justafrogandherumbrella]

Welcome to Nowhere: Welcome to Dispassion (pt. 2)

Dispassion is a strange little town. You don’t know exactly what it is that makes it so strange, but then again everything seems a little strange to you as of late. Still, there is something especially odd about this place. Perhaps it is the brightly-colored pink and yellow buildings, or the flower bushes, dead in their pots that line every cobbled  street. Maybe it’s the fact that those streets are completely empty. No people going window shopping or heading to work,  no birds perching on the wires between power poles, not even a tumbleweed making its way haphazardly across the road.  

“Is it… abandoned?” Emerson says after a few minutes of walking down the vacant streets of Dispassion. 

Aderyn shakes her head. “No, it’s not. ” She says, pointing to the dead flower bushes in front of the empty shops. “Look, you see those?”

“Yes?” Emerson says quizzically, tilting his head to the side. “What about them?”

“Look how neatly pruned they are. People need to be here in order to maintain that.”

Now that you look closer at them, you can see Aderyn’s point.  They are  neatly pruned. Rather than wild criss-crossing branches reaching out in different directions, the bushes are styled into tidy, perfect, dead spheres.  

“Maybe there’s an event or something?” Gia  theorizes.  “Maybe we should try heading to town hall? There's gotta be someone there…” They trail off, looking back down at the pamphlet in their hands. The pamphlet is similar to the sign at the entrance to the town. With “Welcome to Dispassion” written across the front in pretty, pink lettering, but the ink is fading, slowly disappearing before your eyes; just like the chipped paint on the sign. 

“Town hall sounds like a good idea.” Emerson agrees.  “There might be some kind of air conditioning too… it’s awfully hot out here.” They say, raising one of his flipper-like hands to their face, whipping away a thin layer of goo from their skin. “I suppose wearing a thick sweater like this doesn’t really help.”

“Honestly,” Aderyn says, “I don’t know how you can stand to wear those things. I always hated when I had to wear them back before I moved someplace warmer.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve always liked this kind of clothing, though it’s not exactly the best for dry heat.

“Guys, take a left here.” Gia interjects, “Town hall is just down this road.”

“Got it!” Aderyn calls back. “Anyways- what was I saying?” SHe turns back towards Emerson. “Oh, right! You don’t like the dry heat very much do you? I suppose that makes sense given the fact that you’re like- a slug? Slug-person? If this doesn’t sound too impolite, what are you, exactly?”

What a strange question, You think to yourself. It wasn’t exactly something you’ve ever bothered to question before, but looking at your friends around you, you realize there is something just a little… off about all of them.  There’s Gia, with their swirling blue planet-head; there’s Aderyn, with her succulents growing all across the side of her face, trailing down her left arm in spiral patterns; and then there’s Emerson, who while they have legs and arms, he still has the body and face of a slug. Bea, too, looks rather strange to you; being a six-legged dog and all. It doesn’t really make much sense. Why, though? Why doesn’t it make sense?  You know that for some reason, your friends all have strange appearances, but you can’t quite place what it is that’s strange. There’s just something a little… inhuman about their appearances that’s all.  Inhuman? What a silly little word! What does it mean? You can’t seem to remember, and you don’t know why. 

“Guys.” Gia says, interrupting your train of thought. “We’re here.”

[prettygoodnames]

bird inspired names #2

Aderyn Meaning: bird Origin: Welsh

Aetius Meaning: eagle Origin: Greek

Alcyone Meaning: kingfisher Origin: Greek

Alondra Meaning: lark Origin: Spanish

Altair Meaning: the flyer Origin: Arabic

Andor Meaning: eagle + Thor Origin: Old Norse

Anne Meaning: eagle Origin: Germanic Alternate spelling: Ane

Aras Meaning: eagle Origin: Lithuanian

Arend Meaning: eagle Origin: Dutch

Arnold Meaning: eagle power Origin: Germanic

Arnulf Meaning: eagle + wolf Origin: Germanic

Arvid Meaning: eagle tree Origin: Old Norse

Astor Meaning: hawk Origin: Occitan

Asuka 飛鳥 Meaning: flying bird Origin: Japanese

Avis Meaning: bird Origin: Latin

Bertram Meaning: bright raven Origin: Germanic

Bibigul Meaning: nightingale Origin: Kazakh

Birdie Meaning: little bird Origin: English

Bran Meaning: raven Origin: Welsh

Circe Meaning: hawk Origin: Greek

Columba Meaning: dove Origin: Late Latin Related names: Coleman, Colm, Colum

Corbin Meaning: raven Origin: French

Crawford Meaning: crow ford Origin: Old English

Dove Meaning: dove Origin: English

Drake Meaning: male duck Origin: English

Dror Meaning: sparrow Origin: Hebrew

Énna Meaning: bird-like Origin: Irish

Falk Meaning: falcon Origin: German

Griffin Meaning: griffin Origin: English

Gull Meaning: god Origin: Old Norse

Guntram Meaning: war raven Origin: Germanic

Haruto 晴翔 Meaning: clear weather + soar, fly Origin: Japanese

Hong 鸿 Meaning: wild swan, great, vest Origin: Chinese

Jay Meaning: jay Origin: English

Jemima Meaning: dove Origin: Hebrew

Jonah Meaning: dove Origin: Hebrew

Lark Meaning: lark Origin: English

Linnet Meaning: linnet Origin: English

Merel Meaning: blackbird Origin: Dutch

Merle Meaning: blackbird Origin: French

Miu 美羽 Meaning: beautiful feather Origin: Japanese

Peregrine Meaning: traveller Origin: Late Latin

Philomel Meaning: nightingale Origin: English

Phineus Meaning: vulture Origin: Greek

Phoenix Meaning: dark red Origin: Greek

Raven Meaning: raven Origin: English

Robin Meaning: robin Origin: English

Ronne Meaning: raven Origin: Germanic Related names: Roan

Shahin Meaning: falcon Origin: Persian

Sparrow Meaning: sparrow Origin: English

Suzume 雀 Meaning: sparrow Origin: Japanese

Swanhild Meaning: swan + battle Origin: Germanic

Wolfram Meaning: wolf + raven Origin: Germanic

Wren Meaning: wren Origin: English

Zitkala Meaning: bird Origin: Lakota

[artofalassa]

'Don't even breathe.' 🍂🍃

Result of Friday's stream. Girls went hunting, ended up prey themselves. Had this one on my mind for too long, needed to finally get it out of my system and AM I HAPPY. <3 Maria is ready to fight for both of them, while Ady's scared shtless. I mean she does have a bigger rifle, but can she actually use it? Her teacher would argue.

[druidx]

Find the Word Tag Game

I was tagged by @drabbleitout! Thanks <3

The words they gave were: Grace, Game, Guess, Gift & Groan. Again this is from The Ruby Falls.

Grace

The grey light of dawn found Aderyn on the blustery deck sharing small talk and a pack of croissants with a fellow smoker before they parted ways and she was rolling off into the Netherlands, the GPS chirping brightly about the route ahead.

Slowly the landscape faded from industrial greys to open green fields, dotted with copses of trees serving as windbreaks. Mist from an intermittent mizzle wreathed the grassy verges, lending Aderyn's rush to Kvatch a sense of dreamy freedom. The landscape rolled out around her, the open road urging her on with teasing grace, bringing a flush of joy to her freckled face, despite the reason for her travel.

Game

Aderyn climbed into the Land Rover, the wound across her back complaining bitterly. The medic had said she was healing nicely, but everything ached, and the wounds stung. She slung the backpack and laptop into the back of the Land Rover and buckled herself in. She was reaching under the dash to hotwire the car, when the passenger door opened and Martin climbed in. "What- What d'you think you're doing? Get out!" Aderyn cried. In response, the man plugged his seat belt in. "Marti!" Aderyn tried again, distraught. "So. Where are we going?" he replied with infuriating calm. "We aren't going anywhere." "You're clearly planning on going somewhere. Which means I'm coming with you. You have dressings that need changing, and you won't be able to manage the one on your back by yourself. I thought we might save Baragon some trouble." "You can't-" Aderyn took a breath, trying to steady her voice. "Martin, I need you to get out of the Landy. Right now. Please. Director Preston asked me to deal with something, and I- You can't tag along. It's for your safety." "And what about your safety?" "What?" "You're still heavily injured. This isn't a video game, where you're healed in just a snap of the fingers. Aderyn, you can't go out into the field in this state." Martin frowned. "Jauffre should know better." "Yeah. Well. It's urgent, innit. Don't got the luxury of waiting." "If it's so urgent, why can't he send another of the Blades?" "Dunno," Aderyn muttered at her hands. "Didn't ask." "You weren't curious?" "No! Just drop it. Alright? It don't matter anyway. Just... Get out the car." "It matters to me!"

Guess

Aderyn left the shop to find the rain had finally stopped. Waterlogged sunlight streamed down into the street, and Aderyn wandered down it to get a meal at the Cheydinhal Bridge Inn. Lunch was a hefty portion of chunky tomato soup with a cheese and ham toastie. As she ate, she sent Jauffre a text to say she was all done and would be on her way back shortly.

Her phone buzzed, 'Marti' on the caller ID. Aderyn sighed at it. She picked it up, but hesitated, not wanting to have to speak to him. "Hey." "Aderyn." He sounded unsure of himself for a moment, unsure how to act. "Darling, I'm so sorry to have sent you off on a wild goose chase, but I'm afraid I don't need the manual anymore. One of my other contacts on that bulletin board told me what I was missing, and I've managed to get the Mysterium Xarxes to switch on." "Oh. Great," Aderyn said, trying to sound enthusiastic. It fell flat, and she screwed up her eyes. "I guess I'll head back then?" "Actually..." Martin paused. "Are you still in Cheydinhal?" "Yeah?" "Could you see if that bookshop has any books on code-breaking?" "Sure." She pressed a hand to the centre of her forehead. "But Martin, there's a lot of different cyphers out there. I'm gonna need more than 'code-breaking' to go on."

Gift

"Um. So what do I owe you for this?" "Sorry?" Martin looked over his shoulder. "Well, like, you bought all this stuff... And, you know, maybe you're gonna take the duvet and stuff, – which is totally your right, Padre – but I must owe you something for the food at least?" Martin still looked lost. "No? As I said, making you a, what... forty pence bacon butty is the least I can do. And no, I don't intend to take back the duvet and other things. They're yours. That sleeping bag is not the most comfortable thing. And if we end up sleeping on the road again, I'd rather we both had adequate covers." "But... Like... You gotta want something for them?" "No. They are a gift. You saved my life, Ms Griffiths – or is it Williams? Regardless. You owe me nothing; if anything it is I who owe you everything."

Groan

[Aderyn] woke the next day at noon, aching all over, thirsty, and with a monster headache. There were also three missed calls from her mother, another five from Martin, alongside a dozen texts from both of them. One from Uncle Modryn. A missed call from Director Preston, along with a few texts saying where Baurus was and what condition he was in; and finally a voice mail from The Grey Fox inquiring, in that pointed 'I'm actually really pissed at you' polite tone of voice, as to her health. It was then she also noticed the hammering on her door which had woken her. She rolled out of bed and looked through the peephole to see who it was. She barely suppressed a groan. Severus Quintus. She left the chain on and opened the door a crack. "Can I help you, officer?" "You can start with letting me in." "Do you have a warrant?" She asked cooly, just as her uncle had taught her to. "This is a chat. I don't want to ransack your room." "Let me get something on, I'm still in my PJs here." He blinked. "It's nearly one in the afternoon." "I had a late one last night," she said and shut the door in his face. She looked around and pulled on some sweatpants and a hoodie that, once they were on, she realised where actually Baurus' Fuck it, she thought, grabbing the room keys and stepping into the corridor. She deliberately locked the door behind her. "What do you want?"

Tagging: @strosmkai-rum @spacetimewraithwrites @wildswrites @tetrodotoxincs @odysseywritings @ayzrules @morganwriteblr

Your words are: reputation, activity, device, midnight, and article

Have fun!

[miss-kittys-magical-library]

Someone Saved My Life

(Jack x Rin Davies, Pt 1)

Word Count: 3600

Warnings: nothing just intimacy, implied sex and a bit of angst thrown in for funsies

A/N: Jack takes Rin to the Yorkshire Moors for their first holiday together. After all they've been through together, they could use the time away. And yet their first night ends with the arrival of an unwanted guest. ((Totally didn't plan on writing anything let alone another story for the two of them. Was going to try to work on an Ivan story, but I tossed around this idea for months now, and it just felt right? Self indulgence is my new name when it comes to writing!))

Things weren't always perfect between Jack and Rin. Jack had days where he slipped back into isolation. The sadness would swell and he wouldn't sleep. Rin knew those were the times he was surrounded. Overwhelmed. And while he mostly ignored the dead, she could feel when they simply refused to ignore him.

They would come in droves and scatter about any room Jack was in. Crammed together like sardines in a can all shouting for messages to be passed to the living. Sometimes Rin would give him a wide berth, the death and decay crawled along her own skin. She would dress with every inch of her skin covered and attempt to sleep alone while Jack banished himself to the sofa. Those nights resulted in him exploding with anger and shouts of desperation to be left alone.

The guilt would wash over Rin. They're a couple, she would remember. Partners. Not just lovers and friends. You take the worst of one another as your own, and she could ACTUALLY do that for Jack. Letting him be was not a choice anymore, no matter what he believed.

Rin would go and gently talk Jack down into her lap. His thick mass of waves and curls against her bare thighs would be sweaty. He would curl on his side with a hand under legs instead of his cheek. His other by his mouth so he could anxiously chew on the already devastated thumb nail. She knew his eyes would be jammed shut.

Rin would brush the curls off Jack’s forehead with fingertips. Fingers that traced delicate and light patterns over his temples and cheeks where they wiped away tears as she hummed. Her thumb soft along his lips before they ran back up where she would press her index, middle, and ring finger into his temple. Then she would sing and fill his head with warmth and love to bring the light instead of death.

“Someone saved my life tonight..” And Rin would look up and around at them all. Her voice came out soft and full of affection. She would narrow her eyes in their direction. Silently chastising them all the while comforting Jack.

His body relaxed as she continued, “You almost had your hooks in me. Didn't you dear. You nearly had me roped and tied. Altar bound, hypnotized, sweet freedom, whispered in my ear. You're a butterfly, and butterflies are free to fly. Fly away..” Her hand would sweep in a wild gesture along the lot of them. He would be asleep, and she would be alone with the shock of the departed that they had another to see them.

As long as Rin connected with Jack he wasn't alone in his ability. They discovered that with Finch. Jack was the conjurer; Rin the conduit. A hundred years ago they would have been rich in the spiritualism movement. Now they were labeled mental and mad and stuffed full of chemicals, their gifts silenced.

Never again for either of them, Rin would hold back the dead so her love could sleep and get peace. When she interfered the protection emanated from her. They would stop shouting, stop begging, just.. stop. Rin would flick her hand like she was casting a powerful spell, her eyes set in determination. Then they would be gone.

Then there were times like this. When Jack closed up his shop with a sign that said “I'm on Holidays. Dunno when, I'm almost thirty and this is my first one.” He put himself and Rin on a train up to Yorkshire where they hailed a cab to what was theirs for the next month.

Rin gazed in delight at the two story stone cottage. It was covered in ivy and moss with a carved stone fence and a picket gate. There was a little English rose garden off to the side of the house, and wildflowers simply everywhere else. In the hills beyond stood grazing cattle and a pond. Behind the hills of Yorkshire.

“Oh, Jack,” it was just a breath that managed to escape her.

“D’you reckon it's alright?” he scratched his shaggy head. There was worry in his green eyes as he glanced towards his partner for approval.

Rin’s eyes met Jack’s, and she slipped her ungloved hand inside of his. Their palms together, she squeezed. “This is stunning,” she hoped to reassure him. Her gratitude and pleasure flowed from her body to his through her touch.

Jack had just bent to kiss Rin when someone interrupted them and cleared their throat. A feminine voice shouted, “Yoo hoo! Hello!”

The couple turned to see a stout, round faced cheerful old woman in the garden. She wore a wide brim straw hat, an old dress and an apron. Rin was reminded of a human Mrs. Potts as the elder smiled wide.

“Aren't you a delight!” she beamed. Making her way to the gate she stopped. “I'm Mrs. Barrow. My husband, Henry is round back in the barn. Oh it's been AGES since we've had newlyweds.”

Jack's cheeks pinked, but Rin giggled. “No. We're not married.”

“Oh, sinful little doves.” The old woman winked. “By the looks of him, I can see why.” She fanned herself dramatically and Jack now turned red. He scratched at his head even harder whilst his eyebrows disappeared in his hair.

“This is Jack, and I'm Wren. But you can call me Rin! Are you the caretakers? Is this your house? We're on our first holiday together.” The words tumbled out of the young woman before she could stop herself.

“Oh no, little Wren. Henry and I..” Rin had let go of Jack's hand to shake Mrs. Barrow’s. The moment she let go, the old woman disappeared. Rin gasped and turned to her boyfriend.

“She was telling us she and her husband did live here. Died from the Spanish flu a hundred years ago.” Jack gave a little shrug, but a tiny grin had crept into the corners of his mouth. “They love it here so much, neither moved on.”

Rin reached for him, and his hand covered hers. The old woman reappeared. “Sorry, Missus. I didn't know?”

She laughed heartily in response, “Sometimes Henry and I forget we're dead. Never had someone who could see us before. Let alone a couple. The moors are full of ghosts, mostly long gone. None of us here for a bother, especially since your beau here looks exhausted. Just popped in for a bit of cheek and a greeting. If you need us, give a shout ok?” Then she was gone.

“Why can't they all be like that?!” Jack almost shouted his question.

“Maybe we should move up here where they've had time to get used to it? The ones in Manchester are all.. fresh and selfish and confused.”

Rin pulled Jack towards her for a kiss. His tongue teased her for the briefest moment before he picked her up and carried her in his arms towards the cottage.

“What are you doing?!” she squealed.

“Dunno. Little biddie thought we’re married,” he leaned in to kiss her a few more times. He waggled his eyebrows, “Might as well act like it.”

“Jack, we just got here!”

“I've been ready since we woke up. We’ll have a shag then go out to the pub for a few pints and some fish n chips.”

“Romantic,” Rin rolled her eyes as Jack opened the door around her.

“Oh, you love me!” Jack set her down in the foyer then playfully slapped his girlfriend on the ass.

Rin jumped and bolted up the stairs before he could catch her. “I do!” she called down to him. “What's that vow? Till death do us part?” She started to strip her clothes off to her bra and panties. Her finger made a come here motion before she disappeared around a corner.

Jack's face fell, but only for the swiftest of moments. “Even then you wouldn't be gone.”

------

Rin snuck out of the bed as she so often did after they had sex. Mostly because it was the soundest Jack ever slept with his long limbs stretched out as if she wasn’t there. Or he would envelop her in his arms without a choice. And even though she understood Jack's desire to be with her constantly, sometimes Rin felt smothered.

Now she stood at the foot of the bed to watch Jack's breathing as his sternum rose and fell with a steady rhythm. He laid on his back, arm above his head in a languid position. The sheets barely draped across his hips to reveal the V shape of his pelvis and just a tuft of pubic hair. Rin’s eyes kept going until she felt her heart between her thighs and not in her chest.

“Go take a bath,” her brain scolded her. “Wash off the train and sex before you go out for dinner. You stand here any longer, you'll wake him up by straddling him.”

Rin’s body wavered. I mean, that was an idea. “BATH, ADERYN DAVIES!” At least her inner monologue didn't use her middle name.

Rin closed the door and turned on the hot water. She was lost in thought as it filled. How she and Jack developed a willingness to share their bodies with one another in the light. That she relished how their chests and mouths and skin dissipated into reciprocated emotions. Jack was addicted to it the way she could absorb him and switch places with him. Show him what it was like to be her. Empathy became his heroin.

Rin climbed into the tub and settled against the porcelain. She relaxed her mind and body until only her breasts remained afloat. She never took a bath. Not since her time in hospital when she and Jack met. Where the dead tried to drown them. But she and Jack saved each other.

Maybe because they were nearing the three year anniversary of that awful time, but Rin thought about it more these days. She held her hands above the water and ran her scarred fingers over the further damage she had done to herself. The long jagged line from her wrist to forearm. Usually she wasn't quite THAT bad off when she tried to commit suicide, and even now she couldn't remember what was her trigger that day.

“There's not even a word to describe how bloody melancholy suicides are when they come ‘round,” Jack would say. “Maybe desolate?”

“Did you ever try?”

“Not that I remember. Didn't wanna upset Emma. Always seems so messy. Guess maybe I was doing it slowly though, the way I lived. We're ok now, right?” he would ask and kiss her hand.

“We're diamonds, Jack,” she would respond, "Unbreakable.”

Now Rin knew he was in the doorway. It was hard to sneak up on her if you gave off too much emotion. Currently Jack was as warm and comforting as the water she floated about in.

“You alright?” his sleepy voice carried a trace of concern.

Rin looked up and back at him, her fingers still on her scar. “Yeah! Just thinking about us. This.”

The air shifted. A wicked grin played across Jack's face as he walked around the side of the tub. His naked body in full view. Rin’s face flushed and her heart raced, but she kept her composure on the surface as he stepped in to join her. His hands on her waist drew her into his lap. She threw her arms around his neck as they held onto each other tightly. Jack pressed his lips to Rin’s neck where he kissed a trail down over the curve of her shoulder.

“Jaacckk,” she whinged. “Come on I was sat here having a think, and you’re like a teenage boy with this!” She tried to hide a moan when he bent her back to capture her breast in his mouth. “Bless,” was her response.

“I can't help it!” he teased from between them. “I have so much lost time, and you’re so bloody sexy.”

“Will you put that thing away!” Rin’s voice was louder, but still had laughter in it. “C’mon Jack. This should be sweet and romantic. Somehow you always turn it into a porno.”

“I can't help that my,” Jack pointed his finger towards the water and whistled, “likes you. Loves you? Always wants to be in you.”

“Cock, Jack. It's called a cock. Shouldn't it be used to me by now? It's been almost a year.”

Jack stopped teasing Rin. He looked at her seriously now. Those green eyes seemed to search her soul as they moved back and forth over her face. “One year?”

“Yes.”

“I can't believe I had forgotten you all the time between..” his voice trailed off.

“It's ok,” Rin spoke softly.

Jack turned his bottom lip out, “Now I'm sad. So we should shag in this bathtub, then I won't be!”

Rin groaned for a long time after that. “No!! Sex in hot tubs or bath tubs or pools isnt the best. Water is a shite lubricant, trust.”

Jack pushed her away and feigned disgust. “Have you shagged in them before?”

“Once or twice.”

“With Roland?”

“What?! No! I told you we only had sex once. Then he left LITERALLY the next day. Why are you so weirdly jealous of him? It wasn't my first time. I've been with loads of men.”

Rin sat back again on her side of the tub. She reached for the body wash on a shelf, and started to use it on her arms and chest. Her eyebrow arched as if she was trying to challenge Jack to get angry at her sexual history.

Jack pulled his knees to his chest. “Are you hoping I get pissed that you've had sex with other guys? Of course you have, you're beautiful. Roland is just so.. Roland.”

“Fair play, but he has a gift like we do.”

“Ghosts and music. Worst super powers ever,” he mused.

Rin opened her arms and motioned Jack to settle in between them and her legs. He turned and laid down with his back completely pressed into her. She kissed his cheek then gestured for him to tilt his head back with her finger under his chin. Jack obeyed with his eyes closed.

Rin cupped water in her hand and poured it over his hair. She repeated the process a few times before he sunk down under the water. She marveled at how long his hair was when wet or straightened. At how long his arms and legs and torso were as he held on to her own knees that were drawn up around him. At how far he had come from the man drawn into himself high, on psych meds, with dirty fingernails and rough cheeks. Now he was open and present and relaxed in her arms.

“Birdie,” Jack started calling her that out of a desire to give her some kind of nickname. Love and darling and babe weren't enough.

“Jackie?” only Rin got away with that. She put some shampoo in her hand and lathered them together in front of their bodies before she dove into his hair.

“You're making me sad thinking about how poor I was when we met. You know, passing it from yourself to me without meaning.”

“What?” she was concentrating on massaging Jack's entire head. Her light fingers made circles and gentle scratches. Then they widened and she drew bigger circles. She didn't want to leave out one inch of his scalp.

“You're body, it's pressed to mine? You're passing along your thoughts without noticing because we're relaxed. But also, please keep doing that. Holy shit that feels nice.”

Rin kept on. She alternated from soft to a little harder to as much pressure as Jack allowed. He gripped her calf and ankles now wrapped around his waist. She used her thumbs to stroke his temples and rub across his forehead before going back to knead the rest of his head again.

Her attention back to reality instead of just on making sure Jack was cared for, she realized what had happened. “I'm sorry! Sorry. I can block it if you want?” She separated her body from his and unwound her legs. Jack held on.

“It's fine,” he reassured her. “Just let me mind your body too?”

Rin snickered, “You minded my body for about an hour already.”

Jack gave an annoyed smirk and rolled his eyes. “I mean like this!” he gestured towards her washing his hair.

“You can wash my hair. That would be lovely.”

“Why don't I..” he stroked his chin. Jack's eyes settled on the stuff she had spread out on the sink. “Shave your legs?”

“Blimey,” Rin whispered. “Really?” Her heart took to pounding in her ears. She eased him down into the water to rinse everything from him clean. “Jack that's very..”

“Intimate?” he was already standing to carefully choose what was her razor and shaving cream. He held them in her direction for approval.

“Actually, yes.” Rin nodded, “And yes. This is really different from shaving your face, y’know. I've got to trust you completely because that is a new blade, and I always nick a damn patch of skin.”

Jack sat back down in the water, placed the razor on the edge of the tub and lifted Rin’s ankle. He pinioned her foot to his chest and bit his entire bottom lip. She felt exposed, made vulnerable by this position. He was looking at the half of her naked body just below the water’s surface. The can of gel faltered as he shook it.

“Jack! You're shaving my legs, not my twat. Eyes on what you're doing!” Rin snapped her finger to catch his attention.

“I can do-”

“Keep speaking, and no sex for two days.”

Jack frowned but sprayed the soap on her shin. He spread it around from the ankle up to her knee before trying to go higher. Rin held up her hand, “Only strippers and sex workers shave that high!”

He snorted and continued on the back of her leg and made sure to get the back of her knee. She was especially ticklish there and jerked her body and giggled as a result. They both could be in trouble: Jack with a sharp object; Rin with the ability to kick him in the sternum if he wasn't careful.

“Better luck if you're facing away from me. You have to shave with the blades towards my knee. You best sit back against me like before.”

“Or,” Jack held the razor backwards with the head towards his wrist. His thumb on the grooved grip as he placed it delicately by Rin’s ankle. The handle was awkward in his large fingers as he took it gingerly and with the utmost of care upward. The blade made a path in the cream as he moved it up to her knee.

Rin inhaled as he did the same gesture again. She exhaled when the razor met her kneecap. Steady breathing with each swipe along her leg. The tip of Jack's tongue stuck out from his lips as he concentrated. He worked and focused and shifted her calf just enough to get the sides and the back. The only sound in the bathroom was the splish of water when he cleaned the blade after each path.

“Oh,” was all that left Rin’s mouth the entire time. Her eyes never left Jack's face while his own refused to break away from her leg.

“You alright?” Jack finally looked up at Rin just as he was getting a start on her other leg.

Rin shook her head with enthusiasm. Now her turn to bite her bottom lip before a giant smile crawled from ear to ear. “I'm grand! I love you.”

And just like he always did when she said that, Jack looked sheepish. Like he still couldn't believe that any.one would love him let alone a whole family of them. Rin. Emma. Billy. Jerry. They all loved him without condition.

“I love you too,” Jack smiled in kind. It reached his eyes in wrinkled skin in the corners of them. He made his way around his girlfriend’s other leg and realized something had grown inside of him. He was starting to care for himself.

So this is it, Jack thought as he finished shaving Rin’s legs, I think I love myself?

Before he could say anything the doorbell rang downstairs and scared the shit out of them both. They scrambled to their feet and started to dry off in a harried way. In the bedroom, they threw on clothes as the bell rang out again with more insistence.

“Can ghosts ring?”

“No! Not usually. BLOODY HELL WE’RE COMING!” Jack shouted as he rushed down the steps. He turned the light on in the foyer and opened the door. Rin couldn't make out anything but Jack’s shocked voice. “What the fuck are you doing here? You're two weeks early, mate.”

“She.. I should've.. Wren.. I lost my..” the words were broken up by Jack's body.

Rin made her way down and peered around Jack's shoulder. A tired, swollen eyed man stood on the front stoop. His hair was a curly mess; his goatee and mustache looked like a positive fright. She could tell he hadn't been sleeping much. It was the first time Rin had seen him alone in the last year. It was the first time Rin had seen him in PERSON in maybe seven in spite of all his promises.

“ROLAND?!”

Both he and Jack turned towards Rin and shouted simultaneously, “Surprise!”

tag @robertsheehanownsmyass @magic-multicolored-miracle @slutforrobbiebro @forenschik @super-unpredictable98 @bisexualnathanyoung @nightmonsters @rob-private @badsext @bwritesstuff @frogs--are--bitches

[misskittysmagicportal]

Cry Little Sister

(A Jack x Rin Drabble)

Word Count: 1618

Warnings: implied fem recv oral, mention of sexual abuse, abortion, angst

A/N: Even after some time with Jack, Rin Davies still has her secrets.

Rin rolled on her side and gingerly stepped on to the wooden floor. She was nude, but risked freezing to death in the stark cold of her bedroom to sneak to the shower. Her body ventured only a few centimeters before a strong forearm caught her around the waist. She could only squeal.

Rin was yanked back on to the bed where she feigned fighting against what pinned her down. She twisted and giggled, but they overpowered her. He was, despite how he seemed, incredibly strong.

“JACK!!” Rin half-whinged, but only half. The other half desperately tried to hide how bothered she was. The electricity that spread in her veins and arteries and nerves and traveled out to her fingers and toes and between her legs.

“RIN!” Jack mocked her. He bent to place a gentle kiss on her neck. Then her chin. He took his time and pecked and planted his lips all over face, forehead and ears.

“I have a shift in an hour! I need to shower and get my uniform out of the wash.” Each one of her words was punctuated by his kisses. Only a few she reciprocated.

“I keep telling you to quit your job and work with me.”

“You don't shit where you eat, Jack.”

“You keep telling me that. We wouldn't have to work at the same time. I trust you to run the shop alone.” He trailed down between Rin’s breasts and over her stomach. He lifted her back into an arch towards his mouth.

“Jack,” Rin found herself breathless.

There was no longer even water to float on let alone drown in when their bodies touched. It was a warm beach with soft sand like the one she visited with her brother Finch after university. Their only vacation.

Now Jack was like a vacation with an occasional cloud that passed through. And that was it, they only passed through. No bothering. No messages. Just passive specters who gave up eventually for another medium. Rin could sense them too like goose pimples up her spine. She was too worried about breaking Jack to ask if maybe together they could corporealize a ghost.

At this moment, Rin was unshielded. She unwittingly opens herself up like she did her legs as Jack’s tongue found its destination. He teased the outside of her sex with it; his hands held her defiant hips still. Then a memory passed to Jack as his mouth closed on her clit like a jolt.

Just a flash of a dingy waiting room, the smell of cleaning products and antiseptic hung in the air. Rin bolted upright, both from Jack's tongue inside and of the memory. That smell churned her stomach. The sheets gave way to the crinkle of paper and the delayed puff of cushioning on an exam table was the bed. Finch’s large hand clammy in her own as his impossibly blue eyes held her gaze. She was back but couldn't be.

Jack had rolled to lay face up. He held his head in his hands like Rin saw him do when they were sectioned. He started to knock softly at his temples, eyes shut tight. She had triggered him.

“No. No. Why’s it smell like hospital? Why did you do that?!” his voice at a near-bellow. “I don't want to go back. Not to that place when I was a kid. Don't make me go back!”

“Jack. Jack, it's ok! Jack!” Rin shouted over his outburst. She clutched his wrists to pull his fists away, but he resisted.

He was the immovable object to her unstoppable force, but Rin’s bare hands on his skin made Jack recoil from her for the first time. “Stop! Why do you have that in your head?!” His long body curled away from his girlfriend.

“Jack,” Rin spoke softly now. “That's not your memory. That's mine.” She tread with care and kissed his shoulder. Her hands refrained from touching him directly. “I was just so unguarded, that a door opened. I think I've been struggling to have this conversation with you so much, it came out of my subconscious.”

Jack reached behind himself and pulled Rin towards his back. He draped her arm over his body and began to trace the faint scars along the back of her hand. Instinct made Rin bury her face between his shoulder blades where her forehead came to rest. Jack sighed before he turned her hand over and traced the lines on her palm.

“Jack, I can't have kids.”

He was silent. Rin could feel him thinking, processing how to respond. He was so new to everything still, even after two years. Stability. Safety. Sex. Jack learned as he went. He faltered a lot, especially with the concept of Rin being tangible. He couldn't just take a drug or get drunk to make her disappear. Not that they did it much, but when they had a row, it was interesting to say the least.

“Does that upset you?” He kissed her knuckles.

“I think it used to, but I spent so much time with awful men or lost OR sectioned that I accepted maybe I did myself a favor? Not that I think you want them, but it's the first I've thought of it in years.”

“You don't want kids with me, love. Emma’s good, but she still got stuck with one like me.”

“Wouldn't want anymore of those kind, smart men in the world would we?”

“I'm not always kind.” It was matter of fact.

“To yourself.” Rin could sense him roll his eyes now. “I just didn't think someone would actually love me, so I put it off.”

“Rin what do you mean, did it yourself?”

“Do you want me to tell you?” She kissed the back of Jack's neck. “Or show you?”

“I guess it's only fair,” Jack sounded apprehensive.

But Rin didn't respond. She took her hands and placed them on Jack's face like she was covering his eyes with her palms. She relaxed her mind, unlocked it and melted into Jack with her memories.

The two of them sat side by side in a waiting room. The old plastic chairs in gold and rust and red with peeled paint on the walls felt more broken-down Fawlty Towers than a clinic of some kind. Jack's feet stuck to the linoleum floor and he rubbed his sweaty palms on his knees. He knew no one could see him, but wished he was in more than boxers.

Rin was young, younger than Jack had ever seen her. He never knew how dark and long her hair was as it hid her face. There was a bruise on her cheek. She cradled her stomach with one hand. The other held tight to a young man not much older. That had to be Finch.

They looked alike, except his eyes were unfathomably blue. Finch, Fin, had dark, straight hair that was a mess. He had his arm around her shoulder and was kissing her head and murmured something. Rin nodded and stared up at him with complete admiration. Then she spoke in Welsh. Welsh? How did Jack not know.

“Are you sure it'll be ok? They can't know Finch. He can't know. He wants Mama and Papa to sell me to him.”

“Like fuck,” Jack yelled. “Christ I thought my mum was bad. Never would've sold me to a paedo.”

“He can't buy you, Wren. You're sixteen. It's legal. I’ll fucking kill them first.”

“Too right you will!” Jack almost cheered.

He couldn't wrap his head around just knowing it was a friend. A family friend who knocked her up. Raped her, Jack was sure, and got her this way. Then it was all flashes. An exam table with stirrups and a nurse with nice eyes but witchy hands. A doctor who was smoking and tried his best. Rin cried and Fin’s lip bled from biting it. Jack looked away. Whoever said women were the fairer sex was a cunt.

“It went wrong after that,” Rin’s voice broke through the memory. “I got an infection in my uterus. They had to remove half of it, but my parents refused more. Punishment for my abortion. So I rebelled. Brilliantly until they fried my hands. I got labeled a nutter pretty quick, and they never spoke to me again. Finch did. He talked me into music and school and it went from there. In and out of psych in spite of it all. I lost Fin, found Roland then he left too. Then I found you, and YOU got lost.”

“Well I'm not lost anymore am I, duck?” Jack's term of affection for her. “I don't care about the baby part. I mean I do if YOU do. I'm just learning how to be human myself, so I'm not too keen on bringing smaller ones into the world right now.”

Jack turned over in Rin’s arms and nudged his nose along hers and face. “I love ya, though. Whatever you want, Aderyn.” He heard the way her brother called her in their native tongue. “But you haven't lost Finch either.”

Rin let her forehead rest on Jack's. “He died years ago.”

Jack rolled his eyes and waved his arm frantically around the room. “Hello! Remember what I'm good at?!”

“Wait, you can see Finch?” Tears spilled uncontrolled down her cheeks. She stuffed her knuckles in her eyes to prevent it.

“Yeah. Creepy looking right? Intense blue eyes, chiseled jaw, kinda wild black hair? Kinda short for a guy? Handsome, just weird.” Jack struggled to describe him accurately. “Why not give me your hands, and see what we can do together.”

So she did.

Tag list: @magic-multicolored-miracle @robertsheehanownsmyass @super-unpredictable98 @nightmonsters @forenschik @sean-falco @elliethesuperfruitlover @frogs--are--bitches @slutforrobbiebro @bisexualnathanyoung @rob-private

[musicblogwales]

Aderyn returns with new single ‘Hangxiety’

Welsh indie artist Aderyn has returned with her new single entitled ‘Hangxiety’. The track channels 90's riot grrrl influences and in under three minutes, takes the listener on a raucous journey through a wild night out. Driving, fuzzy bass underpins the song, and the anti-melodic chorus drums on the ear like swirling thoughts the morning after.

The track is somewhat introspective as Aderyn questions decisions, actions and the meaning of life for a young person. The song is not classically melodic. The sound is in your face and can feel uncomfortable at times, channeling that ‘morning after’ feeling. Anderyn’s vocals are layered with effects which, combined with the punk-like sound, add to the sonic intensity of the track.

Aderyn says: “I wrote this song after a big night out in Bristol. I literally quit drinking after writing this song, I was so hungover. It was very much a ‘never again’ moment’.”

‘Hangxiety’ careens through Aderyn’s vortex of thoughts. The lyrics are playful as Aderyn asks the question felt by many 20 somethings - “am I wasting my life, or having the time of my life?” as the existential dread builds, the music cuts between heavy groove based riffs and climaxes with a more frenetic punk outro.

Blending sardonic, confessional lyrics with hooky guitars, Aderyn mixes together her indie and pop influences. Inspired by the ups and downs of love, dating, and being skint, Aderyn began to write her own music that sounds like it belongs on a classic 90s movie soundtrack. Now at her shows she dances around the stage with drag queens and blends camp art-pop and indie to create something truly infectious.

Second EP Foreverever is due for release in late 2024, with ‘Hangxiety’ set to feature.

Stream ‘Hangxiety’ here - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/aderyn/hangxiety