#and Des has more time to get used to being away from the farm too

[theconfusedartist]

Hm

Somehow, despite my meticulous research and information retaining skills, I've been writing Desmond’s DOB as 1984 instead of 1987

I've been using this date and Alex's DoB to figure out when things happen in the timeline. I already got screwed over once when I found out Alex was born in 1979 and Dana was 9 years younger, and had to change a bunch of things around to make them fit the original canon, but this?? this might be (strained squeaky voice) a small problem

[nightlyrequiem]

Hiii, so I have a request, would it be possible to make a story where Valeria is the evil queen in her kingdom but her fiancée is the sweetest person in the kingdom? Also I love your work, keep it up, kisses, kisses ❤️💋

Hiii!

Before I even started writing fanfiction for Valeria, I wanted to write something like a royal/regency AU! I never got around to it because I never knew what to do. This was fun and definitely more challenging then what I usually do thanks :3

Also thank you lots XX

Tags/Warnings: WLW, Royal!AU, Implied Time Period Misogyny (But Not A Lot.), Implied Time Period Homophobia (Barely), Wedding

Blue Blooded

Valeria is as cold and cruel as the unforgiving north. She's led her own army to many different battles over the course of her twenty-year reign. Uncommon for rulers and even less common for women. She caused quite the stir, many believing women were too delicate and weak for war. Valeria's name quickly became known and feared. Reina de la Muerte. She leaves a trail of bodies wherever she goes. The treatment of her servants is poor, and the treatment of her subjects is worse. She rejoices in the fear induces.

One of the duties of a ruler is to produce an heir. Her advisors have been pestering her about finding a husband since she was coronated at seventeen. Something they quickly learned to stop doing. Her patience for men has always been low. Not once has she ever looked at one and felt any sort of connection. Valeria knew it was likely that she never would. Not when she only felt something when looking at another woman. 

You were nothing more than a peasant. With a family who owned a failing farm. Cruelty breeds cruelty. Valeria's subjects have been forced into selfishness to survive. There's very little room for empathy when you're one day of work away from starvation. And yet, there you were. Dancing and laughing with a pack of filthy children. Despite the dullness to your skin and hair, you almost seemed to glow. Like there was a light inside of you strong enough to dispel the darkness Valeria had cast over the land. You were the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. It wasn't a one-time moment. Valeria had never noticed you before but one she did it's like she couldn't ever not see you. Using what little precious coins you have to buy food for the erratic beggar. Offering casual conversation to the local hag. Showing love to the mange-ridden strays prowling the cobble streets.

when Valeria was fourteen, her father had tried to set her up with princes of neighboring kingdoms. A political move to bring peace and potential allyship. Valeria fought tooth and nail. Refusing to even meet with the men. How she hated these traditions. Why should anyone but her decide who she marries? And yet, she found herself darkening your doorstep, nonetheless. Armed guards at her back. Your home was hardly more than a shack. Thatch roof coming loose at the ends and the smell of rot in the wood. The soil on your land was barren. Only cacti and weeds able to grow. A few sickly chickens ran loose around. Your father had answered the door, eyes yellowed from having one too many a drink. Asking for your hand in marriage was met with little resistance. His only trifle being that you were both women. Even that trepidation of course, was only told to her through his body language. Only the most stupidest of people would be willing to challenge the wants of Valeria. 

Though with her reputation and promises of a handsome dowry... it didn't take long to get his agreement. Not that it would have mattered. Valeria would have burned down your little farm down and taken you anyway.

The night sky is clear. A dark, inky, endless void. An infinity of stars stretches across its expanse. It's only a week until your wedding and with every day Valeria spends you, she only becomes more enamored. Valeria gently grasps your left hand and presses a kiss to your knuckles. There is no escort to keep watch over you two in the castle gardens. Just another rule and tradition Valeria has stomped on and discarded like nothing.

"You look lovely in the moonlight." She murmurs. you blink and look away nervously. You're as timid as a wood mouse. Something that both endears and irritates Valeria. She wants you to be comfortable. To bare your teeth in an uncontrolled smile, she longs to know what your laugh sounds like. 

"Thank you."

She sighs. Lowering her hand and yours into her lap. Her thumb brushes over the back of your hand.

"Tell me how you feel about the wedding." She says.

"I am looking forward to it." You reply politely. A cool breeze blows through the area, disturbing her dark hair.

"No," Valeria shakes her head. "be honest with me. Tell me how you feel about the wedding." She demands softly.

Valeria watches you hesitate, trying to decipher if this is a trap or not. That you'll suffer harsh consequences for your honesty. Valeria isn't playing mind games with you, nor will she punish you. There is no wrong answer. Just a lovestruck woman desperate to know her fiancée's true feelings.

"I'm... anxious." You admit, not looking at her. Your free hand picks up a stray leaf, moving your thumb over the lines and groves.

"And me? What are your feelings around me?" She asks quietly. Valeria is no fool. She knows you don't really love her yet. That you're wary of her.

"... I'm not sure how I feel about you." You sigh. Letting go of the leaf. It flutters to the ground. You raise your gaze and meet her eyes. "When I came home, and my father told me of my betrothment to you I cried. You are cruel and unjust."

All things true, Valeria knows. She even prides herself on it, but hearing you say it doesn't make her feel as good about it. Your eyes dart across her face, searching for any sign of anger. When you find none, you continue.

"I thought I may faint when you asked to meet for the first time. I was dreading it." You murmur. "But then you weren't like anything I expected."

"I am exactly like how you expected." She counters gently. Giving your hand a small squeeze. "I am mean, and selfish, and bad. Everything said about me is true and I regret nothing. But I promise you this, I will be none of those things to you."

Your eyes seem to dim in disappointment. You had assumed that perhaps she was misunderstood. Valeria hates to disappointment you, but she won't hide what she is. A monster in royal robes.

"Oh." 

"You're as precious as the crown." Valeria whispers. "An angel in the flesh. It's rare to meet someone not turned bitter by their circumstances. My - our - subjects will love you."

"But they don't love you." You reply. Frowning.

"I don't need their love, but they need yours." She sighs. She needs it too. Something that will soften her sharp edges.

Valeria sighs and leans towards you. Resting her forehead on your shoulder. For a second, she's a child again, not yet corrupted by her own cruelty. Like that inherit goodness inside of you is contagious.

Valeria seldom feels nervous, but waiting at the altar in her wedding gown, she can feel her palms growing clammy. Eyes are locked onto Valeria while she waits for her bride to be walked down the aisle. Subjects who silently disagree with how everything is progressing but hold no power to speak out. You and your father round the corner. Your extravagant white dress trailing behind you, an intricate lace veil hiding your face from view. The sight makes her heart swell. Your father walks you up to the altar and hands you off to Valeria. signifying the beginning of your new life.

Valeria takes your hands, catching the barest of glimpses of your face beneath the veil.

"We are gathered here today in the royal unification of these two individuals." The officiant begins. "Repeat these words after me before the lord, 'I promise to love you always, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you until death.'" You and Valeria both repeat his words. Valeria with a little more enthusiasm. You two say your 'I do's'. "Then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you... wife and... wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Without hesitation Valeria lifts your veil. Your eyes glint in the light. She grabs ahold of your face with all the gentleness she can muster and brings her lips to yours. Finally tasting you for the first time. Your lips are soft, moulding to hers with ease. The kiss is short lived, but it won't be the last. Valeria pulls away and smiles. Something small and genuine, reserved only for you. To her surprise, your lips twitch up ever so slightly. Returning that sweet smile for a moment. The public crowd rises and gives their reluctant cheers. A few sounding more genuine than the others. Perhaps hoping that your kind nature rubs off on her.

[f0xgl0v3]

Various Pjo Character hc: games and Pets apparently

In honor of my snake shedding and scaring my socks off while he does so because for a solid moment I got to stare into the black void of my room and consider that a entity would chose to announce its presence by crinkling a like chip back before I realized and screamed, “it’s you” at him and grinding all day in royal high because the Dev team is setting it on fire but I still want to be a pretty princess in the game.

It is only day two of midwinter break please my marbles have already scattered,

Octavian; if he had access to the game. Would’ve played royal high. He strikes me as a dress up type of guy. Does profit trading but refuses to diamond farm. Also doesn’t like switching over to different rh like games. Again, like exclusively uses it for the dress up aspect, thinks everything looks really pretty. He has all of the stuffed animal items/stuffed animal like ones. Gets oddly heated about the game too. Like, would argue with someone about a value of an item and then leave to server hop. Yeah he’s that one I’m sorry guys. Also his dorm is so bare bones, refuses to spend a lot of diamonds on it until he can do it all at once. But Octavian likes a lot of games where he has total control of his character and everything about it. Really liked Animal Crossing, also feels like he uses the sims purely for character customization; has a bunch of mods and then just never uses them. Has all of his friends/probably the cohort as sims too. Doesn’t like rpg-rpg games that have like fighting mechanics, just feels like the sort of guy to not like video game fighting.

Octavian also had a rabbit. His family had a lot of animals (because he had a lot of family-) and he got to be the rabbit kid. His was the like toasty colored ones with the big lop ears. Sadly it was given away when he joined the legion. But he feels like a rabbit guy, it comforted him a lot.

Jason: you know the wolves life games? For a few certain amount of you I have just unlocked horrifying memories that your brain has tried to hide of emo wolves and if not then you don’t want to know. But I feel like he’d play them, they’d be the first ones once he gets on, along with like obbies. I just feel like he’s the type of guy to like a good obby. But also warrior cats ultimate edition. The first thing my man does when he enters the mortal world is get sucked into warrior cats because I feel like he’s that type of person. Also clangen. He feels like a clangen sort of guy, along with that Mario games. I also feel like he’s in a similar Octavian boat where he doesn’t like games with big fighting mechanics, just doesn’t find it that interesting or something he’s looking for in a game. He is however an open world type of guy, likes exploring.

I want to say he’s a dog guy and would’ve had a dog. But at the same time Jason feels like he’s deeply benefit from getting a cat. Cat’s are just soothing on the soul, also he just feels like the type of person to have a cat on his lap or laying on his chest. Silly little white cat for Jason Grace, or the scraggliest stray cat that was bestowed upon him by the distribution system.

Hazel: any of the like fighting games? Don’t particularly think she likes Roblox much, but if she is playing it’s either one of the games where everyone hates each other and you get to beat each other up or bee swarm simulator. Hazel either is having a de-stress day and it is through being stressed and upset at strangers in the beat ‘em up games, or by tending to her bees and being upset at other people and npcs in bee swarm simulator. Really likes other competitive games too? I don’t know she just strikes me as that type of gal to get waaay too invested in something like a Mario party. Also turn based rpg games, something’s ticks me as someone who’d like that.

Obviously she has Arion but Hazel also feels like she’d vibe with a dog, maybe a cat but I just see more dog with her. A silly little lab for the silly little lady.

Frank: does not play. I genuinely can’t think of Roblox games that are tame enough for him. Actually scratch that tycoon games. The super chill ones where no one interacts with each other and you just exist and build out your little space. He likes those. Enjoys seeing the progress he’s making in something. He’s also an animal crossing player, along with the casual tycoon games. However I’d also say he plays like CoD, just casually and he’s extremely average at it but I feel like he just, does that.

Frank feels like he’d have a really like barely a pet-pet. Like either a fish dude or he has isopods. Just strikes me as someone who can’t deal with a very like aaaaa pet. Or a ragdoll cat. Those are the options I present to you dear reader. Or an axolotl, he’d be an axolotl man.

Larry: Larry plays natural disaster survival. Larry is a menace to society. Also bloxburg, makes pretty okay builds but on a slightly different note feels like a Sims guy to me. I dunno, him and Annabeth get to be in the same boat. Also those really bad mobile games.

Larry gets a pet turtle or a bird. He also just feels like a bird guy, already joked about being a pirate I think he likes giving Camp’s eagles look overs and is happy when it’s his turn to look after them. Also just feels like a man who’d have like 50 pigeons.

Dakota!!!: I almost forgot my man. But Dakota. Dakota plays horror games, he can’t handle them but he still plays it. He is so loud when he plays too. Doors, fnaf, poppy playtime, the list goes on. I think he also sits there and is like, “oh I’m super good at them and like super brave” and it jumps cuts to him screaming because a monster is right behind him. He’s still super brave and great in battle, but he gets so jumpy once you put him in a dark area and instill paranoia. Also can’t play mafia because he screams a little too much.

Dakota is a hamster type of dude. He had a couple growing up and probably would’ve had another one if uh. Events didn’t happen (it’s literally so unfair what happened to him like aaa-). I feel like he had the really small ones.

Okay uh, that’s about it for the random headcanons I’ve spewed. These are 100% my opinions and probably don’t weigh on anything. Thank the Gods I managed to keep Bryce out of it (but if you ask me he is the opposite of Frank, plays CoD and is so annoying about it and very invested-). Anyway I’ll try and actually do something! Possibly New Rome things? Or more Camp Jupiter map, I want to finally put that one to rest. Or Dakota hc finally. We’ll see what happens.

[teecupangel]

There's this manga called Brutal: Confession of a homicide investigator and when I finished it all I thought was, "Desmond in MC's place would be pretty funny especially with his bleeds lol" because with the crap Desmond went through, I feel like he should de-stress some of it in.... different ways

The manga is really brutal with some triggering stuff so it's ok if you don't do this

Nonnnnyy, I’ve been waiting for a continuation and hoping that the author gets better since last year TTATT

For those unfamiliar with the manga, Brutal: Confession of a Homicide Investigator or Brutal: Satsujin Keisatsukan no Kokuhaku is kinda like Dexter (the tv show) except the main character is much, much more unhinged, loves the look of despair of his asshole victims and goes all out to making their death karmic and ironic.

Also… he does pottery (badly), his favorite movie is The Exorcist and it’s implied his first love was a man who died before he could kill him XD

It’s super dark and the manga does not shy away from all the gory details and dark themes (when I say the MC’s victims are assholes, it’s an understatement). Seriously, there’s a lot of triggering stuff in this manga that each chapter usually have a warning label. It’s also short with only 19 chapters due to the author’s poor health so… if you wanna try it out, it won’t take too much of your time.

.

Anyway!

I feel like Desmond wouldn’t do what Dan does to his ‘victims’, mostly because the Brotherhood stresses to respect everyone, even the people they kill. The Hidden Blade is meant to deliver swift deaths, prolonging the death of the target as some sort of punishment would be against that ‘tradition’.

Although, to be fair, if we set this up as Desmond having lost a bit (or most) of his sanity after the Solar Flare, it would work.

Or…

This would be a Desmond who joined the police force after leaving the Farm. It’s highly unlikely since Abstergo would be all over him once he delivers the necessary paperwork and the results of his medical checkups but maybe he gets a lucky break, maybe Erudito is actively helping him by changing all of his information before it could get to Abstergo…

Maybe someone in the Calculations is ensuring he stays away from Abstergo’s radar. Weird computer glitches, strangely timed bad luck, accidents leading to data corruption… No one would think that someone is behind it unless they believe that that someone would be a ‘higher being’.

In this scenario, Desmond would see the worst of mankind and how the world as it is right now let some of these monsters get away. Desmond would use both the skills and techniques he learned from his profession and his childhood training in punishing these monsters the way they deserve to be punished.

In either scenario (Desmond becoming unhinged after the Solar Flare or Homicide Investigator!Desmond), Desmond wouldn’t care if they were Templars or not. As long as they have done something ‘bad’ and got away with it, they become his targets. 

But he’d still wear a hood and a mask to hide his identity.

So when Abstergo ‘finds’ footage of him, they assume he’s an Assassin out for revenge and they wouldn’t think that the other non-Templar/Abstergo related disappearance are related until it’s too late.

The Assassins would think he’s a rogue Assassin, most probably a survivor of the Great Purge that has cut all ties with everyone. They don’t necessarily agree with his ‘methods’ but they let him do as he pleases because (1) they have no idea who he is or even how to predict his movements (2) he’s only targeting horrible people so it’s not technically against the Creed, and (3) they need all the help they can get.

(It would be funny if Desmond’s fake identity’s first name is Dexter. I mean… I’d probably go for Derek as usual if I was to write this (big IF) but giving him Dexter as a fake name would be funny)

.

.

.

Hey, nonny.

You know what would be funny?

If Desmond goes to Japan after the Solar Flare to sorta-chill, sorta-relax, sorta-have a vacation and he just starts becoming some sort of vigilante during his time there. And Dan… falls in love with him. Both as the vigilante and as the nice foreigner working as a barista in the cafe near the police station or something. Just imagine a fusion of cafe au and serial killer au with a heavy topping of yandere from Dan and ‘I have really bad choices in love interests and I know it’ from Desmond XD

[sugarwyns]

Just a fun idea

   If Nova was a romanceable npc in mtas then what dialogues would she have ( like one for each relationship level (Acquaintance, Buddy, Good Friend, romance), you can skip levels or add more lines if you want )

Introduction:

Hiya! I haven't seen you around yet, so I'm assuming you're new - I'm Nova, one of your fellow builders! Come find me if you need a buddy to go ruin diving with.

Birthday:

My birthday's on Summer 15. When I lived in Seesai, I spent every single birthday at the beach. I can't really do that anymore here, so my new thing is just sitting by the oasis.

Acquaintance:

If you ever need to get ahold of me, ask Kor or Daphne where I am, they'll probably know! Oh, wait, but...what if you don't know where they are...hmm. I'll get back to you on that!

Kor told me you're from Highwind! That's cool, I've always wanted to visit. You think I'd be...blown away?...Sorry, that was bad. Ignore that!

Uh oh! I forgot my pass to the salvage yard expires today...you think Rocky will let me extend it for, like, a discount...?

Buddy:

Moving to Sandrock gave me a bit of culture shock. I do miss Seesai a lot, but I really think I'm better off here than I was there.

There you are! Daphne stopped by earlier to give me a few melons from the Moisture Farm...care to share some with me?

I love collecting minerals and whatnot from the desert, but I am so intimidated by the Boxing Jacks there. Every time I see them coming from the corner of my eye, I can't help but yell!

Good Friend:

My brother lives in Walnut Groove. He's a real successful Builder there. To be honest, I don't care for building that much, but...it's a stable job, at least. Don't know if I'll live up to the expectations he's set, though.

I used to be the apprentice of a well-known Builder in Seesai. She was really kind to me, even when I made mistakes all day. I was so sad when my apprenticeship ended! In fact, she made me my bandana and pickhammer as a parting gift. I try to write to her every few weeks.

I have a really small collection of Old World stories and movies. It gets boring watching and reading the same things over and over again, though, so I hope I'll find more stuff in Sandrock to mix up the collection!

Romance

Confession Accepted:

Oh? I can't believe it, you beat me to it! Of course I accept.

Confession Rejected:

I'm...really flattered, I promise, but...I'm so sorry, I just don't think we're at that level with each other...

General Lines:

I made you this bracelet the other day. You don't have to wear it, if it's not your style! Buuut...I do have a matching one, sooo...

I've wanted to visit Seesai for a while, but I was always too nervous to go through with it. I think if you're by my side, though, I'll be able to manage.

Hey! What are you doing today? You wanna go eat at the saloon? I'll pay, don't worry!

Honey?...mmm, no. Sweetie? Hmm...Oh! Sorry! Just trying out nicknames for you...baby?

When I first got here, I felt like I had something to prove. I don't even know who I was trying to prove something to! But now that you're here, I feel like the last of that pressure came off of my shoulders.

Festivals

Day of the Bright Sun:

• I put in a few accessories I made over the last couple of weeks. I hope whichever person ends up with them likes them!

Showdown at High Noon:

Wow, the atmosphere is amazing! Everyone is so amped up for this. I didn't participate in anything like this back in Seesai, so I can't wait to see who comes out on top!

Day of Memories:

This festival has different ways of being celebrated in other cities, but they all have one thing in common - they're all so beautiful.

Tour de Rock:

I'm so bad at sandrunning. Maybe I'll just...watch and cheer everyone on!

Running of the Yakmel:

Can I tell you a little secret? I'm kind of scared of Yakmel! They're cute, but they're huge! I try to avoid the ones around the outskirts of town when I can.

Winter Solstice:

I've been looking forward to eating some skewers all day! What better way to kick off the start of a new year?

[stylesloveclub]

i feel that many of my fav fictionalrrys go unwritten/have less content far too often :((((( last night we took a dip into the land of sugar daddy h, and today i'd like to take u on a journey to cowboyrry :)

cowboyrry who always wears a stupid cowboy hat :( that makes him look 10x more stupidly attractive (me thinks he has a large collection, some embroidered with flowers and leaves, while others are solid colors with a shiny pendant to act as an accent. me also thinks he has his initials embroidered on some)

cowboyrry who does the majority of his farm work without a shirt on, his bf jeans so low on his plushy hips that u can see his pretty fern tattoos :( he gets all glowy under the sun bc of how much he's sweating from the work and heat combined :(

cowboyrry who lifts u into he bed of his truck and hands u a glass of homemade lemonade to sip on while he works :( he keeps u trapped with his hands on either side of ur thighs while he waits to see if u like ur drink :( and when he hears ur soft hum of approval as soon as the sweet, tangy liquid touched ur tongue, he presses one kiss to each of ur cheeks and then the corner of ur mouth :( he pulls his shirt over his head and leaves u with a wink, and a stupid flutter in ur tummy :(

cowboyrry who makes u wear his cowboy hat every time u r*de him :( as soon as u mount his lap, his hat is on ur head and he's so smug bc his pretty girl is in his lap, stuffed full, wearing his cowboy hat :)

cowboyrry who grunts deep from his chest whenever he lifts bales of hay :( the sound is so rough and raspy and holds lots of similarity with he groans he lets out when... well yeah. and the minute u hear it ur head is in the gutter :(

cowboyrry who coos and pets ur hair away from ur face when ur on ur knees for him :( he makes u take frequent breaks bc as much as he loves watching and feeling u choke on him, he knows u forget to breathe sometimes (every time) :( he also leans down and nips at ur lips every so often bc h is a firm believer that kisses r the best reassurance :(

cowboyrry who softly mocks u when u go dumb on his c*ck :( his thumb rubbing tight circles on the head of ur cl*t while u spasm around him :( he uses his free hand to smooth away ur baby hairs and wipe up ur pretty tears, all the while he's "look at u, my lil cowgirl, all bent outta shape cos o' her man's c*ck, hmm? atta girl" all in ur face, his lips brushing urs, cocky smirk twisting his oh-so-kissable mouth upward when he sees u start blushing even more :(((((

do what u must bestie 🫡

-t*mmy r*ding anon 😵‍💫

ONLYYYYYYY U COULD MAKE ME BE INTO COWBOYRRY . BC cowboyrry would have his initials embroidered on his hats that just fits him and he's also shirtless more often than he needs to be and when he IS in his shirt it's drenched and clinging to his abs . he's hella ripped from his cowboy work and has the meatiest yummiest biceps but also the softest hips and pretty pink lips :( he lifts u up and carries u around and puts u wherever he wants and he always wants u around :( and ofc u get hot n bothered bc he's just ... such a man doing heavy work and he's so strong and sweating and grunting all hotly and it just makes u a little w et ........... and oka y.... OKAY MAYBE I GET THE COWBOYRRY HYPE ....... bc like he'd totally get u to ride him in the back of his truck and have u put on his cowboy hat andhe'd be looking up at u w a smirk as u bounce ont op of him .... and yeah he is a soft mocker ..... u know i love soft mocking :( making fun of u when u get tired of riding him and being like "need me to do all the work ? not cut out for the cowgirl life hm ?" n it makes u blush bc ur trying ur best and he loves getting head bc cowboyrry is epitome of Common Man and he will actually legitimately out loud say Save a horse ride a cowboy to get u into bed w him

[that-strange-vault-lady]

Entry: 003

Date: Sun, 08.18.2277

God damn my leg hurts, I used a stimpack on it which seems to have stopped the bleeding, I also wrapped it with some bandages to keep it from getting infected, but it still hurts so much. Who where those people? Why did they shoot at me, I was just asking for help, I was hoping they would have food or clean water, but the moment I shouted over they opened fire. The bullet hit me in the fleshy part of the thigh and seems to have gone straight through so at least I don’t have to go digging around for the slug, hell I saw dad do that once on a member of vault security after a misfire accident and it did not look good.

The surface has been, insane, to say the least. I didn’t expect to find anyone still alive up here, but the sheer amount of gunfire I have heard on the horizon alone leads me to believe otherwise. I was also attacked by this group of women. They came barrelling at me like they where possessed, eyes solid black, skin flaky and there bellies, well, there bellies where swollen almost like they where pregnant. I, I tried to talk to them but eventually one jumped on top of me, there teeth gnashing like they where trying to bite me, I had to, I grabbed my bat and just struck them. They fell backwards and hit there head on a rock. I didn’t even mean to hurt them, I ran away so I don’t even know what happened to them, I, I’m just trying not to think about it. Eventually I wound up loosing them by hiding in a farm house. That’s where I found this rifle, it seems to take these urm, let me see, that’s it .32 cartridges. It honestly seems in pretty bad shape, like it’s about to fall apart at a moments notice but, well, it’s better than nothing right? Plus there was an all be it half empty box of ammo for it in there too, so beggars can’t be choosers, is that the phrase? I think so.

It was shortly after that actually when I spotted those people who shot at me. I ran as fast as I could, trying to duck behind rocks as I made my getaway but I still ended up getting hit. N The gunfire actually attracted the attention of some random robot, from a distance, it seemed like some sort of RobCo eyebot, to think something like that must have been operating for more than 200 years, it’s pretty crazy to imagine anything lasting that long. It almost seems like a shame that the poor thing was shot down after so long, it did give me the opportunity to hobble away though, so I can’t complain too hard.

It was a little while after that I wound up here at this cal-de-sac when I actually noticed my pipboy making a beeping sound. It was beeping to tell me it had finished connecting to some sort of database and that the GPS function had be initialised. I read about this in a book once, the satellites that run the global positioning system are in near earth orbit it said, so seems they also survived the bombs unscathed, could Vault-Tec have planned for this? Maybe that’s one of the reasons why they gave us all these pipboys?

According to my pipboy I’m at a place called Jury Street in the D.C. area, I did actually find a house that was still standing, the rest of the houses around here are ether destroyed, half destroyed or obviously falling apart, but this one still seems structurally sound, so for now at least me and Mr. Patches are hold up here, say, hello Mr. Patches, oh, right you cant actually speak since you are a teddy bear and all. This place even has a nice bed, but, well I do worry whether I will get the chance to use it. With those, women out there and the people who shot at me, who knows what would happen if I just go to sleep tonight expecting to be safe.

Having walls around me does make me feel oddly comforted though. I guess being outside, nothing but the air and sky to all sides of you, well, it will take some getting use to. It’s not at all how I imagined it would be, my first time seeing the outside of the vault I mean. I thought that some day maybe we would all leave the vault together, just like the manuals say, slowly use the resources of the vault to rebuild civilisation, but, well, that was very naive of me. Even then though, I feel like I’m trying to keep calm, trying to keep myself together, but, in reality, I’m terrified. I thought when I left that cave a level of that fear would go away, but, everything I’ve seen today has only made that fear worse. At least I have you here though right Mr. Patches? So I’m not alone, I just have to keep telling myself that, I’m not, alone.

[howdy-cowpoke]

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Various PARTIES: Monty (@howdy-cowpoke) & Kaden (@chasseurdeloup) SUMMARY: It's definitely not a horse-themed meet cute. CONTENT WARNINGS: none.

—

When Kaden got a call from Marge at the front desk to come down to the shelter quickly, he assumed there was another monster that had been brought in that was wreaking havoc in the place. He sure as hell didn’t expect it to be because someone left a horse there. “You told them we don’t have a place to keep them, right?” he’d asked over the phone. She assured him that she had and that they had left before they could do anything and that he needed to get there as soon as possible. Putain de merde. 

Now he was sitting outside, holding the lead to a horse who was grazing on the grass in front of the animal shelter. She seemed sweet – skinny, but that wasn’t too surprising considering the assholes and ditched and run a whole fucking horse. “You got any idea where you can go?” he asked the equine. Her only answer was to continue munching on grass. “That’s what I thought.”

Kaden sighed. He was out of ideas. 

Wait. That guy. Dairy farm guy. “This might be your lucky day,” he said to the horse who was still simply grazing without a care in the world. Kaden sent a message and now all he had to do was wait for him to head over here with that trailer. 

—

Surprised to have heard from the Animal Control guy this soon, Monty was passing off his chores and hitching the trailer to his truck in minutes. All he was told was that there was a horse—nothing on the animal’s status, not that he figured the guy had much experience with horses. Not a common sight in animal shelters, after all. 

Twenty minutes later and he was pulling up at the provided address, climbing down from the truck and grabbing the small sack of horse feed—not part of his equines’ typical diet, but he had a feeling the horse could probably use the extra calories. And, when he laid eyes on the animal and the man holding her lead, his heart broke. 

Walking over to them at a steady pace, Monty flashed the man a thankful smile. “Oh, sweetheart,” he cooed, giving her a thorough inspection. She didn’t seem to mind the attention, her coat twitching beneath his hands as he ran them over her side and back. Digging out a handful of the feed, Monty held out a palm for her to eat from. From there he finally returned his attention to the man, who’s name he hadn’t even learned yet. “Lo siento, amigo—ah, I’m Monty. Monty Rivera.” Reaching out with his free hand to shake, he gave the man a nod. His gaze quickly jumped back to the horse that was nudging his shoulder for more feed. “Thank you for letting me know about her—poor thing. I know, I know.” He took out more feed and held it up, smiling at the way she jammed her nose into his palm. “Not as bad as she could be, all things considered. Needs a bath, and needs her hooves trimmed… and some good, healthy meals, obviously.” She did have a beautiful amber champagne coat, despite it being a little raggedy. 

He glanced back to the man, now looking apologetic. “I… hate to ask, but we’re a little short staffed on the farm today, and multiple animals are giving birth. I might not have extra hands when I get there, and I’m not sure how well she’ll take a new place with lots of other animals around. Could use the help getting her to the paddock… if you don’t mind.” 

—

There were definitely worse ways to spend time on the clock than sitting around with this horse waiting for the trailer to show up. Kaden was just glad he wasn’t going to have to figure out what to do with her overnight. Something about watching her just nibble and graze, her ears occasionally twitching back and forth, her tail swishing away any flies – it was mesmerizing, peaceful in a way. So much so that he nearly jumped when he heard a voice. 

Shit. Thankfully, it looked like this was the farmer alright. Kaden pushed himself off the rock he was sitting on, wiping the dirt off his hands on his jeans. Not that he had any lingering doubt, but there was a sense of relief seeing how easy he took to the horse and how calm she was around him. Sure, he knew better than to get too invested in the animals he encountered on the job but that never stopped it from happening, even if he had only known this horse for about a half an hour. “Kaden Langley,” he offered, shaking Monty’s hand. Afterward, he reached out to give the horse a pet, too. “Yeah considering I think she was being kept somewhere just outside of downtown, I expected worse.” A pit dropped in his stomach when he realized he could see a little of her ribs on her side as he stroked her dusty coat. “Not sure what the hell they were thinking or how they never got caught.” Then again, most of the department’s time was spent wrangling monsters confused for animals so he guessed it made sense enough that this had gone under the radar. 

Kaden had fully expected that this was probably the last time he’d see the horse and planned to give her a small goodbye. He wasn’t going to admit it, but he was dreading it a little even though it was one of the many he had on the job and something he should probably have been more used to. “That so?” he asked, holding back the smile threatening to pull the corners of his lips upwards. Guess it wasn’t time for goodbye just yet. “Yeah, I can help. I’ll follow in the truck after we get her loaded up. Still on call and all that.” 

—

The zombie quietly shook his head, running his hand down her nose. “Trophy pet. Pay a lot of dinero for a pony with a rare coat, don’t think about how big she’s going to get when you ‘renovate’ the garage into a stable… nowhere for her to run? No wonder they dumped her, she’d have been an anxious mess. Must feel better already, being in an open space like this.” 

When Kaden agreed to help, Monty brightened. “Gracias, appreciate that.” Leaving the animal control officer with her for a moment more, Monty went back to the trailer and unlatched the gate, swinging it open and securing it in place. Then it was a matter of laying down the ramp, and… good. Taking the small bag of feed deep into the trailer, he set it down as bait, then retrieved the orange slices he’d brought with him. 

Returning to the pair, he exchanged the lead for the fruit, clicking his tongue and giving a very gentle tug to nudge her in the right direction. As she turned, her eyes landed on the trailer and her ears flicked back. “Give her a slice,” Monty instructed softly, “then keep leading her to the trailer with more.” She didn’t seem thrilled about the looming confinement, but the oranges were too enticing for her to outright refuse. Stamping her crooked hooves a little harder, the mare let herself be led right up to the ramp, then stopped. Her eyes widened and nostrils flared with a defiant huff as she jerked her head to the side, shifting her weight from one side to the other. 

“I know, niña, I know.” Switching places with Kaden, Monty figured that if she decided to bodycheck him into the side of the trailer, he’d at least probably come out less harmed than the officer… if only because of his regenerative traits. Still, she refused to budge, and the zombie huffed out a breath. “All right. Let’s try…” He looked around him before plucking a rope off the trailer wall and began tying a small loop at the end of it. A few knots and adjustments on the horse’s head later, and a bowline hitch was set in place. Removing the standard lead and setting it aside, the farmer gave another encouraging tug on the new halter combo, and she gave a petulant whinny before finally moving up and into the trailer. Success.

It wasn’t a long drive from here to the farm, though the going was certainly slower now that he had some precious cargo in the trailer. Pulling up by the barn, Monty was thankful that the unloading went a lot smoother. Seeing her walk with such an uneven gait, though, he realized that the hoof trimming was going to have to take priority over getting her into a field. “Change of plans,” he said to Kaden, again looking terribly apologetic. “Stay here a moment, I am going to go grab my farrier kit. I need to take care of these hooves now.” The shoes could come later, he figured.

Returning with the kit in hand, Monty had Kaden hold the horse still as he went to town on each foot, one by one, slicing them down and cutting out the excess sole until they looked perfect. The mare, to her credit, was only cantankerous for the first foot until she realized how much better it felt. From there, it was smooth sailing. Finished, Monty left the rolled-up sleeve of tools in the trailer and returned to Kaden. An additional lead was attached to her neck with one person on either side of her, and off they struck. 

“I imagine you must not work with many horses,” Monty chuckled, glancing over at his companion for the afternoon. “What is it, usually? Dogs?”

—

Kaden was no expert with horses. He liked them well enough and knew how to ride well enough to get into some tough spots in the woods and mountains for hunting that just weren’t practical to take by foot and no fucking way were any vehicles making it through. He was never the one with all the horse knowledge, he just helped out where he could. Monty, on the other hand, clearly was well-versed. The hunter nodded as he swapped the lead for the orange slices. He may not be the expert, but he knew enough about luring animals to get the gist. 

He held his hand out flat as her soft muzzle and whiskers brushed against his palm to take the orange slice. “Yeah, that’s it,” he said calmly, unable to keep the hint of a smile off his face. He took a slow step back before holding another slice just out of reach. She reached her neck out far as it could go, shoving her head towards the fruit, but her lips couldn’t grab it. “You’re going to have to come get this one yourself.” She pulled back and stretched out again, far as she could without lifting a hoof. It still wasn’t enough. And so one foot drifted up as she leaned forward. And then a little more. And a little more until she’d taken a step forward onto the ramp. The first clang of her hoof on the metal made her jump back, startled by herself. Kaden pushed his hand out a little closer and the scary sound was quickly forgotten as the mare gobbled up the treat. 

Getting up the ramp was easy enough but when she was faced with the walls threatening to surround her, the mare was warry. Kaden was wondering if she was about to bolt. Or worse. He didn’t have to wonder long before Monty slid in to swap places. Kaden was all too happy to let him proceed from there. He watched from the outside, waiting to see if he was going to need to help any but he sure as shit didn’t know how to do any of what the other man was doing. “Guess I called the right guy,” he said once the horse was loaded up and they were ready to head out to the farm. 

Once they arrived, Kaden wasn’t sure where to start. Thankfully his only job was to hold the horse while Monty did all the hard work. That much he could do. Though she was a little restless at first (and he couldn’t blame her, it looked to him like fixing her hooves was some full-scale operation), she calmed down quick enough. “Facile à faire. Tu vas bien,” he muttered to her as he stroked her forehead. He knew she had no damn clue what he was saying but it seemed to help. The occasional treats he slipped her probably didn’t hurt, either.

When that was all said and done, Kaden followed Monty’s lead and took the other rope. “Yeah not a typical call, that’s for sure,” he replied. “Usually it’s dogs and cats, yeah.” And monsters. Mostly monsters. “Occasional raccoon, squirrel, even deer. One moose. First horse, though. Take it you’re pretty familiar with them, though. How long you worked with them?” Looking around at the landscape as they walked, he had to admit, it wasn’t half bad out there. “Pretty nice piece of land you’ve got out here, too.”

—

"A moose?" Monty grinned enthusiastically. "That's wild. I've never seen one of those in person… not sure I'd want to…" They weren't exactly known for being friendly, after all. "Oh, uh… since I was thirteen, or so." Nevermind that more than a century had passed in between now and then—nearly two. "Always been working on farms, ranches, that sort of thing. Time I spent working at an orchard was awful boring. Too many people, not enough horses." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thank you, though. It is… somewhat unfortunately close to the pit, but we make do. It was cheap to buy, at least." The slight odor in the air was not dissimilar to the one wafting through town, so it was likely that Kaden hadn't even perceived the change. "What about you? How long have you been doing what you do?" 

The horse between them was shockingly well-behaved, seemingly enjoying the feeling of having her hooves cleaned up. But as they neared the gate, her anxiety kicked in again. She might not have realized that there was a wide-open pasture beyond it, or perhaps there was simply something about it that she didn't like. Horses could be weird like that, Monty had found. 

"Hey, hey," he cooed, stopping to try and let her acclimate. "It's alright, niña. No more garages for you, I promise." 

—

“Surprisingly wasn’t the toughest day on the job, either,” Kaden added. “He got stuck in a fence so just a matter of getting him out.” The jobs that were monsters were always worse, not because he didn’t know how to deal with them so much as he didn’t know how to explain his methods as part of his job. Those were the reports that Gary griped at him about the most, always asking him how he was supposed to write anything up with no real info. He always figured it out, though. 

“Thirteen?” He raised a brow. “Would have guessed it was about since you could walk.” He seemed the type. “But yeah, I prefer working with animals to people, too. Even the cats who’d rather scratch me than get in a carrier.” Having tougher skin than most certainly helped there, though, he had to admit.

“Oh, uh, me?” Kaden wasn’t sure why the question threw him for a loop, it was simple enough. Still, he could feel sweat forming between his palms and the lead rope. “Only been in town a few months or so. Never worked animal control before that. Well, not officially but, uh…” Right, great, he was doing a stellar job looking like a normal fucking person. “I just worked a lot of odd jobs in the past. Shit like that.” None of that was suspicious, not at all. Putain.

It seemed like Kaden’s nerves were contagious as the horse grew agitated when they reached the gate. He had a feeling that the other man was going to do a better job soothing the mare than he was. Instead of trying, he carefully walked around the front of her towards the gate, slowly handing Monty the second rope so the hunter could open the gate nice and steady, hoping that might alleviate some of her stress. Less doors, more open field was probably nicer for her if he had to guess. 

—

Shrugging his shoulders, Monty looked a bit sheepish. “I mean… yes, mi familia had goats and chickens growing up, so I suppose I was tending to them the moment I could walk,” he laughed. “The horses, though, they made me wait until I was a bit bigger before I could handle them. I would sit on the fence and watch tio ride them around, training them. He took me with him a few times, before I was big enough to ride my own. It was really something.” Realizing he was rambling, the zombie pressed his lips together. “Anyway.”

Kaden’s answer, while not that odd on its face, was made odd by the strange delivery. It was… charming, in a strange sort of way. He smiled like he was trying not to laugh, and exclaimed, “Oh! Well that’s exciting then, a change of pace! I would welcome you to town, but I’m sure it’s done a good enough job of that on its own already.” There was a knowing hint of sarcasm to his tone, but he wouldn’t elaborate further. This place and all of its flaws had given him more than it had taken, so far. He wouldn’t speak ill of it. 

Giving Kaden a thankful nod as the second lead was passed to him, Monty continued to reassure the horse as the gate was pulled open. Once it stood fully ajar, her ears swiveled forward curiously and she gave a mighty swish of her tail. “Want to go check it out? Come on, love,” the man encouraged her, taking a step forward. She followed, craning her neck to give Kaden a sniff and a nudge in the chest before her hooves hit grass. And when that happened, she stood stock still, her muscles tense. For all the world, she looked concerned, but Monty was smiling. “¡Oye, there you go!” He unhooked the second lead, and then the first, leaving only the halter in place. The horse gave a loud whinny and took off into the pasture, galloping as fast as her legs could carry her and tossing her head in the air.

Swinging the gate shut again, Monty watched her with an expression of pure joy on his face. “Thank you,” he breathed, looking at Kaden and shaking his head. “She’s perfect. I am so glad she’s here.” With uncharacteristic boldness, he clapped a hand to the man’s shoulder. It wasn’t a hug, but it was just about all he could muster. 

—

“Ahh, so I was almost right.” The corners of Kaden’s mouth couldn’t help but turn upwards while Monty talked about the farm. He couldn’t say why, maybe it was just nice to hear something, well, nice for once – about a childhood that wasn’t just training and school scattered in between more training. “Anyway, yeah I’ve already had some memorable encounters in Wicked’s Rest. Come to think of it, guess this is a weird sort of town to attempt stability but here I am.” That’s what he was aiming for, right? Putain, hell if he knew what he was trying to do anymore. Other than run away from his fucking problems.

The soft snuffles and nudge from the horse shook him out of his thoughts and a laugh bubbled up in his chest. “Hey, there, it’s still me,” he told her and it seemed to be good enough for her. As she stepped away, Kaden held his breath, trying to keep steady as he watched the mare try to make a decision of what to do next, where to go. She may not have been human, sure, but he was damn familiar with that feeling. Her whole world had just turned upside down and this whole new place was laid out before her, exciting and fucking terrifying all at the same time. Hell, it was how he felt stepping off the fucking plane. 

And then, she bolted, broke free and ran. It was the best damn thing he’d seen in a while. 

Kaden was already smiling as he watched the mare explore her new home and the hand on his shoulder only widened it. “I’m glad I could get her here. Not every animal I see gets this kind of outcome,” he said, nodding towards the trotting horse. “It’s nice to see it work out. Even better to know she’s in good hands.”

He could have stood there all day watching her explore the pasture, but he’d have to leave eventually. That familiar pit hit his stomach whenever he realized his part in the success story was at the last chapter. It was a bittersweet moment walking away after getting invested and as much as he tried not to be an idiot who got invested, he always did. Still, he wasn’t leaving right that second. He’d save that feeling for later. He turned towards Monty to see if there was any rush and hell if the man looked just as thrilled as that damn horse. Kaden couldn’t help but watch him admiring the mare’s new found freedom for a bit.

Right. The horse. He cleared his throat a little and snapped his gaze back towards the paddock. “So. What are you going to name her?” he asked.

—

Before Kaden had turned to watch him, Monty had admittedly been doing exactly the same thing. Arms crossed and hooked over the top of the gate, face half buried behind them, he recognized that a familiar (but never acted upon) feeling was blooming in his chest. Dang it. Snapping his gaze forward the moment he noticed Kaden turning, he did his best to act completely natural as he felt the other’s eyes on him.

The question was a welcome break from the tension caused by being so seen, and Monty gave a thoughtful hum, lifting his head to run a hand through his unruly mop of hair. “... Manzanita, I think. Little apple.” He watched her trotting around the grass for a few moments more before glancing at Kaden, struggling to pull forth the words he wanted. This animal control officer seemed like a good man, a good person to have as a friend. And if he was trying to be more sociable, then this was someone he wouldn’t mind spending time with. 

“Kaden,” he started, his body language doing little to mask his nerves as he shifted his weight and brushed his palms on his jeans, “you’re—welcome any time. Here, I mean—to see Manzanita, or—” Or me. That wasn’t a thing you could just say to people, he’d sound like a whackjob. “Or me.” Whackjob it was. His eyes widened a little and he let out a nervous, breathy laugh, trying to backtrack. “I just mean—you can stop by. Whenever. We’re pretty much always here.” It wasn’t really helping, was it? Jesus. Dragging a hand over his face, Monty could do nothing but laugh at himself, even if he felt like dying inside. “Better at talking to animals than people, in case you couldn’t tell. Trying to work on that,” he muttered from behind the shield of his palm, giving Kaden a sort of pitiful, hopeful look. 

—

“Manzanita,” Kaden repeated, letting the word roll off his tongue as best he could. It definitely didn’t sound as nice when he tried it. He furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. “Yeah, it doesn’t work quite as nice in French. P'tite pomme is the best we’ve got.” It fit her, though. She looked like a Manzanita. 

The hunter was content to keep leaning on the fence and simply watching the mare in the pasture and he figured Monty would be the same, so he was a little surprised to hear the other man’s voice. Granted, it was less speaking, more sputtering. He had to bite back the bits of laughter threatening to spill out. It was like watching a baby deer trying to figure out how to walk, wobbling and shaky and adorable in all of their awkwardness. 

“I see. It all makes sense now,” he said, a sly smile across his face as he turned to face Monty. “You didn’t need my help at all and this was all a ploy just get me out here to the farm.” Kaden knew he shouldn’t tease too much given the earnest look on the other man’s face – there might even be some blushing under his hands there. “But yeah, I’d like that.” He reached over to give  him a nudge with his elbow. “Considering you’re not that bad to talk to.” That and, though he wasn’t about to admit it outloud, he was pretty sure this was the most he’d smiled in a while. He wasn’t going to dig into why, he wasn’t sure he wanted to lest that ruin it all. 

—

Monty tried to pronounce the French in response, finding the roundness of the language to be more difficult to navigate, and made a face. “Mhm, sí, I think I will leave that one to you and your countrymen,” he laughed. 

The farmer’s mouth hung open in silent protest as Kaden spoke, head shaking side to side as he worked up the nerve to respond. The nudge to his side jump started his voice and he finally let out a defiant huff. “Excuse you, amigo, I did need your help! And you were very helpful!” he argued through a smile, but his voice quickly softened. “But—good.” Alan would be pleased. With another chuckle, the zombie tried to wave away his nerves with a dismissive hand gesture, which of course did very little for him. “I have a friend that insists I try to meet people.” Pursing his lips, Monty watched Manzanita slowly settle herself into the grass for a good roll through the soft blades. “Besides the hands, he’s about the only person I talk to.” It wasn’t meant to sound sad, but Monty figured a person like Kaden might know where he was coming from. “So anyway, congratulations. You’re my first success story.” Chatting online was one thing, but managing to convince someone to spend more time with him after meeting him in person? That was a feat in and of itself. He smiled gently and turned his head to look at Kaden again, burying his fingers deep in his hair as he leaned against the gate again. “I know a farm isn’t exactly, you know…” The statement hung in the air, and Monty didn’t really know how to finish. Let the assumption do the footwork, then. “So we don’t have to meet here. Unless you’re really just interested in seeing Manzanita again,” he teased.

—

“That so?” Kaden's face scrunched at the word friend. Not because he was surprised that Monty did or didn’t have many friends so much as he hadn’t thought about his own situation. He wasn’t sure if he had anyone in town he’d call a friend. The only person he could think of calling that was– His throat tightened and he swallowed to force out any memories threatening to rise to the surface. It didn’t matter. Now wasn’t the time and there was shit all he could do about it. “Funny enough, not sure I’ve made a whole lot of friends in town yet, myself.” His voice was shakier than he’d like, constricted by the emotions that had gripped him. He gave a small cough to try and clear them away. He glanced back to Manzanita, trying to drink in the joy of the moment again and leave the past where it belonged. 

Turning back to Monty, all awkward and earnest as he leaned against the gate, made that easy enough. A smile fell back onto his face as he tried to fill in the blanks of the other man’s sentence. There were a few ways that could go and Kaden wasn’t entirely sure what he meant. Or what he wanted it to mean, if he was being honest. Maybe it was best not to overthink shit. “You like coffee?” he asked, stupid smile still spread across his face, he was sure of it.   

—

He knew it. It was a joyless victory, though, because Kaden clearly wasn’t okay with that fact. Or rather, there was some underlying thing-–a memory, maybe—that was making it a painful realization. “Well then, I guess congrats to both of us are in order,” he offered, trying to lighten the moment if he could. 

“I do, actually… now you mention it.” His smile took on a more playful edge, and frankly, he was impressed with himself. This was going great! It never went this great. Maybe getting out all that crap he’d been bottling up with Alan not that long ago had more good than he’d realized. Maybe he was finally not an emotionally constipated weirdo who panicked at the thought of being alone with a stranger. And in a date setting no less—not that that’s what this was. Not exactly. Was it? He didn’t know, and for the moment, chose not to dwell on it. Not when he was doing such a good job at being normal, for the most part. 

“When’s your shift end?”

—

“Well good thing the one thing I scouted out in town was the best coffee places.” Kaden had to admit, this almost seemed too good to be true. Go on a case, come out with a– well, he wasn’t sure if it was anything other than coffee. Still, a relatively normal moment, in Wicked’s Rest? He hadn’t been there that long, but he’d been there long enough to know that things almost always went a little sideways. If there was another shoe about to drop, he didn’t want to even think about waiting for it, though. Not to mention, he was still on a farm and it still smelled like a farm, mixed with the scent of low tide that was lingering around the entire town. Alright, he didn’t need to be pinched to know it was still very much real. Maybe he should just fucking accept that on occassion something decent could happen to him. 

He wasn’t certain, but he was pretty sure that it was the question that made his stomach do a small flip. Putain, that was stupid. “Uh, good question.” Kaden took a quick glance at his watch. “I’ve got a few hours still. Unfortunately.” 

—

“That’s perfect, plenty of time to get this girl all cleaned up and properly fed, wey. No problems.” The day was still pretty young, and the coffee shop he had in mind was one that was open late, anyway. “Well, tell you what—I’ll get the lady settled in, clean myself up, and meet you at that place downtown in a few hours, eh? What’s it called… Latte to Love?” He shrugged, not understanding the play on words (they weren’t his strength, especially not when they were in English), but was smiling all the same. “And don’t rush yourself. No pressure, no problems.” Was he repeating that for Kaden, or for himself? Hard to say. 

Once the pair had reached the barn and their respective vehicles, Monty gave Kaden another handshake, this time with both hands. “It was a pleasure to meet you,” he said cheerfully, “And I look forward to meeting you again in a less… professional setting.”

—

“That’s the one. Should be a pretty easy rest of the day, I hope.” Damnit, Kaden hoped he didn’t curse himself by saying that. He just wanted a nice, normal, simple shift. The last thing he needed was to run into a monster on the way to the fucking coffee shop. It would be his luck. “Sounds good to me. Considering I’d rather not show up with animal pi–” Wait, was that too crass or… Putain, he was overthinking shit now when he wasn’t before. Stupid “Uh, animal bodily fluids on my clothes. Tends to happen. Definitely not one of the highlights of the job.” He reached up to rub the back of his neck, hoping that his face hadn’t gone red at all. 

“Pleasure’s all mine,” he said, mirroring Monty’s grip as they shook hands. “See you soon, mon ami.” Hopping back into his truck and driving back to the shelter to put in the paperwork for this case, Kaden couldn’t help but continuously glance at the clock, trying to make the time go faster. He just hoped he wouldn’t run into Andy or Alex when he stopped back at the cabin – he didn’t want to deal with the fucking third degree they were gonna give him. 

[eric-the-bmo]

Neighborhood Watch S2 Ep1: Shindig

Hello!! We finished the first session of season 2! And jesus christ- a lot happens, it was a bit disjointed! But I’m here to try and make sure it’s all coherent! (my own personal comments will be in the tags) So let’s go!

A week has passed since the Season One finale; the Dome’s been dropped, and everyone in the Main Cast knows that John is a monster. Since the Dome is gone, the rest of the town had been unlocked for us to explore!

During the week, Song buys new flowers for her house at the florist- she runs into Louis, who’s been buying native wildflowers to improve his lawn. He runs into some interns who work for the mayor, who offer him some free seed packets for some newly discovered flower- They grow quick, with thick thorny vines and stems, and are ready to bloom within a week with beautiful tie-dye-esque colors. Louis declines, not trusting anyone who’s a part of the government, and the florist owner, Kathy, is wary of the flowers due to how quick they grow; they can very easily become invasive.

Song does archery practice with Amira in her backyard- Amira has not mentioned John being a monster, and Song hasn’t asked her about it. Amira does mention, however, that while hiding in Song’s house during the s1 finale she found a black book with a red gem. That’s one of Song’s spellbooks, and Song vaguely says she uses it to help protect herself. Amira shows interest in it, and Song discreetly tries to sense if Amira has the potential to become a magic-user- but Amira’s aura indicates she doesn’t have any ability for magic at all, which is odd because all humans normally have the capacity for it; the center of her soul is dead-blue.

Shelby starts her Twitch-streaming again, with the internet being back up, and when she’s not busy with that John spends time with her; Not only because she’s his friend, but as a way to make up for making her worry so much (and to avoid the rest of the Main Cast). Sometime during the week John tries to go the park, but sees Louis there and immediately turns around to go home. He also fills in Emmett about the events of taking down the Hunter, omitting the fact that he is one himself.

Markus keeps to themself for most of the week, ordering take-out (there’s only one Uber driver in Greenville, btw, his name is Kyle and he sells weed on the side) and healing from their wounds. At some point, they get rid of Emmett’s corpse with carrion beetles, and use his bones to make bonemeal for various projects- including their worm farm. Towards the end of the week, they decide it’s been long enough- They march right up to the Doe/Waters household and knock on the door. Shelby is busy streaming, and so John answers. He freezes when he sees it’s Markus, and in a cold panic he closes the door. Through the window he sees that Markus looks sad, and they walk away. John feels awful, and is still reeling from the cold panic, but he doesn’t want to make it awkward by opening the door again, and they’ll want to talk about that night, oh no, god you fucked up- And so he decides to head to the park, as part of him still finds nature to be calming/ feeling a bit like home. He people watches, observing the librarian reading a book, until it starts to get darker out, and begins his walk home.

Meanwhile, going back to Markus walking home, I feel it’s time to mention that some more neighbors have moved in during the week- Two of them being Heath and Sammy Clark. Heath, a 5′6 blonde guy, jogs up to a dejected Markus and invites to him and Sammy’s get-together (in fact, they’ve sent out invites to the entire cul-de-sac). Markus doesn’t seem too into it, and heads home.

On the topic of new neighbors, I’ll summarize them now:

The Clarks have moved in across from Phil. Heath is an outgoing trans man, and Sammy is a very quiet and hairy ginger man who’s almost 7ft tall.

Bonnie McMurry moves in next to Shelby and John. She’s a sweet older lady in her mid 60s and lives alone, though she had a bunch of odd-shaped boxes with her labeled “Lois”. Shelby had asked about it, revealing Bonnie had an adult son who passed some years ago. During the night, loud music can be heard from her basement.

William Krieger is a socially awkward and reclusive man with a pencil stache. He keeps his pet rats in his many coat pockets.

Kenneth Feinstetter lives across the street from Louis. He is a loud and boisterous man with glasses who will tell anyone willing to listen to him about his ridiculous conspiracy theories regarding Greenville.

Some moving trucks come in at midnight. Lucretius Wayne introduces himself to the neighbors, sending out gift baskets of high quality. He’s charming, and even the Pattersons like him.

Louis recognizes Lucretius as the vampire Lestat. His ex.

But the time for the Clark’s party is here, and Markus decides they’re going. They get all dressed and give themself a pep-talk about how they’re going to make friends. They head outside and see the Pattersons are heading over to the party as well, and for a moment consider heading home, but then Lucretius appears with some wine and greets the Pattersons; Karen waves at him, and Bob seems... jealous? Markus decides to go, if only to see this drama unfold.

Louis doesn’t like being left out and decides to go. As he’s walking over, William approaches him and wants to be invited to the party. Louis makes a comment about if William is really going with a jacket that has so many pockets, and William responds he’s got to bring his family with him. Louis doesn’t like William, who’s standing far too close to him, and so when Philip approaches Louis takes his chance to leave. Kenneth approaches Louis and asks if he’s seen anything weird, or out of the ordinary? Louis almost says no, but then mentions that he’s never seen Lucretius leave his house til after sundown- he might as well try and direct suspicion towards his ex.

Song decides to bring some wine over, and as she exits her home Lucretious greets her; They compare the wine they’re bringing, and he offers her his arm. She takes it, and together they walk to the Clark household. Louis sees this, and though his expression remains calm, his grip tightens. The Sampath family is going; Amira waves to Song, and she and Lu wave back.

Markus approaches the Pattersons and asks how Karen is doing (bc, yknow, The Curse), and she says she’s doing much better. Bob thanks Markus, who says that while they don’t like each other, they don’t want his wife to die, and Bob says he’ll owe Markus a favor because of their help. Markus squirms away.

John and Shelby are going as well; John prepares a snack tray to bring along. As the two of them leave they hear music coming from Bonnie’s basement; as much as John wouldn’t admit it, part of him is glad he’s away from the noise.

The Clarks are greeting people as they enter; John approaches, sees the rest of the Main Cast and seriously considers leaving, but Shelby interprets this as general social anxiety and reassures him it’ll be fine. He makes eye contact with Song as she approaches- her gaze hardens, and John looks away. Lucretius asks Song if everything is okay; she responds by saying not everyone in the neighborhood is getting along at the moment. Lucretius is invited inside by Heath.

Inside is very spacious; the archways leading to the different rooms have been altered to be taller, and even then Sammy has to bend over a little bit to avoid hitting his head. There’s snacks, drinks, etc. Sammy offers Philip some alcohol, and he turns it down. Markus is in awe of how tall Sammy is, and heads to a corner to vibe. They can hear the spiders behind the bookshelf in their corner. William shows up to stand next to them, and Markus bluntly tells him that they want him to go away (”Please go away. I can say it in four different languages if you’d like.”) William’s smile starts to fade at Markus’ insistence, and he actually starts to look angry, but then gets distracted by a snack tray and scurries away.

John and Shelby have bumped into Kenneth, who’s informing the both of them about some kind of drama going down on Twitter. John doesn’t have social media, so he doesn’t quite know what he’s talking about, but he likes listening to people talk and wants Kenneth to like him- especially since Kenneth doesn’t know about his monstrous nature. Shelby brings up the fact she’s a Twitch Streamer, upon which Kenneth looks her up on the Internet, and then awkwardly excuses himself.

Everyone starts to vote for which party game to play. John approaches Philip, who’s trying to tune his guitar to bring some extra entertainment to the party, but Phil is having a bit of trouble tuning it. Lucretius appears and offers to tune it, and plays a flamenco riff (and winking at Louis), absolutely showing up whatever Phil was planning to do (John doesn’t interpret it that way, though, and thinks it’s nice how Lucretius helped out Phil). Markus and John both notice Bob Patterson and Louis going off into one of the other rooms of the house- Bob has noticed Louis’s reactions to Lucretius, and asks if they know each other. Louis tries to play it off- not every person with a southern accent knows each other, Bob- but Mr Patterson wants to know if Lucretius is anything similar to the monster he saw the previous week, if something supernatural is going on. Louis says nothing supernatural is going on with any of the new neighbors, in response Bob whispers something to him before storming out. Louis, apparently a bit shaken by what Mr Patterson had whispered, takes a moment before leaving the room and heading back to the party.

The group has decided on Two Truths One Lie. Some highlights:

William glaring at Markus the entire time

Almost every normal neighbor hoping that Markus’s “I have over 300 bugs at my house” bit is the lie

Everyone immediately guessing Philip’s lie (divorced but on good terms)

Kenneth putting one of his truths down as him “knowing the truth about this town.” Song asks him what that means, and Kenneth invites Song over to his house to look at his charts and notes some day.

Lucretius smiling at Louis the entire time is was Louis’ turn (we find out Louis is allergic to wool)

Flirting with Song when it was her turn (He’s been flirting with her the whole party, I should add.)

And then it’s Lucretius’s turn. He grins, and gives his options: 1) He was born in Louisiana. 2) He has a skin condition that prevents him from being out in the sun 3) ...And he’s bloodthirsty monster.

Louis knew this, but Song doesn’t pick up on the danger; like almost everyone else, she’s incrediby charmed by Lucretius. John was too, actually, but as soon as that was said, John realizes that Lucretius’s charm is all part of a lure to get prey, and that he could be something similar to John. Markus realizes the danger as well, and deduces that everyone in this room could be in danger- so they summon a bunch of cockroaches to scare everyone away. Almost no one notices it was them who caused the roaches- except for William, who’s been staring at them the whole time.

People start running away in the chaos- Heath faints, Sammy tries to stomp the bugs (shaking the house with this, actually), and Louis tries to get ahold of Song, but Lucretius has taken her hand before he could do anything and has gotten her out of there. Lucretius offers to walk her home, and she accepts. Once outside, John tries to make eye contact with Markus- a “did we both notice the same thing” kind of look. Markus sees this and looks almost panicked, an “oh god not again look” (Unknown if it was fear about John or the event happening), before their gaze becomes sad. A monstrous roar appears from inside the house, and Markus races inside. John tries to head in too, but Louis calls out to him and says they need to talk. John anxiously says something about getting rid of the roaches and attempts to get away, worried Louis wants to talk about That Night, but the Crooked stops him (”John. This isn’t about you”). 

Meanwhile, inside, Markus sees Sammy angrily stomping at the roaches. Markus, not wanting to have their bugs killed, leads them out with food. Sammy corners Markus and, speaking for the first time, growls a comment about how he didn’t see what Markus did was necessary, and that he knows about their kind and would appreciate that Markus never do that again. Markus stammers an apology and runs home.

Louis leads John to his house, where he asks what John knows about Lucretius. John tells him (how the charm is a lure, how he might be like him), and Louis says that John is strong enough to take him on in a fight, but not strong enough to survive; Song is in just as much danger in Lucretius’s presence as she is in John’s. At this comment John tense and seems angry, and Louis said it wasn’t meant to offend: He needs John’s help to kill Lucretius, after all. Stakes, garlic, crosses and etc might be useful. Also, Louis tells John, Bob knows about Lucretius, the house shook when Sammy tried to kill some roaches, William has rats in his pockets- there’s a Lot more to deal with than John being a monster, or even Louis’s ex being a vampire.

Meanwhile, Lucretius has walked Song back to her house. He says it was a pleasure to hang out with her this night, and Song agrees- but the night isn’t finished yet; Would he like to come inside for some coffee?

He accepts, and is invited inside.

[joyoflily]

At the end of July, I spent my birthdays on a foreign country and found myself on a forest farm in Denmark in a deep green windbreaker. The temperature at the time was around 20°C, and the vast green meadows and clusters of lush trees radiated a refreshing coolness. We passed a flock of sheep as the farmer led us to a platform nestled two stories high between tree branches. To reach the top, we had to pull ourselves up with ropes, pressing our feet against the tree trunks. If we failed the first time, we simply tried again. The sky was bathed in twilight, blending into the plains, and in my companion’s camera, my face glowed under the warm sunset. Looking back on that moment now, only three words come to mind: Hen zhi de (很值得; It was worth it); and those words capture the essence of the memory.

In interviews, I’ve often described myself as yong gan (勇敢; brave) and hao qi (好奇; curious). Whether or not I’m familiar with something, my first instinct is always to try it and see how far I can go. Climbing trees was one thing, but stepping into the world of acting was another. After being accepted into the Beijing Film Academy, I landed my first lead role in Run for Young (风犬少年的天空). Aside from the basics I learned at university, I had no formal acting training. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but when the director declared, “She is Li Anran,” I dove into the project without a second thought.

Later, a behind-the-scenes clip went viral online. In it, my character, Li Anran, learns that her first love, Liu Wenqin (played by Zhou You), has been in an accident. I turned away from the camera, wiping my tears as I walked down a long, empty hill. The tears came uncontrollably, not just from the character, but from the pressure I felt as a newcomer. In that moment, it felt like both Li Anran and I found release together. I also realized something important: sometimes, in a single instant, the character becomes familiar. At first, I constantly asked others if I was portraying her correctly. But one day, it clicked—I understood her, and I could act with confidence from my own perspective.

Perhaps, just perhaps, that’s my natural gift as an actor.

I don’t spend much time imagining the future. I just make decisions when the time comes. I’ve been in boarding school since middle school, and during my art entrance exams, I travelled alone from city to city, suitcase in hand, moving between examination venues. Before entering Beijing Film Academy, I never actually considered becoming an actor. I didn’t focus on which major or school to choose and simply did my best. And when the time came to make a choice, I knew which path was right for me.

The word “dream” (梦想; mèngxiǎng) is something that we often associates with hope, but we sometimes overlook its emptiness. I prefer to stay grounded, or as the proverb says: jiao ta shi di (脚踏实地; to keep one’s feet on the ground). You can only avoid being swept away by life’s currents if you’re truly grounded.

On set, things can get chaotic—lights, mechanics, people shouting—but I think despite all of that, I’m pretty good at keeping myself composed. Before doing an emotional scenes, I will try to find a quiet corner to be alone, and tell the makeup artist not to touch me during filming. Once I’m immersed in the character’s emotions, my heart sinks like a stone into still waters.

I believe emotional depth is key to portraying a character. When I’m tackling roles set in different time periods or involving characters with a significant age gap, I start by discussing the script with the director. I’ve avoided playing characters too far from my own age, as I know there are nuances I might not grasp without the right life experiences. But as I get older, I’ve noticed my emotions have deepened. Emotions I couldn’t feel before now come to me more quickly. Sometimes, when I revisit roles I’ve played before, I see a different side of them.

In Blossoms in Adversity (惜花芷), the bond between the women in the Hua family reminded me of the unspoken understanding shared between the women in my own family—my mother and aunts. I played Huazhi, the eldest daughter, who leads her family through crisis with entrepreneurship. Her story mirrors how the women in my family also shine in their own ways. Unlike Huazhi, who bears the weight of family prosperity, I’ve learned independence and self-reliance from the women in my life. Yet, in both the Hua family and my own, the collective strength of women coming together remains a source of inspiration and support. Growing up around such powerful women has always made me feel capable of achieving anything.

Recently, I turned 25 and have completed seven films and nine TV series (with two more yet to be released). This year, I was invited to the First Youth Film Festival as a First Debut Recommender. Under the starry sky in Xining, I expressed my excitement at sharing the same space with young creators and film lovers.

I mean it when I say that I look forward to collaborating with new directors at the film festivals. There were dozens of films screening in quick succession, and great works that are more than deserving to be recognized. When the director of The Secret of Monsters (妖怪秘密), Chen Yanbin, thanked me for recommending his film, I told him it was I who should thank him for sticking with his creative vision and sharing his story.

Compared to the last two decades, there are now waves of new-generation actors entering the scene. Since 2016, the number of applicants to film academies has increased by 20% to 30% each year; which means the competition increased tremendously also; but I think, and feel that I’ve already found my footing in this constantly evolving world. I know what I want by now, and once I make a choice, even if it turns out to be the wrong one, I’ll be sure to stand by it.

When I’m feeling drained, all I want is to lie in bed, pick a random movie, and fall asleep to the dialogue. Other times, I find myself in some corner of the world—maybe a forest, a marketplace, or on a cobblestone bridge—bursting with energy. That’s me, embracing the world with courage and curiosity. But I’ll admit, there are moments of anxiety. An actor’s schedule is tied to production, and when I have a day or two off, walking through the city helps ease that tension.

Sometimes I take pictures of some seemingly mundane moments (in which I ended up sharing on a nine-grid pictures on Weibo) because they resonate with me. The other day, I saw someone walking with flowers and wondered where they were going. Other times, I’ll glance up at a tall building and think about the lives unfolding inside. I’ve always felt a deep connection to the world, and I don’t worry about the opinions of strangers. As long as my heart is steady, I know which path to take.

Next to the tea lodge being used as a filming location was a glass-roofed room, where sunlight filtered through the misty windows, softening as it touched the ground. The floor was covered in fine, shimmering sand, which sparkled so invitingly it seemed to beg for someone to step in, just to feel its softness beneath their feet. Outside the door, the lively buzz of the crowd filled the air, with the crew still in awe of Zhang Jingyi’s earlier performance. The next scene hadn’t been called yet.

One of the crew members wandered into the room, their foot sinking gently into the sand. Instead of resisting, the grains seemed to embrace their ankle, offering a sense of security and calm. For many admirers, Zhang Jingyi’s charm mirrored this room: tianjing, wennuan (恬静、温暖; serene and warm). Even if you stumbled, her presence would catch you, wrapping you in a comforting embrace, as though urging you to rest, to bask in the quiet warmth of a peaceful sunlit afternoon.

Edited and re-written by Lillianne, original article by 上城士

[evanhuang14777]

<Cantar del Mío Cid>

My Cid Rodrigo Díaz you will hear what he said to him: Eat, count, of this bread; drink, count, of this wine, / for if you do what I say, you will no longer be a captive.

<El Lazarillo de Tormes> by Lázaro de Tormes

[The blind man] washed the breaks he had made with the pieces of the jar with wine, and, smiling, said: / –What do you think of Lazarus? What made you sick heals you and gives you health – and other gifts that were not to my taste.

<La Galatea> by Cervantes

Who is that powerful one who is known and famous from the East to the West ? Sometimes strong and brave, Other times weak and fearful; He removes and restores health, Shows and covers virtue in many, more than once, He is stronger in old age Than in joyful youth. [...] without weapons he defeats the armed one and it is inevitable that he defeats him and the one who has treated him the most, showing shame, is the most shameless. and it is a thing of wonder That, in the field and in the town, A captain of such a test, Any man dares Even if he loses in the fight.

<warning by Juan Ruiz>

«You can smell the fire, which is a very bad smell,

your mouth smells very bad, there is nothing that is worth it,

it burns the assaduras, the leg burns;

If you want to love, owner, the wine does not bother you.

«The drunken monkeys grow old, they

do not walk in their color, they dry out and turn gray,

they do many vile things, everyone hates them;

They miss God a lot and they fail the world.

«When wine is stronger than brains,

the drunks are gnawed like pigs and rooks;

therefore come deaths, strife and shuffles;

Much wine is good in vats and jars.

«Wine is very good in its very nature,

it has many benefits if taken in moderation;

He who drinks too much of it, take away his sanity,

all the evil in the world becomes all madness.

&lt;Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea>

“Settle down, my children, there is plenty of room for everyone, thank God. They gave us so much of paradise when we go there. Put yourselves in order, each one has his own place; I, who am alone, will fit this jug and cup, which is no more my life than what I speak of.

After I got older, I don't know a better job at the table than pouring, because whoever tries honey always gets stuck with it. Well, at night, in winter, there is no such bed heater. With two jugs of these that I drink, when I want to go to bed, I don't feel cold all night. I cover all my clothes with this when Christmas comes; This warms my blood; This sustains me continuously in a being; This makes me always happy; This keeps me cool; I see plenty of this at home, that I will never fear the bad year, that a crust of mousy bread is enough for three days. This removes sadness from the heart more than gold or coral; This gives effort to the young man and strength to the old man; puts color to the colorless; courage to the coward; to the lazy diligence; comforts the brains; takes the cold out of the stomach; removes the stench of longing; it makes the cold powerful; makes one suffer the toils of farming; He makes the tired reapers sweat all bad water; heals the redness and the molars; sustains without stink in the sea, which water does not do.

I would tell you more properties about it that you all have hair. So I don't know who doesn't enjoy mentioning it. It has only one blemish, that what is good is worth a lot and what is bad is harmful. So, what heals the liver, makes the stock market sick. But even with my fatigue I look for the best for the little I drink, only a dozen times at each meal. "They won't let me go from there unless I'm invited like now."

&lt;Don Quixote>Cervantes

Wine is mentioned up to 43 times in Don Quixote (1615), the most universal work of our literature. There are few characters more enthusiastic about wine in all of universal literature than the famous squire Sancho Panza, whom Miguel de Cervantes profiled not only as a great fan of wine but also as the possessor of a complete gift in the knowledge of it. “Won't it be good, Mr. Squire, if I have such a great and natural instinct when it comes to knowing wines that, when I try to smell any of them, I guess the country, the lineage, the flavor, and the hardness and twists it has to take.” , with all the circumstances that affect the wine”, Sancho comes to consider.

Another example, when Don Quixote charges against the windmills while Sancho walked "very slowly on his donkey, and from time to time he raised his boot with such pleasure that the most gifted still life artist in Malaga could envy him."

<coplero Alonso de Toro>

In Villalar and Pedrosa,

Bozales and San Román,

wine is no longer worth anything,

they give it almost for nothing;

Well, in Toro, where you were born,

I found, in the buns of the milestone,

a blessed red wine,

which in your life you dress like this.

In the city of Zamora,

on Valvorraz Street,

Blessed Our Lady,

there are so many taverns!

In Casaseca de Chanas

and Casaseca de Campián,

they give us so much wine

that we sing more than frogs.

In Corrales and Perdigón,

and in Fuen del Carnero,

even if the poor man carries a hide,

he will fill it without delay;

In Venialbo and at Fuente

Cantalapiedra and Cantalpino,

the people are very happy

because they drank a lot of wine.

Villarino and La Ribera

and the town of Fermosel,

a lot of wine, in a great way,

and softer than honey.

&lt;'Anna Karenina'> by Leo Tolstoy

Kitty, observes Anna Karenina's first meeting with the man who would later become her lover. Tolstoy relates what the Russian princess Kitty saw at that meeting: He could see that Anna was intoxicated with the wine of ecstasy that she inspired. She knew that feeling, she knew its signs, and she saw them all in Anna—she saw the trembling, bright light in her eyes, the smile of happiness and excitement that involuntarily forms her lips, and the unmistakable elegance, security, and softness of her movements— .

&lt;'Paris was a Party'> by Ernest Hemingway

The novel includes several memoirs by the author of the time he spent in Paris with other well-known American writers who lived there, where they met in cafes and bars to chat. At that time in Europe we considered wine something as normal and healthy as food, as well as a drink capable of bringing you happiness, well-being and pleasure. Drinking wine was not snobbery or a sign of sophistication or culture; It was something as natural as feeding and, for me, as necessary as that. It wouldn't have occurred to me to sit down to eat something without drinking, be it wine, cider or beer. I loved all wines, except sweet wines or those that were very heavy.

[teecupangel]

This is gonna be long, honey soooo… buckle up.

We have Desmond linked to the God of Wine, Dionysus / Bacchus with this fic (show some love and kudos this please, I adore this concept).

However, what if Desmond by chance ( Isu bullshit)  that he absorbed when he touched the Eye as he time travels back In the Renaissance before the Auditore family execution event, it manifested in him having demi-god traits but with two Gods I have in mind.

1. Aphrodite or Venus, goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. Accidentally becoming a matchmaker for people like Des incidentally shoved a man by mistake who the man then bumped into a woman, BOOM! the two madly fell in love at first sight and married with children or his charm increases, making people fall in love with Desmond. This adds angst if Desmond discovered this power,  He has low self-esteem and is severely traumatized (fuck you William for that). He would believe they really don’t love him especially the assassins and it’s just a illusion they do. Actually they do, the power only boosted his charisma but Desmond doesn’t know this shhhhh.

2. Eros or Cupid, god of carnal love. 16 year old Desmond with his newfound freedom after running away from the Farm. It’s no surprise he could be a sexually liberated man especially he’s a hot bartender to hook up in the back alley of Bad Weather. He might dabbled in BDSM, he’s a switch, but preferably doms. He also got a vasectomy to avoid impregnating a woman no Elijah in thishe believes that he shouldn’t have children, after having narcissistic father and possibly an emotionally neglectful mother can do that. An ability to sense lust or desires of a person in eagle vision could be possible.

With that being explained, regardless of which God, these abilities have pros & cons. Desmond when he is in the Renaissance, he’ll be low-key but he can’t stand out and without the currency to have a peaceful life, we needs a job. By some gift of the universe or it hates him. He ended up as a bodyguard of Rosa in Fiore by saving some courtesans from aggressive drunken men while in his clothes devolved in rags by the heat of the Eye when arrived, making him look like a beggar, good thing it was night time so his face wasn’t seen by the girls.

Its been weeks doing this job, Desmond have saved plenty coins but not enough to buy land far away and live his life maybe as a farmer or open a tavern. Lately, he been feeling unwell, no matter he drank to quench his thirst, his throat is dry as if he been in dessert with no water survive and started having hot flashes. It could just because of the clothes he donned, not a single silver lining of his skin is shown except the upper part of his face and hair but he was assumed it was if it were the fact he started having wet dreams, from memory of his many hook ups in New York or some constructed with people with no faces. He gets aroused, yes, but he has self-restraint but he also frustrated and losing his rationale.

“Dezmund~” Bianca, a courtesan who been attempting to lure him to bed. The other courtesans entertaining the patrons who had too much wine, too busy to notice the two, giving them a sense of privacy. “Bianca” he nodded with one brow raised at her. Bianca practically started to entice him with her usual flirting to him. You know what, fuck it, he thought, he proceeded to ———————

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Yeeeaaaahhhh…i won’t be too detailed so it won’t be overbearing. So giving you the mental picture is that Desmond used his knowledge of BDSM, blindfoled and tied Bianca and used her mouth to empty his frustration while he is still completely clothed. He gave her sweet aftercare and realizing his symptoms are gone and his mind is clear and —- oh fuccccckkkkkk he unintentionally created a chain reaction after this event involving himself more to the Brotherhood, the Auditore family and Leonardo

Anyway, thanks for reading this till the end, mwah <3

======================================

Additions by teecup:

… that sounds like Desmond has the curse of an Incubus, needing to ‘unload’ his pent up energy to another person.

And you know who would be fascinated by it?

Leonardo Da Vinci.

Perhaps it was during one of the times that Leonardo went to a brothel to find ‘inspiration’. Maybe it was because he had been nursing a crush on Desmond who was unattainable to his eyes, a simple bodyguard meant to keep everyone safe.

He would see the complicated expression on his face. The frustration in his eyes.

And the flushed cheeks.

Oh, Leonardo would be smitten but he’d try to act like a friend, as any attraction he might have pales in comparison to his worries concerning Desmond’s wellbeing.

Desmond sees him and finds himself being unable to lie to Leonardo.

He needed to tell someone about his problems and he trusted Leonardo.

So Leonardo listens and…

Things start to snowball from there.

At first, it was simply Leonardo trying to help Desmond while studying his ‘affliction’.

Then it became more for the thrill and pleasure they would receive from one another.

Desmond becomes Leonardo’s muse and sometimes his model…

Maria Auditore saw Leonardo’s potential and started commissioning him…

Federico comes in to get one of the finished commissions and… finds Leonardo and Desmond in a very compromising situation.

Instead of leaving… Federico decided to join in.

And Desmond knew that Federico was hiding something but it would be a while before he realized that during this time, two years before the fated day that the Auditores would be executed, Federico was already on his way to becoming a member of the Brotherhood…

…

Also… maybe Leonardo and Desmond have an open relationship which will give us more option for Desmond to ‘partner’ up with (like maybe… La Volpe??? XD)

[siofreed]

& since i can't stop adding in my SI OC

Sio as maybe the young Animus Subject 3, the Farmer (tentative title); As an earlier subject, they received less mental damage before dying, so will wake up earlier

On another planet far far away, the Colony Ships they powered crash-lands, & eventually progressing to Silver Diamond's canon, with their Earth being modern day Earth through some odd resonance

Hoshiminokoto is likely an Isu Sage who was involved in the original Plant project

Oblivious Sio, who woke up after most of the colonists have died, volunteered to power Hoshi's plan to save the rest of the humans, but the degradation their comatose body suffers from the drain meant he switched to Dependent Plants, then back to his canon power source, humans

Better to lose replaceable Dependents & humans than the source of more Plants, after all

Some of the Dependent Plants manage to transform into what will be known as the Ayames, cursed to drain their surroundings of life energy in a futile attempt to regain their lost powers

The newer generation of Plants were used as the base for the River Snakes

Ability set is anything relating to Farming, which, the Silver Diamond's cast's abilities does kinda fit

Even if they were comatose, they were the core of an active Hivemind for more than a millennium

Silver Diamond canon start

Comatose but healing Sio was stashed deep underground, the Sanome Prince Guards might find em?

Would finally wake up late canon, just in time to help mama Sanome save the 4, allowing them to also have their mom present for their happy endings

Sio is fond of the Sanome family, & will visit post canon

---

Sio could ping Desmond when he wakes his Angel Arm or something power intensive via the Higher Plane, & teleport over out of curiosity

Tags along mostly as a spectator, though will try to answer any questions Des (& Vash) will have

Can't help power wise, but can help with the Hivemind & mental stuff

Finds Des's Bleeds interesting, will totally try to chat with them

Able to recharge & heal Des's Plant children

Will totally try to feed Vash fresh fruits at least once per town, that boy needs food darn it

Gets most of their funds from selling fruits & veggies

Doesn't really fight, since their powers are either not gunfight-useful, or overly lethal; runs & hide instead

If Sio follow Desmond back to the past

None of the SD cast will come along, though Sio will miss the Sanome family

Maaaybe they brought along Hoshi's spare copy of Chigusa? One that has no memory of canon Chigusa; will be a doted on little brother

Will be disgruntled they're stuck in a small body again; picks up a pole weapon to compensates since less guns now

Doesn't care for the Assassin-Templar war, only came along cause bigger little brother (Des & possibly Clay) dove in

Until they find out the Abstergo is part of the Templars, & what they have done to their new siblings

Eco-terrorism is not enough to cover the absolute BS they'd pull given the chance

---

Sio's ability set (for people who haven't read SD)

Rapid growth, manipulation & healing of plants & willing Plants

Have a similar stash of Functional plants from their old planet, which is another entire list on its own

Minor ability to manipulate reality of living/formerly living objects so long as deep understanding is archived

Ayames' ability to absorb all nearby life energy; useful for knocking out groups of people

Some degree of shapeshifting, including some wickedly sharp Ayame claws

'Ayame's Eyes', a mutated version of Eagle Vision that lost the 'Allies-Enemies' detention, but has insane range; can linked senses to anyone fed their blood

Can control anyone fed their blood too, but they rather not please & thanks

Creation from own blood teleport-capable cloaks & healing bandages; in addition a crystal focal, Golems too

This is based off @teecupangel's Desmond-in-Trigun post.

---

In Assassin’s Creed, there’s a Precursor race called the Isu, the Ones that Came Before. Tall, supernaturally beautiful, likes to wear glowing clothes. Created the human race as slaves.

Trigun has the Plants, tall, (fanonly?) supernaturally pretty, can glow, & are a slave race to humans. Can be considered the Ones that Came After.

Both species have supernatural abilities, bordering on miraculous. Its almost like they're mirrors of each other...

---

Assuming the Grey & the Higher Plane are the same or related, & the Isu are able to tap into the Grey to power their miraculous devices, mad scientists used the Animus Subjects’ bodies (who all have higher Isu genes) to create the first Plants, let’s call them the Grand Plants. They’re then used to create the canon Dependent Plants, with Desmond's stronger genes used as the main base.

Timeskip later, most of them are sent off on Colony Ships. Then, we reach canon Trigun.

---

Grand Plants starts off brain dead, since they’re made from corpses. The Subjects’ fragments slowly seep in from the Grey / Higher Plane, healing the mind & soul until they can awake, years & years into the future. So by the time any Grand Plant wakes up, their Colony Ships will have already reached their planets or perished in space.

As the origin of the Plant species, each Grand Plant is stronger in their respective fields, but weaker or useless in the others. Any Independent Plant spawned will also have the same skewed ability sets as their parent GP.

Desmond is the Messiah/Cipher, ability set is everything, but he needs to unlock them first. Guess Plants can telepathically talk to his Bleeds now too, for extra hilarity.

Clay is the Scapegoat/Herald?, similar ability set to Des but weaker. He does have better mental abilities though. Plants can also talk to his Bleed, yes~

---

Maybe Grand Plants can use the Higher Plane to pull inter-galaxy teleportation? Pushing it further, potential method to time travel?

Endgame is yeeting Desmond n Clay with all their Grand Plant powers back into the past, though I haven’t decided which era to. Could even drag post-canon Trigun twins along, as well as the Hopeland brothers via ‘oh, you’re half-married to my youngest? / nephew-in-law!’ shenanigans.

Since the GPs aren’t very human anymore, the Isu’s POEs can’t effect them as much, but they can still control them, perhaps even to a better degree, thanks to their understanding of future tech.

---

Random stuff

Brain insists the Ark of Covenant from AC1 can summon energy animals, & shrink down to an Apple sized ring for easy storage; Why are you like this, brain

The Plants group now calling themselves Ushi / Uzi, as a reference to how they’re almost the opposite of the Isu?

[its-deputy-caleb]

Hello!! i saw that requests were open!! i was wondering if you could do a modern au (or yara without anton) where everyone gets to live peacefully! i hope its not too much to ask for clara, juan, yelena and camila (or any characters of your choice)

i love youre writing so much! thank you for writing this in advance <3

FC6 — Modern AU!

okayy so i had major writers block, then i read this sad ass poem and got inspired as hell. these are a lot longer than expected but i hope you like them!! they feel more like a short fic than HC's but im hoping that's okay and that it still feels in character cause idk and with a new addition of zenia i don't feel confident in these at all lmao pls enjoy !!

Clara García

Clara lives along the affluent east side of Barrial in Valle de Oro. Her home isn’t over the top, in fact she downsized after she refused to conform to the snobbery of her parents but it still held a beautiful ocean view and a large living space.

There was lots of spots to enjoy the view (in fact almost every room in the two story Villa had access to it) but nothing beat the top floor balcony which never failed to make her feel at ease. It was like the sea breeze could just lift her up and carry her away from all the burden of family and responsibility.

Her library is the favourite part of her house. It’s small compared to what she’s known in her childhood home but it holds all the tales, poems and histories which she fell in love with. Clara will spend hours resting on an armchair or couch, reading idly before she eventually falls asleep.

Fresh from university, Clara intends to use her education and her power to enter politics. Whilst this peaceful Yara is free and happy, it’s far from perfect and so she dedicates her life to demanding better for Yara’s poor and disadvantaged.

Clara, with your help of course owns a charity for Orphans of Yara (something her family weren’t too happy about). Despite her not having the same experience, the people she considers family— Dani, Juan, Lita, Julio and yourself have all struggled and so the two of you regularly go to visit the children with gifts and homemade foods.

Sometimes, Clara does need a break from time to time and you’ll gently sit her on the couch with her back to your chest. The two of you will just soak up each others warmth as you read her favourite poems to her, leaning down for kisses during the verses.

Juan Cortez

Juan may live in a peaceful Yara, but that’s not gonna change his lifestyle much. His workshop and home is the abandoned San Telmo Lighthouse in El Este where it is very much still a mess.

The hazardous weapons, technology, chemicals and god knows what else are mostly contained to the workshop section of his home (but let’s be clear he practically lives there) whilst the old lighthouse has been restored to a level that’s liveable.

Surprisingly, the kitchen has a rather flashy edge to it. Not in the sense anything is new but his own upgrades and trinkets means the appliances have a fancy grade quality to them. Juan will never admit it but you’ve seen him countless of times dancing around the kitchen with music whilst he either makes dinner or dishes for Guapo.

His job is somewhat ambiguous… on paper he’s a ‘weapons expert’ but for who— well that depends on how much. But those bigger higher paid jobs from governments don’t come often so he’ll take smaller jobs like repairing hunting rifles from the neighbouring farms and tinkering with the odd car that needs repairs.

His favourite thing to do is spend quality time with the two people he loves most, that being you and Guapo. Sometimes you’ll go for walks along the beach, or even fishing out on a boat (even though he’s too impatient to catch anything and Guapo eats the bait before it hits the water). But as long as he’s with you, he’s the happiest man alive.

Juan has a tendency to get lost in his work, unintentionally losing track of time whilst he drills, welds and tinkers with scraps of metal and industrial composites. That just means you have to drag him off to bed so the two of you can spoon up and he can snore in your ear like the loveable old man he is.

Camila ‘Espada’ Montero

Camila’s home is a version of what her father envisioned only much smaller. Her snug farm tucked away in the mountains of Madrugada has the best sunsets and fields for the few horses she owns.

The house itself is quite small, giving room to the grazing paddocks she has strewn around the property but it doesn’t feel small inside. The open living room is perfect for snuggling in front of the fire on a cold night, where you can just enjoy the peacefulness of nature.

Her favourite part of the house has to be the backyard and porch area. Camila can either sit there with her morning coffee alone or she can set up fairy lights and a table to invite her large family over for dinner.

Espada has a whole rang of community based jobs which she manages all at once. On weekends she’s down at the farmers market selling her own collection fruits and vegetables whilst buying some for herself. Other times she’s training, helping people both with horse riding and her skills with her sword.

Of course, you’re with her every step of the way. Some of your mundane domestic activities together end up being your favourites. Both of you have to check the fences each morning whilst walking the dogs— with your hand in hers and the crisp frost blowing from your mouth, it feels like a real life dream.

You love the life you’ve built together on her farm and even though you enjoy the hard work of farm way of life (you had to in order for Carlos’ blessing) but sometimes you just love collapsing into a hot bath together. Your limbs are tangled and steam floats off you but its so different to the sweaty labor of working with horses.

Bembé Alvarez

Bembé lives in a surprisingly cozy apartment above his local business in Segunda. It’s mostly unliveable space but with a little bit of hard work (and money) he transforms it into a pretty welcoming home.

His shop is on the flashier end, turning Yara’s old furniture, ornaments and antiques into newly restored luxury items which fetch a high price. He loves arranging his store, finding spots for new art works and sculptures amongst the array of coffee tables and armchairs.

It’s a stark contrast to the warm bedroom and living space he calls home. Bembé’s bed catches the light in the morning and it softens some of the exposed concrete walls which he’s decorated with house plants and some artwork he kept for himself instead of selling.

Obviously his job as a small business owner is pretty similar to the Black Market King only he’s not smuggling anything and instead buying, restoring and selling his goods. He still deals with all the worldwide customers as well as a few locals which always keeps him busy.

When he does take time away from work, he loves spending it with you. Bembé often takes you out to drinks or a nice dinner if the evening calls. Sometimes its eating delicious street food from local restaurants and others its a fancy night out in Esperanza.

Of course, you can’t always find the time between work schedules but your favourite time together is curled up in his bed late at night. Both of you snuggling as you watch the town’s skyline out the large wall length window.

Yelena Morales

Yelena lives in a cramped, highly overpriced apartment in Esperanza but she totally justifies it to you and everyone else that it’s convenient to get to university by walking.

Her home is definitely in need of some TLC as most apartments are but she’s covered all the chipping paint and rotten panelling with house plants, artworks and her favourite pieces of clutter which make it feel like home.

It’s a tight squeeze with a barely passable kitchen and even smaller bedroom but her pops of colour make the rooms feel much larger than it is, and it’s perfect for curling up on her bed to watch movies or study.

As a student of Espinoza University she’s pretty much living the university life of cheap foods and stacks of textbooks but she’s incredibly smart. Yelena is heavily involved with all the University unions, clubs, protests and activism groups— not to mention she writes for the campus paper about issues she’s passionate about.

Young, and in desperate need of some fun the two of you try to get out as much as possible whether that’s lunch with friends or partying with Yara’s nightlife. But whatever you do, it’s always done together, with your arms linked and fingers intertwined.

Sometimes when you’re both feeling adventurous you sneak out onto the rooftops of the university. Resting against the ventilation system, the two of you watch the city skyline as Yelena tucks her head into your neck and the two of you just cuddle for hours into the night.

Zenia Zayas

Zenia absolutely adores her hometown of Esperanza, and after moving out of her father’s home she bought herself a large and modern industrial, studio apartment.

There’s almost a full one-eighty degree view of Esperanza and the water, along with multiple large windows which are perfect for natural light and inspiration (although not great for sleeping in when the sun comes blaring through the bedroom).

Her favourite room has to be the corner designated to her work as an artist. It’s littered with canvases against the windows and paint of the walls from broken spray paint canisters. She can be in her element for hours in her space and it never ceases to make her feel inspired and at home.

Obviously, Zenia’s occupation is an artist but it ranges from form to form. She loves her signature spray paint and street style, using her platform to promote freedom of expression to Yara but she also loves to sculpt just like her father had. 

It’s not often but the two of you will get dressed up in fancy attire to premier her artwork at the galleries across Yara. It’s always those moments when you’re most proud of her, and you make sure she knows it with a string of kisses and hugs whilst journalists take her photo and critics applaud her work.

But your favourite moments (and Zenia’s as well after she confessed you’re her biggest source of inspiration) are when the two of you are wrapped up in bed together. Her large mattress is encased in the yellow glow of the sunset, leaving you beaming as you kiss and just hold each other in an embrace.

[pugwitharug]

The Griefers Playing Minecraft

I decided to make a little sequel to this post after wandering around for like an hour looking for cacti (spoiler: I didn't find any) and I wanted to experience the lovelies once again. It's gonna have the same basic beginnings as the first post but I don't feel like writing it all out. I'm lazy and tired deal with it

🐇Tulsi Ain🐇

Redstone specialist. She makes every type of farm, all the grinders, and it's all so efficient. She makes me jealous cuz I can't do shit

She steals everything from the villagers lol, but she levels up the traders to their highest level. She probably traps them in boxes or something so she doesn't have to track them down all the time

She has these huge farms of animals, mainly cows, so she can get leather to make books, to make bookshelves, to make an effective enchanting table. She puts so many enchantments on her tools

She named a diamond enchanted sword Zenith...........my darling...............

She tries to capture the bunnies and make a little bunny pen. She gets mad when they keep jumping away. Slippery little fuckers

In terms of a house, she leans more to stone. Polished stone and bricks with cobblestone and mossy bricks dotted around as accents. Of course, everything is redstoned and automated

She spends a lot more time on Minecraft than she'd like to admit, but she likes it and it's fun shut up

I feel like she wouldn't mind being on some sort of roleplaying server, or somewhere she can have a job like a blacksmith and get paid in ores and live a life in a nice little village

She makes a skin that looks like her.......with the wittle bunny ears.........and her apron with a little oil stain on it, just like her real life one..................

She would make tutorials on YouTube for redstone and how to make the farms and stuff. She wants to help people learn

Baby bunny I love her so much

🗡️Elowen de Bhaldraithe🗡️

She loves fighting the monsters! She likes jumping into dark caves or the Nether or the End and just beating the shit out of all of them

She's not that good at fighting at first but shhhh no one else must know

Crossbow is her main long range weapon, it packs more of a punch than a normal bow, along with the magic arrows. Other than that, she uses an iron sword cuz it looks most like her real life swords

She defends villages from pillagers and takes over their outpost when they're all dead. Actually she just defends a village in general. Not for the villagers but for the XP and stuff. Definitely not for the villagers /src

If she does make a house of her own, which she probably won't, she'd use dark oak and spruce. Nice comfy and dark feeling, just like her :3

She tames wolves and brings them along on her journeys. She takes great care to make sure they're healthy and safe. She's sad for a week when one of them dies but will deny any relation to the stupid game you showed her

You know she's a softie at heart of course :3

She wanders around looking for loot--she fishes a lot to feed the dolphins to guide her, she looks for ruined Nether portals, she looks for the spooky mansions cuz sometimes they have loot, anything you can think of

(btw have they gotten rid of the jungle temple things cuz I haven't seen one in years and idk if it's bad luck or if they're just gone)

If she got invited to be like a town protector or a mercenary or something on a roleplay server by Tulsi or Lucan, she'll join, but she still prefers to play by herself

She'll get really focused on it and if you come in and ask her a question she'll jump and fall off the cliff face she was trying to navigate. She throws the phone at you and you don't even know what you did wrong

*sighs* cat wifey......I love her

🐯Lucan de Bhaldraithe🐯

He likes building! He likes making cool things! I like to think he has a secret eye for design so he doesn't need to look at too many tutorials to make things look cool

He audibly gasps whenever he sees a cute mob. Pandas, polar bears, foxes, the itty bitty kibby cats, bees

Listen, he's not a cottagecore kinda guy, but.....he will make a house in a flower field near a beehive because he thinks it's cool

He might try to make a little town in creative mode first and make sure it has all the supplies he needs so he can switch it to survival and live in comfort :3

He'd also play on the same roleplay server as Tulsi! He'd probably be an architect and get paid big bucks (aka stacks of emeralds) to make new buildings for people with new roles

He doesn't understand potions or redstone lol. It just doesn't click with him. He's a smart guy in general don't get me wrong but he just doesn't understand it

Ooooh and banners! He likes making cool banners and hanging them on the outside of houses and using them as waypoints and stuff. Those he does have to follow a few tutorials tho cuz it can be confusing with the layering and stuff

He loves taming animals and will not hide his sadness like Elowen does when one of his wolves dies

He'd also like the allays but when he frees them he just gives them a random item so they don't fly off and it's like...a piece of andesite and he can't figure out how to give them a new item so it never gets to do its job

He loves that you introduced him to this game cuz now he associates it with you, who he also loves! He's such a puppy please I love him--

🐮Balsam Taureau🐮

(that's not an actual last name it's just 'bull' in French)

(please give him a last name I am BEGGING)

Anyways, he's not the best at what you would consider the essentials at Minecraft. He can't make cool buildings like Lucan without a strict tutorial, he doesn't understand redstone like Tulsi does, and he gets shit on by hostile mobs cuz he tends to just run headfirst towards them (blame the bull instincts)

But you know what he is good at? Farming

He has these big sprawling farms that spread out across the plains, or he has the cool terrace farms, either way they're really cool

He grows a lot of crops and he knows all of the most efficient layouts for all the crops cuz he is the Plant Dad and that is canon

He also keeps a bunch of livestock and somehow has the best luck with the chicken eggs (even though he keeps accidentally hitting the chickens with them lol)

He tames horses and names them after the people who are important to him... white and black one named Sage....a ginger one named Lucan.....a brown one named Tulsi......he loves them all and I love him

He doesn't go mining often enough to find rare ores cuz he spends most of his time checking on his crops, so all of his tools are iron

He also won't admit it but he doesn't like going into caves.....he enters one, hears a cave noise, stops, and turns right the fuck around XD he's not about to deal with that

Really the only way he gets rare stuff is by getting paid in the server. He doesn't wanna venture out too far

Your honor he's a Good Boi who just wants to tend to his crops leave him be

[princeescaluswords]

oye tú qué trabajos le pondrías a los personajes de la serie? (personajes tanto vivos como muertos)

Once again, forgive me if I mess your request up. It's been decades since I took any Spanish. I'll answer for the McCall Pack.

Scott McCall: I think that he will be a veterinarian. He's made that determination already, and one of his characteristics is that he has the will and determination to act on his decisions. He looks up to Deaton, he shows interest and talent, and I think it will be the normalcy he always wanted. Sometimes people think about Scott in terms of saving people, and that's an important part of his life, but much of his saving people has been forced by outside circumstance. I don't think he'll look for something that's already been made a part of his life.

I don't think it'll be easy. These shows always imply that if someone changes a grade it suddenly places knowledge in the character's head. When grades work as they're supposed to, they're an indication of how well the student has absorbed and mastered the information presented to them in class. Scott may not begrudge the classes he missed in high school or the classes he will miss in college fighting Monroe, but he's going to be hurt by missing them. Just because Natalie Martin had to lobby the superintendent not to expel him, doesn't mean the skills he might have picked up magically appear. On the other hand, I don't think he'll run out of monetary resources that will prevent him from taking the time and energy to become a veterinarian. There's a benefit to having rich families owe you a great deal.

Stiles Stilinski: I don't think he'll last too long as an FBI agent or a deputy, simply because he'll either get caught going against protocol or he'll grow frustrated by it. Stiles likes helping people by solving mysteries, but he doesn't appreciate boundaries or restrictions on what he can do to solve those mysteries. I also think he enjoys telling truth to power way too much, and that won't help him at all when he gets caught cutting corners to make a case. Even if he does succeed going against the rules, which he could, I think they'll be a point where he's just tired of the entire mindset of law enforcement.

That's why I think he'll settle on becoming an investigative journalist. His quick thinking, his dedication to the truth, his willingness to tell those who rule over others when they're mistaken, will lead him into a field where he can do the most good. It won't be an easy road, because journalists have their own struggles with editors and publishers, but there'll be enough victories to make it worthwhile.

Lydia Martin: She wanted to be a mathematician in high school, and I'll think she'll stay on that course. Very few people stick on career paths, but in her case (as with Scott), it will be a way of re-exerting control over her own life. She's got the talent; she's got the drive; and she's got the motivation.

Liam Dunbar: I think he'll end up being a high-school history teacher and probably a coach of some kind. He loves history, but he likes being around people more. He expressed interest in leading, and he's got the dedication to be in sports. I think it's very likely and very aesthetically pleasing to see him, in 2032, trying to usher the next generation of supernatural students through the pains of growing up.

Malia Tate: Honestly, I see her in the most non-traditional roles. I think her own nature, her relationship with her biological mother and father, and her confidence in her ability to leave society behind will lead her to a job where she can set her own rules and determine her own location while taking advantage of her strengths and mindset. Honestly, I see her as Braeden's successor, as a supernaturally aware mercenary.

Derek Hale: He's going to buy a farm or a ranch or an orchard or a vineyard not in Beacon Hills but not too far away and settle down. He'll want to be close enough to Beacon Hills to help if needed, but he'll never really feel comfortable there. Derek will want a quiet and stable life building something slowly and surely. He also has the money to make such a thing work.

Mason Hewitt: I think he's going to be in STEM, but I don't think we did enough with his individual interests to find out what. It might possibly be in the biological or ecological sciences, considering he is being trained by Deaton. I just keep remembering the scene in Relics where he charts lightning strikes, and I can see him as an environmental engineer, working on green solutions to the future.

Corey Bryant: Because he and Mason deserve a future forever, he's going to be a media influencer. He wants to be seen, to be noticed, to have people checking in on him constantly, and with his experience in Creative Writing (it's super weird that Monroe demonstrated her own skill at guidance with that scene before she went evil), he's going to put that to use. I can see him running his media presentations while a tolerant Mason plays with their kids in the background.

I can't speak to Alec, because I simply don't know enough about him.