#and EVEN IF i leave something years without an update. the fact that someone could take my work & pretend like a fucking bot

[orcelito]

completely unnecessary for you to say some random person looks like an 'entitled little shit' i don't agree with using ai for fic but like come on dude

Ok tell me something. Do you write? Produce art? Anything that you put your heart and soul into? Hours upon hours of work that you upload online For Free just for the love of it?

Now imagine someone taking that for granted & pretending like a bot could ever be able to replicate that heart & soul. Imagine that person looking so proud about it.

There are many things I could say that would be much more uncharitable, but I think "entitled little shit" gets the point across quickly and effectively without getting needlessly aggressive about it.

Hope this helps :)

[amirasainz]

The beginning

This is the first part of the "Sunshine behinde the camera" story. I hope you all enjoy reading this and I'll try to update as soon as possible. Let me know what you think and if you have any requests for the next chapters, let me know. I'll try to include them. Have funy and enjoy!

-XoXo

Summary: After the winter break, Lando and Oscar get informed that they will get a new team photographer. However, despide being only 18 years old, the drivers are both impressed with her work. After meating her, Isabela immediately worms her way into their hearts.

All the relationships are platonic!!!

Part 2

“So, we believe that if we keep including fun games and other drivers, like Charles or Fernando, in our activities, our follower count will increase by 43 people per day,” concluded Charlotte, the head of McLaren’s Media team, with a confident smile.

It was the first day back from the winter break and the very first meeting of the 2024 season. The meeting room was bustling with energy and anticipation. Mechanics, PR personnel, factory workers, test drivers, managers, and more filled the space, eager to kick off the new season. Of course, the four most important people were Oscar, Lando, Andrea, and Zak, who sat at the front, ready to lead the charge.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you heard it. We have a promising outlook for the new season. To finally end your suffering, we wish you all the best and a good start to the new season,” joked Andrea, eliciting laughter and lightening the mood in the room.

Neither Lando nor Oscar could go far before Zak called them over. “Boys, Andrea, Charlotte, and I will need you for a few minutes. Please wait in meeting room C for us.” Before the drivers could ask their boss about this “secret” mini-meeting, he moved on to speak with one of the mechanics, leaving them curious.

“What do you think this is about?” asked Lando, walking with his teammate towards their destination. “I have no idea. Maybe one of us messed up on social media,” replied Oscar, seemingly unbothered by the private meeting.

After entering the room and waiting for a few minutes, the other three adults joined them. “Sorry for our tardiness, boys,” apologized Charlotte, always the considerate one. “No worries,” assured her Oscar.

“Boys, we have some big news for you,” began Andrea. “As you all know, Steve, our team photographer, and his wife were expecting a baby at the end of the season. During the winter break, Steven called me and informed me that it wouldn’t be possible for him to continue his job as our team photographer,” continued Charlotte.

Charlotte went on, “He said that he wanted to be a part of his daughter’s life as much as possible, and having to travel a lot during the year is neither helpful for his wife nor something he desires. So, we came to the conclusion that Steven would become the new McLaren factory photographer, you know, to give our fans some behind-the-scenes insights.”

“This means we were put in a position to find a new team photographer. Someone who isn’t bound to one place,” added Zak. He shared a relieved smile with Andrea before turning his attention to the drivers. At this point, both racers were sitting on the edge of their seats.

“Her name is Isabela Ferreira. She is a lovely young woman from Brazil, and her work is incredible,” Charlotte said, handing out folders containing samples of Isabela’s past work. “Wow, these look really good,” muttered Oscar. Both he and Lando wore impressed expressions.

“Not only is she a pro with the camera, as you can see for yourselves, but Steven also approved her work. In fact, he was the one who recommended her to us. To be honest, without his recommendation, we probably wouldn’t have hired her,” said Andrea.

Lando’s eyebrows furrowed. “Wait, what do you mean by that?” he asked, glancing at Oscar, who shared the same puzzled look. The three adults exchanged glances, silently agreeing to be open with the drivers.

“Well, even though her work is phenomenal, she is still very young,” started Zak hesitantly. “She turned 18 a few days ago, which makes her the youngest member of the team,” he continued. Both racers had surprised expressions. “But that means she’s still a baby,” stated Lando. Both drivers were trying to absorb this new information. All in all, it wasn’t actually a big problem for the team to employ someone so young; it was just unusual in the Formula 1 world. Typically, people started working for the teams at 24, drivers excluded.

Zak continued, “We understand that her age might raise some eyebrows, but we believe in her talent and potential. Steven’s endorsement was a significant factor in our decision. We are confident that Isabela will bring a fresh perspective and innovative ideas to our team.”

Andrea added, “We also plan to provide her with all the support she needs to succeed. She will be working closely with our experienced staff, and we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for her.”

Oscar, always the pragmatic one, asked, “What about her travel arrangements? Will she be able to handle the rigorous schedule?”

Charlotte responded, “We’ve already discussed this with her, and she’s fully aware of the demands of the job. Isabela is excited about the opportunity and ready to embrace the challenges. We will also make sure she has the necessary resources and support to manage her responsibilities effectively.”

Lando, still processing the news, said, “Well, if Steven believes in her, that’s good enough for me. I’m looking forward to working with her.”

Oscar nodded in agreement, “Same here. It’s going to be interesting to see her in action.”

Zak smiled, “That’s the spirit, boys. Let’s give her a warm welcome and make sure she feels at home with us.”

“Look, we know this is a surprise for both of you. Trust us, we were surprised as well. But that doesn’t change the fact that she has incredible talent. We just wanted you both to be prepared for when you meet her,” reiterated Zak, his tone serious yet reassuring.

After a moment of silence, Charlotte continued, “Let’s be honest. She is an 18-year-old girl, very far away from home. She doesn’t know anyone here and will be working closely with both of you most of the time. We ask you, no, we three ask you, to keep an eye on her. This is something completely new for her, and she will need support and reassurance from us. And let me tell you, she truly is a ray of sunshine. Trust me, you’ll fall in love with her the minute you meet her.”

“It’s true,” confirmed Andrea. “She walked in here with the biggest smile anyone has ever seen,” eliciting chuckles from those in the room. “Well then, I guess it’s time we finally meet this lovely girl,” stated Oscar. Charlotte let out a relieved smile before beckoning the drivers to follow her. “She’s currently at the practice track, trying out some new lenses. Oh, I can already see it. The three of you will cause chaos around the paddock,” she smiled like a proud mother. Behind her back, the papaya boys shared an amused smile.

As they walked towards the practice track, Lando and Oscar exchanged curious glances. “I wonder what she’s like,” mused Lando. “If she’s as good as they say, we’re in for a treat,” replied Oscar.

When they arrived at the track, they saw a young woman with a camera, intently focused on capturing the perfect shot. Her concentration was palpable, and her passion for her work was evident. Charlotte called out to her, “Isabela, come meet the team!”

Isabela turned around, her face lighting up with a bright smile. She approached them with a confident stride, her camera still in hand. “Hi, I’m Isabela. It’s so nice to meet you all,” she said, her voice warm and friendly.

Lando and Oscar introduced themselves, both impressed by her professionalism and enthusiasm. “We’ve heard a lot about you,” said Lando. “Welcome to the team,” added Oscar.

“Thank you! I’m really excited to be here and work with all of you,” Isabela replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

As they chatted, it became clear that Isabela’s youthful energy and fresh perspective would be a valuable addition to the team. The drivers felt a sense of protectiveness forming. The only 18 year old girl already wormed her way into their hearts like she did with the other people she met before.

“So, you’re into photography. How did that come about?” Lando inquired. He, Oscar, and Isabela were seated in the cafeteria after Charlotte had sent them inside. According to her, it was far too windy outside for them to spend time on the track. Thus, the trio decided to warm themselves up with some tea and coffee.

“Well, to be honest, my Avó Berta introduced me to photography. After my parents divorced, my father had to work tirelessly to support both me and my grandmother. We had nothing; we lived in the favelas of Rio. That’s why my father juggled three jobs, ensuring we always had food on the table and a roof over our heads,” Isabela began.

“Wow, that must have been tough,” Oscar commented, his eyes wide with empathy.

“It was,” Isabela nodded. “Because of that, us girls were often alone at home. But after a few years, my Avó Berta fell ill and became bedridden. I always loved recounting my days and all the new things I saw to her. However, after some months, she began to forget the things I told her about and what they looked like. So, for seven months, I saved up all my money to buy a camera. Mind you, it was only a cheap one, but it immediately printed the pictures,” she said, laughing lightly. At this point, both Lando and Oscar had somber smiles on their faces.

“That’s so sweet of you,” Lando said softly. “It must have meant a lot to her.”

“It did,” Isabela replied. “So, the next time I told my grandmother about the latest adventure my friends and I had, I was also able to show her the pictures. And if she forgot after a few days, the photos helped to jog her memory.” After a moment of hesitation, she continued.

“Sadly, my grandmother passed away that same winter, so she never got to see the new camera my father bought me for my birthday,” she murmured. Oscar placed his hand on top of hers, causing Isabela to look up. “Your grandmother sounds like a real badass,” he told her, eliciting not only a laugh from the girl but also from his teammate.

“She really was,” Isabela agreed, her eyes shining with fond memories.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what about your mother?” Lando asked hesitantly. “Lando!” Oscar looked shocked at Lando while kicking his foot under the table. Isabela laughed again before continuing. “It’s alright, Oscar. Lando’s just curious. Well, my mother left us when I was two. One day she was there, and the next day she wasn’t. She just packed her bag and left us. No goodbye letter, no SMS. Nada. Which is also the reason why my grandmother despised her.”

“That’s harsh,” Oscar said, shaking his head. “How did you cope with that?”

“Well, to be honest, I don’t really remember much about her. The only thing I know is her name and what she looks like. The only thing I have from her, besides my looks, is a letter that she sent me on my 16th birthday,” Isabela explained.

“Did you ever try to find her?” Lando asked, his curiosity piqued.

“I thought about it,” Isabela admitted. “But I realized that my life was full with the people who stayed. My father, my Avó Berta, my friends, and my passion for photography. They were enough for me.”

“Wow, I’m honestly… impressed,” said Oscar. “After everything that happened, you turned your passion into your profession. That is something nearly no one achieves,” whispered Lando. His heart felt heavy. How could her mother ever leave this sweet girl? And then, after 14 years, only send a letter? Isabela could only muster a small smile for her new friends.

“Thank you, guys. It means a lot to hear that,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

After that day, the three of them only grew closer. The drivers understood what their boss meant when he said Isabela was a ray of sunshine. Each morning, she greeted everyone with a smile that rivaled the sun. Her cheerful demeanor and genuine interest in others quickly made her a beloved figure at the factory. Sometimes she spent time with the PR team, assisting them in devising new challenges. Other times, she conversed with the engineers and mechanics, inquiring about the new McLaren. They were always more than happy to indulge the young woman, often going out of their way to explain the intricacies of their work.

Isabela’s presence had a noticeable impact on the team’s morale. Her positivity was infectious, and she had a knack for making everyone feel valued and appreciated. The cafeteria staff adored her because she always took the time to chat with them and compliment their cooking. The security guards looked forward to her daily greetings, which brightened their long shifts. Even the usually reserved IT department found themselves smiling more often when Isabela was around.

But her favorite moments were those spent with Oscar and Lando. Oscar, with his calm and thoughtful demeanor, often shared stories about his racing experiences and offered advice on navigating the competitive world of motorsport. Lando, on the other hand, was the life of the party, always ready with a joke or a funny anecdote to lighten the mood. Instead of only spending time at the factory together, they watched movies at each other’s flats or went out for dinner. One time, they even went grocery shopping together, which ended with a half-new wardrobe for Isabela, 7 liters of milk for Lando, and a new TV for Oscar. How that happened, nobody knows.

During those few weeks in England before Testing, Isabela had the pleasure of meeting Lily, Oscar’s girlfriend. The two of them became best friends instantly. When Lando and Isabela arrived at Oscar’s flat for another movie night, it was also the first time the girls would meet each other.

Instead of the uncomfortable “Hey, I’m… Nice to meet you,” Isabela and Lily ran to each other for a hug. “Oh my gosh, hi! You look so pretty,” Isabela gushed while the girls still held each other. “Girl, you’re one to talk. You literally look like a goddess. I love that shirt,” Lily complimented her, making the Brazilian girl spin. “Really? I wasn’t sure if it was the right one for tonight. I didn’t want to be overdressed,” the younger one replied shyly. “Love, listen carefully. You are never overdressed. The people around us are just underdressed,” Lily assured her while leading her new best friend to the sofa. The girls sat so close to each other, practically sitting on each other’s laps, while talking about the newest paddock gossip.

Lando and Oscar only looked at the two with bewildered expressions. “What the…” “Just happened?” After another moment, their silence was interrupted by Lily, who ordered Oscar to “bring this cutie pie a refreshment. Oh, and Lando as well.” The only thing Lando could do was laugh so hard that tears started streaming down his face.

As the evening progressed, the group settled in for a movie. “What are we watching tonight?” Lando asked, still chuckling from earlier. “How about a classic? Maybe something like ‘Back to the Future’?” Oscar suggested. “Oh, I love that movie!” Isabela exclaimed. “It’s been ages since I last saw it.”

They all agreed, and soon the movie was playing. During a particularly intense scene, Isabela leaned over to Lando and whispered, “Do you think we could ever build a car like that?” Lando grinned, “With the right team, anything’s possible.”

@mclaren

liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri and 3 673 297 others

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are haply to introduce you to our new team photographer, Ms. Isabella Ferreira. We are happy to have the 18 year old from Barsil as part of our family.🧡

tagged: @isabelaferreira, @landonorris, @oscarpiastri

Comments have been disabled

____________________________________

@mclaren & @isabelaferreira

liked by zakbrown, maxverstappen 2 650 385 others

2024, here we come 🤜🧡🤛

Comments:

@user1: OMFG they look so hot

@user2: Wait, those pictures look really good

@user3: this new photographer does an amazing job

@user4: "this photographer", girl he'd name is Ms Isabela Ferreira

@user5: I don't get why everyone is hyping up the girl. I mean, she just took some freaking pictures. That's bot so hard.

@user6: mate, stay jealous

@landonorris: let's goooooo

@oscarpiastri: 😸👍

@user7: LMFAO

@isabelaferreira: 🧡

[thatlittleviolin]

//A little ramblig about eddie dear bc i cant stop thinking about him

Im not joking when i say this whole post was inspired after seen @//purple-raspberries “the mailman” drawing because O MY STARS WHAT IS THAT DRAWINgGGGGGG /pos

Okay so anyway, whats up with Eddie Dear? As, like, an active character of Welcome Home?

Something rubs me in the wrong way when it comes to him as a whole, not that I dislike him, pretty… much the opposite (thats why I'm making this post) actually, but I feel he is more relevant to the lore than what ppl give him credit for.

Even way before the past-year (2023) Halloween and Homewarming updates, I felt that he must simply be more than what is presented to us about him:

- He is the only character who sees all the rest of the neighbours every day due to his work

- He is one of the few if not the only one who is confirmed to be from outside of Home

- He brings one of the TWO functional clocks in all of Home (which could well be due to the nature of his work, but it doesn't take away from the fact that it's curious)

And I know, ik, this is not a lot. In fact, I believe this is not crucial info, but I want to mention it because it gives, in some way, a certain statement: Eddie Dear is not like everyone else. It differentiates him from the others.

There's simply something intriguing about him; and I constantly think about how, again, he's the resident who interacts most with his neighbors, the most helpful and willing to do anything, and despite that, he's the one who gets the most hits?

Hes always in a rush because he likes helping others, he's clumsy and yet he does his job in a stellar way and yet he goes the more underappreciated by his neighbors and its the first one to get to have his own personal breakdown during the Homewarming

Keep in mind, I don't mean that the other characters are bad or smth, we all know that inside they care for each other and are a pretty nice neighborhood-

But yea, starting with the most obvious, Howdy and Sally are downright condescending, bordering on rude to him. Howdy ignores him or pays half attention when he goes to deliver merchandise to the Bugdega and tries to start a conversation, and despite this, we can see that Howdy asks him for help to deliver things to someone else.

More specifically, during a hidden audio, we can hear that he uses Eddie to deliver an order of bowling balls to Julie DESPITE Howdy having a home delivery system and probably being able to better handle the weight of the merchandise, being at least two heads taller than Eddie, right when Eddie had just told him he had a very tiring day (of course he didn't hear that)

Sally, on her side, is condescending to him to the degree that when we hear them interacting, at least until now, it's mostly her giving him orders. Heck, Sally has a "long name" for every resident EXCEPT Eddie, whom she usually just calls "Mailman" for everything.

Julie and Frank tend to be more passive about it, but it doesn't take away from the fact that they also end up... taking advantage a bit? Or leaving him a bit aside. I know, I know, we all ship FranklyDear here, but it still bothers me how during "Eddie's big lift" (+ another hidden audio) we're shown how Julie tends to involve him in her games without much consideration as to whether Eddie even understands them to begin with, and Frank, despite acknowledging that he works hard and often overworks for everyone, leaves him lying on the ground. They don't even wait for him to get up to say goodbye properly, they just leave him there and go home. It's a bit sad to hear how Eddie talks to himself while getting up and dusting himself off.

And finally, one that I understand is a joke but serves as a transition to my next point: Barnaby and his constant gag of chasing Eddie around the neighborhood as soon as he sees him making his deliveries, or insisting that Eddie lifts him up because “he's just a puppy”. I won't delve into this (not now) because I know that overall that's Barnaby's way of joking; Eddie is not his only victim, but when you mix it with everything said above, it gives off some weird vibes.

It's as if Eddie was the typical "punching bag" character of the show's creators; you know, the one created so that the fun we get from him is at his expense, and sadly, somehow that fact makes sense to me as to why he's the first to have a "breakdown" during Homewarming and said breakdown has to do with, what else? his isolation and probable sadness.

During Sally's history and Poppy's confinement in her own house, there were two predominant themes: what happens when we're in the dark, what lurks in the shadows and whatnot, and isolation: Sally talks about this but Poppy experiences it first hand; shes alone and in the dark, house bricked to the top. However, Eddie gets overwhelmed despite being surrounded by everyone and, clearly, in a lit environment.

My opinion? Said loneliness and darkness don't necessarily need to be tangible, and in Eddie's case, they come from a mental place. My dear doesn't seem to have too much appreciation for himself, constantly letting people get the help they want (need, of course) from him at the cost of his own well-being. Eddie Dear is not happy, in fact, I feel he puts himself down a bit, which equates to darkness, and when he can distract himself from this fact again, Home reminds him; and his loneliness comes in a literal-but-not way. Eddie is never alone, that's evident, but again, in the Homewarming video we're not only emphasized that he's upset and confused because no one has asked him for help, but because he DOESN'T KNOW how to handle his own activities outside of work. Anything that doesn't have to do with the post office but is more personal overwhelms him because he's not used to thinking outside of how he should help others because that's his "only" way of interacting with them. Eddie needs to be needed in order to be closer to others, and when that's not the case, it frustrates him so much that it even seems like anger.

Heck, it's even sad how Sally mentions that nobody bothered him with the usual tasks they would require him for to give him a day off, and then downright nobody interacted with him. Not even Julie called him to play. When Sally finds him under Home's tree, she asks him to escort her to Home for the Homewarming and it's narrated that they're the last to arrive, but if Eddie hadn't left his house then... what? Would he have stayed there? (Lowkey I theorize that he wouldn't have, because of the fact that Sally and Frank seem to have more awareness than the others, I feel like she was actually waiting for him)

Personally, I consider that when it comes to a case like Eddie's, it's even worse, because you don't need to be actively in a closed and dark place, isolated (in what voluntary situation would someone have to be like that?) for your head to go completely to shit. Think about it, you make Home angry and he doesn't need the rest of the neighbors to build a wall around you. It does what you already do well: it locks you up with your thoughts and leaves you there.

So,,, uh, yeah, I don't know how to end this.

I just wanted to talk about my fav man.

somebody help him PLAEASSE

[mj-iza-writer]

Can you please write something with a caretaker who was in an abusive home as a child and has trauma from that, then maybe they have a nightmare about what happened to them as a child and then the whumpee comforts them?

Please?

If there is one thing I know about is childhood trauma. I am so sorry it's taken me so long to get to this request. I do hope you enjoy. -MJ

"Here you go", Caretaker handed Whumpee a mug of hot cocoa.

"Thankyou", Whumpee smiled.

Caretaker winked back, then they turned to hand their mother a cup.

"Took you long enough. I also see where I stand", their mother glared at Whumpee, "serving that one first."

"They're my patient", Caretaker only whispered.

Whumpee noticed how Caretaker seemed to cowar away from their mother. Whumpee had done it millions or times in their past. It was a slight movement, but Caretaker definitely had cowarded away.

Caretaker came in and sat down with another cup for themself.

"Lazy", their mother mumbled.

Caretaker looked down at their cup with disappointment.

"I uhm, had them up for a little while last night because of the storm", Whumpee glanced at Caretaker for a moment before looking at the mom, "storms bring back bad memories."

"My child brings back bad memories of my husband. Just as lazy, not considerate at all. I thought I raised them better", the mom stared at Whumpee.

"Funny you remind me of someone too", Whumpee spoke without thinking first.

Caretaker looked up at them quickly and shook their head no.

"Oh... I want to hear this", the mother spoke with venom in their voice, "who might that be?"

"Whumper, the person I was rescued from. They were about as rude as you", Whumpee couldn't stop themself.

"Well, I never", the mom gasped dramatically.

"Maybe you should hear it sometime. The world doesn't revolve around you. Caretaker has helped me so much. They have taken care of me, but even now, I know the world does not revolve around me. I'm not entitled to their time and energy. I would be lucky to just be in their presence. I'm sorry if you don't know Caretaker like that. You are missing out on knowing a great person."

The mother stood and eerily walked toward Whumpee. They dared to even lift their hand at Whumpee to threaten to slap them.

"Mom, they are legally protected by the state. You could go to jail if you hit them", Caretaker stood quickly and blocked their mom's path, "I, uhm, you should leave."

"I can see where I stand. I will never be back. I will never talk to you again until I receive an apology for how I was treated today", the mom leaned to the side and glared at Whumpee, "I wish Whumper would have...."

"MOM, get the fuck out of my house", Caretaker raised their voice, "you are not welcome here anymore. You may not threaten my patients. My patient did in fact almost die because of their abuser. You would never know anything about hard work. Dad died because he was working hard to support you. Get out.... now."

Caretaker came back after making sure the door was locked, and updating the police on the situation so they could watch the house.

Caretaker leaned on the doorway and looked at Whumpee for a moment.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know.... I didn't mean to...", Whumpee made a terrified face, "I-I didn't mean to upset her. I just wasn't thinking and it all came out."

Caretaker's face turned to a big grin, "years... it's taken me years to stand up to that woman. The moment she started to threaten you, I lost it. You said what I've wanted to say for so long. At first, I was scared, but it felt... it felt good."

Whumpee looked at Caretaker with confusion, "I-I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to say sorry about my dear. You did good, and helped me", Caretaker smiled, "you helped me so much."

"Oh, ar-are you sure?", Whumpee fidgetted with their fingers, "Whumper would have killed me."

"I'm sure, do you uh? Do you want anything... more hot chocolate, a snack? Anything?", Caretaker started for the kitchen.

"No no, I'm okay", Whumpee watched them weirdly.

That night, Whumpee could hear Caretaker in the other room moving violently in their sleep.

Whumpee cautiously opened Caretaker's door and inched into their room.

Caretaker was loudly moaning while they tossed and turned.

Whumpee stood next to their bed and could see tears glistening on Caretaker's cheek. Caretaker was talking in their sleep even. Though inaudible, Whumpee could figure out what was going on.

"Caretaker", Whumpee whispered as they gently shook Caretaker's shoulder.

Caretaker startled awake and looked around. "Hmm, hmm, oh uh... Whumpee", Caretaker breathed heavily, "do yo...do you need something?"

"You were having a nightmare", Whumpee frowned.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry, did I wake you?", Caretaker sighed sadly.

"I wasn't asleep yet", Whumpee played with their fingers nervously, "it was about her... wasn't it?"

Caretaker looked over their disheveled sheets.

"Yes, it was. I occasionally have them", Caretaker sighed again, "I'm sorry for scaring you. Come on, let's get you back to bed", Caretaker started to get up.

"Caretaker?"

"Yes Whumpee", Caretaker stopped and looked at them with concern.

"You know it isn't good to hold that in", Whumpee almost pleaded, "you need to talk to someone. You can talk to me... like how you listen to me talk about my past, and it makes me feel better."

"Whumpee, I can't seek therapy from my patient. That would be bad for everyone", Caretaker smiled weakly, "thankyou for offering though."

"Caretaker?"

"Yes Whumpee", Caretaker looked up again. This time, exhaustion was clearly on their face.

"If I was having nightmares like this.... What would you do to help me?", Whumpee whispered.

"I uh", Caretaker could see where Whumpee was going, "I suppose I would stay with you until I knew that you were sleeping comfortably, and maybe longer than that. I would probably schedule an appointment with your psychologist so they can help you. I would try to help you to the best of my abilities."

Whumpee nodded, "why won't you do that for yourself then?"

Caretaker stared at their sheets in defeat.

"Alright, I'll schedule an appointment for myself. You are wise beyond your years... you know that?", Caretaker chuckled.

Whumpee grinned sheepishly, "Whumper hated that about me. Why do you think I got beat up so often?"

"Come on, you need to get some sleep", Caretaker started to get up again.

"But I want to watch over you", Whumpee pouted.

"Yeah, no. You are still my patient. I'm not letting you stay up to do that", Caretaker stood.

"Please", Whumpee pleaded.

"No", Caretaker stated a little firmer this time.

Whumpee looked down sadly.

"How about this", Caretaker looked over their bed, "it's a pretty big bed. Do you want to bring a blanket in here and sleep in the bed? I'll put this body pillow between us. Sound fair?"

Whumpee quickly nodded with a smile.

"Alright go get your blanket", Caretaker smiled.

Whumpee came back dragging a huge comforter from their bed.

Caretaker laughed as they saw how big Whumpee was smiling.

"I don't know if I've ever seen such a big smile on someone's face", Caretaker commented as they stood to help Whumpee into the bed.

"I've never gotten away with speaking my mind before. I'd usually be bruised and battered", Whumpee snickered.

Caretaker covered Whumpee with the comforter.

"Sometimes people need to hear it", Caretaker started for their side of the bed, "I know I did, and my mother."

Caretaker leaned over the body pillow to see if Whumpee was out.

It had been a few hours since they both got comfortable into the bed.

Caretaker relaxed when they could hear gentle snores coming from Whumpee.

"My sweet patient", Caretaker cooed happily as they thought about how lucky they were to have Whumpee to take care of.

Caretaker laid back down and looked up at the ceiling. A happy smile across their face... their first genuine smile they had made in a long time.

Moments later, small snores came from Caretaker as well.

Caretaker's heart was at peace... thanks to Whumpee.

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

@villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@3-2-whump @risk606

@electrons2006 @paperprinxe

@whumprince @kaz-of-crows

@mis-graves @decaffeinatedtimetraveler94

@sausages-things @ragin-cajun-fangirl

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie @glennemerald

@jasperthecapser @does-directions

@deafeninglittlecrown

[kzuhasgf]

embraces

pairing — kim chaewon x 6th member!reader

chaewon's been gone for the variety show she's been in. days turn into weeks, and oh, how you miss her so much. (she does, too.)

tags — gn!reader (ethnicity friendly), idol!au, genre — fluff, romance word count — 888

notes — reader is ’01 and is taller than chaewon, yunjin is chaeyn's hype woman, our pupu misses you so much she could cry

it's been three weeks since you and LE SSERAFIM have gotten your break, and it has also been three weeks since your leader and your girlfriend, chaewon, left to attend a variety show she was invited to.

she often updated you on what was happening since she liked talking to you about her day, whether in person or not. you still remember when she texted you how happy she was to see yena, her former bandmate, and miyeon, a friend from (G)I-DLE.

you loved hearing about her enjoying her time there, and you even watched the show when it premiered, showing support for your girlfriend, but you were starting to miss her.

terribly.

and watching her through the screen didn't feel the same.

hearing a "ding!" come from your phone, you smiled when it was a notification from chae and not any other person. reading her message, you visibly became excited and started typing a reply.

now it was just time to wait.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

it's not unusual for the members of LE SSERAFIM to see their leader clinging onto you, teasing her about never leaving your side. she always acted annoyed by it, but both of you knew it was true. she mostly only stuck to you.

you would never, ever hate it. in fact, you loved it because you loved showering your girlfriend in affection, feeding more into her clinginess.

she was the cutest when she was whiny and cuddly, anyway.

yunjin often gagged and faked puking to irk chaewon and trigger her not-so-subtle anger issues, but you knew she was actually the one who cheered on you both the most.

so imagine their shock when their beloved leader comes home, and her lover is waiting for her by the door, acting like an eager puppy.

if chaewon was known as the angry pupu, you might as well be the calm pupu, complementing each other. when she was angry at something, you would calm her down, and when you let bad things slide, she would gladly do the opposite.

but this? this was not like you at all.

overly excited and clingy.

"honey? you're finally home!" you immediately hugged her, almost making her stumble back to her luggage.

"woah! y/nnie, you surprised me."

"let me help with your stuff, honey."

you eagerly carried her things to the living room, setting them down before facing her and giving her another big hug. you wrapped your arms around her shoulders while she put her arms at your lower back.

"looks like someone's missed me."

"you... took way too long." you pouted and mumbled to her ear, her stroking your back and whispering sweet nothings and reassurances, her telling you how much she missed you too.

the other members stared in shock. especially yunjin, who had her jaw dropped cause she never thought she would see you being clingier than chaewon.

"they so act like a married couple," sakura said grumpily, crossing her arms while kazuha nodded in agreement. eunchae smiled and clapped her hands, happy with the idea of you two being her unofficial parents.

"do you want to go to our room, baby?" chaewon asked you quietly.

"yes, honey, please."

without sparing the others a glance, never turning back, she brought you to her room, also yours. you both were so close, being in a relationship for how many years now, that your room was hers, and her room was yours.

you both love each other very much.

the girls were left stunned. yunjin wasn't the only one whose jaw had dropped now.

"not even a hello for us?"

once you were both in her room, you stared into her eyes for a while, understanding her unsaid words and her eyes telling you everything.

her eyes became glossy, and she held your hands and brought you closer. you looked down at her with gentle eyes, waiting for her next move.

"I missed you. I missed you, so much."

she would never openly admit it to the girls, but she was always so soft for you.

you smiled at her welcomely and gave a peck on her forehead. she closed her eyes, and next, you kissed the bridge of her nose. she scrunched her nose in response, and she couldn't help but giggle.

and then lastly, with her lips, you softly pecked it, seeing her give a look of admiration, then settling to give a longing kiss.

she put her palms around your neck, and you put yours around her waist.

"I missed you too, chae."

"I was only gone for three weeks, y/n. but wow, did it really go by that fast?"

"to you, it was fast. to me, it felt like forever," you said quietly, looking away, and she laughed, jokingly saying you were acting dramatic. which she loved, so much. anything to have your hands on her.

"don't worry, baby, I'm here now."

three weeks. three weeks since you've touched, kissed, and held your lover like this. three weeks since her constant handholding, arm-linking, whining for cuddles, and laying her head on your shoulder.

oh, how much you missed this.

how much you've missed her.

"and let's not forget you're way clingier than usual. missed me that much, huh?" she said with a smug grin, hands now holding your face.

and maybe, you missed her teasings, too.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

ending notes — this was short but sweet. (I worked on this in less than 2 hours)

[cinnajun]

ᵕ̈ ೫˚∗: nct dream and long distance relationships

a/n: a fun 1 year anniversary of cinnajun special :-) also a celebration of broken melodies

wc | 2.6k

from worst to best at handling it

jaemin

i thought about this for a while, and i don't think jaemin would want to be in a long distance relationship at all

he strikes me as someone who really cherishes time spent with his partner, so having to be far away from them would be really hard

he’s also super aware of what he needs in a relationship and he knows that. so, if jaemin is the one going away, he’s going to break up with you

but if it’s you going away, he won’t force it unless he thinks it’s required/needed

if you end up in an ldr with him it means you’re probably not going to be gone for long, maybe a month or so, or you’re some kind of pillar in his life that he can’t afford to lose

being in a ldr with jaemin means he REALLY loves you, so congrats!!! but it’s also probably going to be agonizing

you probably spend most of your free time on the phone with him, and he’s forced you to fill out your weekly schedule on a google calendar so that he can see what you’re doing in his time zone

if you don’t put in the same energy he’s putting in, he will probably break up with you, and he makes that very clear with you before you leave

this is probably the hardest time of jaemin’s life because missing you all the time is something he really hates, and it’s hard for him to sort out those feelings knowing you’re likely off doing something super meaningful

the only thing that holds him together is the fact that he knows you miss him just as much (at least you say it every single time you talk to him)

he’s also probably going to visit you at least once, no matter where you are, if you’re gone for more than a couple of months

and he’s going to regret it right after because of how hard it’ll be to leave again

he just wants you back where he can shower you with love and make sure you’re happy and safe

it’ll be the trickiest part of your relationship with him, but if you can make it through mostly unscathed, it will strengthen your relationship more than you could ever imagine

chenle

similar to jaemin, chenle also wouldn’t want to be in a long distance relationship if given the option not to be

the only reason i’m putting him above jaemin is because he moved away from his family and his home, so he knows how to healthily communicate with the people he loves and continue relationships with them even if they aren’t constantly around him

but i think chenle values coexistence with his partner and would vastly prefer sitting in the same room as you silently rather than sitting on facetime with you silently

it’s really hard for him when you leave and he finds it hard to talk to you when he knows you’re so far away

but if you’re willing to try, so is he

chenle doesn’t need to be on the phone with you every time you’re both free and he doesn’t need to constantly know your schedule but he’d appreciate it i think

i also think chenle would trust his partner pretty unconditionally so he just wants you to update him frequently, even if you’re not doing anything too interesting

just hearing about your day, what shop you discovered or what cafe you went to, is enough for him to get through without feeling too depressed or sad

and hearing you say that you love him at every moment you possibly can

he’s too much of a loser to admit how much he misses you, but you can tell pretty easily lol

you’ll be on the phone and you won’t have spoken in a while and he’ll suddenly go “daegal really misses you” and you’re like “but you don’t?? okay i see how it is”

but chenle doesn’t want to admit he misses you because that means he’s letting the distance between you two get to him :(

chenle knows what it’s like to pursue your dreams away from home and he wants to support you as unconditionally as possible

so don’t worry about him, because he’s fine and he’s comfortable

but he’s going to worry about you 24/7

double standards 🙄

mark

if mark wasn’t who he was he’d be much more okay with it

but he’s a busy guy and it was already hard enough seeing you with his neverending mess of schedules and practices

and of course, for whatever reason you’re going away, he wants to support you really unconditionally so that you don’t feel like staying behind for him you know

but when you tell him you’re going away, he seriously considers breaking it off then and there

it’s less of an “i need to be near you” and more of an “i feel like i’m not going to give you the energy you’re giving me”

but after talking with his members he decides that he’ll give it a shot

tbh being in an ldr with mark might be harder for you than it is for mark you know

he texts you often but can’t call all the time, and your texts often aren’t replied to for hours (as for his too)

so mark comes up with the idea of sending each other care packages back and forth

surprisingly, this works really well

you still text and call as much as you can, but it receiving his poorly put together packages helps out with the yearning more than you can imagine

he’ll send flash drives with recordings of his studio sessions, polaroids of him and the boys, goodies he finds when he’s out and about, really anything you could think of

sometimes he even sends you receipts from when he eats out or gets groceries lol

all of them come with pages upon pages of “diary entries” where mark spells out his days for you, and he sends you his monthly schedule printed out and written in your time zone so you know when he’ll be out of commission and when you’ll be able to talk more (which is rare)

you do your best to match his energy and even buy a polaroid camera so he can see what you see, too

without these packages, you and mark probably would’ve broken up

but he would’ve done anything to keep you in his life, even if you were in space

mark lee i love u

haechan

haechan is pretty much in the same boat as mark except he’s way better at pestering you

i think he’s more online than mark is generally, so when you shared that you were going away for a while, i don’t think he was too panicked about it

the reason he’s not higher is because i think he’d worry about you a lot

like to the point where it started to impact his day to day life

he just doesn’t like being so far away from you because how is he going to save you if something happens??

he’d never consider breaking up with you unless he felt like you were moving away from him, but you’d have to understand that the distance between you is really impacting him

so you’d make little rules for each other so that you’d feel more comfortable with being so far from one another

like you have to call him when you’re taking an uber, and he has to call you every time he’s in a hotel

i also think you’d send each other letters a lot

they wouldn’t be full on care packages like with mark, but they’re just cute little tidbits of your lives on separate sides of the world

haechan would spray perfume on his letters (what a loser)

he’d also put on obnoxious red lipstick so he could kiss the paper (seriously a loser)

on a special day, like a birthday or holiday, you both get a small cake and celebrate together at a time that works for both of you (usually it’s close to midnight for the birthday person)

and you call a lot like it’s really obnoxious

and he texts you every waking moment of the day with even the most minuscule bits of information

“i just saw a gnat on the wall” like ok?? congrats i guess

and the best part is that the dynamic of your relationship barely changes, so you know you’ll come home and absolutely nothing will be different

so, for now, you’ll let him sing you to sleep over the phone and you’ll let him send you cheesy letters that make you cringe <3

renjun

renjun is kind of the opposite of chenle in a way

he obviously values the time you spend together, but he also knows that he did the same thing so he’s not allowed to be picky lol

renjun is the first of the boys who doesn’t consider breaking up even once, i think

i mean with the number of people who would drop dead for him, he’d like to believe that you, among everyone else, would be the worst off without him you know

and he’d be the worst off without you of course

long distance with renjun is actually kind of fun for the both of you

especially if you’ve been in a relationship for a really long time, i think you’d both find it exciting that you get to explore a world renjun hasn’t gotten to experience yet

so he kinda vicariously lives through you LOL

you often find yourselves facetiming when you’re walking throughout whatever city you ended up in, and you’ll show him fun things you find or tell him about the cafes you like as you walk past

renjun will also probably try to visit you as often as possible

whether or not it’s during breaks or making the group take a detour when they’re touring, renjun WILL be seeing you!!!

and he’s also the only boy who won’t get all sad and loserish when he has to leave again

he’s worried of course but like not in the way haechan is

if something is wrong he WILL be able to tell and so far you haven’t given the impression

nor have you ended up in the hospital

so as long as you’re functioning, he’s happy!

the reason he’s not the best at handling it though is because i think renjun would be an awful texter

he tries to get better at it when you leave and even pins your conversations but he lives on do not disturb and often forgets to reply

renjun is absolutely the type of guy to have like 200 unread messages

but he tries his hardest to change the habit for you!!

he even turned on read receipts for you so you could bully him when he ghosts you accidentally </3 he doesn’t have them on for anyone </3

so, to sum it up, being far from renjun isn’t terrible and can actually be fun for the both of you at times, but you still miss him a lot and can’t wait to go home

jeno

chronically online dreamie no. 1

at first jeno is really not on board i think, but he realizes that you’re both good at communicating when he’s off on tour and stuff so he gets over it quick

essentially nothing changes when you leave

the biggest thing though is that he misses you and uses that to his advantage, i think

while the other boys will stew in their sadness about your leaving jeno takes it as an opportunity to get like 30% worse LOL

as a result, most of the things he does that might be strange is just him saying that he misses you

jeno is like haechan in that he is annoying you at every waking moment of the day

in fact i think he’d be worse than haechan … like he is constantly blowing up your phone

if what you’re doing is for work, he’s definitely interrupted meetings before by calling you even though you told him not to

and then you call him back and scold him (while you hide in the bathroom during your lunch break)

if you’re in a country that has a similar time zone, you’re definitely the sleep-on-the-phone type of ldr couple

if not, you’re the on-the-phone-for-as-long-as-physically-possible couple

like once you took a day off on his day off and literally spent 25 hours on facetime … it was that bad

jeno literally slept for 10 of those 25 hours and you barely spoke to one another, too

i can also see you picking up gaming so you can spend more quasi-time with one another

your shared stardew valley world is really cute and pretty </3 except for the fact that he married one of the npcs instead of you with the excuse that “he’s not ready for real marriage”

jeno will also buy your essentials for you ?? it’s weird

you mention that you’re getting low on shampoo and a couple of days later an amazon box is sitting outside your door with a huge thing of your shampoo in it

he’ll also just send random items without telling you

like he sent a bottle of seasoned salt once with a gift note that read “this is good on avocado toast” and you were like ?? sure i guess

conclusion: long distance with jeno is a little strange but fairly easy

jisung

chronically online dreamie no. 2

the reason jisung is the best at handling rather than jeno is because he’s younger and therefore way more attached to you than say jaemin is

like if he were to break up with you he’s convinced the world will end and the rapture will happen

jisung is a little manic about it when you first leave and you can tell

he texts you “i love you” at 6 specific times throughout the day (times he knows you’ll be awake) and also sends like notes app recaps of literally every single thing he did that day

and you do it too because if you don’t it'll make him sad

but after a while, he calms down and things are actually really nice between you two

no matter your time zone, one of jisung’s favorite activities is to call you at a meal time so you can cook together

(cook together = jisung cuts a carrot for jaemin while you actually make a meal, or he is taking an astronomically long time to put his instant ramen together)

just in general, he’s good at long distance communication

he’s good at texting in the way that he never bombards you and never distracts you during the times you need to be focused on whatever you’re doing

he set a time with you every day to call, and, if he can’t he lets you know well in advance so you don’t feel disappointed later on

you have phone dates, you watch movies together on those like joint streaming apps (netflix party or something??), and you call each other while you do little tasks together

like you’ll mop your respective floors together or you’ll do your respective dishes with your phones propped up to show you doing it

he also doesn’t need to know what you’re doing at all times (and the same for you) because he knows you’re probably just doing what you usually did back home

it’s almost like he was built for an ldr idk

but he does what jeno does and just mails you random shit that you don’t have any use for </3 like jisung who needs a heart shaped sponge!!!

but it’s okay because he’s cute …

overall, when you get back, nothing will be different, which is the ultimate goal!! congrats on your successful ldr!!

thank you for reading!

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Wasting time

When we pull into Venus port, I don’t head to the hauler bar, and the rest of the crew don’t ask me to. Where they turn left, I turn right, and head off among the locals. The buse I take is new; they have different restraints now. The driver, too, probably. But the route is the same as it was when I left Venus for the first time, seven years ago.

I see her before she sees me. Natalie is almost thirteen now, and oh wow, she’s getting tall. She leans on the school fence, talking to a friend; both girls wear their school uniform belts at an odd angle, but it’s the same off angle, so it must be the latest teen fashion or something. There is laughter in her eyes and the ugliest paint I’ve ever seen on her nails and crystals threaded in her hair and I’m almost surprised that I can even recognise her on sight. It has, after all, been a full year since I’ve seen her.

Then she catches sight of me, and her eyes light up with joy, and without even pausing to say goodbye to her friend she runs over and throws her arms around my neck (not a strain at all, she’s getting so tall). “Mum!” she shrieks in delight, and pulls back a bit, smiling. “You look the same.”

I nod. It’s not surprising. It has, after all, only been a month since she’s seen me.

“Let’s get to the restaurant. We’ll meet your dad there.”

“Are you going to stay for my birthday?”

She always asks, and the answer is always the same. “Of course I’ll be here for your birthday.”

The restaurant is the same one that we always go to – my favourite, mostly because it never seems to update the décor – and unlike Natalie, I almost don’t recognise Samuel. There are new lines in his face, new grey in his hair, and he’s stopped bothering to wear clothes I’d remember; only his position at our usual table, and the way Natalie rushes right over to him, tips me off that this man is my husband. I sit down, and I smile at him, and he smiles back and there’s so much love there, but also tiredness. So much tiredness.

“The usual?” he asks.

“You know what I like.”

We order, and Natalie orders something with Neptunian prunes in it. I frown. “You hate Neptunian prunes.”

She rolls her eyes. “I love them, Mum.”

“I could have sworn…”

“I think what your mother means,” Samuel cut in, “is that you used to hate them when you were younger.”

“Well, yeah; when I was a kid,” Natalie says, and pops a prune into her mouth.

Throughout dinner, Natalie tells me about the latest fashions and the latest music and the latest drama with her friends, and I drink it all in as best I can. I’m in port for a week, and then I’m off, and by the time I get back next month this will all be a year out of date, but I try to keep up. It’s all I’ll have. Hair diamonds are in but hair rubies are out, if all you’ve got is rubies then you’re best to go ‘barehead’ without any jewels, and Venus Fog is the latest upcoming band and Natalie thinks she’ll get into acting and also I should tell dad how great it would be to get pet rats. Eventually she excuses herself to go to the bathroom, leaving Samuel and I over the scraps of our meals. I push some vegetables around my plate, not meeting his eyes, while he watches me.

“You look the same,” he says.

“You always say that.”

“It’s always true.”

“Next time I’ll get a tattoo or something.”

He tenses up at the phrase ‘next time’. I fall silent again.

After several long, awkward seconds, I ask, “How’s Valerie?”

“Fine,” he says. “Valerie’s doing fine.”

I bite my lip, not caring if I look jealous. I’m not; really, I’m not. It would be ridiculous for me to expect Sam to wait an entire year to see me, over and over, and not have someone else. He would never have even pursued Valerie if I hadn’t suggested it. It was a necessity of the situation.

And honestly, it’s not even just the long waits. Sam and I had been school sweethearts and gotten married when we were both nineteen. Now I’m twenty seven, and he’s… thirty five, I think? No amount of love in the world will change the fact that I am simply getting too young for him. And that’s the real problem with Valerie, I guess. She’s always been younger than him – two years younger. And me? Well.

“You’re staying for Natalie’s birthday, right?” he asks.

“Of course I’m here for Natalie’s birthday. I’m always here for Natalie’s birthday.”

“And not much else,” he mumbles under his breath, and I drop my fork and glare at him.

“What would you have me do, Sam? We have bills!”

“Everyone has bills. Everyone manages.”

“If we want to get Natalie into a tier one quarternary school – ”

“We both managed fine in a normal quarternary school.”

“ – then we need an income; a good income. Being an interstellar hauler makes me ten times the money I could make anywhere on Venus and you know it.”

“Ten times the money, for twelve times the time. You realise that, right? It comes out less on our end.”

“Do you need more? I can borrow from – ”

“No! This isn’t about needing more money; I work, Valerie works, it’s fine. It’s about your excuse for this job being oxshit! On our timeframe, you pull in less money this way, and you know it. You’re out there on the edge of lightspeed, for a year at a time, letting it do this to you, for – ”

“Do what to me? It isn’t doing anything to me; I’m fine. Just because I’m living slower than you doesn’t mean – ”

“It’s stealing time from you; time with your family! Do you see yourself? Hear yourself? To you, it’s a month-on, week-off job, but every time you go out to haul near lightspeed, it’s a year before we see you again.”

“I understand that. I – ”

“I don’t think you do! I don’t understand how you can – your daughter is turning thirteen! Half a year ago, she was six to you, right? In half a year for you, I raised a child into a budding teen. Six months more of this, and your daughter will be an adult. You realise that, right? In less than a year and a half, your time, your daughter will be older than you. And she’ll barely know you! She barely knows you now! This isn’t time you’ll get back, you know. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

“I know,” I say. “I know, I just… one more haul, maybe two. Then we’ll have enough for Natalie’s education, and I can come back and with that nest egg I’ll have time to actually spend with her, an so will you, since neither of us will have to work long hours any more. Just a couple more months, and we can – ”

Samuel reaches out and wraps his large, soft, gentle hands around mine. “Love. If you get back on that hauler ship, then when you get back, there will be divorce papers waiting for you.”

Natalie comes back then, so I’m forced to bite back my reply, and I think I manage to hide my rage through dinner. Afterwards, I decide to walk back to my dorms in port rather than take the bus; maybe I can walk off some of the anger.

He doesn’t understand, he really doesn’t understand, how good the money is for so little time. He’d really rather I stay on Venus and work for over a decade to make what I could in a single year on the ship. And he’s right, to an extent, about missing time with Natalie, but wouldn’t I me missing almost as much time working long hours here? This way, I have a full week off to see her every month. And once I’ve made enough, I’ll have as much time as I want with her.

Divorce. Ha. I should’ve known he’d fall more in love with Valerie in my absence. This is just an excuse.

I get to the dorms, and keep walking. Walk all the way to the hauler bar. It’s full of lightspeed haulers and basically no one else but waitstaff; we haulers tend to keep to our own kind, on the whole. My crew are there, of course, as are a few other crews, all mixed up and chatting with each other, because when you’ve spent a month cooped up with the same people you don’t want to hang out with just them on your downtime, too. We all share friendly, familiar nods and looks, friends and strangers alike. Lightspeed haulers intrinsically understand each other. There are experiences we all share that people like Samuel just don’t get.

My captain presses a drink into my hands. “So your little girl’s party is in three days, and then you’re free, right?” he asks without preamble.

“Not so little any more. But yeah.”

“You don’t mind if we head out a day early, then?”

I look out the window, up through the environmental dome and toward the stars that are completely hidden by Venus’ thick atmosphere. Already, I can feel the thrum of the ship’s engines in my bones.

“I can be ready a day early,” I say. “I don’t mind at all.”

[sweetenerobert]

JOEL MILLER FROM THE DRUNKEN SERIES NSFW ALPHABET (SLIGHTLY UPDATED)

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Joel would never admit it, but making sure you are okay after pounding you is the one thing he cares about.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He loves your tummy and legs, trailing his lips all over your legs would make his sex drive skyrocket.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Joel would give you creampies if your life depended on it, he loves filling you up with his cum, but on occasion he loves it when you swallow his cum after he fucks your throat

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

The fact that he’s sleeping with you when his wife can't provide is a big secret. But Joel loves hearing you moan. Hearing that his cock is giving you this immense pleasure, he could cum thinking about it.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He’s been married for the past fifteen years, and he’s made his wife orgasm every time they’ve had sex. He knows what he’s doing,

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Face off: He loves it when your intimate with each other, he loves seeing the pleasure escape your lips as his cock keeps pumping inside you. He’ll also want to fuck you sensually so that you know that your his.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Joel tends to be serious when he fucking you, but on occasion he can be snarky and throw in a joke or two

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Joel’s go hair on his chest, his legs, and his pubes and even some on his butt

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He loves kissing you, holding your face whisper sweet nothings to you, and just hold you for a few seconds.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Their’s times when he’s thinking about bending you over and fucking the life out of you and you begging for more, and he can't help it when his cock is begging to be taken care of.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He loves choking, loves degrading, and praising

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

His bedroom or yours, bathroom, couch.

But Joel’s personal favorite, the back of either of your cars or even on the hood on them.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

The fact that whenever someone tries to date you, he can fuck you to remind you that your his.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Joel is definitely the type of person who’ll try anything unless your comfortable with it. Hell he’ll fuck you on your porch so everyone could hear your moans, if you asked.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Joel would eat you out like if it were his last meal on earth. He usually the type to receive getting his cock sucked but he’ll treat you right and eat that hole out.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Fast, Rough, Slow and Sensual, unless you tell him to slow down then he’ll comply.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

If the situation calls for it, he will bend you over somewhere private and secluded.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

In the back of his mind, the idea of Tommy or Adaline catching you two in the act, makes him go crazy but draws the line at your daughters.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

That's for sweetenerobert to know and for Joel’s city boy, to figure out.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Joel doesn’t have toys, his right hand has treated him right for a long time.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He loves to grip your thighs, hard. So hard he could leave bruising.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Alone= Grunting, Moaning mess.

With people around= Breather

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

The fact that you take control at times, makes his dick twitch.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Joel’s rocking an 8.5-inch cock in those plaid boxers. Your ass remembers ever clap, every slap his balls made connecting to your ass.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Medium, he can control it, the best he can.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

If he was drunk, and if you were next to him, he would fall asleep, but sober Joel would make sure that your 1000% okay.

dividers by @firefly-graphics

[frodothefair]

Marigold is back! Sort of.

Image by buffyscmmers.

Ok, so I could not bear to leave Marigold Gamgee behind, even though I'm working on something completely different with The Golden Hall.

As a result, the character of Hafrith, Lothíriel's lady in waiting, has been growing. She is quite similar to Marigold in that she is a sweet and shy, an incredibly competent and loving human being, and has a tragic past (tm). Her faceclaim is also the same, Holliday Grainger. She will likely be the third most important character in the fic, after Éomer and Lothíriel, since her dynamic with Lothíriel will develop the latter's character, and shape Éomer's attitude toward his new wife.

Alright, so who is Hafrith? (Everything that follows is subject to change, of course)

--she has been at the court since she was sixteen, and is now in her mid-20's. She comes from a prominent family in the Eastfold, and is more than just a lady in waiting. In Éowyn's absence, and while Lothíriel finds her feet, she essentially runs the royal household, and knows everything there is to know about Meduseld. In fact, I might just make her Elfhelm's daughter -- I haven't decided yet.

--In the first chapter of TGH, she is described by Lothíriel as looking more fit to herd cows than serve at a royal court, but that was just Lothíriel being a bitch and an unreliable narrator (tm). In fact, Hafrith is beautiful in a rustic way -- she has ample, appetizing curves, a round, sweet face, and a mass of golden curls.

--she is quite maternal toward Ainsie, Éomer's slightly cracked and tragic ward, and in fact is the only person who does not despise or pity the girl. In return, Ainslie becomes devoted to her, heart and soul, and follows her like a shadow.

--like many daughters of prominent families, Hafrith was originally sent to court to find a husband. In fact, early on there was talk of her marrying Éomer, when he was still the king's nephew and far removed from inheriting the throne, but the match did not go forward because Hafrith fell in love with someone else, and because Éomer was too engrossed in saving Rohan from enemies both within and without to think of marriage. However, Hafrith did not get to marry the man she loved either, and a few other tragic things (tm) happened, leading her to foreswear men and marriage forever. At the time of The Golden Hall, Éomer esteems Hafrith greatly, and trusts her with many important tasks. In fact, there is some indication that had the timing been better, and if she had been more willing, they might have been a match, and when Lothíriel learns of this, she laments that Hafrith might have been the better queen -- for she knows Rohan, she knows the court, and she is far more mature and competent, despite her traumas. Éomer, of course, takes this opportunity to reassure Lothíriel that he wants no other queen, and it took King Théoden several years to get used to his new role.

--Lothíriel learns of Hafrith's tragic past (tm), and is incensed, leaping into action to try and set things right -- even if it's years later. Éomer is impressed by Lothíriel's compassion and initiative, which he sees as evidence that she is well enough to look outside herself and make a difference in the world.

--When Lothíriel is angry at her family in Dol Amroth and refuses to answer their letters, Hafrith -- who considers family sacrosanct -- begins to send regular updates to Amrothos, the brother who is closest with Lothíriel and sends the most persistent correspondence asking for news. In time, they start to correspond about more than just Lothíriel. Eventually, Amrothos comes to visit his "petulant sister," as well as discuss trade routes, and he and Hafrith meet in person. Whether this goes anywhere romantic is yet to be decided. Goodness knows, however, after everything she's been through, Hafrith deserves a little happiness of her own, and guess who Amrothos likely resembles, with his dark curly hair, large sea-colored eyes, and a tall, slender physique? (I'll give you a hint -- he tossed the One Ring into a certain fiery chasm).

@konartiste @dilettantefeminist @celeluwhenfics @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras @emmanuellececchi

[untaemedqueen]

At Your Service

Escort!Jeongguk x CEO!Reader

Genre: Strangers to Lovers!AU, Angst, Fluff, Smut

Chapter 13.

Series Warnings (Will Be Updated): Angst, Fluff, Cold Heartedness, Emotional Trauma, Healing, Smut, Dark Humor

When you finally do show up to work again, Kim Namjoon does not look pleased.

You have been avoiding him and you were doing great at it until you had to have a meeting this morning.

Your dress is brand new, probably with the tag still sticking out above the back of the neck. You haven't been home in almost a week, you just keep buying new clothes. Guk doesn't want you to leave and to be honest, you don't want to leave either.

You're so comfortable with him that it feels like you've been with one another for years already.

Once your maid started feeding Piranha everyday, you were free to stay over his apartment for as many days as you'd like and even now as you sit back down at your desk you can't wait to be able to leave.

Namjoon enters your office without a word and sets down the details for today's meeting in front of you.

"Thanks," you mumble, turning on your computer.

He knows you're avoiding eye contact and with his personality being as outgoing as it is, he angles his body until you have no choice but to look at him.

Your eyes are soft when you look over at him and he folds his arms, raising his eyebrows. "I don't really appreciate the fact that you haven't been here because you've been avoiding me."

"Joo-"

"You didn't even give me a chance to apologize for walking in on you like that on that day. So," he sighs, sitting down in the chair before you, "I'm sorry, Y/N. I shouldn't have been so brazen and went into your room and I shouldn't have stormed out like that. I was just so shocked… I never tho--... I'm sorry, I apologize for putting you in an awkward position."

You didn't expect him to apologize. Well, you aren't sure what you expected, really, but it wasn't this. You at least thought he would give you some sort of attitude.

"Oh… Well, thanks," you mumble awkwardly, running your hand over the back of your neck.

"So, is he treating you well?" Joon inquires, crossing his legs and leaning back in the seat.

"He's really great and he's been treating me really well," you reply, looking over the documents.

To be honest, another reason you didn't want to leave the comfort of Guk's apartment is because you've had a lower fever the past day or two, not to mention the dizzy spells and extreme tiredness that you suspect is from all these late nights Guk has been putting you through with his wondrous fucking.

"Well… good," Joon breathes, fixing his cufflinks.

You're not as tight lipped and sharp now that he looks at you in the morning sunlight. You seem softer this morning somehow, seemingly at ease with the world that has so often given you problems. Although, you do have dark circles beneath your eyes that you haphazardly tried to cover with your concealer.

"Sir?! You don't have an appointment, you can't go in t-"

"I always have an appointment!"

Both of your heads tilt quickly to your office door as it bursts open and you simply blink at the man in the doorway.

"Hey, gorgeous," Jimin yawns, entering your office with two coffee's in hand.

Jimin Park is probably the only person in this entire universe that could change someone's opinion of them so rapidly.

Just last week, Jimin was cautious of you. He gave you an inkling of acceptance when you first met and now it seems he's closer to you than both Taehyung and Jeongguk combined. You don't know how he does it. He worms his way into people's hearts so fast it's like he's just always been there.

He looks over at Namjoon, seemingly studying him within a second before traipsing into your office as if you and he own it together.

"Chim-" you begin, only to shake your head at your assistant who dashes into the doorway with wide eyes.

"I went over to the apartment and Guk said you had something to do called work?!" he guffaws, waltzing around your desk and handing you the matcha latte you like.

Namjoon just continues to stare, watching how Jimin combs your hair off your shoulder with ease and how you certainly don't pull away.

"Yes," you droll playfully, leaning back in your large, comfortable chair, "it's something normal people do on a Monday."

Jimin's face becomes pinched in a moment's notice, teasing you in a quick fashion. "Couldn't be me."

He sits down on your desk, turning his muscled body to angle towards your coworker. "Jimin Park, pleasure."

"Namjoon Kim," he replies stiffly.

That's all Jimin feels is necessary before he's turning back to you. "Why do you look so fucking exhausted? Tell Guk to keep the dicking down to a minimum so you can get a good night's sleep."

You feel your neck and cheeks heat up furiously and you can only look up shyly in Joon's direction.

Your coworker's eyebrows raise promptly and he seemingly shakes it off with an astounded wag of his head.

You've never had people around you like this before, he doesn't know how to take it.

"Chim," you mumble uncomfortably.

"What?" he asks, downright confused before returning his attention to Namjoon who still hasn't made a move to leave your office, "Oh. Sorry, bud. It's normal to talk like this in my field of work."

Your coworker simply hums, taking off his glasses to clean them and in doing so, he narrows his eyes at Jimin to see him better.

"Why're you blushing?!" Chim coos, pressing his cool hands to your face.

When you look up at him with hardened irises, he deflates just a little. His saddened face quickly turns to surprise and his hand coasts from your cheek to your forehead.

"You have a fever," he murmurs concerned, putting his other hand to his forehead.

"Just a little one," you reply softly, looking over the documents on your desk.

"Did you tell Guk? You shouldn't be here if you're sick," you friend chastises you.

"I'm fine! Work is work," you promise, taking a sip of your latte.

Namjoon hates to agree with the intruder but he nods along. "You should have told me you were sick, I would have pushed the meeting back until you were feeling better. But I'm sure it's because you didn't wanna text me."

Your eyes snap to his and you raise an eyebrow suspiciously. Of course, this man that's known you for years is right but still… to say that in front of your newfound friend?

You're still a childish, hurt mess inside it would seem as you grab your purse and scowl. "Fine, I'll go rest. You can tell the shareholders that the meeting is canceled fifteen minutes before the call."

"Y/N," Joon mumbles, putting his glasses back on.

"No, you both know I hate pestering and people ganging up on me," you hiss, slamming your office door shut.

"We weren't!" you hear Jimin shout faintly and you can only roll your eyes as you leave.

You ended up heading to your mansion after the morning interaction.

When you finally stepped into your bedroom, you began to feel bad about what transpired but you being the proud person you are, you refuse to apologize.

Stripping off your clothes, leaving them strewn onto the ground, you crawl into your gigantic bed with a sigh.

Your quick, random outburst has been lost on you since you left the office building. You don't know where it came from and you don't know why you snapped so suddenly.

Cuddling the pillow that Jeongguk last slept on, you find yourself suddenly overcome with fatigue and you sigh softly as you close your eyes.

When the world begins to fade away from you, you dream of a huge Great Dane and his owner whose smile could rival the brightness of the sun.

"How's Y/N feeling?" Jimin inquires, tossing your boyfriend a water bottle after he finishes his reps.

The escort tilts his head, confused at what he means. "She was fine this morning before she left for work."

Taehyung slowly sets down the rowing equipment, noticing how the shortest of them furrows his eyebrows.

"I mean after she left work. I went there to drop off her latte and she was sick. She has a fever and shit."

"What?!" Guk hisses, standing up in an instant.

"Yeah, man. She stormed out and was all pissy 'cause that kid Namjoon and I were trying to take care of her. She said she was going home," Chim announces with a frown, "I thought she meant your apartment."

Guk doesn't take it as a slight. Surely if you were in your right mind and not ill, you would have wound up back at his place.

But you didn't even call or text him, you didn't even let him know that you weren't well. If he would have known this morning, he would have certainly kept you in bed with him.

"How pissy did she get?" your boyfriend inquires, grabbing his towel and tossing it over his neck.

He begins to pack up all the necessities for the gym he always brings, looking up at Jimin with wide eyes as if to tell him to hurry up and speak.

Jeongguk knows that there are times where your former self begins to peek out and say hello again. He can't imagine how terrible you must feel now that you're not feeling well and you're alone.

"Why did she go back to that fucking mansion?" he hisses to himself, grabbing his now wrinkled black t-shirt.

"She was really snippy and short, she stormed out. Y'know, how she gets when she feels like she's being backed up into a corner," Jimin replies, thinking back to just a few days ago when you got upset over nothing.

"Yeah, I know," Guk murmurs, picking up his bag.

"Do you want me to drive you?" Taehyung inquires, finally speaking.

Even after the first day you met the handsome escort was still wary of you but after seeing Jimin take to you like a pig in shit, he decided you were alright.

"Please," Guk almost begs, slinging the heavy black sack over his shoulder, "Chim, can you feed Hawking tonight? I don't think I'll be making it home if she's really sick."

"I got you, bro," he promises, putting his barbells down.

Taehyung stands up, grabbing his dress shirt off the machine closest to him with a sigh. "Come on, Gukkie."

Taehyung didn't seem to mind all the stops your boyfriend wanted to make, in all actuality it was probably refreshing to see Guk care about somebody so much that would equally return that kind of attention and care to him.

Now, as the escort quietly enters your home, he sets the multitude of groceries down on the open onyx kitchen counter with a worried sigh.

The mansion is terribly quiet, just noises of the heater sporadically clicking on to heat the floor beneath his bare feet.

Your boyfriend silently puts away all the perishables with the intent that he'll cook you some soup in a little while.

Guk isn't sure why you didn't come back to his apartment but he's not as worried as he might have been years ago when he was with Chloe. Just because you came back here doesn't mean you have less affection for him, he knows that to be true.

Fixing his eyebrow piercing, he looks down at the thermometer and medicine he just bought to try and make whatever illness this is go away faster.

Picking them up, he heads for the massive staircase that leads up to your room.

Step by step, he takes in your strewn clothes. They're haphazardly tossed about with no type of pattern or reason and your bedroom door is open wide with no light source to guide him in. The large windows are covered with the heavy black drapes and what little light from the hallway shows you looking tiny in your massive bed.

You're asleep, coddling a pillow to your body as if it would provide you warmth like your boyfriend.

"Baby," Guk mumbles until his breath sullenly, entering the room.

His mother was sick a lot when he was younger, he tried so diligently to take care of her while his father was away. Whether it was the poor conditions of the apartment they lived in or the woman who bore him running ragged to try to make ends meet -- he'll never know.

He strips off his shirt, crawling into bed beside you and you barely stir. You're usually such a light sleeper, any movement in his bed would make you wake up for at least a minute or two.

Your boyfriend gives a gentle kiss to your forehead, feeling the heat radiate from your skin and he sighs.

You're really not feeling well.

"Hey, baby," he coos softly, setting down the thermometer and meds beside him to coddle you to his body.

You groan gently, obviously upset with being woken up.

"Baby, Jimin told me you weren't feeling too good," he whispers, brushing some of hair away from your face.

"Guk?" you croak, opening one eye to look up at him before immediately closing it.

You feel worse than this morning if you're being honest, you're in this cloudy daze with a parched mouth and a rolling stomach.

"I'm here," he promises, pulling you slowly into his arms and away from the pillow you held in his stead.

"I might get you sick," you whine, laying your hot face against his cool chest.

"Don't care," he replies softly, kissing the top of your head.

"I don't know why I feel so sick, I was fine and then…" you're at a loss for words.

"It happens, sweetheart. I'm gonna take care of you," your boyfriend assures you, grabbing the thermometer and tapping your chin sweetly.

You allow him to play his role as doctor, letting the warmth and comfort of him being here soothe you greatly.

"Yeah, you're on bed rest," he announces, squinting in the dark light to see your temperature.

"I'm sorry I didn't come home. I-I just drove back here," you mumble blearily, already feeling your consciousness slipping from you.

Home.

Jeongguk's heart quickens at the simple word.

His apartment feels like home to you.

Fuck, he loves that.

"I'm here now," Guk whispers, allowing you to start sleeping atop him.

"Then it's home," you murmur.

Guk kisses your head softly, grabbing the television remote and closing his eyes.

This is the single greatest thing he's ever had the pleasure of experiencing. He's never been so in love, he's never been so comfortable and he's never wanted to give all of himself over to someone else before.

Too bad great things aren't meant to last...

<----- Last Chapter                      Next Chapter ---->

[neonscandal]

some questions about jujutsu I would appreciate it if you could answer me. 1. do you think megumi and itadori are a comparison to geto and gojo? 2. What do you find most tragic about geto and gojo's relationship? 3.if geto didn't exist, who would you ship gojo with? ps; I would ship toji and gojo.

Answering these out of order to hide spoilers!

3. If Geto didn't exist, I would ship Gojo with Nanami. Nanami would be bothered 600% of the time.

2.Most tragic is the fact that, while Gojo always looked at Geto's soul and accepted him unconditionally, Geto thought their relationship was over the moment he chose to leave Jujutsu High and they never reconciled this disparity while living. If you want an exhaustive list of the things that rot my brain and prevent me from remembering basic things like my childhood and the Pythagorean theorem, please, feel free to read this recently updated and ongoing list. 😭

Lastly, yes, I think ItaFushi are meant to be a parallel to SatoSugu. See below for why!

⚠️ Spoiler Warning through JJK chapter 247.

The comparison isn't perfect but I don't know that it's meant to be.

I feel like I reference Naruto a lot for having not seen it but I'm pretty sure it's a solid example of the generational failures of the Uchiha clans and the Hidden Leaf Village as overcome by Sasuke and Naruto, respectively.

I think that JJK could be a circular story (check out the Rick & Morty progression, in particular) and that SatoSugu and ItaFushi seem to run as parallels. To simplify, we'll break it up by the OG for parallels:

SATORU

and Megumi (he got blue eyes when he's supposed to have green.. 💎👄💎)

Born of Jujutsu royalty with a familial technique

Familial technique damns them to a burden of responsibility. Gojo became the head of the Gojo clan, Megumi is bought and sold but effectively abdicates his place with the Zenin

When given the chance, relents to leverage the value of his cursed technique to protect others that they deem deserving. Gojo protects Megumi, Yuta and Yuji; Megumi protects Tsumiki and later, Yuji.

In spite of the above, will execute their responsibilities of a sorcerer but will also pick and choose if they will do something outside of that obligation. Think back to Megumi's moral judgement when it came to those in the detention center and Gojo's willingness to act outside of direct orders because... he could.

Just leaving the visual evidence of these little weirdos

and Yuji

The Sun characters but not without shadow.

Blessed births, even though Yuji's was... untraditional, it forged him as a powerful vessel with inhuman strength without a heavenly restriction.

Anomalous strength. Gojo for Six Eyes and Limitless which haven't been seen together in one user in over 100 years. Yuji is able to produce Black Flashes at will and at a rate which is canonically uncommon.

Experienced death and rebirth which brought about change in them. Gojo found enlightenment; Yuji, while in hiding, experienced loss, the tragedy of which marked him noticeably.

They both know the alienation of greatness. Both undergo power ups shattering the ceiling of their previously understood power thresholds and go beyond the comprehension or without the knowledge of their counterparts. Gojo, I think, knew that it would foundationally upset something between he and Geto. Yuji probably just thinks he is getting acclimated to the new world he finds himself within and doesn't realize how insane his glow up has been.

Guilt for not being able to save someone "close to them". Gojo, obviously, with Geto and Yuji with Junpei, initially, but that list has grown. Exponentially.

SUGURU

and Megumi

The Moon characters but they have something worth fighting for that gives them an air of light.

Both believe in and will act on behalf of the weak. Geto believes the strong should protect the weak and keep the strong in check. Megumi believes that if someone cannot observe the basic tenet of don't kill me, I won't kill you, he should exact punishment whether the person infringed on this basic law with him or not.

Despite their code, they still develop or have a discerning application of their morals.

But what happens when that morality is tested? Geto realizes the weak are capable of harm when he discovers the abuse of Nanako and Himiko. Megumi, if he hasn't already, will eventually come to understand that saving Yuji came at the cost of countless lives, including that of Tsumiki, in a way, even if she died by his own hand.

Know intimately the loss of someone they were close with only to find that person returned to them.. but different.

Feeling left behind by the power ups of their counterparts, they are left to their own devices. Notably, Geto spirals into depression and PTSD, Megumi, citing the difference, asks Gojo for additional lessons so he doesn't fall behind.

Doomed by the narrative? or at least by their power. Kenjaku covets Geto's body for the hold it has over Gojo and, possibly, the cursed technique that enabled him to espouse Mahito and Tengen's techniques. Sukuna covets Megumi for Ten Shadows.

Subsequently, both are possessed by something that easily outclasses them but they still are able to rebel when fighting against their counterparts. Geto's corpse strangles Kenjaku in Shibuya; Megumi manipulates how much cursed energy is output when Sukuna fights against Yuji.

Both of them recognize that, despite their counterpart's strength, they are still deserving of concern and worry. This is likely informed by the knowledge of their own weakness and inability to protect.

and Yuji

Outsiders to jujutsu society

Get their power/strength from ingesting something unholy; curses or cursed relics. Either way, both seem to beg the question of how long one can you these things before it poisons something within you?

Earnestly want to help people with a martyr mentality. The idea being, if I am the only one with this power then it's my responsibility to do something; Geto with his role as a sorcerer and Yuji as the only person who can consume Sukuna

Subsequently damned by this noble desire. Geto finds that the sacrifice is no longer palatable after the sacrifices of Riko and Haibara and the abuse of Nanako and Himiko. Yuji experiences survivors' guilt for every slight Sukuna is able to inflict while he continues to live.

A pattern of failure to protect (Riko and Junpei) followed by the loss of a companion (Haibara and Nanami, and what a way for their deaths to mirror one another...) as an impetus for great change in their characters.

The wealth of their goodness has the potential to cause just as big a vacuum of negativity when they break. Arguably this is what pushes the invisible hand that guides the events that radicalizes Geto and informs Mahito's insistence to break Yuji's soul.

Speaking of souls - this idea of their soul's in particularly. Gojo seeing and recognizing Geto's. Mahito feeling the edge of Yuji/Sukuna's soul. We see that Sukuna can aim attacks at Megumi's soul but... why did the goodness in Geto's persist for Gojo to love him unconditionally? How did Yuji's soul withstand external attacks from Mahito and internal attacks from Sukuna?

Where SatoSugu's fatal flaw was hubris, we don't see that with ItaFushi and that, perhaps, is the biggest indication that they're correcting the faults of their forebears while also suffering the repercussions of their failure.

Gege Akutami could absolutely have the whole story end in flames, don't get me wrong. I would 10,000% be invested to the very last page. There's no guarantee that this is a circular story, that any of these characters find peace or that any of them even survive but I can't help but see the similarities, at least as far these four are concerned.

[sillygoofyqueer]

*sees losing hope has updated*

*scrambles to read it*

I was actually looking for a good mdzs fanfic to read and you have blessed me with a new chapter and I am forever thankful! (Tho if u have some reccs… jk unless you really want to)

I hate how JGY is catching on and is planning to essentially use everything good in Wwx’s life against him. Especially about Jin ling. I fear for that boy. I do love that JGY has caught on to the fact that probably the most dangerous person in this whole operation is LWJ because of his devotion to WWX even though the truly most dangerous person has yet to reveal himself. Actually, speaking of Nie Huaisang, my mind can’t help but go to JGY talking to NMJ’s head. God that was creepy but honestly I could see him doing that. Also JGY being jealous of Jiang Cheng because Xichen talks about him so much? Hilarious. Tho a small part of me does wonder if he’ll get a little revenge on him for that. Curious as to what’s happening with WQ and WN because Wwx is no longer there and I love those two an unnecessary amount or when the topic of MXY will inevitably come up.

The juniors not telling JL about WWX is both tragic and understandable and I respect them for it. WWX mother henning them immediately after they got back is adorable. Plus the little bonus of LSZ’s memories being maybe brought back a little?? Also LWJ just sitting back and going “ah, so this is why my son is perfect”. Adorable and I will be screaming about this for at least an hour.

LWJ’s gay panic over literally just sleeping in the same bed will never not be funny. Just as WWX cuddling closer to him because he’s cold will never not be adorable.

As always, amazing chapter Four! Your hands are blessed with writing skills and it brings much joy to the people who read your fics. I wish I could give more kudos and please remember to take breaks <33

LUNNAAAA, hey. Nice to see you. You're awesome and incredible. First off, MDZS fic recs!!! I always think a good fanfic writer is a fanfic reader as well, so watch as I crack my knuckles and offer up some of my favourites. Transmuter by WithLoweredVoices (completed) left me gnawing at the bars of my cage, and I think it's a brilliant modern type AU with magic/cultivation still sticking around. The world building is incredible without feeling janky and shoved in there, and the plot leaves me swooning. (Also check out this author's Grimoire (ongoing) because it's JUST as good, exploring Fae and dragons - what more could you want?) Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by thefireplanet (completed) is a brilliant Dungeon Meshi AU - one that you can read without watching/reading its source material. It also made me watch Dungeon Meshi, it's just that good. The Shade of Old Trees by Kryal (completed) is another modern AU, with a certain demonic cultivator being found frozen in ice after a loong period of time, and hyjinks ensuing as scientists try to come to terms with the fact that this dude isn't actually DEAD. (I do have other fic recs, so please tell me if you want more) Oh, Jin Guangyao is definitely plotting and planning to twist everything Wei Wuxian has in his life and RUIN IT. He's done it before, he's had thirteen years to slowly break the man down - it shouldn't take a lot of time to do it again. Plus, having everyone who cares about Wei Wuxian in his reach is brilliant for him, but not at all so great for anyone else. I do believe he just yaps to Nie Mingjue's head a lot, because there's no way that the head can tell anyone - the only way he can trust someone with his secrets, teehee (also, I completely did reference the Good Place Ariana meme as a prompt for that entire scene. I love that you view Nie Huaisang as the most dangerous person in this game of chess - and, in this game of chess, he is - however, for someone being used as a pawn, there's only so far one can go before they move to destroy the whole board to stop it. Jin Guangyao may or may not have something planned with the Wens and Mo Xuanyu - after all, how is he to properly break Wei Wuxian down without using the very people he wished to help against him? Lan Sizhui is perfect and no, I will not be taking any response to this. I cannot deny that I'm positively buzzing with excitement at the angsty reveal scenes I (do not) have planned for the juniors, but they are a long way off from where we are right now, so I must reign it in until it finally comes up. Wei Wuxian is always a mother hen before he is anything else, so yes he will baby the teenagers, what the hell are you gonna do about it? Lan Wangji is seeing this and thinking "wife behaviour??" LAN WANGJI AND WEI WUXIAN ARE SO SWEET AND WHOLESOME I SURE HOPE NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO THEM IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I SURE. I SURE HOPE. THAT. THAT DOESN'T. HAPPEN. As always, you're such a sweetheart and I feel like you singlehandedly wrestle me into taking breaks when I least expect it, thank you so much for existing <33

[zukkaart]

Prompt where zuko had to go abroad for a year for diplomatic reasons. Sokka gets insecure about the fact Zuko might find someone there that's better looking but Zuko proves to him he loves him the same(maybe even more. Distance makes the heart fonder or whatever the saying is

If you're looking for angst then bb you have come to the right place I despise the miscommunication trope so you're lucky I love you.

~~~~~~~~~~

One thing about Sokka is he has abandonment issues.

After his mother died and father left before he was even ten, there was little anyone could do to quell his anxiety. Especially when Aang almost died, he felt like that eight year old boy all over again as he cried into his father's chest.

He knew it wasn't their own faults, not really, and he didn't hold any resentment. It still didn't change the way he reacted whenever one of the people he cared about had to leave. He always felt like something would happen and they'd never return.

Over the last five years with everyone having to return to their respective nations as well as travelling around the world as diplomats Sokka had no choice but learn to adapt.

He wasn't expecting his anxiety to jump back through the roof when Zuko finally asked him to be his boyfriend on a visit to the South Pole. It was one of the happiest days of his life, until it wasn't.

Sokka didn't anticipate the way panic would grip his chest when the fire lord had to return to his people. They wrote letters back and forth almost every day, and they visited each other whenever possible. It had been three years since they began their long distance relationship and he still had no idea how Katara and Aang did it.

It had been okay between them for a while, Zuko was very good at reassurance and Sokka was content to drive himself in to his work and travels to distract himself. However, with everything so peaceful he hadn't had a reason to travel to the other nations, which meant he hadn't seen Zuko in almost 8 months now.

"Sokka? Are you alright?" Katara placed a hand on his shoulder, starling him awake from where he had fallen asleep across his diplomacy plans and maps.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "I was just trying to figure out the best trade routes between us and the NP before going through the Earth Kingdom,"

The truth was, he wasn't okay. He had barely been eating or sleeping. Zuko had been in the North pole for the last three months, so on top of still not being able to see him he was now an entire world away, and they were corresponding much less frequently due to the distance and Zuko's endless work to improve relations.

Sokka couldn't help but feel like the longer he went without seeing his boyfriend, the less likely he was to come back at all. The added factor of being in a relationship made him feel like not only was something terrible likely to happen, but he also constantly worried that Zuko would find someone better... especially in the North Pole.

The North Pole had a large army full of brave warriors, and Sokka felt that any one of them was worth two of him- even after everything that he'd done. Zuko deserve someone better, but he still wanted the person he chose to be him. He had never spent more than two months in another nation at a time. Sokka couldn't help but feel like maybe he found someone.

"Come on, some messenger hawks just came in," Katara sighed, not failing to note the dark circles under his eyes that seemed to get deeper by the day. Sokka mumbled his agreement and pulled on his parka to follow her.

They finally reached the hawk perches and Sokka's mood was unimproved when he found no letters for him except updates from Toph and Aang on the construction of Republic City. Katara placed a hand on his shoulder, and he knew she was about to suggest she use some healing on him to help him sleep, but she never got the chance,

"Ship in port! All hands!" The dockmaster called, but it was the middle of the night. So Sokka and Katara took off running to help, practically falling through the snow as they went.

It was in fact a ship, a fire nation ship. Sokka felt his heart leap in his chest. That would explain the lack of correspondence. Zuko never write while he was sailing, he always insisted on focusing on helping his crew.

Sokka and Katara took the ropes that the crew tossed down and began working with the few dockhands working the night shift to drag it in to port. It took them a while. The moment the anchor was dropped Sokka sprinted up the gang plank and on to the ship, practically knocked the captain flat on his ass.

He righted him with a quick apology. "Where is Zuko?" He asked slightly frantically.

"The Fire Lord? Why would he be here?" The captain asked,

"Well because he- I...." Sokka dropped his head, not letting go of the captains shoulders, "He's really not here?"

The captain offered him a sympathetic look, "No, but that's actually why I'm here, to bring you back to the Fire Nation," Sokka's disappointment was instantly replaced by icy fear running up his spine. "What? What's wrong? Is he okay?"

That time the captain laughed lightly and gently removed Sokka's hands from his armor. "Nothing is wrong, your presence as an emissary is simply requested on behalf of the fire lord." He handed over an official correspondence with a royal seal.

He spoke the truth, so Sokka said his goodbyes to Katara and made sure she was alright. She assured him she was since Aang would be arriving in a few hours and their father would be sailing back from the EK in a week. So he packed a bag, hugged her goodbye, and set on his way. It would take them a month to reach Caldera City.

~Z~

"Your highness, embassador Sokka has arrived," The court announcer found him in his room, where he was frantically trying to figure out how to string leather. He had barely just returned from the North Pole where he had spent the last three months trying to learn every Water Tribe tradition possible surrounding marriage and betrothal. Most of them were simple, but carving a necklace? Proved to be nearly impossible.

He spent an entire extra month than anticipated there, just working with their best carvers and creating a design all his own. He broke a frankly absurd amount of bone circles in the process, but eventually made one that was perfect. Only one thing left to do.

~S~

He couldn't help his hands from shaking as he walked up the steps of the palace, he was about to open the large main doors when a servant ran up to him, practically out of breath.

"Embassador, the Fire Lord requests that you meet him by the turtle duck pond, shall I escort you?" He gasped for air

"No," Sokka couldn't help but crack a smile and place a comforting hand on the frazzled young man's shoulder. "I know where it is,"

He made his way around the palace and through the outdoor pathways that he could have walked in his sleep. Zuko always met him there if he was feeling stressed or had something important to talk about. His enthusiasm slipped back in to anxiety the closer he got. What if he did find someone else? What if he only brought him all the way here to break up with him in person?

I should just get back on that ship and go home

But it was too late. His feet had taken control all the way in to the garden, where Zuko was just sitting peacefully in the late afternoon light watching the turtle ducks swim around.

If this moment was to end, Sokka convinced himself to stand in it a moment longer. If he could just keep sitting there... so beautiful.

Zuko must have felt his eyes because he turned his head then, and beckoned him over. Sokka obeyed and sat down next to him. He reached a hand out but Zuko pulled away.

Tui and La spare me if this is how it ends

"What?" Zuko asked, and Sokka realized he must have that that out loud. He couldn't bring himself to say anything else, only to meet his eyes, tears welling in them.

Zuko immediately dropped whatever he was holding on to the grass in favor of taking Sokka's face with both hands.

"My love what's wrong?" Sokka couldn't stop the tears then from freely rolling down his face as he began to sob,

"I"m so sorry, I should have visited you more. If you found someone else it's okay but I don't want to know and I don't want to meet them," He gasped in between sobs, "Please, please spare me that,"

"Sokka? Lover, what are you talking about?" "You spent so long in the North, longer than usual right?"

A indecipherable look crossed Zukos face

"Yes," He confirmed, and his eyes flickered down, "A month longer, but it-" "I knew it," Another sob wracked his body as he yanked his face from Zuko's grasp and immediately began storming off. He heard shuffling behind him and silently prayed that Zuko would let him go with his dignity. He said as much,

"Sokka please! It's not like that, just wait!" "Leave me alone! I don't want to hear it!" He snapped back

"Sokka you absolutely wonderful idiot," Zuko grabbed his arm and yanked him around so they were face to face,

"Don't call me a-"

"Sokka I'm trying to propose!"

"You...what?"

(This one is literally so long my badddd but I hope you like it)

[crimson-calligraphyx]

Tag List: @cheyfi @kingdomof-omens @daylightlvrs @blade-in-red @ladyveronikawrites @jay02bo @itsmrsfuentes @cncohshit @catj422 @lma1986 @chels3a-smile @kiwi475 @halloweenaesthetic

A/N: hi hello I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this in a million years. I lost steam for it, but I thiiink I might have gotten the gears turning again. I hope y'all enjoy and don't hate me too much 🤭

Charles DeSimone has been wanted for quite some time under suspicion of murdering his wife and two children.

My blood ran cold and I swear my heart stopped beating the second those words registered in my head. I didn't know how to respond as I stared at Officer DeCecca; I simply waited to see if he would take his statement back. He had to have been kidding.

I swallowed, trying to moisten my throat that suddenly felt like sandpaper. "What?" I croaked. "This was a case that went cold a few years back," Detective Garcia spoke this time. "We couldn't gather enough evidence to convict him—he was one calculated, sly motherfucker. Always had an alibi, his home was always pristine when we asked to search it. It was like his wife and kids simply disappeared without a trace."

All I could do was blink as I mulled over his words. How could Charles possibly cover that up so well? How was his family never found?

"Where do we go from here?" Noah asks when I remained silent. DeCecca clears his throat quietly. "Well, right now, you two need to focus on getting back into good health. Especially you, Amelia." "So, you're just gonna leave us with that? No other information?" Noah questions, aggravation in his tone. The officer huffs, "We don't have much to give you at the moment. We have a team searching his property, and we will give you more details as it comes."

I watched Noah's jaw tick. He was angry, and I knew he wasn't satisfied with that answer, but we just had to accept it for now. They can't tell us what they don't know.

The officers leave, but I still don't say a word. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do with the little information that we got. It was confirmation of the fact that Noah and I were going to die there if we hadn't escaped. We were so close to death—in Death's hand all because some schizophrenic man saw me while we were out innocently grabbing kerosene and thought I was his wife.

His wife that he had murdered.

I flinched when someone puts their hand on my shoulder, letting out a quick yelp before pushing it off immediately. "Shit, sorry, Meels. I didn't mean to startle you." It was Nick. "Looked like we lost you for a second there. You okay?" I scrubbed my hands down my face and sighed heavily, shaking my head. "It's just...a lot to take in," I mumbled. "I know," he cautiously puts his hand on my back this time, rubbing slow circles to help soothe me. "We'll be here for you through all of this, though. You know that, right?"

I nodded, lying back against my pillow and shutting my eyes. I just wanted to sleep; I didn't want to think about any of this. I didn't want to see the sorrow or the sympathy on everyone's faces while I lie here confined to a hospital bed.

My life was flipped upside down and turned into a living nightmare just from going to a hardware store one afternoon, and I wished that everything would go back to the way it was 6 weeks ago.

But there was no going back, only forward, and I was terrified of what my future held.

-

I was running. I didn't know where I was running, but I knew I had to keep going no matter how tired my legs grew. I just had to get away.

I looked over my shoulder; there's a decrepit house behind me, and something is telling me I need to be as far away from it as possible. I can hear the paneling moaning as the body flexes, the house calling for me to come back, and the back door swings wide open. My heart rate triples as alarm settles in, and I kept on running, looking forward again.

The woods in front of me are dark and grim, foreboding even, but it felt safer than the building I was running from. The shadows swallow me whole, the decaying trees creaking as their limbs begin to lock into one another, gating me in. Yet I still felt a sense of security now that I can't physically see the house.

There's a beacon of light up ahead, and I knew that I had to get to it. I knew that that was where my safe haven was. My legs picked up in speed while a smile breaks out across my face, happy that I discovered my solace. The light grows brighter; I threw my hand out, only fingertips away from it.

I suddenly can't breathe, and I'm writhing on the ground in agony from how hard I fell. My face hurts, but it's not bleeding when I touch it. My leg is bleeding, though—I can feel the warmth trickling down my ankle as fire licked across my skin.

There’s a bear trap biting into my leg, and I can’t do anything but scream in agony. The jaws were painted crimson, my blood pouring out in ribbons, flooding around me. I’m panicking, trying to release its hold on me, but I can’t focus. I can’t breathe. All I can do is scream and cry.

Leaves crunch in front of me, the beacon is now shining right in my eye. There’s a figure behind the light—it’s a flashlight. I can’t see the figure, but it’s menacing as it crouches in front of me. My heart is beating out of my chest when a gloved hand reaches out, and I knew that this was my demise.

“No! Get the fuck away from me!” I hollered, shoving that menacing figure away from me. They fall to the ground in a heap, bringing something down with them in a loud crash. My eyes fly open, and I’m not in the woods anymore. I’m in the hospital bed that I’ve been lying in for weeks now, and I know that I’ve pushed a nurse to the ground for the umpteenth time.

“I’m so sorry,” I cry out, burying my face in my hands. I hated this. I felt like a menace myself every time I woke up from the nightmare that keeps plaguing me, because I always end up hurting someone. I don’t mean to, though, and it was humiliating having no control over my actions.

The nurse picks herself up, rubbing her elbow with a sympathetic grin. She tells me it’s okay, but I know it’s not. I hurt her again when she was only trying to do her job. I just wanted the medication to make the nightmares stop once and for all, so that I could stop hurting people around me. Thank God they won't let Leora see me unless I'm already conscious; I don't think I could live with myself if I ever did that to her.

She takes care of the dressings on my leg, changing them out for new ones, and takes my vitals after putting the brace back on my leg. Other than my outburst, everything seemed okay with me. My incision from surgery was healing well, and they think I'll be able to be discharged within the next week or two.

I was both relieved and scared to go home—it was going to be a huge adjustment for both me and my family, physically and mentally. They would be helping me with simple, mundane tasks until the physical therapist deemed I was strong enough to do them on my own. They would have to deal with the nightmares indefinitely, who knows how long they'll continue to occur. It could be years before they stop, or they may not even stop.

Breakfast was wheeled in, and my nurse left shortly after. I wasn't excited for the bland scrambled eggs, chewy bacon, and scorched toast, but my stomach growls once I got a whiff of it. I readjusted the bed so I'm sitting up, snagging a piece of bacon and nibbling on it just as there's a knock at the doorway.

I flashed a small smile at Noah when he makes his way in, his hands stuffed in the pocket of his new jeans. He pulls the chair up beside me and plops down in it with a tired sigh, stretching his legs out. "Want some breakfast?" I offer him a piece of bacon, giggling at the face he pulls. "I'm good, thanks. I've had my fill of hospital food," he chuckles, waving me off. "How are you doing?"

Noah had been discharged only a few days after we were admitted since his injuries were so minor, the main concern being dehydration. And even though he didn't have to, he'd occasionally make his way up to visit me. I don't know if it was guilt that he was able to leave while I wasn't, or maybe he knew deep down that I was petrified of being alone. Either way, it gave me some sort of comfort and I was grateful for it, especially since my family didn't always have the time to visit.

I sighed, putting my piece of bacon back on the plate. "I'm okay. Had another nightmare," I tell him dejectedly. "The same one from before?" I take a deep breath and squeeze my eyes shut. "The same one. It's always the same one," I mumbled, bringing my hands to my lap and picking at my nails blindly. My heart starts to accelerate as the images flash behind my eyelids, my breathing quick and shallow with panic.

He puts a hand on top of mine, halting my actions. "I'm sorry, Meels," he says quietly, his thumb delicately brushing against the top of my wrist. "Breathe, you're not there anymore. You're safe." My head hurts; there's a loud whooshing in my ears, and I realize that I stopped breathing. I take a staggering breath in, trying to concentrate on the warmth of his hand and the pattern he was soothing into my skin.

I'm not there anymore. I'm safe. Charles is long gone and can't hurt me.

The bed dips as Noah sits beside me, cradling my head against his chest, his other arm wrapping around me. I lean into him, the new position moving my leg in an uncomfortable way, but I didn't care. I needed the comfort, the security, and right now I felt the safest with him. After all, he did what he could to protect me; he was the one who got me out of that prison.

"Before I left to come up here, Leora wanted me to tell you that she loves you," Noah tells me quietly. "And that she can't wait for you to come home." I let out a saddened laugh, muffled by his shirt. "Did she really?" "Mhm," he gives me a reassuring squeeze, and my heart rate starts to settle. "She was super bummed that she had to go to school and couldn't come with me, but I told her she'll get to see you soon." Tears spring to my eyes, saddened to know that my little girl was dying to see me, but it was also heartwarming to know that she was eager for me to come home.

I sat up and wiped under my lash line to dry the tears threatening to spill, taking in the warmth of Noah's expression. His chocolate eyes were docile as they bounced between mine, his lips curled into a gentle smile, and there's a flutter in my belly from it.

"You two getting along?" I mused, trying to push that foreign feeling aside. He nods, his smile turning into a bashful smirk. "Yeah, I think so. Took a few days, but her Uncle Nick finally got her to warm up to me." I snort, "Good, I'm glad." "Me, too. She's a good kid." I grin, "Yeah, she's great." "Well, she's got a great mom to look up to. She did a great job raising her," he chuckles, and my cheeks warm at his compliment. All I could do was let out a breathy laugh, thanking him quietly while averting my attention back to my breakfast in hopes he wouldn't notice my blush.

I couldn't begin to explain the relief or the elation that buzzed through my body, knowing that Leora was getting along with the man she wasn't even aware was her father. I just hoped that it would stay that way.

|Chapter 15|

[rosejigglypuff76]

Cookie Run Kingdom - Special Episode Ideas

Lately I've been thinking of the possibility for potential storylines for Cookie Run Kingdom! More specifically when it comes to the Special Episodes that the game has to offer.

This there's only been five of these Special Episodes, I feel like I can brainstorm a couple of new ideas if more were to be added in future updates.

Here are a couple of rules that I decided to make for myself while listing out possible/potential Special Episode Stories & Plotlines: 1) It needs to focus on either a returning character or a brand new character planned out for the given update. 2) A Special Episode needs to be either Flashback Episode such as "A Mermaid's Tale", a Side-Story Chapter similar to "Legend of the Red Dragon", or something that has both just like "Icicle Yeti's Winter Song" 3) Story needs to make sense within a Cookie Run Kingdom setting. So character development for most of the cookies involved. 4) Have at least 2 New Playable Cookies and Magic Candy for Returning Cookies.

Alongside a few extra things that I decided to add, but it doesn't need to apply to every idea: 1) The Special Episode can be some sort of sequel to a previous update, which includes the original chapter's storyline as a bonus for players. An example could be "Icicle Yeti's Winter Song", which includes the plotline of "Lantern in the Snow Story" as a bonus. 2) A cookie who was an NPC prior will eventually become a playable character, releasing alongside their Special Episode. An example comes with Pitaya Dragon Cookie when they released with the "Legend of the Red Dragon" storyline, and was an NPC prior to that. 3) References & Inspiration of various other pieces of media is allowed, just as long as it makes sense with the planned-out storyline.

Without further ado, here's all the storylines for potential Special Episodes in Cookie Run Kingdom!

~~~

Special Episode Idea #1 - Bittersweet Flower Within Ones Headspace Story Type - Side-Story

Synopsis For years Dark Choco Cookie wasn't sure if he could ever escape the control that Strawberry Jam Sword has over him. But Day 1 of having it causes a flicker of light that gave the Exiled Prince the hope he needed to break through the curse. A cookie that he sees in dreams, the only cookie that was able to nullify the Strawberry Jam Sword's control. Months after leaving the Cookies of Darkness and thus the control of the Strawberry Jam Sword, Dark Choco Cookie now wanders Earthbread's various forests. Recollecting what he once lost from himself. Even meeting the cookie who he thought only exists in his dreams to help him out during the toughest times.

First-Half of the Story A couple of flashbacks from Crispia Episode 13 & 14 are showcased, all of which lead up towards the point where Dark Choco Cookie left the Strawberry Jam Sword and the Cookies of Darkness behind. Numerous times he recounts the cookie that he often sees in his dreams. Seen as a silhouette during flashbacks, the now Redeemed Prince believing he was someone that he came up with in order to nullify the Strawberry Jam Sword's pain and given eventual hope to break free. He ends up bumping into Peach Cookie, who happily brings him with her. This is where Plum Cookie also makes an appearance, but the meeting was abrupted by an unsuspecting Leek Cookie. Dark Choco helps out Peach and Plum deal with Leek, but unknowingly comes to the aid of a cookie who he thought only existed in his dreams. That cookie is soon revealed to be Herb Cookie.

Second-Half of the Story A few or so months had past, and Dark Choco Cookie is shown to be taken in by Plum Cookie and Peach Cookie's Master called General Jujube Cookie. The Redeemed Prince also got to know Herb Cookie beyond his dreams, and has a stronger bond with him. This eventually leads up to the events of Beast-Yeast Episode 3 & 4. But unlike his father, Dark Choco is the only Cacaoian that's immune to the Pale Ailment. In fact his bond with Plum, Peach, and especially Herb gave him the feeling of true resolution. It also turns out that General Jujube Cookie's Dojo (or something like that) is located in Mystic Flour Cookie's area in Beast-Yeast. But Dark Choco's hope and resolution caused him to finally find himself once again. More character development for Dark Choco Cookie is there, which is also accompanied by character development for Herb Cookie and Peach Cookie as well. This also includes more screentime for Peach Blossom Cookie, who can be classified as the older brother of Peach Cookie.

Story Inspiration Omori (Game)

Main Character Cookies *Dark Choco Cookie *Herb Cookie *Peach Blossom Cookie *Peach Cookie *Plum Cookie

New Cookies *Leek Cookie (Epic Rarity, Ambush Type) *Plum Cookie (Epic Rarity, Defense Type) *Peach Cookie (Super Epic Rarity, Charge Type)

Magic Candies *Herb Cookie -> (Gains the Water Type) Gives the three enemies with the Highest ATK a Shackle Debuff, a shackled enemy's HP is given to heal Herb Cookie and the rest of his party.

Main Reason for the Special Episode Dark Choco Cookie didn't show up that much in the official chapter for Beast-Yeast Episode 3 & 4, and was instead only shown in flashbacks or simply mentioned. This idea of a new Special Episode involving Dark Choco was created to give him the character development that we didn't get to see. Even showing a couple of ways to how he successfully reach said development.

~~~

Special Episode Idea #2 - A Desire for The Order Story Type - Sequel Story

Synopsis Sometime after the events of the "Tragedy of the Tower" story, Pastry Cookie continues to follow Reverend Mother's desires to follow the wishes of The Witches. The St Pastry Order is revealed to be located somewhere in Parfaedia City, with numerous believers growing by the minute. But every single believer didn't know the real truth, one that Pastry herself knows far too well. Knowing what she's seen when she ventured to the Tower of Sweet Chaos prior to now, feeling bad for Red Velvet Cookie and the various Cakes who were treated as "monsters" by many. A story about rebellion and independence starts, as Pastry Cookie meets up with an unexpected group of cookies.

First-Half of the Story One faithful night Pastry Cookie ends up finding Red Velvet Cookie lurking around in the shadows of Parfaedia, looking around as if he was trying to hide and run from someone. She secretly follows him, towards one brightly lit up place. Curiousity got the better of her, as she too went inside. Pastry found Red Velvet in what appears to be some type of bar or pub, the latter immediately confronts her but was quickly calmed down. It wasn't just Pastry nor Red Velvet in the scene, but the likes of Sparkling and Cream Puff were also there. Even Red Velvet's cake hound, Chiffon, was also in the building too. Another cookie also heads inside the building, revealed to be Sparkling's Juice Bar. This cookie is what many cookies refer to as the "Detective Princess", due to her royally intelligent and logical crime solving skills despite her young age. It was Walnut Cookie, who's known Sparkling, Cream Puff, and even Red Velvet for quite sometime. The first-half of this Special Episode involves Pastry Cookie and Red Velvet Cookie getting to know each other more outside of their respective alignment. Includes the former of the two slowly drifting away from the St Pastry Order's beliefs, and the latter feeling that he feels more like himself when he's not with the Cookies of Darkness.

Second-Half of the Story The story continues in somewhat of a good light, with Pastry Cookie secretly telling the truth she's seen in the Tower of Sweet Chaos to numerous cookies in Parfaedia. Learning even more about The Witches, knowing that there's more Good Witches compared to the Wicked Witches the St Pastry Order followed. Following the Witch of Order to be precise. Unbeknowst to her, Pastry Cookie didn't expect to get Red Velvet Cookie arrested by Almond Cookie. For once Red Velvet Cookie felt helpless, even worse compared to the prey that he doesn't want to be seen as anymore. Reverend Mother was a few steps ahead of Pastry Cookie, and ended up hypnotizing many cookies of Parfaedia with her magic. Now being nothing more than mindless puppets for The Order. Sparkling, Cream Puff, and Walnut are the only other cookies within Parfaedia that weren't affected by the hypnosis. And the three of them, including dearest Chiffon, decide to help Pastry Cookie finally face against Reverend Mother head-on and rescue Red Velvet Cookie in the process.

Story Inspiration Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal

Main Character Cookies *Pastry Cookie *Red Velvet Cookie *Chiffon *Cream Puff Cookie *Sparkling Cookie *Almond Cookie *Walnut Cookie

New Cookies *Chiffon (Epic Rarity, Ambush Type) *Reverend Mother Cookie (Epic Rarity, Magic Type) *Walnut Cookie (Super Epic Rarity, Ranged Type)

Magic Candies *Pastry Cookie -> (Given the Light Type) Has Two Cookies with the highest SPD (includes herself) to increase by +35.5% as the battle continues *Red Velvet Cookie -> Power now hits all enemies on the field, but does the most damage to two rear-most enemies. Brings the two rear-most enemies towards the front, inflicting Injury Debuff and decrease in DEF. *Sparkling Cookie -> (Given the Light Type) Heals all Party Members, but gives extra progressive healing to the Two Cookies with the highest ATK with the power being similar to the Blind Healer's Staff Treasure *Almond Cookie -> Magic Candy Power includes Shackle Debuff & Injury Debuff, all enemies will have their SPD and ATK decreased

Main Reason for the Special Episode Since Pastry Cookie and Red Velvet Cookie's story is seen with so much potential, this idea for a Special Episode involving them was created. Tackling the serious themes of religious cults (St Pastry Order) and gaining your own sense of individuality. Having themes similar to that of Persona 4 Golden & Persona 5 Royal. Plus the story taking place in Parfaedia can given the potential of more character development for Almond Cookie and Cream Puff Cookie. Sparkling Cookie also makes sense to be in Parfaedia with his overall concept, and a couple of other stories he appeared have the possibility to be mentioned in dialogue (mainly Holiday Express Story, but also Tropical Soda Islands Story).

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Cookie Run Kingdom - Special Episode Idea Template

Special Episode Idea #0 - TBA Story Type - TBA

Synopsis TBA

First-Half of the Story TBA

Second-Half of the Story TBA

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Main Character Cookies *TBA

New Cookies *TBA

Magic Candies *TBA

Main Reason for the Special Episode TBA

[devisopod]

Levity Creek!

Chapter One (?)

Grammar? I hardly know 'er

I really need to brush up but we're going right for it instead. Don't know how often I'll update this, or if it'll get any reception at all. Here you go, folks! Don't expect too much to happen right away.

____

Entry 1.

You know, I'm not even sure I could tell you the last time I spent three hours on the phone with someone. Let alone someone I felt growing further from my touch each year, but it was like the connection never really left as soon as we spoke. Hell, it felt like a blessing to hear from Fiddleford — some kind of proverbial spark reignited. Sounds silly, but I swear it's like we were kids all over again.

He always was as friendly as they come, and damn it if I didn't looked up to him for it. The guy could make a friend quicker than I could get my mouth open. Then again, I hardly ever did open it.

Fiddleford's still everything I knew him to be, actually. I guess I'd just been afraid that we were too different nowadays to be as close as we were. After all, he's got a kid now. Tate. How about that?

In his fashion, he forgot why he called me until the very end. He landed a freelance job up in Oregon that he wants my help with. I don't think I've ever agreed to anything quicker. If it'll get me outta here for a while, it's a gift.

I'm heading for Oregon tomorrow. Hope my van makes it.

___

If it weren't for the obnoxious rumble of the engine and the undeniable need to keep the vent windows open to accommodate it, I might have been able to hear the radio. Every now and again, I manage to hear the static of leaving and entering broadcast range — sometimes a dull guitar riff, but nothing satisfying. The speaker nestled in the driver's side has been busted for as long as I can remember. I think I've started to enjoy complaining about it, so I reckon that's why I never fix it. No, instead, I get to sit with my thoughts and a rattling doghouse. In hindsight, it was a miserable choice to make for such a long drive.

In fact, driving from the East Coast to the West Coast in a metaphorical brick, which reaches fifty-five miles an hour on a good day, is undoubtedly one of the stupidest decisions I've ever made. Sure, I could have flown, but then I would have left this marvel of machinery behind. And what am I without my office?

From floor to roof, I'd turned the back of my van into a space as comfortable as my apartment back home. More often than not, I spent my time in it. As long as I could hook it up to a power source, I could relax on the beanbag chair and type for hours. I've gotten better sleep and more work done in the back of this van than anywhere else to tell you the truth. At least, that's been the pattern so far. I'm starting to hope that Oregon changes that. I could use a change.

While I'm excited for the job, it's bound to be a big adjustment. From what I understand, which isn't a lot mind you, Gravity Falls is the town sending out contracts for the construction of the software service. When Fiddleford mentioned the name, I thought he might have been joking, but then I got the document in the mail. It looked incredibly legal, not to mention formal, for such a small job in a place that can only be described as "nowhere". Then again, most places were keen on adapting to new systems so they don't get too far behind.

It sort of made me wonder if the whole "nowhere" front has a purpose. After all, I did sign something that effectively mirrors an NDA.

By the time I reach Oklahoma and park, I recount that I've stopped about ten times for one reason or another. I had stayed in Memphis last night, which wasn't much of an annoyance, but the stops prior had been. A flat tire, the engine stalled, I suddenly really had to use the bathroom. Though that last one seems more like a poor lunch decision, I could almost swear that it was like the universe telling me to turn around and go back home before I got too far. I'd considered it while cursing over the carburetor as it hissed at me.

The only reason I still lay here in my motel with the intention of continuing tomorrow is for Fiddleford if nothing else. I called him when I first got here, half ready to let him know that it's just not a trip I can make, but he sounded so excited that I couldn't bring myself to crush his enthusiasm. He was already planning things we could do and prattling on about places he wanted to take me. The thought of disappointing him seemed wrong.

Pushing the covers of the stiff bed down toward my ankles, I roll onto my side and stare out the window. Each time I shift it feels like I'm getting further from sleep. Either the matress springs make an unholy creaking noise, they press into my back, or the people in the next room over get rowdy.

Eventually, I decide it isn't worth it. If I can't sleep, I may as well get going. So, I grab up my keys and my bag and sling everything into the passenger seat. Slamming the driver's side door shut behind me, I gas up the engine while it whines and protests before it finally relents. It isn't until then that I actually let some relief wash over me.

"I know you're tired," I mumble, "but I gotta get the hell outta Oklahoma."

I started hearing the radio a little more clearly after that.

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