#and the fact now the story focus on ways for them to recover.... it makes me feel safe.

[elitadream]

Hi guys~! ⛅👋

Long time no see! Much longer than I ever intended, in fact. Truth be told, I wanted to make a public post sooner, but I've had a lot to catch up on in terms of notifications and messages since logging back in a few days ago. I've also made some changes that I will address shortly, but first of all I wanted to thank those of you who have reached out with so much care and understanding during my absence. Adjusting has been a slow and fragile process for me -still is-, and I sadly haven't responded directly to everyone yet because of it, but I wanted to say how much I appreciate your patience and support nonetheless. 🥹 🙏

Long story short, I was gone for five months due to a huge burnout, then progressively found my spark again somewhere along the way and have since mostly recovered. It was my wonderful friend @drones-of-innocence who reached out to me outside of Tumblr, and her sense of initiative is largely the reason why I managed to make this post in a somewhat reasonable delay. 😅💖 With that said however, I must also mention that I've deleted a lot of stuff from my page and have removed most of my work from the public eye as well. This may seem quite drastic and frankly a little unsettling, but I assure you that it was a thoroughly considered and reasoned decision! The thing is that I was still getting lots of notes on these drawings everyday and… To put it simply, I didn't want that anymore. 🙇‍♀️ Experiencing popularity was very detrimental to me in the long run and I needed to put an end to it for the sake of my own wellbeing; at least for now.

Which brings me to my next point.

After mulling it over for a while, I've decided that I would not be returning as an active creator in the Mario community this time around. 👐 Making fanart for this franchise (with such a high and continuously maintained degree of involvement) had a lot to do with my health's decline and I've come to realize that I wanted to direct my focus elsewhere going forward. For that reason, there are things which I know will never be repeated again in the future, both in regards to my art and online presence in general, but that's alright. Things change, as they do and should. I'm looking forward to reuniting with folks and would be very happy to stay in touch with those of you who wish to message me privately. Like my lovely pal @istadris said, what matters most about any fandom are the friends you make in it. ☺️

And speaking of which-

@ody-and-fanatu That's so sweet of you, thank you! 💗 I'm glad you've enjoyed my contribution to the fandom. It was fun while it lasted! 💫 My visual ideas may be gone from my page, but most of my written posts and replies are still there for anyone who wants to revisit those at least, so there's that! And I'd also like to answer some of the asks I still have in my inbox at some point. Knowing that you hold my art in such high regard makes really happy! 🥰 Unfortunately, the other account that I have is reserved for my professional work and I prefer to keep them separate from one other, but the good thing is that I intend to go back to this blog occasionally. Hoping to see you around! Cheers! 🥂

@heiressofdoodles Thanks, I appreciate that! ✨ I'm honestly doing much better than I was earlier this Spring. Back then, I was running on empty and on the verge of crashing without even knowing it. Being in constant physical pain was one thing, but feeling mentally and emotionally drained on a daily basis was another entirely, and something had to be done. It took me a moment to really figure out what was wrong, but thankfully I realized very quickly what was causing it and applied the breaks with all my might. One of my main priorities now is to be more alert and respect my own boundaries to make sure that this never happens again. 🥲

@keakruiser Thank you. 🙏💐 I'm just glad to have found my footing again. Feels good to be able to create freely.^^ Hope you're doing well too!

Special thanks also to @pianokantzart, @jelly-fish-wishes, @katlyntheartist, @triniji and @wahooitsamee for their kind words. 🫂 Your graciousness and consideration means a lot to me. 💝

As for all the nice people who sent me anon comments and well wishes, I tried to summarize my thoughts as best I could in this update, but if there's anything else you'd like to say or know, don't hesitate to ask me anytime! Now that I feel like myself again, I think I'm gonna hang out on Tumblr for a little bit. I'll be excited to see what you guys have been up to in the meantime! 🤗 Wishing you all a very good day and pleasant Fall. 🍂

-elita 🌸

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Full headcanons for when MC regains all of their missing memories please 🙏🏽🙏🏽

The Arcana HCs: When MC regains their memories

Julian

It's one thing to discover, with someone who also didn't remember at the time, that he had essentially forgotten about you when you needed his help most. It's another to remember it

The early stages you spent still working with him, still sending him communications, still hoping he'd stop to connect long enough to notice your condition and do his job as a doctor and your friend

You don't know which hurts worse, that, or the later stages you spent weak and dying and alone, hoping against hope that he'd notice you were gone and come to help you through the last of it

The way his face falls in regret and pain when you finally tell him what those days were like is a closure you didn't know you needed

As much as it hurts both of you to address, the fact that Julian feels like you can forgive him while knowing the full extent of what he's done gives him an even stronger faith in your relationship

He's also excellently suited to helping you unpack it all - he's been through the same thing himself, having missing memories change how he lives, and then getting them all back at once. He gets it

So excited to learn all about your past self from you

Asra

If this ultimately makes you a happier, healthier person, they are both delighted for you and hugely relieved that it happened

One of his many fears after bringing you back was that he wouldn't be able to give you a life worth having. Your lack of memories definitely contributed to that, and seeing you recover is wonderful

Of course it's not all sunshine and rainbows. As soon as you've reached a point where you can talk about it, they're asking you for your forgiveness all over again and for your side of the story

He left you where he knew it was dangerous, and he failed to stay with you because he chose his fear over his love. He didn't even leave you a way to call for him when you needed him

At the same time, it's their unfailing presence with you now that helps you overcome the disjointedness of it all. They've grown and matured, but your current and old memories alike feature them

So when you're ready to reminisce, to start talking about your old antics and embarrassing mistakes and weird habits, the same best friend who saw it all then will remember it with you now

Only now, there's no walls, fears, or secrets left between you

Nadia

Your memories are back? Tell her everything

Seriously, everything. It's been so fulfilling for her to have someone to trust and allow into her heart and mind and space, and she's often regretted that you can't do the same to that capacity

She does struggle early on not to feel guilty when you mention things like Vesuvia's failing economy or the ravages of the Red Plague, but she's quick to keep the focus on you

Soaks up all the little details and anecdotes you share with her

You remember your childhood favorite food? She's having it served at tea, to see if it tastes the way you remember it

You mentioned a song you remember a parent or family member singing? She's boosting the local music scene with a big prize for whoever can find and learn to play/sing it to you

Really, really wants to visit all the places you have your core memories in. Taking you to Prakra gave her a closure and bond with you that she really wants you to enjoy as well

It goes without saying, but she has an open invitation to anyone you want to reconnect with to visit or stay at the Palace

Muriel

He's happy ... for you. He knows how deeply formative memories and history are, and it's only right for you to have your roots back

He's also the closest to terrified and insecure he's been in a long time, and that's because if you remember a time before the end of the Plague, you remember the time when he was the Scourge

He doesn't care for secrets. He's never hidden who he was from you. He knows you saw his old self and that it hasn't changed how you love him. But it's different when it's your memories, not his

What if you visited the Coliseum without him knowing?

What if you took a seat and experienced the disappointment and revulsion of seeing your best friend's oldest friend, maybe even someone you were fairly close with as well, turn into a killer?

But if you could look at his memories and still commit to loving him, he can and will do the exact same for you

Gives you space when you need it and sticks by your side when you need it, always ready to lend an ear when you want to share

Happy to go on a trip with you if it'll let you reconnect with lost family and roots. You did the same for him, after all!

Portia

Oh she's not worried at all. She knows you two have got this

Whatever there is in your history that she may have an issue with, she knows you two can talk about it and she knows who you are now is not who you used to be. No serious concerns there

That aside, you can finally live with (roughly) the same amounts of memories she has! This is great! You should write them down!

Not the best at giving you space if you want to process alone, but so empathetic with the whole adjustment that it's almost impossible to feel misunderstood. She's got your back

Even with the tricky relational stuff. Her older brother and Asra, especially. She knows you knew them when things were bad, and she's ready to mediate any hard conversations you need to have

And she'll give you all the emotional support you need after

Almost scarily dedicated to helping you track down and reconnect with people from your past. (Given how she spent three years hunting down her brother, it's not hugely surprising ...)

So confident and settled in your relationship that it makes sorting through the memories easier. You're still each other's fresh start

Lucio

He's happy for you! He really is! He promises! (all said with both hands in the air, a strained smile, and a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face while the dogs look unimpressed)

Okay so maybe he's a little scared

He knows you've talked about it. Hell, you walked with him through the landscape of his memories and failings and somehow managed to hold love for him as he went

But if you can actually remember, now, what he did ... who he used to be ... what you suffered because of him both directly and indirectly, and yes, the horrific death you can remember now too

He knows he's changed and his faith in you is boundless but his faith in who he used to be is nonexistent, for good reason

Almost makes you lose your temper pestering you for how you really feel and tripping over his feet to prove himself after

Once you've told him that nothing about your relationship is under threat, he becomes an amazing partner to help you unpack

He gets it. What it's like to relive visceral memories, for the past to feel so disjointed. He gets it, and he's got you

[mildlyromanticperv]

Who would've thought...?

Haerin x MReader Fluff One-Shot

-Honey, are you ready? -You poke Haerin's cheek with a smirk, resting your head above hers trying to wake your wife up.

-Mhmmm stop it... -Her pout reminds you of the face she put up when you proposed, or more accurately, when she found out you wanted to propose and just yelled yes without you knowing what happened.

13 months prior...

-No, no, no! Don't shoot him! -Your joyfully yelling covers the entirety of your room as you and your girlfriend are focused with sheer devotion to their GTA V game. -Babe! He's a good guy!

-He looks insane! Is half naked what do you mean?

-She yells with equal joy screwing up the mission you two are playing, however despite the screw up you two just end in a sea of laughter and hitting the couch you bought together, times could not be better.

Kang Haerin, your girlfriend from 2 years now moved in with you just a mere 6 months prior, despite being something so recent you two share far more stories together than one could imagine and no one could say otherwise.

As the rising laughter falls into heavy breathing from you two recovering from the intense experience the game just provided.

-Oh man! You're so stupid sometimes babe!

-Oh shut up, you're the one wanting to save some maniacs life!

-Well, saving maniacs's lives made me famished, do you want some pizza tonight? -You rest your head in your fist as you lean into the couch and look for her eyes, her gorgeous piercing eyes followed by her expressive smile fills your heart with joy.

-You know I do, handsome, just don't put olives in it. -She draws out her tongue to playfully tease you.

-Are you sure you have taste buds? -You say jokingly surprised by her choice of no olives.

-More than you apparently. -Haerin crosses her arms playfully but without being able to contain her smile she bursts out laughing either way. -But seriously, don't order olives for me. -She starts to turn off the gaming console and opens Netflix on the tv, ready for that movie night you promised as your... Billionth date?

-Whatever, you're lucky I love you otherwise I'd order a pizza with only cheese and olives. -You reply playfully and then sit down next to her as well with two full cups of hot cocoa.

-Awww you make my heart flutter. -She answers sarcastically at your comment.

Even though you've been together for 2 years, with every little gesture of hers you just fall deeper and deeper in love with her, the light of your eyes... The same light she has when she looks at you.

"This is perfect, I'm going to marry that girl." Is the thought that crosses your mind every single time her smile warms your heart, but you keep postponing it because... Why was it? Why are you waiting so much?

Why don't you just say it?

That's right.

Everything's perfect, why change it? Why do you need to call her other than your girlfriend if she's just perfect just the way she is?

-Honey? Are you okay? -Her sweet voice snaps you back into reality as she is now leaning on your shoulder and her left hand is pressed against your chest gently... Her gaze intensely looks for your eyes to try and read your emotions through them.

-I couldn't be better, sweetie. -Your sincere smile tells more than a thousand words, just a mere curl of your lips when your eyes meet hers is a constant confession of the devotion you have for her.

Not so long after the movie starts, you two hold in each other's embrace trying to protect each other from the frightening jump scares of the unreasonable choice of scary movies you chose for tonight.

With the extreme focus you two have even the ringing of your bell scares the shit out of you two.

-For Christ sake! -Even for a couple, shouting the same thing at the same time must be impressive.

The ringing on the bell sends confusion in both of your heads until Haerin realizes the facts.

-It's the pizza, idiot. -She says harshly as she flicks a finger on your forehead.

You rolled your eyes at her and mouth to her "shut up".

After a while you return with a big-ass pepperoni and cheese pizza with such a smell that only by opening it both of your stomachs start to growl uncontrollably.

-Here babe, you can start I'm going to get us something to drink... -You left the box on the coffee table of your living room. -You want soda or beer?

-Beer, babe, tomorrow Haerin's going to rest. -She says playfully feeling all warm and fuzzy as you get closer with the two beers on your hand.

One could say that two eaters sharing a pizza would become a non stop ending fight to see who is going to take the last slice, however these two lovebirds have their own system: slicing the last slice in half, everything has to be balanced, even when it comes to the food.

Finally after some time later you two finish your dinner and continue watching the movie, movie that is becoming so freaking boring that you can't resist but lean your head in Haerin's shoulder and fall asleep slowly, snoring and taking her scent slowly.

*Bzzz* *Bzzz* *Bzzz*

Your phone.

A notification?

A message.

Haerin's unwavering curiosity gets the best of her as she starts to fondle your pants looking for your phone, once she gets it she turns on the screen she's greeted by a picture of her smile and cat ears as your background pic, however what gets into her heart more is the fact that you never used any kind of lock, not security pin or password... Nothing, a complete show of trust that left her speechless for a while and drove her to kiss your sleeping cheeks.

Without any more seconds to waste she opens your messaging app to find the name of one of her sisters... Hanni?

Why is Hanni texting him this late at night?

Billions of thoughts flood her mind, sending a storm of doubt, jealousy, possessiveness. Why on earth would her best friend and sister text her boyfriend on a Friday night?

*Ding*

"You moron, you don't leave the ring in your underwear drawer, she would find it, you need to have it with you at all times and then ask her out when you two go out on a date." Is the last message that comes in while Haerin holds your phone.

-Why would you do that to me, Hanni? -Is the only thing she can think of, her sister, her belove... A ring? What does she mean?

A ring in his underwear drawer?

Haerin's cat-like stealth comes in very handy from time to time to scare her boyfriend and giggle right after, and it came extremely handy to drop his phone on his chest and go running to your shared bedroom and looking frantically for your underwear drawer.

Inside a small blue velvet box is placed perfectly between your socks and a pair of red boxers she gifted you barely a week before, upon picking it up she trembles in expectation.

"Can this be...?"

"Is this real..?"

"Does he really want to marry me?"

The question sends shivers down her spine as she opens the box to find just a piece of paper inside, disappointed and with the heart in her hand she throws the box and reads the message.

"Turn around, you minx."

She immediately turns around, surprised by the usage of the nickname her boyfriend only uses whenever she disappears and appears out of thin air.

Right behind her, her boyfriend, you, are kneeling on one knee, with tears of joy rolling down your cheeks and a silver ring with a small ruby gemstone on top, your breathing is heavy, irregular, but your eyes and your smile are calm, confident...

Hopeful.

-My plan went well. -Is what you say once her eyes meet yours, your breath allows you to just breath enough not to crumble, after a few seconds of eternity you finally speak. -Kang Haerin, I have thought about how to say this several times, to be honest for a few weeks now. Who would've thought that I would end up meeting the love of my life in my first year in Korea? but I guess life just doesn't go as we planned.

Your eyes are exploring every feature of your girlfriend as you speak, recording every single detail forever.

-For weeks I've had the certainty that my life belongs by your side, that my future is you, starting a family with you and loving only you, so Kang Haerin, forgive this sudden proposal and please tell me...

Will you marry me?

At the sight of your lips moving to say those 4 perfect words Haerin can't help but crumble in tears, jumping forward to meet your arms not giving a second thought I'd maybe the ring would get lost.

-YES! YES! OF COURSE I WILL.

Her yells of excitement fill the room and for a second leaves you deaf on one ear, but it's worth it. Completely worth it.

Your arms wrapped around her as you caress her hair and her back, the aftermath of the proposal is translated into her shivers being held by your embrace, her tender gaze meets yours and you start to clean up the tears rolling down her chin

-I really love you, baby. -She says once she calms down a bit. -And I would never choose anything else but being with you, forever.

-I love you too, my dear fiancee.

[cenorii]

Suspicious mentions

Today we will focus on something interesting, a little sad, and also squint and pretend to be surprised by something. A little bit of Jake, a little bit of Wesker.

I wrote once before that I find any mention of Wesker in games since his "death" suspicious, but I want to talk about it again because I have something to add. All of this is my personal opinion, seasoned with facts.

Capcom jettisoned Wesker very early on, failing to find a proper\interesting use for the character other than "antagonist who dies at the end of the game". Wesker has too long and complex a history that intertwines with all the games, and dying so early and so stupidly is obviously not a very worthy development for such a character. And they came to that conclusion too, but very late. This is the reason why Jake Muller, a wonderful character, and the whole thing with his mother was invented. Jake is a nice way for Capcom to continue Wesker's idea, but without him, or an attempt to end his story in a more dignified way by giving him a "suitable successor".

But they couldn't achieve the desired result with Jake either, so they continued to get out of the quagmire they got themselves into because of the ending of re5 by adding references to Wesker in Umbrella Corps, where it's gotten to the point where he's probably alive or his clone is now in charge of the Corps. A convenient way to prepare players for his return? Do they really intend to develop him? I'd like to see that happen.

But no one would be surprised that Wesker isn't dead, knowing his regeneration abilities and so on. So Capcom is forced to write in every note mentioning him that he's dead, reminding everyone that the volcano is his end. But… as we can see, this certainty of his death is the delusion they're trying to make us believe. All those notes, all those mentions… they are unreliable, because no one has ever answered the question "did anyone check out that volcano?". Can anyone in RE at this point be 100% certain that Wesker is dead? I don't think so, since no one has checked his "place of death".

In re7 Capcom decided to remind players of Wesker again, stating that BSAA is now, all of a sudden, partnered with Blue Umbrella, and using Wesker's weapons recovered from his designs. Why bring up Umbrella again? Why give them the same logo as the Corps but in blue colors? Why make Chris use Wesker's weapon? These details were chosen by Capcom for a reason, because games aren't developed in 5 minutes, they are created over years and all these small details are discussed repeatedly. Wesker's weapon also appeared in Umbrella Corps, which kind of hints that Capcom had some development planned for him as early as 2015. Empty references and a sudden clone? No, it's all for a reason. It all carries some sort of meaning and will lead to something in the end.

The note Jake's mother left him before she died reads:

«My beloved son, Jake. Please forgive your mother for leaving you alone so soon. And please don't hate your father. Your father surely still loves you from the bottom of his heart. Stay strong and know that you will meet him one day»

(Project Umbrella Translation)

I'd like to talk about Ms. Muller's assurance that Jake will one day meet Wesker. This, of course, could be a dramatic element, telling the viewer that Jake will not meet him, since his father is dead and he is now all alone. However, now, knowing all the facts telling us otherwise, Jake's mother's words sound different. They sound like a prophecy. Why was she sure that Jake and Wesker would meet? How deep is this iceberg?

There are no answers to these questions, we can only hope Capcom continues to pursue this line in future games. Given the presence of a picture of the old Wesker in re8 - they're really determined to develop this subtle storyline. And that's a great thing.

It's about time they stopped killing off "negative" characters at the end of games if they are "negative", because sometimes some of them have great potential for a second life. A character like Wesker, with a background that can only be compared to the deepest iceberg, is capable of something more than just antagonism. And I'm really enjoying the fact that he still hasn't been brought back, only tossing us small details that only slightly hint at his continuing life. After all, this is how a character like this should be revealed, he's perfectly at home in the background, behind the scenes, as someone who doesn't like to get personally involved. He's a head, but not a leader.

And if that's exactly what they're leading us to, they don't want to surprise us with Wesker's return at all. That would be too easy, don't you think?

[mint-yooxgi]

{13} - Paradise Gardens - Yandere!Demonic Entities!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Demon AU - Book Two to Hotel California

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst, Fluff, Slight Humour

Pairing: Ateez X Reader (Focus on Yeosang, Yunho, San, and Mingi)

Words: 10,500

Warnings: Mentions of past trauma and bullying: past suicidal thoughts mentioned, and mention of a lack of self worth, OC runs into an old 'friend' near the beginning, I think that's it honestly. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: So, I decided to split this part into two since I feel it makes the story flow better. I'm happy where I ended it, and I really hope you all look forward to the next few parts! There's quite a lot of story coming your way hehehe As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~

Also, gentle reminder that I don’t do tag lists.

Mini Masterlist - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten - Part Eleven - Part Twelve

There’s a fond look in your eyes as you stand by yourself in front of the large window overlooking the newborns sleeping soundly before you. The hospital is quiet, given how early in the morning it is, a few staff walking behind you every now and then. Still, you cannot help but watch over little Elijah, even now, ensuring that nothing happens to him while his mother rests with his father in her hospital room.

Born a little over eight hours ago, well into the night, he sleeps soundly. A week late, weighing in at a healthy eight pounds, eleven ounces, they keep him wrapped up while Crystal recovers from giving birth the night before.

When you had gotten the call yesterday, you immediately rushed to the hospital with Seonghwa and the others. You met your parents here, waiting as long as you could before being sent home. Having wanted as natural a birth as possible, Crystal had been in for a long night. 

Much to your content, you discovered Elijah had been born in the early hours of the morning, and had already been checked over for any ailments that might affect him after birth. He had none, and is perfectly healthy according to all of the doctors. A fact which makes you, and all of your family, happy beyond belief.

Currently, Vasco is with Crystal, staying with her after recovery while Elijah sleeps. San has went to grab you both coffees with Mingi, who you asked to stop by and check up on Crystal for you on the way to the café. You want to make sure that she’s fairing well while you check up on your baby nephew for the first time. 

The other guys stayed home, per your request. Of course, a few of them had protested at that - Wooyoung, Seonghwa, and Hongjoong - considering you all don’t know what Malik or Dimitri’s next moves are. However, at your assurance, they backed off. Besides, you have both Mingi and San here with you, and you highly doubt you would be attacked in a hospital.

Still, you’re on high alert. Just in case.

Looking over little Elijah once more as he sleeps, you notice a figure come to stand beside you out of the corner of your eyes. He’s tall, but not as tall as Yunho, with dirty blond hair. He looks familiar, but you don’t pay him much mind. You just wish he’d stop glancing at you every few seconds.

The soft call of your name startles you, and you finally turn to get a good look at the man standing beside you. His blue eyes are hauntingly familiar.

“Hi, Jake.” You give him a small, albeit tight smile.

“I thought it was you, but I wasn’t sure.” He smiles lightly back. “I haven’t seen you since elementary school. How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been well.” You reply softly. “Yourself?”

“Never better,” his eyes crinkle slightly as he turns back to observe the sleeping infants before you. “Is one of them yours?”

He holds a paper coffee cup in his hand, using it to motion before him along the line of babies.

“Oh. No.” You shake your head. “Just a proud aunt watching over her nephew.”

The corner of your lips twitches upwards as you motion to Elijah sleeping soundly before you.

A moment of silence as you cradle your elbows in your hands, almost to the point of curling in on yourself. You clear your throat. “You?”

A brilliant smile lights up his features, his eyes crinkling at the sides as his chest puffs out slightly in pride. He nods in the direction of two girls sleeping side by side. “My wife just had a twins.”

“Oh.” You meet his gaze briefly, offering him a small smile. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” He grins widely, ruffling his hair which already seems quite disheveled. “It would have been your sister, right?”

You blink, pulled out of your own thoughts for the moment. “I’m sorry?”

“Your sister who had the baby,” he motions lightly to Elijah with his cup again. “If I remember correctly.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” You clear your throat once more. “It was her.”

“Tell her congratulations for me.” He nods.

You swallow the dryness in your throat, shifting from foot to foot. “I will. Thank you.”

You don’t think you’ve ever had an encounter where you’ve felt more awkward in your life. Sure, you could brush up against Mingi’s, or even San’s mental links right now, but it’s not like you’re in danger. You’re just more uncomfortable than anything at the moment, given everything he did to you when you were younger.

“Actually, it must be pure luck that we ran into each other today.” This time, Jake clears his throat, somewhat nervously.

You hum in response, shifting the slightest bit further from him without arousing suspicion.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the past lately, and it just reminded me that I never apologized to you.”

His statement catches you so off guard, that your hands end up falling to your sides.

“I was a huge asshole to you when we were younger, and I don’t know how much this will mean to you now, but I’m sorry. I wasn’t happy when I was a kid, and I felt you were an easy target to take that out on. I was always jealous of you, and I let that and my anger control my actions. That was not right.” He says, no longer looking towards you, but down at his hands with that coffee cup held in them for dear life. “I regret getting my friends involved to torment you, too. The feeling of them listening to me gave me a sense of power I felt I lacked in my life, and you were the unfortunate victim.”

You swear you’ve stopped breathing, whole body feeling numb as you refuse to so much as look in his direction. Jake was one of the ones who tormented you so much when you were younger, and gave you all of those self doubts, as well as an incredible amount of self hatred. One of the ones who made you believe you were worthless, ugly, and unlovable.

The worst part: he started out as one of your closest friends, too. A close friend who you had cherished above all else, just as you do with all the people you care about.

A worried call of your name greets your ears, and you turn to see San standing to your opposite side, a cup of coffee held in each of his hands. Mingi is nowhere in sight.

There is no hiding the narrowed eyed look San sends Jake’s way as the former comes to stand beside you. He places the cup of coffee in your hand gently before immediately wrapping his now free arm around your waist. Almost instantly, he pulls you into his side.

“You don’t have to forgive me.” Jake continues, and you feel San’s grip around your waist tighten. “It’s been years, and I would understand if you never did. What I did was vile, and inexcusable. Just know, that I am sorry, and I regret it all.” He swallows thickly. “I just thought you should know.”

With a firm nod in acknowledgement towards San, and without another word spoken, Jake takes his leave.

Your eyes follow after him down the hall, watching as he retreats around a corner and out of sight. You don’t even notice Mingi has come to join you until you hear his voice speaking to you.

“Who was that?” There’s a hint of a growl to his words, him taking note of the distressed state you seem to be in at the moment.

You inhale sharply, as if suddenly coming back to the reality before you.

“Starlight?” Immediately, worry takes over Mingi’s features as he looks at you.

Beside you, you can feel San physically trembling.

“Baby,” his voice is low in attempts to control his building anger, “What did he do to you?”

You shake your head, blinking a few times blankly. “Nothing.”

“Then, why was he apologizing to you?” Mingi’s brow furrows, stepping in front of you in order to gently grasp your hands still holding onto that cup in his own.

“That was Jake.” You blink, head still reeling at this turn of events. “He- he-“ You take a deep breath in to steady your nerves. “He was my friend. Once.”

The two males share a look.

“You don’t look like you’ve just been chatting up an old friend.” San glares off in the direction Jake had walked off in, as if he can still see the male behind the walls of the hospital.

“He was my friend,” you repeat, pursing your lips for only a moment, “before he started bullying me.”

You swear that were you not in a public place, both males would have let growls escape them.

“He made me feel worthless, and pathetic.” Your gaze is somewhat blank, as if recalling memories from your childhood that you have long since kept hidden. “I can’t count the amount of times he told me I was ugly.” You swallow. “And fat. And stupid. And that I would never amount to anything. That no one would ever care for me, so I should just runaway and die.”

You swear you see San’s eyes flash in the reflection of the glass beside Mingi’s head.

“He got his friends involved, and it was like a game to them who could berate me the most.” You don’t know how you’re still standing, or how you’ve managed to quell your building emotions for the time being, but you do. “He told me to kill myself more times than I can remember.”

You look down at that cup of coffee in your hands, finally taking note of Mingi still gently holding onto you. The way they both have trouble breathing, chests heaving with each breath, you just know that they’re both barely containing their anger for the moment.

“I told you once before how people would pretend to like me as a joke,” you exhale shakily, and you hear the faintest of growls come from the man still holding you to his side. “I wish I could say I saw through it every time, but sometimes having a crush can blind you.”

San nearly drops the cup of coffee in his hand. “You liked him?”

“I mentioned we started off as friends, no?” Your lips twitch upwards sadly. “I think that’s what made what he did worse. I let so many things slide because I just wanted his attention. It’s something I’ve always done. With him though, any attention was good attention to me. It didn’t take long for it to change. His younger brother always was rude to me from the start, but then he started in on the ‘fun’, too.”

This time, there’s no mistaking when Mingi’s eyes flash black right before you.

Quickly, you scan the hallway to ensure it’s still empty. 

It is.

“He never apologized, or even acknowledged what he did to me before. He always denied it when confronted about it, too.” Your grip tightens slightly around that cup in your hands. “Until now.”

Raising a shaky hand to your cheek, Mingi cups your face tenderly in his palm. Gently, his thumb strokes over your skin, and you can feel the barely contained rage in his touch despite how delicately he holds onto you.

“We should tear him apart for what he did to you.” Mingi keeps his voice surprisingly low and steady. His Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. “He doesn’t deserve to live.”

A low growl of agreement sounds from San.

Almost instantly, you’re shaking your head. “No.”

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” San asks, pulling away from you in shock as he begins pacing in front of both you and Mingi in that little space between where you stand and the wall.

“He’s not worth it.” You reach out, and instantly San has his free hand in yours. “I never expected to run into him after all these years, least of all for him to apologize as soon as I did.”

“Are you-“ Mingi takes the time to study your features closely, gently guiding your gaze back to his. “Are you okay?”

“Shocked.” You blink a few times in response. “Attempting to process things for the moment, but I think I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?” San steps in closer, nothing but worry etched into his brow.

“Yeah.” You meet his gaze. “I don’t know, it’s almost… freeing in a sense.” You swallow. “It’s almost like getting a sense of closure I never knew I needed.”

Instantly, the two males seem to relax the slightest bit from your words.

“He seemed genuine when he spoke to you.” San adds softly, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Besides, I’m sure our dear Sannie here would have torn him apart in an instant if he sensed any malicious or deceitful thoughts towards you.” Mingi finally drops his hands, turning to glance off in the direction Jake went off in. “I know I would have.”

“You’re damn right I would have.” San hums in agreement.

A soft laugh escapes you. “That I do know.”

They offer you small smiles in response, an affectionate gleam to their eyes. 

“His wife just had twins.” You motion to the two baby girls wrapped up in blankets near Elijah with your chin.

They spare a brief look in their direction before shifting their focus onto Elijah. Almost instantaneously, Elijah stretches in his sleep, a tiny yawn escaping him as he shifts his position.

You coo lovingly down at your little nephew.

“He’s perfectly healthy, as far as we, and all of the doctors can tell.” San is beside you once more, his arm wrapped securely around your waist.

“And Crystal?” You spare a glance at Mingi.

“A little tired, but recovering just fine.” He smiles at you in response. “I checked her over like you asked.”

“Good.” A soft smile pulls at your lips. “I’m glad.”

Slowly, the three of you begin making your way back down the hallway and towards the room Crystal is in. You plan to spend some time with her before heading back for the day, and getting some more training done with Yunho and Yeosang. 

You’re almost at a point where you can start learning the basics of a few weapons, and you’re getting quite excited. Wooyoung is more than ready to start teaching you about different poisons, and he’s often hinted at certain plants which have high toxicity levels. For now, he’s still letting you have some space, not wanting to give you any ‘ideas’ for the next time he gets overtly clingy. 

Not that you would poison him. 

Similarly, Yunho has been helping you hone your mind, strengthening it before the inevitable happens once you become like them.

Once you become like them.

There’s a thought that has been crossing your mind more often than not lately. You know that they mentioned that it would consist of the merging of souls in a way - you give them a piece of your soul while they give you a piece of theirs in exchange - but you’re still not entirely sure what that entails. You’ve been meaning to ask, only, you haven’t found the proper time to do so.

Perhaps you’ll bring it up again, soon.

For now, you’ll focus on joking around and making your sister smile as you sit beside her hospital bed. Vasco managed to pass out in the one chair in the time it took for Mingi to come find both you and San, but you don’t hold it against him. The man has been up all night with his wife.

After about an hour, you notice Crystal starting to drift off to sleep, too, so you bid her a fond farewell for now. With a big hug and a kiss from you, you tell her to get as much rest as she can, and that you’ll be around to visit again soon.

The whole car ride back home is quiet. Both Mingi and San attempt to engage you in conversation, only for you to reply with small, one word answers. That is, if you don’t just hum in response. Your mind is clearly elsewhere, and worry furrows their brows as they watch you almost subconsciously drive home.

You seem distracted, and it’s enough to have the others observing you carefully as you walk through the house. The quiet is unusual for you after visiting your sister, and though you don’t appear angry, or upset, it’s quite unsettling.

Of course, it takes no time for both Mingi and San to be sharing what happened with the others. 

Why am I suddenly getting flashbacks to that worm we disposed of all those months ago? Wooyoung nearly growls out in all of their heads.

Believe me, Hongjoong sighs. You’re not the only one.

So, why aren’t we doing that to this one right now? Perhaps even something worse?Jongho quirks a brow while staring down at the pages of his book.

She told us not to. Mingi replies. Said he wasn’t worth it.

But he hurt her. This time, it’s Seonghwa who responds. None of his brothers need to see him to know that he wears a frown on his features currently. 

An expression mirrored by more than just one male.

She said it happened a long time ago. San adds. We don’t know the full details, just what she’s told us.

And that should have been enough to at least torment the fellow. Yunho says, as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

I don’t know, guys. Mingi sighs. She told us that she felt as if it was almost freeing in a sense for him to apologize after all these years. You know I’m all for eviscerating anyone that harms her, but if she says not to, I think we should listen to her.

We’re lucky she hasn’t found out about Calum, yet. Yeosang chimes in, an almost knowing hum to his words.

And she never will. Hongjoong confirms. Just like she doesn’t have to know about this ‘Jake’ guy.

His wife just had twins, Hongjoong. San states, rather firmly. Besides, do you really want to disobey Our Queen’s wishes like that so easily?

A moment of silence settles over all of them as San’s words sink in.

San’s right. Seonghwa finally breaks the building tension. We don’t purposely orphan children, or widow spouses. Nor should we go against her wishes.

Boo! You guys are no fun. They can all practically hear the pout in Wooyoung’s voice as he says this.

I suppose the circumstances were a lot different last time. Jongho sighs.

We could still torment him mentally. Yunho suggests casually.

Oh, I’m all for this! Wooyoung exclaims excitedly. I could mildly poison him. Make it a hindrance to his daily life for a week or so.

All fun ideas, Yeosang hums. But I think you’re all forgetting one important detail.

At his brother’s inquisitive silence, Yeosang is quick to continue. 

She said, ‘no’.

“Is everything okay?” The sound of your voice, somewhat worried and soft, draws both Yunho and Yeosang out of their mental conversation with their brothers for the moment.

“Of course, Petal.” Yunho smiles at you. “We’re just worried about you, is all.”

“Me?” You quirk a brow in surprise.

“You seem distracted.” Yeosang tilts his head to the side slightly, almost curiously.

“You two have been standing to the side frowning like you can’t decide between cheddar or parmesan cheese for the past ten minutes.” You huff out a laugh. “If anyone’s distracted, it’s you.”

“We’re waiting for you to finish stretching.” Yeosang answers, attempting some form of causality.

“I finished stretching and doing some warm up exercises ten minutes ago.” You deadpan.

“Oh.” 

That seems to shut them up for a good thirty seconds.

“So then, what would you like to work on today, Petal?” Yunho is quick to change the subject.

Immediately, you begin vibrating in excitement, grinning widely as your eyes shine.

“Let’s finalize your hand-to-hand combat training first before we pull out the knives.” Yunho chuckles.

A dramatic pout pulls onto your features and Yeosang elbows Yunho quite pointedly in the ribs.

“Don’t worry, My Dear, we’ll let you try some weapons later today.” Yeosang assures you.

Almost instantly, your mood perks up, and both of them are smiling fondly at you.

“I take it I won’t actually get any pointy objects to start.” You quirk a brow playfully.

The two males share a look before Yunho is shrugging. “If that’s what you want.”

“We may be overprotective, Dearest, but we’re not unreasonable.” Yeosang replies. “If any incidents occur, we can just heal you.”

“Or us.” Yunho adds at seeing your expression of disbelief.

A subtle nod of your head in amusement is all he gets in response.

“You’ve been working on building your strength with Mingi and San, correct?” Yunho is quick to ask, walking over to the sparring mats to your left.

A nod is all the confirmation he gets.

“Alright then, Dearest,” Yeosang smiles, moving over beside his brother before meeting your gaze. “Show us what you’ve got.”

“Are you suggesting I take the both of you at the same time?” You quirk a brow teasingly as you step onto the mats.

The low growls you receive in response are all the confirmation you get that they’ve taken the comment in a different way than what you originally insinuated.

“Keep thinking like that, I’ll easily distract the both of you.” You chuckle, a sultry pull to the corner of your lips.

“We can’t help it, Dearest,” Yeosang sighs, almost wistfully. “You have a habit of dropping the most interesting thoughts into our minds at the best of times.”

“Not the worst?” Your brows flick upwards suggestively.

“Sometimes.” Yunho chuckles, and at the way your mouth falls open in mock offence, he’s quick to add, “I never said it was a bad thing, Petal.”

“It’s just a little more difficult to…” Yeosang searches for the right word, “concentrate on the battlefield with certain additions to our physique.”

“Yes, I can quite imagine how painful it is to fight when you’re hard.” You grin, huffing out a small laugh.

“It’s certainly not the most comfortable thing.” Yeosang nods in agreement.

“You speak as if you have experience with this sort of thing,” Your eyebrows raise, amusement shining behind your eyes.

When both of them shrug, you cannot help the boisterous laugh that escapes you.

“I’d say Captain has the most, though.” Yunho adds, seemingly nonchalantly. “He can get intense on the battlefield. In more than one way.”

“Oh?” This piques your interest. “Then, I look forward to it.”

The way they both blink at you in mild shock has you giggling.

“What? Surprised it doesn’t phase me that much anymore?” You tilt your head curiously.

“A little bit,” Yunho blinks, loosening his stance in preparation to fight you.

“A girl has her fantasies.” This time, it’s your turn to shrug.

Two low growls greet your ears, the faintest tint of black darkening their eyes.

“Care to share, Dearest?” Yeosang begins stalking towards you slowly, like a predator would its prey.

You immediately begin countering his every move, watching Yunho carefully out of the corner of your eyes. “Perhaps I’ll just show you.”

His breath hitches, and you strike.

For the next forty minutes, the three of you spar together on the mats. A few times, you manage to pin one of them, only for the other to knock you right off your balance. You’ve only ever sparred with one partner before, besides last week when Jongho and Mingi decided to challenge you further. So, taking on multiple of them at a time requires even more quick maneuvers and thinking on your part, but you’re starting to recognize a pattern to their attacks.

You’re not sure if they’re doing it on purpose, or if they’re aware of it or not, but Yunho seems to be the one to observe the scene before moving, and only when it looks like Yeosang has created an opening for him to get through. That, or when you’ve managed to subdue Yeosang for the moment.

Yeosang, on the other hand, enjoys staying low to the ground, crouching as he goes in for the attack to throw off your balance. He’s nimble, and much more flexible than you thought he could be. A fact which intrigues you as much as impresses you.

Both never fail to praise you any opportunity they get.

During the second round, Yeosang accidentally manages to tear your shirt. The scraps of fabric hang limply off of your shoulders, exposing your torso and the sports bra you wear.

Luckily, for you, it seems to distract them for a moment. Out of shock or something else, you don’t quite know. Either way, you know an opportunity when you see one.

Using this to your advantage, you manage to land a solid roundhouse kick to the side of Yunho’s head, quickly subduing Yeosang in the next moment.

Your chest heaves as you pin Yeosang beneath you, a victorious grin pulling at your lips.

Just as you go to say something, a low groan from the male laying on his back to your left draws your attention.

“Oh shit, Universe!” You hop right off of Yeosang to inspect the damage you’ve done to Yunho’s cheek. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he replies, somewhat in a daze. His hand comes up to cup his cheek, almost affectionately. “Never better.”

“I just kicked you in the face, and you’re acting like a schoolboy who’s just received a cheek kiss from his crush for the first time.” You chuckle, noticing how Yeosang now kneels beside you with an almost pout on his lips. You quirk a brow, “What, you want me to kick you, too?”

Yeosang shoots you an innocent side eyed look, hope shining behind his orbs.

“I can’t wait to tell Mingi,” Yunho chuckles, pushing himself into a sitting position.

“I think Wooyoung might be more jealous.” Yeosang comments casually.

“You guys want me to harm you when we spar?” The appal is clear on your features.

“We don’t get hurt that easily, Dearest, but when it’s you that manages to surprise us, it’s incredible.” Yeosang tells you honestly. “Not to mention how much pride that fills us when you hit us in this context.”

“Not to mention incredibly sexy.” Yunho breathes, still stuck in that daze as the tips of his fingers gently rub over his cheek.

A brief conversation with Hongjoong about that scar that still sits proudly on his chest flashes through your mind.

“It’s impressive.” Yeosang concludes with a firm nod.

“Oh.” You giggle, a heat rising to your cheeks at their praise. “I still worry, though.”

“We know.” Yunho smiles at you, noticing how you gently pull his hand away to place a tender kiss upon his cheek. His ears flare bright red. “The feeling is, and will always be, mutual, Petal.”

You simply smile in response, helping Yunho back to his feet. Still, you cannot hide the concern in your eyes.

“Don’t worry, Petal.” Yunho chuckles, wrapping his one arm around you briefly in order to place a gentle kiss onto your temple. “Believe me when I say we’ve all suffered much worse injuries at each other’s hands before.”

You blink at him in shock.

“Remember how we told that you we don’t hold back on each other when sparring?” Yeosang chimes in.

Realization floods your features, nodding along to his words slowly.

“The bets were the worst.” Yunho hums, clearly reminiscing some past memories. “We would never kill each other, but we’ve gotten close to it a few times.”

Your brow furrows immensely in worry.

“Heat of the moment, Dearest.” Yeosang is quick to explain at the way your lips seem to part with a response. “It’s why we always had at least one of us to moderate the fights when we made bets on each other.”

“I still want to watch you guys fight one another at some point.” You comment, moving off to the side to take a drink of water.

“We haven’t forgotten, Petal.” Yunho grins. “We’re just saving it for now.”

You pout, somewhat dramatically.

“All in due time, Dearest.” Yeosang chuckles. “All in due time.”

You sigh, “I suppose it might be better for when I know how to at least use some weapons. I can study how you guys all use them, then.”

“Exactly.” Yunho nods, before catching himself. “Wait, what?”

“I thought I mentioned that I’m somewhat of a visual learner?” You tilt your head slightly in inquiry at him.

A flash of your hands weaving together those flowers in that clearing all those months ago flits through his mind.

“I remember now.” He hums, a loving smile gracing his lips.

A smile which you return.

Yeosang clears his throat, looking pointedly at Yunho. “How’s your head?”

Yunho spares a brief look towards you, a smirk pulling subtly onto his features. He licks his lips. “No complaints.”

The second that you spit out the water you’re drinking, Yeosang has jumped onto Yunho’s back, locking his arms around the elder male’s throat and choking him out. You begin coughing simultaneously as laughter attempts to escape you, Yunho thrashing around with Yeosang clinging like a koala to his back.

Finally, you manage to get your coughing under control as laughter takes over in full swing. Your eyes crinkle as you see the two of them continuing to play fight, Yunho soon tossing Yeosang over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and slamming the shorter male onto the mat below him.

The fact that they can hear how joyous you are in this moment makes each of their hearts swell. A sound neither will ever grow tired of. Knowing that they are the cause only serves to make them happy, pride swelling in their chests despite the circumstances that lead to this encounter. Well, at least for one of them.

You watch on with a fond look in your eyes as you lean against the side wall. That is, until a distant look crosses your features, and you seem to zone out for a minute or two.

“Is everything okay, Dearest?” It’s Yeosang’s voice that manages to pull you out of your thoughts.

You focus back in on your surroundings, noticing the worried tug of both his and Yunho’s brows, the two of them standing before you.

“Yeah,” you send them both a small smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

“Now, who’s the distracted one?” Yunho jokes, moving beside you in order to nudge your arm slightly with his elbow.

Yeosang sends him a pointed look before turning back to you. “Are you sure you’re okay, Dearest? San and Mingi told us what happened earlier at the hospital.“

You take a moment to think, brow furrowing slightly as you look down at the ground.

“I just-“ you sigh. “I had so much pent up anger and sadness when I was younger for what he did to me. I never understood why he did it, and now that this has happened, I don’t quite know how to feel.”

“How do you feel, Petal?” Yunho steps in closer, placing a comforting hand onto your shoulder.

“Relieved, in a way.” You reply honestly. “Confused. Maybe a little angry, and a slight bit resentful still. It happened so long ago, that I didn’t think too much of the situation anymore. At least, I tried not to, but seeing him today just brought everything back. I’m still attempting to figure out if I’m actually passed everything with him or not, or if I just wanted to scrub it from my memory. I don’t think I can forgive him, though. Not after what he did to me.”

A brief pause.

“You know, I contemplating running away from home because of him. Just disappearing off the map, and dying in a ditch, because I believed him when he said no one would care.” You swallow thickly. “I was only ten.”

The way you see Yeosang’s eyes flash before you out of the corner of your vision says it all. You don’t even need to look at Yunho to know he does the same.

“Yet, hearing him apologize for things today…” you trail off, finally lifting your gaze to glance at both males standing around you. “Well, it’s like I told San and Mingi earlier today. It did feel freeing. It felt like finally getting an acknowledgment of everything bad he did to me, and him owning up to it. It’s- it’s-” you blink, your lips parting as they twitch upwards, “gratifying.”

Gently, Yeosang takes your hands in his own, yet you still manage to feel the subtle way he cannot control them from shaking.

“Is there-“ he swallows thickly, keeping his voice low as he clears his throat, “Is there anything we can do?”

You take a moment to stare deeply into his eyes, thinking of your answer carefully.

You blink lightly once more.

“No.” You shake your head. “No. I don’t think there is.”

“Petal-“

“The past can’t be changed now, nor do I want it to be.” You cut Yunho’s worried tone off. “I’m not the same person I was back then, but it’s made me who I am today. Yes, he hurt me.” You take a breath. “Am I going to let those old memories control my life? No. Besides, I’ve got more important things to think about now.”

“As long as you’re okay, Petal,” Yunho squeezes your shoulder gently. “That’s all we care about.”

“I’m okay, Yun.” You offer him a small smile before squeezing Yeosang’s hands back. “I’ll be okay.”

A comfortable silence settles over the three of you as you all hold onto each other so tenderly. You know both males will do whatever they can to comfort you, should you ask them to, but right now, you also have other things on your mind. Mainly, moving passed this and getting on with your new life.

“So…” You spare a glance at each male surrounding you. “Weapons?”

Yeosang quirks a brow, “What would you like to start with?”

“You’re letting me choose?” Your eyes widen, and you cannot help the way you begin to bounce on your feet. 

At their nods, a large grin pulls at your lips.

“Is there something you have in mind?” Yunho asks, an eager tone to his inquiry.

Multiple weapons flash through your mind at once, and you bring a hand up to your chest in hopes to quell your racing heart. That’s when you remember the state of your shirt, or rather, your now non-existent shirt.

Humming in thought to yourself, you pull the last few scraps of material off of your body. Gently, you tuck the fabric beside your water bottle, leaving you in just your sports bra for the time being. Not that any of you really mind.

That’s when you get an idea.

“Well, it’d be best to start with something at least somewhat familiar, no?” You look between the two males before you.

“That would probably be best.” Yeosang nods in confirmation.

“Well, since I haven’t seen any of you use any of your weapons yet, I’ll stick with something I’ve used before.” You reply, a knowing grin tugging onto your features. “Could one of you please get me a bat?”

You can see the surprise on both of their features the instant you say this. Regardless, Yeosang makes a wooden baseball bat appear in his hand, presenting it to you almost immediately.

“A bat, Petal?” Yunho’s brow quirks.

“Listen, I don’t want to be playing around with something I don’t understand yet. No matter how badly I want to throw an axe, or stab something with a sword, it’s not worth the risk for my first try.” You reply, grabbing the wooden object from Yeosang’s outstretched hand. “This,” you shake the bat lightly, “at least I’m somewhat familiar with. The worst it can really do is break a few bones at the present.”

“Is that why you were going to use it to bash San’s kneecaps in with?” Yeosang’s eyes shine with nothing but amusement.

“I had a lot of pent up rage as a teenager.” You shrug, stepping back onto the sparring mat while letting the bat spin loosely in your hand. A blink, and you’ve allowed it to fall in a circle, the tip nearly touching the ground before you’re holding it upright in the air. “Reina and I spent a lot of time in rec rooms, smashing shit. Especially when the whole thing happened with her ex first year of university.”

“You’ve mentioned.” Yunho nods, recalling that conversation briefly in his mind.

“There’s a reason he takes my threats seriously.” You grin, stepping up before a fighting dummy.

You eye the test dummy, flipping the bat almost absentmindedly in your one hand.

“Should we be worried?” Yeosang chuckles, a pleasant shiver caressing his spine as he watches you handle that bat for the moment.

“It’s been a while, so potentially.” You shrug, solidifying your hold on the base. “The first few times I ever swung seriously, I kept accidentally letting the bat go. It would go flying across the room and into the wall.”

“We’ll stand behind you, then.” Yunho grins, an eager gleam in his eyes as he sees you beginning to weigh the bat in each of your hands.

Continuously, you do more spins with the bat, tossing it from hand to hand to get a better feel of the wood beneath your grip.

“I wonder how much worse my swing has gotten.” You say, almost absentmindedly to yourself. “It’s been a while. My aim’s also never been particularly good.”

“Oh, come on, Baby,” San’s voice suddenly coming from behind you has you jumping before you’re spinning around to face him. “You can’t be that bad if you’re confident enough to threaten me with it.”

Your eyebrow quirks, noticing all eight of them now standing behind you.

“You think we’re going to pass up the opportunity of seeing you hit something with a weapon for the first time?” Wooyoung grins, almost maniacally. “Not likely, Angel.”

“Didn’t realize I’d have an audience.” You mutter, tightening your grip on the base of that bat in your hand once more.

“We’re only here to encourage you, Starlight.” Mingi smiles, a proud nod to his head.

“Yunho also wouldn’t stop bragging about getting kicked in the face by you.” San adds, somewhat bitterly. “We’re also here to kick his ass afterwards."

You shoot a pointed look at Yunho.

“What?” He raises his hands in his own defence. “I told you already, Petal. It makes us proud knowing what you’re capable of.”

“He’s just hoping you’ll do it again.” Hongjoong hums, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Says the one begging to be stabbed all the time,” Seonghwa rolls his eyes.

“Just say you’re jealous and be done with it.” Jongho snorts, leaning against one of the racks with weights on them.

“Okay,” you huff out a small laugh, turning back around to face the fighting dummy.

Lowly, you can hear them continuing to bicker behind you, and the fact that you can hardly feel their attention lingering on you causes you to relax. Inhaling deeply, you fill your lungs with as much air as you can before slowly exhaling. Shuffling from foot to foot, you gently tap the tip of the bat against the side of your foot in preparation for what you’re about to do.

Raising the wooden object, you let it spin once more in your hand before you’re gripping it tightly in your hold. Lining up your shot, a crazed look takes over your features as you swing the bat to strike at the head of the dummy, letting your adrenaline drive you. The resulting crack fills the room on impact, and the dummy goes tumbling to the floor with little resistance.

Silence surrounds you, and all you can register is a loud ringing in your ears as your chest heaves with each breath. Your body stands over that fighting dummy, now laying face down on the floor, the bat resting at your side with the tip balanced upon the floor.

That felt good. Probably better than it should have for the moment.

You turn to face them, a gleeful giggle falling from your lips, “How was that?”

However, you do not expect the scene that greets you as soon as you turn around.

San has fallen to his knees, his chest heaving as his mouth rests open in shock. Wooyoung is right beside him, both his and San’s chests heaving as the younger supports himself using his one arm on the ground. Seonghwa has a hand on Hongjoong’s shoulder, steadying himself while the elder can only stand there, stunned, with his eyes as black as night. To his left, Jongho stands, barely holding himself upright against that rack of weights for the moment as Mingi attempts to steady himself against the wall. Both Yunho and Yeosang are not fairing much better, appearing as if they’ve stopped breathing for the time being.

They all look about ready to pounce on you. In a good way, of course.

“Uh…” you blink at them in shock.

A loud crash is heard as Jongho finally loses his balance, a weight tumbling to the ground as it dislodges from the rack. It lands unceremoniously on his foot, of which he immediately grabs, hopping around as curses fall from his mouth.

“Oh shit, are you okay?” Immediately, you attempt to rush over to Jongho, only to get stopped by two males.

The breath escapes you as you go tumbling to the floor, the bat clattering onto the mat beside you. You hardly register anything for the moment except the sight of the ceiling above you, and the sound of low, pleased snarls filling the room and surrounding you from all angles.

A male rests on top of you, and you can feel yourself laying on top of another, both with their faces pressed into either side of your neck. Their pleased rumbles reverberate through your chest, every exhale they make tickling your skin. You swear they both begin nuzzling into you, too.

“Geez, if this is how you’re going to react every time I smack something, I think we’re going to need to put some rules in place.” You joke, an amused chuckle spilling from your lips as you see Hongjoong finally pull back from your neck to stare into your eyes.

“My Love, you cannot blame us.” There’s a hint of a growl to his words as his gaze swirls with that all too familiar darkness that you’ve become used to. “You must understand, we’ve been dreaming of this moment for a very long time.”

“What?” The corner of your lips quirks upwards. “Me smacking something with a bat?”

“You using any kind of weapon.” Seonghwa answers, his chest rumbling beneath you once more as his grip tightens against your hips.

He shifts beneath you, and you swear that you can feel something hard already pressing firmly into your ass.

Your breath hitches slightly, and you swear you feel him smirk against your skin.

“So, you really could have done some damage to San that day.” Yunho observes casually with a hum.

“Hey!” Said male whines, finally managing to stand back to his feet.

“I would have paid to see it.” Jongho says, replacing the fallen weight back onto the rack.

“You were the one who gave her the bat.” Mingi recalls.

“And I’d do it again!” The youngest replies, quite eagerly at that.

“Okay, so make sure there aren’t any bats around when we do anything to piss her off.” Wooyoung nods, somewhat to himself.

“More like, make sure you hide all the bats when you inevitably annoy her again.” Yunho teases, the others snickering along in agreement.

“Hey!” This time, it’s Wooyoung’s turn to whine.

“Woah, let’s not rule out the fact that I’m not gonna go around smacking you guys for the hell of it.” You chime in, gently guiding Hongjoong off of you for the moment, much to his displeasure.

“So, you don’t want to smack our asses?” Mingi quirks a knowing brow.

“If anyone wants to smack someone’s ass here, Min, it’s you.” You playfully roll your eyes, noticing how he suddenly averts his own gaze knowing damn well that you speak the truth.

“How did we go from baseball bats to smacking asses?” Seonghwa exhales a long sigh, helping you sit up beside him.

“It’s good for moral support.” San quips, Wooyoung immediately nodding along enthusiastically.

“You want me to spank you?” You look at them expectantly, noticing how red quite a few of them begin to get at your words.

Mingi begins to splutter.

“Well, if you’re offering,” Wooyoung smirks deviously, jutting out his hip slightly as if to put his ass on display.

This earns him a smack upside the head from Jongho, who suddenly cannot seem to meet your gaze.

“I mean, if you want me to,” you shrug, unaware of the commotion you’ve just started.

San and Wooyoung now appear to be wrestling on the ground, arguing about who’s going to get felt up first. Meanwhile, both Mingi and Jongho keep pushing each other back every time the other takes a step forward and towards you. Yunho laughs off to the side while both Seonghwa and Hongjoong begin bickering beside you. The only one you have yet to hear speak since this whole fiasco started is Yeosang.

Turning your head, you nearly jump when you see Yeosang crouched beside you. Silently, he presses a finger to his lips, helping you to your feet as you both slip away during the chaos erupting around you.

Carefully, Yeosang leads you to an area off to the side. It’s quite a long area, acting as a shooting range for target practice more than anything. Given how close it is to where you just were, you’re surprised none of the others have noticed your disappearance yet. Looks like they’re too busy bickering with one another to take note of your absence.

“Yeo?” You blink at him curiously, noticing how he moves around quickly, gathering a few things before standing directly in front of you.

“I had to get you away before they noticed.” He smiles, resting a quiver of arrows against the bench closest to you.

A bow rests in his left hand. It’s simplistic in design, and quite slim, but even you can tell that it’s carved from wood despite the smooth, black paint that covers the entirety of it.

“Are you going to shoot for me?” You cannot hide the excitement in your eyes.

“Perhaps.” A teasing quirk to his lips upwards. “Or maybe I intend for us to shoot together.”

Your breath hitches, a large grin painting your features as you giggle gleefully.

“You know, I’ve always loved archery.” You comment, barely able to prevent yourself from bouncing on your toes as you watch him grab an arrow from the quiver.

“I remember.” He smiles, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Would you like to watch me-“

“Yes.” There is no hesitation in your response, even as you clasp your hands over your chest hopefully. “I mean…” You clear your throat, noticing how he blinks at you in mild shock. “Please. I would love to.”

With those final words, you motion for him to continue.

A kind smile and a nod are all you get in response as Yeosang takes his position on the little shooting platform. Still, he holds that bow in his one hand, placing the arrow into the little nook before taking a deep breath to steady himself. Then, with a smooth precision that you’ve become so accustomed to from him, he lifts his weapon, lining up his shot with the target at the end of the track.

Every movement he makes, every breath he takes, you observe carefully. Your eyes never leave him, noting how focused he looks in this very moment. The string of the bow is pressed against the corner of his lips as he draws the arrow back, arms not so much as wavering even in the slightest in their hold. The line from the tip of the arrow to the end of his elbow is steady, and if you didn’t know him, you’d swear he was a statue rather than a living person in this very moment.

A breath, and the arrow is loosed.

The tip spears through the air, landing in a dull thunk as it meets its target across the way. Naturally, it lands dead centre.

Nothing but awe paints your features as you see him turn to you. Adoration is clear in your eyes as you watch him step up to you, a shy smile tugging at his lips.

“You’re incredible, you know that?” You breathe, your hands still clasped in front of your chest.

“That truly means the world to me coming from you, Dearest.” Yeosang smiles softly, bringing his free hand up to gently cup your cheek. “I’m just glad I can finally share this with you.”

“I won’t lie, I’ve been looking forward to this since you mentioned teaching me that day at the mall.” Your lids flutter shut, leaning into his touch.

“Really?” He tilts his head slightly, thumb tenderly stroking along your cheek. At the way you hum in response, he steps in closer, breath ghosting the skin of your lips. “I’m glad.”

Softly, your eyes open to stare deeply into his own. He seems to be studying your every feature, nothing but fondness reflected in his gaze as he cannot help but keep sparing fleeting glances down at your lips.

Your tongue darts out to wet them, and you hear his breath hitch slightly in his throat.

“I always enjoy spending time with you, Yeo.” The admission is but a whisper on your lips, scared that if you speak any louder, you’ll disturb the moment between the two of you.

Faintly, in the background, you can still hear the other seven bickering about something or other. Not that you’re really paying attention to them at the moment.

“The feeling is, and always will be, mutual, My Queen.” He breathes out, leaning forward slightly to rest his forehead against your own.

Your heart flutters.

“Yeosang?”

He hums, tilting his head slightly forward so that his nose brushes against your own.

“Kiss me.”

Like every time before, you do not have to ask him twice.

How the press of his lips against your own always feels just like the very first time escapes you. Always, he holds you gently, pouring everything he is into the movement of his lips over your own. He cradles you close, loving how your own hands find purchase on his shoulders to steady yourself as he kisses your breath away.

It’s slow, and loving. Nothing more expected than what the other is willing to give. All the same, it makes your heart race, nothing but love flooding your veins as he holds you to him gently.

Slowly, he retracts, only for you to quickly press forward to peck his lips a few more times.

He chuckles, “Dearest.”

“You can’t blame me.” You hum, eyes fluttering open as you loop your arms around his neck. “You’re addictive, Yeosang.”

A pleasant shiver caresses his spine as he growls lowly. “I could say the same about you, My Queen.”

You giggle, and it’s still one of the most melodic sounds Yeosang has ever heard in his entire life.

“Now,” you hum, taking a minor step back while unlocking your arms from around his shoulders in order to stare at him eagerly. “Show me how to do that, please.”

Yeosang smiles, his heart thundering inside of his chest. “It would be my honour.”

A dull thud from behind you both draws your attention to see the other seven seemingly wrestling with each other for the moment. Yunho seems to have pinned Mingi on the mat, both Wooyoung and San going after Jongho at the same time. Hongjoong and Seonghwa seem to be attempting to choke the other out while standing on their feet, locked in a stalemate of sorts as chaos thrives around them.

A low chuckle escapes you as you shake your head. “I have a feeling they’ll be busy for a while.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Yeosang grins right along with you. Extending his free hand out to you, his eyes begin to shine, “Shall we?”

“We shall.” You immediately place your hand in his.

Gently, Yeosang guides you up onto that little platform with him, making sure to line you both up with a fresh target on the track.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you see his first arrow still sticking proudly out of that first target off to the side.

“How much do you know about archery?” He asks, nothing but curiosity in his gaze as he grabs another arrow from the quiver.

“Honestly?” You take moment to think. “Not much. Other than what you’ve already told me.”

He nods, stepping in beside you as he offers you the bow.

“The hardest part to begin with can be finding enough strength to draw back the string.” He explains, noting how you carefully observe the bow and all its intricate details as soon as you have it in your hands. Your wonder and awe makes his heart skip a beat. “We can practice that a few times before you attempt to knock an arrow.”

“Okay.” Your eyes dart back up to meet his gaze, and you hear his breath catch in his throat yet again.

With a little help from Yeosang, he’s able to guide you on how to properly hold a bow.

“Don’t be afraid of it, Dearest.” He instructs. “You can cause far more damage with a bow than it can ever do to you while wielding it.”

A nod from you is all he receives that you understand his words.

For a few minutes, he has you practice lifting the bow into a shooting stance, and drawing the string back as if you’re about to take a shot. Still, he holds that arrow in his hand, watching on with nothing but loving pride in his eyes as you follow his every instruction with the utmost care.

“You’re doing wonderful, Dearest.” He grins, his gaze dripping with affection as he watches you absolutely revel in his praise. “You’re picking up things very quickly, especially the basics.”

You giggle, a subtle heat rising to your cheeks. “Well, I did spend a lot of time pretending to be an archer when I was younger. I may not have known much, but some of my favourite characters are, so I wanted to be just like them.”

Yeosang quirks a brow, “Oh?”

“Yeah,” you avert your gaze, somewhat shyly. “Katniss, Kagome, Legolas. I always wanted a bow from the woodland realm when I was small. I thought the designs were beautiful, and like I said before, I’ve always had a fascination with archery.”

“Remind me to show you my collection soon, then.” He hums knowingly, a fond look dancing within his eyes.

Your whole demeanour perks up even further, “Okay!”

“For now, how about we shoot your first arrow?” There’s nothing but tender love in his gaze as he looks at you, seeing as you begin shaking lightly in excitement. “Deep breath, Dearest. You don’t want to be shooting with a shaky arm.”

You grin, nodding eagerly.

Following his instructions and taking a deep, steadying breath, you manage to calm your nerves slightly. Still, you cannot deny the excitement that courses through your veins as he hands you that singular arrow.

Gently, Yeosang instructs you on how to notch it before drawing it back.

“We can practice with you drawing from a quiver another time.” He says. “For now, let’s just keep it simple.”

“Sounds good.” You smile.

“Okay, Dearest,” he motions towards the target with his head. “Whenever you’re ready.”

A nod is all he receives in response as you take another deep breath.

Looking towards your feet, you take a moment to steady your nerves once more. Shifting your gaze, you study that target across the way, relaxing your shoulders just as Yeosang has instructed you to do. Raising the bow, you draw the string back, lining up your shot as best as you can.

The feeling of his eyes watching you is a little nerve wracking to say the least. You can feel your hands shaking as you attempt to steady your aim, holding your breath as your eyes focus in on the target at the end of the track. With each second that passes, you find it increasingly difficult to maintain the pull of the string, that thin band threatening to snap forward and through your grip at any moment.

There’s a furrow to your brow as you concentrate, but even you can tell how shaky you’ve suddenly become.

Softly, Yeosang moves behind you, placing his hands on your waist in comfort.

“Breathe, Dearest.” He whispers lowly into your ear, causing a shiver to caress your spine as his nose trails up the skin of your neck. “You’ve got this.”

Slowly, his hands begin to trail up your sides. Goosebumps erupt on your arms as you feel him cover your one hand holding onto the bow with his own, the other supporting your arm that’s drawing back the string. His chin rests on your shoulder, head leaning in the softest of touches against your own.

Suddenly, the string doesn’t become as difficult to hold onto anymore.

“Guide me.” His voice rumbles out. “We can make the shot together.”

The soothing timbre of his voice manages to calm you, and you find yourself taking another much needed deep breath. The heat of his body pressing against yours only adds to the moment, and you allow the familiar, comforting scent of sea island cotton to surround you.

You steady your hands.

The arrow is loosed in the blink of an eye, and you barely register the dull thunk of it sinking into the target across the way. All you can think about in this moment is how Yeosang’s hands feel settling back on your waist, the ghost of a smile on his lips as he buries his face into the side of your neck.

“See,” he hums lowly, squeezing your waist gently in his grip. “I knew you could do it."

Blinking to clear your vision, you allow your whole body to relax into his touch.

That’s when you see where your arrow has landed.

An involuntary excited squeal escapes you as you turn around in his hold.

“Sangie! Look!” You giggle, eyes crinkling at the sides with your joyous expression. “We hit bullseye!”

“You did that all by yourself, Dearest.” He grins, hands squeezing your hips gently once more. “I’m so proud of you.”

You begin wiggling happily in his hold, eyes falling shut as you smile wide.

“Leave it to Yeosang to steal everyone’s thunder.” Mingi grumbles from off to the side.

Turning your head, you see him standing with his arms crossed, a slight pout on his lips. The others don’t seem to be faring any better, but you’re too happy to care at the moment.

“Guys!” You bounce on your feet, pointing to the target at the end of the track. “Look!”

Several sets of eyes finally take note of the two targets side by side with arrows sticking out of the centre of each of them.

“Is one of those yours, My Love?” There’s a certain prideful gleam shining within Hongjoong’s eyes as he asks this.

At your vigorous nod, they have all the answers they need.

“That’s incredible, Baby!” San immediately rushes over to you, pulling you out of Yeosang’s embrace and into his own. He immediately lifts you in his arms, laughing along with you in your excitement, much to the elder’s annoyance.

“You did wonderful, Petal.” Yunho hums, being the next to walk over to you. Easily, he pulls San off of you, dragging him back in order for Yeosang to wrap you back into his arms once again.

A firm nod is sent to the taller male from Yeosang in thanks, to which Yunho simply smiles at in response.

A pout rests on San’s lips as he crosses his arms, only lessened by the fact that Wooyoung has to be held back by Jongho in the next second before the male tackles you to the ground in his excitement.

“It’s only because I have such a good teacher.” The way you turn and look back at Yeosang with nothing but fondness in your gaze says it all.

Soft rumbles shake their chests as they observe the scene before them, and they know for a fact that the loving look that resides on Yeosang’s features right this very instant is reflected on all of their own faces right now. Seeing you so happy, and so eager to learn even one of their chosen weapons has both a pride and love unlike ever before filling their chests. Emotions of which they will gladly indulge in when they’re with you, any and every time that they can.

“How was shooting an arrow for the first time, My Divine?” Seonghwa asks, an eager gleam to his eyes.

You smile, hands tightening subconsciously around that bow still held in your hands. You spare a glance down at the weapon. “Wonderful.”

“She’s a natural.” Yeosang hums, never tearing his eyes away from you for one second.

“I swear you’re just saying that.” You avert your gaze shyly, a vibrant heat rising to your cheeks.

“We’re not.” Wooyoung shakes his head almost instantly.

“You’re incredible, Starlight.” Mingi adds without a moment of hesitation.

“Our Perfect Queen.” Yunho’s voice rumble out, growls of agreement sounding around you immediately.

You allow for your eyes to flutter shut, revelling in this moment with all of them for as long as you can as you relax further into Yeosang’s embrace.

“My Lovely Kings.” The words are but a pleasant hum on your lips.

Again, eight low growls rumble out through the room. A smile pulls at your lips as the sound dissipates, allowing for a comfortable silence to settle over all of you.

“So,” Yeosang’s low voice by your ear has you blinking your eyes open, heart skipping a beat as you hear his next words, “Want to see my collection?”

[fangirlies]

Mission accomplished- (x.t)

Pairing: Xavier Thorpe x fem!reader

Summary: You only had one mission. That was to get Enid and Ajax to ask each other to the Rave'n. But you couldn't achieve it without a particular tortured artist's help.

Warnings: fluff. some cursing. (Please let me know if i should be aware of anything else)

Word count: 2k

Is there such thing as too much fluff? with me, never. Feedback is always welcomed! (It’ll make me feel better about spending the whole day on this writing) enjoy friends!

Tortured artist hm’ you thought to yourself. Why was he known as a tormented and mysterious guy? What was his story? The entire quad blurred, and the only thing you appeared to focus on was the tall brunette boy concentrating on his mural. It was beautiful you must admit. He appeared to be completely immersed in his painting. It wasn’t the first time you saw him completely fixated on his work. And it definitely wasn’t the first time you noticed him.

“Um hello… earth to y/n!” You heard snapping as you focused on Enid rather than the boy who had suddenly become a fixture in your mind.

"Yes yes, I heard you. I think you should definitely ask Ajax to the Rave'N" you weren't entirely paying attention to your best friend's 10 minute rant about reversing roles and taking pride in asking a guy to the dance for a change, but you picked up a few things here and there before your mind wandered elsewhere. Something to do with feminism? You weren't sure, but it seemed like a good idea.

You knew both Enid and Ajax had feelings for each other. In fact, everyone knew but they seemed to be the only ones who couldn’t see it. Isn't that cliche? The boy likes the girl. The girl likes the boy. They were naïve to the fact that their nerves were standing in the way of everything.

As Enid's best friend since the day you started at Nevermore, you were well aware of her crush on Ajax. It was adorable. She stared at him as if he were the only one who could complement her loud personality. She couldn't get enough of him, so you made it your goal to ensure Enid gets a happy ending. You knew she deserved it the most.

You weren’t thrilled about this Rave’N dance the school was hosting. As an outcast in your old normie school, you never got to experience these kind of things. You weren't planning to start now, no matter how much Enid pleaded.

"Are you sure it won't make me look desperate? I don’t want to ruin things with him.” Her brow wrinkled in intensity. You knew how much this meant to her.

"I don't think so, E; I think he'll be glad!" You reassured her while comforting her shoulder. "You have two and a half days to gather the courage to ask him," you said, smiling as you collected your books from the table and tossed them into your book bag.

------

The school bell rung, indicating the end of the day's final class. It also marked the start of your master plan. Mission: "Get E and A in the same room... alone."

“Psst hey, Xavier!” You really had no idea why you were whispering in the hallway. There was no one around you anymore as you tried to catch up to the tall and lanky boy. Xavier glanced around, a puzzled expression on his face. Sure, your two best friends were madly in love, but that didn't necessarily mean you and Xavier had to be friends. Acquaintances? Sure. Give each other a quick smile and a nod as you pass in the hallways? Fine. Meet in an empty corridor after class? Never.

"Hey," you finally got to him. Breathing heavily. Your gaze wandered over the attractive boy in front of you as you attempted to recover your breath. Man, he sure was perfect - even from up close. His sage-colored eyes drew you in. His long brown hair had been pulled back into a low bun. Free of imperfections, you thought.

"Did you have a question for me?" The 6-foot giant catches your attention by waving his hands. You shook your head, hoping to clear your mind of your thoughts of him. You were on a mission and were losing sight of it.

"I'm sorry." You took a second look around to make sure the coast was clear. "Enid has been dying for Ajax to invite her to the Rave'n. We all know Ajax is too pussy to ask her. So, I'm thinking we could finally force them to ask each other. tonight. The night shade library. Tell Ajax to meet you there and I’ll do the same with E. This needs to work or I'll spend the next few days listening to her overthink. So, what do say?” Repeating the plan out loud did sound crazy but you didn’t care. You wanted to see your best friend happy.

For a few moments, the boy was deafeningly silent. Perhaps you did sound a little insane.

"I'll do anything to stop hearing Ajax talk about his massive crush on her. I can’t take it anymore. I'm glad to hear that you're in the same boat as me. How does 7:30 sound to you?" Your expression brightened as your scheme began to take shape. Half of your grin was caused by the fact that this was your longest conversation with Xavier.

You two exchanged phone numbers to ensure the success of your plan. You both decided on the excuse you'd give and the time. Everything seemed to be going according to plan.

It was now 7:15 p.m.

From x.t- 7:15 A and X headed to nsl

With these code phrases, you couldn't help but chuckle. He was taking his role seriously. Gosh, he was so stupid.

To x.t- 7:16 Copy that, x. E is wrapping up and we’ll be headed your way

You continued his silly game and stuck your phone in your back pocket.

“Hey E, just wanted to say thanks for coming with me to the library. I really need that book for an essay, and I was scared to go alone," you continued your lie, resting against the bathroom door frame.

“Of course! What are best friends for if not to scare monsters away with their colorful claws?" Enid remarked, extending her sharp claws of various colors. She'll forgive your lie once she realizes what the night has in store for her.

After slipping out of your dorm room and into the hallway, the two of you discussed the latest school gossip.

To x.t- 7:28  E and I are about to enter. remember our plan. 

You hit send as the Edgar Allen Poe statue came to vision. Enid snapped her fingers twice, causing the statue to recoil and reveal a stairwell leading to the library. To Enid's surprise, she found herself face to face—no, face to chest—with Xavier.

“What the heck are you doing here?” She inquired.

"What exactly are YOU doing here?" You were amused by Xavier's stab at reverse psychology. He didn't even wait for the blonde girl to respond before walking away and vanishing into the quad.

"God, he's always so weird," she sneered as she walked down the stairs. You weren't following her down again, much to her dismay. Instead, the statue had been closed. Keeping the poor girl from fleeting.

"She'll thank me later," you reasoned as you dusted your hands. The rest of the night was up to them; your work here was already done. You started walking back to the quad and immediately jumped up in fear as you turned the corner.

“Did it work?” The towering boy emerged. He stuck around to see if your plan was a hit or miss.

You smacked his chest for inadvertently scaring you. "Yes, scaring me worked." You shrieked as you placed your palm over your heart, hoping to slow its pulse.

The giant laughed at your theatrics, revealing his perfectly white teeth. You realized that was the first time you'd ever seen him laugh. He was sexy when he wore the mysterious "bad boy" look, but this was a new look for him that you admired even more. His laughter had to be contagious. You started to laugh at this point, causing your cheeks to grow a crimson pink.

“Yes, E and A are both in position” you joked with a stern voice. Xavier nodded and walked up to a picnic table in the quad. You didn't fall far behind. He sat on the table, staring up at the sky. The quad possessed a glass ceiling, making it ideal for stargazing. You sat in the typical student seating rather than where your meal should have been put.

“You see that bright tiny circle up there?” Xavier gestured to the dark sky. You squinted your eyes and followed the path of his finger.

“Is that a star?” You questioned. "It's Venus," he explained. “Because Venus's orbit lies closer to the Sun than the Earth's, it tends to get lost in the Sun's glare. It's only visible for a few months of the year- when it's the furthest away from the Sun."

You stared at Venus in awe. It made you smile since it gleamed brighter than the other stars in the night sky. You returned your attention to Xavier, who was still gazing passionately at the planet. The fact that he was so familiar with the topic warmed your heart.

"Did you know it gets its name from the Roman goddess? It's the planet of love, beauty, and art," he says, his attention now fixed on you. When his gaze fell on you, you swore your heart skipped a beat. For a split second you wondered if you were dreaming. Or if this was a scene from The Notebook.

“How do you know all this?” You inquired. Moving alongside him on top of the picnic table.

Xavier shrugged his shoulders and turned to face Venus. "I know little about everything. I can't really tell you how I know things." The mysterious boy spoke up. Tonight was unexpected. Surprising was a better word to describe it. You never imagined it would turn out this way. You and Xavier talking, let alone star gazing. It was all strange and yet soothing at the same time. You felt safe next to him.

“Anyway, are you going to the Rave’n?” He leaned back on the table and ran his fingers through his hair, clearing it from his face.

“Me? nah, that's only for the pretty girls who have guys lining up and begging them to be their date. My mission was just to convince Enid to go." You stated the truth. You had no intention of going. Regardless of how much Enid tried to persuade you. You knew it was only a competition for guys to show up with the hottest date and for girls to show up with their finest dress. Not your scene.

“As a pretty girl yourself - I’m a little surprised you don’t have guys begging you to be their date,” he said standing up. You lowered your head to keep him from seeing the flush on your cheeks and the faint smile that threatened to leave your mouth. Did he call you pretty?

He stood in front of your seated body. Hands shoved deep in the pockets of his hoodie. You could see the cheeky smile he was now giving you as you raised your head.

“What?” Your brow wrinkled as you questioned. Small smile still trying to poke through.

"Well," he said, looking behind him. "I guess I'm first in line."

You drew your brows even closer together and tilted your head. You didn’t understand.

"Would you be willing to go with me to the dance?"

Yup. Definitely like a scene from The Notebook. You eventually cracked a smile, and you didn't care if he could see the blazing red hue on your face. Although you weren't interested in these events, how could you refuse Xavier Thorpe? THE tortured artist.

"I'd - I'd enjoy that, X," you murmured, giggling slightly. The smile that made your heart sink reappeared on his face.

“You guys are assholes!” A familiar voice came from the opposite direction. You focused your attention on the gorgon and the blonde girl approaching you. “I was absolutely shitting myself when you left me alone in there” Enid playfully tickled your sides when you found your way off the table you were previously sitting at.

Ajax had his arm around Enid's shoulder. You and Xavier exchanged a quick glance as you realized what must have happened. Knowing that your mission was successful.

"Soooo. . ?" Xavier pressed, seeking the answer we already knew.

Ajax chuckled and lowered his head. “Yes man, I asked her to be my girlfriend”

A loud squeal escaped your mouth as you hugged Enid. The two of you were jumping up and down like girls in middle school when their crush passed by them in the halls.

"Wait," Enid said quickly, turning to face her partner, "does this mean we're going to the Rave'n together?" You three were laughing at her. Of course, it meant they were going together, but to be fair, she was excited and couldn't think straight. Her boyfriend nodded while rolling his eyes and returned his arm on her shoulders.

"Well, I guess we'll see you there," Xavier said, his gaze melting you.

"Wait, wait, wait, you two?" Enid extended two fingers in the direction of you and Xavier. Her expression was priceless.

"Are you going to the Rave'n? Together?��� Ajax added. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he'd stoned himself based on the shocked look on his face.

Both you and Xavier nodded your heads, a silly grin on your faces. It was now Enid's turn to shriek and draw you in for a hug.

“Oh. My. Goodness. My bestest friend and my boyfriend's best friend? We're going on a double date? I can't believe this! I've got to tell Wednesday, she called it from the minute y/n transferred here."

Enid couldn't stop raving about this "double date" for the following two days. You and Xavier joked at the fact that your mission was accomplished, but it came with a new never-ending topic to annoy you with.

Authors note: Quick! guess my favorite planet and why! I started this december 11 and got tired of packing last night so i finished it so i can feed you girlies before i leave on my trip. 

As always— requests are always open! Share your thoughts! Talk to me! Get something off your mind! ✨

[sobasluuurp]

Ok. About Tenko.

I understand why so many people are angry that he's dead. I really do. I would've loved for him to live as well. I cried when he died.

However.

Just because he's dead doesn't mean his character has been handled poorly. In fact, all things considered, this ending (even though it makes me real fucking sad) makes the most sense for both his character and his story. Let me explain.

First and foremost, there's the matter of Shigaraki's characterization and arc. It goes without saying, but he's an angry, used, and abused child who grew up into an adult who wants nothing more than for everything to end. His goals have always been destructive to an extreme and honestly, the logical end to "let's destroy it all" is LITERALLY everything, including himself. He's also had absolutely zero agency since the moment his parents even thought of conceiving him, and has been struggling to become his own person since the beginning of his arc. He, against his abuser, who covets immortality and eternity.

What better a way for a person such as himself to assert his agency is there than to go out the way he did? To shift his focus away from the faceless masses and to the (similarly faceless, lol) abuser who caused his pain in the first place? To destroy the control AFO has held over him and prove to him that he was always his own person? To say, this is who you molded me into. And because I am who I am, I will now kill you, and take myself down with you, and be glad for it.

(and in the process, destroy the worldview AFO showed us in the Star and Stripe arc, that the ones who survive are the victors. AFO has completely and eternally lost, but Shigaraki is victorious to his last.)

It's his first moment of complete agency in his life -- acting entirely against anyone else's wishes for himself or his actions. And he uses it to do the one thing he's been itching for his whole life -- to destroy the source of his pain.

It's a negative character arc, in a way. It's not what any of us would've wanted for him. In a perfect world, he would be able to recover and readjust, building a life for himself and his found family in peace. He'd be able to experience life fully for the first time, and see that the world is not so bleak after all.

(I'm choking up just thinking about what's been lost. It's a fucking tragedy.)

But not every character arc gets to end happily. Sometimes people do slip through the cracks. That's always been what Shigaraki's character is about.

....and what every other member of the League's characters have been about.

Because here's the thing. The story of Shigaraki's life and death would be incomplete without his relationship to his found family. He's their leader. Their symbol. Their All Might.

Shigaraki's death is not the grimdark, fuck-the-audience, senseless kind of tragedy. He is a martyr, yes, but the people he stood for will in all likelihood survive. He died for the League. His life -- his existence -- brought them together, gave them purpose, and showed them a bright future. It is my steadfast belief that he will be the only death among the main villains. Because this is a story about saving to win, after all. And given that My Hero doesn't like to kill characters off too often and each one of them still has a path to recovery, I think it's a safe assumption to make. Especially since (especially in Toya's and Toga's cases) each of them had a moment of reconciliation at the end of their fights -- the kind of thing that can help them move forward.

And to be honest, we've known for a very, very long time that BNHA is the kind of anime that likes to turn old cliches on their heads. Kacchan did not become a villain during Kamino. La Brava's literal power of love was not enough to win the battle. Deku fought tirelessly to talk-no-jutsu Shigaraki into redemption, and while he did get through to him, he still couldn't save him after everything that happened. It's nuanced and messy in a way that I've come to expect from BNHA.

So yea, Shigaraki died. But Shigaraki also lived. Despite everything that AFO and Kotoro wanted from him (despite the fact that he was never meant to really be alive in the first place), he lived on his own terms and fought so that the people he cared about would be seen. Because he lived, the old world was destroyed, and from his ashes, a better one can be built. He achieved everything that no one thought he could, and reclaimed his life in the process. What better ending could you ask for a tragic character?

[aloeverified]

boruto rewrite where the show actually still focuses on the original characters from naruto, but we're seeing them face their struggles that come with being adults in the society they live in and after going through what they did. their children are also in the show and we're given their perspective on the events compared to their parents'.

the overall plot revolves around naruto trying to change the shinobi system. he knows first hand how terrible the repercussions are when children are forced to be soldiers, and now that he's the hokage, he finally has the power to change it.

the only problem is, not everyone agrees with him. many believe by changing the age that shinobi begin their training, they won't be as strong later on and the village will become weaker over the years. not only that, but some people just don't understand why naruto feels this way. they were shinobi all their life and they turned out just fine — why fix what isn't broken?

it causes conflict within the cast and allows us to delve into each character more, showing why they feel the way they do and how their experiences have built up to the person they are.

besides that, other characters get their own storylines as well that connect with the theme of recovering from trauma.

gaara realizes that he's only ever lived for his village — as a soldier, a weapon, the kazekage. he works himself to the bone for his village while ignoring his basic needs, still having not realized he's a human just like everyone else. when he gets shinki, he realizes what it's like to prioritize something; what it's like to nurture and love.

sakura works at a hospital for young shinobi, doubling as both a healer and a therapist of sorts. she listens to the children tell their stories and gives them a shoulder to try on. she saw what being alone did to her teammates and she doesn't want any other child to go through what they did.

during her time at the hospital, she slowly begins to see pieces of herself within her patients. her trauma, which she's always pushed away and ignored, starts to come out. she's forced to face these memories she's always tried to bury deep. she struggles with understanding it as well as feeling validated compared to what naruto and sasuke had to go through.

she also struggles with her marriage to sasuke as she starts to unpack all the terrible things he's done to her. she's knows why he did them and she can justify his actions as much as she wants, but it doesn't change the fact he traumatized and tried to kill her at one point.

hinata's would focus on the hyuga. she's an outsider to them without any power. when she was stripped of her title and allowed to marry naruto, she thought it was a dream come true. she was so confident that hanabi would change the clan, that the branch system would be destroyed and neji wouldn't have died in vain.

only, without hinata, hanabi began to crack under the pressure of the elders and her father until she became just like them. the seal system is still in place, the branch families are still treated as servants.

it's a lot about generational trauma. how no matter how much hinata tried to change things for hanabi, she was always destined to fall into the same path as her father. only by recognizing this and making the changes her family refused to do in the past, are they able to change things.

i think there could also be something about how once, a long time ago, hiashi had wanted to change the hyūga. he wanted to dispel the main/side branch family system so his brother could be free. but overtime, he became complacent — very similar to hanabi.

as for the kids, i would show the differences between them based on how their parents feel about them being raised as soldiers.

for example, shikatema would have no problem with the shinobi system (at first) and their child would be entered into the academy and ready to become a ninja.

boruto, however, was raised by parents who want to change the system and hate the senseless violence, therefore he was not enrolled. this causes him to have some resentments for his parents as he's in the minority of children who aren't attending the ninja academy. he's viewed as a weak and soft-hearted by his companions and he hates it. maybe he goes against his parents and attends the academy in secret somehow.

there's a lot you can do with each character, honestly. i won't go further into it unless asked, but here's my main thoughts. i have a lot of idea with how to conclude the arcs as well, but i'm not sure how people would feel about it.

gaara stepping down as kazekage and leaving suna, sakura divorcing sasuke as she realized she never truly loved him romantically, hinata becoming the hyūga head/disbanding the hyūga, etc. many ideas.

[imaginarylungfish]

my thoughts on the end of mha

i've had a few weeks to process the ending of mha now. when i first heard there were only 5 chapters left, i was shocked. i thought when hori said he had more story to tell, we were gonna get like 10 more chapters or something. so yeah, i felt like i got some whiplash there.

but after i had some time to recover from my shock, i got sad. this manga has brightened many a sunday for me. sure, i understand the criticism of the final war arc, but i can't say i was ever bored. i always wanted to know what was happening next.

and while i was sad the villains didn't live/we didn't see a rehab arc for them nor did we see much emotional processing by certain characters after the war, i understand this manga couldn't go on forever to adequately tackle all those stories. that's what fics are for, i guess.

izuku's ending

a really big thing i liked about the ending was izuku becoming quirkless again. that's what i wanted. i have some gripes with the execution, though. it was weird that izuku didn't show any emotion about losing ofa except in the battle. i still think that was a bit of a fumble on hori's part. you're telling me the kid who cries about everything wouldn't cry about losing something that let him live his dream? just seemed ooc.

but anyway, izuku ending as a quirkless hero was exactly what i wanted. that's exactly the way to conclude his whole arc. however, unless you fill in the blanks with headcanons, the impact of that arc is a bit lost on the reader. do we see izuku's acceptance of his inherent worthiness of being a hero (due to his unwavering spirit rather than the need for a quirk)? we don't. do we see society's acceptance of quirkless people as inherently equal to people with quirks? we don't. we must fill in the blanks ourselves. and i just don't think that type of fill-in-the-blank should happen. we should get that from the mangaka.

i also found it weird that izuku became a teacher at ua and then a quirkless hero. i understand there was some fun shock value/bait-and-switch to this little plot point (which i have to admit was amusing). but it kind of just didn't make narrative sense to me once i had my little laugh. like, pick one, hori. does izuku lose his quirk and become a ua teacher or does he lose his quirk and become a quirkless hero? having both muddies the waters.

we knew mha was going to end in a hopeful way. that's what this manga was about. it was all about trying and pushing past limits to succeed, despite the odds. i knew it wasn't going to end with izuku being depressed or anything. he was going to be happy in the end, whether he ended up as a quirkless teacher or quirkless hero because that's just who he is--he doesn't give up. so, i wish that was more of the focus of the last chapters since izuku is the protag after all. but i got the big thing i wanted (which is more than some others can say), so i can't complain too much.

katsuki's ending

i'm actually really satisfied with kastuki's ending (and his whole character arc, honestly). katsuki's whole thing was that he felt inferior to izuku his entire life because of izuku's innate heroism. so, katsuki bullied izuku to make himself feel better since katsuki always felt like he needed to be the best. but slowly, we see katsuki's worldview change as he enters ua high, fails the provisional licensing exam, and sees izuku's continued mastery of his quirks.

throughout the manga, katsuki has to grow up and mature. he has to realize that while he was born with something that makes him a great hero (his quirk), that's not all that it takes to be a great hero. and in fact, izuku has the other part (empathy and determination).

katsuki learns how to be more of a team player and less self-centered. he balances out his need to win and be the best with including others in his thought processes. enough so that he sacrifices himself for izuku, apologies to izuku, and gives izuku the final push in the war.

katsuki shows emotional growth and maturity throughout the manga which i think culminates not only in the final chapter but also in his reaction to hearing the news that izuku lost ofa. his show of emotion is big for him since we know this is not something he normally does. (i still can't believe we saw katsuki of all people cry after the war, but not izuku. ugh, i'll forever be salty about that.)

it's made clear in the final chapters through his words and actions that katsuki cares about izuku. he not only verbally expresses to izuku that he is sad they can't compete anymore, but he also checks in with izuku about how much of ofa he still has, and ultimately, works to get izuku's dream back. if that ain't redemption, i don't know what is.

so with one of the last panels of the manga being katsuki reaching out his hand to izuku (!!!), calling him deku to reinforce izuku's heroism? what a great conclusion. i am satisfied. thanks, hori.

(plus, there were no canon ships which i'm happy about. that's something that i'm glad hori left up to interpretation. now, we can all go read fics with our favorite ships without too much retconning. i think we all won in that regard.)

shoto's ending

i love shoto, so i will always want more of him. but i think that's exactly why i'm fine with his ending. i don't see it like an ending. it's a start for him. he finally gets to be himself, to be shoto. sure, he still probably has a long way to go in terms of getting over his family trauma, but throughout the manga, i think we get to see his growth in that regard which culminates with his battle with dabi and subsequent aftermath.

his story was always tied to his family's story, which made him a complex character. and while i can't say i loved everything that hori did with the todoroki family, i do like what he did for shoto individually.

i will always love shoto's thoughts during his fight with dabi. i think it exemplified his character growth. he was such an angry, cold teen when he entered ua. but he learned how to make friends, accept his trauma, and become his own person. throughout the manga, he learns how to interact with others in the way he wants. despite his treatment as a child (ie. abuse), he decides to reconnect with his mom and work with endeavor. but the main thing is that he chooses it. he gets to dictate what he does now. that's huge for him.

i particularly loved the scene where shoto says he just wants to talk with dabi/touya during their fight. it reminded me of a little kid who just wants to get to know his big brother. but also it showed the maturity shoto gained throughout the story. instead of avoiding things like he originally did at the beginning of the manga, he wants to face them head-on. he has learned talking with others and gaining new perspectives is helpful and that arguments, even though unpleasant, can be productive.

and like i said before, i have some gripe with how some pieces of the todoroki family arc ended. however, i was satisfied with shoto's ending. i loved the "favorite food convo" callback. touya's response was hopeful yet heartbreaking at the same time.

i do wish izuku and shoto talked after the war because i just think izuku would want to know how shoto's doing instead of whatever the fuck this was:

but again, overall i am satisfied.

ok i'm going to stop writing now. i already wrote more than i thought i would (and even added panels). i do have thoughts on ochaco's ending and other random things, but i think that's a post for a another day. i did the main three and that's good enough for now.

overall, i was satisfied with the ending of mha, especially after looking back on it with all pieces put together. the story impacted me in more ways than one and i look forward to re-reading and learning more in the future!

[magicalrocketships]

☔

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

Oh, I'm sure I've talked about this before but L U C K I L Y I retain zero information, particularly when I'm tired, so this means I get to explain it again.

SO, the plot which I won't ever write because it gets pretty dark and it also requires me to make up an injury (I got the idea from the first series of Chicago Fire, where the dude whose name I've forgotten (no, really, I retain no information anymore) has a life-changing made-up ?neck? injury where he requires surgery and it will take one year+ to recover from the surgery so he self-medicates and then it's miraculously fixed by a dazzling new surgery in one episode after making it an entire plot for an entire season):

Canon divergence somewhere along the way, maybe the pandemic doesn't happen, maybe he never really got as publicly involved in streaming, whatever, but what's key is that Max doesn't have anything really going on outside of racing and it's this year

So Daniel's left RB/Mcl, and Max is focused focused focused on racing and maybe he gets his first world championship a year earlier but whatever happens, he doesn't build that strong sense of home outside of racing (no cats, no partner, no online streaming, just what's becoming an unhealthy focus on racing and winning at all costs)

Then there's an accident. It happens off-track, so it's not a racing incident, and it's not Max's fault. His car gets hit. And Max is injured. He breaks something in his neck (I am assured this injury does not exist in the manner employed by Chicago Fire. For the purpose of this imaginary not-to-be-written fic, it 100% exists).

Max is told he can't race, maybe forever, but likely for at least a year post surgery

(and at this point I'm just going to c&p from the chat fic doc I saved months and months ago, and it's going under a cut with a content warning here for suicidal thoughts, some mention of disordered eating and childhood abuse, look after yourself, pals)

surviving to drive: the max verstappen recovery story (~3k)

Anyway max realises that he has exactly one (1) thing in his life, racing, and it's just come crashing down and he's v emotionally unhealthy as we know and has nothing else going on so when he loses racing he believes there is literally no other reason to keep going plus he's in hospital

anyway daniel ignores all of max's emotionally unhealthy bans on hospital visitors and sneaks in to see him and he's like... "something is very wrong here"

he leaves and max thinks he's chased him away but then daniel comes back later that day and he's like, "you don't have to have the surgery in this hospital, you can have it done in any of these places *presents a list* so pick a place and we'll go there instead"

so yeah they just go somewhere else and daniel rents them a house and just hangs out with a secretly suicidal max who sees precisely no reason to wake up every morning if he's not racing

and daniel has precisely zero idea that max is still here/alive/whatever just because daniel is there every night and every morning and max doesn't want daniel to have to see him like that

ANYWAY max is very clearly not in a good place and his dad sends him messages telling him how he can improve his recovery and get better faster

it becomes more difficult for max to hide the fact that he's alive mostly by virtue of not being dead right now

and he's had the surgery or whatever and he's looking at a 12 month recovery so he's definitely out for the whole of the next season so daniel's like, "It doesn't matter how long recovery takes, take your time" which of course he has precisely zero idea of how to deal with since he's been racing so long and has nothing else in his life

Something happens idk he breaks a glass and Daniel finds him with cut hands and a piece of glass idk and Daniel's like, "a new crisis! I can help with that! this is clearly not something that max has been dealing with daily for weeks now, it's a new thing!"

so he's like, IT'S THERAPY TIME BABY, no more clutching a handful of broken glass and bleeding everywhere, superdaniel is here to help

yada yada finds max a therapist and max HATES IT, HAAAAATES IT, he's uncomfortable and the therapist makes him feel worse and he still wants to like... not be here if he can't race today, he can't wait a whole year

and daniel asks him how it's going and Max lies because why wouldn't he and he's been doing miserable things his entire life that he didn't want to do so what's another thing on top of everything else

meanwhile Daniel's like... hmmmm this is scary Max looks worse

and he sits in on a therapy session and half way through he's like, "nope, we're ending this, sorry, bye, you can have the money for the whole hour but we're never speaking to you again"

points out to Max that that therapist was awful and why didn't Max just tell him how awful it was and how it made him feel

Max, who's never had a choice over anything in his entire life: "..."

anyway he gets max to try another couple of therapists and in the end there's one who is NOT monstrously awful and does not make Max feel like he wants to scratch his own skin off

so Max gets THERAPY and it becomes clear that max's childhood was weaponised beyond belief and he doesn't even know what foods he likes and doesn't like

because he never got a choice and he was always on some kind of food plan that his dad could withhold or not according to how max was doing in every other area of his life

well of course, he gets a whole year of therapy and it turns out his dad was an abusive asshole and he is BLOCKED from Max's phone

and Max has to do things like "make sure his life has more than just racing in it"

so he reads a book

the first one he's ever read

he tries food and tries to figure out if he likes it or if it's just a source of energy he has to eat anyway

he gets a PLANT

it DIES

anyway whatever he gets therapy and he lives in a house with daniel and is allowed to feel some things because he never really felt anything before

and daniel goes off and does some promo stuff idk and films some shit from the house and max is maybe in the background or something and no one's heard from him in ages and in fandom it's all like MAX IS IN DANIEL'S HOUSE etc

and the drive to survive people get in touch and are like, can we interview you for the series even if you're not on the grid, do some stuff about your recovery etc etc

and max is like... i guess

he's not, like, actively suicidal any more because his life has actual pillars of stuff that isn't just racing

his life isn't just like dependent on one jenga tower of racing with the pieces falling down

like, he can't wait to get back to racing but he's like, six months in to therapy or whatever and he's been living with daniel and it's... nice to just... watch movies with him and eat stuff and play computer games (daniel banned racing games so max has had to... compromise)

and maybe there are some... warm feelings

some best friend shit when he's never had real time for a best friend

some "i could probably spend more time with daniel in a forever kind of a way and not get tired of it" you know

BUT ALSO, daniel blowing up his life for max, he saw max in that hospital room and didn't once question what it would mean to him to step back and just... fuck shit up so that max would be okay

anyway drive to survive team show up and they do a bit of interviewing and it is VERY CLEAR that this isn't a natural fit for an episode because Max has, for once, got some shit to say

so they come back with an idea for a spin off documentary that's just Max and this injury and getting back to driving

because Daniel has kind of been fielding red bull this whole time, saying "he's not racing this year, leave him alone, give him some space", and he's got to go out and talk to them or do some promo stuff with them, whatever, he's going away

Max says the timing is good because he can do the main body of the interviewing about what's come before etc, then Daniel can come back and do his bits

and then the docu team are like, "where do you think you'd be right now if you hadn't crashed" and Max looks at the camera and says, "dead, I think" and the team know they're on to a winner because Max has realised that actually, driving like you don't care if you're alive if you don't win isn't actually okay

anyway Max does the documentary interviews and Daniel comes back and Max tells him he can talk about whatever he wants, it's fine but when the team ask him about helping Max when he realised he wasn't coping, Daniel won't give any details and says it's Max's story to tell and he just wanted to make sure his best friend was okay

not realising that he looks very much in love during this idk

ANYWAY SOME TIME PASSES and they do a bit more documentary stuff and Max is preparing to race again and Daniel is doing some stuff with red bull and he flies out somewhere to do an interview and photoshoot for some magazine or other.

The first clips from the documentary are released and they're on youtube and clipped up for instagram and Max posts them but the first picture is just like, 'this contains discussion of suicidal thoughts' etc

Daniel is preparing for this photoshoot and interview

anyway the first clip is about Max in hospital and they go straight in for the kill, Max saying, "I didn't want to live if I couldn't race.

"I didn't want to see anyone, I didn't want to speak to anyone, I shouted at the nurses, I just wanted to get somewhere so I could figure out how not to wake up again. And then Daniel walked in.

"He didn't know how bad it was, he didn't know anything specific, but he knew something was wrong and he got me out of there and he brought me here and got my surgery moved. And he didn't know he saved my life that day. He won't know until he sees this. But he saved my life that day."

END OF CLIP ONE, start of clip two

"You were suicidal," the interviewer says

"Yes," Max says. "The only thing that stopped me was that I didn't want Daniel to find me. He'd moved me to a different hospital and he'd rented this place for us so it was close to the doctors, and every day I woke up and he never knew that he kept me alive just by being here."

"But he found out in the end."

"Not how bad it was. Just that it was bad. And he got me help. And when that help didn't work, he got me more help. He's the best friend I've ever had, and I still haven't been able to tell him how bad it got."

end of clip two, start of clip three

except this clip is DANIEL

"I snuck in to see him in hospital. he wasn't doing great. He was kind of lost, and I didn't really know what I could do, but, like, I figured he needed some space so I got him some. Different hospital, different views, nothing to remind him about racing."

"But he was struggling?"

"Yeah," Daniel says. "He struggled. It was hard to see him when he couldn't race. He's my best friend. It was hard when he wasn't doing so well. But he's doing great now."

smile smile etc Daniel being happy

then a final max clip i think

"Do I still have that drive to win? God, yes. I'm going to win. That hasn't changed. I just want to live as well. I want to wake up tomorrow, and the next day, and the one after that, and win."

then a final slide with the documentary logo on and some suicide prevention helplines, idk

ANYWAY imagine Daniel, if you will, at a photography studio about to have pictures taken, crying his eyes out in the toilets because he's just found out Max wanted to die

so Daniel, who is always very professional, entirely bails on both the photo shoot and the interview so he can go home because he needs to see max

and Max lent him his plane because that's a normal thing excessively rich world champions have so it's not a fucking nightmare getting back from... wherever the interview is, somewhere not that far away in europe

and Daniel chooses to respond to Max's documentary clips on instagram

[ASIDE, my beloved friend as I was telling her this over Telegram, in response to that above: WHY????

Me: because this is MY 4am hurt comfort fic baby]

so anyway he makes a text post that just says Max is the bravest and best person he knows, he's fought so hard to be here, and that there hasn't been a day in Daniel's whole entire life that would have been better if Max wasn't here on this planet, and he's so glad he stayed

and then another one which is like, if anyone else feels like they don't want to go on, please stay, people love you, here's some helpline numbers etc

and Max just replies to him with a blue heart

important to understand that this is my four am comfort fic so it is ENTIRELY appropriate that Daniel walks through the door and both hugs him and starts to cry

and Max hugs him back but does not cry because Max has broken through a lot of shit in therapy but he is not a crier

but he IS accidentally in love with Daniel

and Max makes some Choices in his life, as Daniel does, but this choice involves touching Daniel's cheek and glancing at his mouth and then up at Daniel and Daniel kind of nodding and then there is a KISS

which is badly timed really considering that today has been very emotional and Daniel is still crying and has been travelling etc and they've never actually addressed any of this

so Daniel needs a moment and he goes into the bathroom to stare manfully into the mirror and wash his hands and face and when he comes out Max doesn't let him say anything, just launches into a multi point in-person powerpoint about how they should be together

[my friend: maxplaining his way into a relationshippp]

which Daniel, it turns out, entirely agrees with, but he's really kind of emotionally burnt out right now and would really just like a hug and a sit down, so he tells Max yes, of course, but could they just talk about it later and hug right now

How good is Max at listening to instuctions to stop talking?

not marvellous it turns out but daniel kind of likes it when max gets enthusiastic about stuff

even if the stuff in this case is a multipoint argument in favour of them being quite gay together

OH OH OH now we skip forward a bit

to when Max is racing again

first or second race out there for red bull

and daniel is kind of tied to red bull again

anyway Max WINS

hurray etc he's a conquering hero with a recovered broken neck

so once he's out of the car idk he's done the bit with the team and he spies daniel and goes over to hug him, which the cameras in general love, and then he goes off to do some kind of next step celebratory thing, cool-down room, whatever

only partway there he's like... um

has a feeling, one or two, you know the kind of thing

max hasn't historically been very good at feelings

or healthy choices

but anyway, he decides to act on this one, which is to go back to where Daniel is, and kiss him

which is as much of a surprise to daniel as it is to the whole of the media who are still around to film him

and then Max just turns back around and heads for the podium, so there's a very nice accidental shot of Daniel, afterwards, just smiling and ducking his head and touching his thumb to his lip

which turns into a very popular gif

for reasons

Anyway!! there is a LOT of discussion about Max losing his edge now his focus is not only racing

the documentary talks a lot about Max's childhood abuse and limited food intake etc etc but doesn't mention his dad by name

Daniel races again somehow but probably not in the fic

daniel ends up losing some bet or other and has to do a computer game live stream from his living room of some cosy game idk and the whole thing is interupted by max just living his life in the background

max getting up and sleepily saying morning, max going for a run and kissing him hello, max going in and out of the sim, idk, the two of them making weird noises at each other because they still do that

OH I forgot they buy a house together like immediately after getting together

somewhere green again and it's in both their names because they've lived together for a year already and whatever

and still don't tell anyone they're together even though red bull has them residing at the same address

and ZERO people realise until after the kiss on screen

and obviously the docu clips suggest they've been staying together

and Max gets to say to Christian that they literally own a house together when he expresses some degree of surprise at kissing in public

not their fault no one noticed

Forgot to say that max and Daniel get filmed driving about and max stalls his car and doesn’t know if he likes olives and maybe they forget they’re being filmed

And also that when the documentary finally airs all its eps Netflix on Twitter are like “lol bet you can’t figure out which bits we filmed after they got together and which were before because we certainly can’t, lol”

And Daniel’s in the comments, like “do I get a prize if I get it right”

He gets 9/10 clips right but no one but max knows

Anyway when they buy their house max has zero shits to give about the decor so daniel just gets a decorator in and the only thing max wants is a fancy catio for when they’re not there and his new cats want to go outside

Daniel arranges this because he’s a sucker for max.

anyway that's general plot of surviving to drive: the max verstappen recovery story, the end.

[whatswrongwithblue]

The Fire in the Sin

Bonus Chapter 1 - The Library

Word count: 3,133 Read on AO3. Series Masterlist. <- Please read first, this is bonus content for a long fic and will not make sense as a stand alone one shot.

Summary: I couldn't make this chapter fit with the flow of the story for season 1, but I still really wanted to write it out. Just for fun. So here is some of Alastor's perspective earlier on in the plot line and some fun library smut. For reference, this is a PRESENT DAY chapter and takes place AFTER Mina and Alastor begin sharing a room again but BEFORE Mina founds out about him selling his soul. So it's early on in the plot when they are "back together" but going through a rough patch still.

Bonus Chapter 1 - The Library

Despite how rough the first couple weeks of Alastor’s return had been, things had been steadily improving between him and Mina for a multitude of reasons.

He had agreed that it was best they share a room and had used his magic to combine their separate quarters into two. In hindsight, he should have never chosen a separate room to begin with. Mina had been in such a state of emotional turmoil when he had first arrived at the hotel and he had misread her anger and her tears, thinking she wanted some space from him. Now he could see that had only hurt her more. It had cemented the idea in her mind that his absence of seven years had been far easier for him than it had for her and that just wouldn’t do.

If he couldn’t tell her what had happened, he had to be better at showing her how happy he was to be back. And most importantly, he had to stop getting so defensive when she got angry with him. Every time something reminded Mina of what had happened, she became damn near unbearable to be around. She’d snap at him, insult him, push him away, and purposefully try to wound him. And the worst part was that it worked.

Since he’d laid eyes on her, all Alastor wanted was to have her back, to have her shower him with the same amount of trust and affection that she once did. After seven years of being gone, of having his sheer lack of freedom and willpower shoved in his face day after day, having the love of his life blame him for it was too much. She was the only person capable of hurting him that way, of getting under his skin and past every single one of his defenses, and hurt his feelings.

It was preposterous and degrading and humiliating. And he owed it to her. So he was trying to suck it up and stop getting angry in return. If it became too much to bare, he’d just excuse himself and give her space until she cooled off enough to accept some form of affection from him.

That was a pattern that seemed to work and he clung to it, using it regularly to keep them both happy as they continued to heal the wounds of their marriage.

But the thing that seemed to really make Mina the happiest and most docile was the sex. And as much as Alastor had ignored the teasing and debased comments from some of the other hotel residents, it had been a rather long and lonely dry spell for him as well.

Before Mina, he’d never held sex in high regard. It was awkward, and messy, and required getting far too close to people for his comfort. But with her, it was lovely. He didn’t crave it quite as much as she did but from a purely logical standpoint, he could see the benefits of it. It was an easy way to shower her with affection, to focus his attention solely on her, to let her see and feel the affect that only she had on him. And from a much more emotional, intimate point of view . . . he had really, really missed his wife. Seven God damned years was too long to go without the touch of the person you love. And now that they had recovered that aspect of their relationship, Alastor couldn’t get enough of her.

That first night, after realizing she had been shot and he hadn’t even known it until well after the fact, was like a dam breaking. Every last wall he had put up around his defenses when it came to her was shattered. How he had managed to not scoop her up and carry her off to the nearest horizontal surface that very first day of his return was beyond him at this point. He had kept himself so closed off from her, and for what? To save himself from having to face how much he had hurt her? It was cowardly. And he had only hurt them both more by doing so.

These were all the thoughts racing through his brain as he left the kitchen that morning, leaving Mina and Niffty to their task of preparing lunch. He reminded himself again and again that this was only temporary. That Mina’s anger was justified and it would fade. If he just held out a little longer, everything would work itself out.

____

Earlier that day . . .

“Ah, there you two are. We missed you at breakfast this morning,” Alastor said as he found the two women working together in the large industrial kitchen of the hotel.

Niffty was adding seasonings to something that smelled wonderful in an oversized slow cooker and Mina was chopping vegetables. The two women were a delightful sight for sore eyes and after the morning he had had, Alastor was glad to see them doing something he was happy to join in on. He loved cooking. It was one of the few innocent hobbies he still held dear to his heart, but he didn’t miss the look Niffty and Mina shared when he walked over to them.

“And where did you two run off to this morning?” he asked.

“Just to Rosie’s to pick up some meat,” Mina answered.

Niffty gave a little giggle. “Don’t tell Charlie where we got it. She still doesn’t trust us after the thing with the heart.”

The two women shared a smile and rolled their eyes, remembering something that must have happened before Alastor joined the hotel.

“Rosie’s?” Alastor asked, fighting the feeling of being left out. “I haven’t seen her since the meeting.”

Mina stiffened, clearly reading between the lines and quickly getting defensive.

“It was just a quick errand.”

“If it was just a quick errand, why didn’t you say something before taking off?” Alastor said, hearing the annoyance in his own voice growing with every word. “I thought we agreed- ”

“Couldn’t find ya, now could we?” Mina snapped, letting her knife hit the kitchen counter with a loud smack. “That’s what happens when a woman wakes up alone almost every damn mornin’. Do I have to waste time tracking you down, bright an’ early, just to tell ya I’m going grocery shopping?!”

Niffty looked nervously between the two of them.

“We go every Wednesday. You can come next week, if you want,” Niffty offered.

“Every Wednesday? Since when?” he asked.

Mina huffed again.

“Just a thing we started doing together in the last few years.” She’d stopped yelling, but her tone was cold and she’d turned her back to him, resuming her task with the vegetables.

“I see,” Alastor said simply, catching the meaning behind her words. It was something that she and Niffty had started doing, in his absence. Maybe even as a coping mechanism. He’d hurt them both when he’d gone, after all.

“Next Wednesday it is, then.” He looked at Niffty, who returned his smile, before turning to Mina. He’d been making an effort of being more casually affectionate with her since his return, so he pressed a quick kiss to her hair, grateful that she didn’t pull away or shrug him off. “I’ll leave you two ladies to it.”

____

He found her later on in the library, curled up on the little sofa in there, a singular sunbeam from the window gracing her body with its warmth.

It had taken some time for him to track her down after lunch and he eventually had to resort to having his shadow help him find her. He had marched in here, ready for a proper argument, to remind her that disappearing just out of spite was childish and unnecessarily cruel, when he’d found her dead asleep.

His shoulders slumped as all his anger melted away.

She was positively cute like this.

Mina had taken off her knitted sweater and folded it up as a makeshift pillow and toed off her shoes before she had laid down, and had obviously fallen asleep reading a book. Alastor’s eyes lingered on her, adoring the rich brown skin of her pointed limbs, the leopard spots that danced across her pale shoulders with every slow intake of her breath, the way her slender tail wrapped itself around her hips, and the subtle way her feline ears twitched as she dreamed.

He decided then and there he would spend the rest of the afternoon by her side and slipped into shadow, the blackness melting across the floor, before following the body of the sofa upwards and solidifying himself sitting upright so that Mina’s head rested in his lap.

She shifted a fraction, barely disturbed by the change, and still deeply asleep, began to purr.

Picking up the book she had dropped, he read the synopsis and learned that it took place in New Orleans. His smile softened even more as he turned the cover back over and read the title. Out of the Easy.

For all her cold stubbornness towards him, it was times like these that he knew it was just a reflex against the pain of losing him. Mina still loved him, still sought after little ways - like this book - to remind herself of him, even when she was angry.

Alastor was a few chapters in when she finally woke. He’d been absentmindedly rubbing her ears and running his fingers through her hair, absorbed in the book. She shifted onto her back, keeping her head resting on his leg, as she blinked up at him.

“I have to say, this is a remarkably accurate description of the French Quarter,” Alastor started, as if they were already in the middle of a conversation. “Obviously I died well before the 1950’s, but it seems well researched. This Josie girl is terribly naïve though, reminds me of our Charlie.”

“Since when do you read Young Adult fiction?” she asked, her voice light and teasing.

“Well I can’t say no to a story set in my home town.” He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. “And it seems you can’t, either.”

“Oh, shut up.”

She sat up, reaching for the book, but he held it high above his head.

“Alastor!” she said with a laugh, sitting up on her knees to reach higher up but he used his long arms to hold it behind the couch and well out of her reach. “Give it back!”

“Ah ah ah,” he said with a shit eating grin. “You didn’t say the magic word.”

Mina grabbed his face with both her hands and pulled him into a hard kiss.

Alastor’s eyes went wide and he felt his ears stand straighter but only out of sheer surprise. He quickly relaxed and returned the kiss, dropping the book behind the couch and pulling her against him.

The book, the open door behind them, and the tension of the morning were all quickly forgotten as the kiss heated up. He parted his lips and she took the invitation, letting her tongue dance across his, her sharp teeth pressing down for the occasional teasing nip, but never fully biting.

After several minutes of what had become a properly indecent make-out session, Mina pulled away, panting for air.

“You know,” Alastor said, as equally out of breath as she was, “you could have just said ‘please.’ But I suppose that was an adequate substitution.”

She was still in his lap and looking far too good to halt their activities, so Alastor leaned towards her and began sucking on her neck.

Mina tried to talk to him, all the while he left wet, open mouth kisses along her throat.

“I’m sorry . . . a-about earlier. I know you’re . . . trying. I am too, I just . . . Al’ . . . love . . . Alastor!”

“Hmmm?”

He pulled away, raising his eyebrows innocently at her.

“What are you doing?”

“Enjoying myself,” he answered before pulling down a strap of her dress and continuing his parade of kisses down her shoulder.

“I’m trying to apologize here,” she sighed but then moaned a little when he suddenly turned his head and nipped the back of her jawline, his teeth gentle and merely suggesting what they could really do to her flesh if she let him. “And you’re acting insane.”

“You want insane?” He took her hand and she let him guide her to the tent at the seam of his pants. “Insane is how much I want you right now.”

“Alastor,” she breathed his name and blushed, but she palmed his erection despite the hesitation in her expression. “Anyone could walk in here.”

Without even having to snap his fingers, he made the door to the room swing shut.

“It doesn’t lock,” she protested and he rolled his eyes before letting his hands wander up her legs and underneath her skirt.

“No one but us ever comes in here anyway. And you’re already so wet.”

She was. His fingers had found her clothed sex and the fabric of her panties were soaked. He stroked her long and slow, teasing her until her arousal was undeniable. He could feel it in the dampness on his fingertips, see it in the flush across her neck and chest, and hear it in the way her breath hitched when he pressed into her core just a little harder than before.

“Go ahead, tell me to stop. But if you don’t, I’ll take you right here on this couch.”

“Oh you smug bastard – oh . . .” she whimpered as he pulled her panties to the side and slid two fingers into her, pumping and stroking just beyond her entrance. No where near filling her up but enough to hit the most sensitive parts of her.

“You started it,” he said with a laugh. “And you know what they say. You should never start something you don’t intend to finish.”

“You are lucky,” she said, shifting her weight so she could undo his buckle and pants and free his erection from the constricting garments. “You are lucky I love you, because you truly are insane.”

He ripped her panties in two as she moved to straddle him, sliding down on his cock with an amount of ease and grace that could only come from two bodies knowing each other as well as theirs did.

“Believe me, Mina, I know,” he said, his voice breaking with static as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her forehead down to his. “I know just how lucky I am.”

She might have been hesitant at first but once she had him fully sheathed within her, she eagerly began rocking her hips.

This was so far beyond what he knew she would ever expect of him and Alastor could see the thrill of it in her eyes, the excitement of something new after all this time turning her on as much as his touch had.

Sure, they had done some rather debauched things to each other in the past, especially when she was in heat or he was in rut. And there was that time in Kassandra’s church . . .

But this was different. Despite their notoriety in Hell, both he and Mina were incredibly private people. And she hadn’t been wrong, anyone could walk in on them at any second. The door wasn’t locked and this library was in the same hallway as Angel and Niffty’s rooms; both of whom would come knocking if they heard anything worth investigating.

Like the moan Mina had just let out.

“Ssshhh,” Alastor whispered to her, bringing a hand up to her throat and squeezing. “Unless you want someone to find us like this.”

She shook her head, her cheeks blooming with the most beautiful red blush as he restricted the blood flow of her neck. He loosened his grip once he was sure she would stay quiet and she leaned forward, capturing his lips into another passionate kiss. 

He groped at her breast still covered by her dress, feeling it bounce in his palm with every rock of Mina’s hips against his. Pulling away from her mouth, his teeth latched onto the upper swell of her cleavage, leaving a red and purple mark surrounded by a halo of shallow indents. She whimpered, so quietly he could hardly hear her, as she ran her fingers through his hair, holding his face to her chest.

It was like she was cradling him, holding him to her as she stroked his ears and nuzzled her face against the base of his antlers, all the while never losing her rhythm as she rode him, bouncing on his cock with such perfection that all too soon, Alastor felt his end drawing near.

She came just seconds before he did and with little warning, given how quiet he had forced her to be. But he recognized the tension in her back and the way her hips moved in shorter, quicker thrusts. And when her inner walls clenched around his cock, he found his own release, emptying his seed inside her depths as she came down from her own high, still slowly pumping herself on him until she was sure they were both spent.

They stayed like that, still kissing and holding each other, for several moments longer; well after he had softened inside of her.

She hummed as his lips found her neck again and she returned his affection; first kissing his cheek, then his forehead, and his mouth for one last kiss before she pulled away with finality, though she still kept her arms around him.

“Will you take me to our bedroom now?”

“You want more? In the middle of the day?” he asked.

“No,” she laughed. “But that’s funny, coming from the guy who just insisted on an afternoon lay. No, I just think I deserve the privacy of my own room to clean up after riding you that good.”

“You do, indeed. Can’t have my own wife doing something as indecent as a walk of shame.”

“I would never find making love to you to be shameful,” she said sweetly but then wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t fancy the idea of cum running down my legs as I get to where I’m going. You shredded my knickers, remember?”

“Oh these?” he asked, lifting up the remains of her panties and then stuffing them in an inner pocket of his jacket, before lowering his voice suggestively. “I wasn’t planning on giving them back, anyway.”

He dissolved them into shadow before her smart mouth had a chance to come up with what he knew would be an absurdly bratty reply.

@saccharine-nectarine @whoknowswhoiamtoday @redvexillum @visara-valentina @reath-solia

[futbol16]

Stay Down  • Alexia Putellas

Request: “To ‘Im okay amor’ OMG PLEASE WE NEED A SECOND PART OF Y/N RECOVERY AND MAYBE WEEKS LATER ANMATCH AGAINST THE TEAM AND R IS ACTUALLY SCARED AND PANICKING ON GETTING ON THE PITCH AND ALEXIA AND THE WHOLE TEAM NOTICES”

Part 1 I’m Okay Amor

Word count: 1,5k

Upon arriving at the training ground the next day you were immediately called into Jonatan’s office and the two of you, with a few teammates eavesdropping, discussed how to take legal actions regarding the attack. For the next week and a half you’re told to take practice easy to let your ribs and body recover, but you insisted on playing as soon as possible. 

Now you were reconsidering that decision because lining up next to you in the tunnel was the team you didn’t want to see ever again, RCD Espanyol. You feel their eyes on you, their gazes burning holes into your body and you gulp. You know you won’t be able to take it much longer and a few seconds later you turn your head towards them, eyes skimming over the group. A few of them give you dirty looks, others smirking and there’s one girl who blows you a kiss. 

You remember her. The disgusted look that crosses your expression doesn’t seem to sit right with the girl because she attempts to move towards you except she’s blocked by another body, Patri standing in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest and giving her a daring look. Thankfully, the Espanyol player backs down.

The Barca girls eye you for a second. They’ve never seen you be so nervous, you were very confrontational and to see you barely be able to hold eye contact with these girls worried your friends even further. As you walk to your position Alexia gives your shoulder a squeeze and you slightly relax knowing that if anything were to happen, she’d be there. 

Although your team is doing fantastic and you’re bringing your normal self to the game, making passes, assisting and showing off your skills, the opposing team isn’t giving up either. However, their focus seems to be more on you than the fact that they’re currently losing the first half of the match. Throughout the first 45 minutes of the game, you had been tackled more times than you could count on two hands, but you weren’t angry, it could have been worse. 

The Barcelona girls though? A totally different story. Patri is seething in place, Irene and Ana-Maria in similar spirits. Mapi is raging and practically has to be held back by Ingrid, her girlfriend less than happy about the situation. Then there’s Alexia and Pina, both girls looking like they’re on the verge of crying from frustration. You could almost laugh at Aitana’s expression, the girl was done with the referee being blind to the tackles.

When the half time whistle is blown you walk off the field with a slight limp and you don’t look up in time as you’re harshly shoulder checked by one of the blue and white striped players. Alexia is by your side instantaneously and she subtly pushes the player out of her way, willing herself to not lash out. Instead, she pulls you into her side and helps you off the pitch.

As you reach the locker room you’re quick to fill your water bottle and drink it in one go and you turn to fill it again but a hand on your wrist stops you. Following the arm the wrist belongs to you find Aitana staring back at you, the rest of your team stopping everything they're doing and also looking at you. You feel your lungs get heavy and you clutch your side as you lean over your knees, now breathing heavily. 

The team watches in panic until Alexia jumps to your side quickly followed by Irene as both women lower you to the ground and into the midfielder’s embrace. You lean back into Alexia’s chest as her arms circle around your waist and she mutters comforting words into your ear, Irene running cold water over her hands before placing her palms on your face to cool your flushed face. You breathe out in relief, eyes closing for a second. Your teammates share a look of shock and concern. They have never seen you get so worked up because of a match, or basically anything before.

“I’m not letting them do this to her!” Mapi throws her hands up in anger and this time Ingrid doesn’t stop her, the scowl on her own face hard as well.

“My offer still stands, I know people.” Patri looks towards you questioningly and you smile at her slightly. Alexia smooths your hair back and out of your eyes and her heart flutters when you lean into her touch. She was trying to focus on you and you only, she didn't need the both of you panicking. It was her turn to hopefully bring you some comfort.

“No, no girls. I appreciate it but the authorities are taking care of it.”

“Bullshit!” the team looks at the source of the voice, utterly surprised when they realize it’s Claudia who spoke the words.

“She’s right! How long are we gonna wait?!” Ana exclaims and Patri can only nod at her.

“Chicas! For now let’s focus on the match! Y/N you sure you’re good to play?” Irene turns to you and you swallow, nodding and standing up. Alexia stands with you, her hand resting on the small of your back as she observes you worriedly.

“Yeah, yeah.” you tuck your shirt into your shorts, nervously reaching for the water and gulping down a few more sips. 

“So what’s the plan?”

“We absolutely demolish them!”

And you do. There’s 15 more minutes on the clock but your team is leading 9-0, two goals and three assists coming from you. Nevertheless, bruises are already littering your legs and at this point even Jonatan is asking you if you’d like to be subbed off but you shake your head at him. You weren’t going to back down now. 

Just as you’d put another ball to the back of the net, studs connect with your shin and you fall to the ground with a painful yelp as you clutch your leg.

Looking up at the shadow looming over you, your eyes connect with the player, the one who sent you a kiss and she’s smirking down at you, her hands on her hips. You attempt to get up, only for her to push your shoulder back.

“Stay down!” she commands before mumbling. “Weakling.”

The word triggers something and you're up on your feet in an instant and pushing her away from yourself. She stands her ground too though and shoves you back, a shove that has you putting pressure on your bad leg and you take a step back. Just as she goes to shove you again a flash of blue and red appears and bodies the Espanyol player. Mapi is the one who stands over her now, jaws clenched.

“Stay down” she utters the same words and the referee is already holding up a yellow card that’s thrusted in all three of your faces. You roll your eyes at him, though the prideful feeling in your chest intensifies as your teammates check up on you and show their care. 

You decide then that just for the fun of it, you were going to get that tenth goal. Alexia knows what you’re thinking, of course she does. Many often say it’s like your minds are connected with how well the two of you work on the pitch, sensing the other's presence without having to look up. It was similar to the nature of your relationship too. 

The two of you dance around the blue and white players and you don’t waste a second when Alexia sends a cross, you immediately volley the ball behind the keeper who doesn’t have time to react.

You’re lifted into the air by the midfielder and soon joined by the rest of the team, the final whistle blowing seconds later. 

“There’s our Mrs. Putellas!” Patri shouts, quickly followed by Pina who’s jumping up and down.

“Mrs.Putellas, huh?” Alexia teases as she notices the light flush of your cheeks. She was glad you could finally catch your breath after such a match.

“Sounds nice” you avoid eye contact, but your girlfriend only chuckles as she pulls you into her.

“It does” your arms make their way around her waist as she leans down. “Next time I see that girl, I’m breaking her legs. I already had enough when she was making that kissy face and then she pulled this shit.”

You laugh lightly at the frustrated voice in which she says all of it and she glances down at you once she’s sure no Espanyol players were around.

“I don’t think you know how to do that, but I appreciate it.” you joke before your eyes wander over your friends dancing around. “I suggest sending Mapi to do it”

The laughter that bursts out of your girlfriend is one that you can only grin at, your arms tightening their hold on her. You were in safe hands here with your girlfriend and teammates, you knew for a fact that no RCD Espanyol player would ever touch you again, they wouldn’t live through it.

[that-ari-blogger]

Worldbuilding (Flutterina)

When I set out to write a series analysing the fourth season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, I wanted to focus on individual characters who aren’t the main duo. I’ve discussed Glimmer and Perfuma so far, but what about the world itself?

I would argue that the setting of a story is as much a character as any of the protagonists or antagonists, and the setting of She-Ra is that of a war. You cannot discuss it without mentioning that core aspect.

But up until now, the series has been a focused on the individuals contained within. It describes the conflict between Catra and Adora in great detail, while the war has always been there, just in the background.

Flutterina changes that.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Journey’s End, Third Life, Double Life, Doctor Who)

The thing that struck me about this episode is how its tone shouldn’t work. This is an episode about how cool the protagonist is and how amazing the fight scenes can be, and it's also a psychological exploration of the everyday civilian. On paper, those two concepts are about as dissonant as you can get. In practice, it is almost seamless.

I want to start with the visuals of this episode, because they really make my point for me. During the party, everything in Elberon is joyful and happy, but it’s juxtaposed with the signs of war. The people here have tried to dress up a tank to cover up for the damage they have received. The tank now shoots confetti, which makes everything ok, right?

“Okay, okay. Terrifying booming sounds were probably a bad idea.”

I want to stress that some the PTSD displayed by the villagers in this episode is the brain working as it should. Key word: some.

If you are in a place where loud noises and danger come from the same place, your mind will link the two and give you intrinsic reflex to get out of the way when you hear a loud noise. This is designed to save your life.

What is bad here is the fact that this reflex was developed. Nobody should have to be under that amount of stress to the extent where the instinct carries over when they leave the battlefield.

A subtle detail in this episode is just how jumpy the mayor is. This woman recoils from everything, even sudden movements from Adora. The war has wrecked this woman's psyche.

But jumpiness isn’t the only symptom of having experienced trauma. There is also numbness, when you lose feeling after your senses being overused time and time again. Sometimes, this is just your mind filtering out what it perceives as white noise, sometimes it is nerve damage.

Journey’s End is a harrowing play written by R. C. Sherrif, depicting life in the trenches during the first world war. It is not a play I recommend if you want to have a fun time reading, but it is incredibly powerful.

There is a certain weight to every word, and a pensive silence that feels empty. Journey’s End does not pull punches.

Most notably in this case is the focus on coping mechanisms. The emphasis on the amounts of each left and right boot is dehumanising as a way of rationalisation. There is x number of boots recovered, x number of pairs left, x number of right boots lost. If you think about the inanimate object, you can forget those who wore them.

But there is also a profound sense of hope in the book, and something I want to link back to She-Ra. Because in Journey’s End, one way people keep themselves in a form resembling sanity is through idolisation. If they look up to someone, it takes their mind off their surroundings. That idolisation becomes pretty separate from the person it's targeted at, and the characters recognise this. Imagine someone who can’t die, someone who you can get attached to because no matter what, they are safe.

That’s what Flutterina does, it shows you people who are coping with extreme hardship, and lets you know exactly how She-Ra fits into this, not just as a hero, but as an idea. That’s why Adora and Bow being so badass in this episode doesn’t feel dissonant, they are the ideals that keep the people of Elberon safe and hopeful.

But I want to talk about the implications of this episode, because they are some of the heaviest in the series, and the eponym makes my point for me.

There's a difference between playing someone who can't act and acting badly. Double Trouble is an incredible actor, and by extension, so is Jacob Tobia.

I don’t think we ever see Double Trouble create a character from scratch. They wear people as masks, and so the character of Flutterina must have come from somewhere.

Also, nobody in Elberon is surprised by the existence of this person, they all recognise her, if seemingly a bit weirded out by a sudden change in mood.

Let’s do some deductive reasoning here, shall we? This was an active battlefield until about a day ago, maximum. Flutterina existed before that battle, and is nowhere to be seen now so Double Trouble could take her place with no pushback.

The real Flutterina definitely got killed in that battle.

Which implies that there is some heavy stakes for this war beyond what we see. The protagonists have plot armour, as is the tone of the story, but when the camera isn’t on you, no holds are barred.

And this isn’t a rare occasion. Flutterina is explicitly a young character, and nobody is surprised by her apparent lack of parents. Where did they go?

I get the feeling there has been more than one battle in Elberon, and Flutterina’s parents never had the chance to meet Adora.

This is a morbid line of thinking, but we are analysing the setting of a war story. There are no victors in war, just survivors, profiteers, and poets.

Let’s talk about the Life Series.

This is an animatic by @vyeoh, in which the use of colour is unrivaled. The fact that these two are each other's worlds is shown by the fact that everything else is in greyscale, and at the end... well, you'll just have to watch it for yourself. (Link)

I am someone who exists on Tumblr and repeatedly goes off on tangents about tragedies and the band The Crane Wives, so it was only a matter of time before this series made itself known to me.

And to be clear, I’m not talking about the original source material here. The Minecraft series is all fun and games, but the fan lore and material added on to it is really what makes it special to me.

Speaking of which, one of the key sticking points of Third Life is the storyline of the Flower Husbands, to people who are just trying to live out their lives in this setting. They pick allegiances to survive, they look out for each other. These two are adorable, and I think it is poignant that they both got killed in the crossfire of someone else’s battle.

The tragedy of Third Life is the collateral damage. The spiral into insanity of two of its characters could have only involved each other, but they brought others in and made them a part of their descents.

This energy was then replicated a few seasons later in Double Life, in the Clockers.

Everen is an animator with incredible talent, and a ton of her visuals are really complex with battle sequences and similar. But the single best shot she ever made was this one:

Two hands reaching for each other, but unable to connect, a relationship broken by violence. Again, this didn’t have to happen, but it did.

That’s what war does, it breaks lives and ends stories prematurely. That’s what’s tragic about it.

The original Flutterina didn’t have to die, and the person who ordered the attack will most likely never learn her name. She is just a number, a casualty. Similarly, the mayor of Elberon will forever be jumpy, unable to even drop a book on the floor without feeling unsafe. Neither of these people were soldiers.

I am fully breaking into my opinions here, and I don’t think I’m being particularly subtle about it. So, let me try and back myself up with one more tangent.

“Because it's not a game, Kate. This is a scale model of war. Every war ever fought, right there in front of you. Because it's always the same. When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn! How many hearts will be broken! How many lives shattered! How much blood will spill until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning. Sit down and talk!”

This is part of a speech delivered by Peter Capaldi as the 13th Doctor, and I leave it here for you to take as you will.

Instead, I want to talk about how She-Ra changes the rules. I mentioned how idolisation can lead to hope, and that hope is really important here. Because a big part of this series is the hypothetical “what if you could save everyone?”

She-Ra gives the people of Elberon hope for a greater tomorrow, a thing to believe in, but she also gives the audience something to root for. She creates an image in the minds of those in the real world that tells them that the conflicts can be over. War can end, bad people can be stopped, and notably, she doesn’t win by the same rules as the Horde.

The Horde’s tactic for this war has always been “kill everything”, and in the end, Adora won’t do that. Instead, she will confront the Horde’s leader, and stop him from throwing his underlings to kill and die for him.

She-Ra gives us hope for a better tomorrow.

Final Thoughts

Gee, I wonder why analysis of the setting of a war story got preachy.

As a side note, this is one of the episodes where we see Catra get really bad in her relationship with Scorpia, because that is abuse. I’ve seen a lot of discussion of redemption arcs online that limits the story to one extreme. Either the person was bad and can not be redeemed, or they were always good and don’t need the redemption. I think its rather important to the story that Catra does these bad things and they are specifically what she redeems herself from.

But I’m leaving my discussion of Catra and Adora out of this season, because I want to focus on them for season five, so this is all you will hear about her for the moment.

Next week, I’ll be talking about Pulse, and doing a deep dive on how much storytelling can be crammed into one scene. So stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[yanderes-galore]

Can I request Yandee future Steven, with your prompts: 38, 57, and 63? Romatic if you don’t mind!

Ohhh, this is in character for the prompts! Have a scenario similar to when Connie rejected his marriage proposal in the show. Obviously Steven needs help in this-

Aged up, post future AU.

Yandere! Future Steven Prompts 38, 57, 63

"My life has been so barren without you...."

"You're stuck with me, like it or not."

"You're my everything!"

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Unhealthy mental state, Manipulation, Potential rebounding, Clingy behavior, Obsession, Guilt-tripping, Fear of abandonment, Slight threat near the end, Angst maybe (?), Darling is oblivious to his obsession, Trauma.

Steven thought he could move on from his relationship trouble when he left Beach City. He thought when he met someone new... he'd move on from Connie. When he met you, he felt whole.

But it just seems to be a repeat of last time.

He had befriended you and considered you his first friend outside of Beach City. As a result he began to cling to you. He felt like you were helping him recover by just being there for him... he wants to keep you by his side forever.

You allowed him to vent to you. You tried to understand his complicated life to help him. You were so similar to him and his need to help, he wanted to cling to the familiarity.

Steven always found comfort in you. For months you've been patient with him. It had barely been a year before he rushed things and popped the question to you.

Would you be willing to date him? Maybe even marry him in the future?

At the time he felt it was the best time to ask. At the time... things felt right. Steven was excited to confess to you.

Then he saw your face.

Ever since then he's created tension between the two of you. Steven often beats himself up about it, he's rushed things and it's his fault like last time. His guilt only drives him to be more desperate.

Which leads to him now, begging at your door while you stand there with a sympathetic face.

It feels horrible to cry in front of you like this, skin tinted pink while you struggle to find a way to help his outbursts.

"My life has been so barren without you...." Steven whimpers, on his knees while he looks up at you with teary eyes. It's like Connie all over again.... He wants you to hold him and tell him it'll all be okay. Even if he knows he doesn't deserve it.

"Oh, Steven... I just said it's a bit too soon. I didn't know you'd be so upset..." You help him to his feet, moving him into your home. He hugs onto you while you awkwardly shuffle him to your couch. His tears soak your shirt. "But don't you think a year is too soon for a proper relationship?"

Steven shakes his head and holds you closer.

"N-No... I don't want to lose you..." Steven sobs, feeling you pat his head and rub his back. "You're my everything!"

You should've known that Steven's mental state would cause him to act like this. He's been through so much according to the stories he's told you. Of course he'd be scared to lose you...

That didn't make this right, however.

"Steven... that's so sweet." You murmur, squeezing him softly before sitting him up properly. His hands quickly find yours and don't let go. "I'm happy you care so much about me."

Steven now has a slight smile on his face, thinking you'll see his side on things.

"... Yet we have time. I'm not going anywhere. We don't have to have a relationship right away."

You pull your hands away from him, only to place them on his shoulders. Steven's stunned but tries to focus on the contact and not the rejection.

"I do care for you... there's no need to be so scared."

Surprised at the fact you aren't entirely trying to push him away, Steven lunges into a hug. You fall onto your back and chuckle when he lays on top of you in a hug. He seemed much happier now.

Steven looks you in the eyes, you swore for a moment you saw something strange swimming within them.

"Okay..." Steven chuckles. "But you're stuck with me, like it or not!"

You assume Steven was teasing you. Although... something about the tone of his voice made you think he wasn't entirely teasing. It felt... darker.

Almost like a threat...

You try not to dwell too much on it, after all it's Steven...!

He'd never actually force you into anything... would he?

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟

Eddie time! 129 for 🧟:

---

Eddie quickly learns that, though there are many similarities between Maddie and her little brother, there is one considerable difference. At least when it comes to long drives. Maddie and Buck are both kind and brave and gentle. Lionhearted type people, to be sure. They’re both well-spoken and intelligent. Friendly. Except, whereas Maddie was perfectly fine letting long stretches of time pass in relative silence, Buck cannot seem to accomplish this. He likes to talk. A lot. 

It’s not that Eddie has a problem with chatty people. He doesn’t. Shannon was really chatty, back when they got along. Eddie tends to not know how to fill silences, even when he should, with anyone but his son. So having someone who seems to be very adept at it is generally a good thing. And really, it would be. Eddie might appreciate it, any other day. Just today? So soon after leaving his kid and so close to finding or not finding Shannon?  Today, Eddie just doesn’t have the necessary social energy or focus to respond properly. And it’s making him feel sort of rude.

“I haven’t been to Los Angeles since I moved back here from Peru,” Buck starts their drive by explaining. 

“Peru?” Eddie blinks, confused. He’s only half-listening.

“Yes!” Buck explains. “I spent half a year working at a resort in Peru. Like an all-inclusive. Mostly attracted college-age party crowds, you know?”

Not really. Eddie had a kid before his nineteenth birthday. The closest to a party vacation he got was the fact that there was a beer festival happening an hour away from the military hospital in Germany where he recovered from being shot. 

He doesn’t say this.

“Right,” he mumbles instead.

“So, yeah, anyway, I moved here from Peru, and got the flight from Lima to LAX, and that was literally the last time I was in Los Angeles.” Buck continues with his story. “I always told myself I’d go more but between the fire academy and working and dating, I never did anything touristy.” 

“Life sure gets busy,” Eddie mumbles affirmatively.

“Yep! And then the world ends.”

It’s easy to say that. That the world has ended. And in a lot of the ways that matter, it feels like it really has. But maybe the scariest part is that it hasn’t. Not entirely. The scariest part is that there’s just enough left that Eddie and everyone else still alive and not a fucking zombie can’t throw in the towel. There’s way too much to keep fighting for. 

“So, what about you, man?” Buck asks.

“Me?” Eddie asks.

“You been to L.A. before or is this gonna be your first time?”

Right. That’s what they’d been talking about. Or, rather, that’s what Buck had been talking about. Sort of. 

“Yeah, I’ve been,” Eddie answers. “My Tia… Pepa. She lives… Lived…”

He takes a struggled breath at the thought of referring to any of them in the past tense. 

“My Tia and her kids lived out here and my Abuela moved out when I was fifteen or sixteen,” Eddie continues. “We visited.”

Buck graciously skirts over the fact that Eddie has just struggled to mention the family he’s lost.

“Oh, hey, that’s cool,” he says instead. “So you’ve done the touristy stuff?”

“Mhm,” Eddie confirms. “Some of it.”

His lack of elaboration seems to disappoint Buck a little. 

Eddie finds that he does not like that muted, disappointed look. It makes him want to scramble to bring his easy smile back. Shoot. Now is not the time for a crush. Not that there ever has been a good time for it. Slowing down and letting himself feel anything would confirm what Eddie’s quite sure he already knows. What he has probably always known, on some level. 

He’s gay. 

He’s gay and he’s searching for his estranged wife with the very handsome, very talkative brother of the woman he’s entrusted his son to. 

Yeah, not a good time for a crush. Like, at all. 

And yet he finds himself talking to mollify Buck anyway.

“I liked Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon,” Eddie says. “I like hiking.”

Buck lights up again. Eddie finds it stupidly endearing.

“I like hiking, too!” He exclaims. This turns into a full story about a hiking trip through the Shenandoah Valley when he lived in Virginia. Seems like this guy has lived everywhere. 

Eddie sits back and listens as he talks, eventually finding the raspy, excited lilt of his voice comforting. He finds himself wondering, perhaps stupidly, if in another life, they might be the sort of people who are well-suited for one another. Someone to hike and be active with. Someone to fill his silences. 

Eddie blinks the thought away. It’s useless. Right now, he has to focus on the road ahead of him, not the road he never got to take. 

▪️▪️▪️

It’s a two hour and twenty minute drive from Sunport to Los Angeles in theory. Eddie thinks. He doesn’t actually know for certain. It’s about two hours from Santa Barbara and he tacked on the twenty minutes. He doesn’t have Google Maps anymore. And he doesn’t know how long it will take to reach Shannon’s last known address in the city. This is all just a fuck ton of guess work, really. 

In practice, it takes them longer. They make it past Ventura, driving the same way he and Maddie had come, without an issue. It’s once they’re on a new route towards the city that things start getting complicated. 

First, the bridge over the Santa Clara River is out on the 101. Eddie’s not sure how this happened. It has not been long enough for the structure to naturally decay. It looks sort of… Blown up? Like someone intentionally destroyed it. They have to circle back and head northeast until they find another option. 

Not long after that, before they even reach Camarillo, there’s a transport truck overturned on the highway. Normally Eddie would just drive on the grass around it, but they’re on a steep hill. One one side of the road, the ground juts out above them. On the other side, it drops off after a guard rail. They’re sort of fucked. 

“This is ridiculous,” Eddie complains as they turn back around.

“Haven’t you driven all over?’ Buck asks. 

“Just from Texas,” Eddie says.

“So haven’t you seen way worse?” Buck asks. “Maddie says you were attacked by lions.”

Eddie shudders at the memory.

[basementdwellerinthestars]

Welcome To The Starscape!

-Or whatever dramatic name you want to call it.

You can call me Nova! They/them, he/him pronouns if you will. I am an Adult content creator who's going to likely primarily be using this tumblr for my Main Project, with a few showings from minor things, now that certain things have finished. Which is,,, honestly the most melodramatic way I could have phrased that,,,

Moving on, you might be wondering 'what is this Main Project'? Well, let me introduce you to:

A Hero's Lament

(recently renamed to Heroes Are We and will be going by that title from now on)

Heroes are We started as a fanfic on December 30th, 2021, making it a few months shy of three months old at the time of writing thing (which, wow) and has settled at just around 280k words at time of completion.

This fanfic was my baby, and still is! It's developed to the point that it and its characters are almost entirely removed from their fandom counterparts (dsmp, if anyone was wondering).

In response, I have decided to pull a Twilight->50Shades move and turn HL into HAW, an original comic heavily inspired by the original. Many aspects will be kept, many will be changed, but it will still be, at its core, the fic we all know and love. It will, however, be a comic instead.

What Has Been Kept:

Backstories

There will be little to no tweaks here. I have fully fleshed out many characters' backstories, and am working on the rest of them off and on. A big change here will be that 90% of characters don't get their backstories told. I hope to remedy this. Will this add even more angst?

Yes, yes it will. But it will also add more fluff and more family moments, romantic moments, and character moments. I am not afraid to make this thing longer.

Powersets

Similarly to the last point, I will be changing basically nothing about the characters' powers, I'll just be using them more. For example, Tubbo (now known as Theo) does, in fact, have powers that aren't just Goat Boy (well, girl). Do I ever bring this up in the original fic? Not really, I barely even allude to it. This is going to change. Trust.

Major Plot Points

If I changed these, I would have been lying about keeping the core of the story. All arcs will remain as they are. The events will happen, just at a different pace. For example, The Pit Dwellers Arc. That one is going to have more build-up so it doesn't come out of nowhere. I'm essentially treating the fic like a Draft One. There will, again, likely be more arcs to fit in with the extra content.

Character Relationships

The Spider's Web family will still be a family, MD will still get a girlfriend, The MC will still have his love interest. I hope to flesh out these relationships more beyond the first one in this fic. I also really want to add more about the Hero Family here too.

Story Location

We will still be in the poorest district, still in a Hero focused society, these are core aspects of the fic. However, I am renaming like all of these things.

The numbered districts were a blatant Hunger Games reference, I have now given all those districts actual names. You know, like actual city districts have. The main city has a name too.

What Will Be Changed:

An overhaul of the writing

I'm much better now and So. Many. Characters were underutilized in the original fic.

Like seriously, every character that wasn't the MC was essentially left to rot. I am going to change that. Every character will have a role and every character will get the spotlight at some point.

I have so many personal criticisms about this fic I swear. Our vigilantes barely do any vigilante-ing, the mc's Other Backstory barely gets acknowledged, the characters beyond the mc barely do anything.

I get that it was writing in the MC's head, from his perspective, and the major focus of the story was on the process of recovering from trauma but jesus fucking christ. I can still do that while giving other characters attention. Well, now I can, because I have better writing skill.

Get ready to become a first draft Mr. Original Fanfic.

The Romance subplot

Fear not, it will be kept! I am lowkey in love with it but it sadly only exists in my head due to the previous point. It was not given enough (barely any) time to shine. According to some comments, that was okay because the writing made up for it but I know I can do better.

The Character Designs

Not that there were a lot of them in the main fic but the aspects that were didn't tend to be... very realistic for me to draw. The mc's four arms, for example, are going to be traded for a set of six (or eight) spider limbs. It's easier for me to draw. I definitely tried to keep the original arms but... guys they're just too clunky...

But also some characters got added design elements. Like Tubbo! (now known as Theo) Theo had horns in the original fic, now they're a full-on saytr. This has caused me a several tangents theorizing about saytr-inclusive mobility devices and also the theoretical microaggressions a pair of visibly hybrid-with-nonhuman-limbs poor teens would face in this world. Yeah, we're going that far.

Links

To finish off this lil introductory post, here are some links to relative posts made before this was.

Dream/Archangel's Design

Tommy/Jamie's Design

Tubbo/Theo's Design

The Original HL Fic

The Youtube Where I Might Post Content

The Ko-Fi Where You Can Donate Money And Commission Stuff