#because embre

[elliottjpg]

I have a new child! They just keep happening, HELP-

This is Ginger Sunweaver, my gnome cleric for a Pathfinder campaign I just joined!

She's a happy-go-lucky little gal, whose passions in life are adventure and alcohol. She's a cleric sworn to the service of Cayden Cailean, the "Accidental God", patron of beer, wine, adventure and freedom. Her goals in life are to taste every alcohol in the known world, and to free every imprisoned person/creature/entity she meets.

Her favored weapon is her tankard, which was a gift from the dwarven priest who introduced her to his faith. The runes on it read "Souvenir of Cloudspire". She is more of a healer and support than a fighter, but she will not hesitate to bonk you on the head with her Holy Tankard if you're being a dick.

She has a Shetland pony called Moonshine.

[elshells]

Ten First Lines

Tagged by @thewardenofwinter! Thank you so much! <3

Tagging @captain-kraken, @crowandmoonwriting, @moonluringfrost, and open tag to anyone else!

Rules: share the first sentence of your last ten stories. If you haven't written ten stories, share as many first sentences as you have.

1/2. Agent Ace (Sophia's POV)

Sophia dimmed her car’s headlights as she pulled into the empty parking lot.

1/2. Agent Ace (Harley's POV)

“Attention all passengers. The train will arrive at the station shortly. Please prepare to disembark.”

^ Technically that's more than one line. But who's counting?

2. EMBR of the Earth

A notification pinged on the computer screen—pending arrival of Research Drone 4 in approximately one minute thirty-seven seconds.

3. Encore

A tiny flame ignited in the dark.

4. Halfway House (Backburner Draft)

Everyone wants something out of life.

5. Tributes to the Queen: First Blood (Short Story)

"Will the accused please hold out her right hand?"

6. A Murder of Crows (Forgotten Draft)

There was no turning back—she had to know the truth, and she was going to find answers no matter what it took.

7. Codex (Forgotten Draft)

Rayne stared at the grand staircase at the other end of the room, feeling hot and extremely overdressed.

8. Aveline (Forgotten Draft)

Eric was hiding from his brothers.

9. The Other Side (Forgotten Draft)

Between ditching the last hour of school and answering the door for a stranger, I did not have a good day.

10. The Darkest Color Blue (Forgotten Draft)

When a man aims a gun at your head and pulls the trigger, then you know it's over.

[heir-of-the-chair]

Who is your favorite Magic Thief character and why?

Embre because he is a fucked up little man and I love him. I could probably phrase this more coherently but it’s 2am and it’s been years since my last reread but he’s just a silly guy.

[lukesvangelista]

𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒, 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘ˡᵉ⁷⁷

in which luke witnesses your shot at the national championship.

warnings; none that i can think of (may upset some wisconsin fans, sorry if this is too soon)

If you could tell the hockey gods to go to hell at this moment, you would not hesitate.

March 24, 2024. Whittemore Center Arena, University of New Hampshire. The University of Wisconsin vs. The Ohio State University. 2 vs. 1. A little over eight minutes left in the game. The score? 0-0.

Despite outshooting Wisconsin throughout the entire game, you had not scored a single goal. You had had a few close chances, sliding in past Wisconsin’s defensemen a few times, but just couldn’t convert. At this point, you were thanking Raygan for her outstanding performance in goal. But most definitely not the hockey gods.

The voice of Coach Muzerall fluttered through your ears as she told you all to give it everything you got. You were sure Mark Johnson was giving the same speech to his girls at the opposing bench, but honestly, you were too nervous to care. Your eyes wandered around the arena in hopes of finding the only person who could offer any comfort at the moment — Luke.

Unfortunately, Luke had missed the past few games of the NCAA tournament — even your earlier Frozen Four game against Clarkson — because of his schedule with the Preds. Luckily for you, the team was rewarded with a complete off day after their win over Detroit last night. So Luke did the only he could think of. He bought a plane ticket to Durham as soon as he landed in Nashville, and ubered to the arena in order to see you play. You woke up to a text saying that he’d be there, and were beyond excited (and relieved).

As you skated onto the ice in preparation to resume the game, you were able to locate him about halfway up in the stands. He was on his feet, decked up in his scarlet and gray apparel, with a buckeye necklace hanging around his neck. In his hands was a sign that read ‘BUCKEYES > BUCKY’. A small smile crept its way onto your face, wondering where he would have even gotten the materials to make it, but you didn’t care. His support meant everything.

After moving your eyes off of Luke, you focused on Cayla Barnes, who was stationed off to the right of you. She gave you a quick nod, and you knew she meant business. Just as you focused your attention back on the ice, the puck had dropped, with the Badgers winning the draw.

You quickly moved into your own zone, parking yourself in front of the nearest Wisconsin player, which happened to be Britta Curl. The puck passed back and forth between a few of the players before Laila Edwards ended up taking a shot. Raygan managed to kick save it out of your zone as most of your teammates went to make a line change.

They weren’t quick enough, however. Wisconsin had managed to quickly pass the puck out of their zone to center ice, where Curl was waiting patiently with her stick. The puck fell into line perfectly as she entered your zone. You rushed back as fast as you could as you saw Raygan prepare for a wrist shot, and somehow managed to poke the puck away as you tangled up with her. This time, the puck landed right on Cayla’s stick.

Cayla quickly rushed up ice as you let out a small breath. You followed suit, backing her up in case a Wisconsin player managed to steal the puck back. It didn’t take long, however, for Cayla to find Hannah Bilka at center ice, with Joy Dunne on her tail.

You held your breath as the puck landed on Joy Dunne’s stick. If there was one person who wasn’t going to fail you, it was her. She was your team’s leading point scorer with 38 points on the year (23 of which were goals), the WCHA Rookie of the Year, and the NCAA Rookie of the Year. Almost immediately, she sent the puck flying right past McNaughton’s glove and into the goal.

Cheers erupted from the ice, bench, and stands as you were swallowed up into a team huddle by the glass. Joy excitedly made an “O-H” with her hands before embracing you all and making her way to the bench. You smiled softly and looked up at the clock — 7:13 left in the third. You skated off the ice and Stephanie Markowski took your place by center ice.

Locating Luke again, a bright smile was plastered wide across his face as he watched the replay. He had met Joy, who you embraced as a little sister, when he had come to campus to visit you earlier during the all star break. Needless to say, he was proud of her, as anyone should be. What you didn’t know, however, is just how proud he was of you. Your defensive poke-check set the scoring play into motion and here you were just over seven minutes away from winning the national championship.

Time couldn’t have passed more slowly for you as the clock wound down. Wisconsin had created many more scoring opportunities, but just couldn’t convert (you had to thank Raygan once again). You were back on the ice with two minutes to go, scrambling back into the defensive zone as the Badgers pulled McNaughton in order to gain an extra attacker. Your heart raced as you saw Casey O’Brien rush onto the ice, skating swiftly towards your goal.

You knew nothing good was going to happen if you couldn’t calm down. So, as the puck was passed to Ava Murphy, you took a deep breath and raced in front of her as she wound up for a slap shot. As she let go of the puck, you dove in front of it, the puck redirecting off of your ankle and into neutral territory.

Man, did that hurt like a motherfucker. The crowd simultaneously grimaced and cheered for you as you recollected yourself off of the ice. You swear you could hear Luke’s voice yelling your name out of the entire crowd, telling you to get up and kick ass.

The puck was quickly regathered by Caroline Harvey as she circled through neutral ice, waiting for her teammates to reenter the zone. Once completed, the puck was passed to Lacey Eden as Emma Peschel tried to poke it away, but in vain. Caroline passed it to Charla Edwards, who lined up to take a shot from the blue line. None of your teammates were guarding her, so you did what you had to do. You once again skated up and prepared your body to be hit with a hard piece of vulcanized rubber. When it did, you fell to the ground, but got right back up as cheers erupted once again.

“Let’s go, Y/N!” Quinn Kuntz yelled from the bench, and you struggled to skate, but the puck had bounced right back to Edwards. Instead of trying to move around you, she wound up for another slap shot, but that one didn’t get past you either. The puck once again hit your body as you blocked the shot, falling to the ice once again. Finally, Emma was able to clear the zone as the puck raced towards the other end of the ice.

At that moment, you used your stick to propel you towards the bench. You knew you weren’t seriously injured — you’d just have a few bad bruises here and there — but your body hurt like a bitch from taking all of those shots. You were greeted with pats on the back from all your teammates on the bench as Hannah jumped back on in your place. You smiled softly as a response, focusing on the jumbotron to see the time left in the game.

One minute. If you could hold off Wisconsin for one minute, you would be a national champion. You watched anxiously as your teammates tried to clear the zone towards the now empty net of Wisconsin, but to no avail. Finally, Joy had managed to send it down the length of the ice, which forced a quick line change. You hopped on the ice with around 30 seconds left and made your way into the defensive zone yet again.

Since McNaughton was pulled, the Badgers had an extra attacker, which made it harder to defend your goal than usual. You weren’t going to give up that easily, however. The puck was passed back in forth between the six Badgers on the ice, each one of them waiting for the perfect shot. The clock wound down as the puck finally landed on Sophie Hegleson’s stick.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. You could hear nothing as you once again forced yourself to skate in front of her, knowing that this goal would change the trajectory of the game. Your teammates were counting on you, so you were going to give it your all. You braced yourself for impact as the puck hit your back, your body sacrificing itself for the win exactly as the buzzer went off.

The game was over. You were officially a national champion. The sounds of your teammates yelling filled your ears as you let your body collapse to the ice, both in pain and in shock. You took your helmet off to gather yourself as a small smile made its way across your face. You had done it.

Emma skated over to you and pulled you up off of the ice, and you both rushed over to join the dog pile of your teammates on top of Raygan. Although you couldn’t see him, Luke was smiling down at you, a look of immense pride present on his face. He fumbled with the buckeye necklace hanging around his neck as he couldn’t contain his excitement, knowing that you were a national champion.

After you all had settled down and received your medals (but not before shaking hands and congratulating Wisconsin on their tremendous effort), you were allowed to bring family members and friends onto the ice to take pictures. As Luke made his way onto the ice, you excitedly skated over to him, and his arms were wide open to catch you. You smiled widely, your eyes shining brightly, “I did it, Luke. I really did it.”

He cupped your face with his hands, nodding his head in agreement, “You did it, my love. I’m so fucking proud of you.”

You smiled brightly up at him again, your eyes swelling with tears. Luke pulled you into another hug, gently kissing the top of your head, “Go celebrate with your teammates. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you’re done.” He reassured, giving you a soft smile as he wiped away some stray tears that had fallen with the pads of his thumbs. You nodded, skating over and joining Joy. When you were finally given the trophy after she did, you hoisted it high up into the air, ready to show it off to the entire world.

After all, it’s always been Ohio against the world.

liked by lukevangelista, kentjohnson.13, and others

youruser: ohio against the world ❤️🩶

view top comments

ohiostatewhky: THAT’S OUR NATIONAL CHAMPION

lukevangelista: BUCK YEAH 🌰

lukevangelista: THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND

maxmccuee: gross

lukevangelista: my girlfriend just won a national championship, what did yours do?

maxmccuee: go fuck yourself evangelista

youruser: hey now let’s stop arguing (and max i’m the only one who gets to do that with my boyfriend ☺️)

luca.fantilli: OH MY GOD

user1: y/n’s iconic lmfao

user2: LUCA 😭😭

quinnkuntz: yeah, we did that

matthewknies: how are your shins

youruser: i’m not sure you wanna know

matthewknies: fair enough have a good day

colemcward: buckeyes > badgers

_alexturcotte: cole that’s not nice

colemcward: truth hurts buddy, but keep your head up! i’m sure it’ll get better soon 😚

joyv_dunne: HELL YEAH

emmapeschel: always been ohio against the world!!!

kentjohnson.13: check the record books

youruser: hey kj you might want to focus on your 24-50 record first!

kentjohnson.13: it’s actually 24-38-12, thank you very much

youruser: so we’re actually the only team bringing honor to cbus rn, but if you keep it up maybe you can too!!

lhughes_06: HOLY SHIT

adamfantilli: unfortunately can’t argue with that so pipe down kj

kentjohnson.13: okay i’m sorry

user3: pls y/n is so funny 💀

user4: SHE’S DATING LUKE?!

youruser: …surprise?

lukevangelista: something about our friendship being firm idrk

user5: i wanna be y/n when i grow up

ncaaicehockey: honestly same

user6: ncaa what are you doing here 💀

_connorbedard: congrats!!!

alex.vlasic: connor’s big social media debut folks! be nice to him he’s a little shy

adamfantilli: CONNOR CAME OUT OF HIDING

_willsmith2: DID SOMEONE SAY CONNOR BEDARD

youruser: okay let’s take bets, if connor sees his shadow (these comments) it’s six more weeks of his social media hiatus, but if he doesn’t then we’re all blessed by his presence

youruser: (thanks connor)

nickmoldenhaur: six more weeks of winter for sure 😔

user7: i didn’t realize how funny y/n actually is she’s hilarious

brandtclarke55: nah i’m hopeful for an early spring

_connorbedard: you guys are mean

brandtclarke55: …soooo does that count as an early spring or no?

a/n; hope you all enjoy!!! i had fun with this one (also not sure why two of my imagines have revolved around ohio state but this was convenient hahaha), thanks so much for reading!!

[henrioo]

°•*⁀➷ TWO AGAINST ONE: PORTGAS D. ACE

꒰ SYNOPSIS ꒱ : "Ace makes the mistake of eating one of your pregnant husband's sweets, you, now he needs to somehow earn her forgiveness. However, it seems that in this dispute, your son has already chosen who his favorite father will be."

꒰ WARNINGS ꒱ : TRANS MALE READER, FTM READER, TRANS MASC READER, PREGNANT MALE READER, MEN PREGNANT, BIOLOGICAL PREGNANCY, GAY RELATIONSHIP, Reader is a little dramatic, pregnancy dramas, unnamed baby but is a boy, Ace and you are married, Ace is a golden retriever and you're mean to him (just a little), Ace is a perfect dad and husband

꒰ WC ꒱ : 917

꒰ NOTES ꒱ : Wow, more babies! Hahah who would have thought... Okay I wanted to say that it's the last baby story but it's not, At least next time I'll try to post another topic or you'd start to think I'm weird. The post was supposed to be yesterday and it was also supposed to be a late ask, but the ask is 7k words long and I'm having a serious problem translating it, so I'm going to post this other story today so I can have more time, enjoy!

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"Love, honey, my husband, my man, my sweet, forgive me." Your husband, Ace, whimpered beside you as you lay on the reclining sofa, covered in pillows and with a soft blanket over your huge belly. You had an irritated expression and crossed arms, purposely ignoring him and pretending to pay attention to the television.

"I'm not talking to you," you snorted irritably, and if your feet weren't swollen and your legs weren't aching, you would have kicked his ass out of the house.

"I swear, I didn't know it was your chocolate! I thought it was mine... I'm sorry, my love," he was kneeling on the sofa next to you, his hands clasped together begging for forgiveness, and his puppy eyes were so sad that anyone would have accepted his apologies.

Anyone, except you. No, no, you were a pregnant man dealing with a very active baby and hormones so out of whack that you seemed like a ticking time bomb. You definitely wouldn't forgive your husband for eating the last of your chocolate stash. Especially because it was Sunday! The store that sold your favorite, expensive, artisanal chocolate only opened on Tuesdays. You would have to go two days without your chocolate because of your husband's stupidity in not checking who the chocolate belonged to before swallowing it!

Okay, you weren't exactly craving chocolate in the past few days, and that one had been stored for a long time... But that doesn't change the fact that he shouldn't have eaten it!

"I swear I'll buy the whole store for you to forgive me! Please, don't pout at me like that," he whined again as he lovingly rubbed your arm. Ace hated hurting you, no matter how small the reason. Now that you were pregnant, he tried his best to make you live in paradise, as he was extremely worried when he found out that stress could cause serious complications in pregnancy. Although Marco and Law tried to explain that it had to be an absurd amount of stress, he practically didn't listen and accepted as an absolute truth that even the smallest amount of stress was a deadly risk for you and the baby!

"I hate you," you murmured irritably, and your frustrated pout grew. You didn't like arguing with Ace and usually didn't care so much about something like this, but those damn hormones made you go crazy. One moment you were crying, and the next you were trying to set the house on fire with Ace inside. Then, you would go back to normal as if everything were fine. You could only think that this was Ace's punishment for taking so long to propose to you.

"What can I do to make you forgive me, my king?" he sighed and sat closer to you, kissing your arm and then trying to kiss your cheek, which resulted in you moving away. "You're breaking your poor husband's heart."

"I'll ask for a divorce if you keep annoying me," you said, trying to stay strong, although you were almost giving up on arguing and just getting lost in Ace's warm embrace.

"Ouch... So cruel," he whimpered and carefully laid on your belly, then gently stroked it, giving kisses on the shirt you were wearing. "Come on, little guy, help your old man make peace with your daddy. He'll put me to sleep on the couch if he stays like this," he whimpered, trying to get help from his unborn child.

Before you could reprimand Ace again, a kick was felt by both of you... Your baby had just kicked exactly where Ace's head was, making him startle and jump from the slight blow he received, causing both of you to widen your eyes in shock.

"Our son just kicked me?" he asked, confused and incredulous about the situation.

"Humph, looks like it's two against one now," you smiled triumphantly as you caressed your belly. "Our son is smart, he knows that this daddy here is the only one whose right," you continued teasing Ace, already feeling your mood improve and the anger dissipating.

"This is unfair! The two men in my life are ganging up against me!" he crossed his arms with a pouting expression.

"Think twice before eating my sweets next time," you shrugged. "You heard the baby, today Daddy Ace sleeps on the couch," you laughed, feeling some gentle kicks from your baby, as if he really agreed with you.

"This little rascal will have to deal with me when he's born... Stealing my husband, I was here before you," he muttered childishly as he glared at your belly. "And you, mister grumpy husband, I'm going to squeeze and kiss you until you're forced to forgive me! And if you try to kick me out of our room, I'll cry at the door like a stray dog," Ace made his threat, and before you could disagree, he threw himself on top of you, covering your face with kisses as he hugged you tightly. All you could do was laugh, feeling ticklish from his kisses. You didn't usually get mad at your husband so often, but if it meant having him as a repentant little puppy trying to win your forgiveness through affection and love... Maybe you would start getting mad more often, especially if your son would help you.

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[moonselune]

Just read your over clingy tav prompt and I loved it 🥹🥹

And then a kind of continuation popped into my mind:

What will Wyll do/think when one day he finds that tav’s clinginess target has turned to a doll/animal plushie that looks like him? I imagined a lion plushie with darker skin and mane 🦁

Probably tav did it because they thought their clinginess could be an annoyance to Wyll, especially postgame Wyll when he could have lots of work to do no matter which path he chooses.

(Definitely not self-inserting hehehehe🥲)

You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, just want to say hi and let you know your contents are awesome 🥰

So so so wholesome so cute

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Wyll x reader | Little Lion

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

One evening, Wyll finds himself alone in his tent, the usual warmth of your embrace noticeably absent. Curious and a little concerned, he sets off to find you. It doesn't take long before he discovers you in your own tent, lovingly stitching away at a small plushie. The plushie has a dark mane, a missing eye that mirrors Wyll’s own appearance. It's a lion, but unmistakably Wyll-like.

"What's this?" Wyll asks, intrigued, his tone laced with amusement.

You look up, a bit startled but quickly smiling. "Oh, it's nothing. Just a little project I've been working on."

Wyll chuckles, reaching out to take the plushie in his hands, examining it closely. "It looks just like me. How come you didn't tell me you were making this?"

You hesitate, glancing away for a moment. "I thought my clinginess might be an annoyance to you, so I made this to keep me company instead."

Wyll’s expression softens, touched by the thoughtfulness behind your actions. "You could never be an annoyance to me," he says earnestly. "This is… actually really sweet."

Over the next few days, Wyll finds the sight of you with the plushie endearing. He often catches you hugging it or keeping it close during the day, and he finds it wholesome and comforting. However, one night, he wakes up in the middle of the night and notices you clutching the plushie instead of him. He frowns, a pang of jealousy striking his heart.

Thinking you are asleep, he gently reaches over, takes the plushie, and rashly throws it off the bed, hoping to reclaim his rightful spot in your arms. With a small victorious smile, he snuggled into your arms, believing he had got away with his crime.

He had not.

"What are you doing?" Your voice, sleepy but clearly awake, cuts through the darkness.

Wyll freezes, caught red-handed. "Uh… nothing. Just… adjusting."

You sit up, giving him a stern but playful look, immediately realising that a certain plushie was missing. "Go pick him up and bring him back into the bed."

Wyll pouts, feeling a bit silly. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," you insist, your tone leaving no room for argument.

Reluctantly, Wyll gets up and retrieves the plushie, placing it back in your arms. He climbs back into bed, still pouting slightly. You can’t help but laugh softly, wrapping your arms around him and the plushie.

"Wyll, you know you’re my favorite, right?" you whisper, nuzzling into his neck.

He sighs, the jealousy fading as he melts into your embrace. "I know. I just didn't want to share you with a stuffed toy."

You smile, kissing his cheek. "There's enough of me to go around. Besides, I made it because I care about you so much. It’s like having a piece of you with me all the time. You need not be jealous of it, my love."

Wyll’s pout turns into a soft smile, and he pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around both you and the plushie. "Alright, I guess I can live with that. Just don’t forget who the real Wyll is."

"The lion- No! give him back!" You laugh as Wyll tries to pry the lion from your steel grip. Deciding to play dirty, you press his lips against his and he immediately becomes preoccupied with you, the lion slipping from his grasp. You smile against his lips and pull away, holding the lion victoriously.

Wyll just sighs and pulls you back into his embrace and lies down, holding you and -begrudgingly, the lion too. He'll get his revenge, one day.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

I am definitely going to do a BG3 characters being jealous of an inanimate object, this was just so much fun, hope you all enjoy it ! - Seluney xox

[luvu2themoonand2saturn]

super bowl blues

joe burrow x reader

wc: just under 1k

warnings: sad joe, all fluff otherwise <3

summary: joe can’t help but feel like he let his teammates down on super bowl night

The day that so many peoples’ lives had revolved around for the past four months, including your boyfriend’s, had finally arrived. It was the night of the Super Bowl, and instead of cheering on Joe and his team at the stadium, you, Joe, and most of the other Bengals players and their partners had gathered at a bar for drinks to watch the game together.

The mood of the group was decidedly subdued - everyone was still mourning the loss of the AFC championship and thus their shot at winning the Super Bowl, although it was starting to sting a little less. The team’s attention was already shifting to the upcoming season and preparing for it, already kindling hopes for next February. Despite the undercurrent of defeat, you were all still grateful to be in one another’s company.

At the start of the evening, everyone had crowded into a booth to watch the kickoff, but as the time passed, people dispersed to the pool table and the dartboard. Joe had stayed in the booth with you for the most part as you chatted with Sam and Ja’Marr, reflecting on your favourite memories from the season, laughing at locker room recollections.

Joe had been rather distant throughout the evening, not cracking his usual jokes or poking good hearted fun at his teammates whenever the opportunity arose (which it had many times). He had nursed a single drink, his arm resting around your waist, keeping you tucked against his side. You knew he wouldn’t want you to draw attention to his melancholy, so for the time being you opted for resting a hand on his thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze to let him know you were there.

“I’m going to grab another drink, sweetheart,” he said, standing up from the booth. “Any of you need refills?” The guys and you all shook your heads no, and Joe headed off to the bar on his own.

After a minute had passed and he was yet to return, you peered over top of the booth to catch a glimpse of the bar. Rather than waiting for the bartender to serve him, his glass was empty on the counter and he was sitting on a stool towards the end, chin resting on his hands as he stared at the wall of liquor behind the bar without really seeing it.

You drained the last couple sips of your drink, giving you a reason to excuse yourself and head to the bar. You stood and made a beeline for Joe. Setting your empty glass beside his, you scooted a nearby stool over, hopping onto it and resting a hand on his back.

“Hey,” you said softly as he turned to look at you.

“Hey,” he replied quietly.

Gently rubbing your hand up and down his back, you asked, “What’s going on, baby? And don’t say nothing.”

He let out an amused huff. “Why can’t I say nothing?”

“You can’t say nothing because you never let me say nothing. You get what you give, I’m afraid. And I want to hear about it, love.”

He took a deep inhale, letting it out in a rush. “I don’t know. I’ve accepted the fact that we didn’t make it to the big game and everything but seeing the guys all here and not on that field” - he gestured to one of the many screens broadcasting the game - “just feels wrong. They deserve to be there, and I just feel like I let them down.”

“Joe, do you feel like any of your teammates let you down this season because you didn’t make it to the Super Bowl?”

“No, of course not.”

“They feel the exact same about you. This is a team sport and you guys played a fucking brilliant season. It sucks you didn’t make it, but that doesn’t take away from everything you did accomplish. And you have so many more chances ahead of you, my love.”

“I know. It’s hard though,” he replied, breaking your gaze and looking down at a ring left by a glass on the countertop.

“Yeah,” you said, resting your head against his shoulder and looping your other arm around his waist to hold him in a slightly awkward, but very endearing, embrace. “It’s okay to be sad but I am not letting you sit here all night and blame yourself, because there’s no truth in it. The guys love you no matter what, as do I.”

He smiled a little, the first sign you were breaking through. “You’re really gonna make me quit my pity party, huh? I was having fun,” he joked.

“Yes, I am, and no, you weren’t. Halftime show starts soon and pity parties are banned when Rihanna’s performing,” you replied.

“I can’t argue with that, honey.” He got up from his stool, moving to stand between your legs, wrapping his arms around you and resting his cheek on top of your head. “I love you, baby. Thank you.”

“I love you too, sweet boy. Super Bowl or not, you’ll always be my star player.”

He leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips, pulling away just enough to murmur, “And you’ll always be my star girl,” before giving you one more peck.

You smiled up at him gleefully, happy to see him returning to himself. “How about that refill?”

“It’s on me, pretty girl,” he said fondly as he flagged down the bartender.

You rested your head against his side, his arm around your shoulders. Although you would have loved to be cheering him on from the sidelines at the game right now, sitting beside him in this dimly lit bar, sharing drinks and increasingly messy kisses, made you just as happy. As long as you were together, it was all okay.

[night-daily]

Can we cuddle? | Peter Parker x fem! reader

summary: Peter it's a clingy person even when it's hot.

warnings: none.

a/n: i got the prompts from @novelbear! <3 also i wrote this thinking in tasm peter but it could be for any peter:)

You know your boyfriend, Peter, is a clingy person, always needing to have one of his hands all over you, and your okay with that because you love having him close to you, but not tonight. Not when the weather outside it is so fucking hot and lucky you, the ac in your apartment it's broken.

So when Peter saw your window apartment open after finishing patrolling the city, he took it as an invitation to join you, he hadn't seen you for 3 days. He sneaked in through the window carefully to not make any noise in case you were sleeping. But you weren't, you just took a shower to cool you off and tried to sleep right away, but it wasn't working, the heat was too much not even your fan was enough.

You had your eyes closed when you felt an intense stare on you, you didn't freak out because you knew who was.

Who else than Spiderman would climb a building?

“Like what you see, creep?” you tease him smiling without opening your eyes.

“Always” He changes his suit for comfortable clothes that he has in your apartment. “Why you don't have your ac turned on?” He lays beside you onto the bed.

“There was a roach and I accidentally hit the ac with a broom, so now it's broken and I think mother nature's punishing me.”

“Well, at least it wasn't a spider” He wraps his arms and legs around you, like a koala. You instantly felt suffocated “Babe i'm sweating” you move away from him. “I don't care, let's melt together then” Peter tried to pull you by your waist but you were faster and rolled over the bed. “I'm serious Pete, I need to get up early tomorrow and I can't sleep with you cuddling me.”

He wouldn't tell you but he can't sleep without cuddling you, so a long night was waiting for him.

The next day you woke up early like you have told him, you were getting ready to go to work as the voice of your boyfriend filled the room “Now you didn't give me my morning kiss, what's next?” Peter was grumpy, he got like two hours of sleep last night. You roll your eyes “See you tonight you big baby ” you gave him a chaste kiss before leaving the room. “WAIT! THAT DOESN'T COUNT AS A KISS”

Peter wasn't let a broke ac let him without cuddling you and without sleep, so he passed all his day fixin it and he was successful, he put the ac working and now it was cold, he was just hoping it was cold enough for you so you would ask him to hug you.

You arrived at the apartment a few minutes later, it was night already and still hot outside. So when you opened the door you weren't expecting it would be so cold, even sending shivers down your spine.

“Pete?” you were looking for your boyfriend, embracing yourself. Peter was in your room, waiting for you to come and make the last move of his plan. Finally, you make your way to your room, seeing him in the bed already with a blanket over him, and fuck, he looked so cozy that you already want it to be with him. “Pete, it’s freezing in here. Did you fix the ac? and why do you have the air up this high?” “Yeah I fixed it so you wouldn't suffer, you are welcome honey, so now change your clothes and let's go to sleep” you did as he told you without saying a word. You plop yourself onto the bed, craving some heat, craving for Peter's hug. “I’m cold, can we cuddle?” you pout to Peter. His heart stopped at the view, you were so cute, how he could say no to you? Even if his plan was to make you beg for him, he cannot wait to have you in his arms, fuck the plan, he wanted you now. “No need to ask pretty girl” He pulls you close to him, one arm around your waist and the other arm under your head, making you to buried your face into his chest and him resting his head on top of yours. “Good night, Pete” “Good night, love” And just like that, the two of you cuddling together fell asleep in each other's embrace.

[arkanis-englishupdates]

SUMMARY OF ALL ARKANIS POVS

DAY 62 — 04/11/2024

The day in Valigma starts off calmly, but an investigation carried out by two brothers begins.

Yayahz finally wakes up (logs into the server) and starts exploring. She meets with some specialists in the area when Coreano and AuAu invites her to AuAu's house to talk.

Before we continue the summary, I need to give you all some context:

Coreano and Yayahz are brothers and came to Valigma together. The two came from a kingdom presumed to be called Soturi, a secluded place in the mountains.

They spent the entire period from there until Valigma's arrival together, but none of them know what really happened in their past.

We only have the information that their parents are dead. The causes of deaths are unknown.

While Coreano clearly remembers that Yayahz is his sister, Yayahz appears to have serious memory problems and discovered that Coreano was his brother some time later (Not because she didn't know this fact, but because she had forgotten this information. Many specialists seem to have had the same memory problem as soon as they came to Valigma).

Now, back to the summary..

Instead, Coreano explains how Auau helped him when Denix disappeared and he said AuAu could help the brothers understand their past.

The conversation then suddenly stops with AuAu saying to the brothers about feeling a flow of Arkanya around the place and asking the duo to look for books around the house.

They found 4 books in a room telling about Arrakys and Dýnami. (The first book talks about the author running away with an important flower. The second book the author says that they was unable to find anyone else in their group and remains hidden so as not to be found by soldiers. The third book shows the author's reflections on loneliness and on a kingdom that fell into ruins due to the death of its emperors [The kingdom has the same name as the soldiers the author hides from], adding that they is unable to carry out a type of "Ceremony".

In the last book, the author says she is already feeling weak, wondering what happened to his people and his enemies. She says she doesn't feel Dýnami anymore but promises to protect what's left even if she's no longer alive. She says that whoever is reading the books, the prophecy will be complete and that was just the first part.

["Memories are the key, always.

Learn about the ceremony, rebuild Arrakys.

Dýnami is by your side, good luck."])

In the same room as the books, there was a message on the wall written in Arkanya, which translates to "Hail Arrakys."

While exploring the room further, the two brothers find a secret room with said flower inside. On the walls, another writing in Arkanya alphabet ("Keep the flower").

When they leave the room, a new one is unlocked, with morse enigmas and anagrams.

On one of the walls of the new room they found is written "EMBRE D PROFECI" (It probably translates to "REMEMBER THE PROPHECY").

In the anagram enigma ("eD zasien e gasuen ruges vano diva") managed to be translated into "De cinzas e sangue surge nova vida"/"From ashes and blood comes new life".

In the other anagram ("Sub doloraj vualoj, aûdigãs la profetajo") was translated into "Sob véus dolorosos, a profecia é ouvida"/"Under painful veils, the prophecy is heard".

In Morse code, the brothers managed to translate into "E Harko e Arrakys vão enfim se afogar"/"And Harko and Arrakys will finally drown".

In the last enigma, the brothers had to translate a different language (Enochian Alphabet), resulting in "No toque das flores a dor a selar"/"In the touch of flowers the pain is sealed".

At the end of the enigmas, a vision of the past is shown to the brothers. In the vision, the parents of the two are shown, followed by the blood-spattered flower. Yayah and Korean children are suddenly shown, looking at their parents' coffins as a person dressed in black approaches them.

When the vision ends, the brothers talk to AuAu about what they just saw, wondering what must have happened. (During the conversation, Mr. X's butler appears and the brothers discover that he and AuAu are brothers)

Another edition of ValNews is launched!

JVNQ finally starts talking about his candidacy (with Guaxinim being his vice-president), and begins to build a kind of school building.

Meiaum also wakes up and explores Valigma, seeing what he lost while he slept.

[thewisaaaaad]

HEY I JUST HAD AN IDEA!

since I cannot find the motivation or drive to DRAW my ref sheet, I can just describe them in minute detail!

SO Hypnos. this will be split into 4 ish parts because there are 4 major states to them!

Pre life, they are a ghostly sheep with pure white wool but black fur (the short hair beneath the wool, around the face and arms.). They have two short horns, the left one broken halfway up, and Their eyes are pure white. They wear the fleece of the crusader, and have the classic bell, with light brown pants that are held up with a cord belt. they are not affected by gravity, and cannot touch anything (exept in ONE specific circumstance.). they are unaffected by the red moon.

After being forced into a body, they look much the same color-wise, except that now their wool is perpetually dirty. Their left horn remains broken. Their eyes now have pupils, but are mismatched due to the right one being replaced with Leshies eye. that eye also has no eyelid, as Shamura didn't bother. (a worms eye doesn't need an eyelid because it has a protective membrane, but Hypnos now needs to rub at their eye sometimes.) Their ears are now blue, in tatters, and constantly wet due to belonging to a certain squid (the ears can no longer wriggle to express emotion, and it hurts when they feel happy.). They do not speak in their own voice, due to having Hekets throat, but they undergo voice training to try to sound like themselves again. they still croak sometimes. The biggest change, however, is their head shape. No longer shaped like a wedge, like it once was, it is now rounded, with skin having been clumsily removed from their face so that it matched the new curvature. Having Shamuras skull means that they now have a vestigial nose, as spiders do not have one, as well as divots behind their eyes where extra eyes could fit. they also have fangs. They wear the red crown, but its eye does not open, and forms no weapons for them as it tries to maintain their body. they are constantly on the verge of falling apart, Held together by purple thread in messy stiches. their stability (and stitches) greatly improve after Kalamar's care. They wear a heavy iron collar sealed with a golden diamond shaped lock, only open-able by the god of war. their cloak is a tattered, worn version they wore while incorporeal. It is infused with the same magic that binds Hypnos to the world of the living, pulling fervor out of the air and giving the lamb a means to fight. Their magic, shaped by their torment, comes in the form of lightning.

After their rebirth through the cream crown, their stitched together wounds finally heal, though the relics remain embedded in their flesh. The purple thread is gone, leaving only scars. Their wool seems cleaner, and their eyes shine brighter. They no longer wear the red crown, and instead wear the cream crown: a crown with a sideways cream colored eye (and i do mean sideways, even the pupil), the crown itself the shape of a miter hat (a bishops hat, the one that followers use at refineries). Their ruined cloak has transformed into a beautiful wool one that resembles a sunset or perhaps a sunrise on a clear day, retaining some of the powers of its previous form but now works a little differently (if they stand still and 'take a rest', their fervor charges really fast). The shackle on their neck has loosened, not quite free yet, and the lock was warped by the surge of power from an awakening god into a softer shape, resembling a cloud now.

After they have achieved redemption, they have grown into a full god. The relics are truly part of them now, and they have accepted this body as their own. Leshies eye has grown an eyelid made of moss, Kalamars ears now properly wiggle, Hekets voice is full of power, and now flowers sprout from the wool on Hypnos's head. They are much taller now, and their intact horn has grown into a rams horn, while their broken horn has spiraled upward, still broken halfway up. They now wear a cloak embroidered with the patterns of the old faith, but it is dyed to resemble the sun on the horison, with stars still twinkling above. Their wool is now lightly cream tinted at the edges, looking like a soft cloud.

They no longer wear the lock.

[lalalian]

talonspyre | another aethergarde academy event

date: july 29, 2024

Talonspire ('talon'-spy-er) is pretty similar to sweden's midsummer holiday, except like... magic and dragons, yk?

This is also a national holiday, and it is celebrated by the school as well. Usually, a pole made of embrewood (em-bree-'wood') (there are different varieties: dark, mellow, and albino) is adorned with flowers and crystals. Magic is infused into the wood, and then depending on the wood type, crystals are placed around the log.

DARK: The bark of the tree is tough and smells ashier than the others. The bark is often a deep indigo (#3b2a42) and the inside (#673a69) is a bit lighter, it has a redder tone than the bark.

MELLOW: Mellow is the most common and cheapest variety of embrewood. It's definitely more violet than indigo (#783d62), and the bark has a slightly sweeter ashy scent. The wood on the inside is a rather vibrant (#7d1e5a) red dragon fruit-ish color.

ALBINO: This is the rarest variety of embrewood + expect to this type of embre tree at aethergarde. Under the best conditions, it can produce a small amount of sap that can go for at least 350 marks per 10 ml. People report the taste to be similar to white tea. The bark is a very light gray-pink (#d6b4c5) and the inside is white with a tinge of pink (#eddfe6).

The crystals placed around the log will glow and levitate to the top of the pole. A dance is done around the poles as dragons fly in the air. The dragons will swoop down and eat the crystals one by one (usually the younger dragons do this-- the older ones tend to just supervise everything in the skies). BUT… In aethergarde, it’ll be slightly different.

Instead of a simple wooden pole, a fire seed is placed on the ground. The seed is lit on fire by spark powder (like you’d throw the powder on the seed). Phoenixes will swoop down and spit fire on the seed. Typically, only one or two phoenixes come out, but more phoenixes will be drawn to the school if particularly high ranked students are present in the area. You are more powerful than you think. Six phoenixes will arrive to the event and will offer their fire to the seed. After all the fire is offered to the seed, a phoenix will chirp loudly. This’ll cause the seed to spontaneously grow into an embrewood tree. The phoenixes that come over are all high ranking phoenixes (btw yes, you will see those 4 phoenixes again from the cave your egg was in) and they essentially are supposed to bring good luck and offer some advice to the students. These phoenixes are old asf, so they know a lot, sometimes they can predict things because of something they witnessed in the past. They rarely speak to anyone outside of their own species, but these phoenixes do speak occasionally to those they consider important. Anyway, students will infuse magic into a crystal they’ve brought and place them around the tree. The crystals will rise and orbit the tree slowly, then the dragons will consume the crystals. Your dragon will likely try to get the one you offered first.

This event happens every school year before summer officially starts.

wanna know more about my aethergarde academy dr? here's a masterlist with everything I've posted about it!

[the-bar-sinister]

Bleeding, Broken, Mended (7725 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth Chapters: 2/?

Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Donquixote Doflamingo/Trafalgar D. Water Law

Additional Tags: Enemies to Lovers, Protective Donquixote Doflamingo, Getting Back Together, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Feels, Angst and Romance (see AO3 for more tags)

Summary: When Law's ship is blown to hell by Blackbeard he wakes up in the worst case scenario-- rescued by Doflamingo and the Donquixote pirates, trapped at sea and at their mercy. With the destruction of his crew he's alone in enemy territory with only Bepo, and the new crewmate he picked up on Wano.

Law is certain that he was 'rescued' just so Doflamingo could kill him himself, but Doffy has other plans. As far as he's concerned, Law's decade-long quest for revenge was nothing more than a sad misunderstanding. He wants to remind Law how things used to be. He wants to find a way to bring Law back into the fold-- back to him-- forever.

-

Law's fear of Doflamingo coming through the door at any minute hadn't been realized. Quite the opposite. A few minutes of discussion later, Komurasaki told him that she'd been asked to let them know when Law woke up, and asked him what they should do.

There was no sense in lying. Not this deep into the belly of their ship, and not with his powers dulled by sea-stone. If nothing else, it was a formality. Viola could be spying on them as they spoke; they'd know.

So he had told Komurasaki to tell them. Before then, he'd given her a rundown of the family members he remembered; their abilities, and a little of the context about the predicament— mostly about the travesty in Dressrosa, with the promise to tell her the rest soon.

It was important she knew what to expect if things went tits up. When the tactics were done, he'd asked her again if she was okay, and thanked her honestly for staying by his side while he slept.

He was lucky to have a crewmate like her still around, even after all that.

After that, he'd told her to tell them he was awake, and to try not to wander too far. 

With a promise that she was really fine— as fine as she could be, considering— she'd left him alone in the room. Minutes ticked by too slowly, Law alone with his thoughts.

It was really the worst case scenario. 

He'd heard Doflamingo had escaped Marine custody somehow and taken to the seas again. He'd heard that Viola was with them, too. And that was a hell of a surprise. But he never expected that of all the ships in the Grand Line to swoop in to his rescue, it'd be his.

Now he was here in the belly of the DQ ship, his first mate in traction and his newest crew member the only survivor of the mess that was the last couple days. His men…the crew he'd met piece by piece in the North Blue. Ruffians, a disgruntled mechanic, wannabe back alley doctors and scoundrels… They were precious to him. Family, friends…

Gone in a fucking instant because of Teach and that sick power of his. Law barely had a crew anymore, didn't have a ship; didn't have much in the way of hope.

And now he had to deal with Doflamingo, a man who surely hated his guts enough to want to kill him slowly, rather than just let him sink into the waves. It was like a family reunion in hell, and he was the main course for every member he'd stabbed in the back over the years. 

A sharp knock on the door pulled him out of his reverie. To his surprise, it didn't open immediately afterward.

He jolted, his head snapping up with a sharp hiss. Why? Why didn't they just burst in? It was setting him on edge more than anything else.

"Come in?" 

The door opened, and pink feathers and scarecrow-tall man filled it briefly as Doflamingo swaggered into the room. He looked very little the worse for wear given the last time Law had seen him; beaten and bloodied by Luffy. His habitual sunglasses were as firmly in place as his smile and his coat. The only thing 'new' was the shirt— a white one covered in embroidered marks that at this distance it was difficult to judge if they were meant to be cheetah spots or lipstick kisses.

Law felt a shiver up his spine as he shrank back a little in his cot, his teeth bared in a grimace that was almost a smile as he waved his bangle-clad hand. 

"Shit… and here I thought you'd send one of the others in to soften me up first." 

"Seriously, Law?" Doflamingo drawled. He folded himself awkwardly into the chair that Komurasaki had been occupying, his knees high. "Half of them were trying to convince me to throw you back in the ocean."

Komurasaki, he noticed, had been behind Doflamingo, and was now lingering awkwardly in the doorway of the small room.

Law's eyes flicked to her briefly. He'd told her to stay close…but this was a little closer than he'd expected.

Frankly, he imagined she was sticking around for the 'show' considering how interested she was in his background with Doffy.

"Trust me," Law hissed through his teeth. "I know. I'm not exactly the family's favorite guy, am I?" I'm more surprised you haven't yet, Doflamingo." 

"I'm full of surprises. But the night's still young." He glanced at Komurasaki too, as if thinking the same as Law about her being in the room. "Shall we have some privacy, or do you need a chaperone?"

Law huffed as he curled his legs up towards his chest.

"I don't need a chaperone. She's just curious." He frowned sharply. "...she and Bepo, no matter what else happens, I want you to promise they'll be safe. If you drop me in the ocean, drop them on an island. Okay?" 

Doflamingo put his hand over his heart, and nodded. 

"Promise," he said, and Law knew he meant it. Doflamingo was exactly the type of bastard to always keep his promises. He turned and smiled widely at Komurasaki. "'Saki, why don't you go check on the infirmary while Law and I chat?"

Saki, huh? Doflamingo was always the type of guy to slap a nickname on someone as soon as he could. Once upon a time, Law found it really charming. Part of his 'friendly gang leader' schtick.

Once. Not anymore.

Komurasaki didn't move, catching Law's gaze instead. "Captain?"

There was a flutter of warmth at that. Even when he was essentially a prisoner of a fellow former Warlord, she still looked to him as her captain.

Law ran his hand through his hair with effort and a low hiss. 

"Check on Bepo for me, alright? I'll be alright. He made a promise, he'll stick to it." He gave her his best smile with a wink. "I'll tell ya all about how it went, 'Saki'." 

She nodded, and raised a salute to him— something she'd already picked up on her short time on the Polar Tang. "Aye, captain. Til then."

She didn't wish him luck, but he could tell it was implied.

Once she was out of the door, it snapped closed almost as if by itself. But of course, the glimmer of thread hung in the air between it and Doflamingo's fingers.

Now that his crewmate was out of view, Law's smile turned back into the low-simmering grimace it'd been when Doflamingo first walked in, his eyes lingering on the glimmer of thread and the threat they carried.

"I'm gonna ask again— why haven't you just killed me. Your men want me dead. The family wants me dead. I sure as hell think YOU want me dead after Dressrosa. So what's with this? The cot, taking care of Bepo and Komurasaki. All of it." 

Doflamingo leaned forward, his long arms resting on his knees, his hands together. He was quiet for a long moment, his expression inscrutable behind his scarlet lenses, still smiling, but only subtly.

When he finally spoke, he shrugged. "What can I say, Law? Every time I see you in trouble, I rush in to help."

Law's eyes flicked to the side, away from his sunglasses. Anything but looking him in the eyes. "Forgive me if I don't believe that." 

Doflamingo was quiet again for a long moment, the awkward silence filling the room palpably like heat. Even out of the corner of his eye, Law could see the way his posture shifted and tightened.

"Sure, alright. I'll forgive you for it, even if I don't get it, Law. It's not like I've been trying to save you from yourself since the minute I met you or anything. But sure, you're right, completely out of character for me to pull your ass out of the ocean. I must be drunk and crazy."

Law's eyes snapped back over to Doflamingo, lurching forward with a movement that made his sluggish body reel. 

"Hhhh…" He grit his teeth, bringing himself back to the here and now. "...save me from myself. Yeah, you… you stopped me from killing myself when I was a kid, but…"

But he was doing it to ensure the loyalty of a new pawn in his gang. He collected people and used them up, only for as long as they were useful to him. That's what Rosi had said to him back during their flight through the snow.

And it tracked, didn't it? How many of his underlings got thrown to the wolves the minute they failed? Bellamy, right? He hated the guy but he was undeniably obsessed with Doflamingo's approval and he'd been sent to die.

"But…" 

"But what, Law?" Doflamingo leaned toward him. "We didn't exactly get a lot of time to talk in Dressrosa, what with the deranged lunatic in the hat you brought with you in an apparently sincere attempt to kill me. But we've got all the time in the world now. So go ahead. Unload."

Law's fingers tightened against the sheets as he stared Doflamingo down with narrowed eyes and a low hiss between his teeth. "Rosi told me all about how you operate, that's what." 

Doflamingo slumped back in his chair like a puppet with his strings cut. He stared up at the ceiling, and Law watched as he drew his arms slowly up around himself. 

"Rosi told you. Rosi, the undercover marine, who—" he cut himself off. "Okay, what did Rosi tell you about 'the way I operate'."

"You collect people and use them up," Law murmured. The way Doflamingo was crumpling into himself like that; it reminded Law of the times he'd seen Doflamingo waking up from one of his many nightmares or lost in his own head.

He leaned his chin on his own knee and stared him down. "You make them indebted to you, and use them as long as they're useful. He told me you were going to toss me away the minute I stopped being useful to your 'family'." 

"Oh." Doflamingo's arms wrapped tighter around himself, and he didn't look at Law, just continued to stare up far away at the ceiling for a long moment. "Yeah, I guess Rosi would know all about using family and tossing them away, huh?"

"...." Law's eyes narrowed slightly before he ran his hand through his hair with a low hiss of breath. "Yeah, guess he would."

During their flight from the Donquixote family, hunting for a doctor to cure his illness, he'd figured out pretty early that Rosi was secretly a marine. A marine who infiltrated the family with the intention of taking down his blood brother because of his 'inherent evil' .

At first Law had been furious. It was a betrayal of the closest thing to a home he'd had since his own had burned to the ground among the bodies of the dead. But with each failed attempt at a cure and every horror story about the Donquixotes that Rosi had to tell he'd started to worry it was true.

Hearing Doffy execute his brother had sealed it. If he was willing to kill his brother, then what chance did Law have of staying in his good graces?

The silence hung over them again. Law saw Doflamingo's nails dig into his shoulder until he almost broke the skin. He took a breath that shuddered in his chest.

"So you believed him, huh?" His voice was quiet. He sat up a little straighter, and tugged on threads that appeared between his fingers. "You think that's how I am, and you wanted to avoid being thrown away. I mean, anyone would want to avoid that."

Law stared him down.

"I was dying, Dof..Doflamingo. He saved my life and then you shot him dead. How the hell wouldn't I believe him?" He took a deep and shaky breath and his voice raised louder. "If you killed your own brother for trying to save me, how the hell could I have mattered? How could I trust you wouldn't do the same to me!"

Even as his voice raised he couldn't avoid noticing it….

Doflamingo was uncomfortable. More than that— he was sad. Maybe even hurt. No, strike that…he was absolutely hurt. Because Law didn't trust him? 

Doflamingo froze, his body suddenly more tense than ever. He craned his neck like the kind of large bird that he resembled and stared at Law fully for the first time in minutes.

"I killed him for trying to save you? That's what you believe?" The edges of his lips hitched and twisted into an absolutely awful smile, and he started to giggle. The strings between his fingers went tight, and Law could see them dig little grooves into the flesh of his fingers. "I killed him for trying to save you. Oh. Oh that's…. that's funny."

His shoulders were shaking.

Law felt a sting of embarrassment, and a sick undercurrent of something else…guilt? Anger? It was hard to tell exactly what it was twisting in his guts. 

"...no it's not. You're not laughing either. Not really." He grit his teeth. "You're upset, I can hardly believe it but you're upset." 

Doflamingo looked away again, and Law saw him briefly lift his glasses and wipe his face, before he looked back, still smiling that miserable, grimacing smile.

"Can't imagine why I'd be upset, Law," he said thickly. The strings between his fingers had vanished, and he folded his hands carefully on top of one another. "That fruit you've got, Law. The one my brother fed you. The one you seem to think I killed him over. How'd he get it? How'd he know it existed? Do you know?"

Law shook his head slowly. 

"No…I only know that he had it, and it was the last bet we had after all those fucking doctors he dragged me to did nothing." His fingers tensed against the cot again. He was shaking too, why was he shaking? His eyes felt hot as he grit his teeth again. "I assumed he found out about it from the marines." 

Doflamingo giggled that awful, nasty little giggle again, and he tugged his fingers through his cropped blond hair, pulling on it. "Oh. Oh the marines, that's rich. No, uh. No, Law. He found out from me. When I managed to get in contact with him after he'd disappeared for months. And I told him he could bring you home because I finally found something that could cure you. You know, like I'd been promising you since we brought you in."

Law's eyes widened under the mop of his hair, and he hissed out a sharp. 

"No fucking way…I…I mean..sure you'd always promised but…"

Why would Rosi have gone through everything on that frigid island if it was that simple? Why would Law have been locked in a box and left behind after he'd been shot to death? Was it so he'd get in contact with the Marines?

"...shit, shit!" 

Doflamingo's head fell to rest in his hands. 

"Of course you didn't know. How could you. Well–" he was interrupted briefly by another nervous spasm of giggling. "Well, see it turns out that you know, it would have really blown his cover to eat that fruit and cure you like I wanted him to. So my brother pulled a switcheroo with the navy instead, Law. And that's how I found out. That's how I found out that the brother I'd lost appeared back into my life with nothing in his heart but a desire to destroy me and the family I'd spent years making."

Law looked up at him and saw that his glasses had slipped down on his nose and part of his scarred eye was exposed. "That's how I found out he was selling us all out to the Navy. When he stole the fruit I found to cure you."

Law stared deep into his eye, his gaze lingering on the scar for a moment as he tensed on the bed. "...when he stole the fruit you found to cure me and gave it to me instead. And had me deliver a message to the Navy for him." 

He kept giggling, staring down at the floor with his one good eye, the other hazy and pale and unseeing, the flesh around it a mass of shiny scar tissue. "Had you deliver a message, huh? Is that why we never found you?"

"Probably, it was Vergo who intercepted me though," Law looked down and away from his eyes. That uncomfortable feeling was writhing in him again, unplaceable…guilt? Maybe it was guilt after all.

"I ran away after that and found my crew." 

"What a night," Doflamingo giggled. "What a fucking cursed night. Oh that's too much, really. So, uh, no, Law, I didn't kill my brother for trying to save you. I killed him because when he stole the fruit I was trying to save you with, he exposed himself for a traitor who was trying to destroy the family."

Law let his head drop onto his knee, hiding his face in his arms as he started to laugh too. "Hah! Yeah, guess that would make sense, wouldn't it? Rosi the traitor, or Rosi the martyr. He was the reason I had to get revenge. All these fucking years of fighting against you were because of him as thanks for saving me." 

"How noble. In your usual chaotic way." He giggled roughly again for a moment before he fell quiet, almost bent double in the chair. The small room was chokingly thick with silence.

"I…ah…" He tightened around himself, glancing up at Doflamingo over his knees. What the hell was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to believe Doflamingo? Of course not— but at the same time…

He looked genuinely surprised and even hurt. More than he'd looked when Law had shown back up with the intent to kill him too.

"I'm starting to think maybe you shoulda just left me in the ocean," he laughed bitterly, muffled by his arms.

"I was advised to do that, repeatedly," Doflamingo said quietly. "That if I let you live, you'd hurt the family again. Like in Dressrosa. Like—"

He cut himself off and stared miserably– miserably!-- at the floor again. It was obvious what he had been about to say though.

Like Rosi.

"I bet you were. They hate me, after all," Law laughed sharply. 

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Rosi's painted picture of his brother was of a heartless tyrant. A man 'born evil' or some shit that Law didn't really believe. Someone who wouldn't be getting miserable, even melancholy about the idea of Law planting another dagger in his and the family's backs.

"I can't blame them. The family and I haven't been on good terms for a while." 

"No," Doflamingo agreed. "Your girl, Komurasaki. Had her stay in the room the whole time in case Baby 5 decided she needed to smother you with a pillow to protect me."

"...Yeah. That tracks," Law laughed again, pressing his hand to his face. "Baby's proactive like that, ain't she? I bet she's frothing at the mouth about this." 

"She's not alone. Everyone's pretty fucking pissed about Dressrosa, Law," he said thickly. "I can't say I'm thrilled. About that, or about Punk Hazard.."

The way his posture tightened again, Law almost would think Doflamingo himself was more upset about the latter than the former. Not surprising, perhaps, considering Law had found out that Monet had died there. And had been surprised to learn that Vergo had survived. Barely.

"Y-yeah, I can imagine why, Doflamingo."

He hissed softly through his teeth at the memory. He'd played his hand, made his gambit and it hadn't gone exactly how he planned it. Too many factors, too much chaos. It blew up into something worse than he could have ever anticipated.

"Punk Hazard…" he started to say, before he stopped himself and just rested his head in his arms. "nevermind." 

Doflamingo looked up at him over his own arms. "Punk Hazard what?"

"It got out of hand," he muttered under his breath. "...I was supposed to destroy the SMILE production and get out. But then the fucking Marines appeared, along with Luffy and his crew and it just…"

His voice shook a little as he murmured. "It just got outta hand. I didn't expect Caesar to go right for a killing blow when I switched Smoker and Monet's hearts. I thought he'd…he'd notice in time to stop. And Vergo woulda killed me if I didn't go all out." 

"It got out of hand," he huffed. It led into a giggle and he shook his head. "Well, we all know how it can be when things get out of hand."

Before Law could answer, Doflamingo took another deep, shuddering breath through his oversized chest and straightened up, squaring his shoulders and pushing up his glasses.

"Give it to me straight, Doc. Do I have to kill you? Are you going to try to hurt me or my family again?"

Despite the change in posture, Law could see that he was more nervous than ever. His hands were shaking.

Law was shaking too. He could feel his arms shaking against his legs as he looked up at Doflamingo with a weak smile. 

"I quit. My whole revenge plan's long gone to shit, Doffy. Who knows if it ever really meant anything or was worth it at all." He shook his head and he smiled grimly. "I'm at your fucking mercy, but I don't have it in me to fight you anymore. I won't hurt the family again… I've just lost everything I built. I couldn't even if I wanted to." 

Doflamingo smiled grimly back at him, and stood up. 

"Hey, never say never. I've seen you do more with less. But. Good. I'm glad to hear that." He paced awkwardly over to the side of the bed. "I didn't want to kill you, Law. I spent to fucking long trying to save your damned life. You wanna go check on your bear friend?"

He reached a hand down to him.

Law stared at his hand for a moment, his lips twitching into the approximation of a smile before he sluggishly took it. 

"...yeah. I've been worried about the poor guy. I mean, if I'm not careful Sugar might decide to steal him away as a living stuffed animal." He grimaced as he tried to stand on weakened legs. "I'm gonna have trouble walking as long as this bangle's on me"

Doflamingo didn't want to kill him…even after everything? It was unbelievable. Almost unbelievable. Before he left the family, he always did seem rather intent on saving Law from his disease— and from his own despair.

Was it possible that had never changed?

"I'll help you walk," he said, pulling Law up easily and smoothly out of bed. His large hands were slightly clammy on Law's skin— he'd been sweating. "I'm not taking it off of you until everyone's a little less fucking jumpy."

Law stood, supported by Doflamingo's hands as he took a soft breath and a tentative step.

"Probably for the best, given everyone's likely looking for an excuse to put a bullet between my eyes." He gave him a weak smile, conflicted feelings still stirring inside him. "Glad that you're not one of them."

It wasn't the worst case scenario; not like he'd feared anyway. He wasn't going to be executed. Doflamingo even seemed willing to take care of him and what remained of his crew for the moment. Genuinely, if his nervous sweating and the painful to witness emotion that'd been written on his face were anything to go by.

It was the worst case scenario in a different way. 

The gnawing, writhing worry in his gut that all the blood, death, and chaos in the last few years had been for nothing but a fucking misunderstanding. 

It was the worry that Doflamingo was hoping he'd come back around— and the worry that he might be persuaded. 

[sunshinyssr]

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Your name is Laura Vanderboom. You are an average-height woman with medium blond hair paired with striking blue eyes. Anyone's thought on them usually either "Laura, why long face?" or "That creepy girl once again acting scary." Most of the time you were in a dream state. Swimming in dark water or walking in the inhabited Forest. Black hungry souls aimlessly sealed to wander. Are you one of them or destined to rule? Time will tell, but between them and you, an ordinary girl had way more chances to obtain ascension.

To rule, to harvest, to guide.

"Be reborn," that's what you wrote once upon in the notebook. School pen emphasized word ascension two times. Someone's gum flew right into your locks. The pen fell down, as did the notebook. Right before you, bully girl loudly showed drawings.

You heard a laugh. A youthful mind may play this as a tragedy. You were hurt. Just a little. Drawings you made contained Rose. Behind her tall, shadowy figure. Antlers poked selling of the paper. Gross children were laughing at family tragedy.

Where did she go? Will you see her again?

You don't hold teen, school years much closer to heart. Blur time imitating watercolor slipped in the past. Not much after mother's sudden disappearance. Notebook may tell an ugly fairy tale of Rose coming out of the lake's water. You drew almost unconscious states of her thin, malnourished in some way face, pale skin.

Eyes

Her eyes were glassy, dark, and stale. You drew a dress in which the baby was carefully wrapped. Baby didn't shed a tear. Dark dress paired by ginger hair and you. Blond-haired, blue eyes. Before walking away hand in hand with the ghost of the past, she did have a conversation. Lake, house, and relatives. You had the appearance of one of the brothers. The resting place, which you won in newspaper, was nearby Faithful Lake.

But you didn’t know that.

Mental health and fishing are the right thing for a woman who's heavy on medication.

Mother only told about the lake and house, spared names and places. But, maybe in some mysterious way, you already knew the truth. The notebook of yours also contained bird. Regular parrot. You named him Harvey. Why? This you didn’t know. One look at him and the name Harvey immediately popped in your pretty blond head. Parrot chirped back. Your heart was full for a moment. Harvey was present from someone you also knew.

Misters. Yes, two of them. But only one is allowed to see his human form. You knew another existed as a partner. One can't take on the lake's will. Maybe, once you rule, another as a helper can come in handy.

Yes. You saw him. In dreams. He stood tall, looking at your laying corpse. What was his name? Detective?

Mister ominous sigh of doom watched every step you took. Black dots, loud bird screeching. Black bird and round mister in round glasses. These two guided you through life right before years of independence.

Start of the second and third decade of your life with much the same confusion as the teen and childhood. But mister and bird vanished into thin air.

They never ever existed? Didn't they? Right.

Only things in your notebook, wise owl, on the page next ― ominous crow. Harvey was also there. Why wouldn't he? You didn't know how long parrots can live, and it never bothered you. Harvey as one stable thing guided through a long way of never-ending depression cycle. His chirping made your empty heart heavy. Maybe, so long ago, you shared a laugh with Rose and this kind of happiness he, a parrot, brought to you?

Then newspaper happened.

You knew Bob. Walk in the park, conversation, a tree, and robin. Bird flew away, but he never left. Before him, you never felt an urge to be sweetheart. Visions of the lake, birds, and sacrifices are usually not a topic of discussion between lovers.

He did love you.

Bob's eyes sparkled in happiness. Happiness of the factory worker after hours of work because women of the heart were holding his hands. Allowed to indulge in warm embraces. You knew how much he loved and cherished. Nevertheless, in the owl nest, you said goodbye.

He didn’t look much devastated. Just sipped his coffee.

Did you ever feel a small percent of his tragedy? Of course not. The day Rose left, your heart also became stone, and your mind flooded in the darkest visions.

Samsara. Cabin.

House. Cage.

Harvey, Egg and Song.

Wait, what were you doing?

Notebook in the hands of a very tired woman. Blond hair has grown much since you came here, but dress exactly the same. Not even a trace of decaying, unlike your insides.

Prozac, a medicine that you used to take, didn’t make much difference.

Routine. Feeding Harvey, preparing food, drawing, and listening to classic music. The weather outside the house, where you're preoccupied, stayed sunny.

Spring 1964.

In the notes was written. "Can I eat Harvey's egg?"

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

[worldscollidinginone]

Inspiration -- Kal Ho Naa Ho Plot

Book masterlist

Naina Catherine Kapur is a pessimistic, uptight MBA student who lives in New York City with her widowed mother Jennifer, disabled brother Shiv, adopted sister Jia and paternal grandmother Lajjo. Jennifer runs an unsuccessful café with her neighbour, Jaswinder "Jazz" Kapoor. Lajjo is hostile to Jennifer and Jia as she believes that Jia's adoption led her son (Jennifer's husband and Naina's father) to commit suicide. 

Naina has two best friends: her classmate, Rohit Patel, and Jaspreet "Sweetu" Kapoor, Jazz's sister. Her life is dull and overshadowed by the loss of her father until Aman Mathur and his mother move in next door with his uncle, Pritam Chaddha. Aman's cheerfulness gradually wins over Naina's family, and he slowly starts to solve their problems. He suggests that they change the café to an Indian restaurant and its success alleviates their financial burdens. Aman encourages Naina to be happy and to live life to the fullest; she ends up falling in love with him. 

Rohit also falls in love with Naina and asks Aman's help in expressing his feelings. Naina tells Rohit there is something she must say to him, leading him to think that she reciprocates his feelings. Naina reveals she is in love with Aman instead. Shaken, Rohit calls Aman to tell him what has happened. Naina goes to Aman's house and is shocked to see a wedding photograph of Aman and his wife, Priya. Heartbroken, she leaves. 

Aman's mother confronts him about what has happened. He says he loves Naina but has decided to hide it because he is dying from a heart condition. He is not actually married. Priya is his childhood friend and doctor. Aman vows to bring Naina and Rohit together before he dies. He believes that Rohit will be able to provide for her better than he can. He hatches a plan to transform Naina and Rohit's bond, and gradually their friendship blossoms into love. Naina discovers his plan and chides Aman for trying to ruin her friendship with Rohit. Aman takes out Rohit's diary and confesses his feelings for Naina, saying they are Rohit's. Naina forgives Aman and Rohit. 

Rohit proposes to Naina, and she accepts. Lajjo and Jennifer have a serious fight regarding Jia, who calls on Aman for help. Aman had previously discovered the truth about Jia's parents and despite Jennifer's objections, he reveals to Lajjo that her son had an extramarital affair and fathered Jia. When Jia's biological mother refused to accept her, Jennifer adopted her. Unable to deal with the guilt, Jennifer's husband committed suicide. An emotional Lajjo realises her mistakes and reconciles with Jennifer and Jia. Naina gains closure after learning the truth about her father's death. 

During Naina and Rohit's engagement, Aman has a heart attack. Only his mother knows he has been admitted to the hospital. Naina encounters Priya at a jewellery store, whom she recognises as Aman's wife. She introduces herself and her husband, Abhay, who reveals the truth about Aman. Shocked, Naina realises that Aman has sacrificed his love for her and leaves the mall in an emotional frenzy. Priya calls up Aman and informs him about what happened. Aman leaves the hospital and meets a frustrated Rohit, who asks why he and not Aman should marry Naina. Aman urges Rohit to marry Naina as a sign of respect for his dying wish to see Naina happy. Aman meets Naina, and they embrace while he tries to persuade her that he does not love her. Rohit and Naina's wedding, which Aman attends, takes place soon afterwards. 

Sometime after the wedding, Aman is on his deathbed and says goodbye to everyone. He is left alone with Rohit after Naina leaves the room in tears. Aman makes him promise that, although Naina is with Rohit in this lifetime, he will get her in the next. 

Twenty years later, a middle-aged Naina tells a grown-up Jia how Aman affected every aspect of their lives. They are joined by her daughter Riya and Rohit, who tells Naina that he loves her as they embrace.

Go To Characters

[elisabethbabarci]

BLESSINGS BY: ELISABETH BABARCI

May you always live a life of peace, for your internal peace is the most precious gift that we have been given by the Universe.

May you always be aligned on your path.

May you always know what it feels like to be loved and loved again.

May you always return to your true nature even if you have lost your way in the heat of anger.

May you always have an internal compass to know what is right from wrong.

May you be filled with peace, when life feels heavy and burdensome.

May you believe in your abilities, when there are obstacles and challenges ahead.

May you always know deep within your heart, that you have the ability to choose the right decisions amidst pressures from others.

May you release your fears to the void, for our fears are illusions.

May you take the time to place your feet on the grass on a warm summer day and just enjoy the simplest moments of being in the here and now.

May you take the time to lie down in the snow and have the graceful snowflakes gently touch your face, for in that moment, it is a return to innocence.

May you always believe that you can love what you do and do what you love — there is no time limit for your passions or what you are destined to be.

May you learn from your experiences, and only extract the lessons from it, for it will make you stronger and wiser.

May you always know that in life there are no winners and losers because a loss represents a valued lesson and wisdom. Each experience is a special gift for our evolution.

May you always achieve and elevate in life. Face each day with passion, integrity, and enthusiasm, even if you feel defeated and tired.

May you never doubt that you are not worthy or valued, for you are special and make tremendous positive impact on the daily lives of others.

May you always be good natured. Inner kindness is not a weakness but proof that we lead from the heart.

May you give yourself permission to recover and rest. To abstain from situations that you are not for your highest good, or to recognize it is not your time, is a strength of character, as it demonstrates that you are listening within for Universal direction.

May you evoke patience with those around you, for they are healing and navigating life on their own terms. Always encompass the ancient principle of Oubaitoriwhere each flower blooms at its own divine pace.

May you evoke no judgment, for the decisions of others are no concern to us, for we will never truly comprehend the complexities of their lives, as they are on their own sacred paths.

May your presence always bring light and healing to others, always leave others better than you found them.

May you always find the time to be with those you love, it is those moments that are precious and it restores the fragments of the soul.

May you never become so hard that you do not recognize love again, for each of us meets our other half when we are open.

May you always believe in a better tomorrow, and for new possibilities to awaken.

May you always ignore the negative comments of others, for the spoken word can not be recoiled, and is only said in the heat of an argument.

May you always know that when you face a crisis, you need to pause and not be reactionary, for our actions define our character and create our legacy.

May you always evoke your internal wisdom to see beyond the trees.

May you choose love over greed, for greed is the ego, and love is enlightenment. What is done in the name of love, awakens the soul and purifies it.

May you always know that home is not a destination or a place, it is the life you build with those you love.

May you not live in a bell jar, where you are in an environment that is cut off from the outside world. Seclusion may be a temporary retreat but it becomes a life sentence when one becomes numb and refuses to feel again.

May you give yourself the permission to be vulnerable, for the first cut may be the deepest, however, our scars become our tiger stripes. Love again, love fully, embrace that someone will love you back. You owe it to yourself to feel again.

May you always know that blood does not constitute family, for our lives will bring us incredible individuals that will be there with us through our toughest times, open our souls, and allow us to feel safe.

May you always feel and experience life — it is a precious gift to live.

May you always be healthy for our health is worth more than all the money combined — once you have your health, you are able to accomplish insurmountable tasks.

May you always be true to yourself , just because others may partake in misguided decisions does not mean that you have to be forced to crumble or succumb to their negative force or temptation.

May you always build strong foundations — build with patience and visualize the future. Your foundation is your fortress, it must be strong to withstand opposition.

May you never break up a union of love or friendship, what is not yours should not be coveted, and it is the greatest karmic sin.

May you always be surrounded by those that genuinely want positive outcomes for you.

May you give yourself permission at times, to weed out your social garden if you detect unwanted snakes.

May you always love yourself in this lifetime because you are the one constant element in your life — take care of yourself.

May you always give opportunities instead of taking them away, for your mentorship and leadership will be remembered by your guidance and actions, and not what you took away in greed.

May you always go to bed in peace for the lessons you learn will guide your future decisions of tomorrow.Not all arguments are negative, for they always clear the air of what needs to be said.

May you never see yourself as a failure — we choose who we become — our decisions were made in the time with the knowledge we had at the present moment.Regrets are a waste of our life force, energy, and time, we can only hope to make better decisions in the future.

May you always forgive, forgiveness restores peace in the soul.

May you never doubt yourself, age is not a barrier for what you can achieve, as you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

May you always be the light because you never know who you are hero to.

May you always respect your elders for their life is filled with insurmountable knowledge that will help you navigate the complexities of life.

May you always take the time to listen to children, for they bring us the gift of presence, honesty, and innocence. Always be aware that they are seeing the world at times through your eyes, your decisions make an impact on their projection of life. Allow children to flourish, as their imagination will spark ingenuity.

May you always give the precious gift of time. Your presence is important and valuable to someone right now.

May you always adopt the oldest animal from the shelter, for they long to be loved once again.

May you plant flowers and be surrounded by nature, for nature demonstrates how to be centered, grounded, and that we do not have to grow perfectly to be beautiful.

May you always kiss slowly. A kiss is your signature, your love language, and can stop time.

May you always know that even if your loved ones have passed that remembering the precious moments, helps keep you connected, as they will always live within your heart.

May you always donate and volunteer, for your gift of time, can heal and help someone out of a difficult circumstance.

May you observe those around you, for the five closest people to you, represent who you are, or who you are turning into.

May you always handle all situations with time, for with time, we reflect on the circumstance and adjust our outlook to seek peaceful resolutions.

May you love with your heart and not the mind. The mind will always give excuses as to why a situation will not be successful whereas, the heart feels with true authenticity and is genuine in nature. The heart knows what the mind does not comprehend.

May you live with moments instead of objects for objects are temporary but the moments you create build a lifetime.

May you always be at peace, please know that the worlds troubles do not rest on your shoulders, and within times of uncertainty, solutions always presents themselves for a better tomorrow.

[elshells]

🫂- What was your inspiration for your WIP?

Thanks for the question! I think I've answered this before but it's lost to the void now so I'll happily answer again!

EMBR of the Earth: Years and years ago (I don't remember how old I was, maybe early teens), I was trying out my uncle's VR headset. There were a bunch of simulated scenarios to experience that lasted maybe two minutes; you could explore a sunken ship, walk with dinosaurs, ride a roller coaster, things like that. But the one that I tried was about an extraterrestrial encounter. It was a simple concept. You were just alone in this forest at night, walking past the wreckage of a spaceship. Everything was quiet until you hear a noise, and then you see a robotic shape in the distance and round, glowing blue eyes watching you. And that's how the scene ended; the rest was left up to your imagination. I didn't actually start writing EMBR until years later, but I thought about that scene a lot and it definitely spurred forth a lot of ideas and speculation about where I wanted the story to go, even if I haven't found a clear path yet.

Agent Ace: It's a combination of reworked fanfic and a Wattpad writing prompt. When I first started sharing my writing online, I wrote fanfiction and then branched out to original fiction (bonus points if you can guess which fandom I wrote for!) Back in the day, when I was primarily a Wattpad user, I participated in writing contests run by Wattpad officials (I don't do that anymore because those competitions became sketch as hell). One such contest was to write a novella in the span of (I think) six months, based on one of the many writing prompts offered by the judges. I don't remember what my prompt specifically said, but the gist of it was that a detective infiltrated a vigilante group. I had been flirting with the idea of writing a superhero story for some time before this, and so it felt like the perfect time to jump into a new project! At this point, I was solely writing original fiction, but I ended up reusing some plot beats from my old fanfiction that got me started. That's the only element of that story that stayed the same; characters, setting, and everything else developed on their own.

Encore: The idea for this one came from my era of watching YouTube let's plays. I love playing horror games, but I don't have a PlayStation, so if I was interested in a game that wasn't compatible with the Xbox, I would look it up online and watch other people play it. One of these games was called Until Dawn, which, if you haven't heard of it, is basically an interactive horror movie. You play as a cast of cliche teenagers trying to survive monsters in the mountains, and there are multiple endings based on how well you did (i.e. how many people died). One of the characters (I think her name was Sam) was unique in that she was designed to survive no matter what choices you made, at least until the big climactic scene at the end. If you made one wrong move, she would die, but that was literally the only way you could kill her, so it was like she was the game's 'Final Girl.'

During the credits, there's a cut scene where she's in a police interview after getting rescued, and depending on your actions and on who's still alive, she blames herself for the death of one of the other characters. She says something along the lines of, "It was my fault that he died, and I would do anything to stop it from happening." Later on, this line got the wheels in my head turning. What if the Final Girl wasn't the only one to make it to the end? What if she could save the others? And what would she give to subject herself to the horrors all over again if it meant that she wouldn't have to be the last one standing.

Enter time travel, Final Girl Cece Harper, and the contract binding her to a shady musician, and the rest is history. :)