#campaign wrap up is gonna be so emotional. I am not ready

[musicinherhead]

I’m just imagining a grateful Keyleth, at the end of all this moon shit when the baddies have been brought to justice, approaching Laudna and Imogen with pretty much any reward but ultimately being like “You don’t have to choose it but… I can bring her all the way back.. you can grow old together.”

She would know she’s probably likely projecting, but offers them something no one can off her 😭

[deadpool15]

This is fucking bullshit. All of this is so stupid. I’m gonna kick his fucking ass. Me and Woo-Jin had been kinda on and off for about two years, at first it was fine because I wasn’t ready to settle down so it was all fun and games. But now I’ve been trying to slowly show him I’m ready for the real thing. Full on relationship, our parents had already met, with my parents practically becoming friends for life with his after agreeing to endorse his father’s campaign. His mother constantly telling me how much of a good daughter I am, and how she views me as her own.

Everything was slowly coming together until that fucking teacher arrived. Her nasty disgusting elderly ass decides to fuck my man. It seems like no one in this school realized Woo-Jin belonged to me. Not even him, well not yet. Storming through the school with my shirt slightly unbuttoned from the top leaving my sloppy tie on display just how I like it. It’s a style. Skirts were always a hit or miss for me, seemed no one in Korea understood the struggles of having a fat ass. My knee-high socks had fallen down slightly revealing a few of my tattoos. Shall I say baddest bitch at school for you. Yes, yes indeed.

I make my way up to our special classroom where I had told the man himself to meet me. Walking in the room I notice He-ra in there as well. Now before you say it that’s my bitch. Love her to death. But now isn’t the time for her and her constant back talk that I know she will give without explanation. “He-ra I love you so much babe, but I’m about to embarrass the fuck outta your bestie right now so can you please give us a minute. And I mean go to class not wait outside and listen this time.” She turns to me grabbing her things, “I wasn’t gonna listen to your guys speak, last time I tried to ease drop on you two felt like I was listening to unfiltered porn.”

Watching her walk out the room I see him sitting there smirking. “Stop that you make me sick. You piece of shit.” He motions for me to come closer as I was standing up still. Dropping my bag on the floor, I sit in the chair next to him only for him to grab my arm and push me into his lap. “What’s wrong, Cherie? And what are you gonna embarrass me with?” Pushing his hands that had landed on my hips off me, I sit firmly. Feeling the tension in the room. “When where u gonna tell me you are into old broke bitches now, huh? Miss me that much? You have your sluts acting out of order around me.” He tries to speak up but I place my finger on his plump lips. Causing him to slowly wrap his lips around my finger.

Wow can’t believe he is playing dirty right now. Two can play that game. “Guess your skills are getting old, it’s not working for you anymore is that it baby, is that why you are fucking old women now.” He removes his lips from my fingers and starts leaving kisses on my neck. Open-mouthed kisses are my fucking weakness and he knows this. “What did she say to you?” For a minute I couldn’t respond. I was lying through my teeth this entire time his skills always worked but I knew so did mine. “Kept trying to speak to me saying how worried she was about me since she has noticed me and you barely talk. She wanted to offer me a moment to let out my emotional side and show her how impacted I am now that you have moved on to someone new apparently. Messy ass teacher.”

Hearing this he stopped, “aww are you jealous, baby?” Seeing the mischievous smile on his amazing face almost made me crumble until I started to lean in for him to show off something I know would get me victory. “Is that a fucking hickey? Cherie you’re not serious right, no marks we talked about that. You have shitty guys leaving marks on your body to remember them.” He gripped my neck once he realized I was smiling, “Oo I didn’t even notice he was mainly focused on my bottom half when he did that, guess that’s my bad.” Chuckling and making my way to move off of his lap until he gripped my hips keeping me firmly placed glued to him. “No more of that, me and you that’s it. You only need me, how many times do I have to fuck you to prove that huh? Do you hate walking, is that it?”

“You’re sleeping around too, asshole. Get that dog under control and maybe I’ll let you have me. Any way you want it baby.” He smiles at me before unlocking his phone and pressing the camera icon. “What are you doing, sending her photos Woo-Jin? Wow you truly don’t give a fuck about me do you. Such an asshole.” He wipes my tears before leaning in to kiss me softly. “Cherie I like you so much, actually I fucking love you. Everything about you. I’m not sending her pictures, two options ok. I could text her it’s over or I could bend you over this chair and fuck you til you’re begging me to stop and send it to her. But, something tells me you like the second option more.”

Leaning closer to bite his ear, I whisper, “how many rounds can you give me before next class, huh pretty boy?” He grabs my breast, before kissing my ear. “My next course doesn’t start until 4, it’s currently 1. Which means we have to test this theory, are you up for it beautiful?” Unbuttoning his shirt, while spreading my hands across his chest I nod. “Always up for a challenge, pretty boy. But can you handle it. I don’t move at that same pace as you’re used to now. Since you have downgraded to fucking the retirement community. Can you even keep up?” He pulls me closer kissing my hands. “Can I, handle you? Baby you’re not leaving this room til you tap out.”

“Say less, pretty boy.”

[lis4ux]

hey how are you??

how have you been? currently crying over obx ending with s5, im not prepared to say goodbye

also crying over the elections I genuinely have so much dread and fear in me im so sad that this is how it’s going to be

anyway on a different and happier note loved loved loved your chapter 14 and can’t wait for more and tomorrow we get obx4 pt2 so im excited

sending lots of love

I’ll be honest, OBX hasn’t been top of mind for me this week. I appreciate the reach out and check in. I’m still juggling a lot at work and will be for the next two months at least, but I’m gonna survive.

Thinking about it, I am sad that it’s ending after 5 seasons, but I agree with those that are saying it will allow the show to wrap up nicely and not have to get weird like shows do when they go too long. I’m happy it’s going to end well and that’s what I’m focusing on with it.

The elections…oof.

Here’s my thoughts. People pick politicians like they choose sports teams. It doesn’t matter sometimes how good a candidate is or how bad another one is. Some people are just going to vote for their team. That’s why we have red and blue states that hold for decades. And Kamala, the queen she is, just didn’t have time to build a team. She had 107 days. She was a master class on running a campaign and would have been great, she just didn’t start with a 9 year lead of building a base.

Trump is awful and I’m going through my emotions too. I shed a tear and now I’m sucking it up and getting my “I told you so” pants ready when he does something that fucks us over, cause he will.

He’s such a bad leader though I’m pretty certain Vance will pull a 25th after the first hundred days so maybe we’ll get rid of him completely.

I know it’s terrifying and he is genuinely a horrible person on a cellular level. Keep your voice loud, don’t let him silence you. That’s what they want. Don’t give it to them. God knows I won’t.

You’re resilient, you’re going to make it. The point of democracy is to keep fighting and making your position known. That’s still important and if we keep that in mind, this won’t be the end of democracy.

I stress wrote the first 2k words last night and am hoping to get a good chunk done tomorrow. We’ll see. Happy you enjoyed chapter 14 ❤️

Obx day is a better part of the week and I am ready for it 🥰

Please take care, everything will be alright 🖤

[kpop-cakepops]

Hello, Meant To Be Anon here! I see your requests are open. A pretty big situation going on with my job that's going to leave a lot of people upset and I just am going to need all of the positive vibes I can get. Could I request something fluffy with Wonwoo? Maybe a Snuggle Donation where he cheers up the reader after a bad day? No rush or anything, whenever you have time to get around to it. Thanks!

Hi Anon. I'm really sorry to hear about your job. Know that everything will be okay! You've got this! Here is your request, hope Wonwoo can cheer you up 😉❤ Enjoy and have a good week!!! (I didn't properly proofread this, so please excuse any mistakes!!)

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1,808

Snuggle Donation: Move In// JeonWonwooxFem!Reader

"Just go home, I'll have Mingyu run the launch."

Y/N watched as her boss walked out of her office with a disappointed frown on his face. After making 5 consecutive mistakes, she was finally being sent home.

It had all started that morning when her landlord came to her door to inform her that he'd be selling the building that Y/N and many other tenants called home. It had sent her mind in a downward spiral all day. She had only 2 weeks to look for a new home and on top of that she had a big campaign launch to run at work that she did not have the mind for... hence why she was being sent home.

"Are you okay?" asked her colleague and friend Mingyu as he entered her office to pick up the plan for the new launch.

"I'm great. Just dandy" she grumbled as she grabbed her purse and keys from her desk. "Are you done? I need to get home" Y/N hadn't meant to sound rude, but if she wasn't out of the office in the next 2 minutes, she was sure she'd break down.

Mingyu gave her a soft understanding smile and ruffled her hair before stepping out of her office and walking over to their break room. The tall man slipped his phone out and dialed the only number he knew would be of help for Y/N.

"What?"

"Yes, hello to you too. Did you and Y/N fight?" he asked.

Wonwoo, who had been playing games instantly stopped what he was doing and grabbed his phone taking it off speaker and putting it to his ear. "No, why? Did she say she was mad at me?"

"No. She's just been off today. Seungcheol kicked her off the campaign launch today. She looked about ready to cry." Mingyu shared as he stirred himself a cup of coffee.

"Something must've happened... don't worry about it. I'll give her a call." With that Wonwoo hung up the phone and dialed his best friend's number, however, after one ring he was instantly directed to voicemail. He had known she wouldn't answer his call, Y/N usually liked her space, but his calls always served as a little reminder that he'd be waiting for her and she could go to him as soon as she was ready to talk.

Back at her small apartment, Y/N wasn't ready yet. Her belongings were glaring at her from the places they'd held for years as she sat on her bed. A million and one thoughts were running through her mind. She had nowhere to go, she had finally saved enough to put in a deposit for the business she was planning to start, and now she had 2 weeks to figure what was going to happen with her life. The problem was starting to weigh down on her little by little.

It was after half an hour that the weight of her issues was too much to bear alone. Her hand reached out for her phone and she dialed her best friend's number.

"Hey you"

"Can you come over?" Y/N asked with an arm draped over her eyes, it seemed like that was the only thing holding her tears in.

"I'm outside... I'll be up in a second, yeah?"

"Yeah" she answered forcing herself to stand from her bed and change into comfortable clothes. Comfortable clothes being the ratty old sweatshirt Wonwoo had left behind 2 years prior and a pair of sweatpants she'd used to paint her bathroom when she'd just moved in. By the time she was done changing, she could hear Wonwoo punching the code into her front door. The sound of plastic bags reaching her in her room.

"Y/N?" he called out.

The young woman stepped out of her room with a sigh, her feet stopping right outside the bedroom door. Wonwoo was watching her closely and carefully from his spot and in a matter of seconds opened his arms up for her. Y/n's feet rushed her up to her tall friend and she buried her face into his chest. The weight that had been weighing down on her seemed to lift and the tears she'd been holding back were now being soaked up by her friend's black t-shirt.

"Do I have to kick someone's ass? I don't know where Seungcheol lives, but I can find out." he joked trying to lighten up the mood.

Y/n sniffled lightly. "I'm so tired" she mumbled, her voice muffled by his chest. "How long is this going to go on?"

Wonwoo's arms wrapped around her tightly. "Tired? Last I heard you got to leave work early today" he said jokingly, his words testing the waters to see if she'd tell him what was bothering her so much.

The girl pulled away from Wonwoo enough to see his face and gave him an unamused look. "Can you not? I'm literally about to be homeless"

Wonwoo was rendered silent. He didn't know you'd been going through money problems. "What? Why didn't you tell me? I would have lent you money"

With yet another sigh, Y/N walked over to the bags he'd brought over knowing they'd be full of her favorite snacks. Wonwoo never failed her. "It's not that. My landlord is selling the building and gave us a 2-week ultimatum to move out." She told him. "Not only that but I don't have enough money to put down a deposit for a new apartment on such short notice... I think I'm going to have to pull the deposit on the photography studio... I just-"

Wonwoo felt a slight sense of panic as soon as he saw Y/N starting to get emotional again. If there was one thing to know about Y/N it was that she was smart, creative, and hard-working... but she was also a perfectionist, a very emotional one at that.

"I'll lend you the money, you don't have to worry" he assured her, but he already knew what her answer would be.

"Are you crazy? You know how hard it is to find a decent apartment in the city. Deposits are so expensive one would think you're buying the apartment"

She wasn't wrong, things were ridiculously expensive in the city, but knowing how important her new business was, he didn't want Y/N to have to give it up yet again. "Then move in with me" he blurted.

Y/N dropped the bag of chips in her hands as soon she heard his suggestion. "What?"

Wonwoo was embarrassed. In any other case, two best friends wouldn't be embarrassed to live together, but they weren't any other case. Wonwoo liked his best friend, he like liked her. "M-move in with me. I mean, you need a place to live, places in the city are expensive, Dokyeom is also moving out"

well now he is

"Plus, the last thing I want is for you to have to postpone the opening of your photography studio. You've worked too hard, and as your best friend, I will not allow it."

Y/N felt a large wave of emotions crashing into her. With a slow shake of her head, she picked up the bag of chips she'd dropped. "I don't know Woo... would that really be okay?"

"Of course it'd be okay! You're my best friend. Best friends can live together... I'm not that bad of a roommate" he grinned.

Y/N chuckled and grabbed more snacks before making her way over to her small living room and plopping down on her couch. "You realize how big of a change that will be, right? You'd be living with a girl."

Wonwoo nodded hurriedly, "I'm not a kid, of course I get it"

"Well then... I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea, at least until I find somewhere else to live."

Wonwoo followed her and dropped on the empty spot beside her. His weight shifting over onto her. "Or you could just be my roommate until the end of my lease" he offered.

"God, you're heavy" she groaned as she pushed him off her only to have him lay his head on her lap. "That would be a horrible idea"

Wonwoo smiled up at his friend, his brows wiggling playfully, "what are you saying?! of course it wouldn't. You get to have the handsomest roommate in the world. Why would that be a bad idea?"

With a roll of her eyes, Y/N stuffed Wonwoo's mouth with chips and shook her head, "wow, suddenly I want to stay homeless" she joked, a small smile coming to her face.

"Hey, you smiled though. That's good right?" He thoughtlessly munched on his chips and grabbed Y/N's hand, placing it on his head.

"Only because I have the most handsome best friend and soon-to-be temporary roommate" she replied, her free hand combing through his hair.

Wonwoo smiled, the fact that she was willing to allow him to help her with such a big issue made him feel like maybe a part of her also needed him as much as he did her. "So I'm assuming that's a yes to coming home with me?"

"If you're willing to make a little space for me, then I'll gladly move in with you."

"Okay. We can pack up a bag and you can come with me tonight. I'll ask for the day off tomorrow and I'll come to help you pack up and start the move!" Wonwoo said excitedly causing the girl's tummy to do a little flip at how excited he sounded.

"Calm down, we have two weeks to get everything done. Plus, we still have to run it by your landlord." Y/N told him.

"My landlord will be fine with it. He already thinks you live with me since you always come over." He assured, his eyes glimmered as he stood up.

Y/N laughed and grabbed his hand tugging him back to sit beside her. "Hey, you came to make me feel better you gotta feed me and finish the movie with me"

"Oh! Right! After the movie we can pack though, right?" he asked.

"Of course! We can also call the most handsome best friend and soon-to-be temporary roommate to come and help us pack" the girl said popping a chip into her mouth. Wonwoo looked over at her in confusion. "What? Did you think I was gonna let you kick out Dokyeom? Nice try idiot."

Wonwoo groaned and let his body drop over her lap again, "You won't let a single thing slip by, will you?"

With yet another eye-roll she stuffed his mouth with the chips in her hands. "Hush, we're gonna finish the scary movie we didn't finish last time."

"Goddamn it, Y/N. Not again."

[larsisfrommars]

Campaign Wrap Up: Live Reaction

Last M9 Animated Intro! Did they add some instruments?? Feels thicker and more intense! Went by so fast!! 😭

No Brian??? WEIRD! Taliesin! Tell us about your forbidden Molly knowledge! Waaaaaait a minute! Fuck off! Of course he didn’t know anything! I think I was right about the hard reset every resurrection thing! Oooo cool Lucien lore!

Uhhhhhh! What the FUCK is a Hollow One??? Imma have to look that up! OH SHIT FJORD! “Fjord runs an orphanage after retiring from piracy” headcanon basically confirmed?! He’s gonna go back and clean up his old orphanage’s crime syndicate bullshit!?! I cannot express how much I fucking LOVE that!!!! 😍

Claudia was a DROW?! The skeleton was the previous owner?! Holy shit!! Yasha’s down time honestly doesn’t surprise me all that much. I don’t know where people got the whole “the gentleman deals in slaves” because I don’t think that ever got confirmed (though I’m not sure it got denied either) and the Iron Sheperds were (indirectly) enemy of his? I mean he may be a shady dude but I don’t think he was ever a slave trader at least?!?!

The Bren fiasco! Thoreau too?! That’s nutty lmao. Yes omg Gustav! Ohhhhh it was a deal with the devil Gustav was a fucked up person after all! Feed me Seymour! Feed me alllll night long! Wow. GASP KHARY IS HERE ASDAGDGHJKJL

Shakäste is such a cool ass name! So what I’m hearing is Shakäste essentially created himself? That’s so awesome and On Brand (tm). I kinda wish he and Yasha met considering they both seemed to follow the Storm Lord!

Awwwwwww Kiri built a music box I’m gonna cryyyyyyyyy. Oh wow?! Laura was pregnant at the very end of Vox Machina what?! Aw! Travis getting emotional about Endgame after having Ronin 🥺. Aw! Awwwww Fjord saw Cad as a father figure 💔🥰

I KNEW the circus stuff was foreshadowing!!! I knew it!! Ohhhh man, every day I am grateful Fjord didn’t release Uka’toa maaaaan. Oh neat! Plank King is a nerd lmao! Lmao all these interesting on the fly developments that feel natural and amazing and strange! I love improv!! I love it SO much!

God I love knowing how hard they detailed the campaign by heading head on into Xhorhas! GOLD! M9: “I found a boot in your yard! 😃” Essek: “fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! 😨”. I love Essek and everything the Mighty Nein did to/for him. I love him!

Caleb thought Fjord was hot and was closest to him aside from Nott initially! I FUCKING KNEW IT! I FEEL SO VINDICATED! I SHIP PLATONIC WIDOFJORD SO FUCKING HARD! ALWAYS HAVE ALWAYS WILL YES! YES! Y E S!! Also lol, acknowledging everyone on the top table all being in love with Jester? And Jester having no clue at all? Yessssss!

Verrin is a Himbo CONFIRMED! This is everything I ever could’ve wanted! God I love everything that’s being said about Essek’s little brother oh my god I’m loving this we were ROBBED of meeting this babey I wuv himmmm. Ugh! Oh yayyyyy Sumalee is here, her and Nila feel like a psychic warm hug.

Ooooh! Thank god they explain Molly’s dream!! They were so ready for Traveler to be evil and then it was Arty! I LOVE that! Oh yES, Sprinkle was long game. Also I am LIVING for this Beauyasha content! So domestic and cute af!! AAAAAH BEAU AND YASHA ADOPTING FROM FJORD’S ORPHANAGE SHUT UP I AM DYING OF CUTENESS!!! AHHH!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAA- ok ok ok ok ok I’m FINE ok. Ok.

God okay, I am SO glad Fjord broke things off with Uka’toa, thank GODS thank MELORA my god. Yeahhhhh ohhhhh god, so very glad. Knowing how close Fjord came to doing something terrifying and awful, thank Melora for Caduceus ohhhhh man. Looooove Cad and looooove plant metaphor loooove Star Razor, my god.

It’s amazing how positive their influence the Mighty Nein had despite what royally messy fuck ups they all are. Love it. Everybody getting the mounts confused and descended into chaos. Didnt the moorbounders get picked off by the Roc that attacked the party? I don’t remember. Yesss give me that sweet sweet Savalierwood lore! Yes!!

So! Much! Beauyasha! CONTENT! Ah! Oooof that D&D therapy be like that sometimes! Oof shit. Yasha betrayal and Beau & Fjord’s reactions were so heartbreaking to watch! God the campaign would have been waaaaaay different if the dunamamcy time travel would’ve been involved! I’m so proud of Caleb and things going down the way they did for Nott/Veth!

God I could listen to Liam talk about Caleb alllllll day, love that! God he was sooooo cool and interesting and sad and brilliant! Love it! Ohhhhh fuck that last bit about freezing to death together in the punishment tower and how Caleb got involved with Astrid and Eadwulf. FUCK that is dark, I can hear the angsty Blumentrio fics being written as we speak!

SAVE TJ!! Ooooooh getting really real, can’t say I wouldn’t done exactly what Marisha did. Wow… woah. Woah. Yes! Take him to Rexxentrum and just don’t bring him home! Save his ass! Don’t leave him with Thoreau! YES Chris Perkins comedic relief from Spurt thank god 😂😅 oh GOD HAHA IT WAS LIKE TWO MINUTES LONG AMAZING! 🤣🤣🤣

Yesss! Please Jester be the goddess of the crabgrass! Amazing! Holy SHIT the Beau & Caleb murder plan! Yikes! So the eye stuff was about what I expected. The real question is if they did turn was would they no longer have been NPCs had they killed Lucien when they had nine eyes? Or would it have been irreversible? Wait CREE was what?! Oh. Okay she was still a Tabaxi, she became a flesh monster from somnovum radiation.

Devexian I KNEW HE WAS WARFORGED!!! GOD PLEASE SOMEONE PLEASE PLAY A WARFORGED NEXT CAMPAIGN!!! YES! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES GOD YES! 😭🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 I LOVR WARFORGED SO MUCH OH MY GOD YALL!!!

Is it weird and fucked up that the Aeor bubbles remind me of the sound dome bubbles from The Yellow Submarine movie? Nobody is gonna know what that means lol. Ooooh dynasty creation myths! Dick shiv! Dick shiv! Dick shiv!! Hoooooo what time travel terribleness!!! Oh god, I’m so glad it worked! It kinda would’ve been cool if the Cognouza made it to the prime material but I like the way things went still.

The spider was dead the WHOLE time?! 😂 gods I am so fucking glad Trent wasn’t invited to Cognouza, thank fuuuuck. Ahahahahh… oof. Ah! Good! Trent wasn’t responsible for turning the lights back on for Caleb, that makes me feel better about all that, he was basically Feebleminded right? Or at least some variation? Maaaaaan Trent was so fucked upppp.

Love the dad stuff, for real, man, one of the things in campaign 2 I loved most. Eadwulf follower of RQ confirmed!! YES! Bobanon pulling a Dread Pirate Roberts! Yayyyyy! Awww!! God, as if Vex needed even more titles! That ducktales parody Matt just did I can’t BREATHE oh wow. Cant believe it’s over… good times. One shots, love it. Gonna be great. Cant wait!

[tinyboxxtink]

"Weird Secret Friends" *Chapter 18*

Okay don't hate me that it not's terribly long, but I started a little too late and now it's 3 am. I kinda had a busy day.

But I knew you needed some floof. 😉

Chapter 17

Chapter 19

Tag List

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@milkshqke

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@word-scribbless

@gibbs274

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@aprildecker-blog

@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

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@shittanyy

@mrsrafaelbarba

----

Meanwhile back in your room

The doctors had finally gotten you rebandaged and calm, before leaving you both alone in your room at last.

"Alright now that you're ok…" Rafael gave you a look. "What is wrong with you?! Why would you come here?!"

You made an annoyed face back at him while pointing to your throat. Obviously you weren't going to be able to tell him.

".... Right," Rafael sighed, then saw your phone. He picked it up and handed it to you. You opened the notes app and typed something, then handed it to him.

"You left me," he read aloud. "I didn't! I tried to see you so many times, bur Sonny made it his mission to keep us apart so I--"

You reached over and tapped the phone screen rapidly, emphasizing your statement.

*...I left," he conceded with a defeated look. He knew you were right; he had just taken off without thinking about you, he just knew what he had to do for him and his feelings.

"But you couldn't have just waited for me to come home?" He asked.

You grabbed the phone back and quickly typed a reply, handing it back to him with a cross face.

"How was I supposed to know you would come back?" He read aloud again. "Because it's my home? Because presidential campaigns don't last forever?! Because I love you? Because--"

Your ears perked up and your eyes went wide at the last statement and you clamped your hand on his arm, making him stop listing things.

“What?” He asked. You made a face at him like, “Are you serious?”

“Oh, why are you so shocked? I already told you this?” Rafael asked, completely confused

You realized that everything he said at the apartment was true, you hadn’t made it up.He really did love you. You started to tear up at the fact that you had for once not made up the most beautiful thing anybody has ever told you in your mind. Pretty soon you were full on sobbing thinking about how you had thought about nothing but this moment for so long, through all of the terror and torture you had gone through in the last few weeks.

“Oh my God, Y/N calm down!” He started to freak out while you silently cried, your bandages starting to fill with blood again as your chest heaved from your sobbing.

“Calm down baby, just breathe,” He pressed his forehead against yours, whispering softly.

You took the phone again and tried to calm yourself as you typed quickly, then handed it back to Rafael.He read it out loud:

“I thought I made that up in my drunken, stupid head,” He looked at you with a soft smile. “No you didn't make it up. “In fact, I technically told you twice, if you can remember,”

You took the phone again and typed, “The operating room,”

He nodded back with a yes. “It took me a while to remember it too,”

You did your best not to start crying again from happiness this time because you knew that any sort of major emotion was going to rupture your bandages. So you just gently squeezed Rafael's hand as if to say you loved him back.

“....Okay but that still doesn't excuse you from just taking off without telling anybody, and nearly getting yourself killed!” He scolded you, but kept his head pressed against yours.

“I don't know what I would have done if the chief hadn't found you sooner. I don't want to think about it,” Rafael shook off the intense fear he had had when Andrew had first mentioned you as a Jane Doe, and then told you the horrifying way that he found you.

You took the phone again and began typing away, and once again handed it back to him. He read aloud,

“Yeah, probably not one of my best ideas. But I would have been fine if not for Chicago,”

His face fell and his voice fell soft as he said “In Chicago,” He gave you a very serious look. You had a sad and scared look on your face, as if you were ready for him to start yelling at you again when he found out what happened in Chicago.

“So something bad did happen to you in Chicago,'' he said softly. You nodded in shamed silence. He took your hand. “That nurse said you had severe tearing....down there,”

He took another long pause really not wanting to ask you the question but he had to know. “Did you get assaulted in Chicago?”

You couldn't help it, the question made you break down into silent sobs once again. Your blood began to soak through your bandages. Rafael wrapped his arms around you, trying to calm you down. He looked up to the sky and tried to keep tears in his own eyes as he held you, thinking about the hell you must have gone through to get to him. He felt like all of this was his fault.

“What happened?” He pulled you away from his chest for a second and asked you. You took the phone once again and softly typed a long-winded story then handed the phone back to him, ashamed. He was scared to read it but he knew that he had to if he was going to help you through this.

“I was an idiot,” he stopped. “First of all, no, you're not an idiot. Don't ever say that,” He told you sternly before continuing.

“I hadn't eaten since I left the city, which was about 20 hours and I was starving. There was a two-hour layover, so I went to an ATM and emptied the rest of my bank account so that I could carry cash and stay off the grid. Then I decided to get food down the street but I didn't know that the train station was in such a bad part of Chicago. I should have known,”

He stopped again. “No you shouldn't have, none of this is your fault,”

You shook your head like you didn't believe him, and then tapped the phone, signaling him to keep reading. He sighed reluctantly, but obeyed.

“On my way back to the train station it was dark and this guy asked me if I had the time and when I went to go get my phone he grabbed my purse and somebody else hit me from behind. Next thing I knew when I woke up... “

Rafael paused, he really didn't want to read this part you really didn't. But he knew that if he was going to help you get through this he needed the whole story.

“When I woke up I was… ’stuck’ between two guys while a third one videoed it.They were all laughing and high-fiving each other--”

Rafael stopped once more and put the phone down, unable to bring himself to read the rest. He looked at you and you got ready for the lecture, but to your surprise he just started to cry and crawled into the bed next to you, holding you as close to him as humanly possible.

“I’m so sorry Y/N, fuck I am so so so sorry,” He sobbed into your chest. You shook your head violently, making him look at you while you typed.

“No, it’s not your fault. If I hadn’t been so stupid--” He stopped you from typing any more.

“Alright, enough. You’re not going to blame this on yourself, do you hear me? It is one hundred percent not your fault,”

You typed: “Not your fault either,”

“...Alright fine, if I don’t blame myself will you stop blaming yourself?” He compromised. You nodded ‘Yes’.

And then you typed: “Bad things happen.”

“Yes but too many bad things have happened to you lately, ever since you met me,” He shook his head sadly while stroking your face with his thumb.

“Not true,” you typed. “The best thing happened after I met you,”

“...The amazing sex?” He was finally able to tease you a bit. You nodded vigorously with a silent giggle. “Well yeah, obvi,” You typed. “But also, love,”

“Yes, very true,” He agreed. “But love shouldn’t be this hard, carino,”

You looked at him very seriously before typing “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” He got up from the bed. “I’m saying look where loving me has gotten you! You almost died trying to find me. You got assaulted because I took off on you. Nothing good has happened to you since this started, and loving me doesn’t count because it’s what’s killing you!”

“Okay counterpoint,” You typed furiously. “I almost died trying to find you, and now that I did you’re not going to let that be for nothing, are you?”

“I don’t…” He sighed and sat back on the bed next to you. “No, I guess not. I just--I can’t believe you did this,”

“You’re never getting rid of me,” You typed and then gave him a sly grin.

“Yeah well, I think I already knew that carino,” He chuckled, once again revealing the matching scars you had.

“You’re a part of me,” You typed while he resumed nestling back into your chest.

“So if I need a kidney, we’re square?” He gave you a tongued smile while you hit him playfully. It was then that you realized this entire time since you had been reunited, he hadn’t kissed you. You repeated the gesture of typing and handing him your words, as he read aloud:

“Kiss?” He gave you a look. “Baby I have wanted nothing more since I saw you alive, but I don’t want to...break you, any more than you already are,”

Type type type. Hand. Read.

“...I’m broken without you inside me,” He laughed out loud. “Kinky, carino,”

You gave him a pout before he shook his head with a chuckle, and pulled your face towards him, his lips inching towards yours for the first time in months….

“Alright, Mr. Barba,” Nurse Ratchet aka Laverne busted back in the room with a clipboard. You both snapped to attention at the sudden noise, the moment was gone.

“...The hell is your problem, lady?” Rafael snapped, not moving from your side. In fact, he wrapped a protective arm around you, as if she was going to try and take you from him again.

“Well I’ve spoken to Mr. Carisi, and he tells me that you two shouldn’t be fraternizing, that it’s detrimental to her sobriety,” She informed him with a scornful look.

“Oh for the love of--” He muttered obscenities in Spanish under his breath.

“So I’m afraid at his request, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave,” She smirked.

“The hell I am,” He held onto you tighter. “Do you have any idea what this girl has been through to get to me? To get to us again?”

“Exactly his point, Mr. Barba,” She crossed her arms. “She clearly has no logical thinking when it comes to you. Her feelings make her completely unstable mentally and lead her into harm’s way, now you don’t want that, do you?”

“No…” He was letting her get in his head, he shifted uncomfortably and started to move his arms away from you but you clenched it to keep him from letting go of you.

Oh no, FUCK this. You did not come this far for your insanely overbearing cousin strong-arming Rafael through a nurse with a ‘mama bear’ complex. You waved your arms back and forth in a big X formation, letting her know Rafael was not going anywhere.

“Sweetie, this is for your own--” She tried the ‘good cop’ bullshit on you, but you weren’t stupid.

You put your hands up to your throat, clutching the bandages around your neck. You tugged at them ever so slightly, a sign you were threatening to rip them off if she didn’t back the hell up, right now. Both Laverne and Rafael reacted, both reaching towards your hands. You put a hand up to Rafael’s face, and a wagging finger up to Laverne’s.

“...She’s going to kill herself if you don’t leave right now, do you think Mister Carisi would appreciate that?” He warned, and you nodded in agreement with a scowl.

“This is only proving your cousin’s point, Y/N,” Laverne pointed out. “You’re acting insanely right now!”

You grabbed your phone and began to type away. Threatening looks wouldn’t work anymore. You handed your phone to Rafael and nudged him to read it out loud to Laverne,

“I don’t care what you, or my cousin thinks. I don’t care if you think I’m being ‘insane’, because what matters is I’ll still do it. I swear to God if you do not leave this room right now I will rip these bandages off so fast, it will be a bloodbath. And my…”

He stopped reading, blinking a few times before continuing:

“...My boyfriend is the best lawyer in New York City and he will sue you and this hospital so fast for malpractice. And he will beat you so hard, you’ll have to rename the whole hospital after him!”

You saw the surprise and sensed the hesitation in his voice when he said ‘boyfriend’, but he did say it-- so that had to be a good sign.

“Your boyfriend?” Laverne said with an unbelievable laugh. “Seriously? Honey…”

“Yes, her boyfriend,” He doubled down on the label, making you smile. He then stood up and took a step towards her as he kept talking.

“And if her cousin has a problem with it, he can take it up with me if and when he gets here. As for you, it’s none of your damn business, so you can take your threats and your judgement out of here right now,”

You crossed your arms and gave her a shit eating grin with a huge YES nodding notion.

“....Fine, we’ll see what’s what when he gets here, and he IS coming. He’s on his way,” She muttered as she walked out of the room.

“Ohhhh I’m sure he is,” Rafael rolled his eyes with a sarcastic smile as he resumed his place at your side. He looked at you, you had the giddiest smile on your face. “What?”

Type Type Type. Hand.

“Boyfriend,” He gave you a small amused smile. “Well, I’d hope so after all this, don’t you think?”

You nodded an enthusiastic YES once more, absolutely in heaven. The only thing that would make it better right now was his mouth on yours.

As if reading your mind, Rafael took your face in his hands, kissing you deeply. You felt your throat moving as you kissed him back, as did he. He quickly stopped, but you just took his hands and moved them gently around your neck, pressing them down as if to say ‘just keep pressure on them,’

“I’ll be gentle,” He assured you, putting pressure over the wound as you kissed, keeping the bandages in place. Then he pulled back for a second as he added “....For now,” with a cheeky grin.

You hoped your happy little bubble wouldn’t be busted when Sonny showed up.

[stevie2101]

TFATWS Episode 5: My (Unwanted) Thoughts

Read the episode description and cheered very loudly. Been waiting WEEKS for this.

Now onto my (chronological) thoughts:

YEAH YOU BETTER RUN

(Wyatt Russell is a great actor)

Why are you acting like you did nothing wrong? You literally just ran from the scene of the crime YOU committed. Why run if you think you did nothing wrong?

THEY'RE NOT MAKING YOU DO ANYTHING, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DECIDED TO FIGHT THEM

WHOOP HIS ASS! I love them both so much 😭

HE TRIED TO KILL MY BABY SAM!!!! BRUH YOU JUST MURDERED A DUDE LESS THAN TWENTY MINUTES AGO, ARE YOU TRYING TO BE A SERIAL KILLER?!?!?

Oh Sam....The total despair in his eyes seeing how the legacy is tainted from John. The way the blood smears, I'm crying.

My boy Torres!!!!! "You got the sleve back" LMAO

Bucky, you better not be mad at Sam. It's not Sam's fault what John did or that John was even given the Captain America mantle (without any psychological screenings might I add)

Yoooooo, Sam just passed the Falcon mantle! Torres deserves it. 👏

BOO JOHN WALKER BOOOOOO

His wife lookin' real dumb, sticking by his side. Honey, you deserve better! Just like Lamar deserved a better best friend (I said what I said).

Who tf is this lady? Like her hair.

Am I surprised they didn't do more severe punishments? No, absolutely not. But, I'm glad he's officially stripped of the Captain America mantle and publicly condemned.

He killed an unarmed man though! A man that didn't do anything! There should be justice for him.

And oop, Karli is gonna deliver. I get it.

Oh, the Sokovia monument...

Bucky, what's Rule Number Two?

Oh this reminds me of Civil War. Zemo listened to the voice-mail from his wife when he was ready to die. He's at the monument that's basically his family and he's, again, ready to die. I feel bad for Zemo, I said it. I shouldn't, but I do.

HA that smirk from Bucky.

AYO!!!!! So happy to see her and that her and Bucky are on kind of good terms again.

Wait, what's the favor?

The captions called him Eli, it's official!

..... I'm horrified. The complete dehumanization....Oh my god, Isaiah's been through enough pain for a lifetime. He deserves to garden in peace. I wish he could get justice, get public recognition for what he went through, but I respect and understand his decision for laying low.

I don't want to compare Isaiah to Steve because that completely undermines Isaiah's character, but Steve did the literal same thing that Isaiah did. He went to go save Bucky against direct orders. He came back a hero. Isaiah came back a prisoner.

Shit, maybe the shield should be destroyed.

Sam, you should talk about it with Sarah. You deserve a chance to express how you're feeling.

I love the sense of community and Sam asking for help.

Something’s too heavy? You know who could lift that?

AHH IT IS BUCKY!!!

....Bucky? And Sarah? 😏

No 'cause that was a very REAL smile he gave her.

Lamar's sister is not believing John at all. Good.

Sharon, honey, what are you doing? You're adding more credibility to the theory you're the Power Broker, what are you doing? Sharon, honey.

I have been waiting for more Sam content and for him and Bucky to bond and they are DELIVERING!!!!

I am so glad Bucky recognized his and Steve's privilege and apologized.

Bucky is so open with Sam and was obviously looking for Sam to tell him it was okay. But Sam doesn't do that because he gets Bucky and knows what he really needs to actually make progress. WE LOVE SAM WILSON IN THIS HOUSEHOLD.

I'm sorry, I love this training sequence. It's funny while also being uplifting.

Also Anthony Mackie could get it.

At first I was like, okay, not all of the GRC are monsters when the lady was saying that there's no resources yet at the camps and they shouldn't do anything yet.....Before I realized that none of the members were actually campaigning to NOT forcibly remove the internationally displaced persons. Totally not mad at Karli.

HOW COULD YOU END LIKE THAT?!?! I WANT TO SEE THE NEW SUIT!

Stupid John Walker ass in the end credits. Dumbass trying to make a shield that's just going to break in two seconds. 🙄 Hate him. Glad to see him suffer though! 😁

Only criticism I have is that Sam is being too much of a therapist. He should get a chance to properly express his own emotions and what he's going through.

Absolutely loved this episode, might be one of my favourite so far.

Lots of questions before the finale next week. So many plotlines to wrap up in one episode. I'm gonna have faith though 🤞

[loreweaver-universe]

And that’s...the show.

What a clever way to get Lake off the train.  On multiple levels!  Not only was it clever in-character, but her escape came from her accepting her nature at long last--which was what would have brought her own number down to zero.  That’s such an excellent way to end her journey--truly, she was the same as a passenger the whole time.

That was a good finale.  Not the action-packed ending that season 1 got, but it didn’t need to be, really.  It was different from Tulip’s journey in ways where a bigger action sequence than what we got wouldn’t have been appropriate.  In fact, the fight with Sieve feels kind of like an afterthought--it wasn’t obviously, it tied off an important loose end and gave Alan Dracula something to do in the final two episodes, but it didn’t really feel like a proper focus of the episode.

Showing off One-One’s weird blue-and-orange morality system was really cool.  Watching him actually get trapped in logic loops was fascinating, and I think he was used VERY well here.

Alan Dracula was a fun sideshow character, but often felt like he was just there for the animators and writers to play around with, rather than an essential part of the team like Atticus and One-One were in season 1.

Jesse was a good deuteragonist!  Shut up, Tumblr spellcheck, that’s a word.  Jesse’s journey was simple--come to terms with the fact that he and his friends were bullies, and it was very deftly done.  The fact that the train reorders its cars and constructs them for individual passengers’ journeys makes it interesting that his final obstacle was confronting the Apex--the train even works other passengers into its plans.  Which, ironically, makes the Apex more denizen than passenger.  Anyways, Jesse’s journey was simple and well-handled, which is good because he wasn’t actually who the story was about.

That would be Lake.  Mirror Tulip.  Horseradish, as I’ve been tagging her since season 1.  The Chrome Car was my second-favorite episode of season 1, due to excellent character drama, excellent horror, and excellent writing all around.  I remember wishing very much that Lake had joined Tulip on her journey--clearly, the people writing the show wanted to keep telling her story, too, because we got a whole season of it.  Lake’s journey of self-discovery and self-actualization was a really fascinating one.  Watching her slowly come out of her prickly shell until she was finally ready to accept herself for who she was was an excellent journey.  I really do think it’s SUCH good writing that she basically got her own number down to zero right when she got One-One to let her off the train.

Mace and Sieve turned out to be excellent villains, as well--Mace more than Sieve, really, but Mace got more focus and had more presence, and rightfully so.  My favorite episode of the season focuses on him and Tulip, after all.  What an excellent bastard.

All in all, a good season, but not quite as strong as the first one.  That’s not a low bar to fail, though.  Excellent work all around, and I’m delighted with the ending.

The final episode just wasn’t as strong an ending as season one’s though, and wasn’t the best episode in season 2 by a couple places.  The Tape Car was creepier and focused on horror, which I liked a lot, and The Wasteland was just fantastic.  It also has to compete with some VERY strong episodes in season 1--which, again, is not a low bar to fail.  All in all, I’d place The Number Car at my new #3 for season 2, between The Lucky Cat Car (which was very funny, but didn’t have the emotional or dramatic stuff The Number Car did) and The Tape Car (which I’ve already covered), as well as my new #7 overall, between The Lucky Cat Car and The Cat’s Car, which did drama and horror VERY well.

That’s it for Infinity Train, at least until we maybe get a third season!  In a couple days, I’m going to make a post on my Patreon asking for show suggestions for what to replace Infinity Train with in the main slots, and then we’ll have the poll to replace it a few days after that.  I’ll keep you posted as to what the results of that are!  In the meantime, up next is going to be this month’s Patron Picks--as usual, I’ll be doing Paranoia Agent, Baccano, and then A Place Further Than the Universe.  After that, we’ll be getting back to She-Ra for a solid while--I’ll be starting Season 2, so stay tuned for that!

Streamwise, I streamed the first part of my blind playthrough of Transistor yesterday (which you can view here) and will be starting what I think will be the rest of the game shortly.  If you want to tune into that live, head on over to my Twitch channel and give me a follow!  That should be happening within the hour.

As always, thank you all for tuning in, and thank you very much to the 62 patrons who make it possible for me to do this for a living!  I’ll see you next time!

IN OTHER NEWS:

I recently completed my blind playthrough of Transistor!  You can see the full playlist of those streams by clicking here!

I recently completed my playthrough of Final Fantasy VII Remake!  You can see the full playlist of those streams by clicking here!

I recently completed my playthrough of the second story campaign in Fire Emblem: Three Houses!   You can view all the streams of the Golden Deer and Black Eagles routes I have done by clicking here!

If you’d like to help me pay my rent, buy me some food, or help with my bills and medicine, please use my direct donation link! ��If you’d like to support me per liveblog completed every month, please pledge to my Patreon! Becoming a patron not only allows you to vote on what shows I do whenever I choose a new one, but also grants access to the community Minecraft server to $5 patrons or higher!

You should also go pledge to Gio’s Patreon–our Discord server maintenance tech, creator of Rubybot, and community Minecraft server overlord deserves far more than I can afford to pledge to him by myself.

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It’s your kindness and support that lets me do this stuff, and I wouldn’t be where I am without all of you to do it for.  Thank you all so much for your support, and for tuning in every episode!

OTHER PEOPLE YOU MAY ENJOY:

I may have been one of the earlier Steven Universe liveblogs, but a whole community of livebloggers has sprung up over the last five years!   I linked to a bunch individually for a few wrap-ups, but honestly, this end-slate is already eight billion miles long, so I’m just gonna link to my links page.  Click here if you want recommendations of other livebloggers, or other neat people, or webcomics and podcasts that I recommend.

[potatoesandsunshine]

Campaign 2 Wrap Up: Anna Potatoesandsunshine Edition

Seemed like it would be fun to go through all the fan content I made for this campaign and try to find at least one thing I like about each thing! Kind of like looking back through a photo album. Under the cut because as it turns out, I wrote kind of a lot! (As in, 21 fics and 3 playlists kind of a lot!)

the sea, once it casts its spell (fjord speculation, what’s up with all this ocean stuff?? the fic)

The first thing I wrote for c2, wayyy in the beginning of things. We had no idea about Uk’otoa or Avantika or anyone at this point, it was pure ocean vibes for my favorite warlock. I really like how hard I leaned in on the “the ocean follows Fjord to land” idea.

so many things will fill my life (but only one will do) (post-campaign cali/jester fluff, written the night of the cali episode and so sweet it could rot your teeth)

This one is just good. I just did good with this one. I’m one of those people who hates their own work the night of posting and then when looking back at it goes, “Wow, this is great.” My favorite thing is the little gifts sent along with the letters! Cali was so fun and cute :)

when the dust does roam (Beau study up to Episode 42, 2k words of Beau poking at the idea of grief)

Best thing I did in this fic was have Caleb-through-Frumpkin bugging Beau about getting some sleep. They really... they’re siblings, your honor. 

“  “Fuck off, I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Beau picks the bird up and sets him in the hood of her own cloak, out of reach of any weasels or startled monks in the morning. It’d suck to have to tell Caleb that his Frumpkin got eaten by Sprinkle.” C’mon guys, let’s do the sibling dance.

keep your swords out by your sides (the idea for this was, What If Fjord Has Nightmares From Uk’otoa Every Night and just doesn’t remember them)

Assigning everybody a word Uk’otoa had said for each nightmare in this was a challenge; I went into it knowing I wanted Caleb for Learn and Caduceus for Consume and had to guess the rest - for an angry eye snake Uk’otoa didn’t give us a ton of quotes. 

“ He reaches over and runs a hand along the wall of the ship. From his touch, mushrooms begin sprouting.” Caduceus starting to decompose the Mistake in the middle of cooking was maybe the best moment in this story for me. Like, yeah. Yeah. Ok you funky little grave cleric.

strange but not a stranger (Caleb & Jester, in the immediate aftermath of Caleb’s charm in Episode 55)

the first of my “the Mighty Nein won’t have these conversations with each other in canon so they have to be had in fic” ideas that turned into a full-fledged story. I still had not discovered the em dash at this point, so the formatting of this makes me cringe a little bit, but this fic was really about The Emotions Of Being Out Of Control which turned out to be a very big Thing for the Mighty Nein.

now this story was when swords were humble (fake academia mixed with a Yasha study)

Honestly I’m still obsessed with the AU I made here where Yasha was just awakening every sword she used without knowing it?? Why did I use that here only?? That might come back. But the best part about this fic is the citations; me at my most in-joke and ridiculous.

through the teeth of this tempest (Written in the immediate aftermath of Episode 69, Yasha internally trying to break Obann’s control over the course of a month.)

The most “I wrote this to cope with canon” fic out of all of them. I was crying writing this, I was so upset that Yasha was gone ugh just remembering it. Still waiting for past me to discover the em dash, I genuinely don’t know why I didn’t know how to do it and I’ve thought about going back and editing all of these but I’m just Not Gonna Do All That. Anyway, I really like how Yasha catches lightning with her sword in this. We all really manifested that happening.

nothing more than what the losers settle for (Time travel, a series of oneshots where each member of the m9 sans Caduceus went back to a different point in the timeline and murdered Trent Ikithon)

This was my longest fic for c2, so I’m mostly just glad it got finished. This happened somewhere around the time Matt released that set of notes that mentioned Trent in more detail and I hated him so much I just had to write him dying six times. That speaks for itself.

Revolutionary!Fjord was also a good turn. He could pull it off, I think.

we’re gonna show ‘em a thing, or two, or three (Jester growing up fluff!)

I really like how I did Jester & Artagan in this, even though he barely appears. Someone better at songwriting than me please write the Dragon Song. Em dash makes an appearance here but the formatting is still wrong. I Am Once Again Asking For Proper Use Of The Em Dash.

the best things (happen while you’re dancing) (Mid-Episode 97 Divergence, Jester taking the reins at the party + hints of jester/beau/yasha bc i still love my girls so much)

Jester’s a little out of character in this, but not wildly so, and it was for the purposes of a Trapped By Societal Convention plot that I wanted her to mastermind so I think it was fine in the end. I’m still fascinated by the way she unbalanced Ludinus Da’leth in basically every interaction they had, and while their scene feels pretty cliche in this... the cliches are there for a reason. They’re so fun to write.

Em dash my beloved, there you are.

plus thirty-one varieties of sacramental wine (The Galavant crossover that truly nobody asked for, Beau + the monks)

Yeah, this one’s just fun. Not much more to say about it. Critical Role and Galavant are both fantasy, but they’re honestly pretty different in tone, and it was fun to write Beau dropped into a comedy musical.

oh we were sea-bound and aimless at best (Purely angst, a What If The Fjord & Orly Resurrections Didn’t Work fic)

Made myself care about Marius with this one, y’all. What more can I say? Beau having to go from first mate to captain was just... deliciously painful, because she would.

lost my shape trying to act casual (Beau & Yasha during travelercon, another mid-episode fic, this time of 104)

Yasha comforting Beau, who feels guilty for not feeling guilty... That Mighty Nein wasn’t lying, Mind Control and Autonomy can be themes. Another in the  “the Mighty Nein won’t have these conversations with each other in canon so they have to be had in fic” tank. They really just... didn’t open up to each other for a long time, which made sense, but I wanted them to.

so long as you don’t mind a little dying (Beau & Caduceus, sometime in the peace talks arc)

Keeping with the Mighty Nein Please Talk To Each Other theme, I feel like I did a pretty good job with the late-night conversation energy of this fic. This was at a time when I was looking at Caduceus, can opener in hand, ready to make this firbolg open up about his feelings. Beau in this is prickly and confrontational but only in service of her friend’s well-being.

amber light, bending (Eiselcross speculation, Widofjord and all the messiness therein)

THE widofjord fic of my two widofjord fics. The blueprint. The better one. Finally I got the dynamic figured out. I maintain that the tower is an absolute expression of Caleb’s love for his friends. The way that neither of them have the braincell in this fic... yeah this one is just good.

and a blade between them (Widofjord happening... sometime.)

Okay so this is not as good as amber light and I will never be able to look at it and like it as much, but it was still fun to write. Anyway, the intimacy of shaving someone else. That is good. The tag “if they didn’t want me to think about the blood pact they shouldn’t have made the blood pact” is the most useful takeaway from this fic and is the driving force behind the Fjord/Jester/Caleb fic I’m working on now, so it wasn’t a waste of time or anything.

feel the ground beneath my feet turn into the sky (Post-Campaign Astrid-retires-to-Nicodranas, Astrid/Jester)

This is another one where I’m like “Yeah, this is just good.” Packed full of Wizard Fashion, Artagan making an appearance to rope Astrid into having a happier future, and the power of Going To The Seaside. Good for you, fic-Astrid.

spend your days biting your own neck (Role-reversal where Beau is the one mind-controlled this time and Yasha is the one chasing after her, set very early in the Tomb Takers arc)

So much of this fic is about not saying things aloud - Beau’s POV spends a good chunk on body language and Yasha writes multiple letters on paper and in her own head - but devotion bleeding through anyway because there’s nowhere else for it to go. The two of them go tumbling over a cliff together at the end but Yasha has wings, ugh. Yeah this was a good one.

and blow the dry leaves from the tree (Somewhere before the beauyasha date but otherwise timeline-nonspecific Nicodranas, Yasha & Yeza become friends)

Yasha & Yeza making pancakes together when neither of them know how to do so... is good. This fic is very much about grief sneaking in, but it’s even more about finding someone to share the moment with you. I think these two have more in common than we think.

oh, lend a mending hand (Caleb & Caduceus during Beau’s tombstone meditation in Episode 130)

I wrote this entire fic as an excuse for Caleb and Caduceus to hug and it does what it says on the tin. Got em.

it’s about the passing of measures (Beauyasha at the end of Episode 134, Aeor speculation)

This fic got extremely sidetracked because I rediscovered the marble machine during it and I do not apologize for that. I still really like the idea that Aeor as a whole, not just the Cognouza, is somewhat-alive. Too much magic and too much death for it to be anything else, in my mind. And I’m a sap for hurt/comfort.

the blumentrio playlist nobody asked for

If I think too much about how deep in each other these three people are I will cry. Made myself a soundtrack for those tears. 

the caleb playlist nobody asked for

what if this angsty wizard had a playlist of songs that mostly just... make me want to dance? that question was answered here.

the caduceus playlist nobody asked for

songs about home, leaving home, dying, changing, becoming someone new, coming home and finding it’s changed... this to me is caduceus.

yeah... this campaign has been fun!! I probably won’t stop making things about it; I still write about Vox Machina, for crying out loud, but... it feels good to lay it all out like this. It’s been a long few years, and it’s wild to be seeing the end of it now.

[ricky-corderbro]

Here I am, Stuck in a Freezer with You || Ricky & Kaden

Ricky and Kaden find themselves stuck in a freezer during a middle of the night ice cream run. Maybe it’s the cold that’s slowly killing them, but, emotional progress is made. 

@chasseurdeloup

There was no way in hell Kaden could stay in his apartment another night. Hell he barely managed to the other night. And the only reason he slept was because he passed out after getting drunk off his ass on wine. He had most of what he needed ready to pack up and go before heading off into the woods for the next few days but there were a few essentials he was missing. Most of them were beer. Some of them were ice cream. The big stupid “Ice Cave” in the back of the convenience store thankfully had both. Kaden knew he was getting the giant ass box full of bottles so hunting down the ice cream first sounded smarter, made the balancing act of putting the pint on top of the box on his way to the register a little easier. Too bad the balancing act of his life had gone to fucking hell in a handbasket. No, he was going to avoid thinking about this right now out in public. Last thing he needed. He scanned the aisles looking for a good mint chocolate chip, preferably one that wasn’t unnaturally green. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone. Who he recognized. “Putain,” he grumbled to himself under his breath. He didn’t really need seal boy to see him this disheveled. Guess that ship had sailed. “How does this keep happening?” He let out a sigh. “Is this more or less depressing than meeting in the hospital?”

There had to be a word for what came after exhaustion, because Ricky didn’t think that exhausted covered it anymore. The asanbosam, the mimes at Al’s, the thing at Yours Mime and Ours… he felt like he hadn’t had a break in years and it was starting to wear him ragged. Which is how he’d found himself down at the QuikTrip slightly outside of town shopping for that special brand of junk food you only ate when you were too tired or too drunk to be an actual adult. The Ice Cave in the back of the store felt comfortably chilly to him, wrapped as he was in an old swim team hoodie, and as he scanned the shelves of non-dairy ice cream to find something that was good to eat while binge watching terrible cartoons online he saw a remarkably disheveled looking Kaden Langley on the other side of the cooler. It truly was the most tenuous of peaces they lived in right now; a truce made wobbly by their pasts and only slightly stable by the knowledge that they weren’t going to kill each other at first sight. Maybe second. But not first. He shrugged broadly, picking up a pint of vegan gelato to look at the ingredient list, “Depressing? About the same I’d say. Shameful? Well probably more since it looks like neither of us really wanted to be seen shopping for ice cream at three in the morning.” Kaden looked like he’d just come off one helluva bender, but Ricky wasn’t going to bring that up. At least not at first, “Are you really looking at mint chocolate chip ice cream? Like a fucking psychopath?”

“Funny enough, you got that right.” Kaden sighed and picked out his stupid ice cream. At least Ricky looked about as put together as he did.  “And what the fuck is wrong with mint chocolate chip?” He caught sight of the vegan gelato. Vegan? Merde, is that even ice cream any more? Why bother? Just crush some ice and eat that, it probably tastes as good.” He shook his head and placed his carton of ice cream on top of the box full of beer cans. “Why are you here at three in the morning, anyway?” Items in hand, Kaden was headed out of this stupid store, or at least the stupid Ice Cave. Then there was a loud commotion. His brow furrowed. Sounds of a scuffle outside the door. Shouts. Screaming. Claws? A bang. His head shot towards the door. And the window went dark as something fell in front of it. Putain. “No. No, no, no,” he shouted as he dropped the box of beer and threw himself into the door, hoping it’d budge. Nothing. Just a bruised shoulder. He tried again. Same result. Stuck. They were stuck. Together. And there was probably a really good monster to kill on the other side of the door, too. That’d cheer him up so much, too. “Putain.” He sighed and set up the box, sat on it, and opened up the ice cream. “Just my fucking luck.”

“It’s such an old person ice cream. It’s right the fuck up there with Rum Raisin and that shit.” Ricky flipped Kaden off as a pint of cardamom gelato and a pint of lavender went into his basket, “We’re a carnivorous species. Milk makes my tummy sad.” There was a kerfuffle from outside the ice cave as Kaden went to leave; Ricky couldn’t hear much over the cacophonous roar of the cooler fans but he could see shadows outside, and he could very clearly see Kaden with his hunter strength fail to open the cooler door, “You. have got. To be fucking kidding me.” If Kaden couldn’t open the door there was no way Ricky could so he wouldn’t even bother trying. He’d probably pop a stitch or something. He chose to follow Kadens lead though, and popped the top off his ice cream, “Couldn’t sleep. Decided to do some midnight shopping. And apparently get stuck in a freezer with you.” He fashioned a makeshift spoon out of the lid and popped his fake teeth out. Kaden already knew what he was and ice cream made them feel weird, “You look like shit warmed over though. What the fuck happened to you?”

“Mint chocolate chip is classic, not old. There’s a difference.” He sighed and then grumbled, mostly to himself, “To be fair, I am getting close to over the hills in hunter years.” Still, he rolled his eyes when he saw Ricky’s middle finger. “Your tummy? No wonder you think I’m old when you talk like you’re five.” Kaden sneered a little as he watched Ricky remove his false teeth. It was so easy to forget sometimes that he was talking to a monster. Shit like that was always a reminder. He tried to bristle off the feeling of his skin crawling at the sight of his real teeth. Or maybe that was just the shiver of cold that ran through him while eating ice cream in a walk in freezer. Whatever, it wasn’t like he could kill him, anyway. Even without the threat of Morgan biting him, too much effort. He was sort of the only suspect at the moment. Plus, being stuck with a dead body for however long this was going to take was surprisingly going to be worse conversation. And he just wasn’t in the mood. “Me? Oh nothing. Just found out I’m an idiot and that my girlfriend’s a fae. Go on. Laugh. I’ve been called a mime fucker so many times, I’m almost used to being the town joke. Could be nice to have a different punchline.”

“Uh huh. Whatever. Enjoy your weird toothpaste dessert.” It was somewhat comforting to know that even trapped in a freezer they could still keep up their special brand of insult-based peace. “Don’t knock it til you try it. Cardamom ice cream is where it’s fucking at, my dude. It’s the best flavor.” Ricky held the pint out across the freezer to Kaden, at least some semblance of a peace offering since the chances of them being rescued before shift change was very slim. “I’m sorry. Fucking Kavanagh is a fae? And she had the gall to get snippy with me when I told her that fucking amulet was probably magical?! Fucking rude that’s what that is. Goddamn fucking rude.” He continued to eat his ice cream as he watched Kaden. That can’t have been an easy position he suddenly found himself in, which probably explained why he looked like he’d been living off Everclear and remorse, “In my defense, I did attempt to dissuade people from saying you were a mime fucker. So many other things about you are just so fucking terrible, we might as well focus on the truth and not the falsehoods. But… can’t be easy, especially given your life’s work. And put that fucking sneer in your back pocket, fae-fucker. You know I’m a goddamn Selkie. I’m not closeting myself unnecessarily in front of you. You don’t have a whole lotta room to be judgmental right now anyway. So. You gonna ice your girlfriend?”

Kaden rolled his eyes but took a chunk of the weird ass ice cream with his makeshift spoon anyway. Putain. He was right. It was pretty good. “It’s alright.” No way was he admitting to seal boy he made a potentially better choice than him. “She doesn't realize she’s fae. It’s an impressive level of denial.” That he didn’t know what the fuck to do with. His eyes were focused deeply on the ice cream in front of him, poking around it a bit with his sad lid spoon as if he could push it back and forth like food on a dinner plate when you were too distracted to bother eating. “Well thanks. Good to know I can count on you to run an ethical slander campaign. But yeah. It’s not. I thought she was--” It was strange how, of all snips back and forth, “fae-fucker” was the only one that stung. Like a needle piercing into him. Probably because this might be the nicest context he was sure to hear that used in the future. If he chose to. Stay, that was. He pushed back the lump in his throat and kept his eyes on his ice cream. “I don’t know yet.” Fuck. This wasn’t where he wanted to be. At all. Not feeling like this. He glanced up at the door, hopeful, but no change. All he could do was grip the carton a little tighter, watch some of the ice cream push up ever slightly within the cardboard container.

“Uh huh. Alright my flawlessly toned ass. It’s fucking amazing. They make a really solid sweet corn one too. Which I know sounds like the weirdest flavor of ice cream on Earth but is actually pretty fucking good.” Ricky snorted, the hot air leaving his nostrils in a blast of steam, “Impressive level of denial. Fucking stupid level of denial is what it is. So, what, she’s just gonna keep faking herself into thinking she’s human until she handles too much iron and dies?” He shook his head, pushing wild curls out of his face as he continued to eat his ice cream, “It’s so comforting to know that even when confronted by the prospect of having to murder your girlfriend in cold blood you’re still ever the staunch and steadfast Hunter. I’m shocked it gave you even a little pause. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for her obituary. Bake a pie for the wake.” He watched as Kaden attempted to take his feelings out on the poor carton of ice cream in his hands, “Mint chocolate chip is a gross flavor but it doesn’t deserve the beating you’re giving that poor carton. Is the Hunter actually wrestling with his conscience?! I’m in utter disbelief that you even have one. I thought for you people it was only the hunt and nothing else mattered.” He continued to work his way through the pint of ice cream in his lap, keeping one eye on Kaden. He didn’t entirely trust that the other man wouldn’t kill him in here.

“That sounds disgusting. You can keep it.” There was another clash outside the door and Kaden’s eyes shot up, hopeful. Nope, still closed. Still dark. “I don’t know. She thinks it’s all a medical condition. She knows it’s real but won’t admit it’s supernatural. So hopefully she can figure out the iron ‘allergy.’” He sighed again. That wasn’t going to be a fun conversation. Any of it. If he had it all, that was. He could just walk away, be done. Like he wished he could walk away right now. His brow creased and his gaze shot up at the word murder. “Wait, what? Murder? I thought you meant break up with her. I’m not fucking killing my girlfriend you brainless ball of blubber.” He looked around and found a bottlecap and chucked it at Ricky’s head. “That’s how I should be. What I’m sure my parents wanted.” He relaxed his grip on the carton and watched the ice cream settle back down into the container, a little more melted than before. Even so, a shiver went through him. Fuck, it wasn’t that cold when he was just walking in and walking out. Sitting here was another story. “Hell, I know it’s what my parents wanted. My mother’s been fucking following me as a ghost since… Anyway, she fucking made an appareance to Regan. Scared the shit out of her. Told her to stay away from me.”

“Uh huh. There’s trying to turn a blind eye to shit and then there’s being willfully ignorant in a way that’s gonna get your ass killed.” Ricky’s mind flashed briefly to Skylar and he shook the image out of his head, “She may be book smart, but your girlfriend’s a fucking idiot when it comes to self-preservation.” As Kaden had the audacity to look shocked Ricky shot him what he hoped was his most withering look, “Really. You’re really gonna play the victim card here, bitch. Of course I have to wonder if you of all fucking people are gonna kill her. And in what world does “ice her” just mean break up? That’s pretty much universally always means kill.” Ricky watched a shiver rumble through Kaden’s body and for a brief moment started to get concerned. He hadn’t even considered that being stuck in a freezer for several hours would be dangerous for Kaden. He sloughed off his sweatshirt and tossed it across the freezer, “Here. It’ll be warm at least. We run hot, so, I can stand being in here better than you can.” Kaden was definitely pretty low on the list of people Ricky wanted to be shirtless in front of, but, better a living Kaden than a dead one. “Oh of course. The speciest ghost gets to manifest meanwhile my mom is floating somewhere around town and I don’t get to see her.”

“She’s not an idiot,” he snapped. Sure, Ricky had a point. But Kaden just couldn’t sit there and shit all over her because she was having trouble grappling with everything that was happening to her. Fuck, he was having trouble with it himself and he was inundated with the supernatural from day one. He clenched his jaw at the accusation. “I don’t know, I thought you meant ice like freeze out! Not that. Putain. How the fuck would I know that? English isn’t my first fucking language, you connard.” Kaden could feel his teeth start to chatter, the cold was cutting right down to the bone. And just when he thought he’d simply have to suck it up, the selfie offered his sweatshirt. Some part of him still felt wrong accepting kindness from a monster, that they were capable of it. The same way it was strange to learn someone he cared about so deeply was something he’d labeled as a monster for so long. Still, he reached out and took the sweatshirt. As proud as he was, freezing to death due to stubbornness was too stupid even for him. “I wouldn’t be jealous. At least you know she passed on. I… might be stuck making that decision later on.” He wanted to add that probably meant Ricky’s mother trusted her son more than his mother seemed to trust him. Putain, maybe for good reason. He was talking to a fucking selkie like he was a person. “And you didn’t have to hear your dead mother stop just short of calling you disgraceful.” His voice was low, hardly a whisper. Shit, seal boy probably couldn’t hear him. Maybe for the best. “How’d she die?” he asked, a little louder than he might for most.

“She’s a little bit of an idiot.” Ricky finished his ice cream, and carefully set the empty carton in his basket so he could pay for it if they ever made it out if here, “It’s not mine either, and I still manage to know what it means. You’re thinking of ghosting. Also, I’m now realizing, a confusing turn of phrase given your profession.” It was somewhat edifying to watch the feature length film of emotions that skittered across Kaden’s face before he finally accepted the sweatshirt and pulled it on. “I did laundry yesterday. So it’s clean. I just wore it from the house to here. Congrats you’re now repping the UMWC swim team. As the conversation shifted to the most thin and fragile of ice Ricky reevaluated where they were. Where dead mothers were involved things could quickly get ugly. “She didn’t pass on.” He muttered, thinking for a moment how much he’d love to hear his mother call him disgraceful if it meant that he could hear her at all one more time. “Well if you believe the coroner’s report/the story we told the town, a very bad car accident.” He idly scratched at one tattooed shoulder, pushing his glasses up on his face before he heaved a sigh and looked Kaden in the eyes, “But the actual cause of death was the same reason so many of us die.” He didn’t feel the need to elaborate any further. They’d had enough fights for Kaden to know exactly what he meant by that. “What about yours?”

Kaden shot him one last look before letting it lie. It was one thing for him to bemoan Regan’s innability to accept the supernatural, it waas another for this kid to sit there and call her stupid. “I lived over half my life on another continent, cut me a break. I do pretty fucking well,” he grumbled as he shrugged into the sweatshirt. “Oh yeah, sure the swim team would love to take on the guy who almost drowned. Wait, is it cheating for you to be on a swim team? You know. Given,” he said and gestured to Ricky, just all of him, implying the whole seal thing. Guess it didn’t matter much, he probably wasn’t the only one on the team to be honest, not in this town. As the topic changed, his brows knit together. Why wouldn’t she be able to pass o-- It hit him. Combined with the fact that Ricky implied, she was surely killed by hunters. He understood. “I’m sorry. That… So you know. I’ve never agreed with, uh, selling of the skins. Your skins, I guess.” Taking trophies was one thing. Hunting the supernatural for profit, that really wasn’t the point of what they did. A bounty for a kill that could save lives, sure, that was just getting paid for your work. But hunting down selkies for their skins or fae for their wings… it never sat well with him. Collecting those didn’t make humanity any safer, just gave eccentric collectors something to line the walls with. The ice cream was hardly melted, or finished, but he couldn’t eat any more. And not just because of the temperature. “Coroner's report said animal attack.” He huffed a laugh. “Werewolf. What else? Both my parents were there. It, uh, it was… They were more than experienced. This wolf… uh, brutal and vicious don’t begin to cover it.”

“You get no break. I speak three and a half languages. Get on my level scrub.” Ricky knew there was a pretty hefty chance that Kaden spoke more languages than he did but he couldn’t resist any opportunity to get a tiny jab in. “Mmmmm…. Arguable. Really the only benefit I’d have in human form is increased oxygen capacity in my blood. It’s not like I’ve got webbed hands and feet or anything. Also you can say selkie. It’s not a dirty word. At least not for most people, I guess I can see how it would turn to ash in your mouth.” Kaden’s bumbling apology was something, a small scant something, “Forgive me if that isn’t incredibly comforting. The line between trophy hunter and exterminator is pretty fucking thin.” He leaned back for a moment before remembering that he didn’t have a shirt on and that the cold metal of the shelving unit behind him felt remarkably like being burned with how cold it was, “That’s one helluva villain origin story right there. I am sorry, that must have been rough.” Idly spinning his mother’s silver ring around his finger he sighed heavily, “Do…. you people…. And you’ll forgive my tone of utter disgust there, have a way you commemorate those who’ve fallen exacting your mighty purge?”

“And a half? What the fuck is a half language? But if we’re going by those rules, me too, connard.” Kaden wasn’t sure what his half language would be but there had to be at least one. Hell, Canadian French had to count as its own, right? Still, he wasn’t wrong. The word selkie, it was hard for him to say. Not in the general sense, sure, but it was too hard to reconcile in his mind the portrait of a monster with someone he was sitting across the way having a moderately decent chat with. The disparate pieces didn’t fit together in the nice ordered slots he was used to them sliding into. He thought about snipping at the extermination remark, and the villain line, ask him what the hell he meant by that, but it felt wrong. Somehow. Decided to nod and accept the small sympathies instead. Maybe he was just too cold to waste his breath arguing with a seal. “Bury the dead. If there’s anything left to bury. Move on. That’s about it,” he said with a shrug. Too many hunters died too often to waste too much time on commemorating death. It also never sat well with him, but there wasn't much he could do. “I, uh, I do have this,” he said as he pulled up the sleeves of the sweatshirt and his shit to show the roman numerals tattooed on his inner forearm, just below the joint. “I take it one of those is for…” He trailed off, nodding at Ricky and scanning his tattoos.

“I’m proficient but not fully fluent in ASL. Is what that means. Dickface.” Somehow the insulting barbs they threw back and forth between them helped this feel like a normal conversation and not something where they were veering incredibly and uncomfortably close to treating each other like actual real people; revealing incredibly private portions of their damaged pasts. “Mm. Stands to reason I guess. You don’t seem like a particularly sentimental organization.” Ricky leaned forward though, when Kaden pulled up the sleeve of the sweatshirt to reveal the numbers, numbers that looked startlingly like a date, tattooed on his forearm. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it was probably the date his parents had died. “This?” Ricky leaned back and gestured to the complicated knotting design that occupied most of the left half of his torso, “Yeah.” he paused for a long moment, looking at the glittering silver ring with the same design on it before sliding it off and tentatively passing it to Kaden, “My mom’s clan. I’m the last member of Clan Muirgen living in America now. We’re not a super common species to begin with and tend to stick pretty close to our ancestral grounds. Only reason she was here at all was UMWC offered her a pretty sweet package to finish her doctorate and a job teaching. Guess she should have stayed in Rinn Mhaoile. Though… if she’d done that she wouldn’t have met my dad and then I wouldn’t be here. So. Hard to try to untangle the strings of the past.”

Kaden rolled his eyes even though, fine, that seemed like a fair half a language. But they were agreeing on too much and being too fucking cordial not to disapprove of at least one stupid insignificant comment. It was more than a little uncomfortable how much they had in common, how much of their stories overlapped while coming from different sides of the coin. Kaden may not be the last Langley in the world, there were some distant second cousins, but he was as good as the last of his line. It was strange connecting or trying to understand someone who he only saw as a monster not that long ago. “That sucks.” It was all he could manage to say. Anything else felt like it was too fake or like he was taking over the narrative or some shit. He hated when he talked about his parents and suddenly it was about that time someone’s cat died once. Which is why he normally didn’t. He got the feeling Ricky didn’t talk a whole lot about his mother either. “I always wonder what it would be like if my parents didn’t go on that hunt. So I mean, I kind of get it. A little. No siblings either. It sucks. I’m sorry.” He shivered, even in the sweatshirt it was cold. “Of course if we never make it out of this fucking freezer, it’ll never matter.”

Ricky eyed Kaden as the other man talked; suddenly very aware of how their lives were very very similar even if they themselves were polar opposites. “It does suck. It sucked more when I was younger. When I was 10 and my mom had just been murdered and my dad decided that even if it meant leaving me behind he couldn’t stand to be in White Crest anymore. Time heals a lot. Not everything. But a lot. I still fly back to Rinn Mhaoile every year to recarve her name on the tidestone of remembrance her clan has in the bay.” He watched steam rise off his warmer-than-human body and wondered how long it would take him to freeze to death in here. A sight longer than Kaden though that wasn’t as comforting as it once would have been, “I think they wanted to have more kids. But they never got around to it. It’s fine though. I’ve got a found family I love here in town and a million and a half cousins that I FaceTime constantly to keep up to date on family gossip. You practically need one of those corkboards with pictures and strings that conspiracy idiots have to keep track of all of the drama.” The silence stretched between them, cut only by the droning whir of the fans pumping arctic air down on them, “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry as well. It’s a terrible thing to go through. And we only have to survive til shift change at 7. I know they have to come in to do a temperature check. I used to date a guy who worked at one of these when I was in high school.”

“He left? That’s--” Kaden couldn’t imagine. He’d been orphaned, sure, but it wasn’t by his parent’s choices. Well, not entirely. Sure they’d chosen to go out that night, but they wouldn’t just abandon him like that. Right? Not while he was their legacy. All of that shit. “That’s bullshit. That he did that.” He rubbed his arms with his hands, hoping to warm them. His skin might be colder than Regan’s for once. It would have been funny if the circumstances weren’t what they were. Thinking of her hit like a kick in the gut. Thinking of how cold he was just made it worse. “Family. Sounds nice. I, uh, my only family is pretty much other hunters at this point. Not related. We-- none of my relatives survived long enough for me to know them. Not sure there’s a Langely out there who’s died asleep in their bed. Not for a long fucking time at least. Centuries maybe.” He sighed and saw his breath form in the cold air in front of him. “Doubt that will end with me. Especially not if we never leave here.” 7. What time was it now? He checked his watch. Putain. They still had a while. “Well if I freeze to death, guess I won’t have to worry about any fucking decisions I have to make.”

“We all make choices in how we process our grief.” Ricky had the benefit of over a decade of hindsight, but he remembered how brightly his rage had burned, “I don’t think he could stand how much I looked like him but was truly like her. It always served to remind him of the true love he’d had taken from him.” He propped a leg up on a shelf, leaning back to listen to Kaden talk, “Is it that truly genetic then? Being a hunter? Like father like son? There was always a chance my parents could have birthed a human child; but I think genetically I was always more likely to be selkie than I was to be human. There’s something to be said for found family. My father’s side is all gay-hating arch conservatives so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on them. Winston, Blanche, Dee, Deidre…. These are better family members than I could ever have been shackled to by birth.” His laugh sent a billow of steam into the freezer air as he shook his head, “I’m not going to let you freeze to death in here, Langley. Even if I have to spoon you to keep you warm. You don’t get to use death as an excuse to get out of this decision.” As his bright smile faded into something more quiet and yet more sincere he leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, resting his chin in steepled fingers, “As little as I know my opinion means to you, I do trust you to make the right choice. You’re a dick, and a douche, and an asshole… but you’re a good man. As much insane bullshit as there is in the world; I feel I can usually trust the hearts of good men. So don’t fuck it up.”

[saltyslack-toast]

#Knock The Book 2: The Devil All the Time

WELL, I MADE IT TO THE 2nd BOOK REVIEW OF MINE, MEANS THAT I’M A PASSIONATE AND PERSISTENT BITCH, PERIODT. No actually I’m just bored and got really nothing to do, so here I am making judgmental, invalid and uncritical book review just to ease my guilt for doing nothing at home (just so my mom see me working through my laptop).

Okay The Devil All the Time is actually my first English book. The story of how I got this book as a matter of fact is quite irritating and funny at the same time. My uni friend, she saw this book in a modest book bazaar near her hometown. She was reading the title and the word ‘devil’ just remind her of me, she bought it and just gave it straight to me…... I’m sad but like thankful???

It’s a secondhand and hardcover book but I don’t really mind, considering the fact that the quality is still very nice though, except the worn spots stained all over the cover that make the book looks very old. My friend bought this only for RP 25.000, yes dude you’re not misread this shit, it was THAT CHEAP (whoever sell and own this book before me, I really appreciate it). Although if you want to buy the new one, you can get this book for USD 26.95 which converted in rupiah would be RP 407.500, yeah its cost pretty fancy for broke students like us and I don’t know if the book’s supposed to be available in your local bookstore but I think you can find it in worldwide shipping online store like amazon or any other shop perhaps. The book’s cover illustrate a dying white mutt hanging on the ‘log’ and bunch of cross everywhere, the cover is actually make sense when you read the book. It published in 2011 by doubleday in United States of America. The Author is Donald Ray Pollock, and you can find the sum information about his background written on the cover, but based form the book’s cover you can also check his website in donaldraypollock.com but when I checked, I’m not sure if it’s really his website since it just like pest control website (LMAOO I HAD NO IDEA FR). Anyway,

Let’s go breaking down the book!

“… Too much religion could be as bad as too little, maybe even worse, but moderation was just not in her husband’s nature”

The whole story in this book, basically give you portraits regarding the life of lunatics in the time after WWII. Nope, there is no sums up about the events happened in that moment so chill y’all non-historical enthusiast bitches. This book gonna give you a bizarre experience reading it, the first 10 pages of this book was already psychedelic, I assure that shit. Have you watched Games of Thrones series on HBO? It’s chilling right how Ned Stark, the protagonist of the main series died in the first season???? EXACTLY that was the vibes u got after reading the first chapter and get crazier every time u read forward. By the way, this book embodied 7 chapters and 55 sub-chapters, the chapter in odd and even numbers has 2 different main focuses on each characteristic exist, here I sum it up for you:

On the odd numbers chapters (1, 3, and so on), the central story of these chapters is circling among the family of Willard Russel, his Mom Emma and Uncle Earskell and also those 2 insane peeps Roy Laferty and Theodore. Willard Russel used to be a navy army and a bit skeptical dealing with religion issues just like his uncle, but his mom has always been a devoted worshiper. Willard married to the beautiful and kind-hearted women named Charlotte and they was given a son named Arvin Eugene Russel, everything was normal until Charlotte got sick and Willard gone crazy praying to god for his wife’s recovery and poor little Arvin has to suffer the predicament by his own self. Their stories always give me religious-fanaticism-gloomy vibes (is that even make sense??). Don’t even get me started with the life stories of the two brutes-ass man, Roy Laferty and Theodore they were used to be ‘preacher’ in Emma and young Willard’s Church. Nothing I could say further because it’s gonna be a major spoiler for you, but their stories really giving you insights of how frustration and fanaticism allow people to do something beyond their common sense.

“You remember what I told you the other day?” He asked Arvin

“About the boys on the bus?,”

“Well, that’s what I meant, you just got to pick the right time”

On the even numbers chapters (2, 4, and so on), the main tales is pertaining on the journey of Handerson couple, Carl and Sandy. They were like the Bonnie and Clyde but sad and exploitative version in this book. Carl is a ‘photographer’ and sandy working as a waitress in a café called Wooden Spoon (Which the place where Charlotte used to work as a waitress and the place she met Willard for the first time as well). During summertime they got this ‘ritual’ ((but not in a religious way)) where they drive to different states and give a ride to the hitchhikers found on the way, then Carl forcefully offer them to fuck Sandy for free (HIS OWN WIFE) while he took pictures of them fucking and after that Carl kill them and take all the money those hitchhikers got in their pocket (dude I can’t even judge anything). But to be honest, I’m not a fan of these two characters because they were all so ANNOYING to death. And then there is Bodecker Lee who’s a police and also Sandy’s brother, ok that’s it, I’m not gonna give you any spoilers.

“… He went down the street and sat on a bench in a park the rest of the day thinking about killing himself instead. Something broke in him that day. For the first time he could see that his whole life added up to absolutely nothing…”

You might be confused since there are quite a lot of keen characters in this book but there’s a point where all these bitches are relating to each other, so chill y’all impatient gripe-ass. Overall, the flow of the story is undoubtedly interesting for you to keep going throughout the whole story, because every phase gonna make you wondering about next things happened to them. But, the transitions among every chapters is quite uncomfortable for me, because sometimes when the story has reached its climax there is no resolutions coming to solve the problem immediately, and you’re faced to read the new chapter with a whole different setting and characters so it’s kind of ruining the vibes and emotions the book has made me, but again this just my personal preference so please don’t judge (while everything I did right now is judging inaccurately).

“He realized that he would never preach again, but that was all right. He’d never been much good at it anyway. Most people just wanted to hear the cripple play”

However, what I like the most from this book is the deepening of every character exists is so fascinating, even for just the side or supporting character (for god sake I’m sorry idk what to called a character that isn’t the main one), for example a bus driver in Meade, Ohio which Willard talked to when he was on the way home after the war ended, the narration wrapped and portraits the driver’s life perfectly without make us bored, and there’s still a bunch of interesting narration about the life of the side characters in this book that also as odds and intriguing as the main character’s background (jesus, everything happened and everyone in this book is just so strange and peculiar I swear to god). The story finished in a most tragic-beautiful but still gloomy way, even though it’s quite predictable but still a very good closing for me personally. To be noted, on the way to the end of the story, there will be emerge another asshole priest character named Preston Teagardin, ready to shake you up until you finish the book. But still, let’s said this particular ‘last minute character’ has proving that the author is paying so much attention of how the story ended isn’t leaving any 'rush-made' impression (this shit might confused you I’m sorry my English hasn’t got any better *sorry hand sign* *sorry hand sign* *sorry hand sign*). # hashtag attention to the detail bro.

Holy crap, that’s the first time I’m almost able to cut all the bullshit I intend to bring it up here.

This book is one of my top 5 books that you have to read once in a life time (although I haven’t discover the other four, omg im sorry y’all). Little information for you that the first time I read this book (yeah I read it for quite few times) is when the campaign of presidential election era, which in Indonesia the religious are pretty sentimental issues, some of the people in my country suddenly became those annoying fanatical preachers, man I can’t stand it. And this book is just precisely relating to that condition and I get to know at least a glance of what the heck odds things happened in their minds, since you know fanaticism and stupidity doesn’t hit only on particular group of religions, race, gender or anything, we can all be stupid and brainless (especially me because I basically have no brain). There probably quite many scenes that is pretty disturbing to read (I don’t know if people could be triggered by it???? But I guess so) so yeah a bit warning. Overall, I genuinely recommend this book for you guys because every element in this book is almost perfect, the storylines, bold characters, and the RARE AND STRANGE AND SENSITIVE topic promote by the author in this novel is totally a BOOM. Don’t worry reading this book not going to give you those agnostic and atheist vibes HAHA chill I still consider myself a devoted Muslim tho (hashtag masyaallah ukthi).

By the way before I wrapped it up, I hear that this book will be made into a netflix film. WELL, of course I’m excited because the casts are so amazing, and I love Netflix adaptation and I enjoy watch movies as much as I read books (again, unnecessary information of mine *sorry hand sign*). I found that the release date is postponed from the origin plan in 15th May (which is three days ago from I posted this on my page) due to I don’t know perhaps corona because that bitch has ruined everyone in the world’s schedule, but for real I can’t find the exact information regarding to the updated release date, so while you wait the film to launch, why don’t you just go read the book first? I assure you this one not gonna give you any disappointment.

I think that would be it for this 2nd rubbish book review of mine. Although, I think I made a little progressive from the first one (OR MAYBE NOT???? I’M SORRY Y’ALL) but of course there’s still much deficiency I served. Still, I hope my writing get better in the process of making this whole novel of reviewing book inaccurately. To be honest, I wrote this shit not for getting any engagements or audience but for my own satisfied HAHA. So yeah I’m literally comfortable writing for nothing. But bitch guess what I’m just gonna keep going, until I could professionally writing and make it for a living? Well, amen for that.

Xiao, See you in Advance!

[bakuthedeku]

BakuDeku Month Of Wonder

Day 30: My Hero Has Always Been: 

You.

@month-of-wonder

Splash.

Katsuki falls from the log into the water, sitting back up immediately and waving off his followers’ concern. It was a little scary, but he’s okay. Under the harsh sun, the water is nice and cool on his skin, though it makes his clothes stick to him in a real yucky way.

Then, Deku is there, standing in the water before him and offering a hand. “Are you okay?” he asks.

Katsuki is suddenly a lot less fine.

Deku, the useless, bad at everything nerd, the quirkless wonder is asking if he’s okay? Katsuki is amazing, and he’s clearly fine. The quirkless loser is looking down on him, isn’t he.

Glaring hotly at the shorter boy, he smacks the hand aside and stands. Pushes Deku over into the water, and climbs out by himself.

Katsuki doesn’t need anyone’s help- least of all Deku’s.

/-/

The sound of flesh colliding with flesh sounds through the air like a gunshot to little Izuku’s ears.

His muscles tense in fear, heart racing with the overwhelming uselessness and terror that drench him.

Seconds later, Kacchan wipes drops of blood - blood! - away from his mouth and scowls at his assailant, shoulders pushed back and confident.

Kacchan is in a fight with kids three whole years older than them, and he isn’t even scared! Kacchan is awesome, but- it looks like he needs help now. Izuku’s heart clenches with worry, concern, and many other feelings his young mind can’t yet put name to.

Before he can move between Kacchan and the older bullies, though, an explosion sounds. Smoke fills the air, hiding the older kids from sight as Kacchan stands proudly at it, a confident smirk on his face.

“Guess ya can’t handle the heat, you stupid weak cowards?” Kacchan has the courage to provoke the mean, older kids, yet they don’t retaliate. The smoke clears, the tallest one (the ‘leader’, kinda like Kacchan but way way less cool) is almost in tears, and the group quickly runs off, yelling very vulgar stuff to Kacchan about him just being ‘a little bitch of a girl’.

Kacchan does a thumbs down, hands smoking, but he doesn’t chase after the ‘cowards’. “Fuck you, say that again ‘n I’ll teach ya a real lesson!”

Kacchan said a bad word, Izuku thinks to himself.

Then, That was so amazing!

Their friends (actually, Kacchan’s friends, since the other kids say they can’t be friends with a deku) come out from where they’d been hiding, somewhere way behind Izuku. Izuku was the only one who stayed with Kacchan, when the other kids first started being mean. Still, Kacchan’s friends heap on the praises, calling Kacchan super cool and strong for scaring off the bullies and complimenting his quirk.

Kacchan puffs up his chest and grins, wiping drops of tears from his eyes.

“Yeah, I’m the best! I’m gonna be a hero one day, and then people will never be mean to me again, ‘cause I’m never gonna lose!”

Izuku, young as he is, knows with certainty that what Kacchan is saying is true.

After all, Kacchan is already a hero to him.

/-/

I’m going to die, Katsuki thinks.

I’m going to die!

Katsuki doesn’t want to die.

Not like this.

Not because he’s so weak.

Not before he can become the top hero like he’s meant to be.

Not with Deku looking at him with those damn eyes.

For a split second, Katsuki thinks he’s already dead- in hell for his sins. Or maybe he’s hallucinating, his brain finally broken form the lack of oxygen and the strain of quirk exhaustion.

Katsuki’s ears, just like almost every other orifice on his body, are clogged by rank sludge. He can hear nothing, he can feel sickly constriction, burning lungs, all consuming desperation and fear because he needs help and the heroes are just standing there.

But not Deku. Deku isn’t a hallucination as he’d thought (feared) (hoped), but is real, and sprinting with all his might towards Katsuki and the villain and the cage fire enclosing them.

Deku’s lips, he distantly realises, move as if he’s talking.

The familiar movement needs no noise for Katsuki to decipher.

“Kacchan.”

And then the villain jolts, and Katsuki can breathe, but suddenly the only thing he cares about is finding out why the fuck Deku is here, why the fuck he’s saving him, why the fuck he’s putting himself in danger so needlessly?

He gets some of those questioned answered once it’s over. He’s dissatisfied to say the least by what he hears. He leaves Deku, frustrated, mortified, ashamed.

Deku played hero, almost got himself killed, showed the world his true goodness, and got chewed out for it while Katsuki got praised by heroes for being so weak.

Today, Deku saved Katsuki.

Katsuki half walks, half limps back home, heart in throat and chest in flames.

/-/

Kacchan has always been in front of him, always so bright and amazing. Kacchan saves him, pushes him to go beyond his limits, feeds the fire of Izuku’s determination in a way unlike anyone else.

Kacchan, despite the bad he’s done, despite the apologies unsaid and the wounds unhealed, is good.

So utterly, unquestionably good.

Izuku’s arms throb with his nearly but not quite healed injuries as he holds Kirishima’s arm firmly. He has devised the most sound plan for retrieval, they’re ready to shoot to the sky and offer Katsuki a hand. All Izuku can do is assure the highest possible chance of success and try.

Failure doesn’t matter to him.

Izuku sure as hell isn’t giving up on his Kacchan.

He’s getting him back.

Izuku can not breath until he does.

/-/

He’s still looking down on me!

He’s trying to help me, (useless weak better than him) after everything.

How fucking dare he!

Why am I so weak!

Katsuki’s heart erupts. “Why did I become the reason for All Might’s end?”

Finally, Deku attacks him like he sees him, knocks him damn near on his ass and makes his face throb with a wicked fast kick.

About time.

Deku takes his feelings and returns them with his own, and Katsuki is raw and open and vulnerable.

For once, he believes maybe that’s okay.

/-/

Katsuki wakes up groggy, high off his meds, and with his chest feeling weird and tightly constricted. He feels like he’s floating, despite the pain he ought to be in right now.

Deku is by the bedside, one hand typing on his phone and the other clasping one of Katsuki’s.

As the nerd notices Katsuki’s state of (semi) consciousness, he turns his attention to Katsuki and smiles, warm and loving.

“Hey Kacchan.”

“Hey..nerd. I feel kinda shit,” Katsuki says.

“Mm. Nothing unexpected there,” Deku agrees softly.

Moments of silence, as Katsuki drowns in jade eyes, unable to resist their pull.

Deku squeezes his hand. “Congratulations.”

Katsuki tears up, fights against the drugs in his system to push back his urge to collapse into a tear soaked puddle right here and now.

He’d been anxious as all hell in the days leading up to this, busying himself with overtime and paperwork and cuddling with Deku when they were both free at home. And now, the wait is done, and he’s.

He!

He finally got top surgery.

And really, it didn’t sink in as reality ‘till now, with his chest wrapped tight and medication heavy on his eyes and fuzzy in his brain.

Holy fuck.

It’s actually pretty wonderful.

Deku carefully places his phone down and leans forward, brushing kisses along Katsuki’s knuckles and down to the first knuckle of his fingers.

“You can cry if you want to, Kacchan.”

Fuckity fuck fuck, crying isn’t weak, Katsuki knows that in his heart. But Katsuki doesn’t cry!

Come on tear ducts, just listen to him, damn it. This isn’t the time to betray him!

Unable to trust himself to not break into tears if he speaks, he just shakes his head no.

“Okay, I won’t force you. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I forced you to cry right after you woke up after top surgery?”

Exactly the same kind of perfect, shit eating boyfriend you’re being right now, you big fuckin’ bully, Katsuki thinks.

What he says is, “I love you.”

And what he does is burst into tears and pull Deku half onto the bed so he can just hug the man already.

/-/

All Might is dead, and the world is devastated.

Izuku is devastated, too.

The old Class 3A come together to support each other, all heartbroken.

The death was expected, but no less terrible in its realisation.

Kacchan forces Izuku to eat when Izuku doesn’t feel like it, and Izuku gives Kacchan massages when he’s especially sore and tense.

He holds Kacchan tight at night as they cry.

They mourn together, holding one another up to allow themselves to stand.

/-/

Their fame and success is not unexpected, but still jarring.

For one, their faces, their hero personas, their costumes; they’re everywhere. Children walk to school decked out in their merchandise, their faces appear on advertisement for charity campaigns and events for just causes, their hero names flash daily on the news with reports of their latest work, their hero team ups, their newest interviews.

It’s hectic, and overwhelming.

What really gets to Izuku is when he and Kacchan visit a school.

The class is composed of young children just beyond the age of quirk manifestation, bright eyed and dressed colourfully and so, so excited to see their heroes in the flesh.

They talk to the kids, and the kids ask them questions.

One takes them by surprise.

“Who’s your favourite hero?”

Deku answers first. “All Might!”

It’s still hard sometimes, but over time they’ve learnt to cope with the loss of their father figure.

Katsuki takes his chance to answer,completely sincere. “I have two,” he holds up two fingers, “All Might and..” Katsuki draws it out, amused by the puzzled, but attentive look of Deku’s face. “Deku.”

The class cheers and agrees with his choice, a few kids saying that Kacchan is their favourite, too!

Deku, meanwhile, blushes so hard Katsuki fears he may spontaneously combust.

Deku kisses him, gross and emotional and sappy, the second they leave the classroom.

/-/

“Kacchan, switch out!”

“On it!”

Izuku backs off and allows for Kacchan to swoop in, a blaze of determination and courage burning at his heels.

He takes on the villain front on and engages them wholly, trading blows and assaulting them with finely tuned storm of explosions.

Izuku goes around the back, and the villain’s enhanced reaction time proves too slow for the hero Deku as he soundly lands the finishing blow, knocking them unconscious.

A high five is shared between the duo, and Kacchan grins.

“Thanks Deku. You’re my hero,” he teases.

Izuku pokes his tongue out at Kacchan, even as he gets to work restraining the villain and inhibiting the quirk.

“Why thank you Kacchan,” Izuku throws the villain over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. “Can’t wait to get all the credit for this takedown.”

“Oi-!”

/-/

“..you’re my heart, Izuku. You’re going to make such waves in the world, and I can’t fucking wait to be there with you through it all.”

Shit, no crying.

(They’re both near tears, right now. Half the room is. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.)

“Katsuki. We’ve been together our entire lives, and I wouldn’t change a second of it. I would relive it all in a heartbeat- the good times and the bad alike- so long as it meant I could get right back here, by your side. I’ve been so lucky to have had the pleasure of being here with you for so long, through innumerable ups and downs, to see you become the amazing man you are today. I couldn’t be more proud of you. We have laughed together and cried together, and I plan to keep laughing and crying excessively with you for the rest of my life.”

A pause, to blink away his tears. It’s a miracle he isn’t sobbing already.

“We stand here together, both heroes, but for me.. My hero has always been you. I love you with all of my heart, Bakugou Katsuki.” A shaky laugh, of sunrises, spring winds and chiming bells. “I’ve never been more ready to kiss you.”

So at the celebrant’s prompt, they come together.

Before their loved ones, with hearts lit by euphoria, Katsuki and Izuku kiss.

Not their first, nor their last, yet monumental all the same.

“I love you, Kacchan.”

“I love you too, Deku.”

[panticwritten]

Writing request! Carl and Sawyer (some version of you, I’m not sure where Carl usually fits in) have stumbled into the same dungeons and dragons forum and become closer through battling together (not 100% sure of Carl’s personality, be him not the type for this or totally the type). This can be a silly throw away or warmup up one since it is me.

Okay, so Cherry sent me this like forever ago. I wrote it, they read it because they live with me, but I forgot to actually post it! The name change to Kane is going smoothly, and I’m ready to never think about that asshole as Karl again lmaooooo

So, yeah, Kane and I play some DnD and he’s not subtle about anything ever at all. 

I’ll have to wait until after I post this to change the colors of the different people in the text chats because lord knows I look at those strings of chat-text and have a time sifting through it. Homestuck has spoiled me.

Word count: 2270

@asinwolves @avi-burton-writing @infinitelyblankpage @no-url-ideas-tho @jade-island-lives @ravenpuffwriter @spirit-wizard-nerd @steakfryday @alextriestowritestuff @cataclystr0phe  @perringwrites @davidvalencia323 @fluffpiggy @dont-trust-the-clogs @authorkimberlygrey @aclassilighthouse @cherrytying

I don’t think Kane knows I know.

If the smattering of ‘kid’ in our correspondences hadn’t tipped me off, it would definitely have been the way he made his character. I doubt anyone else would get the joke or see what he’s doing, but seriously? His character isn’t anything like him, of course.

If he were to be himself, he’d be a tiefling fighter. Either scout (ha) or cavalier archetype. He’d be a faction agent. Making a call between the chaotic alignments might be a shaky one sometimes. His attributes terribly skewed toward charisma and dexterity.

But he’s chosen a true neutral urchin. A mastermind rogue. An eladrin. The attributes are fairly balanced, save for dexterity always hovering above the others and strength a little lacking. Nothing like Kane. Not at all.

No, that’s the point.

He made a character that is exactly what I end up presenting myself as in the damn Cube. How I always play in console RPGs. Behavior just not erratic enough to be chaotic. Snarky and angry, never overtly because of the need to cover every goddamn emotion up. Inconsistent.

I’m not sure when I realized it was him. I thought it might be a member of the Collective when I first got the invitation from an unknown player. With Haz, j355, Hal, and Jax as mods of the server and tag-teaming as DMs, I slowly caught on to Kane’s game.

He’s making fun of me. He must have been playing with this character for some time, with their high level, and I wonder how long he’s been planning this.

It took me a little bit to even realize most of the similarities between myself and the character. My own character, a homebrew ice genesai, a brawler, bonded fairly quickly with them because they’re both urchins and saved each others’ asses when their time in the city overlapped.

He uses my lines, though. The whole ‘I’ll be fine’ shtick and his character has mentioned being a poet several times. After that, it took a few more days of play to start realizing it was him. That it was Kane playing such a long game.

The first time it occured to me, it was a bad call on what the endolin would do. We were looking for the deed to a seemingly abandoned manor. We hadn’t run into anything but low-level scavenging animals. In short, any good player would be a little on-edge and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Halexander (MOD): Alright. The second you both clear the door, it slams shut behind you.Match (SeeSaw): Crap.Videre (ANON): whats in the room?Halexander (MOD): It’s a pretty nondescript room. Pretty small, almost looks like a study with three desks lining one wall and a bookshelf on another. There’s a couch shoved into a corner, looks like it was slept in recently.Match (SeeSaw): Can we roll investigation real quick?Halexander (MOD): Go for it, dude.Match (SeeSaw): 5Halexander (MOD): You notice that, unlike the rest of the place, there’s no dust. The whole room is swept clean of it. That’s it. The epitome of observation.Match (SeeSaw): Okay. Videre?Videre (ANON): nah im goodHalexander (MOD): You sure? Just gonna barge in there?Videre (ANON): the doors locked right what else can we do?Match (SeeSaw): Whatever. I’ll get a closer look at the couch.Videre (ANON): imma look at the closest desk while the kid does thatMatch (SeeSaw): Fuck youHalexander (MOD): I’ll put some form of that exchange as being in character.Match (SeeSaw): GoodMatch (SeeSaw): Now, the couchHalexander (MOD): To clarify, you’re both investigating different areas of the room?Match (SeeSaw): YesVidere (ANON): yeahHalexander (MOD): Excellent.

I was so used to the DMs at least pretending to need time to formulate responses that Hal’s immediate block of text took me by surprise.

Halexander (MOD): The two of you cross the room in different directions, as if by silent agreement. Match is slower, being more hesitant, so Videre gets to the desks first. Before you can do more than peer at the desk, however, there is a cry behind you. The bedding on the couch lashed out and has taken Match captive. Match, a blanket has one wrist and a facemask has bound itself over your eyes due to your proximity when the animation first occurred. Roll Initiative.Match (SeeSaw): Whaaaaat. Not cool. Okay, 16.Halexander (MOD): Enchanted Bedding got 12.Halexander (MOD): Videre?Videre (ANON): am i far enough away that i can stay out of order and keep looking through the drawers?

Uh.

Match (SeeSaw): What the fuck. I’m being attacked here, your rapier would take care of this in like two seconds.Videre (ANON): you dont know that. i have a feeling the deeds in here just give me a minuteHalexander (MOD): You can stay out of the fight if you want, but you still need to roll so we can keep this orderly.Videre (ANON): fineVidere (ANON): 8Halexander (MOD): Thanks for cooperating.Match (SeeSaw): Okay, first off, Match is never going to trust you again.Videre (ANON): he doesnt even know im helping yet. he cant see rememberMatch (SeeSaw): WHATEVERMatch (SeeSaw): Is the blanket pulling on me or just holding me there?Halexander (MOD): It’s tugging something fierce. The rest of the pile of blankets and pillows are writhing as if alive.Match (SeeSaw): I guess I’ll attack the blanket with that dinky little knife.Match (SeeSaw): “you should empty your bag in case you find good loot” THANKS VIDERE NOW I DONT HAVE MY GOOD WEAPONSVidere (ANON): hey you should know better than to listen to me by now kidMatch (SeeSaw): When we finish this, I will find you and kill you.Halexander (MOD): Also canon, in-character dialogue.Match (SeeSaw): YEET, crit. 5 damageMatch (SeeSaw): Don’t think you’re off the hook here, HalHalexander (MOD): I resent that.Halexander (MOD): And that’s including your proficiency?Match (SeeSaw): 6 damage.Halexander (MOD): That’s what I thought.Halexander (MOD): You slash blindly at the blanket. You manage to cut the corner holding you clean off. You’re still blinded, but you’re free to move.Match (SeeSaw): OKAY YEAH I BACK THE FUCK UP AND ASK VIDERE WHAT THE FUCK THEYRE DOINGHalexander (MOD): You stumble back into the door.Match (SeeSaw): Hold up just a fucking second

I scrolled up to reread the chat.

Match (SeeSaw): Can I try opening the door?Halexander (MOD): Unfortunately, you’ve exhausted your turn. The mass of blankets shoots out another piece but cannot quite reach you in its haste. Obviously, you don’t actually see this because: The blindfold begins to tighten around your eyes. That’s it for that, what’s next on the agenda?Videre (ANON): how many of these drawers could i search in one turn?Halexander (MOD): Two.Videre (ANON): how many drawers in each desk?Halexander (MOD):Three.Videre (ANON): ill search two drawers in the first deskHalexander (MOD): Alrighty then. The first drawer is full of vials and tubes. Most of them stand empty, but there is a vial each of blue, red, and orange liquid. The second contains a weathered journal.Videre (ANON): ill snag those three vials and pocket the journalHalexander (MOD):Of course you will.Match (SeeSaw): Can I open the door now.Halexander (MOD): Since Sherlock Holmes over here can’t do much else, I’ll bite. The door, amazingly, shockingly, opens once you manage to find it with the blindfold currently limiting your sight and putting increasing pressure on your skull.Match (SeeSaw): Okay, we’re dumb.Match (SeeSaw): Videre, the door’s open, let’s get the hell out of here!Videre (ANON): im not doneMatch (SeeSaw): Are you serious right now.Halexander (MOD): Better make the rest of your turn good.Match (SeeSaw): K. I cut the string on the blindfold and join that IDIOT at the desksHalexander (MOD): I’m honestly just gonna take that as a free action.Match (SeeSaw): Sweet. Can I search a drawer?Halexander (MOD): You definitely can.Match (SeeSaw): I’ll start on the middle desk, I guess.Match (SeeSaw): I’ll deal with YOU later, VidereVidere (ANON): looking forward to itHalexander (MOD): The drawer holds a dusty lab coat. That’s it.Match (SeeSaw):Why the fuck not, I’ll take it.Halexander (MOD): You done?Halexander (MOD): Just kidding, I know you are. The blanket wraps around your ankle to pull your feet out from under you. Roll for acrobatics to see if you eat shit.Match (SeeSaw): Jesus fuck.Match (SeeSaw): 10Halexander (MOD): You slam your face into the desk on the way down. Take 1d4 damage for that, and your nose is bleeding.Match (SeeSaw): Why are you doing this to me.Halexander (MOD): You chose to let me design this campaign. What did you think would happen?Match (SeeSaw):2Halexander (MOD): While you’re down, another blanket catches you by the wrist. Again. Go, Videre.Videre (ANON): two more drawersHalexander (MOD): The first is full of pieces of metal. Mostly junk, nuts and bolts. The second is empty, so I’ll knock the action down and let you open another one.Match (SeeSaw): IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR HANDS AFTER THIS YOU WILL HELP ME RIGHT NOWVidere (ANON): yeah ill open another drawer. that leaves three left right

They searched every single drawer before helping me, by which time I was almost dead and being smothered by a pillow. They found the deed and I chewed them out on the way back to town. They said they knew I would be fine, they needed to find the deed, and there was no harm done.

Having already seen the parallels this anonymous player was making between their character and myself, I bristled at my computer.

Match (SeeSaw): Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You won’t stay anonymous forever.Videre (ANON): oh im so scaredVidere (ANON): are you gonna come kick the shit out of me over a dumb game? give it up and find something else to obsess over if youre gonna be like that kidVidere (ANON): im just staying in character

And I had a good idea who was on the other side of the computer after that. Especially after I found out he’d done a covert investigation check with Hal instead of sharing with me. He knew there was an enemy in the room before we even entered. Was likely planning on using me as a distraction from the beginning.

The next time he surprised me, we were working for the owner of an orphanage to find ways to exploit parents interested in adoption. Match goes along with it because why not. Also because fuck adults.

But Videre surprised both me and Jax.

Jaxabandit (MOD): u want to what?Videre (ANON): buy the orphanageMatch (SeeSaw): We won’t get paid if you do that.Videre (ANON): im gonna assume that was in character and not in this whole ‘ooc’ space or whateverMatch (SeeSaw): Duh. The guy’s slimy and gross. But just because you have money doesn’t mean Match does. He needs the paycheck.Videre (ANON): think of it this wayVidere (ANON): if dicks like this werent in power match wouldnt have grown up on the streetsMatch (SeeSaw): That’s not how he thinks about shit and you know it.Videre (ANON): and hes not the one holding a huge sack of gold right now

I didn’t know what to think. By this point, I knew it was Kane. The fact that I asked Haz helps, but I know the way he talks to me. He’s the only one that would do this and keep up with it for so long.

So now, I’m not exactly sure what to do.

Match just died, like D-E-D, dead, and Videre is flipping the fuck out. The two of them had become fairly close friends. They were snarky and prickly toward each other, but they were partners in crime and would likely kill for each other.

Videre gets really scary in the final stretch of that fight.

I didn’t realize Kane thought so highly of my intimidation skills. I didn’t think he thought highly of me at all, not outside of work. I was just a tool and a weapon and something to either give orders to or take orders from.

But Videre is a force of nature toward the end. Being a mastermind rogue, they confuse the ice devil as well as fighting it. They show a lot of skill they didn’t before, turning a few unlucky rolls into happy mistakes. Even they seem surprised when they win.

Videre (ANON): wellVidere (ANON): i guess i know what its like to be you nowThe Old Hazzle Dazzle (MOD): Are you done now, Kane?Videre (ANON): wow cats out of the bagMatch (SeeSaw): You’re awful at hiding who you are, though.Match (SeeSaw): Also, you’re an assholeThe Old Hazzle Dazzle (MOD): Did you want to make a new character and keep going? Or call it quits for now?Match (SeeSaw): I think I’m done. I gotta go challenge Kane to a fist fight.Videre (ANON):gotta find me first

- Videre (ANON): has left the chat -

He’ll have to try a hell of a lot harder than that to get out of actually hanging out with me like a person.

[ravenssunshine]

Titles are for losers enjoy my writing

1.6k words!

“I’m going to marry you one day.”

In which Mike constantly promises Will that they will get married. + The one time he finally proposes

(Byler ages 5-21)

1.

It was the first day of kindergarten, the first day Will and Mike met. they hit it off immediately. They did everything together. A very emotional Mike would through tantrums when the two weren't allowed to work together and Will wasn't much better.

A few weeks into school, they talked about marriage and love. a girl in their class had asked what marriage meant and the teacher was able to explain it in a way that five year olds could understand. After she finished, Mike turned to Will and said, "I'm going to marry you." being five, the promise really meant nothing, but Joyce laughed and hugged her son when he told her what Mike and said, "if you do marry him, Jonathan and me will be really happy, ok?" Will had nodded and went to go play with their dog.

2.

It was right after Will came back from the Upside Down. The pair were 11, and Mike was ecstatic to see his best friend again. Mike shooed everyone out of the hospital and they left wit hout complaining. He bent down to Will and kissed his forehead. "I'm so glad you're back. There was this girl- I kissed her. and I guess I love her? But you will always hold such a special place in my heart, Will. In kindergarten I promised that I would marry you and I promise you I still will, ok?"

Will had nodded and Mike climbed into the hospital bed with him, refusing to leave. that was the first time they shared a bed and the second time Mike promised Will they would get married.

3.

They were 13. after that difficult week in November, El became a permanent part of their lives. She and Max settled their differences and became close friends, not as close as Will and Mike, but closer than Max and any of the other members of the party. All of them were at a sleepover together at Will's house. There was a movie playing on tv, but no one was really interested. El and Max were gossiping, finding a bit of pleasure in that. Dustin and Lucas argued about their DnD campaign, probably finding a sly way to cheat the system. Mike and Will were curled up on the couch, Will's head in Mike’s lap. Mike played with his hair absentmindedly, thinking about his shitty grades. He couldn’t talk about them, as his brain deemed them stupid concerns. When he stopped playing with Will’s hair, Will turned to look up at Mike, immediately noticing the worried expression on his face. “What’s wrong?” He asked in a low voice.

“Nothing, beautiful," Mike whispered back.

"I thought boys weren't supposed to be beautiful!" Will let out a chuckle.

They were thirteen. Relationships started to become real thing. Not between the two queer kids living in Hawkins, Indiana, but they could dream about it.

4.

They were 17 and graduating in a week. both boys had stayed single throughout middle school and highschool. They only had eyes for each other. and Mike was about to tell Will how much the smaller boy meant to him. "El!" he shrieked. "Help me figure out how to ask Will out!"

El just shook her head. she walked over from the window seat in her cabin. even though she and the chief of police lived with Will, Jonathan, and Joyce, this was still her favorite place to hang out.

She placed her small hands on Mike’s shoulders, standing on her tip-toes a bit. “You can do it. Just tell him you love him. There’s only a week before graduation, and he's going to New York for three days with Joyce. You have to go now," she told him. Mike didn't even question why El and Hopper weren't going.

"Y-you’re right. Yeah. I’m going to go do that,” he stuttered. He placed a half second kiss on El’s cheek, something he always did. It was just a friendship thing.

He walked to Will’s house. Letting himself in, he said a quick hello to Joyce and the chief of police. He walked straight back to Will’s room, knocking on the door. “Can I come in?” Mike asked. There was a shuffling of feet and the door was unlocked and opened. Will pulled Mike into a hug, which lasted at least a minute. Will’s head comfortably rested on Mike’s shoulder, as Mike was 6’3 and Will was 5’9. Mike took a deep breath and kissed Will. And- oh god, it was so much better than he ever imagined. Will tensed up for a few seconds, before relaxing into the kiss. It lasted to a little over a minute, then they broke away for air. They kissed again, and this time Mike mumbled, “I’m gonna marry you some day. I still promise.” Will nodded.

“You wanna sleep over?” He asked. Mike nodded in reply.

5.

Age 19, second year of college. The two were in college in New York, Will majoring in art history and Mike majoring in engineering. Though they didn’t see each other often during the week, (Mike lived off campus and Will lived with a roommate on campus) their relationship was still going strong. They hung out every weekend, studying, kissing, going on dates. They went home together to Hawkins for Christmas and Easter, and everything was practically perfect.

The Christmas of their second year of college, they were home again, staying with Joyce, El (who stayed in Indiana for college,) and Jim. (Jonathan was not coming home that Christmas.)

On Christmas Day, Mike tossed a small box at Will. It was very messily wrapped, as he had never really learned how to wrap presents and refused everyone’s help. Will laughed at his boyfriend’s pathetic attempt at wrapping the present and kissed his cheek.

“Why are you kissing me now? You haven’t even seen the present,” Mike said cheerfully, winking at Will. Will rolled his eyes and removed the wrapping paper to reveal a small box. He opened the box which revealed a small gold ring. “Michael Wheeler, what are you playing at?” He asked, nervous.

“It’s a promise ring. Remember that promise I keep making you? Well I’m going to fulfill that promise as soon as we’re out of college and can support ourselves. I love you, William Byers,” Mike said, a small tear dripping from his eye. He was so happy to be doing this, and even happier that El, Jim, and Joyce were able to see it. Will leaned foreword to kiss Mike on the lips, whispering, “my gift is literal shit in comparison.” His gift was a beautiful painting of the two together and Mike loved it so much that he burst into tears. Needless to say, it was the best Christmas that Mike and the Byers-Hopper family had ever had.

+1

They were 22, a year out of college. Will had successfully started up his art career and Mike was applying for jobs. They had a steady income and lived comfortably in Boston. Mike had convinced Will to drive down to Indiana a week before Christmas. Everyone would be arriving by the 23rd, Dustin, Lucas, El, Max, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and of course Will and Mike. Joyce and Jim were hosting Christmas at their house, making this the perfect time for Mike to finally start fulfilling his promise.

They arrived on the 18th, just around 6:00am. They barely had time to walk inside Will’s house before falling asleep on the couch together. The next few days they hung out with everyone who was slowly arriving, and on the 24th, Mike decided he and Will should go tour Hawkins again. Alone.

"Wow, Hawkins middle is so small! I can't believe we used to think this place was huge," Mike commented when they reached the middle school.

Will turned and pointed to a building in the distance. The lights were off, as if has closed a while ago. "there's the lab. I never want to be back there again," he said softly.

"And you won't, baby. I swear it on my life." Mike kissed Will. it was short and sweet, stopping Will from feeling the effect of the cold winter air for a few minutes. They held hands, fingers intertwined.

Will was distracted from his thoughts when they suddenly stopped in front of the elementary school. Mike grabbed his hand, suddenly acting like an excited child. He pulled Mike to the back of the school and they walked into the tiny playground. He got down on one knee and pulled out a small box, this one not wrapped terribly.

"William Byers, I know we can't legally get married. not yet. but there is absolutely no one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with and I will wait until we can can married. But we can have a reception with everyone. So, will you marry me? I’ve promised I would ask you since we were 6, and I really hope you feel the same.” Mike let out a small laugh at the end.

Will nodded excitedly, trying to form words. “Y-yes! Of course I’ll marry you! And I obviously feel the same, doofus.” He took the ring from Mike and slipped it onto his finger on top of the promise ring. The engagement ring looked exactly like the promise ring, but there was a tiny diamond set in the middle. Will then ran foreword and kissed Mike, this kiss lasting over a minute. It was deep and passionate, leaving them both wanting more. But Mike broke away, saying “I am freezing out here, Byers. Ready to go back home?”

Will nodded and they walked home together. They showed the ring to everyone during the holiday dinner and everyone was cheerful and excited. There was a wedding to be planned!

Hi i genuinely like this the prompt makes me happy.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

I love your blog! Could you possibly write a fic with some Josh/Donna hurt/comfort? (Preferably Josh being comforted. But I'm easy to please and love all things Josh and Donna)

Aww, thank you so much! I love this prompt, anon. Not only does it fit into a series I needed to work on but I may write a morning-after sequel, I haven’t decided yet. Who am I kidding I probably will,-I don’t think this has enough of the comfort side of things for my liking, poor Josh. Anyway, I had fun with it. 

Fair warning, though: I’ve never written hurt/comfort before, this is emotional h/c only and I hope you like it anyway. (A future fic in the same series will feature Josh’s recovery from Rosslyn which may be more fitting but this is where the prompt took me.)

Grief/mourning J/D angst, pre-series, also on AO3.

When Donna answered the bell, Josh lurched through her doorway, stumbling into the wall with an audible thud. The mugs on the wall rattled as he over-corrected, hitting the archway of her tiny apartment’s dining nook.

She winced. “Toby said the guys were gonna take care of you tonight.”

“They put me in a taxi,” Josh told the ceiling. He was squinting at her ceiling fan as though it held the secrets of the universe.

“Forgot to give an address, and when he asked me…nothin’ there.” Josh waved vaguely near his head. “Couldn’t remember where I lived.”

“That’s probably because you never go home.”

“But I remembered where you do.”

Donna didn’t know what to say to that, because she had no idea what it signified. She chose to skip over it.

“Is the taxi still down there? I can give them your address.” She frowned, watching him meander further toward the living room. “Or not…I’m not sure you’d make it out of the cab like this.”

“I’m fine. Takes a lot to knock me off my game.”

“Josh, you have no game. Whenever you go over a couple of beers, your central nervous system reacts like a college freshman pledging a sorority–it’s ridiculous.”

“Says the farmgirl who drinks whiskey,” Josh shot back, plopping down onto her roommate’s couch.

Okay, that one stung a little, Donna was forced to admit. But she understood his need to poke at her–shoot the messenger and all that.

“You’re going to have to stay here,” she decided, before she could think better of it. Really, what other choice did she have? The numbing power of alcohol had been Plan A, but it wouldn’t last forever and he was going to feel even worse when it wore off.

“Hmm?” He was already slumped at her side, leaving her with the awkward conundrum of whether she should be trying to make him more comfortable. Shoes off, or bed instead of couch? What was the protocol when you were trying to console your boss after the death of a parent? Where was the line?

He reached for her hand and held on, even as his eyes drifted shut. “I’m good here,” Josh said, as though he knew what she’d been thinking. “S’okay.”

When his brown eyes opened again, she wasn’t ready for the naked vulnerability in them. “Just…stay with me?”

Whatever the line was, she was pretty sure they’d already crossed it.

“Yes, I can stay,” she told him, after a heavy pause that she pretended wasn’t significant. Moving to the floor, Donna nudged his knee with her shoulder. “Lay down.”

Josh stretched out awkwardly, still holding her hand like an anchor, nose brushing her hair as he moved.

“You smell good.”

She rolled her eyes. Coming from someone else, that would be a line. But Josh had no game in that area either. He was too sincere underneath the swagger.

“Thanks.” She patted the hand holding hers. “Sleep now. It’ll help.”

“‘Kay.”

As the quiet wrapped around them, Donna listened to him breathe and admitted to herself that this was out of her league. Her parents–even her grandparents–were alive and well. She couldn’t imagine what he was going through, especially with his father’s death so wrapped up in the campaign.

Honestly, she’d been relieved when Toby and Sam had declared Josh their responsibility for the night. They must be better able to help him. And yet here he was, as though even half-unconscious he knew something she didn’t.

His fingers relaxed, then twitched in hers. She assumed he was asleep until he broke her pensive silence. “Donna?”

“Yes?”

“My father would have been proud of me,” he said into the couch cushion where his face was smushed. His muffled sorrow broke her heart.

“He would’ve been.” She leaned back to rest her cheek against his arm. “Josh, you know he already was. That’s not even a question.”

Noah Lyman was an abstract concept for her, a voice on the phone that sounded like Josh three decades older and without a campaign weighing on him. He had always been jovial and kind, though it was Josh’s mother who did most of the calling. She was the one who made the plans and talked to her son’s new assistant as though she was now a member of the family.

But when Noah did call, his love for Josh always leaked through. She could hear it, as plainly as the worry in her own father’s voice when Donna called home and reassured him that her new job was working out, that she was happy, that she was better off.

“He promised to come to the Inauguration. He was that sure we’re gonna win.” Josh sighed. “Nobody could get him to stop yelling at the squirrels.”

“Oh, Josh.” Donna squeezed her eyes shut, willing back the sympathetic tears that wanted to fall. There was nothing that would actually make him feel better–at best, she could offer him a reprieve.

“I’m right here,” she promised him. “Just rest.”

Josh released her fingers, swatting away the cat that had hopped up to brush its tail over his ear. “Thanks,” he replied faintly, before shifting to lay his head against her shoulder and dropping into sleep like a stone.

As her boss began to snore behind her, Donna grinned at the absurdity of it all.

She really was better off here.

[winchesterprincessbride]

Political Animals-Part 14

This is an A/B/O AU.  You are the Omega artist daughter of Naomi Novak, a world-class heart surgeon who is running for Mayor of New York City.  After a meeting where your mother’s advisers call you a “liability”, she tells you that if you don’t do as your told she will cut you off.  You storm out and wind up in a bar a few blocks away.

The hottest Alpha you have EVER laid eyes on with a scent so mouthwatering you’re practically drooling offers to buy you a drink.  It’s just a drink, right? What do you have to lose? Only everything.

Characters: Omega! Reader, Beta! Naomi Novak, Alpha! Castiel Novak, Omega! Meg Novak, Claire Novak, Jimmy Novak, Alpha! Sam Winchester, Alpha! Dean Winchester, Alpha! John Winchester, Omega! Jo Harvelle

Big thanks to @moansmisha  for letting me use some of her ideas from this post.

Master List

Part 1 (all parts are linked)

Parts in bold are text messages

I was eating breakfast one morning while Sam was out for a run when my cell rang.  It was Meg.  “Your gonna want to turn on Channel 6, Y/N.  It’s about you.”

“Hi to you too, Meg,” I said, amused. “Thanks for the heads up.”

I turned on Channel 6 and my good mood instantly evaporated.  They were airing highlights of a press conference of my mother’s.

“Dr. Novak, are you aware that your daughter is rumored to have married Sam Winchester, John Winchester’s son?”

My mother sighed dramatically.  “My daughter has a history of letting men take advantage of her.  This is just the latest in a long line of poor choices.”

“Is it true you and Y/N are estranged?”

“My daughter chose Sam Winchester over her own family.  Now she’s living with the consequences of that choice.” My mom replied stiffly.

“Can you confirm the rumors that Y/N is pregnant?” The reporter asked. Mom blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting this question.

“I can’t comment on that, I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t listen anymore. I snapped the TV off in annoyance. When Sam got back, I was watching the whole press conference online and muttering under my breath angrily. “Twists the truth……”  “Makes everything about her.”

“So I don’t need to ask if you’ve seen it, then?” He said with a smirk.

I turned to him. “How would you feel about me doing an interview of my own to set the record straight about us and our relationship?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? ��I don’t like the thought of you drawing attention to yourself with your father is still at large.” Sam replied, his mouth set in a hard line.

AM New York, the highest-rated morning show in the city, had asked me to come for an interview several times, and I kept saying no. But my cast was coming off tomorrow, I hadn’t heard from my father in weeks, and I was sick of my mother’s lies.

"I’m tired of hiding, Sam. My father’s proven that If he wants to get to me, he can get to me. Everyone is accepting my mother’s version of the story as the truth because it’s the only one they are hearing.  We need to live our lives.  I want to start appearing with the rest of the family at campaign events.  After all, I am a Winchester now.” I folded my arms stubbornly.

“You know if you do that you’ll be declaring open warfare with your mother, right?” Sam asked.  “Do you really want to open that can of worms?”

“I’m tired of people thinking that I’m a brainless Omega who got taken advantage of by the big, bad Alpha.  She’s making us all look bad.  I’m taking a stand!”

“You’re hot when you get all feisty,” Sam said in a low voice, slipping an arm around me.

‘Stop trying to distract me with sex, Sam Winchester! I know what you’re doing!” I said indignantly.

“Can’t help it.”  His voice was muffled because his mouth was sucking on my neck.  “You just smell so damn good when you’re pregnant.   I want you all the time.”  His mouth moved up to my ear and I shivered.

“If you keep this up we will have 10 kids at the rate we’re going,” I said with a snort.

“I’m game if you are,”  Sam said flashing me that dimpled grin I loved.

“Are you both ready to find out what you are having?” Karen, the ultrasound tech asked as she squirted the warm gel over my stomach.  Sam stood at my head, holding my hand, his eyes glued to the screen.  He had missed my other ultrasound, and he was beyond excited to see our babies.

“I don’t care what sex they are, Karen. Just as long as you tell me they aren’t going to be as big as Sam.” I said with a nervous smile.

“First I’m going to take some quick measurements to check gestational age, them we will see if the babies are feeling cooperative today.” She moved the transducer around my stomach and typed in some numbers into the computer. 

“You are measuring almost 3 weeks ahead, Y/N.  I hate to say it, but I think the twins are gonna take after Daddy.  If you go full term you’re looking at 9+ pounds each.” Karen told me.

“You are carrying the next one,” I said to Sam with a look of annoyance.

“And now for the news you’ve been waiting for.  Let’s see…… See that right there?” She pointed to the screen.  “Baby A is definitely a boy.  And baby B is a wiggly little thing.  Wait, got it! Baby B is a little girl! One of each! Congratulations, you two!”  Karen’s grin was infectious.

Sam leaned over and kissed me. “A boy and a girl!  This is amazing! I can’t wait until they are here!”

Karen gave us some black-and-white pictures to take with us, and Sam couldn’t stop looking at them as we walked to the car.  

“I was thinking…..what do you think of Mary for your mom and Charles for my dad?”  I looked over to gauge his reaction.

“I love that idea. Let’s do it.  Dad would love if we named one of the babies after mom.” Sam said in an emotional whisper.

My interview with AM New York was Friday morning.  Sam had refused to let me go alone.  He wasn’t appearing on camera but would be there for moral support.  I had spoken to Cas the night before and told him what I was doing.  He totally agreed with Sam that Mom was going to be furious.

“When this comes back to bite you in the ass later, Y/N, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Cas said in his best older brother voice.

“Blah blah blah.  All I hear is a faint buzzing.” I joked.

“Seriously, Little Sis.  Try not to antagonize her.  Stick to the facts.  Take the high road.  It will be better for the both of you. I gotta take Jimmy to soccer practice.  Call me after the interview, okay?”  I could hear Jimmy calling him in the background.

“Will do. Love you, Bro.”  I was smiling when I hung up the phone.

They had me bring in a few outfits for them to choose from.  Once I was dressed, they did my hair and makeup.  Sam and I were introduced to Ashley Caruso,  one of the hosts of the show and the person doing my interview.  I felt like a troll next to her, she was that beautiful.

“Just pretend the camera isn’t here, Y/N.  You and I are just going to have a conversation.  Just watch your language, okay?  Sam, you can wait over there, that way Y/N will be able to see you during the interview.”  Ashley and I sat down, someone attached a microphone to my lapel, and the interview began.

“Ashley Caruso here with Y/N Winchester, who has been in the news a lot recently.  Welcome to the show, Y/N.” Ashley gave me a dazzling smile.

“Thanks for having me.” I smiled back.

“Your mother is noted heart surgeon and Mayoral candidate Naomi Novak, but you are married to and expecting with Sam Winchester, the son of John Winchester, who is also running for Mayor.  I sense a story there.  When the campaign started, all the press about you said you were a Beta, but you are in fact an Omega, correct?”  Ashley paused to let me speak.

“The decision was made to keep my Omega status under wraps since I was unmated.  I was not given a say in the matter. When I met Sam I had no idea who his father was.  By the time I found out, it didn’t matter, I knew Sam was my Alpha.” I took a shaky breath.

“And how did your parents react when they found out about your relationship?”

“Sam’s father was fine with it.  He told us he remembered how it felt when he found his Omega, Sam’s Mom Mary.”  I smiled at the memory.

Ashley pressed.  “And your mother?”

I took a deep breath.  “She told me I was making a mistake and that I had to choose between her and Sam.  I chose Sam, so she cut me off.    I just want to be clear here, Ashley.  Sam didn’t take advantage of me in any way.  I made the first move, actually.  I may be his Omega, but Sam understands I have a brain and doesn’t treat me as inferior.”

“And how does your mother feel about your pregnancy?” Ashley queried.

“I have no idea.  We don’t talk.  My brother is thrilled, though.” I replied.

“Are you going to find out what you’re having?” 

I caught sight of Sam’s huge smile offstage and it made me grin.  “We already have.  Twins. A boy and a girl.  We’re thrilled.”

“Is there anything you would like to add, Y/N before we break for commercial?” Ashley asked me.

“Yes. I’d just like to remind everyone that there are two sides to every story.  Thank you for having me, Ashley.”

“Well, how do you think I did?” I asked Cas when I called him.

“Mom called me screaming as soon as your segment was over, so what do you think?” He told me with a sigh.

“I just told the truth, Cassie.  It’s not my fault that the truth contradicts all the lies she’s told.”  I knew I sounded defensive.

“I’m not disagreeing with you, Y/N.  So a boy and a girl, huh? You can still get on my good side and name him Castiel, you know.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

“We are going to name the boy Charles after Dad. Charles Castiel Winchester.”  I said softly, waiting for his reaction.

“Really? You’re naming him after me? I was just messing with you, Kiddo.” Cas told me in a thick voice, and I could tell he was trying not to cry.

“Careful what you wish for, Bro.”

Unbeknownst to me, in a cheap motel out by the interstate, my father watched my interview over and over.  The light from the laptop screen provided the only illumination in the pitch-black room.  He had watched the interview over a hundred times, but he just couldn’t seem to stop.

“Soon, Y/N………soon.”  He whispered to the screen.   “We’ll all be together soon.”

Part 15

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