#chapter 1375

[calekinnieplus]

Adam expanded into a giant shadow that seemed capable of holding up the world.

The shadow slowly walked on the “water surface” of the illusory, chaotic darkness. It pointed at the astral world and solemnly declared, “Let there be light!”

In a blink of an eye, the entire astral world lit up. There were no other secrets that could be concealed. Even portions of the astral world that connected to Earth, the entire astral world, and the invisible barrier that had been separated from the universe appeared.

At that moment, giant, indescribable faces seemed to cling to the transparent, cracked barrier, silently watching the developments inside.

Adam. Adam, what are you doing. Ancient sun bastard, what are you Doing

[xyvyl]

One More Race - Chapter 1 - Y/N

Summary: New to formula 1, Dutch driver Y/N L/N. F2 and F3 world champion, now racing for Lamborghini in F1. The only woman racing in F1 right now.

Chapter song: Legend - The Score

Word count: 1375

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iH7vTDNnObb2HMBDuRhrY?si=9ec8ffb7ec164637

A/N: taglist open!

---------------🏎️---------------

Lights out and away we go!

The words ring in my ears as I start driving. Starting from P4 isn't bad, but George, Charles and Max were in front of me. Max obviously sped off, Charles following close behind.

I managed to pass George after turn 1, but Charles and Max already had a big gap between us.

After 5 laps I managed to catch up to charles and almost pass him, but turn 13 fucked it up.

“How much time is between me and leclerc?” I ask through the radio. “0.7 second, keep it up, you're almost in the DRS zone.” “copy.”

I do my best to keep this distance until the DRS zone, once in I manage to pass him with ease, putting me in P2.

Luckily Charles couldn't pass me, except for when I pitted, but i quickly regained my spot.

---------------🏎️---------------

“P2, P2. good job!”

I sit in silence for a while, driving in the car. P2? In the first race of the season? First race of my career in f1? P2?!

“Y/N?” I hear my engineer, shaking me out of the daze I was in.

“P2? Are you serious?” “very”

“WOOOO! P2 BABY!” I yell in excitement as I pull up to the p2 stand, getting out of the car.

I quickly take off my helmet to see who I ended up on the podium with.

“Max? Natuurlijk ben jij P1!" (of course you’re P1!) I congratulate Max, turning around to see Charles’ car pull into the p3 stand.

“Charles! Congrats man!” I walk up to his Ferrari, hugging him as soon as he climbs out of his car.

“Congrats Y/N you did amazing!”

I smile and run to my team, “P2 baby!” “Where did Logan end?”

“He got P8.” My mouth drops, p8? That's such an improvement from his time with Williams!

---------------🏎️---------------

The cooldown room was quiet when I entered it, probably because Max and Charles were too busy chugging their water bottles.

I sigh in contentment and grab my own water bottle, drinking every last drop.

“Congrats on P2 in your very first F1 race, Y/N.” Charles claps me on the back, making me almost choke on my water.

Max laughs in the background and I glare at him as I swallow my water.

“Thanks Charles, you did a great job as well! And Max?”

“Yeah?”

“I hope you choke on your water” I smile at him, making Charles burst into laughter.

“Wow! Okay! What happened to, ‘beetje medelijden voor een mede-Nederlander'?" (A little compassion for a fellow Dutchman?) Max fakes being hurt as I stick my tongue out to him.

---------------🏎️---------------

Standing on the podium feels the same, yet so different from F2 and F3… nevertheless, it's an amazing feeling. Standing there, the trophee in my hands and champagne next to me and millions of people watching me stand there next to Max and Charles. The Dutch national anthem in the background.

I laugh as I put the trophee down and grab the champagne, already being targeted by both Charles and Max.

I launch the bottle down to the floor as the liquid starts spraying everywhere, mostly at Max and Charles, but also my team who are below the stands.

Everything seems to go in slow motion as I put the bottle to my mouth and drink the liquid, Max and Charles doing the same.

The first woman to stand on the F1 podium..

---------------🏎️---------------

“Y/N!” I turn around and see Logan running up to me.

“Logan! Congrats on P8!” I give him a hug, smiling.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with us to get dinner, to celebrate.” He smiles when I nod.

“Wait, you said ‘us’ who else is going?” I question him.

“You, me, Max, Charles, George, Lando, Lewis, Carlos and Oscar.” He smiles, making me smile.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!” I exclaim as I run to my black lambo, Logan following closely behind.

The ride there wasn't too long, since the restaurant was almost next to our hotel, which isn't too far from the track either.

“We're here, ready to celebrate?” Logan grins as he turns the car off.

I nod, a huge smile on my face as I get out of the car.

I wait for a hot minute to wait for Logan as he gets out of the car.

“Let’s go!” I exclaim as I speed walk into the restaurant. As soon as I enter I see the others sitting at the reserved table.

“Hi guys!” I smile as I sit down next to Lando, who smiles at me. Logan takes the seat next to me.

“We thought you guys weren't coming.” Max jokes, making me stick out my tongue at him. “Ha ha, very funny Max, why wouldn't we come? We had amazing results!” I laugh, making the rest of the table laugh too.

“Have you seen twitter lately?” Lando asks me, “No, why?”

“You're getting mixed responses to being the only woman on the grid..” His response made me look at him confused.

“I take it I shouldn't look at it?” I smile, already knowing the answer.

Lando only confirmed it by nodding his head. I put my phone back in my purse and grabbed the menu.

“Did you guys already order?” Most of the table shook their heads.

“We wanted to wait until you two were finally here.” Lewis smiles at me.

The waiter comes and we all order. After we got our food and started eating, I took a second to look around the table.

All talented male drivers, and me, a female driver who somehow got a seat with Lamborghini..

I sigh and Carlos notices, looking at me with a look that says, ‘are you okay?’, to which I nod. When I start eating I notice in the corner of my eye that Lando is looking at me, but I pay it no mind and enjoy the food in front of me.

---------------🏎️---------------

After we all finally finished our food, we paid separately and went on our way. Me, Lando and logan staying behind for a little.

“So.. how was your first ever F1 race?” Lando asked and I could sense the awkwardness in his voice.

I smile, “Amazing, the whole grid is nice, our team is great! The car is just… wow, I don't have enough words to describe this feeling.” Logan and Lando smile at that as the valet comes out with Logan’s car.

I give Lando a hug and we get in the car.

“How was your food?” I ask Logan, trying to make conversation.

“It was good, yours?” okay.. We're both awkward..

I nod and look out the window, enjoying the view.

---------------🏎️---------------

I dropped myself on my bed, the hotel we're staying at was amazing, comfortable beds, huge bathroom, just amazing. 

Logan's room isn't far from mine, literally next to mine.

I sigh, a smile on my face as I look towards the giant window overlooking the race track. A ping comes from my phone. It's Logan,

‘Plane leaves at 8, meet at my room at 6?’

I quickly reply, ‘I'll be there!’

8 am.. So early…

I roll my eyes at the time.

I get up from the bed and walk to the bathroom, getting ready for bed.

When I return I see my phone on my bed, exploding with messages, both from messages and twitter.

I remember what Lando said at dinner, ‘You’re getting mixed responses to being the only woman on the grid..’ 

I pick up my phone and decide to look at the messages first, seeing messages from almost the whole grid, but mostly Lando and Logan.

‘Don't listen to whatever they say’ -Lando

‘If you want to talk, i'm here’ -Logan

‘Twitter doesn't know anything, you're an amazing driver and friend’ -Lando

‘I think they might be blind, you got p2 all on your own’ -Lando

‘You're an amazing friend, teammate and driver and you're a world champion in f2 and f3! Don't listen to them!’ -Logan

Their messages put worry in me and I hesitated clicking on the twitter icon..

But I eventually did and what I read and saw…

[stusbunker]

Spotless: Intro

Chapter One

Featuring: Dean Winchester/Reader

Word Count: 1375

Warnings, etc: Mutual pining, assumed unrequited feelings, mild drug use, unbeta'd

Series Masterlist

Banner courtesy of @cafekitsune

You woke up overthinking. Like continuing a conversation with yourself from your dreams, the thoughts steamrolled you into consciousness. The band was in the studio for at least another week and you had to make sure the anticipation continued to build. You had a call scheduled at nine with the record label, Bobby and some other folks who you knew by name but not by face or voice.

It was going to be a long day.

It had already been a long year and the comeback after the last tour’s fallout had felt like your sole duty. They were still solid, still ready to rock-n-roll, you just had to make sure the press and the fans knew it. You grabbed your phone off your bedside table and got to work without actually getting vertical. You checked your email, the usual rotation of social media and then finally your text messages.

Sam had sent you a link to the podcast he had been talking about the last time you’d been over to his and Dean’s place for movies, which was probably two weeks too late to still be relevant, but you added it to your library anyway. Charlie had gone on a rant about a failed side quest on her latest D&D campaign and then started planning a fantasy getaway for after the tour that wasn’t even completely scheduled yet. You didn’t reply, because you needed more caffeine in your system to keep up with her.

Then there were some random complaints about Ash and Kevin from Dean. Amongst all that there was his usual checking in and an obnoxious picture showcasing the absurd size of Ash’s bong. You groaned because Dean’s eyes in the picture were glassy and amused, but also so, so distracting. His little stoned smile always did things to you.

At least he was having fun while he was laying down tracks.

You looked your fill and then went on to the next notification on your phone. Dean and his band, Phantom Traveler, might be your employers, but they were still your friends and fawning all over the man that a good chunk of the Western world did wasn’t going to get you anywhere.

Not in this lifetime.

Your alarm buzzed, breaking the quiet of your bedroom and the illusion of a lack of responsibility. You groaned and threw off your covers. Now or never, you told yourself, and got up to start your day.

“And with the losses from last time, we need something more than just your word that we are going to make up the difference,” Crowley tacked on at the end of his spiel.

Bobby, who apparently was stuck on the 405, looked like he was going to cuss him out at any moment and you couldn’t blame him. The Zoom call had gone about as well as you had anticipated and it wasn’t over. You had enough experience to keep your face neutral, however Bobby had neither the fucks to give or the interest in maintaining civility.

“How about three platinum albums over the past twelve years?!”

Every corporate stooge winced at Bobby’s indignation, except Crowley who seemed to be delighted about it somehow. 

“We understand that Mr. Singer—- we just want our ducks in a row. Now if we can get Dean on board with some more one-on-one interviews and positive exposure. We think we can hit our pre-sale targets to ensure a longer touring schedule,” Zachariah Adler smarmed on.

“And what would that prove?” Bobby asked, protective of his boys as always.

“That you have your dog on a leash,” Crowley butt in.

“More like workhorse the way you folks are talking about him,” Bobby muttered, though you still heard him over the sound of traffic.

You had to say something. “If— we get Dean to agree, and you get your extended tour. We want more flexibility on the next album. It’s the final one in the contract and if you want Phantom Traveler to remain the face of Crossroads it would be mutually beneficial to give them some room to work.”

“That’s not really your stipulation to make Ms. Y/L/N,” Dick Roman pointed out.

Your face burned with the reprimand, but you held your chin high.

“Like hell it ain't. Anything Y/N says, I say too,” Bobby barked.

Crowley looked bored at that point. And you really didn’t want to butt in or add to your embarrassment. But no one was saying anything.

“Does that work for everyone then?” You looked at these corporate stooges in the digital eye and fought for the band, for Dean. Despite having very little in the idea of the how of it all.

Zachariah spoke first, because of course he did. “If Mr. Winchester were to agree and we see an improvement in image by the end of the year— I think that could definitely be arranged.”

Bobby huffed, but remained silent. 

You watched Crowley’s eyes dance between the other record company execs and the intensity of his mischievousness grew. “I’d love to see how you handle that— get back to me when you have something solid and we’ll be in touch.”

“That works for us,” you replied firmly, not giving into his apparent doubts on your abilities. You were a nepo-hire, everyone there knew it. But it didn’t mean you weren’t very good at your job.

“Alright— I’ve got a recording session to get to. If that’s everything—” Bobby trailed off and watched as the trio from the label became even more affronted.

“I’d like a solid date for follow up,” Dick tossed out, in a clear final challenge, but everyone knew the meeting was over.

“Recording is underway, but I’d say we’d be able to touch base by the middle of December,” you added, pretending to check the calendar.

“Stellar, you see to that,” Dick replied.

“Thank you, thank you all,” you added.

“Good talk.” Dick closed his window. You waited in the open meeting as Crowley and Zachariah said their goodbyes, watching Bobby as he looked at the ceiling of his car and ended the call for good.

“Alright then,” you muttered as you closed Zoom and tried to come to grips with what you had just promised. What you had asked for, completely unprompted.

You looked at your laptop and decided you needed to step away and clear your head. You grabbed your phone off your desk and your earbuds, heading to the corner of your office and your stationary bike. Because if anything screamed escaping to a mountain trail ride, it was this moment and the month ahead of you.

You set your usual course and tapped onto one of your workout playlists, letting the music wash over you as you pedaled toward the warm up hills. Dean wasn’t going to go along with this easily, everyone knew that. But he had come so far over the last year and you hoped that included an openness to what was best for the band, even if it meant swallowing some of his pride.

Despite what he said on the call, you knew you had to get Bobby on board. You just had to have something to sell him, a hook. Something he wouldn’t think of as a threat to Dean or the band as a whole. Something he wouldn’t want to poke too hard, just because he could.

Bobby was a naturally curious old codger, but one thing that was always guaranteed to make him wash his hands of a situation was anybody’s love life. He had no fucks to give about who was fucking who. Not all of Lee and Pam’s ongoing drama, not Sam’s summer-long tryst with the little brunette from the Yellow Eyes label, not even when Cas hooked up with the reporter for Rolling Stone mid-interview. 

Okay. That you could work with.

Somebody who could increase public opinion and be down to be Dean’s arm candy. And suddenly an evil idea crossed your mind, something so wrong and so right that you lost your footing and the bike safety locked on you as you said a very dejected ‘fuck’ out loud to your empty apartment.

You had your answer, now you just had to make it happen.

Tagging: @deans-spinster-witch @mrswhozeewhatsis @cosicas-cuquis @fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like @suckitands33

Chapter Two: Measure

[ao3yennaia]

Never Lost Always Found

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2FOQigG by ClydeThistles A scene we didn't see during Yennefer and Tissaia's conversation in S2 in the tower. Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F Relationships: Tissaia de Vries/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, S2E3 What Is Lost, Love Confessions read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2FOQigG

[cakemousse]

it's better to burn out than to fade away

This is one of the many happenings in the lives of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Except this time, Ladybug is giving Chat Noir a bath (unsuccessfully), and he trusts her for that.

Rating: T, Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/1

Read on AO3

━━━━━━

Ladybug would’ve felt the load behind her back if she was carrying this weight as her civilian self. But she’s Ladybug now and is therefore not feeling feeling it, which is so wrong, because she should be feeling the heaviness on her back. 

She really should. 

Missed patrols, smiles that never really reach his eyes, missed picked-up calls, zero callbacks, different personalities when they are alone compared to when they are with the whole group of superheroes. The list goes on. 

She should’ve known. 

He wasn’t responding when she had found him—in an alleyway, of all places. Snapping her fingers, shaking his shoulders, and lightly tapping his cheeks yielded no reaction. 

But water might help. Cats hate the water after all. 

She’s currently carrying him to one of the fountains in Place des Vosges, and she almost wanted to slam her face first onto the sandy pathway. It’s the middle of the bloody night, of course, that stupid fountain won’t be on. 

Ladybug almost throws the weight on her back over her shoulders in frustration, until she realises who she’s carrying. 

Grumpily, she steps into the fountain and sits down, letting him go. He immediately plops onto his back, and she wants to smack her face again. 

She’s trying her best but he keeps getting himself hurt. 

Ladybug makes sure that he’s lying comfortably and in line with where the water will be hitting his face before leaving him alone to get what she needs. She’s not doing anything wrong, she’s merely borrowing tools from the park guard’s cabin to turn on the fountain, and once it serves its purpose, she’ll turn it back off and drain it. 

And everything will be back to the way it is. 

She returns to the fountain to see no signs of Chat Noir, and coldness starts flooding her body. Ladybug drops the tools and starts sprinting around the circumference of the fountain. When she gets to the other side, she sees that he has rolled towards the edge of the fountain, in front of where she was originally standing. 

He’s still here, he's still here, he's still here. Quickly get your ass to work! 

She runs back to collect the dropped tools to turn the fountain on. The sound of the water starts pouring in, cutting off her ability to hear almost anything else in the dead of the night, but she gets all fidgety when she realises that the water is instead trickling down into the reservoir. The sight is such a contrast to the sound it emits. 

Looking over to Chat Noir, he remains as still as before. All she sees is his back, and he appears as though he’s stuck to the edge of the fountain, unmoving. 

She briskly walks towards him, grabbing his biceps and bringing him up into a sitting position. She tenderly taps on his cheeks again but he’s still not responding to her. Ladybug decides to pull him towards where the water is hitting the surface of the growing pool in the reservoir. She’s going to get wet in the process but it doesn’t matter. Nothing else matters as long as she gets a response from him. 

As the water wets her hair, she quickly moves to squat in front of him, allowing the water to hit his back. Surely the water would evoke some reaction now. 

Nothing. 

Ladybug grabs his shoulders and gently pushes him till his head is tiling backwards, hair and face coming into contact with the water. 

Chat Noir immediately pulls himself forward, away from the stream, coming face to face with Ladybug but almost knocking against her nose in the process. 

“Chaton?” Her hand moves to swipe his hair away from his eyes before resting on his cheek. 

Ladybug feels him leaning against her palm and she sees his eyes focusing on her just for a second before they lose their clarity again. 

“Chaton?”

He then looks elsewhere in confusion, seemingly wondering how and when he got into a fountain and is soaked. 

Another hand cups his cheeks to get his attention, then she presses her forehead against his. He’s still warm. Good. 

She pulls back and one of her hands runs into his hair, caressing the back of his cat ears and it twitches in response. A small smile sits on her face. 

“Chaton, wash up? You stink a bit, haha,” she lies. 

Ladybug carefully but steadily leads his face towards the water and when she feels that he’s moving on his own, she withdraws her hands from him. Chat Noir slowly lies down and closes his eyes, as though he’s going to bed after a long and exhausting day. His head dips below the water and bubbles from his nostrils float towards the surface. But his hands cradle themselves against his chest.

They aren’t washing his face. 

They are tuck closely against his body. 

Lifelessly. 

As though he's a mummy. 

“NO!” 

She panics, quickly grabbing his face and yanks him out of the water. 

“What are you doing?!” she scolds. 

Chat Noir takes a few deep breaths and looks elsewhere, even though his hands are clutching onto her wrists. 

“You were going to drown, Chat Noir! You were—” 

“Is that so bad?” he whispers. 

Ladybug should be happy that he has finally given her a verbal response after that whole ordeal. But those words feel like a slap to her face instead. His hooded eyes directed at her shouldn’t be causing her distress, but it feels so much like a stab to her heart. 

“Is that so— what the fuck??” She wrenches his face closer to her own. “Of course it is!” 

“I don’t think so.” 

He’s gone mad. Chat Noir’s gone mad. 

Ladybug shoves Chat Noir backwards, to the spot where the water trickles down onto his hair. He almost falls backwards again but she catches his shoulders to steady him. She then quickly sits herself onto his lap, her back against his chest, and makes sure that his arms are around her waist. She would really like for Chat Noir to put his head on hers but she realises that she’s not actually that small and doing so would be super uncomfortable for him. So she doesn’t care where he puts his head, as long as he’s upright and the water is flowing down his face, waking him up from his delusional nonsense. 

“I do think so! And and,” she sniffles, “and you’re not going anywhere! You’re not going to drown, you’re not going to disappear. You’re gonna be right here, where I can keep my eyes on you!” 

The sound of water splashing is all she gets in return. No delighted laughter or the jovial tone of his voice she loves and knows so well escapes from his lips, no physical movement from his arms, nothing. 

Respond!! Why won’t you respond?! This is the last thing she needs from him now. 

Ladybug pulls his arms forward to make his chest press against her back even more before she tugs his arms around herself and hugs them. 

Fine. If he doesn’t want to do anything, fine! She’ll use his body heat to reassure her racing heart. At the very least she knows that he’s there. 

Everything will be fine once he’s allowed to brood according to his terms. They each have these episodic periods where it feels like their world is crashing down on them. And for each one of them, they were each other's silent but unwavering support, present throughout the process.

Ladybug cannot do anything but be by his side, there are just lines that they can’t cross. They both know that. So she’ll stay here as long as she needs to, school be damned. And she knows that her presence is welcomed and wanted by her kitty, especially right now. They’ve walked through infernos together. Just because this one is but a small flame doesn’t mean he deserves any less love and concern.  

Things will pass, things will settle, and everything will be alright again...  

Ladybug trusts him, just as he trusts her. She’ll be here for him, just as he has for her. 

Everything will be alright. 

Right…? 

The tiny twitch of his fingers tells her so. 

please consider leaving kudos and comments on ao3 ^^

[ducky531]

Appraise Love

Ahhh, look at me! I finally decided to pull the trigger and actually post a fanfic for once!! Just a bit of background for this story: This is a Whitebeard pirates x reader story. UNLESS ASKED OTHERWISE, most things in here will remain platonic/friendly (and a bit fluffy). I also do plan to write chapters giving each Commander their own time to shine with the reader. (I know everyone's here for Marco, Izo, Thatch, and Ace, but come one! Rakuyo, Atmos, Namur, Speed Jill, Vista, and literally the rest of the sixteen commanders exist as well. Why only write for a fourth of them when they all deserve a chance?! (Yes, I'm THAT big of a dork to be able to name all of them. I know I didn't include a lot of the others on here, but trust me. I can XD) Anyways, this is considered chapter 0. Since this is only the prologue and the introduction to what exactly the reader's life is like, this isn't the official first chapter of interaction. (That's actually Chapter 1!) I'll also be sure to add a few additional triggers with the chapters as the story progresses, but something to keep in mind with the story as a whole: THERE ARE UNDERLYING THEMES OF DEPRESSION. It's subtle in some spots, but laid on thick in others depending on the story progression. Ok, I'll leave now. Enjoy! _______________________ Word count: 1375 _______________________

Life is a fickle thing, is it not? All at the same time, the day could fly by for one person while it dragged on for another. A couple could be experiencing the happiest moments of their lives, another their last. I guess in that regard, it was better to say that time was a fickle manner, but life itself had a funny way of ruling over those decisions. And unfortunately for you, time nor life has ever worked out in your favor. Not in a long while.

Every morning, it was the same rinse-and-repeat cycle that had once been something you believed would lead to happiness. It had been that way for ten years now. Get up, make the long trip to the island’s high end part of town- which was on the opposite side of where you lived- open the jewelry shop for the day, work your shift and cover for the boss, close up at the end of the night, go home, find whatever was the easiest and low maintenance in the way of cooking, go to bed, and wake up the next day to do it all over again. Of course, the last few years hadn’t always been so…lacking. No no no, the ‘oh-so’ happy residents of the town had made sure of that. On days where you had travelers visit the shop, there was always small talk sharing in their adventures or their life that had led them to that very moment, and in even rarer occasions, there was always a bone thrown your way and they’d be generous enough to give you a tip for your work.

Of course, that was one nice customer to every 50 or so? And that was taking what kindness you were given far and few in between and paying it up to flatter the residents of the island. And that was saying a lot since all they gave you was their usual snappy remarks or some new form of taking their anger out on you. A lot of the customers had gotten angry so often that your boss- in the one or two times he even bothered to roll out of bed- had told you that safety glasses were now a must while working ALL the time rather than when you did the work the old lapidarist had slacked on before leaving. And to think that this is what fate initially had you set out to sea for. Life outside of the mundane island was, well, avoiding the island itself. No pirates ever stopped there, and Marines were the same way. Everyone avoided the island like the black plague.

The only reason you had ever dared to come to the island yourself was both for the lack of its history and people, and the fact that a job opportunity had fallen into your lap. At the time, it seemed like a dream come true, yet now it felt more like it was a personalized nightmare to make you hate even the smallest joys of life. Yet here you were, still playing the sucker who kept on dreaming that it would get better. And to an extent…you still hoped that it would, that one day everything would work out.

See, life was a fickle thing. The whole reason you had ever been brought to the island in the first place was your line of research. A gemologist, that, of all things, was what you had settled on in life. Not that it was a bad thing! Because it really wasn’t. It was just…odd. In comparison to a world that piracy had existed in, it was just odd that you’d settled on studying jewels, stones, and gems rather than hoarding them. But, it kept your nose out of everyone’s business and the eyes of the government, so you were happy enough with it. And to you, upon your initial arrival to the island, believed that the smiles everyone wore had been a show of the happiness that threatened to overwhelm its visitors. Yet it took all of but a few hours to find just how wrong that was. Threatening to rip someone’s throat out and shove it up where the son doesn’t shine just for bumping into them wasn’t exactly the most friendly thing in the world. And saying it with a smile as well, it was enough to get to anyone.

If the bitter nature of the people was bad enough, they were all lazy as well. Going to the grocery store just for a night’s worth of groceries took longer than the walk home, even when you were the only person in the store. Trying to see a doctor meant that you’d be waiting a few months out to even get any sort of chance to SCHEDULE the appointment. It was a miracle how no one had ever died on the island. And your boss was no better. The man had only ever been at the shop two days out of the ten years you had worked there: the day you were hired, and another day where you had to go home early after getting a ring thrown at you and the bezel had sliced a little too close to your eye. It hadn’t hit the inside of your eye, nor had it scarred- from what you could tell, anyways. You were lucky to even still have it functioning at this point.

It was only a couple of years after you had started that the old lapidarist had suddenly just stopped showing up to work. Truthfully, you didn’t blame them, despite the dread that filled you anytime you dared to question their disappearance. The only reason you stayed was because of the free rent and the time you got to do what you loved…ok, it wasn’t free rent, but no one had come to collect the payments from you, so it was free housing. At least the laziness of the life there had been good for something. But…was it worth it? That was the question you had always come back to every chance you had been alone during the day. What good was your work if the people were never happy? What good was it when the jeweler felt as though it were going to financially collapse?

The old displays had been sold by the boss for a quick buck to find a way to meet ends in order to make the shop’s monthly bills, so none of the work you made ever got proper recognition. Your paychecks had gotten farther and fewer in between until you almost had nothing left. You weren’t sure if it was just a case that the boss was taking what he owed you to pay for the shop or if he was simply not bothering to even pay you anymore. The people were never happy, your house was always in shambles, but you never had the money to ever fix it. To say the least, you hated it. You hated everything about the island, about your home, about your job. Yes, job. It had gotten bad enough to a point that you’d have rather numbed your mind for hours on end sitting behind a desk to write- much like the person that took heavens only knows how long to write this- rather than continue your personal studies for the career you once wanted.

Sometimes, the idea crossed your mind that maybe settling down wasn’t for you? I mean, you had been happier when you were travelling from place to place to understand the type of jewelry that was popular on each island, why, and how valuable it was. Truth be known, when you looked at the point your life was at, a deeper part of you ached. It felt like something had curled up on itself every time you noted that you did what most people had spent a lifetime doing. You managed to settle down earlier on in life before you got too old and it got to be too late. But what did it matter what you thought? For as long as you stayed on the island, you were at the mercy of the people and whatever they decided to throw at-

‘Snap. Snap. Snap.’

[ao3feed-jonmartin]

Observances (collected poems by Martin K Blackwood regarding subject Jonathan Sims)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/6u0iXOW by Reeah A collection of poems that Martin wrote for or about Jon over the years. There are two poems for each season and one epilogue. Written for JonMartin Week 2024, Day 8: Ten Years Later/Martin’s Poetry. Words: 1375, Chapters: 11/11, Language: English Series: Part 3 of Fabric Rustles Fandoms: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Martin Blackwood, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist Additional Tags: Poetry, Bad Poetry, martin's poetry, ngl I started writing this because I thought it would be funny to write terrible poems on purpose, and I ended up making myself cry so what the fuck, even bad poems can make emotions happen I guess read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/6u0iXOW

[dhr-ao3]

德赫难以置信

【德赫】难以置信 https://ift.tt/Sp80dkt by d_sum2 *累积的压力让赫敏格兰杰做出了她永远也不会、甚至想都没想过的事��。 Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/1, Language: 中文-普通话 國語 Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger Relationships: 德赫 via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/BFGryIE October 15, 2024 at 10:41PM

[ao3feed-myatb]

like charcoal in snow

read it on AO3 by Anonymous After the altercation in the manor, a curious Xiaobao confronts Shaoyu about his obsession with Su Yin. Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/2, Language: English Series: Part 4 of Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow AUs Fandoms: 花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Zongzheng Shaoyu, Su Yin (Meet You at the Blossom), Jin Xiaobao Relationships: Su Yin/Zongzheng Shaoyu Additional Tags: Unrequited Love, (or is it), Angst, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Mid-Canon read it on AO3 https://ift.tt/mYJuF49

[isadomna]

The triangle Constance of Castile, John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford

Part second

John of Gaunt departed with Constance for Bruges at the end of October 1375. He apparently took his wife with him because she was expecting his child. Prior to her confinement, the Duchess went on pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint-Adrien de Grammont, but the boy she bore late in the year at Ghent – another John of Gaunt – appears to have been sickly, and died young, possibly in November 1376.  

It is quite likely that Katherine had her own children with her when she was acting as governess to the princesses Philippa and Elizabeth. It is obvious that John’s legitimate children with Blanche of Lancaster were fond of Katherine. All the evidence suggests that Katherine and John were good and caring parents, whose children grew up to love and respect them. They were three sons and a daughter named John, Henry, Thomas and Joan. The Duke of Lancaster was to prove diligent in securing for them a place in society that befitted their noble birth, and in promoting their interests, whilst cautiously ensuring that these did not infringe upon the rights of his legitimate heirs.

Katherine Swynford usually stayed with John of Gaunt at Kenilworth Castle whilst Constance remained largely at Hertford or Tutbury Castle, far away from her husband. Understandably, John did not show disrespect to his wife by placing her daughter with her two half-sisters under the governance of his mistress. However, he was now effectively living apart from Constance. John of Gaunt becomes the most hated man in the kingdom. The Duke was blamed for so many ills and his relationship with Katherine Swynford caused a great scandal.

The chronicler Thomas Walsingham says the people were indignant and despairing at this scandalous conduct, and feared that the Almighty would soon vent his displeasure by punishing the whole kingdom for the Duke’s sinfulness. To the monkish author of the Anonimalle Chronicle, Katherine was ‘a she-devil and enchantress’. Walsingham says that it was as a result of his blatant and unashamed appearances with Katherine, whom he refers to as ‘a witch and a whore’, that ‘the worst curses and infamous invectives started circulating against [the Duke]’. Thomas Brinton, Bishop of Rochester, castigated the Duke from his pulpit for being ‘an adulterer and pursuer of luxury". While Froissart, writing decades later, thought Katherine ‘a woman of light character’. Henry Knighton, the pro-Lancastrian chronicler, who admired John of Gaunt, clearly did not approve of his mistress: ‘in his wife’s household, there was a certain foreign lady, Katherine Swynford, whose relations with him were greatly suspect’. Knighton reveals that members of the Duke’s household were very concerned about the effect of their master’s involvement with his mistress; they, as well as he, were aware that it was his duty, as lord and master, to set a good moral example to his servants, as the Church enjoined. Not everyone disapproved. Katherine seems to have been held in lasting affection by the Cathedral Chapter of Lincoln, and by the Mayor of Leicester, who, probably in company with a lot of people, took a pragmatic view of her dubious position.

The notorious reputation and conduct of Alice Perrers had prejudiced public opinion against royal mistresses, and it would not be surprising if people viewed Katherine too as an immoral and self-seeking woman and a corrupting influence on the Duke, nor that they were incensed that the Duchess Constance should be so slighted and insulted. Given public sympathy for Constance, John of Gaunt’s enduring reputation for lechery, as well as contemporary observations about, and responses to, his relationship with Katherine, there can be little doubt that the publicising of their affair did indeed damage his political standing in England, and ruined her reputation.

In spring 1381, a group of rebels marched on the city of London, attacking houses and towns on their way to confront the teenage king Richard II, an event that became known as the Peasants’ Revolt. Gaunt’s property, the Savoy Palace, was destroyed. Two leading politicians had been beheaded by rebels in London, and Gaunt was left on the Scottish Borders for weeks, waiting for news from the king regarding his fate. It is unlikely that Katherine Swynford had been in London to support her lover during these difficult weeks. She had probably just emerged from childbed, and the capital would have been a dangerous place for her, given her connection with the most hated man in England. Probably she had remained at Kettlethorpe, and would not rejoin John until the crisis had well and truly passed.

Sources:

Alison Weir, KATHERINE SWYNFORD: THE STORY OF JOHN OF GAUNT AND HIS SCANDALOUS DUCHESS

Helen Carr, THE RED PRINCE: THE LIFE OF JOHN OF GAUNT, THE DUKE OF LANCASTER

[calekinnieplus]

The reason why he was able to remain clear-headed in a dream and during the instances where his mind was intruded wasn’t because of the special traits from Sefirah Castle. This was because the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings in his body was also sleeping.

Although the awakening of the Lord of the Mysteries was still greatly limited, “His” level and “His” connection with Sefirah Castle were undoubtedly stronger than Klein’s. If “He” couldn’t completely resist a state of eternal slumber, why could Klein?

Therefore, Klein believed that this trait was likely due to the blessings of the Evernight Goddess, a gift he received when he came to life.

EVERNIGHT GODDESS, YOU ABSOLUTE GODSENT! uh. goddess? ANYWAY, YOU COMING IN CLUTCH FOR KLEIN, W! W ALL OVER!

[ao3feed-itafushi]

can you remember the rain?

by welldoneyou Embarrassment bloomed in his chest as said pink-haired sweet-smelling dopey piece of shit handed him another drink. A dangerous feeling prickled Megumi’s cheeks like summer heat, like a static shock lying in wait. Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime), 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Categories: M/M Characters: Fushiguro Megumi, Itadori Yuuji, Kugisaki Nobara Relationships: Fushiguro Megumi/Itadori Yuuji, Fushiguro Megumi & Itadori Yuuji Additional Tags: Getting Together, Fluff and Humor, Fluff, Pining, Pining Fushiguro Megumi, Songfic, Nightmares, the major character death is just when sukuna takes itadoris heart, dont worry omg, some injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Spoilers, Blood and Injury, just at the beginning, these tags are scary but its, Wholesome, I swear, Swearing from AO3 works tagged 'Fushiguro Megumi/Itadori Yuuji' https://ift.tt/2p9NYeS

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Taste What Fell From Grace (Run Away From The Faith)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/oCchIlT by WakingNightmares Bruce knows his children live dangerous lives; he knows that he’s prepared them for most eventualities that come with this life. But nothing quite prepares him for the moment that Jason casually announces that he’s packed his helmet with a thin layer of explosives. The moment when Jason casually announces that he’s basically living that half-second moment every time he puts on his helmet. Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Light Angst, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Jason Todd is a Drama Queen, Dysfunctional Family, Jason's Exploding Helmet read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/oCchIlT

[ao3feed-xicheng]

LOCAL TIRED MAN TRIES TO ORDER A VACCUM AT TWO IN THE MORNING ACCIDENTALLY ORDERS A MAN LOOKING LIKE A SEX GOD INSTEAD (GONE RIGHT?????)

by beefdogcoffee Jiang Cheng needs a fucking vacuum cleaner. Unfortunately, the vacuum cleaner he ordered from a shady website (Great thinking, Jiang Cheng!) wasn't the vacuum cleaner he expected it to be. This fic contains my very broken humour, puns and is pure crack. (..Hopefully.) Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/4, Language: English Fandoms: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin Relationships: Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Lan Huan | Lan Xichen Additional Tags: uh yeah the plot is quiet literally the title, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin is a Mess, and also very fucking sleep deprived, and he needs a nap, Lan Jingyi is a Little Shit, and lan xichen suffers because of it, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen is So Whipped, Love at First Sight, because why the fuck not, slow updates probably, unless im posessed by my writing demon but i think the demon is on vacation, what else do i fucking tag, oh yeah, Crack, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, uhhhhhhhhhhh and tags might change because, they might have sex?, I DONT KNOW. MAYBE. WE'LL SEE. via https://ift.tt/CskuSg5

[ao3feed-sambucky]

Speaking in Avian

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/48650464

by enchantedlightningwrites

After finding Bucky on his mission to check on him, Sam finds that revealing a secret may or may not bring them closer.

Words: 1375, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Captain America (Movies), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sam Wilson (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes, Redwing (Marvel)

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Switzerland, Sam Wilson Can Talk to Birds, Humor, Banter, POV Sam Wilson, Developing Dynamic

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/48650464

[ninesdb]

For less than 20 kudos I'm quickly adding this work before it hits 20!

let me in (1375 words) by jbarneswilson (@jbarneswilson on tumblr)

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sarah Wilson

Characters: Sarah Wilson (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes, AJ Wilson, Original Female Character(s) of Color

Additional Tags: Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Sex, Bucky Barnes is Good at Cunnilingus, Semi-Public Sex, Dirty Talking Bucky Barnes, Canon Universe, Canon Compliant, Unsafe Sex, Secret Relationship

Series: Part 1 of sarahbucky bingo prompt fest

Summary:

Sarah takes the latest batch of snapper off the grill and hands the plate to AJ. “Here, put that over on the table with the crawfish. Carry it with two hands!” She yells to his departing back.

AJ pretends not to hear as he weaves through the people clustered around the picnic tables spread out on the dock, carrying it one-handed like he’s seen Bucky do countless times.