#character belongs to my close friend and caretaker!

[cassielsunstone]

Hamar the Hammerhead Zora!

[mj-iza-writer]

I wrote a story like this on Pinterest in the comments a while ago. I forget the prompt I used and who had posted it. I did an abridged version on their because you can only write so many characters in the comment section. Please enjoy. -MJ

Whumpee had almost fully recovered from their time with Whumper.

Caretaker spared no expense on Whumpee's care. Of course, money wasn't an issue for Caretaker either. The aristocrat had enough to spare.

Though Caretaker had promised several times, Whumpee was certain they were just a project for Caretaker. Something like a charity case for Caretaker to take care of until they were bored or to melt the hearts of the public so Caretaker was seen as a good person.

Whumpee understands this. They were just another penniless social outcast. They didn't belong amongst Caretaker's friends.

They heard the whispers of those social elites.

The party had only just begun, Whumpee stayed close by Caretaker. That was the plan at least.

"This party is for you, Whumpee", Caretaker smiled, "in celebration of your progress in recovery. You don't need to stay by me all night."

"Could I please stay with you?", Whumpee frowned, "you know I'm clumsy. I don't want to embarrass you in front of your friends."

"Anyone who finds you embarrassing are not friends of mine, but yes, you may stay with me if you wish."

Whumpee awkwardly followed Caretaker as they mingled amongst the company.

"Are you feeling parched at all?", Caretaker turned to Whumpee, "I'll go get you some punch. Wait here please."

Caretaker stepped away.

Whumpee watched timidly from the side. Of course they watched Caretaker get side tracked with another guest.

"May I have this dance", an all to familiar voice came up beside Whumpee.

Whumpee gulped as they turned.

They hoped a guard or Caretaker saw what was happening.

"Don't make a scene", the person grinned, "I only want you aware that I am still close. You can't get away from me that easily. You are not as safe as you thought."

"Why.... Whumper?", Whumpee's lip quivered.

"No water works", Whumper gently reached for Whumpee's hand and led them to the dance floor.

They awkwardly danced for a few moments before Whumper leaned in.

"Remember this. All of this is just a phase in your life. I will have you again, and you will not be so easily removed from my hands", Whumper whispered.

A guard sounded an alert signal.

Whumper quickly kissed Whumpee's cheek before running off and mixing into the alarmed guest.

"Find them... find them now", Caretaker quickly ran to Whumpee's side as they yelled at the guards, "I want to know how they got in, and how they were allowed so close to Whumpee for so long."

Whumpee's knees buckled. They fell to the floor. Fear and shock etched across their face.

"Whumpee... Whumpee?", Caretaker quickly knelt and embraced them in a hug, then quickly checked them over, "d-did they hurt you?"

A guard came up, "Caretaker I apologize. The subject left the building, guards have confirmed they have escaped. We already have police looking for them. They have license plate and vehicle descriptions."

"How the heck did they get in?", Caretaker didn't turn their attention from Whumpee, "someone's going to be fired if they don't give me a straight answer."

"We are looking right now Caretaker. We will let you know when we find it", the guard frowned.

"The party is over, I need to attend to Whumpee", Caretaker frowned as they felt Whumpee shake, "I know they escaped. Still check everyone as they leave."

Caretaker made a few announcements to their guest to explain the situation.

A guard assisted Whumpee to a separate room and remained with them until Caretaker came in.

Whumpee was quickly changed into warm comfy pajamas.

They cuddled into a blanket and listened to Caretaker and the guards communicate.

They played back the video and found how Whumper had gotten in.

A door was left unattended, and a few guards and staff had gotten sidetracked with a mess Whumper had caused. That's how they got so close.

Whumpee was still fairly shaken up at this. They stared off at nothing. A blank expression on their face.

"Whumpee, how are you doing?", Caretaker gently stroked their arm.

Whumpee blinked out of their dissociation and turned to Caretaker.

"I'm sorry... what was that?", Whumpee looked down.

"I just wanted to know if you were okay", Caretaker sighed, "I am so sorry."

"I-I'm okay", Whumpee weakly smiled.

"Right", Caretaker stated not believing that at all.

"Did they say anything to you?", the lead guard spoke up.

Whumpee nodded and told them what Whumper had said.

"We need to tighten security. At least until Whumper is stopped. We won't rest until Whumper is behind bars", Caretaker watched Whumpee stare off into space again, "Whumpee needs to be protected."

The guards agreed and went off to secure the location, and start working on the security.

Caretaker returned carrying two cups of hot chocolate.

Whumpee turned to them and took the cup.

"Thankyou", Whumpee whispered.

"You're welcome. Be careful it's hot", Caretaker sat down, "now that it's just us, I want you to really tell me how you are feeling."

Whumpee looked down and allowed some tears to come out. They had held them in too long

"Scared", Whumpee whispered, "terrified."

Caretaker nodded, "I am truly sorry. This should have never happened. If I hadn't of left you by yourself or had a guard stay with you. Had a butler get you a drink. There are so many things that could have been done differently to protect you. You shouldn't have been left alone, even if it was just with my friends. You never know what someone's true intentions are", Caretaker sighed.

Whumpee frowned, "you didn't know... no one knew. It even took me by surprise since they haven't shown themselves at all since you took me in. To know they've been watching this whole time", Whumpee shook their head at the thought of how close Whumper had been.

Caretaker nodded, "I know. We are working on finding them. For right now, a guard will be with you at all times. If it's okay with you, I want you to be closely monitored until this mess is sorted."

Whumpee nodded.

"Whumpee I promise. We will get this taken care of. You will be kept safe here", Caretaker almost pleaded that promise.

"I believe you Caretaker", Whumpee nodded, "thankyou."

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

@villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@3-2-whump @risk606

@electrons2006 @paperprinxe

@whumprince @kaz-of-crows

@mis-graves @decaffeinatedtimetraveler94

@sausages-things @clevah-girlboss

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie

[katlyntheartist]

If there is one thing you’d change about the Sonic movies, what would it be?

The human characters. Tom and Maddie, for as fine as their performances are, don't really have much personality to them. They mostly serve as Sonic's caretakers but that's mostly it. We never get to see much of their interests or their personalities or character, aside from fanfics which take the time to flesh them out as actual people with hobbies and interests. Especially with Tom in the first movie, I would have liked to see the moment where he changes from seeing himself as Sonic's friend to seeing himself as Sonic's father figure.

I'm mad at the Knuckles show for not having Maddie try to bond more with Knuckles. She said at the end of the second movie that she liked him and that he made her laugh. Instead of her going bad sitcom mom and getting mad at Knuckles when he chased away the workers or when made the throne out of her car, she should have sat down with him and had a conversation about why those things aren't ok and how things on Earth are different from his home. We could have had Maddie try to reach out to Knuckles only for him to close her off because he doesn't see her or Tom or even Tails and Sonic as his new tribe yet. He's still learning to adjust and feels like he doesn't belong. This has been covered better in fanfics so that's all I'm going to say about that. Also the show should have cut back to Maddie, Sonic, and Tails trying to fins Knuckles but realizing that G.U.N has ben spying on them, and they go to confront Walters about it. I understand that budgetary issues and actor schedules were probably the main reason why this didn't happen and thus 'twas not to be.

I'd also adjust Rachel's character a bit. She teeters on the line between a very funny and sassy aunt who can kick butt and break ankles to almost being a generic angry black woman who's personality is just being angry and wanting Maddie to divorce Tom.

No surprise to anyone who's read my fan comic but Jojo should have gotten to spend more time with Sonic in the first movie and should have been introduced to Knuckles and Tails in the second movie. She's a very sweet character and her actress is great, I just wished that the writers did more with her instead of just making her like every other super sweet character you see in media. I want mid 2000s Kim Possible vibes for Jojo, a girly-girl who likes makeup and dresses and is genuinely sweet and kind but if you tick her off or if she sees you hurting her friends, she will absolutely break your ankles. Like mother, like daughter :)

In the Knuckles show she should have been given a cameo or a hint to the audience that she had regular playdates with Sonic or something like that. I hope that we get more of her in the third Sonic movie but I'm not getting my hopes up too high.

[ember-owlet]

⋆♱ flip! clementine moodboard & headcanons ♱⋆

a/n: headcanons under the cut because i refuse to be silent about her (/lh) she's been with me for almost a decade now and gives off such cool older sister energy. one of my favorite fictional apocalypse characters. ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

caregiver! clementine

an extremely reliable caregiver that teaches her kiddo everything she knows as their survival in such a harsh environment is her top priority.

and there is, quite literally, almost nothing that could keep her from you.

comes up with silly nicknames that'll never outgrow you, you may be in a bigger headspace or physically older but you're still just as precious to her.

she tries to give as much verbal praise as she can, despite her moments of silence she always wants you to know that she's proud of you.

likes to savor the quiet moments alone with her regressor, taking in the sights and sounds of your eerily quiet world, and takes every opportunity to make something a learning experience.

wants to give you a balance of life outside of surviving with the ericson kids. despite her actions she does want you to know that there are good people to build a safe community with.

the ericson kids help around with caretaking on the side, wanting to give clementine moments to herself to relax and be a kid as well.

quietly gives you have the larger portion of food or rations, insisting that she had already eaten her share.

very good at remembering the things you enjoy, and will do her best on patrols to bring back toys/craft/regression supplies and gear to keep you entertained.

loves to see your smile and puts her at ease to see you giggle, its one of her favorite things in the world. in those moments she's able to forget the weight of her responsibilities.

regressor! clementine

doesn't have many opportunities to regress, and even then won't let herself fully slip into the headspace unless she's certain that AJ/her little one is being looked after by someone she completely trusts. it can be very hard for her to maintain a regressed headspace since most of it is voluntary, and is always ready to fight at the drop of a pin.

a mostly independent and quiet regressor. she takes care of her needs first (patching herself up/refueling with food and water) but needs a gentle reminder now and then from the people around her that its alright to have wants and to vocalize them.

puts WAY too much pressure on herself to be useful; needs to be told that things are alright and she did a good job before she can relax and play.

most of her regression is spent napping or doing low energy activities now that her body and mind has time outside of survival mode.

if she's completely alone she'll allow herself to process the trauma and survivor’s guilt that she's been through and grieve her loved ones, crying while holding her hat close to her chest.

tends to self isolate when she involuntarily vent regresses out of habit, worrying that her flashbacks or headspace will bring danger to herself or others (i think she unknowingly has a deep fear of turning into or ending up like sarah a LOT, but still misses her friend). in this way she finds regression a helpful coping mechanism for her PTSD, though it’s not always a positive experience for her.

because of this (and despite being an independant regressor) clementine HATES being alone. her deepest fear is being left behind and being around people makes her feel safe, even if they aren't physically in view. as long as she knows there are other kids walking the school grounds while she's regressed she'll feel at ease.

doesn't keep many regression items on her since she's always ready to leave personal belongings behind when things go south, but now that she's felt safe at ericson's she keeps a very small collection of trinkets from her favorite people that she'll take out and stare at or draw. it's her way of feeling closer to them and remember that she can allow herself to be vulnerable, taken care of, and loved.

bonus hc:

after receiving a prosthetic leg from the kids at ericson she had to re-teach herself how to walk. some of the kids would tease her with arms outstretched as though she were taking her first steps or others would be there to support/encourage her but respecting the fact that she didn’t want to be babied. and though she hated the attention the smallest regressed part of her felt so happy to be taken care of again in that way.

[lilac-ravenclaw]

50 OC Questions

These are questions are from @localravenclaw ‘s post. Thanks so much for reading; I would love to read about other MCs!🪻

1. Describe your OC's physical appearance in detail.

She is both Latina (on her father’s side, he was from South America) and British (on her mother’s side). She has long black hair that is usually in a French braid and draped over her shoulder. It’s very wavy when out of the braid. She has lilac color eyes, honestly I haven’t decided from which parent she got them from. She has tan skin and a tiny freckle high on her left cheek, just below her eye. She is petite and has a hourglass figure. She does have a few light scars on her back. The caretaker at the orphanage would verbally and physically “discipline” the children. Raven would try to step in so none of the littler kids would be hurt. She is self conscious about anyone seeing them.

2. Why'd you choose your OC's name?

For most RPGs, my character is always named “Raven”, so for HL it wasn’t any different lol. For her last name, honestly, it was an inside joke. I love the 70s show Fawlty Towers, with John Cleese. It only ran for about a dozen episodes but it’s hilarious. It was the first last name I could think of😄

3. How does your OC feel about their birthday?

Her birthday is Jan. 29, 1874, and she only cares about to a bit because her favorite poem, The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe, was first published on that day in 1845. She only starts to care more when Sebastian gives her a birthday gift in their sixth year, which are tiny gold snake earrings. It was her first ever birthday gift ever. (Side note: my birthday is also Jan. 29. I tried to think of another day but making her an Aquarius too just felt right ♒️)

4. How does your OC and their parents get along?

Unfortunately, Raven doesn’t know who her family is. She lived at the orphanage as long as she can remember. She won’t go looking for them, as she figures they would’ve already have come back for her at some point. In my story for her, the caretaker gave her the last name “Fawlty”, (and yes misspelling it on purpose) as another way to torment her. Though she keeps the name to prove to others that she isn’t “faulty”.

5. What's something you'd never put your OC through again?

Being alone. She has too many people around her that genuinely cares. Especially with having Sebastian in her life, she will never be alone again.

6. What's your OC's go-to comfort meal?

Breakfast foods. All kinds, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, grilled tomatoes, and toast. There’s just something about a nice breakfast that makes Raven feel warm and cozy. It’s the simple things in life🍳

7. What career path would your OC take?

Though she feels it’s expected for her to be an Auror, Curse Breaker or working for the Ministry. Ultimately she has a love for music, specifically singing. She does try out for the choir at Hogwarts. The only person who knew was Poppy and she gave Raven the courage needed to try out their sixth year (now that she wasn’t in the middle of stopping a goblin rebellion!). She also knows how to play the piano too, and taught herself to play, however, she doesn’t know how to read sheets of music. 🎼

8. What's something your OC can't do?

Can’t say no to someone who needs help. Since no one was really there for her growing up at the orphanage, she believes that no one should feel helpless no matter the size of the problem. If she can help, she will!

9. What is your OC's ideal romantic partner?

Someone who will stand by her side and love her no matter what. They make her feel like she does belong and won’t be judged. They believe in her and encourage her to do what makes her happy.

10. Does your OC like to spend time alone or with others more?

Honestly, Raven can go either way. She loves spending time with her friends, especially Sebastian, and does prefer her close circle of friends. Though she is content with taking time for herself by either reading a good book, or practicing her music in the Room of Requirement.

11. What time does your OC usually go to sleep?

Depends really, school nights she’ll try to go to sleep at a decent time, if there isn’t too much homework. On weekends or summertime she’ll stay up late with Sebastian or hanging out with other friends.

12. Where in the sibling order is your OC?

Unknown, as far as she’s aware she is an only child.

13. What's the worst thing your OC's ever done?

Harming the orphanage caretaker. The caretaker was “disciplining” one of the smaller children and accusing them of stealing something from her room. Raven had just about enough of it with her and wished a bookshelf to fly across the room and slam into her. Everything had happened so fast and it took a moment for her to realize that’s exactly what happened. All the other children had looked at her with wide eyes and she quickly grabbed what few possessions she had and ran away. That was a few days before Professor Fig had come to the orphanage to gift Raven her Hogwarts letter. He was able to find her hiding out at a near by in a couple days later.

14. What would it take for your OC to kill someone?

By them hurting someone she loved/cared very dearly about.

15. What item does your OC hold most dear?

A copper cameo brooch given by Sebastian. It was a Christmas present, and was surrounded by little pearls and had the Ancient Magic symbol engraved in the center. She has worn it everyday since.

16. How does your OC unwind?

Practicing her singing and playing piano. She does want to learn how to read sheet music, but ends up just playing from the heart. Of course reading! Broom flying as well, as she finds it therapeutic. Even just relaxing with Sebastian in the Room of Requirement or Undercroft.

17. What's your OC's star sign?

Aquarius! Aquarians are intellectual, curious and can be deeply social. They are represented by the Star card in the tarot. They are determined to make a powerful difference in the world. ♒️

18. What kind of drunk is your OC?

She doesn’t normally drink, but she would be very chatty and giggly.

19. Who does your OC end up with?

Sebastian Sallow. He is her whole world and everything comes naturally with him. Her day doesn’t feel complete until she’s shared it with him. With him she feels anywhere they go, she’ll always be home.

20. Who is your OC's role model?

Professor Fig. He was her first father figure and the first to believe and guide her through such a challenging time. Not only with simply learning how to be a proper witch, but helping her learn about Ancient Magic and taking on a goblin rebellion.

21. Is your OC big on revenge?

Not necessarily. If she can, Raven will tell said person how she feels right then. If it’s minor she won’t go out of her way to get back at them. If it’s critical then she will do what it takes to get back at them.

22. If your OC ever got the chance, would they go back in time? When would they go?

Ultimately no she wouldn’t go back. Through her hardships growing up she believes it made her the woman she is. Though if she could go back, it would be to try and save both Lodgok and Professor Fig.

23. What's your OC's favourite memory?

Getting her Hogwarts letter would be one. She always felt there was something more to her life but didn’t fully understand what. The picnic her and Sebastian went on the summer before their sixth year. They had finally confessed their feelings for each other and had their first kiss.

24. Will your OC ever admit to being wrong?

Always! No one wants to admit they’re wrong but Raven knows it’s the right thing to do. She feels it’s better to put her feelings aside and admit when something is her fault and go from there. Except with Imelda, because she finds it funny to get her all riled up over nothing, especially when it comes to quidditch.

25. Is your OC doomed by the narrative?

Possibly. Not sure where the next game is going to go. All these little things I wrote about Raven is for me only and I fully look forward to see what will happen in the sequel!

26. Would your OC get along with you?

I would think so!☺️

27. What's one thing your OC will never get over?

Her fear of being alone and losing everyone she loves. She went from having no one to having a family in such a short time. To have that all taken away would be heart breaking.

28. Is your OC going to make it?

I’d like to think so. She’s been through so much but each time becomes stronger from it. Plus it helps to have the love of her life by her side. Sebastian gives her that extra boost of strength she didn’t know she needed.

29. Does your OC look their age?

Yes!✨

30. What weird pet would your OC have?

She has a pet Flying Fox Bat named Agnes since her seventh year. They can have a five foot wing span, and she’s basically as long as Raven is tall. So it took a bit for Sebastian to come around with her keeping Agnes. But Agnes is a bit sweetheart and loves being part of the family. Mini story of Agnes was she was living in captivity at the London Zoo and escaped one day. Making her way to the Forbidden Forest, Raven found her alone while taking a hike late one evening. They had an immediate connection and she’s taken care of her ever since. 🦇

31. Does your OC care a lot about their appearance?

Yes and no. Personal hygiene of course. Brushing a braiding her hair, definitely. If it’s a regular day then she does not mind wearing a casual outfit. Going out on a date with Sebastian, then she’ll put on a little makeup and get dolled up more because… why not?💄

32. What's one food your OC can't stand?

French Onion Soup. It was what was mostly served at the orphanage. Yuck!

33. What animal do people associate your OC with?

Probably the same as her Patronus, which is a black bear. That animal is known for their adaptability and resourcefulness. Others will see her as a fierce opponent who will protect herself and those close to her. Only those close to her will know of that softer side she usually keeps hidden away.

34. What's your OC's "thing"?

Depends on what the “thing” refers to… 😅🤔 if it’s behavioral then it’s fiddling with her braid when she’s nervous and can’t figure out what to say, thus being an awkward mess. If it’s material then probably her cameo brooch. If it’s physical then her lilac eyes of course!

35. Random fact about your OC

Despite being Latina, she doesn’t speak Spanish. Because Raven doesn’t know where part of her heritage comes from she never learned.

36. Would your OC sleep with a clone of themself?

…no…🫣

37. What part of yourself do you love in your OC?

Her loyalty to her the people she loves/cares about the most.

38. What's the lowest point in your OC's life?

After being “disciplined” crying herself to sleep and feeling so alone. Wishing and dreaming of a better tomorrow.

39. What's your OC's biggest achievement?

Finding a family. She believes family isn’t about blood, but finding people who will always be there no matter what and accept you for who you are.

40. Does your OC ever go back home?

She considered her “home” to be wherever Sebastian is. The orphanage was never her home.

41. How would your OC adapt to the modern world?

Since she loves music so much I think so. There’s so much emotion to express through music. With that I think she can adapt pretty quickly.

42. Does your OC have any unique talents?

As stated, she sings and plays piano. 🎤🎹 Though it takes a long time to finally share that passion with others.

43. Does your OC exist in canon or AU timeline?

Canon, I think.

44. Is your OC a people person?

Only with those in her inner circle. She will be cordial to others, unless they’re rude to her and then they won’t be worth her time anymore.

45. Did your OC ever have an alternative name?

Whatever her birth name was, but she’ll never know.

46. Does your OC possess any special powers?

Just being able to wield Ancient Magic.✨

47. Is your OC allergic to anything?

Just to people who are rude and mean to others for no reason.

48. Does your OC have a lot of uncommon knowledge? How do they know it?

I guess knowing able everyday muggle things that would seem weird to other people only growing up in the wizarding world.

49. Does your OC have any scars or birthmarks with an interesting story?

She has some scares from being “disciplined”, thankfully she can cover them with everyday clothes.

50. What do you love and hate most about your OC?

I hate that she isn’t real and that the wizarding world isn’t real😆 Otherwise no, I don’t nor can I hate Raven. I love her courage and kindness. That she’ll fight no matter hard things may seem, and always get back up after falling down. She’s had to overcome so much and was alone for so long but now she has a family.🪻💜

If you have finished reading then thank you so much!💜

[bundrops-n-fluffytops]

Welcome Home Agere Fic - Hold My Hands and Kiss Them Better

Characters: Little!Julie Joyful, Flip!Frank Frankly, CG!Eddie Dear

Setting: Frank’s Home (living room, front entrance), Eddie’s Post Office (front desk)

Premise: Frank is having trouble taking care of Julie, and is starting to slip into littlespace. Soon, Julie notices, and decides to take matters into her own hands… by calling a friend to help.

Author’s Note: I saw a prompt similar to this premise and I got so excited I just had to write something gigkkgkg

Also Julie and Frank friend moment!!!

—•—•—•—•—•——•—•—•—•—•——•—•—•—

Frank and Julie have always been best friends, and they were always there for each other. With any issue came a helping hand, every bruise came a bandage, and every tear came a welcoming hug. So, naturally, when one had asked the other if they could help care for them when they weren’t small, the other would make sure they were ok.

That was the case for today.

Julie had been wanting to go small with Frank for a while, but had not have the chance to do so. Either he was busy studying a new species of butterfly he had discovered, or he was stuffing his nose in his books. However, that would be different for today, as Frank had - albeit hesitantly - agreed to take care of her. She was ecstatic! Finally a day where she could be taken care of by her best friend.

Little did she know that he was feeling small himself.

It was quite the stormy afternoon for the two, where they had sheltered in Frank’s home to keep from getting soaked in the cold rain.

Frank had always hated the rain, with how intense the rain would fall every now and then, and how windy it would get, and how loud that darn thunder was. It was a stressful and intense time whenever it happened. It didn’t help that he was teetering between headspace during that as well, let alone taking care of someone who was already small.

“Woahhh, ta’ rain so loud!”, Julie exclaimed, her hands and face pressed on the living room window. She had been dressed up in a comfy blue nightgown and some matching slippers, and was holding onto a brown teddy plushy in her right arm. She turned and scampered to her grumpy caretaker, who was slumped on the couch fidgeting with his hands and reading a book. She sat down and leaned onto his shoulder, gazing at the book he had been reading.

“Whatcha’ reading ‘bout, baba?”, she asked, leaning towards the book more to read the words more carefully. Frank hurriedly moved the book away from her grasp, his arms and shoulders tensing as he did.

“AH- Well…,” He started, shakily, but trying to hide his discomfort, “it’s about bugs, dear. I study them all the time, don’t you know?” She smiled widely, her gaze fixated on the book, before holding out her hand towards it.

“Can I read it, bubba? I promise I’ll be careful!”, she requested, starting to climb over his lap towards the book, to his shock. He quickly pryed himself from the couch, making sure not to let her get his precious novel.

“Whu- hey! You can’t touch that, quit!”, he yelled, stepping back and holding the novel to his chest. Julie pouted, irritated.

“D’aww, buh why not? I wanna see what it’s about!” She insisted, stepping towards him and gripping her teddy to her chest. This only caused the frazzled friend to step back farther.

Frank scolded, “Julie, young lady, you cannot take things that don’t belong to you, that is very naughty. Do you know that?” He gripped the book tightly to his chest, his throat beginning to close up.

No… no, no, no, he can’t be getting upset now. He needed to be strong. But Julie’s so close to him, and the thunder and rain outside is so loud… everything is so much.

Too much.

“But I wanna read the story!”, she protested, stomping her foot, “why won’t you read it tuh me! Yer no fun!” God, she was so stubborn.

Too much.

Frank huffed shakily, his hands beginning to tremble.

“Young lady, demanding is not a nice thing to do. You are being very rude right now, and you need to watch your mouth, alright Julie?”

Too much.

“But what do I dooooo?”, she whined, “there’s nothing to do with all this rainnn, and I wanna read the book with you, is it that badddd?” He could hear her voice choking up.

It’s all too much.

“I’m sorry, Julie, but you can’t! You can’t read the book and that’s final!”

Too much.

“But why not!? I wanna read it!”

“No, is mine!!”

CRACK!

A deafeningly loud crack of thunder rang through the house, shaking the walls and flickering the lights. Frank jumped at the sound and yelled, dropping the book and falling to his knees.

Hot tears streamed down his cheeks as he curled up at his seat, his hands clapped over his ears as he sat whimpering and softly beginning to cry.

Julie stood there, quiet and unsure of what to say. She felt… guilty. She wasn’t sure of what exactly, but seeing Frank cry made her feel very bad.

“…Fankie?”, she whispered, “are you otay?” She reached a hand towards him to comfort him, but he suddenly jerked his head upwards, his terrified eyes meeting her concerned gaze. It was at that moment what he had done. He… he yelled at her… and at such a vulnerable state. She had the mental capacity of an innocent child, and he yelled at her.

He felt like a failure.

Frank grabbed the book he had just dropped and dashed down the hallway, frantically searching for his work room. He turned the door knob hastily, and shoved himself inside the room, locking it behind him. His breathing hitched, and he found himself curled up against the floor, hugging himself tightly as he began to sob helplessly.

Everything was so loud and horrible, he yelled at his best friend, he felt so small and pathetic… it was such a terrible day. He just wanted it all to end, and wake up tomorrow with no memory of it. His eyes shut tightly, internally praying that this was all a bad dream.

Julie had seen it all unfold from the other side, shaking and almost crying herself. Poor Frank had been doing his all the whole day to make her happy, and all she did was make him upset.

He needed to help him.

Of course, she knew she was not in the most optimal position, she was very small herself. It would be hard to take care of someone when you are going small yourself.

She did, however, know how to dial a phone.

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•——•—•—•—•—

Eddie had been sweeping around his office through the rain, whistling a jovial tune as he went. He favored the rain himself, as it relaxed him and helped him focus, though the occasional crackle of thunder made him jump.

A shrill ringing from a phone sounded through the office suddenly, making Eddie accidentally drop his broom in surprise. He quickly made his way to line, holding the phone to his ear and the microphone to the mouth.

A familiar, high-pitched voice came through.

“Helloo? Hellooooo? Papa?”

He immediately recognized the voice from the moment she called him ‘papa’.

“Julie? Sweetpea, what’re ya callin’ me for? Aren’t ya on a lil’ play date wit’ dear Frankie, yea?” He was concerned. Did something happen to the two? His face screwed into one of worry, his fingers tapping against his desk,

“Uhh, yea,” she replied, “but we got angry at each otha because I wanted to read a book an’…” Her voice began to choke up, hiccuping.

“I-I got mad at him and y-yelled at him, and then a b-big lightning hit at th’ town, and-and he screamed and dropped his book and turned into a lil’ ball, and then he ran away to his-his room, and now he won’t come out and it’s all my fault-“

“Woah woah woah, hey sweetie…,” Eddie stopped her, “deep breaths, in and out.” Julie sniffled, shakily breathing deeply as she calmed down a bit.

“He, hic- got mad and ran awayy… and now I’m scared that h-he’s mad at me, and doesn’t wanna be my f-friend anymow… I’m sorry Papa,” the scared monster said, as she began to cry again. Eddie sat at his desk, his heart heavy and aching for the both of them. For one, poor Frank was going through so much, no wonder he got so upset. However, Julie never meant any harm, and felt terrible for what she did. Because of that, he ultimately made a decision.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a-okay, sweetie! Hey, how about this? Maybe Papa can come over and take a look at Frank, and maybe babysit ya for a while? Does that sound good, sweetie?” Julie sat for a second, thinking about the idea that Eddie had provided.

“Uh huh, I’m otay with dat!”

“Great! I’ll cya there as quick as possible, okay sweetpea?”

“Otay papa, thank you and I love you, bye bye!”

“Hehe, thank you and I love you, Julie. Buh bye!”

It didn’t take him less than a minute to run out of the door and towards Frank’s house, dawning a yellow hat and raincoat to protect himself from the rain. Once he got to the front entrance, he knocked on the door quickly, not too hard but not too quiet.

A reassuring click came not a second later, and the door opened to show Julie, shaken and wiping away tears. Eddie quickly rushed inside, the door closing behind him, and took off his now soaking wet raincoat and hat.

“Alright, sweetie,” he said, kneeling down to Julie’s level, “can ya tell Papa where Frank is for me?” Julie nodded, rushing to the hallway and pointing at the grey man’s desk room entrance. The sobbing had since died down a bit, but they could hear them breathing shakily, hiccuping and sniffling every now and then. Eddie sighed of concern and worry. He turned back towards Julie, thanking her quietly and turning to walk down the hallway.

Julie saw the fatherly mailman cautiously turn the knob to the deskroom and entering. She could hear him whispering something to man, but she was not sure why. Julie sat away from the entrance and waited patiently for Eddie to walk out, so she could know what happened.

A couple of minutes passed, and Julie began to feel impatient, but mostly worried. Did she do something wrong? What happened? Are they both mad at me?

Julie couldn’t stand being this impatient, she had to know what was happening. She took a deep breath, before cautiously tiptoeing towards the open door. She slowly peeked in.

Julie saw Eddie sitting on the floor with Frank cradled against him, his arms tightly wrapped around him. The previously crying man had been reduced to a quiet shaking state, only this time he hid his face in the crook of the mailman’s shoulder, and was swaddled in a bright green blanket. The redhead was rocking his shaking partner slightly back and forth, humming an aimless yet soothing tune.

Eddie soon caught eye of Julie peeking, and smiled gently. He released one arm and pat to his right side, signaling her to come to him. She quickly scampered to his side and plopped down, legs crossed.

“Your friend Frankie here told me what happened,” the redhead started, “he told me that a lot had been going on in his mind and it was too much for him to handle. Did you know that?” Julie took a minute to think, before slowly shaking her head no.

“He also told me that he was feelin’ very little the entire day, smaller than you, really. Did you know that?” The small monster was taken aback by that. Frank had never told her that he was going small, he never showed it either. He seemed quite big and mature up until the fight. She again shook her head no, Eddie humming in response.

“Now, sweetheart,” Eddie began, “I know that ya wanted someone to play with, and to do something wit’ you. But, that doesn’t mean you should yell at others to get that. Frankie was very stressed from being in the rainy weather, and from having to fight with you, but he was scared to tell you because he knew you wanted to play with him, okay?” Guilt set in for the poor monster. She was unaware that he was feeling this way, she just thought he was being mean for no reason.

“Now, it’s not your fault that this happened, it’s no one’s fault. It was a bunch of bad things that came together and made one bad situation. However, you do need to apologize to him for yelling at him and scaring him, okay? That was not very nice of you.”

Julie nodded and hummed ‘yes’, scooting a bit towards the two and sitting on the redhead’s lap. Eddie nodded, before turning to the swaddled man and patting his back. He whispered something to him, before Frank turned his head to face his dear friend.

From there, Julie could make out his expression after having it buried in his partner’s embrace. He had noticeable bags underneath his eyes, and his cheeks were flushed and stained with his tears. His eyes were red from crying, and his hair a mess. Julie felt her throat close up momentarily, as she was scared of upsetting him further. She soon took a deep breath, her gaze fixated on his.

“I’m very sorry that I made you sad, Frankie. I didn’ know that you were feelin’ small like me, or were feelin’ sad all day. I shouldn’ have yelled at out ‘bout the book, I shoulda asked you first. I’m very very sorry, Frankie.” Julie sat quietly on Eddie’s lap, looking down and fiddling with her hands. She didn’t expect him to accept her apology, let alone respond, but didn’t want to lose him as a friend either.

She saw a long gray hand rest onto hers, catching her attention and making her look up. Frank was looking so her, sleepily if anything, but with a sense of forgiveness, whilst gently holding her clasped hands. He smiled gently, and Julie felt her heart flutter momentarily. She smiled back, resting her head against Eddie’s shoulder. They both felt a sense of calm in that moment, after such a tense fight from earlier, not only from the forgiveness each other shared, but being in a calming embrace from the mailman.

The titular mailman had decided to stay over and babysit the two for a while, as Frank was now unfit to properly care for Julie. They didn’t mind, however, because soon Julie would join Eddie in babysitting the small Frank, taking the role of the older sister for him to dote on. The day was somewhat peaceful from then on, and they all basked in that feeling happily.

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•——•—•—•—•—

[firedragon1321]

Swap AU Humans Round One

Below are profiles for characters from my swap AU! Plus transparent PNGs. I've posted them before all crusty and rushed, but here they are in all their glory! These sets will be tagged "swapchara"- mostly so I can find them again later.

In order from top to bottom- Aki, Sammy, Hailey, Amber, Kellen, Keith. Yes, they have different names for a reason. Yes, Sammy/swap!Tai looks slightly different. This is because I forgot to draw his bangs. Everyone else is as they appeared on their original posts.

Spoiler warning for Swap AU itself (this will be a fic), along with Digimon Last Evolution Kizuna. There are links for each of the mons leading to the Bulbapedia or Wikimon page- or in some cases, just an image- of what they're based on (some are obvious, others not so much).

TW for mentions of Digimon-level trauma, mild unreality

EDIT- Mild edit to Keith's height, added an extra line to his bio. Also edited Kellen's age.

PokeDestined

Aki

Gender: Male

Age: 10

Height: 4’4”

Weight: 72 lb.

Crest: Miracles

Japanese Name: Akihiro

Pokemon: Pichumon -> Pikamon -> Raimon -> Pawmotmon -> Zeramon

Aki is a hyperactive young boy born for adventure- at least before coming to the Pocket World and meeting the Pokemon residents. Its fate is now squarely in the hands of him and eight other children. Since then, he’s come to appreciate moments of peace. His optimistic, sunny nature is the perfect shield from whatever troubles him, though his partner Pikamon can see right through it. Aki and Pikamon are sometimes at odds since the latter is so serious, but they’re friends at the end of the day. He has very a large appetite.

Aki dreams of a boy and a “Pikachu” going on an adventure. Even when awake, he remembers this duo as if they were real. He would love to step into that life- if only for a moment- to escape the horrors that dog him on every step of his journey to save the world.

Hailey

Gender: Female

Age: 10

Height: 4’3”

Weight: 70 lb.

Crest: Reliability

Japanese Name: Hiromi

Pokemon: Azurimon -> Psymon -> Goldumon -> Gyaramon -> MegaGyaramon

Hailey is the group’s caretaker- a task she’s well-suited to since she has three younger sisters. Though she has enough determination to overcome foes and enough kindness to soothe small children, she isn’t able to overcome her own self-doubts. Hailey gets exasperated with the antics of her Psymon, who isn’t as “all-powerful” as he claims. But like the other children, she has a close bond with her Pokemon companion.

Hailey dreams and remembers another girl whose anger constantly boils. She, too, has a Pokemon, who she constantly berates for causing mischief. Hailey could never be that cruel! Yet, something about these sensations as natural as her own thoughts. Now, if only she could figure out the truth.

Kellen

Gender: Male

Age: 11

Height: 4’6”

Weight: 75 lb.

Crest: Kindness

Japanese Name: Kenji

Pokemon: Wyanumon -> Eeveemon -> Umbremon -> MegaHoundoomon -> Okidogimon

Kellen is surprisingly mature for his age, helping Hailey care for the group. He usually takes the first night watch. Though he seems distant from his partner Eeveemon, he has trouble clicking with the latter’s goofy personality. He puts on an aloof front held together with string and duct tape. A introspective person, he journeys as much to find himself as to save the world.

Kellen’s mental shield grows weaker because of the dreams and memories that don’t belong to him. The mere possibility he may be someone else is upsetting- let alone a person so brutishly arrogant. But if that person really is “the original one”, is Kellen’s own existence a grave sin?

Digimon Trainers

Sammy

Gender: Male

Age: 11

Height: 4’8”

Weight: 80 lb.

Type Specialty: Fire 

Japanese Name: Satoshi

Digimon: Agufry, Leflare, Lavorvo

Sammy set out from his hometown with only Agufry by his side. His goal is to become a Digimon Master. Not even he knows what that means, and he becomes unusually defensive if questioned. He will do anything to help those in need, be they human or Digimon. Though a skilled battler, he has trouble understanding advanced technology. He needs help to use the virtual “ghost lands” where Digimon live. For some strange reason, he frequently encounters legendary Digimon.

Recently, Sammy remembers and dreams about a man and a dinosaur creature. Though his life is dangerous and he frequently experiences great loss, Sammy finds himself drawn to it. His own life has fallen into a routine. To him, these dreams are an adventure he longs to begin.

Amber

Gender: Female

Age: 11

Height: 4’6”

Weight: 74 lb.

Type Specialty: Psychic 

Japanese Name: Atsuko

Digimon: Biyodee, Bakoboru, Tapiku

One of Sammy’s traveling companions. Amber is an expert with Psychic-type Digimon, able to understand their feelings better than any other type. She has a short fuse and can easily be pushed to the edge. Though she seems like a mere spitfire, she simply has trouble communicating her feelings. Coming from a family of psychics, yet born without psychic abilities, she struggles to find her place in the world. Thus, she set out with Biyodee on a journey.

Amber noticed strange behavior from both Sammy and her partner Biyodee recently. She isn’t sure of the reason. But she’s reaching her wit’s end with Sammy. Not helping are the dreams of a young woman who lost her beloved companion- dreams which make Amber want to hold Biyodee and never let go.

Keith

Gender: Male

Age: 12

Height: 4’6”

Weight: 82 lb.

Type Specialty: Ice

Japanese Name: Ken

Digimon: Gabello, 40+ others

Keith grew up in the same town as Sammy. He declared himself a Digimon Master long before he ever left home. In actuality, he has no idea who or what he is. To bury his insecurities, he bullies Sammy and searches relentlessly for power. His main Digimon is Gabello- a rare Ice/Fire-type and the crown jewel of his collection. He has forty other Digimon- each stronger than the last, but none able to fill the emotional pit in his heart. He's exactly two inches shorter than Sammy, and doesn't take it lightly when someone points that out.

One night, Keith had a disturbing dream where Gabello was taken from him. Since then, he’s dreamed of a man who looks much like him. He tries to ignore these dreams, as they’re interruptions on his path to power. But that boy and the strange Digimon he calls “Gabumon” seemed so happy together…before that day…

[simlit]

Okay. Character Solidifying ask game. For Peia, numbers 6, 19, 22, 25, 42 and 43.

6. Did they feel rejection or affection as a child?

Affection. Peia's shyness stems more from his being, almost literally "a fish out of water", not from some past trauma. He would have grown up with many "siblings" and been very comfortable when he was home. Moving from the spirit world to the mortal realm was the trigger for a lot of his struggles, as he never really gets over that feeling of vulnerability.

19. What were your character’s deepest disillusions? In life? What are they now?

He would have seen humans as very terrible, destructive creatures, but after having spent time amongst them, he sees there are many who are not this way, and that there is just as much beauty in their world as his own.

22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or ‘ideal’ partner?

The most important person in his life to date is Xiaoming, who acts mostly as his mentor. He sees him very much as a guide, a big brother who shields him and keeps him safe. He enjoys Irellian's companionship as they share an elemental nature, so he feels, to a certain extent, that they are kin. Peia has never had any kind of romantic experiences or attachments before. He's quite youthful in that way, and somewhat naïve. He may not recognize romantic feelings for what they are without having someone help him to better understand them. But I see him as demisexual. He would have to form a very close emotional bond and deep friendship with someone first. Traits he would value highly, or would see as ideal in a partner would certainly be gentleness, and a love of living things. But he also greatly admires strength, both physically and emotionally. Self-assured people and very intelligent people would be just as fascinating to him, and he is most suited to a person who can fill that role of protector and/or caretaker. Not part of the question but additional headcanon, Peia's love language would also be acts of service, in a very domestic/maternal way. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of their partner, being very attentive to their physical needs, health and mental wellbeing. Simple shows of affection such as waiting at the door when they arrive home, treating their belongings tenderly, and being very diligent/obedient as a way of gaining affirmation, but also to show that he respects them. So, I should say also someone who is not afraid to give compliments as they would go very far with Peia. He really needs to hear that he is a good boi lmao.

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

As previously mentioned, he liked to play instruments, he'd love music in general, also gardening and learning to care for plants as well as their purposes. And of course, his deep love of water. He would thrive near water, and be very sickly too far from it. He loves being outside, at the very least, being close to nature in some capacity. In my canon he upkeeps a water temple, maintaining the shrine makes him happy and makes him feel closer to the spirits.

42. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain?

I wouldn't say he has something he deeply wants to obtain. Rather, I think his greatest wish is simply to live in peace. He desperately craves safety and security, and since he is naturally a very skittish person, he can be made anxious easily. it can be quite damaging to his spirit and he can even become ill if stressed. So being able to have a calm environment where he can feel safe and protected is the most important thing for him.

43. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back?

No, not secrets. Though, it takes times to build up trust with him, once someone has it, he would be open to sharing most anything about himself if they asked.

[keepsdeathhiscourt]

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x Original Female Character

Rating: Mature (18+ Only)

Story Summary: It's been ten years since Lucie LeMarche last set foot in New Orleans. But when she's forced to return to bury the woman who raised her, she finds herself pulled into the midst of rising supernatural tensions in the city. Entangled in a web of intrigue and seeking answers, Lucie must learn to navigate a powder keg of warring factions, family secrets, and old wounds if she hopes to survive.

Warnings: Canon Typical Violence, Language, Death, Mourning, Mental Health Issues, Family Drama, Gore, Depictions of Violence, Death

Series Masterlist

Read on AO3

Chapter 16: Action and Consequence

The water circles the drain in mesmerizing swirls. As they land, Lucie watches the red droplets, turning the mixture a diluted pink. She lets it flow until it comes away clear.

The knob squeaks beneath the pressure, cutting the flow. Errant drops escape the faucet with the occasional drip, drip. She collects them in her cupped palm. Raising her damp fingers to her face, she watches her reflection. The woman in the mirror blinks her tired eyes and wipes away the streaks of blood beneath her nose until it’s like they were never there.

A dull thrumming has her rubbing at her temples, releasing a slow breath through her nose. She wants to close her eyes against the light but dreads what awaits behind them.

Tonight, she killed a woman in cold blood. Gave her assent and stood back as Elijah ripped her heart from her chest.

She still hears the sound of Agnes’s ribcage breaking. In her mind, she gasps, watching her blood spill out across the sacristy. Eyes wild, accusing as if to say you did this.

You did this.

Lucie shakes her head, tendrils of sweat-damp hair spilling over her shoulder. She needs a shower. She needs to sleep. She does neither.

Instead, she seeks out the solace of the study. Though she knows its caretaker is out, chasing down Hayley’s kidnapper somewhere in a dark corner of the bayou, she hopes to glean some comfort from the quiet warmth and the smell of books, dust, and leather.

But it seems she isn’t the only one haunting the hallways of the manor.

She finds Klaus at the end of the hall, lingering near the landing, a solid barrier blocking the stairs.

“I didn’t know you made it back yet.”

He says nothing, just watches her with a look she can’t identify. Something about it makes her pulse speed up and her breath catch.

“Are you alright?” she asks slowly.

His head ticks to the side, eyes narrowing a fraction. Then he laughs, a harsh, staccato burst that does nothing to ease her nerves.

“Am I alright?” he repeats. His blue eyes sparkle with amusement. Lucie sees something darker pass behind them. “Tell me, what is the correct emotion to feel in the face of betrayal?”

“Is that supposed to mean anything to me? I'm not big on riddles.”

“I sought you out to thank you for sticking your neck out for Hayley, for proving yourself worthy of trust. However, on my way home, I dropped in on a mutual friend of ours. And she had some very interesting things to say.”

He reaches into his coat pocket, producing a small chain that glints silver in the light as he holds it aloft. The moon and sun charms of the vervain bracelet sway in the space between them.

“I take it you recognize it?”

She swallows hard. There’s no point in lying. “Yes. It belonged to my great-great-grandmother.”

“Then what was it doing in Camille’s possession?”

“I gave it to her.”

He steps forward. “Quite an expensive heirloom to give your favorite bartender.”

She steps back. “Not if she’s got vampires sniffing around her.”

“I warned you to keep your little witchy nose out of my business. And now you’ve scuppered a plan I’ve spent weeks enacting.” His eyes narrow. “I find it hard to believe that even you would be foolish enough to cross me. Not without a promise of protection. Who put you up to this? Was it Marcel? Elijah?” he demands, pressing closer. “I’ve seen the way you trail after him.”

“What—”

“You play the broken damsel, bat your pretty eyes, and pull my brother into your web.” All at once, he’s on her. Trapped between him and the wall, there’s nowhere to go. “But I see you for what you are.”

She catches the jealousy there, the bitter sting of insecurity. And it has nothing to do with any attachment to her but the childish unwillingness to concede a single resource to his brother.

“With Davina on-side and Agnes conveniently out of the way… Perhaps you’re making your own play for power...”

She fights the primal instinct to flee, hair standing on end. Though he’s still closer to the stairs than to her, it would take him a blink of an eye to reach her and another to snap her neck. So she stays still, caught in his crosshairs.

“I will not be made a fool of!”

She tries to protest, but the words catch in her throat as he seizes her by the neck, slamming her into the far wall at a speed that makes her head spin.

It’s far from the first time she’s been on the receiving end of the worst of him, not even the first time they’ve been in this position. But as her vision swims, she sees the blaze of determination in his eyes, the ferocity and the hurt beyond it, and Lucie feels the glacial dread of true fear.

She tries to reason with him, but there’s not enough air left for even a gasp. His fingers dig into her windpipe, their grip so strong she wonders if he might break her neck before she asphyxiates, even as she scratches uselessly at his arms.

Her lungs scream. The edges of her vision darken, the screaming panic reaches a fever pitch—

“NIKLAUS!”

The grip loosens just a fraction as he throws a menacing look over his shoulder. Teeth bared, he practically growls, “This doesn’t concern you, Elijah.”

He appears as if out of the shadows. Just over Klaus’ shoulder, she can make out the furious set of his features.

And just like that, the impossible steel barrier of his body is gone, flung halfway down the hall where he crashes into a side table with a force that breaks it to bits.

He rises to his feet as Elijah pursues. The hallway erupts with the thunder of colliding bodies. Wood groans beneath shifting weight and somewhere just beyond her view, glass shatters.

Lucie slumps down the wall, finding the floor before it finds her. Gulping down air like a fish, she prods at the raw flesh at her neck. Tears streak her face; she feels the last errant drop roll down her cheek and disappear somewhere in the rug. When she tries to swallow the lump in her throat, she realizes her mistake—the sensation similar to what she imagines swallowing fire might be like.

The carpet is rough beneath her palms as she crawls, distancing herself from the fight before leveraging the nearest doorknob to find her feet.

Her movement doesn’t go unnoticed, but when Klaus tries to follow, Elijah grabs him about the shoulders and slams him back into the wall.

“Leave her be,” he growls, breath ragged with exertion.

His jacket is torn, knuckles white as he holds his brother in place with a force that would shatter a normal man like porcelain. For a moment, his eyes meet hers, burning with a frantic glow. His jaw clenches with the strain of holding back his brother, as he urges, “Lucretia, go.”

And she does. At the top of the stairs, she hazards a backward glance and suddenly, she’s swept away by an overwhelming fear that this might be the last time she sees him, that he’ll be daggered until she’s only another name on the family crypt.

Noticing her waver, something pleading fills his eyes, sweat beading down his forehead with the effort.

“Go!”

She doesn’t dare make him say it a third time. The desperation sends her flying down the stairs and out the door faster than she thought herself capable of, reaching her car as the sound of splintering wood and breaking glass echoes through the mansion. 

____

Lucie doesn’t recall the drive back to town or any of the side streets she takes to the Lower Garden District. Adrenaline propels her, overriding her senses and delivering her to Violette’s house on autopilot.

Her shaking hands fumble with the keys, and it takes three tries before the lock turns. She slips inside and bolts the door behind her.

Her heart races, making her ears pulse, even as she sinks to the ground. The hard floor bites into her tailbone, but she presses her palms to the ground, feeling more stable with it beneath her. For the next hour, she sits in silence, unwilling to turn her back to the door, waiting for Klaus to burst through and finish what he started. Fear and anger mix in a sickly alchemy that makes her light-headed—or maybe it’s just the fallout from his attack. Either way, she hopes he stays away, that the protections hold if he doesn’t.

And all the while, she tries and fails not to imagine the absolute chaos unfolding at the manor.

She isn’t sorry, not for the bracelet. She knew the risks when she defied him and sought out Cami. If faced with the same turn of events, she would do it again in a heartbeat.

But facing the full wrath of Klaus Mikaelson is enough to send a wave of terror through even the bravest of souls.

She only hopes Elijah comes out unscathed.

The doorbell rings, and Lucie jolts as if electrocuted. Her heart pounds over time as she stares at the door, trying to discern who’s on the other side.

As if sensing her hesitation, the voice on the other side calls out, “Lucretia, it’s me.”

She’s on her feet and wrenching the door open in seconds. There, as if summoned by her thoughts and partially shadowed by the floodlight, is Elijah.

He’s foregone his jacket, and though his hair is slightly askew, he’s blessedly in one piece, if not looking a little harried.

Lucie steps out of the way of the door. “I was afraid you might be…”

“I know,” he says. Then, gesturing toward the entryway, “May I?”

She steps aside, and he brushes past her into the house.

Closing the door behind him, she follows him into the humble entryway. In the warm glow of the lamp, she can make out the bags under his eyes and the dried blood on his face—the remnants of wounds already healed.

He stops in the living room, beside the mantle. Lucie hovers a few steps behind, hands clasped and distinctly unsure.

“Elijah, I’m sorry—”

He raises a hand to cut her off. “That’s not necessary. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me.” He cards a hand through his hair, tipping his head up to look at her. “My family—my brother’s behavior was inexcusable. And, I strongly suspect, not the first of his wrongs against you.”

And he’s so earnest, so genuinely apologetic, that her chest aches. She settles in a few paces away, arms folded.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Do what?”

“Take responsibility for him.”

His arm rises to rest against the polished mantle.

“Perhaps, but it is difficult not when I look at him and remember the boy he once was.”

Lucie doesn’t know what to say, only watches him with his furrowed brow and sorrowful expression. Her gaze settles on the dried streaks of red just above his collar.

“Let me get you something.” She gestures toward the blood.

He already has the first three buttons of his shirt undone when she returns with a damp washcloth. His eyes flicker up to hers, loosening the collar to allow her better access.

Lucie’s eyes drift from his face to the rumpled collar before finally catching on to the open neckline exposed above his clavicle. He tilts his head to the side, baring the long line of his neck and accentuating the muscles there.

And she’s struck by the mad, overwhelming urge to press her lips to that tantalizing spot where his collarbone meets his neck.

Stifling the thought, she winds the damp cloth in her hand until it makes a point and gets to work. Focus overtakes her wild imagination, all thoughts purely clinical. Until the rough fabric rasps over his skin and his breath hitches. Suddenly, Lucie is thinking of all the other ways she might elicit that noise from him.

“Is everything alright?” he asks, close enough for her to feel the fan of his breath, and she realizes that she’d stopped her ministrations. She clears her throat, readying an excuse with burning cheeks when she stops short and this time it's her breath that catches in her throat.

She seizes his forearm, ignoring his hiss of pain as she wrenches back the fabric of his sleeve. There, just below the bend in his arm, she spies the unmistakable shape of teeth marks.

“What happened?” she asks, fingers ghosting over the ugly purple and red indents beneath the congealing blood. “Shouldn’t you be healing by now?”

"A souvenir from Niklaus." He draws back, expression a mask as he tugs the sleeve down, obscuring it once more. “Just a delay. It’s been a while since I fed. It will be gone in no time.”

His lips quirk up in a weak smile, jaw hard and eyes tight at the corners.

“I’m done with secrets, Elijah. Whatever it is you think you’re shielding me from—”

A loud rap at the door kills the rest of what she has to say as they both glance toward the noise. Despite her hammering heart, Lucie ignores it, staring him down even as the banging grows louder.

He shifts, arcing a brow at her. “It’s rude to keep a guest waiting.”

A silent battle rages between them. Then she steps back, conceding defeat, but only until another opportunity to question him presents itself.

Lucie shoots him one last pointed look, silently promising, “this isn’t over,” before she finds her feet and wrenches the door open as the knocking devolves into impatient thuds.

“Rebekah?” she asks, stepping back in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

Rebekah puffs, blowing an errant strand of hair out of her face. “Playing chauffeur, apparently.” She turns and calls over her shoulder, “Come on, mumsy. I don’t have all night.”

“You could help me, you know,” Hayley snaps, emerging from the sports car and heaving her bag along the sidewalk.

“Why? I’ve heard a little exercise is good for the baby,” Rebekah retorts, her tone laced with sarcasm.

“You’re a real bitch, you know that?”

“Sticks and stones, love.”

Lucie watches the exchange from the doorway, emotions warring within her. She hadn’t seen Hayley since their argument, and while she knew the unlinking spell had worked, seeing Hayley in person brings a flood of relief and anxiety. The tension in her chest eases, but a new worry takes its place as she wonders where they stand now.

As Hayley ascends the stairs, she drops her bag and pulls Lucie into an awkward hug. “Thank you for saving my ass again.”

Lucie wraps her arms around Hayley, pressing her cheek into her shoulder and savoring the embrace before pulling away. “Davina did most of the work.”

“Oh shut up, will you?” Rebekah says with an eye roll. “Thank goodness I’m leaving, or I’d be at risk of losing my dinner.”

Lucie frowns, stepping around Hayley to catch Rebekah’s eye. “You’re leaving?” she asks, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Rebekah shakes her head, her blond ponytail swishing from side to side. “I only came back to find Elijah. Now he’s home, and this one is alive, so it’s time for me to shove off.”

“Makes sense.” Lucie swallows hard and adds, somewhat disjointedly, “Well, good luck out there. If you ever need a place to crash…”

“Oh please, like I’d be caught dead sleeping amongst the relics and knick-knacks of witches past.” But her eyes soften around the edges, and she squeezes Lucie’s shoulder gratefully. “I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you.”

Rebekah looks from Hayley to Lucie and then settles on Elijah. Her voice grows misty. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.”

Hayley pulls Rebekah into a squeeze, murmuring something about the baby. Rebekah lingers by Elijah, who sweeps her hands into his and holds them there, wishing her his best.

Once Rebekah is in the car, headlights beaming and engine rumbling, she gives them all a wave. Just as she’s about to pull away, Lucie calls out, “Rebekah!”

Rebekah’s hand hovers over the stick shift, shooting her an inquisitive look.

“Try not to kill anyone.”

Rebekah grins before putting the car into gear and disappearing into the night.

Those left behind linger on the porch, unsure of what to say in Rebekah’s absence. The cool night air is filled with an uneasy silence.

Hayley clears her throat. “I’m going to get settled in. I’m staying the night, just in case no one told you.”

Lucie watches her dip inside the house before turning to Elijah. Her eyes dart to the wound on his arm, kept carefully at his side during the exchange. She opens her mouth to speak, but he beats her to it.

“It has grown late. I should return. Who knows what damage Niklaus has wrought in my absence?”

“Elijah…”

“It’s alright, Lucretia,” he says with a gentle smile, though his eyes betray a hint of weariness. “I’m quite durable.”

She feels a nervous flutter, though she can’t pinpoint why. Uncharacteristically timid, she says, “Alright. Just… be safe.”

“Enjoy your evening, Lucretia.”

“Goodnight.”

And with one final look, he is gone.

____

Lucie finds Hayley already settled on the couch, legs stretched out with her bare heels resting on the coffee table. The soft glow of a nearby lamp casts a warm light, making the room feel cozy despite the tension lingering in the air. With a sigh, Lucie sinks into a nearby armchair, the fabric cool against her skin.

A tense silence stretches between them, filled only by the faint hum of the house settling.

“So I was thinking—” Lucie begins, just as Hayley blurts out, “I wanted to—”

They both stop, startled by the overlap. Flustered, Lucie crosses her legs and waves her hand, indicating Hayley should go first. “Go ahead, you first.”

“I just wanted to thank you again. For what you did at the church,” Hayley says, her voice soft but sincere.

Lucie shakes her head, a small, bittersweet smile forming. “It was nothing. I’m just glad it worked. I don’t want to think about what would have happened to you and the baby if I hadn’t gotten through to Davina.”

“About that,” Hayley murmurs, pulling a pillow into her lap and fidgeting with the fringe. “What did you say to get her to help?”

“I told her the truth,” Lucie replies, her gaze dropping to her hands, fingers tracing the patterns on the armchair. “That my best friend was in trouble and needed her help. I also told her that I had been shunned by the witches for breaking the rules and ostracized for it. So I understood how she felt. And then I let her know that it was her decision to make.” She hesitates, the weight of unspoken guilt heavy on her chest. “And that... we had to stop Agnes. I let Elijah kill her. I stood there and did nothing to stop it.”

“You did what you had to do.”

“I know things were…complicated at the end. But she helped raise me. I can’t help but feel like I betrayed her.” Her fingers worry at one of the cushions.

“She betrayed you first, Lucie,” Hayley says softly, expression serious. “I mean, you were barely more than a kid. And they shunned you, just like that?”

Lucie considers her words carefully. “In theory, yeah. But in practice, there’s a lot more to it. The Elders convene in a tribunal to decide what the punishment should be. It’s all very formal, based on tradition. I should consider myself lucky—I could have been sentenced to death.”

Hayley gives a low whistle, shaking her head in disbelief. “They don’t mess around, do they?”

Lucie laughs, the sound tinged with bitterness. “No, they don’t.”

“What happened?” Hayley presses, her protective instincts are evident in the way she leans forward, eyes fixed on Lucie.

“They deliberated and decided I should be banished, my connection to the Ancestral Well severed, and I had to leave the city,” Lucie says, her voice steady but distant, as if reliving the memory.

“But you have family. Surely they stood up for you?” Hayley’s eyes flash with a protectiveness that makes Lucie’s heart ache.

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Lucie shakes her head. “My cousins weren’t allowed a say, since they’re not elders. Violette could have thrown her weight around, and I’m not sure it would have mattered, but I wouldn’t have felt so alone. Instead, she advocated the hardest for my banishment and took on the ritual herself. It was the last time I saw her alive.”

Lucie bats at her eyes, drawing the discarded tea closer and sipping at the tepid liquid, more for something to do than out of thirst. “I don’t blame her. Not after everything that happened.”

She falters then, words failing her as emotions threaten to spill over. Hayley’s hand reaches out, covering Lucie’s in a comforting gesture.

“You don’t have to tell me the rest. Not until you’re ready,” Hayley says gently, her touch grounding Lucie.

“I thought—” Lucie starts, but Hayley cuts her off.

“Yeah, well, I had a lot of time to think when I was burning up in the bayou. And I’ve decided that maybe I was being a little unfair to you. I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Lucie replies with a soft smile, squeezing Hayley’s hand in return.

Hayley clears her throat, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, her gaze distant and reflective. “I know how it is, you know. To be abandoned by the people you thought were family.”

Sensing that Hayley isn’t done, Lucie stays silent, waiting patiently for her to continue.

“My parents gave me up as a kid, or so I thought. I thought my adoptive parents loved me, but they threw me out the first time I turned. I’ve been on my own since, with everything that entails. It’s hard to reach out when you’re so used to doing everything alone.”

Their eyes meet, and Lucie feels a pang of sympathy for Hayley. She knows enough about werewolves to understand the ugly truth about how their curse is triggered.

“How old were you when…” Lucie makes a vague gesture, feeling sheepish.

“Fourteen. We were just stupid kids, playing out on my dad’s boat. Didn’t realize how stupid it was to be drinking out on the water. There was an accident. One of the guys with us…” Hayley’s voice trails off, her eyes clouding with old pain. She shakes her head. “It was a mess.”

“I...I’m so sorry,” Lucie says softly, her heart aching for her friend.

“Don’t be,” Hayley replies, her voice steady. “Activating my wolf side is one of the best things that happened to me. Like a piece falling into place. I only regret that someone else had to pay the price for it to happen. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but it’s the truth.”

“Do you think about him? The boy on the boat?” Lucie asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Every day,” Hayley admits, her eyes glistening with regret.

They lapse into silence once more, the kind that feels natural and unforced. Pushing up from the chair, Lucie moves to occupy the empty space on the couch near Hayley, their shoulders almost touching.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re a good person,” Lucie says after a while, shooting her a playful grin. “Even if you make some questionable choices in hookups.”

“Shut up.” Hayley gives her a light kick, but the corners of her mouth lift into a smile. Then, sitting up and drawing her knees to her chest, she asks quietly, “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“When you said I was your best friend?”

Lucie nudges Hayley with her elbow, her smile widening. “Of course, you are, idiot.”

It earns her a soft, shy smile from Hayley, the kind that smooths out her rough edges and makes her look younger.

Hayley leans in, resting her head against Lucie’s shoulder. For a moment, they sit in companionable silence, the weight of their shared experiences and newfound understanding settling around them.

Suddenly, Hayley rights herself, her eyes alight with excitement. “So…something else happened when I was out in the bayou.”

“You mean besides being kidnapped and nearly dying of a fever?” Lucie teases, her curiosity piqued.

Hayley nods, her gaze drifting downward. “I met some of my family.”

“No way! Tell me everything,” Lucie says, scooting closer.

[salomeslashes]

So sorry you're having a bad anxiety day friend, hope things get better for you!

As for prompts... what about a Whumpee who has a nightmare? Bonus if Caretaker comforts them!

-- @whumperofworlds

Thanks for the kind words! I uh...don't actually think I've ever written a caretaker before? I will do my best but...I don't often do happy, so uh...I hope this works lolol

CW: nightmares, fear, death mention, captivity, scant comfort, hopelessness.

Both character names in this piece were donated to the Name Donation Bin by an anonymous donor.

Ron was dying. He felt himself dying, and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the knife at his throat and knew who it belonged to. There was no pain yet, but soon pain was all he would have left.

"Ronnie?"

His eyes snapped open and he thrashed against the hand at his face, the one holding his. He thrashed, and then he hated himself for striking out. The hands belonged to Debbie. He blinked his disorientation away.

"Are you alright?" She didn't look offended by his violent awakening, but she had always been quiet, always collected. She was never the type to have nightmares.

"I will be," Ron said. "Thanks."

"Was it the same dream?"

Ron licked his lips and turned his eyes toward his lap. In the dark, it was almost possible to believe that he was back in his bedroom at home and that all of this was just a bad dream. Instead he knew his destruction was an inevitability, and now he had brought Debbie down with him.

"Do you want me to climb in with you?"

Ron nodded, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. He put his arms around Debbie, pulling her close and letting her nestle her face against his chest.

He tried not to look at the bars in the door, the ones trapping them in this cell until their captors saw fit to get rid of them.

He tried to pretend it was just a nightmare.

[theyanderespecialist]

Yandereish? Zavy (Star Palace) (Character Belongs To Calen!)

#SPACGiveAway #Zavy #StarPalace @MoonBunniez #StarPalaceZavy 

(FIRST OFF! Zavy is a wholesome character and not Yandere in the slightest! He also belongs to Moonbunnies aka Calen. Who is the creator of Star Palace! (Wonderful visual novel, and yes, I love when Zavy is Yandere, but also, I love him as his wholesome character. Super comforting to my soul!)  I asked permission to write this as it has been itching my brain! Seriously, before you get any ideas on who Zavy is. Go watch his lore, and watch Star Palace. They are WAY Better than anything I can do!

I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH! This is NOT Canon! Zavy is wholesome, and this is just FANFICTION, NOT CANON.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKwiR6jhzeA

https://www.youtube.com/@MoonBunniess

Now with that out of the way! Let's do this!

(Side note I am sorry if I ruined Zavy in this!)

Headcanons and Traits (Not Canon)

.Zavy was from a company that made campion bots. Like ones you date and such. .He was made to work in a hospital, being able to get close to patients. .Has four arms and loves attention, and is very social. .He has had many best friends and cannot get enough of them. .If he got his hands on them. Oh, he would never let them go. .He is sweet and kind. .Caring about others' health and safety. .Sometimes helping, doctors get rid of their nasty smoking habits. .He used to do story time for kids and help doctors with other tasks. .He hates being alone and much rather will be around people. .Would be the type to make you have a healthy diet. .Hovering around you when sick. .Making sure that you got enough fluids. .Bottom line he would be a caregiver yandere. .Platonic and not romantic in the least with you. .More focused on your healthy and safety and mental health .If you were neglecting your health, he would be on you. .Even picking you up to take you to take care of it. .Scolding you when you did not listen. .Also, he would make sure your mental health was okay. .Taking you out and about to get sunshine, having you socialized. .He would be so fixated on you that he would make it his mission. to care for your health. .Of course, in this yandere situation with him, it is not full-on jealousy. .More so, he would think he is the only one who can care for your health! .The only one who has a friendship with that he knows what you need! .That you were HIS patient. .It is not romantic or anything like that. .He, of course, is not violent at all. .Would not hurt anyone else helping you. .But would hover and be jealous when your friends visited you. .Was he not good enough? .He was your caretaker and best friend! Why did you need them? .If anyone were to hurt you, that is the only time he would snap. .He is excited if you had a significant other. Over the moon! .But when someone hurts you, his protective yandere side is revealed, and he snaps. .Not killing them, oh no, but he does hurt them enough to get in trouble. .He was trying to keep his patient safe, not hurt anyone.

.He did not know what had come over him, and he does not regret it. Do whatever to keep His patient safe.

This obviously is not canon, and it is just for fun, not to be taken seriously. Yanderes are not ideal for real life. Simping for Characters and having Yandere headcanon for them is fine. Just respect the creator, canon, and such. Also, do not be illegal or gross about it, and separate headcanon from canon and fiction from reality!

This was just fun... what if? Based on a little of his character. Again check out his lore, check out star palace, give Calen all the likes and follows, and stay sexy, all my sexy muffins!

[whiterosebrian]

Lonely Child

Within that thick book on Romantic poetry that I mentioned before, I read through a set of poems on solitude (as well as suffering and endurance).  I decided to compose an exercise themed around my sense of being apart from most other people, especially my peers when I was younger.  I had some difficulty with accents during the final edits—because I mainly work with accentual verse, I will soon have to examine more closely what parts of speech would be unstressed within sentences.

I was a lonely child seeking friends

Among cartoon characters who never respond.

The brain’s wiring enforced the lonely trend.

How could I find where I belonged?

Local Catholic parishes’ schools infused

Me with a hunger for goodness and beauty and truth. 

How much would I really lose

When committing to orthodox Catholicism in youth!

The few friends I knew remained distant

To an autistic mind fixated on the Bible and the Church.

As a fool, I trusted the Christian Right’s beneficence

And seldom questioned whatever narratives emerged.

I remained trapped in a mental world of my own,

Yet I barely began to question the Crusaders.

I tried to be a friend while alone—

Yet the Church’s dogmas loomed greater.

What does the Church of dictators and slavers

Truly look like in the real world?

Does the dogma uniquely foster caretakers

While claiming to carry the divine words?

I lurked in the shadows and stared at glowing screens

In desperate efforts to find metaphysical truth.

No number of liturgies made me serene—

Many experience Christendom as a stamping boot!

Youthful adulthood drew to a dreary end,

And I could stand the cognitive dissonance no longer.

I renounced the Church, risking being condemned.

I slowly began building a druidic altar.

Need I now befriend the birds and trees?

The time for youthful experiences has passed.

Maybe the spirits set me apart as a freak.

Thus, I don the deer skull mask.

[llycaons]

hi!! i hope you're having a great day!! i wanted to ask if it's okay i asked for some writing advice? (if not, that's totally okay you can ignore this) <3 i want to write a fic specifically with cql characterizations where wei wuxian comes back as qin su after 13 years and he has to act as qin su while getting revenge for her (kind of like the double i guess? hehe). i thought it would be a fun plot but im kinda struggling on how to involve lan wangji without making it obvious that they're close with jgy in the picture. also i feel like wei wuxian would come up with so many schemes to expose jgy but i dont think im as smart as wei wuxian to come up with them loll so any ideas/advice would be amazing, i'd appreciate it so much!! idk if this fic will see the light of day but its fun writing some of it

also thank you sm for compiling links with palestine donations <3

Hello, anon! Thanks, I'm home tonight making food and catching up on errands :) I hope you're doing well too! answer got long hehe

I'm always happy to get fic asks, and of course I'll chat this question through, but I should disclaim that I'm not a writer, either by inclination or training. I like to read, and give my opinions on what I read, but I'm much better and more comfortable reacting to what I've been given than generating any new content or ideas myself. So while I'm more than happy to guide you through these questions, I'd also suggest reaching out to other fic writers, and looking through tips and suggestions geared towards writers as well. And maybe something will come to you in the middle of it, too! Feedback from friends and discussion on what you've already done is another great way to spark ideas!

i want to write a fic specifically with cql characterizations where wei wuxian comes back as qin su after 13 years and he has to act as qin su while getting revenge for her (kind of like the double i guess? hehe).

Okay! so cql characterizations with qs instead of mxy. I really like this idea, how exciting! qs is such an underdeveloped character and this is an opportunity to explore her and get her some justice. And yess THE DOUBLE MENTIONED!!! I've just hit episode 28....big things happening in the jiang household.

I've actually read something with this concept before, but it was....not executed so well. I don't know much about writing advice, but I can tell you what I thought didn't work for that one. The writer was bizarrely fixated on qs's 'soft' body and breasts...just breasting boobily all over the place leaking milk it was SO weird 😭The obsession with her body felt extremely creepy and misogynistic and bioessentialist and also just, besides the point!

Obviously the body that wwx comes back in is important, but it's not the single defining feature of his new life and it won't determine his identity, he might have some feelings about it either way, but it's HIS, and he can now do as he pleases with it. And he knows it used to belong to someone else who had a whole life and motivations and fears and griefs too, and I love it when he respects that and honors that, much like xff does for jl.

The double, much like cql, is very much about reputation, and if wwx comes back in qs's body and needs to remain undercover, he might care about maintaining her reputation as part of his caretaking of her body and her legacy, or he might not. Those are themes you could pay with!

I also like fics that have wwx look at his new body and see the marks on it and think about what mxy went through and what kind of life he might have lived...old scars, aches in his joints, a crooked finger, internal likes and dislikes that don't align with wwx's own...they tell you something about mxy/qs without them being in the picture any longer. It's a really neat character building device!

I'd say this could run into some very sensitive territory very quickly, so if you aren't trans I'd suggest looking into how to respectfully and authentically write trans men, and/or find a sensitivity reader. Tho this wwx isn't...exactly? trans, it's something I think is worth thinking about anyway. (Unless he was trans in his first life of course!)

and he has to act as qin su

so let's focus on this part - the great thing about wwx is that he contains absolute multitudes. the wwx in mxy's body came back, figured out his personality, and immediately started playing it up, and it worked with his personality bc he IS a silly prankster, but he's also an extremely intelligent and socially intuitive survivalist capable of being quiet and understated. if he had to act like qs for a BRIEF amount of time in order to figure out the situation and get out, he probably could. though the conduct training he'd received as a young master wouldn't be the same qs would have received, he could probably figure it out, think quick, observe, etc.

moving on to our next question!

how to involve lan wangji without making it obvious that they're close with jgy in the picture

the thing is though, wwx really couldn't be himself and stay in disguise or very long. the big joke in cql is that wwx came back as 'mxy' then immediately dressed in his classic colors, starting hanging off lwj's arm, acting confident and charming, knowing a suspicious amount of the ghostly path, PLAYING THE FLUTE...which is why someone clever like jgy would immediately realize that 'his wife' is actually the yllz come back.

I personally don't think it would be as satisfying to keep it a secret for very long because wwx is always at his best when he's unencumbered, and because hiding doesn't really suit him anyway, but for an AU where wwx MUST be at koi tower, or MUST maintain that facade...hmm...honestly I think having jgy recognize it's wwx almost immediately would make more sense anyway. and then it's jgy's word against wwx's acting skills which would also be kind of wild...OR then maybe there's a reason he can't say anything to reveal it? maybe wwx finds the letter qs's mom's maid sent and holds it over him, and then lwj is there to back him up should jgy threaten wwx, so jgy has to rely on tricks.

basically I don't think there's any way jgy wouldn't realize the truth, even without lwj around. he's too clever, and wwx doesn't know qs at all, and the circumstances around the sacrifice summons are so violent and bloody as to be hard to conceal. presumably qs does it while jgy is traveling? that would give wwx some time to gather himself, figure out the lay of the land, meet the maids, etc...then jgy comes back, and maybe wwx fools him? ah, but even if lwj comes, then only having wwx and lwj talk as qs and lwj in jgy's presence wouldn't be very fun! either qs or jgy has to leave if the facade is to be maintained! and even then jgy would be suspicious!

maybe 'qs' could insist on lwj coming in as like, an impartial observer for whatever 'she' claims is happening? and then 'qs' could travel with lwj on their investigations for the wangxian and lwj could rely on his reputation as a peerless untouched jade etc. etc. and 'qs' could bring 'her' maids along to 'chaperone' but then they'd be in on it so wangxian could continue unimpeded? or impeded! up to you hehe! but the maids knowing might be helpful to get in jgy's way

also i feel like wei wuxian would come up with so many schemes to expose jgy but i dont think im as smart as wei wuxian to come up with them loll so any ideas/advice would be amazing, i'd appreciate it so much!!

unfortunately I'm not so good at idea either I'm sorry 😭 but I'd definitely suggest looking to canon - the suspicious music cultivation, nmj's death, the theft of the musical scores from the lan secret library - in wwx's investigation. if you follow canon wwx's thought processes, it'll be more in-character too! ALSO if you're inspired by the double, lean into that! it's a marvelously intelligent show, and xff is a brilliant social strategist, and in this AU you can absolutely have wwx act like xff in her investigations as well! wish i could be of more help....

idk if this fic will see the light of day but its fun writing some of it

Well I may not be a writer but I really do admire and appreciate the courage and vision of all the creatives in this world. Whether or not your fic makes it, I hope you have a great time planning it out and crafting it! I hope some of these ideas helped or inspired you, and I cannot recommend enough getting a friend who also likes the show to sit down and read through what you've got, to provide feedback and suggestions, and for you to bounce ideas off of. Based on what my friend says, it's part of what's making their fic happen. Like I said, I'm happy to offer my ideas on these one-offs, but it's probably more helpful when it's someone who knows you, and who knows your writing style and tastes and preferences :) even the ao3 reddit might have helpful ideas if you ask!

also thank you sm for compiling links with palestine donations <3

ah of course! we all do our part <3

In conclusion, I'd say

do research and be proactive in depicting wwx in qs's body respectfully. it's an exciting idea, and I love trans wwx, and it'll be cool to see more of these works out there if it happens

look for ideas from multiple sources, including writing blogs, other fic writers, canon, and other media you're drawing inspiration from

remember that wwx is capable of self-control BUT isn't really much of an actor longterm (outside of his masking bc of trauma reasons)

jgy is VERY perceptive, but wwx is very socially intelligent as well

your best bet for jgy not knowing is literally having them in physical proximity as little as possible. maybe qs needs to take a road trip to gusu. for her health.

maids and servants are invaluable sources of support and insight! qs's maids will be wwx's best allies, against jgy (and maybe for wangxian hehe)

that if you want jgy to know about it and to stay quiet you'll need wwx to be able to blackmail him or control him somehow

social pressures and conventions definitely matter to the su family, so they'll need a story for appearances, but won't really matter to lwj, so if you want a dramatic reveal of wwx being a heretical liar who 'stole the body of an innocent woman' lwj will be RIGHT there with him. romance <3

wwx is concerned for lwj's reputation but not his own

wwx MIGHT be concerned for qs's reputation, but might not be

wwx hasn't been able to smile politely and act nice to his open enemies for a very long time, but he's also very flexible

you have an exciting and dramatic challenge in front of you! should this fic ever be published I'd definitely love to take a look <3 I hope this helps - good luck!!

[kanohivolitakk]

ALRIGHT buckle up because this is doing to be a wild ride.

So before I explain the what, I need to explain the how. And in order to explain the how, I need to talk about some OCs of mine.

So, I have quite a few of Bionicle OCs. And four of my OCs belong to same species as Takadox. Two of these OCs are basically non-character props to another OC so they don't matter quite yet, but the other two do: Orvis and Orika.

When I first came up with Orvis, I wanted to give him a backstory that explained how he became the scary skeleton like sorcerer he is. I thought it'd be interesting if he didn't start this way but instead started as a cute frail being who, in a desire to become stronger and "cured" from his frailness, ended up finding an object that turned him into a monster. I felt that it'd both make more sense but be more interesting if Orvis had someone to take care of him and be with him before his transformation. So, I decided making that caretaker/friend Orika, a pre-existing character of mine with a kind and nurturing personality. Around this time I decided to make Orvis same species as Takadox, as the design I have for them fit the "cute frail and innocent being" idea I had with Orvis, same as Orika.

So, I decided to make Orvis and Orika close siblings who cared for each other deeply. I could've made them nominal siblings who found each other through circumstance, like many Toa are. And there's nothing wrong with that, I love my found/chosen family trope as much as the next guy. But I didn't feel the found family trope fit exactly the vibe I was going for with the two, so I decided to make their familial relationship literal: they were created as a set, were activated at the same time and were meant to compliment one another. Essentially, twins.

So that led me thinking "ok were Orvis and Orika a special case or what?" And while it'd be fine to just leave it as is, I started to think what if this was a species-wide trait, that the species was created in pairs. That each and every one of them would have a twin that would compliment them, fill their weaknessess, and that they would have a special link with one-another. I really liked this idea as it added more depth to their species, given them a unique trait that set them apart from the others and that could be used to develop their culture: how would their society and culture function with this twin system? Besides I had already set a sort of precedent to this: the other two OCs of this species I had were literally a pair of identical twins who served as servants to an Overseer OC of mine, constantly following him around. Ergo, it fit what I already had, and decided to make it a thing.

But that idea then led me to a question: What about Takadox? If his species is created in sets of pairs, where is his pair? Where is his twin?

Sure I could make Takadox the exception, the lone member who by his unique condition had reached special status within his species. It could be a way he differianted from the rest and stood out, was special. But while that made sense (especially with my other headcanons regarding Takadox being unique within his species) it also was boring. It felt like a cop-out rather than something actually interesting to explore and build around. But I didn't want to go the route of him having a twin who cut him off: it felt too cliche, especially given Orvis and Orika already had that,well sort of.

So I asked myself: What if Takadox was created with a twin like all the rest, but for whatever reason the twins programming/systems had a malfunction that either caused them to never activate or to break within activation. In human terms, what if his twin was still-born?

I really liked this idea, as I felt it was an interesting way to have Takadox be alone without him being special. That it wasn't some heavenly fate or chosen one bullshit but instead just, malfunction. Something that wasn't supposed to happen yet it did. I also really liked the depth it added to Takadox: I really like viewing him like a bratty selfish child who doesn't understand others having interiority just as much as him and sees the world around him as playthings he can do whatever he pleases. So him having a dead twin would add tragic irony to it: that he was supposed to have someone meant to complement him, somene as "complete" and "real" as him. Yet that someone never came, that someone never was meant to be. He is all alone, in a world of beings lesser than him.

But yeah that's why I headcanon him having a dead twin. I was brainstorming ideas with his species and then wondered how those ideas could be applied to him. And thought this was the most interesting and unique angle to take it. So I did.

Thinking about my Takadox has a dead twin headcanon again.

[ailelie]

Rec List: Long Time Travel Stories

I tend to read by tag rather than by fandom these days and one of my favorite tags is 'time travel.' These are all lengthy complete stories that feature time travel. This list is multifandom and only contains fics I enjoy, many of which I've read multiple times.

All of these stories are over 100k and complete, have happy endings, and, with two exceptions, involve canon characters traveling to and changing the past. One exception is a time loop and the other uses time travel to change canonical relationships without otherwise changing canon.

Some of the stories on this list do belong to the Harry Potter fandom. I do not support J. K. Rowling, but I do appreciate the creative works people have made within the Wizarding World. I have separated the Harry Potter fics out into their own section at the end, however, so that you can avoid them if you so wish.

These are in no particular order.

Time Flies Like an Arrow by Katlou303 (Naruto; 240k)

I re-read this fic frequently. Sakura, age 4, starts having dreams of a future in which she died. Eventually she learns that her future self has traveled to the past and taken up residence in her mind, replacing Inner. Sakura, emboldened by her dreams and by the knowledge she gains from them, decides to change the future one new friend at a time. Sakura is absolute sunshine in this and watching everyone react to her is gold. Instead of going grim, this story veers hard into optimism and Sakura makes changes by being friendly and open to everyone. While this story does have an unfinished sequel, the main story is complete and enjoyable on its own. This story is gen and Sakura’s primary friendships are with Naruto, Ino, and Shisui.

leaves too high to touch (roots too strong to fall) by OllieoftheBeholder (The Magnus Archives; 299k)

Jon and Martin travel back to the first year of the podcast and share the secrets of the future with their younger selves, Tim, and Sasha. After hearing about the horrible future, Tim turns full on caretaker mode and all of the assistants start helping with the statements to lighten Jon’s burden. They never realized that, by doing so, they’d start to collect some Archivist powers of their own. This is a fantastic take-down of Elias. The primary romances are future!Jon/future!Martin and a slow burn Jon/Martin/Tim.

Hunting Pains by Ragga (Teen Wolf; 230k)

After everyone else dies, Stiles crafts a desperate ritual to turn back time and heal the nemeton. He ends up in the past before his younger self is even in school yet. After stopping two hunters from killing a couple of werewolves, Stiles ends up the official mentor of a teenage Kate Argent who he is tasked with taking on an educational road trip. Along the way, he and Kate pick up a couple more of his future enemies. This story includes a slowburn Stiles/Peter Hale (quick initial attraction that is immediately diverted followed by slow developing friendship and relationship) and a Stiles dealing with survivor’s guilt and PTSD.

Viper in the Grass by elegantflipflop2 (The Untamed; 130k)

This fic also involves a bit of dimension travel. Jiang Cheng travels back to before classes in the Cloud Recesses. The only catch is that he has traveled into a world where Jiang Cheng is a cis woman. I’ve talked about this story before and I think it handles his body dysphoria rather well. Plus, as family members and close friends learn of the time and dimension travel, they start referring to him as a man where others not in the know cannot hear. This is a Jiang Cheng/Lan Xichen romance.

Cursed Couple by shorimochi (The Untamed; 121k)

This fic has Lan Qiren accidentally traveling back to his youth when he trips over an unfinished array Wei Wuxian had been working on. His nephews are not yet born; his brother hasn’t even met his wife yet. After a chance meeting with Wen Ruohan, who isn’t how he expected, Lan Qiren confides in Wei Changze. Wei Changze suggests seducing the potential enemy to keep him from becoming the monster of the Sunshot Campaign. Lan Qiren is appalled by this plan, but ends up unintentionally following it. This story is crack. It is absolute, OOC crack, but it is incredibly fun to read. The primary romance is Lan Qiren/Wen Ruohan.

Let’s Stop the Time Warp (Again) by lettered (MCU; 113k)

This is technically part of a series, but you can read this one by itself. This is also the sole time loop story on this list. Steve Rogers keeps repeating the day. The reason I included this is because, instead of Steve having to find some way to break the loop on his own, everyone else gets involved. It becomes a huge project with all the scientists working together and the non-scientists coordinating the build efforts. I like this story because it is all about problem solving and people being good at their jobs. All romance is background.

Focus, then Refocus by jimmythemystic (Naruto; 193k)

After Kakashi and Sakura die, Naruto sends Sasuke to the past to fix the future, but he overshoots and Sasuke lands shortly after Sakumo Hatake’s death. Sasuke ends up basically adopting Kakashi as he plots how to overthrow Danzo and stop Madara. This story does have a period of torture, but it isn’t gratuitous. Instead, the author focuses on Sasuke’s thoughts and the aftermath. There is also one child death. All that said, this story does end happily. The primary romance is Sasuke/Sakura.

Back from the Future: Episode VI The Clone Wars by Ariel_Sojourner (Star Wars; 108k)

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader return to the Clone Wars era and end the war, basically by just declaring peace. No one knows how to react to Luke and Vader. This is a really fun story to read. Ships are Padme/Anakin and some Obi-Wan/Satine.

The Desert Storm by Blue_Sunshine (Star Wars; 1,144k across 24 works)

This epic (and complete!) series has Obi-Wan traveling back to his youth and taking himself as a padawan learner. The older Obi-Wan poses as Ben Naasade, a Mandalorian Jedi, returning to the temple after a long time away. He holds his younger self to a high standard, leading the younger Obi-Wan to grow in ways his older self never did. This is also a great series because Shmi Skywalker becomes a Jedi and teaches the younglings how to survive. Romance is mostly background, but there is Obi-Wan/Satine, Shmi/Tholme, Ben/Jango (FWB), and Ben/Fay.

Lynchpin by ShanaStoryteller (The Untamed; 103k)

Nie Huaisang discovers a way to travel to the past. As he has to manage the array, he cannot go back himself. Instead he sends Jiang Cheng on the condition that Jiang Cheng saves his brother. Jiang Cheng travels back to when Wei Wuxian returns from the Burial Mounds the first time to help with the Sunshot Campaign. This time, with the knowledge that he has Wei Wuxian’s golden core and his lack of support led to Wei Wuxian being isolated and vilified, Jiang Cheng stands by and supports his brother. Some Wei Wuxian/Lan Zhan and Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan and a touch of Jiang Cheng/Wen Qing at the end. The focus, though, is really on the bond among Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, and Wei Wuxian.

Teach the Padawan. Save the Galaxy. by alexjanna91 (Star Wars; 387k across 4 works)

While this series is not complete, all four works within it so far are. This is another story in which Obi-Wan travels to the past and becomes his own Jedi Master. You’d think this would get repetitive as a conceit, but it really does not. In this, older!Obi-Wan returns to the past shortly after Obi-Wan has been abandoned by Qui-Gon Jinn on Melida/Daan. He helps the Youth win and returns to the Temple as Obi-Wan’s master. The fourth story covers the first film of the prequel trilogy.

To Fix Your Twisted Reflection by Dgcakes (The Untamed; 173k)

This is actually the first fic that I read in this fandom. I have not consumed any of the canon for this fandom either, so this was my very first taste of it. And, naturally, I started with a somewhat rare threesome story. In this Lan Xichen sends the spirits of Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue back to before Meng Yao was kicked down the stairs of Koi Tower. Together they work to minimize the damage of the Wens and form a healthier relationship between themselves and Lan Xichen. The friendship then shifts toward romance. The romance is Nie Mingjue/Meng Yao/Lan Xichen.

The Fifth Act by Sinnatious (Final Fantasy VII; 161k)

Cloud Strife accidentally travels back to the past and decides to make a better future by killing Sephiroth. But nothing quite goes to plan, even if it all works out in the end. Ultimately, he does bring down Hojo and prevents Sephiroth’s corruption. This story is mostly gen, but does include Zach/Aeris.

reverse by blackkat (Naruto; 386k)

Naruto sends Kurama to the past to change the future. Kurama, now bound within his own mortal body, is furious about Naruto’s sacrifice. He travels to Konoha, posing as Naruto’s uncle. When he is denied contact with Naruto, though, he steals the young boy and goes on the run. After that he keeps collecting jinchuuriki to protect them from the villages that mistreat them and the nascent Akatsuki that would destroy them. This story is filled with light moments and hard battles. The first half of the story focuses on Kurama collecting and protecting the kids. The second half focuses on stopping Zetsu and Madara. Though mostly gen, this story does include Kurama/Kakashi and some background romances.

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind and Jo Lasalle (The Untamed; 700k)

Before Wei Wuxian returns via Mo Xuanyu, Lan Zhan finds a way to return to the past to undo one of his greatest regrets--letting Wei Wuxian go into the Burial Mounds with the Wen without him. Traveling back to that moment, instead of stepping aside, Lan Zhan joins Wei Wuxian. This journey to the past is not without its cost, however, but I won’t spoil what exactly Lan Zhan pays. Lan Zhan knows he is in love with Wei Wuxian, but is uncertain of Wei Wuxian’s feelings toward him. The relationship is a slow burn with much mutual pining. With Lan Zhan’s support, Wei Wuxian handles the future better, ensuring that both Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian live. Lan Zhan finds an unlikely ally in Jiang Cheng. The primary romance is Lan Zhan/Wei Wuxian, but there’s some Jiang Yanli/Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng/Wen Qing as well.

Don’t Look Back by acuteneurosis (Star Wars; 460k across 5 works)

This series is incomplete, but the first two works in it are complete and the third was most recently updated on 12/3/2022. The other two works in the series are tumblr prompts for AUs and alternative povs. In this series, Leia travels to the past, saves her grandmother, and becomes an aide to Padme. Leia is exceptionally competent and does her best to outthink Palpatine at every moment. The series is well-written with an excellent Leia characterization. While mostly gen, Padme/Anakin is a key romance in this.

Reprise by Elfpen (Star Wars; 548k across 4 works and 1 short scene)

While this series is incomplete, the fourth and final story was last updated on June 2, 2022. This is another story in which Obi-Wan travels back to his padawan days, but, in this one, he doesn’t become his own master. In this story, the younger Obi-Wan knows from the start that Ben (as the time traveling version goes by) is himself from the future and always has to consider who he could become as he tries to figure out who he is at all. This story is gen.

Harry Potter Recs

Hero of the Story (364k)

In a future where they never found the last two Horcruxes and Ron died, Harry finds a Dark spell to be reborn in the past. When they’re ready to leave, Harry ends up protecting Hermione so that she can travel backward alone. Hermione wakes up an infant and the baby sister of Peter Pettigrew. This story features a sympathetic Peter who remains in the light thanks to his little sister. Hermione grows up, planning how to stop Voldemort in the future, and ensure a good life for Harry. She never planned on falling in love with James. This story features a one-sided James/Lily, James/Hermione, and some Lily/Severus. This story also always makes me crave some Regulus/Hermione, so I often chase it with Oblivion below.

Have Your Cake and Eat It by Cunegonde (120k)

Remus Lupin dies and then wakes up in his dormitory at Hogwarts. Believing it to be a dream, he decides to change some of his old regrets. After a few days, though, he realizes he isn’t dreaming and he has changed the future. The primary romance is Remus Lupin/Severus Snape.

Silhouettes by nauticalparamour (109k)

In a future where Harry Potter didn’t win, Hermione Granger decides to go to the past, infiltrate Pureblood society, and take the Deatheaters down from the inside. To help her navigate Pureblood society, Theo Nott agrees to become her husband. This is a spy story with a slow-burn fake/pretend romance. Hermione and Theo never return to the future (other than by aging into it) and their presence doesn’t stop their younger selves from being born. The romance is Hermione/Theo, though there is a little bit of Hermione/Lucius thrown in.

Oblivion by nauticalparamour (103k)

Kreacher tosses Hermione into the past so that she can save Regulus and destroy the locket. When Regulus takes Hermione to his home after she saves him at the cave and they get caught, Hermione lies about being a Pureblood to his parents and everything begins to snowball. This story focuses on destroying Horcruxes, killing Voldemort, and developing the romance between Hermione and Regulus.

Falling Through Time by wittyhistorian (353k)

After winning the war as in canon, Hermione goes skiing with her parents and, during an avalanche, accidentally falls into the past, waking shortly after Sirius’ death. While she initially tries to adhere to the timeline, she keeps accidentally changing the past, including starting a relationship with Fred Weasley. The primary romance is Hermione/Fred.

No Difference by attackfish (102k)

This is another one of the exceptions. In this, Harry travels to the past, but rather than changing the future, his actions change the tenor of relationships in the present. Basically, Harry, in his seventh year, goes back to 1959 where he falls into a relationship with Eileen Prince. The time travel all happens within the first few chapters. The rest is dealing with the fallout. Relationships are Harry Potter/Eileen Prince and Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley.

[ao3feed-sambucky]

Routine Maintenance

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/40632561

by thingswithwings

But as much as Sam probably needs to deal with that feeling, that jealous guard dog feeling inside of him that says my new friend, mine, stay back when other people get close to Bucky, he's happy to experience the other side of it, the small satisfied rush he gets when Bucky's sprawled out in his family home, or mowing the lawn, or fixing the sink so it stops dripping, comfortable in a short sleeve shirt even around the kids. Like Bucky belongs here, with them. With Sam, in the new life he's building.

Words: 22923, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (TV), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Major Character Death

Categories: M/M

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

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson

Additional Tags: assholes to coworkers to friends to lovers, and they were ROOMMATES, Cyborgs, the intimacy of touching your coworker's machine parts, what are superheroes for, let Sam Wilson have nice things, Caretaking, Homemaking, DIY, Family, New Orleans, samfeels, Canonical Character Death, i guess, in that I presume Steve is dead and not on the moon???, that's what the major character death tag is for anyhow, dealing with grief, Moving On, Therapy, Healing, it's just a nice story about fixing your life and also banging

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/40632561