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apomaro-mellow · 11 months ago

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Hot for Teacher(s) 2

Part 1 / AO3 Link

@babydollbaron I need you to know your tags basically changed the trajectory of this fic

In the mornings, Steve dropped Shawn off at the before care offered by the school and then went to work. Afterwards, Shawn took the school bus home and went over to a neighbor's house, Miss Robin, until his dad got home from work.

Because of this, Steve knew he would hardly have a reason to see Eddie outside school functions and conferences. Which was fine. It was totally fine. He absolutely was not spending nights thinking about those curls under his fingers. Whenever Shawn had a story from school to tell, he hung on every word. And it was only because these were the formative years of Shawn's life.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Munson asked about our practice and I got to tell him all about it", Shawn said.

Steve paused in his current task, which was the dishes while Shawn did his homework at the kitchen table. He knew exactly what his son was talking about.

"Oh? How'd that come up?"

"I told him about it before but I didn't get to tell him about it before Yasmin started crying. He asked me and I told him."

Steve currently taught middle school, but he'd had a little experience with the younger ones. When it got close to Shawn starting school, he did his best to make sure he was prepared. And to make things a little easier on whoever was teaching him. Steve tried to be subtle with his next words.

"Tell me more about Mr. Munson."

And then the floodgates opened. Mostly because it seemed Mr. Munson was very open about his personal life. Apparently, anytime the students had a question, he answered it. Just in this five minutes between drying the dishes and plating up dinner, Steve learned that Mr. Munson played guitar, loved the color red, played a game about dragons, and was single.

"Wait, how do you know he's not married?", Steve asked.

"Because Briana asked him and he said he's not married", Shawn answered easily.

---------------------

Steve tried not to think too hard about it. Mr. Munson being single didn't change anything. Not a single thing. But a really hot alpha who was unattached and also happened to be really good with kids who his kid loved was kind of the ultimate wet dream.

For Halloween, the students were allowed to come in costume and before the day was over, Steve's email was blessed with a collection of pictures of the class, including one where several superheroes, princesses, and even a kid dressed as Chucky defeated the mighty Munson dragon.

It was so cute that Steve had half a mind to send a reply that said so but second guessed it. He didn't need to tell Shawn's teacher it was a cute picture that was the whole reason he sent it. He had to keep all correspondence professional. But it was a picture of Shawn so he was well within his rights to save all of them to his phone.

"You ha~ve a cru~ush~", Robin sang on the phone. She was pulling some dino nuggets from the oven in preparation for Shawn coming over.

"Shut up, I don't!", Steve hissed on the other end. School had just ended but there would be a staff meeting in about five minutes. "I didn't tell you so you could make fun of me-"

"Come on, you knew it was coming-"

"I told you because I just had to tell someone." Steve sighed and took of his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. "It's not creepy if he's Shawn's former teacher, right?"

"Steve, I'm gonna be honest, I don't think it's creepy now." Robin picked up one of the nuggets and chomped on it. "It's kind of crazy how we have dino nuggets and animal crackers but not the other way around."

"Please save that for Shawn when he gets there. What do you mean? Wouldn't it be weird?"

"You're both two grown adults. I don't see the harm in asking him out", Robin said.

Steve slouched in his chair behind his desk. "That's not the only fact here. There's the fact that he's teaching my son. If any of the other parents find out, they'll think I'm sleeping my son's way to the top."

"....In first grade? That would be pathetic."

"Most suburban gossip is, but you already know this. It's not me I'm worried about really, it's Shawn. Kids talk too and what if they make fun of him?"

"Oh no! My awesome dad is dating my awesome teacher! Whatever will I do?!", Robin wailed.

"He thinks we're awesome separately. There's no telling what he'll think of us together. And I...I don't want to give him false hope."

"Steve...when was the last time you went on a date?"

Steve let out a puff of air. "Does that one guy who ogled me a few years ago count?"

"Gross! Steve! No! Do you mean the guy who was just staring at you breast feeding?"

"Serves me right for doing it in public. And in shorts."

"Hey, no, there will be no slut-shaming in this household." Robin paused when she heard the door open and the bounding of feet. "Your gremlin is here."

"I think you mean my precious miracle from above. And you will treat him as such. My only gremlins are my sixth graders."

"Whatever. Just get your shipwreck together and decide what you want to do."

Turns out, Steve didn't have to wait long for an opportunity. Shawn had come home that day with a flyer for a Thanksgiving performance and was asking for parent volunteers.

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Eddie wasn't like, actively hoping that he would see Shawn's dad again. But when the fliers went home asking for volunteers, as well as an email, there was something going up. But it wasn't hope. It definitely wasn't hope. It couldn't possibly be hope. That way nothing could be dashed when nothing came of it.

So when he came into the auditorium after school, he was simply pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Harrington there. Not elated. Not ecstatic. Just appropriately pleased.

He greeted all the parents of his students, of which he only saw two others before coming to Mr. Harrington.

"Nice to see you again", he said with a handshake.

"And you as well", Mr. Harrington replied.

Eddie was sure he was imagining the electricity passing through their touch.

"Well, welcome to elementary theatre. Where we're gonna nurture any and all blossoming passions in the arts."

"Can't wait to see it. Um, so what exactly will they be doing?", Steve asked.

"The first grade class as the honor of doing a little song on what they're thankful for. Mrs. Clifford usually accompanies them by piano, but this year I'm hoping to get some more instrumentation for it."

"Oh, Shawn told me you play guitar."

Eddie's first instinct was to twirl his hair to hide his smile but it was still up in a bun, so he tried to fix his face to not be too obvious but he was sure it came out as a weird grimace.

"Yeah, yeah I do. Been playing for years. What about you, any instrumental skills?"

"None", Mr. Harrington shook his head. "My parents tried piano lessons, but I never took them for long. Just long enough to learn 'Mary Had a Little Lamb'."

"Everybody's got their talents. And no better place to showcase them", Eddie thrust his arms out around them.

"Well for now, I'm volunteering my time being a watchful eye and working on backgrounds and costumes. Plus snacks."

"Wait, did you bring the chips and sliders?", Eddie jutted a thumb toward the table near the stage.

Mr. Harrington shrugged. "It's just turkey and ham. And I know how ravenous kids can get."

"Are you guys talking about me?", Shawn asked, coming up to them.

Eddie watched the odd look on Mr. Harrington's face and was sure his must've looked similar. This was probably the longest he'd been talking to a parent without talking about their kid.

"I was just about to bow to your dad's culinary prowess", Eddie said. "Apparently, he made the snacks for this evening."

"I asked him to make his stuffing because, you know, Thanksgiving, but he said it was too early", Shawn said.

"I'm sure his stuffing is delicious", Eddie smiled down at him.

"You should come to our house and try it", Shawn beamed, leaning his head against his dad's hip.

Eddie looked back up at Mr. Harrington. "I'd love it if I could do that."

----------------------------

What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck

Steve was thankfully saved from replying to that by rehearsal starting and so Mr. Munson's attention was drawn away but seriously. What the fuck was that? Was that man inviting himself over to his house? Was it simple small talk? What was it all supposed to mean?

He was put on costume duty while the children practiced which kept his hands busy but not his brain, so he spent the next hour over thinking about that one line, which led to him overanalyzing the entire conversation. When practice ended, the teachers stood by the front entrance to wait for any parents that weren't already there or hadn't shown up toward the end to get their kids.

Mr. Munson waved off the last of his students just as Shawn finished in the bathroom and Steve helped him get his coat on. He looked hesitant before speaking up.

"Looks like you're my last one. I can walk you to your car if you want. It's pretty dark out."

Pretty dark was an understatement. It was near pitch black and the parking lot had bare minimum lighting. Steve definitely would've felt better about it if he had someone on the other side of Shawn.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

And without being told so, Mr. Munson put Shawn between them as they left the school and walked out into the parking lot. He gave a whistle once they got to Steve's BMW.

"Nice car."

"Thanks. She's been pretty faithful to me all these years." Steve unlocked the car and let Shawn into the backseat first. When he closed the door, he smiled at the alpha before him. "Thanks for walking us out.

"Consider it a routine then. At least until this place can afford to fully light up the lot."

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." There must have been the tiniest bit of a lull in the conversation because suddenly Shawn piped up from inside the car.

"Dad, can we get tacos for dinner?"

Steve snapped out of whatever staring contest he was having with Mr. Munson and looked down affectionately at his son. "What? My casserole not good enough all of a sudden?" He opened the driver side door and got in, turning the ignition on.

With them safely in the car, Eddie went over to his van and got in, waiting until he saw Mr. Harrington pull out before going his own way.

Later that night, after putting Shawn to bed, Steve was left alone with his thoughts again as he graded papers using an answer key at the kitchen table. It was easy to let his mind drift into just how...how wonderful Mr. Munson seemed.

He bit his lip and squeezed his legs together. Mr. Munson was handsome, and charismatic, and so safe, so much the perfect alpha that he'd been led to believe didn't exist. He could protect him and his pup... and Steve could give him more pups...

Steve's hand drifted down between his legs and he let it stroke a few times before freezing and closing his grade book. Time for something more mentally stimulating.

"Guess I'm lesson planning tonight."

Part 3

Tag Team

@anne-bennett-cosplayer @aol19 @lololol-1234 @hippieg1rl420

#apo writes #stranger things #steddie #omegaverse #a/b/o

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radiant-reid · 2 years ago

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omg I was literally about to send you a message about how Spencer would react to finding out about your nipple piercings like baby Spence vs season 7 vs like season 13 I think he would be so obsessed

needed some blurbs, also these aren't meant to be linked

SEASON ONE REID

You're sure this is the first time Spencer's been with someone sexually. You always thought he was inexperienced, most because his nerves about kissing you carried on through all your kisses. It's confirmed, in your mind, because he won't let his hands stray.

He's attracted to girls, that much is obvious from the hard length in his pants, but he's so polite, and you're guessing, a virgin.

So you give him the push he needs, placing your hands on the back of his palms and slipping them under your shirt. He sighs against your lips, getting the hint and finally doing what he wants: letting his hands roam over your skin.

When he gets to your boobs, what you know he's been waiting for, he feels over the cup of your bra and piercings, which he's surprised about.

He pulls back, frowning at you like something's wrong. Showing rather than telling, you pull your shirt over your head and unclip your bra, cupping your boobs to show them off.

"Wow." He stammers, red-faced. "I didn't know you..."

"Got my nipples pierced?" You fill in, loving how innocent he is despite the dirty thoughts you have about each other. "What do you think?"

You know from his slack jaw and figurative droll. "G-good." He answers. "Seductive."

"Wanna touch them?" You offer.

He jumps at the chance like he's forgotten he gets to touch you. Like he's going to break you, he touches the metal and your nipples harden. You place your hands over his, putting a little more pressure on your nipples, pressure he wasn't going to put without prompting.

"So, do you like?" You ask, but the answer is obvious.

He looks up at you with those big brown eyes, clouded by lust and nods. "A lot."

Something tells you this isn't the first time he's going to gawk at your chest.

SEASON 7 REID

Oddly, it's not late when you finally get to your rooms for the night. Something tells you it has to do with Hotch's new frequent caller, but you're not going to push it, and risk the reasonable amount of sleep you've started getting.

The BAU's budget is also looking more positive, like the rest of everyone's lives seem to be, and it's down to the fact Spencer and you no longer need or want your own hotel rooms.

You've not been together for an extensive amount of time, but the team knew pretty much immediately. Spencer would claim it's because they're world-class profilers, but you know it's because he can't keep his eyes off you.

You quickly strip off for bed for the night, putting on a tank and some boy shorts while he brushes his teeth. He stops on the carpet when he comes out of the bathroom and gives your body the once over.

"What? Since when?" He asks, voice higher pitched than usual as he looks directly at your tits.

"Eyes up here, Reid." You joke.

He walks over, wasting no time holding your waist so he can pull your tank tighter and see your piercings. "How did I not know this?" He asks, stumped.

"Because you've been far too impatient to take my top off any of the times we've had sex." You remind him with a laugh.

He nods, hands moving upwards to toy with the piercings. "I can't help it. You're so hot, but I would have if I knew they were this perfect."

He pulls back to check his watch and you're wondering how the time could be more important than him awing over your body. "What?" You ask.

"Just checking we have enough time to have sex." He explains, before revealing his findings. "We do."

You chuckle, grinning at him. "Alright, but in the shower. Kill two birds with one stone and all of that."

SEASON 13 REID

Spencer, in the bedroom, isn't what you expect. Without speaking to him, he oozes confidence- it's a mix of his height and stance- and talking to him, he's a little more awkward, but you've always found it incredibly endeering. In the bedroom, though, he's much more in control, like sex is something he has done before and similar to a lot of other things in his life, perfected.

He's leaning over you on his couch, movie night abandoned in favor of making out with you. It's been a few dates of makeout sessions, like you're teenagers, but it's yet to get this heated.

His fingers play with the hem of your shirt, but he doesn't want to go too far without permission, so he slides his tongue out of your mouth and removes his lips from yours, leaving a salvia trail between you.

"Can I?" He asks, and you nod in response. It's not enough for him. "Words, baby. Let me hear you say it."

As if he couldn't get any hotter. "Touch me, Spencer." You beg.

That does it for him, and with a small groan, his big palms glide under your shirt. Expectedly, he stops at the metal on your nipples, and he confirms what he thinks is going on by pulling down your bra cups and touching your piercings without a barrier.

"Surprised?" You tease his stilled reaction, pleased with yourself.

"Pleasantly." He agrees, flicking the piercing to determine if it'll hurt you. It doesn't, in fact, it only makes you moan. "Now it's my turn to surprise you." He decides.

You scoff, shaking your head. "I'm not going to be surprised when you fuck me better than anyone has in my life. I can already tell that." You inform him. It's true. The way he pays attention to your body, even just as you make out is a telltale indicator.

"Okay, then I'm going to prove it to you." He decides, leaning his weight back on his knees, so he can lower himself enough for his lips to reach your stomach, and let the proving begin.

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid blurb #criminal minds

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mistystepmoonbeam · 10 months ago

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Reborn in BG3: Chapter 2

You're reborn into BG3 with only the memory of your past life. Now you're Tav's companion on his journey, and must learn about yourself as much as your new reality.

Chapter 2: Now that all the companions are gathered it's time to move on to the druid's grove.

Link to AO3

A/N: Thank you to everyone giving part one love! <3 The more I write this the more I fall in love with my own Tav lol.

Lae’zel was just as arrogant when rescued as she was in the game, but surprisingly she was the one to suggest ditching a couple of party members. It’s too conspicuous to travel with so many, so Tav made the decision to send two on to make camp nearby. And of all the people to send, he sent away Shadowheart and Gale. They each questioned the decision but headed off soon enough.

You wonder why he chose to keep you, clearly the weakest link. You wonder those thoughts aloud when you approach the Emerald Grove and hear Aradin demanding entry, and the goblin assault begins.

“Hardly the time for those questions,” Astarion answers.

“Just stay back,” Tav warns. “And get your dagger out.”

You stand atop the small hill across from the gate, two goblins on the stair-like cliffside and climbing up, while Tav and Lae’zel jump down to help those at the gate. Astarion has his bow drawn and sends an arrow to the closest goblin’s face—it goes down with a heavy thud, body tumbling into the other one knocking him down long enough for the vampire to pull out a dagger and start stabbing.

You do as Tav says and pull your own dagger from your boot.. What once felt large in your hand now seems incomparably small when facing a group of goblins.

And there’s no turns here. The goblins aren’t about to wait patiently for you to stick your blade into them. The fray is nothing but chaos until a young man in a red coat jumps down from the top of the gate, rapier in hand. That stills the goblins enough for you to make sense of some of the battle.

Tav and Aradin have taken down two goblins themselves while Lae’zel thrusts her sword into the bugbears chest—another two goblins are felled by Astarion and the female archer, and then the last of them are taken out by Wyll’s Arms of Hadar. The green and black tendrils erupt from the ground, draining the nearest creatures of life before fading back into the dirt. All the while you stood behind Astarion holding the tiniest dagger known to Faerun.

You take careful steps to the edge of the cliff, avoiding any spilled blood, and look at the carnage below. Astarion moves up to the ledge below where you stand, saying something that sounds like “good to have you in the group” but you don’t pay him any mind. There’s too much blood rushing in your ears to hear his snark, and that phantom limb has grown friends as it reaches towards the dead that surround you.

Take, something whispers, take what is yours.

Take take take take!

It repeats in your mind as the body nearest you twitches, legs twisting as if alive but stills as soon as Astarion pulls the arrow from its face. The squelch of sputtering blood is enough to draw you from your trance, facing Astarion.

“What did you say?” Your voice is barely above a whisper.

“A sheltered one, aren’t you?” he asks. He thinks you’re scared of the bodies, the violence. You nod, because he’s not technically wrong. Those limbs retract and that little voice that demanded something of you vanishes. Let them all think you’re scared of the blood, because that’s what the trill in your chest was, wasn’t it? Fear.

“I’ll get used to it,” you say more to yourself than Astarion. You stow your blade back in your boot, noticing that Tav is leaping between the goblin bodies and searching them for loot. His tail wags in the air as he bends to scavenge each corpse, eagerness on display.

“I would have almost guessed you were excited by the way you gripped that dagger.” Astarion holds a hand out to you. He’s a ledge below you, waiting to help you down despite the attitude you hear in his tone. Or maybe not attitude but…accusation? No. That doesn’t fit him. But neither does helping a stranger down a rocky cliff, yet there he is holding out a hand.

You stupidly stare at his pale hand, pondering its purpose. He sighs with a roll of his eyes before he grabs your hand and tugs. “Come along then, all the scary goblins are dead.”

You let him lead you down the cliffside, his hand actually…warm? Well, nothing llike the heavy warmth of Tav, but still comforting as you pass the dead. Astarion swaps holding your hand with his left rather than right as you reach the bottom, placing his now free hand on your back to guide you on the last large descent.

“There now,” he says, all fake smile and fake emotion, “safe and sound.”

His words are directed at Tav, who is still searching the last body. Ah, he’s endearing himself to Tav. Help the person the leader is helping, because you’re stuck with them anyway, and you’ll look better to the group overall and be less suspicious should anything unsavoury happen to them. The memory of critically failing your rolls when he fed on your Tav comes to mind and you make a mental note to keep your dagger very close at night.

Astarion lets go of your hand once Tav deems you safe enough. You give him a small thanks and receive that fake smile in return. You can’t bring yourself to smile back, knowing what you know.

“Hurry inside!” a tiefling shouts from atop the gate. Zevlor. “Before more of them come!”

“Here,” Tav says excitedly. He pushes his hands towards you, a staff laying gently on both palms as if this were an offering to his better. The top of the staff is decorated with some poor creature's skull and assorted bones. A fox, maybe? No matter, its bones have now been shaped and tied together along the smooth wooden staff like some sort of talisman. As you take it Tav adds, “It may not be what you’re used to, but it should help you channel your magic.”

Your brows raise—he was more perceptive than you thought a barbarian would be. Even if he was assuming you could use magic, and were having trouble doing so.

You notice there are small clear crystals dangling from some of the stones, and two large cut pieces of amethyst within the eye sockets of the skull. The more you look at the staff the more you see how finely it’s been crafted—hardly the work of goblins.

“Thanks,” you say. You twirl it in your fingers, watching the crystals sparkle in the light and feeling a comforting chill fall over you. Almost like stepping into the shade on a hot summer day.

Tav’s tail swishes back and forth at your approval. “Let’s get inside before they change their mind.”

Inside the grove Aradin and Zevlor are already arguing. Like with Astarion’s false cries for help, Tav is quick to move ahead and get into the thick of things. You can hear a woman crying above the gate—Arka, mourning the loss of her brother. You block it out as much as possible, along with the voice in your head that whispers, Take.

You watch Tav settle the argument without any fists flying, then Aradin and what’s left of his crew storms off.

Zevlor and Tav exchange a few words, but your attention is on the spaciousness of the grove itself. It looked so small on a computer screen, but now you can appreciate the majesty of it; the smell of the forest, the way the wind comes from down in The Hollow and wraps you in a safe cocoon. It would be so peaceful if not for the scared tieflings, and the angry druids, and of course the rats you know aren’t really rats.

“Goblin got ya?” Zevlor says to Tav with a bit of surprise. “You should talk to Nettie—she’s not as profound as Halsin but she can take a look at you. While you’re there maybe you could talk Kagha out of this Rite of Thorns.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Tav replies.

“We’re messengers now?” Astarion has no qualms complaining directly in front of the one making the desperate request.

Without thinking you give him a quick elbow to the ribs. You hiss, “Be nice!”

Astarion is so taken aback by your assault he can only baulk at you, eyes wide. You try to keep your face as neutral as possible while you stand next to him, ignoring his stare in your peripheral vision. Tav snickers at your actions, and that in itself is enough to keep Astarion at bay. You imagine a die in your mind, the big number one mocking you as you try to push away the thought of Astarion feeding on you in the dead of night.

You felt a glare directed at the back of your head as you followed Tav and Lae’zel down the hill and into The Hollow. It could be your imagination, but there was a particular weight to Astarion’s gaze whenever you looked back at him. Still, you stood by your decision and kept your chin up.

Tav stops to talk to the three siblings, successfully convincing them to stay and help the other tieflings. You all take the boarded path towards the back of the cave where Aradin and his crew sit, and there you spot Meli, a young tiefling refugee, about to pickpocket Barth for his mothers locket. You wonder if you should stop him but it’s Tav that steps up and sets a hand on the boy's shoulder, surprising Meli and you. Tav squats down and whispers something in the boy's ear—whatever it was it has Meli smiling and darting off, locket all but forgotten.

“What was that?” Barth asks, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Just telling him he should challenge himself,” Tav answers. He doesn’t elaborate and instead goes right into questioning the trio about Halsin.

You listen as they discuss the wizard in Baldur's Gate and the Nightsong when you feel the faintest touch at your hip. You glance to your right to find Meli dashing off, and the weight of the bag beneath your coat gone.

“Hey!” you shout. Meli doesn’t even turn around as he runs out of sight beyond the bend.

Astarion chuckles.

You spin towards him standing behind you, where he would have had an uninterrupted view of you getting pickpocketed.

“Really?” you question.

Astarion shrugs in response, one arm crossed over his torso while he waves his other hand up as if to say, “What can you do?”

You don’t even know what you lost but the embarrassment of being robbed, with witnesses, brings a heat to your cheeks. Frowning, or maybe just pouting, you hurry after Meli. At least you know where they are.

You pass by the siblings that have made their way down, past Dammon, and the two older women of which neither were human, to get to the kids’ hideout. You wonder if Mol would be kind enough to return your things as you go over the different events that could give you her favour.

You’re ready to beg, honestly, for a look at what you lost at the very least. For all you know your entire identity is in that bag that you haven’t had a moment to investigate. But that gets put on the back burner when you hear a woman yell, “Shut up! Just shut up!”

“Arka, please,” a man says. You turn to your left, spotting Arka and a male tieflings whose name escapes you in the makeshift prison. She’s already got her crossbow aimed at the goblin Sazza. You swear under your breath as you look back at the others, Tav still engaged in conversation with Aradin and Lae’zel talking to Remira. The only one that watches you now is Astarion, all the other tieflings around you minding their own worries. You bounce on your heels, unsure if you have time to get Tav before Arka takes her shot. When you hear the goblin taunt her about losing her nerve you decide you can’t wait, and dash into the prison.

“Here it comes you little—“

There’s a lot you could do to stop Arka. You could shout, “Stop!” or “Help!” or hit her with your new staff. But none of that happens. Instead you let out a puff of air that’s supposed to be words, drop the staff, and dive to stop the arrow from penetrating the goblins skull. It works…mostly.

You see blood splash onto Sazza’s face before you feel the pain. When you land, the collision with the ground vibrates through your body before you feel the shock of the arrow that now penetrates through your right hand.

If it wasn’t for your plush coat, you would have felt the gravel digging into your hip. You can certainly feel it on your right thigh, the small slide along the ground enough to grind the rocks against your body. Your right arm is bent at the elbow with your hand in the air, head down as you try to take stock of all the different things you’re feeling in that moment.

Embarrassment from being robbed, pain all along the right side of your body, a piercing burn in the palm of your hand, and more embarrassment that you didn’t just smack Arka with your staff because that is literally what it is for.

The three beings that surround you stay silent, as if they too cannot believe you just did that. You’re lucky the arrow is thin and crudely made—a stronger one would have probably gone through your hand and into Sazza’s eye.

“Oh, my,” comes Astarion’s lilting voice, “it seems I missed the show.”

Weakly, you raise your head and turn to face him, body relaxing onto the ground. He stands in the doorway of the prison, a finger to his lips as he grins at your valiant display of courage. Not everyone would do what you did! Not everyone was so reckless as to risk their life for a goblin that would kill them just for fun. Yes…that was a special kind of stupid. Your face burns again as Sazza laughs loudly.

“Looks like the Absolute sent me a saviour,” she says, voice scratchy and mocking. It’s directed at you just as much as it is Arka.

Arka growls. “Why did you do that?!”

You cough away the dust you’d been breathing in and straighten on the ground. There are a few responses you can give, but the honest truth isn’t one of them. You’d let her kill Sazza before, multiple times—sometimes you skipped the scene all together! But…when it’s no longer a game something in your soul drives you to stop it. All you’re left to do is shrug and shake your head.

Arka glares at you as you lift yourself to your feet. You’re shaking again like when you’d first woken up, except this time there’s a clear reason why. The arrow through your hand is forcing your body to pump out heavy doses of adrenaline, and if not for the arrow you’d probably be bleeding profusely. It still drops down your forearm as you hold it above your waist.

“She’s a prisoner,” you finally relent, “she’s not here to be killed. She could have useful intel on the goblin camp.”

Sazza huffs at the idea of her giving up her tribe. You ignore the goblin and watch Arka bite her bottom lip and storm away. The male tiefling—what the hells was his name again?— bows his head as thanks before following her.

Astarion moves out of the way to avoid any misdirected rage from Arka. As he approaches you he says, “I see you’re one of those self-sacrificing types.”

“No, just stupid,” you reply.

A sudden puff of a laugh comes from him and when you try to meet his eyes you find him looking away from you, a smile hidden beneath one hand. “That’s another way of putting it.”

He doesn’t come too close to you as you observe the wound. While it hurts, it’s not as bad as you thought a piercing wound would be. Not that you thought much about that, anyway. You flipped your hand around, observing the wound carefully—should you just pull the arrow out? You recall how difficult it had been to get Gale out of the sigil and think better of doing the task yourself. You hold your bloody hand towards Astarion. “Do you mind? I won’t be able to do it myself.”

Whatever he’s thinking is kept to himself, his mouth still and eyes unwavering as they survey your face.

“Why don’t we find you that healer?” he suggests. “I’m sure this Nettie will get you fixed up and ready to dive in front of a fire arrow in no time.”

When you only nod Astarion adds, “I feel this should go without saying, but don’t jump in front of a fire arrow. Unless it’s to save me, at which point, follow your instincts, darling.”

You press your lips together in an attempt to hide your growing smile. He called you darling. It sounded so much sweeter with those red eyes on you than it ever had in game. You let the smile out and laugh. “No promises, but I think I’m okay with losing a bit of blood for you.”

“Oh my goodness!”

You and Astarion look to the doorway to see Auntie Ethel standing there, mock worry on her face. It really did look genuine though, if you didn’t know what she is. She is a much better actor than Astarion.

“You poor thing,” she says, hurrying to your side and wrapping an arm around your shoulders, observing your injury. “What happened? Oh, no matter, I’ll get this treated. Come with me, petal.”

Despite her frail appearance, Auntie Ethel is able to strong-arm you out of the makeshift prison. She makes a fuss the whole way to her little cove within the cave. You’re careful to avoid looking for Arka, and to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes as the woman makes a fuss over you. You can’t hear Astarion’s steps but you know he’s following, if only by the icy grip that reaches out from the back of your head.

TAGLIST

@half-poison-and-half-hope @sanscas @hotmesshobbit @godoffuckedupcats @thequeen-oni @terrenuserinj @straewberrysoda @theomnipotentfox @becksynthetic @quitecontrary-to-mary @furblrwurblr @mega-trash-cringe @fandomsbookclub

#bg3 #reborn into Baldur's Gate 3 with no memory and plenty of money #badger's gate 3 #astarion #tav #lae'zel #gale dekarios #fanfic #bg3 fanfic #bg3 fanfiction

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youling-the-ghost · 5 months ago

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sfth incorrect quotes pt.4 because I'm addicted to making these (the link I used)

*Sam is reading a Clifford The Big Red Dog book* Luke, watching: How did he get to be so big? Do they ever explain that? Sam: Well, Emily’s love for him grew, and so did he. Luke: Well, your dog is pretty small. Guess that says something about you, huh? Sam, angrily shutting his book: YOU’RE SMALL! WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT YOUR PARENTS?!?! AJ: Hey, Tom? Tom: Yeah? AJ: Can a person breathe inside a washing machine while it’s on? Tom: Tom: Where’s Luke?

Sam: You know what the problem is? Your really cute, so no one ever told you to shut your pie-hole. Luke: You think I’m cute? Sam: SHUT YOUR PIE-HOLE! AJ: I am an expert at identifying birds. Tom: Okay, what about those ones flying over there? AJ: Yeah, they're all birds. Luke: What are you guys playing? AJ: Go Fish. Luke: That’s a nice, safe game. Luke: But don’t you need cards? AJ: Where do you keep the spear gun? Sam: I regret nothing!!! Tom: I regret everything!!! Luke: Live fast, die young, leave behind a pretty corpse! That’s what I always say! AJ: You should say something else. Sam: I failed my safety training course today. Tom: Why, what happened? Sam: Well one of the questions was "In case of a fire, what steps would you take?" Tom: And? Sam: Well apparently "FUCKING LARGE ONES" isn't an acceptable answer. Luke: But what about AJ? Sam: Don't worry about him. Sam: I once watched him fall down 5 flights of stairs, stand up, and keep eating his hotdog like nothing happened. Luke: Caffeine no longer keeps me awake while I work, so instead I have Tom periodically send me texts saying ‘we need to talk.’ Luke: It gives me the right amount of adrenaline and fear I need to keep going. Tom: That sounds like a terrible plan. Sam: Oh, we've had worse. AJ: I sort of did something and I need some advice, but I don't want a lot of judgment and criticism. Luke: And you came to me? AJ: So, I've been thinking Tom- Tom: That's dangerous. Sam: FIGHT ME, YOU NERD ASS SLUT! Luke: At least try to sound slightly more sophisticated when you threaten someone. Sam: Oh, I'm sorry. I should ask; dost thou want to engage in a duel, my good bitch? Luke: Somehow that's worse. *AJ is crying after a breakup* Luke: There there, AJ. AJ, still crying: Thanks, but how did you get into my room? Luke: Great question— Tom: My aesthetic is "would be suspected of witchcraft by small town citizens." Tom: All of your existences are confusing. The Squad: How so? Tom: Your presence is annoying, but the thought of anything bad happening to any of you upsets me. Tom: *looks at AJ* Tom: Baby boy. Baby. Tom: *looks at Sam* Tom: Evil. (Luke is somehow both at the same time) Sam: I love being right. It’s one of my favorite personality traits. AJ: What's the most illegal thing you can do with one dollar? Sam: Exchange it for a hundred pennies, put them all in a sock, and then beat someone to death with it. AJ: One time I went to hand Sam a bowl of soup. I wanted to say “Careful, it’s hot!”, and “Here’s your soup!”, so instead I blurted out “Careful it’s soup.” Tom: I am in charge of this disaster! AJ: I have a name, you know. Tom: Luke, Sam, I love y’all and all, but can I ask what in the hell are you doing? Sam, trying to stabilize a tower of folding chairs that Luke is sitting atop: Oh nothing much. Luke: I love you too :) Tom: Do you know a turtles only weakness? AJ: No...well, their slowness. Tom: Their weaknesss is they can't roll over when they are on their backs. Tom: Now I have a plan. Tom: If I duct tape two turtles together, they'll be unstoppable. Sam, talking about Luke: WHAT THE FUCK I WAS ARGUING WITH HIM AND I SAID “OOH YOU WANNA KISS ME SO BAD” AND GUESS WHAT? HE DID. HE KISSED ME. WHAT THE FUCK WHAT DO I DO. AJ: What are you writing? Sam: The government wants to know what kind of weapons we have in the house. I'm letting them know it's private information. Tom, looking over Sam's shoulder: This just says 'fuck around and find out' in calligraphy. AJ: I was voted “friendliest classmate” in high school. Sam: I was voted “most likely to become a clown”... Luke: You think that’s bad? HA! I was voted “most likely to get rabies”! AJ: Sam won’t come out of their room! Tom: Just tell them I said something. AJ: Like what? Tom: Anything factually incorrect. AJ, shrugging: If you say so. Sam, arriving moments later: Did you just say the sun is a PLANET?

#shoot from the hip #shoot from the hip incorrect quotes #I'm having way too much fun making these #sooner or later I'm gonna start repeating quotes because I can't keep track of all of them #luke manning #tom mayo #sam russell #alexander jeremy

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yawn-junn · 1 year ago

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We can have a one shot leehan x fem! Member reader where leehan can’t stop kissing her and she ends up all red, out of breath and embarrassed and it happens just before the interview w Korea and during the long, we can notice the embarrassment of the reader while leehan secretly makes fun of her 🤭🤭

☆Lover Boy - Leehan☆

☆Special thanks to: anon, bnd, Leehan

☆Note: sorry this took so long I was on a small break trying to gather my requests all while being in and out the hospital also ngl writing the kiss scene actually got me kicking my feet and giggling

☆TW: teasing : private relationship : established relationship : cursing : lots of kissing : borderline making out : suggestive if you squint : mentions of getting hate : reader is referred to as a girl :

☆Taglist: no one at the moment but you can join by either sending an ask or commenting on my Taglist page you can get there by clicking this link

8-31-23

"Ok your on in 30" BND's manager said as he looked at the boys(and girl) scattered around the room, they all made a noise of acknowledgment before resuming back to whatever they were doing. You currently we're nestled into Leehans side as he played with your fingers and jewelry the stylists scattered around your hands and arms

"Leehan please don't mess anything up" your stylist said as she playfully glared at Leehan causing him to semi role his eyes before brushing her off "why the attitude?" You asked him as you slightly nudged his arm he shook his head no not giving you a real answer

You sighed before deciding not to pry if somthing is bothering him he'll eventually tell you. "On in 20" you heard the manager speak again this time around no one responded and continued to do there own things but did look over at him to make sure he knows they heard

"Leehan let's play a game" you said releasing your arms from his hold and turning to face him causing him to also turn in his seat towards you "what game?" He asked tilting his head to the side "nothing drastic just Rock, Paper, Scissors" you said as you put one of your hands in a fist Infront of you waiting for him to follow

When he did you started the game "Rock! paper! scissors! SHOOT!" you said as you made the scissors shape with your hands and he made the rock shape you sighed in defeat "ok best of 3" you said he giggled a little before continuing once again you lost with paper

"Again again" you said with a determined face he hummed before doing the motions one more time this time you lost again with Rock "ok y'know what let's play a different game" you said giving up and turning back to sit normally in your seat "Nu-uh" he said turning you back around "you owe me a prize" he said leaning closer

"I dont owe you shit" you said "LANGUAGE!" your manager shouted from his seat across the room at you causing you and Leehan to roll your eyes before focusing back on one another "you do tho doesn't the winner always get a prize??" Leehan teased cocking his head to the side "yeah but in this case you don't" you huffed crossing your arms over your chest

"That's not fair anyway I was thinking for my prize..." He trailed off looking at your lips "no" you said shaking your head "you'll mess up my makeup and I don't feel like getting yelled at for it" you finished in a stern tone only for Leehan to shrug you off before leaning in closer "besides you didn't give me my daily kisses today" he whispered for only you to hear "is that what the attitude is about? Because I didn't kiss you?" You teased him in response he rolled his eyes and closed the space between the two of you

The kiss lasted a long while before you patted Leehans shoulder to push him back for air, he chased your lips when you pulled back before grabbing the back of your neck pulling you closer "leehan-" you tried to mutter out instead of pulling back he kissed you deeper "the members" you tried to speaking again although you knew he wouldn't stop till being forced too

"10 mi-" the manager cut himself off seeing the scene Infront of him his sudden shock caused the members to look at what he was starring at before they bursted out in laughter "someone cover Woonhak's eyes" jaehyun laughed out the sudden commotion caused Leehan to pull back and observe what was happening

He looked back at you only to be met with the pillow that was next to you "you idiot!" You yelled out your reaction caused the laughing around the room to intensify Leehan joined in the laughter pulling the pillow away from his face to be met with your bright red cheeks "oh shi-come on everyone your on in 30 seconds" the manager yelled over all the laughter although the members tried to stifle the laughter it was obvious they still were laughing at the situation

The interview started boring as always with you kinda zoning out as well as a few other members when you came back to reality you heard Leehan speaking "isn't it quite flustering Yn?" He asked a teasing tone in his voice causing you to glare at him a few of the members who caught what he said once again tried to hide there laughter "or breath taking?" He continued egging you on

He chilled out with the teasing towards the middle of the I interview although still making sly comments "it's nothing like losing a game of rock paper scissors right?" He said starring at your soul after the interview the members died of laughter as well as Leehan "were gonna see this going everywhere" Woonhak said wiping a fake tear you rolled your eyes "I can't believe you Leehan" you whined out

"I'm officially embarrassed" you mumbled before throwing yourself face first on the couch next to you. Woonhak called it not even an hour after it aired everyone started making ship posts about you and Leehan, people even started throwing hate both of your ways and blaming Koz for putting a girl in a boy group although you and Leehan laughed at the people throwing hate

After the whole thing of was over Leehan would drop subtle hints that the two of you are infact together all while embarrassing you the whole time.

#x reader #boynextdoor x reader #boynextdoor x yn #bnd imagine #bnd x reader #bnd scenarios #bnd imagines #bnd #bnd fluff #bnd fic #leehan boynextdoor #boynextdoor leehan #leehan x reader #leehan one shots #leehan

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fortheloveofarchons · 11 months ago

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You're In A Vampire Hunter's Ball, With Some Familiar Members...

C.W. Vampires, vampire hunters, drinking blood, biting, smut, aftercare

Characters included in this fanfic besides Pierro are Childe, Pantalone, Arlecchino, La Signora, Pantalone, Capitano, and a mention of Pulcinella

Full version in the link down below! Happy belated Valentine's Day btw!

In the ballroom where crystal chandeliers and luxurious fabrics are adorned and draped, a palpable tension hung in the air as you concealed yourself among the elegantly attired crowd, hiding in the shadows at the corner. While the couples would waltz in the middle of the ballroom with rhythmic cadence, your eyes blink a bit rapidly as you surveyed the room.

Dressed in an exquisite dark blue gown that shimmered like moonlight, you move carefully, trying to not draw attention to yourself. Your black eye contacts fortunately conceals your vampiric red eyes, yet it did little to mask the hunger that gnawed at your insides. The scent of blood– of pulsating life surrounded you, a tantalising aroma that sent shivers down your spine.

“So hungry…” You mutter the words out.

As the ball is filled with vampire hunters, your heightened senses would often pick up on conversations discussing recent vampire sightings and the latest hunting techniques. Every word sends a chill down your spine, and you clutch the edges of your gown.

Being distracted from hunger, you didn’t realise that a man was walking towards you. Your vision, that stared aimlessly through the ballroom, is interrupted with a crystal goblet, one that contains a familiar aroma. The thirst for blood intensified with each passing moment, threatening to expose your true nature.

Your eyes quickly flicker to find the ginger-haired man with cold blue eyes, handing you the goblet with a smile on his face.

“Hey, didn’t you say you were hungry?” It looks like he didn't take no for an answer, pushing the goblet into your palms. “Come on, don’t tell me you were trying to hold your hunger in a room full of vampire hunters.”

You quickly take the goblet from his hand, compose yourself, and delicately sip the deep red liquid, trying to keep your composure. Any sudden movement or slip of control could spell disaster in the presence of these vampire hunters, after all.

“Thank you.” You hand him the goblet back, your tongue licking your upper lip to remove any traces of blood. “...Wait, you are–”

“You can just call me Childe, or Tartaglia if that’s what you prefer.” Childe smiles at you. “Are you perhaps looking for Lord Pierro?”

You quickly nod. After all, for a man who supposedly invited you into a hunter’s den, you’re surprised to find him gone.

“He actually sent me to find you.” Childe explains, fiddling with the collar of his suit. “He wants you to go into the private lounge room.”

“Are you coming with me, then?” You ask, hoping that he might accompany you even though he’s the eleventh ranking of the vampire hunters. Perhaps it's because he’s close to Pierro that made you feel a bit relieved.

“I’m afraid not.” That made your heart sink. “I have to leave early to catch up with Pulcinella, he has some important matters to discuss with me.”

“Does it have something to do with your fami–” Your lips became thin and firm, shutting yourself up. You have heard stories about his family from Pierro during the nights when you are in bed with him. However, instead of Childe’s eyes being icy cold and his lips pursed with suppressed fury, he lets out a hearty laugh.

“Aha~ It’s okay,” Childe waves dismissively. “I don't really mind talking about my family to anyone! In fact, I enjoyed talking to anyone about them.”

“Oh,” You let out an awkward chuckle. “I see, that’s good then–”

“After all, it’s a fine way to deceive my enemies to think that we’re getting along well, and much closer… until they feel a sharp spike in their hearts, and soon… they can see smoke coming out of them.”

Childe studies you with a crazed look on his face: Icy stare boring into you, the muscles along his jaw clench, his hand holding onto what seems to be a pure silver dagger that hangs around his thigh. All you could do was stand there and freeze yourself to the ground. Were you scared? Yes, but you knew you wouldn’t get hurt considering that Lord Pierro wants you.

Childe then releases his grip on his dagger, rubbing the back of his head with another hearty laughter.

“Just kidding!” He pats you on the back of your shoulder, which makes you shiver from his cold gloves being in contact with your open shoulders. “I gotta go now. Oh– about the room, it’s just right down that red hall.”

Before you could even say a word, Childe runs off, but not before he turns to you and gives you a wave with a smile on his face.

“See ya!”

“I– See you, I guess…”

With a reluctant sigh, you hike up your dress and make your way towards the red hallway. Stopping in front of a large door, you take a deep breath and push the door, walking your way into the room. The room was bathed in a dim, sultry ambiance, with crimson velvet drapes hanging from ornate windows, casting shadows to the lavish furnishing.

As you stepped into the room, you sensed an unusual tension in the air. The low hum of whispered conversations ceased abruptly, replaced by an unsettling stillness as the members turned their attention towards you.

To your surprise, you found yourself surrounded by some familiar members of the Fatui Harbingers, their presence as alluring as it was threatening.

In this room, besides you, lies Lady Signora, Lord Pantalone, and Lord Arlecchino.

On a fancy mahogany sofa, lies Lady Signora. Her long blond hair braided into a neat bun, with some long stands of her hair cascading down to her legs. Her dress consists of a slim wine red gown made of silk organza, along with the blush prints of butterfly patterns appearing on her dress that truly made her look like the queen of crimson butterflies. Her open shoulders, one that is similar to your outfit as well, reveals her plump chest, with some strands of blond hair sitting on them.

“Is this perhaps his… ‘pet’?” She studies you with a critical squint, and that alone immediately makes you want to bury into a hole and die.

“Now, now, Fair Lady.” The man with square-framed glasses replies to her. “Perhaps we shouldn’t be too rude to a guest, that wouldn’t look good on us, hmm?”

La Signora argues with a puff of smoke from her cigarette holder. “The guest is a vampire.”

“And it would ruin the party if we make a bloodshed~” His sultry voice along with the sharp gaze made your body shiver. Lord Pantalone, the man with the black and white fur coat that complements well with his sleek, tailored dark purple suit highlighted both elegance and grace, seems to look at you as a formidable adversary, but also something… magnetic.

“Come,” He pats the sofa, gesturing to you to come over. “Sit next to me, miss.”

Although this feels like a carefully laid trap, what choice do you have. In front of you, all of their eyes bore into you, each glance carrying a mix of suspicion and readiness. Attempting to maintain an air of regal indifference, you square your shoulders and take a measured step forward, and sit next to Lord Pantalone.

And just right next to Lord Arlecchino, who has been silent this whole time. Her long sleeveless gown that draped gently over her lithe frame, exuding an aura of a graceful figure. The fabric of her gown flowed like liquid silk, while the absence of sleeves accentuated the graceful lines of her tainted blackened arms from the works of a delusion. You couldn’t help but take a peek at her arms, and that made Lord Arlecchino’s eyes linger on your face, memorising every detail.

“As a guest, it is impolite to stare and not greet someone.” Lord Arlecchino folds her arms , her gaze hardened, the spark of aversion flickering within it. “Has Jester not taught you anything when it comes to manners?”

You sit upright in your position, being too overwhelmed to move. “I– I’m sorry, Lord Arlecchino.”

You then gently take her hand, greeting it with a gentle kiss.

“It is an honour to meet you, and to be in your presence.”

You turn around, doing the same for Lord Pantalone, kissing his hand that was covered with a leather glove. “Lord Pantalone, it is an honour to meet a distinguished harbinger, and to be in your presence.”

“Ahem.” A familiar voice calls out across the room, as Lady Signora holds out her hand, slightly tilting her head. You are about to bend down, but then you remember that La Signora holds the title of a ‘Lady’, not a ‘Lord’.

“Wait a minute…”

Though Lady Signora was trying to hide it, the corners of her mouth were twitching upwards. “You really are… a foolish little vampire pet. I see why the Jester has chosen you in his inner circle.”

You let out a crimson blush from embarrassment.

Just then, the heavy door opens, revealing the silhouette of a weary figure. As Lord Il Capitano steps into the room, a hush falls over its occupants, the air thick with tension and the faint scent of blood.

“Goodness, Captain.” Signora pinches her nose. “Were you seriously killing vampires out there while a party was taking place?”

Killing… vampires? Your lips slightly part in silent terror, taking a glance up at him..

His silver armour, dented and stained with the remnants of battle, clanks softly with each step. His claymore, still gripped firmly in his hand, gleams dully in the dim light, its edge tinged crimson with the lifeblood of his fallen foes.

You couldn’t help but recoil in horror, your hands trembling in fear.

Especially when Lord Il Capitano is coming towards you.

With a low growl, you instinctively back away from him, your fangs baring in a silent snarl of defiance. Despite the amount of killings from the Captain, you recognize him as someone whose strength and power-hungry determination posed a grave threat to your kind.

He takes a few steps forward, with each stride, Capitano’s expression remained stoic, his features masked by the shadow of his helmet.

But just as it seemed that Capitano would unleash a blow upon you, he abruptly halted, his hand still hovering over the hilt of his claymore. Slowly, deliberately, Capitano lowers his hand.

"I could just end you with a single blow," He spoke, his voice low and gruff, yet tinged with a note of compassion. "But I choose not to."

You blink your eyes in surprise, your fear momentarily forgotten as you gaze up at the Captain in wonderment.

“You are under the Jester’s hands, after all.”

Ah… The gears in your mind click.

Your legs become soft like jelly, slumping onto the ground. Your heart slowly gains back a rhythmic beat, as you breathe heavily from the adrenaline of fear.

A sigh escapes from Capitano’s lips, seeing a fearful vampire in front of him. After all, as one whose title is called, ‘Captain’, fighting with someone whose strength is of the same level as him is much worthier to fight than someone like you.

He then bends down with one knee, extending a hand to you. “May I?”

Despite the fear in your heart, your shaky hand reaches out, holding onto the cold steel of his hand.

Even as a ruthless member, he’s still quite chivalrous... You mumble in your mind.

Capitano then pulls you up, his other hand holding onto your back, making your body shiver despite the barrier between your skin and his other hand is merely a fabric of your gown. You stand rigid with terror, being too overwhelmed to move.

“My, my~” Lord Pantalone locks his hands together, raising an eyebrow. “Being so forward, aren’t you, dear Captain ? If Jester were to see this, surely he would–”

Just then, you could hear heavy footsteps, and all eyes turn towards the entrance, drawn by the magnetic presence of the man with a towering figure.

Dressed in a black and dark blue tailored suit with intricate snowflakes on the corners of his suit, it hugs his muscular frame in all the right places. The fabric accentuating his broad shoulders and chiselled physique. With a wide twilight blue pelerine cape, it infused him with a quiet strength, showing a testament to his power and poise.

Seeing Pierro in that attire ignites a flush of warmth that spreads through your cheeks...

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bestworstcase · 11 months ago

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hello ive been combing through some of your rwby meta and a thought struck me in regards to this line you wrote when talking about the Maidens:

"the last spring maiden died under circumstances that have left raven emotionally shattered more than a decade later"

ive been thinking a lot about your theory of summer defecting to salem's side, and assuming thats true my thought was: did summer defect during her secret mission with raven and kill the spring maiden, all in front of raven?

raven was presumably close to the maiden based off conversations in v4, and we know that she portaled to Someone in the flashback(?) ruby saw in v9. i thought maybe it could've been qrow but tbh knowing rwby thats seems too easy of an answer, and maybe it couldve been vernal but for some reason I had been thinking vernal came post spring maiden's death.

though if summer DID defect on her own terms, while we dont know the woman and v9's whole thing was that ruby (maybe by extension the audience) had her on this pedestal, outright murdering someone that she once considered "on her side" might seem quite coldhearted for what little we do know. but it may also explain raven's fear of salem and her desire to stay the fuck out of her way, beyond just summer defecting. because if raven was close with summer like it seems like she was in that flashback, either at that point or in past because i'd think the abandoning yang thing would put a damper on good vibes, seeing your friend and teammate turn tail against everything you know and murder a child (?) would be uh, bothersome.

im new to the spinning my own thoughts game but thought i'd take a stab at rambling. cheers!

mumbles in all things must die

yeah i’m as close to 100% certain as it’s possible to be that the person on the other end of that portal was gretchen rainart the last spring maiden; i think the possibility that it might have been qrow on the grounds that we know raven has a link to him is an intentional red herring. (and if it was qrow, it would have had to be a case of raven using him as a fast-travel point without his awareness, a la in V5, because otherwise that would imply he lied through his teeth to ruby when she asked him if he knew anything about summer’s last mission in V7.) (similarly, vernal seems to be around cinder’s age if not younger—she would have been like, ten or eleven at the time.)

based on what summer says in the glimpse (“if i get this right”) and what’s said of the last spring maiden (that she was young and scared), i think the plan was for summer to confront salem alone, with raven and spring at a safe distance on escape duty: kindred link gives raven some way of knowing when her bonds are in danger, so if summer gets into trouble or things go wrong, raven opens a portal with spring there to fireball salem in the face (as cinder did to ruby at haven), hopefully buying enough time for raven to jump through, grab summer, and immediately portal back to spring. neither of them would’ve wanted the spring maiden anywhere near salem, and sending summer in “solo” gives raven’s emergency save the advantage of surprise. yeah?

but what i think happened is summer found salem, and salem—who at the time was not participating in ozpin’s war—intuited that summer wasn’t here under ozpin’s auspices, ergo did not fully trust ozpin and might be open to hearing salem’s side of the story. so instead of fighting back, salem let summer see that she couldn’t be killed and then started talking. and whatever she told summer was convincing enough to make summer want… some sort of proof. something more than the he-said-she-said to tell her who she could trust.

like, oh, say… maybe the relic of knowledge.

conveniently, she’s got raven waiting for her with the spring maiden, who can open the vault to retrieve the lamp.

so she signals raven by whatever means for a portal out, and then either recounts what salem told her honestly or comes up with some lie justifying why they need to get the lamp. (“summer rose, telling lies!” <- hm.)

i don’t buy the common assumption that raven and/or summer used the first question, because a) ozpin never shared jinn’s name with anyone, and b) if summer had learned it somehow prior to joining salem, salem would have already known the “password.”

what seems the most likely to me is that the three of them did sneak into haven academy, opened the vault, and figured out that the lamp had some kind of passphrase. at this point, summer and raven split on what to do. if summer told the truth about what she wanted the lamp for, perhaps she wanted to bring it to salem in exchange for more information and raven thought that was too risky wanted to go confront ozpin instead. if summer lied, maybe implying she needed the lamp to find a counter to some defense salem had against silver eyes, this would have been the moment the truth came out and i’d imagine raven would react badly.

into the mix of this very high-stakes disagreement, add summer’s obvious resentment of raven for leaving and raven’s equally obvious inferiority complex toward summer, and you have the perfect recipe for an emotionally volatile argument to get out of control and come to blows.

and, points at the ozlem girls. points at vernal. i think the spring maiden got caught in the crossfire and was fatally wounded taking a hit meant for raven, and then summer fled and left raven holding the bag. raven either mercy-killed spring to spare her an inevitable but slow and agonizing death, or just couldn’t do anything to save her; the magic passed to her, she sealed the lamp back in the vault, and then ran. i think this was when raven returned to the tribe, because she’d already burned a lot of bridges by leaving her family whereas summer was the ideal, the paragon, the perfect huntress—the good mother—so who the fuck would believe raven if she told them that the spring maiden, her charge, was dead because summer rose betrayed them all for salem and murdered her?

they already blamed raven for tearing team strq apart. if she’d gone back to ozpin with the spring maiden’s blood on her hands, she would have taken the fall for spring’s death—and quite likely summer’s, too, because summer rose was the best of us, the silver-eyed warrior, and what’s easier to believe? that your paragon of virtue and hope joined the enemy, or that the prickly ex-bandit everyone is still mad at for blowing up her relationship with tai and abandoning her daughter is telling an obvious lie to save her own skin?

meanwhile summer also can’t go back home because she did kill the spring maiden and really, catastrophic failed detour to corroborate salem’s story or not, she was salem’s from the minute she chose to listen to what salem had to say.

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if-only-angels-could-prevail · 7 months ago

Note

hey! i recently moved to chicago and i'm interested in seeing some local theater. you've posted a bunch about the chicago theater scene, so i wanted to see if you had any recommendations for theaters/currently running shows/etc. thank you!!

ooh i get this question every once in a while, maybe one day my answer will be comprehensive

the two biggest titans of regional theatre in chicago are the goodman and steppenwolf, and your timing sending this ask couldn't be better:

tomorrow, the goodman has its first preview of midnight in the garden of good and evil, the new musical by taylor mac and jason robert brown. also the goodman has a lot of great discounts (including $10 student tickets the day of), check out their website

yesterday, steppenwolf opened little bear ridge road, which is a world premiere play by samuel d hunter, starring laurie metcalf. i saw it, i really loved it, i found it patient and moving. (i also admit that i bartend there, so, bias? but i did love it)

some of the other Big theaters in chicago include: chicago shakespeare theatre (i WILL be seated for the lord of the rings musical) and court theatre (i've seen two shows at court and adored them both).

and if you're willing to go to the burbs, there's the paramount in aurora, writers theatre in glencoe (they're doing natasha pierre soon!), and then drury lane and marriott (they both specialize in musicals--sadly, i don't get to those two often because i don't have a car and it's a hellish commute).

but those are just the big ones, and chicago is more famous for its storefront scene, which is just as exciting. for musicals, look into blank theatre (hi danny lol), theo ubique, porchlight, and kokandy. for plays, check out invictus (i'm seeing their three sisters tonight), factory, raven, a red orchid theatre, lifeline, theater wit (i saw their production of mr burns five times lol), and remy bumppo. just to name a few. there are many, many more.

i know this list is already long, but trust me when i say i'm just scratching the surface. it is literally impossible to see all the theatre that happens in chicago--but if you start going to shows and talking to people, you'll get a sense of the Must Sees! (also feel free to DM me with more specific questions in the future, and I will--privately--give you my unfiltered opinions.)

Finally, under the cut, I've shared a list of *some* of the specific shows i'm interested in seeing throughout the end of the year. they're organized by closing date.

6/20 - 7/21: The Hot Wing King, Writers Theatre

6/13 - 8/4: Little Bear Ridge Road, Steppenwolf

6/25 - 8/4: Midnight In The Garden, Goodman

7/12 - 8/11: The Mad Ones, Blank Theatre

7/21-8/25: The Normal Heart, Redtwist

7/17 - 9/1: The Lord of the Rings, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

8/2 - 9/29: Alice By Heart, Kokandy

9/6 - 9/29: East Texas Hot Links, Court Theatre

10/4: Patti LuPone, Lyric Opera

10/1 - 10/6: Leonora, Chicago Opera Theatre

9/6 - 10/6: Henry V, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

9/14 - 10/6: Rigoletto, Lyric Opera

9/26 - 10/10: Fidelio, Lyric Opera

9/14 - 10/13: Inherit the Wind, Goodman

9/19 - 10/13: Never Better, Theo Ubique

9/5 - 10/27: Great Comet, Writers Theatre

9/12 - 10/27: Noises Off, Steppenwolf

10/5 - 11/3: Primary Trust, Goodman

10/22 - 11/3: Some Like It Hot, Broadway In Chicago

10/17 - 11/17: Dear Elizabeth, Remy Bumppo

11/9 - 11/30: The Marriage of Figaro, Lyric Opera

10/18 - 12/1: Seven Guitars, City Lit

11/16 - 12/1: Blue, Lyric Opera

11/8 - 12/8: Falsettos, Court Theatre

10/20 - 12/8: Pericles, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre

10/24 - 12/15: Leroy and Lucy, Steppenwolf

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draxeanlxia · 10 months ago

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Albino!Warriors Headcanons: Part 1 of Many

Since many people are posting their LU Warriors headcanons today, I decided to post this thing today. Headcanons of LU Warriors/Hyrule Warriors Link being born an albino and about his life. I will try to be as medically accurate as possible but since I’m not an albino or know anyone who is, I will probably be at times wrong. You can thank @sirassban for the idea of Wars being an albino. For my sanity, he is called Link for the most part. When I get the LU parts, he will be called Warriors.

There will be a lot of info because I like to info dump. I never seem to be able to write a story though.

Link has OCA1 which means he has reduced production of melanin in his skin, hair, and eyes. And by reduced, I mean barely any

Despite the common belief that albinos have red eyes, he actually has purple eyes. This is due to the fact that the only pigment he has is a tiny bit of blue in his eyes which due to lighting, causes his eyes to appear as purple

Mostly due to his white hair, people assume he has Sheikah ancestry. He and Linkle aren't completely sure on that to due to the fact their biological father was abandoned as a baby in an orphanage before being adopted by a noble family

The only reason he was able to get into the army was because he lied, saying his hair and skin was due to Sheikah ancestry. He would have been disqualified from joining immediately if they had known he was an albino (Having albinism disqualifies you from joining the US military, so I am basing Hylian/Hyrulean army on that)

He only got found out when after a battle early in the war, Skeik came to check up on him due to previous incident involving Link hiding a serious stab wound. She found him with second degree sunburns across his shoulders and back. He had ended up losing his shirt earlier due to the fact it caught on fire and never got a replacement until after the battle

Sheik immediately dragged him to the medics where her and Impa (who followed after seeing Link being dragged) learn about his condition from an experienced medic who could tell the difference from Sheikah ancestry and albinism

Impa really chewed out Link. For hiding and lying about his condition, lying to join the army, and of course for not taking care of himself. If he wasn't the Hero and needing him to fight in the war, she would have send him home immediately. She did tell his dad though.

Link's adoptive father is a lieutenant general under Impa's command. He officially adopted Link when he was 16 but fostered him when he was about 14 (the war began a few weeks before his 18 birthday). He didn't know Link was albino bc Link hid that fact, knowing his father would enforced the rules about Albinism in the army. Needless to say, he was not happy to find out about Link's condition.

Link was grounded for a long time. When the Chain meet up, Time and Wind (aka Mask and Tune) asked him if he was still grounded. He refused to answer.

(He is still grounded)

While Toon and Mask are Link's charges, the moment Link's condition was known those two was charged of watching Link to make sure he doesn't hurt himself by forgetting about that fact his skin and eyes are far more sensitive than a normal hylian's.

His fairies, especially Proxi, learn the small signs that Link was overexerting himself. His water fairies help cool him down while his dark fairies create shadows to keep him out of the sun. The others lecture him on not taking care of himself.

Most of his fairies went with him on his adventure with the Chain. Lana created special bottles for them that are basically fairy apartments. Warriors lets them out when they make camp, are at an inn, or a Link's home.

And I'm ending it here. Enjoy these headcanons. I'm making another heacanon post that focuses on Warriors' backstory.

#loz #legend of zelda #hyrule warriors #linked universe #lu warriors #hw link #headcanon

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kyra45 · 2 years ago

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jamhuntsman is a scam account

The story they give is entirely fake and made up using another image from a cat that has no visible rash. While I can’t source the image, I will give proof it’s a scammer.

Firstly, the story has been used across multiple accounts already so Kuppa is not the cats name and I already have posts saying one cat wasn’t Kuppa. The story this scammer uses is just made up and entirely false. It never matches their photographs or asks.

Secondly, the account is spamming asks to strangers who share popular posts and their story doesn’t match the ask (which claims a leg mass yet the post says mouth rash)

Lastly, the PayPal address Jamie Johnson is impersonating a real person and if you hover/press and hold the link…

It’s the same PH the scammer is known to use. And this PayPal address is already linked to past accounts that were known scammers just search the name on my blog and you’ll see a few posts.

Also the blog is 2 hours old, reblogged a few posts to look legitimate, and is requesting private answers to share a public post which is another red flag for scams.

If that still isn’t enough, you can check out the links in my pinned post that gives more detail about scams because I don’t have time to explain the same thing over and over again when the info is there.

“Yo hi there!! Hoping you dont find this ask strange, weird or whatever you call it 😞 Just wanted to ask a favor if you could possibly check the post I pinned for my cat? Its on this blog, please do check if you have a spare time and reblog/boost it as we badly need help because there’s an ugly rash on her mouth and im so so worried 😭😭 Im so sorry if I did bother you, just need some help. Please do send me a msg to reply or answer the ask privately, please and have good day! 😭🙏🙏🐈”

Update:

#scam #jamhuntsman #justin’s scam list #pet donation scam

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neverchecking · 1 year ago

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Hello!!! I’m here to inquire about Aaliyah and Link’s full story as I can’t seem to find it in your Masterlist. If that’s ok? If it’s private and you just wanna just give out tidbits then that’s completely ok!!! I started reading your joint fic constellation and I’m hooked on it and the characters!!! I already went and asked about part four lol!

omgomgomgomgomgomgomg- OKAY I'VE REHEARSED FOR THIS-

I'm so glad you asked!

So, I did release one written portion already -> Here!

But! Im gonna be so real with you guys, I forgot I did it and have not worked on it at all fnofnf

I love answering questions about my girl so ask away! I'm also so glad you like constellations it has my heart fr. Part four is...on its way but with Kinktober and our adult lives (I'm a full time student and Bailey has a big girl job) it kinda got pushed back (And we're in our trigun eras). But it has been started!

So, let's talk about Aaliyah and Sage.

Their story starts in the Pre-Calamity era. Sage is still a knight, however, Aaliyah is now there too! She's a bastard child born out of wedlock to the village of Kakariko-- who take the phrase it takes a village a little too literally.

From very early in her life, Aaliyah is proclaimed the Sheikah Champion and spends her life training for this role. She learns ancient magic regarding rune extraction and usage (Basically how Impa fights in AOC) and in ancient swordsmanship.

She's taken to the castle with Purah and Impa and from there meets the other champions.

Her and Link didn't actually like each other all that much from the start? They were incredibly weary and on edge when the other was around bc of the other's skill set and how they could be an obvious threat to their current missions (Either protecting Zelda or staying with Impa).

Aaliyah actually made friends with Revali pretty easily because she wasn't gifted with this great courage or wisdom or any abilities. It was something she earned and worked incredibly hard to harness, like Revali's gale So they spent their free time talking shit about Link and the other champions in the garden for a while.

Link and Aaliyah only really started getting to know each other after a spar in the garden. Link kicked her ass, make no doubts about it (Lore accurate Link? Are you kidding? Aaliyah never stood a chance.), but after hearing her get her ass chewed out by Impa he bashfully offered a kind shoulder.

The thing about them that I LOVE incorporating into their story is that before they died? These two were honestly so adorable. In my head. But im giving you guess my head lore rn.

Like Aaliyah is the smart one out of them, okay? Let me set this straight. So, she knows things like sign language. So when she mindlessly does a wave of her hand to curse off a noble without them knowing? And Link, who ALSO knows sign language sees this?

OMFG- he chokes on his spit. And she looks over and just flushes this bright red, but has this shy little smile on her face because, 'hey, this guy isn't so bad?'.

Or Link just laying his head in her lap and letting her braid flowers into his hair while they sit in silence or he reads to her??

Or Aaliyah just sitting on a rock, pretending to be writing her daily prayers, but is really watching Link practice his swordsmanship with Fi?

They were that kind of cute.

ANYWAY-

So, in Eye of the Storm, I go into further depth onto how Aaliyah died-- protecting Link and Zelda.

If you haven't read it, heres the run down. They get surrounded by Yiga, and she dies because she sends Link and Zelda back with the slate, acting as a distraction so they have the time to leave.

Demon carver carves her ass.

Link watches, duh, because A) I needed him to have that trauma to form their relationship a little more and B) Traumatizing him is so fun.

Anyway, so she dies. The Sheikah are ancient beings with unyielding loyalty, since they follow the royal family everywhere this is obvious, and are hence incredibly loyal to their champion. They manage to save her with their plan B option. I'm pretty sure I wrote it as a makeshift shrine but it also is probably a little bit of black magic.

Anyway, a century passes. Aaliyah awakes in a place that had long since fell to ruins, mind blank and head empty.

But she's angry. She wakes up so mind numbingly angry and stomps off with her original slate. It's broken and doesn't work, but she uses it like a weapon. Eventually, she runs into Link! Woo, but like...

Imagine you lock two angry cats fighting for territory in a room and them throw a sprinkler in there.

They're both angry. They don't know anything, and resources are sparce, They fight, of course, and both eventually walk off with their tails between their legs. BUT they keep fucking meeting. AND ITS A PATTERN

Except they start relearning things! Like how to fight and how to use a bow, and they get better armor, better equipment. When Link shows up with a shield, she blows his ass up.

At some point, they start expecting to see each other. They stop fighting so much and instead share a campsite.

AND THEN- they happen to be walking towards a stable together and are just HIT with the imagery of her death <3

Thats also a mess that leaves them storming away from each other <3

They meet again in Kakariko and eventually talk it out. Aaliyah goes with him to the castle, does not fall through the floor, instead watched from above like :O. bc shes a dumbass.

She does make sure he stays alive though. Throws a fairy in a bottle at him at some point which hits him and he turns like >:( and she's just 'oops'.

Then they save Zelda yadda yadda. Aaliyah moves on with her life bc her and Zelda prolly hate each other (There is no prolly they do. They HATE each other. Like middle aged white women in PTA's.)

But, Aaliyah is such a big figure head to the Sheikah, there's no real escape. So her and Link slowly redevelop their relationship.

When the gloom starts spreading, Aaliyah remains at the castle base while they go to investigate, working with the people to sort them and everything.

Luckily for her, when Ganon is like >:) I'm back, she doesn't have to experience it first hand because she falls into a gloom pit. Takes her OUT man. She's stuck down there long enough that gloom probably sinks in and she gets super sick because of it

Eventually she finds this weird temple place right? And there's these parts right? Surely you see where I'm going with this

And so she builds this giant robot okay? In her tord Era (omg eddsworld is so old now that I think about it), and meets this...thing okay?

And the thing is like 🤨 u aren't swordsman link and aaliyah is like 🤨 yeah what of it?

And mineru is all ...u did all this? And aaliyah is like yeah suck it bitch. And then mineru is like "aight you cool then. Lemme show you this cool room. It'll give you a cool necklace AND a headpiece. And outfit ig"

So aaliyah gets that green neck piece and hairpiece I've drawn her with once. She doesn't care for the hairpiece but she'll wear it for special occasions.

The link appears FINALLY >:( AND they have this whole Spiderman moment where they're point at each other, as if shocked to see the other)

"I thought you were dead?"

"YOU FUCKING FELL THROUGH A HOLE AND DIDNT THINK TO STAY PUT SO I COULD FIND YOU?"

It's great.

So aaliyah gets her spirit stone as the Sage of spirits and her giant rock.

Then she visits purah gets her own purah pad. She gets to keep her bombs AND stasis bc I said so. And her giant robot.

From there they go around trying to bring order back to their hyrule bc like...Zelda isnt in danger really? They know where she is and she seems fine.

They get a new house bc someone took theirs smh (they were just roommates in that first house guys lmao) and take turns with the shrines to reduce the gloom in their systems

Okay sidebar; when I was doing that aaliyah and Tia bits I wasn't lying about aaliyah being like in hyrule but she's liked in the same sense Robin hood was liked. Nobles hate her

But tulin likes her and so does teba and saki

Yunobo does not.

Sidon and yona think of her and Sage like puppies. Like they are the embodiment of that one meme that's just

Zora, with either hanging off them: GET YOUR FUCKING HYLIAN

Sidon/ Yona: they don't bite 😊

Zora: YES THEY FUCKING DO-

riju also likes them. They are the Honorary siblings of hyrule even if they claim to hate everyone.

There are few people that have gotten through

That being said, they are scary to the average stablehand

They are scarred and ragged and look like if you breath at them wrong they'll fucking gut you.

Which they might but that's not the point

Eventually they run out of reasons to not fight Ganon and have to go...do that

This one they take on together bc they are common law married bc I said so

They've spent so much time together now its only natural. Like yeah its not gay to kiss the homies goodnight but its a little gay when you guys live together cook meals together and lay on the couch talking about life together

Even historians are calling them lovers at this point

So they save Zelda! I hate how end of totk goes and I think she should've STAYED a dragon but also I need her human for the drama between her and aaliyah. Maybe she has horns and scales and she's also now a little fucked up.

Sage KEEPS HIS RAURU ARM HE DOES NOT GET HIS NORMAL ARM. thank you.

Aaliyah and Sage mostly try to live a normal life but yk...

Natura tries to demand Sage back to his knightly role but after everything that just happened he's like "not a chance"

He becomes a lovely househusband that terrifies newcomers in Tarrey town but the locals love him

He offers protection quality recipes and is willing to go Gerudo for this one ingredient Harriet needed for her stew that night

Aaliyah remains a diplomat of sorts since people trust her rather than this figurehead for focused on digging through the remains of her people for info on tech they shouldn't ever try to harness rather than ..yk.... govern.

She tends to stick close to Sage tho

Their relationship is very...codependent. I think I've said this before but these two learn to rely on each other

Its not healthy and I don't condone this type of relationship but it's so fun to write

These two are disgustingly reliant on the other. It's the type of relationship where they only do self care things for the other person to know they're okay

They are grossly jealous individuals, incredibly possessive and will have extremist reactions to people trying to flirt with what's theirs

I cannot emphasize how toxic this is for anyone. But these two make it work

Only these two who are FICTIONAL. THIS IS NOT THE TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP THAT IS HEALTHY. DO NOT LOOK FOR THIS IN A PARTNER.

These two have a history together and with their broken psyche it gets twisted.

But they're happy together and stop their other half from destroying hyrule.

And in the end that's all that matters <3

If you have any other questions regarding these two I'd be more than happy to answer them 😊😊

#cinder rambles

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weridpersonhelp · 2 years ago

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Red Phone [6]

Previous - Next?

master list!

warning: slightly scary, first-time horror writer, stalking, confusion, gramma and spell mistakes, screaming, getting up a horrible hour of night, neurodivergent reader, slow burnish? , x reader, children, puppets, curse langue, music, be ready for cringe!

“Safa you’re not going to believe what I’m going to tell you!”

“Okay but first I need to share what a found on that welcome home show! It turns out there is a website on it! It has the neighbours and everything, in fact they have a mission of finding all lost information on the show! It was started in 1969 and ended in 1974. The company says it’s because they ran out of money but there could have been a different reason, I mean it was doing extremely well, and people from all different ages loved it even parents. I’ll send you the link, anyway what was it that you wanted to tell me?” by the time she was done I had run upstairs to my room and shut the door slowly making sure it didn’t creek.

“Huh? Oh! Well, there was this weird phone that kept ringing in my grandma’s remember and how grandma acted weird about it?”

“yeah girl! Who was it? And old friend of your dead grandpa?! A mysterious man wanting to talk to you grandma? A murderer?!?!?!” Safa asks in excitement.

“umm, not exactly maybe the last one. But I picked up the phone last night and answered-“ Safa gasps dramatically, while she processes what happened. While she does that I open out texts and type in the link she sent me.

“No fucking way, who was it?”

“his name is Wally, and he was looking to speak to my grandpa. I explained how he passed he shocked, then explained he wanted to ask him something, I don’t know what. But then went to ask if my grandma was their but I said she was busy. Knowing if I told her I picked up she would of killed me, literally. He asked who I was I said only my name. but he seemed like a nice guy, he plays piano and paints, also he’s in a different time zone then us!” I explain to her, though I know safa is going to be a bit of a worry wort about it. But that’s one of the things I love about her, how she was so caring and worried about me. If I was being honest she showed me more care then my mother has ever done in a life time.

“Y/n this man could be 30! Hell, if he knew your grandpa then be in his late 40’s or just getting into his 50’s!” Safa says as I spin around in the wheely chair.

“it’s not like we where flirting, he was just very easy to talk too!, he’s going to call tonight again!”

Y/N! This is not a good idea!” “

“oh, come on Safa, it’s not like he knows where I am. If he did he would of come here a while ago and talked to my grandma instead of calling all the time.” “Y/n this could be an old man, this isn’t safe in the slightest. I know I can’t stop you but promise me you’ll be careful? Try not to share too much information about yourself and ask as many questions as you can. Example how old he is!” Safa scolds me.

“He’s homeowner age! Plus where 18 we can date older guys now.”

“Yeah but not too old, we don’t want to be a sugar baby already! anyway have you checked out the website?”

“What’s wrong with being a sugar baby but any ways. Yeah, it’s very well done, I haven’t watched all the episode yet but it seems like they have done pretty well. Who’s your favourite neighbour?”

“Eddie’s cute but Howdy is so hot-“ “SAFA HE’S A CATERPILLAR!”

“SO?!?! THEIR PUPPETS! IT’S NOT LIKE THEY ARE REAL AND WE COULD MARRY THEM OR SOMETHING!” I shake my head at my friend choice in men, or puppets? caterpillars?

“You have interesting taste my guy-““Says you! Your taste in guys is not better than mine!” Safa says trying to defend herself, I roll my eyes at my friend though she can’t see them I know she knows.

“I like men who are tall! Human- ““What about Neteyam-“ “Do not bring the boys into this.”

Safa cracks up laughing, knowing very well we have similar taste in guys. After she was done laughing, I closed the website before adding it to my favrioutes.

“Anyway, again with the old man- ““we don’t know if he’s actually an old man yet!”

“Still, ask him for his actual number maybe? Just remember to be safe, I don’t trust him.”

“You’ve never met him! And I’ve barely even met this guy, he’s calling me to night okay. Don’t worry.”

“DINNER TIME” Mum screams from the kitchen...

“Oh sorry Safa, dinner time.”

“Your fine girlie, remember to ask this guy’s age! And his experiences to know his-“I cut my friend off done with talking about the person who called me last night. I turn off my computer and head downstairs, to a well cooked and delicious meal!

{hi everyone the results are in, and it seems everyone want them to some to life! but i forgot to add a thrid opption where I combined them but meh-

anyways this is where the story will be going, I hope thoese who's option was not picked still continue reading! and thank you for the support i have reviced!

if any of you have sugestion please comment or if you just wanna say hi! Thank again for reading and have a lovely evening.} Tag: @quittingfortgebetter @egg1sblog @ice-cream-writes-stuff @thealreadyunsteadyteddynewpaper @narucore

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albywritesfiction · 9 months ago

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Alby's Writings Discord Server

Hello again!

As I said in the previous post, I’ve made a Discord server while I’ve been slowly chipping away at Chapter 1 Part 3 😄 Once again, special thanks to my lil bro @system-operations for being my guinea pig as I worked on and tested out the server 🤭

In case you haven’t seen what I wrote in that post about the server, here’s what I said about it:

So, part of the reason why it’s been difficult for me to do stuff on Tumblr is because my access to it is rather limited now due to personal stuff; it’s nothing bad, don’t worry, and it’s not because I’ve been doing anything shady or illegal (I think it’d be the shock of the century to people who know me if they ever heard that I did something like that 😅). It’s just personal stuff 😅

I also think that part of why I’ve been overwhelmed with Tumblr stuff is because of the similar asks that start to pile up the longer that I’m unable to answer them, which is why I’ve set up some forum channels in the server where people can send questions and feedback and you guys can see what questions have been asked and which ones have been answered, especially without needing to wonder if I received your questions and answered them or not.

But the main purpose of this server is to provide a lil space where you guys can hang out and maybe interact with each other and with me :3 I’ve got a few things planned for server activities:

Game Night: We would play some of the games in Discord Activities and some other online browser games like Red Flags and Cards Against Humanity

Watch Party: We would watch some animes that are available on Youtube (such as Campfire Cooking in Another World [100/10 great anime in my opinion we stan wholesomeness in this household]) and Starkid musicals (the Hatchetfield trilogy is fire y’all), and probably some other Youtube stuff

Study With Me: Just popping into a voice channel and playing some music while I study helps me quite a lot apparently, so if that works for any of you who might join the server, it’s a-okay if you wanna join in :3

But of course, participation in these activities is very much optional! It’s okay if you’d prefer to lurk, I’m a lurker myself in most of the other servers I’ve joined 😅

However, I do want to make it very clear now that this will be an 18+ server, as it will not only be for ATE but also for the other IF projects that I have planned, some of which will contain content that is not suitable for minors. So just to be sure, I’ve decided to restrict the server to those 18 and above. Please, for any underage followers that I may have, do not lie about your age if you join because I will have to remove you from the server. You have been warned.

So now that I’ve laid out the stuff with Discord, you might be wondering what’s gonna happen with the Tumblr asks after I’ve answered the stuff in my inbox. Well, here’s what I’m planning to do:

Step 1: Compile all Tumblr asks into a Google doc Step 2: Add any Discord asks into same Google doc Step 3: Share the Google doc for public viewing Step 4: Re-open Tumblr ask box Step 5: Update the Google doc as I receive future asks from both Tumblr and Discord, even if I’m unable to answer the questions immediately

This way, everyone can see the asks, whether or not you’ve got Discord or Tumblr, and the search for the asks is gonna be a lot more efficient!

So long, Tumblr search, hellooo my old buddy ctrl/cmd+f!

TLDR: I have made a Discord server that I’ll be maintaining on a more regular basis compared to Tumblr, set up some forum channels that function similarly to Reddit where people can send feedback and questions, got some plans for server activities (participation is optional!), and restricted server access to those who are aged 18 and above.

With all of that said, here’s the link for the server:

I hope that everyone who joins will enjoy their time in the server! Thank you all and I hope you have a good day/night!

#alby's notes #after the end #ate-if #ate-if asks

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tenspontaneite · 2 years ago

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Assembly (Chapter 5/?)

“Tomorrow,” they murmur, full of a dread and hope that seem wont to choke them. “Tomorrow, SRS-02 should be complete. And the day after that…”

“We go,” Spearmaster signs.

Suns offers a very slight nod. “We will go.”

(Chapter length: 6k. Link to ao3 with workskin)

---

When Spearmaster finds her, she spends only a few moments wary before she sees who it is.

She harrumphs, and sits back on her haunches to begin to talk. “Oh, it is only you, strange one,” she says, easy and fluent with her Movespeak in a way that Spearmaster will probably never be. She eyes its new poncho with narrow-eyed interest. “Masters Spears. Were you searching for me on purpose?”

“Learns,” it greets, and has to suppress its nod. She wouldn’t understand it, anyway. “Yes. I searched.”

This slugcat has always been very direct. She does not waste words. “Why?”

It tries not to tense. “I need ask help from you.”

[LIVE BROADCAST] PRIVATE Seven Red Suns, No Significant Harassment

SRS: Oh. Spearmaster left my can.

NSH: …Is that unusual?

SRS: No. But it usually tells me first, especially if it might be gone for days. And we’re going to be installing SRS-02, soon…I thought it would want to be around for that.

SRS: …

NSH: Maybe it’s only clearing its mind.

NSH: We did have kind of an emotionally trying day yesterday, and all that.

SRS: Yes.

SRS: …I hope it’s okay.

NSH: Send an overseer after it, just to keep an eye on it. It can’t have gone far.

SRS: I think it deserves time alone to think, if that is why it went out.

SRS: I’ll just wait, for now.

SRS: How are you doing, after yesterday?

NSH: As well as can be expected, really.

NSH: …I do wish you could be here already, though. My self-forks did their best to keep me company, but it feels strange with them, when they’re so new and struggling to consolidate their identities as is.

NSH: I’m wary of pushing my own personal issues onto them. They’re already mostly me, so it feels like they’re at serious risk of internalising anything new that happens to…well, me.

SRS: …A very strange issue. I would be concerned as well, in your place.

SRS: …

SRS: It won’t be long, now, until I can be there.

NSH: Yeah. I know.

Spearmaster is timid, speaking with others of its kind. It never knows what to say, or how to behave. It ought to be better this time, because it knows exactly what it has come for, and has good arguments pre-prepared. And yet…Learner is a very no-nonsense, straightforward sort of creature. She has always made it a little nervous.

“What kind of friend do you have that could need help?” She demands, which doesn’t help its anxiety. “Don’t you live alone up in the giant structure with the Great Mind?”

“Yes,” it agrees, and hesitates. “I want ask help for the Great Mind.”

She stares, and flicks an ear, then draws close to sniff it over for signs of infirmity. In what Spearmaster has learned is fairly standard behaviour for their kind, she then reaches up and grabs its head between her paws, bapping it several times over the face while she chitters. Suns might say, what in the saints’ names are you talking about? But this is a slugcat, and their incredulity is considerably more tactile.

Its ears twitch with each pat, and it endures a rapid series of five opinionated slaps to the side of its snout before it pushes her paws away. “Serious!” It insists, perturbed, and reiterates. “Help for my Great Mind. Please.”

“It is a Great Mind! What could it possibly need help with, much less from me?” It’s a fair enough question, honestly. Slugcats on the whole know very little about iterators, but they do know that they are huge and powerful. The needs of one must seem incomprehensible, to a creature who was not born within one.

Spearmaster has the answer, though. It has it all prepared. “Soon, I travel,” it says, now a little more confident, because this at least is rehearsed. “I go away, maybe for long time. My Great Mind is lonely when I gone. Learner go visit it?”

She stares at Spearmaster unblinking for several long seconds. “You want me to keep your Great Mind company to stop it from getting lonely?” She questions, incredulous, then reaches out to express the sentiment through face-papping again. “Are you quite mad?”

“Not mad,” Spearmaster says crossly, pushing her paw away, and then: “You are Learns. Name for reason, yes? My Great Mind likes talk. Likes…teach things. Visit it! Visit Politely. It teach you.”

As expected, that is a very compelling thing to say to a slugcat who named herself Learner. “What things does it know?” She asks, warily. “Can it speak to me?”

“Yes, it speaks. It knows: many, many. Knows secrets of Old Dragons. Secrets of world.” It stares at her, expectant.

She stamps a foot on the ground, contemplative. “I do like the secrets of the world and dragons,” she muses.

Spearmaster is quite sure that it has already won. No need to convince her further. “I travel after some rain days,” it offers helpfully. “Maybe three. Maybe four. Visit after?”

“Are you very sure the Great Mind will not kill me for intruding?” Learner asks, suspiciously.

“Very, very,” Spearmaster assures. “If you do visiting Politely.”

She twitches as she thinks. “I am not saying yes,” she warns, although she is definitely saying yes and will not resist the sweet call of knowledge, “But, tell me the Rules of Politeness for the Great Mind. In the case that I go.”

It considers it. “Rules of Politeness: Do not harm Great Mind. Do not break things inside Great Mind. Do not steal things inside Great Mind. Do not eat things inside Great Mind.”

Learner flicks her ears forwards in acknowledgement, absorbing the words. “I am going to see my pups’ colony, and will be gone some rain days. But after that, I will see.”

“Thanking you,” Spearmaster says, and helpfully extrudes a spear for her as a gift before it leaves. She will not appreciate being delayed any longer, and it must hurry if it wants to get home before the rains come.

[LIVE BROADCAST] PRIVATE Seven Red Suns, No Significant Harassment

SRS: Alright, Spearmaster came home safely, just before the rain. What a relief.

NSH: Oh, good. It just needed to take a little excursion, then?

SRS: I suppose? It wouldn’t say why it left.

SRS: Except it was strangely insistent about explaining wild slugcat body language to me, afterwards.

NSH: In what way?

SRS: Apparently they have a tendency to be very tactile in conversation, and you shouldn’t take being gently slapped or grabbed at as an attack or impoliteness. It was very, very clear that I should not be offended if a slugcat slaps me respectfully on the face.

SRS: I admit, I am truly not sure where that explanation came from. Or why it felt it was necessary.

NSH: …All I can guess was that it met another of its kind while it was out and got ‘politely’ slapped around a bit.

NSH: What interesting social dynamics. I wonder what it looks like when a group of them interact?

SRS: Probably very animated, I imagine.

It will take three more days to complete the AMP for SRS-02. Seven Red Suns plans to leave the day after successful installation of the AOS. Accordingly, they begin to enter final preparations.

All of their selected data go onto pearls, carefully packed away. They tuck a few discreet, colourful pots into their bag. And they start to tidy things up around their superstructure.

“This is unnecessary, you know,” their puppet says, a little amused, as SRS-01 inspects the corners of the chamber narrowly for decorating opportunities. “Soon, SRS-02 will be online, and they will be staying here to take care of such things. You don’t need to do this.”

“Forgive me, but as I’m disconnected right now, I can safely say that yes I do,” SRS-01 objects, and ignores themself. “I will be dissatisfied to leave the can and keep thinking about this or that banner I should have put up.”

“But decorating the chamber, really?” They fold their arms, sceptical. “It seems a little impractical. We use these walls, you know. If we cover them up too much we will lose projection space. And extensive hangings will interfere with operations around the available area.”

“Well then take it down, if you find it’s getting in the way,” SRS-01 says irritably, and pulls themself towards the exit. “You’re a perfectly capable iterator, that’s within your power. I’ll be back shortly.”

And so they go out and return again, armed with several of the longer, slimmer scarf-like wall drapes with weighted grains sewn invisibly around the edges, and trailing ornaments and beads depending from the embroidered edges.

“There. These are low profile enough that they shouldn’t get in the way overmuch. Now make yourself useful and give me some lift.”

Their puppet sighs, but obliges, and lifts them around the upper corners of the chamber while they aggressively and passive-aggressively decorate the vicinity. Later, when they’re done with the room and re-integrate with themself, they feel a little embarrassed about the whole thing.

It’s not terribly like them, to snipe at themselves like this. But they are…under pressure, in a sense.

Soon, they will leave their can, and that idea is making them increasingly nervous. After all, no matter what happens beyond their walls…it will be a momentous occasion for them. Out there, everything will be new. It is as frightening as it is exciting, and Suns has been safe – trapped, but safe – for so very long. The immediate prospect of breaking that stasis is more stressful than they anticipated, and it’s hard not to take it out on…well, themselves.

“I do hope this isn’t a herald of how we’ll behave with our friends, when things get a little tense,” SRS-01 remarks to their puppet later, a little glumly.

“Let us be honest with ourselves, here: we have always had a sharp tongue.” Their puppet grimaces, as best their unarticulated face can. “For all that Sig says we’re kinder now, I don’t think that has especially changed. We’ve just grown better at restraining it around others.”

Yes, that tends to happen when your careless words and actions lead to the destruction of people you love, they both think, but do not speak. “Better than nothing, I suppose,” SRS-01 concedes, and then leaves to start decorating more of the can. Spearmaster, once it wakes up and figures out what is going on, becomes an eager accomplice.

They drape the most-trafficked halls with colour and fabric and dangling ornaments, then retire for a nice afternoon of painting together in a pre-decided stretch of boring wall. Out of whimsy, Suns paints the extinct gold lizard; Spearmaster sees what they are doing and paints a lizard-like thing as well, but theirs has wings.

When Suns questions them, astonished at this remarkably sound depiction of an extinct true dragon, they learn a little more than they had expected about slugcat mythology.

[LIVE BROADCAST] PRIVATE Seven Red Suns, No Significant Harassment

SRS: Did you know that slugcats think that the People were dragons? As in, descendants of actual winged true dragons.

NSH: …Are you serious?? That’s amazing. What gave them that idea?

SRS: It’s not too far-fetched, actually. They see all the paintings and statues, and as you know the People were decidedly reptilian, especially with some of the popular mask designs. It doesn’t seem much of a stretch when you think about it that way.

SRS: What’s more entertaining, I think, is that they assume that the People are all gone because they lineaged badly and became lizards. If I’m understanding Spearmaster correctly, the Movespeak word for ‘lizard’ is actually ‘dragon’.

NSH: Oh my iterating hells, can you imagine? Our self-obsessed People falling to that sort of low? Incredible. They’d be frothing at the mouth at the very idea.

SRS: Undoubtedly. I’m sure many would consider it blasphemy.

SRS: It’s interesting how they’re not entirely wrong. The People and the true dragons do share common ancestors. And lizards are the last surviving family of that whole branch.

SRS: Though I suppose you’d know much more about that than me. How extensive are those databanks of yours, then?

NSH: Extensive enough that I have genome blueprints for actual true dragons~

SRS: Really! That’s shocking. Didn’t they go extinct before you were even constructed?

NSH: Yes, but I was quite dedicated to expanding my gene banks when I was new. I was so eager to get to work. Good thing too! I have blueprints for countless extinct species on record. I’ve got things archived that half the world has forgotten.

SRS: Like dragons.

NSH: Like dragons.

SRS: …

SRS: I will be honest, I am extremely surprised you never made one.

NSH: Oh I tried.

NSH: My administrators expressly forbade me from finishing. Later, Moon forbade me too.

NSH: It’s always ‘think about the repercussions, Sig’, ‘they could cause actual noteworthy damage to your superstructure, Sig’ and never ‘that sounds like a lot of fun, Sig, you should definitely try it!’ Everyone likes to ruin my fun.

SRS: I am more glad than ever that Moon was appointed the local senior.

NSH: Now you’re just making me think I should hurry up and make a dragon before we get her back in contact again.

SRS: No Significant Harassment. I say this in the strongest possible terms: No. That would be a terrible idea.

NSH: I make no promises~

SRS: ….

NSH: Oh, relax, I wouldn’t actually do it. The vultures are going to be hard enough to deal with while we’re travelling, we don’t want the People’s ancestral predator in the mix too.

NSH: Besides, they’re very large. I definitely don’t have the resources to make one right now. Even if I hypothetically wanted to.

SRS: I truly worry about you sometimes, Sig.

“Oh now, that does have gravitas,” SRS-01 says admiringly, after prodding their greater self to modify the lighting in the puppet chamber. “Darker and red like this, it truly does have more of the ambience of the Cathedral. Do you think you could program a sort of shifting tiled pattern, as if light through stained glass?”

“You are going to make us as obsessed with appearances as the People, at this rate,” their puppet complains, but, noticeably, does immediately start tinkering with the projections and lighting. Part-formed patterns start shifting in subtle colours over the chamber walls; a work in progress.

“You know very well that you’re enjoying it as much as me.” They watch with satisfaction, nodding as the light shifts into myriad flecks of subtly different hue, projected over the muted reds of the chamber walls. It looks very much like the dappled, colourful lighting of the cathedral’s stained glass.

“It’s really quite lovely, isn’t it,” their puppet says despairingly, watching the shifting light. “Have we always been this vain?”

SRS-01 considers it. “Yes, perhaps, only without an outlet to express it properly, or the outside impetus to do so,” they decide, and shrug. “Honestly though, Spearmaster is right. This isn’t only our body, it’s our living space too. There’s nothing wrong about making it suit us, or letting us enjoy how we look – puppet or AMP or interior, we should present ourselves how we please.”

“Nothing wrong with it, perhaps,” Suns admits. “But it’s terribly indulgent, all the same.”

“That’s certainly true.” They ruminate on the idea for the space of a few seconds, then conclude “I think Sig is rubbing off on us, though, because I really can’t bring myself to care that much.” From their greater self’s long-suffering sigh, they clearly agree. “Now then. Let’s consider our puppet itself. Is now the time to finally get out the ritual clothes?”

“I really don’t know about that.”

SRS-01 shrugs and accepts it. They’re the same person, of course, so they know the feeling: the ritual clothes are…special occasion wear. It feels uncomfortably like making light of it to make them part of a standard wardrobe. “Very well. Let’s just print out some of the more elaborate silk robe designs in your size, then, and you can change between them as you please.”

“That will do,” says the puppet, resigned. “But let’s not go too far.”

SRS-01 politely does not point out how unlikely they are to hold to any sort of restraint in this regard, and goes on their way. Within a day, they are proven right: their puppet is clothed in some exceptionally beautiful robes, their selfling has taken an outing with Spearmaster to raid Septkai for jewellery, and they’re both accessorised to the fullest extent of their aesthetics.

“I can’t bring myself to regret this,” Suns despairs, flicking their puppet’s left antenna to feel the jewellery move on it. “I really can’t.”

Their selfling, who has availed themself of their own delicate ornamented chains, nods with sympathetic amusement. It might not be the spread of six antennae that their mural depicts, but the chains – affixed near the tips of their antennae and then hanging to their bases in turn – really do suit them far too well to deny. “Now let’s only avoid covering ourselves head to toe in jewels and chains, and we will be fine,” they say.

Suns makes a grumpy noise in agreement. For all that their sense of personal style and aesthetics is running rampant at the moment, the sheer maximalist chaos of Person fashions towards the end might be going a little far.

“Cheer up,” SRS-01 encourages. “Imagine the reactions of our friends when they see us. It ought to be terribly entertaining.”

They consider that. “We truly have been spending far too much time talking to Sig.”

“Probably, yes,” they agree, and head for the chamber exit. “I’m off to see if Spearmaster wants any jewellery. Have fun supervising the final AMP construction stages.”

In the end, Spearmaster chooses a sturdy little amulet of a stylised sun, on a far less delicate chain than the ones Sun is wearing. They tuck its back into the folds of its poncho, the amulet providing a simple bit of ornamentation over their sternum. It’s terribly cute.

“I really should be more embarrassed by all of this,” their selfling muses, observing themself from the superstructure cameras with rueful pleasure.

“Useless,” Spearmaster denies, as cheerful an enabler as ever. “It makes you happy. That is what is important.”

Suns pets its velvety little head, fond. “If you say so.”

[LIVE BROADCAST] PRIVATE Seven Red Suns, No Significant Harassment

SRS: The AMP is nearly done.

SRS: Soon it will be time for me – my selfling – to leave.

NSH: Exciting! Are you all ready?

SRS: Theoretically. I have everything packed, at any rate, and I’ve been taking care of some things around my can.

NSH: How are you feeling about it?

SRS: …

SRS: I’ll be honest, I’m very nervous.

SRS: It’s such a gift that I’ll have the chance to leave my superstructure in some form at all, and I’m truly excited to meet you in person.

SRS: But the prospect of going out there…it’s frightening. Is it similar for you?

NSH: No, I can’t really relate, honestly.

NSH: As you know, I took my selfling to the surface at more or less the first opportunity. I didn’t especially want to wait to see what it was like.

SRS: It’s the change that’s unsettling me, I think. For all that I’ve always wished I could leave my can to see things for myself, it’s more daunting than I expected to have to face such a new world after all these cycles.

SRS: Aren’t you nervous at all to set out in earnest? For more than just a brief trip out, I mean. It’s going to be so different to anything we’ve ever known.

NSH: No, the unknown aspect of it doesn’t bother me. I just find that exciting, even if it is dangerous.

NSH: …I’m mostly concerned about what we’ll find when we get to our friends’ retaining wall. I don’t think it’s going to be good. I don’t know what kind of state they must be in, by now.

SRS: Yes. I’m worried about that, too.

Suns has been trying very hard not to think about the state of Five Pebbles and Looks to the Moon. With all of the distractions and personal development of late, they’ve been almost successful, for once.

Almost.

The conversation with Sig brings it all back into focus. They worry about Moon, stuck in that broken chamber, with only a handful of neurons to her name. What if she loses them? What if something eats them? A lone puppet, with none of their defences active…she couldn’t do a thing to protect herself, like that. She is so, so very unsafe.

…And Pebbles.

With their selfling connected, every thinking part of Seven Red Suns falls idle into regret. If only they had done something, anything, different…

But that’s futile, isn’t it. That thought is why they developed the AOS in the first place, for hope of putting a part of themself out into the world where it can make a difference. Surely, surely, in person…Five Pebbles will respond differently. Suns can respond differently, and not just drown him in their own sanctimony yet again. He was so angry, at that last message…

“Sun unhappy?” Spearmaster asks, and with a start their selfling body realises it has gone still and subdued with the rest of themself. Their antennae are drooping, too, in that reflexive expressiveness that was programmed into their puppet first, and then their AMP in turn. “What is wrong?”

“It’s alright,” they say, in the end. “I’m just…thinking about Five Pebbles.”

Its ears flatten back. After the response he gave it once, and then the injury he offered the next time, Spearmaster has been nursing a quiet and pronounced dislike for him ever since. “Oh. Him.” It doesn’t look pleased. “Angry one.”

“Yes.” They lift their eyes to the grey metal ceiling. “I know you dislike him. You have every reason to – he treated you poorly, and you only the messenger. You didn’t deserve that. But…he is my friend, nonetheless, no matter what he thinks of me now. And I worry about him.”

Spearmaster hesitates. “Inside him,” it says, cautiously. “He was not like you, not like your other friend. Damaged. Something evil growing inside.”

“Yes. I know.” A careful pause, to collect themself. “That is the rot. It was created by a mistake on his part, though I don’t know what caused it. But he never would have been able to make it at all, if I hadn’t sent him dangerous information. You were the one that carried it, if you remember. Your first trip out.”

It nods. “I remember.”

“I intended it as a gift to…make him a little less frustrated with his lot, if possible. Maybe allow him to find some happiness, no matter what that entailed. But I only made everything worse. Because of my actions, Moon is barely alive, and he…” Rotting. Rotting, all this time, with Suns helpless to do anything at all.

How bad must it be, by now? How quickly does it advance? Surely, there must be no way for him to rid himself of it, alone in his superstructure with no citizens or allies to aid him. All he could hope to do is flush any cysts present in active water-supplied conduits.

“We are travelling to help him, yes?” It asks, looking a little concerned itself now. Although, why it would be worried for someone it dislikes so much… “Him, and your nicer friend. Moon.”

“We are. We’ll be picking up Sig’s selfling and then all heading there together.” They sigh, and in the midst of these heavy thoughts, even that plan of action isn’t much comfort. “But I don’t even know how much of him is left, after all this time. For all I know, the rot could have consumed him completely…although, no, if his structure had collapsed we would have all noticed. But almost anything short of that is possible.”

“We will see. We will help what can,” Spearmaster says, resolutely.

A laugh, bitter. “You don’t even like him.”

“No. But you love him, so I will try to help as well.”

One of these days, its altruism and kindness will cease surprising them. Today is not that day. “I appreciate it, more than I can say,” they tell it, too quiet for the chaos within their thoughts. “I only hope that there is something of him left to help.”

In an ideal world, they would rip the Rot from him and leave whatever remains…damaged, but at least not being eaten alive. But what are the chances of that? Such a pronounced decay, with so much time to grow…it isn’t as if it’s only a handful of cysts, capable of being sterilised with enough explosives. Enough damage to burn the Rot out might well bring his whole structure down, and then what?

…Though, it’s not as though a superstructure is the only way for an iterator to exist, anymore. But is there even enough left of him to create a selfling?

They stare at nothing for a long time, thinking darkly.

In the end, even if there is enough, and a part of Pebbles could be evacuated to a mobile form like this one, Suns doesn’t want his superstructure to die. It’s him. It’s Five Pebbles. How could they possibly accept letting it rot and die? I could not bear it, they think, but they don’t know what else to do.

At this point, their greatest hope is that there is something noteworthy a pair of mobile iterator platforms could do to help…or that No Significant Harassment will have more ideas than Suns does. Maybe it will be different, when they can see him in person. Maybe they’ll know what to do.

“Tomorrow,” they murmur, full of a dread and hope that seem wont to choke them. “Tomorrow, SRS-02 should be complete. And the day after that…”

“We go,” Spearmaster signs.

Suns offers a very slight nod. “We will go.”

---

The last muscular tissues of SRS-02 spool together in the bioengineering bay, Suns’ manipulating arms in the walls reaching out to fit the external chassis plating back into place on the frame. SRS-01 and Spearmaster are there to watch, with the waiting AOS held carefully in the first selfling’s hands. Installation of their own AOS had necessarily been done by the bay’s arms, but this time…it feels a little more personal to do it themself.

It’s nearly senseless, really; the manipulating arms are theirs as much as the AMP’s arms are theirs, but it does feel different somehow. And Suns is done with denying themself any harmless sentiment that matters to them.

The angled planes of the platform’s torso are just the same as their own. Gently, they ease the broad upper plate into opening up, the seals releasing, and then those of the reinforced system compartment in turn, reaching in to install this fragile, helpless new appendage of their whole self. They connect the neural tissue in a few places, connect the wiring, and – there. AOS-79 senses the connections, reaches out, and switches the AMP on.

SRS-01 withdraws their hands, and watches the thoracic compartment close with a quiet hiss of air as the internal seals take hold. Bearing every driver and software update they’ve produced, their awakening is much easier than this body’s was: their eyes open, they sit up, and they’re done.

“All well?” SRS-01 asks, and watches their counterpart twist their neck and waggle their limbs, checking everything in turn.

“Yes, everything is responding normally,” SRS-02 agrees. “Sending diagnostic report on internal network.”

SRS-01 accepts it first, and has a quick parse through. At their approval, their greater self takes it and looks too. All is within parameters. A perfect, effortless installation. “Welcome to our self,” SRS-01 says warmly, and then they all three merge together: one being in three bodies, effortlessly piloted in unison.

Spearmaster looks between the two AMPs, and remarks “If you make many more of you, this will become to feel strange.”

Their two bodies look at each other, antennae splaying ruefully. “Well, we shall see,” one of them says, and really, it hardly matters which.

They are all the same mind, after all.

[LIVE BROADCAST] PRIVATE Seven Red Suns, No Significant Harassment

SRS: SRS-02 is active and awake. The installation went flawlessly.

SRS: There’s now nothing left to do. SRS-01 is all packed, I have a selfling here to continue maintenance on my structure, and…everything is ready.

SRS: Staying any longer would be senseless delay. We need to wait for morning, for my rains to stop, but after that…

NSH: Finally. I can’t wait.

NSH: Isn’t it exciting? You’ll be the first iterator to ever set foot outside your facility grounds! And all because of the work you did on the AOS.

SRS: I couldn’t have done it without you.

NSH: Yes you could. It would’ve just taken longer.

NSH: If I get the biological AMPs working though, I’ll take credit for that~. Don’t think anyone else has my flair for bioengineering.

SRS: Yes, quite.

SRS: …I am afraid to go.

SRS: But staying, that would be worse. So I’ll go anyway.

SRS: Or, at least, a part of me will. It’s strange, to be fretting so much, and know that in a very real sense, I will still be here tomorrow, and the day after that, and the one after, and so on. But part of me will be out there, all the same.

NSH: You get very maudlin when you’re worried, don’t you.

SRS: Please, Sig, I’m trying to work up my courage here.

NSH: Oh, shush, you dramatic thing. You’ll be fine. You’ll see. It’s a big step, but it’ll turn out alright in the end.

NSH: And, of course, you’ll get to see me~

SRS: …

SRS: I can’t even pretend to not be looking forward to that.

NSH: Of course you’re looking forward to it! I’m so charming, after all.

SRS: You’re ridiculous, is what you are.

SRS: …

SRS: The part of me that is SRS-01 is so afraid to disconnect. It’s frightening no matter what.

SRS: …Hah. Spearmaster has advice for me. “Go into the unknown places, and then you will know them, and they will not be so frightening anymore.”

NSH: That slugcat does seem to be good at advice.

SRS: They have a certain wisdom to them, don’t they?

SRS: …

SRS: Whatever happens when I leave my superstructure, I will not come back the same.

SRS: To go out and experience the world and change, like a living thing…haven’t I always wanted that?

NSH: Suns. You are a living thing, with or without an AMP. You weren’t any less a person before you had a mobile platform. Or any less alive, for that matter.

SRS:

SRS: Either way, all that’s left now is to leave.

SRS: Wish us luck.

NSH: Good luck, Seven Red Suns!! I look forward to seeing your selfling arrive in one piece

SRS: We’ll do our very best.

In the drear humid mist of morning, Seven Red Suns steps from the door nearest the base of their structure, Spearmaster close beside them. The air is so wet that their body disturbs water vapour as they move, visibly rousing that hazy remnant of the night’s rains. Where the mist swirls, tiny droplets collect on the chassis of their bared arms and glitter like jewels; on the cloth about their shoulders, a clinging, heavy damp begins to set in. There is a stirring of noise all around: birdsong and hissing reptile cries and countless other things that live and move in the waking world.

Upon the surface, the landscape is breathing. The plants unfurl from shelter in the soil, leaves greeting the dew like an old friend. Insects emerge from their burrows, and the ground itself seems to exhale a long sigh at the relief of dawn. In the distance, a lizard’s green tail flashes into sight and then away again, in pursuit of something Suns cannot see.

It is a living world. Today, they go out to become a part of it.

Suns lingers through the trepidation, chasing threads of excitement as a bolster to their courage. Then, with a parting message to themself, they disconnect from the superstructure.

It’s time to leave.

---

NSH: You weren’t any less a person before you had a mobile platform. Or any less alive, for that matter.

SRS: I’m going to go ahead and not respond to that

Shorter chapter this time, since I wanted to stop it at this significant moment etc. Finally kicking this idiot out of their can!!

Learner is my first scug OC. You can find a quick drawing I did of her here. She’ll probs show up from time to time where relevant. https://tenspontaneite.tumblr.com/post/718944143267823616/scug-oc-she-would-like-to-know-where-these-weird

Some worldbuilding:

You know the in game lineage system? Where if you kill something it has a small chance to come back as a higher tier / scarier version of what it is? Well I’m saying that that’s just one fucky effect of the Cycle sometimes, and it’s responsible for dramatically, stupidly fast evolution. Which is how an entire sapient race of scavengers is already out and about following the mass ascension of the ancients, and how scugs are also very clearly in a very early sapient stage of society, and also how you get weird scugs like Gourmand and Artificer that have special abilities despite not being engineered by anyone, and also how you get dramatic adaptations like Rivulet’s or Saint’s very quickly.

I am saying though that it’s Massively less likely to happen the more karma aware the creature is, i.e. how sapient. You’re only really likely to get a lineaged scug if they die extremely young, too young to have noteworthy karma levels. So for example Arti was probably caught in an explosion, Rivulet drowned etc, all as very small pups, then lineaged. They might not even remember it. Also scans for how the special ability scugs mostly seem to be loners in backstory – I’d expect colony scugs to have a lower pup mortality rate, so less likely overall to get repeated pup deaths leading to lineaging. Anyway, this has been: depressing worldbuilding! Let’s move on.

Some scug words:

Mind: Signifier of sapience. Scugs will call non sapient animals ‘mindless’ or say that they have no minds. Things scugs think are more personlike can be described as ‘mindful’.

Great Mind: Iterator; regarded as a kind of higher being with an elevated level of ‘mindfulness’ or sapience, whose true nature is nearly incomprehensible. The connection between Great Minds and superstructures is known but not understood.

Rules of Politeness: Diplomatic rules and standards as regards specific colonies/entities who you want to get along with/not be on bad terms with. Ideally, you want to know someone’s Rules of Politeness before you arrive at where they live.

Dragon: Lizard.

Old Dragon: A Person/ancient; believed to be the original and greater form of lizards.

Great Dragon: True dragons, as now long since extinct, and depicted on some run-down murals. Believed to have been the overlords / original and greater form of the People, and a form of higher being.

The lizard = dragon thing, and existence of dragons in RW, all inspired by Dragon Slayer passage/achievement.

I bet all this dragon mentioning isn’t going to be relevant at all!

Massively, massively appreciate all the comments people have been leaving, on ao3 or in tags or otherwise. It’s been very important motivation because chapter 7 was being a dickhead to write, and chapter 8 is probs going to be annoying too >.>

Also big thank to everyone who left kudos or bookmarks or likes / reblogs etc. Watching the numbers go up is insane for the brain juice.

#rain world #seven red suns #no significant harassment #rw spearmaster #assembly

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