#don't worry ya'll this will be happy endings only

[generalsmemories]

3 in fluff scenarios with Dan Heng for the event? :3

Lovely melody

✧ dan heng x gn!reader

✧ prompts used: that warm feeling they get when they successfully make the other one laugh out loud || 1k event

✧ content: established relationship, fluff, hurt/comfort, spoilers for main quest and 1.4 main event, and dan heng's companion quest

✧ a/n: i think everyone heals a lot inside whenever dan heng shows a hint of a smile (me going into camera mode with both his forms to see that tiny little smile) so let's give this boi some well deserved laughter after his very good job onboard the luofu

ya'll know the drill, not beta-read so if you see any mistakes - you didn't.

Dan Heng seemed to behave differently after he decided to meet with Bailu. A meeting you were first incredibly worried about after getting to know what had once to him onboard the Luofu years ago - but he had only given you a tiny smile and a brief hug to console you, whispering that he would bring the trailblazer for safety measures.

You had noted that it was the first time that he had personally left the archives after the initial expedition had come to an end and the stellaron disaster had been solved.

And normally you would've been delighted over the fact that he had taken the effort to come out to hang out at the cabin area with the others, even if he spoke less than before. While you're worried about his reason for stepping out of the express once again, you know that its his wish - and by no means are you to hold someone back from wishing to face a certain part of themselves.

Especially when it comes to Dan Heng.

Either way, when he came back after taking a trip back down to Luofu, he had once again shut himself back into the archives - there was an attempt to console you in the form of a brief nod with a small smile.

It did not help at all.

But you knew better than to actually rush him into explaining things or even tell you something - he still needed to wrap his own head around what had just happened after all.

So you were in utter glee when March and the trailblazer had suggested to bring Dan Heng back to Belobog for their annual Solwarm festival, deciding to wait outside of the archives as they went in to ask him. But your happiness is short-lived when the duo comes out with a frown, the trailblazer shaking their head while March just sighs out in disappointment.

"He won't budge at all. I would ask you to come and join us [Name], but you're probably too worried about him now to join, huh?" March asks in a futile attempt, and you can only give her a resigned smile yourself, "Sorry, you two. Do enjoy the festival for both of us though. I think Himeko is at the end of this cart if you're going to ask her for help," you say, waving the two goodbye - entering the room only when they turn the corner.

Dan Heng is still standing with his back turned towards the door when you enter, and he doesn't turn around when he speaks out loud either. "You really don't have to stay behind at the express for me, you know? I'm fine, just a bit tired."

You don't answer, merely taking a few cautious steps towards him although you stop moving when you're just within arms reach "... Do you want me to?" you ask instead.

"..." he doesn't answer at first, but he quickly turns around to take a few steps towards you, reaching for your hand to pull you towards him before immediately burying his face into your neck and wrapping his arms around your waist. "... Thank you."

While Dan Heng doesn't say anything more after his initial vulnerability, but you can tell very quickly from the way he's acting that he doesn't want you to leave his sight. You've resigned yourself to spend majority of your time inside the archives - getting a lot of updates of March's and trailblazers situation and condition through various selfies and long rants from March.

You show all of the pictures to Dan Heng who has his head resting on your lap whilst reading the updates from March out loud. While he doesn't comment on anything, content with hearing your own thoughts about the matter - you've managed to see him crack a small smile or let out a light chuckle at some of the stories March gives or even your own thoughts.

While it doesn't seem like a lot from the outside or to anyone else, the small chuckle he lets out makes your heart soar. And when you glance down at him after putting away your phone, he merely raises an eyebrow in silence. "What is it?" he asks, ever so oblivious at your newfound joy.

"Nothing," you answer, not able to hold back your smile as you bend your neck a tiny bit to peck him on the lips.

A few more days passes, and whilst March and the trailblazer wasn't able to enjoy the festival because of circumstances (that you have very much been updated on) they had instead found a newfound joy in a new game that had taken Belobog by storm - having sent a picture to you about their new companion who they had affectionally named: Puffball.

It seemed that keeping himself to the archives and accompanied by your presence seemed to help Dan Heng tremendously, now able to take more trips down to the main cabin instead of you having to make the trek to the kitchen yourself to bring food back to the archives.

He's even made some comments on the mutual groupchat of the express, giving March and trailblazer a few pointers - to which he was responded with a flurry of stickers from March you could practically feel her excitement through the screen.

And whilst Himeko and Welt made the trip down to Belobog to watch the final tourmanets in person, you and Dan Heng had resorted to watching the livestream on the holographic screen inside the archives.

Dan Heng wasn't as hooked to the game or the tournament, but seeing your excited expression whenever you saw either March or the trailblazer on the screen did make him relax significantly - having his attention on you and your expression most of the times than the livestream.

Not that you noticed though.

He had started to pay attention to the screen when the grand finale was about to commence though - just as curious as you about this mysterious player that had participated in the event.

"They won!" you shouted in glee before the trotter had even landed the final blow, making Dan Heng jolt in surprsie at the sudden loudness - but you were too ecstatic to even notice, turning towards him with a glint in your eyes that made Dan Heng's words die in his mouth.

"I knew they were going to win! Sure Hook as an elite player surprised me, but there was no way March and the trailblazer would lose! After all they even went with your tips and strategy with the right chips and had that amazing line up - they were almost unkillable!" you spouted, going on and on about the strategic points and the efficient use of their set up - Dan Heng still blinking in mild surprise at your sudden informative outburst.

You still don't notice how he's completeley shell-shocked at your new vigor, and while 70% of his attentin was on your continued rant on how they could optimize the team further, he gets a personal message from Himeko - the video showing Welt having jumped up from his seat with as much excitement as you during the finale.

And maybe it's that video about Welt along with your own enthusiasm about a game that you were previously very neutral about is what finally cracks him.

But you first hear the light snicker come from him, which makes you immediately quiet down because of sheer surprise. The light snicker that comes from your lover soon turns into a hearty laugh while his body starts to shake slightly.

And you swear you've never been so in love.

There's a few stray tears forming at the corner of his eyes, to which Dan Heng brings a delicate finger to brush away, mouth still spread into a smile - his cheeks are a tiny bit flushed from having laughed way longer than he normally does and his body is still trembling slightly.

If only you could've recorded this entire interaction.

It takes Dan Heng a couple of deep breathes before he notices your awestruck expression, his smile fading a bit as he grows concerned, but before he can ask you only cup his cheeks again and shuffle closer to him - the same sparkle in your eyes still present, but now for entirely different reasons than before.

"You laughed!" you state with a broad smile, and the male before you blinks in surprise, cheeks reddening a bit at your upfront statement.

But before he can even say anything, you let out a chuckle yourself, "You laughed!" you reaffirm, now with a softer voice.

Dan Heng is still confused, but you only shake your head before leaning in to kiss him, "You finally laughed again."

And only when you say that does Dan Heng piece together all of your worries for the past week. The realization making him let out a resigned chuckle, bringing a hand behind your head to pull your face closer to him and press his lips against your own again.

"How can I not when you were acting that excited over a game of all things?"

You don't refute or say anything, only laughing more which makes his small smile widen.

[weemsfreak]

The Only One

Hi ya'll, happy pride month!!

Sorry for being mia, I have been quite busy with school and also working on this (slowly) all of June. I was unsure of the vibes I wanted this story to give, as I have been feeling confused(?) as of late, and for some reason June has brought many feelings and a couple crap experiences that I wanted to incorporate into here. I did make the story hopeful toward the end, but I just wanted to say that if anyone feels this way, you are not alone!

Calling our Lesbian Headmistress to help make the confusing and lonely times a bit better with a pride event. I know not everybody likes to celebrate pride in this way, but I thought it was cute.

Larissa Weems x studentreader (platonic) ~4.6k words

Part of my 'All the Time' series, based on reader being a lesbian but struggles with her sexuality and falls for her straight friend (canon experience ;))

Warnings: partially closeted, mention of family not understanding, self reflection (internalized homophobia/being proud)

༻༺

Nobody ever talks about how lonely it is, being queer in a small town.

The lack of representation, of places to go, and people to meet. The sliver of hope that you will feel safe if you decide to venture, if you decide to try.

Her with him and him with her and 'girl crush' this and 'man crush' that.

But all in all, you thought that perhaps the worst of it all was the feeling of being the only one.

You listen to songs that describe other places, places you wish your mother would tell you to go.

You know she wants you to stay, but you can't ignore the crazy visions of you in…well, somewhere that perhaps doesn't exist- or maybe it does.

Somewhere a different version of yourself could live; hopeful, happy, proud.

Your favorite movie, which makes you feel accepted, alive, is less than ten years old, even though you're a fan of old classic Hollywood.

You don't see yourself in them.

Many times before, you've heard people say 'it would be so much easier to be gay.'

They must've been joking, of course; but being gay was not a joke.

They joke about being gay but they've never wondered if their family would still love them.

They joke about being gay but they've never been scared of their friends abandoning them and talking behind their back.

They joke about being gay but they've never rejected a man with the reason of being interested in women, just for the man to ask if it's the truth, 'they could turn you', so they say.

They joke about being gay but they've never been the quiet one when others talked about boys.

They joke about being gay but they've never felt like they were disrespecting women because they found them attractive.

They joke about being gay but they've never been the outcast.

They joke about being gay but they've never worried about their loved ones not attending their wedding.

They joke about being gay but they've never pretended to like men to try and fit in with their peers.

They joke about being gay but they've never had nobody to talk to.

They joke about being gay but they've never had nobody to cry to.

They joke about being gay but they've never wished they were a boy, for the sole reason of a woman liking them back.

They joke about being gay but they've never had to love somebody in secret.

They joke about being gay but they'll never know what it feels like.

As bad as you felt, through the loneliness, the grief, the 'what ifs' and the doubt, it wasn't the fact of being queer that scared you, it wasn't that you weren't open, or accepting.

What did hurt though, was what came with it.

The fear of never finding someone, the fear of being rejected and harmed in public, the fear of never understanding how you really felt; the fear of feeling too deeply.

There have been times where you almost, almost, decided to leave it be.

'In another life' you said, shrugging your shoulders as a tear dripped down your cheek at the thought of faking it, and marrying a man.

But one day, you were reading a book dated from the 60s, when the realization hit you.

Years ago, regrettably not that many, you would not have the choice, you would not have the freedom.

And here you were, in the age of progression, hiding away in the land of heterosexuals.

You had a choice, you had freedom.

For the woman before you who were stuck in sham marriages, cried themselves to sleep, snuck around with another woman and feared for their life, for the women who raised children but not with whom they loved, for the women who had no such thing as freedom of choice.

You would not fake it, you would not hide, you would be your true self for them, and for you, regardless of the very possible fact that you could be the only queer in this small town.

༻༺

The headmistress stood outside of the chemistry classroom one gloomy morning, greeting students as they entered as your teacher always did.

You sauntered through the halls as you watched your peers and their modernistic and typical ways.

You weren't sure who's twisted idea it was, to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago…but you admired the sadism.

Opening your locker and retrieving your books, your sketchbook met the floor with an echo when a guy accidentally bumped into you.

"Oh crap, sorry Y/N"

You gave him a menacing look, before taking a breath and straightening yourself out.

"No worries."

His friend, who had shoved him into you, continued on to class as he spoke from down the hall. "C'mon man, leave the freak alone."

You expected him to continue on as well, but he didn't.

"How are things going?"

You'd likely be late for class if he kept the conversation up.

"A lot of this" you shrugged, pointing to your books.

"Yea, me too. The harvest festival is coming up though, I know you love the fall, and all things creepy."

You huffed in amusement, nodding your head.

"It’s nice to have things to look forward to."

He smiled and nodded, looking to his feet.

"Well, I'll see you there. Maybe I'll message you?"

You shook your head uninterested, not holding him to it.

"Sure."

Bending down to pick your sketchbook up off the floor, it was open to a doodle you had done which was rather, well, not appropriate for school.

Slamming your sketchbook shut, you stood and met your locker mirror; your own reflection, as well as the principals, smiling back at you.

Jump scare.

"Good morning, darling."

You spun around in surprise, staring wide eyed.

"Principal Weems, good morning."

She nodded as she looked at you in amusement, hoping to hide her true thoughts about your morning interactions.

"Where is Ms. Currie?"

The principal tilted her head at you, "Out today. I was notified last minute, so I'm your substitute."

Well, it was your lucky day.

The principal never failed to notice your…disinterest.

She didn't fail to notice the way some students picked on you, nor your lack of emotion; your presence of indifference towards men.

She saw herself in you, you were just like her.

That thought brought her both joy and pain.

༻༺

Sitting in the quad, you nervously twisted your fingers as you watched your friend approach.

You had heard, apparently, that it was a 'cannon lesbian experience' to have a crush on your friend.

Man were they right, and man, did it hurt.

She sat with a smile, though you could see that her attention was diverted.

"Hi."

"Hey Mar."

You swallowed, looking her in the eye across the table.

"I um, I was thinking, the Rave 'N is soon, maybe we could go together…"

Just then, you watched Gannon make his way to the table and sit beside your friend.

She squealed lightly, pulling him closer to her.

"Y/N, did I tell you Gannon and I are going to the Rave 'N together?!"

Your heart dropped, but it wasn't anything new, it wasn't at all surprising.

For you knew your friend liked men, but you had thought that maybe, well, you didn’t know; maybe there was hope that someone could be like you.

"Oh, uh, congratulations."

Your heart panged as they looked into each others eyes, smiling in anticipation.

"So, what were you talking about?"

You shook your head and let out a weak chuckle, quickly thinking of an excuse.

"I um, I was thinking maybe we could get ready for the Rave'N together, that could be fun."

Marcella smiled as she stood, linking her arm with Gannon's.

"Sure! I'll see you later!"

The principal, who supervised lunch in the quad, watched your rejection with disappointment and regret.

It dug deep, it brought back memories of her own time at Nevermore; the hate and the heartbreak that she felt, that you felt.

Sometimes, things never changed.

'I don't know if I believe the way I feel is real

And I often wonder if it is

Watching your friend dance with a guy

And pondering whether it's what she truly wishes

Should you step in, or leave her be?

You know you wouldn’t wish it, but does she?

It hurts a bit, a little, a lot; watching her dance so close to him

And maybe she'd dance with you like that too

But not in this life, no, not now,

For she's dancing with him, and you watch from the crowd'

༻༺

You knew it wasn’t the fault of your own; the despair, the regret, the loneliness.

But, you couldn't help but feel it when you were alone, so utterly alone, regardless of the fact that you could be surrounded by people.

They'd never understand the feeling of being so outcast, ironically, the feeling of being so different. The feeling of being told that how you felt was somehow wrong.

You felt it, you felt it wholeheartedly; and how could your heart be wrong?

Your parents, who never meant any harm, contradicted themselves.

Honestly, you couldn't exactly say how, but it hurt in a way that you didn't understand.

You thought maybe they were smarter, more knowledgeable, perhaps wiser than you.

They had always said that you could talk to them, but it was useless, as any attempt made you feel worse, not better.

They had been on this earth for sometime, however, surely they must've experienced the hate, and transformed themselves to some degree?

Wishful thinking.

They could never be so open.

And you think, maybe that's what hurt the most; wishing they could understand, wishing they would care enough to understand.

Alas, wishing was useless.

There were nights where you prayed for an older, wiser being to cry to. Someone who could tell you what to do and how to feel, someone who would listen, someone who would care.

Someone who would see you. Someone who understood, because they felt it themself.

༻༺

You made every attempt to be true to yourself.

To not lie, to let yourself feel what you felt, to get out more; to live.

It was hard to be true to yourself, though, when your friends agreed to accompany you to a pride day in Jericho, and then ditched you.

You resented them, you envied them, they didn't know what it felt like; they never would.

The hurt multiplied ten fold when June came around. The hiding, the thinking, the loneliness, it didn't settle, it didn't stop.

After an hour of scrubbing off your makeup, crying face down into your bed, and ditching your  themed outfit, you arrived in Jericho, the opening ceremony finished.

The town square was very festive, multiple restaurants and shops agreed to host a scavenger hunt, crafted special meals to celebrate, provide smaller fun activities, and fireworks. You were proud of the small town of Jericho, they were trying; as were you.

And although they were trying, these activities were not really fun to do, well…alone.

Alas, that's what you were. Alone.

Passing by the Weathervane, you saw a small group of Nevermore students on their way out. You wanted to join in, but you didn’t know them, not that well.

Peering over at the counter, you found a drink special for the day;

'buy any regular sized drink, get rainbow whipped cream for free.'

You snorted, it was rather cheesy, but cute.

Stepping up to the counter, you ordered an iced coffee.

"Would you like rainbow whipped cream on that?"

You sighed, about to shake your head no when you heard a voice at the other end of the counter.

"Thank you, dear. This looks delicious."

She was standing tall with a red lipped smile, peering down at her hot chocolate; rainbow whipped cream on top.

You had to agree, it did look delicious.

"Yes, uh, whipped cream please."

As soon as your drink was made, you beelined it for the door, hoping she wouldn't see you.

It wasn't that you didn’t want to see her, it wasn't that you didn’t want to talk.

It was that you didn’t want her to see you- alone.

Unsure of where to go next, you stood on the sidewalk and tried your drink; delicious.

The doorbell rang and she stepped out, gazing around the streets.

In a flash, you turned and headed down the sidewalk, away from the activities, away from her.

"Y/N?"

You stopped, slowly turning as if you were unsure of where the voice had come from.

A wave, a smile, and she was next to you in a few strides.

"Darling, you're going the wrong way, the festival is this way!"

She never failed to make you happy, her and her rainbow hot chocolate.

You shrugged, "I uh, I don't really want to participate."

Her head tiled in question as she caught sight of your drink.

"You're not interested in celebrating pride?"

Well, that just made you sound homophobic. You shook your head quickly.

"No, no I am. I just, my friends were supposed to come with me but, they changed their minds I guess."

The principal looked down at you, your head hung in sadness, perhaps shame.

Today was not a day to be sad, it was not a day to be shameful, it was a day to be proud, to celebrate.

"Well, I am here with a few Nevermore students. I am proud to support them, no matter who or what they are."

You couldn't help but smile crookedly in awe, meeting her appreciative blue gaze. She bent down closer to you, softening her voice. "That includes you, love."

Your heart beat fast as you stared in surprise, tears threatened to spill as you felt accepted and cared for, for the first time in a long time.

Taking a sip of your drink with a shaky hand, you fiddled with your jewellery.

The woman saw you thinking, contemplating.

She felt the exact same at your age. Knowing who you were, to an extent, but pushing the feeling away with every chance you got.

You didn’t want to, she knew, you wanted to be proud, she knew, but it was hard when you felt like the only one, the only one in this small town.

"How about we try the scavenger hunt, hmm?"

You looked up at her with a frown, but inside you felt joyful.

"We're probably already behind" you chuckled.

The woman waved a hand in dismissal, "Nonsense. We have a good chance if we work together."

༻༺

1.

You made your way back into the Weathervane, retrieving the first clue to the hunt.

'If the first pride flag was designed in Jericho, it would've been designed here.'

You passed the first clue to her, knowing the first pride flag was designed in 1978. If it had have been designed in Jericho, well, you had three options.

The woman smiled, gasping lightly as she recalled "'Sew it forward', it was established here in the 1960s."

༻༺

2.

You followed the intriguing woman to 'Sew it forward', watching as she retrieved the second clue and stamped the pride book red.

She took the clue between her fingers, narrowing her eyes at the small writing.

'This famous bar in New York City was the site of the 1969 riots, a pivotal event in LGBTQ+ history. Find the Jericho bar that starts with the same letter.'

You racked your brain around the bars in Jericho. You have never been to the bars besides for lunch.

"Stones!"

The principal raised a brow at you, a small smirk on her face.

"What?! Just because I'm not of age doesn’t mean I haven't been. Stones has good pizza."

A loud laugh was heard throughout the fabric shop. You were overjoyed that you could make her laugh freely, albeit most likely sounding stupid.

She headed for the door; and you would follow her anywhere.

༻༺

3.

Arriving at Stones, you found those also attempting the hunt, and those drowning in drinks.

You stamped the book with the second stamp, orange, and retrieved the third clue.

'Locate a pin or item that displays personal pronouns or sexual orientation, both important ways to respect people's identities.'

Leading the way out into the street, you looked around.

You didn’t remember seeing a shop with a prominent pin or badge.

"A pin or badge."

You looked up at the tall woman, her eyebrows furrowed in question.

Raking your eyes over her form, you found a brooch on her jacket, one you knew she wore often.

Lips.

"Where did you get that brooch?"

She peered down at her brooch, straightening it out as a light blush overtook her cheeks.

"Oh, my brooch. I got it at the antique shop, Uriah's Heap."

Uriah's Heap, a shop so very, well, out of the ordinary.

It was your favorite.

You stared at her for a moment hoping she would catch on, until her eyes widened in excitement.

"Let's go!" she smiled, grabbing your hand as she drug you to the shop.

༻༺

4.

You stood outside of Uriah's Heap, finding a large progressive pride flag pin on their window.

You knew this was a scavenger hunt, a race of some sort, but you always loved searching for hidden treasures in the shop that many people didn’t appreciate.

Following the principal, she found her way to the antique jewelry.

Choosing a vintage locket, you placed it on the counter and found a basket of pins staring back at you.

"Hello, did you find something of interest?"

The woman, who you remembered enjoyed chaga tea after working here on outreach day, peered down at you.

"Yes, may I purchase this?"

Peering over at the tall woman, she held a brooch up to you.

"Do you think this is nice, darling?"

A brooch which you thought resembled an eye. Very fitting for the principal and her unique look.

"It's beautiful, it matches your bracelet."

She smiled gratefully down at you, placing it on the counter.

"You are very perceptive" she remarked.

The lady rang up both items, the principal speaking up.

"Oh, I'll purchase that separate."

You shook your head at her with a sly smile, "I got it Principal Weems."

After purchasing your items, the principal retrieved the fourth clue and stamped the book yellow.

'What LGBTQ+ novel, written by Sheridan Le Fanu, preceded Dracula?'

You had read this book recently, an easy clue, really.

"Carmilla"

The woman looked down at you in surprise, nodding her head.

"Great novel, absolutely the best. I'm proud" she winked.

You smiled, gaze landing on the floor bashfully before peering back over at the pins in the basket.

The woman noticed and sorted through them. "Hmm, so many options. Would you like one?"

You watched as she held them in her hands to you, every option they had available.

There were so many colors, so many flags and pronouns.

You hummed and hawed over them, knowing which you wanted to chose, but still unsure.

"Well, I think I like this one."

The principal chose one; red, orange, white and pink stripes staring back at you.

Your mouth opened in shock as you watched her pin it to her jacket.

She smiled mischievously, "What's the matter, darling?"

The lesbian flag, something you didn't see often included in pride merchandise.

"I, uh, are you…" you stuttered.

The woman chuckled, straightening out the pin. "A lesbian?"

You nodded speechless as you stared up at her, thrill running through your veins.

She clasped her hands together and gave one nod, a bright smile as she batted her eyelashes your way.

Her support, her happiness, the confidence that she had, it made you want to cry.

You were so, so happy for her, you were so very proud.

Proud of her for her openness, proud of her for her representation, proud of her for being her true self, and for showing others that it was okay to be gay.

Grateful for her bravery, to show others that they were not alone.

You took a deep breath, "Can I have the same one?"

She dug through the pins, finding the very same flag and holding it out to you, "May I?"

You nodded, presenting your jacket to her.

She pinned in on, running a hand soothingly over your arm.

"I'm so very proud of you, darling."

You breathed in heavily, taking in her sincere and caring smile before meeting her gaze.

"I'm proud of you too, Principal Weems. And I'm so happy for you, thank you."

It was all the principal had wished for on this day, to help at least one person through their journey. To help you present yourself, to help you feel like you deserved to be seen, to help you feel proud.

"Of course, love. Now, where can we find the novel 'Carmilla'?"

Well, the library or bookstore, of course. But, you took a bet that Carmilla may not be at the library, so you headed to the bookstore.

༻

5. Crow bookshop

You retrieved the second last clue, stamping the book green.

'Locate the basket prepared for a festive outdoor meal, filled with colorful snacks and drinks. Perfect for a celebration under the open sky.'

The principal looked down at you in contemplation.  "The Basket, like the restaurant?"

You shrugged your shoulders, unsure of where else they would be referring to.

༻༺

6.

You arrived at 'The Basket', a restaurant just before the beach.

There were a few specials, a fruit basket, a flight of ciders, and a flight of sliders.

You knew the principal was a fan of burgers.

"Are you hungry?"

The tall woman looked down at you, smiling as she read over the special.

"Chipotle, Bacon and cheese, Veggie, Bean, Texas, and Chicken sliders. Would you like to share?"

You looked over the menu, rereading what she had just rhymed off.

Nodding, you asked, "What's a flight?"

She chuckled, ordering the special for you both.

"You're about to find out."

Sitting at a table on the back patio, you settled down across from the principal.

A moment silence, you looked her up and down, questioning many things.

An older, wiser being. A beautiful one who appeared to be pretty open, who seemed like she'd understand, who seemed like she cared.

"How did you know that you liked women and not men?"

The woman raised her gaze to you, lips stretching into a sad smile.

She took a deep breath and smoothed a napkin over her lap.

"Well, when I was your age, this small town was all that I knew, just like you.

I knew that I didn't feel the same as my peers, I never cared to talk about boys, I never really fit in in the way that I hoped to.

One day I realized that I wouldn't at all mind kissing my friend, in fact I longed to" she chuckled. "Representation was lacking, but what little of it there was, it helped me realize how I felt as I grew. It's hard to accept yourself, for many reasons, but when you try to push it away, it doesn't get any better, it never changes."

Your voice was hoarse as you asked in confirmation.  "It never changes?"

She shook her head, "It never changes. You have to decide for yourself.

Do whatever makes you happy, feel whatever makes you happy, no matter how different it is, no matter how alone you may feel."

You pursed your lips as tears built in your eyes, she was right, of course she was.

"Well, it helps knowing I'm not the only one."

The woman nodded her head in agreement, wallowing over the memories of her feeling alone, of her heartbreakingly coming to the realization of how she truly felt, of who she really was.

It brought her sadness, to know that others felt the same; perhaps even worse.

"The journey is not an easy one, it's not for the weak. You have to know that you're strong, and you're worthy, always."

The sliders were placed on your table, averting her attention.

She carefully cut them all in half, holding up a piece of the bacon and cheese as she offered the rest to you.

"Bon appétit."

The principal stamped the book blue and picked up the last clue.

 '"At midnight, in the month of June, I stand beneath the mystic moon." What establishment is named after this poet?'

She looked down at you with a finger pointed your way.

You scrunched your eyebrows, Edgar Allan Poe.

The only establishment could be, "The Poe!"

You and the principal laughed, shouting the answer at the same time.

༻༺

7.

 You headed to The Poe, a small museum and shop on the beach that sold trinkets, drinks, and ice cream.

Principal Weems stamped the last page purple, turning in the scavenger hunt book to the shop.

"Well, congratulations! You were fifth to finish the scavenger hunt."

You laughed, fifth place.

The tall woman smiled down at you with a wink, "We're losers."

You both were, in fact, losers.

After collecting your prizes and ordering ice cream, which the principal insisted on, you made your way to a bench on the beach.

You watched the woman with great interest. An intelligent, interesting woman she was. A powerful, selfless woman. A perceptive woman, a force to be reckoned with.

You hoped and prayed that you would grow up to be at least half the person that she was.

The principal caught your interest with a low chuckle.

"I'm having lots of fun with you, love, but I'm sorry you had to spend the day with your principal."

You tilted your head in confusion; you were not sorry, not one bit.

"I'm not sorry. Today was the best day I've had in awhile. Thank you."

The woman pouted, opening her arms to you; you gladly embraced her.

With a deep breath you pulled away, placing your hand in her soft reassuring one.

"So what happened with your friend? The one you wanted to kiss?"

The principal chuckled remorsefully. "Nothing."

Looking out over the water, her smile turned to a frown.

"I wanted to hold her, to protect her from men with all the fury I had grown.

They don't see her beauty like I do, they don't care to.

But unfortunately, it's the same old story."

She turned to you with sad eyes.

"A girl cries over a girl and that girl cries over a guy, and well…

it goes on and on and on,

and it doesn't stop.

It never stops."

You were just like her, perhaps there was hope for you.

Just then, fireworks lit up the darkness of the beach. All colors of the spectrum were on display, but all you saw was red, orange, white, and pink.

Your attention was then diverted to a girl wearing a Nevermore uniform as she made her way to you.

She waved, "Hi Principal Weems."

She then looked to you. "Hi Y/N"

She spoke with the principal as you analyzed her. You recognized her, but you didn't know her name, so how did she know yours?

The girl's eyes landed on you once again, meeting your gaze. You didn't want to ask.

"Aura, I like your pin." A sly tone to the older woman's voice.

You followed the principals gaze to the pin on Aura's jacket, then you peered down at the pin attached to yours.

"Thanks Principal Weems" she smiled, eyes slowly trailing to the woman's pin, then to yours.

Your eyebrows furrowed, and Aura's raised in surprise.

"Oh, we all have the same pin!"

The principal chuckled, gazing down at you with a bright smile.

"See darling, you're never alone. I promise you're not the only one."

[deadrayg2mf]

The Gargoyle's Captive (A Deal with a Demon #3) by Katee Robert

Honestly, like, what do I even say at this point that ya'll haven't heard from me about how much I freakin' love Katee Robert and this series. I will keep this one brief for real because if I don't it'll just be like "Oh my god, Ray, shut the fuck up we get it - this book came out three months ago you're late to the party!"

Okay, so aside from it being Katee freakin' Robert, this book is full of enemies to lovers, femdom, grief-consumed protags, and - my favorite, of course - angst. Yeah, did I see the plot twist coming from a mile away? One thousand percent. Did I care? Frick no. Okay, so we're following the same story - deal with a demon, seven years basically married to leader of demon territory, maybe a baby... But this time, it's Grace the monster hunter and Bram the Gargoyle.

Grace is another enjoyable female lead who is a headstrong take-no-shit kinda gal, probably what you would expect from someone who makes a living out of hunting monsters. She's the last of her family and she's really only here for answers because Azazel happens to be the same demon her mother, who disappeared, made a bargain with, and by golly, she is going to get those answers even if it means selling seven years of her life. Bram is traumatized, grief-stricken, lonely, and at this point has the most sad-boy, giving up on life, fuck it energy I've ever seen in a protagonist - and I am so here for it. I eat that shit up. I love the tragics - stories and characters. He's also the last of his family after his entire family was murdered by an outsider his father brought in. He doesn't actually really want to be there but the opportunity and benefits it brings are too good to pass up, especially when you're in the leadership position he is...

I loved the story clearly, and really liked how handling grief was portrayed, no two people will be able to handle it the same even when they are in the same situation. Grace dug her heels in and became even more stalwart and determined while Bram gave in to the grief of loss and resigned himself to an empty life... and even potentially having it purposely ended at the hands of a scrappy little monster hunter in the bath... They are two people coming to terms with events of the past, the shadow of their parents, and suddenly dealing with someone new who they bought at an auction/got auctioned to for the next seven years that they don't necessarily get along with. That's right, they're totally toxic for each other. Don't worry, we're always promising happy endings here :) It's fast paced, there's a lot to get through in 186 pages, but I really think it was done to the best of its ability. Do I wish this was 500 pages? Uh, YEAH, but it is what it is and what it is, is really good. I will admit... it took me a hot minute to slug through obviously. I actually feel a little bad about this review because I was kind of forcing myself to read this. I wasn't in the right headspace and so while objectively I knew I was enjoying it I was also aware that I was, like, not locked in. I am very much intending to reread it when I'm not begrudgingly reading while rotting in bed just because nothing sounds enjoyable.

With that, I swear I am not just pulling shit out of my ass with everything I've told you. I really did enjoy the book, I love the way it's written, I liked the characters, the cover art is amazing, and it's just another great addition to the Deal with a Demon series. I think I'll give it a solid.... 7.9/10 with subject to change in the future :)

Would I read again? Yes, I plan to. Once the pesky ole depression and imminent demise anxiety wear off.

Would I recommend? Of cousre, I'm always recommending Katee Robert... I'm not sure what happens on the day I don't...? Does the world end?

[ttrpg-smash-pass-vs]

As the year wraps up, I gotta get something off my chest, don't worry I'm not making a habit of this. Even though I know that the people who it's pointed at won't read or care, and the people who do see the resemblance to themselves likely won't be the ones I'm talking to. but I just had to delete multiple asks again, and it's stuff I get all the time, so I'm going to indulge in a little angry rant that you're free to ignore. Because seriously, I LOVE getting asks, I'd turn them off if I didn't. but some of ya'll REALLY don't understand there's a person on the other end of this. ...also, this is explicitly not pointed to the happy anon with the super long slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad post last night, you're cool. I was just a really tired last night and hit delete on accident.

- Every time a post gets reblogged, it finds more monsterfuckers, but also more non-monsterfuckers. A less monstrous person doing well or winning does not mean you're the only monsterfucker here. don't fill my inbox with multi-paragraph "everyone here's supposed to be a monsterfucker" hate essays every time a monstrous option isn't in a massive lead, take it up with your followers if it matters to you that much. -Some of you are fine always voting against bone devil no matter what, but can't comprehend something auto-losing for a different reason. Like "I hate heat." Or strong smells, or frogs. Sometimes people don't like the option they chose, they just hate it less. I see the merit in near any option I post, even if it's not for me...but seeing why you like it doesn't me I do too, stop asking me to take sides. - Or the opposite, one of the most common tags is "I love both, but I have a core memory or fetish with one so that's my default." Choosing one doesn't mean they hate the other option and you specifically. I'd happily fuck them both, but one indulges a fetish more core to me than some of my organs. - Someone who would fuck a werewolf or manticore or such is a monsterfucker, even if they don't go further. You don't get to say they aren't a REAL monsterfucker because you decided their preferred monsters aren't monstrous enough. Do you to see someone thirsting over a butch and say they're not a REAL lesbian because you decided that's not girly enough? There's no need to be elitist or gatekeep. Especially in an ask, but also in general tbh.

- I'm a basic bitch too sometimes! Just because we like the weird stuff doesn't mean we have to start hating the basic stuff and those who indulge in it. kinkshaming goes both ways, neither of which should be sent to me. You are not the standard by which all is judged, you being relatively more kinky does not make them objectively less kinky. - Seriously, if tumblr is anything, it's the "Labels" site. where people come to learn thier labels, give themselves labels, show off thier labels, surround themselves in similar labels until they forget it's not the only label. Often while saying they hate labels. It's not even the monsterfucker website, Tumblr's just more neutral toward it instead of openly hostile. I get the disappointment, but don't direct it to me. TLDR: That shoggoth or whatever isn't going to become real and fuck you because you flooded my inbox with rants on how "anyone who didn't choose X is fake, and all ya'll aren't TRUE BELIEVERS of the ONE TRUE MONSTERFUCKER GOD." Sarenrae on a bike, It's my blog, and I say everyone's welcome as long as they stay civil. so be civil before I take the anon button away. At least some people have the guts to show their face when insulting anyone who likes ___ over ___

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi I had an interesting idea about barbie and the reader dating. Then everything goes wrong for her in the barbie world so she, y/n and Ken go to the real world. Y/n notices Ken being weird so follows him back to barbie land where they are brains washed to date another barbie and when barbie comes back with the humans. Then she notices all the change and tries to bring y/n back and it’s a happy ending and barbie and y/n live in the human world together adopting a pet dog

Ooo felt like I was writing almost the whole movie, but I enjoyed doing this request!!

Hope ya'll enjoy it, too <3

.........

"So let me get this straight..you had thoughts of dying last night, woke up with morning breath and terrible breakfast, fell from your dreamhouse, and got flat feet, too?

"Pretty much..." Barbie sighed as her gaze shifted away from yours, looking down to her hands resting in her lap. "Thank you for not freaking out."

"Of course, I know that won't help your situation." You nodded in understanding, although you were unable to hide your growing frown of concern.

It was most unusual not to see that perfect smile on your girlfriend's face as you always did. Every day and every night she wore it with pride, and it made her radiate with such confidence.

Now there was nothing but doubt and worry written all over her expression--negative emotions you didn't even know were possible for her to have.

She's Stereotypical Barbie, while you were just [Y/n]--a doll created as an alternative partner to Ken. Even though there's only one of you in all of Barbieland, it never bothered you or her one bit.

There was also Midge, Allan, Skipper, and others who were also unique dolls that you were close friends with.

And of course, you were friends with other Barbies and Kens, too...but Stereotypical Barbie was the one you loved most and looked forward to seeing every morning and every girls' night.

Yes, she convinced the other Barbies to let you hang out with them, and you felt honored.

For the longest time, it's always been this way.

Just you and her together, happily in love in this magical land with seemingly no problems or fears...

But then all of that suddenly changed.

Next thing Barbie knew, she was in your house, talking to you about all these troubling experiences she's had lately. Some of the other Barbies knew, although when they suggested she went to see Weird Barbie, she became afraid and ran to you for advice instead.

She didn't know how you'd react to seeing her slowly becoming "imperfect", but you were calm and collected as you listened to her concerns.

Part of her hoped that you would've disagreed and said there's a better solution to this--but unfortunately for her, that wasn't the case.

"Are you sure there's nothing else we could do?" She muttered in disappointment. "Is she really our only option?"

"Yes, but honestly she's not all that bad. I've actually met her myself once-"

"You have?? When??" She interrupted with a horrified gasp, although the annoyed look you gave her made her shrink back. "Sorry, go on."

"Listen, I don't know what they've told you..but I don't think we should be calling her "weird" right to her face." You tried reasoning. "For years we've been judging her too harshly. She was a Barbie once, too, you know...like you and the Madame President."

"Right...once. Now she lives in that creepy house up in the mountains and never talks to anyone." She shuddered.

"I know, but....um...Barbie?"

"I heard her legs are broken and that only started when she got flat feet.."

"Barbiiie-"

"Oh no...what if that happens to ME one day? What if I fall from my dreamhouse and break-??!"

"Barbie!"

"What is it?!"

"....your hands are doing that thing again.." You reached over to take her hands into yours, frowning slightly as you felt them trembling.

Only then did Barbie realize it, too, and felt silent. She was ashamed that you were watching her fall apart like this. You never should have to see her like this.

"I don't know what's happening to me, [y/n]...but I want this to stop. It has to stop."

"And that's why we should go see her as soon as possible." Letting one of her hands go, you reached up to cup her cheek, making her look directly at you. "I know you value your independence, but..would you feel better if I came along with?"

Her bright blue eyes remained wide, although seeing your comforting smile brought her some ease. And eventually her shoulders relaxed a little, as she nodded, mirroring your expression.

"Yes, I'd like you to come with me..thank you."

"Of course, darling." You kissed her cheek in reassurance. "I'll always be here for you. We'll figure this out together."

...........

The journey to Weird Barbie's home was long.

And not just because of the stairs leading up to it, but also because of the added challenge of Barbie wobbling in her high heels. She found them suddenly uncomfortable and groaned about not bringing comfier shoes.

You just helped her if she needed it...although in trying to make sure she didn't trip, you yourself nearly slipped on a tiny brown pellet.

Of course that was courtesy of Tanner, the discontinued dog doll, who appeared around the corner the moment he heard your voice. He greeted you with a bark, nuzzling his nose against your hand.

You smiled lightly and patted his head. "It's good to see you, too, boy."

He didn't have his owner around anymore, so he's been living here under Weird Barbie's care--despite her never bothering to clean up the "pellets" all around. You would've taken him home, but didn't think your girlfriend would approve.

After he went away, you spotted Weird Barbie coming out of hiding. She was thrilled to see you again...but looked confused when she realized you weren't alone and brought Stereotypical Barbie with you.

Eventually, she explained that there was a tear in the portal between Barbieland and the Real World, caused unknowingly by both Barbie herself and her doll's owner--and this could only be mended if she went there and found them.

The idea of leaving this place behind and see humans for the first time was a frightening prospect, for sure...but you convinced her this was the only way forward.

If either of you hoped to get things back to normal, she had to go.

You were surprised when she asked you to come along, although you were actually quite curious about humanity and figured it would be an interesting adventure.

Before long, you two departed from Barbieland in her pink convertible after the other dolls gathered around for a little "going-away" party, bidding you good luck on your trip.

There was only one other problem...

Beach Ken had snuck into the backseat, scaring you half to death.

Of course, you should have expected that.

He was one of the Kens that you were closest friends with, always supporting him when he does his "beach" job and hanging out at your place if Barbie was busy.

Before you came around, he was created for her specifically, although she never seemed interested in him. So he'd just admire her from afar and try to impress her at every opportunity.

Then when you entered the scene and won her heart so effortlessly, Ken settled with becoming your "wingman" for dates and such, still wanting to be valued as a friend (if not Barbie's boyfriend).

Yet you never noticed his longing, lingering stares and pouts whenever you took her attention away from him...and he often imagines himself in your place.

Of course, though, he respects Barbie first. He'd never think to cross any lines lest he upset either of you, and he assured you that he's simply coming along for the ride as "support".

You three have done a lot together in Barbieland.

Might as well add "Journey to the Real World" to that ever-growing list.

..........

Upon arriving to the human world, in a place called "Venice Beach", you realized it was quite....confusing, for a lack of a better term.

You, Barbie, and Ken were rollerblading through the crowded park, looking around at the humans who were either skating, walking, or staring at you three. Most minded their business, but others seemed to be bewildered by your brightly-colored outfits.

Some even outright laughed...and not the way that made you or Barbie feel good or confident.

Right away you could feel your girlfriend's growing discomfort as she squeezed your hand and asked why the men were looking at her so strangely.

You didn't know why, either..but you didn't like it one bit.

Ken, meanwhile, seemed completely oblivious to both of your feelings--almost relishing in the attention he was getting from both men and women alike.

That concerned you as well, especially since you had to drag him away from the construction workers after he bragged about having "all the genitals".

He knew that dolls didn't have them...right?

"Ken, I don't think we had to tell them that. Are you feeling okay?"

"Never better, why do you ask?" He looked at you with the most innocent smile.

You huffed. 'There's no way he can be this blind to what's going on....'

Before you could give him an answer, you saw some random dude laughing with his friends, before he hushed them and started creeping up behind Barbie.

You didn't know his intentions, so you got between them, scowling. "Can I help you?"

He froze, his eyes going to yours, and then back to her. "Damn, is that your girl?"

You blinked. "Um...yeah? My girlfriend, if that's what you mean."

"Wow...she's so hot." He couldn't stop gawking, not even looking at you anymore. "Did you buy her that outfit? I bet she's totally smoking under-"

You had absolutely no idea what overcame you in that moment.

But you suddenly wanted this jerk to shut up forever.

So you punched him in the face so hard that he fell to the ground. Blood gushed from his nose as you heard Barbie and Ken screaming behind you in horror.

Only then did you realize what you've done..and it freaked you out just as much:

You attacked a human being out of pure rage.

Since when were you capable of doing that?

In the moment, it felt good to defend your girlfriend from this stranger's unwanted comments, but the screams of your fellow dolls attracted a lot of attention from other people at the park..

Including several nearby police officers.

.............

After getting arrested twice--once for something called "unprovoked assault" and another for stealing western outfits from an outside clothing shop..

You've come to the conclusion that the Real World kinda sucked.

Of course, you expected a lot of obstacles to overcome, but Weird Barbie never informed you of these specific perils.

The only reason you haven't thrown in the towel yet was because Barbie refused to. She was desperate to find her owner and fix this mess, but obviously running around like a headless chicken wasn't bringing her any closer to them.

Plus she was sick of getting arrested.

Eventually you went to a bus stop, where she sat down and said she'll try to clear her thoughts. Maybe it will help her "see" where this child could possibly be.

You didn't mind waiting with her, although you noticed Ken fidgeting with the fringes on his shirt and looking all around, clearly bored.

"You can go on a walk, [y/n]. I don't mind."

You glanced at Barbie. "Are you sure?"

"It's fine, I just...need a little bit of space right now." She sighed. "I don't wanna be here any longer than we have to. I feel really awful about all of this and-"

"Hey, it's gonna be fine." Sitting beside her, you briefly removed your hat so you could peck her on the lips--a small reminder that you're still here for her no matter what. And when you pulled away, you saw a tiny smile adorn her features.

It was different from the bigger ones she wore back in Barbieland, but for some reason..

You liked this new smile better.

Ken saw it, too, and for a brief moment it made him feel a strange sensation in his chest.

Like a light and dull pain.

'Why couldn't she look at me that way-?'

"Don't think too hard, darling."

"I'll try not to. You can take Ken if you want. Make sure he doesn't get lost."

He snapped out of his thoughts and pouted at her words. "Hey, I can find my own way around!"

"Okay." You turned to him, putting your hat back on. "Where are you gonna go, then?"

"...are you asking me?"

"Who else would I be asking?"

He blinked owlishly, silent.

Defeated, you just sighed and gestured to a random direction. "Let's go this way. But not too far."

Ken nodded in agreement and started walking with you side-by-side, although you quickly noticed that he kept staring back at Barbie, refusing to pay attention to what's ahead of him--

Such as the middle-aged lady and her dog that he nearly bumped into.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry ma'am. I didn't see you-" He began to trip over his own words, until she gazed back at him with the kindest smile.

"Oh it's okay, sweetie. Thank you for apologizing. Truly." She chuckled softly. "Most men your age just bump past me without even saying a word. Guess chivalry isn't dead, after all."

For a moment, Ken stood there with his jaw dropped.

Not only was she respecting him, but she called him "sweetie" and thanked him for the simple act of apologizing??

He didn't know what "chivalry" was, but it must have been a good thing if she was still smiling at him while saying that word.

He would've cried right there and then had it been Barbie speaking to him that way, although since this was only a human woman he just smiled and tipped his hat.

"Of course, my good lady." He answered smoothly. "Thank you for respecting me."

You raised an eyebrow at the bizarre trance your friend seemed to be in, although you noticed the lady's golden labrador coming up to you. The tag on his pink collar jingled as he looked up at you, wagging his tail and panting.

Suddenly all your focus was on this lovely creature as you kneeled down. "Hi, buddy." You cooed, a big smile on your face.

"Oh don't mind Tanner, here." She chuckled, setting the leash down to allow him more free reign. "He's a blind old bat, but he loves meeting new people..even if he can't see them too well."

"...did you say Tanner?" You looked up at her, surprised. "As in..?"

"Yes, the dog that came with that Barbie playset they discontinued. It was the closest thing I had to owning a pet as a little girl. I just..can't find it in my heart to sell it, y'know?"

"I understand. And how long...have you had this one for?"

"I actually adopted him a year ago. They said he's been waiting for somebody for a long time." She frowned slightly. "It's sad, really..how everybody loves dogs until they're no longer excited little puppies. Then they just get dumped at the nearest shelter to spend the rest of their days alone."

"That really happens? How horrible..." You muttered, feeling your heart sink with distraught.

"It is, but Tanner's lucky I saw him. He reminded me so much of my childhood that...I just had to take him home."

You were immediately cheered up by her story, and you put your attention back on the gold lab. He sniffed your hand, curious, and you decided to pet him on the head. His tail began wagging more in excitement, and it made you grin from ear-to-ear.

You've seen several other dogs being walked by humans, some tall and lanky, others intimidating with sharp teeth, and a few that were small enough to fit inside expensive purses.

But even though this one had gray strands of fur, wrinkles on his face, and cloudy-looking eyes that were all clear signs of old age....you still adored him.

And the fact he was named after Tanner, a Barbie companion still appreciated by a human adult who never truly outgrew her childhood...

It just melted your heart and restored your faith in the Real World.

"You're a good boy, Tanner." The words just tumbled from your lips as you continued petting him "I hope you live a long and healthy life."

"Oh he's in great health, the vet said so." The woman chuckled. "Aside from the...occasional IBS issues."

"Awh." You pouted a little, although you sprung to your feet with renewed energy. "Sorry. I just..never got to see a real dog up-close before. Thank you. This was an amazing experience."

"Sure thing, dear. By the way....where did your boyfriend go?"

"Oh he's not my.....wait...."

You panicked, eyes darting all around before you eventually spotted Ken walking into a busy district of the city, vanishing into the crowd.

"Crap! KEN!!!"

Racing to catch up to him, you had to push past several people, frustrated that he decided to run off without telling you beforehand.

Did the dog really bore him that much?

Eventually you did catch up to him--only to find out that the white cowboy hat you've been following for several blocks was someone else entirely.

So now it was you who was lost.

Oh, the irony.

You became anxious, wondering where on Ruth's pink earth he could've gone-

"[Y/N]!!!"

Suddenly hearing his voice, you looked to see Ken running towards you with the biggest grin plastered onto his face, nearly tripping down the stairs of the building behind him. It seemed like he walked out of it with an epiphany of his own, and you wondered what it was.

"There you are! You scared me!" You sighed in relief. "Look, I have something to tell you-"

"Me, too!"

"Wait..let's head back to Barbie in case she has anything to tell us."

"Right, right! She has to hear this! C'mon! I'll race you back!" He challenged.

You just smirked, fixing your hat. "You're on."

And with you getting the headstart, you two ran back to the bus stop to inform Barbie of what you've discovered on your walk.

It seems she also had something super important to tell you, too, and you all spoke at the same time:

She discovered the school where her owner is right now.

You discovered the beautiful connection between humans and pets.

Ken discovered that men ruled the world.

.........

It all spiraled downhill so fast.

After Ken's odd behavior became more noticeable the longer you've spent in the Real World, you decided to continue keeping an eye on him while Barbie went to meet her owner.

She seemed more confident in herself, reassuring you that she knew what she was doing and promising to see you back in Barbieland once everything was resolved.

So you weren't too worried about her anymore..

It's Ken who you began to worry for, if anything.

You didn't quite understand his recent obsession with the patriarchy and horses. He found books on them at the library and cradled them like prized possessions, showing you them and rambling on and on about what he read.

Then you followed him around as he tried finding jobs he was unqualified for, thinking it would be easy since he was a man. You had to awkwardly pull him away from tense situations before he got himself arrested again. Especially at the hospital.

You didn't know where this new attitude came from, but you feared that his exposure to the Real World was taking a toll on him.

So you headed back to Barbieland together.

He couldn't shut up about the things he discovered regarding men and their power, but part of you felt bad that he barely got his own voice back in your plastic world.

He was always either ignored or shutdown, or some other Ken spoke over him.

And so you let him talk..

Little did you realize that would be your worst mistake yet.

You gave him an inch, and he took a mile.

Soon enough he began talking over you, taking control of the vehicles needed to cross between the two worlds despite having never driven them before, and yet you never protested once.

By the time you both arrived back home, you've inadvertently allowed him to drill these thoughts into your brain until they were all you could think about..

No longer could you think for yourself.

Even Ken was confused when you began agreeing with everything he said, but he suggested telling the other Kens about what he found...and you obliged in helping him spread the word.

They all became "enlightened" as you both opened their eyes to the opportunities the Real World gave men that they were so deprived of..

It wasn't long before they staged a rebellion against the Barbies--against Barbieland Constitution itself, vowing to change society to benefit only them: the Kens.

Next thing you knew, you were living in the land of Kendom as a shell of your former self, dating a Barbie.

Not the Stereotypical one you've loved long before coming to the Real World, but a totally different one that you've only known for half a day.

Ken--who had completely transformed his looks into that of a macho wrestler, movie star, and rock star all rolled into one--convinced you that this was your Barbie all along, and you agreed with his every word.

You had forgotten everything before this.

You forgot the promises you made to Stereotypical Barbie when she first came to you with her problems.

You forgot how you kicked that perverted man to the ground until he bled to defend her.

You forgot that sweet lady and the real-life Tanner and the wonderful connection they shared.

You forgot who you were actually fighting for.

And that was your one true love.

Speaking of whom, Barbie arrived back later on with Sasha and Gloria. Although it was the tween girl who used to own her, it was actually the mother who unknowingly gave her those existential feelings in the first place. She thought to show them what her world was like and have you meet them.

But she was nothing short of confused and horrified at what has become of Barbieland:

The Barbies were suddenly servants and girlfriends who were weaker in power, existing solely to please their Kens, no longer holding their previous jobs. Her own dreamhouse had become something called a "Mojo Dojo Casa House" as Ken called it, decked out in all things horse-related along with TVs, sports equipment, and minifridges--ruining any and all "dreamy" aspects of it.

And to make matters worse...

She couldn't find you anywhere.

She became hysterical, demanding to know where you were and why everyone was acting so weird, while Ken just didn't seem to care anymore and reassured her you were "chill"....whatever that meant.

He thought he finally had her all to himself.

Yet he didn't feel any better.

But he thought she was the one in the wrong here--for not wanting to be with him and snapped at her, asking what made you so special.

The tension continued to escalate, eventually ending with him storming to the top floor of the house, throwing many of her cherished outfits off the balcony.

Suddenly, it all became too much for her to handle.

Everything she knew and loved was now destroyed, and she began to sob uncontrollably despite Gloria and Sasha's best attempts to console her.

Nothing they said made her feel any better as she plopped down onto the lawn.

She needed you.

Only you could make her feel better.

And before long, her prayers were seemingly answered as she heard your voice.

"Who's calling my name? Is that Barbie?"

Through blurry vision, she looked to see you walking towards her, annoyed and confused at the same time. She gasped, quick to jump up and run over to you, nearly tackling you to the ground in a tight hug as she buried her face into your chest.

"[Y/n]..!! I-I...I missed you so much!! Everything's WRONG here!!" She wailed. "A-And I'm so scared and I'm feeling all these horrible emotions a-and I'm sorry I-!!"

"I'm sorry, but can you let me go?"

She fell silent, pulling away to look at you in confusion.

"Wh-What..? [Y/n], it's....me. Your Barbie."

"....."

The longer she stared into your eyes, the more she began to realize...

You weren't yourself.

There was no love, no recognition, no worry in those eyes of yours--nothing except you staring at her like she was a crazy person, prying her arms off of you.

"You must be mistaken, sweetie. You're his Barbie." You gestured up to Ken, who was currently being consoled by another Ken, unwilling to get up from the floor. "I don't know why you guys fought, but there's no need for that. You two should make-up and love each other."

"....what..?" Her voice cracked. "No, that's...WE loved each other! You helped me when I-I started having all these problems...and you're telling me you remember NONE of that?!! What did he do to you?!!"

Just as you were about to answer, you heard your "new girlfriend"'s voice calling out from behind you.

"Babe? Who is that?"

Immediately, Barbie's nonexistent stomach dropped upon seeing a different blonde Barbie walking over to you. And she began crying as your hands left hers in favor of going to the other doll, linking arms with her instead.

"Don't worry, darling...just this Barbie trying to scare me." You huffed. "I think she needs to see Doctor Ken...or Therapist Ken."

She could only weep helplessly, finally realizing that you were brainwashed like all the other dolls.

And if that didn't add salt to the wound...then you being brainwashed into dating another Barbie was.

Why did Ken do this?

Was he jealous of what you two had?

"No! She's not your Barbie!! I was!! You said you'd always be there for me, [y/n]!! You PROMISED!!!" She screamed in sorrow as she collapsed back onto the lawn, yet you looked at her with such a distant gaze.

But a part of your expression seemed...saddened, although it was quick to go away when the Barbie beside you kissed your cheek.

"You seem tense. Do you wanna go back inside the mojo dojo casa house?"

"I do. I heard the Kens are gonna put on the Godfather. Did you know it has multiple parts?" You looked at her with a sparkle in your eyes, now completely ignoring the bawling woman in front of you.

"Oh for real? Then what are we waiting for??"

Nodding, you went back into the house, while Barbie ultimately gave up as she watched you walk away and out of her life.

The only strength she had left was used to roll onto her stomach and lay there in a deep depression, completely defeated now.

Why did she ever take you to the Real World?

............

The sun was shining high above Kendom, and you and Barbie were heading out to your daily outings.

That is...going to consult a Ken on something related to your smartphones. You two have been having technical problems, but of course neither of you were going to figure it out on your own.

You needed help from the tech-savy Ken.

He was glad to help guide you through the whole process, explaining every single step to your girlfriend in helping her troubleshoot the issues.

You waited patiently, smiling as you looked all around at the Kens going on jogs and driving their Barbies around in cool black trucks and blue cars, listening to the manliest country music and rock songs on the radios.

Ken was right.

Things were better this way.

This is what paradise looked like.

Then out of nowhere-

You were snatched up by someone and dragged away, a hand covering your mouth when you tried calling out to your Barbie for help. But she and Tech Ken were blissfully unaware of your kidnapping.

You were thrown into the back of a pink truck and locked in, seeing Allan, Weird Barbie, the humans, and a few other dolls surrounding you, all wearing pink jumpsuits.

But the Barbie in front of you looked most familiar...

Then you realized it's that crazy one from before.

Before you could even utter a single word to her....Gloria began talking first, and you couldn't help but listen in total silence as she told you some affirming things about the broken system you've been so compliant with, how you've lost yourself and who you were as [y/n]....

"...and finally, Barbie said you were fascinated with the connection humans had with their pets. You talked about a dog you met in the Real World. What was his name?"

"........."

"[Y/n], please try to remember..for yourself....for us." Barbie spoke in a gentle and firm tone, taking your hands into hers and squeezing them. She never broke eye contact with you as she hoped you'd finally wake up and come back to her.

This worked with all the other Barbies...

It has to work with you, right?

"Try to remember. You said he was a sweet old golden labrador, right? What was his name?"

"...it was...Tanner." You murmured. "I remember seeing..lots of dogs. Big and small, old and young..and...."

Suddenly, you stopped talking and blinked several times.

It's like somebody had pushed the reset button on your body.

You looked up and around once more, and then back to your girlfriend-

Wait..

You knew who this woman was!

And she was here!

You've never been more relieved to see her beautiful face.

"[Y/n]..?"

"Barbie.." Your smile returned, stretching from ear-to-ear as tears streamed down your cheeks, laughing softly. "Y-You're here! I thought I lost you..."

"I've been right here the whole time." She whispered, embracing you as you both cried together and held each other closely. "God, it's so good to have you back."

She pulled you into a tender kiss, showing you how relieved she was to have you in her arms again.

Gloria and the other girls could only smile and applaud. Even Allan began crying at the beautiful display of affection you two shared.

After you parted, you rested your forehead against her own, sighing. "I'm so sorry for whatever I said. It was a mistake to follow Ken back here...I should've been there for you when you needed me-"

"It's alright, you had good intentions. But we're gonna fix the mess he made of this place."

"How?"

"We have a plan that we're gonna enact tonight before the Kens permanently change the constitution," she explained. "But first we need to help all the other Barbies wake up. Are you in?"

You looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Is that even a question?"

With the snap of your fingers, your previous attire was swapped with a pink jumpsuit, complete with your own flashy pair of sunglasses.

You felt like a brand new person.

An empowered person.

"Let's get to work, ladies and Allen."

.......

Sure enough, the Barbies' plan to take back this world was a smashing success.

With your help, they managed to reinstate their ruling by manipulating the Kens into fighting amongst themselves on the shores of the beach.

Jealousy is what fueled their war, and it distracted them long enough for you to go to the Pink House and vote to keep the constitution the same as it always was.

It belonged to the Barbies.

And you were there, cheering and hugging your girlfriend as she soon found the courage to join in the excitement, jumping up and down for joy.

The hardest part was done.

Then you helped restore her dreamhouse to its former self...for the most part. Some of the horse decor still remained for now, although it was finally starting to look more dreamy than "mojo dojo".

All that was left now was for the Kens to come and realize their defeat.

When they arrived into the neighborhood, with Beach Ken leading the pack, they were shocked when President Barbie touted the girls' victory over them, proudly dropping an "F-bomb" (as the Real World called it).

You smiled and held Barbie's hand closely, admiring the yellow sun dress she picked out for herself. She never looked more stunning and powerful.

Yet when you two looked back to Ken, he seemed completely lost on what to do now....no longer being that cocky and confident prick he made himself into.

"Kens!!!" He rallied his fellow male dolls together, having them form some kind of shield as they linked their arms together in one final show of rebellion and defiance.

You were bewildered at this display, unsure why they were still trying to fight a battle they knew they lost.

"Who are we attacking, sir?" One Ken asked him nervously.

But he couldn't find the answer to that question, as his eyes fell directly onto you and Barbie for a few moments.

All he could do was stare at you two...

The people he hurt the most in all of this.

All of the sudden, he began wailing uncontrollably, abandoning the other Kens and fleeing into the dreamhouse.

Everyone was puzzled and concerned, especially as you heard sobbing echoing from within the building not long after he disappeared.

"Is he crying..?" The President questioned.

"We'll..see what's up with him." You looked to Barbie, who nodded wordlessly as you both headed inside the dreamhouse.

It didn't take you long to find Ken laying facedown on the bed upstairs, using the mattress to muffle his sobs.

While neither of you believed it was fair for him to have this overly-dramatic meltdown when he took so much away from you and Barbie (including your relationship) in the first place, you began to realize that maybe he didn't want to do any of this.

There had to be a reason he stopped fighting back.

"Ken?" Barbie kneeled down on the mattress, cautiously placing a gentle hand on his back. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..totally.." He mumbled, giving a thumbs up despite his sniffles and shaky voice betraying him.

"It's okay if you're crying. You know, we cried a lot, too..and it's actually kind of amazing." Barbie looked to you, and you nodded in agreement.

"It helped us feel a lot better." You awkwardly patted his head in comfort as his body shuddered with quieter sobs and pathetic sniffles. "There, there. Just let it all out."

"Thank you...you guys have liberated me. I-I know crying's not weak anymore."

"Mhm."

Eventually, you convinced Ken to sit up so you three could properly talk about your feelings. Because there was obviously a LOT of things under the surface that needed resolution. Things that he kept hidden from you deep down that needed to come to light.

Both you and Barbie listened as he explained that he actually hated being in charge of everything, and that he lost interest in patriarchy when it wasn't what he thought it was. But he felt forced to keep up the act.

He also admitted that he let this painful emotion--recognizing it as "jealousy"--consume him too much, hence why he tried putting you with a different Barbie. He was convinced it was the only way to make him feel seen..

Instead, all it did was tear apart whatever good you had as a trio.

It crushed him to witness Barbie wailing for you to come back to her, to hold her and comfort her instead of pushing her away like she was a madwoman.

He had to act like he didn't care at all.

But he did, and it hurt so much to put you both through that. He seemed genuinely sorry about what he's done.

He even offered to let you punch him in the face, just as you did to that man when you first arrived to the Real World, but you refused to, knowing that's not going to make anyone feel better--not even yourself.

So instead he slapped himself in the face as retribution, and wallowed over his own existence and purpose as a Ken doll.

He was made to love a Barbie, yet he had none to attach himself to anymore.

If he couldn't be that, then why was he here at all?

It was hard seeing him going through his own crisis, so you encouraged him to find himself and discover who he is beyond his intended purpose and accessories.

If he wanted to find true happiness, he needed to discover who Ken was.

Once you told him this, he felt his like eyes were finally being opened for the first time, as did the other Kens in the neighborhood who overheard your moving words and realized their wrongdoings, too.

You smiled at them, only to be caught off-guard when Ken jumped to his feet and brought you into a tight hug, laughing with tears in his eyes. You barely managed to hug him back before he let go and raced off to the slide.

He went down it with such whimsical childlike joy as he had a new epiphany.

Something ten times better than "men ruled the world":

This one was "Ken is me".

With him finally making peace with himself, you and Barbie headed out of the dreamhouse hand-in-hand, wondering what awaited both of you now.

Of course you two were together, still. And you felt more human than doll at this point...but where does your story go from here?

Did you two even have a ending?

Fortunately, the answer came in the shape of your creator, who appeared before all the dolls and humans (including the Mattel executives who somehow infiltrated Barbieland), and invited Barbie on a walk.

You let her go, wondering if you'll ever see her again..

But then she stopped and looked back at you for a few long moments, having doubts about leaving you behind.

You've been there for her after all this time. Ever since the day she fell from her dreamhouse and talked to you about her crisis...you've always been there to support and encourage her.

All she did was look at Ruth's spirit, no words exchanged as she simply nodded her head, before glancing back at you and extending her hand out.

She wanted you to follow her again.

And you did.

This time, into the light of humanity.

.........

--[Several Months Later]---

"Welcome to your new home, little guy."

With a soft whisper, you gently pried open the pet carrier, gazing inside at the shy golden labrador pup. He seemed nervous, but with your soft encouragement, he stepped out onto the floor of your apartment.

One that you shared with Barbie--or Barbra, as you called her now.

You and her have finally gotten used to living in the Real World, now being humans yourselves with so much you had yet to discover.

There were good and bad times.

But above all else, you two were still together.

And for a while, you have been thinking about adopting a pet dog and raising it with her. You had a talk, did your best research, and ultimately found a local pet shelter than had sweet animals who were in desperate need of homes.

After coming back to the apartment with one extra passenger, you called out to Barbra, seeing her coming into the living room section.

"Oh you're back already! Did you find any....?"

Immediately, her gaze went down to the pup, and she smiled brightly. "Awwww, he's so cute!! Hi, sweetie!!" She cooed and kneeled down, taking him into her arms as he yipped and licked the side of her face. "Wow, you're a hyper little guy aren't you? Did [y/n] pick you out? Did they do a good job?"

"I hope so." You chuckled, putting your car keys away before you joined your girlfriend on the floor. "I didn't think humans had to do so much paperwork just to adopt a dog...they were also talking about all these vaccines he'll need to be updated on."

"Yeah, I heard pets need some of those from time to time. Complicated stuff, for sure." She shook her head. "But we'll figure it all out. Does he have a name?"

"Oh, they didn't give him one, but it didn't take me too long to figure that out." You held your arms out, and she passed the pup into them.

"That's good, so..what are we calling him?"

Looking up at her, you had the warmest smile on your face.

"I think "Tanner" is perfect."

[pupyuj]

Stalker Yujin who's an absolute virgin loser who gets a hard on when you linger your finger on her for too long

Writes little letters to you but never sends them cause she's too shy :((

And when she finally approaches you she gets so shaky and shy to the point she stutters with almost every word...

Gets really flustered when you talk back and put your hand on her thigh asking her what's wrong that she accidentally gets hard!!

Don't worry you're there to help tho ^^

(Can I be the 🪼 anon?)

i'm telling ya'll, yujin will never beat the lewser puppy allegations... i love asks like these cuz they really just feed my stupid yuj agenda like :(( shes just so.. WHY ARE YOU DUMB (lovingly) 🥺🥺 and thank you for the ask 🪼 anon!

but like what if you guys went wayyyy back as in knowing each other in the past... yuj in high school having a low social status and kinda gets bullied sometimes bcs she never had the will to fight back :(( she starts crushing on you after you defended her from some jocks and picked her stuff up from the floor, n you walked her to class too just to make sure no one can bother her on the way there, you were so sweet 💔💔 but then some years passed and you were reunited in your senior year in university after you transferred to whatever school she was in,,, you don't really remember her, but oh does she remember you 😳

yujinnie who makes sure that she doesn't lose a glimpse of you ever again so she follows you around the hallways while you're walking to class,, it seems like you only got prettier as the years went by,, longer hair, beautiful eyes, sweet smile, and that pretty voice... sometimes yujin masturbates thinking about you, you know. she got so happy when she saw you again after years that she spent a whole night jerking herself off while you were in her head 😣 how she wished you were there pleasuring her instead... you were too pretty to not be constantly fucked silly!!!

about the letter thing... i imagine yujin would constantly try to be romantic and write you poems and confess her feelings n stuff but sometimes she thinks with her dick so she just ends up messing it all up bcs she started writing about how she wants to fill your holes with her cum.. weird little loser.

sjsdhkdndh your paths finally crossing at a mixer... you managing to escape some people who have gotten high out of their mind.. choosing to hide in a bathroom bcs you figured that every other room was occupied with horny people having sex,, only to find this cute girl with a big hoodie and comically huge glasses squirming as she sat on the toilet,,, she looked liked she was in pain and ofc being the only normal person around, you kneeled down and asked her if she was okay,,,

yujin blushing so hard bcs she was finally seeing you up close,, her closing her legs bcs she doesn't want you to see her hard on but your hand was on her knee bcs you wanted to see her face :(( you were touching her forehead, but she wasn't sick... maybe she was injured? but she looked really healthy!! yujin meeting your eyes for the first time and it clicks in your head that holy shit it's the same girl from high school sksdjikhkd 😭😭

you knew she was still a loser cuz she looked like it so you asked how the fuck she got in this crazy ass party,, and she said she.. followed you??? thank god she was fucking cute or else you would have been out the door immediately!! then you were asking her why the fuck does she look like she needs an ambulance bcs she was sweating, and she was warm... and she tells you that it's because you look so good in your outfit??? what the fuck does that even—

oh.

"what the heck, yujin-ah," omg you remembered her name? ...yeah that didn't help her little situation at all. "you should've told me right away." but maybe you will 🤭

sjhfjcncknsk yujinnie nearly suffering a heart attack when you pulled off her pants and boxers,,,, her cock in display for you,, giving her length little kisses, sometimes licking her slit bcs you loved the way she sounded when she whimpered,,, ugh you can't even deepthroat or anything bcs yujin was so big :(( but the loser knew nothing about any of this, she was a fucking virgin,, so even when you were just sucking off not even half of her cock, she still felt like it was heaven 😵‍💫😵‍💫

she comes a bit quick of course... her cum spilling all over your lips, licking it off her cock while staring up at her,, oh yujin was so hot leaning back and breathing heavily like that :((( hehe.. even if she's a virgin, she's still a perv who watched porn and imagined that it was you and her on the screen... so yujinnie definitely gets the courage to bend you over the sink and breed your sweet cunt after she recovered <333

[lunanight2012]

Holy Shit! I'm working on Chapter 9 and last i looked i was still only at 941 words and but its gotten so good so far!! Im planning on over 2k words for this chapter. But be warned, emotionless!Sanji is in this chapter. Don't worry he won't stay that way forever. I did promise a happy ending and that's what ya'll are getting!

Hope ya'll are just as excited to read the chapter as i am writing it!!

[tum-bakery]

Howdy howdy!! Sorry I haven't been active lately ^^|| been getting sucked into other fandom stuff off tumblurb. Hope you've been doing well and have had easy days!! To try and make up for my crimes of not being here to see your incredible arts, I leave tummy thoughts!

Someone catches a raccoon-esque character having tried to p much rob them of their food, only to see the character had mayhaps gotten too greedy and is just in a sort of mental food coma trying to remedy their stuffed belly. Funnier if the character awkwardly waves their hand like "heyyyy..." when caught.

A pregged char feeling the absolute weight of their later term belly as they're trying to cook something that'd require two hands, yet not being able to even complain or huff about it before their partner unknowingly comes up from behind to hold up their belly to be loving. Funnier if usually preg char doesn't like being bugged when cooking so this is usually a teasing sort of thing the partner does, which makes the partner surprised when they're not playfully swatted away and told to wait til food is done.

Big gruff dwarfen char having a partner that's known for being a tall species like an elf or smth- and either the tall partner is pregnant and the short partner tries to make gadgets to help them rest their belly on as support & loves to dote on them and the belly often, or short partner is the pregnant one and tall partner is rather awkward but excited around the other - kinda acts like they're worried they're too big and could hurt the baby but gets encouraged to have cuddling sessions with the belly to reassure them. Doesn't carry the short partner exactly bc they know it will earn a stink eye esp during hormonal feistiness, buuut does try to make things easier and help support the belly whenever and however they can.

Fantasy royalty figure that expects their new court jester to just mock their belly like others they've stopped hiring in the past did, but the mockery-based entertainment surprisingly doesn't and reaffirms that they actually really like their body and wouldn't dream of making fun of it. Royalty x jester shenanigans ensue as the royal char gets more confident with themself and the jester gets to be more hands on with their body love off work. Bonus points if the jester gets to gain a bit of happy weight too with their partner.

I'd go on but I fear this ask is already too long lmao sorry cjdnd

No need to apologize friend!!!! (I'VE BEAN MEANING TO POST THIS FOR MONTHS) It's good to see you in my inbox and BOY HOWDY DID YOU BRING ME GOODIES.

Long post ya'll lets strap in!!!

I LOVE the idea of some sort of Raccoon or better yet a Possum or even a Bear hybrid getting into some left overs and going HAM. The idea of them being a self admitted GARBAGE DISPOSAL, and being willing to pick up left overs or out of date foods to fill up on. What if they ended up pairing up with a convenience store worker, who at first just caught them rummaging but instead decided to... welcome them more to enjoy the out of date goods. The hybrid is unashamed but SO surprised to be welcomed in any way and are putting on a LOT of weight now that they have the means to-

Something always warms my heart about characters that aren't usually touchy or who don't like to be bugged getting some TLC and melting into it. I can imagine their partner cooing to them that what they're cooking smells so good, and really just leaning into the affection they usually aren't allowed to give.

OKAYACTUALLY THIS RIGHT HERE??? I love it SO MUCH. I really personally love the idea of a short, THICK, bearded dwarved lady having a total dainty beanpole of an elven boyfriend. I love the idea of either of them being pregnant, and the other being so doting and I'm... I'M ROTATING THEM IN MY BRAIN AUGHHHHHH. Not only that but I think the shorter one would carry it BETTER, because elven babies are less dense, whereas the elf carrying this HEAVY dwarven baby, built like a calf in the way that they can probably WALK fresh out the womb. Good thoughts good thoughts. Maybe mutual preg where they crave things the other likes, and both deal with the woes of their particular babies.

I've always dug on how Jesters also are somewhat ... political advisors, so the idea that this royal figure has actually always been stifled by having people always comment on their weight- its almost a relief when their new jester starts teasing other things. Because their BELLY is fine, and should not be the focus (unless... it's for praise perhaps hehe.) Or saying stuff along the lines of "my liege, your best work is not typically done on an empty stomach!"

[writingrenna]

Grusha x GN!Reader

"Descent to Reality"

A story where you're a well-meaning, if not reckless student going down the Victory Road path who befriends Grusha along the way. As usual, you're a gender neutral reader

Also, for once, you have a named Pokémon; an overprotective Falinks! You also like steel Pokémon (not specifically steel type, but Pokémon with steel elements like armor or metallic bodies or whatever)

Your relationship with Grusha is full of banter and genuine care

Accidentally became a whole thing. You'll see

Tone/Ending: Angsty, Sweet, Hinting at a Budding Relationship

Warnings: You are both dealing with mental illnesses, but it is what it is. Grusha has a panic attack at one point, and you recognize some stuff in your own behavior

Word Count: A bit less than 5,000

--v-Vv-

You walk up to the mouth of Dalizapa Passage on your way to Glaseado Mountain. Your brief stop in Zapapico prepared you for this trek, getting some rest and gathering whatever you'd need up in the blistering summits.

You look down at your trusty sidekick Falinks with a smile.

"Ya'll ready for this?"

The six of them all stood in formation, letting out a short yet mighty battle cry. Your smile broadened into a bright grin at this.

"Good to hear! I know that blue-haired bully will be a BREEZE for you all!"

You were joking of course, but that still didn't stop you from freezing when you heard his voice.

"Blue-haired bully, eh? Heartbreaking, how could you be so cruel?"

You turn to see him, hands in his pockets with his Cetoddle by his side, a cane slung over its shoulder in a cross-body bag. He had one eyebrow raised despite his amusement, feigning offense.

"Oh, speaking of- hey, Grusha!"

He walks closer toward you.

"I take it you're ready to face my gym?"

He tuts under his scarf.

"Bold. You know I've only gotten harder to beat after that champion came through, right?"

You scoff at him, crossing your arms and tossing your head back, eyes closed.

"And so have I. That kid getting so strong so fast only raised the standards of the entire region!"

Grusha nods, looking down at the ground momentarily before continuing.

"Well, in any case, you're gonna need to give me a bit of time. Really don't feel like starting a battle the second I get back up there."

You nod at him, understanding completely.

"Yeah, don't worry, this benefits us both. You get some time to yourself, and I get to train some more on the way up. Might as well prepare for yet another defeat while you're up there waiting for me."

His faces briefly flashes with a strange emotion you couldn't quite pinpoint, but he shakes it off.

"Ah, that confidence will certainly be your downfall. But I must admit, I'd almost admire it if it wasn't so misplaced."

Your face contorted to one of genuine offense for a few seconds, mouth hanging open and eyebrows knitted together as your Falinks looked up at you in worry. Grusha didn't even give you time to respond before taking his leave, waving as he walked by.

"Well then, I guess I'll be seeing you, if you're not still frozen in place, that is. Be sure not to die on the way up, okay?"

They get a good ways up the path when you finally snap out of it. You turn towards him, yelling out a rebuttal that causes even a lurking Sneasel nearby to turn to you in shock.

"T-try me!"

Neither he nor his Cetoddle pay you any mind.

--v-Vv-

Falinks wrecked mayhem on Glaseado Mountain, taking down quite a few mons with ease. You excitedly registered a few new ones to your Pokédex, even deciding to add a Bronzong to the secondary team you were planning in boxes.

"Huh. Guess I like Pokémon with a lot of steel!" You muse to yourself, looking at Falinks and thinking about a Charcadet you planned on using for said team. Falinks responded, dancing a little together with happy little expressions on their faces.

No matter what, you'd always keep them on your team.

You hear a noise that snaps you out of your happy thoughts. A little cry coming from lower down the mountainside. You walk over towards the edge of the cliff you were on to see-

"A SNOM!?"

Snom had actually eluded you during your entire trip up the mountain. Heck, even some Greavard, with their little tricks to stay hidden, were found by you. Did you just... not notice the little thing? Were you going through so fast it blended in with it's surroundings?

You shook your head.

"Okay, Falinks! I'm going down."

The group of Pokémon by your side looked down the mountainside for a second, glanced at the nearby path, and then looked back up at you, completely silent save for the clinking of their shells.

Odd.

You simply pulled out their Pokéball and called them back inside. It was easier to simply slide down so you don't lose the Snom, but you didn't want them getting hurt or separated in the process.

You hype yourself up, being pulled back by your rotom phone the first try, before carefully planting your feet and sliding down. It was... steep, especially near the end (which was essentially just an abrupt drop), but you managed, landing right beside the tiny ice larvae.

You reach for the Pokéball of another member of the team, one who didn't have a huge type advantage over it.

"AH-huh?"

The familiar glow of a Pokémon emerging from its Pokéball came into view, but when it settled, you saw... Falinks?

You then realize your hand is simply hovering over your belt.

Strange.

Why did they come out on their own?

They look up at where you just slid from (which was certainly more than a story or two) before quickly looking back to you. You're still as a statue, taking in the obvious concern on their faces as they look up to you, chirping softly as if asking if you're Ok. Before you know it, Snom has run off, but you're far more concerned with your little army.

"I- Falinks?"

They keep staring at you when you feel someone's hands clamp down on your shoulders.

"You."

The voice is low yet forceful, dragging out the word slightly, causing you to jolt.

"Grusha?"

"What on earth was that?"

His voice. It was... authoritative.

"Gru... sha?"

You can't seem to understand what it is exactly he's trying to point out. He continues.

"I saw that. WHY would you risk it all for a- a SNOM of all things? It's like you've done this before! Have you??"

Risk... it all...

His arms are shaking as he forces himself to continue.

"And to think, I thought you hearing my story would make you less reckless. Was I a fool? A fool to hope you'd ever think past the moment? I wasn't even doing anything to- I wasn't supposed to be- but you just... y-you could've-"

He rips his hands away from you in an instant. You take this opportunity to turn around and look at him.

His chest had started heaving heavily as his breaths came out sharp, frequent. He abruptly pulled his scarf down, eyes unfocused and darting back and forth over a fixed point somewhere past you, trying to focus on something, anything. His body swayed slightly as he stumbled back to lean against a rock.

Cetoddle is already trying to gently redirect his attention from the situation, sitting him down and laying next to him, giving him time to steady his breathing while leaning against him, reaching over and rubbing the arm opposite it to ensure it holds him tight.

You don't know what to do. Cetoddle seems to already know what it's doing, and you aren't sure you'd be of much help.

"...are you okay...?

He let out one large breath before looking up at the sky, closing his eyes and mumbling something you can't quite hear to himself a few times.

You give him space, but you decide to stay put.

His breathing calms down a little after a while, right hand coming out of his pocket. His Cetoddle took this hand and sandwhiched it in its flippers, looking at him and trilling softly to see if he was Ok.

His breathing is shallow, but stable as he nods, glancing at you before gulping down a breath and standing up to follow the terra whale, letting Cetoddle lead him back up the path without another word, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

--v-Vv-

You're lying in bed at the Zapapico Inn. Your eyes are glued to your phone, although you aren't sure what you're expecting. The feeling of dread had your insides tangled in a death grip, a pang of guilt shooting through you whenever you remembered your carelessness, his disappointment...

The terror in his eyes.

And you felt even more guilty once you realized you didn't fully understand what he went through.

You sigh, looking at Falinks on the ground staring up at you. They seemed to sense something was off, so they kept watch. You couldn't help but think about their weird behavior yesterday, however. Sure, they were usually worried about your shenanigans, but why did they seem to be... distracting you, purposefully staring you down without making an effort to communicate so you wouldn't move?

"...you saw him coming, didn't you?"

They all, for once, stop their march, freezing in place at this question. That was all the answer you needed, but when they all looked to the floor in shame, a misplaced feeling of betrayal crept up and got thrown into the mix.

"Of course!"

You turn over, refusing to acknowledge the fact that your good friend Grusha, as well as your trusty companions all felt that you were too thoughtless this time around.

Falinks' concern is valid. They were right to basically call you out on it, to get you caught. In fact, if you didn't feel so... at fault, you'd appreciate this more, seeing that they cared for you as an individual, and not just as that person that caught them.

But no, you felt... dumb.

Curling up in bed a little, you felt a few tears fall. The sound of your Falinks jumping up and running around the bed to comfort you rang out in your ears, but you didn't pay them any mind. You didn't pay anything any mind, really. Was this just how you were? Ignoring everything and hoping things would turn out alright? Would Falinks grow tired of you? Did Grusha already give up on you?

You take a hesitant peek at them, feeling the brass reach out and gently rub your hand. They were in their tower formation, looking up at you in worry.

The sound of your phone vibrating caught your attention. You pick it up, looking at the latest notification.

Grusha

Come by tmrw, if u want

--v-Vv-

You walk into the arena. Very few people were here, but they all seemed excited. That's normal.

What isn't normal, however, is Grusha looking out onto the horizon on the other side of the battle court, the Great Crater of Paldea in full view. That isn't his usual spot...

"I see you decided to show up. Brave choice."

He said the things he'd usually say, but his tone was flat. Not forced, but devoid of energy.

You frowned. Did he... not want you to show up?

He turned, walking to his spot and looking at you.

"I'll be real here. I don't really know how to start this battle, so let's just get our Pokémon to do the talking, okay?"

And with that, he sent out his Frosmoth.

--v-Vv-

It was a tough battle. He wasn't kidding when he said he got stronger. But you and your Falinks, your last mon standing, were still in the running to victory.

"I'm impressed! You really seemed to learn a lot on your journey so far. You're quite a fighter."

That compliment felt... off. He continued, ignoring your visible confusion.

"But that doesn't matter. You may have escaped an icy doom before, but like a sudden hail storm in the summer, the avalanche of defeat may often... sneak up on you."

He charged up his Terra Orb before throwing it, engulfing Altaria in a crystal that shone like the stars. When she broke out, you shielded your eyes, only to prematurely pry them open again when you heard a gasp from the crowd.

Altaria has Terastallized into a pure- flying type?

"Wha- hey! Grusha!"

Your eyes are wide and panicked. His are just full of sadness.

"I-I thought... you always do stuff like that. I don't know if you bother to remember, but the mountain thing isn't the only needlessly dangerous stunt you've pulled during the time I've known you alone. I can't imagine what you did before we met to embolden you so much."

You're too stunned to speak.

"I thought, maybe, I could ignore it. I was always able to brush it off as you not putting yourself in any real danger. 'The other students do wild things all the time, it's normal!' But no, this is your life now. And if halting your journey for a bit... if making a show of this is what it takes to get through to you, then so be it."

"Grusha... but... is this allowed? I know- how wrong it is. I'll be nothing but careful from now on, I promise! Just don't lose your job over this, it's all you have left!"

And with this comment, he goes from stone cold and serious to- limp. His arms slump for a second, looking away from you, fighting back the urge to break down before he lowers his head, shaking it without responding.

Well... shaking his head 'no' is a response. Just not one you're emotionally ready to deal with right now.

You can barely make a noise. Even your mighty warriors flinch when you somehow manage to command them to use... something. What was it? Who knows. It didn't matter now.

He shouts his command, arm shooting up with gusto, head still hanging low.

"Altaria, Hurricane!"

And in an instant, your Falinks are blown back, knocked out in one violent flurry of wind and frost.

--v-Vv-

You're too dazed to do anything, arms feeling heavy as you look down at your little friends all strewn about on the battle court. You're on your knees. When did that happen? Your head is swimming with so many questions and concepts as you recall your Falinks.

You stare out in front of you, looking down at the icy ground below you.

Grusha is escorted away by his worried Cetoddle, ignoring the crowd's hushed whispers and bewildered stares.

You don't know what to do. You don't know what to think.

How the hell will you make up for this? Worrying him so much he put his whole career on the line to get you to see reason? To get you to take him seriously?

--v-Vv-

You sat across from the man, his expression never changing as he took in your tale. You somehow managed to catch him on his lunch break, a man very close to La Primera when it comes to public facing figures in the league. He knows who you are, so he decided to let you talk in a private corner of the Treasure Eatery.

"S-so, yeah. That's why he did it, from my perspective. He was tired of me getting in danger and decided to show me it was hurting others, too. For that, I am sorry. But PLEASE don't punish him because of me! Isn't that a good thing? The league looking out for the people of Paldea, no matter the risk?"

He slowly chewed the last bite in his mouth, swallowing it before responding.

"I'm afraid it isn't up to me. The chairwoman is already well aware of this incident. Whether he's let go or not depends on many factors outside of anyone's control."

You knew you'd most likely get an answer like that, but it didn't stop you from tearing up. He looks at you with pity in his eyes for a split second before adjusting his tie and speaking to you, expression back to its usual indifference.

"I know- it's disappointing. I've come to respect him quite a bit during his time in the league. He took what life could offer him and aimed as high as he could go. Despite not being able to chase his greatest ambitions and fearing any more loss, he never let his circumstances keep him down there when the accident happened..."

He paused.

"For him to risk it all, he must really love you. No matter the outcome, you're worth it, to him."

And with that, your loose tears become a full-fledged sob, leaning over the table and resting your head in your hands.

"But... but WHY!?"

He leaned in slightly.

"He once admitted to Ryme and me that he appreciates you sticking by and actually liking him despite his 'moodiness'. He also told some of us at a group event that he admires the fact that you can keep up with and match his sarcasm. Small, or odd as it may seem, things like that can make the heart grow fonder, can thaw even the coldest of hearts."

You look up at the man. His expression stayed static, but you swear you see a glimmer of some foreign light in his eyes.

'He must be a sucker for romance...' You idly thought.

Oh, seems like you're able to think your usual unhinged thoughts again.

Wait. Romance?

You decide to ignore this thought.

"But, wait... Larry, I..."

You didn't actually have anything to say, but...

"Is he... is he alright?"

He took a moment to respond.

"...last I heard, he said he did what he had to, but didn't elaborate on his feelings."

"Ah."

Sounds like him.

You simply hung your head.

"...I'm sorry."

He glanced at a watch under his sleeve, but he decided to offer one last word of advice.

"I'm not here to tell you off or warn you to be more careful, I'm sure you've had plenty of time to realize that yourself. But he never gave up on you. Even if you feel like what you did was unforgivable, he doesn't, so take charge and do what's best, because what's best for you is best for him, too."

"Bu-but, wh-what if that was his last a-act? What if he plans on abandoning me now that I'm at m-my w- or-orss-st?"

"Well, everyone has the right to call it quits, but I doubt that was his goal going in. Either way, offer him the chance to talk it out. What he decides to do then is up to him, but please, either way, don't punish yourself over this forever. The past can't be changed, but the future is meant to be built upon the lessons of today."

You take this answer in. He's right. He deserves the opportunity to say what he needs to, even if that thing might shatter your world. Because sometimes, you have to do something scary, like face someone you've hurt, intentionally or not.

You sigh before offering up a weak smile.

"Thanks, Larry. Really, you've helped a lot."

He stands up, adjusting his tie one more time before grabbing his suitcase.

"I only wish I could help more. I will bring this up with La Primera, but sadly, I cannot go into more details on internal affairs even if you're directly involved in it. You will have to wait for the outcome. I wish you and Grusha good luck, though."

He then nods and departs.

--v-Vv-

It has been three weeks since that fateful gym battle.

You walk up to the gilded doorplate. A neutral meeting spot was arranged for you and Grusha to talk. Ryme was kind enough to let him use her VIP pass to reserve some time in the private room of a restaurant she frequents. It's secluded, neither of you come here (at least, if he ever has, he doesn't come enough to talk about it), and you'd never stumble upon it by just existing in the world, thus not accidentally rousing bad feelings or memories in either of you.

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding and gently knocked.

You hear the familiar sound of a Cetoddle's cry.

You grip the handle and look down at your own Pokémon, who were standing in a 'V' shaped formation.

You know they love you, but you can't help but look into their little eyes and feel the urge to apologize yet again for something they've already well and truly forgiven you for- out of fear that they resent you.

You shake off this feeling, opening the door.

This is it.

You walk through, letting them all in as well before closing the door.

You pause for a second, kind of afraid to look at him.

But you power through.

Your stomach flips when you spot him at a large floor-to-ceiling window, looking out onto the icy landscape and crashing ocean waves in the far off distance.

He looked so serene despite the circumstances. As if he belongs here, amongst all this beauty and prestige.

Standing here, you felt like a poser.

You can't help but smile, however, imagining Ryme booking him this reservation just to make a tough conversation a little easier. Just so he wouldn't stumble upon a place of bad memories. She always had a soft spot for him.

At least you know for sure he'll still have her, even if he's-

The sound of your name snaps you out of it.

"Wh-wha?"

"I was saying 'hi'." He replied. You immediately feel bad for spacing out at the greeting, of all things.

"I'm- I, s-sorry-"

"Chill out, this isn't easy for me either."

You heart sank. Was he going to...?

"I get it, if you don't have your head on straight right now. I didn't expect you to come in all cold and calculated or anything."

He was being far more considerate than you'd expect someone to be in this situation.

'What situation? Who else is going through this?'

You shook that thought off. Not helpful.

"Okay, so, um... wow, I uh..."

He took a moment to see if you'd add on to this.

"Hm, I see. Glad to hear."

You feel a quirk of the lip at that remark, but you refused to smile when someone you hurt needed to hear a proper apology.

At least his sarcasm is still intact.

"Sorry, lemme try again. I'm sorry I'm always so reckless. I knew you were worried about me, but I just thought I could... I thought everything would just be okay, that if I do crazy stuff but stay careful enough, I wouldn't get hurt. But, you're right. The risk isn't worth it. And for that, I apologize, for always toeing that line despite your warnings."

He takes your statement in.

"Okay. Thanks for that."

Your face scrunches up a bit. That's it?

"Wh-"

You can't believe it. He hasn't added onto this statement yet.

"...that's... that's all you have to say??"

His posture loosened all at once as he let out a drawn-out sigh. You didn't even realize he was tense.

With a shake of his head, he says "Gimme a second to think, will you?"

You tense up, waving your hands defensively despite the fact that he's still turned away.

"Ah! Sorry!"

He lets out a huff in response. You give him time to mull over what he wants to say.

"Alright, look. I don't want this to be a big... 'thing', alright?"

He does quotes with his fingers, which you can still tell despite his mittens.

"We don't need a big, emotional, blow-up argument to settle this. Trust me, I don't have the time for stuff like that."

He then hung his head momentarily before finally turning to you. He looked somewhat tired, although you refused to look him in the eyes right now.

"I just want to know why. Why are you always so reckless?"

You pause. You... truthfully never thought about it. You idly wondered what it was like being in his head, what it was in his mind that made him so worried about things you didn't give a second thought to. Why he looks back on things he experienced and feels so strongly about them when you usually just move on, or why you have to dig so deep down inside yourself to understand why your mind or actions react to things in the ways that they do when you don't even actively connect the dots. Why you-

That's when it hit you.

"I..."

Your eyes were wide, looking down at the ground.

"I guess I just don't process fear the way most people do. Like, I don't get alarmed by danger as badly as most people. Even now, I..."

You pause. You were definitely going to have to unpack this later. Were you less mentally sound than you thought you were? You got through life just fine, but something that's so inate in most people eluded you. But right now, we're talking about your recklessness.

You take a mental note to thank Grusha for this confrontation later, whether it's to him directly, or just as a part of the story on how you figured yourself out.

"...well, I know things are dangerous, but I guess it doesn't click with me to avoid them."

He... stared at you. You were worried he was put off by this epiphany.

"I see."

You didn't know what this meant, so you met his tired eyes again to get some clarification.

"Does... that mean you don't wanna be around me anymore...?"

He sighed heavily.

"No, of course not. I'm not dumping you over this. It's just... more context for your behavior."

You smile. Genuinely, and against your will. You've only just now realized there might be a reason why you're always so reckless and #unbothered, but it felt nice, having him accept you, when before people would just leave you to your own devices and not bother trying.

"Okay, cool."

You let out a sigh of relief. He took your expression in.

"You know, your health is important. I take my mental and physical health very seriously, as you can see here."

He gestures toward Cetoddle.

"Just having Falinks around seems to keep your spirits up. But that's your journey, and this is mine. I'd like to know ways to help you, though. Would you consider going to therapy to at least see if that suits you? It could be a great start for you in unpacking everything."

You considered this. Maybe therapy could help your transition into... understanding exactly what it is your brain did while being wired in the womb? You were strangely Ok with all this, despite having the realization of a lifetime. Man, more reason why you should get this checked out.

"Yeah, that sounds alright. I'd like that."

He nods.

"Cool cool. Glad to finally be getting somewhere with you."

You freeze.

Oh, right. The whole reason you were here.

Oh no!

"Your job!"

He flinched, closing one eye.

"Ah. Yes, that. Well, I still have it, but... I am currently in a sort of probationary period."

Your heart did something weird in your chest.

"I... see."

You looked down.

The uncertainty was the worst part to you.

"I'm sorry, Grusha. I'm sorry about your job. I'm sorry I pushed you so far. I'm sorry I didn't see how much my actions affected people, how much risk I was putting on myself..."

He waved a hand up a little.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Is all he could say.

--v-Vv-

You grabbed your order, thanking the lady that gave you the ice cream cones before turning back to him, the both of you sitting in a quiet spot of Porto Marinada with your Pokémon.

"Here ya go, Gru!"

He glared at you before accepting it.

"Thanks..." He slowly intoned, although you can tell he doesn't mean it.

You sat next to him before abruptly feeling a wave of sadness wash over you.

You still felt terrible, but you wished you could feel terrible in a way that made sense.

Ah well.

"I'm sorry, Grusha. For everything."

"We're cool."

"I-"

You lick your cone before deciding it's too much effort to really try and eat it right now.

"I'm sorry you... got me at my 'finna be my worst'..."

"..."

"...and also right before my 'oh my Gods I'm mentally ill' thing, gotta be rough dealing with all this at once, right?"

He doesn't say anything right away, deep in thought, before turning to you and responding.

"Look, you are who you are, and I liked you before, right? I never expected perfection. Knowing what's going on with you is only a positive."

He turns away from you.

"As long as you steer away from the self-destructive stuff when you're aware it's bad, we'll be good. And I know you're self-aware, even if you don't always understand or trust that awareness. You'll keep figuring things out, and I'll stick by you. Through thick and thin, alright?"

You smile. You know he means it. You know he'll always be there, despite how messy you are, because he loves you. Even without ever saying it, you know.

So you promise to be good to yourself every step of the way. And when you're good to yourself, you're good to him. Because you as you are is enough for him. And because he accepts you, no matter what you realize, no matter where your journey happens to take you, because you are you. Every little thing you've done made the you of today, and every little thing you do today will begin to shape the you of tomorrow. The good, the bad, the tragic, the triumphant, every zig-zag and straight line and wave, that's you. That is what he wants. He wants YOU, the full experience.

As weird as that thought was (maybe even being unable to articulate yourself was a symptom?), you know one thing for certain;

He wouldn't change a thing about you, because you're you.

A/N

Was originally gonna be a story where Falinks doesn't understand your relationship with Grusha and are protective when it comes to him, but then it went into a totally different direction...

Can you tell I can't articulate myself well? Can you also tell I'm #mentallyill? I won't say what it is exactly, but at least I can pull from my own experiences when writing. I apologize if every expy seems emotionally stunted, though, I don't know how a "normal" person thinks, but I'll try my best!

The mention of him having a cane at the beginning seemed random, but I'll get deeper into that later if I write for these two more

Also, if I write more for this expy, what if their Falinks are named Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, Hum, and Drum, with Drum being the brass? Could be cute. They'd be going for a rhyme, not saying they're boring. Plus, drum, rhythm, keeping in time, military drum for the troopers, it works, Hum could be the one in the very back

PLEASE FORGIVE ANY MISTAKES I WAS WRITING THIS IN A M O O D BUT I LIKE THE STORY REGARDLESS LMAO

[cloudninetonine]

I have a angst/comfort idea so what if y/n was just a guide not like as the player that leads link forwards but as a guide that the godness's made. Guide knows everything and knows the Solutions to every puzzle link encounters and it is their job to guide him through it but the godness's never intend their guide to have feelings or relationships and guide knows that but somehow they developed it throughout the journey. The start of the journey Guide doesn't have any emotions and is quite apathetic but during midway they start to have concerns and bits of empathy for link and the people. when it is the near end of their journey with link, they settled in a camp. They are conflicted with their overall feelings/emotions and it is overwhelming them, Link is starting to get worried and stretched his arm towards Guide in an attempt to comfort but it was slapped away. He is a bit shocked by the rejection and before he said "Are you ok?-" Link hears Guide whisper "This wasn't suppose to happen.." Link is very much confused and asked Guide what they mean by that. "THIS! IM NOT SUPPOSE TO BE LIKE THIS!!" "I-IM NOT EVEN A REAL PERSON, IM JUST A TOOL AND MY LIVING PURPOSE IS TO GUIDE YOU TO YOUR VICTORY! I'm supposed to help you get to the end... I can't have EMOTIONS OR ANY RELATIONSHIPS! I-I'M NOT SUPPOSE TO HAVE ANYTHING!! BECAUSE IM JUST A GUIDE, A TOOL AND IT IS MY ONLY PURPOSE!!" "I-I'm not suppose to be anything more then just a tool.." Link doesn't say anything he just stood there while Guide sits down on the ground with their legs pulled towards their chest in a attempt to hide their frustrated tears. Link finally moved, he slowly sits down beside Guide and brought them in a hug. Link rubbed his hand up and down onto their back. he touched their hair, caressing it while whispering comforting words towards guide. (i'm really sorry i lost motivation so I'm going end it like that 😵) im not really good at writing or grammar but overall I'm a bit happy with this but felt I could have done better but this is just a idea for any angst/comfort Link x reader one-shot for anyone. (I WANT GUIDE TO HAVE A MELTDOWN RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH👹👹!! finally got this out of my mind to share cuz it been bugging me at nigh .😅) i'm sorry if it has any mistakes - 👽

OW MY FEELINGS!?!? PLAYER JUST BEING A TOOL OF THE GODDESS!?!? Ya'll can't give Player a break GD OPIUGFIOU

AND DON'T WORRY YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEAD THE GUIDE WILL BE HAVING A BREAKDOWN I PROMISE!!!!

[weaselbeaselpants]

K absolutely none of this is connected to her shows and her worker drama it's unrelated; but I'm not gonna lie Viv's Japan vacation where she's showing herself with a bunch of animal cafes is really starting to piss me off.

The deer being fed I think are wild, I don't have anything to say about that. But the owl cafes, the otter cafe, the marine park.

Look here! I'm not anti-captivity, honest (though AZA is hard to trust when they legit have an approval rating on Seaworld), but I really am skeeved out by so-called zoos and attractions that let you pet the animals, kind of especially if they aren't domesticated animals but exotics. Though, tbh even dog/cat pet shelters or whatever sound pretty hectic to eat at. Also, feels a little unsanitary. But even if that weren't a problem I just...kind of don't like anything where the animals are literally tied down and can't escape from you. It's the same reason I and a lot of other people don't like those pony-rides at fairs. The whole time you're worried about the animal's safety and happiness and also you aren't having any real connection to them.

Watching animals in an enclosure that's nice where they're just doing their thing >>> having to pet the animal. Not that I'm immune to propaganda and wouldn't absolutely volunteer to clean up scat if it meant I could hold a weasel being rehabilitated to the wild for a hot minute. I would 100% do that (it'd bite. Don't care). But there's that and then there's me getting to bond with a weasel that's shock collared or chained somehow and can't escape from me. That doesn't sit right.

And no. I don't care if it's in another country it's still wrong by a lot of global standards. In fact, I think it's kind of weird that people are doing the "respect other cultures"-thing only when it comes to Instagramable stories.

Ya'll have to realize it's not just yuppie American vegangelicals complaining. There are animal rights orgs in Thailand fighting elephant tourism, there ARE animal rights orgs in Japan and they do not like the animal cafes. Animal rights/welfare aren't some kind of 'annoying' American pastime. Why do you think Milo and Otis was controversial? Why do you think Padak exists? Respecting other cultures and their practices means: letting indigenous people hunt the animals they've been hunting for thousands of years, which of course isn't always going to be pretty cause that's what traditional hunting IS; it's allowing ritual animal slaughter in spaces and religions where that's done to feed the community and not as torture or sacrifice. And personally, as a mostly vegetarian, I say right on to both of those things.

Zoos, farms, petting zoos, aquariums and sanctuaries are YMMV, but I vouch for them in theory and usually in practice. Animal cafes and marine parks? I'm sorry but I can't not see those as being tourism and exploitive at best. Especially marine parks.

Viv straight up did a pic based on Blackfish but I guess that doesn't matter in Japan. I'm really disappointed in her as someone who loves animals. Because hey- when you as a human-animal love the other creatures of this earth, of course things like our rights come first. Humans are just that kind of animal and I don't think there's anything wrong with taxidermy or vulture culture. But, especially as an adult, you should know how to take care of animals and it should be your responsibility as their caretaker to give them the best care you have.

There's a petshop near where I (no longer in a few weeks) work. It used to hate that place cause I saw a rat eating another rat's baby alive among other abuses and the owner straight up didn't give a shit, not about the rat or that he was putting smaller reptiles in cages with monitor lizards. You can guess how that ended.

That place has new owners now. It mostly has animals there in transition. While they still have feeders (I know, that's prolly controversial to the reptile parents reading), their conditions have really improved. No crowding the rats, even the feeders, in unsafe unventilated places. They get REALLY mad if you tap the glass on the cages. No more keeping lovebirds apart from birds so that they're always calling. Betafish males get actual decorated tanks to themselves instead of those depressing bowls! If petstores and units where you pick up your expensive reptiles, fish and birds from HAVE to exist, I'd rather they be places like this. Places where the staff are trying and really do seem to love and want the best for their animals while expecting nothing fancy from the animals in return.

I'd love to be proven wrong on this- I remember seeing a yt vid for a bed and breakfast where you ate outside with the cows that made the dairy you're eating, and them being cows they of course wanted to come up and say hi to the guests. Of course I'd love that '' magical '' experience with an animal while I'm enjoying my coffee. But I just can't trust cafes and exotic petting zoos like this. My family has veterinarians, farmers, vegans and vegetarians, and FFA graduates in it. I'm just really concerned about the little things like this.

I know in my heart that of course Viv doesn't want to hurt any animals- but it bothers me.

Thoughts @chaifootsteps @derangedhyena-delphinidae?

[jazlynriddle]

Welcome to your life - Pt 2:

Acting On Your Best Behaviour Ch 3:

Summary:

They'd seen it in their fellow orphans often enough to recognise the pattern and were now forced to admit, despite their hopes to the contrary, that Isidora had likely suffered similar side effects.

No… they'd always known she had. The Keeper had just wanted the power that Ranrok had, enough to convince themselves that they would be able to handle it better than that naive woman.

With the start of the Keeper’s sixth-year in Hogwarts, comes a whole slew of headache-inducing challenges from the most unexpected of places. Between insignificant pests throwing wrenches into their plans and tedious teenage drama, that the Keeper is entirely unprepared for, they wonder if they'll make it to their NEWTs without losing their sanity.

Or worse, Ominis or Sebastian.

Warnings: Sebastian x MC x Ominis! Drug Addiction! Spoilers! Slow-burn corruption! Dark content! Fucked up 1800s orphanages! MC has no love for Anne or Solomon! Dubious happy ending (it's happy for MC, Seb and Ominis at least).

You can also read on AO3! (chapter specific warnings below)

Notes:

Warnings: Cuddles! And that 'drug addiction' AO3 tag is on this second installment's tag list for a reason, so trigger warnings for that sort of thing!

Also, big announcement! I will be taking a three week break from posting, because my wonderful partner who is both my muse and my beta, is going on an overseas University grad trip holiday! So, I'm taking a holiday too!

Or well, more like I'm going to take the time to work on my DnD campaign and stock piling chapters for this fic too, this chapter literally just finished editing today, and I like having a few chapters of buffer before my uploads.

So, this'll be good for me, hope ya'll understand and don't worry, in the words of everyone's favorite T-800, I'll be back!

As Sunday drew closer, the Keeper found themselves experiencing a strange sense of anticipation, not unlike the feeling they'd get when approaching a pensive after completing one of the Elder Keepers' Trials.

The feeling only grew as the day finally arrived. Even Sebastian seemed excited as the three of them flooed to Feldcroft, shadowed by their stalkers as always. The Keeper found it beyond frustrating that the floo system required that its users loudly and clearly proclaim their destination for all to hear, but regardless.

As they made their way to the house, the Keeper felt their anticipation peak. Making it difficult to contain their eagerness as they pushed open the door, their eyes immediately drawn to the brick they'd hidden the last jar behind.

"Looks like the idiots got waylaid by the Ndiaye twins." The Keeper barely heard Sebastian as they strode quickly over to the wall, waving their wand to accio the brick out of the way.

"At least we'll have some proper privacy now." Ominis' voice was tinged with relief.

The Keeper sighed as they took the jar into their hands. It was so tempting to just partake of its contents immediately, but they were here to rest, a boost right now wouldn't make sense. Surely, they would be better served saving it for later, but somehow, having it in their hands made that hard to remember, as they stared at the energy swirling invitingly in its containment.

Suddenly, a pair of arms draped over their shoulders and the Keeper jolted in surprise. How had they not noticed Sebastian's approach-

"What have you got ther- oh, you still had a jar left?" Sebastian's voice was merely curious, but the Keeper felt strangely defensive at his words.

"Well, two is one and one is none. I always plan for contingencies." The Keeper tried to pass it off casually with a dismissive wave as they shoved the jar into their pouch.

"...did you suggest coming here just to retrieve that?" Ominis asked hesitantly, his suspicion barely concealed.

The Keeper had to force themselves not to tense, since Sebastian would most certainly feel it. "Of course not, it just happened to be a secondary goal I took into consideration."

Ominis didn't look all that convinced but mercifully dropped the topic, sitting on the bed and holding a hand out. "Alright… then come, I can hear your feet dragging. You must be exhausted."

Sebastian nodded in agreement, removing himself from their back and guiding the Keeper towards the bed with a hand on their waist. With a fond sigh, the Keeper allowed themselves to be led, taking Ominis' hand, and letting him pull them down to the bed with him.

Ominis smiled as he sat against the headboard, guiding the Keeper to rest their head on his lap, stroking his long fingers through their hair. Forcing themselves to not think about the jar, the Keeper took a deep breath, focusing instead on the soothing sensation and allowing their mind to drift as Sebastian also climbed onto the bed.

"Finally." Sebastian sighed contentedly, as he wiggled under their arm, snuggling up against the Keeper's side and resting his head on their shoulder.

It was surprising how much he'd missed cuddling with his partners over a single month. Not that he was a particularly cuddly guy, he just, well, it was nice. It was… comforting to be able to hold his loved ones close, to have Ominis and the Keeper safely in his arms, knowing that they weren't going anywhere.

Over the holiday, Sebastian had gotten used to having the ability to freely soothe the anxiety, that would randomly attack him during the day, by pulling one of them close. While the three of them had still gotten to spend time together during meals and classes, it wasn’t enough, and the stalking had proven to be incredibly intrusive. None of them could feel comfortable, knowing that they were being watched.

Which deity had they pissed off to the point that the Keeper was sharing all their classes with either Macnair or Selwyn? Fine, the chances were already high, purely because the Keeper was taking so many NEWTs in the first place, but he still didn't like it anyway.

It felt too much like how Anne had been shadowed by their uncle all over again. Unable to have a peaceful moment just being with the Keeper and Ominis, without the stress of knowing someone was just waiting for one of them to fuck up and give the bullies leverage against the three.

It helped that he could still spend some time alone with Ominis, but he missed the long hours he'd spent running through the forest, along the coast and over the mountains with the Keeper.

Last year had been full of stress, pain, and fear, but fighting alongside the Keeper, doing everything they could to reach their goals, had kept him going. Looking back, he almost missed it, for the freedom they'd had.

Sebastian admittedly hadn't expected the Keeper to be quite as affected as they seemed, drifting from class to class and errand to meal, in a distant daze, looking exhausted. He'd also noticed that the Keeper had suddenly developed an entire range of tics, from bouncing their knee, to digging at the skin around their nails.

In all the time he'd known the Keeper, they had rarely shown anything less than confidence, only dropping their stoic facade when in battle. So, it was disturbing seeing them so unsettled, and Sebastian had never been at such a loss for what to do. At least with Anne, there was a clear objective, a problem that needed solving. Here, he couldn’t even tell what precisely was distressing the Keeper.

He could tell that this was wearing on Ominis too. Ominis had always been sensitive to the feelings of people around him and, as an overthinker, he was never very good at dealing with prolonged stress.

Sebastian hated not being able to alleviate any of the stress his partners were under. He couldn’t even help the Keeper with the bullies since he and Ominis were already targets as well.

At this point, the Keeper was spending more of their weekends with Poppy and Natsai than with Ominis and himself. It burned, knowing that he couldn’t help more than two girls who didn't even know what was going on.

Speaking of Poppy, now that he was paying more attention, he'd quickly noticed what Ominis had been speaking about. She was just a little too… eager around their Keeper. She hadn't done anything 'bad' but there was definitely something irritating about the way she kept trying to catch the Keeper's attention.

Worse still, was that the Keeper never really rejected her advances. They'd deflected her invitations occasionally, but the Keeper never firmly put her in her place, and now that they were accepting her invitations more often than not, Poppy had been getting bolder.

She'd even interrupted a conversation between the Keeper and himself on Tuesday! The nerve, strolling up to them to invite the Keeper to a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks on Saturday. It stung when the Keeper seemed unbothered by the intrusion and even proceeded to accept her invitation, right in front of him.

Sebastian understood that the Keeper had an easier time keeping the bullies busy with company, and that accepting Poppy's invite had given him a chance to oversee the construction of the secondary gate yesterday.

Didn't mean he liked the fact that the Keeper had basically rewarded Poppy for being rude towards him.

"Can't sleep?" Ominis' voice interrupted Sebastian's thoughts, he wondered for a moment if Ominis was speaking to him, but it wasn't likely since he wasn't the one here to sleep.

"You could tell?" The Keeper sighed, their voice rumbling into Sebastian's ear, pressed against their chest.

"You have a few tells when you sleep." Sebastian could hear the smile in Ominis' tone.

"Do I? Like what?" The Keeper asked curiously as Sebastian opened his eyes to peer at his partners lazily.

Ominis chuckled, flashing a mischievous grin. "If I told you, I would no longer be able to tell when you're actually sleeping."

The Keeper snorted in amusement, running the fingers of their left hand through Sebastian's hair. "Fair."

Sebastian opened his mouth, words on his tongue when he was interrupted again, this time, by muffled voices from outside the house.

"...came here just to… haven't visited us since… and now… all day… here watching… instead!?" An indignant feminine voice reverberated through the window.

"...not that babe… mudblood… dangerous… protecting…" That sounded like Macnair.

"...attacked us… stay away… for…" That was a bit harder to make out but the cajoling voice was most likely Selwyn.

"...can't believe this!" Another feminine voice shouted.

"Wait babe!" Selwyn called out, and the sounds of footsteps faded into the distance.

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the bits of conversation he'd made out. "Sounds like those idiots are getting scolded for neglecting their girlfriends while stalking us."

"Good, serves them right." Ominis muttered irritably.

Sebastian grinned. "Wonder if we should have given the twins the porn mags I found in their trunks. That would have been fun to watch."

"Ugh, no thanks, I wouldn't even want to touch them." Ominis wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"You guys found porn?" The Keeper asked in a bemused tone.

"For once, I was glad to be blind." Ominis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"It was pretty bad." Sebastian chuckled. "The women in them were all ridiculously disproportionate, there was one with breasts larger than the stew bowl at dinn-"

"Merlin Sebastian! Finishing that description will surely make my ears bleed.” Ominis exclaimed, pressing his hands over his ears protectively. “I'm already blind, I don't want to go deaf too!"

The Keeper burst into laughter. "And there goes your mental image of bowls."

Ominis groaned as he lowered his hands. "Honestly, I can't say if my mental image of anything is accurate after growing up with this one."

"I am absolutely offended, I should like to think that my analogies are perfectly accurate." Sebastian protested, sitting up and crossing his arms indignantly.

"It's called tact, Sebastian. Not everything should be perfectly accurate." Ominis rolled his eyes.

"Aha! So, you do admit that my descriptions are accurate!" Sebastian beamed triumphantly.

The Keeper grinned fondly, propping themselves up on an elbow and reaching up to pat Sebastian on the head. "Yes love, they're perfectly accurate."

"...somehow when you say it like that, it no longer feels like a good thing." Sebastian replied in a flat monotone, the petulant air around him tickling one of the Keeper’s favourite rare chuckles from Ominis.

The Keeper had first heard Ominis laugh that way while searching for the Scriptorium entrance and it still bothered them how much they'd liked the sound. Even more upsetting was the fact that they hadn’t found a way to consistently coax that sound from him.

"Are you sure you don't want to try to sleep more?" Ominis' concerned voice interrupted their wandering thoughts as he brushed a hand over the Keeper’s cheek, feeling the heavy bags under their eyes.

The Keeper smiled ruefully, that was a tone they liked much less. Yet another odd occurrence was how much it bothered them, hearing Ominis worried. They'd never been all that concerned with other people's feelings, as long as it didn't come back to bite them in the ass, but these two boys somehow kept managing to garner strange reactions from them.

Sadly, the Keeper couldn't do anything about it this time, they'd tried their best and really couldn't sleep. Perhaps if they'd managed to fool Ominis, they'd have continued lying down, but that certainly hadn't panned out.

"It's alright, it's enough for me to spend a few hours relaxing with the two of you." The Keeper sighed, pressing a kiss against Ominis' palm.

Ominis shivered slightly at the softness against his sensitive hands but relented with a sigh. "I suppose that will have to do."

The Keeper smiled, pleased to have successfully consoled him. They'd had some concern that Ominis would regret calling them out on their attempt to feign sleep.

"It's almost one, maybe we should have something to eat." Sebastian suggested helpfully.

The Keeper hummed agreeably. "Not a bad idea, and since our stalkers seem occupied out of earshot, perhaps it's also a good time for me to get a proper report from Tynx…"

"Whatever happened to relaxing?" Ominis sighed as he shook his head.

"There are still many hours in the day, surely we can spare a moment." The Keeper waved a hand dismissively as they properly sat upright on the edge of the bed. "Tynx, Tibsy."

Ominis sighed again as the elves appeared with a pop.

Tibsy took one look at the Keeper and immediately her eyes widened with concern. "Is Master ill?"

The Keeper shook their head, ignoring the vindicated glance Ominis levelled at them. "I'm alright Tibsy, just tired. Please prepare a hearty lunch for us."

"Yes Master!" Tibsy squeaked eagerly and began shuffling towards the kitchen area, disappearing behind the dividing curtain.

The Keeper turned to Tynx, who was also regarding them with a concerned and searching gaze. "And Tynx, I would like a full report."

The elf hesitated for a moment but nodded professionally. "Yes, Master. We've been making good progress with the castle grounds. The outer wall foundations have been laid and we are beginning to work on the walls themselves. We have currently finished the first and second gate segments and are slowly constructing the rest from that point outwards."

"How soon do you think the walls will be completed?" The Keeper asked thoughtfully.

"At our current pace, I'd say the construction of the outer walls will likely take another two or three months depending on weather conditions." Tynx replied with a firm nod.

"Hm, very well, continue." The Keeper frowned, they had hoped that development of the castle would go faster during the school year but with only one of them being available to aid the elves in the construction every weekend, they supposed it was to be expected that progress would be slower than they’d originally predicted.

"We've also finished flattening the castle grounds, laying the castle foundations and are currently excavating underneath the area intended for the castle itself when the weather is not ideal for outer wall development." Tynx paused, before asking cautiously. "Are you sure you do not want us to begin developing the castle's upper floors, Master?"

"I am certain. We can construct the castle later, I want the two of you to remain focused on the task at hand." The Keeper nodded, pleased that Tynx was becoming more comfortable with questioning them.

If the Keeper had wanted a mindless slave, they wouldn't have chosen an elf that couldn't be broken. Their experience had taught them that no man was an island, every visionary needed loyal followers who genuinely wanted to see that future realised for themselves. The type of supporters who would take initiative and help to carry the burdens of day-to-day reality.

"Yes, Master." Tynx bowed his head deferentially. "The three underground floors should take another two to three months to construct."

"We can probably help with Dìon during the two-week Christmas and Easter holidays, I doubt those idiots will sacrifice their holidays to bother us." Sebastian added. "That should help speed things up."

"Hopefully, we'll see when the time comes." The Keeper gave him a conservative nod, before returning their attention to the elf. "How are you and Tibsy’s living conditions? Do the two of you still have sufficient funds for your daily expenses?"

Tynx nodded gratefully. "Yes, we appreciate Master's generosity, we actually saved a little extra this month, so Master needn't give us as much next month."

The Keeper hummed in approval, their calculations for the elves' expenditures had been fairly tight, so any savings must have been well earned. While the Keeper's funds were depleting steadily, they didn't believe in leaving hard work unrewarded, no one was selfless enough to work hard for nothing and that was the easiest way to allow resentment to fester.

They would simply have to run more errands to rebuild their finances during the year. Fortunately, the stalking hadn't impeded that aspect of their Hogwarts life too much. The Keeper was fast gaining a reputation for being an expensive but reliable freelancer with a wide variety of services, and that made getting requests easier.

Although there were certain types of errands that they weren’t currently taking, since they wouldn't want their stalkers to see them fulfil requests of a darker nature, such as breaking and entering, most of the requests around school weren't too terribly affected. Still, their current rate wasn't very sustainable. Yet another problem that they would need to think of a solution for.

The Keeper shook their head, waving a hand dismissively. "Keep it, any money the two of you save is yours to spend as you wish."

Tynx's surprised expression lasted barely longer than a second, shifting quickly to respect. The Keeper was pleased. Good, he was starting to internalise the idea that his owner was generous and 'good'. That concept would reinforce itself the more the Keeper maintained that image, until the day came, that they no longer needed to.

"Thank you, Master, we will not waste your generosity." Tynx bowed his head.

Nodding in acknowledgement, the Keeper made a sweeping gesture. "Anything further to report?"

"That is all." The elf shook his head, pausing a moment before continuing. "I believe Tibsy should be done cooking, perhaps Master should try to sleep after eating?"

Tynx gave a wry smile. "I had never thought wizarding school so taxing, I'm almost relieved to have been born a house elf."

The Keeper blinked at him as they processed the unexpected statement. At the same time, Sebastian snorted in amusement while Ominis burst into laughter.

"Only if you tackle life the way they do." Ominis replied after a moment, shaking with restrained chuckles.

The Keeper shook their head as Tibsy poked her head through the curtain curiously. At least the laugh it'd gotten out of Ominis was worth being the butt of the joke.

The Keeper sighed as they locked themselves in the toilet stall, withdrawing the jar of pain magic and gazing at it eagerly.

Finally.

Not that the Keeper hadn’t enjoyed their time relaxing with their partners, but it had been nigh unbearable to have it in their pouch the whole day. Now, they could finally answer its call.

The seconds spent unscrewing the cap were both agonising and comforting. The motion of sliding their wand into the jar, smooth and swift.

Drawing out a small portion of the energy by their wand, barely a fraction of its contents, the delicious bubble of red and black oozing together tantalisingly.

In a split second it was over. The Keeper revelled in the ecstasy that tingled down their throat, but it wasn't enough. Their thirst still wasn't sated.

Surely, a little more wouldn't hurt…

Helpless to resist, the Keeper drew out another small bulb and consumed it.

More.

It still wasn't enough. Just a little more…

Notes:

Keeper gonna learn real fast why we don't give in to the urge to eat another chocolate chip cookie at a buffet. Also, I feel like Sebastian and Ominis are rather opposite in an interesting way.

When it comes to social interaction, Ominis is observant and sharp, he notices behavioral tells quickly and understands them even faster.

However, despite knowing what he wants, his fear of being hurt makes him indecisive and costs him the willpower necessary to put his foot down in confrontation without becoming emotional, which makes what he's trying to communicate come out poorly. It also fucks him over for any 'go hard or go home' situations.

Sebastian on the other hand, is not very intuitive when it comes to understanding other people and even himself, he picks up on social cues slowly or misses them entirely unless it's been pointed out to him. He's socially awkward but good with words thanks to being a nerd who likes reading complicated books that are way over his head.

I would know, I'm a socially awkward nerd with an A1 in English and can debate just fine, but can't take social stress despite sounding confident whenever I open my mouth. I don't understand why some people characterize him like a popular flirty chad, the man's first "Can I help you?" to us screamed "Fuck off, I'm reading." so hard that I actually felt bad for disturbing him.

However, despite all this, Sebastian doesn't hesitate to put 100% into every social interaction, albeit clumsily, this makes his anger hotter but also makes his kindness sweeter and, unfortunately, makes him more easily hurt by others... and by himself when he fucks up. Still, he is honest with both himself and others, which actually makes him easier to teach, with his 100% effort in everything and some guidance, he could become someone amazing.

Because of all this, I feel like they are both likely to be loners, Ominis would have interactions with people but very surface level interactions because he fears getting invested while Sebastian simply finds interaction tiring and thus avoids it. Throw in Ominis' family's bad rep and I imagine both would be crowd haters because of the undue stress it causes them.

This is the reasoning behind why I have all three of them unable to relax while being stalked by malicious people, which is causing stress that is amplifying all their worst traits.

You know, besides the fact that being stalked by malicious people would be stressful anyway so I didn't really need to write all that but people said they like my notes so I'm putting in less effort to stop my ramblings, if you're not interested, just skip these, it's fine, it's not super important to the story xD

[toxic-potions-productions]

Arriving to the Kibutsuji estate (KNY swap au) (Indirect s4 ep7 spoilers ahead!)

"CAAAAWW! CAAAWWWW!! EMERGENCY SUMMENCE AT KIBUTSUJI MANSION!! INFILTRATION! KAGAYA UBUYASHIKI HAS INFILTRATED THE MANSION!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ya'll had to see this coming sooner or later

Won't ever shut up about that scene in the anime, so why not recreate it in the swap au?

So, fun fact: Since Muzan can move around just fine in the swap au, he had a few surprises waiting for Kagaya. He, Rei, & his children were all ready for what's to come, but unfortunately, two of his children didn't come out of it alive. Rui, Haruka, & Emnu are the guides for the final battle, Muzan & Rei are in hiding until it's safe as they know their children are going to do just fine.......But, Ayaki & Mitsuki sadly died as a way of buying time for their parents & siblings. They only told their siblings about that plan, & not their mother & father as they know they, especially Rei, would never approve of it. So, being so brave at such a young age means dying in their parents steed to buy time. Those poor babies

Anyways, just before the mansion explodes, Muzan distracts Kagaya & they get out of there with their children. But, by the time they realized Ayaki & Mitsuki weren't there, it was already too late. But, there's no going back now. They did what had to be done, & all the remaining three told them was that they fulfilled their purpose & that they will be okay. Which eased the two's worries, but it was still heartbreaking to say the least

So, when the hashiras saw the mansion explode, they instantly thought it was Muzan that died. But, they couldn't be anymore wrong. Two people died, but definitely not Muzan & Rei. They knew of that when his messenger crow told them who really got caught in the explosion, which coincidentally only fueled their rage & determination even more. Maybe that was the girls' actual plan all along

But, it's going to be fine. As some of the hashiras will see them after this & take care of the two until the rest get up there. As at the end, it will only be Hantengu, Hakuji, & Kawa left (Ume survives, too, so don't worry! Girlboss Ume is just fine. Gyutaro & Akari don't really count cuz well, Gyu retired by that point, & if we know what happened to Kyojuro, we know what happened to Akari)

Anyways, I think I rambled enough. Happy KNY Sunday!

But, since all of us in the KNY fandom know what this episode covers this time around, I will take this moment to say a fandom prayer before you step out

May Gotouge-san & Ufotable have mercy on us for the last KNY Sunday for a while & our shattered hearts. I pray Infinity castle arc is just as good, but not as heart-wrenching. & may your grieving process be calm & quiet from both the season ending, & the episode as a whole. Amen 🙏🏻

[spider-mar2004]

How would ben and Peter first finding out about oliver go?

So like discovering Oliver for first time? Hmmm (if i misunderstood really sorry! I am not english 😔🙏)

Three clone spiders, one tiny spider

Warnings: None, just fluff

Clearly Kaine didn't want about give information about his private life with his big partner, his home although was hard because well unfortunately he was homeless in first part but all is fixed and good now. It was like around six weeks (more than a month) after his first biological little son was born, Oliver Parker, so tiny, weak, just so adorable, small and soft dark hair and sleepy eyes closed. Welp seems like the little one carries more genes from his mom but it doesn't really matter. Who would think a baby could belong also the both universes? Marlette and Kaine's at same time, Miguel would freak out discover this but let's just not focus about that for now.

It was very unexpected that Kaine and Marlette apart being a couple, aswell having an "adventure" that ended spawning a new life. Yes Kaine was very unsure and anxious about that because double responsability? Yeah he can handle Aracely well but a own biological son? Mostly apart of double responsabilities is also aswell the fact they being two different worlds which make a life there would be impossible. But nuh-uh, nothing is impossible, difficult yes, but impossible? Nope.

But anyways, by that when their son was born, it made both rough and big spiders be very closed and reserved, of course is logic, is first time they were parents, but seems Kaine's side of being a fierce and violent arachnid became now a big soft gentle, actually he was the one behaving like a mom to lil Ollie, always watching him, hugging him, even feed him, Marlette needed rest but geez all the baby attention was only for him but don't worry at the finale there was a balance now.

Meanwhile the both spider clones would play Uno at the roof from a random house which was near to Kaine's home.

"Uno."

"The fuck Peter!? Dude you had like eight cards a few minutes ago!"

"Uhhh i don't know what do you mean but is still uno."

"Huh! Okay then take this! +2!"

Peter giggled and pulled out a +4 card. Ben gasped.

"CHEATER!"

Ben got up aswell Peter who actually he was sitting on the other cards! What a cheater! Then they both ran around and went swinging off. Geez, all is true, they behave exactly like kids even they are being more of their 20's.

As then they arrived to their bigger clone sibling, they landed on the window and both knocked at the same time.

Tap tap tap tap tap.

Kaine heard the noises and then quickly went where the sound was from, he sighed as he saw them.

"Damn it you two can you just wait!?"

He opened the window, the two entered and hugged him like happy excited puppies, Kaine rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah i missed you two, but seriously can you just let me know when ya'll come?"

"Well i mean if you are not too slow at phone technology-"

"Peter, i am not those old men who doesn't know anything, i know the basic, or at least more because well, futuristic partner y'know."

"Mmmmm, yeaaah, of course."

Ben giggled and then looked around curiously.

"And Marlette? Where's our big lady?"

"Yeah where's that big boss mare? I say that because since you rode a horse well then- OW-"

Peter's joke was interrupted when Kaine slapped his head.

"My girlfriend is not an animal you fool. And she went to buy things."

"Uhm, i mean technically we all- We all are spiders sooo-"

"But not that animal for god's sake-"

Kaine's interrupting karma just came when a loud cry would appear, which he quickly went to his bedroom for check, closing the door but not completely.

"Wait why's there a baby cry- WAIT."

Ben gasped and then he carefully went to see, not opening the door just take a quick sneak peek. His light brown eyes widened as he saw Kaine gently picking up a newborn baby.

"Motherfucker didn't tell us about his baby!"

"What!? Let me see-"

Accidentally Peter's rush made Ben and also himself fall, by but the door opened and it caused Kaine flinch a bit and quickly growl, brown eyes becoming reddish now.

"AH SORRY SORRY IT WAS AN ACCIDENT- . . . Ayo?"

They both said at the same time and same phrase as their attention snapped by the crying baby, Kaine growled more but by the cries he began to calm him down.

"Kaine...? Is that...?"

Ben slowly and curiously walked to him, looking at the tiny baby, he gasped.

"Oh god is him! Why you didn't tell us she gave birth!? Dude got worried!"

Peter joined and his eyes shinned.

"Maaan, is that your baby...?"

"Mhm. He was born weeks ago just uh, more than a month kinda."

"WE ARE UNCLES NOW! YAY!"

"Wait, he has darker hair, and..."

Peter looked at the baby's eyes which were a dark and dull blue.

". . . Man did you really made him? I don't see a trait from you-"

"Obviously i made him, most likely my traits will show when he gets older."

"More like you cloned your lady into a boy! Bahahaha!"

Peter laughed at his own bad joke again, well Ben giggled while Kaine just silent. Oliver stopped to cry and looked at his uncles with a cute grumpy face.

"Awww!! At least has your grumpy face! Let me pick him please!"

"But careful, if he falls from you i'mma kill you."

Kaine hissed, geez protective "mom" mode. Ben nodded and gulped. Then he gave Oliver, Ben gently held him.

"Aweee! Who's the little nephew of Uncle Ben? Yes youuu! You are tiny baby!"

Ben nuzzled Oliver who grunted and "bit" his nose, god that's so adorable, Ben would indeed just explode of happiness. While Peter sighed as "Uncle Ben" mentioned, but then he joined.

"Alright Golden Retriever, gimme the kid."

"NO."

"I am uncle too! So give me!"

Ben sighed and then gave the infant to Peter who gently took him and rocking him.

"Look at you! Guess you... What's his name?"

"Oliver, Oliver Parker."

"WOOO ANOTHER PARKER!"

"Ben you are Reilly."

"Shut!"

"Anyways, Kaine, is that me or this little grumpy dooby is... A bit smaller than an average baby?"

"He was born like 3 cm less than an average baby, but yes sadly he was born a bit underweight but, not our fault, guess is just by universe shit or i don't know. We are feeding him almost every three hours for get the nutrients."

Kaine explained. Peter nodded and looked at Oliver who made another grumpy grunt.

"Ahh, needs the double of nutrients? Well not is by the "cross-universe" child thing because can just happen."

Peter shrugged while then he gave Oliver back to his father, Kaine who hugged him and kissed his small forehead.

"I thought that he will look like me."

"Dude, we were from machines and stuff like that. Plus your golden hair is not natural."

"Well true i forgot-"

"Is that fine when he grows we can take him to some places like parks and such? I mean we are PARK-ers."

Kaine inhaled by the horrible joke Peter made, he won't imagine him as dad too, bad dad jokes raining most likely.

"Depends, i won't put in risk my little boy, but at least Aracely can care of him if we are busy, i'll just think."

He went to the sofa and sat down, yawning and putting the baby on his chest who laid down there and yawned aswell, Oliver always loved sleep on his parents' chests by the warmth.

Ben and Peter looked at each other, then they smiling sat next Kaine and then leaned on his both shoulders, watching the little spider.

Three spiders, one little spider, wondering how chaotic this kid can be.

[loonymarshian]

Always By Your Side

Day 8 of #BG3FicFeb - "It will be okay as long as we're together" A bit of a re-write of the end of the game, Astarion struggles as he is finally forced to confront the rest of his life in the shadows, but he doesn't have to do it alone.

Sorry ya'll, I skipped day 7, was struggling to come up with any inspiration from the prompt. Also, don't worry, part 2 of the day 6 prompt is coming, I've just decided to put it on the backburner a bit so I can focus on the daily prompts more.

The adventure was over, the netherbrain defeated. Tragedy and her companions had destroyed the tadpoles that had infected their minds all this time, and been named the Heroes of Baldur’s Gate. But this was not a wholly happy ending. After the brain’s defeat, the party had gathered on the docks to watch the sunrise. They’d forgotten, for a moment, that one of them was no longer welcome in the light of day. As the sun rose over the horizon, Astarion had begun to burn, the tadpole no longer protecting him from the curses of his vampiric nature. He’d run for cover, but just as Tragedy had been about to rush after him, Karlach had collapsed, her engine finally reaching its limits. The necromancer had been forced to remain behind, to convince Karlach to return to Avernus with Wyll. Her fellow tiefling had been through too much, was loved too much, for her to die now. But through all that, Tragedy’s mind was flooded with anxiety for her love. She couldn’t bear to leave him alone out there, but convincing Karlach to live had been far more urgent than following the vampire.

As soon as she had safely seen Wyll and Karlach off, Tragedy rushed off on her own, not even taking the time to say goodbye to her remaining companions. She knew they would understand. The only thing that mattered to her was finding Astarion as she ran around the docks, praying to every god who might be listening that he had found somewhere safe to hide. The tiefling’s heart didn’t slow until she finally spotted the vampire’s familiar white hair, his form huddled in the shadows cast by a large stack of crates.

Astarion had made himself as small as possible. His face was buried in his knees, his arms wrapped around his shins. Even from 20 feet away, Tragedy could see him shaking. Tears sprang to the necromancer’s eyes as she rushed over to the man she loved. Wordlessly, she sat down beside him and pulled him into her arms, encouraging him to cry on her shoulder instead. He did so without a fight, leaning his full weight into her side as his form shuddered with sobs. Tragedy didn’t know how long they sat there before Astarion exhausted himself.

“I thought I would be okay.” Astarion’s voice was quiet and hoarse as he mumbled into his lover’s chest. “I thought I was prepared to lose the sun. I didn’t realise it would be so hard. I’m sorry.”

Tragedy held Astarion tighter, her cheek resting on the top of his head. “Don’t be sorry, love. Of course this is hard. But I’m here. You don’t have to face this alone.”

The sun had fully risen by now, and it was starting to encroach on the shadows the couple occupied. Thankfully, Tragedy was pretty sure she still had enough energy left to cast Dimension Door. All she needed was to find a safe space they could move to within the spell’s range. Glancing up, she spotted the bow of a ship jutting over the docks. The Blushing Mermaid. They should be safe there for the rest of the day, especially if Captain Grisly was willing to let them hide in Ethel’s lair.

“Hey, Astarion? I’m going to cast Dimension Door to take us to the ‘Maid, okay? We can’t stay here.”

At that, the vampire finally pulled away from Tragedy’s embrace, glancing up at the tavern above, and the shadows surrounding them, noticeably smaller than they had been when he’d arrived. He reached up to wipe away his tears, then took his lover’s hand and nodded, ready.

Pulling Astarion to his feet with her, Tragedy closed her eyes and conjured an image in her mind of the interior of the Blushing Mermaid, specifically the main upstairs space where the curtains were always drawn so there was no risk of landing in a patch of sunlight. She whispered the verbal component of the spell, and felt as the Weave wrapped around her and her love, blanketing them in darkness for a moment before they found themselves within the dark interior of the Blushing Mermaid. The tiefling made sure Astarion was comfortably situated at a table in the darkest corner of the room, before hurrying downstairs to get drinks. If there were ever a time for day-drinking, she figured, it was now.

~o~

A bottle of wine later, Astarion seemed much more himself. The ‘Maid was never empty, even at noon, and the rogue had started distracting himself by making snide comments about the rest of the patrons. Tragedy was joining in of course, partly because it seemed to be keeping Astarion in good spirits for the moment, but she had to admit, people-watching like this was entertaining. It wasn’t until a gnome walked into the room wearing a hideous red beret that did not at all match his purple attire, and Astarion didn’t respond to her pointing it out, that Tragedy realised he had slipped into melancholy once more.

The tiefling reached across the table to hold her lover’s hand, both their wine glasses abandoned.

“Is everything okay, love?” She squeezed Astarion’s hand in her grip reassuringly, wanting to remind him that he wasn’t alone, and she was here to listen.

Astarion met Tragedy’s eyes just briefly, a fake smile plastered on his face. “Just thinking about what comes next. Do you have any plans?”

The question confused Tragedy. The way he asked made it sound like he thought their plans for the future wouldn’t involve each other. She hadn’t really thought about what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, but she did know one thing - whatever life was going to bring, she wanted to share it with this man. They’d gone through so much together in such a short time, grown together in ways she never would have expected. She loved him, and she would do anything to make him sure of that.

“I suppose we’ll have to start looking for a way for you to walk in the sun again,” she said, full of confidence. She may not have been a powerful enough wizard to attract the attention of Mystra herself, but that didn’t mean she was without power and skill. If there was any magic out there that could cure vampirism, or grant a vampire immunity to the sun’s rays, she would find it. And if there wasn’t anything for that specifically, she would dedicate the rest of her life to mastering Wish, a legendary spell that could grant an arcane caster anything they Wished for.

The declaration seemed to stun Astarion, his eyes wide and his body frozen. It took him a moment to thaw out, but when he did, his insecurity was painted clearly across his face. By now, Tragedy was pretty sure she understood what was going on in his mind. For 200 years, Astarion had been abused, his body used as a tool over and over again to lure victims back for his master, Cazador. He’d never known real love, romantic or otherwise. So, now that the tadpoles were gone and there was no outside influence keeping them together, Astarion was half-convinced that she would want to leave him.

“Really?” His question came out in a whisper at first, before he cleared his throat and continued at a higher volume. “Are you sure? Is this,” the vampire gestured between them with his free hand, “what you want?”

“It is. Whatever we’ll face in our futures, I want to face it together. I love you, Astarion.” Tragedy gripped his hand tighter, trying to infuse all her love and conviction into that one touch, this one look.

Astarion finally relaxed, his expression softening into a relieved smile at her response. “Good. Because, selfless as I am, I really didn’t want to let you go.”

Reaching over the small table with his free hand, Astarion cupped Tragedy’s cheek and pulled her into a sweet, slow kiss.

This was the end of one adventure, but their lives together had just begun.

[rayofsunshinc]

Rate your muse's traits 0-10! Repost and rate your muse's traits, then tag your followers.

Daryl Dixon

Compassion: 8/10. Way more often than not.

Bitterness: 6/10. I would say for a long time, Daryl had difficulty letting go of the bad things that happened to him. Oddly, it seems like the worse things get, the less bitter he really is.

Happiness: 5/10. He can't catch a break ISTG

Politeness: 3/10. He's not exactly rude, and definitely isn't on purpose, but he just doesn't understand why people tiptoe around things. And manners are mostly out the window due to the way he was brought up.

Chivalry: 8/10.

Pride: 5/10. I had the hardest time rating this one. I don't think that he thinks much about how far he's come, nor do I think that he has a big ego. If I gave it a 5, it's based entirely on the fact that he wasn't willing to call himself Negan, no matter how badly he was tortured and treated when he was prisoner with The Saviors.

Honesty: 9/10. Daryl might try to spare your feelings, but ... that's about it lol

Bravery: 10/10.

Recklessness: 8/10. He is usually wilding out, but has been known to call for peace sometimes.

Ambition: 5/10. Idk. I feel like if he wants to get something done, he gets it done. He doesn't really think about what he wants, he just does shit to get by.

Loyalty: 10/10.

Love: 4/10. Woof.. I mean, as far as romantic love goes anyway. It's not that he couldn't be ranked higher, he just hasn't gotten much of a chance to be. I'm giving him some extra points because I think he has potential.

Sense of family: 7/10. Earlier in his life, this was obviously way lower. He's always had Merle though, and that's where his big sense of loyalty stems from. Merle was blood, but he was also always there for Daryl (in his own way) and Daryl felt like he owed Merle for that. I think Merle really both helped Daryl feel a sense of family and pushed him from wanting to feel that with other people (abusive... manipulative.. but that's another post). It makes me literally want to cry thinking about when Merle was like "Ain't nobody ever gonna care about you except me." because CLEARLY everyone cares about Daryl and he has so much family by the end of the TWD. Daryl considers the group his family. He's referred to Rick as his brother on multiple occasions and I mean, he's practically raising Judith and RJ for awhile. He had fatherly vibes with Lydia. He and Carol are OBVIOUSLY family. I think that when he told her he loved her that was one of like the only times he's ever said that in his life?? Even though he has so much family and love, I do think he has a hard time accepting and believing it.

Attractiveness: 10/10. This is a totally biased rating.

Agility: 10/10. He's done a lot of insane shit that only proves this is true lol

Sex drive: 2/10. I truly don't think it's something that he worries about whatsoever. I gave a 2 just because a 1 seemed unbelievable.

Tagged by @fcllederage Tagging: @ripkaspbrak (or any muse you're feeling of course!), @fxntasmagoria, @multivcrsity, @painofhumanity, @witchoflegends, any muses ya'll want to expand on - and also anyone else who sees this