#fun quizz ty!!

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

Hi ari do u have any other recs from quotev ?

HI SWEET ANON !!! <333 i’m so happy you’d ask!! honestly ….. i don’t have many quotev recs other than limitless :’3 at least when it comes to fics!! there’s also this nobara x reader hanahaki au by the same author that i absolutely adore (would honestly recommend all of their works) but. yeah!!

quotev has a bunch of cute quizzes tho…. here r three jjk related ones that i love :33

your jjk isekai experience

jujutsu tech: college edition

which jujutsu kaisen character likes you?

[sim0nril3y]

I’m LITERALLY screaming at ghost with a praise kink !!!!!!! That was so fucking good I am foaming at the mouth!! Was that part of the 12 days of kinkmas thing? Also, side note, can we read all of these as civilian!reader? Or will the 12 days of kinkmas be outside that little au?

Also, if I may be so bold, could I request ghost with a breeding kink, perhaps? 🫣

Note: Firstly, thank you so much for sending this request, you have no idea how much I needed to write this down! As for your questions, anything that comes before the 14th of December is totally just for fun and part of my normal writing so these types of things aren't part of the 12 Days of Kinkmas. Also, the Kinkmas will continue to be part of the Civilian series but honestly you can read my fics in whatever way makes you happy! Pairing: Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Civilian!Reader Warnings: No mask Simon (It's my personal headcanon in his regular life he probably wouldn't wear it), established relationship, teasing, breeding kink, P in v sex, lots of talk about pregnancy and knocking up, unprotected sex, canon-typical swearing.

There was no denying that Simon was in a strange mood. Where usually he rarely touched you in public now his arm was draped over your shoulder like some kind of accessory or his hand lingered on your lower back and even drifting down to cup your bum. He’d lean down and whisper into your ear, pressing a tender kiss to the hinge of your jaw. Everything he seemed to do only lead to you feeling a little warm.

It was just unlike him. Simon was usually very reserved in public, sometimes even holding your hand was too much affection for him.

All day you wracked your brain trying to figure out what had changed or what had sparked this sudden alteration in Simon’s mentality. As instructed you were stood by the hob, slowly stirring a pot of whatever Simon had prepared. You had been so deep in your thoughts you hadn’t heard Simon approaching from behind, slinking up behind you, strong arms tying around your middle and sucking you back against his form.

Those skilful lips found your throat, humming as Simon pressed a couple tender kisses to the areas of skint that were exposed. “Si, what has gotten into you lately?” You giggle was breathless, wooden spoon long forgotten in hand as your head tilted back into his shoulder. “Fuck~”

Simon continued to kiss and suckle at your throat before muttering out coldly. “Y’gonna think it’s stupid…” Then resuming his attack on your throat. “You know…” Losing track of your words as his lips nipped at your earlobe playfully. “Nothing… nothing you could say… would ever be… stupid…” The words seemed to trail away pointlessly.

For a few moments Simon remained painfully quiet, his hands roaming around your mid area, rubbing and soothing his hands against it. “Fuckin’ hell…” Like always when frustrated or a loss for words Simon growled out the expletive. “Fine…” He muttered, keeping you firmly facing away from him so that he was able to try and form a sensible sentence. “Been havin’ this dream lately…” Simon let out a low huff. “Sound so fuckin’ stupid…”

“A dream?” You quizzed, pinch forming between your brows. “What kind of dream?” “A dream… it keeps coming back…” Simon smirked. “I don’t dream ever but this one… this one won’t get out of my fuckin’ head.” Those strong hands continued to stroke and caress your stomach before finally he allowed the truth to spill from his lips. “You were pregnant.” The hands on your stomach were so soft and soothing, like trying to manifest his dream in reality. “You were pregnant with my baby… and you looked so fuckin’ good…” The word rolled off his tongue like it was dripping in sin and you knew then you were going to need to change your panties.

A big grin found your face. “Is that right?” He growled in a moment, yanking you over to bend you over the kitchen table. “Simon, the dinner-” “Don’t worry. I’ll fill you up.” Simon growled, yanking down your sweats and underwear in a quick moment. “Need to get this dream out of my head, babe. Can you… can you let me do this… please…” There was almost pleading to his tone and it caused you to rub your thighs together as you leaned over the table, his hand pressed between your shoulders.

“You can do it.” You confirmed gently and in the moments that followed Simon was kicking your legs apart to exposing your sopping cunt. “Look at this…” His hand cupped your sex, watching you shudder on the table. “Looks like you like the sound of my dream too, love.” A couple fingers slipped into your cunt, spreading your walls wide around his thick fingers and making you whimper against the table. “Is that right, baby? You want me to fill you up? Want me to pump you full of cum?”

A tight couple whimpers came from your throat. “Please. Please. Please.” You whimpered lowly, shunting your hips back to practically ride his fingers as they spread you wide. “Please, need you… need you inside me…” It was as if that was all the encouragement that Simon needed, because in the next moment he was unbuckling his belt, taking his rock hard cock in hand, massaging and rolling back the uncut skin as he pressing himself against your tight open and letting out a low groan as he sank inside, feeding you inch after inch until he reached the hilt, hips firmly pressed against your rear. “Good girl… Good fuckin’ girl takin’ every fuckin’ inch of me like I taught you.”

After allowing you a couple moments to finally adjust to his immense size Simon drew back and began to fuck into you, hard and fast, one hand braced on your shoulder whilst the other cupped under your knee to lift onto the table. “Feel… so fuckin’ good…” He growled out, teeth grit, muscles strained, wound so tight you wondered if he might snap, or if this was maybe him snapping. “Gonna look… so good filled up with me… know you’re gonna look so good, baby.”

“Simon-” “I know, baby. I know.” His hips shunted faster and shallower, hardly removing his cock halfway before shoving it back inside of you. “Fuckin’… tight cunt…” He cried out lowly. “Can’t wait… can’t wait to see you dripping… dripping with me…” Simon let out a low groan. “I’m gonna… gonna keep pumping you full… full until you’re bursting.”

The kitchen was filled with wet, slapping sounds. The sound of Simon fucking into you with so much love and adoration. The promises of a future. The prospect of having a full life together. It was enough to make your walls begin to squeeze and tighten, that and the feeling of your clit rubbing awkwardly against the table with each brutal thrust from Simon’s strong hips into your own, pistoning his thick cock relentlessly.

“There. There. There.” Your voice was begging and then following by a couple moans and squeaks as your cunt spasmed and squeezed around him. “There it is…” Simon hissed. “There it is, baby. Fuck, feel so fuckin’ good…” He growled, tilting his head back. “Tell me… Please… Tell me you want it… B-beg for it…” His hips snapped erratically, trying to stave of his own end even as your cunt milked and tried to force it from him.

“Simon~” You squeaked. “Simon… Simon, please… I need… I need your cum… I need you to fill me up… I need you to knock me up…” The words flowed so easily, unsure if you even believe them or wanted it to come true, but it seemed to be enough to throw him wildly over the edge, growling, huffing, snapping his hips aggressively and finally pumping you to the brim with his cum. It was a feeling unmatched, the warmth spreading throughout your walls leaving you humming lowly from the table. “Thank you…” Simon whispered into the air, leaning over your frame to press a couple kisses to your shoulder. “Thank you, babe.”

The two of you stood there, panting and slowly coming down from your highs, the kitchen table completely disgraced from your actions, his cum seeping out from your cunt and around his cock to seep onto the wood, the dinner completely forgotten about and burnt beyond recognition by now and the two of you left with a lot to think about.

Masterlist | Ask | 05-12-2023

[ox1-lovesick]

✶ ─── TOMORROW X TOGETHER AND THINGS WITH THEM

🍇 pairing. txt x gn!reader genre. fluff warnings. mentions of food, pda (?), wc. 50-100 each

🍇 type. headcannon , reaction

🍇 a/n. abandoned the tyun and hyuka fic for now 💀 this is like a filler fic or something i have such bad writers block. i know for a fact that soobin crochets

% YEONJUN

late night walks ; gentle kisses to your knuckles ; catching him staring ; errands to the convenience store at 3 in the morning ; holding hands ; sharing earphones ; leaning your head on his shoulder ; sharing lip glosses ; netflix marathons ; fashion shows at 2 am ; spontaneous dance sessions ; late night drives ; candid pictures ; slow dancing ; cooking ; sharing jewellery ; kisses through the phone ; matching jewelry

% SOOBIN

comparing hand sizes ; feeding each other ; interlocking pinkies ; desert before dinner ; baking ; sharing clothes and jewelry ; 1000 piece puzzles ; movie dates ; crocheting together ; croc shopping dates ; clothing hauls ; editing vlogs together ; food fights ; disney dates ; couple cosplays and halloween costumes ; pillow talk about the future ; tying your shoelaces for you ; giving you his jacket when it's cold ; matching socks and bracelets

% BEOMGYU

kisses in the rain ; hand-written love letters ; bouquets of roses ; sleeping in together ; doodling on each others hands ; scented candles ; bickering for fun ; backhugs ; raindrop races ; long bus rides ; sharing earphones ; picnic dates ; photo albums ; half anniversaries ; forehead kisses ; impromptu karaoke nights ; guitar lessons ; secret handshakes ; build-a-bear dates ; feeding each other ; pillow talk ; hiding tomatoes in his food ; painting each other's nails ; holding open the door for you

% TAEHYUN

long and warm hugs ; locking pinkies ; poking his dimples ; falling asleep on his chest ; cheek kisses ; stargazing ; library dates ; cooking for each other ; communicating through morse code ; study dates ; reading together ; sharing cutlery ; pinky promises ; kisses to your knuckles ; post it notes with messages ; holding hands ; feeding each other ; falling asleep on the phone with him ; playlists dedicated to each other ; gentle kisses ; powerpoint nights ; "5 more minutes" mornings ; flowers "just because"

% HUENINGKAI

naming all his plushies ; palm kisses ; zoo dates ; buzzfeed quizzes to see who'd survive the zombie apocalypse ; breakdancing in the dining room ; pokemon impressions ; piano lessons ; holding hands, everywhere ; kisses to the tips of your fingers ; pillow and tickle fights ; sneaking juice boxes and animal biscuits in your lunch

★ OX1-LOVESICK all rights reserved. do not copy, distribute, translate, alter or repost my work without my explicit permission.

[extrashortshorts]

I've never seen anyone draw Usopp and Doflamingo in such an endearing but messed up way.

I love it.

Wa ty!

But just a reminder that all of that is simply silly doodles based on friend interactions that also took character quizzes with me, without even knowing anything about onepiece at that time and got usopp result in every one of them

Personally don't vibe with flamingo but its fun to draw him in this stupid things. Would be cool to know who out of all characters actually closer to my brain

+ irritating someone who got perona

[ykimchi]

well that. hit like a truck.

if anyone would like to join please feel free !!

uquiz time because i'm sad and the one i found is really pretty

the midnight lover the midnight lover [noun, german origin] refers to a character that believes their final destination is a second place. they are always there when people need them, but they are never their first choice, merely the one to talk to at midnight when one is the most honest, just to be thrown away the morning after (hence why they're called a midnight lover). midnight lovers love too much, fall too deep and land to hard for anyone and everyone they appreciate, but they never seem to get their love back in the way they'd want, forever united by the dreadful second place in people's lives. many take advantage of midnight lovers, using their heart that's always there to listen as something they can dump all their problems on, not acknowledging that their heart is just as fragile as any other. still, midnight lovers listen and comfort and give their all no matter it draining them - sometimes it's truly astonishing how much love they're able to store within themselves. all midnight lovers long for is to be perceived as something more than 'the second resort', though many struggle to realize their already achieved significance in eyes of others. who knows, many (or majority) may haven't ever been a second choice, they were just lead to believe so via people not treating them accordingly. as a certain saying goes, "one not worthy of your love should not be able to spend it." - a fellow midnight lover fully expect this to flop but oh well no pressure tags @imaginatorofthings @olivers-cocoapuffs @officialsoupstore @scabscribz @automaticcatsandwich @if-i-could-give-u-the-moon @averydeadshootingstar @charliethinks and everybody else

[theiliad]

tagged by @charlottenewtons ty <3

Last Song: denial is a river by doechii

Last Book: i've been in such a reading slump lately but i just picked up the his dark materials trilogy for my first reread since childhood so i'm v excited to revisit them as an adult

Last Movie: the conjuring: the devil made me do it. not as good as the first two but still a fun time i love you vera farmiga

Last TV show: severanceeeeeeeee

Last thing I googled: anchor incision breast reduction (a friend was asking about my incisions and i thought a visual aid would be easier than explaining)

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: savory and spicy lately

Looking forward to: healing up from surgery and getting back to my life + hanging out with my girlfriend

Current obsession: severance. and doing everyone's little favourite movie quizzes

tagging: @wulfhalls @yourbelgianthings @gravesidevibes @knightsofeclipse @fearforthestorm @legallybrunettedotcom @rosebriding @throwupgirl @asmeninas and uhhh anyone else who wants to do this just say i tagged you !

[muldermuse]

hi! fox mulder being all cutely sad and mopey when his crush (reader) takes a week off from work, making him miss her sm that dana finds it so silly of him to do! and maybe when the reader returns he’s all so happy and does the case better hahah

ty for the request!!! i did it like hcs bc it's fun to write

Fox Mulder is struggling, you are off with sickness and he's calling you every 3 hours to make sure you're okay. He's desperate to see you, just to try and make you feel even 1% better.

he's dropped off soup (your stomach is too upset to eat it)

he's dropped off a new vhs (your head hurts too much to look at a screen)

the last time, he dropped off a huge bouquet of flowers (your nose is too blocked to smell them)

the case that he has is not important, I mean Scully and Skinner are telling him that it is but to Fox?? nah, not interested

when he and Scully are out questioning ay leads and investigating the area, all she can hear is him huffing and tutting. When speaking to locals, he's doodling in his pad as Scully asks questions

in the office, he's not much better. He's completely unable to focus on the task at hand and is spending the majority of his time throwing self made paper balls through the basketball hoop on the back of the door

this goes on for a few days but as you still feel unwell- Fox goes from being largely uninterested in work to being outright miserable

when he walks in, there's no greeting, it's just a nod and straight to his desk. shoes on the table and staring at the ceiling until he's pleading with Scully to go upstairs and get him a coffee because he's too sad and mopey to do it himself

"she has the flu Mulder, she'll be back in a few days"

"you said that a few days ago and here we are" he shoots her a look and then IMMEDIATELY remembers that this is Dr Dana Scully, she raises an eyebrow at him and he mumbles an apology into his coffee cup

"how long are you going to be miserable for?" she asks with a smirk

"maybe forever" he sighs

"apparently, she's coming back to work tomorrow so..."

before Scully can even FINISH her sentence, he's sat up in his chair reaching for the phone, as he goes to dial the final digit in your number he hears a giggle from across the room and sees Scully laughing at him

"that's the quickest i've seen you move all week"

relief washes over him when you answer the phone and you sound BETTER like not as horrifically ill like u did previously, ur apologetic for not calling him earlier but you've been sleeping and he's apologising back for calling so much and he can see Scully shaking her head at the sap that he has become

once the phone call is done, he's a new man. seemingly reborn. he's quizzing Scully on her notes from the investigation and questioning all the motives of those involved

the case is basically cracked by the end of the day

but when he goes to look through his notes for clarification and it's just sad doodles of clouds and frowny faces lmao

[ohposhers]

I don’t think you’ll get him (I have a guess on who you’d actually get), but I wanna see if you get my one trolls franchise answer https://uquiz.com/siPota

alllright i'll bite, i love doing character quizzes there were a lot of questions i had more than one answer for and just had to pick one at random so that probably played a part in who i got

unfortunately i dont really think this is accurate for me at all-- while the nostalgic/born in the wrong time is accurate i sadly LOVE clubbing and substance abuse and never pass on the opportunity to do so </3 im also never angry and i love my mom :(( maybe i'll have to redo the test with the other answers i wanted to go with hahah this was fun ty for the quiz im so nostalgic for character quizzes

[ghost-bxrd]

hey!

so I was doing some more thinking abt the copyright thing and poking around on Scratch (the program I used for the mock-up) and there is a LOT of branded content on there. DC specifically has tons of projects, ranging from quizzes to clicker and fighter games, some of which have been up and running for 8+ years and gotten thousands of plays. (Some even contain indisputably copyrighted material like music, images, logos, etc) So obviously this isn't like professional legal advice but like I think it could be fine? Scratch is mostly a kids/learning website, and while that somewhat limits functionality, I think it also then helps it fly beneath corporations' notice.

Added after more research: it looks like the games that get shut down are ones that are visible, popular, and in direct competition with an existing or future project. warner bros has previously shut down a batman fan game, but it is one that is almost identical to an existing game, and also received millions of views through gameplay videos and interviews on YouTube. less popular/more original games are less likely to get legal attention. so if we keep it on the dl and make the name and cover image something like "bob's fun adventure" [picture of poodle] we'd probably be fine?

Also not gonna dox myself but apparently there could be an exception in the laws in my country that would allow fan games? Unconfirmed but possibly an option

The organization for transformative works (ao3's parent organization) has a legal team that offers free help with legal issues regarding fanwork & would probably be a better resource for actual reliable information lol.

First of all, it’s lovely that you spent so much time looking into this, 🥺💚

In the grand scheme of things though we wouldn’t have much control over how “popular” this game would become. And with how much the original idea kicked off (which is still kind of mind blowing honestly), I think it’s not too unlikely that someone would take note eventually.

I would love to work on this game for real, but I won’t do so through some loopholes that might end up tying a noose for me or anyone else working on this project. 😥

[kaimaciel]

A more funny one, love dramatic Port and love the idea of him getting lost in the sea on purpose when he's not feeling loved enough (an alternative to tying people on a table and make quizzes lol)

At first everyone would be dead worried but eventually the ones close to him would get used to it. After a few weeks he coming back, mad and with a nice tan and a coconut he befriend in an island.

"I can't believe none of you tried to find me!"

And the others not even fazed

"welcome home hermano."

"hey darling, just in time for tea"

"'sup old man"

😅 Port was feeling neglected and wanted a bit of attention without having to say it flat out loud. Too bad they've all got used to his disappearances and just wait until he gets back.

Antonio: So, did you have fun sailing?

Afonso: Almost got eaten by a shark, actually.

Arthur: Well love, you look great!

Afonso: That's because I was almost eaten by a shark.

Luciano: Did you bring me a shark tooth?

Afonso: Seriously?!

Afonso shakes his head and stomps back into the house to shower.

[queer-reader-07]

20, 26, 35? ❤️

ty for the asks 💜

20. share a random fact or two?

did you know that many drugs have "chirality" which basically means that the directions certain atoms on the molecule point can have significant impacts on how it interacts with your body when you ingest it? (other molecules can have it too but it's cooler in drugs). so like for example, zyretc has a mix of both the levorotary and dextrorotary drug cetirizine but xyzal only has the levo version! to the best of my understanding the levo version is what helps with allergies and the dextro is more inert i guess? anyway! i hope you enjoyed my chem info dumping <3

26. favorite meme?

idk if this counts as a meme but i think of these messages from my dad often

35. anything you want to share?

idk dude. i think i'm just stressed and people will do anything to justify being dicks to each other and it just makes me sad. like tell me why twice in the past few hours more than one person has given me shit for saying soccer 😭😭

anyway other than people being mean on the internet (which i should probably be used to by now) i am mostly actually slaying. my prof was grading today's quizzes during the other section's lab and saw that i was still on campus working so he gave me my quiz and it has my name crossed out and "KEY" written above it which was a nice little ego boost lol. ochem is fun and cool and it's actually coming really easily to me :))

questions?

[araneitela]

WHICH SYMBOLIC FRUIT ARE YOU?

Cherry. (Man, this is going to need some tag rambling; because while it's what I suspected and it's very fitting in many ways, I need to address one element).

In popular culture, cherries have come to represent sensuality, sex, and seduction. In the cult classic, Twin Peaks, Audrey Horne expresses her sexual expertise by tying a cherry stem with her tongue. "Cherry" is also used to refer to the concept of virginity: why? I don't know to be honest, but here we are. Much like the cherry, you're a sensual person who enjoys all the creature comforts the world offers. You enjoy delicious food, dynamic relationships, passionate lovemaking and stimulating conversation; however, you may also come across a touch vapid or shallow, due to your quickly fading attention when something has served its usefulness to you. To quote some man on tinder: "you're here for a good time, not a long time". You can come across, at times, slightly tart, carrying a bit of a bite to you that not everyone can handle. That’s okay: you’re an acquired taste!

Tagged: @basbousah (Thank you 🩷) Tagging: I don't tend to tag for quizzes easily but this one was actually fun, so let's harass. @immobiliter (how about Furina?) @kushtibokt @genus83 @genius81 @spiderwarden @delusionaid (Wriothesley, or Zhongli— porque no los dos? 🤭) @apocryphis (Topaz) @aventvrina @resolutepath (Elio) @daybreakrising (Blade) @astrxlfinale @kahakera @cygnor @chasersglow @scrtilegii (Jing Yuan)... and anyone else who'd like to do it, say I tagged you because I'd love to see the results!

[thesleepingdemonofhogwarts]

Book Title: Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch your Friends and Befuddle your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and much, much more)

Author: Professor Vindictus Viridian

Summary:

Curses and Counter-Curses is a lively and comprehensive guide to the mischievous art of curse-casting in the magical world. Professor Vindictus Viridian, known for his cheeky humor and sharp wit, combines instruction with creativity, providing aspiring witches and wizards with a toolkit for both playful pranks and more serious magical confrontations.

Key Features:

1. Extensive Catalog of Curses:

• Hair Loss Hex: Causes the target to lose all their hair in a matter of moments, often used in humorous contexts.

• Jelly-Legs Jinx: Renders the victim’s legs weak and wobbly, making it difficult for them to stand or walk straight.

• Tongue-Tying Curse: Hinders the target’s ability to speak coherently, turning their words into a jumbled mess.

• The Blushing Boil Hex: Inflicts bright red boils that appear on the face of anyone attempting to lie, making it a fun way to expose deceit.

• Charmed Chatterbox: Turns the recipient into a compulsive talker, unable to stop revealing secrets and gossip.

• Frog-Face Curse: Temporarily transforms the victim’s face into that of a frog, resulting in a hilarious appearance.

• Squeaky Shoes Spell: Enchants footwear to squeak loudly, creating embarrassment for the wearer and amusement for bystanders.

• Knock-Knees Jinx: Causes the target’s knees to buckle awkwardly, leading to a comical gait and potential falls.

• The Whimsical Wobble Hex: Makes the target uncontrollably dance every time music plays, a hilarious yet disruptive curse.

• Wart-Wonder Jinx: Causes unsightly warts to sprout all over the target’s body, serving as an excellent deterrent against unwanted attention.

2. Counter-Curses and Self-Defense:

• Each curse is meticulously paired with a counter-curse, allowing practitioners to undo the mischief they may face. For instance:

• Regrowth Potion: A remedy to restore hair after the Hair Loss Hex.

• Stability Charm: A quick incantation to counter the Jelly-Legs Jinx, allowing the target to regain control.

3. Practical Applications and Case Studies:

• Viridian illustrates how to apply these spells in various scenarios, from competitive dueling to light-hearted pranks at gatherings. Each section is accompanied by case studies of famous duels where these curses have been employed, providing historical context.

4. Humorous Anecdotes and Cautionary Tales:

• The book is filled with whimsical anecdotes of famous curse-casters, including notable failures that led to unexpected consequences. These stories serve as both entertainment and valuable lessons on the importance of responsibility in magic.

5. Interactive Components:

• Quizzes, spell challenges, and space for readers to craft their own unique curses encourage creativity and engagement. This makes the book not just a guide, but also a fun activity book for those looking to test their skills.

6. Ethical Considerations:

• Viridian encourages readers to consider the ethical implications of their magic. Sections are dedicated to discussing when it’s appropriate to use curses, the potential for unintended harm, and the importance of consent in spellcasting.

Conclusion:

Professor Vindictus Viridian’s Curses and Counter-Curses is an essential addition to any witch or wizard’s library. With its rich variety of spells, clever humor, and practical insights, this book not only entertains but also educates on the fine balance of using magic for mischief and for good. It embodies the playful spirit of the wizarding world while imparting vital lessons on responsibility and creativity in magic.

[narrans]

The Orion's Daughter : To Lands Beyond | Chapter Six : Family Day

**~~~~~**

Chapter Six | Family Day

**~~~~~**

Two moons. It had been two moons since I began my tutoring with Mehlein Hohru, and I had to say that I was making leaps and bounds. From the beginning, Mehlein seemed like a stingy codger who had no interest in anything except returning to his life of being a hermit.

He constantly drilled me on things he taught me, repeating over and over that I needed to be able to recall everything at the drop of a hat without looking at my notes, which were not looking half bad. I learned the alphabet and how different words were supposed to be put together, so a lot of my scribblings were simple, but I would also make little sketches to jog my memory when I needed a reminder while studying by candlelight at home.

Mehlein refused to let me use my notes when he quizzed me though. He was viscous in his reminders that I needed to commit everything to memory. He had this menacing little sand glass that timed me and how fast I could write down different things. That device became the bane of my existence, forcing me to write faster and faster, making my letters wobbly and uneven, which would earn me another round of scolding and lecture.

It was only after when Steele reminded me that Mehlein was trying to not only teach me everything I would have already learned in school, but that he was trying to push me to surpass my peers and other kids my age, I suddenly felt a new form of respect for Mehlein and his teaching methods.

As frustrated as I became when I couldn’t remember something, I had to force myself to remember that it was because he was trying to make me better than the others. He was not doing this out of malice, as Steele said, but because he saw potential in me and knew I could handle the strain of work and pressure he was giving me.

That or he was able to make his cruelty seem like a helpful lesson.

I really wasn’t sure.

What I did know was that one day, while I was working, my mother came into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around me, sadly making my hand slip and smudge the letters I was practicing.

“Momma!” I cried, not meaning to whine. My mother immediately gasped, not realizing that I was busy working.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mess up your practice. I just had a question for you, and then I’ll leave you be,” said my momma. She had on a light, flowy dress on and her thick, red curls were tied back into a low ponytail.

“It’s okay,” I muttered, scribbling through the letter I was working on, which happened to be “R” at the time. “What is your question?” There was one “R” in that sentence, and I smiled to myself thinking that I was remembering letters and was able to keep track of how many of them were in different words. It was a bit of a game Mehlein had me practicing, and it was working.

“Well, I know you have been working very hard recently, so I thought we should take the rest of the day today and have some fun. Steele made a very good suggestion and, once he is finished with his tasks, I am going to take him up on it and wanted to see if you wanted to come along,” said momma.

I looked at my countless tablets of pliable clay and leaf parchment where I was practicing my letters with charcoal. I thought for a moment about Steele and about what his sketches would look like if he were to use the same tools I was using. I thought about what a book his size would look like if I were to stand on it and how long it would take me to fill up an entire page with my piddly scratching and letter practice.

“Where are you going?” I asked her, tying back the thick hair my momma and I shared into a low set bun.

“The beach. He wants to walk along the sand and walk into the water,” said momma. The beach? The ocean? I couldn’t swim very well, but the thought of looking down into the bottomless depths and asking Steele if he knew what was really down there was too much of an opportunity for me to handle.

“Yes, I think that would be nice,” I said, smiling at my momma. “Do I need to bring anything?” She shakes her head, tossing her luscious red curls.

“Just change into some clothes you don’t mind getting wet and that won’t shrink when we dry in the sun,” smiled momma. She leaned forward, pressed her lips against my temple, and whisked herself away outside to undoubtedly collect something to eat later. I stared after her before turning back to my papers and tablets.

I decided to clean up my mess so that we could have dinner immediately when we returned and stashed everything away into my box that slid under the bed. I didn’t think I could learn anything else today anyway. The work felt busy, and I was just tracing the words and letters over and over to commit them to memory.

A break was going to be nice.

I slipped on a skirt and shirt that I knew would not shrink or weigh me down if I got wet and headed outside to wait with my mother by the garden beds. While we waited for Steele to return, I helped her weed and water the garden by going over to the well and drawing up water. I remembered what Steele said about leveling and pipes and, for a moment, thought about trying to draw up the water and making pipes like Steele did, but I would save that project for a later time.

Meanwhile, I watched as my momma used the same irrigation techniques as Steele did in the fields on one of the days I accompanied him to practice my lessons with him. She filled a barrel with water and, turning a tap on the side, let the pressure of the water in the barrel push out through pipes she created using rods and hollow reeds.

Brilliant. Ingenious. It was the kind of thing I hoped to learn how to do on my own one of these days.

*Thud*

*Thud*

*Thud*

I felt the vibrations in the ground and whipped around to see Steele approaching from the nearby field. He was being careful with each step, but seeing his easy stride and how relaxed his shoulders were made it seem like he was just coming back from an afternoon stroll. If he weren’t a giant, he would simply look like an older man striding by a field of low-cut grass.

He looked like he was so at ease – at peace.

It was an inspiring view.

Momma tapped me on the shoulder and gestured to the roof of our home. I knew what she wanted to do before she uttered the words, and I liked it. I liked being on the roof. It made me feel tall when I most certainly was not and gave a great view of the fields and distant ocean where our home was.

I scurried up the ladder quickly, grabbing one rung after the next and snagging my skirt with my shoes twice on the way up.

“Be careful sweetheart,” reminded my mother as she pinched the edges of her skirt and ascended gracefully. I wished I could be half as graceful as her on a good day. Although, what I wanted more was to just be able to wear britches or pants like the boys in the village. Wearing skirts and dresses were cumbersome and inconvenient at best, but that would be considered “improper.”

I carefully shimmied across the sides of the roof, the shingles under my hands and feet burning warm from hours resting silently in the sun’s light and secured myself onto the ridge as I watched Steele approach. As my mother joined me at my side, Steele approached and knelt, spotting us immediately.

“Good sun’s high, Steele. Did your jobs go well?” asked my momma as she stood and balanced perfectly on the ridge of the roof. Steele’s smile was broad and thoughtful as he extended his hand toward my momma.

“Very well,” he smiled. “The lake for the Deelas is finished, so their little cows have a place to drink so they will not be bullied away from the water. The fields to the east have been tilled under, so they will have good harvests and good dirt. Finally, the last of the creek rock has been moved, so there should be no other blockages when the rain comes.”

“Excellent. You have had quite the busy day,” said my momma as she carefully stepped up onto Steele’s finger, balanced there for a moment, and then stepped further onto his hand. Steele’s eyes then flicked over to me. There was a moment of quizzical curiosity before his violet eyes brightened.

“Terrilyn, are you coming to the ocean?” asked Steele. I smiled a bit more bashfully than I wanted to, but nodded and glanced down at Steele’s massive fingers, each almost twice as tall as me. Taking a quick breath, I jumped the short distance from the rooftop to the edge of Steele’s fingers, stumbling slightly over the edge of my skirts once again, but managing to make it without falling onto his palm.

“You okay?” asked my momma. I nodded, seeing both Steel and my momma’s eyes on me. I thought for a moment that I would feel annoyed that they were fussing over me, but I really didn’t have that feeling. Instead, an unexpected sensation overtook me – the feeling of being loved and cared for unconditionally by not one but two people.

“Yes, thank you,” I said, smiling and crouching down beside my momma before she gave the signal to Steele that we were ready.

“Then we’re off!” cheered my momma. Her light bark brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight as Steele stood and turned toward the ocean. I stayed close to my momma as I leaned forward into the breath of the wind. It whipped around me as we neared the horizon where the ocean waves kept up their consistent breeze.

As the horizon neared, I saw the water cresting into wave after wave and could hear the whooshing crash of the cresting waves. The smell of the ocean invaded my nostrils, filling them with the smell of salt and the pungent scent of kelp and other sea life.

When I stayed with the Finchs while my momma was working in the city as The Orion’s Factotum, we went to the ocean only once. Usually, the cliff sides are tricky to travers because they are made of shale and other fragile stones, but locals know of a better way. There is only one safe path down to the edge of the water, and it is along the shale steps. This path is safe, but it takes most of the morning to climb down and part of the evening to climb back up safely.

For the entire day with the Finch family, I walked down the steps, slipping only twice, and walked along the damp sand and even found a couple of small shells along the edge of the water which I was allowed to keep in my box of treasures.

I didn’t really get into the water, and I most certainly did not think I could dare venture out into the water beyond the edges of the cliffs.

Now, as we approached the edge, I found my heart pounding as I looked down past the cliffs and to the horizon. My excitement for what was beyond started to seize my imagination. Would I see anything like in the stories and tales of the deep that I heard about from the schoolhouse? Would I glimpse sea monsters or other fantastic creatures?

Now, as he approached the edge, I felt my heart starting to pound with excitement. Steele evaluated the edge, which was about his height, before crouching and laying his hand on the ground.

“One moment, please,” said Steele as he tilted his hand so momma and I could step off. He carefully stepped off to the side before making the small leap down to the ground. For him, it would be as easy as descending a short step. For us, it was a rocky cliff face that would surely lead to our end if we slipped. The crashing impact of his weight against the ground shook the ground like a small earthquake before he turned around and offered his hand for us to safely descend the side of the cliff.

“Thank you,” said momma as she once again resumed her position on Steele’s hand. I joined her, smiling broadly at him and catching the youthful gleam in his violet eyes as he met my gaze.

He turned toward the ocean and, glancing at us, asked, “Are you ready?”

I saw momma nod, and so I did the same, feeling nervous and jittery all at once. Steele turned his eyes not to us, but past us as he stepped carefully across the sand and entered the water. Feeling the ground give ever so slightly, Steele sank further and further into the water, pausing every once in a while to adjust to the temperature of the water.

My guess was that he barely noticed the waves rushing across his feet as he stepped further and further into the water. It wasn’t until he was up to his hips that his body began to sway ever so slightly with the rhythm of the water.

I was nervous, but also excited. I knew it could be dangerous, but I had to look. I laid my front against Steele’s hand and peered over the edge of his palm to the ocean below.

The water was like the color of my eyes, a deep, dark blue that I knew I inherited from my dad. I could see some of Steele’s torso in the water, but I could only see a little way down in the water before his legs completely vanished into the depths of the water below.

As Steele moved deeper into the water, he created a bit of wake on his own, the water creating little waves and crests as he moved from his hips up to part of his torso. I felt him give a little shiver as he continued into the water. Then, with his left hand, he pointed toward the surface of the water a little distance away. He extended his arms and lowered them, so we were only a short distance from the water.

The deep water became clearer and clearer as I gazed down into it. My momma crouched and laid beside me as she peered over the edge. Following Steele’s still pointed finger, I glanced out and watched as something leapt out of the water, spun partially in the air, and then vanished once again below the surface.

“Woah!” I exclaimed involuntarily, covering my mouth almost immediately as if whatever I just saw could hear me.

“Steele, what was that?” asked my mother. There was a sense of curiosity and awe in her voice. Not even a trace of nerves was in her tone.

“Eh… koonyardo vi… we know them as lophind, though these are small. Your size. They are… koonyardo vi… warm. They nurse their young but are like fish. They swim up and down, not side to side though, which makes them different than fish,” explained Steele. I couldn’t help but giggle at his explanation. I knew he was trying so hard to explain what he knew, but expanding his knowledge of our tongue sometimes left him speechless.

It was charming to me. Confusing, but also charming.

I leaned back over the ledge and stared at the water when, suddenly, I saw one of them – the lophind. It had an odd, long nose with eyes that set back slightly. It was a soft light blue-grey color, and I could have sworn that it had some kind of smile on its face. It swam up and down, just like Steele said, and barely broke the surface when there was an explosion of salty mist right in front of me.

I felt the spray against my face and leapt back in surprise, yelping as I fell back. My mother, also startled, managed a laugh as she leaned further over the ledge to catch a glimpse of it.

“Steele! Is that one of them? Tzakar frenmon kavee?” My momma, practicing Steele’s tongue, was able to say one phrase and then the other with such ease. I could only hope that I would be able to do the same one of these days. I watched Steele’s violet eyes brighten instantly at hearing my momma use his language, and he responded in the same language.

“Ken. Tzakar frenmon kavar,” stated Steele, pointing again to the surface as three more of those lophinds leapt from the water and into the air. My heart, finally starting to calm, now pounded excitedly. I crouched by the edge once again and peered over the edge of Steele’s palm, once again face to face with the lophind.

I watched as Steele’s movements in the water created waves that the lophind undoubtedly found amusing because they continued to jump and leap through the water. I watched them play in the water when, suddenly, Steele’s body was completely submerged. He kept the hand we were in aloft, but there was a brief moment where I thought we were going under. The cold ocean water splashed against the heel of his wrist, spraying momma and me with the refreshingly chilled water.

When Steele emerged, he kept his left hand clenched as he reached up and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. I looked up at the shining droplets of water in his hair and highlighting the gray strands in his dark blonde hair, which is lighter than when I first met him. Is it because he is older? Or is it because of all the time he is spending in the sun?

Steele, turns his left wrist over and unfurls his fingers slowly, revealing a mess of sand. I wasn’t quite sure what Steele was doing when I watched my momma step forward into the sand, slipping off her shoes before doing so, and began to sift through it. I stared, fascinated and curious, and watched as momma brushed away the sand until a small notch stuck out from the area she just brushed away.

“Found one,” she smiled as she grabbed the edge of the notch and pulled. I sat there in awe as I watched her pull out a massive seashell. It is a beautiful off-white color which fades into different shades of pink. Speechless, I leaned forward and felt something brush against my palm. I glanced down in the sand and saw a few shells right there by my hand, and one of them still had a resident in it.

I carefully snagged the shell and lifted it up to examine the pink crustation living in the shell. It had massive pinching claws, but it shied away when I held it up by my face to get a better look. For a moment, I felt an odd kinship with the creature.

Did crustations feel? Could they be scared? Was it experiencing the same things I did when Steele held me as I held it in my hand?

I didn’t know. What I did know was that it deserved to be let go back into its home in the water. I laid it gently on the ground and continued to help my momma sift through the sand, stepping onto Steele’s left hand as he calmly dipped his head back into the water, probably to cool himself off. We sifted through the sand, kicking what we didn’t need off of the side of Steele’s hand, and ended up finding two dozen excellently preserved shells, though none quite as exquisite as the one momma found. Some of them are maroon while others look pink and others blue grey.

What kind of creatures used to live in these? I wondered quietly to myself as we stepped back onto Steele’s right hand.

“We’re good!” called momma as she managed to catch Steele’s attention. He nodded, dipped his left hand back into the water, and then submerged again, grabbing another handful of sand so we could repeat the process. This time, I managed to find a dozen teeth that Steele said belonged to a creature he called peripisci, which were evidently dangerous sea creatures.

We collected shells and teeth for the better part of an hour or so before I watched momma pull out a couple of odd-looking headbands from her side bag. I watched as she hoisted up her skirt, tied it securely to her hip, and tied the headband onto her head. Part of the headband was see through, like glass, and had something wrapped around the rim. She looked a little funny with these things on her eyes.

Then, she looked at me and smiled.

“Alright, Terrilyn. I’m going to try something. You can try it with me or stay here while I do, but I will be right back, okay?” said momma. Maybe it was just the idea of her trying something dangerous, but I didn’t want to leave her side. Still, she has a determined look in her eyes that says she is going to do something, and no one is going to tell her not to.

I was conflicted. Did I go with her? Stay?

I wanted to be brave like her, and doing brave things was the only way I knew how to do it in this moment.

“I… I’ll come with you,” I said, feeling my own hesitation. I swallowed dryly as I watched my momma smile and slip a similar headband around my eyes, securing the odd lining around my eyes as she tied the other parts tight around my head.

“Okay, we are just about ready. Now, Terrilyn, what we are trying to do is see under the water,” said momma as she finished tying the final knot.

“See under water?” I asked. “But, how? The salt in the water will burn, right?” Momma nods.

“Yes, it will burn. That is why Steele and I made these. These should keep our eyes safe. He is going to lower us into the water just for a moment and we’ll get a chance to see if these work. Remember about holding your breath? We’ll need to do that. Okay?” said momma. I loved how confident she was, and I decided to mirror her behavior.

“Yes,” I said. Steele, listening the entire time, nodded and, slowly, began lowering his hands into the water. I felt my heart starting to pound harder and faster in my chest. My mouth felt extremely dry, but I took deep breath after deep breath as I felt the water come up over my ankles, up to my knees, and up past my waist.

The chill of the water is a welcomed relief to the blazing heat of the day. I saw Steele’s hands curl ever so slightly, cupping us in order to keep us from being bombarded by the waves. As the waves came up and splashed against my back and my sides, I looked up and saw my momma confidently take a deep breath, crouch, and submerge in the water.

She looked like she would have in the bath, suspended and effortlessly weightless. I saw her head glance around from left to right before she pushed herself up and looked over at me.

“Terrilyn, you have to see this,” she said. There is a youthful gleam in her eyes as her wild red curls sag and cling to her face. She takes another breath and ducks back below the water.

Be brave.

I held my breath, knelt, and dipped my face beneath the cool waves.

Immediately, I am plunged into another world. The surface of the water looked like a silver barrier as the blue extended farther than the horizon. The depth was further down than the sky was up, and it was filled with life. Far below, I watched fish and those other odd creatures that looked like pieces of cloth drifting far below me. The waves engulfed me, and I kept hold onto Steele’s hand to keep the waves from drifting me away.

I came up for air after a short while and sputtered out a little bit of water. A little got into the weird device on my eyes, but I managed to get it out before I delve back beneath the waves.

I am completely enamored with the world below the waves that I regretted the moments I had to come up for air. My momma pointed to different things she saw in the depths below, but eventually we resurfaced and met Steele’s curious eyes.

“Did they work?” asked Steele. Momma and I both nodded eagerly.

“Yes. Ken! Yes,” sputtered my momma, spitting out some of the salt water from her mouth, as she leaned back against Steele’s fingers as if she’s relaxing in the shallows. “Very well. A few adjustments and we’ll have it perfected.”

“Good,” smiled Steele. “Are you ready to go back? Or do you want to stay?” Momma looked at me, waiting for me to respond. I think about it for a moment before looking back up to Steele.

“Could… we stay? I want to see the water some more, please,” I said. Steele smiled broadly and nodded.

“Yes, and hang on. I’m going under,” said Steele. Momma and I barely had a chance to secure our devices onto our eyes before all three of us plunged under the water. Steele managed to open his eyes and, instantly, I’m captivated by his visage. He appears other worldly with the way little bubbles line his face and how the backdrop of the ocean blue enhance his violet eyes.

He squinted around before closing his eyes and remaining there for several more seconds before standing once again. The rush of water weighed me down like immense, heavy blankets. The water poured out from Steele’s slightly splayed fingers as he lifted us out of the water entirely, leaving me feeling like a drenched kitten.

I thought about ripping my clothes off just to my undergarments since my shirt and skirt felt so heavy, but I refrained. It was the only thing protecting my skin from burning, and me staying in the clothes probably was keeping it from shrinking completely.

At least, I hoped it would.

After we recovered, Steele had us secure ourselves to his shoulder as he waded all the way up to the edge of his shoulder so the water would splash us from time to time. Every once in a while and with an amused smirk on his lips, Steele will lower all three of us into the water. I found myself laughing and leaning into Steele’s neck and my momma’s embrace.

The entire day is, in a word, fun. Between the splashing and the later walk along the beach as well as the collection of shells and teeth, I had a wonderful, perfect day.

Suddenly, I was pulled back to that day with the Finchs and realized that, in that moment, I remembered seeing them this happy. I saw them laughing and splashing about in the water. I saw Mr. and Mrs. Finch hugging and kissing their children. I watched them enjoying their time together – a family.

Was that what this was? Was that what I had now?

I looked over to my mother, who was beaming and radiant in the light of the setting sun, and then to Steele, who had on a smile that seemed untouched by his years in prison.

Were we… a family?

I looked back at them and found myself smiling, hardly able to contain the warmth spreading in my chest. A fluttering thumped in my chest, and I realize I haven’t felt happier in a long time.

Yes.

This was my family. My mother, my Orion, and me.

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Continue

Previous

Beginning

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Book One: The Orion’s Factotum

[touchlikethesun]

marauders natal chart tag!

ty ty to @messrsage for making this tag and tagging me was lots of fun xx

rules: take the following quizzes and share your results 😊

marauders sun

marauders moon

marauders rising

i think i’m in a bit of a mood so i wonder if these would change tomorrow morning but… i think it’s pretty accurate 😅

no pressure tags: @lilyflxwers @stillagoodwitch @godsofwoes @strwbi-laces @underburningstars <333