#he’s built up so many walls he’s basically a fortress

[transmasccofee]

im not joking btw this is literally how i write most characters bc ive noticed that they rarely actually say what i want them to say— what i want from saiki is some kind of deeper emotional honesty with himself, and we get frequent flashes of that but typically hes hidden behind 10000 walls of repression and just shrugging it off

whenever im writing dialogue for saiki what i do is i think of exactly what i’d want him to say if this was a chapter of the manga, and then have him say Not That.

[natalievoncatte]

This was it, the moment of truth. The plan was going flawlessly, and in a few minutes, Lena would have what she needed to complete and launch Non Nocere. She was about to save the world.

(You mean your master plan, Lex’s voice snickered in her head)

Lena shook it away, as she had so many times already. When Kara glanced at her, Lena played it off as the cold. She was, after all, standing outside in the actual Arctic, brutally aware of how underdressed she was even in a heavy woolen coat and doubled up leggings.

Even here at the roof of the world, Kara was gorgeous. The sunlight glared off the ice and yet it only seemed to make her more radiant, her sun kissed skin practically glowing, blue eyes the color of the sea darkened by a distant storm.

“I’ll never understand why your cousin built this place here,” said Lena.

“He didn’t. There was an ancient Kryptonian outpost here from long, long ago, when my people were more expansionist. They abandoned any plans to colonize other solar systems thousands of years ago.”

Lena looked at her, damning her own curiosity. Kara, for her part, looked far away.

“Why?” said Lena.

“They decided they’d done enough damage to their own world.”

Lena blinked. Turning away, Kara inserted the key into the locking mechanism and unleashed a series of heavy grinding sounds as the doors parted.

Within, it was warmer.

(At last I walk these hallowed halls, a conquerer)

Not by much, though.

Lena drew in a breath and looked around, allowing herself a moment of unrepentant awe. The ceiling arched high overhead where the crystalline walls joined to form a peak, giving the Fortress of Solitude the air of a great cathedral. This gave a reference to the statue of a handsome man and beautiful woman, pressed side by side with joined hands and expressions of fear and hope as they gazed off into some distant star.

“That’s Jor-El and Lara, my aunt and uncle.”

Superman’s parents, Lena thought.

“Don’t your family have statues?”

“Kal-El created the memorial,” said Kara. “He didn’t know about my family until I told him.”

Lena huffed.

“I have a hologram of my mother,” said Kara. “It’s really just a computer interface. She doesn’t… I remember them in my own way.”

Kara cleared her throat, and Lena saw tears welling up in her eyes. A twist of pain turned in her stomach and her hand fell on Kara’s shoulder.

(That’s it. Play to her emotions. Use them like she used yours.)

“I hate this place,” Kara whispered.

Lena pulled her hand back.

“Why?”

“I thought I’d be excited to show you. There’s just so much I’ve always wanted to share, but this place is a tomb. When I’m in here, it’s like home, but not. It’s just a reminder of everything I’ve lost, and it makes me feel sick how much I want to go back.”

“Of course you want to go back,” said Lena. “It was your home.”

Kara let out a low, shuddering breath.

“It was, but it’s not anymore. I’ve lived on Earth now longer than I did on Krypton.”

She was looking up at the statues, or past them, perhaps. Lena couldn’t help but study her profile, the curve of her jaw and the soft lines of her face. How could someone who could crush coal into diamonds with her hands and kill with a glance be so angelic?

(Such an innocent face to hide such betrayal)

Lena swallowed, trying to still herself and tamp down the sympathy she felt.

“I envy him.”

“Who?”

“Superman. My cousin. He’s so lucky. He only gets the good part, the blessing from my uncle and the special heritage. For him, this place is joyful. It’s the answer to all his questions and full of strange wonders and joys. He tries to mourn them but how can he mourn something he’s never known?”

“I’m sure it must be sad for him, wondering what they were like.”

“He never knew them to disappoint him, either. It want his father that created Medusa. Sometimes I just wish I could forget it all. This place reminds me I don’t really have a home.”

Lena turned to her sharply.

Kara sighed. “My home is still out there. Argo, I mean. It’s basically a new Krypton. I could go if I wanted. Kal is there with…” she trailed off.

“Lois,” Lena added. “I pieced it together pretty quickly after you told me your identity. He’s Clark Kent, isn’t he?”

“You’ve always been too smart,” said Kara, and she sounded so genuine, so admiring, that it made Lena briefly wish she didn’t have to do this. That it had been real.

“I can’t go back there. I can’t be part of that society anymore, where people don’t get any choices in what they do, or…” Kara looked directly at Lena, dragging out the pause a beat too long. “Who they love.”

“What do you mean?”

“On Krypton, we had what I guess you’d call arranged marriages.”

“So you’d never have been able to be with Mon-El.”

“I wouldn’t have been allowed to choose him, no,” said Kara, “though thinking back, really thinking about it, I don’t think I would have in the end.”

Lena looked at Kara, who still stared up.

“Why?”

“We were only together because…” she let out a long sigh. “Because I don’t have a home anymore, not really. I can’t go back to my own people and I don’t belong here.”

“Of course you have a home, Kara,” said Lena, lightly touching Kara’s arm.

“You’d don’t know what it’s like,” said Kara, choking back a small sob. “No matter what path I take I have to kill part of myself. I can’t be Kryptonian and human, no matter how hard I try. The Kryptonian side keeps taking things away from me. I can never be my whole self with someone.”

Lena swallowed.

“Just look what it did to us,” said Kara, turning to Lena. “I almost lost you because of it, because of the lies I let myself tell.”

“Kara,” Lena lied, “I’ve forgiven you. We don’t have to re-litigate this.”

“Maybe you have, but I’ve never apologized to you properly. I’ve just been trying to smooth it over and fill in the cracks and I know how hard you’ve tried but it’s not enough for me to just let you do all the work.”

“Kara…”

“I was such an asshole,” Kara said, and Lena blinked. In any other circumstances, she’d have made a joke and chided Kara for her unusual profanity.

“I mean about the Kryptonite, but about other things, too. I shouldn’t have treated you one way while I was in the suit and another way when I wasn’t.”

“I’m still not sure which one was real,” Lena blurted.

(No! No, what are you doing? You have to make her think all is forgiven so she’ll take you to the armory!)

“They both were,” said Kara. “I was angry about the Kryptonite, and I was scared. I admit it, Lena. As much as I trusted you then and I trust you now, I didn’t know what to think. My best friend was making a poison that only hurts me.”

“I didn’t know it was you,” said Lena. “If I’d known…”

Kara swallowed.

“I know.”

“If I’d known, I would have come to you about Sam. I would have come to you about a lot of things, Kara.”

Kara tried to blink back tears and failed. Something about seeing her cry openly while wearing the suit made her seem so small and delicate.

“I wish I could be human,” said Kara. “I wish I could just be the person you thought I was and we could just be us.”

(Us? Lex snarled. You’re nothing more than a dog to her, that can be put down when she’s done with you!)

Lena’s throat tightened and tears stung her eyes.

“You know, when I was fighting Red Daugher, Lex’s clone of me…”

Lena looked at her sharply.

“I… I couldn’t beat her. I was losing. She… she killed me. My heart stopped. I was gone.”

Lena choked out a soft sob, unable to restrain it.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I knew I couldn’t go. I had so much to stay for. I don’t know how I did it but I dragged myself back from the other side, I just… I thought of Alex and J’onn and all my friends and everything I have to live for, everything here, on Earth, my home. Even that wasn’t enough.”

“What was?”

“You,” said Kara. “I couldn’t go without making amends with you, or at least trying. You’re my lodestar. I’ll always come back to you eventually.”

(She’s just trying to keep you in line. It’s a lie. It’s always a lie, she’s all lies!)

“I’m glad. I need someone around to safe me from assassination attempt number 547,” said Lena. The joke turned to sand in her throat, her voice on the edge of breaking.

“I’ve spent weeks trying to think of a magic combination of words that will make it better, but there isn’t one, is there? I can only tell you how sorry I am that I did what I did and promise I never will again. I’m so sorry I hurt you. It’s the worse thing I’ve ever done.”

“Kara…”

(Just let her trust you. You’re almost here. Myriad is here. The answer is here. Fuck her sentimental bullshit. She-)

Kara slowly reached out and caressed the back of her fingers against Lena’s tear-stained cheek.

“It’s crazy how dying made me realize so many things.”

“Like what?”

“All the things I never knew I wanted to do, until I knew I’d never do them.”

Lena swallowed, hard, fighting the urge to lean into her hand and press the warm skin to her own.

“Like what?”

Kara leaned in, filling Lena’a space, and Lena was acutely aware that she was the only warmth in this frozen place. Kara’s other arm swept around her, Kara’s fingers spread wide across Lena’s back.

“Is this okay?”

(No! NO NO NO!)

“Yes.”

(You can’t do this! You killed me, Lena! You killed your only brother for her and she’s a liar and a-)

Kara kissed Lena the way she did everything: Fully and completely. As Kara drew them together, Lena tipped back just a touch, as Kara seemed to tower over her, surrounding her in a warm embrace. Their lips met softly, chastely. Lena felt like she was in middle school again. It was as if she’d been rewound back to before her first clumsy, lip-pinching kiss in a boarding school bathroom.

She wasn’t sure whether it was Kara who deeepened the kiss, or her. In the end, it didn’t matter. Kara escalated by degrees, pausing as if to murmur an apology at any moment. Lena grasped her like was the only solace in a raging storm, feeling those steel cable muscles flexing beneath her suit.

Then she squeaked in Lena’s mouth when Lena grabbed a handful of ass, and Lena giggled.

“Do you want this too?” said Kara.

(You killed me!)

Yes, Lex, and I would again.

“Yes,” Lena admitted, and it was as if some great heavy weight had fallen from her shoulders.

She threw herself into Kara, shivering.

“It’s cold in here.”

Kara pulled Lena tight, wrapping them both in her cape.

“Let’s get what we came for and go home.”

[sneezypeasy]

*sigh*

Y'know, this really doesn't/shouldn't matter, but as this particular accusation keeps getting thrown at me over and over again - oh fuck it, I'm gonna take the bait this one time and set the record straight once and for all. Honestly my "appetite" in this context is truly not anyone's business (and if you don't care to hear about it this is the one warning you'll get to click away lmao) but I've reached the point where if you really wanna attack my credibility based on who you think I enjoy fantasizing about, I'm gonna throw you a bone and tell you exactly what type that is - cuz as much as I'm sick of the ad hominem attacks the Aussie in me is even more sick of watching them miss so fucking hard. If you're gonna roast me, the least you can do is hit me where it hurts, goddamn it. Get it right or go home you uncooked noodles. Capiche?

When it comes to my taste in men, my "type" is: big, strong, hairy brutes. There, I said it. Give me lumberjacks, give me cavemen, I want my Jason Momoas, I want my Ma Dong-Seoks, I want them broad shoulders and tree-trunk calves and I wanna see those muscles bulge. If a fictional character ever gets me biting my lip at the screen, it's never gonna be a fine-featured pretty boy, it's gonna be a good thick daddy who can take my wrists, pin me against a wall and [--------------------------------‐---sustained bleep sound effect---------------------------------]

1:38-1:51 🤣

Personality wise, I'm a basic bitch who has approximately zero defenses for the "jerk with a heart of gold" stereotype. Gets me every time, without fail. The smooth-talking playboy who flirts with everyone and who could bed anyone he wanted, but who only lets you see him at his deepest, dearest, most vulnerable moments? Sorry, am I supposed to not fall for that shit or something? Well frankly I don't understand how and I'm not ashamed to admit it. If he happens to be built like a fortress on top of that? Yeah, I'm done. Have me bathed and brought to your tent, sir, please and thank you.

I admit, it's rare that a character with the physique I like also has that heartbreaker personality I'm a sucker for. Guys in fiction are usually strong and mean or they make up for their lighter frames with silver tongues and barbed promises - rarely do writers create a character who's stacked with both brains and brawn, so to speak. Makes sense though, as while irl people can max out any combination of stats that they put effort towards - in fiction a character who's too good at too many different attributes can come across unbalanced or Gary Stu-ish and will fail to resonate with audiences unless the writer really knows what they're doing.

That being said, there really isn't any character in ATLA who fits my type - either of them, actually. There are some bit characters like Chit Sang who get close in terms of physical build - but Chit Sang has very gaunt, angular facial features that I'm really not a fan of and tbh, while I get that I can't expect all my big buff boys to also be masters of wit and cunning and charm, being dumber than a box of rocks does seal it for me, sorry. In terms of personality, I guess the closest character would be Jet, and he's cool and all but yeah, the whole "would go as far as killing kids" thing makes him a bit of a hard sell for me too. (And yes, it's worth questioning the writers' choices to create him with those flaws to begin with but look, that's a discussion for another day 😂)

All this to say, if you wanna tease me about coveting fictional characters and allowing thirst to cloud my judgment - COME AT ME BOYS. But not with Zuko, for fuck's sake. The character that makes sneezy.exe blue-screen ain't him. It's actually the late great Carthaginian General Hannibal Barca, the man the myth the legend may he Rest in Peace if anyone's seriously wondering. Look, I do like the scar, and the awkwardness is endearing - he's definitely not ugly or unappealing by any means so please don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to bash him or nothin' - but if I'm being brutally honest, he's not my type! Not physically, not even emotionally. If I ship Zutara, it's because aspects of the ship appeal to me that are unrelated to my personal opinion of Zuko as an object of fantasy, which if you must know (and now you do, congratulations, you're welcome), the kind of boy I do fantasise about when I'm in the mood for that sort of thing could literally and figuratively sweep Zuko off his feet - and then sit on him. In either order.

P.S. While we're on this topic, the character I personally relate to most heavily is not Katara either btw. It's Toph. If you're going to accuse me of bias, questioning my views on Toph would make the most sense for that reason. But really, it's hardly my fault that she's basically the most perfect flawless irreproachable badass in ATLA or practically all of animation as a whole. Come on now. *whistles innocently*

[anactualdump]

contidel wall,,, wall information please < thinking about those silly little turrets and manual currents again

the wall extends the wall extends the wall extends the wall extends the wall extends the wall extends the wall extends the wall extends

most of novocontidoa is bordered directly where sea meets land, but certain areas it's way before the beaches, through the forests/deserts or right into the deep ocean

here's an approximate view

it's basically a fortress, the citadel is configurable to any location since their strategy is making everything look the same

the walls itself are made of various strong materials and depend a lot on location. many rely on relocated ground where it'll look like the first episode of uneths. it's a relatively new (if you can call it that) addition built right when pangea ultima -all continents connect into one- started to separate into 3 continents

the walls were built a little further into the sea where the ground stops rising to land, and the sea behind the wall is replaced with sand.

at the time, the tides were lower, so as time passes, the sea just became higher and higher, and they had no choice but to build higher

it looked like contids built it through the sea and put very low ground below, but the ground was supposed to be fully submerged. as time passes, the tides just keeps getting higher and higher

so in case of the wall breaking, which has happened in some areas due to porliveans, anything near the walls are battlefields or empty deserts waiting to be flooded. buildings nearest to the wall (even though are still quite far) are empty ghost cities

though this kind of scenario also allows easier construction for manual currents (which are a bunch of waterjet pipes spouting a strong artificial current in certain directions to cause specific types of water currents to happen)

at the time, porliveans haven't exclusively attacked with just the airforce. so, contids kept it up until their enemy fully switched to air, so manual currents have since been out of use. or the currents have kinda been permanently formed depending on the area

in replace, guardians are built (aka the cute box turrets you see time to time). but they already existed before the walls

initially they were built on top of buildings, used to be exclusively for respawns. they can't kill them with a few shots but is used for incapacitation. injure them enough, especially towards those flying, then those on the ground will deliver the final blows

although they can't kill spawns outright, they're the strongest weapons contids have, and is enough to rival the power of porlivean nukes

theyre moved to guard the walls, as it's the first line of defense and it's also because they're expensive to make for each building so they're just moved from building to wall

guardians are simple turrets with simple goals, not really built with ai in mind but are able to understand basic things. regardless, they're treated with great respect in a similar way dogs in warfare are treated. they're upgraded with temperature sensors to detect any unusually hot degrees in the sky

if one is out of duty (cannot in anyway be repaired), they're debeaked (turret barrel removed) and adopted away like a pet. which they do act like pets, they're silly if you get to know them

any one of them destroyed, ui's gonna know and get mad. the generators from ui's apartment (and spoilers, the bunker he built under his current apartment), is directly connected to them and is how they get their immensely powerful shots without needing any reloads (though they need cooldowns)

ui's citadel isn't the only place the guardians get their power, his is just the part of the wall where he's nearby, so the generators are more scattered than anything.

ui himself holds many generators, but only because he's the recipient (like a warehouse) and repairs them regularly. he'll move the generators somewhere inconspicuous after awhile, so no generators stay at his place too long

though, guardians don't really need generators to keep living. if generators are broken, they're harmless. instead, they'll conserve energy by sleeping until someone wakes them back up

because of the absolute gigachad levels of power they're fed constantly by the generators, they can stay alive without wires for at least a decade

though if you rip something off them unexpectedly, say the wires, even though they can stay alive without the generators, their little tiny baby programming is too confused and can't comprehend what to do and causes a short circuit from their way of being shocked till they die

if one is dead, the generators nearby the wall will send out an alarm. the alarm itself can't be heard by porliveans (and us 21st centurian heathens), except contids whom have evolved to hear every range of sound at any age. and respawns because of course they can. now you know why episode 1 ui is pissed off :)

walls that are built way further into the sea are sort of treated as escape routes to jekischear for exiled contids, though the original intention was to keep away respawns from jekis

why they didn't just build it straight across one land to another/why they built through a large area of land? they lost resources halfway from porliveans targeting them and said fuck it, then made contidel smooth brained

certain areas has different types of walls too, depending on the type of natural disasters they went through at the time the walls were built, small parts of the wall can look like this to prevent dangerous waves. specialised walls like these have no manual currents involved

so yeah

big ass walls

[lokiina]

What does your heart look like?

was tagged by: @pinkyjulien, @chevvy-yates, and @imaginarycyberpunk2023 <3 So I'll give you all three boys and it's a bit of a doozy lmao

-> RULES: Take this uQuiz for your V/OC

ZAYN MACKENNA: Iced over, out of the sun

Your heart is very lonely, isn’t it? Is your fortress of ice self-made? Are others afraid of you, or are you afraid of them? Are you afraid of hurting them, or of being hurt? Vulnerability and connection can be frightening, but that’s no reason to shy away from their light, to tuck yourself small into corners, to build up frigid walls to keep yourself from feeling. You will heal when you allow yourself to draw closer to the flames and thaw.

Zayn had a rough rough start to his life. He was a biotechnica experiment trying to perfect the perfect balance of genetics to create inhuman soldiers. Werewolves, controllable killing machines. It set him up late for basic communication skills as he had very little trust for anyone from the start. It took one particular woman on the team to recognize the level of intelligence he had at a younger age (that he wasn't just a little mindless terror) to grow a conscience and help break him out. She became a mother figure in his life and helped to raise him with a band of nomads, supporting him through everything she could.

Though he was accepted into the clan, members were still afraid of the things he could do. He did accidentally hurt people along the way of learning to control himself. A small number of which didn't seem to ever quite let go. Ultimately in the end there was a level of betrayal, his 'mother' got killed in the process and the clan ultimately broke apart leaving Zayn to branch off and find his own way. Which eventually landed him in Night City. Trust issues, and hiding as much of himself as he can to not be found. He has a big heart but has been hurt so many times.

Connecting with Dino became a complete accident as he hadn't planned to stay in Night City for any extended amount of time. Even then opening up to Dino about certain aspects came with a distinct fear that would land him back into trouble once again. Unexpectedly, Dino has become the fire to his ice.

WILLIAM ERIKSSON: A guiding, golden light

Just because you cannot see your own heart doesn’t mean that others can’t. Your heart is blinding, captivating, a fire so bright that others can’t bring themselves to look away. It illuminates the path they follow and cements you as a guiding star for their own wayward hearts. Every experience you’ve lived through has built your lighthouse heart up just a little higher. You are inspirational, a light that doesn’t go out.

Will always tries to be kind, he's grown up on the groud level of night city, he's been through it. Lost his family at a young age to circumstances out of his control and adapted the best that he could. He was able to build a life for himself and did pretty well until he nearly lost his own life in the process. Things were shaky for a bit but he got himself back on his feet with the help of V, whom he developed a very close friendship to more with as a result.

His silliness, though annoying and a bit much to some, has definitely helped to keep darker times lighter. He always wants to help where he can and will do just about anything to help pull a loved one or close friend out of trouble. Though he's been known to also get himself into unexpected trouble and occasionally accidentally ends up the one that needs the help.

MICHAEL BLEEKER: A tangled ball of red strings

Who are you without the company of others? You aren’t sure, but you know that you aren’t fond of whoever it is. You are an actor, a pretty face and a pleasant song. Many idolize you, or love you, but you can never be sure of how sincere it is. Your heart is buried under the letters they leave you, sealed with a kiss. It can’t be untangled from the red strings they’ve attached to you. You deserve to find something, someone, true and faithful to hold your heart in place. You don’t have to be everything to everyone.

Michael aka Midas, is a complicated product of a corporate heavy, distant and unpleasant family dynamic. He craves attention he never received and through being tossed into the corporate world became determined to rise to the top in certain skills. Ultimately receiving a toxic level of attention built on competition rather than healthy growth. It formed him into something ruthless, cold and calculating. Determined to win by any means necessary.

What is he without his carefully built and constructed reputation? He has no idea. He's also modded his body to fairly extreme levels in order to further skills and craft an image for himself that is instantly recognizable. He lost himself along the way. It all became a near permanent mask that he's never taken off for anyone. At this point he wouldn't know where to start. Deep down he does crave a more intimate level of connection but has no experience with an actual caring relationship and has no idea what that looks like. Perhaps a tangled ball of red flags is more accurate a description.

-------

Oh my LORD. This got long I'm so sorry, I tried to make the text small so it's less to scroll through. kjghdkfjgh I dunno what I was expecting when I clicked the quiz but it wasn't that. OOF.

Okay cuz I'm late to this lil party I thiiiink most peeps I know have been tagged already? dkfjgdkjfg if anyone wants to do this for their characters please please feel free.

[msommers]

2, 3, 9, 19, and 41 for jorina and meredith!

thank you!!! xoxoxoxo // character development questions: hard mode

2) What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

JORINA — i don’t think jorina realized how much she loved and needed her mother until she was gone. they were close and never withheld affection, but it was important for wenna that jorina was to be smart and able stand on her own and that was a grand success even at such a young age. she was dutiful and capable, frequently shooing her mother away so that she could complete [insert chore here] alone because she was so Strong and Independent she didn’t Need to be babied. then the horrible events of the fifth blight happened and jorina was left with her little siblings and despondent father and all she wanted to do was cry her eyes out with how much she missed her mother but she couldn’t. she had to shove down all that sadness and grief and become the provider of the house, pulling on all of that inner-strength, resilience and responsibility that she inherited from wenna to keep their family safe and fed. jorina never properly grieved or processed her mother’s death, and still finds herself lost in the memories she has of her from time to time when she can’t keep them away to avoid the sadness.

MEREDITH — she adored her mother, loved her to no end and found herself awed frequently at the confidence she was able to bring to any scenario. they got along quite well as meredith accepted her duties as the lady of highever with eagerness, more than happy to attend any lessons or listen to any advice shared by her mother. the most tension that ever came from the two of them would have been in the marriage department, where eleanor understood meredith's adamant stance that she would be the one to choose who she wed, but worried perhaps her standards may be too high (which is in great part a problem created by her and bryce raising her to be so fierce) and she would go without forming a bond for too long. eleanor was the one to teach meredith the very basics of holding a shield before she'd decided a more deft form of combat was what she favored. ten years after the blight, meredith still finds herself occasionally drifting from afternoon teas with nobility into memories of sharing them with her mother in highever.

3) What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

JORINA — god, very complicated after the blight. there is so much love there but there is also resentment and pity and hope. he shut down so thoroughly during those years after the blight and it forced jorina into growing up way sooner than she should have needed to, and there was only so long she could go feeling sorrow and sympathy for him before she hit that breaking point and the anger rushed in. he lost the love of his life and the security of safety in his own home, and she lost her childhood and the security of knowing her parents were always there to help. she provided for him for years (food, clothing, bathing, housing) but the gentleness also given faded with time; that instead came from her siblings because jorina had simply run out of it after so long. after so many nights where she broke down and begged for him to come back to them and please help her because she couldn’t do it all on her own. he didn’t and she could and that’s that. she told him goodbye when she left to join the inquisition but didn’t bother with a speech on asking him to take care of her siblings, instead giving one to them on all the things she wrote down for them on how to care for themselves and the house and how she believed they’d be alright until she returned home. there is just so much unresolved between them because renehn struggles with long talks and jorina built up her fucking fortress walls and gave up on him making a recovery. makes for a cheery setting when she and aleksi eventually visit lmao (though by then, she’s surely had a chance to work on these feelings a bit)

MEREDITH — taking nothing away from the relationship she had with her mother, it was so clear that meredith was closest to her father and loved him so very much. she was his shadow for years at any noble activity held within castle cousland or social event held beyond, enthusiastic in her desire to learn all she could from him—diplomacy and politics, history and geography of the kingdom, the state of the teyrnir and its people, you name it, anything that she would require to succeed as his heir. they never had any true arguments, with bryce taking care to let her down easily when it came to meredith’s more idealistic thoughts on the current political landscape and what she’d like to do in the future (it never dashed her hopes, and she’ll always remember the fondness in his gaze during those moments). not that he wasn’t also close with his son, but bryce was grateful that one of his children showed a clear passion and care for the title that he could not hold forever. meredith struggled for years and years after the blight with feelings that her father was moments away from stepping into the room whenever she held court, ready to give her advice on how best to handle the situation at hand.

9) Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

JORINA — hilariously so. she's properly educated, has a steady income that not only provides for her family but allows for her to indulge desires if she so chooses, and was granted a high-up and respectable rank within the inquisition. there's also a considerable change to elf rights and opinions going on around her, certainly in denerim thanks to the queen and king, and perhaps even beyond depending on who is inquisitor and the choices they've made.

MEREDITH — i suppose so?? it expanded at the very least, with the renown gained as the hero of ferelden. the cousland family is second in power to only the king, and as a young lady who was expected to inherit the teyrnir after her father, meredith was lining up to have quite a lot of power on top of the respect and admiration she had already earned from the people of the kingdom. the only things that notably changed were her titles and a few upgrades to her range of influence.

19) What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

JORINA — probably her reluctance to open up with her negative emotions and thoughts. she's spent so long keeping them quiet to not burden her family any further, sometimes even shoving them so far down she forgets about them, that it's incredibly difficult for her to feel comfortable discussing such things. it's warded off numerous folk who have tried to befriend her, and it's one of the reasons her siblings have trouble seeing her as somebody with nuanced emotions, but it hasn't destroyed any relationships. it's certainly something that she works on with aleksi though, even if it's rough at times for both of them to navigate this huge trait that's been ingrained into her.

MEREDITH — she always thinks she's right :/ i hate to bully her about it, but she's so stubborn about her opinions. unyielding in her beliefs. it takes some grand persuasion to be able to have her consider another point of view after she's taken the time to form her own opinion, and that can be so incredibly hard to deal with if you aren't already in agreement with her or open to having her explain to you. it makes for ridiculous debates and fierce arguments, which has led to her losing a few connections here and there (but nobody she really cares about, clearly she doesn't need them if they aren't on her side). it's a blaring issue in a romantic relationship if it ever comes up, though meredith wouldn't enter such a relationship with somebody without first learning if they're aligned with her on the lost important matters first, and usually a partner of hers just has to witness her turn that uncompromising energy on others 🤷

41) Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

JORINA — undoubtedly feels she must earn it. since she was 14 years old she's had to work for herself and the family, nothing came to them without her first putting in effort and time to acquire it. there's no nice warm dinner without having to spend a day's work earning the coin for it, and then the hours spent preparing the meal. there's no weekend off to spend time with her loved ones unless she's worked twice as hard during the week to earn the goods she'd otherwise receive on those days. etc etc

MEREDITH — a mix of the two, i'd think. she's of a powerful noble family and has been a bit spoiled her entire life because of that, so when it comes to the material she sort of just. Assumes it'll be hers because of position and wealth. if meredith wants a new coat for winter, she's gonna have a new coat for winter, y’know. but she absolutely feels she must work for more abstract and bigger things, such as the changes she wants to make to the kingdom and enacting justice where it is due.

[someonestole15]

From 1 Red yarn to 100

Pale as the snow on a winter morning.

System in the green, the mask covering my face and the hood of the hazmat jacket over my head, I feel like a fortress. While chemicals have limited effects on Valkyrie and me, walking around spreading toxic chemicals is… not exactly a wished outcome. Armor of rubber and plastics with a layer of lead beneath it, I leaned back in my seat and attempted to relax to no avail, many questions floating around in my head.

Who and why in particular. Who is counting cards when we are not even sure of the game being played and why attack a power plant when there are more opportune targets inside the city itself, coming all the way out here feels like they might be trying to fly under the radar.

No answers so far, but that is why we are here. The truck rolled through the security gate as we entered the plants compound surrounded by forests with clearings like arteries running away from it with powerlines high above.

Still early morning, a steady gray sky covered in clouds with a bit of background radiation giving off a few clicks from my Geiger counter. A heavy containment wall built from segments of concrete and topped with a layer of barbed wire surrounded the parking lot with many cameras and motion sensors showing up on my HUD as I allowed my scanners to sweep the area. Hard to think that something or someone could have entered without leaving a trace, especially with the security already here, hell, there is even a turret hidden inside the gatehouse. Lost in thought, I was brought back to the moment by Oscar tapping me on the shoulder.

Quickly getting my head out of the clouds, I fell back in line behind Richter and followed the rest of the squad across the parking lot to a makeshift command post. Pair of shipping container buildings lined up with a loader parked close by, Richter instructed us to wait outside before walking inside the makeshift building. Not that I mind, the building did not look like it would have fit all of us anyway.

“So how did you guys end up on Novis?” Oscar asked, pulling his mask off his face and onto his forehead.

“Long story.”

“Everyone who comes here has nothing but that.” He responded, pulling out a small box of smokes from his chest pocket and lighting one up. He offered the pack to Diana, who refused it and took a step further away.

“Well since we have a moment…”

Run by the basics, Earth to Mars, then into Empire space and to the defeat of Crimson and then to now. Highlight reel or not, I felt a slight warmth in my chest as we reached the end of it.

“Long trip.” Oscar said as he took a drag from his cigarette. “I remember my dad telling me stories of Earth and how they had gone there to gather chemical samples few times in his career.”

“Mars too, I had a friend who lived there a few years back. I had plans to visit her but well… things changed.” Diana said, quietly lowering her head.

“It has been a ride for sure, keep staring over my shoulder and jumping at shadows.” I responded, the memories still reeling through my mind.

“And here I thought androids were programmed to not feel that kind of things,”

“Basic programming, but unfortunately, I am far from standard at this point. This drive has been through a lot and not without damage.”

“As long as you can keep your head under pressure, I think we’ll be just fine.”

Few laughs as Oscar finished his smoke and dropped it to the ground, grinding the remains into the pavement as Richter returned from the command post.

“Alright, break’s over. We got a sizable information package. Your PDA should show the current situation with the operation. We will split up from here; team 1 will investigate the plant and find the origin of the chemical contamination. You will have a security squad with you as guides. The navigations and comms will likely cut out in there with the amount of concrete blocking the signals. Team 2 will investigate the potential breach by the southern fence. Oscar, Diana, Phoenix, you will be Team one; I will take the outside with Valkyrie as Team 2. I managed to talk some of the guards who looked into it earlier to guide us to the area, perhaps we will find something they missed. Understood?”

“Understood.”

With that, we started splitting up into our designated teams, I turned to Valkyrie as Oscar and Diana started working out an approach.

“Alright then, don’t get lost.” I said to her somewhat jokingly. “If I do, I’ll just find you. Then we can both be lost.” She responded, the smugness shining through her mask so brightly I almost forgot she was wearing one.

Friendly bump on the shoulder with a smile under my mask, she returned a faint salute as we checked our gear and prepared to enter the plant. Three tall concrete monoliths rising above the supporting buildings with tall cooling towers between them. All of it built next to a river flowing away from the city center, each block housing a water-cooled reactor unit and the systems for operating them. Our target in this case was the middle reactor, named Alexander after a long gone king.

Long live the king they say, but nobody rules forever, I kept up with Diana and Oscar until we met up with the security team waiting by the maintenance access to the backup generators on the side of the reactor building. Lower end hazmat gear and Geiger counters on chest rigs, the team was made up from six men.

“So you’re the team? All right. We will have to pass by reactor 2; it is like a maze in there so stay close.” One of the guards said, his forearm adorned by a blue reflective strip, seemingly indicating that he was the leader.

“Lead the way.” Oscar said as he clicked his equipment on. “Alrighty, keep an eye on the scanners, shout out if anything catches your eye.”

“Got it.” Diana and I said in unison, giving a faint nod to confirm we were ready to go.

Making entry, I drew my pistol and scanned the dark corners as the security team filed inside behind me, a tap on my shoulder signaling the last of them had entered the room. Relax, I clicked the safety back on and placed the pistol back in its holster. Adrenaline slowly building up, I held my hand close to the holster as we headed further inside the complex.

>>Now Entering: Alexander Maintenance room 03

Scent of diesel coming through on the filters, a pair of large diesel generators took up most of the room with tanks and various pipes disappearing through the walls further into the facility. No time to investigate where they go, nor the need to, the steady pace of the security through the corridor soon got us through the maintenance sector, coming to a halt at a large security door spanning the entire corridor lengthwise.

“Alright, Max, get the door.” The leading guard said, pointing to one of the other guards. The guard he had pointed at, Max, nodded and walked over to the terminal next to the door and inserted his keycard into it.

“Give me a moment; these things need some warming up. Password here and a reason here…” The rapid tapping on the keyboard finally resulted in a hiss from the seals opening up as Max retrieved his card and turned around. “There we go.”

“Getting faster at that, good work. Axel, pick two and take point.”

“Got it sir. Marcus and Walter, get your asses in gear.”

“Really? Fine.” Walter scoffed as he walked in through the doorway with Marcus following him, mumbling something to him.

“Stick with them, we’ll stay here and keep watch.”

“Alright, let’s get going then.”

Past the doorway, the radiation steadily climbed the further we walked, the trio of guards seemed more nervous as we neared the locked down sector. Another keycard and a steel door later, we reached the relatively normal looking section of the plant, Rudimentary containment checkpoint  built from pale tarps and an air filtration system mounted stood in the doorway, the signs on the walls were pointing this to be an office.

Few final checks on the equipment, the containment checkpoint could only fit two of us at once. Oscar volunteered to go first; I joined up with him and once the air had been cycled, the graph on my HUD started rapidly climbing. Oscar had seemingly noticed the same as he looked over at me before pulling the sliding door open.

Met by a wall of darkness, I could hear Oscar breathing heavily next to me as I took a step forward, turning my flashlight on. Like a cloud, the yellow mist flowed around the room, being caught on my flashlight beam like falling leaves.

“Damn. They were not kidding when they said chemical attack.”

“I think we can safely say this was not just a leak.”

“Yeah… Filters are holding, but we’re on a clock in here.” Oscar said as he pulled the door shut behind us. A moment later, Marcus and Diana entered, leaving the last guard outside to get help if things went south. Filtered air tastes different; we deployed several chemical lights by the entrance before getting to work on examining the chemical.

Gathering samples and marking out rooms with more chemical lights, we managed to gather enough to run an analysis on the gas. Sharing some of its traits with Noxion, an old Federation chemical weapon mainly designed for anti-riot usage. Similar to tear gas in a way, it was deemed illegal almost a decade ago if memory serves me right, although some canisters circle hands in the black market.

It has a counter agent, but with it being outlawed, the remaining canisters were mostly disposed, Diana did however seem interested in the chemical mixture.

“I recognize this… We had a similar outbreak a few months ago at a ship; it was limited to a cargo container that tripped our scanners at the customs.”

“How’d you clean that up?” I asked her, taking a knee next to the analyzer case.

“We incinerated the entire container.”

“Not exactly something we can do here.” Oscar chimed in, taking a step closer with his hands crossed.

“It will take some time to figure out a counter with our limited equipment, we’d better report this back to Richter and get some backup.”

A sudden impact to the back of head, numerous errors across my HUD as I fell to the floor, the impact shutting down bits one by one until my vision fell dark, last thing I heard was shouting, muffled and inaudible.

System Error.

[androidcharles]

Alright, it's a little late but here we go. I just wanted to give a big ol' thanks to not only everyone who has been patient with me with the N.E.R.D. Arc, but also give a thanks to you guys for reading it as well! I'm happy that this AU I made up from a twisted fan theory that I thought of while I was bored in bed at night managed to amuse so many people and I hope that Charles and his antics continue to entertain you as I go into the next arc (which and don't quote me on this, might be premiering in about 2 weeks... or 2 and a half don't quote me on that though).

One thing that REALLY grinded at my gears unfortunately is the fact that I didn't really include much lore about the N.E.R.Ds in the story. Wendell essentially existed just to be killed off. Hell, he never even got a character design (Theodore will get one though, along w/ the androids, you just gotta wait...) Done in by his own hubris I suppose but for what reason? Well, instead of waiting for someone to ask, I suppose I can ramble about it under the read more. But for now, thanks for reading and see you guys in hopefully 2 (and a half) weeks for the next arc! This story is far from over. In fact, it's only just begun ;3c

The N.E.R.Ds got their start after Wendell Carrier, the CEO of Carrier Tech escaped government arrest after his products were revealed to sell information to criminal groups and other notorious criminals in order to help them gain access to important information from Carrier client. Carrier Tech's entire tech line include doorbells, security cameras, monitors, and even microphones to name a few.

Wendell ended up rustling up a few of the remaining Carrier Tech employees, including Theodore Lackey, who he appointed as his right hand after being impressed with his coding and hacking skills. Theodore thought that if the former CEO of Carrier Tech was impressed with his skills, surely this would help earn him some respect within the world right? After all, it was a step up from his menial job of being a middle manager and he wanted a bit more freedom.

The N.E.R.Ds all started about three months before the events of the main story itself, and of course, they managed to steal a bunch of high tech equipment under the radar of the government and most police forces. They built their fortress of nerditude, but for Wendell that wasn't enough. That's when Amelia came into the picture.

Amelia knew about the N.E.R.Ds through Arc Electric, who was a low ranking Toppat who worked in the weapons division, but often bothered communications because of their hacking knowledge. They managed to get in contact with Amelia, who was unfortunately one of the few Toppats who was left behind when the rocket launched. It was a good thing it was her though, because if it wasn't for her, things wouldn't have happened the way they did.

Amelia got to work contacting the N.E.R.Ds about helping the Toppat Clan escape from the Wall and freeing her fathers, Reginald Copperbottom and the Right Hand Man escape from the high security prison they were being held in. In doing this, Arc came across an interesting file... one of Charles Calvin.

After doing some digging, they found out that most of Charles' information was fake, he wasn't actually 24 years old, he was actually seven human years old and of course, an android. Not only that, but the rarest kind of android; an android built by Project SAI. Yep, there's that name again. This got Wendell intrigued, because he knew the tech for Project SAI was high tech, but he had no way to access it, since all records of Project SAI were destroyed and no one knows the original location of the Project SAI base.

So what does he do? He concocts a plot to kidnap Charles and erase his memories while stripping him of parts as well as having the rest of the N.E.R.Ds study him so they can figure out how he works or whatever. But after the previous N.E.R.D base is destroyed, they have to go to the back up base, which was basically their storage house.

If you remember the end of chapter one, Amelia manages to cut Wendell a deal; the all important Project SAI files, everything he might need to know (and than some) in exchange to leaving Charles the fuck alone. Wendell accepts this and this is the biggest mistake Amelia makes.

Right away, Wendell finds out that Project SAI managed to find a way to convert human consciousness into AI and intergrate into a compressed super computer, the android. So what does he do? He builds a clunkier version of one and manages to insert himself it. Why is this such a big deal? Most of this information will be revealed in the next arc, so shut up for a second.

But to sum it up, basically Wendell goes crazy and starts converting his foot soldiers into AIs. Most manage to escape, including Arc Electric, who in fear, manages to find the Toppat Manor thanks to tracing Amelia's signature and rejoins the Toppats for good.

And that's it. The N.E.R.Ds barely lasted because a man who was already corrupt became even more corrupt and than died of his own hubris. I mean, he was deleted really, but he died, so... you know.

Theodore is still out there though... who's rooting for him? XD

[astaroth1357]

The Obey Me Cast on a Camping Trip (Part One: Brothers)

Hey guys, thank you sooo much for getting me to 2,000 followers!! I honestly don’t know what to say... I never dreamed that this little hobby of mine would reach so many eyes, and I can’t be more grateful. At a time in my life where things feel so chaotic and uncertain, being a part of this community and sharing my weird ideas has been what’s kept me going. It’s been such a rewarding experience all around, so thank you. From the bottom of my heart. 😊

I pulled out all the stops for this post. I even brought out one of my favorite songs of all time: Ao to Natsu by Mrs. GREEN APPLE to get the feel juuust right. I hope you all enjoy it!

This post is split in two due to length (I had too much fun again...) For the Undateables, please click HERE!

Intro:

Another day, another team building activity between the demons and the exchange students. It was Diavolo’s idea to go on a camping trip to the human world (because of course it was), and there were very… mixed responses. That sentiment wasn’t helped when he refused Lucifer’s insistent pleas to just purchase cabins for everyone to stay in. Oh no, the Demon Lord wanted to rough it out in the wilderness, and now everyone else was getting dragged along with him…

Wonder how that turned out?

Lucifer

Really, really, really tried to push Diavolo to just rent out cabins in but noooo, he wasn’t having it... So he ended up driving a van crammed with his brothers, the MC, and a butt-ton of camping equipment into the Alaskan wilderness… 

The car ride itself was insufferable… We’re talking, “I SWEAR I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND!!” level of antics every 10 miles or so (mostly from Mammon)…

Setting up camp was even more of a nightmare because about half of his brothers were utterly useless. The other half (save Satan) were completely clueless… Had it not been for Barbatos and Satan he probably would have just resigned himself to the mercy of the river’s currents and let it take him away…

He couldn’t even wear his usual clothes because of the situation… For the first time in who knows how many centuries, he was stuck wearing jeans… Diavolo even bought him several plaid shirts... (which he was not happy with btw because his brother wouldn’t stop making fun of the “new” him)

He had his own tent of decent-size, enough to move around in but nothing to write home about. The very fact he didn’t have to share was a luxury in itself, so he took it for what it was worth...

He spent a good portion of the trip focused on two things: keeping Diavolo happy and everybody else alive. He rarely left camp unless forced to; he just wanted to get it all over with as soon as possible…

If he did leave, it was because Diavolo would drag him along to fish or hike. He was... less than pleased to be called out of his tent at the crack of dawn or well past dusk to sit on a little rented fishing boat with Diavolo… but he didn’t exactly pick his friends so...

He rates the trip Too Much Trouble/10. Let’s never do it again.

Mammon

Wasn’t a massive fan of being stuck out in the wild, but Satan told him some made-up bullshit about buried treasure out in the forest and got him HOOKED. He even borrowed stole a whole bunch of mining/digging equipment just for the occasion!

He spent most of the car ride asking, “Are we there yet??” like a child. The MC had to step in to keep Lucifer from leaving him on the side of the road at multiple points during the journey... 

He was one of the utterly useless ones when it came to setting up camp. Someone charged him with putting up the twin’s tent, and he spent thirty minutes reading (then re-reading) the instructions while shouting expletives. Poor Simeon had to shield Luke from the vulgarity…

He has to share a tent with Levi, which neither of them liked. Mammon mainly because of Levi’s “old fish stink” and Levi because he feared catching “Mammon’s stupid.”

He was all jazzed up to go digging from Day One, though. He’d have breakfast, grab his shovel, then wander out into the middle of nowhere to go dig holes in the ground…

He also got completely lost on Day One, and it took the MC summoning him with their pact to return him to the group... By that time, he was filthy and somehow looked like he had been castaway for days (even though he was gone for like, three hours?)

When he stubbornly refused to stop digging, Lucifer resorted to just tying a rope around his ankle and letting him loose. It was up to Mammon to get back to camp before dinner, or else Lucifer would yank him back like he was on a leash.

Satan waited until the last day to finally tell Mammon the treasure was bullshit, and he was PISSED. He even threw Satan into the river, which resulted in the rest of the brothers joining in for a swim while the two tried to “playfully” drown each other.

He’d rate this trip 0/10 because he didn’t get any buried treasure. What a ripoff…

Leviathan

Hated the idea with a burning, seething passion. There’s no internet, cable, electricity, or phone signal out in the middle of nowhere! How the heck is an otaku supposed to survive?!

He clung to his electronics during the car ride until either they ran out of signal or their battery died, then he didn’t know what to do with himself… He resorted to reading several volumes of the manga he stuffed into his bag and clung to the MC for emotional support…

Yet another useless soul trying to put the camp together. He was in charge of his and Mammon’s tent but ended up almost crying in frustration… How the hell do humans do this all on their own?? Wasn’t he supposed to be the third strongest?! Why is he so pathetic?!? 😫

Hates sharing a tent with Mammon because he always wakes up to the second born encroaching on his space somehow… Poor baby is pretty much directly against the tent wall and STILL has to deal with legs and elbows in his side... 😰

Spends the majority of the trip moping in the tent... If he goes out there, he has to deal with the sun, bugs, and people… No thanks. He only leaves for meals and occasionally to go swimming. 

When he found out part of the way through that Barbs brought portable solar panels and a battery pack for Diavolo and Lucifer’s phones, he was livid. He demanded access to the power source, which Lucifer refused because “It would defeat the purpose of this trip.”

He’d have summoned Lotan right then and there, deadass in the middle of the forest, if the MC hadn’t intervened. He then went back to moping, but now at the bottom of the lake and it took a lot of coaxing to get him back out…

On the final day, he was packing up the camp before anyone else even woke up. He wanted OUT and back to civilization ASAP. Bedroom here he comes!

Satan

You wouldn’t think of Satan as an outdoorsy guy. Still, he has shades of a survivalist in him (mostly because he’s read a lot of guides and was looking for an excuse to use them for a loooong time).

He read for the majority of the ride. He was squished between Asmo and Levi, which was reasonably peaceful. But he did end up shouting at Mammon quite a bit towards the end because “NO, we’re not there yet, peabrain!!”

He actually wasn’t a waste of space when setting up the camp, and between him, Barbs, and Lucifer, they were able to get a lot of stuff set up before sundown. He did have to bark a few orders to the others here and there, but overall competency won out in the end.

He shared a tent with Asmo, and the two made it work well enough… Except when Asmo did things like spraying his perfumes and dry shampoos, making it practically impossible to breathe in for a few minutes…

Spent a lot of the first few days reinforcing the camp to a ridiculous degree.

Did he have to collect large branches to build an exterior fence around the campsite? No. But he did.

Did he have to set up a water distillation system using some of the materials Barbs had lying around the “kitchen?” No. But he did.

Did he have to weave a series of fishing nets to catch them lunch from the lake and river? I think you get the point by now.

Only once he built pretty much every contraption or improvement he could think of, did he go back to just reading and relaxing by the fire.

By the time the group was ready to leave, Satan had somehow managed to craft them a veritable, self-sustaining fortress in the middle of the Alaskan wilds…

Overall he would rate the trip as… meh. Next time give him a challenge like a deserted island or an actual desert, and then he’ll really see what he can do.

Asmodeus

Was about as unhappy with the idea as Levi was… It wasn’t that he disliked the outdoors per se, it was just that no one, NO ONE, pulls off looking flawless after several days stuck in a tent!

He chatted the entire car ride from start to finish. He never stopped talking. It made for decent background noise at least…

Was one of the more clueless ones when trying to set up camp and pretty just did what he was ordered. The second he was left to try and figure something out on his own, he went to Lucifer or Satan for help because NOPE. Human equipment is needlessly complicated sometimes…

He had to share a tent with Satan, which in theory shouldn’t have been that bad, but Satan was out basically all day in the sun doing who knows what and would always come back sweaty and gross! At some points, he had to chase his brother out of the tent until he dunked himself in the river or something. No way was Asmo sleeping next to that. 😤

Asmo took the second-longest to get up and get ready in the morning. Sometimes he wouldn’t even leave the tent until well past breakfast just in an attempt to salvage his hair and skin… He only got grouchier about it as the trip went on… 😥

A more… earthy looking Asmo is kind of a bizarre sight. He’s still attractive, no doubt, but it’s less like polished glamour and more like Hollywood humble. He spent the majority of the trip looking like a somewhat dirtied movie-star (which he still insisted was the worst he’s ever looked in ages).

Aside from salvaging his looks, he actually enjoyed taking pictures of their surroundings or of the group (but not himself). He sometimes forgot how genuinely breathtaking the human world could be…

….but his patience for the place wore out quickly once he started noticing his hair getting greasy. He was right next to Levi, packing up the site once it was finally time to leave. At least those two finally found something they could agree on, let’s get the fuck out already! 

Beelzebub

He was really curious about trying camping food and pretty excited that Barbatos was coming, too (because that meant great food in general).

Unfortunately, Lucifer had to stop the van at basically every gas station they passed for Beel could refill on snacks… Belphie ended up getting buried in wrappers pretty often, but he was asleep, so it didn’t matter much.

Beel did a lot of the heavy lifting when setting the camp up, but the finer details were left up to everybody else. He had his hands full getting stuff off the cars as is…

Of course, he shared a tent with Belphie, and there wasn’t much complaint between them. Honestly, there would have been more drama if they were split, so this was the better option.

After the MC told Beel about fishing and how it could net him more food, if he did it right, he knew exactly what he wanted to do during the trip.

… But no one told him how long and slow the process would be. There were points he’d get so hungry he’d consider eating the bait himself…

That was until about Day Three of the trip when they passed by a river full of grizzly bears… He was about to ask the MC why the bears were all standing in the water, but then he saw a fish practically leap directly into one’s mouth…

Beel had discovered his true calling.

Of course, the grizzlies didn’t take too kindly to a demon suddenly sprinting into the water with them. They tried to fight him off, but Beel just tossed most of them downstream without any issue until they realized who the apex predator really was…

After forming a shaky truce with the bears, Beel would stand in the water for hours then come back with whole baskets full of salmon… There were far more fish than Barbatos knew what to do with, so he’d just confiscate a few then let Beel eat the rest...

The MC shuddered to think about what Beel had done to the local salmon population… But he was full and happy for most of the trip, so he had a great time!

Belphegor

Sleep for him isn’t too contingent on location, so the idea of camping wasn’t terrible. It did sound like a lot of hassle for no good reason, though…

He spent the entire car ride asleep, head and cow pillow pressed up against the window and everything. It wasn’t the most comfortable experience, but he’d dealt with worse.

He was utterly useless when putting up the camp by choice, thank you. He had more than enough sense to get things put together; he just didn’t want to. If he wasn’t asked to do something by Beel or the MC, he’d just lay back in the grass and smugly watch everybody else struggle…

Again, he and Beel are in the same tent, and you wouldn’t hear any complaints out of him. He did start to have some second thoughts when Beel began getting a fishy smell, though, so he tried to bunk with the MC in their tent for a while.

Like Levi, Belphie didn’t leave the tent much during the daylight hours, but that was because he was still asleep… There was no good way to wake him with no alarms available, so he’d sleep in past lunch easily.

When he was awake, he didn’t leave camp very much except to walk with the MC or watch Beel fishing grizzly-style.

Eventually, Asmo and Diavolo got sick of him dodging their photos, so they’d started posing him Weekend at Bernie’s style around the camp (always conveniently propped up by something and with sunglasses on)

Something Belphie did like, however, was the nighttime. Since there were no lights around, he could practically see everything the sky had to offer. He could spend hours laying on his back long after everyone else had gone to bed just admiring the stars.

All in all, not a terrible trip. Anything that could give him that view like that was well worth it. 6/10, would sleep again.

Click HERE for Part Two. Check out my Masterlist for more!

[razieltwelve]

Origins of the Dia (Final Rose)

The Dia Clan are perhaps the most mysterious of the Clans since nobody really knows where they came from. That’s not a joke. They literally just showed up one day.

According to the Yun, the Dia were first spotted on a spring afternoon building a village in the forest of Oerba. The Dia welcomed the Yun rangers and asked if they were from around there. Dumbfounded, the Yun explained that they’d been living in the area for years.

The Dia then asked if they were trespassing since they’d rather not have to fight anybody. The rangers explained that, technically, the Dia weren’t trespassing. The Yun had yet to lay claim to the entire region although they warned the Dia that Oerba and its immediate surroundings were theirs, as were the Yun Mountains.

The Dia agreed and asked if perhaps a map could be given to them that showed where they were allowed to settle. The rangers replied that they would have to consult with their leaders.

The ranger went back to Oerba and explained the situation. The chieftain at the time was bemused by the whole thing. From what the scouts said, the Dia appeared to be mostly traders, merchants, and craftsmen. Moreover, they seemed friendly enough, and he could see the benefit in having them around. Simply put, the Yun were not numerous enough to hold all of Oerba. Having other people around would give them allies against the Grimm and potentially other clans.

The rangers returned with a suitable map only to find that the ‘village’ the Dia had been building now resembled a fortress. In a remarkably short period of time, the Dia had succeeded in fortifying the location and were busy setting up kilns, looms, and other devices for manufacturing goods for sale.

The rangers immediately told the chieftain about this. This, of course, worried him. It spoke to a great level of technological advancement, beyond that of the Yun. Even so, the chieftain went to speak with the leader of the Dia. To his surprise, the Dia leader was elected rather than hereditary.

After several discussions, the Dia agreed to terms regarding the split of territory and so forth. This agreement would hold for decades as both the Yun and the Dia continued to expand their territory and grow their populations. The two were friendly enough, but not especially close. They were like neighbours greeting each other over a fence and having the occasional conversation.

However, a massive Grimm incursion would see the Dia forced to flee into Yun lands. That same Grimm horde would assail the walls of Oerba and eventually sack the city for the second time (the first timed occurred when Father of the Yun died). With their backs to the wall, the Dia would fight alongside the Yun, taking horrendous casualties as well.

From that day forward, though, the Dia were no longer viewed as neighbours to be treated with courtesy but as brothers and sisters in arms. The old treaty was torn up, and a new, more favourable one written. The two Clans would instead share their territory and settlements. Since that day, the Yun and the Dia have been inseparable. Where one clan goes, the other inevitably follows. The first settlement built by the Dia is still there. It’s name, as translated, from Ancient Dia means ‘Stop Arguing’ because they chose it after lots of arguing about where they should build their first settlement.

Attempts to track the journey of the Dia have never had much success. Historical evidence can be used to track the journey of the Yun from across the continent to Oerba although there remain disputes about the historical accuracy of some of the feats involved. However, this difficult with the Dia can be explained by the records kept by the Dia themselves.

According to the Dia, there was no Dia Clan. Instead, their ‘Clan’ was made up of random people who bumped into each other while looking for somewhere less awful to live. The majority of these people were merchants, craftsmen, scholars, artists, and so on who had managed to survive the destruction of other lands. Travelling together, the people spoke dozens of different languages before making their own by haphazardly combining different languages over the course of decades.

Since the Dia weren’t much good at fighting initially, they were forced out of various places, unable to secure and hold territory of their own. This struggle did make them better at fighting, though, and by the time they arrived in Oerba, they could fight well enough. However, their true skill lay in their advanced technology. Since they were constantly on the move, their lives were difficult. To make them easier, they grew adept at rapid construction and in the development of technologies (e.g., better looms and portable kilns) that would make their lives easier.

The ‘Dia Clan’ was the result of multiple semi-independent migrations of unrelated peoples who had all heard about other like-minded people trying to find somewhere better. Unlike the Yun, who were unified by a single great leader, the Dia Clan was instead put together in patchwork fashion. Their name comes from an Ancient Dia word. In Ancient Dia, the word ‘Dia’ means ‘those who wander but are not lost’. In other words, they viewed themselves as wanderers, but they did not view themselves as lost because they always believed that they would find their place in the world.

So, basically, the Dia are a bunch of people who showed up one day because they believed there was something better out there. They didn’t have a leader at first. They elected one once it became obvious there were too many people involved to just keep doing things without a leader. They have continued to retain that same spirit of innovation and adventure ever since with the Dia producing a disproportionate number of geniuses and prodigies in intellectual areas, the most famous of which is Vanille. It’s also why the Dia have a soft spot for misfits and strange people... they are the misfits and strange people. Notably, the Dia have always been the clan most favourable toward the Al Bhed, who continue to wander the world.

[petri808]

@bnhahorrorweek Post apocalypse prompt/ non-quirk characters. Threw this one-shot together for this prompt. 🙃 Bakudeku. Sorry my edits suck lol.

It’s been two years since the world imploded and left survivors struggling to just stay alive. No one knew exactly how it began, but many suspected it was man made. When the United States declared war on China, and the world sided against the falling superpower, the country retaliated... soon stories began popping up about people becoming zombie-like and attacking with no hesitation as if all conscious reasoning was gone. The coincidence was how it started in areas being bombed by the U.S., first Asia, Europe, but as with most viruses, it spread quickly through the infected until there wasn’t a country on Earth left standing.

Izuku Midoriya was in his senior year of high school at the time, but once the virus hit Japan, chaos broke out. In the dense cities like Tokyo, it was like a wave washing through that quickly jumped to surrounding cities including Shizuoka where he lived with his mother. Within a matter of weeks the entire island country was engulfed by these soulless beings. He’d lost everyone he knew, his classmates, friends, and after a month of running, his mom when they’d been ambushed sneaking through the subway tunnels.

Perhaps it was his smaller size that was to his benefit. Growing up Izuku was teased for being a shorter, gangly kid, but when the goal was hiding, it became an asset. He was smart and a quick learner, who figured out the best ways to stay out of sight from the roving hoards. These things weren’t dead like most zombie movies tended to portray. The virus infected and destroyed the upper portions of the brain leaving just the brain stems that controlled basic life functions. It generally resembled a mutated syphilis strain, but 10 times worse with no cure, and no way to stop it once it took control. All the zombies knew to do was eat, and eat, and eat.

By the end of the first year, Izuku realized that constantly being on the move had some detriment, so when he came across an abandoned apartment building built with brick walls, he decided to create a fortress for himself. It took some time working only when the creatures weren’t around, but he reinforced the second floor apartments with steel and blacked out the windows. Once the outside was secured, Izuku broke through walls to connect the apartments together.

Maybe he’ll run into another survivor one day. There must be others, but since he didn’t travel far from his base camp, it was wholly possible he’d simply never come across one. Even now almost two years later, he was only a stones throw away from his original home is Musutafu. It was a lonely existence and there were many days when he wondered if it was worth it to keep living like this. Working on his new ‘home’ was the only thing that helped to keep his mind from slipping into depression, and he was quite proud of his accomplishments. Breaking through the ceiling, he managed to rig a pipe to the roof that collected rain water and funneled it into a plugged bath tub. Similar venting allowed him to build a make shift hearth for fires, handy during the colder months and to cook with.

They were truly back to the stone ages now. All the skills many take for granted, simple things like how to sew or forage for edible plants, he had to learn. No more electricity, meant no more quick entertainment, so he raided a nearby bookstore for things to read. Over time, Izuku settled in for the long haul, just concerning himself with finding supplies, keeping occupied, and most of all, not losing his sanity.

Until one day, while returning to his home, Izuku heard a noise and ducks low behind a broken down vehicle. It had only been a quick trip to a close by hardware store. He watched, readying his weapon in case of an attack. Crap! He’d left the fire going in the apartment for heating, so had the smoke attracted a zombie?

A human walks out from around some parked vehicles. At first he can’t tell if it’s a zombie or not, because the person’s attire hid their features. But the longer he watched their movements, the way they walked cautiously, with a backpack slung over one shoulder, Izuku started to wonder if it could be a survivor! It was a dangerous move to break cover, but after surveying the area and not seeing anyone else, he decided to get the persons attention. If it was a zombie there was still enough space between them to get away.

Izuku popped his head over the car and whistled once for 10 seconds. The person stopped and turned in his direction, but just stood in place staring. So he whistled a second time, while standing completely upright and clearly visible. He waved, signaling he was a normie, so the man lowers the hoodie of his jacket.

“K-Kacchan?!” He breathes out. No way! Of all the people to run into, but his long lost childhood friend?! The mans hair was a dirtier blonde now, shaggier and disheveled, but those red eyes were unmistakable. Izuku steps forward, slowly moving towards the man. “Kacchan, is that really you?”

“Deku? Pfft, figures you’re the first live human I find.”

Another sound, distant, but real catches Izuku’s alert attention. He grabs the man by the arm. “It’s not safe here,” his voice is low as to not attract attention. “Follow me, I’ve got a safe place.”

Possibly tired of travel, Katsuki Bakugou follows the smaller male into the secured apartment building. He watches in fascination as Izuku takes them through a stairwell with multiple metal gates that looked added on, until they reach the main entrance.

“Welcome to my home,” Izuku smiles and ushers Katsuki inside.

“Tch, not bad nerd,” The blonde surveys his surroundings. “You set this all up yourself?”

“Yup. Took awhile but I reinforced the top half of the building.” He shows Katsuki each room. “An area for cooking, this is where I gather and store rain water. So if you wanna take a towel bath you can. Here’s where I sleep, and finally my storage area. I think I have clothes in your size if you need something fresh to wear.”

“Think I’ll take you up on the bath first.”

“S-Sure!” Izuku grabs his friend a towel and hands it to him along with a fresh set of clothing. “I’ll be working on a dinner in the meantime,” he smiles.

“Thanks Deku.”

Izuku was on cloud nine! It’d been years, long before the apocalypse hit that he’d ever spoken with Katsuki in a civil manner. The man seemed to have mellowed out, but of course an event like this one was bound to change people. He was just thrilled to have found a survivor and even happier it was someone he knew. By the time Katsuki came out of the bath area cleaned and dressed, Izuku had whipped up a small meal for the two of them.

“Hope your hungry,” Izuku smiles and presents a plate to his friend. “I got lucky and caught a wild hare in my trap yesterday.”

Katsuki takes the plate and sits down on a rug. “How do you have fresh vegetables?”

“I grow them on the roof.” Izuku sits down across from the man with his own plate. “Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and onions so far, but I’m working on soybeans too. Tell me Kacchan, where have you been all this time?”

“I was in Osaka visiting an uncle when this shit hit, then the bastards killed my parents last year as we tried to get back home.”

“I’m sorry Kacchan,” Izuku’s voice softened, “I lost my mom too a month after it hit.”

“Looks like you’re doing well though.” Katsuki looks around. “Seems a pretty safe hold out.”

“It’s better than the streets. Luckily the zombies are dumb. You know, you’re welcome to stay. There’s plenty of room for two people.”

“I don’t wanna impose...”

“You’re not imposing Kacchan. It’ll be nice to have someone to talk to aside from myself.”

“Alright, I’ll stick around since it beats the elements. Am I the first person you’ve seen?”

“Yeah, alive any way. I’ve run into people we knew but they’re all zombies now.”

“Tch, I mean to live now, then die as one of the last humans on this plant? This blows.”

“I try not to think about that and rather take any positive thing I can cling to.”

“Always the optimist Deku.” Katsuki laughs. “Even with a disaster you never change.”

As the hours grow late, Izuku suggests they pull out an extra mattress he has in the storage room for his friend to sleep on. But Katsuki points to Izuku’s Queen sized bed. “Why? We both fit, and besides it’s warmer this way, right?”

Izuku stammers as his face turns red. “I-I guess, as long as you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind, do you?”

“No.” He did, but it was just his nervousness over sharing a bed with a guy he once had a crush on.

“Good, cause I’m exhausted.” Katsuki slips under the blanket and pats the bed. “It’s late, let’s get some sleep.”

“O-Okay...” Izuku put out the fire and climbed under the covers, but turns on his side away from the man.

“Pfft,” Katsuki spoons up to Izuku, “supposed to keep each other warm remember,” he wraps his arm around and pulls the man close. “Nite, nerd.”

‘Ahhhh! What is going on?!’ “G’night Kacchan.” If this was how he’ll spend the rest of this apocalypse... guess it wasn’t so bad anymore.

[drethanramslay]

14 Bryce x mc please🥰

Thanks for the ask anon :)

You can find the prompt list here 

#14- Are you okay?

Word count: 1.1 K words

Warning: Mention of gaslighting, emotional abuse, suicide and self harm

Author’s note: So um.. I was not having the best of days and when I saw this prompt, the flood broke XD 

This is written in first person i.e my mc, Aliya Acharya’s POV

please forgive me if I make any mistakes.

Are You Okay?

I walked down the hallways in a daze. People usually say that I'm a cheery and funny person to hang out with me and that's the truth.

But, a phone call from my parents wipes the slate and leaves me... Empty.

At 28, I thought I would have gotten over the hell they put me through, and that I could just flip them off and carry on but that does not happen. I just can't bring myself to do that.

So I continue walking, with no direction, hoping that the numbness in my chest leaves me.

Someone must have called out to me, but it felt like my head was under water. I might be here physically but my mind was empty, all emotions down the drain. Just a walking drone.

A hand touched my shoulder and forced me to turn towards him.

"Angel! I have been calling you for the last minute." Bryce spoke.

Gulping, I forced a smile on my face. "Sorry, I was busy thinking about the case."

Bryce's eyes scrutinized my face, and I couldn't get my self to meet his eyes.

"No, something is wrong... Are you okay?"

Are you okay?

What a funny question. I mean whenever someone (probably like 2 people) asks me this, I can't help but throw my head back and laugh which usually brings weird looks from them, which eventually leads them to not talk to me for the next decade.

It's not sarcasm. I genuinely find it hilarious.

Because when someone asks me that question, the shitty and fucky reality of my life slams into me like a train wreck.

My life indeed is a series of unfortunate events occurring one after the other and at this point I have accepted it that I was born to suffer.

I'm not trying to pull the "woe is me card". Nah, not into the sympathy kink. It's a universal fact that me, Aliya Acharya is cursed.

I never really talk about it though because when I once tried, my friends, peers, nobody believed me that my parents are actually so toxic that Britney Spears could be jealous.

Why would they anyway? They have met my parents, who are respected people and are held at a pedestal. My dad is an entrepreneur of a large company with a turn over so huge, you would be shocked. And my mother is literally an angel and has her own NGO where she teaches the poor kids of Mumbai basic education. She is a healer and a councellor.

So. why would anyone believe me when I say that they abuse me emotionally?

I tried talking about these things when I was 18 to my therapist, trying to get some guidance, some help. But, that completely backfired on me because she was close friends with my parents.

Just ignore it... Wow what a solid advice.

So yeah, I have given up after that. I used to write my suffering in a diary but after sometime, that also didn't help.

I was numb to everything.

Wake up. Eat. Study. Sleep. Repeat.

I had no social life because well, I have my parents to blame for that. Since a very young age they raised me to be super competitive and that everyone I met, wants me to fail. They would put heavy restrictions on who I interacted with till the late teens.

And it didn't help that I was bullied throughout highschool.

So hello anxiety, depression and self esteem issues.

Being depressed has become a second nature for me. Even though it's been five years since I moved out, I still slip into bouts of depression. No amount of therapy or medication can fix the damage they did to me.

They gaslighted me like the fourth of July. Everyday there was this fix menu of insults which they flung my way, like daggers.

-> you are a disappointment. -> you are abusive -> I have given birth to a monster (that's my mom's favourite line) -> you deserve to die/ you shouldn't have been born( this was said like four times but it counts!)

And the funny thing is if anyone else were to say this to me, anyone other than my family, they would be on the ground with a broken nose.

I mean, why would your own family say such things to you, right?

So I have never spoken about this. I want to move on so bad, but the scars on my legs and my heart are a painful reminder.

I can't even say I'm a survivor because I still suffer. Even though I'm thousands of miles away from them, they always call to tell me 'how I have distanced myself from them' and how 'they don't deserve to be cut off from their daughter's life'.

That really sends me off. It pisses me so much that they are so proud and blinded by this false sense of superiority that they can't see how words hurt. I want to shout at them and tell them how I have a record of how many times I wanted to take my life because of them.

But I don't.

Because they will end up saying I'm hypersensitive and a habitual liar.

I mean what is even the point?

So yeah... I built up a fortress, brick by brick, making my walls high so that absolutely no one can come in.

No one can hurt me.

No one can have that insane power over me.

And no one can see the ugly scars.

But as I stare at those honey brown eyes, with flecks if gold, I find my resolve crumbling. I find myself stumbling.

After the entire ordeal of bullying and gaslighting, I became a very good judge of character... And for the first time in a very long time, I actually see genuine concern.

That someone actually wants my wellbeing. That someone actually gives a damn about me.

And that's scary.

Every time I edge towards opening up, my conscience drags me back, saying that 'This is all a foil to hurt me.'

But... I don't feel the kind of security anywhere but in Bryce's arms. I never feel the reassurance from anywhere but from Bryce. He had been supportive, caring and the affection he shows me is slowly filling up the void my parents left in me.

"Aliya, you know that I'm there for you right?" He said as he placed his hand on my shoulder, pulling me out if my reverie.

And that did it.

That gave me the push to take the leap.

The leap of faith.

Faith that he will catch me when I'm falling apart and he will catch me when I am falling for him.

I took a sharp inhale, and looked up at him, tears welling up in my eyes. That one word, which I had struggled to say all my life, slipped off my tongue like butter.

"No.... I'm not okay."

This was word vomit at its finest.

I might end up deleting it 

Bryce X MC: @loveellamae @lilyvalentine @sanchita012 @zeniamiii @lucy-268 @raleigheffingcarrera @have-aheart @utterlyinevitable @rookie-ramsey

Permanent Tag list: @trappedinfandoms @oofchoices @agent-breakdance @dailydoseofchoices @tyrilstouch @siaramsey @theeccentricbibliophile @ac27dj @ramseysno1rookie @justanotherrookie @openheart12 @jamespotterthefirst @checkurwindow @chasingrobbie @junggoku @bellcat2010 @choicesstan1 @mvalentine @crazynutella @hatescapsicum 

[bazzpop]

pillow and blanket fort with the main six. that is all.

Oh hell yeah, oof this got long

Asra:

If card readings are slow, he’ll surprise you when you close the shop and come upstairs for the night.

The whole upstairs floor is covered with pillows, bean bags, plush rugs, and literally anything soft the two of you own; the walls are covered with blankets that have been pinned down on one end to form low canopies near the middle.

Soft glowing orbs litter the walls and float around the one room fort, a simple snap of his fingers can lower the brightness or change the color to create a warm and cozy atmosphere.

For some reason or another, it feels like he’s back in Nopal with you— cuddling close you to as the last of daylight pools into the room through the open window.

He doesn’t do much else in the fort. Just spending time with you, cuddling with you, dozing on and off, talking to you in a soft and intimate tone, and leaving kisses anywhere he can reach from his reclined position.

Nadia:

Even though she’s the youngest of her sisters, she’s never had the pleasure of building a pillow fort before.

She always makes it a point to tell the laundry staff before gathering up every pillow, blanket, sheet, and comforter in the palace to make the fort.

It’s fairly spacious inside but it feels snug with the amount of pillows and throws that surround the two of you, the roof of the fort consisting of a huge white sheet so light is able to filter in.

She’ll sit amongst the pillows with a silver tray between you, sipping at tea, talking about anything that comes to her mind, and offer a few sweet biscuits to your lips.

If her sisters show up for a surprise visit within the next hour, they’ll gush and coo as their little sister dozes against her lover.

Julian:

He’ll borrow any spare sheets and quilts from Maz and Portia and carry them all back to the shop in one go. The stack of bundled fabric teeters a few times and he’s so close to droping everything but he manages to keep it together somehow.

The entrance is too low for him so he’ll have to get down on his hands and knees to crawl inside, he tried getting in my bending over normally but he almost took the entire fort down with him.

His favorite thing to do in the fort is just flop onto his side and curl around you. He’ll ask you about your day, tell you about his, share his latest medical breakthroughs, tell old stories from his days of piracy, and reminisce about how the last time he built something like this was when he was young with Portia, Mazelinka, and all the other kids back in Nevivon.

A fond smile makes its way onto his lips when he notices you starting to doze off in the middle of his retelling of how he stole a war elephant, he’ll keep going until he can’t hold back yawns any longer.

Muriel:

You’ll have to buy some extra fabric from the market because all he has around the hut are heavy furs and a few old cloaks.

Inanna always tries to help out, tugging at the fabric and pulling it into place so Muriel can put an anchor on it.

Thick and soft furs litter the ground in the middle of the huge fort, it’s warm and snug inside even if the outside looks thrown together.

He doesn’t fit if he stands straight up inside it, he takes up a good 75% of the room but he isn’t lying when he says it’s rather cozy when you come in to join him. He lowkey never wants to take the fort down, it makes a great bed even though it takes up a lot of space.

His feet probably stick out of one of the entrances, there are two– one is the actual entrance and the other is to watch the fire crackle as it warms the hut.

Portia:

She mostly only owns a few big quilts but she can always go ask the countess for some spare cloth, she’s got a ton of pillows and stuffed animals to make an amazing fort with though!

She’ll bring in a string or two of soft blue twinkling lights, no doubt one of Asra’s magical creations, and hang them up along the corners of the blanketed roof.

The fort will come crashing down on top of you both when the inevitable pillow fight breaks out, you’ll both giggle and laugh on the floor until you’re breathless before putting it back together again.

Probably doesn’t take the fort down for a few more days, it’s just so warm and cozy on the colder nights as winter approaches.

Hot cocoa and sweet snacks are prepared and shared before pillow talk and snuggles ensue.

Lucio:

Every pillow and blanket in the entire palace is missing and the laundry staff is in a full blown panic because of it.

Turns out he took them all into the 3rd floor ballroom (the one with the most windows of course) on a rainy day.

He might attempt to put it together himself to surprise you, but he prefers the help and company so he’ll fetch you before he even gets one of the blankets to form a canopy.

Totally gives a “house tour” through the many “rooms” of the fort. And yes, M&M are allowed and they have been so close to knocking everything over... twice.

When the staff finds the lost fabrics, they’re blown away. It’s basically more of a blanket fortress than a blanket fort. They choose to leave you and the count alone when they find you both, along with the dogs, all cuddled up and sleeping in the middle of the huge nest of pillows and blankets in the middle of the fort.

[atlas-of-a-human-soul]

Fix Me (doctor/soulmate AU) {5}

Summary: With an active shooter in the hospital, Ethan and Y/N remember their lives and all times they’ve spent together.

Warnings: angst, fluff, swearing, triggering content

Word count: 5000+

Fix Me (doctor/soulmate AU) series Masterlist

A/N - heavily inspired by Grey’s anatomy, my own experiences and thoughts, but also by songs: Birdy - Not about angels, Bear’s den - Fortress, Matthew and the atlas - Out of the darkness, Harry Styles - Falling, Kodaline - Wherever you are, Isak Danielson - Love me Wrong, Dove Cameron - Remember me, Tom Odell - Can’t pretend, The XX - Angels, Coldplay - Fix you, Coldplay - The scientist.

I really hope you guys like it! Feedback is always wanted and appreciated, no matter how small or big it is!

If you want to be tagged for future parts, reply down below.

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Ukiyo (japanese noun) - living in the moment

When your world comes to a stop and the value of life is amplified by those dead before their time in gruesome ways, it feels like an earthquake shakes the very foundations your life is built on. But when the walls start falling, past and future no longer exist, only the moment you're in and the first person that comes to mind when those walls are gone is what your life is all about. For Ethan, Y/N was the first person that came to mind and his brother a close second.

There wasn’t anything he could do as the doors around him slid close, the inability to pass through the glass barrier pushing him closer to madness he ever thought possible. He was just a few inches away from the ward they’re both supposed to be on and he’s stuck? It felt like a cruel game of fate.

Not only did he have so much to say and not enough time, but he wanted to do something else as well. He wanted to wrap Y/N in his arms and tell her there isn’t a chance in hell he would ever let her walk away, not after he had a taste of what it means to be with her. He wanted to tell her his love is unconditional and that his soul is hers, even if she didn’t want to give him hers. He would wait, as patiently and as stubbornly as he did by now and that she will never lose him because even if he wished, he can’t scrub his heart clean of her tender soul. And he never wanted to.

Slamming his fists against the Plexiglas, red in the face, Ethan falls to his knees. His hands are shaky, his eyes filled with tears, his body feels warm and the back of his neck is trickling with beads of sweat. He’s terrified, seeing his worst dream manifest into reality and while she may be far from the shooter, he can’t be certain and if something were to happen to her, to his brother too, Ethan would lose his mind.

And he can’t help but remember the time he had the whole world in the palm of his hand, yet he failed to do the right thing.

“You really outdid yourself.” She smiled up at him, her eyes focused on his lips as she tilts her head up to reach his chin with her own, falling short a few inches, leaving a small peck just under his swollen bottom lip.

“If I knew making you food would make you that grateful, I’d have done it sooner.” Ethan chuckles, tightening his arms around her just a little more, hoping she knows he would never want her away from him. She had become his heart, his reason to live. She lit a fire within, something he had lost over time and while she’s completely unaware of it, if her world started to fall apart, Ethan would wage war to make sure she’s untouched by grief.

“Oh, shut up!” Slapping his chest playfully, Y/N had managed to hide a smile as she tucked her head under his chin, hiding her face in his neck shyly as his giggle filled her with joy she never felt before. She didn’t give a damn about her soulmate anymore, not when Ethan felt more like a soulmate to her than anyone else ever could. And maybe that is temporary, but she wanted to experience every little thing and keep it in her memory until her dying breath. Ethan Dolan would inevitably break her heart, but she didn’t care. She’ll take the pain for more nights like this.

“Mind if I ask you something”, she spoke quietly, just above a whisper. Ethan could hardly hear her, yet his heart jumped with the notion of her possibly facing him to his crime against her – his secret about their connection. What if she figured it out?He wasn’t exactly sly when she insisted they stop using condoms because she believes she can’t get pregnant and he managed to come up with a possible STD fear since they were anything but exclusive which is dumb since they basically spend every night together. When would he have time to fuck anyone else? When would she? Would she if she did have time?

Shaking his head to get rid of that painful afterthought, Ethan sighs as he nods as a response to her question, praying her suspicions over his excuses didn’t become more than suspicions. He wanted to be the one to tell her the truth about them being soulmates and he wanted more than anything to tell her he never wants to touch another for as long as he lives, but he needed to know she can love him even without the connection.

“You’ve been alive for a long time now. Much longer than me. I guess I’m just curious about your life.” She managed a small smile as their eyes meet, her index finger trailing up and down his chest as she notices his lips part, surprised by her question.

“Yeah, um…I’ve been around for 119 years now. I remember a happy family – mom and dad were like two lovebirds, just a typical soulmate couple that loved each other deeply. After my dad died from cancer, my mom was getting by. She was badass. After she died, Ethan and I left New York for a long time.” Letting out a heavy breath, Ethan closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. It wasn’t easy to remember his parents. Every day that went by, Ethan missed his family. Maybe that’s why he longed for his soulmate so much, because he wanted to replace the family he had lost?

“If it’s too hard”, Y/N tried to give him an out, propping herself up on her elbow to face him properly, her palm resting on his right cheek as her sweet lips pressed a kiss to his for comfort.

“No. I want you to know.” She laid beside him, instead of his chest. It felt vastly important to see the change in every line of his handsome face as he remembered the past and she didn’t want to miss a single word, expression or look he could bestow upon her. He felt more important to her than anyone and this wasn’t just a story, it was his story. With her leg still thrown across his waist and her hand splayed on his chest, she felt confident about her feelings for Ethan solidifying. There would never be another like him. She was sure of it. Drawing a deep breath, Ethan continued.

“My sister left to look for her soulmate, something she managed to do in just a few years and they’ve been happily living in Australia ever since. Grayson and I decided to start medicine, something neither of us regrets. It allowed us to travel, to learn, to save lives and make the world better, even if it’s just one person at a time. We’ve moved a lot for residencies, met a lot of people and moved back here thirty years ago. I’ve taken art classes for a few years, taught anatomy for a decade and even took a year off and lived on an island.” Reminiscing wasn’t easy, there were far too many things Ethan had allowed to slip his mind – some because they were too heavy to think back to and other just because he never felt the need to dig up his past. And while they spoke of his past the entire time and he recounted every mishap he ever had and every victory just to show off, Ethan had never once mentioned the cause behind the grey hair at the back of his head and no matter how curios she was, Y/N let him off the hook for a while. She couldn’t handle seeing his beautiful smile disappear and she absolutely adored his smile.

Ethan wished he was braver that night. He wished he told her the truth and let it all play out on her terms instead of his. Selfish. That’s how he feels now. He could have loved her openly, had her love him too? But he was too selfish back then and he couldn’t change that now. No matter how bad he wishes he could.

And while Ethan remained helpless, grasping his hair with trembling hands, praying his girl and brother are safe, Y/N was rather close by.

“How do we know where he is?” She whispered, looking around with wide eyes as she tried to assess the situation. Her steady hands grasped Grayson’s shaky ones, forcing eye contact as his lips started to tremble.

“Hey. We’re fine, Gray. We’re completely safe and there is no one with a gun pointed at our heads right now. Breathe.” She tried to calm him down, wishing she could roll her eyes right now because she didn’t understand his fear nor how bad she is at talking people down from a panic attack. Grayson’s hands became a cage for her own, his hold strong and relentless. Her jaw is tight, her resolve clear to Grayson who shakes his head.

“Whatever you’re planning, you can’t. I won’t let you.” Making himself clear, Grayson clears his voice as he examines her body language only to find she had no signs of fear taking over her. In fact, she seems fearless and that’s not always the best thing, especially in these situations.

“Protocol says the boss should make sure everyone is safe and you’re clearly shaken up. Grayson, it will take me half an hour tops. I just need to count everyone and make sure no patients are dying.” The fire in her eyes scared him even more than the possible shooter, realizing she isn’t going to back down and if he let her do this for him and got hurt, Ethan would never forgive him. But Grayson was almost paralyzed and it wasn’t death he feared but missing out on meeting his soulmate. He realized how stupid it is to wait for her to walk into his life without moving a finger. If anything, he should have been looking for her since the moment he knew there was a soulmate for him. He was absolutely terrified of dying without ever knowing what true love feels like.

“I’m not letting you leave here without me. I’m coming with and if I tell you to do something during this, you will listen. IS. THAT. CLEAR?” Grayson’s voice wasn’t shaky anymore and he was in charge once more. Y/N’s lips twitch in amusement, actually enjoying a serious Grayson with a badass attitude.

“Sure. Why not?” She shrugged, gifting him with a smile and even if he didn’t mean to, Grayson smiled too.

“Good. Let’s go.”

Amaranthine (adj.) - undying, immortal, undying, beautiful

And while they tiptoed around the wards – Pediatric, Gynecology, Neonatology, Y/N had recounted a night with Ethan she had bared her soul.

“You never talk about your parents.” Ethan noticed her stiffen, her back against his chest had turned into a brick wall, just as strong as those she built around her heart. He had craved a peek ever since they met and he definitely didn’t expect any of the bricks to fall.

But her body relaxed and she turned in his embrace, her eyes focused on his chest and her hands are curled up under her chin. She never seemed as vulnerable as she does now and Ethan felt honored to have her trust run deep.

“They were bad people. I like to pretend they never existed because they did the same for me. I felt like a flaw in the plan, like I was never meant to be born. That’s how they treated me. I feel like they were relieved when I got sick. Even then, they just paid the bills but ignored my existence. I grew up with an army of nannies and nurses, barely ever seeing them. Sometimes I’d hear them fighting…I don’t think their relationship was healthy but they stayed together anyway because the love they had thanks to the bond was unbreakable.” Biting her lower lip, she looks into his eyes briefly, but long enough to know he won’t judge her. He had all the understanding she sought in his hazel hues, a tenderness she always prayed to find in someone. There was no doubt in her mind she could trust Ethan Dolan.

“They owned a company that profited off people’s misery. They funded armies, and as I’ll later find out, terrorists too. My dad was arrested, took the blame so my mother would be free. He was killed in prison two days before his trial. As for my mom…After the nanny came for me in the hospital and took me home, I found her hanging from the living room ceiling.” Closing her eyes, she felt her body betray her as the memory shook her to the core. It just reminded her of all she wants to forget, but she wanted Ethan to know her and why she’s so fucked up. She never felt what love is, to be loved and cared for. She never knew how to love because all she ever had were these fucked up people who saw nothing but each other and even they didn’t know how to love one another.

“I’m here.” But Ethan didn’t run from her or her truth, no matter how fucked up everything is. Instead, he held her tighter, his hands rubbing her back soothingly until she let herself breathe again.

“Do you think I’m broken?” She whispered, her eyes watering as he frowned, his forehead forming a few worry lines she’d normally tease him about because their age difference is so vast despite them both looking so young, but she reveled in knowing he actually cares enough to worry about her. No one ever cared for her so much before.

“Do you?” He speaks and his voice had never been softer, so heavy yet coated with pure love – something she tried not to pay any mind to.

“I do. I feel like I’ve been shattered my whole life and you’re sort of picking up the pieces. Will you fix me? Please?” He didn’t respond with words, but with his lips, claiming hers so passionately as his fingers wiped her tears clean off. He didn’t see her as a project in need of fixing, but he would heal her if that’s what she needs. He would make her see she is wanted, needed and if anything, she healed him too.

It was great while it lasted, great to be loved, the warmth of his cheek next to her with his soft hand brushing her hair from her face and his cheeky laugh in her ear... it was great to be loved but when their bubble was gone, she shattered and felt isolated and alone, on her own in the world with no one to care for her, no one to laugh with. She hated herself for losing him, all because she didn’t know how to let him love her. She didn’t know how to love him either and it tore her apart.

“Okay, so we have everyone covered but the pediatric ward. I feel like we should split up, get it done faster so we can report to the police.” Y/N talks in hushed voices, trying to remain calm as Grayson nods reluctantly, assuming that the danger for them is gone. Who would go to a ward with kids holding a gun? He just wanted to finish his duty and go back to contact the police, his brother too. He worried about Ethan and while Y/N showed no signs of worrying, he knew she was dreading the possibility of losing Ethan too.

“I’ll go left.” She forced a smile, giving Grayson a small wave as she turned away and let out a long sigh. At first she wanted to tell him that Ethan is fine, to give him a message for him in case something went awry, but she decided against it. Why bother when they would be just fine and leave with their heads attached to their shoulders? Why say something when emotions are running high only to regret the words later on?

Sneaking down the hall, she entered every room with a soft smile upon her lips, checking on the kids quickly and instructing them to stay still. Luckily, most kids had a nurse with them, or even a parent, someone to barricade the room once she left and it left her relieved. Those who were alone, she ushered with ones who had an adult by their side, helping kids unwind as well.

She walked out onto the bridge connecting Pediatrics with otorhinolaryngology, her eyes going over the patient list on her side, but no matter how many times she went through them, she was one kid short.

“Fuck.” She mumbled under her breath, sitting down before taking her phone out and dialing Grayson.

“Gray, I’m missing a kid. A Martha Levi? If you found one extra kid, let me know.” Pocketing her phone, she leaned back against the glass made railing, looking at her shoes with a heaviness in her heart. 

Petrichor (n.) - a love for the scent of rain in nature

She couldn’t help the feeling of regret as it washed over her. She should have told Ethan she loves him too, that she wasn’t perfect but she would find a way to make it work between them for as long as he wants her, but she didn’t. Even if she is absolutely crazy for him.

A small smile formed on her lips as she remembered the night she realized she loves Ethan, the night he had acted on impulse and still managed to create such a beautiful memory she would never forget. He made sure she never forgets him.

“It’s starting to rain.” Y/N groaned, holding out a hand as a few drops wet her palm, making her shake her hand and frown.

“Don’t like the rain?” Ethan chuckles, cocking his head to the side as he walks forward, even if the rain started to pour in seconds.

“You’re gonna get a pneumonia!” She shouted over thunder, watching him push his wet hair back before outstretching his hand for her to take.

“Not gonna happen, Dolan!” She meant it. Rain was anything but a favorite to her. But Ethan seemed relentless.

“Come on, sweetheart! I promise it’s just a little bit of rain!” Ethan insisted, a grin taking over his face as she started to gnaw on her lips, a clear sign she’s contemplating his offer, something she wouldn’t have done if she didn’t plan on joining him.

And she hates rain with burning passion, but Ethan seems to love it, every single drop. He enjoyed the rain, the thunder, the smell that lingers after, everything about it. And she loves him. Enough to step into the horrid wetness rain brings, just as long as she gets to kiss him after.

“I really hate you sometimes.” She rolls her eyes at him before taking his hand, allowing him to draw her near and as he does, he rests her hand over his shoulder, taking her waist with his other. Pulling her close, Ethan smirks while she gawks at him, noticing him move in a slow rhythm to a song playing in his head.

“What are you doing?” She narrowed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, all while a smile formed on her lips – all in disbelief as her own hips started to sway with the silent song in the storm, a song in their hearts.

“Dancing with a gorgeous woman.” Ethan snickers, leaning his forehead on hers lightly, their noses brushing together and her eyes close for a moment, collecting herself, reminding herself this is real.

Unable to take it, she leans into him, her head resting on his chest as her arms close around him, feeling his hands rest on the small of her back, virtually no space remaining between them. And that’s when she heard it – “Wise men say only fools rush in” – at first it was so quiet she thought she was imagining it, that maybe the thunder had made her imagine the sound, but his lips were right by her ear and he mostly whispered it, - “But I can't help falling in love with you “ - ,but the words made her heart race fast enough that she felt faint.

Her lips part, her mind screaming with every syllable, yet she never felt more at peace. - “Oh, shall I stay, would it be a sin. Oh, if I can't help falling in love with you?” – How can one man make her feel so many things at once? She didn’t know what is stronger – her need to run and save her heart from heartbreak, or her need to stay in his arms forever. – “Like a river flows, surely to the sea, darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be.” –

Taking a deep breath, she stopped dancing, not even caring about the rain ruining her make up when he stopped too, his lips still moving as his voice got slightly higher, but looking into his eyes as he sang? – “Take my hand, take my whole life too. Oh, for I can't help falling in love with you “ - Even if it was a half whisper, Y/N never felt happier.

Ever since, rain had become a friend, more than a foe and Ethan? He had taken a permanent residence in her heart.

She could still hear him singing in the back of her mind, her eyes closed as she tried to relax, to let his voice ease her nerves for she couldn’t lie – Y/N felt like she’s standing on edge of a very high cliff and she didn’t know if she had the strength to come back down and face everything that pushed her there in the first place. She tells herself she’s fine with how her parents hated her, but she’s not. She tells herself she’s fine with her battles with cancer, but she’s not. She tells herself she’s fine with Ethan being hers but having a soulmate out in the world, but she’s not.

There isn’t anything she’s fine with in this case and she can’t help but wish Ethan was there with her. He would know what to say to calm her raging storm and to stop the war inside her. He’d remind her she’s a fighter, something she has no strength to remind herself of.

“Y/N?!” But then she heard it – heard him. For a moment she was sure it’s a hallucination, but when she turned her head, she saw him standing on the other side of the glass, mere inches away from her with a relieved look on his face.

“Sweetheart, are you alright?” Looking around, Ethan wanted nothing more than to open the door and hold her, but with the key-cards being useless at this point, he was just happy to put his hand on the glass and have her do the same.

She couldn’t hide her happiness, her hand quickly laying against the glass, longing for his touch.

“Yeah. How”, she pauses to take a breath, her throat closing up as her emotions flood her senses and she’s on the brink of crying. “How are you here?”

“I was on my way to see you. I had to talk to you.” Ethan spoke when her phone went off and she saw it was Grayson. Holding up her index finger, she picked up the call, eager to tell him she and his brother are both fine.

“Hey.”

“Martha isn’t here either.” Grayson’s panicked voice is enough to make her mutter ‘fuck’ under her breath, letting out a heavy sigh.

“I’ll do a second sweep. Stay put. And Ethan’s fine. I’m sort of with him right now.” She let out a weak chuckle, ending the call before rubbing her forehead.

“A kid is missing, I’ll have to go back and check the rooms again.” She explains and Ethan nods, wetting his lips.

“Did you check the janitor closets and on call rooms?” Ethan suggests and Y/N facepalms.

“No…I bet Grayson didn’t either. She might be scared and hiding.” With her hands on her hips, she half smiled at him. “Your brain is beautiful. Thank you.” But Ethan was no longer looking at her, rather over her shoulder with his eyes wide and mouth open and while she didn’t have to look back, she knew it just by the expressions on his face.

Turning halfway toward the door connected to the pediatrics, Y/N felt her heart speed up. She didn’t frighten easily, in fact, people would say she’s not one to flinch, but the sight of a grown man holding a gun to a scared little girl’s head? It was enough to scare her.

There are times in your life when everything comes down to one moment - one defining moment where you're either the hero or a coward. And in that moment, Y/N could see her life pass before her eyes. She saw her father imprisoned, her mother hanging in the hall, the nurse that always hid an extra cup of her favorite jelly, chemotherapy, trying to stand after surgery, fainting in med school when her cancer returned, meeting Ethan, Ethan's smirk, Ethan's warm arms, the way his fingers coil around her neck as his hips meet hers, Ethan in the OR, Ethan kissing her in the rain, his haunting voice as he sings in her ear, Ethan pushing her against the wall as his lips press against her throat, when Ethan said he loves her...when she summarized her life, the past few months she's known Ethan had overshadowed every bad things, every tear and every pain and all she could see is HIM. And her choice was no longer a choice, but a certainty - something she saw worthy of whatever is to come.

"Take me!" She shouts, her hand above her head and her palms turned to the shooter, her insides shaking but her face remained impassive and at peace with her decision.

"Take me, leave the girl alone." She insisted, her voice not wavering, not even a little. She glanced back at Ethan who remained stuck behind the glass door just outside of the pediatric ward and her lips pressed together to keep in the shattering scream of emotions just bubbling to come out.

Ethan pounded on the door but Plexiglas doesn't break easily and no matter how hard he screamed and his face turned red, Y/N was out of reach and he couldn't do a damn thing.

"Fine then." The shooter kicked the little girl, the little one running straight to Y/N who gave her a quick hug and whispered directions to take after she was gone with the man.

"Go straight down the hall to the gynecology ward, you'll find a handsome doctor to keep you safe there."

She knew once the little one arrived, Grayson would know she wandered and would lose his mind, but she couldn't just let a little girl be used for whatever this man intended.

Glancing at Ethan one last time, Y/N mouthed 'I love you' and the next thing she knew, the shooter had grabbed her arm and pulled her before him, the cool barrel of the gun pressed against her temple and he whispered in her ear menacingly.

"Don't do anything stupid."

Trembling wildly with adrenaline overflowing her system, Y/N couldn’t force herself to even try and see Ethan, quite possibly for the last time. She could hear him begging, screaming, offering himself, but she was forced back onto pediatrics and just as they stepped into the main hallway, blood splattered her face.

Gasping, her ears ringing, Y/N falls to the ground, the world around her slowing down as the man falls with her. She’s quick to stand back up, using the adrenaline rush to keep herself going, seeing red dots dancing along her pink scrubs as she raises her hands up in the air, her breath caught in her throat.

All the doors opened at once, the SWAT team swooping in, but the man’s brain is painting the floor, he wasn’t dangerous anymore.

Struggling for a few short breaths, Y/N felt her heart beating out of her chest. No matter how hard she tried, everything seemed out of control and while people are talking around her, she can’t hear a damn thing.

But then she sees him stumble in the ward, his face blotchy, hair a complete mess and she didn’t even realized she was moving. Without even thinking, she jumped up and threw her arms around him, making some weird sound that combined laughing, choking, and crying. Ethan was holding her so tightly that she couldn’t see his face, and she can’t tell when he let her go as her vision faded and her body went limp in his arms. Unable to handle the shock of the day, her consciousness slipped away from her and she found herself enveloped in darkness, but she never felt safer in her entire life.

It wasn’t until later that she regained consciousness. Finding herself in Ethan’s bed, wearing his over-sized t-shirt, she smiled slightly. It’s exactly where she wants to be. Looking toward the door left ajar, she hears him.

“What are you doing? She’s a perfect picture with a broken frame. You can’t just glue it back together and think it’s enough. You need to be honest. That might make it new.” Grayson whispers and she couldn’t help but wonder what they’re talking about. Her? Is she the one with a broken frame? She never realized Grayson thought so low of her. It stung to know it now.

“Plus, you see the world in black and white. She doesn’t. You need someone like her in your life, brother. Just tell her everything. She’ll understand.” Now her curiosity is peaked. She can’t help but wonder what the truth is and if it has anything to do with the mysterious soulmate Ethan seems to hide from her.

“It’s not that easy, Grayson. I can’t just come out and say it.” Ethan exclaimed, lowering his voice when he spoke the words Y/N never dreamed would be true. It stopped her heart when he admitted the truth, unaware she had never been more awake in her entire life.

“I can’t just tell her – Hey, we’re soulmates and I’ve known all this time – Y/N would kill me.”

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Tags: @beinscorpio​ @peacedolantwins​ @heyits-claire​ @dolandolll​ @godlydolans​ @dolanstwintuesday​ @ethanhes​ @iwastornsincethestart @graydolan12​  @zeusgrayson​ @libradolan​ @justordinaryjen​ @pineappledolan​ @graysavant​ @voguekristens @imayoutubere @livexdolan​  @shadowsndaisies​ @maybgrayson​​ @dolans4lyfe​​ @mendesficsxbombay​​ @fxkthatdairy 

Anyone crossed out wasn’t able to be tagged, probably an issue on Tumblr’s side, sorry.

[littleeyesofpallas]

Since I did just reference this in a previous post, I figure this is worth covering, however brief...

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ULQUIORRA: ――只今戻りました藍染様

I'm home, Lord Aizen 

AIZEN: おかえり ウルキオラ ヤミー

Welcome home, ULQUIORRA, YAMMY

“Tadaima“ is the phrase you say when entering your own occupied home, and “Okaeri“ is the phrase you say when welcoming someone home.  They don’t literally mean the same as “I'm home” and “Welcome home” word for word (they’re both shortened from longer formal phrases) but they function the same in the common context.  What doesn’t  come across here is that this isn’t a casual exchange, it has this weird pretense of, like, playing house, almost?

I don’t know how to explain it since there really isn’t a good English equivalent, since we don’t really have as much super formal speech as the Japanese.  There is just something a little out of place about the way it’s being used here, because this isn’t really within the realms of it’s normal, grounded and casual real world usage.  The idea that Aizen has designated this place as “Home” creates a certain mood about the way this scene ends the chapter, and colors the scene change itself as a very distinctly dark and moody kind of shift.

It’s definitely lost in translation, but to be fair to the translators, I don’t really know how I’d go about trying to communicate something this subtle, because any attempt to explain it immediately robs it of that very subtly.  Language is hard, guys...

==============================================

さあ戌果を聞かせてくれ

Come now, let me know the result(s)

我等二十の同胞の前で

In front of your compatriots of we 20

It’s a curious remark to make, and seemed to sum up the odds the heroes would be facing.  We had just learned that by Hitsugaya’s estimation “10 Vastlord” would be enough to topple Soul Society.  And so that idea that potentially twice that many were already under Aizen’s command was a big threat, and set up the arc as if it would be a guessing game of which background characters would eventually be revealed as any of the 10 necessary power houses to defeat Soul Society...  But as we all know that’s not a hook that ever actually got used...

But also, a key word here being, 

Curiously Aizen seems to count himself among Ulquiorra’s “countrymen” or “compatriots” suggesting he’s not talking about the Arrancar specifically but just the forces of Los Noches.  There are 17 silhouettes, so with Aizen, Gin, and Tousen that makes 20 other than Yammy and Ulquiorra themselves.  But they’re the one’s being spoken to (what I assume is collectively) so obviously it doesn’t count Ulq, but I assume it also doesn’t count Yammy.

Alternatively I’m overthinking that detail and it’s just that there are a few shadowy blobs missing and Aizen really does mean 20 Arrancar.  In which case the phrase could be translated as “Brethren” or “Brothers” more effectively.

Either way it creates a very distinct tone of familial or factional unity, which ironically gets immediately bucked when Grimmjow starts mouthing off the very next chapter as the scene continues.  I think that’s very intentional though, and not just Kubo’s often shaky writing; I think he means for this whole sense of unity and organization framing the Arrancar to feel fake or forced.  It’s Aizen playing house with all this, the Arrancar are all just in it for themselves and as Hollows have a kind of natural resistance to Aizen bringing in this very Soul Society-like social/military structure.  It’s a neat detail to this early world building Kubo had to do to set up the new arc...

But while we’re here, let’s actually do a headcount real quick...

Ulquiorra and Yammy are of course already introduced going into Chapter 198, and Chapter 197 ended on the “20 brethren” line.

In 198 Grimmjow is named for the first time, and in the background we see DiRoy and Shawlong with him, who get named in the next chapter.

Since the attack happens almost immediately after this, and I think it’s safe to assume Grimmjow’s gang wasn’t made in the intervening hours, Nakeem, Edrad, and Yylfordt are presumably among The 20.

But also seen in 198 are 3 unnamed (and indeed never to be seen again) Arrancar

And with them, a very early design of Tier Harribel.

So, the above pictured are all the Arrancar we know of, up to that point, and we won’t count Ulq and Yammy, but that’s still half “The 20″ right there.

But let’s take this a step further, just for laughs...

We know Aisslinger Wernarr is loitering around somewhere, and he was first seen along with DiRoy way back in Chapter 25, plus later databooks will establish that he is Arrancar #17.

We later find out the Privaron were the previous Espada, replaced by the current ones, that adds Dordonii, Cirucci, and Gantenbain to the count.

Looking ahead a ways.... When Zomarri moves to finish off Rukia after her fight with Aaronierro, he mentions that Aaronierro is the “last of the original Espada” which should logically also place him among The 20.  It should also make him older than the rest of the Espada who presumably were born afterwards and not born first then powered up after the fact...

But here’s where things get tangled... this means that Yammy, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Tier are all part of a second set of Espada, because Dordonii, Cirucci, Gantenbain and Aaroniero make up the original generation. (I’m not getting into 102 or 100, covered in the LNs)  But Kubo establishes later that Grimmjow was once Arrancar #12 before becoming #6.  If that’s so, then presumably all the Espada have a birth number prior to their Espada rank.

So, if the only Arrancar are in the room, (and if we just assume Aizen & crew don’t count) then they are implicitly the 20 oldest surviving Arrancar.  Then based on numbers, as Kubo would eventually give us through databooks and the manga itself, most of 11-30 are accounted for, and we know based on the fact that they all appeared alive and not as part of some flashback or references to the deceased, that they were alive during this scene...

In fact, only #19, 21, 23, 28, 29, 30, were never assigned to a character.  But that means we’ve only got 6 slots in The 20.  Even if we assume the other 6 implied original Espada died when being replaced, leaving only 103, 105, 107, and 9, that’s still 8 Arrancar either visibly in this scene or implicitly present at the scene that can’t fit into the mere 6 empty slots we’ve got.

This also implies that anyone not in that 20 count were “born” as Arrancar inbetween this scene and their first appearance.  Most notably problematic in that is Nnoitra, Tesra, Szayelaporro, Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka, all of whom show up in an indistinctly placed flashback.  And even more contradictory than what’s already tangled here...

Tesra was actually given a number, and he’s Arrancar #50, which means that in between the scene with “The 20″ and Nnoitra’s flashback the other ~20+ Arrancar had to be made first AND THEN the whole drama in the flashback.

Also, when Wonderweiss is born he’s #77, and Nnoitra is present at that scene already in his cobra/spoon hood, rather than the regular high collar he wears in his flashback.

All of which means that Nel was only out there in the desert in baby form for like, a week or two, tops? (I have a whole other giant theory on what she was supposed to be, but that rant will have to wait for another time...)

Anyway, I know it’s really just sort of obvious that Kubo didn’t pay any attention to, or plan any kind of continuity between the start and end of the Arrancar arc, so it seems silly to go to all this trouble just to come to a very obvious conclusion, but I figured that so long as I got this all here in front of me I might as well show the work on that equation for once.

============================================== 

Also, before we end, a notable detail in this scene: It’s the first time we see Aizen’s fortress of Los Noches, although it hasn’t been named yet.  And although it has tiled floors and Aizen’s big blocky throne atop a sheer wall, the Arrancar appear to be situated on a naturally occurring rocky surface like a cliff.  And the establishing shots here and elsewhere seem to suggest an open air structure, rather than an enclosed building like what Ichigo & co. would eventually invade.

On the one hand this may have just been a change in design on Kubo’s part, as much of the Arrancar as seen in these early phases would later be changed and tweaked, but it’s also possible that this is showing that Los Noches was only recently constructed, basically being built entirely from the ground up in the course of the month or two between Aizen’s retreat into Hueco Mundo with the Menos Grande at the end of the Soul Society arc and the eventual storm of the completed fortress.

When Grimmjow returns from Karakura town alone, Aizen’s throne room has already changed noticeably: The rocks have been cleared from in front of his throne, there are new walls and broad pillars where there used to be just narrow rods and draped cloth.  Also the vague shadowy backdrop that seemed to imply an open sky is gone, and there is now a ceiling, plus nearby structures clearly establish that the throne room is indoors now.

[theonewiththefanfics]

Hawkins’ Charm (Part 9)

Synopsys: They had gotten out of Hawkins. After all the shit that had happened, all the heartache and pain, Billy and the Reader had gotten away from that hellhole, building their life in California as he had dreamed. But when Max’s graduation rolls around and they go to celebrate, it’s as if the Upside Down was just waiting for all of them to return. And it has a bone to pick.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x f!Reader; platonic!Steve Harrington x f!Reader

Genre: angst, bit of fluff

Warnings: blood, mentions of injuries and death, fighting, swearing, mentions of smut, but not full-on

Word count: 2120 (I’m sorry if there are any mistakes :D )

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CONDONE BILLY’S ACTIONS AND THE THINGS HE’S DONE! THIS IS BASICALLY AN AU, WHEN REALLY LOOKING AT IT! SPOILERS FOR S3! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!

Italics are flashbacks

“Billy, stop!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, throat burning with every uttered syllable, but no sound came out. When Y/N had come to and seen the bruises he’d left around her neck, she had almost passed out again, but had to remind herself – this was not Billy, this wasn’t her caring sometimes hot-headed boyfriend that had wrapped his palms around her neck and tried to squeeze the life out of her. This was a monster using him as a servant to do its bidding. 

           For a second, their eyes met as she stood at the other side of the mall, the Mind Flayer’s attention on El who laid on the ground before it. And there it was – recognition in Billy's eyes. If only for a moment, he remembered who she was, who he was to her.

           As quickly as that had happened, it was gone, and Billy turned around grabbing a screaming El who had woken up and skidded away by her ankle and dragging her towards the monster. No, Y/N thought to herself, that’s not gonna happen, and rushed to the side where a discarded shotgun laid on the ground. She checked its ammo, loaded and aimed. 

***

           “You,” Y/N pointed at Hopper as they jumped out of the van, “stay in the car and stay low. We don’t need someone to see your face and freak and call the cops.”

           “I am the cops,” he grunted but slid lower onto the seat, masking his face with a baseball cap.

           “No,” El butted in, “keyword – were. You’re technically still dead. At least as far as Hawkins is concerned. And the rest of the world.”

           Like a child, Hop grunted our a ‘whatever’ and watched as the group entered the store, the little ‘DING!’ ringing sharply through the air. “Stay low my ass,” he muttered and slid down the chair to vanish from view.

*

           Y/N tapped her foot against the tiled floor, and each little movement of the muscles tightened the feeling in her back where the salve had seeped into her skin and had lost the cooling effect, making her grit her teeth to keep the whimpers of pain at bay.

           Each beep as the items were scanned amped up her anxiety, and she started chewing on the tip on her thumb which Steve promptly slapped away from her mouth.

           “If your boy sees you without a finger, it’ll be my head he’ll come after,” he grumbled and crossed his arms mimicking Y/N’s stance and tapped his foot at the same time.

           “Oh please,” she rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you two already gone through your dick-measuring phase?”

           “When are boys ever?” Robin snarked from where she stood behind Y/N, and the two fist-bumped at that.

           “Hey, don’t I know you?” the clerk squinted his eyes at Y/N with a pointed finger in her direction. “Aren’t you that chick that ran off with Hargrove?”

           “If by that chick that ran off with Hargrove you mean his girlfriend throughout the senior year and decided to move to California with him then yeah, I guess so.” She was really over all of the judgement from others.

           Her mom hadn’t been too pleased when she’d announced that she’d be going to San Diego with Billy. Especially given how Y/N had planned on returning to New York and going to NYU at the start of the last semester. 

           Sure, it hadn’t been the most pleasant of stays, but the Big Apple had grown on her. She’d found some peace and had been able to collect her mind after everything Hawkins had put her through. That is until the tanned Cali boy slammed his way into her world.

           He completely shook everything up, from what Y/N wanted in life to what she thought she deserved. There’d been a tremendous amount of guilt that plagued her heart since Barb, and once returning to Hawkins it got bad again. 

           She hadn’t been there to help and look for her, she hadn’t stayed and brought justice to one of her best friends, instead, she'd opted to run away. Y/N felt like she’d been selfish and a horrible person. Until Billy helped her understand it wasn’t her fault. And he made sure she knew it.

           “You couldn’t have done anything,” he’d muttered in her hair one night after the boy had climbed through his window seeking solace from his dad, only to find Y/N dry heaving over her toilet seat. “Fuck, sweetheart, it wasn’t your fault, you gotta understand.”

He hadn’t known the real circumstances then, but it didn’t matter 'cause the words hit their mark either way. “That fucking lab and those people were a messed-up bunch, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to take care of yourself.”

           Y/N had shaken her head. “I-I should’ve stayed. I should’ve helped Nance and Steve. I-I sh-should’ve fought for her.”

           A hand wove into her hair and made her rest her cheek against his chest. “How can you fight for someone else when you can’t even fight for yourself?”

           “So, what do you need all this stuff for?” the cashier asked taking Y/N out from her thoughts and making small talk while scanning the copious amounts of rope and batteries. “Infiltrating the CIA?” Oh, if only he knew how close he was.

           “Going on a camping trip,” Y/N gave him a tight-lipped smile. They seriously didn’t have time for this shit.

           He pulled up the two barrels of gasoline and shrugged. “Must be some trip if you need all this stuff.”

           “You never know,” Robin said curtly hoping he’d just hurry up, “maybe a bear blocks our way back to civilization, and we have to fight it off.”

           “With what? Ropes and walkie talkies?”

           “Exactly,” she gave him a sarcastic smile, and he finally rung up the total.

***

           Billy couldn’t breathe. He felt like his lungs had collapsed and a boulder sat on his chest, pressing down on him. His vision swam, bright lights merging in a sickening dance turning his head dizzy.

           Pain. That’s all he felt. But maybe that’s what he deserved. He’d been an asshole, a major one at that. Maybe this was his way of repenting. Spending his last moments alive in unbearable agony for all the hurt he’d caused while he was alive. Especially to those he loved. 

           His eyes dripped close, but then two hands planted themselves on his shoulders.

           “Max,” he gurgled out, pain shooting through his body right down to the very tips of his toes.

           “Hold on,” the redhead sobbed. Fuck, is she crying? Over me? “Don’t you dare die on me, or I swear I’ll dig up your grave, zap you back to life and skin you alive.”

           “ ‘M sorry,” he choked. “ ‘M sorry.”

           And he knew he was gone when an angel came into view. A beautiful gorgeous angel.

           “Billy,” she called his name. “Billy, please.”

           Fuck, she sounded so much like Y/N. His Y/N. A small smile came over his face. Maybe death wasn’t that bad when it took the form of the only person that had every truly, really loved him. Not even his mom had loved him as much as his girl did. 

           Sure, he missed her like crazy every day of his damned life, but she had left him with that bastard that was nothing more than a sperm donor to him. A little kid on his own to live with a monster. Billy wasn’t afraid of the dark or what hid in it. He was afraid of the person in the next room with a beer bottle in his hand.

           But Y/N… he’d been so shitty to her in the beginning, to her friends. But somehow, she saw through it, saw through the tall and dense walls he’d built around himself and had fallen for the man hiding inside the fortress. 

           “Billy, stay with me,” the angled pleaded. Of course, he would. He could never say no to her.

***

           Once they got to Joyce’s, they split up in groups, Billy taking his sister, Mike and Nancy back to their places while Joyce stayed with Will, and Johnathan took Dustin and Lucas back to theirs.

           “Have you talked with Lucas?” Billy looked over to Max and saw her visibly shrink. She folded her arms and slid down the seat a bit more as if trying to minimize her existence, and it worked as even sitting down he towered over her like a tree

           “About what?”

           “You know what,” he gave her pointed look before returning his gaze back to the road.

           For a moment, silence settled between them, but then Max sighed and groaned out “No. In fact, I actually tried to do that before everything with Y/N went down, but he just waved me off. Said it wasn’t a big deal.”

           Max’s ginger eyebrows were pulled together in a frown of hurt and confusion. “And I know I haven’t been the most understanding and was giving him the silent treatment, but I just… I don’t know what to do… I don’t know how to make it better.”

           Billy sighed, looking at how the trees zoomed past them on both sides before carefully replying. “You love him, don’t you?”

           “Yeah,” she said throwing her head back against the seat surprising him with her blatant honesty. “I mean we’ve been together, on and off, since like being thirteen… kinda hard not to.”

           As Neil’s house slowly started to come in view, Max asked him to stop on the curb.

           “Drop me off here. I’ll just sneak around the house and climb in through the window,” she said and turned to look at Billy grimacing. “Neil doesn’t really let me stay over if there are boys around.” She let out a sneer. 

           Her brother just shook his head and smirked ruffling her head. “You’re trouble, you know that, Maxine?”

           A scoff got stuck in her throat. “Me? Have you met yourself? You snuck out so many times during your senior year just to go to Y/N’s, I’m surprised Neil didn’t pick up on your routine and put bars on your windows.”

           Billy sorted. “If he’d even tried, I would’ve found a way to get to her.”

           “Sentimental asshole,” she rolled her eyes, but he could see that there was nothing malicious behind the gesture. “See you in a few hours.”

           “Stay safe,” he said, and Max nodded, quickly leaning over and pulling Billy in a tight hug. “Everything’s gonna work out. With Lucas, this whole shitshow. I promise.”

           “Do you think Y/N's gonna be okay?” Max mumbled in his ear and opened the door, her muddied up sneakers getting even dirtier.

           "She's the strongest person I know. She'll be just fine,” he looked to his lap and his heart clenched. She was, without a question, but that didn’t make him feel any less worried. Rather it terrified him to the core because who knows what situations awaited them. Billy wasn’t ready to let go of his life just yet, and he knew she'd do anything for those she loved. 

           His knuckles tightened around the wheel.

They’d make it out. No matter what. Or he’d burn everything in its wake. 

***

           A miracle the doctors had said. Not only that vital organs hadn’t been punctured, but that the chemicals Billy had downed a week ago hadn’t fully burned his insides apart. When Y/N heard this from the nurse, she had to rush away from her boyfriend’s side by the bed into the attached bathroom and throw up.

           Her throat burned like ten thousand hot pokers were being pushed down it. Her hands shook as she opened up the faucet and splashed ice-cold water against her face. Y/E/C eyes looked up to see the blue-black bruises littering her neck, Billy’s two handprints like tattoos against her skin. 

           No, she shook her head, not his, but that monster’s that used him as a puppet. Her Billy would never hurt her. 

           “Is he gonna recover?” Y/N asked glancing at the nurse when she reentered the room assuming her previous position. He was the same nurse that had looked at her neck and she had blatantly disobeyed his pleas for her to rest. She had to be with Billy.

           “Physically, yes… Psychologically is a different kind of story,” the nurse said. “But the doctor thinks he’s gonna be just fine. He’ll need a lot of help, but we're optimistic."

           Y/N nodded looking away from the nurse and back to her boyfriend. With shaky fingers, she took ahold of his palm and brought his fingers to her lips. “It’s gonna be okay, baby. I’ll be here for you… We’re gonna be just fine… we’ll make it…”

Tags (crossed out wouldn't take):

Hawkins’ Charm tag list: 

@genius2050 @aiifandomsunite @ashleymarieriffle @littlefool-smalljester @infinitelycharmed23 @llcalumllhoodll @benevolentgemini @rxmanovbby @euphoniumpets @krazykatykat456 @believerofall @ccidk @babechief @meganmj @blackhood5sos @fml9603 @noodlenerd101 @universefinds @kuroidesuchloe @im-a-stranger-thing @grxxn-gardxns @springholland @beforethebraces @robinisourlesbianmom @queeneliza108 @neenaw-neenaw @lexisntthatweird @choicesismylife @mckenzie2020 @kcd15 @snuggleducky @reckless-sofia @didyouseetheflair @silver-winter-wolf @jay-ta-blog @hopeless-lovex0 @anyasthoughts @robinismyqueen @yeah-butyourenot-dacremontgomery @mcrganstarks @psychoticobsession @cutehipstergirl25 @sbfandom @mickmoon @jackyfrost01 @txhmine @dark-princess99 @morgangrice18 @changingmylifestyle367 @sweetdayme4427 @alowexpectation @sexyvixen7 @golddvstwoman @evelynfreakinaddams @sunfucked @sataninsatin @queenbbarnes @venomavocado @rangotangomango @psychosupernatural @sereiins @frickin-bats @bandsruinedmylife @thee-brunette-princess @queenskyster @aspiring-fangirls-world @gracethegeek9902 @katiexdacre @dreamwavej @escaping-reality21 @void-fire-rose @slvtherinseeker @paranoiadestroyah @arromite @jojo-buttercup @danarysstormborn @graveyard--baby--666 @teller258316 @hello-therree @stqrker @bethanystan @enthusiastoffandoms14 @i-bitch-you-bitch @billysgodcomplex @astil-be @kpopishilarious @bae-bino @billyhargrovescigarette

Billy Hargrove’s tag list: 

@la-reina-tigresa @youcanstandundermyumbrella @ephmrl-love

Forever tags: 

@lumelgy @palaiasaurus64 @supernaturalbaesduh @breezy1415 @crazy--me @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @sea040561 @staryeyedgirl @deathbyarabbit @s-c-a-r-e-d-po-t-t-e-r @reblogger-not-a-blogger @m-a-t-91 @dalilx @i-need-a-hero-i-need-a-loki @maladaptive-ninja-returns @averyrogers83 @in-the-end-im-still-trash @gallifreyansass @dewy-biitch @avxgers @unlikelygalaxygiver @sweet-ladyy @magicwithaknife @ollyoxenfrees @bnhvrdy @tvwhoresblog @celebsimagines @thatkindofgurl @sj-thefan @teenwolflover28

A/N: soooo.... it’s been a while.... a lot of things have happened and continue happening, but I hope you can forgive me for posting an update so late. Life just gets hectic and I do this for fun, so when pressing matters come up, I have to focus on them :D

I’ve started my last year of uni and I’m shitting bricks, but other than that I’m immensely enjoying everything I'm doing, mum’s visiting me next week, so that’s a plus, but also my first assignment is in less than two weeks, so yay me! :D

P.S. my tags are always open :)