#him wanting meg to be free to hang out is SO

[keepmovinjunior]

Cute. It was one thing she'd admit was genuinely descriptive of Pit, that was for sure ━━ and not a descriptor she used lightly or with intent to condescend ━━ at least, not without irony. So few deserved it. But Pit? Meg can't help but smirk, softly, playfully, at the back of his bowed head. What a funny gallantry he carried. She's amused at his obviously playful, grandiose gesture; intended to make her laugh, perhaps. Despite everything she knew and disliked about heroes... well, Pit was different. He'd shown up enough times now; interacted with her enough, and despite everything Meg can see his heart, his light; genuinely enjoy his presence. He's a good friend, with a decent heart, from what she could tell. He's harmless. She liked him.

Only a matter of time before he couldn't say the same...

Well, anyway. She'd cherish their camaraderie while she could.

❝ Woah there, tiger ━━ don't get too ahead of yourself. I'm not used to that whole... smilin' thing. ❞ Hard to be, when you spend all of your time with shades. ❝ Heh, no pressure, right? ❞ A wink, though. She's still smirking; her body relaxes in his presence, and she places one hand on her hip, coolly. ❝ Yeah, too long. It's good to see you, kid. ❞

Do you think your boss will allow you one day off?

She'd been smiling through his clever comments... up until there.

Hades, showing leniency? If only. She could only dream of spending time with her winged pal, with the living... being free, just for a day...

Frowning slightly, she crosses her arms now; tilts her head. ❝ From your lips to Hothead's ears, Ace. I uh, don't think his department's known for the PTO. ❞

X @keepmovinjunior

As Pit walked among the pale, ghostly white Asphodelus Flore, Meg's voice cut through the silence like a sweet symphony. It was as if she were a blooming sunflower in a desolate field, her presence casting a spell on the bleak surroundings. Despite the underlying Greek tragedy of the situation, there was a silver lining for Meg—she was spared from drinking the murky waters of the Lithe River. Though the Captain of Angels would never loudly admit it, he couldn't help feeling grateful for that small mercy despite Meg's servitude to the Lord of the Dead, Hades.

Pit proudly shined his light for his dear friend. With his hands placed at his hips and chest puffed up, Palutena's champion replied full heartily, "For you, Meg-icus, I'd light this whole place if that meant I'd get to see your lovely smile every day. It's been far too long!"

He is a charming little rascal, indeed, with the way he gallantly bows like a gentleman, one arm sticking out alongside an extended wing. Quite the lively pair for being among the dead. When his friend pops that question, it only causes Palutena's Captain to snicker, lifting up his head towards Meg, "Pft, honestly, I'd like to think Cerberus looks forward to seeing me. Poor guy needs to be played with more often. Think I'll send in my complaints when our oh-so-favorite hot-headed big boss."

Pit withdraws from his playful bow, casually crossing his arms, his cheeky smirk never leaving. "Ya know, you and I need to hang out more often-icus other than my routine Medusa checkups. Do you think your boss will allow you one day off?"

[sunshinemorningstar]

Trials of Apollo animatic wip

Edit: Just realized that things would probably make a lot more sense with the script, so here it is :)

(Keep in mind, this is something I made for a drama project, so a lot of this is whittled down to be comprehensible to people who haven't read ToA- also the reason for the stage directions in the script)

(Music passage 1)

Meg: So, a god again, huh?

Apollo: Indeed, but I will not continue like before. I've learnt from my mortality, and Olympus is… 

Meg: Messed up?

Apollo: Yes, that. 

Meg: Hah, no surprises there. So, what'll you do about, y'know, your dad?

Apollo: I… don't know yet, but what he did… does to me, it isn't right, and neither is what he does to demigods, or… the rest of Olympus, and he cannot be allowed to continue

I broke free on a Saturday morning

I put the pedal to the floor

Headed north on Mills Avenue

And listened to the engine roar

(Music Passage 2)

Meg: So, you've been hanging out with your relatives, huh?

Apollo: My godly siblings, yes. We've not always been kind to one another, but I hope we can be, in the future. You understand.

Meg: Yeah, it's nice to get to know some of my siblings without Nero breathing down our necks

My broken house behind me and good things ahead

A girl named Cathy wants a little of my time

Six cylinders underneath the hood crashing and kicking

Aha! Listen to the engine whine

I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me

I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me

(Music Passage 3)

Meg: So, a revolution?

Apollo: He cannot be allowed to act without recompense, I cannot chance that he will hurt my family again, not you, or my children, or Artemis or any of my divine siblings

Meg: (sits down) …Or you

Apollo: Or me. 

I played video games in a drunken haze

I was 17 years young

Hurt my knuckles punching the machines

The taste of Scotch rich on my tongue

(Music Passage 4)

Meg: (getting up, begin slowly walking off) So, what's it you wanted to talk about?

Apollo: …I got Athena on board

Meg: (stops) Oh

Apollo: We're confronting him tomorrow

Meg: Okay… Don't die, dummy

And then Cathy showed up and we hung out

Trading swigs from a bottle all bitter and clean

Locking eyes, holding hands

Twin high maintenance machines

I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me

I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me

I drove home in the California dusk (Come on stage; take quiver)

I could feel the alcohol inside of me hum (Pause and emotionally prepare)

Pictured the look on my stepfather's face (Open door)

Ready for the bad things to come (Draw arrow; Zeus turns; Fire)

I downshifted as I pulled into the driveway (Lightning thrown; Dodge + Explosion; Another shot)

The motor screaming out stuck in second gear (Shot lands; Lighting thrown; Lightning blocked with arms)

The scene ends badly as you might imagine (Lightning; Lightning)

In a cavalcade of anger and fear (Reach for arrow; Realize the strike is coming, and fall to the ground at “fear”)

There will be feasting (sparks in the corner) and dancing (sparks in the corner) in Jerusalem next year (Tableau as Apollo has his anime power of friendship flashback)

I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me (Get up with great difficulty; Stumble)

I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me (Take arrow, step to strong beat— make + through, stab at “kills me”)

(Music Passage 5)

The aftermath; reeling from his bittersweet victory in the first half

Apollo: I… I did it… We won… (relieved, scared, tired smile)

Olympian throne room bg swirls and fades as if teleportation; Aeisthales

Apollo: (~Eye contact of understanding~) …hey Meg…

Meg: (~Pause of processing~) …You did it, you killed him

Apollo: Yeah…

Meg: So, what's next?

Apollo: I… don't know, but… there's time to find out 

[demigodsanswer]

Percabeth + coffee shop au + holiday au?

The holiday part of this is a bit squint and you miss it. I meant for there to be more, but alas.

Percy had wanted to open up a bakery, but a coffee shop that sold pastries seemed more lucrative. In hindsight, he was glad he made that choice. He wasn't sure Annabeth ever would have stepped inside if he only sold apple turnovers and cupcakes.

She came in every morning, dressed like a young professional, her hair back in a ponytail usually, high heels sticking out of her purse, flat shoes on her feet. When she got in line, Percy knew to start making her soy latte extra shot before she even made it to the register. Sometimes he slipped one of their vegan brownies in too, on the house.

(He never asked if she was vegan or if soy milk was just a taste thing, but his ex was lactose intolerant. Last thing he wanted to do was ruin her day.)

"Thanks Percy," she said, grabbing her drink seconds after paying for it. He handed her the brownie, in a clear sleeve with their "vegan" sticker on it. She smiled and accepted it graciously. "You're a hero," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he promised.

So, maybe he had a thing for one of his patrons. It didn't matter that much. She was about his age (probably), and never yelled at his staff. Her seven dollar daily latte was keeping his lights on. And she was maybe the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Do you think I should add more vegan options?" He asked Grover. Grover was the lead barista and his business partner. He some how sourced fair trade coffee they could actually afford.

"It's better for the environment," was Grover's response.

"So, yes?" Percy asked.

"Give it a shot. Everyone loves a little vegan treat."

"No, you love a little vegan treat. Most people think they taste like sand," Percy said.

"That's an exaggeration. Your brownie is delicious. And I'm sure whatever you make, Annabeth will love it."

Percy bright red face ended that conversation. "I'm going to to hang the Christmas lights," he said, heading out into the cold without a jacket in the hopes that his face went back to normal.

~

Percy kept the coffee shop opened later than was maybe wise, but he worked most of the late shift hours by himself or with Meg, a high school kid working after school. They always got a few late afternoon coffee drinkers, and a couple of high school kids sitting to do homework.

Percy had to be there anyway. He was working on a few new vegan options. The holiday season was a good time to find out what people liked; they were more likely to treat themselves to something sweet.

He'd worked out a good vegan pumpkin pie, which they sold by the slice. That was a hit, although he was still working to get the crust perfect. The oatmeal cookie had been easy enough. The Nutella banana bread was actually so good that Annabeth ordered it the next morning. Percy made a note to keep it on the menu.

The holiday brought festive drinks too. He needed to compete with Starbucks, so he offered peppermint ... everything, caramel everything, and pumpkin everything. He was hanging a sign in the window advertising their peppermint mocha when he spotted a familiar face on the other side of the glass.

Annabeth smiled at him. It was six at night. They were only open for another hour. And she never stopped by after work. She must have come right from the office, because she still had her heels on.

The bell rang as she opened the door. "Are you still open?" She asked.

"Sure am," Percy confirmed. He would have said yes even if that wasn't true. "Soy latte?"

She shook her head. "No, no. Um, what about that --" she pointed towards the sign, "peppermint mocha?"

"You got it," Percy said, heading back behind the counter. "Soy?"

"Sure."

"I don't have a dairy-free whip cream," he said. He made a note to try and find one. Frank would like it.

"Regular is fine," she said. "I'll treat myself. Decaf though," Annabeth added.

"Are you vegan?" Percy asked as he brewed the espresso.

"I try but fail a lot. I'm pretty good at avoiding meat, but real dairy is just too good," Annabeth said.

"Easier to bake with too," Percy said. "For here or to go?" He had a to-go cup in his hand out of habit, but Annabeth had settled down at one of the open tables.

"Here," she said. Percy made the drink in a large ceramic mug.

"What brings you in tonight?" He asked, as he dropped off the coffee.

He didn't have anything pressing in the back, and there were only two college students diligently working on the other side. He could chat for a while.

As if reading his mind, Annabeth used her foot to push a chair out for him. Percy said down as she took the first sip. She closed her eyes and sighed happily.

"That's so good," she said. Percy was pretty sure he was flushed again. He hoped it went away before she could open her eyes. "It was just one of those long end-of-the-year work days, you know? Everyone rushing to get things done. I wanted something to cheer me up, and I walked by and thought ..." she looked at him in a new, attentive way he'd never caught before. "... a warm drink sounds nice."

"I hope it helped," he said.

"It is," she promised.

"I've got a new vegan cinnamon roll I'm testing. Want to try it?" Percy offered.

"How is it?" She asked.

"Not sure, they're fresh, first round," he said.

"I guess I can help test it for you," Annabeth said with a smile.

Percy jumped up and came back a minute later with one round roll on a plate and two forks.

He tried not to be too creepy as he watched her take a bite, savor it, and then carefully make up her mind.

"It's a little dry," she determined. "The icing is great, and the taste is good, but ..."

Percy took his own bite and nodded. "Too much cinnamon. It dries it out."

"Still pretty delicious," Annabeth said, going for another bite, "especially for not having half the ingredients that make food taste good."

"Thanks!" Percy said with a wide smile. "You know, my co-owner Grover is vegan."

"Oh, is he the motivation for all the new treats?" Annabeth asked.

"Uh, sure," Percy said, barely playing off that she was the real reason, not his best friend of almost twenty years, "but he was telling me about this new vegan restaurant. He says it's pretty good."

Annabeth was smiling, and she had a mischievous look in her eyes that told him she was six steps ahead of him.

"Oh?" She said innocently, going for another bite of the cinnamon roll, but not actually putting the fork in her mouth yet. "Have you tried it?" She asked, finally taking a bite.

"No, I was wondering if you'd maybe want to go with me? If you're not too busy?" He hadn't planned to ask her out today. He was thinking of maybe doing something corny and easy to ignore, like writing his phone number on her to-go cup. But he was in it now.

"I'd love to," she promised. Annabeth reached into her bag and pulled out a business card, and then shook her head. "Is this horribly impersonal and --?"

"It's alright," Percy said, "as long as I don't have to fax you the date information." There was a fax number on the card.

"Please don't, it's a communal machine," she said, "and older than I am."

"Alright, I won't," Percy promised. He didn't have a business card of his own, just ones with the coffee shop's information. So instead he did what most modern people did: he texted the cell number on her business card with a simple hey it's percy and a coffee cup emoji.

Annabeth smiled and took a second to save the number.

"So," she said, picking up her still-full drink. "Why did you start making vegan pastries?"

She had that I'm way ahead of you look in her eyes again. Percy swallowed hard.

"Um ..."

[spaceagebachelormann]

hellloooo :D

feel free to cut out any characters if u want! (theres a lot lol) but i was wondering if u could do some characters with an ftm reader? romantic or platonic is fine!

i was thinking specifically dracula, van helsing, viktor and adam frankenstein, dr jekyll and mr hyde, erik destler, meg and carlotta?

again, no pressure and take as long as u want!

☆ — classic lit characters with someone who’s ftm

✧ masterlist — navigation

✧ carmillas notes — wrote this as like coming out to them!!sorry this request took forever anyway i included all the characters but if they’re ooc i apologize, i also apologize for how badly written this prob is because i’m afab ALSO none of them are explicitly romantic or platonic so take it as u wish. also renfield mention because he’s my MAN 💜 also i ran out of motivation half way through i apologize

✧ warnings — MIGHT be inaccurate

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ count dracula

realistically he’d probably be very very confused but we’re gonna go off what i think!

i think at the end of the day he could honestly care less

in his eyes, it’s not his problem

you could sit there and tell him how you’re feeling, what being trans means, all of it, and he’d just sit there and twiddle his thumbs

“…okay.” and then y’all go on with the day

he ends up mentioning it to renfield for some reason who actually understands and gives him a good description of it (renfields cool he’d be super supportive btw)

then dracula is like “ohhhh”

he sits you down later that day and asks questions and he’s not outwardly supportive but also not outwardly bad? he just doesn’t really care

occasionally you’ll just find random masc clothes in your room or laundry after that

he’s not. the greatest but he definitely tries his best with the pronouns and gets livid if someone messes them up, even by accident

(only he’s allowed to mix them up and he apologizes and uses the correct ones after)

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ abraham van helsing

he’s fascinated honestly

outwardly more supportive than dracula, already kind of gets it and doesn’t ask as many questions unless he feels they’re necessary

he’s like “wait here” after a couple of moments and comes back a bit later holding some of his old clothes he doesn’t wear anymore and lets you keep them

he’s another one who would kind of struggle with the pronouns but for the most part he gets the hang of it pretty quickly

if he or someone else uses the wrong pronouns he’s very polite with correcting himself or someone else

wouldn’t yell but would definitely have a TALK with anyone who still uses she/her

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ victor frankenstein

he’d be very fascinated and have a lot of questions

he’s kind of asking them repeatedly but it’s just because he wants to understand. it’s also because he’s like entranced and wants to know more

also he’s a surgeon. he could give you free top/bottom surgery but also maybe you shouldn’t trust him that much considering his earlier experiments

for some reason his brain is used to it instantly and he always uses the correct masc pronouns for you and it someone uses the wrong ones he emphasizes the pronoun until they get it

overall he could genuinely care less, the concept of ftm had him interested and that’s the only thing he cared about (getting information)

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ henry jekyll

he’d be very confused. but not necessarily mean

you kind of just need to keep explaining it to him every time he messes up and then after a while he’s like “ohhhh”

it’s not his fault he’s just not used it

he would also be perfectly fine with it once he’s doing asking his questions, in his words “it’s perfectly normal to want to be your true self” (he’d know)

would probably like. tailor some of your clothes himself or pay someone to do it so they’re more masculine presenting or would straight up just get you new ones

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ edward hyde

his reaction is essentially “okay??” because he has no idea what this has to do with him

he’s cares less than everyone else. realistically he’d misgender you and then go on like nothing happened but the next time he uses a pronoun it’s likely masculine. he kind of just accidentally switches between them

he’s trying (he’s not)

he doesn’t treat you any different because he hates everyone equally, so he’ll still torment you and then drag you off to go rob a stand or something

he doesn’t have the best memory for the right pronoun, but he’s not transphobic. he just doesn’t care

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ erik destler

very similar to hyde, wouldn’t care

however, he actually does try to look out for how he refers to you and if he messes up he’ll kinda just stand there like 😨 for a moment before he corrects himself

tbh i feel like if you have longer hair he’d cut it for you himself because he’s very talented with his hands

would also let you borrow a lot of his clothes and gives you money to buy new ones, but will not be getting you them himself (unless he asked madame giry) because he does not leave that cellar

over all very supportive!! is actually very sweet about the whole thing (considering if you trust him enough to come out as ftm ur probably close w him)

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ meg giry

essentially she’s screaming I KNEW IT in your face

then goes on a long rant about how she knew and every little thing you’ve ever done that she thought was even slightly suspicious

overall she’s also very sweet and will give people the thousand yard stare if they misgender you (she’s very good with pronouns)

knows all kinds of ways to present more masculine because of her role in the opera house and helps you with those

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩ carlotta giudicelli

at first she’s like okay…. what

one of the ones that needs it explained to her in full detail

because she’s a diva she will 100% be yelling at people for you because she does not support rude behaviour from anyone except herself

would also wanna pick out your clothes for you and do your hair for you herself, because she’d be very good with fashion and clothing i feel

lowkey she’s like look at my MALE FRIEND who’s a MALE and is a MAN but it’s more so to keep herself in check because she’s genuinely worried about messing up

[baylz]

I BLINKED AND SUDDENLY, I HAD A VALENTINE .ᐟ

IN WHICH: Yuji requests spending Valentine's Day together, but it isn't a date, right?...right?

pairing: Yuji x oblivious reader

tropes: friends to lovers, mutual pining, idiots in love, fluff, small angst

song to play: valentine by laufey

word count: 3, 108

warnings: annoyed nobara, judgemental megumi, gojo being a annoying, swearing

a/n: i was supposed to upload this on the 14th but i was super busy that week so IGNORE THAT. ALSO!! this was SUPPOSED to be an oblivious reader au but it i wrote as if they were in denial so...ENJOY ANYWAY!!

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

Japan has always been so beautiful during spring. It’s February, and the flowers are in bloom. Young love has also begun to blossom around the school. It is Valentine’s Day, and there is a great deal of chocolates, bouquets, letters, and love confessions. Everyone seemed to have someone to spend the day with except you.

Nobara usually spends the day with you, but plans changed this year. “Maki and I have a cute date. This is gonna be our first Valentine together!” She swooned, and you groaned, dropping your head onto the desk.

Megumi plopped himself down next to you. “What’s wrong with them?”

“They don’t want to spend today alone.” Nobara rolled her eyes at your antics. “Oh!” She aggressively patted Megumi’s shoulders as an idea appeared, earning a glare. “Why don’t you keep them company, Megs?”

“I wish to spend today alone. Gojo is making me go see a new movie that came out. Said he needed ‘emotional support’. Geto needs to stop playing and get him off my back.” It was Megumi’s turn to groan now.

Yuji entered the classroom to see his two sulking friends with their heads hung low and a disappointed Nobara. It was similar to when he would get scolded by Nanami. He shivered at the memory.

“Uh, what is happening?” He cautiously stepped closer to his friends. Nobara poked at the moping duo to get up, but no one budged. “They’re being whiny.”

“Spending the day alone is fine, but I’ve always wanted someone to spend it with. Receiving flowers, a cute note, and overall just being wanted by someone.” Your words were completely muffled but understood nonetheless, receiving a comforting pat on the head from Nobara. “You will.”

You finally looked at her, “Oh, yeah? who?”

“Me.”

“HUH?!” They all simultaneously broke their necks to look at the pinkette. Even Megumi snapped out of his grief to gape at him. Nobara was flabbergasted, to say the least. Megumi? speechless. But, when wasn’t he? Yuji ignored the astonished stares of the room and focused on your gaze instead. “I was thinking since we’re both free, I was wondering if…” Yuji nervously stuffed his hands in his pockets before continuing, “You’d spend the day with me?”

As they looked at each other, time seemed to slow down, and Nobara's retorts were completely ignored. You started to think about what today meant and how nice it would be to be part of it with a person like Yuji. He has always been kind to you, flashing the sweetest smile your way when he sees you. His presence was welcoming, and you couldn’t help but feel at home. Plus, you were friends, so why wouldn’t you agree?

“Pick me up at my dorm?” A grin spread across his face, eyes twinkling. “I’ll see you at 5 o’clock then.”

After Yuji left, Nobara and Megumi’s eyes were boring into you. You furrowed your brows at them, shifting uncomfortably in your seat. “What?”

“Dude…Yuji just asked you out on a date!” She exclaimed, shaking your shoulders in excitement.

“Quit it, Bara! He did not! We’re just hanging out as friends.” She stared at you blankly as if saying, ‘You’re fucking joking, right?’

You looked to Megumi for support, but he just shook his head judgementally as if he was telepathically calling you an idiot. He was.

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

“Oh my god, how many times do I have to tell you that it’s not a date?”

“Until you stop being stupid.”

It was 4:57, and you were currently being pestered by Nobara on the phone while getting ready for your date hang out with Yuji. Nobara was propped up on your vanity while you were doing your makeup, “We’re just two friends hanging out on Valentine’s Day. If he wanted to ask me out on a date, he would’ve worded it differently.”

The girl on the other line stayed silent, considering it and understanding your point. But, she knew Yuji. You may not have noticed, but she had seen how differently he treated you compared to them.

He was normally very friendly and playful towards them but it was different with you. He often joked, but she noticed how he would always look at you first. When you’re sick, he’s the first one at your door with medicine and soup. Even during the times when you cling to him after he gets injured during one of his missions, his top priority is to comfort you and wipe the tears of worry off your face.

Nobara had been friends with him long enough to know that he hid his emotions very well. He was never the open type, but Nobara could always tell how he felt.

And from the look in his eyes earlier when you agreed, Yuji really thought he finally had you. Her heart ached for him, but she knew he had to tell you himself.

“Listen, Y/n, Yuji may seem to have it together, but he has never been good with his words and makes up for it with his actions. So, keep that in mind, okay?”

There had been a knock on your door at the moment. You said your goodbyes to Nobara before hanging up. You checked yourself out in the mirror to make sure everything was in place. After fixing your hair and spritzing some perfume, you open to door and are greeted by a beaming Yuji holding a bouquet of…pink paper tulips?

“I made these for you.” He held them out to you, and you could feel your heart pounding at the sweet gesture. You reached out to take them, your hands accidentally brushing, causing the two of you to flinch away from the contact. Two hearts pounding in unison.

Yuji laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck, eyes looking everywhere but at you. When he did finally look at you, a blush crept up his face as he silently marveled at your outfit.

“You look really pretty, Y/n.” Your brain short-circuited at that moment.

It’s not a date. It’s not a date. It’s not a date.

“Thank…thank you, you look pretty too.” Wait, can you say that? No clue.

Yuji laughed genuinely at your compliment and extended his arm to you. “Ready?”

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

Yuji mentioned that the place he wanted to take you was pretty far, so you had to take a train, which you obliged to. Knowing him, you expected him to make this a fun experience for you because that was just the kind of person he was. What you hadn’t expected was a packed train.

The train is usually filled with children, parents, businessmen, elders, etc. So, it was no surprise that it was particularly crammed today. You and Yuji maneuvered through the crowd, attempting to find a secluded area or an available seat. Thankfully, you did.

Unfortunately, there was only one spot was left.

The two of you bickered back and forth about who would take the seat. Yuji insisted you take it, but you stubbornly argued he should instead.

“You can take it. I can stand.”

“No, I’ll stand, and you sit.”

In the end, Yuji wound up taking the seat, but with you in his lap.

His hands were snug where they were wrapped around your waist, his head resting comfortably on your shoulder. You felt how fast his heart was thumping against your back despite his calm demeanor. You leaned against him because you couldn’t deny how nice it felt to be held by him. He was so warm and smelled so good, and you honestly couldn't think about anything else but the boy that clung to you.

This isn’t a date. This isn’t a date, This isn’t a date. He’s just being nice—

“Are you okay with this?”

Yes.

Definitely.

Absolutely.

You placed your hands over him as a way to reassure him that you were okay and trusted him. He silently nodded his head and relished in the moment of being able to be this close to you. You consumed him; your body radiated a type of warmth that not even the sun could provide him. Everything about you was just lovely. The sweet scent of your perfume and the honeyed fragrance of the shampoo in your hair was heavenly to him. Whether this time with you had a positive outcome or not, he was just happy to be with you. Having you in his arms like this was one of the best things to happen today.

“Yuji?” He acknowledged you with a hum, the vibrations thrumming against your back like the train rumbling around them. “Where exactly are we going?”

He adjusted his grip on you and thought for a moment, trying to decide whether he should tell you or not, and you could mentally picture the mischievous grin on his face as he said, “You’ll see when we get there.”

You peeked over to glare at him, “You’re really not gonna tell me?”

“’Course not.”

I’m gonna beat the shit out of him.

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

Yuji currently had his hands over your eyes, leading you to god knows where. No matter how often you poked and probed at him, he refused to relent.

“Just tell me, please?! One hint?”

“No.”

You groaned and blindly followed his lead, literally. The tepid spring breeze caressed your skin softly, and you listened to the swaying of the trees as you felt something prickle at your bare legs. The more you walked, the more you started to realize you were stepping on grass.

The wind blew harder, and you felt a wisp of a feather-like touch against your cheek. The suspense and secrecy were killing you. “Yuji, where are we—”

“Okay, we’re here.”

He removed his hands from your face, and your words immediately died in your throat. You were standing in a field of cherry blossom trees. You have never seen such a sight like this before. The meadow was covered in scarlet and ivory corolla, and you drank it all.

In the center of it all, there lay a single pink blanket and a picnic basket. There was a wide spread of all your favorite foods and desserts. Your mouth watered at the sight of the decorative cupcakes, cookies, drinks, fruits, and sandwiches.

“You did all this?!” You gawked, eyes flickering between the display and your friend.

“Well…I made the food and organized the setup...in way.”

You and Yuji plopped down on the duvet. You picked up a cupcake with a sloppily frosted heart on top and took a bite.

You suspiciously eyed Yuji. “Did you make these?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Because your pipe work is shit.” You laughed while Yuji threw you a look. You remember a time when he attempted to make your birthday cake for a surprise party the group had planned. To say the least, it was a mess because the letters looked like a child scribbled on them. You recall the look on Nobara’s and Megumi’s faces and smiled at the memory. Even though he’s not great in the kitchen, you can tell that everything he made today was prepared with a certain fondness.

You and Yuji spent the rest of your time eating and talking. The atmosphere was pleasant. Aside from all the flowers that surrounded you, you could feel something blooming in your chest the more time you spent with him.

From an outsider's point of view, you resembled a couple. How close you two were sitting, the longing looks, the light graze of fingers, and even the way you were finding excuses to feed each other.

You bit into a chocolate-covered strawberry and savored the deliciously sweet flavor. “Here.” You plucked another one off the plate and held it before Yuji’s lips. “Try this.”

He wasn’t a huge fan of chocolate, but who was he to turn away from being fed a strawberry by his crush? A fool, that’s what. He leaned forward and took a small bite, chewing slowly and trying not to gag from the taste.

You looked at him expectantly, eyes sparkling under the sunlight. “Do you like it?”

He gave you a quivered smile, causing you to burst out in a fit of laughter and hand him a napkin. “You can spit it out.” Yuji stubbornly shook his head and swallowed. Whether he liked it or not, he would eat whatever you gave him.

“Yuji…you didn’t have to eat it.” You wiped off a chunk of chocolate on the corner of his mouth.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to suppress the blush forming on his face. He failed.

He looked at you with an unreadable expression. An expression you’ve never seen on his face before. It was almost…serious. “I had to. I’ve never made a habit of denying you, Y/n.”

Your brows furrowed at that. You were never good at reading people. Especially people like Yuji. You weren’t sure if there was a hidden meaning behind his statement. Yes, he always tried to indulge in your interests and let you ramble about your latest fixation. But what did he mean by “deny you”?

You were about to ask when you felt a sudden drip on your head. Grey clouds suddenly loomed over you, casting a shadow over you and Yuji. Tiny droplets turned into a downpour, completely drenching you and your perfect picnic.

The two of you ran to take cover under one of the cherry blossom trees. It didn’t help much, but it lessened the impact of the rain. You watched from a distance as your food got completely destroyed. You could feel how the mood had shifted. The look on Yuji’s face confirmed that.

“I am so sorry.” His apology left you at a loss for words.

“What are you sorry for?” You softly asked.

He didn’t look at you as he said, “I didn’t check the weather. I would’ve brought an umbrella if I did. I completely ruined this date. I wanted to make this a memorable day for you.”

His words struck. You quickly turned to him at his dejection and wanted nothing more than to provide comfort. But there were so many things scrambling through your mind at the moment that you had no idea what to focus on. The fact that Yuji had confirmed this was a date. The fact that he felt he had ruined everything when it was the complete opposite. Or the fact that he had thought about this so carefully because he wanted to make you happy. You couldn’t believe he thought of himself as a failure when you felt so lucky to have him.

“Yuji I…”

“I spent an hour making all that food. I had to remake those cupcakes four times because I kept burning them, and now they’re soaked. I was never much a baker, but I did it for you.”

“Yuji…” You tried again.

Except, he didn’t hear you. He watched as the bouquet he gave you earlier wilt under the rainfall. His fists and jaw clenched, he said, “You know, that bouquet took hours to make. I practically burned my fingers multiple times because of the glue gun I used, but I knew it was worth it because I wanted to give you something that wasn’t temporary. Flowers die so fast, and I knew how much you loved them, so I made sure they would last forever and the rain ruined it—”

“Yuji!” Your hands cupped his face, forcing him to look at you. “I loved everything you did today. I loved the flowers, I loved the picnic, and god, I loved being with you. I wouldn't have had it any other way.” It was hard to maintain eye contact due to the droplets constantly getting your line of vision, but Yuji could see the sincereness in your gaze.

But you had more to say. You had to make sure he truly understood. “I don’t care that it didn’t go exactly as planned. I loved it regardless, and I…” You stopped, scanning his features. The look of shock in his light brown eyes, his mouth slightly parted as he waited for you to finish.

“I realized today how much I love you. I really love you, Yuji.” Not wasting a second, you closed the space between you and pressed your lips against his. He was quick to return your affections, placing his hands on your hips and pulling you closer. Bodies flushed together as your mouths moved in a smooth rhythm. He kissed you desperately as if he had been wanting to do it for a long time. He kissed like you provided him oxygen, so passionate and so devoting.

He pulled away to catch his breath, face crimson and disheveled. “I really love you too, Y/n.” He was about lean in for round two until…

“Finally!” A voice screamed suddenly.

There was a smack and yelp. “Will you shut up?��� A hushed voice snarled. The two of you could hear the two strangers murmuring back and forth, bickering.

It had sounded all too familiar.

“Gojo sensei, is that you?” Yuji called out. The white-haired male peeked out from behind the tree, waving at the pair. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt!”

You exchanged a look with Yuji at the sight of your teacher crashing your date. “Who else is with you?”

Gojo reached next to him and pulled a drenched and scowling Megumi to his side. If looks could kill, Gojo would be dead again. Your eyes flickered between the two and back at Yuji. “What are you guys doing here?”

Megumi sighed. “Yuji asked us if we could help him by setting up this picnic while he went to pick you up so everything could already be ready by the time you got here. But, you guys arrived before we could leave so we hid behind the tree.”

“So, you lied about the movie?”

He shrugged. “Pretty much.”

You swatted Yuji’s chest at that. “You told me you set this up yourself!” Yuji giggled, taking hold of your hand against his chest, and apologetically kissed your forehead. “Sorry, I should’ve been more clear.”

Ultimately, Gojo took everyone back to the school, throwing away all the soggy food and packing the dampened blanket and basket in his trunk. Gojo and Megumi sat in the front while you and Yuji cuddled in the backseat. The only sound you could hear was the pitter-patter of the rain, the gentle blow of the car heater, and the sooth thumping of Yuji’s heartbeat as you laid against his chest. The atmosphere was quiet and cozy and you felt your eyes growing heavy, unable to stay awake.

“Happy Valentine’s day, Y/n.” Yuji mumbled tenderly against your hair before you fell into a peaceful sleep.

: 𓏲🌷 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🎀𖦹ִ ࣪

@baylz please do not copy, translate, or repost any of my works onto other platforms!!

masterlist

[pumpkinbxtch]

MY LAST REQUEST 😭 I feel so bad requesting right away AGAIN but I loved your response so much I want more. I CRAVE more of it PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP MAKE A PT2 DO ANYTHING WITH THE PART 2 SLIGHTLY ANGSTY AND FLUFFY PLSPLS 😭🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️ TYSM AGAIN LIKE YOURE LITERALLY THE BEST ur single handily fueling my obsession rn this will be my last one for a while TRUST unless you say otherwise, I don’t wanna overwhelm you ❤️💔

• ° . ☆ “Free coupons, take one and cry all afternoon ” II

— apollo x mortal!reader

part i

summary: part ii, you need to read it, the link is above. run, go warnings: none a/n: really forgive me, haha. I wanted to do something very nice but, well, you'll read what I did. I don't know, forgive me 😔 I couldn't control myself HAHA Still I hope you enjoy it.

Lester was about to throw up the burger, or well, the two bites he had taken. No misunderstanding, it was good.

But you continued to check that they were well taken care of; Giving him pretty smiles and walking near him with that lavender smell of yours. Shit, he wanted to be close to you.

They were too many of you, so they had to join several tables and, among the place that was about to explode, they stood out.

A very lively table, Apollo assumed.

Percy played with his soda making swirls telepathically, Leo put his hand in and undid it, it was funny until the son of Poseidon realized that the drink was disgustingly tampered with. He didn't take a sip again. The other boys laughed.

The girls were talking and laughing and pushing each other, including Meg.

Nico picked at Percy's fries and sipped on Will's soda. Living his best life, Apollo thought.

He liked the idea of being with them and being able to take care of them (even though they beat them to the times they had saved his ass) he could now return the favor.

Oh, if only you could see it. You would be happy. You told him in almost all your lives that he was guilty of being self-centered.

Apollo found himself struggling with the thoughts of him, you weren't dead. You were in front of him.

You passed the door to the counter, holding a tray in each hand. That image flashed in his mind, transporting him back to when you used to walk around with two vases on your shoulders, dancing among the people. Some chains hanging from your neck and the jewelry clashed. You have always been beautiful. Whatever way you came back to him; Boy, girl, you were always beautiful.

— LESTER! —He jumped out of the seat and collided with Jason's shoulder.

— All good?

No, he wanted to be with you.

— The girl over there is talking to you, — Will said with a worried look for his father.

He looked up and spotted you behind the cash register. He made his way towards you without hesitation.

—Mr. Lester, I see that you didn't wait two seconds to use those coupons.— You said with a smile on your lips. Some strands of hair were sticking out from under the cap you were wearing.

—We were hungry.

Idiot, couldn't he think of a better line?

You let out a laugh, and he leaned slightly on the bar, his stomach wouldn't leave him alone.

You leaned over the bar, closing the distance between you. The boy smelled like sunshine and some kind of sweet scent, totally pleasing to your sense of smell. Strangely, you wanted to be even closer to him, like a little impulse to be with him alone, to hug him. Were you attracted to him? But it seemed like a joke, they had only met by chance. You cleared your throat.

— Everything's alright there? — You pointed with your eyes to the table where the rest of his friends and sister were. Although this one had nothing in common with him.

You looked at him. The blonde curls mixed with the black ones making a particular blend, you wondered if it was something genetic and his blue eyes, you had seen them. You were sure.

He touched your shoulder excessively softly, as if he was afraid of breaking you.

— Excuse me?

You let out a laugh and straightened up. Again he was a little further away and you didn't like the feeling.

—I didn't hear you, sorry. Did you say?

Lester smiled.

— It's all good. If we make too much noise, we can leave.

You denied without thinking, almost as an act of desperation. You and he chatted a little more, and you told him to sit down so he could finish his meal.

Walked into the kitchen and cursed under your breath. It was inevitable, he would have to leave at some point. What if you asked for his number? The thought made you bite your lip, and you squeezed your eyes shut.

You felt stupid. Would you look like that in front of him?

You gave him the coupons you had collected to go out with your friends for half a month, just for the sake of it? You never talked to strangers on the street, but Lester didn't seem like a stranger to you.

Apollo returned to the table and ate a chip without much enthusiasm.

Rachel glanced at Piper.

— Any problem? — Frank said drinking soda from the straw.

The god shook his head and sighed. He felt useless, helpless because he wanted to be with you, but he couldn't find a way. Maybe he could ask you for your number. Yeah! Or not?

— I think it's better that you eat. —Rachel said. As if she could guess his thoughts. Or maybe yes? He looked up and took the burger in her hands, after examining it, he handed it to the son of Hades. Nico ate it almost in an instant. And he got up again to go with you.

— Excuse me!

— Tell me — A waiter served him. Apollo felt stupid, so he ended up ordering ice cream.

He returned with the cone in his hand and a pout on his mouth.

Piper hid her giggle behind the paper menu.

The thoughts of asking for his number also didn't leave you alone, but every time you tried to approach him, something simply interrupted you.

You quickened your pace towards him. You cursed the fact that Lester's back was turned, and an arm stopped your path.

— Miss…

Again. You ended up in the kitchen, mumbling and grimacing.

Apollo also couldn't find you at any time that you could speak. He slammed his hand on the table and bumped his forehead against the plastic surface. It seemed like a joke!

Rachel shook her head slightly and stroked her head.

—Hey, Apollo.

He denied rubbing his face on the table.

Everyone wanted to ask, but the redhead put a finger on her lips.

— Apollo

— It's not Apollo, it's Lester

She understood, things weren't going well, but it was inevitable. Rachel got down to Apollo's level.

— Try it one more time, if you hate this, try it as many times as necessary. But know that you tried everything.

The god's blue eyes peered through his hair, and stood up with a sigh.

Everyone at the table pretended not to have heard, they played dumb talking about the weather.

And he tried again.

and he failed again.

You didn't feel any different, you felt like everything had been so easy until you got it into your head that you needed to be with him. You looked through the delivery window and noticed that his table was almost empty, you had worked in food chains for so long to know that they were about to leave the place. Your soul felt a despair that at the same time seemed meaningless to you.

You looked for a pen and paper, a sheet they use for receipt notes.

You wrote your number and a note: call me!, and you doodled a heart. Inexplicably, you also drew a sun. If you couldn't get close, someone else could.

—Brenda!

Your coworker stopped her pace and raised her chin. She just had a tray in her hand, perfect. You walked over to her quickly.

— Deliver this to table seven.

She nodded.

Apollo was already feeling hopeless, he drank Piper's drink and talked to her friends. During the conversation, your coworker handed the note on a small tray. Rachel looked at the paper and waited for Apollo to take it.

He did, and while he was laughing about something Frank had told him, he crumpled it up and threw the ball of paper into the metal trash can.

The redhead didn't say anything, she knew what was happening. She knew that even if she went to the boat and gave the paper to her friend, it would be something else.

The food was finished, and the rest had been pleasant.

Then everyone rose from their chairs.

Apollo looked again at the same window through which you had been spying on him, until at that same moment it was your turn to throw out the trash.

And that's how things ended.

Apollo walked away from the place, and you didn't see him leave. Both felt their spirits on the ground, their stomachs full of anxiety. It was strange, it was fleeting. But when things didn't have to happen, it was that simple. They just wouldn't happen.

At least, not in this life of yours.

Every chance with Apollo would wither, corrode, perish. It didn't matter how much they tried or struggled.

It was not going to work. At that moment, you were destined to meet but not to stay together, not even for a full day.

And how cruel because there was so much he wanted to show you.

But not now, but until 100 years later.

[starsha-k-luna]

OK, so ever since I saw Transformers One, I couldn’t help but think of that scene from Netflix She-Ra Series Finale where Adora sees her future and Catra saves Adora life, then tells her she loves her and they kiss at the end.

I was thinking of Optimus Prime being in Adora’s place and Megatron in Catra’s place.

I wanted to draw up a comic, but DRAWING TRANSFORMERS IS SO HARD!!!!!!

So I decided to try and write it up as a mini story instead, being set where OP is sacrificing his life for Cypertron (think of when OP sacrifices himself in TF Prime Season Finale) and Megs being at his side trying to get him to wake up and keep him alive.

Sorry if it’s a bit weird, I’m an Artist not a Writer.

Megatron is holding his foe (former best friend) Optimus Prime in his arms as he slowly slips away after giving his life force to save Cybertron from destruction.

“Hang in there Prime, you’ll bounce back, you always do,”said Megatron with tears starting to form in his eyes.

“It’s ok,” Optimus says in a quite small voice as he closes his eyes.

“Orion!” calls out Megatron, not caring he called Optimus by his former name a name he has not said in such a long time.

* * * * * * *

Optimus wakes up in an unfamiliar place looking in a mirror his reflection, he looks slightly older. Then he hears the door open Bee comes in with Megatron (who looks like his old self when he was D 16) right behind him.

“Let me just clean you up a bit,” said Megatron in a playful voice.

“Nooo,” Bee says as he runs giddily toward Optimus and hides behind him before Megatron can catch him. “You need to save me, Dee’s going to torture me”.

“Stop being dramatic already,” says Megatron with a small smile on his face.

Then Elita One comes into the room.

“Alright everyone, enough playing around,” says Elita. “We have to meet up with the city leaders and we cannot be late.” Then she grabs Bee by the arm and begins to drags him out of the room.

“Ok, bye guys see you later,” says Bee as he and Elita leave the room. Megatron starts to follow before turning back and facing Optimus who has been quite through out the whole ordeal.

“You coming Pax” Megatron says as he holds out his hand for Optimus to hold.

Optimus smiles (especially after hearing his old name) and begins to take Megatron, no Dee’s hand.

Then Dee’s hand glitches, then his whole body before his form glitches into Sentinel Prime’s form.

“What a beautiful wish,” says Sentinel Prime with a sinister grin on his face, “Too bad it will never come true”. Then Sentinel grabs Optimus by the arm and the whole room turns into a Black Void.

* * * * * * *

Now Megatron is Panicking!

He can literally see the life fading away from his former friend’s body.

In a last ditch effort to get through to him, the starts to talk to him.

“ORION PAX!” He calls. “Please don’t give up come back.”

Then he notices Optimus twitch. He heard him! Megatron keeps talking.

* * * * * * *

Meanwhile Optimus is being dragged down further into the Black Void by Sentient Prime as he laughs.

Then he hears a familiar voice.

“ORION PAX!”

He eyes open wide then in an opening he sees Megatron holding out his hand.

“Come on Pax!” Megatron calls out. “You can’t give up, you’ve never given up on anything in your life, not even on me, so don’t you dare start now!”

Despite Sentinel Prime’s grasp, Optimus is able to get his right arm free and try’s to grab Megatron’s hand, but he’s just out of reach.

“I, I can’t” said Optimus.

“No, don’t give up,” said Megatron pleadingly, “I’ve, I’ve got you.”

Optimus starts to look away looking defeated as Sentinel wicked smile grows wider.

Megatron then says with tears flooding his eyes.

“Don’t you get it Pax!” Begging at this point because he was not about to lose him.

“I love you, I always have, so please just this once stay!” Then Megatron grabs Optimus’s hand.

* * * * * * *

Megatron wakes up, wait when did he fall asleep and looks over to see Optimus has also woken up. He looks at him and asks.

“You love me?”

“You’re such an idiot” Megatron responds, then a gentle hand motions his head to look towards Optimus, he has a gentle smile on his face and simply says.

“I love you too Dee,”

Then Megatron pulls Optimus close, then they share a kiss.

The Matrix of Leadership glows brightly and heals Optimus.

That’s The End!

I don’t now how exactly too end it, so I’m just going to leave it there.

Anyway let me know what you all think?

I’d love to hear some feedback and if there’s anyway to improve it?

I’ll see you all next time👋

[stillness138]

where are characters from the first Hades game now, and some other character-centric theories:

inspired by this post by @thebuttsmcgee

so from the technical test gameplay stream we learned that Chronos straight up took over the underworld and kidnapped not only Hades, but Zagreus and Persephone too. out of the underworlders from the first game, Charon is still doing his thing in secret, Skelly returns in a new coat, the Wretched Broker is back too, and Hypnos is the only other guy from the House who's hiding at Hecate's hub, but he's also fast asleep...

personally, i think Hypnos might be cursed or something like that. Chronos using Hypnos's schtick against him? lose time by sleeping through it all? or maybe he just wakes up a bit later. hell, maybe he's always asleep during the test but not the final game because he would've dropped a spoiler or something.

so what about the rest?

assuming they're not all imprisoned somehow,

-Nyx and Thanatos: they could've fled to Chaos. a narrator's note at the Crossroads says that it houses 'those still loyal to lord Hades', but doesn't necessarily say 'all of them'. Nyx visits Chaos in the first game once their relationship is mended, and like the post i linked said, Than would've probably tried to protect the family and the House for as long as he could. but in the face of no other option, i think Chaos would be a viable place to flee to for the two of them, out of Chronos's reach similarly to the Crossroads. Than also visits the surface though, so maybe he'll show up at the Crossroads at some point? maybe in a plot point, trying to help Mel free Zag and the fam? both of them are important enough to warrant an appearance.

-the Furies: my idea is that all three of them were forced to serve Chronos. they're a very important part of security and upkeep down there, i think he would've wanted the realm's employees on his side. i don't however think they're going to be the bossfight between Asphodel and Tartarus. they, or Meg alone, should have some presence however.

-Sisiphus: it would be kinda cute if the furies went behind Chronos's back and helped to tuck Sisiphus away somewhere safe, given that he is loyal to Zag/the family and maybe that'd mean they were ordered to torture him again. depends on what Chronos's rule over the underworld looks like for the different shades there, but Melinoë speaks to the few that hang around at Crossroads in an almost comforting manner, so i imagine Chronos is trying to rule by fear and get shades on his side that way. Bouldy's gonna be sad, but fine. i hope. but at least a mention would be nice.

-Achilles and Patroclus (and Theseus&Asterius): ...they're probably separated again, aren't they... brainstorming now, i like (pain and) the idea that they're both in Elysium, just not together. because i think Elysium would've risen up as an army of sorts trying to oppose Chronos, given it's all warriors and heroes. separated by war. Nemesis having Stygius with her makes me believe Achilles could be wielding Varatha. additionally, Theseus being forced to step up and put his vanity aside, delicious idea i think. also, Mel arriving to this supposed paradise only to find it in a desolate state. all of them, i think, should be at the very least mentioned too.

-Orpheus and Euridice: they could be both hiding or imprisoned or forced to serve, but. what if this time it's Euridice who's looking for Orpheus. he's at the house and at Chronos's whim, while she makes it to the Crossroads and asks Mel for help. it'd be a shame if they were never heard from again.

-Cerberus: probably locked up with the fam :( orrr he's running wild all around the realm and Chronos is literally incapable of taming him. that would've been fun. Cerberus bossfight tho... nah. no way he wouldn't see something familiar in Mel. but it could be fun too if done right. he definitely has to reappear.

-Dusa: wild theory time but she's hiding in the rafters, spying on Chronos. :D. if the situation is much more dire, she's either also forced to serve, or even banished into Asphodel to be with the other gorgon heads. either way i think she'll pop up again in some capacity.

-House Contractor, Head Chef, Resource Director: probably unwillingly continuing their jobs under Chronos's rule. although the chef might've lost his job, depends if Chronos like, eats normal food. well mostly onions and fish but still. alternatively, the chef will also show up at Crossroads like the Wretched Broker does.

-THE GOOD SHADE from Elysium: okay war hero good shade arc when? i'm sorry, but i love them.

some other ideas, theories and wishes:

-the obvious one is Hera, like many others i also hope she will appear as a major boon giver.

-i have a feeling, however, that Hermes might not. it seems a bit that Artemis and Selene are filling up his role as the little bit specific boon giver, but maybe i'm wrong. Artemis provides crit boons just like in the first game and Selene has a bit more of a Chaos vibe to her. let's see.

-i do think, or would like it if, Chaos shows up, but not as a boon giver. but i believe they would definitely have something to say about Chronos's actions.

-back to Hermes though... there's that sealed staircase that leads upwards from the Crossroads. people have already been theorizing this, but there might seriously be a section of the game taking place on Olympus, or at the very least somewhere under it. still, i don't think Hermes would be a boon giver either if he does appear. i would however like to see him interact with Charon.

-the Fates will, i think, remain obscure, even if Moros has more of a connection to them. maybe they'll be mentioned and explored a bit more, but i wouldn't count on them appearing by themselves.

-i would however like to see at least one more of Nyx's kids. originally, i also hoped Erebus himself ever shows up personified, but i like what they've done with it as a place.

Eris is i'd say the biggest contender, given that she's namedropped in the first game through a weapon aspect and a purchasable item. maybe she's even boss material (again, if Nemesis has the sword, Eris may wield the rail).

-same thinking can be applied to Ariadne (she lives with Dionysus on Olympus, does she not?), Talos (giant robot made by Hephaestus, how cool is that), and Lamia (snake lady with personal history with Zeus and Hera, would even make for a cool boss too i think, although i always viewed her as a more melancholic figure. but i'm just spitballing here). there are also Atlas, Prometheus and other names on Charon's many items, those are less likely to make an appearance imo.

-Talos also obviously has a weapon aspect in the first one, and then there's Chiron. in myth, he is the son of Chronos. the juiciness of that situation, given he has a relationship with Achilles and Patty as well... perhaps he'll be Elysium's miniboss in the spirit of Asterius? or straight up a main boss? or actually a friendly? i really hope they did something with him, the potential is so very there.

-i think Daedalus will remain present just in name and spirit.

-now that i'm on the weapons though, for all we know there might not be such a thing as weapon aspects (at least not tied to specific figures) in Hades 2, but if there are, including hidden aspects, i'd like to see nods to more of other world mythologies/histories/cultures, like Egyptian, Japanese, pre-columbian American or Slavic.

-this brings me to keepsakes and companion plushies, if they're in the game at all and if so, who gives them out.

keepsake-wise, beside the olympians, Hecate is obvious, as well as Odysseus, and Nemesis and Moros are too. Arachne and Skelly also. Charon seems likely, so does Dora. maybe Hypnos if/when he wakes up. Selene, probably.

i'd say, if companions are a thing, it's also up to Nemesis and Moros, Odysseus, maybe Hecate, likely Arachne, and if there's 6 of them like last time, the final one will be from either Dora or someone we haven't seen yet. or Hecate doesn't give one (she's pretty op for a summon) but Skelly does.

-this also ties into romance! it's been deduced a long time ago, right when the trailer came out, that Nemesis and Moros are very likely romanceable. i also see the appeal and potential of romancing Dora, and from the technical test, i like Melinoë's friendship with Artemis. Hypnos's presence at the Crossroads is interesting from this point too, but i wouldn't guess he'll be romanceable if/when he wakes up.

there are more details to speculate about, especially in gameplay and resources (boss room rewards! the equivalent of nectar/ambrosia to give characters!) but i wanted to keep this mainly about the npcs.

honestly curious what other people are saying!

[slashthrashandcrash]

What realm(s) do you think Danny enjoys being in the most. Be it killing time or actually in Trials

Same goes to The brats (Legion) and even Meg. Tho I'd prefer an answer other than Ormond for Legion

To kill time: The meat plant, to bug the shit out of Amanda. Hawkins, it's quiet and not many people will bug him due to it being demogorgon territory. Haddonfield, it's...weirdly nice to have a little piece of suburbia, even nicer that it's haunted by a local legend. Ormond, if only because that's just where he ends up most time to smoke or fuck around with the kids. Survivor campfire, only from the tree line, to observe and take notes of future victims for funsies (:

For trials: He likes places that have a lot of obstacles and nooks and crannies for him to sneak around with coverage, nothing too open but not too cramped that he'd risk losing a survivor. The asylum, autohaven, the silent hill school depending on his mood. And also the realms mentioned previously since he'd be more familiar with them by proxy of hanging out there frequently enough.

I think old habits would die hard for the Legion brats, so they'd like places they already used to break into to loiter/graffiti; places like autohaven or greenville, and naturally Ormond. They'd probably fuck around in the bigger places like any of the schools or the police station for fun and to plunder in all the different rooms. Their favorite for trials though I will still say is Ormond purely because it's "home" and therefore makes them feel like they have a greater advantage over survivors (plus, they're still young, I feel like they still like the comfort of familiarity/home even if they don't want to admit it).

I don't think Meg likes any of the realms outside of the campfire since she only goes there during trials to possibly die lmao. She'd probably like the ones that are open and free range (complete opposite of Danny) so that it gives her more opportunity to sprint.

[merlinfromberlin]

AMA about any of my fics!

Hi, my week's been absolutely, singularly terrible and is most likely only going to become more terrible in the next few days.

So, if you have any questions about any of my fics or wips or headcannons, please, please, please feel free to shoot me an ask about them.

I could really use any distraction right now.

Overview of Fics and WIPs below the cut because I have a long, long list of projects:

Fics:

A Little Left of Right

Champions Aren't Born

Dreaming of Home

Make You Feel Alright (+ companion fics!)

Nooks & Crevices

various oneshots

WIPs/Ideas:

Numb Little Bug (TFP rewrite; Bee as a sort of disciple [honestly, not entirely sure if that's the correct English word] of Primus/mildly possessed by a weird feeling - 1st chapter is almost finished)

TF One Prequel (focuses on B-127's life up until meeting Dee and Orion, features Dad-Ratchet and at least Brawn, if not more of the Minibots from G1; I have 1 prologue and 1 chapter of this finished and might upload it next weekend)

Starsabre Possession AU (something lives in the Starsabre and takes posession of Bee when he dies at the fight at the Omegalock)

Megatron "Fake Redemption" Arc (TFP; not entirely sure if the redemption arc would really be fake or not because I have complicated feelings on redeeming someone like Megs, especially in TFP - maybe I'd also do an Amnesia arc; anyway, I'd want to explore Bee's feelings towards that and especially towards it happening in his direct vicinity + I want to do something A Monster Calls-Esque where he talks to the spirits of the Primes in order to make sense of all of this; + I'd imagine him running away at some point or another and hanging out with KOBD who've abandoned the Cons at that point)

Humanformers/Mecha AU (probably based on TFP, maybe a mix of different stuff - Earth and Cybertron are parallel dimension versions of the same planet and Shockwave creates a portal between them; and then throws a few people through it in order to test it out - among them Predaking and Bee; later a rescue mission consisting of a few more Autobots as well as more Cons also ends up on Earth)

"Bayverse Twist-Up" (Shattered Glass esque rewrite of the Bayverse Movies inspired loosely by Arthurian Literature - although that Arthurian Literature inspo is relatively new so I can't say too much about that part yet)

TF ONE Shatterred Glass (based on Animal Farm by George Orwell)

TFP MegOP after the War (because I need more angry Bee in my life; similar to the Fake Redemption but oneshot focusing on the fallout between Optimus and Bee)

TFP "Back to the Future" AU (I think Bee and Hot Rod going back in time and watching Orion Pax and the crew being friends with Megatronus and working together with him before he turns could be really funny/interesting)

Theoretically I have some more ideas but these are the ones that are the most fleshed out so that I can actually answer some questions about them.

I'm starting to understand why I never finish any of my ongoing projects. Well. Also, yes, my roommate was absolute correct when she said that there's a pattern to my stories and that is torturing Bee.

[antebunny]

go for it, Lois Lane!

FOUR WEEKS BEFORE CLARK JUMPS OUT A WINDOW

Lois has a crush on Clark for six months, two weeks and three days before she asks him out. Not that she’s counting or anything. It feels a little silly to say “crush,” even though that’s what it is. It feels even sillier for a go-getter person like Lois to wait for so long before asking, but really, her reasons are completely logical and totally understandable.

First, she’s friends with Clark for about a year before she considers that he may actually like her back, and he’s only keeping quiet about it because he’s, well, Clark. After that is when the “crush” develops in which Lois continuously overthinks every act of friendship she previously took for granted. 

Second, Lois is the senior at work, even though they’re the same age. For the first couple weeks or so, it was her job to show him the ropes, which makes speculating about a relationship feel inappropriate. Though as far as improprieties go, Lois is not sure this one is even on the list. 

Third, it’s never a good idea to date someone from work. This sticking point holds Lois back for a while until she realizes that Clark is not just a friend from work.

“Uh, where do you want the fridge?” Clark’s voice is muffled from behind the boxed side-by-side refrigerator held precariously in his arms.

It’s move-in day for Lois and her new apartment, and she recruited a bunch of friends to help her. Friends from work, friends from college, people who just happened to be in Metropolis at the right time. Mostly they’re just free labor to her, but Lois bought some very nice wine and snacks to share, and she started off with her closest friends.

“Just put it on the kitchen floor!” Lois calls back.

Clark is one of her favorite friends.

This is the realization that sinks in as Clark settles the refrigerator carefully on the kitchen tiles. Even if one of them quit working at the Daily Planet, Lois is confident that they’d still find time to meet up. They are friends outside of work too.

“Phew!” Clark catches Lois’ eye from across the living room and smiles that goofy smile of his. He rolls his shoulders back as he straightens, but there’s not a hint of sweat as he wipes the back of his hand across his forehead. “That was pretty heavy.”

Lois rolls her eyes fondly. He’s obviously lying; there’s not a hint of perspiration, no heaving chest, or anything other sign of exertion. It’s kind of sweet that he feels the urge to comfort her about the difficulty of lifting her boxes. Unnecessary, as Lois never had any plans to carry it around herself, but sweet nonetheless.

That’s just how Clark is. He’s kind of a coward, but he’s surprisingly strong. And so what if he’s not a daredevil? This isn’t the 1600s. She doesn’t want him to grab a horse and a lance and joust for her honor. He’s thoughtful, he remembers the little things, he respects her, he’s quietly funny, he can cook, and he is genuinely kind-hearted. Of course she likes him. 

One by one, her friends bow out and head home. Ellis helps her get the last rug down, gleefully samples all of her wines, and has to be driven home by Xochitl. Perry swipes a handful of snacks on his way out, Irene takes the subway and a taser, and Meg, self-proclaimed expert bedroom decorator, sets up hangings and decorative pillows until her phone hits 10% battery and she catches a midnight cab home.

In the end, it’s just Lois and Clark, settled in her newly-furnished living room and talking into the wee hours of the morning. Politics, arts, home decor, lead pipes in housing projects, superheroes and the proper way to grill a chicken; Lois will lose her voice before she runs out of conversation topics. She wishes she could have this regularly. Just her and Clark, passing around a bottle of wine or that mysterious red-blue ice cream flavor that Clark likes. 

Clark, Lois knows, lives alone, and it’s so hard for a big guy like him to take the subway at midnight. Still, he’s had a little wine, so it’s not ideal. Maybe that’s why, when Clark eventually slaps his knees and reluctantly says that he should get going, Lois speaks up.

“You could stay.”

Okay, so it’s not the wine that drops her stomach off a cliff when he rises and heads for the door. But in any case, he pauses at her words, and glances at the couch. It’s white and soft, ideal for sleeping, but Lois doesn’t have a change of clothes for him. At least, nothing that fits him. Clark had only intended to help a friend move into her new apartment.

“Do you have a spare blanket?” Clark asks. He tips his head to the side. “For the couch?”

Lois hesitates, still thinking of what he will wear tomorrow (Sunday) even though no one in Metropolis will blink twice at a man walking around in a giant marshmallow costume. Really, she muses, it’s better for him not to wear clothes at all. And then she’s thinking of her nice new bed, which deserves a housewarming party of its own, and maybe it’s the wine, or the lighting, or the (to emulate Clark) gosh-darn genuineness of Clark’s question, but–

“Don’t have to take the couch,” Lois blurts out. “Could come to bed with me.” She’ll blame the wine to the end of time, but her cheeks immediately color deep red. “That’s not how I wanted to say it. I don’t mean just–I like you.”

Oh, this is embarrassing. This is really quite off-game for Pulitzer prize winning journalist Lois Lane. She swears she usually has more game than this.

Clark smiles the crooked little smile of his. “Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Ms. Lane?”

Well, she always knew that Clark was at least as embarrassing as her. 

Lois tosses her dirty blond hair back, one hand on hip, reclaiming her dignity through performance. “And if I am, Smallville?” 

Clark beams. “Then yes.”

Faster than Lois knew was humanly possible, Clark crosses the space between the front door and the arm of the couch. Lois rises to her feet, vaguely shocked by how much taller Clark is than her when he’s not hunching his shoulders as per usual. The breadth of those shoulders nearly halves when he’s hunching them, too. He hides so much with the way he carries himself. His sense of humor, his silent, steely convictions, his compassion; everything that makes him Clark Kent.

He’s not hiding anything now. Clark bends his head down, a boyish smile on his face. Behind those thick glasses of his, his eyes are shockingly blue. The stubble on his chin brushes against her forehead. He leans in. And all Lois can think is: holy shit, I can’t believe that worked.

Whoever said the course of true love never did run smooth? Lois thinks it’s pretty easy. 

SIX MONTHS BEFORE CLARK JUMPS OUT A WINDOW

Lois discovers Superman’s weird obsession with her around the same time as she’s learning about the existence of Superman. The Flash has been running (ha) around Central City for a few years now, the Batman is somewhere between urban legend and dangerously real vigilante, and everyone knows Wonder Woman. Superheroes are not uncommon. But Superman is the first one to really stick for Metropolis. And as always, Lois Lane is right on the case. 

She’s worried, now, that her persistent, journalistic pursuit of the guy might have been taken as interest. Perhaps this worry could be interpreted as ego-inflating, i.e. can you believe it? Superman is just soooo obsessed with me. But Lois can safely make this claim from her unwanted vantage point of Superman’s arms.

 He’s saved her from falling to her death, or so he says. Lois doesn’t know that she was truly in danger of falling, but she’s not going to argue with the man when he’s carrying her hundreds of feet over Metropolis. Survival instincts 101: don’t talk back to the only person standing between you and certain death. Thank you for coming to her TED Talk. And please note that this is the first red flag. 

In any case, she sure feels weak in the knees when he sets her down gently on the roof of the Daily Planet. He hovers for a moment longer, about a foot off the rooftop. Like he’s forgotten that people generally like to have conversations eye-to-eye.

“If you ever need me, just give me a shout,” Superman says, in a way that’s probably supposed to be comforting. 

Then he flies off without waiting for a response. So much for having a conversation. But Lois is more preoccupied with the implications of give me a shout. Just how far is his hearing range? Can he hear her if she’s underground? Can he hear her in the office? Is he eavesdropping on the conversations she has with coworkers? 

Lois makes it down to the Daily Planet offices in record time. This is not the first, and, distressingly, probably not the last time that Superman has dropped her off on the rooftop of the Daily Planet. She slinks back into her cubicle, glances left and right, and ignores the knowing looks of her coworkers. 

“Hey, Bea,” Lois rolls her swivel chair backwards and places an arm on the divider of the desk of her colleague, Beatrice Langford. “Superman ever invite you to dinner?”

Bea stares at her blankly. “No? Why?”

“Just curious.” Lois rolls her chair back to her desk.

Lois is pretty sure that Bea is more conventionally attractive than her, though there’s no accounting for taste. True, Lois is the one pursuing his case on the regular, but just about everyone in her office has had an interaction with Superman, and she hasn’t had significantly more than the average. 

Still, she’d probe Bea more if she weren’t so worried about Superman overhearing. That’s another problem: the fear that he could be watching her at anytime. The more she learns about his abilities, the more scared she becomes. He can hear her heartbeat through a skyscraper. He can see through anything, can smash through every material that is commonly found in a major city. Bullets break on his skin. 

And he asked her to dinner, just over a week ago.

Lois turned him down, of course, as politely as she knew how. Worried, again, about antagonizing the person she was stuck on a rooftop with who could fly, shoot lasers with his eyes like he’s in Star Wars without the cool lightsabers, and send her flying off said rooftop with a flick of his pinky finger. 

Superman has never been anything but polite, if somewhat distressed at totally reasonable times. Still, getting asked to dinner by someone like him is what turns his obsession from weird to worrying.

She looks to her left. Ideally, she could talk about this with Clark. But funnily enough, he’s out of the office again.

[emilyofthegreenwood]

"What a Scoundrel Wants" by Carrie Lofty

Zebra Books, 2008 || Read and reviewed January 2025

When I made a list of all the Robin Hood themed historical romance novels out there, I immediately judged this book by its cover and I shouldn’t have. What a mistake. (To be fair, I’m not sure there’s a single romance novel out there that can be accurately judged by its cover. Even when they have gorgeous/insane painted clinch covers.) This was so much fun! I had such a blast!

At 3AM on January 1st, I thought it was the right time to start this book and boy was I wrong. Chapter one. Ahem. Will Scarlet, among a host of other men, are waiting along the forest road to ambush the traveling party of a wealthy earl. Okay, got it. Familiar territory. Oh, hang on, the other men are… the sheriff’s men and they’re murdering people? I really thought I had lost my damn mind. After two pages, I put it down and promptly went to sleep, vowing to try again in the morning when I wasn’t already half-dead and confused. To my complete surprise, yes, I had read it correctly. Will Scarlet was indeed ambushing wealthy travelers as part of a group of hired soldier-types working for the sheriff.

Taking place at least four to five years after Robin has left behind his days of leading an outlaw band in Sherwood Forest, this works something like a sequel. Will, the bastard son of Robin’s sister, was quite young during his days in Sherwood, and “What a Scoundrel Wants” features him making his way as an adult while endlessly trailed and overshadowed by the infamy of his uncle. Opposite Will is our heroine, Meg. She is an intelligent and competent heroine who uses alchemy to forge fake emeralds, gold, and Greek fire, among other things. She's also blind, which I'll talk a bit about later. Before our story begins, Meg’s sister and accomplice, Ada, is caught selling the fake emeralds and is arrested by none other than Will. (Oooohhhh, intrigue and conflict.) Which, somehow, brings us to their meet-cute during the attack on a forest road when Meg is traveling with an earl who has promised his help and influence to free Ada. Hijinks and sexual tension ensue after Will rescues Ada from the needlessly violent attack and they flee into the forest.

I might argue that this feels more like Will’s story than Meg’s, but they’re a fantastic duo, and I really enjoyed them both as the leads to this story. Considering that Will did arrest her sister, this could be categorized as an enemies-to-lovers situation, and they spend the first third of the book sniping at each other constantly, in turns pissed off and impressed by the other person. Their chemistry felt mostly unique, and they brought out the better parts of each other throughout the story. Will plays the part of a protective, possessive romance hero without ever feeling toxic or overbearing. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Meg’s blindness, or how that would be handled, but it was mostly done gracefully and added some really sweet (and occasionally even sexy) elements. I really enjoyed how Will formed a habit of verbally describing their surroundings, and she became very comfortable asking him to do this for her. There's a fiery equilibrium between the two, but a real gentleness, too.

I think this might be described as a bonkers book. There’s torture, burning at the stake, explosions, betrayal, undercover missions, the sheriff is kind of implied to have a foot fetish, and the drama is freaking high. How many deadly fires can one little book have? At least four. The first third is a lot of trudging through the forest and trying to get to Nottingham, but once things pick up, they really do not stop.

Okay, I have to talk about the Robin Hood stuff. I mean, obviously.

There was so much to love about the Robin Hood content in this book. I got the impression that the author wanted to write a Robin Hood book, and cared about the source material she was using, beyond what it offered in easy marketing. Each chapter started with a quote from a poem, ballad, or book. Over 39 chapters, she quoted no less than 28 sources. 28! I could tell there was genuine care for the recognizable characters: Robin, Marian, Tuck, and Little John all make appearances. Even though they weren’t a constant presence, Robin and Marian both hovered in the background constantly and even drove some of Will's decisions. There’s a real sense that they're his family and he loves them deeply, even though there are a few things to complicate that relationship.

A major part of Will’s personal development and character resolution is mending broken fences that he has with Robin. The book hinted at what the issues were throughout, and it seemed like there might be some big reveal, so it was kind of anticlimactic when there wasn't a larger reveal. The issues were there, and readers learn more as the story progresses about why the interpersonal tension exists, but there isn't a big Thing that causes it. Necessarily.

Actually, let’s talk about that a bit. If you’re game for a spoiler and getting a bit mad, you can look under the cut.

This Robin is not my ideal Robin, but if I bleach my brain of the spoiler, he's not half bad. Marian however, ah!! Marian is all the best parts of many Marians, seamlessly whole as a character despite her minor role and shorter time on page.

Some Marian highlights:

She's noted for being strategic

She's one of the characters who can read

She has clothes for being in the woods (aka cross-dressing)

She planned to join Robin and Will in the battle (as she had in years past) at the end, but then decided to stay behind to ensure that their son would not lose both parents

She wears a dagger at home because old habits die hard

I adore her.

As mistress and lady of Locksley, Marian has the responsibility of real medieval women, and it was so nice to see. This bit made me happy while Robin is reading up on what missed at Locksley during the three years he was away:

"Sighing, he turned back to the ledgers. Marian had kept impeccable records of the manor's work receipts and productivity, as well as testimonies for every dispute and judgement. Her fine hand touched every sheet, curled around every detail. Touching a finger to the long-dried ink, he imagined the life she must have led in his absence, the responsibility and the waiting—and a loneliness to match his. At each turn, she behaved on behalf of their lives together."

Yeah, I'm sighing too. I did not expect this level of recognition and respect for medieval women's work from this book.

To sum up, because I've rambled for too long. I loved this. I really did. I had a magnificent time. Aside from the Thing, I think this is a near perfect example of what I want a Robin Hood historical romance to be. If someone wants to sample Robin Hood lit in the romance genre, I might suggest this as an option. Assuming they can handle the awful cover. In the past month, I've become a shameless reader of historical romance, and this was a perfect mix of this new favored genre and long-time favorite storyworld. (You know, aside from the Thing.) I just have to accept that this headless, naked chest is going to live on my Robin Hood shelf amongst its kindred Robin Hood romance paperbacks.

Robin Hood shelf: for more Robin Hood book reviews

SPOILERS: So there is a Thing. When Robin decides to leave and fight in a war with King Richard, Will declines to go with him and Robin tasks him to stay at Locksley to look after their family. At some point, Will kisses Marian once, while she's sad and depressed that Robin has gone away. Will kisses her, and she does kiss him back, but I?? She's your aunt, buddy. What?? Marian, loyal to her husband, asks Will to leave to just nip whatever the hell that was right in the bud. And he goes to make a living working for the sheriff for… somewhat vague reasons. Conveniently, Will and Meg are at Locksley when Robin returns from The War, and we get the domestic drama of Robin learning that the reason Will abandoned his post as family protector was because he kissed Robin's pregnant wife.

I really thought I was going to lose my damn mind over this whole unnecessary plotline. It's SO small. It matters only as a reason for Will to abandon Locksley. The existing tension between Robin and Will doesn't even include the kiss, because Marian was not about to write a letter confessing that to him while he was gone. Obviously, this means that when Robin does find out, he starts a fight with his nephew. Now HERE, at last, I can say what made this whole debacle go from bad to worse. During the ensuing fight, Marian tries to get between them, and Robin shoves her out of the way and she hits a wall a little hard. Although he directs almost all of his anger at Will for what happened, I did not appreciate the shoving at all. Please, please can I have a Robin Hood historical romance where Robin does not hit or shove Marian at any point, for any reason. Fuck right off. Not interested. Especially when their relationship is otherwise supportive, loyal, and good.

What really irks me is that none of that was necessary for Robin and Will to be at odds. They were at odds before Will kissed Marian. It just seems like such a weird and awful thing to shoehorn in. There were other ways. So many other ways. And despite spending so long ranting about it, it really was a very small and short lived element. Ugh, awful.

[mister-snake]

These year recap music playlists really make me find specific songs that make me think about a specific moment/event/activity/emotion related to the context in whitch I listened to them. Here's some of them, from older to more recent (the order isn't accurate tho) :

Disposable Teen - Marylin Manson : Talking for hours with Alex on Imvu

The Wall - PatrickReza / Alcoholism as a high school kid with no parental restrictions

Goodbye - Billie Eilish / Thinking I'm gonna lose Bernadette

Life is Beautiful - Lil Peep / Computer classes with friends

April - TADASHI / Waking up with Alex and staying in bed with him all morning

1999 - Dwilly / Hanging out with my drinking buddy

Working For The Weekend - Max / School burnout

1975 - Silent Child / Feeling sad and making fun of my own distress

Callie - Arkane Skye / Heading to philosophy classes

CAN'T FORGET YOU - NEVR KNØW / Driving back home late at night after study sessions in cegep

Devil - Two Feet / Letting go of people, feeling like the main character, no longer trying too hard in my relationship, no longer caring about people's opinion, feeling confident

Silly putty - Phem / Butterflies in my stomach, overwhelmed by happiness

Formula - Labinth / It made her think about me, she knows me so well, I feel so seen and like I matter

Toes - Glass Animals / Drunk on the cold kitchen floor, alone at night

Fwb - Brakence / Screaming the lyrics to cope with my anger and my pain

Dealer - Lana Del Rey / Missing Bernadette

Dead - TRAILS / Feeling sick of summer

Not Enough - Elvis Drew / Buying my new laptop, feeling excited about the imminent start of my uni studies

IDGAF - Besomorph / Feeling mad at Eli and betrayed

Veg Out - Masego / Feeling happy and relieved as summer break starts

TEARS - PatrickReza / Hating my old not so legal job

Like Crazy - Jimin / Night driving without wanting to go back "home"

James1stGen - 12 AM / Feeling depressed and numb

Under the weather - Corpse / Closure after loss

Desire - Meg Myers / Feeling numb at night

Letting Go - Lubalin / Thinking I'm gonna lose Océann

Blue - V / Daily music, falling for his voice all over again

Don't think - Lubalin / Feeling unloved and needing a hug

Manifest - RUBII / Start of session chill productivity

I like the way you kiss me - Artemas / Night drinking

SPIT IN MY FACE! - ThxSoMuch / Working out alone at night

Free Bird - MOONLGHT / Mid session productivity rush

Crush on you - Nic Hanson / Ride home from buying beer with Angel

I'M GOOD - SICKICK / Feeling depressed, backstabbed, no longer cared for

[wildelydawn]

2 7 11 17 18 35 40 47 73 for the writers ask game

I know it's a lot feel free to not answer all of them hahaha

Hello my dearest!! I will do all of them for you <3

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

It's very minor because he has so few lines/so little presence in the story, but it's when Big dies in II4Y. I didn't want him to die but I realized he needs to die for Kim to understand what permanent loss is. In chapter one, Kim is dealing with a break up, which is definitely a sort of loss, but once Chay and him begin to matter to each other again, Kim begins to realize that loss can be a lot worse, a lot more permanent. By chapter four, he's sort of gotten everyone back, right? Chay is talking to him, he's hanging out with his brothers. Big's death shocks him into remembering that it can be all taken away very quickly.

7. tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote

I know that my first fic was something written for classic Fruits Basket, but I can't remember the plot for the life of me. It was probably fluff or a retelling of Kyo's transformation when his bracelet comes off. The earliest, actual fic I can recall the plot too very vividly is a Supernatural Megstiel fic, in which I rewrote parts of Hello, Cruel World so that Meg Masters finds Castiel's trenchcoat and body. Unfortunately, I deleted that story because I wrote it at the height of SPN, and Megstiel was a rough ship to write at the time lol. I wish I hadn't deleted it! It would've been cool to take another look at it now, or maybe even potentially rewrite.

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

The entire process of making Thai desserts/food for BSC90 has been so great. Like, truly unmatched. Outside of fandom, my research is really depressing and almost always about the Law/law. So to really deep dive into how these foods are made and how chocolate was/is produced in Thailand is really fun. I do take research pretty seriously, and I do what I can to be as accurate as possible. Right now, I'm pretty knee deep in reading about football/football RPF, and I recently followed a bunch of popular players on my Instagram, and that's been pretty wild. And, of course, can't forget my favorite Dutch politicians either. Though, that research wasn't for writing. I just really got interested in reading about the Netherlands and far right government officials. I find myself just rereading or watching Dutch debate whenever I can find translations, fan-written or official.

17. what is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

God. It changes so often, especially depending on my mood. Right now, it's from YLTTL:

The subtle but decreasing hesitations in WIK’s motions make Porchay unsteady and ashamed at the same time. In his dreams, he envisioned WIK as the criminal: keen on stealing Porchay’s heart and laughing mercilessly while walking away, leaving Porchay naked on the floor. He imagined, the other week, after WIK had left him alone, that at their best, they could only ever be temporary bliss: a mistake, heat of the moment, other clichés that left Porchay feeling angry and confused. He had resolved that if the moment were to come, he’d give himself entirely to WIK and blindly hope that WIK would do the same, and they could leave without saying anything more. 

Their togetherness, he cruelly imagined, would be one born of force, passionate with no regard for the future, a story as old as time: those with power taking advantage of those with none.

18. what is your most and least favorite part of writing?

The action of writing is my favorite part of writing. And also finding out if someone reread something of mine. Least favorite part is posting/submitting/publishing.

35. tell us about a character who’s very different than you who you love a whole lot

Definitely Chay. Chay is so different from me. I think what we have in common is poverty and independence, but other than that, Chay is such a bold, forward, dynamic character. He takes what he wants! When I wanted to ask out my current partner, I wrote a letter and then fled the country. Chay, on the other hand, just fucking shows up to where Kim is and calls it a date. I think he's the bravest character in the whole fucking show actually. All of what he does, what he navigates, is mostly done alone and independently and, up to a certain point, by choice. I admire that so much. He takes risks, even if it ends in detriment to himself. He's never static, he's never standing still. He feels things and acts on those emotions. Now, whether he processes them properly or maturely is up in the air, but he's not wallowing for long, and I truly think in a post-canon world, he would continue to do what he can to move on and adapt to his new life. That can be "Chay having a ho phase" or "Chay integrates into the mafia" or "Chay runs to Switzerland, meets Kang Yohan from The Devil Judge, and becomes a vigilante judge when he comes back to Thailand."

40. best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

"You're probably going to get decimated, but everyone will have questions." This came from my dissertation advisor/mentor. And she was right!

47. what story are you most proud of?

It's definitely a tie between YLTTL and Still Painting Flowers for You. I'm quite proud of the latter. It's short and it has, what I feel, is a good balance of canon and a reflection of two very important women in my life.

Thank you for all these questions, my crunchy little friend! It was so fun to write this out hehe.

Ask me writer things!

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: The concert was amazing I feel great -Danny Words: 2,476 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Cough Syrup' -by Young The Giant

XVI: I'm up to My Tits With Morons

Ara does not get to kill stuff, all she gets to witness is the egregious birth of more ant eggs and an outrageous rap from Apollo.

"I'm never calling that thing Mama," she protests as they crawl out of the nest. "There's something really wrong with you, man."

"Let's not go there," Apollo comes out behind her and examines what's in front of them. "It's a gateway, to the Grove of Dodona."

"Aren't we in the grove?" Meg asks squinting.

"No... I think this is more of an antechamber. The grove itself is behind those trees." 

"I don't hear any voices." Meg tilts her head.

"The grove knows we are here," Apollo mumbles. "It's waiting to see what we'll do."

"Ara," Meg says shakily, reaching for her hand and tugging. "Look..." The girl follows her gaze and feels her soul leaving her body: There, hanging from the trunks framing the entrance, are cocoons of... 

"Demigods," Ara says hoarsely.

"Oh, monstrous," Apollo closes ranks next to her. "We need to free them immediately."

"Wh-what's wrong with them?" Meg stammers.

Ara approaches Cecil and examines him, she sniffs the wrapping and makes a face. "Don't touch it, Lester." A growl comes from above and Peaches appears, severely beaten. 

"Thank the gods!" Apollo beams. "Meg, hurry! Order your friend to—"

"Apollo." Meg points over their shoulders sounding stifled. Emerging from the tunnel are two broad and tall male figures, imposing and blond like Octavian, but these men are not as weak-looking as him and they're covered in armor. Ara steps to the side to hide Meg.

"Germani." Apollo stands next to her in a way that tries to be protective. When he speaks, the guards step sideways and let a third person enter the scene.

Ara's blood pressure drops. "Is that..."

"Emperor Nero," Apollo says darkly. "The Beast."

The man smirks. "Nero will do. It's good to see you, my honored ancestor. I'm sorry I've been so lax about my offerings during the past few millennia, but I haven't needed you. I've done rather well on my own." He eyes Ara, stopping a moment on the flowers in her hair. "Daughter of Olympus," Nero drawls the name as if she's a yummy dessert he can't wait to take a bite of. "The wonder of a millennia... finally within reach."

"It's me you want," Apollo steps in. "Cut these demigods down from their stakes. Let them leave with Meg and Ara. They've done nothing to you."

"I'll be happy to let them go once we've come to an agreement. As for Meg... How are you, my dear?"

Meg keeps her head down. Ara understands who the spy is then, but she's left stunned and speechless, having the Nero before them terrifies her so that she's scared her voice will give it away. One of the guards whispers something at Nero and he nods a bit. 

"Soon. But where are my manners? Allow me to introduce my right hand, Vincius, and my left hand, Garius—Ah, sorry. My right hand, Garius, and my left hand, Vincius. Those are the Romanized versions of their Batavi names, which I can't pronounce. Usually I just call them Vince and Gary. Say hello, boys."

"They have serpent tattoos," Apollo points out, "like those street thugs you sent to attack me."

"I have many servants," Nero says casually. "Cade and Mikey are quite low on the pay scale. Their only job was to rattle you a bit, welcome you to my city."

"Excuse me?" Ara snaps out of her shock, but Apollo places a hand on her shoulder, knowing that attacking is exactly what Nero wants her to do. 

"And these two gentlemen... they are actually Germani from the ancient times? How?"

"Lord Apollo, please," Nero laughs. "Even before Gaea commandeered the Doors of Death, souls escaped from Erebos all the time. It was quite easy for a god-emperor such as myself to call back my followers."

"A god-emperor?" Apollo tenses. "You mean a delusional ex-emperor."

"What made you a god, Apollo... back when you were one? Wasn't it the power of your name, your sway over those who believed in you? I am no different. Vince, fall on your spear, please."

Vince prepares to stab himself with the spear before the emperor lazily gives him a new command. "Stop, I changed my mind. You see? I hold the power of life and death over my worshippers, like any proper god should."

"The Germani were always crazy, much like you."

"I'm hurt! My barbarian friends are loyal subjects of the Julian dynasty! And, of course, we are all descended from you, Lord Apollo."

"Wh-what do you want, Nero?" Meg stammers.

"Straight to the point. I've always admired that about you, Meg," Nero smiles. "Really, it's simple. You and Apollo will open the gates of Dodona for me. Then these six will be released."

"You'll destroy the grove," Apollo states. "Then you'll kill us."

"Not unless you force me to. I'm a reasonable god-emperor, Apollo! I'd much rather have the Grove of Dodona under my control if it can be managed, but I certainly can't allow you to use it. You had your chance at being the guardian of the Oracles. You failed miserably. Now it's my responsibility. Mine... and my partners'."

"As if you'd know better than the god of prophecy," Ara scoffs.

Nero sighs. "Apollo wasn't always in charge, child. And unlike him, we act. You can't argue that he's done his job right, can you?"

"Triumvirates have never worked," Apollo scoffs. "They always lead to civil war."

"The three of us have come to an agreement. We have divided up the new empire... by which I mean North America. Once we have the Oracles, we'll expand and do what Romans have always done best—conquer the world."

"You truly learned nothing from your previous reign."

"Oh, but I did! I've had centuries to reflect, plan, and prepare. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to be a god-emperor, unable to die but unable to fully live? There was a period of about three hundred years during the Middle Ages when my name was almost forgotten. I was little more than a mirage! Thank goodness for the Renaissance, when our Classical greatness was remembered. And then came the Internet. Oh, gods, I love the Internet! It is impossible for me to fade completely now. I am immortal on Wikipedia!"

"We can still give permanent destruction a try," Ara says, lifting Almighty.

He laughs. "You're delightful, girl. But unless you're a goddess, I wouldn't bother trying, we're way above your payroll." Nero turns to Apollo. "I could explain my plans and everything, but I have a lot on my plate today. I need you and Meg to open those gates. They've resisted my best efforts, but together you three can do it. Apollo, you have an affinity with Oracles. Meg has a way with trees. The daughter of Olympus, I've heard, has some pretty good charmspeak. Get to it. Please and thank you."

"We would rather die," Apollo hisses. "Wouldn't we, girls?"

"You know it," Ara responds bravely.

"Meg?" Apollo tries again.

"She won't," Ara looks at him somberly.

"Won't what?" He scowls. "What's going—why are you crying, Meg?"

"Oh, my," Nero feigns shock. "It seems we've had a slight miscommunication. You see, Apollo, Meg brought you here, just as I asked her to. Well done, my sweet."

"I—I didn't mean..." Meg trembles.

Apollo looks at Ara and gets the slightest nod. "Meg, no. I can't believe—" He tries to step closer and Peaches aims a bite, but Ara points her sword at the creature between Meg's feet, keeping him away. "This man killed your father! He's a murderer!"

"The Beast killed my father," Meg says weakly. "This is Nero. He's—he's my stepfather."

"That's right, my darling," Nero smiles proudly. "And you've done a wonderful job. Come to Papa."

"Oh, that is messed up," Ara frowns. "I really wanted to kill you before knowing this, but now I truly need to see your head sticking out of a spear."

Nero barks out a laugh again. "Oh, you're truly perfect."

"Meg, we are friends." Apollo demands in outrage. "How could you do this to me?"

"You barely know her, Lester." Ara reprimands him.

Her tone makes Meg wince. "I tried to tell you, to warn you."

"She has a good heart." Nero hums. "But, Apollo, you and Meg have been friends for just a few days—and only because I asked Meg to befriend you. I have been Meg's stepfather, protector, and caretaker for years. She is a member of the Imperial Household."

"I risked my life for you," Apollo insists. "And that actually means something, because I can die!"

"We're all impressed, Apollo," Nero says with boredom. "Now, if you'd open the gates. They've defied me for too long."

"Nero, what have you done?" Apollo demands examining the trees.

"Oh, a number of things! We found a way into this antechamber weeks ago. The Labyrinth has a convenient opening in the myrmekes' nest. But getting through these gates—"

"You forced the palikos to help you? You used a nature spirit to destroy nature? Meg, how can you tolerate this?"

"Come now, Meg knows there are good nature spirits, and bad ones. This geyser god was annoying. He kept asking us to fill out surveys. Besides, he shouldn't have ventured so far from his source of power. He was quite easy to capture. His steam, as you can see, didn't do us much good anyway."

"And the five demigods? Did you 'use' them, too?"

"Of course. I didn't plan on luring them here, but every time we attacked the gates, the grove started wailing. I suppose it was calling for help, and the demigods couldn't resist. The first to wander in was this one—The last two were your own children—Austin and Kayla, yes? They showed up after we forced Paulie to steam-broil the trees. I guess the grove was quite nervous about that attempt. We got two demigods for the price of one!"

Before Ara can jump him for putting her campers at risk, Apollo does it first, but he trips and lands face-first half a meter away from her. She picks him up, too pissed off to even reprimand him. "Apollo!" Meg tries to reach them and Apollo jolts back.

"I don't need your help! Don't you understand who your protector is? He's a monster! He's the emperor who—"

"Don't say it," Nero growls. "If you say 'who fiddled while Rome burned,' I will have Vince and Gary flay you for a set of hide armor. You know as well as I do, Apollo, we didn't have fiddles back then. And I did not start the Great Fire of Rome."

"But you profited from it. Meg, your stepfather watched as seventy percent of Rome was destroyed. Tens of thousands died."

"I was thirty miles away in Antium! I rushed back to the city and personally led the fire brigades!"

"Only when the fire threatened your palace."

"I can't help it if I arrived just in time to save the most important building!" 

Meg whines, trying to muffle their voices by pressing her hands on both ears. "Stop arguing. Please."

Ara has seen this too many times. Demigods influenced by evil because the gods, their main caretakers, abandoned them. It's infuriating to see so many kids suffer, so many souls get hurt and reaped just because the gods are too lazy to catch the abuser's hand before it can taint the world further. What a waste of godly power.

"You had the nerve to put a hundred-foot-tall bronze statue in your front lawn!" Apollo cries in anger. "A statue of yourself as Sol-Apollo, the sun god. In other words, you claimed to be me."

"Indeed. Even after I died, that statue lived on. I understand it became famous as the Colossus of Nero! They moved it to the gladiators' amphitheater and everyone began calling the theater after the statue—the Colosseum. Yes... the statue was the perfect choice."

"I fought there, against a giant. And here at camp, I will wipe the floor with your flimsy chin," Ara growls.

"Not now, dear, the men are talking," he brushes her comment away. "The point is, I had style! The people loved me!"

Apollo scoffs. "They turned against you. The people of Rome were sure you'd started the Great Fire, so you scapegoated the Christians."

"But the Christians were terrorists, you see. Perhaps they didn't start the fire, but they were causing all sorts of other trouble. I recognized that before anyone else!"

"He fed them to the lions," Apollo tells this to Meg as if that would make any difference. "He burned them as human torches, the way he will burn these six."

Meg trembles. "Nero, you wouldn't—"

"They will be released," Nero assures her, "as long as Apollo cooperates."

"Meg, you can't trust him! The last time he did this, he strung up Christians all over his backyard and burned them to illuminate his garden party. I was there. I remember the screaming."

"My dear, don't believe his stories! That was just propaganda invented by my enemies."

"Nero... you didn't say anything about making them into torches."

"They won't burn. It won't come to that. The Beast will not have to act."

"You see, Meg?" Apollo makes a face of disgust. "It's never a good sign when someone starts referring to himself in the third person. Zeus used to scold me about that constantly!"

Ara tries to speak in the calmest voice possible. "Meg, he's manipulating you. He's groomed you into believing you mean something to him..." She takes a step forward, and when Peaches doesn't attack, she keeps talking.  "But when someone truly cares for you, there is no fear involved. You don't flinch at their sudden movements. Look at me," the young girl avoids her gaze. "Let me help you, Meg..."

She gives another step forward and Nero growls, which causes Meg to push her and run over to the man. Ara stumbles and Apollo steadies her. "Go away!"

"You'll open the gates," Nero says darkly. "Then Meg will see if she can use the trees to interpret the future. If so, wonderful! If not... well, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it."

"Meg," Apollo tries one last time, "he's a madman."

"Nero cared about me, Apollo. He gave me a home. He taught me to fight." 

"You said he killed your father!"

"No! No, that's not what I said. The Beast killed him." 

"But—"

"Oh, Apollo... you understand so little. Meg's father was weak. She doesn't even remember him. He couldn't protect her. I raised her. I kept her alive."

"What a pig," Ara spits out venomously. All she wants is a clear shot, and she could tear this man to pieces with her bare hands.

"Meg..." Apollo keeps a hand on Ara's shoulder to keep her from pouncing. "I am so sorry..."

"She doesn't NEED sympathy." Nero snarls. "Now, my dear, if you would be so kind, open the gates. If Apollo objects, remind him that he is bound to follow your orders."

"Apollo, Ara, don't make it harder. Please... help me open the gates." 

Apollo looks at Ara and sends a message through his touch. "Not by choice."

Next Chapter –>

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[artsy-hobbitses]

do you think Thundercracker, while helping Marissa with her NGOs and seeing the refugees and all those effected of the war and is like “Oh God, I never wanted it to be like this” or a “Oh God, what have I done…”

A little! The thing you gotta know about Teo Cortes (TC) is that he’s led a VERY sheltered life under Sharifuddin/Shockwave’s care and protection, and always with the weight of what could happen to him if the world knew what he could do constantly hanging over his head.

In fact, that’s likely how Marissa finds him—he’d already been marked as an Important Asset by Functionist splinter cells, and when he left the Cons’ territory, he didn’t have their protection and was brutally bagged and tagged for research purposes until her men manage to free him (which is why he tags along with her because he wants to be free but with no Institute and no Cons for the first time in his life, nothing out here in the great big unforgiving world to show him the way forward, no script, he’s like a lost puppy—likely why he bonds with Buster so quickly)

Of course he makes a great actor, he’s been playing a role and fooling everyone outside the Institute his entire life! And he HATES it!

He doesn’t regret fighting for Megatron’s cause in its early days, he literally doesn’t really know better—what he KNOWS is that he wants a world where his Institute friends, and Ravage and Laserbeak can be FREE without being treated as second class or immediately commissioned as government property.

He does regret it took him as long as it did to realise that Megs’ way to get there wasn’t the way he wanted to get there either.

Stefan/Starscream had always pointed out (both mockingly and in a sad sort of affection some days when they’re bantering more like brothers) that Teo was never meant for the battlefield, and some day, Teo won’t have to be.

So he doesn’t dwell on it too much! He’s here right now, that’s all that matters, and all he can do is keep writing the script to the pages of this new chapter in his life and embrace his new role, one with a group and a person he doesn’t have to play pretend (whether it be a ‘normal man’ or a soldier) with.