#how shocked and distressed i was for Dan

[ennaih]

Not Every Film I Watch In 2024

12. Good Grief (2023)

[anonymous-existences]

Chapter 10 : Happy Moments for the Badger

Fluff And Happiness :33

[𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕪-ℂ𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕔 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣]

[ᴏᴄᴛᴏʙᴇʀ 12 , ????? ᴀᴍ , ꜰᴀʀ ꜰʀᴏᴢᴇɴ]

"Danny!" Dante yelled out as Danny ran to Dante and jumped in his arms "Big Brother!!" Danny giggled as they spun around and Dante Kisses his forehead. "Are you feeling okay now you little twerp?" Dante asks, his voice still filled with worry for Danny's health.

"Yep! Nocturn made my nightmares go away!" Danny chuckled and the two pressed foreheads with each other, Frostbite merely chuckled and Plasmius ruffled Danny's Hair as Ellie hugged Danny as well.

"You did a good job fighting your nightmares Daniel..." Vlad says with a comforting gentle voice as he smiled at Danny, Danny only nodded and talked about the dreams and Conversations and things Nocturn had taught him in his dreams as Dante carried him and Ellie back to Gotham.

"Goodbye Frostbite! Thank you again!!" Danny waved and Frostbite waved back, "You're always welcome here, Oh Great One." Frostbite chuckled deeply as he waved his giant furry paws at Danny as a goodbye.

Danny kept waving until they reached the makeshift portal Dante had made and Danny regal clothing turned back to his normal clothing as they passed through the portal. "Finally back home! Nocturn taught me how to write ancient ghost spea—" Danny stared at Jason who was chilling on the couch.

His pupils turns into slits and he immediately hides behind Dante, "Oh right, Danny... That's... Jason, the Revenant, c'mon now don't be shy." Dante kneels to Danny's Height and Danny Cautiously stepped out behind Dan.

Jason stood up and slowly also kneeled to Danny's Height, "Hey there kiddo, I'm Jason! Jason To—" Jason was cut off by Danny's sudden speaking "You're also Red Hood, Former Robin before Red Robin and the youngest Robin." Danny merely said and Jason was stunned.

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Danny smiled softly but cautiously. "I am also dating him—" Dante tries to say but Danny just whips his head at him in shock.

"H-HUH??? DATING?! YOU STARTED DATING SOMEONE WHEN I WAS ASLEEP?!?!? WHAAAAAAT?!" Danny yells in shock as he grabbed Dan by the collar and tried shaking the... Very large Man.

"My Reaction Too!!" Ellie interjects in protest, "Even Sissy Sam was Shocked that Undergrowth probably got hit with an eco-fwendly frying pan because he tried to ask Sissy Sam why she's so distressed!" Ellie adds into her small statement.

Danny was just stunned and mouth agape in shock, "Now Now Daniel, Calm Down... Do you all want to go out to the city today? So I can buy you 2 more possibly furniture and groceries and such." Vlad suggests as he puts his hands in Danny's Shoulder behind him.

"You're coming with us?? Fuck yeah!" Dante said as he slowly stood up with Jason, "You pay for everything right?" Dante smirked,

"I always paid for everything Dante." Vlad states with a blank face and a blunt tone as he carried Ellie in his arms. "Isn't that right princess?" Vlad asks Ellie and Ellie Profusely nods in agreement.

"True" Dante didn't defend himself and just laughed at the sight before him, his core now vibrated and felt more at ease, matching Danny's Purring, they were both happy to be finally back by each other's sides. Jason was still adjusting to the 'Ghost Cultures' and stuff but he's slowly getting used to it seeing as how he's cooing over Danny's Purring making Danny feel Embarrassed with his cheeks Flushed an odd but cute greenish Red.

His freckles were much more noticeable now, constellations bore his face in bright neon green that occasionally glowed in the darkness, his hair seemingly sometimes floating or flowing in this non-existent wind in the surroundings, Jason Hesitantly but gently pats Danny's Head and Danny lets him making Jason's Heart feel even more happier because he feels as though he's in a family again.

They all liked it.

Even Vlad Surprisingly.

[𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 12, 4:45 𝐏𝐌, 𝐆𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥]

Danny was with Ellie and Dan in the Space-Section, Jason followed them but Vlad couldn't come anymore Because of how busy he got all of a sudden.

"Aries constellation! I want it! I'm going to school again right? Can I have that bag?" Danny pointed at the Aries Star Constellation Backpack. "Ofcourse Twerp! You can pick whatever you need for Back to School Stuff." Dante chuckled and reached for the Bag and Gave it to Danny.

Ellie was very pleased to pick her own Backpack, she picked a Badger(?) Designed Backpack, her smile was wide and very pleased . "Hey JayJay! Can you come with me to pick my stuff in the girls section?" Ellie asked enthusiastically as he grabbed Jason's Hand.

Jason was taken aback— honestly these kids trust him already and it was heart melting. "ofcourse Ellie, Dan, Babe, Just Call me if you need me Kay?" Jason looked at Dante and Dante nodded with a wink.

"Ew. Don't do that shit Infront of me" Danny motioned a Fake Gag and Ellie just Laughs as Dante stared at Danny and Judgingly, "Language Twerp, Vladdy Daddyo's gonna fuckin kill me if he finds out you swear cuz of me" Dante joked and laughed,

"Ugh, You just did Bitchass." Danny scowled jokingly as they picked more back to school items, Danny hadn't felt so excited for school until now. He never knew he loved education as much as he did now and it was honestly very much fun and amusing.

Danny picked everything he could find that could relate to stars and Dante paid for them with Vlad's Card, they then waited for Jason and Ellie to come back and when they did Jason was chatting happily with Ellie who was yapping continuously about Badgers and Animals she sees as Ferals in General.

Danny felt as if he's in a happy family but something inside him tells him something is still missing and Dante notices it fast. "I know bud... I know." Dante pats his shoulder reassuringly and Danny nods with a gentle caring Smile.

He loved being in this warm environment... Hopefully it stays that way... Oh.

"Dante can I dye a part of my hair orange?" Danny suddenly asks and Dante froze, Slowly Dante's eyes softens and he merely nods before speaking with approval. "Ofcourse Danny. Anytime!" Dante smiled and they bought a small box of orange hair dye and a turquoise headband Bandana sort... just like Jazz's and one that Danny had picked by himself.

Dante paid for it and ruffles Danny's hair, Jason was confused on why the three Phantoms are acting like this, as if mourning someone but he not dare to ask just because it felt like a sensitive topic for them... A very sad topic probably.

Danny smiled to himself as he stared at the plastic bag that contains his Hair Dye and Headband.

His core was Happy and So was he.

[𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 12, 9:40 𝐏𝐌, 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭]

Robin landed on Danny's window as Danny was placing his new Glow in the dark stars to his ceiling, he soon noticed robin as Robin knocked on the wall to get his attention.

Danny slowly hopped off the ladder and ran to Robin Enthusiastically, "Robin! Hi! Do you want to help me put stars on my ceiling?" Danny asks happily. Robin was honestly taken aback but he couldn't force himself to Reject his offer and so he complied.

Robin hesitantly helped Danny Form the Constellations and got so into it that he didn't notice that Jason was staring at them and leaning on the door frame as he watched amused by this.

"Hey Babe what are you doing ther— oh. Robin." Dante says totally unbothered by this scene and Robin stares at them for a moment. He felt his cheeks redden in Embarrasament. "Heya Red Hood! Robin is just helping me out stars on my ceiling! Isn't he nice?" Danny says Enthusiastically as Dante gave him a plate of cookies. "H-Hood— did.... Goodness fucking gracious— this is quite the humiliating scene..." Robin stuttered as he slowly got down from the Ladder.

"Yeah, Demon Brat, I can tell it IS humiliating for you but absolutely fucking funny for me." Jason laughed and Damian held back his urge to wield his katana or to tackle Jason and Plummet him into the ground. But Danny was there so that wasn't allowed, Danny gave him a cookie and Robin sat On Danny's bed Beside Danny himself.

"So why are you here Baby Brat?" Jason chuckled with a smirk, "Same Question to you Todd.." Damian's tone remained plastered and blunt towards Jason. "I'm dating his Brother." Jason said Straightforwardly making Robin almost choke on his cookie. "What...? Does B know about this... Relationship??" Robin tries to say and to state Jason the HINT.

"He doesn't need to and I know.. I know.. the whole scarecrow thing and shit but he's hot and stuff—" Danny cuts Jason Off.

"Not Infront of my Cookies Please." Danny says with a frown and Glare with his tounge out. "Right Sorry Kid. And yes. baby Brat. They know. Dante has known the very moment he saw us but now don't tell B but he doesn't intend to tell anyone unless we want anyone to know so do not fuckin worry about anything." Jason Reassures Damian.

"Right-right- Christ. Mother of Christ?? Whatever god it is out there— This is... Utterly Shocking to say the very least— you don't actually expect me to believe all that but then again HE IS the... Prime suspect so I can say the very least to that is that most of it is true." Robin huffs as he ate another cookie and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I might become like Red at this point... I need more coffee to process this... Information you have provided to me." Robin sighs.

"Right! Now. Why don't you two continue sticking up the stars and go back to B and tell him everything— well mostly everything except the identity part Kay Demon Brat?" Jason stood up and leaned on the door frame as he told Damian with a subtle Stern Glare.

"Whatever Todd.... Fucking—" Damian calms himself down Infront of Danny as they finished up sticking the constellations in the Ceiling.

It took atleast an hour and a half for them to finish it finally, with the Last Final Touch Being a Crescent Moon that glows brighter than the others.

Danny's eyes sparkled and soon Robin hopped on His bedroom window again ready to leave and disappear off to somewhere Danny doesn't know— probably a secret base but eh—

"You'll come back to visit me again right robin?" Danny asks him and Robin just smiled, "Ofcourse Danny... Anytime..." Robin chuckled unexpectedly as he disappeared into the shadows and heading back to the Batcave to Report to B.

Danny was Happy, very happy, this was the happiest day so far for him. Nocturn was right after all, that once he wakes up he will feel this type of Heart Melting Happiness that made his core purr.

His eyes flashed green for a few moments gradually fading to the Deep Sea Blue eyes of his as he felt intense emotions of positivity seep out.

He wishes jazz was there to feel the same...

Jazz too would have been happy.

I'm insane. MY HANDS ARE COLD FROM WRITING SO MUCH ANYWAYS ENJOY ILY GUYS ALL SO MUCH FOR READING THESE <333 AHAHHA HAVE FUUUNNN

[betterwithbooksthanwithpeople]

things that stuck out to me in The Outsiders musical at my third show (4/24/25 evening):

probably unneeded disclaimer that this is just random stuff my brain hooked onto from my standing room partial view spot - some of this might happen every time but I saw it differently with a different actor or just forgot about it since I last saw the show nine weeks ago

-Anna Ace I love you and I'm so happy to see you again, flipping people off and throwing a ton of gravel right in the first song of the show

-also someone (maybe Ace, maybe Two Bit?) threw SO much gravel at Marcia during Tulsa '67 that she visibly tried to duck out of the way

-right before the socs jump Ponyboy and Bob is throwing the football to all the guys, he looks at Paul and Dan fully went 🙂↔️🙂↔️ like "do NOT toss me that football" hahaha

-Dos Bit speaking Spanish when Dally asks if he has his grease

-Victor Soda, Henry Two Bit, and Anna Ace are a dangerous trio if you fear inappropriate dancing and that’s all imma say about Grease Got a Hold lollll

-actually I lied because during Darry's verse in that song after Ponyboy is like "what?" and tries to walk away Darry stopped him like always but also kind of hugged him into his side and kissed his head before letting him go back to the group? ugh brothers of all time. just wants to protect his baby for real

-Brent did some kind of different riff on “home” in Runs in the Family and it was beautiful

-give it up for Victor's comedic timing and just stage presence in general; the whole scene of Soda and Ponyboy talking on the bed before Great Expectations was immaculate

-hey Marbit shippers, Henry Two Bit fully put his hand under Marcia’s chin during Friday at the Drive In and she laughed and kind of reluctantly turned her head. Then as soon as they made eye contact again during the dance break he blew her a kiss

-Ace yelled “your dancing sucks!” during the drive in dance break like the absolute legend she is

-Alex Dally does the whole bit at the drive in with Cherry very differently but I don't know exactly how to describe it. he's kind of quieter and more playful somehow - lots of teasing/ mocking the others - which makes him seem younger than how some others play Dally

-Daryl Johnny and Josh Ponyboy at the drive in, you will always be famous. just the goofiest little guys just the bestest of friends

-During Darry’s talking part in Runs in the Family Reprise, Victor Soda was going “easy, easy, easy” meanwhile Josh Pony was full screaming his lines at Darry

-ok so someone in the audience was so shook by The Slap that they said “oh my god” but it was totally silent at that moment so everyone heard and laughed and pretty sure this is why Josh skipped the line “Darrel never hit me before”

-Far Away from Tulsa harmonies and opts were AMAZING dare I say best I’ve ever heard? Josh and Daryl doing the most for REAL

-yall the spit was visible from the back of the theater today Josh really did the most there too eww

-not Brent Comer making me almost cry about Darrel Curtis in a scene that he's barely in because why did he look SO shocked and SO scared hearing the news from Two Bit during Run Run Brother

-everything about Alex Dally is so interesting to me yall. the way he seemed so resigned to being arrested and so carefree with his answers to the cop like in a "you're not gonna believe me so why bother" type way? he gets it so badly

-also this is just something i did differently but i finally watched Ponyboy and Johnny extra close to see them "cut/dye" Pony's hair and how does it look! so! cool!

-someone's vocals were eating down in Justice for Tulsa. pretty sure it was SarahGrace but maybe it was Hailey from the booth

-I'm going to say this for every one of their songs but Daryl and Josh's voices go SO good together that I wish I had a recording of their Death's at My Door

-speaking of songs I need a recording of, Throwing in the Towel?! Brent is always amazing (plus just looked SO distressed gosh) and Victor was killing itttt. the way I could have listened to them just sing that on a loop for hours

-thank you Daryl Tofa for consistently feeding the qpr truthers by literally laying in Ponyboy's lap in the church every time you play Johnny Cade

-do Pony and Johnny always pinky promise after talking about who Ponyboy's hair makes him look like? they should if they don't it was adorable

-tiniest bit of Ace and Darry siblingism at the beginning of Hoods Turned Heroes - Darry was laying back on the car and Ace was sitting against his legs

-will never get over how Brent Comer gets Darry so badly. the way he snatches the newspaper and is so relieved to hear his baby brother's okay that he joins the greaser's little dance and almost smiles but has to read the article again like he can't believe it

-Emma Pittman Hopeless War = vocals. also Cherry really seemed to be pleading with Ponyboy not to fight like she was so desperate to stop it she was crying

-pretty sure Cole fell accidentally during the rumble because he slid way off to the side almost into the wings lol. they really turned that rain on it was pouring

-Darry picking up Ponyboy and spinning him around after the rumble is so. that's his baby guys

-also when they all run in to tell Johnny they won the rumble does someone always say "Darrel even fought with us!" because. ough.

-maybe this isn't entirely factual but I feel like more people tried to comfort Dally after Johnny's death - like almost every greaser said something to him or tried to get closer to him, especially Darry

-Alex's Little Brother is jaw droppingly good. I didn't even cry at that part, just stood there with my mouth hanging open

-however, try not to cry while Josh Ponyboy is sobbing through his monologue after Little Brother? impossible I fear

-Curtis brothers ending scenes so perfect I want to watch them over and over and over. Brent always hits the mark exactly and I was so blown away by Victor and Josh today yall

-why is the very ending of the show when the lights are going down but the sunset background is still lit and everyone is in silhouette the prettiest thing I've ever seen

-stage door party for real: Emma, Victor, Brent, Henry, Daryl, Josh, Alex, SarahGrace, Melody, and Devin all came out

-Henry asked if I had fun and I went "yeah, and it looked like you had fun" and he goes "oh yeah, it's just complete silliness the whole time I'm on stage" lol

-also not Devin asking if we've met before and me having to be like "well I've seen the show three times now but this is the first time you've been here" haha

if you actually read all this, hi. ask me about it and maybe I'll remember more or at least explain better because this has gotten long and made less and less sense I fear

[maxdibert]

Personal view, as someone who grew up in an abusive environment and is hyper-reactive to seeing children in distress or being mistreated by adults, including in fictional depictions, I never felt the kids in Harry Potter were in any danger from Snape. He’s bitchy and snarky, yes. But no more so than other teachers in Hogwarts. And from what I’ve experienced in the fandom, a lot of Snape fans are abuse survivors in some shape or form. He’s a complex character, and unlike a lot of fictional abuse survivors, he can actually be angry and rage. It’s very cathartic for people who have had to mask and suppress their negative emotions in real life.

It's curious how most Severus fans tend to be survivors of bullying or people who see themselves reflected in him because they went through similar experiences in school, or people who have experienced violence at home. Meanwhile, the haters are simply kids who have a terrible teacher and project that onto Snape, so they hate him.

If we're going to play the "I had terrible teachers, so I know how it feels" card, then I can use that too. Not only did I have terrible teachers—so bad that what they did was absolutely reportable and punishable—but in university, I even had professors who LITERALLY made students cry with their critiques. And yes, I’m very angry with those teachers. Even though I wasn’t always a direct victim, thinking about the teachers from my old school fills me with rage. And yes, whenever I’ve run into some of them on the street, I’ve made sure to say something to them in a super passive-aggressive way.

But the thing is, I don’t see any of them in Severus. Not a single one.

Severus has always reminded me of a literature teacher I had in my last years of school. He was a guy who taught classes to make some money while finishing his university doctorate—clearly, his goal was to be a researcher or teach at a university level. And you could tell from a mile away that he HATED having to teach teenagers. But hey, the school paycheck was good, right? I’m not going to blame him for that. The thing is, he had a degree in Philosophy and Literature and had a level way above that of a regular high school teacher.

I remember he was young. At the time, he seemed like an old man to me because when you're 16, anyone over 20 seems ancient, but he probably wasn’t even 35 yet. The thing is, he had no patience for nonsense. He hated childish antics in class, got annoyed by dumb questions, and if he explained something and someone asked the exact same thing two minutes later, he would clearly get irritated. I remember once a kid told him he had just read the latest Dan Brown novel, and this guy, with the most cunty smirk, said, "Well, I wouldn't know about that, Mr. X. I don't read mass-market literature." And it was like… lol why so mean? But I found it hilarious.

He was the only teacher who called us by our last names and never used informal speech, which was shocking to us because it never happened with other teachers. He rarely attended staff meetings or team dinners (a teacher who was actually abusive and spent entire classes physically humiliating 15-year-olds used to complain about that a lot). You almost never saw him interacting with other teachers because, honestly, I’ve always had the feeling that he thought his colleagues were idiots—and I don’t blame him. If I worked with that bunch today, I’d think they were idiots too.

Now, this guy was strict. Very strict. If you got a 4.9, he wasn’t giving you a 5, because you didn’t get a 5. He wasn’t going to be nice to you unless he thought it was strictly necessary. He wasn’t going to be warm, he wasn’t going to be friendly, he wasn’t going to be funny. He despised mainstream literature and bestsellers, believed certain books were absolute garbage, and thought people who only read that kind of stuff didn’t actually understand literature and lacked the braincells for it. You could agree or disagree with him, but his behavior wasn’t abusive.

Was he sometimes too blunt? Did he have incredibly sharp, sometimes unpleasant responses? Yes. And, funnily enough, this teacher was widely disliked precisely because he was one of the strictest ones. He was hated even more than the guy who groped female students or the one who called kids fat, gave them weight-loss tips, and told girls they dressed like prostitutes if they wore certain tops. But those guys used informal speech, gave you a 5 if you got a 4.6, and weren’t that strict, so people didn’t hate them as much.

That’s why Severus always reminded me of this guy. Ironically, I really liked him because I appreciated his sardonic, sharp humor, and he appreciated that I had read One Hundred Years of Solitude at 12 lol. But above all, he liked that, even though I never paid attention in his classes because I physically couldn’t focus on a lecture for more than 10 minutes, I never disrupted anything. I never got caught talking, never caused trouble—I was just drawing my stuff or reading things unrelated to the lesson, but I wasn’t bothering anyone.

And honestly, I think that’s all Severus wanted from his students: for them not to be a pain in his ass. And if he was an even bigger jerk to some, it was precisely because they got on his nerves the most.

The Weasley twins were total chaos and constantly acting like fools, yet they never have a bad word to say about Snape throughout the saga besides that he was kinda mean sometimes. Why is that? Maybe because they didn’t put the whole class in danger? Maybe because, while they were insufferable in the hallways, they knew they had to tone it down in Potions?

Only two people have a real problem with Severus as a teacher throughout the saga: one is Harry, who disrespects him from day one, constantly challenges him, talks back, breaks the rules, and does exactly the opposite of what Severus tells him. The other is Neville, who basically exists to give Severus seven consecutive nervous breakdowns in a single class.

That doesn’t make you an abuser—it makes you an adult who is sick to death of two pain-in-the-ass kids.

[anshares]

Final arc of the xianxia au!!

Renheng week Xianxia AU | Xianxia AU 1 | Xianxia AU 2

Click more for arc 3

ARC 3

While he was in the underworld trying to find DF soul he stumbled upon a lake where he saw the illusion of DF, he thought it was his soul and reached out to take it back but the lake is made of acid and instantly melted his hand when he discovered that the last ‘gift’ DH gave him was immortality,

His wounds healed instantly and he became long lived. He uses this to his advantage and swam in the acid lake trying to find his beloved till his healing cant keep up anymore.

he drifted off for 700 years till elio found him. He had taken a new identity and called himself Ren during his time with Elio’s sect.

After dh died he thought that was the end of it, he didn't expect he would wake up again to clear blue skies, he was back to the future but not the future he knew.

His sect members (himeko, welt, march, stelle and caelus) welcomed him back. He was shocked to find they are alive since last he saw them was when they were killed by demon lord Ren.

They told him he was in seclusion for months to cultivate and he realized no one remembered the alternate dystopian timeline because his mission was a success.

He tried to find out what happened in the last 700 years. He was glad that YX was remembered as a wise emperor and made his empire prosper under his rule in history books so his sacrifice was not in vain,

He knows he loves him but he chose to fulfill his mission. He feels a little bit of regret leaving him and hurting him with his last words but it has to be done.

Renheng met again in this lifetime when the nameless (AE) and hunter (SH) sect got a team up mission. DH was already exploring the place where their mission is while waiting for his partner but he didn't expect to see YX himself in the flesh,

Neither did Ren but since DF already died in his arms 700 years ago, he believed that DH is his reincarnation. He is still as beautiful as the day he lost him…he is glad that his beloved came back to him.

Ren calls him Dan Feng but DH pretends he doesn't know him.

DH: im sorry, i'm not this ‘Dan Feng’ you speak of, i’m Dan Heng and this is the first time weve ever met! Now let me go

But Ren insists and follows him everywhere trying to woo him and DH keeps denying "i've told you many times i'm not dan feng, im dan heng"

Ren managed to make DH reveal the truth that it's actually him when he tricks DH into slipping up by saying something only both of them know.

During the mission they were attacked by a faction who still wants to revive the demon lord so Ren who even though he doesn't have Shuhu’s flesh anymore still retains those powers and used it against them and was witnessed by other sects.

They retreated but Ren was arrested and everyone agreed to execute him since he is still the reincarnation of the demon lord. DH rushes to his rescue and proves that he is harmless since for 700 years he hasn't done anything that the Demon lord will do,

didn't they see for themselves how Ren is, DH also revealed his time travel mission through a vision that it was a success and that he was able to extract and seal Shuhu’s flesh so there is no need to worry about him awakening. It is in a very safe place.

Ren was released and they were left alone in a room. Ren pieces together that the Dan Feng who was nice to him was Dan Heng all along.

Ren:” it turns out that it was you I've been seeing since then. You protected me, you treated me well. You wanted to kill me,but you're also afraid of me dying. It's you all along. Our story lasted 700 years and here we are now.

You saved me from distress despite the risks all the time. Thank you for doing so much for me. I actually didn't know this until now. This time, it's my turn to protect you.”

After a long talk they reconciled and were willing to give their relationship a shot again. Ren was worried because he realized that shuhu’s flesh cannot be destroyed and that the ‘safe place’ that DH was talking about was himself,

He thinks it might corrupt him but DH tells him not to worry as his body being a vidyadhara will naturally repel its destructive energy.

Ren also gives back his half of the bracer saying that he is just returning it to its rightful owner. They both promise that this time they will face everything together till the end.

Ren has another flare up from the nails that were stabbed into him DH apologizes but Ren is fine with it and forgave him a long time ago.

Ren: These are old wounds, I've recovered a long time ago.

DH opens Ren’s robes a little bit and sees the scars it left and kisses it, leaving a new mark (lotus)

Dh: since they won't disappear, let's cover them.

Ren: don't worry as long as it's yours, i'll have it with me forever.

They spent their time like a happy married couple, something that they weren't able to do before but there was a traitor within the sect (Dan Shu)

who is a part of the group called sanctus medicus still want to revive Demon lord and found out that dh houses the shuhu flesh in his body so they took it out and gave it back to the rightful owner. Which awakened him into the Demon lord they were trying to prevent.

In order to defeat him, DH has to kill him since he is the only one who could. During the final battle, DH trembles as he tries to plunge the spear into Ren but misses. Ren puts his hand over dh’s, stabs himself and tells him “do it properly“

DH planned to accompamy ren till the end by double suicide but ren didnt want that and knows that shuhu’s flesh cannot be easily destroyed by others so he exploded himself instead but at the last minute before ren dissipated to ashes dh sealed ren in his bracer.

While sealed up and with dh wearing it his divinity flows to the bracer and slowly heals Ren, he can also tell how Ren is feeling, he could feel him through the bracer.

dh talks to the bracer then it 'answers' by warming up. He will wait for him to come back no matter how long it takes

DH: "I hope you wake up by the time our baby hatch we are waiting for you to come home, my love”

THE END

[disillusioneddanny]

Everything is By Design

Day 2 Disney Week: Monster/Damsel in Distress

inspired by Moana :)))))

Dan didn’t know how the hell he was going to find his fucking brother’s core but he had to do something. He watched as Jazz, Sam, Tucker, and Valerie shot blasters and weapons at the monster that was once Danny in a desperate attempt to keep him at bay. 

No one knew how it had happened, Clockwork hadn’t even seen it happen but something or someone had stolen Danny’s core and his ghost was reacting horribly to it. Danny was no longer Danny, he had become a monster, a raging eldritch horror who was destroying everything in his wake. Gone was the teenage boy with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes. 

In its place was a beast unlike any other. He was a long, serpentine creature with hair bright white but skin a dark black with stars and galaxies covering his body, his face had elongated into some kind of snout with large, sharp fangs that dripped with ectoplasm, his arms had extended and ended in long claws that could rip the core out of any ghost. He was a thing of nightmares and it was taking half of the inhabitants of the ghost zone just to keep him from getting to the human world. 

Dan should be there with them, he was just as strong as Danny but Clockwork had sent him on a mission. Had ordered him to Gotham to find the core. From what he could find a man named John Constantine had stolen Danny’s core in an attempt at getting rid of the ghost king, thinking that he was Pariah Dark. 

But somehow the core had been stolen from the man and now it was up to Dan to trace the steps to find it. He gave his friends and sister a salute as they fought back the monster that was once Danny and opened a portal to Gotham. Now he just hoped to the ancients he would find the core before Danny made it past the ghosts and their friends and sister and got into the human realms where he would cause real trouble. 

Jason Todd stared at the glowing blue orb that Bruce had taken from Constantine and frowned. Something about it was calling to him, begging for Jason to take it and give it back to who it belonged to. The orb sat in a small glass case, something called a ghost shield wrapped around it, keeping anyone from removing it from the container. It sat upon the desk of the batcomputer where Bruce had left it to run tests on it later. He shuddered as he pressed a hand against the shield, feeling a slight shock to his palm as he did but ignored it Everything in him was urging him to take the entire box and run far away. 

But Bruce had strictly forbidden that anyone touch the orb. Apparently, Constantine had stolen it from the supposed Ghost King in a bid to keep the human world safe from the monster since he had apparently returned to power. Bruce had taken it from him for fear that Constantine would do something stupid like give it to a demon in return for power. 

Which honestly? Jason could see that happening. 

“Why are you staring at that thing again?” Tim asked him, shuddering slightly just looking at the strange orb. “Doesn’t it give you the heebie jeebies? It just feels wrong.”

“It’s not supposed to be here,” Jason murmured, unable to fully tear his eyes away from the orb. “Constantine should have never taken it from the ghost king. It wasn’t his to take.”

“Yeah but this Pariah Dark guy sounds scary as fuck, I’m glad we don’t have to worry about a ghost like that,” Tim said stepping forward to look at the orb. “Alfie told me to come get you, it’s time for Dinner and then we gotta head out on patrols.”

Jason nodded wordlessly, unwilling to look away from the orb until his brother started to tug on his arm, pulling him away from the containment box that Bruce was keeping it in.

“What is your deal with it?” Tim asked, giving his big brother a worried look. Jason shook his head, the distance between him and the orb large enough to help him think clearly again. 

“I don’t know but something about it is calling me, it’s wanting me to take it, to get it and run away,” he admitted, glancing back just as the elevator doors shut. Tim frowned and gave his brother a once over. 

“That’s weird, why?” He asked. 

Jason just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing else about the orb, something in him still tugging at him to go back to it.

That next week Jason continued to feel a tug to go back to the orb, to take it with him and run as far away as he could. He didn’t know where he would go with it or even what he would do with it but something was telling him that he needed to run away and return it to the Ghost King. 

He sped through the streets of Crime Alley, trying to do his best to not think about the orb. At the moment he was mentally reciting the first Twilight book just to keep his mind off of the orb, it wasn’t working super well but it was enough. He slammed on the brakes of his motorcycle, though, when a sharp tug yanked at his being. It felt like the orb but more dangerous, not only that but it was in his territory. He felt the hair on his arms raise slightly as the feeling grew stronger and stronger until a being appeared in front of him.  

He was unlike anything Jason had ever seen in his life. The being was a fucking tank as he walked slowly towards Jason, his white hair like flames dancing at the top of his head, his skin a light blue color. He wore a strange black and white jumpsuit with a black cape flowing from his back. His red eyes were glaring holes into Jason’s very being and when he opened his mouth to speak, sharp fangs revealed himself. 

“You,” he snarled out, a blue, clawed hand grabbing Jason’s shirt roughly and tugging him close. “Where is it?” 

Jason shoved at the being but his grip was tight and he barely moved an inch at the shove. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“The core,” he growled out. “You reek of it, where the hell is it?”

Jason pulled a gun from his holster and pressed it to the being’s chest. “If you don’t let me the fuck go right now, I’ll put a bullet in your chest.”

The man, monster, being? Jason didn’t know - laughed and pulled him closer. “Do it,” he whispered, his eyes narrowed and without another word, Jason pulled the trigger. The thing snorted and spat the bullet out onto the ground, the metal hitting the asphalt with a soft clink.  “Where is it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jason growled out. 

“It’s an orb, light blue and cold as ice. I bet when you looked at it, it was begging you to take it and run away, wasn’t it?” He asked, pushing Jason away from him and crossing his giant arms over his chest. “Take me to it.”

“Are you talking about the orb that Constantine stole from Pariah Dark? That shit’s dangerous I can’t take it,” Jason said with a scoff. “And I’m not giving it to you just for you to return it to that tyrannical bastard. Constantine told us what he was like and it’s a good thing he doesn’t have that power.”

The being sneered at him. “Pariah Dark isn’t the king of the Infinite Realms anymore. The throne belongs to King Phantom now, or it will when he takes the throne. He’s a fucking kid and your dumbass friend? He basically just stole his heart,” 

At that Jason stilled. It was a kid? The king was a fucking child? “How old is he?”

The being raised an eyebrow at that. “He’s sixteen, right now he’s just the crown prince. He doesn’t get to take the throne until his eighteenth birthday, until then I’m ruling in his steed. Now take me to his core before I force you to.”

Jason stared at the being, weighing his options as best as he could. If this guy was right, that kid was missing his heart and Constantine had told them that the ghost king wouldn’t survive longer than a month without the orb being inside of him. That it would be a slow and painful death, fitting for a monster like Pariah Dark. But if it really was just a sixteen-year-old kid, not only that a sixteen-year-old ghost who was missing what was basically his heart. Well, that changed things. That changed a lot of things and between that and the fact that everything in Jason’s being had been screaming at him for the last week to take that orb and run, well it only made sense to go along with what this guy was saying. 

He wasn’t about to be the reason a fucking sixteen-year-old ghost faded from existence. 

“If he’s a ghost how does he age?” Jason suddenly asked. 

“Confidential. Now, can we go?” He asked, waving his hand in a hurry-up motion. 

Jason sighed and looked at the being. “Who are you?”

The being gave him a tired, exasperated look and pinched at the bridge of his nose before he looked at Jason once again. “Dan, Dan Phantom, Lord of the Infinite Realms. Brother of the Crown Prince. Now take me to my brother’s core before I rip yours out of your chest and show you how it feels.”

Jason automatically pressed a hand to his chest before he slowly nodded and started up his bike. “Follow me but keep your mouth shut. The name’s Jason,” he muttered before he sped off down the street and to Wayne Manor. 

He sped down the streets as fast as he could, Dan keeping pace with him as he flew through the air at breakneck speeds. Jason watched as the being kept shooting him distrustful glances now and again as they made their way to the manor. Jason pressed the button on his bike that opened the entrance to the Batcave and the two made their way inside. 

The crime lord watched as Dan looked around the cave for a moment and flew straight to the containment box and grabbed at it, only for a loud crack to sound through the air and he was thrown into a wall. 

Dan let out a loud curse as Jason parked his bike and walked over. “Who put a goddamn ghost shield around it?”

“Batman,” a new voice said, turning around in the chair and Jason couldn’t help but groan as he met his younger brother’s glare. “What are you doing Red Hood? And who did you bring into the Batcave?”

Dan snorted at that. “You call it the Batcave?” he asked, glancing at Jason, amusement clear on his face. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Jason muttered before he looked at Tim. “We’re taking that orb, Replacement. Constantine was wrong when he took it, he never should have stolen it from the guy he took it from.”

Tim frowned and watched as Dan pulled something from inside his chest and aimed it at the containment box. “What are you talking about? Pariah Dark is dangerous, Constantine told us he could destroy existence as we know it.”

“Pariah Dark doesn’t exist anymore,” Dan said, aiming a small futuristic gun at the containment box and shot it, only for the ghost shield to react and throw him back into the wall once again. “Danny ate his core two years ago. If that sad trenchcoat fuck actually paid attention to the news of the Infinite Realms and kept up, he would have known that sooner. But he’s a dumbass who doesn’t get his information from the source. Now someone take down the ancient’s damned ghost shield.”

“Are you a ghost?” Tim asked, looking over Dan’s form. 

Dan tore his eyes from the core and glared at Tim. “What the fuck does it matter to you?”

“Well, if you weren’t, you’d be able to just open the box,” Tim said with a shrug as he produced a small remote. “But if you are a ghost, how do we not know you’re not just working for Pariah Dark?”

The ghost let out an inhuman snarl as he marched toward Tim. He grabbed him by the collar of his suit and yanked him in the air as he wrenched the remote from him. “I don’t give a fuck if you trust me, you are an insignificant welp who doesn’t understand that larger things are at stake right now. You want to know what we need to get this back to Phantom?”

Tim gulped and glanced past Dan to look at Jason who was frozen in place. 

“If I don’t get my brother’s core back to him, he fades from existence but before he does, he will destroy everything in his wake trying to get to his core before that happens. Half of the Infinite Realms is fighting to keep him at bay as we speak. And before long he will overpower all of them. And if you think that Pariah Dark is terrifying? Imagine a starving ghost who is desperate to get his core back. He’s going to destroy everything in his path just trying to get his core back. Lives will be lost, homes will be destroyed, and civilization will never be the same. I know this dimension, I destroyed this dimension once upon a time. And if the Justice League died trying to fight me, they’ll be destroyed before they can even try to fight my brother. Now get the fuck out of my way.”

With that, Dan unceremoniously dropped Tim to the floor and pressed the button on the remote to turn off the ghost shield. Jason dashed over and grabbed the core before the ghost could and shoved it into his pocket. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Dan demanded, storming towards Jason who just glared at him. 

“I’m going with you to return the core. If you’re telling the truth, I’ll give your brother back his core. But if you’re lying and it’s being taken back to Pariah Dark, I’ll destroy it. Now, let’s go give your brother his core back. Yeah?”

Dan gave him a simmering glare and ripped a portal open in the middle of the cave. “You’re a fucking pain in the ass.”

“Thanks, if you want you can be a pain in my ass later. Now let’s go,” Jason said motioning towards the portal. Dan simply glared at him and grabbed the collar of Jason’s jacket and dragged him through the portal. 

And Jason definitely didn’t swoon, not at all. 

Jason followed Dan through the realms and stopped short at the sight in front of him. “I know this place,” he said, his brow furrowed as the portal closed behind him. All around him were green skies and purple-looking islands that floated in the air. He looked around at the island they stood on and frowned. “Why do I know this place?”

“You stink of death,” Dan said with a grunt as he started walking. “Likely you died at some point and became a ghost but when you came back to life you forgot all of your time in the Infinite Realms.”

Jason frowned. “Is that why the core was calling to me?” He asked, looking around at the looming trees around them, the destroyed land that surrounded the two of them. “What happened here?”

Dan sighed. “Well, this was the spot that I left everyone to go find the core,” he said, looking around. “It looks like everyone is gone now which isn’t a good sign. The reason the core was calling to you was because of what you are.”

The crime lord gave him a puzzled look, his brow furrowing slightly. 

At that Dan let out an even more dramatic sigh that bordered on a yell. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what the fuck you are,” he said, throwing his head back to glare at the green sky above him. Jason said nothing, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the ghost. Dan looked back at him and blew a strand of his fiery hair out of his face. “You are a revenant, someone who died a horrible death and came back to life for revenge. There’s ectoplasm running through your body, you know green gooey shit? And because you’re a revenant you’re still considered a citizen of the Infinite Realms. You have an automatic desire to please your king. How long were you dead before you came back to the world of the living?”

“Six months give or take,” Jason grumbled, following as Dan continued down a destroyed path. “Where are we going if they aren’t here?”

“We’re going to follow the pull of the core,” Dan said with a shrug. “If you hold it, it’ll try to direct you back to my brother. It wants to go back to him just as badly as Danny wants to have it back.”

Jason gave the ghost a distrustful look. “How do I know you’re not going to try to take the core from me as soon as I take it out of my pocket?” He asked, his eyes narrowed into slits, not that Dan could see beneath the safety of his helmet. 

“I won’t, scouts honor,” Dan grumbled. Jason just stared at him for a moment before he pulled the core out and held the orb in his hand. It suddenly grew brighter and Jason felt it start to tug at him to continue straight.  “Now let’s go,” he ordered and the two started walking. 

Jason stayed silent, rolling all of the information he had just learned around in his head as he looked around the piece of land they were standing on. To the right side he could see the tips of a large castle looming over the trees, parts of it were broken and destroyed. “So, if you’re his older brother, why aren’t you the king instead?”

Dan glanced over at him. “It’s complicated.”

Jason looked up at the man. “I died, stayed dead for six months, and then woke up in a giant pit of shit that you call ectoplasm. I doubt it’s that complicated.”

The ghost let out a huff of amusement. “I’m not his brother,” he admitted before he looked straight ahead. “I’m him.”

“How can that be true?”

“There was a future with a bad incident, that incident resulted in me happening instead. It made me angry, I wanted to destroy everything and everyone.  And I did, in my timeline I destroyed everything in my path, the Justice League tried to stop me at some point but they were nothing, they were a pebble in my way. Shit happened, I decided the best course of action would be to go back to make sure that I became Danny’s future but all it did was give him a chance to stop me and divert that timeline from happening–”

“I don’t want to hear anymore,” Jason groaned. “Timeline shit makes me sick to my stomach. So you’re an alternate version of him. Let me guess, since you’re a war criminal you don’t have a right to the throne?”

Dan pointed a pair of finger guns at him. “Bingo,” he said with a sharp grin. Jason just made a face and nodded before he looked out at the area in front of him and frowned. 

“It wants us to keep going straight but this is the end of the island,” he said with a frown.

“Then we keep going straight,” Dan said with a sigh and scooped Jason up in his arms unceremoniously, holding the man bridal style. 

Jason spluttered in response, pushing at Dan’s chest. “What the fuck? Let me go!”

“Sorry but you can’t fly,” Dan said with a smirk before he took off in the air. Jason gritted his teeth as the ghost started to fly. He said nothing except for when to tell Dan to make a left or a right or continue straight as he flew them through the air. That and he tried to not think about the way he could feel the bulging muscles in Dan’s arms pressed against his body. Nor the fact that for a ghost, Dan smelled amazing. The scent wafted through his helmet and flooded his nose, old leather, tobacco, and a pine scent that reminded Jason of nights out in the woods camping with his brothers. 

It was nice. 

“So,” Jason said after a while, trying to tear his concentration from focusing on Dan and his stupid fucking body. How the hell did a ghost smell that fucking good in the first place? Wasn’t he supposed to be dead? “If Phantom is a ghost and he’s only sixteen, how is he going to age to become old enough to take the throne?”

“Phantom isn’t fully dead,” Dan told him, glancing down, a small frown on his face. “He’s what we call a halfa. Half ghost, half living. He can still age, he–we really had our accident when we were fourteen. The reason I’m not still a halfa is that I had my human half ripped out of me and became a full ghost. Danny never had that timeline so it’s different for him.”

“I was fifteen when I died,” Jason said and Dan let out a groan. “What?”

“I don’t want to hear your tragic backstory, Jason,”  he said and looked down at the core. “Has it made any tugs or indicated where we need to go?”

Jason frowned and shook his head. “Keep going straight,” he muttered and looked up at the ghost. “You’re an asshole, you know that? And that’s saying something because I’m a fucking asshole, but I think you’re even worse than I am.”

“Oh shut the fuck up,” Dan muttered. “And quit sniffing me, I can hear you under that fucking helmet you freak.”

Jason balked at that. “I’m not sniffing you. I just simply noticed that you smell good,” he muttered, turning to look away from Dan and his stupid pecs that were pressed against his arm. 

“Whatever you say,” he said with a smug smile on his face. 

“Stop it, quit smiling at me like that,” Jason said, crossing his arms over his chest, the core now tucked between him and Dan who shivered at the cold that exuded from the core. 

“I can’t help it,” Dan said, still smiling at Jason with that stupid, smug look. “You’re adorable, you think you’re all mean and scary and you’re just this little human. It’s cute. You’re like a teddy bear.”

Jason let out a shout and shoved at Dan’s chest. “Shut up! I am not a fucking teddy bear! Do you know who the fuck I am in my world? I’m the Red Hood, I’m a fucking Crime Lord. I’ve murdered people and taken down giant crime operations! I’m not cute.”

“You’re cute, it’s not a bad thing Jason. Some people just have that cuteness factor, it’s okay,” Dan said with that stupid smug smile that Jason wanted to punch off his ugly little face. He hated him. He couldn’t wait for this asshole to stop flying so he would never have to be in his arms again. What a smug little prick. Soon the core started to vibrate wildly in his hands and he tapped at Dan’s chest.

“It’s doing something, we’re close,” he said just as a loud roar sounded through the area. Jason shuddered at the sound, everything in him aching now to go to the being that made that noise, to do whatever he could to calm it, to make it happier. 

“Yeah, we are,” Dan said with a sigh and took off flying even faster than before, clutching onto Jason tight as he sped through the Infinite Realms, and the scene before them chilled Jason to his bones. 

“That’s your brother,” he whispered, staring up at the giant monster that ripped an entire island in half. 

“Yup. Now give me the core, he needs it,” Dan said, setting Jason down on the island where other ghosts stood at the ready, weapons aimed at the monster destroying everything in its path as it fought against the nets and shields and beams shot at it. 

“Dan!” A woman shouted and the two men looked over to find a redhead running towards them. She barreled into Dan’s chest and let out a sob. “Please tell me you found it. It’s getting worse, he’s getting angrier.  I don’t know how long we can contain him.”

Dan smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of the redhead’s face. “I found it Jazz, we’re going to him now,” he said softly and glanced at Jason who wordlessly handed him the core. Dan gave him a single nod and flew up to return the core to his baby brother. 

Jazz, on the other hand, turned and gave Jason a curious look. “And who are you?”

Jason sighed. “The idiot who found his core,” he said, watching as Dan flew close to the being and pressed the core into its chest. Jason watched as he slowly turned from a monster to that of a small, teenage boy. Dan caught the boy just as he started to plummet to the ground and held him close. 

Dan flew back down to Jason and Jazz and smiled. “He’s going to be okay. He’s out cold but he’ll be fine when he wakes up,” he said softly, looking down at the sleeping teenager. He then raised his head and looked up at Jason and smiled. “Thank you.”

Jason nodded once, staring down at the sleeping teenager and then back up at Jason. “It’s fine, I didn’t do shit.”

Dan just smiled. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll take you home,” he said and looked around before spotting a giant yeti coming their way. “Perfect, he’ll be able to get Danny comfortable until he wakes up.”

Jazz just looked between the two and then looked Jason up and down. “Aren’t you that crime lord from Gotham?” she asked, screwing up her nose slightly. 

“Yeah,” Jason said, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. “That’s me.”

“I can’t believe Dan and I have the same type,” she grumbled before stomping away just as Dan returned. 

“Alright, let me get you home,” he said, ripping open a portal. Jason looked at it before he looked back at Dan and carefully took off his helmet. 

“Can I see you again?” Jason asked, furrowing his brow and pulling his bottom lip behind his lip as he waited nervously for a response. 

Dan let out a soft curse and cupped Jason’s face. “I fuckin’ knew you were cute,” he said with a small smile. “But yeah, you can see me again. I’ll stop by soon,” he murmured before pressing a soft kiss to Jason’s cheek. “Now go before I have all of the Justice League trying to hunt me down to find you.”

Jason blushed hot for just a moment before he nodded and slipped through the portal. Hopefully, he’d see Dan again, and hopefully, it would be sometime soon.

[dannythedog]

Collage by @stardust-chords-enthusiast

Long Past Dawn part Two

Part One

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 3.3k

Summary: You've grown up with Sam Kiszka as a best friend. As the two of you get older, you realize your feelings may be morphing into something more. What will happen when Sam finally invites you to the annual Kiszka lake trip where a string of crimes have taken place?

Warnings: 18+, brief smut, talk of death, angst

A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you enjoy part two! This one is much shorter than the first chapter. I reread that first part and it took way too long, so I chopped this part. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this. I'm excited to continue this series and see how I can develop this world!! Feedback and/or comments are always appreciated :)

-

“Jake’s dead.”

Your blood runs cold as Danny’s words sink in. It feels as though the entire world has stopped spinning, yet your body is still flying around the sun. The feeling of dread that you’ve grown all too familiar with in the last twelve hours amplifies and consumes you, swallowing you into its depths.

“That’s a fucked up joke, Dan,” Sam finally speaks.

“I’m not joking. He’s dead. He’s- guys he’s not moving. I went over and shook him. He’s dead,” Danny panics.

Your stomach is churning, their argument falling upon your deaf ears. This isn’t real. Jake isn’t dead. Your knees shake as you stare at Danny’s broad shoulders that are now frantically moving with his arms. Muffled voices try to penetrate your state of shock, but nothing is sharp enough. The tears welling in your unblinking eyes are the only sign that you’ve heard Danny at all.

The feeling of Sam tugging at your hand pulls you out of it - but only enough to follow the brothers outside.

“You guys are such fucking liars,” Josh grumbles with an eye roll. “It was funny last night when we were scaring Bug, but the moment has passed.”

Your heart aches for the twin. How could he be so casual about this? Didn’t he see the look on Danny’s face? His curls swirl in the early morning breeze and it makes you want to wrap him in your arms, to ward away the distress and grief that will try to befriend him. Josh’s features are still light and carefree despite a twinge of annoyance. A slight sunburn atop the bridge of his nose and cheeks gives him a youthful, innocent glow. You hate that it’ll be marred.

Danny leads the group of you off the deck and towards the old dock where you saw the silhouette last night. Bile rises in your throat as you recall last night’s memory. Sam still grips your hand as you slowly head down the embankment, eyes frantically scanning the shore for a body. His face remains calm, but his grip is tight and his palm starts to sweat, giving away his true emotions. You’re grateful that you took the time to admire his peace when you woke. You don’t know when you’ll see it again.

“Where is he?” Sam huffs out, nerves beginning to be evident.

Danny pauses, bending over to rest his hands on his knees and breathe deeply before continuing to the structure. You see Jake’s bare foot laying eerily still in the sand, the rest of his body being obscured by the dock. Before you can even think, you’re ripping your hand out of Sam’s and turning your back to the sight. “I can’t look,” you heave.

“It’s just a joke, y/n,” Josh snaps. “They’re just fucking with us.” He doesn’t mean to take his annoyance out on you, but he’s trying desperately to hide his fear. Josh is terrified that his twin is really laying there dead in the sand, having passed away while he was only yards away peacefully sleeping.

Josh and Danny approach the younger twin while Sam stays halfway between them and you. “Get up,” Josh demands and kicks at Jake’s unmoving body. He’s face down, half of his face pressed into the wet sand while the tide gently kisses his cheeks.

Sam takes a tentative step forward when he sees his big brother lean down and press Jake’s face fully into the water. “I SAID GET THE FUCK UP!”

“Josh,” Sam whimpers, lower lip beginning to tremble.

Just as you begin to cross the sand to Sam, Jake’s body is rolled over. His face is red and he's spluttering for air, water coming out of his nose and mouth. “Jesus!” he shouts. “I wasn’t actually dead, but you damn near killed me!”

“You’re fucked up,” Josh seethes at his twin and gives him a harsh push to the shoulder. Confusion washes over you as you watch the younger twin rise from the water and brush sand from his clothes. Was this all just some sick dream?

“And you,” Josh jabs at Danny’s chest. “You’re fucked up for taking it that far.”

The tall man’s gaze is filled with regret, brown eyes wide and sheepish. Before he has the chance to apologize, Josh is trekking through the sand back to the house.

Shock and dread are still coursing through your body as you watch Jake push wet strands of hair away from his tanned face. “It wasn’t supposed to go that far,” he groans. “We didn’t think you’d fall for it that easily.”

“You’re one hell of an actor,” Sam sneers. He gives his brother one final glare before turning on his heel to follow Josh. You’re rooted to the spot, unable to process anything that’s happened in the last ten minutes. You want to lash out at them like the others did, but a swirl of emotions weighs your chest down, making it feel like you’re choking. The beating sun only adds to the mix. Your brain feels fried and sluggish - entirely too perplexed from the emotional whiplash.

Jake’s warm eyes bore into yours, pleading for you to understand that it was only a joke. “Bug, c’mon. It’s not that serious.”

All you can manage is a shake of your head before trudging off to find Sam. Jake may not think it’s a big deal, but this joke was entirely too convincing. Entirely too real.

The breeze isn’t welcoming anymore, it chills your skin and draws out goosebumps. You find Sam laying in a hammock on the side of the house that’s bordered by forest. His wiry arms are folded over his bare chest as the wind swirls his brown locks around his face. He hadn’t even had the chance to put it up this morning.

“Hey,” you call quietly so you don’t startle him as you stand next to the hammock. “Are you okay?”

Bony fingers are wrapping around your wrists and swiftly tugging you on top of him. A shocked squeak falls from your lips as you land in an awkward position, but Sam wastes no time in readjusting you so that you’re cuddled up to him.

He nuzzles into your neck and takes a deep breath. “He’s such an asshole.”

You know you’re supposed to be focusing on comforting him, but the way his breath tickles across your neck makes your heart thud against your ribcage and your skin flush. You swallow thickly before nodding. “It was a fucked up joke. It was eerie how real it felt.”

Sam’s just as nervous as you are about the proximity of your bodies, but he takes a risk anyway. Planting a gentle kiss to the underside of your jaw, he tucks some of your hair behind your ear. “I think his punishment should be the silent treatment,” he murmurs against your skin. “Spend the day with me, Bug. Just me and you.”

His plush lips have you ready to agree in an instant. “What about Josh?” you breathe. “He seemed pretty upset.”

“Fuck Josh,” he mutters as he repositions his body so that it’s slightly on top of yours. “He’s a big boy. He can be mad at his twin all day long while I spend time with my sweet girl. As a real boyfriend and girlfriend now.”

“And how do you suppose we get them to leave us alone?”

“That’s easy, just have to pretend like were fucking if they try to come close to us,” Sam speaks nonchalantly - as if he was just telling you his favorite color.

“Samuel!” You’re positive that your cheeks have to be the same shade of bright red as the kayak that’s bobbing along the shore.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Unless?”

“I swear to God, I will leave the hammock if you keep it up.” Trying to prove your point, you push at his chest, trying to get your legs out from underneath him.

“Bug, stop it. You know I’m playing with you,” he whines and grabs your waist tighter.

“Yeah yeah. C’mon, I wanna go take a walk along the shore and see what seashells I can get.”

You hop out of the black hammock and hold your hand out to the lanky boy. Everytime Sam smiles at you - you feel like you are going to have a heart attack. He’s had you in a love spell for the past several years. He was finally yours and you were finally his.

“Huh?”

“What?” You look up at the boy - well he prefers for you to call him a man. He has three sparse mustache hairs coming in and it has him convinced that he is a man and he needs to be referred to as one.

“You said something.” He follows you almost obediently to the sand, fingers squeezing yours in sporadic rhythms.

“Did you smoke something?”

“I’ve been with you all morning, dingus. When would I have time to do that?” You feel yourself blush even more when Sam zeroes his line of sight to you. “I already heard what you said, I just wanted to hear you say it again.”

“And what did I say?” you play coy. You don’t feel like being even more embarrassed.

“That I was finally yours and you were finally mine.” Sam stops you along the shore to stand in front of you for a second, beaming at you when he notices you lowering your head to focus on the waves that are crashing into your feet. “Hey, stop being shy. It’s just me, Bug.”

Sam places his pointer finger under your chin, forcing you to lift your head to look at him fully. Your eyes search each other, just taking in the moment and the realization of last night hits you even more.

“You gonna kiss her or what?” Jake. He always has to come along and ruin a moment.

Sam’s eyes tear away from yours, jaw clenching tightly. “If you haven’t noticed, we’re all pretty pissed at you,” Sam hisses. “Why don’t you and Danny fuck off for the day.”

Jake doesn’t budge, his brown eyes boring into your own, nearly begging for you to tell him everything is okay. “You two finally get together? Or is Sam still being a pussy?”

You could practically feel the anger radiating from Sam’s body as he takes a step forward. Thinking quickly, you place your palm onto his bare chest to stop him from doing anything he may regret. The heat leeches into your skin and makes you feel woozy.

“Calm down, Sam. He gets it - what he did was shitty.” Your gaze flicks up to Jake again, expression soft so he knows he’s forgiven. “We did get together, yes. Last night. We were going to tell everyone this morning, but it seems like you and Danny had other plans.”

His big eyes twinge with regret. All he does is give a simple nod - one that he knows you’ll understand.

“Looks like I finally won, huh, Jake?” Sam spits. “Looks like I finally got her.”

“Sam, you know it was never like that.”

“Oh really? I saw how you acted towards her. I saw all your secret moments and stupid little looks. She doesn’t want you. She never has. Grow up and leave us the fuck alone.”

“Sam,” you breathe, not sure why he’s being so hard on his brother. “Come on, let’s just go, okay?”

His mouth opens to go at Jake again, but he’s interrupted. “I’m happy for you two. Really.”

Confusion flashes across Sam’s face for a quick moment, but it’s gone just as fast. “Let’s go, Bug.”

He tugs your hand, leading you further down the shore. Tension radiates off of him. His muscles are taut, face set into a stony expression. A frown floats down your face. You could try to explain why he shouldn’t be so upset with Jake, why he should take this as an opportunity to be grateful that his brother is in his life, but you know he needs time. So, you let him lead you across the wet sand and towards a little island. It was really more like a large sandbar, but you’d think of it as your own personal island. Sam and Bug Isle.

He wades into the shallow water rather aggressively. Thin legs cut through each gentle bob of the tide to reach your destination. You follow him without a second thought. He reaches out a hand to steady you as you climb onto your little island - any aggression he may have had is gone as soon as his skin touches yours.

“This could be our place,” you suggest. “I was thinking of it as our own island.”

Troubled brown eyes gaze into your own and soften with each word. You could tell he likes the idea, but is too trapped in his feelings to voice it. The gentle squeeze of his large hand on yours is enough of an answer.

“You shouldn’t be too upset with him. I know what he did is fucked up and I’m upset, too, but I think I’m more glad that he’s actually okay. I’m happy we still have him with us.”

A puff of air leaves his nose and he looks out at the water. “He’s a douche. He always knows just how to fuck everything up.”

“Hey, leave that all behind. Don’t bring bad vibes to our island.”

You finally coax a small smile from Sam. His shoulder touches yours in a tender gesture. “Yeah. You’re right. Let’s make this morning about us. Should we christen the island?”

A mutter of his name escapes you in pure embarrassment. Christening a dinky little spot of land that’s so out in the open? Something that’s not quite in sight of the cabin full of his family, but is still right there?

He leans closer, his warm skin soothing the goosebumps that litter yourself. “Then just kiss me for a while.”

Now this was doable. Sam turns his body so he’s fully facing you now, knees knocking against yours. You can’t help the small smile that forms when his droopy eyes flick to your lips. The first kiss is tender, much like the one you shared in the bedroom last night. It’s full of nervous feelings and simple newness. You sort of wish he would invest in chapstick.

Any thoughts of chapped lips escape your mind when he grazes his fingers across your cheek to tilt your head upwards a bit, deepening the kiss. His full lips move cautiously against your own as he explores his new canvas. Shaky hands skirt up his bare chest - you’re thankful he hadn’t bothered to put on a shirt this morning. His skin is soft and smooth under your touch and you swear you can feel his thudding heart. It makes you all too aware of how fast yours is beating.

“Relax,” he murmurs against your lips. “It’s just me. Don’t get all jittery on me.”

He pulls back to look at you, a lopsided grin on display. “My little jitterbug.”

You huff and trace your fingertips against his shoulder. “That’s the problem. It’s you. Yesterday I was beyond terrified that you’d figure out how I felt and now we’re here. Just freely kissing.”

“Do you like it?”

You scoff. “Of course I do. I’m just nervous.”

“Don’t be,” he insists and presses a kiss to the very corner of your mouth. “I don’t think you could mess this up if you tried.”

Then his plush lips are on yours again. Sam grasps the back of your neck to keep you close, his fingers wrapping themselves up in baby hairs. This time he beckons your mouth open with a gentle lap of his tongue. It felt almost greedy the way you welcomed him in. The sound of the waves match up with each swirl of your tongues and the wind caresses you just as softly as he does. You don’t think you’ve ever experienced anything so romantic.

The mood shifts when he presses his body forward and guides you to lay on your back. He mumbles something about being more comfortable this way. A few weeds poke at your back and sand travels its way into your shorts, but you don’t care. You don’t care about anything uncomfortable while you’re with him.

A large, shaky hand rests on your hip and massages gently. He got on you about being nervous, but you could tell he felt the same. His fingers slowly slip under your baggy sleep shirt and knead your side. Sam breaks the kiss to look into your eyes.

“Y/n, I really like you,” he whispers, his sweet voice trembling.

You whisper back the same sentiment. It was obvious what he wanted to do. It was obvious he wanted you right there on your little island and you think you’d let him take you.

Seeing him so nervous and gentle sent a wave of confidence through you. In one swift movement, you sweep off your shirt and toss it to the side. The way his eyes bulge at the sight of your breasts makes you want to run for the hills. Maybe you weren’t actually feeling all that confident.

“Oh, Bug,” he utters, eyes locked onto your body. “You’re beautiful.”

You want to shy away and you give into the feeling. In your moment of bashfulness, you cover your chest with your arms.

“No. No, don’t do that. Don’t hide from me.” He tugs at your arms in full seriousness. “Let me see how stunning you are.”

He always knew how to weaken your resolve. Slowly, you move your arms back down to your sides. His smile is breathtaking. Ever so carefully, his hands slide up your sides and over your ribs, then they cup your breasts. It wasn’t the awkward groping you got so used to with inexperienced boys. This was tender. Full of emotion. His thumbs brush over your nipples and it sends a rather delicious shiver through you.

His hands never leave you as he attaches his lips to that same spot under your jaw from earlier. A place you’re growing to love being kissed. Bursts of kisses are pressed to your throat as he moves himself over you. One knee is between your thighs and the other takes the brunt of his weight. Sloppy, wet kisses move down your chest and to the top of your left breast.

He looks up at you in a moment of pause. “Do you want this?”

Do I want this? Last night and this morning have been such a whirlwind of emotions. Everyone is overwhelmed and frazzled, but maybe this is what I need. Maybe this is the release we both need to get back on track to what’s supposed to be a good vacation.

“Yeah. I want you.”

You undress each other right there on your island. His touches are slightly fumbled but given with the most care you’ve ever felt. When he presses into you it’s electric. Whispered words and soft praises are shared with each movement of his hips. This moment is engrained on that bit of land. You leave a bit of yourselves there for the rest of time.

Afterwards you lay there basking in the morning sun. The chaos of last night and this morning had completely slipped your brain. “I don’t want to go back,” he groans.

“So we won’t,” you hum, nuzzling into him further. “Let’s stay here.”

“I’m a little cold and I’m starving,” he huffs. So you do go back. You walk hand in hand back to the cabin with rosy cheeks and an excited glow about you. There was leftover breakfast from when Josh had cooked. The rest of the morning was spent wrapped up in Sam. You felt like you had to make up for lost time. That is until the eldest brother appears with a mock stern look.

“We shouldn’t leave you two alone with all this nonsense that’s going on.” You weren’t sure if he was talking about the murders or the obvious fact you and Sam had hooked up. “Let’s go for a hike.”

[samptlay]

To My Sweetheart Who Carries A Wounded Heart Ch. 3

A/N: If you check my AO3 there might be more chapters there. Putting together a Tumblr post vs just uploading it on AO3, i think you can tell who wins my favor...

~

Series Masterlist, Chapter 1 🤍, Chapter 2 🖤

The group was already silent while listening to the doctor, but once he dropped the bombshell on them, others nearby grew quiet too.

March gasped while covering her mouth, Dan Heng & Welt looked down at the ground, and Himeko crossed her arms while looking away, Stelle seemed to not react, yet you could notice her pupils growing ever so smaller with each passing second.

Kafka's eyes fluttered shut as she let out a small “tch” and shifted the weight on her feet from one foot to the other. Silver Wolf let out a small wince as she simply looked away as if trying to hide from reality itself.

How you so desperately wished that was possible.

Blade, out of everyone, seemed to have a reaction that deferred from the rest. It was like he felt numb, went numb. Only being able to lock eyes on you.

His deep red eyes pour into your figure, even through the glass window.

Everyone already knew that Blade was closest to you, he had a soft spot for you, and it showed. It most likely pains his heart just as much as it pains you.

Even after everything, Kafka still found it intriguing, the way his hands were slightly trembling and balling up into fists. Glaring daggers at no other than your husband, Levi.

She didn't take a liking to him that much, neither did Silver Wolf & definitely not Blade. The group never spoke about it, but they knew why, it was painfully obvious.

The rest were on the fence about him. During college, he had been this wonderful mindful person, someone who would always be there to rely on. That's what had you falling for him.

But adulthood seemed to have flipped a switch inside him, and he was a lot more prideful than anything.

These days they don't keep in touch with him much due to this fact, but because of what he had done for them, they couldn't say he was a terrible person, either.

But it angered Blade. Why not label him for what he truly was? He could open his phone and scroll through all the messages of you venting to him about thinking you were a terrible partner, just because that narcissist told you so.

High stress levels? And who else would cause that except for the one you come home to every day?

He out of everyone didn't deserve you, but Blade also blames himself.

Would you have chosen him if he had done more to be there for you?

~

There was a brief moment when you and Ren locked eyes. Yours were red, almost as red as his own and he swore he almost felt a blood vessel pop.

Everyone else also took the time to watch you, not judge but simply observe.

They were either shocked, surprised, or at least taken aback by your tears. And you didn’t blame them.

You weren’t one to cry. Ever. Not at an injury, not at emotional distress, not at a funeral, even your own parent’s. “A weakness.” You would say, yet encouraged others to do so as you cradled them in your arms.

However, only a few took the time to stalk your husband as well.

Levi wasn't even looking at you, he appeared ashamed, even. But not of himself.

It would be obvious to anyone looking that he wasn't content with you right now.

But why?

Shouldn’t he be comforting his flesh and blood? Should he be there for you, reassuring you everything would be fine? But Ren knew you felt as alone as ever right now. Because Levi’s not even holding your goddamn hand.

~

[ilovescaredysquirrel2]

So I watched that Under the Boardwalk movie and it's surprisingly amazing? + my thoughts on other upcoming movies

Okay, when my friend texted me the trailer I was shocked to find out it was by Nickelodeon and Paramount (When I think of Nickelodeon I think of perverted jokes in trashy sitcoms and cartoons) but when Nickelodeon actually has something good, I'm surprised! I feel like I have sort of a love-hate relationship with Nickelodeon stuff as I do with Disney, but there's more stuff by Nickelodeon that I love more than there is Disney, and I mostly have more nostalgia for Nickelodeon (I'm not like other people 0w0). There was literally one foot joke in the movie! Just one! Not filled with dirty jokes either, and it had a good message!

The message and the songs were actually amazing and the characters were adorable and sweet! They actually had amazing character development, which I wasn't expecting from this movie. Armen and Ramona had a cute relationship with Armen being the scared one at first but then turns to being the braver one, and Ramona being the wildcard and adventurous one but ending up needing rescued in the end. They could have done the whole "damsel in distress needs rescued by guy" type of thing that I get sick of seeing in old Disney movies, but they didn't! Ramona's sister, Shelly was adorable as well, and she was deaf and couldn't hear but she didn't let that stop her from trying to save her sister! I also love how the big tough guy Bobby had a soft side and didn't pick on Armen like we would expect him to. Like, the big tough strong crabs were actually Armen's friends and supported him even though he wasn't like them. Also, can we talk about the villain? Like, it was cool to see the posh spoiled rich boy be the villain but also just a guy you gotta hate (he tried hitting on Ramona, Shelly, and their mom which was weird). Like, they combined the snobby spoiled rich mama's boy traits with also making him a womanizer and full of himself. Almost like Victor Quartermaine but without the lip fillers, and more of a flirty womanizer. (spoilers; even the villain, Meiko, got redemption in the end). I also liked how they showed the humans in the story as well. They didn't try and make the humans seem all evil but still had the dumb human antagonist who gave them different shells and tried to sell them, but that's only a minor part in the movie and not the main conflict which is a plus! Like, I don't like when animal movies try to make all the humans seem evil (I kind of like how the movie Barnyard, which is also Paramount and Nickelodeon, did kind of the same thing where the animals weren't afraid of being eaten by humans, they were just trying to hide from them).

I also noticed other details I thought was cool, besides the fact that they made fun of... you know who **cough cough dirty dan**, with the one foot joke. Or at least I hope they were making fun of him (at a scene where Armen and Ramona were in a photobooth together they were going through filters and Armen ended up as a foot and Ramona was laughing at him). I also love that this movie was a musical and included songs that fit in with the "cheesy teen beach musical" type of vibes, but they also made it take place in New Jersey and the conflict was focused around the sea crabs coming up and bothering the land crabs. It was also a good anti-racism type of symbolism because they were both crabs, and it's not the same as what Zootopia or Sheep & Wolves did and use other animals (although Sheep & Wolves is still a great movie). Like, I can't ship a fox and a rabbit but I can ship a sea crab and a land crab because they're BOTH CRABS! I noticed a lot of other little details in it and I'm really proud of Paramount on this one! I don't understand but I'm curious to know if they have an animation studio in Italy, since I saw the Italian flag in the background of some scenes. If they do have an animation studio there, then that's awesome! If not, it's still fine, I'm just curious! I'm an American and I support other countries when it comes to them making animated family movies. Just to see a smaller foreign studio make a movie that's better than what Disney puts out...

Also, I'm still pumped up about Butterfly Tale and I'm furious that it won't be released in the U.S any time soon. If you're in Canada, please go see Butterfly Tale and give that smaller studio some support because Butterfly Tale looks like an amazing movie and my friend loved it! And idc about this knock off Chicken Run sequel dawn of the nugget or some crap, I still consider Chicken Run a DreamWorks movie and I don't want Netflix and Sam Fell to ruin what was once amazing. This Chicken Run 2 looks so dumb and they ruined the movie, this is totally a knock off, no telling me otherwise. DreamWorks isn't working on it and Aardman only works on it because they're being forced to by Netflix. At least I can still support DreamWorks by going to see Trolls 3, but the villain designs look hideous (at least we get that Broppy romance), and i doubt that it'll beat Under the Boardwalk or Butterfly Tale.

nyway, tell me your thoughts on what I said in either of these paragraphs and feel free to state your opinions, even if you don't agree!

[localcursedfriend]

Ok I can't write an actual story with dialogue or pacing, but I can write a killer character analysis and I know how stories should formulated and resolve but someone asked of me to play in @frownyalfred 's sandbox and create a Clark and Dan Cowboy Romance, so without futher ado, my word vomit on a page:

-----

Clark Kent runs into one of the handymen working to fix the Lex Corp Tower elevators while going to interview notorious omega Lex Luthor. A simple bump into each other and that's how it begins. A 'hello' as they pass each other in the hallway as Dan leaves for the day and Clark shows up to get a good spot among the reporters for a gala. But then it turns into something more as Dan comes over for coffee and they meet and they get to know each other. Clark's rough edges from growing up in the middle of America on a farm meet perfectly with Dan's rough edges of taking care of everything and wrapping up loose ends. They start working on projects together, start widdling little figurines and they aren't good but they're fun and simple and that's all that Dan and Clark need. Dan finds out Clark is Superman, and suddenly Clark has someone to bandage his kryptonite wounds and listen to his nightmares of the people he couldn't save. As their relationship develops, Clark realizes that this might be his forever and that scares him for a moment because he thinks about the one thing that would make him share a normal human experience with the rest of the world, his idea of a nuclear family, that will never be if he falls in love with another male alpha. Dan sees Clark's distress, he knows it because he went through this, not exactly, but something close to it. Dan tells Clark all about his struggles in life, about how he was doing dirty work to provide for his family, how he went through a divorce when his partner found out what he did to keep his family afloat, and then how he picked up being a handyman and how he was having a really shit time trying to fix Lex's elevator when Clark bumped into him. Dan told Clark about how he had considered just running away from it all until he bumped into Clark and how funny it was that the static electricity shock from bumping into Clark fixed the elevator that was frustrating him enough to make it all boil over. After that talk, they realize that running away might not be so bad. Handymen are needed everewhere and Journalists can work from anywhere so they move back to the Kent farm and build a ranch out back for the two of them to live their happily ever after with their non-nuclear family.

--------

It just feels right Dan and Clark get their happy ending on a farm living together. I love making Dan divorced because it just feels right in my heart (Sorry Res I had to do it to him). I hope any of that made sense at this point I'm working mostly off of vibes, the concepts of being double gay (both primary and secondary gender), and the image of Brokeback Mountain without actually having seen the movie or know the plot. If anyone want to take my loose ideas and build out a full fic I beg of you, do it.

[godlizzza]

In your teenage Danbert au, did you ever imagine a scenario where Dan would come out to his parents? In reading your 'meet the family' fic, it seemed to me like his parents would probably be okay with him dating another boy, but Dan just wasn't ready to tell them yet. How do you think things would play out if they did learn about his relationship with Herbert?

I have thought about writing it but I don't have any current plans to write anything focused on that atm. With Dan's parents, I do believe that they would come around eventually but I don't think they'd be super accepting right off the bat. As loving parents as they are, they'd still be affected by the prejudices of the time, and given that those fics are set in the 70s, it would really play into that. I also think it's important to show that even the most caring people are still capable of being cruel, even if they don't mean to be.

Dan's mum I think suspects that he and Herbert are together but she's trying to ignore it and convince herself it's not true. I don't think it would've even crossed Dan's dad's mind that Dan could be queer, given how well he's always played the part of the nice, all-American straight boy. He's athletic, has had girlfriends, is masculine, etc. So, the news would be a real shock to him, and he'd quite incredulous and non-receptive.

If Dan did tell them of his own volition, it would be in a moment of extreme weakness/distress. Maybe if Herbert's family was moving away or Herbert got really sick/injured, Dan wouldn't be able to hold back his emotions and would let it all out in a torrent to his mother, who would be very startled and wary of his reaction. She might say something like, "Herbert's...not just a friend to you, is he?" And Dan would be so distraught in the moment that he'd just spill it all to her. Then they'd all have to deal with the aftermath.

[magicalhideoutengineer]

Queenie & Grindelwald

Crimes of Grindelwald:

Alison Sudol: It's not so lovely for Queenie in this film. She has trouble because she doesn't speak French. She's not good at languages period. She has trouble with Newt's accent, so forget about Paris. So she's kind of getting a lot of information that she can't filter through in the way that she does. She's like clogged up by all of these information that she can't process, which is also part of the reason why it's easy for Grindelwald to manipulate her, because her instincts are not functioning properly.

- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Makers, Mysteries and Magic: Chapter 6

Dan Fogler: I feel like she also reads heart shockers. If your intention is pure, then it confuses her. Even if you're an evil bastard, if you're intention is pure, she's like, "Oh, this person means well."

Alison Sudol: It's true, there's a purity … because her gift hasn't been something that she has been taught to use. She hasn't been mentored. It is literally, "Queenie, stop reading my mind." She could be one of the great witches of her all time with this gift, but it's seen as a nuisance. So, if you don't have mentorship, and you're taught that something about you is wrong – and you aren't developing it, it's only just happening to you – then the discernment between a pure intention and a pure intention of harm, you know, is quite confusing if it muddles the senses. That's what we encounter in this with her.

- Snitchseeker

I was wondering, wouldn't Queenie have noticed the change in Graves [Grindelwald]' thinking even though he looked the same?

JK Rowling: Occlumency.

- Twitter

Mads Mikkelsen: If I offer a character that is under distress and frustrated, alone, a misfit, if I offer some comfort and an ear that would listen, it's a smart way to get you followers.

Alison Sudol: Absolutely. You sense vulnerability and you use it, and it was painful actually. I know that might sound strange, but any time you are put in a position where you need to look more deeply into yourself or into humanity to learn about someone, I think it's really positive, because it just brings more understanding into the human condition really.

- Secrets of Dumbledore Interview

Alison Sudol: She made the mistake of believing Grindelwald could offer a better alternative. He used her vulnerability to his advantage, telling her what she wanted to hear, meanwhile separating her from everyone and everything she loved. He understands people's base desires and he plays into them. That's why he's so dangerous. It's something that happens in the real world all the time, a trap that so many young people fall into. We are not taught how to converse with our desires, we're taught to suppress them to fit in. It takes the considerable power of owning our feelings away from us and leaves it up for grabs, makes us a target for manipulation.

- Secrets of Dumbledore Production Notes

Alison Sudol: At the end of the second film, we see Queenie make a pretty shocking decision, something that no one really expected. But if you follow through the film, if you really think about it, she was sort of in one unfortunate circumstance after another because of the way that the wizarding world operates and the prejudice. Really all she wants to do is just be with the person she loves. The narrow-mindedness of the world she lives in puts her into a really vulnerable position where somebody that's really manipulative can tell her what she wants to hear, and that's gonna have an impact.

- Secrets of Dumbledore Press Conference

Alison Sudol: Well, Grindelwald told her what she wanted to hear, didn’t he? I mean, anyone with a little power of observation could see that she was desperate to be with Jacob legitimately, which was a much bigger deal at that time than it is today. She would do anything to be able to be with him. And because of the restrictions by the wizarding world, the narrow mindedness, the prejudice towards non-magical people, she was vulnerable to anyone who would say it could be different. Grindelwald pretended to be sympathetic to non-magical people to get her on his side. If the wizarding world had been more open-minded, she never would’ve been in this situation.

- Bearpost

Alison Sudol: In the last film, a lot of people were shocked by what she did, but then, as I thought about more and more about what happens in that film, she's abandoned by the people that she loves, and her sister's not there, and she and Jacob are fighting, and Newt humiliates her, and she's also up against a huge amount of prejudice, and Grindelwald offers what seems like an alternative to a world that is broken and is not allowing her to be with the person she loves.

- Secrets of Dumbledore Interview

“Grindelwald actually sounds like he’s all for love — if you love a Muggle, you should be allowed to be with them, and you should be allowed to marry,” Fogler reveals. “But wizards, he feels, should be on a pedestal. This is very tantalizing to some.

- Entertainment Weekly

Dan Fogler: Dumbledore can say the same thing and so can Grindelwald in his heart. That's why it's so easy for her. She's like, "Wow, he really believes this, that this can happen." This utopia that he's promising with his silver tongue. But there's a part of him that it's for love. So it's very confusing, which makes for really complex, dramatic, great scenes to play. Really interesting subject matter. 

- Sensacine

JK Rowling: We watch him corrupt an innocent, and we see his immense seductive duplicities, gift for speech in the final scene where we really see the danger of the man. 

If we look at what he is saying and analyse it, it does fall apart. However, if you're not paying a lot of attention to the substance and the inherent contractions in what he's saying, it sounds very seductive, very plausible, and it can persuade people that you or I might consider good people.

- ChicagoSciFi

'He's also a bit flirty,' says Sudol. 'It's the age-old thing of the good girl getting swayed by the bad boy.'

- Lights, Camera, Magic!: The Making of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Alison Sudol: Grindelwald is very skilled at reading people, at understanding when someone is vulnerable and what they need to hear, and he also sees a part of her that she hasn't accepted in herself, which is this extraordinary gift that she has. There's a power there and there's a pull. There's no doubt about it.

- Secrets of Dumbledore Interview

Alison Sudol: So she is scooped up by Grindelwald in easily the most vulnerable moment that she's had in her adult life. She has very little at this point left to go to, so she's not protected by anything in that moment and he comes in, and it's very interesting the way that Jo's done this. Basically, you think of a predator or an evil person, a bad person's gonna come in and they are gonna be like an ogre and horrible and being like killing kittens in front of you and you are gonna be able to see that they are evil, but the thing about Grindelwald is that he's a master manipulator. He's all things to everyone that they need, and that is why he is so dangerous, and to Queenie, he very quickly understands that the way to get to her is through her giant heart, which is very open and very sore, and he comes in, he's vulnerable to her and sort of appeals to her and also reacts to her gift, which is a gift of being able to read minds, but Queenie's never been told that it's a gift. She's always been shushed, and It's always been a frustration and an annoyance to the people around her, and here you have this very intriguing, mysterious man who sees her as this powerful woman, and also he's saying, "I want what you want. I want you be able to love freely." She's been rejected by Jacob; it's no wonder she gets swayed by Grindelwald.

- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Makers, Mysteries and Magic: Chapter 6 & The Archive of Magic : The Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Poppy Corby-Tuech: I think this is the power of Grindelwald, that he doesn't... He could've poisoned her, he could've drugged her, he could've used a spell, but actually I think he trusted that she would come to him in a really natural way and it would come from hers as opposed to her being forced. That is really the way that he's persuading a lot of people to do his very dark things around and it's not through mind games or through torture. It's through the sheer power of the words. Obviously, there's manipulation at the intent of it, but it's like, "If we lay the breadcrumbs, they will come."

- Speakbeasty

David Heyman: I think the fact that even Queenie can go over is really significant. The fact is that for me, Grindelwald is a much scarier villain than Voldemort. Because Voldemort was pure evil. People follow Voldemort as much because of brute, his power and brute force than his power of persuasion. The thing about Grindelwald is he makes sense or he makes sense to people. He speaks to the needs that people have. He understands his audience and he gives them what they want to serve his own needs. So I understand Queenie who wants to be with Jacob but where the magical laws deny her that possibility. You can see why someone who tells her in his world, in the world that he will rule, that she will be able to have what she wants. You understand why she goes over.  And that makes it to me, Grindelwald is relevant. He speaks to today. But he's also, because history repeats itself, a timeless villain and I think he's incredibly scary.

- Empire Podcast

David Heyman: Grindelwald is to me a much scarier villain than Voldemort, because Grindelwald makes sense to certain people. Voldemort's power is fear and intimidation. As Callum said, Grindelwald seduces. As much as we may hate certain politicians because they do not speak our language, we have to understand that they are answering the needs and vulnerabilities and insecurities of others. Grindelwald is doing that. That's why Queenie goes over. He makes perfect sense. I understand why Queenie does what she does. I may hate it. I may not like it, it may make me sad, but yeah [it makes sense].

- Coup De Main

His eyes meet QUEENIE'S in the front row.

GRINDELWALD —and for love.

We pan across QUEENIE, now heart and soul his .. .

- Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay

Secrets of Dumbledore:

Alison Sudol: Queenie made a choice to take marrying Jacob into her own hands in the second film, which set off a chain reaction of unfortunate events that ultimately left her vulnerable and alone. Ultimately, she made a choice to cross over to Grindelwald’s side. It was shocking for a lot of people, but she was wounded and reckless. There was a lot of chaos around that decision, and it happened in a split second. Now in this new film, things have calmed down and the sobering reality of the world that she now lives in has descended. It’s not a world that she fits into, but she’s had to assimilate. Grindelwald sees her as a valuable asset for her power to read minds, which puts her in an important position among Grindelwald’s minions. That doesn’t mean she’s safe. She’s navigating this as best as she can, and it’s intense!

- Bearpost

Alison Sudol: So at the start of this film, we find her in a world that is very different than any world she's ever been in before. She's also being utilised for this tremendous power that she has, that she's either had to hide in the past or she's been made feel guilty about, and there is something interesting about that, about a person who hasn't actually been able to live fully as who they are, and I think a lot of young woman can relate to that as well, of what happens when somebody sees that thing, that burning part of you that nobody else sees. It's a tricky, interesting position. We don't really know where she's really to go and who she is and how she's going to move forward, because she's at a point in her life where she has sort of two ways to go, but she's made a decision that you can't really just say to Gellert Grindelwald, "Sorry, I actually..." It's pretty creeping, so maybe she won't be able to get away or mabye she will. That's what her journey is now.

- Secrets of Dumbledore Press Conference

Alison Sudol: Grindelwald's on a mission to become the leader of the wizarding world by hooker, by crook. He's not the kind of guy that's gonna do it the right way. He's gonna do it the way that makes it happen, and earlier on, she observes him do something completely unthinkable and cruel, disgustingly cruel to an innocent creature for his own benefit, and it's shocking, and it's unclear what she's seen up until then, but I don't think it takes her very long to realise that she's dealing with seriously villainous people.

- ChicagoSciFi

Mads Mikkelsen: He's an odd man, because he picks some allies that he knows are not fully on his side. So there's a little game for him. He seems to take pleasure in manipulating people that he knows are not a believer of him. But obviously if you can turn them over completely, it's a win-win situation. If you can't, he will have a very fun and good time with them. But also it's an old saying, right? Keep your enemies very very tight, very close. But she's a fantastic tool as well. She has the ability to read people's minds, and that can come in very handy.

- ChicagoSciFi

Mads Mikkelsen: Oh, Grindelwald doesn’t trust her at all. But there’s something about Queenie—she can read other people’s minds, but she’s also a very bad liar at the same time. So, Grindelwald has a hunch he can trust her to the degree that she can’t lie straight to his face. And then, as was said before, both Dumbledore and Grindelwald have this tendency to manipulate people around them. The difference is that Grindelwald doesn’t mind people around him that could be dangerous for him. He finds it interesting. It’s a little game. Life becomes more interesting when you have people around you that might turn on you. It keeps him on his toes.

- Bearpost

[bluewastelanddefendor]

a typed list if anyone needs it: (i’m like 97.5% sure i did it correctly)

- they say WDAPTEO acronym out loud

- jedus poll mention

- tiktok/phan twt outtake

- take your straight boyfriends to last leg of TIT

- tour perils/medical issues

- XMAS creep shots

- texts from different bunk beds

- TIT plant upkeep mention

- picture of each other that they overly compliment

- mention of how thirsty we’ve been for content

- pet hints

- unseen pic from tour

- anecdote we’ve already heard

- tit recording hunt

- dan mad that phil is messy or late

- something that makes us stare into the middle distance with shock [and] distress

since they haven’t uploaded yet can I interest you in a spot of wdapteo bingo

[libertyreads]

Book Review #27 of 2025--

The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson. Rating: 2 stars.

Read from April 16th to 19th.

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Ballantine Books for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Language of the Birds follows 17 year old Arizona who is still reeling from the shock of her father's death. His motorcycle accident is only the first in line of mysteries she needs to solve. While Arizona and her mother are spreading her father's ashes at some of his favorite ghost towns, her mother goes missing and a ransom letter is left in her place. Brilliant Arizona must solve several clues in order to find what the kidnappers are looking for and get her mother back. With her dog Mojo at her side, Arizona winds her way through the desert to unravel an age old mystery. The Language of the Birds comes out on May 13th and is available for preorder now.

I don't remember the last time I rated a NetGalley ARC this low so I know going into this review that it's going to seem so harsh. I apologize in advance for that. I think there are a few factors at play in this novel that lead to my low rating. 1) This should be in the general fiction category. I don't know why it's listed as a YA Mystery Thriller. That is so wrong in so many ways. There's one gun fight that includes a dog getting shot in the leg and everyone else is mostly fine. That scene was not thrilling in any way. This incorrect category is going to lead to this book getting some low ratings just based on expectation alone. 2) Some of the puzzles are obvious and the main character takes about an hour just describing it to the reader over and over before finally solving it. It's dumb how frustrating that was. While other times, the puzzle is based on something the author clearly knows a ton about and can make the character jump to the conclusion without any on page research or any description that explains it to the audience. 3) I don't think this man has ever met another human being in his entire life. The way these people are interacting with each other makes no sense. It ignores the way humans act in favor of keeping the plot moving along the trajectory the author has already plotted out. NONE of the adults who this girl bumps into along the way raise issue with the fact that this 17 year old girl is alone and doing all of these insane things, that this girl is very obviously distressed? Plus the twist about the park ranger was so completely stupid at the end. It undoes a previous twist (and what was actually a good one) in order to bring the story to its final conclusion. As far as writing style goes, it was bad. If it weren't for the fact that I had an ARC of this one, I would have DNF'd after the first chapter.

Arizona is a brilliant character who has struggled socially in the past and we see her have to over come the social awkwardness in order to solve these puzzles and save her mom. That aspect of the story is sweet and great to see. I think Arizona and her dog Mojo are the only two bright spots in this entire book. (Though, if you are a dog lover, please do remember that Mojo does get shot in the leg at one point.) The rest of the book just doesn't work in my opinion. The author clearly has some hobbies that he truly enjoys exploring and researching and making puzzles out of, but none of that can help get this book off the ground in my opinion.

Overall, I would say that this book just needs a lot of work. I struggled throughout the entire thing. I think there may be some substance there for people who really enjoyed the Dan Brown books or who love seeing mysteries and puzzles in the mundane. It didn't work for me.

[keyki421]

Blake Lively always gave mean girl. That is why she was perfect as Serena in Gossip Girl. Like are people really shocked that a tall blonde woman is insensitive and rude. I wish people would use some common sense, instead of just trying to find the good in everyone.

This woman had her wedding on a damn plantation. Do you know how crazy that is? Who wants to celebrate a joyous occasion in a place where people were literally enslaved and tortured?

Blake always plays basically the same role in every movie. Kinda like her husband. She is always the beauty and she is always in distress.

Also as a repeat Gossip Girl watcher, her character of Serena is literally the biggest bully out of the entire series. Serena is more horrible than Blair. Cause if you really watch it, you can see that Blair basically looks down on everyone and really doesn't care about others. That is why she is openly mean to people in their faces. She always wants to belittle them. Serena on the other hand, wants to act like she is friendly, warm and cares about others and then she does some sneaky shit on the low, that is incredibly foul. Dan calls her out on this all the time. Like in Season 2, when Serena has her minions bullying a girl, simply because Dan was interested in her. She tried to claim she was innocent, when really she was the ring leader.

Serena also had a victim complex. Nothing was ever her fault. Things just always happened around her. Serena rarely faced any consequence for the shit that she did. Serena never acknowledge her privilege, which is something the other rich characters always did. They understood that their lives were easy and privileged.

I've always said Serena and Blake Lively are alike in so many ways.

[flydotnet]

Bad Things Happen Bingo! The event where you send me requests according to this marvelous card!

(Red cross is the completed prompt, character headshots are prompts I’ve already filled. I don’t have any request left, so feel free to send in suggestions for this card!).

But I will be fine. I must be.

Unofficial Gay Fates has made me super partial to both Scarlet and ships with Scarlet. I'm a Ryoma/Scarlet girly too, but also, the Scarlet-Xander support chain was too good for me not to get into the trenches and write something for it too. I may've read the official Scarlet/Chevois lore doc a little too many times compared to how faithful to UGF my Scarlet ended up being? Oh well. You never get anywhere if you never try! I don't like how Revelation handled... well, most things, and the thing with Valla is stoopid as it's written there, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy playing with a zombie country of sort. There's a kind of horror to it and I had to set a mood y'know?the number of times I had "Deessu. Kurimuzon." in my head while writing this fic is obscenely high.

-----

Bride of Crimson

Summary: Guilt will come later - for now, Scarlet needs to escort a prince to safety.

Fandom: Fire Emblem Fates (Revelation route) Ship: Pre-S-Support Scarlet/Xander

Wordcount: words

Event hosted by @badthingshappenbingo

AO3 version.

------

Vallites don’t bleed.

That’s because they don’t have a soul anymore, Scarlet has been told. They’re corpses haunted by the mindless desire to do something. Ryo has compared them to a lizard’s tail once cut from its body, trembling as if alive yet dead all the same; and she didn’t really question it. If Ryo believed Corrin, then she had no reason to suspect anything either: Ryo knew what he was doing, then why would she go against him? As far as she was concerned, nothing had contradicted what his sister had said.

 Vallites don’t bleed, which makes it oh so much more noticeable when it’s her comrades who do. It smears on the fluorescent grass of Valla and it smells like iron – not the sort that results from weapons clashing against each other, but that which has kept her on alert for so long, back in Cheve. It looks out of place right when she thought she had finally gotten used to bloodshed.

Scarlet has been through worse, though. It takes a special kind of guts to rise against a kingdom so much bigger than your country, whose nobles seem so adamant to hurt people they can’t see while they laze around and live in luxury (and someone may’ve helped with her perception of that, but one man can’t change an entire life experience of conclusions), but it’s this special kind that’s now allowing her to cut through ghosts that play pretend with everyone’s emotions and distress alike.

 A strong, belting voice screams from behind her, prompting her to briefly turn around.

“Scarlet, look out!”

She barely has the time to crouch before a sword dark as the night pierces through a Faceless’ chest. If the voice wasn’t a giveaway, then the weapon alone would be a dead seller for the ages.

“Xander?!”

He walks his horse to her, Siegfried still in hand. (A beautiful weapon, if sinister… and plain. Unfortunately, her offer to spruce it up has already been turned down).

“Are you hurt?”

“No, no I’m not, in no small part thanks to ya.” She shines him a smile.

“Very well,” he replies with stiff shoulders and a smirk just as uncomfortable to look at. “Where’s your wyvern?”

“Errrh… Vaida got injured earlier, so I’m lettin’ her a nice rest back at camp! Can’t let my ride get worse under my watch!”

“I see. I trust you can handle yourself on your own, right?”

“Of course! Dun take me for a fragile lil’ flower, Dandy-Lion!”

He blushes like a tulip at the remark, “p-please keep this silly nickname off the—”

Xander stops dead in his tracks, eyes opening wide.

“Dan…”

“Get down!”

 A hand axe cuts through the air, flirting so close to her pauldron that it tears it off from her, taking it in its course.

 Once the initial shock passes, she clutches her own axe to her and swings it at the culprit – some Vallite soldier with empty sockets for eyes, in a vague human shape, glaring at her with an expression just as soulless. Yep, no sympathy to be found here.

She slashes it in a single blow and doesn’t bother with delicacy, almost cutting the creature in two clean halves, looking around just enough to tell Ryo and his little brother have taken care of their left flank and Corrin and company the right one. The battle’s almost over, so she gets back up, straps her axe back onto her. She’ll polish it once they have downtime again.

 With an excited step, Scarlet turns around again.

“Good job spotting that, Dandy…”

A black horse is staring back at her with a nervous breath.

“…Lion…?”

It happens to have no rider.

 Urgency hurries through Scarlet’s every fibre, until she finally thinks about checking the ground. When she does, her jaw almost drops, but she clenches her teeth and runs to a crumpled body on the ground. Ignoring every feature, she puts her hand in front of the person’s nose and two fingers on their neck – air, a pulse, a groan of pain.

Good, he’s still alive (she doesn’t quite know what she’d have done if he hadn’t been). Now, for how long, she doesn’t know, and she doesn’t wish to find out. Time to bring him to safety and have someone who knows their way around with a staff do their magic.

 As delicately as she can, she picks Xander up in her arms as if carrying a bride. The irony isn’t lost on her, as removed as it is from the situation: she renounced to getting wed when she picked up a banner and threw her life into fighting for her land, yet there she is, carrying him like she’d have expected to be, when she was a little girl and she was allowed to dream.

Oh, but that was so long ago, she doesn’t know what she’s thinking about it. It’s not like she’d have looked as limp as Xander is right now, breathing almost impossible to see with how small the movement of his chest is. His skin is pale, the rings under his eyes darker than Siegfried, his limbs limp and fingers loose. In ways, she’s carrying a shadow, in others, a statue. In either case, her fingers feel like they could break something.

 Drops dripple down her shoes as she walks. The colour of her armour makes it hard to tell what it is, but the smell of iron never mistakes her. Xander’s would make it just as difficult, but whatever slashed him pierced through what was where, leaving skin and muscle naked for all to see and blood – a river of it, in fact, trailing behind them, and she wishes she could run.

The battlefield seems bigger than it was before and how does she regret not having Vaida by her side right about now. Xander’s horse can’t help them now, not with the sort of injury he has. For all she knows, it’d just make the blood loss happen faster – and gods, he’s already pale as is. Come to think of it, maybe his pallor never reminded her of the sheltered life she imagined the Nohr royals to have…

 A feeble voice calls her back to the sound of her footsteps crunching dying grass.

“Scar…”

“Keep your strength to yourself… Dandy-Lion.”

To her surprise, she sees him smile – one as delicate as his breath. It’s good enough, she thinks.

“I’m not too heavy, am I…?”

On second thought…

“You’re lighter than I expected, honestly.” She snickers. “Heh, if I had been told the High Prince of Nohr would worry about that on his deathbed, I wouldn’t have believed it, yet here we are!”

She hopes that, if he can focus on something else…

“I can’t be too worried if it’s you, can I…?”

Her face burns.

“What’s that s’pposed to mean?!” She snorts and chuckles. “Don’t make me laugh like that, there may still be enemies ‘round!”

Huh, his smile is loopy…

“Your presence… is reassuring…”

…and his cough isn’t getting better.

“What the…”

There is a thin trail of blood going down his lips and chin. Oh no.

“Scarlet, you’re…”

The good thing to do would be to make him spare his energy, but… despite it all, his voice…

“Shut up, I’m bringing you to a healer! You can tell me all ’bout it later!”

 She quickens her pace, despite the soreness in her legs and the way carrying someone tugs at her arms. Her pains are a minor thing compared to the man bleeding to death drop by drop in her embrace; and yes, she can’t call it anything else. Not when he calls her presence reassuring, not when she sees the way he makes her feel.

She clutches him closer to her, letting rust dripple down her breastplate, uncaring for any sort of aesthetic. Of course, this is a battlefield, and there’ll never be enough gemstones to make death and blood beautiful… but this is different, Scarlet finds. Everything around her is crimson, now, from the air she breathes to the skin she feels under soaked cloth.

If she could, she’d leave a peck on the forehead of a man who’s absolutely making it out of here.

 The rest of the road back to camp is long and silent. Xander’s breathing is a fragile thing, or so it feels, and he doesn’t rouse back to wakefulness. She regrets telling him to shut it, now, but if it’s so he can get some rest… then so be it.

She wonders what the scar she’s left him looks like – half out of pride, half out of shame… and a little bit of general curiosity. It’s impossible for her to tell what part of his silhouette is armour and what isn’t, sometimes, and she blames it on being starstruck.

…oh, she never even thought of Ryoma like that.

 The camp is now in view, with its white smoke and warm banners.

“Hey, Dandy-Lion…”

“Hmm…?”

“Is there someone you’re coming back to once this war’s over?”

He spits out some blood on the side. It’d have disgusted many, she supposes, but she appreciates the eternal reminder that, for all of his royal-ness, Dandy-Lion’s still a mortal at the end of the day. Makes him more approachable, more… lovable? (Oh gods).

“You mean… as a spouse…?”

“Yeah. So?”

“No… I cannot see myself take a wife… and neglect her as my father has…”

“You’re not your dad, ya big doofus. Pretty sure we’ve gone over that already.”

She isn’t quite sure what she expected he’d reply.

“Has someone… ever told you your honesty was refreshing…?”

She chuckles. For all of his princely ways, he isn’t above being embarrassingly adorable.

“Yes, you, that other time.”

“And you…?”

“Yeah?”

“Is someone… waiting for you back in Cheve…?”

She chuckles. Had the man she’s carrying in her arms the High Prince of Nohr, she’d have seen a reciprocal response there.

“Not in that way, no.”

“I see…”

His head lulls against her breastplate.

“You’ll be okay, Dandy-Lion. Just ya wait.”

“Oh, I know, Scarlet, I know…”

 She quickens her pace one last time, heart jumping up and down.

Xander lifts his head, painfully slowly, grunting under his breath. Aww…

“The camp’s not far. You’ll be fine.” It’s a little hard to believe when you see him bleeding, white like a sheet and eyes foggy, but if she isn’t here to believe in his recovery, then who will? “Sorry, by the way. If I hadn’t lost focus…”

“Peace, Scarlet… An injury is better than a death…”

“That’s true…”

“Isn’t it funny?”

“What would be?”

“That this is the second time you’re carrying me to safety…”

“Does the first time count, when it was just fixing my own mistake?”

He coughs when he chuckles with her, but he’s still with her.

“I’d say so…”

“Then guess it counts!”

 She steps into camp and, as gently as she can, gives her charge to a worried Camilla of Nohr, who, not unlike her, can carry Xander without grunting (gods, what little firecracker said really holds water). The horse, who she abandoned without meaning to, follows Camilla inside the camp, as diligently as it behaved when it was mounted.

Speaking of mounts, she’s missed Vaida very much. Maybe she can pay a visit to Dandy-Lion later, once she’s had a good conversation with her trusted wyvern about what to do when you seem to have a thing for the crown prince of the kingdom you’ve spent most of your life fighting against… oh, and once Dandy-Lion isn’t covered in crimson anymore. It’s not because beauty is never truly tarnished that she doesn’t want to see him soaked in his own blood.

She should start with cleaning her armour and weapons, actually… Blood doesn’t suit them either.

 It suits nobody, really.