#i wasn't sure if i was going to like this anime but

[namig42]

I like to imagine that the group of friends find the sleigh on the roof and think "holy shit." One of dudes hops into the big, red sleigh and grabs the reins, and Blitzen turns around with a scary, smug look. "Hey, you ain't Santa."

Everyone in the party looks baffled, trying to recollect if they had anything tonight to make them hear talking animals, but no. The reindeer can just talk.

"Uh..." The guy with the reins mumbles, "Santa's a bit... Tied up right now."

Cutaway to Santa just lounging in an armchair and staring at all the lights on the Christmas tree downstairs like he's never seen one before. With the most jolly, out of this world look on his face, he softly breathes out a, "ho ho ho..."

Cut back to the party on the roof. Dancer chimes in from in front of Blitzen, "we don't take orders from anyone besides the boss."

"C'mon guys, it's Christmas," a second guy chimes in. He's standing at the top of the ladder that they used to get up to the rooftop. "We just wanna help."

"You wanna help?" Blitzen chimes in, "then go get the jolly guy and tell him to get his keester up here. We were just making good time too."

"Wait Blitz," Cupid cuts in from next to the hostile reindeer. "I don't think they're lying."

"Cupid, for jolly goodness' sake," Blitzen rolled his eyes.

"I know a way they could help!" Rudolph added from the front of the line.

"Rudolph, keep quiet!" Blitzen yelled while gritting his flat teeth.

"Maybe we can't pull the sleigh without Santa, but if we pull something else that they have a lot of love for in their hearts, we can still have Christmas!"

Blitzen groaned, but Cupid nodded his head. "Ru is right." He turned to look at the blond man in the sleigh. "Do you all have a vehicle like that? Something that holds a lot of memories?"

The guy looked down at his shaggy brunette friend on the ladder, and the two locked eyes and felt the same idea click instantly. "Yeah," the blond guy answered, "we have something like that."

Already from down below, a feminine voice called from the driveway, "I already got the keys, Freddy!"

Everyone on the roof looked down on the snowy ground and saw two girls waiting by a blue and green van. The one that was waving and had called to them was in a thick orange sweater with heavy black glasses, and the other was leaning against the car door in her own purple, highly and tastefully ornamented sweater dress.

"Let's get going! Christmas won't save itself!" The girl in purple called cheerily.

Cupid looked to Blitzen. All the reindeer were ready to jump in on this idea, it was only Blitzen now. With a loud, whinnying groan, Blitzen caved in. "Fine, but if we get deernapped, I'm never letting you live this down."

"Deal," Cupid smiled before turning to the guy named Freddy, "now just unhook the sleigh and we can get a move on!"

"Uh... Yeah, sure" Freddy answered, glancing at this friend on the ladder. "Shaggy, can you help me out?"

"Uh... Gosh man, I can try?"

The two bumbling guys did their best to undo the complicated rig system, all while Blitzen scolded them for ruining Christmas and being the most incompetent bastards this side of the equator. Eventually they got it undone, and the reindeer flew down to the street with shocking levels of unspoken coordination. The girl in purple drove while the one in orange directed her. "Careful Daph! Take it slow!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Daphne answered as the car stopped with a harsh jerk. "I wasn't planning on driving tonight, you know!"

With some tedious turns and a poke at the reindeer in the back of the line, the party managed to somehow get the reindeer hooked up to the Mystery Van. Once it was secure, the party of four and Shaggy's dog stowed inside the car with Freddy behind the wheel.

"Okay gang, let's get the job done!" Freddy cheered.

"And get some more snacks for later!" Shaggy called from the backseat. With a vroom of the engine, the reindeer began to pull and the Mystery Van miraculously began to take off into the Christmas night sky.

The Mystery Gang was off to save Christmas.

[ladysharmaa]

Swim

bridgerton family x sis!reader

summary: when the youngest Bridgerton is playing in the garden with her siblings, she falls into the lake, not knowing how to swim. Realizing the accident, her older brother runs to save her

requested: yes

warnings: drowning

It was a hot day in the countryside, the heat almost unbearable and most of the animals seeking shelter in the shadows. The Bridgerton family was at Aubrey Hall, however the younger ones were dissatisfied with how the day was going. Daphne was away with her husband, Benedict had locked himself in the art room, consumed by a burst of inspiration, and Colin was still traveling through Europe. Eloise was visiting Penelope, and Lady Bridgerton was engaged in a lively chat with the other ladies of the parish.

"Anthony!" Y/n called out for the only brother left. However, she was also unlucky when she saw him hunched over paperwork in his study, his brow furrowed in frustration.

The youngest Bridgerton sighed in annoyence, everyone was busy except her three older siblings. However, their mother had forbidden them to go out and play in the garden without the surveillance of any family member, keeping them dry all day reading until they got tired of lying on the sofa, vanning themselves.

"Y/n! How many times do I have to say that you can't walk into my office like that?! It’s not proper." Anthony scolded her, he was also frustrated with the work that was piling up, the heat and his youngest siblings who couldn't seem to stop bothering him.

“The door was open…” Y/n muttered, only to earn a sharp glare. “I’m sorry, brother. But Hyacinth, Gregory, Francesca, and I are so bored. It’s unbearable indoors, and we want to play outside.”

The older man ran his hand over his forehead, taking a deep breath to control his impatience and not take it out on his little sister. The truth was that the heat wasn't helping for his patience.

“You know what?” he said, exhaling sharply, “Go. Go play outside. Just don’t disturb me again.”

"But mother said—”

"You'll be fine." Anthony waved a hand in the air, dismissing what the girl was going to say, his attention already focused on the documents. "Just don't get too close to the lake and if you need anything, fetch for a maid."

"Are you sure?" Y/n questioned hesitantly, knowing these weren't the rules Violet imposed.

"Off you go." the Viscount muttered, motioning for her to leave and close the door.

“Of course, brother.” she left in silence, closing the door.

She returned to her younger siblings with a bright smile, though a flicker of uncertainty lingered. "We can go!" she announced, and their faces lit up. The four of them dashed to the garden, their laughter ringing out as they burst into the open air.

The garden was Y/n’s favorite place, a haven of color and life. The vibrant flowers—roses, tulips, and daisies—lined the pathways, their sweet fragrance mingling with the warm summer breeze. A fountain bubbled gently at the center, its soothing trickle blending with the cheerful quacks of ducks paddling in the nearby lake. Towering trees offered patches of welcome shade, their leaves rustling softly as if whispering secrets to the wind.

Gregory raced to the fountain and splashed water at his sisters, eliciting squeals of surprise. The girls retaliated, sparking a playful water fight. The cool droplets against their skin brought much-needed relief from the sweltering heat, and their laughter echoed across the garden.

Hyacinth soon grabbed a small ball, and the group shifted to a lively game of catch. When Gregory threw the ball to Y/n, she was momentarily distracted by a pair of butterflies flitting gracefully nearby. The ball slipped through her fingers and rolled into the lake.

“Oh, no!” Y/n exclaimed, spinning around to face her siblings. “Anthony said the lake was off limits!”

“That was your fault, Y/n!” Gregory shot back, folding his arms. “You were distracted! Just go get the ball. Nothing will happen, and we can keep playing.”

Hyacinth frowned, tugging at Y/n’s arm nervously. “Be careful,” she whispered, glancing anxiously at the shimmering water. Francesca stood silently, her face a mix of worry and curiosity.

Y/n hesitated, looking between her siblings and the ball floating just a little too far from the edge of the lake. “Alright,” she finally said, though her voice trembled slightly. “I’ll get it, but don’t tell Anthony or Mama.”

She carefully made her way to the edge of the lake, the grass beneath her feet slippery and damp. The ball bobbed lazily on the water’s surface, taunting her. Stretching out her arm, she leaned forward as much as she could without stepping into the water.

“Just a little more…” Y/n muttered to herself, her fingertips brushing the edge of the ball. But the ground beneath her shifted suddenly, and with a startled yelp, she lost her balance. Her arms flailed as she tumbled forward, plunging into the cold water with a loud splash.

“Y/n!” Hyacinth screamed, her hands flying to her mouth as she watched her sister vanish beneath the surface.

“Y/n! Get up! Stop playing around!” Gregory shouted, his voice wavering as panic set in.

But Y/n wasn’t playing. The moment she hit the water, she remembered she didn’t know how to swim. Her brothers were always making the promise they would teach her how to swim, but they were always busy.

The weight of her wet dress dragged her down, and she struggled desperately to keep her head above the surface. Her hair was in front of her eyes, which was only adding to her panic. Her siblings were screaming behind her, but she couldn't do anything. She gasped, swallowing water instead of air, her arms thrashing uselessly.

“I-I can’t—help!” Y/n choked, her voice barely audible over the splashing.

Francesca started crying, while Hyacinth grabbed Gregory’s arm. “Do something, Gregory!” she pleaded, her voice high-pitched and trembling. "Help her!"

“I—I don’t know what to do!” Gregory stammered, his face pale as he watched his sister struggle. “We need Anthony!”

The three of them began screaming at the top of their lungs. “Anthony! Anthony! Help!”

Inside the house, Anthony sat at his desk, brow furrowed as he tried to focus on his work. But the distant sound of frantic shouting made him freeze. His siblings’ voices pierced through the thick walls of Aubrey Hall, each cry laced with panic.

“Anthony! Help! Y/n, swim, please!”

He was on his feet in an instant, the paperwork long forgotten. His hands were trembling and he was having trouble taking a breath in. Memories of his father dying were playing in his brain. He couldn't lose his younger sister, he wouldn't survive. He believed no one in the family would. Y/n was a ray of sunshine, she had the power of making him smile even in his darkest days.

Racing out of his study, he bolted through the house and into the garden. The sight that met him stopped his heart for a moment—Y/n floundering in the lake, her siblings screaming helplessly at the edge.

“Y/n!” Anthony roared, sprinting toward the water.

Without hesitation, he dove in, the cool shock of the water biting against his skin. His powerful strokes cut through the lake as he reached her, wrapping one arm securely around her chest to keep her head above water. “I’ve got you, Y/n! You’re safe!” he gasped, pulling her toward the shore.

Y/n coughed and sputtered, clinging tightly to Anthony’s arm as he hauled her out of the water and onto the grass. She collapsed onto her side, shivering and coughing up all the water trapped in her lungs.

“Y/n!” Hyacinth sobbed, rushing forward to kneel beside her. Gregory and Francesca hovered close, their faces streaked with tears.

Anthony knelt next to his youngest sister, his hands gently brushing the wet hair from her face. “What were you thinking?” he demanded, though his voice cracked with a mix of anger and fear. “I told you to stay away from the lake!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Y/n whispered, her voice trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I was just trying to get the ball…”

“Forget the ball!” Anthony snapped, though the harshness of his words softened as he saw the guilt in her eyes. He sighed heavily, pulling her into a protective embrace despite her soaked clothes. “You scared me half to death, Y/n. Don’t ever do that again.”

“I won’t,” she murmured, burying her face in his shoulder. “I promise.”

Anthony held her tightly for a moment longer before pulling back and looking at the other three. “And you lot,” he said, fixing them with a stern glare, “should have come to me the second something went wrong. You don’t handle things like this on your own, understood?”

“Yes, Anthony,” Gregory muttered, his head bowed.

“I’m sorry, Anthony,” Hyacinth sniffled.

“Let’s get you all inside,” Anthony said, scooping Y/n into his arms. “Y/n needs to change out of these wet clothes, and all of you need to stay out of trouble. And don’t think this means I’m letting any of you off the hook when I tell Mother about this.”

The siblings exchanged nervous glances but said nothing. For now, they were just relieved Y/n was safe.

"And go get Benedict for me, please," Anthony sighed, tightening his protective hold on Y/n, who rested her head against his chest. Just like she used to when she was a baby, seeking comfort and safety in her older brother’s arms.

The Bridgerton siblings immediately sprang into action, not wanting to further anger their eldest brother. Gregory and Hyacinth bolted toward Benedict’s art room, their small footsteps echoing through the halls. Meanwhile, Anthony called for the maids, handing Y/n over gently and instructing them to draw her a warm bath and help her change into fresh clothes. Once she was seen to, he retreated to his room to rid himself of his soaked garments.

Later, Y/n was tucked into her bed, warm and safe, her cheeks flushed pink from the warmth of the bath. She had drifted off to sleep, her breathing soft and steady. Anthony sat in a chair beside her bed, his elbow resting on his knee as he leaned forward, his eyes locked on her small, peaceful frame. Every slight rise and fall of her chest reassured him she was still there, still breathing.

Beside him, Benedict sat in quiet solidarity, his hand supporting his chin as he watched his older brother wrestle with his thoughts.

“I thought we were going to lose her,” Anthony whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “She was screaming, Benedict. She was drowning, and I didn’t know if I’d reach her in time.” His jaw tightened, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “All because none of us had the bloody sense to teach her how to swim.”

“It’s not your fault, Anthony,” Benedict said softly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She’s okay now. You saved her.”

Anthony shook his head, his eyes never leaving Y/n. “She asked me to let them go outside. I said yes because I was frustrated she was interrupting me. I didn’t think, Benedict. I didn’t think about the lake or the rules or how dangerous it was. I let her go because it was easier for me, and I put her in danger. That’s on me. I was irresponsible.”

Benedict’s hand squeezed his shoulder, grounding him. “You made a mistake, Anthony. But don’t forget, when it mattered most, you were there. You pulled her out of the water and you’re here now, making sure she’s safe. That’s what being the eldest means. You can’t be perfect all the time.”

Anthony let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in the chair. “I don’t have the luxury of mistakes. Not when it comes to them. Not when it comes to Y/n. I should’ve been better.”

Benedict paused for a moment before leaning forward, his tone shifting to something lighter, more familiar. “You know, Anthony, this might be the first time I’ve ever seen you admit to not being perfect. I’m almost proud of you.”

Despite himself, Anthony let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Not the time for jokes, Benedict.”

“Come on,” Benedict smirked, “you’ve been brooding for hours. She’s going to wake up and see that same grumpy expression, and then we’ll have a whole new mess to deal with.”

Anthony gave him a sidelong glance, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward slightly. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”

Benedict leaned back, feigning a look of triumph. “I’ve been told.”

A small, sleepy voice interrupted their exchange. “Anthony? Benedict?”

Both men snapped their attention to Y/n, who was stirring in her bed. Anthony leaned forward immediately, brushing a hand over her forehead. “I’m here, Y/n. How are you feeling?”

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him with a mix of guilt and relief. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

Anthony’s heart clenched. “You don’t need to apologize, sweetheart. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should’ve been paying more attention.”

“You saved me,” she said softly, her small hand reaching out to grab his. “Thank you.”

Anthony squeezed her hand gently, his voice thick with emotion. “Always, Y/n. Always.”

Benedict leaned in, his tone playful. “And just so you know, next time you want to cause this much chaos, at least let me finish my painting first.”

Y/n let out a small, tired giggle, and Anthony finally allowed himself to relax. His little sister was safe, and he would make sure it always stayed that way.

[messydoodlesyt]

SMG4 Comic: Haircut (Part 1/3???)

First off I think it's super dumb of Tumblr to only allow 10 posts on the mobile app, like it took me 30 minutes to save all the pictures, add to google drive, boot up my computer, wait for it top load, download the pictures to the desktop, and then upload it. Like dang man might have to stick with 10 for the remaining pages.

But anyways with that aside, I wanted to do a mini(ish) comic about Meggy. I started watching SMG4 with the Puzzle Vision Arc and while I thought she seemed cool, I didn't think much of her. But the more I watched the more fascinated I was with her. But it wasn't until watching the Anime Arc and Meggy's destiny where I was fully invested in her character. One of the biggest things though that stuck out to me was her adjusting to her new human form. While we got some of that kind of shown in the SMG4 videos, I honestly wish we did get to dive deeper into that because yeah- it is a big change.

So that's why this comic is existing! And also why for my redesign of Meggy I gave her short hair because frankly I feel like with all the changes she's going through (or was from Anime Arc till Meggy's Destiny), she can at least have control of something even if it's something as simple as changing your hair if that even makes sense. And also cuz short hair Meggy looks dope like homegirl can pull off both.

Meggy has definitely made it to my top 5 favorite SMG4 characters for sure though.

Part 2 Coming Soon!

[cakepoppresent]

24 Screenshots of '24 <3

Heyo,

I was tagged by @enniewritesathing and @euphiesims to share my favourite screenshots from 2024. I will try to make this nice and neat! and in no particular order (I'm going to put most of it under the cut so I don't spam up people's dashboards!)

I also tag @jayveesim @jayplaysims @weirdosalike @citylighten @matchalovertrait @pamsimmer and anyone else who wants to do it!!

Blair and Brayden Date Night. - I took them out on a date after everything with Grayson and Gideon died down. Blair was worried that it was a mistake having her kids all live in San My without their parents and Brayden was trying to calm her down

Xavier and his little crew - I love these little munchkins so much.

Brayden Visiting his son - Grayson spent Sulani alone trying to center himself and get his head on straight again. There isn't anything really special BUT I just liked how it looked. I liked that Grayson's father made sure he was doing okay. He even suggested therapy, Grayson refused but Blair and Brayden still have that therapist on speed dial just in case lol

Grayson walking home alone - I liked this shot a lot because I don't think I made it clear how Grayson has never been alone. Gideon has ALWAYS been by his side (or his siblings) so I thought it would be nice to get this shot of him being alone

Apollo - I just think Apollo is sexy af and you should all think the same thing

Bunny Sam - was playing around with Gshade and I just think she's sexy af. Y'all should think she's sexy too. Thx

Dancing Grayson - Grayson dancing to Nasty by Tinashe 😂 he just looked so cute

Miss. Luna V - my sis doesn't yearn but gets yearned for and she likes the feeling. That's a look thats giving "yeah I know you love me why wouldn't you"

Yearning Loser - Benji is so in love with Malcolm. It's embarrassing for him but he just loved being around him. That's his family

Malcolm and Veronica - Nothing really, I just thought they look good and Malcolm works out a lot autonomously so I wanted to show it off

Veronica and Brayden - Future father and daughter business duo in the making. Veronica just looks so good as a business woman. I can't see her as anything else and her dad in the background supporting like he should

Su and Grayson - What could have been! In another timeline where Gideon doesn't exist they would have had a chance. Unfortunately this is all in Su's mind. Poor baby

The Reeves!!! - the family I've been playing for over a year. They are my everything and I'm so happy I made them! They are so beautiful

Xavier's stank face - I like his stank face because it supports my head cannon that Xavier and Veronica are much more similar in personality. Xavier just knows how to hide it better 😂

Unfriendly Black hotties - Luna up until this point as always been smiling and amicable but I love seeing her mad and looking upset. She looks so good

Hopelessly Devoted To You - They are currently on a break but that doesn't stop Gideon from staring at Grayson like nothing has changed. TBH Gideon thinking about how to get Grayson pregnant

Nothing to say - It's Luna looking regal and gorgeous as always. Daiksue so lucky I'm not giving him a love rival (I fucking should)

The Villareal Twins - I just like them and I don't have enough pics of them together

Rainy Nights - this is probably my favorite animation and I love the ambience and the lighting of this screenie so much. I just love them so much

Can you tell who my favorite couple is? Lol. I dunno this was after Malcom and Luna got into a fight. Malcolm went straight home and flew right into Benji's arms. He won't admit it but he loves being in Benji's arms

Taking a break - I wanna redo this scene because I felt like I didn't actually convey what I needed to convey. But I just love how dependent they are on each other even when going through their relationship woes

Taking care of his lady - Luna tried it and Daisuke wasn't having it. He wasn't gonna leave without setting the record straight with his future wife

My Munchkins - please. They are so cute and I had so much fun playing them! Also Xavier's face is so funny here

There was a challenge for simstwt a supernatural theme. I used Sam and Apollo and played around with lighting. I really liked how it turned out

[alicenpai]

🌟 ART SUMMARY 2024 🥂

this was a year where i didnt draw a lot, despite that, i tried to make every drawing count. thank you all for the support in 2024, here's to 2025 ! 🫶

⭐ [read more starts here]

i continued my goals from last year with regards to perfectionism. the tldr is that i strongly feel my perfectionism kept me away from completing as many drawings as i could, and i had to make an effort to just finish drawings no matter how lukewarm I felt about them. 2024 was a strange year, it came and went in the blink of an eye, even more than previous years! life has been stressful, so i've been trying to focus more on myself and taking time off drawing. ironic, although i think i succeeded in that above goal, i expected to get more drawings out of it, but ended up taking more time off drawing anyways. towards the end of the year, i started feeling more burnt out, and drawing became a slow and arduous process. i think part of the reason was because 2024 was my first year doing 5 events - 2 full weekend conventions (anime north and otakuthon), and 3 single day events (bamtori fall aapi market, toronto game expo, bamtori jinglebam market), when in the past 2 years i'd just opt to do 1-2 local cons. it was also my first time doing single day events, which were super chill! although you have to both set up and tear down on the same day, i felt more casual at those events, had more time to chat and look around. back to my point - despite being fun, doing so many events took its toll on me - especially during the colder months of the year, where i wasn't so used to going to events haha! usually i take fall as the time to rejuvenate and recover from summer events, but i couldn't really do that this year. i kept questioning myself, "does this drawing have appeal? will people buy this?" "is my art hireable?" and it's just not a healthy mindset to have. next year i'll try to draw more of what i enjoy and what's on my mind, instead of worrying too much if it's sellable! *feeling like the HAHA YES sickos meme* - 2025 art goals outlined below: - oc zine (aiming for a character guide with some test comics) - character interactions & poses! e.g. dancing, hugs - generally stuff that's more difficult to draw. my art is more illustrative, but sometimes i wished it was more engaging emotionally? like i want people to smile and cry with my characters... - illustrations that challenge me. when i say illusts that challenge me it's pretty abstract - do research and gather inspiration for every illust.. compositions that are difficult/complex and take a while to draft.. strong theme.. it's more for me to understand AHAHAHA. as the years go by you can see my art becoming more unified in theme and self indulgent... i want to keep going, i want to make art that is uniquely mine. less priority: - get used to sketching! truly miss how i used to fill up sketchbooks every year - sticker sheets (this is on the less priority list bc i will probably fulfill this goal regardless) - oc merch (happy with the stickers i made in the last 2 yrs, let's keep going!) - silly things! e.g. 4koma, silly doodles. comedy is an art, it IS a skill you can study and chip away at (e.g. comedians and comedy writers). make sure i take notes on really stand-out jokes i find funny & why

other various things to try and draw more of: - group pictures - animals - layouts and props. i find layouts and anything with hard surfaces difficult to draw, which is why i draw a lot of flowers and fabric LMAO. one thing i gotta do is start by either drawing characters holding props more (easy baby steps!) and/ or start drawing props around them and make my way towards harder things (e.g. practice drawing a character sitting, i'll start by drawing a simple chair, then a table, then objects on that table). this is also one of my weaknesses - draw the ground they're standing on if possible, e.g. characters standing on a grid - vehicles, if i can. i mostly draw stuff from fantasy series where cars don't exist LOL but i'll try...

[diaferia-dhades]

The Internet Pronounced Me Dead

Zayne x MC (Fluff)

Warning: none

Word Count: 543, no proofreading

Preview: Zayne had been very busy. MC is feeling sick. Instead of asking Dr. Zayne, she decided to search it up herself. According to the internet, she's going to die.

Note: A friend of mine is a nurse. I searched my symptoms and then proceeded to tell her that I was dying. lmao

@madam8

I wasn't feeling very well. Horrible, in fact.

I messaged Zayne to ask if he could visit me since he's always the best person to care for me when I'm not feeling well. But he told me that he is working overtime in the hospital. He said many people got admitted to the hospital. So he'll be home a bit later than usual.

I sighed as I stared at the ceiling. Wondering whether how I should treat myself, I decided to search for my symptoms.

Fever, headaches, and body weakness.

I felt my heart drop. The result that popped up: Rabies.

I knew rabies were bad. I had heard Zayne talking about it. Once you feel the symptoms, you're done. There is no cure for it.

Then I searched how long I had known I had rabies. 7-14 days.

I felt sick to my stomach. No, no. This can't be happening. How could this happen to me? I laid back in bed staring at the same ceiling.

I'm sure there is a treatment. Something. Zayne would figure something out. Probably.

Well, I did live pretty well. I met the man of my life. I had my dream job. I petted a lot of cats. I think that if I do die, it won't be that bad.

I thought of all the things I could do in 7 days before I die. Perhaps, should I pet more cats? Fight more wanderers? Do pranks? Travel? As I thought about those things, I brought my notebook and wrote down all the things I had thought tonight.

It was nearly midnight when I heard my door unlock. I laid on my bed, holding the notebook and a pen. Jotting down anything that I had in mind.

My bedroom door opened and Zayne walked in.

"How are you- why are you lying down like that? You look like you're at a funeral." Zayne walked toward me and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Zayne?"

Zayne hummed in response.

"I think I'm dying."

Zayne raised one of his eyebrows, "Elaborate?"

"Well, I have a fever, headache, and body weakness. I think I have the rabies."

Zayne now raised both his eyebrows. "Rabies?"

I nodded. Then he repeated, more firm this time. "Rabies."

I nodded again.

"And what made you reach this conclusion?"

"Uh, the internet?"

Zayne sighed, "Have you been in contact with a wild animal?"

"Does cat count?"

"Was it a wild cat?."

I shook my head.

"Have you been bitten by a wild animal?"

"The cat at the cafe bit me."

"Wild. Wild animal. Cats in the cafe got all their rabies shot."

I shook my head again, "no."

"Then I think you have the flu, not rabies."

I scowled, "Are you sure?"

Zayne nodded, "I'm pretty sure you have the flu."

"I'm not going to die?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure sure sur-"

Zayne took the notebook and the pen from my hand and pulled the blanket over my shoulders, "Yes, I'm sure. Now rest. I'll go get some medicine."

I nodded, pulling the blanket closer to my chin, feeling satisfied knowing that I wouldn't be dying anytime soon and having Dr. Zayne as my personal physician.

[canirove]

Canary boy | Chapter 1

Summary: Most stories tell you about a normal girl who falls in love with a famous football player. But what if things were the other way around? What if she was the famous football player, and he was just a normal guy? 

Author’s note: I'm back with another Pedri story! 💃🏼 This one has been sitting on my drafts for a while because I wasn't too sure about part of the plot, but after giving it another read, it is finally ready to see the light 😁 I was in the mood to write something simple and just nice to read that, for example, had the same vibes as "Red and blue". A happy story with just some ups and downs and not big dramas. But I don't know if I managed to do it, you can let me know as you read it😅 Unless I'm forgetting someone, except for Fer (Pedri's brother) and Aitana, all the characters are made up and named after people I know in real life or that I follow on social media, so if there happens to be someone somehow related to Pedri in real life with that name, it is just a coincidence. Also the title is like a play on words because in Spanish you use the same word (canario) to talk about a man from the Canary Islands and the animal. I hope you like it, and as always, thank you for reading! 💜

Next chapter (coming out next Tuesday)

Masterlist

“Inés, can I use your phone to call my mum? Mine has run out of battery.”

“Again?” I chuckle, passing it to Carla.

“Yeah… I think I need a new one” she says while typing. “Wait, who is this Pedri you are getting notifications from?”

“What?”

“I just saw an Instagram notification saying that someone called Pedri has posted on his stories.”

“He's no one” I quickly say. “Aren't you going to call your mum? You know she starts getting worried if you don't do it right after a game.”

“She can wait. I, on the other hand, can’t. Who is this guy?” she smirks.

“Carla, stop it” I say, trying to retrieve my phone.

“You are blushing, Inés.”

“I'm not.”

“Yes, you are” she says, still smirking. “Let's see what he has posted, shall we?”

“Carla…”

“He is wishing happy birthday to one of his friends. Or his brother, you don’t know these days since they all call that to each other. But which one is he, the blonde or the brunette one?”

“Brunette. Now give me that” I say, trying to get my phone from her once again and only managing to hit myself with my bus seat. 

“He's cute. Is he someone random you liked or do you know each other?”

“He's a classmate.”

“Uuuh!”

“Carla, lower down your voice!” one of our teammates says from the other side of the bus.

“Sorry!” she replies. “I may have to join you in some of your classes if the guys are this cute.”

“They aren't. Now give me my phone.”

“Does he follow you back?”

“Yes.”

“Does he also like all your photos like you do? Like, wow, Inés” she chuckles. “You do fancy him.”

“I don't, Carla. Now either call your mum, or give me my phone back. I want to take a nap before we make it home.”

“And dream about Pedri?” she teases me while still scrolling on my phone. 

“Carla!” 

“Silence!” another of our teammates says.

“Carla… please” I repeat, this time lower.

“Ok, ok. I'll call my… No!” she gasps. Loudly.

“Girls, I don't know what you are doing over there, but please lower down your voice” Aitana says from the seat behind us. “It's been a tough game and some of us want to sleep.”

“It won't happen again, I promise” Carla says, turning to look at her with her best smile. “But you need to explain to me why the fuck do you fancy a guy who has a girlfriend” she whispers.

“I don't fancy him” I insist.

“Then why do you have his notifications turned on and have liked all his photos, this one wishing his girlfriend a happy anniversary included?”

“Because…” I say, biting my lip.

“Because you fancy him, you idiot” she says, hitting my arm. “Inés, why would you do something like this to yourself?”

“It's just a crush, Carla. Nothing else.”

“It better, because if you are wasting your time with a guy who is taken…”

“I'm not. Now call your mum or give me my phone back.”

“Fine. I'll call her” she says, giving me one last look before closing Instagram and finally calling her mum, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Thoughts about how she is right. About how I do fancy a guy who is taken, and about how I've done it for the past three years. 

When I finished high school my career as a football player hadn't taken off yet, I was still playing for Barça B. And since I didn't know if I would ever make it to the first team or for how long I could live off football, I decided to start studying journalism and have other options for my future. 

It had been during my first day at uni, that I had met Pedri. Not Pedro, no. Pedri (though legally he is called Pedro).

He was sitting a few seats to my right, his Canarian accent making him be the centre of attention while he talked with some of our classmates about the differences between Barcelona and Tenerife, his hometown. And even though back then he looked like a baby since he still hadn't grown a beard, you couldn't deny that he was handsome. If you ask me, he had and still has one of the most perfect side profiles I have ever seen. And his lips… Dear lord. If you Google kissable lips, you will definitely find his photo.

During those first weeks one of our teachers decided to make different work groups so we could get to know each other a bit more, and yes, you've guessed it. Pedri and I were part of the same one. That was how we ended up following each other on Instagram, because we had made a group chat so we all could talk and work on the different assignments. 

At first we didn't say much to each other, I was too shy. I just basically stared at him and giggled like an idiot when he said something funny. But then I made my debut with Barça's first team, and he talked to me. Like, alone, not with our other classmates present.

I still remember the way my heart started beating when he called my name after class and congratulated me, the big smile on his face, and how honestly happy he seemed to be for me. I'm pretty sure that was the moment when I realized that I actually liked him. That I fancied him. And then when we kept talking just the two of us between classes… Well, you can imagine. I was on cloud nine. A cloud that hit the floor and broke into a million pieces when a couple of months later at one of our classmates’ birthday party, I saw him making out with his now girlfriend, making me feel like the biggest idiot ever. 

He had been friendly with me because that was who he was, because he liked meeting new people and getting to know them. But since I am simply stupid, I had thought that he was doing it because he also liked me, because he fancied me. 

After that I started to attend my classes less often and to do most things online because I became part of the first team and didn't have much free time, which led us to stop talking the way we had been. But because like I said, I am simply stupid, I kept liking his posts on Instagram as if nothing had happened. The crush was still there and it wasn't going anywhere. It probably only grew as time passed and he started to look more and more handsome. Which is how I ended up turning on the notifications for his posts. Because I don't want to miss seeing his pretty face since now we only cross paths if I am lucky and can attend some of the most important classes, if we are meeting with the friends we have in common, or during exams season. 

“Inés… Inés!” Carla says, snapping her fingers in front of my face. “Did you fall asleep with your eyes open?”

“What?”

“I was telling you that I was done with my call” she says, giving me my phone back.

“Oh, yes, sorry. I guess I do need that nap” I chuckle.

“Yeah… Now you nap, and tomorrow we go out.”

“Out? Where?”

“Partying, of course” Carla smiles. “We have a couple of days off, which means that we can go out at night and find you a man who isn't taken.”

“Carla…” I sigh.

“No, I'm sorry. It's been decided. We are going out tomorrow, and you aren't going home until you've made out with someone. And hopefully someone blonde and with blue eyes so you won't think you are kissing your classmate. This is operation forget about Pedri.”

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“So you play football for a living?”

“Yep.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Nah, you are messing with me” the guy I'm talking to laughs. “Like, girls who like or play football are either tomboys or lesbians. Or both. Are you a lesbian?”

“What?” I say, almost choking with my drink.

“You definitely don't look like a tomboy, you are hot. So are you a lesbian?”

“I'm straight.”

“Then you definitely are messing with me” he laughs. 

“I… I'm going to the bathroom. Can you hold this for me?” I say, giving him what is left of my drink. 

“Yes, sure. I'll wait for you here” he smiles.

“Umm… yes” I say, turning my back to him and starting to look for Carla among the crowd. Why did I let her take me out tonight? All the guys she's introduced me to and that I've talked with have been so… so… Brainless. I'm pretty sure that if we put them all together, they wouldn't make a brain cell. 

“Carla!” I call when I see her chatting and laughing with a random guy. How does she do it? How is she able to act so natural around men? “Carla, hey!” I wave. But I do it without looking around me, and I end up hitting someone in the head. “Oh my God, I'm so sorry!”

“Don't worry, it's… Inés!”

“Pedri?” I say when the owner of the head I just hit turns around. 

“I didn't expect to see you here!” he smiles.

“Me neither” I reply with a nervous laugh, trying not to stare at him like an idiot. He looks so good tonight.

“Inés, what happened with… you!” Carla says, joining us and pointing at Pedri.

“Me?” he chuckles.

“I know you!”

“Carla, I'm going home” I quickly say before he starts asking uncomfortable questions.

“Already?” she and Pedri say at the same time.

“I'm not used to going out until this late, I'm tired.”

“Oh, c'mon, Inés” Carla pouts. “We just arrived!”

Which is a lie. We've been at this club for the two longest hours of my life.

“I'm sorry.”

“But…”

“Pedri, your… you!” a guy that looks pretty familiar says, now pointing at me. “I know you! You are Inés, Barça's centre-back!”

“I… yes?”

“It's her!” he says, looking at Pedri and giving him one of the drinks he was carrying. 

“It's her, yes. Inés, this is my friend and roommate Mario. Mario, this is Inés.” Oh, so that's why he looked so familiar. He is the guy he is constantly posting things with on Instagram. 

“Can't believe I'm finally meeting you in person!”

“Finally?” I ask with a confused look.

“Pedrito has made me watch all your games for the past couple of years” he laughs, squeezing his friend's shoulder. “But I don't regret it, you girls are amazing. Such a shame you didn't win the last game… It was a tough one.”

“Yeah” I say, my brain stuck on the fact that Pedri has forced his best friend to watch my games. I mean, Barcelona’s. That's what he probably meant, not just mine. 

“At least we didn't lose. I'm Carla, by the way” she says, extending her hand towards Mario.

“Carla López, Barcelona and Spain national team's goalkeeper. A pleasure” he says, kissing her hand and making her giggle. And I know that sound. It is the one she makes when she really likes someone. Great, just great. 

“You know your football” she smiles.

“I do” he smiles back, the way they are looking at each other making this encounter even more uncomfortable and awkward than it already was.

“Anyway, like I was saying, I'm going home” I interrupt them. “So if you'll excuse me…”

“Inés, you can't go home alone and at night. It can be dangerous!” Carla says.

“I'll call an Uber, I'll be fine.”

“That doesn't make it any better.”

“I'll go with her.”

“What?” Carla, Mario and I say at the same time.

“I'll go with her” Pedri repeats. “She's right, going on your own can be dangerous.”

“I… I… I mean, I…”

“But bro, we just arrived. What about your drink?” Mario asks him while I keep mumbling.

“I'll drink it” he shrugs before starting to chug it as if it was water and not alcohol. “Done” he says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and giving the glass back to Mario. “Are you ready, Inés?”

“Uh?” I say, my eyes fixed on his lips and on how they still are a bit wet, making them look even more kissable than they usually are. 

“You wanted to go home, didn't you?” Pedri asks me.

“Yes, I did. Yes.”

“Then let's go. Enjoy the rest of your night, guys. And behave yourself” he says, winking at Mario and making me gasp. 

“Inés… Inés, are you sure about this?” Carla asks me while Pedri and Mario keep teasing each other. “We came here to forget about him, and now you are leaving with him.”

“But as friends. Offering to accompany me home confirms that that's all he wants from me. To be friends.”

“That's him, yes. But what about you?”

“I want the same. Just friends.”

“Inés…”

“Ready?” Pedri asks me, ending our conversation.

“Ready” I smile. 

“Text me once you are home, ok?” Carla tells me, the look on her face letting me know that she doesn't agree with this. 

“I will, I promise. Good night” I say before following Pedri and leaving the club.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Pedri… Pedri, wake up.”

“Uh?”

“You have to wake up, c'mon” I say, running my hand through his hair. 

“No.”

“You have to.”

“Why?”

“Because we just arrived.”

“Urgh” he groans.

“C'mon” I say, touching his hair one last time before unlocking our seatbelts. Because we both still are on the Uber that is taking me home, not waking up together in the same bed, you little dirty minds (I wish that was the case, tho. Wait, who said that?). 

Just five minutes after we had left the club, the alcohol he had drunk in one go had started to affect him, and by the time we were in the car, he was properly drunk. It looked more like I was accompanying him home and not the other way around.

“Where are we?” he says, slowly getting up from my lap. Oh, yes. Because Pedri had decided that the best thing to do, was to take a nap while resting his head on my legs. The most comfortable and soft ones according to what he said a few times before falling asleep.

“My house” I say, opening the car's door. “You were accompanying me, remember?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes. I'm a gentleman” he says with a drunken smile.

“You are, yes. Now c'mon” I reply, leaving the car. 

“Fuck!” 

“What happened? Are you ok?” I say, turning around.

“I don't know. I think… shit” he says, looking down at his hand. He's bleeding. “Inés…”

“Is he ok?” the driver says.

“He's… Pedri!” I say, catching him when he starts falling against the car.

“I'm fine, I'm fine” he says, managing to sit down again. “Just not the biggest fan of blood.”

“Should we take him to the hospital? He's gone so pale…” the driver says.

“No, no hospitals. This is nothing” Pedri says. 

“Miss?” the driver asks me.

“I…”

“Please, Inés. It's just a scratch.”

“Ok, fine. But let's get you upstairs before you hurt yourself again.”

“Do you want a hand, miss?” the driver offers. 

“I can do it myself, thank you” I smile. Pedri isn't the biggest guy out there, and after hitting his head he seems to have sobered up a bit, so I think we can make it inside and to the lift. “But you've earned five starts and a big tip.”

“Oh, there is no need, miss. Just doing what anyone else would.”

“I'm not so sure of that. Thank you very much.”

“You're welcome” he says.

“Can you walk?” I ask Pedri once he is standing up again. 

“I can, Inés. Though your arm around my waist will be very welcomed just in case” he smiles.

“Yeah… umm… Ok” I say, doing as he has asked and starting to walk towards my building, his arm around my shoulders. “Comfortable there?” I ask him once we are inside the lift and after a bit of struggle to go up the few stairs in the lobby.

“Yeah” he replies, resting his head against the wall, his eyes closing again. Looks like the sobering up is gone.

“Pedri, don't fall asleep.”

“I'm not. I'm just resting my eyes.”

“Pedri…”

“Is that the tone you use on the pitch to order around?” he smirks, his eyes still closed.

“What?”

“I've seen you. You will be captain one day, Inés. You have what it takes.”

“Yeah, well… Pedri!” I say when the lift stops and he almost falls again. 

“I'm fine, I'm fine” he replies, opening his eyes. With the light inside the lift they look as if the brown had some bits of gold, and they are simply beautiful. 

“Ok, c'mon” I say, putting his arm around my shoulders once again and leaving the lift.

“You have a nice apartment, Inés” he says when we walk in. “Very cosy.”

“Thank you” I reply, trying to close the door and keep him from falling again. He is getting heavier by the second. “Why don't you lay down there while I go get something to clean your wound?”

“My wound?” he asks as he lets himself fall on the sofa.

“You hit your head when you were getting out of the car, remember?”

“Did I?” he says, his eyes already closed. “Oh, yes. I did…”

“Pedri, don't… fall asleep” I say. But he's gone. In just a few seconds, he's completely gone, one arm and one leg hanging from the sofa. “Great” I sigh while putting him in a more comfortable position and covering him with a blanket. Sleeping like that, he looks like a kid, like someone who has never done anything wrong in his life. And I can't help but run my hand through his hair again.

I think he has the softest hair I've ever touched even if now it is a bit sticky around his face because of the sweat and the blood from his wound. A wound that thankfully doesn't look too bad and has stopped bleeding, and that I guess we'll have to take care of tomorrow. “Sweet dreams, Pedri” I whisper, stopping myself when I am about to kiss his forehead. Like, what the fuck, Inés? That's… No. Go to bed. That's what you should do, go to bed too. 

Though falling asleep knowing that I have Pedri, the boy I've had the biggest crush on for the past three years, drunkenly sleeping on my sofa, is gonna be interesting to say the least. And when he wakes up…

[thetadispatcher]

Peter nodded, he didn't know more then the general reason of replacing real animals with android ones, but he wasn't about to dig any further into it as it didn't seem to be worth the time and effort.

BeeBee purred happily, attention was always something she was excited to receive from people, even visitors she wasn't familiar with. As long as G cleared them, then she knew it was safe to ask for attention.

"It wasn't something I ever considered to be possible, so no." Peter shook his head, but now he was starting to make a mental list of things that he might possibly experience during the course of working with people from another dimension. He'd discuss it with Dan later just in case he had a few things to add to it, so that way he'd be a little more prepared.

"Didn't plan on mentioning it, seems like a good way to make people think you've lost your mind. And that's not something I need any help with." Peter laughed, he felt the occasional odd things he did were bad enough, and he definitely didn't need his coworkers questioning his mental state more then they already did.

Brent returned with more parts and the new arm for the Bishop android, he placed the arm on a cart nearby so the android could attach it on his own. He knew his help wasn't needed as reattaching a full limb was something most androids could do on their own, the process was much simpler then repairing the damage. He made his way back to the assembly machine to start piecing the next android together, as he noted Peter was currently occupied with something else.

Vincent paused his work to look up at the other android, his LED spun red and yellow as he considered the request. He didn't like the idea of talking to someone he wasn't familiar with, but having the topic be about something he enjoyed made it a little less stressful for him. He was still a moment as he considered it then slowly nodded, convincing himself that there were enough people he did know present to keep him safe. "I-uh, sure." He whispered quietly as he quickly returned to missed with his ear to keep his mind partially distracted.

"You can really tell that Sixty was one of the first androids Peter worked on, it's a miracle he got him up and running at all since he'd taken a bullet to his brain. Peter has fixed his brain some more since then, so he's gone from acting like a sugar fueled toddler to a rowdy teenager." Dan explained as he watched the two coordinate with each other to install the computer.

"His goal at the time was to give Connor friend to talk to that were like him. Sixty could be returned to a fully operational state, but after hearing Connor speak of his interaction with Sixty and how he wound up with a bullet in his forehead, we all agreed we'd rather have a goofy Sixty then one that was a constant asshole." Peter had informed Dan of what Connor told him, and he'd been there when Peter ran a simulation of Sixty if his brain was fully repaired. The simulated Sixty had instantly started talking down to them and acting like he was far better. Even Sixty had expressed his feeling on the matter, making sure they understood he was fine the way he was and didn't wish to go back to the way he'd been before.

"He can do basic police work now which is good enough for him." Sixty occasionally did work at the level of Connor and Nines, but he liked tagging along for random calls, as he found solving nothing but murders and other such things to be too repetitive.

Dan rolled his eyes as the two knocked heads again well attempting to reach for the same cable. "Nines needed some work too, as you've likely noticed he and Sixty have completely different voices. Nines needed a new voice modulator as his was severely corrupted, and the best Peter could find that was compatible without running the risk of trying to order a new one, was one from an android model used for narrating. So that's why his voice is far deeper then Sixty's." Dan still couldn't understand how a brand new model had suffered any type of malfunction with their parts, but he felt it was likely something Cyberlife had done to him once they realized his model would never be released.

Dan and Daniel's head both snapped to the human when he sneezed, their LEDs both turning red as they watched him until they were certain he'd only caused himself some slight pain. "That kid, I swear... He does the most brain dead shit sometimes..." Dan mumbled as he shook his head then glanced at Rook, feeling he'd likely have to explain their reaction and his own words.

"He mouthed off to a former friend who was pointing a gun at him, which earned him four bullet holes. He really shouldn't be up and about yet, but the only thing that would keep him in bed is tying hm to it." Dan explained as his LED returned to blue once he was certain Peter hadn't popped any of his stitches.

"I never liked his human friends anyways... They were either far too strange, or showed clear signs of serious undiagnosed mental issues. Johan thought Peter was trying to be better then him when he heard about what he'd done to me, and of course he didn't believe a word Peter said... Which lead to Peter deciding to call him out on his behavior in a very insulting way.... Terry had a thing for eating non-food items... I once watched him eat an unwrapped candy then say the tin foil hurts his teeth."

"And Catherine, ugh... He met her when we visited here, she was a new Cyberlife hire at the time and gave Peter a spare repair manual for my model. Of course he kept in contact with her, and when the deviant situation first started she asked if he'd come see her to help her move. He'd pay to fly to her and she'd pay to send him back... He arrived only to find she was gone and a note explaining she'd gone home and was sorry he wasted his time. She didn't give him the ticket back, and he couldn't afford it, so that lead to him taking a job at the police station" Dan shook his head, he was glad Peter was no longer in contact with those humans.

"He was only supposed to be gone a few weeks... I really did fear the worse as I hadn't heard any updates on him, and the more time that went by the worse it got for me. I know it's a bit of a silly thing to deviate over, but I truly thought he'd died and that I'd lost a very important human in my life. Catherine better stay far away from here, or I will be having a very serious talk with her." He growled quietly, he truly hated the humans who Peter had befriended as most turned out to be the worst types of humans possible.

"So it was to prevent animal cruelty. That's surprisingly enlightened for a corpo."

Or she supposed the marketing team was at least somewhat competent. There was no better way to sell fake animals but pretending that the industrial process behind their production was any good for the environment.

They better have made dinosaurs too.

In any case, Rook was delighted to be able to pet a polar bear. BeeBee was wonderful and deserved all the pats.

Bishop saw the general reaction to the frankly odd choice for a delivery system and decided to provide pointless commentary. "Why, have you never looked into the abyss before?"

He did. Right after said abyss was done raiding their supply convoy. But he wasn't going to mention that particular encounter, or what he did about it. He would have liked to be returned to his base at the end of this visit.

"I apologize for the scare. I would appreciate if you didn't mention this either." Willow said, standing up. If anything, she could offer her help setting up the new computers faster.

She briefly looked in Vincent's direction, only for the android Bishop to move to stand in her way. If he meant to look menacing, Willow was having a hard time appreciating that when he was still missing an arm.

"I wished to inquire your friend about the stuffed animals he makes. I would like to purchase a few."

The android knelt down, quietly inquiring Vincent about it.

"You'd think they were made from the same mold." Rook replied, watching Peter and Sixty's shenanigans.

[lovely-p-issues]

Odysseus song fanficion: In serpent's body

Athena calmly stepped over the corpse of one of the suitors and moved down the blood-slippery stairs. Despite the darkness, her eyes could easily see the numerous red splatters on the walls. She stopped and touched one of the stains in wonder. It was not a fatal shot.

Something at her feet groaned with pain. She looked straight into the terrified eyes of a man- No. Not a man. A monster. An animal. She saw his past and knew his thoughts. She didn't even flinch as she saw more blood drip from his mouth as he tried to plead for help or mercy.

Another moment, and his soul would have wandered straight to Tartarus, away from her Warrior, away from the Queen, and away from her- former friend.

She crouched down and with a jerk pulled an arrow from the side of the terrified suitor.

"Hold him down while I slit his throat, right?"

She wasn't smiling. She felt no pleasure when, a moment later, another body fell lifelessly to the floor. Perhaps a hint of satisfaction, however, carefully hidden beneath the sense of expectancy buzzing through her veins.

Everything seemed to be coming to an end.

A few corridors away, a scream of terror rang out. She could hear another torch hitting the ground.

Athena sighed. It was time for the final trial.

Like a whirlwind, she dashed through the palace until she came upon the silver-tounged Eurymachus, who was still searching for his weapon in a panic. He didn't even have time to turn around. He fell, pierced by her spear.

"Hold her down while her gate is open, hm?"

After a moment, his dark, dead stare met hers, the same. She dragged him under the table so that no one would notice that there were now two men in the palace looking alike.

She felt disgust leaking inside her as she took his pathetic form, but it had to be him. Odysseus' childhood friend, who for a moment managed to fool even Penelope, who would always manage to get out of everything with words. The one who had sought the queen's hand, despite his affair with one of her favourite but unfaithful maids. She frowned, and the same grimace entered Eurymachus' face. She had hoped it would be the foolish girl who came across his body after the battle.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded in the feast hall, none louder than the tread of a cat. She straightened up. There was no time to waste. She knew that Odysseus was behind her, but human senses would not have been able to tell where he was.

When she opened her mouth, she heard not her voice, but the low, melodious tone of a man.

"Old king, our leader is dead. You've destroyed the serpent's head. Now the rest of us are no longer a threat!"

Odysseus did not move, but she went on, full of fear. He could not fail. Not at this point.

‘Old king, forgive us instead. So that no more blood is shed.’

At last she heard the sound of a string being drawn. She struggled to hold back a smile and instead raised her hands high in the air so he could see that she was not wielding a weapon.

"Let's have open arms instead-"

The arrow couldn't hurt her, not really, yet she fell, proudly, as her apprentice's aim remained unwavering. Right in the throat.

"No."

Her heart leapt a little, for that smile could not be mistaken for any other. Someone might say it was the smile of a monster, and they might be right, but she preferred to think of it as the smile of a king.

Odysseus moved on without giving her even one unnecessary glance. She, on the other hand, quickly dragged Eurymachus' body to where she had fallen and gave him his arrow.

Odysseus was not about to fall.

She was not happy, not exactly. Something in him was forever going to remain broken, including through her fault, but she had to make sure that all that pain from the past would repay. Ensure that from that day he would have lived a peaceful life. Him and his family.

And speaking of family-

A few floors below, Telemachus had just killed his first opponent in this battle. She flashed through the palace.

The boy was not going to fight alone.

____

she had to make sure that all that pain from the past would repay or she just wanted to prove a point, idk

Also, sorry, my grammar vanished and i can't find it

For those who didn't read Odyssey: Eurymachus and his lover, Melantho are minor characters; he's one of the leading suitors and he lies to Penelope that as Odysseus's friend he would take care of Telemachus (he wants to end him ofc) and Melantho is Penelope's favourite slave, Penny treats her as her own child, yet Melantho is unfaithful and treats Odysseus harshly when he arrives to Ithaca disguised as a pauper (i think she was also rude to him after he reunited with Penelope but i'm not sure???)

[nxzz-skz]

Bound by contract (a bangchan x reader series)

Chapter 9

ᯓ★arranged marriage between nonidol!bangchan and fem!reader

ᯓ★ warnings: angst

ᯓ★ note: send an ask or comment to be added to my taglist!

ᯓ★ two chapters in one day heh :D guess its a late Christmas gift for those who celebrate <3 tysm for all the love you've been giving me! it really boosts my confidence :)

chapter 8 - masterlist - chapter 10

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

The drive home was a blur. Your fingers the gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white. Every red light felt like forever, every passing car like an echo of the words still consuming your mind.

"Ask him what he promised the board to keep you safe"

You had spent so long trying to convince yourself that things had changed. That he had changed. You'd let your guard down. You'd let him in.

And now?

You weren't sure if you'd ever want to let him in again.

When you reached the house, it felt emptier than ever. The living room, once filled with warmth and joy, felt hollow. Your coat slid off your shoulders, falling onto the floor in a heap, but you didn't care.

You were too tired to care.

You collapsed on the couch, eyes staring at nothing, heart heavy with betrayal. Your chest felt like it had been torn open, and the ache wouldn't stop no matter how many deep breaths you took.

Minutes passed. Or maybe hours.

A familiar sound soon echoed from the door. The key turning in the lock.

You knew who it was before he even stepped inside.

Who else would it be anyways?

The moment Bang Chan walked through the door, you felt it. His presence filled the room like a thundercloud, heavy with unresolved tension.

He didn't say a word.

Neither did you.

The door clicked shut behind him, and the silence hung in the air, suffocating. His footsteps were slow, deliberate, like he was approaching a wounded animal. His eyes were locked onto you, his face unreadable but his eyes - oh, his eyes - they were begging.

"I shouldn't have kept it from you," he said, voice rough like sandpaper. "But I did it to protect you."

You laughed bitterly. "Protect me?" you repeated, eyes flashing with disbelief. "By using me like a pawn?"

His jaw tightened, and he dropped his coat onto the nearest chair. "I didn't 'use you,' Y/N."

"Don't twist it, Chan," you snapped, standing up. "Minho knew. He knew before I did. You let the board think they had power over me - over us - and you let it happen."

"I didn't have a choice!" he yelled, his voice echoing through the house. His chest heaved as his eyes bored into yours. "If I didn't offer them something, they would've torn us apart. They would've come for you - for everything!"

"You think they haven't done so already?" you hissed, stepping forward. "You think I'm safe just because you're here? You're wrong, Chan. I'm the one who caught Minho. I'm the one who tracked down his messages. Not you. Me." You jabbed a finger into your chest. "So don't stand there, acting the hero, telling me I needed you to protect me."

His eyes softened, and you hated it. Hated how he always knew how to look at you like that - like you were something he cared about.

"You didn't need me," he admitted quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I needed you. I still do."

His words hit you harder than expected. Your breath caught, heart skipping a beat like it wasn't sure whether to break or heal.

But it wasn't enough.

"You should have trusted me, should have told me," you muttered, taking a step back, eyes glistening. "That's all I ever wanted from you, Chan."

He stayed where he was, shoulders sagging like he was carrying the weight of the world. A world he wouldn't let you into.

"I know," he said softly, eyes dropping to the floor. "I know."

You wiped your eyes, turning your back to him. "Go, Chan. Just...go."

You didn't have to turn around to know that he was still there, watching you, choosing whether to fight or surrender. The silence stretched on for so long that you thought he might stay.

But then, you heard his footsteps retreat. The door opened.

And this time, he didn't come back.

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

Four weeks.

Four whole weeks passed without a single word from Bang Chan. No texts. No calls. No late-night knocks on the door.

It should’ve felt like relief. It didn’t.

The house was quieter now, and you hated it. It was too big, too still. Every creak, every shift of the wood floors, made you feel like a ghost was walking through it.

No, not a ghost.

Just his absence.

Felix dropped by once. He brought food and his usual goofy energy, but you saw through it. He didn’t say Chan’s name, but it was obvious why he’d come.

“Have you spoken to him?” you asked, sitting cross-legged on the living room floor while eating takeout noodles.

Felix hesitated, slurping his noodles slower than usual. “He’s… busy.”

You shot him a look. “With what?”

“Damage control,” he admitted, not meeting your eyes. “Minho left a mess. The board’s still on edge, and investors want reassurance. You know how it is.”

You did. You knew exactly how it was.

You knew it meant Chan was throwing himself into work the way he always did when he didn’t want to feel anything.

“Did he tell you to check on me?” you asked, stirring your food with little interest.

Felix froze. He didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to.

“Thought so,” you muttered, setting the container aside. “Tell him I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” Felix said, leaning forward, his eyes uncharacteristically serious. “You look like you’re waiting for something that’s not gonna come.”

You pressed your lips into a thin line. “I’m not waiting for anything.”

But even as you said it, your heart knew it was a lie.

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

It happened at the company’s annual gala.

You weren’t going to attend, but you knew better than to avoid it. If you didn’t show up, the whispers would only grow louder. People would wonder. People would talk.

You wore a black silk gown, sleek and elegant, the kind of dress that made people look twice. You didn’t wear it for him. You wore it for you.

But the moment you stepped into the venue, you felt him.

Bang Chan.

He stood near the center of the room, a glass of wine in hand, his black suit sharp enough to cut. His hair was styled back, revealing the strong lines of his face.

You didn’t mean to look at him. You didn’t mean to let your eyes linger.

But you did.

And the moment he saw you, he didn’t look away.

For a while, neither of you moved. People milled around you, talking, laughing, oblivious to the storm brewing between you.

Then, slowly, he started walking toward you. Each step deliberate, slow, like he was giving you time to walk away.

You didn’t.

He stopped in front of you, his eyes darker than the night sky.

“Y/N,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Can we talk?”

“Why?” you asked, tilting your head. “So you can tell me more lies?”

His eyes flickered with something close to pain. “I never lied to you.”

“You just didn’t tell me the truth,” you muttered. “Same thing, Chan.”

He nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on you like you were the only thing that mattered. “You’re right.”

You blinked, thrown off by how quickly he agreed.

“I should’ve trusted you,” he continued, his voice firm but quiet. “I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. But I’m done trying to control everything, Y/N.” He stepped forward, his voice barely a whisper. “I’m done running from you.”

You hated how much you wanted to believe him.

“I don’t know if I can trust you again, Chan,” you admitted, voice cracking slightly. “You broke something.”

“I’ll spend every day fixing it,” he said without hesitation. His eyes never left yours. “If you let me.”

His words hung in the air between you, fragile and sharp all at once.

“Why should I?” you asked, eyes stinging.

His lips quirked into a sad smile. “Because you love me.”

Silence. Heavy. Real.

“Don’t be so sure,” you muttered, turning to leave.

But his hand caught yours, fingers warm and steady against your skin.

“I’m sure,” he whispered.

This time, you didn’t let go.

๋࣭⭑────୨ৎ────⭑๋࣭

ᯓ★ Reblogs and follows appreciated!

ᯓ★ taglist: @bluesoobinnie @lynastrawberry

ᯓ★ perm taglist: @cafffeineconnoisseur @skzbiasot8 @candyquokka @idiotmaterial @backseat-serenade-dizzyhurricane

[midnight-mourning]

Not Even a Mouse

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 21❄️❄️

alright, y'all have had it too good for too long, have some angst (with a bit of fluff, of course) to balance it all out, hope you enjoy!

Prompt: If you don't fill all the spots,,, I'm gonna make a second request! Idk if you're doing any angst for this one, but if you are,,, something about Sun being alone for Christmas. Maybe he finds out the employees and Glams are having a party without him. Idk i just wanna make him sad. xD Don't feel obligated to do this one! This is just an extra if you want :P

Word Count: 1700

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

The Daycare has a cold atmosphere to it, being so empty as it is. The music plays as always, tune just as cheery as ever, without a single listener. Save for one. 

Every toy is in its place, all the crafts supplies are put away. There's not a thing that isn't perfectly organized within the entire space. It's already been cleaned, one, twice, and now thrice, so there's not even a singular speck of dust. 

It's spotless. And desolate. 

The children are gone, it is the holidays after all. They wouldn't be back for another day or so. In the meantime, the attendant can only twiddle his thumbs and try not to go stir crazy in the meantime. 

There's others in the Plex of course, the other bots and some employees. But they, well. They aren't exactly friendly, when it came to either side of the Daycare Attendant. 

They were never exactly sure as to why. 

Both had tried to reach out, interact, engage, on multiple occasions. Each attempt being met with either unease, wobbly kindness, or downright hostility in some cases. It got to the point where both simply just, gave up. 

It was better to not try, they realized, it made things easier to keep to themselves and not bother anyone else. At least, Moon had learned this. It was arguably easier for him, given his status as naptime attendant. Isolation wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. 

But it was for Sun. 

While Moon was fine with the quiet, Sun was borderline inconsolable. 

And that was before he had found out about the holiday party. 

It had been a complete accident. Just so happening to be walking by on his way to gather clean stuffed animals from the laundry room. Two random employees chatting without a care in the world.

"Yeah, there's even a white elephant, come on, you gotta come!"

"I wasn't gonna miss it. Are the Glamrocks participating? I feel like it'd be funny to see what they come up with as gifts."

"I think so, yeah. It's gonna be..." They notice the Daycare Attendant, voice lowering. "—Great."

The other employee gives a confused look, then turns slightly to see the bot, eyes wide.

Not wanting to make things worse Sun simply nods in greeting, and goes on his way. 

Now, sitting alone in their room, scattered papers and old crayons surrounding him, he wishes he had said something. Wishes he had spoken up, argued, criticized, cried. Anything. 

Instead, he didn't. He just stood there and took it. 

The playtime attendant can picture it, dozens of employees and the other bots crowded together somewhere, probably the dance floor. Laughing, chatting, just enjoying the company of friends and coworkers. There's probably decorations everyone, to the nines even, based on how many boxes Moon saw people carrying around earlier that week. 

Holiday music and snacks, and of course, the gift exchange. Competing for the best gift, and having a wonderful time doing it.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that they were so hated. That he was so disliked. What had he done to deserve this kind of treatment? This kind of hurt?

The Glamrocks were good enough, so why wasn't he—

There's a muted snap, causing the bot to jump and glance down to his hand. 

Another broken crayon to add to the collection. 

With a scoff he tosses it away, towards the wall not too far in front of him. It wasn't a hard throw, but apparently it was enough. 

The sound of fluttering paper can be heard as a single page falls to the ground. It piques Sun's interest, and he shifts to take a closer look. 

It's a drawing of him, one done in pencil, maybe charcoal—he'd never thought to ask—as opposed to the usual paint and crayons the kids utilized. 

Though that would be because a child didn't make it for him. You did. 

At least, he's 99% sure. You'd scurried off before he could ask. 

You worked in the gift shop, passing by the Daycare every day for work. And every day, either one of the attendants would catch you staring as you walked by the large windows. Ducking your head and rushing off whenever you got caught. 

You'd only spoken to them a handful of times, when you happened to come in to speak to the security guard about something. Sun was never quite sure why you needed the guard so much, but he didn't think to question it either. 

Your voice was always very soft, mumbling. If he didn't have such well-adjusted noise sensors he'd probably not be able to hear you. He didn't know why you were so quiet, you had a lovely voice. 

He wished you say more, on your visits. Your words always stuttered and brief. But he cherished those moments. Every little interaction was saved in several locations in his hard drive just to make sure he didn't lose them. You were probably the only person who would bother talking to him or Moon. That was precious. 

He picks up the drawing, admiring the detail you'd put into it. For something of this quality, he didn't know why you were working in the gift shop. Maybe you were doing something else, like college, and this was a temporary situation for you in the long run. 

He remembers when you gave it to him, he'd at least gotten a direct interaction, you'd slipped Moon's under the door one night before going home. 

He believes it's because of your encounter that you just ran away the second time, and he can't say he blames you. 

You'd been nice enough to knock, having been the very end of the day, the last child having been picked up just a few minutes prior. 

When he opens the door, you're looking to the ground, clutching the paper in your hands tightly. 

Surprised, but happy to see you, he speaks first. "Hello there, friend! It's good to see you!" 

"U-um, hi...." You say, still looking down. "Good, good to see you too."

You're nervous for some reason, though you're always nervous he realizes. 

He wants to fix it. He tries with a joke. "Well, you can't see me very well from there can you?"

It doesn't land. You flinch, but look up. "S-Sorry."

Stupid. Stupid. Fix it.

"Oh! Not a worry at all, Sunbeam. I just wanted to see you're smiling face." His rays spin. 

Your eyes widen. "Really?"

"Of course! A lovely smile on a face like yours just makes my day!" Surely that'll do it, let you know he's being sincere.

Your internal temperature rises, fluctuating around your cheeks and ears. Now he's gone and made you mad. Great, this is going so great, he's blowing it—

You shove the paper into his hands. "This is for you. I-I, I have to go now. Buh-bye!"

Before he can say another word you're gone, running back towards the main entrance, leaving him with an amazing drawing, and not so amazing thoughts. 

You hadn't come back into the daycare since then, which could only mean that you hated him now too. Sun rubs his thumb over your signature on the page, at least he still had this. 

The sound of laughter growing closer interrupts his thoughts. And, curiosity getting the better of him, he goes to take a look. 

Peeking out the curtains, he can see a group of employees walking by. You're among them, smiling and chatting all the while. 

Just outside the Daycare you stop, waving to the group. 

"I think I forgot my jacket in the gift shop, I'll see you guys later! Happy holidays!" 

They bid you farewell, and Sun's planning to shut the curtain again, not wanting to be weird and watch you go about your business, when he picks up on your odd behavior. 

You watch your friends leave and then glance around a few times. Then, you pull out two small, wrapped gifts and walk over to the Daycare doors. After a moment he hears a knock. 

His rays spin, and he acts before he thinks. He dives into the ball pit and as soon as he makes contact is immediately scrambling out of it and heading for the door. He takes a moment to collect himself, then opens it. 

To his shock, you speak first. "Hi Sunny! It's good to see you. I, I wasn't sure you'd be around. I um, having something for you! And, and Moon." You hold up the gifts. 

Sun short circuits. 

You got him a gift. 

You.

The person he thought hated him like all the rest. 

You thought of him, were actively thinking of him. 

And you called him Sunny.

"If, if that's okay. Sorry if I'm bothering you. I just, I really wanted to get these to you tonight. I, I thought you were going to be at the party, I was um, kinda sad you weren't. But I totally get it if parties aren't your thing! They're... not really mine either but um, god I'm rambling here I'm sorry." You look up to him then, concern in your gaze. "Are, are you okay?"

It occurs to the playtime attendant that his fans are roaring now. He has to get you to stop before he overheats. Time to play his role. 

"Ah! I'm alright friend! I'm happy to see you too! And I appreciate the thought, truly." He takes your hand, and without thinking, raises it to his smile for a kiss. "It means a lot. Would, would you like to come inside for a moment?"

Now you're frozen, temperature climbing in a matter of seconds. 

"I would really like that."

His rays spin out of his control. "Great. Great! Please,"—he stands straight, waving his other hand behind him—"Come on in."

You keep your hand in his, squeezing gently. "O-okay."

As the door closes behind the two of you, Sun decides that he doesn't really care if missed the holiday party or not. He doesn't really care if everyone hates him and Moon either. 

If he can have just this moment to share with you, and maybe more. Maybe even becoming friends?

That's enough.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Thank you @zenkaiankoku for the request! Enjoyed having a bit of angst to write hehe, still made it a little fluffy in spots but I think it still works ^-^

Masterpost link

Tag list (if you would like added, see this post for more info):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8

@luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @amarynthian-chronicles

@robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva

@juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml @divinit3a

[escapetheslaughters]

[This takes place after Grim leaves Net and Eclipse when they leave to save Astraia as he is unable to help without Reaper's aid.]

Grim was furious with his brother. What did he mean he didn't want to help Pink Lady?! Regardless of their differences, they were still friends. Reaper said so himself, didn't he?!

He was going to make damn sure Reaper answered for ignoring his call for help. Grim's body aches from the after effects of Net having pulled out those damn strings from Giaterra. If Reaper had agreed to help, they could have taken the hag down together. Hell-- if Grim actually practiced on his own a little more, he could have done it himself. They needed to improve...

[more under the cut -- strap in buttercups]

Reaper was waiting for his twin to arrive. He was not far from the theater where Elara worked. In fact, he refused to go too far from it. He wanted to ensure that she and their little ones would be safe. Even after the boys were sent to Malware's playcare, Reaper stayed stationed at the Theater.

When Grim had called for help to save Astraia, he curled his upper lip. It was almost an immediate reaction. No...he was still angry with her. The darker part of him wanted Giaterra to have her way with Astraia. Let her destroy Astraia and see how he felt about her death. Would be relieved as well? Or would he mourn? Reaper snorted to himself. It's been a while since he's felt so callous towards anyone... He wasn't sure what to make of the thought. He couldn't tell if it bothered him or not.

"Why didn't you answer me?"

Reaper didn't bother to look at Grim. He knew it was only a matter of time before his twin found him hiding in the alleyways near the theater. By the sounds of it, Grim wasn't happy.

"Because I don't care."

"Bullshit!"

Grim spat, growling at his brother. He pointed a clawed finger at Reaper.

"Don't lie to me, Other! You, yourself, claimed that she was still our friend! Yet, in her time of need you cast her to the wolves!?"

Reaper looked over at Grim with a frown, "I owe nothing to that Pink harlot."

Grim froze. He slowly lowered his hand, processing if he heard Reaper correctly.

"What did you say...?"

"I said: Fuck--"

Reaper staggered back, holding his face with both hands. Grim had punched him so fast they were both shocked.

Grim couldn't believe he reacted so fast and hit his brother.

Reaper couldn't believe Grim actually hit him.

Hadn't Malware advised them to NOT continue a cycle of violence?

Hadn't they promised to never hit each other...?

Reaper lowered his hands to stare at Grim incredulously. Grim stood there, eyes wide in shock.

"I... I'm so--"

He was cut off by Reaper's furious roar as his twin, now angry, charged at him in a running tackle. The blood twins fell to the ground and the two immediately began to exchange blows and roll around the dirty alleyway in vain attempts to gain the upper hand. Their nanites were working over time to heal every scratch, dent and bite mark they left on each other as they fought like wild animals for control over the situation.

At one point, the pair had begun to fuse, conjoined at the hip as they scratched and slapped at each other furiously. Grim spun his upper torso around, grabbed Reaper by an arm, and slung him over his shoulder. This forcefully pulled them apart but it gave Grim the upper hand to slam his brother into the cold concrete.

He roared at Reaper so loud that his voice box crackled dangerously.

"YOU'RE NOT THE ONE SHE WAS SO OVERJOYED TO FIND DEAD!! IT SHOULD BE ME WHO HATES HER AND YET I DON'T!!"

Reaper didn't get up. He laid there on the ground, his eyes wide at his brother's outburst. He didn't expect Grim to stop fighting. Confusion hit him like a wave as he let out a tired and agitated sigh.

"Why...?"

"........Because I deserved it..."

Grim's voice dialed from 100 back to 5... There was an edge in his voice, a bitter bite to his words.

"She's never been the same since I lost my temper with her. She never trusted us after I bared my fangs."

He groaned in mental and emotional agony as he backed away from Reaper and plopped down to the ground. Reaper turned his head to look at Grim with a frown.

"I told you that befriending a human was a bad idea."

Grim gave off a low warning growl to which Reaper responded with a hiss in kind.

"Do you hate her so much?"

Reaper rolled his eyes, moving his head to stare up at the sky from his spot on the filthy ground.

"I didn't used to. I was hoping I'd be wrong... But she only proved me right. Humans are weak willed. They crumble when they're afraid of us. Astraia is no different than the rest of humanity. That stupid chainsaw is nothing more than a farce. Something to make her feel strong when she is truly weak. A fake. We have more genuine family and friends to worry about. I'm done with her. The final straw was her poor treatment of our Heart. I don't understand why you two forgive her. But I refuse and I'm done."

Grim slumped over. He didn't know what to say to that.... Yet he knew better than to try and change Reaper's mind. They were both equally stubborn. He spoke lowly as he stared at the ground solemnly.

"....I respect your personal thoughts, Brother..."

"I respect your choice to forgive her."

"Bloodmoon?"

Grim and Reaper looked at each other briefly before looking towards the third voice in confusion.

At the entrance to the alleyway was [ @stardusttheaters ] Titan staring at the brothers in slight confusion. He didn't know there were two of them-- he just... thought they changed clothes from time to time?!

"Uh....I came to look for you...Elara is worried that she hasn't heard from you two."

........-Fin-

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The girls are here!!!

[sergle]

talking about the topic of animated movies not Hitting, I accidentally reminded myself of one time on twitter, I think around the time that Raya came out?? I was poopooing on how much the dragon looks like elsa, and then talked about how I wish 2d animated and hand animated films were still The Medium instead of nothing but the highest resolution skin texture fur textured 3d animated films bc I'm tired of seeing it, etc etc and then someone who I was not mutuals with, they must've been someone working under the disney IP in some form, and must've either done some work on raya or just worked on 3d animated projects in general, replied to me SEVERAL TIMES as if I was subtweeting them, with something to the tone of "just say you hate me and you think my art is trash" and I think about that ALL the time

[rewritingtales]

"don't  worry,  i'll  be  out  of  your  hair  by  the  beginning  of  next  month.  you  won't  even  know  that  i  was  here  in  the  first  place."  no  one  was  going  to  get  him  to  move  away  from  his  forest,  from  his  farm.  still,  it's  an  entertaining  idea  to  throw  around.  if  anyone  comes  around  here  trying  to  actually  evict  him,  vilem  might  actually  shoot  them.  he  doesn't  want  to  get  into  any  fights  though,  so  he  just  hopes  that  his  part  of  the  world  is  quiet  enough  that  they  won't  even  mess  with  him.  “you're  like  a  tortured  poet.  anyone  ever  tell  you  that?”  he  doesn't  know  which  one  exactly,  but  one  of  them  at  least.  he's  never  met  someone  so  willing  to  ostracize  himself  before  like  zeke.  almost  like  he's  hellbent  on  being  alone  and  making  sure  that  everyone  knows  it.  gosh.  who  hurt  him?  hearing  the  gasp  is  a  good  thing,  it  meant  that  he  will  still  onto  something.  hell,  it  even  manages  to  put  a  shit  eating  grin  on  the  farmer's  face.  not  only  because  his  assumption  was  right,  but  because  he  made  the  wolf  do  something  that  wasn't  sulking  around  and  moping.  very  good  indeed.  “if  you  haven't  killed  me  all  day,  i  doubt  you're  going  to  do  it  on  my  bed.  you're  not  that  much  of  a  coward  to  kill  me  in  my  sleep.”  another  assumption,  but  one  he's  even  more  confident  to  make  than  the  last  one.  he  knows  zeke,  at  least  partially.  there's  honor,  even  amongst  monsters,  and  he's  going  to  use  that  to  just  blindly  believe  that  he's  correct.  he  doesn't  even  seem  to  mind  the  ears  this  time.  “what  about  me  in  any  of  the  conversations  that  we've  had  would  lead  you  to  believe  that  i'm  a  chicken?”  he  waits  a  little  bit,  almost  challenging  him  to  give  him  an  answer.  “just  let  me  know  if  you're  going  to  need  pajamas  or  not.  i'm  sure  i  can  find  something  for  you.”  vilem  takes  off  his  pants  next,  but  then  walks  over  to  the  dresser  where  he  pulls  open  two  drawers.  then  as  quickly  as  he  takes  them  out,  he's  sliding  on  a  pair  of  shorts  and  another  tank  top.  “not  gonna  have  you  scaring  the  animals  or  rory,  so  just  come  on.”  does  that  imply  he's  no  longer  scared  of  zeke?

"yeah,  yeah.  can't  have  you  stinkin'  up  my  forest  when  i'm  doing  spring  cleaning."  zeke  huffed  out  a  little  laugh,  momentarily  tempted  to  entertain  the  idea  -  truly.  not  the  kicking  the  old  farmer  out  of  the  forest,  but  the  spring  cleaning.  get  rid  of  annoyances.  make  the  perfect  home  for  himself,  but  would  it  ever  be?  new  people  would  just  replace  those  he  got  rid  of  &  they  might  be  even  more  annoying.  the  forest  didn't  even  house  that  many  humans,  so  he  probably  shouldn't  complain.  being  called  normal,  though,  did  raise  a  brow.  "normal?  me?  doubt  it."  he  was  holding  back,  at  least  some,  trying  to  appear  as  human  as  possible  while  ...  not  trying  to  be  human.  he  was  done  trying  to  be  one  of  them.  that  phase  didn't  long  &  he  was  glad  for  it  to  be  over.  nowadays  the  only  time  he'd  try  was  for  his  own  advantage.  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing.  but  even  that  hasn't  been  necessary,  because  zeke  was  an  impeccable  hunter.  he  was  also  someone  who  appreciated  a  good  petting  if  the  way  he  was  leaning  into  the  other  didn't  make  it  obvious.  what  could  he  say,  it  was  in  his  dna.  that  pull  though,  surely  counted  as  an  illegal  action  &  should  be  punished  severely  for  he  made  the  wolf  gasp  like  an  idiot.  little  grumble  as  he  followed  inside,  suddenly  feeling  like  he  was  invading  a  home  he  shouldn't  be  in.  lie.  he'd  been  invited  after  all.  he  knew  he  should  be  choosing  the  third  option,  he  did,  but  the  farmer's  offer  was  simply  too  tempting  to  pass  up.  besides,  where  else  in  here  would  he  fit?  he  was  not  going  to  sleep  in  the  barn  or  something.  "sure  you  trust  me  in  your  bed?"  hm.  not  that  zeke  had  any  ulterior  moves,  he  assumed  vilem  didn't  either,  but  it  was  still  an  unexpected  offer  &  here  he  was  ...  taking  off  his  clothes  like  he  didn't  have  a  stranger  in  his  home.  unless  he  didn't  think  zeke  was  a  stranger?  why  was  everything  so  complicated  with  the  old  man?  it  was  bothersome.  zeke  followed  suit  &  took  off  his  shirt,  though  when  he  pulled  his  undershirt  over  his  head  &  his  curls  slowly  settled  again,  vilem  would  find  the  wolf's  ears  had  taken  their  natural  shape.  if  they  were  being  truthful  ..."sleeping  in  a  bed  with  rory's  a  bad  idea,  not  really  a  fan  of  the  floor,  so...  uhhhh,  if  you're  sure  you're  not  a  chicken..."

[vynnyal]

This is a pretty good point in the wip to share this, methinks :]

Map part for the hole dwelling map, starring... Not my ocs! I wanted to use ocs, but I don't have any-- so I just used the characters from a fic I was reading at the time 😂

Turns out, the symbolism was so much fun to twist into the 11 seconds I had to work with, I ended up going way more complex than I meant to. If you wanna read the fic this was based on, please do!! And tell the author I said hi! :D