#i don’t know if i should tag this as my art since . it’s a wip

[victarin]

i rlly need to draw moon more um ..!

[mirnilop]

𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝓁𝑒 𝒹𝑒𝓋𝒾𝓁 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 ˚₊·͟͟͟͟͟͟͞͞͞͞͞͞➳❥ wally darling

⚠ tags: sfw, mob au, yandere!wally, gn!singer!reader, power imbalance, discussions of violence

♡ synopsis: you’d be surprised how many fans you accrue as a small-time lounge singer. while this is usually a good thing, one of yours happens to rule half the city, so he isn’t exactly receptive to the word “no”.

♡ word count: 5,310

⛧ﾐ‧*･ﾟ the following content may be triggering to some. please proceed with caution! ･ﾟ*‧ミ⛧

a/n: hello!! ₍ᐢ.ˬ.⑅ᐢ₎ goshh, my very first post on this acc!! i haven’t posted fanfic in a hot minute but i’m suuuper excited to get back into it!! 💞 i have sooo many wips for this fandom, it was difficult to choose which one to finish first! credit to @/clownsuu for creating the au and for the lovely art!! i tweaked the concept a wee bit so that it takes place in a roger rabbit-esque world where puppets and humans live together unharmoniously (with a jessica rabbit inspired reader ofc >v>). it was a lot of fun trying to marry wally's canon personality with a Scary Mob Boss (*´ 艸`) i can't wait to post more!! what are y'all's favourite aus? let me know!! ･*･:≡(　ε:)

There’s a rose on your vanity.

The sight of it snuffs out your high spirits, irritation igniting in its place– and it was such a good day, too! You and the girls were perfectly in sync for your entire performance, bolstered by the unusually affable audience; you even rewarded them with a sneak peek of new material, which made them go wild!

Dreams of stomping it beneath your heel stew in your head as you drop it in the faience vase at the rim of the mirror, where a crinkled, beige-tipped rose droops against the rim. Why not break the vase too? An idea that’s crossed your mind too many times, and while it gets harder to resist with each flower, you endure it. They’re presents, after all, and you doubt your admirer would take kindly to the news that you’ve trashed them. You’re certain one of his minions would obtain the evidence, if not witness you do it; you can’t pinpoint the extent to which they survey you, but the crawling sensation of eyes on your back crops up often, and obviously they have no problem barging into your dressing room to play delivery service.

Sighing, you comb through your rolling rack to pick a suitable outfit to change into. Most of the articles hanging are also gifts, but you’ve made sure to keep some of your own hard-earned clothes here out of sheer spite. A burgundy cashmere number has just slipped into your grasp when the door bursts open.

“How’s that for a show?! And what a great crowd, a whole buncha dolls! Or– well, puppets– and humans! Hahaha!”

Lottie skips in with her usual energy, the bell on her collar jingling alongside the clack of her Mary Janes. You hate that their manager mandates the bells as a part of their costumes, as if puppets being treated like second-class citizens wasn’t enough. “You wanna make money or not? It’s part of the appeal! You know, Mary Had A Little Lamb and all that!” is what he told you after one of your countless tirades regarding his treatment of them, but the sleazy smirk wrapped around his cheap cigarette allowed you to read between the lines. As much as you despise that man, it’s not your business to judge the trio for staying contracted with him. Mottie’s recalled to you how difficult it was to hire a manager at all, and you suppose you have to (begrudgingly) thank him for bringing them into your life, since he’s the one who bagged them the backup singer gig.

A swell of color in your peripheral lets you know that she’s come near, but you don’t bother diverting attention from your search. This is such a common occurrence between you two that pleasantries are no longer required.

“And they were mighty generous with the tips! So me and the gals was thinking we should go somewhere to… celebrate…”

Hearing her trail off, you turn to find her staring at the new rose, her once-perky ears fallen limp. You click your tongue, remorse prickling your heart, though you’ve done nothing wrong.

“I’ll be alright, Lottie. Here,” You grab a wad of bills from your personal tip jar and fold them into her hand. “You take your sisters somewhere nice, my treat. As an apology for having to skip out tonight.”

When she doesn’t move from her spot, merely pouting at you with big, glistening eyes full of concern, you swaddle her in a hug. Fleecy strands of shell pink hair tickle your nose as she nestles her snout into your shoulder, squeezing you like a lifebuoy. Having her in your arms is a vital reminder as to why you continue to put up with everything. Lottie, Dottie and Mottie are your beloved friends– your family when you had none– and you are willing to do whatever is necessary to build a life with them.

“Are ya sure?”

“Positive. And if that bug gives you even a whiff of trouble, you come get me right away, got it?”

She laughs, the sound a balm to the ache of your worries. “He never gives us any trouble– n’fact, I haven’t heard ‘im say a single word!”

“Good. At least one of them has manners. Now go have fun!”

After a few more hugs and a promise to relay your apology to her sisters, she trots towards the entrance. Halfway through it, she pauses.

“Promise ya’ll play nice?”

An involuntary grimace twists your face, which you smooth immediately.

“I was planning on it,” you concede, earning an exhale of relief from Lottie.

“Thanks. Honestly, I’m kinda worried...” She leans against the doorframe, gaze trained on the checkered floor. “I see more and more of that Napoleon-wannabe’s goons lately. Do ya think he’s gettin’ antsy? It’s been real quiet since that incident with Dorelaine.”

Ah, the incident. It happened a handful of months ago; he refused to go into specifics, but what you’ve gathered from his gnomic recount and various news stories is that their rival organization– led by Ronald Dorelaine, a human man– planted explosives somewhere important, racking up thousands in damages and dismembering several puppets, left to be mended with those horrific stitches. You didn’t receive another rose until several weeks afterwards.

“I can’t be sure,” you admit. “He doesn’t tell me much about the goings-on of the ‘family’, not that I care to know. But I noticed he’s been more wound up lately… maybe they’re going to retaliate?”

A visible shudder travels through Lottie, and she tosses her head as if to ward off the gravity of your predicament. It was easier to ignore the implications when there wasn’t an active turf battle.

“You’re right, we should stay as far as we can from that nasty business. Wear the red, then. To butter ‘im up a little.” She offers you a conflicted half-smile, most likely holding herself back from proposing a makeover, before sidling out the door.

Glowering, you follow the advice, shucking your tight, shimmering stage outfit for the cozy cashmere you were eyeing before. Like I need to be reminded of his favorite color. I’ve practically lived in red since I met him. It inexplicably fits like a glove, as do all of the clothes you've been bestowed; for the sake of your sanity, you prevent yourself from delving too far into that subject.

As you fix the little bits of your appearance that got mussed up during your performance, you can’t help but contemplate hiding in your room until morning, even though you know it wouldn’t work– and you’d have to pay for a broken front door. Once every speck of lint has been removed and your ensemble is flawless, you steel your resolve with a hard look in the mirror. If things go south, at least you’ll make a gorgeous open casket.

You step into your shoes and out of the dressing room, swiping your bag and a matching hat from the plethora that dangle on knobs affixed to the wall along the way. The haze that eternally permeates the lounge envelops you as you walk, no longer springing tears to your eyes like it did so long ago, when you were a starry-eyed fledgling. Upon entering the foyer, you call out to the owner, Gene, who’s counting the register behind the bar.

“Hey, I’m heading out!”

“Geez, you’re in a hurry! Got a hot date or what?”

“Something like that,” you breathe, your nerves relighting tenfold now that you’re so close to the outside.

“Ahh, I getcha.” His amusement is clear, construing an innuendo within your words that is absolutely not there, but you’d rather die than clarify. “You did a great job today, you deserve it!”

Somehow, your admirer has managed to limbo directly under Gene’s nose; thus far he’s made no indication that he’s aware he has a very important patron. For a moment, you observe him, and see how he absentmindedly rubs the pocket of his button-up– where a polaroid of his two children is safely tucked away– and you decide that it’s probably for the best.

“Thanks, Gene. Have a good one.”

“You too!”

His reply barely reaches you as you cross the threshold from the comfort of your work into the cold, pensive night. A luckier soul may have suffered a fright when greeted with the colossal figure standing below the street light, carved with shadow, but it’s a familiar sight to you now. An inconspicuous black car is parked behind him.

“Hi Howdy.”

“Evening, Mx.” He bows slightly, whisking open the sleek passenger door which you reluctantly slide inside.

“I wish you’d stop calling me that. I do have a name.” It’s true. Being addressed formally by such an important figure imbues you a with a sick feeling, like he’s won, and you’ve already been initiated into this fucked up institution.

Though he waits for you to finish speaking before shutting you in, he doesn’t grace you with a response; not that you were expecting one. In all the times he’s escorted you to these duress-dates, as you’ve taken to calling them, he’s remained stoic to a mechanical degree, acknowledging your presence and nothing more. Thrashing, crying, screaming– you’ve tried everything to escape, and have never elicited a reaction more severe than that of a tired parent handling a tantrum. If you resist, he simply manhandles you. It’s hardly a fair match, with him having 4 arms and several feet of height on you, so you opt to reserve your energy for dealing with his headache of a boss.

When he hauls his many limbs onto the driver’s seat, the car lurches, too small to accommodate a puppet of his stature; he has to hunch forward to see the windshield, antennae pushed flat. You lean back and vacantly turn towards the window, wondering if cars big enough for someone like him to drive comfortably even exist while the engine rumbles to life.

The umbrous cityscape passes you by, inklings of humans and puppets flashing in and out of the darkness like ghosts. Thick boughs of red and green tinsel are strung across a few lamp posts, but by the end of the season they’ll all be covered. Dottie’s already triple checked that you and her sisters have one day of the annual Christmas market off, even though you strike the same deal with Gene every year; the four of you get Saturday, then he gets Sunday to take his family. It’s one of your favorite times of the year, if only because you get to experience the aura of wonder that enlivens Lottie when the first snow falls, Mottie’s timid wheedling to attend The Nutcracker, and Dottie’s alphabetically-organized checklist of fun winter activities.

Those cheerful thoughts are wiped away as Howdy turns into a private garage attached to a sleek, angular skyscraper. He parks in the spot nearest to the entrance, the first in a row of spaces labeled with metal “Reserved for Staff” signs, and circles the car to let you out. The sensation of him gingerly lifting you comes with no alarm; he always assists you up the concrete stairs leading to the elevator, as if you’re so physically inept you can’t handle 3 tiny steps. You assume his needless precaution is for the same reason he hasn’t beaten you yet despite defying him so often: boss’s orders.

With a reedy knell, the elevator glides open, and Howdy signals for you to go ahead. Once you’re both inside, he inserts a key and presses the button for the uppermost level. Expecting a noiseless ride, you tune into the low muzak emitting from the speakers, which makes you miss the first time he calls you.

“Mx.”

Startled, you swivel towards him. His steadfast profile is unreadable.

“Boss doesn’t know you’ve opposed him so vehemently in the past. Please keep that in mind tonight.”

The entrance broaches before you can interrogate him as to what the hell he means, granting you entry to a luxury penthouse laved in gold, ivory, and– of course– red. A glimmering chandelier suspends from the ornamental ceiling, bathing the antique furniture in an amber glow. If you hadn’t just ridden up the elevator, you would have assumed such a lavish drawing room belonged to an old mansion.

It’s something straight out of a romance novel, except instead of a chiseled, broody Italian, it’s a short puppet sitting at the marble-topped dining table. He lounges at the head in a slate blue silk suit with its jacket buttoned to the top; an honor seemingly reserved solely for you, because it’s the only way you’ve seen him wear it, despite street tales describing the way it billows from his shoulders as he stalks the town. Revealed by its plunged neckline is the collar of a white dress shirt embossed with rainbow pinstripes, and a red ascot neatly tied and pulled askant around his throat.

Wally Darling, in the felt: kingpin of The Neighborhood, and resident thorn in your side.

When you arrive, he rises to meet you, dismissing Howdy with a pointed glance; you’ve learned that the relationship between a crime lord and his loyal bandog transcends language. You watch him as he leaves through a pair of swinging doors to the left, his cryptic advice-slash-warning heavy on your mind.

And so, you find yourself alone with the most dangerous man in the city– puppet or otherwise.

“Good evening, dearest. I hope my gift found you well.”

The concept of personal space might as well be Greek to Wally, since he hasn’t once respected it from the day you had the misfortune of making his acquaintance. He crowds so close that you have to crane your neck to see his face, the heat emanating from him eliciting shivers in your chill-soaked body.

“Yes, thank you. It was quite a lively night,” you chirp, wielding a civil smile.

Although the contours of his wispy, coiffed curls only reach your ribs, he extends his arm to you, which you take with such a featherlight hold that you barely brush his sleeve. Rather than leading you to the dining table like you expected, you’re guided towards a small lounge area to the side, the crackling croon of Billie Holiday wafting over from a refurbished stereo console in the corner. Oh, great. He’s feeling sentimental.

“Would you indulge me with a dance before dinner?”

Don't have much of a choice, do I?

“I’d love to.”

Dancing with Wally is funny, in an ironic sort of way; it certainly caught you off guard the first time he asked. When you envision dancing with a powerful, deadly mobster, you think of being swept away, wrapped snugly by strong arms and a dastardly smirk, or perhaps something more courtly, like a waltz steered by a polite hand on your waist. Turns out both versions are incorrect.

Muscle memory ushers your arms open, and Wally falls into the space in between them– literally. Slack against you, his full weight is heftier than his height would imply, but not physically uncomfortable– emotionally and morally, however, are another story. An air of pure peace washes over him as his cheek nuzzles the underside of your chest, arms limp at his sides; you swear you even hear a little trill. Your face burns, but you say nothing as you begin to sway faintly to the beat, tracing a loop with your feet as you traipse along. Wally follows easily, tethered by the reluctant cage of your embrace.

“Do you remember the night we met?”

The query is felt more than heard, his gentle monotone muffled by the downy fabric of your garb. You huff softly to yourself, rustling a few gel-slick strands atop his pompadour.

“How could I forget?”

The day the infamous Mr. Darling appeared in your club, his two largest henchmen in tow, is burned into your brain like a regrettable tattoo; Gene was off, so you were covering entertainment for the night while the sisters managed the bar and floor. As you were singing the very song playing now, you detected a curious hush that had overtaken the throng of guests, and strained to cut through the stage glare and cigarette fog to locate the cause. Tracking the audience, who were all regarding the bar with varying amounts of subtlety, you nearly dropped the microphone when you saw the broad blue back of Barnaby B. Beagle, someone you’d only heard of in gossip. He gesticulated as he spoke boisterously to poor Mottie, who was as white as a sheet behind the counter. Situated a slight ways away was Howdy Pillar, who stood as motionless as a statue with both sets of forelimbs fastened behind him.

And then you noticed him. A puppet no more than 4 feet tall, but whose oppressive presence commanded full attention. He paid no mind to the (one-sided) conversation between his colleague and your friend– no, he was staring right at you. Boring into you so acutely that you felt pinned, compelled somehow to continue singing until the final note trickled away.

As if a spell had been broken, you leapt from the platform and scurried to Mottie, who stayed petrified even when you tried to covertly nudge her to the side. How avidly you wished a fissure would open beneath their shoes and swallow them whole; but, armed with years of appeasing difficult and sordid customers, you spoke.

“Evening, fellas. I hope you enjoyed the show.”

Barnaby, who had stopped talking when you rounded the bar, bellowed a laugh.

“Fellas?! Is that any way to greet the boss and I?"

He tilted forward with menacing glee, propped up by furry elbows as his claws scraped the laminate countertop. Each of his fangs were as big as your nose.

"Dontcha know who we are, toots? Or do ya just need a refresher on respect?"

The acrid smoke from his cigar blew directly into your face, making spikes of anger bubble in your belly as you choked back a cough. Just when you felt composed enough to reply, a surprisingly mellow voice chimed in.

"It's alright, Barnaby."

The shock slacking his jaw mirrored yours, although you hid it under a mask of cool indifference. You dared a glance at Mr. Darling, but the pressure of his peer chased your gaze back to Barnaby, who grumbled as he straightened back up. It was difficult to stay trained on his good eye, but you soldiered on. Fear was not something you could afford to show, and you knew you'd crumble if you peeked at the fabled gaping socket that he stapled open himself.

"I don't suppose you're Gene Clifton, aged 54, father of two, owner of this joint?" He joked, recovered from the flub.

"No, sir, but my banker would sure be happy if I was. Can I take down a message?"

"A message! I love this bird!" Snickering cruelly, he waved a flippant paw. "Y'should try that material on stage sometime, might bring ya more customers than the singing bit."

You sucked a sharp inhale up your nose. Serenity now.

"See, here's the problem. This is family territory, and in return for our protection, we charge a teensy fee. Now, we ain't unreasonable– we've sent ole Gene a few letters. And what’s our thanks for such humble hospitality? Zilch."

Oh dear. Gene doesn't bother investigating any mail the lounge receives before tossing it because it’s typically adverts. He definitely would've noted The Neighborhood's seal if he did. Regardless, the frank abuse of power only fanned your annoyance, obscuring your better judgment.

"What protection? I don't recall seeing any of your members patrolling outside. Besides, we didn’t ask for protection."

Mottie snapped towards you, looking as though she might faint. The corner of Barnaby's mouth twitched skyward, like he was hoping you'd argue, but his boss beat him to the punch.

"We can reach an agreement, I’m sure. I'd hate to see a family establishment go under, especially when they have such lovely entertainment."

Apparently Wally was so smitten that he'd accept your company in lieu of money, and so the agreement (if you can even call it that, since you were coerced) was this– whenever a rose was delivered to you, you'd attend a rendezvous with him. When you returned to your dressing room later that evening, you discovered the first gift of several: your vase.

“I knew because of your eyes.”

The floral wallpaper in front of you shifts back into focus, Wally’s voice shaking you from your recollection.

“Pardon?”

“That night, you drew me in; I couldn’t concentrate on anything else, least of all a petty protection tax. And I knew I had to have you when I met your eyes.” He sounds dreamy, reminiscing as you were before, though his framing of events is worlds apart from your own; he recalls a destined encounter with his future partner, whereas you mark it the day your wings were clipped for good.

“They shone like stars, even through the smog.”

It’s only after he’s finished that you realize you’ve stopped moving, wrapped in an intimate hug like true lovers. A strange mix of pride and disgust floods you at the compliment, stomach flip-flopping rapidly.

He untangles from you, receding so that only your hands remain connected. The newfound distance eases some of your tension, but to your horror, you find yourself mourning the loss of the husky scent of his cologne. Loath as you are to admit it, the bastard smells amazing: a dark, leathery swirl of apples and saffron that you’d buy out if someone turned it into a candle.

“Let’s not delay any longer. You must be starving.”

True to his gentlemanly veneer, he seats you at the table before settling himself. You don’t see him call, but a server emerges immediately from the doors through which Howdy left with a tray of appetizers.

There are two graces you award Wally Darling: his excellent taste in cologne, and his staff’s Michelen-quality fare. Though they adopt the four courses typical of fine dining, the dishes are more grounded, toeing the border between grandma and Gordon Ramsay perfectly. Truthfully, you’re not even sure what to categorize it as; virtually everything is transfigured into a jello, pie, or salad, harkening back to the post-war cookbooks you used to gawk at as a child in your late mother’s library. The yellowed pictures in those books appeared extremely unappetizing, but somehow The Neighborhood makes it work.

It could be because of an illusive member named Poppy, one of the 7 who make up Wally’s illustrious inner circle. She’s scarcely seen due to her fretful and skittish nature, but Wally lauds her cooking and baking skills, regaling you in the past with plenty of kitchen mishaps that occurred when she tried to decompress by experimenting with recipes and was interrupted by their more excitable comrades. If you remember correctly, he once told you that most of the menus in rotation were created by her.

The nature of these duress-dates is wholly dependent on Wally’s mood– if he’s happy, then he’ll gladly chat your ear off about frivolous happenings in his and his friends’ private lives, though he takes care to be shrewd with any details that dive too deep into the murky underbelly lying just below. If he’s unhappy, then they can be utterly unbearable; his mere existence puts you on edge, so it’s exponentially worse when he’s out of sorts, tone curt and glare fierce.

Thankfully, he’s amiable tonight. The first 3 courses march on without incident, and painless conversation flows between the two of you, even if he does most of the talking– you’re not exactly eager to share more than you have to. It’s when the server presents dessert that things go awry.

“Say, how are those triplets you work with doing?” Wally says, spooning at the Bananas Foster. “I haven’t had the pleasure of catching a performance since our mishap a while back. So much paperwork, so little time, you know how it is.”

The mention of both your friends and the aforementioned Dorelaine incident have you bristling reflexively, but you do your best to tamp it down.

“They’re well, overall. Sometimes it’s difficult for them– their manager’s a real piece of work, and we get all types at the lounge.”

“I see…”

He lets out a long “hmmmm”, like he’s reflecting on this information.

“My family has also come upon hard times. It can be… trying, sometimes, to guide my children. Especially now, when we are under unjust attack.” He confesses, wistfully resting his chin on a thread-scarred palm. “Every family requires a head, but what is a head without a neck?”

Unjust my ass. Still, the weird metaphor confuses you.

“A neck?”

At that, his catlike grin only grows. What is he talking about?

“Yes, a neck; that is, someone who supports the head. I care for my family, so it’s only right I am cared for in return, wouldn’t you say?”

Though the phrasing is puzzling, you’re fairly confident you can infer what he’s purposefully dangling in front of you, and oh, it makes your stomach plummet. Sweat breaks out underneath your suddenly-sweltering outfit; it's as if you've been tied to a railroad and have managed to divert the train through pure will for a year, but now it's steamrolling square for you. The anxiety of impending doom renders you mute, unable to piece together a coherent thought.

Taking your silence in stride, Wally leans forward, intense as he grasps your hand in both of his own. The yellow fuzz does nothing to help how clammy you feel.

“What I mean to say is, I think that it’s time to settle down."

No.

“Wh– what? Settle down how?”

“To get married, silly.”

You’re unable to help the gasp that escapes you. No, no, no!

“Get married? You mean– to me?!”

“Of course. I’ve been courting you all this time, haven’t I?”

You sputter, and he rubs your hand as if to soothe you. His many gold rings gleam under the chandelier, teasing a glimpse of your fate.

“I know in the beginning you weren’t receptive to the idea of this life, but I've shown you that I can provide for you better than anyone else.”

Your expression must betray your surprise, because he chuckles– a slow, stilted sound that sends gooseflesh blooming across your skin.

“You thought I didn’t know? Howdy may not have reported it– which I’ll rectify in due time– but I have eyes everywhere, dear. You’re quite the talented actor, though.”

That trademark simper melts into something beguiling; he cradles you as if you’re the most precious thing he’s ever held.

“I love you, and I will take care of you, as I ask you to do for me. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

An inviting facade of genuine affection, so ardent that you almost want to believe it. Wouldn’t that be the easiest path to take? To surrender to the hand that feeds, because where it strangles others, it caresses you sweetly? It’s more tempting than you’d ever divulge, because underneath the armor of aplomb you've so carefully forged, you're exhausted. This burden has been yours alone to bear– and what a bear it is, because if you mess up, the people you love could be injured, or worse. So much worse.

Perhaps sensing an opening, Wally continues.

“Be reasonable. The family welcomes you with open arms! Haven’t you missed having a family?"

The words stab you right through the heart, and your waning resolve springs back tenfold by the fury that ruddies your vision. When you rip your hand away, he makes no move to stop you.

"My friends are my family. I don’t want anyone else, especially not murderers!” You snarl. “You kill people– and torture and maim them! How can you expect me to accept this?!"

"All in a day's work when cleaning up the city, unfortunately," Wally hums. "I wish we didn't have to resort to such things, but you must understand. As it is, puppets are treated as less than, and hardship runs rampant for both humans and puppets alike. You’ve experienced these firsthand.” With the elegance of a master conman, he touches his chest in mock respire. “All we wish to do is provide a safe haven for those in need– somewhere to rest your bones, enjoy a hot meal, and where everyone accepts you as their own. A home.”

You abruptly stand up, feeling like you’re wound so taut that you could erupt at any moment. The mahogany chair behind you tips over from the force, striking the floor with a leaden thud, though the sound is deafened by the blood rushing in your ears.

“Bullshit! You don’t have to start a gang to combat discrimination or help suffering people! Maybe that spiel works on the poor saps you trick into doing your dirty work, but it won’t work on me. The answer is no.”

All is still for a moment as you struggle to calm your heaving breaths, trembling and locked in a quiet stalemate with Wally, who’s as relaxed as ever. Your attention flits from his right eye to where the left would be, if not for the lesion carved from a notch above his eyelid to an inch below, giving the illusion that what lies beneath is impaled.

Oh shit.

The magnitude of what just transpired comes crashing down as your adrenaline flushes out. After playing it safe for months– stomaching unwanted exorbitant gifts, being tailed by his employees, and rousted to innumerous “dates”– you just rejected Wally Darling in the most aggressive way possible. So you do the only thing that might garner you a chance to make it out of this alive: run.

You’re halfway across the room when 4 thick arms suddenly wrangle and force you to halt, a scream ripping itself from your throat out of fear. Can this motherfucker teleport now?! How the hell did he get here so fast?? Thrashing, you throw your head back to search Howdy’s face, desperate for an ounce of the sympathy he’d offered in the elevator, but it is in vain; his stony visage is impenetrable, as though it had never wavered.

“How about you sleep on it, hm? Think about all of your options. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to those little lambs when their adorable shepherd isn’t around to protect them.”

Delicate fingers cup your jaw, making you freeze as Wally stretches up to plant a faux-kiss on your cheek, complete with a small “mwah!”. You scowl daggers at him as he collects your hat from where it flew to the floor, dusts it off, and lovingly places it back on your head before giving you a few pats.

“Aw, don’t be that way, darling. I truly meant what I said; you have beautiful eyes. I can hardly wait to try one on.”

With a snap, you’re hauled over Howdy’s back and spirited out of the room, presumably to be transported to wherever you’ll be staying. Hopefully not Wally’s quarters.

It’s all too much; you feel like you’re trapped in a nightmare. How else did you expect this to end? You’re not sure. With all of the awful things he’s done, forcing you into marriage is not beyond him. You just thought you’d have more time: to plan, to save up enough money to take the girls and race to the hills.

Tears gather on your waterlines, and the minute your mouth wobbles, they spill ceaselessly. Full-bodied sobs wrack you, the pain of Howdy’s shoulder jutting into your midsection compounding the profound ache of sorrow. All this time, you’ve been trying to fight, but there was no fight to be had; it ended the moment his eyes found yours across the lounge that day.

[onthewaytosomewhere]

💚thanks ever so much for the tags my dears @sophie1973 @theprinceandagcd @henryspearl @myheartalivewrites @sheepywritesfics

@suseagull04 & @taste-thewaste 😘

so after posting that lil fic on Sunday I've moved right back to what I need to be working on ... my fic for the @ficwip dark & cozy event

so i played with a lil art for it and wrote some words last night so it's moving along (even if it has a fair bit to go yet lolz) (even if i really wanna work on the new liam/pez i started last night as well)

putting this all beneath the cut cuz a bit of art (still also WIP) and words shared today 💚

i'm really torn on these i really kinda like the coffee shop sign and not sure if need to work it into the title card or keep it so they just share similar elements and post both with the fic... or if i even really like the title card - i suppose that's why its a wip lolz

and now here's (wonderwall) words from the same fic 💚

“Thanks, Nora swears that I’ve become more of a klutz since the change, and I don’t need any more reasons for her to threaten to spend all my money on new cups for this place.” The smile Henry gives him as he hands the cup and saucer to Alex almost seems shy, and it should appear out of place on someone who’s lived as many lives as he has, but Alex can’t help but think how it makes him want to kiss him. It’s as if some force he can’t explain is pulling him toward Henry. He’s been able to resist the pull for the sake of not wanting to come on too strong, but really, it’s getting harder not to make a fool of himself over Henry. There’s a moment when time seems to freeze between them, and then Alex is brought out of it when Henry speaks, “Well, we can’t have that; you need that money to take me out once you finally work up the courage to ask.” Alex drops the cup in his hand, and once again, Henry catches it before it can hit the floor, this time setting it back on the table. “I’m sorry … what?! … how …” Alex takes a deep breath, begging his mind to stop acting like a computer that has blue-screened, and continues, “So, you’d be up for that?” Henry smiles at him, and Alex’s already fast-beating heart stutters, “Well, as good as your tea is, it’s not the only reason I frequent your shop.” “But, you’ve never said anything. Hell, you barely talk past your order most nights unless I talk to you first.” “To be fair, you never said anything either, but I’m not as brave as this moment would have you believe. I may have spent too much time around Pez lately, and well, if I have to hear him tell me one more time that I should ‘suck it up and say something so I could suck what I really wanted,’ well, it will be one more time too many, truly.” “Huh, so ‘ya vaaant to suck my bluuudd’ do ya?” Alex replies with his worst stereotypical vampire accent. He rakes his eyes over Henry’s body and waits until Henry takes a drink of his tea to continue, “There’s definitely a few things I wouldn’t mind getting my mouth on.” Henry nearly chokes on the tea, and Alex never actually realized that vampires could choke, but apparently, that’s a thing that can happen. Henry looks at him, blue eyes full of mirth, and smirks, “Noted.” Alex nearly falls over when the bell above the door chimes; so much for his Were instincts being strong when he’s lost in flirting with pretty men or … well, vamps. Before turning to the customer entering, he whispers, “We will be coming back to this later.” Henry gives him one of those damn enigmatic smiles of his, and Alex nearly tells the customer to leave so he can stay there flirting with him. However, once he turns and sees who it is, he knows that won’t be happening.

i'm just gonna slap some tags down here so if i miss ya and ya wanna do this consider this ur big ole open tag!!

no-pressure tag ur it! to @adreamareads @anincompletelist @blueeyedgrlwrites @caterpills @duchessdepolignaca03

@england-would-fall @firenati0n @firstsprinces @forever-fixating @getmehighonmagic

@heysweetheart-writes @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @inell @inexplicablymine @itsmaybitheway

@jmagnabo92 @littlemisskittentoes @mikibwrites @nocoastposts @priincebutt

@softboynick @sparklepocalypse @stellarmeadow @tailsbeth-writes @thesleepyskipper

@thinkof-england @tinyarmedtrex @typicalopposite @everwitch-magiks @cricketnationrise

@myheartalivewrites @porcelainmortal @eusuntgratie @bigassbowlingballhead @captainjunglegym

@cha-melodius @kiwiana-writes @judasofsuburbia @doublecheekedkinard @cricketnationrise

(i realize it's no longer wednesday for some of ya and some of ya may have already done this but - my fingers typed ur name so 'hi' if that's the case lolz)

[kataang-week]

Special thanks to Mod Atarah (@penguinsledder) and our new Mod Celes (@chocomd​) for the lovely gif! 

What is Kataang Week?

Kataang Week is when we, as a corner of the fandom, celebrate the ship Kataang! The prompts for Kataang Week 2023 were selected through four rounds of voting over the last few weeks and all prompts were submitted by Tumblr users.

Cool, when is it?

Summer Kataang Week 2023 starts on Monday, July 24th - just over seven weeks from today - and ends on Monday, July 31st.  

How do I participate?

The most common ways to participate are by creating art or writing a fic and posting it online. Some people try and create something for every day while others only fill one or two prompts.  

As always, we want to reassure you that it’s perfectly okay not to do every prompt! We just hope to have lovely pieces to share on each day.

But I can’t draw or write!

That’s totally fine - there are more ways to participate! You can sing a song, create a graphic, write a poem - just about anything really. You can also show your support by reblogging and liking other people’s contributions.

What are the prompts?

The following will be the running order for Kataang Week 2023:

Wind & Rain - Monday July 24th

Injured - Tuesday July 25th

Confession / Whisper - Wednesday July 26th

Cultural Differences/Cultural Exchange - Thursday July 27th

Secretly Dating / Rivals to Lovers - Friday July 28th

Spirits - Saturday July 29th

Reunion/Meeting Again - Sunday July 30th

Free Day - Monday July 31st

Don’t forget that this year we have the Kataang Week 2023 Bingo Challenge, as well as alternative prompts for Free Day! See the bingo challenge post for more information. 

* As a reminder, Cultural Differences/Cultural Exchange and Reunion/Meeting Again were combined during voting as they were very similar prompts. You can interpret them as singular or separate prompts and incorporate one or both for each day.

** Confession and Whisper, as well as Secretly Dating and Rivals to Lovers, were tied with votes, so instead of flipping a coin/deciding randomly, both tied prompts are included as options. You can incorporate one or both prompts for each day.

*** And as always, there is a Free Day at the end of the week. You can use this day to post anything you’d like! It can be a prompt that didn’t receive enough votes or something you’ve been wanting to work on, anything goes!

How should I tag my work?

The easiest way for us to find your work so we can reblog it to this blog is by using the tag “kataang week”. Using “kataang” and “kataangtag” also help. You must tag one of the three in your first five tags otherwise it doesn’t appear in the search.

Sometimes even properly tagged posts may not appear when we search the tags, so if you do not see your content reblogged, please let us know.

Once we’ve reblogged it to this blog we add our own tags (a prompt tag and a user tag) for easy organization. This means we can find all the work for one prompt or all the work from one user in one easy click (this also means that if you have changed your username since participating last year you need to let us know so we can update your tag!).

Can I post my stuff other places online too?

Of course you can!

Why seven weeks? Is that enough time?

Traditionally, we like to provide our content creators seven weeks (for the seven prompts) to create quality content. Kataang Week is also traditionally held in the last week of July.  

If you are unable to complete a prompt in time, please do not fret. You can alert this blog by mentioning it in your post (ex. @kataang-week​) or messaging one of the mods and your content will still be shared even if it is a week (or a month - or sometimes more!) late.

We also like to post WIP for Kataang Week and encourage everyone else to do so as well - we reblog it here for motivation!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to send an ask. Don’t forget to reblog this as well to help spread the word!

Good luck, Kataangers, and happy content creating! :) - The Mods

[cha-melodius]

@welcometololaland requested this with 4 question marks so I officially can't refuse, and also tagged by @kiwiana-writes, @iboatedhere, and @three-drink-amy, thanks to all of you! Have a particularly juicy morsel:

Nora raises her hand and starts ticking off her fingers. “You haven’t stopped smiling since I came in. You’re practically bouncing around the shop while you clean up. And you were fucking whistling.” “I was not,” Alex protests automatically, even though now that he thinks back on it he might have been. Whatever, he had a song stuck in his head. “It was just a good day. We had a big sale.” “Were they hot?” she presses, leaning forward now. Alex bites his lip and absolutely fails to not conjure up Henry’s features in his mind’s eye. “I mean, like, objectively yeah, I guess.” “You guess.” Nora straightens up and turns back to the computer. “I’m looking up their credit card info.” “Nora, you can’t—” he says, even though she absolutely can. He’s sure she’s got the sale pulled up before he can think about stopping her. “Percy Okonjo?” she reads off a moment later, her eyes going wide in shock. “Like, that Okonjo?” “Yeah,” Alex confirms. “Holy shitballs. Is this number real?” “Of course it is,” Alex huffs. “They mostly weren’t his. He paid for his friend.” Nora’s wicked grin comes back in force. “His friend, huh?” she says slyly, leaning over the counter again. “Did she flirt with you? Is that what’s got you all hot and bothered?” Something weird twists in Alex’s stomach. He should just tell her, right? That Pez’s friend was a guy. It’s not a big deal. He was objectively good-looking. And he did flirt with Alex. And maybe Alex flirted back. It was just fun. It doesn’t— it doesn’t mean anything. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” he mutters instead, avoiding her gaze. “I’ve gotta… do something. In the back.”

Tagging @cricketnationrise, @clottedcreamfudge, @stutteringpeach, @indomitable-love, @orchidscript, @14carrotghoul, @sherryvalli, @myheartalivewrites, @celaestis1, @lilythesilly, @tintagel-or-cockleshells, @xthelastknownsurvivorx, @leaves-of-laurelin, @everwitch-magiks, @loki-is-my-kink-awakening, @mirilyawrites, @dewdropreader, @nicijones, @celeritas2997, @rmd-writes

Also tagging @wolfpup026 and @natendo-art if you want to share any art WIPs!

[hanleiacelebration]

Han/Leia Appreciation Week 2023

Han/Leia Appreciation Week is an event originally hosted at @han-leia-solo between 2016-2019. Last year, and with their permission, we decided to host it at @hanleiacelebration!

Since Beth Revis' "The Princess and the Scoundrel" was released on August 16th, 2022, we thought it'd be fun to mark the date as the anniversary of Han and Leia's wedding 🥰 And since this year is also the 40th anniversary of "Return of the Jedi", you'll see prompts related to both of those things!

💗 How does the Han/Leia Appreciation Week work?

The event will run from August 13th to August 19th, and there will be two different prompts each day that creators can fulfill with: fanfic, fanart, gifsets, graphics, fanvids, headcanons, crafts, playlists, rec lists. You’re encouraged to tag your posts with #hanleiaweek2023 so we can reblog them! After the week is over, we'll also share a masterlist with links to the works.

You can show your appreciation in many ways; however, please keep in mind that it has to be a creation of yours of some sort, e.g. don’t repost other people’s fanart, gifs, or unedited pictures. Rec lists should include a link to the original source both for fanfic and fanart (more on this after the cut).

💫 The prompts

Sunday 8/13: Anniversary / Memory

Monday 8/14: Endor / Reunion

Tuesday 8/15: Rescue / Vision

Wednesday 8/16: Favourite scene / Quote

Thursday 8/17: Battle couple / Millennium Falcon

Friday 8/18: AU / Canon divergence

Saturday 8/19: Free day!

You can use only one of the daily prompts, combine both, reinterpret them, or skip the day if you can’t think of anything. If you’re not able to post on the same day for a prompt, you’re still encouraged to share it through the week—just don’t post works for a certain prompt before the day corresponding to that prompt.

💠 💠 💠

FAQs and Rules under the cut - please read!

💗 Can I post my work to another site and share the link on Tumblr?

Yes! This is a good option for people who might want to create explicit art that could be taken down on Tumblr, write a long fic or multichapter, or make videos or playlists.

💗 Does it have to be a new creation? Can I finish and post a WIP?

It has to be something that has never been posted anywhere else before, so finishing and sharing a WIP is okay! If it doesn’t fit any of the prompts, you can share it on Free Day.

💗 Is this event open to all ratings?

Yes! Just remember to use a “Read more” cut if you’re posting the whole work on Tumblr, and to add a note at the top if your work is rated Mature or Explicit, as well as if it has any major trigger warnings, so all folks can safely browse through the entries.

💗 Are there any length or quality requirements?

There’s no min. or max. length for fanfic or quality level for art, but please note that AI-generated works won't be accepted. For gifsets, there’s a minimum of two gifs (that must be made by you!). For playlists, there’s a minimum of five songs. For rec lists of fic or fanart, there’s also a minimum of five recs. Some more questions you might have about rec lists:

- How do I share someone else's art without posting a picture? You might post a thumbnail that crops a preview of the piece; if the piece has a title, you might use that; you might describe it; or you might say something like “this piece by [artist]”, and link to the source.

- What if I found a fanart on Google? Try to find the original source using reverse search image.

- What if I can’t still find it, can I just say “credit to the artist”? In that case, please just don’t share the piece.

- What if I know the artist but don’t have a link to the original source? Naming the artist and linking back to where you found it is okay, in that case.

💗 Is the event based on "The Princess and the Scoundrel"?

Not really! That's just an excuse to celebrate Han/Leia 😊 You don’t need to include or acknowledge it in any way in your creations, although you’re welcome to.

💗 Can I write for canon/Legends and include other pairings?

All canons, time periods, headcanons and AUs are welcome, and you're allowed to include side pairings, except for R*eylo. However, keep in mind that this is a Han/Leia appreciation week - at the risk of sounding repetitive, works should focus on appreciating Han and Leia's relationship!

💗 What's the time zone for the event?

Please don't worry too much about time zones: when we say "day", we always mean "whenever that day is for you in your part of the world". IE: if it's Monday for you, you can post your work for the Monday prompt.

💠 💠 💠

Do you have any other questions? Don’t hesitate to send us an ask or to message one of the mods: @lajulie24 @hanorganaas and @otterandterrier

We can’t wait to see what you all create!

[sciroccoorion35]

All My Ao3 Series

To my surprise and delight, I have been getting some comments and kudos on some really old fics lately. I don’t know if this was prompted by my clumsy foray into tumblr, or Locklyle week, or just new people finding the fandom. Whatever the reason, I know my back catalog is long and shall we say, eclectic? So I thought I should maybe do some explaining for the new folks (and for the old folks who have spent the past year watching my insanity with amused tolerance).  I’m going to start with my many series, in alphabetical order, of which there are three basic kinds: continuous stories, fics that live in the same universe, and collections based entirely on vibe (I just like organizing things, okay?). I hope this is helpful to someone 😀

After: A One Bed Wednesday Series

This is a true continuous story and I recommend you read it in order. However, since it follows the events of canon, as long as you’ve read the books, it will probably make sense in almost any order (except perhaps the last fic, which ties everything together).

Black Winter Melancholy 

This one is all vibes, though the first two fics are meant to be companion pieces. I actually wrote another from Holly’s pov but it’s been languishing in my WIPs folder longer than almost any other fic.

Curtain Call - Performing Arts AU

This is a continuous story, however I know many people have read Winter’s Tale without reading Curtain Call and said it was fine. Winter’s Tale is probably a little better written (I was very new to writing when I wrote Curtain Call) and includes every Christmas trope I was able to cram into it.

From the Mixed Up Files of Lucy Joan Carlyle

These are stories that fit into book canon and are narrated by Lucy, doing my best to copy her voice straight from the books. These are really fun to write 🙂

Flares and Flashes: Lockwood & Co. Drabbles and Ficlets

This is barely even vibes, this is just little ficlets that do not in any way go together and should probably not be read together. I don’t know why I have a series for these 😂

Lockwood & Co Consulting (Post Canon Collection) 

These live in the same universe of post canon. I had been inspired by works like The Dying Light to write a post canon fic where Lucy and Flo go to therapy and their relationships with their boys progress. However it was a lot of ideas and no coherent plot so it’s now a series and anything post canon gets thrown into the mix.

Lockwood & Co. TV Adaptations

People either love these or refuse to read them. Yes, they are scripts, but I’ve tried to make them as readable as possible, similar to reading a play. If you are here because you are a) a huge fan of the show, b) a huge fan of the show who is incredibly sad not to have season 2 by now, c) a huge fan of the show who found the book characters jarringly different on first read, or d) all of the above, these are for you. I would encourage everyone to at least give them a try. If you can get into it, I really think you may find you love it.

What Dreams May Come: A Collection

Vibe collection! Angsty dream fics. Includes some fics that are in other series too, I just can’t stop writing dreams and nightmares.

After writing these down I feel like I need to 1) add a cot3 series for the cot3 babes, and 2) maybe get rid of the drabble/ficlet series. Also, many of my best fics aren’t in series at all and I have no idea how people find their way to those. By the tags, I would hope?

[you-remind-me-of-the-babe]

Friends. Friends. I’ve done it. Achieved the thing I’ve been working at for a year and a half. I’ve finished writing the end to Depth of Reason.

It still needs to go through a beta read and final edits but it should be published soon. I’m adding 16k between the last chapter and a surprise epilogue. I still can’t believe I’ve reached the end. It’ll be 70k when all is said and done. So, to celebrate my last WIP posting for this fic, you’re getting two snippets (much more than six sentences 😆)

“You’re the one trying to one up me, Snow.”

I run my hands through his hair. “You have to call me Simon when you’re talking about loving me.”

He kisses my neck and leaves his face there when he says, “It isn’t easy being vulnerable.”

“I know,” I say softly. “But I’m still going to ask.”

He sighs before pulling back to look at me properly. “I love you, Simon.”

I kiss him sweetly.

“Love you, too, Pitch!” I say, before pinching his sides relentlessly.

He squeals and squirms up the bed. “Treachery! Betrayal!” I laugh so hard my sides ache.

He hooks a leg around me and flips us, pining me to the bed so fast I’m almost dizzy with the change of position. He’s sitting astride me now, and he’s got my arms locked firmly in his fingers, my fists pressed against the headboard. It’s kind of hot, the way he has me at his mercy. He smirks down at me.

“Say it,” he purrs.

I swallow and I don’t miss the fact that his eyes flick to my throat when I do.

“I love you, Baz,” I say in a husky voice that seems to have come from nowhere. “I love you so—”

He captures my mouth before I can finish.

And one more:

When we get to the courtroom, all eyes turn to us when we enter. I’m heartened to see Baz’s parents and aunt sitting in the seats behind the defence, along with a few other familiar faces. Gran is sitting next to Daphne, she smiles at us as we walk up the middle aisle. Nico is next to Fiona, his tongue running along his teeth. I wonder if it bothers him, being in this room that I imagine is full of bad memories for him.

Trixie is there, too. She places a fist over her heart and nods to Baz, a twinkle in her eye. Baz’s cousin, Dev is there too, next to their friend Niall. Even Mr Minos, Miss Possibelf and Coach Mac, which is impressive considering it's a Monday in November. Headmistress Bunce couldn’t make it, but she sent Penny a very lovely email to pass on to Baz, wishing him the best of luck. I hope he feels bolstered, having all of these people here supporting him. I hope he knows that he’s not alone in this.

Y’all. I made it. Thank you to @fatalfangirl who will be marathoning through a beta read and who has been there with me since day 1. What a champ. Thank you to @toonysart who chose to do art for this fic way back when it was a mere concept for COBB. Your art still brings me so much joy. Thank you to everyone who has followed this fic. You made writing and sharing a wonderful experience.

Tags and love ands happy Sunday 💛 @fatalfangirl @toonysart @whatevertheweather @cutestkilla @artsyunderstudy @thewholelemon @raenestee @moodandmist @facewithoutheart @martsonmars @onepintobean @bookish-bogwitch @rimeswithpurple @prettygoododds @orange-peony @forabeatofadrum @nausikaaa @aristocratic-otter @ivelovedhimthroughworse @ileadacharmedlife @whogaveyoupermission @iamamythologicalcreature @run-for-chamo-miles @nightimedreamersworld @youarenevertooold @valeffelees @hushed-chorus

[kxngkasper]

INTRO POST

————————————

Follower count last I checked: 153 HOLY MOLY

YIPPIIIIEEIEIIEIE

Some random ghost tells you about themselves (it’s me guys i’m the haunting spirit)

GREETINGS TUMBLR !!!!! here you will find my bips and bobs of what I do and how i’m working this whole blog thing

Please note that i’m new to this whole blog thing and didn’t really get into tumblr until a bit into this year so i’m still trying to learn how to do things

About me:

I’m kasper, Mostly known as Kas, I go by He/It/She pronouns and am aroace. I’m an artist and animator with dreams of becoming a storyboard artist. My focus is mainly on my health and school so if I cease to exist for a couple weeks that is probably why but other than that i’m trying to be as active as I can since I love sharing my art with people. I’m Neurodivergent, tone indicators are appreciated but not always necessary. My interests are minecraft, Mumbo Jumbo, TØP, Sherlock and Co, Cult of the lamb, Sky cotl, Pokemon, Music as a whole, animation, and OCs :]

My time zone is EST! I’m a first generation Mexican-American and the youngest of 2 other siblings. Yes, Hablo Español pero no soy tan bueno para escribir lo (I am bilingual)

uhhh i’m a furry boo be afraid rahh what else do i put here uh im 5’8 (1.73 meters) my birthday is january 7th uhhh UHHH OH SPEAKING OF BIRTHDAYS AND AGE

I’m a MINOR please refrain from commenting or saying suggestive things to me or about my content it makes me uncomfortable

I’m in the age range of 15-17 take that as you will.

My content:

I stick to posting full pieces and sketchbook stuff on here usually gonna do with my special interests but if you wanna see just vibe w me and see WIPS, reblogs, yaps and such then you can check out my side blog

@princepasker

don’t know why that won’t tag

Where can you find me besides tumblr? Bam I made a linktree because you can find me in too many places https://linktr.ee/kxngkasper

PROGRAMS I USE: Procreate, Medibang paint, Iartbook, Toonsquid, Capcut, Alight Motion, occasionally flipaclip (limited vrs)

TOS (TERMS OF SERVICE):

Please do NOT repost my work, I kindly ask that you don’t use my fandom work in Edits nor reupload them on any other platform. I run my own pinterest, I do not want to see anyone stealing what’s mine for no point when it’s already uploaded.

Using my art as reference is perfectly fine as long as I receive credit. If you wish to trace my work for learning purposes it’s fine but please keep any studies private, thank you.

Ask box:

My asks are mostly always open! You can leave doodle requests in there but I won’t guarantee I go through with it. Questions are also always welcome, I love to see em don’t be discouraged if I don’t get to it right away!

Mutuals feel free to goof off in my ask box

Random stuff:

spam liking is ok !! idm

Alright cool uh that should be it? If I remember anything else i’ll come back and edit this post but for now i hope yall have a good day :]

[jalshristovski]

Maybe I should start posting my WIPs here too

I’ve decided I want to do a little “series” (is there a better word for it???) of drawing Macedonia, Poland, and Turkey in my regional folk costumes. It’s 02:30 and I’ve given up trying to continue drawing the embroidery, I will continue when I wake up. But for now this is what I have

It’s the nosija from selo Buf where my family fled from in the 1930s, and I love drawing it very much

She will be the first in this little mini-series, then I’ll probably do Poland next. My only debate is if I should just pick one strój ludowe to draw or do all of them, because my family comes from 6 different voivodes 🫠 and all different regions. I don’t really want to draw Feliks 6 time for this, I will likely just choose one. Though I do debate if I should do research on the clothing worn by Jews in Podlasie/Kujawsko-Pomorskie as well since that’s where my Ashkenazi culture comes from. Who knows, we’ll see what I can find

Anyway here’s a picture of the nosija

Last note before I end this post, I’m gonna try to post more art here since that was the point of me making this blog lol. Surprising to say some of my old art still floats around certain Yugotalia tags but I haven’t posted much complete work in ages before I posted that art of Emil. I’ll try to post more. Hopefully my engagement will go up, my engagement on Instagram has been pathetic

That’s all, have a great day 🫶

[nerdieforpedro]

Weekend Update 02/11/2024

Nerdie! It's the middle of the month, how are you?

Good. Nothing to complain about. Mainly relaxed and then worked Thursday and Friday. My orientee made me laugh.

Oh? How so?

She said that now that she's had some different preceptors she enjoys my balances of being a bit hands off since I know she's experienced, but still checking in during the shift to see how things are going. (Puffs out chest and also wonders if that's a good or bad thing.)

I mean, if she said it's fine, it should be fine right? Now did you do anything writing this week?

I did a bit. Not as much as I normally do. I'm gearing up for projects I have either agreed to or planned for myself.

My two fics are quite different. One was silly and sweet and the other was filth. Nerdie in a nutshell really:

Is it for the wallet of the shoebox? (Tim Rockford x plus size female reader) Tim being silly in a bookstore leads to a serious conversation and a partial photoshoot at home. Comedy and domestic fluff with slight spice.

One Pass for the both of Us (Lucian Flores x female reader x Benny Miller) You and your boyfriend Lucian have the same hall pass. All smut with sweatpants and gold chains.

Working on two things I promised people. One requested fluff and the other action and smut.

I decided to start a new series (because clearly I don't have enough - Dieter, Frankie and Tim give Nerdie a death glare) 👀 because this Pedro character was in my WIPs way before the three of you! Might even help me brainstorm…

Two Hearts by the Ocean will feature Javier Gutierrez x Abigail (plus size OFC). The vibe is sweet summer romance. Mainly fluff every Wednesday, not sure how many parts, at least five. Let me know if you'd like to be tagged for it. I have a few people in mind but if you'd like to be added, let me know. 😆

Roc & Doc and Weddings 101 with Dieter are still ongoing, no worries. Tim and Dieter have calmed. Frankie is a bit pissed still but you have the longest masterlist Fish! You don’t care…well. Okay. 🫡

I might be trying to figure out how to write Ezra. I love reading fics with the man, but his speech patterns have so many nuances to it. I've been studying @morallyinept aka Jett's Pedro Pascal Character Database that she's been compiling and her entry on Ezra from Prospect has been invaluable. It's an excellent reference for Pedro character fic writers or if you just wanna know more. She also has one specifically on Ezra’s speech patterns that I swear I’ve read at least four times.

It's me, I'm the problem. 😭 I’m either overthinking or not focusing on the right parts. Ugh…

Fics I read this week: ( I took time off work and had plenty of time to read - still didn't get to everything. 🥸)

Movie Night by @munsonownsmyass (Zach Ellison x reader)

No game at all (but I can do this) by @for-a-longlongtime (Marcus Pike x Tim Rockford - Frankie Morales floating in thots)

Wouldn't It Be Nice - Chapter one by @lady-pug (Agent Whiskey x female reader)

02 x birds - Frankie Morales x reader by @trulybetty

Mon Amour by @saturn-rings-writes (Jake Lockley x black female reader)

The Stars by @youvebeenlivingfictional (Poe Dameron x reader)

Mutual by @morallyinept (Ezra x female reader)

Dinner Party by @lavendertales (Steven Grant x fem reader)

The Mercenary and the Whore by @absurdthirst and @storiesofthefandomlovers

Comedy of Errors (MK Spring Bingo #3) by @soft-girl-musings (Steven Grant x GN reader)

03 x snowfall - Marcus Pike x reader by @trulybetty

Ambrosial by @spacecowboyhotch (Din Djarin x fem. black reader)

Half of you - part 1 and part 2 by @foxilayde (Santiago Garcia x female reader)

God Speed by @magpiepills (Tim Rockford x female reader)

Not for nothing @magpiepills (Ezra x female reader)

Perfect Fit by @lowlights (Frankie Morales x plus size reader)

To the Flame - chapter 5 by @pedroshotwifey (Dark Javier Peña x female reader)

Come back to me by @reallyrallyauthor (Poe Dameron x female reader)

If you’re not looking at @immarocketman ‘s art, then I feel sad for you. It’s beautiful 🤗 They put out a sketch of Din/Cobb this week that’s apparently going to have a fanfic written about it by @theywhowriteandknowthings

There was also an excellent head cannon about Sarah’s younger years by @clickergossip that resonated with me on Black girlhood. ☺️

That's about it until next week! 🥰

Stay hydrated and safe!

Love Nerdie 💜

[wishtale-blogs]

📣Wish Announcements📣

Ello!! So, since I don’t have an introduction/master post, I will have an announcement post instead!! It’ll work just like an introduction post but with more! It’ll be separated into three sections: events, Q&A, and tags!

Events:

Events works pretty simply, if I’m doing an event or challenge of some sort it’ll be put here so y’all can see what’s happening!

I’m currently hosting a DTIYS!!

Q&A:

Q&A also works pretty simply, if I notice a question is being asked a lot, no shame at all for asking, it’s just being put here so others will know before they ask and I don’t have to repeat myself 10 times lol. (not including in ask games lol)

(Also, while I don’t have any real questions rn as I’m writing this, I will answer some basic questions so y’all can get to know me!)

1). What do you do?

I make art a lot and hope to work on animations soon!

2). Do you take art requests?

Yes!! Unless I make an announcement otherwise, my art requests are always open!! If you have a request send an ask to my side blog @wishtale-art-requests Tho it might take a little bit to finish, especially if there is an event going on, it will be finished as soon as possible!!

3). Are you open to asks?

Yes!! Asks will be answered as soon as I’m available to answer them!!!

4). What characters have you made?

I’m the creator of Wishtale that I currently only have an old ref sheet of Wish! sans (which I haven’t Wishtale worked on in a long while), and Monarch! Sans in the utmv community! And I also have my persona that ironically is also named Wish until I figure out a better name lol!

5). What fandom/s are you a part of?

I’m a part of a lot of different fandoms, but the one I post the most about is utmv, although I do occasionally talk about fnaf, Jujitsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and vocaloids!

6). Do you have any other blogs I should be aware about?

Yes!! I have a second blog @wishtale-art!! This is where I post my final drawings, tho wips and other things I don’t want on my art blog will be posted on this blog! I also have a art request blog @wishtale-art-requests

7). What is your sexuality and gender?

I’m a aromatic lesbian who is also agender!!

8). What pronouns do you go by?

I go by any pronouns!! And star/stars/starself neopronouns! (neos are completely optional tho!)

9). When is your birthday?

My birthday is on December 14th!!:3

10). Is there any triggers I should be aware of?

Not really, but smoking and vaping make me uncomfortable (not in drawings, but like when people smoke/vape and encourage it is when I get uncomfortable) and really suggestive things (mostly just when talking to people, it makes me very anxious)

Tags:

Tags are where I’m going to put tags I use often and explain what they are used for!!

#📣wish announcements!📣- used for this post any updates on this post

#wish zoomies- for any post I reblog

#wish rambles- for posts I post that I talk about stuff!

#wish answers- for any asks I answer

#wish’s art- for any reblogs from @wishtale-art or any of my wips or drawings I post on this blog

#wish does polls!!- for any polls I do

#wish is real???- for any posts that have to do with me irl (I keep forgetting I have this tag lol)

#important stuff👆- for any reblog/post that has an important topic!

(I also have a secret vent blog)

Please know that everything on this post is bound to change and be updated with time but I’ll do my best to let y’all know whenever any major changes happen!

Also, I made this as a very late thank you for 326 followers!!! I’m extremely grateful for each and every one of y’all that’s following me!!!<333

[forever-fixating]

WIP Wednesday

I was tagged by @onthewaytosomewhere. This week I'm sharing a one-shot I've been working on. I was possessed by the demon that is Nicholas Galitzine who bombarded my poor fangirl heart with both Mary & George and The Idea of You trailer. I haven't been the same since, and I refuse to admit just how many times I've listened to that fucking song. (Spoiler alert: it's a lot.)

Anywho, I was inspired by that kiss in the trailer (Anne, Nick, I am just a simple bisexual person. You can't just DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT and expect me to have a normal response!!!) and the wonderful story Clean Slate by smc_27 on AO3 and of course, my fandom bestie @priincebutt The Story of Us to add my own popstar age-gap AU into the mix. I hope you enjoy this nonsense as much as I enjoy writing it. Should be ready soon. Toodles!

The band joined them twenty minutes later, and Alex announced, “I am starving. Are you ladies hungry?”

Henry stood as the girls giggled and nodded. They followed behind as the group headed outside to a large black SUV. The girls joined June and Nora in the middle section, and Alex grinned, “Guess you’re stuck in the back with me, Uncle Henry.”

Henry rolled his eyes as Cash opened the door for them. “Henry is fine, thanks.”

“Yes, he is.”

Henry’s heart skipped several beats as he climbed inside the SUV. Was this man hitting on him? He suddenly felt flushed and tugged off Pez’s jacket, trying to calm his racing heart and mind. He scooted against the other door for some distance, only for Alex to move to the center of the seat, their knees grazing each other. Henry, grasping for any semblance of control, called out, “Seat belts, girls!”

June and Nora turned to look at him, and June said, “They’re all buckled up. My mom drilled that into me and Alex’s brains growing up.”

“You two look cozy,” Nora said with a smirk.

Henry gave a nervous chuckle and said, “I’m just happy to be somewhere quieter. I don’t know how you all do it night after night.”

“I thrive on it,” Alex replied, leaning back into the plush leather seats. He looked at Henry through eyelashes that didn’t seem real outside of fiction. “Doesn’t matter if it’s ten people or ten thousand…being surrounded by a sea of people all there to see you. It’s out of this world.”

Henry relaxed into his seat as they pulled away from the stadium, Alex’s cologne filling his senses. It was spice, leather, and a hint of something floral—pure intoxication. The girls chattered in front, and Alex asked, turning his body toward Henry, “So what do you do when you’re not busy being the best uncle ever?”

Henry shrugged, looking down at his hands holding the leather jacket. “My life is quite dull. I volunteer at a youth shelter, help my best mate at his art gallery, and write.”

“Oh? Anything I’ve read?”

Henry hesitated. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed by his work. He had it on good authority that, past the smutty allure, his fans genuinely connected with the characters of his books. But the subject matter was decidedly graphic and not something he wanted to discuss around his twelve-year-old nieces. Finally looking at Alex again, he said dismissively, “Probably not. I write for myself and a small but passionate audience.”

Alex was undeterred. “Try me. I read constantly, especially when I’m on tour. If anything, it will give me something new.”

“Fine,” Henry replied, rolling his eyes. “My most popular series is probably Dark Olympus. As a queer teen, I was obsessed with Greek mythology and-”

“Wait,” Alex said suddenly, his eyes widening, “you’re George St. James?”

It was Henry’s turn to be surprised. “Wait, are you seriously saying you read that series?”

“Dude, I’ve read everything you’ve ever written, even the straight stuff! The Beast was part of my bisexual awakening!” Alex exclaimed. He leaned forward, smacking the back of the seat, and said, “Nora, June! This guy is George St. James.”

The two women spun around, June saying, “No way! Oh my God, I just finished rereading Blood on the Tide from your Crimson Sails series. I’m obsessed! Please tell me you’re working on another book soon because I need it like yesterday.”

“Seriously,” Nora seconded, her curls bouncing as she nodded. “We’ll give you whatever you want if you give us advanced copies.”

Henry must be in a coma, and this was some bizarre dream his drug-addled mind conjured before his siblings pulled the plug. How else could he be sitting in an SUV with one of the most popular bands in the country, who are apparently fans of his books? Penelope and Grace turned their heads as well, Grace giggling, “Are you talking about Uncle Henry’s smutty books? Our mum says we aren’t allowed to read them.”

“With good reason,” Henry said sternly, looking at his bemused nieces. He returned his attention to the trio and said, baffled, “I’ll get with my agent? God, this is so bizarre. I can’t believe you’ve read my books.”

“It’s all Alé’s fault,” Nora said, winking at the singer. “When he finds something he likes, his little ADHD brain latches onto it and falls down an obsession rabbit hole.”

“Shut up, Nora,” Alex said through clenched teeth. The calm and confident veneer from earlier was shattered, and Henry marveled at how alarmingly human Alex was then. But, to Henry’s immense frustration, that made him all the more charming and attractive. He needed to get a grip. This was nothing. It wasn’t ever going to be anything. This was just three very kind young popstars sharing a meal with two fans and their awkward-as-dog’s-bullocks uncle, and that was it.

Again: Nicholas Galitzine, this is all your fault.

Cover Art because I'm a nerd and enjoy having art for my stories on here:

[cutestkilla]

20 questions for fic writers!

Thank you for the tags @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @artsyunderstudy @aristocratic-otter @prettygoododds @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @hushed-chorus (and @orange-peony for the tag on the fic writer self rec post which I’m rolling in here because…I only have 4 fics). I have never answered one of these before because I’m always like, am I a fic writer? I don’t even have enough works of my own to do a top 5… But anyway, here goes.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

9! But only 4 are my own fics + 1 collab (Birthday Man). Of the rest, 2 are collabs where I did the art, 1 is a fansong (also a collab), and 1 is a podfic.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

233,419, but adjusting for the works that aren’t mine and the words of Birthday Man that I did not write, it’s more like 190K.  

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Only Carry On!

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

This Is Your Place

Slamming and Smashing

What’s Left

Hiding Out In The Open

(see, only 4… And so @orange-peony this is my answer to the self rec post. I rec them all!)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Oh yes! Commenting on other people’s fic was my door into participating in fandom. I spent months and months just lurking, and a whole new world opened up to me when I started commenting, and then the authors responded to me and suddenly I was interacting with people. I really love and appreciate the comment culture in our fandom, and I really like talking about my writing with people, so I always respond.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don’t have a fic with an angsty ending. YET. Realistically, will I ever? Probably not. Like @artsyunderstudy said, I love writing angst in every other possible part of a story EXCEPT the ending. I guess I could say This Is Your Place because the ending is open. The plot of 8th year has not been resolved at all (and god when I say it was hard for me to do that!), shit could still hit the fan, Baz doesn’t even know yet why his mother visited.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That would have to be What’s Left, I think. The story itself was pretty angst-laden (MCD is angsty, you don't say?). I wrote the fluffiest, bow-tying epilogue for the ending to the point where I even warned people that it may have no artistic merit relative to the rest of the story and they should feel free to skip it because it was 100% self indulgence on my part. But I have had a few folks tell me they were grateful for it as a palate cleanser after reading 120K of intense emotional stuff.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope. Not to my face anyway!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes… All of my fics are rated M or E for sexual content. What kind? I mean, 3 of my 4 fics have the tag “Rated M Like AWTWB Is Rated M” if that gives you a hint of my smut vibe. Emotional for sure, is what I am for. Even the smut in Slamming and Smashing, which is very much E, is pretty rooted in the emotion of the story. I do love reading every kind of smut, but the thing I really connect with in it is the emotion, so that’s what I write.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Nope.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Doubt it, except by a web scraper.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Only Birthday Man, which was written as a round robin and was a totally fun and freeing experience. Especially since I didn’t have to think about plot, just moving things forward a few inches. (Of course my part still ended up being longer than the average one-shot someone else would write…) I’ve collaborated with my writers on COBB and CORB projects in ways that influenced the story, which is SO FUN, but nothing I would ever elevate to the status of co-writing.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Snowbaz

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Well, I have about 17K of a canon divergence fic about Simon and Baz both being at a wedding the week before 8th year starts. (The wedding mentioned in canon as being the one where one of the Grimm cousins got into it with Premal’s friend Sam, and ended up being on trial for using banned words.) I really do want to finish it, but it was one of those projects I never had a deadline for, so it has languished. It’s fully outlined, though, so maybe one day…

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I’m good at characterization, making the characters’ actions internally consistent, bringing them from point A to point B in a believable way. Probably also plot, I do love a slow burn twisty turny plot reveal. And writing a solid Baz rant/meltdown!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

The one thing I get anxious about sometimes is my inability to write short. (Hi @aristocratic-otter, my sister in long-form storytelling!) I always think I can do it, but then I’m not satisfied with the emotional journey unless I add more beats. Telling a concise story is a skill I envy in others for sure.

Currently, this is happening with my wip Hiding Out In The Open, which I originally (delusionally) though would be a one-shot and is now probably going to be 60K by the time I’m done. In fact, This Is Your Place and Slamming and Smashing were supposed to be one shots too, but they all went multi-chap on me in the end.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I’ve never done this, except to help @artsyunderstudy with a French translation for some cute dialogue in Someone Wicked. I think it can work, but I tend toward always wanting to explain something like that on page, unless the point is for it to not be understood. But I've definitely read some really great takes on "lost in translation"!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

This is it! What’s Left was the first piece of creative writing I did of any kind since the year 2000 (which funnily enough was first-person Jean-Paul Sartre RPF for my philosophy seminar).

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Definitely What’s Left. Never would have expected to fall so in love with writing the Humdrum, but he owns my soul, still. I think what I did there is probably the most interesting idea I will ever have (in this fandom at least), and that’s probably why it was so much easier to write than anything else I’ve attempted since.

So, who to tag in… How about @bookish-bogwitch @facewithoutheart @shrekgogurt @ivelovedhimthroughworse @iamamythologicalcreature @whatevertheweather @fatalfangirl? And anyone else who wants to share, please say I tagged you if you haven’t been tagged already.

[non-plutonian-druid]

✨ Fic Writing Review 2023 ✨

thanks for the tag @littlerit!!!

Words and fics

I posted a tua oneshot Grace Through The Doorway In Time

and thats it!

ok rit i know you did say i should adjust it for art, i just thought it would be funny to do that first.

✨ Art Making Review 2023 ✨

Posted Art oh god

I kicked off the year by drawing Five and Lila in silly outfit submissions [1] [2] [3]

Delores as a mermaid in a crumbling ruin

Lemony Snicket au - Ben tied up in a closet

Redraw of a S3 promo poster

Five and Lila in that bathtub phone call x files scene

Tarot series - Death

Paranatural au - [1] [2] [3] [4]

Celebratory aroace Barbie

Comic fanart for alephnaught's fic Theory of Quantum Superposition

Five definitely just murdered someone with a chainsaw

Tarot Series bonus - Ten of Swords

Tarot Series - Judgement

Five and Lila run into each other for 0.2 seconds at the Commission water cooler

Baby Azula Mai and Ty Lee as centaurs

TUA centaur au - [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Girl being abducted by a kelpie WIP

The Ben dying drawing that tumblr ate for some reason

Lemony Snicket au - the comic

OTGW au - Fei and Sloane

trick or treat WIPS: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [12] [13]

Voltron Gravity Falls au comic

OTGW au - Diego and Ben hide from Five

Paranatural au round 2 - [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Top Art By Notes

(probably the closest parallel to kudos is likes, but trying to figure that out feels hard)

s3 promo poster redraw - 840 notes

Death tarot card - 319 notes

bathtub x files scene - 273 notes

the first paranatural au post - 242 notes

Theory of Quantum Superposition fanart comic - 239 notes

Fandom Events 2023

@tua-masked-author !!!

Upcoming 2024

i joined the murderbot diaries new years gift exchange! so ill be making a gift for that!

i have an installment of the lemony snicket au that i think i finished like two years ago and never posted. i should proooobably post it

also, i did just finish a different installment of the lemony snicket au that yall can look forward to!

im either done or almost done with another short paranatural au comic

i will try to finish the tarot series. or failing that. ill try to at least make additions to it

im working on a post with regular canon five (doing this made me realize its been a MINUTE since i posted art of regular canon five. ive abandoned my boy) playing with mr pennycrumb

i have Another finished thing but im waiting for something else to be posted first. i dont actually have to, i just want to outsource having to write context

Rules and tags below the cut!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass, just keep on scrolling.

i dont know how many people I'm supposed to tag but! @destinyandcoins @darbydoo22 @ford-ye-fiji @grammarpedant @blessphemy trying to mind palace all the people i know on discord, who write fic, what their ao3 username is to triple check they posted this year, and what their tumblr url is... (and also if any of you dont like these kinds of games, sorry, thats my bad!!)

lmao also i fucked up all the formatting for you guys, this is what these are supposed to look like

[anjuschiffer]

Do We Dare to Dream?

*looks at WIPs and notices this old work* *posts it so that it could actually see the light of day*

-

Tags: @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan @vixen-uchiha

-

MASTERLIST | AO3

Chapter 1:

“I’ve already taught her everything she needs to know about the Miraculi.” Jason snapped his attention from his books to Ra’s guest’s voice. When did they get here? “But combat…I could only think of you to train her…Brother.“ This was where Jason finally raised his head to look at the guests for the first time since he heard they had arrived. 

Or at least, one of them. 

The shorter of the two men had to be his mentor’s guest, if judging by the blue monk-like attire he had on under his red shawl.

Ever since Ra’s announced some important guests coming to visit a week ago, the entire place was made to make the place presentable and more…comfortable. 

More fauna was added around the place, more shrubbery and small nooks of rest scattered the place. Although Jason wasn’t fond of the new flowers added to the barracks, he found out he quite enjoyed the little spot he found near his room. 

A nice zen place with just a few shrubs and a boulder whose view was that of the ocean. 

As for the odd choice of decor, Jason found himself hating the choice of reds and gold accenting the League’s monochrome scheme.  Not to mention the motif of the zodiac constantly present at the banquet hall and every hall he walked.  

Aside from that, much didn’t change in Jason’s routine, though he didn’t fail to notice the way Ra’s began to act. 

He was stricter with the League members, gave Talia more work to do, nitpicked at every little thing - it was starting to get on Jason’s nerves. 

Maybe it was because Ra’s was constantly reminding him to be practically invisible once the guests came. Or rather, to never talk to their guests unless asked. 

That everything had to be perfect.

So when the guests appeared at the library while Jason was there during his free time, he knew better than to greet Ra’s or to even go near him and his guests. 

He had decided to retreat further into the library, deciding to go to the upper level and read a bit more of the Art of War. 

But he didn’t expect to hear that of all things. 

“If that was all you wanted from me, you could’ve easily-“

“I don’t have much time left.” The shorter man interjected. “You, of all people, should know that the Miraculi only extends your lifespan by a few hundreds of years, not grant immortality…” The shorter man looked at Ra’s with a somber look on his face. “Brother…I only have a few years to live and I can’t just leave my successor on her own.” 

“Fu. You know, you can easily-“ Fu shook his head. 

“I know better than to mess with your creations, even as ambitious and beneficial you claim them to be. After all, nothing good could ever come out of something born out of raw chaos. There’s a reason why the elders never chose you to-“

“There’s a reason they are now dead, Brother.” Ra’s seethed. “They never wanted to use the Miraculi to their full extent. To their true potential. I simply-“

“It’s bad to talk ill about the dead.” Fu interjected. “Especially in front of a child.” Ra’s huffed, knowing that his brother was referring to their earlier conversation in front of his successor. 

“Child? Your successor is about the same age as my latest student. And he’s already seen more death than life in his 15 years of living. 

In other words, they’re both old enough to comprehend the reality of life. Of changing to survive and if not, die in the process of protecting old and useless ideologies.” Ra’s argued, causing Fu to sigh. “Or tell me, am I wrong, brother of mine? Or is wanting me to teach your successor not your true motive for this announced visit?”

Despite the various centuries that have passed, it seemed like his brother never changed. 

“You are correct as always, Ra’s. Change is the only way we can survive these chaotic times.” Fu responded. 

“Glad to see we are on the same page.” Jason watched as Ra’s let out a huff. “I know you’re there, Jason. Come now. It’s rude to keep a guest waiting.”

Without another word, Jason jumped off the ledge, landing next to Ra’s with a soft thud. “Fu, this is the student I was talking about. Jason, met our guest, Wang Fu.”

While Jason wanted to ask whether or not they truly were siblings, he simply bowed, watching as Fu frowned upon seeing him. 

“He oozes of the Lazarus’ water.” Fu furrowed his brows and looked at Ra’s with narrowed eyes. “What have you done to the boy?”

“Saved him.” Ra’s simply answered, deciding to walk ahead. “Now, let’s go see how your protege is doing, shall we?”

—

Jason didn’t quite remember what exactly happened, as in, how the conversation went from talking about education to Jason having to spar with Fu’s student, but it happened. So here he was, starting to get out of breath as he looked at his opponent beneath him.

“Seems like I got my hopes up too high.” Jason found himself saying as he knocked down the girl in front of him for the umpteenth time as she attempted to get back up. “Is this really the best you’ve got?” 

After hearing Fu’s praises about his student being a quick learner and already mastering some Guardian martial arts, Ra’s found it appropriate to put said teachings to the test.

“That is enough!” Fu’s voice roared within the training hall’s walls, Jason smirking as he left the bruised girl on the floor, her lip busted from their sparring, dried blood caking her lip. The bruises on her cheekbone and jaw were finally starting to bloom. “How was this a friendly-“

“Friendly doesn’t necessarily mean soft, dear brother. Or did you forget the torture they used to put us through as children?” Ra’s reminded.

Jason didn’t know what Ra’s meant by that, reveling in the praise he gave him, a small pat on his back. 

“Is this-“ Fu took a deep breath, “-is this the type of training you’re going to place-“

“Of course.” Ra’s said, Jason standing by his side, a smile replacing his grin. “If you’re saying your protege is as intelligent as you say she is, then that means she should be able to catch up with the rest of my students. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Fu remained silent, rushing to his student’s side, inspecting her bruises. “Furthermore, she can’t continue to be coddled if you want her to grow as a Guardian. You should already know the consequences of-”

“You think I don’t know that already? Don’t you think that’s the very reason why I came here in the first place? To prevent her from suffering the same fate we did when we were younger?”

The two men stared at each other, the tension thick and starting to become suffocating.

“Master…Fu.” The girl managed to slur out.

“Save your energy Marinette,” Master Fu hushed, looking at Ra’s. “Where is your nearest medical bay?”

-

“I see you’re finally awake.” Marinette blinked a few times before realizing where she was.

Oh right. She wasn’t in their little shop in China. They were at her mentor’s supposed brother’s…establishment? Organization? Clan?

She could remember the tour of the place and then separating from Master Fu to have some lunch before having to fight Ra’s latest pupil…who she lost to…

“How long was I out?” She asked, fighting off the aching throbbing around her body, not failing to notice the remains of magic lingering behind. 

Was she injured so badly that Fu had to heal them using the Ladybug? 

“Only a couple of hours.” Fu managed to answer, Marinette humming in response. “Marinette.” She turned to look at him. “I’m leaving you here, to stay with my brother.” Master Fu calmly said.

“Wh-what?” Marinette quietly asked, processing the words that just came out of her master’s mouth. Maybe it was because she had recently woken up, or perhaps her body was starting to finally feel the consequences of the spar from earlier despite the magical assistance. “Like, just for today?”

“As in you will be staying here by yourself until-”

“Why?” Marinette cut off, wincing as a pang of pain shot up her arm as she used it to sit up.

“I know, it’s a bit to process, but here, here you will get the opportunity to grow. To widen your view of combat and defense from people who have years of experience in the field.”

“But why should I stay just for that? If anything, we can always come here together during the week. The walk here isn’t bad- it’s just a few hours from-”

“Marinette. Travel isn’t the problem. Nor is the place. It is time.”

“But Master Fu, if it's time, then we can simply use the Horse to get here-”

“Marinette. I can no longer be with you as you continue to-”

“No.”

“Marinette. I can’t be a hurdle in your-”

“No.”

“Marinette,” Fu softly said, Marinette feeling her eyes begin to sting. “I have to go. It’s for your own good and the good of-”

“Master Fu, please! Please don’t leave me here!” Marinette begged, grabbing hold of her teacher’s shawl, tears brimming her eyes.

“Marinette,” Jason heard Fu softly say, the guilt in his chest becoming heavier.

He shouldn’t have come, but…he had. 

Ever since Ra’s told him to go back to his room, Jason was left with nothing but the mixed emotions of his spar with Marinette.

While a part of him was soaring over being complimented by his mentor, guilt began to gnaw at him upon seeing how Fu worried over his student. 

How it reminded him of someone he once knew. How that person reacted the same way whenever he got hurt. Someone who he couldn’t quite remember how he looked nor how he sounded, but Jason just knew was a kind person. 

A person who he was taken away from…

With no other option left, but to check on the girl, Jason had made his way to try and apologize to the girl, but found himself walking into…whatever this was…

He knew better than to actually go inside the medical bay, so he stood by the entrance.

“Please Master Fu, you can’t leave me here! You can’t! There’s still things you have to teach me!”

“Marinette,” Jason heard him take a deep breath. “There’s nothing left for me to teach you.”

“No,” she quietly said, “no, there has to be- there has to be something left. Something, anything!”

“Marinette, you’ve already learned everything there is to the grimoire, about the Miraculi themselves, about the Guardian language, martial arts…I have nothing left-”

“No!” Marinette yelled, feeling her throat starting to close up. “No!”

“I’m sorry.” Fu said, attempting to get up from his seat beside her cot.

“Don’t say that Master Fu!” She pleaded, gripping onto him for dear life. “Please, dont-”

“Sisylarap.” Marinette felt as her body went numb, her hand slipping from Fu’s shawl as he stepped away from her, watching as he glanced at her with unclouded eyes, his already small back turning smaller and the lump in her throat growing larger. “Take care, qiān jīn (thousand gold, darling daughter).”

That was what finally set her loose.

“Yé yé (Grandfather)!” She screamed. “Yé yé! Don’t go! Yé yé!”

Jason bit down hard on his tongue to try and stop the tears threatening to fall, to prevent himself from letting out the scream whirling in his chest as he continued to hear Marinette scream after her teacher, after the person whom she saw as a grandfather, hell, maybe even a father.

“Jason.” Wang Fu spoke up, causing Jason to jump, Fu giving him a small smile upon seeing the unshed tears in his eyes. “Please, take care of Marinette.”

Jason couldn’t say a word in response as Fu placed a carefully wrapped red box in his hands, looking at Jason with tears trailing down his face. “Promise me you will look after her, okay?”

“How do you I would-”

“While I know you grew up in this place, there’s still something in your heart that still makes you more human than them.” Fu told him as he pointed a finger at Jason’s chest, more specifically his heart. “Make sure they never take that away from you.”

With that, Jason watched as the old man bowed and left, never to be seen again.

He looked down at the box, a box no bigger than the palm of his hand with a tag that read 

For my beloved pupil, congratulations on finishing your training.

I’ll always cherish the time we spent together, qiān jīn.

NEXT