#i feel like it would pack a bigger emotional punch

[pinkfey]

i feel like the major solas memory reveals specifically regarding titans and the blight should have been done with a little more oomph

[teacupcollector]

The Art of Misdirection - Part 3 (141 x Gen Z Reader)

Main Masterlist Modern Warfare II Masterlist A/N: Hello everyone I know it has been a while and I haven't updated is so many years, I think i am back, but I don't know where to go with this story anymore. I wanted to post because I had this in my drafts. I appreciate all the support. i am going to be doing a bit of a blog update because it has been the same for a while. Feel free to request anything COD related. it doesn't have to be from my promt list. I am trying to ease my way into writing again. Have a good day! Summary: Joining the 141 was a wild roller-coaster. Everyone had been apprehensive to you joining due to your age, but you are here to prove them wrong. Now as of this mission and maybe your last they are going to figure out what your nickname means.  

"What the fuck were you thinking!" Soap exclaimed as he stormed toward Ghost.

"Johnny we need to be quiet an..." "Fuck being quiet! What happened to us being a team!" He says as he gets face-to-face with him.

He can feels the slight warm breaths of Ghost through his balaclava. He can feel the intense stare as he looks up at him. He is sure Ghost could feel the anger rolling off of him. He hopes that Ghost feels the slightest bit intimidated but he knows that isn't the case.

"We are a te-" Soap makes sure to lean up as far as he can. Trying his best to puff out his chest and make himself bigger.

"No apparently we're not because we just left her behind! What happened to the Ghost that would stick his neck out for his squad member!" Soap exclaims as his anger seems to rise.

"He is still there Mactavish! I needed to get you both out of there. You were injured and I had no idea what Gaz's condition was! I had to assume she was dead in an effort to save the rest of you!" Ghost says as his voice begins to rise in turn.

"You hated her the moment she stepped foot on base... You didn't bother to confirm if she was alive! She is one of us!" Soap says shoving Ghost which causes Ghost to Step back a step.

"Was this some opportunity to get her off your back?! You were probably glad she was dead!" "You need to hush it John-" Ghost bellows only to be cut off by Soap once again.

"Just because she is younger than us doesn't mean she isn't capable! Was she just going to be another name in your already red ledger? Do you only see her as collateral damage?!"

Ghost stays silent. Not because Soap is right, but because he is unable to come up with an answer. Technically yes she was. He didn't want it to be that way, but she dug her grave and now she had to lie in it, and that is exactly what he said.

"She dug the grave for herself and she had to lie in it! It was sacrifice the few to save the lives of the many! You need to understand that I made a logical choice! You need to separate your emotions from situations like this or it will get you killed!" Ghost sees Soap change stance.

He knew that Soap was going to punch him in the face the moment he stepped outside the tent. He knew he deserved it, but just because he deserved it doesn't mean he was going to let it happen. Before any action could take place Gaz steps out of the tent.

"What the fuck are you both doing out here!" Both Ghost and Soap turn to Gaz.

"It doesn't fucking matter. Medical evac is seven klicks out. We need to get a move on before you alert anyone else of our position..." He grumbles as he walks back inside the tent.

Soap grunts before going around the fire and packing up things that are needed. Ghost walks toward the tent and begins to pack up everything that is inside. Gaz is walking out with the radio and some medical supplies.

Ghost looks over to you laying nearly lifelessly on the cot. If it weren't for the rise and fall of your chest he would have been convinced. He begins taking things off the foldable tables and folding them up before exiting the tent. He does this for the second table as well. When he comes in a third time he sees Soap sitting on the ground and running his fingers through your hair.

"We're going to move you alright Lass? We need to finish packing up and then we will get you out of here." He says softly.

Soaps hand goes from your hair to your cheek as the back of his hand caresses the side of your face. He then turns his hand so his thumb can wipe away the wet residue of your tears and blood. Soap then turns his head to Ghost and glares. He stands up and goes to pick you up when Ghost stops him.

"You aren't fit to pick her up Sargent. Go wait in the jeep." Ghost says.

Soap looked like he was about to argue but he knew Ghost was right. It would only injure his leg more and he would jostle her around to much in an effort to avoid causing further injury to it. Soap walked out and Ghost sighed.

"Gotta stay with us Corporal. I need you to be alive so I can rip you a new one for being so fucking stupid." He grunts as he bends down and collects you in his arms.

He walks out of the tent to the last standing vehicle and opens up the back seat. He lays you down in it and you groan at the change of body placement. Soap then hops in the back seat as well using his right thigh as a pillow to support your head. Ghost looks between the both of you as he sees Soap run his hands through your hair.

"You'll be alright m'eudail (My dear)... We will get you better." Soap looks up at Ghost and sighs.

Ghost takes that as a sign and gently shuts the door and sighs. Ghost swiftly goes over the layout of the camp to see if there is anything else needed to be packed, but Gaz seemed to have already packed everything and put out the fire. Ghost goes to the passenger side and gets in which is soon followed by Gaz in the drivers seat.

"Drive easy Gaz... Please." Ghost hears from behind him.

Gaz nods into the rear view before he stops driving. "Keep the lights off until we are a Klick out or so got that Gaz?"

Gaz nods but stays silent as he goes a snail pace. Once they are out a bit the head lights go up and he begins to drive a bit faster. Soap has been whispering soothing words to you this entire time. Every whimper you make when there is a particular harsh bump he is there to comfort you. Ghost can only listen as he keeps his eyes out on the horizon. He feels his heart pinch in his chest. He allowed you to get hurt. He left you behind. He needs to make sure you are okay, but he knows that Soap can handle it. He needs to get out of his head and focus on the task at hand and keep an eye out for potential threats as well as the helicopter that will be evacuating them. Ghost doesn't want to be harsh, but he is going to talk to Price about your behavior. You were down right suicidal today and he will not have that threaten his squad.

"Why do you call her Misdi?" Ghost asks in a low tone.

"It's uh... it's short for Misdirection. When she was in Iraq under American command she was the best at distracting the enemy from the main task at hand..." Gaz says in an equally low tone.

"However she had her own squad for that." Ghosts eyes widen.

"She is only a Corporal how is that possible?" Ghost says keeping his tone level.

"Well she was on the promotion board, but that was cut short for some reason and she was nominated to be on this task force." Gaz murmurs.

"Must've gotten in some trouble with the bullshit she pulled today. I wouldn't be surprised..." Ghost growls.

That is when there is a whimper from the back seat which was louder then the others. Your eyes are filled with tears as you adjust to what they assume is consciousness.

"I'm here lass, they bein' to loud huh?" "Bear..." you mumble. "Hurts..."

"I know lass... I'm here you can squeeze my hand as hard as you want." Soap says as he slips his hand in yours and you squeeze.

"Scared Bear..." you whimper.

"I know, but we are here and we are heading home." Soap says using his other hand to run through your hair and gasps slightly.

"What is it Soap?" Gaz asks.

"Her head started bleeding again. 'Ts bleedin' through the bandage..." Soaps voice cracks.

"She'll be fine, keep pressure on it." Ghost says as he taps on Gazs shoulder to get him to speed up. Gaz nods before speeding up.

"I got to put pressure on yer head alright?" Soap says as he presses down on your wound.

You let out a cry and he tries his best to comfort you. "I know, I know. You got this alright?" Soap says as he continues to murmur to you. ---

You weren't unconscious that entire time. You were up ever since he put you in the car. You hate that Ghost thought so little of you. You couldn't help but let out a small whimper. You just hope they assume it was out of pain. Then again it is pain. Pain of the heart because they have no idea what you went through. Only Laswell and Price know and you want to keep it that way. You wish you could have said a snarky comment, but your eyes fell closed. Only to open at the rendezvous point. You were lifted onto a stretcher and into the helicopter. You look up to see Soap, Gaz, and Ghost in the seats and strapped down and that is when you realize your head is strapped to the stretcher and unable to move.

Your chest begins to heave up and down as your eyes strain to look either side of you.

"Let me out... Let me out!" You cry out and the three snap their head down to you.

You begin to thrash and strain in an effort to get out. Your vision starts to blur with tears as you feel the other restraints binding you. You suddenly see a head pop into your vision.

"Get away from me!" You shout.

"Ma'am if you don't calm down we are going to have to sedate you." The person above you says, but this only causes you to panic further.

"Love we're here." You hear Gaz say and suddenly you feel a hand enter your own and you immediately dig your nails into him.

"It's just me love. It's big G. Remember when you gave me that nickname? It's really stupid innit?" Gaz says with a laugh.

You go to nod but the restraint on your head is limiting the movement. You feel the moment of hyperventilation beginning to take over once again, but Gaz squeezes your hand, grounding you. "Try and sleep, okay? We'll be out of here in no time." He says. You take in a deep breath before closing your eyes and letting the darkness encompass you.

[ladybender]

Jesus oh my god...

Futurama's second episode of this season "Quids Game" was a punch in the guts. In a good way! It goes right on par with episodes like "Cold Warriors" and "Game of Tones": an exploration of Fry's childhood, this time through the lens of mean aliens making him relieve his 8th birthday party games - this time to the death!

I have a lot to say about this episode so buckle up!

Let's start off with some minor complains I have for this one, which are pacing, stakes, and Leela's characterization (in a particular scene).

The episode really flew by so fast, almost at a break-necking pace, and the games felt too short and jam-packed because of that. The emotional weight of the end of each game hits hard because with every one a beloved character dies. There managed to find the time to get the reaction for the major ones (Kif, Leela's parents and grandmother), which is great, but the episode moves so quickly and there is little more time to absorbed it all.

Though, about this issue, I wanna say that I often feel like episodes are either going by too fast or too slow the first time I watch them and it usually doesn't feel the same from a second watch onward. so this is really a minor one that might not even be an problem for me later on, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

moving on to stakes, with this I mean that I originally thought, before the episode aired, that the end goal of the death dame was that the winner would get a prize. A birthday gift for example, and it would have incentivized everyone to go on and even play dirty (which, in retrospect, seems like a really smart thing to put in! compare everyone trying to get an advantage to Fry absolutely refusing to cheat, and pack an even bigger punch with that ending). I suppose playing to survive is motivation enough, but I think it undermines the "wants" of most other characters, and since this was a big coral episode (which is absolutely a strength! I can only imagine how hard it must have been to put together, wow!) I would have loved to see them striving to win, guess what their “birthday wish” would have been, maybe even learn a few of them along the way.

The third iffy thing I want to mention is Leela in the scene in the kitchen. There are seven characters left in the competition and only four baseballs to find to win the round. Leela is panicking trying to find one and she begs fry to cheat and find it for her since he already played when he was a kid and knows the house. Now this conflict was SO good and ALMOST perfect, but whyyyy oh why was Leela so ready to leave Fry behind??? doesn't make sense to me??? I know she was scared and upset bc she had just lost her family and that probably pushed her to act irrationally, but I just can't see her only wanting to keep herself alive and not Fry, especially when an easier and stronger solution is RIGHT THERE.

Have Leela go to Fry already with one of the baseball (that she might have found in some crawled and ridiculous place, to show how desperate she is to win and survive. if you have the wish giving stakes it's even better because you can imagine she'd use her gift to bring her parents back). in the meantime, the other characters find two other balls so there is only one left, and NOW Leela begs Fry to cheat to find the last one and win with her. It's even more emotional, Leela tells him she doesn't want to lose him too but Fry categorically doesn't want to cheat, and in the end tells Leela to win without him, sacrificing himself for her. Bender finds the last ball in the fridge and the episode continues just like we saw (with Bender tossing the ball to someone else right before being pulverized lol. like I said, Bender should be cheating like MAD in these games, really drive home the concept).

I wanna make it clear that these complains don't really turn me off from the whole episode, they are just my free flow of thoughts on stuff that i thought could have been stronger.

But now for the meat. This episode was phenomenal!!! so much good Fry's family characterization and SO much to unpack for Fry as a character. Cody Ziglar has such a spot on take on Fry, it was so validating seeing this episode and putting together all the little pieces of Fry's psyche I’ve picking out for years now, converging into one.

It seems superficial at first glance, but this really runs deeper than it looks. Fry has always been earnest but insecure, proven and proven again in countless episodes. You expect a person goofy and easygoing like Fry to go ham at his birthday and celebrate with all the people he loves, but we find out Fry doesn't like his birthday and feels bad about being put at the center of attention, and it all goes deeper and more upsetting from there.

Adding to all of this and speaking about Fry’s parents, especially his mom, I wanna add that it’s such a realistic conflict it was painful to watch – she wanted to give her son the chance to be a winner, she had no idea how the situation would turn against him. Sometimes a good day of parenting could be the kid’s most terrible experience of his life, and that’s brutal but the parent meant well even if they ruined things for their kid. It’s so sad Fry never got to see how much his mom and dad did for him, and she wanted him to feel like a winner, but this isn’t a story with an easy resolution. It’s bittersweet and it's insane and this last scene ruined me fr, like just look at this what the hell

This exploration of Fry goes hand in hand with everything we know of him. it seamlessly adds another layer of understanding that I’m honestly not even sure I can unpack in a single post, because there is so much to say and draw conclusions from, starting from the very first episode and ending with Meanwhile. From his relationship with his parents and his brother, to his love life and friendships, from his view of himself as a loser to the way he's always striving to better himself while always staying true to himself, trying to achieve his goals the hard way instead of finding an easy way out. Think the why of Fry, Parasite Lost, TKOS, the sting, godfella, my three suns, BBS, cold warriors, and on and on and on. It’s building together a picture of Fry’s character that’s so complex and worth exploring.

With this episode we have a new fundamental facet of him, and for this alone it’s an amazing episode.

I’ll mail my therapy bill to the writers, thank you

And thank you for reading, let me know your thoughts and opinion, I wanna know what y’all thought about this episode

[writingtraumaforever]

Uncontrolled Chaos: Chapter 31

Notes: SAW THE MOVIE! Left a full review (spoiler (optional) and spoiler free) on my page! Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Summary: Sonic and Shadow deal with their ‘distress’.

UC Masterpost!

Link to my AO3!

Start:

“Damnit!” Shadow hisses, having Sonic pressed against a wall for support with his arm around the blue hedgehog’s waist, “What the hell were you thinking???”

Sonic just smirks and grits his teeth through the pain, winking at Shadow as he speaks, “I was thinking I was fighting with my Shadow. Forgot you don’t really fight the same as him..”

Shadow groans a bit at this, rolling his eyes in frustration as he looks at the bots coming down the halls of Eggman’s base. He narrowly got himself and Sonic away from that bigger bot without the blue hedgehog receiving more injury than he already has. He needed to get that emerald and get out of there!

“Stay here,” Shadow demands with a pointed look at the hero, “I’ll clear the way.”

Sonic just huffs at this, leaning a bit more insistently against the wall as Shadow carefully lets go of him to step back, “Where would I go??”

Shadow doesn’t even acknowledge that with an answer, simply rolling his eyes with an irritated shake of his head as he looks towards the incoming bots.

It doesn’t take much for him to wipe them out. A few blasts of the chaos spear and some air kicks and spindashes, and it’s cleared. Shadow turns back to Sonic then who has steadily made his way towards Shadow by scooting along the wall.

“I told you to stay put,” Shadow gruffs out, eyes narrowed at Sonic as he returns to him to allow the hedgehog to use him as a crutch.

“Got bored,” Sonic shrugs, leaning into Shadow as they limp down the hall towards where the emerald is being kept.

Shadow’s eyes look down at Sonic’s leg. More specifically, his thigh. The blue fur there is matted up with deep, red blood. Black scabs already are trying to form due to the air hitting the wound, but Shadow knows good and well it’ll need medical attention before it can close up. Unless they can get this emerald.. then they can use it to heal him. Hopefully.

Making it to the sealed door, he lets Sonic prop against the wall again as he deals with the security lock, typing in whatever it is hackers type in just like in movies because that’s definitely how hacking works mhm.

Sonic watches him. How tense he is, how rushed. He’s breathing heavy..

He holds up his wrist watch to read “Amy’s” vitals, seeing Shadow’s heart rate has indeed spiked rapidly. Sonic looks back to him again.

His eyes aren’t glowing.. there’s no red sparks flickering in the air around him.

He seems pretty in control of his emotions despite them being a bit more panicked currently..

“..You shouldn’t have sent out that distress signal,” Sonic says after a moment, “Gonna have everyone worried—“

“Quiet,” Shadow snaps, “I’m trying to think.”

Sonic snorts and rolls his eyes, looking down at his wound and examining the damage.

That Chaos Spear packs quite a punch..

Glancing down the hall to see if Eggman has followed with his big bot yet, he sees the coast is still clear and looks back to Shadow.

Shifting on his leg a bit uncomfortably, he swallows the pain and speaks again, “You ‘bout done??”

“I said quiet,” Shadow grits out, growling a bit this time to which Sonic smirks slightly and just watches him continuing typing on the security pad.

“Why so tense, Shads—“

“Don’t call me that.”

“—if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were worried.”

Shadow’s eyes glance to Sonic at that, narrowed and angered. Then down to his wound. Then back to the pad.

He’s not just worried, he’s guilty. He feels responsible. Sonic just sighs a bit at that, still offering a casual smile as to not let Shadow see how much it hurts, “I shouldn’t have jumped in the way. It’s just that when my Shadow and I train together, he has this move with his chaos spear where—“

“Do you ever shut up???” Shadow hisses, not really caring to hear any of this right now. He just wants to get that emerald and get Sonic back to the workshop.

Sonic huffs at this, “I was just trying to say it wasn’t your fault—“

“Finally,” Shadow breathes to himself when the doors hiss and slide open. And just in time, too. They hear the loud, distant thumping of robotic footsteps from down the hall.

“Oh hedgehogs! Come out, come out wherever you are!” Eggman’s voice coos through the speakers, Sage’s following after.

“They have accessed the emerald vault, Father.”

“What?! Sunnyside! Get them!!”

Shadow’s wide eyes dart down the hall to see the robot turning the corner for them, already firing to which Shadow quickly shifts his body around Sonic’s to absorb any hits that may land. Arms and legs outstretched and pressed against the wall on either side of him as Sonic stares up at him with wide eyes.

“Go!” Shadow grits, beginning to feel his barriers fall as the blasts get more and more powerful.

That’s the thing with them. Their chaotic abilities allow them to take a good brunt of hits so long as they have ring energy to keep their chaos energy charged up inside. It’s why they can spindash through robots and take hits from lasers and get right back up. But when a blast of chaos energy hits them??? It’s gonna hurt.. which is why Sonic’s thigh is currently split open from Shadow’s chaos blast.

Shadow is all charged up and able to take some hits currently, Sonic is vulnerable.

After blinking out of his brief stupor, Sonic quickly uses the wall to shuffle around the doorway and into the emerald vault. Once Sonic is safe inside, Shadow turns to properly hold off Eggman’s latest creation.

And he has a lot of frustration to get out on that thing.

Sonic makes his way to the control panel of the glass enclosure the emerald is being kept in, typing on the keypad only to have his access denied.

“Damnit,” he whispers to himself.

He can’t spindash through the barrier, currently. He needs the passkey..

As if sensing his distress, Sage appears from the wall behind him.

“You cannot take that,” she says, Sonic flinching and turning to lean back on the control panel and look at Sage.

“Chaos, Sage, you can’t sneak up on a hog like that—“

“Father will be displeased if you escape with the emerald. It is essential to his future plans..”

“Yeah, well, it’s essential to my current plans,” Sonic replies with a smirk, turning back to the control panel, “And I’d sure appreciate it if you helped a pal out.”

“We are not pals,” Sage clarifies, “..But I have scanned your lover.”

Sonic’s eyes widen a bit and turn to Sage at that.

“…He is not yours, is he..?”

“Now what makes you say that??” he smirks, tilting his head slightly.

“He does not move the way yours does,” the AI explains, “Nor does he speak the same..”

It makes sense that she would take notice in this. She’s very observant.. but also, her and Shadow had some sort of… moment back on Starfall Islands. Some sort of talk about family.. losing them. Sacrifice. Being created by a Robotnik. It all seemed to have made Sage respect Shadow a bit more..

Sonic frowns a little at Sage’s words, looking back to control panel as the sound of Shadow’s battle cries and explosions remind him he’s kinda on the clock here, “Yeah, well.. no denying that, huh??”

“Your fighting tactics were thrown off by this. It was very noticeable and resulted in your injury,” she points out, Sonic rolling his eyes at this.

“Yes, Sage, I’m aware—“

“Is the emerald necessary to get back your Shadow??”

Sonic looks back to her at that, eyes watching the AI’s flickering blue ones..

“…yeah.”

Sage looks at Sonic a long moment before she eventually moves to the control panel, “There isn’t much time. Father has reinforcements on the way.” She places her palm flat on the panel and the emerald case immediately opens up, Sonic’s eyes widening and his smile growing.

He doesn’t waste time, moving around the panel and grabbing the emerald before turning back to her with a grateful nod, “Thanks, Sage..”

“Thank me when Shadow is back with his family,” she says simply, Sonic’s smile softening at that before he looks to Shadow and calls,

“Shadow! I got it!”

Shadow glances to Sonic mid-combat, nodding his head in recognition before landing a hard blow on the robot he’s currently battling to make it stumble back for a moment.

Using this opening, he skates to Sonic quickly, Sonic lifting the emerald above his head at this moment.

“Chaos—“

Shadow reaches Sonic.

“—Control!”

They’re zapped out of there with a flash of light..

Knuckles is just rushing out the door when a flash of light stops him in his tracks, shielding his eyes momentarily before lowing his fists to see Shadow standing there with Sonic held bridal style in his arms.

“Sonic!” Knuckles immediately calls, rushing to the two with worry in his eyes, “You okay, buddy??”

Sonic just offers a little smirk, “Yeah, I’m good. Just took a bit of a hit.”

Shadow looks down at his wound, frowning at the sight of it.. he’s lost enough blood as is. They need to get it dealt with.

“The distress call—“ Knuckles frowns, brows knitting up as he looks at Sonic’s gash, “it kinda—“

“Yeah, I know. Didn’t mean to worry you guys, but Shadow over here—“

“No,” Knuckles interrupts, earning Sonic’s attention again with the urgency in his tone, “It—… we had contact with Shadow— our Shadow.”

Sonic’s eyes widen, body tensing immediately as he begins shifting in Shadow’s arms to be put down. Shadow, in fact, does not put him down.

“What?! When?! Is-is he alright?!”

“Yeah, well— we assume he is! His signal was hardly even there, and he couldn’t communicate back, but he let us know he heard our end by temporarily switching his locator on.”

“How long ago was this??”

“Like. Two minutes ago,” Knuckles shrugs, and that’s all it takes. Sonic is squirming his way right out of Shadow’s arms much to Shadow’s annoyance and protesting.

“Would you hold still?! You’re injured—“

“I need to talk to him! What if he saw the distress call?! He’s probably worried sick!”

“You’re not gonna help matters by being hurt! He obviously can’t communicate right now, and I’m sure the fox is working on it,” Shadow argues, now having to simply resort to holding Sonic by his elbows insistently as Sonic tries to pull away, “We need to worry about what we can control, right now, and that’s getting you patched up.”

“I’m fine!” Sonic insists, jerking away from Shadow only to immediately stumble and fall—

Luckily Shadow catches him before he hits the ground, pulling him right back up into his arms to carry,

“You’re not!”

Sonic’s brows are knitted up tight, gritting his teeth at the throbbing pain in his thigh.. not to mention the exhaustion of using chaos control.. his eyes shift to Knuckles who is looking at him worriedly.

“…Come get me the second we have a signal again.”

“I will,” Knuckles assures with a nod.

“Good,” Sonic sighs, looking back to Shadow with a nod towards the house, “Okay. Let’s get this over with so I can get to that communicator..”

Shadow nods, relieved Sonic is actually gonna allow him this rather than fighting him on it.

He needs to fix what he broke.

“I’ll take this to Tails—“

Knuckles reaches for the emerald, but Shadow stops him.

“We need that.”

“For what??”

“Healing,” Shadow says firmly, jerking the emerald away from Sonic’s hand and Knuckles’ reach.

Knuckles frowns at this, “You can’t heal with the emerald.”

“Like hell I can’t,” Shadow snarks back, eyes narrowing at Knuckles.

“Only Sonic can, and his energy isn’t high enough right now—“

“I can,” Shadow insists, in case he didn’t make himself clear.

“You???” Knuckles scoffs, crossing his arms, “But your—… your chaos energy isn’t—“

“Isn’t what??” Shadow snarls, getting tired of his time being wasted while Sonic still sits in his arms bleeding.

Knuckles blinks at him, watching him a moment before speaking, “You’ve done this before??”

“Yes, why would I offer it if I wasn’t experienced in it?? Now if you would excuse me, I’m trying to save the one person here who actually matters!”

And with no real recollection to what he just word vomited out out of rage, Shadow spins around to quickly walk himself and Sonic inside, Knuckles watching with wide and confused eyes.

Sonic blinks up at Shadow once inside, “Uh- Mobius to Shadow—what was that about??”

“He was wasting our time,” Shadow huffs, moving Sonic into the kitchen to set him on the counter carefully, “For people you consider friends, they don’t seem to worried about your wellbeing—“

“Hey, don’t say that,” Sonic warns with a frown, watching as Shadow begins fumbling for a wash cloth under the sink, “They care, they just know I can handle it. You should know that, too—“

“You weren’t hit by a laser, Hedgehog, you were hit by pure chaos energy. It shouldn’t be taken lightly—“

“It’s happened before, and I’ve been fine!” Sonic huffs with a roll of his eyes, “This is ridiculous, I should be in the workshop with Tails right now—“

“Even if that fox gets in contact with your Shadow, do you really think he’d be happy knowing that instead of mending your wound, you’re allowing yourself to bleed freely while crouching over a half-baked communicator??”

Sonic huffs at this, looking away as Shadow wets the cloth and begins cleaning blood off the fur around the wound.

“…How can you heal with the emerald?” Sonic asks now, turning his head to Shadow, “My Shadow can’t do that.”

“Sounds like he’s a sorry excuse of an Ultimate Lifeform then,” Shadow grumbles, focused on cleaning the matted fur so he can properly see the wound.

“He’s not,” Sonic snaps defensively, “He’s the best of us. Of any of us… he just-…”

Shadow glances up to Sonic when he doesn’t finish his words, seeing the blue hedgehog now looking out the window in thought.

Shadow sighs through his nose and looks back to the wound, “…Would all this talk of your Shadow not being able to heal be because of whatever happened with the Black Arms..?”

Sonic tenses immediately.

That alone is enough answer for Shadow.

“…You said you defeated them.. the Black Arms,” Sonic says after a long pause, Shadow having cleaned up most of the fur around the wound and now working on cleaning the actual wound itself. Sonic hisses a bit in discomfort but his mind is too distracted to be further bothered by it than that.

“I did,” Shadow nods, eyes glancing up to Sonic before back to the wound.

“…’I’. As in alone..?”

“Sort of,” Shadow says with a small shrug, “There was help along the way, I suppose… but when it came down to it, it was myself and Doom.. and I put an end to it for good.”

“How?”

“…Well, I used chaos control to move the Black Comet in the Eclipse Canon’s line of fire. It was destroyed.. I never faced any of the Black Arms again until the Time Eater incident..”

Sonic’s brows knit a bit at that, looking down a moment before back to Shadow, “…Where was I during all this?? Your me, I mean..”

“Helping GUN,” he explained with a small shrug, “You and your friends had your own plans to help save the planet. In the end, it was futile since Black Doom used mind control to freeze you all in place.. I was immune due to having his blood in my DNA.”

“…That’s not what happened at all here..”

Shadow glances up to Sonic at that, seeing how the hedgehog’s ears are drooped and there’s a frown on his muzzle..

It’s an odd sight. To see the hero so.. confused and almost defeated in appearance..

“…I’m going to heal you now,” Shadow says quietly, hand resting over Sonic’s wound while the other moves to hold the chaos emerald, “This may feel odd..”

Sonic just nods and allows the process, eyes watching out the window at the ARK in the sky..

[zombolouge]

What’re some things that inspired you to write your Luckless books?

Initially, I had set out to write something to submit to an open call for novellas that Tor Books had been doing. The very, very early concept idea was "What if the opposite of The Last Unicorn?" where I was trying to imagine what kind of problems might be caused if you had too many unicorns. The Last Unicorn is one of my favorite movies/books of all time, so it was obviously a big influence on me and the tone of the story.

Gradually, it evolved into something a bit bigger than just that story seed. I think I wanted to tell a story about someone who goes through a lifetime of bad luck and to have it feel both like it was all for a reason AND to highlight that things could always be worse. Sort of a way to process tragedy and horror through an optimistic lens that doesn't outright dismiss how much it sucks to live through it all. That's how Bailey, my poor luckless son, came to be the protagonist. He's just out there doing his best but the world has other plans, and he does sometimes let that get him down but never lets it stop him, and I think that makes him heroic.

I'm sure anyone that knows me and my own life story would understand why I'd relate to writing about someone who is constantly assailed by bad luck but keeps on truckin' XD

I wanted to write something that was fun but heartfelt, that was fantasy but pointed out the absurdity of some of the common tropes, and that broke convention from the genre in other places. I wanted to build a world where the conflicts didn't have to rely on being overly gritty or bogged down with real world foils like racism and sexism and bigotry, but still pack emotional punch. I also wanted it to be diverse and character-focused, so that the personalities involved in the story drove it forward more than anything else.

lol and of course once I started worldbuilding, I built a nice sandbox to write not just Unlucky in, but a much longer saga. I like worldbuilding a LOT so there's a ton of lore for Skael that we haven't even scratched the surface on, and I look forward to getting more of the stories out there so I can share it. :) It's slow going, but I can always be encouraged to work a little faster if people show an interest ;)

You can buy a copy of Unlucky here, if you're interested in absurdity, sincerity, disaster gays, and murderous unicorns. <3

[cptn10]

I think at the end of it all I’m left very unsatisfied with Arcane season 2.

The first one packed such an emotional punch with conflict rooted in the very realistic class divide between Piltover and Zaun, with everyone in the cast playing very symbolic roles in the political and socio-economic landscape. On top of that, it was always able to bring its focus to the characters in very meaningful, intimate ways, from Jinx’s trauma and frayed sense of self to Mel’s struggle with understanding her own identity separate from her family’s. It seemed like every character got to shine in their own nuanced way, and was never confined to just act for the sake of the plot.

In season 2, with Noxus coming fully into the mix on top of the Arcane and Zaun, the plot really cannot spare a single second and it feels too big to fit in just nine episodes. In my opinion, it sacrificed the character moments to its own detriment. Ambessa was so predictable all throughout and lacked the contradictory features that made Silco such an interesting antagonist. Vi is almost a one-note character if not for her connection to Jinx and Caitlyn. Sevika was absolutely abandoned by the third arc along with Zaun. Caitlyn herself was rushed and apparently forgiven without a hitch by both Vi and Zaun for her actions as Commander.

I think that episode 7 was incredible in comparison to most of the others. It narrowed the scope down to Jayce and Ekko, with Heimerdinger and Powder complementing the narrative in poignant ways. It delivered two different yet equally haunting emotional journeys that set up the characters who would stop Viktor in the end.

By contrast, episode 8 needed to juggle multiple other characters and preparations. It did its best to pack so much build up in just under an hour: Mel’s self discovery; Viktor’s final form; Vander’s regress; the resolution between Vi, Jinx and Caitlyn; and Jayce’s rallying of the forces.

Finally, episode 9 has to deliver a resolution to every thread previously covered and, from my perspective, flounders and drags down the final arc with it. It held strong to its core themes of love, family, and war, but it dropped the class divide and social commentary for a really cool action montage with Young Miko’s vocals in the background, which was very bittersweet for me (I was so hype to hear Young Miko). Apparently, it was meant to be 1 hour and 30 minutes of runtime, but got cut for… maybe budget reasons? Maybe the runtime of a movie would have given the creators sufficient space to give us a more satisfying ending, but I personally think Arcane’s second season failed the moment it decided to drop the conflict between Zaun and Piltover with a contrived “let’s put our differences aside for the bigger threat” rally.

I thought it had something interesting and important to say about that. I didn’t expect it to bail out.

[theawkwardanglophile]

Hi Tara! I hope you're having a good weekend!

What's been your favorite moments of S6, and what are your hopes for S7?

Thank you so much for the ask, Becca! ☺️

Right now I'm still living in the hospital scene from 6x04. That scene left me so emotional and was so beautifully done.

I looooove the Chenford dance in 6x02 as well. I'm thrilled we got ILYs from them early in the season because I think that really laid the foundation for whatever is coming the rest of the season for them. And the ILYs were wonderful, however, I really hate that Tim's ILY got accidentally spoiled for us. It would've packed such a bigger punch had we not known it was coming. But I'm still so happy we got it.

I also loved the 17st place adorableness!

As for S7, my biggest hope is that we GET one. 🤞 Come on, renewal! After that, I hope they continue to do bigger story arcs like they're doing this season, giving plots and scenes a chance to breathe a little. I know it's their style to pack so much in, but sometimes it feels like whiplash keeping up with everything in an episode!

In addition:

Chenford proposal/moving in together. As much as I love Lucy's apartment, I think it's time for Tim and Lucy to find a new place together. Logistically, they can build a new set for them, and either Tamara can move in, too, or just visit on occasion.

KOJO-where are you, boy? Bring him back! The fact that we've seen ASHLEY interact with Kojo more recently than LUCY doesn't sit well with me.

Give Baby Girl Evers a name!

I REALLY want to see some more group scenes where they are hanging out together off duty, and if we get a full 22 eps, I feel there's more chance to do that. It doesn't have to be action all the time. Let this group have some fun! They've earned it.

More Genny! And it would be interesting to bring Lucy's parents back at some point, too.

I need a scene or two of Tim and Lucy in bed, either going to sleep or waking up, just cuddling together. PLEASE. And maybe a couple of passionate moments? Look, Wopez got to have their hot make-out sesh in the storage room. Can't Chenford have a moment in Tim's office?? I also want to see Tim come up behind Lucy at home and wrap his arms around her waist.

Lucy's career to have some kind of progression. I think we'll get some of that by the end of S6, but I want her to be able to explore some different avenues and find something that she truly loves and is good at, hopefully putting this whole UC trajectory behind her, which seems to be where they're headed.

Tim to call Lucy by a term of endearment/nickname. I'm still hoping for "baby".

[phoenix-downer]

I Really Could Stay Chapter 1

I Really Could Stay: ~1700 words. Sora and Kairi are starting to feel the strain of endless battles and missions on their relationship. Neither of them are sure they want to settle down and give up their life of adventuring for good, however. But a looming separation on Christmas makes them both think about what they want for the future.

Story Info: Sora/Kairi. Set Post-Canon. Alternating POVs. Established Relationship. Light Angst, Romance, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Healing, Christmas.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Sora was in one of his moods again.

Riku had known Sora his entire life, and his best friend had never been particularly good at masking his emotions. Not that he was really trying to at the moment. He was currently gripping the controls of the Gummi Ship with a scowl on his face so fierce that it would’ve been intimidating if it were directed Riku’s way.

Long gone were the days when Sora’s scowls made him look like an angry puppy. Riku was always going to be taller and bigger than his friend, but Sora had finally hit his adult height about a year ago and had the strength and fighting prowess to show for it.

Lucky bastard. He was just the right size to still move quickly while also packing quite the punch, as their sparring session earlier today had proven. Riku was stronger but not as fast, and he had a bruise on his arm from a well-aimed Keyblade blow to prove it.

“What’s wrong?” Riku asked, lounging on one of the nearby seats. He took a swig of his green tea and tried to keep reading his book. High school had to get finished somehow, and Riku was already two years past the normal graduation date. Twenty years old and still a student, how lame. At least he’d be graduating soon.

“I’m fine,” Sora ground out, though his tone made it clear he was anything but.

“It’s Kairi, isn’t it?” Riku didn’t even have to look up from his book to sense the change in Sora’s demeanor.

“It’s already been a week since I last saw her,” Sora said, his voice charged with emotion as the Gummi Ship lurched to the right, “and now I get sent on another last minute mission without any break? And right before Christmas too. What if I miss Christmas with her? How are we supposed to have a relationship like this?”

“You’ve managed this long,” Riku pointed out. A week or two weeks of separation was nothing compared to an entire year.

The Gummi Ship bounced up and down, and Riku’s tea splashed on him. He sensed more than saw the daggers Sora was glaring at him.

“Eyes on the skies,” he wryly remarked as he surveyed the damage to his clothes.

“Things are different now, Riku. We’re not kids anymore,” Sora said with just the note of petulance in his voice that made him sound like he still was one. Riku supposed his friend still had some maturing to do. They all did. It wasn’t like any of them had had normal growing up experiences. In some ways they were far beyond their peers; in others, far behind, and times like this made that very, very clear.

“Then stop moping and whining and ask Kairi to marry you already,” Riku said as he mopped up the spilled tea. His friends would have a lot more official recognition and the perks that came along with it if they would just tie the knot. They’d been dating for several years at this point. Why not just seal the deal already?

Sora groaned in frustration, running a hand through his spiky hair as he began the landing cycle. “But that would be even worse! Being separated from my wife all the time? I’d be a deadbeat husband.” He sighed and examined his hands, still tightly gripping the controls as he steered the ship. “We couldn’t bring kids into that mess either. I don’t want to be a deadbeat dad. I’m already a deadbeat boyfriend.”

Riku returned to his book. “Then you’ll have to make a choice. Do you keep traveling the worlds as the hero of the Keyblade, or do you settle down with Kairi?”

“I can’t make that choice yet!” Sora cried, his eyes flashing. Riku grabbed a spare scrap of paper to use as a substitute bookmark. This was going to take more than just a half-assed conversation to resolve. He waited patiently as Sora landed the Gummi Ship.

“If I don’t stop,” Sora continued once the ship’s engines had powered down, “it’s gonna drive Kairi and I apart! But there are still so many people out there who need my help. How can I turn my back on them?”

Riku sighed deeply. When they’d first started this adventure, things like marriage and family and long term commitments had seemed far away. Now those things loomed closer and closer. He didn’t have an answer for Sora because he didn’t have an answer for himself. And Kairi being a Keyblade wielder too made things more complicated. She was often sent out on missions as well, and even the times when Sora was on a break, there was no guarantee she would be too.

“The hero’s dilemma,” Riku told Sora at last. “We’ll never have normal lives, Sora. If you want a normal life, you’ll have to give up all of this,” he said, gesturing to their surroundings. “And no one can make that choice for you. Someday, you’ll either have to sacrifice your relationship with Kairi or your life as a Keyblade wielder. She’ll have to make that same choice if you want to make a relationship work long-term.”

Sora’s head jerked back at hearing the words “sacrifice” and “Kairi” in such close proximity to each other. But he was silent. The only noise was the faint Christmas music playing from the Gummi Ship’s speakers. It took a moment for Riku to notice the teardrops splotching onto Kairi’s lucky charm gripped in Sora’s palm.

Riku hated seeing his best friend cry. It made him uncomfortable because he couldn’t easily fix the problem.

“Listen, I’ll call Master Yen Sid tonight and ask if we can go back early if we finish the mission quickly,” Riku said. It was the best he could do under the circumstances. Maybe they could still make it home in time for Christmas.

“That sounds good,” Sora said, wiping his eyes. “I just wanted to be with her on Christmas. But I feel like Master Yen sends us out on missions on purpose when I’m more agitated and aggressive. Like he thinks I’ll fight better.”

That was entirely possible. Master Yen Sid was a good man overall, but he was also very calculating and would 100% figure out when each of them was in peak fighting condition.

“Well, do you?” Riku asked.

“When it’s between about four days and ten days of being separated from her, yeah, I do fight pretty well. After that I’m so irritable I’m worthless.” His eyes dropped to his hands. “And before that I’m too lovesick to be at my best,” he mumbled.

“With calculations like those, maybe you missed your calling as Ienzo’s research assistant,” Riku wryly replied as he opened his book again. It was surprisingly interesting and far less revolting than discussing Sora’s love life, and he really did want to know how it ended.

“What else am I supposed to do when I’m bored and frustrated?” Sora whined, flopping dramatically on the seat. “If I know when I’m in peak fighting condition, I’ll also know when I’m not. And that means I know what steps I need to take to avoid getting hurt—”

Riku scoffed. “You, be careful? You and Kairi both love to rush into danger, and then I have to fish you out of it. Imagine if you did get married and Master Yen Sid sent you on more missions together. My job would get a lot more stressful.”

“Hey, I’m trying my best here.” Sora scowled and his eyebrows did their best to express his sass, but then he sighed and rested his head against the back of the seat. “Do you think that’s why we don’t get to go on more missions together?” he asked in a small voice.

“You can’t concentrate to save your life when she’s anywhere nearby. You fight really well together, but the moment she gets so much as a cut, you panic and lose your focus.”

“So it is my fault.” Sora’s head drooped and his eyes were pained.

“I wouldn’t look at it like that. Keyblades make things more equal, sure, but you’ll always have certain advantages over her during combat. Magic can level the playing field, and she is a better mage than you—”

Sora pouted, and Riku rolled his eyes.

“—just barely, don’t look so offended. You’re never going to compete with the light in her heart and you know it. And she and you are both better mages than I am. But even with that advantage in one area of combat, the natural differences in raw physical strength between the two of you are still there. And that goes for any guy she has to fight. It’s only natural you worry about her.”

“Xemnas nearly broke her arm,” Sora whispered, resting his face in his hand. The haunted look in his eyes told Riku the memory might as well be from yesterday instead of four years ago. “Like he was just snapping a twig. And even when it’s just me and her…I’m not a big guy, but it still surprises me how much stronger I am than her sometimes.”

“But you know how to properly use and restrain that strength,” Riku pointed out, “and that’s what matters.”

Sora was silent.

“And did you just admit you’re not that big?” Riku asked, changing tactics. “Someone has finally given up on ever hitting six feet tall.”

“Hey, I made it to five ten, that’s pretty dang good for a runt!”

One look at Riku’s face made them both burst out laughing.

“Okay, okay, five eight and a half,” Sora amended.

“Who knew you had it in you.”

“Doesn’t matter, you’ll always be taller than me.” Sora was so mournful and melodramatic about it that Riku burst out laughing again. Sora grinned, and it was a welcome sight. Riku promised himself he’d complete this mission as soon as possible so his friends could be reunited in time for Christmas.

Sora was right. Riku teased him, but all those separations from Kairi couldn’t be good for their relationship. Helping his friends be reunited in time for Christmas was the least he could do.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: This story is based on some ideas Alja and I brainstormed together earlier this year about how Sora and Kairi would handle being separated from each other frequently, and this is both a very belated birthday present for her and a Christmas present all in one. Happy belated birthday and Merry Christmas, @angel-with-a-pipette ❤️

There will be five chapters total, and I'll be updating daily until it's done.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

[nopeferatu]

Since the play implies that Ennis is still alive in 2013, do you think he ever went into town just to get something and end up seeing a pride march happening? I feel like he'd be trying to hide his jealously at seeing people being so open as disgust, and secretly be wishing him and Jack could have been open like that. And he would probably have seen a couple that reminded him of himself and Jack, just to twist the knife in further. (Also I think he would secretly pick something pride related up, like a tiny flag, something easy to hide and put it on Jack's shirt)

So I got this ask when I was on the plane ride back to the US and my interest was piqued, so I bought the 4hr British Airways internet package just to do some research; turns out that, from what I could find, the pride festivals in the bigger cities of Wyoming are all pretty recent? As in, I think the earliest one I could find started in Casper in 2015, which kind of goes to show you even further the kind of state that Ennis and Jack would have grown up in for the pride festivals in the BIG cities to have started so recently.

Even if he wouldn't have had the chance to see a pride march in 2013, the thought of Ennis existing in the modern day and age is really interesting to me. I think things have gotten to where even in a state as unpopulated as Wyoming queer people are becoming more and more visible, and so if he had to absolutely run to one of the bigger cities for some reason or another, the chances of him coming across a queer couple just living life like normal would be great and growing by the day.

Imagine Ennis wandering around, trying to find such and such shop for such and such thing that Junior needed for her family, when he sees a couple of young guys in their boots and wranglers. They're not doing anything unbecoming, just standing a little bit close, laughing and jostling each other, but not in any way that would set alarm bells off for him—until they lock their hands together and leave to wherever they're going. Maybe share a quick peck on the cheek before they go, dealing the final gut-punch of the day for him.

I'm honestly not sure how comfortable he'd be with the thought of same-gender attracted people like him and Jack being so open, but I do often think about how Ennis would react to seeing an openly gay couple for the first time in his life, maybe in his mid-to-late 40s. I think he wouldn't know what to do with himself. I feel like he'd stare, and he wouldn't be able to catch his staring in time, so he'd try poorly to play it off and keep on walking to wherever he had to be. I think he'd get angry about it, too. At them for flaunting their thing around like it's fine and dandy to do so, at himself for denying Jack for so long, and at the world for changing too late for them to have ever had a chance. Ennis is a very complicated man and so unfortunately I think his disgust at the sight would be real (there's a fic where he and Jack come across hippie boys who he talks shit about bc he doesn't like that they don't have the decency to keep themselves hidden, which is a very Ennis-thing to think, imo) but what is also so very real is his jealousy. He just wishes he could have had that kind of a life with Jack.

Anyways anon, your ask reminds me of another all-time favorite fic of mine, Might Seem Like an Ordinary Night by theswearingkind on ao3. It's a lovely little fic about Ennis reacting to New York legalizing gay marriage in 2013. Give it a read—it's very short but packs such an emotional punch.

[forthesanityofstorytellers]

OC Deep Dive Tag!

Question and answer time! Tagged by @mysticstarlightduck here!

Quickly tagging: @anulithots @pheita @avoidingcertaindoom @tryingtimi @gummybugg

Wow, that OC wheel really likes Lily.

So here we go again!

What uncommon/common fear do they have?

Honestly one of her greatest fears is that of being abandoned. Which, given her history, isn't unreasonable. She also has some separation anxiety and fear of failure in...very specific circumstances.

Do they have any pet peeves?

Toenail clippings

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

A switchblade, a boombox, a pack of burner phones

What do they notice first in a person?

The way they walk and stand

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

8

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Yes. Depends on the circumstance, situation, and pressure

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

Sorta. Her mom adopted her and it was just them two for a while. Then her and her mom got adopted into a bigger family and now she's got a very big family and she loves them all

What animal represents them best?

I don't know about best, but what comes to mind is an otter. Cute. Fluffy. Family-oriented. Will absolutely join in on an attack and harass something five times her size if it threatens 'her' kids. And will be vicious about it, too

What is a smell that they dislike?

Burning plastic

Have they broken any bones?

Yup. Lots of bones, lots of times.

...

Oh wait, did you mean her bones!? I mean. Then sure, once or twice

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Teenager, bouncy, sunshiny, air-headed probably. ADHD maybe

Are they a night owl or a morning bird?

Night owl. But she'll get up whenever she needs to

What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

Flavor she hates: Black Cherry

Flavor she loves: Cantaloupe

Do they have any hobbies?

Lockpicking

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

Depends on the surprise. It'll always start with a scream and a ducking behind someone or something while she assesses the situation. A birthday party would make her laugh as she poked her head out and be very "oh you got me good job"

Do they like to wear jewelry?

Not really. Gets in the way of things and can help identify you if it leaves an imprint in someone's face after you punched their lights out

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

Messy. Very messy

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Joy and loneliness

Do they have a favorite fabric?

Soft cotton

What kind of accent do they have?

She might have the slightest hint of a western/southern twang, but at this point it's only when she's really really tired or really really drunk

Thanks for reading!

(Blank copy is below the cut for ease of C&P)

What uncommon/common fear do they have?

Do they have any pet peeves?

What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

What do they notice first in a person?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?

Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

Do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

What animal represents them best?

What is a smell that they dislike?

Have they broken any bones?

How would a stranger likely describe them?

Are they a night owl or a morning bird?

What is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

Do they have any hobbies?

Boom, surprise birthday party! How do they react to surprises?

Do they like to wear jewelry?

Do they have neat or messy handwriting?

What are the two emotions they feel the most?

Do they have a favorite fabric?

What kind of accent do they have?

[tti-anonymousstories]

Program: Moonridge Academy Record Form: Memory Approx date: 2021 (??) maybe??? Tw/Cw: Assault, Student restraint.

 This memory is a little more scattered than my others because I was concussed by the end of it, it's a little pieced together with what other people told me because I blacked out, but even then my memories jump around a lot. A bit of context, There was one girl- ‘J’ for this story- who did not like me. (Or so I thought after she left- she got taken by the cops for an incident with another student, yes that time was that bad- multiple people told me that she actually liked me and that's why she acted the way she did… apparently.) But she was around 16 at this time and level four. 

 There's me- ‘OP’ for this story. I believe I was at level three at the time of this, I was 12 and about 90lbs (important for later because she was much bigger than I was.) And lastly important to this story, there’s ‘L’ another almost comically small student and a friend of mine, also 12.

A few days before this story J had asked me if I had done a safety check. (I think that's what they were called- but basically, we had to show the staff we didn't have anything on us before we went inside.) I told her that I had and that even if I hadn't it was none of her business, But she insisted that I hadn't and that I should do it again and doubled down even after the staff I did it with confirmed it. 

  And I’m a petty mother fucker, so I held onto that. Right before the main event- she was already in a bad mood, while we were on the porch to put on our boots and L asked me to help her get her shoe off, so I did, but it kinda ended up with me basically pulling her off the bench, she laughed, I laughed- and the J came, clearly mad about who knows what and hits L’s leg hard enough to knock her foot out of my hand. “We’re doing horse chores- stop messing around.” Thankfully L was ok and we just went on to the barn, My chore was just to run around with the dog so all I had to do in the barn was grab the leash, and as I was leaving the barn J went in and I didn't hear her ask- bingo. “Did you ask to go in the barn J?” “Yes.”

 “I didn't hear you, maybe you should do it again.” At this point I've left the barn, leash in hand. “You really don't want to mess with me right now.” She warned “Hmm, but what if I do?” that was all I was going to say, maybe just to get in the last word. 

 As mentioned before I was not exactly nice then, to be frank, I was kind of an asshole, it was one of the few things that brought me joy- I had learned pretty good control over my emotions (aka not feeling them) and it was amusing to rile other people with less control up, but nonetheless, I thought I had won and started walking over to the dog pen. 

 But that would be far too simple, after a moment I heard footsteps, she was getting a running start before hitting me on the back of the head hard. Hard enough that I blacked out, not like passed out blacked out but I went still and held on to the door of the dog pen I never had any memory of what happened for the next ten minutes- not even that night I could remember what happened so it wasn't normal memory loss and I am almost certain that I had a concussion (Not that I was ever taken to a doctor or given anything more than an ice pack afterward.) But this was what I was told by the others.

 While I was out of it, only being held up by the door of the dog pen the staff did nothing, even as she raised her hand to hit me again (I was very much disliked by the staff for the aforementioned rudeness and my non-compliance to the program.)- thankfully despite all my assholery I did have people that liked me, people who liked my no-bullshit attitude, people who wanted to talk back but had things to lose, people who also disliked the people I taunted. Thankfully two of these people are A and V, both relatively strong people, A being about 5’9 and V being possibly one of the strongest people there (I would know, she also punched me once- she was an interesting person.) but they saw this and grabbed her and held her back so she didn't hit me again, shouting to the staff that had just stood there as she hit me.

 I came back to about ten minutes later and shrugged it off, I was dizzy sure and there was still a ringing in my ears, but it was kinda my fault- The thing about being an asshole is that you’re gonna get hit sometimes, really I was just surprised she had the balls to actually hit me. I ran the dog around for a bit while the staff ignored me and only a few other students asked if I was ok. (Again I was not a staff favorite.) Later that night while I held an icepack to my head (I was fine for a while but after the adrenaline ran off boy that fucking hurt.)  She asked for her Nintendo Switch (A level four privilege was that you got to have your personal switch during free time.) And they gave it to her- They gave her her switch even after she basically knocked me out not four hours earlier.

TLDR: I taunted a girl into knocking me out and the staff did nothing to stop her from hitting me again then gave her video games later that night. 

[just-a-carrot]

vague spoilers maybe, but i finally got around to playing the newest update and oughhh the moment genzou refused to respond I KNEW... i knew what was coming and it still packed quite the emotional punch!! the little flashbacks got me 😭 i love all the animated scenes soo much and orlam's movements?? orlam??

i think everything was twice as painful after playing save the last dance btw ^ but like /pos

also i didn't think i would like jerry that much but i totally do :') he is my silly rabbit lol

on the edge of my seat for what awaits the Almost Complete Group...! what am i supposed to do when this game ends 😭💕??

DLFKJALDSKFJALDSKFAD HHHHHHHHHHH I'M GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT???

lmao yes... i got a little overboard with orlam in general i think in his update HAHAHA h-he just needed. a lot??? i have this image of the scene in my head and though ofc i can never recreate it perfectly in a static-image VN i tried to get as close as i could with the skills that i have hahaha

i'm really glad it could have impact tho ahhhhhhh it's a scene that's very important and impactful to me (and made me cry multiple times)

LMAO TRUE coming off from StLD i feel like it packs an even bigger punch mayhaps, especially with some of the small dialogue hints i tried to put in StLD and the overarching dance-esque stuff going on in general

I'M GLAD YOU LIKED JERRY i'm really happy in general that so many people have ended up liking him, he is just so silly alkdfjads

thank you so much for your thoughts 💕 i'm really happy to hear what people think of all the new developments and it means so much. i'm really happy you enjoyed it! LMAO YOU'RE TELLING ME what am *i* gonna do goddddd LOLOL (who am i kidding i'm probably going to keep drawing self-indulgent art and making side games......)

[where-theres-smoak-2]

How do you ranked the Season 2 episodes?

Ok I did have to think about this a bit but going from least favourite to my favourite this is how I would rank them and why.

8) 2x08 No Funerals- Whilst this episode had some really great moments in it, I did find it seemed very much like a filler episode, it was just moving people around to where they needed to be ready for season 3. I miss the days when finales of seasons were action packed big episodes, where as this one, despite having two or three really great moments, was actually kind of boring. I mean 15 minutes into this nearly hour long episode and the fold was already gone and Aleks was dead, it kind of dragged from there to be real.

7) 2x07 Meet You In The Meadow- This is one where I don't really remember much that happened in it, I do think it was a much more action packed episode with Aleks' grisha attacking Alina and Co. It was an ok episode but I can't say it was really one that stood out to me.

6) 2x01 No Shelter But Me- This is where it gets a little harder, I did really like this episode I thought it was a solid start to the season but much like the finale it did have that feel of moving the characters to where they needed to be for the season, introducing the new characters etc. Still a really good episode but I just think there were other episodes that had a bit more excitement in them.

5) 2x05 Yuyeh Sesh (Despise Your Heart)- This was another episode that I thought was really good particularly the crows story line and that wanting makes you weak scene between darklina, I also like the convo between Alina and Baghra, but there were moments when this episode felt a little slow. But it was still a really good episode.

4) 2x02 Rusalye- I did enjoy this episode particularly the scenes with Nikolai and Alina and I also liked seeing the sea whip. The tether scene between darklina was also one of their best tether scenes in my opinion. Again the crows storyline was really good and had alot of tense moments and plenty of action.

3) 2x06 Ni Weh Sesh (I Have No Heart)- This one might have come higher in the list if it weren't for the M*lina part of the storyline, alot of the revelations like M*l being the amplifier and from the morozova bloodline I already knew and they just didn't have that much of an emotional impact on me to be honest. That being said Baghra's death and seeing Aleks grief really did gut punch me, also the story with Sankta Neyar was just incredible I loved her whole speech about what it was like to live as an immortal and how her husband wasn't her weakness that he was her universe, that really did get me emotional. I also really liked seeing all the visions of the crows and learning more about Jesper's backstory.

2) 2x03 Like Calls To Like- I have one complaint about this episode and that is that I wish some of the bigger moments like genya beiing scarred and Baghra's finger being cut off had been spread across two episodes so it didn't seem so sudden, it just seemed like too many big moments crammed into one episode. But otherwise I really loved this episode, I loved the scenes with baghra and aleks, I loved the scene between Inej and Kaz where he tells her about his brother and helps her clean her wounds while they talk about finding your opponents weakness, I loved Kaz and Inej's fight scenes and Jesper and Wylan breaking into Pekka's house. It was a very action packed episode.

1)2x04 Every Monstrous Thing- This episode was hands down my favourite. It was one of those rare episodes where I liked the Alina and co side as much as the crow side. I loved seeing Kaz get revenge on Rollins, this speech Kaz gives about how he buried Albie and demands his brother's name in return for the location of Albie just gave me chills, like I think it was Freddy's best performance of the whole 2 seasons, it was amazing. But I also really loved Aleks' attack on the spinning wheel, it was action packed and full of tension and I loved the two darklina scenes, the one where he's speaking to her through the tether having lured her away to safety and he says he'll be back for her, and also when they meet for real and fight in the hall. This whole episode just had me on the edge of my seat so it gets number one spot.

[authorautumnbanks]

How To Tame A Sorcerer (25)

Mahito smiles through the blood coating his lips, spits the offending liquid into Yuji's face. His face patches itself up, removing traces of the hit he took earlier. He realizes as he falls out of the window with shards of glass sticking to his shirt, that perhaps engaging with Sukuna's vessel wasn't the smartest decision, seeing as how Yuji could actually land a blow on him. But it was certainly entertaining to see the look on his face as Junpei's body gave out. Mahito laughs as he lands on his feet. What a glorious moment that was. He sways a bit, passing it off as nothing more than a teasing dance. His mind and body still revolting against the blast from that woman.

Whatever she hit him with, packs a bigger impact than Yuji's fist.

"Don't tell me you're still upset?" Mahito mocks, "he was weak. Humanity would have killed him, eventually."

"Life isn't something you play with," Yuji says, wiping the blood from his face.

"Blame that woman. It was her interference that killed him." Mahito jumps back, dodging the fury of punches thrown his way. "How cruel of her to kill your precious friend." His tongue darts out, wetting his bottom lip. The taste of metallic is foreign but goes down beautifully. That woman–Kagome, he believes her name is–he wants to consume her.

Whatever secrets she's hiding, he wants to eat them all and take that darkness for himself. Young he may be, but even he knows that such a soul does not come around that often.

"Shut up! Kagome-san tried to save Junpei." Yuji balls his fist, his chest heaves.

Good, Mahito thinks, he needs Yuji to fill with rage. Humans are so easily manipulated, always allowing their emotions to get the better of them, always believing that somehow, they are the exception, when in fact it's that logic that makes them all the same.

"Ah, perhaps it is because of how weak you are. My apologies." Mahito lashes out, his arm transforming into a makeshift blade. He shivers. There's nothing quite like the feel of flesh being cut open. Red stains the ground. It's a shame that it is cloudy out, the bloodstain would look so much more vibrant under the sun. But the gloominess works too–adds a grittiness to the fight. Mahito moves forward, crossing the distance between them while Yuji is temporarily stunned by the gash on his arm. "Let's see how weak you really are," Mahito says, touching Yuji's soul.

He blinks. Of course, touching Yuji's soul means touching Sukuna's. Dread boils in his gut as the curse king looks down upon him from his throne made of human remains. If the murderous intent wasn't so thick in the air, Mahito may have complimented Sukuna's choice of material. Personally, he'd used the bodies of his transfigured human souls.

"Such impudence," Sukuna says, his voice as harsh as the glass that cut into Mahito's skin. "This is your warning."

Mahito blinks again and barely moves out of the way. Oh, it's that suit sorcerer from the other day. "It's not nice to stalk people you know," he says, waving a finger in the air. "I could have you arrested."

"You're not a person," Yuji speaks up, ripping his jacket and making a makeshift bandage with it.

"Oh, Yuji-chan, you should go see a doctor. It would be such a shame if you died from blood loss." Mahito assesses the older sorcerer. The man shifts his weight to one side. Good, he thinks, the sorcerer is still injured. Humans truly are pathetic.

"This ends here," the sorcerer says, gripping his blunt sword.

"Two on one is hardly fair." Mahito reaches into his pocket and tosses out his spare transfigured humans. If he's lucky, he can see just how more powerful this one will be. His toys go after Yuji, allowing him to focus on the other sorcerer. "Are you always so serious?" he asks, extending his limps out with large spikes coming out from his arms. "Why don't you rest a while and join the family?" Mahito frowns. Ah, this one is such a bore. No reaction. "Shy? That's alright. Every family has a black sheep." His spiked arm misses the sorcerer, but the debris from the ground causes the sorcerer to falter.

"Yuji, move back!"

Huh? Mahito turns towards the voice. The woman–Kagome, he reminds himself–has her arrow notched. He could have sworn that she was too weak to move. Ugh, he did not bring enough toys with him for this.

The arrow flies past him, the sting from the residue burns his spikes. Yuji scrambles back, putting distance between him and the three cursed humans. The arrow hits one in the chest, its green mutated body convulses as pink surrounds the other two.

"Oh, would you look at that? Your friend is a murderer after all," he gloats, as the pink evaporates, leaving behind the disfigured bodies of his newly made toys. Though, her ability to revert his transfiguration is annoying. Even though the bodies can't seem to handle the reversion. If she could figure out how to keep them alive afterward….

He retracts his arms and dashes towards her, changing his legs to those of a horse. He increases his speed, dodges the flurry of arrows that comes his way. He can push past the reaction to flinch and he can swallow down the urge to run in the opposite direction. If he can grab a hold of her soul, if he could take that darkness for himself.

Kagome runs back, but he grabs her, manipulating his skin to become prickly. Tiny drops of blood fall from the intrusion. Shit, he thinks, as her body glows. He lets go, jumps back into the blow of Yuji's fist into the back of his skull. His vision blurs as he staggers forward. He gets caught in the whirlpool of fists and swipes being thrown his way.

This pain is like nothing he's ever felt. Blood pools in his eyes, swells in his mouth, and he never wants the fight to end. But at last, there are only so many blows that he can take. He latches on to the hum deep in his belly and forces it up through his esophagus. A pair of hands clasp together, emerging from his tongue and encasing him and the older sorcerer into his newly formed domain.

He takes the time to catch his breath, stares as the man loosens his tie and removes his glasses. This must be what joy feels like, he thinks, as there is nothing more satisfying than watching the light die out in his toy's eyes.

"I've made my peace," the sorcerer says, looking up.

An enormous grin full of teeth splits across Mahito's face. Once he takes care of this man, he'll use his body to distract Yuji. And then, all he needs to do is knock that woman out. She'll be much more agreeable unconscious. He moves forward, even though within his domain, his hands are constantly touching the man's soul. Nothing compares to personally making the contact.

"Nanami-san!" Yuji's voice shouts over the breaking of his domain. Streams of light shine through, landing on the space between him and the sorcerer.

Shit. He freezes as he gets pulled into Sukuna's soul. He offers an apology. It wasn't his intention to mess with Yuji's or Sukuna's soul again. He took appropriate steps to only trap the other sorcerer in his domain. But Sukuna glares down at him from that haughty position and snaps his fingers.

He's changed his mind. This pain is worse than any beating he's received. He grips his shoulder, trying to stop the splutters, but the slash is too deep, and his blood spurts out of him like an active volcano. The domain completely collapses and he runs–staggers away. An arrow hits the ground in front of him and he's cornered.

Fuck. Shit. This is bad. He can't die here, not without seeing their goal reached. There isn't anywhere to run. Fuck. The arrowhead glints under the strips of light that break through the clouds. He's going to die. She lets the arrow fly and he can't do anything to stop it. He closes his eyes, waiting for the strike that doesn't come. His body twists and becomes weightless as he gets pulled away. Mahito makes out the shouts, but he can't make out the words. He's surrounded by white–which is strange because surely a curse like him should be in hell.

When he comes to, he's on a grassy hill. There is no school, no pesky humans in sight. There's nothing but…

"Took you long enough to come to."

He turns to the voice. The dark-haired stranger reminds him of Geto-kun. The comparison puts him on edge. "And you are?"

"My name is not of importance. I've never met a curse with such intelligence before." He cradles the mirror to his chest, giving Mahito a small smile. His white yukata blows gently in the breeze.

The serene image sets Mahito's skin on fire.

"You sensed something, about that woman. What was it?"

"Who are you?" Mahito staggers to his feet, levels the man with a blank face. He isn't sure how they ended up on this hill, but if the man thinks that he owes him anything, then he is mistaken.

"I can either be your friend or your foe. It is your choice. Though I think you would very much like my partnership." The mirror glows and blasts Mahito.

He waits for the pain, but the energy seeps into his skin, down into his veins, and fuels his cursed energy. His muscles twitch, his clothes are too tight, and he's hungry for more of whatever that was. It reminds him of that darkness he felt.

"Addicting, yeah? What did you sense from that woman?"

"Souls."

The man's red eyes brighten at the revelation. "I'll give you more power if you do a small favor for me. That woman, I want you to taint the souls inside of her."

"Taint the souls?" Mahito welcomes the blast with open arms, basking in the energy that amplifies his own. The rush is like nothing he's ever tasted. "And what happens after I do this?"

"Depends on if the souls you sense are the ones I need." The mirror lights up as the man's black claws stroke it.

"And if I say no?"

"You'll come calling soon enough when the withdrawals start." The man vanishes.

Mahito clucks his tongue. Claws, that man had claws. He didn't act or feel like a curse, but looks could be deceiving. Though the man reminds Mahito of the woman from the alley. A friend of hers? No, he would have attacked if that was the case. He scratches his arm. The smart thing to do would be to tell Geto-kun about the strange man and that woman. Now that he thinks about it, she sounds like the woman that Jogo had described from his encounter with Gojo Satoru.

He should mention it. She could be possible collateral against the strongest.

Mahito dusts his hands on his pants and walks down the hill. He licks his bottom lip as he thinks about the pull of the darkness within that woman and the addicting hit of energy from that dark-haired man. There's no need to alarm Geto-kun and the others.

He'll do everyone a favor and take the power for himself.

[gigglyramblings]

While You Were Sleeping (2017) Overall Thoughts

Spoilers ahead.

I'm convinced that I would have enjoyed this drama a lot more if I was watching it while it was airing as it just feels a little dated now. It's a good drama but not a great one it's biggest flaw is that it doesn't maximize on any of its strengths thus doesn't pack as much of an emotional punch as it could have. For example, it employs some great tropes such as the protagonists being neighbors and kind of becoming a found family of sorts as they share breakfast and stuff but I think it misses the crucial part of why found families are so appealing because it fills some sort of Gap that the protagonists were missing in their life. However, this drama fails to capitalize and emphasize on the emotional bit and it just feels like they are having breakfast together because two out of the three protagonists suck at cooking.

This weakness is further exemplified as the three protagonists all share the ability of having dreams that correctly predict the future, the drama cuts the chase and the protagonists find out fairly early on and help each other out using their dreams. However, again you have a news reporter, a prosecutor and a cop and your entire drama kind of revolves around cases yet, we only see them working on three cases across the entire drama together? That number just feels way too low I'm not saying they should have rushed the cases but it just feels like they wasted a lot of opportunity for them to use their professions to the fullest capacity and make it sort of like a crime solving trio.

My biggest gripe with the drama though has to be the fact that they made the protagonists dream prophecy powers to function like a free get out of jail card when they hinted at the fact that changing things may actually make things worse we never actually got to see that play out. We never got to see any consequences of them using their powers to get better outcomes for themselves and those around them. Fate was never like I'm the ultimate bitch and you can't escape me even though it was heavily hinted at. All this just puts a damper on investigator Choi's death because why he try to change it since he knew was going to happen we've seen characters do that with no negative consequences so I don't get why he had to die.

I get that it was his choice and given everything that has happened to him so far it is fitting for the character but without establishing consequences for using the powers for what essentially amounts to self gain it just makes his ultimate choice seem like a bolt of extreme noble idiocy, which in my opinion is like the worst k-drama trope there is.

I am most likely being overly harsh on this drama and like I said at the very beginning of my post I would have most likely enjoyed the heck out of this drama if I watched it while it was airing or a few years earlier perhaps. But I suppose my expectations were too high? It is definitely the weakest Park Hye Ryun drama I've seen. So if you want to watch a Park Hye Ryun drama pick either Pinocchio or I Hear Your Voice those are far better examples of her work in my opinion.

And now I've seen every notable Park Hye Ryun drama except Startup and I'm definitely not in the mood for that one and probably never will be as I really don't want to get into the love triangle drama. But I'm totally looking forward to her next drama starring Park Eun Bun so Diva of the Deserted Island please be good!🙏

TL;DR: one of those shows that I would have totally loved if I watched it a few years earlier. Didn't pack the emotional punch I was hoping for. It was fun seeing so many familiar faces and that they have all deservedly become such bigger stars in kdrama land. 7.5

[piercingbonez]

gone || thomas shelby x reader oneshot

warnings: angst angst angst! swearing

words: 1.2k

a/n: a more depressing oneshot after the teeth rotting fluff last week. got to keep you all on your toes! please let me know what you think! feedback is extremely appreciated and encouraged.

enjoy!

-

The last words you’d spoken to him hung heavy in the air between the two of you. A question you’d asked with fear in your eyes and terror for the answer.

You couldn’t even look at him, not even vaguely in his direction. Your eyes burned but there were no tears, you felt like your head was going to burst at any moment. His response stinging in your mind, bringing everything to a screaming halt. For a moment you didn’t even believe he’d said those words. You refused to accept that what he was saying was the truth. It couldn’t be.

The room was thick with tension, neither one of you wanting to address the conversation you’d just had. He’d probably just say a simple sorry and leave anyway, he’d never been good with emotions. But you knew that when you got together, and now part of you was regretting even meeting the man before you.

He’d given you the best years of your life but was it worth it for the heartbreak he’d just delivered to you?

With clenched fists and pain on your face you finally lifted your eyes to flick over his form. He was still sat in the same position as he was before, cigarette still perched between his fingers. He didn’t display any emotion, not sadness, not anger, not even guilt. He’d got good at that, hiding how he felt, but now that fact just stung, he’d just ruined everything you’d built up and he didn’t even have the decency to look anything other than bored.

“You’re being serious, aren’t you?” Were the only words you could force out past your gritted teeth. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, maybe remorse, you hoped he felt guilty.

He seemed to pause to think of a response, bringing his cigarette up to his lips to inhale every few moments, a mechanical movement that was second nature for him. On a normal day you’d admire the way his lips curled up in what could be mistaken for a smile when the cigarette made contact with them, or the way his icy blue eyes looked through the smoke. But not today. Not now. Not ever. As you watched him now you saw how he looked more at ease holding a cigarette than he ever did holding you.

He’d never been particularly….affectionate. Maybe on your wedding night, but that was such a distant memory now you refused to allow yourself to think back on it.

After all, your marriage now meant nothing. Years spent with the man you presumed your soulmate came crashing down in a matter of seconds, with one simple word. “Yes.” Which he repeated again in response to your question.

Now yes, in a relationship was typically something positive.

Yes, i’ll be your girlfriend.

Yes, i’ll be your wife.

Yes, i’d love to take the next step.

You’d never dreamed that this conversation would happen, it was so out of your mind it wasn’t even a nightmare or a worry you’d ever had.

But it was real, it was more real than anything else.

“You still love her, don’t you?” You replayed your own words in your head.

“Yes.” Yes. Fucking yes. Not even an i’m sorry, or even a look of guilt. The worst part was, as he uttered those words he almost looked relieved. Relieved that he’d finally stopped lying to you.

You thought about the previous night, and even the morning, now feeling like an age ago when he’d kissed your forehead and told you he loved you.

Lies. All of it. Fucking lies.

“For how long?” You mumbled, but you weren’t sure you even wanted to know the answer. But you had to, you had to know how long this had been happening, how long he’d been lying to you.

“I’m sorry.” He finally muttered, but his words were hollow and meaningless. A simple ‘I’m sorry’ wasn’t going to fix anything, nothing could repair what had just happened.

“How long?” You repeated, unable to hold back the anger in your tone anymore. His jaw clenched as you pressed further, clearly not wanting to admit that he’d spent fuck knows how long whispering empty words to you.

“She wrote to me a few months ago.” Months. Fucking MONTHS.

You couldn’t stop the way your hands shook, with anger, fear or sadness you didn’t know. Every emotion you felt was negative, drowning you. Everything was way too much all at once.

“Months? Thomas? Months?” You stumbled out in disbelief, glaring at him, hoping he’d understand just how much he hurt you.

“Yes. I met with ‘er once.” As if it couldn’t get worse, the words he spoke packed a bigger punch than any physical action. “Im not going to lie to you.” You couldn’t believe the audacity of this man, the way he so nonchalantly admitted to loving his ex, to lying through months of a marriage.

“You did lie! You have lied! Every time since you’ve told me you loved me was a lie!” Your voice rose with each word, more and more anger bubbling up inside of you. You wished this was just some sick nightmare, that you’d wake up any moment, that he’d hold you close and brush your hair gently before kissing your forehead and telling you to go back to sleep, that you were safe with him.

His face remained stony, practically emotionless as he continued to smoke, almost tauntingly as he watched you. His eyes seemed to analyse every tense and twitch of your body, as if he was trying to sense your next move.

“I need to go sort something out.” He stubbed his cigarette out on the ashtray beside him before rising to his feet. His movements were robotic, almost as if he simply wasn’t at all affected by what they’d just discussed. “I’ll be back in a few days.”

Days. D a y s.

Typically you’d smile, be a nice loving wife, make him promise to be safe and eat well, ensure he knew just how much you loved him before he left, kisses and hugs and admittance of affection.

But now, when you’d normally reach for his body to wrap around yours, you remained still. It was your turn to be emotionless now.

You had no idea when he would return, and for a moment, somehow that hurt than the knowlege that you no longer occupied his heart.

Because was leaving, but then again, maybe he’d already left. Was he ever really with you when his heart was longing for someone else, when he’d visited the woman he promised you he no longer harboured feelings for. You didn’t know. Nothing made sense as you stared at his now empty chair, feeling the sadness finally begin to well in your eyes.

You didn’t dare to turn to watch him leave, simply listened until his footsteps were a distant echo. And then they were gone. And he was gone.

It was as if nothing mattered, because nothing did, did it? What was life if he wasn’t by your side. You’d built everything up alongside him, planned a future out around him. You’d imagined your entire life with him.

And now it was all gone.

But there was one thing you knew you had to do.

You had to pack, because two can play at that game.

And then you were gone.