#i had lost it shortly after she gave it to me when i was 5 or 6 and i put it on again last yr

[magentasnail]

hello I do not know anything about Undertale but I am interested in hearing about your children! I think I am in a similar situation with Little Nightmares, haha.

OMG THANK YOU I LOVE YOU!!! i can let this information out without feeling too annoying because now i'm answering an ask so it's fine !! it's going to be so long I'm so sorry, but what are we on tumblr for if not to rumble about our interests, right? also i hope the fact you don't know undertale doesn't make this too confusing !! also spoiler warning i guess ??

general world building:

the humans have forgotten about the monsters and magic, they are only remembered in myths and legends (i made a cool thing about it)

all of the humans had a similar experience to us playing the game, they learned about the monster history, made friends and eventually kinda gave up in hope to help the monsters

right so, first human: chara!

chara is already in the game, but I think i made them the richest backstory

"chara" is a nickname, their name is actually character. they were bullied for that name and they really hate it, wishing they could get any other name (like what happens at the start of the game!)

they were named character because of an old tradition to name kids based on the first word you see in the spell book that runs in their family. however the book is encrypted, and their parents ended up on a random character they couldn't read.

they didn't get along with the other kids in school, and were trying to study their behavior so they can understand them better by taking notes of what they said and drawing their facial expressions (the way text is shown in the game!)

eventually, they came to the conclusion they don't like the other children and don't want to be like them, so they decided to learn how to push them away (by making scary faces!)

always get red eyes in photos

next: patience soul! i'll be honset i wrote these stories 6 years ago, i think everyone had names but i don't remember them anymore, so all the children will now be called their soul trait gbfdjfd

patience was a girl from chara's village, and chara's only friend! or well chara was patiance only friend. their parents were friends so when they hung out patience and chara were left to play together. patience liked chara as she was home school and didn't get to play with other kids, while chara was mostly annoyed about the whole thing and felt like patience friendship wasn't genuine, as they were forced into hanging out

she really likes cute things, like dressing cute and putting on make up! she introduced chara to make up which ended up helping chara make scary faces (such as melty face look)

she wanted to be a Dr when she grows up, hence the toy knife (meant to be like a surgery knife for children) and the bandages at the flowey fight

when chara left to the mountain, patience just waited for them to come back. they waited and waited, until asriel got to the village. only then they decide to go to the mountain. they found out chara died very shortly after getting underground, and so lost their determination and was killed easily.

they got to the underground right after asgore declared war against humanity, asogre probably hoped it will take a while for a human to arrive but one fell down and was killed really soon! this just made more sense to me for why toriel left without talking asgore out of it, and why she hates him so much. things escalated really quick

bravery soul!

youngest brother of like 5 older brothers and a single dad.

his brothers always bullied him for being soft and girlie (I also considered him being afab but im not sure !)

got the worn boxing gloves his dad used to have when he was young, they have big holes and patches

also maybe his mom died when he was born, and she was also a red head like him, which is part of the femininity stuff ?

as part of a prank, his brothers dared him to go to the mountain and come back to prove himself thinking he won't go, but he did!

didn't stay with toriel because he was in a rush to get home to prove his brothers he did it

integrity!! this is where me not being a native english speaker gets me because I'm not sure what integrity means and it ruined their backstory a bit! I used to treat it as "being true to yourself" but now I think it's more about staying true to your morals, which is a bit different oops !

amab and nonbinary! their mom used to be a ballet dancer and now is a ballet teahcer

they were the only male student, and were jealous and hurt that all the girls got to wear tutus but them, and thought it wasn't fair

they sneakily stole their mom old dusty tutu from the attic and were secretly practicing in their room, until they were caught

they felt so guilty and ashamed that they ran away from home to the mountain

toriel reminded them of their mom, and how worried she must be, so they didn't stay with her

perseverance!!

kindness' little sister!

while looking for books in the library, she stumbled upon and old and encrypted spell book (yes this is the book that was in chara's family!) after a lot of hard work she learned how to decrypt it using some context clues, and with it she learned about the monsters and magic and even a few spells!

when she tried talking about her findings nobody took her seriously, and people at her school made fun of her

even her brother was trying to be supportive but didn't really believe her, which prompted her to run away to the mountain to prove everyone the monsters are real and she's right

in the underground, she was able to use her spells! like the unused spell option in the original battle menu! she also befriended Gerson as they shared their love to history, and she gave him her notebook and glasses (as they were fogging up too much to see out of anyway) as a parting gift! (maybe she also casted a duplication spell on them, considering the infinite supply at his store?)

also she didn't stay with Toriel because she was focused on getting back home to show everyone she was right at that stage

kindness!

perseverance older brother !

honestly, he's just a cutie that likes to cook! will often make and food just for sharing with his classmates

when perseverance was sad that nobody was taking her seriously, he went to make her favorite food to cheer her up. she wasn't answering him for a bit and assumed she just locked herself in her room because she was sad, so he gave her some time until eventually he decided to come in to check on her and realized she ran away through the window

he was probably a few hours behind her on the adventure, both as he gave her time, and he checked up a few places before going to the mountain, and he was more lost and confused than her when it came to exploring (also he was wearing flip flops still, which slowed him down)

didn't stay with Toriel because he was determined to find his sister, but then he found out she sacrificed herself, and decided to join her (both for the monsters and for her sake out of guilt)

justice!! she's the only one I know their name! her name is mustard !! just like undertale yellow I was tempted to call her clover based on the "clover" shooting from her gun at the flowey fight, but actually according to the file name this is not a clover but a flower! and mustard has a yellow flower with 4 petals and it's cute !!

moved to the village near the mountain with her family only recently, and this was their first Halloween in the town! and actually her first Halloween ever, as where she used to live they didn't celebrate it

she loves cowboys ! her grandpa was an actor in old cowboy films, he passed before she was born so she only know him through these films, and thinks he was a real cowboy

the gun she has is his old gun, that she got from her dad for her costume

she saw a group of bullies picking up on a younger child and trying to steal his candy, so she jumped to protect him saying she has a gun, but that didn't go very well as that terrified the small child and made them ran away. she tried to ran after them but ended up getting lost on the mountain

didn't stay with toriel because she wanted to return to her parents who must have been worried for her

lastly we got frisk!! i didn't get much background for frisk but more like a bunch of headcanons about them

probably homeless? and honestly, might have hit their head when climbing the mountain and suffer from amnesia, so they don't know their backstory either so it's fine!

really need glasses! explaining the small eyes and the whole game being pixelated and the small screen size, they just can't see

when asriel said frisk and chara have similar fassion choices he didn't mean like the striped shirt (as all children wear striped shirts) but like the way they have an under layer, cargo shorts for more pockets (also inventory space has to do with how many pockets you have!!) and boots !

fell underground the same age chara did, so like 10? and chara spent like a year underground

went to the mountain because it was some sort of a calling? they didn't really understand why but they felt like they needed to

also this is a headfanon but I'm for frisk and chara being far relatives!

wooo we did it all humans !!! now some extra general stuff:

the red soul's trait is love!!

all the humans came back to life after the asriel fight!!! and their body were fully healed and fine! Asgore probably bandaged them as he buried them in the coffins, and when they woke up (and opened chara's coffin seeing it's empty) they left their bandages there explaining the mummy wrapping that appear

considering it's been decades since some of them fell down, they had no where to go after this, and were all adopted by toriel! which also motivated her to open the school ! this idea of all of them being roomates and living together is what sparked all of this in the first place, i just really wanted to have a blog where people ask me things as them

at the end of the flowey fight, all of their soul traits "evolved", as seen with the color change when you ask for help, completing their character arc. all of them were helping flowey as part of their flaw, but frisk calling for help helped them change. for example, just as patience was always waiting to see what will happen, she wasn't trying to stand up to flowey, but she learned to be more brave and act! bravery learned to stop complying to every dare he gets and stand for himself and so on.

and that's everything i think !! if you made it all this way you get a sticker! i hope this helped with whatever boredom you were facing !

now i can stop worrying about how their story will never be out there, as it is now! and if nobody cares that's fine !!

[storiesbyjes2g]

Pruett heirs reimagined

Only like 2.5 of you will even recognize these guys, but I'm gonna post anyway lol. I started my first legacy story immediately when the game released and didn't get into cc until maaaaany years later. I thought it would be fun to make them over in my current style.

I also didn't start saving my sims until generation 4, so I'm missing the second and third heirs. Finally, the founder had children when he was an elder, and back in those days when parents had gray hair it would give the kids blonde hair. ALL of my heirs through gen had blonde hair smh lol.

Anyway, without further ado, I give you my heirs!

Xavier Pruett, founder

Occupation: tech career

Fun fact: He got married and had children so late because his first fiance aged up to elder the night before their wedding and he had to start all over to find someone else.

Jayden Pruett, generation 4

Occupation: author

Fun fact: He was very serious and excited about being a Pruett heir and gave his high school sweetheart a promise ring. That was the beginning of the dissolution of their marriage lol.

Brandon Pruett, generation 5

Occupation: none

Fun fact: Brandon was the first heir to not have a career. He was good with his hands and modernized the Pruett estate. (translation: He maxed out the handiness skill and upgraded EVERYTHING)

Lance Pruett, generation 6

Occupation: comedian

Fun fact: It took me until generation 7 to realize I had a naming convention for the heirs. My readers pointed out all the heirs had names that ended with the "an" sound, and I broke that with Lance. When they pointed this out, I started it back up in gen 7. (Previous heirs were Donovan, Aiden, Jayden, Brandon)

Brady Pruett, generation 7

Occupation: celebrity personal trainer

Fun fact: He is a triplet, and his brother was supposed to be the heir. But he was a fan favorite, and I loved him as well. So I made up a legit reason for why the other guy (Owen) would abdicate lol.

Julian Pruett, generation 8

Occupation: none

Fun fact: He and his wife had a slooooooooow burn, therefore making generation 8 the longest generation by far.

Jonathan Pruett, generation 9

Occupation: restaurateur/chef

Fun fact: He was a very spoiled rich kid and actually lost the family fortune later on. He has a spin off story that picks up with him getting back on his feet and starting a new restaurant. I really need to finish that story, but I probably won't.

There is a generation 10, but I ended the story shortly after the first gen 10 kid was born even though she was not the heir. Actually, I think I'm on 12 or 13 now. Anyway, the heir of that generation would have been Benjamin, and he had a twin named Adrian. Anyway, thanks for indulging this trip waaaaay down memory lane.

[run-clever-boy]

Hey lovely author! I was wanting to make a request for Fred Weasley if that's alright! I was wondering if it could be like, based on the song Older by 5 seconds of Summer! If not that's ok, maybe it could be like the reader (she/her) is a Ravenclaw and she's never had a first kiss. She is best friends with Fred and George. She is in love with Fred, and he loves her too. They both kind of know but have been dancing around it and then something happens and he's her first kiss! You don't have to do this if you don't want to I understand! Have a wonderful day/night!💛💛💛

OMG! My first request and I love the idea so much! I’m so sorry this has taken me a bit but I wanted it to be perfect! I added a little angst spin on it, but if you want a shorter more wholesome version, pls let me know :) P.S. I had never heard this song before and now I’m OBSESSED. I have so many ideas for this so if you want me to write another I would be happy to!

Older - Fred Weasley

Fred Weasley x Fem!Ravenclaw!Reader

Warnings: Little jealousy, all fluff!

Word Count: 2.8k

Summary: You and Fred have known each other a very long time and you have a crush on him for years. When the Yule Ball comes around, he asks Angelina Johnson to go with him. Little do you know, that’s not who he wanted to ask.

"Y/n! It's filch! Come on!" Fred says as he grabs your hand. You run, guided by the man dragging you down the hallway. The portraits wizz by as you chase the red headed brothers around the victorian hallways, sparing glances behind you to make sure you are evading a boil covered filch. 

You were a year younger than the twins. Shortly after you were sorted, you were trying to find Ravenclaw tower when you finally gave up and asked the help of a tall red headed boy leaning against the wall.

"I'm so sorry, I can't seem to find my way around" you started "do you happen to know where Ravenclaw tower is?"

He smiled politely, "I'm afraid I can't help you, see I'm a Gryffindoor myself and still barely know my way around."

You looked down sheepishly "oh, sorry to bother you..." you started to walk away in no particular direction

"Wait, hey!" he shouted. You turned around on your heel to see him walking towards you.

"Sorry I just realized I never asked your name" He stuck out his hand "I'm Fred Weasley, at your service" you shook his hand and he bowed down eccentrically, making you giggle.

"Y/n y/l/n, pleasure to meet you" you returned his bow with an eccentric curtsey and he laughed to himself.

"Lets see if I can help you find where you are going, y/n" 

That night, you walked around lost for at least 2 hours laughing and talking when you finally arrived at the door. 

"You have to meet George, y/n!" he said as walked you up the stairs toward the common room.

"It seems so! If he's anything like you, we will get along just fine! Oh-" you slapped your head "of course he is gonna be like you, he's your twin brother!" 

You both chuckled and he made you pinky promise that you would meet him and george in the great hall the next day. You went to your dorm and went to bed, thinking about how you haven't laughed so much in years.

That was 5 years ago. You three had been inseparable ever since that night. You stayed at the burrow last summer and met their family. You had felt more at home there than you ever have with your own family. 

You realized that you couldn't ever be without either of the twins, but Fred especially. You realized your massive crush on him as a second year, but you didn't want to ruin the amazing friendship you two had grown into. You said this year that you were going to tell him, really tell him how you felt. Then again, you said you were going to do it last year too. 

You finally stop running when you hit the entrance to gryffindoor tower, painfully aware of how Fred still had a hold of your hand. You let go quickly and look down to hide your embarrassment. You lean against the wall, heaving to catch your breath. 

"We need to go to bed, the first task of the tournament is tommorow. Do you still need help getting bets?" you ask. Many students were betting on who would win the first challenge of the tri-wizard tournament. Of course, the twins decided to make money off it.

"We already have 50 bets placed!" George said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, we are gonna make a mint off this!" Fred agreed.

"Go to bed, goofballs" you say looking each of them in the eye. "Don't get caught!" you call out as head toward your common room for the night. 

"We won't!" they say in unison.

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

You lean on your arm as you see the last of the student's trickling into the big empty space. All the heads of the Hogwarts houses were supposed to teach us all… something, but no one knew what. You chatted with the 4th year you've become good friends with, Luna Lovegood. 

You look up just in time to see professor Flitwick dragging a gramophone double the size of himself into the large room.

"Luna, any idea what this is about?" you asked, breaking her out of a trance.

"Maybe they finally listened to my idea of using music to keep the nargles away. They are everywhere this time of year you know" Luna says in her usual dreamy voice, proceeding to go back into deep thought. In all the time you’ve known her, you still didn’t know what a nargle is.

“Attention! Attention Ravenclaw students!” Flitwick squeaked out. “I have been asked to share another tradition of the Tri-wizard tournament with you all today….” He paused for a moment before clarifying “A dance!”

All students turned and murmured in excitement. Hogwarts had never had a dance so long as you had been there. Your mind wandered to the twins, wondering if they were hearing the same thing. Knowing them, they already figured out a way to profit off it.

“Attention!” Flitwick squeaked once again. “So as not to embarrass ourselves, we will be practicing our dancing during this time. Please find a partner, and I will teach you how to do so properly!”

Everyone around you gets up and starts heading toward someone, even Luna. You didn’t know many boys in your own house so you found one of the other 5th years you knew from potions. You spent the hour or so trying not to step on his feet while he was trying to do the same. By the end of it, you had laughed with him a bit and promised to help him write one of professor Snape’s awful essays.

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

“Y/N!!!!” You hear someone shout from the other end of the hallway. You look up from your book to see Fred and George running at you. You just stay there until you realize they aren’t stopping. You try to move out of the way when Fred and George both pick you up.

“Put me down!! You know I hate it when you do that!” You whine.

“Sorry Y/n, couldn’t resist seeing your face” George says.

They set you down on your feet and you go over to the bench you were sitting on before the rude interruption. You put a bookmark in your book and stuff it in your bag.

“Reading? At a time like this?! Merlin’s beard y/n, you should be out getting a date to the ball!” George says as he snatched your book bag from you.

“Isn’t it more customary for the boys to ask the girls George? And for god’s sakes stop holding my book bag over your head! I have homework to do!” You say as you jump for the book bag you can’t reach. “Speaking of which, why are you two coming to bother me if you have dates to go get?” You ask. You felt your heartbeat quicken. You were hoping with everything in you that Fred would ask you to go.

“Well I already have a date” George starts “It’s dear Freddie here that needs some help!” He hands your book bag down to you and you all start instinctively walking towards the great hall for dinner.

“Is that right? Something stopping you from turning up the charm Fred?” You tease, trying to get an answer out of him.

“You first y/n!” He teases back, nudging you with his elbow.

“I have to go talk with Luna, talk to you guys after supper?” You ask.

“Deal!” The twins say in unison as they walk to Gryffindoor table.

Maybe if you got the time after dinner, you could ask Fred to the ball. If you could get over your nerves that is. Ravenclaw is clever, but not always the bravest. You were hoping Luna could help you figure out a plan.

“Just ask him straight forward, y/n. You’ve known him for years, something like that couldn’t end a 5 year long friendship.” Luna said. You knew she was probably right, but your nerves made the advice hard to follow.

“Okay, I’m gonna do it!” You told her nervously.

The end of the dinner hour just came and you were supposed to meet with the twins. You could feel your throat close up. Your heartbeat was in your stomach.

“Now or never” you mutter to yourself.

“Hey wait up!” You called after the twins.

Now or never

Now or never

They didn’t hear you and kept walking around the corner where you normally met after dinner. They looked like they were having a heated conversation. You have seen the twins argue, but this looked different.

You stopped behind a pillar. Far away enough that they couldn’t see you, but close enough to hear them.

“Fred what were you thinking!” You heard George say. “She would’ve said yes you bloody idiot!”

“You don’t know that!” Fred quipped back.

They both looked around making sure no one was there.

“Why did you ask Angelina to the ball?! Are you mad?!” George said angrily

Your heart dropped.

He asked Angelina to the ball.

He asked Angelina Johnson to the ball.

Tears welt up in your eyes. You tried your best not to sniffle in order to give away that you were listening. You slid down on the wall and sat on the floor, not daring to do anything else. Just for a moment, you look around the corner.

“You have liked Y/n for years Fred! Merlin…” George trails off.

“I know…” Fred replied, looking down at his shoes in guilt. “What do I do now?”

“I don’t know.” George said solemnly. “Where is she anyway? She was supposed to meet us after dinner…” He stopped as he locked eyes with your tear filled ones. You got up as quick as you could, fleeing across the hallway. “Y/n wait!” George called out to you.

You could barely hear anything. Adrenaline running so fast everything was muffled. You looked back only to realize you left your bag where you were hiding earlier. Fred ran to pick it up just as you ran to get it.

“Y/n, y/n please” Fred started

“No it’s fine, I’m over reacting” You laughed dryly through your tears, not looking Fred in the eye as you grabbed your bag. “Please, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have ease dropped, I’m just gonna go to bed”

You grabbed your things and fled to your house. You were sitting on your bed when it all hit you. This wasn’t the end of the world, but you couldn’t stop crying. You rolled over and just tried to get some rest. You could deal with this tomorrow, but tonight it was too much.

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

You hadn’t spoken to Fred since then. You would exchange awkward ‘Hello’s and ‘How are you’d, but not like you used to.

George came by the next morning to check on you and brought you coffee for your early morning class. He clearly felt sorry for you and apologized for everything.

“You can’t apologize for something that never was, George. But I appreciate you trying”

Now it was time to walk into that ball. You decided to go alone and meet up with friends there. Your dress was a beautiful blue gown. A dark blue bodice topped the dress as the long sparkling material became a lighter blue as it went down. You couldn’t imagine anything better to represent you and your house, except for maybe someone to appreciate it.

You descended the large steps in the great hall as your dress flowed with your delicate steps. You waltzed into the winter decorated hall, amazed at the time and care they had taken for this. You caught a lot of attention, but you could only notice Fred’s eyes on you. His mouth parted slightly as he looked at you and nudged George with his arm. He looked at you with amazement in his eyes as well.

You found your friends at a table in the corner of the hall. You made jokes and laughed a lot more than you expected to, but still felt sick to your stomach. The food served on the table looked delicious, but just as you were going to dive in you watched Fred take Angelina to the dance floor. Suddenly you weren’t very hungry anymore.

Hours passed and you were on the dance floor with your friends, dancing to some fast paced tune you didn’t recognize.

“Y/n, we are going to get some fresh air!” They yelled over the loud music “Wanna come?”

“I think I’ll just grab some punch and sit down for a bit, you guys go ahead!” You yelled back, fighting to get out of the crowd. You headed toward the punch table and grabbed a glass. You then sat in the deserted corner you had been sitting in earlier. You watched as the crowd dwindled down, and more and more left with their dates.

You found a somber looking Fred talking to Angelina. He kept fiddling when he was talking, which you found odd because he was never nervous. She put a hand on his shoulder and muttered what you could barely read as ‘I understand’. You then watched as Angelina walked away from Fred, leaving the hall. As if on cue, the song switched to a much slower melody. One that you recognized. One of your favorite muggle songs was playing.

I don't wanna get older Without your head on my shoulder On the day that you leave me I'll forever be bleeding, love

He crossed the room straight towards you. You set down your glass and prepared to get up when you saw him almost run to get to you.

“Wait please y/n don’t leave” He pleaded. You turned around standing right in front of him. “I told her to leave.” He breathed out.

“What?” You asked.

“I told her to leave, Angelina” He said almost as if he was out of breath. “I told her that I needed to go with you, and that if I didn’t do this… I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

You stood there, shocked. Your eyes ran him over. He had brand new dress robes and his hair gelled back. You could hear him swallow hard, waiting for you to react. He instead extended his hand.

“Dance with me?”

“Always” you breathed out, taking his hand.

He took your hand and guided you out to the dance floor, spinning you around the face him and putting his hands on your waist. You put your arms around his neck and rested your head on his chest. You could feel the vibrations as he hummed the melody to the soothing song.

As forever comes closer Hope the world will spin slower I don't wanna get older

You held onto him like it was the last thing you would ever do. Your bodies rocked side to side, the natural feeling of you two together overwhelmed you. You raised your head from his chest to look into his eyes and he raised one of his hands to cup your cheek.

Our love is tailor-made But we let the edges fray Your wicked smile, it says it all Mixed with my sad and cynical

“I love you, Freddie” You say, barely above a whisper.

He leaned down and brought his mouth to your ear “I love you too, y/n.”

He raised his head just enough so that your noses were touching. He started to lean forward when you stopped him.

“Freddie I’ve never…” You looked down, feeling a wave of shyness.

He took his hand and raised your chin. “May I do the honors?” He said sweetly. You nodded.

Before you knew what happened he tilted his head and gently touched his lips to yours. Time froze and you just stayed in that moment forever, the contact taking the breath from your lungs immediately. You were drawn back to reality as he broke the contact, but lingered around very close to you.

You tangle one hand in his fiery red hair and pull him slightly closer and make contact again, more confident this time. You could feel him smile into the kiss. Eventually you broke to breath once again.

“What took you so long?” You tease him. A smile brightening up both of your faces as you buried your head in his chest again.

I don't wanna get older Without your head on my shoulder On the day that you leave me I'll forever be bleeding love As forever comes closer Hope the world will spin slower I don't wanna get older I don't wanna get older

Now on AO3

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for losing a child’s tooth while trying to play tooth fairy?

This happened 6 years ago but I still lay awake at night, like right now, because I feel bad about it.

When I was 16 I did a year long internship at a daycare for kids 1-6. I was there every Monday and Tuesday and the rest of the week i had school. I was usually working with a group of 3-4 year olds but when the kids were outside other groups were there too. This thing happened near the end of my internship with kids from a different group.

There was a 5yo girl, let’s call her Mia, that I had played with often, and she had lost a tooth earlier, as kids do. She had it in a little box thingy and showed it to everyone outside. Mia then wanted to play something with her friends and gave me the box to keep save. So I took it and she went to play with friends while I sat on a bench.

I got the in hindsight horrible idea that I could put a coin in the box like the tooth fairy. I had a 1€ coin in my pocket. Mia was a very strong believer in magic so I was sure she would believe the tooth fairy had come to visit a bit early.

So I had to open the box while staying undetected by the children playing near me. This proved more difficult than I thought because the box was very small and I had to try to do it unnoticeable.

I just got it open when Mia and her friends came back. I didn’t have time to get the coin from my pocket, I just closed the box again as fast as I could, and while doing that Mias tooth must have fallen out.

I gave the box back and Mia wanted to show her tooth to another kid that had not seen it, but it wasn’t there.

We would have looked for it but we were outside, next to sand and gravel. Impossible to find a small white thing.

Mia was sad and said that I didn’t keep it safe, and for some reason I didn’t tell the truth or gave her the coin anyway as a sorry, I said the tooth propably was already gone when she gave me the box or that it fell out when she opened it again.

I went home shortly after and don’t know what else unfolded, if she really believed I didn’t do anything, what her parents said etc. I didn’t really have much more contact with her because the rest or my internship was rather rainy so the kids didn’t go out much.

I don’t think Mia even remembers at this point. She probably doesn’t remember me exactly because I don’t remember people from when I was 5 and I only played with her some afternoons. But maybe this was a big memory for her and whenever she goes by her old daycare, she wonders if her tooth is still there and how she could loose it. And maybe she has a good memory and does remember me and hates me.

So that’s the story. I have never told anyone before because i don’t want them to think I’m a horrible person. If tumblr thinks so too I at least got it off my chest.

TDLR: I tried to put a coin in a box that had a child’s tooth in it, that the child had trusted me with. The tooth fell out accidentally and was lost, and I lied that I had nothing to do with it.

What are these acronyms?

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 3 Rewatch Drabbles: 3x22 There's No Place Like Home (Part 3)

Summary:  A series of 100-500 word drabbles to accompany my    rewatch of season 3 of Once Upon a Time.  There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season.  Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an emphasis on Captain Swan’s epic love story.

Word Count: 826

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26) (28)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Notes: I knew there was no way I could stick to just one drabble an episode for the CS movie, so I didn't even try. There will be 2 drabbles for 3x21 and 4 for 3x22. They are all written, so the plan is to post one per day until they're all posted.

Now what?

Emma turned in a circle, looking around Rumplestiltskin’s vault–so tall and vast, she couldn’t see the ceiling.  So compact there was no door or window.  Had they fixed the past only to die of hunger, thirst or suffocation?

Could they ever get a break?

She turned to see Killian picking up an urn and perusing it, and her heart rate spiked. “Wait! Don’t touch anything!” she said insistently. “If Rumple’s afraid of this stuff, there’s gotta be a reason.”

He placed the item back on a shelf, and turned to her, arms wide in a placating gesture. “I’m just trying to figure a way out.”

He was always the optimist.  Unfortunately, her optimism had all but run out.  They were at the end of the line.  “I don’t think there is one, and what’s the point?  You heard what he said; he can’t reopen the portal.”

Killian stepped forward, and gave her an intense look–one filled with hope and belief.  “But you can! All he said we need is magic.  You’re the savior, Swan. You can do it.”

Her heart plummeted. He always had such complete and indefatigable faith in her, but in this instance, she knew that faith was misplaced.  Her hands were tied, and she was of no more use in this situation than was the unconscious woman Killian had gently placed on the table.

“Not anymore.  I lost it,” she said simply.

A hint of something else–desperation? Frustration? Irritation?-- crept into his eyes as he stepped forward and spoke again. “When Zelena died, all of her spells were undone. Your powers should have been restored.”

What was he implying?

“Believe me, if I could make it work, I would,” she said shortly.  “You think I’m faking it?”

For the barest of moments, he hesitated, and she knew he was debating with himself whether or not to say what was on his mind.  A look of determination came over his face, and she knew he’d made his choice.

“I think not having magic makes it a hell of a lot easier for you to run back to New York and pretend to be somebody else,” he said, stepping closer to her, “but listen to me Swan. You’re not.  It’s time to stop running.”

It wasn’t fair of her after running so insistently from him and her real life for the past couple weeks; she knew that, but she couldn’t stop the frustration from mounting. “You think I don’t know that?” she bit out. “Yes, I run away; that’s how I’ve always survived, but believe me. I want this to work. I wanna go back; I wanna stop running.”

His eyebrows rose at that.  “What’s changed your mind?”

Emma thought back to last night when they’d found her mother again and Blue had been able to restore her.  She couldn’t hold herself back.  The joy and relief had been so strong she couldn’t possibly do anything but take her mother into her arms, laughing and crying, as she held on, cupping the back of Mary Margaret’s head.

“You’re alive!” she’d nearly sobbed.

When the hug came to an end, she looked at her mother to see nothing but a look of confusion. “Thank you. It would appear so.” 

Something inside of Emma had broken.  Suddenly, in a moment of total clarity, she’d seen the truth.  

She needed her family and she loved them more than anything.  Everything else had fallen away, all the fear, all the delusion.  She decided right then and there that whatever it took, she wanted to get back to her family–her current family, the ones who knew her and loved her and would be devastated if she left.  She wanted to get back and she didn’t ever want to leave again.

She did her best to convey all of this to Killian, pouring out her thoughts and emotion.  “Neal was right,” she finished.

“About what?” he asked, voice gentle.

“You don’t have a home until you just miss it,” she answered. “And being with my parents the last few days but not really being with them, I’ve never missed them more. Storybrooke is my home.”

It was the first time she’d spoken the words aloud, but she knew with absolute certainty that they were true.  Home, the word, the concept, the fact that she was ready to embrace hers left her feeling such warmth and belonging that it was as if it were spreading through her veins, to her very fingertips.

Killian smiled down at her, and she couldn’t stop her answering smile.  “What?” she asked.

“Look down,” he answered simply.

The wand she still held in her hand was glowing a bright, vibrant white, and Emma knew Killian was right.  Her magic was back.  All she’d needed to do was embrace it, embrace her home and family and destiny.

“I’d say you got your magic back,” he continued. “Now, should we go?”

Nothing in the world sounded better.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[spiritedgoat]

Something Lost and something Found

[About 8 Months after the KFC breakup, cause ya'll know that shit still hurts me and I can't look at a kfc]

Staring at the people on the street walking aimlessly to their 9 to 5 jobs, low grade curses hanging onto and from most of them, without even knowing though feeling the burden of them and blaming others for their own pitiful lives. Squinting your eyes as you turned away. "Pathetic" you muttered to yourself. Cries from a soft sob caught your attention, it was coming from the back alley of one of the convenience stores you frequented. Looking around you followed the trail of sniffling.

Scanning the dark corners, your eyes landed on a little girl, she was small with short black hair. She must've been 6 maybe 7 as your best guess. Crying softly in the corner of the alley hugging her knees while clutching what must've been the leg..or arm? of an old fabric doll.

You walked closer to the girl, no one else around even bothered to help her nor spare a glance in her direction. You sighed, kneeling down in front of her. 'She must be lost…' The little girl finally looked up with her tear stained face, she looked even more scared, moving back against the wall. You reached out your hand showing you mean her no harm. "I'm not going to hurt you. Are you lost?". You frowned softly to yourself 'What the hell did they do to you?' She quivered and shook her head shortly up and down after weighing the words as if not believing them fully.

You looked at the scared little girl, teary brown eyes looking up at you, puffy from all the crying. "What's that you got there?" you asked pointing at the piece of fabric she had clutched in her hand. It looked as though she was going to start crying more from the question.

Reaching into your bag you pulled out a small stuffed doll. You looked at it sadly for a moment. It was the last thing Nina gave you. The doll looked like a little stiched up sack puppet, it was a puppet she made just for you. You breathed in a heavy breath and offered it out to the little girl, "Someone very special gave this to me when I was scared and alone, so he'll protect you just as he did me", hoping the doll would bring her some comfort. She looked at you with big doe like eyes unsure, taking the puppet from your hand she immediately hugged it to her little body. A little piece of your heart ached at the sight but you knew she needed it more than you. "So what's your name little lady?" you asked in a soft tone holding out your hand to the girl to help her up. She looked at you once more as if trying to assess if its a trick or not. She slowly took your hand, her tiny hands were freezing. "M-Mimiko…" a voice said just louder than a whisper. You smiled softly at her, standing up. "My name is Teng Shika, but you can call me Shika" Mimiko nodded ,standing next to you, one hand holding yours and the other holding onto the doll for dear life. "Who are we looking for?Mommy?Daddy?" The girl stayed quiet for a little moment before answering, "Daddy…"

You offered her a smile for reassurance, "And where were you last with daddy?" "….at the crepe shop…with Nanako" "Good, then we'll start there." You stated ,leading her to the street As soon as they reached the busy street with people walking from all directions Mimiko grabbed onto your pants, clinging to you as though to not let her go.

You looked down at her scared face, "Want me to pick you up…?" You studied her face, you were just as unsure as she was. You've never really been good with kids…

Mimiko looked up at you nodding softly burying her face against your pants Well okay then…no going back now I guess

Picking up the little girl, you scanned the area for a crepe shop. All the way on the furthest side of the street you saw the colorful doors of a little shop peeking out. 'That must be it then, we'll start there' You weaved through the crowds of people, occasionally looking at Mimiko. She had her face buried against your chest holding on to you, she refused to look at the people around you. 'How the hell am I supposed to find your dad when you won't even look at the people kid…' you thought to yourself frowning. You couldn't really blame her though, she was just a little kid and scared, what was she supposed to do?

"Is this the place Mimiko?" You asked stopping at the shop. It had colorful tables littering the seating area. Mimiko peeled herself from you and looked around quickly. It should definitely be the place judging by her reaction. "Can I put you down so we can walk around to look?" She shook her head quickly grabbing onto the fabric of your dark green sweatshirt. 'So that's a no then' "Alright let's take a look around, if you see him. Tell me okay?" "Okay" she answered softly. She was still scared and quite a shy kid you could tell.

You walked through the whole shop and to any person still near the shop waiting for any word from the little girl but still nothing. 'It's probably useless looking here now anyways, the guy must've started looking around for her by now' "What about we look a little further" You said walking through the little alley behind the shop leading to the other stores. You stopped quickly as Mimiko grabbed onto your sweatshirt and gasped. You looked at what spooked the little girl. It was a curse? Seems like she can see them too then…It was still a low level curse maybe a semi grade3 at most. You looked at the creature which looked something like a monkey had a weird bastard child with a naked mole rat. It wasn't attacking yet but rather climbing awkwardly around the dustbin to get a better look at the pair of you.

You stared at the spirit and looked back at the scared little girl. You had no choice but to exorcise it….Usually you'd go about your day ignoring them ,pretending they didn't exist just like any other 'normal' person. You put that life behind you and decided not to make it your problem anymore.

You sighed. Placing one hand on the back of Mimiko's head holding her close to you. Blood manipulation, piercing blood! With one quick slice the blood pierced right through the Cursed spirit's head. Quickly it evaporated into the familiar black smoke. "Guess I can still do that."

"Mimiko!" The voice rang out. Your head shot up to look at the source, must be her father.

A tall man approached you, he had mid back black hair half tied up in a bun and dark brown eyes. He looked on the defensive, you raised your hand to signal that you're no threat to his kid. "Master Geto!" Mimiko squeaked excitedly The man looked relieved that the girl seemed unharmed. "You must be the dad" "Something like that…." The man reached out his arms to take Mimiko from you

You lifted up the girl to give her to the man , she still had a tight grip on your sweatshirt. She looked at you and gave you a soft smile before letting go. It was the first time you saw any other expression other than fear or sadness on the little girl's face. "It's okay Nanako, you can come out now" the man said in a calm voice and another little girl appeared, she had had blonde hair tied up in a bun with bangs framing her face. She shyly hid behind the man's leg.

"Are you okay, Mimiko?" the man asked the little dark headed girl The little girl nodded, "She stabbed the bad bad with her blood!" You stared at the kid blankly not entirely knowing what to do or what you were going to say "Is that so? She exorcised the curse using her blood?" he said, back to looking defensive.

"Sorcerer?" You shook your head "Not any more"

The man visibly relaxed again "Anyways, I should get going…" You stated, though it was a lie you didn't really know what else to say to the man.

"No wait, I'm sorry. Thank you for looking after Mimiko and protecting her. How can I repay you?"

You smiled softly with a tinge of sadness, looking at the little girl who reminded you so much of her. "It's really nothing, anyone should've done the same." you said slowly walking away

You felt a little hand grab yours, "Shika…" her voice was just above a whisper

"But they didn't" You turned back to face the man, looking at the little girl's desperate face

"At least let me thank you with some tea" The man offered, "I don't live far from here"

You considered his words for a moment then looked at the girl practically begging you not to leave just yet. "My name's Teng Shika" you stated staring at the man.

He gave a soft smile bowing his head to you. "Getou Suguru"

So let me know what you guys think and if you'd like more because I have quite the few ideas for this story!

[thepaintedlady00]

Burden

Part 6

Part 5 | Part 7

TW: fluff, a bit of pining, Dream fucks everything up like he does, arguments, depictions of violence, the glass cage is here y'all so buckle up, ANGST, betrayal, character death? This cliffhanger is one of my worst, like honestly I apologize in advance! 😅

“Try this one,” Lucienne suggested, setting the large book down in front of you.

With a soft sigh, you looked up at her and smiled. “We’ve tried this one before, my friend. It held no words then, I do not expect it to now.”

She quietly cursed herself, taking the book back and studying the cover until the memory returned to her. “One moment! I’ll find another!”

“Lucienne,” you replied quietly, reaching out to take her hand. “I greatly appreciate your efforts, but this is hardly necessary.”

“Reading is a beautiful thing,” she insisted. “And I am determined to find a book among these endless shelves that you, my lady, can enjoy.”

“I do enjoy them,” you insisted. “Lord Morpheus has been kind enough to read many of them to me.”

Lucienne gave you a quick, fleeting glance with that knowing smile of hers. “Very true, but it is different to be read to and to read with one's own eyes.”

You shook your head, laughing at her persistence. “You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

“Of course not!” She cried out, returning to her shelves. “I am the librarian after all. It’s my duty to ensure all in this place find what they’re seeking.”

“Very well,” you relented with a smile.

It had been nearly a year since the passing of Puck, and you’d spent more time within The Dreaming than anywhere else. It was nice to have others around to fill the hole left by the loss of yet another companion. The pain would never truly fade, it never did, but at least you did not have to mourn alone. Lucienne offered you friendship and knowledge without reservation. The handyman, Mervyn, was quick to fill your free moments with laughter and projects. Jessamy showed you the best spots to sit in for a moment of peace. Cain and Abel and Gregory provided enough company to make you feel like you were part of a family, even one as dysfunctional as theirs. The Corinthian had been distant, but he always accompanied you for a walk along the beach when you’d asked… though he was far quieter now, far less open with you than he had been in the past he remained your best friend. And Dream… he did everything within his power to make you feel welcomed and at peace.

He often reminded you of the last shaping stone that you wore around your neck in a beautiful necklace that he’d crafted for you. He assured you it would be different than the others, that its life would never fade as theirs had, but you were still afraid. What if your presence corrupted even that? What if you lost this final companion just as you did the others? No. Your heart couldn’t bear such a thing, not so shortly after Puck.

You and Dream hadn’t spoken of that day. Not of the way you’d held his hand or cried in his arms, and certainly not of the way you sought his hand out every moment after. If it bothered him, he hid it well, but part of you wanted desperately to believe he craved the simple act of affection as much as you did.

Jessamy flew beside you as you made your way to Cain and Abel's garden for afternoon tea. It had become a lovely ritual between you, one that had begun with an argument over whose house was best suited for tea and which brother had better cakes. Eventually, after Cain stabbed Abel once or twice, you all came to the agreement that tea in the garden would be just fine. You crossed the bridge and sadly smiled at the brother covered in dirt, beating his clothing off beside his door. “How deep did he bury you this time?”

Abel perked up at the sound of your voice. “Oh, not that deep! It was a small argument, so he just shoved me into the hole rather than buried me.”

“I am glad you did not have to dig your way out this time,” you said, quietly helping him.

“It wouldn’t be that horrible,” the man insisted, his smile never faltering. “Gregory would have helped.”

You heard the large creature leap down behind you, seeking to startle you as he always did. You let him, of course, the look of pride Gregory had was well worth the prolonged wait. He finally made a loud roaring noise and you jumped, twisting around with your hand over your heart. “Goodness! Gregory, darling creature I didn’t hear you!”

He huffed, rubbing his snout against you and sniffing at Abel with a light sneeze. Cain slammed his door shut and set the table without a word. Abel gestured to the plant you’d helped them with. “It grew another leaf!”

Bending over slightly, you examined the still small and frail plant with a silver stem and pale leaves. “That’s wonderful progress.”

“It’ll bloom in no time, I just know it!”

“Teas ready!” Cain hollered, dragging all of you over to the table. “It won’t be awful this time because it’s my tea we used.”

You thanked him as he filled your cup. The brothers used the same tea, though you weren’t going to be the one to tell them this. That certainly was a job for their king. “It’s lovely, Cain.”

Jessamy perched on the table, carefully dipping her beak into a cup of her own. “Tastes the same to me as the last one.”

Cain gave her a cold look. “It’s hardly the same! Your bird taste buds are just weak.”

“If you say so,” she mumbled taking a small piece of cake and eating it.

After drinking tea and having a slice of cake you always remained to play with Gregory. He tossed the ball high up into the air before bouncing it off his beak toward you. You weren't as good at the game as he was, but you both seemed to enjoy the company and simple rules.

When the sun began to set over the garden you bid your friends farewell and made your way toward the palace where Dream waited for you on the bridge. You couldn’t help the way your heartbeat stuttered at the sight of him, nor the way your cheeks burned and a smile formed. His head turned and one of the corners of his mouth twitched. “How was tea?”

“Lovely, as always,” you told him as the two of you fell into step with one another.

He hummed. “And the library? Did Lucienne have any luck finding you a book?”

You shook your head. “She did not, but it was still nice getting to spend time with her.”

“Shall we?” He gestured toward the path to the pier. 

It had become a regular thing of Dream to accompany you through your work, one you appreciated greatly as he seemed to genuinely enjoy himself. “If you wish.”

“I do.”

You lifted your hand to him. “Then hold on.”

Things felt lighter with Morpheus beside you. The waters and those that dwelt within it felt warmer and safer. The dreams felt clear and your purpose felt almost good. There were nights when the darkness of the dreamer's fears was heavy, but on those nights you witnessed the mighty Dream of the Endless assert his power over his dominion to ease the shadow and dark.

The two of you walked hand in hand away from the pier, the soft quiet lapping of the water against the strong wood made you feel at ease beside him. The mist grew thicker and the familiar groans of the large trees echoed around you as your realm called you home.

“You can remain here,” Morpheus said, his hand softly squeezing yours.

“I know,” you said equally as softly. “But The Forest needs me, just as your realm needs you.”

He bowed his head. “I understand. Farewell, Daunt.”

You bowed in return. “Farewell, Morpheus. Will you visit tomorrow?”

“If that is your wish.”

“It is.”

He smiled. “Then I shall.”

The mist swirled around you, but your eyes never left his, not until he disappeared from your side completely. Back in the safety and quiet of your realm, you could let yourself feel the burning yearning that grew in your heart with each passing day. Here among the moss and the small flowers and trees, you could let yourself admit that you were becoming more attached to the being you once hated. Of course, you never let yourself think about it for long. You made your way back to your small hut and quietly shut the door, encasing the space in the heat from the fire.

Among your trinkets and the clothes Dream had made for you was an empty bed. You touched the stone around your neck as memories played in your head. Memories of Fern and Gaia and Puck and all the others that had warmed the bed while you were away and greeted you fondly when you returned. You missed each one of them so very much, and normally that would be enough to lead you to wake the stone, but now you had others to rely on. The Dreaming and those that lived within it were all you needed for now.

*

The Forest greeted you as it always did, with low groans and waves of mist. However, something felt different this time as you walked along the jagged path, something that became clear as you stopped at the bridge. The black-clad Endless stood looking out at the river, their blonde hair and gaudy shoulder pieces shifting in the light breeze. “Desire.”

“Finally! I’ve been waiting for ages.” They smirked. “Did you get enough beauty sleep?”

“What do you want?” You demanded, skipping over the fake polite conversation to get straight to the point and hopefully one step closer to their departure.

"You know how this will end, don't you Mistake?" Desire cooed as they looked back at you, their eyes cosmic blue and their hair messy and dark. "You will only ever be his consort, his whore, never his equal. Others far more beautiful and important have tried and failed before you. My big brother will never change."

"You're wrong." You said, ignoring the way your stomach lurched at the way their words. "He has changed."

Desire laughed and shook their head at you. "When my brother casts you aside, and he will cast you aside little Mistake, I hope you'll remember how I tried to warn you."

Just like before Desire left without another word, but the feeling of heaviness remained in your chest and lungs. The Forest still stank with their honeyed perfume and their bitter words. It only began to fade when another came, replacing the bitterness with sweetened ethereal stardust and citrus. Your heart felt lighter as you watched the thick trees bend their roots to forge a path for him.

Dream smiled, admiring the thick dark wood and emerald leaves. “It would seem your realm has at last taken a liking to me.”

“And to think all it took was a few hundred years and some good behavior.”

He tucked a strand of your hair back into place, his eyes sparkling as he gazed down at you. “Hello, Daunt.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the sound of your name rolling off his tongue so sweetly. “Hello, Morpheus.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Is everything well?”

“It is,” you said, choosing not to tell him of his siblings' sudden appearance and manipulating words. 

Like most times Morpheus visited your realm the two of you walked among the trees and you showed him things that had changed or appeared since his last visit. The two of you retired to your home where you offered him tea and he inquired about some of the trinkets you’d collected over the years. As you told your stories, his eyes remained fixed on you, shining and bright and full of something you did not want to name. His soft laughter was intoxicating and you found it harder and harder to deny the truth to yourself.

The two of you sat in your wilted garden as you looked over a pile of books Lucienne had sent with the Dream Lord to see if any held words you could see. “With the stories you hold, I doubt you’ll find a book more interesting.”

You smiled at him. “My stories are hardly more interesting than the words you inspire in your dreamers.”

“On the contrary,” he insisted, the closeness of him making it hard to ignore his strong jaw and his perfectly shaped lips. “I would rather listen to your stories than hear that of the greatest dreamers.”

“Is it my stories that interest you, or my voice?” You teased.

“Can it not be both?”

A blush rose to your cheeks as you glanced away. “I suppose it could be.”

His cold fingers stroked down your cheek and curled around your chin, carefully turning your face back towards his. Your breath caught in your throat as he watched you. Those beautiful eyes you’d come to love so much focused on every part of your face before he spoke, “You are beautiful, Daunt. More beautiful than any book or dream I could ever inspire or create.”

“You give yourself too little credit.”

“You are the one that is not given enough credit,” he replied as your faces drifted closer.

It was a featherlight touch of your lips against his, so light you couldn’t consider it a kiss. After the spark of the sudden contact faded, you found yourself being pulled in closer until Dream's lips pressed fully to yours. All the air left your lungs as you moved with him, your hands fisting in his dark cloak and sliding up to feel the softness of his skin under your fingertips. Dream released your chin, only to cup the back of your neck and angle your head up giving him the access he needed to deepen the kiss.

All around you warmth spread and the sound of petals opening echoed in your ears until you had to pull away. Breathlessly you looked around, eyes wide and nearly full of tears at the sight of your garden full of blooming flowers of every size and color. Dream chuckled, pressing his lips to your jaw for a short moment. “That was unexpected.”

You looked back at him and smiled, cupping his face in your hands. “They’re beautiful, thank you.”

“I did nothing,” he replied. “This realm is yours. It is your power they bent to, not mine.”

Deep in your chest, your heart soared. Desires words were long forgotten as you curled into the chilled arms of the Dream King and admired your garden.

*

Weeks passed since you shared your first kiss with Dream of the Endless. It was odd, to say the least, but changed little between the two of you. Neither of you would admit that you craved to kiss again… that you craved to do more than just kiss, and so you spent your time together awkwardly talking about anything and everything else. The two of you had begun to spend more time among company to avoid things growing awkward, but this meant that you both had to suffer the looks from Lucienne. The ones that dripped with sarcasm and a silent but still somehow audible Are the two of you serious? Every accidental touch felt like fire on your skin and left you a blushing mess.

The only moments of reprieve from this were with The Corinthian, who’d heard of your kiss and immediately dry heaved. The two of you alone were fine, but when Dream joined the picture the tension between the two put both of them in a foul mood. For a split second, you’d entertained the thought that Dream was… jealous of your closeness with his nightmare, but that had dissipated quickly. Dream of the Endless jealous? Absolutely not.

In recent days Dream was on edge. He was constantly busy with work and often had no more than a few moments to spend with you before he had to leave. Those short moments were tense in every sense and made you feel guilty for being here and bothering him. No matter how many times he assured you that it was not your doing, you still felt this weight settle in your gut. You’d known the Endless being for a very long time, and for most of that the two of you were not exactly on good terms, so you were used to his short temper and the sometimes harshness in his words, but unlike before he always apologized to you. While he was busy you spent more time with The Corinthian, hoping if you kept the nightmare busy enough he’d not be able to contribute to Dream's stress.

“Stop that,” you scolded, picking the little flower out of The Corinthian’s hands as he tore the petals off.

He sighed. “It’s a flower, Daunty, not some little pixie.”

You settled back into his side. “Flowers are living things of their own. Especially the ones that grow here. I doubt Fiddler’s Green appreciates your manhandling of the flora.”

“Well it’s a good thing Fiddler's Green is nothing more than grass and dirt then, isn’t it?”

The grass bent away from him at his words and the ground beneath him puffed out, creating uncomfortable lumps where he sat. The Corinthian groaned and stood up, stomping the ground. You laughed running your fingers through the silky blades of grass. “I don’t think Fiddler’s Green appreciates your sarcasm.”

Once the lumps evened out The Corinthian sat back down. “Fucking ridiculous.”

“Lighten up,” you said, bumping him with your shoulder. “If you’d be a little nicer then maybe you’d have more friends than just me.”

“Nice isn’t in my nature,” he insisted tilting his shades down. 

You touched his cheek. “You’re nice to me.”

“You’re the exception, not the rule fair lady.” He turned his gaze away from you again and that wave of discontent washed over you.

Laying your head on his shoulder you sighed. “I adore you, Corinthian.”

He chuckled and laid his head on top of yours. “Yeah, me too Daunty.”

The two of you rested beneath the trees of Fiddler’s Green for a long while until The Corinthian had to return to his duties, or simply wished to cause trouble before night fell. This time, however, it was Dream that interrupted the two of you. His hands were clasped behind his back as he stood in front of his nightmare, eyes dark and body tense. “Corinthian, you have duties to attend to.”

“Do I?” Your friend questioned with a wide grin. “My apologies, your majesty. I shall attend them at once.”

He turned and smiled down at you, tipping his hat. “Lady Daunt.”

You pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Dear Corinthian. Do try to behave.”

Standing, almost toe to toe with Dream the nightmare laughed. “But of course.”

Dream did not relax, not even when the nightmare left the meadow. “You should mind him more carefully.”

“What?”

“The Corinthian is my most fearsome nightmare, not a pet for you to play with.” He hissed. “His duties and his function are more important than you know.”

You blinked, slightly shocked by his ornery behavior. “I do not need a lecture on the importance of one's functions. I’ve done nothing to disrupt his duties.”

“You’ve done more than you think,” he replied, looking away in the direction his nightmare left. With a sigh, he returned his gaze to you. “I have a meeting with an old friend. I trust you’ll be alright here while I am gone.”

Still slightly upset by his ever-darkening mood and flippant temper you merely nodded. “Of course, I will be.”

“I shall return soon.” He bowed his head and turned on his heel, leaving you behind and alone in the meadow. 

As you remained the tension slowly drained from you and once again you were content to relax against the tree. It was difficult for you, seeing Dream in such a foul mood. Though you knew it was not aimed at you, per se, and was the cause of stresses he dealt with during his own duties seeing him in such a way always made you fearful. You heard the sharp sound of twigs snapping and there, across the way a tall buck stood watching you.

It was a beautiful beast, tall with ornate antlers and a deep rich coat of brown and tan. It sniffed the air of Fiddler’s Green for a moment before it bent its head down to nip at the grass below. A deep sense of wonder filled you, pulling you up from your spot and easing you forward, toward the creature. As you got closer it lifted its head up and huffed a hot breath in your face. 

“Easy,” you whispered. “I won’t hurt you.”

For a minute the both of you paused, watching one another closely until you lifted your hand toward it. A beat passed before the buck lifted its snout to your open hand and a rush of joy filled your lungs. You laughed softly, stroking its snout gently as the fur began to turn white beneath your palm. As it spread, filling the coat of the creature you smiled. The buck settled onto the ground and laid its head in your lap, groaning in pleasure when you’d scratch a certain spot. 

The sun had finally set and the stars filled the sky as you watched the gentle creature. “White looks lovely on you.”

Hours passed and the creature remained at your side. You were excited to show Dream that such a magnificent beast did not fear you and had relaxed at your side, but when The Dreaming quaked and the night sky clouded over with darkness and rain your excitement quickly shifted to worry. A few moments later you could see the blazing flames at his feet and the glowing eyes of Dream of the Endless fix upon you.

“What happened?” You asked, concerned that his meeting had gone poorly.

“What did you do?” Was his reply as his eyes fixed on the creature now looking up at him startled.

You stroked a comforting hand down its snout. “He came from the woods to graze and trusted me to come close.”

Shadow and flame seethed over his stiff form as his wide, watery eyes looked at his creation, now snowy white, and venom filled his voice as he stalked forward. "What have you done?"

"I did nothing," you whispered.

"Was it not your touch that did this?" He spat, gesturing to the buck, an action that caused it to rise from your lap and skirt backward.

You too recoiled slightly, before standing and reaching out toward him. “Morpheus I… I’m sorry I didn’t think-”

His hand gripped yours tightly, squeezing until you could feel the bones groan and grind together beneath the skin. “That is the problem! You didn’t think! It is your lack of thought that causes The Corinthian to act out, to challenge and defy me.”

The Corinthian? You shook your head as tears welled in your eyes. “I haven’t said anything to him about defiance. Morpheus, please let me -”

“No.” He said, voice low and rumbling like thunder. "Everything you touch spoils… Everything you speak to is corrupted by your words. All of this is your doing. Another burden upon my shoulders for me to remedy."

Your heart dropped into your stomach as you looked at him, regarding you with the same expression he had for so long before. Dream looked at you now as though you were nothing... Nothing more than a burden. You were prepared for this, weren't you? How many years had you spent by his side fearing this exact thing? 

It wasn't real… And perhaps it never had been.

You bowed your head, steeling your emotions. "Fear not, Dream Lord, I'll not make such mistakes again."

His eyes softened slightly, but Dream did not relent, he could not. He kept his head held high as you turned away and when he felt you vanish from his realm he kept it there. Dream did not listen to Lucienne's quiet concerns, nor did he permit Jessamy to speak on the matter. Whether he believed it was your fault or not mattered little now. What was done was done and now there was only the way forward.

All while you walked alone to your hut you heard Desire's voice echo all around you, the forest darker than it had ever been, the restlessness within it unending as the tiny specks of sunlight vanished. "Never his equal."

The flowers that had begun to grow along the path and beyond it wilted as you passed by. "My big brother will never change."

The mist curled around you, heavy and cold. "I hope you'll remember how I tried to warn you."

Nothing felt like yours anymore, not The Forest, the paths he'd treaded beside you just days ago. Not your hut, the soft cushioned surfaces he'd sat by your side and stroked your cheek free of tears. Not your clothes, the multitude of soft clothes he'd made and gifted to you. Not your collection of trinkets, the ones you'd placed in his hands and shared your stories with him. 

All of it everywhere was filled with echoes of him, his scent, his power, his lies. With a strangled noise, you tore it all apart, throwing every last trinket and piece of furniture until only the broken pieces lay around you. Your hand curled around the shaping stone, the last surviving thing that hummed with dreams. 

You lifted your arm, anger and hate filling your lungs as you prepared to throw it, shatter it and free yourself from the torturous presence it held. The pulse of life in your hand stopped you. It was a piece of something young and innocent and new. A life yet unlived. And there beside that, it held a piece of him, of star-filled skies, of moonlight paths and music and dancing. The part of Dream that had made you feel seen… That made you feel beautiful and worthy. It held Morpheus the being you had foolishly fallen in love with.

With a harsh sob, you lowered your arm, cradling the stone to your chest as you fell to the ground and wept. Warmth filled your hand as the stone spurred to life. "You know how this will end, don't you Mistake?"

*

Dream looked at the stained glass depiction of his nightmare looming over his throne, holding his helm tightly in his hands. He’d spent months listening to The Corinthians ever increasing words of defiance and outbursts, but he never truly thought the nightmare would go so far. It was easy to pinpoint the event that resulted in such unruly behavior, the two were always close. Daunt had not returned to The Dreaming since that night in Fiddler’s Green. He’d not locked the doors or banished her from his realm, yet there was still no sight of her, not even on the beaches or the pier.

Of course, he hadn’t been looking for her. Part of him still felt so angry at Hob Gadlings' accusations of needing companionship and at Daunt’s unexpected changing of one of his creatures, however unintentional it was. But it was not his anger that barred him from seeking Daunt out, it was his shame. How long had he nurtured the trust between them? How long had he wanted for her to feel comfortable enough to reach out and touch his creations, interact with his world in full only to punish her the moment she actually did it? Shame disguised as pride was a dangerous and horrible thing.

“My Lord?” Lucienne’s tentative voice broke him away from his thoughts and brought him back to the matter at hand. The Corinthian loose in the Waking World. His grip on his helm tightened. “Could you not… perhaps call upon Lady Daunt to follow after The Corinthian? The two were friends-”

“No.” He ground his teeth together. “This does not concern her.”

“You are coming back, aren’t you?”

Jessamy cawed at his feet. “Why would I not return, Lucienne?”

“I don’t know, a presentiment. As powerful as you are here, in your realm, dreams rarely survive in the Waking World.” He donned his helm and poured the sand from his pouch into the palm of his hand, feeling it swirl at his feet as his librarian continued. “Nightmares, on the other hand, seem to thrive there.”

*

“Here in the Darkness.” The disembodied voices echoed through the darkness that settled over your realm as bodies of shadow, creatures of hollow dreams, and rouge nightmares roamed your woods freely. At first, you thought this to be some punishment of Dreams, but The Forest cried out louder. “Here in the darkness.” 

A shadow lunged for you, caught by the vines of the trees and dragged away before it could touch you. Another followed, scratching at your feet for a short moment before a flash of white leaped down and the sharp teeth closed around its throat with a sickening crunch. The white wolf looked up at you, deep blue eyes wide with worry. “Are you harmed, my lady?”

“No,” you assured the creature with a gentle touch. “I am fine, Sirius.”

Blue eyes flared to the remained shadows that the mist held at bay. “What are these creatures?”

You shook your head, examining them from your safe place. “Old shadows, spirits that were lost to The Forest long ago… though some are Nightmares.”

“Nightmares?”

“Yes, beings belonging to The Dreaming and to the Dream Lord.”

“He dares invade our realm?”

A chill ran up your spine and the ground quaked beneath you. “Here in the darkness.”

“No,” you whispered. “I fear this is something far more sinister.”

You hadn’t planned on returning to The Dreaming, not this soon at least, but your realm cried out and writhed in pain. The only one that could be responsible was Dream and so there you were, standing before the Gates of Horn and Ivory. Something was wrong. The sky was dull and the sand felt like it was a breath away from falling into nothingness. You reached up, but before you could even touch the gates they shook and groaned, opening of their own accord to reveal the lush forests and beautiful trees dead. All green was gone, replaced by black decay and crumbling stone. 

There were very few Dreams and Nightmares in the town, all of them growing void of color and joy. The bridge to the palace quaked beneath your feet as you strode through the front doors of the palace and looked upon the empty throne. “Dream Lord?”

Sirius fell into place beside you, looking at the dull blue room warily. “This is the great palace of Dreams?”

“Dream?” You called again, louder this time.

“Daunt?” Lucienne’s voice replied as she hurried around the corner and smiled sadly. “Oh, my lady!”

You caught her in a tight hug. “What’s happened?”

She shook her head, tears forming behind her glasses. “Lord Morpheus… He’s missing.”

“Missing?” Memories of Destructions unexpected departure resurfaced. “When? Where?”

“A month ago…” She bowed her head. “Everyone else has given up hope… they say he has abandoned us as Destruction did his realm.”

You shook your head, a soft gasp escaping from your lips. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”

Lucienne’s eyes widened as she clutched the book she held to her chest. “Do you suppose this has something to do with The Corinthian?”

“The Corinthian?” Pain filled every breath you took. “It is your lack of thought that causes The Corinthian to act out, to challenge and defy me.”

“Yes, Lord Morpheus went to the Waking World to retrieve him.” Lucienne grimaced. “He fled to the Waking World and began… overstepping.”

"Everything you touch spoils… Everything you speak to is corrupted by your words. All of this is your doing. Another burden upon my shoulders for me to remedy." He had been right. You had done this… Had twisted his greatest creation with your touch and words… had caused him to flee his role. Is this what happened to Destruction as well? Was this part of your curse upon the universe?

Sirius nudged you, a soothing gesture he often did when you froze. “My lady, we should return to The Forest.”

You shook your head again, fighting back tears. “No. If Dream’s disappearance has caused such a disturbance there it will not be remedied until he returns.”

“What shall we do then?”

“Where was The Corinthian last? If I can find him perhaps he will lead me to Dream.”

Lucienne nodded, quickly consulting the book in her hands. “London. Here is the address. Please, my lady Daunt…” She let loose a shaking breath. “Bring him home. I know the two of you have been… distant… but-”

You set your hand on her shoulder and smiled. “I will bring him back, I swear it.”

*

You’d spent weeks in the Waking World, searching the streets of London for The Corinthian or Dream, yet found nothing. Sirius had been traveling back and forth between London and The Dreaming and The Forest, as you tried desperately to keep things from falling apart. Without Dream, you could always hear the desperate voices of the dreamers crying out, pained and broken as they pleaded with any god or being that would listen. It made sleep elude you, made every waking moment a never-ending nightmare. You had to find him.

Sirius vanished into the mist, back to The Forest where more creatures tore down barrier after barrier and threatened to take over your realm entirely. Everything was twisted and mangled and reeked of Despair. Whether the Endless twins had anything to do with this you still didn’t know, but you would find out one way or another after you found Dream.

You’d traveled further out of the town than normal, and made your way to a bridge that by the look of it led to some kind of house, a manor perhaps. For a moment you stood still, resting your hand on the edge of the bridge as the water echoed through your ears. You should have felt him, his power or presence, something. But there was nothing, only the river, the bridge, and the breeze. Just as you were about to turn around you heard it, a distant caw and the desperate beating of wings. 

A voice. Jessamy. “Daunt!” Another caw echoed as you lifted your eyes to the sky, hope unfurling in your chest. “Daunt!”

“Jessamy!” You cried out, taking a half-step forward.

“NO!” The bird called out, trying to fly faster.

You were about to ask her what was wrong, what had happened, and where Dream was, but a calm hand resting on your shoulder stopped you. “I was hoping you’d give up, Daunty.”

“Corinthian?” You breathed turning to face your friend, but it was not your friend you laid eyes on… only the nightmare. The sting of steel tearing through your chest was unexpected and far more painful than you thought it would be. Gasping you looked down at the blade, at the blood that now stained your white dress, and at the shaking hand that held the hilt of the knife. 

"I'm sorry Daunt…" The Corinthians' lips quivered, and his blade dug deeper into your chest. "But I can't let you free him."

You cupped his cheek, tears streaming down your face as one last cold breath slid past your lips, "My dear Corinthian..."

Jessamy’s screams and desperate caws echoed in your ears as you stumbled back from the nightmare. You fell over the edge of the stone bridge and down into the cold depths below. As you sank further and further down the water turned red before your eyes and a strong current pulled at your limp body, dragging you back toward the surface. The familiar misty canopy of the great tree greeted you, but The Forest groaned and the ground shook beneath you. Your body burned as the frost-ridden mist settled lower and the water that now flooded the roots of the great tree began to rise.

A dark figure appeared in the mist, walking languidly toward you while clapping slowly. “My, my, what a sorry sight you make.”

Desire. Their golden eyes appeared first, then the wide red Cheshire smile you loathed so much. The Forest grew louder as the leaves on the trees began to shake and shift from their mystic dark emerald to poisoned, rotted scarlet. The Endless bent over and took your chin in their hand. “I did tell you this would happen, didn’t I?”

You drew a deep, stuttered breath, “Leave.”

“Oh, little Mistake,” they purred. “It’s not very polite to bite the hand that’s here to save you.”

Save you? Pain flared in your chest and the roots of the trees began to move, drawing you in. Desire made a face, shifting to accommodate the wood before returning their burning eyes to you. “I can heal you, take you far from this dying little realm of yours and give you all your pathetic little heart desires. All I ask in return is that when the time comes you’ll help me bring my big brother to his knees.”

Even weak, dying, you scoffed. “I… Would rather die than betray Dream.”

“He has already betrayed you, Mistake.” Their grip on your chin grew tighter. “You are nothing to him. A burden he must shoulder. I could give you a grand palace, subjects to rule and worship you, a crown of gold and rubies. Everything you desire can be yours.”

“No,” You whispered in response. No matter how grand a kingdom Desire gave you, no matter how many subjects they offered or gold or rubies it would never be what you wanted, what you craved and desired with all of your being. 

Love. It was all you wanted since the beginning of your life. For so long all you’d desired was someone to love you as you loved them… though back then you didn’t know the true depth of it. Back then you couldn’t have known that it was Dream you’d wanted to love you. Desire scowled at you and gripped the knife, still lodged into your chest, twisting as they spoke. “Stupid, idiotic, pathetic thing! Who are you to refuse my generosity? You are nothing but a mistake! You are a burden!”

They pulled the dagger out of your chest and lifted it, poised and ready to deal the final blow when Sirius leaped from the mist with an angry growl, latching onto Desire's wrist and forcing them to the ground. You could hear the struggle between the wolf and the Endless being, but you were too weak to aid your companion. A loud whimper and a booming frustrated cry echoed in the air before you felt Desire’s foreboding presence vanish from your world. Sirius returned to your side, one of his bright blue eyes now marred with a deep cut. 

“My lady,” he whispered, lifting himself up to press a paw to your still bleeding wound. “How can I help you… What must I do?”

Redwater sloshed beneath you as the roots of the trees continued to groan and twist around you. “Stay. Stay beside me until the end.”

Sirius curled into your side, burying his snout into the crook of your neck. “Always, my lady.”

Frost settled onto the trees and moss as snow began to fall from the darkened sky. The mist grew thicker as darkness descended on The Forest. Above the cracking of the tree roots and the rushing water and the sinister whispers the saddened, fearful whines of a loyal companion could be heard through every dream and nightmare. All would hear your quiet labored breaths and feel the cold overtake your skin. All but the man with stars in his eyes trapped behind the glass. All but Dream of the Endless.

[elisysd]

Best Days - Alessia Cara

Masterlist - Previously - Next Chapter

But the hardest pill to swallow is the meantime Are the best days just the ones that we survive?

Charles had been apprehensive about New Year's Eve with Lyanna's family, given the way the introductions had gone the last time he had been here. Yet he had been warmly welcomed and included in the Michel's family traditions, playing cards with Lyanna's grandfather and uncles, a piano session with her aunt, passionate and exciting discussions about the future of motor sport... he felt at home with her family. Welcomed. And it was with emotion that he joined Lyanna on the first-floor balcony of her grandparents' house.

“Thank you for letting me come.” He said to her.

“You’re my family now, I couldn’t see myself spending that important moment without you.”

Midnight was approaching. He put an arm around her shoulders to hold her close, placing a kiss on her forehead and pressing his cheek against it. Lyanna gave a contented sigh before slipping her cold hands under the Monegasque's jacket. They stayed awhile like that, just enjoying each other presence and company. On the ground floor, they could hear the countdown and when 2024 finally arrived and the fireworks began to appear in the sky, Lyanna turned to Charles.

“Well, happy New Year, my love. I hope this year will be filled with success for you and you’ll finally get what you have been running after for so long…”

“You know, I have already everything that I ever wished for. I have you and somehow, it’s enough for me.” He confessed.

He took her face in his hands and placed his lips on hers. Lyanna stood up on tiptoe and put her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

“I love you so much, Charles.” She whispered when they finally let go of each other.

Shortly after the New Year, they were due to travel to Rome for the FIA gala. It was an opportunity to honour Max, who had brilliantly won the 2023 season, but also to put Charles in the spotlight, as it was planned to present him with a trophy of honour to welcome him back to the top category of motor sport. Charles agreed willingly on condition that Lyanna was present at his side. He hated this kind of ceremony and even more hated being given a trophy just for getting out of the crash alive.

“I want a trophy because I won the championship, not because they’re pitying me.” He had said.

So it was in a magnificent room in a 5-star hotel in the heart of Rome that they had arrived a few hours earlier. Lyanna was immediately taken aside by the make-up artist and hairdresser, while Charles was requisitioned to fetch the young woman's dress. Charles had been impressed by the speed with which the actress had organised the preparations. A phone call to Sophia and that was it.

“Sophia knows many people; she has her own emergency glam team in every country of the globe. It saved my ass more than once.” She had explained when Charles questioned her.

As for Charles, being personally sponsored by Armani, he didn't really have much choice about his outfit. A black suit and white shirt would do the trick, not forgetting the Ferrari logo embroidered on the left-hand side. As for Lyanna, she had also opted for an Italian brand: Versace. The dress was simple in appearance: draped black with no frills. But when she turned around and Charles saw the young woman's entire bare back and the slit at the bottom of the dress, he thought he'd lost his composure.

“I swear if I had no obligations to be there tonight, I would have pretended to be sick just to keep you in this hotel room. This dress is driving me crazy. You are driving me crazy.”

“Yeah? You like it? I thought that it was a little too much…” said Lyanna completely oblivious to the current state of her boyfriend.

“I like it a little too much, Lya, that’s the thing.”

“It’s a nice dress, for sure? I love it. It’s just the right mix of classy and sexy.”

“You’re killing me, you know that?” he said, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her tight to his chest.

Charles continued to place light kisses on her neck before slipping his hand through the opening in the young woman's dress, drawing a sigh of pleasure from her and bringing a cocky smile to the pilot's lips.

“Lya, love? Do I feel that right? No underwear? Are you really trying to drive me crazy?”

“Have you seen the dress, Charles? I can’t wear anything under it!”

Charles breathed hard into her neck as he closed his eyes, trying to pull himself together.

As the minutes ticked by, they finally left the room, but Charles promised Lyanna that as soon as they got back the young woman would quickly understand how much he loved her dress.

Photographers lined the red carpet and Lyanna was blinded by the lights. It was a strange experience for her, a red carpet where people weren't shouting her name to get her attention, but one where all eyes were on Charles. They posed confidently for the cameras and Lyanna could feel her boyfriend's firm hand on her hip, as if looking for support. After many long minutes, they finally entered the room where a hostess greeted them and led them to their table. Charles was surprised to see them assigned to the same table as Max, Checo and Fernando. He hadn't won anything and knowing that he was sitting with the 2023 podium finishers made him uncomfortable. He felt illegitimate. Seeing Charles' discomfort, Lyanna took his hand and shook it. Charles turned to her and gave her a slight smile as Max and Kelly, his partner, arrived together.

“Charles, it’s good to see you!” greeted him Max as he was shaking Charles’ hand and patting his shoulder.

“Hey. Congrats again, I didn’t have the occasion to tell you that. How does it feel to be third time world champion?”

“Oh you know, it’s weird. It’s not like I had much competition anyway. I hope you’ll get a nice car this season so we can fight. I miss that.”

Then he turned to Lyanna, who was sitting sipping her glass of champagne.

“I don’t think I had the pleasure of meeting your girlfriend, yet?”

“True. Max, this is Lyanna. Lyanna, this is Max.”

“Nice to meet you. It’s always a pleasure to meet Charles’ friends.” She said politely.

“I wouldn’t go as far as saying we’re friends, but let’s say that we have a friendly rivalry.” Corrected her Max as Charles shrugged.

Everyone finally sat down as Max began to tell Charles in detail about the races he had missed. Lyanna tried to keep up with the conversation, asking a few questions from time to time, which resulted in a new explanation from Max that lost Lyanna more than it enlightened her. She eventually lost interest in the conversation and tried to chat with Kelly, but quickly gave up when she realised that she didn't feel like talking to her. She stayed on her phone most of the time, seeming completely disinterested and only joining in the conversation at rare moments. Lyanna couldn't help thinking that she and Max really did make an odd couple. A little later Checo and his wife arrived, followed by Fernando, who was running a little late.  

Finally, the ceremony began. Lyanna couldn't help but find it extremely long and had to restrain herself from yawning more than once out of politeness. Charles also seemed to want to be anywhere but here and Max was beginning to fidget in his seat in impatience. Finally, the part about Charles began. Lyanna didn't know what to expect but one thing was certain, it certainly wasn't what was now projected on the big screen. Images of the accident with epic music, the reaction of the commentators in several languages, the reaction of the drivers and the people present. Lyanna suddenly felt ill; she hadn't been prepared to relive the nightmarish minutes that sometimes still haunted her nights. She glanced at Charles, who wasn't doing too well either. He was staring at the floor, his fingers playing with his watch. Lyanna grabbed his hand and squeezed it to try to get his attention. Charles looked at her and smiled shyly. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the video stopped and the room fell into a stunned silence. Nobody really knew how to react.

The presenter returned to the stage as if nothing had happened and called Charles to award him his trophy of honour. With the cameras now focused on him, Charles stood up, adjusted his jacket, and winked at them, before trotting back to the stage. He shook hands with the host and the President of the FIA, who was presenting him with the trophy, and handed him the microphone. 

“Charles, it’s good to have you back! How are you doing?”

“I’m great thanks. And it’s nice to be there as well. Thanks for the invite and the trophy.”

“A few words to the audience maybe?”

“I just want to thanks everyone for the kind words I received during my recovery, and I also want to thanks my family and my girlfriend that is there tonight for their unconditional support. I can’t wait to be back on tracks this season and hopefully have great fights wot Max and Red Bull. I’m looking forward to that.”

As Charles spoke these words, the camera focused on Lyanna, who gave an embarrassed smile and a slight wave of her hand. After that, the ceremony quickly came to an end with prize-giving for Max, Checo and Fernando, and soon Charles and Lyanna were on their way back to the hotel. As soon as he was through the door, Charles stripped off his shoes as well as his jacket, and as Lyanna headed for the bathroom, Charles grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

“You don’t think that I have forgotten about what I promised you earlier, love?”

“All I can see is that your all talk and no actions mister Leclerc.” She teased him while looking at him deeply in the eyes.

That was just what Charles needed to kiss her hard and lift her onto the bed.

A few days later, Lyanna was on her way to Los Angeles to meet Michael Mann and Adam Driver for a few camera tests and to discuss the project in more detail. She wasn't surprised that everything went well. After all, she had taken the time to study the project carefully and seeing the director's passion and the way he talked about the film was enough to convince her. Filming would start at the end of February and Lyanna would finish around the end of May if all went well. The actress took the opportunity to raise the question of the film's marketing and took the time to make it clear that she did not want her relationship with Charles to be used for the film's publicity, which was accepted. So it was with a light heart and a certain excitement that she boarded her plane for London to sort out the details of her move and say goodbye to Sophia.

When she walked through the door of her flat, she was not shocked to see it empty, Sophia having taken care of packing up her things and sending them off to her new flat in Nice. But all the same, it gave her a twinge of sadness. So many memories, both good and bad, belonged to this place. Soon the owner arrived to check out the apartment and Lyanna felt a tear roll down her cheek as she handed him back the key. Then her legs took her towards Sophia's office, where she was waiting.

“So, how does it feel to leave? How do you feel?” she asked her.

“Weird, to be honest. It’s like closing a big chapter of my life. If you had told me that it would happen six months ago, I would have laughed. But here we are.”

“I’m not saying it often but, I’m proud of you Lya. I'm proud of the progress you've made and of the woman you've become. You grew up a lot. I’m happy for you. Really. And I know that it’s just the beginning for you, so many great things are still ahead of you. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

“Stop it, you’re going to make me cry. And we’re still working together! I’m just going to annoy you a lot less now that I won’t be around.”

“And as weird as it sounds, I’m going to miss that.”

In the meantime, Charles spent his days in Maranello working on the simulator or talking to the teams about the new season and how they would approach it. As he was making himself a coffee from the machine in the break room, he was approached by Carlos, who asked him if it would be possible for them to talk, to which Charles agreed.

“I have something to tell you.” Carlos announced.

Feeling that the conversation was going to be serious, Charles settled into a chair.

“2024 at Ferrari will be my last season.”

“What? Why? Where are you going?”

“It’s not public yet, but Valtteri is going to retire at the end of the season and they are looking for a driver to replace him. Especially since they want to prepare the merging with Audi. They want me as first driver and it’s an opportunity that I can’t refuse. And we both know that here, I’m not their first choice. If they had to choose between you and me, they would choose you. I need to secure my future in F1 and Audi might be my best shot.”

“Well that comes as a surprise, I’m not going to lie. But I’m happy for you. If they can give you what we couldn’t and you think you’ll be happier there, then I’m happy for you Carlos.”

“Thank you, Charles. Despite everything that happened between us on tracks, I’m glad to be able to call you my friend.”

“You know what? Let’s make this season one will never forget. In honor of what we have both been through with Ferrari, let’s make the most out if it.  This our year.”

It wasn't just talk to Charles; it was a promise. And one he intended to keep.

=================

author's note: 2024 is here!!! And let me tell you that's gonna be a hell of year for Charles and Lya and I'm waiting for your predictions about the final chapters because yes, we are entering in the last part of Cruel Summer with only 10 chapters remaining... I'm sad. But let's not cry now, there is still a lot to tell! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter and don't forget to like/comment/reblog. Don't be a ghost reader. 😊💛🌸 taglist:

@zendayabelova @purplephantomwolf @ru-kru @dakotali @blueflorals @aundercover @ruleroftheuniverse @fangirlika @writerscurse @elijahmikaelsonbitch @leclerc13 @karmabyfernando @stargaryenx @pitlanebabe @boiohboii @reengard

If you are tagged but did not receive any notifications, please check your settings because it means that Tumblr didn't let me tag you.

[hedgehog-rehab-by-the-levee]

Little Flea came to me in 2021 with her siblings Freddy and Velma after she was found hypothermic and slightly apathetic at 180g in November. After a lot of drone milk to build up her strength and the necessary parasite treatments, she had a good (albeit late) first hibernation.

However, her ‘baby quills’ just wouldn't fall out the following year and her quills were to light for quite a long time… (picture 2+3) but then it was finally time and the adult quillls came through (picture 4+5)!

Flea is a regular guest at the feeding site and can therefore be checked regularly to see if she is ok.

In August caught my eye due to with green diarrhoea and a weight of only 600g. A perennial hedgehog can definitely weigh up to 1,000g at this time of year, especially as this is the time of year when they are pregnant and have offspring. It is therefore important to consider whether you should take in a female hedgehog at this time of year, as it cannot be ruled out that she may currently be nursing babies. After much deliberation and a steadily decreasing weight, I decided to take Flea back in, diagnose and treat her.

Flea had coccidia which required antibiotic treatment. After the treatment she finally managed to reach a weight of 900g!

In September, shortly before her release into the wild, she suddenly and unexpectedly lost a lot of weight… Flea gave birth to 5 little hedgehogs. Unfortunately they were premature and far too small and didn't make it. Unfortunately one of the many setbacks you have to face as a hedgehog carer…

However, Flea was released back into the wild in good health and was spotted at the feeding site again this year after a successful hibernation and seems to be in good condition :)

We hope for healthy and successful offspring this year!

[thebookwormfairy]

TEEN DETECTIVE BUCK

As always feel free to use these ideas for your own works

Evan spent a lot of time in hospitals as a kid

Weather it was because he had to donate something for his brother or because of his own reckless actions

To past the time he would read mystery novels

He loved a good mystery and that transfered to his real life

In his home town he would go searching for mysteries

Nothing too big, just a missing pet here, finding out who stole a necklace there

He was able to mostly stay off the local police radars

But that change when his parents moved him, his sister and brother to Los Angeles so that his brother could get better treatment when Buck was 9

With his parents focus on Daniel's treatment and Maddie focus of College Buck had a lot of free time on his hand and decided to continue his boy detective antics

As he got older Daniel got better but his parents still gave all their attention to him and sometimes Maddie and the only time has parents acknowledge his existence was when he was hurt or when he had to be picked up from the police station when he was caught "trespassing" for a case

Which is why he is in the backseat of his favorite police officer's car, Athena Grant

He first time met Athena was shortly after he moved to LA

He was looking for a classmates lost parrot that turned out to be extremely rare and stumbled on a black market animal trade

He snuck in and grab his friends parrot before sneaking out and calling 911

911 operator: 911 what's your emergency?

13 year old Buck: Um hi, I think I found an animal smuggling ring.

911 operator: ....I'm sorry could you repeat that?

Buck: I was looking for my friend's parrot and found an animal smuggling ring

911 operator: ...Ok? Where are you located

Buck told them he was at a warehouse by the docks

911 operator *switching over to call Athena": Hey Officer Grant I have a kid on the other line that says he found an animal smuggling ring.

Athena *rolling her eyes*: Well I'll give the kid this that is a prank call I haven't heard before.

911 operator:. Here's the thing, he's calling from a payphone at the docks, so he's either telling the truth or taking the prank way to far. Can you please go check on him?

Athena: I'm never too busy to lecture kids on the importance of not wasting 911's time.

911 operator: Thanks Athena! *Switching back over to Buck* Okay there is an officer heading to your location.

Buck *Just excited that he founds his friend's parrot*:. Awesome thanks!

Buck kept talking to the 911 operator until Athena pulled up to him.

Buck told the operator the police were there and hung up to run up to Athena

Buck: Thanks goodness you're here! We're going to need back up! That warehouse is full of all sorts of animals, like tigers and penguins, and those guys were being sooo mean to the animals and they stole my friend's bird!

Athena watch as this strange teenager who ran up with a blue parrot on his shoulder

Athena: What's your name kid?

Buck: Evan, but I go by Buck because when I first moved here there were already like 5 Evans in my class so instead I go by Buck instead of being Evan B

Athena: And do your parents know where you are?

Buck: Maybe? I know I told them before I left but they were busy talking about Daniel so I don't know if they heard me.

Athena: Ok this was a funny joke but let's get you home ande and your parents can have a nice long talk with you about prank calling 911

Buck: But it wasn't a prank! Follow me I'll show you!

Buck ran off and Athena had no choice but to follow him

He lead the officer to a ladder that lead to a fire escape exit for the warehouse that had obviously been tamper with to not go off when open

Following the boy she found exactly what he described, a warehouse filled with animals of all kinds, and men walking around either on phones probably talking to their customers or throwing food at different animals while kicking the cages

Seeing enough Athena led Buck out of the warehouse again and made sure they were a safe distance away before radioing dispatch for back up

Athena: Dispatch this is officer Grant, it turns out that prank call wasn't a prank after all, I'm going to need several more units and animal control at my location now.

After the ring was busted and animal control had the animals under control Athena walks back up to Buck

Buck: That was awesome! Do you think you can give me a ride to my friend's house? I want to return Blu to his owner

Athena: Sure and while we do that, we're going to have a nice long talk about how you shouldn't sneak into warehouses and sneak past potentially very dangerous men so that you can get a parrot back.

Despite that talk, Buck ran into Athena more times that she would have liked at first

Buck just seemed to have a knack for simple mysteries turning into major crimes

Looking for a lost necklace?

Ends up finding a jewel smuggling ring

Finding out who was spray painting they school ?

Uncovering a conspiracy to frame certain kids to get them kicked out

Just trying to find out who his secrete admirer is?

Turns out they're a stalker who follows his cases!

Buck became so much apart of Athena's career that he got is own code so Athena automatically knows that this has something to do with Buck

Over time their exasperated relationship turned into pseudo mother son relationship

Buck open up to Athena about how his parents focus more on his older siblings, Maddie who was in Nursing school and Daniel who was pre-med

That on the rare times they did acknowledge him it was because he did something they preserved as wrong or he was hurt

Athena took that poor boy under her wing and basically started to raise him as her own

She would go to his school events, encourage him when he needs it, and be a shoulder to cry on when the silence at home got to be too much for him

Athena wasn't the only emergency reaponder that Buck was well aquatinted with

He was also well know in the 118

Hey you didn't do what Buck does without getting injured or stuck in a really high tree, which is how he met Bobby

Since Bobby had joined the 118 he had heard stories about this teen detective that got himself into all sorts of trouble

Bobby didn't really believe them, he honestly thought that the team was trying to trick him

Until he got a call that a code baby blue was stuck in a tree

Bobby: I'm sorry dispatch could you repeat that?

Dispatch: You must be new, code baby blue is Buck, he somehow hot himself stuck in a tree

Bobby: Okay dispatch

Bobby turns to Hen and Chimney

Bobby: Buck is a real person?

Chimney: Yeah, did you think he wasn't?

Bobby: I honestly thought you guys were pulling my leg

Hen:. Oh no Cap, Buck is very much a really person and I can't wait for you to meet him

When they got to the sight, Bobby was expecting a scrawny preteen maybe 10 feet above the ground

What he got was a burley 16 year old, 20 feet in the air

Buck *waving his hand*: Hi Hen, hi Chimney! I know what this looks like but please don't tell Athena!

Hen *laughing*: What are you doing up there Buckaroo?

Buck: I was working on a case and a piece of evidence got blown up here

Chimney was shaking his head and taking pictures as Bobby clipped in and started to climb the ladder to get this kid that should have known better out of the tree

Buck *as Bobby reached him*: Hi I'm Buck! I promise this was totally worth it! This fabric is the key to solving my case!

Bobby: please climb down

Buck: okay!

Bobby clipped Buck in and they started their descent down from the tree

They were almost down when a police car came speeding into the parking lot

Athena *over her loud speaker*: Evan Buck Buckley you are in so much trouble

Buck: Oh man

Apparently Buck was supposed to be grounded after he snuck into a warehouse he thought was making counterfeit items

And they were because the fabric clutch in his hand proved it!

Bobby couldn't help but laugh at this whole situation

Bobby kept seeing Buck and soon also emotionally adopted him

When it came time for Buck's highschool graduation, his parents didn't come but his siblings did, as did the 118, and a good number of the LAPD

After Buck graduated he got an associates degree and spent some time traveling around before he shocked every first responder in the LA area by entering the fire academy

Everybody was so sure he was going to be a police officer or even a private detective, but no he became a firefighter

But his keen detective mind helped him on more than a few occasions

He was the first to figure out the bank heist skeem

And when it came to the lock yard mystery his brain was humming with ideas and theories

Athena: Don't even think about it Buck

Buck: But-

Athena: No I remember that gleam in your eyes

Buck: The mail isn't her own and there seems to be-

Athena: No!

Buck *talking quicker*: I bet she was blackmailing someone!

Athena: Bobby get our son out of here before he ends up back in the back of my police cruiser!

Bobby: Of course honey! C'mon Buck, listen to your mother

Buck pouted like a child and the rest of the team laughed at him except Eddie

Eddie: What does she mean by being back in the back of her police cruiser

Buck: I was a bit of a nosey kid-

Chimney: Oh no! You are not going to play this down! This kid was a menace! He was a real Nancy Drew and that would get him in so much trouble!

Buck: It didn't get me in that much trouble

Hen: Did you forget when we had to get you out of a vending machine because some guy you were tailing locked you in there

Chimney: Of that time your got stuck in a fence because you were sure that the old factory was being used to make counterfeit money

Buck:. THEY WERE!

Bobby: let's not forget how we met, you being stuck in a 20 ft tree

Eddie: Damn Buck, you were a bit of a trouble maker

Buck *blushing*: I was more of a trouble magnet, I didn't mean to get in trouble it just sort of found me

Athena: Yeah that happens when you actively look for it

Eddie: Buck Buckley teen detective! You could write books!

Bobby: Don't encourage him to encourage more teen detectives!

[stardustinmyhands]

Trigger warning

Suicide talk.

5/21/24

Woke up and my elbows are already in pain.

Great way to start the day. I have to go buy yogurt and empty the dishwasher (and fill it up). I need to wash my bed sheet, but I have a king size bed and it’s covered in stuffies. Send help.

I feel asleep very fast last night and work shortly after due to a nightmare

My gf said she had a nightmare that society collapsed and she had to give me a special hot cocoa to make me fall asleep forever. We talk about how I wouldn’t survive if that ever happened And how she would make me a “special” cocoa and tell me to go to sleep. I would do that anyway.

We both admit due to my health problems I will probably die first. Which to be honest I’m not afraid to die. I’m more afraid of the way I die. My only concern is if I go before my mom for any reason. She would be beyond heartbroken to lose two children. She worries about me and my sister so much. She doesn’t believe parenting ends at 18. She’s loved us unconditionally since she discovered she was pregnant with us. When I came out to my mom i was dating women, she was a little surprised but she just said her only concern is my safety and that things maybe harder for me. She’s supported me every minute since then, and never stopped loving me.

Ok I know I know this is my chronic illness blog, but look at these dolls. I freaking love them. I want them all.

My gf is off work for 4 days this week. She is gonna put floating shelves up in my room. I get to display my Starbucks cups. I’m excited to decorate my room. This apartment feels more like home than my last apartment. Maybe cause I’m back in the city I grew up in. Mesa is home to me.

Today is some grocery shopping and cleaning in my home. Maybe some laundry. I need to wash my bed sheet. But my bed is so big and covered in stuff, and in the corner of a smaller room than my last apartment.

I think I had an allergic reaction to the sun block I tried yesterday. I will put in the other one she gave me to try. She said cause of my condition and how my skin reacts to the sun, I need to use sun blocks every day. Which is just another way of saying you are to white, protect yourself from the sun. Which I have heard from every skin doctor I’ve seen.

My brother’s anniversary of his suicide is this month. I’m not mourning him anymore, I was never upset that much that he passed. He was my mom’s first born and her only son. So she misses him dearly. I don’t blame her for that, it’s natural. She saw the good person be used to be. As a child, I think my brother turned out the way he did cause one he was just born that way. ( I very much believe that a lot of who we are is just cause we were born that way, and then nurture helped form what is already in us). My brother was a teenager when my parents divorced. It was a messy divorce. And they were rocky before that happened. In fact my dad told me a story about how they found out I was coming along. Day one my mom asked for a divorce, day two my dad lost his job, day three my mom found out she was pregnant with me. So all that happened 3 days in a row. They stayed together cause a baby was on the way. I don’t believe you should stay together for the kids, but this was in 1980. So it wasn’t good before I even came along. And I guess they tried to make it work for the new baby (me). I told my mom I don’t remember anything of the divorce, she said she’s thankful for that. I don’t remember my parents ever being married, but I was 2 when they divorced. I guess it’s a good thing I have no memory of it. But my brother was a very important part of his life when they divorced, he was entering his teen years. And I think that’s what happened to him. Cause if I’m honest my brother wasn’t a good person, at all to everyone around him. I remember him being good to me a few times, but of the time he was abusing me. My brother never sexually abused me. It was all emotionally and physical abuse. I don’t think I will tell my mom any of the very bad things he did. Let dead dogs stay dead. And let her keep her pleasant memories of him. I won’t be that asshole. I love my mom more than I love revealing the truth.

[teenie-xf]

Top 5 episodes of TXF that you dislike

Thanks for asking @scullys-scalpel! I had to go through the episode list to remind myself of the ones I didn't like, and there were more than I was aware of (looking at you seasons 9 and 11...). BUT I was asked for my top 5 dislikes, so I went with the ones I have a visceral negative reaction to.

1. #Gender Bender (#s1e14)

I first watched this episode when I very, very young (like we're talking 10 years old) and I just thought it was so fucked up on so many levels LOL. Not only did the whole sex-pheromone/handing touching thing weird me out but I was also very unsettled by Scully throwing up after escaping Brother Andrew's seduction (I mean, I get it). I have a weird phobia around vomiting and combined with this ep's weirdness my anxiety was ratcheted up, so it's not one that I have revisited.

2. #The Gift (#s8e11)

Which brings me to this ep lol. I just can't. I could barely get through the first airing and haven't watched it since.

3. #Firewalker (#s2e09)

I am putting this ep on my list because of how much it terrified me as a kid. I was about 11 years old when it aired and it gave me such nightmares LOL. I had built it up so much in my mind that I avoided it in syndication and hadn't watched it since its first airing. That is, until I was showing the series to my husband and he made me watch it. Now, as an adult, it is much-less scary than I remembered but I nevertheless still turned my head when the spores burst through people's necks. The scene that absolutely terrifies me (still to this day) is when Scully finds an infected Jesse who is making those inhuman gasping sounds. It's a shame that this episode resides in my fear-centre as I completely missed the fact that Bradley Whitford played Trepkos until this most recent viewing.

4. #Roadrunners (#s8e04)

The saving grace of this episode is, of course, Gillan's acting but that's really about it. I remember thinking "what the hell did I just watch?" after it aired. The concept is just so bizarre and I thought it was ill-timed what with Scully's pregnancy. I'm sure that the writers thought that it only enhanced the urgency of the storyline by putting her and her unborn child's life in peril, but after having just come off the nail-biting season premiere, I thought it was too much, too soon to put Scully through that trauma. Not to mention that such physical trauma would likely put her pregnancy in serious jeopardy. It was just such an ill-conceived episode.

5. #En Ami (#s7e15)

I immediately disliked this episode from the first time it aired as it raised very serious questions about Scully's consent and bodily autonomy, that weren't really dealt with (until that infamous, completely inappropriate, retcon job in season 11, which was such a cop-out IMO). I was well into highschool when this aired and even then I remember being so disturbed by the implications that Scully was drugged and later undressed (and god knows what else) by CSM while she was unconscious. Not only that, but I thought the whole 'adventure' was completely out of character for her and such a slap in the face to Mulder. Sure, he's ditched her countless times before without rhyme or reason, but what she did was beyond the pale: no matter her so-called 'for humanity' motivation, she went off with the ONE PERSON who has SINGLE-HANDEDLY orchestrated so much destruction in Mulder's life. Obviously this created some very serious tension between them (that, I have to admit, is handled so deliciously in fanfic), but I found it jarring that there could be this level of betrayal in one episode (so shortly after Mulder lost his mother and put the mystery of his sister to rest) and a (presumed) consummation of their relationship a mere two episodes later. It just doesn't compute for me. I understand that the impetus for this episode was Bill Davis wanting an opportunity to work more with Gillian, and kudos to that I guess, but the storyline and its implications are so problematic that I just can't respect it.

And there you have it! My top 5 most disliked X Files episodes. Thanks for reading :-)

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Yeah. Knew it was gonna happen. Feeling mad about this.

Health-related vent with some info if your thyroid might be a messy bitch too. Just typing it out so my head doesn't blow up.

Myopathy in Hypothyroidism (quoth VeryWellHealth, I looked it up to make sure I wasn't hallucinating out of anger/relief)

Muscle weakness

Creatinine levels tend to be normal

Cramping (uncommon)

Rarely, issues with the muscles involved in swallowing and breathing (rare)

"Rarely, hypothyroidism can cause severe muscle symptoms. One example is Hoffman's syndrome. This is when a person develops muscle hypertrophy (enlarged muscles). It can lead to significant muscle stiffness, weakness, and pain."

Yeah. Ha. Yeah. In other news, in my body right now: 1)Hypertrophy of a muscle on the inside of my right thigh, causing constant pain and difficulty walking. 2)Shoulder that locked up the Winter of 2021 and continues to do so on a daily basis, making it difficult for me to type or draw. 3) Regular back spasms. 4) Occasional spasms of all kinds! 5) Sleep apnea that's resisting the CPAP.

And, if we count my mother, who died before she turned 70, all of the above, just in different places (with the exception of an apnea diagnosis, she never got one, she just had a horrible time sleeping) plus difficulty swallowing, weakness, falls, and brain fog. She had a million different diagnoses, and no follow up on any of them when she got no relief. To the best of my knowledge, nobody ever told her, "Hashimoto's, and Synthroid may not be enough to treat it."

She either killed herself shortly after yet another surgery, or aspirated her own vomit and died with no help from the pain meds they gave her. "Issues with muscles involved in swallowing and breathing," yes.

This is my life. This has been my whole life. Optimistically speaking, this has taken half my life, and my circumstances are irreparably different because of it. Might I have had children if I knew my mom's lifelong physical and mental health issues were down to an under-treated thyroid? Maybe! And if they'd been treating mine, my uterus and ovaries probably wouldn't have been so screwed up they needed to be yanked out and thrown away. Might I have been able to hold down a job and had a career without that constant pain and anxiety? Who knows! Might I have had enough strength to keep pushing and get published traditionally, thus being absorbed and rewarded by the broken system I've devoted my total-lack-of-notoriety to fighting and working without? Beats me! Would I still have two living parents and some ability to get closure for what I went through growing up? A riddle for the ages!

If my new doctor sticks with it and finds something that works for me, this is all the marbles. I did not over-state how important this was. This is my quality of life, for the rest of my life. But I look back, and there's so much I've already lost that I'll never get back. It's just gone.

Before this, there was nothing to stop me from being unable to eat, or breathe, or move, and going out just like my mom. Her story would've been mine - only mine would've been shorter. Going down the generations, my grandmother had a lot of these issues, just less severe. It was getting worse. The Agent Orange they dropped on my dad surely did not help. I was able to figure out what was going on thanks to internet access, but I couldn't get anyone to confirm it or treat me. I fought like hell, and it took someone who loved me to intervene on my behalf. Someone with a Y chromosome. And now I still need One Good Doctor to see me through. Just one, out of all of 'em. Please, Lord, just the one.

If you got a little extra in you, God, I could use a few more - this gremlin has been ripping up my health for a long time and there's consequences - but maybe I won't die choking on my own vomit in 25 years if just this one works out.

This isn't me. You know that? I've been sick my whole life. I still am. I have no idea if the broken coping mechanisms I developed to deal with this are gonna go away. I don't know who I am. I'm not a ball of anxiety in constant pain that can't hold down a job, but I have no idea who I am.

I hope I get to meet me at some point.

Geez, and I hope you like me too.

[from-the-clouds]

So I got on tumblr again just to tell some people who have blessed the world with some amazing writing how much I love their work. I finished Texas Sun a couple of weeks ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I've been struggling with reading the last couple of years (-and I'm generally quite picky-), but I couldn't stop.

I prefer fiction that leave things to the imagination. That being said, I'm also very curious about what happened to reader before she came to Jackson. Mostly because I would have wanted to stay in this story a little longer. I'm definitely drawing some conclusions, but english is not my first language, so I might be reading more into it than there is. I want to know but I don't want to know, you know? This is absolutely not a criticism, nor a suggestion that you write more, because it's perfect the way it is. I just want you to know this story has stayed with me, and I find myself thinking about often. I loved it.

hello thank you so much!! that's such a high compliment because i can be the same way when it comes to reading :)

and yeah! i purposely left her backstory vague. my thought was that since she was alone and without joel people wouldn't really want a bunch of chapters about what she went through. but i can elaborate a little more on what i imagined for her, even though there are still some things that are vague even in my own mind. (spoilers/more info after the cut)

tw: death of family members, miscarriage mention, general trauma & TLOU canon-typical content

maybe within the first 5-10 years of the outbreak, she was with her brother, and they were in pretty safe company and made it work for awhile. well, that had to end eventually and her brother got bit, and maybe it was reader who had to take him down. it was obviously very difficult for her, so after he died and she was alone with ethan, she was desperate to find someone to latch onto.

that's where bea comes in. i think with bea she maybe got mixed up into a group that was somewhat similar to david's. they were in a remote place living off the land and trying to make it work. i also liked the idea of it being a community primarily made up of women, with only a handful of men or children mixed in. but maybe there were some rules/traditions within the group that were a little cult-like which is why ethan sort of has issues with his experience there. but from reader's perspective, she ignored the red flags because she was trying to keep him safe and bea was a good support system.

i imagine that community crumbled or was overrun shortly before the 'post-outbreak' stuff starts in the story. she had lost bea, and her and ethan were ambling around looking for food/shelter before tommy finds them.

there were probably also periods where she and ethan were on their own, just trying to make things work. and i like to think she tried looking for joel here and there, but probably gave up on that after a few years. i think despite how much she loved him, she knew she couldn't abandon her family when she had no real leads or any idea if he was alive at all.

at one point i thought i might try to incorporate the idea that reader was actually pregnant at the beginning of the outbreak (with joel's baby) but lost it in pretty early stages due to stress/starvation. in my mind, that's why when joel says to her "you don't understand what it's like to lose your own child" she had such a reaction. but i never wanted to confirm it either way because there was a part of me that felt like that was too tragic and not entirely necessary.

but yeah! i hope that helps fill in the gaps a little and give you a better idea of what she went through.

[scorbleeo]

Book Review: Empire of Storms

Throne of Glass (Book 5) by Sarah J. Maas

Source: Google Images

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

ISBN: 9781619636095 (2017) | Source: Goodreads

This was a Good One

Books in the Throne of Glass series have (so far) been hits or misses. I still ultimately enjoyed the ones I had read up till this instalment, but some really got on my nerves. I might have read Queen of Shadows at the start of 2023 but I remembered having so much complains for it, I gave 3 stars but it was definitely ranked one of my least favourites. I think that was why it took six months for me to finally pick up Empire of Storms. I was afraid of disappointment so I went into it with no expectations, or more like no expectations because I just forgot everything (I believe I blocked them from my kinda bad experience with the previous book). However, my expectations started building the more I read Empire of Storms. This is not perfection but it was more hit than miss. I like this book so much, I am ready to get into the next one but slight problem, Chaol's like my least favourite main character... Anyhow, let's discuss this book instead of one I have not read yet.

One thing I absolutely love about Maas's writing style is how fast paced her books usually are. Sometimes, her books start out slow in the beginning but I never fear that because I know the pace will pick up soon after that. And when I say her books are fast paced, she writes some of the most fast paced books I have ever come across, sometimes it's so fast, I have to pause reading to calm down. As for Empire of Storms, this book just starts immediately, there was nothing chill at all right from the beginning. Personally, I think this book could have been a few chapters shorter (only because those chapters were a little boring) but yeah, the events in Empire of Storms just hit you wave after wave, after wave.

In terms of plot development, one of the best in this series. Apart from Aelin's bad habit of keeping practically everything crucial until the last specific second, there were a ton of story building. Lots of things happening but very informative as well. Also, because I read The Assassin's Blade shortly after finishing Throne of Glass, this book was such a pleasure. I mean, Rolfe and the Silent Assassins were sweet but I love Ansel and her appearance in this book was chef's kiss.

You know what, among the long list of main characters involved with Aelin's court, Aelin was pretty much the most boring character to read in Empire of Storms. I loved Dorian's character development, I just wished we were given scenes of how Rowan trained Dorian. That being said, I ate up any Dorian and Rowan scene together. This was one pairing I never thought could bring me so much enjoyment to read. As for Manon, well, loved her as a "villain" but also love how she is now. I just thought Maas did not give her best when writing Manon's arc, a little messy and lazy. It's the same with Aedion and/or Lysandra's pages. Maas spent more effort writing Aelin and Rowan but they turned out the most boring in this book. I wanted to read more of Aelin and Lysandra interacting. I wanted to read more of Aedion because I got his anger but I could not be angry with him since I wasn't given much to empathise with him when he's frustrated.

However, that being said, I think Maas really loved writing Elide and Lorcan, be it individually or together. Their chapters (or scenes) were so entertaining. I also much preferred their action scenes over Aelin's action scenes. One reason I flew through this thick book so quickly was because of Elide and Lorcan, they have so little chapters and I was rapidly turning pages just to get a sliver of them.

Really, the only problem I had with Empire of Storms was Aelin. I think for now, I much prefer reading the books when she was Celaena Sardothien. As Aelin, the arrogance and sarcasm just did not hit the same. The confidence too, as Aelin, the way it was written felt so much more like luck and complacency. Additionally, the action scenes. Oh my god, the lack of action in Aelin's fight scenes was so irritating. I don't want to constantly read about Aelin showcasing her flame, I want to read about her showcasing the skills she got as Celaena. Yes, magic is good but what happened to Aelin's physical weapons and her fighting abilities?

When I was going through Aelin's chapters in the first half of Empire of Storms, I was so bored, it was beginning to annoy me. I did not appreciate any romantic scenes between Aelin and Rowan as well. It was not enticing to read. Fortunately, at the end of the book, I saw Celaena Sardothien again. The way she was patient and forgiving to Elena in the mirror. And that ending – not what she had preparations for – but the bumping into Manon, the sacrifice for Elide, her quick cunning and stubborn mind. That is the Celaena Sardothien I read about and loved in the first few books. So, I will take it, I will forgive Aelin (and Maas) because of what and how it enfolded at the end of Empire of Storms.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

P.S.: I love a good dramatic entrance or revelation but I think it was done too much here...

[remembertheplunge]

Continued from 4/17/2023 post

4/10/23. Monday. 8:53pm

Kind of a magical day…a total “the mysteries plan” type day (The Intuit Indians say there are two plans everyday. Your plan and the mystery’s plan). Jury duty morphed into a possible 3 week trial experience on a different case later this week! Although, the chances of me being chosen are less than infintesimal. In Department 6, three jurors told profound criminal justice system failure stories.Two said they could not be fair in a case where police officers testified. The third through her eyes welling with tears, said “police killed my son or brother after a high speed chase in Oakland. The judge asked her if she could be fair in the this trial in light of what happened to her son/brother? The woman, still very emotional, said yes. In saying yes, she screamed out “The system is NOT working!” The three potential jurors collectively pointed to a total systems failure. Shortly thereafter, we were asked to return to the jury assembly room, where we learned that the case settled.

The jury selection in Department 6 became a  trial  of the  criminal justice system. The system was convicted of being broken. Useless. We potential jurors shared an abiding conviction of the truth of the charge (The jury instruction definition of reasonable doubt).

First warm day in an ice age. Really warm. After leaving jury land, I treadmilled at Valley Gym for 36 minutes. It helped me to process the huge  Department 6 experience.  On the way home, at Palendale and Mc Henery, a major intersection, I stopped for the red light. Near my car was a homeless man and his dog,. He was “flying a sign” (a term the homeless use when they create a sign asking for help and stand by the roadway). I gave him $5 and two bottles of sparkling water. And, as I sat there waiting for the light to change, he drank. He drank in the heat. And, as he drank, I was healed. He healed me. It was the perfect gesture “at” …….”.At”  the callus hardness of the court house experience today. The homeless man, a white male maybe 35 years old, was blackened from sleeping outside. It’s been a brutal, cold ,wet, long stretch out there. But, today, it was warm and he and his dog now had water.

End of entry

Notes. 4/13/2023

I was back for the second trial toady as a potential juror. Got seated in the jury box right away. But, the judge said the parties had decided to excuse me in light of the fact that I knew the judge, the DA and one of the defense lawyers in the case.  

Returning to the jury assembly room to be sure I was released from jury duty, I ran int the Da from Monday’s trial in Department 6. He said “that was the worst jury selection experience that he had ever had.”  He was referring to what the 3 potential jurors said about not being able to be fair. He is a seasoned trial attorney. He has probably picked countless juries, including the one in my last jury trial. He was the Da in that case. If he was blown away by what happened April 10 in Department 6, then it just underscored the fact that people are seeing the police as being out of control and they have lost faith in the courts to ensure justice.  The Da told me that the reason we were asked to leave the court room was because that, after the 3 jurors spoke,  the defendant told his lawyer that he wanted to represent himself.  The Da said , if I heard him right that the case involved the defendant hitting some cars with his car and then getting involved in a 100 mile an hour chase by the police. The defendant apparently has psychiatric issues. He ended up pleading for 2 years in prison I think the Da said.

But, it’s possible that what the 3 jurors said sparked the defendant to want to represent himself. It may have cause him to lose faith in the system, including his lawyer.

The Da asked me today if any other jurors from department 6 on Monday were in the jury pool today for the second trial. I said yes. I think that he was concerned that what the Department 6 jurors heard on Monday could impact their ability to be fair in the second trial. The 3 department 6 jurors were that powerful because they spoke the truth about the way the world is now.

The Da said he checked out the facts re: the juror who said her son was wrongfully convicted. It was true. Her son was accused of murder in a gang case. The only thing connecting him to the killing was that a green van was involved that he sometimes drove. But, at that time of his trial, the jury could hear evidence to prove that a gang existed. The jury heard a few hours of facts about unrelated gang crimes. The Da said that is why he was convicted. The laws have changed. I believe now, The gang evidence is heard only after a person is concvicted. That is why his conviction was overturned. His mother, one of the Department 6 jurors who spoke, was right in saying she did not now believe in the system.