#i hope this has no typos or mistakes i am exhausted help

[hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog]

maybe like a

daryl x reader but he finds her really drunk in (alexrandia)

or finding reader in the woods (meeting her for the first time) and she’s really hurt and he practically saves her

Happy Monday Everyone! Sorry I am taking so long to get to these writing prompts that I ask you all to send my way. I am so appreciated of each and ever one of them, that I want to give each one time to create something special, or at least passable.

I hope @dreamtofus I did you justice in your ask, I really had a lot of fun writing a Daryl x Reader, it was my first, but hopefully not my last. I know I still need to work on getting the 'voice' of Daryl down, but for a first attempt, I don't think it's too bad.

Please let me know what you think, reblog, likes are always welcome. This story is my own, so please don't steal it. All mistakes, typo are mine, I do apologize. I do a few rounds of edits, but things just slip through, so be kind when passing judgement.

Details:

Daryl x Reader, told mainly from the reader POV, but we do get a small POV of Daryl. A flashback is had, some pop culture references, not sent in an particular timeline of the show. Seeing how the reader meets Daryl for the first time, how he saves her not once but twice, and the reader letting her guard down around Daryl.

Ment to be a one shot, but if you all like it enough, I could be persawded to write more, with these two.

Triger warnings: nothing really, its sweet, angst.

Word count: 2,000+

You knew never to go out this late in the day for anything, even a ‘simple’ supply run would never be done this late; you should have just waited until tomorrow. But No, you have to prove something to yourself? No, you knew you had survived this long, almost two years now, in this fire burning world. Your smarts, being a country/farm kid growing up, and your love of reading anything you could get your hands on help you survive this long. 

So, you need to prove something to the members of this group that found you a few weeks ago and brought you into their community? Maybe, you're sure they are still assessing you, and seeing if you're worth the trouble of being another mouth to feed and another body to protect. 

The leader, Rick, seems nice, standoffish, but also a protector that if you do get to stay with them, would be loyal and a big brother figure for you. Maggie, is also in that camp of big sister energy that would kick anyone’s ass for you. 

No, if you were to put money on who in the group is still questioning if they should take you in or not, that would be the redneck hunter Daryl. 

Daryl was the one that came across you while you were scavenging an abandoned drug store just a few miles south from where the group’s camp was. He was the one that held a crossbow aimed at your back, telling you to drop the antibiotics that there was a baby in his camp that needed it more than you. 

Flashback

“Don’t make me say it again, drop the drugs.” A gruff, gravelly voice, from behind you, fills the silence of the space, and makes you freeze like a deer in headlights.

Getting up from your crouch position, you slowly turn, with the bottle of pills in your hand. Sweat from the fever you're currently trying to shake and not the Georgia heat drips down your face. If you hadn’t already heard him speak, you would have thought you were seeing things. There standing in front of you is a man, dressed all in black, his dark brown hair long and slightly covering one side of his face, while the other side is slightly covered by the crossbow that is currently aimed at you. His lean but muscular frame in a stance that screams hunter, his tone arms never wavering, so you know that he will wait you out, he has the discipline to do so.

“Fuck…I can’t…” you reply desperation, and exhaustion taking over. You know that you should be scare, you should be worried that he’s going to let go of the trigger, and put you out of your misery, but, you can’t give a fuck at this point. 

“Will you at least aim for the head, if you're going to kill me.” You quip leaning on the shelving next to you, feeling yourself get weaker.

This seems to throw off the mystery man, as he hesitates for a second, “what?” he questions, not lowering his bow, but moving his finger from the trigger.

Grabbing something from your back pocket, a purple bandana, you wipe the sweat from your forehead. “Look, I can’t come back as one of the dead.” your voice ragged. “You could give me at least that courtesy. Because otherwise, I will find you, and eat you.” You joke, giving your best Lim Nelson voice at the end. 

The mystery man doesn't seem to get the reference to that line, as he gives no reaction to the idea that you, as a walker, could somehow find him on purpose and eat him. 

“It's a joke…it's from…never mind.” You toss the bottle of pills towards him, and slide down to the floor and wait for either the exhaustion, fever, or this mystery man to take you.

Your mind is fuzzy, and either this guy will leave you alone or not. With your eyes closed, you can hear the rustle of him putting the bottle in his bag, and then the sound of him coming over the counter and towards you. His footsteps stop and you can feel him staring down at you. “What?” Uou question, keeping your eyes closed. 

“Whatcha doing?” he questions. “you bit?”

“Waiting for a bus, what does it look like? I am sick you ass, and I am exhausted.” Your frustration taking over. You open your eyes to find him crouching down and bringing a hand up to your forehead, “What the hell, dude!” You slap his hand from you and push yourself up and back from him, scattering bottles around you. “Just leave, you got what you wanted.”

“You didn’t answer me, are you bit?” He grumbles back, harsher this time, with authority. Annoyance is now apparent, and his blue eyes that are staring at you seem to bore into your soul.

“No, I am not bit, just sick. With the quick change in weather we had, my body...why am I explaining this to you….” you start and stop yourself from going into detail about how back when the world was somewhat ‘normal’ any drastic change in the weather always sent you into a quick cold for a few days.

Ringing out your bandana, you run it over your face and down your neck. What you wouldn’t give for some cold water, a nice cool lake to dive into. Your mind drifting to the fantasy of cooling waters is cut short when your bandana is taken from you and quickly replaced with a cool wet red one.

“What the…'' you're about to protest, when the feeling of the cool water hitting your skin shuts you up. You see him, pouring a bit more water on the rag and running it down your bare arms.

He doesn’t say anything, after wiping both your arms, he gets the rag wet again with cold water and hands it to you, “take it.”

You do, and wipe your face and then cover your forehead with it. You close your eyes and let the cool water seep through your pores, it's something, it won’t cure you, but it's something for now.

“Here.” His voice brings you back, and you open your eyes to see him holding out some of the pills and his water jug. 

Your hestent, wondering why he’s being so nice now? He keeps his hand out for you to take the items, and after another second of thinking you finally do. Swallowing the pills and taking the smallest of drinks, no need to piss him off by downing his water, you hand back the jug. “Thanks.” You mumble. 

He nods, and is about to speak when another voice from the other side of the counter breaks the slice, “Daryl, you in here?” 

Present 

You would soon come to find out and meet Rick Grimes, the man attached to that voice, and after seeing you in the state you were in that day, and asking himself if you were bit. Would then ask if you wanted to come with them and join their group.

Now here you were, somehow stuck back in that same drug store just a few miles from camp. Nighttime has settled in, and you can’t leave, with the horde of walkers outside, too many to kill on your own. Even if you could somehow make a path through, you know yourself, and your fighting abilities, you were good, but not that good.

Luckily the doors were still in good shape, and the horde didn’t know you were in the store, so they were just passing by. This has been going on for 20 minutes, and it didn’t look like they were going away anytime soon.

You had checked the backdoor, but it must be barcade on the outside, so here you sit, with your back against the wall, behind that same counter, waiting for the time pass, and hoping no one from the group notices that you're gone and starts to worry.

Running through your interactions with everyone earlier, you don’t think anyone would have seen you slip out, and you never told anyone of your plan, so you should be good, you try and reassure yourself. Stacking up the discarded bottles again in a precarious tower, what else is there to do?

“What are you doing?” a voice, gruff, deep, deadpan startles you and the tower tumbles down.

“Shit!” you yell, looking up you see Daryl leaning over the counter looking down at you. “How did you….” you start to question. Wondering how he found you? Why was he here? and how did he get in?

He strums his fingers on the counter, as if he can read your thoughts, “I saw you slip out from the gates after dinner. Waited for a bit, but when it was getting dusk and you weren’t back, figure I go out and find you.”

“So you tracked me like what...a dear?” You question, not sure if you should be flattered or creeped out by it.

“No…a dear would have been a bit more of a challenge, you were easy to find.” He jokes, and gives you a quick smile, to your glare and giving him the finger.

“Ha,ha,” you quip. getting up, you walk over to the counter, “how did you get in? sounds like that horde of walkers are still out there?” You question, looking over his shoulder, you can just barely make out the crowd still moving.

He looks towards the doors and then back to you. “AC unit on the roof, the air return drops down in the office on the other side of the store.”

“Well aren’t you just the MacGyver of the post-apocalyptic world?” You tease. He cocks his head, giving you a questionable look at your reference. Letting a sigh, “Sersious, dude, what did you watch as a kid? or did you not have a tv?”

“Come on.” He brushes off your comments, and motions for you to follow him. “What were you thinking of doing a run this late?” He questions, waiting for you to grab your gear and walk over to him.

Shit, you were hoping not to have to tell anyone why you went on this run. There was a reason you went on your own, and Daryl, especially telling Daryl was not on your list of something you wanted to do. “Umm…it's nothing….stupid really…” you start and stop yourself, wishing he would take pity on you and drop it.

Daryl wasn’t going to let you off with that answer. After all he did come and risk his ass in saving you. Even though it wasn’t a big risk for him, he knew he could find you, and get you back to camp in one piece, but still, he wants an explanation. Leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, he is not moving until you start talking. “Come on, out with it.”

You let out a sigh, “Fine” you say, and start digging in your bag, “this.” You state and pull out your purple bandana. 

Daryl knew that was yours the moment he saw you pull it out of the bag. He remembered it, taking a corner of it in his hands, the fabric ruff from the dried water/sweat. “You came back for this?” He questions, wondering why risking your neck for a piece of fabric was so important.

Slightly embarrassed, taking Daryl’s tone as stupidity or bewilderment, you pull back the bandana from his fingers and stuff it back in the bag. “Look, I said it was stupid, okay, lets just drop this and go.” You quip, feeling your cheeks start to go red of embarrassment. You start to head towards the office.

The feel of Daryl’s hand on your wrist, stops you from taking any more steps from him. “Don’t walk away from me.” His voice is commanding, but not in a harsh mean way.

The feel of his callus hands in your slightly worked but not as worked as his send a shiver up your spine. You’ve only known him for a few weeks now, and most of that time you were coming down from a cold. So why was the feel of his skin next to yours, him coming to find you, and the thoughts of him judging you make your head spin and your heart slightly race. “You're going to think it's stupid” you mumble, keeping your eyes and body away from him.

“Try me.” He replies, letting you keep your eyes off him, but still holding you in place.

You let out a breath, “it was my dad’s, or at least one of them. He was a mechanic before the world fell, and he always had a bandana in his back pocket. This was my favorite color.” Your voice slightly cracks at the end. thinking about your dad, your family, life before the world was on fire, it hurts too much. You feel the tears start to slightly fall. “He was gone before…”

Pulling you back and into his arms, laying your head on his chest, Daryl says nothing. He wraps his arms around you, surrounding you in a cocoon of him. The feel of him, his strength around allows you to let go. Sobbing, cries that you have been holding in for so long let go, and pour out of you and into his chest. He’s silent, running a hand up and down your back in comfort.

You're not sure how long, but when you feel there is nothing left you pull back to see the tear stain circles on his black shirt. “I am sorry.” Your voice shakes, bringing a hand up to wipe your face. 

Daryl takes his red bandana out from his back pocket, and wipes your cheeks. “Nothing to be sorry about.” He replies. Gentle wipe away the last tear from your jaw. He knows what it's like to lose your family, to be on your own. He wants to tell her he understands that she shouldn't be embarrassed by wanting to hold onto a piece of her past. He gets it, in more ways then she will ever know.

But now is not the time. Whatever he’s feeling for her, whatever he thinks could happen between them, the reality is, that it won’t. This pull that she has on him, it will pass, it has too. Stuffing the red bandana back into his pocket, and his feelings aside. He lets go of his hold on her and starts walking towards the office.

[felix-3002]

i don't know if anyone will even see this at all, but if you do happen to come across this, I'm so sorry for this absolute bummer of a story. if you don't have the energy or mental capacity rn to read about a traumatic even im currently gking through, then please don't read this. sorry in advance abiut typos or mistakes, im extremely tired and emotional atm. this afternoon, a fire broke out in a town very close to my home. this isn't uncommon for where i live, since it's the middle of summer and wildfires are just a Thing here. after observing the fire slowly getting closer and bigger for a little while, we decided to grab important things like money, IDs, phones and drinking water and just start walking in the opposite direction of where the fire was coming from. we didn't have a car available at that moment, bc someone was using it. we sat and watched the fire from further away for about two hours, as we didn't really have much of a choice. we witnessed it get worse by the minute, with more black smoke rising up every time we dared to hope that it might be going okay. after quite a while, we managdc to get ahold of the person who had our car, and he was able to pick us up aboht half an hour later. I'll go ahead and skip way forward, because right now the fire has been going strong for nine whole hours already. i cant go home, i dont know if there even is a home to go back to. people have been babying me and pitying me all night and i am having a horrible time trying to holf myself together. i am currently having to spend the night at someone elses place, someone who i barely know, but who has been so kind and helpful throughout this whole shit show of a day. i am having an incredibly difficult time dealjng with my emotions right now, amd i dont want to bother my best friend with this at the moment, since she lives in a different country, is currently drunk and gets very emotional wheneved she knows that im in trouble or in distress. im sorry, i just needed to sort of. talk about stuff, ig. sorry about my writing, english is my third language, and like i said, im exhausted and insanely emotional right now. im going to try and get to sleep, because i really dont want to be awake anymore. lets hope i still have a home tomorrow.

[capricores]

astrology & tarot readings 💥

i’m super excited to announce i am finally going to be offering astrological readings again! i’m also going to be offering a few different tarot readings & mixed astro-tarot readings as well! below the cut is full information on readings offered, prices (all in $CAD), important notes, and so forth. thank you so much for your continued support on my blog and content, and i appreciate so much anyone who may consider and order a reading from me! i can’t wait to provide you guys with more insight to your astrological makeup, and hopefully give you a better overall understanding of how astrological placements function in general. i also hope to give you great insight via tarot and oracle as well.

NOTE: readings will close once i fill up a certain amount of slots (undecided rn, but likely stopping around fifteen-twenty), please check my bio or status in this post (see directly below) on whether or not readings are currently open before requesting! i will make sure to frequently update the status of readings, and will try to re-open them soon after they close. it is likely that when i start my new FT job in november that i may have to close readings for a bit or accept less reading slots :)

CURRENT STATUS: open for all readings

💥 RULES AND IMPORTANT NOTES TO READ FIRST:

must be 18 or over to receive a reading (apologies but i do not feel comfortable reading for minors/receiving their birth information)

i default my readings in the PLACIDUS or equal house system (i do this dependent on your place of birth; for more info feel free to DM). if you prefer/relate more to another system, let me know! i am happy to read your chart in another house system (if you’re new to astrology, i recommend looking at the different planetary house placements in your chart in whole sign system, placidus system and equal house system - see which you relate to most - the easiest to tell by is usually the venus & moon house placement, just search up some basic descriptions of the varying placement of moon/venus. i prefer equal and placidus; lately i lean more towards equal)

i use tropical/western astrology, with both modern and traditional rulers

my readings come in either written or audio format, it’s entirely up to you. both audio and written readings contain the same depth and amount of information. audio readings are supplemented by summarized/bullet points of topics covered but note they do not have written in-depth interpretations like the written natal chart reading would (but i do break down my audio readings with time stamps for easy navigation)

tarot readings and mixed tarot/astro readings can also be done via video if you’d like to see the cards as they come out/etc; please note tarot-only readings are not supplemented with writing/notes if you order them audio or video style

full natal chart + personal planet + progressions readings can be customized to an extent: for example, if you’re not interested in romance, let me know before i do your reading! i’ll focus more on friendships and business when touching on connections/partnerships/venus/etc. or, if for example, you’re more interested in romance, i can highlight those things when interpreting your planets and aspects! this goes for any topics/themes: career, finance, love, friendship, etc. just let me know your specific interests, or things you don’t like talking about (ie: you have zero interest in romance), so i can make your reading more tailored to your preferences. if you have any triggers (ie: do not want family talked about, do not want s*xual topics [sorry i have to add the * or i’ll get shadowbanned again lol😭] talked about, etcetc please let me know! it is never any problem to accommodate this)

obviously, no returns/refunds as this is not a physical item and it takes hours, sometimes days, for most readings to be completed! by ordering from me you are agreeing to this no refund or return policy.

💥 READING TYPES

✨ ASTROLOGY-ONLY READINGS

1. full natal chart reading (must have birth time) $50-70

tier one, $50:

interpretations of all planets (sign + house)

interpretations of ascendant, midheaven, descendant, ic (fourth house)

interpretations of any stelliums, “high energy” houses (maybe not a stellium- but a house with multiple planets/asteroids in it) and lack of an element/modality (or abundance/excess of)

tier two, $70, includes everything in tier 1, plus:

interpretations of every house, even if the house is empty

interpretations of strong / major aspects (main focus on squares & quincunx for lessons, blockages, secret strengths / areas of growth, etc - but any other strong/prevalent aspects will be covered)

interpretations of the following asteroids (sign/house/aspects): north/south nodes, chiron & juno

interpretations of interceptions and duplications if applicable

interpretation of yods and t-squares if applicable 

2. full natal chart reading (no birth time) $35

interpretation of all planets (sign)

interpretation of all major aspects (minus moon aspects)

information on any stelliums, lack of an element/modality (or abundance/excess of)

3. personal planets reading (birth time: $30, no birth time $20)

interpretations of sun through mars in the signs (and in the houses if you have birth time)

any standout aspects to the personals are interpreted (moon aspects not available if you don’t have birth time)

4. current astrological progress, focus, etc (”consultation”) $60

this reading is the one i’m most excited for! 🤍 this reading looks at your current transits as well as your progressed chart and solar return chart to determine where you currently are in your stage of astrological development and focus. we will discuss your progressed placements, kind of like a natal reading, and explain how they may be guiding, impacting and influencing you. we will also go over your current transits, their potential lessons, predictions based on your progressions & transits (long-term), and kind of get a full guide on what to expect, what to focus on, blockages, etc. 

this consultation is interactive! so i welcome you to ask any questions before or after the reading that you’re curious on (i ask for a maximum of five or so *intense* questions though - clarification questions and small questions are totally fine more frequently). you can ask things like “what will happen over the next year in my love life” or “what are the biggest lessons for me this year”, etc. this reading is meant specifically for gaining insight into upcoming events and themes in your life. i use your natal chart, transit chart, solar return & progressed chart. you NEED accurate birth time for this reading. you also need to be comfortable giving me both your birth place and where you will be (city-wise) on your next birthday (or last birthday, depending on which was closer; for the solar return chart).

please note however, this does not include any in-depth interpretation of your natal chart, if you’re interested in that you are going to want the first reading! it is also consultation style; i of course will interpret placements but it is more a “what to expect & focus on” type of reading, than a “this means (x)” type of reading. if you have more information of questions about this or any other reading, shoot me a DM anytime!

5. love reading $15

focuses on self-love, friendship & romantic love. this reading focuses on the planets, aspects, asteroids, houses that center around themes of love and connection in all forms (namely juno, venus, moon, 5th/7th/8th houses, etc). it will go over your wants in love versus needs, blockages in love and things to look out for, weaknesses versus strengths, the type of person that would likely best suit you as a friend or partner, etc. please note it’s recommended that you have your birth time for this reading, since it relies on house placements (however i am able to provide this reading w/o birth time).

i plan for this reading to likely be around three or so pages but knowing my rambling it may be longer lol.

6. blockages, development and growth reading $15

this astrological reading focuses heavily on the learning points and blockages present within your natal chart. specifically, this will have heavy focus on squares, oppositions, quincunxes, yods, interceptions, saturn placement, jupiter placement, sun placement 12th house + draconic chart. i will go over areas of struggle, blocks, and areas that likely need development and heavy focus based on your natal chart. i recommend the above progressed reading if you want a more extensive view on this with consideration to current transits and progressions. please note it’s recommended that you have your birth time for this reading, since it relies on house placements (however i am able to provide this reading w/o birth time).

i plan for this reading to likely be around three or so pages but knowing my rambling it may be longer lol.

7. work, education, career & purpose reading $15

this astrological reading focuses on your “purpose”. mainly highlighting placements like the north/south node, 3rd/9th houses, ascendant-midheaven, and sun/mars/mercury/uranus, we cover ideal careers, paths, and purposes for you. this will cover potential issues and blockages when it comes to work, career and study; as well as when achieving your purpose. it also points towards specific fields, industries, areas of study, etc that you are best suited for and guided towards astrologically. please note it’s recommended that you have your birth time for this reading, since it relies on house placements (however i am able to provide this reading w/o birth time).

i plan for this reading to likely be around three or so pages but knowing my rambling it may be longer lol.

✨ MIXED READINGS (astrology & tarot combined):

1. love life + your person/soulmate reading $25 w/ transits $20 w/o

tarot pulls to reveals the traits, potential signs, energy, etc of your person. using the natal chart (fifth house, seventh house, juno, venus/moon/jupiter, saturn aspects, and more) to determine the traits, likely signs/placements of your “soulmate” or ideal person.

tarot pulls surrounding current themes/blockages/etc in your love life, what you may need to hear, what your person may be going through, their feelings, etc. i also look to your astrological transits to see potential blockages or blessings in your love life right now.

2. monthly predictions / reading $15

using a mix of tarot & oracle pulls along with your current astrological transits, i’ll highlight the focuses, blockages, blessing, themes and similar for the next  month for you. things to look out for, look forward to, to specifically work on, etc. if you have a specific theme of more interest (ie: work life or love life), let me know and i can accommodate my reading to focus more on those than other things (just note i may end up pulling cards not related to said thing, because the universe has a stronger message for you).

✨ TAROT-ONLY READINGS (all pay by tip unless specified, but i do ask a min of a $2 tip!) - payment done via ko-fi or paypal. here are some reading examples (everything is customizable, these are just reading suggestions and possible questions, we can discuss further in DMs)

new moon, full moon, weekly or monthly readings: what you need to release, blockages this moon cycle/week/month, blessings this moon cycle/week/month, what to focus on this moon cycle/week/month

self-love & healing readings: what makes you wonderful / what should you be proud of you / what do you bring to others / where are you too hard on yourself / how can you show yourself love / areas of growth

general love reading: you / lover / dynamic, their wants / your differences / similarities / compatibility, your role in rs / their role / past of rs / current state of rs / future, etc.

general career and finance reading: where does your passion lie / what are you good at / how can you combine these / advice, current financial state / where to avoid spending and save / where to let money flow / advice, what are you doing wrong (career/finance) / what are you doing write / what should you do next / advice, etc.

friendship reading: you can actually use the love reading spreads/questions for friendships as well! some other examples; what you think you get from friendship / what you actually get / what the other person feels you bring / is this person a good friend, current state of the friendship / blockages in the friendship / blessings of this friendship / advice or oracle, etc.

stay or go reading (insp): current state of the connection or situation / why you should stay / why you should go / general advice [please note as with any other reading; you must make your own decisions; please do not ask me about toxic/abusive relationships; the answer is always to get help & leave if you can and are safe! this reading can be used for jobs, education, connections]

general three card pull style readings: you / the other person / the relationship, what you want / what they want / potential outcome, strength / weakness / advice, past / present / future, emotional compatibility / spiritual compatibility / physical compatibility, etc! but you’re welcome to google “three card tarot readings” and request a specific one

yes / no + reasoning readings: straightforward, ask a yes or no question and i’ll pull a tarot card + angel oracle card for the question + ask for clarification on the yes or no (please note “maybe” “not now” etc answers are possible, the cards won’t always give a solid clear yes or no)

extensive tarot love reading, singles $10: traits & signs/energy of your next person, how/when you’ll meet [or if you already have], future relationship strengths/weaknesses, romance + angel + moonology oracle messages, blockages for the relationship, advice, etc + one question answered of your choice

extensive tarot love reading, taken/talking stage/etc $10: your person’s current state, their current feelings, if they’re ready for a relationship (+ why/why not), if you’re ready for a relationship (+ why/why not), blockages holding the relationship back/that may arise, romance + angel + moonology oracle messages, strengths and weaknesses of the relationship, advice + one question answered of your choice

romance & angel oracle pulls for love: very straightforward oracle cards to give messages about your love life, partner, current situation, etc in lieu of using traditional tarot-only reading methods

please note i will not answer any medical, legal, or similar questions/advice. all decisions you make after any reading are always your own. astrology & tarot are meant to be for entertainment purposes solely. i am not held accountable for decisions you make after viewing your reading(s). please note i am not a replacement for therapy, counselling, financial advices, career counsellors, life coaches, or other professionals.

HOW TO RECEIVE A READING - for astrology, astrology-tarot mixed readings, and extensive tarot love readings)

please check bio/this post to see if readings are still open

fill out THIS form

i will then DM you once i receive the request to let you know if i am able to accept the reading or not (aka if slots haven’t filled up yet! i’ll try to give an estimated time frame of completion as well or at least let you know how many readings are before yours) - as of november, i will dm you only once i start your reading! but feel free to DM me first for confirmation

once i’m ready to start your reading, i’ll ask for your birth information and get things going

payment is done via paypal and again i use canadian dollars! once i confirm your reading, i take the payment AFTER i’ve already started the reading. i will send you an invoice via paypal, so all i require is your email. once completed, you’ll receive a google doc link to your full completed reading. i also attach a google form for review, feedback, etc. if you’re comfortable with me publicly posting your feedback onto my reviews page, you’ll be able to specify that in said form! the feedback is anonymous with the option to not be anonymous, entirely up to you.

HOW TO RECEIVE A READING - for tarot-only tip based readings

please check bio/this post to see if readings are still open

send me a DM mentioning you want to do a tip-based tarot reading

after that, i’ll ask you to let me know the theme, spread, topic, question, etc

i’ll pull your cards and do your reading, and then you can send the tip via ko-fi or paypal afterwards :)

[amistytown]

The Brothers Comfort MC During a Panic Attack

This is my first attempt at writing down my headcanons for the brothers, so I apologize if anything is out of character. I meant it to be short and sweet, but it grew out of my control after a while. I’m a perfectionist and wanted to rewrite everything. I made minor edits and am posting it anyway or it’ll sit in my drafts forever; I admit I put the most effort into Lucifer’s, forgive me. Also sorry for the repetitiveness and any typos you may find. I decided to write how the brothers would comfort MC during a panic attack, especially as someone who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks themselves. Honestly, I wrote this as a way to comfort myself since I’ve been dealing with terrible anxiety lately. Of course, everyone experiences anxiety differently, so I can only speak from my own experiences. I didn’t go into detail when it comes to the symptoms themselves because it’s from the point of view of the brothers and only so many are visible to the eye. Trigger warning for depictions of anxiety and panic attacks. Thank you for reading!

LUCIFER

Lucifer is troubled. Following lunch, you disappeared, currently absent from class. This is unlike you, his worry intensifying every minute you’re out of his sight. Yet he maintains his composure, resigning himself to scouring the academy grounds. Time passes at a torturous pace, his thoughts beginning to take a turn for the worst. He contemplates whether to involve his brothers and Lord Diavolo himself at this rate, however the sound of his D.D.D diverts his attention. A wave of relief washes over him at the sight of your name lighting up his screen, chased by frustration at you, your silence, and himself for losing track of you so easily; he couldn’t bear living if anything happened to you under his watch. He expects this behavior from his brothers, not you. Though his heart sinks, the Avatar of Pride uncharacteristically overcome with guilt while he reads your message. Of course, you are not his brothers. He should not have doubted you.

Your texts are apprehensive, a weighty pause between them as you hesitate to lay bare the darkest depths of your soul. He approaches you cautiously, to avoid upsetting you further. Your words alone convey the sheer panic taking possession of you, the last of your strength used to press send. Outside he discovers you, huddled miserably in an isolated corner of the building, swathed in shadow. The desire to shelter you from the world burns within him, but your eyes widen fearfully in his presence, wounding his pride. Immediately, you apologize. Sorry you’re missing class, that you left without telling anyone, and upset him—especially when you’re aware of his busy schedule. You’re sorry for not having the courage to pull yourself together, succumbing to your anxiety, your shame palpable. The hand clutching your D.D.D is trembling, your chest heaving as you struggle to breathe. He aches for you, each tear shed hurting more than the last, your pain managing to touch the very core of his being and set him alight.

If anyone is sorry, it’s him, pride be damned. Kneeling in front of you, he assures you an apology isn’t necessary—your wellbeing of great importance to him. He wants you to rely on him, grateful you confided in him despite your doubts. Hopefully, he can eventually put your mind at ease. His voice low, soothing, he continues to console you, making sure you’re aware he’s not upset, and your feelings are valid. Although he’s not familiar with the inner workings of anxiety itself, he’s willing to listen, learning how to support you to the best of his ability—starting today, providing you’re comfortable accepting his offer. Initially, he prioritized your safety for the sake of the exchange program and Lord Diavolo’s wish to unite the three realms, now it’s merely out of adoration for you, his beloved. Once you’re ready, he’ll let you know you’re not alone. He’s never too busy on your behalf. 

Offering you his hand, a smile graces his features as you accept. Slowly, he helps you to your feet, steadying you against him. He notes the way you relax at his touch, shoulders sagging and head coming to rest on his chest. Only you exist in this moment, his gaze not leaving you, not even for a second. Standing in silence until your breathing settles and you regain your balance, he sees you through the height of your attack before escorting you back to the House of Lamentation. He’ll personally excuse you from the remainder of your classes, understanding you need a quiet place to recover. Classical music plays softly in the background of his room, and he’s content to have you in his embrace, drawing you onto his lap after you finish the tea he brewed to calm your nerves. Lucifer pays you special attention, massaging your tired body and kissing you tenderly, his breath fanning across your lips as he reminds you how special you truly are—brave, compassionate, and incredibly loved.

MAMMON

Mammon mourns his loss, wondering how he let them gain the upper hand; admittedly, a foolish mistake on his part. He dreads breaking the news to Lucifer, and the resentment that shows on his brothers’ faces once he confesses does little to ease his mind. Still, he worries about your reaction most of all, knowing his stupidity has put you in a precarious position. In that moment he believes their words—only a greedy scumbag like himself dares to place his human’s happiness on the line. Although certain of his win at the time, he should consider how his actions affect you more often; otherwise, how can he claim he’s the Great Mammon? His confidence is his downfall in the end. Now you’ll suffer along with him. Yet you feign optimism, attempting to soothe everything over despite your innocence. His guilt only grows, a heavy weight on his shoulders. One he deserves.

Three days of waiting on and performing for large crowds at The Fall proves hectic for everyone. He can tell you’re struggling beneath the façade of a composed and hospitable server, going above and beyond to ensure the patrons leave satisfied. Furthermore, you lend him and his brothers a hand, coming to their rescue; it should be him making it as easy on you as possible. His concern for you runs deep, no matter how hard he tries to maintain his usual air of indifference, but you have the nerve to reassure him—it’s meant to be the opposite, dammit. Each night he goes out of his way to check on you, frustrated that you continue to dance around the subject. He can see the exhaustion on your face, hear the slight tremor in your voice, the toll his stupid decision is taking on you, and it stung. You comfort him, even when he’s undeserving, so why won’t you allow him to hold you and kiss the pain away? Not that he’s asked. You should realize by now you can rely on him, right?

Watching you suffer in silence tortures him. He can’t deny it regardless of his best effort to make light of the situation. You barely eat or spend time outside your room, saying you’re tired, which isn’t a lie—working is exhausting, no doubt about it—but he understands you well enough to notice the subtle signs of your anxiety, your smile unable to trick him into believing otherwise. Perhaps you find him as insufferable as his brothers do, or worse, and don’t want to see his face after what he’s done. That doesn’t stop him from showing up at your door, hoping he can offer some form of comfort. However, you keep up appearances, supporting the seven of them during the longest weekend of their lives. You work hard too, his chest swelling with pride as he watches you care for his brothers and customers alike. How can you like an idiot like him? You’re selfless and loving, looking past his flaws to see what lay beneath his sin. His human. His angel. He wants—no needs—you to be okay.

The last day comes and goes in a blur. Finally, he can toss these ridiculous clothes and rabbit ears in the trash and never perform that dance again. Better yet, you’re free of his burden, though the guilt remains. He can’t relax until he’s positive you’re okay, knowing he’s genuinely sorry. Standing outside your room, he tries to muster up the courage to open his heart to you—apologies not his strong suit—when he hears you crying. They’re small, muffled sobs that manage to shake him to his core, blood running cold. Yeah, he should knock, but he can’t control himself, throwing the door open without hesitation and rushing to your side. The sight of your tears is almost too much to bear, and he draws you into his embrace, face heating up at his own moment of vulnerability, but this is about you, not him. He can be strong for you too, telling you everything’s going to be okay, that the Great Mammon is here to help.

After his stupidity, you tell him you were afraid to bother him? He can hardly suppress the shock at your confession, the sadness in your eyes breaking his heart. You wanted to make sure it went smoothly for his sake? You suffer through Hell alone because you chose to put his feelings first? Crazy. Though he thanks you, not completely ashamed to admit he’s touched. However, he tells you that you don’t have to put aside your feelings for his benefit; he prefers to be by your side then know you’re having a rough time on your own. He is your first. Taking the initiative, he asks what he can do to make it up to you, no matter how big or small the request is because he’ll do it in a heartbeat. You opt to stay in his arms, burying your face into his chest, and he wipes away your remaining tears, being as gentle as he possibly can. He can feel how tense your body is, your skin unnaturally warm, and it takes a while until you stop shaking. It’s moments like these he’ll tell you how much you mean to him—that he loves you, okay—and he wants you to come to him for everything. He’ll hold you, taking your hand in his, and kiss you with all the adoration in the world because you’re incredibly important to him. Mammon can attest to that.

LEVIATHAN

Leviathan invites you to his room to play video games, a daily routine the two of you have comfortably fallen into. He loves gaming with you, though on occasion you opt to watch instead, thoroughly enthralled by whatever is on the screen. Miraculously, you enjoy listening to him ramble—whether it’s about the game he’s playing, anime he’s watching, or TSL among other things—genuinely showing interest in his passions; he’s incapable of expressing how truly grateful he is for your company. His heart nearly bursts whenever you compliment him on his gaming prowess, encourage him during a particularly intense battle, or merely tell him how you enjoy hanging out. How in the Devildom did a gross otaku like him get so incredibly lucky? He can hardly believe you love him of all demons. The thought alone sounds crazy lmao. 

Unable to contain his excitement, he awaits your arrival that night, ensuring everything is perfect when he hears a knock on the door. However, his smile fades the moment he lays eyes on you, mind beginning to race as he wonders why you look miserable, your gaze trained on your hands. Before he can speak, you apologize, dissolving into tears while you return the game he let you borrow. You’re stuttering, completely winded, and he can barely hear you confess to accidentally corrupting his data in your panic. In fact, he loses track of the number of times you choke out a sorry. He treasures his games, his collection extensive, but he cherishes you most of all. The loss is a minor annoyance, nothing that lessens the feelings he harbors for you. Although difficult, he overcomes his insecurities to show you it’s okay—you’re loved.

Not only are you sad, but you’re also terrified, a part of him wanting to destroy the game itself if it means you never have to experience the pain that torments you now. Regarding you carefully, afraid to make matters worse, he reassures you that he’s not upset—far from it, honestly—and that he cares about you more than any game. No stranger to your panic attacks, he reaches out to take your hand in his, hoping you find comfort in what he has to offer. And when you finally glance up, hope shining in your tear-filled eyes, he can’t help but wrap you in his arms. A warmth spreads across his face, heart pounding in his ears, but he knows you need him, allowing his body to relax around yours.

Holding you against him, he tells you everything’s all right, stuttering out how he loves you and, most importantly, wants to you to feel better. Your arms circle around his waist, causing his heart to jump into his throat, but he only pulls you closer. You’re his Henry, and what friend is he if you can’t rely on him? Leviathan is understanding, wanting you to come to him for support at your most vulnerable. Now he puts his knowledge to the test, easing you into his room with continuous words of affirmation. You always know how to console him at his lowest, and he hopes he can return the favor. If anyone deserves to feel loved it’s you, who brought joy into his otherwise bleak world, and he’ll sit with you every day and night if you need him to. 

SATAN

Satan knows he shouldn’t be awake, though he finds it difficult to satiate his curiosity as he peruses the books lining his shelves. He barely registers the sound of his D.D.D, reluctant to put the book aside to see who’s messaging him at this ungodly hour; Asmodeus most likely. His tune changes after he sees your name lighting up his screen, his annoyance replaced with worry. He knows you struggle, especially at night, but he can tell you’re hesitant to reach out. Nevertheless, you gradually begin to confide in him, his patience limitless if you’re concerned, and he feels a sense of relief that you choose to trust him at your most vulnerable instead of suffering on your own. Pouring over every book he can locate on anxiety, he studies it religiously, engraining each page into his memory. Not by giving unsolicited advice—he doesn’t want to make that mistake twice—but by comforting you the best he can, even if it simply means to stay by your side, waiting for the panic to pass.

A second later, he appears at your door, gaze softening as your eyes meet. In the darkness of your room, he can tell how exhausted you are. You apologize for bothering him, particularly this late, but he dismisses you with a shake of his head and a reassuring smile, sitting beside you on the bed. It saddens him that you feel the need to, but he’s familiar enough with anxiety by now that he understands how much of a manipulative monster it truly is; if only he can destroy it with his own two hands, strangling the life out of it so it no longer taints that innocent soul of yours. To watch you struggle fills him with a rage that he forces deep within himself, fully aware anger isn’t the answer no matter how great his desire to protect you is. So, he cups your face in his hands, your skin warm beneath his fingers as he strokes your flushed cheeks and presses your foreheads together. 

Focus on him, he tells you, the steady rhythm of his breathing, and his voice while he whispers words of love and encouragement. He never tires of letting you know how beautiful and strong you are, that he’s always here for you and loves you—all of you. You unravel in his arms, opening your heart up to him, and he listens intently, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips the moment you look uncertain. You’re not a burden he promises, hoping one day you’ll believe it yourself, but he’ll remind you every chance he gets; forever if he must. It’s worth it in the end, when you relax against him and smile, kissing him in return. Slowly, the anxiety leaves your body, Satan thankful that the waves of panic have receded enough to let you rest your weary mind. He remains next to you, pulling you down to lay your head on his chest and closing your hand in his, entwining your fingers. He’s content here with you, watching you fall asleep and chasing away the nightmares.

ASMODEUS

Asmodeus loves shopping, but he loves shopping with you most of all. The day is bright with you by his side, and he can’t help but buy you clothes and matching accessories to bring out your inherent charm. Your potential is endless, and he gushes over how gorgeous you are, unable to contain his excitement when your cheeks turn a beautiful shade of pink in return. He can hardly control himself around you, gaze fixated on your every movement and heart racing each time you flash him one of the sweetest smiles he’s ever seen; your very soul seeming to shine through and blind him. Nothing prepares him for the love he feels for you, but he considers it a welcome surprise, his desire to grow closer to you intensifying day after day. You captivate him, the Avatar of Lust of all demons. What an exciting turn of events!

Of course, he attracts attention wherever he goes, posing for pictures with adoring fans and basking in the compliments constantly thrown his way; nothing new, but he enjoys it, nonetheless. Who can resist the allure of his very presence? However, anger wells within him at the sight of you being shoved to the side, falling to the ground and lost to the crowd that has gathered. Their words of flattery fall on deaf ears as he rushes to you, throwing a heated glance at the lowly demon who dares to touch his darling human. He desires nothing more than to punish them for such an injustice, but the fear in your eyes tells him otherwise. By the time he scoops you up into his arms you’re trembling from head to toe, and he can feel your heart pounding against him. A part of him places the blame on himself, an unfamiliar feeling, but he chooses to ignore it for now, focusing on getting you home in your worsening state.

In the peace and quiet of his room, he sits you on the bed, wrapping you in his arms as he affectionately runs his fingers through your hair. He can tell you’re upset—in an absolute state of panic by the looks of it—and all he can do is hold you through it, quietly asking what you need and willing to answer your every beck and call if it means that adorable smile graces your features once more. For a moment he considers seeking out Lucifer, worried something has gone terribly wrong, but thankfully you find your voice, mumbling into his chest about anxiety and panic attacks, that you’ll be fine—eventually—and are sorry for ruining your date. He doesn’t understand completely, though he knows you need him, promising to stay by your side for as long as you want. Kissing your cheek, he assures you there’s no need to apologize to him, your safety more important than anything else; the demon who laid his hands on you won’t go without punishment either.

Admitting a bath helps calm you down, he prepares one for you, steam rising from the surface and the heady scent of roses filling the air. Together you slip into the water, enveloped by its warmth, and he hums in contentment as you lean into him, his arms coming to rest around your waist. He watches you carefully, making sure you’re able to relax and preparing himself in case you call on him; he’ll do anything for you if it brings you the happiness you deserve. Your eyes flutter close, Asmodeus showering you with delicate kisses, comforted by the fact your breathing has levelled out and you appear a lot calmer than before. The day didn’t go as planned, and he hopes to make it up to you, vowing that no one else will hurt you on his watch. He loves himself. He loves his brothers. But loves you most of all.

BEELZEBUB

Beelzebub notices you haven’t touched your dinner and is beyond happy the moment you offer your plate to him. Yet he can’t bring himself to enjoy the food in front of him while you excuse yourself from the table, eyes downcast and voice quiet, the usual smile gone from your face and leaving behind an emptiness that rivals his own hunger. His mouth waters at the thought of seconds, but his concern for you grows, and he decides to follow you without question, disregarding the ravenous growl of his stomach. He catches you in the hallway, calling out your name. You turn to him, his brow furrowing in unease at the sight of your tears and the slight tremble of your lip. It hurts him to see you in obvious distress, and he earnestly offers his support.

The only sound is that of your sobbing. He desperately wishes to hold you tightly and rid you of your pain. However, he falters, studying you. Your gaze is trained on the floor, shoulders stiff with tension, and the color drains from your cheeks. When you speak, he’s surprised by how helpless you sound and the fact you’re trying to reassure him, putting his needs above your own although you’re struggling to hold yourself together. Fear flickers across your features at the echo of the brothers’ voices travelling up the stairs, and he mumbles out an apology as he carefully lifts you into his arms, cradling you to his chest. 

Before the others can round the corner, he hurries down the hall and slips into your room, determined to protect his vulnerable human. He notices you relax against him, your fingers curling into his shirt, and he can’t help but want to keep you close, relieved after you lean in closer to wrap your arms around his neck. Stroking your hair, he allows you to cry, his patience and love for you endless. Eventually, you mutter an embarrassed sorry, thanking him profusely, but he’s merely relieved you’re beginning to feel a bit better, reassuring you that you can always depend on him. 

Listening to you intently, he never breaks eye contact. You open up to him about your anxiety, his stomach twisting as you describe what you call a panic attack and how it wrecks you both mentally and physically. Beelzebub knows he has a lot to learn, but he expresses interest in understanding anxiety and, most importantly, how he can help you, so you don’t suffer alone. For the rest of the night, he keeps you company and eases you through the remainder of your attack, giving you plenty of hugs and rubbing your back in soothing circles until you no longer shake, and your heartbeat returns to its usual pace.

BELPHEGOR

Belphegor enjoys the time you spend together, especially when the two of you are alone. He asks you to accompany him in the attic, and it’s not long before he curls around you, falling into a peaceful sleep as he listens to the steady beat of your heart. However, when he awakes it’s to the sound of your soft cries in the dark, which fill him with a fear he can’t seem to shake. Without hesitation he’s at your side, sitting up to softly place a hand on your shoulder and ask you what’s wrong. The sadness in your eyes as you glance up at him, tears staining your cheeks, tugs at his heartstrings. He can’t bear to see you upset.

Once he realizes you’re having a panic attack, he’s attentive to your needs, cradling you in his arms as you cry into his chest. You confided in him about your struggles with anxiety after you fell to pieces in front of him months ago. A part of him understands, the loss of Lilith haunting him throughout the years and instilling a similar feeling of unease within him, especially when his nightmares seem to blur the line between reality and the painful memories of his past. You always came to his rescue and now it’s his turn to comfort you in your time of need. Sleep can wait.

With you in his embrace, he brings you down to relax against the pillows, pulling the blanket around your shivering form. You rest your head on his shoulder, and he gently brushes the remaining tears from your face, whispering words of love and reassurance. He listens to you when you’re comfortable to talk, the slight tremble of your voice causing him to draw you closer and press a kiss to your forehead. Belphegor tells you he’s here for you—forever—and although he’s still learning about anxiety and finding the best ways to comfort you during an attack, he wants you to depend on him no matter what. Even if that means you wake him up in the middle of the night. He won’t rest until he knows you’re okay, and you’re peacefully sleeping in his arms.

[shipwreck-letters]

hii!!!! so i've been thinking recently (which is rlly rare) what if ur oc finch was the monster trapped in the house and casimir was the paranormal renevator? i thought it was clever bc finch could be like a bird-monster lol. anyways i hope u have a great day/evening <333

God I LOVE this idea so much <3 More under the cut, I have a tendency to ramble on and on about these things. I also haven't checked thoroughly for typos, so apologies if you see any mistakes!

“Your name is Finch…And you're..."

"Don't even say it."

"It's just sort of ironic that-"

-Finch is the one that's stuck in the house, and has been desperately miserable as the house fell into decline. 

-Casimir comes from southern France to the old house along the rural woods, having had a long day and he just wants to check out the new place before leaving. 

-(OH WHAT IF THIS TAKES PLACE IN THE 1700s THOUGH???) 

-In any case, Casimir still takes a lot of pride in his appearance, and dresses like that (caveats, waistcoat, embroidery) because he's still from old money, but at least uses some of that privilege to help others. 

-Casimir doesn't even meet Finch at the door; It opens for him and he peeks in, hearing only whistling and echoes from curtains. When he almost trips on a shredded box, and some more junk, he knows it's gonna be a long night. Too long, in fact. He’ll write a note for the resident, and come back tomorrow.

-He turns to leave, because it's too damn dark to fall into a pothole, when he hears them. 

-HarpyFinchHarpyFinchHarpyFinch-

-The years and grief have morphed them. Now their wings are ruffled and dirty, making them appear much larger. Their hands (connected to their wings) end in claws, and their talons are nothing to play around with. 

-"Who are you supposed to be?"

-They're perched on a railing, staring from above with wide eyes. Neither of them move. "Oh, not real." They suddenly say, starting to move. "Just a shadow."

-"What?" Casimir asks- It's the only thing he can say. "What do you mean? You called for me, did you not?"

-What comes next is Finch being so startled to hear someone speak that they promptly fall off the railing, going straight to the floor in a mess of wings and limbs. They scramble back from Casimir, moving through light long enough that he can see more of their color. 

-Casimir has dealt with a lot of things, but never a physical monster before. But he wants to try, at least. 

-In this AU, I think Finch was here just short of their first transformation; They tried to clean the house, and there's a few rooms (like two or three) that they try to keep clean, but there's so much happening in the background. The house naturally fell into decline, and so did Finch.

-Finch has no idea how to go about their transformation(s). They haven't really slept well in years. They teeter from anger to immense sadness, and it’s exhausting. They've tried so hard to keep things from falling apart, but there's been no one to help. It's like depression, but on a huge scale with a side of monster.

-When they first meet, Finch is not the way I'd usually write them. They've been alone for however long it's been- And Finch does not do good in solitude.

-They're curious, though, and so is Casimir. And that's enough to form a budding relationship, at least to work on the house together. 

-Casimir finds all sorts of things that are varying levels of usefulness and junk, and Finch watches very closely everytime he picks something up. 

-"Is there something on my face?" Casimir finally asks, and Finch blinks, their face warm.

"Your nose. Your eyes. That's on your face."

"...Hilarious. You're staring at me, Finch."

Finch gestures at an old oil lamp. "What is that?"

"You've never seen an oil lamp?"

"I've never seen any of this before. This place...It's nothing like my home. We lived close to the earth. I could hear rain when it fell. I could feel the sun when it rose. I can't feel any of that here. I don't know where I am."

-Casimir has to take a minute to process all of that. "Where...Did you live?"

-I like the idea that Finch was from Indigenous America, and Casimir is from rural France.

-There's no word for America for Finch. The keeping of time isn’t like AD or BC, so housework is put aside for a moment until Casimir and Finch can reach a base together. 

-"So..." Casimir takes a deep breath, his mind still reeling. "Based on what you've told me. You have been here a very long time. These things were made after you were trapped here."

"How long has it been, then?" Finch asks quietly. Casimir can only guess. "250, it seems. It could be more. That's 250 Summers, Winters, give or take."

Finch's feathers sink and go still this time, as they process what that means. 

"250...Years. How many days is that?"

"Ah-" Casimir has to do the math. "Um...Well-" (If he has a phone, he's gonna use it) "That's...90,000 days."

"Oh. I see..." Finch takes a shaky deep breath. "Thank you for telling me." 

-At least in Casimir's story, he focuses on the technology of MC's phone and life. But I think Finch would immediately mourn for their family, their life. There's no way they can't. They used to see them everyday, and now they're all...Gone. 

-Casimir notices them slipping away, and he quickly fumbles for something to show them. “Take a look at this!”

-He presents them a music box. It’s dusty, but Casimir knows a few tricks to get it working, long enough for Finch to hear it and be delighted by it. 

-Casimir can see a possibility to work towards, and he's definitely not expecting the first transformation of the House itself. Both him and Finch jump when the floor ripples, and Finch screeches at the movement.

-It's the foyer like it was before, and Finch is a little overstimulated by the amount of lights that suddenly illuminate the room, and they can't help but stare directly at the bulbs.

-"Why did you do this?" Finch finally asks. "Why did you come here? And help me? No one's been here, but you just appeared."

-"Well, this is my job. If it wasn't you, the House itself must have called me here. I help places like this, and people like you. Although it was mostly...Well, the point is; If it's alright with you, I'd like to see what other rooms we can fix."

-Finch blinks, taking a step back. "But I...I have nothing to give you.”

-Now normally Casimir would ask other noble people for a hefty price; He had to learn how to clean up, and they still don't, so they can clean up their bank account by giving it to him. 

-"I don’t mind staying longer. You are the first person who doesn't leave me with a headache, so if it's alright with you..."

-Overtime, Finch would gradually break through to show the side of them that is most familiar; They're still loving and bright, but there's also an implication that this isn't the same Finch Vestri. 

-They're overall quieter, sleepier, and weary. The roles are reversed, too, so Casimir would be more inclined to guide and pull Finch back from the darkness. 

-I also have another AU where Finch is a moth monster! It was based on an idea I saw that the MC also becomes a resident of the House, and so I designed that form after playing Hollow Knight too many times.

I was going to use that form, but I think Harpy Finch is a really fun idea! It fits better in this theme, and I like the idea that Finch had like a Brother Bear transformation through their actions, or inactions. That’s for another time, though, this is already super long!

-Someone stop me, I have like three AUs for Finch and Casimir- 

[chibinekochan]

Business proposal ft. Victor (Mr. Love) x Fem. reader

aka Love and Producer aka Mr Love: Queen's Choice, aka Koi to Producer: EVOL×LOVE

*I don't know which of these names the fandom uses*

Written for my very lovely friend. *You know who you are.*

Reader isn't the canon Mc. 

Fem. Reader x Victor 

words 4.3k 

*under the read more due to length*

After a long time you finally meet your very busy friend. 

You are very happy about your meeting but still manage to be about 5 minutes late. 

You meet in a coffeehouse. It's not super busy so you spot her right away. 

She looks tired but as soon as she sees you a bright smile graces her face. 

You wave at her and make your way over to her. 

"Sorry, I made you wait." You apologize with a guilty smile. 

"Don't worry about it. I arrived early anyway." She smiles at you. "By the way, I already ordered for you. They had your favorite cake." She easily forgives you. 

Her kindness almost makes you cry. 

"That's so sweet of you. You didn't have to do this." You sit down across from you. 

"Don't worry about it. I rarely get to spoil you." She smiles in a truly kind way. 

"You are too good to me." You bow lightly and give her a big smile. 

The food and drinks arrive and your eyes begin to sparkle upon seeing the delicious food in front of you. You have to keep your drool under control. 

She also looks pleased with her choice and you both eat without hesitation. 

Soon your plates are empty. "This was so good." You sigh pleased but also think of the amount of calories you have just eaten. 

"Yeah, I'm glad we finally got to do this. I have been way too busy lately but you know how my boss is with these quarterly reports. I swear he only has this business for them." She sighs, slightly exhausted. 

"Is he really that bad?" You've heard stories about him before but it's still hard to wrap your head around it. 

"You have no idea. The other day someone had a typo on page 210 and they had to rewrite the whole thing. I warned them too." She shakes her head at the memory. "They ended up crying and then ran away. This is the 6th time that happened. I really want a reliable assistant. It makes me cry." She looks very exhausted. 

"Is this why you look so tired?" You feel bad for her. 

"Yeah, now I not only have to do their workload but I also have to hire a replacement." She sounds seriously fed up. 

"You know that I am still looking for an internship right? I surely could help you out." This would be such a great opportunity for you. 

"I really appreciate it but it would be like feeding you to a lion." She just wants to protect you. 

"I know he sounds scary but I could really use the job." You look at your friend with big puppy eyes. 

"I guess I can't win against you." She smiles softly at you. I'm not against it from a professional standpoint. I just have to warn you that he will never forgive any mistakes and you can never show him fear. Just pretend that he is a wild animal and it will be fine." She tries to warn you and you wonder what kind of man her boss truly is. 

Your friend described him as a vicious animal but also very good looking.

You wonder how he really is. 

"Alright I will do my best. How can I make a good first impression with him?" You really want this job and you know that you can rely on your friend to have your back. 

"Well first of you have to look very professional and then you have to look him in the eyes, no matter how scary it seems. Victor doesn't like mistakes but he also always leaves room for improvement. If you work hard to fix your mistakes he will approve of it." Your friend lists off a list of good advice. 

You feel like taking notes. 

" Alright. I hope I have something that I can wear." Think of the clothes that are in your shack. 

Your friend thinks for a moment." The best you can wear is a blouse with stripes. He seems to like them." She smiles. 

"Thank you so much for the recommendation and the chance. I swear I will make you proud." You pump yourself up. 

"I didn't do much." Your friend gets a business card from her bag. She writes something on the back. "Here I wrote the time and room on the back. Just come about a half hour before the time, go to the front counter and tell them why you are there. They will let you in and then me and my boss Victor will interview you." She calmly explains the process to you. 

This gives you some reassurance but your heart still beats like crazy. You take the card and carefully place it into your wallet.

You talk for a while longer with her and then head back home and prepare your outfit for the next day. 

You can barely sleep tonight. 

The next morning arrives. 

You made sure to set the alert very early. 

After doing your usual morning routine you carefully dress and make sure that you look the best way possible. 

You motivate yourself once again and make your way to LFG. 

Your heart pounds like crazy. You take a deep breath to calm yourself down. 

Then you enter the building. 

It's a very impressive entrance. Nervously you look around and find the counter. 

With shaky legs you make your way in front of the Lady sitting there. 

She quickly checks your credentials and gives you a visitor's pass. 

You nervously put it around your neck and then you go through the security check. You truly feel like you are in a movie. 

You walk until you reach the elevator door. 

Suddenly you hear some commotion behind you. Curious, you look and then see a black haired male entering the building. 

Everyone around you seems to be in awe and bows deeply. 

The man does seem a bit intimidating with his large stature and menacing stare. You freeze like a deer in the headlight. 

You can't help but stare at him. He comes closer and closer, walking at a fast pace through the entrance hall. 

His steps are large and you have no time to collect your thoughts before he stands just in front of you. 

He leaves you feeling like a rabbit that looks at a wolf or maybe a lion. 

His aura is truly that of a king. 

He looks at you with a cold gaze. "Not going to ride it?" His cold tone makes you shiver. 

"What do you mean?" Your voice falters and your brain has frozen over. 

"The elevator. Are you going to ride it?" With an inpatient tone he repeats his question. 

"Yeah, I need to ride it… I mean I can wait for a bit if you want to ride alone…" You somehow feel like you offended him. 

"There is no need for that. It's big enough." He says nonchalantly and steps into the elevator. 

You can't help yourself but go after him. He is even taller now where he is so close to you. 

You can even smell his cologne. It makes you a bit dizzy, or maybe it's his aura. 

The elevator door closes behind you. 

He stands right next to you, in front of the panel. 

"What floor?" He looks coldly at you, making you shrink even more. 

"Ummm." Nervously you look at your card. It falls right out of your hand. 

You bend down to grab it, feeling slightly mortified. 

The man is faster and grabs it. He takes a look at the card and then looks at you. "Hmm…" His expression seems to shift from indifference to something else. You aren't sure what it is. 

He then presses a button on the panel and your ride starts.

The elevator is riding surprisingly smoothly and you can't bring yourself to utter another word.

The elevator door opens and it is your floor. 

He steps out in front of you, like it's only natural for him to go first. 

You follow after him, like a small puppy. 

You are only relieved when you spot your friend. She is in her business attire and wears a business smile. 

You almost wave at her, until you remember the tall man in front of you. 

You really wonder who he is anyways. 

"Sir, you are just in time. Please make haste and enter the conference room." Your friend faces the dark haired stranger. She doesn't seem scared but it's clear that he must be a higher up. 

You just quietly stand behind the tall man, too scared to even breathe. 

"I assume the interviewee has just arrived as well?" He glances at you. 

Your heart beats very fast once again. It's unclear to you if it's from his good looks or the sudden attention. 

"Yes sir. It's the girl I told you about yesterday. Shall we head to the conference room?" She smiles politely. 

The tall man looks at you again, he is clearly gauging you. You wonder if you look like a tasty treat to him. 

"There is no need for that. I have already decided." He speaks in a cold, matter-of-fact way. 

You start to sweat. Have you messed up already somehow? 

"Sir, please don't just judge people before you even talk to them. You know it's very hard to find good workers and I assure you…" Your friend is clearly frustrated. 

He cuts her off with a hand wave. "What I meant to say is that I'm okay with hiring this one.  She looks good on paper and I think it will work out. She hasn't fled after seeing me so I take that as a good sign. Now if there is nothing else I will go back to my office. There are reports to read." Without waiting for a response he already turns to leave. 

You look at your friend in confusion. 

She sighs." Alright then. Congratulations, you have the job. Normally I would complain but well there is a flood of papers on my desk and I'm glad that he likes you." She seems to be used to this behavior. 

You still feel utterly confused. "What was that?" 

"That my dear was the Ceo Victor and your new boss. I mean technically I'm your boss but he really is the boss." Your friend smiles in a slightly fed up manor. 

You suddenly feel a strong sense of empathy for her. 

Now all the stories you hear make sense.

"So that was Victor?" You are still baffled. You look in the corridor and then at your friend. 

"Yeah I guess you passed your first test. It's known as the 'Lionsdentest' by the workers. If you don't run away on your first encounter you have passed." She giggles lightly and pats you on the shoulder. 

Well at least you have a job now. 

Maybe you are able to survive here after all. 

Some weeks pass where you get used to your job. It's not easy but you work very hard and get along well with everyone. 

Then one morning you get a call from your friend. Just before you need to leave. 

"I'm so sorry to throw this upon you but I have caught a cold and have a high fever. I'm burning up. Victor already knows all about this but the thing is that he really needs papers from me. They are on my desk. Usually Victor would take them out himself but he is still on his plane and he needs them as soon as he lands. You need to bring them to him. So I beg you to go to my office and get him what he needs." Your friend sounds awful on the phone. You feel very bad for her. 

"Of course, I will do it. Leave it to me!" You tell her full of confidence. 

"Thank you so much I won't forget this." Your friend sighs with relief.

You quickly make your way to the office and find the requested papers. You thank your lucky stars. 

A cab is already waiting for you to drive you to the airport. 

The drive takes a few minutes, enough time to remember how your first meeting with Victor went. Enough to make you nervous. 

Your heart beats like a drum when you make your way towards the gate. You sigh of relief when you see that you arrived just in time. 

You look through the glass window of the luggage pickup. There is no sign of the black haired Victor no matter how much you look for him. 

Now what? You don't have his phone number. 

Desperate feelings build up inside of you. You might have no choice but to get an announcement, stating that you are looking for Victor. 

The thought of him getting called out like a small child makes you slightly giggle.

You then turn and with a thud get stopped by something that has to be a human figure. You are about to mumble an apology when you notice who you just bumped into. 

"Seems like you have just thought about something funny and that while I have been looking for you." You know this annoyed voice very well. It still hounds you in your dreams

It's Victor, you go pale in an instant and stumble backwards and almost trip over some luggage behind you. 

Then suddenly everything slows down around you, it's like slow motion. 

Before you can react Victor grabs your wrist and pulls you up towards him. 

You look at him with wide eyes. "What just happened?" You look at him, confused. You don't feel any pain. Did time just slow down or was it in your head? 

"From my point of view you were playing around, made me search for you and then you almost fell and made me save you." Victor states this like it's a matter of fact. 

He isn't wrong but his tone still irritates you. 

"I was looking for you but I couldn't see you in the luggage pick up area." You meekly defend yourself. 

"That is no surprise since I didn't have any luggage with me. Well, regardless, we wasted enough time. Do you have the paperwork?" Victor looks at you with an expecting gaze. 

"Of course, I have it all here." You pat your bag. 

"Alright then let's go." Victor doesn't wait for your reply and turns around. 

"Wait, where are we going?" You nervously stumble after him. 

Victor barely slows down and looks over his shoulder at you. "Since you came with the papers you will be the replacement of my usual company. On top of that she is sick anyways." Victor says this like it's natural. "I hope you have something to take notes with." Victor almost glares at you for a moment. 

"Ye-Yeah I have something for that but I wasn't informed of this?" Thank you for having a phone on you. 

"I just informed you. Naturally you will be paid overtime. Now stop staring into space and let's move." Victor's patience seems nonexistent. 

"Alright, sir." You don't dare to say anything against his orders and so you follow him to the car with a driver. 

Once again like a puppy following her owner. 

Victor doesn't talk your entire trip and just quietly reads through the papers. You steal small glances at him. He is pretty handsome, if only his words were sweeter.

Victor probably notices your glances but completely ignores them. 

Once you arrive at the appointment, at a large building across town. 

You do as Victor told you and take notes of everything. Unsure of what exactly Victor is looking for in your summary. 

It takes all day until you finally get back into the car. You are very tired and also very hungry. 

"That was pretty good work today. I hope to see your summary tomorrow evening on my desk." Victor seems to approve of your hard work. 

You feel thankful for that. "Thank you and I will make sure you get it as soon as possible." You try to sound enthusiastic but frankly you are very beat. 

You look outside of the car, it's really dark by now. You sigh it will be hard to make something decent to eat at this time of the day. 

The car stops and you hear the door opening. 

You look at Victor with question marks in your eyes. 

"I will treat you to some food as thank you for today." Victor states this coldly, destroying every bit of niceness from this gesture. 

"I can't possibly accept that." You wave your arms. 

"You are clearly hungry, so come on hurry up." He gets out of the car. Leaving no room for refusal. 

You wonder if he heard your stomach rumble earlier and feel embarrassed. 

The door on your side opens and you get out. It surprises you to see that Victor opened the door for you. 

Maybe he is a gentleman under his rough fassade? 

You get out of the car and see the rather fancy restaurant in front of you. 

"Wow, this is a fancy place. I wonder if I fit in?!" You look questioning at Victor. 

"Nobody cares about you as long as I'm there. Now lets go before you faint from hunger or something like that." Victor seems inpatient. 

Your stomach makes another grumbling nice and for a moment you swear you can hear Victor chuckle. When you look at him his face seems like always. 

He doesn't wait and heads into the restaurant. You follow him pretty nervously. 

Victor was right nobody seems to take notice of you. 

They all grovel in front of Victor, it's pretty impressive. 

You get lead to a table and sit across from Victor. 

He doesn't even ask for a card and just orders something that you never heard of for both of you. 

You stare at him in disbelief. 

"What you don't like what I ordered?" Victor grins at you. 

Like, your protest won't matter regardless. "No, I'd just rather order something on my own." You pout a little. 

"I would feel deeply ashamed if I you were to order chicken nuggets or something similar." Victor seems very amused by the thought. 

"I'm not a child you know." You feel pretty offended. 

"You could have fooled me." Victor looks at you like he won some sort of price. 

Unbelievable, this man! 

You frown at least until your food arrives. 

It looks really delicious, like a plate of delicious diamonds. Your mouth waters and you can't wait to dig in. 

You quickly give thanks for the meal and then put a bite into your mouth. It tastes so great! It made today really worth it. 

You can't help but smile and continue to eat.  Then suddenly you feel a burning gaze on you. With a feeling of dread you look up. 

Victor has an unusually kind expression on his face. He looks even more handsome when he doesn't glare at you. You blush.

“Seems like you really enjoy the food.” Victor gives you a small smile. It makes your heart skip a beat.

You swallow hard. This is very embarrassing, you could just sink right into the ground.

“I will remember this for future reference.” Victor keeps his intense gaze on you.

You feel cold sweat running down your back. Silently you pray for mercy and finish your meal very quickly.

Just before you head back to the car, Victor stops you and holds a business card out to you. “Why are you giving this to me?” You look confused at the card.

“This has my number on it. So you can call me if you can't find me again. Just don't loose it and only use it when there is an actual emergency.” Victor puts emphasis on both points.

“Alright, thank you sir.” You take his card with a feeling of gratefulness. “Do you want my number too?” You blurt the question out without much thought.

Victor raises his eyebrow. “Why would I need that? I don't see any need to call you dummy.” Victor shakes his head, he looks kind of amused.

You don't know if you should feel hurt or angry, so you just frown and puff your cheeks a bit.

This causes Victor to chuckle.

As glad as you are to hear him laugh, being the cause for this doesn't feel very nice.

After this you are brought home and basically fall into bed.

You kick your blankets very hard tonight.

The next morning comes without mercy. You still remember your dinner very vividly. Sadly time doesn't seem to slow down for you and you have to get ready for your work.

You work hard writing the summary. It's a very long report and it takes you almost all day to write it. You really took too many notes. Unsure what to leave out and unwilling to let Victor wait any longer you make your way to his office.

This is the first time you will see his office. Your hands are shaking when you knock at the door.

"Come in." Victor shouts through the closed door. 

You take a breath and open the door. 

"I have the summary for you." You hold it in front of you like a shield. 

"Put it on my desk." Victor lifts his eyes and for a moment they meet yours. 

You freeze on the spot. 

He clears his throat, this snaps you out of your trance. 

With a nervous smile you put the papers on his desk. You are about to bow down and leave but Victor stops you with a motion of his hand. Pointing you to the chair in front of his desk. 

You start to sweat bullets and sit down. 

Victor reads the whole summary at record speed. 

Then he sighs. It feels like your whole life is flashing in front of your eyes. 

You mentally prepare yourself for the scolding. 

"This is basically a full retelling of every single detail. It even includes a thorough summary of my attire. I don't really understand that part. It's filled with unnecessary observations. I felt at points like reading your inner thoughts. Next time leave these out and make it an actual summary." Victor puts the papers back on his desk. 

Is this all he has to add? You are baffled. 

"That's all?" You can't help but to voice your thoughts. 

"What were you expecting?" Victor raises his eyebrow. 

" I just thought that you would yell at me…" You smile lightly. 

"Do you want me to yell at you?" Victor seems confused.

"Of course not! I just thought you might be disappointed with my work." You feel relieved but this reaction is scary in its own way. 

"Well, it's about as good as I expected from you. It can't be helped since you acted as a replacement." Victor doesn't sound like he expected anything at all from you. 

It stings in its own way. You almost clench your heart. 

"The next summary I write will be better." You feel a sudden burst of confidence. You want it to show Victor what you can do for him. 

"Well in that case I want you to come with me tomorrow as well. It seems that my usual worker is still sick." Victor smirks lightly at you. Your heart skips another beat. 

"Umm alright…" You suddenly feel like all strength left your body. 

"Not so confident anymore? I can always ask someone else." Victor shrugs. 

"No no, I will do it!" You can't back down, for some reason you want him to tell you that you did a good job. 

"Well then I will pick you up tomorrow. Make sure you are ready in time." Victor seems to note something on his calendar. 

"Do you even know where I live?" You are pretty surprised by this. 

"Of course I don't. I will look into your file later." Victor just waves you off and with this the conversation is over. 

You let out a huge sigh of relief once you exit his office. This man will definitely be the end of you. 

Once again you head home feeling very nervous about the next day. 

You want to cry and smile at the same time. 

The next morning comes and you wait for Victor's car at the side of the road. 

You then suddenly get hit by a gust of wind, caused by a sports car. 

You see the car stopping just on the side of the road. It makes you a bit angry at least until you see it's Victor in the driving seat. 

He let's the window down. "Get in, we have a busy schedule ahead of us." Victor only looks at you for a moment. 

You open the door and get in the seat next to the driver's seat. "Good morning, Sir. I'm pretty surprised that you drive yourself." 

"I like driving. Now fasten the seat belt we don't have time for small talk." Victor speaks matter of fact, as always. 

You do as you are told. 

"And by the way call me Victor from now on. All of my close workers do that." Victor doesn't even look at you. 

Regardless, this makes you smile. "Alright Sir… I mean Victor." You feel a warmth spreading through your body. He must appreciate your work after all. 

"This is no reason to smile like an idiot." Victor glances at you, you get bright pink and turn away from him. 

He is a jerk after all.

  ~ I know this is different from my usual fandom but as you all know I play many of these games. I just don't usually write for anything that I'm not super obsessed with.

[marvel-ousnesss]

The pirate and the witch (part two)

Word count:  2568 Pairing: Harry Hook x daughter of Narissa!reader

Summary: Y/N, an orphan vk who was taken to Auradon at a young age, returns to her old home by request of the crown prince. However, things tend to go south at the Isle of the Lost.

Warning: Mild cursing

A:/N: Okay people, here's the second part! I'm really enjoying writing this and already working on part three. Feel free to ask if you wanna be tagged and to point out any mistakes or typos that you see. Enjoy 😬

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE DISNEY DESCENDANTS CHARACTERS NOR THE SANDERSON SISTERS. All credit goes to the creators, writers, and producers. Same with the HP charms, credit goes to J.K Rowling.

Part one     Mobile masterlist    Part three    Part four

— So, how was it? — Asks Ben, who's currently sitting on the couch of his and Chad’s dorm, with the brightest grin plastered on his sweaty face. His tourney gear discarded on the floor next to him, I can tell he took it out in a rush right before he called me.

I chuckle at his excitement; kind of resembles a golden retriever puppy. Sitting cross-legged on the simple bed, I stare at the screen of a tablet with the royal crest of Maldonia on its green case. Just parted ways with Harry and, even if it’s hardly four pm, I’m utterly exhausted; but Ben won’t stop calling me until I tell him everything.

— Where to start, where to start,— I pretend to think, scratching my chin with my index finger and frowning my brows. — Being chased by bandits, being kidnapped by wicked witches, who, by the way, may have found a way to practice magic, or having a VIP ticket for Uma’s pirate ship?

— That does sound like quite an adventure, but let’s cover the basics first. How’s the place?

I sigh, setting jokes aside.  — Miserable, Ben, whatever you discussed with your father will seem like a children’s tale.

—Something needs to be done about it — he states, — but I’m gonna need your help in convincing my father.

—I’m sure it will be fine, he’s all about second chances, right?

I don’t even know if I completely believe what I’m telling Ben. I remember standing outside of the Royal Courtroom, fidgeting, uncertain of what those who I thought were meant to be good and forgiving would decide for me. The funny thing is that Auradon’s oh so great and just king was the most reluctant to let me be part of his kingdom, claiming that I had an intrinsically wicked nature.

However, I manage to spit my words between gritted teeth— See? You’ll do great.

— I really hope so.

— Look, for now, just sit tight and behold my wonderful narrative skills. We’ll plan our scheme later, — I wink.

— Okay, go on.

So, I tell him everything, no detail spared. Even if it is supposed to be a prison island, it is atrocious to have people living in such conditions. From the poorly constructed infrastructure to the lack of resources that has resulted in people fighting like animals over things such as a rotten apple or half a loaf of bread.

— I’m glad you saw it all first hand, and with all of this, I really believe that we can convince my father to do something about it.

— What I’m most worried about is the embargo that he placed, many goblins are out of jobs because of it, and the malnutrition and sickness here have drastically raised since.— I frown my brows.

— We’ll need statistics to show that, and maybe he’ll abolish the limitations on resources and re-establish the goblins’ jobs.

— Keep talking Mr. crown prince, I only yawn when I’m utterly fascinated.— I roll my eyes and smile when I hear the familiar voice of my second favorite prince.

— Manners, Charming, the grownups are talking,— I fake scold as Chad pops on the screen behind Ben.

— Wow Y/N! Really looking like the evil witch you are— he snarls.

I don’t give it any thought ‘cause a) it’s Chad who’s talking and b) I am dressed in a purple leather jacket and a navy blue top, not to mention my smokey eye makeup. So, I brush him off.

— I miss you too, Chaddy. But, I'd love you to shut up before I go and make you.

—I guess it is true, ‘once a villain, always a villain’.

— Guess it is true, Prince Chad charming, of Cinderellasburg, is even more delicate than his mother’s set of porcelain.

— Seriously, though, don’t let the Isle get to you too much.

— Are you, gods forbid, worried about me?

— Nah, just don’t want real VKs living among us, do we? — when he says this, he playfully punches Ben on his shoulder.

…

—And so, I ended up flirting with none other than Harry Hook in the flesh.

When I utter the word flirting, Chad’s nose scrunch makes both me and Ben burst into laughter.

—Yes, Chad, we flirted, and, dare I say, I enjoyed it. Anyway, after we escaped the cage, we walked together and he ended up inviting me to ‘keep the heid’ back at Uma’s ship,

— I think that may be good for getting to know them, — suggests the crown prince. — You know, figuring out which of them are in worst scenarios.

— Sorry to break it to you, Ben, but it wouldn’t be safe for Y/N to go hang with a bunch of pirates.

Even if our relationship is playful and full of bickering, Chad can get super protective sometimes. It is something that I appreciate, really, but when he smells possible danger, he tends to get worse than my mom.

— I did decline his offer but, seeing that not going would mean agreeing with dearest Chad, — I shrug — I’m gonna go. Right now.

Much to Chad’s dismay, we say a brief goodbye.

— Be careful,

— Don’t let them infect you!

I chuckle at them and hang up. Then, I put the tablet under the bed, grab my cloak, and head out the door.

…

Now closer to the docks, my ears are flooded with the stomping of dancing feet and the cheers of shanties, accompanied by what sounds like a piano and guitar duo. I arrive and cannot help but smile at the sight. Before my eyes, I find some of the most dangerous and vile people of the Isle dancing and singing around a fire that’s set on a barrel in the middle of the ship.

I approach the crowd and, when I catch the first mate’s eye, he stops playing and laughs.

— I knew you’d come. Couldn’t resist m’charms.

I smirk, — just came for a good time, Hook. Don’t you ruin it already.

— Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your new toy? — asks the sea witch, emerging from the crew of pirates, who are now quizzically looking at our interaction.

— I’m Y/N.

— Ooh, the witch, — she inquires. — Harry hasn’t shut up about your little encounter earlier today.

— Hasn’t he? — I quirk a brow at him but don’t even get him to blush.

— Gonzo, — intervenes Harry. — Take over would ya? I’ve business.

The music continues to play and the pirates continue to sing and dance. A blond guy, Gil, I believe, offers me a pint of beer, but I politely refuse. He doesn’t seem to mind, as he drowns the whole thing in one gulp and I quietly chuckle. I proceed to take off my cloak and leave it in the rack, embracing the cold wind. Then, I approach Harry.

— So, are you gonna teach me how to dance this thing, or did you invite me to stand in the corner of the deck all night?

— Are you trying to flirt with me, lassie? — he asks.

— Do I look like someone who’s interested in you? — He’s about to respond but I cut him off, — you know what? Don’t answer.

I grab his hands and pull him to the designated dance floor with me. I’m genuinely curious about this type of music, back home we don’t have anything similar. Next thing I know, he hooks his arm through mine and we’re jumping, spinning and cheering around the dance floor, avoiding a collision with the rest of the crew members.

After a few songs, I suggest we take a break and grab something to drink, so we make our way to the barrel located at the end of the deck.

— Ain’t gaunnie tell me that was yer first time dancing shanties, ‘cause I ain’t taking mince.

He speaks as he fills the first glass with beer and hands it to me, then he scratches the back of his neck with one hand and places the other on his belt buckle.

— Well, believe it or not, it was — I defend myself, fixing my simple hairdo.

— then let me tell ya, yer a natural.

— thanks, — I smile.

He looks at me with curiosity.

— err... I mean, of course I am.

After he fills his own glass, we sit on the front edge of the Lost Revenge’s plank and let our feet hang above the water.

— Why haven’t I seen you 'round, — he takes a gulp of his drink.

I try to do the same but encounter an unpleasant sensation, so I take a small sip and place my glass on the floor, next to me. — I already told you, lone wolf.

—Bullshit. I know the lone wolves, —he claims — easy prey for the crew. Besides, ain’t seen you at school either.

— I don’t go too Serpent prep.

—Oh… you attend the Witch school?

— Not exactly, — I release a breath, not wanting to get further into the topic — but, let’s just say I don’t like having attention on me. How bout you, Mr. first mate, aside from the badass handsome pirate act?

Truly, not to my surprise, he avoids my twist to the conversation. —Ooh, so ya think I’m badass and handsome too…

— Don’t let it get to your head, sailor, no one likes a cocky pirate. — My words come together with a playful side push.

— Aww lass, yer just lying to me in me face, — he whines, — you seem to drool over this cocky, badass, handsome pirate.

A bit frustrated, I exclaim, — Such a dickhead!!! How do they put up with you?

Then, our eyes land on the figure who had just stopped behind me.

— We just do this… — Uma tries to push her first mate off the ship, but he holds onto the railing.

— Funny, captain, — grumbles my date (if one could call it like that) — ya know the crew’s all at my feet.

Uma rolls her eyes, — Yeah, right. The only one ‘at your feet’ is little hellcat here.

At this, he scoots closer and smirks, attempting to place an arm around me, but I slip away. — Don’t get your hopes up, Pirate, haven’t hooked me yet.

Once again, the captain’s voice captivates our attention. — Hey Harry, why don’t you bring me and your new conquest some more beer?

I glance at my half-full glass, — I’m good.

— Nonsense, I insist.— Uma’s gritted teeth hint that she’s not asking out of politeness. In fact, she’s not asking at all.

— Aye aye captain.

As soon as we are left alone, Uma takes the spot that was previously occupied by her first mate, — Don’t know you, so don't trust you. Straight to the point, why would a random wannabe witch like you pop out from nowhere and come to my ship?

My answer is simple and blunt, — If you haven’t noticed, I’m here with Hook.

—That’s not what I’m asking so don’t play dumb with me —, she does her best to stay calm. — Just wondering… haven’t seen you around and, when I do, you have the biggest flirt of the Isle suddenly interested in you, there’s gotta be more to your tale; power, dominance, what d’you want?

My feet swing as I think of a quick response. — Nothing, really. As for Harry, guess I’m that irresistible.

Uma chuckles at my words, but her smile disappears faster than it came.

—Take this as a warning, don’t you dare try anything stupid. Have that in mind and you’re welcome whenever you want. — she mocks, with an overly excited grin. — Any toy of Harry is a friend of mine.

Before I can reply, the shanties stop playing and low, menacing growls are emitted by Bonny and Jonas. We turn around and notice that the two female members of the squad that rules the Isle are now on deck with us.

Mal glides into view, with leather boots hitting the wooden floor. — Awww shrimpy… you threw a party? It kind of hurts that you didn’t invite us.

Uma huffs before standing up and then faces Mal with a demeanor that gives me the creeps. Both Harry and Gil stand at her sides, with a hand on their swords; everyone else takes no time in mimicking their stance. As for me, I stand in the middle of the crowd and begin channeling my powers, just in case.

—You know snooty little witch, you’re sounding just like your mother; a cheaper and less intimidating copy, though.

She did kind of paraphrase Maleficent.

Raging, Mal growls and her eyes emit a bright green glow.

— See? My point exactly.

Now, with more tension in the scene, Harry steps in. — And what a cute little lap dog, — he laughs, approaching Evie. When he gets to her, he deadpans — sit.

The evil queen's daughter refuses to let herself be affected, so she limits her reaction to an eye roll. — Charming, Harry.

— Okay, as much as we’d love to stay and chat, we have an Isle to run. Not that you’d understand, anyway.

On cue, they both laugh and walk away.

— Now, boys.— Mal’s voice is heard through the length of The Lost Revenge, and Jay and Carlos, who must have managed to sneak inside while the crew focused on the girls, kick and spill casks full of water and rotten shrimps all over the ship.

However, their smirks turn into frowns when Carlos’ barrel rolls over and knocks the bonfire down, making the flames take grasp of the wooden floor.

Both intruders and some crew members jump to the water as the fire grows, but I approach it and firmly say ‘aquamenty’. The water shot from my hands extinguishes the fire.

Pirates gasp and Uma approaches me with an expression of simultaneous anger, relieve and, dare I say, gratefulness. — Not such a wannabe, after all.

Harry stands next to her, smirking at me, yet his expression changes when his eyes dart to the damaged deck.

—Still, — he sighs, — the damage is pretty bad. Can you do something about it, doll?

I hesitate — I mean, I could try. But I haven’t perfected that spell yet.

I place a hand over the burnt wood of the deck and whisper — reparo.  

Immediately, the floor of the deck restores itself and the broken barrel that previously contained the blaze stands back up. Satisfied, Uma goes to check on her crew.

Mental note: ask about the gang war.

Harry, however, gets a step closer to me and helps me up,— you’d be useful ‘round here, I could get Uma to let you in.

— As captivating as that sounds, I'm not really a team player.

I turn around but, before I can part, he captures my wrist, —yer breaking me heart, dollface.

— We already had this conversation, handsome, you don’t have one of those.

Tags: @aspitefullittlebeing​  @treestarrrrrrrr​

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Prisoner of Night and Fog

Author: Anne Blankman

First published: 2014

Pages: 432

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 5 days

Though the first part seemed aimed at younger readers and I was ready to plough through many YA clichés, this is, in fact, a really well-written, solid historical fiction. Anne Blankman has certainly done her homework and her fictional character of Gretchen Müller, her sadistic and unpredictable brother and her seemingly weak mother are woven so seamlessly among the real historical characters I actually stopped reading at one point to look them up (and confirm they are indeed fictional). True, the inevitable romance was... well... inevitable from the first chapter and personally, I thought more time and character development would have made our heroine´s journey even more interesting and suspenseful. However, the moments which are meant to be disturbing ARE disturbing, the points meant to be creepy ARE creepy and I also very much appreciate the considerable historical accuracy backing the whole plot. Also, the fact that this takes place quite a long time before WW2, merely hinting at what is to come, rather than presenting the most overused - and overwritten - conflict and horror of the past century. Definitely a book more readers should try if they are at all interested in historical fiction that is written well.

A Supernatural War: Magic, Divination, and Faith During the First World War

Author: Owen Davies

First published: 2019

Pages: 304

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 10 days

Fascinating in focus and yet very tight and even sparing in style, this is a very interesting book that serves well to provide yet another piece to the puzzle of the social history of the First World War. My only major critique would be this: certain parts felt like encyclopedic entries which left one "hanging" - wanting more information but either there isn´t any or the author has decided not to include it. The author himself, too, acknowledges that white Christians were far from being the only ones entangled in the fighting and does mention beliefs and superstitions of other nationalities and faiths, but half a chapter does not do them justice. In other words, this study could have - and should have - been longer, because it calls to us through the ages with everything that is human, naive, fragile and hopeful.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate

Author: Becky Chambers

First published: 2019

Pages: 135

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 2 days

This was both beautiful and rather depressing. Becky Chambers has impressed me before and she has managed to do it again - on 135 pages of this novella. Her talent as a writer, her imagination and her sensitive treatment of the human psyche is undisputable.

Death of a Romanov Prince

Author: Terry Bolland, Arturo E Beéche

First published: 2018

Pages: 240

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

How long did it take: 2 days

Unfortunately, this book was a huge letdown. The Konstantinovichi branch of the Romanov family have always had a special place in my heart and I jump at every piece of literature that concerns them - there are few in the West! Arguably Prince Oleg was the most promising of the last "imperial" generation and I definitely appreciate that somebody tried to bring attention to him. Sadly, this publication suffers from the same weaknesses as any of the books published and edited by Arturo E Beéche: A great number of typos and mistakes within the text. Amateurish formating. Sometimes the original photographs were very small and they are so enlarged you cannot see anything since they are very pixelated. Information and quotes are repeated numerous times. But those technical things could be forgiven if the text had value. I am sad to say that there is very little new information - on the contrary, the book takes such a broad scope to cover various relations and palaces (without providing pictures of what is being described) that it has no time to go in-depth at all. Case in point: there is not a single reference to the homosexual tendencies of Oleg´s father and uncle, even though their sexuality greatly affected their lives. The book spends time listing German and Russian and Greek relatives and mentions Oleg´s intelligence and good character but nowhere does it present any evidence of it. This is not an insightful biography I had hoped for. It is an encyclopedic, sterile and confusingly put together attempt at.... what exactly? I don´t even know. A great opportunity wasted.

The Good Bee: A Celebration of Bees – And How to Save Them

Author: Alison Benjamin, Brian McCallum

First published: 2019

Pages: 192

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

How long did it take: 4 days

I very much appreciate the intent with which this little book was written and it certainly holds some fascinating information and helpful tips. At the same time, the text does not flow too well and reminds one more of a textbook rather than something that would truly inspire one to take up bee-keeping. I suppose I just wanted something else out of it than what it gave..

Hesse: A Princely German Collection

Edited by: Penelope Hunter-Stiebel

First published: 2005

Pages: 287

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 2 days

A well-put together catalogue, introducing just the right amount of information and full of beautiful, high-quality photographs.

The Forsyte Saga

Author: John Galsworthy

First published: 1921

Pages: 752

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 7 days

See my full review HERE

Girls of Paper and Fire

Author: Natasha Ngan

First published: 2018

Pages: 384

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 6 days

I liked the possibilities and the setting more than the final execution and plot. Other than that I just feel like I am too old for this kind of books. So maybe the problem here is me, really.

Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon

Author: Andrea di Robiland

First published: 2008

Pages: 384

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 3 days

I have learned long ago that I am most open to gaining new knowledge through the stories of individual women. By looking through the eyes of Lucia I have finally understood the mess which was Northern Italy before, during and after Napoleonic times and I got introduced to an interesting lady. Definitely a win for me.

Pohorská vesnice

Author: Božena Němcová

First published: 1855

Pages: 181

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 4 days

Když jsem se konečně přenesla přes nářečí i slovenštinu, když jsem přestala kroutit očima nad tím, že celý příběh je o nedostatku komunikace, dokázala jsem ocenit krásný obraz českého venkova, jak jej Božena Němcová zachytila. A konec mne dojal oproti všemu očekávání.

Hitler's Hangman: The Life Of Heydrich

Author: Robert Gerwarth

First published: 2011

Pages: 433

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 5 days

Perhaps not the most exhaustive, but still very informative biography of one of the worst humans ever. The terrifying thing about him was especially the fact that he was so average and unremarkable in every single thing - and then he rode the storm and changed to always be on top. The author´s style is very readable and he manages to strike the chord between the academic and more personal tone well.

The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

First published: 2021

Pages: 290

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 2 days

I am not big into thrillers but this got me sold on "Jane Eyre inspired". It was quite good, though this type of writing does not make me crazy.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Author: Anne Blankman

First published: 2015

Pages: 416

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 3 days

A sequel to Prisoner of Night and Fog, this was solid, unfortunately it was not as good as its predecessor. The first book is about a girl waking up to the world, finding cracks in what she has been taught all her life. It is about her deciding to think for herself and how this affects her life and relationships. And since it is pre-Nazi Germany, these changes in her thinking are very dangerous. This second book, on the other hand, is primarily a detective story without a pay-off, and way too many things are spoon-fed to the reader or feel convenient. I also felt that most of the book followed a theme of "we know where to find information - we go get it - Nazis get there at the same time - we somehow manage to escape." On the other hand, if something did work, it was the romance. Passionate, devoted and loyal, and yet mature and believable.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Author: Nghi Vo

First published: 2020

Pages: 121

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 1 day

Lovely and breathing of history and legends. Modest in length, rich in the story.

The Library of the Unwritten

Author: A.J. Hackwith

First published: 2019

Pages: 440

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 8 days

First of all, as an author who is yet to finish any of her projects, I felt RUDELY called out by this book! Second of all, this is an absolute blast. An adventure with a heart, characters you cannot help but care for and so, so witty and clever in using mythology and even Biblical stories. Brilliant work!

Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen

First published: 1814

Pages: 584

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 3 days

I suspect that my enjoyment of Jane Austen novels usually comes with how interesting her heroines are. And so when I was given Fanny Price, who for the first 200 pages merely breathes and observes, I was almost less than excited. But once I was willing to understand Fanny was not there to amuse me, she was there to provide a comfortable, quiet place among the bustle of feelings and happenings of others, who only later recognize how much she herself was interwoven into their lives. Mansfield Park does not have the wit and comedy of Emma or Pride and Prejudice but stands on the ground as solid as Sense and Sensibility. It was slow and perhaps even a bit too long, but I enjoyed it a lot.

[heypflo]

Album Review: Short Sighted People In Power: A Home Recording- My Politic

I am hungover. Not like...in the sit down in the shower way, though. I am writing this just days after watching the hopeless horror show that was our first Presidential debate of 2020, and just a few hours after watching the Vice-Presidential Debate. I am emotionally dehydrated. Thankfully, My Politic’s latest effort, “Short Sighted People In Power: A Home Recording '' is serving as my intellectual Pedialyte. This raw, unfussy collection of songs wades through the View-Master of the current American consciousness and I think it’s safe to say that most people feel concussed in two very different ways right now. The point of Kaston Guffey and Nick Pankey’s latest release is not to convince the listener of anything, but rather to put antiquated and learned ways of thinking next to facts and have them duke it out. It takes the overused rebuttal of “yA gOtTa sEe iT fRoM bOtH SidEs” to its most literal level and, well, it is as uncomfortable as it should be.

The title track puts music to all the things that bounce around in your head before you lift your head off the pillow. “Short Sighted People In Power” morosely lists the “bigger than me” bullet points of anxiety that coyly creep over one’s shoulder; all those annoying flashbulb headlines that run on a constant loop in the ticker of your brain.  No matter who you are, those weary inner voices are louder now more than ever. Earth’s environmental ticking clock, the ageless, nationwide opioid crisis, the pockets that have been stuffed because of it, and, ultimately, the devastating wake of greed are all on display here. It���s a blunt brick to the head. Am I supposed to feel hope or the lack of it from the line “It’s gonna take every one of us to get what we want”? I haven’t decided yet.

One of the most compelling things about this album is that it plays like a conversation at the dinner table. It’s Thanksgiving. There you are, surrounded by your family and all the strings that both bind and divide you. You and your cousin in the “Feel the Bern” shirt keep exchanging glances at each other as the temperature of the room rises. If the previous track was the hushed, corner mouthed conversation you had with each other before dinner, “Wrong Side” is the one shouted from across the table at a horrified Grandpa Rick and drunk Aunt Sharon. It’s a hailstorm of a chorus that cries, “Fuck the President. Fuck the GOP. Fuck the folks at Fox News spreading lies on TV. Fuck you for getting us into this and refusing to see. It ain’t no side. It’s one side. It’s your side and it’s the wrong side.” The rotating solo at the end of the track perfectly encapsulates the cyclical nature of conversations like this. It’s hard not to feel like a hamster in a wheel of our collective frustration right now. Nothing seems to ever get done, but we are worn the fuck out.

As the conversation continues, Rick and Sharon get their time, too. Told from the perspective of someone who prefers their hats red and their presidents orange, “Fantasies of a Fox News Viewer” is perhaps the rawest and most uncomfortable song on the entire album. It’s every baseless argument you’ve ever heard in all its glory, lacking all logic and overstuffed with emotion. Xenophobia, white nationalism, homophobia, blind Biblical trust, and just straight up, cold-blooded fear are Pollacked all over the dinner table and you’ve completely lost your appetite. (Whew. I really need to get out from under this Thanksgiving metaphor, folks). The thing that struck me the most about this song was my inability to stop my head from bobbing to its anthemic chorus. It proudly chugs along and would pair very nicely with a drink of choice being held high above my head. I don’t even recognize what I’m saying when I sing to myself, “Yeah, I miss America the way it used to be. When I turned on my TV all I saw was people just like me.” I stop singing for fear that my neighbor or my dog may think that I *actually* believe the words I’m saying. But, isn’t that so indicative of how the web gets spun so easily? When information gets dressed in the gown of performative politics, reality distorts. Sarcasm is lost, truth is lost, context is a bug to squish and you’ve decided how you feel about something based solely on how someone else is telling you to.

As the funhouse mirror stretches on, “Voter Suppression” welcomes us deeper into the Conservative Carnival. The whispered countdown ushering in the listener sounds as if the narrator is hatching a plot. It’s both sinister and tantalizing, two classic ingredients for manipulation pie. This song could be invited to hang out with the satirical company of South Park and Saturday Night Live (on its good nights) and more than hold its own. I can’t help but picture Trump, McConnell, Pence, and Barr in little ill-fitting barbershop quartet outfits, cigars flopping out of their mouths, singing this while bouncing around a fake saloon in the middle of Silver Dollar City. However, “Voter Suppression” doesn’t lean on cartoonish exaggerations of the truth to get its message across. One person’s satire can very easily be taken as another person’s doctrine. After all, the best and smartest comedy is rooted in life’s uncomfortable truths.

I think we can all agree that the one constant of this year has been the unveiling of a lot of those aforementioned uncomfortable truths. In “All American Way”, the narrator, in two minutes, lists over thirty examples of absurd and very real reasons why Black people have been targeted by the police. The track opens with, “Can’t go jogging. Can’t go walking. Can’t watch TV in their own fffffuckin’ apartment.” (That isn’t a typo. Listen to it and you’ll see what I mean). Each verse is more hurried and breathless than the last and you can practically smell the smoke coming from the pencil marks on the paper when it was written. As each example rolls on, a new name scrolls across your mind’s eye. “Can’t get caught with a broken tail light (Sandra Bland). “Can’t get caught selling loose cigarettes” (Eric Garner) “Can’t get caught playing with toys” (Tamir Rice). Then, we turn to the names we wish we never learned at all and ones I refuse to type here. “They can shoot up Black churches. They can shoot up the schools… White folks can shoot ‘till they’re blue in the face and you can bet they’ll walk away. It’s the All American way.” That last line is sung like a salute. Hand over heart, chin in the air, hat off the head. And most likely, someone out there doesn’t understand why that’s disturbing.

Track 6,  “The Experts Told Us”, sounds like how we all felt about a month or two into quarantine, or as the song says, “when we traded hope for darkness.” Knowing what we do now about the president’s negligent withholding of information about COVID-19 and the impact it was going to have on every aspect of American life, this song sits heavy on the mind and heavy on the chest. “The experts told us. The science showed us. But the ego of the POTUS was too big to fight off again.” The sleepy harmonica woven through the last half of it is forlorn and exhausted. It sighs in and out at the bleakness of it all like it’s sitting in the driveway with the engine off; at the house, but far from home.

The wit of Prine, the gusto of Cash, the fire of Guthrie, among others, are peppered seamlessly throughout this album.  But make no mistake; My Politic’s voice is all their own. Nowhere is that more evident than on the closing track, “Talkin’ RNC Blues.” Here, the listener is taken on an anxiety and alcohol-induced fever dream that plops the narrator right in the middle of this year’s Republican National Convention. It plays like a comic book; vivid and distorted. I wish I could hear this for the first time again so I won’t ruin anything for you, but be prepared for some well timed laughs to lift you out of the funk, even for just a moment.

Through the inexplicable fog, we forge on to another day of 2020. But we shouldn’t keep acting like this is some kind of “cursed” year that we just need to get through. To suggest that the problem is the year on the calendar and the solution is the page after December would be flippant, to say the least. Despite all of it, meaningful art and the fearless depths it dares to go will always rise above the silence and drown out the static. My Politic’s “Short Sighted People In Power: A Home Recording” is now available exclusively on Bandcamp and is set for a wide release on all streaming platforms this Friday, 10/30. Just in time for you to play it over Thanksgiving dinner….or not.

[skeptycats]

Vicky Archives #4

CODE OF THE CLANS - A little light humour

Vicky Holmes, the former editor of the Warriors series, has been doing short extract readings on Facebook since the start of the UK lockdown back in March. There’s some really cool anecdotes hidden within some of these videos, so I decided to begin penning them down for posterity and easy reference.

I won’t be transcribing filler, hedging and false starts but I’m including some amount of preamble just to be comprehensive.

A little short one this week! My health is a little poor at the moment so it’s a couple days late anyway, but I hope you enjoy!

#1 Into the Wild | #2 Forest of Secrets | #3 The Darkest Hour | #4 Code of the Clans | #5 Firestars’ Quest | #6 Twilight | #7 Long Shadows | #8 Leafpool’s Wish

---

Hello! It is Tuesday, March the 31st, last day of March, and I’m in a bit of a down mood today, I’m sure a lot of us are. The realities of lockdown are setting in, I’m bored, I want to go shopping - and I never want to go shopping! I’d just like a change of scene.

I decided today to go for some light relief. I’m going to do a reading from Code of the Clans, which was I think the first book I wrote completely on my own, so I storylined it, brainstormed it, and actually did all the writing on my own. It’s a lot harder without Kate or Cherith to help because obviously I was responsible for all of the words, but I was also able to play with the Erin Hunter voice myself. It was lovely, and I really enjoyed it.

Code of the Clans is something which we call non-fiction. Obviously it’s still fiction, but it was delving into the world behind Warriors. The structure, the heritage, the religion. It was just a pure exercise in fantasy, it was a delight. 

I’m going to read a short section from Code #11, which is ‘boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.’ I’m going to read a short scene in which Whitestorm teaches border tactics to some familiar faces when they were apprentices. I can remember when I wrote it I was smiling, and giggling to myself. I’m probably going to do the same now, so forgive me for effectively laughing at my own jokes. We all need a bit of humour today. 

Is every cat here? Firepaw, Graypaw, Ravenpaw, Sandpaw, and Dustpaw? Dustpaw, stop trying to push Firepaw into the brambles. I’m not blind; I can see what you’re doing. Firepaw, go to the other end of the line. Sandpaw, he does not have fleas! Stand still, all of you.

As Lionheart told you, we’re going to practice border defense today. You can be the patrol, and I’ll be a deputy from another Clan who’s crossed the boundary. Who’d like to lead the patrol? Don’t look so terrified, Ravenpaw. I won’t make you be the leader if you don’t want to be. Graypaw, why don’t you have first turn? If you could just pick up that stick in your mouth and use it to draw a line across the sand, we’ll call that the border. Sandpaw, it doesn’t matter that the line is wobbly. Boundaries aren’t whisker-straight, code are they? So, you’re on that side, walking along on a dawn patrol. Off you go, patrol!

Did you really need to yawn like that, Graypaw? Oh, I see, it’s because it’s the dawn patrol, and you’re tired. Well, let’s pretend you all had a really good night’s sleep and are full of energy. Now, what should you be doing? Yes, sniffing, tasting the air—what for? That’s right, Sandpaw. ThunderClan border marks. And what else? Yes, Firepaw. The border marks of the other Clan. But only where the two borders meet. Beside the river and the Thunderpath, it would be bad news to find any scents of RiverClan or ShadowClan, because it would mean they’d crossed over from their side. So keep sniffing.

Maybe not that much, Sandpaw. Have a good sneeze and you should get the sand out of your nose. So, border marks, border marks. Can you smell both sets? Good. But what’s this? A cat from another Clan has ignored the marks and stepped over your border?

No, Ravenpaw, I didn’t mean we were actually being invaded. The cat from the other Clan is me. See how I just stepped over the line in the sand? What are you going to do about it? Wha . . .whoa! Stop treading on my ears!

Well, yes, Dustpaw, launching an attack and knocking me back across the border is one option. But is it wise to take on a cat twice your size? Or a trained warrior with more experience than you? The purpose of a patrol is to assess the situation and report back to your Clan leader. You won’t be able to do that if your pelt is clawed to shreds at the farthest part of the territory from the camp. Any other ideas?

How about asking what I’m doing? I might have a valid reason for crossing the border, especially if I’m alone. That’s right, Graystripe: [TN: Vicky points out the name error here] What do you want? is a good way to start. Don’t be too hostile: Remember, you are in the stronger position, because this is your territory and you have the right to defend it. Unless I have a very good explanation for crossing your border, I don’t have any rights at all. What do you think my reply might be?

Yes, Ravenpaw, I might need your help. My Clan might have been invaded, we might have serious trouble with prey, or we might have sickness that needs your herbs. All these reasons would mean that I am weak, so you can allow me into your territory but never out of sight.

If I am hostile, then meet me with hostility—which isn’t the same as aggression, Dustpaw. You’ve started with a strong challenge—What do you want?—and now you need to give me some sort of warning. Ravenpaw, what would you say?

Hmmm. If you’re going to threaten to claw a cat’s ears, you should try not to look so terrified at the prospect. Firepaw, would you like to try? Ah, yes, I like that you indicated the rest of your patrol. It’s always good to let the enemy know they’re outnumbered. Sandpaw, put that fire ant down. No, I don’t care that Firepaw might not know what it is. Now is not the right time to show him—and he certainly doesn’t need to get bitten by one.

So, you’ve challenged the trespasser, warned me that there’s a whole patrol here that can take me to your Clan leader if that’s what I wish; what next? That’s right, Graypaw, let me—the intruder—speak. If I can’t give you a convincing explanation for what I’m doing on your territory, if I don’t ask to be taken to Bluestar at once, then chase me off with no more questions. Don’t provoke a full-scale war—chasing means chasing, not catching and clawing. Just make it clear that you will defend your boundaries from any kind of invasion, even one paw across the border. A good warrior is always ready to fight, but only if it’s absolutely necessary: A good warrior will seek a peaceful, claws-sheathed solution first.

You will all make good warriors one day. Don’t look so doubtful, Ravenpaw. You need to find only a little more courage to be as good as your denmates. Your hunting skills are excellent— Dustpaw, you’d do well to watch him. Who knows? You might even lead this Clan one day!

Now, back to camp, all of you, and leave this old warrior to enjoy the sun in peace.

BEHIND THE SCENES

That was fun. Always cheers me up to revisit some of the humour, and there was a lot of humour in Warriors. Both Kate and Cherith excelled at introducing some comedy, especially around kits interacting with the older cats.

That’s something I was very aware of when I was writing the ‘non-fiction’ books like Code of the Clans and Battles of the Clans. It’s very easy to think of Warriors as super intense and super involved and traumatic and emotional, but you can’t sustain that. It’s exhausting to write and it’s exhausting to read, just as it’s exhausting to live. I think at the moment there’s a danger that we’re all sort of living on a bit of a knife’s edge, living on our nerves, and I’m certainly starting to feel that. It’s okay to take a break, with your writing and with your general day-to-day life. Laughter is the best medicine, literally. Writing about kits just gives me the giggles every time. And yes, it feels self-indulgent to laugh at my own jokes, but hey, I’m on my own, I have to make my own jokes.

It was very interesting there because of course I spotted a typo - one of my famous errors! - that Graypaw had been referred to as Graystripe. Obviously I wrote Code of the Clans when we were probably on series two at least, if not three, so I was thinking of these cats as their warriors names, and obviously forgot I was supposed to be calling Graypaw ‘Graypaw’ there. I have obviously made lots of mistakes over the years. I think my favourites are the fact that Heavystep died and comes back to life several times, and Rowanclaw started off as a she-cat and then pops up as a tom. So we could perhaps claim the first transitioned fictional cat? But it was an honest mistake.

One of my fondest memories from going on tour is when I would turn up in a bookshop and some very earnest little child would turn up with a book full of post-it notes, and they’d solemnly say that they’d pointed out all the typos and errors in the book and marked them with post-its, and would I like to take the book away so I could do the corrections. No, is the short answer. I’m sorry for the mistakes, but it’s not up to me to correct them. That’s the publishing, that’s further down the line. We have corrected errors in some books, but it has to be big mistakes, you have to go in and change the printing plate. All I can humbly say is ‘I’m sorry’. I’ve written a lot of words, they’re not always going to be the right ones. 

[persephonescat]

Birds and Other Supernatural Phenomenons

Hiiii! This is… long. Probably the longest chapter I’m going to have, but it’s all only one scene and I just couldn’t cut it in half. Thank you for your comments! They make my whole week! Some of you pointed out a few mistakes in the last chapter, I hope it’s all good now! ^^ And please tell me if there are any weird sentences or typos or anything. Multiple people told me that the last chapter’s storm came very suddenly, so I re-read the sixth chapter and as it turns out, the sentence about the weather was lost in the editing. It all looked very dark and moody in my head, so I didn’t notice there was no description of it. Thank you for telling me, I’m definitely going to correct that.

(I think we should call this fic BaOSP in the future when we’re just talking about it in the comments or on Discord or just in general, bc this title is really long… The title and the tags will stay the same of course, it’s just that from now on, BaOSP is the official (???) shortened version of it.)

Damian meets Marinette, I REPEAT, DAMIAN MEETS MARINETTE.

Ch. 1    Previous    Masterpost    AO3 

________________

Ch. 8: Lord Annoyance

It was Monday night and Damian Wayne already hated the week.

Tim finally passed out on Saturday and did nothing but sleep all weekend, so on one hand, now he was capable of speaking in full sentences. On the other hand, all of his sentences were about the process of etching and nobody knew why, so it wasn’t any less problematic.

Dick came home with several holes in his shoe and refused to speak about it.

Jason didn’t eat anything but pork for a week straight and this morning he swore to go vegetarian.

Bruce was in the process of finding new hobbies - Tim said it was midlife crisis, Jason said the old man was finally going crazy and Cass was out of town, so she just yelled at them via video chat. Barbara and Steph laughing their asses off every time the topic came up didn’t help either, but after seeing the anvil in the living room while going to get breakfast, Damian was starting to agree with Jason.

On top of it all, some idiot under the name of Dark Nomad killed a chicken, painted obscene pictures on the walls of one of Bruce’s apartments with its blood, then for some reason, they stole some garden interior and part of the fence. Just fantastic.

And guess who had to track him down and arrest him? Robin. Because his family was a bunch of freaking sadists.

On top of it all, when he finally arrived on the rooftop where the petty villain was spotted two days in a row, the idiot wasn’t alone.

Robin landed quietly, hid behind a metal staircase leading the upper parts of the building and stopped to listen to the conversation going down between the two shadowy forms. He was already planning revenge in the back of his mind - it would’ve been ridiculously easy to poison at least two out of his three brothers. Not too badly but enough for them to have an unpleasant couple of days.

“Did you manage to sleep during the day, or should I be worried about you suddenly falling down from here because of exhaustion?” one of the forms asked flatly, a young girl sitting on the edge of the roof. She looked tiny compared to the Nomad sitting beside her, but she didn’t seem to be afraid at all. Her body language was taunting and open, her dark hair shimmered in the light coming from the streets below as she turned her head towards the boy. She had a slight French accent.

“Nah, I had double English in the afternoon, so I’m good,” the Nomad said, playing with a stray thread on his hoodie. “You?”

“I slept on the bus…” the girl started, trailing off. She tilted her head, concentrating on something. “Could you give me a minute?” she asked, standing up. For a moment, Damian felt relieved. She was already leaving.

Then she turned towards him.

She could’ve just heard something. She could’ve just checked out the area. It could’ve been a coincidence, but she was staring right at him, even though he was sure he wasn’t visible in the dark.

She walked towards his hiding place with no hesitation or fear. He was standing there motionlessly as she got closer. He studied her form, looking for weapons and weak points. She was wearing a warm cardigan with jeans and dark boots. He eyed her scarf and gloves suspiciously. It wasn’t that cold, but he didn’t see anything hidden in them.

Her red lipstick matched her scarf, her hair was tied into a loose braid coming forward at the side of her neck, dancing gracefully when a light breeze caught it. Her body language was still way too open and she foolishly grabbed the railing of the staircase before peeking behind it, leaving her torso even more vulnerable.

If he was ever planning on confronting her, he would’ve changed his mind after that. She was clearly harmless when it came to physical combat.

What the hell was she doing here, then?

“Can I help you?” she asked, looking at where his mask covered his eyes. Her voice was toneless and her accent was gone. Robin wondered if he was just imagining it earlier. Maybe he was too deep in his thoughts to pay attention.

It happened a lot nowadays. Him, getting lost in his thoughts and not paying attention. At first, it annoyed him - and scared the living daylight out of him, not as if he was about to tell that to anyone. Now he knew it was part of being human. It meant he was getting healthier, as Alfred put it. Making mistakes was part of life and he wanted to have a life, right?

Yes, he did.

Sometimes he looked at Bruce and his sorry brothers and realized that he already had a one. It made him feel weird. Happy, probably, but it was a new kind of happy. It made him want to smile at the most random times and help Alfred with chores. It made him have this… desire to go after Bruce when he disappeared to his garden to calm down, to bring home some donuts for Dick every time he passed that shop he liked, to take Jason to Disneyland on his birthday, to make Cass smile more often, to pull up the security footages from the Cave on his computer, so he could check on Tim without him knowing.

It was terrifying and he wouldn’t have changed it for anything in the world.

“Robin?” the girl asked impatiently. Damn, he zoned out. He cleared his throat, trying to find the right thing to say.

“Errm… do you realize you are sitting with a criminal?” Good job, Damian, your brothers would be proud. Why not ask her her favorite color too, maybe that will help. He was prepared to hear Jason’s amused words through the comms, but surprisingly, his brother stayed quiet.

“Are you concerned about my safety?” The girl narrowed her eyes.

He straightened his back and cleared his mind.

“Actually, I’m here to arrest the Dark Nomad,” he told her, trying to sound professional. Not as if it mattered anymore.

“Why?”

“Damaging private property, theft, and vandalism.”

“Could you elaborate? Picking flowers in a park could be considered all three of those.” Her voice was mocking now.

Damian stared at her. She was at least a head shorter than him, with no weapons. He was Robin. She was either incredibly dangerous or very stupid, and he had a hard time believing in the first scenario.

“He killed an animal, draw obscene pictures on the street with its blood, did damage that’s repairing will take hundreds of dollars, stole garden interior… should I continue?”

“When did he do all that?” the girl asked. She didn’t seem surprised at all.

“Why would I tell you?” frowned Robin. “I’m here to arrest him, that’s the only important thing.” Harmless or not, she was getting annoying.

“Well, you can’t legally make arrests given that you’re not a police officer, which means that you have absolutely no reason to be here. You might as well go home,” she explained simply. Her voice was toneless again, she spoke as if she was just stating facts, - which she did, after all.

Damian’s blood was starting to boil. Did the psychopaths roaming this city have a right to murder people? No. Did they have any right to hurt civilians? No. Was any of the things they did legal? No.

Who was this kid to come and tell him about rights, when his family seemed to be the only ones protecting them?

The girl was looking at him as if she was staring into his soul, then suddenly, she smirked.

“Not as if that would stop you,” she said, and Robin looked at her quizzically. “But I have a feeling that you’re after the wrong guy, so if you told me when he did all that, it would clear a few things.”

He was lost. What did this girl want? She was too weird to be stupid. She let the railing go now and was standing with her arms at her sides, her head slightly tilted.

“Today, between two and three AM,” he told her finally, curious about her reaction.

She stared right into his eyes, even though his mask was hiding them and said, “He was with me.”

Robin didn’t see anything about her body language betraying her, but she must’ve noticed he didn’t believe her because she continued.

“We were talking about Tamás Vekerdy and Bruno Bettelheim. They’re psychologists who often write about children. He arrived around midnight, and when he left it was already past five in the morning, so there is no way he could’ve done anything unless he has an evil twin.”

He scoffed angrily. When he spoke again, he was hissing the words from behind his clenched teeth.

“These things don’t take long. He might’ve just slipped away for a few minutes and came back, unless of course if you were in the same position for five hours.” He might’ve also growled a little. He was standing only inches from her now, looming over her.

“That’s not too hard to check, your Highness.” She cocked her head and held his gaze fearlessly. “Where did all this happen?”

He was about to bite back but he stopped abruptly.

Okay, so he might’ve been a little wrong. If the girl was telling the truth, the guy should’ve disappeared for at least one and a half hours to get to the scene from here. Not as if that meant anything, she could’ve easily lied. He just didn’t notice it.

A voice saved him from having to answer.

“Marinette? Is everything okay?” The Dark Nomad was walking towards them. When he noticed Robin, a terrified expression took over his confused one. He was about to go and stand between the girl and the vigilante when she lifted her arm to stop him, not moving her gaze away from Robin. The Nomad looked like a caged animal but didn’t try to fight her.

“Lord Annoyance here states that last night, you cloned yourself between The Book of Diaries and NurtureShock, and went to draw booties and steal a bunch of garden gnomes.”

The Nomad opened his mouth to say something but Robin beat him to it.

“Okay, so first of all, it wasn’t just "booties” and they were drawn with blood, which makes it considerably worse.“ Jason, who was listening to everything he said trough the comms the whole time, chose that moment to burst out laughing. He did his best to ignore him.

"Second of all, a lot of things were stolen, not just…” yep, that sentence was a bad idea, “Garden gnomes.”

“Why do you think he did it in the first place?” the girl, - Marinette cut back.

“It was private property. There was a camera.”

“Whose?”

He took a second to consider the possible fallback of the answer. The existence of Bruce Wayne wasn’t a secret. Neither was the fact that he owned multiple buildings around the city. Maybe it was going to scare the villain enough that he confesses.

“Bruce Wayne’s,” he said finally. The girl’s undisturbed expression made him feel uneasy. “Have you heard of him?”

“Oh, you mean that’s who the big ass tower in the middle of the city is named after? I thought it was the ship name of watery rain or way of pain or something.” Her words were dripping from sarcasm.

‘Who are you talking to? What did they say?’ asked Jason like an excited child but Damian once again ignored him.

“Well, I’m sorry, but his alibi is pretty shaky, you know. Villains can be very convincing here, in case you didn’t notice.” He didn’t think this guy could convince anyone, but it was possible.

“Yeah, his ski mask really makes me shake in fear,” Marinette said flatly.

The villain finally got a chance to say something but his moment didn’t last long.

“It’s not a-”

“Yes, it is. Shut up.” Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose. “He is wearing a hoodie and a mask ever since… birth, probably. How did anyone recognize him?”

“He left his signature,” Robin told her. He wasn’t even angry anymore, he was just very annoyed.

Marinette froze. She almost seemed to forget about Robin as she finally broke eye contact and turned around.

“You… have a signature?” she asked the Dark Nomad, who was still standing behind her, ready to jump at any moment.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times. It reminded Robin of a distressed duck.

“Kinda,” he said quietly.

“Why would you do that?” asked Marinette, gesticulating wildly.

“It’s part of the aesthetic, okay?” he explained with a hurt expression.

“Hey, I’m accusing you of a crime here!” reminded them Robin. This was taking way longer than he wanted it to.

Marinette once again turned to him, let out a deep breath and arranged her face into a more professional expression.

Finally.

“Right,” she started seriously. She gave him a second to compose himself, then continued. “Boobs.”

The Dark Nomad snorted, but Marinette just gave him an unimpressed look and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Okay, so tell Mr. Wayne, that he should be looking for another idiot because I was looking after this one at the time.”

Before he could answer, he heard Jason’s voice in his ear.

'There is a robbery going down at Chucko’s. I’m going in.’

Damian cursed quietly.

“Don’t. Wait for me. I’ll be there in two,” he told him, placing his fingers on the comm so the two people standing in front of him knew he wasn’t speaking to them.

“I have to go,” he told them quickly, then took off before they could do as much as blink.

***

Marinette ran after the vigilante but stopped at the edge of the roof. She saw a dark form jumping over rooftops. After a few seconds, it disappeared and relief rushed over her body.

She was way too tired to think about how she just got into an argument with one of Gotham’s heroes.

She closed her eyes and turned to go back to her room. She needed to sleep. A lot.

“You’re kinda terrifying when you’re sleep-deprived, did you know that?” said Jeremy, coming out from behind the metal staircase.

“I always am,” answered Marinette, still not opening her eyes.

“Do you mean terrifying or sleep-deprived?” asked Jeremy confusedly.

Marinette gave him a small wave, then climbed back to the hotel without a word.

________________

*Quiet chanting* comments, comments, comments

*Chanting intensifies* comMEnts, COMments, coMMENTS

*Thunder*

*The flattering of wings and the sounds of scared birds*

*Chanting* COMMENTS, COMMENTS, COMMENTS, COMMENTS

  Ch. 1    Previous   Masterpost    AO3

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[stellar-imagines]

SCENARIO REQUEST: ❝nightmare quirk.❞

[ Fandom: Boku no Hero Academia ] [ Characters: Class 1-A ]

「Scenario featuring S/O with a Nightmare quirk.」

As a person who aspires to become a Hero, UA is definitely your first choice to go for high school. The written exam went well and you were confident that you passed it but the practical exam was a tough one. Since your quirk wasn't really an offensive one, you trained a lot to make up for it. You were aware of your weaknesses and worked hard to make up for it. Initially, you lacked direct combat abilities but before applying for UA, you trained a lot. But that still wasn't enough for you.

Luckily, you had managed to secure a bit of points in the practical exam and honestly, you barely made it to UA. It was expected that you didn't get to the Hero Course but it still frustrated you. There were tons of people who had quirks more associated with Hero Work and unfortunately, you were born with a quirk not suitable for combat. So you were forced into the General Studies department. Even so, that didn't stop you from wanting to become a Hero.

The first friend you made was Shinsou because of the similarity. You don't have that many friends with how your quirk was perceived. A quirk that makes people relieve their worst nightmare, cause hallucinations, that's pretty much evil in everyone's book. A majority of your classmates feared your quirk, along with those who are aware of your power tried to stay away from you. Shinsou was the same and the two of you befriended each other when you were coincidentally teamed up for a group project.

Together with Shinsou, you made your debut in the Sports Festival, earning praise and an immense amount of support from your classmates who look up to you and Shinsou now. It's nice to be accepted and admired after a long time of being shunned. They were really supportive and helps you in any way they can to get you to the Hero Course. Class 1-A is more than happy to have you in their class. The girls are excited to have another female in their group and some of the boys—especially Kaminari and Mineta, are excited. Having a new student in the middle of the semester is a bit refreshing. But of course, this class tends to over-welcome people unconsciously. 

"[Last Name]!" Mineta and Kaminari screeched in unison when you stood in front of the class to introduce yourself. The last time you saw them was during the joint training and they seem well. The two boys seem to be too excited to your liking though.

Unlike most people you've known, the students from the Hero Course accepted you quite easily. They think it's amazing that your hard work and dedication. Students from 1-A are super friendly and it was easy to befriend them. At first, it was a bit unnerving to have people accept you so quickly. Years of being shunned had given you the ability to read people's behavior. The one who's interested in your quirk the most is tied between Tokoyami and Midoriya. It's because Tokoyami is fond of darkness and other related concepts, often going off saying that he's a creature of the dark. Not to mention, he makes dramatic speeches. As for Midoriya, everyone knows he's a nerd and is genuinely interested in your quirk. 

"So how does it actually work!? Can you control how far your smoke extends and can you see what your opponent is dreaming about? Where does the smoke come from? Your hands?" Midoriya had his notebook open and actively asking you questions. Uraraka and Asui had invited you to each lunch together. Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki had come after the three of you settled down.

"Um, well....." you rubbed your cheek, clearly overwhelmed by his questions. He looked like a fan who has known you for a long time.

Everyone is pretty chill with your quirk, mainly because they've seen how hard you were doing during the joint training. As it was an entrance exam for you to see if you have the potential to be in the Hero Course, you went all out. You've received training from a lot of teachers who saw your potential, to be precise, Midnight took you under her wing and whipped you into shape.

"I want to see what Bakugou is afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of shit!" the mentioned male shot back before downing whatever drink he had in his mug.

"Come on, Bakugou! There has to be something that even you're afraid of!" Kirishima said, suddenly curious.

"Even if I do, why would I need to tell you extras." Bakugou scoffed.

"We can even do a haunted house with [Last Name]-chan's quirk as its main attraction!" Kaminari pointed out with a smile, looking like he had suggested a brilliant idea. Everyone makes this kind of talk from time to time and it's nice to know that no one thinks that your quirk is too villainous.

"Well, everyone has something they're afraid of. It might be over something so ridiculous that it embarrasses you. I'm sure Bakugou is afraid of something that he doesn't want anyone to know so, we should respect that." you said calmly, turning your attention to the ash blonde who clicked his tongue.

"Like I said, I'm afraid of nothing."

The boys began teasing him for being so shy and the calm night you expected to have, became a lively one. Living in the dorms with the students from 1-A was different from when you were with your old classmates. Most of the time, you spend the night in your room but here, you were dragged into things. Especially by the girls. They were nice people but being the person who barely talked with anyone and avoided most of the time, you always feel uneasy. When they had a conversation, you stayed silent. They invite you for girl activities but you usually just sit at the side awkwardly until one of them drags you into their antics. It takes a lot of time to get comfortable but they were really patient and nice throughout the entire time.

"[First Name]-chan! We're friends so don't be shy!" Ashido tugged your arm and leaned her head against your shoulder.

"But I've never done this kind of thing before, it's my first time, what am I supposed to do?" you questioned when the Asui and Uraraka came back with a handful of snacks.

"We eat, we watch some videos, gossip, play some games, share secrets and many more! There's nothing you're supposed to do. This is a girls' night where we girls just gather in the common area and we pretty much have the whole space to ourselves for tonight because of the agreement we made with the boys when we moved in." Uraraka explained whilst opening a bag of chips.

"What's most important is that you enjoy yourself." Hagakure said to you.

"Come on, [First Name], let's play something together." Jirou urged.

The Nightmare quirk is capable of a few things. First, you emit smoke from your body which is black in color which surrounds your target and traps them in some sort of illusion where they can see hallucinations of their nightmare. During this state, they can't pinpoint your location and are immobilized. You need ultimate concentration to see whatever they're hallucinating which often leaves you vulnerable. Second, you can shift into their nightmare, if its a fear that has a physical form, you can take that form. But if it's something like a nightmare of a bad experience, you will turn into smoke and continue to make them relieve it.

The proper way of using this is to figure out their nightmare first before shifting. The only way to break out of the illusion is to have someone snap you out of it or overcome the nightmare itself.

"Yikes....I saw my life flashed before my eyes." Kaminari shivered.

"It was like a true horror experience." Ashido muttered.

"Sorry guys." you mumbled apologetically.

"It's not your fault that these two got caught in your quirk. Bakugou ended up carrying them. We almost won, too." Kirishima chuckled, pointing at the ash blonde who looked exhausted. Today was team practice, you were paired with Kirishima and Jirou going up against Kaminari, Ashido, and Bakugou.

"You're always worried about your opponents that it makes you vulnerable at times. If it weren't for Kirishima, Bakugou would've already whooped your ass." Jirou sighed with a small smile.

"Don't you fucking hold back next time, idiot." Bakugou narrowed his eyes at you when you shuffled to the spectator's side.

"I'll do my best."

Total: 1437 words Published: 21.09.2019

We’re open for some limited edition prompts featuring Fall and Halloween! Read more here!

Thank you for requesting! *｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و*｡ I hope when you say imagine, you mean scenarios..... Originally, this was supposed to be headcanons but we changed our minds. I have a small project that I’m supposed to complete in a few days but here I am, publishing requests. Internet is being so slow or is it my internet? ― author Hibiki/Lou

Thank you for requesting! As usual, we put too much thought on this that it delayed our publishing time. We’ve been getting a lot of requests, it makes us so happy that there are people who are happy to share their ideas with us. So, sorry to make you wait, we’ll do our best! ― author Natsuki

Please do not mind the grammar mistakes and typos.

[peachy-blinderss]

One of Us Part 4

Part three here!

Tommy Shelby x Fem OC 

Word Count: 3505 Angst, fun times, fluff, a huge heaping pile of cheesiness, you get a bit of everything with this one lucky you 😂

*Photo is not mine* 

Source

Warnings: Swearing, binge drinking, nsfw at the end (very brief). I think that should be it. 

Sorry it took so long to get this update out. I have been enjoying my break from college at home with my family and friends who I don’t see often because I go to school about three hours away from home. I have really really been enjoying my break and letting myself relax for the first time since the summer. 

 I’m pretty happy with how this turned out, so I do hope you enjoy it. I hope I caught all the typos. If there are any glaring mistakes, please let me know. As always, like, reblog, and let me know what you think!! Thank you for all of your support. I am in awe of how many people support my writing. It means so much to me. 

xx Lex ❤️

You’d been ignoring him for weeks. Your quiet mornings spent together were a thing of the past as you were too embarrassed to face Tommy after you realized your feelings for him. The fear of rejection too strong despite Arthur’s reassuring words. You were a proud woman who refused to be made into a fool. Repressing your feelings was what you did best. Feelings make you weak, and the lifestyle you lead wasn’t for the weak you reminded yourself as you came in later and later each day.

At first Tommy approached you worried something was wrong. He was shocked by the cold indifference aimed at him. Not one to dance around the truth he asked you if you were ok. Your hands instantly began to sweat with his question.

“I’m fine Tommy,” you said quickly, eyes focusing intently on the letter in front of you. You hoped you would look busy enough for Tommy to get the message and go away. You prayed he didn't notice the blush on your cheeks.

He laughed at your response.

“Cadence, if you’re fine why can’t you look at me when I talk to you lately? Why don’t you come in early anymore?” He finished quietly.

His gentle tone almost broke your resolve. Hearing Tommy Shelby almost sound hurt made your heart ache. You never wanted to hurt him. Regardless, you refused to look at him. Instead you began to flip through the stacks of paper on your desk. Tommy was growing increasingly annoyed with each paper you flipped.  His fingers on your chin stopped your flipping instantly.

“Can you just look at me please?” He said firmly, fingers gently turning your face to his. As strong as his tone was, he’d never try to hurt you.  Begrudgingly, your turned your eyes to him.

“What has gotten into you Cadence?” he questioned, “You aren’t acting like yourself lately.”

Stubborn to the last, you still refused to meet his gaze for fear he’d see the feelings you held for him in your eyes. Tommy Shelby would never see you as anything more than his kid friend. No matter how much Arthur told you otherwise, you knew it was true. You’d seen the kind of women Tommy kept in his company. They were all beautiful, elegant, and poised. Things you’d never associated with yourself.

It was then you decided to lie. You couldn’t get hurt if you hid the truth. Tommy couldn’t break your heart if he didn’t know it was his to break. You were so naive.  You let out a sigh as you began to speak.

“I just don’t have the time anymore, Tommy,” you said still refusing to look at him, “I am exhausted and getting up every morning so much earlier than I have to takes more energy than it’s worth. I stay here so late every night trying to get as much done as possible, and waking up so early leaves me drained. The costs outway the benefits. You’re a businessman, you should understand that.”

With that Tommy’s fingers dropped from your chin. You turned your eyes back to the papers on your desk. Despite your best efforts, you caught yourself side eyeing him for a reaction. 

“I see,” Tommy said as he quickly turned on his heel and walked back into his office. If he was upset he didn’t show it. If only you knew how each one of your words felt like a bullet to his heart.

You wanted to slap yourself. Everything you said was such a lie. You lived for your mornings spent with Tommy. Yes, you were exhausted, but the thought of hearing his quiet laughter and seeing his eyes light up as he smiled motivated you to get out of bed each day. Those quiet moments together brought peace into your life you hadn’t felt in years. Your easy conversations reminded you of your childhood together.  You didn’t feel so damaged when you were around him, and you finally felt human again. He helped keep the demons at bay, but those bastards always had a way of ruining everything. Just as you were almost out of their clutches, they pulled you right back to them and reminded you of where you belonged. They reminded you that you didn’t deserve to be happy. You weren’t good enough for him they whispered over and over again into your ear.

Your head was louder today then it had been in a long time, so you threw yourself into the paperwork on your desk hoping it would quiet your mind.

Before you realized it was time to go home. Glancing at the clock you realized it was well past seven in the evening, and nearly everyone in the office was gone. Only one office remained occupied, and it’s occupant was one you wanted to avoid most. Or so you told yourself. You quickly gathered your things, and headed out the door towards the Garrison. You were going to get drunk tonight. No you were going to get belligerent. After the day you had you sure as hell needed it.

As you walked into the Garrison you were greeted by the normal crowd. Low ranking blinders, and factory workers milled about. Scanning the crowd, you noticed John at the bar ordering a drink. Just who you wanted to see. John always made you laugh even when you couldn’t find a reason to. You quickly slide up next to him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Hello John Boy,” you said teasingly.

“Oi Caddy girl, I knew you’d come to your senses one day and profess your love for me,” he grinned while pulling you into his side. “I reckon my brother wouldn’t like to see you kissin’ up on me like that though.”

You immediately tensed in his arms. You knew he was only joking, but the thought of Tommy made your heart ache. You reminded yourself that he was something you could never have. John instantly noticed something was wrong so he turned you so you faced him fully.

“What’s wrong Cadence? You have been acting awful strange lately.”

You laughed lightly at his words, amazed at how easily all the Shelby’s could read you.

“It seems like everyone’s asking me that these days John Boy,” you sighed out.

The silenced lingered as you turned towards the bar to order a drink. Gin would do tonight you thought ruefully. Once you were handed your drink you downed it at once. You were eager to numb your mind.

Unlike Arthur, John wasn’t the type to press you for information. Since starting work at the company he noticed a few changes in you. You were smiling, and laughing more. You were even wearing lipstick again. You were acting like the old Cadence, the Cadence who hadn’t seen the horrors France had to offer. The change was nice but just as quickly as it started it was gone. You weren’t laughing as much, and you suddenly stopped wearing lipstick. He knew this had to do with Tommy, but he also knew better than to press you for information when you weren’t ready. Instead John offered you a smile and a glass of gin as he lead you back into the snug.

Hours had passed and you were absolutely shit faced. The room was spinning behind John as you looked at him. Despite this you downed another glass of gin and continued to listen to the story John was telling. It was then that you noticed Tommy was in the snug with you. You swore you saw him staring at you, but decided it must be the alcohol telling you lies. You turned away quickly, thanking god your cheeks were already red from the booze.  

“And then Aunt Pol is chasing this poor girl down the stairs with a broom with Arthur running half naked behind the both of them trying to get to Pol before she takes this poor girl’s head off,” he gets out between laughs.

His story had everyone in stitches. You were laughing so hard that you were hunched over onto John. The harder you laughed the faster the room began to spin. You placed your hands on the table to steady yourself. Despite the logical part of your brain begging you to stop you decided that another glass of gin was exactly what you needed. You poured yourself another glass, spilling most of it onto the table. You drank it quickly, loving the path of fire it left in the back of your throat. You began to giggle to yourself as the room spun even faster. It was then you decided that you needed the toilet. You tried to stand but the spinning room made it very difficult. After a few tries you finally were able to stand yourself up.  Unfortunately for you you knocked into the table and almost tipped it over. John and Arthur both reached their hands out to steady you.

“Whoopsies,” you slurred out a giggle, “Lemme go I need to piss.”

With a few hiccups you began your trek, knocking into a few walls on the way.

About fifteen minutes had passed and you still hadn’t returned. In a panic, the Shelby boys ran out of the snug to look for you. The didn’t have to look far because they quickly found you passed out in a booth. Luckily for you, the bar had cleared out long before. You and the Shelby’s were the only people left in the Garrison. Arthur quickly sat down beside you and attempted to shake you awake.

“Bird wake up, it’s time to go home,” he said while shaking your shoulder.

You only mumbled in response.

“Birdie come on you need to go home and sleep in your own bed,” he tried to shake you awake again.

You tried swatting him on the shoulder only to miss completely and hit your hand on the table instead. You were too drunk to feel the pain, your hand was numb.

“ em fine Arth,” you slurred quietly, “jus’ leave me here em’ comfy.”

Ignoring you he pulled you out of the booth and onto your feet. You swayed in your heels. If it weren’t for Arthur’s arm around your waist you surely would have fallen over. Arthur began to walk you towards the door when suddenly you felt Tommy’s hand on your shoulder. Normally his close proximity to you would have had you in a tizzy, but you were too gone to care.

“I’ll take her home Arthur, give her to me,” Tommy said.

Arthur only nodded in response, shifting your weight onto Tommy. All four of you began your drunken journey home.

“Em really fine Tom. I can make it home meself,” you hiccuped.

Tommy shot a disapproving look your way.

“Sure you are Cadence,” he said while tightening his grip on your waist.

After a while you and Tommy parted ways with Arthur and John. The longer you walked, the drunker you seemed to get. It wasn’t long until all of your weight was on Tommy, and you were slouched into him. A more sober you would have been mortified to have seen how you buried your face into Tommy’s neck. Thankfully you were too drunk to feel any shame. By the time you got to the entrance of your flat Tommy was practically dragging you. Tommy silently cursed when he remembered you lived on the third floor. When you saw the stairs leading up to your flat you shook Tommy’s arms off you and attempted to climb the stairs yourself. You only made it up one stair before you crashed into the wall. Tommy shook his head at you.

“Love, will you please stop, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

Even in your drunk state you picked up on what Tommy had called you. He had never called you love before. Your stomach being to feel fuzzy, and this time it wasn’t from the liquor.

“You called me loveee,” you singsonged while grabbing Tommy’s cheeks in your hands and squishing them together. If only Tommy’s enemies could see him now.

“Am I your loveeee Thomas? Do you loveee me?” you hiccuped while swaying on your feet.

At this point you had both of you arms haphazardly thrown around Tommy’s neck. When you talked to him you had to crane your neck back in order to see his face causing both of you to sway on your feet. You were too drunk to notice the blush that dusted Tommy’s freckled cheeks. Though Tommy found your inebriated state very endearing he knew he needed to get you to bed quick. He knew letting you walk yourself up the stairs was not an option, so with a shrug of his shoulders he grabbed you before you could protest.

Suddenly you were in Tommy’s arms. You let out a quiet shriek of surprise, and hit Tommy lightly on the shoulder which he found quite amusing.

“Put me down now Thomas, em fine. I can walk fine. I am a strong woman, I can take care of meself,” you slurred while poking him in the chest with your pointer finger.

“I know you can Cadence, I know,” he said quietly but did not set you down.

Deciding to let Tommy win this one, you gave up and snuggled into his chest. He smelled like the woods after rainfall mixed with something darker, something more sinful. You buried your face into his neck once again, and began to doze off. You had a terribly long day, and alcohol always made you tired.

By the time Tommy reached your flat you were fast asleep. He could feel your gentle breathes against his neck. Having you in his arms felt so right. He sighed in longing wishing this moment could last forever, but he knew it couldn’t.

“Love, it’s time to wake up. You need to sleep in your bed not on me, eh?” He said while shaking your shoulder gently. He knew setting you on your feet would wake you up instantly, but he wanted you in his arms a little bit longer. You began to stir at the sound of his voice, but you refused to open your eyes. You were too comfy.

“But em comfy Tom, don’t wanna,” you said while snuggling deeper into his coat.

Tommy’s heart lurched at your action. You looked so small and peaceful snuggled into his chest. He couldn’t believe how beautiful you were. He was so captivated by you. Alas, the sensible part of Tommy swatted at the loving haze surrounding him and urged him to pull it together. Reluctantly Tommy shook your shoulder again earning a agitated groan in response. Deciding it would be easier to let you be he asked for your keys.

“Purse,” you mumbled while holding the arm it dangled on right in front of his face.

Before you knew it Tommy was kicking your door closed with his foot and you were inside your tiny flat. Tommy began to walk you towards your room. Your voice stopped Tommy before he could open your door.

“Why’re you so nice to me Tom?” you said against his neck.

“You’ve always been so good to me, even when I didn’t deserve it. Yer a good man Tom,” you kissed his cheek lightly.

Tommy tensed under your lips. You kissed his cheek and the other Shelby brother’s all the time, so you were confused by his sudden discomfort. When you opened your eyes you realized your lips were on his neck, not his cheek. You giggled in response, too drunk and too shameless to care.

“Whoopsies. Sorry Tom lemme try again, I missed,” you giggled out. This time you kept your eyes wide open as you pressed your lips to Tommy’s warm cheek.

“Cadence you need to get to bed,” he said quickly, pushing open your door and walking you to your bed.

He finally set you down your bed. Instantly you began to take off your clothes before Tommy could stop you. In your drunken state you somehow got your dress stuck on your head. The fabric muffled your giggles.

“Fucking hell Cadence, what are you doing?” he sighed out while quickly covering your body with a blanket. Tommy Shelby was many things, but willing to take advantage of a drunk girl he was not. He quickly turned to your wardrobe and grabbed the first set of pajamas he could find. Before he turned back to you, he covered his eyes with his hand and threw your pajamas at you. He quickly turned around and headed towards the door.

“Get some sleep will you?” he said before slipping out the door.

The sound of birds chirping woke you the next morning. They were too loud. You wanted to open your window and shoot them off their branch just to get them to shut up. The sunlight coming in through the cracks in your curtains hurt your eyes before you even opened them. Everything was too bright. You put your pillow over your face and groaned into it. Before you knew it you began to remember the night before. You groaned again as you remembered how ridiculous you acted. Your eyes shot wide open and you whipped the pillow off your face when you remembered going home with Tommy. The quick movement made your stomach lurch, and you again felt that fuzzy feeling in your stomach. Unfortunately for you, it wasn’t love that gave you that feeling this time.

You quickly got up and ran to the washbasin sitting atop your dresser. You began to empty all the gin you drank last night into it. Groaning you went to fetch some water to clean yourself up. You were never drinking again.

Glancing at the clock you realized it was around noon. You cursed to yourself. You wanted to be at work by nine. While it was a Sunday, and your day off, you wanted to go in to finish some of the work you were unable to get to the previous night. You also knew Tommy would most likely be there as well, and you needed to talk to him. You knew you couldn’t ignore him anymore, especially after last night. You needed to come clean. You hated to admit it but being in his arms felt right. He made you feel safe. You had to tell him.

Despite this, all you wanted to do was hide under your covers and never face Tommy again. You cringed when your remembered kissing his neck. You began to pace around your room, trying to build the confidence to get dressed and head to the betting shop.

“Cadence, you need to stop this. When have you ever been scared of anything before? You have been to bloody war for christ’s sakes, and you’re letting some man get you in such a tizzy? Get yourself together, you can do this,” you told yourself.

You were dressed and out the door before your confidence could fade away.  

Before you knew it, you were at the betting shop. You let yourself in with the key Tommy had given you weeks before. Sunday was the only day the shop was closed. It’s the holy day, Thomas. Some of us do go to church you know. You smiled at the memory of Polly telling Tommy off.

You unlocked the shop, and made your way towards your desk. You smiled when you noticed the light in Tommy’s office was on. No one else was in today besides the two of you.  As you got to your desk and took off your coat you noticed a faint groaning coming from inside Tommy’s office. Instantly worried that something was wrong with Tommy, you flung the door to his office open without knocking.

You heard the moans before you could process what you were seeing. Tommy was fucking some woman from behind over his desk. You felt your heart drop into your stomach. You hoped they didn’t see you as you scrambled to close the door before they noticed your presence. Unfortunately for you, you knocked into the door causing it to bang against the wall. The noise stopped Tommy mid-thrust. His eyes snapped towards the door, instantly meeting yours.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” you rushed out before slamming the door shut and running out of the office.

You heard Tommy quickly following behind you so you didn’t stop to grab your coat. You were absolutely mortified and could not face Tommy after what you just saw. You didn’t stop running until you were back to your flat.

Once inside, your legs wouldn’t take you any further so you sat on the floor in front of your door. How stupid you were to think Tommy would ever want anything to do with you. You put your head in your hands and cried.

[userlando]

Bad For Me (Grayson Smut)

Summary: Texting with Grayson goes from texting to.. Well, sexting. Word Count: 2,244 Warnings: Smut, sexting, explicit words, overuse of baby, yada yada. A/N: I’ve walked around with this on my mind for months now so I thought now is a good idea to just write down whatever comes to mind and just go with it. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS. Leave love, hate, whatever. Much love to you guys!!! xxxx

BOLD is Grayson, and you are ITALIC. Keep it in mind!

THIS HAS NOT BEEN EDITED SO I’M SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES.

I was struggling to keep my eyes open, training them on the screen of my iPad where it laid on my stomach. A huffed breath escaped my lips as I blinked, forcing my eyes to open and look at whatever episode was playing of Modern Family.

It was nearing close to nine P.M. and I was struggling to keep myself awake because I knew that if I went to bed early, then I’d probably wake up earlier than I wanted. And it was, after all, a Friday night. I frowned, thinking of Grayson and what he must be up to.

Probably filming a video with Ethan like he said he would. But he had promised to stop by whenever they were finished, to which I had insisted on because I knew how filming sucked the energy out of him and I’d rather him sleep than stay up late with you, doing something useless like lay around and watch a movie or browse the internet.

Baby are you awake?

My phone vibrated almost as if Grayson had sensed that I was thinking of him, and a small smile took over my lips as I picked my phone up from where it lit up on the nightstand. Almost immediately, another text popped up.

Sorry if you are! I just got done filming and I’m exhausted.

I sat up straighter, moving the iPad off of my body and sliding it over to the sheets all the while I held my phone in my hand.

I’m not, I’m awake baby. Was just thinking of you.

I couldn’t help it, a small smile pulled at my lips and I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip as I went ahead and turned the brightness down on the screen. It was starting to hurt my eyes. It vibrated in my hands a few seconds later.

Oh really? I’d like some details please...

A giggle left my lips and I ignored the surge of heat rolling through my body at the simple dots he’d put at the end of his text, almost rolling my eyes at how this boy could affect me in ways I never imagined anyone ever would. We’d started dating not too long ago, but long enough to almost read each other’s minds.

It involves me. You. And a bed.

I pressed send, watching the screen with bated breath as I brought a hand to chew on my fingernail. A frown took over my lips as I realized what I was doing, bringing the hand down to clutch my phone as the dots appeared on the screen of the phone, indicating that Grayson was typing.

Does it involve clothes?

A giggle.

Nah. It does involve a bag of cheetos and a good movie though.

I was teasing him, but I couldn’t help it. He was just too damn easy to tease and I was never the one to follow the rules. I smiled, thinking of how he must probably be rolling his eyes at my text, sigh escaping his delicious looking lips. Lips that I’d love to feel on my body.

Baaaaabe. You’re a fucking tease.

My shoulders slumped as I bit back a laugh. Another text rolled through.

I’d love to taste you.

A wave of heat washed over me like a wave and I couldn’t help but clench my thighs together, thinking of how I’d been so lucky to score a guy like Grayson. I had been with a few guys, and I wasn’t a virgin before I met Gray. But I had never been with someone like him, someone who put my needs before anything else. Who would walk to the end of the Earth to make me feel good. Grayson wasn’t the most experienced guy, but he wasn’t innocent either. He wasn’t innocent in the way he’d kiss me when no one was watching, stealing my breath away as he grabbed my waist and sunk his deft fingers into my skin. He wasn’t innocent in the way he’d whisper in my ear of the different ways he’d thought of fucking me, nor was he innocent in the way he’d catch my eye in a room full of people, a heat in his eyes that almost had me crumbling as his lips pulled into a smirk.

Some days, he’d wake up before me and run his fingers over my sleepwarm skin, pressing soft kisses until he roused me out of my peaceful sleep. And then he’d look at me with those sleepy eyes, a question in them, waiting for me to nod at him before disappearing under the sheets. It always amazed me how good he was with his mouth, moaning like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.

I didn’t realize that I’d zoned out until my phone vibrated against my naked thigh, bringing me back to reality. I licked my dry lips and took a peek at the screen.

You’re thinking of my mouth, aren’t you?

A heat crawled up my neck and took over my cheeks; He knew me so well.

I want you.

I’d love to come over and have my way with you, baby. But it’s too dark for me to drive and I’d probably ram my car into a tree with all the naughty thoughts that I have roaming in my head.

A giggle escaped me and I laid down in my bed, kicking the sheets to the end of the bed as heat started to suffocate me. My phone vibrated again and I was quick to swipe the screen.

But you just have to satisfy yourself for now.

I’ll guide you through it.

I bit into my lip, wincing at the pain but not releasing it from my hold.

Mhm. Can I touch myself?

Go ahead, sweetheart.

Get naked and spread your legs. You’re on your bed, aren’t you?

Yeah, I am.

I sent the text, putting my phone down before sitting up and pulling my shirt over my head, flinging it to the other side of the room before reaching for the waistband of the loose, sleep shorts that I’d pulled on. I pulled them off along with my underwear, ignoring how embarrassingly wet I’d become in such a short time. When I laid back down, I realized I had another text waiting for me.

Good girl. Start off slow, just feel yourself with your fingers without any pressure.

I did as I was told, reaching down with my free hand, running my fingers over the skin of my stomach. A small intake of breath was all that could be heard in my room as I touched myself, finger probing my slick folds as I tried to stop shaking.

How does it feel?

I tried hard to type out a response, cursing quietly when I dropped my phone before picking it up again.

Feels so good. wish it was you.

Fuck, baby. I wish so too. Are you wet? God, I bet you’re so wet for me right now.

I had always found it embarrassing, how fast Grayson could arouse me to the point of me being so slick for him that I was practically dripping down the insides of my thighs. But he’d found it so hot, making it a point to tell me every time we fooled around in one way or another.

I’m so wet for you.

My legs spread wider as I snubbed my clit with my fingers, a gasp leaving my mouth as I put pressure on it.

Slide a finger in.

I did as I was told without a second thought, trying not to think about how easily a finger went in with how wet I already was. God, if Grayson was here, he’d lose his mind.

Fuck yourself with two fingers and don’t stop until I tell you.

Okay

Are you feeling good, baby?

I took in a shuddering breath, hips coming off of the bed as I slid my two fingers deeper into me. It was so hard to type out responses when all I wanted to do was come.

I am yeah.

Are you touching yourself?

Fuck yes, baby. I’m trying to keep quiet but you’re making it impossible. 

I’m just imagining you in my bed with your two fingers buried deep inside yourself.

just thinking of how wet and tight you must feel righ tnow

I giggled breathily at the typo, gasping as my toes started to tingle, signaling that I was close to my orgasm.

I’m close

No. Stop. Pull your fingers out

The corners of my lips dropped into a frown as I slid my fingers out, cringing at the wet noise that reached my ears.

Slide those wet fingers into your mouth and taste yourself. Take a picture for me.

I smirked and thought about doing him one better. Quickly, I exited out of the messages app and brought the camera up, flipping it to front and putting it on video mode. I tried to ignore the way I looked with my hair spawled out and the flush in my cheeks, eyes wild and pupils blown out as I stared at the camera. And as I started recording, I blinked innocently at the camera as I popped my fingers into my mouth, making a show of fluttering my eyes shut and humming in satisfaction. A small grin took over my face as I sent the video, waiting in anticipation for his reaction.

Fuuuuuuck

Are you trying to kill me? Like for real

I’m not even sure how much longer I can hold on.

Touch yourself again baby, but don’t cum just yet.

The strings of text had me giggling, but I eagerly complied as I propped the phone against my naked stomach, holding it with my clean hand before snaking my other hand to touch myself, gasping at the sensitivity. It didn’t take me long to bring me right to the edge and I stopped, feeling my body shudder.

Can I come please

I was waiting for his response, idly running my slick fingers against my folds as I chewed on my bottom lip. The one thing I wasn’t expecting was an incoming phone call from the man himself, the man who had me panting like a dog in heat; the man who had me wrapped around his thick finger. The finger I’d love to feel inside of me.

“Hello?” I tried to sound normal, but there was a certain breathiness to my voice and I knew he’d picked up on it when he huffed out a small, teasing laugh.

“Are you touching yourself?” His voice was low, probably because he didn’t want to wake up his brother in the other room. “Fuck, of course you are. I can hear the sound from here, baby.”

I glanced down at my hand, eyes widening in embarrassment as I realized that he was right. That damn sound.

“Are you?” I asked, voice shaky as I burrowed my head further into the pillow, trying not to bring myself over the edge just by the sound of his voice and the touch of my fingers.

“Yeah...” He breathed, pausing. “I’d love to be there with you. I’d go down on you for hours, Y/N. I’d eat you until you were screaming and shuddering from being so sensitive.”

I whimpered, I couldn’t help it.

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Holding you down and not giving you a chance to recover before I brought you over the edge, again and again.”

“Please...” I took a shuddering breath. “Let me come.”

“Not yet.” He murmured lowly and I bit back a whine. “Put me on speaker, darling. Place your phone next to your ear so you can use both your hands.”

I did as he told me to do, my eyes fluttering shut as I was once again, brought to the edge.

“Slide two fingers in and play with that clit of yours. Press down on it and pinch it like I’d do.” He chuckled lowly at the sound of my gasp. “There you go.”

“Gray...” I gasped. “Please...”

“Please what, baby?”

“Let me come. Please, I’m so close.”

He let out a small yeah and I knew he was close too, his breathing down the phone said it all. It made me feel hot all over as I rubbed myself, hips coming off the bed and legs closing in with my hands right inbetween. The sound of the blood rushing in my ears took over and I felt myself float higher, higher, eyes rolling to the back of my head.

“Come for me, Y/N. Now.”

And that was it. I yelled out, shudders racking my body as I moaned and writhed through my orgasm. Somewhere in the distance, I heard the familiar gasp escaping Grayson’s lips as he came, but I was too far gone to revel in it as I was still shuddering, coming down from one of the most intense orgasms I’d ever had.

“Fuck.” I breathed, giggling as I wiped down my hands on my sheets. I made a small, mental note to wash them as I soon as I could feel my legs again.

“Yeah,” Grayson breathed out a laugh. “This just made up my mind.”

“About what?” I hummed, eyes fluttering closed as I began to feel exhaustion taking over.

“Tomorrow, I’ll come bright and early...” He began, yawning before continuing. “And I’m gonna fuck you on every piece of furniture in your apartment until you can’t walk straight.”

[yeet-er-rino]

Her

Here is my first story. Let me know if there are any typos or grammar mistakes please. I hope you enjoy!

——————————————————————————

My breath is heavy as I try to get my legs to move faster. Fear courses through my veins and my mind only has one thought: Keep running. My legs burn from exhaustion, but I can't stop. My lungs ache, my skin cold from the wind pushing against me, but none of this stops me. I have to keep going. I can hear him shouting behind me. Calling my name, trying to find me. His voice thankfully getting quieter as I keep going.

I begin to slow down when I realize I can't hear him anymore. How long had I been running? Where am I? My head shoots upwards as a loud crack of thunder roars across the sky. It's gonna rain soon. I look around in hopes of some form of shelter. My legs are close to giving out, but I force myself to walk.

Just as the beginning of the downpour begins to fall I manage to find a rocky overhang. I sit down on the ground and watch as the rain falls. I watch as the dirt turns to mud, and the lightning stretches across the sky. I watch as the panic of realization sets in. He killed her, and he would have killed me too. I watch as flashes of bruises and blood and screams fill my mind. And I continue to watch as the tears flood my vision.

My body shakes, whether from the sobs or the exhaustion I don't know. So much runs through my mind as I sit and cry, and watch.

I'm alone. Properly now. I always felt alone, but at least I had her to protect me. But she's gone now. And no else is coming. What do I do? Why did he do it? How could he? Where do I go? The pain of losing her overtakes any pain I could feel from running. Why did it have to be her? She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve him. I can't do this without her. I'm too young. All I've ever learned was from her. I can't learn anymore. Her touch was everything.

Her hands gently wipe a wet cloth against my skin as she holds me close and hums a tune I'd never heard before. Her warmth comforting and caring, unlike his. The bruises that cover my body proof of that. I shake as she tries to calm me down. I wanted to cry and scream, but I knew I couldn't. It would only make it worse.

I miss her.

I whimper as his hand comes down onto my cheek. Pain flaring from the contact. However, I continue to stand strong. I refuse to back down. Before the next blow can come she jumps in front of me. Shielding me from the abuse, she takes all of it for me. Without making a single sound.

I need her.

The door slams shut, shaking the walls as he storms out. She lays on the ground after protecting me once again. I carefully crawl beside her. I don't touch her, out of fear of hurting her even more, but I do my best to comfort her. I hum the unfamiliar tune she always does for me. She sits up, very slowly, and looks at me. There are tears in her eyes, blood spilling from her lips and cheek, but she smiles at me.

I can still see her, and feel her, and it hurts. It hurts so much. A scream tears through my throat and out my mouth. Why her!? Why did she have to leave!? She promised!

She holds me once again as I cry silently from the marks he had left on me. She rocks me back and forth, trying to comfort me, but I can see it in her eyes. The hope and life that she used to have is no longer there. She no longer sees any brighter future. I force myself to stop crying, not seeing a point to it and open my mouth to ask her a question I already know the answer to.

"Will it ever stop?"

My voice is weak and rough, sore from the tears. She stops moving and looks down at me. She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again. She can see it in my eyes. I didn't see any escape either, and she new it.

"I... No, I don't think it will."

The words register in my head as I nod. I knew it already, but hearing still hurt. However, she begins to smile at me as she continues to rock again.

"But we'll always have each other. No matter how much he pushes us around or tries to make us quiet, we will always be right by each other."

Her eyes don't hold the same reassurance her voice does, but I still believe her. Why shouldn't I?

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I nod my head and turn to look at the wall. I couldn't look at those lifeless eyes any longer.

"I love you, mama."

"I love you too, baby"

It gets harder to breathe as I continue to cry. My head slightly spinning from everything that had happened. My vision completely blurred from the tears that never seem to end. This is all too much.

This was worse. So much worse. She's barely breathing. She kept coughing up blood, but he wasn't stopping. He always stopped before now. I can't watch this. He can't do this to her.

"Stop it!"

My screams don't seem to reach his ears as he continued to kick her. Why isn't he stopping?

"Please, stop hurting her! Stop! Please!"

He showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. I can't let this happen. Her coughing is getting worse, but she's not moving as much now. She's slipping. I can see it. I can't lose her.

"Daddy, please!"

He finally stops and looks at me. The anger in his eyes so much more intense then I ever remember seeing.

"Please stop hurting her! Stop making her suffer like this! She doesn't deserve it!"

He's silent as he continues looking at me. I knew I would get in trouble for yelling at him, but I can't lose her. He looks back down at her. She's not moving and her breathing is so slow. I'm losing her. He looks back at me and for a moment, I thought it'd all be okay. I thought he would stop and everything would change, but his eyes yielded nothing but hatred and aggression. He quickly moved his way to the kitchen, knocking me to the floor in the process.

I crawled over to her body, hoping she would still be with me. She moved her eyes to look at me as I grabbed her hand. There were no tears, no screams, nothing. I felt her squeeze my hand ever so slightly as she quietly whispered, barely audible, "Go." Did she want me to leave? I can't leave her. His footsteps echoed through the house as he began to walk back towards us.

"Go...", she whispered to me again, "run.". I looked at her eyes and I could see it. A small glimmer of hope, it was so, so small, but it was there. I shook my head, tears beginning to fall. I can't leave her here. She softly nodded her head towards the door, pleading with me to leave. His footsteps reached the room as he shoved me out of the way. I looked up and saw the door. She wants me to leave. Maybe I could find help?

As I begin to make my way to the door I hear her scream. I look back and see the glint of light on steel. He's on his knees as he forces the knife into her shoulder. He lifts his arm back up and the glint is gone. Only the dark red of her blood can be seen. Her screams carry through the house. I have to get help. I throw open the door and start to run. However, before I reach the fence, her screams stop. I slow down, standing just before the entrance and look back. He walks out of the house, covered in blood. He looks at me, and I realize, she's gone. He starts to walk down the steps and I force my myself to keep going. She wants me to run, so that's what I'll do.

My tears have stopped. My body still shakes, but I can't cry anymore. I curl in on myself, desperate for the comfort from the hands of someone I can never touch again. I begin to hum that same unfamiliar tune I had memorized. I never asked her where it came from, and now I'll never know. She's gone. I'm alone. I'm cold and scared and alone. I'm broken.

[fasa-umich]

AJ Espinoza, 2019-2020 FASA Co-President

Hello FASA! As you read this, I hope all of you are safe indoors with the people you love. If not, I hope you’ll be with them soon. I’m writing to all of you from the solitude of my place in Ann Arbor, and it definitely isn’t the same around here with all of you. I miss every single one of you very dearly, but I don’t want to use this time to lament what could have been. We’ve been through a lot together, so don’t consider this mourning the last months of this semester and consider this as more than a reflection – this is a celebration of our time together and a celebration of everything I’ve learned from every single one of you!

The Journey

It may surprise some of you to learn that I had no intentions of running for this position. This was for several reasons: Feeling burnt out after dedicating so much of my time as External Chair, my desire to be a good example of an active general member (and perhaps be a choreographer for PCN, lol 😉) etc. However, chief among my reasons was my self-doubt. I didn’t believe that I had what it took to be the mature and reliable leader that the position of Co-President deserves, and I didn’t believe that I was worthy to succeed Jean and EJ. 

I remember other board members asking me, some even pestering me (read: Matt), to consider running, and it wasn’t until Battle of the Bamboo 2019 that I decided to listen. Long story short, with all of us there to watch, I had a great time talking to the now-sophomores about Battle and my love for the Filipinx American community. Despite how much I didn’t feel ready, at that moment I at least knew that a Co-President should be someone who cared about shaping the experiences of FASA’s members in this little Fil Am community we share like I did, and that I could learn to be a better leader while in the job alongside people who supported me.

So what does the job entail? Well, the job is certainly unique to others on E-Board. With this job, you’re not required to put together many things aside from Lineages, the Intern Program, and the day-to-day functioning of E-Board. Most of the time, you really are trying to steer the board in the right direction, offering advice and structure wherever it’s needed. The job certainly entails being one of the first if not the first E-Board member to offer support to other E-Board members when they need it, and there’s definitely a balance that needs to be achieved between allowing E-Board members to be independent while trusting them to do their job and simply micromanaging. Trust is key in this job, not just to your fellow E-board members and Co, but to yourself! There will be difficult calls to make and difficult conversations to be held, and you can often find yourself and your Co as the people best-suited to make the final call. Every decision should be made with the intention of doing what’s best for FASA, and if you come from there, then you’ll be happy to find a team that is willing to stand right there with you. 

My other tips include:

Professional before personal. I can’t emphasize this rule enough. As an elected member of FASA’s Executive Board, it is your responsibility to deliver a good experience to FASA’s members, and to fulfill your responsibilities to the very end. As for your fellow Executive Board members, my philosophy was this: Not everyone has to be good friends, but to serve the greater purpose of FASA and its members, you do have to be good co-workers. Trust, respect, patience, and honesty are critical in all professional settings, however they can also be ingredients for good friendships down the line!

Board member first, chair position second. As an External Chair, I made it a point to emphasize that it was up to everyone, not just myself, to represent the best of FASA at external events. Similarly, no matter who the event’s main organizer was, Matt and I emphasized that every FASA event was an E-Board event. This meant that all hands needed to be on-deck to support every step of every event, and that we would stick together like this from the very first event to the very last event. 

Surround yourself with people who believe in you, and in turn believe in them. This job often entails confronting impostor syndrome, and there will be no shortage of moments in which you are unsure of your qualifications for the task at hand. Remember: You were elected for a reason! You owe it not only to FASA’s members but also to yourself to have faith in your and each other’s abilities! And if, like me, you struggle to believe in yourself sometimes, then trust the people who believe in you.

Win together, lose together. Matt and I happily gave this year’s Executive Board the freedom to grow and understand themselves as leaders through their respective positions. No one on this board was perfect – we each had our fair share of imperfections, and with those mistakes came criticism, both for Boardies and the Executive Board overall. It was very important to us all that we defended and uplifted one another in the face of criticism, and I believe this created a board that functioned stronger than any team I’ve ever worked with.

From Gambles to Gratitude

This year had no shortage of challenges, but with those challenges came great accomplishments. Speaking for FASA and myself, this couldn’t have been possible without this year’s Executive Board. I say it wholeheartedly and without exhaustion every time: This was and will always be a spectacular group of people to work with. Without echoing the sentiments of everyone else’s testimonials too closely, I will miss every single part of serving with these people. Two-hour board meetings every week from 8-11 (not a typo), the immediate homework hangouts for many more hours after, lugging around event equipment with Mango and Hannah, Reggie dodging my hugs with hi-fives, saying “lamp” for our checkouts and for annoying the interns, I’m grateful to every single person for giving me the greatest experience of my college career. This was a board that fought some hard fights, but we fought hand-in-hand at every minute, and there was nothing but love for each other at every second. The role of Co-President may not have many tangible products or events to claim success to, so I argue that my greatest success as Co-President is this board. I know I said that it’s important to treat each other as co-workers first and foremost, but I am beyond grateful that I found my best friends along the way. :’)

Nowhere does this gratitude extend more than it does to my Co-President. Matt, my teammate and my brother, the second half of #TheCollectiveKuya, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for everything. Thank you for holding me up at my lowest, for putting up with my need to take everything too seriously, and for teaching me what it means to be a truly mature leader. I’m proud to have watched us both grow into the leaders we are now thanks to one another. We fought together, we laughed together, we triumphed together, and above all else we respected each other. You were the first person to believe in me, and even though I will endlessly jab at you for putting me in this position to begin with, I am so glad that you did. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

The End of the Beginning

With my time on board coming to an end, you can bet that I’m celebrating the eventual return of my free time, and I’m happy to say that being a general member again won’t be too much of a struggle. I’ve had the privilege this year of being not just Co-President, not just an E-Board member, but also an active general member. From PCN Modern Tinik practices (shoutout to Angela and Bea, thank you for keeping me fed every week lmao) to New Member Dinner and my Kaibigan Korners, I will always cherish these moments as the ones that still made me feel like a new member all over again. I feared that I wouldn’t get to know a lot of you by way of being older or being Co-President, but I still got to meet and get to know so many of you as simply a friend and fellow member. I’m happy to say that I’m still a lovable goof at best and a roastable meme at worst. In a way, I’ve come full circle, but I also never really stopped being what I am at heart: Just another regular member embracing the culture, and I still have a year left to do it! Every moment spent getting to know all of you has been an absolute joy – you’ve made this upperclassmen’s year in FASA one for the books. I encourage all of you who are considering running for E-Board to please reach out to me, I would love to sit and chat. 😊 

As I write this, we now find ourselves in the precarious position of being scattered from one another, both across the country and around the world, much sooner than we were expecting. There are feelings of discouragement, frustration, and betrayal for not getting the sign-off we feel we deserve – I am no stranger to this, and I am willing to bet that many of you feel the same way. It’s okay to feel this way. It is OKAY to feel this way. We’ve faced many goodbyes in the last week-and-a-half, and it’s easy to mourn and grieve for the time together that we can no longer have. If it means helping any of you find closure, I’d like to share some thoughts. 

I’m happy to say that I still got to be your Co-President, despite not thinking that I deserved it. For many of us, it’s safe to say that this is not the ending to the year that we deserved. I think that, for better or for worse, rarely in life do we get what we think we deserve. For that matter, I try to focus on being grateful for what’s in front of me in the face of whatever I may deserve. This year was swiftly and cruelly closed on us, however I try to take stock in being endlessly grateful for everything that you’ve given me up to now. I am so unapologetically grateful for everything that FASA has given me this year, so much so that I am prepared to return it doubly when we soon see each other again. To me, this is truly just the end of the beginning of the best that is yet to come. No matter where life takes us, nothing can break us apart, I just wanna be with you I encourage every single one of you who is reading this to look forward into the future with the best of your time in FASA on your backs. The memories we have made together will never leave us, they will never weaken us, and they will never fail us. 

My final request as your Co-President is a simple one: Look up at night. Look up at the stars in the sky. Look up at the vast expanse of the air and remember that we are all doing the same: Sharing the same sky, looking up at the same stars. With the sun and stars in the sky, on our flag, and in our blood, know that we are never truly apart. No matter how far away, we will always be right there with you, and no matter how much time may pass until we meet again, just know that the best is yet to come. Because that’s all this is, the end of the beginning – our tale still has yet to be written.

Your Co-President,

Aber John Ibarreta Espinoza