#i love her with all my heart she cares so much and loves unravelling games and completing tasks its like

[cambion-companion]

Here’s ya girl who has gone completely feral over astarion. He’s the babiest baby. Okay, here’s the prompt. My characterisation could be a bit (or a lot lol) off bc I haven’t played the game Y E T so feel free to change the things that seem OOC.

Established relationship, but the beginnings of it, on a mission to find a way for astarion to be in the sun again. Reader has given astarion time to work on his sexual trauma so they haven’t been having sex for some time. Reader is 100% ok w that. But they have a big argument over something (not related to sex) and astarion doesn’t know how to resolve the situation other than reverting back to his seductive artifice and using sex as a way to ensure his safety (in this case, emotional safety). Reader figures it out because they (or she) are not dumb. They reassure astarion and he lets himself be vulnerable but also, it turns out that astarion wants that sexual intimacy. But reader decides this will be all about astarion and making him feel good and loved. Body worship, astarion’s praise kink, just everything focused on astarion’s pleasure in a way he has never experienced and that makes him completely unravel once he comes. Not a subby reader, tho. You know me, I don’t do subby.

If this is too long of a prompt, just the sexy part will be ok. Thank you so much, i have such astarion brainrot DDDD:

I Want to Live

word count: 1700

gn!reader x Astarion | Baldur's Gate 3 fanfic | 18+ only

"I don't think we should use the tadpoles for anything, Astarion." You put your hands on your hips, glaring at the sulky Elf in front of you.

This tense conversation between the two of you had gone on far longer than you'd have liked. Astarion seemed insistent on using whatever advantage the Illithids had unintentionally given your party. Despite not yet knowing the implications of doing so.

Astarion's silver hair glinted in the firelight that warmed your back, his eyes shone like droplets of blood. "You might as well leave me alone, spoilsport." He waved an imperious hand in your direction, sneering at you in the way he knew would hurt you most. "Since you insist on being boring and unimaginative."

You ground your teeth. "I'm trying to keep us safe."

"And a fine job you're doing, my sweet." His lilting voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Why don't you ask Arabella how her parents are doing?" He paused, then feigned surprise. "Oh wait..."

Your eyes widened as a jolt of genuine pain lanced through your heart at his callous words. Astarion was aiming to do damage and, like always, he knew how to push your buttons.

Magic sparked at the end of your fingertips as you fought to control your rage. It was the lack of verbal response that alerted Astarion to the fact he might have pushed a little too far with you. His face almost looked regretful for a moment, or perhaps it was a trick of the firelight casting shadows across his features. You didn't gain much insight because of the tears blurring your vision as you quickly turned away and strode as far away from the vampire spawn as you could.

Shadowheart, who always seemed to overhear everything, cast a worried glance your direction before leveling a glare on Astarion who still watched after you with a blank look.

You sat yourself upon your bedroll before the campfire and listened to Volo squeakily tune his lute. Wyll and Gale were over by their tents chatting and Lae'zel sat on a boulder by the river sharpening her sword.

You had thought Astarion would understand and perhaps even agree with you, and the rest of the camp for that matter, that the parasites should not be utilized to gain control of other beings. It was convenient and downright useful, yes...but not worth an unknown cost.

You had thought...since that night when the two of you had become intimate...that he'd maybe come to care for you. But that jab about Arabella's parents, who you'd failed to save, only confirmed that the vampire did not have your best interests at heart.

Sighing, you moved your bedroll away from its usual place beside Astarion's and arranged it next to where Karlach slept. You could feel multiple pairs of eyes watching you move about but you didn't much care at the moment.

Karlach gave you a curious and concerned look as she came over and got comfortable for the night. "Are you alright? I could hear you and Astarion going at it...and not in the fun way."

You grunted and moved your body to the side so you could scrape out a rock that had been digging into your back. "It's fine. He's just an ass." You said these words loud enough for him to hear.

Karlach shrugged and nodded as if this were common knowledge. She gave you a jolting pat on the back before getting comfortable in her own bedroll.

As the breathing patterns of your companions slowly deepened in slumber, you could not find any rest. You tossed and turned as best you could in such primitive sleeping arrangements. You missed your bed back in Baldur's Gate above the taproom of the Shadowcat Claw, the familiar bustle of voices and a mug of ale in your belly lulling you to sleep. Out in this wilderness, with the thought of your argument with Astarion tugging at your thoughts...you had to get up.

As quietly as you could, you slid out of your bedroll and got to your feet. A quick observation of your companions told you they were all in a deep sleep. All except Lae'zel who sat on the boulder still, keeping silent watch. She nodded at you curtly as you passed and didn't ask any questions, for which you were grateful.

You crept through the foliage down to the place in the forest by the river where you and Astarion had had your midnight tryst. You could still feel his moonlight hair running through your fingers, his fangs on your neck as you arched it just for him. The trust...you thought you had at least earned a little bit of his trust.

"I thought I'd find you here." His voice was velvet, it shivered straight through your defenses to your heart.

"I wanted to be alone, Astarion." You tried to keep your own voice cool and collected, but you ached to hold him in your arms again.

Astarion had followed you from the campsite into the woods. He'd been fully aware of your restlessness, of course he had. He entered your line of sight now, looking very much like a cat stalking its prey. His ruby eyes were dark and trained on your face. "Come now, you're far too obvious for all this bluster. Do you not want to feel me again?" He gave you a crooked smile, showing his teeth. "A second taste, perhaps?"

You felt the hollowness of his words and saw the carefully arranged expression he wore like a mask. Beneath the facade you could make out the telltale twitch of a facial muscle, the tenseness of his eyes, indicating anxiety.

You sighed. "I thought we were passed these games."

"Games?" Astarion's tongue flicked out to wet his lips. "Games are all part of the fun, my dear. So good at getting the blood pumping."

You folded your arms. "I want an apology."

This tripped him up. For a moment the facade slipped, and he seemed genuinely taken aback. "Apologize?" Then he was back to his usual bluster. "Me? Apologize for what?"

"For having a go at me today. Bringing up Arabella's parents when you know how upset I am about it." Astarion made a noise as if to speak but you cut across him. "That was cruel, Astarion, and I deserve better from you."

"I didn't..." Astarion sighs heavily, his eyes glancing down to the ground then back at your face. "I apologize." The words seemed to pain him in some way. "I wanted to get a rise out of you, that's all. Now let's forget about that and have some fun."

You raised an unimpressed eyebrow, saying nothing, simply watching his face lit in the silver moonlight. His unconvincing grin slowly slipped off his face, a troubled frown replacing it. The two of you looked at each other for a long moment. Finally, you spoke.

"You're testing how much I care for you, aren't you?" Your voice was soft, almost inaudible over the rippling stream.

Astarion seemed momentarily taken aback, he seemed to consider taking shelter once more behind his mask of pompous indifference. But then his shoulder's slumped slightly, the fists at his sides loosened. That was all the answer you needed.

You stepped forward and placed your hands around his, tugging him closer. He did not resist, his footfalls light as ever as he drew near. Close enough to feel his breath warm your lips.

"I care about you, Astarion." Your voice was still soft amidst the rustling leaves and sparkling water. "I discourage you from using the tadpole's powers because I couldn't bear to see your will overtaken by yet another monster."

Astarion was silent for a long time, his scarlet eyes turned silver as a moonbeam fell across his pallid face. When he spoke, his voice sounded strained. "What if it's too late for me? To be anything other than a monster? My only choice is which one." He laughs forcefully, bitterness twisting his mouth.

"I won't let that happen." You encircled him tenderly in a hug, pulling him to rest flush against your body. "We're in this...together."

"Together." The word was echoed back to you, his voice framing the syllables as if it were a foreign tongue.

You turned your face into him and kissed his neck softly, feeling his body tense in your arms and then slowly relax. You kept your lips against his skin, over where Cazador had sunk his fangs all those centuries ago.

Astarion's hands slowly slid up your hips to rest against your lower back as he held you close. Your lips caressed his neck, throat and trailed up to his jaw until you pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I love you." You murmured.

You felt him tense again, not pushing you away, but his hands tightened on your back. "I..." Astarion hesitated. "I'm not quite ready to say those words back to you, my dear."

"I know." You felt no anger, no hurt. You accepted him however he wished to come to you, grateful for this rare moment of vulnerability beneath the stars.

You pushed him back gently until his back made contact with the base of a large sycamore tree. A huff of air left his lungs, quickly claimed by your mouth as you kissed him hungrily this time. Your hands made quick work of his clothing and Astarion became eager to help the process along.

"Vixen." He murmured and you laughed against his lips, your tongues teasing each other.

"You're beautiful, Astarion." You held his face in your hands and kissed his mouth lightly, not allowing him to turn away even as the compliment made his eyes search yours for hints of disingenuity. "I want nothing from you in return." You said firmly, reading his emotional turmoil through your shared Illithid connection. "This is just for you." You kissed his mouth, his cheek, his forehead. "To keep."

Astarion's head fell back to rest against the tree trunk as you continued lavishing affection upon him. He moaned your name softly to the night sky as you slowly sunk to your knees before him, the dirt and rocks digging unheeded against your knees. His fingers twisted in your hair and guided you to where he wanted you most.

"Good, my love." You praised him, your words causing his body to shake with increasing pleasure. "Show me."

The night was long and full of bliss. A genuine exchange of pleasure, without the previous facades and plays at affection. You felt the change as surely as he did, and when the others awoke in the morning it was to find your bedroll pulled back right next to where Astarion lay curled against you.

~

"You owe me five gold, Shadowheart." Gale mumbled.

[ilovemilestellersmoustache]

Lost In Translation Pt 1

Summary: Senior year takes a toll on Trevor and Y/N, university applications, the NHL draft and what their plans are for the future. All the arguing leads to certain decisions that either make or break them.

WC: 1.7K

Senior year. It was supposed to be the final chapter of high school, the time when everything came together—friends, college applications, sports, love. But for Trevor, everything felt like it was slowly unraveling. The weight of his future and his crumbling relationship with Y/N pressed down on him with a force that left him suffocating. He had dreamed of making it to the NHL his whole life, but now, standing on the edge of his senior year, that dream felt like it was slipping out of reach.

And then there was Y/N.

They had been dating for two years, a whirlwind romance that had once seemed untouchable. Trevor and Y/N were the couple everyone envied. She was smart, funny, always understanding of his hockey schedule, and she had her own ambitions, too—dreams of leaving their small town and studying at a university in another state. But now, in their final year, the future loomed over them like a storm cloud. They were headed in different directions, and no amount of pretending could change that.

The arguments started off small. At first, it was about Trevor missing dinner dates because of hockey practice or being too exhausted to hang out after games. Y/N would say something sarcastic, and Trevor would brush it off, but the tension grew with every passing week.

“You’re not even here anymore,” Y/N had said one night after he’d canceled another movie night to stay late at the rink. Her eyes were filled with disappointment, but also something else—something darker that made Trevor’s chest tighten. “All you care about is hockey.”

“That’s not fair,” Trevor had shot back, slamming his gear bag onto the floor. “This is my dream, Y/N. You knew that from the start.”

“And what about us?” she countered. “We can’t even have a conversation without you bringing up scouts or practices. I’m trying to make plans for the future, too, but I can’t do that if you’re not even trying to meet me halfway.”

It was the same fight, repeated in different words, different scenarios. They were both frustrated, both feeling the pressure of what was coming next, and neither of them knew how to handle it.

Then came the night that changed everything.

Trevor had just finished a grueling practice when his teammates suggested they hit up a party. He hesitated, knowing Y/N wasn’t thrilled with him partying so much lately, especially without her, but he needed a break. He needed to forget about the scouts, the pressure, the fights. So, he went. One drink turned into two, then five. Before he knew it, he was a mess of alcohol and bad decisions.

That’s when he met Chloe.

She was someone’s friend from another school—blonde, tall, and flirtatious. Trevor wasn’t interested in her. Not really. He loved Y/N, despite their fights, despite the distance that had been growing between them. But as the night wore on and his teammates nudged him toward Chloe, he found himself too drunk to resist the distraction. They laughed about something stupid, her hand brushing his arm, and in a moment of weakness, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close for a picture that someone snapped on their phone.

The next morning, Trevor woke up with a pounding headache and a pit of guilt in his stomach. He hadn’t done anything—he hadn’t kissed Chloe or gone any further—but the fact that he had even let it get that far made him sick. He grabbed his phone and checked his notifications.

One story stood out.

The picture.

It was of him and Chloe. He stared at it for what felt like an eternity, the caption someone had written: "Ain’t that Y/N’s boy?"

His heart dropped. He knew Y/N would see it. He knew what it looked like, what people would say. The damage was done.

He tried calling her, but she didn’t pick up. He texted, but no response. Hours turned into days, and he knew—deep down, he knew—things were over.

Three months passed.

Three months of radio silence from Y/N. Three months of training, preparing for scouts, and trying to bury the ache in his chest. He threw himself into hockey, determined to make it to the NHL, but no matter how hard he trained, no matter how many games he won, the empty space where Y/N had once been gnawed at him constantly.

He saw her around school, of course. She looked fine—maybe even happy—laughing with her friends, talking about college plans, as if the last two years meant nothing. It hurt more than he thought it would, but he couldn’t blame her. He had let her down, and now, she was moving on without him.

But Trevor wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet.

It was a Friday night, just a few weeks before graduation, and Trevor was sitting in his room, staring at the pile of college acceptance letters on his desk. He had been drafted, the one thing he had been working toward for years. But instead of feeling relief, all he felt was regret. The draft meant leaving for training camps, possibly in a different state or even country, and Y/N would be gone soon, too, heading to her dream university.

He couldn’t let it end like this.

Before he could second-guess himself, he grabbed his phone and typed out a message.

“Can we talk?”

He stared at the screen, heart pounding, waiting for those three little dots to appear.

After what felt like forever, they did.

“What’s there left to say?”

Trevor clenched his jaw, typing quickly before he could lose his nerve.

“I’m sorry. For everything. Can you please just meet me? One last time.”

There was a long pause, and then her reply came through.

“Fine. Tomorrow at the coffee shop.”

The next day, Trevor arrived early, his stomach in knots. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, only that he needed to see her, to try to fix things before it was too late.

When Y/N walked in, he nearly lost his breath. She looked beautiful, the same way she always did, but there was a coldness in her eyes that made his heart sink.

“Hey,” she said, sitting down across from him.

“Hey.” Trevor swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. “Thanks for meeting me.”

She shrugged. “Figured we should at least have some closure.”

Closure. The word hit him like a punch to the gut.

“Y/N, I—" He stopped, unsure of where to begin. “I screwed up. I know that. But I never meant to hurt you.”

She looked at him, her expression unreadable. “Trevor, we’ve been hurting each other for months. It’s not just about that picture, though that definitely didn’t help. It’s about everything—your dreams, my dreams. We’re going in completely different directions.”

“But that doesn’t mean we have to end things like this,” he said quickly, leaning forward. “I still love you. I’ve always loved you.”

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Trevor, love isn’t enough when everything else is falling apart. You’re going to the NHL. I’m going to be hours away at university. We’re not the same people we were when we started dating.”

“I know, but—”

“But what?” she cut him off, her voice sharper than he’d ever heard it. “Do you really think we can keep doing this? You’re going to be traveling all the time, training, playing games, and I’m going to be focused on school. We’ve barely survived senior year as it is.”

Trevor’s chest tightened. She was right. Every word she said was true. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were meant to be together, that they could find a way to make it work if they just tried harder.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered, his voice breaking.

Y/N’s expression softened for the first time since they sat down, but there was still a sadness in her eyes. “I don’t want to lose you either, Trevor. But sometimes… sometimes love isn’t enough.”

She stood up, pulling her jacket tighter around her shoulders. “I think it’s best if we both move on. Focus on our futures.”

Trevor stood too, his heart pounding in his chest. “Is this really it?”

Y/N hesitated for a moment, as if she was considering something, but then she nodded. “Yeah. I think it is.”

She gave him one last, sad smile before turning and walking out of the coffee shop, leaving him standing there, feeling like the ground had just been ripped out from beneath him.

The months that followed were some of the hardest Trevor had ever faced. He threw himself into training for the NHL, traveling for rookie camps, and preparing for what was supposed to be the next chapter of his life. But no matter how far he went, no matter how many games he won, there was always a part of him that couldn’t let go of Y/N.

He heard through mutual friends that she was doing well at her university, making new friends, thriving in her classes. Trevor was happy for her—he really was—but it didn’t make the ache in his chest any easier to bear.

As the weeks turned into months, Trevor started to realize something. Maybe Y/N had been right. Maybe they were headed in different directions. But that didn’t mean he had to forget about everything they had shared. It didn’t mean he had to stop caring about her, or stop loving her.

Because no matter how much distance was between them, no matter how different their futures were, Y/N would always be a part of him. And maybe things could fix themself in the future

[thornedclover]

𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕

TAMBER | Tara Carpenter x Amber Freeman

summary: Tara receives an unexpected gift from Amber for her 18th birthday.

content & warnings: one-shot // none

word count: 766

a/n: this is my 1st work of tamber so please be gentle! 🩷

A sigh from Tara had Amber looking away from the TV and over to the left. She caught her staring at her phone screen glowing up to highlight the disappointment fazing her. “What’s wrong?”

The other shook her head. “It’s just my mom. She’s not getting me back at all.” It was almost 9:00 o’clock, and Christina was still out only God knows where, probably drinking all of her cares away. “As usual,” she then retorted with subtle bitterness, shutting off the device and tossing it onto the empty cushion beside her.

“Are you worried about her?”

“A little,” replied Carpenter before elaborating with, “I mean, I know she does this a lot, but I still don’t want anything to happen to her.”

While Tara had all rights to be concerned for her mother, Freeman had heard the many stories of Christina Carpenter and knew this was the way she ran her life: any chance to have a few drinks and let loose, she was all game. It was not fair to her teenage daughter, but the alcoholic was in control when it came to herself – no one could be held accountable… no one should be held accountable for another person’s life.

“I get that,” started Amber as she shifted in her position. “But you’re not responsible for what happens to her if something does happen.” Mocha orbs were then set on her. “It’s her life, Tara. She’s going to do what she wants even if you don’t want her to. I know that’s hard to hear, but facts are facts.”

Tara knew that her mother was a grown woman, but the thought still burdened her regardless. Especially on her birthday. “I know,” she mumbled.

Watching her friend be a worried mess was not going to do. It was her birthday which meant she should be having a good time, not distracted by her mom’s poor choices. If Tara could not pull herself away from her own thoughts, it was up to Amber to help her.

Pushing herself forward, Freeman switched topics and sat on the edge of her seat. “Are you ready for your present?”

This caught the other’s attention off-guard. “You got me something?”

“Of course, I did.” Hopping off the sofa to retrieve the gift, Amber returned with a small, gold box sealed with a light pink bow and passed it to Carpenter.

“Amber,” Tara whined out of awkwardness, not being able to prevent a smile pulling at her lips while the other smirked.

“Just open it.”

Unraveling the ribbon, Tara took the present’s top off to reveal matching tissue paper encasing her gift. When she pulled apart the wrapped paper, untouched silver flashed in the surrounding lights. A rose quartz, heart-shaped charm dangled off the short keychain as she picked it up by the main hoop. Her chocolate eyes danced with admiration once she held the charm in her other hand to read the engraved letter: “A.”

Carpenter’s grin only prospered the longer she looked at the accessory. On the right, she glanced over to find her friend pulling out a twinning keychain. Her heart was black quartz with the letter “T” engraved on it.

“Now, we’re matching,” charmed Amber with her signature smirk that always sent Tara’s mind into a tizzy.

The other’s heart fizzed with appreciation. “I love it, Amber. Thank you so much.” With one hand still holding the present, she met Freeman in a grateful hug, holding each other in a warm embrace. But right before she pulled back, she felt the other’s soft lips press a kiss to her cheek.

“Anytime.”

Tara went hot. Her stomach grew crowded with butterflies. Her cheeks flushed adorably as she was caught in her own heart’s headlights. Amber just kissed her, and it completely blindsided her. She had a hunch that Freeman was falling for her the way she was falling for her, but never wanted to make it obvious. Who would want it to be obvious? It was awkward, especially when their friends were with them. Amber was quite outspoken about certain things when she chose to be, and Tara would have to excuse herself or change the subject to shield away any focus on her blushing. She did not want to be teased and definitely did not want to be called out for liking Amber. But now they were behind closed doors and alone. And Amber just kissed her.

The keychain was a sign of their close-knitted friendship, but the kiss symbolized something more. Something new. It was the best gift Tara could have received for her 18th birthday.

[real-life-senshi]

MY LOVELY SENSHI TEAM! HOW I'VE MISSED YOU!!!!! Okay, soapbox time!!!

It was not until I learned Japanese (partially) that I truly appreciated this dialogue. Even with some understanding of Japanese, it's still hard for me to fully parse out the nuances. Basically, Rei's dialogue has a mix of - "I don't want you to waste time worrying about me" AND "What I'm dealing with doesn't concern you, so stop being in my business".

Even if you don't understand Japanese, you will recognize that Makoto's comeback sounds similar to what Rei said, specifically the part about "wasting time" (hence why the of subtitle got misled here). Basically, Makoto's comeback literally says "That's wasting time indeed!", which I'm 90% sure actually means Makoto retorting sarcastically "Yeah, right, coz worrying about you is the biggest waste of time!"

The roughness between Rei and Makoto is still very much present in their dynamic at this point, but it has also advanced from the "I don't trust you" and "I don't care about you" phase that was present at the start of Act 8. Here, even when they are arguing, Rei's saying "I can deal with this, I know you are worried, but stop being worried! Because then I need to worry about you all too," (because Rei already has her hands full worrying about Minako), and Makoto's basically pissed at being pushed out for caring.

Like... this subtle character development is just so beautiful? (But also my beloved Rei, why must you exit so soon? Please stay on my screen...)

CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT HOW AMI IS WEARING USAGI'S COLOURS, WHILE MAKOTO IS WEARING AMI'S COLOURS? The symbolism in the costume choices!!!! And Ami!!!! HOLDING YARN IN USAGI AND REI'S COLOURS??? The girl's heart is still so full of Rei and Usagi's presence even when they are far and disconnected from her and the rest of the team (Makoto and Luna) right now.

THANK YOU AMI FOR CALLING OUT THE DOUBLE STANDARD HERE. It's so interesting how quickly and firmly Makoto defends their decision to keep Usagi's secret from Rei, especially when we - the audience, know Rei is equally keeping secrets from them on behalf of Minako. Makoto means well, but her protectiveness at this stage of her character manifests and shows up in a way where anything she does, in the name of helping a friend, is justifiable in her mind. Keeping Usagi's secret because she knows Rei won't react well and that could hurt Usagi is fair game, even if she is still keeping secrets. But now that she's worried about Rei and concerned she can't be there to help Rei, she's made that Rei's keeping secrets. Makoto's flaws and strength are so very interconnected!

Same case for Ami - in the hopes of maintaining harmony with everyone, she doesn't assert her own stance or share her feelings, doesn't speak up against others, and instead chooses to watch over everyone like a silent guardian, to the point she risks becoming invisible to her friends when all of them have something else in their mind.

The downward spiral that is starting from this moment onwards. Everything unravels before our eyes. :'(

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

Hey there, lovely! 💜

Re: the ask game, I would love to know #13, #17, and #47 if you're willing to share. 😘

Thank you so much for these! They're fabulous questions!

13. Talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

This is really a hard ask for me, since I feel like I mostly hang on to the negative experiences, the times I just couldn't make an idea work, or when I struggled to get something out, but was really unhappy with it.

But a pleasant surprise...? 🤔

I'll give a very broad answer and say it was a pleasant surprise when I actually started writing fan fiction. I'd only ever written original works and characters, so I wasn't sure how it would feel to write other people's characters.

But the first fan fiction I ever wrote was for the show, Suits. And it was only because the writers were "will they/won't they" cock-blocking my favourite couple on the show, Donna and Harvey, for WAY too long. So, I got fed up and decided to give them the happy ending I felt they deserved.

So, I wrote a few fics in that fandom, and found that I actually really loved the process of writing for created characters. It was a very different experience because rather than defining your main characters from scratch, you had to try and find and replicate the voice they already had. I loved it, both as a writer and as a fan of the show, because it meant I had to really dive into the characters and try to understand them on a deeper level.

It was definitely a pleasant surprise how much I enjoyed it. Then I met Dean Winchester and the rest is history. 😄

17. What is your favorite line you've ever written?

That's hard too! Half of me thinks every line I've written is kinda trash and the other half has beautiful line babies that I'm so proud of. 😄

Here are a couple, as well as some context.

He leaned into your ear and growled deep and low. "Then give me what's mine."

Probably my favourite smutty line is from the One Shot, It's All for You

Context:

Y/N is trying to spoil Dean a little, take care of him for a change. But Dean wants to pleasure her too. So when she says, he should be the one being taken care of, this is his response:

Dean nodded. "I see." He rolled your nipple between his strong thumb and forefinger causing you to gasp.

"Was that gasp for me?" he asked, his deep voice causing your inner muscles to clench around nothing.

"I...yes, I mean..." You were back to nonsensical sentences.

He trailed the callused pads of his fingers down between your breasts and over your belly before he slid one finger through your slick folds.

"And this..." He brought his finger up to his mouth and sucked your juices from the tip. "Isn't this for me?"

You were panting as you answered. "Yes, god, Dean. It's all for you."

He slipped two fingers deep inside you and you whimpered.

He leaned into your ear and growled deep and low. "Then give me what's mine."

I mostly enjoyed the reaction this line got. People seemed to really enjoy it. 😄😁

Then my favourite angsty line is probably this one:

The story is set some time in S15, after they've found out what chuck wants as the ending to his story. Dean and Y/N get in a fight because he's, of course, stubbornly pushing her away for many reasons. These lines come out of that head space.

From the Drabble, When the Stars Love You

Context:

Even though you knew his heart - had connected it to your own with delicate stitches - his anger and desperate need to shove you away from him with both hands, often pulled the stitching loose, left your heart frayed and in danger of unraveling.

Sometimes you wanted to take scissors to them and cut him away from you for good, try to sew up the parts of you where he left holes. 

I love Dean with my whole heart and soul, but I imagine loving him would be very difficult sometimes. 😞

47. What story are you most proud of?

Great question, but tricky. 😄

But I think the one I'm proudest of is probably Green is My Favorite Color.

But, it doesn't get nearly as much attention as other series because it's a pairing with an OFC named Julie. But I absolutely loved writing and creating Julie too, so, it was a lot of fun.

It was the first series I ever finished (that was longer than 2 or 3 chapters) and I think that it shows my absolute love for Dean the best.

Because it follows his canon story relatively close (definitely made big changes too though, of course) it also feels like the most "realistic" Dean I've ever written. I was able to give him things I thought he deserved, and really live in those moments of pain with him. If that makes any sense. Lol!

Anyway, thank you so much for all your fabulous questions and I'm sorry I answered with a novel. 😄😄

[romangoldendreams]

Heather MacLeod & Brenda Wyatt.

MacLeod´s two only wives in 467 years, they are two fascinating characters. (The sequels and series are from a kind of AU, never existed)

Because they represent women in two different periods, what is changing, their rights and opportunities, but they also represent what does not change, the concept of love.

And looking at these two magnificent women, the great forgotten secondary characters of this film (one of the best of all time), and analyzing the aesthetics of her scenes with Connor, you can appreciate the social status of the woman with respect to the man.

But let's go further. Heather is the devoted wife (as God intended) in 16th century Scotland, she is the damsel in distress, and the burden of her well-being falls on the husband she loves so much. She leans on him.

From her image it is clear how Heather in exchange for taking care of the farm chores, for always having everything in order for her man, she is everything to him, but he is more to her, he is her economic, emotional, universal support. Without him she couldn't survive. Only if she got another husband. That's why Heather is so pure, so beautiful, the ideal woman, the one any man would want, Connor loves her and desires her intensely. Physically Connor holds Heather's burden lovingly, in the first photo. He is the active part and the pillar.

And we have my favorite, the glorious Brenda. The only police officer with the brains to unravel who Connor MacLeod really is, and in fact the only one among all the idiots that Captain Morán commands who succeeds (I certainly get the feeling that Brenda had something with old Morán romantically, even if it is platonic , but it didn't work, before she met MacLeod).

Brenda represents the woman of the 20th century, almost 21st, with a successful career, published books and an intrinsic value in being a researcher, a thirst for ambition for her development of professional progress, thus pursuing the trail of Connor's katana. Basically she falls in love with the professional opportunity that Connor would give her by teaching her his katana, upon making a discovery. Yes, Brenda is selfish & interested while he stares her with dreamer eyes, i´m sorry.

That is why in their aesthetic together, at the end, when MacLeod is finally mortal and receives his prize, he has telepathy, he feels that he can finally rest from caring for others after 467 years, that is why he is the one who takes the passive part that before occupied by Heather, it is Brenda who will support him emotionally now. She's the strong one, MacLeod has been strong for too long already.

MacLeod has loved Heather dearly. With her he knew the true love & the passion. With Brenda he has discovered the game of cat and mouse, he has been dazzled by her tough game, with her beauty even more emphatic than Heather's, she seems to almost not reciprocate his love in more than one of their scenes in the film, until she does. MacLoud psychologically suffers more with Brenda on a day-to-day basis. Because it seems like unrequited love at first.

Sexual desire and the need to feel loved are brutal with Brenda. Rachel always knew it. The shock after their encounter is so great that both are physically and mentally attached to each other.

In this case, the pillar is and always will be Brenda. She will emotionally protect MacLeod. She will give him whatever he needs even if it is money (which will never happen since he has much more, valuable possessions, she pays for it).

That's why MacLeod rests on his own pillar (Brenda) like in the photo, on someone who will take care of him, after a long time. Here Brenda is the one who takes the masculine role and MacLoud the feminine role, many would say, but in reality it is nothing more than a change in heart and circumstances, it is a total healing of a love wound that lasts almost 500 years.

[reaperbabegaming]

When the Night Comes Game Review

Reviews can contain a few spoilers. Heavy, in-depth spoilers will have a warning. All opinions are my own and I have not been paid to do this review.

Dev Team - Lunaris Games Romance Routes - 6 individual and 2 polyamorous routes Rating - M17 Available On - Windows, Linux, Mac Price - $12.99

Overall Rating 5/5

Summary (retrieved from Lunaris Games website)

When The Night Comes is a queer, narrative-driven, supernatural visual novel originally released for free over a year from October 2018 - November 2019. When The Night Comes: The ReVamp is set to release in late Spring 2021 and will be a definitive version of the original game with a number of improvements, including voice acting and updated UI and artwork. 

Play as a renowned Hunter; a creature slayer who has been called to the quiet, strange little town of Lunaris to assist the local Enforcers with an investigation into a series of unsettling and unexplained supernatural murders. Immerse yourself in the world of witches, vampires, demons and lycans as you slowly unravel the dark mystery that lies deep within the roots of the town.

The question is, are the creatures of the night the ones you should really be afraid of? 

A story of finding a home and a family in the most unlikely of places, and a lesson in learning to bare your teeth at your maker.

Reaper Review

When the Night Comes was a game that I had no intention on loving. I was dipping my toes into playing dating sims/otomes on stream and I really liked the art style so I decided to play it and it was the best decision of my life.

The city of Lunaris is cursed by an unknown creature, leaving its citizens living in fear whenever night falls, especially every few days when the beast habitually hunts. 

You play as a Hunter (fitting huh?), called in by the Lunaris Hunter team to help them put an end to the attacks. With customizable name and pronoun options, you’re slowly introduced to the main cast who are primarily all your romance options. 

CAST (in order of appearance):

Ezra (VA - Adam Faison) He/Him : The local witch with kind eyes and a heart to match.

Finn (VA - Gideon Emery) He/Him : Vampire clan leader whose comments made me blush on more than one occasion.

Augustus (VA - Jonah Scott) They/Them : Major General of the Hunters and one of my all time favorite romances.

Piper (VA - Ione Butler) She/Her : Fellow Hunter with the cutest laugh and loyal to her comrades to a fault.

Alkar (VA - Jalen K. Cassell) He/Him : Resident mischievous Lycan who honestly shouldn’t have as bad of a reputation as he does.

Omen (VA - Chris Patton) He/Him : Cinnamon Bun of a demon who is too good for this world.

Throughout the game you meet side characters, work with the main cast, and investigate as much as you can about the creature that stalks the town. While it is an otome, the level of mystery in the game about the investigation and deaths is quite high and I found myself falling deeper into the story that when the big reveal came I was overcome with emotion. You find out just as much about the MC as you do about your companions and the mystery of the town.

One thing I appreciated was that there is no split between romance and story either, but rather the romances add to it, showing in their own ways how they grow to care about you and your wellbeing as the MC. The characters also have moments with each other, not just in the polyamory routes but in friendships and when you learn about their intricate backstories with one another. The banter between them all is on another level and I’m especially fond of the end of the game when all of the main cast come together in one big plan to find the beast and destroy it for good. Nothing annoys me more than being engrossed in a story only to be then thrown into lovey-dovey mode (and don’t get me wrong I love lovey-dovey mode). 

Other things to note:

There is a festival scene which you can explore and spend time with your LI with a beautiful CG (a special full-screen static image) at the end of the moment that I just wanted to stay in forever.

Clear heart icon for dialogue options that are explicitly for romancing a character. So if you don’t want to romance anyone you can easily do it or on the other hand if you want to lock in a romance you don’t have to stress about what to say.

All of the best lines have voice acting however I’d say only about 75-80% of the game has voice acting. It’s a little annoying but only because I love the cast so much.

There are over 60 CGs and post-game mini stories (which I actually didn’t learn about the post-game stories until I was writing this…time to go play again!). 

Of course bad endings are possible…but to be totally honest I’m too scared to play that route!

Lastly, my favorite part of the game would have to be the spicy scenes with your LI, if you so choose to pursue them. Without being visually explicit, you get to enjoy some sweet sweet spicy time with your favorite characters and this is where the voice acting is present a majority of the time if not completely. Now I love me some spice, but sometimes CGs can put me off from it. I prefer to imagine what’s going on rather than be shown AND if you’re trying to play sneakily, CGs are just a huge announcement to what you’re doing. The script is so well done that in my opinion CGs aren’t necessary.

This game has all of my love and I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone, so if you’re looking for a story with mystery and well developed characters I would say you’ve found it.

Purchase the game HERE.

[mrbexwrites]

10 Songs Tag Game

rules: Use your WIP playlist and put it on shuffle. Write the first 10 songs that come up and quote your favourite lyrics from each song and/or the lyrics that fit your WIP best (they might be the same lyrics), then tag 10 people.

Tagged by @at-thezenith (thanks :D) and passing the tag onto @words-after-midnight @cee-grice @gummybugg @tate-lin @arowanaprincess @scifimagpie @meerawrites @elbritch-kit @hallwriteblr @surroundedbypearls and leaving an open tag for folk who'd like to join in :)

Disclaimer: I have no taste in music, and things get added to my playlists based on the lyrics giving off character/scene vibes. There is no other reason behind it, so don't be looking for genres or any kind of coherence in my music choices!! This started off as just a general playlist, but has gradually morphed into my Memento Mori playlist!

Good 4 U- Olivia Rodrigo

Maybe I'm too emotional But your apathy is like a wound in salt Maybe I'm too emotional Or maybe you never cared at all Maybe I'm too emotional

Morgana's fine. Not at all dramatic, or wallowing in self-pity at all when it comes to her other relationships.

Holy Ghost Fire- Larkin Poe

Lost myself and I lost my soul Thumb stuck out on the side of the road Eye at the keyhole, no one's home Who's gonna help me carry my load All I got in my pocket: holes All I got on my back: bones Stick a fork in a socket, let's rock

I just love Larkin Poe, and will add it to any writing playlist. The lyrics inspired me to add spectral fire to Morgana's abilities, which then got me out of some corners that I'd written myself into.

Run and Hide- Brave Rival

I'm running so fast, getting harder to breathe I feel you coming, getting closer to me You said it's love but I disagree Run and hide I keep on saying that my love's not for sale I'm not just another lonely female You know you'll never own me so I'm Running, running, running, running from you

Pretty much sum's up Morgana's relationship with Caleb. Who says you can't learn from your mistakes? Not Morgana, because she never learns when it comes to men (or, at least until she meets Ted, but it takes a while for the lesson to sink in, or even for their paths to cross)

Dancing on My Own- Robyn

I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh And I'm giving it my all But I'm not the guy you're taking home, ooh I keep dancing on my own And oh, nah Said, I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her, oh no And I'm right over here, why can't you see me? Oh no And I'm giving it my all But I'm not the guy you're taking home, ooh I keep dancing on my own

Morgana, still wallowing in self-pity? Surely not! Also, a fun song to bop around to if you need a break for a couple of mins from writing!

Papercut- Linkin Park

I know I've got a face in me Points out all my mistakes to me You've got a face on the inside too And your paranoia's probably worse I don't know what set me off first But I know what I can't stand Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is I can't add up to what you can

We've all got that voice in the back of our heads that makes us feel small. Morgana just lets hers consume her at times.

Learn to Let Go- Kesha

I think it's time to practice what I preach Exorcise the demons inside me Whoa-oh-oh, gotta learn to let it go The past can't haunt me if I don't let it Live and learn and never forget it Whoa-oh-oh, gotta learn to let it go

Wait? What's that? Personal growth, Morgana? Whaaaaat?

Elastic Heart- Sia

And I wanted it, and I wanted it bad But there were so many red flags Now another one bites the dust Yeah, let's be clear I'll trust no one You did not break me I'm still fighting for peace I've got thick skin and an elastic heart But your blade it might be too sharp I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard I may snap and I move fast But you won't see me fall apart

Morgana? Healing and showing personal growth? What's going on?

Texas Man- The Chicks

Everybody wants top market But I'm a little bit unraveled Everybody wants the new model But I'm a little bit more traveled If you got the strength I do Then sign me up

This song just sums up Morgana's relationship with Ted. It's perfect for how she sees herself, and him. Also a pretty catchy tune.

Back from the Dead- Halestorm

Back from the dead alive Hell couldn't hold me Back from the other side Up from the dirt I rise Save your prayers, don't bless my bones Erase my name from my headstone Back from the dead alive Hell couldn't hold me down

Morgana's anthem; she's a necromancer after all !

Geronimo- Sheppard

Well we rushed it Moving away too fast That we crushed it But it's in the past We can make this leap Through the curtains of the waterfall

I don't even know why this one is even on here, other than that it's a catch tune. Probably the beats per min make me type faster!!

[foxys-fantasy-tales]

WIP Playlist Tag Game

Tagged by @mrbexwrites. Thank you! <3

Rules: list at least 4 songs from your current WIP playlist, or just a writing playlist you’ve been using lately, and the lyrics that speak to you the most! 

I'll be using Arigale for this, though I'm currently looking at Made to Taste as well.

Karliene - Become the Beast

Splinters of my soul cut through your skin Burrow within, Burrow within So embrace the darkness That will help you see That you can be limitless and fearless If you follow me

This song is for both Yani and Judith. Later on in the series, Yani discovers something about them both and begins to attempt to talk Judith into joining him instead of hunting her down. He offers her something very hard to refuse and the way the two are mirrors really comes to light. Judith has to consider if getting what she's longed for most, and would otherwise be impossible, is worth the destruction Yani will carry out soon afterward.

Nathan Wagner - Trauma (nightcore)

All I ever wanted was to be loved by somebody But the man I used to be is so far gone Circling through memories All this trauma gets me trembling No I can't let you in it's been too long I'd rather feel nothing at all Than have to deal with all the pain inside my heart When she died I swore I'd never love again And it's been years but I'm still calloused up like this

This song is for Rahat. Poor guy. He lost someone he really cared about two years prior to his entrance into the story. He never got to tell her how he felt, and she didn't get to tell him she felt the same. He had a terrible condition with a ritual contract that made him lose his memory over and over each year, so when this happens and he was rooming with the girl who was terminally ill to care for her as friends... Well, she flips the script and cares for him best she can. Sadly, after a few months she took a sudden turn and died. Months after that happened, his unknown contract expired and he could recall everything he'd ever lost in clear detail over a very long time. A cousin of the girl keeps trying to talk to him some time later, but he keeps kicking her out and is very standoffish and reclusive then. A complete turnabout from how helpful and kind he'd been.

Tommee Profitt (feat. Sam Tinnesz) - The Hate Inside

The walls of freedom Come crumbling down The moment you put those chains Around you now Like liquid poison It takes it's toll Black feathered arrows That pierce your soul The hate inside Will eat you alive

This song is for Varin. This one's pretty literal for him word for word honestly. I was so happy when my illustrator showed it to me. Varin was an outcast from his city at a young age and grew to detest the unfair conditions his father had that made him and his mother be banished. He grows older, trains with a new father figure, but always things are a struggle. He keeps that hate in him rather than enjoy his new life at all. Yani comes around and offers him a deal that he takes, even though he was a child of prophecy and likely had the power to meet his goals anyway, he's turned power hungry after so much has been out of his control. He accomplishes revenge, but then goes overboard and the deal he'd made comes back to bite him as his body changes along with his attitude.

Johnathan Young (English Cover) - Unravel

I'm breakable, unbreakable I'm shakeable, unshakeable Unraveling since I found you And now I'm turning to dust in a world that's twisted Don't come searching when I go missing Close your eyes or just try to look away Don't want to hurt you We live in a world someone else imagined The ghost of what's left of me all but vanished Remember my heart How bright I used to shine

This song is for Maleth and he would say these things to Calista. Maleth is an archmage who sacrificed himself centuries ago to become a vessel of a spell that keeps Arigale afloat. If he moves from his tower, then Arigale will fall and destroy not only itself but surrounding areas. So, Maleth sits in his tower until he summons Judith and Chit to go off on their adventure to retrieve the other artifacts below, so he may disarm this spell safely. He has hopes that they may also find that his old flame, Calista, is still kicking. He left her without warning and was only in proximity to the area this ritual was being cast to save Arigale and some people from a catastrophe because he had found his tower and the books it contained he needed research from to break a spell he had on him. He felt he must do this before he could be with Calista fully and planned on marrying her. However, in a twist of fate, saving himself from one terrible fate threw him into another as the keystone and took him farther still from her. He still holds an image of her, sustained memory in crystal that he watches over and over, but he has forgotten her voice over the long time apart. He hopes she remembers him. He wishes things were how they were when they met, when he was foolhardy and claimed to be stronger than he was and fumbled over his words meeting her. When she shined, like she does in that crystal, devoid of a voice and locked in time as he has become.

Whew! That was longer than intended! I really love all these characters and my playlists are all very well organized for Arigale and ahhh! I hope you enjoy. T_T Tagging: @kingkendrick7, @jezifster, @vacantgodling, @sleepyowlwrites, @authoralexharvey, and @author-a-holmes

[telehead]

Flaky, flaky, flawed, and snaky.

Play the victim, lie, and bate me.

Fool me once, play your games.

Fool me twice, call me names.

Charm, charm, so you can harm

without anybody sounding alarm.

You try to hide it, yet I see it fly,

that giant red banner across the sky.

Spend, spend, I see a trend.

YOU need MY help, and so I lend.

Drinks, sluts, games and drugs;

just sweep it all under rugs!

Crack, crack, break my back.

I just might have a heart attack!

Shove my love through a shredder!

I really deserve so much better...

Burn, burn, the pages turn.

Of all you read, you cannot learn.

I wrote that book to show my love.

Now it burns, it wasn’t enough.

Threat, threat, place your bet?

Make a stranger kiss your neck?

How dare I involve your friends?

This is how our story ends.

Risk, risk. Our health you’ve risked.

It’s not okay, you must have missed!

Inside your unborn child’s mother,

AND the next day, inside another.

Fuck, fuck, you cheat and suck!

Tell your daughter “best of luck,

I went and gave up your mommy,

now this hotter new girl’s got me.”

Karma, karma, what a bitch;

the new girl left you in a ditch.

No one else would lend a hand,

so maybe now you understand.

Lie, lie, go off and cry!

You would not care if I die!

You’re only there to see the baby.

I ask for more? Nah, that’s crazy!

Busy, busy. You getting dizzy?

Ashlee, Makayla, Meghan, Jada, Lindsey.

Got all these hoes while you’re with ME.

Jessica, Anna, Jaide, Maddy, Whitney.

Bronson, Bronson whenever ya want some

just tell em all you’re chillin with Bronson.

Dumb ass hoes won’t figure shit out.

But lies ALWAYS unravel, without a doubt.

Dumb, dumb. You just gotta get numb.

On Coke, on Percs, alcohol, and bud.

To block the pain of shame and shit.

The dumb, quick way to death type habit.

Jail, jail, yet again you fail.

But every time, you tell the tale:

Denial, blame, threats & lies.

You done this shit now how many times?

21, 21, that was your age then,

that night you ruined your life and

you are not clever, you are not bright,

for what you did just wasn’t right.

Babies, babies, you must like babies

or little girls instead of grown ladies.

You told her you were 16 years old,

and now you project that lie, behold:

14, 14, that was her age then.

You KNEW she was that innocent.

No, not 16 saying she was 19.

That little girl now must be fighting...

Trauma, trauma and all this drama.

You could not comprehend her trauma.

So this must be why you lie and deny,

cause no body likes a perverted guy.

Guilt, guilt around the lies you’ve built.

Or is it shit with which you’re filled?

No wonder you can’t sleep, you’re tangled

in webs you weave in & out of every angle.

Danger, danger! That’s what you are.

Warning Sign! Hazard! Stay very far!

Our crazy past is proof that I know.

Being cool with that shit? Just... NO!

Lost, lost, look what this cost.

Out the window our family’s tossed.

If only you could turn back time,

perhaps then we’d still be fine.

Fine, fine... but COULD we be fine?

If you really could turn back time?

HA! That’s hilarious!! Flaky in check??!

Dating you’s a fucking train wreck!

Ivy, Ivy. So cute, pure, and tiny.

Yet, more loved than gold; almighty.

She makes my heart sing and glow.

But this feeling you’ll never know.

Innocent, innocent that’s what she is.

So, far away from you she’ll live.

Away from twisted lies, and deception;

whores, drugs, violence, and destruction.

Happy, happy. That’s what she’ll be;

not around danger, but safe here with me.

She’ll grow to know that she is so loved.

She don’t need your shit, we got enough.

Shame, shame. But you’re to blame.

Happy that I learned your game.

Sad you have Sociopathy,

but that, our girl will never see.

Bye bye you perverted guy.

The truth behind your nasty lie,

THAT will haunt you till you pass.

Or maybe longer... take a guess.

Flaky, flaky, flawed, and snaky?

Real shit happens fuckin with flaky.

So take a page from my mad diary:

Flakes can go fuck themselves,TRUST me.

[artificialqueens]

Masters of the Scene, Chapter 18 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Thank you to the irreplaceable @tumble4rpdr for her beta help, and to grown-up video game aficionado @aqalbatross for their help with the Animal Crossing dialogue. 

Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3. 

Chapter Summary: You know that episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. when Ross and Rachel break up and you’re like “Um, hello, writers? This is supposed to be a sitcom. So like…please can we be funny again?” It’s kind of like that. 

***

Courtney paused, just outside the kitchen, leaning on the doorframe, heart still pounding in her ears. It had been less than two hours since she’d left the twins, but she felt as if she’d aged years. She was physically and emotionally exhausted, a husk of her former self. 

As she composed herself, attempting to numb her shattered heart and contort her expression into something resembling normal, she listened to her children chatting and laughing, not a care in the world. They clearly had no idea what had been going on, hadn’t heard any of the fighting. Thank fucking god. She swiped at the last of her tears with the back of her wrist and took one more deep breath, then entered. 

“Danny!” she began, all business, fighting to keep the trembling out of her voice, “Go finish packing! The car will be here in less than an hour. I’ll take some of this food for the ride so you can-” 

Danny grinned, his voice sing-song as he began asking, “How do you know which one of us is-”

“I said pack your fucking bags, Daniel! I am not playing around!” 

Courtney didn’t generally bark at him that way, but her nerves were utterly shot. Seeing his face, though, she immediately felt guilty. He stood up from the table quickly, nearly knocking over his chair, his lower lip trembling. 

“Sorry, Mum.” 

“It’s fine,” Courtney sighed, trying not to let his big hazel eyes get to her. Things were already bad enough. “I’m sorry for snapping, I…please just go pack. I’ll be up to help you as soon as I can.” 

He gave one quick nod and hurried from the room. 

“Don’t forget to check the bathroom!” she called after him, trying to sound cheerful and lighthearted, still feeling guilty for her initial tone. He paused in the doorway, nodding again but not glancing back. 

Courtney bit her lip and looked tiredly over at the counter, which was still laden with food. Why the hell had she cooked so much? She knew she should probably pack it away, maybe freeze some of it. Just because their relationship was in ruins didn’t mean she wanted to give Bianca a headache to clean up. 

She opened a cabinet to look for some foil and containers, only realizing after a few moments that Adore was staring at her from the sink, one of her purple space buns unraveling, her expression forlorn. 

“You’re really leaving?” Adore asked, her voice small. “What about…I thought we were supposed to have lunch all together…”

Courtney walked over to Adore and cupped her face in both hands. Adore put on such a tough girl act, most of the time, and had always spoken and behaved like a sassy teenager. It was easy to forget that she was still a little girl, not even 12 years old. 

“I love you so, so much. Do you know that?” she whispered. 

Adore nodded, her already misty hazel eyes filling with tears. Even seeing it was enough to choke Courtney up, but she swallowed and continued, thumbs stroking her daughter’s cheeks. 

“We’re going to work on the schedule, and make sure we have a lot more visits. And no matter what, you can still come to LA for Thanksgiving. We already agreed on that. I’ll teach you how to make that cornbread you like. Okay?” she sniffled, trying unsuccessfully to hold back her own tears.

Adore nodded again, fat tears slipping down her cheeks. 

“It’s not gonna be like it was. I promise. We can talk whenever you want. Day or night, anytime you call me, I’ll pick up.” By then, Courtney was fully crying as well, so she just wrapped Adore up into a hug, rocking her. “My beautiful, beautiful girl.” 

Adore clung to her tightly, sobbing against her chest, her tears wetting Courtney’s top.  

“I’m gonna text you every night, before I go to bed. You’re gonna wake up to my annoying inspirational messages…you’re gonna be so sick of me…”

Adore laughed, relaxing slightly as Courtney rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head. It wouldn’t be easy, but they would get through this, just like they always did.

***

Danny pawed through the bathroom drawers, trying to see if he was forgetting anything. He felt terrible, and not just because of Mum yelling at him. Because he saw something in her expression that looked so, so sad. There’d been a part of him that really thought, when Fame was gone that morning, that there was a better chance than ever that things would finally work out between her and Mama. 

And then when they were really talking, just the two of them, it seemed like it was all coming true. They’d finally be a family. 

But now, it had all fallen apart again. He was sad for Mum, sad for himself and Adore, sad for Mama, and frankly exhausted from all of it. 

He sighed, gathering the bottles and containers in his arms, and pushed open the bathroom door with his foot, just as Bianca’s bedroom door opened. He froze in place, watching with wide eyes as she appeared, looking as terrible as Mum had—even worse than she had earlier, which was saying something. 

She looked at him in the doorway, blinking. “Hey. What are you up to?” she asked hoarsely. 

“Um.” Danny swallowed nervously. For some reason, he felt guilty, like he’d been caught going something wrong. “I…Mum told me to pack. Th-the car is coming soon.” 

“Oh. Right.” Bianca nodded slowly, shoulders slumped. “Do you want some help?” 

“Okay.” 

“Let me get the door for you.” 

She walked down the hall, putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder as she passed him, opening the door to Adore’s bedroom and letting him enter first. When she stepped inside, she looked around with a puzzled expression on her face as Danny dumped the toiletries in his arms into the suitcase. 

“Huh…”

“What’s wrong?” Danny asked.

“No, nothing’s wrong, I just…did you clean in here?” she asked, brow furrowed. 

Danny snorted out a laugh before shaking his head and saying, “No, definitely not.” 

“Right.” 

They exchanged a look for a moment, both clearly understanding who must have cleaned the bedroom. Bianca sighed, closing her eyes. 

“Listen…I want you to know that I’m not mad at you. I know you guys thought that I was this morning, but I wasn’t. Not at you, or your sister. I was just…I’m sorry if it seemed like I was mad at you guys. That wasn’t fair.” 

“Who were you mad at?” 

“Uhh…I guess, myself? And Fame, maybe…but…really, I was more sad. I guess it’s just easier to be angry than sad.” Bianca sighed again. “I’m sorry though. Not a good way to end our visit, huh?” 

Danny walked forward and wrapped his arms around Bianca’s waist, giving her a tight hug. 

“I’m sorry you’re sad, Mama.” 

“Thanks, bunny.” She hugged him back, resting a cheek against the top of his head, nuzzling into his hair. 

“So…it’s not our fault? That Fame left?” he asked, looking up at her. 

“Of course not. You guys were great.” Bianca smiled, smoothing his hair down. “Thank you for that.”

“Mum told us to be nice,” Danny said, unable to help himself.  

“Of course she did,” Bianca muttered, releasing him and walking to the bed, where she sat down. 

“Did you and Mum have a fight? Is that why…” Danny swallowed, not sure how to finish the question he wanted to ask. Is that why we can’t be a family?

“It’s complicated, bunny,” Bianca said. “We just think…we think it’s better this way. Come here.” 

Danny walked over and let her pull him into her lap, wrapping her arms around him. Her face was a reflection of his own—pure defeat, exhaustion, dejection. How is this ‘better’?

“I wasn’t in a very good mood today. So…I probably wasn’t very nice. But…” Bianca sniffled, hugging him close, “But I want you to know what a great time I had with you this summer. I’m really gonna miss you. I love you so much.”

“Me too, Mama,” Danny said. 

“I guess you’re keeping these huh?” Bianca said, touching the turquoise space buns in his hair. 

“Shoot, I forgot I was wearing them. I should give them back to Adore, they’re really hers.”

“Nah, you should keep them,” Bianca said. “They look good on you.” 

“Really?” Danny asked, smiling shyly.

“Yeah, she’s got plenty. I can buy her more if she wants. And if you want, I can buy more for you, too, so you can have different colors. You’ve got a birthday coming up, right?”

“That would be awesome!” Danny squealed, already thinking about what colors he would get. Adore’s were mostly in dark, gothy colors, but he wondered if they came in pastels or neons. That would be super cool. 

“Alright, I’ll send you the link, and when you choose what you want, I’ll have them shipped to you in Cali.”

“Thank you, Mama!” he exclaimed, hugging her again. “Only…”

“What?”

“It’s just, um…” Danny bit his lip, cheeks feeling a little hot, a teasing smile twisting his mouth into a smirk before saying, “You really shouldn’t say ‘Cali.’ No one in LA says that. It makes you sound kind of…old and lame.”

“Noted!” Bianca said, letting out a cackle, tickling him in the side. “Alright, you should probably finish packing. Do you know when the car’s coming?” 

“No, Mum just said soon,” Danny answered, sliding off her lap. “But I’m almost done.” 

“Okay, well, what do you still need to-oh my god, who folded these clothes? Raccoons? What the hell?!” 

Danny laughed as she pulled a shirt out and re-folded it, lecturing him about space-saving techniques while he only half-listened, mostly just enjoying the sound of her voice before they had to say goodbye. 

“Danny, do you need-oh-” Courtney stopped abruptly in the doorway as the two of them turned around to look at her. 

“Hi, Mum,” Danny said, eyes moving from her to Bianca and back again. 

“Hi, um…just wanted to give you a fifteen minute warning. For the car.”

“Okay. My suitcase is packed, I’m just doing the carry-on. Mama helped me,” Danny said. 

“Great…thanks,” Courtney said tensely, and Bianca nodded. 

Danny looked from Bianca to Courtney. Was it really so bad that they couldn’t even talk to each other anymore? A sick feeling began growing in his stomach. 

“Um, make sure you leave enough time to say goodbye to Mama, and to Adore. She’s waiting for you downstairs.” 

“Okay.”

***

Adore poked at the grass with her bare foot while Courtney and Danny helped the driver  load their luggage into the car. When they were finished, Danny turned towards her, a sad smile on his face. 

“Well…I guess we’re leaving now…”

Adore nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat. When all was said and done, she had grown attached to her brother. Sure, he was a bit weird and awkward, but he was also smart and funny and talented, and he was the only twin she had. 

She pulled him in for a tight hug, and managed to croak out, “Goodbye Roach.” 

“Bye, sis.” He pulled back, hands on her shoulders, eyes a little misty, and said, “I’m gonna miss you.” 

“Me too,” she said, and he released her, sliding into the car, pulling the door closed. “Text me when you land, okay?”

“Of course.” Danny smiled through the window, then seemed to remember something and leaned out, calling, “I made you a cheat sheet for Animal Crossing! It’s in your Notes! Try to check on the islands at least once a day!” 

“Okay, Roach,” Adore said, rolling her eyes. 

Adore felt arms wrap around her from behind and she turned, burying her face in Courtney’s chest. It wasn’t fair that she was leaving. Not now, not when they were finally so close. Adore was too choked up to speak, but in that moment, she knew she didn’t need to. Courtney rested a cheek against her hair, stroking her back, whispering to her about how they’d be together again before she knew it. That she was so very loved. 

When Courtney let go, she kissed Adore’s cheeks, then her forehead, and finally the palms of both of her hands. 

“I love you with my whole, entire heart,” Courtney said softly. 

Adore just nodded, pressing her lips together. She wanted to say something back, but her throat felt dry and scratchy. 

“Well…” Courtney sniffled. “I guess…we better get on with it, hmm?” 

Adore nodded, tears burning her eyes as Courtney cupped her face one more time. 

“Goodbye, my love.”

“Bye,” was all Adore could manage to whisper. 

Courtney pressed one more kiss to her forehead before getting into the car, then rolling down the window to blow kisses as they pulled away. 

Adore watched until the car disappeared from sight, then wiped the tears from her cheeks and turned to go inside the house, which suddenly felt bigger and emptier than it ever had. She trudged up the stairs. 

Mama’s door was cracked open just slightly, so she pushed on it and saw her lying on her bed with a wet washcloth over her face. She stepped inside, arms crossed. 

“What?” came Bianca’s voice, muffled under the cloth. 

“They’re gone,” Adore reported, as anger began to crackle under her skin, burning away the sadness, hands clenching into fists, eyes narrowing, voice rising in volume as she continued, “No thanks to you!” 

“Right…” 

Adore marched over to the bed and snatched the washcloth away, causing Bianca to immediately flinch away from the light, rubbing her eyes. Adore hesitated. She’d been ready to confront her, to blame her for scaring Mum off. 

She couldn’t think of any other reason for Courtney and Danny rushing out the way they did. But the way Bianca looked right now, small and brokenhearted, Adore suddenly found the righteous anger melting away, fizzling as quickly as it had erupted, replaced with actual concern. 

“What happened, Mama?” 

“I…I don’t really know, pussycat,” she said, showing more vulnerability than usual in her brown eyes as she admitted, “It’s just been one of those fucking days, I guess.”

Adore sighed and climbed onto her bed, and Bianca wrapped an arm around her. 

“Are you alright?” Bianca asked, smoothing down her hair. 

“Well…I’m pretty bummed that they left.” Adore let her head rest on Bianca’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, holding Adore close. 

“Can I tell you something kind of silly?” she murmured. 

“Sure, baby.” 

“Well…me and Danny…we kind of thought…especially after Fame left, but, I don’t know, even before that, I guess. Um, we kind of…” Adore bit her lip, wondering if it was betraying her brother’s trust to even admit this, and deciding that it was okay. After all, it was her own feelings too. “We kind of thought, or hoped, maybe, that you and Mum would…decide that you still loved each other and get back together. And then…we could all be a family again. The four of us.” 

Adore felt dumb, even saying the words out loud. Worse, that she was crying again, a few silly tears trickling down her cheeks. She sniffled, and Bianca wiped her tears away, a sad smile on her face, her own eyes looking misty as well. 

“You wanna know something, baby girl?” she asked softly. “I think part of me hoped we would too.” 

“Really?” Adore’s eyes opened wide. She wasn’t sure that she believed that it was really, truly possible until that moment. But hearing her mother say it out loud suddenly made all their dumb fantasies real in a way they never had been before. 

“Yeah.” 

Adore could feel her heart beating wildly out of her chest, her thoughts racing. If this was true…actually true, then what had happened? Danny was so utterly positive that Courtney still loved Bianca. And Fame was out of the picture. And now, hearing Bianca admit that she wanted them to be a family? Adore didn’t know what to think, but she was overcome with emotion, first laughing, a weird laugh that sounded strange to her own ears, and then crying, harder than before, messier and angrier, nose running. It just wasn’t fair. 

Bianca pulled the comforter up and over the both of them, letting Adore cuddle close and sob in her arms until she finally fell asleep. 

Hours later, when Adore woke up, sweaty and disheveled, stomach rumbling, Bianca was on her back, snoring lightly. She crawled out of bed and stumbled downstairs, rubbing her eyes. It was almost 11 pm. By now, she figured that Mum and Danny would be landing soon. 

She opened the fridge, grinning happily when she saw the bounty before her. She’d almost forgotten the amazing meal Courtney had cooked earlier that day—it felt like forever ago. But there it was, almost all of it stacked neatly in containers. She pulled a couple of them out, polishing off the rest of the tostada pizzas and half of the street corn fritters, both of them cold and straight from the fridge. She almost stopped there but then heard Mum’s voice in her head about balanced meals and also took a few mouthfuls of mango slaw from the container before closing it up. 

She headed back upstairs with a full belly, finding her phone and shooting off a message to Danny that they had to FaceTime the second he was home, no matter how tired he was. After what Mama had told her, there was no way she could wait until morning to talk to him. While she waited, she supposed she could take a few minutes to open up his dumb baby game and check his islands. 

***

“Well? What’s the emergency? ‘Cause I’m really tired,” Danny said, his eyes half closed. 

He’d landed to about twenty emergency SOS text messages from Adore, and even though his eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds and his bed was just about the most comfortable place in the universe, he was doing his very best to stay awake. 

“Why?” Adore countered. “Were you flying the plane? Or just eating snacks and napping?” 

“Alright, alright…sorry, what’s wrong?” he asked, stifling a yawn as best he could. 

“Well for starters, this whole thing fucking blows!” Adore said. 

“Yeah, tell me about it.” 

“Mama hasn’t left her bed all day. If Mum hadn’t made all that food, I’d have died of starvation.” 

“I don’t think you die of starvation in one afternoon,” Danny said. 

“I’d. Have. Died,” Adore insisted. 

“Fine, sure,” he said. Right now, he didn’t have the energy to argue. 

“Was Mum like…was she upset?” 

“Uh, yeah. She kept pretending that she wasn’t crying even though she was totally crying, the whole flight.” Danny didn’t like thinking about that. How he had to pretend he didn’t see her, even though all he’d wanted was to hold her hand or hug her or give her some kind of comfort, all because he knew that she didn’t want him to know. He swallowed, hoping it wasn’t a big violation of her trust to tell Adore. 

“You know…when you first said that you think they still love each other…I didn’t really believe you,” Adore said. 

“Really?” 

“Well…I mean I believed that they did then, and maybe even that they missed like, being married, but…I don’t know. I think maybe I wanted to believe it more than I actually believed it, if that makes sense. Does that make sense?” Adore asked. 

“I guess it kind of makes sense,” he said.  

“But then, today I was talking to Mama. In her bed, of course, where I guess she just like…lives now. And she sort of admitted to me that she was hoping they’d get back together too. It wasn’t just us.” 

“Wait…she really said that?” Danny’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. This was news to him too. He was shocked that she would actually say it out loud. Especially to Adore, who everyone knew had a big mouth. 

“Yes!” 

“Wow.”

“I know!”

“But then…why…” Danny’s brow furrowed. 

“I don’t know! I can’t figure it out!” 

“Ugh!” Danny groaned. 

“I know. They’re both such idiots, I swear. But what do we do now? We have to do something, right?”

“I might have an idea…” Danny said, tapping on his chin. They’d come so close, but maybe there was a way to show them that missing piece of the puzzle. The part they’d forgotten…

“Oh, because your last idea was such a smashing success.” 

“Hey, listen-” 

“I’m listening, I’m listening,” Adore laughed. 

“Okay, so, in your closet, there’s a red shoebox. Got that?” 

“Got it, Roach. Go on…” 

***

Adore paced nervously up and down the hallway. She’d done exactly what Danny said, and left the box of letters on Mama’s nightstand that morning, when she entered her room to bring her some breakfast - a plate of food from the leftovers that Courtney made, which she’d actually heated up in the microwave, on a real plate, along with orange juice and a cup of instant coffee. She hoped the smell was enough to wake her up. 

It was now past noon and she’d yet to emerge, and Adore was starting to get a little concerned. She knocked softly on the door, once again, and again, no answer. She pushed it open and tiptoed inside. 

Bianca was curled in a ball, hugging a pillow to her chest, sleep mask over her eyes, blackout shades drawn. 

The food was barely touched, but it was touched, so she’d clearly woken up at some point. The coffee cup was empty, OJ still full. A few letters were open on the bed, scattered around. When Adore crept closer, she could see the red box on the floor, a few feet from the bed, open on its side, as if it had been flung there, the letters spilling in every direction. 

She took it in, getting a terrible, sinking feeling that they’d made a gross miscalculation. That they’d actually made everything worse.

“Fuck,” she whispered to herself, tears burning in her eyes. She swallowed, backing away from the bed and fleeing back to her room, where she pulled Mittens, the ratty old kitty plush that Mama made for her years and years ago, from under a pile of pillows, and buried her face in it. 

It was getting dark when Bianca finally emerged from her depression-induced stupor. Adore had finished the last of Courtney’s leftovers and was seriously considering ordering a pizza when she appeared in the kitchen doorway. 

“Hey…” 

Adore looked up from her phone, surprised. She’s been playing Animal Crossing, trying to keep Danny’s stupid islands alive. The game was really dumb, obviously made for babies with too much time on their hands, but at least it was proving to be a good distraction from the fact that she didn’t have a conscious parent anymore. 

“Hi.” 

She looked like a zombie. A ghost of her former self. Dark circles under her swollen, red-rimmed eyes. Lips cracked. Hair tangled and greasy, skin sallow. 

“How are you doing?” Bianca asked. She sounded as terrible as she looked, voice the kind of hoarse you only get from hours and hours of crying. 

“I’m okay. How are you?” 

“Same.” 

Both of them were lying, of course, and both of them knew it. They looked at each other for a few long moments, Adore racking her brain to think of something, anything, to break the tension, make things feel more normal. 

“Um…do you think you’d be devastated if we went back to the city a few days early?” Bianca asked. “‘Cause…I think I probably need to get back to work sooner rather than later.” 

“No, that’s fine,” Adore said, nodding, adding, “But you should probably take a shower first.” 

Bianca finally cracked a smile, a hint of one dimple appearing in her cheek, which felt like the biggest victory of Adore’s life.

“You think?” 

“Well…it’s just a suggestion,” she said, flashing her most charming smile. “Because I don’t think you want to lose team members from toxic fumes this close to Fashion Week.” 

Bianca snorted, shaking her head, both dimples appearing now. Adore jumped up from her seat to wrap her arms around her for a tight hug, toxic BO be damned. Things might be fucked up, but at least they still had each other. 

[dangermousie]

S2 ep 8

1. Fermin is a dream but if I were Maria, I’d call it off after his job results in her being almost murdered by angry associates. This said, she’s always placed love about self-preservation, and at least Fermin is worth it.

2. The gang have had enough and decide to all quit school. But of course all except Marcos - he can’t go anywhere and you see him almost choke at the thought (I do love life teaching Caro self-preservation; change from her naive attitude early on.)

3. Honestly, Paula and Marcos continue to break my heart. Also, huge points to this show for the fact that theree of the four best, most emotional heft relationships in this are not romantic - it’s Marcos’ brotherly love for Paula, Ivan and Marcos being best friends, and Maria’s maternal love for Ivan.

I mean, she ends up in the dungeons of horror and his relief when he finds her...

And the thing is - they are in serial killer torture basement of hell being chased by god knows what, and he somehow manages to make it a fun game of looking for Santa for her - she is never aware of the horrors and danger.

Look at her!

And then he carries her through freezing forest (after managing to escape the basement) and he gives her his own sweater to keep her just a little warmer and plays “games” about the hottest places she can think of and - has there ever been a better, more utterly loving brother than Marcos?

Even their being saved is horrific - it’s a crashed bus with a terribly wounded driver. (Are the children who saw it gonna get counseling? Hell, no, same as after Paula saw her friend dead or the gang had their bff Caetano die or w/e.)

4. Speaking of one of my other favorite relationships - it’s Maria and Ivan. He is leaving the school and thinking of Roque’s “isn’t there going to be one person at least you’d miss” he goes to talk to Maria!!!! I loved his apologizing to her for being a little shit earlier (and no excuses, just a proper apology) and his ever present snark (describing his holiday plans as a choice between either “my father and 50 prisoners in his block or Caro and her mother just out of ICU.”)

And after he does come back (about which more below). Awwwww.

5. Ah, the coming back. I love love love so much that the gang gave up their chance to escape because Marcos and Paula are missing, so they want to find and save them. AAAAA!!!!

6. My baby’s got a gun!

Honestly, points to Ivan for actually thinking things through and prepping - going down into murder basement to rescue someone from people who already killed Cayetano and the Judge, you need to be armed. This said, giving a hot-headed, traumatized, inexperienced student a shotgun is...well. Gonna end well, as I remember.

7. AAAAAA!!! They are about to go when Marcos and Paula come in and the looks!!! I love Marcos disbelieving (someone(s) cares for him and Paula!), the girls giving him a hug, Ivan looking so utterly pleased and relieved though trying to hide it. AAAAA!

I swear, one of the reasons Ivan freaked so hard about the disappearance and was so gung ho about the rescue was because of Paula. Look at him patting her on the head quickly.

And telling Marcos “there is no getting rid of you” - that is the genuine beginning of their epic bromance. EEEEEE!

8. We get a lot of reveals - Marcos’ mother being Irene Espi (and Marcos realizing this) and her being held in torture basement with a baby by the Latin teacher (!!!) and aaaaaaa!!!!

And thus ends s2. S3 is here and the Nazi experiment school from hell is about to get even more hellish. I can’t wait to start s3 because I love s1-2 and but s3 is where my obsession truly started along with so many other things - the start of Ivan x Julia, Marcos x Ivan bromance, and Ivan’s bodycount, as well as Maria x Fermin going full tilt, unraveling of mysteries, and more.

[ch4rryc0smos]

REVERIE | 17

YOUR SILVER IS MY GOLD!

synopsis ┊kenji sato returns to japan, leaving behind everything he's ever known. and fate plays a cruel joke on him, when hazel vellichor walks back into his life, albeit not by choice. she makes a trip to japan, for a charity event, for another speech, and somehow; media wrangles her in for more drama. what they don't know is that she's ultrawoman, and kenji's ultraman, and there's more than to the eye here. they're well intertwined and every time they tug away, the knot gets tighter. everything leads them to each other, and now japan is in their hands, and they have to unravel every secret they refused to acknowledge prior to this. and they have to accept every role bestowed upon them, whether they like it or not. somehow, all of this leads to is them learning that there was always more to their friendship, and that they were truly two puzzle pieces, fit right next to each other.

genre ┊ childhood-friends-to-strangers-to-lovers, slight angst, tooth rotting & chaotic fluff, co-parenting (?)

pairing ┊ken sato x fem-self insert/oc, ken sato x public figure!self insert, ken sato x childhood-friend!self insert

warnings ┊ mild cursing, mentions of drinking, trauma, heavy topics (?), events in ultraman: rising take place alongside this story.

word count ┊2.5k

author's note ┊they finally make up chat, let's go!!! if you can't tell, there will be a parallel here <3 just a heads up, because yeah. happy reading, i'm a bit swamped, but it's good :)

prev | next

She’s much happier when she returns from Ami’s that night. Hell, she doesn’t even think of Kenji. Well, not until she’s in bed. And the thought doesn’t just come to her naturally, or anything. But she’s tired, ready to sleep, and then her phone rings. She thinks she should always be on do not disturb, for that matter. She glances at the caller ID. and she thinks her heart could’ve jumped right to her mouth, because she thinks that it’s Ken, but then she remembers, she never had him as ‘Mr. Sato’ on her phone. She’s such an idiot.

She picks up, a bit hesitant, but doing it anyway. Mr. Sato has done her no wrong personally.

“Hello, Hazel!” he says, so excited.

Hazel’s stomach coils, because it’s the exact same excitement that his son has. She ignores it. 

“Hi, uncle. What’s up?” she asks, smiling at her lit screen.

“Do you want to visit tomorrow? I think Emi misses you,” he says, his voice sounds a bit faint, as if he’s looking at something else, his face turned away from the phone.

“Aw, really?” Hazel’s smiling. She’s missed Emi a lot. She couldn’t visit her much while she was healing, but now she had the perfect opportunity. She could get away from everything, go to Mr. Sato’s place, and spend some time with Emi.

“Yes!”

“Well, I’d love to.” 

Hazel ends the call, happier than she expected herself to be when she picked up. Sleep comes to her a bit easier that night. Especially at the prospect of visiting her favourite baby kaiju the next day. What’s even better is that Ken has a game tomorrow and it means she won’t feel inclined to attend it. Even with the ticket that’s collecting dust in her drawer. 

She wakes up and the first thing she does is call Maple, tell her about what’s happening. Maple seems happy at first, but Hazel knows her best friend better than that. Knows that there’s something actually going on behind that stupidly fake tone of hers.

“What if he’s there?” There's emphasis on ‘he’ but Hazel doesn’t realise who until she’s splashing water on her face and suddenly it dawns on her. Making her stomach drop.

“He won’t,” says Hazel, but the way she does, it’s like she can’t even confirm that for herself.

She’s so stupid for not having expected it. But he did have a game. Would he miss it? He’s done it before, why the fuck would he not. Oh, she’s so goddamn stupid. 

“Hazel. You shouldn’t go.”

“Oh, but I will.” Usually Hazel would agree with her best friend, but right now, that’s the last thing she can care to do. She wants to meet Emi. She thinks she’ll do it, even if she has to deal with him. Which she hopes she doesn’t. 

Maple usually is absolutely amazing at making her feel great, but this time, she does quite the opposite. And that’s okay. Hazel won’t die or something if she sees her ex, surely not. Or maybe she will, she hasn’t thought about him enough in the past few days, and having to be in his presence, if by chance? She doesn’t know what she’s going to do.

Anything for Emi, she supposes.

With a slightly heavy heart, she finishes getting ready, willing herself to not linger on anything that makes her feel negative as she catches a cab to Mr. Sato’s. She doesn’t know if she wants to drive herself anywhere. 

She’s a bit more delighted to find that Mr. Sato’s waiting for her, although she would have preferred if he had stayed upstairs and not bothered to get all the way down, but as she’s thanking the driver one last time, he’s walking over to her with a big smile. She smiles at him.

“Hazel, thank you so much for taking the time to get here.” 

She nods, “of course, uncle.”

“Sadly though, we’ll have to go to Kenji’s.” He’s smiling softly, but Hazel thinks her heart might have just dropped to her ass. What was he on about?

“I’m afraid I don’t understand—” she starts, laughing awkwardly.

“We’ll be taking the jet, of course,” he says, matter of factly.

Hazel wants to run, or maybe jump off a cliff. This is not where she wants to be right now. The possibility of this terrifies her shitless, actually.

“I thought—” she’s stumbling on words, not sure exactly what to say. 

“Has something happened?” he asks.

Oh, does he not know? Well, she thinks she’s okay with him not knowing at all.

“Oh, no. Don’t worry about it.”

She’s a bit embarrassed because she’s scared he might see through the lie, she’s never been this shitty at lying, so why is it so hard right now? At least it seems to be working, because he doesn’t question her. Instead he’s leading her to his car, and she offers to drive. He says she’s very nice, and lets her. The drive is mostly spent in silence on her behalf, only with brief interventions with questions when he’s explaining a particularly complicated part of his newest discoveries. 

Hazel’s heart is beating in her fingers, in every place that isn’t her chest. It’s kind of overwhelming, and it doesn’t help, the fact that she knows exactly what shortcuts to take to get to his place faster. That she isn’t even questioning it. That’s fucking terrifying, really. 

Before she knows it, they’ve arrived. She curses herself for not being confused. But she gets out anyway, and she’s regretting practically every other decision she’s made today. Because why is Kenji standing there, waiting at the door? And he looks a bit surprised, to see her. Like maybe he was just expecting his father. Well, she can’t blame him. She wouldn’t really be here if she knew he was here. Or, she would. Because, she has to remind herself that this is for Emi.

A bit of hurt can’t be that bad, if she can see the infant, she’ll be all good. 

Ken doesn’t even try to say a word when he notices the expression on her face, instead turning to his father, smiling at him. Mr. Sato for some reason doesn’t even notice the fact that Ken and Hazel don’t share a word, he’s just quickly wading his way through Ken’s place. And leaving the other two in each other’s presence. The silence is so thick a knife wouldn’t be able to slice through it. 

Hazel picks up pace, knowing exactly where to go, for which, she curses herself too. 

When they reach the jet, Mr. Sato’s already got the ramp lowering itself, and Hazel’s the first to enter.

“You’re excited to visit Emi, I see.” Hayao’s laughing.

Hazel nods. Yes, she is.

And she’s even more excited to get away from Ken. She can’t bear to meet his eyes and get swept right off her feet, again. It’s such a sick feeling. She’s finally getting better, and now she’s back at block zero, and that’s just so messed up, in her head. 

The flight goes peacefully for her. Mr. Sato is busy filling in Ken on Emi’s state, and she’s getting a bit suspicious about the fact that he hasn’t asked why she isn’t talking, but she doesn’t want to intentionally leave her calm little bubble where it’s just her. 

When they land, and she gets out, her eyes catch that exact same lake, and the waters glisten just the same. And it’s never failed to amaze her. She stares, at the way the sun’s reflection wavers on the orange hued waters, the edges fighting the orange that threatens to seep in. The sun sinks lower, ever slowly. 

There’s silence, minus for the screeching that soon punctures it. And Hazel’s heart leaps up to her throat. She grins when pink joins the oranges and reds of the sky and wings flap into her vision. She’s holding her hands out, waving ecstatically. Emi flies and lands perfectly on the soil, practically raising Hazel into the air as she holds her.

The British woman laughs, checks the pink scales.

“Oh, I’ve missed you so much, Emi!” She’s laughing as the kaiju chitters. Her heart’s melting. This was so worth it, she can’t even begin to emphasise how happy she is that she didn’t chicken out, and end up being selfish. 

She doesn’t even register the soft laughter behind her until Emi places her down and she finally turns around, gulping in some air. She thinks she should have not done that. Her eyes catch the way Ken’s face scrunches up, and even with his eyes closed, how captivating he looks. The way the sun’s dying rays are practically illuminating the curvature of his face, and the way it looks so beautiful to her, how familiar it is. 

Her nerves wake up, and she hopes she’s not blushing. He doesn’t deserve that anymore.

Mr. Sato places his wrinkled hand on Ken’s arm, and Ken looks at him, Emi still playing with bunny beside him. Hayao says that they should head to the house, that it might get dark pretty soon. Hazel’s so glad he says so. She also thinks Ken might have glanced at her once before agreeing. Their eyes might have met for a split second and Hazel’s convinced she’s actually insane for letting that simple of a gesture fuck up her heart rate so intensely.

By the time her heart rate finally returns to a steady beat, she’s sat on the same porch where Ken opened up to her about how he felt about reconciling with her father. She’s watching Emi run around, chittering as she swings a bat, a bit bashful, but Hazel doesn’t have the heart to tell her to be careful. All she can think about is how Ken held her then, or how she placed her hand on his chest.

That day was one of the moments where they realised that of course they were more than friends, they had always been. If the Hazel from that day knew what happened in the future, would she have pushed him away? Would she shield her heart as carefully as she did until she walked right back into his life, like a fool?

The question can’t be answered, because she feels warmth beside her as the wood creaks. And the familiar scent of Ken’s cologne is overwhelming her senses. She tries to act like she doesn’t even notice him. But she does notice the way he tries to reach out, for her hand, and then he pulls back.

That shouldn’t break her heart the way it does.

She shouldn’t even care.

“Hazel,” his voice speaks her name the way it always has, and yet it’s all it takes to sweep her right off her feet. And a pit forms in her stomach, exactly how it does every time their eyes meet.

She dares look up, and emerald eyes meet amethyst, and it’s a sight that for so long has comforted her. He smiles, just because she looks up. Why does he do this to her? 

She hums, in response to his words. She’s so weak to him, and he knows. And he decides to exploit it. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, and his voice comes out muffled because he’s buried his face in his hands, and he’s leaning down. 

Hazel looks at him, and she hesitates but she places a hand on his shoulder.

“Why?” she asks, like she doesn’t know exactly why he said that.

“Because I’ve failed you, baby.” He turns his head, glancing up at her. “I was too scared to commit, fuck I didn’t know what I had, until you left.”

“Yeah, you didn’t, Ken,” Hazel wants to curse herself for acting like this, for not having enough remorse in her voice as she says those words. And gods, she’d be his if he just asks, but he doesn’t. 

“I’m so sorry, Hazel.”

“Are you?”

“I swear.” 

“I don’t know,” is all she can say. 

She flinches when he takes her hand, places it over his chest, he’s fully turned towards her. And she hates how oddly reminiscent of that day. He meets her eyes, and his lips are turned down, he’s frowning. The sun’s back on his face, and now it’s just orange, but he’s glowing golden, and he looks so beautiful, she can’t tear her gaze or hand away. 

“This,” he squeezes her hand as he moves it to place it right over where his heart should be. “It’s all yours, I promise. I promise on my life. When you left the first time, I was so heart broken because you were all I knew at that point in time. I had no one outside of my mom, but you.”

She doesn’t know why he’s mentioning that again. She still feels horrible for having to leave. 

“But then you returned, after two whole fucking decades, and I don’t think the circumstances were ideal, but you were back,” he’s whispering, his voice is still shaky, and he squeezes her hand again. He closes his eyes. “And I swear I felt like we went back to what we were then, but at that point in time, I didn’t really know that I’d grown to love you. I do now.”

“You were too scared to confirm, though,” Hazel mumbles. She wants to pull her hand away.

“I was an idiot, I swear, I promise I’m all yours.” When Ken’s eyes open, Hazel can’t ignore the way she notices tears welling up. 

Despite how much she wants to hate him right now, she reaches out with her other hand, and wipes away the first tears to escape. And she leaves her hand there.

“Kenji, you know I was so scared to give my heart to anyone. And you know I wouldn’t kiss my friends. You know that you’re the only I’d ever be any of this for. I’m so weak, I’m so fucking weak with you, and sometimes it hurts me,” Hazel hiccups, she pulls her hands away, wiping furiously at her face. Ken’s hands are on hers and he pulls them away. 

He replaces her aggressive hands with his own gentle ones. He wipes away the tears as they fall. 

“I promise I won’t have you questioning it again, I’m all yours.” Ken cups her face in his hands, and he pulls her close, into his lap. Hazel’s breathing is a bit shallow.

Her head’s spinning. Being this close to him after saying she wouldn’t is honestly so stupid, but she doesn’t care.

“And what am I to you?” she asks.

“Everything.”

It’s the way he breathes those words that makes it so easy for Hazel to believe them. She breaks into a smile, laughs. 

“You’re so dramatic.” She laughs.

He seems so glad to know that she probably doesn’t hate him now. He leans down, captures her lips. Her laughter stops, but she’s content. She’s leaning right into the kiss, weaving her hands through his hair.

“Always have been, and for you, even more.”

ch4rryc0smos © 2024 … do not repost, alter, translate, or steal my work.

[svarttrost]

Thank you for the tag, @silver-horse! I love doing these, even if it takes me forever to get around to actually start 😭

I have A LOT of BG3 characters planned and ready, but I'll only do the ones I've actually finished a playthrough with or have an active one with, if we don't want to be here all day 😬

Quick tip, I guess: the background colours I've used for everyone (myself included) are reflecting themselves in some way, be it a favourite color, a personality or background vibe, or something like that. I like colour coding my people 😁

Hello, it's me! Perpetually tired and up in my own head with simultaneously too much and too little imagination, forever a coffee lover.

Meet my first Tav, Saraana. She's a wood elf ranger with a thirst for knowledge (her background is Sage). She is kind and righteous, very straightforward and just as curious. Her love of learning is probably what drew her to Gale the most, and vice versa.

Her preferred weapon is a longbow, so she snipes down targets from a distance and ensnares them to make them easier to take down for her allies.

She's supposed to have faint tattoos on her face, the ones that look like a tree, called "Yggdrasil" in game, but alas, the limitations.

The second Tav I've played is a half-drow warlock of the Great Old One, Thyia, who is supposed to be more gray than blue and have face tattoos, called "Woven Razors", known to have dabbled in criminal activity here and there. She is cautious and calculated, a strong advocate for autonomy, who doesn't shy away from power if it means gaining an edge against her enemies, within reason, of course.

Thyia dove head first into Astarion's advances, seeing right through him all the while, choosing instead to break through his defenses. It worked, and they became nigh inseparable, until she helped him ascend, take all the freedom and power he's ever wanted, and relinquished herself fully to him, bound to him for eternity. This time, choosing to ignore the way his eyes sometimes seemed to look through her, rather that at her.

Our third contestant, called Stiorra, is an Asmodeus tiefling and a bard of College of Lore. She lived in Baldur's Gate as an entertainer until she was plucked up by a nautiloid on her way to a performance. She suffered serious burns while hurtling through Avernus and hasn't been able to get them healed properly, which has left scars on her face. Her preferred instrument is a lyre and she fights with a rapier.

Personality wise, Stiorra is a bright and fun-loving person, with a little bite to her silken tongue, when the situation calls for it.

She quickly builds friendships with everyone around and outside camp, but can be caught paying special attention to Astarion. Being a performer herself, she picks up on his frivolousness hiding something deeper within, and cannot help herself wanting to gently unravel his heart's shackles. While wary and disapproving of her good intentions to help every poor soul they come across, AND having to save her ass from looming death multiple times (she's a squishy bard, it happens), Astarion warms up to her and soon Stiorra becomes the one person he can always confide in, the only one he trusts completely.

Stiorra ends up freeing both Astarion's heart and body and 7000 more spawn from Cazador's shadow and showers him in love every day. And provides midnight snacks for him, too.

This nearly transparent disaster is Opal. She's good with knives and doesn't remember much else. Like what in the Hells happened to her hair, for example. She doesn't really care though, she might just chop it off altogether if it becomes annoying and gets in the way of slashing and maiming and bleeding them dry.

She's heard once before that her eyes are the colour of white opals. She took to calling herself by that name. Opal. It's fitting, she thinks. She doesn't remember the face of the one who used to call her that, too.

She doesn't feel the infernal heat on her skin as she's wading through hordes of imps. Her head, though - her head is on fire. The inside of her skull is red hot and feels like bursting open, but also empty, void of all thoughts but one - KILL.

As one may have guessed, Opal tends to have dark urges, and is also a rogue assassin. She's unusually pale for a drow and has quite a few scars in quite a few places. Opal's memories are fractured to the point where she relies on instinct alone to get through the nautiloid, and her instinct in screaming at her to kill everything in sight. Slicing through bodies feels as effortless as breathing, and she knows it's what she's been doing for years before this.

But then, she hesitates.

Once. The severe unfamiliar sharp eyed creature, who pointed a sword at her throat.

Twice. The young half elf trapped in a pod, shrouded in shadow, pleading for help.

Thrice. The pale elf with piercing blood red eyes, the one who dared draw his own dagger on her.

She should have met their flesh with her steel. She should have reveled in their dying whimpers, crimson flowers blooming on their chests. Shouldn't she have?

She hesitates. She wants to know herself. She wants to know why there is searing hot bloodlust bubbling in the depths of her soul. She figures, she can't go this alone. So she hesitates, again and again.

Aaaand here it is. And I don't know who else to tag as I don't like to impose...😬 So if anyone who sees this wants to do it, go right ahead, and feel free to tag me, I'd love to see what characters you've come up with!

Picrew link.

Artist vs OC

Thank you for the tag @cheekylittlepupp

This is going to be very boring because I tend to create characters who look like me 😔 Me and my main bg3 OC half-drow sorcerer (wild magic) she is basically me if I could do magic:

(My hair isn't actually quite so dark but I couldn't find a matching colour. I also couldn't replicate my OC's slightly grey drow skintone 🤷‍♀️)

My high elf character (during our multiplayer honour mode session with @vspin) and my drow durge character and my high half-elf durge character:

The high-elf is a noble draconic sorcerer with 2 levels in wizard, she is wielding Phalar Aluve. My drow character is also a sorcerer. (Originally storm sorcerer but I changed her to wild magic) They are just named after me lol My high half-elf character is called Thea, she is a very antisocial and she abandoned or killed every companion except Astarion. Nobody is allowed to stay their camp. 💀

I am tagging (if you want to but feel free to ignore) @astarioffmode @svarttrost @tadpole-apocalypse @communistfries @elminsters @mercymaker @cerudinae @charmedcleric @zekeen @astarionancuntnin @drizztdohurtin @utterdrip @oakenshieldbaggins (@a-s-t-a-r-i-o-n ) @ghostfire @florbelles @oddlyotherscience @snowfolly

Link to picrew

[readymades2002]

actually the majority of my memory of kingdom hearts is like--you know that. meme trend of “me watching my older siblings beat video game bosses for me”, okay, i AM the oldest sibling and i was still very bad at video games so my memory of kingdom hearts and a LOT of other video games was watching my mom play them the best she could for me until we both got stuck and then id start a new file and explore the island again haha

[george-weasleys-girl]

Chapter 19 - Truce

Warnings: one curse word

Summary: Molly and Y/N go tête á tête.

Start Here:

~•~

George and Ginny stretched as far as they could out the window.

"Can you hear anything?" Ginny asked.

"I can hear them talking, but I can't make out what they're saying." George sighed.

"Damn. You and Fred need to invent an eavesdropping device," his sister said, leaning out a little further.

George grabbed her shirt to keep her from falling headfirst out the second story window, his mind already working out a spy gadget to prevent Ginny from plummeting to her death. "C'mon," he said. "If we're quiet, we can sneak around behind the shed. We'll be able to hear them better there than up here."

~•~

After she and Ginny's returned from their excursion, Y/N and George disappeared up to his bedroom for some much needed cuddletime. "I was afraid you'd want to break up after everything that happened this morning." George said.

"For I while, I did." Y/N admitted. "I thought that if I was gone, it would fix everything."

"Fix everything?" George looked incredulous. "I would've never spoken to mum again if she drove you off."

"Yeah, I kinda figured. That's why I'm still here."

"I'm so very glad you stayed. Though, just so you know, I would have followed you to the ends of the earth to get you back." George admitted, leaning in for a kiss.

They'd just felt the brush of each other's lips when a knock at the door interrupted them.

George rolled his eyes. "Come in," he said, not bothering to unravel himself from Y/N.

Molly opened the door, hesitating for the span of a few seconds as she took in the tangled jumble of arms and legs. The couple was fully clothed, so nothing untoward was happening, yet their cozy intimacy left her feeling flushed and intrusive.

Clearing her throat, Mrs. Weasley spoke. "Y/N, I'd like you to join me in the garden. I need help harvesting the strawberries."

Y/N looked to George, who gave her the faintest of nods. "Of course, Mrs. Weasley. Just need to put my shoes on."

"I'll meet you in the kitchen." Molly said and headed downstairs.

As soon as she was gone, Y/N moved to grab her shoes, but George held her in place. "Don't let her intimidate you, love."

"Oh, I won't." Y/N smiled. "Not anymore."

~•~

Y/N followed Molly out to the garden, with no idea what to expect. And, frankly, she wasn't sure she cared anymore. Once she realized that George and Ginny would clash with Molly regardless of whether she stayed or left, it was game over. For good or ill, she was going to fight for her relationship.

"I can tell you care very deeply about George," Molly said as soon as they were well away from prying ears.

"That's at least one thing we have in common," Y/N replied, an edge to her voice.

Molly stopped and stared at her for a moment, then gave a curt nod. "He cares deeply about you too and that's what worries me. He's such a sensitive boy."

'You weren't worried about his sensitivity when you destroyed all of his and Fred's mail order stuff. He still hasn't gotten over that,' Y/N thought, but said nothing.

"You're going to be away for a year." Molly continued. "That's a long time. Anything could happen."

Y/N sighed. That very fear had consumed her in recent weeks and she was done tearing herself apart over it. "Anything could happen if I stay here. Anything can happen anywhere."

Molly huffed and rolled her eyes. "Well yes, girl, it can. But, some things are more likely to happen if you're apart. What if you meet someone else?"

"And what if George does the same?" Y/N countered. "The knife cuts both ways, Mrs. Weasley. We're both putting our hearts on the line and we both understand and accept the risks." Y/N paused to pick a few strawberries before continuing. "Besides, it's not distance that separates people. It's silence."

Molly crossed her arms and appraised Y/N as she went back to harvesting berries. "Not mincing your words anymore, are you?" she asked.

Y/N shrugged. "My very existence seems to offend you. You hated me when I was all nice and meek, so I may as well speak my mind. What's the worst that can happen? You still hate me?"

Molly took a step back, Y/N's words knocking the wind out of her. She wasn't sure why, but those words hurt more anything her children had said. They'd called her selfish and petty, things that she could write off as being a mother protecting her children. But hatred? Against a girl whose only crime was unwisely falling in love with her son. What had she become?

Molly visibly swallowed. "I don't hate you. I just don't want my son getting hurt."

Y/N stood. When she spoke, the edge in her voice was gone. "Mrs. Weasley, I admire that you're so fiercely protective of your family. Especially, since my parents tossed me away like a bag of trash." She held up her hand when Molly gasped. "I'm not looking for sympathy, just stating facts."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Y/N took a deep breath before speaking again. "Life breaks all our hearts sooner or later and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it, except be there to help pick up the pieces."

Molly heaved a heavy sigh. "So, where do you propose we go from here?"

"Forward."

"Forward to where? To what?

"No idea. I know where I want it to go, where I'll fight for it to go. But, life is always surprising us, isn't it?" Y/N said. "We think this one is gonna happen, but something else happens instead."

She paused, giving Molly a chance to speak. When Mrs. Weasley said nothing, she continued.

"Fourteen years ago, the magical community thought Harry had destroyed Voldemort and they'd never have to worry about the Dark Lord again. But something else happened instead.

You thought all your boys would grow up, get Ministery jobs and fall in love with nice British girls. But something else happened instead.

And I thought I'd come over here for a year, make some great memories, then go back home and pick up with my old life." Y/N smiled, her gaze softening. "But something else happened instead."

For a few long moments, Molly stood still and silent. Then she chuckled. "You know, very few people tell me I'm wrong to my face."

"We all get it wrong sometimes. The future isn't set in stone. And even if it is, stone can be broken."

Molly gave her a curious look. "You are a very unusual girl, Miss Y/L/N."

Y/N grinned wide. "Why, thank you Mrs. Weasley. I'll take that as compliment."

The corners of Molly's mouth lifted, just a little. "From now on, call me Molly."

"Ok‐‐Molly. Is this a truce?"

"Yes, I suppose it is," the Weasley matriarch said, stepping toward Y/N. "But, keep in mind, I'm still not entirely happy with the situation."

"That's fair enough." Y/N replied, then leaning closer to Molly, she whispered, "shall we tell them they can come out from behind the shed, now?"

Next Chapter:

@milivanili99

@slytherclaw1978

@quackitysdrugdealer