#i mean poppy does need it but she would never admit she needs it

[ladysophiebeckett]

why are contemporary romance writers putting their main characters in therapy towards the end? and u dont actually see it. it gets a brief mention. i dont want them going to therapy. i also dont see them admitting that they need it. it's like the author is doing promo for mental health bc they also may have gone to therapy.

[thegreengnome]

Can you write an angst where Daemon’s wife gets very sick after giving birth to their first child.

I hope you don't mind that I changed it from their first child to their third. It just fitted better with the story. I hope you like it!

What was once a moment of joy and pride was now a moment built entirely on fear.

After birthing two children, this birth was relatively easy. While of course still painful it was quick. Quicker then the previous two.

Y/N had birthed a healthy girl, and even at this early age Y/N could tell that she would cause endless restless nights for both her mother and her father but she did not care because at that very moment all Y/N felt was love – pure love.

Her husband held the babe in his arms. His eyes never leaving his new-born daughter, perhaps he would have noted the colour slowly leaving Y/Ns face, but he was busy examining every inch of his precious daughter’s face, her tiny fingers, her tiny toes and the silver lashes above her grey eyes.

Only when the babe had finally fallen asleep from the day’s excitement did Daemon finally look towards his lady wife.

“Y/N” the colour was gone from her cheeks, her vibrant eyes now dull. In only a matter of time a sheen of sweat had covered the young mothers face and neck.

“Y/N” Daemon repeated several times more with another level of urgency to his voice. He shouted to the guards stationed outside startling the young babe from her sleep.

A flurry of people rushed into the room, guards, servants and finally the master pushing his way to the front of the room.

Daemon had never felt more useless then in that moment. He had fort in wars- killed men twice the size of him but he could easily admit that this was the most terrified he had ever been.

For the next few moments, Daemon took nothing in. his wife lay still – too still as the Maester worked around her.

She would not end up like his dear cousin Aemma – he would not allow it!

Y/N was his wife, she belonged to him no one else. Especially the gods.

The babe squired in his arms begging for his attention. The poor thing had no idea that her mother lay in her birthing bed, the Maester hovering over her.

“What is happening to muña?” the voice of Baelon squeaked from the now open door to his parents’ chambers, his young brother Aemon peeking out from behind.

Even with all three of his kids trying to gain his attention he still could not take his eyes of his wife.

He seemed to only snap out of the trance when the wight of the new-born was removed from his arms. His niece Rhaenyra had gently ushered her cousins out of the room but not before throwing her aunt a watery smile.

“My prince” nothing “My prince” Daemon moved his eyes towards the Maester taking note of the way he wrung his hands in nervousness.

“My prince. It seems the princesses has a case of birthing bed sickness”

“What does that mean?” Daemon gritted out

“The princesses will need constant care for the next couple of days, only then will we know if she will live towards the end of this time, I have given her some milk of the poppy to get her fevering down. The next few days are crucial”

“The next few days…” trailing off Daemon could see his wife’s too still body out of the corner of his eye.

“Yes, my prince. If she survives the next few days then we know that the worst is over”

“If” standing up from the chair, daemon steps closer pushing his finger into the Maesters face “There is no if... you will help my wife or you will die screaming”

Xxx

The simple movement of Y/N eyes fluttering open seem to be painful as a tired groan escapes her chapped lips.

“Thank the gods” finally in focus, Y/N took in the man sitting to the right of her. Her husband looked tried, even unhinged.

“Dae-mon “the princess attempts to lift herself up only to be stopped by her husband pushing her down gently.

“Do not move, my heart”

Pushing the hair from her face, Daemon cups Y/Ns cheeks. His thumb rubbing back and forth, soothing both the princess and the prince.

Memories seem to rush back at Y/N, the birth, the beautiful babe in her arms and then nothing “Our child. Where is she?”

“With her very doating brothers’ I would wager. They have hardly left her side”

The soft smile that graces Y/N face melts the prince’s heart. It had been far too long since he had seen it.

“You scared me”

The tears seemed to have a mind of their own as they spilled over Y/Ns face “That was not my intent, my love”

The beautiful baby girl would be their last child together as Daemon feared history repeating itself, and Y/N was right. Their daughter caused much mischief and mayhem throughout her life but she also brought more love and laughter into their family of five.

[thatruerealmwalker]

Crawls out of a hole in your wall

GET MAGICAL GIRL'ED MOTHER FUCKER!

"Despite it all, This Empty Shell still Remains." -Pre Acceptance Quote

"Within this Hollow Heart, Love Still Remains!" -Post Acceptance Quote

This is Claire Taker, a new OC I've made! And let me tell you- the origins of the OC is fucking weird.

This tainwreck of a Lady came about because I was reading @zoeywinterrose's smiling critter fanfic on A03 (which you can check out HERE), started letting THE VOICES speak through me, eventually pulled out the original story I have and made the Caretaker seen there into a fully realized character in my story (get it? Claire Taker?), told them so, found each other on tumblr, because friends(?), and they maybe sort of said yes when I said I was gonna draw the character and make and AU of their AU (in some order there, the progression of events may be off a bit)... I DON'T KNOW HOW I GOT TO THIS POINT.

So yeah, I'm gonna be both explaining this character, my own story, and having all that be loosely connected to Poppy Playtime (Again how did I get here?) So the tags are gonna be silly because of that.

Claire Taker is, as said before, a Magical Girl by the name of Heart Hollow (well Technically Magical Woman, she is pretty old but I prefer saying magical girl)... well the term for in my Canon is a "Blessed" or "Actor"... but those are the official terms, she and the others still use Magical Girl and Magical Boy (because that IS what they are)

And yes! There are both Magical Boys and Girls in this World!

Claire Fights with her Fists and Legs, being a close range brawler, as well as fights with her threads. She uses them in a variety of ways, from creating points to jump, pulling things to her or pulling herself to them, wrapping up targets, or even sometimes using them a whips.

Her Threads are also capable of Stitching people back together and healing them! Apparently the world thinks this means she should be one of the few to get constantly injured, needing to reattach her limbs in the middle of fights sometimes! (or it could be seen as caused by her low self worth as well). I mean look at all of those scars! And those are just the ones she couldn't fully heal for different reasons, she gets hurt alot! ("Better then letting one the kids take the hit" she would say)

Her mental health isn't the best, but it gets really bad when she is alone- Luckily, she's gained the trust of the Parents of the three kid members of Her group to look after them while their at work- as well as fostering the teens when they need somewhere private to hand out. (Her home is like one of 2 unofficial team bases)

At this point, almost everyone who isn't an adult (and two who are like 18-19) calls her Auntie- which she is still getting used too.

After finally getting into a far more okay mindset, she takes to jogging and exercise in her free time. She even helps the younger of the team practice fighting forms and working out when they train at all.

She actually owns a good few properties thanks to her parents- and after her depression weakened she put them up for rent. After a while (and learning how to duplicate cash with Starlight from the group's resident self appointed "Chaotic Gremlin") she was able to start getting a good amount of cash saved up for when the group needs a break or wants to go somewhere fun- (The cost is usually split between her and the other full Adult in the group most of the time).

She still has episodes where her is very not okay (like panic attacks or just bad thoughts)- but it never gets to the point where she feels like hurting herself at all anymore. It helps that one of the kids, the team's unofficial mascot, lets himself be her comfort animal when she has these episodes (and while he hates to admit it, he does enjoy her hugs)

That's all for now! If your interest in more of this original story, let me know!.. Though it probably won't be tagged under Smiling critters next... unless I make William apart of this then it will!

A full view of her plot is down below if your interested in that as well- Anyways thanks for reading this and maybe what lies below, and I hoped this sparked your interest/was a fun read all the same! I think I got an AU to write now!

Claire Taker's Story:

(Content Warning! This gets a bit dark!)

Claire Taker used to be a Person of Joy, living life as Happy as any other- even had Children she cherished most dearly... however one day- in a series of events, Claire loses her kids, be it an Accident or something far worse. Believing herself to be solely at fault, she shut down, remaining within her home and rarely leaving. At first those closest to them attempt to help, as it does, even if She rarely talked or interacted. Just being with others helped to keep her afloat...

But she was abandoned- left alone... and that is what sealed her fate. For a long time- years, close to Ten even, she drowned. She lost her smile, her kindness, her emotions, her Love. She tried, and try she did to get better... but she still drowned all the same.

She made many half attempts on her life- and the one time she fully went through with it- she only lived because she forgot to turn off the Safety on the Gun. This attempt was on the day, when she was so close to pulling herself back together that she was reminded of her kids- undoing all the work she did to get better at a single moment (one the prolonged her deep depression for a few more years-)

Eventually, upon one better day Claire spent shopping with a local mall for much needed supplies for her bare home, a Star fell from the Sky and landed nearby. From it formed a Matrix, and Starlight Leaked into the world. The pure, unfiltered and uncontrolled Starlight, the Blood of Creation, tainted the area in its presence, and Claire. The Building Creaked and Groaned as Starlight lashed into the populace surrounding. Many ran as the structure began to collapse around them...

And Yet Claire stepped forward, Drawn in by the Star.

Even while her body warped, as fur sprouted from her skin and monstrous claws ripped out from between her fingers. As her bones cracked and shattered before being reformed. As the demented whispers that long accompanied her gained form, breaking out from Claire's back and ripping into her flesh-

She reached the center, Where the Fallen Star has landed and with her last bit of strength before she became tainted under Starlight, reached out and touched the Glowing Star within the Epicenter-

And Starlight gathered and condensed, leaving her body, the surrounding air, and returning herself from the Monstrous form it was trying to become- And within her hands laid her Matrix, a Softly glowing heart floating between her palms.

A Stranger came to her one day, and promised her he would grant her most wanted wish "To return your children to you" in exchange for gathering as much Starlight she could.

She, like many other Actors, believed his word, and walked forward with a long lost flame in her eyes, ready to do Anything to get her children back.

Even after learning there was others like her (most of them teenagers or young adults), even after learning that many of the monsters she is fighting against and killed to gather Starlight (the Tainted or Cursed) were once people, even after she learned that should she actually get her wish- she would have to kill the other Blessed and steal their Starlight- She continued on.

It was only when the Three Children amongst the Blessed stood against her to protect their older peers then she questioned if what she was doing was worth it- if ignoring the signs that something was wrong was worth it- if her once beloved children would accept being brought back through the blood of others- if she could really kill these three if it was required of her.

It was from there, after giving up and fleeing that she changed from an antagonist to a protector akin to Tuxedo Mask for the Blessed- more so the Three kids that fought in this battle than the other Blessed.

It was here that Claire was taught how to tell if a Cursed was made from a person, animal, or object/fully made from Starlight as well as how to defeat the Tainted without killing the Person or Creature within. She learned that gathering Starlight is unneeded, and should she continue to gather Starlight like she has- she would only overwhelm her Matrix and become a Cursed herself. She learned how to truly use Starlight, how to prevent herself from Tainting someone on accident, and how to dispose of unneeded Starlight safely.

She was slowly pulled into the Group, being one of the Few Actors to listen and stop the senseless fighting between them. Even when she fell and broke, these Bright Souls dragged Claire along, taking her on their group adventures away from the Magic within their lives. Exploring the town, eating at an Café, enjoying the park. Slowly but surely, she became apart of this group, of the team who fought against the darkness that surrounded them.

The rest of the Blessed, especially the younger of them, started to call Claire 'Auntie'.

However, there was one final truth all of them avoided telling Claire, the final Lie told to Claire about the situation, even if in the depths of her heart she knew the answer herself yet feared to speak it aloud in vain hope for it not to be true.

That there was no Wish- That it was the ploy of The Man who Thought Himself God to either gather followers and resources or spark war between those who could threaten his goals and attempt to turn them into monsters- a Truth that they all knew could break Claire, steal her reason for continuing to live, to stand up tall.

They were going to, right after they handled this newest Tainted... but The Man who Thought Himself God appeared near the battles end... and with a smile, knowing Claire's history of mental health, and the reasons for it, held her by the throat while floating in the air, while Claire thrashed and fought with all of her might, while her allies called out in fear and rushed to save her, whispered in her Ear- "I lied~ There is no Wish, no reversing your most heinous Sin. Your children will never come back- for you killed them. They are gone and you killed them."

Claire SHATTERED then and there. Once again all of the work she put into getting better, doing better shattered- and as The Man who Thought Himself God threw her from high above towards the ground- Starlight, once Shining, became fully black- And the Blessed became Cursed under the weight of Despair-

Mother Gospel: The Harbinger of Mourning was born- as so her fellow Blessed fought, and after a long an almost lethal fight, where the extent of Claire's grief and broken heart was bared to the world, the ones who claimed her as their own, with all they had, ripped Claire out of her Depression made Manifest, and saved her from her fate.

Amongst the broken building, Claire laid as her Heart, once healing, was now torn apart once more as she cried tears of sorrow... and then she was hugged by the most youngest of them... then the other children joined in, all crying and making sure their Auntie was okay. The older kids of the Group joined in as well, despite two having to be dragged within. And even the young adults sat nearby and showed their love for Claire-

And that was what it was- Claire was LOVED, and she could Love in return. She was not Alone anymore, and so the dam burst within her and she cried and screamed and hugged back as sadness and joy danced within her. Her Hollow Heart had become not so Hollow anymore.

It took time, but somewhat soon Claire stood, still in mourning of her lost children, still not fully okay, but she could finally move on, she could finally live with those who saved her from that Sea that engulfed her and gave her warmth and belonging.

And so she fought, and even now fights, against those that would bring about the horrors she went through upon to others with the family formed under the Light of the Stars.

[trolls-confessions]

Okay okay so. Branch doesn't exist here, via whatever means. Obviously, the first movie is going to be a mess without him—he may be just the deuteragonist, but the movie relies heavily on his worldview clashing with Poppy's for its main themes. One could argue that the sheer adversity Poppy faces in her quest to save her friends could serve as an adequate counterpoint to her beliefs, but then we get into all the actions Branch takes that push the plot forwards. Sure, Trolls (2016) Branch would never in a million years have thought of setting Bridget up on a date with King Gristle, nor would he have ever noticed that the two were feeling happiness and thus Bergens didn't need Trolls to be happy. That's all Poppy, and she could do that without Branch being there. But what Branch does do that affects the plot includes:

Rescue Poppy from the fuzzy spiders after she exhausted herself in her relentless charge ahead

Convince Poppy that no, she should not try and rescue Creek because Creek is a goner

Serenade her when everyone in the pot was gray and help bring her colors back

And possibly other things I'm not remembering. There are a lot of elements going on in the first movie (Chef also does a lot to drive the plot, it's not all Poppy and Branch and the Snack Pack), but those things that Branch does? The movie suddenly becomes an entirely different beast! Even if Poppy somehow manages to escape the fuzzy spiders, she's gonna see Creek go into Gristle's mouth but not see Gristle swallow and she's gonna go straight to try and rescue him! Which could get her caught by Chef! Or at the very least delays her from getting to Bridget's room in time to see Bridget's little ballad! So many things in the first movie so easily fall apart without Branch there, for all that Poppy's the ultimate protagonist!

But let's say Poppy and the Snack Pack somehow manage to make peace with the Bergens, and Chef gets eaten as in canon. Okay, what now? How does Branch Not Being There/Being Dead continue to affect things?

Obviously, as World Tour is primarily Poppy's (and Barb's) story, Branch's absence doesn't hurt as much. When you examine his role in the movie, it boils down to him expressing his opinions on events, but ultimately following Poppy's lead because he trusts her to make the right decisions (while also. crushing so so hard which is very cute but maybe not the most relevant to this whole analysis). His big moments in the movie all happen near/during the climax, and are as follows:

Finally stops following Poppy's every idea and outright tells her she needs to actually listen (while also admitting his feelings for her at the tail end of the fight they have)

Taking the Ultimate Power Chord for Poppy, buying her time to get the gumdrops in her ears

Now, one could argue that neither of these moments are necessary; Biggie said essentially the same things everyone says to Poppy (that she's not listening) when he leaves the group following the Chaz Experience, and for all we know Poppy could have gotten the gumdrops in her ears before Branch even showed up. Which makes sense; Branch is a character in this movie, but his main arc here boils down to "tell Poppy how he feels about her" (and the two things he has to overcome are his own insecurity and Poppy not listening). So yeah, World Tour could happen without Branch, maybe.

It's when we get to Band Together that things get... well, there's a reason I'm typing this ask out instead of leaving this whole thing as just a silly thought experiment. And this movie is the main reason for that. Because you'd expect this to be the movie that's most affected by Branch's absence, right? I mean, it's all about Branch! He reunites with his brothers! We get more backstory and trauma for him! Branch Branch Branch!

Except... Branch doesn't really drive the plot, does he? It's the twins kidnapping Floyd and sending a letter to John Dory, and then John Dory actually caring enough (or maybe just caring about image, who the hell knows with JD) to go investigate and then bring everyone together for Floyd's sake. Branch and Poppy get swept along for the ride. And sure, Branch is the one to figure out they can use Clay's old "funderdrawers" (🤢) to track Clay down, and he certainly pulls his weight in the climax, but other than that? He's practically an accessory in what should by all accounts be his movie. Bruce and Clay were going to jump right in to try and save Floyd the moment they found out; Branch wasn't needed to convince them (hell, not even John Dory being John Dory would have really stopped them, either). The only part where Branch was essential was in the climax, because John Dory's dumbass got everyone else caught, and because they needed all the brothers for the harmony. But if Branch is dead/nonexistent? They didn't need to seance Rosiepuff's ghost to pull off the harmony—hell, even when the brothers all thought she was still alive/weren't actively aware that she's dead they didn't once mention her as someone they'd need to bring along! So if Branch is dead/never existed, then he's not needed for the harmony at all!

It's just. It's so interesting, I guess, when you look at Branch's role in all three movies right next to each other. He goes from being essential to the first movie to maybe being crucial in the climax of the second, to only really being necessary in the climax of the third! Oh, sure, he gets his brothers back, and Viva and Poppy reunite (which is honestly much more important tbh), but was Branch really necessary for any of that? He only ever knew his brothers for a few years at best, when they all had one to two decades with each other! Poppy got pushed to the side for a movie that Branch didn't even really star in, and didn't need to star in! What is this franchise!!!

So yeah tl;dr if Branch never existed or killed himself before the movies then Poppy dies to the fuzzy spiders or takes Creek and then takes the Snack Pack and leaves without making peace with the Bergens or goes gray in the pot and her people go gray with her and doesn't get her colors back and everything spirals from there, but at least the rest of Brozone still have a decent chance at saving Floyd!

Wow that is certainly an essay! 😭

But yeah it is interesting to see how branchs influence on these movies changes from film to film

Tho trolls 3 while focused on him is less abt how he drives the plot and more abt how he is personally emotionally effected by its events so i can forgive him being less proactive for most of it, and like yeah they COULD do the harmony without him but lets be real do you think any of them would have even attempted to do that at that point without branch leading the song?

More than likely i think floyd would have died at the end of v and vs performance which would likely have made them all lose hope.

Otherwise i pretty much agree i think

[spaceratprodigy]

OC Superlatives Tag Game

Thank you for the tag @the-lastcall 💖💫

The Favorite

I don't think this comes as a surprise to anyone. Faith is so very dear to me she is quite literally a part of myself. She brings me so much comfort and has been an outlet for me for the past like? 3 years?? Gosh look at how far she's come. She helps remind me that everything is going to be okay.

The Oldest

While technically I have some ocs that are even older than her, Cookie is my first self insert lmao. Nowadays I don't think any but a couple of y'all would even know who she is and that makes me a lil sad! She's very special to me and was very beloved by people who meant a lot to me. Very few know me and her story well enough to see how on the nose it is an escape from my own life. Not shown here but she has burn scars on her right wrist/forearm. An exaggeration of my own burn scar in the same place. Cookie has always been there as a way to not feel alone, to see myself in someone who has been through similar experiences and made it out through the other side. To remember why it's so important to keep fighting.

The Newest

Okay maybe not the newest.. but Iris is the newest oc I've actually been putting a lot of time and love and effort into! I love her a lot! I know I still don't talk abt her as in depth as I would like to but I swear she's got more going on than I share. I just can't help wanting to draw her so self-indulgently full of love all the time, it makes me happy to have silly fun! I really really have been meaning to doodle her more vulnerable and serious moments because she's got a lot of grief in her heart she isn't letting out.

The Meanest

I suppose she was going to have to make her debut sooner or later.. okay but I genuinely don't have much to say abt Poppy. She's been a priv exclusive oc for a lil while and she's not developed.. like.. at all.. I ramble about her a LOT but I'm also literally every day scrapping everything bc my ideas are constantly changing so she's fr not ready yet lmao. Even I don't fully know what her deal is yet! But I can confirm she is the most ruthless (should I admit she's my lowkey nuka-world raider oc I made specifically to fuck Porter Gage nasty as hell likeeeee)

The Softest

Maril is my BABY!! She does not have a mean bone in her body and the closest she'll ever get is when she's defending her friends! She's so generous, she wants to help others any chance she gets and sees the best in everyone.

The Most Standoffish/Aloof

Faith is quite reserved, honestly. Becoming Captain wasn't exactly the life she chose for herself but it was the role she had to take on. For Phin, for her crew, for Halcyon, it was something she would grow to take seriously in time. She doesn't like to let on just how stressed and overwhelmed she is until she crashes and burns and has to be forced to rest before her stomach ulcer incapacitates her (speaking from experience, it's excruciating). When allowed to, she's pretty quiet and keeps to herself. She was never exactly the most social person and struggled to maintain any sort of relationship with anybody. She'll eventually warm up to her crew and come out of her shell. Sometimes you just need to meet the right band of misfits who get you.

The Smartest

I swear this isn't just me tooting my own horn. I genuinely built her character favoring her intellect and charm. Her highest levels were in engineering, science, and medical. She's got a head on her shoulders, and she's often pretty lost in it. Faith loves to build and tinker with things and loves reading and learning as much as she can. One her own comforts, really. Maril and Iris aren't necessarily too far off on this one, Faith just has a little more under her belt. (Maril is also dedicated almost exclusively to being a gummi ship mechanic and Iris is best at carpentry!)

The Dumbest

Poppy is by no means a moron and shouldn't be underestimated. But her skills and knowledge are very strong in fighting and survival. She does however qualify as my dumbest oc here because.. she was my melee heavy idiot savant build! Girl never at any point got a single level put into her INT lmao.

The One I'd be Friends With

Hands down Maril would be the bestest friend I could ask for. She would be so sweet and considerate and let's be real.. I'd want to also work on the gummi ships with her. I love my gals but I just know Maril would be a ray of sunshine and a great friend. She'd also love to listen to me talk abt all my own projects and we could build so many cool things together..

[incendio22]

FOR THE HOPE OF IT ALL

Pt 2 Chapter 8: Anonymous

I wake up feeling uneasy. Something about last night is bothering me, but I can't place what it is that is feeling off. I remember kissing Garreth, trying to kiss Sebastian, having a decent date with Garreth. Nothing should make me feel bothered, except potentially the part where Sebastian didn't kiss me. But I think it was for the better since I didn't do it because I wanted to kiss him, but because I wanted to see if there were any fireworks. I shrug it off, telling myself that I will probably feel sparks with Garreth if I kiss him enough times.

I'm meeting Poppy later to tell her everything about the date. In all honesty, I think she might be more excited to hear about it than I was going on it. But she is an excited person in general, so that makes sense. I'm conflicted because the thing about yesterday that I feel most excited about is the fact that I finally got to tell Sebastian exactly how much I despise him. And why. It felt so good to get it out, but I'm also confused why it makes me feel so excited. It feels forbidden, which makes it feel almost mysterious. For probably the 100th time I ask myself if it makes any sense to desperately want someone you hate.

I meet Poppy close to the forest, where we sit down on the slightly moist ground. The sun is shining, which it has been for the last days to my surprise, and I lay back to catch as many rays of sun as possible.

''So,'' she says in a voice that indicates that she is eager for details. ''How did it go?''

''It was alright,'' I tell her. ''We went to The Three Broomsticks and I took him on a ride on my broom. Then we went to a party.''

''Honestly Y/n,'' she says in a serious tone. ''I don't really want to know what you did, but rather how it was.''

''Well,'' I start, conflicted about what I should answer. ''It was nice. We kissed and that was nice, too. But no fireworks like I used to feel with Sebastian.''

She smiles, as if she knows something I don't. Her face quickly goes back to rather serious.

''Does that trouble you?'' she asks, tilting her head.

''A little,'' I admit.

''I'm no expert,'' she says in a soft voice. ''But I can imagine that you feel more intensely for some people, and less for others. And that it's not always a bad thing.''

''What do you mean?'' I ask and make a confused face.

''Well,'' she starts. ''That just because you didn't feel fireworks it doesn't mean there will never be a spark. That you can like him without fireworks.''

''That doesn't make sense,'' I tell her, even more confused than before.

''It does!'' she argues. ''Some people are fireworks and others are campfires. They are both beautiful, but they make you feel different.''

''That was an awful metaphor,'' I say with a laugh.

''It was not!'' she argues with a laugh. ''Milena was a firework, too. But I think campfires are more my thing. You just need to make up your mind on what's yours.''

I nod and finally understand her metaphor. It does make sense, but I don't like what she said because it makes me more confused. It would be so much easier if she just said that if there's no fireworks, it's not meant to be.

''We need to find you someone new,'' I tell her with a smirk.

''You know I don't do well with people,'' she says in a frustrated tone. ''It was better when it was just me and Highwing. No feelings hurt, just happiness.''

''I would set you up with Ominis, but I think he's falling for Imelda.'' I say, trying to come up with someone fit for Poppy.

''Nah, he's not really my type,'' she says. ''I mean, Milena wasn't either. But next time I'm going to go for someone that is.''

''Please don't tell me it's an animal,'' I laugh.

When I come back to my dormitory I see a letter laying on my bed. I'm surprised, hoping that it's not another disappointing letter from Sebastian. I open it and don't recognize the handwriting.

''Y/N,

You have something that belongs to us. Meet us in the castle close to Clagmar Coast next Sunday. We will be waiting for you. If you don't show, make sure to say goodbye to the people you care about.''

I'm confused and terrified. Who would send this and why? I can't think of anything in my possession that could even be considered to belong to anyone but me. And I'm even more confused by the fact that it appears to be more than one person who thinks I owe them something. My first instinct is to tell Ominis about this, but I push the thought away and tell myself that it's most likely someone trying to pull a prank on me. A very dull one, but nonetheless a prank.

The sun is setting and I decide to head to the astronomy tower to catch a look at the sunset. Since autumn at Hogwarts normally means absurd amounts of rain, I'm determined to catch every last look of the sun I might get. The sky is a soft pink and orange color. It's like a picture. I look carefully and try my very best to remember this very moment. There is a chilly breeze, but I don't mind. I'm too captured by the gorgeous sunset.

''Hi there,'' a friendly voice says. I was so focused that I didn't even notice anyone coming up behind me. I turn around and see Garreth. ''Gorgeous, right?''

He nods towards the sunset. I nod.

''I love sunsets,'' I tell him in, staring at the sun.

''Me too,'' his voice is soft as he speaks. ''Thanks for last night, by the way. But please, don't ever take me on that broom of yours ever again.''

''That was the best part of the night,'' I argue jokingly. ''I loved hearing you scream like a child behind me,''

''Oh, that wasn't me,'' he jokes. I look at him, he looks too kind for this world. ''And my best part of the night was the kiss.''

I had completely forgotten about that part as I was looking at the sunset and thinking about the broom ride. I feel terrible for forgetting and I'm not sure how to dodge that.

''It was nice,'' I tell him in a soft voice.

He nods and raises his eyebrows, staring at the sunset. It's getting darker, but the light is still soft. All I can think about is the anonymous letter I got. Something in my gut is telling me that it's not a prank, but of course I cannot know. I feel Garreth's hand on my arm, moving closer to me. I look at him and he is already looking at me. He's leaning closer, going in for a kiss.

The sun has almost fully set and we are standing at the top of the astronomy tower, kissing. He has one hand on my cheek and I have my hands in his hair. His lips are soft and warm and he tastes like tea. This really is the perfect moment for a kiss, but I still don't feel any fireworks. I wish I could feel sparks flying, but they never come. Garreth is looking at me with kind eyes and I'm watching the last piece of the sun fade away behind the lake.

As we walk back to the common room I think about Poppy's words. Some people are fireworks and others are a campfire. However, I'm still clueless when I ask myself which one I like better. Subconsciously, I know. But nor my head or heart is aware yet. And I'm starting to feel desperate for those fireworks.

I feel like an emotional wreck. The questionable feelings for Garreth, the mixed feelings for Sebastian and the fear from the letter. There is so much going on and I wish I could find a way to make them make sense. To be an emotional wreck, but aware of your emotions, is painful. But barely even knowing what you're feeling is worse. I sit down in front of the windows facing the lake, making Anne company who is already sitting there.

''What is it with everyone and stealing my spot?'' I ask her in a friendly, but lowkey annoyed tone.

''It's a good spot,'' she says in a kind voice. ''I could spend hours here, hoping that I might see a mermaid or something.''

''Trust me,'' I tell her. ''I have spent countless hours there and I have never seen a mermaid. But we should make a rumor about it. The younger Slytherins would look like fools.''

We laugh together and look out in the lake.

''Are you going on a date with Sebastian, by the way?'' she asks me in a curious voice.

I nod and glance her way.

''Yeah, but nothing will happen,'' I let her know. ''It's just so I can get some closure.''

She nods understandingly, not taking her eyes away from the window.

''You deserve that,'' she says, sounding as if she's dreaming. ''I hope you get the closure you need to move on.''

''Weren't you trying to talk me into talking to him just like, three days ago?'' I ask her in a sarcastic tone.

She smiles.

''I was,'' she says, still sounding rather dreamy. ''But I also know what it's like to need to move on. You've been nothing but kind to me, I wouldn't want you to hold onto the pain longer than you need.''

''Oh,'' I say in a surprised voice. ''I'm not holding onto any pain. But I still want closure, so I can move on for real.''

Why would she assume I'm holding onto any pain? I may have my moments of weakness, but frankly I feel stronger than ever after what happened. I was forced to open my eyes, respect myself and my boundaries better and learn to put myself first. It wasn't easy, but I did it for me. I'm hurt by the fact that she doesn't seem to see that and I wonder how everyone else sees me, but I quickly brush away the thought since their opinions don't matter to me.

[belovecore]

Throwing my hat in the ring for an OC if you are accepting them 👀 I love a self-sacrificing character (like a paladin archetype), I also really like characters who are hiding a lot of insecurity. I also like physically strong chars! Guys or ladies either's good

oh boy, oh boy-

i don't know if this is cheating but this guy is fair game-

this is Rocket, more well known as Rocket Pop Prime (no he didn't want to go by Popimus or Rockimus, but a lot of his comrades call him 'Poppy' sometimes)

here's some stuff i wrote for his bio:

rocket is a 'prime' for good reason, he is dedicated to the autobot cause and sacrificed so much for the greater good as needed. this is not without unfortunate loss, rocket has lost not only so many comrades over the years but also a very close sparkmate and chance of sparklings

to be so high up on the ladder requires so much, and as rocket is still able to keep up, he struggles and without constant alert behavior or anxiety to fuel him, he feels he will collapse and not be able to get back up.

rocket holds himself to high standards to never break down, cause if he does, his whole team fails. he fails the autobots, he fails his cause. this sort of thinking is damaging to his psyche and in turn has degraded his health in both ways.

rocket does not completely evade emotions but only sorrow, not admitting it completely for weakness but knowing that crumbling down to that state takes time to build back up. he cannot rest or take a break, that is too much of a risk for him and his team.

but he fails to realize that constantly putting too much pressure will eventually cause a collapse from stress, maybe some day he'll realize he can show his vulnerable side to his team and be accepted, knowing he doesn't have to always be strong for everyone all the time. he deserves a break and to finally stop holding everything together and let others help.

to sorta tldr;

my boy, Rocket- [ my answer to being more calm around Optimus if you will :') ]

hard working guy who has lost so much, and his answer is 'i will make sure no one else will ever have to feel the way i did, cause i know how it feels' versus the approach of 'i have been hurt and i want other to hurt and feel exactly how i did'

dude didn't ask to be a prime, if anything that gives him more anxiety, but he's quite good at hiding that sort of thing and all of his team see him as a pillar of perfection despite him having a lot of trauma and issues expressing himself

he's sweet and would put himself on the line for others, he has don that a countless amount of times

it would just do him some good to get some therapy and take a nap and like, maybe a break i suppose- he's afraid to do so since he feels everything is his fault if something goes wrong

i'm rambling but i hope that helps sum him up, unless you want me to list off random little moments i've written about him

he's holding a lot in, i remember one of my autobot ocs who isn't the best at getting her work done- rocket did his usual schtick of trying to calmly compromise, but she got quite snippy with him-

with all of that building up, he ended up just crumbling in front of her and sobbing his optics out and she freaked out- she didn't mean to literally make her leader, her prime, of all people to be sobbing in front of her because she gave him a slightly hard time

she felt bad after that but that was one of the first times i think rocket ever showed anything outside of his usual hero and leader role

he showed he was a normal mech who has his own problems and imperfections despite how much he tried to hold them in

[hellmouth-manor]

of Angels and Devils || Trial 2.2 || Hisashi || RE: Cedric || ATTN: Alou

"Sometimes I dream of the lines on your face."

While listening to Cedric, it would be easy to miss the way Hisashi's gaze has sharpened-- the smile across his face widened-- his tail thrashing faster back and forth behind him--

For once, there is a gleam in his eyes, wild and bright and hungry.

"Each gaunt stretch holds a sorrow I wish I could carry. I am sorry that I must be one of them, but I hope that I might be the line that kisses the corner of your eye, ready to catch the tears that will never fall."

Some may recognize the letter that Hisashi diligently quotes. Those who care more about the privacy of others may not. There is drama to his inflection, care put into each recited word that does not belong to him. Having a memory as good as his has always come in handy.

"Until the next time... ton Alouette fugace."

Hisashi leans forward on his podium, grip tight enough that his claws scratch and dig into its surface.

The character breaks, and he barks out a scratchy laugh.

"Aha! Alouette-- that's a lark. Brown and white, just like that feather. God, you're just so fucking obnoxious!"

He is, of course, staring directly at Alou.

"Cedric is right, of course-- and I think this part is important enough to bear repeating. You're the only person here that Poppy would listen to. It's as simple as that.

"So, which is it, Alou? Did your stupid dog get ahead of itself? Did Wakako catch you by surprise when she didn't just roll over and die for you like a good little girl?"

Hisashi releases his podium, grinning as he lifts his hands up at his sides in an open gesture.

"And honestly, I would have thought Poppy could cleave a head off in one blow! Was the knife dull, or did they just hold her still while you hacked away at her? Oh-- or maybe she brought it herself because she knew better than to trust you after all! Grandfather Death really was a good pick, I must admit."

He laughs again, full and clawing its way from his throat the same way it had done during his own trial. This time, however, there's something a bit more like genuine mirth to it.

"I mean, the symbolism of it all! The book, the hair, the collar-- what a pompous fucking prick! Ah-- but, hey! What else should I expect from the self-righteous, arrogant bastard that would call himself an angel? 

A reference that goes ununderstood by everyone else in the room.

The two stand face to face in an empty department store. Hisashi insists they are both as wrong as the other; Alou rejects the claim wholly, as demons and angels, while neither human, are not the same.

The demon between them now stands vindicated--

And it shows.

"Oh, it must have felt so good this whole time, watching all of your little birds flock to you for comfort every time they needed to cry, didn't it? God-- you're, like, actually so fucking annoying it's unreal, aha! And you know the worst part, Alou? Self-important assholes are a dime a dozen."

He lowers his hands, leaning forward on his podium again. The grin on his face has only gotten worse the more he's spoken.

What he doesn't say aloud is just how much of this is to poke and prod beneath the other's skin. He knows this game. He knows it well.

And he knows that people slip up the most when they're angry.

"Brings to mind a certain Doctor I've heard about with a name like yours. The ironic staging, the surgical precision... But I'm probably not the best suited to talk about that part."

Finally, Hisashi's gaze breaks away from Alou--

Just long enough to glance at Sapphire with a wink. Okay. Thanks. And then it's back to Alou, whom Hisashi regards with a light, cheeky shrug.

"I mean, unless you can think of someone else your darling Coquelicot would plan a murder with~?"

[fallenstar193]

Welcome Home OC Cataleya

Age: 20

Occupation: Doctor

Nickname: Cat

Personality: Cataleya’s personality is, ironically, one of the most normal and down-to-earth compared to most of the others. Although she was fairly emotionless in her early life, she has since developed a much more defined personality as she spent more time with her friends and neighbors. She is generally a confident and optimistic individual although she is not without her insecurities. Her concerns are about how people will react to her mismatched eyes. When she first arrived in the neighborhood  Cataleya had tended to avoid most people as some reacted shocked upon realizing she had strange eye colors. However, she has recently begun opening up more to people as she encounters others who are not only accepting of her but also shared the same story just like her. Therefore Cataleya embraced who she is and is fully happy with her life for now. 

Background: So for here Cataleya is basically from another town. She moves to the new neighborhood and becomes comfortable. Finding it much nicer then the last town she was in. Cataleya takes this moment to come out of her shell more and be social towards others. [It's not super detail but it's what I can think of for the time being. I'll add unto it later]

Likes: Enjoys helping those who are in need, shopping for new outfits, sewing but her favorite is making blankets, peppermint tea, baking, rain, gardening since she has one at her home, singing, jogging during mornings, and star gazing in secret since strangely night time no one is never out. 

Dislike: Having cold water immediately on her skin, ginger, waking up morning but hey work calls so she pushes through, dancing in public since she becomes a nervous wreck, blazing heat, betrayal, and carrots 

Trivia: 

Barnaby is someone she truly looks at as her best friend. Always inviting him over especially when she bakes new treats. Though she doesn't completely tell him her true thoughts, not knowing a reason why. 

Eddie is someone she sees as a funny man, helping him when he accidentally makes a fall. At times she would nudge him on in talking more to Frankie. Encouraging the man to follow his heart. 

Howdy is the only person she would confine her deepest thoughts to. Especially with difficult choices she feels conflicted to follow through. Because the two formed a good bond, at times he would allow her a free item from his shop. 

Frank and Cataleya have a good relationship as friends. And she admits Frank is the best guy to study with, even to gain new knowledge about a thing or two with him.

Julia is a ray of sunshine in Cataleya’s eyes and feels a sibling bond with the girl. Like a little sister she never once had. Causing some mischief together despite Cataleya taking the blame if they are caught. 

Poppy is someone Cataleya considers like a mom figure. And enjoys coming over for the food she makes.

Wally is quite an interesting topic for Cataleya for she finds him to be quite a loyal friend. Knowing him for so long that deep down there is more. A conflicting emotion tugs at her heart...perhaps it is a crush that Howdy once told her. Who knows it's a mystery to her. 

Cataleya worries about giving kisses since she worries her horn might stab the other person she likes.

Oddly she finds fire to be beautiful since it's unleashed and wild. Like a blooming flower. 

Musically she is a master with violins and pianos

Her name means orchid or pure

Funny enough her favorite flowers are orchids.

Cataleya does have miss match eyes, one is yellow and the other is purple 

Instead of pinky promises Cataleya likes to press her forehead against someone’s forehead. This is her version of making promises.

She's a unicorn 

Her character lesson it's about helping others when in need and about self-acceptance

[brainmaniaman]

Toxic Craigslist!Roomate Eren/Reader (Headcannons)

I SENT THESE TO MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE ACCOUT @ringpop-poppy AND THEY LIKED THESE HEADCANNONS A LOT, SO I'M GOING TO POST THESE HEADCANNONS ON MY TUMBLR. IF YOU WANT QUALITY, AND I MEAN Q U A L I T Y, SHIT PLEASE ON GOD FOLLOW THEM. I am crying and throwing my hands on the table, I cannot express to you how good their account is. I will say this until the moment I DIE they are the BEST blog on this site. Thank u.

so my friend and i were shooting off some headcannons and we came up with this idea and one second i just need a moment to recuperate myself and that's super shitty NIGHTMARE craigstlist roommate eren yeager and when i tell you it has RUINED my life i mean it has RUINED my life.

so like imagine, you're hard up for a roommate and so you hit up craiglist b/c you know the state of the economy is absolute SHIT and you are kind of in a rush. you end up moving into this two bedroom apartment with some dude on craigslist (eren) whose roommate just moved out.

you don't know it but eren can't keep a roommate to save his LIFE. it's because he's just such an AWFUL roommate. like plays videogames all day. homie has a shit ton of money but literally NOBODY knows where it comes from or where he works. he just disappears and comes back he says it's "work" but never actually says where he works.

throws his feet up on the coffee table and shit, doesn't wipe off his feet when he comes into the apartment, leaves cups out, just does not pick up after himself. eats the last bit of your food but gets mad when you do the same to him, uses your extra toothbrushes, just overall leaves a mess.

the worst part? his room is IMMACULATE. he is FULLY capable of keeping clean, he just likes to crack open a can of whatever the fuck he drinks on the couch, throw his feet up on the table, and watch you bend over and pick up stuff in an angry huff with very steely eyes. this man's eyes are on you ALL the time.

for the most part u put up w/ it because you're just that hard up for a roommate, but the final straw is when he leaves his dishes in the sink for like a week straight

you storm from the kitchen into the living room in an absolute angry huff, face scrunched up from anger, and start just laying into him about doing the fucking dishes like "it's just not that hard!"

the entire time you're raving, he just sits back - hands behind his head. "you done?"

stands up, puts all the dishes up - in a way that you HATE that's not even CORRECT because he has studied the way that you put up the dishes like in the few months he's made living for you hell he has picked up on your small habits.

now he's sitting down on the couch again and you're still ranting and raving at him. he looks super pissed off now.

also did i mention the sexual tension between u two is IMMACULATE?

while you're in the middle of raving, kicks over his soda that's on the table and gets it all over the carpet.

now you're pissed and just raving and bitching. because who the fuck does that?

pushes u on ur knees, bends you over, presses his cock into your ass and keeps u there for a second - grabs a rag from the table, stuffs it in ur mouth, and know what this fucker says?

"clean it up. you might want to get further on your hands and knees -" presses his cock into you, which is obviously very hard against u, "make sure to get nice and deep in there"

leaves to go to his room leaving u shook as fuck. obviously u clean it up b/c holy fuck

tension builds up over the next several weeks and u get closer to levi and erwin, ur local next door gays (or roommates, depending on if u ship them or not). levi won't admit it but he loves u a lot and so does erwin.

eren being really unhappy b/c ur spending so much time with the next door neighbors and not letting him terrorize you

starts banging on levi's door one day, demanding to know where u r. levi answers the door. obviously he can see you over levi's short ass head but homie is a real one and is like "she's not here"

"i can see her she's right -"

levi wacks eren several times with the broom until he goes away.

so u come in late that same night and homie is seething. this is where the sexual tension BUSTS.

so u open the fridge bc you're looking for water, right, bent over and he comes in b/c he heard u come in (he's been waiting for u to come back all night).

very stealthily slips behind you, presses his crotch against ur ass, and gives a nice comfortable shove - wedging u in the fridge

reaches over u, his chest pressed against u, grabbing the water you wanted.

sits there with his crotch pressed into u, slowly drinking the water while ur sitting there, squirming, trying to press ur way out of the fridge, but his hips have you pinned there. u don't know why ur turned on but holy HELL you're turned on. ur pressing ur ass into him and everything, trying to grind into him a bit. you claim to do it b/c ur trying to push him off but he knows why you're really doing it. the entire time u r stuck there, water from the shelf above is just dripping on you. it's cold as fuck bro and ur nipples? hard b/c it's cold.

gets halfway through the water and go "i don't think i want to drink it anymore" dumps the other half of the water on u.

you are dripping in water, t-shirt clinging to u. homie is marveling at how tight ur shirt is clinging to you, how cold you r when ur shivering.

pulls you up by the neck from behind and closes the fridge so he can press u against it

he's whispering in ur ear, asking if u had fun fucking the neighbors b/c "you seem like the kind of slut who would enjoy something like that". it's not like that at all but homie is a jealous guy.

oh yeah did i mention he's a jealous guy?

has his fingers in his mouth while he fucks you from behind for the first time, head pressed against your work schedule that's pinned to the fridge, asking you a slew of shit like

"do you like that?"

"i bet you like cleaning up after me like a lil maid"

i mean he is absolutely ROCKING you against that fridge, fingers in your mouth snapping his hips against urs

"you've just been playing coy w me the entire time, i bet u've been thinking about this for months - i know you have. i can see the way u bend over to put on a show for me when you clean up after my mess like a good lil housewife. good girls just don't wear panties like that and bend over not expecting to get fucked. bet you been waiting for this, dirty whore" ext. ext. ext.

thank u for ur time.

[slashingdisneypasta]

Omggg I love your responce so much XDD

I love the idea of Bugs fucken Bunny (The David Bowie of Toon Town) realising Pops is Bi before even she does 🤣 I cant see him outright TELLING her, but I can s o see him giving her the side eye or looking straight into the camera all the time if they watch Snow White, or if Bugs met Shiny, or the topic just came up?? XDD Maybe getting frustrated whenever she gets c l o s e to having a realisation and admitting it, but doesn't XD

Imagine Bugs and Shiny both exchanging a look over Poppy's head if she ever introduced the Guy She's Dating, Bugs Bunny, to her best friend Shiny, like- I don't know you but I know you KNOW. And Shiny kinda hoping that being with Bugs will help Poppy realise it. He could be good for her. But if he hurts her she's gonna gut him, even if he is a fellow Bisexual Icon. Or a famous person. Fuck him.

Imagine she doesn't come out or even realise it while they're together, but years later Poppy kinda mentions it quietly to him during a casual catch-up coffee, saying she probably wouldn't know herself so well if she hadn't known him and thank you or something. He gets out the confetti🎉 and gives her a big hug. FINALLY, kid!!

And- oh my god, all of Poppy's love interests reactions to Bugs flirting are the BEST!! XDD YOU DONT KNOW HOW MUCH I N E E D A BUGS VS BEN CARTOON. OH MY GOD. I NEED BUGS TO BE SO MEAN TO HIM AND STEAL THE GIRL XD I can hear the 'this means war' already XD So perfect, oh my godddd XDD Here are Kingston, Rena and Ryan's! ❤💙💛(Yes I am totally interested in Poppy/Ryan XD I'm interested in a l l of the possibilities XD )

Kingston: Bugs Bunny is probably one of the people that make King feel stupid and Less Than (You know how like Shiny and Jewel would tease him??). King's a very prideful person and can get very hot headed. Y'know... kinda like... Daffy Duck?? 👀 Or Yosimite Sam?? 👀And well you know how those interactions generally go XD Lets just hope King doesn't 'I can only do it once' himself.

Afterwards he would never admit to Poppy that he felt insecure, just say that the bastard annoyed him, but she'll know. He's b a d at masking his insecurities.

Rena: I hope Bugs is prepared, because Rena is probably about as tricky as he is. And a lot meaner.

And she's even more insecure then King.

Ryan: 'Bugs Bunny came into the shop?... What's Up Doc- that guy?... he said what about your smile?... Baby your smile is cute, but that guy is flirting with you. Uhuh.'

The next day Ryan comes to work with Poppy and wonders around until Bugs shows up, then just... you know... subtly introduces himself... and his Gun.

XD Ryan's perfectly secure, but like Wheezy- he don't trust that damn rabbit at all. Ryan doesn't trust anyone coming into Poppy's life until he's done a background check- And sometimes even after that. So good luck Bugs.

I was re-reading our conversations related to Ben, and with the Toon Patrol VS Looney Toons posts you made, it got me thinking. Imagine if Bugs Bunny met and/or flirted with Poppy!

I'm guessing maybe they could've met at Poppy's work, with Bugs needing some kind of suit for an event or new show (I think I remember him in a maestros suit?). Or, if Stu is a fan of Warner Brothers, Poppy could take him to a meet and Greet! (I need to write more for Pop and Stu. They are so precious 🥹). But either way, I can imagine Poppy being shocked if the celebrity starts to flirt with her! Though maybe a part of her feels charmed, too. It's not everyday a star takes an interest in you (though, of course, if she's dating already she'll kindly turn him down ^^)

Imagine how the other weasels would react to this! Omg especially Psycho. Imagine if Poppy isn't even dating one (or two *cough*) of them. If so, maybe Bugs can charm her into a date?? Imagine Smartass getting all huffy she's dating an elite (he doesn't want to lose his friend). Imagine if they're crushing on her, they try to sabotage the date! I'm sorry, I've been buzzing about this for a bit XD

Ngl... I may or may not have a few thoughts related to Poppy x Bugs already 😅😅😅😅 he's the best of both worlds! Charmibg when he needs to be, and a cunning jerk.

I NEED TO KNOW ALL OF POPPY'S BOYFRIENDS REACTIONS TO BUGS FLIRTING WITH HER!! XDD I'm sure Ben takes it badly XD But how about Henry? Does he feel defensive?? Yes he's very charming- but no one's more charming then Bugs Bunny XD It would be so fun to see him get all protective over Poppy XDD

And yes- Bugs has all kindsof costumes, suits included!! XD I can totally see Poppy becoming Bugs' favourite seamstress! Imagine he goes to her all the time, even after she politely turns him down (Or... they dated once or twice, decided there was nothing between them, and parted amicably?? And she's still his favourite seamstress! So Poppy has this very famous, very mischievous ex who still hangs around that all her future boyfriends have to find out about and put up with XD). Imagine him introducing her to the Evil Queen later on XD He wants to do something nice for her for doing so much work for him over the years... and he also wants to see her all flustered XD What? He's a stinker XD

OH IMAGINE BUGS BEING ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO REALISE/FIND OUT POPPY'S BI. LIKE, HE SORT OF GETS A VIBE FROM HER, AND SINCE HE'S VERY PUBLICALLY OUT HIMSELF, WHEN HE ASKS HER SHE DOESNT IMMEDIATELY SHUT HIM DOWN. ... AND THEN HE INTRODUCES HER TO HILDA. He doesn't attempt to out her or anything, keeps the secret with grace (He's not THAT kinda stinker.), but that doesn't mean he doesn't lightly tease her.

But I'm getting off topic XD Anyway- I love this idea so much XDD I wish i could give you the weasels individual reactions to Poppy and Bugs dating but my brain is just ot working that way today- but rest assured it would be hilarious XD And Greasy and Psycho would for sure be the ones trynna sabotage it.

Wheezy s e e m s chill... but he doesn't trust this rabbit at-fucken-all. He knows his politics; he watches the most TV of the group 🤣 He's the one Poppy told where she was going, thinking she could trust him, and he told Greasy and Psycho- knowing they'd go and keep an eye on her at the very least XD Anything else they do?? Thats just a bonus. "Stu are ya sure ya don't wanna go with them?"

[bunk12bear]

Attening the dead

Not the best title i must admit, im open to sugestions. anyway I saw a tiktok about how Madam Pomfey was likely the one to declare the dead after the battle and thst got me thinking. Most of the people who died had likely been patients of hers at one point so i wrote this. I realise now I forgot sbout snape but I dont like him so meh. Fair waning this one is SAD.

trigger warnings grief, blood, death of a minor, discusion of injuries war and death.

Poppy Pomfrey didn't sign up to be a war medic. When she had been hired to be matron of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry she hoped to avoid some of the grizzlier aspects of healing. The first war had been devastating of course, losing so many of her former students had taken a toll but even through the worst of that war she never imagined the conflict would end up in the school she loves so much.

The dead are everywhere, laying amongst the rubble that used to be the Great Hall surrounded by their weeping friends and family. She stedies herself for a moment. Rationally she knows it's her job to attend to the dead but that doesn't make it any easier.

The first body she attends to is Colin Creevy, still only sixteen. If it weren't for the blood matted into his blond hair you might think he was asleep, he looks so very young at this moment.

She remembers 5 years before when he had been discovered petrified, his precious camera still in his hands. She remembered the letter she had sent his parents promising them that he would be safe, that Hogwarts wasn't normally this dangerous. She didn't think she'd ever hated being wrong more in her entire life. She hoped the bad news wouldn't be delivered via a letter again, they deserve to learn of their son's death in person, especially because they likely haven't seen him in months.

She moved on, winding her way through the wreckage, stopping to confirm what most of the weeping witches and wizards already knew. She hated seeing them all in pain; nearly every combatant at the Battle of Hogwarts had been a student during her time at the school and although she considered herself A top-notch Healer, she couldn't do anything about death or grief.

When she sees the body of Fred Weasley she nearly drops to her knees. Given their reckless nature, the Weasley twins had been frequent patients of hers. The only thing worse than Fred's too still body is George. He's sitting there, Fred's head in his lap absentmindedly stroking his hair. Tears slip slowly down his face, his eyes as dull and lifeless as his twin's.

She remembers the very first time Fred had ended up in the hospital wing. A prank had gone wrong and he would need to spend the night, just to make sure he was fine.

Both boys' demeanor changed instantly. Fred's injury had not stopped them from laughing and joking but the moment they found out that they would have to be sleeping separately the smiles dropped off their faces.

George's eyes begin to well with tears, "Wait does that mean I'm going to have to go back to my dorm without him?" He had asked, his voice shaky.

"I'm afraid so, only patients after hours" she had replied putting a hand on the 11 year old's shoulder.

"But that's not fair," Fred had protested, "We've never slept apart, never ever!" He looked over at his twin who is still doing his best not to cry, "can't you  bend the rules this once there's an empty bed right there I promise I'll be on my best behavior." 

She likely could have but  both boys needed the sleep and she knew from their dorm mates that they had a tendency to keep each other up.

George had been there first thing in the morning bouncing on his toes nervously. Both twins were overjoyed when she told them that Fred was being discharged relieved at the thought they wouldn't have to spend another night apart.

She thought again about those little boys so worried about the prospect of sleeping in separate rooms, now they would never share a room ever again; the thought felt a bit like a stab to the heart.

She goes through the motions quickly and efficiently with Fred not wanting to keep George from his brother's body.

Nymphadora Tonks or was it Lupin now was another frequent visitor. She was clumsy, enthusiastic and, much like the Weasley twins, had a tendency towards mischief.

Her very first visit to the hospital wing had happened within days of her arrival to Hogwarts. She had been slightly too enthusiastic getting something out of her trunk and smacked herself right in the nose with the lid. Eventually the girl had ended up in the hospital wing with so many minor injuries that Pomfry had hunted down all of her friends to teach them how to cast episkey, a spell she had used so many times that morning that it had long since stopped sounding like a word.

While it had been gut-wrenchingly heartbreakingly difficult to attend to any of the dead the worst was the man laying next to Dora.

She had taken care of Remus Lupin once a  month for seven years, even coming to his home after every summer full moon. She had spent many an hour carefully tending to his wounds hidden away from the prying eyes of his curious classmates.

She had adored him when he was a student. She knew she shouldn't pick favorites but even if he hadn't had to visit her Hospital Wing once a month he would probably still be one of hers. He was sweet, kind and smart but with a wicked mischievous streak. She remembers the impish sparkle in his eyes one day in 1975 when he had revealed to her that he had replaced Cassius Nott's writing set with Zonko's invisible ink quills.

Then there was the year he spent as defense against the dark arts teacher. In her opinion he was by far the best person in the position in years, decades even though she might be biased. That year she had not only helped him after the full moon , an easier prospect with the invention of wolfsbane potion, but they had built a real friendship. They had tea in her office every week and frequently chatted at the staff table. She had hoped that after the war, if the whole Voldemort cursing the position business was true,he might return for a permanent position on the Hogwarts staff. Now that would never happen.

She took a moment to run her thumb along the scars on his face one last time before moving on with her solemn duty.

[yanderenightmare]

hie!!! just read you're dragon warrior bakugo where he turn into a literal golden dragon, DUDE it was so dark and so poetic I loved it, pleeeaase part two?

I’ve actually had this in the works for some time but didn't think that many were interested hehe, thanks for proving me wrong<3

dragon warrior king ! BAKUGO KATSUKI

goodiebag WARNINGS: trauma, slavery, kidnapping, condescension, anxiety

PART ONE

MUTE AND NUDE - PART TWO

THE KING AND HIS NEW TOY

Floating, flying, dreaming. She felt reality tug at her every now and again, trying to pull her into consciousness, however she was pleasantly drifting with her eyes tightly locked. The smell of mountain daisies in the breeze, she could almost taste the salt of the sea that wafted up there, not entirely sure it was all in her mind. How she wished to see the sea up close once, and not just from afar. To feel the sand between her toes, to laugh nervously at the vastness of it all, all the secrets buried down there, sometimes washing up on the shore like treasure. Her vision trailed the stripe of sand she could spot from her village in the mountains, suddenly imagining herself down there, with a great shadow looming above, the water turning red and thick and boiling before catching fire, she heard screams, cries, the smell of metal and the taste of death, death, death.

She awoke abruptly. Flailing in the air like some knocked lantern. The pixies dodging her kicks and whips, holding onto the gems and paints midair. Currently hand sewing her customized dress, bejeweled with rhinestones and gold, cold smooth brushed lining her skin with art. 

They knew the procedure, Bakugo had a new toy, and she were to be dressed accordingly; royally. 

The pixies swung around her like bees around their beehive, small squeaky voices simmering about and buzzing in her ears. One caught her eye and her flailing subdued then, as the tiny brown-haired brown-eyed fairy blew sickly-sweet dust into her face, nerves somehow forcefully brought to their knees. “I’m sorry.” It seemed to her that the utterance had multiple meanings, as the look on the fairy’s face contorted into one of deep sorrow, as though in mourning for  the unfortunate soul that had fallen into Bakugo’s greedy attention.

Not much dawned on poor girl after that, and if it did, she didn't seem to mind the foreign things happening around her. How she was fussed around with, spoiled even, with flowers and gems and fabrics, unlike anything she’d ever seen before. Fitted to perfection and adorned with a small tiara made up of flowers, poppies if she were to guess with the limited knowledge she had through books, as the harsh environment of the mountain doesn't allow for such frail things to grow.

Her doe eyes; softly fluttering every now and again, barely even feeling it, when her feet hit the ground, still bare. Perhaps she didn’t even realize they belonged to her, seeing how they were robbed of their red mud and clay. More and more, steadily coming back to her senses, she remained calm under the pressure of her strange surroundings. Creatures she’d never known existed, colors she hadn’t ever laid eyes on, perfumes that stung her nose in a pioneering act. She remembered death, she remembered fire, and the burning cold of sharp, deadly eyes. She feared that it was those same red eyes she was being prepared for.

Her mouth remained shut. Her silence casting a confusing spell onto the guards, however unaffected the busy pixies swirling about her in a working frenzy. The sounding of a horn didn’t shake her either, however seemed to dismiss the ones nitpicking at her ensemble, as well as signal the guards.

They didn't touch her, but their eyes did well in escorting her to the havoc outside. She didn't see much except for fire and shadow. Yet, mismatched tones of gold seemed to unsettle her even more than the different shades of red. 

She was guided to his side, gestured to sit down on the throne next to his. She didn't faze too much upon her surroundings, managing to keep somewhat of a respectable composure, even as girls and boys from her village caught her eye. They hadn’t murdered everyone it seemed, not the pretty ones at least. They were putting on a show, inexperienced in the art of dance, but no less amusing to the hooded ravagers, she guessed.

She held her tongue and assumed an aura of harmony, therefore not accepting anything given to her. Drink, food, trinkets, they were swarming her as if she were some shrine. She supposed she, more or less, was just that, which was more than what she had been before, but somehow less at the same time. 

The nerves trembled beneath her skin, as she did her best to calm her frightened state. She searched the spread sprawled out before her, wanting to accommodate to the new scenery. However, it proved to be quite difficult, as she felt the intense stare of the boy on her right, his eyes singeing and freezing her all at once. Having not dared look to him yet, the pressure of meeting those eyes of his, too much of a scare.

Sharp jewels stuck into her skin, and although she was used to gravel, they still managed to achieve her discomfort. “Not enjoying yourself?” 

She cleaned up nicely. He could see her complexion clearly now, soft and smooth glowing skin between what raked scratched and gashes marred it. He wanted to pull Kirishima’s teeth out as punishment for biting her arm so ruthlessly, but knew that would be foolish as neither of them could have known of her importance. It could very well have been him who had printed his fangs into her, yet it would more likely have fallen off then.

It took her longer than she’d like to admit before she understood the question was meant for her, and although she could speak, the thought of answering seemed so far out of reach. She didn’t know how he would want to be acknowledged either. What do you say to a King who massacres entire civilizations? What do you even call such a person? The title tyrant came to mind, but it seemed distasteful.

Even if her hesitance angered him, he didn’t let his temper prove it. And when her eyes flickered ever so slightly in his direction, his annoyance more or less faded away; replaced. “You’re thinking of what time will be the best to escape, aren’t you?” 

The hairs on the back of her neck rose at once when she heard his voice again, realizing the moment to answer his previous question had passed, and how he, this time, was accusing her not of ingratitude, but of deserting. 

“Wondering where you will go, where you even are?” She could spot the eerie smile from the corner of her eye. At least his teeth were wiped clean of gore this time, yet… they still managed to make her ears shift in discomfort. “Hmm...” He scoffed, then chuckled a laugh that somehow sounded like thunder, like barking. “Let me help you.” 

He shifted in his seat, leaning in closer to her. His fingers grazing her forearm, causing her to lightly gasp. Claws ever so slightly digging into her skin. 

“You could make a run for it through the foliage of the trees.” She felt the earnest, wanton pressure in his touch, furrowing her brows in both confusion upon his words and in a plead for mercy. “But I should warn you... the forest is much denser and darker and deadlier here, than it is in the mountain.” His voice; so very casual in its threats, the voice of a King. “Even if I felt so generous as to give you a head start, we would probably catch you before the night let up. It wouldn't be much a game for me, but you are welcome to give it a try if you want.” He was taunting, haughty, stroking her arm... almost lovingly. “Besides, any attempt at running in that dress will be a show.” His hot breaths hit the side of her neck in waves, as she felt the still foreign need to say something linger on her tongue, but she swallowed it. “What’s your name?” This was a question she needed to answer, yet… it was also the one question she had no answer to.

“I-” 

That was the first time she’d ever spoken. Sure, she’d sung for him… but that wasn’t her, that was… something else… something inside her, her but not her at all at the same time. 

She didn’t quite know the words, know them as in being comfortable with them. She’d heard them, she knew what they were supposed to sound like, but… they still seemed so foreign on her tongue as she rolled them around in her mouth, teeth grinding together. 

To his surprise, to his complete shock, she turned her head to look at him, face wiped clean of… well… blood, and alongside what panic displayed on her features there was also a look of something he couldn’t quite place, but almost as though she was asking for his help, or his patience as she pieced together the words. He nearly gasped as she placed her small hand over the calloused knuckles of his where he was digging his fingers into her arm, the action so parallel to his intentions, looking up again to be met with her soft eyes as she spoke with even softer words. “I- I ha-ave no na-ame…” She looked awkward, as though she’d bitten her tongue and was preoccupied with the metallic taste of her own blood, looking at him, eyes asking if she were at all understandable.

“Right… no point in giving a mute a name.” His tone was brisk, without anger and it helped with establishing confidence in her as it also aided in answering her question if she was understood or not.

“Wh-” She started, this time seemingly a smidge more confident in her determination. “What do I call you?”

He would be lying if he said it didn't take him aback. And he wasn't one for telling lies.“You’re not like the others.” He announced, small quirk playing on his lips. “Katsuki.”

She was unsure whether she should give it a try or not, trying to mouth it under her breath so he not hear her. “Ka- katsu- ki.”

He gave a sound of acknowledgement, a grunt of some sorts, an eyebrow raised in suspicion at her, watching as her gaze shifted onto the ongoing festivities before the two of them, her chin slightly raising, eyes flittering to perceive things he was sure was for the first time. Her hand remained on his, velvet against sandpaper, as though she found comfort in it, a safety of some sort. He enjoyed the gesture as well as that thought; sinisterly so. Her chastity so desperate in need of corruption, in his eyes.

He made to stand, bored of the display before him. This girl posed more entertainment than anything the circus could give him. “The air is thinner in the mountains…” 

He reached out a hand, gesturing for her to take it. Reluctantly, or rather anxiously, she agreed, wondering what purpose hid in his words. 

“The change of climate will be overwhelming for you.” 

Slightly provoked by his words of condescension, she made to stand her ground, but felt an overbearing weight nest in her mind. 

“You’ll get migraines.” 

She looked confused now, staring at him, a crinkle between her brows. 

“Your body isn’t accumulated to this environment yet.” 

Her mouth suddenly felt dry, as she stumbled slightly. He locked her arm with his, helping her down from the podium. 

“The effects will come soon. Blood pooling in your feet, weighing you down and dragging you to the ground, blood leaving your head, nausea and unbalance.”

He didn’t seem all that effected by what he was saying. Not exactly nonchalant, but amused. 

“Could be you can’t even walk!” He grinned, chuckling when she whimpered, almost falling to her knees. “Your muscles, bones even, not strong enough to carry your own weight.” 

Wincing as he pulled her to a carriage. She couldn’t remember if it were the same one she woke up it. But, something about the atmosphere told her it wasn’t, something about the invasive smell of burnt sugar. 

“You’ll feel the ache in your limbs soon, gravity isn’t generous.” 

Before she knew it, she was placed in a bed, his hand stroking her cold forehead. 

“Especially when you’ve hardly ever felt the full might of its power.” He sounded sympathetic, and in her state she couldn’t tell if it were sincere or not. His hand traveled down her cheek, stroking a thumb over her lips. “There were more things I wanted to establish, but I underestimated the toll the descent would have on your health.” Scarred fingers stroked down her throat. “You’ll have to survive the sick before anything.” Tracing her collarbones. “If you’re strong, the fever will pass before we reach our destination.” Down her chest, as though holding back in savory, where if her eyes were able to focus she’d see him lick his lips. “But... the up and coming days will probably be hell for you.” 

She didn’t feel much of anything after that, except for the foreign warmth accompanying her in her slumber, two large arms tightly locked around her midriff.

[stanzoeywade]

QUEEN B GIRLS pt 3 (feat. Zoey Wade)

She is the moment, she is a masterpiece, the one and only Zoey Wade. Anyone who disagrees probably needs to wash their eyes out with bleach because by God, have you seen her? Perfection.

Now I know you're all curious as to who she is so let's get to it.

Who exactly is Miss Wade?

First of all, if you don't know who this fashionista is then you seriously need to get updated, like this isn't the 1800s boo-boo, you gotta get with the times. She's literally Belvoire's darling girl. The epitome of elegance and grace. Like, I'd kill to look like her.

She's campus royalty, the woman behind all the looks worn by her ride or die bestie Rosie Hughes. If it weren't for her, Hughes would still be donned in her tragic and ill-fitting Henley shirts. Everyone, thank Zoey for saving our souls.

Speaking of style, Zoey has never been seen wearing an attire that wasn't both classy and functional. I'm envious because her outfits look like she put it no effort yet it's still so mesmerising. Vogue could never. (calling Anna Wintour because it's an injustice that Zoey isn't a stylist for the magazine yet.)

Whilst brands are worn by the wealthy in Belvoire, I'm sorry to say that luxury items doesn't equal a sense of style, but, with Zoey, we get the best of both worlds. Everything is on point. New money or not, no one can deny her way with clothes. I mean, she's on par with her bitchiness, Poppy, who has admitted that Zoey is the only one she sees as competition on the fashion front.

In comparison to her counterparts, Zoey is the most sociable, majority - if not all - of the students know her. She's seen around campus speaking to others, and genuinely just being kind and compassionate to the others, despite her popularity. She just genuinely cares for others.

Do not mistake her kindness for patience because she's ferocious, the calm before the storm. Despite her anger, she'll kill you with kindness and even then you'll be terrified. She'll shoot you the sweetest smile that will no doubt make your skin crawl. If you're a dunce and still continue pressing her buttons then God bless your soul, and I'll see you in the pits of hell. She won't downright insult you like Poppy or Rosie. It's much more terrifying, her words will cut deep and next thing you know you're on the floor crying your eyes out. Do not mess with her or be prepared to face the consequences.

Yes, she's terrifying but her loyalty is unmatched, no one will have your back like she does. An absolute angel that Belvoire sure as hell doesn't deserve.

It's no secret that she's got an eye for fashion, but it seems like that isn't the only thing she excels at. It seems that Belvoire has a future Mozart in the making. She's a musical prodigy, a virtuoso, who has been noticed by global artist Lil Nos F himself. If you haven't heard the song by now, then what are you even doing with your life?

It's unfair, like God really seems to have his favourite and Zoey got all the good things. I either want to be her or be with her. You can hardly blame me though, she's beauty, she's grace and she can slap me in the face and I'd still say thank you.

In terms of romance, there's been rumours about her and Veronica Lombardi, Belvoire's resident influencer/heartbreaker. As much as I hate to admit it, they look like the ideal couple. Both have beauty and brains, they contrast, yet complement each other.

Can you imagine the star power from the two of them? I'd be deceased from all the bright lights shining, but it makes sense, they're always together due to their cliques merging. Romance does tend to bloom at the most inopportune times.

Overall, if you were looking for a genuinely sweet girl that will have your back no matter what, Zoey is exactly the kind of friend you need. Be careful though, you might fall, and once you do, there's no getting out.

Laters,

The T

Taglist: @somewillwin @uhh-the-green-thing @jmojellybae @simp-pony @made-me-deep-blue @uselesslesbianfr @it-lives-in-braidwood-manor @belvoiresqueenbee @alexlabhont @samanthadalton @crazzyplays @sparring-hyena @baexpoppy @cloakanddaggerthings @thepotatobleh @somin-yin @narierei2709 @shows-simp-card @thatwhorefromnextdoor @ashleyfenner @cloud9in @calraquin   @wolfietheduckyou @promisedneverwrite

A/N: tumblr u filthy whore, there's no option for gold font wtf. zoey, I'm so sorry tumblr is a bitch and didn't let me match the font with the colour used for your edit 😔 the audacity, ugh it fills me with sheer rage 🤡 anygays lol here u go zoey simps

[smallraindrops-blog]

Made To Break

Part two.

4k

Warning: noncon/dubcon sex, yandere, talk of death. No beta. Read at your own risk.

Note: never wrote something like this before. Hope it was worth wait. Let me know if you like it! Enjoy!

Time dragged on, especially without your phone. You watched the clock, not able to pay attention to anything else.

The house felt different without the god inside. Your gut had been right the first night, he had been here the whole time.

You still regretted returning Hypnos his cloak, it was the only thing keeping you warm in the drafty house. 

You debated trying to escape but you held off. Where would you even go? There was no one else who could help. Even if Hypnos was keeping you trapped, he could be the key to getting your dad back.

Also you're pretty sure Hypnos would follow you to the end of the world and then some. 

Maybe if you just play along for now, you could show him the truth later when the spell doesn't work on you and he would be forced to admit you weren't the one he was looking for. 

"Just one more day." You told yourself. 

That's what Hypnos told you, "And when time gets close to twilight, make sure you are by his side." He said, locking his cloak in place.

You agreed, "Is there anything else I could do?"

Hypnos grinned, and tapped his lip, "How about a kiss good-bye?"

You rolled your eyes at him even though you were charmed by his cheekiness and shook your head. You knew that if you responded to his flirting, it would make the letdown worse.

"Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying." Hypnos said before he vanished before your eyes. 

You had a sinking feeling of realizing that you wouldn't have been able to outrun him.

💮

It was in the middle of night during another round of tossing and turning when you realized something wasn't right. 

There was a humming under your skin, like little jolts of energies that never stop moving. 

Maybe you couldn't fall asleep due to stress or maybe you got used to Hypnos being around. He was the god of sleep, he must have played some role in helping you rest. 

You crawled out of your bed and went to the window and stared out to the backyard. Little red poppies stood out from the blanket of snow, gently swaying in the wind. 

Magic was real and Hypnos was as well, he felt human when you touched him. His grief when he talked about his lover sounded real. And he seemed hellbent making sure not to lose you.

Is it really that impossible that you were someone in a past life, a deity even? It sounded like something out of the fantasy books you read as a child.

You pressed your forehead against the cold glass, an welcomed sensation. You didn't want to admit it. Not to yourself at all. 

But something in you has changed or is changing you just don't know what yet. 

You just hope you don't lose yourself in the process.

💮

You were in line for coffee when the thought came. It was some honey glazed  pastry you just happened to notice and thought  'Hypnos would love that especially with his sweet tooth.' 

You froze, how in the world would you know that? You don't even know if the god could or want to eat. 

You rubbed your eyes, it was the lack of sleep you told yourself.

You got to the hospital at the end of dusk, a coffee and a breakfast sandwich in hand. You took a big bite, trying to finish it before getting to the elevator.

It was early but you wanted to be here, even if Hypnos couldn't help, you wanted to at least be with your dad for what time he had left. 

You slipped the coffee, grateful for the warmth. After getting in the elevator, you tabbed your foot nervously. Even the last bite of the sandwich couldn't calm your stomach. 

You almost didn't see them when you stepped out, had you not glanced to the left you would have never seen them at all.

"Mrs. Johnson?" You asked, even in your anger at your ex, you still liked their mom. She mothered everyone and she always made sure to have your favorite cookies when you visited. She turned to face you, her blonde pixie hair was unkempt. Her red and puffy eyes widened in surprise. You tossed the coffee in the trash can as you made your way over. 

"Oh my god, Y/N?" Mrs.Johnson sniffed, "Are you here to visit?" Even her voice sounded rough.

Your heart dropped, "For my dad, I don't know if they told you but he is in a coma right now." 

"Oh honey. I'm so sorry, I didn't know." She hugged you tightly, her rose perfume was a comfortable smell in the hospital. She took your hands, her tears still flowing. You tried not to roll your eyes, of course your ex wouldn't even care enough to tell their mom, the sweetest person ever.

"Why are you here?" You asked worried for the poor woman.

"Something happened to (Ex/N), they were out partying and I don't know. Their roommate thinks they hit their head and haven't woken up since. It's the oddest thing, they couldn't even find where the brain bleed was. Or any marks." She shook her head, "it doesn't feel real."

You gasped, not able to make sense of her words. "Like they just went to sleep?" You asked, feeling like you've been dropped in ice. 

She nodded, not saying anything.

"How long ago?"

"Two days or so, late during the night." She replied, she didn't notice the dread on your face. Did Hypnos use your phone? You had a feeling he was the one who took it but there was so much going on you had forgotten about it.

"Can I see them?" You asked, you need to see with your own eyes. Surely, this had to be a coincidence.

"Of course, hon." 

💮

You had fully planned on never seeing your ex again. You kept meaning to block them but You weren't ready yet because you didn't want to admit you wasted your time.

You stared down at them, at the tubes, at the heart rate monitor. And You knew (Ex/N) was paying the price for your inability to block them. 

You didn't love them, not in a way a person should love another you think. But you cared for them and wanted them to be happy. It wasn't until the cheating started, that it got bad.

Mrs. Johnson sat down in the chair and held their child's hand. Her face showed her heartbreak and every time there was twitch, there would be a hopeful look in her eyes only for it to die when nothing happened.

It was just like your father's coma.

You closed your eyes, anger boiling inside your chest. At yourself more so than Hypnos.

How could you been so stupid?

💮

You stared outside the window. It was the first clear day in weeks and the blue skies with the fat, lazy clouds seemed so more vivid than you remember. 

Your father's heart monitor beeped steady and true. You couldn't look at him, guilt and anger was warring in your chest.

You had brought in the story Hypnos weaved for you. You didn't know how much was truth or lies. You think it was a healthy mix of both and it made it so much harder to know what really happened. 

You covered your face with your hands, trying to make sure the tears didn't come out. 

How could You get out of this? You saw some of Hypnos' powers, and you knew that it was the tip of the iceberg. 

You couldn't stop thinking about the book, the warnings that you didn't see. This was a god that had once put the world to sleep, and you couldn't see a reason why he wouldn't again if he didn't get what he wanted.

it felt more cruel that he was playing games with your life, with all their lives. It would have been kinder to just kidnap you and leave everyone else out of it. 

You looked up at the clock, just a few more hours left to go. 

You really wished you brought your bat. 

💮

Twilight was beautiful, even with the city skyline. You paced around the room, waiting for a change or for him to show up. 

You almost didn't notice, too deep in your anger.  

Your father's hand twitched, and you paused, not wanting to get your hopes up. Then his head turned to the side and you rushed to him.

"Dad! Oh my god, dad." You touched his arm gently, not wanting to spook him. His eyes opened up groggily, his head turned to you. He didn't react to seeing you but you weren't worried. 

"I will be right back, I'm getting a nurse." You rushed out, giddy with relief. 

💮

He doesn't remember you.

Your own father doesn't remember you. 

You collapsed in the chair, the doctor tried to calm you down but you couldn't hear anything over the buzzing in your ears.

You knew. You just knew this was Hypnos' doing. Your hands tighten into shaky fists on your knees. 

How fucking dare he do this. You gave him a chance and this is what he does.

Without a word, you stormed out the room.

💮

 

You don't remember getting in the car or the drive home. You knew Hypnos would be waiting for you.

He wasn't going to stop, you could feel in your bones. He would do to you in every single life you live and he won't care the cost it will take.

You slammed the car door shut, not brothing to hide your presence. You stood in the cold, uncaring how bitting the wind felt against your skin. Snow was still on the ground and little red poppies peeked through, bright against the snow. 

Your breath came out in white puffs as you stared at your home. For all you knew this would be the last time you ever see it. 

You took a deep breath, gathering what strength you had left. 

It was time to face the music. To face him.

💮

You stopped in the entryway, not wanting to get closer than you had too. You could see even in the dark that the books were gone as well as the horrible eye and words. The one thing that lit the room was a single candle on the side table.

You looked at the other walls and saw pictures of you had been taken down. Fear tightened your throat and you stepped into the living room. Your eyes darted around but there was no sign of Hypnos. 

You stepped into the living room and after a moment, you walked to your bedroom.

You whimpered when you opened the door. Everything was gone. The bed, the desk, all of it. 

You took a step backward and another without looking away from your room. 

Your heart stopped when you bumped into a warm chest. His arms wrapped around you tightly and his cheek pressed to your head.

"It's time to come home, Y/N." Hypnos said, tightening his hold to the point you couldn't breathe. Or scream as you watched the world you once knew vanished.

💮

You kicked and twisted in Hypnos' arms. "Let me go." You gasped, "I can't get air, please." 

He loosened his hold but you were too busy gulping for air to care. You pushed away from and he allowed you to, unconcerned about you escaping. 

You tried to steady yourself only to stumble, Hypnos grabbed your elbow. 

"I'm sorry I forgot it takes some getting used to." Hypnos said. "You should have seen my brother the first few times. He used to get sick all the time."

"Don't touch me." You snapped, jerking away.  You've been here before, the sound of water rushed to your ears. You turned to face him, to tear him a new one but when you saw him, you were shocked into silence.

Hypnos smiled, and pointed at his head. Two white wings had appeared out from his head and in the middle of his forehead, a single red and gold eye stared back. "So tell me Y/N, what is more surprising; the wings or the eye?"

You shook your head, "What the hell, Hypnos?" Your voice cracked. "Is this what you normally look like?" At least before he looked closer to humans, just a little odd looking. This was something else.

"Hhm, not when we first met but after the... you know, I just have these sometimes." Hypnos shrugged, his golden eyes on you. 

"How could you?" You asked and Hypnos tilted his head at the question. 

You took a step forward even though all you wanted to do was run. "I know what you did to my dad, to (Ex/N). Was it all a ruse? A game to you?"

Hypnos scowled, "I really don't appreciate hearing that name." 

You stamped your foot, "Unbelievable! Is that all you have to say?" 

"Oh no, the person who hurt someone I love is now having to suffer the consequences. How sad for them." Hypnos rolled his eyes at you. You have never wanted to choke someone more.

"His mother is suffering, just like how my dad is!" You yelled, hating how helpless you felt.

You walked closer, you knew he could grab you again but you needed him to listen. But Hypnos spoke before you.

"Your father isn't in pain, if anything I fixed it. He doesn't remember you or his wife. He will live out the rest of his days without you but you know humans are so quick to replace family." 

Hypnos sighed, "I really did try to help him for your sake, Y/N. I felt sorry for him since he and I were both familiar with this kind of pain. But he already messed up once, I couldn't trust him not to try something else." 

You were silent for minutes before you spoke. "You said you would never hurt me."

"And I haven't." Hypnos replied, he almost moved closer, wanting to comfort you.

"Liar." You spat out the word. "You have done nothing but hurt me since you showed up." 

You glared at him,"You may have not touched me but you had caused so much hurt to everyone around me."

"And what makes you think I should even care about those humans?" Hypnos hissed, he grabbed your arm but you willingly went along with his tug. Words were your weapons now. You glared up at him, mere inches between you and him.

"Because I do. That should be more than enough for you." You licked your lips, "This isn't the first time we had this fight." 

His gaze sharpen, golden and hard like a predator. "No it isn't." Hypnos agreed. 

You could tell he wanted to ask more questions, to know exactly what you started to remember. Good. 

"I had held my part, Hypnos. I agreed to come, to do whatever you needed from me." You said, "in a twisted way, yeah I guess you did help my dad even if it hurt me. And you warned me."  You closed your eyes for a moment before meeting his again.

Hypnos stayed silent, his eyes watching you.

"But none of the other stuff had to happen. Mrs.Johnson was good to me, she was the closest thing I had to a mom." You whispered. 

You didn't know how but something in the humming inside of you knew Hypnos would bend to you. His biggest weakness had always been you.

You laid a hand on his chest, "Listen to me, I'm willing to stay. I want to stay." You thought it would sound like lying but it didn't. Your heart twisted because you weren't lying and you knew it. 

Was it really that easy to walk away from your human life? 

"But I can't have you hurting people just for the sake of revenge. That is not who I am and that used to be you too." You murmured.

"Things changed Y/N." Hypnos murmured back. Just like before, he covered your hand gently. 

A faint memory rises from the depths of your soul. Of Hypnos admiring your hands, always touching or holding them. You took a breath, not yet you thought to this other side of yourself, not yet.

"Then change again, Hypnos. For me." You pleaded. 

"It's not that easy." But his tone was softer, you just had to push a little more. 

"You once put the whole world asleep because you loved me. You became softer, kinder because you loved me. This is nothing to you." You keep your tone soft, not willing to break the quiet.

His eyes, all three of them, closed in defeat. "Okay...Okay Y/N. Just answer me this, do you love them?" 

"No." You said bluntly. "They were a friend once but even though you were a jerk, I felt more with you than I ever did with them."

Hypnos nodded, the third eye opened again while his golden ones stayed close. "Good." He held a palm up, and a small dark, almost black mist formed, you could faintly see your ex and Mrs. Johnson. 

The mist swirls quickly, and it changes into a soft white cloud. "It's done. They will wake up, and they will live." The cloud faded away and Hypnos dropped his hand. 

His golden eyes opened and looked at you. 

"Thank you."  You told him. You cupped his cheek and he pressed into your hand with a sigh, his eyes closing again. "Darkness' sake, I've missed you." Hypnos said. 

You leaned into him and hugged him. After a moment, he hugged back, resting his chin on your head. Neither one of you said anything for a while, just holding on each other.

"What do you remember, Y/N?" Hypnos asked, and you shrugged. "Honestly, just small bits here and there. I remembered you like honey."

Hypnos hummed, "I do. Is that all?" 

You yawned, "No, sorry, it's mostly just me going by instinct or this feeling of deja Vu." You pressed into his chest. "I'm really sorry."

Hypnos rubbed your back slowly and you felt your body relax against his. This was so much nicer than anything you ever felt before.

"Come, let me show you where we can get some rest." Hypnos spoke, something was off about his tone.  But you followed along anyway, too tired to even think.

💮

"You said anything, right?" Hypnos asked as you wandered around the cave. There wasn't much of anything. You see baskets of pomegranates, onions and other stuff in one room as Hypnos gilded you past it, his hand on your lower back. 

Books were stacked on a desk but weren't what caught your attention. There was a bed, big and piled high with blankets and pillows. It looks like what exactly a god of sleep would want. 

"Oh wow, this is the biggest bed I've ever seen." You walked toward it, "What side do you sleep on?"

You walked around the bed, keeping one eye on the god. "The middle but you can pick whatever side you want." 

"O-oh." You stopped at the realization that of course this would be the only bed. There would be no reason for him to have a guest bed.

"You didn't respond to my question, Y/N. You agreed to do whatever I needed you to do, correct?" Hypnos said calmly as he held something in his hand. A small glass bottle. 

You walked toward him, your heart racing at the almost predatory look he gave you. 

"I. I did, yes, to get my memories back." You stopped just out of his reach. "Will that thing help?" You pointed down at the bottle

"In a way." He said and you stared at him. 

"What are you not telling me, Hypnos?" You stood your ground. "I thought we were getting past this."

"You're right. It's going to hurt, just a bit. But it will help restore you." Hypnos held it up between his fingers, inside the liquid looked like water. 

"Why do I feel like you're downplaying it?" You muttered. You took the bottle and popped open the cork. 

You sniffed but it smells sweet, almost too sweet. 

"Make sure you get every last drop, Y/N." Hypnos said, his golden eyes watching your every move.

You knew he wasn't being honest about something but you will have to deal with it later. 

"Well, bottom up." You swallow every last drop. It didn't taste bad or anything at all, not even like water. 

You felt his hands on you could do anything else. He pushed toward the bed and that when it hit you. A wave of dizziness made the room spend and he laid you down.

"Oh, I don't like this." You moaned. You didn't notice until it was too late, that he had pulled off your shirt. His hands felt too warm against your skin and you tried to push him off. 

"I know, my love." Hypnos comforted, "I wouldn't do it if I didn't need to." 

"Why?" You slurred, "I thought we were…" but you couldn't continue.  The heat and the dizziness was too much for you.

"We are. We really are. But If I don't do this now, I won't get a chance until you are older and I can't risk you dying on me."

"I wouldn't have said no." You closed your eyes.

Hypnos pressed a kiss against your forehead tenderly "Yes, you would have, my love. You would want us to have more time. This way I can make sure we will have nothing but time."

His hand slided down your pants and past your underwear. He kissed you on your mouth, and pressed down against you. 

You couldn't stop the gasps you made against his mouth as he rubbed you with his fingers. The pleasure you felt was far more intense than what you were used to.

"You even respond the same as you used to." Hypnos told you. "Blood and darkness, I could watch your face all day like this." 

You hide your face in a nearby pillow out of spite and embarrassment. "Shut up." You moaned, hips arching against his touch.

Hypnos yanked the pillow away and tossed it out of your reach. He grabbed your chin to kiss you again. You met his kiss with as much force as you could. 

"I hate you." You tried to pull away but he just pulled you back into another one. You could the heat building inside you along with the humming, the always moving energy built inside of you 

And Hypnos himself consumed you,all of you and you wanted him to. Fates help you but you did. You wanted him to make you whole. 

You moaned against his lips, tears running down your face as you arched and peaked. 

You collapsed against the bed, Hypnos pressed kisses against your neck and collarbone. 

You closed your eyes, shaking with the heat. "Hypnos, what did you give me?" You sobbed. The heat nor energy still haven't died down yet. 

"Just gimme a moment, Y/N." Hypnos pulled away from the bed, and you sobbed again. 

He came back and shushed you. His hand pulled down your pants, yanking your shoes along off them. You flushed at your nudity. 

Hypnos loomed over you and he pulled you into a kiss. You buried your hands in his white curls as the kiss deepened. His knees nudged your legs apart as he broke the kiss. 

"If I have to be nude, so do you." You tugged at his cloak. Hypnos laughed, "No, later."

His fingers worked you open and you found yourself spreading your legs more.

"You're so good, so so gorgeous. Y/N, do you know how good you look like this?" Hypnos priaised. And you somehow just flushed even more. 

His fingers left you and he crawled toward you. "Kiss me." He demanded and you obeyed, the kiss you gave him was sweet and slow. He hummed against your lips and you felt him pushed inside you. 

Your head tilt back to the bed with a gasp. You shook as the moment seem to stretch out, a endless moment of being taken.

You never felt so full and damnit, you hated how good he felt against you. The soft clothes gave you goosebumps as the brush against your bare skin. You sobbed as he moved inside you leisurely, like he had all the time in world. 

"Hypnos, please." You begged. Your fingers curled against his tunic, trying to ground yourself against the feelings.

He shushed you, "I've been waiting for you for so long." 

"I'm sorry, Hypnos." You whimpered as pleasure built back inside of you. 

"Don't be." Hypnos groaned, his hips started moving quicker. "Losing you killed me, Y/N. I never thought I would have this again."

You were lost for words and just pulled him into another kiss, hoping that it will say everything for you. 

During the kiss, his hips snapped against you quickly, fingers digging into your thighs.  

"I love you Y/N. Fuu- I love you." Hypnos murmured against you. In a whisper, "I love you, Hypnos." 

He moaned and you feel the hot wetness inside you. You trembled as you followed him. 

You stared upward and the humming had become overwhelming. This was it, you thought weakly. 

You don't remember closing your eyes.

💮

Later you wake up, Hypnos sleeping next to you and holding you tightly. He looked so much younger like this. 

You could remember everything. The people, your role as an deity, Hypnos, of loving him and he loving you in return and... and your death.

You grimaced as you rubbed your chest, you could feel the sharp burning pain. Of magic that kept from dying like a normal deity.

But now you were reborn in a way.

There was strength in you too now. A sureness you didn't have an human. You blinked at Hypnos' sleeping face. The third eye was gone but you wasn't sure what it meant exactly. You both were going to have relearn one another. 

You reached up and touched one of the wings. It twitched at your touch, and you smiled, amused. 

"I missed your smile." Hypnos said, his voice rough with sleep."I think it worked, Y/N." His golden eyes studied your face. You stared back. 

Then you reached up and flicked him on the nose. "You should've been honest from the start." You said.

"Ow! And I was, it's not like it was my fault humans won't listen." Hypnos scowled at you.

"Not that. About restoring me. I understand why you wouldn't be but you need to more honest with me from now on. Especially since I know it cost you some of your powers." You said as you pulled Hypnos closer. Tears had filled up in both of yours and Hypnos' eyes.

"Thank you. For bring me back. I felt something was missing in me since I was born but you found it. You found me." You  kissed him, chaste and sweet. 

Hypnos sobbed and held on to you tightly, his face in your neck. "It worked. It really worked." 

You kissed his head, your tears matching his. The both of you weeped with joy, with sadness and relief of having each other again.

"I'm so sorry. It was my fault. I should had gotten there sooner." Hypnos said roughly. 

"It was no one fault, we didn't know." You brush his curls to smooth him. "I don't blame you."

He nodded against your neck and you held him. 

After a few minutes, he pulled away to look at you. His hands cupped your face. You cover his hands with your own, smiling.

"I still haven't told you everything." He said softly. 

"That can wait." You murmured. "We got all the time in the world." 

"We finally do, huh?" Hypnos said, and you meet him a long, slow kiss.

It was good to be home.

[gardenergulfie]

Emptober Day 4: Ribbon

Rating: G

Word Count: 2539

Relationships: Jimmy | Solidarity/Scott | Smajor1995 | Dangthatsalongname

Characters: Scott | Smajor1995 | Dangthatsalongname, Jimmy | Solidarity

Tags:Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Red String of Fate, Pre-Canon, Post-Canon, Past Lives, Alternate Universe - Empires SMP Setting (Video Blogging RPF), Friends to Lovers, Childhood Friends, Bickering, Flower Husbands, Emptober, Seablings, 

Everything was normal with it until the day he met the other rulers. It was a political meeting of nations, the first time all of them would all be together in years. Rivendell was hosting it and it would be Jimmy’s first time out of the kingdom. Jimmy and Lizzie were representing the Ocean Empire as heirs but they were allowed to meet and greet with whoever they wanted. Lizzie quickly ran off, introducing herself to the Mezalean prince and leaving Jimmy to flounder alone. He gripped the ribbon between his fingers nervously but took a deep breath and approached the first person he could see. That person was a winged elf with blue hair and a very aloof expression.

Emptober Day 4: Ribbon

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AO3 Link

Fic below the cut

Jimmy was a pretty normal guy. I mean he was the leader of an empire but compared to the other leaders and even his own citizens he was normal, maybe even average. Just a pretty basic dude. But Jimmy had something, a part of him, that was very not normal. It was a ribbon tied around his left wrist. It was green and blue with a design of red flowers that Jimmy had never seen before. The ribbon had one end constantly trailing out of sight. It had been there for as long as he could remember and strangely enough, seemingly no-one else could see it.

When Jimmy was little he tried out some tests with the ribbon. He found out that he couldn’t tangle it, he couldn’t trip people with it, he couldn’t hang things on it, it didn’t interact with water like most fabrics did, it was just intangible to anyone or anything but Jimmy. He’d told his sister Lizzie about it but she didn’t have one and she couldn’t see or feel it. He’d even gone to the local library to do research on it which did make the bookkeeper give him a strange look, he’d never been one for academics before but he just needed to know. He found nothing but some sappy love stories about people with invisible red strings of fate that connected them to their one true love. Jimmy didn’t really believe these stories, besides he had a ribbon not a string.

Once or twice in his life Jimmy had felt a tug on the ribbon. It felt like a person on the other end of it had pulled on it. Was there someone also connected to him? Were those stories about strings of fate true? Jimmy followed the ribbon for a long time, only stopping when he realized that he was at the edge of the kingdom. If there was a person on the other end, they weren’t from his home empire.

For a while that was it. Nothing new could be found out about the ribbon and so Jimmy resigned himself to it just being a mystery forever. On the plus side, he didn’t really mind it that much. It didn’t hurt him or get stuck on anything which was nice and it was a nice texture. Sometimes when he was anxious or just restless he would twist it between his fingers and fidget with it. He got some strange looks, fidgeting with nothing, but it wasn’t that weird so no-one really questioned him.

Everything was normal with it until the day he met the other rulers. It was a political meeting of nations, the first time all of them would all be together in years. Rivendell was hosting it and it would be Jimmy’s first time out of the kingdom. Jimmy and Lizzie were representing the Ocean Empire as heirs but they were allowed to meet and greet with whoever they wanted. Lizzie quickly ran off, introducing herself to the Mezalean prince and leaving Jimmy to flounder alone. He gripped the ribbon between his fingers nervously but took a deep breath and approached the first person he could see. That person was a winged elf with blue hair and a very aloof expression.

“Hello! I’m Jimmy Solidarity of the Ocean Empire!” He said to the elf, his voice coming out louder than he intended from nerves. He winced as the elf turned to him with a mildly peeved expression.

“Scott Smajor, heir of Rivendell.” The elf said coldly. He assessed Jimmy lazily but his eyes stopped on Jimmy’s left hand, the one holding the ribbon. His cold mask dropped and Jimmy could see an expression of shock and mild intrigue before it went back up. “I’ve never spoken to a citizen of the ocean empire. Are you all this small? It's kinda cute” Jimmy bristled a bit at the insult? Flirt? He couldn’t tell but he knew enough to be offended.

“Not all of us can be as tall as elves. I am quite a normal height! And I’m not cute.” Jimmy snapped back. Scott looked briefly surprised at his retort but then smirked.

“Not cute you say? That adorable pout on your face says otherwise.” Scott says, lifting his hand to gesture at Jimmy’s expression. A hand that had a blue green and red flower patterned ribbon tied around it. The same ribbon that existed around Jimmy’s hand. Jimmy’s eyes widened and he looked at his own ribbon. Sure enough, they were connected. So there was a person on the other end of it and Jimmy had found them. But Scott? Really? This ribbon better not be one of those soul things, he does not want to be bonded to that rude elf.

Jimmy realized that he should probably respond to Scott. He’s been standing silently for about a minute now and Scott was surly waiting for him to say something.

“I wasn’t pouting! I was upset at being called cute. Not everyone likes random strangers calling them cute, you know.” Jimmy says back. Scott looks thoughtful.

“I don’t know. If a pretty boy like you walked up to me and called me cute, I don’t think I’d be complaining.” The elf says back. Jimmy sputters as he tries to think of a response. He really wasn’t someone who got flirted with often, even as a joke, and it was very disarming.

“Well I’m not you so I care.” He says back with his face bright red. He knew it wasn’t the best comeback and from Scott’s smug expression he could tell it hadn’t hit the mark he was aiming for.

“Right sure.” Scott says with an eye roll. “This conversation’s being nowhere and I already won it so why don’t we talk about something else. I could take you on a tour? I don’t think you fishfolk get the chance to see elven architecture often.” Jimmy once again bristled at Scott’s mild insult but agreed to the tour. Scott led Jimmy away from the front hall and outside into Rivendell proper. Jimmy wouldn’t admit it but Scott was a pretty good tour guide, he knew a lot about the kingdom’s history and culture and was good at talking about it, even if he still flirted and insulted Jimmy quite often. Scott showed Jimmy the sheep pens, the owl roost, and apiary, all places that Jimmy had only seen glimpses of during the trip here.

In the apiary Jimmy saw something. A red flower, identical to the ones on his ribbon. He called Scott over, asking what kind of flower that was. Scott glanced over and when he saw the red flower Jimmy was talking about he briefly touched the ribbon tied to his own hand before answering.

“Its a poppy. They’re a common flower and grow in most places. You haven’t seen one before?” The elf asked. Jimmy shook his head.

“I don’t think they grow in the swamps. I would have remembered seeing a flower this red before.” Jimmy gently touched a petal of the flower. It was beautiful and it made Jimmy feel…. weirdly bittersweet? It was just a flower. Why did Jimmy feel like crying then? He blinked away the tears that were forming and backed away from the flower. Scott was giving him an odd searching look.

“It's my favorite kind of flower.” Scott said at last. “I always make sure there’s at least one in the apiary at all times.” Jimmy was surprised at this personal info that Scott was just telling him. Scott hadn’t talked much about himself, mostly speaking about the elves and their great kingdom. Him just dropping this strange piece of personal information seems out of pace and it made Jimmy wonder why he did it. The elf was still looking at him, waiting for Jimmy to say something in return.

“It really is lovely.” Jimmy responded. “Does it have any special meanings?” Jimmy had heard of flowers having special meaning attached to them though he hadn’t learned much about them. Lizzie had but not him.

“Sleep, peace, and death are what the poppy represents.” Scott says, unconsciously tugging on the ribbon. Jimmy felt that tug, just more proof that they were connected. Sleep, peace, and death were strange meanings for the flowers on his ribbon. Maybe the type of flower didn’t mean anything but it's a magic ribbon so that was unlikely. Jimmy was hoping that his flowers meant peace or maybe sleep, death was something he’d really not want to be tied with.

Scott had been looking more and more nervous the more Jimmy thought. The elf was trying to hide it but the fluttering of his wings and shuffling of his feet gave him away. Jimmy was about to ask him about the problem when a loud gong rang across the city.

“That's the feast bell. They’re about to start dinner.” Scott says, moving towards the door to the apiary. “We need to go quickly so we’re not late.” Jimmy let the topic of Scott’s anxiety around him drop and the two rushed towards the main hall. They were separated in the crowd when they got there, Jimmy being reunited with Lizzie who asked him where he was and introduced him to her new friend Joel. Jimmy didn’t see Scott for the rest of the night, only briefly catching a glimpse of him when it was time for him to leave.

Jimmy met Scott quite a few times over the course of many years, the two becoming rulers of their own nations, Scott in Rivendell and Jimmy in the newly formed Cod Empire. They maintained a similar relationship as they had when they were young, Scott teasing and flirting with Jimmy and Jimmy getting flustered and firing back with his own bad insults. Neither of them brought up the topic of the ribbon though Jimmy was pretty sure that Scott knew at this point. The many glances at Jimmy’s left wrist was a pretty big clue to that.

Years past, Jimmy and Scott were still leading their empires and occasionally bickering with each other. The demon plagued them for a bit and in that time they became allies in a very strange way, Scott taking Jimmy on a date. The many poppies around the date place was a nice reference to the ribbon and a knowing look from Jimmy let Scott know he knew what was up. It took a couple more suggested dates for Jimmy to realize that the date wasn’t one of Scott’s normal flirts but that Scott was actually interested in him. The two took it slow, going on quite a few more dates before they were ready to speak of the ribbon out-loud.

Jimmy remembered it as a chilly evening, the two of them drinking warm tea inside of Jimmy’s house. Scott had made the excuse of it being too cold back home and that the swamp was just much warmer but Jimmy knew the elf at this point to know that Scott wanted to spend time with him. They had done some baking following a simple recipe that somehow they still managed to mess up and then salvage at the last minute. Now with a mug of tea in hand and slightly burnt cookies on a plate in front of him, Jimmy was feeling brave. He tugged on the ribbon once then twice when Scott didn’t look over from his cup of tea. The second tug caught the elf’s attention and he looked down at the ribbon resting beside them both.

“I think at this point we both know about the existence of this,” Jimmy waved his own end of the ribbon, “and the fact that it connects them. I don’t know about you but we’ve been dating for a bit. We might as well talk about it.” Scott blinked in surprise at the question coming from seemingly nowhere but nodded at set down his drink.

“I was wondering when one of us was going to be brave enough to bring up the soul ribbon.” Scott said. “I’d have thought you would have blurted the question out way before now.” Scott teased with a small smirk. Jimmy let the insult flirt fly over his head, mostly focused on the words soul ribbon.

“Wait, the soul ribbon is like a string of fate? The stuff from those love stories?” Jimmy asked. Scott looked confused at the question.

“Wait, you mean you don’t know about soul ribbons? They’re real and way more than just stories. We’re kind of living proof of that.” Scott said. Jimmy leaned back in his chair a bit more.

“The only information I found about anything similar to the ribbon was stories about red strings of fate that connect people destined to be together. They were just fiction I thought but you’re saying that it’s really real. We’re soulmates?” Jimmy asks.

“Soul ribbons are a bit more complicated than just the idea of fated couples. They’re broken promises from a past life. When two people promise to stay together but something happens where they promise is broken, the universe will step in and give them another chance. Hence, the soul ribbon.” Scott explains. “The pattern of the ribbon normally has some kind of meaning relating to the past life. Soul ribbons can’t really be studied but there have been enough cases that people are now pretty sure of their meaning.”

“So in another life, we made a promise to each other but it got broken? And poppies were important to us?” Jimmy questioned. “Well that explains why I feel so happy and sad at the same time when I see a poppy. Past life emotions, huh.” Scott reached out and took a cookie with one hand and Jimmy's own hand with another.

“I understand if this is a lot to take in.” Scott bit his lip, looking anxious. “Again, the soul ribbon doesn’t mean that we have to be together. It’s just the universe giving us a second chance. So if this is too much for you we don’t have to keep dating-“

“What? Scott no. I don’t want to stop dating. It’s strange, yeah, but I mean I already knew we were connected. This doesn’t have to change anything for us! I’m happy to know how we’re connected, this solves a mystery I’ve always been wondering about. I mean, better lovers in a past life than fated enemies in this one.” Jimmy said passionately, laughing a bit at his own joke at the end. Scott’s face brightened up and he smiled back at Jimmy.

“Was that one of your theories? Fated enemies?” Scott chuckled as he took a bite of his cookie. Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck bashfully with his free hand.

“I mean we were always bickering. It wasn’t too strange of an idea.” Jimmy defended himself.

The two of them continued to talk for quite a few more hours before they eventually fell asleep together, bundled up under a quilt. Their hands were intertwined, the two ends of the ribbons brushing against each other. The universe looked down at these second chance souls and felt pride. They really had found each other again.