#i need to make a monster girl oc or die

[muttever]

i have an "art" project for tomorrow. lets see if it makes me rip my hair out

[bythenineshards]

First art of my Naruto oc Shiori Ito! Art done fabulously by @skykashi

You truly did a fantastic job bringing her to life. Thank you so much!

I'm only part way through Shippuden. Things in this lore could change as I continue through the anime. I know some stuff that happens but don't quite know when. This is just what I have so far.

Placing a cut here so this novel doesn't bog down anyone's feed. Under it is her lore if you wanna read it.

There's some darker stuff in how she got her scars and mention of her mother struggling with infertility. So be aware of that.

Shiori comes from a clan that is dying out. She and her father, Kenshin Ito, might be the only remaining blood members of the family.

Her father adored his wife. She was the light of his life but she struggled to conceive and carry children. After trying for a long time, she was finally able to have a single baby, Shiori. The pregnancy was extremely difficult and they were told to go through this again may result in the mother dying. Her father was not exactly thrilled that his one child was a girl but didn't want to lose his wife.

You see, the notoriety of the clan had died out with the other members. So if Shiori were to marry, they had no real leverage to request that the man take their name. Their only bargaining chip was their Kekkei Genkai. But even that probably wouldn't be enough. So her father was just going to have to be content with the family he had and accept that he and Shiori would be the last of their clan and the power would pass to a new name if she married.

Yeah... he couldn't. For the first few years, he tried. He really did. But the idea of his daughter marrying and their name disappearing and their power being given to another man's name bothered him. It bothered him so much that in his anger of being the man to let the Ito clan pass to unworthy hands, he decided that it was best for it to die with them now rather than be muddied. Yay.

One day, he took Shiori out for training. He'd started to show her how to use their Kekkei Genkai recently. The power itself is a poison release where they can take poisons out of plants around them and crystallize them into darts. She thought nothing of it and she was also a child who trusted her father. Instead of starting to train, he pinned her to the ground and was going to drive a blade through her heart then do the same to himself. What stopped him was realizing that killing Shiori would devastate his wife. She'd been through so much heartache trying to have a child that he'd be robbing her of that happiness. He then came to the realization that he only needed to make her hideous enough so that no man would want her. He took the blade to her face and began to cut it up. Telling her that no one would want her if she was a disfigured monster (not those words exactly but that's the gist).

Shiori fought back and tried to escape but being that she was little, only incurred defensive cuts on her hands and arms. Mama Ito heard her screams from the garden and instantly came running. Coming upon the scene of her husband disfiguring her baby. Without hesitation, she struck him with the small shovel she was holding until he passed out or died. They don't know which. He fell limp and Mama Ito scooped up Shiori, got what little she could carry and the two left for the village hidden in the leaves. There, they would start over unsure if her father had survived. Mama Ito works in Ino's family's flower shop.

Upon arriving, Shiori noticed instantly that people stared at her. At first she understood it was concern but some of the children poked fun at her and that mixed with the concern and her father's words, she began to see herself as a hideous monster. Her mother got her a mask to wear. Painting some of her favorite flowers on the surface. She wanted Shiori to see herself how she saw her. Mama Ito intended the mask to be a thing to help her only until the cuts healed to scars. It became a twenty year thing. In fact, after the first few days in the village, no one has seen Shiori without a mask in public. It just sorta became the norm. Despite her mother's best attempts, Shiori still sees her face as being unpleasant and hard to look at.

Now, when she was a child but after she started to wear the mask, she met Guy. Despite wearing the mask, some of the village boys would pick on her and push her around. Guy wasn't having any of this. Challenging the boys to a fight and promptly getting his ass kicked. Shiori would visit him in the hospital and brought him flowers. He'd get in fights with the same boys over her multiple times and each time she'd visit him in the hospital and bring him flowers. Always the same ones. Lavender, Verbena and Jasmine for healing, daisies for gratitude and a single red rose. She was smitten.

For years, throughout their training, he'd cheer her on and she'd do so for him quietly. She grew up to be a soft spoken person. Every time she thought about telling Guy how she felt, she imagined taking off her mask and seeing him shrink back in disgust. So she would just stay put. She was assigned a trio and went through the normal training. Due to her Kekkei Genkai and skill as a Shinobi, she was brought into the ANBU Black Ops pretty early. She was sent on missions with Kakashi a few times. They bonded despite both being reserved and enjoyed working together. He noticed her interest in Guy right away. On their first mission together, she was quiet but super professional and extremely good at what she does. But the moment they returned and Guy would challenge Kakashi and greet her, she was a bumbling mess.

At the time of Naruto, she was selected by the 3rd Hokage and works directly with him (and later Tsunade). Both find her gentle nature in spite of the darkness caused by her trauma to be trustworthy and neither fear she would doublecross them. Otherwise she does normal ranked missions. She and Kakashi are friends and both are fans of the Make-Out Tactics and Make-Out Paradise books.

Shiori has an affinity for animal companions. A favorite headcanon of mine is summons are just naturally drawn to her. She has her own summon, a mouse called Akko (might change it later).

Shiori and Guy end up together in a rather humorous way. Due to her worry that Guy would find her face disgusting, Shiori planned to keep her feelings to herself and just hope whomever he picked would love him the way he deserved to be loved. She also thought that Guy had worked so hard for everything he had so he deserved to have a partner that wasn't a challenge to love. Fate, or rather a misunderstanding by Rock Lee had other plans.

Lee overhears Shiori's friends poking lighthearted fun at her crush on a certain green jumpsuit and thought they were referring to him. He asks Guy what to do without telling him that it was Shiori. Guy's advice is to be forthright with her. Lee asks Guy to come with him for support. Lee then approaches Shiori and very loudly proclaims that he's flattered but his heart belongs to Sakura. Guy, deeply confused, asks Lee to paint him a clearer picture of the situation. Lee explains what he overheard (green jumpsuit, bowl cut, power of youth) and Guy is flabbergasted. He had no idea that Shiori felt that way about him. He poses the alternative of it being him and not Lee. Lee does see how this makes more sense and wants to apologize but Shiori has already fled. Begging Lady Tsunade to send her on a mission before she has to face this.

Guy comes looking for her to talk about what Lee had overheard. It all comes out then. She admits to her longstanding crush, she reveals her scarred face to him and they decide to explore this. Guy isn't offput by her facial scars in the least. He actually finds the scars to be very beautiful. He thinks she should stop wearing the mask. The scars are a testament to her resilience and accomplishment in suffering and coming out kind despite it. It takes a long time but eventually she gains the courage to go without the mask.

I do plan for her to face her father in the future. He'd come to Konoha but I'm not sure when or what he's been doing this whole time. Guy is extremely ready to fight him though.

But that's what I got so far...

(Besides the Jiraiya lore 😏)

[unrealistic-ideas-for-writers]

Beneath the Sands music rambles

I remembered while I was hunting that Valerian’s theme is “Forgive Me, Friend” by Smith & Thell and the Swedish Jam factory

So now I have to assign all the currently available OCs a Smith & Thell theme because????

Valerian

Caladin and Dahlia

Jiahui

Sobeknesef

Caladin & Dahlia

RAHHH 7th TIMES THE CHARM HERE WE GO

This songggg- it’s so good-

But really it’s the dichotomy between Caladin only knowing how to live for avenging his fallen family, to be left with people who he can call tentative friends and he grows as a person, as he slowly, hesitantly allows himself to rebuild a family and to let go so he can live on-

Versus Dahlia. Who had everything- who is falling into insanity- who is rage in a way Cal will never be. It’s how she’s frantically clinging to the past of what will never be again-

How she’s angry and desperately trying to claw herself from the jaws of death just to destroy herself on the process

Healing versus Destruction

I love themmmmmm

“I rent the earth where I stand, and the air I breathe.”

“Did you forget that deal you made with God?”

“Never once has it crossed your mind that lifes’ too short.”

Dahlia learning painfully that life is short and fighting it ⬆️ versus Caladin always knowing and accepting it ⬇️

“Life is a blink of an eye til we are no more.”

But is it really?

Again. Healing and moving on versus Destruction and tearing yourself and all you love apart

“The body you borrowed is starting to look kind of worn-“ Dahlia 👀

Anyways. I just love them.

“We’re just grains in the universe, I let that comfort me when I’m anxious.”

“This life, is beautifully ugly at times.”

Jiahui

Okay, so this might be a stretchhhhh

But this song mainly reminds me of little Jiahui? Specifically thinking about the blurb for her scarf cherished item

She’s such a gremlin honestly

But also it always feels like she has something to prove, even if it’s just to herself?

I’m not even sure what it is, but that’s the vibe I get everytime I read about her.

“Here’s a story about the ears that never listened- here’s the riddle of a fire in a heart-“

“Here’s a song about the hands that took Goliath for a dance, about being brave enough to stand up to the man.”

“But they’re shouting to the monsters in the dark-“

“About a girl with little braids who turned the world to a parade.”

“Though I tremble in the cold blue night, knowing I’m alone this time-“

“And then I looked up, into the giant’s eyes and I found my strength inside-“

“Now I’m Goliath.”

“And I won’t be silent, until you hear me.”

I’m not sure if she’s found what she’s looking for, in herself or otherwise. But I think she’ll get there. She feels very vibrant to me in ways I can’t really explain, but this song seems to get it?

Sobeknesef

AHHH THIS SONG MAKES ME SO SAD

Need I even explain?

It suits his back story so well and there’s a few lines that make me choke up when thinking about him :’)

“You said, No don’t you stand by my grave, no don’t you stand there and cry.”

“Cause I’m not dead, I did not die- No I’m not dead, I did not die.”

The repetitionnnn^^^

Reminds me of a mantra, perhaps to calm himself from nightmares???

“This year, we lost more than we can count. The ashes we laid in the ground. Oh this was the year of the young.”

“This year, we looked up towards the sun. And wonder where everyone’s gone. Oh this was the year of the young.”

I love them all so muchhhh

Anyways, I’m sure this makes *no* sense. My thoughts are very incoherent and I’ve tried to get it down 5 times since 5am this morning when I thought it up in the deer blind-

Feel free to share your thoughts! This is just my general interpretation of everyone’s OCS for now, and I plan to interact more now that I’m heading home.

Taglist:

@uncreative-cryptid

@hobbysognodilibri

@crypticrainbowmoss

@captainsounddisaster

@yupuffin

If anyone else wants to join the Taglist, or the project with an OC, interact with the original Taglist post and I’ll start reading up on your OC so we can interact more, create Voicelines, etc.

[lovely-writes-alot]

Welcome, M

It was pouring with rain tonight. Anyone who had the misfortune of being outside got absolutely drenched.

Now, no one wanted to be outside in that, right?

"Are you sure you heard something?!" Anastasia yelled over the rain.

"Yes! I heard a scream clear as day!" Finley responded, shining her flashlight down one of the hills.

They were both already soaked to the bone, and chances were high they were both getting sick after this.

Anastasia sighed. She did believe her, it's more that they were going to be out here for hours, in the pouring rain, praying they were doing this all to find a dead body.

"Alright. Let's start searching."

And searching they did. For a while.

They had both started developing a cough.

Anastasia couldn't feel her feet anymore and felt ready to throw herself down this damn hill.

There were several things she didn't like about this. The rain, the cold, the fact she could hear something Darth Vader breathing.

"Please tell me I'm not losing it and you hear that too?"

"Yep." Finley wheezed. "I hear it."

"Fin..." She said softly.

"I know someone's out here, Annie. We can't just leave them."

"I can literally hear you're getting sick-"

There was a scream from down the hill.

They both looked at each other for a second before sprinting down the hill.

Well, they tried to run down, but ended up sliding on the mud.

"Shit shit shit shit shi-" Finley started rolling down the hill.

Anastasia, quite stupidly, grabbing onto tree to stop sliding, falling face first and also tumbling down the hill. "ow fuck ouch ow ow shit-"

They both came to a stop, hearing growling not far from them.

fuckkkkkk

Anastasia stood up, covered in mud.

Finley rolled over onto her back.

Anastasia looked down at her, silently asking 'you good?'

She nodded, standing up.

There was more growling.

They ran towards it.

They found a monster standing over some girl.

"Is she dead?" Finley whispered.

"I sure hope not..."

The monster, whatever it was, approached the girl, about to make her it's dinner.

"Shit-" Finley ran over.

"FINLEY!" She screamed out.

"OI DIPSHIT!" Finley throw some mud at the monster, like her screaming didn't catch it's attention already.

Why'd I befriend an self surficial idiot?

"YOO WHOO! YOUR DINNER'S HERE!" She started running away

WHY'D I BEFRIEND A SELF SURFICIAL IDIOT????

She went to ran after them.

"ANNIE! OTHER PERSON!"

"BUT-"

"TRUST ME, I HAVE A PLAN." She disappeared from her sight, and so did the monster.

Anastasia wanted to go after her, but she went over to the other girl.

She was covered in cuts and scars. You'd think she'd been mauled by the monster but they weren't opened.

"Don't be dead don't be dead Finley better not die over a dead body-"

"I can hear you?" The girl groaned, holding her head.

Anastasia felt like a deer in headlights. "Uh... Good, you're not dead."

"Jeez, you have Jade's optimism..."

"Who's?" Anastasia asked.

"No one's." The girl said up. "What was that thing?"

"A monster. They-"

"- Attack demigods?"

"... Yeah. I'm guessing you've been debriefed then."

She nodded sadly.

Right, talk about anything but that

"Uh, What's your name?"

"l̸̛̪͉̈͛̿̀͠j̸͉̲̠͔͈̤̃ä̸͉̩̠́ĭ̶̘̥͍̝̈́̐́̅͠ï̶̝̺̇e̴͙͓̪̣̯̰͐͆̚̚͝͝u̷̻͇͗́̈́͝͝ọ̵̻̗̫̲̀̕͜h̴̗̲̱̻͎̭̔̓́̄̕ḣ̸̨́̋̕" Whatever came out her mouth was almost distorted.

"Pardon?"

"l̸̛̪͉̈͛̿̀͠j̸͉̲̠͔͈̤̃ä̸͉̩̠́ĭ̶̘̥͍̝̈́̐́̅͠ï̶̝̺̇e̴͙͓̪̣̯̰͐͆̚̚͝͝u̷̻͇͗́̈́͝͝ọ̵̻̗̫̲̀̕͜h̴̗̲̱̻͎̭̔̓́̄̕ḣ̸̨́̋̕"

"Uh..."

Finley reappeared, even more muddy then before. "Oh, good she's not dead!" She smiled. "I'm Finley."

"I'm l̸̛̪͉̈͛̿̀͠j̸͉̲̠͔͈̤̃ä̸͉̩̠́ĭ̶̘̥͍̝̈́̐́̅͠ï̶̝̺̇e̴͙͓̪̣̯̰͐͆̚̚͝͝u̷̻͇͗́̈́͝͝ọ̵̻̗̫̲̀̕͜h̴̗̲̱̻͎̭̔̓́̄̕ḣ̸̨́̋̕"

"Pardon?"

She groaned. "Why can't anyone hear my name?"

Anastasia and Finley glanced at each other for a second before looking back at her. Anastasia's eyes caught her necklace.

"How about we go with M?"

Get ready, lads and ladies, we have a new oc and they need a whole lot of therapy

Intro post is about to set a world record at this point lol

@arisdaughter @childofthewargod @dianedantedominic @theorphicforest

@that-girl-cupid @ithacas-prince @daonedaonlyskh @hispanic-child-of-hermes @aria-pane @unhinged-waterlilly

@chaos-pers0nified @ariathemortal @i-was-never-sane @gaygirldoodles @smileyalater

@if-i-could-cry-i-wouldnt @startswithahell

If you want to be added, removed or if I forgot to tag you, let me know :)

[gerbelx2000-blog]

I see your au when I scroll the p5 tag and i noticed you drew Okumura and your oc (the Russian girl) a couple of times and I wonder, does Haru know about her? Is she jealous that her father spends time with another girl but not with her?

Alright, this may be a lengthy one so let’s start with the big one: 

Tori is a palace ruler.  

Her distorted desire is to be he greatest, untouchable, heavy metal rock and roll guitarist.

Unfortunately, she’s no saint. After years of being locked up in “Unwanted Children Protection Services” back in Moscow, she’s developed an antisocial and violent behavior to anyone who comes into contact with her.

Her crimes are vandalizing public property, setting off poisonous graffiti bombs on concerts, bars, etc. 

When Haru and the rest of the Phantom Thieves caught wind of the mysterious troublemaker known as Belial, they decided to investigate and change his/her heart.

Coincidentally enough, the Blooming Rogues(villains led by Junya) were set to investigate the mysterious vandalizing monster. Once they clashed, it turned into a battle 

They then discover that she owned a palace and in her psyche, she was a blonde rockstar.

After battling Belial, she took a blow to the back. The injured adult looking palace owner then reverted into a child. Futaba and Wakaba detected that this was her true form. 

The Phantom Thieves were distraught by what they’ve done. They were supposed to change her heart not kill her. 

Haru was most of all traumatized by what she had done. She raced over to where Okumura and Wakaba were and examined the young girl’s wounds. 

Kuni, after a change of heart and realizing that Haru was just a girl that was already abused enough, showed empathy and told her to escape from the palace as it was collapsing.

Haru at first refused to do it, saying that she wanted to check up on Tori, but her father softly halted her, begging her to please take care of themselves as the villains alone will take care of her.

In sheer reluctance, she agreed to do it, escorting everyone out of there as safely as possible.

The Phantom Thieves retreated back into LeBlanc, trying to cope over the harrowing experience. 

Haru was worried her father wouldn’t forgive him, but after seeing some compassion displayed, she felt a slight bit relieved. All that was left was wondering if the girl was going to be okay.

Meanwhile after fixing the child up, Kuni and the others discussed how they can cover up the tracks after the concert collapse. 

The girl wakes up revealing herself to be Patricia Ivanya Utsunomiya. 

This shocks everyone as it seemed like she could speak a little bit of Japanese.

She showed her reluctance and apathy towards the villains, stating she didn’t deserved this.

But Kaneshiro interjected, saying, “Kiddo, none of us do. Yet we do it anyway. We don’t NEED a reason to do it other than we just don’t wanna see someone die. We don’t NEED permission to do it because it’s our choice.” 

“I’m a freak…” she said with despondency.

“Join the club. Everyone of us is a freak in their own right. We were born in a way we shouldn’t have been born and we’ve done some things we’re even ashamed of.” 

Madarame then states, “What he’s trying to say is, You don’t have to be alone.”

This may be the start of a kindling relationship of her and her newfound family. And this was when Kamoshida gave her the nickname “Tori” which means bird and part of the katakana spelling of Patricia(Patorishia) 

Haru often times bumps into Tori and Okumura in malls and cafe streets.

At first, Tori was hesitant to befriend someone who seemed to hate her. 

Haru expresses that she understands that Tori hates her guts and what she did was unforgivable. Even so, she wants to make things right.

Slowly overtime, and after her awakening, she’s not only gotten used to Kuni and her friends. But her new older sister figure,Haru. 

Her old mischievous personality came back in full swing, but this time it came with a touch of kindness.

The dynamic I would describe simply put, Haru is the kindly and intelligent figure to the young playful and rowdy kid. Sometimes Tori tries to prank Haru, resulting in the curly haired girl scolding her, much to the blonde’s amusement. Overall, they seemed to get along like peas in a pod. 

Sometimes, they even invite her to teach her father Kemono Crossing New Horizons(Animal Crossing New Horizons), sometimes, Haru and Tori would look at some flowers, and at times, Haru would do Tori’s hair while the child sang a song on the guitar.

Hope you enjoy my work and hope this answers your questions.

[see-arcane]

I’m just generally curious why you thought Eggers of all people would be the person who would somehow care about human characters more and give them justice and not side with demonic vampire considering his dark approach to basically everything? His first movie was about Satan winning basically.

I always knew Eggers would go a dark route with Nosferatu--as any take on Nosferatu should be dark. Nosferatu is Dracula's cinematic Bad Ending bastard child. The young man is preyed upon outright. He escapes home to the wife he loves and who loves him. The young woman is the one to discover the method of destroying the monster, knowing she must forfeit her life to accomplish it. She sends her husband away on a pretense of needing the doctor, then invites the monster in, feeding him her blood until sunrise destroys him.

She dies. The monster perishes. The young man arrives too late and grieves, his beloved destroyed for the Greater Good.

Love saved the day. But it had to die to do it.

Nosferatu is a tragedy where the evil only ends by way of a martyr's sacrifice. It is the ending that kills the miraculous victory of Dracula's climax and happy close. And so it would make sense that Eggers, a fiend for supernatural horror overwhelming human characters, would fit more comfortably within Nosferatu as a playground.

Where I was foolish was assuming that he would somehow be different than every other Dracula director and would uphold the small tradition laid out by Werner Herzog, who understood the assignment and simply built upon Murnau's work rather than twisting it into yet another Francis fanfic ripoff. If Eggers' film does go the way so many red flags are suggesting, then I will be disappointed in him.

Because instead of respecting the characters or the story Murnau made, as he seems to think he's doing while simply throwing a black tarp over 1992's BS Dracula, he is using the frame of Nosferatu as a stage for his own OCs, treating Thomas, Ellen, and Orlok the way Jonathan, Mina, and Dracula have been for decades.

Where is the tragedy if Ellen wanted Orlok's embrace all along? Where is the pain of love's bitter sacrifice if she shrugs off Thomas because, as the trailer implies, he 'does not satisfy her' (romantically/sexually) because Orlok's cadaverous charms are just so~ much cooler and manlier~?

I expected better of Eggers because I expected a man as detail-oriented, pro-horror, and pro-tragedy as him would understand the assignment. But he hasn't. Despite all the atmospheric trappings and menace and his proudly sanding off Francis' polish for grim-grimy-gothic goodness, he's hollowed out Nosferatu for just another basic round of, "What if the girl and the vampire wanted to fuck?"

[rosehippiefield]

Could you maybe tell something about one of your ocs? I am really interested :33

Okay so I've written little fanfic about her. Just in case I'll write its starting and ending points

Start

Mission The Blood Woods were dark and scary, full of dangers lurking at each corner. Especially at night, when all horror was amplified by hideous monsters waking up and hunting their prey. Even leaves were colored in scarlet, deterring any foolish travelers that would make mistake coming there. Not many dared to set a foot in those lands, even if the situation called for it.

But in this case, there was no choice. A path through this horrid forest led to wounded people that would otherwise die in span of few days, with no other way to reach them. Somebody had to heal them. Somebody had to carry necessary medicine. Even if this someone is a young frail girl.

Steloryna walked briskly through the woods, trying to not pay attention to shimmering red. She had to concentrate on saving victims. She couldn’t let her doubts overcome her again. She can be useful! She can save at least someone! She couldn’t stay aside if it meant other people had to risk their lives.

A drop of scarlet liquid on blond hair when she recklessly run under bizarre weeping willow trees. A thorn, plunged in tiny shoulder when making a way through the bushes. Steloryna continued. She had a potion to stop pain, but someone needed it a lot more. It was bearable enough. A smile appeared on her face with thought that her friends didn’t experience this.

Suddenly, a screeching noise rang through dreaded forest. Girl looked in the direction of the sound and everything became clear: a monster has found her. She was given a tiny knife and one grenade emitting deadly gas. Against a beast three time her size. With her physical strength, she wouldn’t be able to throw grenade at hideous creature either. But that wasn’t what worried her.

Steloryna tilted her head to the side and opened her palms in an offer of peace. Creature, with no visible eyes to tell the reaction, lunged forward instead. Girl jumped to the left, just in time to dodge a deadly attack, and sighed at the prospect of the inevitable battle.

Putting her hands together and chanting a spell, Steloryna was ready for the fight. Her clothes began to change with more flower motives appearing on her skirt, shirt and head. A chamomile. Thin vines crawled from the surface, tightening around monster’s limbs. Torn to shreds in a second. White gas filled the air, full of sleep-inducing agents. Blown away with mighty roar. With no other way, our heroine decided to flee.

Where? The only way is up, or the beast will catch up in a moment. With help of same vines Steloryna lifted herself to the top of a tree. A tall, stout oak tree. The beast made attempts to break it, of course, but to no avail. Breathing heavily, it rammed again and again against sturdy trunk. At last it stopped, but still refused to wander away. Steloryna had to use her sleeping spell again, which exhausted her. At least she can move on.

Climbing down, the girl looked at the creature, now harmless and defenseless. When it wakes up, it can seriously harm someone. Maybe kill… Steloryna furrowed her eyebrows. She could not use that knife. A creature before her was alive. Why was it so dangerous to people? Maybe just to protect itself? Even if not, she chose to go away.

Soon, she would miraculously save people she risked her life for. Soon, she would be called angel for her selflessness. Soon, her friends would berate her for not using even a bit of healing potion on herself. Soon, she would return to that forest to try to understand it and its habitants. It’s her duty no one gets hurt after all.

End

So I wanted to try to show some of her traits in this fanfic, but the general idea is that this girl is too selfless and kind. Also many things change depending on the univirse and my mood. And memory, I've forgotten many of my ideas about her.

She's named Steloryna (or Sterorine maybe, it doen't matter too much), she's 19, she has interest in flowers and medicine. If it's magical universe, she's able to transform with power of a certain flower, but for that she has to know a lot about it and grow at least one flower of its kind.

She also can feel pain more sharply (in my universe every feeling is amplified, so it's possible to win with power of friendship/bromance/family, but negative feelings also have stronger influence. Like having a headache when your loved one sits in the exam lol). So she has keen sense of suffering and if she doesn't deal with it she feels almost same pain. It's kind of selfish to want to help because she wants to put herself at ease too. Selfish in the most selfless way.

There'a also her backstory where some dear people sacrificed themself for her sake, and she couldn't move on for a long time and thought that being useful is the only way to justify her survival. She even had suicidal thoughts, but fortunately didn't go through with it. But she developped interest in extreme sports like racing. When it doesn't harm anyone, of course.

There are some other themes like people percieving her like a divine angel and not a tired person with her own flaws. Or her having interest in faith because that's where she finds forgiveness for herself. Her kindness to others also brings her to liking herself a bit more.

So that's that! I still have many contradictory ideas about Stellie because I want her to be wise and calm while also often foolishly self sacrificial. Maybe one day I'll do something with her

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Happy anniversary of The Daughter of Olympus! -Danny Words: 2,255 Series' Masterlist Book II // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Talking To Myself' -by Gatlin

I: Born to Say 'Fuck Off' Forced to Say 'Yes, Sir'

Ara can think of ten different things she could be doing outside of this musty old place that would make a difference in the world instead of this. I'm the daughter of Olympus, she sulks, giants fear me, monsters want me, but I can't get rid of Marcus from Spanish class.

First day of High School. She's looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, hyping herself up to survive the last three hours of the day. It would be less aggravating if Percy had qualified to attend his last year at Goode's, but apparently, disappearing in the middle of the school year gets you expelled, go figure.

Arae Jackson.

The girl gives a start and looks over her shoulder at the stools, where none other than Poseidon meets her eye. "My lord," Ara's voice trembles. "This is a girl's bathroom."

The god raises a brow as if silently asking if that's truly her main concern. "I'll be brief with this visit. My son needs you."

"Which one? Tyson?" That sentence immediately puts her on edge. "Percy? What happened?"

"Oh, nothing yet," the god sighs. "Percy must do a series of tasks and Zeus has forbidden me from aiding him, yet he never mentioned I couldn't bestow upon you the duty to ensure Percy's triumph."

She stares at him. "You mean a quest, sir?"

"As daughter of Olympus, you must do what the gods ask of you, I hope you haven't forgotten?" He crosses his arms.

"Of course not, my lord, but I'm a little lost," she raises a brow. "Why are you drafting Percy into this if I could do the tasks myself?"

Poseidon smiles but seems tense. "My son will explain everything to you. Goodbye, I expect good results."

The god leaves, and Ara turns to the mirror. "This is what you get for bitching."

When Ara gets home, she finds Grover at the door. "Hey, man," she musters a tired smile. "Came for dinner?"

"It's your first day of High School and Percy's senior year, of course I'd come," he grins. "How are you?"

Percy opens the door and welcomes them in. "Hey! I was wondering where you two were..."

"I brought strawberries." Grover shoves the basket in the boy's hands. "Is that tofu stir-fry?"

"Hello to you, too," Percy answers, throwing a bemused glance at Ara.

"I love tofu stir-fry!"

"Ara and Grover are here!" Her brother announces over his shoulder. "They brought strawberries!"

Sally comes out of the kitchen and takes the basket. "They smell wonderful! Perfect dessert!"

"Last crop of the summer," Grover informs them. "Now we have to get ready for gourd season. Don't get me wrong. I love decorative gourds, but they're not as tasty."

Sally pats his shoulder as she walks past. "We'll make sure these berries don't go to waste."

Ara stares at them. Everyone thought Leo would be back by the last week of August... She keeps smiling like his absence does not bug her much, partly because she doesn't want to be like those girls who whine about their boyfriends, and also because a General being sad about a boy is plain stupid, but it's more than that. Now that their curse is—presumably—broken, nothing assures her that he'll love her still, he didn't address her in the scroll he sent, after all.

He has a whole life ahead of him, and he might decide that even if they share soul lights, his calling is somewhere else, somewhere she doesn't fit in. He's free, but nothing has changed for Ara. Hercules warned her, and she didn't take it seriously at first, thinking she'd die before she could get a chance to see how that would play.

"Who's hungry?" Paul enters the room, and Ara feels slightly better.

While the family catches up, Percy shares his conundrum: He's been asked to get three recommendation letters from the gods by doing three separate quests. "Well then, we'll do these quests together!" Grover speaks before Percy can even finish.

Percy's shoulders relax. "Grover, you don't have to—"

"Are you kidding? A chance to do quests, just the four of us? Like old times? The Fantastic Four!"

"The Beatles," Annabeth smirks.

"The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," Percy adds.

"The Golden Girls," Ara finishes.

"I wanna be Betty White."

The teens laugh, and Paul raises his drink. "The monsters will never know what hit them. Just be careful, you four."

"Oh, it'll be fine," Grover brushes it off, but he's anxiously nibbling a napkin. "Besides, it always takes a while for word to get around among the gods. We've probably got weeks before the first request comes in!"

It did not take weeks.

The next day, Ara notices a guy seated next to Percy at their favorite smoothie bar, one that she knows. "Ganymede." Her smile is one of intrigue. "The hell are you doing here?"

Usually, she doesn't speak to godlings like that, but Ganymede's like the cousin you see once a year and with whom you sneak out of the family reunion to talk shit about your aunts and uncles, and heck, he talks. She met him during the winter and summer solstices that she attended as the daughter of Olympus.

"Oh, is my disguise worth nothing?" He huffs. "It doesn't matter. Dear Arae, I require aid. I would've come to you, but..." he makes a face. "Well, if I use you, the gods might find out about my problem."

"What problem?" Ara sits next to Percy, taking a sip from his smoothie.

"I have to be sure this is completely discreet," he leans forward. "You cannot tell anyone else. Is that understood?"

"Discreet is what we do," Grover says.

"How much do you know about my responsibilities on Mount Olympus?" Ganymede questions.

"You're the cupbearer of the gods," Annabeth replies.

"Must be a sweet job," Grover sighs. "Immortality, godly power, and you just have to serve drinks?"

"It's a horrible job."

"Permanent waiter position with no chances of promotion," Ara nods in understanding.

"When it was just at feasts," Ganymede continues, "that was one thing. But now ninety percent of my orders are deliveries. Ares wants his nectar delivered on the battlefield. Aphrodite wants her usual with extra crushed ice and two maraschino cherries delivered to a sauna in Helsinki in fifteen minutes or less. Hephaestus... Don't get me started on Hephaestus. This gig economy is killing me."

"Okay," Percy shrugs. "How can we help?"

"My most important symbol of office... Can you guess what it is?"

"Since you're cupbearer of the gods, I'm going to guess... a cup?"

"Not just any cup!" Ganymede hisses. "The chalice of the gods! The goblet of ultimate flavor! The only cup worthy of Zeus himself! And now..."

"Oh, it's missing, isn't it?" Annabeth guesses.

"Not missing. My cup has been stolen." He bursts into tears.

Percy looks at Ara, she gestures at him vaguely and he reacts stiffly. "There, there."

The waiter hands Ara her usual drink, then he notices the crying boy. "Is the smoothie not okay, sir? I can make you something else."

"No." Ganymede sniffs. "It's just... I can't stand seeing so many cups. It's too soon. Too soon."

Ara looks at the waiter and flashes him a smile. "Thank you, Steve. I'll make sure to tip fifteen percent." The guy seems satisfied with that and leaves them alone. 

Grover turns to the god. "You know, the kids at Camp Half-Blood make some great arts-and-crafts projects. They could probably fashion you a new goblet."

"It wouldn't be the same," Ganymede whines.

"Or you could look into single-serving cups made from recyclable material."

"Grover," Annabeth intervenes. "He wants his special cup."

"I'm just saying, single servings might be more hygienic. All those gods sipping from the same goblet—?"

"You said it was stolen," Percy moves on. "Do you know who took it?"

"I have some ideas," he glares at the table. "But first, you have to promise that this remains confidential. The goblet makes drinks taste good to the gods. But if a mortal got hold of it... one sip from it would grant them immortality." 

Ara and Percy make the same face. "If it's so powerful, why would you trust us to get it back?"

"I couldn't trust anyone else! You've already turned down immortality once, Percy Jackson."

"Yeah, what a weirdo." Ara retorts sarcastically.

Percy kicks her foot. "Okay. Totally confidential."

"And these others?" Ganymede looks at her friends. 

"These others know how to keep a secret," Annabeth smiles. "Loose lips are never a good strategy."

"Totally," Grover nods.

"We're all best friends," Percy says. "You can trust them as much as you can trust me."

"Yeah, besides, you and I come from way back," Ara states confidently.

"Fine," he sighs dramatically. "I suspect someone on Olympus is trying to embarrass me, make me look bad in front of Zeus. If he finds out I lost my cup... No. I have to recover it."

"You have enemies?" Percy asks.

"Oh, yes. Hera, for one. She's hated me since the day Zeus snatched me up to Olympus. Zeus was always complimenting me, you see—how handsome I was, how much I brightened up the palace. It's not my fault I have nicer legs than she does."

Ara wants to erase that sentence from her memory. Annabeth shivers. "Let's hope it's not Hera."

"No... Probably not. She would consider it beneath her." Ganymede mumbles. "But there are others—Everyone on Olympus hates me, really, because I'm a newcomer, an upstart kid made immortal. They call me a gold digger! Can you believe that?"

Percy and Ara share a look again, having a tough time not blurting out their silly thoughts. "You suspect anyone else in particular?"

"Before I was the cupbearer," he lowers his voice, "there were two other goddesses who had my job. First Hebe. Then Iris."

"Iris seems kind of chill to be stealing chalices," Grover replies.

"Perhaps." Ganymede pouts. "But Hebe..."

"The goddess of youth," Annabeth hums. "But, Ganymede, you're, like, eternally young and beautiful. Why would she want to embarrass you?"

"Oh, you don't know her," Ganymede scrunches up his nose. "In the early days, every time I would serve drinks at the feast table, she'd mutter Spill it, spill it as I walked past. She's so immature."

"Well, if she's the goddess of youth..." Grover starts.

"That's no excuse! She needs to grow up!" 

"Okay," Percy brushes it aside. "Do you have any proof she took it?"

"Proof? That's what I need you for. Don't you heroes dust for fingerprints, analyze DNA samples, that sort of thing?"

"You might be thinking of CSI. But okay, we'll start with Hebe. Then check Iris."

"Fine." Ganymede takes a sip of his drink. "Hmm. Not bad. Maybe when I get fired and turned back into a mortal, I could work here."

"You'd make a great himbo," Annabeth nods. "So how long has your chalice been missing?"

Ganymede squints. "A century?"

"A century?!" Percy squeaks.

"Or a week? I always get those time periods confused. Not long, anyway. So far, I've been able to fake it with my delivery orders. The other gods kind of expect to-go cups with those. But if I don't get my proper chalice back before the next in-person feast, everyone will notice. I'll be humiliated!"

"When is the next feast?" Grover inquires.

"I don't know! Zeus is unpredictable! He might schedule one in twenty years. Or it could be tomorrow. The point is, I need that goblet back before word gets out! Question those goddesses. See what they know. But don't offend them. And don't say I sent you. And don't give away that my cup was stolen."

"That'll make it hard to question them," Annabeth responds. "Any idea where these goddesses hang out?"

"They stay close to Mount Olympus. I mean Manhattan. They should be around here somewhere. Do this for me, Percy Jackson, and I will write you a letter!"

"This recommendation letter will be positive?" Percy lists. "And you'll actually sign it?"

Ganymede scoffs. "You drive a hard bargain, but very well! Now, away with you, before I am undone!"

The moment Ganymede is gone, Percy turns to Ara. "You're friends with that guy?"

Ara puffs out air through her mouth and leans back tiredly. "Dude, when you work part-time in Olympus, there aren't many options."

"Well..." He looks at the others with a little smile. "This should be fun. Any ideas where to start?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Grover pouts. "But let me finish my drink first. We're going to need our strength."

Compared to what they used to face when they were younger, this is easy, and they also have each other. It surprises her how easily her brain accepts this and moves on. For years she'd been part of this family and felt the same they did about most things, but being a daughter of Olympus was shifting her character in ways she couldn't even notice until it was too late. 

Ease up, sunshine—She can hear Leo's voice in her head, twisting the perspective so it looks like something fun instead of dangerous. Before meeting him, that voice was her own, but now... all things joyful are him—this will be such a cool story at parties.

Ara makes a beeline to her room and stops only when Percy calls after her. "Yes?"

"Wanna play?" He's showing her the PlayStation remote with a strange look in his eyes, almost holding his breath while waiting for an answer.

Ara replies awkwardly. "Ah—I've got camp stuff to review. Bunker, cabins..." Her feet are already moving forward. "Sorry..."

The girl enters their shared room and closes the door. On her side of the room, right above her bed, she spots the Polaroids Leo gifted her a few months ago, and her smile drops. Gods, she's dead worried. Ara presses her back against the door and steadies herself. You got this. Her hand dives into her pocket and closes around Almighty with a tight grip. She takes a few steps forward and collapses onto her bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh @ebony-reine-vibes

[b1tches-lov3me]

INTERNPERSON FLUFF FIC

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Note: dinner served

Scrambles of mentions: monster x ghost, different languages you are not gonna understand, oc cameo, author's oc, big x small, narratively and blatantly idfk, sleeping together, TEHEEE

Coolio toolio headcanons: good people is genderfluid omga, Mr lopee is German, good people is uhh idk.

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In a room..meaty and fleshy..how disturbing..

A mass of flesh with an mask..they're likely so quiet in they're room which they like it silent and peace..then..someone opened they're door..they were about to slaughter them but as they realized..they slaughter the wrong person..his pookie aka his uhh idk husband???? Fuck off. Anyways the old man which is Mr lopee, z-96 gasped as they realize they slaughtered him.

"Darling! Oh god..I'm so sorry.." good people said to his beloved old man (OKEMEKFKSJFKE) Mr lopee in a remorseful and apologizing way.

"No need to say sorry darling..I'm the one who's sorry..I didn't mean to ruin you're sleep like that.." he said in a convincing way..he held they're mask in a very gentle way, they held his hands that were holding his mask both of them smiled, Mr lopee nuzzled on they're mask

"You're soooo... beautiful.." Mr lopee said.

As good people purred

"I know darling.." good people purred as Mr lopee sits down to kiss they're mask.."oh how much I love you."

And blop! Painter ap- wait that ain't painter! MICHE WHAT THE FUCK YOU DOING?

"HEYY!! Guess who- oh my god you guys are disgusting so bad ungrateful little pesky bee and shits this is why I don't like everyone here you guys are so ugly and disgusting I cant think but I wanna kill you guys so bad I hope you die." Miche said in the most blunt way possible

"....WHAT?" good people yelled at her

"Was that a threat I hear? Sorry my ears can't pick up the sens-" Miche said before the screen gets stabbed by good people's claws ZAMNNNNN GIRL.

”Dumme Roboter-Grabenbluterin … wie beschäftigt sie ist.“ good people words were mumurs that Mr lopee can hear..Mr lopee were shocked by how good people did not hesitant to stab the screen. But he wasn't surprised..a bit.. good people grabs him and puts him onto they're hair..man that's warm as fuck.

"Schlaf gut, Schatz. Ich verspreche, dich zu beschützen." Good people said to Mr lopee

"Hehehe ... nein, du musst mich nicht beschützen ... ich muss dich beschützen, mein Liebling ..." Mr lopee said in German. How the fuck he went to English to German. As Mr lopee fell asleep. Good people smiled and loaf like and sleep together.

And no they didn't get freaky.

___________________

Author note: a little help from a moot to make prompts but she gave me stuff so I did.

[grrrbkbr]

I got tagged awhile ago by @anarcholive to post Abt ocs and :333 I forgot SO here some are

Feel free to keep reading if u wanna see them :D

First is Alain Badeaux :3 she's technically a disco elysium oc but she has her own personal story along with Rein but :D my wonderful cop with unrequited love. She struggles a lot with finding any sort of interest or passion and the things she does enjoy, she finds she loses interest in, come a few months. She's blunt and can be frankly rude but she does mean well with her words. She also seems to not be expressive but she is! She is very expressive!

Then we have REIN Badeaux. I post more of stuff with him lol but he is also a cop! He's meant to kind of be an opposite to who Alain is so like, he's a K-9 Officer who has alexithysmia. Where Alain is expressive and honestly pretty well in tune with her emotions but it doesn't show, Rein more than not, has a hard time knowing what it is he feels and also expressing it buuuut, puts on a fun social mask to seem way more charismatic than he is. He uses art and music (plays guitar lol) as the one way he can vocalize or express whatever it is he feels.

Here is Neil! She's from a rp I was in but she's based off a Banshee, hired by a noble to basically tell him things that'll happen in the future or possibly even his death. She hates her job. And she was actually hired to be a script for him. Write some things for him. She can't die (technically) but she really is getting tired of living this life.

BOID :DDDDD Boid DuPont is my ghostface oc. I talked Abt him before too but he is a theatre major who also is a murderer on the side. His love for the stage blends into his murders, basing them usually around horror or thriller movies, shows, books. He gets a very... Into those murders. That same satisfaction he gets on the stage? He feels just that when committing his murder.

He also works for his dad btw- his dad owns a computer business so Boid helps repair them. Because he needs money. For college. Because even tho he's a murdere, student loans come first. Also, Boid is head of the theatre department and very active around school! :D He's also stupid egotistical. Loves getting compliments. He's a sucker for compliments.

Omg you're still reading?? Guess whaaat. I'm not a human artist, rlly. I love monsters and creatures. I just don't post them. Have my other OCS.

this is my oc Curry! They work for a military shipping company (not rlly military) called the K9 and it's run by a bunch of cats :3 her work partner is another cat named Bear. They don't get along in the beginning, considering where the two of them grew up but after awhile, Curry and Bear warm up to each other. But, Curry is super smart and a mechanic; they work on their mech and have a broad understanding of old world tech (btw, the world blew up and after a good amount of yrs, civilization is back wo!)

Here is them and Bear :3

Final little oc I'll post! FLORAL. My DND oc! I love him so much. He's a gray render barbarian who gains sentience whenever he as on that crown. When he doesn't, he rages! And I get to roll if I have control over him or if my DM does and even if that may seem annoying, I actually loved the idea!! Florals character is learning what makes someone 'human' or what humanity even is because without that crown, he's just a very big blood thirsty puppy dog.

I lied sorry. Another monster.

Ending it off with a banger. My....thing...my girl....my uh... my yea. My fourth wall breaking baby. Who i love. She is a demon. With two forms. I'm not going into her stuff but like, she's cool as hell.

Here's her two forms :3

[lynaferns]

seems like the OC topic is here! how many do you have? and what types of OC you like more? :D espero y tengas un muy lindo dia!

I had to count them... uuuuh, at least 45 OCs not counting my sonas and selfiserts (and DCA AUs), all distributed between 10-ish stories, 33 OCs or so are from the same story and spin off of said story (yeah, I made a whole story and then took the whole cast of characters and put 'em in a completely diferent story and universe). There are many that I haven't posted anywhere yet, some don't have a story yet just the concept and some I haven't even draw them yet lol.

(one day I'll have to make a master post or something of all the OC's)

Y'know what? I'm making a list of the stories I have

(It got long, is under the cut)

A Shadow Between Worlds: Girl born with a shadow entity as her protector has nightmares where she gets chased by a monster she can't see, when she wakes up she's covered in all the wounds the monster made her. One day she gets tired and shearch for an old book her mother kept in the attic, the book contains information about entitys from other worlds. She opens a portal to an utopian world who's population is interested in knowledge, at a point where their world became the Universe's library.

Our Little Wonderland ^^Spin off: Nosy reporter enters abandoned mansion after a few rumours of some teenagers talking about it beging haunted with moving dolls, rooms that changed placement and typical haunted mansion stuff. Finds out the mansion is not haunted but it's magical and dolls want to search for the little girl that lived there with her father but they can't leave the mansion. The reporter finds the girl but she refused to come back to her old home at first. The dolls are fantasy characters from a story setting and needs the girl to do her rol as one of the main characters of the tale so they can complete their purpouse but the girl is not very cooperative.

Syra and Fayne (no title yet): Half human demon escaped her fathers fortress and went to live on earth. Along the ways she meets a forest spirit that decides to acompany her and later on she makes friends with a fallen angel she meets. They both live together as besties.

Robot and Cat (no title yet): Stray cat enters an old abandoned home already claimed by nature and accidentally wakes an old futuristic robot. The robot takes care of the cat and the house and search for evidences of where its owners/creators are and what happened to them.

Spike Boy (angry furries with powers): angry hegdog kid is pissed off with a guy who killed his parents and wants to beat his ass, meets a bunny girl who's parents were also killed by the same guy and she also wants to beat his ass. Said guy is the lider of an organization whos trying to dominate the world to rule it in his own way and make it a safer place but comiting several atrocities in the way to his goal

Khrono Cat (furries and automatons): A baby born dead is taken to the water and time spirits by his parents. Is revived in the lake's water by the spirits and a fallen star. Later on the kids life the spirits call him back to the lake to give him an automaton as his guardian to full fil his destiny of stoping a world catastrophe.

Fase REM (provisional title): There is people who are transported to an Earth like dream dimension when they fall asleep, they have to survive trough the nigth escaping from dangers and monsters. They don't know why but when they enter the dream they are filled with a feeling like they must find a person. If they die in their dreams they die in real life. One day a girl is visited by an entity who comes from the dream dimention and since then she's been afected by this weird event (and tormented by the entity who never left). She has to discover how this entity was created, where did it came from and why all of this is happening.

Heavenly Kids (provisional title, needs revision): Heaven and Hell where at peace at each other but one day corrupted demons started attaking the human realm and Heaven send 3 guardians representatives of parts of the body (bones, flesh and nerves) to save the earth and find out what is going on in the demon realm.

Shadow Family (no title yet, just a concept): A family of shadowy creatures who lives in the forest and sometimes disguises as humans to go unnoticed between them. The parents has some unresolved matters from the past and the kids goes investigate about it (this is actually a dream that I had where it was a show I was watching and got upset when there where no more episodes, then I woke up and got more upset because the show didn't even exist so I drew the family)

Magic Apprentice (no title yet, just a concept): Girl who is abused by her family and neglected finds a secret door inside of her closet that goes to several other closets until she gets to her grandmas house, except that the house now is diferent, is magic, and the world around her too. Her grandma is a witch and made that secret door for her to escape to when she got to be old enough (except that the grandma got tired of seen her grandkid getting mistreated and didn't wait anymore for her to turn 18). The girl becomes her grandma's apprentice and explores the world full of magic. (This is also a dream I had, I think my head mixed Harry Potter with Narnia(haven't even watched this) and Studio Ghibli artstyle for some reason)

I have... to do a lot... a lot of redesigns... and change a few names.

....This got longer than I intended. Well you can see the repetitive concept of non-human worlds or semi-human realms lol, and magic, dreams, and I didn't mention it in the list but there are a couple of stories that involve tecno-magic.

I generally like fantasy-sci-fi and retro-futuristic themes, non-human characters trying to live a mundane life or human and non-human (or diferent especies and cultures) living together. It's actually really hard to tell what type of characters exactly I like. I'm picky too, that doesn't help. If it's a robot I'm almost surely gonna like it, and if the robot has a living being as a friend I'm gonna like it more.

Y gracias! espero que tu también. Me he tirado aquí como 4 horas pero he entrado a archivos viejos buscando a todos mis OCs y he revisitado un montón de ideas viejas, así que gracias por eso también :D

Edit: I don't know what hapened but the cut moved placement and the images are one on top of the other, vertically instead of horizontally, I hope I fixed it. It doesn't let me edit from the phone so I went back to the computer.

[raccoonfallsharder]

cicatrix .⋆☁︎:･꧂

chapter seventeen. keyframe. [new 7/26] ✩

18+ only | rocket x f!oc | 17/30+ | wip | word count: pending. masterlist, notes, & moodboard | chapter seventeen. keyframe. ART: portrait of pearl | pearl & rocket's bunk chapter one. nemotia. art by @/frostedwitch

a raccoon, a girl, and a kylosian walk into a throneroom. see below for warnings & notes.

“I don’t want to adopt an abilisk,” she reasons quietly. “I just don’t want them to die out.” She chews her lip and eyes the Kylosian nervously. She’s not sure how much he’s inferring from any of these conversations, or how careful she needs to be — but then, she’s always tried so hard not to underestimate people the way the High Evolutionary does. So instead, she just offers Rocket a pleading little half-shrug, and she looks out at the stars, wondering how far the herd still is. The distant celestial bodies glow and shimmer, studding the expanse of space with patterns that are simultaneously familiar and new. Eucleia. Penthus. Elpis.  Adrestia. Dice. The words unfurl on her tongue like a blossom, petal-sweet, before she’d even known they were growing there. “I hate to think of us all here, just playing out the roles we were assigned.” She slants her eyes downward to her beloved survivor. “Don’t you?” His eyes widen, molten sunsets and bonfires. She sees his chest hitch on an uncertain, startled breath — and then those same eyes narrow.  “You’re the second-worst frickin’ thing that’s ever happened to me.” She feels her smile wobble. “I know.” “Who assigns these roles?” Drax asks.  “The first-worst that’s ever happened to me,” Rocket answers dryly. He rolls his eyes and leans on the cascabel. “Okay, kitten. I hope this idea of yours is a frickin’ good one.”

read more on ao3 | masterlist, notes, & moodboard

holy shit i wrote plot!!! but it seemed way better when i drafted it and revised it 27 times than when i just edited/posted it so uhmmmm thanks for bearing with me.

a story about scars. two survivors learn about themselves, each other, hope, and the universe.a freakish little monster visits the high evolutionary’s bride on her wedding night. an adventure of intergalactic proportions ensues. aka raccoons make plans; the universe laughs.

WARNINGS for this chapter: brief glimpses into rocket’s typically-filthy thoughts, pearl’s anxiety, and wyndham’s dickishness.

fluff ✮ | spice ✩ | some smut ❤︎‬ | much smut ❤︎‬❤︎‬

banners & rose dividers by @/saradika-graphics pearl dividers by @/thecutestgrotto taglist ♡ @evolvingchaoswitch ♡ @glow-autumz ♡ @wren-phoenix ♡ @suicidalshitstick ♡ @pretty-chips

[kharmii]

*Dabi and Geten point at each other* This guy.

Girl: Elmo!

Elmo: Will you give me a hug? Isn't this the best?

OC: Has a favorite monster. *points at Geten*

That guy in front of me. Magnificent bastard.

Minion: Banana?

Geten: Again?

(Off screen): Congratulations on implementing UR.

How are you feeling?

Geten: I'm honestly happy.

(Off screen): I came here desperately to hunt.

What do you think about users?

Geten: If you can hunt it, go ahead and do it.

(I didn't understand this convo so cut and paste directly from translator).

Dabi: Yo ice guy.

Let's get along as the same unit.

By the way, what happened to that guy who's always beside me?

He's in the same unit, right?

As the captain, I want to know more about it, so please introduce me.

Geten: *grinds teeth*

Geten: Why do I need to get acquainted with you?

I don't understand why I'm introducing him to you.

(Dabi Offscreen): Are you a lazy person?

Dabi: Don't you understand the meaning of words?

Ah, I see. You didn't even go to school and just developed your meta ability, did you?

Well, I don't know what you're talking about (laughs).

Geten: Be careful, blue flame, just talking to you....it's a waste of time.

If you have time to mess with me, why don't you try to improve your meta ability? There are only disadvantages. It's a burden to your feet.

Geten makes a snide comment about OC for being desperate.

Look. It's time. Open up.

Here....what to do if I die.

Geten mumbling while someone off screen tells him: I'm sure you'll be impressed by the quality of the painting. I'm sure you'll be impressed by the quality of the painting...

Art credit: 香月SPARK西1G17b@kaduki_kk97 Twitter.

[damn-stark]

Chapter 5 One thought before the slaughter

Chapter 5 of Stargirl

A/N- Someone will get rightfull traumatized by all of it

Warning- Swearing, ANGST, violence and blood, fluff! SLOWBURN, long chapter.

Pairing- Steve Harrington x fem!reader, male!oc x fem!reader

Episode- 2x09

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

————

Maybe it was a mistake coming back to Hawkins lab. You keep trying to tell yourself that your dad needs your help dealing with the Demo-dogs, he doesn’t truly understand what he’s getting into like you do. And that assures you, it gives you confidence, but the bad thoughts keep coming back to you like an annoying song that you can’t get out of your head.

Then again it’s only your fear threatening to cripple you. You ignore it and get out of the car you borrowed, you’ll have to apologize for it later too. You reload the shotgun of the one bullet you used and then cock it, you look at the parking lot and spot your fathers car and your uncle's car parked right across from each other, which is kind of funny considering their current stance.

You lastly look at the building and can’t help but let a breath of air catch in your throat as the lights within flash slowly. The monsters aren’t heard from outside anymore, but they still lurk there, probably guarding the gate, feasting on the bodies of the people they killed. Fuck.

Fuck. Okay. Exhale.

Before something can happen you head inside slowly and cautiously, keeping an eye and ear out for those beasts.

And luckily you are cautious because as you approach the front doors you hear shuffling and squelching, like when feet hit against wet blood. Fuck. You raise the shotgun and begin to stalk forward, since it’s dark inside you can’t really see, all you do catch is a figure over a body. Your uncle and Eleven must be further inside or waiting by the gate so it’s neither of them, and all the others are dead. It can be…

You lower your gun and open the door, earning the figures attention. And just as you predicted just now it’s your father. “Dad,” you greet with relief.

Said man snaps his head over his shoulder and squints as if in disbelief, before he gets up and turns to stride over to you angrily. He’s angry.

“What are you doing here?” He asks and grabs your shoulders to begin pushing you back. “Get out. I told you to go home.”

You lift your hands and push his own off your shoulders, and brush off his concern. “Yeah, I heard, but you don’t know what you’re facing here. I came to help you.”

Your dad scoffs and harshly grabs your arm to begin pulling you with him out the door. “And I said go home, wait for me there y/n. Why did you not listen to me?”

You snatch your arm away and walk further in the lobby. “Dad, I came to help! You didn’t see them, they have no eyes, the inside of their mouth is filled with sharp teeth, they’re fast and strong! I just want to help you.”

Your dad licks his lips out of frustration and glances away to collect his thoughts. You step towards him and wait.

“Fuck,” he grimaces, “fine. Fine, but you stay by my side at all times, understand?”

The corner of your lips twitch to a smile as you nod in agreement. “I understand.”

Your dad rolls his eyes and walks past you, letting you turn and quickly tow behind him. Albeit you come to a quick stop as you catch the body of a middle aged man your dad was huddled over.

“You knew him?” You ask him.

Your dad continues towards the doors that lead past the lobby and nods. “Yeah. It was my friend Bob. He and I were supposed to grab lunch to catch up in person…now…”

“Those things did that,” you interject softly and follow after him. “That’s what they do. Tear you apart. That’s why the girl needs to close that gate, or else the entire town gets infested, and we all die.”

As you make it past the big doors he glances at you as you fall beside him. “She's the reason they’re here. Why Bob died. I end that today.”

You don’t find anything wrong with what he wants to do, you can’t after today.

“What happened to your hand?” He points to the bandage.

You lift your hand and turn it, noticing that fresh blood is staining the bandage.

Damn, it must’ve happened when you hit Billy fucking Hargrove.

“I cut myself,” you let him know quietly. “I’ll be okay. It won’t kill me.”

He sighs and looks ahead. “So that’s what you've been doing all day I assume? Hunting these things?”

You sigh and nod slowly. “Yeah, that about covers it. I mean it’s been crazy, but we can discuss that during breakfast.”

He hums and deadpans. “Now I’m tempted to send you to your moms.”

You gasp and snap your gaze to him. “What?” You protest. “No. What?”

He stops walking, so you do too and face him with a glare.

“You disobeyed me,” he argues. “This is my mission, you aren’t supposed to be here. You can get hurt, y/n. Or worse you can die. The only reason why I bring you along with me across the world is because you stay out of my missions, you wait in the sidelines. This,” he points around the haunting lab. “Is not okay, don’t you see that.”

You shake your head in disbelief and quickly rebuttal. “I’m helping you. I led you here! To the girl you’re after!”

“You’re not listening to me!” He yells at you, causing you to jump and step back.

He’s never yelled at you before, he’s never been this angry at you in your whole life. Whatever trouble you go into, your grandmother was the one who scolded you, he comforted you. He’s yelling at you this time.

“I don’t need your help,” he says back. “You’re supposed to be a teenager. Go to school, sneak a drink with your friends, go to the mall with your girlfriends, worry about school, not about me or my job. You can get hurt.”

You drop your gaze and feel the need to cry. “I’m sorry,” you mumble to the ground. “I just had the advantage so I took it. I’m sorry.”

Your dad turns around and lets out a frustrated breath, you slowly lift your gaze, but before you can get a glance at him suddenly something crashes through the doors you walked through, and charges at you. You quickly duck to avoid being tackled, but in doing so the demo-dog tackles your dad to the ground.

“Dad!” You cry and quickly point the shotgun at the back of the demo-dogs head as your dad struggles to keep it from biting him.

So as to avoid shooting your dad, you build your courage and kick the demo-dog off him. The demo-dog turns his head back and roars at you, so you hit the trigger and shoot it through the mouth, managing to kill it with one shot.

“Fuck,” you pant and look down at your dad with relief that it’s dead.

Your dad looks at you with shock and horror.n“What the fuck are those dogs?” He asks.

You shake your head and do Dustin justice. “Demo-dogs,” you correct him and bend down to take his hand and help him up. “They’re the monsters I warned you about.”

“Huh,” he gasps and looks back at it.

Nevertheless, before he can catch his breath three more demo-dogs come running past the doors, your dad reacts by taking your hand and pulling you with him down the hall. The demo-dogs of course don’t falter and chase after you, they won’t stop, so when you turn a hall, you pull your hand away from your dads grip and spin around to wait.

“Y/N!” Your dad yells as he comes to a stop too.

You’re being stupid, but they won’t stop. You raise your gun and the demo-dogs make a sharp turn, they spot the both of you and don’t hesitate to lunge at you and your dad.

The one after you tries to swing his claws, but you backup and shoot. The shot manages to kill it and throw it back, but now, the third one manages to grab you by the leg and yanks you down to the ground. You try to shoot it right away, but it digs his claws in your leg and makes you yell out and drop your gun.

Behind you your dad kills the one after him, so he then turns and shoots the demo-dog trying to crawl on you, but the bullet from his pistol doesn’t kill it, he needs more bullets.

“The shotgun!” You advise him.

Your dad listens and swiftly slides down to snatch the shotgun off the ground.

Alas just as he’s going to shoot it, the demo-dog screeches out at the ceiling before it pulls its claws off you. Your dad quickly grabs you by your arms and pulls you to him to cradle you, whilst the demo-dog runs down the hall and barges through a left door.

“What the hell just happened?” Your dad asks between pants.

You begin to smile and share what you predict happened. “My friends, they're distracting them. They did it.”

Hopefully they’re okay. Hopefully Steve is. You told them—begged them to take him with them, they agreed after you gave them all five bucks.

“They’re going to close the gate now, I assume,” you whisper and wince. “We can wait here or go further down.”

Your dad sits you back down and rips his sleeve off his shirt.

“I have bandages,” you tell him as he grabs your bleeding leg. “In my backpack.”

He blinks and meets your gaze. “You tell me now?”

You shrug. “You ripped your sleeve before asking.” You tease him. “So just use it now.”

Your dad scoffs and proceeds to wrap the bandage around your ankle.

“I took your gun by the way,” you add lightheartedly even if you groan as he helps you.

“Sorry. And yeah,” he huffs. “I saw. I was too upset at you to point it out.”

You frown and avert your gaze. “I am sorry,” you mutter softly.

Your dad meets your gaze as he finishes wrapping your wound and gently tilts your head up by your chin. “It’s okay. I mean you’re grounded, but there’s nothing to forgive, okay?”

Grounded? Beats being hated…so you smile at him and nod in comprehension.

“Now come on,” he says and then helps you to your feet. “Let’s go further inside.”

You swipe the shotgun off the ground and limp after him towards the door the demo-dog escaped through. Like the rest of the lab the lights are off in the stairwell you enter, however unlike in the halls there's a flashlight lit below and blood that seems to be leading you to the light.

You shouldn’t follow the blood that leads further into hell, but you do, and don’t stop even if you hear labored breaths below.

“Gun up,” your dad whispers back.

You stay quiet as you do as he says, and take a step to the side just in case.

Nevertheless, when you reach the bottom you come across an older doctor bleeding from his leg from what looks to be a demo-dog bite. He sees your dad and you and looks rightfully surprised.

“Hm,” your dad hums and stretches his arm back to lower your gun barrel. “Doctor Owens,” your father names.

You study the old man and see his confused reaction.

“You don’t know me but I know you,” your dad tells the man as he slowly crouches down. “Yeah, I know you.” He exhales and begins to tap the barrel of his pistol against the man’s bleeding wound. “Here’s what you’re going to do, you are going to retire from this shit you understand? Or else I,” your dad points his gun at himself. “Will find you again and actually get to put a bullet through that ancient skull.”

You swallow thickly and hide behind your father out of disbelief of what was getting said.

“Got it?” Your dad asks rhetorically before he pushes the gun into the wound, making the man groan in pain. “Now. Tell me where Jim Hopper went.” He pushes the head of the gun in the wound, making you wince and look away, and causing the man to groan and grab at his leg.

You know your dad is a dangerous man, he’s one of the CIA’s best agents, but you’ve never actually seen him in action, you’ve never seen him be this…cruel ever. It’s sort of scary.

“Through…there,” the man says hoarsely as he points to the double doors beside you.

Your dad hums in comprehension and pulls the gun back to get up and stride out, making you pass a brief glance at the man before you follow after your dad. When you’re past the doors, out of fear you’ll run into more demo-dogs you cock your gun and slowly stalk forward. Even as it stays quiet you continue to be cautious especially since it’s so badly lit inside. When you get to a control room that has a broken glass wall at the other end, you see a bright menacing red light fill the room from the crack on the cement wall at the other end of the glass.

It’s terrifying but frighteningly captivating as it begins to slowly close like a wound getting stitched up. Even so, nothing good comes from what lays behind the closing red gate, you feel it from the goosebumps that grow on your skin.

“Is that it?” Your dad whispers in disbelief.

You hang the shotgun over your shoulder and nod. “Yeah. I think it is. She’s closing it.”

He hums and steps back against some monitors. “Then we wait here,” he tells you.

You stay quiet and grab onto the edge of the metal desks to jump on and sit while you wait. Gunshots echo from below but neither of you can do anything since it sounds too low to actually help from above, so you just pull your switchblade out and fiddle with it as you wait.

“How about some pancakes tomorrow?” Your dad asks. “Blueberry pancakes with…”

“A fresh pot of coffee?” You pitch in.

He glances at you and nods. “Yeah. That sounds good.”

You offer him a faint happy smile and continue to stay quiet.

“No,” he interrupts and grabs your wrist to move your other hand a bit down the handle of the switchblade. “There, now do the trick. Otherwise you’ll get cut.”

You snort and nod along. “How wise of you father,” you tease him.

Your dad rolls his eyes. “Look, like I always say, you try to keep your kid from doing something and they’ll find a way to do it another way. Don’t want you to be hiding shit and sneaking off.”

You smirk. “So I’m ungrounded?” You press lightheartedly.

He shakes his head. “No, of course not. You sneak off while you are and I will take your car.”

You flick the switchblade close and get ready to respond back, but then the lights above begin to grow bright and brighter, making you shield your eyes as they overtake the red light that once came from the gate.

The effect only lasts a few seconds and once the lights turn back off the red light is completely gone, meaning that Eleven did it, the gate is closed. No more demo-dogs, no more threats from the Upside Down.

“It’s done,” you muse and put your switchblade away to then slide off the counter, and step towards the broken glass wall.

Your dad sighs and reloads his pistol as he remains leaned against the desk. “Stay back y/n,” he orders in a stern voice.

You don’t hesitate, not when he’s being strict and demanding like now. You also don’t stay a few inches away behind him, you walk back a few feet and remain hidden under the darkness that swallows the room whole. As the pulley that’s inside the gape is getting pulled up you avert your gaze. The moment the pulley hits the top you stiffen and feel chills crawl down your spine as your stomach twists because of that bad feeling that has yet to go away.

“Jesus,” you hear your uncle’s gasp break the silence. “Rowan, what the hell are you doing here?”

You slowly lift your eyes and watch your dad slowly push himself off the counter and slowly walk out of the dark with a menacing look you can see even if his back is turned to you.

“Look,” your dad says. “I know we’ve had our differences, Jim. I know we aren’t as united as we would like…but I still respect you big brother. I looked up to you at one point in my life, I think a part of me always will…” he pauses and you hear his shoes crack glass shards as he steps forward. “So I will ask you this once nicely.”

Your uncle narrows his gaze and shields Eleven with his arm, as if he knows what his brother is intending without having to be told.

“Give me the girl,” your dad demands. “She’s not supposed to be here, she’s a threat. A danger.”

“She’s a child,” your uncle snaps at your dad and backs up as his hand tightens around his shotgun.

You finally drift your gaze to Eleven and notice how different her appearance looks between now and only about an hour ago; blood stains trail down both her nostrils, dark circles paint the bottom of her eyes, and thin veins that almost look like cracks on her skin decorate her exhausted face. And now beside that there’s also fear from what’s happening.

“She’s a weapon, Jim,” your dad counters. “An object. A lab rat. A threat to everything and everyone. All this, those dogs and that gate prove that!” He exclaims out of frustration. “She’s no kid. They made sure of that.”

Your uncle shakes his head. “You don’t know that. You don’t know her! Or her life! You’re nothing but a pet yourself working for the government.”

This escalated quickly.

“Looking at you now proves that,” your uncle adds with a burning glower. “Father would be proud of you,” he feigns a chuckle. “His little boy is all grown up, killing children for his country.”

Your dad shakes his head. “No, not children. I save them from that,” your dad points at Eleven. “Would you really want her around if Sara—”

“Shut the hell up,” your uncle cuts him off full with venom. “Don’t you dare bring her into this. You have no right.”

Your dad steps forward and has no shame. “Would you really want that around your daughter? Risking her life everyday.”

“I said shut the hell up!” Your uncle bellows and points his shotgun at your dad, making you reach back for yours to be ready to pull it off your shoulder. “You’re not taking Eleven anywhere. I’ll protect her, I will keep her from harming anyone! She’s not a threat, she’s just a result of what they did! If this was y/n—”

“No,” your dad now takes his turn to cut your uncle off. “Just hand me the girl Jim. I will keep your name out of the reports, you won’t be involved in helping and aiding this threat. Hey, maybe we can rekindle our relationship once it’s all over. My girl wants a life here.”

Your uncle raises his gun higher but this time he seems to show some kind of remorse. Pity maybe for your dad.

“Rowan, please, just leave her with me. Help me keep her safe, no one has to know,” your uncle begins to plead in a softer voice. “She deserves this. You take her, she becomes just another lab rat, this time for the government. Please, little brother.”

Your dad sighs and keeps his head facing straight ahead as he discreetly moves his hand towards his holstered pistol.

However, your uncle catches his attempts and steps forward with his gun aimed at your dad. “Rowan,” your uncle whispers shakily. “Please. I don’t want to shoot you. Please.”

Your dad doesn’t respond, he just hastily pulls his gun out and shoots. Your uncle had managed to catch your dads reaction and shoots too.

Albeit your uncles bullet misses your dad because he had moved. Instead the shotgun bullet hits a counter, making you jump and cover your ears as it rings. And your dads bullet, well, with the strength Eleven can muster, she throws her head up and uses her ability to throw your dads bullet back to hit him.

However, his bullet also misses him by a few inches and whizzes past him, and instead hits you.

You didn’t see it, you felt it immediately the moment it came in contact with your body, the moment the bullet pierces your chest. The pain doesn’t register at first, nor does the fact that you had been shot, it doesn’t feel real.

You just slowly look down and see blood begin to stain your dirty shirt, you then proceed to slowly lift your hand to try and grasp the situation by pressing your palm against the bullet hole that’s a few inches away from where your heart is.

Once you pull your hand back and see the blood stain your palm the pain you hadn’t felt comes crashing through you, dull at first and then sharp and writhing. Tears quickly fill your eyes and you can only think of one thing besides the pain.

“Daddy?” You mewl out. The pain weakens you to the point it even hurts standing even if the wound is in your chest, so you quickly fall, missing your fathers facial reaction.

You just hear him call out with fear. “Y/N?”

The sound of his footsteps sound distant, like if he’s miles away even if shows up right beside you. His voice sounds muffled, like if that is far away too, but he’s right there on his knees beside you. It’s not until you feel a ripping pain on your chest like if hundreds of blades are stabbing your wound, that everything becomes clear again.

“Oh god no, oh god no, no, I’m sorry,” you hear your dad panic.

“Gah,” you cry out in pain and try to push his hands off your wound.

Your dad shakes his head. “No, baby no. I know it hurts, I know, but I need—god it’s a lot of blood.”

“Daddy,” you cry through the pain. “I-I don’t want to die, dad—”

“No,” he cuts you off sharply and meets your gaze with his watery eyes. “No, don’t say that. You won’t, I just need…” he trails off and looks around him quickly as he keeps his hands pressed against your bleeding wound. “I need help,” he whispers in such a broken voice that scares you even more because it’s something you haven’t heard before.

“Here, here,” you recognize your uncle's voice at your side. When you look over he seems shocked and almost as if he feels the pain himself. “We’ll run upstairs and call the ambulance. Don’t move her from here, she’ll bleed out more.”

Your dad looks at him but when he looks at the blood that keeps pouring out, streams of tears begin pouring out of his eyes, and he mentally doesn’t seem to catch up to what’s being said. “No, no—”

“Rowan!” Your uncle snaps him from his stupor.

“I’m trying, I’m trying,” your dad yells back. “Babygirl,” he says down at you. “I’m trying, just wait. Wait, I’m going to get help.”

“Rowan,” your uncle exclaims and grabs your dads shoulder. “Just keep applying pressure. I’ll be back, okay? I’ll be back.”

Your dad holds his brother's gaze and nods quickly, letting your uncle quickly rush past you whilst Eleven slowly falls beside you with tears in her own eyes and guilt written all over her face.

“I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry,” she whispers to you between tears.

“Eleven!” Her name gets called out.

You just look at the girl with no words to say, how could you? You led your father here to…get rid of her. She doesn’t owe you an apology. This approaching visit with death lets you see that.

“It won’t take long, okay?” Your dad drifts your attention back to him while Eleven hurries off to follow after your uncle. “The ambulance will come and-and they’ll help. Okay, baby girl?”

Again panic sets, the fear of death is all you can feel as the pain only increases, making you feel as if your chest is on fire.

“You’ll tell ‘em to give you a stable job, yeah?” You tell him and grab his wrist. “You’ll find a nice girlfriend and get that farm you wanted, yeah?”

Your dad shakes his head and leans down to press his forehead against yours. “Don’t say that. I’m not doing anything without you. It’s you and me kid, remember? Please baby.”

You sniffle. “It hurts,” you complain. “It hurts.”

He nods softly. “I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

“This week,” you say more hoarsely, slower now as it begins to feel difficult to think and to breathe, or keep your eyes open. “Even with all its faults….has been very fun,” you share with him.

He musters a tiny smile. “Has it?” He asks breathlessly.

You swallow thickly and smile softer as the pain seems to go away. “I want to stay,” you whisper while you let your eyelids begin to droop.

“No, baby,” you hear your dads voice muffled again. “Y/N, don’t do this to me. You have to keep your eyes open. Tell me…tell me what you want for Christmas? Yeah? You love getting gifts, tell me. Please.”

You let out a breathless giggle but that’s all, nothing comes out of your lips, your eyes don’t move or blink. Your smile doesn’t fall and a breath doesn’t raise your chest anymore. That was the first thing he noticed, but your dad doesn’t want to accept what he sees, he can’t, you’re all he has, he can’t lose you, so he doesn’t plead anymore, he pulls his forehead away from yours and sits up straight. He slides his hands over your heart and begins to try and restart it.

“Come on,” he mutters as he presses harshly. “Come on. Come on,” he sniffles. “Baby I know you can do it. Come on, come on.”

“Rowan?!”

“Jim! She’s…” he doesn’t fail to let himself be vulnerable to his brother, the man he once had trusted with his entire heart, the man he looked up to since he could remember. “My girl, she's not breathing. Please, I need help. I…can’t lose her.”

Jim comes running over and takes over for Rowan and does chest compressions on you.

“Jim—”

“Let’s just talk it over dinner, yeah?” Jim cuts Rowan off. “Civilized. Once your girl gets better. A dinner for the four of us, that good? You cook though, you were always better.”

Rowan nervously brushes his hair back as he chuckles breathlessly, and nods softly. “Yeah, yeah.”

Jim nods and looks back down at you and continues to press harder against your chest. “Come on. Come on!” He slams his fists against your chest, and even if it wouldn’t have made a difference it works, your eyes widen and you draw in a deep breath.

“Dad,” you cry out.

Said man leans down and cups your cheeks. “I’m right here. I’m here, just keep—”

——

*SOMETIME LATER*

It’s dark, incredibly so, you can’t even see your own hands in front of your face. All you know is that you’re in the lab, it smells moist and like dirt. All you can hear is your own breathing until there’s…

Click. Click, coming from behind you. You slowly look back, and now lights overheard begin to flicker, adding animosity to the room. Click. Click.

You don’t move, you can’t, every limb in your body is frozen in place. The light flickers off so you squint your eyes to try and see through the darkness. However, when the lights turn back on a demo-dog stands there, its faceless head pointing at you. You try to scream, move, but you can’t open your mouth, you can’t even flinch, all that you can do is watch as the demo-dog begins to charge at you.

When it gets close enough it lunges at you. You close your eyes to avoid seeing its razor sharp teeth, and as you do, just before the demo-dog can slam into you and eat you, you tear your eyes open and escape the nightmare.

Where are you now though? There’s bright white lights above you, and the room smells like rubbing alcohol and hospital?

That’s right…you got shot at Hawkins Lab—your dad.

“Dad,” you call out hoarsely. You try to lift your head, but as you move your body hurts, so you stay put and can’t help but begin to worry.

“Whoa, whoa, hey, hey.” Steve? “I wouldn’t do that. Just stay put.”

“I'll go get Mr Rowan.” Zion?

Footsteps approach your side, so you quickly snap your eyes to the left side and catch Steve, and plastic handle bars that run along a hospital bed. You see a heart monitor, you hear it’s annoying reading of your heartbeat, you’re in the hospital.

“Steve,” you whisper with worry.

Said guy offers you a smile. “You really scared us for a minute there, huh?” He says.

His face still had the bruises from his fight with Billy, so it hasn’t been long since it happened.

“It’s okay.” Nancy?

You snap your eyes to the right and see her by your bedside with a sweet smile on her face. She’s actually here, she’s not unintentionally avoiding you, or running off with Jonathan. Does this mean you’ll actually be friends? You hope so.

“Nancy,” you greet happily.

Said girl is surprised by your glee, but it also makes her smile softly. “The gate is closed,” she then says.

As you still remain surprised that she’s here before you, you flash her a soft smile first before you nod softly. “Yeah,” you mumble. “I remember. I remember all of it…” you pause as the last moments you remember play hazily in your mind. “Up to my dad asking me something. What I want for christmas. I don’t remember anything after that.”

“It’s okay,” Nancy tries to assure you. “No one would expect you to.”

You hum and notice a bouquet of delicate daisies and fresh roses in a vase on the nightstand, the other vase holds a variety of flowers, all just as beautiful. In front of it sits a teddy bear holding a card that says “get better soon”, how sweet. Who are they all from though?

You’ll ask later.

You then glance at Steve again and then at Nancy with confusion. “What are you guys doing here?”

Steve scoffs. “Uh, visiting, duh?”

You smile bashfully. It’s nice having friends. Albeit if they knew the reason as to what led to you getting shot perhaps they wouldn't like you as much. It’s doubtful they know. You won’t tell them now either, perhaps later on. Maybe…

As for now you offer Steve a tiny smile. “You look like shit,” you point out.

Steve scoffs and retorts. “Well at least I’m not the one on a hospital bed.”

You chuckle softly but it hurts so you cut it off quickly. Instead you bring up your most important question. “How long have I been out?”

Steve sighs and glances at Nancy across from him, but then quickly looks away and looks at you. “Maybe…”

“Three days,” Nancy finishes for him.

It hasn’t felt like three days, it’s felt like a few seconds at least.

“You need something?” Steve asks now.

Nothing comes to mind, you can’t even think of food, it doesn’t sound appetizing. Water though, it feels like you’ve been dehydrated for hours. “Water.”

Steve nods quickly and turns to grab something off the other nightstand which holds more flowers and a balloon.

“I just want to tell you something, okay?” Steve adds. “Just so you’re not surprised—” yet the sound of the door opening cuts him off. Steve hands you the water, but you don’t even reach for it because the sight of your dad catches you off guard.

“Daddy,” you cry out with relief.

He smiles, but you don’t get to read further into his relief because you then spot none other than your mother.

“Yeah,” Steve whispers beside you. “She’s here.”

You pass him a shocked look before he moves back to let her take his spot beside you. And the first thing you do is study her, it’s been quite some time since you’ve seen her in person, and she’s unchanged. She’s just as beautiful, she smells just as nice and expensive, her clothes are nice and unwrinkled, she doesn’t look like she’s been in the hospital for three days waiting anxiously for your wake. She tries to say something, but you instead look over at your dad who took Nancy's spot by your right side.

“Hey baby,” he whispers in a quivering voice.

Happy and relieved tears fall out of your eyes. You want to reach out to embrace him, but that hurts too, so you just let him cup your cheek and lean in.

“I’m so glad you’re awake,” he says softly and wipes the tears off your face. “I was so fucking scared. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“It’s okay,” you assure him as you take his hand. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

Your dad scoffs. “But it was,” he rebuttals. “I should have been more strict, or not even involve you in all this. It was my fault.”

You remember all the people that are in the room and just let out a small breath and come up with a conclusion to not drag this out. “Then we’ll have to agree to disagree. Perhaps I should’ve listened to you, but it doesn’t mean I…regret helping.”

Only because of the bonds you made along the way, everything else…well…

“Hm,” your dad hums and doesn’t argue.

You offer him an assuring smile before you answer his question. “I know what I want for Christmas….a drum set.”

A grin breaks on your dads face as he lets out a soft laugh. “Yeah?” He asks.

You nod. “Yeah.”

He caresses your cheek and then glances around before interjecting. “You found some good friends. They’ve been here everyday waiting for you to wake up.”

You grin and glance at Steve. That’s the first person you look over to instead of Zion sitting next to him. Steve also looks at you and offers you a small smile. You hold his gaze for a few seconds before you look at Zion. He smiles back at you, but your dad then interjects so your attention is quickly pulled away.

“Uh, some kids came too. They left this,” he says and points to the “get better soon” card. “And your uncle left you this.” He points to the teddy bear. “And your mom…is here….” He pauses and sighs. “I called her.”

Your smile and happiness fades, but you manage to fake it and look over at her with a tiny smile. “Mom,” you greet.

Said woman reaches for your hand, and you let her hold it while your dad steps back away from you. “I knew you’d wake up,” she says and smiles at you. “I couldn’t stop worrying about you since I got the call.”

Your smile fades and you avert your gaze. “Busy?” You ask quietly.

“No,” she says, “things are calm right now.”

And she didn’t call.

“Lucky me,” you retort and meet her gaze.

Your mom senses your sarcasm and sighs before she glances at your dad across from her. “May I talk to her alone?”

What?

You snap your eyes to your dad and widen them to share your disapproval, but your friends don’t hesitate to leave first, and she doesn’t let your hand go or let his gaze go, so he can’t argue.

“Yeah,” he mutters and slowly begins to walk out. “I’ll be out here.”

You watch him leave the room in disbelief and betrayal. When the door closes your mom lets your hand go and instead sits by your legs and continues to face you with that soft smile that would make a lot of people swoon. You frown at her though.

“I don’t know exactly what went on,” she says right away. “What I got was vague, and knowing your dad, it’s not the full truth.”

You slowly narrow your eyes but keep quiet.

“I know I haven’t been in your life as much as I would have liked, as much as you needed me to, but my girl,” she continues and leans towards you. “I want to make it up. Come live with me in LA. You can continue homeschooling, so when I travel to shooting locations, you can travel with me. You won’t have to pray that each night isn’t your dads last. You won’t have to get shot or live here anymore. Come with me.”

Her words come out so easily, with so much glee that you’d think she hasn’t been a dead-beat, like she doesn’t just call you twice or once a month, or just give you money once in a while as a form of reconciliation.

It's easy for her to say that, thinking it’s your dream, when you want the opposite; you want something stable, you want genuine friends, a house in a small sleepy town that smells like cow shit. Sure the monsters from the interdimensional aren’t ideal, but the gate is closed now, it’s over. You want a life here.

“No,” you flat out say without remorse. “I don’t want that. I’m sick of traveling around with no real home. I like it here. I have friends, a boy I like and want to date.” You shake your head. “I like being with my dad. I know his job is risky, but he’s never disappointed me.”

Your mom drops her gaze at the comment, but you don’t feel bad.

“If you want to make up your wrongs, I’d start with something small,” you suggest. “Not promises you won’t keep.”

Your mom swallows thickly and slowly stands back up. She keeps her eyes averted, she sighs deeply before she blinks and meets your hardened glare. “Fine,” she says softly. “Then I’ll stay here, until you get better.”

You gasp in disbelief and glance out the window, catching your dad peeking through. He can’t meet your gaze to read your expression, so you have to look back at her and try to convince her otherwise. “You don’t have to, I’ll be fine. My dad will take care of me—”

“Your dad has to go back to DC soon for work reasons,” she cuts you off. “You can’t travel because it will take time to recover from a bullet to the chest, and now with your grandma gone, I want to do it.”

“Uh, what about work?” You probe. “Don’t you have some movie to shoot?”

She shakes her head. “No. I recently finished one so I’m taking a small break. I want to be with you, my girl. You won’t push me away.”

Great. You can’t come up with anything to say, so you just offer her a tightlipped smile before you just awkwardly move on. “Can you bring my friends and my dad in? Please?”

She seems surprised by your lack of reaction, but you truly don’t know what to say, so you leave it be and avoid meeting her gaze. When everyone returns inside the room, Zion walks in first so you finally address him after not being able to.

“Hey, you.”

Zion heads to you and props his hands on the sidebars when he reaches your side. “Hey, you,” he redirects. “You’ve had quite the week, huh?”

You snort. “You can say that.”

“I mean getting shot for trespassing? You’ve been the news favorite person for the past three days,” he teases and reveals the cover story you now have to follow for the rest of your life.

“Yeah,” you say slowly while you look over at your dad walking over to sit on a chair under the window. He meets your gaze and shares a pressing look.

“I was curious,” you lie and slowly drift your eyes back to Zion. “I’m a fan of scary stuff, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

That’s so lame.

“Sorry about our date,” you apologize sweetly now to avoid getting caught.

Zion shakes his head. “Don’t worry. Let’s reschedule, next week?”

“Well,” you laugh. “I'm grounded. Whatever that really means. Unless getting shot dissolves that?” You ask louder.

“Nope,” your dad answers loudly.

You click your tongue and sigh in disappointment. “I'm free the week after that,” you tell Zion with an excited smile.

Zion shoots you a smirk and nods. “Yeah, cool. Me too.”

You chuckle softly. “Cool.”

Steve was just a simple crush anyway. Your friends now too, which is better, you won’t have to be awkward if shit happens, so…yeah. He was just a simple fleeting crush.

——

*A MONTH LATER*

“The door! Someone answer the door!”

You put the book down and run out of your room, making sure to hover your hand over the stair railing so as to not mess up the thick green christmas garland that took you too annoyingly long to wrap. You continue to run down the stairs even if pangs of pain hit your healing wound.

“Hey! You better not be running!” Your dad exclaims from the first floor.

You groan and slow down to a walking pace down the stairs.

“Thank you!” He shouts when he hears your footsteps change against the wood. Once you reach the first floor and turn towards the front your mom already lets Steve and Dustin in. Amazing.

“Ms Rivers,” Dustin muses with a childlike grin. “It’s an honor. My mom loves all your work.”

Your mom touches her chest and smiles sweetly. “Aw, how sweet. Thank you.”

“Here,” Dustin says and pulls a single rose out of the paper bag he’s carrying. “It’s from my mom. She insisted.”

Your mom takes the rose gracefully and steps aside to let both boys inside. “Thank you, Dustin. You tell your mom to stop by before I leave. I’ll be honored to meet her.”

You meet Steve’s gaze and share an annoyed look.

“Oh really? Yeah thanks I’ll let her know.” Dustin smiles at your mom all giddly as he takes his shoes by the entrance.

“Hey, Ms Rivers, I love those little ornament earrings, you really pull them off great,” Steve compliments your mother, making you internally groan in annoyance.

As your mom closes the door she grins widely. “Thank you, Steve, that’s nice. You know I told my girl here to wear the same ones, but she refuses.”

Steve puts his hand on his hip and scoffs. “Always the party pooper. I’ll convince her.”

You roll your eyes and turn to begin leading Dustin to the bathroom to help him get ready like planned. “Come on, Dustin, up here man.”

“Please tell her,” you hear your mom tell Steve.

“I already took the family Christmas pictures!” You remind her as you begin to climb the stairs. “That’s enough!”

You miss what your mom says, but shortly after you reach the top of the stairs Steve runs up to catch up to Dustin and you.

“In here,” you point to the hallway bathroom.

Dustin gasps. “Wow, is this a three bathroom house?” Dustin asks.

You furrow your eyebrows in confusion and nod slowly. “Yeah, one in my room, one here, and downstairs. Why?”

Dustin sighs. “Just want to know if you’re rich. This proved it.”

You snicker and take his paper bag to take out the same products Steve recommended on your death trip. Dustin is really dedicated.

“Maybe a slick back look would be cool,” you suggest while you put the things down on the counter.

Steve scoffs whilst he walks up behind Dustin. “What the hell? No? This isn’t the 50s, we’re going for a nice shaggy look. Sides gelled and the rest just his curls. That’s his best feature.”

You squint your eyes as you look at Dustin’s curly hair through the mirror. “Like yours?” You probe while you begin to laugh. “A little Steve jr?”

Steve shrugs nonchalantly. “Yeah so what? He’ll be a total babe magnet that way.”

You quirk your brow and shoot him a judgmental look, before you sigh and pull out a cigarette from the pocket on your tight red and black plaid romper.

Ever since the demo-dog event cigarettes have been a tempting companion. You haven’t lit it yet, you carry it in your mouth as if waiting for a moment that the nightmares turn into something more horrific.

“Well what do you say little man, hm? Slick back or Steve hair?” You ask Dustin.

Dustin looks between the both of you as he hums while he thinks. Meanwhile, you catch Steve drifting his eyes over to you to study you for a moment before he rubs his nose and talks to you.

“You…look nice, very christmasy…”

You turn your head and look at him. “Really? Thanks.” You smile and ignore your heart skipping a beat. It’s a good thing he can’t see how warm your cheeks got.

“Impressing Zion or something?” Steve continues to ask.

You begin to smirk and shrug. “Gotta act like I don’t care right? Just impressing myself. It’s a party so,” you smile. “I like to find an excuse to get dolled up. Especially after being, you know, bed ridden for the past month.”

Steve hums and nods slowly. “Yeah I get it. And yeah nice call, you’re learning.”

“Yeah, my teacher is great,” you tease him.

“Eh, can’t take credit. This is all you.” He points to you.

You beam at him, but you can’t find anything to say, he leaves you speechless.

Luckily Dustin cuts in. “Okay, I think maybe I’ll go with Steve’s choice.” He points to the man behind him. “Or maybe, yours y/n cause you are the girl. You’d know….but—”

“What are you guys up to?” Your dad cuts Dustin off as he approaches the bathroom door.

“Oh, Mr Rowan,” Dustin points out. “Hello.”

“Hey, Dustin. Where are you off to? Or are you joining us for the Christmas party?”

Dustin smiles and shakes his head. “No, thank you, but I-I actually have a school dance I’m going to. Your daughter and Steve are just helping me get ready.”

You switch the cigarette to the other side of your mouth and point to Dustin's hair. “We’re just deciding what hair style. Slick back or uh, Steve hair.”

Your dad glances over at Steve, and scoffs in amusement.

“Hello, Mr Rowan,” Steve greets now that he has time.

“What's up, Steve,” your dad greets and then steps forward. “Can I help you Dustin? I may have an idea.”

Dustin’s eyes widen in shock, but he slowly nods, making Steve step l towards you to the side while your dad takes his spot.

“When I was your age,” your dad begins to say as he rolls his sleeves up. “I also went to a dance. With my friends, but I still went.”

Dustin begins to smile as he grows intrigued. “Were you popular?” Dustin probes.

Your dad shakes his head. “No, not at all. I used to get picked on. I was considered a nerd back then.” Your dad shares as he gets his hands wet to manage the sides of Dustin’s hair better. “I would read comic books. You know Captain America, Superman. Flash.” Your dad chuckles. “I liked the things that the popular kids thought were lame so they threw me in that clic.”

Dustin’s eyes widen with surprise. “Really?” He muses. “It doesn't seem like you would be considered a loser.”

You fold your arms over your chest and lean against Steve as you watch your dad brush back the sides of Dustin’s hair.

“Not anymore,” your dad laughs. “No. I grew up. It happens. Same thing will happen to you.”

Dustin scoffs. “I doubt it.”

Your dad pats Dustin’s shoulder. “I know it. But hey, you’re a cool kid now. Don’t beat yourself down.”

Dustin nods in comprehension and watches as your dad uses gel to make the sides stick.

“Look tonight you’re going to go in there with all your confidence,” your dad advises Dustin, making you begin to smile and wonder how life would be if you had a brother. Maybe this is a taste of it? Sure you like being a only child, but this wouldn’t be so bad.

“You are the man,” your dad continues to assure Dustin. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Dustin smirks, and Steve gives Dustin an encouraging pat on his shoulder.

“You’ll ask a girl to dance, and if she rejects you it’s okay,” your dad assures him. “It’s not the end of the world. They just don’t know what they’re missing. Because you know what?”

“What?”

Your dad grabs a hair pick and begins to tease Dustin’s curls. “In ten years or so when you’re out there making money, doing what you like, you’re gonna be the one on their minds. “Oh I wish I could have danced with Dustin.”.”

Said boy giggles.

“Look at me? Those girls who rejected me in middle school and high school all want to go out with me now.” Your dad shows off. “I of course just mess with them now.”

You scrunch your nose in disgust and shake your head. “That’s gross, daddy.” You complain.

“That’s very cool,” Steve nods along. “Props Mr.”

Your dad smirks at Steve and they then share a high five. You shake your head and lean away from Steve. Your dad continues to style Dustin’s hair for a few more minutes, and when he finally finishes he pats Dustin’s shoulder.

“All done. Go kill It over there.”

Dustin grins and then turns around to face your dad walking out of the room. “Thank you, Mr Rowan.”

Your dad nods at him. “No problem.”

“Happy holidays,” Dustin directs him as you all walk out of the bathroom since it’s gotten late.

“You too, happy holidays Dustin,” your dad redirects as he walks to his office. “Enjoy your dance, man. Remember you’re the man.”

Dustin nods. “I’m the man.”

Your dad grins and winks before he disappears inside his office, letting you walk Dustin and Steve out.

“Have fun!” You tell Dustin excitedly as he walks to Steve’s car.

“Tell your mom I said goodbye!” Dustin yells back.

You frown and wave him off before you face Steve who lingers by the entrance. “You’re coming back right?” You press him with concern.

Steve shrugs. “I mean isn’t Zion coming over?”

You nod. “Yeah, but it’s not the same, Steve.” You reach over to grab Steve’s arm to express your worry. “I mean I'm going to need help with him. And…” you trail off and whisper. “You can’t leave me alone with my mom.”

Steve holds your gaze and hums in comprehension. You get louder and continue to tell your misfortunes that await you at your dads early Christmas party. “And my uncle is coming over, and a bunch of my dads friends. Nancy can’t come over, Eddie is busy, I need you here.”

Steve begins to smirk cockily. “Ah, so you just want me here. Good to know. Just say that.”

You roll your eyes with an amused smile on your lips. However, it’s as you do roll your eyes that you catch a figure in the darkness just outside your house.

It’s on all fours, it’s pointed head facing you, staring at you with its eyeless head. It’s drooling and digging its claws in the ground to get ready to charge.

Out of fear it will move when you move, and out of just genuine fear of what you see in the darkness, you clench your jaw and hold your breath. The cigarette you had been taking care of in your mouth falls and drops to the ground, but you stay still out of fear the monster will attack you.

“Y/N?”

You snap your eyes to Steve tilting his head down to meet your gaze, and exhale that breath you had held in. “What?” You ask and quickly offer him a feigned smile.

Steve furrows his eyebrows and looks back at what your eyes had been locked on. “You okay? You just zoned out there?”

You glance over at where you had seen the demo-dog, but there’s just nothing. There’s nothing…

Thus, you kick away the cigarette you dropped and take out another. “Yeah,” you assure Steve. “Just remembering that…you,” you snap your fingers whilst you reach for the lighter with your other hand. “Entered secret Santa. So you have to come,” you feign a laugh and lean your head down to finally light the cigarette you never actually gave life to before. “Rules are rules. You’re coming back.”

Steve watches you with concern for a few more lingering seconds before he lifts his hands and smiles softly. “Fine, fine don’t pull my leg. I’ll come back.”

You grin at him. “Did you get me?” You ask out of curiosity.

Steve steps back and shakes his finger. “You’re going to have to wait.”

“I’ll tell you who got you,” you tease him.

Steve shakes his head. “I like the suspense of waiting.”

You hum in comprehension and finally take a drag as he’s walking back. You lean against the door frame and keep your smile as you watch him walk to his car. You don’t wave goodbye because he’s coming back, he has to. And the moment he’s out of the driveway you frown and slide down to sit down on the doorstep and continue to smoke.

It shouldn’t, but it distracts you away from what lurks in the shadows. If only you could completely forget…

.

.

.

.

.

A/N- Rowan will be Dustin’s father figure. :) Mike and Will have Hopper in some ways, Lucas has his dad, Rowan will be Dustin’s 🥹

Tagged- @middle-of-the-earth @x-theolivia @redskull199987 @lilyhw1 @5sosjay

[jassygay]

srry for not posting but here is some stuffs

Making the Chaotic club in their human form but keep the ears and the tail cuz it’s my choice cuz I want to and also don’t call me “Furry-hater” or “Anti-furry” cuz of course I’m not a furry fan but I support people who are furry but I just don’t want to make my ocs furry cuz it’s my own thing and you can make your oc in your own choice cuz it’s your thing

new ocs Meet Horror and Girl

Horror

Girl

Girl is the goddess of feminine she don’t hate other genders cuz the other genders are her children and my new oc Male and Gender Neutral are her lovers and she wanted all humans respect all genders including females cuz all genders need love

Horror is half demon and half Angel since she was born the angels are terrified by her because the way she looks but her parents respect her.

also one thing about Jassy’s backstory she wasn’t just got murder by Darker, Darker was released and then kill Jassy by someone becuz they were try to take the treasures that were there for 3000 quintillion years ago because the humans and myths, monsters, and creatures are friends until they started the war because the leader of the rank intelligent(Meaning that if the myth or monster or creature is way too smart and harder to kill and you can die easily by them) kill the leader of the humans and the humans block them with rocks (Girl was also stuck there too by mistaken and Death took her to the sky where angels and devils/demons live including horror)

the art that I finish

The reason why Johnny was mad at Alfonso cuz he was tired of Alfonso’s sh!t and rudeness about his friends and his siblings except his parents(cuz Johnny’s adoptive parents will beat Alfnoso’s @$$) also I still hate clothing editing cuz it’s tiring

This is Tina’s old style and unfinished art cuz I think it too early for Christmas and today is November but this is from last year since I forgot to post something for Christmas cuz I had school and I hate it

Leon you need to chill with the Jassy Plushie (Jassy still SO FU¢KING CUTE IN GACHA LIFE 2)

[biinkspacewp]

III. Son of the God of Toilets

PAIRING: Percy Jackson x Fem!OC

SUMMARY: Percy gets a tour of Camp Half-Blood, including a closeup of the girls’ bathroom.

WARNINGS: bullying, physical fighting

SERIES MASTERLIST

MAIN MASTERLIST

They’d only made it a few steps away from the cabin before Annabeth spoke.

“Jackson, you have to do better than that.”

“What?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes and grumbled under her breath, “I can’t believe I thought you were the one.”

Amara stood in between the two. “Annie, that’s not fair. Percy, you just need to—“

“What’s your problem?” Percy yelled, anger taking over. “All I know is, I kill some bull guy—“

“Don’t talk like that!” Annabeth interrupted him. “You know how many kids at this camp wish they’d had your chance?”

“Hold on,” Amara said, trying to separate the two.

“To get killed?”

“To fight the Minotaur!”

“Okay!” Amara screamed. “Stop yelling at each other or I’m leaving.”

She didn’t necessarily have an issue with them yelling at each other, she just hated that she couldn’t seem to get a word in. At least now they could all be upset together.

Annabeth just crossed her arms. Amara pushed her fingers through her hair by her temples, covering her eyes with her palms before dragging her hands down her face. Percy stood there like a kid who’d just been scolded, arms hanging awkwardly by his side as he looked around.

Amara broke the silence.

“Look, most of us are here because at some point we were attacked by something. We didn’t all have to opportunity to kill our monsters so killing the Minotaur is like a dream come true to some of us,” Amara explained. “That’s why it’s important that you make a good impression, Percy. Everyone’s already got these high expectations of you because you killed the Minotaur.”

Percy shook his head. “If what I fought was the Minotaur, like the Minotaur, isn’t there only one?”

“Yes”

“And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the Labyrinth. So…”

“Monsters don’t die, Percy,” Annabeth said. “They can be killed. But they don’t die.”

“Oh, thanks. That clears it up.”

“They don’t have souls, not like we do,” Amara explained. “You can kill them, and they’ll stay dead for a while.”

“Maybe even a whole lifetime if you’re lucky,” Annabeth added.

“But monsters are primal forces. They take their time reforming, but once they do it’s like they never died in the first place.”

Percy thought about Mrs. Dodds. “So if I happened to kill one, accidentally, with a sword, it can come back?” he questioned.

“The Fur… I mean, your math teacher. That’s right. She’s still out there. You just made her very, very mad.”

“How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?”

“You talk in your sleep,” the two girls answered at the same time.

Percy didn’t love that. Hopefully, he didn’t say anything completely embarrassing. Heat crawled up his neck and flicked against the tips of his ears at the thought.

“You almost called her something. A Fury? They’re Hades’ torturers, right?”

Percy watched as the pair glanced around nervously, Annabeth staring at the ground like it would open up and swallow her while Amara scanned the sky as if something was going to swoop down and carry her away.

“You shouldn’t call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all.”

“You’re more than welcome to risk it though. I’m sure the Ares kids would love a good excuse for a fight,” Amara joked. Annabeth smacked her arm, the two girls now having an entire conversation through their eyes.

Are you serious?

Someone had to lighten the mood and I’m just pissed it was me.

He needs to learn or it’ll get him killed.

You also need to chill or he’s gonna get mad again and ignore you.

“Look,” Percy said, interrupting the bizarre silent film he was being subjected to. “Is there anything we can say without it thundering? And why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there.”

He pointed at Zeus and Hera’s cabins to prove his point. Annabeth looked like she was gonna be sick. It took everything Amara had in her not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

“You don’t just chose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or parent.”

“My mom is Sally Jackson,” Percy said. Amara just closed her eyes and sighed quietly. All the humor from the situation was gone.

You adorable, clueless idiot, she thought. Wait, adorable?

“She works at the candy store in grand central station,” he continued. “Or at least, she used to.”

“I’m sorry about your mom, Percy. But that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about your other parent. Your dad.”

“He’s dead. I never knew him.”

Annabeth sighed this time. Amara jumped in, hopefully preventing Annabeth from just strangling Percy.

“Your dad’s not dead. You wouldn’t be here if he was. You wouldn’t be here unless you were one of us.”

“You don’t know that,” Percy said, anger returning. “You don’t know anything about me.”

His outburst pushed the two over the edge. Maybe Amara would let Annabeth strangle him. Maybe it would kickstart something in his brain.

“No?” Annabeth started. “I bet you moved around from school to school a lot. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them.”

“You were probably diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD,” Amara continued, raising a finger on her hand for every point they made. “Letters float off the page when you read and what doesn’t float away is always shifting around. That’s because your brain is hardwired for ancient Greek.”

“And your ADHD. You’re impulsive, can’t sit still in the classroom. That’s your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they keep you alive. As for your attention issues, that’s because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal’s. That’s why teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don’t want you seeing them for what they are.”

Percy looked unnerved. Amara supposed she would be too if two borderline strangers just summed up her life. But they’d done this speech a hundred times. It was always the same story.

“You sound like you went through the same thing.”

“Most of the kids here did. If you weren’t like us, you wouldn’t have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar.”

“Ambrosia and nectar,” Percy stated, but it came out more like a question.

“The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would’ve killed a normal kid. It would have turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you’d be dead. Face it. You’re a half-blood.”

“It’s not all bad,” Amara said. “You get to stay here where it’s safe, year round if you want. Chiron’s a good teacher, a lot better than mortal ones, and since the lessons are in Greek it’s not as hard to understand. And you’ll make friends that you get to spend a ton of time with. And there’s amazing food and the campfire.”

Amara stopped when she realized Percy wasn’t really listening to her anymore.

Percy was stuck inside his own head, thoughts flying around faster than he could process them, until a shout snapped him out of it.

“Hey! A newbie!”

Clarisse La Rue and three of her sisters—Sloane, Megan, and Audrey—had pushed their way out of cabin five and were now marching directly toward them.

“Clarisse,” Annabeth seethed. It was probably an Ares’ kid trait, but nobody pissed people off quite like Clarisse did. “Why don’t you go polish your spear or something?”

“Sure, Miss Princess. So I can run you through with it Friday night.”

“Erre es korakas! You don’t stand a chance.”

“We’ll pulverize you,” Clarisse growled.

“Clarisse,” Amara snapped. “Camp is huge. Find anywhere else to be, please.”

“Nah, but good try, Sunshine.” Clarisse smiled when she saw Amara glaring at her. “Who’s this little runt?”

“Percy Jackson, meet Clarisse, daughter of Ares.”

Amara guessed they were skipping over the introductions for everyone else. Shame. She loved calling Audrey ‘Aubrey’ and watching her eye twitch when she corrected her.

“Like…the war god?”

Clarisse sneered. “You got a problem with that?”

“No,” Percy responded, a sudden surge of confidence overtaking him. “It explains the bad smell.”

Amara couldn’t contain her laugh. She quickly pulled her lips between her teeth, biting down to silence herself, but the damage was done.

Clarisse growled. “We’ve got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy.”

“Percy.”

“Whatever. Come one, I’ll show you.”

“Clarisse—“ Annabeth tried to say.

“Stay out of it, wise girl.”

“Hey!” Amara started at Clarisse, but Annabeth grabbed her wrist before she got anywhere. She looked over at her and Annabeth just shook her head.

Not worth it.

She hated it when Annabeth was right. She didn’t actually hate it, Annabeth was right a lot of the time, it just sucked that there wasn’t anything they could do for Percy without getting caught in the crossfire.

Percy handed Amara his Minotaur horn and got ready to fight. Amara had never held a spoil of war before. She turned it over in her hand, rubbing her thumb over the tip of the horn. She should probably give it to Annabeth, not deeming herself responsible enough to hold onto someone’s only memento, but he gave it to her so she hardened her grip until her hand hurt. She wouldn’t lose it.

Percy lost the fight immediately, Clarisse putting him in a headlock and dragging him towards the girls’ bathroom. Percy was kicking and punching the entire time, but Clarisse never wavered. She made it into the bathroom with him in record time.

The girls’ bathroom wasn’t anything spectacular. There was a line of toilets down one side, a few shower stalls along the back, and a line of sinks up the other wall. The cabins all had their own bathrooms, so the communal ones weren’t used often. They were clean, Chiron made sure of that, but they certainly looked original to the camp.

Clarisse grabbed a handful of Percy’s hair and led him into one of the stalls, Percy too busy trying to avoid getting his hair ripped out to stop her. He wouldn’t have been successful anyways. Somehow fighting against Clarisse was worse than fighting against the Minotaur.

“Like he’s ‘Big Three’ material,” Clarisse snickered. “Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking.”

“Pot meet kettle,” Amara murmured under her breath. Annabeth smacked her arm to tell her to shut up when Clarisse’s sisters stopped laughing and turned back toward them.

Clarisse shoved Percy onto his knees and pushed his head toward to the toilet bowl. Percy fought against her the whole way. If his head was going to get dunked in toilet water, then he wasn’t going peacefully.

Percy was straining against Clarisse, completely refusing to accept his fate, when he felt something pull at the pit of his stomach.

The pipes began to rumble. Clarisse’s hand loosened in his hair as everything shuttered. Then a stream of water shot out of the toilet, completely missing Percy and hitting Clarisse straight in the face.

She fell, the force of the water knocking her off her feet and pushing her back against the sinks as her screamed. Her sisters came forward to help, but water began to spout from every fixture in the bathroom. Streams from the showers and sinks joined the toilets, targeting the four girls until they were washed away and out of the bathroom.

As soon as they were gone it’s like the plumbing realized it had gotten rid of the garbage and ceased fire, water settling back into the pipes where it belonged.

Unfortunately, Amara and Annabeth weren’t spared. The two were soaked, clothes dripping wet and Amara’s hair pulled nearly straight from the weight of the water. They stared at him in shock.

The entire bathroom was flooded. The only dry spot in the room was a circle around Percy. Even Percy was bone dry, not a drop of water on him or his clothes.

He slowly got to his feet, his legs shaky, and walked toward to two girls.

“How did you…”

“I don’t know,” Percy answered, looking back over the bathroom like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

“All hail, Percy Jackson. Son of the god of toilets,” Amara quipped flatly, handing Percy back his Minotaur horn so she could wring out her hair. She grimaced as they walked through the door. The feeling of wet clothes rubbing against her skin was revolting.

Outside, Clarisse and her sisters were sprawled out on the grass recovering. By now other campers had gathered around, curious about the scene that they had caused.

If Annabeth and Amara looked bad, then Clarisse was ten times worse. Her hair was flattened across her face, clothes sopping and covered in mud where the sudden water flow had found bare patches of dirt. Fire burned in her eyes when she saw Percy. “You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead.”

Percy apparently liked to try his luck, words slipping past his lips before he could stop them. “You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth.”

She went to charge Percy, but her sisters held her back. They dragged her back to cabin five, other campers avoiding them as they went, before finally disappearing inside the gaudy red building.

Amara wasn’t sure if Percy had a lack of self preservation or just lacked a filter between his brain and his mouth, but she had to admit that it was nice to see Clarisse be knocked down a few pegs.

The two girls stared at him. Annabeth was all too good at hiding her emotions from him and Amara wasn’t far behind, her eyes only partially giving her away. He couldn’t tell whether they were grossed out, angry, or impressed.

“What?” He caved, itching to hear what they had to say. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that I want you on my team for capture the flag.”

Amara wouldn’t burst his bubble that he was already on Annabeth’s team, Annabeth all but securing Athena’s alliance with Hermes through Luke and Amara, and let Percy have his moment.

In fact, Amara refused to answer him at all, much to Percy’s disgust. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much what she thought of him, but he continued to pester her as Annabeth showed him more places around camp. They made it through the forge, the arts-and-crafts room, and the climbing wall before they stopped at the canoeing lake.

Between Percy staring at her anytime he wasn’t listening to Annabeth and her waterlogged clothes chafing her skin, Amara was more than ready to get back to cabin eleven.

“I’ve got training to do,” Annabeth said flatly. “Dinner’s at seven-thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall.”

“Look, I’m sorry about the toilets.”

Amara appreciated the apology, running her fingers between the cut off bottoms of her shorts and her legs, unsticking the wet denim. Annabeth seemed far less accepting.

“Whatever.”

“It wasn’t my fault.”

Wrong answer. The look Annabeth shot him made it clear that it was, in fact, his fault.

“You need to go talk to the Oracle.”

“After getting approval from Chiron, that is,” Amara chipped in, now pulling her shirt away from her stomach, somehow more uncomfortable in her wet clothes standing still than she was walking around.

“Who?”

“Not who. What. The Oracle. I’ll just ask Chiron.”

Percy didn’t respond. He only had more questions and figured it was probably better to just keep quiet than ask more stupid questions that he wouldn’t get clear answers to.

He stared down into the lake, not expecting two pairs of eyes to be staring back at him. Two teenage girls were sitting at the bottom of the pier wearing jeans and t-shirts, their hair floating up around them as minnows darted about. They smiled up at him and waved. Not knowing what else to do, Percy waved back.

“Don’t encourage them,” Annabeth warned. “Naiads are terrible flirts.”

Amara rolled her eyes. The naiads might be terrible flirts, but they were pretty and they were always nice to Amara.

“Naiads,” Perry repeated, looking back at the underwater girls like he’d finally lost his mind. “That’s it. I want to go home now.”

Amara felt bad for him. After everything—the Minotaur, the bathroom, seeing Chiron—it was naiads that made him think he’d gone crazy.

“You are home, Percy. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us.”

“You mean, mentally disturbed kids?” Percy blurted, turning away from the water.

“She means for half-bloods, demigods, whatever you wanna call us. The not-mortals, not completely at least,” Amara said.

“Not completely. So we’re supposed to be what? Half-god?” Percy responded. He knew that was true. He wasn’t too sure about a lot of things, but he did know that demigods were half god, half human. He just couldn’t admit that it might be true about himself.

Annabeth nodded. “Your father isn’t dead, Percy. He’s an Olympian.”

“That’s…crazy.”

“Is it? What’s the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they’ve changed their habits in the last few millennia?”

“But those are just—“ Percy paused. He supposed he’d seen a lot of myths over the last few days. So he was either dreaming, crazy, or they were really telling the truth. “So if all the kids here are half-gods—“

“Demigods,”Annabeth corrected. “That’s the official term. That or half-bloods.”

“I still prefer not-mortal. Has a specific air of uncertainty that calls to me,” Amara chimed in. She knew her quips weren’t exactly well timed, but she couldn’t stand the overbearing tension.

“Then who’s your dad?” Percy asked, finishing his thought from before Annabeth interrupted him.

He immediately regretted asking. Annabeth’s hands tightened around the pier railing and Amara just looked at the ground, any amusement she previously had wiped from her features.

“My dad is a professor at West Point. I haven’t seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history.”

“He’s human.”

“What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?”

Percy decided to ignore her outburst before he dug himself an even deeper hole. He looked to Amara. “What about you?”

"My dad’s a curator. He works with Greek and Roman artifacts. He kinda bounces around but last time I saw him he was working at the Parthenon in Nashville.”

“So who’s your mom, then?”

If Percy thought the hole he dug with Annabeth was deep, then he hit the underworld with Amara. She just looked up at him, her smile sad as she shrugged her shoulders.

“The million dollar question. Undetermined,” she stated.

“Cabin six,” Annabeth answered, directing Percy’s attention to her and away from Amara.

“Meaning?”

“Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle.”

“And my dad?”

“Undetermined,” Amara said. “Just like me. Nobody knows.”

“Except my mother. She knew.”

“Maybe not, Percy. Gods don’t always reveal their identities.”

“My dad would of. He loved her.”

The two girls shared a look, Annabeth trying her best not to harm Percy’s perception of his parents. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe he’ll send a sign. That’s the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens.”

“Sometimes it doesn’t,” Amara cautioned, bitterness coating her tongue.

“What do you mean sometimes it doesn't?”

“The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they don’t always…” Annabeth ran her palm along the rail, trying to find the right words.

“They don’t always care about us,” Amara finished. “They ignore us.”

Percy observed Amara. All the times he’d seen her so far she’d been pretty bubbly and positive. She took care of him, smiled at him, cracked jokes.

Now she looked absolutely dreadful, arms crossed over her chest, eyes a mixture of resentment and dejection. She looked like a crumbling shell of the lively girl he was becoming accustomed to.

He thought back to the situation he was in. “So I’m just stuck here. That’s it? For the rest of my life?”

“It depends,” Annabeth said. “Some campers only stay the summer. If you’re a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you’re probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it’s too dangerous to leave. We’re year-rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they’ll ignore us until we’re old enough to cause trouble—about ten or eleven years old, but after that, most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. “

“So monsters can’t get in here?”

“Not unless they’re intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside.”

“Why would anybody want to summon a monster?”

“Practice fights.”

“Practical jokes,” Amara chimed in.

“Practical jokes?”

“The point is, the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm.”

Percy paused, processing all the information that’s been thrown at him in the last few minutes.

“So…you’re both year-rounders?”

The two girls nodded, Annabeth pulling her leather necklace out from under the collar of her shirt. Amara’s already laid on top of her shirt, three colorful clay beads on display compared to Annabeth’s five. Annabeth’s also held a gold class ring in the center of her necklace.

“I’ve been here since I was seven. Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I’ve been here longer than most of the councilors, and they’re all in college.”

“Why did you come so young?”

“None of your business.”

Percy just sighed, standing there uncomfortably as silence fell over the group. If they got a bead for every year, then Amara had been there three years, since she was nine presumably. Percy was glad he got the extra few years with his mom, even if he had to suffer through smelly Gabe to have them.

“So…I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?”

“It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D’s or Chiron’s permission. But they wouldn’t give permission until the end of the summer session unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless you were granted a quest. But that’s rare and it’s been years since the last one,” Amara said.

“Back in the sick room, you asked me something about the summer solstice.”

“So you do know something,” Annabeth said accusingly.

“Well…no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we didn’t have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?”

“I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they won’t tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time we were there, everything seemed so normal.”

“You’ve been to Olympus?”

Amara nodded. “There was a field trip during the winter solstice. That’s when the gods have their big annual council. Some of the year-rounders got to go—Annabeth, me, Luke, Clarisse and a few others.”

“But…how do you get there?”

“The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the sixth hundred floor. You are a New Yorker, right?”

“Oh, sure,” Percy responded, like there was definitely six hundred floors and not only a hundred and two.

Amara didn’t have much to contribute. She knew Empire State Building and floor six hundred, but the rest might as well have been gibberish instead of instructions. She was not a New Yorker.

“Right after we visited, the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I’ve overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it isn’t returned by summer solstice, there’s going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping…I mean—Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she’s got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something.”

Amara kept her suspicions about Percy’s father to herself for the sake of Annabeth. There was no god of toilets, at least not one she was familiar with. The only god she could think of that would give Percy the ability manipulate the water in the bathrooms would be the god of the sea, Poseidon, and that would be the last thing Annabeth would want to be true. She had a feeling the girl was already jumping through hoops in her mind to deny any possibility that Percy could be a son of Poseidon.

Perry just shook his head, confirming that he didn’t know anything more about the solstice or what the gods could be fighting about.

“I’ve got to get a quest,” Annabeth mumbled to herself. “I’m not too young. If they would just tell me the problem…”

“Then we could go fix it,” Amara smiled at the girl. “Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno.”

Annabeth hated when Amara spoke in Latin, but at least this was a phrase she knew. It was something Amara’s dad used to say that she’d accidentally brought to camp with her, saying it to Annabeth and Luke often and almost always using it as the blue team’s motto in capture the flag.

Percy seemed to know it too. “One for all, all for one.” He flushed when both girls looked at him, scrambling to explain himself. “What? Chiron was my Latin teacher.”

Amara just giggled as Annabeth shook her head.

The smell of barbecue was now wafting through the air, mixing with the weaker scent of fresh bread and fruit. Percy’s stomach growled loudly.

“Come on.” Amara gestured at Percy to follow her. “I wanna change before dinner. I’ll see you at the campfire, Annie!”

“See you at the campfire, Mae,” Annabeth mumbled distractedly, tracing her finger over the rail of the pier as she looked out at the lake.