#i told her “oh yeah i think i heard that he betrayed the rest of these characters or something in the game they're from”

[clowd009]

my phone died so I couldn't send it sooner but the last 2

[keitorin3]

Merthur Twins!

So I got obsessed with the idea of Merthur having Twin babies and made this. (It's still not finished but was impatient to show)

The idea I had for this was a typically slight(?) Angst Merthur plot. Where Merthur loved each other and then slept together. Shortly after, Merlin Confesses his magic.

Arthur does not take this well. Feeling lied to and betrayed, but unwilling to kill Merlin, he instead banishes him.

Both are heart broken as they separate. Unknowing of the lives resting in Merlin's belly.

7 years later, Merlin and his Twins, Allard and Irelene, are living in a cottage in the forest by the Perilous Lands.

Allard is the eldest by 10 minutes, and Irelene is the youngest twin sister. They are identical twins, the spitting image of both parents, with Arthurs Blond locks, and Merlin's slightly large ears. Their eyes are Heterochromia. One eye is the blue of the sky, and the other is the blue of the seas.

Allard is an extrovert, a Loving and very active and at times loud boy. Unable to stay still for long, unless calmed by his twin sis, and always coming back with dirt on his clothes.

Irelene is just as outgoing as her brother, but more focused, even if she doesn't act like it. Much like her twin, she is just as messy, if not more when she experiments with her magic.

Both Allard and Irelene are very talented children, both blessed with Merlin's magic and Arthur's fighting prowess. They all come to learn from each other and develop their own sense of martial arts. The kind Merlins never seen before.

They remind Merlin so much of their other father sometimes. It doesn't hurt anymore, and now makes him smile. Allard just had this protencial for leadership, while Irelene was his most trusted and valued advisor.

They were born to lead, and it scares Merlin.

He didn't want his babies to be taken from him, if word got out somehow about who's children they were.

But as stories go, something has to give for the plot to continue!

Allard born as the first son, inherited Merlin's Dragonlord powers without the need of Merlin dying to have them. While playing in the forest with Irelene, they come across some wyverns. To protect his sister he roared at them a command, making them leave, but also caught the attention of others who heard his roar from afar.

News got around that a new beast was lurking near the Perilous Lands and false rumours that it would head for Camelot.

It's how the twins came upon the knights in red and silver armour in their forest. The twins stepped before the knight, confronting them.

Allard: Who are you? 🤨

Percival: Children? *Confused* 😧

Leon: *Does a double take* (It'll make sense later)

Arthur: *Surprised, but calmly approachs the obvious twins* Hello there, we're knights of Camelot, it's dangerous for young ones to be in these woods. Where are you parents?

Irelene: These woods are not dangerous, not to us.

Allard: Yeah, we play here all the time!

Arthur: I see, then can you help us? There's been rumours that a monster is lurking around here.

Irelene: Not really, just some Wyverns, but Al told them to leave us alone.

Knights: What? 😧

Allard: Yeah! They were being mean so I told them off! Mama always told people off if they're being dollopheads!

Arthur: *Whispers* Dollphead... 😧💡But wait...

Arthur: Who is your Mama? *Trys to keep his cool*

Irelene: Mama is mama. 🤨❔What else would he be?

Arthur: He...?! 😳 🤯

Gwaine: *Cuts in* Is your Mama a man with black hair, Blue eyes and large ears?

Twins: That's Mama! 😃

Knights: *Gasps*

Leon: *Whispers* They look just like you as a boy. Arthur... 😳

Arthur: *Troat suddenly dry, but keeps his smile for the children* How... How old are you two?

Twins: 7! 😁✨

Arthur: *Thinking* 'Oh my god... 7 years. They have mine and Merlin's eyes... They're-'

Twins suddenly turn their heads, as if listening to something. Ignorant of the Knights internal turmoil.

Twins: *Hears Merlin calling them through mind link that Lunch is ready*

Irelene: Oh, it's lunchtime! Bye bye Red knights, Mama is calling!

Allard: Bye! *Turns and runs through the woods with his sister*

Arthur: No- Wait! *Chases after them*

Knights: *Follows*

And as much as the knights tried, they soon lost the three in the woods.

Yes, three. Because Arthur was still able to follow them.

And that's all I've got so far. Want to know more? Or have any ideas of what could happen next, let me know! I'd love to hear ♥️.

And just a sneak hint, the twins know what they're doing 😉

Until next time fellow dreamers~✨ 😁

[ochacoca]

CHAPTER 9: SITTING ALONE

now playing ♫ not allowed by tv girl

word count: 910 words + text messages

series masterlist | prev chap. | next chap.

The universe had to be fucking with me. This had to be some sort of sick joke. Now that I finally admit my feelings to myself is it when stuff starts going wrong? It was just supposed to be a casual group hangout.

I don't want to hate on a girl just because I'm jealous. But when I'm actively being ignored? I think my feelings are pretty valid. And Aiko was gorgeous. I looked nothing like her. Her glow was so natural and unmatched, it was the type of beauty you'd see in those magazines. Where did she even come from? I think she was friends with Ochaco, but why was she here?

And why was she close to Katsuki?

As much as I tried not to stare, every time I even glanced over they were talking. Everytime she'd speak he'd lean over or straighten his posture. He looked at the same way he looked at me. The jealously hit me like a wave and I was drowning in it.

As the night wore on, I tried to ignore it but it was like a crushing weight I couldn't ignore.

I shouldn't be feeling this way though. I knew it was too good to happen and something was going to make him change his mind eventually. I don't get to feel possessive over him or hurt that he's spending time with another girl. He was never mine to begin with.

It didn't help that Katsuki barely talked to my throughout the whole night. He was so caught up with this new girl that he didn't even acknowledge I was there for the entire night. It felt invisible.

But I'm being silly, right? Am I just overthinking it? But no, I couldn’t be. I've seen this happen before. It's been my life story, where a guy I'm into picks the prettier girl. It's happening again.

I couldn't handle it anymore. My body was hot and I felt like I was sweating imaginary bullets. I was angry and hurt and I needed fresh air. I needed to breathe. I needed a drink.

I walked in the kitchen and opened the fridge, letting the cool air settle down anger and grabbed a cold water bottle before chugging it down. But the universe really decided it wasn't going to be on my side today.

“Oh, you're Y/n, right?”

Aiko.

I forced myself to put on a fake yet polite smile, turning myself around to face her. “Yeah. Hi”

“Hey! You're so quiet I didn't even notice you were here.”

Ouch.

I let out an awkward laugh and gripped my water bottle tightly. “I've been here the whole night… I just wanted water.”

Her arrogant smile was annoying me. I was fighting every bone in my body to not slap that little knowing smirk off her face. “You have to talk more often,” She told me “People are going to start forgetting you're there.”

If I talk to this girl any longer I'm going to kill myself.

“Anyways, spending time with Bakugou tonight has been really fun. He's actually sweet! But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?” She turned on her heel and then walked out of the kitchen.

Okay, now all my hatred is valid. Fuck this bitch.

I left the kitchen and grabbed my things. If I stayed any longer and continued looking at them, I think I'd throw up. I said a quick goodbye to Mina and the rest before heading to the front door. I didn't realize somebody was following me until my hand was already twisting the door knob.

“Y/n.”

I froze in my tracks as I heard that familiar, gruff voice call out my name. I was going to turn around and face him, but I physically couldn't. It was like my body was preventing me. “Uh, yeah?” I tried to not show how affected I was but my voice betrayed me as it shook slightly.

“Where are you going?” Katsuki asked, his voice that same gentle tone he'd always use on me.

“Just home,” I answered back. “I don't feel good.”

It wasn't a complete lie. I did feel sick. But it wasn't because I was coming down with an illness. It was because the sight of seeing him with another girl made me sick to my stomach.

I couldn’t see him, but I didn’t need to to know that he didn’t believe me. I already knew he was making that stupid face at me. “Okay. You sure?”

“Mhm.” I hummed, not trusting myself to speak any further.

“We are friends, y'know? You can tell me if something’s wrong.”

Right. Friends.

“I'm sure.” And with that, I walked out and shut the door behind me.

I knew it was too good to be true.

No matter how hard I try, I'll never be good enough to love and I know that. I've accepted it years ago. Now all of a sudden this guy comes into my life and I have hope again. It's pathetic. I'm pathetic. I'm a loser trapped in a teenage girl's body. Now all I can do is do what I do best.

Avoid.

TAGLIST [50/50]: @ditsyngel @bratzblondie @lotusstarr @katsulina @wonubby @kalulakunundrum @tamishadawn @bangersplusmash @erenjaegerswifeee @r9yri @aa-soo @shewki @rednicotine @jaguarthecat @katsuisbaby @snoozebun @h0ngh0ngh0ng @megumismyhusband @jazoewazoe @ac333s @ikissfade @icey-wonders @bakunianadecorazon @marvel-z0mbie @tjbfingfh @d4rlinxs @bokutosmeatythigh @harryzcherry @holobean @grim-reapers-wife @ahahadumbo @qyuin @happinessisabutterflie @bluepartywobblernickel @eternallyshifting @luvvwritess @saintcosette @ilovemushroomss @kodzubaby @straows @katsucookies @mikestuffffs @starrzzworld @ilovesoupp @nina-from-317 @sunghoonzzzz @acowboykisser @starlightanyaaa @stayp1ece143 @moochiwoochi

©LOOKINGFORURAVITY 2025 | please do not copy, translate, or repost my work onto other platforms!

[missmaymay13]

traditions - w.smith | m.celebrini

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

w.smith & m.celebrini x oc platonic

a one shot from the original - close to you

masterlist | series masterlist

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Will Smith had always been bad at sleeping alone.

It wasn't something he talked about much.

Mostly because he didn't want to hear the endless chirping from the guys.

But tonight?

Tonight was bad.

The team was on the road for the first time this season, staying in a hotel in Canada, and Will had been lying in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling.

Tired, but unable to shut his brain off.

Every little noise—the hum of the air conditioner, the occasional muffled voices in the hallway, the weirdly loud mini fridge—kept him awake.

And he knew the longer he stayed up, the worse it would get.

Which was why—after what felt like forever—

He finally grabbed his phone.

And texted the only person who would actually understand.

Will: u awake? June: Yeah, what's up? Will: I can't sleep.

There was a pause.

Then—

June: Come to my room.

Will stared at his screen.

Then—before he could overthink it—

He grabbed his pillow and walked straight down the hall.

When he knocked on her door, June didn't say anything.

She just opened it, stepped aside, and let him in.

No teasing. No questions. No need for an explanation.

Just acceptance.

And that alone made Will feel like he could finally breathe.

He climbed onto the bed, burying himself under the covers like it was the most normal thing in the world.

And honestly?

At this point, it kinda was.

They didn't talk much.

Didn't need to.

June was already curled up on her side, scrolling through her phone.

Will, on the other side of the bed, let out a slow breath.

The second he closed his eyes, everything felt easier.

Like his brain had finally shut off.

Like he could finally relax.

And before he knew it—

He was asleep.

The next morning, he woke up fully rested for the first time in weeks.

And June?

Didn't say a word about it.

Didn't make a big deal out of it.

Just tossed a pillow at him and told him to get moving.

And that was it.

The next road trip, he didn't even have to ask.

She just left her door unlocked.

Because somehow—without either of them saying it out loud—

It had just become a thing.

And Will?

Will was really, really grateful for it.

Even if he'd never admit it.

⸻

Macklin Celebrini was not happy.

Scratch that.

He was fuming.

Because today?

Today, he found out that Will and June had been having sleepovers on the road.

Without him.

And honestly?

He felt personally betrayed.

It happened completely by accident.

Macklin was hanging out in the locker room, scrolling through his phone, minding his own business, when he heard it.

Will, complaining to June.

"Dude, last night was rough. You totally stole the blanket."

Macklin's head snapped up.

"...What?"

June blinked. "Huh?"

Macklin narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, 'last night'?"

Will froze.

June froze.

Macklin's jaw dropped.

"YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HAVING SLEEPOVERS WITHOUT ME?"

June opened her mouth. "Okay, listen—"

"DON'T 'LISTEN' ME." Macklin pointed dramatically. "HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?"

June and Will exchanged a guilty look.

Then—Will sighed.

"...Since the first road trip."

Macklin gasped.

"YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS THE WHOLE SEASON???"

Will scratched his neck. "Uh... yeah?"

Macklin threw his helmet down.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS."

June rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, Mack—"

"NO." Macklin cut her off. "I THOUGHT WE WERE A TEAM."

Will tried not to laugh. "Dude, relax—"

"RELAX???" Macklin scoffed. "I HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ALONE LIKE A CHUMP WHILE YOU TWO HAVE BEEN HAVING SECRET SLEEPOVERS?"

June sighed. "Mack, we didn't think you'd want to—"

"WELL, I DO."

Silence.

Then—Will grinned.

"Fine. Next trip," he said. "You're in."

Macklin crossed his arms. "Damn right, I am."

And just like that—

The trio was officially reunited.

The problem?

There was only one bed.

And for a few games, they made it work.

It was ridiculous.

It was uncomfortable.

And eventually?

The coaches found out.

⸻

Coach Warsofsky stormed into practice one morning, looking exhausted.

"Okay," he started, rubbing his temples. "I have been informed that you three have been—"

He sighed.

"...sharing a single hotel bed for multiple road trips."

The team immediately turned to stare.

Thrun choked on his water. "Wait—what?"

Mario Ferraro, grinning. "Oh, this is unreal."

Macklin stood his ground. "We can explain."

Coach held up a hand. "No. No, you can't."

Will tried to play it cool. "Coach, it's not a big deal—"

"NOT A BIG DEAL?" Coach's voice pitched. "THERE ARE THREE OF YOU. IN ONE BED. WHY?"

Will, completely unfazed, shrugged. "We sleep better that way."

The room went silent.

He stared at them.

Then, finally—he sighed.

"Listen," he muttered. "I don't care what you do in your free time. But on the road? You are professional hockey players. ACT LIKE IT."

Macklin, completely serious. "Coach, I swear, we play better when we sleep well."

Warsofsky rubbed his temples. "I hate that I actually believe you."

Will folded his arms. "So... what are we supposed to do?"

He exhaled deeply.

Then—begrudgingly—

"I'll talk to the staff," he muttered. "You three are getting a double room for future trips."

Silence.

Then—

"LET'S GOOOOO."

Macklin and Will high-fived.

June just smirked. "We win."

Coach groaned.

"I need a vacation."

⸻

The next trip?

The front desk handed them a keycard to their new, designated 'sleepover room.'

And Macklin?

Macklin held it up like a championship trophy.

"WE DID IT."

The coaches shook their heads.

The team chirped them relentlessly.

And June?

June just rolled her eyes—

But didn't deny that, yeah.

This was actually kinda perfect.

[sylusonychinus]

Episode 4: Rumors & Realizations

The hospital cafeteria was buzzing with life, the soft clinking of utensils and muffled conversations filling the air. You sat across from Yvonne, your closest friend at Akso Hospital, as you both dug into your lunch.

Yvonne leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand with a sly grin. "So... spill the tea."

Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest. "W-What?"

Yvonne wiggled her eyebrows. "You know. What happened with Dr. Zayne?"

You nearly choked on your drink, coughing as you grabbed a napkin. Panic flared in your chest. Did she know? Did someone see us together?

Yvonne giggled at your reaction. "Relax, I’m talking about the convention booth. Jeremiah mentioned you got assigned to Zayne’s team."

Relief washed over you, though you tried to play it cool. "Oh—right, that. Yeah, I’m in charge of designing our booth for the convention next month."

Yvonne clapped her hands together in excitement. "Finally! You’ve been admiring Dr. Li for over a year, and now you get to work with him one-on-one. This is your chance!"

You forced a chuckle. "It's not that deep, Yvonne. It's just work."

But was it really?

Your mind betrayed you, flashing back to the way Zayne had whispered against your skin that night, the way his hands had held you in place as if he couldn't bear to let go. You still felt the heat of his breath near your ear, the way he had murmured your name like it was something forbidden.

"Stop it. Focus." You shook your head, trying to push the thoughts away.

As you stirred the remnants of your meal, Yvonne sighed dramatically. "Speaking of Dr. Li, have you heard the latest gossip?"

You paused mid-bite. "Gossip?"

Yvonne leaned in, lowering her voice. "Someone saw him having coffee with a woman—and later, he was seen driving her around. They looked like they were on a date."

Your stomach twisted. "Wait, are you saying he has a… fiancée?"

Yvonne shrugged, stabbing her fork into her salad. "It’s just a rumor, but wouldn’t it make sense? He’s brilliant, good-looking, and loaded. Of course, he’d have someone."

You forced yourself to nod, but your mind was spiraling.

"A fiancée?"

Your mind replayed Zayne’s words from last night—words that had sent your heart into a frenzy.

"I felt an attraction to you that left no room for remembering that I'm your boss and you're my assistant."

Had he meant that? Or was it just the alcohol talking? If he really had a fiancée, what did that make you?

Your hands clenched into fists under the table. You told yourself it didn’t matter. Why should it? It wasn’t like anything serious happened between you two.

But then why did your chest feel so tight?

Yvonne poked at her food. "Hey, do you know what she looks like?"

You swallowed the lump in your throat and shook your head. "No, and I don't plan on asking him."

"Why not?" Yvonne smirked. "You work with him now. It's the perfect excuse to ask casually."

The idea made you uneasy. Besides, Zayne had bigger things to focus on—like the upcoming convention.

"Speaking of the convention," Yvonne said, switching topics, "if he pulls this off, I heard he's in line for a promotion."

Your fingers instinctively tightened around your cup.

A promotion.

You pictured Zayne standing in front of the hospital board, accepting the recognition he rightfully deserved. The thought of him smiling that confident smile as he climbed even higher in his career.

Of course, his future was far more important than some meaningless night with you. You weren’t special.

You sighed, forcing a smile. "That’s great for him."

Yvonne narrowed her eyes. "You okay?"

You nodded quickly, standing up to throw away your tray. "Yeah. Just thinking about all the work I have to do."

Yvonne let it go, but you could tell she wasn’t convinced.

----

After lunch, you received a message from Zayne, asking to meet in his office.

When you arrived, he was seated at his desk, flipping through the proposal design you had submitted earlier. His sharp gaze scanned over the details carefully, his fingers absentmindedly tapping against the edge of the papers.

You stood in front of his desk, waiting for his response.

Finally, he set the pages down and looked at you. "You did well," he said simply.

Relief washed over you. "Thank you."

"But…" He tapped the paper. "Something's missing."

You frowned. "Missing?"

Zayne nodded, leaning back in his chair. "It needs something more engaging. A stronger theme. I want you to go through the hospital archives. Look at past booths and projects. Maybe you'll find inspiration there."

You bit your lip, nodding. "Understood. I’ll check the archives and rework the design."

"Good." His gaze lingered on you for a second too long before he turned his attention back to his desk. "Let me know what you come up with."

You left his office, still feeling the weight of his stare.

---

The dusty shelves held decades’ worth of hospital records, event photos, and blueprints. You flipped through folders and old pamphlets, searching for inspiration when a familiar name caught your eye—Zayne Li.

Your eyes widened.

Zayne had worked on a booth years ago.

You pulled out the file, flipping through the contents. There were sketches—his sketches. The attention to detail was insane. Even back then, he was already exceptional.

One page had detailed notes in his handwriting—concise and confident, much like the way he spoke. You traced the ink, your fingers brushing over his words.

"He was always this brilliant."

A soft smile tugged at your lips. You had admired him from afar for so long, but seeing this? His dedication, his talent—it only made that admiration grow stronger

With renewed inspiration, you hurried back to your workspace and began reworking the proposal. This time, you weren’t just designing a booth. You were building something that would make him proud.

As your fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, a thought crossed your mind.

Even if you didn’t matter to him… his work still mattered to you.

Taglist: @nezuswritingdesk@divxvx@demon-master-zero@mcdepressed290@syluslittlecrows@seris-the-amious @beaconsxd

[thomine]

limbo

cyno x reader, 900 words

cyno is not accepting an audience... but when you're at the door...

general audiences, dialogue heavy, hurt/comfort, physical wounds, death of a minor character, reposted, not proofread.

notes: work tag

“hey, cyno?”

“…”

“are you… there?”

there’s shuffling of feet.

“are you alone?”

“yeah.”

“…what’s the matter?”

“well… i heard from the matra the case was complex and dangerous, so i’m glad to hear you’ve returned.” you swallow the word ‘safely’.

“yeah,” a pause. “it was one of those that required more time, more risks.”

“you would only be gone for at most a week.” you force a laugh. “it was a long month of silence.”

“that’s expected. a matra’s work is no fun and games.”

“and… uh, i also heard that… you ended up—”

“that’s enough.”

“…”

he clears his throat. “i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to—” a deep breathe followed by a shaky exhale. “maybe now isn’t a good time.”

“let me say it, please.”

“…your curiosity is dangerous.”

“it is not curiosity. it is concern. you got hurt, cyno, and you expect me not to care?”

“…”

“when will be a good time?”

“…”

“the doctors told me you’ll need your rest. i guess maybe i am pushing it.”

“wait—”

“…yes?”

“what else did you hear? from the matra.”

“they’re innocent. i couldn’t get answers from you so i approached them.”

“unless i see a reason, you won’t have to worry about me punishing them.”

“they told me things with good intentions. they’re also worried for you.”

“…i’m aware. tell me still.”

you sigh, a hand clutching the other. “your coworker… no, your friend did this to you, didn’t he?”

a dreadful silence. then, a pained hiss.

“cyno? do you need the doctor?”

a breath is taken in through gritted teeth.

“no—just, a small mistake on my part.”

“don’t touch the wound.”

“sorry. instincts. no need to worry about me. rather, have you been drinking water? you always forget.”

“i get plenty of reminders from others,” you laugh, almost authentic.

“good.”

another silence, but gentle.

“it’s not the same though.”

“what do you mean?”

“it was different when you did it. seeing your gruff and serious face saying such kind words… i always found it funny.”

“is it really?”

“for the record, i missed your jokes. tighnari was all like ‘good riddance at least we have peace and quiet’ and i proceeded to carry your legacy.”

“want to hear another one?”

“you spoil me.”

“what’s left of a sumpterbeast when the beast dies?”

“…meat? horns? materials!”

“no. you leave it stumped.”

“…” but you laugh anyways. with your whole body. lungs filled with cheer.

“…why did you come alone?”

“collei and tighnari couldn’t come today, so i’m here to pass the medicine they wanted to give you.”

“is that all?”

“i bought more gifts! deyha gave some bandages. it’s also apparently really tight. that helps with blood flow, but i’m not sure if you can wear it just yet—”

“…”

“—and alhaitham told me to give you this—oh, they’re chocolates—not sure if they still taste good… it has melted a fair bit. then—”

“…”

“—there’s candace who sent her blessings, and nilou who gave you a trinket! it was used in a folktale to bring good luck. she says when you’re ready, she’ll host a celebration for your recovery. it’ll be within us, and maybe even the dendro archon will come.”

“…”

“why?”

“…why?”

“why didn’t you want to see them? i know it hurts to have been betrayed. you… surely don’t think we will, do you?”

“it’s not that. betrayal means nothing if all acts are weighed and brought to justice.”

“is it really nothing? the matra told me you returned with his dead body. you wanted a proper burial. you could have died too, trying to bring his body back.”

“what else did they tell?”

you inhale. “other than your wound, nothing else. cyno, i hope you’re not going to push us away.”

“it’s not that.” there’s a low growl. “… i just need some time for myself.”

“i understand. i’ll leave the gifts out here then. is there anything else you want to say before i leave…?”

“…my friend was mind controlled.”

“i see.”

“he didn’t deserve the death i gave him.” the atmosphere is tense. it’s hard to breathe. “when i’ve rested enough, i have this case to solve.”

“…rest…” you sigh and shake your head. “you’re not letting yourself mourn.” you place a hand on the door. “i’m sorry.”

“there’s nothing you have to be sorry about.”

“it wasn’t your fault either.”

“maybe i was too haste to pass judgement, but what’s done is done. his blood is on my hands.”

“cyno,” you breath out, like a drowning person letting out the last bubble. “you are only human.”

“…”

“promise me when you leave for your next case, to investigate on those who unfairly used your friend, that… you’ll come back safely.”

“i cannot promise that, but i will do my best.”

“that is enough.”

“…do you still want to see me?”

“that’s why i’m here, right?”

“huh, thought you were just acting as a delivery guy.” a dry chuckle.

“well, i’m that too.” you weakly laugh, lying your head against the door. “it must be hard dealing with it alone, but we’re all here for you, through the gifts we bring and the prayers we offer… i’m here too.” you press a hand on your heart.

there is a click.

“i’m coming in,” you say as you slip yourself through the door left ajar, careful of the items on the floor. it closes before you can catch a glimpse of him, but the familiar warmth that wraps you is enough to quell your uncertainties.

author's note: an old piece! from an old blog! hello! i wrote some author's commentary so i guess that'll be up next. i have not looked through this nor the commentary. this is raw. i wrote this to practice dialogue. might actually do more!

[thollandsgirl2013]

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞

Parings → Merman! Tom Holland x Mermaid! Reader

Warnings → Mermaid AU, fluff, angst.

Summary → Tom and Y/n, two rebel, curious mermaids, explore the human world. Y/n secretly loves Tom, but he’s oblivious until they confess their feelings. Becoming mates in mermaid culture, they navigate romance, friendship, and adventure, keeping their human escapades a secret while embracing their lifelong bond.

Masterlist / Chapter Two

The sun filtered through the water, casting shimmering light across the sea floor. You and Tom rested on a smooth boulder, the vast ocean stretching around you, but your gaze lingered only on him. Tom was leaning forward, peering at the surface with that usual excitement in his brown eyes, completely oblivious to how your heart fluttered just from watching him. His bluish-green tail swished in rhythm with the gentle current, sending soft ripples through the water.

"I saw her again today," Tom spoke, his voice filled with a kind of wonder that made your chest tighten. You knew who he was talking about even before he mentioned it. The human girl.

You bit your lip, trying not to show how much his words affected you. Instead, you forced a smile, one that you hoped didn’t betray the hurt bubbling beneath the surface. "The girl from the shore?"

"Yeah, her! She’s... she’s different from the others, y'know? The way she moves, talks to her friends... she doesn’t even seem afraid of the water," Tom’s excitement grew, his tail flicking faster in his enthusiasm. “I think she likes it here.”

Your heart sank as he continued, the enthusiasm in his voice sending small pangs of jealousy through you. You wished he’d notice you that way, with that same spark in his eyes. But to Tom, you were his best friend, the girl who always followed him, the one who shared his curiosity about the humans. Nothing more.

"She’s just… so interesting," he mused, leaning closer to the surface. "I wanna meet her, Y/n. I want to talk to her, get to know her. Maybe I could learn what it’s like to be human."

The idea of him leaving the ocean, leaving you, stabbed at your heart. You glanced down at your own tail—dark purple with lavender shimmering around the start of it—and sighed. "And what would you even say to her?"

Tom chuckled, pushing a hand through his messy hair. "I dunno. Something cool, like… 'Hey, ever met a merman before?' That’d impress her, right?"

You rolled your eyes, forcing a laugh. "Oh, totally. I’m sure she’s never heard that one before."

Tom grinned, his boyish charm shining through as he nudged your arm. “You’re probably right. But, seriously, I want to go up there and meet her. I want to know what it’s like to be a human, to walk on land.”

Your heart clenched tighter. Every time he mentioned going to the surface, you felt a part of yourself slipping further away from him. He had no idea how you felt, how every time he talked about that girl, your chest burned with jealousy. You’d never told him. You were too afraid to ruin the friendship you’d built over the years, afraid he’d see you differently if he knew the truth.

"I just don’t get why you’re so obsessed with them," you said, your voice soft but laced with frustration. "We’ve lived here our whole lives, Tom. Why does it matter what humans do? Why does she matter so much?"

Tom blinked, caught off guard by your sudden tone. “I’m not obsessed. I’m just… curious. Aren’t you curious about them, too? We’ve watched them for years. Don’t you ever wonder what it’s like up there?”

You sighed, turning away from him. "I wonder about different things."

Silence fell between you, broken only by the gentle swish of water around you. Tom didn’t notice the deeper meaning in your words, didn’t see the way your heart ached for him. And why would he? You’d always been just his best friend, the one who tagged along on all his adventures. Nothing more.

"Look," Tom said, turning to face you with a determined expression. "We’ve been to the surface before—right? We’d sit on the rocks and just watch the humans from a distance, but we never actually stepped out of the water."

You met his eyes, the excitement in them unmistakable. Your stomach twisted, knowing exactly where this was headed. His curiosity always got the better of him, and you knew this time was different. He wasn’t just talking about sitting on a rock and observing anymore.

“This time,” he continued, “I want to actually go up there. I don’t want to just watch—I want to be human, if only for a little while."

Your heart sank, already feeling the weight of what he was asking. You knew he had made up his mind, and there was no stopping him when he got like this. But this time, the thought of him crossing that line filled you with dread.

“I don’t know, Tom…” you said, looking away, hoping he’d let it go. “It’s risky, and what if something happens? I mean, we’ve never really gone all the way before.”

Tom swam closer, his voice dropping as he gave you that familiar, pleading look. “Come on, Y/n/n. Don’t make me go alone. You’re my crime partner, I can't do this alone.”

You sighed. Of course, he didn’t want to do it alone. Tom never did anything without you by his side. And no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much your heart ached at the thought of him chasing after some human girl, you couldn’t say no to him.

“Please,” he begged, his voice softening as he reached out to touch your arm. "I need you with me. We’ll do it together, like we always do. And if it doesn’t feel right, we can come right back.”

You swallowed hard, your chest tight with the weight of it all. It hurt so much to see him this excited, knowing it wasn’t for you. But how could you refuse him? You’d never been able to say no to Tom, not when he looked at you like that.

“Okay,” you whispered, nodding. “I’ll go with you.”

Tom’s face lit up, his grin wide and filled with boyish charm. “Really? Oh, thank you, Y/n! I knew I could count on you.”

He swam forward, giving you a tight hug, completely oblivious to the sadness in your eyes. As he turned toward the surface again, already imagining what it would be like to walk on land, you watched him, your heart aching with everything you still couldn’t say.

“I’ll always be with you,” you whispered under your breath, knowing, once again, that he wouldn’t hear it.

°:. *₊ ° . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ° .•

[duskrosecreatesstuff]

A Lesson Learned

As a research assistant at the University, you are determined to take a look at a very rare book in the possession of Professor Astarion. You get more than you bargained for.

So yeah, it had to happen sooner or later, that I'd dip my toe into writing some Professor Astarion smut. Heavily influenced by this delightful piece - and seriously, go follow if you're not already, her Astarion renders are gorgeous!

Professor Astarion / Reader. 2.1k words. Read on AO3.

CW: NSFW, Explicit, Slight power dynamic, Inappropriate use of desk space, Semi-public sex, oral sex, PiV sex

Astarion pushed open the door to his office, and paused as he realised it was not empty.  He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the person standing at his desk, struggling to open a very particular book.  Of course it was that one.  Had Gale really stooped so low in his jealousy of it, that he had sent his research assistant to try and borrow it?  He closed the door behind him with a soft click.

“Did Professor Dekarios send you to snoop at my books?”

You jumped.  You’d been so focused on trying to open the book, you hadn’t heard the door open. Astarion noted with appreciation that in your surprise, you gripped the book tighter, and didn’t let it fall.

“No!  I wanted to ask you about it.  But you weren’t here, and it just-“

“Jumped off the shelf and into your hands?”

Astarion crossed the room, and took the book from you.  He placed it behind him on the desk and turned back to you, resting his weight against the edge of the desk.

He caught himself smiling as he looked at you.  Such a pretty thing, he thought as you stood there, glancing around nervously, with your cheeks flushed and heart racing from being caught. He could have some fun with you.  But first, he needed answers.

“Now.  Please explain to me why you were trying to open this book.”

“I thought it might be useful for my own research paper.  Look, I’m sorry. I was curious, that’s all.  I’ve heard of the power in those pages, I only wanted a quick look at it, I swear!”

“Do you understand what that book is?”

“Yes, Professor. It’s ‘The Necromancy of Thay’.”

Astarion sighed. “And in all your research, you hadn’t learned that the book wouldn’t obey you?  You should know it’s tuned to the one who commanded it first.  And that would be me.”

You looked past him at the book on the desk he was leaning against.  The glowing amethyst keystone on the cover pulsed, taunting you.  Damn him.  Damn his forbidden book, and damn his handsome face staring at you. Damn that fitted sweater hugging his broad shoulders, and draping down to his waist and oh gods please stop thinking about how good he looks, you told yourself.  You could feel the heat simultaneously rising in your face, and pooling between your thighs.

Your thoughts were racing, and you chewed your lip nervously.  Best to get yourself out of this situation, before your body betrayed you. “I’m sorry.”  You repeated. “I apologise for rummaging through your books without your permission.  It won’t happen again.”  You turned to leave.

“Wait.” he stopped you.  You glanced back at him, meeting his piercing eyes as he looked at you thoughtfully.  “Don’t run off just yet.”  You turned back to face him, curious.

Astarion gave another deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.  “I have no wish to stifle your curiosity.  But there are powers in that book that are beyond most.  Some days it still defies my attempts to read it. But perhaps …”

He trailed off, tilting his head to look thoughtfully out of the window, inhaling deeply through his nose, as if catching a delicate scent in the air.  Your perfume, perhaps.  And … something else.

“Perhaps we could come to an arrangement.  A favour in return for that ‘quick look’ you covet so highly.”  His eyebrow raised as he turned his head back to you.

Your heart leapt as you looked up, hopefully.  “I’ll do anything.”

“Anything.” he repeated, his lips curling upwards, his crimson eyes holding yours. “Well.  You are clearly hungry for knowledge.  I wonder what else you might hunger for.”

He shifted against the desk, widening his stance somewhat, as he dropped his eyes downwards.  Your gaze followed his, and your eyes widened as you noticed the outline of his stiffening cock through the soft fabric of his trousers. You glanced back up at him, lips parted as you realised what he was offering.

“Only if you are willing, my dear.  You can walk away now, and this conversation never happened.”  His voice became soft, sultry. “Or, you can stay, and I can give you a taste of what you want most.”

You ought to have been embarrassed at how quickly you answered.  But he was offering everything you desired.  This was more than temptation.  You wanted this.  You wanted him.

“I am willing.” you whispered, nodding. “Please.”

“Well then,” he purred. “On your knees. Darling.”

You dropped like a stone, as he tugged at his belt buckle.  You reached forward and brushed his hands away.

“Allow me.”

He put his hands up in mock surrender, and gave you a devilish smile.  “So eager.”  He dropped his hands to rest either side of his hips, lightly gripping the edge of the desk, as he leaned back a little, giving your hands all the room you wanted to slide the leather through the buckle.

You leaned in close, breathing in a lungful of that scent that was so specifically him, that you’d been entranced by for weeks now, before pressing your lips against the fabric, a cheeky little kiss.  Your nimble fingers popped the single button, and you tugged the zip, sliding it carefully down all the way, fingertips brushing lightly against his rapidly swelling cock.  You bit your lip as you hooked your fingers into the waistband of his underwear, pulling the fabric down to free him completely.

You gave a small smirk as you looked up, catching his eye as he stared down at you, parting your lips and leaning in close to lick slowly up his entire length.

“Good girl.” he whispered, one hand moving to stroke through your hair.  You licked again, dragging your tongue from balls to tip, pressing your lips to the smooth head in a lingering kiss, as you wrapped the fingers of one hand around his shaft.  You parted your lips and slid your head down, swirling your tongue over him as you opened your mouth wider.  You felt his fingers tighten in your hair and you paused, listening to him panting softly.

You moved your head again, squeezing your fingers around his solid cock, angling him so you could work him deeper into your mouth, sucking on him gently as you slid him deeper and deeper, until you felt him touch the back of your throat.  You pulled back, breathing deeply to calm your gag reflex, moving your tongue over the tip of him again, tasting the salt of his pre-cum.  You shifted on your knees, aware of how wet you were, and how soaked your underwear was becoming, and wondered how it would feel to have him deep inside your dripping cunt.

He gripped your hair, more forcefully this time, and tilted your head back to look up at him again, this time with your mouth wide open.  He moaned at the view of his cock head resting on your tongue.

“Oh, you are an absolute delight, my sweet.  And to think, I underestimated just how hungry you might be.  I think you deserve something more. Stand up.”

You obeyed, and he snaked one hand around your waist, pressing against your back to pull you in close.  The other was back in your hair, pulling you into a crushing kiss, his tongue as deeply between your lips as his cock had been moments before, searching, tasting himself on your tongue.

The hand on your waist drifted lower, lifting your skirt and seeking out your soaked underwear.  You felt him smile against your lips as his fingers brushed against the fabric.

“You know, you’d be much more comfortable with these removed, don’t you agree?”

He didn’t wait for an answer, as he hooked a finger in the waistband and tugged sharply downwards, dragging your underwear down to your thighs.

“Go on. Get those off for me, my dear.”

You dropped your hands to do as he requested, shimmying your hips a little to drop your underwear to your ankles.  You stepped out of them, and kicked them off to the side.

“So obedient.  Such a good girl for me.”  You let loose a small whimper at the praise, and another, slightly louder, as his cool fingers brushed against your inner thigh.  You subconsciously adjusted your stance, parting your legs for him and felt those same fingers press between your slick folds, pausing as they found your entrance.

“Please.” you whispered, your thighs trembling in anticipation.

Astarion smirked at you. “Please?  Please, what, darling?”

Your cheeks burned, and you looked down, unable to meet his piercing eyes. “Please.  Touch me. I need-”

Your voice was cut off by your own loud gasp as he plunged two fingers into you.  You gripped his shoulders to keep your balance as he pumped them slowly out and back in.

“Losing your balance there?  Can't have that, can we.” He pushed himself off the desk and you gasped as he dragged his fingers out of your heated core, grazing them up and over your clit as he stepped smoothly around behind you.  You barely had time to register his hands on your hips, before he gave you a sharp shove towards the desk.  You collapsed forward over the smooth wooden surface, and felt the brush of fabric over your skin as your skirt was lifted out of the way.  You felt his foot nudge against your ankles, a wordless demand to spread them farther apart, and you obeyed.

You felt cool fingers on your ass, spreading you open, and the teasing slide of his cock between your dripping folds, coating himself in your slick, brushing against your clit making you whine.  You felt the head of his cock pressing against your entrance, and you couldn’t stop the whimpering “please” that slipped from between your lips.

“Oh, aren’t you such a needy little treat.  Beg for me again, would you?”

“Please.  I want you.  I want to feel you inside me.”

He rolled his hips, sliding deeper and deeper into you with each thrust, your moans getting louder as he pressed you against the unyielding surface of his desk.

“Like that, my dear?  That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

You opened your mouth to reply, but all that came out was a needy moan, as he pulled back, then thrust deeply into you again, matching your moan with his own.  He picked up his pace, moving his hips faster, the wet sounds coming from behind you filling your ears, the same way he was filling you.  You arched your back to him, and you felt a hand reach around you, searching for your most sensitive spot, drawing a squeal from you as he found it, his fingers rubbing hard, tipping you over the edge.  You put your mouth over your arm, muffling your cries as you clenched hard around him, still moving inside you.  You felt his hips snap against your dripping cunt, as he chased his own release, his fingers gripping your flesh tight enough to leave marks.  With one last drive deep into you, you felt him throbbing against your swollen walls, heard him moan as he released himself deep inside you.

You lay there quivering beneath him, his weight keeping you trapped against the desk as your breathing returned to normal.  You felt him soften and pull away from you, and as you stood up, you could feel your combined fluids dripping down your thighs.  He reached across the desk for a box of tissues, taking a couple for himself and passing the box to you.

“Next time, I want to see your face as you come undone like that for me.”

Your heart skipped at the suggestion that there would be a ‘next time’.  He quickly cleaned himself up, refastening his trousers, looking for all the world like nothing had happened.  He circled around the desk, pausing to scoop up your underwear from where you had kicked it, before settling himself in his office chair, and tucking them away in a drawer.  You opened your mouth to protest, but he interrupted you.

“I’ll be keeping those.  I like you better without them, anyway.”

You closed your mouth again, and grabbed the tissues, doing your best to clean yourself up, as he watched.

“Now.  About the book.”  He leaned forward to pull it to rest in front of him. “You’ve certainly earned that peek between its pages.  Why don’t you have a seat?”

You moved to pull up one of the nearby chairs, but he stopped you with a sound.  

“Ah, ah.”  He curled a finger at you, beckoning you towards him.  “You’re going to sit right here.” He patted his thigh, indicating he wished you to sit in his lap.  You gave a soft moan as you settled yourself, his arms reaching around you to grab the book cover, and his chin resting on your shoulder.

“So, my dear.” he whispered, his lips against your ear, as he opened the book. “Let’s begin.”

[ashes-2-ashes57cba]

The Clone Wars: A Distant Echo

Part 2 of the Clone Wars Bad Batch arc with my OC: Specter! this has been edited *adla'vod: roughly translates to "twin", directly translates to "same brother/sister"

Specter felt surprised and almost betrayed when Crosshair let General Anakin Skywalker inspect his beloved rifle. Usually, he would get fussy if even she touched it. He wouldn’t even let her put her stuff next to his. 

The Bad Batch, Captain Rex, and the Jedi were on board the Batch’s ship—the Marauder—on their way to Skako Minor, following the live signal “Echo” supposedly sent out. Rex watched as Wrecker lifted a gonk droid with one hand and ate with the other. Crosshair observed as the General looked at his gun, and Hunter monitored any planetside activity at the console while Tech flew them to their destination. The female clone sat back, resting and mentally preparing herself for their next mission.

“So, how many missions has your team been on, Sergeant?” Anakin asked Hunter.

“Honestly, sir, I’ve lost count. All the action sort of blurs together,” he admitted with a shrug.

“I know you work with Cody sometimes, but who exactly do you guys report to?” Rex asked. Hunter hummed in thought.

“Good question. Can’t say I’ve got an answer.”

“Yeah, I’d feel really bad for the one who would have to try and make sense of our reports,” Specter piped up. Wrecker laughed in agreement. “Oh, adla’vod?” The sniper turned to his twin as Anakin handed him his rifle back. “Your taste in music is weird and the songs you suggested are weird, and I love it. I’m adding them to the playlist.”

“I told you,” he said with a smirk. 

“So you’re the first female clone. How does that affect your… dynamic?” Skywalker asked, turning his attention to Specter. She raised an eyebrow.

“If you’re implying what I think you are, don’t worry about it. I’ve heard enough of the whispers. I’ve saved these boys more times than they’d like to admit, so I’m not just a pretty face.”

“What?” Anakin blushed, “N-no, like— gosh how do I say it without sounding crass?” Specter surprised him by laughing. 

“I’m teasing, General, I know what you mean. They’re my brothers and best friends. They respect me and know when to give me my space when I need it. In return, I don’t break their knees. Isn’t that right boys?” she asked aloud to her team.

“Yes, ma’am,” they replied; some enthusiastically, some with disdain. 

“However they don’t always pick up after themselves. Take Tech, for example,” she said loudly, hoping to get his attention.

“What now?” he sighed.

“Just because my bunk was empty and clean, does not mean you get to use it for storage for your projects.”

“You weren’t using it.”

“Because your stuff was on it!” Rex and Anakin snickered at their argument while Crosshair and Hunter rolled their eyes. A thud and the sound of alarms ended their argument.

“We are approaching Skako Minor,” Tech reported. “It looks to be a difficult landing.” The Marauder broke through the thunderous clouds, turbulence rocked the ship. Wrecker went to help Tech man the controls while the others strapped themselves in. 

Once they landed and everything settled, the rest of the team gathered in the cockpit.

“Rex, what do we know about this place?” Anakin asked his captain.

“On this part of Skako, there’s a race of locals, the Poletecs. All we know is that they’re very primitive.”

“‘Primitive’ is being kind. My intel says the Poletecs worship flying reptiles,” Tech chimed in. A thud and screech were heard outside the ship, almost in reply to the Batcher’s remark. A shadow of a creature scurried over the viewport.

“Oh! What the heck was that?” Wrecker exclaimed as the ship rocked and jolted.

“It’s one of those reptiles,” Tech simply answered.

“I want that thing off my ship,” Hunter growled, putting on his helmet. The Batchers followed his lead and prepared to go outside to investigate. 

“Hold on! Hold on! Don’t just run out there,” Rex warned. 

The Bad Batch ignored him, running out to the blowing winds. A creature was on top of the ship, its rider a mere silhouette against the dim golden light peeking through the dust and clouds.

“Hey! Get off of there!” Wrecker yelled, pointing his blaster at them. Anakin ignited his saber but held his arm out to the brute.

“Hey, calm down. We need to talk to them,” he said.

“Why?” Hunter gowled. The Bad Batch wasn’t used to handling confrontations with diplomacy.

“The General’s right,” Rex supported. Two more flying creatures screeched and approached fast, intently flying toward the group. 

“Heads up!” Specter yelled, crouching low. Anakin pushed Rex out of the way as one of them reached out with its claws to grab at the captain. The two flew by, but the one atop the ship jumped down and grabbed Anakin before flying away with the rest of its group. The Jedi’s lightsaber fell from his belt, Rex grabbed it before firing a few potshots at the reptile, hoping to have some sort of effect. Tech looked through his visor, tracking him.

“I have a thermal reading. Point-two-five east, elevation 175,” he reported. 

“Relax,” Crosshair said, readying his rifle and using Tech’s shoulder as a mount, “I’ll handle this.” He fired a grappling line, latching onto the leg of the reptile holding Anakin.

“What are you doing?” Rex asked as Crosshair handed Hunter the base of the line. 

“Going for a ride,” Hunter said, clipping the line to his belt before being yanked away. “Keep the boys out of trouble, Spec.” Specter crossed her arms, and yelled after him.

“Like they listen to me anyway, but sure thing.” 

The group watched as Hunter and the General disappeared into the thick clouds. Silence surrounded the group until Wrecker turned to Specter and asked-

“Should we follow them?”

“Not yet,” she replied. “We can’t be sure of any more of those reptiles hiding among the clouds. Best to trust Hunter to assess the situation before we rush in.” Her fist tightened with anxiety by her side; Hunter often trusted her judgment enough for her to lead the group when he couldn’t, but this time the life of a Jedi General was on the line.

“Tech, I’m with the General. Hone in on my signal,” Hunter’s voice eventually came through the comm. Specter relaxed her shoulders before turning to the others.

“Alright, now we can regroup. Everyone back to the Marauder,” she said, taking charge and gesturing back to the ship, following the others inside just as Tech launched the shuttle and flew to Hunter’s signal. 

They eventually touched down a ways back from the edge of a ridge leading down into the Poletec’s village. Hunter was kneeling down, out of sight, observing the scene. 

“That creature still has a hold of the General,” he reported to Rex, who went to take position beside him. Rex flipped down the antennae on his helmet, looking through the scope to assess Skywalker, Specter mirrored him, tracking each of the villagers.

“We’re going in,” he said, standing up, “but remember what the General said. ‘No casualties, disarm only’.” The reminder was emphasized towards the Batch with a few pointed glances. Wrecker shook his head and slumped in dejection. 

“We’re on it, Captain,” Hunter stood up before giving orders. “Wrecker, Crosshair, rockslide!” The two went to push the large boulder nearby down the ridge and into the village. As it rolled, Wrecker shadowed behind it, using it as cover, while Crosshair stayed behind to take a sniper position. The rest of the team followed suit, shooting to disarm the natives as they scrambled away. Crosshair shot an electric probe at the leg of the creature holding Anakin; it flew off from the shock, allowing the Jedi to roll out of the way of the boulder. Hunter pointed his pistol at the leader of the Poletecs; it spoke its language at him, waving his arms about. “Tech, translate what he said?” 

“He says he does not want our war on his planet. That is why he took our leader,” he relayed, reading the translation off his visor.

“We didn’t bring the war here,” Anakin said, “it was Wat Tambor and the Separatists.” Tech went to translate, doing his best to mimic the Poltec dialect. The chieftain looked between him and Skywalker.

“Tell him we apologize for what’s happened,” Rex stepped forward. “But tell him the enemy is holding one of our men prisoner in Purkoll. As soon as we rescue him, we’ll leave this planet, for good.” Tech nodded, turning to the chieftain and relaying the information. 

Specter couldn’t help but giggle; Rex noticed her shaking shoulders and nudged her side. 

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

“He just sounds so robotic. He’s not even attempting to follow through with the accent,” she explained. 

“Could you do any better?” Rex asked. She scoffed.

“Give me a day and I could even learn the local dialect, Captain. If it helps put things in perspective, I learned Galactic Sign Language in a week.” 

“Wow, Specter, is there anything you can’t do?” Rex wondered.

“Yeah. She can’t reach the high shelves,” Crosshair sneered. His twin stomped on his foot. 

The Poltec leader and Tech continued to speak back and forth in what looked like apologies and negotiations. 

“The chief says he’ll provide us with scouts and lead us to Tambor’s city. From there, we’re on our own,” he reported to Anakin. 

“Any help is better than no help.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two scouts led the team to a rocky outlook with a clear view of the city, or at least the spires hanging down from the clouds. One pointed towards the city and said something in his language; Tech thanked them before they went to return to their village. 

“Hope nobody’s scared of heights,” Anakin said with a smirk. Crosshair, Hunter, and Specter turned to look at Wrecker, who perked up at the attention.

“Well, I’m not scared of nothing!” he assured, unconvincingly. He glanced down the cliff rock, however, noting the height. “I just… when I’m up real high, I got a problem with gravity,” the brute admitted.

“Speaking of problems,” Tech spoke up, “I am no longer picking up Echo’s signal.”

“I don’t understand,” Rex said, surprised, “you said it was coming from this city.”

“I can only speculate, but it is possible there’s a latency issue with the frequency caused by all these atmospheric disturbances,” Tech said, holding up his datapad.

“Or… maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap,” Hunter speculated. “And maybe your friend’s actually dead. Well I can’t be the only one thinking of that.”

“But if a clone can come back from the dead, then nothing could stop me from being completely unhinged,” Specter fantasized.

“Look, every mission could be a trap. This one is no different,” Rex argued against Hunter. “I’m telling you that signal is being sent by Echo himself! He’s alive!”

“I think you’re letting your personal feelings get in the way because you left him for dead at the Citadel,” Crosshair sneered, turning his back on the captain. Specter tilted her head back in exasperation. 

“I had no choice. You hear me?” Rex said, his tone dark and on the verge of anger.

“Oh, I don’t blame you. I would’ve left him for dead too. Besides, he’s just another reg.” 

Specter didn’t blame Rex, nor did she try to stop him when he punched Crosshair to the ground. 

“Hey!” Wrecker grabbed the captain by the back of his armor. “Why don’t you pick on someone not your size?” The brute threw him off, but Rex turned right back around and marched up to him.

“You’ll be a whole lot smaller when I’m through with you,” he growled.

“That’s enough!” Anakin ordered, pushing the two men apart. “Sergeant, take your men and scout the area for a tower entrance. I want to talk to my Captain alone.” Hunter motioned for the Bad Batch to follow him, Specter helped Crosshair stand up before smacking the back of his helmet, scolding her twin for his insensitive comment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind howled, blowing golden dust. Specter shifted her stance again, trying to ignore the itch of sand up in her armor. The Batch did their best to peer through the sand and guard the entrance of one of the towers leading up to the city while Tech worked on the door panel. Hunter sensed someone coming, holding up his gun in defense. But it was Skywalker and Rex running to meet them.

“We’re in business, General. Tech regained Echo’s signal,” Hunter reported, shouting over the wind and walking him towards the entrance. “It’s coming from this tower. How’s it going, Tech?” The clone had his datapad hooked up to a console, quietly working through algorithms and firewalls to get past the door. After pushing a few buttons, he was able to gain access.

“Sorry it took so long,” he replied with a shrug. 

“Hey, twins, check it out,” Hunter nodded inside. 

“Ah yes, the noble sacrifices,” Specter slumped before holding up her blaster and following Crosshair, sweeping the inner room for any traps or cameras. They found nothing and turned back to the door. 

“Yeah, it’s a lift,” Crosshair deadpanned.

“How magical,” Specter feigned wonder.

“Well, we already knew that,” Rex said, unamused, walking inside with the others. Wrecker nervously looked up at the tower, most of it disappeared behind heavy clouds. 

“Wait, wait, wait. A lift? How far up are we going?” he growled.

“Don’t worry, Wrecker. I’ll hold your hand,” Hunter teased. 

“Hey! Cut it out, Sarge,” Wrecker said, bumping past Hunter’s shoulder, “Just give me some droids to crush.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Remember, this is a stealth mission,” the General said as the lift neared the top, “no blasting, no blowing things up. Nobody knows we’re here.”

“Pff, don’t count on it,” Specter muttered, collapsing her blaster’s stalk and preparing her pistol. The door opened to a group of droids who abandoned their tasks, turned to the intruders, and readied their weapons. Wrecker dashed out, crashing into the ones closest, throwing one at another group near the back and swinging another at a few near the opening. They fell with robotic screams.

“I told you!” Specter said before running out to the fight with her squadmates. Anakin could only shake his head with a smirk. She fired alongside Tech, covering the corridor that led inside the facility. A pair of droids snuck up behind them, separating her and Tech. Specter let them corner her against some crates; once they were right where she wanted, she jumped up and pushed off against the crates—over the droids’ line of fire—knocking them down with a split kick. A shot flew past her shoulder, striking a lone droid attempting to charge at her; Specter looked up to find Crosshair fired the shot, she returned the favor by blasting a droid approaching behind him.

 Wrecker charged at the remaining droids, firing relentlessly and cheering from the adrenaline once they were victorious. Everyone simply looked at him.

“Uh… sorry. I just got excited.” Specter came around and patted his shoulder while Tech checked his scanner.

“I’ve still got a lock on Echo’s signal.” 

“All right, men.” Hunter readied his blaster and led the way to the corridor. “Let’s hunt some droids.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Droids on patrol marched through the hall, though they didn’t detect the door opening and Hunter peeking out. He motioned Specter forward and nodded; they stepped out, he shot the droids entering the area while she destroyed the ones that passed, clearing the way for Skywalker to step into the hallway. 

“Where exactly is Echo’s signal coming from?” he asked Tech. The clone adjusted his goggles as he looked at his datapad.

“Strange. I just lost the signal.”

“What? How can that be?” Rex asked, removing his helmet. “There’s no ‘atmospheric disturbances’ up here.”

“Well, I have a new theory. I’m surprised I did not consider it earlier,” Tech shook his head. “The signal is only traceable during data transmissions. So until Echo dispenses more intel, I cannot pick up the signal.”

“Okay, we’re splitting up. Search every door,” the General began to order, “If someone finds Echo, contact the others. We go in together, just in case there’s trouble.” Specter and Crosshair split with the General while the others went down the other way. She found nothing in the doors she checked, only storage containers and maintenance supplies. 

Specter had a very hard time believing a clone like Echo could have survived the attack on the citadel, but she knew if it was one of her squadmates, she would be just as adamant to rescue them as Rex was. But like Tech, she was logical enough to know that the chances of Echo actually being alive were low. But not zero. 

A commotion caught her attention: muffled blaster fire and a lightsaber. The clone ran towards Anakin, configuring her blaster into a sniper rifle; she got there just in time, shooting down the droids before they could attack again. The Jedi stood up, calmly walking towards her.

“Thanks for the backup.”

“No problem, General,” she said, giving a two-fingered salute.

“Hey, where did you get that weapon? I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it,” he asked as they walked down the hall.

“I doubt you would’ve. Tech and Crosshair designed and built it after I saved them on a mission from Corellia… and took care of them when they caught Corellian fever,” she snickered.

“You didn’t have to mention that,” Crosshair hissed, coming up beside them.

“Too late, Cross,” she teased, patting the side of his helmet. He swatted her hand away. “But I was the one who helped engineer the reconfiguring mechanism.”

“Clever,” the Jedi complimented. 

“Don’t let it get to her head,” Crosshair warned.

“Hey, how about when you— did you guys hear something?” Specter stopped herself, suddenly perking up. The others heard it too; sounds of droids and blasters being fired. 

“Sounds like trouble. Let’s move,” the General ordered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed the three had arrived just in time to even the odds against the droids attacking the rest of the team. Anakin used the Force to push a group out of his way, swinging his lightsaber to cut them and deflect their shots. Hunter took the opportunity to go on the offensive, Wrecker, Tech, and Rex joined in. The Sergeant held up a droid by the neck, ready to punch its head off, but Crosshair came in and shot it off for him. A whistle sounded, Specter came running in, taking a position by Wrecker.

“Hey, swing me around,” she said.

“Like on Mon Cala?” he asked, shooting a few droids.

“What? No, like on Ryloth.” They hooked their arms around each other and he spun, swinging Specter around to shoot and kick at the rest of the droids near them. The Jedi stabbed the last one. “Mon Cala… you didn’t swing me, you threw me. Underwater,” Specter mumbled. More blaster fire filled the hallway, even more droids were coming. The team took defensive positions in the side of the room. 

“Tech, open that door for Rex!” Anakin ordered over the noise. 

“Yes, sir!” Tech nodded and ran to take care of the door.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Captain,” Hunter said, turning to acknowledge him. “Specter, you’re with them.” Rex and Specter ran to meet Tech who was able to get the door open and enter the room. It was filled with dimly lit panels and other controls. 

“I don’t like the look of this,” Specter heard Rex say— her back was turned, keeping an eye on the door and their other surroundings. 

“I’m definitely picking up a life-form in there,” Tech said, his scanner beeping in rapid succession. He investigated the controls, “It seems to be a stasis chamber. I think I can get it open.” Specter looked over her shoulder, Tech worked at the control panel and got the chamber open. 

The door hissed open and a form fell forward, only caught by the wires attached to—him. It was a body. Malnourished, disfigured, but a clone’s body nonetheless. Specter stifled a gasp at the sight. 

“Echo,” Rex breathed. “Tech, we’ve got to get him out of here. Figure out how to…  unplug him from… from this mess.” Rex frantically undid the line around his torso, laying the body down onto the floor, cables were still attached to Echo’s head. “What have they done to you?” Specter abandoned watching the door and turned to go help Rex, who had taken off his helmet.

“We… we have to get to the shuttle to escape the Citadel,” the soldier muttered. His eyes were open but unseeing, skin sickly and pale, body emaciated and drawn. Both his legs and his right arm were replaced by cybernetic parts.

“He’s stable, but blood sugar is low,” Specter reported, removing her helmet and taking out a small flashlight. She shined it in his eyes, they were dilated and unfocused. “He’s in there but barely. Hallucinating. Oxygen in his brain must be low too, his heartbeat is irregular.” She felt his pulse on his wrist and by his neck.

“No! I’ll go first,” Echo continued in his hallucination, reaching out. Rex gently shook him.

“Echo,” he pleaded. “Echo, it’s Rex. I’m here.” The pale clone calmed down, his eyes came into focus.

“Rex? You, you came back for me,” he breathed, reaching to touch Rex.

“Yes. Yes, I did,” Rex assured. 

“What? What happened? Where am I?” Echo looked around.

“Yeah, he’s coming around alright. It’s okay, soldier. You’re safe now,” she assured.

“Just sit tight, Echo,” Rex said, “You’re going home.”

[lovelacebarbee]

Hello again, today i bring you another MICC verse story feat. Melody.

This is the story of how she got her name. Almost.

Basically its Andyeddie being cute.

As always many thanks to the WW2 Rpf is fine server for bringing this idea to life and thanks to all of you for reading It.

Enough about me, please enjoy : )

PASTORALE

Today was a happy day, a happier day than most in this hellhole. Nobody had died yet which was rare here in the frontlines.

Once we had found somewhere to rest, Ack-Ack climbed to a higher place, some sort of rubble. He raised his voice and adressed the men.

"Everybody, we are staying here tonight, so pick a slightly smooth stone and try to sleep".

Andy as always was glowing, with a fierce determination I though could only appear in old stories of myth or in brave knights of old.

But Andy was very much real, and he was pregnant with my child. Our child.

The though made me smile involuntarily. I thought of a home, a nice evening watching our baby, me singing in a porch with my guitar in hand and baby on the other, and Andy coming home from work. A peaceful Life. A happy life.

While some of the boys were starting to doze off, or chatting in low voices, I was so stuck in my own fantasies i didn't notice Andy walking over to me.

"What were you smiling about earlier?"

"Was i smiling?"

"Yeah you were, and im asking you what all that was about"

"Everything. Nothing. The fact you are pregnant."

"Is that all?"

I smiled mischievously and replied

"Well sometimes you need to think of a sweethart back home to make It trough this war"

"Am i your sweethart?"

You always were and always will be"

"So if im here right now, what does that make me?"

I thought, you are everything to me. My captain, my lover, my family, my future. How to explain that to him? How to explain that my entire existance was tied to his life?

Then I remembered that night back in Melbourne, when he told me that he loves me. I thought of now, of how even when he was pregnant he wanted to keep fighting. To stay with the men. With our boys.

That is what i loved about him. Thats what made Andy Andy. So thats what i told him

"You are a good captain"

He laughed quietly so as to not wake the rest of the boys. He stopped and glanced at me, a wide smile on his face.

"Ive been meaning to ask, what is that song you are always humming?"

"What song?"

"That melody, you keep singing it all day, and at night before we go to sleep. I haven't heard it before, and unless its from the japs i dont know how you can know a new song around here"

"Whats up with you today, you are asking a lot of questions"

"Maybe i just want to talk to you"

"Then you should have just asked"

"Thats what im doing now"

"Dont get clever with me now, its not a good look on you"

He must have known i wasnt really mad, and my smile betrayed my annoyance.

"Oh but you love it"

"You know i do"

"So answer me"

"Its a song im working on"

"That doesnt answer the question "

Andy kept looking at me, and we he looked at me like that I knew that I had to confess the reason for my good mood lately, and why I was singing that song, even though the thought scared me more than any battle we had fought.

But this was Andy, and he would understand. I decided to tell him the truth.

"Well," I began my explanation "In my family it's tradition that a parent has to compose a song for their newborn. I guess its something of a supperstition, we always say that as long as a song is sung then that persons memory is still alive, somehow"

"I think thats beautiful"

"Its an old supperstition "

"Its ours now, eddie, and our baby will love your song"

"Well for now our boys have taken a liking to it, and they are as much our sons as the one in you belly"

"Can i ask you a question then?"

"Sure"

"Do you think its a boy or a girl?"

"I dont really care, as long as It looks like us and its happy, well that will be ours whatever happens"

He smiled at me and i knew, i knew that i would do anything for my love and my son. I had to keep fighting so that we could all make it back home.

I had to make sure our melody made It back stateside.

[ddlcpoly]

MC and Monika walk into the clubroom, I look down at my desk, I sneak a glance towards Yuri, looking up at her, I feel bad when I see her, but if I ever want to talk to her normally again I have to do this. I think back to that night, that day was fun and I felt free that day to be honest, as free as I had felt in a long time, that’s probably why I did something so stupid. All of my clubmates are hot, ok, I said it! Not only that but they’re all so nice and caring and good to me. I think I’m in love with all of them, I don’t know, at least I think I find them all attractive and I want them to be with me for the rest of my time. So a few months back I was hanging out with Yuri when we just kinda leaned on each other and it lead to us kissing, so we started dating from there, but i always knew that I didn’t ONLY love her, but I kept myself quiet, I have a beauty Big Tiddy Goth GF and amazing friends, why risk it all for something so greedy?

But in the festival, me and MC kinda got lost and I sprained my ankle, after I stepped on a crack some idiot hadn’t filled out that day, so he carried me to a bench nearby, from there he started helping out my ankle, I jokingly told him “You kinda look like a servant washing my royal feet. Fitting for someone like you.” and he quickly replied “If it was you I wouldn’t mind that.” I think it was something that he just said without thought, cuz he then quickly shut himself up, I start blushing “Dummy, don’t say that kinda stuff to me” I bonked his head with my fist “Uh, yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean it.” “What do you mean ‘you didn’t mean it’” and blurted out by accident “Uh, I, um, I mean.” “Uh, oh, um. Dude you’re just embarrassing yourself.”

I don’t know why I did that, I just hated the situation we were in and so I just instinctively started insulting him, but then he stood up, it looked like he had tears in his eyes “What do you want for me?!” he yelped pathetically “I want you to stop making me fall further for you!” I blurted that out as, well and then I quickly shut my trap. He seemed at a lost for words for the few seconds I saw his face, as I quickly hid mine. I faintly heard him say “I feel the same.” I turned up towards him, confused and disgusted, to be frank, “YOU PERVERT!” I yelled out at him, then I quickly sucker punched his cheek and ran away.

The group eventually found me. They found MC first sitting on the bench that I left him at and he told them where I went, eventually catching up to me. I didn’t speak to him about it and since that night I couldn’t really face anyone at the club.

I did some reflecting and I think that when I called MC a perv I was also calling myself one, we’re both the same, two losers with loving girlfriends that fucked up by falling in love with other people. I don’t think I can ever forgive myself.

I feel a hand placed on top of mine, then I realize that a tear was rolling down my cheek, I see whose hand it is, Sayori looks at me with an empathetic smile. She was the one who called everyone here, so explained to me that Md told her that we basically confessed to each other the morning after the festival… Who am I kidding? We LITERALLY confessed to each other. I feel kinda shit right now, the girl who I hurt by being a greedy little asshole is here holding my hand with her delicate fingers. How could I deserve being friends with her, let alone think that she might like me? I feel dirty, disgusting.

“Hey, it’s alright.” Sayori calmly states. “But it’s not!” I yell out, MC and Monika stop in their tracks and Yuri sadly looks at me as Sayori keeps that smile to try and comfort me. “I did something shitty and I was lying to Yuri all throughout our relationship.” I feel my eyes start to well up. “I don’t deserve anything!” “NATSUKI!” I hear Yuri yell out my name “P-please don’t say that. It’s true that you made a mistake that night, but I also did something that betrayed your trust and I am truly sorry, but I still love you and I like to believe that I know more than anyone else that you are someone not only worthy of love, but someone who I desire to love for ages to come.” I stop crying for a bit, I’m about to retort her, but she starts talking first “Even so, I am aware of both my feelings and yours, that we don’t only desire to love each other.” my eyes widen “Wh-what are you saying? Wait. Are you implying that?” she starts blushing like a tomato, hiding her face in her hair.

“That’s why I want all of us to come here. I think we should all talk about what we all feel, no lies, no half-truths, no judgment and no guilt. We can’t keep hiding these feelings from each other and keep them causing us pain.”

Monika and MC sit down, “I agree.” Monika pipes up “Whenever you’re ready Vice-President.” Sayori takes a deep breath.

2/4

[kousaka-ayumu]

Retrospectives

Warnings: Broken english

Kaida is staring at her diary, hand on her forehead thinking about Sebek's behaviour.

He's always acting strange, but now he's even mode stranger, though he's not the only one.

Ace, Epel, Minako have also acting strange too but most importantly Deuce's. Wierd, with her hearing, she should be able to know about the reasons why, but it didn't?

Now that she thought about it, there we're like 6 overblots this year, she was never there when Riddle, Leona and Azul overblot but she was there when Jamil, Vil and Idia overblot.

Not to mention Haru also acted strange, they almost tired, and she's worried for them though she never showed through her expression, she usually showed it through her body language.

Now that she thought about it Deuce was also acting strange too, she knows he liked her and she likes him too, if you ask her, she pointed to her ear.

She sigh as she finished writing in her diary and putting down her pen, she looked out the window, it was nighttime now. Looks like she's going to stay up night again how many times? She doesn't know....

The next day:

History class is over and now lunch has arrived, she sat at the table with the rest of Midnight Rose PreCure discussing their plans to defeat Ciaran secretively since they didn't want anyone to know, especially how the fairies wanted to keep the whole Precure thing a secret.

What about her? She's still a PreCure and her being one of the most experienced ones ended up being a support pillar for them, no she did not get attached to them if she did they may ended up the same way as Charlotte did. (Yeah totally didn't attached to them -_-)

"How do we deal with one of the generals?"

"I don't know!"

"Maybe we should split up."

"If we did then they take advantage of it and summoned the Minions of The Dead again."

"Maybe we should do it without them knowing?"

As they ended up discussing what plans they have, Kaida is trying to hear what the First Years(Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Sebek and Minako) when she ended up hearing something that shook her "Yumeri" and "Overblot".

She realized that she forgot something. The next concert.

"Guys, have we forgot something.." She said, all eyes we're on her, her faerie which is a porcelain doll named Merria stared at her.

"What is it, Kaida?" The fairie said.

"The concert?"

And all hell breaks loose.

"Oh cheesecakes we forgot!"

"Don't worry I have the lyrics." She said as she pulled up a stack of paper, it's the lyrics for the next lyrics with the name "I Am Rain"

"Oh thank you Kaida! I will composed it today." Hokori said as Kaida handed over the lyrics.

"I'll meet you guys over for practice.. I have something to do.." She said as she leaves and her fairie followed her.

"Okay bye ٩(ര̀ᴗര́)ᵇʸᵉ!" Taiyou yelled cheerfully which unintentionally hurt Kaida's ears a little, ouch.

She ended up hearing a little bit of Sebek's voice, and before she knew it she ended up hearing their conversations and ended up in a very dark corridor of the school.

"You heard about Moonlight Bloom having a concert next week?" That's Ace's voice

"Yeah, not gonna lie, I was excited for them." Jack's voice

"It's means it's going to a perfect for another overblot!" Sebek's voice?! Her eyes widened in shock.

"Wonder who is going to overblot tonight?" Minako?! She knew she shouldn't be surprised that Minako is Lilith's daughter, yet why is this suprise her..

"Yumeri is the best choice, since she told me about her past." DEUCE?! Her eyes widened as she heard the revelation, is Deuce always like this? She thought he's going to be a great honor student and a police officer in the future...

"Heh? I never thought you be like this Deuce.." She said softly, no one heard it and left.

Sure she can't remember a lot during her time in Ninjago, and she didn't want to know about that, and is used to people dying around her, but betraying her... She wasn't used to that and it's from her crush... At least he's alive so she didn't have to worry about that.. Yet the thought of betraying someone makes her sick to her stomach..

She clutched her neon green ribbon of her uniform, feeling betrayed..

@zexal-club @yukii0nna @queen-of-twisted @yumeko2sevilla @writing-heiress @liviavanrouge @childofwitches @marrondrawsalot

[urne-buriall]

so I remember the outage at Kate in this update the first time around. she's a nurse and should know better than to tell John what Dean said, especially when Dean is stuck in this very isolated place with him. and that's all true, she should know

but we don't know how exactly the conversation started. there's just one clue for us: Dean's been working in the barn for some time before he decides to pick up the phone and call Cas. he hasn't heard the phone ring, or he might wonder about the line being in use

this tells us that John called Kate, not the other way around

the rest below a cut because it's what I think, but it's not in the text for a few reasons, and as is my calling, it just makes things complicated with no black or white resolution

John called Kate. not because he knows anything has gone on, just to have a chat. his kid just stormed out and it's time to work on his other family, where he can start fresh. (Sam called it in his last scene. he's astute that way.) but this means Kate's plan to take some time and think about everything she just learned goes out the window. not ready to talk to John, she probably tried to get off the line, but he needled. picked up there was something off and tried to ask if there was some issue between them (with Sam walking out, a statement of failure on John's part, he's not gonna play the loser twice in a row)

not wanting to draw attention to the fact that there IS an issue, maybe she thought she could be clever. confirm the truth of the surprising things Dean told her. maybe she started by asking about Sam, thinking she'll catch John in a lie. and oh, Sam, he's gone back to school, yeah, they start early there. has John said how proud he is of that kid, how he could get into any college in the world from here? and Adam will be a smart one like Sam, no doubt about it, and go to a smartypants school too, or whatever school Kate wants him in. it's hard when the kids are far from home but at least Dean's stayed close by and John's always got him for the farm, he's invaluable for that

and this is. not what she expected. during her visit, they seemed like such a put-together household, which is what John is reflecting now. which is not what Dean said over the phone. and I think she's still cautious, but now she's confused, and she tries asking another canny question but she slips up. it wouldn't take much to trigger John's suspicion, and he has one goal, which is: don't lose Kate

and he says he can tell something's the matter and she tries to say there isn't and that's when we get into the kind of back and forth where John is playing to his strength. hell, he'd even offer to hang up and give her some time, but in a way that now she's the one apologizing (just like Dean apologizes in another scene, when he isn't the one who should be saying sorry). and when he asks what's changed she admits she had a strange call from Dean and she doesn't know what to make of it. she still doesn't intend to say anything about the content of that call, but John knows enough. he knows what to ask, what to plant, what to make her question Dean's motives until she is revealing more and he's twisting up her doubts and reflecting them back and insisting Dean's story doesn't add up, which, maybe it doesn't? and this is confusing, upsetting, she doesn't know which way is up, and John is just so certain. has an explanation for everything

by the time the call is ending she's just agreeing with everything John's saying because he's shot down every single other point so efficiently that it seems there's no purpose in searching for exhausting counterarguments with him. and she's confused and defeated. and once she hangs up, she knows less than when she started. she doesn't know if the sick feeling in her stomach is worry that Dean was telling the truth and she's just betrayed him or if it's the distaste of Adam having a half-brother, one he's met and adores, who's a sociopath that would make up anything to keep her away. she's stuck between two realities because she knows someone is lying to her very well but can't tell which one

she doesn't speak to John again, letting his calls go to voicemail. if she thinks about making a tip, she doesn't know who it will help or hurt. a week after this, she gets a call from Dean at a different number. she is partly relieved to hear his voice because she's been concerned she got it all wrong, but also unsure at the start of whether she'll be hearing another fabulation to keep her away

Dean's not looking for sympathy or an apology or any of that. he's not calling to accuse her or even tell her directly of her role in that final fight. he just says that he wanted her to know he's pressing charges with the police, here's the case number and this is Jody's extension, and that if Kate and Adam would like to set up no-contact orders it wouldn't be a bad idea and they could piggy-back off Dean's case. he's applying to be Sam's legal guardian, and he doesn't have a fixed place to stay yet but here's where to write or call. that if it's alright with Kate, he'd like to stay in touch with Adam, even if what they share is a rotten dad

she knows, then. she puts the pieces together and I think that guilt plagues her. she apologizes, desperately apologizes and tries to explain, and Dean goes quiet. then says he knows what his dad is like. he always believed John too. it's not an "I forgive you" but it's a sense of commiseration. he wouldn't wish John on anybody, and everything that happened was done by John, not her

[destinygoldenstar]

Disventure Camp Character Impressions *Compilation* (Part 11)

<< Part 10

***

NO SHE HEARD ME.

She's like "Yeah Rosa. Bold of you to trust me with that info. Not like I could think strategically, see you and Lake are threats, and steal that idol from you to dump your asses! I AM A FAMOUS AC-TOUR AND I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY POWER!"

"Have you already forgotten that the puppet spoke when I held it?"

"I'm pretty sure that thing is a demon that's gonna kill us."

OH NO AND THEN HE PUTS AN ARM AROUND HIM...

AND THEN THE CREEPY MUSIC PLAYS?!

LIKE GOD, YOU CAN'T NOT TELL ME THAT MAKES THE GESTURE SINSTER!

"Maybe when we're done and you're scarred, we can go behind the bushes and MAKE LOOOOOVEEEE..."

"HASHTAG EXPLICIT AO3 FANFICTION!! FOR THE GAY SERVICE!"

James. You make me uncomfortable.

"I'm following you."

XD

Okay, my brain went to, "I'm following you... ON INSTAGRAM!"

And James reaction is, "Oh neat! You follow me on Instagram? Great!"

PLEASE tell me that's the joke!

"And as if that weren't enough problems already, Karol returned who hates us!"

"I mean she KILLED us for crying out loud!"

"So sad you have to go, Lake."

That sounded so fake.

"Oh no... who could've predicted this? Sooooo saaaaaaaddd... Here's my sad face of pity.😪"

Riya's like "Uh... YEAH... I love you too Lake... no I didn't betray you what are you talking about?"

"Who are you calling boss, Oliver?!"

Oh shit.

"YOU DARE CALL SOMEONE ELSE BESIDES ME YOUR FATHER?!"

"Everything is going great without you."

"Everyone is dead! It's awesome!"

"It's not something I'm proud of, but if I wanted Rosa to be by my side, it's best if Lake wasn't here."

I mean, I guess.

Allyson and Hunter are still the targets. And Karol too. So it's not like her alliance is in danger if James and Aiden are on their side.

I see her logic here.

It's still messed up though.

"YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE FRIEND. AND THAT FRIEND WILL BE ME."

"I know what it's like to feel left out, so I won't let it happen to you."

"I won't abandon you-UNLESS YOUR NAME IS LAKE."

James... are you being possessive over Aiden? Is that what this is?

"God forbid Aiden have any friends besides me! That's why we got Lake out! And now KAROL wants to be friends? Oho, I can't have that! I need him for my Instagram! No one's gonna tune in to my content!"

"You can rest while I... relax my face for a bit."

XD

"It's just so hard to be decent! You have no idea!"

"But I need you to trust me."

I hope Aiden says "Tough shit" and gets him out.

"You're finally thinking about the future of the game! I'm proud of you!"

"AWWWW, MY BOYFRIEND'S FIRST BATTERY CHARGE!!! HASHTAG LAWSUIT!!!"

Now I want to see Aiden and Jake interact.

Jake "Hey uh, Aiden? Your boyfriend gives a lot of red flags."

Aiden "It's a fashion choice. Look at you, Marinette."

Jake "You sure you can trust him and he's not... you know...?"

Aiden "Oh you mean how you and Tom worked out?"

Jake "Piss off, skunk hair."

THAT WOULD BE VERY FUNNY IF THAT'S ACTUALLY HOW IT IS.

"Have you seen my phone?"

"I made you watch the movie so you'd fall asleep. Then I stole it. And SMASHED IT. AND BURNED IT. AND THREW IT IN THE LAKE. AND TOOK IT TO THE HOSPITAL WITH KAROL!!"

"Are you okay, Hunter?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You just voted off my not girlfriend. That's all."

Oh geez.

"I HEARD YOU WERE TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE, HUH AIDEN?!?!? WHAT'S THAT ABOUT?!?!"

"Excellent work Oliver..."

XD

"Yaaaaaayyy, that's so great, I LOVE safety..."

"What if I told you I didn't lose it?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I mean I didn't lose it."

XD

I'm sorry XD

I KNOW what he's about to say, but I get this out of context thing in my head.

"You didn't lose it?"

"I didn't lose it."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I didn't lose it."

"I know you didn't lose it. how did you not lose it?"

"I mean I didn't lose it."

"Can you say SOMETHING besides you didn't lose it PLEASE?!?!"

"...pumpkin pie."

Idk.

"I wouldn't worry about that."

"Yeah, unfortunately, I don't have any advantages on me that had the power to negate the votes against me... you know, like an immunity idol or something. It's very unfortunate."

"Everything went as planned. When I stole the things, I didn't know whether to blame Hunter or Rosa, but I came up with a plan that could take me far, and unfortunately, I had to sacrifice Rosa."

I mean, I have to give mad respect that she's owning up to it.

"Yeah. I played dirty. Whatcha gonna do about it? I AM A QUEEN AND I HAVE GOLDEN'S SLAYING SUPPORT. I HAVE A RIGHT!"

*Google Shopping Game Show Ad*

Oh that's evil right there. Fucking hate that ad...

"For my next showing, I will plague all of Disventure Camp with Google! They will gift you!!! CAN YOU GIFT IT?!??!?!?!?"

NO RIYA! NOBODY WANTED A GOOGLE STORE! IT'S A BLOODY SEARCH SITE! FOR SEARCHING!!

"You just treating me like a human being is enough for me."

Dude, that's what made her pass out. Being decent.

All she did was offer your input, made you food, and gave you breaks like a decent boss. And THAT was enough to make her start dying.

She's a McLean. They NEED to be evil or else they'll die.

"I can help with that!"

RIYA, STAY IN YOUR LANE.

"How are you?"

NO SHE ACTUALLY SAID THAT XD

"For my next showing, I will predict EVERYTHING Golden says!! I STOLE THE IDOL FOR HER!!!"

NO RIYA I'M TRYING TO DO COMMENTARY! YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!

Continued In Part 12 >>

[parttimepuff]

Dear god he’s making macaroni and cheese and NO ONE CAN STOP HIM

Ah, one of the consequences of going through these in the order they come. Beep looked at the snacks, confused. "Those aren’t Mac and cheese..?" She thought, missing entirely where they were coming from. "I, made some awhile ago? I could make more if, anyone wants it, I guess?" Gremlin suggested hesitantly. "Eh…" The Matter grumbled. Food was the last thing on her mind.

"Yeah, fair." Gremlin nodded to her non-answer. "Don't really think anyone's hungry. Er, not that, the snacks aren't nice." Reverie backpedaled, not wanting to make his brother or his friend feel bad. "We… didn't really think anyone would want them." Luna responded, glancing away. "Just needed a distraction…" Beep figured. "Yeah…" The puff and Dream Demon conceded in unison.

Making eye contact with his niece, Gremlin continued. "…we're here for you. Both of you. Just, seemed like we were in the way for a bit." He explained. "I think Deeds-Dedede, probably wanted you in the way, heh…" Beep nervously attempted a joke, but her uncle didn't take it like one. "He, honestly, he seemed like he didn't." He thought. The Matter's only answer to that was to squint at him in question.

"I think he was pissed with me for making him take a break. He didn't want to leave you alone after he'd told you he believes in you, y'know?" Gremlin elaborated. "He was getting scared though, you could feel it." Beep pointed out, narrowing her eye further. "Oh he was, I'm not denying that. Just cause it was better for his health to take a break doesn't mean he can't still be mad at me for it." The Dream Demon replied. "Hmm…" The Matter hummed, not entirely sure how to feel about that.

"Don't you ever get mad at someone when they're right, but you wish they weren't?" Her uncle asked her, knowing he'd personally felt that way. "Like you right now." Beep answered, taking him by surprise. "Ah. Yeah, that's… that's fair." Gremlin conceded, sheepish. Seeing an opportunity to lighten the mood like his daughter had wanted, Reverie leaned in. "Not often that you're the one who's right, huh, Grem?" He taunted. "Harassing me." The Dream Demon quickly replied, frowning in an exaggerated way that made it clear it was for show.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do!!" Beep exclaimed, leaning into the teasing. It was better than thinking about how she'd scared the king. "Respect me as your fun cool uncle?" Gremlin proposed. "That's not as fun." Reverie expressed, his brother giving him a faux gasp at the audacity. "Whoa, Rev can be right sometimes too??" The Matter jokingly asked. "Hey, no, bully him instead-" The Dream Fae insisted.

"Join me, brother." Gremlin demanded in a theatrically menacing voice. "No-" Reverie started to protest, having to stop to laugh. "I can do both, c’mon Luna join the winning side-" The Matter turned to her. "Luna, please-" The Dream Demon begged her. The puff, who'd been enjoying seem them mess around, grinned. "Why wouldn't I join the winning side?" Luna questioned. "Pity?" The Dream Fae spoke up making her snicker.

"NO PITY POINTS FOR YOU-" Beep shouted, only making Luna laugh more. "Ha! Right, that's not enough." She agreed. "You would betray me in my own home?" Gremlin dramatically accused. "Absolutely!" Was the puff's cheerful response. "I can't believe you've done this-" The Dream Demon bemoaned before Beep raised her voice again. "My House Now." She declared. "Noooooooooooooooo." Her uncle wailed. For the moment, they could just be themselves. It was their break, too.

From another room, between deep breaths, Dedede heard the muffled sounds of the rest playing around. He sighed. She wasn't as broken up by his weakness as he'd feared she would be. And she was clearly in good hands. It was what she deserved, but she still deserved so much more. Just a few more minutes and he'd continue towards getting her there.

[v5hadow]

WIP Wednesday

Royal Strikers: Day 2 Part 3

This bit has been done for a bit... 😅 Like, outside some introductions for screen sections (which are new as of this week), these are the first things that were complete to a state I'm happy with months ago.

I just missed the last week post because I got stuck reading two fics for the past bit, as in the last 2-3 weeks. I'm like midway through Forearmed of the Forewarned is Forearmed series and just finished what's up of My Attic Roommate Goro Akechi (Romance Route). Of course, I don't begrudge other ship opportunities, in fact it makes things always more interesting. There's a few that have high chances to squick me out, and without a good reason/counter-interest, I'm not going to be convinced to even look at it. Forewarned is Forearmed is actually a good example of that honestly, as I'm apparently a sucker for Inaba!Akiras.

And like progress is being made but not in the spaces I'm expecting. Like new paragraphs or additions on parts already seen, major rewrites to things you haven't yet. Not as much progress for the main part of today's bits though. aka work skins still suck. And only some minor actual forward progress

Akira several hours later, as he settled into bed, heard one of his more distinct text tones. He very quickly got into texting back.

-

‘So while I’m thinking of it, Iwai-san told me that he’ll be closed for what will be two more weeks. A trip with Iwai-kun I believe’

‘Shit.

mean nice for them, bad for me/us

Why were you talking?’

‘No, that’s fair

Figuring out where and how to set up some new throwing targets

And getting one sharpened

I’ll see if I can find anything

but honestly with a little maintenance most of the team’s equipment should absolutely pummel anything you come across’

‘Worried if something breaks or jams’

‘If you can get Futaba to help me subtly beef up the site 

As it’s not going to be as quiet as I hoped and planned for if MV involved

I’ll contact Iwai-san about who he’d trust to look over his work’

‘Futaba likes you! Can do that without me asking’

‘I could but it’s nice when you ask.

Oh and Takemi-sensei just left for a conference that lasts most of this week and next as well.’

"Next you’ll tell me Shinya is in Hokkaido visiting a cousin or Hifumi’s got a series of matches across Japan.’

‘😈

At least one of those is true though’

‘How do you know everyone I know again?’

‘I’ve met most of them on my own

OR I met them when with you 

OR while doing PT-site work

Most of them even like me’

‘Most of them not at first but yeah they do’

‘But Shinya definitely wants to see you before you leave again’

‘I’ll definitely try’

‘💖🌅’

‘💕🌙’

-

And across the city, and even into the rest of the country, several eyes came across a post in their personal boards.

-

‘If anyone would like to help me figure out some info on Alice Hiiragi, that’d be greatly appreciated. I’ve got some rumors that a lot of fans act out if you insult her around them, even if it’s out of character for them. I don’t like the sound of that if they come here. -Admin’

‘Chalice will likely love that since she can at least write an article on it too.’

‘Yeah, totally my territory

But any help would be appreciated

The world needs the news’

-

Akira groaned as he sat up, yawning in the process.

“It’s been a while hasn’t it?” chimed a voice with some sorrow in tone.

Blue. Akira opened his eyes to see everything was bathed in shadows of blue. The slither and clank of chains sound as they change direction.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room,” proclaimed the attendant. 

Akira looked over his shoulder to the girl and breathed out, “Lavenza.”

The girl smiled, but still betrayed some hesitation. “Whether we bemoan or rejoice in this reunion, Trickster, I have duties I must perform. A greeting for guests’ first time arrival was not given by me truly and I sense something may go amiss if I do not.”

Akira lifted his hands in surrender.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room only those bound to a contract may enter.”

Akira sat in front of the door to the cell, listening as the platinum blonde waxed lyrically on about fate and danger already apparent to the boy.

“As such, you have become a “prisoner of fate” yet again,”.

“We’ll just have to stage another breakout from fate then.”

A peal of laughter came from the attendant, before she smiled and told her guest, “I do not as greatly fear the destruction of the current path while you are in such good humor about your fate.”

Lavenza stopped right in front of the cell door, her smile dropping some. “However for my master’s sake I must ask you a question in a specific manner.” The boy in front of her nodded. “Have you the resolve to defy such a fate and face distortion that once again threatens your world?”

Akira held Lavenza’s hand through the bars, smile growing as he told her, “You know it.”

She squeezed his hand before letting go. “Now then, I shall act in my master’s stead and watch over you through your journey.”

“Your master was only really there a month, so nothing too new there.” Akira stood, looking past her at the new torture devices present.

“Go to sleep Trickster, you shall come back as you need. You and your moon need you in as good spirits as possible tomorrow.”

“‘Til tomorrow then, Lav.”