#i was just thinking 'oh no one asks me about arthur anymore :( ' and then seconds later

[ajokeformur-ray]

I don't know if you've answered this, but what's your favourite thing about Arthur 💕

The noise I just made!!😭😍No one has asked me this for a long time, so I'm really excited to respond to this!!💗

My immediate answer to this is that my favourite thing about Arthur is that he's Arthur. I mean, look at this absolute sweetheart -

Arthur is so... Arthur, even right when he's in the thick of it. No matter what he goes through, he is trying.

He is holding down a job working 59 - 60 hours a week, he's regularly going to therapy, he's caring for Penny every day, he's actively working on his goal career by going to Pogo's and taking notes on what works for the audience, he's very meticulous about picking up his medications and checking the mailbox for his mum even though nothing is ever in there, he finds the time to watch Murray and keep the apartment looked after...

Arthur is trying his absolute hardest.

Not to mention the fact that he's doing all of this every single day without a break or any promise of a break even while fighting against himself.

That's, I'm... I have so much respect and admiration for Arthur, I really do. He's funny as all hell without even trying, so much so that he's actually made me laugh mid panic-attack at 3 AM when the world has me literally on my knees and I think I can't do it anymore... and then he makes me laugh. And I realise that things aren't so bad, if Arthur can do it and make it through, then so can I.

He's funny, like I said, he's kind, he's selfless, he's relentless and persistent and determined and passionate, creative and emotionally intelligent and physically beautiful, he's softly spoken and unpredictable and though he has severe anxiety, he's also able to deal with problems as and when they arise (once he's done with his anxiety, and I'm like that too - I'll get it done, but I'm gonna cry about it first).

So my favourite thing about Arthur is that, no matter what he's going through, he's trying, he keeps going, step step step step. He doesn't stop. He tries and when it doesn't work, he frowns and tries again. And again. Day after day after day. But even when he's up against it, he's still Arthur. He never stops being himself.

And that's... my favourite thing about him. Because it feels like, no matter where I am or who I am or what I'm going through, I can put Arthur up on any of my screens, and I'll know I'll find him just as he is. He's consistently himself, and I adore that about him.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go cry. I just realised all over again how much I love him.😭💗

[runnning-outof-time]

Hi K! Congrats on the milestone! I would love to see what you do with this:

"Please stop talking." with Tommy.

Can't wait to read it!

Hi Karissa! Thanks so much for sending this in! I hope you like what I’ve done here! Sorry it took a bit for me to write. I’m not sure if anyone’s even interested in these blurbs anymore, but I’m going to write them because people requested them. Enjoy! :)

I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK - COMMENTS & REBLOGS HELP ME WRITE!

Part of my 3.5k Celebration — find more stories here!

Some of Us Aren’t

Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warnings: language, smoking

Word Count: 843

Summary: Tommy and (Y/N) clash over Tommy’s most recent business decision.

“So you went and did it, huh?” (Y/N) didn’t even bother knocking on the door of her husband’s office before she opened it, storming into the room with an intensity that she only reserved for serious situations.

Tommy didn’t look up at first. Instead he went about capping his pen and tossing it to the side, his eyebrows raised as he tried to curb his annoyance. This was not what he needed at the moment. But he knew that he wouldn’t be going back to work any time soon.

“Did what?” he asked cooly as he finally looked up to see her standing in front of his desk with a pointed look on her face and her hands on her hips.

“You fucking know what, Thomas,” she sneered at him. He looked at her expectantly, his eyebrows raised as to say “I’m waiting” as he rested his elbows on the desk and clasped his hands together. (Y/N) wanted to slap the look off of his face. “You went ahead and agreed to work with the Russians,” she spelled it out for him.

“I did,” he stayed curt, not denying her accusation.

“Polly told you not to,” she shot back.

“I chose not to listen to Polly,” he was still level with her.

“I told you not to. And you better not say that you chose not to listen to me,” (Y/N) raised her eyebrows, getting that second sentence in before he was able to give her another one of his blunt comebacks.

Tommy paused for a moment, eyeing his wife up and down. The frustration was practically radiating off of her at this point. He needed to pick his battle here. He took a deep breath and slowly brought his eyes back up to match hers. “This move will be good for the business,” he then told her, an air of absoluteness present in his words. This matter was not up for discussion.

But (Y/N) was never one to stop herself from voicing her disagreement with Tommy’s ideas. “Like hell it won’t!” she exclaimed. “You’ve decided to go and make this move without consulting any of the other people invested in the business. What happened to having a meeting and talking things through? Huh?!”

“Please stop talking,” he interjected, keeping his voice level in hopes that his head would stay with it.

“Oh but you knew that it’d get shot down, didn’t you?” (Y/N) just kept on going, narrowing her eyes at him, “you knew that everyone else would see the situation for what it is, so that’s why you decided to steamroll it forward.”

Tommy took another deep breath and let it out in a huff. He grabbed his tin of cigarettes and pulled one out, rolling it between his lips before he lit it and took a deep drag. “Arthur’s on board with it,” he then commented nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at the statement. “Arthur will always go along with you. He’s practically your ‘yes man’, Tommy,” she pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest as a way to say ‘you’ve got to do better than that’.

He made sure to set his glasses down on the desk before he stood from the chair, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stood before placing his palms flat on the desk. They stared at each other for a moment before he spoke. “Have you got a better idea?” he countered, his brows raising as he looked her with wide eyes, “eh?”

(Y/N) bit on her lip as she held her husband’s stare. Her mind was full of the things she wanted to say to him about this terrible move that he’d made, but there was nothing that she could offer up as an option to be done instead.

Tommy noticed this almost instantly. “There’s a reason why I have the final say over what this company does; over who it works with, love,” he began, speaking slowly so that she would hear him clearly. “I consider every fucking option and avenue to take before choosing one. What they’re offering is something we’ve never come close to before. I have a plan.”

“I fear that one day your plan will not go as you hope it does…and then this business, and your life, will be destroyed, and it will all be because you decided to make a move without consulting the others in making that plan,” (Y/N) laid out her worries, not quite ready to accept the fact that this matter was not at all up for discussion. But no matter what she said, Tommy wasn’t going to be changing his mind…that was written all over his face.

“I’m prepared for it if that day were to come,” he kept his response brief.

“Yeah? Well, some of us aren’t,” she responded in a bitter tone, glaring at him and his stubbornness before she sharply turned to exit his office.

Tagged: @mystcldydrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @theshelbyslimited @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @emotionalcadaver @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @cillmequick @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @gypsy-girl-08 @insanitybyanothername @depxiety @raincoffeeandfandoms @dragons-are-my-favorite @acewritesfics @forgottenpeakywriter @cljordan-imperium @brummiereader @areyenotfondofmelobster @everythingelseisextra @little-diable @thomashelbyswife @shaddixlife

MASTERLIST

[aziraphales-library]

Hi mods,

first of all, thank you for the great work you've been doing, thanks to you I've found some amazing fics!

I was wondering if you could recommend a slow burn fic that is on the longer side, at least 20,000 words, non-human, any rating? Something like She did look back, and I love her for that by Waterloo maybe?

Thanks so much in advance, have a wonderful day!

Hello! Here are some longer slow burn non-human fics...

The space between us by MyOwnName123 (T)

This is a love story, written by my own asexual/aromantic ass. Crowley took exactly seven seconds to fall madly in love with Aziraphale, but he knows it's a terrible idea to actually do anything about it so instead he spends thousands of years pining away silently. Besides, what does love even mean? This fic may or may not have gone out of hand in terms of biblical and historical accuracy, also i tried to stay true to canon but it's been a while since i last read Good omens so this is probably more based on head canons and other fanfic. Enjoy!

32 Questions That Lead To Love by ffonippop (E)

”First formulated in 1997, [32] questions to fall in love is a study by psychologist Dr. Arthur Aron which took place at Stony Brook University, New York. The aim? Speeding up the creation of intimacy between two strangers.” The Cosmopolitan Okay, fine. Crowley was 32-Questions-That-Lead-To-Love-ing Aziraphale. Sue him. He had no expectations, all right? Just, an innocent curiosity.

Sunlight or Demise by verovex (T)

Anathema had once said she couldn’t see Adam’s aura, and it should’ve been more of a red flag, but the reality was it had just been so large she couldn’t see it for what it was. For Crowley, it was the same thing with trying to see reciprocation from Aziraphale. * The enormity of love was, by all accounts, indecipherable. Aziraphale had known what love felt like in this world. At least, he thought he understood it. He felt it all around him. He always had. Sometimes, it was stronger in particular places than in others. But, there was something blurred about it all if you looked too close. He’d realized that Heaven never felt like this, yet it’s where you were taught that it should exist. Aziraphale had started to wonder. He couldn’t decide when the thought first came around that perhaps the love he felt had actually been what was sifting between him and Crowley. At some point, it was easier to be humbled by the complacency of what they’d always been showing each other than outright admitting it for what it was. But that wasn't enough anymore.

Heaven's a Distance, Not a Place by Turcote (T)

The Apocalypse has come and gone, and Aziraphale knows it's finally time to tell Crowley how he really feels. Only, finding the perfect time to confess is proving to be more difficult than he anticipated... Or, 5 Times Aziraphale Almost Confessed His Feelings + the 1 Time He Finally Did.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? by theshoparoundthecorner (G)

“Bit of an odd tradition, if you ask me,” he said, if not to get his mind off the longing that had settled in his chest. Aziraphale shrugged. “I think it’s rather sweet. A kiss for good luck. Seems a nice way to start the year. Very human.” Crowley nodded. “Can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, that lot. Always finding excuses. First it’s mistletoe at Christmas, then it’s luck for the New Year…” “Well there’s no need to be so grouchy about it,” Aziraphale said. “I think it’s lovely.” Crowley’s heart ached a little more as he watched Aziraphale smile up at the glowing numbers on the building above them. Yeah, he thought, lovely. Five times Crowley thought about kissing Aziraphale on New Year's Eve, and one time he did.

Oh, Maker by voluptatiscausa (E)

"The humans are strange and graceful as they explore the garden, explore themselves, explore each other. The trouble is, the humans stare back, which makes him uncomfortable; there’s nothing particularly interesting about him. And, though he rarely admits it to himself, the humans make him lonely; he has no Other to explore." Or: how many times can you take a bath with your best friend before you kiss him?

And the one you mentioned...

She did look back, and I love her for that by Waterloo (M)

1666, LONDON, AFTER THE FIRE Oh fuck, he thinks. Oh fuck, he's in love. (A not-so-nice but entirely accurate account of two immortal beings throughout the millenia, replete with feelings.)

- Mod D

[forever-fixating]

RWRB Appreciation Month Bingo: First Family

For @rwrbsource and @rwrbmovie's RWRB Appreciation Month Bingo: First Family

First Family

Author's Note: All opinions are valid, but as someone raised by a working single mom, I find some of the fandom interpretations of Ellen disheartening. I felt compelled to write this, given all the bullshit swirling around in the news about Kamala Harris. I'm not saying Ellen is a perfect mom, that she didn't make mistakes with Alex and June, but I feel she is way better than some would give her credit for. Maybe that's just my bias showing because she reminds me so much of my mom. Plus, if we want to talk about parental neglect, I think that Catherine basically abandoning her children for years after Arthur's death deserves more scrutiny than is usually given. See my previous ficlet with Henry and Pez for more on that! (steps off soapbox)

Ellen Claremont could not sleep. Leo had taken his nighttime meds and fell fast asleep, currently snoring like a buzzsaw and making Ellen contemplate homicide. She went through her mental checklist one more time, nervous that she was forgetting something that would send the entire ceremony tumbling down tomorrow. Her baby boy was getting married. In the past week, she had gone through at least two packs of tissues from bursting into sporadic fits of tears. June gave her a one-armed hug when she started crying at the florist, confirming the delivery time and location for the arrangements.

"I'm so sorry," Ellen laughed, dabbing at her eyes. "It's just-"

"Oh, you don't have to explain, ma'am," the woman said with a sympathetic smile. "I bawled like a newborn baby when all three of mine got married. You look at them and still see the babies they once were."

"You should have seen her at the tux fitting," June said. Affecting a deep Southern accent, she mock-wailed, "Look at my little boy! He's so grown up. I remember dressing him for his first day of school and now-"

"You were crying too, as I recall!" Ellen said, smacking her oldest's arm. "Just wait 'till it's your turn. I'll be inconsolable."

The two women were joyfully involved in planning Alex's wedding. Right before her second term ended, Ellen was inundated with book deals to write about her historic presidency. After the dust settled and she returned to Austin, she finally went through her inbox and contemplated such a project. There was only one person she went to for help. She called her daughter and asked if she would be willing to work with her on the book.

June was hesitant at first, so Ellen said, "I think this could be good for us, honey. I know I can't make up for all the time we lost, but I don't want to lose anymore. You may not believe it all the time, but you and Alex have always been my greatest accomplishments."

As much as she wanted to, Ellen didn't tell Alex about her offer. She wanted June to want to do this with her. It took about three weeks, but one afternoon, June called. The first words out of her mouth were, "Warts and all, right? I don't want to leave any stone unturned."

"Warts and all," Ellen agreed. With a lump in her throat, she said, "Thank you, honey."

Working on the book with June was something Ellen would always treasure. Seeing her daughter in her element, neck-deep in research materials and pages of questions, made the older woman feel guilty for trying to force her into a box that suited Ellen's needs more than June's. There were days and nights of hard work and even harder conversations, but Ellen wouldn't trade a single second. June unburdened herself of long-held resentments. She cried over being forced to grow up too fast and pick up the slack of caring for Alex when Oscar left for California.

"I was so mad at you," June whispered, her voice wavering as she studied her manicured nails. "I was mad at you for making Dad leave, mad at you for always being busy, mad at you for putting total strangers before me and Alex."

Ellen reached out to take her daughter's hand when she cut herself off. It was difficult to hear how she failed her kids, but she knew June needed this. Their relationship wouldn't progress without addressing those hurts. June wiped her runny nose, saying, "As an adult, I realize there is more to it, but try telling that to a twelve-year-old who just wanted her mom to be like all the other moms. At home doing PTA and helping with my homework."

"I felt the same way about my momma," Ellen said, refilling their wine glasses. "Why couldn't I have new clothes instead of hand-me-downs from cousins? Why didn't she make me breakfast or pack me a lunch like Donna Reed? Never mind that she was a high school dropout and a widow working two, sometimes three, jobs just to support us. I couldn't see what she gave up, just what I lost."

June sniffled, her face crumpled. "I felt so guilty because you were out there changing the world, being this hero to so many, and all I could think was how I wanted you home with me, being my momma. I'm sor-"

"No, baby." Ellen pulled June into her arms and squeezed her tight. They were both crying now. "I can admit there were times when my job took precedence over you two. Christ, after what happened to Alex, I blamed myself and my relentless ambition. Why didn't I stay in Texas? Why couldn't I be happy there? How could I let something like this happen to my own son? But I told myself that if I did stay, he wouldn't have met the love of his life."

After tossing and turning for twenty minutes, Ellen gave up on sleeping and climbed out of bed. Immediate family on both sides chose to stay at the lakehouse before the big day. She slipped on her houseshoes and headed to the kitchen for a snack. She smiled when she saw Alex sitting at the counter, tapping away on his laptop.

"That better not be work-related," Ellen teased when she reached him, "or your husband-to-be will be mighty peeved."

Alex jumped but smiled sheepishly before closing the laptop. She took the chair next to him as he said, "I can neither confirm nor deny what I was doing, but I have a bottle of Maker's and a tub of Rocky Road to pay for your silence."

"Proceed, counselor."

Alex grinned and stood. She watched him move around the kitchen with the softest of smiles. The florist's words returned to her and never felt more true than in that moment. Though a young man stood there, pouring them whiskey and grabbing two spoons and a frosty tub of Bluebell out of the freezer, all she could see was a little boy arguing with a Seaworld employee, a lanky teen excited to drive without supervision. And now here he was, about to marry his fairytale prince.

When he caught her scrubbing the corner of her eye, he shook his head and said quickly, "No, no, no! Momma, please don't start crying 'cause if you start, I won't stop!"

"I'm sorry!" Ellen whimpered between giggles. Alex set their drinks down and put the Bluebell tub between them. As he took his seat, she sipped her whiskey and said, "You're just my baby boy, and you're getting married tomorrow. Poor Junie has been consoling me for weeks."

They clinked their glasses together, and he opened the ice cream. Each of them dug in with matching watery smiles. After a period of silence, Alex said softly, "Shit...I'm getting married tomorrow."

Ellen gave him a chocolate whiskey kiss on the cheek. "You sure are."

He ate another spoonful and said around it, "Is it weird that I'm not nervous? Like...I just want to go home with my husband and unpack our house together."

"Not at all, baby." She took another sip, relishing the burn down her throat. "Alex, when things were at their worst, your love for that boy was unshakeable. Trust in that always, and you'll be okay."

"Any other pearls of wisdom?"

Ellen snorted. "You sure you want my advice? I did get divorced."

"That's why I trust you more than most," he said, his eyes and voice so earnest. "May not have gotten it right the first time, but you got there eventually."

Ellen hummed. She thought back to her marriage with Oscar. Already pregnant, they opted for a quick ceremony with the Justice of the Peace. Neither of their families was happy about that decision, thinking they were moving too fast. All her momma could say when Ellen asked her to be there was, "You're gonna regret this, Ellie, but you're grown. I can't stop you."

"Well," Ellen sighed, leaning back into her chair, "the most important thing, especially since you're your momma's child, is to make time for him. Don't wait for birthdays or anniversaries to celebrate each other. If you see a trinket that makes you smile and think of him, buy it. The little moments are just as important as the big ones, baby."

"Is that why you and Dad didn't work?"

She gave her son a sad smile and said, "If I'm perfectly honest, I don't think your daddy and me would've made it long-term. We were both too stubborn to listen, too proud to compromise. But Alex, I wouldn't change a thing. All the mistakes I've made, the regrets I have...you two were never that."

Alex ducked his head, his long curls falling forward. "Goddamn it, Momma. Told you not to make me cry."

"Oh, baby," she laughed. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed his head and said, "You and Henry are forever. I've never felt more certain about anything in my life."

"More than winning the Presidency?" Alex laughed.

"Especially more than that."

A/N: I tried to give space for valid criticisms of Ellen while still allowing for some grace and understanding. That she and Alex have such a good relationship in the book counts for something in my mind. Share your thoughts down below! I love getting nerdy about RWRB.

Check out this post and join the fun in celebrating the one-year anniversary of our little romcom that could being released!

[verdemoun]

How does it go when John and Javier see each other again? Obviously they have their interaction in rdr1 but they don’t talk about how bad things got in the last chapter of rdr2 and I’m curious if either one of them held any bitter feelings and also if John and/ot Arthur noticed how Javier pointed his gun at the sky, refusing to shoot either one of them?

Raaaaaah john and javier in timewarpppp

important context: i headcanon this interaction in rdr2 was actually a response to john asking javier to leave the gang with him, abigail and jack in a 'we had a thing that can't be a thing anymore because i do love my wife and my son and am entirely devoted to keeping them safe but i do still Care about you and don't want to lose you' and javier's response was like 'oh great so i'll be the little mexican peasant turned farmhand waiting for the big tough landowner to get bored of his wife and come fuck me?'

^^ in saying this javier didn't snitch to dutch or micah that john very much had a plan in place to leave because he was still loyal to john too. it was a great act of love to feel like he was betraying dutch but letting john have that chance even though he still felt like john was betraying the gang too

look i love me some toxic yaoi i'm the problem it's me

ALSO in timewarp canon, John did kill Javier and hand his corpse over to the bureau instead of taking Javier in alive. it was a mercy killing in a sense because he did capture Javier alive but he knew Javier too well and did still love him. he didn't want him going through whatever torture they had planned and he knew Javier was afraid as much as he hid it behind taunts and insults.

all of them lived so many lives between 1899 and 1911. javier timewarped, saw the gang and broke down crying like tears of relief to see them but also just the guilt and shame wanting to admit they were right dutch abandoned him the second the pinkertons turned up and he should have trusted arthur and he was a fool not to see through dutch and for arthur it's more of a 'oh shit that's right you were still in beaver hollow too'

it's not something that haunts arthur?? at some point he stopped thinking about that moment it's not a core memory for arthur. he remembers susan being killed, dutch still not believing micah was the rat, the relief of realizing john was still alive only to be cut short by trying to help his little brother flee and saying goodbye knowing it was the last time while still begging dutch to see some semblance of reason and do not go with micah. who was pointing what at who was a detail lost to memory a long time ago

javier escuella was no one's priority in chapter 6. and that hurts ME but also like javier being able to slip away because not even the pinkertons would prioritizes chasing him over hunting down The Dutch van der Linde. no one remembered or held onto what javier did in chapter 6.

javier is so desperate for the gang back and so willing to forget all the bad things and the dark years between 1899-1911. the gang are honestly pretty happy to just let javier be himself in a much more he wants to be rdr2 guitar playing suave loser javier instead of some dictator's hired gun

john and javier, however, is like. they still love each other guys they are the same breed of doomed as arthur and mary where it just would never work but that love is still there.

javier is sorry john didn't get to go back to his family. he genuinely feels bad because he knows john didn't willingly decide to hunt him down after 12 years (well maybe the gang had to fill him in on the whole abigail and jack were literally being held hostage situation but javier didn't hold onto that anger for long at all)

john very honestly says he is sorry for what happened in 1911 and if he had any other choice he would never choose to capture or kill javier. what he does not say is he has nightmares over the second he pulled the trigger and javier became a corpse and the angst of being so used to seeing corpses but the fact it was javier, having to carry him limp to the awaiting bureau car, the absolute psychological toll it had on him.

there is an intensely painful moment where while neither one says it they are both have the thought of 'well abigail isn't going to be here for three years do we - pick up with how things were in 1899?' cross their minds

But john is so in love with abigail and missing his wife and also having his daughter back having to raise her as a sole parent for 3 years until abigail gets there when the cumulative time he spent with jack one-on-one probably doesn't even add up to three years.

javier is having to redefine himself. he really doesn't know who he is being with the gang again. he half expects to look into the mirror and see his younger rdr2 self but it's not. does he really want to immediately fall back into john and what is for lack of better words an affair? getting to play house and be in a relationship until the second abigail appears and knowing he will never be john's priority over her?

damn if only there was some autistic irish loser who also loves fishing, understands the intense complexity of guilt and betrayed loyalty, abandoning ideals for the sake of survival, and could help javier learn he deserves better than being john's second choice

javier and bill though are also proper friends they get to talk to each other about it because both have very intense responses and different perspectives on beaver hollow. also hc they ran with each other for a fair while after the gang fell apart before splitting off because bill was slowly starting to form his own gang and javier was just tired and did not want to go through that again esp because bill was already power tripping.

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Still Subject to Change Chapter 16 (NEW)

——————————————————————————-

Hello everyone! i decided to repost arc 1 of SSTC

(the chapters were way too long and had a bunch of typos but hopefully this will make reading easier)

this Story contains Vore, Dont like dont read.

if there are still any grammatical errors i’m sorry.

——————————————————————————

The next time I woke up it was because someone kept shoving at my cheek.

“Donovan! Wake up! You’ve been asleep for over ten hours!”

What? That long? Now that couldn’t be right but I opened my eyes anyway.

Robin was in front of me and despite being so close to my face he still looked so small.

Arthur’s head popped up from somewhere on the side, carrying all the stuff we had and put it on the ground, probably to sort it.

“How are you, big guy?”

Good question, I did feel better than yesterday but everything was still aching horribly.

“Sore, but still better than yesterday”

He nodded slowly and Robin tried to snatch some of the stuff to look it over.

“Okay that’s good! Do you think you can walk? Cuz we kinda have the problem that we need to go out and get food”

Oh right, I was the only one that didn’t need to eat, and honestly staying in this cave where there was no sunlight couldn’t be very good for me either.

However there was another problem, Rikaad was still stuck in my pouch And if I were to get him out at a later point outside of the relatively warm cave he’d just freeze again.

The frigid outside air would immediately strip him of any warmth and not to mention when he got out he’d be- well not dry, so that was an added problem as it would seep out any body heat he had even faster.

“I guess i can walk, but i should get Rikaad out first, if i do that out in the snow he will freeze”

At my words there was some slight movement in my pouch and I was happy to find that it didn’t hurt that much anymore.

“I am not keen on getting that cold again, maybe you can look in the area close to the cave for something to eat if Donovan cant get me out right now?”

It was the first thing I heard him say since I woke up and it was of course something completely reasonable and logical.

It was like any trace of the absolutely mad person that had chased me through the snow was completely gone, and it greatly confused me.

I decided not to ask, maybe the cold froze some parts of his brain or something.

Arthur looked not very convinced and Robin was sorting the meager stuff we owned into neat little piles.

“Well i could try, you stay here and rest some more and Robin you can uhh- put the stuff away we don’t need okay?”

Robin nodded and went to bring the things he sorted over to the pond where they had left their little bags.

Arthur meanwhile had picked up his sword and put it on his belt.

“I’ll be back as soon as i can, don’t worry about me”

He went over to the exit of the cave to go outside, hesitating only for a few seconds as the cold seeped through the gap in the stone before going out.

“I hope he finds something, we kinda forgot to get anything while you were so badly hurt”

Oh, I didn’t know how to feel, they were so worried about me that they forgot to get a basic supply.

But for once in my life I knew that somebody cared about me.

Actually cared, not just pretended because they wanted something.

Since I could move again at least somewhat I held a hand out to Robin and gave him a sort of hand-hug.

He was too small to give a proper hug to so this would have to do.

He leaned into the touch and I was able to tussle his ginger hair a bit.

“I’m glad you’re okay”

He gripped the non bandaged part of my thumb and hugged me back.

Seeing the incredibly small human trust me so much and freely admit that he was worried made my heart melt.

Being able to just interact with someone in a positive way wasn’t something I was able to do for years as the streets weren’t kind to bastards.

He looked so small in my hand and I knew that as soon as I brought them to Kamerasca he’d be the one I would miss the most.

Right, bringing them home, the place I couldn’t go.

I shoved the sad feelings aside, for now I would enjoy the time I could spend with people that didn’t plan on killing me.

Well most of them didn’t plan on killing me.

Rikaad was still in my pouch and when Arthur came back I would attempt to get him out.

He was probably sick of being in there and unable to do anything.

Not to mention there was basically no view and he wasn’t allowed to move much lest it upset the wounds again.

I was however really impressed that he managed to lay still for so long.

I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do that, I was already sick of just lying on the floor after about two hours.

Maybe I should try to get up, if I was to get Rikaad out soon I probably should get used to moving again first.

Slowly taking my hand back and ignoring Robin’s disappointed noise I shifted to brace both of my hands on the ground.

I slowly heaved myself up to a sitting position being very careful about the stitches in my pouch and did my best to not let Rikaad bump into them.

He slid a little and came to rest at the bottom of the pouch.

He still wasn’t moving much and at this point it was beginning to get worrying.

I knew i hadn’t injured him when i swallowed him so what was wrong?

Gently placing a hand over my pouch without applying any pressure I decided to just ask so we could move on with all of this stuff.

“Rikaad you okay? The moving didn’t disorient you?”

There was a few seconds of worrying silence before he answered.

“I am fine, if bored, how are you? I didn’t come in contact with the wounds again did i?”

Ah so he was worried he’d touched something, that was, well that was considerate of him.

It took a few seconds for me to register that he barely moved because he felt Guilty.

He was the one that slashed me with a knife or whatever he had used and then continued kicking and elbowing me.

He was keeping still and quiet because he felt bad about it.

I could live with that, it WAS kinda his fault.

But i didn’t hate him, even if he overreacted a bit it was an understandable response after all.

I decided to leave it for now and instead focus on what I needed to be doing one step at a time.

Taking my hand away from its spot on my pouch I instead lent it to Robin who had been trying to climb up my knees.

He scrambled into it and I gently set him down on my knee where he had been trying to get to.

He sat down with his legs crossed and looked up at me.

“Is he okay? I can’t really hear him from here”

Ah yeah i suppose it would sound muffled for anyone else, I was rather surprised myself that I could hear it so well.

“He’s alright, why don’t you talk to him a bit?”

I offered my hand to him once again while leaning a bit backwards against the cave wall to have some support on my back.

He climbed on without hesitation and I brought him up to my chest so he could hear Rikaad.

I was careful and didn’t set him directly on the pouch as I wasn’t sure if my bruised flesh could take it, but he settled just underneath it and leaned his head on where he thought Rikaad was.

He was almost laying on me like a mattress and it was kinda adorable.

But I hoped Arthur would come back soon, they all needed something to eat even if it was something small.

“Rikaad? Can you hear me? How are you?”

I could feel that he turned his head to where Robin was on the other side of my flesh before he replied.

“I can hear you yes, and i am fine if a little bored”

Robin seemed to perk up at hearing the voice of his friend again and settled fully onto my torso to chat with the man currently stuck in my guts.

I leaned completely against the wall so I was leaning a fair bit back, but at least Robin wouldn’t fall off like this.

The little ginger had already started to chatter Rikaads ears off and I tuned it out for now, I was still tired and he technically wasn’t talking to me.

I didn’t want to be rude, and I didn’t want someone stuck in my pouch either so I hoped I could get him out soon.

I did not want to be a living prison for the stoic man currently laying there, and I definitely hadn’t wanted to scare him either.

But if everything went well I would try to get him out as soon as Arthur was back, since he was stuck for who knew how long he was probably hungry.

Out of boredom I started looking at the cave walls.

The glowy moss wasn’t growing everywhere, mostly on the side we were on and around the pond.

It was pretty looking i had to admit that, on my way back to Oakley i should try to find this spot again and bring him some, maybe he’d know why it was glowing in the first place.

He kinda seemed like the type of person that would enjoy some freaky plants.

I suddenly noticed that it was a lot more quiet and glancing down I saw that Robin had fallen asleep on my chest.

The sight of it was adorable, but it also meant that now I could not move without waking him up.

At least the position wasn’t uncomfortable and the moss that grew on the stone acted a bit like a cushion.

I wasn’t the only one that had noticed Robin had suddenly fallen silent as Rikaad tensed for a second.

“Donovan? Why is Robin suddenly so quiet? Is he alright? Did he fall off?”

“No, hes sleeping so just let him”

At my words he untensed his muscles and was back to playing corpse with his weight.

“I do want to repeat that i am extremely regretful of what i have done, whether or not you believe me is up to you”

He was making it hard to stay angry when I could clearly tell that he felt really bad about all of it.

“I do believe you, you tried your best to help afterwards.

I was just snappy because everything hurt, but you did stitch it up and that helped a great deal so don’t beat yourself up over it okay?”

“That is fair, though i have to ask how much i can move in here without upsetting the wounds, i do not want to cause anymore pain to you”

Ah so that’s why he had barely moved at all, He was worried about hurting me even more.

“You can shift a bit if you want, just steer clear of the walls and there’s no problem”

I could feel him relax just the tiniest bit at the affirmation that he could move without hurting me.

“I will do my best to steer clear of those then, but I have to admit that I am curious as to how you found out about this in the first place.

According to Robin and Arthur you knew of this before we met Oakley”

Oh, they told him, didn’t they? Better explain then, Besides, it was a rather boring story anyway.

“Well i have some of my organs doubled some of them work some of them don’t, like i have four kidneys, well three now don’t ask, so i basically used it to hide coins and valuables before this madness started”

“What other Organs are doubled if I may ask?”

He seemed intrigued and i wasn’t sure how much to tell him, I didn’t know everything myself either.

“Uhh well i have the pouch where you are right now and as i said the kidneys, oh and i have two hearts but only one of them is beating”

Robin suddenly tried to turn and I had to put my hand over him to stop the ginger from falling off of me.

He made a little ‘mrrf’ sound and went back to sleeping soundly, I did keep my hand there just in case though.

“How do you know you have two hearts if only one is beating?

Not to be rude but if mine wasn’t beating i doubt i could tell it was there”

That was… a good question actually, I only remembered my mother telling me how to find it if I pressed in at the right spot next to my lungs.

“As far as i can Remember my mother told me how to find it, no idea how she knew, and i can’t ask a ghost”

For a few seconds Rikaad went quiet again and I thought for a few moments he’d give me the silent treatment again before he finally responded.

“So you have just used this as a purse basically? I doubt that is hygienic, did you not get sick?”

Was the first part supposed to be funny? Whatever, He was now the second person to ask if I did not get sick.

“No, somehow I didn’t, but I did my best to wash everything so maybe that helped enough to not get sick?”

“So washing things good enough can stave off sickness? That is good to know”

That was a good point, apparently having things clean reduced the risk of contracting anything.

To be fair the reason I had started doing this was because I saw what other stuff people handled and did not want to put such things in my mouth, let alone swallow it.

“Yeah maybe the next time there’s an outbreak of whatever you can just wash everything”

It was nice being able to make lighthearted conversation now, though I did wonder when Arthur would be coming back.

“Wash what for what?”

A sleepy voice mumbled from under my hand, Robin had woken up again and blinked owlishly up at me.

“Good morning, decided to come back to the land of the waking?”

At the mention of Robin being awake again Rikaad called out to him.

“Have you slept well?”

Robin groggily got into a sitting position and yawned

“Yeah, I’m good, is Arthur back yet?”

“Uh-”

I looked over to the entrance of the cave but there was nothing there except more moss and stone.

“No not yet, but i’m sure he’ll be back soon”

While I spoke Robin attempted to climb down my side and I scooped him up to gently set him on the ground.

“I’m gonna go look if i can see him outside somewhere!”

He scrambled out of my palm before I could properly set him down and ran for the entrance, half disappearing behind the bend that led outside.

“Is he always like this?”

I asked Rikaad who had leaned back again while Robin tried to get off my chest.

“Sometimes, depends on how much sugar he’s had so never give him any”

That checked out, I could clearly imagine a hyper Robin running around and causing havoc.

“Well while he’s busy i’m going to try and get you out, it should be fine now, i think”

He seemed confused at my words and as I slowly stood up I heard him ask.

“What? Are you sure? I do not want to do anymore damage to you”

“You already said that, and I’m pretty sure it’s fine, I do want to leave this cave sometime you know?”

I walked over to the pond doing my best to keep Rikaads weight off the front of my pouch and kneeled down next to the water.

The small body of water couldn’t have been bigger than a horse carriage but was only about four feet deep.

Drowning in this shouldn’t be a concern, and it was pleasantly warm.

“Alright brace yourself, just don’t tense up or i’m going to choke”

“I will try my best”

At his confirmation I began to squish my pouch together from the bottom to top to get Rikaad back into my esophagus.

It stung, badly even, but I had already started so I was going to see this through.

I started to hack a bit as he entered the back of my throat, He was bigger than the other two and that made it a bit harder to properly get him out.

I did manage not to gag and get him out though, gently sliding the damp form into the water before turning my head away and coughing into my elbow.

Looking down I saw that he was turning the water an orangish hue from the blood that clung to his clothes, my blood.

Eww, and that couldn’t have been comfortable either.

“Are you alright? This did not hurt you did it?”

His concern was nice but it was nothing, just my body telling me to throw up again even if there was nothing to throw up in the first place.

Ugh, I hoped that I wasn’t getting sick after all this.

“Im fine, just a bit nauseous, i’ll be okay in a few minutes don’t worry”

I sat back against the wall, but as soon as I had done that Robin came back from the exit of the cave.

“I can see him! Make the fire ready! I think he got something!”

He fell over halfway with a squeak but stood back up immediately and started picking up every little branch he could find.

“Robin be careful, let me help”

Rikaad heaved himself out of the water and wrung out his clothes before he was swept into a hug by Robin.

“Rikaad! I’m so glad you didn’t freeze!”

He slowly and a bit awkwardly returned the hug.

“So am i, so am i, believe me”

He softly pried himself away from the ginger and went over to the fire.

“HEYY GUYS! I GOT SOMETHING!”

At the shout three pairs of eyes snapped to the entrance of the cave.

Robin was right, Arthur had found something! That meant that they could eat something soon.

And after that we could finally leave this cave and move on.

Move closer to Kamerasca where I would leave them for good.

I shoved the thoughts down for now, I could deal with them on the way back to Oakley.

At least they would be safe there.

I wasn’t the only one wondering what Arthur had caught thorough, judging by the curious look Robin gave the brown furred thing that Arthur had brought.

“What did you get?”

He held up something that looked like an oversized bunny that had a few too many muscles and longer legs.

A Hare, he’d caught one of those wild lapines, not an easy feat.

“A Hare? Those are hard to catch! I’m impressed!”

He just mumbled something inaudible at the praise and handed the carcass over to Robin who then set on to properly gut the thing.

It seemed he hadn’t noticed Rikaad till now as he did a double take at the taller man before a huge smile plastered itself onto his face.

“Hey, how are you? Your legs didn’t fall asleep in there?”

I was kinda glad that he didn’t mention that HIS legs had been a bit wobbly after I got him out, while Rikaad probably knew by now it was still awkward.

I really didn’t want to talk about any of this ever again.

Well soon enough the only one I could talk to would be Oakley.

At least that wouldn’t be as boring as being by myself.

By the time the fire was back to a bigger size, one that could be used for a spit roast, Robin had carved out all of the entrails of the Hare and Rikaad had carved an adequate branch to skewer the meat on.

I had to admit that it smelled amazing, but I didn’t dare ask for anything, they needed it more than I did.

I instead tried to figure out what we would do next.

“So after this what are we going to do? Leave the cave and continue?”

It took a few seconds for someone to answer, likely because Robin had stuffed his face and Arthur tried to gnaw tiny pieces from a bone.

So the only one able to talk was Rikaad.

“Well i would suggest to rest the night here and leave tomorrow, i think that is the best solution, we should take advantage of the warmer cave for tonight and rest well before we move on”

Yup back to being the logical one, It was like the freaked out version of him never existed.

But he was, of course, right.

It was late and going out now was dumb, So why not take advantage of the warmer cave and leave the next morning well rested?

He would make a good Guard captain one day, I was sure of it, he had the potential to do so at least.

Maybe he’d even get to be the headmaster, I wouldn’t be too surprised, honestly.

I could also finally sleep without having to worry about something bumping into the wounds.

Yes, a good rest would do all of us well.

While the others cleaned up and disposed of the Hare’s guts I went to pick out a spot to sleep.

I chose one nearer to the water this time and next to the wall facing the entrance.

If something did get in here i would see it, maybe i could even get rid of it without waking anyone else too.

Rikaad scheduled me and Arthur for the second half of taking watch.

I could take a good guess why, I didn’t mind being up early and neither did Arthur, Robin however was not an early bird and would fall back asleep.

So placing the two that actually would stay awake to the second shift made sense.

For now I could just curl up sideways and sleep.

I curled around my now empty pouch and sort of held both my hands to it.

It felt weird now, Rikaad was out and the stabs had been sewed up.

To be honest I hoped it would not start to itch, That would be a nightmare.

At least now i could get some actual rest for once, since this madness started i had barely any good sleep so maybe now i could get some.

I hadn’t even realized that I had fallen asleep until I was Woken up by Rikaad for my turn to take the watch.

Glancing over I could see that Robin was already sleeping like a rock, that was fast, well he was a bit younger and probably needed more sleep than we did so whatever.

At least guarding this camp would be easy as there was only one place where anything could come from.

However just staring at the gap between the rocks was extremely boring,

So boring in fact that it was hard to stay awake.

“This is lame, we are just staring at a hole waiting if something dares come in here”

At least Arthur shared the sentiment, if all our stuff wasn’t already put in the bags and ready to go I might have attempted that.

But with how big my fingers were, that probably wouldn’t go well.

“Hey i don’t think i ever thanked you for punting that manticore off of me did i?”

Oh right, at the start of this madness he was attacked by one of those chimeran monsters and I had thrown it against a tree.

That felt like it was an entire world away now.

“Uh i guess? If you did then i can’t remember it, Rikaad did thank me though while you were lying on the ground”

“Of course he did, why wouldn’t he, but uhh, for what it's worth thank you”

We lapsed into an awkward silence for a few moments, So far I had only taken watch with Arthur once.

Otherwise I had always taken watch with Robin or Rikaad, who had probably done this on purpose.

He knew that at the start we didn’t like each other and kept us apart.

Now it was a bit different, he surely had figured out that I just let Robin sleep when he was supposed to be watching and he himself might not want to be alone with me right now after what happened.

PREVIOUS / NEXT / OVERSIGHT

[factorialsotherfandoms]

*checks my to write list*

*sees this wasn't even sort of on it*

God fucking damnit again???

Spoilers up to and including the end of OPC. Everyone feels a bit off, but this conversation will do that to you. And just dialogue because brain is *weird*. I'm not really sure if this is anything much to at all, it's just... in my head. And unlike other things in my head I was allowed to type it by the brain and hands.

"You're early."

"Just finished a debrief, thought I'd swing by and steal your coffee rather than buying one."

"Sucks to be you, we don't keep coffee in the house. I can't drink it anymore, and Rubens..."

"My God, he had some in Rome, he was a mess. Dante was fretting for /hours/."

"Yeah, sounds about right. We got stuck at a coffee shop a while back, and it was real funny."

"Speaking of Rubinho, where is he?"

"Went to get groceries."

"Isn't Ivete doing that for you guys?"

"I think he misses the outside."

"Rubens? Missing the outside?"

"It's more likely than you think. We spent... A long time indoors, you know?"

"... He never really said any details. Didn't have the heart to press it, still don't really."

"Yeah... Yeah it... What it did to me wasn't even the worst of it."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"..."

"..."

"... It's just us, isn't it?"

"Who else would even be here?"

"No, I mean... Do you remember me?"

"... No? I don't... Look, my memory's still a bit fried. Everything's still a bit fried. You're going to have to help me here."

"We met at an Indian buffet, if that helps."

"How would that- Ah. Ah right. I guess... Which were you? You don't really act like any of them."

"Fire-axe and shield?"

"Seriously? Damn, you've changed."

"Fifteen years'll do it. Don't even use those any more, got a bigger axe now."

"No but, seriously. Verissimo?"

"Yeah, I know right. Sorry I was kinda an ass?"

"Weren't we all?"

"To you, I mean. I just... I realised, I think, that it's not worth it. Being angry."

"Over some things it is. I learnt that, too."

"Life's gonna hurt anyway. Why make it worse? Why not enjoy what we can?"

"What, no more wrestling blood zombies while rifle swears because it means he can't hit it, you jump in and help me beat it to death while calling me a 'fucking idiot', and the Captain accidentally stabs me in the face trying to assist?"

"Oh, no, I jump in now. Gotta keep it off the others, you know?"

"See! I always told you I was right! ... Fuck, the others... I don't... Shit, do you know...?"

"... I said it's just us, didn't I?"

"Fuck. Fuck, shit, did they at least...?"

"No. Not even that."

"Fuck! ... Fuck, sorry just..."

"It's fine. Take a minute. Just because I decided to be happy doesn't mean it can't suck, you know?"

"Yeah just... Do you know what happened?"

"They got possessed - both of them. Separately. First was the captain, then him with the rifle. Don't really know what happened to the second, but... Our last day in Rome? Had to fight him. Or, what's within him. That shit ain't human anymore. Kian, the first occultist. Four thousand years old and would kill everyone to erase the paranormal. Tried talking to him but... Well, pretty sure he's gone."

"... The guy who nearly killed Rubens?"

"And did kill Joui, yeah."

"... Fuck."

"Yeah, yeah it was... I was so scared. I thought... I thought he'd done it, you know? Snapped Rubens' neck."

"How bad was it? He... He won't tell me."

"It... It was bad. You'd have to ask Dante, maybe Arthur. They got him first aid and back on his feet, but he was shaky and wheezing for a good bit."

"..."

"It's okay. He's safe now."

"For how long? He's not... We're just sending them to die, aren't we? And here I am, stuck in this fucking-"

"Hey! Hey none of that, you're just healing up. You'll work it out, or you'll work something else out. People always do."

"If I'd just-"

"Have you seen Rubens' scar? If you'd just, he'd have just killed both of you."

"I could have found a way. We could have found a way. If I'd just been a bit more prepared, Rubens /said/ there was something fishy about the lead but it'd been so long and-"

"And he would have got you anyway. He's... Rubens did tell you, right?"

"Antonio. I love Rubens, I love him more than anyone else in his fucking world, but he doesn't tell anyone /shit/."

"I would have thought...?"

"It's been over a year. He said a lot happened, the Collesium was run by the Host. That you got trapped in more games, and that you made it so he can't hurt people again. Other bits, but the Order won't tell me about active problems until I'm cleared for work. I can't say I'm not curious but I know what he's like and I know his nightmares. It's enough to know it's over, yeah? Can breathe and deal with other shit. Like physio. I know it's important but I hate physio. Would take a blood zombie over physio any day. Maybe even a death game. Just one though. And I get to bring a grenade."

"Sure, sure. Just..."

"I'm not gonna like what you're about to say, am I?"

"You're really not."

"Well, damn, let me just get a bit more comfortable."

"Good?"

"Absolute dogshit but we can start."

"Arnaldo - our Captain - became the Host."

"..."

"... Johnny?"

"... I see."

"It's why he... Well..."

"It explains a lot. It explains so fucking much. But fuck I didn't think... I didn't..."

"Nobody did."

"Was he...?"

"It wasn't him anymore. It had his memories, but... It wasn't him. Not anymore."

"You killed him?"

"We killed him."

"Good."

"... The item that did it. It's in the safe. One of the relics we're going after."

"So, what, it can come back?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's not... your neck?"

"... Yeah."

"How bad?"

"You'd have to get it from Rubens - he was the one treating me when I woke up."

"He has nightmares about that. I just didn't know..."

"Well, now you do."

"..."

"But hey! What a trio we make? All three of us scarred up by the same guy."

"We could make a club."

"What? Us and Arthur? Maybe we should, he could use a break sometimes."

"'Fucked up by the Host' club sure we could- Oh hey Rubens, how was town?"

"..."

"I'm fine, we're all good. Balu just got here early."

"We were just chatting."

"You're crying."

"I was just telling Johnny about what happened to our team. From... Back then."

"I'm fine, Rubens. Balu can help you put stuff away."

"Hey!"

"Well I'm injured, and we're still got an appointment to get to. So! Go make yourself useful. Chop chop!"

"Laughing! You're laughing at me! Rubinho how could you!"

"Get your ass in that kitchen, Balu!"

"I'm going, I'm going, but I'm still stealing you coffee!"

"We still don't have any!"

"Next time, then!"

[corvidcrows]

First post in years. Guess this Tumblr isn't empty anymore. Just doing some drabbles for friends.

Something different I decided to write because sfw lol but ALSO something self-indulgent because it features my own Narrator.

I was thinking really hard about @indigo-art 's Arthur and his crisis of personhood and couldn't let him go without a headpat.

So this is more like a character study of Arthur than anything else. Existentialism at its finest!

~~~~~

He's met many a Narrator in an ever increasing multiverse. The space that he resides in seemed to fold into itself even more, giving way to new occupants that fell into the void. Most of these beings were either Stanleys or Narrators, and the latter seem to come in more colorful varieties than the former. Arthur himself tends to stick company to a few Narrators he knows more intimately, but this time he was forced to interact with a new one who seemed to have moved right across the hall next to him.

He's part of a committee of Narrators now, as for some godforsaken reason he was well-liked enough to be voted into a role to greet newcomers. He had no prior experience greeting people, but most have insisted on him filling the job.

He... Doesn't hate it, but doesn't love it either. It allowed him to meet interesting new personalities that became his friends, but most Narrators were insufferable pricks that he would like nothing more than to strangle. He wonders if this one would be the former or the latter.

They say that the person you hate the most is the person who resembled you the best.

He doesn't have a chance to change his mind after knocking, because it opens immediately. This Narrator looked somewhat humanoid from the waist up, but the waist down was a different story. He possessed a ghostly yellow tail that tapered into an arrowhead point and wound itself into knots. It made Arthur dizzy just looking at it, so he averts his gaze and determinedly stares at the Narrator's human upper half.

“To whom do I owe the pleasure?” the Narrator asks politely, as if Arthur had not just stared at his tail flattening and circling around the apartment in a lazy run.

“Name's Arthur. Arthur Gold. You're going to be seeing a lot of me, considering I live around here,” he says, extending his hand. The other Narrator stares in confusion for a moment, and chuckles.

“Ah, names. Names are important here, considering the sheer number of alternates we have. I suppose this would be more of a point of contention for the Stanleys, who do possess a name, rather than us Narrators, am I correct?” the other man says as he tilts his head.

Oh God, this Narrator is one of the rambly ones. He's going to be kept at the door, is he?

“You may call me... Luke. Just Luke, mind you, I'm not very creative,” he says. “And I ask you another question: why are you here, Mr. Gold?”

“I'm here to welcome you to the Parables Flats. I just stopped by to let you know that you can approach anyone in the committee at any time. We have a few ground rules that we need to discuss–”

“You don't seem very enthusiastic to be here. Was this a paid position? Perhaps a voted one?” Luke wonders out loud, making Arthur do a double take. It's not every day that someone can see through to his facade, but Luke had sussed him out in seconds.

He falters, but carries on. “Can you let me in so I can talk to you about the rules?”

“Rules? Ah yes! Of course! Rules are important, you know. The world would fall prey to doom and destruction without the quiet machinations of rules. Did not the parable have rules that the player must follow?”

God, what a weirdo. Arthur's brow furrows as the man rambles on about rules as he walks– *floats* into the flat, leaving Arthur to trail after him. He thinks to himself to make it quick– until the man asks him a simple question.

“Tea or coffee?”

“I'm feeling coffee right about now.”

Luke's green eyes flash and the coffee machine whirrs to life in the kitchen. He flicks his wrist, and the lights flicker on. When he passes by the stereo, it crackles to life and plays blues music.

Arthur tries not to be too impressed. He has displayed much more powerful abilities himself, and he's gone toe to toe with literal gods and other beings.

Arthur sits down on the couch and begins his spiel, the one he gives to every Narrator who moves into the Flats. He starts enumerating each rule until he realizes that a certain someone is looking at him very strangely.

He trails off self-consciously, then glares at the other man for his impertinence.

“May I help you?” he finally says, sighing in annoyance.

“I– my apologies. I was taken aback by your lines of code. It's very... complex and systematic, quite a sight to see. Elegant. You're a sophisticated one, are you?”

That earned quite a stare from Arthur, who was at a loss for things to say. Where does he even begin: *How the hell did you know what I was, Who are you to be able to read my code at first glance,* and *Did you just call my programming pretty?*

“Ah. You must be terribly confused, are you? I'm a technopath, or more specifically, a technogeist. A spirit that affects electronics and technology. I think I was made this way for my Parable, made it easier to activate controls and possess electronics and such,” Luke explains as he hovers closer to Arthur, who instinctively flinched. Possess? This man was not just bordering on creepy anymore, but disturbing.

“I've never seen something– someone like you. You're a real, living person,something that evolves, not an amalgamation of static code made to replicate human response. Do you ever look at yourself and marvel at your own existence?”

Arthur's throat felt completely dry. *No,* he wanted to say, quite the opposite.

“Do you ever look at yourself and wonder how much of what you actually experience is real? How much of yourself is mirroring and how much is your own true response? Or how much of what you perceive is your own true nature?” Arthur's eyes were blank, unseeing, as he said these words. It's not new to him, these feelings. But he rarely gets to share them. Perhaps it's easier with strangers. “That's what it's like.”

Luke nods, almost as though he had empathized with Arthur, though he could not have known exactly what he was going through.

“I see. But are not humans like that as well?” Luke questions softly, and Arthur scoffs. “An existential crisis is hardly contained to inorganic beings like us.”

“No shit. But at least they don't have to deal with the perils of learning that they're artificial. That they're *created.* I'm just made to be a copy of the human condition.”

Silence. Luke sighs, goes into the kitchen to retrieve the cup of coffee, and presents it to Arthur. He then opts to coil his tail on the armchair across the other man.

“You spend so much of your time thinking about whether you live to mimic humanity that you forget to live as yourself in the first place,” Luke says gently. “You are not human, never will be. But you are Arthur Gold, someone who stands before me now, living grandly and passionately amongst Narrators, who forged a path for himself and chose life bravely. What are humans, whose genome is their biological coding yet they are so much more than what it dictates? Do not belittle yourself or what you are, Arthur. You are so much more than that, but what you are is not something to be ashamed of.”

Arthur would be loathe to admit this, but he is in near tears right now. Might just be from Luke's words, or might just be the heat of the coffee wafting into his face as he drinks.

Silence. Then Luke uncoils his tail and sits a little more casually on the armchair, letting his lower half droop languidly. It's as if nothing had happened.

“So. What were those rules you speak of?”

[cheekypeakyblinder]

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝟸

Hi!

I'm quite busy writing the second season of Peaky Blinders, or better said. My fanfic 'The Shelby Secretary.'

While i've been writing for about a week. I'm already 4 chapters in and I just reached Episode 2 (lol)

I'm going to give you the first chapter as a sneak preview ♥

________________________________________________________

Season 1

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 (18+) | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17

____________________________________________________________

Season 2

Chapter 1 |

Wordcount: 1,19K

____________________________________________________________

It was a cold dreary morning. But all the Shelby's were gathered at the cemetery. 'I Hate coming here.' Franny cursed under her breath. 'A month ago you were telling me something completely different Luf.' John said smirking while balancing Oliver on his arm.

Katie was walking silently in front of them while holding Dotty's hand. Franny was walking with Henry on her hip.

'Oh shut up you Peaky devil.' Franny looked him in the eye. 'we're at a funeral.' she shut him up. Polly joined them as they walked up to the grave. Ada was standing alone with Karl. Franny felt horrible for Ada. She and Freddie had moved to London after everything that had happened. Franny had understood their choices and was sad she couldn't see her any other day. But they called and wrote letters to one another. Till a week ago when Ada called the betting shop. But instead of wanting to talk to her, she wanted to talk to Thomas.

And funeral preparations were starting to happen. Ada came with Karl to Birmingham to bury Freddie in the same cemetery as his mom. Everyone was silent as the priest said his final words over Freddie. When Henry started to stir and cry. John took him over from Franny trying to calm him down. After the ceremony was over, they all walked over to the other side of the cemetery. Franny had given Henry to Aunt Poll. Who was going to bring the kids home with her? And before Franny could even comfort Ada. Thomas started to speak.

'We thought now Freddy's gone, you might come back to Birmingham.' he said while lighting a cigarette. Ada scoffed and rolled her eyes. 'God, do you know how funny it is that you've got chauffeurs in uniform now?' Ada spoke trying to get the conversation on another rail. 'Just for the occasion, Ada.' Thomas answered. 'Do you know how unfair it is you've got four Bugatti's when half the country's starving?' Ada then asked. Franny had wisely shut her mouth up the entire conversation.

'So now they've made you ashamed of us?' Thomas asked while clearing his throat. 'Sometimes when I think about how I used to be, it makes me embarrassed. 'John came walking up. 'Ada, are you coming home?' he asked nicely, giving her a hug. 'I'm going home.' Ada answered. 'It's all right, John. We make Ada embarrassed.' Thomas answered. 'That's not what I said.' Ada answered guilty.

'There's another reason we want you home. we're planning an expansion. I'm taking premises in London.' Thomas started explaining. 'Tommy. it's a funeral, business can wait.' Franny interrupted. 'Fran. If Ada was weeping then I'd stop. But she's not. The expansion means it'll be dangerous to be a Shelby in London for a while.' Thomas explained.

'Yeah. Well, I'm not a Shelby anymore. I'm not even a Thorne now either. I'm free.' Ada spoke. She waited a second before telling them she needed to bring Karl home. Ada hugged Franny and then stormed off. Thomas let out a big sigh. 'I told you, let me do it.' Franny said to him rolling his eyes. 'It's all right. I'll have some men watch her house till the danger passes.' Thomas said looking at Franny and John. Suddenly a motorcycle came by stopping by Arthur and Esme. John let go of Franny and he walked towards it. Thomas and Franny stayed put. 'Till the danger passes. That will be the bloody day.' Franny said rolling her eyes once more. And walking towards John.

By the time the Shelbys came back to Birmingham the damage was already done. In the early morning, someone had blown up the Garrison. Thomas and Polly went to the Garrison and the others went back to the house and the betting shop. Arthur was gone soon after. Leaving John and Franny trying to handle things at the shop. Franny was counting when Polly came in. 'How's it looking?' Polly asked her. 'It's fine if you count out Arthur's weekly Garrison fund. We just bought new chairs for the pub.' Franny said lighting a cigarette. John came into the door looking his wife up and down before walking over to his aunt. 'Polly.' 'Did he say who did it?' John asked standing in the door frame. 'He's gone to the Black Lion.' She answered petting Franny on her shoulder before walking away from her to the Shelby family house.

'On his own?' 'Tommy does everything on his own.' Polly answered walking past John. 'Should I go to the Black Lion?' John asked her walking right behind her. 'What?' She asked him she couldn't hear him over the noise of the coins that were being counted for bets. 'Should I go there and see him?' John asked again. 'No.' Polly directly answered. 'Where the fuck is Arthur?' He asked her after biting on his lip from being forbidden to help his older brother.

'He's protecting the Garrison's whiskey from the police.' Polly walked into the house. And John followed and when he was going to close the big doors to the shop. He nodded his head to Franny who was looking at him. He was motioning her to come. And with that, he closed the door. 'For fucks sake.' he just said 'Polly.' He said calmly. 'It feels a little bit to me like things are getting out of hand.' Polly who was throwing wood on the fire looked up to him. 'So get'em in hand.' she said before looking for her cigarettes in her purse.

'Y'know what Ada said to me this morning?' He said trying to lighten the mood a little. 'She said we all look like we work in a factory, under the ground. Said we look like ghosts.' 'She'll be back.' Polly said while lightening her cigarette. 'When?' 'When she needs us. Polly answered. 'And anyway, who the fuck would blow up our pub?' John asked. Franny opened the door to the small room. And closed it silently behind her.

'Six.' Polly answered. 'Six what?' John turned around looking at Polly. 'Six questions since you walked through that door. Soon you'll have to start being the man with the answers.' Polly said while sitting down in front of the fire.

'Why?'

'Seven.' Franny said trying to bite on her lip.Polly looked over her shoulder seeing Franny in the corner of her eye.'Because when London happens, you'll have to hold up your end.Or we'll find somebody else who can.' Polly said throwing back her whiskey. John bit on his lip.Trying to hold himself together for his aunt. Franny put a step forward making the floor squeak. John looked up at her and she nudged him to go with her out of the room. Which he did. He followed Franny to his office. Where he closed the door.

'What the actual fuck is this shite.' John said cursing. Franny leaned herself against his deck with her hip. 'They're all really stressed about the pub John.' Franny tried. 'don't you think I'm stressed about the pub?' He said jerking his look up to her. Franny scoffed. 'Excuse me, John Shelby.' Franny said raising her eyebrow at him. I just bathed clothed and took care of your four children at a funeral. And came back to the same thing as you. 'Don't you think I'm stressed?' Franny said crossing her arms and looking at him. 'You're right.' John said shaking his head and trying to get the worries out. He walked over to her and lifted her chin. 'At least you're here.' John said with a soft smirk and kissed her.

[ladyknightellen]

I would love to hear more about The One Where Henry's Metaphor Is Not A Metaphor or read a snippet from it!

Okay so, little summary of sorts, then I'll give a lil snippet!

-Henry was born with his heart partially outside his body along with some other issues that go along with that condition (the actual condition is called Pentalogy of Cantrell in case you're curious)

-For the most part, it follows canon, but deals mainly with Henry's struggle to find a balance between his genuine medical needs, and the safety precautions that have been imposed on him by his family. Basically Mary is being awful in new and horrifying ways, and Catherine stopped fighting her and became a bit of a helicopter mom after Arthur died.

The party is loud and bright and everything Henry would normally hate since he can’t dance or drink, but the moment he sees Alex, he doesn't really care anymore. The suit he’s wearing makes him look like he stepped off a runway, and Henry is sure his mouth is hanging open.

He can tell that Alex wants to dance, but he stays with Henry and talks with him about anything and everything. When the songs change to some early 2000s hip hop however, Alex can’t seem to help himself and he doesn’t resist when Nora comes and starts pulling him up.

“Come on Henry!” She yells over the music “You come too!”

“Oh no, it’s–” Alex trails off, like he’s trying to decide how to explain things to Nora without actually explaining it to her. He looks at Henry with a look that says ‘help’ and ‘sorry’ and Henry makes a decision that he knows he’s going to regret.

“I’ll join you!” Alex studies him with a concerned expression, and as they walk towards the dance floor, he pulls him aside and gives him a concerned look.

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to…umm…” He trails off, and Henry finds it painfully endearing how worried he looks.

“I’ll be fine Alex, remember how I told you that I don’t like people treating me like I’m made of glass?”

“Oh, right, sorry.”

Henry only makes it through one song before he starts feeling dizzy, and Alex follows him when he wades back through the crowd of bodies to find somewhere to sit down.

“Don’t bite my head off for asking this, but seriously, are you alright?” Alex asks. Henry doesn’t try to answer out loud, but he manages a weak nod that does nothing to help the dizziness and pounding headache.

“Do you want me to leave?” Alex asks “Because I don’t think I should, but I’m not gonna hover if you don’t want me to.”

“Stay” Henry says as he leans back against the wall and closes his eyes, willing his body to take in deeper breaths. “I’ll be good– In a second.”

“I’ll believe you when you say something without gasping for air.” Henry cracks one eyelid open and gives Alex a look.

“I told you, I don’t– need you to treat me like– I’m made of glass.”

“Well call me crazy, but I feel like there’s a pretty big gap between treating you like you’re made of glass and just making sure you don’t pass out in the middle of a crowded ballroom.” He’s right, and Henry knows it, and he doesn’t have the energy at the moment to even attempt to protest, so he just nods and waits for the episode to pass.

When Henry opens his eyes this time, Alex is sitting in a chair next to him instead of hovering over him, but he’s still glaring at Henry with an expression that is a mix of worry and exasperation.

“I’m fine now Alex, I promise.” He says, sitting up fully again.

“Okay, see, now I believe you.”

“You can go back to dancing now, I’m fine.”

“No no it’s fine, I don’t mind hanging out with you, I’m sorry Nora dragged you out there.”

“Alex, please, just go back and enjoy your party. You don’t have to sit here with me the whole time, I know you want to dance and have fun. You don’t have to reign yourself in on my account, and don’t say you’re fine and you don’t care, because you are currently bouncing halfway out of your seat to the rhythm of the music. Go enjoy yourself, I’m fine. I promise.” The words come out a bit more forceful than he intended, and Alex looks almost hurt, but after a few more seconds, he stands up and gives Henry an awkward little wave before rejoining the mass of people on the dance floor.

Henry watches him for the next three songs until the DJ starts counting down to midnight. He sees Nora wrap her arms around Alex’s neck as he puts his hands on her waist and pulls her in for a kiss just as everyone screams

“Happy New Year!”

For the second time that night, Henry feels like his chest is on fire, but for an entirely different reason. He’s not sure how he gets outside, but when the cold hits his face, he stops and reaches out to grab hold of the first thing he can find to steady himself. The bark of the tree is rough on the palm of his hand and it’s oddly comforting and grounding.

“Sir, are you alright?” Shaan’s voice startles him, and when he turns around so fast he nearly collapses.

“I–” He starts to say he’s ‘fine’ but he knows Shaan wouldn’t believe that for a second. The only problem is; there’s not much Shaan can do about what’s currently making him ‘not fine.’ “I’m not in need of assistance at the moment.” He says finally.

“Are you certain of that Sir?” Shaan asks, and there’s something in his tone that tells Henry that he’s picked up on what’s going on, or at least grasped that it’s not a medical emergency that’s got him gasping and holding on to a tree for dear life.

“Not really, but there’s nothing that would be in your power to do about my current predicament.”

“Ah, I see.” Shaan says, then waits for a moment, probably assessing if he should stay or go. “I’ll return to the room then Sir, if you don’t require anything from me.”

“Yes, thank you Shaan.”

Once Shaan has left him alone again, Henry rests his back against the tree and slides down to the ground to sit. He tilts his head up to stare at the night sky, the distant fireworks flickering in the edge of his vision, and he wonders, as he often does, if his father is watching him from somewhere in the great beyond.

“Hey dad” He says, feeling slightly foolish talking to the sky, but the words keep coming and he couldn’t stop them if he tried.

[women-of-malevolent]

All references to women in Part 10

Arthur has a nightmare or memory of playing piano, hearing a knock at the door, ignoring it, and yelling at the person who comes in. Including it here because, while I guess it could be Parker or anyone else, context of the Faroe discussion that immediately preceded this scene tells me it's high odds of being either Tess or Bella (maybe Faroe but she seems a bit young to be knocking unattended). IDK what character sheet to put it on though so I just won't put it on any.

John tells Arthur he stirs in his sleep, and speaks, and yells. He asks what Arthur was dreaming about. Arthur declines to share.

They decide to take stock/lore refresh, starting with the letter to Anna from Sarah, er, Amanda.

I'm not going to summarize all this, just what stands out to me. Arthur needs a memory refresh about who Emily MacFarland was; she's the one who led them to the house that started all this, with the spooky basement with a Shub painting on it. John was very upset by her death, but he (claims to?) not know why. Arthur notes that whoever 'Henry' is, he's the only other male mentioned, and he sacrificed himself for these girls. Maybe Henry was a cultist who had a change of heart; regardless, the ritual failed and the girls were freed.

More summary. KIY came through the portal intended for Shub. Why did KIY leave them alone for so long? They must have done something to stave him off. Another Amanda Cummings riddle leads them back to the bookshop.

They're going to head to Leerie. Arthur says, it's funny, they haven't travelled far since the accident where they found... and he trails off. The baby? Yes. John asks if Arthur has thought about her much. Arthur denies it and changes the subject.

Wow, I totally forgot this happened - as they're heading to Leerie, Arthur hears whatever is inside Kellin's sister's head whisper to him. John does not hear it. John identifies it as "the severed head Kellin had." It calls Arthur "master". Arthur refuses to leave it; he says, "Kellin said this thing has answers, and that it knew who you were." Arthur talks to the head/thing/whatever for a second, establishes that they can communicate, and then Arthur demands that John tell him "what this is", "what it really is".

John tells Arthur that "it's something caught between worlds." Arthur asks why it wants to talk to him; it just calls him Master. FASCINATINGLY, John now tells Arthur that this thing is not Kellin's sister anymore, and Arthur seems confused about that! 🤯 Implying that this is new information to him? And he's been treating her like that. Unfathomable thing to leave unaddressed in a main character. Anyways, John says he doesn't know what happened to Kellin's sister while she was alive (fuck it's so fucking sad to me that she's only known as 'sister of [the family member who probably murdered her]') but after she died, something attached itself to her and stayed there. He explains that this thing is kind of like him, a conduit between worlds, servant of monstrous forces. Arthur wants to know why John lied to him. John says, these mysterious powers will corrupt him; "Men lay down and bow before entities like this", with visceral offerings, and the head offers Arthur answers.

I think I get why I basically blanked out what The Vanguard was, this scene really bums me out.

Arthur and John debate about accepting the creature's help. John tells Arthur the creature is "a vanguard," which is a being controlled by powerful entities in The Dark World. They keep fingers in this world through people like Kellin's sister. John is not a vanguard, because a vanguard would only watch, and is here to serve. Vanguards are information gatherers, not actors. John doesn't know how he knows this.

Arthur asks the vanguard who Anna is, and it doesn't answer. John says it'll take time. Arthur says, well, that's a problem, we can't waltz into town with a severed head! Oh, lads! Arthur asks, which part of the head is the creature bound to? John responds, "I imagine that Kellin kept it because it was his sister. The entity within does not use the mouth." So, they only need a small piece, then?

Okay, um,

Q: What part of Kellin's sister's head is the vanguard bound to? A: Kellin probably kept it because it was his sister. The entity does not use the mouth.

???

So, Arthur rips a tooth out of Kellin's sister's head, because it'll have the Vanguard tucked into it, and he puts the tooth away in inventory until Season 5.

Arthur pats his pocket; John teases him. Arthur says, you heard the head. John says, I didn't hear anything. They table the conversation.

Skip ahead; they've been wandering an abandoned hotel. Arthur says, they can't run from their problems anymore, killing that woman in the caves (the widow) taught him that. Instead, they should be facing them, seeking them out; Arthur feels himself growing stronger with each encounter. Was this what the librarian Armitage was warning him about?

John asks Arthur to talk about his daughter. Arthur says he doesn't want to. John continues to implore him. Arthur refuses again, more firmly. John pushes again. Arthur yells, hits the wall or something, and tells John that he may have control of his eyes, but he does not control what Arthur shares. The conversation is interrupted by someone in the hotel.

The thing interrupting them is a strange, otherworldly creature. John says, so many things seem to be slipping through, and includes the vanguard in his list.

[nnato]

Not me being a little bastard and asking another request but since you keep doing those little pieces of art may i request something with norman/arthur (look at me not asking mitchtonio) in bodyguard au? 👀 you can choose tbe prompt. Please??

Anything for you, my beloved Sofia 😌✨

Prompt: “Find someone else to annoy.”

Norman loves to go to the gym in the middle of the night. No one else is usually there, the other guards either asleep or on duty. It is one of the rare times where he can be undisturbed and go about his routine in peace.

Norman moves from the treadmill to the bench press after his warm up, spreading out his towel before he gets his weights, stacking them up on the press. The sounds of his work out playlist drown out the world around him, a rare luxury he usually can’t afford. But he’s safe here for now. At least from people with bad intentions.

What he didn’t take into account is the one person who will always find a way to abuse his nerves and his patience.

Halfway through the second set of his exercise, Norman notices movement from the corner of his eyes. But the person moves too clumsily to be a threat, so he ignores it. That is until a head plops up into his vision, a bright smile lighting up the whole face of Arthur. Norman can see his lips move but he doesn’t hear a single word due to the music. He’s also not willing to break his set just because the little shit decided to come by.

But Arthur either doesn’t care or doesn’t notice that Norman can’t hear him. He keeps talking, bend over Norman and the bench press so he can’t escape him visually at least. One deep breath tells Norman enough about the state he is in though to not wonder anymore. Arthur smells like alcohol and cigarettes and sweat, the usual mix after a night at the club. Just that he wasn’t supposed to go out tonight.

Norman puts the barbell back into the safety holder and sits up, taking off his headphones.

“… and then they told me they would escort me home, like can you believe? I was so close to the best night of my life and they just ruined it!” Norman hears the end of Arthur’s story and it’s all he needs to put the pieces together.

“So just because your bodyguards did their job and picked you up from one of the clubs you’re not supposed to go to, you decided to come here instead of going to bed like you should?” Norman says, turning so he could look at Arthur. “Sorry, your Highness, but my sympathy for your situation is pretty limited.”

Arthur pouts at that, flopping down on the trainings device closest to him.

“I’ve had my night end in the worst way and now you’re being mean to me too.”

“Now you’re just being dramatic. Excuse me but I have a trainings session to do.” Norman is about to put his headphones back on but Arthur is surprisingly fast for his drunken state, trying to snatch them out of his hands. But Norman would be a bad bodyguard if he would let a drunken prince overpower him. He grabs Arthur by the wrist, glaring warningly at the Prince.

“Why don’t you find someone else to annoy, your Highness?” he asks but he can see the way Arthur’s eyes darken, can feel his pulse quicken underneath his fingers.

“Oh but you know you’re my favourite person to annoy.” Arthur smiles at him wickedly and moves into Norman’s space. Norman tries to retreat but he only comes so far until his back the barbell. Arthur uses it to his advantage, climbing onto Norman’s lap.

“Your Highness-“

“Oh c’mon Norman, drop the titles, will you? I think we’re way past that by now,” Arthur interrupts him, wrapping one arm around Norman’s neck since the other still has his wrist in a tight grip. Not that it would stop him.

Norman stares up at him, aiming for an unimpressed expression but Arthur can see right through the facade. He’s been watching him for long enough by now to know what is going on behind the mask of professionalism. Most of the time at least.

“And I think you’re way past your bed time,” Norman says but it doesn’t have the expected effect.

“Take me to bed then. Just to make sure I don’t wander off again.” And fuck, Norman knows he shouldn’t, that it would be better to call one of the others to take care of Arthur. He’s already a menace when sober but a drunk prince? Better not to underestimate. Norman learned that the hard way already. Why is it that he still can’t stay away from Arthur though?

“If I bring you back to your room, will you leave me alone for the night then?”

Arthur only grins at him and Norman sighs in defeat. He knows he will regret this later but does he even have a choice?

Getting Arthur off his lap with the promise of escorting him to his room isn’t hard, the other pulling him off the bench and out of the gym. Norman doesn’t even get the chance to take his things with him, following Arthur along the corridors of the palace that seem deserted during the night. They arrive at Arthur’s room without passing anyone on their way, and Norman wants to stop outside the door. He only promised to bring him here, nothing more. But one look from those dark eyes, a gentle tug on his hand, and the memory of what happened the last time Norman brought Arthur home in the middle of the night are enough to make his resistance falter.

The whispered “No one has to know” clings in his ears as he follows Arthur inside, closing the door behind them.

[on AO3]

[cousticks]

what makes arthur rimbaud your favourite bsd character?

Alright this is the first of my set of asks I'm answering today. And also possibly my most fascinating. Rimbaud is a character I post a lot about, sure, but I'm really curious as to what makes you think he's my favorite? If anything, from my profile, I'd expect someone to assume its Verlaine.

Now, as to why he's a compelling character I like to write posts about? That I can certainly discuss. And its gonna be long, so I'll put a break in here.

Here's the thing. I don't anymore, but when I was first introduced to Rimbaud (when S3 came out) I absolutely hated him. This was back in 2019, but boy oh boy. That's the thing though, he still made me have a pretty strong emotional reaction, even then, before I'd even read the novel.

I want to detour for a second and talk about one of my favorite classes I've taken, with my favorite literature professor. The class itself doesn't matter here, but for it, we read Gone Girl. And if you've never read Gone Girl or seen the movie, all the context you need to know is that almost every single character in that sucks. They're all terrible people. And the next day I came into class literally stomping and screaming about how much I hated how it ended, and everything leading up to it. And my professor laughed and told the class about how after she'd seen the movie she was so mad about it she kicked a wall coming out of the theatre. She had the same reaction as me. And that's exactly why she taught that book. I still think about it often, because really, it was incredible how much emotion I got from it. I was downright pissed. And that's how I knew it was, in my opinion, well written, to get that much out of me.

Circling back to Rimbaud, I didn't really have as strong of a reaction as I did with that book, but he made me uncomfortable. I didn't like him. (I had similar progressions with Dazai, where I used to absolutely hate him, and with Verlaine as well after my first Stormbringer read.) A lot of the characters I originally despised are some of my favorites now. They get some emotion out of me, they give me a reaction, they catch my attention. Sometimes hate makes you think about something far more than more positive feelings do. (Even if that hate later converts into something kinder.)

Rimbaud... isn't my favorite, as far as which characters make me happy or so, but he's very very interesting to me and I do love to think about him. When you think about the grander scheme of BSD, we don't know the full backgrounds of a lot of characters, they just kind of show up as they are and we don't know much about their lives before the series. Rimbaud, we actually know a good deal, about how he had to give up his family and be presumed dead to work as a spy. He's also a little different, because we get a really interesting insight to his inner thoughts via his journal in Stormbringer. We don't get such an open, honest look into a character like that very often in this franchise. Between his lost, memory addled appearance in 15 and virtually his entire life fleshed out in Stormbringer, I didn't hate him anymore. He was interesting. There was so much to work with, and his own motivations and loyalties were fascinating. I made a post earlier about how sure, he tried to kill Chuuya (and Dazai in association) but really, both he and Chuuya were looking into Arahabaki for similar reasons, to unlock their past. All of the times we actually see Rimbaud, he's not that much different from a ghost, including at the end of Stormbringer when he's akin to an actual ghost, but we learn so much about him through his journals and Verlaine's memories.

He's lost, he's trying his best to figure out who he is based on what he could piece together, he's trying to find out what happened to the dear friend he thought he killed, he's likely been a spy during the Great War since his early teens, and he and Verlaine's entire story in the background of Stormbringer is such a special shade of tragic.

So, anon, I hope you kind of got your answer here about why I talk about Rimbaud so much. TL:DR, its hard not to when there's so much to talk about.

[kaantt]

@kabbal and @belphegor1982 tagged me in this years ago and since I'm finally kinda coming back on tumblr I'm finally doing it

How many works do you have on AO3?

I currently have 58 works on AO3 : 50 on my main account (all of them being fics for the Kaamelott fandom) and 8 on an other account that I use for non-Kaamelott fics. I might create a third account for my fics in written in english.

What's your total AO3 word count?

Boy oh boy 565 732 words in total.... Which is longer than Tolstoï's War and Peace... In just three years of writing... Terrifying

What fandoms do you write for?

I don't write a lot this days... But my main fandom is the french TV Show Kaamelott with 50 fics and I would say that my other big fandom is The Three Musketeers (book and 1961 movie versions)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

ἔραμαι : (Kaamelott) A collection of very short fics that I wrote in response to promts that were sent to me on tumblr.

ἀλέξω : (Kaamelott) My main fic for the Kaamelott fandom that I need to get beck to writing. It's a retelling of the events that happened between Livre VI and KV1.

καιρός : (Kaamelott) A fic written for 2022 Fictober. A collection of one shots with many pairings (romantic and platonic).

Ουλές : (Kaamelott) A fic written for the fandom's secret santa (2020) about the ship Arthur/Venec.

The ballad of the white lady : (Kaamelott) A fic written for the fandom's secret santa (2022) about the ship Arthur/Guenièvre.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes I always respond to comment, I find them motivating and if people took the time to leave me a sweet message, the least I can do is to respond.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

A child's evening prayer : (Kaamelott) yeah it's not a fun fic at all, it's just angst through and through

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I'm more of a bittersweet ending type of writer, but the end of my fic Crimes Célèbres is quite happy.

Do you get hate on fics?

Never did and hope I never will...

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, I do write smut, it's quite fun to write I think. I discovered recently that I was really into "erotic letters", it's a really fun and original way to write smut.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I do write crossovers ! My girlfriend and I are writing about the Three Musketeers but we mix them with Angélique, Cyrano de Bergerac, Le Capitaine Fracasse and other works happening in the seventeenth century.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not an entire fic but I found parts of my fics / some paragraphs in an other author's work... I asked them to remove them but they just blocked me so I don't really know the end of it.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No ! I actually translate theater plays (professionaly) but I'be never translated a fic or had a fic translated.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes ! I'm writing a western inspired fic for the Kaamelott fandom Le Bon, la Brute et le Friand with my friend @kabbal but we kinda stoped working on it (maybe one day...) and my gf @aramielles and I are writing a series together

What's your all-time favorite ship?

I don't really have an all-time favorite, I have one for each fandom that I'm a part of but I can't chose between my top ships of every fandom.

What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My fics ἀλέξω and Le second because I'm not really into the fandom anymore but I really like this fics and I do hope to finish them some day...

What are your writing strengths?

I like to think that I'm pretty good at character studies and descriptions

What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm not great at writing dialogues, it's not awful but it's not great, they are always too much "written" if that makes any sense...

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I think it can both serve the plot and the style but I think you need to be fluent in the languages you use for it to be done well enough.

First fandom you wrote for?

It was Doctor Who but I've delated the fic and no one will ever find it (I'm not even sure that I still have a copy on my computer)

Favorite fic you've ever written?

Crimes Célèbres (Les Trois mousquetaires), I'm very found of the epistolary novel genre and was very eager to write a fic in this style, I like the plot, the research I've made and it was a gift for my girlfriend so...

I'm also very proud of my fic Andrew's Tales (Philadelphia 1993) that I wrote for a very dear friend's birthday, it's inspired by operas and greek mythology lore

Tagging @aramielles

[alphashley14]

One Of Us

A Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated/Mystery Skulls Crossover

Chapter Six

One of Us

When Arthur opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a cold, hard floor staring up at crimson covered walls. This dream again, huh? But when he sat up, he was shocked to find he wasn’t alone. And the three of them were so startled at the sight of each other that they jumped out of their skins. 

“Zoinks!” 

“What the-” 

“You?”

Sitting in a circle with him was none other than the man Arthur was possessing and (for some reason) Shaggy. 

They were back in the Sitting Room, sat in a circle on the floor. The space around them was tastefully furnished with lamps, marble statues, and black leather furniture. But all things considered, their primary focus was on each other.

“So, I take it you’re Ricky Owens? Mr. E?” Arthur asked nervously, sitting up properly and crossing his legs. 

“I am. And that must make you Arthur.” Ricky replied, doing the same.

“Yep. That’s me. Listen. I’m really sorry for possessing you. I swear I don’t know how this happened.”

Mr. E looked at him confused, so Shaggy cut in. 

“Like, sounds like you jumped to the same conclusion as Vivi at first.” Shaggy laughed. “You’re not possessing anyone, Arthur. We’ve been like, body-swapped! You were in Mr. E’s body, Mr. E was in mine, and like, I was in yours.” 

Arthur stared at Shaggy blankly for a moment before he clutched his heart and blurted out, “OH, THANK GOD! All this time I thought I was possessing your body and you were like, trapped in your own mind or something! Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s horrible! I was so worried I was doing that to you! But uh, I’m so glad you’re not. Body-swapped, huh? I was wondering what you were doing here, Shaggy.”

“You were worried about me?” Mr. E said, flabbergasted. “You have no idea how concerned I’ve been about you!” 

“Well like, looks like we don’t have to worry about that anymore. Like, we’re back in our own bodies!” Shaggy said, delightedly patting himself down. 

“Thank God.” Ricky sighed, relieved. 

“Wait a minute. Maybe not.” Arthur frowned. “Something tells me we’re not in Crystal Cove anymore.” He said, looking around at their surroundings. “I had a dream about this place last night.” 

“I did, too.” 

“Like, so did I. And like, Scoob has been having some weird dreams about this place too. Like, this is going to sound like, totally nuts. But according to Scoob, a being from another world possessing Nova’s body told him about an evil entity trapped beneath Crystal Cove! And that, like, the cursed treasure needs to be destroyed or like, it’ll destroy the whole world!”

Ricky blinked at Shaggy for a few seconds, being the only one amongst them who didn’t know anything about an evil entity or about the curse being that powerful. “Uh… Excuse me. I beg your pardon… what?” 

“Not the craziest I’ve heard.” Arthur said thoughtfully. “Us Mystery Skulls knew about the curse, but I can’t say we knew anything about an entity being behind it. We definitely need to deal with that, but for now I’m afraid we need to shelve it. Guys, I’m not so sure we’re back in our own bodies.” 

“Like, what do you mean? Looks and feels like my own body to me.” Shaggy shrugged.

“I um… I don’t think our bodies were transported here. The last thing I remember is being in Mr. E’s rooms. I think I fell asleep. And now I’m here. What’s the last thing you guys remember?” Asked Arthur.

“It’s a little fuzzy. The Mystery Skulls and Mystery Inc are together. And being in Shaggy’s body, I’m with them too. We were on a hill, getting ready to barge into Destroido to rescue you. Mystery was saying something, I think. Then poof, I’m here.” Mr. E said.

“Like, yeah. I think I passed out.” Shaggy nodded.

Ignoring the warm feeling his friends coming to rescue him summoned, Arthur explained, “Assuming that this is like, another realm or something, it’s possible that just because we look like ourselves here doesn’t mean we’re not still in each others’ bodies back in our own plane. If this is our… soul? Essence? Consciousness? Whatever you want to call it? Then it only makes sense that we look like ourselves here.”

The cogs in Ricky’s head turned. If we might not be back in our own bodies- “Then… Arthur, I need you to listen to me! Stay put and keep your head down! Professor Pericles-” 

“I know.”

Those two little words ceased Ricky’s panicked ramble and sent his heart sinking into his guts. “...What?” 

“I know.” Arthur shrugged. His warm orange eyes looking at Ricky with such… empathy? Sympathy? Pity? “I know about the remote. I don’t know what he did to you, but I can’t blame you for continuing to help him. You didn’t have a choice. It hurts. It hurts a lot.” 

Ricky stared at Arthur, heart hammering out of his chest, eyes wide with horror. The worst had happened. And this innocent boy was paying the price for his mistakes. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. 

“Wait! You mean like-” Shaggy gulped, “What Mr. E said was the truth? He really is being- you really are being-” 

“Tortured? Enslaved?... Yeah.” Arthur half-laughed.

“I’m so sorry. Oh dear God, I’m so sorry!” Mr. E blurted out miserably, burying his head in his hands. “You didn’t deserve that. The only person who should pay for my mistakes is me! Arthur, I am so sorry!” 

“Hey.” Arthur said firmly, placing a comforting hand on the other man’s shoulder. “I don’t care what you’ve done. You didn’t deserve that either. No one does. And besides: if he did that to you for going against him, then what you’re really being punished for is trying to repent.” 

“How do you know that?” Ricky croaked. 

“I figured out a lot while looking around your place. Then from your… ex-friends while pretending to be you. You know, I don’t think they have the slightest clue yet that I’m not you. Which should say plenty about what kind of  'friends' they are.” Arthur said, sticking his nose up at the notion.

“Not even Professor Pericles?” 

“I don’t think so. I think he may have noticed I- 'you' were acting a little strange, but I don’t think he’s suspicious. Betrayal and grief can do some messed up shit to people. Believe me: I know.”

“Grief?” Mr. E asked, his ears turning red with embarrassment. “Then you know about-” 

“Cassidy? Yeah.” Arthur finished for him. “Did you really not know?” 

Ricky hung his head again before he shook it, no. “We agreed something needed to be done about her… God, I never meant- I didn’t want- I never would have hurt her. Not Cassidy. Not even at my darkest. I swear. I was such a blind damn fool. What did I think he was going to do?”

“Like, wait a minute! You like, didn’t know Angel- that she-” Shaggy stuttered, dumbfounded. 

“Not until last night.” Ricky said, in the tone of a man suffering from a freshly broken heart. He sat with his elbows resting on his knees, his head bent between them. “I got worried after I hadn’t seen nor heard from her for a while, so I started to use my resources to look for her. With no success. But then Brad and Judy came in last night, then Pericles-” He stopped and blinked a few times, refusing to cry in front of them. But Shaggy and Arthur could see the tears just behind the floodgates. “He told me. And I got so angry, I said some things that he 'punished me for'. Then I went back to my room, eventually fell asleep, had a really weird dream about this place, and when I woke up I was in Shaggy’s body.”

“So that’s what happened last night.” Arthur exclaimed. “Your room and your body were in a bit of a state when I woke up in it.” Arthur said. Mr. E looked away, embarrassed, knowing exactly what Arthur was referring to. “Then the others kind of… implied something happened last night, but I had to be super cryptic with my words in order to not give away that I didn’t know what that was.”

“I have to admit,” Ricky half-laughed, “in that respect, I underestimated you. Dare I ask what you did to piss Pericles off if you didn’t give yourself away?”

“I was talking to Brad and Judy. Trying to keep my cover while probing for information. I kind of picked up that there were some bad vibes between you and Professor Pericles. So, trying to stay in character, I uh… insulted him. And didn’t realize he was perched right above us listening. He got me before I could even finish my sentence.” 

“You insulted him?” Ricky scoffed. “Now I have to know: what did you say?”

“Oh. Well, I uh…” Arthur looked over at Shaggy briefly, considering whether he should quote this in front of a minor, before he decided to just say it. Mr. E looked like he needed a laugh. 

“Okay. So Brad and Judy said something along the lines of: 'You wouldn’t want to disobey Professor Pericles, would you?' To which I retorted…” He cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed, and confessed. “'Professor Pericles can go stuff his cloaca with the large end of his own magnifying glass.'”

Mr. E couldn’t help it. He burst into a fit of laughter. “No, you didn’t!”

“I did.”

“That’s so specific!”

“The specificity makes it funnier.” Arthur shrugged.

“I don’t get it. Like, what’s a cloaca?” 

Shaggy’s question only made Ricky laugh harder. 

“Ask Velma.” Arthur said, red in the face with embarrassment. 

“Yes, please do ask Velma.” Ricky pleaded. “And make sure I’m standing next to you when you do!” 

“Well, I’m glad I made someone laugh. My audience at the time didn’t seem to see the humor.” Arthur said lightheartedly, trying to subtly direct the conversation back to the matter at hand. 

“I really am sorry, Arthur.” Ricky said, his chuckles ceasing. The laugh had lightened his mood, but he was still somber. “You shouldn’t be in my place. I know you say that I don’t deserve it either, but I do.” 

“For a long time, I thought the same thing about my pain.” Arthur said. “And I still struggle with those feelings, even now.” 

“What do you mean?” Ricky asked. 

“Like, do you mean your arm?” Shaggy asked. “I noticed it was starting to feel like, kinda sore.” 

“Oh, no. you’re in my body.” Arthur realized. “Ugh, God. I’m so sorry, Shaggy. My pain medication. It hasn’t been working as well or as long as it should for a while now and for my own stupid reasons, I’ve just been… bearing it. And I haven’t told my friends. It won’t be very long before it’s going to start hurting a lot more. You need to get my dosage adjusted or it’s going to be miserable for you until we swap back. Just… tell Vivi. She’ll know what to do.” Arthur explained, not looking forward to the chewing-out he was inevitably going to get when he was reunited with his friends.

“Pain medication? For what?” Ricky asked. 

“Uh… my arm didn’t exactly come off… cleanly .” Arthur said, anxiously rubbing his metal arm and shuddering at the memory of Mystery’s teeth. “From our research so far, we know that The Mystery Skulls have lasted a lot longer than most of the other Mystery Incorporated groups. But that doesn’t mean that we haven’t had forces that have tried to tear us apart. For your Mystery Incorporated,” Arthur said, gesturing to Ricky, “it was betrayal and the Freak of Crystal Cove. For yours,” he gestured to Shaggy, “it was when your group fell apart after catching the Freak and finding out that Fred’s whole life had been a lie. But in spite of everything pulling each of you away from the others, you managed to pull yourselves back together again… and so did we.” 

Arthur took a deep breath and continued. “What happened to the Mystery Skulls was extremely traumatizing for all of us. I won’t go into details, and I ask that you not probe for them. When Vivi, Lewis, Mystery, and I decide to tell other people about… us. About this, we’re always together and have unanimously agreed to share it. But you need to know, so I’ll only tell you slightly more than what’s public knowledge (if you know where to look). Three years ago, we were relatively new in our careers as investigators and weren’t nearly as powerful, knowledgeable, or renowned as we are today. We went to investigate a cave system where the animals in and around it were reported to behave… strangely. Supposedly it was haunted. We arrived, split up, and there was… an accident.” 

“Like, yeah. We heard about that when we looked you up.” Shaggy said. 

“I read about it in my research about you, too.” Mr. E confirmed. “One of your members died, and another was seriously hurt. The latter was you, wasn’t it?” 

Arthur nodded sadly. “It was my fault. Vivi, Lewis, and Mystery tell me it’s not and they don’t blame me for it. And logically, I know they’re right. But there’s still a huge part of me that still blames myself for it. So… yeah. Not having my meds adjusted like a responsible adult is stupid, and it puts me in a lot of pain. But somehow I find punishing myself like that… comforting? Because I feel like I deserve it. I shouldn’t do it, it isn’t healthy, and I probably need another few sessions in therapy - as if I haven’t already had a million of them.” Arthur scoffed. “But I do it anyway and I don’t tell my friends about it because I don’t want them to worry.” 

“That’s like, awful, dude.” Shaggy cried. “But like, why are you telling us this? And how do you know so much about us?” 

“That, Shaggy, is a bit of a long story. And not entirely mine to tell. But still, you deserve to know. As allies- as friends , this shouldn’t be kept from you: It’s no accident the Mystery Skulls came to Crystal Cove. We have an informant. Someone found us, and summoned us here. They saw what we could do and believed that we stood a chance against Professor Pericles, and that we could help you and your friends save this town and everyone in it. So they told us everything they knew and sent us here. They’re staying with my Uncle for now, but are supposed to rejoin us in Crystal Cove soon.” 

“An informant? Who?” Asked Ricky. 

Arthur considered it for a moment, then replied, “I don’t think now is the best time to tell you. Not because I want to keep it secret, but because there are more important matters at hand. When you two wake up with the others, tell Vivi that Arthur says it’s time to bring in our informant, and she’ll either tell you or call for them and let it be a surprise when they arrive.” And as he said this, he was giving Mr. E a look that neither Ricky nor Shaggy would be able to make heads or tails of until later. 

“Like, okay. I can understand that. But like, that doesn’t answer my other question: like, why are you telling us all this?” Shaggy asked again.

“I’m telling you this for two reasons. The first, Ricky, is because of you.” 

“Me?”

“You take comfort in your own suffering because you think you deserve it. It makes you feel as if some wrong is being righted, when it’s not. And you’re only getting angry about it now because it’s someone else in your position, and you think you’re the only one who deserves it. I've been dealing with that exact thing for years. So... I couldn't know what I do about you without telling you about my own experiences. We may have literally just met, and I know this is going to sound stupid, cheesey, and probably cliche, but when I look at you, I see myself.”

Ricky didn’t argue. Because when he looked at Arthur, he saw the exact same thing: a reflection of his own broken soul staring right back. A young man who had known much of the same pain Ricky had - the only person in the world who understood. It was comforting, yet terrifying all at once.

“And…” Arthur added, a little embarrassed by himself, “I dunno. I guess I just… wish that back then, three years ago, I had someone to tell me that.”

There was a moment of silence between the three of them, each unsure how to proceed from here, before Ricky finally broke it. “And… what’s the other reason?” 

“Because I trust you.” Arthur said simply.  “The Mystery Skulls’ plan from the beginning has been to eventually join forces with Mystery Incorporated to help break the curse. But we haven’t because we’ve been doing our own research and testing the waters, first. We needed to learn the nature of this curse, how deeply rooted it was, and who we could trust to not be corrupted by it. I wasn’t sure before, but I am now. And me telling you all this will force Vivi, Lewis, and Mystery to tell you the rest of our secrets when we wake up. The biggest ones, anyway. Shaggy, you and your friends have earned my faith. And Ricky, I’m literally in your shoes right now. I don’t know if you’re on our side or not but I doubt you’re on theirs. Because I believe you’ve broken free of the curse’s influence. But, even after taking all that into account, after all the questions I’ve answered, I think it’s time I asked you a question, ‘Mr. E’.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Ricky asked, slightly defensive.

“Whose side are you on?” Arthur asked. “You aren’t one of them. So are you one of us?... Are you one of us?”

Then, as if the Sitting Room itself was asking the question too, the very song Arthur was quoting began to play quietly, seemingly from nowhere. 

“I said, even if I told ya,

They’ve been looking for you, we’re onto you.

Darkness is my signal. 

So what do you to me, and what do me to you?

“Are you one of us?

(Oooooh)

Are you one of us?

Tell me, are you one of us?

(Oooooh-Oooooooh!)

Said, are you one of us?”

“I am.” Ricky replied, with firm certainty. “I’m not one of them anymore, and haven’t been for a while now. I’m a former member of the original Mystery Incorporated. I don’t know where I belong now, but know that I am on your side. Arthur, Shaggy. I am one of you.” 

“Good.” Arthur said, pleased. “ I believe you. But you’ve got a lot of work to do to prove that to the others.” 

“Like, yeah. I didn’t believe you at first, but now that Arthur’s corroborated your story, I know you were telling the truth. That and like, just listening to you talk, you sound like, really sincere. But like, that doesn’t mean the others will think the same.”

“I know.” Ricky sighed. “I don’t want their forgiveness, because I don’t deserve it. But at the very least… for myself, and for Cassidy… I have to make things right.” 

“Also…” Arthur said uncomfortably, looking up at the infinite curtains for wherever that music was coming from, “This… is one of our songs, and I was quoting it a moment ago, but I swear to god I have absolutely no idea where that music is coming from.” 

“I figured.” Ricky said, trying to pretend that all of this wasn’t completely weird .

“Like, yeah. That’s kinda concerning.” Shaggy gulped. “So like, um… what now?” 

“Now… we wake up, and we team up, I guess.” Arthur shrugged. “The time has finally come.” 

“Arthur is correct. The time has come.”

The three of them turned around to see that three figures had entered the room. The first, only Shaggy and Ricky recognized at first: an apparition of a younger Ricky, back in his 'meddling kid' days. The second, an odd yet vaguely familiar little man in a red suit. And the third, a very familiar cocker spaniel. 

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Things were not quite so civil in the waking world. 

While inside Destroido, the original Mystery Incorporated remained none the wiser about Ricky (And Arthur’s) contact with the outside world, atop a hill overlooking the facility was a different story. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Scooby, Vivi, Lewis, and Mystery had all seen the exact moment Mr. E and Shaggy had simultaneously passed out, but given their differences there was quite a bit of tension on how to react to it. 

“For the last time, move out of the way!” Fred shouted angrily. 

But the Mystery Skulls refused to budge. For the past few minutes, Mystery Incorporated had been trying to get by them to check on Shaggy. But the Mystery Skulls, who knew how unstable the supernatural could be, adamantly refused to let either of them be touched.

“They could be sick. Given all the toxins around here, they could have inhaled something! They may need a hospital!” Velma argued, trying once again to rationalize what was going on.

“Velma, if that was the case, someone else here would have also fainted by now.” Vivi told her, trying to appeal to her reason. 

“I’m telling you-” 

“We’re telling you!” Lewis interjected. “Whatever made them go down probably has something to do with whatever caused them to switch bodies in the first place. For all we know, they’re swapping back!” 

“I’ve seen what happens when something interrupts a spell before.” Vivi insisted. “You have to believe us. If it’s a certain kind of magic at work and we move them when we shouldn’t, it could be extremely dangerous. Especially for them.”

“I know you’re worried about Shaggy,” Mystery insisted, “but if you care about him, you need to back down.” 

After a moment, Fred sighed and eased the tension from his shoulders. “They’re right, gang.” He sighed. 

“Fred-” Velma tried to argue, but Daphne shut her down. 

“Freddy’s right, Velma.” She said. “We don’t have the first clue about any of this, but they do. What if we touch them and end up hurting Shaggy? I wouldn’t be able to live with that!” 

“Reah.” Scooby agreed, whimpering anxiously. 

“I think they’re okay.” Mystery said, from where he was quietly observing the two unconscious figures. 

“What do you see, Mystery?” Vivi asked, sensing that the kitsune was onto something. 

“They’re… dreaming. I think. But not exactly. Their minds are elsewhere. And every now and then I see their lips move…”

“What does that mean?” Daphne asked. 

“Where are they, Mystery? Can you tell? And what are they doing?” 

Mystery scrunched his snout in concentration, listening, thinking, watching the energy move.

“Talking.” He finally replied. “I think they’re talking.”

And now you know where the fic's title comes from! 😃 As much as I love writing angst and hurt, I think I love writing the wholesome and the comfort even more. Honestly, Mr. E and Arthur have so much in common that I'm shocked I'm the first to write them meeting. These are just two characters who are absolutely perfect to help each other and it makes me so happy writing them. 😊

Chapters 1 through 10 of One of Us are currently posted on Archive of Our Own.

[zarkishere]

Dead together

i am not a writer!!! but i've had this idea stuck in my head and i don't feel like making a comic so just bear with me 😭😭 cw//character death, spoilers

Arthur, Sean, Bill and Micah walked down the road of Rhodes, talking about the Grays and the Braithwaites as they did. As they tried to make a quick buck, playing both families, they ended up being the ones getting played… Arthur looked around him, an indescribable feeling of dread filling his senses, like something bad was going to happen.

“ Hey, wait “ Arthur stopped the men walking in front of him “ This don’t feel right “ Arthur muttered. Sean turned around, gun resting on his shoulder with his usual relaxed mannerisms “ Now it don’t feel right? “ the Irishman asked “ I could’a told you that-”

Then came darkness.

Sean woke up on his cot, startled. He looked around, confused…this wasn’t Clemen’s point, it wasn’t even half as humid and hot as that place. He looked around for a bit more, blinking more than enough times to wake him up, before getting up and stretching, a killer headache rattling the poor man. He stumbled out blindly, walking out and around the tent with pure muscle memory, rubbing his eyes as he did. “ Fuckin’ ‘ell… “ He mumbled, looking around as he finally landed behind the tent…his eyes widened at the view.

It can’t be. It couldn’t.

But it was. A few camps ago, the one before Blackwater, the one that went up in flames…how? The last thing he remembered was-- “ Sean? “ A familiar voice called for him, just as confused and startled as he was.

Sean whipped his head around, meeting the mans eyes. “ …Mac? “ He asked as his eyes widened “ oh my lord! “ He chuckled, walking up to the man and hitting his shoulder playfully “ ah, you really scared me! “ He nodded, looking at the older man with a smile “ really thought you died! ‘course not, you’re tough as nails brother! “ …his smile wasn’t reciprocated, though. Instead, Mac grimaced. “ what are you doing here? “ Mac asked plainly, looking Sean up and down like he was seeing a ghost “ what? “ Sean asked, a bit confused now. Mac was the ghost, in any case… “ you shouldn’t--…you shouldn’t be here “ Mac mumbled, looking Sean up and down again, as if that'd change the fact he was there now.

Well, that was confusing…and not a proper way to greet him. They both stood in silence for a few seconds, taking in each other's image with odd looks…but every time Sean tried to think, it hurt his head worse. He was trying, he really was, but he found it made him upset…can’t be upset when you see your friend again after you thought they died, standing in…in a camp that doesn’t exist anymore and…and wait where’s Arthur and Bill and--

“ god… “ Mac broke the silence and Sean’s train of thought, groaning and pinching the bridge of his nose “ c’mon, let’s go “ He motioned for the other man to follow, turning around and starting to walk “ where we going? “ Sean asked, trying to keep up the smile as he did “ Jenny will be better at explaining “ Mac answered simply, shrugging as they walked further and toward an old run-down cabin “ Jenny’s here? “ Sean asked “ She was the first one, was alone…not for long, though “ He explained, tone turning a bit more sour by the end.

Right, of course, Jenny was…wait…no. no. no.

“ So, what’s going on ‘ere? Thought this place burnt “ Sean said with a pretty awkward chuckle as he stared at the dirt below their feet, scratching the back of his neck nervously. He couldn’t look around, couldn't think…It made goosebumps rise on his skin. “ what…? It did “ Mac scoffed, as if it was obvious “ What? “ Sean asked, a lot quieter, his steps stuttering slightly “ it burnt down “ Mac stated, impatient as always.

“ but…but then how—” Sean started, his head hurting so much he thought a bullet went right through his skull, but he was cut off by Mac “ leave the questions for Jenny, will you? “ Mac said, looking at Sean with a frown over his shoulder. “ keep them in your head for now “

Mac was trying to keep his cool, in his own way, Sean could tell…but he could also tell Mac was very rattled with the fact that he was there. He forced himself to tear his eyes from the dirt, looking at Mac again.

Mac frowned further as their eyes met, turning away. There was silence for a bit, the only noise heard was the dirt crunching under their boots, and Sean’s heartbeat going so fast he thought it’d blow up his rib cage and run away.

“ I thought you made it out “ Mac said quietly, as if reading Sean’s thoughts. Sean turned his head back to the dirt, countless thoughts running through his head.

“ I did, I got out, got captured… “ Sean hummed, thinking hard. “ Arthur saved me “ He added “ We should catch up, I’ll tell you fellas all about what we got on while you were gone “ Sean said, looking back up with a smile.

Mac stood silent for a few more seconds, opening the door to the run-down cabin they used to eat their meals in. All together, like a little family. God, this was nostalgic. “ sure “ he said “ trouble, I hope “ he added with a weak and lopsided grin. Sean’s eyes landed on Jenny and Davey, who were so into their game of dominos they didn’t even notice Mac and himself.

His head hurt like a bullet went straight through his skull…and it had.