#i’ve seen him live twice and i’m still not sure he’s real

[hyunjining]

literally the prettiest man in the universe

[shybluebirdninja]

Swipe Right, Bub

Summary: Logan’s usually tough persona crumbles when he gets nervous before your Tinder date, and it’s clear he has no idea how dating apps work.

Pairing             : Mutant!Logan Howlett x Human!Fem-reader Genre              : Fluff

Logan wasn’t sure how the hell he ended up here. Sitting at a bar, staring at his phone like it was about to explode, waiting for a Tinder date. Tinder. He hated that damn app. The whole swiping thing made him feel like an idiot. And the fact he’d even gotten matched? Probably a glitch.

But here he was, in a flannel that was definitely not “date night material” and boots that still had a bit of mud on them. Real smooth.

When the door swung open, you stepped in, scanning the room for him. Logan straightened up like he’d just been caught doing something illegal, but when your eyes landed on him, you smiled. Shit, he thought, she’s way outta my league. You were looking real nice—too nice for someone like him who smelled like cigars and had seen more fights than anyone should in ten lifetimes.

You waved, walking over, and Logan fought the urge to bolt out of the bar. This was stupid. He wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing.

“Hey, Logan, right?” you asked, sliding onto the stool next to him.

“Uh, yeah. That’s me,” he muttered, already fidgeting with the label on his beer bottle like it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the room.

The awkward silence stretched for a beat, and Logan could feel the sweat gathering under his collar. You looked way too comfortable, like you were doing this for fun while he was sitting there trying not to screw up everything.

“First Tinder date?” you asked, clearly amused by his discomfort.

Logan let out a low grunt. “Somethin’ like that. Ain’t exactly my thing.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured.” You grinned, leaning in a bit. “You look like the type who’d smash his phone before swiping right.”

“Almost did,” Logan admitted, running a hand through his wild hair. “Had to get the damn app downloaded twice ‘cause I broke the first phone.”

You laughed—like, full-on laughed—and Logan couldn’t help but smirk a little. At least you weren’t bored.

“So,” you started, leaning on the bar, “you’re, uh, not big on technology then?”

Logan shook his head, his fingers tapping the bar in some anxious rhythm. “Last time I trusted somethin’ mechanical, it was trying to kill me. Ain’t a fan.”

“That sounds... dramatic.”

“You’d be surprised.” He took a swig of his beer, trying to calm down the stupid fluttering in his chest. Was he… nervous? He’d fought in wars, been stabbed more times than he could count, but a simple date was making him sweat like a rookie.

You started chatting, talking about your job, your hobbies, how weird the whole dating app scene was. Logan didn’t say much, but honestly, he didn’t mind. You were easy to listen to. You weren’t pushy, not asking him a ton of questions, and it was nice.

But you noticed after a while, because of course you did. “Oh god, I’m just talking your ear off, aren’t I?” you said, looking a little embarrassed. “I haven’t even asked anything about you.”

Logan just shrugged, trying to act casual. “Don’t mind listenin’. You’re good at it.”

Shit, did that sound creepy? He cleared his throat, hoping you didn’t think he was being weird.

“You sure? I mean, you probably have way more interesting stories than I do. You seem like the type who’s lived a pretty wild life,” you teased, sipping your drink.

Logan gave a small, gruff chuckle. “Yeah, you could say that.” He didn’t exactly want to drop the “I’ve lived for over a century and fought in every war imaginable” bomb. Not the best first date conversation.

But you just smiled, completely oblivious to his internal struggle. “Well, next round, it’s your turn to talk. Fair’s fair, right?”

“Yeah… maybe,” he muttered, looking away. He wasn’t great at the whole “opening up” thing. He’d rather let you ramble about your dog or how you almost burned your apartment down trying to make pasta. That was easy stuff.

You reached out, patting his arm, and Logan stiffened like he’d just been hit with a stun gun.

“Don’t worry,” you said, with that killer smile of yours. “I’m not gonna grill you. But if you ever wanna share any of those stories, I’m all ears.”

Logan tried to play it cool, but the second you touched his arm, his brain short-circuited. Smooth, real smooth, he thought, glaring at his beer like it was to blame for how awkward he was being.

Just then, your phone buzzed, and you glanced down at it, frowning. “Ah, crap, sorry, work’s calling. Gotta run,” you said, standing up. Logan’s heart sank a little. The night was over, and he hadn’t even gotten a chance to not screw things up.

But then, out of nowhere, you leaned down and kissed his cheek. And just like that, the Wolverine—the guy who had metal claws and could heal from a damn nuclear bomb—blushed. Full-on, red-faced, no-way-to-hide-it blushed.

“I had a great time,” you said softly. “Maybe we can do this again?”

Logan, caught completely off guard, could barely form a coherent thought. “Uh, yeah. Sure. If you, uh, want. I mean, yeah. Definitely. Next time.”

You smiled, amused at his sudden inability to speak, and gave a little wave. “Cool. I’ll text you.”

Logan watched you leave, still sitting there, his face burning, his heart doing things it hadn’t done in decades. He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face as he muttered to himself, “Holy shit, she’s gonna text me.”

[oizysian]

Hi, i have a request for you.

I was thinking about yn and Wanda being nat's ex. Even if Nat was in a relationship she doesn't commit to that person so it's obvious that she cheated on them.

The thing is they didn't know each other, yn knew pietro but didn't know about his twin, so when he introduced them, yn when she talked to Nat about previous relationship, Nat said Wanda's name so when they were alone, she has to ask about Nat and if she knew her, of course she did and they talked about her, about everything she did, etc..

From that day, they kept texting and having calls, and they went on a date. You know, the thing is being someone's ex and having something good from that experience.

Sorry if I explain bad the idea.

Home | Wanda Maximoff

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader, past Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader, past Natasha Romanoff x Wanda Maximoff

Warnings: talks of past cheating, drinking

Word count: 1.7k

•

“You gotta move on, Y/N.”

“Yeah, I know, Piet.”

“You keep saying that, but you’re still here moping.” He plopped down on the couch next to me. “Why don’t you come to my place tonight? We can have a real boys night.” I raised my eyebrow at him and he smiled.

“A boys night?”

“A gender neutral night. My sister is also visiting from Sokovia, so you can finally meet her.”

“It’ll be nice to put a face with all the good things you’ve told me about her.”

“Yeah, Wanda’s great. You’ll love her.”

I forgot his sister's name was Wanda. Natasha mentioned a Wanda once or twice before. Was it the same girl?

“I’m sure I will.”I paused, gathering my thoughts before speaking again. “Did … does Wanda know Natasha?”

“Everyone knows Natasha.” He rolled his eyes. “I told you not to get involved with her.”

“I know, you’ve told me hundreds of times and I never listened.”

“You never listened.” He agreed. “Now let’s get you ready for gender neutral night.”

•

Pietro was attempting to fix his stereo when the doorbell rang.

“Can you get it? It’s Wanda.”

“Sure.” I replied, getting up from the couch with my beer and heading to the front door.

I opened it to reveal a beautiful - no - gorgeous girl with brown hair, dark makeup and clothes and tons of rings adorning her fingers.

“H-Hi.” I stuttered and she smiled. I was completely captivated by her.

“Hello. You must be Y/N.” Her voice was smooth like chocolate and her accent thick.

“I am. You’re Wanda.”

“I am.” Her accent was much thicker than Pietro’s, probably because she still resided in Sokovia.

“Come in.” I moved to the side and let her enter, closing the door behind her.

“Sis!” Pietro called out, finally giving up with his ancient, broken stereo and coming to meet his sister at the door.

“Piet!” She greeted him back, throwing her arms around his neck in a crushing hug.

I watched them silently, nervous that I was intruding on a private moment considering he hadn’t seen his sister in quite a few months. They parted, excitedly looking at each other before he turned his attention to me.

“I see you already met Y/N.” We nodded in unison. “She’s my best friend, you know.” He said to Wanda and she looked me over quickly.

“I know. I’ve heard a lot about you, Y/N.”

“All good I hope!” I chirped and she smiled.

“Same to you about whatever lies he’s told you about me.”

“No lies!” He threw his hands up in surrender. “When do I lie?”

“When you’re trying to bed a new girl.” She quipped and he shrugged.

“Okay, you got me there.” He gestured to her with his hands. “Come in, come in! Grab a beer, I’m just getting the music working.”

“Do you still have that old stereo we had back when you still lived in Sokovia?”

“Of course!” He said as we walked into the living room, returning to his spot in front of the stereo and tinkering with it again. “This thing has got me through some rough times.”

“Hm, many nights we stayed up late listening to your stolen CD’s.”

“Stolen?” I raised an eyebrow at him and he smiled cheekily.

“I prefer the term ‘borrowed.’”

She nodded and I sipped at my beer. Realizing she didn’t have a drink in hand, I made a gesture to the kitchen.

“Would you like a drink? I can get you one.”

“Sure.”

I smiled and turned to retrieve a beer for Wanda. In the kitchen, I went into the fridge and grabbed three drinks, knowing Pietro and I would need a new one soon, and returned to the twins with fresh beers in hand.

“Here you go.” I offered one to Wanda and she took it, popping off the top with ease and taking a gulp. “Definitely your sister.” I laughed, handing Pietro his fresh drink.

“She gets some things from me.”

“Nothing good.”

They tipped their bottles at each other and laughed. Wanda and I took a seat on the couch and watched as Pietro worked on his ancient piece of technology.

I bit my lip in thought, wondering if I should bring up Natasha. It had been bugging me all day that Wanda might’ve been the Wanda Nat spoke about, and I just had to know if she treated Wanda as poorly as she did me.

“So, Wanda,” I said a bit nervously, shifting my beer from my left hand to my right. “When was the last time you were here?”

“About two years ago.” She said casually, sipping her drink. “Went through a nasty breakup and headed back to Sokovia to recover.”

“I told you both to stay away from that Natasha!” He yelled over his shoulder. “Nobody ever listens to me.”

“You dated Natasha too?” She asked and I nodded.

“Yeah, we, uh, actually just broke up. Like, yesterday.”

“I am not surprised. Natasha has problems with commitment.”

“You’re telling me.” I took a gulp of my beer. “But, she has no problem finding other women to commit to for a night.”

“Same old Natasha.”

Wanda and I spoke as Pietro tried getting the music working, realizing we had a lot in common - other than the fact that we both got burned by Natasha.

By the end of the night, we had exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch and hang out while she was still in town.

She messaged me the next morning asking if I wanted to go out for breakfast, and I accepted. After that, we spent nearly every day of her time here together, with and without Pietro in tow.

When she finally returned to Sokovia, I was pretty depressed, but I tried not to show it. Pietro read me like a book, knowing almost instantly that I had a crush on his baby sister.

“It’s not like that.” I protested, but he just laughed at me.

“Yeah, and I bedded the Queen of England.”

I gave him a look and he smiled. Of course he had to go and be a smart ass. I looked down at my hands folded in my lap, twisting the lone ring on my pointer finger. Why did he have to be right about Wanda? I had just gotten out of a rough relationship with Natasha - I didn’t want to hurt Wanda by rushing into things. I wasn’t even sure if she felt the same.

“She’s … she’s special.” I spoke softly, still not looking up at him. “I don’t know, Piet, I just …”

“I get it, Y/N. You’re scared.” He sat down next to me. “Normally, I wouldn’t encourage someone to date my sister, but you're my closest friend. I know you won’t hurt her. And I know she won’t hurt you.”

I looked up at him, surprised at his words. Did he really not mind me possibly being with his sister?

“Don’t get it twisted,” he said with a chuckle. “I don’t want to hear about you sleeping with her.” He made a face. “But, I do want you both to be happy.”

I played with my fingers nervously, nodding. I was happy to have his blessing, but I still was unsure. Wanda and I had been talking for a few weeks now, even video calling each other after she left for Sokovia, but I was truly afraid of hurting her the way Natasha hurt me. Not that I would ever cheat on her, but I was just unreasonably scared.

“Talk to her about it.” It was almost as if he read my mind. “She’ll understand if you just communicate with her.”

Agreeing with him, I pulled out my phone and messaged Wanda that I needed to talk to her about something and she almost instantly called me.

“Y/N, what’s wrong?”

“Wanda.” I said, happy to hear her voice. “Nothing. I just … I wanted to talk.”

Pietro gave me a nod and left the room, giving me space and privacy to talk to Wanda.

“What about?”

“Us.” That was the extent of my bravery. The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable but I was very nervous and it made me feel uneasy.

“What about us?”

“We … I mean, we’ve been talking and I feel like we’re getting … close. I just … I wanted to …”

“Y/N,” she said softly. “I agree with you, we have been getting close.” I held my breath. “And I’m so happy about that. I really like you.”

“I like you too, Wanda.” I admitted bashfully. “I’m just … afraid.”

“Afraid of what, detka?” She asked and I blushed at her using a pet name for me.

“Afraid of hurting you.” I whispered into the phone. “Natasha … she …”

“I know.” She said quietly. “I know what she did. But, you are nothing like her. I trust you. I know you won’t do anything to hurt me.”

I was silent for a moment. She was able to quell my fears with just a few words. She knew exactly what I was afraid of without me even having to tell her.

“When are you coming back to New York?” I questioned breathlessly and I heard her chuckle softly.

“Well, I wanted it to be a surprise, but I was planning to come in next week.”

I perked up instantly, smiling like a lovesick teen.

“So, I’ll see you soon.”

“You will.”

•

When Wanda’s plane finally landed from Sokovia to New York, I was there waiting for her at the airport to surprise her. Pietro was supposed to pick her up originally, but we had arranged it so that I would be the one to meet her.

When she saw me, she ran into my arms, dropping her bags and wrapping her arms around my neck tight.

“I missed you so much.” She breathed against my neck and I squeezed my eyes shut to prevent the happy tears from falling.

“I missed you too.”

She pulled away from me, her hands still on my shoulders and looked into my watery eyes, her own glistening with unshed tears as well.

“I’m so happy you’re here.” I said, my gaze falling to her lips.

“Me too.”

For a brief moment, I hesitated, but from the look in her eyes and the force pulling us together, we closed the distance between us. I never felt such fire until this moment.

Her lips were soft and she tasted like strawberries. I held her close, savoring the feel and taste of her.

She was home.

[outermaybanks]

Blood of the Damned - 1 - hellfire

demigod!rafe x demigod!reader a/n: this part is just establishing the story. disclaimer that this is inspired by PJO, I changed some things and the main characters in the real PJO are not present in this AU

 You didn’t mean to kill him. You were mad, sure. But you didn’t mean for any of it to happen. 

“What do you mean you have to go?” your boyfriend, Daniel, asked as he watched you pack from your bed.“I’ve stayed here too long. I just have to go, alright? Are you coming or staying?” you were blunt, but still vague. You couldn’t exactly tell your boyfriend of six months that your whole life you had been haunted by the ghost of your mother, and she gave you warnings of danger. You would’ve sounded crazy. 

“Stayed here too long… that’s called settling down, and it’s an okay thing to do. Will you- Will you just stop and talk to me?” “You’re not listening to me! I can’t stay here, okay? I just can’t, you have to trust me, and if you can’t, well- it doesn’t matter because I’m going.”“I think we both know what’s happening here, y/n.”Something about his tone was already getting you angry. “Yeah? Well, you’re the expert. Tell me what’s happening right now.”“You’ve lived… in a million different places, but you’re only 18. You’re clearly running from something, what, commitment?”You were in utter disbelief, but only because he had you in the first half, you were running from something, but you were dumbfounded when he landed on commitment being the issue. His comment was so idiotic, you had paused your packing.

“Are you stupid, or just dumb? If commitment was the issue, why would I ask if you’re coming with me, and pack right in front of you?” you asked as you resumed your packing. Admittedly, you always had a bit of a temper, and that temper always had consequences. 

“Y/n, you can’t possibly expect to make it in this world running away from everything that scares you.”

Now you were angry. This… man who had no idea the shit you had been through, no idea just how strong you were to survive all you’d been through, thought he had any type of superiority over you, to tell you what you could and couldn’t do. A man who didn’t even know your real last name?

The next thing you knew, you were standing outside your shitty apartment, while a man in an ambulance tried talking to you. “Ma’am, are you okay? Are you hurt? Did you get burned?”

No. Of course not. The fire never touched you.

“I think she’s in shock,” the man said to another person, but you were staring straight ahead, trying to remember how it happened.

Your phone started ringing, snapping you from your thoughts, only one other person had this number: your father. 

“Hello?” you asked softly, and you could make out noises of annoyance from the ambulance worker. “Y/n? What happened?” He always knew. You didn’t know how, but he did.

Now that you thought of it, there was a lot you didn’t know. It had always seemed normal to you because it was just the way things had always been, but now it was getting worse; you had killed someone.

“I don’t know…” you mumbled. “Do I need to send someone?”

That was always your father’s solution. Send someone, someone you had never met, to take you somewhere new. It was never the same person twice. You considered telling him yes, just for the simplicity of it, you needed to go, now more than ever, and they would take you. But as you sat in the back of the ambulance, you noticed someone, a girl, staring from across the street. 

You had seen her before. And to think of it, the last time you saw her was just before the ghost of your mother appeared with her warning. And now, after everything Daniel said, now you were curious.

What were you running from?

“No. I can handle it.” “Six months was pushing it. You’ll have to go further this time.” “I know, dad.”

Then the line went dead. The girl was still across the street, staring at you. She had crutches, but she always had crutches. 

“The girl we pulled from the fire is right over here.” You turned your head quickly, to see the man from the ambulance talking to a police officer, but when you turned your head back, the girl was gone. “Ma’am, we have a few questions for you,” a male police officer said, adjusting his hat.

Your dad’s famous words echoed in your mind: Not safe.

“Questions?” “Well, it’s odd. We can’t find the source of the fire. It didn’t reach any of the other apartments, and the only one hurt was, well…”

Daniel.

“There you are, Ramona! I was so worried when I got your call!” Before you could even fully turn around, a pair of arms were wrapped around you. It was the girl with the crutches. “You, uh, know this woman?” The officer asked after a beat of silence. “We work together, c’mon, you’re staying with me until they fix your apartment,” she said, still hugging you, but you didn’t know what to do; you didn’t know this girl. “You need to come with me. I know what you are,” she whispered in your ear before finally pulling back. “Please, Officer, uh, Farley, she’s been through a lot, can we come to the station tomorrow to answer questions?” The officer cleared his throat. “You know where it is?” “Yes, right off of 23rd and Jefferson, thank you, we’ll be there tomorrow morning,” she promised before carefully looping her arms with yours, readjusting her crutch.

You followed the girl a few blocks before pulling your arm from her. “What the hell is going on? Why did you call me Ramona? Why do I keep seeing you?”

“My name is Suri, I’ve been watching you for a while. It’s my job to get you there safely, you need to come with me.”

Not safe.

“Where?” “I can’t talk about it here.” You actually let out a laugh, “And you expect me to go with you, a stranger? No fucking way-” “Your real name is y/n y/l/n, your mother died of unknown causes when you were 9, you’ve been on the run ever since.” Your face screwed up in confusion. “H-How do you know that?” “Because it’s my job to know, to keep you safe. I can explain it all when we get there. Don’t you want to know what you are? Why these things happen to you?”

More than anything you wanted to know why these things happened to you. Why strange people would follow you, why you constantly had to move, why you had been in contact with your father your whole life, but you couldn’t describe what he looks like. 

“Okay.”

Suri took you to the bus station, you had been currently staying in Massachusetts, but Suri bought two greyhound tickets to New York, and after the greyhound, you took a train, two more busses and finally a taxi, but Suri told them to pull over in the middle of nowhere, a forest.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” The taxi driver asked. “I’m sure. Thank you,” Suri replied, carefully getting out with her crutches. You had come this far, if this was really the end of it, you could handle a trek through the woods. Besides, something told you you could take Suri in a fight if she tried anything. 

You followed Suri into the woods, looking around for any sign that this was a bad idea. “I know this whole thing must be weird,” Suri said suddenly. “But… I mean, is it any weirder than the other stuff that’s happened to you?” She had a good point. 

The rest of your walk was silent, until you reached two huge columns with an arch that read Camp Half-Blood. “Half Blood? What the hell is a half blood? And why did you bring me to a camp?” “They’ll explain once we get to it, c’mon.”

At this point you were intrigued, so you followed. Once you were past the columns, a huge cleared place came into sights, and from the hill you stood on, you could see almost all of it, cabins, a huge lake, people walking around, fencing. “Chiron has been waiting for you for a long time. I smelled you years ago, back in Chicago, I’ve been following you ever since,” Suri explained as she dropped her crutches, your eyes widened as she dropped her pants, and two furry legs that ended in hooves appeared. “What the hell-” “Oh, right, maybe I shouldn’t have done that yet. I’m a faun. Half human, half goat. Ish.” “Ish???” you questioned. But before you could question her further, a man, no- half a man, the top half was man, the rest was horse, came towards you. “Suri, is this-” “Y/n y/l/n, originally hailing from Wichita, Kansas, yes, I finally found her.” “I’m dead. I’m dead and this is all just funky shit my brain is coming up with…” you tried to reason with yourself, the horse man laughed.

“Y/n, I know this is a lot to take in, Suri has been tracking you for almost six years now. I can explain everything, come with me.”

What other choice did you really have?

You walked beside the horse man as he lead you down the hill into the camp, you got a closer look at the people here, 90% looked normal, like you, regular, full humans. And they all seemed used to the appearance of the half human half animal creatures, because they all just waved to him.

“My name is Chiron, I’m a centaur. I’m also the activities director for Camp Half-Blood,” Chiron explained as you two walked towards a big white building. “And Half-Blood refers to…?” “Half gods, demigods. Children born from affairs between humans and Gods.” “Gods?” “The ancient Greek Gods to be specific. Gods like to take, how should I say, vacations down to Earth, and usually, they meet a human and, uh, procreate.”

You were silent as you took it in, but you already decided it was insane, AND impossible. You knew both your parents. But you followed Chiron into the house despite this, maybe it was all a joke, and he was about to explain what you were really doing here.

Chiron lead you into a big room, and watched with your own eyes as his horse legs folded into themselves, and magically became a wheelchair. “Makes it easier in the house. Come, sit, we have much to discuss.”

Now you knew you were going insane.

“Mr. D!” Chiron shouted as he picked up a clipboard. You heard a loud sigh before another man entered the room. “What is it, Chiron? I was trying to nap.” “New camper.” “Oh, awesome,” Mr. D replied sarcastically as he came to sit in a chair beside Chiron. “Um, I think there’s been a mistake. I’m not a-a-a half-blood,” you tried to explain. “We don’t make mistakes here, young lady,” Mr. D said, obviously annoyed. “I can’t be, uh, a child of the Gods. I know both my parents.”

Chiron’s head snapped up from his clipboard, looking at you puzzlingly. He looked back to the clipboard, lifting the pages. “Suri’s report includes the death of your mother, Penelope y/l/n?” “Yes, but I know who my father is.” Mr. D rolled his eyes, while Chiron put the clipboard down. “Then please, by all means, enlighten us. Who is your father?” “I- uh, it’s hard to explain.” “Try us,” Mr. D snapped.

You reached into your back pocket, pulling out your flip phone. “My mom gave me this when I was little. It only had one number in it, labeled Father, he calls me… I just call him dad. Mom said he works far away, always traveling…” Chiron nodded. “So you can call him then? To pick you up?” “He calls me mostly, I mean, I could try, sometimes he answers. But he’d send a car if I got a hold of him.” “Hm. Your father seems like a powerful man… Surely, he could have taken you in when your mother died.”

Your jaw clenched, but you tried to maintain your anger, you weren’t eager to start another fire. But he was right. Why hadn’t your father taken you in? “Well, it’s not like he left me on the street. He paid for me to live in hotels, apartments, paid for chaperones and drivers to take me to new places when I stayed too long-” “And, why couldn’t you stay too long?”

This man was calling all your bluffs. Questioning the same exact things you long wondered for yourself, but it was fine when you questioned them, it was a whole other thing for others to question it.

But as if by some miracle, the phone began to ring in your hand. “See? I’m not making it up,” you held the phone out to show the caller ID: Father. You quickly opened the phone, “Hello?” “Hand the phone to Chiron.”

It took you by surprise. How did your father know you were here? How did he know Chiron’s name?

Hesitantly, you pulled the phone away from your ear, and held it out. “He wants to talk to you.” Chiron’s eyebrows raised as he took the phone from you, and put it up to his ear.

“Hello, Chiron speaking,” he said, and almost immediately Chiron’s eyes widened. “You? Yes… Yes I understand that… You should know the rules better than I… I promise she is safe here… Yes… Mmhm… Okay.” Chiron hung up the phone and handed it back to you.

“Wh-What did he say?” “He said you were never supposed to come here, but that isn’t up to Hades I’m afraid.” “Hades? Wait wait, are you trying to tell me Hades, grim reaper, ruler of the underworld, river styx Hades is my father?” “I was surprised to hear his voice as well, but it’s the truth. Suri brought you here after a fire in your apartment? Tell me, how was the fire started?”

You were silent.

“That’s one of your father’s gifts. Fire, hellfire… If you had been here, where you were supposed to be, you would have learned to control it by now. You see… your father has a wife, and usually… he’s very loyal to her. He probably kept you hidden so she wouldn’t find out about his infidelity.” 

You felt a surge of emotions, complicated emotions. “That… This is all a prank right? Or I’m dreaming, this isn’t real.” “You are wide awake, y/n. It’ll take some getting used to, we’ll have one of our head counselors give you a tour, explain things. It might be easier to hear the truth from someone who’s been in your shoes… Come with me, Mr. D, I trust you’ll get started on the paperwork?” “Whatever.” “Okay, let’s go. I have the perfect camper in mind.”

You followed Chiron outside, still in his wheelchair. This time, when you looked around, you took it in with a new perspective. All these kids had had weird lives, like you. “Pope! Pope, would you please come over here please?” Chiron shouted as he stopped nearby a group of archers. “Archers, rest!” A boy, apparently Pope, called, raising his fist in the air before running over. “Hey Chiron… New camper?” “This is y/n y/l/n, daughter of Hades.”

Pope’s eyes widened as he looked at you. “Y/n, this is Pope Heyward, son of Athena.” “It’s a pleasure, y/n,” Pope said, sticking his hand out. You hesitated, but then shook it. “I want you to give her the tour, explain things. She’s, uh, had a bit of a rough start.” “Of course, sir. Will she be staying in Hermes cabin?” “Why would I stay in Hermes Cabin if Hades is my dad?” you asked. Pope and Chiron exchanged looks. “Well, um. We don’t have a Hades cabin. He’s never claimed a child before,” Pope explained. “She’ll stay in her uncle’s cabin. I’m sure JJ won’t mind the company until we can build a new cabin.” 

“Yes sir. I’ll show her around,” Pope said. Chiron gave him a nod then looked at you one more time. “You’ll like it here, y/n. No more running.”

[shipcestuous-two]

Fallout (spoilers!)

@bourbonthesecond: The new Fallout show has canon incest. The lead has been fooling around with her cousin but breaks it off for an arranged marriage. It's apparently enough of a feature in Vault life that they have laws against it but it seems to be fairly culturally accepted. He's heartbroken and rebounds with her best friend.

Anon:  I imagine you must have gotten a number of asks about this by now but!! I just watched the Fallout show with my partners and I'm not over the canonical cousin-incest that takes place in Vault 33 lmao. Episode 1 has characters casually talking about fooling around with their cousins as kids (before moving on to "real" relationships for the sake of procreation), and the protagonist's cousin is openly in love with her. She turns him down, but to me they felt like that had more chemistry than she did with her actual love interest lol.

I really enjoyed Fallout (a couple things about it make me scratch my head but I enjoyed the ride either way) and I’ve seen it twice now. 

It’s clear that, at least in Vault 33, fooling around with your cousin is no big deal. I’m not familiar with the games, so help me out here if you know for sure, but the vaults seem to have 100-200 people if they’re full. While I can see how that would lend itself to cousins fooling around, from lack of selection, it’s also not like there wasn’t anyone else she could be with. 

Lucy states that her reproductive organs are intact and she maintains good hygiene, but she hasn’t been able to find a suitable marriage partner in their vault. 

So, except for Chet being her cousin, and she agrees that cousins shouldn’t have children together, she considers him a suitable marriage partner. (Given their limited gene pool, cousins really shouldn’t be having children together in that context, probably. But how long before they’re all cousins anyway? Maybe it’s a pointless delaying of the inevitable.)

She tells her friend Steph that after ten years of “cousin stuff”, she’s ready for the real thing. It’s unclear if she and Chet were having sex, it kind of sounds like they weren’t doing the kind of stuff that could have gotten her pregnant. But ten years! That’s a long time. 

This whole thing was a little strange, because it’s played for laughs, but there’s just a little more to it than that. Chet is in love with Lucy, it wasn’t just fooling around for him. And Lucy says that everyone knows he’s in love with her. No one cares about that either, but they all follow the rule that she and Chet can’t marry. So that was interesting point #1. Interesting point #2 is that Chet is one of the main characters in the Vault 33. He’s secondary character overall. He could have easily just been a throw away character never mentioned again. Interesting point #3 is that Chet being in love with Lucy gets mentioned again, a couple of episodes later. In a rather sad way, when Norm suggests that Chet came with him to investigate Vault 32 because he’s still in love with Lucy and being with Norm reminds him of Lucy. It’s like, ok, make me cry. Why is this so sad!

While it isn’t discussed explicitly after that, it’s pretty clear that Chet isn’t happy with Steph. For more than one reason, but probably mainly because he’s still in love with Lucy. 

I assume, given the circumstances, that Chet is the maternal cousin of Lucy and Norm. While Chet and Norm spent quite a few scenes together, I didn’t like that they never referenced that they were cousins, too. This is a tangent, but when Chet was sent to live in Vault 32, Norm called him a coward instead of being like, “Bye, Cousin. I’ll miss you!” But I think he was just bad at showing that he felt abandoned and that now he would be alone with all of his questions. But what I’m really getting at is that Norm had lost his mother, his father, and Lucy, and then his cousin gets sent to live in the other vault and they’ll only see each other every three years, if even. 

I also wanted to note that Norm calls Chet a coward, which was really hypocritical since we know Norm feels guilty about hiding during the big fight, but which also isn’t fair because when Lucy wanted to go to the surface, Chet wanted to go with her and she had to drug him to stop him. 

I really can’t believe that the show has a tortured canon cousins relationship, with sympathetic unrequited love and the two of them forbidden from marrying. 

While of course Lucy has a canon love interest on the surface and likely won’t be back to Vault 33 anytime soon, it is kind of fun that her arranged marriage, her “real thing” ended up being a man who tried to kill her. It’s like, Chet is looking pretty good right now, isn’t he? 

[jeannefostergoriot]

Hello guys! I have a new analysis.

The Other POV x Fitz Vacker and Sokeefe.

Yes, Fitz again… Sorry?

“You said you saw her last night, somewhere walking down Main Street”: the moment in the Inquisition when Fitz said Keefe’s name and Sophie’s mind became a boiling sun. Just his name. And she’s troubled.

“and you were surprised that she’s back in town after everything.”: cause yeah, finding Keefe, again and again, after him betraying first then simply escaping, Sophie is surprised. He still comes back.

“Go on, pretend you’re fine, but it’s obvious to me”: all the moments where Sophie felt *something* towards Keefe and denied it, but Fitz always knew his best friend was a confident. It’s obvious to him, even if Sophie pretends there’s nothing.

“I know that she’s the reason why your mind’s changing”: *keuf* emotional cheating of Legacy. The fact that Keefe was there, maybe it’s a part of why Sophitz was so frail. That’s what Fitz thinks at least.

“Guess it was my mistake, got in the way of fate”: Empaths and Telepaths are often matched together. Keefe always made her smile. Sure, Fitz brought her here, but… maybe that’s for the best?

“This is the part I hate”: when Sokeefe kissed and Fitz reaction was hurt. When he realized pieces were falling into place. Without him.

“I’ve seen this movie once or twice, the girl regret losing the guy who thinks he’s moved on but he’s not”: for the amount of times Sokeefe tried to go separate ways. For the fact that, as long as Keefe’s not here, she’s always regretting his presence and thinking of him.

“Everyone sees through his facade”: Tam-Cam, Ro, how it was obvious that Keefe loved Sophie. Except to her.

“And so she’ll call and ask to meet, and you’ll forget all about me”: Fitz’ fear to be erased from the narrative, as so many of their friends were. Cause now, Sokeefe is real, and he’s just… an ex. Sure, Cognates, but it’s not the same when she has a boyfriend.

“She was always who you’d choose, I’m just the other point of view”: That could be to Shannon actually. But it’s to Sophie, too. Cause from the start of the series, Sophitz was clashing. The match in Physical Education.

“I always knew I’d be second-best at best”: that is Fitz’ crippling fear, being not enough and getting replaced.

“I always knew she left a big, gaping hole in your chest”: cause there are full weeks where they do not talk, and she’s trying to contact Keefe, and Fitz knows it is hard for her to see him away.

“I always knew about the clothes of hers you kept”: not clothes but Sophie treasures every drawing, and the way Keefe paints Iggy has to stay. So she has memories.

“I always knew that it’d be you two in the end”: maybe not always. But I think that at one point, Fitz did realize that Sokeefe would happen. And before the Inquisition.

“I guess the joke’s on me, stripped of my dignity”: the way he’s blamed for everything, every reaction, and has to hold it together.

“Oh what a sad story…” : yup, Fitz definitely lives in a tragedy. For everything. His world collapsing, his name trashed by his brother’s betrayal, his love story crumbling from the start.

“I’ve seen this movie once or twice, someone gets broken in goodbye”: maybe he saw that happen, not yet fully understanding, when he was in the Forbidden Cities. But mainly. He knows they can’t all escape unscathed, he saw what happened to his sister, he knows the broken heart will be his, cause it always has been as a grew up away.

“Everybody else moves along, don’t even notice that she’s gone”: erm. Fitz Cognate Card stopped working in Stellarlune. Fitz isn’t there. Do we notice? Not much, sadly.

“If that’s my destined role in this, then I already know who wins”: The second they broke up with Sophie, he knew who would win. That, one day or another, Sokeefe would come. Don’t ease the thing, though.

“I was never meant to win your heart”, no just to bring you there, he’s just the passageway.

“I was counted out from the very start”: Exile, first moment where he goes out. Where he screams.

“Really never meant to be such an intruder, if you would’ve been honest I would’ve left sooner”: this is Fitz-like to wonder for hours and hours and hours if she ever truly loved him. He lost sleep over this. He didn’t want to hurt Sophie. Never.

“Living in a story that’s not told for me”: yeah KOTLC ain’t about Fitz. It’s barely anyone, but now… he’s out.

“I’m not the happy ending that they wanna see”: the fact that the fandom mostly shipped Sokeefe for a very, very long time. There were a few Sophitz shippers, but let’s not lie, it was minority. Or way less vocal.

“I’m just the villain built to come between you two”: the portrait of him as bad, rage-filled and fueled, dangerous. He tries not to see this too, but he almost killed his brother. So he thinks, maybe he’s truly a villain, built to antagonize everything, and to be hated…

“I’m just the other point of view”: he’s just the door to another way. Nothing anymore.

[w3bghost]

I think dazais character is truly morally gray, what ‘morally gray’ characters we often see in fiction are characters we conveniently label “morally gray” don’t even deserve the title they’re just good people who had done a few bad things, or bad people who had done a few good things but Dazai is truly in the middle, he has done to meany good things to be bad but to meany bad things to be good, I mean he’s abusive ruthless and won’t think twice to manipulate others and made a living hell for Akutagawa but he also saved atsushi from himself giving him a home when no one else could accept him, this isn’t enough to forgive him of course but it still proves he isn’t a fully bad person Most morally gray characters tend to switch back and forth between two sides, right? Lots of writers depict them doing kind things more often while on the “good side”, and doing cruel actions more often while on the “bad side”. But that's not the case with Dazai. Dark Era Dazai was terrifying - he shot innocent people, manipulated his subordinates, abused people, and many more. But he was still good, in his own way. He helped Chuuya cut ties with the Sheep, who were obviously using him for his powerful ability, despite having only met him for a day. He genuinely cared for Odasaku, willing to risk his own life to save his friend. In the ADA, he seemed more compassionate. He gave Atsushi a home and cared for all the members of the ADA. But although it’s subtle, he was still evil. It’s more obvious in the manga - since the anime tends to focus on his humor and suicidal tendencies more.

For example

Yes, Dazai didn’t directly abuse Aku anymore after being in the ADA. But if he was truly a good person, he wouldn’t have taken advantage of Aku’s emotions, thinking that he had every right to control him. He would have acknowledged Aku and sincerely apologized for abusing him. 

You can’t deny Dazai doesn’t have a trace of his PM tendencies left in him even after being in the ADA

That’s the depth about Dazai’s gray morality - no matter which side he’s on, he'd always do an equal amount of good and bad things. I’ve seen lots of people think that Dazai underwent his "redemption arc” in the Dark Era, when Oda died, just because Dark Era and ADA him are opposites. But now that I think of it, his moralities never even changed. He never had a redemption arc. His way of viewing people and the world are still more or less the same. The only reason Dark Era and ADA Dazai are different is because he changed his mannerisms, and obtained more will to live. “Oh, then why did he join the agency?” Because he wanted to honor his best friend’s dying wish. He still doesn’t care about “good” or “bad”. Even Oda knew this - that’s why he said this line to Dazai: “neither good nor evil means much to you, I know” I’d like to believe that a part of Dazai's kind actions are genuine, but you cannot tell me that this man, who didn’t give a fuck about shooting innocent people, is unconditionally kind all the time. We can never guess what’s going on in his head, but I’m sure that he sometimes puts up a facade of being kind, in hopes that one day, it’ll become real. Now, you’ll notice that most morally gray characters undergo a meaningful redemption arc before joining the good guys - which implies that the writers think only post-redemption them belonged in the good side - that pre-redemption them will never be able to become “good”. but Dazai? He joined the agency without undergoing a redemption arc and still passed the entrance exam. What does this mean? From the start, Dazai already had the potential of becoming both "good" and "evil". He would have fit in either organizations perfectly. Mori just happened to find him first. It’s just the matter of timing. 

[chromeknickers]

Tahno

His memory of last night is a blur of alcohol and smoke and the double-syllable caw of his name being bleated in his ear by some girl whose name he cannot recall, and who has yet to leave his bed. The morning light—if it is indeed morning—filters through the small window above, slinking softly up his naked torso until it finds his face. He squints and lifts his hand, shielding his eyes from the harsh glare before stretching with a sort of feline grace. Beside him he can feel the smooth shapely limbs of some undoubtedly slender girl. She stirs as he wakes, pressing full, soft breasts into his side, and he groans.

All he can feel right now is a hammer pounding inside his head and the narrowing pinpoint of a clammy sort of churning in his gut. When she begins to cling tighter, he shoves her off. Naked, sweaty flesh peals away and he slumps into a sitting position, holding his head in his hands before sloughing off towards the toilet.

The floorboards creak as he walks down the stairs to get some breakfast (or is it lunch time now?) and another drink—anything to end this fucking hangover. With food lining his belly, he’ll go back upstairs and order the strange girl out of his bed. Or, if he’s fortunate, she’ll take the walk of shame out of the tavern while he’s still eating.

He laughs at the thought before palming a hand over his eyes. Yawning, he stops dead in his tracks when he sees the Avatar seated at a table in the far corner. She’s hunched over a bowl of noodles, eating like there’s no tomorrow.

Maybe it is noon.

She stirs, probably having felt his eyes upon her, and directs a half-hearted glare in his direction before returning to her meal. Tahno lowers his hand and frowns. Her presence is so jarring that he cannot help but stare, ignoring the hunger (or vomit) growling in his stomach.

Very rarely is he caught off-guard, and he has to blink twice just to make sure that she’s real and not some drunken hallucination. After the second blink, when she’s still there, he lets out a soft ‘hmph’ before absently running a hand down his chest. He’s half-naked and his hair is stuck up and tousled by restless sleep. He’s quite certain she’s never seen him so unkempt and for some reason this bothers him.

His blue silk pyjama bottoms pool over his bare feet as he walks over to her table, ignoring the countless eyes on him. He takes the seat across from her and leers.

“What are you doing here?” she barks, unperturbed by his half-naked appearance.

He arches an eyebrow in mild shock. He would have figured her for the blushing type. She is not. She’s more of the staring until you drop your gaze first type. Under her scrutiny, he unconsciously flips back his hair.

“That should be my question, Uh-vatar,” he says, his voice dark and rich. “I live here.”

“You live here?” She glances around the joint. “In the bar?”

He snorts derisively. “No, upstairs in the loft, you idiot.”

“You’re the idiot,” she mutters.

Her blue eyes narrow and then the tips of her ears turn pink. Finally, a blush—an angry blush—and his grin turns predatory.

“So, what are you doing here, Uh-vatar?” He leans forward on his forearms and she lifts her chopsticks, pointing to the bowl in front of her.

“I’m eating lunch. What does it look like?”

He watches her shovel the noodles into her mouth and leans back with a grimace. “If that’s eating, then the rest of us are doing it wrong.”

“Oh, ha-ha,” she mumbles between bites before sucking back a slippery noodle. “Don’t you have some sleazebending to do elsewhere?”

“No, I’m perfectly content right here.” He keeps his eyes trained on her while he raises his hand, signalling for a waitress. “Ticy, a glass of rice wine and the usual.”

The waitress nods and the Avatar’s brow furrows in disapproval. “Drinking so early in the morning?”

“Who says I’ve stopped since last night?” He spreads his arms wide in supplication before leaning back on his chair. “Besides, that’s what us sleazebenders do.”

She puffs out her bottom lip in keen thought as she mulls over his words. He wonders if she knows that her defiant glare looks more like an adorable pout. In any case, he won’t tell her that.

“Aren’t you worried about being too tired for the match tonight?” she asks, slumping back in her seat. “I’m pretty sure you can’t show up drunk. Not that I fully understand or even read the rules.”

“Why would I be worried?” He shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m just facing off with a trio of rookie losers.” Her right eye twitches at this and he can’t resist issuing her a lazy smirk before snapping his fingers. “It’ll be a cinch.”

“I wouldn’t count us out so easily,” she growls, and his smirk widens to a grin.

“No, I wouldn’t count you out so easily.”

He holds her gaze, gauging her reaction to his compliment. Most girls would turn away and blush. The Avatar just stares through him, or maybe into him, with the harsh lens of reality. He suddenly feels uncomfortable, almost awkward, and unaccustomedly struggles for words.

“You know, I saw your first match,” he idly comments, trying a new tactic.

“Ah.” She blushes softly in embarrassment. “You were at that game?”

A small smile of victory curves at his lips. “You were horrible,” he tells her, silky crooning lies from a snake bastard. “But if it weren’t for you, those street rats wouldn’t have stood a chance in the tournament.”

Her cheeks are burning red in anger now. “Mako and Bolin were doing just fine before I came along!”

“Mako, huh?” He snorts. “Right. The firebender. Y’know—” he leans in close “—even with the Avatar on his side, a loser like him can’t change his colours.”

She sits back in her chair and glares at him hard. He’s hit a nerve. He can almost feel the ice in the air, and though he should be wary he can’t help but smirk triumphantly.

The Avatar then picks up her drink and tilts it back, swallowing the last of the dregs all the while watching him, as though daring him to say something else. She sets the glass back down on the table and belches rather unladylike.

“Well, I suppose there’s a certain kind of logic to that. It takes one to know one, right?” She licks her lips and offers him a wry grin. “Who better to flush out the scent of loser than the biggest loser of all?”

His nostrils flare in indignation and he glances at her sideways, his gaze lingering on the boneless way she slumps against the chair. She’s totally uninhibited. Unafraid. It’s brazen and annoying but so very refreshing.

“You’re feisty,” he admits after a moment’s pause. “I like that in a woman.”

Suddenly, she laughs, a lilting crack of sound that resonates through the bar. “Careful there, pretty boy,” she cautions. “You’re coming off as one step above a creepy sleazebender, and I might just end up not loathing you entirely. Then what would happen?”

He ponders the notion for a second before smirking. “The world would stop turning, I suppose.”

She laughs again, and this time he almost feels like joining her. “Wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we?”

“No.” He leans back in his seat and cocks his head to the side, really taking in her form. “No, we wouldn’t.”

She’s not the best-looking woman he’s ever seen, but she’s fit and toned and has the most killer blue eyes he’s ever seen. On top of the undoubtedly soft and curvy body hidden beneath those baggy clothes is a woman with strength and personality—and a remarkable sense of humour. It’s the first time he’s really looked at a woman beyond her looks, and he can’t deny that he’s intrigued by her undeniable presence.

“So, do you want to go out after the match and get a drink? After we defeat your Fire Ferrets, of course.”

“Who says you’ll win?”

“Me.”

She snorts. “You’re pretty confident.”

“So are you.” He offers her a wink. “Maybe it’s a waterbender thing.”

“Maybe.”

“Seriously.” He leans in again. “I’d like to get to know you better outside the ring.” His eyes travel down her body, lingering for a moment, before meeting her gaze. “I think you and I could have a lot of fun together. How about it, Uh-vatar?”

She rolls her eyes but there’s an effulgence of colour on her cheeks. It’s downright adorable. But, again, he’ll never tell her.

“Yeah, not a snowball’s chance in the Fire Nation, pretty boy.”

He laughs. “C’mon, I’m curious about you.”

“You’re curious about me because I’m the Avatar,” she says, waving her hand in front of her face. “Some famous, talented bender.”

“Who said you were talented?” he asks dryly.

Her eyes widen a fraction of an inch and then she squints up at him in a facsimile of a glare. “This really isn’t an act for you, is it?”

“What isn’t?”

“Being a jerk.”

No, there’s nothing put-on about his personality at all. “I’m the best probending waterbender there is, Uh-vatar,” he says lowly, cocking his head to the side. “It’s not an act. It’s a fact.”

Disgusted, she breathes a hot jet of air out through her nose. She throws some money down on the table and kicks back her chair to stand. He doesn’t bother to get up.

“My offer still stands,” he says, looking up at her.

“Offer?”

“Those private lessons.” His grin turns wolfish when he sees a hint of pink creep up her neck.

“No thanks,” she mutters, and is about to turn when she places a hand on her hip. “You can do one thing for me, though.”

He lifts a thin eyebrow, intrigued. “And what’s that?”

“Bring that cocky attitude of yours to the ring, pretty boy,” she threatens. “I intend to wipe the floor with it.”

“Oh, I will, Uh-vatar,” he purrs, locking eyes with her until she finally turns to leave. “I will.”

He watches her exit the bar. Not once does she look back and he can’t help but smile. This Avatar Korra is someone special—of that he has no doubts. It’s as though she’s become the last remnant of a teenage fantasy that he no longer thought was possible for him. Or, more plainly put, she’s a challenge.

And tonight when he’s with some other woman, he’ll imagine the Avatar’s thighs wrapped around his waist and her pouty lips on his neck. And though some nameless girl will fill the role for now, he takes comfort in the fact that someday that girl will be the Avatar. Someday she’ll accept his private lessons.

[bluenet13]

Hold On to Me When It's Too Dark to See You

"I did two tours in the Army and have been in the LAPD enough years to make it to Sergeant. I've never been taken but Lucy is only a P2, and she's already been kidnapped twice. How is that fair?" 

"Life isn't fair," Angela said as a way of an explanation. "I get what that feels like, thinking you've let someone down. Feeling like you weren't there when they needed you. The guilt eats at you. But this isn't your fault. Lucy being kidnapped by Caleb and now once again, it isn't your fault." 

Tim turned his head to look at Angela, a sad, knowing look on his face. "Jackson dying wasn't your fault. You didn't fail him." She made a noise that said she disagreed, but Tim shook his head, cutting off whatever she wanted to say. "If this isn't my fault, then Jackson isn't your fault either. We did the best we could for our rookies, and we know this is a tough job. We accept the risks, for us and for them." 

 Or 

Lucy is kidnapped, again, and Tim is left heartbroken and uncertain, realizing he was so sure they had a long-term future together, but now he doesn't even know if they will have a tomorrow as their team scrambles to find her.

AO3

Chapter 1

Tim walked into Lucy's apartment and was immediately hit by the smell of something burning. Without taking off his shoes or backpack, he rushed to the kitchen to find the sauce on the pan nearly evaporated, and onions, garlic, and peppers charred and stuck to the bottom of the pan. He turned the stove off and faced the living room again. The ambiance was dim, with only a few lit candles arranged haphazardly around the room - far fewer than the usual amount for one of Lucy's romantic evenings in. He also spotted the lighter he had seen many times before discarded on the ground.

"Lucy?" Tim called out, but only silence answered him.

"Tamara?" Still no response.

He dropped his backpack and ran to Lucy's room, forgoing knocking and nearly breaking the door down. He searched in the room, bathroom, closet, and even out the window, but there was no sign of either of them. Moving on to Tamara's room, he knocked softly at first, then more frantically until he pushed the door open. His face fell when he saw it was empty too.

Back in the living room, Tim made three calls. The first to Lucy rang for what felt like forever before going to voicemail, the second to Tamara went straight to voicemail, and the third to Angela, who thankfully picked up.

"What's up, everything okay?" Angela greeted, already sounding concerned. Tim and Angela had been best friends for a long time, but they rarely called each other unless it was a holiday, one of their birthdays, or they were making plans.

"Hey, I need you," he said urgently. "Lucy's gone." He closed his eyes tightly and willed his tears back. Saying the words out loud made things more real and it hurt so damn much.

"Gone?" Angela asked, and Tim could see her frown through the line. "Wait, did she brea-"

Tim cut her off with a pained sound at the back of his throat. "No, not like that. She's been taken," he explained, his voice strained.

"What?" Angela stuttered in shock. "I just saw Lucy at the station two hours ago."

"Yes, and I saw her this morning, but now she's gone," Tim rushed to say, knowing they were already many steps behind and running out of time.

Angela talked to someone in the background, presumably Wesley, but the white noise in his head was too loud and he couldn't make out the words. "Tim, I'm putting you on speaker. Start from the beginning, what happened?"

Tim tried to remain calm and explained everything. He listed the steps that led to his discovery in a robotic, stoic tone, like when he talked to victims or suspects, but Angela hummed, and he knew she could hear the panic hidden behind his words. He was trying to detach himself from the words coming out of his mouth but each one left a trail of heartbreak behind.

"Is it normal for Tamara's phone to be off?" Angela asked.

Tim took a moment to think through her question before he replied, "Yes, but only if she's on an exam or something. It's finals week, so it makes sense."

Angela hummed in understanding. "Okay. Does anything look off?"

Tim heard a door closing and quick footsteps through the phone's speaker, and it spurred him on. He looked around the living room, noticing that nothing was really out of place. "No, but…" He trailed off, and really looked. "Wait, yes. But only if you look hard enough. If you know what you're looking for."

Angela sighed, and Tim knew he sounded crazy even to someone who knew him as well as her. "Okay, Bradford. You're not making much sense, but here's what we're going to do," she said. "I'm on my way there. Wes already called Grey, and he's having Thorsen or Nolan pick up Tamara. And I'll call Harper when we hang up."

Angela fell silent, and Tim could hear movement on the phone, so he knew she was keeping her word. Wesley talked to Angela before she asked, "Do you know Tamara's class?"

Tim thought back to the previous nights and eventually settled on what he thought was the right answer. "Last few times I was here, she mentioned studying for Sociology and Analytics, so if I had to guess, I'd say it's one of those two."

"Okay, that's good. Thank you," Angela said.

Tim nodded, even though Angela couldn't see him, but his mind was running through a loop of worst-case scenarios, and he struggled to shake them off.

"Tim?" Angela's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Yeah?" He replied, his voice tight with anxiety.

"Calm down, I promise we will figure this out. I will be there soon," Angela reassured him.

Tim took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing thoughts. He nodded again, grateful for Angela's support. As she hung up, a tear rolled down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away, determined to stay strong for Lucy.

-x-x-x-

As he waited, Tim retraced his steps, hoping to find something he had missed in Lucy's apartment, but the search was as fruitless as the first. Exhausted and disheartened, he slumped against the wall, burying his head in his knees.

As his mind ran through a new list of worst-case scenarios, the sound of the elevator bell interrupted his thoughts, and Tim found himself enveloped in an embrace from Angela. She held him tightly, offering him the comfort and support he desperately needed.

After a moment, Angela pulled back and instructed Tim to wait for the others to arrive while she started searching. "Don't bother. I already tried," Tim said, his eyes downcast.

But Angela, being a detective and his best friend, was determined to help. "Let me try, yeah?" she said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her."

Tim nodded and sat down on the ground, pulling out his phone to call Lucy once again. But all he got was her smiling face staring back at him from her profile picture. "Where are you, Luce?" he whispered to himself.

Needing a distraction, he scrolled through his camera roll, looking at pictures of Lucy. Each image felt like a fresh stab in the heart, but he needed to remind himself of the good times to get through this ordeal. He was lost in thought when Angela's voice brought him back to the present.

Angela poked her head out from the door and fixed her gaze on Tim. "Hey, do you happen to know the code to Lucy's alarm system? I want to make sure it hasn't been tampered with," she said with urgency, her voice tinged with worry.

"Yeah, it's my badge number," Tim replied, dragging his fingers through his hair.

Angela rolled her eyes fondly, amused at the sweetness of their relationship. "Any security cameras?" she asked, continuing her search.

Tim pointed to a camera on top of a bookcase, then explained, "I'd forgotten she even had one. Nolan, Jackson and I helped her set it up after… Caleb."

"Okay, that's good. I'll call Grey to get us access," Angela said, stepping away to make the call.

As she waited for Grey's response, Angela noticed the numerous candles scattered throughout the room. "Does Lucy always have this many candles?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

Tim nodded somberly, but a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Angela shook her head in disbelief. "I hope you guys have the fire department and Bailey on speed dial," she added, half-jokingly.

Despite the gravity of the situation, they both chuckled before Tim was overcome with emotion. "Come here," Angela said softly. She hugged him tightly, offering words of comfort and reminding him that they would find Lucy, her own tears finally falling as Tim's soaked through her shirt.

After a few minutes, they resumed their search, checking every nook and cranny in Lucy's apartment. As they combed through the kitchen, Tim noticed a small slip of paper sticking out from beneath the burnt remains of the vegetables. He felt a knot form in his stomach as he carefully retrieved the paper and read the message scrawled on it.

-x-x-x-

Tim stared at nothing in particular, his heart racing as he read the words over and over in his mind. 'We have your girl. We will be in contact soon.' He had handed the note to Angela, who immediately pulled out her phone and called the station, but the words were seared on his brain.

"They're sending a forensic unit," she said, hanging up. "Nolan and Juarez are heading back to the station to start checking cameras nearby. Grey and Harper are almost here."

Tim's mind was spinning as he took the note back from Angela. He couldn't help but think about the last time Lucy was kidnapped, buried alive in a barrel. That day he had promised himself nothing bad would happen to her again, but he had failed. "I can't do this again, Ange," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "How am I supposed to go through this again?"

Angela reached over to squeeze his forearm. "I'm sorry, Tim. I wish I could say you don't have to, but you do. We all do. But you're not alone. Lucy is not alone. And we will do everything we can to find her."

Tim nodded, fresh tears glimmering in his eyes, and he brushed them away roughly. "I did two tours in the Army and have been in the LAPD enough years to make it to Sergeant. I've never been taken but Lucy is only a P2, and she's already been kidnapped twice. How is that fair?"

"Life isn't fair," Angela said as a way of an explanation. "I get what that feels like, thinking you've let someone down. Feeling like you weren't there when they needed you. The guilt eats at you. But this isn't your fault. Lucy being kidnapped by Caleb and now once again, it isn't your fault."

Tim turned his head to look at Angela, a sad, knowing look on his face. "Jackson dying wasn't your fault. You didn't fail him." She made a noise that said she disagreed, but Tim shook his head, cutting off whatever she wanted to say. "If this isn't my fault, then Jackson isn't your fault either. We did the best we could for our rookies, and we know this is a tough job. We accept the risks, for us and for them."

"Okay," Angela agreed, taking a deep breath, then added, "But I'll be damned if we're both losing our rookies, especially when Lucy is so much more than that for you. We have to find her."

Tim swallowed hard and nodded, his mind racing with the possibilities of where Lucy could be and who could have taken her. And even though his heart felt heavy with worry and fear, he willed himself to stay calm and focused so he could find her before it was too late.

-x-x-x-

Commander Grey and Detective Harper arrived at Lucy's apartment floor just as Tim and Angela finished talking. Grey acknowledged them with a nod and entered the apartment, Harper trailing behind. Once inside, Tim led them through the apartment, pointing out details that were off. He gestured to the half-lit candles and the dirty dishes in the sink, explaining that Lucy never left them that way. He also mentioned the open blinds, which was unusual because Lucy always closed them at night. To an outsider, everything may have seemed normal, but to Tim, it was clear that something was off.

After they finished the tour, Grey and Harper continued searching before they conferred quietly in the kitchen, their expressions grim. Tim watched as they talked but he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew it couldn't be good news. When Grey's phone beeped, he pulled it out of his pocket and checked the notification.

"Access to Lucy's security system has been granted," he announced, pocketing his phone. "Let's see what we can find."

They all gathered around Grey's tablet, and he started clicking through the video footage. Tim's heart raced as he watched the familiar living room and kitchen come into view. There was Lucy, standing at the stove, stirring a pot. She looked so peaceful, so happy, and it made Tim's chest ache.

As they watched, the doorbell rang. Lucy checked her phone, frowned, and walked to the door; phone still pressed tightly in her palm. Tim felt a lump form in his throat. He knew what was coming, but he couldn't stop himself from watching.

Lucy peered through the peephole, and her expression changed. She tensed, but she still opened the door. Tim's heart raced even faster. He knew this was where it all went wrong.

On the video, they saw a man holding out a piece of paper to Lucy. She looked at it, then back at the man. The tension was palpable as she hesitated, but ultimately nodded and followed him out of the door. They caught a glimpse of the man's face as he turned, but it wasn't clear enough for a positive ID. Then, another figure with their face obscured by a hood came into view, making their way to the kitchen. They did something out of frame, and then quickly left. A few seconds later, the front door closed, and the image remained undisturbed until an hour later when Tim came inside and started his frantic search.

"Who is that?" Harper asked, rewinding the footage and pausing it on the man with the hood. "Can we enhance this? Get a clearer view of his face?"

Grey nodded and leaned forward; his eyes fixed on the screen. "I'll have the tech team work on it. But let's focus on the paper first. Can we see what it says?"

They watched as Lucy opened the door and the man handed her the paper. "It's too far to see clearly," Tim said, squinting at the screen. "It looks like there's a picture on it, but I can't tell what it is."

Harper leaned in, trying to get a better look. "It looks like a photo. Maybe they were trying to show her something," she said, her brows furrowed in concentration.

"Or someone," Angela proposed sternly. "Maybe they were trying to send a message."

"Either way, we need to find out what that picture is and what it means. Whatever it is, it's the only explanation why Lucy went along without a fight." Tim clenched his fists, feeling a surge of anger and frustration. He couldn't stand the thought of Lucy being used as some kind of pawn in whatever this was.

Grey nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Agreed. We need to start digging and see if we can find any connections or leads. I already sent a copy of the video to have it analyzed."

"Meanwhile, we need to figure out who these guys are and what's their connection to Lucy. Our top priority is finding her," Harper reminded the group.

"We'll find them," Tim stated, determination ringing in his voice. "And we'll bring Lucy home."

-x-x-x-

Tim couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he was missing, so he watched the footage again and again. With each viewing, his fear and desperation grew, his heart racing with a sense of urgency that he hadn't known in years.

The first time he watched, he focused on the words being spoken. The second time, he tried getting something more off the quick glimpse he got of the kidnappers. The third time, he focused on Lucy's body language. It wasn't until the fifth try that he finally noticed.

"Hey, I think I've found something," Tim called out to Grey, Angela, and Harper as they joined him. He pointed to the screen where Lucy was being shown a picture. "Here, see how Lucy raises her arm? From the angle, I think she's reaching for her neck."

Tim paused the video and zoomed in on Lucy's necklace. "It's the necklace I gave her for Valentine's Day," he said. "It's small enough that she can wear it under her uniform, and she rarely takes it off now." He rewound the footage and played it again. "The necklace shifts when she raises her arm, so she must be holding it. I think she's trying to tell us something."

Harper raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?" she asked. "Couldn't she be holding it for comfort or something?"

Tim shook his head, pointing to Lucy's fingers on her leg, even if he liked the thought of his gift bringing her comfort. "Watch her fingers here," he said as the video resumed. "I think she's using morse code to send us a message."

"How can you be so sure?" Angela asked, squinting at the blurry image on the screen.

"I just know, okay?" Tim huffed, but he seemed to catch his tone and raised his hands apologetically. "Lucy loves true crime," he started to explain, more calmly this time. "She always gets excited when someone uses morse code to send a message in a case. And look, she left her ring as a beacon for us to find her when Caleb took her. She's not wearing her ring now, but I'm sure she found another way to guide us."

The group exchanged dubious glances, but Grey decided to check it out. He made a call to the station, and when he hung up, he confirmed that it was indeed morse code. "T-A-M, over and over. Impressive."

"Tamara," Tim said, realization dawning on him. "Could she be in trouble too? What if she got taken before Lucy?"

"Let me call Thorsen." Angela stepped away, coming back a moment later looking positively relieved. "He's got her. She was almost done with her final and he decided to let her finish, but they're on their way to the station now."

As the group breathed a collective sigh of relief, Harper interjected. "Could this be about Tamara? Maybe somebody took Lucy to get to her."

Tim shook his head, but it was Angela who spoke up. "No, I think the picture was of Tim and Tamara. That's why Lucy touched her necklace and signaled Tamara's name. They probably threatened them, and that's why Lucy went along willingly."

Tim nodded, glad somebody finally caught up to his reasoning, even if he hated the idea that he'd been in any part responsible for what happened to Lucy.

"That makes sense," Grey acknowledged. "The note was addressed to Tim, after all."

Harper hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided on speaking her mind. "Whoever took Lucy must have been surveilling her long enough to know that they could use us as leverage to intimidate her."

Tim's eyes darkened, but he nodded in agreement.

"Alright, this is where we're at now," Grey began, surveying his officers. "I'm not going to try and call any of you off this case. I know you won't listen, and it would only put everyone in more danger. But we need to be smart about this. Someone was able to make Lucy go with them without a fight, and if we assume that they threatened the people closest to her, then we're all potentially in danger."

Grey paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "So, nobody is to be alone. You're always to be with someone whenever you leave the station. Lopez and Harper, you can stick together. Nolan and Juarez will be partnered up, and Thorsen will join them after he takes Tamara in safely."

"What about me?" Tim asked, feeling slightly excluded.

"You're coming with me and staying at the station," Grey said, rolling his eyes when Tim predictably protested. He ran a hand down his face and sighed deeply. "Bradford, we might all be at risk here, but if anyone knows Lucy well enough and has been surveilling her, they'll know that you're the most important person in her life. Not just because you're dating now, but because you've been close for a while, even if you were the last to realize it. I might be ending the day with one of my officers missing, but I won't start tomorrow with two of you unaccounted for."

Grey's words had a sense of finality to them, but Tim was nothing if not stubborn. "I'm not on patrol anymore. I'm Metro now. I'm not one of your officers," he tried.

"Oh, Tim. It doesn't matter where you work. You'll always be one of mine," Grey replied, patting him on the shoulder. "Now let's get to work. We have a lot of security footage to review. If someone really was surveilling Lucy, then that gives us plenty of opportunities to find them."

Tim forced a smile, although it didn't reach his eyes. He was still worried about Lucy, but he felt slightly more hopeful now that they had a plan. And if he was prepared to take matters into his own hands if reviewing security footage didn't yield any results, then nobody had to know.

[scorpiongrassfield]

Theo Gives You His Number

Start | Prev

You give him yours in return. 

“There,” Theo says with a nod. 

Then after a beat of silence: “Um. If you ever want to talk about things not related to ghosts. That would be okay too.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you reply. 

Silence falls again. 

Theo is more fidgety than you’ve ever seen him. 

He always seems a little different when Pat isn’t around, even when he’s not possessed. At least you think he isn’t possessed right now. 

“Um. You came all this way just to give me my phone back. Did you maybe want a tour of the cabin before you go? You and Pat seemed interested in the building last time you were here,” he says. 

A spark flickers in your mind. 

“You remember last time?” 

Theo looks like he’s been caught red-handed. 

“I. Well. Technically not?” he hedges. 

You raise an eyebrow in question. 

“I have been having memory issues lately. So. I started writing down important things. And while I don’t remember your visit. I do remember reading what I had written down about it. If that makes any sense?” 

“I guess so,” you agree, even if it’s not quite true. You don’t want to rake him over the coals about it. It’s not like you can’t relate to memory issues. 

“I’ve been having some trouble remembering things too,” you say. Part peace offering, part attempt to soothe some of the nervous energy Theo’s putting off. 

“Oh? That’s kinda nice,” Theo says thoughtfully. 

Then he realizes the implications of what he just said. “Wait. No, I don’t mean that it’s nice that you’re having trouble. Of course that’s not nice, not being able to remember things is really scary. Ah. At least it is for me? I just mean it’s nice that we aren’t alone in it. It’s nice to not be alone, don’t you think?” he rambles at light speed. 

You can’t help but laugh. A real, genuine laugh that brings tears to your eyes. You can’t help it. Theo is really endearing when he’s nervous. 

He looks a little unsure of how to interpret your laughter. 

“Sorry, sorry. I’m not really laughing at you,” you say. It’s kind of a lie but if you say you are laughing at him, he’ll take it the wrong way. 

“It is nice to not be alone,” you agree, laughter fading. 

Theo perks up again. “Oh. Good. I was worried I said that wrong thing twice over.” “No. You’re good,” you say. And before the silence that you feel creeping up on you can fully set in: “Can I still take you up on that offer for a tour?” 

“Of course,” he says, then turns and gestures to the spacious hallway you’re in. “So. This is the… I think George used to call it a mud room? It’s the entrance hallway. I’m sure you’ve seen it before.” 

He walks out into the next room. You follow. 

“This is the… I think it’s supposed to be called a great room? I call it a living room,” he says, gesturing around. “It’s. Kind of empty right now. I really only spend time here in the winter. Since it’s where the fireplace is.” 

“Makes sense,” you say, just to show you’re listening. 

Theo nods. 

“And over here…” Theo says, walking over and gesturing to a doorway, “Is the kitchen. And breakfast nook area thing.” 

You peek inside. It’s the same kitchen you had tea with the shadow in. 

“Nice. I like the wallpaper.” 

Theo smiles. “Me too. I’m glad George didn’t get rid of it.” 

“George?” you ask, even if you have an inkling of who that is. 

“Oh. That’s my older cousin. She and her partner lived here before me. They wanted to move so they wouldn’t have to deal with the winters here. And I guess they wanted to keep the house in the family,” he explains. 

“That was nice of them to think of you.” 

“It was. Especially since I was kind of in a bad place before I moved here… I know they’d been talking about moving for a while. But. It does feel like they chose to move Then because of me.” 

“Really?” 

Theo nods. 

“George has always been quite vocal about how she feels about both queer solidarity and helping people that need it. Giving me a place to live that’s out of my parent’s control. That’s… It’s something she would do with intention,” he says, looking pensive. 

Then he comes back to the present. “Oh. But you’re not here to hear about my life story. Sorry.” 

You shake your head. “I don’t mind getting to know you better.”

next

[hanzaikyou]

Picaresque Seven - A Review

So. I ended up watching Picaresque Seven last night (as I had been intending to do for a solid few months now). I was enticed by the lure of one Shogo Suzuki, and found myself an emotional rollercoaster; honestly quite perfect, considering my headspace at the time of watching. 

It was also quite cool to see Hosogai Kei in a stage, something I hadn’t actually seen before now. He’s a captivating actor, and I may need to find out if he was in anything else. 

The costuming was astounding. Every character, everything was over-the-top and eyecatching. The changing costumes of certain characters, the symbolism of the colours, it worked so well. (I also may need to make myself Jack The Ripper’s outfit. She looked awesome). 

It was really interesting to see how the writers could incorporate so many elements and references, yet still maintain a cohesive (if a little crazy) storyline. Shakespeare is referenced in at least two character groups, those being Macbeth (and the Witches) and King Richard the Third. Alongside them, there are several historical figures, in Oda Nobunaga and Jack the Ripper, and other classic literature characters with Peter Pan (and Captain Hook) and the Phantom of the Opera. It makes for a lively cast of characters, with a lot of big personalities and conflicting character motivations. 

I will continue this in the readmore, as I wish to discuss a few things with spoilers, particularly surrounding Shogo’s Macbeth, so if you’re good with those feel free to read on. If not, you may stop here, but do consider watching it if you’ve the chance; it is so, so worth it. 

If you wish to find it, the video can be found through the lovely furyposting, and subtitles have been made by the amazing aoihono96. I must thank them both profusely for enabling me to watch this absolute treasure of a musical. 

Now on to my ranting. 

Unsurprisingly, Shogo Suzuki’s Macbeth was by far my favourite character. For one thing, this man plays unstable and dangerous very, very well, and this character does a good job of embodying that. (On another more personal level, seeing the man who played William-Shakespeare-Nerd-Moriarty play a Shakespeare character was just a lot of fun.)

But beyond all that, I just really enjoyed his character arcs, seeing him unravel his trauma. Watching him go from this seemingly hard shell with an unshakable resolve and no issues taking down anyone in his way to a broken man having achieved his goal and trying to face what he’d done to get there, from not caring at all about his life to that final damn line, it was a journey and I’m glad I got to watch it. This boy broke my heart twice. 

The arc between Macbeth and Jack, then, was an interesting one to follow. These two aren’t good for each other. They make each other so much worse. Their beginning was... rocky, I think I’ll say (certain heavily implied acts are definitively not consensual), and yeah there’s probably problems with it. But the writing of it was so interesting from a character building perspective, the storyline of two horrendously flawed individuals that ended the only way it could, in tragedy, it was just so damn facinating to follow. Also their final big interaction was just so raw. Like:

“Don’t love me, I’m a scoundrel!”  “I’ll be waiting for you in Hell.”

It just hits so hard. And all of that after such an emotionally charged fight scene between two individuals that... god they were so messed up. I need fics for them. If there are none, I’ll make them. 

And then that ending. God, that ending. 

“It’s frustrating. I wanted to live together with him.”

This from the man who’s been basically wanting to die from the first moment he stepped on the stage, who is facing death for real, who has finally found himself a reason to live. I have no issues admitting that I bawled my damn eyes out. Pretty sure Shogo himself bawled his eyes out when watching it back too, if what I’ve seen of the cast commentary is to be believed. 

Anyway. I loved this thing, I’ll probably be being a menace on the tl about it for the next week or two, feel free to join me. 

Also the AO3 tag for the series will be made in the next couple days, bet. 

[elamarth-calmagol]

Headcanon Advent Day 23

TW: suicide (kinda)

I finished Glorfindel, so I'll post it, but I have non-adventy things for the next two days, and I won't be doing the Peredhel Family because that would be so much work.

Glorfindel

Name(s): “Glorfindel” is an epessë meaning “golden haired” in the Mithrim dialect of Sindarin.  The Quenya version is Laurefindil, or Lauro as a family nickname.  He is very strongly attached to his epessë and rarely uses his other names anymore.

Appearance: 7’2’’, muscular, very light skin, honey blond hair, blue eyes

Age: about 7,500

Heritage: 3/4 Noldor, 1/4 Vanyar

There are many possible origins for Glorfindel, but I chose that he's the daughter of Findis and a Noldor prince.  He also had an older brother.  Both of them pledged themselves to Turgon once they were old enough.  Glorfindel had a girlfriend in Aman for maybe a century, which was probably a long time in those days, who refused to go with him when the Noldor rebelled.

In the First Kinslaying, Glorfindel didn't participate, and tried to shield civilians, who were mostly Teleri because more Noldor civilians were able to stay back.  (I always think of the helicopter pilot in the My Lai massacre.  Someone must have been that guy in the kinslaying.  Probably several people.  I mean, a lot of people were there.)  However, he and his brother still followed Turgon out of loyalty.  The journey across the ice was difficult, treacherous, and traumatizing, and ultimately his brother gave up.  He let himself die because it was the only feasible way back at that point, leaving only Glorfindel out of his family to go on.

Glorfindel’s first real battle was when Fingolfin’s host finally arrived in Middle Earth.  Later, he became very skilled in both fighting and leading troops in war.  The Noldor stayed a while by Lake Mithrim, with the northern Sindar, and Glorfindel became good friends with them, having some of them join his house.  My theory is that the reason Glorfindel’s name doesn’t quite fit with later versions of Sindarin (according to Tolkien) is that it’s in the Mithrim dialect.

I have surprisingly few headcanons about Glorfindel in Gondolin, but he definitely learned a lot about politics, leading a house, and leading an army.  He was close with Idril, since he was one of her closest relatives in Gondolin.  But I do have things to say about the fall of Gondolin.  He was pretty sensible in the battle: they were horribly outmatched, and he wouldn’t have survived by throwing himself at the enemy.  Also, because of his relationship to Idril, he may have known about her secret passage (or at least that she would have something in mind).  This is how he ended up getting out.

Glorfindel did tie his hair up, of course, when he put on his armor.  (By the way, I’m pretty sure elves wear chainmail, not plate mail.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen them drawn with that though.)  But not even elves can keep their hair in place throughout an hours-long battle.  Also, he canonically wore a helmet, since Lost Tales says that the balrog grabbed his hair “under his golden cap”.  My image of this battle is book-based: the balrog is twice his size, more or less human shaped, with a body made out of shadow and flame, and no wings or horns.  I like to think that he knew the balrog had his hair and threw it off the cliff anyway, because that was the only way he saw to defeat it.  His sacrifice wouldn’t be as meaningful if it was done on accident.

Glorfindel healed emotionally in Mandos and was reborn when he was ready.  He wouldn’t have been the first to be reborn (in fact, some people died and were reborn before Feanor’s birth), but he was definitely the first of the rebellious princes.  He went back to live with his parents.  In the Second Age, the Valar chose a few Noldor (and maybe Vanyar from the War of Wrath) to be allowed to go back to Middle Earth to help Gil-Galad, and he was the only one to actually agree to do it.  He sailed to Númenor with the Blue Wizards and was then ferried to Lindon, where he served Gil-Galad for a while before going with Elrond to rescue the survivors of Eregion and found Rivendell.  It’s quite possible that he actually stayed to guard Rivendell to defend it during the War of the Last Alliance, since they were still in danger of siege.

I wish I knew more about his part in the war against Angmar.  The Ringwraiths are afraid of him because he’s seen the light of the Trees, and because he’s as capable in the Unseen world as the Seen, and possibly also because he’s already died and come back, and they’re afraid of death (though it’s a different death).  After a few battles that lead to them fleeing, they never even let him come close enough to cross swords with them.

Glorfindel isn’t actually part of Elrond’s house, but doesn’t have his own house either, he’s just an allied lord.  He is one of Elrond’s best friends and most trusted advisors, and there aren’t many secrets between them.  He’s also friends with Gandalf, whom he knew in Valinor.  This mostly means they make fun of each other, though.  He definitely started the tra-la-la-lally song in the Hobbit, with the intention of annoying Gandalf.

Canonically (not in my fic though), Glorfindel either stayed in Rivendell to defend it from the siege he expected, or rode westward to draw Sauron’s attention.  Him leaving Rivendell would have attracted all kinds of attention, which is why he didn’t go with the Fellowship.  He probably wouldn’t have killed the balrog without dying a second time anyway, and then we wouldn’t have had Gandalf the White, so it’s better than way.  (When he finds out how Gandalf copied him with his death, he’s going to kill him a second time.)

Glorfindel is very open, sociable, and joyous, though there’s a lot of depth behind that, and he is as wise as Elrond (or more).  He has pretty strong foresight, but he doesn’t try to control or harness it: thoughts just come to him that he knows are true.  It’s a normal part of his thought processes, to him.  He’s skilled at fighting, and works at it, but he’s also interested in things like horse breeding, history, and linguistics.  He’s not just a dumb jock, even if he acts that way most of the time.

I'm not quite sure which Artbreeder portraits of him are my own work and which I saved from other people, and none of them are quite right anyway, so let's leave out Artbreeder. Here's the closest to the "correct" colors I have (of course it's only flat color but whatever).

[ghost-proofbaby]

Is it just destroy my feelings night? Because I’m not even done reading fics before bed. And I know there’s more angst coming…so get ready for this incoherent mess:

How freaking dare you?! I mean this is your brain child so it’s yours to use for all manners of evil but ugh I was really hoping that Eddie was gonna have a solid alibi and not have to deal with the cops. I was hoping we were gonna have a real mystery on our hands and we could use Eddie’s big brain for good instead of him being traumatized from witnessing Chrissy’s death and in perpetual flight or fight…

But instead we have a Willow who is in that situation and her big brain might be affected especially by (OH MY GOD WAIT WHAT IF) and an Eddie who is at the station undergoing, I’m sure, a brutal interrogation. (Actually I sincerely headcanon Callahan especially as some bumbling asshole but he especially has it in for Eddie. BUT ALSO after PinkRelish’s last chapter of TYP too. Gah. You’re all in cahoots I swear to god). It’s only chapter 2!!!

But also real talk…like ok if he’s occupied at the station does that mean that he’s gonna be off the hook when Vecna strikes next? I know you’re gonna be vague and say like “you’re gonna have to wait and seeeeee.” So I’m gonna be the side of myself that is rarely seen in my usual responses: a sarcastic piece of shit.

I feel like…remember that one time I said “oh I’m gonna need a notebook and I’m gonna have to start tracking Mordor for clues? Haha just kidding” *slams a shitty notebook I have left over from high school* YEAH I AM WRITING THESE DOWN MY FRIEND. You get to live with Mr. Fucking Johnson’s 12th Grade Statistics and I got 100% in his class. I will crack this mystery!!!

But in all seriousness. What a great chapter. Oh my god. I feel like…ugh the frantic energy is in the air with Willow driving the van and Wayne being Uncle Dad and Max being as amazing as she is and everything. The thing with the ibuprofen…I know Anne’s a nurse but damn I felt specifically called out.

And after a fucking blowjob! Like way to get our heart rates going twice. You’re a genius. An evil genius. As per usual. Congrats on the next great chapter and the game is afoot or whatever. Jerk. *gentle forehead smooch*

jo, i am CACKLING. oh my gosh i don’t even know where to start.

okay okay first of all, RIGHT? last night so many incredible fics were posted i was truly getting hit from all sides. still haven’t recovered from luna and boom. gosh. got my heart ripped out and stomped on only to be picked up and brushed off, then ripped up some more, then taped back together some more. GAH.

and listen. LISTEN. i’ve always been interested in how things would go down if the evidence against eddie wasn’t so damning, but was still enough to make him a suspect!!! like, would the town still blame him? would the authorities still try to use him as a scapegoat? does his reputation still play into it all? (and… where is jason? 🤔) and not the kahoots 😭😭😭 i swear everyone else is too cool to be in kahoots with me i just hate callahan even though he’s kind of hot i mean cmon

you know me too well. because my response is that you’ll have to wait and see <3 although this is definitely one of those moments i hear yalls theories and go “oh yeah that could have happened”

i am HONORED to join those statistic notes my friend. this chapter actually did have very very crucial foreshadowing (just one line i’m referencing, and i don’t think it’s the one everyone is worried about haha). well i mean obviously there’s vecna foreshadowing, but y’all already know!!! reader advantage baby!! we know vecna and we know his sneaky lil advances <3

thank you so much for reading my friend you already KNOW i adore you 🖤 i’m sending that forehead smooch right back and a very loving bitch

you get the reference right? you have to. i refuse to believe anyone on this sight doesn’t get references to that show.

[xyaehir]

normally when you tuck yourself into bed with your lover, you expect him to snuggle into you immediately as he’s done many times.

so why was he scooting away from you instead? and why is he looking at you like he wants to fight?

you blink once and twice before looking at him quizzically. your lover is a man that is undoubtedly and obviously whipped for you, so why now is he acting like it’s the opposite?

“what are you doing?” you finally ask after multiple beats of silence. you watch him turn his head to the side and scoff, his glare intensifying at your arms.

or rather, what was nestled in it.

he narrows his eyes, “there’s an impostor here.”

you quirk an eyebrow, confused, before following his gaze down to your lap.

“why do you have that thing?” he side eyes the big plushie you’re hugging close to your chest.

oh. so that’s what this was about?

you sigh a bit dramatically, amused. “this ‘thing’ is comfortable to sleep with,” you mock his tone, gesturing to the plushie. “plus, he’s literally custom made to look like you.”

he scoffs before crossing his arms. “it’s custom made to look like me? but all it looks like is a filthy homewrecker!”

you laugh, shoulders shaking while he gapes at you (even though you can see the upward quirks of his lips as his facade threatens to break).

“this is no laughing matter, my dear wife!”

he lifts up his hand to point accusingly at the plushie that looks like his clone. “and you! why are you trying to ruin our relationship, huh?” he pokes his face repeatedly, each time putting more and more force.

“you wont take my wife, you hear me?!”

you giggle, watching the amusing interaction play out. “i can’t believe you’re seriously upset over something like this.”

he stops after processing your words. his gaze darkens a little and he reaches both his arms out to shakily grasp your shoulders. “honey, this is a serious situation! this thing is trying to ruin our lives!” he frowns, shaking you slightly.

“you’re a clown.”

“wh- hey!”

“it’s just a plushie, it can’t do anything wrong.”

“oh, so i’m the bad guy now, is that it? sorry for protecting our marriage then!”

you purse your lips to prevent anymore laughter to spill out and provoke your husband to poke the innocent plushie more. “baby, let’s just go to sleep, alright?”

his eyes soften when you reach out to pull his arm closer to you but suddenly narrows at the plushie still on your lap, his favourite pillow.

“sure, on one condition,” he states before picking the plushie up and throwing it out of the bedroom, quickly locking the door.

(you never saw that plushie again and he claims he has nothing to do with it.)

— (bllk) nagi (with more emotion n energy😭), reo (genshin) wriothesely, kaeya, childe, kaveh, itto, ayato (i can see it a lil) (star rail) sampo, jing yuan, caelus (haikyuu) suna, atsumu, kuroo, oikawa (jjk) gojo, geto (maybe), yuji, inumaki (if he could talk properly) (kny) douma, zenitsu (om) mammon, asmo

i’ve seen A LOT of drabbles like this but im not sure if anyone did this exact thing 😭 btw sch is starting real soon so ill be on n off on this app 🫢 this isnt edited yet 🥹

@xyaehir 2024. this is my content. do not translate, copy or plagiarise my works in any way. reblogs and likes are greatly appreciated. <3

[kelsiess15]

JUST ONE MORE TIME, Who is your first love?

Now if you asked me a couple of months back,

Who is it? Who is your first love?

I would’ve told you the name of the first guy

Who ever broke my heart.

My first experience of flowers,

Broken innocence, and the days

We would look back and smile at.

Over time, however, I began to question this ‘fact’

The same guy who made me cry until 5 a.m. one morning

Could not be my first love.

That’s impossible... Crazy to say the least.

I learned that love, real love, doesn’t fail.

So ask the question again,

Who is your first love?

My mama always told me the story of my birth—

Hectic, to say the least.

Realizing that my state of being unorganized

Was written for me from the beginning.

The 25th of the second month of the year, an election day,

The streets rallying with people of two parties,

I, unfortunately, thought it was the best time

To make my entrance to earth.

Mama had no way of getting to the hospital,

Orchestrated by a man who was still live on air,

Reporting to the world that the election was won by...

He gets the call that his baby girl was about to arrive,

But her mother was still at home.

Mama told me in less than five minutes,

She was in a car, escorted by police

On either side of her to the hospital.

She didn’t see my beauty instantly,

Maybe it was the pain that revoked her sight.

But according to her, the nurse thought I was gorgeous.

The man on air, who ran inside after the fact,

Thought this child was the most beautiful thing alive.

Funny enough, I was the spitting image of him.

Over time, the man on air proved himself

The greatest in my life.

I mimicked his actions, the things he liked, the way he walked.

Well, damn it, I wanted to be a journalist too.

Or a chef—he was the greatest at cooking.

I just happened to be in the kitchen each time he was there,

And after a while, it was my little hands in flour, breaking the eggs.

I shared him with my other siblings,

But it was more than obvious I was the favorite.

The child to call, the bigger half of the candy,

The "ask her if she wants to go here."

At the time, I was too young to comprehend

That my treatment was better.

Maybe now, the way men treat me

Is the karma for my siblings' feelings.

We danced, chuckled, sang, and chatted.

The only person who chatted more than me was him.

I appreciated it.

I grew up in the hospital for a while,

Thus he raised me in the hospital for a while,

He was the last to leave at night

And the first to return in the morning.

I’m not sure how he bypassed hospital policies,

But he did, for me.

He left flower petals and small pieces of chocolate

Under my pillow before he left.

I think my flower addiction came

Exactly from these memories.

He had a temper, one that always seemed

To work in my favor.

I didn’t realize it until he lifted a little boy

Twice my size, but a quarter of his, in the air

By just his collar to stop him from antagonizing me.

I’m not sure anyone experienced him as I did.

Especially mama… or maybe she did, and I never saw it.

I once found a letter under my bed, in a bottle

Like the ones I saw on television for treasure hunting.

Inside was a brown paper rolled with a rustic bow tie,

And the letter to mama had burnt edges.

It may have been the best piece of literature I’ve seen.

So maybe he was her first love too.

The title is a little heavy to carry, but

my first love wasn’t a fleeting romance,

But the unwavering, selfless love

Of a father who saw me as his world.

Through his eyes, I learned the true meaning of love—

Steady, nurturing, and ever-present.

So ask me again,just one more time

who is my first love?

Without a doubt, it’s the man who showed me

That love never fails.

I’ve never met a love as bold since.

[mytruthandbeauty]

27 January 2024

I’m writing this to share some of my joy at my finally choosing a home country, at finally being able to say that I’ve concluded that I’ve found a place that accepts me and that I accept. A place where I feel safe and have peace of mind. I thank the universe for bringing me here and opening my eyes to all it has to offer and for it not turning me away. I’m not a world traveler even though a few people have referred to me as such, but I’m sure that was in jest. I know that I’m privileged to have been able to travel at all. I have only been to five countries outside my home country and I’ve spent most of those three and a half years in Mexico and I’m blessed that Mexico has allowed me to be here all this time. During that time I’ve left Mexico three times, but I’ve always returned. I’m not going to try to make this attraction into some mysterious or spiritual thing I’m too practical for that. The draw Mexico has on me is very practical even though there are also some elements that appeal to my need for beauty. Life teaches you that you should be true to your real self if you are going to be happy with your life and being surrounded by beauty is something that I need to be happy. Mexico supplies beauty in spades. You have the natural beauty of the varied landscapes, the artistic beauty created by its people and the beauty of the smiling faces of the people. But I’m not writing this to talk about aesthetics but the down to earth reasons I love living here.

The most important factor in why I continue to live in Mexico is I am not concerned with or afraid of being confronted by transphobia. I have not had anyone say anything, do anything or act in a transphobic way toward me ever. I am not saying that, that sort of thing doesn’t happen somewhere here or to someone, but it hasn’t been my experience. I haven’t seen a single person out in the streets preaching that gays or trans people are sinners and going to hell. I haven’t once been referred to in male terms by a Mexican except maybe once or twice and when I asked the person if they had done so, they professed that if they had it wasn’t meant to misgender and they apologized for the misunderstanding. I have unfortunately experienced this once by a man at the airport and when I confronted him he offered no apology. He was a white American, surprise, surprise! But in all fairness I’m pretty sure I was once misgendered by a boy, a Mexican, from whom I was trying to get directions and he worked at this building inside a booth behind a plexiglass window. When I asked him if he called me sir he just gave me this dumb smile, so I can’t be sure if he did or if I misheard what he said. Still a couple times in about three years is not very bad. It had been a lot worse back in the states.

My next element about living in Mexico that really makes life a joy is having access to affordable and good quality healthcare, which includes being able to get prescription medication over the counter at very affordable prices. Fortunately for me I am fairly healthy so I don’t need to go to see a doctor often or routinely, but the few times that I have had to see a doctor even though I don’t have insurance I’ve been able to pay for my visits out of pocket because the price was so minimal I think the highest price I have paid has been something like US$40 but in Mexican pesos. so I’m not afraid to go to a doctor whenever I need to do that.

The next thing which is very high on my list is affordable housing. I have been able to always secure housing that is not just well priced but comfortable clean safe and in typically lovely neighborhoods and all of these places have been fully furnished which includes not just the furniture, kitchen appliances, but water and Wi-Fi. I do have to buy bottled water for drinking, cooking and brushing my teeth, but that is a minor cost of $35.00 Mexican pesos for one 20 liter bottle, which typically lasts me about a week. I’ve only had to pay electricity and in most cases I think one place I had to pay for my propane gas, which I used for the stove and hot water, but that typically was only about seven or eight dollars a month. This is not the same as housing, but when I look for an apartment I always look for a place that is in a walkable setting meaning that from my place of residence I can easily walk to all the places that I would typically need to go on a day-to-day basis such as pharmacies, grocery stores, possibly hardware stores, maybe a café, or a restaurant, supermarkets, department stores and banks. When I’m out walking I don’t want to be in constant fear for my life due to the proximity of high speed traffic, you do have to sometimes be aware of the traffic, but often there are streets that don’t allow for frenetic driving, because they are narrow, have visual obstacles that make drivers slow down and the pavement is cobble stone which slows them down too. Drivers here tend to be more courteous and respectful of pedestrians as a rule in my experience, so you have that going for you as someone who maybe getting around on foot. Also on the subject of safety, I have not once felt unsafe the entire time I’ve lived here, not from the national guard with their assault rifles or a casual passerby.

One very simple, but equally important element to good living in my estimation is having ready access to inexpensive fresh unprocessed foods, this is something that I think is under rated by so many people, but so vital to a high quality life. In just about every location in which I’ve lived here I’ve only been a few minutes by foot from a tienda/frutería where I could always get fresh vegetables and fruit. Sometimes there might not be certain items available, but that was simply because they weren’t in season, so you’d get something else. I think it’s better that way and things aren’t being frozen and shipped hundreds or thousands of kilometers just to satisfy a few overly demanding customers taste buds. And that kind of behavior is bad for improving climate change anyway. Another thing about food that is so good here is panaderías. Panaderías are small bakeries that bake their own bread and pastries fresh daily and I love that, because I love fresh pastries, that was something I couldn’t get in my birth country.

And last, but certainly not least, is the weather. Mexico generally speaking has great weather, but here in Oaxaca there are annually 311 days of sunshine. The humidity is comfortable. I’ve only been here during autumn into winter and the days are comfortably dry with mostly sunny skies. The elevation is 1,550 meters or about 5,160 feet which probably accounts for the cooler nights which get to about 50F/12C and warm afternoons of about 80F/28C, like today it started at 53F/13C and this afternoon it’s now 86F/30C. The sky is a bright blue with just a scattering of pale white clouds and the sun has been bright all day. So, these are my reasons for living in Mexico and returning to Mexico at a glance and more importantly why I’m going to make Mexico my official home by getting legal residency. I’ve started the process by searching for a lawyer to help me make this dream a reality and I meet with him soon. Hopefully all will go well and I’ll have my residency card soon. As I said at the beginning of this post I’m not a world traveler. My ambition has been to find a home. I don’t believe that home is simply where you’re born, that is just a circumstance of your birth and that place may not align with your values or suit your needs, tastes or desires, it’s a circumstance you can change if that is what you need to do for whatever reason. I know that I will still want to travel sometimes, but after my residency is secure I’ll have a home to which to return, so it will be vacations to other lands and having a country in which I feel safe and have peace of mind to return will be the icing on the cake. And again I am very grateful to Mexico that I’ve been able to live here and hopefully will soon call it my home. I tried to offer a restrained essay on why I love Mexico, I could easily have made this a very flowery piece, but that I think would have gotten in the way, and in so doing share with you the joy I feel for this wonderful opportunity that life has given me. I will post my progress toward my Mexican residency as development occurs in the mean time thanks to anyone who reads this.