#i'm weirdly fond of those experiences

[falsewolf]

8. Do you like to tell people that you like to RP on tumblr? If not, then do you think you'll tell anybody?

Questions for Muns // Accepting

pfffhaha. I'll admit to folks that i rp and that i write - i've been roleplaying across various platforms since i was like... 8 or 9. it's just a part of me at this point, everyone knows i do it since it's how i stretch my creative wings, even if it's something i keep to myself.

but even i have some sense of shame admitting that i rp on tumblr, given our reputation. which i can't blame for existing.

THAT BEING SAID, folks at cons have recognized me before by chance, at least in the touhou fandom. or did once upon a time. and i'm like 99% sure someone back in college outright recognized art of one of my OCs before that i've only really used here. So even if i don’t tell people i do, i know that folks KNOW me from the tumblr sphere, even if i don't go out of my way to advertise it.

[lampiridaes]

♬ now playing: "falling for you"

-> don't you see me? i think i'm falling for you (fallingforyou - the 1975)

summary. various hsr men realizing they're in love with you

chars. dan heng , sunday , aventurine , jing yuan

notes. THIS ONE IS FOR U MIZU-ANON (still gonna call u that despite the username change) had sm fun writing this. i am a biiiiig loser for these types of tropes i need to admit it. I HOPE WHEN U READ THIS U ENJOY MIZU-ANON!!!!!! LOVE U <3

contains. fluff, pre-established relationship, spoiler-free, reader is a trailblazer but not the trailblazer, march & trailblazer mentioned (dan heng), 'pretty' used as a compliment for reader (jing yuan)

inspired by -> this post!

track one: dan heng

staying up late talking to you. dan heng tends to pull all-nighters, but he never expected you to join in one time. it was actually a bonding moment—he felt as if you grew closer since that day. it wasn't exactly a deep talk, it was more like an icebreaker. compared to march and the trailblazer, dan heng was much more reserved, so you saw a different side to him that night. one that you ended up seeing more and growing quite fond of.

always turning their head if your name is mentioned. every morning when the express crew gets up and eat breakfast together, dan heng finds himself always looking over whenever someone calls you. "[name], let's share!" march 7th would exclaim, then the black-haired man's attention immediately turned to your direction.

... and when you notice that a certain someone is staring at you, you make eye contact and smile, which seemed to have flustered him a little. ah, he's growing smitten, slowly.

track two: sunday

realizing certain traits about you that he finds endearing, your curiosity being the most prominent one. with sunday being a halovian, you couldn't help but admire his features, namely his wings. yet you were far too shy to ask if you could touch them—after all, what if he were to feel uncomfortable? but, to your surprise, sunday was the one that offered, finally acknowledging your silent wish. his wings were undeniably soft, but also quite sensitive, fluttering away from your touch. at first, you thought you did something wrong, but judging from the light blush on the oak family head's face, you could tell he actually enjoyed it.

realizing he's in a better mood when you're in a good mood. being head of the oak family, sunday has a tough job. and yet, when he sees you smiling to yourself, sometimes even attempting to help him in any way you can, sunday finds an odd warmth in his chest. one he doesn't experience quite often.

track three: aventurine

the first smile you share. sometimes you wonder whether or not aventurine is serious in certain situations. sometimes you wonder if he's even your friend or if he's using you in a gamble you aren't even aware of. but that one fateful day when he met your gaze and smiled, you could feel your heart skip a beat. aventurine constantly wears a confident smirk, one that makes him seem like someone to be weary of. and that smile of his... perhaps you were the lucky one this time.

flirting with you. actually, your friendship as a whole had some... weirdly romantic undertones, but after a while, the both of you sort of started to truly think about the entire thing. was he serious when he said that you were the only person he wanted? were you serious when you said you wouldn't mind it if he kissed you? only one way to find out, no?

track four: jing yuan

getting things that remind him of you. whether it'd be a shiny trinket he figured you'd like, or even an expensive piece of jewelry, jing yuan slowly started gifting you different things quite frequently. and whenever you'd ask, his response would always be, "it looks pretty, just like you."

finding time for you and spending his free time around you. it's no secret that jing yuan is a busy man, being the general of the luofu. and yet, after those hours are finished, or he managed to catch a break in the middle of the day, he always looks for you somewhere in exalting sanctum and ask if you'd like to take a short stroll with him. you answer yes every time.

[rillian4e]

Scara reacting to his s/o getting one of those womb/succubus tattoos?

Just them wearing more revealing clothes to show off the tattoo and to taunt him >.<

Scenario please!

You want it, you get it, anon

nsfw, fem!reader, degradation, sub!reader, teasing, dom!scaramouche, possessive scara, not proof read.

It was just another day where Scaramouche and you were supposed to go on a little date, you were feeling very excited as you recently got a succubus tattoo on your womb and you haven't told Scaramouche about it, wanting it to be a surprise. You purposely wore a small top which showed the tattoo perfectly off, it matched very well with the tattoo and looked adorable. As you headed out and smiled when you saw Scaramouche, you could see the slight surprise in his eyes, looking over at your stomach.

"What's this?" He asked, confused on why you got a tattoo like that, his reaction made you think he wasn't fond of the tattoo, "Do you not like it...? It's rather popular nowadays, and it looks pretty, right?" you shrugged your shoulders, smiling mischievously, you knew it looked good, a few guys had already complimented you on it after all.

"hmph, it's not my thing but whatever. Let's go already." taking your hand in his, he lead you to a shopping store, you two had already planned to go and buy some bathing suits, it has been getting hotter and that is the perfect time to go to the beach.

Despite him having acted as if he wasn't interested and didn't care, the tips of his ears were red, how could he have not liked it? He didn't think you could have gotten more attractive than you already were but this womb tattoo would be the death of him. He found tattoos attractive, and that specific tattoo on his pretty girlfriend's body? It was making him feral.

When you arrived, Scaramouche sat down in a nearby chair, telling you to go and pick some bathing suits while he waited—after picking several bathing suits, you went in the dressing room, Scaramouche coming inside with you which you found unexpected of him, he already had an excuse saying how "Why would I stay there? Too many lousy people, it's more quiet here." you just rolled your eyes at him, knowing he wanted to see you change. When you finally tried on a bathing suit, a pretty purple one which showed off the tattoo, you had purposely picked that one, the bathing suit matched the design of it, Scaramouche couldn't keep his eyes off you, he felt reluctant on whether you should wear that to the beach, he didn't want another man looking at your body, it would make his blood boil. "Does it look good? Hey, don't space out!" at your words, he was back to reality and nodded.

"Uh, yeah. Looks good, but you're either doing this intentionally or are just an idiot. Either way, I'm done with this." was what he said before he pinned you against the wall of the dressing room, his lips biting down onto your neck harshly. A leg pressed against your crotch, "You thought I didn't know, hm? Getting this tattoo just to rile me up? I guess, I shouldn't have expected any less from a whore like you." he whispered in your ear, making you shiver, yes, this is what you wanted, you were already wet from his mere words but you couldn't forget that you were in the dressing room where there were people outside! "Not here, Scara... There's people outside, what if they hear?" that was something you did not want, especially having to go and then buy the bathing suit and have the lady at the front desk look at you two weirdly... "oh my, acting so shy now? It's a shame, though. I'm not going easy on you this time." hearing his chuckle, you knew that there will be no escape from this humiliating experience.

And so, you found yourself pressed against the wall, his cock hitting against your sweet spot with your hand clamped against your mouth, you were sure someone would hear but right now, you couldn't worry about that, only thoughts of Scaramouche fucking into you inside your head. His lips fervently chasing yours, exchanging passionate, messy and wet kisses. One thing was for sure, he liked the tattoo.

After your little session, you two exited the dressing room, your hair slightly disheveled and clothes a mess with Scaramouche leading you to the register with a proud smirk on his face, the lady at the register looked at the two of you as expected but Scaramouche only shot her a glare and then you two went home where he took his sweet time enjoying you for himself.

[ihni]

Heather roping her hopefully-soon-to-be-girlfriend Robin into a spa experience, and Robin panicking and bringing her bestie Steve with her because she's nervous, and when Billy hears that Steve's going he invites himself too (convinces Heather - who is not fond of Steve - by saying "Come on Heather, you don't want Harrington there pussyblocking you, right? You just concentrate on your girl and I'll take care of Steve").

Only of course Heather absolutely gives him the "if you don't behave I'm gonna cut your balls off and feed them to my guinea pig" talk, meanwhile Robin is panicking again and telling Steve "this has to be perfect, Steve, or I'll DIE!"

Cue both boys on their very best behavior, polite to the point of awkwardness. They're swaddled in fluffy bathrobes and smothered in clay face mask and skin peeling things and there's a girl approaching with cucumber slices, Heather, what are those for-?

Anyway, a spa day is really not for Billy and Steve, but every time either of them opens their mouth to make a scathing or questioning comment, Heather glares at them (or Robin widens her eyes), so they have no choice but to shut up, lean back, and NOT make fun of each other for having their hair swept out of their faces and having their faces full of green, avocado-smelling goo.

(Billy whispers that it smells like guacamole and puts a bit on his tongue, looks thoughtful and says it kinda TASTES like guacamole too. Steve is like "really?" and tries it too, only of course it doesn't taste like guacamole, it tastes like shit and Billy just kept a straight face to get Steve to try some. He spits and splutters along with Steve, interspersed with laughter that he's trying to keep down. It doesn't work. Heather's look promises pain to come)

(Also, imagine it with me, the staff having taken the girls into another room for some extra treatment, and thus leaving the boys alone while their face masks and oils and what not work their magic, and Billy immediately sneaking off his chair/bench and opening a window a crack, producing a cigarette from his discarded jeans, and lighting up by the open window. Imagine it. Billy Hargrove, in a fluffy spa bathrobe, glistening with oil and his almost-wet hair pulled back weirdly, with a face full of green goo, smoking a cigarette and trying to maintain his air of cool... Steve will be saving that image in the back of his brain 'til the day he dies, thank you.)

(Also the girls share their first kiss in the sauna and ditch the boys. The boys don't notice for like an hour)

[liesmyth]

Okay this is weirdly specific and obvs if the answer requires doxing yourself don't answer but hjdkfg fave places to go running at? I started going on more walks and it's so fun to explore the local space!!

no worries! I'm very alright with telling people I live in Rome, a city of 3 million people. you can all have that for free etc. (actually, I'm very braggy about it. borderline obnoxious, ngl. Think the Italy equivalent of a New Yorker)

Also!!! I LOVE THIS QUESTION SO MUCH. It made me go through Strava history and dig some running pic I took.

the appia antica route!

if you (generic you) are ever in Rome, there's a lovely green area along the old Appia way that's great for running but also for picnics. My favourite local road race (coming up next month!!) is partly along that route and it's SO beautiful. It's one of those places that make you feel you're genuinely grateful you have a body to move around in and experience the wind and the sun and the mosquitoes in your teeth and the achy calves from doing a few km on cobblestones. It's a very large green area (Appia Antica / Parco degli Acquedotti / Parco di Tor Fiscale / Parco della Caffarella) and there are so many fun trails and paths.

Lungotevere / centro storico swag

Sometimes u (me) gotta flex and be like "oh, look, I live in Rome" and just plot your long run so that you end up by the Vatican or whatever. There's a route along the Tiber river that's technically a bike lane but it's large enough to run safely, and it's really fun for Sunday runs / whenever you have a bit of time to actually get there.

There are other really great running spots in central Rome like any of the parks (Villa Borghese, Villa Ada etc. and EYE don't really do it often but it's very nice)

Here's a pic! Not mine

Country roads take me home etc — Castelli Romani

Hilly towns just outside the city that have veeery fun trails and countryside views! You have to actually get there so it's a bit involved, and then once you're there you're like "why the fuck did I think running up a hill was a good idea?" but if you DO like running up hills, it's fun. I like going in the summer for longer runs and I don't bring any snacks just absolutely gorge myself on blackberries from the bushes.

My beloved neighbourhood run.

I love walking out of the door and just going for it! It's very entertaining as far as "neighbourhood routes" go. It's a decently safe area, I can stay well clear of cars, there's a car park I can do sprints in (and, occasionally, will see people fucking in cars, as one does) and some green. I wish it had a bit more elevation, but there's a stretch of road that's decently hilly so I can't complain + there are some VERY interesting characters and sights. Alas, it's within sniffing distance of a bakery AND a steakhouse, so there isn't a time of the day I can run at without getting hungry along the way, but I don't mind — I have been known to plot a route so that I finish right in front of a bakery for breakfast.

no landmark photos for obvious reasons but here are some cute birdies I saw running a few weeks ago

Holiday run!

One thing I really love to do on holiday is go run around a new city / any place I've never been in, and exploring new places while I'm at it. Some of my most beloved holiday memories are of running early in the morning in new places. Sometimes it backfires horribly and you end up on a muddy path at six thirty AM with water in your shoes and frantically trying to match your phone GPS with that of the route you downloaded yesterday, but it's usually worth it. These are a few photos I had on my phone — the beach is somewhere along lake Garda, and it's been years and I still remember that run with a lot of fondness. Also, another time I got lost in the middle of nowhere in Tuscany and ended up chatting with an incredibly MILFy American tourist who was also out running and that too is a fond memory... anyway. Holiday runs my beloved

[baki-tiene-un-simp]

Can we get a reader with gen z level character and humor? Baki, Hanayama, Jack and Yujiro? Maybe they're both fascinated and horrified by gen z and what they can pull off. And Yujiro laughs off the dumb jokes and is tolerant of the reader, just because he's interested in all that crap.

Situation: With a generation z S/O / Con un S/O de la generación z.

Characters: Baki Hanma, Jack Hanma, Kaoru Hanayama, and Yujiro Hanma.

Baki Hanma.

In another post I mentioned that it's VERY easy to make Baki laugh, very easy indeed, however I think he definitely doesn't do much for gen Z humor, he just doesn't understand most of the weirdly distorted, silly or profound jokes and memes But, he can pick up a couple of jokes, so he's not that lost.

He'll look on with surprise, and concern, when his S/O talks so relaxed about a joke they read about some childhood trauma online and just blurts out, "They're just like me".

He could join it if they explained that it is just a means to face problems for many, to feel that they are not the only ones having x thoughts or to forge a strange relationship with other people so as not to feel so alone.

I think he doesn't really like jokes about daddy issues or mommy issues, for different reasons, but it might make him laugh at those witty puns or create images.

Jack Hanma.

He likes black humor. I have no proof, but no doubt either. Perhaps it is the crudeness with which people experiment to make humor what amuses him or how immune he's can be in most cases.

Having an S/O with that kind of silly satirical humor is fine for him, it can be relaxing just to watching their walk up and smile at the nonsensical joke they shows him. Most likely he likes it just because his S/O likes it.

I don't think he's very fond of jokes about daddy issues or mommy issues either, for different reasons.

In general, he does well with a gen z S/O, he can stick with it.

Kaoru Hanayama.

I'm not sure with him, I mean, I could easily claim he gets the jokes and stuff, but I really don't think he enjoys it enough to get self-absorbed or identified.

However, he won't complain when his partner shows him all the pictures they think are funny, he won't judge their sense of humor although he might worry if it's too "twisted".

He doesn't laugh out loud at almost anything, but he can smile a little if his lover finds something really clever.

He doesn't question what his S/O enjoys seeing on his phone, but he can worry in silence.

Yujiro Hanma.

Of course he likes it, he certainly loves most of the horrible black humor jokes that run around without a filter. It's exactly what he likes, seeing people rant unindulgently about death, sprains and whatnot is refreshing to him.

His S/O may get a few laughs out of him when he randomly lets go of these comments, you will always catch him off guard and put him in a good mood. And it is that knowing that his partner is somewhat twisted like him, he likes it.

He even likes silly jokes! It's really amazing when he smiles at the picture that his partner randomly showed him while he was surfing the internet.

He is surprisingly easygoing and laid back, as normal as you can find in this monster of a man.

Versión en Español.

Baki Hanma.

En otra publicación mencioné que es MUY fácil hacer reír a Baki, realmente muy sencillo, sin embargo, creo que definitivamente no le va mucho el humor de la generación Z, simplemente no comprende la mayoría de los chistes y memes extrañamente distorsionados, tontos o profundos, pero, puede captar un par de chistes, así que no está tan perdida.

Mirará con sorpresa, y preocupación, cuando su S/O habla de forma tan relajada de un chiste que leyó en internet sobre algún trauma infantil y simplemente dejo ir un "es igual que yo".

Podría acoplarse a ello si se lo explican que es solo un medio para afrontar los problemas para muchos, para sentir que no son los únicos en tener x pensamiento o de forjar una relación extraña con otras personas para no sentirse tan solos.

Creo que no le caen muy bien los chistes sobre problemas de papá o problemas de mamá, por diferentes razones, pero podría hacerlo reír esos juegos de palabras ingeniosos o imágenes creativas.

Jack Hanma.

Le gusta el humor negro. No tengo pruebas, pero tampoco dudas. Quizá es la crudeza con la que la gente experimenta para hacer humor lo que le divierte o lo inmune que puede llegar a ser en la mayoría de los casos.

Tener un S/O con ese tipo de humor satírico y tonto está bien para él, puede ser relajante solo verle acercarse y sonreír por el chiste sin sentido que le muestra. Muy probablemente le gusta solo porque a su S/O le gusta.

Creo que tampoco le caen muy bien los chistes sobre problemas de papá o problemas de mamá, por diferentes razones.

En general, le va bien con un S/O de la generación z, puede acoplarse a ello.

Kaoru Hanayama.

No estoy segura con él, digo, fácilmente podría afirmar que entiende los chistes y demás, pero realmente no creo que lo disfrute como para ensimismarse o identificarse.

Sin embargo, no se quejará cuando su pareja le muestre todas las imágenes que según ellos son graciosas, no juzgara su sentido del humor aunque si podría preocuparse si este es demasiado "retorcido".

No se ríe a carcajadas con casi nada, pero puede sonreír un poco si su amante encuentra algo realmente ingenioso.

No cuestiona lo que su S/O disfruta ver en su teléfono, pero puede preocuparse en silencio.

Yujiro Hanma.

Por supuesto que le gusta, ama sin duda la mayoría de los horribles chistes de humor negro que corren por ahí sin filtro. Es exactamente lo que le gusta, ver personas despotricar sin indulgencia sobre la muerte, las torceduras y demás cosas es refrescante para él.

Su S/O podrá sacarle un par de risas cuando deja ir estos comentarios de forma aleatoria, siempre lo tomaras desprevenido y lo pondrá de buen humor. Y es que saber que su pareja es un tanto retorcida como él, le gusta.

¡Incluso los chistes tontos le gustan! Es realmente sorprendente cuando sonríe con la imagen que su pareja le mostró aleatoriamente mientras navegaba por internet.

Es sorprendentemente tolerante y relajado, es lo más normal que puedes encontrar en este monstruo de hombre.

[mismefancy]

I am a Dainsleif x Lumine shipper. It is one of the few well known Dain ships that still continues to persist after every Dain quest we get.

But personally, I'm not into the abyss Lumine ship. I'm actually into the Dainsleif x Traveler Lumine ship.

It just does stuff to my hurt/comfort loving heart. Gosh darn it. :'D

Two immortal travelers travelling for different purposes. For Dain, to stop the Abyss and their plans. For Lumine, mainly to find their twin, Aether. Because of these purposes, both travelers do not settle permanently in one place. They continue to traverse the lands of Teyvat for their sole purposes, with no place they can truly call home because that home is lone gone. The home that is his godless nation, and the home she considers her brother.

Although different, one of the common things they have is their relationship with Aether. For as much as they would never attempt to hide their disdain and caution for the Abyss, a part of them still hesitates when Aether is in the picture.

The idea of them not only bonding over their experiences with Aether, but also find some comfort in one another as kinda lonely travelers just gets me. The two could just be together in the woods, cooking with their campfires, Paimon rambling whatever she could talk about and Lumine bickering with her back, Paimon sometimes dragging Dain to the convo, and etc. And the two then briefly talk about their fond memories of Aether, or how despite meeting many people in various nations, it sometimes still feels lonely.

Lumine's known for helping her friends and allies out. So naturally, she'd want to help Dain as well. I think his Chasm quest alone showed that even in Dain's most vulnerable, she will be there.

But Dain helping her out, returning that favour by being there for her, would give Lumine the very support she needed throughout her travels.

Paimon will always be her closest and dearest companion, but Lumine couldn't have it in her to tell Paimon of her deepest, ugliest doubts and despairs. Maybe it would've been too much to put on her, to taint that bond with nothing but so much negativity. (Even though I believe that Paimon would stay true to her no matter what horrible doubts she could tell her.)

Dain could not only comfort her, but in a way, somewhat understand her. The two lonely travelers, with different purposes and values, yet still find some comfort in each other.

Okay. Most of these are just headcanons or how I hope their relationship could be down the line. Doesn't even have to be romantic nor does it have to be Lumine as the Traveler. Platonic works and Traveler Aether can still be applied. (Dain x Traveler Lumine just has a soft spot in my heart.)

Basically, please continue making Dain an honorary traveling companion. Put some emphasis to that fact please. :'D

If not for the rant I provided, then do it for the potential of funny interactions between Paimon and Dain. Those two as a duo sounds weirdly hilarious. Lol

[1-800-local-slut]

I’m rewatching season 9 of Supernatural and it’s making me crave Cas fics. Maybe something where the reader met him as Steve but now he’s back to full angel mojo

Can I Get A Large Slushie?

Season 9 Castiel x Black! Reader

Warnings: drunk reader, heartbreak (on readers end), reader and Cas don't end up together romantically, it's more so an experience, i don't know why I can't write Cas that way but I think he's literally just too majestic for me. He's also weirdly hard for me to write so I'm sorry this isn't one of my better works

1.7k words

Likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! Also sorry this took so long, I got really busy </3

She could still remember that day like it was yesterday. The cold afternoon breeze that blew over her arms that night. The night when it was the beginning of everything she ever knew changed.

Drunk tears streamed down her face, her white dress a muddled mess around her lower body. It was supposed to be her night. It was supposed to be for her, with her friends and family all there to celebrate her engagement. Yet, after half an hour, her ex-fiance was caught with his pants around his ankles and buried in her aunt Nella. All she could do was run. She ran out of that party like a bat out of hell. Where was she even going? Perhaps her location was the gas station.

She ran, until she abandoned her heels in her purse, her flask was empty and the Sun had long since set behind her.

Then she was there. Tipsy, depressed and at a gas station. Mascara streamed down her dark skin in big gooey chunks, and she wanted to rip off her false lashes. Even her wig was bothering her. A chilled breeze blew through the night sky, and she shivered. Rubbing her arms up and down her soft skin she looked up through tear filled lashes at the glowing sign.

If there was any place to wait for her Uber, she supposed it was better than the street. The door felt cold against her bare arms. Looking back, it was a cold night. That night gave her a distinct fondness for the cold. The AC blasted over her, as she looked around. The whiteness of the room blinded her. She called her Uber, probably the least important aspect of her night. She saw him then.

He was standing near the slushie machine, he was certainly handsome. Tall, with brown hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and pink lips. Perhaps if she wasn’t spending unnecessary time worrying about a man who cracked her heart in two, she would’ve taken a chance with him. 

Sliding next to him, she glanced down at her phone again ‘Mickey, 8 minutes away’. How she wished she had more than those eight minutes. 

“Is there something you need ma’am?” The voice startled her. She wasn’t expecting him to speak, in her 29 years of living she can’t really remember ever speaking to a gas station attendant.

“Yeah…can I get a large slushie?” She slurred and hiccuped. Oh what a fool she made of herself! If she could go back, she would’ve gone in there perfectly sober and asked for more than a slushie from him.

“Sure, you know if you mix 50% red and 50% blue together it’ll make a perfect shade of purple? Most people end up with either too much red or blue, so if we fill it up to the top of the ‘e’ with the first color, it’ll be a perfect 50%, and the rest will make it a perfect mix.” He enthused, pulling out a cup but dropping a few more on the ground. She flailed in an attempt to grab them, and she followed suit. After a few ungraceful moments her slushie was being poured, half red and half blue. Then, he (with a shocking amount of enthusiasm) shook up her drinking and placed a gorgeous colored concoction.

Maybe it was the liquor that did her in. The liquor that brought tears to her eyes, and made her start to cry once more.

“This is the nicest thing ever, thank you…” with a squint, she leaned in and read his name tag. “Steve. That’s a nice name, I knew a guy named Steve once. He was great, you know. He was a nice guy, dude smelled funky though.” With a pathetic whimper, Steve chuckled and led her away to the cash register. 

For some reason, her heart thumped in her chest. Perhaps from the copious amounts of casamigos thrumming through her blood. 

“Well hopefully, he smells better now.” Steve chuckled and she took a long and hard sip from her slushie, the cold freezing over her pained heart. With a swipe of her credit card, her slushie was paid for.

“I hope you have a better night than you’ve been having so far.” Steve grinned widely and she chuckled. A smile came over her sore features. How tired she was. Even talking hurt but in her drunken state it was all she wanted to do.

“Why thank you Steve, you’re such a sweetie pie! Oh but my night can’t get better. My life can’t either.” She sighed, laying her arm and head onto the counter. She can still recall Steve’s blue eyes glancing over her face.

“My fiance, or ex, or uncle or something. He plowed my aunt at our engagement party. Sure she’s only like six years older, but that’s still so weird. He already had me, who goes for a downgrade? Here I am. Sad, drunk, kind of sleepy. This slurpee is really good, thank you so much.” Her rant left her out of breath. He really was an angel, to listen to her depressing details of her life. A sigh that seemingly deflated her body made Steve rest his chin on his hands.

“Huh…I’m sorry that happened to you.” The response was earnest.

“I’m sorry it happened to me too.” Whipping tears from her eyes, and the streaks of mascara from her eyes. Her phone buzzed, ‘Mickey has arrived’.

“My Uber’s here.” She swallowed another giant gulp of her slushie.

“Okay, have a nice night!” Steve waved as the woman blinked in confusion, pushing herself off the countertop. 

“You’re a very cheerful gentleman.” She waved back with a giggle and stumbled off into the night.

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺

The next time she saw him, it was two weeks later. She went back to the store, craving yet another perfect slushie, and exhausted from the moving process. After kicking her ex to the curb, she was finally completely moved out. A nice little apartment that she’d spend the next three years off her life in even though she didn’t know it yet. 

Pushing open the door, the AC blasted against her warm skin once more.Her beeline to the slushie machine was quick, and before she knew it she was faced to face with Steve again.

“Hello there Steve.” He turned around, and grinned at her with a level of excitement someone who loved their job could have.

“Good afternoon, how are you doing today?” He asked her. Something about him drew her in. What was it though? Was it his generosity? Was it his simple naivety? No, but what was it?

“I’m doing just fine.” With a chuckle, she swiped her card. And feeling brand new from just being near Steve for some reason, she went on about her day.

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺

It had gotten to the point where if you cut her open, she would’ve bled that delicious purple she’d been consuming on a near daily basis. Their conversations, about essentially nothing, were just filled with sweet nothings. It was like speaking to a person with a pure view. For a moment, just a moment each day, it cleared her mind of all the pain she’d been forced to endure. Until one day, Steve’s innocent glee was missing. 

“Are you alright Steve?” She asked, while grabbing a pack of gum while she shook her cup around.

“I’m just thinking. Can I ask you something?” He took the gum from her and ran it over the scanner. Taking it back, she pulled out six dollars and prepared for her change.

“Sure, I’ve asked you plenty of questions.” 

“When you know you belong somewhere else doing something else, but you’re forced to be something you don’t want to be, what do you do?” A silence settled between the two of them. 

“I think you should do what you’re meant to do the best way you can. Even if you can’t do it the same way anymore.” She responded, sliding her gum into her purse.

“I think so too.” He gave her a tight lipped smile and a small wave goodbye. It was the last time for a while that she would see Steve.

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺

The next time it was six weeks later. Life moved on of course. She still had slushie’s just not as often. Without Steve, there was no point in going every day. Still her heart couldn’t forget him. Nothing ever happened between the two. Nothing more than thoughtful and absent minded conversations. Still he left some sort of gap in her heart.

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺

“Hi there, my name is Jack Matherson, this is my partner David Kendall. We’re detectives looking into the break in across the street, may we come in?” But when she saw ‘David’ her entire world melted. Instead it was Steve. At her flower shop, standing next to a very handsome man. 

“Sure…sure of course you can.” The two stepped in, and Steve or David or whatever his name was seemed to barely notice her. There he was right there, and this entire time she had been wondering where he had gone. What had happened to that silly guy from the gas station? Now here he was, a very well dressed cop in a trench coat.

He looked far more serious now, as if he was intent on whatever his mission was. Even the air around him felt far more cleansing. More so like whatever she had done in her life was judged and forgiven in his presence. He walked around absentmindedly, whispering to his green eyed partner. For a fast moment, they made eye contact.

“Hello there, it’s good to see you again.” She swallowed thickly. Was his voice always so gruff? Was this the thing he wanted to do the best way he could? It seemed like it, the way he was so domineering in the strangest way.

“You too.” With a quick nod, she slipped away into the back. Now she curses herself, for running away from someone who made her feel so oddly full. Not complete, but like a part of her was added, one that she never even knew she wanted.

Now, she was slurping on a large slurpee, her tongue staining purple and she sat on her window sill. Years later, she still thinks about him. She still thinks about how his energy brought many changes. Something about him illuminated something…untouchable? Unique. No, divine. Divine was the only word that could be used to describe the feeling that the presence of Steve brought. 

Now she was sitting at her window sill, slurpy finished, and missing that feeling and her Steve more than anything.

[vivalgi]

Yeah, I did enjoy it. MAH was a pleasant surprise for me. I thought it would be some silly teenage drama that I'm getting too old to relate to, but it was actually much more than that. What really made MAH enjoyable was the amount of heavy and sensitive subjects from the loss of loved ones, grief and guilt to the hardships of coming out of closet, dealing with bigotry, social pressure and much more. I honestly didn't expect to experience such a whirlwind of emotions beyond lust and second hand embarrassment from a modern Choices book.

In typical Choice fashion, the murder solving part was predictable and formulaic, but even though I already got spoiled a long time ago (it's hard to avoid such spoilers when PB makes a special artwork for the murderer because everyone wants to be the first to share CGs), solving the case was still fun. It helped that the story had, I'd say, the most relatable MC ever, which was a great help for immersion. It's going to be really hard to beat my new spirit animal (detective Rose who?) There were a few parts where I would have acted differently but those can be excused with teenage inexperience. Too bad Perdita's case will remain unsolved but I guess it served its purpose as the MC's (superhero) origin story and character development.

A couple of things annoyed me. One was that after Gabbie's secret lover had served their purpose for solving the crime, they were relegated to a walking closet and used as a mental manipulation tool to guilt trip us into buying diamond outfits. The other was the lack of choices for female romancers. I wasn't particularly fond of Stevie due to her illegal endeavors and the prospect of having to babysit her little sister wasn't helping to sell me her diamond scenes. Luckily MAH offered a rare chance to ignore the potential LIs altogether and save a few diamonds or connect with them platonically. It's truly been awhile when you could be just buddies with male LIs and do fun stuff with them, like teach your dog to skateboard with Donovan. Although sometimes the scenes were still weirdly charged.

Yeah, an enjoyable book that offered lots of emotions that I've been missing on Choices. I'd like to see more books in the future that dare to touch heavier topics as I'm getting beyond tired of those hollow and lustful soap operas. Gonna miss Puck though 😢

[canonizzyhours]

Hot take: Both the 'canyon' and the wider OFMD 'fandom' can turn people away from the show. This fandom's infighting is a waste of time and everyone would be happier looking for fans they agree with vs. spending hours wasting their life arguing about pointless shit. (Yes, this post is ironic, but I'm tired of moralizing, and wanted to rant.)

You as a fan are responsible for curating the community you care about and finding passion there, not endlessly posting rants about how weirdly passionate other fans are.

Fandom is just a bunch of very opinionated people who get online and try to find community and for the most part, that's okay! You consumed a piece of media and have opinions about it, but know why you're creating a post. You're not actually going to get murdered by Izzy lovers if you properly tag your Tumblr posts as Izzy-critical. For example.

I write OFMD meta, it's very easy to pop on Stede Critical if I'm discussing why I don't like aspects of his arc, or Ed-Critical for how he was written in S2. Proper tagging shows respect to Ed-focused or Stede-focused fans without clogging the tag with hate. I enjoy aspects of Izzy's character, and if I'm negative I STILL tag Izzy-critical.

Trying to claim moral superiority for 'choosing the right side' in fandom looks immature on both ends. In the end, yeah, I'm sure people in both camps were harassing people. I've got 15 Izzy-focused words on AO3 in this fandom on all branches of loving-to-hating aspects of his character. I have gotten death threats, from both camps, I get it. But those are shitty people, regardless of fandom affiliation. I don't hate an entire subgroup due to that.

Izzy having a subsect in fandom is not really that different than Ed, Stede, Olu/Jim, or hell, S2 positive fans having their own spaces and communities.

I was in fandoms for Marvel (Loki), Supernatural (Castiel) and Witcher (Jaskier). I know how prevalent some side characters can be, it's as if it's y'alls first time seeing this shit. Liking or disliking a character isn't a moral failing. THIS is the ACTUAL reason I saw people leave the fandom.

Moralizing if participating in Izzy (and TBH, Stede) fandom made you a good person or if you were 'filling AO3 with another white man'. Don't complain you don't have water if you haven't even tried to dig a well. Vice versa with only 'pure holy radical leftist non racists' holding themselves above everyone else for liking characters like Edward, Oluwande, or Jim. Why are you wasting time complaining that they aren't represented on AO3?

If you want more Archie fic? Write Archie fic. If you want Ned to get the villian arc he deserved? Do it. If you really hated Izzy and wanted him to die sooner, you have your audience, be respectful of people and their time.

But reader of this post, you are not the moderator for all content created. Why do you spend your time caring about what another ingroup is doing instead of having fun with YOUR in-group??

When this fandom dies out, my stand-out experiences will be the fond memories of what fic I created and the many friends I made along the way. Can you say the same? Or will you remember OFMD because you keyboard warrior'ed your way into not even having fun anymore?

#304.

[yinyuedijun]

oh my god miss mao that fox poem you rb'ed.............. it's so crazy, that brought back so many memories like i rmb reading that when i was in a horrendous horrendous place but the sentiment about how yes, there is suffering, but there are also the sweet berries and the sun and the field genuinely pulled me through that chapter of my life. maybe this is tmi but i felt the need to share, it's such a lovely poem and i keep i a copy on all my devices for when the thoughts come knocking again. i'm weirdly happy we share a fondness (i assume) for this poem haha

in reference to this

I only just discovered that poem at the moment of reblogging it actually! the words you quoted are new to me but the sentiment is definitely a realization I had at the lowest point in my life, which is why I felt moved by the poem. and after hearing your story, I'm moved by it even more. thank you so much for sharing your experience with me... I too am happy we share this fondness for those words !!

[absolutebearings]

after this latest ultimate extended rewatch with @lecampy i can finally say for sure: i like the hobbit movies more than the OT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

All 6 are more consistent in quality than I remembered so there's less for me to get hung up on that i wasn't already accepting from the first movies -- there's infrequently wonky cgi, weird act 3 pacing, and stupid action sequences in the OT but they didn't get in the way of my enjoyment then, that's still the case for me here

i already like tolkien dwarves so all the focus on them was awesome, i like that they blended in some other tolkien works, i like that there were references to the cartoons and various illustrated editions

it must be said -- the soundtrack fucks! howard shore adds some new great dwarvish themes to the leitmotifs we're already familiar with and it works so well -- in particular its underscoring of thorin's descent is really really good

the biggest thing for me though is the characters. I am incredibly fond of all the dwarves, and bc the movies put effort into differentiating them I was able to quickly learn names. i always come away from a rewatching getting attached to a new character (this time its balin ;__;)

riddles in the dark! the barrel escape! goofy and heartfelt songs! outwitting trolls and bluffing dragons! i think all the best stuff from the novel is a lot of fun in large part bc freeman is the perfect bilbo, he handles this ridiculous, increasingly depressing procession of events with a combination of twitchy insecurity and desperate nerve and its exactly as i imagined

dont even get me started on armitage as thorin jesus christ holy fcuk. I'm still recovering and it's been a decade. his last scene had me in hysterics

in general bilbo is a more interesting and compelling protagonist, (all his little tics are so endearing!! there's like 50 Relatable Bilbo Moments per movie) and thorin's tragic character arc beats the shit out of anything from the OT. i wish i had 10 more hours of them interacting. i wish they had more time together

love the stuff with bard the bowman, he is a much more interesting figure than i initially gave him credit for, especially after laketown is destroyed and he's trying to care for all the refugees who immediately looked to him for guidance because he's the one that killed the dragon. he feels the weight of responsibility for their survival on his shoulders, his dragonslaying wasn't so much a feat as it is a prelude to the real work that is the result of prowess -- those who can, MUST. and that pressure drives his plea for thorin to just honor their prior agreement, and the feeling of betrayal when that plea is callously refused. its just like thorin taking responsibility for his people after erebor was lost (and the deliciousness of thorin treating bard like thranduil treated him, and the way the trauma of being abandoned to starvation and exile ripples out over years)

the critique i agree most with is the execution of the kili/tauriel romantic subplot, it could have been better developed imo, theyre really intense about each other after like one conversation LKJFdsjf

pacing is definitely wonky at times

specifically the pacing of the gandalf subplot was not as good as the main plot, but i think it was better handled in the extended editions

i dont think smaug was killed too quickly, or the confrontation was weirdly positioned astride the 2nd and 3rd movies bc the dragon isn't the most interesting antagonist of this story and there are more important things to explore, like thorin's descent into paranoia, his awful choices as a leader once he steps inside erebor and how theyre connected to his past experiences, and the way infighting leaves all parties vulnerable to destruction. but i'm someone who was bummed they cut scourging of the shire from the OT so i would enjoy stuff like this, those arcs that show the fallout after the Big Final Battle, (or what seemed like it at the time), where you have to reconcile real world shit like diplomacy w/ neighboring polities.

i still love the OT, its a classic for a reason, but the hobbit movies are underrated and i'll die on this (under)hill.

[wispered-dream]

Maybe Tunnel Vision is the full explanation tbh, makes more sense than anything catastrophic

That I am ever anxious that it could be catastrophic means that it is always catastrophic so my anxiety should be ignored.

Can't imagine why I'm so severely neurotic

Ignore the catastrophically awful, and then when you're sensitized to fear ignoring it because of Reasonable Logic, continue to say 'my anxieties are not real'

I can never trust when I am in danger, nor trust that there is anything I can do about it

I don't feel surprised that Clear Dangers with Obvious Solutions are comforting. "Making Mistakes" with consequences that are MINE, that are REAL and DONE BY MEEEE, is so comforting.

At least those have Potential Benefits - Fun, Experience, Joy. They're WORTH IT. I can look at those Scars with fondness and peace.

The Scars that fester and worsen, that I've been told over and over and over and over are never real, and should I fear them, I need to remember:

It's all in my head.

But it's not. There were many people who could have said something other than "it's just in your head" or "it's okay to feel scared sometimes" or "you just have to ACCEPT that you're anxious sometimes!"

No one was willing/able to ask 'why is this child terrified'

Bad Children cry in class all the time, and are disruptive. Bad Children go to the clinic too much to escape chronic headaches.

Bad Children Fail Their Tests because they weren't paying attention. Bad Children Fail Their Tests because they fall asleep in class, because the only time they ever feel safe is when their parents are asleep.

Good Children stay up reading until 4am because they are So Smart. Good Children Shut the Fuck Up, and take notes they know they aren't going to remember. Good Children know that they need to stop doing things to get sent to the Counselor, because she'll make everything worse.

Over and over and over

The Bad Kids understand. Of course, I'm not one of THOSE, it's just weirdly where I fit in. All of their parents are ECSTATIC that their kid made a friend with a Good Child :)

:) I teach my friends the BEST websites to pirate games, the BEST ways to talk to friends that parents can't notice in search histories.

They Get It. I don't know what 'It' is yet, and I won't for a very long time. I GUESS I'm a good influence, fine, yes, tell my parents how HAPPY it makes you that I 'Fix' your Broken Kids. Gives me more excuses to get out of the house, that I am USEFUL to someone.

Because I Get It. I know what we both need. And I know how to make it look like we're giving you what you want.

The Good Kids never Get It. They already have what we don't. They can't even begin to imagine not having that, and don't know what it's like.

They try to Get It sometimes. Often they are Kind. And they want things to be better.

But they Run, or Flee, or otherwise recognize that something is wrong with you. Maybe something you'll infect them with.

The Bad Kids don't fear it. They're already infected.

And their parents LOVE that you can "Cure" them.

Is it any wonder you HATE claims that Harmony is LOVE?

When you know Harmony is Silence, Harmony is Rejection. Harmony is "only good vibes".

Harmony is Shutting up the Dissonance. Harmony is Adapting, Lying, finding whatever Oasis you can that will let you live in peace.

[leogichidaa]

I wanna tell you something I love about Incubus: the total differences in how the Marauders regard the situation of Regulus vs how Regulus himself views his brother’s friends. While Peter and James both acknowledge that Regulus might actually be dangerous they still are not on their guard nearly enough, and it sort of feels to me like they’re like this because this is Sirius’s brother. Regulus looks like Sirius so they’re automatically relaxing and trusting at the sight of those familiar features/traits, he knows how badly it would hurt Sirius if something happened to them and what sibling wants to genuinely see their brother hurt (one raised in the House of Black who’s carrying around a ton of abandonment issues and resentment for their runaway brother, maybe), and it’s that very attachment Regulus has to Sirius that puts them in danger. Regulus refuses to lose his brother and he doesn’t care what he has to do to prevent that, and if he’s gotta kill the blood traitor and half-bloods his brother is weirdly fond of to get his brother back, then that’s just what he’ll do

Thank you for telling me what you love about it 😊

And yeah, the disconnect is very real and it mirrors the disconnect in the way that Sirius and Regulus view each other. Regulus is playing 4-D chess and his ostensible opponents don't even consider him competition. Regulus sees them all as a threat from day one and he is guarded and plotting constantly wrt them. James and Peter are wary of Regulus, but they make the mistake of thinking that they can interact with him like a normal human at least some of the time.

In large part that does come from the fact that their main point of reference for the Black family is Sirius, one of the more well-adjusted members of the House of Black. Plus, I think they have rose-colored glasses when it comes to Sirius, which doesn't help. I don't think they can really conceptualize just how unhinged Sirius' family is.

I'm going to go on a bit of a tangent here, forgive me, but this makes me think of how sometimes (imo) the complexity of the relationship between Regulus and Sirius gets stripped out in fanon. And I know that some part of that stems from a lack of experience/understanding around toxic sibling relationships because I've seen people straight up say, "well, they're brothers, so of course they take care of/respect/protect each other" and like...that's not a foregone conclusion. Especially in a family where children are disowned by their parents and inter-family murder is not unheard of. Sirius and Regulus do love each other, but it's messy and there's a huge potential for it to be toxic and dangerous.

So yeah, to James and Peter it doesn't seem to fully register how dangerous Regulus is and how little he cares about Sirius' happiness. I like that you use the word attachment, because that's really the crux of it. Regulus is attached to Sirius and he wants to have Sirius, even if having Sirius makes Sirius miserable. It's a very selfish love. But it's the kind of love that their parents modeled for them.

I could go on about James' hubris and why Remus is less susceptible to being lulled into this false sense of security (who knows better than Remus that even well-meaning family can damage their loved ones in a way that completely alters the course of their life due to their outspoken bigotry?), but I feel like I'm rambling at this point, so I'll leave it at that.

[gallantblade]

Magical girls' abilities aren't limited to 1-2 magic powers per magical girl. They can in theory do anything that they have enough magic in their soul gem for; in practice they stick to the kinds of magic they're good at in order to conserve energy. All magical girls can use healing magic, Sayaka is just better at it than most. The ribbon barriers Mami uses are probably the same kind of magic as the barriers Kyoko makes. I don't know why Homura is shooting beams; it's probably because the show wanted to introduce Mami's magic guns before it dropped Homura using real guns for pacing reasons, but I headcanon that she hadn't had time to re-steal her pistols yet.

Mami is a very powerful magical girl who has a lot of experience under her belt, and her wide toolkit reflects that. She has enough magic to spare for unusual things, and has had time to learn how to use her specialties in creative & unorthodox ways. If the other magical girls don't match up to her it's because they're either weaker than she is (most of them) or aren't very creative in their approach (Homura).

Magia Record isn't canon to the anime; it's explicitly an alternate universe and Charlotte's backstory in it is a retcon. Why Charlotte's grief seed in the anime acts weirdly is an open mystery, but personally I'm fond of the theory that it's evidence that Kyubey doesn't dispose of the grief seeds magical girls give him but rather puts them back into the world to absorb more despair. As for Nagisa, yes those are Witch powers, she's using Witch powers in the same way that Sayaka is able to summon Oktavia, it's something that being part of the Law of Cycles lets them do. We don't know what her magical girl powers are, it doesn't come up.

Witches don't gain power from people dying, they gain power from the emotions of grief and despair. Driving people to suicide just seems to be a really effective way to generate a lot of despair for the Witch to absorb. But the exact way a Witch "hunts" and the effect of their Kiss just depends on the personality and nature of the Witch in question.

A Familiar becomes a Witch when it's absorbed enough despair to concentrate it into a grief seed. It doesn't have that explosion of energy from conversion, no, but Witches aren't just the by-product of Magical Girls. Their ability to generate and accumulate nearly endless despair makes them useful to the Incubators in their own right.

The cycle probably started with an Incubator tricking a human girl into making a contract and granting her a wish without telling her about the thing she was going to become. She wouldn't have been fighting anything, and wouldn't have had any grief seeds to clean her soul gem with. So she probably would have died pretty quickly.

I adore madoka magica but when i think about it too hard the amount of inconsistencies that pop up from the soft magic system confuse the ever loving shit out of me

POINT ONE: what the fuck is all of the magic in episode one??? What are the purple light beams Homura is shooting??? What fucking gun is that Akemi??? Why can Mami heal Kyubey??? Can magical girls heal other people or just themselves??? Cause I thought healing other people was like a special thing only Sayaka (in this story) can do??? What’s up with the weird texture that pops up when Mami arrives??? It shows up when she makes the ribbon barrier to block Sayaka and Madoka from Gertrude in episode two, is that just like a force field she can set up??? That’s never explained, is that her magic power??? Cause

POINT TWO: what the actual fuck is going on with Mami??? Magical girls have a weapon and at least 1-2 magic powers. This is very consistent, Homura has a shield, time stop, and hammer space, Sayaka has a sword, healing powers, and speed boosts, Kyoko has a spear, barriers, and illusions, and this was seemingly true of Mami too, until fucking Portable happened. At first it seemed that her weapon was Guns and her magic powers were Ribbons and potentially the other weird shit she does that no one else does (Sayaka’s magic bat, seeming safety circles, healing Kyubey), but her guns are made of her ribbons, meaning she either doesn’t have a weapon or doesn’t have a clearly defined magic power. What the actual fuck is going on with her????

POINT THREE: All of Charlotte’s Labyrinth. Why is her grief seed outside of the hospital when according to her Magia Record story she witches inside the hospital? Why hasn’t it already hatched? Where’s the big witch explosion when it hatches? Where is her body? Why does the labyrinth form BEFORE the grief seed hatches??? On the topic of Nagisa, what’s HER magic power?? Is it the weird cake ritual thing?? The thing she does with the serving platters to homulily’s familiars? Cause I thought those were witch power things?

POINT FOUR: Why do Elly and Izabel pull people into their labyrinths when witches are supposed to gain power by people committing die? Or if they gain power by drawing people into labyrinths and eating them, why do the people the Witch Kiss not enter labyrinths? Also what are the exact effects of a witches kiss? Why does Gertrude’s make a woman try to jump off a building but Elly’s starts a death cult? Is it based on the strength of the witch? Cause Elly goes down in one hit to the weakest magical girl in the show so that can’t be it. Is it based on their nature/“curse”? Because then what does Izabel’s “vane” nature have to do with Homura’s relatively unspecific ideation in episode 10?

POINT FIVE: what the fuck happens when a familiar becomes a witch?? Why do they still drop grief seeds despite not having soul gems from which they hatched??? If they don’t produce energy from their conversion like magical girls do, why do the incubators allow this to happen??? Isn’t it wasteful??? Also will they be carbon copies of their witch??? Are there just TWO Albertines in Mitakihara????

POINT SIX: How did the cycle start?? What was the first magical girl fighting if there weren’t any witches that existed yet???? I understand this is nitpicky but were they fighting wraiths???

I have so many questions please help QwQ

[thera-daydreams]

INDAY

± A Trese Fic ±

[Crispin/Basilio/Maliksi/Dominic x Skymaiden!Reader]

01: Noon at Ngayon (✓)

02: Ang Kambal na Anak ni Datu Talagbusao, Diyos ng Digmaan (Link)

03: Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Tikbalang (Link)

04: Ang Pinuno ng Mga Aswang (Link)

05: (Link) 06: (Link) 07: (Link)

01: Noon at Ngayon

Back then, long before you were born, your mother used to work as a katulong of the Trese Family and was very close to its matriarch, Miranda Trese. Coming from the province, she was no stranger to superstitions—even more so after knowing the work of Miranda's husband Anton Trese, who was actually the Babaylan-Mandirigma of Manila.

Years later, after giving birth to you around the same time Miranda gave birth to her twins (one a stillborn, unfortunately), it was you and Alexandra who became best buddies instead, as different your personalities were. You two had practically grown up together and you yourself heard countless stories of the supernatural from your Tito Anton. It wasn't that hard to believe when he and his sigbin companions would sometimes come home tracking blood prints on the floors (which you'd helped your mother clean up). Heck, you'd even met Señor Armanaz, the Great Stallion himself and the ruling tikbalang of the Armanaz herd. That pretty, white-haired diwata seemed extremely fond of you, too, which was evident when you'd sneak in with Alexandra to Tito Anton's meetings and she would smile (even wave) at you happily.

You had absolutely no idea why the fae-like lady was so nice to you, but you weren't complaining at all!

However, in spite of your experiences with the supernatural, you and your mother always believed that you were normal humans. In actuality, that was who you were for the majority of your childhood. It was only until Miranda herself saw a vision of you—a much older you—fighting the monsters of the Underworld alongside her own daughter. During dinnertime, Miranda told your mother that she saw you blessed by the heavens with powers that would aid in the battle against evil.

It sounded absolutely ridiculous, right? Yeah, your mom thought so, too.

Your mother only laughed it off as she placed a steaming bowl of tinola in front of Alexandra's brothers, who instantly dug in like they haven't been fed in years.

"Boys! Dahan-dahan lang," Anton reprimanded his sons. "Or else you'll choke and the soup will come out of your noses!"

"Okay, Papa."

"Grabe ka naman, Miranda. I doubt that anything like that's going to happen to my daughter," your mom chuckled, watching your little hands try to feed Alexandra with a piece of chicken. "Unlike you guys, our lineage isn't anything special. Ordinaryo lang ang lahi namin."

Miranda sighed, looking at you and her only living daughter enjoying your time being kids, "I guess you're right. Baka panaginip lang talaga 'yun."

Anton glanced at her knowingly. Although he was aware that you and your mom didn't dabble in magic or anything like they did, he knew that whenever Miranda—one of the Seven Seers—had such vivid dreams, it was something of great importance. But he decided to say nothing, understanding how much your mother wanted to let you live as normal of a life possible in this household.

That was when you were seven years old. One year later, Miranda died fighting against a group of aswang who decided to betray Anton. Said man found the eight-year-old Alexandra hiding in a corner behind the waterfalls, scared and holding Sinag close to her heaving chest as she tried to hold her tearful sobs in.

Of course, a few days later, you and your mother attended the funeral with the mourning Trese family. All the brothers had done their best to stay strong, especially for their little sister who didn't fully understand yet what just happened. Little you ran towards Alexandra, holding her hand tightly as her mother's casket was lowered. Around you were various comrades, both human and non-human, paying their respects to their bereaved allies.

That day, as you turned your back to return to your mother's arms, you knew you would never forget the feeling of numerous unearthly eyes following your every movement.

Even they could sense that there was something about you, a so-called regular human child. You smelled human and had the aura of one, but there was something they couldn't place. It was like a tiny rock getting into your shoe, not coming out at all.

Much changed after that, but you and Alexandra remained close together. To your dismay, just after you graduated elementary, you and your mother had to move back to the province to stay with your sick grandparents. The last thing you could remember was kneeling in the back of the car, looking sadly through the rear windscreen as Alexandra and her brothers waved goodbye to you.

More than a decade had passed since then. You used to write letters to Alexandra, but after Hank told you she had to undergo the trials of the Puno ng Balete, you haven't heard from her (although Hank did disclose that she'd managed to come home safely, which was a great relief to you). You didn't blame her; you knew Tito Anton had passed away in the five years she was gone and that she had to take over the title of Lakan, as well as the Babaylan-Mandirigma of Manila. It was a demanding job! You remembered Tito Anton sometimes staying up all night—breakfast would be served and he would still be in his study, going over paperwork. On other days, he would be gone for consecutive nights handling cases all around Manila. You could only pray Alexandra was fine.

Your life had continued on, as well—you took care of your ill grandparents until they died, helped your mother in the province, went to a good highschool, then earned your degree in another prominent city that wasn't Manila.

Your mom actually recommended that you go to school somewhere else, given the constantly rising number of attacks in the capital of the country. And so you did. Life was hard, but normal until then.

The funny thing was that, when you reached the age of twenty-one, you finally understood why those supernatural creatures kept looking at you weirdly as a kid (and why Lady Diwata liked you so much).

What was even funnier was that the dramatic revelation came to you when you weren't in the Philippines. It was after you freshly graduated college, when you were traveling all over Asia to volunteer in charity projects. It was always your dream to one day expand your horizons not only beyond your province, but the Philippines itself, while also doing good in the world.

And here you were, walking that path you dreamt of.

The organization you luckily managed to become a member of provided everything you needed, and every few months, you would move from country to country. Because of that, you'd already been able to travel to so many places. First it was Thailand, then Indonesia, China, South Korea, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, and currently, you were in Vietnam. Visiting those places was fun and gave you a whole new perspective of the world you lived in; it was a... learning experience, too.

Still, that incident happened when you were in Thailand, when you were the last one in the rented apartment balcony taping up the boxes for the donation drive tomorrow. Yawning, you cut more duct tape and stuck them to the open boxes tightly.

"Inday," someone said from behind you. You didn't bother turning around, thinking it was one of your fellow volunteers looking for you this late at night. Probably your roommate. She was the only one who usually called you by your nickname instead of your real name.

"Hmm?" you hummed, taping up more boxes. "Papasok na ako sa kwarto, Lyn. I just have a few more boxes to close. Alam mong mapapagalitan ako kung may hindi madidistribute bukas."

"Hindi ako si Lyn."

You paused, then slowly turned around, flinching at the sudden bright light that shone right against your eyes. For a moment, akala mo namatay ka na at hinaharap mo si San Pedro.

It was a glowing figure in white whose face you couldn't clearly see, which frightened you even more.

"Ay, mama!" you exclaimed, shielding your eyes and falling to your knees. Then, you gasped loudly, patting your body and panicking with closed lids. "Oh my God, am I dead? Nasa heaven na po ba ako?" Your lips wobbled. "Ngayon pa nga lang ako nakaalis ng Pilipinas... I haven't even done all the things I've wanted to do! Hindi pa ako nakapagpaalam sa nanay ko—aray!"

You'd felt something hit the back of your head. Hard. It was the glowing figure in white, but now you could see their unimpressed face scowling at you.

"Kalma lang, Inday. Hindi ka pa patay, pero makinig ka nang mabuti," they shushed you urgently (you weren't sure if they were male or female). "Do not be afraid. I am a messenger from the heavens, and I bear great news!"

"Great news...?" you trailed off, then your eyes widened excitedly. "Like, nanalo ba ako ng lotto? Isang milyon? Bilyon? Hala! Wait, is this a Mama Mary moment? I'm not ready to be the next immaculate conception!"

They glared at you, making you shut up instantly. "Sorry, I'll shut up now," you apologized with a mumble. This person (thing?) was kind of... strict. Whatever did you do wrong? You were just sleep-deprived and running on energy drinks (as well as kape).

"I have come to tell you that you are the vessel of the last skymaiden," they revealed, arms wide open. The light around them seemed to grow even brighter, making you squint. You felt like you were about the go blind! "Ikaw ang huling biraddali, Y/N L/N."

At ayun, zero brain cells remaining. Tunay na nagloading screen ang brain mo. Nag-error at nagcrash pa nga siguro, eh.

"... Ha? Ano?"

You blinked, completely speechless—as seen by how wide your jaw had dropped open. It wasn't that you were unfamiliar with the biraddali, it was just that you'd only heard of them once when you were just a young child. Your Tita Miranda had mentioned they were long gone from the world of the supernatural.

"Oh no, me? A biraddali? You're joking," you stuttered out, pointing at yourself. "Aren't they extinct or something? And, uh... not human?"

They nodded, "Yes. It is correct that everyone in the mystical world thought that the biraddali were long gone, even before the colonizers came to conquer the native lands. However, before the skymaidens all disappeared, the youngest and most powerful one among the seven sisters sealed her soul away to the rivers of time until the strength of a heavenly being was needed to help purify the evils of the world." The figure floated closer to you. "That last biraddali's soul, along with its corresponding power, traits, and knowledge, had chosen to reside deep within you the moment you were conceived."

Honestly, how were you even supposed to react? Your life was nowhere near ready for something like this. Was this a prank by your friends? Your colleagues? The light around this person seemed too authentic to be fake, though.

You stayed in shock for an entire minute, silent. The being in front of you only waited for a response.

"Ano 'to, Sailor Moon? Winx Club?" you whispered to yourself, before slapping your own cheek and scolding yourself. A stinging red mark was left on your face. "Inday, kakamanhwa mo 'yan! Nasosobraan ka na ata, matulog ka na!"

Sighing heavily, you rubbed your face tiredly, still in disbelief that you—according to this stranger—were apparently some old soul from a species of ethereal beings that were long gone. It sounded like something out of those reincarnation webnovels you got addicted to. What now, you were the MC? Wattpad ka, girl?

"Look, this is a mistake. I still have to wake up early tomorrow to give out the donations," you spoke to the glowing being (or whatever it was), laughing nervously. "I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. Either that or I must be hallucinating from sleep deprivation, because I'm definitely not a divine creature. You're probably just a product of my imagination. Sorry, I'm going to bed."

Bang!

At that moment, the power in the building went out. The only thing you could see was the thing who assumed you were a biraddali (they were so bright they were like a flashlight in the dark for you).

"Brownout?" you blinked. It felt wrong, though. It was eerily silent. "Did a fuse blow up?"

"Nagsimula na ang iyong unang pagsubok, Y/N," they announced seriously. "Creatures of the dark have already begun to take over this building. You may not have noticed, but all throughout your life, you have always been helping and giving. It is your nature as a being descended from the heavens themselves, and now, it is time for you to accept your destiny."

"Hoy, sandali lang! Sandali, sandali!" You were absolutely wide awake now as you heard the sounds of strange whispers around you. It was terrifyingly creepy, much creepier than whatever you'd seen back in the Trese Residence (and you'd seen a lot in that house). You did not want to be a part of a horror movie-like lifestyle. "Don't I have a choice in this?! I—I don't have any training or fighting skills! Hindi ako Alexandra Trese o Babaylan-Mandirigma! I'm not ready for this, holy sh—"

The candescent creature raised a brow at you, "Inday, I just told you that you have the power of a lost mystical being. And tell me, if you had the power to save your companions in this building from the forces of evil, would you save them?"

You were silent, knowing the answer.

"Well?" they prodded.

You bit your lip, "Oo naman. I'm not heartless!" But you were a little impulsive. And apparently, insane.

"That's what I thought. I just need you to believe in yourself," the being encouraged, gentler this time. It transformed into something smaller and rounder—like a ball of light. "Ikaw ang huling biraddali, Y/N, at marami kang kapangyarihan. Isa dito ay ang pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan, lalo na laban sa masasamang nilalang."

Bestie, what had you just gotten into?

You swallowed apprehensively, then nodded in determination, "Sige. So, how do I save the people in the building? Biraddali were said to be able to shapeshift, right? If I remember the tale correctly. Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening to me right now."

"That's just one of your abilities, but I'll teach you. I'm actually your guide," they replied confidently. "With me, you'll be able to master your powers and exceed your capabilities in no time!"

"Wait! Anong pangalan mo?" you asked breathlessly, following them as they speedily flew out of the room. "Grabe, slow down! I'm not athletic! I haven't even exercised this week, goodness."

"... Gabay. Ako si Gabay."

Despite the adrenaline and fear running in your veins, you still grinned up at the ball of light, "Okay. Nice to meet you, Gabay."

This was just the beginning of your supernatural combat training abroad. When you returned to the Philippines three years later, you were stronger, faster, and more powerful than you'd ever felt before. It was crazy.

Oh, that guy who tried to rob you when you came back to Manila was crazy, too. The two identical-looking men in dark suits and white ties—you wondered how they were surviving the heat in that attire—could only watch in awe as you chased down that man who stole your bag while doing acrobatics and parkour.

"Uy, Kuya Crispin, sino kaya 'yun?"

"Ewan ko, Basilio."

"... She's kind of pretty. Type ko. Type mo rin ata."

"The more important question is, paano niya na nahuli ang magnanakaw?"

"Oo nga, no? One in a million chance 'yan dito sa Maynila, haha! Ang astig ni ate!"

(Next Chapter.)

± Author's Notes ±

Ayieee, type daw tayo ng kambal! 😌

How the hell did I write this entirely random thing in one day? 2k+ words? Ano daw? 😃⁉️

You know, this was supposed to just be a Trese one-shot or a bunch of drabbles for the characters I'm currently simping for... but it turned into a full-blown, shameless self-insert slash crackfic. Kakacellphone ko 'yan. 🤦‍♀️

Nagresearch pa ako ng articles about Filipino skymaidens because I wanted something similiar to the Japanese celestial maidens (tennyo). Very random idea but why not? Gusto ko ng badass Y/N na hindi takot lumaban sa mga mumu! 👻

Also, pagbigyan niyo nalang ang matandang 'to kasi ilang taon na akong hindi nagpopost ng mga writings ko. May track record pa naman ako bilang author na hindi nagtatapos ng mga fanfic, hehe. I also haven't read the comics so please forgive me for any inaccuracies and of course, misspellings/errors. Gusto ko lang matapos 'to para makakabalik na ako sa Jujutsu Kaisen. 🥲😗

Anyways, comments and constructive criticism are welcome! Hit those heart, reblog, and follow buttons for updates! Just comment if you want to be tagged in the next chapters. ❤