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cirilla-fiona-riannon · 4 months ago

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You've Got Some Nerve Trying to Buy Me

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

Not proofread.

(Spending an entire day with the winning bidder!?)

Merchant 1: "I see, an auction. That's fair."

Merchant 2: "This is getting quite interesting."

The merchants were all in agreement, and I was the only one panicking.

(W-What should I do!?)

Silvio: "But I don't want money. Bring me what I want the most right now."

Silvio: "Whoever can provide that will win the bid."

(This has turned into a big deal.)

About an hour after the party ended, I was sitting on my bed, holding my head.

The traveling merchants were given a place to stay at the villa, and tonight, I'll also be staying in the guest room.

(The auction is tomorrow night.)

(If I can't prepare what Silvio wants by then, I won't be able to spend his birthday with him.)

(But what does he want the most?)

Emma: "........"

(No use, I need to get some fresh air.)

I was about to leave the room but hesitated at the last moment.

(Yeah, I should at least put on my wig.)

I quietly walked down the hallway and heard a familiar jingling sound approaching from ahead.

(Is that...?)

Silvio: "Hm?"

Just as I thought, it was Silvio and Carlo walking down the hallway.

Silvio: "Where do you think you're going?"

Silvio: "You're not going to run away with your tail between your legs, are you?"

Emma: "No, I was just going to get some fresh air."

Silvio: "Is that so?"

Silvio: "Carlo, you go ahead. I have something to discuss with this female merchant."

Carlo: "Great! You're finally willing to have a proper conversation."

Carlo: "Even about the letters—"

Silvio: "You really want your research funding cut, huh?"

Carlo: "Sorry, sorry, never mind! Take your time!"

Carlo bowed repeatedly as he passed by, then hurried away like a rabbit.

(Letters?)

I was curious about what Carlo was about to say, but more than that, I was excited to see him for the first time in five days.

Emma: "I missed you. Are you okay? I heard you were busy."

Silvio: "Ha! You're talking like you're my fiancée. If you're going to make a move, you'll have to do better than that."

Emma: "What?"

Silvio: "What's with that face? You're a merchant, remember?"

(That's right. Right now, I'm not Emma. I'm just a merchant.)

(Emma is forbidden from approaching the villa, so I have to play the part properly.)

(But why is he trying to keep me away so much?)

(Sure, I'd be a distraction to the negotiations, but I feel there's more to it than just that.)

Silvio: "Looks like you still haven't prepared anything."

Silvio: "Talking big and failing to win me would be so damn funny."

Emma: "Don't worry. There's still time until tomorrow night."

Emma: "I’ll get what you want most and win your birthday."

Before I could finish my sentence, I found myself cornered against the wall.

Emma: "P-Prince Silvio?"

Leaning against the wall, Silvio cut off my escape route and slowly brought his face closer.

(H-He's so close!)

Maybe it was the fact that five days had passed since we saw each other, but my heart was pounding like crazy.

Emma: "T-There are important people here, you know? Are you sure this is okay?"

Silvio: "What, didn't you come here to seduce me?"

As if provoking me, his face drew even closer.

(That's how you want to play it, huh?)

Emma: "Take this!"

I hugged him tightly, and his face immediately turned red.

Silvio: "Don't cling to me, idiot! Let go!"

Emma: "Nuh-uh!"

Silvio: "Ha?"

Emma: "Just as you said, I'm seducing you. I won't let go until you tell me what you want."

Silvio: "This is the worst seduction attempt ever."

Emma: "But you're flustered, so it's working."

Though I tried to appear strong, the moment I felt his heartbeat and body heat, the loneliness I had been holding back overflowed like a dam.

(Of course, I want to know what he wants, but more than that, I just can't bear to let go of him after so long.)

(If I could, I'd stay like this with him forever.)

Silvio: "Geez, that's not the face of someone trying to seduce."

He pulled me away sharply and suddenly lifted my chin.

(Ah…)

As our faces drew closer,

Silvio: "........."

He turned away just before our lips could touch.

Silvio: "You'll never be able to get what I want."

Silvio: "The other merchants might have a slight chance, but for you, it's impossible."

Silvio: "At least, not as you are now."

("Not as I am now?")

Silvio: "Well, do your best."

Silvio: "If you can buy my precious time, that is."

He turned on his heel and walked away. For a brief moment, his profile seemed like he was going through something.

(That expression.)

(Could it be that what he wants is...)

The following night—

As Silvio had declared, the auction to win his birthday was underway.

Merchants and nobles from all over had gathered, filling the venue with an intense, almost oppressive heat of competition.

Amidst this, I participated in the auction as a "merchant," just as I had the day before.

With what he wants most in hand.

Silvio: "Alright, let's see what ya all brought."

Part 1 ╎ Part 2 ╎ Part 3 ╎ Part 4

#ikemen prince #ikepri translations #ikepri #ikepri jp #ikepri silvio #silvio ricci #cybird #otome

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rpstartersinc · 1 year ago

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* 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 ( 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑. )

feel free to change pronouns / wording!

" it's amazing how physically exhausting it can be to do nothing. "

" if you are unable to endure boredom, this work is not for you. "

" i am what i am. "

" i'm not exceptional, i'm just a part. "

" consider yourself lucky if our paths never cross. "

" luck isn't real, nor is karma, or sadly - justice. "

" one is born, lives their life and eventually, one dies. "

" most people refuse to believe that the great beyond is no more than a cold, infinite void. "

" avoid being seen, which is impossible in the twenty-first century, so at least avoid being memorable. "

" keep calm, keep moving. "

" it's a dog-eat-dog world. "

" every man for himself. "

" kill or be killed. "

" survival of the fittest, isn't it all just human nature? "

" it's the idle hours that most often lead a man to ruin. "

" i'm aided and abetted by law enforcement fatigue. "

" vigilance is essential, even the most disciplined mind can become weary, impatient, hurried, sloppy. "

" i find music a useful distraction. "

" i'm not here to take sides. "

" it's not my place to formulate any opinion. "

" no one who can afford me needs to waste time winning me to some cause. "

" i serve no god or country. "

" if i'm effective, it's because of one simple fact - i don't give a fuck. "

" each and every step of the way, ask yourself - what's in it for me? "

" you've done what you can do. "

" calm, breathe. "

" obviously it's a fucking problem to say the least. "

" there were two of them. "

" i've learned not to pry. "

" i was so afraid, afraid i might say something. "

" you'd have been proud, i was strong. "

" i don't know who they are, don't wanna know who you are either. "

" care to explain yourself? "

" who do you think you're trying to intimidate? "

" i need that information, and you are running outta time. "

" need any help getting rid of that body? "

" i'm not a bad person. "

" hope they're not planning a sleepover. "

" how's 'i don't give a fuck' going? "

" fight only the battle you're paid to fight. "

" you picked the wrong house, motherfucker. "

" it's common knowledge when a female is found slain, the prime suspect is always the husband or boyfriend. "

" well, maybe not common knowledge. "

" i've been so good for so long. "

" tell me he went horribly. "

" you would be very impolite to refuse to join in my last supper. "

" afraid it's tainted? "

" what happened to her, i had no part in. "

" i objected to his methods and i told him so. "

" it's nothing personal. "

" we've all had to work through the occasional civilian who's stood between eyes and the prize. "

" i was surprised at what i was capable of. "

" how easy it was. "

" i assured myself there were some things i would never do. "

" less you know, the better. "

" one man's cruelty is another man's pragmatism. "

" you're here because you couldn't help yourself. "

" you expected to sit across from me and feel nothing but reassured. "

" how is it possible? having prepared myself for this moment for so long, i have failed to believe that it would ever arrive. "

" i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, who, come to think of it, at this moment, is you. "

" you'll remember our conversation. "

" help a girl out, won't you? "

" trust no one. "

" this is what it takes, if you want to succeed. "

" good enough for james bond. "

" i told you this, and you don't listen to me. "

" once i see his eyes, i'll have a pretty good idea of how this is gonna go. "

" i'm not going to be disappointed in you. "

" i came to show you how easily one might get to you. "

" do you and i have a problem? "

" nobody's perfect. "

" the need to feel secure, it's a slippery slope. "

" fate is a placebo. "

" maybe you're not one of the few. "

#the killer 2023 #( sentence. )#sentence meme #sentence starters #rp meme #rp starters #movies #thriller #crime

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limi-strology · 2 years ago

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Astro observations II

Decided to make a part 2, didn't expect the first one to get more than, like, 50 notes 😅

Based on just my personal experience, might not be true for everyone! ᵔᴗᵔ

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ Contrary to the stereotypes, I don't think I've ever met a two faced Gemini. They honestly seem pretty cool people, they have so many friends and they just know how to communicate, you know? Their relationship with their partner looks really wholesome to outsiders too (but could be just me viewing it this way, lol). If anything, I think they just stand out more, which makes it a bit more difficult to approach them. 🤷‍♀️

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ Gemini sun girls also have something aesthetic about them, like my cousin has a nice academia aesthetic going on in her life and a classmate from uni has this high-end fashion sense, she looks really pretty everytime (For some reason, when I think of Geminis, I'm envisioning luxury parties with champagne and brands like YSL and Louis Vuitton, that's the vibe I get) ✨

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ People with Sagittarius in their big three (sun, moon, rising) are some of the most outgoing people I know. They have so many connections and, once their schedule allows it, they start planning coffee dates, hangouts with their friends, clubbing etc. A friend of mine can literally NOT stay at home the entire day, he just HAS to go out or meet up with people for at least 2-3 hours. 🏙️

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ To the fellas with Moon opposition Neptune; How do you guys deal with moments in life that don't live up to your expectations? You know, when your imagination goes wild and has a very idealistic scenario of a certain situation, only for it to happen in a much different way and lowkey dissapoints you? Also, do you have dreams that kind of warn you or prepare you for something that will take place in the future? Because I feel like we kind of build our own world and the universe has to remind us that life isn't always perfect, lol 💭

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ My dear Aquarians, why the pessimism? Rather than overthinking everything and imagining the worst scenarios possible, how about you try focusing more on positive things? Even if it's just something small each time, it helps you view your daily life in a better light :)

┊ ˚➶ ｡˚ Speaking of Aquas, I've noticed that most of you guys also don't really like being alone for too long. Sure, you want to have your me time (it's fine, we all do) but you also can't stand not having company around. Like, you'll randomly decide to stay in and spend some time alone but then you'll get upset and start calling your friends and family. A friend of mine cannot stand being alone for too long, even if we spend the whole day together, he hates being home on his own, to the point where he sometimes straight up takes the bus back to his hometown. It's wonderful that you enjoy spending so much time with others (I could never, lolll) but try picking up a hobby when you don't have the chance to be around people as much. It'll kind of distract you from loneliness and give you the chance to have some quality time with yourself 🧩

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Thank you for reading, hope you have a wonderful day 💙

Edit: Bonus Observations

So a lot of you guys commented that Aquarius actually prefers solitude and could easily pass time all by themselves, so I looked into the charts of the social Aquas I know irl and see what it is that makes them so outgoing and talkative;

(I didn't include houses because I haven't gotten to confirm their birth times)

• My friend has Saturn in Gemini, which can make people talkative in any situation (I also have this placement and, although I see myself as an introverted homebody, I am surprisingly pretty chatty and enjoy going out with people that make me happy). Truly, he always gives something to talk about with everyone he knows, sometimes he'll start a conversation with another friend of his while I'm standing there not knowing what to say or do in the meantime, like 🧍‍♀️?

• He also has Mars in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Leo; energetic, lively and outgoing, thrives when surrounded by people. He almost never gets tired of hanging out with people, my low social battery could never 😅

• Other than her sun, my mom also has Aquarius in her Mercury, which makes her friendly and likeable, plus she enjoys conversing with people.

• Another thing about my mom, her placements are a bit contradictory; She has Sun in Aquarius, Moon in Virgo, and Uranus and Pluto in Libra - These indicate shyness, independence and introversion. Truly, she prefers doing things on her own most of the time and doesn't open up to just anyone. She also used to be very shy around my age (probably because of Virgo moon?). However, she also has Jupiter and Neptune in Sagittarius, which make her more adventurous, outgoing, charming and humorous. So that would probably explain this whole 'outgoing yet independent yet still can't be lonely' vibe she gives me.

Hope this explains a bit better why I had this image of Aquas at first, thanks for sharing your thoughts in the comments!

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carlsdarling · 1 year ago

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BRO can i PLEASEEE get more step bro carl headcanons? obv it’s cool if not 😜

Stepbrother Carl headcanons Part II

Y/N, Y/N's mom, Rick, Carl and Judith living under the same roof. More headcanons. Everyone is 18 or over.

WARNINGS: smut, nsfw

Your parents are constantly worrying about whether you are using protection correctly, and they keep bringing it up. "Carl, it's enough that we have ONE baby in the house," Rick said recently. And they note "condoms" on the lists whenever they go scavenging with other people. It's embarrassing.

Eating meals together. Always. It's kind of weird that Carl is both your stepbrother and your boyfriend. You five guys are kind of a weird family, but it doesn't bother anyone anymore.

Then it got even weirder when your mom got pregnant by Rick. So there will definitely be two babies running around soon! The weirdest thing ever is that Carl and you will then have a half-brother (or half-sister) in common. Imagine you and Carl having a baby at some point, too. That surely must be the very definition of a patchwork family....

Admonishments from Rick to Carl to stop fumbling with each other under the dining room table.

Your mom states more than once, "Rick, Y/N and Carl are even closer than we are."

You two are too loud when having sex. You, especially. Always, even when you're trying to be quiet. The worst was when everyone slept with the windows wide open in July. Not only did your parents have a front row seat acoustically, so did the neighbors. Everyone could hear you moaning Carl's name over and over, whimpering and begging. Daryl, Maggie and Glenn were still grinning in amusement days later every time they ran into you or Carl.... (Daryl is mocking Carl, by constantly whispering in his ear, "Oh Carl, pleeeeeaaaase! Go faster!")

Sometimes you and Carl have heated arguments because you're together 24/7 and it's too much from time to time, but you always reconcile quickly and celebrate make-up sex.

Secretly, Carl is glad that you live in the same house and the two of you even have a shared bedroom. After all, Carl is very jealous and somewhat lacking in self-confidence because of his eye and he is always afraid that you might find someone else. In the shared household, he can literally keep an eye on you. Of course, he would never admit that.

When you and Carl cook something together to surprise your parents, it always ends in disaster. Let's not mention the burnt casserole, the fire alarms, the over-boiled soup, and even more so the kitchen fire that developed because the two of you decided to go upstairs to fuck in the middle of preparing dinner.

Or that discussion with your parents about not sleeping with each other on the living room couch - after all, „other people still want to sit there!“ (Your mom and Rick came home from a meeting to find a crumpled blanket, a ripped condom wrapper, and some... used tissues in the living room. They were not amused.)

Carl's and your shared bathroom is a complete mess. Time and again, it's your mom who scolds you and cleans it up (and always sneaks a peek in the trash can to check if you're really using condoms...). Since Carl often just throws the condoms in the toilet, she's called you on it several times. "You guys do use condoms, right?" You: "Yes, we do." Her: "But there aren't any in your trash can." You: "Then Carl flushed them down the toilet." Her: "You'll get a blocked pipe!" It's not your favorite conversations, needless to say....

Carl and you babysitting Judith together, discussing whether she's too old to have sex around her yet.

Falling asleep together every night, waking up together every morning. You've gotten used to the fact that Carl often has nightmares and then wants to be cuddled and stroked back into sleep. You couldn't be closer.

#the walking dead #twd #carl grimes fanfiction #carl grimes x reader #carl grimes x y/n #carl grimes smut #carl fanfiction #carl grimes #carl grimes imagines

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mothiepixie · 1 year ago

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Chapter 2 of this fic of the unrequited love. Also updated on my Ao3!

Only the Bonely One Ch 2

---------

There were not many things that Papyrus could not handle. He has always had a clear set goal in his life and is able to handle anything thrown his way. Why, there was not one problem that he could not solve!

Except….

He found himself in a predicament. One that he feels solely responsible for and afraid that it will ruin his relationship. He remembers the day clearly when he realized Motti had feelings for his brother.

Papyrus was over the moon when he found out! He wanted nothing more than to set up his best friend with his brother and see his two favorite people happy together.

But now, Papyrus feels he has ruined their happiness and Motti didn't even know yet.

He hyped her up and encouraged her endlessly to confess to Sans. He thought of ways to bring those two closer and it crumbled in an instant when he pried Sans for some inclination of where his feelings sat with Motti.

He did not at all expect Sans to confess to feeling only familial bonds. And even suggested a slight interest in Toriel.

Papyrus could solve many problems, but this one he could not figure out how to do.

The day Motti was supposed to come over for a movie night, Papyrus was almost too relieved when Motti said she would not be able to make it.

However, the day after that he didn't hear much from her.

Nor the next day.

The following week.

Almost a month now.

Each day that passed by, Papyrus tried calling, and even visiting, but Motti gave every excuse possible. Now, he didn't want to believe his best friend was ignoring him, but it was evident she clearly was.

He felt horrible that he was relieved she was so distant, because he knows that he has to tell Motti about what Sans feels. It's just every time he thought about it, the harder it was for him to confront her.

But he missed her! He really, really missed her!

Even Sans hasn't heard much from Motti and they were thick as thieves.

Papyrus eventually found out that Motti was spending most of her time with Undyne and Alphys. There was a pang of jealousy that he couldn't ignore.

And so, here he was at Undyne's apartment, prepared that the moment that she opens the door, he would unleash all his frustration and pent up misery on Undyne.

But he did not anticipate Motti opening the door. The smile on her face instantly dropped into a stunned expression and Papyrus' own expression mirroring hers.

The silence was so thick in the air as the two stared at each other.

Awkwardly, Motti spoke up, "H-hey, long time no see." She crosses her arms, a tall tale sign of her feeling anxious.

Papyrus felt so many emotions bubbling inside him, he was not at all prepared to see Motti. He really just wanted to cry to Undyne about the horrible mistakes he had made, but like boiling water breaching through the lid, it all came spilling out.

"I'm the worst best friend ever and you deserve so much better from me! But I'm so mad at you! Where have you been! I was so worried!! B-but maybe it's best because I have terrible, terrible news! But I'm so afraid you'll hate me-"

His words fell over each other like an avalanche that leaves Motti taken aback. While he spills out his soul, she grabs his flailing arms in the midst of his outburst.

"Pap- I know."

Papyrus stares down the redhead, "You know?"

She sighs, "Yeah."

"You mean about San-"

"I was there. I heard the whole conversation." Her voice waivers.

Papyrus feels ice shoot through his bones. "Oh." Now her aloofness makes sense. "Why didn't you tell me??"

Motti looks up at Papyrus, her eyes worn, tired and most of all; heartbroken. "I just…needed a little time to process." Motti looks away, her brows scrunching together while gritting her teeth. "I mean- I tried texting, but I couldn't think of anything to say. I wanted to call but- I'm sorry. I just feel so stupid."

Papyrus immediately brings Motti into his arms and squeezes her tight. She buries her face in his chest and tightly hugs him back.

Maybe the Great Papyrus can't fix this, but he will be damn willing to soften the blows.

#utmv #sans x motti #papyrus #unrequited love #idk i hope yall enjoy #im having fun exploring different sides of these characters ehehe #apologies if they are mistake ya girl got dyslexia

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ambers-archive · 9 months ago

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who am i, darling to you? (iii)

you missed my heart

With a smile directed at your friends, you follow Hotch outside. Through the hallways, the two of you find an empty conference room. Shutting the door behind you, Hotch fixes his gaze onto you.

Taking a step closer, his arms crossed tightly against his rigid chest, he sighs. You notice the corners of his mouth forming a frown, realizing you've probably memorized every detail about him by now. His gaze flickers away from yours, his hands fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves.

You've noticed him doing that a lot around you.

"I need you to understand the severity of this situation, Agent," he says, still keeping his distance from you. You wonder what it would be like to be pressed against his chest, to have his lips pressed to your ear. To take his bigger hand in yours, put it over your heart, and let him hear the secrets you've kept close.

"Sir, I get it. I've never been undercover before, but I really believe I have a unique perspective on this."

"Resembling the victims? I know you want to help, but this unsub is sadistic, methodical, and the worst of all, he is patient. It's extremely difficult to predict his next move. You’re great with geo profiles, and it would also be really helpful to have extra hands." You tune out the rest of the words, already knowing all the alternatives.

You don’t miss the way his eyebrows quirk up after every suggestion he gives you, as if hopeful that you'll cave and agree to stay back.

"I appreciate your concern, I really do. But this is something I have to do. We can't let fear dictate our actions, especially when lives are at stake." You finish, and he's looking anywhere but your eyes.

Not knowing what overcame you, you suddenly cross the boundary he’d set in front of you, placing a hand on his shoulder. And just for a second, you feel him relaxing under your touch.

You call out his name, once more urging him to look at you, and everything else fades into the background as he meets your eyes. “I promise,” you say once again, reassuring him with your gaze.

He nods, sighing.

His eyes meet yours briefly as he allows himself to be comforted by the weight on his shoulder. The edge is razor-thin, right in the middle of something so insignificant and everything you’ve ever wanted.

Between being numb and feeling everything.

And just before you’re able to linger, before Hotch is able to lean into your touch, before the two of you are able to completely change the trajectory of everything, a knock interrupts you two. You quickly scramble apart, not knowing what to do with your hands.

A series of what-ifs hang around every time you find yourself alone with him.

Everything from hesitance to apprehension flickering in the depths of your conversations. You can feel his reluctance to let go, his crestfallen gaze fixed on the ground as if weighed down by the burden of his shattered expectations.

"Hotch, Captain and his team would like a briefing on the profile,” Rossi cuts through the tension in the room, and if he noticed, he doesn’t say anything.

Hotch nods, preparing to leave the office. You catch his eye, showing a profound amount of unease. His usually composed demeanor is slightly off-kilter, his movements hesitant and guarded. He walks out, the weight of your hand still lingering on his shoulder, and for a brief moment, he can pretend you're still holding onto him.

༺༻

“Everything okay?” Spencer asks as you sit down next to him. Hotch and Rossi were briefing the rest of the team on the profile. There wasn’t much yet, bits and pieces of his personality scattered around the board.

You nod, smiling at him. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“What did Hotch talk to you about?”

“Oh, you know, he wanted to make sure I didn’t feel pressured by Strauss to do this, and I feel like he’s a little scared but won’t admit it.”

“He tends to do that a lot. I’m just worried about you two,” Spencer offers a small smile, shaking his head. “I know you’re a strong person, Naina, but it’s okay if you’re scared.”

“I’m scared all the time,” you admit. It was true. Every day you looked over your shoulder, you’ve never said it, but you can’t picture anything past thirty. Spencer meets your eyes, opens his mouth, but quickly closes it, as if not knowing what to say.

He goes to squeeze your hand instead. “Me too. Just promise you’re going to be careful.” You know he’s not just talking about the case as he lifts his eyebrows near Hotch’s direction.

"Promise."

The weeks leading up to it go by in a blur as you and Hotch slowly get into character. Your team and the police department were having a briefing about the case before it was time to head to the resort. Only a few hours until you were near the calming waves and sunny skies, the only problem was putting yourself as bait for a serial killer.

Maya and James Astor met at a charity gala in New York City. Maya is an art curator, and it was easy for you to get into Maya's world as she seemed to mirror you.

Researching art, finding new books, and creating a vision or story for the art she collected were Maya's passions. She was an only child, her parents who died young, leaving her with her grandmother. You didn't know whether to be thankful you didn't have to memorize a completely different life than yours, or to be devastated having to relive the people you've lost.

But you push it down; your feelings just had to wait until this case was over.

Hotch passed the file towards you. James liked buying expensive art, traveled around the world, and ran his own business. Him and Maya met, fell in love, and got married within a year of dating.

"You wear a lot of gold, I thought you might like the gold touches," Hotch whispers, passing you an engagement ring along with a matching wedding band. Your ring was a simple cut Oval gold ring with pear and round diamonds surrounding it along either side. You never had a dream ring or thought much about it, but looking at the diamond and seeing it fit your finger so snug, you think this would have been your dream ring.

Something about the way Hotch's soft voice makes you want to pretend you two are actually a married couple.

A couple madly in love waiting to start their life together.

But all you can do is smile as you look over to your boss, "It's beautiful. If I had a dream ring, I think it would look like this." His eyes light up just a little under the dim lighting as he finds a smile overtaking him.

The meeting comes to an end, and soon it's just your team in the conference room getting ready. Morgan and Rossi were at the resort trying to get information about their security footage.

Emily and JJ hug you in turns, Garcia and Reid quietly going over the details while sparing you occasional glances across the room.

"Be safe, Naina. You're family, and we don't lose family," Emily mutters, tightening her arms around your shoulder. You sniffle just so lightly, emotions and feelings you didn't know possible overtaking you. For once since you lost your grandma, you had someone to lose, people waiting for you at the end of the day.

"Please don't worry about me, guys. I'm not going in alone. I have all of you watching over me."

JJ offers you a weak smile, squeezing your hand she had been holding onto. "You're going to do great. We're all rooting for you, honey."

taglist: @zaddyhotch @mrs-ssa-hotch

#criminal minds #my writing #criminal minds x reader #aaron hotch fanfiction #aaron hotch x reader #aaron hotchner x you #criminal minds fanfic #aaron hotch hotchner #writing #aaron hotchner

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lewkwoodnco · 1 year ago

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Say Don't Go - Lockwood x Reader

A/N: So I think it's kind of clear that this is going to be a fairly angsty series hhehe I've tried to lighten a little at some parts and varying the type of angst (e.g. anger vs sadness) thank you to @mischivana for giving me the idea to turn this into a series! <3 wc 3.8k

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 3.5 | Ch 4 | Ch 5

They never spoke of that night ever again, or even acknowledged it. She had woken up the next morning, preparing herself for a pounding headache, but it never came. She spent the rest of the day driving herself crazy, waiting for snide remarks or to see the offending picture glaring at her at the newspaper stand down the street. From the looks of it, Lockwood seemed a little thrown off too, but maybe something about the situation shook some sense into him because he seemed more formal around her, and his smile never quite reached his eyes like before. She convinced herself that his aloofness didn't bother her. Why should it?

It's towards the end of a mildly harrowing case that she sees Lockwood again for the first time in two weeks. One of her teammates had dropped a magnesium flare which had disintegrated one of the load-bearing walls of the buiilding, causing a mini avalanche of wood and plaster which blocked them from the exit. After a few minutes of locating everyone and making sure no one was severely hurt, there was a crackle on her walkie talkie from Kipps, who was sending in backup.

Soon enough, insistent fingers were scrabbling at one of the largest planks of wood wedged in the door, and with some pushing on her side it eventually came free, allowing a thin strip of light to spill into the dark. Her breath hitched when she met Lockwood's eyes, which widened ever so slightly as he took in what he could of the dusty, bruised sight of her. It must have been a long night for them too, since George didn't have enough patience to wait for Lockwood to finish gaping and shoved him to the side.

With the additional help, they managed to clear a sliver of a path, just enough for her team to extract themselves from the rubble. Once the worst of the injured had been sent to the paramedics and it had been sufficiently determined that she was still in the right state of mind, Barnes became a lot more interested in what, or who, had caused the collapse. She wanted to point out how Lockwood didn't need to be there, and that his relentless staring was starting to irk her a little, but she was too exhausted to.

"It was an honest mistake, Inspector. Any of us could - will you relax? You're giving me a headache."

He had the decency to look a little apologetic, but he's Lockwood, so it wasn't much. "Are you sure you're completely - ?"

"Lockwood, if I start foaming at the mouth, you'll be the first to know."

She ignored his sulky mutterings and turned back to Barnes. "Can I go now?"

He sighs and awkwardly clears his throat in a way that makes her stomach sink. She's so tired and this day feels like it's never ending. "There is, er, one last issue. Your apartment's been flooded by a water pipe burst. DEPRAC can put up you up for about a week but it's looking to take up to a month."

She lets out a strangled wail, the closest she's been to tears all day, too upset to be even mildly amused by the look of alarm on Barnes' face as he tries to offer some words of comfort.

"At least you had insurance?"

"Not for water damage!"

She didn't want to drift around, trying to find a solid place to say. She wanted to go home to her warm, dry, bed. She vaguely registers some muffled conversation between Lockwood and Barnes, only gaining some clarity once Lockwood shakes her a little.

"You can stay at Portland Row, it's no trouble at all. We have a spare bed in the attic and everything."

"I remember," she murmurs, and the look on his face becomes a little awkward. She resists a little, mumbling something incoherent, but his arm feels too wonderfully solid and reassuring on her back for her to put up much of a fight. In her haze of exhaustion, she found herself thinking how much she'd like to dissolve into his arms. She'd be thinking much more sensibly after a good night's sleep.

Morning came, along with the clarity of thought she had anticipated, but so did the insistent forces that were George and Lucy. At one point, Lucy threatened to set her apartment on fire, and George said that, if controlled, it might be the most effective way to dry it out, which made Lockwood choke on his tea. As he coughed with watering eyes, she narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if this had been his plan all along.

And so began her stay at Portland Row. It made for a much more vibrant life, even though she had never considered herself to be social by any means. Somehow, the press had caught wind of her new living arrangements, even though she never even dared to share a cab with them, and slowly but surely started to set up camp outside 35 Portland Row. Eventually, Lockwood had had enough and after a chat with Barnes, the street outside their front door was once again miraculously empty.

It was little gestures like these which helped chip away at the ice between them, each glance and brush of the hand a little longer and a little more meaningful than the last. But every time he started to get close enough that his warmth started to pull her back to distracting memories of tangerine light reflecting off aquamarine waters, something in him would shrink away and his eyes would glaze over with cordial apathy.

On days when she didn't have any cases, she would sit by the window, watching life stir sleepily till the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes that would be until Lockwood reached home from his solo cases, and even through the frosted glass she could feel the weariness in his blurred silhouette. He would walk in and give her a hesitant smile, and she didn't understand him any better than from the other side of the window. There was this secretive air about him, like he was playing a hand that she could never see, yet one she lost to every time. Something in him was making him hold her at arm's length, and she couldn't figure out what it was, and as much as she tried to deny it, it was beginning to wear her down.

This is the unfortunate realisation she makes as she hears Lockwood trying to get her attention on a case - a realisation part of her had guessed from the very start. They're stuck in a basement together because the door won't give, and the others are too far away to hear them, though that doesn't stop Lockwood from trying to yell through the door. The quiet gives them time to ruminate in their thoughts, of which she has no shortage of.

"Y/N? You alright?"

"Yeah. You?"

There's a hint of a smile on his face. "Scared."

She scoffs. "Like you've ever been scared a day in your life."

He clenches his jaw like she's said something unpleasant, but she doesn't care enough to backtrack. "I get scared all the time."

"Like when?"

"Like when you go on cases with incompetent amateurs who blow up the roof over your head."

It might have been more touching if he didn't sound so petulant. She laughs, and he looks only slightly miffed.

"I'm serious, Y/N. I wish you didn't have to take the brunt for your teammates shortcomings. You could have died in there." A silence falls again. "What are you afraid of?"

Looking into your eyes and not finding what I'm looking for, she wants to say. "Nothing."

She looks at him, watching her concernedly, his body pulsing with adrenaline and action the way hers should have been. It was hardly the time to mope around when the imminent threat of being ghost-touched hung in the air. There was something reminiscent of her own propensity to shoulder pain or discomfort on her own in Lockwood's pleasant yet achingly impersonal attitude. Someone had to bend before they both broke, and her melancholy had softened her rigid nature into something more pliant.

"Lockwood," she says, as if she hadn't heard a single word of their conversation. "I'm cold."

It's difficult to say, and it makes her feel weak, but Lockwood and his understanding eyes had that kind of effect on her. But when he chivalrously drapes his coat around her, a vacancy fills her where warmth should have rushed in. She closes her eyes and wonders how she'll ever look him in the eye again.

When their friends pry them out, they're unnaturally quiet, and a few shifty glances tells her that they've picked up on something being off. While the paramedics take a look at their scrapes, her unseeing gaze drifts until it lands on Lockwood, and her thoughts center on him like a compass to a magnet. She watches him talk to Barnes with his forearm bandaged up, and she lets those feelings of frustration and yearning that she had been keeping at bay wash over her.

Later in the attic, when Lucy goes down to bring some tea up for them, she weeps over the futility of it all.

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Lockwood & Co. and her team from Fittes were in an abandoned cinema which once belonged to their client's father, which they had to clear of more than a few unsightly visitors. George gives the rundown of his research and her team disperses. George hesitates before splitting up the four of them, peering at them over the top of his glasses, uncharacteristically apprehensive. She knows they're all thinking about the fight from last night, or what was more accurately this morning, and she wished they wouldn't.

"Both of you have your emotions in check?"

She doesn't give Lockwood the chance to reply. "Yes. Can we start now?"

George doesn't look happy, but he rarely is, so he lets it slide. She starts setting up her iron chains in the theater she's been assigned to, and as she lays down the last one, she feels rather than hears him.

"Are you okay?"

"George told you to stay near the popcorn machine."

Even in the dim light, she can make out Lockwood's peeved expression. Or maybe she was just imagining it. She wasn't sure anymore. "Yeah, well, George says a lot of things. He also told you to chase me out if you saw me, and I don't see you doing that."

She stays silent. He repeats his question. She ignores him again.

"Why'd you come?"

She had just come back from a case, and it was late, but there was still light peeking through the crack under the library door. She was thinking about Kipps and his knowing smirk as she irritably rifled through the kitchen drawers. Before leaving, he had asked her if she planned on staying on with Fittes, and then was annoyingly evasive when she didn't know what he was talking about. He asked her if she had checked her mail recently, and she realised she hadn't, even though Lucy had popped down to the post office to have her mail forwarded to Portland Row. It had to be somewhere in the house. She just about gives up when her knuckles knock against the back of the last drawer, producing a dull hollow sound.

“What are these?”

Lockwood glanced at the letters she’s holding carelessly and went unnaturally still. George had a resigned look of understanding in his eyes. Lockwood closed the case file slowly, as if any sudden movements would set her off, and she had to admire him for his gallant effort to keep his tone light.

“Where did you find them?”

“In your kitchen drawer. What are letters from out-of-town agencies addressed to me doing in your kitchen drawer? How long have they been there?”

He adjusted his stronger-than-necessary grip on the case file. “A while.”

She wanted to laugh incredulously. What was he playing at, acting so unnervingly stoic? “And you didn’t think to tell me about them?”

He lets out a huff of irritation, but there's a nervous twitch to his muscles. He opens his mouth to respond but she cuts him off with her hand. She turns around slowly, trying to keep track of the faint movie she hears playing in the background and the audience's laughter, but the screen behind her is blank. She hears Lockwood draw his rapier and she realises he feels it too: the visitor.

It all happens so fast. She feels a pulse of energy that sends her skittering to the side, knocking out her electrical lantern. She bumps into Lockwood who drops his torch, which also immediately goes out. She hears him frantically slamming it against his palm, trying to get it to work again as she fumbles for salt bombs. She's worked without light before, but something about this pitch-black darkness was viscous. She swears and before she realises what's happening, she fumbles for Lockwood's wrist. It only takes him a quick, if clumsy, rifling through her belt to realise what's wrong: she'd forgotten to restock her supplies.

"Wha - you always check your belt before a case!" He's cross, but he still pulls her out of the way, lobbing a salt bomb which makes the visitor shriek and hide. She’s still twisting wildly, trying to deal with the palpable fear threatening to burst her aorta, but he somehow manages to drop his lips to her ear. His whisper consumes her in the darkness.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.”

And for a minute, she listens, and her headache dies down a little. But Lockwood flinches, and she’s on high alert again, only now it’s getting harder to distinguish the visitor from reality.

"Most of my supplies are at the popcorn machine. We need to get out of here. Find George - or Luce - anyone."

“Y/N, you’ve had a lot on your plate recently.”

She thought about the false backing of the drawer. “So when were you going to tell me about them? Were you planning on ever showing them to me? Or only when it was too late?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He was mildly frowning now. “Besides, you’re holding them right now. Tell me you’re even remotely interested in any of them.”

She wanted to. She wanted to say it firmly with her whole chest, to watch the tension in his face dissolve, to go back to the quiet evening they were all having. Instead, she clutches the letters tighter and hesitates. Lockwood’s face darkens.

“Y/N. All these agencies are outside of London.”

She stays quiet. The silence infuriates him.

“Leave London? Your home is here.”

“Is it?”

He shoves her towards the door with little grace, but with enough force to have her wobbly legs somewhat cooperate. She doesn't remember where she stumbles to, her head is too dizzy, only the image of Lucy's stunned face swimming in front of her eyes as she clutched at her forearm.

When she somewhat comes to her senses, she hears footsteps running around, pausing only with the squeak of a door hinge. She pulls herself up from the floor, standing on shaky knees, leaning against the cool stone wall. She hears a door open much closer to her now, and she opens her eyes to see Lockwood, white as a sheet. His lips tremble but words fail him, and he closes the distance between them, cradling her face with slippery fingers.

There's blood on his face, but he isn't bleeding. She doesn't get much further than that because he's leaning down and kissing her hard and she's suddenly debilitatingly aware of the impermanence of his touch, the same touch that's knitted into every crease of her face. She was on the brink of making a decision, and now his lips sealed her fate. She feels the world hold its breath. She hates him for it. First he pushes her away and then he looks at her like a man starved and it's not fair.

She thought about her flooded house, and the upstairs attic where she still felt like a guest. She thought she might never feel like she belonged in a house that wasn’t her own. She answers her own question with unfocused eyes. “Yes. Maybe. I don’t know.” But it’s not enough for Lockwood.

“Think, Y/N. Do you honestly believe you’d survive a day without - “ he unsuccessfully grapples with his emotions. “Without us?”

A pressure builds in her ears as if all sound had been sucked into a vacuum. Lockwood was standing just a few metres in front of her, but now he felt miles away from her, as if she was screaming through water which threatened to asphyxiate her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

There was a hard set to his jaw that she didn’t like. “You know what it means.”

Memories ran through her mind like hot flashes. Lockwood’s careful eyes, ready smile, his gentle hands and the scarlet apple they held, tabloids spilling over the library floor, his fingers in her lap, the dizzying warmth of his coat, the relief over the salvation his kiss bestowed on her…she felt flayed in a way only the media had made her feel; grotesquely vulnerable and hopelessly defenceless. Of all the demons she took arms against, she never thought Lockwood would be one of them.

“Take it back. Take it back.”

He breaks the kiss but their foreheads rest against each other, and there's something deeply destabilising in the way's he's breathing. But even with this proximity she only feels a void where his heat should have been. He drags her eyes into his, searching for something with an urgent fever, and she feels his disappointment resonate in her bones. His fingers grip her wrists with an unfamiliar desperation she only distantly registers, somehow numb to the frantic energy that has possessed Lockwood. She hears a swish of fabric and feels a warmth settling over her shoulders, and she hears his shallow breathing slow down imperceptibly. But it is no use: she is not cold.

The rest of the case is relatively uneventful. The blood was from one of her teammates who had had a nasty fall. She sits by the side while the paramedic bandages her up, Lockwood sitting next to her. He doesn't need to be there. She still lets him hold her hand.

"Listen...Barnes still owes me a favour or two, so if you'd like me to ask him to put in a good word for you at any of those agencies..." In the eerie light of the ghost lamps, his face looks so much more smooth and uncomplicated. "Just say the word."

"It's alright. There's no need."

"Haven't decided which one yet?"

"I have."

She doesn't understand why her reply hits him like a ton of bricks when he was ready to send her on her way just a few minutes back. He was giving her whiplash.

"So...that's it? You're leaving?"

There was a flicker of something in his eyes, and for a moment she thought he might regret ripping her open by the maw, but the deadened look in his eyes told her he wasn’t going to budge.

“I won’t.”

She was gasping for air for sobs that wouldn’t come. She wanted to screech something ugly. “That’s a lie. It’s a lie and you know it. What does my life have to do with you? The world just has to revolve around Anthony fucking Lockwood -"

"That is enough - "

"You’re a selfish man and a lying traitor - "

“I only want what’s best for you!”

“And who the hell are you to decide what’s best for me?”

The ringing silence that followed made her painfully aware of his agitated breathing. If she didn’t know any better, she wouldn’t have been able to tell if he was panic-stricken or furious. The look on his face was wretched in a way that made her feel disfigured.

“I don’t know...I don’t know.”

Something in him had dared her to dream again, to dream of loving someone to have and to hold. And that had been fine. But then he started looking at her in ways that stole her breath and kissing her like the world was ending, and now she didn't want to have or hold anyone other than Anthony J Lockwood. The same Anthony J Lockwood who couldn't care less about her.

The dream was coming apart in her hands like snow.

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

No one is happy while she packs her things at Portland Row, and they all have their different ways of showing it. Lucy's too quiet and sits blankly at her vanity, not helping, and she broods enough to make her feel bad for leaving, but not bad enough to stay. George is making sniping remarks towards Lockwood who only manages terse, bad-tempered replies that only further aggravate an irate George.

Lucy gives her a fleeting hug once she's done, and walks with her down to the kitchen where George is having a cup of tea. She feels a twinge of regret when she sees how exhausted he looks, but maybe it's that same exhaustion that makes him pull her into a hug, though significantly less sentimental than Lucy's. She hears the two of them begin to murmur as soon as she steps out of the kitchen.

She sees him sitting in the living room in her peripheral vision. She thinks about his whisper in the dark, a dark not much unlike what she was stepping out into. It was all such a sham. Her hand is on the doorknob of the front door when a ragged part of her aches. She wasn't going to give up on him, not like this. She marches back to the kitchen and throws her bag down.

"Tell me to stay, Lockwood. Go on. Say the word," her voice takes on a strain, "and I'll stay. We don't have to talk about - about whatever this is. Just tell me to stay...and I will."

He stares at the case report in his lap, his eyes fixed at the top of the page, not even pretending to read it.

"I love you."

He looks up, and she sees his cruelly impassive expression. The silence stretches painfully in front of them. She feels like a child, begging for his affections when he won't even give her the time of day.

"Why won't you SAY anything?"

The scream barely makes him flinch. Lucy and George fall quiet. She waits, and waits, and waits, and waits. She wonders why she ever expected anything from him.

She walks to the front door again, and this time there's no stuttering lapse of cynicism to stop her. But once she's outside, she's momentarily paralysed and oh so alone. She hears George's muffled voice, and a resounding thud that makes the rapier stand fall over, followed by George's scolding voice.

With a heavy heart, she walks away from the only home she'd ever known.

#fanfiction #lockwood & co #lockwood and co #anthony lockwood x reader #anthony lockwood x you #anthony lockwood imagine #fanfic #lockwood and co netflix #lockwood x y/n #taylor swift #taylor swift 1989 #1989 tv #1989 #1989 taylor's version #say don't go #from the vault #vault tracks #1989 vault

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kanasbinwriting · 17 days ago

Note

can i get some DG content pls? im starved. general dating hcs, how he and mc got together etcetc? pls and tyy x)

GENERAL DATING HEADCANONS

Thank you so much for your request and sorry for taking SO long!!! I tried my best to come up with decent headcanons, sorry if it's not to your liking

┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

- I'm not sorry, but if you even want to have a chance dating him, I feel like you need to have some serious mental health issues

- I doubt that he would date someone who's okay in their brain. I think It'll bore him to death

- I don't think he'll just talk to you without a specific reason

- So he either delivered something to you (like in the game) and you two got wrapped up in a conversation, or he randomly saw you do something weird or suspicious

- It'll definitely take him long to even consider dating you since he's incapable of feeling romantic attraction

- I think your relationship would progress slowly, a slow burn basically

- Hey, but he definitely wouldn't mind being friends with benefits at first

- I think it's obvious that your relationship is unhealthy

- He wouldn't emotionally manipulate you or anything of sorts, but he would use the things you told him in a state of vulnerability in the heat of the moment against you

- He's shit at apologising, so he often just results to pretend that nothing had happened after a fight

- If you do something that upsets him, he won't be afraid to speak up

- You two fight quite often, but it's not always about something serious

- I think he would be very direct with stating what he wants

- However, all the negative things aside, I think he still deeply cares about you

- Even when he doesn't often show it

- I think he would move fast in a relationship, being straightforward and all

- You two can never just share an innocent kiss, he always needs to shove his tongue down your throat

- I think it's safer if you don't ask for kisses in public

- I doubt that he ever thought about what his love language(s) is/are

- But if I had to come up with something, I think it's quality time

- If you have hair, I think he really enjoys just brushing through it to calm himself down

- I think he would enjoy indoor dates more than going out and preparing something special

- He'd actually also enjoy movie dates a lot

- Especially when you two watch a horror movie

- He doesn't really have set boundaries when it comes to love languages and wouldn't mind giving you what you need if you asked him to

- Be prepared for a lot of teasing though

- Even if you can make fun of him for being a sore loser sometimes, he still adores playing videogames with you

- You're his player 2 now, sorry Damon...

- I think he'd enjoy playing horror games with you the most

- He loves to randomly jump-scare you as you play the game

- I don't think that he's one to get jealous easily since you two would have an open relationship

- If he ever were to get jealous he wouldn't mind cutting someone's throat

- You two are the worst duo in prank history

- He'd definitely want you to join in his mischievous deeds

- But don't think that you'll be safe just because you're his partner in crime

- He's a big flirt and will get even worse when you get flustered easily

- But he'll also enjoy it if you flirt back

- He not so secretly enjoys cooking for you

- If you two were to cuddle, he'd enjoy being the big spoon

- He also always has his hand either on your waist or your butt

- I think that he sometimes randomly spaces out as you talk and just goes "Huh?" when you wave your hand in front of his face, trying to bring him back to earth

- He's very impatient, so there's no beating around the bush with him

- I think he does feel some sort of sympathy when you struggle and might even hold you to his chest as you cry

- If you ever feel down, he would draw smiley faces on your hand

- I think he wouldn't be too keen on giving pet names

- He still calls you some kinky shit like pet etc sometimes

- He wouldn't be able to hide his smile when you give him one or more pet names though

- I think he wouldn't particularly want to participate in your hobby, but he'd still want to see what you're up to and listen to you talk about it

- He'd definitely surprise you with gifts related to your hobby

- I think his living space is tidy and if you were to live together, he'd be pissed if you ever forget to clean up after yourself

- He'd definitely enjoy dressing up for Halloween and cause havoc with you

- You guys steal candy from children <3

#dg x reader #broken colors delivery guy x reader #broken colors x reader #broken colors dg x reader

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aesopsharpmybeloved · 2 years ago

Text

Contrast

A day in Professor Sharp's life, or How to turn a battle into an adventure.

Got inspiration for this little thing thanks to the lovely conversations with @tea-withjamandbread and @gufu-vire ❤️ It might be a little silly, but I hope you'll forgive me.

Contrast (3.2k words)

tw: suggestive themes (implied), cheesy, might be bad

Another day.

Aesop Sharp woke up in his bed with a groan. As his consciousness slowly took hold and sleep left, he was content to just lie on his back for a while. It was early spring and he left one of the windows slightly open for the night, as the cool air helped him fall asleep. It made him feel cold now, and he pulled the blanket a little closer around his body.

The last embers of fire were dying in the fireplace opposite of him and there was daylight coming from the front part of his chambers. He felt a painful tug in his leg and groaned again. Lovely. He didn't feel it for a whole minute today. Well, what can one do?

He sat up and leaned against his headboard, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. A clock on the wall told him it was just past 7, which meant he had some time before he'd have to get up and prepare himself for his day. Breakfast, then morning class with the fourth years - he groaned again. It felt like he barely did anything else these days. Fourth years meant one thing: Garreth Weasley. The lad was driving him up the wall. It was sometimes difficult to believe that he was the nephew of the brilliant, sensible and responsible Matilda Weasley.

However, then he remembered the stories he heard about Matilda not having always been quite this responsible…

The boy was quite clever, and Aesop was sure he did possess the potential. However, he kept wasting it on his little experiments, which often resulted in disasters of various danger levels. Sometimes he really believed the only thing stopping him from strangling that boy was the fact Matilda would be quite cross with him afterwards.

The professor sighed then; he had to reluctantly admit to himself that he was no saint either when he was in school himself. Still wasn't, as a matter of fact. He probably did more cauldron-exploding than the Weasley boy, even now, everytime he tried to brew an experimental new cure for his leg. Thank Merlin he was at least always quick enough to protect himself, he really didn't fancy his students seeing him sporting an eyebrow-less look.

He finally got up from the bed and hurriedly took on a dark dressing gown, which was haphazardly hanging on the chair next to his bed. He took his wand and closed the open window in the next room with a single flick. The next wave of his wand made the flames in his hearth renew, and he walked over to warm himself before beginning his morning hygiene.

Soon his teeth were brushed and his hair was combed. He should really trim his beard soon, but he couldn't have been bothered today. He got dressed into his usual robes, which were washed, dried, ironed and neatly folded, lying on the large chest in the other room - he asked the house elves to not come to his personal quarters otherwise. When he needed to use their services, such as to have his clothes washed, or tea or a meal brought to him, the elves knew to keep themselves to his sitting room.

He should probably clean up - there were clothes carelessly hanging over various pieces of furniture,and some were even still lying crumpled in his trunk, as he didn't really bother to unpack since term began. And what was that stain on the floor there? A failed brew, no doubt. He knew it wouldn't be the worst mess the house elves ever cleaned, but something in him just cringed every time he thought about summoning one of them to clean his rooms. There was barely any need, after all, he didn't have visitors, and if somebody did want to talk to him, they could do so in his office, which was cleaned regularly.

He observed himself in the mirror. He didn't look all that bad, his clothes were impeccable, his hair fairly neat. His face… not so much. The beard did give him some sort of roguish, ragged good appearance, but he still frowned as he observed his scar. Of course he was constantly reminded of his mistakes by his bloody leg, but to be reminded by his own face… He turned away from the mirror.

—

He had his reasons to be early for breakfast in the Great hall. Not many students nor teachers yet. In fact, the only faculty members already there when he hobbled over to the High table were Dinah and Eleazar. He grumbled a quiet 'morning' to them.

When he poured himself a cup of tea, he reached into his breast pocket for a small flask of firewhisky. He didn't always add the extra kick into his morning tea, but considering he'd be dealing with Garreth Weasley in less than two hours, Aesop supposed that he was entitled to those few drops. Dinah, who watched him out of the corner of her eye, merely lifted an eyebrow at him and snorted quietly. Professor Fig, who had his nose buried in some old book, didn't even notice. Sharp might as well not exist when good old Eleazar was focusing on something.

Aesop sipped on his tea and poked at his scrambled eggs, making a checklist in his head of things he needed to do today. If he survived today's classes unharmed, he'd be brewing a few more Wiggenweld potions for the Hospital wing - Quidditch tryouts began last week and the students seemed intent on mauling themselves to death. He’d of course need some more dittany from the greenhouses for that - the latest addition to the school staff, Mirabel Garlick, proved as fine a teacher as she was a student. Though her results in his class were only slightly above average, her Herbology skills were nothing short of impressive. Not to mention she was much more pleasant to chat with than her predecessor, who was unbearably grumpy even for Aesop's standards, and that's saying something.

—

His morning class exceeded his expectations and there weren't any serious mishaps or accidents, not even from the Weasley boy. It put a bit of pep in Aesop's hobbled step and he entered the Great hall again in time for lunch in better spirits. His afternoon class was First years, and they were much easier to deal with than the older students. More prone to accidents, yes, but the potions they were brewing were fairly safe. The worst thing that could happen today would be a few boils, and that only if they did really poorly. Nothing Nurse Blainey couldn't handle.

However, he then remembered the stack of Third year essays he'd have to grade, as well as the detention he'd be giving after class, and his chicken became slightly bitter on his tongue. Sebastian Sallow had been getting himself into all sorts of trouble, ever since his twin sister was cursed in the summer. Mainly with the librarian, as he seemed intent on finding the cure among the books in the Restricted section. On one hand, Sharp felt sorry for the boy, because he searched every nook and cranny in the Restricted section himself, in fruitless efforts of finding a cure for his leg. On the other hand, he hoped he’d overlooked something, something Sebastian would find. For the sake of the boy's sister and the potions master himself.

—

He got through his day in the end. He always did. He sent the Sallow boy to dinner, but stayed in his office himself, grading away. By the time he was done, it was late. Maybe even after curfew. The words began swimming on the parchment in front of him, making his head ache a little. He rubbed at his eyes and pinched at the bridge of his nose. Only two more days until the weekend, he reminded himself. He summoned a house elf and asked him to deliver something small to his chambers - he didn't have dinner, after all. Aesop sat at his desk for a while after the elf disapparated. He closed his eyes, thinking about the hot shower he was going to take, the tea he would have in his room. Maybe he could curl up with a book for a while. Yes, that would be nice. He managed to brew the Wiggenweld potions for the hospital wing throughout the day and they were ready to be delivered - he'll just send some elves with them in the morning. For now, he just has to climb all the way up to his rooms…

—

Aesop sighed when the first rays of hot water hit his aching body, and felt content to simply stand there for a while, letting the stress of the day cascade down and into the drain, along with the water. He released a long sigh.

He felt rather good after his wash up, the warmth doing wonders to his leg, so much that the pain turned into nothing more than an annoying throb. If he stayed warm, he might not even need a Dreamless sleep potion tonight. He did end up reading a bit before bed, sitting in front of his hearth and munching on the sandwiches the house elves prepared for him. He recently took a liking to a Muggle author, one Arthur Conan Doyle. Though all of his detective stories would be easily solved with just a bit of magic, he had to admit the main character was rather clever.

He once more deposited his dressing gown on a nearest piece of furniture some time after midnight and crawled into the bed. He was rather fond of the Hogwarts mattresses, as they were just the right amount of firm and soft. The air was cool in his room, as he opened the window again, huddling deeper into his blankets. He closed his tired eyes. Back to battle tomorrow. It was never easy, but he could handle whatever fate threw his way. He always did.

Life was alright.

Another day.

Aesop woke up with a sigh. It was early spring and he left the window slightly open overnight as the cool air helped him fall asleep. He could smell the fresh morning breeze, the flowers outside of the castle in full bloom. Aesop was feeling pleasantly warm, as there was a wonderfully soft and smooth body pressed into his own. His young lover's soft hair tickled at his collarbone, her arm was wrapped around his torso.

He sighed once more and his own hand stroked along her bare back. He'd have plenty to do today - the OWLs and NEWTs were swiftly approaching and the potions master had his work cut out for him. His leg was thrumming softly, but it didn't really hurt. It hasn't hurt much since their little 'herb-picking excursion', as the girl named it.

His room was only a little messy, but it was an organised kind of chaos. His clothes were neatly folded and stored in his wardrobe (save for the dressing gown), his floors were spotless. His books were still strewn about a little, and he couldn't get quite rid of his habit of putting his clothes over chairs, but it wasn’t too bad.He allowed Deek to clean up his rooms some time ago, back when his sweetheart became a frequent visitor. Even though he still felt slightly uncomfortable with someone else poking about his things, even though it was just good old Deek, he felt even more uncomfortable at the thought of his bringing his student into the mess there was before.

Speaking of which, she started stirring against him. Her yawn broke the near silence of the room and the potions master smiled at the ceiling. "Morning," she slurred, sleep clearly evident in her voice. It was just past 7, which meant they had some time to lounge around together before they'd need to get up and get ready for their days. He pulled her in for a kiss, feeling very comfortable in the warm bed and her arms. Thankfully, her roommates didn't question her absence in their room too much, knowing by now that she was fond of sneaking around at night. They had no idea just what their classmate had been up to.

They did their morning hygiene in comfortable silence, only casting sweet looks at one another occasionally. His clothes were impeccable, his hair neat. He had to admit, he didn't look half bad. His lover seemed to think so as well, judging by the appreciative look and the sweet kiss she gave him before she slipped out, right as he was about to tidy his stubble up a bit. Not even the scar on his face could throw him off today, not after a pair of lovely lips traced its jagged edges.

He sat next to Dinah at breakfast in the Great hall, his eyes searching for those of (Y/N) among the students. The corner of his mouth twitched when their gazes met, when he saw her smile. He quickly looked away, though, as he felt another pair of eyes on him. He trained his face into a neutral expression and looked to his left at Dinah. Her eyebrows were raised and she was giving him a knowing look. "Why hello, good morning to you too, Aesop," she teased, and he only now realised he didn't even greet her as he sat down.

He did his best to keep his expression still: "Good morning to you as well. I'm sorry, Dinah, I suppose I've got some things on my mind today." Aesop pointedly ignored his friend's following remark.

"Some things or someone?"

To call Dinah Hecat anything other than brilliant would be criminal. Nothing ever got past her. It was something Aesop hated right now, as he bit into a piece of toast, still keeping his face neutral. To her eyes, however, he might as well be a blushing, stuttering mess. Her hand shortly closed around his one. "Good choice. I'm glad," she said quietly before retracting her hand again. The potions master allowed himself the tiniest little smile. Good choice indeed

—.

While the Fifth years’' cauldrons kept bubbling on in the dungeons, he was looking out of the window, bracing some of his weight against the stone walls. His leg didn't hurt, not really, but the muscles in it felt a bit tense. Soon the end of term exams would take place. Soon the Seventh years would graduate and move on with their lives. He signed a few Auror recommendations, wished many good lucks, passed many pieces of advice and warnings. He hoped the students, whom he saw grow from wide eyed children into independent and self-sufficient young adults, were ready to face whatever their fate would throw at them. There were a few who were already overqualified for their chosen careers. There was one student who was severely overqualified indeed.

While most of the pupils (current and former) will be boarding the Hogwarts express after they finish school, his young lover will be moving her possessions over to a little rented house right outside of Hogsmeade. One that he helped her pick. One that was conveniently already connected to the Floo network.

Aesop felt himself… buzzing. Buzzing with excitement. He had no idea what was about to happen, he had no clue how their relationship was about to progress, but he felt excited like he hadn't in years. It was a similar feeling to the one he'd get during his Auror days when he was younger, the same thrill that ran through his entire body when a new job turned up. He thought his ability to feel this sort of optimism had left his body years ago, yet as he stared into the unknown, he couldn't help himself from wanting to jump in head first.

The endless possibilities flashed before his eyes. Maybe they could have everything. Maybe it will actually work out…

Sophronia Franklin almost made her cauldron explode because she hadn't been paying attention to it, way too confused seeing professor Sharp grinning from ear to ear in the windows' reflection.

—

Aesop was done with his work quite early that day. So early, in fact, that he had an hour or so before dinner would begin. The sun was just beginning to set outside, and it occurred to him that a little walk and fresh air would do him good. The students gave him a few odd looks as he slowly strolled about on the school grounds, limping much less than he had been only a few months ago. He visited the school thestrals in the stables, made small talk with professor Howin, even cracked a small joke at headmaster Black's expense.

If Bai was surprised by his uncommonly good mood, she didn't mention it.

As he was walking back toward the castle, a pretty sooty owl landed on his shoulder with a chirp. "Hello, Diana," he said quietly as she offered her leg to him. He took the note attached there and Diana flew right off again. Cheeky bird didn't even want an answer. He read the note covertly, even though he was alone on the school grounds now, and grinned to himself. The cheeky owl had an even cheekier owner.

—

He stretched his body, the hot water lapping at his skin deliciously. "Great idea," he sighed, closing his eyes. The young woman behind him chuckled, her soft hands massaging his back and shoulders, making him shiver with bliss everytime she used her nails to scratch at his skin. They sat together in the giant tub of Prefect's bathroom, safely locked away and warded. Hot lips would press against the nape of his neck, his damp hair pushed out of the way.

He turned around to face her. "Are you sure your roommates won't miss you? You barely spend any time in your dorm…" he spoke quietly, his intent on taking her back to his chambers after their bath clearly evident in his voice. "All of them are so worked up from the NEWTs, their noses buried in textbooks, they wouldn't see a Graphorn if it was standing right in front of them," she quipped, wrapping her bubble covered arms around his neck.

The potions master melts into their kiss, his own arms gripping her securely. He feels the thrill of the unknown again and he knows that he's ready to face whatever comes out of it. Years and years of pain, of guilt, of loneliness, things and feelings he stomped on and buried way deeper than six feet under. And now… now he was holding an imaginary shovel, and he was ready to dig.

—

Later, when their satisfied bodies start cooling down, and are spelled clean once more, Aesop's lover curls up into his side, like she's always been there, like she's always belonged there. His window is open, the fire in his hearth is cracking quietly. He covers the two of them with his blanket, shielding them from the cool air. Another adventure tomorrow. Some days it was challenging, but Aesop could easily handle whatever fate threw his way. With (Y/N) by his side, he could handle anything.

Life wasn't just alright, it was quite brilliant, actually.

Thank you for reading, I hope it wasn't too bad. You can check this story and all of my other stories over at AO3 :)

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #reader insert #aesop sharp #professor sharp #aesop sharp x reader #aesop sharp x you #professor sharp x reader #fluff #slice of life #tooth rotting fluff #aesop sharp x mc #mc is over 18

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mamaestapa · 11 months ago

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Chapter twenty-three sneak peak...

"You never called me back." Izzy said, voice laced with slight disappointment as she spoke, "I get you're busy but, I need to know if this will work Joe."

Joe nodded in response, "I know and we will, but," he glanced around the table full of his teammates and friends before bringing his face closer to Izzy's, "Can we talk about this later? I don't want Y/n to know."

You felt your heart drop to your stomach at the mention of your name. The conversation you were having was now long forgotten as you gave your full attention to Joe. You turned towards him, folding your arms over your chest and letting them rest on your belly as you looked at him.

The red head, Izzy, made eye contact with you as she spoke, "Sure sweetie. Don't forget to send me the details." Joe nodded at her words as he spoke, "I'll send them to you tonight so you'll be prepared. Thanks Iz."

Prepared for what? You didn't know exactly, but you'd make it your mission to find out and get to the bottom of it. Izzy smiled at you, saying a soft hello and congratulations before she sauntered away from the table. Your lips parted as you just watched her walk away from Joe like nothing happened. Your thoughts were running wild, all of them going to the worst possible case scenario. There was no reasoning with yourself on this one.

Joe was cheating on you. He had to be.

You looked at Joe with an expression full of hurt and confusion. How could he do this to you? How could he do this to your little family? You just got back on good terms with Sam and now you have to deal with this.

"Joe?" You squeaked out softly, making your boyfriend turn around to look at you. His face filled with worry as he looked at you. Joe took in your hurt expression, teary eyes, and flushed cheeks. You looked like you'd just seen a ghost and were about .2 seconds away from a breakdown.

"Y/n," he said softly, tone growing worried, "what's wrong?"

You were fine just a few minutes ago. You were upbeat, happy, laughing with Tee and seeming to enjoy the team dinner. Right now, your whole demeanor took a full 180. Joe figured it was just the hormones making you feel this way, after all you have been having some mood swings lately.

You scoffed at your boyfriends obliviousness, "What's wrong?" You shook your head, "You're seriously asking me what's wrong?"

It's definitely not mood swings.

Joe parted his lips as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Y/n, baby I don't know what's going on but-."

"Was I not enough for you?" You asked, voice full of hurt. You placed your hands on your bump as you looked directly into Joe's confused blues, "Were we not enough for you?"

"I-" Joe stuttered, "I don't know what you're talking about? Of course you are. Both of you are."

You wiped a tear away as you sniffled softly, trying to compose yourself and not make a scene in the restaurant. You were feeling so many different emotions and it was a matter of time before they all came pouring out.

"Then who the hell is Izzy? What kind of arrangement do you have with her Joe, hmm?" Joe's face fell at your words. Now he looked like one that had just seen a ghost. "Y/n, you weren't supposed to hear that."

"Yeah I figured." You said, voice cracking with emotion as you tried to sound bitter. Joe's Adams apple bobbed as he gulped. His mind was going crazy with thoughts on he was going to explain this to you. He knows what it looks like to you.

"Was I ever going to find out or were you going to keep sneaking around behind my back?"

The hurt in your voice and the distraught look on your face had Joe's heart breaking. He stayed silent. He couldn't find the right words to explain himself, at least not in the middle of team dinner. You shook your head at his silence. You stood up from the table and gathered your things. You walked away from the group, leaving a few pf your friends and Joe's teammates stunned as they saw the tears rolling down your cheeks. That's all the confirmation you needed.

the angst in this one…you guys are not ready👀 not as bad as the earlier chapter angst but still just enough

i’m so excited for you to read the full thing, which will be out tonight or tomorrow!

#daddy issues #joe burrow #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow series #joe burrow x you #joe burrow fic #dad joe

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the-era-of-shadow · 5 months ago

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What is Paradise?

Written by Ash Rose

Summary:

Planning to meet up with her long term partner Tails, Cosmo travels to Aerth once more. But the first person she encounters once she gets there is not Tails, but a seemingly gentle giant known as Big. Both parties immediately see through each other's facades, however, and end up having a rather in depth discussion of current events.

THIS STORY CONTAINS: Themes of isolation, mentions of fictional political turmoil

Author's Note: Hi if this is your introduction to TEoS, make it not be plz, I feel like you'll be so confused-

As the sun rises once more as it always does, the sky shifts in hue from the dark indigo of the night to shades of orange and yellow that follow the sun’s path, like attendants to a ruler, before fading out and revealing the sky’s new color - a color that is rather aptly referred to as ‘sky blue’. This event happens every single day, and as it does, a quite large cat with the also rather apt name of ‘Big’, along with his dearest companion Froggy, come out of their home and prepare for another day of fishing along the edge of the river that runs all throughout the very forested area of the Mystic Ruins in which they both live. The life Big leads is quite simple, but he doesn’t mind it at all - after all, he actively chose this life.

Despite that, he has been feeling a bit… uneasy recently. It’s very hard to blame him for this, as there has been a lot going on with his friends recently. Especially Ms. Vanilla.

Ever since the Freedom Fighters came to visit the Mystic Ruins back in early October, they’ve been working very hard to figure out what it is that has been ailing Ms. Vanilla, left with only crumbs to go off of by Amy’s mother Tsunami, who seemed to have known what it was - but was also in a frantic rush to go visit Lady Chaos, likely due to this knowledge. Amy did say that she had felt her presence from time to time in the days that followed, but it wouldn’t be until a week later that she finally caught her mom’s attention and made her confess to what she was suspecting it to be. Even though a good few of the Freedom Fighters and their allies, including Big himself, were starting to fear the worst, it still came as quite the shock to them all when Amy and Tsunami sheepishly - and tearfully in Amy’s case - revealed that due to the multiple years of exposure that Vanilla has had, she is going through the effects of Black Arms assimilation.

While the news certainly hit everyone very harshly, Big in particular was absolutely devastated to hear such a thing - especially due to him being quite convinced that he had some fault in it. When Amy told him, she was very intentional in placing the blame solely on Vanilla’s now ex-friend of multiple years, ‘Wilma Breviar’, otherwise known by her real name, Black Widow - as she wasn’t even fully comfortable with blaming Widow’s young son Garrick. But the guilt still hit Big like a truck as he realized he had basically completely forgotten the fact that he was, indeed, a disguised Black Arms, even if he was rogue, and had very much become irresponsible with being too close to the Aerthlings he cared about, infecting them with chaos energy radiation whether he meant to or not. Even though Amy insisted that he should not blame himself for the current situation, she did eventually come to agree with his idea of isolating himself in order to not make things worse for Vanilla nor cause anyone else to catch it - at least until they find some sort of way to prevent it on either end.

But just because Big is isolated physically, that doesn’t mean that he is completely unaware of the current goings-on of his friends! Both through the little bit of the old hivemind from before the demise of Black Doom that the three of them maintain for themselves and in person conversations, Big has been keeping in contact with Tsunami and Amy in order to keep up to date on things. The two of them are honestly quite lucky, all things considered, as neither of them have any capacity for assimilation as a ghost with no corporal form and a naturally born hybrid that is more mobian than black arms respectively, while also being black arms enough to not be affected by being exposed to a full-on black arms like Big. With that privilege, they’re not only able to talk to Big, but also everyone else - resulting in them becoming something of middlemen for whenever Big has something to say to the other Freedom Fighters, or vice versa.

Through this, Big has learned that while any request to G.U.N for assistance was immediately rejected due to their currently very rocky relationship with the Freedom Fighters, there is someone out there willing to try their hand at remedying the situation - that being an old friend of Amy’s named Coral. Coral lives in the underwater city of Meropis, or more accurately, she lives in a temple just outside the city - one that she obtained through her job as the city’s priestess. As priestess, she is quite familiar with magic and alike, and with chaos energy, especially given the fact that her matron goddess is Lady Chaos, and as a citizen of Meropis, she most certainly has at least some knowledge of the Black Arms assimilation outbreak that occurred in the city just a bit over a century ago in the early 1900s, which was dubbed by them as “The Divine Sickness”. These two factors combined to make her a very valuable candidate to possibly cure Vanilla, or at the very least halt the progress of the assimilation spreading throughout her body.

Admittedly, when Tsunami had mentioned the “Divine Sickness” outbreak, it made Big feel a bit nostalgic. Of course, he disliked the situation as a whole and most certainly its outcome, feeling terrible for those who had been exiled by the rulers of the city at the time due to something so completely out of their control. It was more nostalgia for the timeframe when it had happened. Big, back then still going by his given name of ‘Black Onyx’, had just reached maturity at the time, still in the month-long or so period of time between leaving his pod and beginning his training. He was innocent and naive, listening in awe to the various tales of his brethren that he would hear over the hivemind, not knowing the true horrors of them. He even at one point during his training years met the very young man who had been responsible for the whole event, that being a black assassin named Desiev. He was incredibly charismatic and a bit of a jokester, but what always stuck around in Big’s memory about him the most was that he quite honestly did feel bad for the people of Meropis that he affected. He hadn’t planned for an outbreak to occur, he was just on a field trip to Aerth as a part of his training to become a planetary investigator and got wrapped up in some young love with an octopus mobian. The conversation Big had that day with Desiev was what made him start to consider if there could perhaps be another way of doing things for the Black Arms in the first place.

As for the present day, after some discussion between Coral, the royal family of Meropis, and the Freedom Fighters had been made, the three parties came to an agreement. Vanilla would go live with Coral until she gets better. Hopefully she will.

In fact, it is on this very day that Vanilla is going to be taken to Meropis! Oh how Big wished that he could be there to see her off. But of course, he’s still isolating, so instead, he wrote her a farewell/get well soon letter that he gave to Amy to send to her, hoping that she gets to receive it as he casts his line.

Some time passes, and Big is still at the river’s edge, fishing. He hasn’t caught anything just yet, but he refuses to let that get him down. He hopes that the Freedom Fighters hold onto such a mindset as well, not letting the various setbacks that have occurred stop them from continuing to fight for peace on Aerth. It is with that thought that it occurs to him that the reason for why he has not caught any fish yet might just be that he keeps getting lost in thought.

“Oh well! That’s life, isn’t it?” He says to himself and continues on.

But just as he intends to readjust his focus on fishing and prepare to cast his line again, he notices something rather odd in the water - or more specifically, something odd in the water’s reflection.

Looking up to see if it is also in the sky, Big realizes that what it is that he sees is, in fact, a spaceship.

The first thought that enters his mind is that the ship is full of his brethren, having finally noticed after just about a dozen years that he ran away from his responsibilities back home and are intending to take him back there. But Big quickly realizes just how irrational that is, remembering that nowadays the Black Arms have been nearly completely wiped from existence, the only few still alive already living on Aerth. After taking some time to have a second thought, Big remembers overhearing about Tails’ family being a part of the ‘Mystic Fox Armada’, a group that has existed since before mobians came to Aerth with the mission of protecting the universe - at first specifically against the Black Arms - but becoming more broad as time went by. Maybe with all of the trouble that the Black Arms have been causing as of late, they’ve decided to swing by and give the Freedom Fighters a helping hand? That answer didn’t seem quite right either - as Big also remembered Tails describing the armada’s ships at one point, and they were apparently much more like aircrafts made by humans rather than spaceship-like. Before he got the chance to speculate further, a bright beam of light came down from the ship, blinding Big temporarily.

As the light faded, Big began to notice a subtle, yet eye-catching change in the scenery before him in the form of a pair of dark pink hibiscus flowers planted in the grass. Though at first glance they were still bulbs, both of the flowers very rapidly bloomed as Big continued to stare at them in curiosity, and then after they bloomed, their base seemed to grow taller - all in a matter of seconds. As the base began to change shape into something almost humanoid, that is when Big finally realized what it was that had appeared before him - and subsequently, to what the spaceship belonged.

A seedrian.

Finally, the seedrian in question had fully sprouted and detached from the ground, her features having formed as well, which made her quite recognizable to Big.

“Cosmo? What’re you doing here?” He asked as they locked eyes.

Instantaneously, Cosmo recoiled slightly and her face changed to one of embarrassment.

“Oh, h-hello Big! I didn’t know you were in this area. Sorry if I scared you, I know none of you have seen how I initially appear to new worlds - aside from Tails.” She greeted and apologized within the same breath.

“It’s no problem! I’ve seen worse!” Big remarked light-heartedly, hoping to calm Cosmo down. It seemed to work as intended, as she returned to a more confident stance, and the blush on her cheeks lessened. Though, after a moment, she began to look confused.

“Wait, really?” Cosmo wondered.

“... Do you not know?” Big hesitantly replied, thinking very carefully about his next words.

“Know what?” Cosmo inquired, tilting her head slightly.

Big thought long and hard about how he would respond to Cosmo, especially trying to take into account his less than perfect English.

“That I’m a Black Arms?” In the end, he went for the most blunt approach. The bluntness seemed to strike Cosmo fast and hard, leaving her with a stunned expression. But that expression only lasted for about a minute, before she began to giggle.

“Goodness me, how in the great galaxies did I never catch onto that?” Cosmo uttered in between laughs. “For crying out loud, you’re as tall as the average black warrior!” She continued, teasingly. “Granted, you’re not much taller than I am, but still!”

“I am taller in my true form!” Big remarked.

“Really now? How much taller would you say that you are?” Cosmo quiered, sitting down on the grass next to Big.

“About four more feet than I am now!” Big answered. “I was a black oak!”

“Oh my!” Cosmo reacted. “Though, if I may ask, if you have reduced your height by that much already, why not go even smaller and match the height of an average mobian?”

“It takes a lotta energy to be small. Energy I don’t have much of.” Big admitted.

“Do you have Chaos Energy Deregulation Disorder?” Cosmo asked right after Big had finished speaking. Big tilted his head in confusion. “CEDD? Or, wait, wouldn’t it be KEDD-?” Cosmo reiterated, trailing off into her own thoughts at the end.

“Oh! Yeah. A mild case.” Big replied. “I think they use both acronyms, since most Black Arms know a language that spells ‘chaos’ with a c. I forgot what it stood for.” He explained.

“Well either way, it must be a shame being confined to a mission you can never really complete - with the Black Arms now so few and all.” Cosmo assumed, catching Big’s attention.

“Oh, no. I’m rogue.” He corrected her.

“Oh! My mistake.” Cosmo responded. “May I ask why?”

“I like being on Aerth,” Big began. “I like how nice and kind and pretty it is here. But I don’t like how violent and mean the Black Arms were. That’s why I stayed here instead!” He did his best to explain, internally lamenting that his amaetur English skills made it so that some of the nuance of his thoughts were lost.

“Well, I really can’t blame you for feeling that way…” Cosmo remarked, sounding a bit somber. “I’m not much for violence myself either. After all, it was because of the violent actions of the Metarex and later the Multi-Galactic Unity Council that Green Gate has been in such disarray for almost a decade now…” She lamented.

“What happened?” Big asked.

“You know that us seedrians were originally created by the Black Arms for a mission that never came to be, right?” Cosmo asked.

Big nodded.

“Good, and you remember that after it was made clear that the mission wasn’t going to happen, that Lord Doom granted us seedrians independence but we stayed allies?” Cosmo continued to quiz Big.

Big nodded again.

“Okay, so, one of the last planets the Black Arms raided before attempting to invade Aerth was the one that the Metarex lived on. Being the prideful bunch they were, the vast majority of them refused to abide by the Black Arms’ ways of chaos - so they were massacred. Though, unlike most of those types, some of the Metarex still survived. In fact, enough of them had survived to form a small army that decided to invade Green Gate and attack us as ‘revenge’ against the Black Arms, having somehow found out about our secret allyship,” Cosmo began to explain. “With the allyship being secret to everyone else still, however, our prime minister at the time, Cherry Blossom, wanted to have those remaining Metarex charged with having committed a war crime. The case had reached the court of the Multi-Galactic Unity Council, and everyone had been on Cherry Blossom’s side at first… But…” Cosmo paused for a moment to wipe away some tears that had begun to form and re-composed herself. “Evidence of Cherry Blossom continuing to ally herself and even do work for Lord Doom and the Black Arms had reached… one of the members of the council, and since the trial had occurred shortly after Lord Doom’s demise, the council decided to be petty and charge Cherry Blossom with his crimes as well, since they ‘never got the pleasure of punishing him for them’, condemning her to execution… We still don’t have a new prime minister to this day. Cherry Blossom was the only one we had ever known, and we were too messed up from the Metarex attack to find a suitable replacement, especially since her right hand woman had disappeared around the time of Cherry’s sentencing.” She finally concluded.

“I’m sorry all that happened…” Big did his best to console her, hoping that the words he had were enough to convey his immense sympathy for Cosmo’s situation.

“I’m just so… tired of the instability we’ve been forced to face, ya know? And we couldn’t even fall back upon the Black Arms because they were and still are in an even worse spot than us! There’s also quite a few seedrians that even before the Metarex attack happened have been advocating for Green Gate to fully sever ties with the Black Arms, so the people that are technically left in charge who came to be eventually known as the Green Gate Restoration Effort vetoed the idea…” Cosmo vented. “That decision was made before I joined… And… I-I know it makes me look bad, b-but I have to disagree with it…” She then revealed, turning away from Big. “I-I know, I hate how violent their methods can get sometimes too! But I just want things to go back to normal!! A-And… Okay!! I feel bad for them too!! I know the pain of constant instability and the loss of a beloved leader all too well, and I can only begin to speculate how it feels to have lost so many of your brethren on top of it all!!” She tearfully admitted. “I just want everyone to be happy and okay!!” Big placed a hand on her shoulder, which seemed to quiet her down as well as slow her tears.

“I want everyone to be happy too.” He said to Cosmo. She turned around to face Big again and quickly flew herself into his fluffy chest, clearly signaling to him non-verbally that she wanted a hug - to which Big complied.

“I started keeping tabs on the few Black Arms that are left behind the rest of the restorators’ backs… It was originally just to see if they were doing alright, but at some point I just… Caved. I knew we both needed help to recover what we had lost, so I tapped into the Black Arms Hivemind to the best of my ability and asked them if I could possibly help them with anything with the hope that they’d help us seedrians in return… They told me about Amy being part Black Arms and that one of the surviving Black Arms was her half brother… And that he was trying to get in contact with her to convince her to join them… So I told Amy about the letter he had sent.” Cosmo confessed. “It’s not much for now, but it’s still a line crossed that I can’t go back on… And sometimes I’m not sure if I’m proud of it or not.” She finally pulled away from the hug she and Big were having.

“I… heard about that.” Big sheepishly replied. “... From Amy.”

“Oh, you’re probably helping the Freedom Fighters in all this then, aren’t you…?” Cosmo awkwardly surmised.

“Mhm…” Big confirmed. “Sometimes they aren’t the nicest either, even mean enough to feel like home. I know how it feels to work with people you don’t agree with.” He added, which caused Cosmo’s eyes to widen.

“Really…?” Cosmo questioned.

“... Yup. That’s why I’m trying to stay out of it, really. That and not wanting to hurt anyone.” Big elaborated.

“... That does kinda make me feel better about what I’m doing, honestly.” Cosmo stated. “Though I certainly envy your ability to just avoid it all together… As much as I want to, I can’t. Not when my world is in such dire need…”

“... I hope this isn’t a bad question, but how does Tails feel about what you’re doing?” Big inquired after a little bit of silence, feeling a bit of guilt that only got worse as he saw Cosmo start to look more upset.

“They… They’re not a fan…” Cosmo muttered.

“I could’ve guessed that… Sorry that I asked.” Big replied, trying to do whatever he could to help Cosmo feel better.

“No, it’s a fair question to ask, really,” Cosmo said reassuringly. “I know that Tails still loves me… For now, at least. But there is a part of me that worries what me trying to get help from the Black Arms will do to our relationship long term…” That’s when Big got an idea.

“Why don’t you ask Tails and their family for help with the stuff on Green Gate? I hear they’re really powerful!” Big suggested, placing a hand on Cosmo’s shoulder again.

“I did think of that, yes, but the Mystic Fox Armada is plenty aware of us seedrians’ ties back to the Black Arms, so I’d rather not mess with Tails’ standing with them any more than I already have by dating them… I… I also haven’t yet forgiven him for what he did to us…” Cosmo replied.

“Him?” Big echoed with confusion.

“... Tails’ dad. It was Tails’ dad who gave the evidence against Cherry Blossom during that trial…” Cosmo revealed with utter vitriol in her voice. “I don’t blame Tails for his actions, in fact, I feel they were taken advantage of in a sort of way, in fact - the fact that they were and still are dating me exploited in order to sentence the prime minister of my world to death. But I still hate their father. And I don’t hate people often.” She elaborated with just as much rage. “... He was the one who put us in this turmoil, why would he ever help us out of it?” She finally concluded, having calmed down slightly.

“... Maybe someone else in that place would be able to help? Maybe it can just be Tails themself who helps you?” Big advised.

“... Would they even be willing to do that? They have so many other responsibilities with being a Freedom Fighter, and their role as the sole heir to the Mystic Fox Armada, and their inventions under the Twin-Tail Electronics brand… I’d hate to put more stress on them…” Cosmo wondered.

“Tails would have a better answer to that than me, I think.” Big pointed out. “You should talk to them!”

“Yeah… Maybe I should.” Cosmo realized, her eyes widening and her tears finally fading fully. “Would you like to come with me? Moral support and all.”

“Sorry, I can’t. I don’t hang out with the Freedom Fighters in person much anymore… I may be rogue, but I can still…” Big seemingly didn’t have to finish the sentence for Cosmo to understand what he was getting at.

“Oh, right… That’s alright! Thank you for the help regardless.” Cosmo said to him with a kind smile. Though, that smile suddenly changed into a face suggesting that Cosmo had just remembered something she had forgotten. “By the way, where is the Sky Patrol right now? Do you know?”

“They’re likely near the Merop Sea! They’re bringing Ms.Vanilla there today!” Big told her.

“Ah… A nice trip to the beach…!” Cosmo remarked dreamily. “Thank you again, Big!” She then said before beginning her way out of the Mystic Ruins.

“Do you have money for the train?” Big suddenly asked just before Cosmo left earshot range.

“Yep! Thanks for checking in though!” Cosmo responded.

And so Big then returned to his regular ol’ fishing.

“You know, Froggy, I wish more people would just talk about things.” Big eventually spoke. “Maybe a world where everyone just talks and gets along is what ‘paradise’ really is.” He speculated.

Froggy croaked in response.

“Trust me, Froggy. I’d really like to make Aerth that paradise!” Big replied. “I just… wish I knew how to make others see my point of view!”

#the era of shadow #teos #writing tag #sonic au #mod ash

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hotheadrednecksimmer · 3 months ago

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Worth It - Struck by Love Legacy Challenge - Season 2, Episode 6

Naomi graduated with Honors and a GPA that consisted of an A+. She was a good student and it had shown during her time at university. On her last night in the dorm, she finally gave into Derrick after countless flirting, she slept with him. It wasn't great, probably the worst partner she's had so far, she ended up regretting it for that alone.

After graduation, Naomi's Mom (Maeve) wanted her to move back in, but Naomi decided that wasn't for her. She wanted to escape who she was when she lived in that house. She liked the new, bolder her and she didn't want to go back.

Naomi decided to move to Del Sol Valley to try her hand at becoming a famous singer. Naomi had big dreams and where else do you go to fulfill big dreams? Del Sol Valley!

Since Naomi had most of her college funds that she was given by her moms - she had a full ride at college. Naomi was able to afford a decent apartment until she could find some gigs to perform at. She even had enough money to travel a bit before starting her job.

Naomi moved into her apartment and invited over her family. She knew that they would have to travel and her small apartment wouldn't be able to accommodate them, but Maeve insisted that they stay in a hotel not far from her new apartment. Naomi was grateful that her moms still wanted to be in her life after her dramatic exit leaving for uni.

Naomi prepared Wonton Soup for her family the first night they were there.

Star: So how's it going? It's so pretty here!! And thankfully it's not raining. Ever since we moved to Henford-on-Bagley, all we've gotten is rain, rain, and even more rain.

Naomi: I like it, the neighborhood is pretty nice. The amenities here are great, I have a couple neighbors that I met that were pretty nice. Said they would let me borrow sugar if I ever needed it.

Star: Well, that's sweet of them! How's Gabrielle? How long have the two of you been together, 2 years now?

Naomi hadn't told her parents what Gabrielle had done or what Naomi had done in response, nor was she going to. Naomi decided that it wasn't any of their business, she was an adult and she was going to make her own choices. After a couple seconds thinking, she finally spoke again: She's good. I think she's thinking of coming to visit me here. Nothing is set in stone yet.

Star: The two of you are just so cute together. Any plans on marriage?

Maeve: Whoa, whoa! She just graduated college! Slow the breaks! I'm not ready for my baby to get married yet!

Star: If she wants to, she can! I love any excuse to get you all dressed up honey.

Naomi laughs nervously, she had absolutely no plans on getting married ever. Gabrielle was not the one for her, not that anyone would be great enough for Naomi to decide that she would marry them. Naomi: No, no plans on getting married or engaged. None of that. Mom's right, I'm still young, I just graduated. I'm starting my career. I have other things I want to do.

Maeve smiled at Naomi, apparently happy with Naomi's choices. Not that Naomi needed her mother's approval, but it felt nice in this moment.

Kaito: Who would want to marry you anyway? You're stinky and you probably keep your bedroom super messy!

Naomi: Hey! I shower everyday if not twice a day. That's more than you shower, asshole.

Kaito: I'm not the one in a relationship, plus I don't have a job.

Maeve: You just graduated, you have your college fund. What are your plans Kaito?

Kaito looks to the ground, a little nervous it seemed like: I don't really want to go to university. I was actually thinking about signing up for the military. Seems like a good cause.

The three girls were shocked. Kaito had never mentioned wanting to join the military before this conversation.

Naomi: I think you'll do great! Besides, if I can't yell at you, at least they will while you're in bootcamp!

The tension breaks in the room as they all laugh.

Maeve: I think that's a great idea little duck.

Kaito: Mom, please stop calling me that. I'm not little anymore. I'm a man.

Maeve: As long as I'm alive, you're my baby and my little duck.

Kaito sighs: At least don't call me that in public.

They have a great evening, before long the night had ended and the three headed off to their hotel room. Naomi was grateful for her family but she was happy to have her apartment to herself. Next thing on her to do list was to invite Gabrielle over and pop the bubble that had been hanging over her head. After all, congratulations were in order as Gabrielle was engaged to Krisi, and Naomi had one hell of a engagement present.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Season 1 | Season 2 First | Previous | Next

#the sims 4 simblr #the sims 4 #the sims 4 legacy #ts4 simblr #ts4 challenge #ts4 legacy #ts4 legacy challenge #the sims 4 cc #ts4 gameplay #sims 4 #struckbylovelegacy #sims addiction #sims 4 story #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 screenshots #sims 4 legacy #simblr #my sims #ts4

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aceghosts · 2 years ago

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what tragic horror character trope are you?

Hey Everybody! I was tagged by @purplehairsecretlair and @direwombat to take this quiz for my OCs. Thank you both for tagging me!

Tagging: @natesofrellis, @sstewyhosseini, @marivenah, @thomrainer, @hoesephseed, @strangefable, @bluemojave, @indorilnerevarine, @nuclearstorms, @arklay, @strafethesesinners, @chyrstis, @allthearchetypes, @funkypoacher, @confidentandgood, @poetikat, @clicheantagonist, @derelictheretic, @captastra, and anyone else who wants to do this!

Blue Murphy

the witch

people need to find blame wherever they can; it makes the bad things in their life feel just a touch more bearable. the witches are so often blamed for the curses others are under that no one even questions it anymore. you point to a supposed witch and everyone else prepares the stake, no matter their innocence. to be born and believed a witch is one of the worst curses of them all- you can have friends and family, but there's always a dread that someday, someone will point to you, and everyone you once trusted will throw you into the pyre. if you're here, reading this, you've probably been burned before. and i don't blame you for wanting to hide away, to really become the witch they all say you are, to curse them. but to be a witch is to brush your fingertips over the bark of a tree and watch it grow a touch stronger. keep that in mind

Rooney Shepard

the harbinger

the harbingers have been through fire. you've got the scars to show for it. some people say harbingers are jaded- scary, even, to people who don't understand that the harbinger has seen the edge of the world and survived it. but being the harbinger means you're cursed to watch younger, brighter eyes fall for the same traps you did. trying to help isn't enough for you; you know what they're getting themselves into, and you want to protect them the way no one ever protected you, so why won't they just listen? it's frustrating. it's terrifying. no one should have to live through what you did, and i hope you know that you can't protect everyone but it's damn noble of you to try. it's not your job to save the world but i hope you know you've already made a difference to everyone who has taken your words to heart.

Hunter Delaney

the vampire

it is the loneliest day of a vampire's life, the first time they look into a mirror and see their reflection missing. drinking blood sucks too, don't get me wrong, but as a vampire you had to learn to hide from the sunlight, from your family, all your friends, because you were unavoidably different now and you didn't know how to explain that to them in a way they would understand. you could get stranger's blood in bursts, but what is life when you can't know someone for longer than the night lasts? you left everything behind because it was easier than trying to tell them. i just hope you know you're not the only vampire out there, and that there exist people who will understand your situation without a word. they'll sit with you in the dark for as long as you'll need them to.

Sawyer Beaumont

the werewolf

there's something inside a werewolf that's sharp, thorns and barbs coiling up in tight knots of vine even on their best days. halfway through a conversation, you'll forget your happiness and the pain comes back in a flash. you never meant to, but the sharpness has done harm on your behalf. it's defensive. it's leftover artillery from a battle you spent so long fighting that it still doesn't feel like it's truly over, does it? you want so badly to be soft. to take the hand that you are offered instead of baring your teeth. and it might be hard to believe, but you are soft. you're the softest one out there. it'll just take a while to untangle those vines enough to know that very little is often life-or-death, and not everything touches to hurt.

Blake Maddox

the final girl

the final girl comes out the other end of trauma alive- or, they were supposed to. honestly, you're not so sure you're really alive anymore. you saw the same hurt take those you were closest to while everyone paraded your bruises as bravery, as strength, as if you're the hero. and it hurts. you're tired and you don't want to have to be brave anymore. whatever you went through, it changed so much of who you were that you're still getting used to the person you see in the mirror. you didn't have a say in any of it, but you're here now, and that's gotta count for something. you'll make it count for something. but first, you need to let yourself find rest.

#tag memes #blue murphy #I won't let fear compromise who I am #Commander Rooney Shepard #Hunter Delaney #Sawyer Beaumont #Blake Maddox #Figured I would tag a bunch of people since I haven't done one of these in a while #also no pressure to do this #oof-Blake's result is the most accurate especially since they're a final girl (gender neutral #and yeah that result kinda describes how they feel after that night #and Hunter's is accurate in an interesting way #Because after their rebirth Hunter has to cut contact with their family #partially to protect them and partially because they don't know how to tell anyone how they've change

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