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notasapleasure · 1 month ago

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Saga AU, before the beginning for Cass maybe?

Askbox writing meme

ooof ooh boy, you asked for it!

This 'before the beginning' is how saga AU Cassian was taken from his home during the wars between the Nonoalca and the Chichimecha in Toltec Mexico (mid-tenth century). In canon I suppose it's equivalent to the mining/ecological disaster on Kenari we don't see, that leaves the scar on the land and the children without any adults.

It's not seeking to make any judgement on the way the societies vary in their attitude to human sacrifice, more just following the (pre-)historic record that the Chichimecha came out on top. Also exploring the idea of Cassian's journey from someone who feels angry that unjust things happen to him into someone who feels angry that injustice happens to anyone at all.

I called him Cahuan here, thinking the pronunciation could shift enough via interactions with speakers of other languages to sound more like 'Cassian' by the time he finally reaches Maine/Norse Vínland. Kerri is Quauhtli.

Apologies for any egregious inaccuracies - I'm grateful to Kay for help with the research into this setting, but any mistakes or misunderstandings are my own!

CW for children caught up in a slave raid.

Notes at the end

Before the beginning

When the jaguars descended on them they were with their mother in the fields of amaranth. Cahuan heard her scream his name - she told him to protect his sister. Quauhtli was a few rows over, barely tall enough to be seen behind the weeping plumes of golden-red seed. She wailed for her mother, and Cahuan told her to be quiet.

He was meant to go to her, to protect her, but he froze, trying to count the figures prowling through the crop: big, broad-shouldered warriors with obsidian blades on th edges of their macuahuitl, glinting green-gold under the sun. Cahuan couldn't see their faces with the bright blue sky behind them. They were just dark monoliths circling the women and children in the field, a net closing in with arms extended, stretching like evening shadows made solid.

"Cahuan! Take your sister! Run!" his mother called again, and he made a confused scrabble for the blade his father had given him. It was only as long as his small hand, black and smooth as lakewater, and so far he'd only used it for killing chickens and skinning game. He understood now that he had to be the one to protect his family though, he had lived through fourteen rounds of the tzolkin and his father had trusted him with this knife.

Cahuan set his thin lips into a grimace and spoke a prayer to the feathered serpent. He squeezed the leather grip of his knife and dropped into a crouch. His little sister called for him and he told her to stay put, ignoring his mother's plea for them to run. A jaguar was approaching her and Cahuan saw a glint of teeth, saw the loops of rope at its belt.

The slave raids had grown more frequent as the war heated up, but they'd never expected the Chichimecha to raid so close to the boundaries of Tollan.

Cahuan ran at the jaguar, head down, his childish bellow of rage mingling with the shrieks and cries of the other Nonoalca who'd been working the field. As he approached, trampling the dry stalks of the amaranth, scattering its grain and cutting across the neat rows, the ocelotl seemed to grow taller. It seemed to Cahuan that the jaguar's great head moved in front of the sun to block his warmth, and the warrior's bare, muscled arms with their paint and tattoos swung wide as a snare to catch Cahuan.

He jabbed with his knife and the warrior deflected his blow easily. The strength of his parry appalled Cahuan, but he couldn't back down now. He felt the hilt of his knife dig sharply into his palm and he changed his grip to stab at the ocelotl's forearm as it swung after him.

This time he connected, and the warrior snarled in fury. The sound of his voice made Cahuan's hair stand on end, it made his heart quake and his ribs ache. The ocelotl struck him in the jaw with one empty paw, then kicked Cahuan in the chest so that he fell back on the hard ground.

The sky was so very high above his face and the ground was hard, rain-thirsty, the dry crop of amaranth whispering crisply beneath his shoulders. Cahuan tried to draw a breath but his ribcage spasmed in pain; he tried to raise the hand holding the knife but the jaguar put a foot over his wrist. He didn't press down with all his weight, just enough for Cahuan to know he would do so if there was a struggle.

He couldn't unclench his fist though. The knife was held tightly in it, so tight its stone hilt cut his palm through the leather and reed grip. Cahuan whimpered as the ocelotl moved his sandalled foot off his wrist and brought it down on the knife his father had given him.

The obsidian blade crunched like bone beneath the ocelotl's weight and then the warrior crouched down, his own knife pointing at Cahuan's throat. The face of the jaguar he wore was moulded into a fierce snarl. Polished white fangs framed his eagle-beaked nose and black paint around his eyes made them seem sunken into his face: clear water sparkling a threat from deep in a well.

"You are brave, boy," he snarled. "Are you brave enough for Tezcatlipoca?"

Cahuan felt his heart thump against his breastbone, responding to this call from the gods. But he was afraid - he wasn't ready to give that up yet. Didn't he deserve to enjoy the gifts of the gods first, before he gave back to them?

The ocelotl took a fistful of his hair and pulled him to his feet, and Cahuan screamed as his scalp burned. He clawed at the jaguar's paw but the grip didn't loosen, and the warrior wrenched his head back so Cahuan had to look up into his monstrous twin snarls.

"The rope. Take it and tie her well," the ocelotl nodded at Cahuan's mother. Her face was wet with tears and her teeth shone white as the grimaced. She held her hands to her neck and shook her head and Cahuan tried to shake his head too. He tried to kick at his captor, but the claws in his hair tightened and the ocelotl shook him by his scalp.

"You'll get your reward, boy! Now do as I tell you!"

To his other side, Cahuan heard his sister screaming. Another warrior strode over to them with Quauhtli gripped under one arm and a second child bundled under the other, like turkeys ready for market.

Quauhtli's face was red from crying and she squirmed and wriggled. She called for her mother and she called for her brother, and in the tone of her desperate shrieks, all Cahuan's bravery evaporated. The stream of pain in his head and his chest met the stream of pain from his family's cries and as they mingled, Cahuan burst into furious, terrified tears.

The ocelotl holding him laughed a booming laugh. "Only fit for the rains. Here boy," he swiped the thumb of the hand holding his macuahuitl across Cahuan's cheek and tasted the tears he'd collected. "Take responsibility for your women!"

He released Cahuan and took the rope from his belt, handing it to the sobbing boy. "Tie her well!"

Cahuan's hands shook and so did his mother's as he wound the rope around her wrists, the obsidian bladed macuahuitl of the ocelotl held to his mother's neck. When he was made to do the same to his desperate little sister, who sat in the dirt and howled at the sky as he approached her, one warrior spoke to the other: "He hasn't the pride to go for Tezcatlipoca. Keep him with these two, though, and you'll have a strong and obedient slave."

Notes:

ocelotl/jaguar - the Chichimecha warriors wearing jaguar skin, followers of Tezcatlipoca, big fans of the old human sacrifice.

Nonoalca - followers of Quetzalcoatl. Under the rule of priest-king Ce Atl Topiltzil (mid-tenth century) human sacrifice was reduced, as it was believed not to please Quetzalcoatl. These guys lost the religious war, after lots of slave raids and guerilla attacks from the Chichimecha.

macuahuitl - hand held weapon with barbs of obsidian set into the wood (like a small baseball bat with razor blades in it...)

Tzolkin - 260 day basic calendar (from Mayan sources). So Cahuan isn't fourteen, he's ten (14 × 260).

Tlaloc - god of the rains. Tears, especially children's tears, featured in sacrifices to him to encourage the rains.

#saga au #writing meme #my fics #my wips #it was always going to be longer than three sentences but i tried really hard not to get too carried away #lmk if it should be tagged for anything else specific!#cassian andor #kerri (andor)#kenari #au: pre-colombian mesoamerica

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crimsontrxcks · 9 months ago

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𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

ASK MEME / ACCEPTING

The knuckles hit the smooth tissue of the abdomen with all their force, before the other fist collided with the hard jaw. A surprised, pained cry pierced through the stifling space which smelled of stale beer, cigarettes, and something unpleasantly sour that the ruby haired woman couldn't quite place. The hard sole of the black boot collided with the hip of the last asshole who tried to grab her shoulder, missing by perhaps an inch and paying dearly for the attempt. The door bit the unfortunate man's forearm, who let out a cry like a wounded beast, before quickly and humiliatingly pulling the limb back, allowing Clare to forcefully slam the door shut. Ivory skin on the wrist was stained with crimson after she wiped away the budding blood pooling on the plump lower lip. Marvelous, truly, just when she thought that the evening would end with a couple of cold beers and a fog hugging around the tired, sober mind. Emerald optics focused on the other breathing thing inside the narrow space.

Technically, this circus was his fault. The enraged stampede of intoxicated brutes, which now, like an army of bloodthirsty Spartans, were pounding on the door and shouting insults and threats, originally chased after him, for reasons unknown to her, and probably would not have interested her if, in the process of that pursuit, they had not jumped on the polished, well-preserved hood of her beloved iron pet. As soon as their filthy foot dared to touch her American muscle car, it became personal, as much as her problem as it was his. For two against a legion they were doing more than fine, yet no matter how durable, dexterous, resourceful and blessed with close combat skills they were, the numbers of that gang would swallow them like a wave, so the quick retreat to the backroom of the bar that burned her pride as a hot poker would, was the only option in the given moment. Fiery redhead would rather be torn apart like a rag doll than to cowardly run away.

❝ I would finish you off myself, but you'll need that hands to clean the damn dirt your ' friends ' out there left on my fucking car. ❞ Crimson-haired woman didn't know Billy, but she heard about him. Lack of communication nothing personal, Clare ignored every breathing human around her -- yet, there was something about the temperamental male, something residing in those sapphire orbs that seemed very familiar. Broken and wrapped in barb wire as a result, can sense its own kind. Letting out a long, irritated sigh, Clare crouched down, pulling something hidden in the black boot, before fishing another thing taking cover inside her leather jacker. ❝ If things get nasty, which they will by the looks of it. ❞ A knife was offered to the male, careful to hand it over without any accidental physical contact. ❝ You seem as a guy who doesn't need a manual to know how to use this. ❞ Opening the knife she had kept for herself, redhead drew the black blade from its sheath , which glinted eagerly in the dim moonlight that filtered through the dirty, small window.

#Thank you so much for sending it in! Hope this is ok -- and don't mind the length I was just trying to create a setting!#v1ctimplagued: billy #ft. clare

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neon-prison · 2 years ago

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Core/Formative memory with 👱‍♀️ ?

Thank you so much for the ask! CORE MEME-ORY ASK HERE!

@goldenmedic and @themightiestpotato

So Meredith and Vee met once before for a job that Meredith needed done...very discreetly (and by a relatively unknown merc)

ship name would TOTALLY be Venus in Gemini

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"VVasp, right?" A trail of smoke left the blonde woman's pursed lips as she dragged her eyes down Vee in a flagrant display of indifferent appraisal- like the merc was some cheapware in a dusty market stall. "I've heard of you," she said with a hint of disdain.

Vee didn't squirm, well versed in the game unfolding between them, meeting Meredith's sharp gaze with a sharper grin, "Then you should know I don't usually work for corpos."

That seemed to amuse Meredith, and her mouth, immaculately lined with a brand Vee could never afford, twitched upward, "An idealist? Can't say I've met a merc with that particular...quirk. Does it pay your bills?"

"About as well as your cynicism pays yours." Vee supplied amicably, following Meredith's surprised laugh with a low chuckle of her own.

"Oh I'm quite comfortable," Meredith agreed, tossing her cigarette into the darkness. A gold glint from her suit pocket produced a credit chit, "And I'm willing to bet there's a price that can make you comfortable, too."

Vee leaned back, letting the silence simmer into a low boil, finally tearing her eyes from Meredith's to stare at the chit. "You're gonna need something better than eddies."

Her refusal threw Meredith off, Vee saw it in the subtle tremor of her chin, the way her eyes drew into slits, "Then what?" The script hadn't gone accordingly, and Meredith seemed like a woman who hated when a plan went awry.

Something tugged between them, a thin predatory thread. Vee luxuriated in the tension, watching it unfurl like smoke and sharpen into a knife. At its zenith, Vee teetered on the cliff's edge, tapping her fingers beneath her ear, "Who was it?"

Meredith's jaw clenched, and Vee relaxed, meeting the corpo's threatening scrutiny with a slow, deliberate once-over. The moment dragged, stretching too thin to sustain before it dropped, evaporating in a heartbeat.

A throaty chuckle broke the silence, and Meredith pocketed the chit. "Get it done and I'll tell you."

Vee's grin was wolfish, "Deal."

#cyberpunk 2077 #oc:vee #meredith stout #headcanon that Meredith is Vee in her corpo path #two sharks swimming in different oceans #If meredith wants Vee to sell her ideals then she better be willing to put up a piece of herself in return

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flcwerofevil · 2 years ago

Photo

I ASK PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN THEY CAN GIVE ME.

the sclera visible below the iris; the jarring change of winter daylight; afghan blankets half unspooled; a thousand yard feast, a woman at the end of the table without a fork to be seen; green apples discarded, half-eaten; dog-eared books folded to the center of the page, stained; a smeared portrait with its lips dyed a vicious stain of red; a dulled kitchen knife glinting in the afternoon sun; the mouth of an envelope torn open like a wound

— IRAJ KOBEISSI / flower of ice ﹒ full application ﹒ pinterest

I. TL:DR cw: familicide, death, suicide, cults, mass murder, arson

Trains to become a sword master to reclaim family honor. Doesn’t give a shit.

Kills her family and starts exploring the world to find herself. She is an artist, a clown, a cult member, a bodyguard, security to a ship, etc. She takes on miscellaneous jobs wherever she goes.

Insert a long and growing list of the atrocities Iraj has engaged in for people’s hands in love / curiosity. Notably setting fire to a village for Madame Massacre’s favor, killing Child of Flame’s spared victims, killing people for their blood so she can turn it into paint, becoming a circus clown and terrorizing children (pennywise fr), joining a cult and actively recruiting people, and much more!

Finally, Iraj has a love affair with a woman she refers to as OXEYE DAISY, Iraj attempts to kill a love competitor but fails. Daisy manipulates Iraj into turning herself in. She accepts every charge against her whether it is true or not.

Iraj has a former mentee, CRABGRASS, kill Daisy as she mistakes a letter sent to her jail cell as a plea for death.

Iraj is straight chilling in prison, finding it a little cramped but OK. Is getting a tiny bit antsy.

I. VIBES / INSPIRATIONS

monster clown ( quite literally, but also psychologically )

in another lifetime she is both the discord mod and discord kitten

deeply embroiled in the absurd but not quite understanding it. she is the first half of the ‘myth of sisyphus’ without cause to finish

if she were to create a movie it would be something like ‘the girl in the house across the street from the girl in the window’ or ‘the birds’ 1963

pinocchio - “I have the whole world to see!” / wait damn i didn’t realize a parallel to iraj is this wooden hoe. yonkers scoob.

it’s the not caring to be human while still deeply caring about being called inhuman but not understanding why you care and so you try and mimic those around you while also feeling superior that you’re not engulfed in grief, but also feeling like you’re missing out on something vital, and you attempt to induce it artificially but it leaves you feeling unsatisfied because it’s not real and therefore you don’t actually experience the full emotion, but not knowing how else to go about it and so you continue doing what you’re doing and hoping one day it will produce the results you want, but this is just creating a cycle of emptiness and widening the chasm without a real need to do so

iraj is the immortal snail meme

IV. PLOTS / WANTED CONNECTIONS.

Every unhinged woman needs a logical partner. This type of affection isn’t romantic and I like to think it’s the kind of feeling childhood friends have for each other even when their interests begin to diverge. They’re an unlikely pair and that’s what makes everything fit. It leaves you saying “huh. When/how the hell did this happen?”

I just think it’d be fun if she and someone else were friends and bonded over being Evil together. Imagine Hikaru and Kaoru kind of playful mischievousness but obviously much worse because they’re all bad people lol. maybe your character is manipulating mine and while Iraj might have an inkling as to what’s happening she doesn’t give a shit. As long as it’s kinda fun!

Someone Iraj feels compelled to save without the desire to have something paid in return. She can’t explain the feeling, and it quite honestly makes her feel uncomfortable. I’d love to hash this out with someone while we gnaw on each other’s bones.

I don’t know if we’re allowed to have cellmates in prison, but damn I think it’d be fun if they could. Maybe they were cell mates at the beginning of their sentences but shit happened and now they’re separated. Were they friends, enemies, gossips — did they try to carve a hole in the wall with a spoon together? Who knows!

You saw her at her silliest. (Clown Era)

You saw her at her most Depressed ™ (Cult Era)

Iraj was your sidekick for a while. She helped you do whatever it is that you did but parted ways eventually. I would like for this to be a mutual / didn’t-leave-on-bad-terms connection but I’d be fine with them being enemies as well. I think her sidekick era came right before her clown era, so imagine one day Iraj wakes you up like “Hey, uh, I’m leaving tonight. You remember HEMP and how they said I wouldn’t be a good clown? I’m about to prove them wrong. I’ll catch ‘ya later, ok? We’ll reconnect when life gets less busy. Wish you all the best love!”

Straight up, I don’t know why anyone would willingly be her muse but I think it’d be really funny for either A.) you really wanted to be her muse and thought her art was cool even if it was weird or B.) jk I don’t have another idea, but I could come up with more on demand like trained monkey.

Iraj thought [LOCATION] was a place to confess your sins. You listened but not because you wanted to. You two never saw each other, and politeness maybe kept you there while she poured her “heart out.” Now you have the secret code to her journals and to every weird thought she’s ever had. I think she would try and talk to you during this confessional as well, even if that’s not how it’s supposed to go. Regardless if you answered though, she would have continued.

Iraj accepted every charge she was accused of. What if she pleaded guilty to one of your character’s actual crimes?

gif credit

#introduction.

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gawdforthelovers · 4 months ago

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suicide

i don't know tumblr's guidelines, if there are any. but i thought i'd write a little and see how it goes.

thinking about the line "i've been stabbing myself with the handle of a knife and i wonder why i'm not dead yet" or something along that track.

i feel apologetic about how much i want to die. i hold a knife against my throat but i never push. i just wait for myself to fall on top of it.

the thing is, i don't hate living. i roll down my window when my mom drives fast on the highway and i see the trees i never get to see in the city and i feel calmer. i feel nicer. and i understand and appreciate the depth in which i've been created.

and i can appreciate all of that because i would be a fool not to. i understand that the way my atoms align is a pattern that predates thought, objective. this matter has seen many "firsts" many "primaries" and "primates" and still marches the way it does. it collects itself into a stream of consciousness so that i may look up at the sky and recognize when the moon is in view. some of my atoms might even be from the moon's dust, re-materialized into an unfit teen.

my brother told me that all my music is depressing when i thought i was playing a happy song. the deeper meaning i'm assigning to this is that i'm not as happy as i think i am. i'm not as inclined to death as i once was, by any means, but i still lick my lips at the glint of a blade. i imagine a thoughtless, painless moment and i breathe deep.

i hate smoking cigarettes. they make me think too much and turn me nauseous.

i'm very bad at staying on topic. it all strings together in my brain. that's in part something beautiful and something that makes me want to die.

the truth is that the only reason i'm still alive is so that i can swim and run and sleep and write things down. that's all i've ever wanted.

the truth is that the only reason i want to die is because my life has been throttled and constrained so that these pleasures are limited. they keep them from me and let me do these things for 30% of the year and try to make me celebrate when i'm allowed like a gift. (do you know this meme? mcdonald-rib.)

in truth, i don't dream for work. my wish is to be a farmer for myself and myself only. i want a lake i can swim in next to my house and long long lands i can run through with food i can eat until the end of time and animals i can love. i want a small living room and a bedroom the size of an entire floor of my house and a kitchen big enough for at least three people. i want to chop vegetables and eat meat sparingly and make my own clothes. i want to own a truck for emergencies like when i need baking soda or cables or something ungrowable and when i need to escape from my haven. i want to take testosterone and grow muscle through survival and cut my chest smooth.

just today i was thinking that i might not survive to the point where i can afford top surgery on my own. but i don't know if i can ask my mom for her insurance. i don't know insurance. that's part of the death bit, i think.

again, i'm off topic.

i've always wished for things i don't have. that's part of the death bit, too. this life i want is a life i don't have. i want to be able to be happy with what i have.

oh, this incessant string of fucking nothingness i've just written out is another reason on my list.

i don't know if i'd write a note. my blog should suffice, no? and if not that, my journal. and if not that, my twitter. and if not that, my tiktok, and if not that if not that if not that if not that if not that

what else do you want.

#feeling ennui #chomp original

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gcldfanged · 2 years ago

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' if you die , i’ll kill you ! ' ( from emma/gun turk ... did i deep dive ur blog just to find a sendable meme .... maybe. )

[SORRY, I really need to make a tag page so that’s easier for new followers! Now to find a page theme I actually LIKE... Or maybe I’ll just make a carrd?]

@expgain

They’re surprised by the sudden vehemence in Gun’s voice, normally the lady Turk was calm and cool- ever the image of a composed and remorseless fellow agent. To think that some sense of camaraderie had blossomed beyond the usual pack dynamic was... interesting, to say the least. Whip had always assumed the closest emotion Gun felt towards them was scorn or annoyance.

So, of course, they had to be entirely obnoxious about it.

“Is that a promise?” they ask, closing the distance between them until there’s only centimeters between them- Jae’s smirking, playful visage nearly nose to nose with Emma’s stern mask of authority.

“To be marked by our best sharpshooter... I’m honored.”

Their index finger trails down the barrel pointed beneath his chin, down to encircle the blonde’s wrist and grip onto her forearm, bringing the service pistol even closer to their face. Pressing their lips to the silencer attached, Jae grins and knife’s edge of a smile, gold fangs glinting in the low lamplight.

#expgain #Jae: shoot me in the face? HOT!#what do I even tag this as #◈ FIVE FINGERS TWO BLACK HOOVES [IC]#gunplay cw #I'm SORRY he's like this

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pensoluv · 3 years ago

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SAGAO Work 27.0

Long prequel + masterlist of following parts.

The following divergent parts are based on your chosen personality. Choose your route, Traveler. Follow your heart as Fate has decreed. Categories, i.e. fluff/angst/crack, shall be determined by your path choices.

Idea and Ask from @emilemovhi! I’ll find that ask and link it here!

Routes (Masterlist)

Posted Routes:

⁃ mildly angry, intimidating reader who doesn’t care anymore (first finished, posted @27.3)

⁃ you’re innocently unaware & in the centre of chaos (second finished, posted @27.1)

Planned Routes:

⁃ “aww yisss” reader who goes brr, weirdly happy? (unfinished 27.2)

⁃ angry but has ‘smol Kirby with a knife energy’ (unfinished 27.4)

⁃ mommy/daddy/parental figure -energied forgiving reader, like if Jesus went ara ara (unfinished 27.5)

⁃ “come on papi slay meh😩💅🏻✨🧚” kinky meme-lord crack reader (unfinished 27.6)

Prequel (27.0)

You’ve been more than accustomed to your identity and home in Teyvat.

So you’re surprised as well when they had slashed your arm and revealed golden spilt blood.

You see, you’ve never been hurt past the skin before. By sheer luck and circumstance, you’ve only bruised at most, so there was no hint of your camouflaged divinity.

After all, Teyvat is wise and works to its laws to protect their glorious Creator - you. A gust of wind, secret boosters to your defence stat. As fleetingly as a mere glint of the armour, yet as protective as guardian angels. As prominent as a parental figure, yet as undetected as rubble in neglected ruins.

It has been personally preventing you from knowing of such sacred knowledge. It could thwart assassinations, lest there be renegades daring to either slay or pass themselves as its Maker.

You had no way of knowing; since both you and your environment has reassured that you’re just born with natural luck, in the same way that the ‘Creator’ has ‘bad luck.’ Luck works in mysterious ways, as seen in one particularly-familiar pyro allogene.

Every time you’re betrayed and hurt, Teyvat wipes the populaces then rejuvenates you by sacrificing your memories. Like alchemy, it must pay its dues in return for its wishes. In your case, you are both the protected and the protectee, with your life being the sustainer of Teyvat and the reverse.

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tgarnsl · 2 years ago

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heather, tense, gentle for the wip meme 👀?

Congrats on finding the words most associated with kissing (no, seriously.) Heather appears in a little fragment set as background for a yet-unfinished story of mine for Flight of the Heron (below the cut):

Time seemed to slow as they lay amongst the heather, limbs tangled, bodies pressed close together, seeking out what ignorance and geography had denied to them these long three years. It felt like a dream to Keith, to have Ewen lie so beneath him, holding him tight, his kiss fierce and gentle by turn, but he knew it could not be a fantasy, for in all his dreams of kissing Ewen the heather did not prickle so. He drew back, looking down at Ewen with a fountain of joy bubbling up in his heart, his body aching for so much more than kissing.

Tense appears only twice, and both times are snippets I think I've shared before. Tight (used in a similar sense) does appear several more times. Here's one from my Stolen FotH AU:

“Will you allow me to see you?” asked Ewen, touching Keith's chest through the opening of his shirt, and Keith’s throat tightened. He felt as if he stood on a knife’s edge, afraid of rejection at the last, yet clinging desperately to the faint glimmer hope that he might be seen for all that he was and still be chosen.

For gentle I decided to cheat a little and allowed myself the word 'gentleman', so as to not subject you, my poor audience, to yet more kissing (and adjacent activities):

“Major Windham!” came the sharp voice of the man Keith least wish to clap eyes on at this very moment. “I’ll thank ye kindly tae remember that this’s a military camp an’ no a geggie. Ye’ll step awa frae yon rebel prisoner there afore I tak ye tae be in colleague wi’ him!”

Keith scowled. “This rebel prisoner is a gentleman, sir, and cannot be treated—”

“Yon prisoner’s a rebel,” cut in Guthrie, his eyes narrow and cold, glinting like chips of blue ice in his pale, hollow-cheeked face. “A gentleman ance he micht ‘a’ bin, but a gentleman he is nae mair. Laird o Ardroy, he calls himsel? Laird o ess an’ muck’s all he’s nou.”

(geggie — travelling theatre; ess — ash)

#my writing #the flight of the heron #wip meme

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alecctoccarrow · 1 year ago

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🙍‍♀️

🙍‍♀️ a letter about someone else

Regulus,

Are we absolutely sure I can't hex your bone-brained, disgraced brother into oblivion? I imagine he's important to you, but I am this close to charming my tarot cards to have a razor's edge to it so the next time I throw them at his thick head, some actual damage will be done. The git deserves it.

We could even pass it off as part of the grand plan everyone's been talking about. I mean, it's not like he doesn't have it coming and I for one will certain focus better if he isn't strutting around like a peacock, turning himself into an absolute menace. Besides, it seems kinder than blasting him off the tapestry.

I am also not above setting his robes on fire.

Alecto

@thelionshrt, mentioned @thcfallenstar

#ask meme #ask meme sundays #knife glint - ask meme #with: regulus black #featured: sirius black

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starshine583 · 4 years ago

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New Girl on the Block (7)

(I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! Feel free to check out the mini series connected to this fic called Journal Entries. I will warn whoever reads it that I’m not sure how long I’m going to keep it up, though.)

Ch.1 / Ch.6 / Ch.8

Chapter 7: That Happy Glow

“This is gonna be so much fun, Tikki!” Marinette exclaimed as she slid on her light pink flats. “I can’t wait to get to the aquarium!”

“Don’t forget your purse!” Tikki reminded, zipping around her chosen’s head. “I want to see some of the fish too!”

Marinette laughed and reached for her coat. The weather had been reported to drop over the weekend, and she didn’t want to take any chances. “Of course! I’ll make sure to pack some cookies for you too.”

When Felix told her last Monday that Adrien came to Rosemary looking for her, She’d been understandably distraught. Dupont had been given strict instructions to keep her new school’s name a secret, yet her old classmates were still coming to talk to her. It left many questions that needed to be answered. For example, how did they find out? Did Bustier tell them? Felix had mentioned that a girl was the one to give Adrien the information, though that hardly narrowed down the suspect list. Was Adrien the only one who knew? If not, were her other classmates going to try to come for her too? She’d asked her mother about it as soon as she got home, and as expected, Sabine flew into a rage.

“I send my daughter to a new school to get her away from her old classmates, and what do they do? They follow her there!” She’d fumed. “Unbelievable.”

Once Marinette talked her down from calling the police to file for harassment, they called the school, and Mme Bustier insisted that they’d been tight lipped about Marinette’s new school, but Marinette didn't buy it. Who else could have told Adrien? No one knew about her attending Rosemary, not unless Nathalie managed to find the information, and that was highly unlikely.

Although the situation was a mix of frustrating and worrisome, Marinette took comfort in the fact that Adrien seemed to believe she wasn't actually attending Rosemary. At the very least, he hadn’t stopped by again- as far as she knew -and hadn’t visited the bakery again either.

A small sigh passed her lips at the thought of how close she'd come to exposing herself as a Rosemary student. Thank goodness Felix had been out there to greet Adrien instead. His quick thinking had really saved her, and he even offered to give her a ride home afterwards. (For the second time) She never intended on asking Felix for help with things like this- mostly because she didn't want to bother him -but it was good to know she could depend on him when she needed to. Not only did he help her with Adrien, she also noticed him trying to keep others around her during the day after everything blew over. Allegra would order lunch with her more. Claude would join her to go to the lockers more. Allan would walk her to classes that they didn't have together. Things like that. Felix even offered to accompany her himself on a few occasions. It was a sweet gesture, and although the extra attention wasn’t necessary, it was greatly appreciated. Maybe she should make him a little thank you gift. What sort of things does he like again? Books and chess.. and silence.. how could she make a gift out of that?

Either way, Marinette couldn't thank him enough for his kindness, and now that six days of blessed silence has passed, the nervousness from the Adrien encounter was replaced with giddy enthusiasm for the aquarium. She buzzed around her bedroom to finish getting ready, putting on her scarf and earmuffs as quickly as she could. Allegra was supposed to come pick her up, but they were all going to meet up and walk into Aquarium de Paris together. She didn’t want to hold anyone up.

Marinette wrapped her purse around her shoulder, finally finishing her outfit, and bounced over to the trapdoor to go downstairs. Allegra should be arriving in about five minutes. That gave her just enough time to snag a few cookies for Tikki, a croissant for herself (and maybe Claude), and say goodbye to her parents.

“Goodmorning, sweetheart!” Sabine greeted warmly.

“Morning, Maman!” Marinette smiled, briefly pausing to let her mother kiss her on the forehead.

“Did you have a good sleep?” Tom asked, holding out an arm to her.

Marinette let out a nervous chuckle as she gave him a side hug. “Yes and no. I was kind of too excited to sleep.”

“You and me both.”

Marinette turned to one of the small tables in the bakery to see Allegra sitting with a smile and a cup of coffee. She was bundled up too, which told Marinette that she was probably right to put on her winter clothes.

“You’re already here?” Marinette asked, panic briefly seizing her chest. She looked around for the time. “How long have you been waiting? Am I late again?”

Allegra chuckled and stood up to pull Marinette into a hug. “Not at all! I just happened to get here a few minutes early, and your parents offered me a coffee while we waited for you to come down.”

Marinette relaxed a bit and hugged Allegra back. “You could have come upstairs to get me.”

“I didn’t want to rush you.” Allegra shrugged. “Besides, your parents are fun to talk with!”

Tom and Sabine both smiled and straightened with pride, causing Marinette to giggle.

“Here,” Tom said, taking a brown, paper bag out from under the counter. “We packed some breakfast for you.”

“And made sure to put plenty of croissants in for Claude and the others.” Sabine added with a smile.

Marinette took the bag with a sincere “thanks”. That saved her time on sneaking around for snacks.

“Oh, Claude is going to love those.” Allegra smirked, touching the bag to feel how warm it was.

Marinette giggled and nodded in agreement. It’s been almost three weeks since she started at Rosemary, and Claude still asks for croissants every lunch period. “Are we ready to go?”

“Yep! My driver’s waiting out front for us.” Allegra replied, tilting her head in the direction of the door.

“Have fun, you guys!” Sabine cooed.

“Make sure to take plenty of pictures with the fish!” Tom added with a wave.

“We definitely will.” Allegra beamed, looping her arm with Marinette’s.

With a final wave, they stepped outside together, and Marinette sharply inhaled as the chill of the air immediately gnawed at her features. She knew it was going to be cold, but she didn’t think it would be this cold.

I hope Felix didn’t decide to get there early today. Marinette thought to herself as they scrambled into the backseat of the car.

“So are you excited?” She asked Allegra while buckling in. Claude had been bouncing around the school walls all week for this trip, but Allegra hadn’t said much about it. Neither had Allan. Of course, they didn’t have to be excited. Marinette was just curious as to whether they were or why they weren’t.

“Absolutely!” Allegra grinned, bringing a smile to Marinette’s lips as well. Guess people show their excitement in different ways.

“Probably not as excited as Claude, though.” The blonde continued, a humorous expression crossing her features. “How many fish did he text on the group chat again?”

Marinette squinted slightly as she thought about it. “I think.. Twenty seven? Maybe twenty eight.”

“Twenty eight sounds about right.” Allegra said with a nod. “I swear Allan was this close to blocking him.”

Marinette laughed. “That knife meme was hilarious! I still can’t believe that Felix was the one who sent it. I was starting to think he didn’t read the group chat.”

“Yeah, he surprises us every now and then.” Allegra mused, a fond smile coming to her lips. “Like this aquarium trip. I don’t think he’s ever once agreed to go somewhere with us after the first invite.”

Marinette shrugged and settled into her seat as the driver pulled out onto the road. “Well, he did say that you were going to force him either way.”

Allegra’s smile turned devilish. “And he’s absolutely right. If he had said no to coming, I would have dragged him there myself, but that’s never stopped him before.”

Marinette tilted her head in a nod. That was certainly true.

“Maybe he just likes aquariums?”

Allegra hummed, a mischievous glint in her sky blue eyes as she said, “Or maybe he likes someone who’s going to the aquarium.”

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. Like as in like like? Like a crush? Felix didn’t seem like the type to have a crush on someone, though after hearing him talk about the lovers in his classical playlist, she supposed it was a possibility.

“Is there someone else you guys know that might be there?”

A short laugh burst from Allegra’s lips, almost like Marinette had missed the point of something, and she shook her head. “No, nevermind. Forget I said anything. Let’s just enjoy our agreeable Felix while we have him.”

Marinette nodded, though her thoughts still lingered on the comment. Felix developing romantic feelings for someone sounded like such a foreign concept to her. Not that he was unlovable, or anything. He was just.. too logical. He didn’t dote on feelings. The only circumstance where she can clearly see him acquiring a spouse would be an arranged marriage. He’d probably be the one to plan it, too, seeing it as the most beneficial choice between both families. What type of wife would he pick, anyway? She’d probably be beautiful and quiet, right? Not to mention smart. Felix wouldn’t be able to stand someone ‘incompetent’. Maybe she’d be a bit of a perfectionist like him?

A soft hum passed her lips. It was definitely a thought.

~~~~~~

Felix grit his teeth as the biting chill of the morning seeped into his clothing. It was times like this that he wished those jokes about the incredible inaccuracy of weathermen were true. He hasn’t even been outside for ten minutes, and his fingers were already numb. If Felix had known that his coat and gloves would be this ineffective, he would have taken the second coat that his mother tried to insist he wear earlier.

A shiver ran up his spine as a particularly cold burst of wind whipped past him, and he pulled his coat tighter around his waist. What time was it? Were the girls going to be arriving soon?

He flicked his wrist upwards to catch sight of his watch. Allegra said that they would be meeting at Aquarium de Paris at 10am. Being 9:58am., they should be arriving any minute, but that didn’t stop him from heaving a deep sigh towards the wait. Note to self: Don’t arrive early to activities that take place outside during the winter.

A nudge to the arm brought Felix’s attention to Claude. He’d also arrived early- probably out of sheer excitement. He’s been blabbering about this trip all week -but the cold didn’t appear to affect him nearly as much.

“Are you nervous?” The brunette asked, causing Felix to shoot him a flat look.

“Why on earth would I be nervous?”

“Oh, no reason..” Claude said, his tone light and teasing. “I just know that Marinette’s going to be here.”

Felix rose a brow. “And?”

Claude smiled knowingly, but Felix couldn’t imagine what the brunette thought he knew this time.

“You two have gotten pretty close lately.”

“In what way?” There was the physical way or the mental way. Granted, both ways were incorrect, but it was an important distinction.

“Well, you talk to each other all the time.” Claude answered, as though that should be some monumental fact.

Ah. So it’s the mental way.

“That’s usually what happens when two people are in the same friend group.” Felix responded. “They talk.”

“Yeah, but what about the library?” Claude argued. Why did he feel the need to argue? “You two were practically touching noses, and no one else was there besides me.”

Felix furrowed his eyebrows. “Yesterday? When we were sharing headphones?”

Claude nodded, a Cheshire grin crossing his features. Why did he look triumphant? No one had won anything. “Yep. That’s the one I’m talking about.”

“Do you share headphones differently?”

“Well, no..” Claude half-shrugged. “But you guys are still pretty close, don’t you think?”

Felix paused. The label of being close to Marinette wasn’t a bad one, save for the fact that it was completely untrue. In light of a physical closeness, the only moments that they were close would be times when Marinette fell on top of him or yesterday, when they shared headphones in the library, and the latter scenario is being taken entirely out of context. They don’t walk around holding hands or hugging or sitting shoulder to shoulder next to each other, and in all honesty, Felix wouldn’t want to. He doesn’t enjoy constantly touching people. And as for the mental closeness, Marinette hasn’t told him anything that she hasn’t told anyone else. Felix knows a lot about her, yes, but almost everything he knows has been found out secretly, through silent observations. He would hardly call that “close”.

“No, I don’t think so,” he finally answered, “but I’m still confused as to why that would make me nervous.”

Claude pursed his lips, studying him for a moment, then sighed and crossed his arms. “Oh, nevermind. Either you’re in denial or you’ll figure it out eventually.”

A hint of frustration started to stir in Felix’s mind. Figure out what?

Before he could ask anything else, another voice cut into their conversation.

“Oh, there you guys are!”

It was Allan, and when Felix looked up, he noticed that Marinette and Allegra were accompanying him as well. Wonderful. He’d somewhat forgotten about the cold during Claude’s maniac ramblings, but now that his focus had shifted, the weather was hitting him full force again. He needed to escape inside before his feet were frozen to the sidewalk.

Claude perked up and waved to the three as he ran over to them. “Hey guys! What took you so long?”

Felix hobbled over to them as well, catching sight of Marinette’s sheepish smile as she said, “Sorry, Claude. We got here as fast as we could.”

Claude, of course, waved off the apology. “Nah, I’m just kidding. We weren’t waiting that long.”

The brunette scooped Marinette into a hug, coaxing out a laugh from her. She was so bundled up with coats and scarfs and gloves that Claude had to squish her between his arms to hold her, and it vaguely reminded Felix of a marshmallow.

In weather like this, though, being a marshmallow didn’t sound half bad.

Claude blew out a contented sigh as he nuzzled his face into Marinette’s shoulder. “Man, Mari, you’re so warm! I need to start using you as my personal heater.”

Marinette chuckled and pulled back just enough to hold up a brown, paper bag. “Thanks, but I think it’s just the food Maman sent with me.”

A gasp flew from Claude, and he immediately set her back on the ground. “Food, you say? As in, croissants food??”

“Yes, Claude.” Marinette giggled. “Croissants food. Maman packed a few extras especially for you.”

Claude literally let out a girlish squeal and made “grabby hands” for the bag. Marinette gladly obliged, letting him dig through it for his favorites.

“Your mom is the absolute best.” Claude said, his voice muffled from the chocolate croissant he bit into. “Please adopt me.”

The group shared a small laugh, but Felix rolled his eyes. Claude was always overdramatic.

“You better not let Aunt Felicity hear you say that.” Allegra spoke up. She was also bundled to the max- though her coat was light purple -and looked about ten times warmer than Felix felt. “Remember the last time you asked Allan to adopt you?”

Claude scoffed. “That was different! This time I want to be adopted because of Mme Sabine’s cooking, not because of how many games Marinette has.”

“Oh, yeah.” Allan snorted. “That’s completely different.”

“Hey, mom will understand.” Claude insisted, placing his hands on his hips. “She knows she can’t cook anything to save her life. That’s why we have a personal chef.”

“Wait, are you two cousins?” Marinette cut in, confusion flicking across her features.

A slight frown came to Allegra’s lips. “No, why do you ask?”

“You called his mom ‘Aunt Felicity’.”

“Oh!” The blonde’s face lit up with understanding. “Yeah, we do that. Claude’s parents are Aunt Felicity and Uncle Albert, and Allan’s parents are Aunt Meridith and Uncle Theodore.”

Allan nodded in agreement. “I think it started back in middle school when Claude accidentally called M. Chanson ‘Uncle Arthur’ while taking some snacks.”

Allegra snorted. “Oh, yeah, that was definitely the start of it. Dad wouldn’t stop talking about it for days. He thought it was the best.”

Claude sighed, running a hand through his hair with a bashful smile. “That was totally embarrassing, but at least he liked it.”

“Can we all go inside?” Felix interjected. Talking about how they address the adults is nice and all, but his arms and legs have been burning from the cold for the last five minutes. Can’t they continue this conversation when they’re not standing in below-thirty-degree weather?

Claude laughed, throwing Felix a teasing smirk. “Aw, poor Fe. Are you cold?”

Felix scowled at his babying tone. “Of course I’m cold! Frost is slowly growing on our hoods as we speak!”

“Well, I’m not cold.” The brunette replied, swinging his arm around Marinette’s shoulder. “Because I’ve had some of Marinette’s delicious croissants to keep me warm.”

Felix scoffed and tugged his coat tighter around himself. Eating warm croissants certainly didn’t help him.

“They are pretty warm.” Allan said next to him. “You should try one.”

“He doesn’t have to.” Marinette, being the kind person she is, hastily jumped in. “We were planning on going inside, anyway, right?”

“Yeah, but I think Felix needs to taste one.” Allegra remarked. “It’s simply shameful of him to refuse them for this long, in my opinion.”

“I don’t like sweets.” Felix pointed out in annoyance. Just start moving towards the aquarium.

“Well..” Marinette faltered. “Maman did pack a regular croissant and a cheesy croissant..”

He held back a sigh. Though her intentions surely weren’t foul, his only ally had officially condemned him. It’s not that he cared to try one of Marinette’s croissants. After eating supper with Marinette’s parents last week, he had no doubt that anything they made was delicious. No, the problem came with the fact that he was being pushed to eat them. (The group wasn’t quite pushing yet, but he’d learned to pinpoint the signs of oncoming pressure.) If Felix says no, despite how unreasonable it might be, he expects that answers to be respected. The same way he would respect anyone else who told him no about something.

“See, there you go!” Claude smiled. “A nice, warm, non-sweet croissant to make you forget about the January weather.”

“I’d forget it just as easily if we walked inside.” Felix bit back.

“Oh, come on, Felix.” Allegra scolded. “Live a little! You don’t have to eat the whole thing, just one bite!”

“Guys, he really doesn’t have to eat it.” Marinette spoke up again. Felix silently thanked her for her efforts, but her previous comment made any resistance futile now.

“Oh, he’s eating it.” Claude stated. “He needs to know the pure bliss that is Mme Sabine’s croissants.”

“Plus, we’re not going inside until he tries it.” Allegra added.

Allan snorted. “Felix.. I think they want you to try the croissant.”

Felix’s eyes narrowed to a glare. “I’ll walk inside without you.”

“No, you won’t.” Allegra shot back. “You know why you won’t? Because you actually don’t mind trying the croissants. You’re just upset that we told you to try them.”

Felix was thankful for his pockets, because it hid the way his hands clenched into his fists. He absolutely hated when Allegra saw through his intentions. It made him feel transparent, vulnerable. Not to mention embarrassed. Was he that horrible at hiding his emotions or could he simply not match her level of observation? It was probably the former and that ticked him off the most.

“Just give me the dang croissant.” He finally bit off, jutting his hand out to Marinette. If he stared solely at her, he wouldn’t have to see Claude or Allegra’s victorious, blood-boiling grins.

Marinette flinched at the sudden movement and knitted her eyebrows, concerned. “A-Are you sure-”

“Positive.” Felix ground out, hoping she didn’t take it personally. Just give me the food so we can get this over with.

Although wary, Marinette handed over one of the croissants. The specks of yellow around the edges told him it was the cheese-flavored one.

With a deep breath to regain some composure, Felix took a bite of the breaded treat, and..

And it was incredible.

The croissant was piping hot, immediately stealing away the bitter coldness of the air as Claude had claimed. The cheese inside was stringy and practically melted in his mouth, and the softness of the bread allowed you to enjoy every bit of the doughy taste.

It took everything Felix had to keep a neutral expression. If they saw how much he enjoyed the food, they would never let him live it down. He’d be trying everything else under the sun merely because the trio was right one time.

“Well?” Allegra pressed. “How does it taste?”

“.. They are delicious.” He admitted, if only for Marinette’s sake. Downplaying Mme Sabine’s baking skills would only allow him to keep a small bit of his useless pride. He might as well be honest.

A smile slipped onto Marinette’s lips, but Claude’s triumphant laugh took away any satisfaction Felix might have gotten from it.

“I knew you would like them!” The brunette cheered. “Anyway, let’s go inside. It’s freezing out here!”

Felix scoffed, throwing a sharp glare at Claude. If it weren’t for how good this croissant was, he would have thrown it at him.

“Yeah, I think they’re open now.” Allan agreed as he checked his watch.

Curious, Felix checked his watch too. 10:10am.

“Oh! Race you guys there!” Claude abruptly announced, before breaking into a sprint.

Allan chuckled and humored the brunette by going into a jog, and Allegra picked up the pace as well. Felix, however, elected to keep walking as he munched on the croissant. The heat radiating off of it was enough to stall the looming chill around him anyway.

“So..” Marinette began, drawing Felix’s gaze down to her. She’d apparently decided to walk with him instead of running after Claude.

For some reason, that gave Felix a sense of accomplishment.

“Did you really like the croissants?” She asked, her hands fidgeting with the paper bag.

Felix nodded, taking another bite of the croissant as ‘proof’. “Claude wasn’t joking when he said that she made them fluffier than the clouds. I’ll have to buy them for Mother sometime.”

A small smile graced her lips. “I’m glad you like them.”

Felix offered a small smile in return. “Yes, me too.”

After Agreste’s visit earlier in the week, Marinette had been rather stressed. He noticed her looking over her shoulder often, checking windows before exiting buildings, spacing out during classes.. It was obvious that the encounter had unnerved her.

He tried to ease her mind by rallying the trio to help. They recognized her sudden anxiety as well, and although Felix couldn’t tell them the exact reason, he hinted at it possibly being the usual nervousness of their first round of tests that was coming up. This caused them to swarm Marinette for study dates and extra lunches, asking questions about different subjects while they walked her to her locker or to her classes. When this strategy failed- which wasn’t often -Felix would also offer to accompany her.

If she suspected his involvement in the extra attention, she didn’t show it, but she did relax after a few days of the special treatment. Felix took that as a success.

Marinette and Felix caught up with the rest of the group a few seconds later, and they all entered the aquarium together. Another shiver ran over Felix as they walked inside, the warmth of the building washing over him. He would have smiled with relief had it not been for the amount of people pushing against them. Despite the aquarium opening a little less than twenty minutes ago, people of all ages were already piling inside. Adults, teenagers, kids.. Felix supposed this was the price they paid for visiting on a Sunday.

“Everyone stay together!” Allegra instructed over the noise. She grabbed onto Felix’s wrist and Allan’s hand for emphasis. “We don’t want to get separated before we even pay for our tickets.”

Although it irked him for Allegra to be latching onto his wrist, Felix didn’t argue. Past experiences with the trio have made him well aware of how easy it was to get separated in a rushing crowd like this.

They weaved through the giddy schoolgirls and the tired parents until they found a steady line for the ticket both. There, they talked about which attractions to see first and which ones to save for later.

“I think we should just walk through.” Claude said, unsurprisingly. He was never one for order. “It’ll be easier if we just go.”

“But if we don’t have a plan, we’ll never get through it all.” Allegra pointed out. “It doesn’t have to be strict. We just need a vague goal to work towards.”

“We could start with the jellyfish?” Marinette suggested. “Those are always cool.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Allan agreed. “Then we could start working our way around to the shark tank. I say we save it for last since it’s the main reason we came.”

Claude let out a small whine. “Aw, what? Why would we wait till the end to see it if it’s the reason we came?”

“Come on, Claude, you know how the saying goes.” Allegra commented, flicking Claude on the shoulder. “Save the best for last.”

Claude grabbed his shoulder, even though the flick hardly hurt. “I never understood that expression.”

Allegra rolled her eyes with a smile and turned back to the group. “Are we all in agreement then? Start with the jellyfish and move to the sharks?”

“Works for me.” Allan shrugged.

“I don’t have a preference.” Felix stated, not that his opinion would matter much to anyone but Marinette.

With a (somewhat) solid plan, the group purchased their tickets and merged with the flow of the people to get to the main part of the aquarium. The first item on the list, aside from seeing Jellyfish, was to find lockers or another place to put their winter coats and gloves. Felix didn’t fancy the cold, but melting in a packed building also wasn’t preferable.

Allegra still held onto his wrist as they searched, but that didn’t stop the people around them from shoving and prodding to get through first. Felix jostled about, a scowl quickly forming on his lips after getting hit for the fifth time. How can it be so rowdy during the thirty minutes? Goodness knows what’s going to happen when more people start arriving! Why did he even agree to come here?

A gasp cut through the white noise of the crowd, and Claude called out Marinette’s name as she rushed forward.

She stopped in front of the jellyfish tank they came upon and pressed her gloved hands to the glass, smile bright and eyes sparkling with awe. The jellyfish circled in the water with the current, glowing blue and purple and pink under the aquarium lights.

A laugh of pure delight escaped Marinette, and she glanced over her shoulder at them. “Do you see how many there are? This is so neat!”

The sheer giddiness of her voice caused another smile to crawl onto Felix’s lips. Ah, yes. He remembered why he quickly relented to the aquarium visit. It was the first time Marinette had personally invited him to something, and he didn’t want to upset her if he fought against the activities as he usually did. After all, what thanks would that be to someone who constantly tries to keep him comfortable and respect his boundaries?

“Yeah, they look amazing!” Allegra grinned, tugging Felix and Allan forward to follow the ravenette.

Felix followed with a slight glare. He knew that holding onto each other was for the best, but-

Another person slammed into his shoulder, and Felix full on growled at them as they walked off like nothing happened.

-but perhaps the next time he feels the need to repay Marinette’s kindness, he should simply send a ‘thank you’ letter instead.

Tag List: @artbyknigit @athena452 @nickristus-dreamer @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @arsaem @abrx2002 @neakco @pawsitivelymiraculous @too0bsessedformyowngood @nathleigh @lusicing @officiallydarkgeek @all-mights-asscheeks @tbehartoo @woe-is-me0 @raeuberprinzessin @lazuli-11 @miss-chaos27 @trippingovermyfeet @sadpotatoondrugs @ladybug-182 @jaggedheart11 @marinahrasauce @i-need-blog-ideas @thewheezingbubbledragon @crazylittlemunchkin @unabashedbookworm @moonystars14 @sunflowers-and-mooncakes @2confused-2doanything @magnificentcrapposts @moonnette @nickristus-dreamer @casual-darkness @vixen-uchiha @luxmorningstarr

#felinette #Felix Culpa #Quantic Kids #New Girl on the Block #Rosemary AU #Marinette

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inber · 4 years ago

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First Sentences Meme

A/N: I did used to write, I swear. This meme seemed fun, like a good exercise, and also a memory lane trip. I am going to alternate between AO3 stories and drabbles. Thank you for the tag my beloved @witchertrashbag <3 Disclaimer: I tried to go from newest to oldest, but I had to skip a few because they had 2 word opening lines. * denotes smut - read tags or authors notes if you check the fic out!

List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag your favorite authors!

'Eskel knows that the fawn is going to die.’ (drabble - After The Fight)

‘Jaskier placed his hands upon his hips, narrowing his eyes at his reflection’. (AO3 - I wrote, 'listen'; he spelled it 'silent')

‘The longer Geralt stared at the map of Vermont and the Montreal border, the more his carefully drawn crosses and circles started to blur together, like flecks of arterial red.’ (drabble - Vignette: Beginnings & Bootlegs)

‘Eskel would have said, if asked, that witchers shared the peculiarities of a cat's eyesight, but that was where the similarities ended.’ (AO3 - Splormf*)

‘“Y'just can’t,” Geralt said, reaching for his vodka cup, “can’t let ‘em win, y'know? They wanna win. Those bastards.”’ (drabble - Poke)

‘“I'm going to do it,” Jaskier declared, with an air of authority that he absolutely did not possess.’ (AO3 - ever tried; ever failed*)

‘Never in all his many, many years alive on the Continent had Geralt seen a pout as tremendously pronounced as the one that painted Jaskier’s features, simultaneously pathetic and guilt-inducing at once.’ (drabble - promises woven, worn)

‘“This is excessive, Yennefer,” Geralt said, scowling at his reflection, “I'm going to do a job. I can just go as myself.”’ (AO3 - let's then despise what is not courage my darling)

‘“Your lips, your lips are stained with plum.” Jaskier observed, blinking asymmetrically at Yennefer.’ (drabble - A Celebration)

‘“Have I told you that you look absolutely deadly in that gown, darling?”’ (AO3 - I return, for you’re a fire; untamed*)

‘“Geralt,” Jaskier said, grandly, “I’d like to introduce you to Malice and Mercy.”’ (drabble - Smile Like a Knife)

‘“Plephf,” Jaskier spat out an errant piece of straw from his mouth, “how did we end up with barn duty, anyway?”’ (AO3 - in the secret dark a fresh snow falls)

‘“Yen,” Geralt said, “help.”’ (drabble - Cursed)

‘“I'm so sorry,” Jaskier said, nervously tip-tapping his feet like a hound promised walkies, “Mother says that the other guest rooms aren't in service – something about new furniture, or winter-proofing, I'm not quite sure. She does prattle on. This is all we really have--”’ (AO3 - All that we gave, was it wasted?)

‘A Jaskier kneels, bare feet pointed behind him, hands flat on thighs, posture-perfect; serene in stillness, a mockery of meditation and calm.’ (drabble - Demon-possessed Jaskier)

‘Surrender; how baited the word, how sharp the bear-trap teeth of it glint in patient waiting, the spring-snap straining with potential.’ (AO3 - the last bastion of a weapon, yielding*)

‘“I don’t like you,” Jaskier says, chin raised in defiance, “it’s just that this fabric, well, the tailor offered me a deal, considering I was already paying him to make me some trousers. And it would have been a waste not to take advantage. That is all.”’ (drabble - Frenemies)

‘Eskel remembered curing the pelts to make the long rectangular pillow that he kept propped at the end of his bed.’ (AO3 - the faster i become undone*)

‘“Why in the blazes are you two up so early?” Jaskier gripes, shambling into Kaer Morhen’s kitchen, draped in furs with his feet besocked three pairs deep.’ (drabble - Lil' Bleater)

‘“Jas—Jaskier.” Geralt leaned into his travelling companion. He forgot his own mass, and the other man nearly fell off the edge of the booth they were crammed into.’ (AO3 - i taste a liquor never brewed)

Analysis: I am pleasantly surprised by the small variety! I have a soft spot for geraskier, but my most recent fics seem to feature Yen and Eskel quite a bit, which is excellent. I seem to be more comfortable opening with dialogue. And I like using Jaskier as an icebreaker, apparently. I think I don’t put enough thought into a first line; for me, I like doing one-two punches with the first and second line. But sometimes the ‘hook’ isn’t even on my mind. Something to work on. I also write in both past and present tense! Huh. My fav in this bunch is probably from 'ever tried; ever failed', because it encapsulates Jaskier's dumbass energy.

Bonus Red Dead 2 ficlet snippet I am working on, whilst we are talking about writing: ‘You'd never tell him, though. Lord, you'd sooner die. Imagining the confusion and repulsion on his face when he rejects you is enough to shock you right out of your thoughts with a full-body shudder.

No, you're no Mary Linton. That's why you know you'll deliver the letter when Arthur returns from town. Maybe she's a fool for turning him away, or maybe she was cruel to him in the past, but she's beautiful, and Arthur deserves beauty in his life.’

I tag my frogfully wedded wife, @a-kind-of-merry-war, @spielzeugkaiser (I think your comic/stories are worth a first line look!), @bygodstillam, and @greyduckgreygoose - if you would like/have the energy! No pressure :)

#tag games #fan fiction #witcher fanfiction #first lines #inber #fortune writes

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kamari333 · 4 years ago

Text

Got tagged by @starsgivemehp for this meme!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

I'll go backwards from last update, if thats okay? First paragraph of each first chapter...

mind the tags and be responsible <3

iNVaDeR FeLL: The Nightmare Begins :: The Irken Empire (which had retained its name even after the shift in management brought about by the events of Operation Impending Doom I) was more alive than it had been in years. Signs replayed message after message redirecting convention-goers how and where to attend the Great Assigning in the Main Convention Hall on Conventia, one of the many planets conquered and repurposed for the good of the Empire. The teleporter ring was blazing almost as brightly as it once did before OID1, only this time, it brought to the surface not Irkens, but Monsters; creatures of every shape and size. They came not only from the 'kingdom' that had overtaken Irk (they called themselves 'Fell'), but those from the 'kingdoms' of conquered worlds as well, which had been expeditiously subjugated in a fashion worthy of the Irken Empire.

How Dance Got a Picture of Lust Covered in Kittens :: "there's sammaches in th' fridge," Red mumbled, feeling the lunchbox lid click shut under his claws. "'r if ya want some'n lighter, there's soup in th' freezer. just gotta nuke it..."

Burlesque Noir :: Lust peeked around the curtain to look out at the crowd, as he had done so many times before the last few days. The speakeasy was full and vibrant and alive as it was every night, as swanky a joint as Grillby could make it and still keep it safe. As packed as it was, however, Lust didn't see any sign of his favorite patron.

It Could be Worse :: Life... Could be worse.

An Anthology of Dreams :: Sans was at his desk, as always, analyzing his latest attempt at a synthetic soul compound. His last two-thousand-and-twenty trials had been devastating failures, but even Dr Gaster was intrigued by his steady progress.

The EMV Anthology :: Red had a love-hate relationship with the holiday season.

An Anthology of Nightmares :: Sans stumbled out of his room just in time to escape. He had no idea what was coming, he only knew his years of fighting for his life underground was screaming that he had to move his bony ass if he wanted to live. Just as he crossed the threshold of his bedroom into the hallway, there was a loud crash. When he looked back, his whole room was gone.

A Growing Future :: Red stumbled out of the house, squinting at the glare of sunrise peaking like a glinting knife over the neighbor's rooftops. The air had a crisp chill to it, made all the more shocking by his lack of a shirt, but he knew it would be overly warm in only a few hours, and there was a lot of work to do.

Kinktober 2020 : Kamari333 Edition :: HI FOLKS! Beyond this point you will find 72.5k words of pure, unadulterated, self indulgent, Undertail-themed SIN, ~57.7k of which was prewritten in September, the rest in October, all written and published for Kinktober2020. This year, due to conflicting schedules, the sin was written in September, to be published on time in October. Please note that there may be plenty of typos, although I will/have since gone back and fixed some of them since I'm garbage and read my own stuff, and this year I have been indulging in the use of my lovely betas!

A Night in the Woods :: Red bit back a curse as he once again had to detangle his phalanges from the flimsy tent material. Stupid-ass cheap plastic bullshit, so thin he could breathe on it wrong and watch it disintegrate, but the packaging said it somehow kept out wind and rain, and that was honestly all he could have asked for. That, and perhaps that the piece of shit stop snagging on his claws every five god damn mother fucking seconds, fuck-

Arum :: The room was pitch black, save for a nearly indiscernible ambiance that glowed low and dim like the twilight right before the true darkness of night. The walls and floor of the room oozed with a viscous substance that stank of fermentation and rubber. At the end of the room, upon a throne of black stone, sat a diminutive figure from whence the slime seemed to originate, itself drenched in it to the point of blackness save for the singular glow of one lavender eyelight, shining like poison in the darkness.

Poignance :: Sans Blueberry pulled on his modified gloves, rolling his shoulders to make sure his makeshift pauldrons were cinched tight enough. The scalemail he wore under his chestplate made a soft noise, not quite the clink of chainmail, but not quite the hiss of cloth or leather either. He fingered at the tiny plates over his torso before pulling his bandanna back on around his neck, grateful to Alphys again for donating her sheds, and Undyne for reinforcing them so they wouldn't turn to dust.

Those Feelings at the Bottom of a Bottle :: Ink carefully managed his supply of emotions, keeping his usual level of orange (excitement) and yellow (happiness) as he made his way back through the house. The crowd of people, with their ever-vivid colors and gold-glittered eyes, made it easy to blend in and keep himself inconspicuous to the ever watchful guardian. It was like a game of hide-and-seek: Ink hid, and Dream looked for anything potentially amiss.

A Skeleton Plague Doctor in Lord Dream's Court :: Falsi woke up from a restful sleep on his examination table, shifting under his thick black blanket (one of the few luxuries he was allowed, usually kept hidden away in his bedroom with all the other small luxuries he had managed to keep, like his collection of skulls, his beast fur pelt, his mask, and the tapes and videos of a more personal nature he had collected over the years). He slid down to the floor, thankful once again for the mercy of a windowless apartment, as he folded his blanket and stumbled into the adjacent room: his bedroom.

Bad Day :: Edge was used to getting ominous messages from Red at odd times. It was just the nature of any relationship Red was involved in.

Burlesque (Censored) & (Uncensored) :: Of all the bars Red frequented in Ebott City, this was his favorite.

Happily Ever Laughter :: It was almost midnight. Papyrus had been sitting at Muffet's bar, enjoying his third (or was it fourth? Fifth? Hard to say) glass of Spider Cider, when he got the call. He pulled out his phone, surprised. That was his brother's ringtone. He flipped it open. "heya, bro. wazzup?"

Egg on Arrival :: Slinky could feel it in his bones: the hum of his future, the tremble of his soul. Even if it was still cold as balls outside the nest, his internal clock said it was spring.

I think I'm Paranoid :: Red came back into the livingroom, popcorn in one hand and a six-pack of coke in the other. He lingered, taking in the scene in front of him.

Another Me :: Lust fiddled with the TV remote idly as he mentally went through the available channels in his head. He didn't dare cable surf, not when He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was so prominent, and Pink's relentless job searching made his schedule so erratic that he could show up at any minute. The sight of the blackout curtain over the bookshelf (which served as the house's movie collection's honored display) reminded him of how understanding Papyrus had been of the need for temporary censorship.

...oh my some of these are terrible for catching the readers attention XD (why are all my hooks like 3 paragraphs in gdi).

EDIT: i forgot to tag folks! um... @deku-lily @silverryu25 @bonerpuns @msmkcreates @jellyficsnfucks @jellyfish-swims-through-gold @tkwolf45 @nanenna @dana-chan325 @skerbaderbadoo @keelywolfe ...im terrible with names and can't remember anyone else's handles ;-;

#kamari333thoughts #kamari333fanfiction #invader fell #burlesque *ship #burlesque noir #ebott is a multiverse #it could be worse #thats just the fic name #dr33mtal3 #kinktober mention #is this nsfw?#burlesque *fic #aint this more than lust #aint this a lamia

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karajaynetoday · 4 years ago

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for the prompts, can I get “I’m so in love with her/him, I don’t know what do do.” with luke, pretty please?? tomorrow or next week is fine

Hi Shelbi! Thanks so much for this request, hope you enjoy this lil blurb xo

(and by lil I mean 1.6k words but I got carried away as per usual. anyway, enjoy some soft Luke weekend away in a cabin-based friends to lovers!)

(This is a fem reader insert blurb)

More writing here | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here | if you’d like to be on my taglist go here

This weekend trip away to the lake with your close friend group had been in the works for months. The date had finally arrived, and all week your group chat had been buzzing with notifications from people talking about the fun supplies they’d bought, or screenshots of the excellent weather forecast, or memes about bears (that, to be honest, made you a little nervous).

Luke had offered you a carpool spot in his car, along with Michael and Crystal, which you gladly accepted. Originally the idea of camping in tents had been floated, but you were definitely thankful when instead Crystal found an incredible cabin on Air BnB that had more than enough room for all of you, plus private lake access and heaps of nature trails and other activities nearby.

When you showed up at Luke’s, overnight bag in tow, you suddenly felt super nervous. These were all your best friends that you’d known for years, and it definitely wasn’t your first trip away together as a group, but lately things between you and Luke had been… different, somehow.

He’d always been a great friend to you, making sure you had a ride home after a night out, or buying your favourite snacks whenever he hosted an event at his house, or inviting you on walks with Petunia because he remembered you had a dog similar to her growing up and it helped with your homesickness. But lately, you found yourself thinking of him more often than not. In those moments where you’d slip into a daydream about your future, and envisaged travelling the world, or walking down the aisle, or settling down into a house with little ones of your own one day, the only person you could see by your side in those daydreams was Luke. But then reality would set in, and you’d have to remind yourself that he’d never really shown any interest in you beyond friendship, so you couldn’t get your hopes up too high.

Michael and Crystal were already there when you arrived, so you helped pack the remaining supplies into Luke’s car and got on the road as soon as you could. The lake was about a four hour drive away and you’d agreed to share the driving, so you all rotated through various seats in the car. For the final hour of the journey, sunset had passed and you were driving through darkness as you made your way through the wooded area leading towards the lake. Michael had offered to drive the final shift, and Luke sat next to him in the front passenger seat, leaving you and Crystal in the back. You’d both assured the boys that you’d keep them company, and you wouldn’t dare fall asleep, but the steady rhythm of the car quickly lulled you into sleep.

You couldn’t have been out for more than 20 minutes or so when you silently stirred and blinked furiously to try and wake yourself up more quickly. You were about to make a joke to Luke and Michael about definitely not falling asleep, when your ears picked up on them having a murmured conversation amongst themselves up the front.

“I’m so in love with her, Mike. I don’t know what to do.” Luke sounded exasperated, and you saw him run a hand through his mop of curls – a clear sign he was feeling anxious.

“Mate, I’m telling you, there is a solid 95% chance that the feeling is mutual. I see the way her face lit up when you offered her a lift to the cabin, or when you invite her on walks with Petunia, or when you have her favourite snacks at your house parties. I would bet a solid amount that she’s in the exact same boat as you.” Michael was trying to be patient and kind, but you could tell from his tone that he was a little amused by Luke’s predicament.

You froze when you realised they were talking about you. No. Surely not? Luke… Luke didn’t have feelings for you, did he? He couldn’t be IN LOVE with you? Plain, boring old you? Was this a dream? It has to be a dream. You pinched yourself, hard, and let out a small gasp at the pain before you could realise what you’d done. Luke’s head whipped around to the back seat, and you made eye contact.

“H-hey, sweetheart. How long have you been awake?” He asked, his tone wobbly and unsure.

“Oh, literally just woke up a second ago. Must’ve moved around in my sleep and bumped my elbow too hard, that’s why I gasped. Sorry if I gave you a fright!” You were desperately trying to sound as normal as possible.

Luke’s face visibly relaxed, and you knew you’d sold the lie well enough. Your heart was still pounding over what he said, but in this car right now was not the time to address it. You could see Michael eyeing you curiously in the rear-view mirror, almost like he didn’t believe a word of your elbow bump story, but you just flashed him a smile and focused your gaze out the window, even though you could barely see a thing in the darkness of night.

When you arrived at the cabin, the others in the group had beaten you there, and already started claiming bedrooms and stocking the kitchen, and they’d even used the outdoor grill for dinner which gave the area a delicious aroma. Stepping out of the car, you gave your arms a nice big stretch and took a deep breath in and out. You’d lived in a more rural area growing up, and being near the trees and the water really made you feel more at home.

Before you could protest, Luke was carrying your bag inside as well as his own, and you scurried along to claim a bedroom before they were all gone. You settled for a small bedroom that was more like a nook just off the kitchen, but it had a nice big window that you thought would give wonderful sunrise views of the lake when you woke up the next day, so its size and the single bed didn’t bother you.

After a welcome night cap and a brief discussion of plans for tomorrow (Calum offered to cook breakfast, Ashton was coordinating yoga down on the lake’s shore, Crystal and Sierra had mapped out some easy hikes, and Michael and Luke had organised boat hire and tubing), you all adjourned to your own rooms for some sleep. You’d been tossing and turning for what felt like hours, replaying Luke’s words that you overhead in the car in your head, when you heard someone step into the kitchen and open the fridge. You’d left your bedroom door slightly ajar because it was kind of warm in the cabin, so you were able to crawl up the bed and squint out into the kitchen to see who was on the hunt for a midnight snack. Even without your glasses on, you could tell the blurry, broad-shouldered, white-singlet clad kitchen intruder was Luke from a mile away.

You didn’t want to startle him, but you weren’t sure how many other chances you’d get this weekend to talk to him entirely alone. You pulled a sweater over your head, located your glasses and slowly shuffled over to the doorway.

“Hey, kitchen intruder. What’s on for midnight snack?” Your voice was soft, but Luke still jumped a mile and clutched at his chest, and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you. To be fair, hearing the fridge open metres away from me unexpectedly was a bit of a heart stopper too, pal.” You teased, crossing across the kitchen to lean up against the counter next to where Luke was making a nutella sandwich.

“I guess that makes us even then, sweetheart.” Luke shot you a wink, and you felt your heart leap in your chest.

“Gonna make one for me too, or what?” You said, making grabby hands at Luke’s sandwich.

“Well considering you asked SO nicely…” Luke stuck his tongue out at you, but pulled out more slices of bread onto the cutting board and started making you a sandwich anyway.

You paused for a moment, and took Luke in. Even in the middle of the night, after a long and tiring drive, he still looked so damn good. And he was making you a chocolate-y snack. What a dream. A dream, that if you just took a little leap of faith, could maybe be part of your reality.

“Hey, Luke?” You half-whispered, almost not wanting him to hear you. His head perked up immediately, sparkling blue eyes meeting yours with a curious look.

“Yeah?” He half-whispered back.

“I know what you should do.” You spoke louder and more purposefully this time, the adrenaline taking over as you angled your body towards Luke’s.

“About what?” Luke countered, not moving an inch as you got a little closer.

“About the girl you’re in love with.”

Luke froze, dropping the butter knife covered in nutella onto the kitchen counter with a loud clang. He swallowed audibly, before fixing you with a look that you couldn’t quite read.

“Oh yeah? What should I do, do you reckon?” The mystery stare was gone, and the familiar mischievous glint you loved to see in Luke’s eyes replaced it, as he moved in and closed the gap between you, bringing you chest to chest.

“I think you should tell her. Mike gives good advice, there’s a pretty good chance she feels the same.” You could feel yourself smiling uncontrollably, as you glanced up and realised how close Luke’s face was to yours.

“I guess I’ll take my chances, then.”

Before you could respond, Luke cupped your face with both hands and kissed you, hard. You felt like your skin was on fire, and your heart was about to burst out of your chest, but kissing Luke also felt like coming home and finding everything you’d ever hoped and waited for.

The nutella sandwiches could wait. You had some making up for lost time to do first.

Taglist: If there’s a line through your name, I couldn’t tag you, so please message me to let me know your new URL or what the go is! Tumblr might just being dumb, who knows. @suchalonelysunflower @blackbutterfliescal @redrattlers @loveroflrh @spicycal @notinthesameguey @metalandboybands @cheekysos @ashton-trash @another-lonely-heart @queenalienscherrypie @becihadshawn @allthestarsandthemoon

#luke hemmings blurb #luke hemmings one shot #luke hemmings imagine #my writing #ask #prompt #answered #now i want some nutella lol

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