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ogh-rambles · 24 days ago

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Rewriting Fate - Chapter 4

chapter 3 > chapter 4 (you're here!) > chapter 5(in progress...)

word count! 2k.

warnings! only curses but if u count angst as one... a/n: oh boy we're back with the famed scene (click here for the full scene of the art below!)

A short, comfortable small talk envelops your party as Katsuragi guides you both to the village, an ever-present smile on his face.

“I see… I’m glad you left that place before the landslide hit.” The man hums thoughtfully. “And your friend…”

Katsuragi’s gaze eventually lands on the golden feather that sways from Kuni’s neck, the latter restless under his intense stare.

His dark eyes grow wide at the sight, shocked to see an item of such importance so far from the mainland where Tenshukaku stands. “You... You have the Plume of Luxury. What affiliation do you have with the Shogun…?”

You stiffen at his words, watching as he quickly notices Kuni’s avoidance in question to the topic behind the feather. Kuni nervously clutches the golden ornament in his palm, moving closer to you.

Pausing, Katsuragi clears his throat, nodding to himself as he averts his attention away. “I suppose it’s for the best that you keep your background to yourself.”

Kuni nods quietly, tucking it into his collar.

Your eyes move on from the two, quickly distracted by the plentiful clusters of homes and warmly lit windows emerging in the distance, exposing a much more lively view of Tatarasuna than you were previously familiar with. The buildings were in their prime, the wooden panels worn yet steady under your feet as you made your way into the village under the cover of night.

The aching sensation in your heart grows strong as you take in the prosperous village, knowing what is to come in a matter of years. Guilt, maybe. Hope? You’re already scared of the butterfly effect that was inevitable with your arrival, but you can’t help but wonder what would happen if you gave a small hint here and there. Would Tatarasuna still be thriving in the future as it is now?

Your wandering eyes meet the prototype beside you, who lights up under your attention, still holding onto your sleeve with his firm grasp.

What will happen to him then?

You barely stop yourself from face-planting into a wall of muscle as Katsuragi stops abruptly in front of a small home. He slides the door open and turns around, gesturing inside.

“I will take you both to my superior, Nagamasa.” Katsuragi briefly explains, ushering you both into the warm interior before he heads in himself.

Your shoulders sag at the heat that enveloped your shivering body, noticing a small, dusty fireplace nestled into one of the corners. It seems newly built, you note as you stare into the embers. A couple of leftover stone bricks were still stacked up precariously against the wall.

Kuni looks around, starry-eyed as he stands rather close to you despite the extra space, his synthetic skin cool against you. The one room was a little cramped to be housing three people at once, but you couldn’t complain. It was much better than the small cavern you and Kuni had found a few moments ago.

You lift your head, eyes wide at the sound of footsteps approaching.

“Ah, Katsuragi. I need your help with something, do you think… Oh?” A man, a little older than Katsuragi walks in from the other room, slipping through the sliding frame doors. He looks a little taken aback by the two strangers who seem just as lost as he. “And… whom might they be?”

So this was the man who would later be the one to slay Katsuragi when everything fell apart. You hold back a grimace, the soft murmurs between the two men turning into white noise in your ears as you study Nagamasa discreetly.

He hadn’t made an appearance in the game, so you were at least a little curious about what he looked like. Dark brows are drawn into a tight crease, and brown eyes, clear and sharp, flicker from his yoriki to you and Kuni.

He rakes a hand through black hair as he nods at Katsuragi’s explanation. The locks were a little unkempt, loose and just barely brushed his shoulders as he moved to face you.

“I apologise for the wait. Welcome to Tatarasuna village.” He murmurs, steady gaze flickering between you and Kuni. “Kasturagi has explained to me that he found you both while patrolling on Nazuchi Beach.”

It wasn’t really a lie. Katsuragi had found you on the beach as he said but had excluded any mention of you finding Kuni in Shakkei Pavillion.

You nod along to Nagamasa’s words as Katsuragi turns to the other man, gesturing to you.

“Yes, this is…” Katsuragi paused, looking a little sheepish. “Ah, my mistake. I forgot to ask you both for your names in the rush to get you both here.”

You blink. “Oh. Right.”

With hidden trepidation, you tell them your name, eyes darting down to your hands. Now your name was out there. You quickly move on from there, turning to the one sitting beside you, staring at you with wide shining eyes. Right, you hadn’t even told him your name.

Kuni whispers your name under his breath, lips curving into a small smile that had you mentally squinting against the pure light that emitted from him.

“And you?” Nagamasa quirks his brow, briefly eyeing the expensive-looking fabric that the other had donned.

Kuni shuffles uneasily beside you. “I don’t have one.”

The older man gruffly hums, scratching at his chin while Katsuragi frowns. “Don’t have one, you say…”

Katsuragi thinks for a moment before raising an offer with a subtle tilt of his head. “How about giving yourself a name? What do you think about that?”

The puppet’s eyes widen. “A name… for me?”

"You can think about it as you settle down in our village." Katsuragi leans back, crossing his arms across his chest. He seems pleased at the other's reaction.

The prototype nods as naive hope and admiration blossom in his hollow chest.

Nagamasa watches the interaction with an unreadable, neutral expression, clearing his throat.

“Now, about living in Tatarasuna…”

After introducing you to his superior, Katsuragi welcomed you both into his own home, offering a place to sleep for the night before they set up a place for you both to live in for the rest of your stay here at Tatarasuna.

As you comfortably lay in the warm futon that Katsuragi had so generously laid out for you in a spare room, you absentmindedly stare up at the ceiling. Your new companion was and had been staring at you for quite some time now, sitting on his futon instead of slipping under the covers.

You think back to the conversation you had with Nagamasa.

The inspector had given you two a chance to start a life in Tatarasuna after you revealed that you had no memory of ending up on the beach. You were to start learning the basics of swordsmithing by tomorrow morning along with Kuni. Despite having eased your worries about meeting Katsuragi and continuing the story as it was planned, you can’t help but feel a lingering concern.

Sighing exasperately, you flip to your side, staring back. Innocent indigo eyes blinked at you before a whisper filled the room. “Not sleeping? I thought you said humans needed to sleep?”

“Mn. Not tired.” You prop your head up on the pillow to face him better. “Why don’t you lie down? I know you don’t need sleep but the futon is comfortable.”

You watch Kuni let out a soft ‘oh’, before sliding into the covers stiffly, unsure of his movements. He glances at you for approval. “It’s… soft.”

“Isn’t it?” Settling down, you breathe out, the heavy weight on your chest a little lighter after talking to him. “Even if you don’t need to do the things humans do, doesn’t it feel nice to do them anyway?”

A soft shuffling noise comes from Kuni as he turns to you, the covers pulled up to his chin. He nods.

The corners of your lips naturally lift in amusement. “Now go to sleep. Isn’t it boring to stay up doing nothing all night?”

Shifting slightly under the thick blanket, the puppet finally shuts his eyes, letting his body rest like he saw you do before. It’s a little strange, allowing his body to fall slack when he’s so used to being aware of everything, eyes wanting to take in everything that the world presents him with.

Listening to your soft breaths fill the room, he can’t help but make his artificial lungs mimic yours. He knows he doesn’t need to breathe or sleep. But as he finds his body relaxing, his mind goes quiet.

Finally, he lets himself rest in your presence.

Sitting up, you watch with a bittersweet smile as your companion ‘falls asleep’. Moving slowly and quietly, you slip out of the sheets, your steps silent against the tatami mat as you cautiously move towards the doors.

You glance back with finality at the unmoving form under the sheets, your distant eyes skimming over his dark hair splayed out on the pillow to his tranquil resting face.

You had been contemplating executing this plan since you had first met him in the pavilion. Initially, you had thought that you had ruined everything by leaving the domain with him, however, things had worked out in your favour and now things were where they had always been.

Now only you were the abnormality in this moment. You weren’t supposed to be here. Staying would only mean you would distort the story more, and the thought of a future you didn’t know frightens you.

Feeling the biting wind against your skin, you rip your gaze away, slipping out the doors and closing it behind you with a soft click, walking across the wooden panels of the deck that surrounded the home. You had to leave before your hesitation got the better of you and you ended up making a decision that you would regret.

Your feet touch the grass as you ready yourself to leave.

“Where are you going..?”

Your heart sank, head whipping around. Shit.

He’s staring at you with wild, desperate eyes – confusion and terror written all over him. They dart frantically across your face, as if searching for any reason you might have for leaving the room without him.

It's almost painful to look at him, his trembling hand gripping so tightly onto his veil.

“...”

You say nothing.

What could you even tell him? That this was for his own good? That you swear that you’ll come back to him in the future?... That you were terrified to ruin his life more than it would become?

His expression grows more and more distraught at your silence and he stumbles towards you, desperately clutching at your clothes.

“Do you not like it here?” His thready voice quivers, sounding smaller than ever. “That’s okay, we can go…!”

The inner turmoil was back again, hitting you in full force. It was for his own good, you think to yourself. You’d rather carry the burden of leaving him rather than—

“... I’ll go with you! Wherever you go! Wherever!” His form shudders with every word, tears pooling in his eyes. “So...! So... Please... Please, please, please, please.”

“... Don’t leave me.”

You fail to swallow down the building lump in your throat, steeling yourself as you breathe in and—

…

You find yourself back inside, face vacantly fixed up at the ceiling again. The pressure on your heart is replaced with the arms of a desperate puppet clinging onto your body, his futon discarded for your own. He’s tense, and the extreme closeness is a little stifling but you can’t bring yourself to complain or push him away.

His face is buried into your shoulder, and your heart squeezes with immense guilt as you feel him hiccup softly against your shirt.

Your plan failed.

Closing your eyes, you exhale slowly as you tentatively reach up and card your fingers through his silken hair. He goes quiet, holding your arm tighter.

… There was no way you could leave now.

#rewriting fate #UPDATE!!!! WOOO #scaramouche x reader #genshin x gn reader #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin wanderer #kunikuzushi x reader #scaramouche #scara #kabukimono #my writing

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lucid-loves · 10 months ago

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Taste Like Venom ~ Simon "Ghost" Riley Part 4

Pairing: Ghost x assassin!reader (fem!reader, no use of y/n, callsign “Hex”)

Word Count: 3.6k

CW: angst, violence, blood, strong language, scars, enemies to lovers trope, slow burn, fluff, clear attraction and sexual tension, smut later on, reader POV and ghost POV, minors dni, Soap lives in this AU

Let me know if I missed any CWs.

Story Synopsis: After Makarov gets away once again, Laswell decides to force a favor from you, the world’s greatest assassin and best-kept secret. You are now expected to help the 141 with taking down Makarov in addition to playing nice with them. It’s hard to play nice when you have always worked alone. It doesn’t help that one of the team members, Ghost, gets curious about you in each interaction.

Chapter Synopsis: While you are alone in your own hotel room, the men talk about you over Italian cuisine. This includes speculation on Ghost’s feelings for you. Meanwhile, you are already gearing up for infiltration to tap the target building. Ghost decides that he wants a front-row seat to your show.

A/N: I am adding a taglist from now on for those who want to be a part of one. I made a post asking people to like it if they wanted to be part of it. If you would like to comment that you want to be in a taglist, you can do so on this post~

Taglist: @eatingtheworldsoffanfiction @dory-98 @cum-tea-and-towels @completelymarveltrash

Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7 ~ Part 8 ~ Part 9 ~ Part 10

Good God, authentic pizza was absolutely amazing. The standard for pasta was incredible as well. It beat the standard cafeteria food back on base by a landslide. The 141 grimaced as they thought about someday having to return to the food back home. Even the food they’ve eaten out of your fridge has been refreshing to their taste buds. Soap was the most vocal about his dread of the mass-cook cafeteria food as he devoured another slice of heaven. “Christ, going back to bland spinach and soggy rice is going to be fuckin’ painful!”

“Remember when they tried to do a taco night. Fucking hell, the lettuce was dripping fat like a sponge.” Gaz added as he took a swig of whiskey. It wasn’t the Italian choice of liquor to pair with food, but it was the 141’s choice. Not Ghost’s though. He missed his Kentucky bourbon.

“Last Thanksgiving was the most painful for me. Turkey was drier than my fuckin’ belt.” Soap chuckled, trying not to drip sauce onto the bed with how his whole body laughed with him. They were eating in one of the double queen hotel rooms, away from the public eye. When they were all together in a group, they often garnered attention. Such was the price for being such large, capable men.

“Anyone reckon that Hex is up yet? Food is gonna get cold.” Price inquired. They had saved some food for you. A plate full of different things since no one knew what you liked. Even Kate didn’t know when they called to ask her. Still, they tried their best anyway. And their best was getting cold on a ceramic plate.

Soap shook his head in refusal. “I’m not gonna knock on her door. The lass scares the shite out of me.”

Gaz laughed out loud. “Soap? Afraid? Never thought I’d live to see the day.”

“Hey, you weren’t the one that nearly lost an ear! With fuckin’ car keys of all things.” He defended, taking a long swig of his own drink. He clearly wasn’t going to forgive you for that any time soon. It made him annoyed when he thought about the fact that you probably didn’t care.

Price shrugged and poured himself another drink. “You were kinda asking for it, Johnny. I think I would’ve nearly killed you too if I’m being honest.”

“Well, Lt. made the joke first and he didn't nearly get stabbed.” He continued to argue, looking to Simon for an answer on how it was different when he cracked the joke. Ghost just stared with indifference, sitting in the corner with his mask halfway up. Even if he was with the people he trusted with his identity, he just felt more comfortable hiding his face while he ate.

The room went quiet for a moment as the men thought about it. Out of all of them, Ghost seemed to be the one that was able to get the closest to you. You still pushed him away by miles, but it was definitely closer than they were getting. Kyle took another slice of pizza, the fresh basil so vibrantly green that it looked like it was glowing. “How do you feel so comfortable pushing her boundaries, Lieutenant? One attempt at our lives is enough for us to back off. Yet, you seem to keep going back for more.”

The men waited for an answer, an idea crawling into each of their heads. Price had already picked up on it by now. He noticed as soon as Ghost lifted you in his arms. Gaz vocalizing his observation out loud just now triggered Soap to realize it too. A slow, knowing smirk crept along Soap’s lips. Simon scowled at the insinuation, reading all of their minds. “All of you can bury your ideas six feet under. I’m just trying to get her to trust us. The mission will go a lot smoother if she does. The sooner we do that, the sooner we can go home.”

All of them returned to enjoying their meals, unconvinced by Ghost’s protest. Was Simon attracted to you? Absolutely. Did he like you? Well, he certainly didn’t hate you. The biggest problem for him was that you were dangerous. Not just from an ability standpoint, but from an emotional standpoint. While he did want to get close to you, he still wanted to keep you just out of arm’s reach emotionally because he knew that you would burn him. Poison him with that venom of yours. He knew if he really did fall for you, he would never stop falling.

For the sake of the mission and his own preservation, he convinced himself that you were only a temporary attraction. A beautiful woman with incredible power that will return to the unknown as soon as this is all over. His teammates knew better, though. In all their time of knowing Simon, he has never shown interest in women. Always too busy. Always too focused on work. Not even making time for hook-ups. When you came into the picture, you got his attention in a way they have never seen before. That meant a lot to them.

“Regardless, you have the honor of delivering our assassin her dinner, Lieutenant.” Price smirked, abusing his power as Captain to avoid feeding the feral woman next door. Ghost clenched his jaw, cursing out John in his mind as he got up.

The men continued their lighthearted conversation as Simon walked out, plate of food in hand. Taking a deep breath, he walked to your door and knocked. When there was no answer, he thought that perhaps you were still asleep. So, he took out his spare keycard to the room and welcomed himself in.

The room was dim, large shadows casing over the beige walls. A few laptops were running on the desks, already hacked into the security cameras of the target building. You’ve actually been up for a while and have been busy getting things ready for your infiltration. It was alarming when you woke up in your hotel room instead of the car at first. However, it didn’t take you long to figure out that someone must’ve carried you. You were pretty sure who it was, but you didn’t dwell on it. There was work to be done and you had wasted too much time with sleep.

Kate helped you get into their systems. From there, a layout of the building was mapped out along with the IDs of everyone working for Makarov. You have watched enough security footage to take note of the guard routes. All that needed to be done was planting the taps to allow you to listen in on everything. Nothing was going to be unheard. Not even the sound of a guard taking a bathroom break.

Simon watched you fasten a black belt tight around your hips that carried a collection of small throwing knives. You wore new pants, a long sleeve turtleneck with a hood, and boots. All tight. All black. His hands ached to reach out in order to trace your prominent curves. He wanted to feel the thin fabric of your shirt, the heat of your skin exuding through it.

Instead of that, he placed the food down on top of your dresser, resisting the temptation. “Not going to eat first?”

You didn’t even glance his way, something he wanted to fix immediately. “No. It will weigh me down. I had room service bring up some fruit earlier. It will tie me over until I get back.”

“You’re leaving now?” He questioned, anger rising in his tone. You should have let them know that you were awake. That you were set up with the tech. That you wanted to proceed with the mission with a lookout. You shouldn’t have intended to do this alone.

But, you couldn’t help it. This is how you have always worked. Besides, to you, there was no reason to waste time with unnecessary things like knocking on their door to let them know you were ready. What were you? A fucking dog looking to be let out? “Now is better than later. Security usually lets their guard down after meals. It’s not too late in the night to expect intruders too. Now is the optimal time for me to place the taps.”

Simon scoffed at your unapologetic reasoning. “And you were just going to do this alone? Not even someone to watch the cameras out for you? What if you get compromised?”

Here we fucking go again. You grabbed the taps sitting on the desk, putting them in a small satchel securely tied to your belt. “Can you not criticize the way I do things every fucking conversation? I’m doing what I do best, Simon. I’ve never been compromised before. That’s a streak I intend to keep.”

He stepped towards you, his frame menacing as he towered over you. Hearing your name come from your lips was still something he wasn’t used to. Despite that, he wasn’t going to let you do this alone. This time, his tone was gentle yet resolute. “I’m letting the force know and I’m going to monitor the cameras.”

Looking up into his eyes, you could see that he wasn’t going to waver from his decision. There was no point fighting about this, you finally decided. Not even twelve hours ago was your last fight with him. A part of you was getting tired of it. Stepping back towards the hotel window to leave, you threw in the towel. It wasn’t going to stop you from getting the job done anyhow. “Do whatever you want. I don’t give a shit.”

“Hang on.” Ghost stopped you, his hand reaching out to grab your wrist. He pulled you towards him, using the advantage of his strength to have you close to him. Anticipating you to either reach for your knives or strike him with your other hand, he prepared to guard himself. However, you never used the same trick twice in a row.

Like a forceful tango, you stepped your full weight forward to catch him off balance. You then pushed further as he was forced to step back lest you headbutt him, your hand now having the room to land on his chest with a quick, sharp force. In Simon’s fall, you swiped his sheathed knife from his own belt. Before he knew it, he was laying on his back on your bed, you straddling him, his eyes locking with yours that blazed with victory.

Ghost’s strong hand was still wrapped around your wrist, but your free hand had his own knife pressed against his chest. Right over his heart that was thudding against his chest like it wanted to break out. The hot blood in his body was pumping into overdrive. Not in fear of death. No. In pure, passionate attraction. He swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to still pull you down and kiss you through his mask. Even if it would cause the knife to be plunged into his heart, the thought of being able to share a passionate kiss with you didn’t seem like a bad tradeoff.

Tendrils of your hair fell past your face, framing a beautiful jawline he wanted to trace with his lips. The image of you gasping in shock and pleasure as he squeezed your hips flashed in his mind for a second. It wouldn't have been hard to do. His other hand was still free but frozen as you pressed the tip of the blade into his chest. He also imagined the potential sweetness of your tongue, giving him a taste of dessert after dinner. He wanted to be the one to catch you by surprise and submit to his will. Only, you would love it and beg for more through feverish kisses and the grinding of your hips against his.

Christ, he was getting a boner.

He wasn’t the only one who was feeling it, though. The sound of your own heartbeat was flooding your ears. You couldn’t seem to pull away from his blue eyes that so heatedly begged for you to come closer. The heat already felt from your body pressing against his didn’t feel like enough. Especially when you began to feel his growing hardness pressing against you. That just made your own sex tingle with need.

You got off of him quickly, putting distance between the two of you. What the fuck were you doing?! What the hell was wrong with you?! You haven't been with anyone for so long, but it was no excuse to get so swept up like this. Not with someone like Ghost. Not with someone like Simon Riley. You needed to get a fucking grip. Get your head on straight. Damn it, you were better than this!

Slowly, he sat up and cleared his throat, trying to pretend that what just happened wasn’t the sexiest thing he’s ever been through. His knife was tossed onto the bed next to him, your movements quick as you rushed to get the fuck out of there.

However, when Simon called your name, you froze. He sounded a little breathless, his voice making you shiver. “Hex, wait.”

Simon stood from the bed to grab something from the desk. Cautiously, he walked towards you, now learning his lesson that it wasn’t a great idea to just grab you so suddenly for multiple reasons. At a slow pace, he opened his large palm to show you a small earpiece. Still being careful with his speed and touch, he lightly brushed your hair behind your ear and inserted the earpiece for you. You flinched as his fingers brushed against your jaw, butterflies erupting within you.

“You’ll be able to hear me through this. I won’t say anything unless I really have to. You’ll be able to talk to me through it too. Whatever you want, whatever you need, just say it.” Ghost promised.

You couldn’t bring yourself to say anything. You feared that using your voice would reveal just how flustered you were over what just transpired. Instead, you gave a simple nod and headed back to your window.

The nighttime breeze flooded in as soon as you opened the window, the chill seeping into your bones. Good. You needed to cool off. Without looking back, you slipped out into the night, leaving Simon behind to wonder if supposed enemies were supposed to be attracted to each other like this.

The shadows concealed you, the moonlight accentuating them on every surface they could touch. Quietly and quickly, you moved from shadow to shadow until you stumbled upon the targeted building. From the outside, it looked like a rundown, abandoned office building up for sale. The place was hidden away, tucked behind the forefront of what Italy wanted to offer instead. Beauty.

You watched armed men standing guard, looking out into the alleyways for enemies. Sticking to the shadows, you crept along the side of the building before spotting an open window just above you. Taking a deep breath to focus your mind, you sprung into action. With a few wall jumps, you were right in one of Makarov’s weapons depot.

From the laptops back at the hotel, Ghost carefully watched the footage, almost holding his breath as he searched for you. His team gathered into the room once he told them you had left already. They had assumed that all the time he spent missing with you was just him helping set up the tech. He didn’t correct them on this. Like you had said before, never underestimate the power of assumptions.

Relief washed over his shoulders as soon as he saw your figure invade the building. Just as fast as you had entered, you hid, dropping a tap that was modeled to look like a dead fly onto the dirty tile. The place was dusty, the smell of stagnant air filling your lungs. The men here didn’t care about the cleanliness of the place. Fortunately for the 141, that meant that they wouldn't have to worry about anyone cleaning up the “dead flies.”

All of the men watched the footage as you swiftly made your way from room to room dropping flies. Soap double checked to make sure that the enemies’ own footage was still scrubbed as you worked. Regardless, you moved so carefully that any video of you just looked like a weird, black glitch. You were in your zone. This is what you did for years. This is what you have secretly missed doing.

Every move you made was calculated, following a strict regime based on the men’s own schedule. As you dropped more and more taps, Price began to check if they worked on his end. Sure enough, they could hear everything.

Gaz noticed that Ghost’s body was rigid, his eyes refusing to leave the screens. He was keeping track of you like he would lose sight of you if he blinked. Wanting to ease his worries, he began to prepare some tea using the hotel’s electric kettle. Kyle was always one to look out for his friends like this.

A hot cup of black tea was placed in front of Ghost, the smell already releasing the tension in his muscles. Gaz pat his stiff shoulder. “She’s gonna be alright, bruv.”

Ghost gave a silent nod, finally taking a moment to let his eyes wander off of the monitor to have a sip of tea. Now that he was more relaxed, he viewed your movements in a more admiring way. None of them could pull off how smoothly you moved. How easy you glided through like a gust of wind passing through. Even when you were close to an enemy, you kept your cool, refrained from killing, and moved on without detection.

You were a god damn modern-day ninja. A fine one at that.

In less than an hour, you had swept through the whole building without detection. Every tap was planted. Not once did you hear Simon in your ear either. You were glad. You felt like if you heard his voice through the earpiece it would break your flow. But, a part of you did yearn to hear his deep voice so close to you.

Getting out was the easiest part. Having no one seen you come in, you took the same route out. When you came back through the window, you were met with grateful smiles and words of praise that were foreign to your ears. Ghost wanted to be the first one to say something about your skills, but loud-mouth Sergeant Soap beat him to it. “Damn, Lass! I think you just set a record for 141!”

“That was quite impressive stuff there, Hex. It was like you were never there. Kate was right about you.” Price grinned as he thanked you in his own way.

Gaz hopped on the headphones to listen to the taps as soon as his Captain moved. “All of them are working just fine. I’ve only ever seen moves like that in movies and video games. Job well done!”

You were unsure of what to do with all of this attention, never having experienced it before. When you worked alone, there was no one to tell you that you did well when you got back. You didn’t know if all of this flattery made you feel good. In all honesty, the confusion you felt about it made you a little sick to your stomach.

Weaving past them all, you grabbed your cold plate of food that Simon brought to you earlier and left without a word through the door. After receiving some worried glances from his soldiers, Price provided some words of reassurance. “Don’t worry, men. Hex probably isn’t used to having people wait for her like this, let alone praise for good work. Give her time.”

As the team brought back some of the tech to monitor from their rooms, Ghost stepped out into the hallway to look for you. He initially thought that you would be in one of their rooms to use the microwave, but you were nowhere in sight. While he wanted to keep looking, a call by his Captain to help made him call it there for the night.

And so he spent the rest of the night bunking with Soap, listening in on private conversations and thinking about you. Meanwhile, you spent your night eating a cold dinner alone on the hotel rooftop. Overlooking the city, your own mind occasionally wandered against your will towards Ghost and how it would feel if his heat saved you from the autumn winds chilling your skin.

#simon ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley fanfic #simon ghost riley #ghost x you #ghost x y/n #ghost x reader #ghost x female reader #ghost x f!reader #cod fanfic #simon riley fanfic #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #simon riley #ghost cod #simon riley smut #simon riley x y/n #simon riley x female reader #simon riley x f!reader

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vitaminseetarot · 1 year ago

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PAC Pick a Ride: Your Next Big Adventure 🌌🌠🌃

Thank you for voting in my latest poll! I'm surprised and glad to see that Next Big Adventure won by a landslide! Seeing as we have the New Moon in Sagittarius on the 12th, it makes sense that we are collectively interested in seeing what the next chapter has in store. Please note that some of these other topics mentioned in my polls may appear in future pick a card readings, so stay tuned.

So without further ado, let's get into our piles! Pretend as though you are a Knight from your favorite tarot deck about to embark on your next journey. Please choose your mode of transportation:

1 - Plane 2 - Ship 3 - Motorbike 4 - Train

Pile 1 - Plane

Cards: Re-Evaluate, Pencil Sketch, The Pilgrim, Ceres - Nurture, Patience, 26. Protection - Finding What's Important; I Magician, 10 of Pentacles, 4 of Pentacles, XIX The Sun Channeled Locations: Canada, Singapore, Morocco, Ukraine, Australia, Philippines, UK, New Zealand, NYC, South Korea

Hi pile 1, you've chosen to travel by air, bypassing all the long troublesome routes. After all, the sky's the limit! Isn't it nice to measure your distance by how the crow flies sometimes? You're ready to catapult yourself into the next big adventure; I can tell there's a lot of excitement to see what's ahead here. You'd rather get to the next phase of your life instantly yet with ease. This is likely the pile with big career goals, especially if moving or actual traveling will be in the big picture. Maybe you're dreaming of traveling by plane as part of your future dream job? You don't just want to get there, as great as that is--it has to be done with intention.

You're in the process of drawing out what your next life would look like. The future seems full of creative possibilities, but with Pencil Sketch next to Re-evaluate, you're being asked to pay attention to the details. How do you want things to go one month from now, and one year from now? As great as it would be to have an entire decade mapped out, it's unrealistic, but it doesn't mean you can't draft some concepts. You should have something in mind, though, instead of setting out with a knapsack and praying for the best. If your next career or long term project could be anything you wanted, are you going to hop into something for 10 years that doesn't end up panning out in your favor, or would you rather delicately test something for a year before diving in? Moving forward can be exciting, but if you're going by plane, you will need some coordinates.

I think your reading is super straightforward, pile 1. You've got a lucky edge going for you with the tarot cards here. Whatever kind of career goal you have in mind, you may have a chance to "make it big" at some point. That won't come without a lot of foresight and careful investment, however. Don't try to rush into any big decisions right off the bat. I occasionally see the Magician card as the one signifying "read between the lines". If any contracts get involved, be very careful and read thoroughly. Don't be afraid to ask questions or seek clarification. The ones giving you the contact would rather see you jump in it blind, but you've got the crafty Magician energy to help you out during this retrograde period.

As eager as you are to begin your next journey, you're being asked to consider what you want to grow over the long term. This reading wants to shift the focus away from the end goal, even if there's a message here about acting with intention. Setting intention doesn't mean straying away from the present moment to only consider what happens in the end. Part of paying attention to detail means being aware and present in what's happening around you. The present moment is a crucial aspect of your growth period, and it wants you to gently guard after and care for your goal as though it were a plant. You know the fruit of the plant will be ready to eat when it's there and fully ripened, but in the meantime you can enjoy its flowers and fresh budding leaves.

Enjoy the gentle growth process, because once you do start to take off, you may be shocked by how high you'll find yourself in mere seconds. The initial lift of the plane as it begins to run with the sky can give you a wonky feeling like your whole world is shifting and moving with you. Your sense of time can change, requiring adjustment. If you're unprepared, the change could feel overwhelming. Make sure that by the time you're ready for that big takeoff in your work or projects, you will have built up a solid foundation to ground you once you're ready to come back down to earth. That's how you'll build lasting success in your life's next adventure. Stay optimistic, because that positive shift could come sooner than you think!

Pile 2 - Ship

Cards: Limitless, Calla, The Alchemist, 10. Capricorn - Achieve, Express Love, 11. Invention - Burning with Passion; X Wheel of Fortune, 4 of Wands, VII Chariot, 10 of Swords Channeled Locations: India, Greece, Ethiopia, Thailand, Spain, Iceland, Turkey, Croatia, South Africa

The seas are calling you, pile 2, calmly asking you to take only what's truly needed with you. The water's may be choppy, but out in the expansive blue seas, you can feel connected to the coasts of the entire world. With a firm grasp of the ship's wheel, you designate yourself captain as you adjust your sails and set your sights for the hidden treasure that lies ahead--or perhaps beneath your anchor. You're entering your next big adventure lit up with grand ideas for what to do all laid out on your map. Over the vast horizon, anything could happen, and you could find yourself shaking hands with anybody new. This pile may be seeking proposals or offers of some kind, ones that will let you dream bigger than you have before. This pile likely has a good idea of where to go next, or at least some interesting things written down.

These cards ask you to make peace with some aspect of your past. It could be that whatever you had planned before didn't entirely work out in your favor. As much as the online community talks about how rejection is divine protection, sometimes having plans fall apart is not going to feel good, even when you're just glad it's over with. The worst thing can be the feeling of not knowing what to expect after a fall. But your next chapter is showing a lot of promise in things to come, so don't let your past be the omen of your future. The tides are turning right now, and if you can focus on what you'd like to accomplish next, you'll be able to shift those tides in your favor. The first step is to see that you've survived the bad times, and that in itself makes you a victor. With that, you can move ahead with more confidence than before.

That's the thing about Capricorn energy: it thrives in conditions that others would consider too harsh or demanding. It's the drive to take the roughest materials and make diamonds from them. Once you can decide to make peace with what you've gone through, you can take the nuggets of wisdom you've garnered to make a beautiful new path for yourself. You dissolve the worst of your experiences and bring them together to make it better, as the Alchemist card suggests. The difficult times and failed attempts were not for waste; you've gained a lot of valuable growth that will provide a smoother current toward success in your next endeavor. This could be the pile that wants to start a business. Please know that simply starting a business, or even taking the first steps to plan one, takes a lot of guts already. If you've managed to go that far, congratulations! It takes a lot of hard work for a new business to be survive the long haul. So celebrate your milestones, no matter how small they seem.

Part of what makes this next chapter so fortuitous for you is how the energy is transiting through. You could be hit with a wave of inspiration from out of nowhere. If you've been stuck in one place without any wind to carry you through the fog, be prepared for that big splash! All hiccups set aside, you're still brimming with a lot of zeal for your next idea. You may even receive a cascade of insight, so be sure to write these things down as they come. You never know if something silly and small could end up helping you out later on. Your next big adventure is going to put the spark back in you, with a feeling of having a second chance at life, as Calla lilies represent rebirth. Don't be afraid to get excited over what's to come, pile 2. Your faith that things will work out for the better is contagious, as is your gratitude for the accomplishments you've made so far.

Pile 3 - Motorbike

Cards: Breathe, Snowboard, The Heir (Rx), 5. Leo - Shine, Balance, 21. Resilience - Finding Your Limits; 6 of Cups, Queen of Cups, Page of Wands, XIII Death Channeled Locations: Mexico, Italy, Midwest US, France, Norway, Egypt, Chile, Brazil

Your pile is like the fiery passion of the wands suit. Independent and bold, you chose to take open road for your next adventure, blazing a new path in front of your very eyes. You have an eagerness to take the world by storm, going wherever your first impulse wishes to carry you. This pile has a lot of drive to move forward to the next chapter with as much speed as possible, optimistic to find that next golden opportunity. And you're not afraid of a little showboating along the way. You even have the Snowboard palette card, which is a sport involving nothing but speeding down slopes and catching incredible air. This pile is the most excited for their next adventure.

Except actually, pile 3, you're being asked to slow down a little bit. And I get it! I get that this message can be so frustrating when you see what looks to be an endless highway yet the speed limit says 55. That might be a good pace for many folks, but for this pile it's not nearly enough! The thing to keep in mind is that this process of moderating your pace is for your overall benefit. See, you have the only reversed archetype card in all the piles. The card speaks of untapped potential, which is still there. It's simply saying that whatever you're seeking to do next, you're not totally ready because there is too much you're still carrying with you. To go with the motorbike analogy again, any leftover baggage from your past is going to weigh you down so it's in your benefit to review what you have before you can move forward. The more you let it go, the faster you'll be able to pick up the pace.

You have a lot to be proud of with how far you've come already. This pile likely thrives on challenges and sees overcoming them as a big part of spiritual development. Which can be true in many cases, and you demonstrate clearly that you're not afraid of what's to come next. It may come as a shock to you that your next chapter might be a little more quiet than expected. This is likely because, if you've gone through a lot of growth in your last chapter, it makes sense to have some downtime to balance things out. The Queen of Cups can be introverted energy, but she knows how to use her alone time to replenish her soul with art and meditation. You may have more time to spend by yourself steeped in creative drive rather than trying to accomplish too many things in the outer world.

This is one of the more spiritually oriented piles; over this next big phase in your life, your creative skills may flourish and evolve to another level. Maybe for a while you've been inclined towards artistic pursuits, but feel a desire to expand upon what you're already doing. With this energy, you're in alignment to have more time and energy to devote towards passions like painting, sports, or music. In this way, you can take that immense enthusiastic drive from the Page of Wands and channel it into something constructive or purposeful, even if you don't intend to monetize it.

Your next big adventure is tackling the speed limits that exist within you: the self imposed beliefs that tell you how fast you can go or where you're allowed to proceed. Thing is, in your inner world, you have a lot more freedom than you would on any highway. You can choose for yourself how you wish to manifest your passions into the world, and you can decide how much or how little passion you put into your work. Things like imposter syndrome can be their own mountains to climb, and this time around you're more geared up than ever to take it on. Once the spiritual mountains have been overcome, you'll be able to top anything the next chapter in life brings you.

Pile 4 - Train

Cards: Nucleus, Billiard Green, The Gambler, 44. Sixth House - Sustainability, Trust, 1. Vision - Contemplating the Future; XVIII The Moon, 10 of Wands, 3 Cups, XV The Devil Channeled Locations: West US, Sweden, Japan, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovenia, China, Germany, Switzerland

You've picked the solid, earthy pile of moving forward to your next adventure by train. Locomotion is slow but it's steady and reliable with time. Fully embodying the principles of inertia, once it moves it keeps moving, but it takes a lot of initial effort to get things going. Something you've worked on is slow going, but you're close or nearing the finish line. Once this is accomplished, things will move much more smoothly for you without so much push. Your next chapter will be steady, but it will be easier than before because it's already in motion.

I find this pile intriguing, y'all. You have Gambler above the Billiard card, and the Devil card shows a casino as well. It's almost bringing to mind old train heist movies. There's action, adventure, mystery, and a lot of fun here in this pile. Your next big adventure could involve having more chances to go out and have fun with friends. You could meet new friends around this time who will have a lot of extra pep in their step. They'll get you out of your shell if you've been in one for a while. Alternatively, if you see yourself as a party loving daredevil already, this new friendship may slow you down and protect you a little, in a good sense. They'll either be the head to your heart, or the heart to your head.

This pile is definitely more inclined to go with the flow in the next chapter. I almost typed 'glow' on accident, so perhaps you'll also experience basking in a 'glow' of some kind. You could be overcoming a huge obstacle at this time and look forward to more unstructured down time. You're encouraged to take time to enjoy yourself before moving to the next phase, but to also balance it out by taking moments to see where you'd rather go next. It's easy, after a huge achievement, to lose pace once the "now what?" sign is reached on your path. Go-with-the-flow doesn't necessarily mean 'fuck around and see what happens', lol. Try to find a middle ground here between playing and planning.

Your work-life balance will likely have some kind of pressure valve released like steam. You've had to really push for what you wanted this year. When opportunities looked scant, you had to tap in to your own power and immense resources to pull through. You've done so in flying colors. So your desire for freedom and thrills after a hard chapter is totally understandable. If you're not finished with something, there's almost a temptation here to run from it now and deal with it later. This isn't recommended; push through to the end because soon you will find yourself on the other side basking in the glow, and relaxing will be so much easier once you're fully done.

There's also advice to not get too carried away with material desires here. Your next chapter may have your finances fluctuating up and down, so try to stay steady with investments. If a windfall comes in, don't spend it all in a day. The Trust card here is talking about how you trust yourself with your resources and energy. When you're able to carry a greater amount with more responsibility, more will be added to you in due time. You're being asked to make small and consistent investments with wherever you're putting your value and resources into. Nothing wrong with wanting to splurge on something nice of course, especially if you've been working hard and you want to reward yourself. This is more to do with long term investments over the next few years.

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2023, @VitaminseeTarot ™

Decks Used: Tarotwave, Starcodes Astro Oracle, Citadel Oracle, StarDragons, Opal Oracle, Starlight Messages, Color Palette cards

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theluckywizard · 4 months ago

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Together Alone, Ch 4: Lost and Found

Chapter Summary:

Bethany learns her brothers were lost in the Deep Roads and then receives an unexpected visitor.

Fic Summary:

A traumatized newly-promoted Knight Captain who only wants to keep the world safe from the terrors of the Fade. A soft-hearted, sharp-minded mage who spent years evading the law. Maybe they don’t share the same fears. But at least they're not alone in being afraid. Or how two people form an unlikely friendship in the worst possible place and change each other forever.

Excerpt below the cut 👇

The letter finds her when she’s cleaning tables after supper, her second week-long rotation on evening chores. The first had been a stint in laundry that she’d been well prepared for. She squeezes and slops the rag against the table, running it up and down in long wet stripes, catching mislaid bits of food in her hands as the templars look on. How strange it is to be watched while you clean up crumbs.

Orsino’s page whisks across the hall without question, a young woman barely older than Bethany. She’d seen her slipping through the Gallows. Bethany’s bunkmate explained she’s not a mage all, but the daughter of a friend of the viscount and she actually lives in Hightown. She presents the letter without comment, but her eyes dart and dodge around Bethany, which makes the mage nervous.

Unable to leave, she breaks the seal over her dripping rag and reads.

Enchanter Hawke,

I regret to inform you that your brothers Garrett and Carver Hawke have been reported dead by expedition leader Bartrand Tethras after a cave-in within the Deep Roads. Their remains have not been recovered. Your mother will be in contact with us regarding funeral services. You can petition to attend with a templar escort if you wish.

You have my heartfelt sympathy,

First Enchanter Orsino

Bethany crunches the letter in her fists, the ink feathering and running under the spatter of her tears. She’d been girding herself for this news for weeks now but it still blows through her like an landslide. A lifetime imprisoned inside this place is nothing compared to losing her brothers. And now both are true.

Read the rest here Start the fic here

DAFF Crew:

@warpedlegacy @crackinglamb @rakshadow @dreadfutures @breninarthur

💗

@plisuu @delicatefade @ir0n-angel @inquisimer @ar-lath-ma-cully

💗

@exalted-dawn-drabbles @hekaerges @oxygenforthewicked @about2dance @leggywillow

💗

@blarrghe @effelants @bluewren @rosella-writes @agentkatie

#Cullen Rutherford #Cullen Rutherford x Bethany Hawke #Cullen x Bethany #Cullen & Bethany #Dragon Age 2 #Circle Bethany #Cullenmance #dragon age fan fiction #carver and bethany hawke live #garrett hawke #bethany hawke #Dragon Age 2 Act 2 #Emotional Reunions #Mage Templar Dynamics

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corviiids · 5 months ago

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fic writers director cut ask thingy!!! the palace fic pretty please I must know everything.

ofc if you have something else you've been dying to talk about this is also your opportunity! be free

THANK YOU 😭 i've been sitting on this ask for a few days because i wasn't sure which part to pick so i picked the speluncean explorers scene from chapter 7 (comparing it to the experience machine discussion in chapter 4).

under the cut for spoilers and to avoid spam 🫡 it is Long. this got Long. i originally was going to do a few scenes but then i wrote a fucking thesis about specifically just this one scene and also kind of akeshu as a whole.

“Let me tell you about the Speluncean Explorers,” said Akechi.

you can probably tell, but this is one of those scenes i just got super self-indulgent with lol because i LOVE the speluncean explorers. i will not subject you to more legal philosophy since the chapter already does that, but i really enjoyed using the narration of the story as a device to frame their dynamic with each other. as seen here:

Akechi's eyes sparkled. Ren realised with a start that he, too, had begun to lean in; there was now much less space between their faces than there had been at the start of their conversation. “Five men are caught in a landslide,” said Akechi. “These men are amateur spelunkers—cave explorers. After the cave-in, they’re trapped inside. A rescue operation commences, during which ten workmen are killed. Radio contact is established with the spelunkers. It is determined that the rescuers will not reach them before they starve.” There was something captivating about Akechi's voice. Ren was sure that if this were something that had come up in class, he would long have drifted off—but delivered in Akechi's charming lilt, a picture began to form in Ren's mind of the five men, desperate and alone; of the dark cave; of the crackling voice over the radio informing them that they were all about to die.

the scene kind of starts off as ren agreeing to hear the story just to hear akechi talk, more or less, but he starts to get invested around the time it becomes clear a serious injustice was done in the story. which as we all know is ren's weakness lol.

in the earlier chapters when akc starts waxing philosophical at ren, like when akechi explains the experience machine in chapter 4, ren doesn't quite get into the rhythm of the conversation. not because he isnt smart enough, but because he hasn't really settled into how to engage with akechi when he gets like this - he's sort of focused on keeping up with the philosophy as an academic exercise as opposed to treating it as a window into akechi's way of thinking.

Akechi’s eyes cleared. “Ah, I see. No, you’re missing the point of philosophy.” “Which is?” “Philosophy,” Akechi said. “Proving the point is its own point. It’s about thinking through questions we don’t fully understand so that we can come to a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Plus, don’t you think it’s interesting?”

in that scene, akechi closes off the discussion sort of dissatisfied, and ren can tell. akechi is talking at ren, and ren is trying to engage at akechi's level in the way he tends to do with his confidants, by trying to mirror their approach and say what he thinks they need to hear. but he can't do that here, because he's not well-read on philosophy and can't really engage in this academic way. and that's actually not really what akechi wants anyway. so it falls flat and ren figures he's picked the wrong dialogue options:

“I really am interested,” Ren insisted, but from Akechi’s indulgent smile and resigned dismissal from the bar thereafter, he sensed he might have chosen the wrong thing to say somewhere along the line.

however, by chapter 7, ren's stopped trying to mirror akechi or meet his needs, and is starting to engage as himself. ren hasn't read any legal philosophy, but it doesn't really matter. akechi doesn't need ren's Legal Take on the speluncean explorers, because he's a jerk and doesn't really care about other people's academic opinions anyway. he's telling ren this story in the hopes that ren will bring something uniquely ren to the table, and ren is finally able to meet him there.

Akechi's delighted smile widened. “I'll make a philosopher of you yet. You've spotted the problem.” “Anyone could spot the problem. They're executed?” “Sentenced to be executed,” said Akechi, “and as to the problem being obvious, I only wish that were so. The story continues... but surely you must be bored by now, so perhaps I ought to—” “Finish the story,” Ren demanded, which was worth it just to hear Akechi’s cackle.

...

Akechi’s smile is a little too knowing. “I’m quite confident I can predict your perspective on the matter, but do recall this is a legal puzzle and not a purely ethical one, will you? ..."

you can tell that this conversation is much more alive than the previous one. ren does not approach the problem from a legal or academic perspective, he brings himself to it the way akechi always wants him to. in canon, akechi is always saying that ren's pov is refreshing and catches him by surprise. some of that is definitely just him lying for ren's trust, but there's also definitely an element of truth in it, because akechi obviously appreciates talking with ren and enjoys hearing his views. in this scene akechi is able to predict the logical thread of ren's arguments: that it's a waste to sacrifice lives for save people who you then sentence to death, and that it's ethically reprehensible to sentence people to death who have struggled to survive. but he fails to predict the last prong of ren's argument, which is something borne of ren's unique rebellious spirit (and something akechi shares in private but doesn't publicise and for that reason doesn't consider a factor):

“The rules never apply the same way to the ones making them,” said Ren. Akechi whistled. “It always comes back to rebellion with you,” he said affectionately.

this is what akechi wants from ren: his wildcard ability to step outside of a paradigm everyone takes for granted and shatter it. akechi is used to curating himself into what's expected, and he's used to talking to people who operate solely within the status quo, either because they're trying to survive it or because they aren't interesting enough to do otherwise. even the phantom thieves' take on rebellion is fairly pedestrian. but ren has a unique perspective on things and akechi is hungry for it. (im sure im not the first to raise this angle on the speluncean explorers btw although i haven't seen it lol. it's one of the most well known texts in jurisprudence so surely it's been said. but it's not an angle taken in the text itself.)

on the flipside, akechi is the only person who is actually looking for ren and not just what ren can do for him. that's what ren's getting out of this. makoto talks about this in chapter 6:

“I think sometimes we even fail to see you as a complete person,” [Makoto] says, sounding a little horrified at herself. “Even when I spend time with you, it feels like I do all the talking. Like you just reflect back what I need to hear, to help myself. And I—I’ll owe you forever for everything you’ve done for me, but I’m just now realising how little I actually know about you, Ren, because I didn’t make the effort. “But Akechi did, didn’t he? Akechi never spent time with you because he needed your help. Every time he talked about you, even if it was to say he hated you... it was like he was endlessly fascinated by you. Like he really, really wanted to know you.” Makoto smiles. “You two had such a unique relationship. No wonder he mattered so much to you.”

to me this is at the heart of what makes ren and akechi's relationship so compelling and it's sort of metatextual given ren's role as the player character. there are precious few occasions where ren really voices any kind of individual desire or drive because he's meant to be a conduit for the player, and that takes on sort of an interesting twist when you consider that the player is minmaxing social relationships. i did a whole meta write up about this in 2018 on twitter which i need to clean up (i wont link it here because it's a mess + my twitter is locked right now but remind me to post it again) about how ren being the player character means that in-universe he's doing exactly what akechi is doing, i.e. saying what people want to hear from him, except on an interpersonal rather than performative level. in that sense they're both wearing heavier masks than everyone around them and beneath the mask is very much about both of them.

this fic was started before royal, but i have pulled from it a lot because it's in alignment with what im doing >:) royal highlights that akechi is the only character in the game that ren isn't doing that around. it's important that he's the only confidant in the game (barring your teammates) that you don't approach because you're trying to make some kind of deal, and even including your teammates, he's the only one who isn't seeking your help for something. akechi's confidant is just him getting to know ren, partly for infiltration reasons, but partly just because he likes spending time with him. and ren caring about akechi is one of the only choices ren really gets to make with no player input. no matter what you do, ren will lie in bed thinking about akechi's sacrifice. ren will always be reluctant to sacrifice akechi on 2/2 even if he ultimately agrees to do it. he will always indicate that he's upset when lavenza 'confirms' that akechi is gone. and if you go to the jazz club on your last day in tokyo, ren will take out the glove and affirm that he believes akechi is alive, even if the player doesn't give a shit.

anyway, one final note on this scene since i've kind of gone off topic.

The waiter arrives with their drinks. Akechi smiles at him like no one’s ever done anything quite so kind, and the waiter leaves with a slightly dizzy grin. “I think you blinded him,” said Ren. “Hush, you,” said Akechi.

...

[Ren:] “No, it’s not. Am I wrong?” The way Akechi looked at him—it made Ren feel like Akechi wouldn’t have minded sitting there with him forever. He was, in this way, no different from the waiter, whom Akechi had never met before in his life—no better at resisting that sweet look in Akechi’s eyes, like Ren was the most special person in the world, that he was lying to everyone else. “You’re right,” said Akechi.

im just pleased with this part lol. it's a technique i like using. ren's asking if he's wrong about his prediction of akechi's perspective, but then he has some internal narration thinking about how akechi feels about him. akechi confirms his prediction, but it sort of looks like akechi's confirming ren's musings as well that ren is special to him. is that the case? up to you.

#thank you soooooo much for asking 🥰#so much thought has gone into every element of this fic and i am very soft and worm when people wanna know about it #asks #rookfic #long post #god i hope that readmore works. i am so sorry if this clogs anyone's feed. this is so long #do i need... like.. a meta tag...#rookthots #crawling all over him like weevils #p5 #AYLI

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sequinsmile-x · 8 months ago

Text

The Games We Play - Chapter 1

She’d survived the very worst a person could, lived through things that still kept her up at night, the screams of other innocent people ringing in her head as sleep evaded her.

She’d survived so much, but she didn’t think she’d survive leading him to his death.

A Hunger Games AU

-x-

Hi friends,

Well here it is. The crowning jewel in my crown of insanity. The most unhinged AU I've ever come up with.

I had this idea months ago when watching The Hunger Games, another one of my hyperfixations, and I started teasing a few people saying I'd write a Hotchniss AU based on it. Then I started getting close to a couple of milestones on here...both hitting 2 million words of fanfic and 1,000 followers on tumblr. So I said I'd write this when I hit those milestones.

Both happened yesterday.

So, here we are. I really hope you enjoy this, I've worked really hard on the story and making it fit for our beloved CM characters as well as the setting of The Hunger Games.

The next chapter will be up in a few days. For now it is set as 4 chapters, it might turn into 5 if I get a little carried away.

As always, please let me know what you think!

-x-

Words: 2.5k

A full list of warnings can be found on the series master list

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

“Emily, it’s almost time to go.”

She sighs as her mother calls out for her and she closes her eyes, blowing out a shaky breath before she looks at herself in the mirror. She runs her fingers through her dark, perfectly curled hair, making sure it was lying over her shoulders. The dark green tea dress her mother had picked out for her came down to just above her knees, the colour of it complimenting her skin tone. It was velvet, soft and clearly expensive even just to look at, her appearance at odds with almost everyone else in her district.

She looked every bit like the Victor she wished she wasn’t.

It had been three years since she’d won. Since her name had been called out in the town square, the murmuring of her peers around her, whispers that ‘the mayor's daughter’ hadn’t even been safe fading out as she walked to the stage. In her worst moments, the timing of her mother’s reelection, something that looked unlikely at the time, and her reaping felt suspicious. The mayor’s daughter going into the games and becoming the first Victor for the district in a quarter of a century had won the election in a landslide.

It wasn’t lost on Emily that even if she’d died in the arena her mother would have likely won again anyway.

She liked to think that her mother hadn’t put her life at risk for a small grab of power, that she hadn’t made some deal and bartered her 15-year-old daughter’s survival like a chip in a poker game, hoping no one saw her bluff. She liked to think that, but she knew enough about how it all worked, had seen enough in the Capitol since becoming a Victor to know that power was the most important currency in this country. Instead, Emily actively ignored the truth laid out in front of her, knowing that in order to maintain appearances she had no other choice.

She’d won, but sometimes she wondered if she’d ever left the arena at all.

She looks at herself in the mirror one last time, smoothing her hands down her dress, her palms lingering over where the large scar on her abdomen was, the injury that had almost killed her. It was unsightly, something that made her wince whenever she saw it, but she stood by her decision to not have the Capitol remove it. She wanted to remember every day what she’d survived.

“I’m ready.”

The walk to the town square is familiar. She’s sure she could do it in her sleep, a death march she’d been part of her whole life, something she’d done long before she qualified for the games in the first place. She felt a sense of relief that her friends would age out this year, that this was the final time their names would be in the draw, their 18th birthdays always coming with a sigh of relief because it was the last time they’d stand there, their breath caught in their lungs as they waited to hear their name called out.

It feels like a weight is lifted from her shoulders when she spots Dave the moment she steps into the town hall. He was her mentor and friend, the only other victor to ever come from their district. The only other person who knew what it took from someone to win the games and come home alive.

“Hey kid,” he says, pulling her into a hug, one she returns gratefully. She freezes when she hears a throat clear from behind her, her mother’s disapproval at the father figure in her life something she’d made clear. Emily smiles tightly at Dave as she pulls back from him, and she conceals a smile when he winks at her, “You ready?”

She blows out a slow breath. None of this ever got any easier. Having to stand on stage in silence, a fake smile painted on her face, as more children were picked for a death they’d done nothing to deserve. The screams of the parents constantly echoed in her head, never quite going away. They always came back with a vengeance when the tributes died and she knew she was going home on an empty train, with no way she could possibly comfort anyone.

She’d become a cog in the machine that she hated, and she wasn’t sure how she’d ever escape. Her victory and her biggest crime both wrapped up in surviving, in pulling herself out of the pit she’d been thrown into when she was 15.

“Yeah,” she breathes out, pressing her lips together as she lets her mask slip into place, “I’m ready.”

___

He has to encourage this brother out of the house.

His father was passed out drunk in the living room, and his mother was close to hysterical at the thought of Sean being old enough to go into the games now, a level of emotion Aaron didn’t ever remember her showing for him.

He wraps his arm around Sean’s shoulders as they approach the town square, and he feels the 12-year-old tense, his body tight with a fear that Aaron remembered well. It was a feeling that oddly faded over the years, leaving him almost apathetic now, the reality that this was the final year he’d have to do this almost lost on him until his mother mentioned it in passing that morning.

“It will be okay Sean,” Aaron says, stopping to look at his brother, a smile he hopes is reassuring on his face, “It’s your first year. People rarely get their name called on their first year.”

Sean nods and carries on walking towards the signing-in point, “Will Mom and Dad come?”

Aaron sighs as he ruffles his younger brother's hair, “Mom probably will. Dad’s…resting after a long day at work yesterday.”

“I’m 12, not stupid Aaron,” he says, and they come to a stop again before they both join their respective lines, “You don’t have to protect me anymore,” he shrugs, a playful smile spreading across his face, “If the government think I’m old enough to die for entertainment, I’m old enough to know Dad is a piece of crap.”

Aaron chuckles and shakes his head before he ruffles Sean’s hair again, wondering when his little brother had grown up, “Don’t talk like that.”

Sean shrugs him off, any remnants of nerves long gone, “See you after?”

He nods, “See you after.”

Aaron sighs as he signs in, not even flinching as they take a drop of blood to confirm his identity, and he then walks over to the holding pen for his year group. He pauses for a moment when he spots Haley, his smile tight as their eyes meet. They’d dated for the last couple of years but ended their relationship recently, a difference in opinion on what life would hold for them once they were free from this pulling them apart. She smiles back, offering him a small wave before she turns back to her friends, and he finds a place to stand.

He looks up as the doors to the town hall open, the usual anthem playing out through crackly speakers set up around the square. His gaze is immediately fixed on Emily, her beauty as distracting as it always had been.

He’d known her all his life. She was from the other side of town, but they’d always gone to school together. She was nice, and funny and beautiful, never using the fact she was the mayor’s daughter to try and gain favour or popularity. If anything, she seemed to butt against the privilege it would give her, constantly pushing boundaries. They were friends for most of their lives, and always spent as much time together as possible. He’d been in love with her, always convincing himself that one day they could be more than friends.

Then she was reaped and everything changed.

He’d watched the games closer than he ever had that year, looking out for her as much as possible, always feeling a strange sense of elation and fear the moment he saw her. When she won he was happy, delighted that she’d survived, that he wouldn’t have to imagine a life without her, but she came back different. Changed by the things she had seen and done in the games.

She never returned to school, the life of a Victor seemingly a busy one, and her initial attempts at spending time with him faded away once he started to date Haley. Their friendship changed by circumstances beyond their control. He’d aged out of school just a few months ago and soon as he’d turned 18 he’d got a job alongside his father.

Aaron missed Emily, even though she was right in front of him, and he wanted to fix things one day, to be whatever she needed.

She always looked like she needed a friend, her life as lonely as it was busy, her only real company these days found in David Rossi - the only other Victor from their district.

Their eyes briefly meet, her’s flicking towards him, a brief smile flashing across her face before she continues to look forward, stoic and strong in a way she’d been since long before he stood hopelessly in this very spot when her name rang out around them.

He’s drawn back into what’s going on around him, all the explanations for why this was happening, the price they were paying for a war fought and lost long before they were born. The enthusiasm with which the woman from the Capitol explained it all always got his shackles up, her brightly coloured clothes and hair as out of place as her zeal for selecting teenagers to send to their deaths.

Emily had told him once, fresh back from the games, her clothes stuffed with padding to try and hide the weight she’d noticeably lost, that the woman’s name was Penelope. That she was actually nice, albeit misguided, and that she’d been one of the few people in the Capitol Emily had been able to get along with.

“Ladies first,” Penelope says, reaching into the giant bowl, dipping her hand into the pile of slips of paper, a literal hand of fate dealt to someone standing in the crowd. She picks a slip and unfolds it, stepping back in front of the microphone, “Kate Joyner.”

Aaron looks over at Kate and sees the momentary panic flash through her before she steps away from the crowd and walks over to the stage. She was 17 and in the year below at school, someone he’d always got along with any time that they interacted. He feels guilty for the flash of relief that rushes through him when he realises this means Haley was free, that she’d never be at risk of going through all of this again. Despite everything, he still loved her, had still imagined a future with her, and he was happy she’d get to have the life she deserved and wanted.

He looks back at the stage and sees Emily reach out and touch Kate’s arm as she stands next to her, a brief thing he’s sure no one else would notice unless they were looking right at her. It’s a moment of comfort, something that he’s sure doesn’t even touch the surface of what Kate is feeling. But it’s something. A reminder she isn’t alone in this.

At least, she wouldn’t be alone until the moment she stepped into the Arena.

“And now for the gentlemen,” Penelope says, and Aaron feels his breath catch in his chest, the few moments it takes her to pick a name seem to last a lifetime, everything drawn out into slow motion, even the breeze in Emily’s hair, loose strands moving in the wind with more freedom than any of them had ever had. Penelope picks up one of the slips of paper and unfolds it, “Sean Hotchner.”

It takes a moment for Aaron’s brain to catch up, for him to realise what’s happened. He snaps his head to where his brother is standing. He can see from where he is that Sean is panicking, that tears are flooding his eyes as his peers step backwards from him, making it clear to everyone exactly who he is. It seemed unfair, cruel that his brother had been picked on his first ever time when this was Aaron’s sixth time going through this process.

Aaron doesn’t think about it, his body moving on autopilot, his desire to spare his brother from this, to save him in a way he hadn’t been to save him from their father, driving him forward. He’s standing on the path leading to the stage before Sean can even start to walk towards it, and he sucks in a deep breath, before he says two words that he’s sure all but sign his death warrant.

“I volunteer.”

___

She freezes as she watches him walk out from where he was standing. She already knew what was about to happen. He was brave to a fault, foolhardy with his own safety, and he loved his brother. He held everyone he cared about in higher esteem than himself. His almost subconscious desire to protect everyone around him even to his own detriment something she’d known about since they were small children.

He’d once taken the blame for damaging a vase in her mother’s house that she’d broken, claiming it was his fault that it had fallen from the table it had been sitting on even though it was her who had knocked it over. He’d teased her about it for years, and winked as he told her that owed him one.

Emily can’t help but stare as he walks up the stairs to the stage and stands next to Penelope.

“A volunteer, how exciting,” Penelope says, her exuberance something Emily cannot find comfort in for once, “What’s your name?”

“Aaron…” he says, clearing his throat, “Aaron Hotchner.”

His name rings out around the town square, a death rattle he was ringing himself. One that had led so many to their demise before him. The last few years it had happened under her watch, and it takes everything in her not to gasp, to continue to play the part of the victor she’d been for three years now.

She’d survived the very worst a person could, lived through things that still kept her up at night, the screams of other innocent people ringing in her head as sleep evaded her. She’d survived so much, but she didn’t think she’d survive leading him to his death.

Not when she’d been in love with him for as long as she could remember.

-x-

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redahlia-writes · 2 years ago

Text

you make loving fun. | masterlist

pairing: francisco “frankie” morales x ofc (camila garcia)

abstract: “We didn’t necessarily do things the proper way–Will would say we actually did them backwards, which I think is just partially true, I’m not giving you the satisfaction, Miller. You see, when I first met Frankie we didn’t say a single word to each other for exactly three minutes and thirty-four seconds–and I know that, because that’s the exact duration of You Make Loving Fun. Technically, the first thing I said to him was Sweet wonderful you, and after all this time I still stand by those words. We could’ve done things in order, we could’ve done everything scrambled through whatever amount of time, but the result would still be the same–Francisco, my sweet wonderful you, you really do make loving fun.”

a/n: this was born as a companion piece to one of @lcvenderblues ideas and then it became a beast of its own and, in true me fashion, turned from a one shot to a way longer story. i’ve always wanted to write something inspired by fleetwood mac and i know my boy frankie listens to them religiously–also seeing camila morrone in 70s clothing inspired me furthermore. so there you have it

also on AO3 - masterlist

feedback is always greatly appreciated. you can send it here, too

content warnings will be given for each chapter, the story is 18+ (mdni). chapters marked with * contain smut.

1. you make loving fun*

2. landslide

3. everywhere

4. crystal*

5. songbird

6. need your love so bad.

7. as long as you follow.*

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cieloclercs · 1 year ago

Text

𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐝𝐞 | chapter four

pairings: charles leclerc x senna!oc part: 4/? warnings: swearing, a little angsty word count: 5.9k

SAUDADE. in which childhood rivals turned best friends realise they were always meant to be something more

04. in fair verona

author’s note: and so it begins 👀 also yes i chose verona because of romeo and juliet (noa and charles are them in modern day, interpret that how you’d like) 🫣 hope you enjoy!

read it on wattpad!

previous: chapter 3 next ➜ chapter 5

5 August 2012 Zuera International Circuit, Spain WSK Euro Series, Final Round

NOA IS ON her feet the second he crosses the line, cheering until her throat is raw. She can see him raise his fist in triumph, drifting around the first turn of the track on his victory lap with one hand. Charles Leclerc, her best friend, is the WSK Euro Series champion by a landslide.

The Senna Borges family has travelled all the way from Brazil to watch this moment. Luiz, her little brother, is on her right, jumping up and down and screaming like his life depends on it. Her mother holds his hand, trying to keep him as calm as possible, but Noa can sense that underneath her serene smile, she is just as excited. To the left, her father claps with his hands above his head, a proud grin ever-present on his face as he watches the young boy he now considers as a second son lead the final victory lap around the track. Gabriel’s pride is next only to that of Charles’ family, who stand on the other side of him. Herv�� is jumping around almost as excitedly as Luiz, with Arthur tucked under his arm. Pascale, who has had her head in her hands in worry for almost the entire race, now cheers louder than anyone else (although she keeps a close, wary eye on her son still, heart in her mouth as he takes sharp corners with only one hand on the wheel). They probably look a little crazy to everyone else in the garage, but none of them care. This is Charles’ time, and they’ll be damned if they can’t celebrate it properly.

Noa, Arthur and Luiz practically sprint to the front of the podium, before a crowd can gather and block them off. They save a space for their parents as best they can, though it’s a tight squeeze when the families of the other podium finishers also arrive. Still, they make room. They’re not about to let any of them miss this moment, when Charles walks out ready to take his trophy – it should be any second now. Noa looks up at her father with quite possibly the widest smile he’s ever seen. Pascale has her camera at the ready, its memory cleared so she can take as many pictures of her son as is humanly possible. No doubt, she’ll be showing them around the family all night, and Charles will groan in embarrassment each time.

The cheers go up as the three podium finishers walk out, Charles at the back waving excitedly once he sees his family at the front of the crowd. In second and third are two Italians, Felice Tiene and Antonio Fuoco, grinning just as widely to be runner ups as Charles is to have won. Noa tries to catch his eye, but he’s too focussed on his parents and brother. She doesn’t mind too much – she’ll have plenty of time to see him afterwards.

A silver, gleaming trophy is brought out and thrust into Charles’ arms by whoever has been selected to present it – presumably the owner of the track or some other hot-shot in the karting industry. He lifts it high above his head, too modest to cheer, but proud enough that he can’t fight the grin on his face as the crowd raise up to congratulate him. It’s then that his eyes find Noa’s, drifting from his family to the next person he wants to share this moment with; his best friend. She’s been watching him the whole time, of course, waiting for her opportunity. When she sees he’s finally turned to her, she cheers so loudly it could even rival the noise Pascale is making. He shakes his head, laughing, but Noa knows him well enough now to see the glint in his eye. He wants them all to cheer for him, deep down, even if he complains. When all’s said and done, Charles Leclerc simply wants to make his family proud.

The Leclerc-Borges’, as is tradition, go out to dinner at the nicest restaurant they can find to celebrate. They’d done the same just over a year ago now after Charles’ victory in the KF3 Kart World Cup, and since then, with every race win and even every disappointment, they never fail to spend the evenings together – as if they’re one family as a whole. It was natural after the world cup, in which Charles and Noa were so closely matched, forming a rivalry on-track and a friendship off it, for their parents to grow just as close. Gabriel and Hervé spend race weekends chipping in with bits of advice and talking through strategies, whilst Flávia and Pascale catch each other up on everything they may have missed over their months of separation – with the Leclercs in Monaco and the Senna-Borges’ in Brazil. Noa already has plenty of family, mostly on her father’s side (thanks to his four siblings), but Charles, Arthur, Lorenzo, Hervé and Pascale mean just as much to her.

Their group is split up when they arrive at the restaurant, adults on one table, kids on the other. The two younger Leclerc brothers are outraged as Lorenzo is allowed to join their parents, making sure to shoot them a thumbs up and a shit-eating grin before turning away. Noa sits next to Charles on their small table, set at the side of the private corner her father has booked out for the occasion, with Luiz sat across from her and Arthur to his left. Charles’ grumbles about being lumped in with the ‘kids’ (despite being almost fifteen years old) carry far enough to be heard by his parents, no doubt on purpose. Though, if Pascale and Hervé do hear anything, their only reaction is to smirk into their wine glasses.

“If you sit on the adult’s table you won’t be able to talk to me, idiota.” Noa hisses, swatting his arm playfully as he shoots another dirty look in his parent’s direction.

“Who says I want to talk to you?” Charles retorts, grinning smugly. Her eyes widen and she gasps, hitting him again with more force. He flinches away, giggling.

“I’m kidding!” he raises his hands in surrender. Noa decides to give him the benefit of the doubt, tucking readily into her food.

The Senna Borges family always say she inherited her father’s energetic personality – which is just a kinder way of saying she doesn’t know when to shut up. Luiz is similar, but when Noa hasn’t seen her best friend in over a month, she finds that she has so much to tell him about, her stream of conversation can be endless. Charles knows this better than anyone. He’s sat through many of her rants where he hardly pays attention to the actual words she says, but rather finds his attention captured by the many varying expressions on her face. Noa is at her most animated when she talks about something she’s passionate about. She also (as an incident on the beach in Monaco about six months ago taught them, when she was so engrossed in a retelling of one of her latest races that she tripped and fell face-first into the wet sand) becomes completely unaware of her surroundings. Charles has learnt to take advantage of this well. Noa doesn’t even notice him stealing her French fries as she talks. It’s only Arthur and Luiz’s giggles that alert her to his antics.

“Hey!” she exclaims, her voice climbing an octave, and Charles’ hand jumps away from where he had been about to steal another French fry from her plate, “Don’t take my food, puta.”

From the adjacent table, Noa hears her mother’s voice scolding her in Portuguese (and her father’s poorly concealed snort of amusement). She turns her attention to the former for a moment, apologising sheepishly. Then her focus is back on Charles, where he sits trying desperately to hide his smile.

“You’ve barely eaten any.” He defends, “You talk so much you don’t even have time to eat!”

Arthur and Luiz seem to find this particular comment hilarious, much to Noa’s growing annoyance. This is an instance in which she finds it difficult to focus on more than one thing at once – the first, shooting her brother and friend the dirtiest look she can manage, and the second (which she’s too preoccupied to take note of), Charles’ hand creeping over the table to pinch yet another fry from her plate. Noa’s head whirls around. She doesn’t hesitate this time to slap him away with as much force as she can muster. He yelps, dropping the fry onto the floor. ‘Well done, now no one can eat it.’ She hears Luiz quip in the background. For once, Noa pays him no mind.

“Stop being mean!” she says to Charles, her lower lip sticking out just a little involuntarily, “I haven’t seen you in a month. I’ve got a lot to tell you about.”

If there’s one thing Charles Leclerc has learned in his just over year-long friendship with Noa, it’s that she’s unapologetically loud. He supposes it’s a family trait, because all of the Senna Borges’ are like that, to varying extents – even Flávia, the calmest of the group, is known to grow pretty lively once she’s had a couple of drinks. Though Charles isn’t necessarily used to that kind of unrelenting, chaotic energy, it’s one of the things he likes most about Noa. She never runs out of enthusiasm, even if she’s telling him about something as mundane as what she had for breakfast, the way she talks has him gripping the edge of his seat, or shaking with laughter, or even simply gazing at her in wonder. Somehow, she manages to make everything seem like the adventure of a lifetime.

It hits him then that in the month they’ve been apart, he’s really missed her long-winded rants. They haven’t seen each other since the anniversary of their first meeting, the Junior Kart World Cup, where Charles and his family watched her breeze through the rest of the field to take victory. After that, they went their separate ways, Noa back to Rio with her family, and him to Monaco, all the way on the other side of the world. Charles isn’t sure why it didn’t occur to him that the dull emptiness he felt in all that time was him missing her.

“Sorry, mouse.” He replies quietly. His formerly playful grin morphs into something a little more tender. Though if Noa notices it, she’s certainly too preoccupied groaning at the use of her nickname to think too much about it.

“Mouse?” Luiz snickers from across the other side of the table.

“Yeah!” Charles nods enthusiastically, “Because her nose scrunches up when she’s angry. Like a mouse!”

Once again, Arthur and Luiz seem to find this bit of information hilarious. Noa doesn’t bother trying to shut them up – she’ll deal with her brother at least later on – so instead she turns to her best friend. She makes a show of despising the nickname he gave her a little over six months ago now. At first, it had annoyed her a little. She wants to be seen as something strong and powerful, certainly not a mouse; to her, it seems a little insulting to be likened to something so small, so insignificant. It didn’t take long for her to get over herself – it’s just a silly nickname after all, but now she’s reluctant to drop the pretence of annoyance whenever Charles uses it. Besides, she knew if Luiz ever found out, he’d tease her about it non-stop. Give him the tiniest incentive to push her buttons, and he’ll grab at it with both hands.

“See! Just like that.” Charles giggles, pointing towards Noa’s face where she is trying to give him a dirty look. Arthur and Luiz break out into peals of laughter again, and she can do nothing but throw her hands up in the air in exasperation. Annoyance is the easiest emotion to switch to, after all, and she’d never admit to Charles that maybe she doesn’t hate that stupid nickname as much as she lets on.

“I hate you.” She mutters to him when she’s sure Luiz and Arthur aren’t listening. She knows her smile is betraying her, but in all honesty, she also doesn’t see why he would ever believe it to be true – Charles is her best friend in the entire world. He can see the teasing glint in her eye as clearly as he sees his own hand waving in front of his face, “I thought we made a pact to never repeat that in front of anyone?” Noa says, arching her eyebrows.

“Sorry.” He murmurs back, his smile mirroring hers. “I can’t help it. It’s cute when you try to be intimidating.”

She has to look away then, fighting hard to stop the heat she can feel building beneath her skin from appearing on her cheeks. Charles is giggling at his own words and the memory of her expression when he looks away, immediately being pulled into a new conversation with Luiz. Noa shakes her head. One final stolen, curious glance, and everything returns to normal – no blushing, no sudden flips inside her stomach. For once, she lets her best friend talk, listening to his voice with a fondness she feels for no one else, trying to commit it to memory for the next time they are separated. It’s kept away in a little lockbox in the back of her mind – moments with him – which, in the times when she feels loneliest, are sometimes her only solace. One day, Noa swears, they’ll be able to spend every waking minute together. No more goodbyes outside airports. No more five hour time differences. From then until the rest of their lives.

26 January 2021 Verona, Italy

THERE’S A LAYER of frost covering the cobbled streets, something which Noa makes sure to keep an extra close eye on as she shuffles along. Of all the places in Italy she’s travelled to, from Milan to Venice and Rome to Maranello in her Ferrari Academy days, she’s never been to Verona. She thinks perhaps, in the summer, she’ll be able to see its beauty more clearly, but in temperatures near freezing, the Brazilian in her is too frozen stiff to pay much attention to her surroundings. Noa’s only goal is to get to the café and then get out again as quickly as is humanly possible. Both because of the weather and who she’ll be meeting inside.

Normally, convenience is greeted with relief and a muted form of happiness, especially when it comes to making plans. The fact that Noa and Charles both happen to be in Italy at the same time, within only a hundred or so miles of each other, is incredibly convenient. But it’s not the kind that makes her relieved they won’t have to bend over backwards just to find a time in their busy schedules where they’re both free to meet. This kind of convenience Noa could really do without. It feels more like the universe working against her than some form of divine miracle. She’d been hoping to put off this meeting for as long as possible after Charles suggested it at the gala, but of course, it had only taken him a day to suggest a time, and once she’d realised she was due to be in Italy at that time anyway, there really was no getting out of it.

Verona, as it turns out, is the closest place between Maranello and Vicenza where they can meet in private. Maranello itself is out of the picture of course, because it’s essentially the Holy Land for Ferrari fans, and they’re always swarming the place at every time of year – not just in the summer. Being spotted together by fans after two years of complete radio silence is not the way Noa wants to begin her Formula 1 career. Vicenza, where she is helping her brother and his girlfriend move into their temporary apartment, again is too close to where fans might spot them to be deemed safe. Besides, everyone following Luiz on Instagram already knows she’s with him (thanks to his insufferable habit of taking pictures of her sleeping on planes), and since it’s common knowledge where her brother is spending the next couple of days (again, a consequence of his over-sharing on social media), it’s not difficult to connect the dots.

Verona is the middle ground. Somewhere neither of them are expected to be, yet close enough that they can meet up for coffee for a few hours and be back in their respective hotels again before anyone even notices they’re missing. Noa just hopes the thick scarf she’s wrapped around her neck will be a good enough disguise. Her favourite pair of high-top converse slip over the icy cobbles, and she winces as she tries to steady herself. The café they’ve arranged to meet at is right across the street. She sucks in a deep breath, slowing her rapid heartbeat, trying to convince herself it will all be ok. Then she’s walking with purpose, pushing open the door. It doesn’t take long to spot him. He’s stood up already, eyes wide, arms slightly outstretched in an awkward manner as if he’s not quite sure how to greet her. Noa steels her expression and walks over to his table.

In the past, he’d have hugged her, kissed either of her cheeks, and she’d have smiled in the way that makes his heart soar. Now it’s in a pit in his stomach. She offers him nothing more than a curt nod before sliding into the seat opposite him. Charles wipes his slightly sweaty palms on his jeans. He’s been sat in the café for almost half an hour now, a little earlier than they arranged to meet, giving himself a mental pep talk. A part of him feared she wouldn’t show up at all. Yet here she is sat in front of him, eyes glued to her folded hands, posture rigid. It feels so strange. This isn’t the way their story is supposed to unfold; they’re supposed to be best friends, together until the end. Now they feel like strangers.

“Can we make this quick please?” Noa speaks first, her voice strained, unnerved by the prolonged silence. Charles realises he’s been staring, “I told my brother I’d be back by three.”

He’s quick to nod. He wants to protest, to tell her that he doesn’t think this is something that can be sorted over a twenty minute cup of coffee, but right now, it’s enough to simply have her here. He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to convince her to meet again any other time; which makes it harder for him to spit out his plan for the coming season, in all honesty. But at least she’s here to listen to it, he thinks.

“Alright.” Charles croaks, immediately wincing at the sound of his voice. He can’t fathom why his heart is starting to pound now, and his skin feels like it’s trying to peel itself from his bones. He’s never been this nervous around Noa before, not his Noa. Sure, he used to feel his cheeks heat up when she complimented him, and butterflies erupt in his stomach whenever he spotted her cheering for him below the podium, but this is different. This is pure anxiety. It’s uncomfortable and it’s wrong. He should never feel this way around his best friend; not the one he remembers anyway, the one who could turn any story into an adventure, who used to brighten up his day with her laughter. But, he supposes, she isn’t really his Noa anymore. She’s changed.

They decide to order their coffees before getting down to business. She fights the look of surprise on her face when Charles orders the exact same drink that Arthur had just over a month ago: a Nutella mocha, sans chocolate flakes, because this little Italian coffee shop is a little classier than the one in London. They’ve opted for chocolate dusting instead. Noa sticks to her black coffee. She knows in another time, he’d call her choice boring, and she’d allow herself to laugh before making a quip about his sweet tooth (exactly the same as she had with Arthur – the Leclerc brothers really are carbon copies of each other, even if they’d both vehemently deny it). She also knows that Charles is thinking the same. That’s the thing about knowing someone as well as they know each other. Even though they’ve both changed, they can still read each other like open books.

“I’m not going to sugar-coat any of this for you.” Noa speaks up finally, just when the silence is beginning to grow unbearable, “I really need this deal. But I can’t and won’t accept it if you don’t co-operate with me.” She states. Her tone is hard and business-like. It’s so different to the vibrancy with which he remembers her talking. He finds it hard to believe this is the same person.

“I’m going to co-operate.” Charles responds feebly, “Look, I know how important this is. I don’t want to ruin it for you.” He says, almost pleading. He can live without this contract – God knows he already makes enough from sponsorships anyway – but if Chanel needs both of them for it to work, then he’ll sign without a moment’s hesitation. He’s done holding back Noa’s career; unintentionally or not.

“Ok.” The aforementioned blinks in surprise, “Then we’ll need to lay out some ground rules.” She carries on, seemingly unfazed. He nods his agreement immediately, “First, we can’t let our…past interfere with our jobs. That applies to Chanel and to racing. Second, we don’t talk to the media about 2018. Or any other aspects of our personal lives that we wouldn’t want getting out to the fans.”

Charles nods again. Everything she’s saying sounds perfectly reasonable so far, and more importantly doable. They’re all the things he had been hoping they could agree on when he suggested this meeting.

“Third.” Noa speaks up again, her expression falling further, “We can pretend to Chanel and the media that we’ve patched up our differences. But once the cameras are off, I don’t want anything to do with you.”

Charles’ heart all but stops.

“W-What?” he stammers. He searches her face for any sign of a prank or a joke that he may have missed, but she’s perfectly stoic. Her features are still soft as he remembers: cheekbones curving perfectly, thick lashes brushing against her upper cheek, cupid’s bow lips that he knows can curve into the most beautiful smile on earth. Yet she’s cold and hardened to him in a way he never thought was possible. Naïve Charles always believed he’d be the object of her sweet smiles and golden features forever. Now he’s on the end of a look she’d only give to her worst enemy.

“I’m serious, Charles. I don’t want anything to do with you.” She repeats, as if to twist the knife in deeper. He can’t find the words in him to reply for a moment. Everything he’s feeling is so confusing. There’s despair and unwanted anger, but the latter is bubbling up quicker. He knows it’s a defence against the emotions he won’t acknowledge. Anger is easier than accepting them, even if it’s what got them into this situation in the first place.

“So you’re just going to pretend to the world that we’re friends again, but treat me like a stranger behind closed doors?” Charles hisses, “I’m not a stranger, Noa. You can’t just act like seven years never happened –“

“Can I not?” she cuts across him, eyes blazing, “You threw away those seven years pretty easily.”

So did you! He wants to yell. Charles has battled with the memory of their last conversation for years now, and he still refuses to believe that every harsh word spoken that night was entirely his fault. They both said things they didn’t mean. They both threw their friendship onto the furnace like a piece of discarded rubbish. It wasn’t just him.

But there’s no point digging all that up now. It’s not why they’re here. So Charles reins the venom on his tongue back in, stamping out the flames licking at his chest. He knows that one day they’ll have to speak about the events of that night, but today isn’t that day. They simply need to figure out how they’re going to navigate their careers around each other for the next few months. Though evidently, if Noa’s ‘ground rules’ are anything to go by, coming to an agreement isn’t going to be so easy – Charles simply can’t in good conscience fake their friendship in front of cameras and have her look at him like this whenever they’re alone; as if she hates him. His heart just can’t take that. If she wants compromise, she’s going to have to do the same for him too.

“Look,” he begins, levelling out his voice as best he can, “I understand why you don’t want to talk to me. I really do. But we’re not going to be able to convince anyone that we’re friends again unless we at least try to work through our differences.”

“Why not?” She shoots back almost immediately. The laugh that greets her is bitter and sorrowful.

“You’re very expressive, Noa.” Charles murmurs, “Even when you try to hide it. Everyone in this room right now can see that you’d rather be anywhere but here. With me.” He chuckles again. It’s completely humourless; almost jarring. She’s never heard his laugh so empty before.

“So what do you suggest?” she speaks again after a moment, her tone not quite so accusatory this time. “We can’t just move on. Pretend like nothing happened.”

“No, I know. I know.” He breathes out, a little shaky. He has an idea for how they may be able to put their differences aside – at least for a little while. Somewhere safe for the both of them, where he’ll have protection if she tries to bite his head off, and she’ll have others to turn to when she inevitably gets sick of the sight of him: family. “I think, if we spend some time together before the season starts, it’ll be easier.” He says warily. Noa’s eyes narrow.

“What are you suggesting?” she asks. Her voice is soft, but it’s low too, and dangerous. Charles isn’t sure how to approach this. He views it like ripping off a band-aid, as cliché as the phrase might be for describing uncomfortable situations. Though it absolutely applies in this case. He’s not stupid enough to believe she’ll accept his offer without putting up a fight.

“Come stay with me.” He blurts out, “In Monaco. For a while, I mean. So we can figure everything out.”

He searches her face for a reaction. She’s eerily calm, and though it feels like a warning to him, he takes it as an opportunity to further support his case. Frankly, he’s lucky she hasn’t thrown her coffee in his face yet, like some kind of cruel, scorching symbol of rejection. Charles knows when to take the win.

“I’m out of my apartment for a while, so I’m staying with maman.” He continues hastily, “I could ask her to set up your old room again? It hasn’t been used since 2018, but we kept everything in it pretty much the same.”

Still, no reaction. Nothing but an unwavering, undecipherable stare. She’s weighing up the pros and cons in her mind already, he knows she is. Despite being a deeply emotional (occasionally erratic) person, Noa rarely makes any decision without thinking it through thoroughly beforehand. She’s surprisingly methodical in that sense. Charles likens it to the way she thinks before a race. Sometimes she’ll sit in silence for hours, considering every possible factor; grid position, immediate opponents, strategy, various curveballs that are almost always thrown into the mix. It’s the mentality of a winner, he thinks. But she hasn’t quite mastered it yet – or they wouldn’t be here having this conversation right now.

“It’s not just for me.” He tries again desperately, all but begging for some kind of reaction now, “Maman misses you. She always tells me. Arthur and Lorenzo would love to see you again too –“

“I saw Arthur in London.” She says softly. Her voice cutting across him almost comes as a surprise. Though that’s mostly because she still sounds so calm…and perhaps something else as well, something familiar he can’t quite put his finger on.

“I know.” Charles nods. “He told me.”

A few days before Christmas, at their annual family get-together. Hearing her name from his brother’s mouth, breaking the unspoken rule they have to never talk about her when he’s around, woke something up inside him. Something he’d tried to bury – evidently, not deep enough.

“Of course he did.” Noa scoffs. She’d known Arthur would feed back their conversation in that little café, even though she asked him not to. Brothers stick together, after all. She shakes her head. That’s not the point of this. Back to the point.

“You can’t expect me to drop everything and come live with you for – what, a month?” she tells him. Her harsh tone is gone, but she’s exasperated now, almost defeated. This isn’t going to be a quick fix like she hoped, that’s clear now – though she knows she was deluded to believe it would be in the first place. It’s clear what Charles is asking her. Stay with him until the start of the season. A little like exposure therapy; confront her with forced proximity, and it might not be so hard to act like everything is normal when the cameras and the media come around. They’ll be pretending enough with Pascale and his brothers watching, after all. Charles knows Noa would do whatever it takes to keep them happy, especially his mother.

“I have my own family too, in case you forgot. I can’t just disappear for two months.” She reasons. He’s already shaking his head before she’s even finished her sentence.

“I’m not asking you to.” He sighs, “Obviously you don’t have to stay the whole time. We’ll both have testing and other things besides…I’m not going to be keeping you under house arrest, Noa.” He trails off, running a hand through his hair, “Just – come back to Monaco after testing and after seeing your family. For the sake of this deal, just help me try to make things normal again. Please.”

Come back to Monaco. Come back for him, is what he means. Noa can hear the undertone, hear the desperation, the pleading. Logistically, it makes sense. They’re both based in Europe for testing, within a similar range of the western hemisphere. Their schedules will overlap, leaving them with time where they’re both free of duties. Come back when he’s there. Staying with Pascale is his cover, but it’s nothing more than that – Noa will always love the rest of the Leclerc family. It’s not them she has to learn to tolerate again. Like it or not, she’s beginning to realise that Charles is right. The only way they’ll be able to work together is if they’re already used to it. Exposure therapy.

"Ok." she says simply, not meeting his eye. Charles blinks in surprise, "Give me a couple of weeks to sort everything out with Raffa and my family. How does early February sound to you? Say around…the eighth?”

“Uh –“ he stutters slightly, wracking his brain to try and remember if he has any prior commitments that might clash. He can think of none, “Yeah, that sounds good for me. I’ll have to check with maman of course…” he trails off. Noa nods in understanding. Though Charles knows that his mother will clear whatever she has in her schedule, no matter how important, to accommodate for his former best friend. Even if they’ve been estranged for two years, Pascale still considers Noa as her daughter. It’s this that makes it hard for him to face his mother sometimes – the sorrow and disappointment in her eyes, that because of his mistakes, it’s not just him that has lost her.

“Don’t think that just because I’m not complaining means I’m happy about this. I’m not.” She reiterates, the ice returning to her eyes. Charles’ heart sinks as he watches it take over her features again, features that he thought may have been beginning to soften. But then her previous words hit him again, like a head-on collision with a freight train. I don’t want anything to do with you. He has to swallow back the lump in his throat.

“I know.” He says quietly, “But I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t think it was necessary.”

He can only hope that in the time they are forced to spend together, he may be able to break down some of the walls she’s clearly built up against him – to soften her eyes when she looks at him, and make her smile like he always used to. Charles doesn’t yet know how they are going to be able to move forward, but he knows he has to try before it’s too late. He’s already wasted two years. He refuses to let any more precious time slip between his fingers.

Noa doesn’t stick around long after that, and though it feels like an omen, he tries his best not to seem too downhearted. She suggests they split the bill when it’s placed in front of them. Charles is quick to shake his head at her. He insists on paying for both of them; he won’t hear otherwise, even when he can see the annoyance that flashes in her eyes at his persistence. But Noa relents soon enough, allowing the waiter that attends to them to put the bill on his card. Who is she to turn down a free coffee?

They leave separately, five minutes apart – as per Noa’s insistence. She doesn’t want to risk being seen leaving together, already aware of the many possible headlines the media would come up with even if they caught the tiniest glimpse of them. Charles has half a mind to tell her that they could just have easily been spotted together in the café, but holds his tongue just in time. She doesn’t give him enough time to say a proper goodbye. Noa waltzes out of the doors just as quickly as she had walked in; it reminds him of how abruptly she’d turned away that night in 2018. He can’t even begin to form the words of an explanation or an apology. She never waits long enough.

He sits in solitude in the café for a few more minutes, playing back their entire conversation in his head. It went much better than he had been expecting, yet there’s an empty feeling in his chest as he recalls the cold softness of her voice. His worst fear is coming true. He feels like he doesn’t really know her anymore. It’s as if the chapter in his life that centred around Noa is closing, against his will, and no matter what he does, he can’t stop the page from falling shut forever. Charles knows of course that nothing can last forever. But she is the one person he believed would always be constant.

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belethlegwen · 2 months ago

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The Stranding - Chp 73 - Hidden Duality

I was in emergency for 8 hours last night and never got seen by a Doctor, so have a chapter before I go get myself some more sleep to catch up <3

By the time 2am rolled around it had been over an hour and a half since the last person had been called in to be seen, and we had noticed that only the triage nurse and the registration nurse were still there. My province has a wildly concerning lack of Doctors and healthcare professionals right now, and I couldn't wait another 4-5 hours for the next shift change, so we left and went to bed out of it. Hoping I can stave off the worst of the discomfort with over-the-counter medicine until I see my family Doctor on Monday.

Meanwhile, the gang is experiencing some shifts in dynamics that none of them find particularly comfortable as they assess the wreckage of the Swift Landslide. I hope you all enjoy!

Much love and be kind to yourselves <3

~ Belle

#g/t #giant/tiny #giant tiny #g/t writing #g/t author #gtauthor #gt #gentle giantess #author thoughts #g/t story #giant/tiny story #giant tiny story #giant/tiny writing #A frustrating thing about yesterday was that I needed my sister to tell me that my family doctor's office auto-clears the cancellation list #and that for almost 2 weeks I had been off of the cancellation list and no one had warned me #I don't know if anyone thinks it's concerning enough to get me in to see him that I could've seen him last week #but god I was so angry I started to cry yesterday when my sister told me that I just... wasn't on it anymore #Called and got them to put me back on but my appointment is Monday so like will they really care enough to call me?#I don't blame any of the staff for what happened last night in the ER by the way #We really have 0 fucking doctors here now and even the smartest and best paid humans are not robots #It's hard times all around #Sorry for le ramble

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lakemojave · 2 years ago

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Tonight at 6pm Pacific: RESIDENT EVIL 4!!!

Y'all asked for it! In a shocking landslide, my subscribers almost unanimously voted for more re4 this week! Since I love to give you guys what you want AND I love this game, we're going into chapter 4 tonight as Leon and the US President's daughter are attacked by a wizard. Speaking of wizards, I'll have senior wizard correspondents @cryptotheism @the-seelie-court-official and @madmonksandmaenads tonight in shotgun! See y'all then!!!

twitch_live

#resident evil #re4 #twitch #stream #lmhps #shameless plugging

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choicesficwriterscreations · 1 year ago

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October 2023 WOTM: peonierose

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @peonierose. We hope you will enjoy learning more about them and their work below! The writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Quick Links:

Tumblr Blog: peonierose Blog Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? Peonie or PR is fine 🥰

1- When did you start playing Choices? What was the first book you played?

Way back when Choices first launched. My first book was The Freshman Series - book 1. It was so fun to play the books and get super excited for new chapters. I was waiting until midnight for new chapters. It was the first time I’ve played an app where I could make decisions and use diamonds for VIP scenes 😍

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I joined the Choices fandom back in 2021. I really missed Open Heart after book 3 ended (and left me wanting more) So I wanted to see if there were any more stories I could binge, and that’s how I stumbled upon Tumblr 🥰

3- How did you pick your blog name?

It may sound weird but it just came to me. Peonies are my favorite flowers. As soon as I thought peonie I quickly added rose and I was like that sounds so cool and it’s unique which I love 😍 And that’s how peonierose was born.

4- Pull up the first post in your archive, and tell us about it!

Gosh. This feels like forever ago. When I first came on tumblr I didn’t post or reblog much 😅 (too shy to interact with anyone 🙈)

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

It has been 2 years in August this year since I’ve actively started writing fanfic 🥰 (I still can’t believe I actually made the leap and decided to post any of my stories).

6- What is your favorite Choices book, and what is your favorite Choices book to write about?

You’re really going to make me choose? There are so many good ones 😱

I love to write for two of my favorite books which are Nightbound and Open Heart. Those are the ones I feel most connected to 🥰 Though I’d love to venture out and make edits or social media posts for other choices books too.

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it, or would you change it if you were writing it today?

I wrote Robin‘s Tell-All from TNA, and it was the first fic I’ve ever shared. I really wanted to write a story from Robin‘s POV and how all that happened in TNA affected him and all the mistakes he made.

I wanted to showcase his inner struggle.

I remember how nervous I was to post something that I’d written. I thought to myself, will people even like my story? And if they do like it, then what? It was a great rush to see the reblogs, and the love for my first-ever posted fic.

If I could change one thing, it would probably be the moodboard 😅

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

That is a tough question, because to me every fic I‘ve written has a special place in my heart. So every story reflects the feelings I’ve felt while writing my story.

Buuuuut if I had to choose: It would be a tie between By a Landslide (Bryce and Luna), the 3rd chapter of my Nightbound series - Unexpected and Go with the Flow (Luna & Bryce)

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but found could use a little more love?

I actually didn’t think I’m a sucker for you, A Pinch of Pink and Blue…This one‘s for you, Cinnamon Sugar and Wildflower, to be as well received as they did.

However, I think Bittersweet Symphony and Losing Game (1 / 4) could use some more love.

Both stories are amazing and I think you’ll love both my pairings. Luna & Bryce and of course Maxine and Adam.

10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

I am by no means a smut writer 😅 Maybe I’ll get there 😅 But I’d go with a mix between angst and fluff. I think a nice balance between these two would be good.

11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

Yeah. Tons of times. Take Luna for example. She has anxiety like me, and her appearance, such as her blue-green eyes and dark blonde hair, are like mine. But character wise we’re complete opposites. I wish I’d be more artistic like her 🩷

And Bryce is an Aries like me, and so many things he says or does make me go back, and I’m like, yeah, I would say something like that. Other than that, I’ve learned to give my characters real flaws and make them human, if that makes sense. But it does happen that they end up with character traits that are mine, and then I lean back and realize I’ve given my characters some of my weird and quirky character traits 🤣

12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

Damn. Umm…I struggle with a lot of things. Finding the right words sometimes because English isn’t my first, not even my second language. I speak six languages, so it's sometimes hard to find the words to describe things.

Showing, not telling that’s another thing I struggle with.

That and if I have to keep a deadline to post something 🤣 Because it takes me forever to post anything I’m not 100% behind and happy with.

13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

How much time you’ve got? I have over 30 wips, that want some desperate attention, and I always keep adding new wips, whenever something inspires me to write 😅

I’ve found some new inspo for Somewhere Only We Know 🥰 Apart from that I’d love to take another look at my two AU‘s Amber & my Nightbound series. So we’ll see what wips I can manage to finish 😅

14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first?

Sure. I’d love to get an outside opinion of my work and my characters that are so beloved and close to my heart 🩷

I actually tell people that I write fanfic and original work. And I’ve sent some samples their way and they liked it. Which makes me feel more confident in my writing (not saying it’s perfect, there’s always room for improvement, but it’s getting better).

As for which story to start? I’d say start with Only Love for Bryce and Luna. That was my first story of them and I consider it their start.

Then continue with Always & Forever and Go with the Flow.

Those were my first posted stories about Luna & Bryce and I think you’ll like them. It would give you a good understanding of my storytelling and my characters.

15 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing?

There are a couple of authors I admire - Chloe Neil, Elise Kova, Nalini Singh, Rachel Caine (R.I.), Rebecca Yarros, and many more. They have influenced and shaped my writing, my fantasy world-building, and, of course building my characters. These authors know how to tell great stories, which makes me admire them so much.

As for fanfic writers who’ve inspired me? I’d love to give a special shoutout to one of my closest friends who’s been my beta reader for almost anything @annieruok She’s an amazing person and writer. Thanks so much for all the times listening to my ramblings about scenes and characters 🩷

16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series?

My Nightbound series hands down. That is a story that really deserves to be on the big screen or as a Netflix show. I’m not picky.

I’d love to see Grey, Gretel and Hänsel kick some ass. It’s a unique enough story to garner some attention 🥰 I’ve worked really hard to write it and it took me a year to come up with chapters, character names and so forth.

Also Somewhere Only We Know would be cool to see on the big screen. I’d probably weep from joy if any of my stories were ever developed as a movie or series 🥰🥹

17- Do you write original fiction?

Yes, I actually do. I have several original works in my Google docs. And just recently, I had an idea for another original story (I don’t feel comfortable sharing it yet) 🥰 But let’s just say it’s fun to come up with the characters and world-building and everything in between.

18 - What other hobbies do you have?

Reading books, trying out new recipes in the kitchen. This also reminds me I need to exercise more 🤣

Taking walks & going shopping.

Hanging out with friends and binge watching shows and movies on Disney+ and Netflix. Just trying to enjoy every single moment that every day has to offer 🩷

19 - What’s your favorite emoji?

It’s a toss between these three 🥰😍🩷 (What can I say I love pink 🩷 not just because of the new Barbie movie and the pinkmania 🩷)

20: BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

First, I wanted to say thank you to everyone. For being picked as writer of the month is a huge honor 🥰 Thank you to everyone who has ever taken the time to read my stories, reblog them, and leave some unbelievably nice words.

I’m very grateful that you guys took the time to shower me with love. Sometimes, I wonder what I did to deserve some of your nice words and love. I also wanted to give a special shoutout to some of the people who are very dear to me. 🩷

Thank you guys for supporting me. Being there for me - through great and not so great times - I‘ll never be able repay your kindness 🩷 You guys make me strive to be a better version of myself and I couldn’t be more happy to call you my friends 🩷

@annieru0k @cariantha @txem @doriopenheart @mysticalgalaxy @aallotarenunelma @inlocusmads @heavenssexiestangel @socalwriterbee @secretaryunpaid @ofmischiefandmedicine @starrystarrytrouble @the-pale-goddess @takemyopenheart @quixoticdreamer16 @princess-geek @eleanorbloom

#choices fic writers creations #cfwc writer of the month #playchoices #choices the stories you play #writer of the month #peonierose #october 2023 #choices fanfic #playchoices fanfic

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