#like if that were the case i'd be having the time of my life because I KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THOSE

[liketwoswansinbalance]

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fall??

Did you mean "fail?" Unless you meant literally falling, I will answer as if you wrote "fail." You can correct me if that is the wrong interpretation, and I could answer the question again.

Assign first-class experts to solve the world's problems... so I wouldn't have to do it all—assuming the technicality is that I start the projects, then they probably would not fail. Would that loophole work? (Realistically, if it didn't work, I don't think I'd actually be altruistic enough to do all that...) Would I have to see the projects through to completion? That's quite a lot of work. But doing this would likely mean I will probably have a clean conscience for the rest of my life, ideally, because, I know I should if I had the power to do so.

In relation to #1, even if this is non-necessary, also assign people to figure out if there's life on other planets. I just want to know. Don't need to contact whatever is out there—I don't want anything to go wrong. I'd just want to possibly spy on them for a little while. The problem is: spying is unethical, so I'd have to convince myself that I'm either doing it for cautionary reasons or as a longitudinal, naturalistic "study." This could be a pandora's jar, so I might take it off the list.

Cure stupidity and herd mentality. (Curing all physical ailments is built into no. 1 already.) Or better yet, get someone else to do it. (At the same time, we could argue that these qualities are part of being human or flawed, and that we shouldn't tamper with our human-ness. In which case, just no. Also, we would lose part of our former connection to literature, pre-cure. For instance, we would no longer comprehend the meaning of the trope: "love causes poor judgment." So, would it be worth it? Even if the world were terraformed and otherwise reshaped in more metaphorical ways to be "perfect," I think we would still manage to invent new problems because it's what we've always done as a species. Thus, there needs to be a reasonable stopping point. And, I'm not sure what that point is, meaning several other items on this list might have to be struck out.)

Have the world's politicians be... better somehow? Ensure they are sane and moral, that they trust science, are scientifically-literate... I feel, perhaps, like we might get better results if we chose science-fiction writers, particularly those who've managed to predict our present and know how to do social commentary. They seem to be aware of and actually care about the state of humanity. (I'm not really well-informed enough to make any decisions, but I know well enough that the world needs people of varied knowledge and skillsets to continue on. So, I'm not completely, intentionally trying to valorize only what I'm interested in. I'm just biased like any other human being is.)

Delegate everything I don't like doing to competent people (like cooking), and reap the benefits of the exact outcomes I'd want every time. If they were successful, I'd never have a problem with dust and no one would ever move my stacks of books and paper, which often collect dust.

Turn myself immortal and gain eternal youth. (This should probably be item no. 1 on the list, actually, to account for how long the first few tasks could potentially take.) Then use those means on others who would want it done. If it's someone I don't like, I could still let them become immortal, and would just tell them after this favor not to cross paths with me again. I would also try to convince anyone I want to keep around to stay.

No. 6 would attract too much publicity. I'd need a way to continue being relatively anonymous, except for what I would selectively want to be recognized for. (If I couldn't fail at it, I'd love to become the next "Shakespeare" or some kind of literary giant... and maybe then have the world forget about me... and be rediscovered and reinterpreted by future generations who use my original and/or revolutionary works as required reading in their syllabi. That'd be striking and cool. I'm not sure how I would stop suffering from belatedness though.)

Find a way to never sleep, never eat, never exercise, and not experience cognitive decline. I would only do the ones I like doing.

Find a way to resurrect people from the dead. (I already know this has too much margin for catastrophe, so there would have to be restrictions on what can and cannot be done. At the same time, I am also aware this would violate nature, so it might have to be removed from the list. Who am I to decree the rules?)

I haven't addressed religion yet. I'd have to find some way to alleviate my guilt, but that's more of a temporary fix and not a real solution. I'd have to find some way to remain a mostly good or at least harmless person, assuming I'm mostly one now. If there's no reason for anyone, any force, or anything to object to my existence, I would hope I would be allowed to continue on with my plans.

If there were some way to affirm what I think my personal beliefs are, that would be great. At the same time, that defeats the point of faith, and so, I'm not sure what to do about this dilemma.

Learn everything I want to learn now that I have infinite time to learn it (and infinite time to procrastinate).

Consume all the media I want to consume and also never miss new installments or works of art because I wouldn't be outlived by creators.

Become some kind of successful writer. I mentioned this before, but to specify: maybe a novelist or maybe an academic critic—why not both?! Sky's the limit!

Eventually, if I could never fail, I might wonder about whether anything could ever be a challenge or worth doing anymore. (Doubt that will happen since I have a fear of failure anyway—and being cured of it would be a wonderful reality to live in!)

And so, I could want to die eventually. (Again, highly doubt that will happen.)

In case: It's not my top priority, but: study philosophy, so I don't become corrupt, apathetic, or suicidal since I know things can happen to the human psyche after too long.

If no. 1 didn't happen, and humans were faced with climate change as well as other problems, then I would want to die before the planet were barren and ruined, so I wouldn't have to live under dystopian conditions.

Some of the above might not happen because I may procrastinate too much. That would suggest that the revised item no. 1 should be: conquer procrastination once and for all, and only then proceed in a rough order.

[elliebean714]

Don’t know if you still doing tumblr but just in case. How about

The until dawn character’s find their lover (reader) crying because R told them they had a nightmare that they lost them to the Wendigos

Absolutely, I'd love to!💕 more character reactions plz! I love doing themm💖 haven't played the remake, I know theres a way for josh to survive now, but I don't know the details, so if this is inaccurate to that sorryyyy. love you Joshuaaaa. Also a new sam ending? But i dont know what makes it do special yet so, ya, nothing new in this lol. MORE SAM, ASH, EM, MIKE, AND JESS REQS PLZZZZ I LOVE WRITING THEM BUT I NEED PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM TO GIVE IDEAS RRAAAAHHHHHH. (Ofc my boys joshhhhh, Chris and matt are always welcome, but I've written a good amount for them, not much for the others) small tw for panic attacks in Sam and Matt's. If i had to have a panic attack in front of any until dawn characters, they would be the only correct answers lmao.

Until Dawn Character Reactions

GN!Reader had nightmares about losing them

Angst With LOTS of Comfort, exactly what you'd expect lol

Josh Washington

It's nearly 3:00 am when you wake up, shaking and crying.

You look to see him in bed next to you, he's taken to staying over much more frequently since that night, your presence is one of the few things capable of getting him comfortable enough to sleep.

Josh wakes up soon after you've curled yourself into him, your arms wrapping loosely around his chest and his shoulder.

"Hey," he rubs your back gently "Hey, I'm here..." sitting up properly, he rubs his sleepy eyes before pulling you into his lap "take your time. Tell me what's wrong when you're ready"

You cry silently for a few minutes all while Josh holds you and kisses your head

Eventually, you speak up in a shaky voice "I had that stupid nightmare again. That one with you..." you trail off, taking a deep breath, his smell comforting you

"Y/N..." Josh's hold tightens subconsciously "I'm sorry." His voice drops to a whisper "I'm so sorry..."

When you feel him start to sob silently, you bring your face up to his, your fingers caress his cheeks

"No, no, no, no, shhh..." you kiss his forehead "I'm not mad at you, babe! Don't think that at all."

"You wouldn't be so hurt if I didn-" Josh starts

You interrupt him with a kiss "Shut up, you didn't know. You made a mistake, yeah, but you had no idea those monsters were up there." You pause, letting him calm down a bit before continuing "i get those nightmares about losing you because I love you. When that thing almost killed you- fuck... I've never been that scared in my life. I'm not going to ever get that image out of my head..."

He kisses your temple and plays with your hair while you speak. Once you finish, he speaks up "I have bad dreams too. Of you being in the lodge when it blew up. Or the monster taking your head off, or..." He sighs, cradling you "so many things, but we're okay. We made it out. It's going to get better eventually. We'll get through it together, baby."

Josh holds you for a few more minutes, until you've calmed down fully. He lays back down, and pulls you on top of him. You wrap your arms around each other, and soon after, you both fall into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

Sam Giddings

It was a normal date night at first

Ice cream and tea, then a nice walk through the park. Everything was perfect.

Your parents let her stay over, as they usually do. They absolutely adore her, and they see how much she brightens you up when she's around. And you seem to not have panic attacks as often anymore

But you still get them

Like tonight. You're watching some old show, cuddling under the covers when you drift off to sleep

It's only for a few minutes, maybe 15 at most, but stuck in the agony of your head, it feels like hours.

She's being chased by josh the psycho, she's trapped in the mine, she's still hiding with the Wendigo screaming at her in the lodge- she's being caught and dragged to god knows here, she's slowly losing her mind and starving, she's being massacred- nonononononononotsam pleasenotsam nonononononono-

"Hey, Y/N..." you feel her gently shaking your shoulder "Wake up, it's just a nightmare, I'm right here" her voice is soothing, assuring, but it does little to prevent the inevitable

Your head feels fuzzy, your heart is pounding, fuck- fuck- you sit up, "No- no, I cant- I can't breathe-" you clutch your shirt just above your heart in an attempt to anchor you to reality "sam- Sam, where are you?"

She puts her hands on your upper arms and hugs you from the side "I'm still here. You're okay, baby. You're going to be okay."

"I cant- sam- help me, please-"

"Okay, let's try counting to 10." She starts counting slowly and clearly, giving you something to focus on, her beautiful voice. After a few counts, you join in, it takes a while, but your breathing does eventually level out.

"Sorry- sorry that's so embarrassing" you let out an uneven breath as Sam shakes her head

"Shush, there's nothing embarrassing about it. Absolutely nothing." She kisses your temple "was it the regular nightmares again?"

"No, no, they were about you this time."

Sam lets you lay your head on her shoulder while she rubs your back "oh, honey..."

A comfortable silence falls between the two of you before she speaks up "I wish I could make them all stop. I wish there was some magical thing I could say and we'd be back to who we were before, but..." She sighs "I'm not going anywhere. I can't fix everything, but I won't leave you, Y/N. Someday all these horrible things will just be distant memories, I swear. I love you"

You kiss her, a small hint of a smile on your face "I love you too" then you both return to watching the show. It was a really good date night.

Chris Hartley

You'd taken to staying up late and studying together since you got into the same college, and by some miracle, the same dorm

Chris is typing away on his laptop while you're trying to memorise a paragraph from a textbook you've read a hundred times.

Fuck this is so boring- you rub your eyes, what time is it?? You yawn and check your phone: almost midnight

As if reading your mind, Chris stretches and yawns "God damn, its late, and I've gotta get this done tonight." He stands up "I'm going to grab some coffee, want some?"

"Be right back." He says after you nod, rubbing your weary eyes

After he's gone, you lie back on the bed, it'd be so good to sleep right now... maybe just for a couple minutes... you'll be up before he's back...

Then you hear a screech

You see a snowy night

You're stuck behind a door- this door

A huge explosion, or something similar starts the scene, Chris sprinting towards the door with a limp and the Wendigo is hot on his heels

Your hand is immediately on the handle, ready to pull it open, but when you try, it's locked... NO! You pull it again, c'mon, c'mon, OPEN-

"Y/N, help!" Chris pounds in the door "please- it's coming, help!" He looks over his shoulder at the monster as you attempt to open it, becoming more and more frantic "pleas-"

Four long, sharp fingers pierce his neck and pull his head off

"NO!" You wake up, shivering and in tears. Sitting up quickly, you see that Chris hasn't returned

Shit... you grab a tissue from the box on the bedside table to wipe your face. It's been a long since you had a nightmare... must be the lack of sleep

Chris comes back into the dorm while you're crying. "Hey, woah, what happened?" He puts the coffees on the desk then hurries over to check on you.

His thumb grazes over your cheek as he tries to get you to look at him "baby, what happened?"

"Nothing, nothing, I just..." you shake your head "I think I fell asleep for a minute." You sigh, taking a deep breath "and I had a nightmare, or something."

"Aw, jeez, I'm sorry" He guides you into a hug "Wanna tell me about it?

While you explain what you saw, he rubs your back and plays with your hair, you sigh, "It really freaked me out."

"Yeah, that uh... really messed me up too." Chris pauses "I didn't realise how much that scared you"

"Neither did i. I've been trying to forget, but..." you trail off, trying to think of a reason

"You're probably sleep deprived, we've been studying super hard since we got here," Chris scoffs "and I can't remember the last good night's sleep either of us had."

"So you think i should sleep through it?" You lift your head to look at him properly

He nods "it probably won't happen again tonight. And if it does, I'll be here to help you."

You shake your head "I need to study, I have a test soon and-" he laughs at you "what??"

"You and I both know you're just staring at the same point of the page for hours, there's no reason for you to stay awake. Just head to bed, ill finish my homework as soon as I can, then join you."

You try to protest, but what's the point? Reading that paragraph for another hour won't make it any clearer. Sleep might.

Chris takes your stuff off the bed and you crawl under the covers, it only takes a few minutes after Chris gives you a good night kiss to fall asleep. It's the best night's sleep you've had in ages. Finally things start making sense in class! Maybe this is why people talk about healthy sleep schedules all the time...

Ashley Brown

She likes to read you to sleep.

It's nice to share her love of reading and stories with you, and it's good practice for speaking aloud in a safe, loving environment

But it's mostly the way you snuggle up to her, hugging her loosely, and burying your face in the crook of her neck, your weight is her favourite security blanket.

Her fingers gently play with your hair as she reads, she's certain you're asleep by now, so she's just reading to herself, when she feels you stir

"N-no, ash- please-" you whimper

"Shh, shh, its alright, honey..." Ashley hums a gentle tune to soothe you, but it doesn't work, you continue to mumble and whimper

It only gets worse

She feels you burry yourself more into her neck, your breathing quicken and a few tears spill

"Aw, babe..." Ashley quickly marks the page and puts the book down, before fully paying attention to you "it's alright... its okay." She fiddles with your stray hairs and kisses your temple

A few moments pass "Ashley... no- no- not Ashley-" you sob helplessly in her arms while she continues to try to shush and calm you, becoming more desperate, until you finally wake up in a state of shock

You sit up, trying to give her space "sorry, I didn't..." you trail off

"Shh, c'mere, I miss you" Ashley pulls you back down on top of her "was it that nightmare? You seemed really distressed."

Your eyes flutter closed for a moment when her hands return to your hair. "Mhm... that one- in the tunnel. If I didn't go back for you..."

"Yeah, you totally saved my life." She comments, lifting your face a little so uou can see the deep appreciation in her eyes

"But- if I didnt- if I was late- Ashley..." tears prick at the corner of your eyes again "I don't know if I could live without you. I need you."

She kisses your nose "You're adorable. And I don't know what I did to deserve you, and I can't believe how lucky we both got! I mean how many times did we think we were going to die, but didn't?"

"Ash- I just saw it happen- I keep seeing it in different ways, the saw, the gun, the tunnel, the lodge- it feels like every time I close my eyes I'm watching you suffer, I can still hear you screaming sometimes when I'm alone- I just want it to stop- I want to be normal."

"I'm sorry, beautiful. I'm so sorry." She rubs your back "I think this is our normal. Being terrified of the dark, and being alone, and rounding corners, and silence. Being haunted by the things we saw, and what we didn't see. Feeling guilty, and angry, and depressed and anxious, and different. That's normal now. It's impossible to live with alone, but we're together. We have each other as constant reminders what we have, and what we lost. I don't know if it'll ever get better, but there's nobody I'd rather support and be supported by than you."

Ashley takes a deep breath, clearly unused to speaking that long. You smile "seems like the reading aloud has helped a bit"

She blushes, kisses you on the cheek and picks up the book again "Shush, dork." It takes you a minute to get comfortable, they might not ever go away, but waking up in her arms, on her couch all snuggled up is the coziest thing you can imagine. Your life is more livable, because she is in it.

Matt Taylor

The movie theatre was packed

It was the release night of some big action movie everyone had supposedly been waiting years for

He was significantly more excited for the movie, you just loved spending time with him

You and Matt sat along the isle, next to the stairs. It was dark, and cold, so you snuggled up into his side

A little over an hour into the movie, you doze off. You know you shouldn't, but it's so warm and comfy, and his heartbeat was such a soothing pulse, how could you resist?

It was a light sleep, you could still hear parts of the movie, like the screaming, the crashing, explosions... Matt-

Nononono-Getoffhim! Lethimgo- please-matt-nononononono-

The thing is dragging him along the mine shaft while he desperately looks for something- the flare gun Emily kept to herself- shit

You try to scream, try to move, but you're completely paralysed. Nonononono- fuck- stop- matt- nononononono- yourehurtinghim- please

A final scream leaves him, then you hear him start to choke on his own blood- MATTNONONONONONOSOMEBODYHELPHIM- you feel tears start to stream down your face

A huge explosion in the movie wakes you- itssodark- itssoloud- itssocrowded- shit- gottagetout-

You jump from your seat, sprint down the stairs and out the theatre.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-

People are staring- fuck-

There's nowhere to sit, nowhere to hide- fuck- you collapse against the wall

Stopstopstopstop- your heart beats way too fast, so fast you begin to think you're having a heart attack. You curl your legs into your chest and hide your face

Please stop staring...

You hyperventilate, you tap on the floor, you shake, shit- am I dying?

"Y/N! Oh my god, you scared me, honey." Matts voice cuts through the static

He places a hand on your shoulder and pulls it away immediately when you jump at the sudden touch "can you please get them some water?" You hear him ask some passer-by. Please stop staring.

You continue to shake "Matt- matt I think I'm dying- help me-" you lift your head, god- the world feels like its spinning- to look at him the best you can "I'm scared"

"I know, it's gonna be okay- thank you," he hands you the cold bottle of water the person just brought over "can you drink? Or are you breathing too hard? You could use it to cool yourself down...?"

Matt is so scared right now, this is the first time this has ever happened, at least in front of him. He has absolutely no idea what to do, or how to calm you down. "Could you- uh- do you- shit- I'm making this worse aren't I?"

You nod a little, making him laugh "s-sorry, c-can you breathe? Like," he imitates deep and relaxed breathing "can you try to do that?" You try to, you really try, but it's so hard to focus on your breath when it feels like your heart is going to collapse in on itself

"Hey, it's alright, can I touch you?" He waits until you give him permission to sit beside you and start rubbing your back "tell me what you need, what can I do?"

"Umm- umm-" your foot jitters against the floor "just- is anybody staring at me?"

Matt looks around for a few seconds "N-no, no, I don't think so. Hey, there's a seat over there, can you move?"

He helps you stand and shakily walk to the seat, your legs are so fragile they can barely hold your weight. "M'sorry- shit, I'm so sorry-"

Matt seems surprised by your sudden apology "Woah, babe, no! No, it's completely fine, just try to drink some water an-"

You shake your head "No, Matt, the movie, I ruined your night, I'm so sorry" you tear up, the guilt eating at you

"What the? Y/N, you didn't do anything wrong. You just- I don't know, but it's not your fault. Okay? And even if it was, it's a dumb movie, I'll live. I can see it again. You matter more." He rubs your back again

You take a slow sip of water "I- I fell asleep for a little bit. I... fuck- I saw that fucking thing..."

"What? What do you mean, what did you see, babe?" His hand finds your cheek, and his thumb brushes away some tears

"The- whatever that fucking thing on the mountain was." You answer, someone must've told you what it was at some point, but you can't remember in your state "I've been trying to forget- I don't know why I started freaking out, it just-" you take a deep breath "just came out of nowhere"

"I'm sorry I'm so bad at taking care of you," he laughs, trying to lightens the mood a little "I'll, uh, definitely look up how to calm you down in case that happens again"

"Thanks, babe" you scoff, leaning down to lay your head on his shoulder

After a couple minutes, he asks "Wanna go back home or get some ice cream?"

Emily Davis

No-one would say Emily was a particularly loving or affectionate person, but if you were a good partner she'd be sure to treat you very well. Spoil you even.

She wanted to reward you for being such a good S/O, so she's treating you a nice romantic getaway

A whole weekend! Staying in a fancy hotel, getting spa treatments, going shopping, expensive restaurants!!

Its perfect, so perfect it almost makes you forget the other weekend getaway..

Until you're both sound asleep... and that screech, that screech thats haunted you for months, starts another nightmare, the mine. Its always the fucking mine

You're both sprinting as fast as you can-

Stmbling over yourselves-

It's dark, confusing, shit- shit- how do you get out?!

Emily screams next to you, you turn to see the Wendigo has a hold on her- NO!

It sticks its giant sharp fingers into her eyes and-

You're suddenly back in your hotel room- okay- okay- okay- you take deep breaths to steady yourself...

The sound of her gentle breaths anchor you

It's okay, you're fine, she's fine, you're safe.

You left the bed to grab some water, but almost like she could feel your absence, Emily stirs from her sleep "Ugh, why are you up?" She yawns, rubbing her eyes

"I just had a bad dream, I'm fine" you sip the water and admire how adorable she is. "You're gorgeous"

"Mmh, I know." She hums, pleased "what kind of bad dream, babe?"

You shrug and take another sip of water "the mine one again."

Emily slowly get out of bed to sit beside you at the table "Me or you?"

"You. But it was over quickly. I think I'm starting to get used to them. Is that bad?"

She thinks for a moment, still waking up a little "No? I don't think so. They don't seem to freak you out as much anymore, which is good. Not a fan of you being used to watching me die though."

You scoff and sip more water "that's not what I meant, Cutie."

Emily rolls her eyes "I know, I know" she picks up your hand "I am glad you're getting better though."

"Awe, you're such a softie." You tap her nose, she looks away bashfully

"Whatever. Don't mention it to anyone or I'll kill you."

You giggle at her and kiss her cheek "Oh, I can keep secrets. You know that"

"Good pet." Emily gives you a head pat "now let's go back to bed. It's 2 in the morning"

She leads you over to the bed "do you want to be little spoon or big?

Mike Munroe

You're in the sanatorium with Mike guiding you and the Wendigos chasing right behind

He's shooting aimlessly to give you both more room, until you reach a locked door- shit

They're closing in- one grabs your arm, you scream- "MIKE!!"

In a moment he's pulled you out of its hold, but it takes him instead

"No!" You cry, the Wendigo slashes his neck and chest "Mike-" the life leaves his eyes as he bleeds out

The other Wendigo jumps on you and starts mauling yo-

You wake up in tears, shaking- "Mike..." you whimper, quickly picking up your phone to call him, after a few tries he finally picks up

"Y/N? You alright? It's 4 in the morning" His voice is groggy, husky.

"I had a nightmare- can you come here please?" You beg through tears.

"Come to your room in the middle of the night? Your dad will kill me." He jokes

"I'm serious, Mike. I need you" You implore

Hearing your desperate plea gives him pause "Okay, I'll head over then. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Mhm" you nod "ill open my window for you."

Twenty minutes later, you hear him climbing up to your window "Hi, gorgeous." He flashes his charming smile as soon as he sees you through the open window

"Hi..." you help him climb inside and wrap your arms around him once he's standing upright

"What happened, babe?" His hand goes straight to your back, rubbing in soothing circles.

"Remember when we were in the sanatorium?" You sniffle, still crying gently. "I just- had a nightmare about it. I saw you die- and- and then they went after me- it was so horrible."

"Oh, honey..." He guides you to the bed then starts petting your hair with his free hand "it's alright, I'm here. I won't let them get you" You can hear that smile in his voice

You roll your eyes "yeah, I know. In my dream you died protecting me."

"Sounds about right." He drops his cocky demeanour for a moment "I mean it, though." He gently pulls your face out of his chest so you can meet his gaze "I won't let anything get you. I'll always be here for you. I'll always protect you, Y/N. I love you."

"I love you too, Mike..." He brings you in closer for a kiss.

You guys lie in the bed and snuggle, and eventually fall asleep until-

The jingle of your alarm goes off, 7:30am. You wake up in Mike's arms, warm and cozy, you stay like that for a few more seconds before hearing your dad's footsteps down the hallway makes you fully alert

Shit- "Mike!!" You whisper, shoving him in an attempt to wake him "Mike you gotta get up, you gotta go!"

"Mmh- what? Oh, hi, beautiful..." He didn't properly hear you, he just sees the gorgeous person he's in bed with

"Mike! My dad's up, you gotta go, dummy!"

"Oh- Shit!" He quietly exclaims then jumps out of bed and hurries to the window.

"Wait-" he runs over to kiss you, "see you soon, gorgeous." Before sneaking out of your room

Jess Riley

Sleepoverrrr!!!!!

Omg you guys had the BEST night.

Junk food, old cheesy romcoms, prank calls, painting nails, cute shit like that

Pretty juvenile, but it made Jess happy so you absolutely were not complaining

You'd basically devoted yourself to making her happy after that night.

She was so scared, so traumatised and hurt, that you tried to shut out your own feelings in order to prioritise her, and it was working... until tonight.

Jess fell asleep in your arms around half way through the 4th or 5th movie of the night and you decided to turn it off and join her. It wasn't long until you were fast asleep and it all come flooding back...

You were stuck in the mines again, looking desperately for jess- jeez, you remembered spending hours down there searching for her, encountering the monster several times, almost dying in a million different ways

And it just kept getting worse, you finally found her- oh god- look at her- your heart breaks all over again, she was absolutely brutalised, covered head to toe in slashes, barely able to stand, barely able to talk, oh, baby...

You took her hand and guided her out of the mine, but that screech- that fucking screech- you froze, no- no- MOVE! You can't stay here, you gottamove-

The creature appears, MOVE, Y/N! MOVE, it jumps on Jess, you scream, "NO! Please- No-"

It lodges its fingers into her throat at rips her jaw off-

"NO-" you jolt upright, fuck- you take deep breaths- nonono- you look beside you, Jess is roused from her sleep next to you.

"Y/N...?" She mumbles

"Shh, Shh, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, go back to sleep, sweetheart." You pet her head gently, fingers grazing the scar

"What happened? You were yelling..." Jess sits up slowly, leaning against you

"I just got a bit of a scare in my sleep. I'm okay, you can go back to bed"

"Y/N..." She whines a little "Please tell me what happened. You never talk about anything."

Youd love to open up, but you need to be strong, she needs someone strong "Jess, I'm alright, I swear-"

"Please, I don't like when you're scared."

"I just- I had a bad dream, but I'm okay, you are what matters,"

"You matter too,"

You shake your head "babe, that night..." your fingers trail over her scars "you were so hurt, you need a strong partner"

"Honey, that's not-"

"Jess, you need someone who won't break down whenever they remember what happened to you. You need someone who- who isn't weak- you need someone who isn't scared, you don't need my problems" you say, desperately trying to not cry

"Y/N..." She takes your hand "I don't want a robot, I want you"

"You need someone to be strong, you're hurting so much, you shouldn't have to deal with my sad shit"

"Shut up, dork!" She cradles your face in her hands "I adore you! I want you to open up to me. I- I want you to relate to me. I already feel so alone, I don't need you hiding a huge part of your feelings from me. I need you, I need you to show me you're hurting too, I need you to show me in not alone."

You felt enormous guilt at her pleading and pulled her into a hug, "ill- ill tell you everything. I promise, I don't ever want you to feel like that. I'm so sorry Jessie. I love you."

"I love you too, cutie."

♡☆♡☆♡☆♡☆

~Elliebean714

[80smurdervictim]

I believe the thing with dollyflesh was that yes, they made lots of clay animations centered around murder and torture. He also did in fact harm animals. Some notable things about this, because I used to research him. By the way, there's probably mistakes because I'm not some major info post master:

((very graphic details, ok, you probably don't have to post this one but yeah I'll get termed if I explain off anon))

• He made a clay baby and ate food out of it, ripping it apart and pretending to eat it. (From what I recall.) This was on a video he made himself. There were lots of videos related to torturing pregnant women, ect. I'm pretty sure he had a self insert of some kind... Pretty sure he cosplayed them once, or a few times.

• He showed interest in women who had no limbs so he could do anything he wanted with them. Also mentioned doing things to remove their limbs to make them this way. Rapist tendencies pretty much... Also if I'm not mistaken, he liked dead bodies.

• Showed interest in coprophilia, which is actually a really common fetish in serial killers. Along with urine. Not sure how significant that is, but it struck me because I knew this before I heard of him. Probably not that important, but he shows tons of sex pest red flags.

He's obviously got the serial killer shit going on, regardless of if he actually has or will ever kill real life people. In other words, knowing all of this, his flags are as red as one of the angry birds. These in my opinion would be pretty appealing to someone who likes those kinds of cases. Even if he never did much besides hurt hamsters, his potential was strikingly clear. (Animal cruelty, obsession with violence, bizarre fetishes surrounding humiliation and power, ect. Plus a clear desire to gain attention for his behavior)

(Sorry, I have no idea who Bobby Lemon is. No info on him for me, I fear...)

Bonus: I had no idea people simped for dollyflesh. Every comment section I've ever seen about him makes jokes about his haircut, ect. I'd like to know what someone sees in him even physically.

Tbh I'd also like to know why ppl find him attractive physically. But Ty for your explanation!! Very helpful :3

[makemeimmortalwithahug]

2024 WRITING REVIEW

thank you for the tag @ahyperactivehero !!

stress free tags: @oddessea @nix-nihili @read-write-thrive

number of stories posted to ao3: 8! Exclusively Dead Boy Detectives and I started in August, there will be more in 2025!

word counted posted for last year: 45,885 words

fandoms i wrote for: Dead Boy Detectives

pairings: mainly payneland, but also palasaki

stories with the most kudos, bookmarks and comment threads:

kudos: I'll Love You Carefully - A cursed Edwin falls from the Tower Bridge and Charles rushes to his rescue

bookmarks: also I'll Love You Carefully (something about protective!Charles just hits right)

comment threads: The Road to Ruin - Edwin gets taken to Hell for the second time but Charles is in a much much worse mental state

work i’m most proud of (and why):

it must be The Road to Ruin because I am actually proud of my characterisation of Charles and it's my first attempt at a multi chapter fic, so that alone is enough for it to have a special place in my heart. I love really getting into the Hell aspect of it all and I think the introspective nature has something to it that I previously never quite managed to capture with my writing.

work i’m least proud of (and why):

probably How Could You Think, Darling, I'd Scare So Easily? - Charles gets capture by Esther and Edwin rescues him Tam Lin style. It was the second fic I ever posted but I have to say I should've worked longer on it. It's not bad but I realised that it could've been more angsty and it feels kind of rushed when I reread it now

share or describe a favorite review you received:

it was so hard to pick just one because I love every single comment and they all make me stay motivated and want to get better. But if it's just one, then probably this one:

(sorry for all the tags btw, oddessea dear, you've been such a huge part of my journey on ao3, I cannot thank you enough!)

I think this is the one comment that genuinely made me tear up because I had been struggling with the way I wanted to write this fic and reading that it apparently worked out was just absolutely bloody wonderful

a time when writing was really, really hard:

Probably the last few weeks because I have all of these ideas but also a lot of pressure (put there by myself, mind) to have them turn out perfectly. I won't get into any details, but real life hasn't been too good either for a while now, so it's hard to get into the right mindset sometimes. But it will get better

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

Crystal surprised me a lot! I adore her so much and I want to do her complexity justice and while I don't think I have posted a lot of Crystal yet, I enjoyed writing my palasaki fic Bloom Like A Flower so much because it allowed me to show that while Crystal is incredibly powerful and has been through a lot, she's still a teenager

a favourite excerpt of your writing:

I think this one stuck with me:

He pressed Charles even closer to himself, as if he wanted to embrace him fully, so as to not let any of his demons reach Charles in any way. Charles moved to brace his hands against Edwin, somewhere between resting them on his shoulders and pressing them against his collarbones. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to push Edwin away in desperation or pull him closer until no one could untangle them anymore. Edwin was coming undone around him and there was nothing for Charles to do to ease his pain. It was obvious that whatever Edwin was seeing, hearing, feeling, it was paranoia and not something Charles could see. How could you help someone who saw the world burning and crashing around them while you were still standing on solid ground, mere millimeters between both of your realities? - The Case of the Turning Key

how did you grow as a writer last year:

A lot, seeing as I had never written fanfic before and had been struggling with my original works for so long that calling it "writer's block" would've been a huge understatement. So just the fact that I managed to finish 7 (!) fics is already a huge accomplishment for me. Apart from that, I got better at finding the characters' voices when changing POVs.

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.)

shoutout to a few people as well!

I obviously have to thank @im-perfectly-normal-about-this for listening to my yapping about various ideas in dms and giving me feedback on my Charles characterisation! I appreciate you so much!

Also dear @oddessea for making my day with every single comment you write!

And then of course the entire DBDA Haunt server. Joining was probably the best decision I made in 2024 and all of our discussions in the writers room are so special to me.

Thank you to: @genevievefangirl, @ahyperactivehero, @read-write-thrive, @moonikabear, @dead-but-still-sarcastic, @zmorak (I'm so sorry if I forgot anyone! Y'all are all so loved!!)

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year:

definitely, little nods to things I enjoy or have done myself. I am good at projecting my own insecurities and problems onto Charles and of course the best example would be Days by the Sea - the agency goes on vacation in Scotland. That was entirely created from my wish to someday visit Scotland

any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

have fun!! When I don't pressure myself into writing and just do it for fun, I get the best results, not because they're perfect or anything, but because I genuinely enjoy working on them and then also feel good about finishing them. Having fun is already a big step

any projects you’re looking to starting (or finishing) this year?

The Road to Ruin will defintely find an ending in 2025! Apart from that, I obviously have my F1 AU that I've been yapping about. A different Modern AU and then let's see what I'll come up with next 👀 I'm looking forward to this year <3

[asktheritobowyer]

Bad timing or not, one shouldn't loiter if that wasn't the intention. Nonetheless I do thank you for your patronage, but don't perceive yourself as not being able to get better supplies as Link simply because he happens to be well acquainted and liked by the Rito because of what he's done for us.

I'm not blind and ignorant to one's pain Revali. Make no mistake, I know what you went through. I know what all the Champions went through. I'm sure It's not easy to lose your life, just like how I'm sure it's not easy to come back and discover those that you know either died of old age, or simply lost their lives a century ago. Some of you were more fortune than others, in the other Champion's case, they still had their still their relatives or some other form family to come back to. While you and Link didn't.

Failure is something one learns from, it's never the end. No matter how painful it is, no matter how impossible it may seem. Even if the entire world hates you, and blames you for everything that happened. Even if the world scorns you, and constantly reminds you of your failures. It's never to late to pick yourself up from that impossible situation, and prove to people that can you still make a difference. This...is something Link had to learn the hard way.

Revali, you always seem to compare yourself to Link, as if he's something that embodies perfection. Well I can tell you this, he isn't flawless. Far from it. He's caused everyone a lot of headaches, he's reckless, he always gets himself hurt, seems to really enjoy throwing his life away for others, no matter who they are, and has trouble grasping that his life is valued by others. I've scolded him more times than I can count, and Teba's really had his work cut out for him when dealing with him.

Link's just a young man, who lost his innocence earlier than anyone his age should of. Not only that, there is something you have over him. A little something called identity. Don't let his demeanour fool you, Link is...quite damaged Inside. Despite what happened to you, you still remained true to yourself, you are still you. Can you honestly say the same for him?

No one really knows the real Link, aside from maybe Teba, and the Sages. Every so often I see the person buried underneath the façade he puts on. But most of time I see someone who wishes to attune for something that was never his fault. And the real tragedy is most people can't even see that. They just see some invincible hero who'll solve all their problems. Link's status as a hero isn't a boon...it's a burden. One I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

Revali the next to time you see Link, I want you to really look into his eyes. Forget how our people feel him about. Forget how Hyrule looks at him. See past that mask he puts on. I want you to really look at him. If you can see past that façade, you'll understand why our people have been drawn to him, why Teba makes the effort to always ensure he's truly appreciated for who he is, and why Tulin will never leave his side when he's around.

Link is a danger to himself. He always puts others above himself. He probably values your life above his own. If you plan to isolate yourself in Vah Medoh, he will follow you there undoubtedly. No matter what you say to him. No matter how harsh your words my be. Heck you can probably even attack him. He'll stay by your side, willingly choose to freeze up there, and do everything he can to appease you, if it means that you'll be okay. Because that's just the type of person he his. He will never abandon someone in need.

I'll be frank. You're young. You still have a lot of growing up to do, and your behaviour isn't the best. I still think your bad influence. I've never been a fan of braggarts, it's a behaviour trait I'd rather not be picked up by my daughter. Nor am I pleased that the Rito who represented our people had a superiority complex, but...you don't need to change who you are as an individual. You are you, all Rito's take pride in who they are. You simply have to adapt. Don't compare your sense of self worth to Link's, all it does is breed unnecessary resentment. We've all already had our fill of that after the Calamity.

Some advice, if you find yourself having trouble fitting in, I'd recommend spending time with Link. Despite your claims of having no friends in this time. Link truly values you as one, and considers you one of his closest, despite the animosity you had towards him. From what I understand, he's the closest connection you have to the past. Both of you have things that the other lacks, and I believe both of you need each other to help mend the wounds still festering within you two. You may not see it now, but you will in time. You two have a lot in common...more than you realize.

Hello Harth, how do you feel about this whole buisiness with the hundred year old Rito Champion turning up in the present? Do you get along with him?

Why hello there. I suppose it's natural people would want hear my thoughts regarding this topic.

Revali suddenly popping up in the present day, honestly wasn't to surprising to me. Truth be told, so much crazy stuff has happened all around Hyrule the past couple of years, that it would have to take something truly bizarre, for people to be at a loss for words. We had Sheika tech all over Hyrule one moment, only for them to disappear, and then a bunch of Zonai ruins show up instead. After a while you kind of get used to these kinds of things.

As for my thoughts on Revali? He's...quite the ahem ahem personality.

We have interacted a bit, and while our interactions have been fairly amicable, he's honestly not someone I would want to be spending a lot of time around, or someone I'd want my daughter to be associating with to much either.

I always did wonder why the Rito's always spoke of his feats, but never him as a person. If the other champions were remembered for their talents and personality, why not him?

Teba used to speak very fondly of him, but then he suddenly stopped, almost like he discovered something he didn't want to. It speaks volumes, when Teba is adamant that Link become a role model for Tulin, rather than the supposed pride of our people.

I asked Link what the Rito Champion was like, after discovering he's the same hero from a century ago, but he claimed to not remember, which I knew was a bold faced lie. It's like Link was trying to intentionally hide something about him. Teba's not the only one with a keen eye. He may be good at masking his emotions, not so much unpleasant memories. One look at Link's eyes told me everything I needed to know.

I asked Kass about Revali to, and he told me that sometimes ignorance is the best thing for others. Meeting Revali in person, I can see what he meant. The very person the Rito's respected so highly, in truth didn't have the most appealing personality, and wasn't on best terms with the Hero of Hyrule, because he deemed himself as superior.

Revali is talented there's no doubt about that. His skills are the real deal, his arrows fly true, I can respect his capabilities as a Rito warrior. But humility is clearly not something he considers necessary. He always seems to seek validation, never sparing a second to display his superior skills to others, or opinions about how much better he is, and seems to enjoy belittling Link, which I absolutely will not tolerate.

While I'm not one to bring up the past, Link succeeded where he failed, and saved Rito Village, as well as ours lives twice over. He is in no position to claim superiority over him, nor can he dismiss Link's many contributions in aiding the Rito people. Link has spent many years helping us all out, never once asking for anything in return. Being the Rito Champion, doesn't mean I should just suddenly like him more, now that he's back, because he's of the same race as me. That kind of respect is earned, not given freely.

Revali does have a compassionate side, and his desire to protect Rito Village is genuine. He loves our people with all his heart. However that does not excuse his behaviour, nor his shameful treatment of Link.

Everyone within Rito Village highly respects Link for everything he's done for them, and I'm sure over time it'll be quite the reality check for Revali. To find whatever adoration he may have had in the past, isn't quite so prevalent here in the present, and continuing to belittle Link won't do his reputation any wonders.

Teba sees Link as his kid, and most certainly wouldn't hesitate to speak up for him, even to Revali. Tulin looks up to Link like an idolized older brother, and even considers him as such, not to mention Link in many ways helped nurture him into what he is today. I myself am also very fond of him, because of the positive effect he's had on my family, and Rito Village as a whole. I'm sure many others within the village share similar sentiments.

In any case, I can talk to Revali just fine, but if he expects me to always take his side, and prefer him over others because he's the Rito Champion, he'll find this Bowyer isn't quite so tolerant.

[silverselfshippingchaos]

I had a dream where a 3rd J.udgment game was announced and M.ine showed up for one split second in the reveal trailer with this super hot evil smirk on his face and Twitter was going batshit crazy over it

Then I woke up and got really disappointed

[aromacaque]

Update on my youtube that I'm crossposting from twitter:

My life has been very hectic and busy this year and I apologize for the lack of updates, but I haven't wanted to give out an expected time frame for my next video because I'm unsure if I'll even be able to make the deadline and I don't want to make false promises.

I won't get into it as a lot of it is personal, but I've been barely scraping by for a plethora of reasons and unfortunately haven't been able to prioritize my videos. When I make the time for them, I'm far too tired from everything else to write anything decent and the quality drop is noticeable.

Maybe I'm being a little too hard on myself or too much of a perfectionist. Maybe it's better for me to get a video out, even if it's mediocre to my standards, but I know I can do better if I'm just given the energy and resources.

I'm really really sorry for the wait.

I would LIKE to get it out by November and I would LIKE to upload once every two months, but I can't make any promises right now.

[abyssalpriest]

Working with Leviathan be like

Leviathan: *completely both rewrites a severe trauma trigger back into something neutral and freeing, and further reconnects me to the Sky and myself off plane and pre-incarnation in the space of 24 hours* yeah nice, anyway we should play video games now I'm tired

[beeseverywhen]

god the duality between 'I don't want someone in my house' and 'yeah I'd like my own kids and no way I'm doing that alone'

[wenevergotusedtoegypt]

I went to a religious high school that would not give any guidance on applying to any college that most likely includes dorming like SUNY or any out of state university. We were limited to info on colleges that are within our neighborhoods. A part of me is really upset but since it is a private school I assume they are allowed to do this. Do you think it is fair?

I don't really think this is about fairness. The school is willing to provide a service to help students apply to schools that are in line with some sort of value system it has (unclear if this is a Jewish religious school or another religion so I'm not going to make any specific assumptions about what those values are). They don't offer assistance with applying to schools outside of that category, but they also probably don't offer assistance with a lot of other potential post-high school plans, like, I don't know, doing a year-long tour of Europe, or starting an LLC to run your own business. It's not unfair, it's outside of the scope of what's offered. You can still apply to any school you want (and you can find out about anything very easily these days online), and there's no reason you can't get in just because your high school isn't guiding you.

[humanityinahandbag]

I'd like to tell you all a story about my grandmother.

My grandparents raised their children, four girls (one of them my mother), to be fighters. My aunts marched in Washington for women's rights with babies strapped to their chests and like to joke that all of the grandchildren who came from that line (including myself) were born with picket signs in their hands.

But it started with my grandparents. They fought hard for what they believed in. They marched against Vietnam. They marched for Martin Luther King. They marched for women's rights. They marched for a better future.

But let's talk specifically about my grandmother for a moment.

My grandmother unfortunately passed away in 2016. She had to watch the first Trump election and did so knowing that it would probably be the last election she'd ever see. And there is some argument there that she could have given in to fear and defeatism. She could have decided none of it was worth it, and she could have decided that fascism had won and the world was over.

But she did something else instead.

To give some context, my grandparents had friends who were Republicans. I say were, because they shifted from the normal Republican towards the MAGA Republican we see today. And despite a very clear message from my family about how we felt, they were more than ready to still come to the funeral as if everything was normal. Like their beliefs were normal. Like they were welcome to celebrate someone who had fought so hard for the rights of other people.

These were people who would have absolutely used their rhetoric to scream and shout if they were left out or disinvited.

And so my grandmother, even past her final moments, pulled the most brilliant, petty move I've ever seen.

She'd decided ahead of time that everyone who had known her was more than welcome to attend but that she wanted everyone attending the funeral to donate money. That was the requirement to be invited. And so everyone did just that. There was no talk about what the donations were for, just that they were appreciated. I want to say that the assumption was the money would help pay for funeral expenses and give the family some support while we grieved.

Except that wasn't the case.

Because in those final moments of the funeral, the rabbi stepped forward to thank everyone, and then very cheerfully announced;

"Arlene was so happy to know just how many people were coming to join us here today. She couldn't have been more proud of her family. And I'm sure she would have been elated to see just how much money you all gave today to Planned Parenthood."

When I say that the faces of those people are enshrined in my memory, I mean it. The anger, the devastation, the rage, the betrayal. It was an absolutely gorgeous display of true defeat at the hands of a boss ass old lady who literally fought with her last breath and threw up both middle fingers all the way out the door.

What I'm saying is this.

It is very easy to feel defeated. It is very easy to think that everything is over, and there's nothing left for us to do. It's very easy to say that fascism won, that fear won, that hate won.

But that's only true if you let it be true.

There is always more that we can do. There is a future that is still worth fighting for. And it's more than possible, even when it doesn't seem like it.

And fighting is going to look different every time.

Some days it will look like picket signs in our hands.

Some days it will look like spending time with friends and family and people you love and knowing that you have a community that supports you and your vision of a brighter future.

And some days, it's pulling absolute natural level 20 petty trickster shit even after you've left the world.

Because you can always make an impact and you can always add a little brightness to life, and if that means tricking a group of MAGA idiots into throwing their money behind Planned Parenthood in the middle of your own goddamn funeral then that's what it means.

Keep fighting. People have done it before you. People will continue to do it after you.

And enjoy the little victories.

(Even the petty ones)

[xazse]

not rlly a request but it can be if uw??

I can't stop thinking abt kitty hybrid user and some big cat hybrid gojo (snow leopard, tiger, lion, etc). Suguru originally had hybrid Gojo as a pet, but then found kitty reader and decided to adopt them, and the moment Gojo sees them, he instantly decides that reader is his mate, and just follows them around like a dumb puppy. He'll cling onto reader and groom them all day, licking their fur and their face and not stopping even when reader complains or when Suguru tries to step in. Gojo is super super possesive of reader, and insists on eating, sleeping and bathing with reader, and will start shredding cushions or other things if denied. He's a big cat, so his claws do some serious damage to furniture, so Suguru has no choice but to give in if he doesn't want to spend everything in his bank account to repair the damage. I'd imagine Gojo and reader would have a similar dynamic to your puppygirl and wolf Gojo fics, but Gojo is the one teasing and getting all over reader. Reader's just too innocent to realise what's going on, so they just let Gojo do whatever. Thanks for reading my little blurb, I just needed to get it out!! Hope u have a nice day ❤️

The Preakness in this needs to be studied omg

I want to expand.

KittyHybrid !reader x Tigerhybrid!Gojo

Satoru really thinks he owns you like literally thinks you were bought just for him when that’s not the case, well yeah you were bought for companionship but Suguru also got you because he felt the house was too manly? It would be nice to have a girl around. So he got ur little cute self, at the hybrid facility you were the sweetest thing ever, you’d lay yourself all over Suguru in a ploy to go home with him, he of course gave in.

The first few days he has to keep you separated from Satoru for obvious reasons, Satoru is extremely protective over the house, Suguru can’t have any company over besides Shoko who he tolerates in his space. When he first smelt you he was angry, he couldn’t tell you what you were so he was on edge, the thing is he had only smelled you not seen you.

Suguru has you in another room letting you get familiar with Gojos scent and also letting him get familiar with yours, Gojo really won’t leave the locked door you’re behind alone he’s constantly coming near it to sniff and try to unlock it, Suguru has to guide him to get away from it every single time.

When he does meet you a warmth blooms within his chest, women are such a rarity for Satoru especially other hybrids, you don’t come from the same family as him but he’s so obsessed.

He insists that he have an hour licking session of him using his slimy tongue to clean you even though you really don’t need it! Everytime you try to pry him off in a whiny tone he’s hearing none of it. It gets to the point where you have to whine for a suguru to help you: he does but Satoru has the meanest fucking expression on his face when you’re pried from his arms. He goes on to have an attitude for the rest of the day.

You’re so right about Gojo scratching couches with his sharp claws in retailiation, he gets soo clingy with you, so angry when Suguru separates you it’s so bad that like you said Suguru doesn’t want to deal with him ruining expensive things around the house, that doesn’t mean he’ll let Satoru do whatever he wants with you there are some limits.

Most of the time you’re nice and pliant in Satoru’s lap, you don’t fight back when he carries you around the house simply just letting the huge tiger do what he pleases.

You don’t seem to mind when he rubs himself all over you, purring so loudly because he’s just that obsessed with the docile kitty.

Tiger!Satoru loves your little cunt just as much as he loves the rest of you, he’s only gotten to feel your warm insides once because that’s where Suguru drew the line hard. It was the best day of his life, all you did was mewl below him while he stuffed you full of his fat cock, he came so quickly that night.

He craves to feel you again but Suguru stood his ground, he’d get rid of you if it came to that again (not that he wanted to, Suguru really loved having you around the house it was just an empty threat that seemed to work)

Tiger!Satoru will settle for licking and giving you nasty slippery kisses!

[incomingalbatross]

Having never considered the concept of a highschool retelling of the Odyssey until that one post mentioned them in passing, I'd like to give my own pitch: the Odyssey meets Back to the Future meets whodunnit.

Odysseus is the central figure of the story, of course. He is also one of those high school protagonists who is inexplicably surrounded by half a dozen girls, because emphasizing that aspect of the Odyssey is funny to me. There's Penelope, his actual girlfriend; popular girl Circe; poor little rich girl Calypso; freshman Nausicaa; and Athena, who is older and solidly in bro territory with Odysseus, but still adds to the overall effect of him being surrounded by girls. (Is she a goddess? Idk. Probably she has some other kind of power, like riches or genius or both.)

The cast is rounded out by some of his Odyssey crewmen, maybe a few Iliad Greeks, and Telemachus, a new kid at their school who quickly becomes friends with Odysseus. For about half the story, things focus on slice of life, Odysseus's schemes, and the students' various personal problems. Incidents from the Odyssey are nodded toward, but not directly retold.

Then you get the Back to the Future part with the reveal that Telemachus has traveled back in time twenty years, with the help of future Athena, to solve the extremely cold case of his dad's disappearance by investigating his high school life.

Future Athena was only able to discover that someone from his high school circle was involved; in their time, there were just too many roadblocks set up between her and the truth. And she can't get inside access to those events as her adult self. So it's up to Telemachus to get to know his past parents, investigate their friends, and chase down the clues to discovering where his father's been all his life.

...While hopefully not raising the suspicions of his teenaged, but still infamously clever, parents in the process of this totally straightforward and not at all emotionally taxing mission.

[undiscovered-horizon]

[It’s considered good etiquette to ask a man about his wife’s wellbeing. Except if the man in question is Dracule Mihawk.]

Enjoying my work? You can leave me a tip on Ko-Fi | Have a request?

Garp hates having to call Mihawk, mainly because of the warlord's attitude. Used to the usual "yes, sir!" of the Marines, a man with his own will and agenda is not something he entirely knows how to navigate. Especially since both of them know that the World Government needs the warlords more than they need the bureaucracy. And that doesn't exactly help in exercising power.

His attempts at diplomacy have burst into flames each time and today isn't going to be much different:

"How’s the missus?" Garp asks in the nicest tone he can force although he's aware that Mihawk knows how much the vice admiral hates asking for Dracule's assistance.

Mihawk only scoffs. "Are you calling just to spoil my mood or is there another reason for your impertinence?"

"I was just trying to-"

"Don't," he cuts him off in a stern voice. "If you have business with me, speak fast. If you're interested in my wife, I know where you live, Garp. I'd suggest losing your unwelcome nosiness before you lose something else."

Little did Garp know at the time but his little question was possibly the worst strategy he could think of. Dracule Mihawk is not like most men and the mere mention of his wife by acquaintances only enrages him. Work and private life do not ever mix. And he'll be damned if someone tries to breach that, even in the form of a courtesy. Therefore, the rest of the call was filled with openly insulting answers that were bold even for Mihawk. A veiled threat or two also found their way into their rather tense conversation.

You know he's done with Garp when he lets out a frustrated grunt. Sometimes you wonder if this grumpy, forever dissatisfied version of him is the only side of Mihawk his acquaintances know. Maybe he really is two men in the form of one.

He's sitting at his desk, thinking about something and not bothering to get up for now. Considering the fact that his hat is lying on the table and not on his head, Mihawk is probably not planning on going out anytime soon. Then again, judging by his spoiled mood, his homestay is a blessing for the first poor sods that would cross his path.

In slow steps, you stroll to his side, letting your hand brush through his hair. He doesn't say anything, only leans his head further towards you. The thing about Mihawk is that he loved to reject and decline but he never does so to you. No, in your case it's the opposite - he revels in allowing you whatever you want.

So intimidating and combative, yet soft and looking for intimacy. Truly, two men with the face of one.

"My mother used to say that each grey hair is one thing we worry about," you say quietly. "At this rate, love, your whole head will be white by noon."

"Your mother also says that milk goes sour because gnomes piss in it," he retorts. Yes, your mother and her strange folk beliefs... She's probably the only person Mihawk can force himself to be nice to despite his dislike.

His response earns a hearty laugh from you. Clear as day, you can see his posture relax as he listens to the music of your happiness. If he even thinks about the possibility of Garp or any other of his acquaintances hearing it, he might just get furious again.

"Well, nobody's perfect," you say between chuckles.

Then, Mihawk gently grabs your hand and lowers it to his face. With softness and passion that hardly befits a man of his infamy, he kisses the inside of your hand. "You seem to be doing so effortlessly."

[yshoons]

( 愛 ) ── GIRL, YOU LIKE ME A LITTLE BIT?

SYN ── arrogant, cocky, and full of confidence, "no, i don't even like you a little bit", hyung line!enha x fmr, enemies to lovers(?), cursing

HEESEUNG (희승) star basketball player x top student

there's just something so seemingly infuriating about lee heeseung to you.

maybe it was the way he treated life so easily, breezing through it without a care in the world.

or maybe it was infuriating confidence. that was definitely what it was, because watching him strut over to you in his sweaty basketball uniform makes you furious.

"you're wearing red, " he grins.

"so?" you deadpan.

"red's my favorite color," he laughs, "you know, for someone who says they hate me, you seem to be real obsessed with me,"

"not a shot lee," you spit.

"c'mon, you don't even like me just a little bit?"

"no," you glare, "not even a little bit,"

JAY (제이) rich guy x regular girl

jay park is everything you hate in a person.

arrogant, rude, and born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

you had worked your ass off to get to this event, yet of course he was here, tailored suit, slicked hair, and surrounded by the highest class of people.

"i'm surprised to see you here," you don't spare him a glance, swirling your drink around.

“careful yn,” he laughs, “that’s expensive wine you’re holding, don’t spill it,”

you roll your eyes at him, setting the drink down, "thanks for the tip jay, but i can handle myself,”

"you sure about that? have you ever even tasted something that pricey?”

"leave me alone already jay,” you hiss, glaring at him. without warning, he pulls you into him, his hand on your back that is left backless by your dress. he brings his face closer to you, your lips almost touching.

“if you really want a taste, just let me know, hm?”

“you’re fucking full of yourself!" you exclaim, shoving him away from you.

“then why’d you lean in? like me a little bit yn?”

JAKE (제이크) academic rivals competing for the top

"what'd you get?" jake asks, pulling a chair and sitting down.

"who gave you permission to sit here, sim?" you ask, narrowing your eyes. he smiles cheekily back at you.

" real hostile yn, is that your test?" he smirks, pointing at the paper resting on your desk. he grabs the paper, and you scramble to get it back from him, lunging over your desk. but it's too late because he's already flipping it over to scan over your score.

"woah yn," he says, "what happened here? need some lessons?"

"i don't need anything but for you to leave me the hell alone," you seethe, finally getting your paper back. he laughs.

"well if you ever need lessons, let me know," he stands up from his chair, "i'd say i'm a pretty good teacher,"

"fuck off sim,"

"i'll even give them to you for free," he leans in closer, "a gift to my favorite girl,"

SUNGHOON (성훈) hockey player x figure skater

park sunghoon is devastatingly handsome.

too bad he is also a devastatingly big pain in your ass. as a figure skater, and him being a hockey player the two of you were bound to meet atleast a couple times at the rink.

"funny seeing you here," sunghoon smiles, leaning on the edge of the ice rink, his toothy grin making your blood boil.

"i don't have time for you today," you shoot back, "i need to practice so leave me be,"

"i don't think i can do that," sunghoon teases.

"god you're insufferable,"

"don't say such cold words, princess,"

"i told you to leave," sunghoon raises his arms in retreat, shrugging his shoulders, before he smiles again.

"well then i'll be around in case you slip and fall," he says, "make sure to not fall for me though,"

"in your dreams park, i'd never fall for a prick like you, not even a little bit,"

© YSHOONS 2024

[inkskinned]

yesterday while feverish i wrote about how boats can moor next to each other like pigeons, cooing with the gentle rap of water against their hull. you once said that that the way i see things - birds in the water, feathers in marina paint - was "childish and naive." you said i'd been misdiagnosed - "it can't all be adhd. you might be just kind of stupid and lazy."

i still do certain things like how you taught me - turn the pillow case inside out before putting it on. drive defensively. hate myself entirely.

the prompt for this poem is "mahler's fifth." i wish it wasn't, but mahler's fifth was our song. it ended up in my book. every person that knows your name has promised me they'll give you one swift rabbit punch, right to the face. dean read the book and showed up on my front porch, drenched in sweat from running the 8 miles at 4 in the morning. he was shaking. pacifist and gentle - he works with children - i'd never seen him furious. a punch isn't going to do it, he said, and then said i'm sorry. i had to come to see if you were okay.

mahler's fifth was mine first, like my girlhood. i like the way each movement piles onto the next movement, each instrument bleeding into the next. i like the horn version the best. before i met you, i danced to it on grass still-wet from sprinklers.

later you would tell me that the way you heard it was somehow better. you understood something in it that i couldn't quite wrap my fingers into. once, on our anniversary, you asked the classical music radio station to play it for us. we missed hearing it because we were fighting. one of the things people get wrong about abuse is that sometimes victims are, like, brutally aware of the stupidity of our situation. what do you mean that you thought i wasn't good enough for you? you? you're just... nothing.

sometimes people can pull the poetry out of your life. i watched my words become clothesline, and then thin out into kite twine. i watched you chew through every good syllable of me. so many good songs and places and moments were ruined. i am glad you didn't like most of my music - less to tie back to you.

but still mahler's fifth. the music swells, and i am 21 and throwing up in a bathroom on my birthday. a woman i will later refer to as lesbian jesus runs a cool hand down my back, her perfect pantsuit starch-pressed. she told me to leave you. she said - and this is true, and not an invention of rhyme or fantasy - i'm you from the future.

i am 22, and i got home from an award ceremony, and i remember you telling me - you act so proud of yourself when you're actually so fucking embarrassing. i took you to disney world. you took my virginity. i gave up visiting spain for a week with my family - i instead choose you, to spend the time just-cuddling. you called it "our fuck week." the music swells. it probably should have been a red flag that for about 3 years - i just gave up on crying. my grandfather died and you said nothing. my uncle died and you ghosted me for 3 weeks. you said i need to protect myself from your ongoing tragedy.

every so often i come back to the memory of one of our last afternoons in person. i had just told you that i wasn't going to law school, despite the free ride - i was going to join a creative writing program. master's in fine arts. i was going to finally do it - i was going to follow my dreams. this blog was already internet-famous. however reluctantly, i would occasionally refer to myself as a poet. i got into umass amherst's writing program for fiction authors. it is one of the the top 5 programs in the country.

wait are you seriously considering actually attending that? dumbfounded, you turned completely towards me in your seat. for the 3rd time in our relationship, you almost crashed the car. you actually want to be a writer?

the first time i went viral, it was for a poem i wrote about you:

he wants to say i love you but keeps it to goodnight because love will take some falling and she's afraid of heights.

every time i see that, i want to throw up. you weren't in love with me, you were in love with the control you had over me. a little truth though: i am afraid of heights. you caught a rabbitgirl and skinned her alive.

mahler's fifth still makes me sick.

give me that back. give me back music. give me back everything i had before you. give me back fearlessness. give me back bravery. give me back a scarless body.

give me back what you took from me.