#literally had to get up and hunt down all three of my cats to make sure they were still breathing

[gaybabything]

Just read the most fucked up fanfic that literally had me getting out of bed at 1 am to check on all my cats. Why did the author do that.

[absentlyabbie]

i'll tell you what converted me to being all-in on keeping cats indoors only:

living for a year and a half in a rural area with a sudden feral cat colony explosion on the property.

i moved in with my folks for a bit and at that time, one (1) stray cat mama had taken up residence on the property, but was too feral to let my mother anywhere near her. but especially after she brought three kittens around, mom fed her and the kittens in hopes they'd grow trusting enough she could catch for spay and neuter at the minimum. momcat stayed mean and hella wary, but the kittens would hang around a little nearer and play with my mom via long stick, but still wouldn't come close enough to touch or catch.

unfortunately, two of the three kittens were girls and started having kittens of their own before further progress was made, shortly after i moved in. and that was pretty much instant doom.

there were so many kittens. SO MANY. multiple litters. every time we turned around, more kittens.

we fed them. we hunted for and located the kittens every time anywhere on the property and would move them to a repurposed doghouse anytime a mama cat had them somewhere else, so that they could grow up human-socialized and we could spay/neuter them when they were old enough. (also it was a handy tactic to push the issue of the mamas getting more used to/trusting of us themselves. only really worked with one of them, though.)

and we watched them die.

we watched litter after litter of kittens never make it to the age they could be spayed or neutered. the moms stayed, for the longest time, too skittish to more than briefly touch, much less catch and crate for a vet visit.

it sounds like a silly joke to say i have kitten-related ptsd, but i absolutely do.

too many goddamn times i'd walk out of the garage and find the carport and gravel drive strewn with tiny bodies. others simply went missing, never to be found.

one in particular, i wish i hadn't found, and the visual literally haunts me still, almost a decade later.

i saw so many kittens die of snake bite, spider bite, wild dogs, birds of prey, hit by cars, respiratory illness, covered in fleas and eyes crusted with infection.

and we loved them all. scrimped for antibiotics if the vet could be convinced to give it to us despite our being unable to bring them in. bought flea collars and ointments. we cared for them and fed them and petted them and played with them, brushed their fur and cleaned up their little faces, put ice in their water in hot summer, rigged a heating lamp in their house in the winter.

and they died. horribly. that property is pocked with unmarked graves of kittens and cats.

all the best intentions, not enough resources, and it didn't matter anyways because the population went from three to almost twenty (at times, over thirty) in the blink of an eye.

they died and died and died. our hearts broke over and over again. the stress and anxiety wore us down like sandpaper. i think, by the end of it all, we managed to find less than 10 of them all homes, including batman the disabled kitten i found a home across the country through tumblr.

it was carnage and tragedy, frankly. and we were helpless.

it only ended because they started dying faster than they could be born, and because we finally caught the two remaining mom cats in traps and got them spayed.

the points about outdoor cats being invasive predators devastating to local wildlife populations is true and valid and important.

but i know cat people, and cat people who don't know better than to let cats outdoors. what matters to you is the cat itself, generally. the cat being happy and taken care of.

keeping cats outdoors, letting them outdoors, is not taking care of the cats. it's not protecting them. it's not giving them any happiness or invigoration that couldn't be provided to them as indoor-only pets with just a little research and effort.

they die. they get ill. they get hurt. they're at risk of predators, and cars, and disease, and carelessly cruel children and deliberately cruel adults. they're at risk of disappearing on you because someone else saw a cat outdoors and intervened to give it a better, safer life not in conflict with the local environment.

and if that offends and angers you that someone would just take a cat they saw roaming outdoors, even collared, and that it sounds like i'm endorsing that, i am, but not if you intervene and be that person yourself for your own cat.

if what matters to you is doing right by your cat because it's family and a living creature whose happiness and health and safety is important to you,

keep them indoors. not part time. always. exclusively.

edit: since apparently i need to clarify this, i'm saying cats should live inside, that they should not live outdoors, even part time. visiting the outdoors supervised on a leash or in an enclosed catio is not the same as even part-time living outside, and i am certainly not advocating against it.

[teyums]

How They Would React to you Dressing up for Them - avatar headcanons

Pairing: fem! na’vi reader x lo’ak (aged up), x neteyam (aged up), x tsu’tey

warnings: fluff, “hinting” towards events, minor use of language

a/n: tsu’tey might seem a bit random in this line up as i haven’t written for him before, but i love him and i barely see people characterize him correctly which aggravates me so i had to 🤭

wc: 1.7k

LO’AK - actually dumbstruck. literally looks like a lovesick puppy with how big his eyes got when he looked at you. he blushes just at the sight of you and gives you a compliment. then begs to be the only one to see you in this outfit because he knows how beautiful the others will think you are.

“Can I please open my eyes now?” Lo’ak whined childishly, holding his hands over his face like you instructed and using all of his power not to peek through his fingers. “This better be good.”

You laughed softly at his complaining, adjusting the top you had on to make sure it fit correctly. You spent the last two days making a new outfit- the top adorned with delicate pearl-like beads that glistened when the light hit them, covering your chest just enough. The sheer fabric of your loincloth matched with similar beading, it being slightly longer than your usual one and accentuating your curves more.

“Yes, you may open them now.” You clasped your hands behind your back, tilting your head with a smile as you watched his hands drop and his eyes flutter open.

“Holy shit.” He swallowed hard, his pupils dilating as soon as they centered on you. In the blink of an eye he was up on his feet, causing you to giggle and nearly stumble back with how fast he approached you.

“Oh my Ey-“

“Do not say her name in vain!” You shushed him before he could continue, placing a finger to his lips with a teasing grin.

“You look…” His hands took hold of yours as his eyes trailed up and down your body, his mouth gapped slightly while he studied you with awe oozing from his stare. He stood completely enthralled, at a loss for words. “Wow, you look absolutely amazing.” His eyes finally locking with yours.

“Thank you, Lo’ak.” Your cheeks tinted that familiar pink-purple hue, looking away now that you felt shyness creeping up your chest.

His mouth turned to the shape of a small ‘O’, a high pitched whistle being heard from him next while he shook his hand as if it had touched hot coals. Something he had learned from his father— a cat call. According to Jake, that’s how they compliment women back on earth.

“Oh, stop it.” You brought your hand up and playfully smacked his shoulder, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear as your smile only got bigger.

He chuckled, holding where you had smacked as if he were actually hurt. “Please, please, please tell me this is for my eyes only.” He breathed out, his tongue flicking out to lick his bottom lip when he gave you another once over. “Definitely for my eyes only.” He interjected before you could answer and lowered himself a bit, his hands coming behind your thighs to lift you up and into his arms.

“Lo’ak!” You gasped when your feet left the ground, instinctively looping your arms around his neck and giggling as he carried you off to your hammock.

_____________

NETEYAM - already compliments you everyday, like smothers you in them to the point where it’s more common than hearing your name. he can’t get enough of you. the biggest smile comes onto his face when he sees you, immediately forgetting how tired he had been from his responsibilities earlier. you’re like a breath of fresh air to him and he can’t believe how lucky he got with you.

You paced back and forth in your tent, twiddling your fingers nervously as you waited for your mate’s return from the hunting party. He had been gone for almost three days now with Jake and the others, the longest you had ever been apart— so you wanted to surprise him when he got back. You knew Neteyam loved everything you did and every last detail about you; from the cowlick you had whenever you woke up in the morning, down to the four toes you had to stand on to kiss him whenever he returned. But for some reason you were still nervous.

You took a deep breath and turned around in the mirror, taking one last look at yourself and wondering if it was too much. Your top used intricate, small beaded loops to cover your decency, barely at that, and the sparse pearlescent material contrasted beautifully with the light colored, woven twine that held the top up around your neck. Your loin cloth matched; long and sheer, a very delicate material that was strictly meant to be worn for moments of intimacy.

You shook your head and pushed your shoulders back to reinstill your confidence. It was too late to change your mind, Neteyam would be home any minute now.

The creaking of footsteps against wood caused you to look over your shoulder, a smile creeping onto your lips as you watched your mate push aside the flap to your tent and emerge through the entrance. He looked exhausted, but handsome like always.

“My love, I’m home-“ He stopped dead in his tracks before he could make it all the way in, jaw nearly dropping to the floor when he saw you. He let the flap fall and hurriedly rushed inside, turning and poking his head back out as a precautionary measure to make sure none of the other males had witnessed what was only for him to see, then shut it tightly once more.

“Hi Nete.” You turned to face him with a sweet smile, your jet black and wavy locks were loose from their braids, cascading down your shoulders and ending just above your lower back.

He threw his belongings to the floor with zero regard for the fragility of some of them, and in seconds he was across the room and towering over you. You laughed to yourself at his newfound energy.

“Did I die on that hunting trip? I must be in heaven now, I am sure of it.” He purred, his hands smoothing down your shoulders and back up your arms while his eyes wandered with fascinated curiosity.

“No, you’re very much alive.” You blushed profusely, flashing him a bright smile and looking up at him lovingly as he admired you.

“You truly are a sight for sore eyes.” He shook his head in disbelief, his eyes still panning over your slender yet curvy frame and ending at your face. “Do a spin for me, princess.” He took your smaller hand into his large one, stepping back but keeping a gentle hold on your fingers.

You obliged, allowing him to help you give him a full 360. You giggled at the sound of a sharp inhale through teeth from Neteyam once your back was facing him, not needing to look back to know what he was reacting to. You returned to your former position to see him much closer than he was before, catching a glimpse of the starved look in his eye.

“So,” His hands found solace on your waist, holding your hips and pulling you flush against his heated skin. “What did I do to be lucky enough to come back to you like this, hm?” He hummed, his eyes flickering from yours and settling on your plush lips. God he missed you. He was impatiently waiting for you to answer, eager to close the gap that was separating the two of you.

You shrugged innocently, ribboning your arms around his neck and brushing the tip of your nose against his. “Just missed you, is all.” Your eyes half-lidded, lips expectant, you suddenly forgot what the conversation was about.

He pressed his lips against yours, wasting no time and deepening the kiss as soon as he felt you return it. You sighed into his mouth, hands cupping his face to bring him closer than he already was, which was impossible. His arms snaked around your waist as you stood on your toes, your chests pressing together as a result. You withdrew from him upon remembering air is crucial for survival, your chest rising and falling heavily as he tugged at your bottom lip with his teeth.

“Perhaps I should go away more often, then.”

____________

TSU’TEY - a man of very few words and emotion, we know this. Your relationship with him is secure and though he is not a words of affirmation kind of guy, you still know that he thinks you are beautiful. He values the strength of your heart, your perseverance in battle, just you more than anything else and he shows that through actions. He rarely focuses on material things. But seeing you in the outfit you made specifically for him, he can’t help but stare at you with astonishment written on his face. His expression was usually stoic and stern, so something as little as his an eyebrow raise meant that he was more than intrigued.

Tsu’tey sat upon a stool in your shared hut, a few braids that weren’t pulled back with the rest dangling over his face while he worked on sharpening his spear that had dulled from a long day’s hunt.

You emerged from behind the dressing curtain, standing a few feet from him. “Yawne,” your voice smoothed into his ears like silk. Without pausing his work or looking up he responded with a hum, one you would usually take as a sign to continue- but you wanted his undivided attention for this. “Tsu’tey.” You called.

His head raised in your direction, a spark of interest flittering within his golden orbs once they locked on you. He quirked an eyebrow, the corner of his lip that was usually downcast into a scowl was perking up into a grin. “What is the occasion?” His voice remained calm, collected.

“No occasion, just trying something new…” Your face flushed at his unwavering gaze, eyes falling to look down at your sheer beaded loincloth as if you didn’t already know what it looked like. “Do you like it?” You questioned, glancing at him hopefully.

“Mm,” He leaned over to the side, placing his spear onto the floor as well as the carving knife, now completely uninterested in what he had previously been doing. “Come.” His voice was low, his hand patting his thigh and beckoning you over. You could have sworn you saw a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

You couldn’t help but let out a small squeal in excitement at his noticeable approval, and an elated smile enveloped your features as you pranced over to your captivated mate.

[chitty-chitty-bang-bang-bang]

Vlad, Viago and Deacon as parents [pt. 3]

[part 1] [part 2] [part 4]

Requested by @italakthoughts (btw, is it pronounced like “eehtalak” or “aytalak”?)

Author’s note: There will be some angst in this part, sorry guys, couldn’t help myself. This is probably the last part of this as headcanons, but I might make a one shot later. Also, I am still open to requests, but I will be a bit slower with posting, bc college is kicking my ass so hard it’s ridiculous.

_____________________________________________

All three have their favourite game to play with you.

For Deacon it’s tag. You run around the whole house, climbing walls and ceilings, turning into bats or dogs and always trying to outsmart each other.

With all the excessive energy both of you have, this is literally the perfect activity to get you to fall asleep faster, because your tag is hardcore. A human wouldn’t stand a chance.

With Vlad it’s blind man’s buff. Because of vampire’s heightened sensitivity, this game becomes all the more challenging for the one hiding, because you have to move very smoothly and be completely silent.

Of course, Vladislav still senses where you are, but he likes to give way to you. Your happy smile whenever you win is absolutely worth it.

Viago always goes for hide and seek. At first, you weren’t a very good at it and chose the most obvious hiding places. But with time you improved to the point, where Viago sometimes legitimately wonders if he lost you.

When he can’t find you for way too long, he just gives up and asks you to come out of your hiding place.

You also do a lot of tea parties together.

Just imagine the three of them sitting at a tiny table with toy cups filled with blood.

You usually made up some kind of weird circumstances for the party. For example, you pretend that you’re aristocratic mice, who conquered a cat’s lair and now celebrate your victory with a tea party. Or you are all wives of a wealthy king and you plot his murder to share the power between the four of you.

They really get into their imaginary roles. Though sometimes this can lead to them getting a bit carried away and actually starting a fight over a fictional event.

Nick and Stu often join in as well.

You really like playing with Vlad’s hair, since he has the longest out of the three and that means you can do a lot of funny hairdos. He doesn’t really mind, as long as you’re careful to not rip anything out (it grows back very fast, but it’s still an unpleasant feeling).

Deacon often gives you piggyback rides anywhere and everywhere. You basically use him as a jungle gym and while it sometimes annoys him, he rarely protests.

In winter, Viago always takes you ice skating. Even though you’re a vampire and you can’t catch a cold (or feel cold for that matter), he still insist on you wearing very warm clothes. People might think he’s not taking good care of his kid!

When they go to New York for the vampiric council duties (shoutout to wwdits show), they take you with them. Viago definitely takes you to see a musical. He’s not bailing on that. And it’s probably going to be something incredibly campy. Probably Andrew Lloyd Webber too.

You and Deacon have an absolute blast in the NY subway, scaring random people to death with little to no repercussions or getting into the last car and drinking whoever dared to sit there alone.

Some random blogger accidentally caught you and Vladislav turning into bats in an alleyway of Manhattan on video. So you had to hunt him down and hypnotise his whole audience into forgetting about the existence of that footage. It felt nice to be famous even if only for a bit.

As any flatting situation, these three have a lot of bickering and arguments.

They really try to avoid having any of those arguments in front of you, but sometimes it gets out of control. In those cases, they try to either deflate it or just ask you to leave the room and let them sort this out.

Petty or not, parents’ arguments are not something a child should be watching.

If you ever die from being burnt by sunlight or get killed by a vampire slayer they will be utterly devastated.

Vladislav is probably the best at handling it. He grieves silently by himself, reminiscing about all the fun silly things you’d say and do when he wasn’t in the mood. With time, the sadness numbs. But there is still that gaping emptiness somewhere in his immortal soul.

Viago would never forgive himself. Maybe if he took better care of you, if he paid more attention, if he took more precautions, if he kept a closer eye on you, if he was just by your side at the right time… maybe you’d still be running through the halls of this dusty house…

Deacon is just furious. He’s furious at whatever caused your death and he’s furious at you for being so reckless and getting yourself killed. Why do his closest ones keep leaving him so suddenly?

But that won’t happen obviously, you’re not dumb enough to die twice ;)

Genuinely, your time with them could be considered one of the happiest periods of your life. And if you tell them that, they will feel very proud of themselves.

All three of them really mean well and want to give you the childhood they never had.

[ramona-quinn]

I'll Be There For You

CG!Husk, CG!Fat Nuggets, and Regressor!Angel

Plot: Angel has a nightmare in the middle of the night and his papa comforts him.

Request by @yourneurodivergentlady

Angel's little age: Newborn

🩷🕷🩷🕷🩷🕷🩷

TW: Mention of Valentino, diapers (100% SFW, of course—just putting out a warning in case you're not comfortable with the topic)

Original Three Baby Spiders lyrics are from Adventure Time. It Will Be Okay belongs to Helluva Boss; lyrics are edited and modified by yours truly ^^

It was a peaceful night at the Hazbin Hotel, even though Hell outside painted a different picture with its noisy, rambunctious ambiance. Everyone inside of the hotel was asleep. Even Niffty–who usually hunted for bugs to kill during this time–was sleeping peacefully. In Husk's room, the cat-demon was snoring quietly in his bed. Next to him was Angel, literally sleeping like a baby in his bedside crib. Fat Nuggets was also asleep in the spider's arms. Yep, it was all quiet and peaceful.

————

2:22 A.M.

Angel woke up from a nightmare that unfortunately involved Valentino hurting him and his pet pig. The bad dream caused Angel's headspace to drop more than it was and he immediately began to cry. Fat Nuggets woke up to the ruckus and became worried. He licked the spider's cheek to cheer him up, but it did little to make him feel better. 

"Wha- huh?" Husk grumbled as he woke up. He sat up and spotted Angel wailing. "Hey, Angel. What's wrong?"

Husk scooted over to Angel and gently picked him up, cradling him in his arms.

"What's wrong, pumpkin, hm?" Husk asked. Angel continued crying, but they lessened as his caregiver rubbed his back. "Did you have a nightmare?"

The spiderling tearfully hiccuped as he hid in Husk's shoulder.

"Shhh, shh-sh-sh-sh, it's okay. I'm here, shhh-shhhh," the cat-demon whsipered soothingly.

Husk stood up from the bed and continued comforting the baby. He then turned on the bedroom lights.

"Can I check if your padding needs changing?"

Angel nodded his head and allowed Husk to check his diaper.

"M'kay, let's get you changed and we'll see about getting you a bottle, yeah?"

Angel nodded his head and sniffled as Husk carried him over to the changing table. After grabbing a pacifier from the paci drawer and popping it in Angel's mouth, the cat-demon wiped away his tears and began to change him.

"Do you want to talk about the nightmare?" Husk asked. Angel shook his head, and Husk respected that as he continued changing him, narrating his actions so the spider knew what he was doing. The cat-demon then got an idea on how to cheer Angel up. He cleared his throat and started to sing.

Three baby spiders

Three bitty baby spiders

Were playing in the sun

The rain came down and it was no fun

La la la la loo la loo

Oh me, oh my, what should they do?

The first spider grabbed some umbrellas

The second spider played and he was happy all day

The babiest of all splashed and had a ball

They grew up very tall and lived inside a wall

Sometimes, the sun shines

even on baby spiders and you

Angel smiled and began giggling in the middle of the song, especially when Husk sang the "la la la la loo la loo" part. He loved the Three Baby Spiders song whenever he was on the younger spectrum of his headspace.

"Yeah, you like that song?" Husk cooed as he taped a fresh diaper on Angel and cleaned his paws with a fresh baby wipe. He then put Angel's pajama pants back on. "Was that silly?"

Angel continued laughing as Husk picked him back up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"M'kay, let's get you a bottle so you can go back to bed."

The last few words immediately took Angel out of his jubilant mood, and he grasped onto Husk's pajama shirt in terror. He whimpered through his pacifier and hid his face in his caregiver's shoulder.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Husk cooed as he gave a gentle bounce and rubbed Angel's back.

The baby shook his head.

"You don't want to go night-night?"

Angel shook his head again.

"Are you afraid of having another nightmare?" the cat-demon inquired, receiving a nod from his baby. "It's okay to feel scared, rebenok pauk. Nightmares are just bad dreams and will never get you in real time. If you have a scary dream again, Fat Nuggets and I will be right here to comfort you and give you all the cuddles and kisses you want."

Husk planted a kiss on Angel's forehead and carried him downstairs to the kitchen. He set the baby down on the floor so he could make a bottle for him. The spider was not happy about this and began to fuss once his bottom touched the ground.

"I know you want to keep being held, piccolo ragno, but I can't do that right now," Husk said. "I just have to make your bottle. It won't take me but a few minutes."

Husk began making Angel his favorite little drink, angel milk (without sugar, of course, because a sugar rush would ensue). As if on cue, Fat Nuggets walked into the kitchen with the spider's baby blanket. The pig handed the comfort item to Angel, who took it gratefully and cheered up again. Angel cooed happily and gave Fat Nuggets a hug. The spider then yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Is someone getting sleepy?" Husk asked once he finished making the bottle and testing the milk on his wrist to see if the drink was at the right temperature. Angel nodded again as he reached his arms out to the cat-demon. Husk picked him and Fat Nuggets up and carried them back upstairs to his room. 

Once in the bedroom, Husk turned on the bedside lamp next to his bed. He then turned on the lamp next to the rocking chair. The cat-demon then turned off the main bedroom light, leaving the lamps on. He walked back to the rocking chair and sat down. He cradled Angel on his lap. The spider snuggled in Husk's arms while he cuddled Fat Nuggets and his blankie. As Husk began rocking the chair back and forth, he removed the pacifier from the baby's mouth and replaced it with the bottle. Angel drank the milk contentedly as he rubbed his eyes again.

"There we go. You're doing such a wonderful job drinking your milk," Husk praised softly.

The next few minutes were spent with Angel humming sleepily as Husk fed him his bottle. The cat-demon soon grew sad for his baby. He wished he could be there for him all the time. However, a certain piece-of-shit overlord was always trying his hardest to keep the spider from staying here at the hotel. Husk remembered back when he used to be an overlord. Even if he was made of stone, he would never ever allow for someone to go through abuse. If he met Valentino during his overlord era, he would have ripped his antennas and wings to shreds.

Angel's exhausted coos from behind his bottle broke Husk's train of thoughts.

"I'm okay, spiderling. Papa's okay," Husk reassured. "I want you to know something. Remember when we read the Sleepytime book before bed, and the mom said to her kid that she will always be there for her? Well, that's true for you and me. No matter what happens, no matter where you are, I will always be there for you, even when you can't see me. Do you wanna know why? It's because I love you."

Husk then began to sing.

It always seems more quiet in the dark

It always feels so stark

How silence grows under the moon

Constellations gone so soon

I used to think that I was bold

I used to think power was fun

Now all my stories have been told except for one

As Husk sang that last line, he rubbed his nose against Angel's before continuing to sing. 

As the stars start to align

I hope you take it as a sign

That you'll be okay

Everything will be okay

And if the Seven Rings collapse

Although the day could be my last

You will be okay

When I'm gone, you'll be okay

And when Creation goes to die

You can find me in the sky

Upon the last day

And you will be okay

The song ended and the bottle was empty. Angel whinged because of this, but Husk soothed him by placing the pacifier back into his mouth.

"It's okay. It's all okay, now," Husk said as he continued rocking the chair.

Angel calmed down and suckled the soother as he was rocked to sleep for a few more minutes. Once Angel was out like a light, Husk stood up after checking to see if Fat Nuggets was safely secured in the spider's arms and carried them to bed. He gently laid Angel down in his bedside crib and tucked him in. He turned on the crib attachment toy and kissed Angel’s forehead before heading off to sleep himself.

[chaoticbardlady99]

Darling, Never Stop Haunting Me

Spawn! Astarion x F! Ghost Reader

Chapter Two: Tea Parties and Fashion Catastrophes 

Synopsis: (6 months Post-Netherbrain) You and Astarion run into trouble while trying to find a map to a Ring of Sunwalking. Astarion gives you a gift and plans your next adventure. A confession after a hunt leads to an interesting discovery about your ghost powers.

CW: Mentions of violence (literally barely)

Note: The first couple chapters will have time skips because it is meant to set up the main plot- more chaos is on it's way!

Disclaimer- I put together the picture for the banner, but I do not own any of the pictures. Birdie is a stock image 💜 I will not describe the readers body in detail- she is just merely on the banner for ✨drama✨. I believe the picture of Astarion is from @cheekylittlepupp . And then the symbol of Orcus in the back is a free image off the internet.

Chapter One: Chapter Three :AO3

“Princess Cupcakes,” the little girl giggles as she pretends to pour you a cup of tea, “would you like sugar and milk with your tea?”

 You give two unenthusiastic, sharp meows in response and the girl pretends to put sugar and milk in your tea. The little girl, Scarlett, was an obstacle that you and Astarion had not foreseen when you broke into the Drow mansion in Menzoberranzan.

  You had chased a lead all the way into The Cloud Peaks in Amn and the Gold Dragon who’s blood supposedly held the cure for Astarion’s sun allergy. It seemed too good to be true.

 And it was.

 In fact, the Dragon, Heskan, was resigned to inform them that his blood would cause Astarion to spontaneously combust. However, he did have a very solid lead, but the map to this lead was hidden within a family’s mansion in Menzoberranzan. 

 The plan had been fool proof- there was a massive ball tonight at some other Mansion in Menzoberranzan and from the gossip you heard around the mansion during your snooping, the entire family was going to this event. 

  Right as the carriage left, you and Astarion had snuck in through the sunroom door and used invisibility to get to the library. When you were unable to locate it in the library, you moved to the office- this went on for much longer than either one of you wanted until you found it in the little girl’s room. Why is a cryptic book about her ancestor’s in her room? No clue. 

  You both had no reason to be worried.

  Or so you thought. 

  As soon as Astarion picked up the book, an excited squealing was heard from the hallway and the little girl came barreling towards you with tears streaming down her face and snot bubbling in her nose. Astarion barely hid himself in time, but he didn’t even attempt to save you from this miserable fate. 

Princess Cupcakes your ass- you didn’t even like tea parties when you were a little girl! 

  Scarlett put you in some kind of tulle, pink tutu and a paper crown that now sits uncomfortably on your head. The girl speaks of nonsensical drama between her parents and it made you feel just bad enough that you’ve allowed her to indulge in her Kitty Tea Party dream, but you are fed up with staring into glassy stuffed cats’ eyes and not being able to hear properly. Not to mention, the skirt is itchy. 

   “Oh Princess Cupcakes, if only my parents would let me keep you,” Scarlett sighs, “but alas, they will skin you like the others! But don’t worry- we will still be having tea parties and you will have so much fun!” 

  You knew these stuffed Cats looked far too life-like for your liking. This is probably about your cue to try to skeedaddle, but the sound of neighing and the little girl’s happy clapping makes your stomach drop.

 The ball is still going for another five hours! They only just left!

  You yowl in despair- you are doomed!

   Scarlett aggressively pets your head and you bat her hand causing her to become upset.

 “Bad kitty!”

 “Scarlett!!!” A frantic woman calls and the little girl scoops you up in her arms while marching towards the door. 

  The girl smiles maliciously at you, “you’ll be a good kitty again soon!”

  Except she doesn’t make it very far when a blast of sleep hits her and causes her to drop like a weight- Astarion quickly snatching you out of the air and returning to the hiding spot behind the child’s massive door. 

 “Oh Lolth, help me- Scarlett! Of course you would hide and then fall asleep,” the woman is practically screeching, “Gods below- your hair is a mess now! We are going to be even more….”

  The woman’s voice trails off as she storms away with the sleeping child in her arms. You and Astarion sit in total silence and you hold your breath as you wait for the sound of the carriage taking off. You can still hear the mother fussing over Scarlett’s appearance and Scarlett is whining now that she is awake- her screaming and crying is enough to make you want to rip your own fur out. 

 You finally take a breath when the horses neigh and the sound of the carriage lurching forward echoes through the room. Astarion immediately begins snickering as he closes the door and looks to see if there are any guards underneath the bedroom window. 

 “What are you snickering about?” You leer at the man.

 “Oh nothing, your highness.” 

  His adorable, obnoxious giggle starts up again as he begins the descent down the wall using Spider Crawl- you are less than amused.

 “You jest, but I was an excellent tea party guest,” you say with feigned anger, “thank you very much.” 

 “Excellent is a stretch, my Dear. You could not be less enthusiastic about milk and sugar if you tried.” 

 “You wouldn’t be too enthusiastic about milk and sugar either if you were about to become a toy!” You exclaim, “they would have eaten and stuffed me! Stuffed, Astarion! I would be a STUFFED CAT FOREVER IF I COULDN’T LEAVE THIS BODY.” 

 “Would you be aware of being in their stomach’s then?” Astarion thinks aloud, “could your soul split in that way? That would be a horrific experience I’m sure.” 

 You just gape at him- your ear twitching and you turn your chin up at him. Both of you are now safely walking towards the Inn you are staying at for the night and you feel far more safe to be dramatic. 

 “Oh don’t be like that, Darling,” he teases, “I wouldn’t have let that happen to you.”

 You grumble and shake your head in an attempt to throw the crown off.

“I can’t believe I even let this fashion disaster happen,” he says while removing the ridiculous crown off your head, “tulle and paper does not suit you in the slightest.”

 “I am quite miffed with you for that- this tutu is ridiculous and itchy.”

 “It is made of tulle- I could fashion you a new-“

 “Don’t you dare!”

 Astarion bursts out laughing and earns weird looks from several on lookers that he proceeds to return with a ‘what? You have an issue?’ look. You can’t help but roll your eyes. Of course they have an issue with it- you would be concerned too if a beautiful man was talking and laughing with a cat. 

  The rest of the walk back to the inn is in silence and you don’t mind it so much. Astarion isn’t paying much attention to you and you take advantage of the moment to silently worship his features. 

Everyday you grow more and more agitated with being stuck as a cat- your growing affections have been absolutely no help in quelling your irritation. If anything, it made it worse. 

  It doesn’t seem to matter what you do or did to prevent it, but you seem to have fallen into some kind of feelings for the man. You envy every person who gets to kiss his lips or be on the receiving end of honeyed words. You would also love to be able to cuddle as a person. 

  Eh, oh well. 

 “Admiring my beauty, are we?” Astarion goads.

  You flick your ears in irritation- a lame attempt at pretending he didn’t surprise you, “I was merely wondering what you use to wash your hair.” 

 “My hair?” 

 “Yes, your hair.” 

  “You are the worst liar I have ever met.” 

 “I’m not lying.”

  You both make eye contact for far longer than you would like, but you hold your ground long enough that he drops it with a cocky smirk. He knows you’re lying because your heart is thrumming painfully hard against your chest. 

 “I’m afraid it’s a trade secret, Darling,” Astarion says,  “if I told you, I would no longer be useful to you anymore.” 

 “That isn’t true and you know it.” 

 “Perhaps.” 

  A deep frown settles in your brain.

 “I hope one day you will be able to see how important you are to me,” you say softly, neglecting to look at him. You look far too dumb in this godforsaken tutu for a heart to heart.

  You curl up on the bed as soon as Astarion opens the Inn room door after unceremoniously destroying the tutu in an attempt to take it off. Astarion tries to hold back his laughter as he discards the flimsy material. 

  He takes his shirt off, as he usually does, before going to the washroom and you pretend you are asleep (as you usually do). 

  You want to scream how much you love him and adore him from the mountain tops. You want to tell him that he never has to look too far to be loved again, but you can’t risk losing him altogether- that would destroy you. 

  Not to mention, what life could you give him? You possessed a cat for fucks sake. 

 He doesn’t take as long as he usually does- a wide grin along his face. You look at him with heavy amounts of suspicion.

 “What? You made me a new tutu already?” 

 “Ha! You wish, Darling,” Astarion snorts, “I do have something for you though.” 

 He grabs something out of his bag and you honestly don’t know if you should be horrified or fascinated when he shows you his stolen copy of ‘Volo’s Guide to Spirits and Spectres’. 

 “Uh- thank you? I think?”

  Astarion rolls his eyes before plopping down next to you on the bed and scratches you between the ears while flipping aimlessly through the book. 

 “Well- I was thinking,” Astarion begins slowly, “that, once we solve my sun allergy, we should begin to find a way for you to be in ‘person’ form again.

“You are a wonderful cat, but I’m sure being a person would be preferable?” 

  “Really?” 

  Your voice comes out much quieter than you intended it to. You thought you would go back to Baldur’s Gate and you would just watch him have a whole life until your feline form perishes. 

  This? You could have never anticipated this. 

 “Of course, Darling,” the softness of his voice causes you to finally take your eyes away from the book, “you have been by my side for this adventure and then some- we might as well keep the show going.” 

 “Ah, yes,” your voice reflects the happiness you feel blooming on the inside, “the show must go on.” 

 You spend the next couple hours perusing the contents of Volo’s novel. The information is atrocious and laughable at best. You find yourself laughing so hard your stomach is in stitches; Astarion’s scowling and additional commentary did not help.

  Eventually a comfortable silence falls over both of you and lulls you to sleep. Astarion continues to read through Volo’s terrible writing and finds that he is more and more disappointed by it’s contents than he had thought he would be. 

  Heskan had told him about the book after you had fallen into a deep slumber- the Gold dragon had taken a liking to you because he is a Bard and he appreciated having someone to talk about music theory with. 

 “This information seems to worry you more than it thrills you, Astarion,” the dragon noted curiously, “why?”

 Astarion stared at you sleeping on the chair as he tried to put together his thoughts.

“What if she leaves?”

 “What if she stays?” Heskan challenged, “I think you are far more afraid of what happens if she stays than if she leaves.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh please- I’m old enough to know when two people are tied up in a red string,” the dragon tutted, “relax Vampling- the world isn’t actually out to get you.”  

 Astarion has no idea what Heskan meant about the red string or why he would be more afraid of you becoming a person than remaining a cat forever, but the excitement in your voice when he proposed the idea meant he couldn’t back out of it now. 

 Astarion would just need to convince you that he was worth traveling with and then he will have to keep every potential suitor far away so that he never has to worry about you running off. 

 It’s a simple plan and it will work easily- Astarion is not ready to lose your companionship and he likes to think that it won’t be that hard for him to convince you to stick around. 

 Right?

  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 By the Gods you are going to get that damn squirrel if it’s the last thing you do.

 “Whatcha gonna do, pretty kitty?!” The conniving creature sticking out it’s tongue, “it’s hard to eat if you can’t catch your meal!”

  This has been going on for the last hour and a half- you finally had enough and addressed the squirrel directly, but it apparently felt the need to add it’s own flare to the situation. 

  You had decided to show Astarion you were perfectly capable of hunting your own dinner when you complained about the dryness of the hog he brought back. He finally told you to, and you quote, ‘feck shite’ (where that came from, you will never know), but you took the advice and now you are going to prove to him that you are perfectly capable of not being a dinner nuisance for him.

 Obviously- it’s going poorly.

 “‘Oh look at me! The dumb, cute gray ca-“ 

  You had had so much confidence earlier. Now you are being taunted by a squirrel. You are basically zoning him out at this point as you go back to the hypothetical drawing board, however, a specific rogue’s arrow gets to it first. You can hear the man chuckling from behind you as the squirrel drops to the forest floor.

“I would apologize for ruining your fun, Darling,” Astarion says, “but I don’t think there was any fun to be had. Well- except for the squirrel. He seemed to be having a good time.”

 You grumble and follow along miserably as you walk back to camp. Astarion is talking about something- probably making fun of you for the squirrel- but you are too in your head. 

 You don’t want to burden Astarion- you wish you could hunt like a normal person. You wish you could just be a fucking person again. Your world is so small and isolating and the only person you have is Astarion. You were able to stop by Waterdeep and spend time with Gale, Tav, and Tara which was fun- minus Tara goading you for your affections towards Astarion. You had been positively mortified and prayed to every God in all the planes that he didn’t hear her say that. 

 So far so good.

 “Darling?” Astarion asks with a sliver of concern in his voice, “Birdie? My flightless friend?”

 You snort at the last statement and roll your eyes.

 “Yes, my dear,” you say mockingly, “Astarion? My vampire friend?”

  When you look up at him- you can still see some concern on his face, but he looks more relieved than anything.

 “Oh good, you are speaking to me. I was worried you were upset with my poaching,” Astarion says, sitting down and starting a fire at your designated campsite for the evening.

  You honestly hadn’t really thought about it. You were relieved to have something for dinner.

 “Oh no,” you say with a dismissive wave of your tail, “I’m really grateful that you intervened- thank you.”

 Astarion frowns, “Okay- something is wrong.”

  You tilt your head at him and he releases a huff of annoyance.

 “You are not nearly as wonderfully snarky and Bardish as you usually are,” Astarion says pointedly, “so what’s wrong?”

   You stare down at your paws and sigh.

 “I just wish I could be myself again, I suppose,” you say sheepishly, “I feel like such a burden.” 

 “You are not a burden,” he continues to roast the squirrel, “hunting for the others? Now that would be a burden.”

  You hum in appreciation for his kind words. At least he doesn’t feel the same way you feel about yourself. You don’t know what you would do if he agreed with you. 

 Probably live with Halsin and Arabella- the Druid taking in the young orphan and any others who needed a home. You and Astarion have talked about visiting once he is able to walk in the sun- he wants to appreciate Reithwinn in the Sun.

“I’ve seen Reithwinn in more than enough darkness for a lifetime,” Astarion tuts, “but at least the ‘Lady of Loss’ wouldn’t be trying to kill me this time.”

  The two of you are engulfed in silence as you eat your freshly cooked squirrel (it’s terribly dry from being overcooked, but you honestly don’t care anymore). Astarion, on the other hand, continues to flip through Volo’s terrible book until one of his fingers begins to aggressively go over a page. You go into fight or flight mode when he slaps the book on the ground out of excitement- your tail puffy and your fur standing up.

 “You should, hypothetically, be able to exit your host for two hours, once a day in Incorporeal form,” Astarion shows you where the information is on the page, “it looks like the two hours is due to the Host being asleep for that two hours- anything after that means they could leave or slay you, but I’m not worried about that.”

   The information doesn’t seem real. There is no way Volo’s research is accurate- the man loves drama and creates impossible situations. However, you are just desperate enough to have some kind of reprieve from being stuck in cat form and it reads as simple enough. 

  You curl up into a ball in front of the fire while Astarion makes sure there are no potential enemies in the area- just in case this goes poorly and your feline friend decides to skeedaddle. Not that you think she will- she seems to rather enjoy your company there. She’s never complained anyway. 

 You close your eyes and focus- trying to remember not to over complicate things. It’s like body jumping, just without another body to jump into and most importantly you want to live again. You know that emphasis is important.

  Everything feels weightless and your head spins momentarily as you squeeze your eyes shut. Have you always been this dizzy? It feels like it never ends! 

 “Wow.”

  You open your eyes slowly and are greeted by the sight of a shocked looking Astarion- his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide. You assess the situation and put your hands out in front of your face or at least you hope they are hands and not paws. 

 Gods be damned- it worked!!!!!! An elated giggle leaves your lips when you see that you are still in your Anarchic Blue Outfit (which had been scandalous for the time period and it’s why you chose it). You even have the same delicate shoes and YOUR VIOLIN! 

 You hop up and down with delight- practically skipping over to one of Astarion’s mirrors and you are even more elated. Your hair and makeup are the same! 

  The only thing that gives you pause are the two puncture wounds on your neck. You wonder if you can find a way to make a scarf incorporeal so you don’t have to see them. Donella doesn’t get to brand you forever- especially not in your undeath. 

   You turn around and, in your elation, forget that Astarion doesn’t have a reflection so when you turn around- you find that he followed you over to the mirror. He still looks like he’s experiencing shock and you notice he isn’t breathing or really blinking- just staring. There’s something in his gaze that you can’t place, but you are sure he’s regretting this idea now.

  You can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed and self conscious. All of your squealing and childishness must be very off putting.

“I hope you don’t regret this,” You chuckle nervously, continuing when he doesn’t respond “am I at least weird and off putting in a pretty way?” 

  Astarion finally blinks to life and walks over with a large smile on his face.

 “Darling, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Astarion muses, “my only regret is not finding this book much much sooner.” 

  Your grin feels like it could split your face open and a rush of cold goes to your cheeks. How strange.

 “Thank you, Star.” 

Author note: Likes, Comments, and Reblogs are always appreciated! Please let me know if you would like to be on the tag list! I am using the Ghostwalk campaign for NPCs, locations, etc. It is a 3e Campaign and doesn’t mirror 5e Ghosts. I have tweaked some of the ghost powers and such for the sake of the story, but if you would like more information on Ghostwalk and the City of Manifest, there is a PDF online that is free to download :)

I also am so very sorry that this took forever to post. I was having a really bad mental health episode due to some overarching circumstances that are no longer a stressor. I already have the next two chapters written soooooooo

Tag List: @n3rdybirdee @fandomarchiveilyd @dajeong @hotmesshobbit @godoffuckedupcats @bitchstarion @hereliesblackdragon @pebble-bb @preciouslittlebhaalbae @lavvyan

[lifmera]

OH MY GOD I TYPED UP A WHOLE THING AND ACCIDENTALLY LOST IT OH MY FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOD I HATE IT HERE- anyways *ahem* attempt no. 2 of me asking you for a Hazbin Hotel match because I have never done this kinda thing before and I'm curious :)

GENDER AND SEXUALITY: I'm non-binary, they/he/she pronouns. I generally don't have a preference between the three tbh but I do appreciate ppl mixing it up! I'm sex-repulsed asexual and gray-biromantic. Again no real preference lmfao

APPEARANCE: White, dark blonde hair, green eyes, just below 5'3, pretty basic looking all things considered. I've got a pretty angular face I think. I'm afab and don't shave cuz it's too much work. I wear pretty much exclusively graphic tees(band shirts, dumb jokes, fandom stuff... that kinda thing) or button ups with funky patterns paired w/ the comfiest pants I can find, but occasionally I'll pull myself together enough to make a dencent(?) outfit, typically reminiscent of shit scene kids in the early 2000s would wear. I also like dying my hair but usually don't bcuz I procrastinate on it for too long.

PERSONALITY: If I had to describe it in one word? Unhinged. I am unhinged. 7/10 people will agree I am a very frightening person to be around. I say out of pocket shit(ranging from vile sex jokes to just straight up threats of violence) pretty regularly. I also like to sneak up on ppl and make very loud noises just to see their reactions... *ahem* anyways, despite all that, most of my friends would also describe me as caring and loyal! I have low empathy, so the only way I ever understand any of my friends emotions is by using my own experiences to compare and contrast until I have a decent idea of what's going on in their head, but I AM very good at psychoanalyzing people and providing objective, unbiased thoughts & advice on their situations. I would also literally go to war for my friends. Like, if you hurt one of them say your goddamn PRAYERS because I am coming to your location with a knife and murderous intent. I'm kinda awkward & shy at first, but at my core I AM an extrovert. I just don't know how to talk to ppl bcuz I am ✨neurodivergent✨(autism & ADHD) and have a hard time approaching ppl bcuz I don't know if they'll like me or not. Typically I make friends by making very loud jokes and waiting for somebody to approach me because they like my sense of humor. Which speaking of, I am very funny! Most people I interact with regularly would agree I am a very funny person!!! I'm also really good at media analysis and making arguments. I don't do well in debates because I choke under the pressure(gotta work on that tbh), but I'm good at writing argumentative essays. Plus, I'm pretty good at just bold face lying to people so overall I can be pretty damn convincing. I like adrenaline rushes and try to actively seek out new experiences as long as I'm confident they won't cause me any significant damage(socially or physically) in the long run. Which is unfortunately not many because I am INCREDIBLY paranoid. Like to the point of accidentally staying up til 3am cuz I'm convinced someone's gonna break into my house and kill me... I also have depression, severe dissociation issues, and existential dread which is. Fun. That's fun. I also have a tendancy to go down random rabbit holes and obsess over inconsequential details in shows I like to the point of making whole ass conspiracy theories :)

LIKES: Cartoons, drawing, writing, acting, singing, reading fanfic, watching YouTube, long drives, listening to music, jumpscaring ppl, being funny, ziplining, problem solving, video essays, ghost hunting shows, supernatural stuff in general, psychology, media analysis, frogs, sharks, ferrets, cats, violence, chocolate, Drawfee(YT channel), glitter, and just. So many fandoms. Just so many.

DISLIKES: Slimey shit, being touched(most of the time, there are occasional exceptions), being touch starved DESPITE not liking being touched, ppl insulting my interests(only I get to do that), media illiteracy, projects I'm not invested in, ppl putting preasure on me, mosquitoes, existential dread, dissociating, being tired all the time, being wrong, taking risks, feeling vulnerable, and stories with a lot of potential that just. Don't do anything with said potential.

PREFERENCES?: Uh. Someone significantly taller than me(shouldn't be hard Hazbin characters are fucking huge) that'll listen to my insane rants and is able to match my energy.

Akdncksmfnsmdsn I rlly hope I did this right again it's my first time doing anything like this-

HEYYYYYY!!! FINALLY GOT TO YOU 😜

Honestly I was debating on like a few different characters BUT!

I’ve decided to pair you with… LUTE!

Honestly I think she’d also be sex repulsed. She’s definitely more of a romantic lover! Though she doesn’t show it.

I think she talked to you at first because your style choices reminded her of Adam- and obviously, she misses him like crazy

If you did dye your hair often with her, she’d probably want to help you! I think she’d apply the color so it doesn’t get messy :)

She LOVES your personality. She thinks you are similar to her in many ways!

She also would need to experience it herself. She’s pretty stoic and doesn’t show her emotions. She’d probably think it’d make herself look weak.

I think you both would definitely fight back to back 24/7! You both would fight to the DEATH for each other.

She loves how caring you are for other people- it gives her a different sense of pace. Someone new!

I think Lute would see a TINY BIT through your lies. Lute is very observant with EVERYTHING.

She’d love if you made jokes. She need’s something less boring in her life than just standing there.

Adrenaline rushes? Totally join the exorcists- and you can be her right hand!!

She’d try to help you through paranoia, but you shouldnt worry much. She’s STRONG asf!

She’d LOVE TO HEAR CONSPIRACIES!! she would think they are SO COOL.

Although she isn’t much taller- I think she’d around 5’8 personally. She just looks small bc shes always next to Adam who’s HUGE!

She may not be able to match your energy, only because she’ll need to come out of her shell more- she’s always listening. She has ears EVERYWHERE.

~~~~

HOPE THIS WAS OKAY ❣️

[englewoodafterdark]

Planning a Series Outline

Hi! This is Hannah and I co-write Englewood After Dark. I was asked recently to explain our outlining process, so here goes.

First, Freytag.

I’m sure at some point we’ve all seen this:

A lot of us, when we’re taught creative writing, are given this and shown it as this is how three act structure is. Freytag’s Pyramid is kinda the basis. But have you ever wondered wtf you’re supposed to include in the rising and falling action?

I certainly used to. And the thing that helped me quantify it was Blake Snyder’s book, Save the Cat. Snyder is a screenwriter, but his work on quantifying the three act structure into what he calls The Beat Sheet applies to all storytelling processes imo.

So, I’m gonna paraphrase his beat sheet and break it all down but this time from the perspective of an Audio Drama creator. This is my process for writing a season outline.

But first!

Know your characters. Know how they begin the story and know how you’d like them to end. Do they start a naive optimist and end a jaded realist? Do they begin stubborn and resistant to change and end stubborn, resistant to change and dead?

Second!

Know what your ending is. This is advice I wish someone had given me when I first started writing. If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you get there?

Third, in the info-graphic, you’ll see the different parts represented by cards on a cork board. Essentially, the more cards, the longer this specific thing should take. So, for example, the Catalyst is normally quite quick, but the Fun and Games often lasts quite a while.

Buckle in! This is gonna be a long one.

Act 1:

Opening Image: This is you showing your main character(s) in inertia. Tell me what the character’s struggles were at the start. This should be mirrored by the Final Image, where (most often) all this is reversed.

Set Up (Theme Stated): The set-up is exactly what it sounds like. Show me the character in their ordinary world, introduce me to their day-to-day. Show me the problem the character has which must be solved by the end. If I have a character whose flaw is inaction, for example, I will show them in the set-up just letting the world wash over them and failing to act. And, as a caveat, give me the Theme. This is the 'truth’ of the story or what your story is really about on a deeper level. 'Would anyone even notice if you just disappeared?’ Another character demands of your main character, and then, through the story, the main character answers the question.

Catalyst: If this doesn’t happen, nothing does. I like to think of it as a diverging path. If the main character didn’t do this, the set-up would continue forever. Nothing would change. No one would grow. It is the choice of change come knocking.

Debate: The character considers their options after being presented with the catalyst. Maybe they could just bury their head in the sand? Can they really do the thing they’re being asked to do? What if they fail?

Break into 2: While the catalyst often happens to the protagonist, here is where they make the choice to commit to this new adventure. They move forward, quite literally, into the story and into a new world.

Act 2:

B Story: Sometimes thought of as the love story, the B story is where the main character comes to meet someone or several someones who help them understand their own Theme. I’m not suggesting that it has to be romantic. In fact, mostly, it’s a platonic love of found family that really makes this beat make sense. The B Story follow us through the rest of the narrative, and they are the ones, often, who incite the events of the Midpoint.

Fun and Games: Also known as the ‘Promise of the Premise’. If you’re writing a haunted story about a ghost-detective sleuthing through the afterlife, then here we see them finding clues and spooking witnesses. If it’s a sci-fi treasure hunt, we’re planet hopping and digging up danger. It’s fun! It’s trailer-able.

MidPoint: I like to think of this as a ‘it all comes crashing down’ moment. During your Fun and Games, things were looking up but suddenly with the MidPoint, things become terrible and impossible again. The stakes are raised, things are getting tough. We have to buckle down and try something new. It cane be really useful to include a ticking clock at this point, pushing the characters to move quickly if they want to succeed.

Bad Guys Close In: The Bad Guys can be quite literal, or in fact just personal demons. I like to do a combination of both. Bad Things are happening: characters are being split up, characters are betrayed, Things are Bad.

All is Lost: Exactly what it sounds like. The character loses everything they thought they gained. They push away their B-Story friends. They’re fired from the case. Someone fully dies. Things are the worst they’ve ever been. Rock Bottom.

Dark Night of the Soul: Your character is staring out of a rainy window, wallowing in their lack. Lamenting this hopeless turn of events. They realise that it’s their flaws that have led them here, and they finally know that. But it’s too late. Or is it? Return of the B-Story! They’re here, they’re ready to give advice, or share information, or do something. The main character must chose: act on this? Or die?

Break into 3: The main character chooses to try again. They’re ready to get the fuck up and try, with their friends. They have a new final goal, and they won’t stop until they accomplish it.

Act 3

This is where we move away from Synder and into territory from another author: Jessica Brody. Snyder likes to just call this ‘Finale’ which is still vague to me, so I like to borrow from Brody here and split the Finale up:

Gathering the Team: The B-Story, the Main Character, and any allies they have amassed come together to finally thwart what needs thwarting.

Executing the Plan: The new Team move on their plan, putting things in motion. Finally accomplishing what felt impossible.

High Tower Surprise: But, alas, there was some further obstacle. Some moment of doubt, some terrible revelation, or slip or obstacle. The hero is down, and they’re maybe done for.

Dig Deep Down: Themes, baby! The Main Character knows what must be done, they muster their strength and go for it. No more time for doubts. Maybe time for a heartfelt flashback though.

Execution of the New Plan: Once more with feeling. The character pulls themselves together and acts. They finally manage to do what they set out to do. They win, or lose. Whichever way it goes, it is final, as they gave everything to achieve it.

Final Image: The opposite of your Opening Image, showing how the main character has changed.

That was a lot. But, essentially, once I’ve added a quick paragraph for each of these cards, I have a rough outline of my entire plot.

I flesh this out by deciding then how many episodes I will dedicate to each Act. From there, I write little episode summaries, fleshing out details and filling in the cracks in my more generalised outline. For those summaries, I think about where we are in the overall plot structure, and provide the details.

If you’d like to see how I lay this out, I’ll include our plan for our vignette Schrödinger’s Pledge below. It's not a series, but it should give examples of each step.

Schrödinger's Pledge Spoilers are coming!

Opening image Helen surfaces from under the water of the frat house pool and a sister calls out that she thought she’d drowned. Helen alludes to being a good swimmer/ being able to hold her breath. Helen, still dripping wet, is led from the rush party by Jared towards the Cypress Phone Booth. He asks if she’s scared. Helen clearly thinks he’s an asshole.

Set Up/ Theme Stated - You can’t live in the past. We meet Payton stood outside of the Phone Booth waiting for Muffy to finish up. She tells Jared to fuck off. Jared says he’s gonna wait to take Muffy back and Payton says no thanks gtfo. Jared leaves. Helen and Payton have a tense back and forth where they talk around the subject of how they became enemies.

Catalyst Muffy steps out of the booth and is hysterical. Payton consoles her sorta. Set up the rules of the booth.

Debate Payton puts Helen in the booth.

Break into 2 Helen gets in the booth and picks up the phone.

B Story/ Fun and Games Helen connects through the phone to who she thinks is her mother. She has an emotional conversation with her ‘mother’ for a while. She wants to understand her mothers drowning; did she really kill herself as Helen suspects, or was it as accident as it was ruled?

Midpoint Helen realises this isn’t her mother and that she’s been in the phone booth for more than the allotted time.

Bad Guys Close in Dead!Helen tells her that there is no living through the phone booth for her - a legacy must be given. Time has no meaning to the dead.

All is Lost Helen tries to open the door, Payton gloats about how she was prepared to lock her in, but didn’t need to.

Dark Night of the Soul The booth begins to fill with water and Helen wonders if it is all over for her.

Break into 3 Helen holds her breath and plays dead. Not for the first time with Payton.

Finale: Payton opens the booth to check on her plan, Helen grabs her and pulls her inside, slamming the door. Payton screeches and Helen picks up the phone and makes a collect call to the after life, opening the connection and locking them both inside together. Helen hands Payton the phone and Payton succumbs to the horror of the booth. She hears her grandmother admonishing her for being an embarrassment and begins to smash her own face into the window of the phone booth. Much to Helen’s horror.

Final Image: Helen crawls out once Payton is dead and Jared is waiting to ask her if she’s going to ‘babble’ about all of this.

[kickthecan-revolution]

What a week. Extreme conflict at work that I had to coach my team through and also intervene in which at times, made me feel nauseous. They worked through it though, I’m proud of them. The partners who have issues have valid frustration which is pushing all of us to act differently and think differently, making changes to a long-standing workflow that’s been rigid and inflexible prior to now. I had my team put the manager who owns the workflow together with the partners who are so frustrated by it, instead of my team bearing the brunt of their anger and then acting as a middleman between all parties to change it. It’s hard to get out of that habit because they are accountable for the product made within it. So they set up a meeting and I asked them to say nothing and just let these two teams hash it out. It was tough but everyone did what they said and surprise, surprise, the business partners weren’t as disparaging of the workflow as they were with us. It was ultimately, very productive and we are in a good place. Shirley my coach said that sometimes disharmony is needed to get to even greater harmony.

Speaking of disharmony creating more harmony, I finally took the leap and allowed Peach out for extended periods of time with Minnie this morning. They all eat their meals in the same room and this morning, I let Peach stay in the living room. Minnie usually wants to go outside when I’ve done this before, but not this time. Peach still jumps on Bud, I think she sees her as prey so I try to distract her but not punish her for that behavior because she’s just a kitten who actually did have to hunt for her dinner with her siblings so she’s just doing what she knows what to do, though it is really stressful to see Buddy wanting to get away like she’s a victim and it makes me not like Peach very much. It triggers this helpless feeling like I can’t control an abuser.

But Minnie puts up with absolutely no shit. I’ve noticed that when Minnie is outside, Peach sits where she sits. I think it’s territorial? Peach was not the dominant cat with her siblings so this is very strange to see it play out now. Minnie immediately climbed up into her spot and when Peach ran up to her, Minnie’s growl was menacing and I swear to God, it would scare a burgler of the house. Peach kept it up with the jump scares and charges and so did Minnie, swatting her hard when she kept jumping at her. Instead of immediately grabbing Peach, I went outside, they have to work this out themselves and I have to trust that no one is going to die. That I didn’t do something to harm them (another old trigger that has nothing to do with them).

Peach followed Minnie to my bedroom where they both went under the bed, Minnie hissing and growling so intensely. My worst nightmare, a cat fight under my bed where I can’t grab anybody. I walked out, literally shaking from anxiety. I turned the TV on and started watching the Great British Baking Show that has such pure, good vibes. I lowered the volume, and there was silence. Then growling, then silence. 10 minutes later, Minnie walked into the living room, tail high, ready to go outside for her routine sun nap.

When I was watching this all go down, I was happy that Minnie was in control, like she was protecting all of us. I was saying to myself “yeah, get her. Punch that bully. Do it again.” Like she was in charge, setting the rules, protecting us from harm.

All of this is about me. All of it. Peach isn’t a bully and Bud isn’t a victim. All of them are reflections of aspects of myself. The feelings this is bringing out in me in ways I’ve not been able to access is pretty miraculous, and what I am learning and letting go of feels almost supernatural. I’m a different person than I was three weeks ago, shaking like a leaf to even let her come within five feet of Buddy. Now this.

Onward and upward.

[tunashei]

First impressions of Animorphs!

I'm listening to the Animorphs series while I work, through Animorphs Aloud - a fan made reading of the series. Here are my first impressions/random thoughts about them! Spoilers below if you haven't read them.

Book 2: The Visitor

Bird...WITH A GUN. Now that's a powerful combo.

I had to skim over the book (did you know the pdfs are available free online?) to make this post cause I didn't write down my thoughts immediately afterwards and I have a terrible memory. Reading them has made me realise a downside to the audio version; Marco is a comedic character, but comedy relies so much on tone it's a real tough thing to voice act. I'm finding him less annoying when reading rather than listening :/

It's funny how often the mall comes up. Showing the age of these books.

Rachel you are so goddamn stupid. Morphing right in front of someone just to scare them. You guys are terrible at being incognito.

I am really curious how Tobias is living right now. Is he eating rats? Where does he even live? What does he do all day?

I thought the disaster of the shrew plan would be in being literally hunted, but no apparently it's the terrified nature of the shrew. I really do like the descriptions of different animals instincts.

It would SUCK if there was a limit to morphs and Rachel is now stuck with one of them being shrew. If I could turn into a limited number of animals I'd go 1. Hawk or Crow 2. Cat 3. Orca

The scene with Visser Three is great, but what a pointless meeting man. 'Get those kids!' 'How?' 'JUST GET THEEEEMMM'

So Marco's mom supposedly drowned but they never found her body. Why do I feel like she's not dead.

Ok pro of the audio version! The bit where Melissa is watching her 'father' take 'Fluffer' away and crying after him asking him what he's doing is HEARTBREAKING to listen to. Great voice acting. I feel so bad for Melissa in all of this.

Could you not morph into the Shrew form and get out the bars that way Rachel?

So Chapman's wife joined the Yeerks voluntarily likely through the sharing. I wonder if it's pitched sort of as a solution to mental health. Imagine this organisation saying they could take over your life and improve it, make you successful, you get to be the backseat passenger and just watch while the Yeerks do the work. Maybe they say the Yeerks will give you control back once they've fixed your issues...

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World! Chapter 41: Old Friends and New Threats

NFT images are so fun to take and repaste everywhere, so enjoy this NFT of the Queen's Blessing. Remember not to right click and save and devalue the actual owner's version! It would be terrible if they got scammed! (Spolier alert: They got scammed. Also, this post will have spoilers for the whole damn Wheel of Time series so if you don't like spoilers, get outta here!)

This chapter has Moiraine's staff for its icon because she is back in Rand's life and she is ready to fix all of his problems by curing Mat. Hooray!

Lamgwin was sitting on a bench by the door, a brindle cat in his arms, when he came running up. The man stood to look for trouble the way Rand had come, still calmly scratching behind the cat’s ears. Seeing nothing, he sat back down again, careful not to disturb the animal.

There's something wonderful about a big man who loves kitties and treats them right. I don't remember if we ever get a Lamgwin POV, but I kinda hope we do now.

“The Queen, eh? You don’t say. We had Gareth Bryne out in the common room an hour or so ago, arm-wrestling the Lord Captain-Commander of the Children, but the Queen, now . . . that’s something.”

I'm sad that Bryne never got to arm-wrestle Niall or at least Galad, because that would be hilarious.

This man stands at the heart of it. Rand felt a chill. “I don’t stand at the heart of anything,” he said harshly.

Rand's capacity for denial is almost unlimited. He's literally having his dreams haunted by Ba'alzamon who he not unreasonably thinks is the Dark One. Darkfriends hunt him at every turn, aided by Shadowspawn and Padan Fain. An Ogier thinks he's ta'veren and an Aes Sedai foretells that he stands at the center of strife and suffering to come. "I don't stand at the heart of anything. They must have me confused for Brand al'Thur from Emma's Field in Illian. Common mistake; I get his mail sometimes!"

“I know,” Loial said. “I still cannot go into the streets without raising a mob shouting ‘Trolloc’ after me. But Mat, at least, only uses words. He has not tried to kill me.”

Fuck you Book 1 Mat.

Master Gill’s eye fell on the stones board and his mood seemed to lighten. “It looks as if we’ll have to start the game over later.” “No need for that.” Loial stretched an arm to the shelves and took down a book; his hands dwarfed the clothbound volume. “We can take up from where the board lies. It is your turn.”

Poor Gil, trying to at least get out of a bad game with some dignity intact and Loial won't even let him get that much.

I’m looking for Darkfriends, a boy from the Two Rivers—

This is actually a nice way to establish that the rest of the party's had enough time to reach Caemlyn now - and so have the Whitecloaks they escaped. These dudes are looking for Perrin and Egwene, wanted murderer and accomplice, and so ironically if they'd been allowed to finish their sentence things would have ended up a lot less tense for Gill (who isn't hiding them) and a lot more tense for Rand.

The scrape of chair legs was loud. Suddenly every man in the room was on his feet. They stood still as statues, but every one staring grimly at the Whitecloaks. The under-officer did not appear to notice, but the four behind him looked around uneasily.

Nothing but love for the inn patrons. I hope each and every one of these nameless heroes made it all the way to the end, and my headcanon says they do!

When he saw Rand, the innkeeper tottered off the chair and over to him. “Who would have thought I had it in me to be a hero?” he said wonderingly. “The Light illumine me.”

This might be a bit of ta'veren pushing Gill around, but let's remember that ta'veren doesn't completely change people, just makes them fall into the pattern. Gill always had it in him and before this series is done he'll do a lot more.

Nynaeve and Egwene ran laughing to throw their arms around him, with Perrin crowding in behind them, all three patting his shoulders as if they had to be convinced that he was really there.

Let's just all appreciate the stark contrast between EotW allowing there to be a quiet moment of reunion that shows how much the EF5 love each other and AMoL going out of its way to prevent any major group reunion and also being sure not to narrate any of the lesser ones that it couldn't help but acknowledge.

“I knew you were alive,” Egwene said against his chest. “I always knew it. Always.”

Girl which is it?

Rand nodded encouragingly, trying to tell him silently that it was all right. Moiraine was not like Elaida, with a threat hidden behind every glance, under every word. Are you sure? Even now, are you sure?

Usually Moiraine's threats are pretty blatant Rand. Remember how terrifying it was when she said she'd kill you herself if she had to? That wasn't subtle at all!

Rand exchanged a fleeting look with Perrin, who put his eyes down again right away. There was something odd about Perrin’s eyes. And he was so silent; Perrin was almost always slow to speak, but now he was saying nothing at all.

The lack of communication between the main characters is a lot more believable right now because Rand is just happy to see Perrin's alive and, not knowing what's gone down, doesn't want to pry too much about something that seems traumatizing.

Egwene touched Rand’s sword, fingering the red wrappings. “What does it mean?” “Nothing,” he said. “Nothing important. We’re leaving for Tar Valon, remember?” Egwene gave him a look, but she removed her hand from the sword and took up where Perrin had left off.

Rand dear, don't be dismissive. Everyone can tell something's up with this town and Egwene doesn't want to be in the dark in case this comes back to bite her.

“Pretty Nynaeve,” Mat spat. “A Wisdom isn’t supposed to think of herself as a woman, is she? Not a pretty woman. But you do, don’t you? Now. You can’t make yourself forget that you’re a pretty woman, now, and it frightens you. Everybody changes.” Nynaeve’s face paled as he spoke—whether with anger or something else, Rand could not tell.

With all three of the others, Mat seems to go right for the jugular. It almost feels supernatural. I wonder: is his loyalty to Rand just that much stronger than the others, or is it the fact that he was strongly loyal to Rand and didn't leave his side? If Mat and Rand had been separated for weeks, would Mat be coming at him now just as strongly?

One minute Lan was in the doorway, the next he was at the bedside, as if he had not bothered with the intervening space. His hand caught Mat’s wrist, stopping the slash as if it had struck stone. Still Mat held himself in that tight ball. Only the hand with the dagger tried to move, straining against the Warder’s implacable grip. Mat’s eyes never left Moiraine, and they burned with hate.

Lan, you're one hell of a badass. The man might be the best Warder that ever was.

You three have escaped them too long. It looks as if you’ve brought a new Trolloc War to Caemlyn, sheepherder.

Not yet, but maybe in a dozen books!

Perrin spoke with a soft flatness that gave his words more weight than if he had shouted. “We can’t stop it alive, either, now can we?”

Geez, the death march and nights of torture did not agree with this kid. It's actually impressive how much he'll bounce back going forward because right now he's got enough negativity to equal Gollum!Mat.

This was kind of a transitory chapter, firmly ending the second act of this book to set up for the final stretch, so there's not much to analyze. Next time though... more set-up as the group figures out just what it should be doing. But then... another transition as the group finds a way to leave town. So yeah. Bit stretched out, this section. That's okay though. It's gonna pick up.

[penname-artist]

Life Updates (Jan. 2023)

(Dated as such because I presume I’ll do more month-to-month updates, assuming I’ve anything update-worthy. Highlighted the section’s themes cuz I bounce a lot and there was a lot to cover for this month)

My commissions have been doing well as of late. I wouldn’t say they’re “booming” per se, but I have two done and two right behind them. Getting onto a real schedule has its ups and downs, though. For one thing, remembering to block my time for work (espeeeeecially for logging commission times) has been challenging. Nevertheless, I’ve done the thing, and I’m being good and making myself not work on the weekends and only putting in my work toward the week days.

That said, this Monday (the 16th) will probably be busy. Next to those two commissions, I have a pair of videos (which aren’t even mine, they’re my father’s) to edit for posting to help him advertise somethin-or-other. I really need to work on my own videos for my channel and get my setup back (the camera holder thingy I use when doing speed art has been moved since I replaced my floor last year and I still haven’t put it back) BUT, because Monday already has three to four projects in it, I’m not gonna push it. I know what I’m like, I want to do everything at once and then I don’t do any of it.

Which ALSO reminds me of the Dusty Collaboration project that I intended to do in August last year and never finished. My plan on that, going forward (and I’ll go back and poke the members of this project and re-ensure everyone is still on board with this) is to do it this August instead for the Planes 10-year anniversary. Because, you know, it’s TEN YEARS. That’s fucking INSANE.

Now mental health wise...well it’s kind of a mixed bag. I definitely feel a lot better and more alive right now than I had working 36 hours a week and wasting away in a chair. I have all of my side hobbies in the same place and I can add to them and work on them in my own time (and literally, I have a lot of fucking hobbies. In this room alone I have two dozen someodd video games, board games, card games, stacks of books I’m addictively reading, piles of crochet projects and yarn, a desk full of art materials, another desk full of writing materials, and now I’m putting in a TV and DVD/CD player for television and music). It’s also given me enough motivation/inspiration to do the things I’ve been actually wanting and needing to do - like make money - more effectively. So on that front, all is well and good.

But, the rat situation from a few months ago is still going on. And I literally have no fucking idea what it is or why it is and what we can do to stop it. I literally don’t even know if it’s a rat anymore. I never hear any active chewing or scratching, all that I hear is the movement of an animal from one end of the bedroom all the way around to the other, and the occasional bump of something in the wall as it hits it. A pair of times I’ve heard some weird squeaking like it’s a baby animal of some sort, but only a teeny tiny amount of times. And the other day I discovered a cat outside my window, so NOW I’m thinking he’s sneaking into the house walls to hunt and just fucking with me. Or it’s something else, I literally have no idea. Either way, I have slept with the wax melter light on EVERY night for the last month or so.

Lastly, on the side of financial state, we’re still going by the skin of our teeth at the moment, but I suppose it’s working. Dad’s jumping between fixing cars (which he knows) and trying to do real estate (which he does not know as much - also making money from that takes significantly more time and less consistency) and I’m only just now starting to scratch into my savings for things.

My biggest focus aside from my commissions and things will probably be getting my license and then finding a second job somewhere, hopefully art-related (please), between now and May. That is, assuming that I’m still not quite making enough to be comfortable. I’m teetering on the edge of qualifying for making money through Youtube, and commissions are making a fair bit of pocket change right now, but even that plus my work income right now is about half of the rent money for the month. I did say I’d give myself until April to do this, because I can make it that far on savings alone, comfortably and without much fear. BUT, nothing and no one can break until then because I ain’t got no insurance for shit anymore. *punches body* Stop being stupid!

(oh yeah physical health wise I still get occasional noodle days where my body is just, non-functional and I’m just kinda made of limp noodles. Not often, but, it does happen. I dunno man, maybe it’s just a normal thing, who knows.)

That’s all I can think of for the time being, y’all. I’m gonna work on this immediate stuff first and then hopefully I’ll have room to put out some videos for you guys. And, there’s fanfics to look forward to! If anyone remembers Night on the Bow, a project collaborated by Ivory, Shu, and yours truly, we’re making another one! It’s a beefy fic too, so hang onto your hats... ;)

There’s tons more in the wings but I can’t even remember what lol, but it’ll get there when it gets there!

Take care y’all and have a nice Sunday, til the morrow!

-Pen

[xariaseesred]

chapter two

FLAMES

Overview: This delves deeper into the dynamics between Keitaro and an old friend, as well as closely exploring Keitaro's complex feelings towards Haruki and his internal struggle with his own identity and past. It will include vivid scenes and emotions throughout the chapter. Through it all, you'll witness the complexities of Keitaro's temperament, the challenges it brings to the use of his "curse" which not only serves as a glimpse into his mind, but also adds layers to the dynamics between characters.

Happy reading below the cut!! ; )

The rain, as expected, cools me down enough for me to coherently find my way back to the hideaway. The library being close to the edge of the city, makes it easy to get there from the countryside that has been abandoned ages ago simply because it is impossible to grow any healthy crops in a climate on haywire all the time. 

The field is, like any other part of the city, filled with all kinds of wreckage. Fun to jump around on. Although one mishap could get you impaled. 

Old military run facilities were a good hiding spot. As kids we ran off to find a place and ended up at the end of a runway. A spot with three hangars built to store huge planes in. Long forgotten for the sake of flight safety with the aggressive storms and all. The hangars had lightning rods though, we could harness electricity with little to no difficulty and enough space to not feel too cramped up. Food is a little less accessible but through errand runs and with the help of the area’s security guard we get by well enough. Griffin is good security. Not good enough to rat us out, but good enough to keep anyone who’s not with us, out of the premise. A weird man with endless stories, some too extravagant to even consider true, but entertaining nonetheless. My twin sister, Kira and I practically raised ourselves, but he was there watching us leave and return with cuts and bruises or even worse injuries only he was equipped to treat. Whether or not he got questions about his bloody clothes from his higher-ups is sadly information I don’t have. We have yet to get in trouble though and it’s all thanks to him. 

“Aww, the wet puppy has arrived!” Kira announces as I jump off a broken airplane wing, down to the hangar's main area. I mumble a string of mocking incoherent noises back and toss her the plastic bag of books I brought her. The oil changing of the engine she has been working on for around a week now has her undivided attention until the bag lands in her lap. She read that she had to do that somewhere but had little information as to how she was going to go about things.

“I got your books, so shut it.” I take a seat on a stool and let my head hang heavily. Her face lights up before it morphs into a frown. 

“I see that, wow. What a treasure hunt you went through.” “Lose the attitude, will you? You’ve been gone for days and I don’t even get a hug upon your arrival?”

“I found nothing! How am I supposed to feel, huh? And Haruki…” My fists clench at their own accord, heating up and threatening to set themselves on fire. 

“You were bound to run into him at some point, please. He owns the place, Taro.” she scoffs.

“Still hurts.” Kira places her books onto her desk neatly, then makes her way over to me in a similar manner to how one would approach a stray cat. We are twins. Two halves of a whole as our mother liked to call us. Kira is a complete polar opposite of me in almost every way I can think of. If I was in her shoes at this moment, I would not know what to do with her. Kira on the other hand has learned to take care of me the way our parents did. A little rougher on the edges, but still efficient enough to not have me quite literally explode. 

Instead of talking to me anymore about what I’ve been up to the past two days, she cradles my head while standing next to me. Not without a fight though, but she eventually gets a solid hold and rests her head on top of mine, in turn letting my hair soak her favorite hoodie that’s been through a lot with her. Occasional small holes, oil stains, spray paint,  markers, even food since she is unintentionally a very messy eater, and all of which she has not been able to wash away despite hours of trying. Kira holds onto it despite that , and refuses to get rid of it. The hoodie getting wet is the last of her worries. She holds me until my hands stop glowing like the earth’s core and my heartbeat reaches a somewhat normal rate. 

“We need to redo these, buddy.” Kira grabs one of my locs between her fingers then brings them all backwards in a soothing manner. My mood is still sour but it does the trick and sleepiness crashes over me like a tidal wave. She scratches my scalp gently with blunt nails, occasionally massaging my head to ease any tension that might still linger. 

“You can do it if you want, I’m way past the point of caring.”

“I see that,” she snickers, tugging on my ear playfully. 

“Shut up! I just wanna shower and sleep. I feel disgusting.”

“Do that then, I’ll heat up some food for us.” She doesn’t make it far before I see her stop in her tracks in the corner of my eye, facing towards the entrance of the hangar. I look up to see what it is and she turns her head back to me, giving me an apologetic look before occupying herself with her new books. She just told me to go shower and she would prepare food. Why did she change her plans? Aiming a glare back at the entrance, the lightning outside lights up a shadow that grows bigger by the second. 

My flight instincts are on high alert now. Although Kira does not seem all that worried, this occasion is not a usual one. If Griffin is planning to pay us a visit, he will send us a message through the crappy  radio on our dinner table. Other than that, it really is just me and my twin sister. Whoever decided to waltz in here without warning must be lost. Gone miles away from where they should be. And by the looks of it, Kira is not going to help me figure it out. 

“Kira, what the hell? You expecting someone?” There is no sign of alertness in her stance which keeps me in my seat. All she gives me is a shrug and a tight smile, completely lacking eye contact. 

“This has nothing to do with her. I’m just here to give you your bag, Keitaro.” Ah, the shadow speaks. I can feel my heart rise up into my throat and I choke on whatever threat I was going to throw at him along with his name in a weak whisper. Haruki Nakajima is here in flesh and blood. God must have really had it out for me this week. 

“Here. I’ll leave.” I do not know what he might pick up from my feelings, but I am frozen in place while he places a strap from my bag into my hand that is getting hotter by the second while I myself feel like a brick of ice. His face is still covered in a shadow from his hat so it’s hard to make out any expressions. He steps back even further from Kira’s desk light, seeming completely out of place. Kira lets out a heavy sigh behind him, knocking me out of my trance and gaining Haruki’s attention. 

“Welcome, Haruki,” she smiles, pulling out a chair for him to sit in. “Wanna eat?”

“Can’t say no to that,” he says shyly, walking over to greet her. It has been a while since the two of them saw each other since I’m the only one who ever goes to the library. I leave them to go to the bathroom. Bag grabbed tightly. I never noticed I left it at the library, its content is far too important for such a mistake to occur.

Once in the confines of my own quarters, I dump the bag down on the mattress and fall down on it right after like a sea star; exhausted. The water from my poncho slowly seeps through the sheets, making me jump up at unimaginable speed. I am not changing those today. 

The shower washes away days of sweating through busy streets and awfully crowded bars, miles of walking in untraced and treacherous forests and hours spent in different libraries looking for something I am not sure even exists. A way out. It is starting to sound like a fairytale. A sick and twisted one. I close my eyes and wish someone has not been trailing me. I also thank Kira and her smarts since she figured out how to get us hot water since it is easing out nearly all the tension in my body. My muscles feel like newly puffed pillows. Kira is a genius, really. She likes to do stuff constantly, build things, and create new ways to solve problems. Me, I am just there to give her books so she can do the things she wants to do correctly because I am the one who usually knows where to find things. An acquired skill I am starting to doubt heavily these days. 

The hot shower, as relaxing as it is, does not wash away any of my worries however. Our parents are still gone, I have not found a way off this cursed land and people like me still move like prey in this predatory society. Haruki? Well…he still reminds me too much of what I am. Also cursed. 

I avoid Haruki every moment that occurs like a plague, but it only keeps my head stuck thinking where I should go next. Only criteria is being somewhere he is not. It becomes an exhausting practice after nearly ten years of doing so. It is too draining so I have subconsciously resorted to being cold whenever I am forced to interact with him. Icy, snappy replies to any innocent question or suggestion he might have, in hopes that he stays away from me on his own. But since he is a saint who cannot do anything of the sort even if it is to protect himself, it results in him bringing back my bag and sharing dinner with us in our home. It went as wrong as it could go. Griffin is going to have to explain himself too for that matter. 

I hear Kira and Haruki chatter in hushed voices through the door of my quarters and decide to block it out for the moment and really take my time getting dressed and getting my head out the gutter. My eyes catch the bag on the mattress figuring I should probably check that everything is in there. Notebooks, maps, bandages, cleaning alcohol, extra clothes, and wetland shoes. All check. I stare at the contents for a moment longer and a new fear arises. Haruki would not open and read my journal, would he? The page marker was pulled out entirely from the journal. Silky, wide black string laying flat across the other contents of the bag. If Haruki is the cause of that, the man is 1: unbelievably klutzy and 2: aware of what I’m always doing in his library. If he told anyone, it would not take long before I was either thrown into a deadly prison or just killed. Not to mention he is indirectly mentioned in my journal one too many times for me to be comfortable with the notion of him having read it. 

Hunger and unmatched exhaustion is enough to push the concerning thoughts away. It is enough for me to brave up and leave my quarters and set foot towards the already set dinner table. Haruki is seated timidly by the table watching Kira bring the last plate to the table with his hands fidgeting impatiently in his lap, cracking a few knuckles every now and then. I always hated that but it was the only sign of nervousness one could ever get from him. His face is always covered and he never was one to talk about himself so when we were children, I grew to have a little appreciation for the knuckle cracking as gross as it is. He still managed to form a soft smile and laugh at Kira’s silly little jokes. The scene felt uncomfortably familiar. Enough to tug painfully at my heart. After the shower, the anger was replaced with sadness and that sadness only grew at the sight of my twin sister and once best friend in our home. 

“Oh, Keitaro!” Kira announces once she sees me. I stopped moving long ago and had to once again bring my thoughts back down to earth. “Please come eat, we waited for you.” 

“You shouldn’t have,” I mumbled under my breath, taking a seat opposite her. She rolls her eyes at my statement before she starts serving each one of us the soup she heated up. When she gets to mine, the radio goes off in statistics. 

“Guys, incoming.” It was Griffin’s voice being heard through the speakers. I let out a humorless breathy laugh before I say a quick prayer and dig into my soup. He has really put himself in deep shit now. Kira laughs a little too.  Haruki on the other hand, is visibly confused, eyes going from me, to my sister, then to the radio, several times. 

“Don’t worry, it’s just our friend,” Kira chuckles, giving him a quick pat on the back. His head twitches upwards slightly in registration to this information, but he remains still. Not at all surprising since we all pretty much live in hiding and “friends” are considered a luxury in this day and age. Haruki does not pry any further. He just closes his eyes for a few seconds before he too starts eating. 

We sit in relative silence. I know Kira hates it and I cannot really do much about that. Reality feels so distant, it almost feels like I’m being fed the soup in front of me and my head is in the clouds without anything solid to grab onto. I am lost in thoughts without end until Griffin, the failure of a security today, makes his entrance. 

“Evening, kids!” He beams, arms out in a warm greeting. I refuse to hear any of it and he has to know.

Within just a few moments, I have the old man pushed back out and around the door we indeed keep open to not die of heat. It might rain and thunderstorm all the time but the heat is next to unbearable. I stand in the rain with a solid grip on the man’s collar, gritted teeth and hands threatening to start glowing again. ‘What has happened has happened‘ is what Kira would say but here is the thing, I don’t want it to happen again. 

“He had your bag, buddy, you know how you get about that thing,” Griffin stutters nervously, letting out a laugh in an attempt to ease the situation. The idiocy is laughable. An excuse like that could kill him right here on the spot. 

“That’s enough to get him past you?” My eyes squint in question and my jaw is starting to hurt. Griffin better think about his future before he utters anymore nonsense. 

“Okay, okay! Just–” His words are cut off and my glare goes down to my grip that has already tightened far too much, it has nearly cut off his airway. I loosen it reluctantly to let him speak. I feel like choking the stupidity out of him but I do not have the energy for that at the moment and his face was getting a concerning red color. Lucky for him, I am not planning on ending his life. 

“Okay, thank you. Oh heavens,” he breathes, nursing his neck with a careful hand around his throat and the other kept steady on his knee. I watch him Catch his breath, almost starting to feel a little guilty until he shrugs in a careless manner. 

“Spill!” I say feeling impatient. Griffin straightens himself up with great effort and drags down the zipper of his windbreaker slightly. 

“You know, he had your little brand thingy.” 

“Our little brand thingy,” I laugh bitterly. “I’m not gonna ask again, Griffin.”

“Keitaro, who else knows about it except you people?”

“You.”

“Fine, but the ominous guy had it on his stomach so he showed me and I thought it was okay since he had your bag and all, and you’ve been gone for like two days buddy. I assumed he knew you. Your bag is like your most priced possession. You won’t even let me anywhere near it.” He finishes his frantic rant with a sigh before he tries to fruitlessly look for a seat out here. 

“Never again, man. Never.” He nods quickly and puts a hand to chest dramatically. I push him back into the hangar feeling pretty much done with everyone and everything. 

“Anyone ever tell you that you should respect your elders?” Griffin utters over his shoulder. 

“Don’t test me today if you value your life, old man.” He is lucky I cannot shoot laser beams out of my eyes. 

We finish our food in silence while I once again disappear into a haze. Gone enough to not notice Kira dragged Griffin off to her engine to show him something. It is routine for her to do so but I wish she would hold off on that at least until Ki left. Instead she went through with it and the two of us were trapped in an awkward silence. How do you even begin to explain to someone that they are a reflection to the monster you are? How do you make them stay away from you when back in the days you considered each other a complete set together. How do I erase years of pain I have caused? 

“Keitaro?” I hear from beside me, almost a whisper and could easily have been missed if it was not for the fact that we were seated in nearly dead silence. I look up at him, but he has his head down and face covered as usual, making my heart’s acceleration halt for a second. “I’m sorry if I make you uncomfortable,” he goes on to say, his head falling even lower. Is he really sorry if he stayed for dinner knowing that? “I just wanted an opportunity to talk to you.”

Silence falls over us again. We should talk. That is the right thing to do. Being alone with him is overwhelming though. Agh, I also want to know if he even touched my journal. I should really stop writing stuff about this self-assigned mission I am on. Someone is bound to see it.

My head hurts from all this thinking. It is pulsating like a second heart, driving me absolutely mad. I stand up, grabbing Haruki by the arm a little farther away from Kira and Griffin’s loud chatter back and forth. Haruki steadies himself on his feet and tries to relax himself under my skeptical gaze that hides insecurity and years of pent up sadness. 

“Go ahead.” Just in that moment his unit rings loudly between us, interrupting whatever Haruki had right at the tip of his tongue. He looks at his unit, biting his bottom lip so hard it almost looks painful. I hesitate to put a calming hand on his shoulder which he notices, backing away in reflex. As much as it hurts, as much as the sharp sting in my throat is begging me to shed tears in front of him, I stand my ground and let him leave to take his call. In that instant, the voices of Griffin and Kira stop, gaining my attention. Kira knows better than to ask any further questions so they carry on with their rambling. 

It is a relief  to see that my sister is not burdened with excruciating thoughts of escaping all we know for a dream outside the barriers of our imagination. Yet she tries her hardest to come up with plans, plan B:s and sub plans to keep my mind at ease. Griffin accidentally became her idea-dumpster and I thank higher power every day since he seems to enjoy it. Our father would have loved it too, but his spark dies years ago. The emptiness in Kira was so prominent she almost died from lack of food and sleep. Hope was crucial in her life and since our father could not provide her with that any longer, I had to take that responsibility and join our minds to form a plan that would take us to this supposed “better” life; off the Island. Griffin took the dumpster role as the elder here and he has silly stories to tell from his unbelievably eventful life as a soldier in the Islands top force, before he got booted for excessive drinking. The stories brought life and hope back to Kira though, and I could not ask for much more.

I let my head fall back against the cool metal of the hangar wall, the rhythmic patter of the rain a soothing counterpoint to the turmoil inside me. Kira, ever the tinkerer, was showing Griffin some new modification she'd made to the hangar's ancient security system. "Let's see if this baby actually works!" she said with a laugh, typing a command into a panel. A high-pitched whine pierced the air for a fleeting moment before falling silent. "Don't worry," Griffin chuckled, "Those alarms are probably as old as I am, never go off when they should." I barely registered their words, my mind a tangled mess of anxiety and dread. The trial, the mysterious craft, Haruki's visit… it was all too much. I closed my eyes, seeking solace in the familiar sounds of our makeshift home, completely unaware that the peace wouldn't last.

[crystalitecloudie]

Apparently people really likes my sagau post where the creator shapeshifts into a cat to avoid being hunted down as the imposter.

SO I'M MAKING A FULL ON POST ABOUT IT (this is my first time posting something like this so forgive me if it kind of sucks).

How would Genshin Characters react to finding out their pet cat was their beloved Creator??

featuring Diluc, Jean, Albedo, Klee, and Venti. Can be seen as platonic or romantic (except Klee lol).

WARNINGS?: idk just you being a cat, genshin sagau, imposter au, reader is the creator, probably trigger warnings for cult stuff and mentions of being hunted down/almost dying, reader has rainbow blood instead of gold because I am pushing my rainbow blood reader agenda, pretty sure it's gender neutral but if not then whoops, fluff, Crack, AND angst. A full three course meal guys, eat up 🤩

All writings below were written by me. Genshin Impact is made by Hoyoverse <3

SCENARIO -- you have suddenly been isekai'd into Genshin, and of course it's the imposter au. BUT you decide to test your powers, and shapeshift into... a cat. now it is time for you to get adopted so you don't starve and die while trying to figure out why the heck your favorite characters now want to kill you.

DILUC:

as stated in the post where I randomly came up with this idea, you'd probably sneak into the tavern while he happened to be working

probably originally went there to try and find venti and exact revenge on him. because HE LITERALLY TRIED TO KILL YOU.... when you were in human form

now you're just a lovable cat who can do no wrong 🥰🥰

BUT when you find diluc there, you're like "HECK YEAH" and do EVERYTHING you can to gain his favor.

INCLUDING scratching Kaeya, knocking over the empty cups of drunkards who have had one too many shots to stop them from having another, and more.

Diluc was gonna kick you out... but you're helping him. Sort of. Still finds you a bit bothersome.

And when he tries to leave...

You follow him home. Mustering up your best meow and trying to get him to "come home".

he finally caves in when adeline says he should. But he's glad he did.

You stick to him like GLUE. he's often out on missions as the darknight hero, and you are a great helper, surprisingly.

It's almost... TOO good to be true. It's like you understand what he is saying...

Probably gets suspicious and asks you to your furry face if you're with the Abyss Order or somethin. You just tilt your head in confusion and meow because you are just a lovable floof who does no wrong

Finally finds out you are the Creator while out on a mission. One of the enemies tries to attack him, but you block it instead, your hind leg bleeding RAINBOWS???

I mean... certainly felt your presence was odd, but... YOU'RE THE CREATOR??????

gets embarrassed by all of the times you saw him changing in his room dhdjdvegsi

When in private, you shift into your human form and explain the WHOLE situation about you just... being isekai'd here.

He becomes one of your most loyal followers from then on, even if he wasn't particularly religious before then.

continues to call you by the pet name he gave you as a cat, instead of "Your Grace", which you find comforting. he still mentally sees you as a cat though, since you continue to take on that form even after he knows your true identity

JEAN:

Jean is... you fear her. Especially after the whole imposter hunt, because she was one of the big people leading it.

You weren't originally planning on getting stuck with her, either. You had originally planned to stay with Diona as one of her new cats at the cat's tail

but that didn't work out because you smelled FOOD at good hunter.

and everyone (and cat) LOVES food.

so you go there and see Jean eating a meal with Lisa. Feeling the anger course through you, you swiftly steal her meal and eat it... and then get caught.

she originally thinks you were one of Diona's cats, but when Diona says she doesn't recognize you... Jean takes you in

Because SOMETHING was pulling her to you (spoiler alert, it was your magical creator aura because yOu'Re SpEciAL-

Over time, you grow a lot closer with her. you even almost forget that she tried to kill you 😀

Key word, almost 🙄

but you really see that she's just loyal and cares about you. She's been misled by the imposter creator, who currently rules Teyvat, and just wants the best for you.

So you soften your heart... and forgive her. Because she's given you a lot of love while you've been a cat.

You mostly help her out by getting more pens and ink while she works. You also bring her snacks and occasionally push the ink bowl away to remind her to take breaks :)

Here's the problem though -- I can't ever imagine you getting into some sort of accident and bleeding under her care. She definitely recognizes your aura as abnormal and like the creator's, but isn't. Connecting. The dots.

So you literally injure yourself and show her your rainbow blood to get her attention.

OH MY ARCHONS YOU'RE THE CREATOR AND YOU'RE BLEEDING YOUR GRACE NO-

SEVERELY apologizes when she heals your wound (in human form). Good luck going back into cat form because she is STILL going to call you "yOuR gRaCe"-

Probably hides you in her house or something, and tries to get more people on your side to take down the imposter ruling Teyvat. Also probably tries to call off the hunt in Mondstadt, giving reasons like "we haven't seen them in several months they're probably dead lol"

Overall she had a good redemption arc 👌

ALBEDO:

I hate to fall into the cliche of "Albedo recognizes the imposter as the true creator in every imposter au fic 🥺" but,,,,

that's exactly what happens. Sorry guys, couldn't resist the temptation

Immediately recognizes something is wrong when he watches your reactions from afar as they surround you. He can feel your aura SO STRONGLY, how is everyone else SO STUPID-

luckily you got away, but were heavily injured. Albedo didn't know where you went after you escaped until he found you in dragonspine (ofc 🙄)

He saw all of the colorful bruises (literally), and decided to take you in. You explained your situation, and tried to come up with a solution together.

When you mention that it seems you can shapeshift, he's actually the one that suggests you shapeshifting into a "pet".

and you COMPLETELY go along with it (because it is secretly fulfilling all of your fantasies, sexual or not), transforming into a Lil kitty.

NOBODY suspects you two. Albedo is Albedo. He is curious of the world and of life, so it was expected that eventually he would take in some sort of pet. And you're just such a good kitty 🥺

Also lets you play with klee and occupy her from time to time. Klee has definitely been like "she reminds me of the creator!" And then albedo has just been like "ah that's nice🙃"

Overall you're pretty good in his care. He still sometimes slips a "Your Grace", but he treats you as an equal and partner in taking down the real imposter

KLEE:

you probably found her in cat form while heading to the city. She was fish blasting (ofc), and decided to try and feed you some of the fish she caught 🥺

Surprisingly good btw. BUT she gets caught...

But not without begging Jean to let her take you home.

Jean reluctantly agrees, after MUCH begging and crying from Klee

tbh, Klee doesn't even understand why she likes you so much. She feels an aura, sure, but she just thinks you're a nice cat. Doesn't suspect you ONCE.

that is, until you accidentally get injured by one of her bombs. SHE RUINED YOUR GORGEOUS FUR 🤬🤬🤬

she sees the burn marks (which are literally rainbow colors 🌈) and is like "huh,,, dodoco is it normal for cats to have rainbow bruises????"

SO SHE ASKS ALBEDO and he's like "... no. Lemme look at your cat please archons this isn't right"

And Albedo definitely recognizes that you are the creator... but he has a TON of questions.

Decides to tell klee, but tells her she has to keep it a secret.

She never sees you in your human form btw. Klee will now forever see you as a cat who has been guiding her life even before arriving in teyvat

just imagine a cat playing genshin lol

And she's probably too young to understand the titles either. Just keeps calling you by whatever name she gave you as a cat

VENTI:

IMMEDIATELY when he met you at the Cat's tail, he knew something was wrong.

At the time, you'd been staying with Diona and the other cats. And venti SHOULD be having an allergic reaction.

But for SOME REASON, he wasn't?? In fact, any allergy symptoms just... went away when you were near.

He was so puzzled?? Albedo happened to hear about it, and suggested that maybe this "cat" (AKA you) didn't produce the protein in their spit that would normally make him allergic to you

And yes, for those who are allergic to cats, you're not allergic to their fur. You're allergic to a protein in their spit. Normally you would need that protein to survive, BUT you're the creator so <3

You end up following him because of his nice music. Despite him being broke (and barely able to feed the both of you), his company is still welcome

I feel like he would be against the whole "hunting down the imposter" thing, unlike the other archons

but since he's the God of freedom, he let's his people continue their search and hunt you down.

he probably finds out for some stupid reason that you're the creator (like you fall out of a tree climbing and scratch yourself or something)

Apologizes for not doing anything before after you go into your human form and explain.

Probably still occasionally calls you "Your Grace" in private as a tease, but won't do it if it makes you uncomfy. Mostly uses your cat name, since he knows how serious revealing your identity can be

[meganlpie]

Puppies

Based on this request:  Could you write a Sam x fem!reader x Dean? The reader was at the bunker was Castiel appears with 3 puppies. Cas tells the reader that the puppies are Sam, Dean and Gabriel (Doesn’t matter what breeds they are). The reader could also shift into a dog and takes care of the three, almost like a mother dog would. Few days later, as the reader woke up in the morning in her bed. She felt two bodies beside her, as she looks. Sam and Dean are back in their normal forms. And Gabriel as well, but he left 

Here you are, lovelies! I do not own ANY SPN characters. They belong to the writers/creators of the show.

Warnings: SPN-type magic. Humor. Almost a crack-fic??

Pairings: fem!reader, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Gabriel(sort of), Castiel, Crowley. No real pairing here.

A scream escaped your lips when you turned around to find Castiel standing in the kitchen with 3 puppies in his arms. "Cas, what the hell?!" you cried once your heart slowed down again. "Why do you have puppies? Dean's gonna kill you for bringing dogs into the bunker…especially the kitchen." Castiel handed the puppies to you. "I do not think he'll mind. Dean is one of the puppies…Sam and Gabriel are the other two."

         "H-How?" Castiel went into detail of how Gabriel had managed to piss of a coven of witches. One witch had decided to help, but had gotten the transportation spell wrong, thus the two puppies now sniffing around the kitchen and the third in Castiel's arms. "Oh…okay then. Well, I guess we're going to have to figure out how to get them back. Uh, which one is which?" you asked and Castiel shrugged a little. "I'm not certain, but perhaps if we say their names, they might respond."

         The puppy in his arms wiggled, jumping on the counter and instantly diving into the pie you'd gotten in preparation for the hunters' return. You and Castiel looked at each other and, in unison, declared, "Dean." The puppy popped his head out of the pie long enough to give a little yip before diving back in. You rolled your eyes fondly and picked him up. He struggled against you, but you placed a kiss to the top of his head and he stopped, nuzzling into you.

         The other two puppies began playing tug-of-war with one of your shirts. "SAM!" you snapped and one puppy let go to look at you. He stared up at you with those literal puppy dog eyes and you nearly melted. That was SO much more effective this way. Still, that was one of your favorite shirts. "Leave it. And Gabriel?" The third puppy yipped and you glared a little. "Stay out of my clothes."

         Your warnings worked for all of five minutes before all three of them were fighting and rolling around the bunker. "This isn't going to work," you told Castiel, "They need an authority figure. Another dog to get them all to listen." You glanced at the angel. "You can't make yourself into a dog, can you?" Castiel gave you a look that told you that he was completely unamused. "Of course not, Y/N." You sighed a shrugged, muttering that it didn't hurt to ask.

         "Maybe we could-" Castiel started, but stopped when he saw you reaching for your phone. "Is now really the time to get lost in the TikTok?" You arched a brow at him. "I don't want to hear it, Cas. Who was it I got watching funny cat videos the last time we were on a hunt together? Besides, I'm not using an app. I'm calling someone who owes me a favor."

         "Hello, Kitten," Crowley's voice practically purred from the speaker on your phone. "Crowley, you know that favor you owe me? Time to cash in."

*short time skip*

         You looked up as Castiel frowned. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked. Crowley's shoulders raised in a little shrug. "No, but what Kitten wants, she gets. Now, pet," he said, turning to you. You cocked your head to the side to indicate that you were listening. "The spell will only last until the boys are human again. Hopefully that won't be too long. I'd hate to never see your smiling face again."

         Before you could stop yourself, a happy BARK! sounded from you. You glanced over at the nearest reflective surface. Sure enough, Crowley's spell had worked. You were now a four-legged man's best friend with the ability to think and hear like a human instead of dog. Being so close to the ground was odd though. You were so lost in looking at your reflection that you nearly forgot the purpose of the spell. That is until three little puppies began yipping at you.

         You let out a soft little growl, indicating to the puppies that they needed to behave. To your surprise they actually listened and you were pleased. At least now they wouldn't trash the bunker too badly. Unfortunately you now had three shadows that wouldn’t stop following you everywhere.

         For the next few days, Sam, Dean, and Gabriel followed you around everywhere you went. When they got to playing and grew too wild, you were able to round them up again with either a growl or giving them a little nudge with your nose. Dean liked to try and run between your feet while Sam tried to ride on your back (probably as payback for all the piggyback rides you often asked him for). Gabriel simply wandered around looking for mischief when you let him.

         Honestly, if anyone had told you that being turned into a dog and looking after three puppies was tougher than hunting, you would have laughed in their faces. Now you knew better. It was exhausting and you couldn't wait for your boys to be back to normal. You just wanted things to be the way they were. About a week later, you got your wish.

         You woke up feeling warm air fanning your face. You let out a groan, using your hand to bat at whatever it was. "OW!" Your eyes flew open at the sound of the voice you knew well. "Sam?" you questioned before noticing the weight across your stomach. You glanced back and saw Dean now staring at you wide-eyed. "Dean?" Both brothers nodded, red-faced. While sharing a bed with one of the brothers was nothing new, the three of you hadn't been in such close quarters in your down time. Thank goodness that Gabriel seemed to have left already. You sighed, reaching up to run your hand over your face and that was when you noticed something.

         "WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!"

(a/n: I hope you like it!)

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SPN Tags: @jotink78​

[slaasherslut]

Items Ava has saved in a shoe box that Lester has given her and other items that remind her of him

Avana Walker x Lester Sinclair

Lester is the literal embodiment of a raccoon. Hes always scampering around and shoving things he finds cool in his pockets. Some he keeps for himself for his truck or to scatter them around his home. Other times though he picks them up with the intention on giving it to Ava. Hes always on the lookout for things that remind him of her or things he thinks she would like. Ava started collecting all of his little gifts in a shoe box she keeps under their bed on her side. Some of these things include:

Various small skulls.

Lester is always coming home with little skulls for her to clean up. He always tells her exactly where he found them and what animal it was. The first time he brought Ava to his cabin she gushed about the giant deer skull hanging on a wall. He showed her some more of his smaller ones. Like a few cats, birds, mice, even a fox or two. The way her eyes lit up at the macabre collection made him feel all fuzzy inside. He wanted her to get that look again and again, so he kept bringing her skulls he finds on the forest floor and in ditches.

Rocks.

This man always has at least one rock is his pocket at all times, you cant change my mind about that. He always collects them for both Ava and Ellie. Some nights when Les has to work late and Ava goes to bed before he gets home, she'll wake up to him sleeping peacefully next to her and a new rock on her night stand. He will hand them to her and say things like, "Baby, I found this real pretty rock! Reminds me of yer eyes, doncha think?"

The first bullet she ever fired.

Not long after deciding to stay in Ambrose, Ava found Lester's rifle in the back of the closet. She figured it was mostly used for hunting but at this point Lester had yet to tell her that he used it more often on people than animals. She asked Les a few times to teach her how to shoot but he was very hesitant. Partly at the fact that his overwhelming need to protect her wanted to keep her away from such a deadly weapon. The other part was that he would be handing her one of his murder weapons. When he finally caved he took her out behind his cabin and had her aim for a tree Ellie had previously hung a bird feeder on. Lester stood behind her, hands ghosting her body as he taught her the proper posture and hand placements. He made sure she was paying attention and was very serious when he explained how the rifle worked. Her first shot landed in the trunk of the tree. Lester whistled. "Yeah baby! Look atcha! Right on target!" He made a mental note of where the bullet hit and Ava fired off a few more rounds. Before they packed up and went inside, he used his hunting knife to dig the ruined bullet out from the bark and shoved it in the breast pocket of his shirt before heading back inside.

Photographs

Some were taken with Bo's DSLR and some were taken with Ava's Polaroid camera. A few of Ava's favourites include: - The photo Ava took with Percy and Ellie on their lake trip with the boys. The photo is of soaking wet Ava mid shoving the other two girls behind her into the lake. - Her favourite photos of her and Lester are at a bonfire that the group got together to do. Vincent had taken them, there was three. In the first photo, Lester is leaning his back against a stump they used as a makeshift seat and Ava is all cuddled up with a blanket in between his legs. Shes laughing at one of Bo's old stories and hes just looking down at her with a love struck smile. The second photo is much of the same but shes looking up at him. The third has the two of them sharing a sweet kiss. - A photo Bo took of Ava and Percy cuddling together in Bo's guest room. Lester was working late that night and Ava's anxiety got the best of her. The house just kept making strange sounds and it was so dark outside. On top of that the house felt so lonely without Les being around. She walked over the the Sinclair home and Percy pulled her inside, leading her up to their guest room that used to be Lester's old bedroom and snuggled with her until they both fell asleep. - Another one is of Lester and Ellie. The two best friends were in the pond behind the cabin looking for frogs. Ava was making them lunch as they goofed off and laughed together. Once she finished up making lunch she looked out the window to see if she could spot them and she could. Ellie and Les were both crouched next to each other at the ponds edge. Ava grabbed her camera and snuck outside to let them know that food was ready, but not before snapping a photo of the two.

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