#lmao what if.. what if I killed your OC😂 what then

[kingcrow01]

AHHH! the SQUEAL I let out when I saw this! 🤩🤩🤩IT'S SO PERFECT! I LOVE IT!!!! I love how close up they are/that they take up the whole frame. You understand the chaos gremlin vision

Yeah I'm nervous that now that they're bros, their shenanigans are going to escalate to Thelma and Louise levels. Now if you know how that movie ends..... we should be very concerned

King! such a momentous occassion! they're officially *wipes away a tear* bros. <<<this was very funny to me. I'm just having a good time😌

Thank you, writing for them is really fun so always expect more :) I will NEVER be serious about them tho. I'm giving the idiots enrichment time in the stupid dome

Next time Finn walks into Ophelia's he gets whacked with a broom. He's not welcome back for a week, but they forgive him pretty easily

The melting blue paint ABSOLUTELY makes Makki look like a horror movie creature. Like it looks incredibly disturbing. Papa Smurf from Hell vibes

omg the image of Makki chasing kids in his melting blue demon costume screaming "TRICK OR TREAT! WHY DON'T YOU WANT CANDY??" If the kids think that he's cool or funny, I get the parents not wanting them as role models

A parent tiredly to their kid who was actually scared of their costumes: "If you don't go to sleep, Papa Smurf is going to eat you"

and thus a town boogie man is born. Makki has achieved urban legend status

At one point Makki laid down on the pavement to catch his breath and the next day there's a blue body shape melted into the ground.

Some teenager that sees it: who killed the blue man group

Some younger kids make following his blue trails all over town into a treasure hunt. A 30 year old gets out his horn and plays a funeral march over the melted body shape. Until it gets cleaned up, people just start treating it as a community spot. A therapy group brings their foldable chair and sets them in a circle around the body. People of all ages leave gifts like offerings. It gets weird.

I feel like everyone should treat their October Saint Patrick's Day like the purge. Everyone bunkers down and stays inside as Makki and Mickey paint the whole town GREEN

your dog? GREEN. Your mail box? GREEN. Your browning grass? You wouldn't believe their tenacity but GREEN. Like. It washes off very easily. But why

Mickey & Makki's grocery store adventures: the sequel!

Makki is on his soup bullshit again, Mickey is wondering what she did wrong in her life to happen to be at the supermarket during Makki's soup fixation yet again. She was only planning on buying some gum and skedaddling, they've been looking at soup for 15 minutes, someone help her. (I'm probably wildly mischaracterizing Mickey whoops)

@kingcrow01 another silly Mickey & Makki sketch since I remembered you said you were missing them a while ago lmao

disclaimer that yes I did use a photo I found on Pinterest and draw over it bc I am ✨lazy✨

[reevezs]

//lots of end-of-the-year shouting in this post, sorry if it gets too loud, I'm screaming into a read-more pillow... mostly.

there would be no Zach, Eric, and Ria (and Ver lol) without ByeNYC so:

thanks @byenycfm , its lovely admins, and every single member of the group, I obv won't tag all of you on an indie blog but I LOVE YOU. you're all amazing and amazingly talented, I love your characters. I'm grateful for Ria and her beautiful skeleton bio, thanks for letting me take care of this bby. thank you for *the* brotp I'll never get over, thanks for two heartbreaking ships and three heartwarming ones, for all the crazy headcanons we've got there, whether it's chasing zombies with an RC car or pushing one out of the window or down the stairs... most importantly - thank you for promising you'd come back after the group's hiatus and for actually coming back. we've created a community we wanna return to and we all deserve the biggest hug for that. 💙

thanks for coming back @renegadetulisrp , Old Ass RPers know what's up lol. we've known each other for more than a decade, holy shit. I love you and your babies - don't ever change, add more muses, write more crazy plots, you're one of my favorite reasons I'll always log back here 💙

@pleinsdemuses my bb! I love you and our 1000 verses where we hurt our babies for the plot and hand them some Happy Verse cookies so they don't kill us. my angst, smut, drama partner in crime, I don't think we'll ever run out of ideas. thank you for everything 💙

I don't know if I love us or hate us, @parvumchao , probably a bit of both lmao. it sounds like a threat, but I'll follow you everywhere, the dash without you is shitty. I love your muses - we don't have a single happy thread *shrugs*, but I really do 💙

@nikkiitalks , let's ruin our muses and cry over them like we're not responsible for their misery! thank you for finding me years ago and for keeping me. or for letting me keep you. I don't know, we're just holding hands and follow each other everywhere and that's how it should be 💙

another partner in chomper crime! I'm so happy you and your ocs joined BNYC, @myriadxofxmuses , so now our lovely nerd ship can sail in two verses, giving us diabetes! it wouldn't be the same without you, my dash here wouldn't be the same without you, I'm so happy I've met you! 💙

@ayakoito first-time husbands muns, I'm so happy for these two! we can have 100 threads and they find a new way to make me AWWW in every single one. we can ramble about everything and anything and I'm so happy to have you, but I'm sure you will understand when I say thank you for teaching me the most important word ever: verschlimmbesserung. 😂💙

thinking "oh god, so much cringe" already? it gets worse. more hugs and thank yous:

@plotsjotsandespressoshot and your girls - I apologize for being a shit partner and I miss writing with you, so we need a new thread or ten now lol 💙

@kierankyleculkin you hurt a bot but I think you're lovely 💙

@impcrsonatcr my fellow h.alsey human, big hugs! 💙

@thefvrious & @ghostsxagain and your chef's kiss muses - I'm a fan 💙

@dontcxckitup , @richardxoliverxmayhew , @kit-just-kit - I don't think you'll mind if I put your trio like this? that's how I see you, guys lol. your muses are among my all-time favorites. 💙

speaking of favorites - @notsoinnocentlittleangel I want you to know that Joanna is one of my favorite female ocs ever 💙

@brokenblondeprincess and pierogi is a full sentence 💙

@rcbf4 it's "Adam", not "Jake" 😂💙

@sugarandwhiskey and your lovely bby - thanks for popping on my dash 💙

@emeryfleming @corxunum @ghostsandmirrors @formaechao @heartxshaped-bruises @crew-from-capulet @bewitchingbaker @thxnymph @poisonedfire @brooklynislandgirl @thatslayer @facepeeled @alwaysanangcl - seeing you on the dash makes me happy 💙

people I've followed since my indie debut, @cheapxseats @heartonanoose - idk if you're still around, we haven't had a thread together in ages but thank you for the ones we had in the past 💙

[winniefrezcomics]

Couple of questions about Ved:

Does he have any Romatic interests (Like lezah?)

Whats his relationship like with his dad?

Why is he desperate to annoy Dev?

What are his pronouns?

Does he have any subjects that he’s crazy nerdy about?

and is it wrong that he seems really cute 😭🙏 He’s definitely my favourite character in your AU

Hoohoohoo heeheehee, ty for the food lmao 🍽️, lets see:

Yes! Lezah is his girlfriend! :3 (I’ll draw her soon I promise I swear sbdbebdhejdh) She likes being pampered by and bullying her dorky bf uwu (affectionately, of course... usually)

Not fantastic, but way better than devs! (Elad infodump on the way but I wanna draw a few more doodles for it first hehe)

He enjoys annoying Dev because it’s easy, entertaining, and despite Dev being the only REAL impediment to his plans, killing him isn’t an option bc Ved would also cease to exist! 😚💙

Ved goes by he/they/it ! (Dev is he/they)

Two words: alternate universes (also explained better in the Elad infodump, but ved has an equivalent to Dev’s crazy-powerful clairvoyance abilities and it is SCARY AF 😳) Lezah will sometimes ask him about the worst/his favorite ones he’s ever seen and he’ll just immediately summon an entire-ass PowerPoint while practically vibrating with excitement (much to his GF’s dismay 😂)

Ty for the questions, I’m glad u like him!! 💙💙Ved feels like the only real “oc” from the AU for me, so that means a lot! ;w; tho I’ve seen a FEW takes on Dev’s anti-fairy here and there, I like to think this aus version is somewhat unique in that he’s the main antagonist for the “series” hehehe

And No, I totally agree- he IS cute! When he wants to be, at least… Let’s just say it varies 😳

(No glasses concept art jumpscare lmaoooo- he can make his eyes look like whatever depending on how seriously he wants to be taken at any given time)

[codename-adler]

YOUR TROJAN TEAM?!?!?! flabbergasted. sooooo many lil guys u got there!!!

mayhaps some info on #21, Levi Romanov? love the name, very intriguing <3 or any of your choice, really, whichever you feel like sharing the most!!

oh boy. oh god. Levi's such a big file. u really know how to pick 'em Roo 😂 prepare to be sick of me...... (also ty sm for being chatty n enabling <3) //official unofficial USC Trojans OCs list here//

21: Levi Romanov (22) USC Trojans Backliner

[ face subject to change]

aight let's bullet point this:

born in USA (Alaska); child of immigrants (Belarusian father (born Alaska, parents 1st gen immigrant), Dutch mother (1st gen immigrant))

5'6½" (the half inch is important)(to Levi)(not the Trojans tho)(esp. not Jeremy)

BA: Communication (USC Annenberg)

goes Pro after college

bffs: Nikita & Angie

brother-from-another-mother w/ Nikita Bailey (their mothers are bff, grew up together in Alaska); Nikita is his bff/older brother figure/idol so he joins him in playing Exy (v popular in Alaska) and follows him to USC when he graduates HS

now for the love & tragedy chaos...................

both he and Nikita have a steady relationship with their longtime girlfriends, so much so that Levi talks to Nikita about proposing to his gf after graduation

one day though the 4 of them get into a car/boating accident that kills Levi's girlfriend and seriously injures Nikita's; Levi and Nikita are somehow miraculously the least damaged

it's a rough fucking patch for Levi (and Nikita, but that's a story for another day!)

enter Angie Pullman, Trojans recruit (ask!!! me!!!)

both men are immediately drawn to her, and inevitably it ends up in a big fight that creates a (temporary) rift between Levi and Nikita

luckily it ends up being an Adam/Gansey/Blue/Ronan situation (do you see where i'm going with this?)

because the thing is, there's this guy, Anderson [subject to change] Atwell

the assistant coach

ohohoho yes

Anderson’s really been there for Levi after the accident, bc he's been much more of a confidant to Levi than any of the team's therapists, probably because he's not a therapist; and then the shit with Angie and Nikita really isolates Levi, and slowly Anderson can't help but wanting to help Levi as much as he can, more than assistant coaches probably normally feel...

so Levi's not as straight as he thought, not in love with Angie like that like he thought, much more in love with Nikita than he always thought, and definitely, definitely super hard in love with his assistant coach (you see the Adam/Blue/Gansey/Ronan pattern?) (except there is nothing whatsoever between Nikita and Anderson. in fact Nikita probably hates him a little bit actually. fr fr.)

also before anyone sends me anon hate about my own OCs, the Levi-Anderson age gap is 22-30, so calm downnnn

so yeah Levi & Anderson, once they're all in and go all out, are disgustingly happy; but the hurdles are many and exhausting (i have another ask incoming for Coach Rhemann, which will coincidentally explain really well said obstacles)

i would say, apart from Jean Moreau himself obv and Adèle Moreau, Levi is the most tragic Trojan :(

especially because he used to be such a goofy ass mf, and so hyped about Exy on and off the court, before the accident, and nowadays he's much more a shell of himself, doesn't care much about Exy outside the court, always plays his very best but his heart's not into it, feels disconnected from his team and teammates, etc.

Anderson's the one to lead him back to his love for the sport <3

Jeremy did try very hard as his captain to reignite the flame inside Levi, of course, but let's say he had a little less incentive than with the Frenchman... if ya know what i mean... but Levi's just glad even his captain never gave up on him

birthday's June 1st //lmao beginning of pride month and i didn't even do that on purpose//

originally Levi was named Reuben Muller and he was German-American? but i decided to split the character in 2 and thus Levi & Nikita were born!

his bestfriend, apart from Nikita who has known since birth almost, is Jack Driver; they hit it off instantly the first time they practice together on the court (it also helps that Jack is both a moron and a wise man. very in touch with his feelings. it just depends if his brain cells are activated or taking a nap…)

once the drama settles down Angie also becomes one of his close friends

he’s an only child [pitiful]

did i mention his ADHD? oh he has big big big ADHD… he often forgets his meds, and he’s prone to lash out (mostly at himself) or zone out, but Exy really helps a lot with both his bottomless restless energy and his self-worth <3

on the meds thing: that was such a battle. for everyone involved. Levi, the doctors, his gf, his parents, Nikita... it was just barely starting to go well when the accident happened, and well. the step from ADHD to depression is already so small, Levi had no chance. but he's climbing up the hill again now :)

so Levi's kind of the dark version of Jeremy, or like a past younger iteration of Jeremy before he got to be the Captain Sunshine we know and love (and that's partly why Jeremy has trouble connecting w him, befriend him, even look at him sometimes); he doesn't talk much anymore, except to fight and curse, but then he turns around and drops by with a pan of brownies for the new girl because he saw her eating one all alone and sad in the athletes' hall, you know? he's very hard to pin down, even more so now that the constants in his life have been taken away or flipped :/ but he's a precious dude, trust me!

[rebouks]

Happy Friday the 13th! If your OCs were in a piece of horror media (video game/book/movie), what roles would they play? Who would die first? Who would make it to the end? What kind of horror media would they be in? (slasher film, psychological horror, zombie apocalypse, etc.)

oooooOHOOOOooO this is SO fun morri!! omg let's be semi lazy and thrust everyone into a zombie apocalypse situation n' see what happens ig..

Noah, Aspen & Juni aren't getting out of the house.. 🙈 SORRY! Aspen and Juni get caught out in the summerhouse before Noah even knows what's going on, then he'd quickly get overpowered 'cause he's weak n' kinda useless physically lmao OOPS

similarly, Alton ain't getting far.. he's SO outta shape and easily flustered and Sid's gonna do her best to get em out but he ultimately falls behind n' "heroically" just tells her to GO!

Wyatt probably does alright for himself in the beginning.. and let's be self-indulgent and say he finds Brynn HEUEHU, i can see him wriggling his way to the top of some survivor group only to be killed by his own "people" for being a dickhead in the end LOL 😂 no doubt Brynn would be part of an outcast group who'd leave once he was dead but i doubt they'd get far...

Sid ends up with Oscar n' co who all managed to get out okay in the beginning (let's pretend the twins don't exist yet because i CANNOT) they're all doing good for a while until Cookie gets bit.. Oscar can't finish her off so Tilda has to do it for him 😩

Oscar's next to get got.. he probably would'a been fine if Cookie made it but he's wracked with guilt n shit so probably does smth idiotic and reckless, only making up for his stupidity at the very end by at least saving Robin before being eaten alive.

Robin, Sid n' Tilda tag along with Brivan who're doing pretty great but Ivan disappears on a scavenging mission and never returns 😭

Tilda gets sick and there's not much Sid can do without any proper medication, Robin (like 12 or smth by now) goes on a mission with Bruno to find some supplies.. they get overrun and Robin escapes at the last minute but they return empty handed and Tilda kicks the bucket 💀

Robin, Bruno and Sid are the last one's standing.. Bruno's got the brawn (not without intelligence tho) Sid's got the brains and the medical knowledge and Robin's the lithe/quick one, sick with a crossbow and with extra powers to boot 🤭

i was gonna dress everyone up n' do fun shit but then i got bored so all you get is a lazy zombie apocalypse Robin instead lmao...

[rontra]

Do the chess moves translate into your OCs’ world btw. Are they normal humans or made in some kinda substance. Do Kaitlin and Erin ever interact and if so what’s the situation there

YAYYY MORE OC QUESTIONS TEEHEE thank u! letssee... oh god it's another long post 😭😂

chess moves NOT SO MUCH because in the setup we've got here its really hard to incorporate something like that beyond like. the vaguest gestures hahaha maybe if the magic system was more tangible and active we could play with stuff like that, but as the setting is right now there's not that much to work with in-depth. much as i might dream

(like you can give the rook a bow and say its because it attacks in a straight line from far away but beyond that its like...well... MDSJHBBG)

they are normal humans made of normal human stuff, much as they might wish otherwise at times. the magic in their world governs the structure and laws of reality and doles out punishments when said laws are breached. it's not really a magic Powers system as much as it's a magic Penalty system. this means that almost everyone (with a few exceptions) is just like a normal human being with no special powers or attributes, but the world itself will retaliate by magic if its tenets are breached. basically it's a nightmare and everybody hates it

(the main exception is people from outside this reality, like kaitlin and aster, who sit somewhere in the middle: right above ordinary humans, but very far beneath the Unseen Structure(tm) that holds the world together. they are subject to the same retaliatory destruction as everybody else, but they often have some degree of supernatural commanding force that beings belonging to this world find difficult to resist. ethical implications are Very Dire and basically aster wants kaitlin to use that power in her final duel so that the guy she's killing won't be able to defend himself. kaitlin uh does not want to do that to be honest with you!)

👆 this all is kind of important for your last question. when kaitlin first shows up in this world she's actually in alabaster, where erin is queen. so she's delivered to erin after some hijinks and they meet very early on in the story. their backstories and general personality inclinations have some pretty serious comparison points actually, but this isn't something they realize until wayyyy later (if at all)--they have a lot in common to compare and contrast. tbh they're foils but what else is new am i right. anyway;

erin is the first person kaitlin uses her command powers on, by accident, and they both hate it and it sucks very badly. kaitlin presses her to answer a question and erin has to obey and they're both understandably very freaked out by the whole thing. this direct confrontation with kaitlin's power is part of why erin is immediately like. "Oh It's OVER Over". it was erin's first time being directly exposed to this kind of magic--but she immediately felt how strong it was and understood what aster is planning to use it for (total crush victory)

erin and kaitlin do not really ... like each other very much after this and remain very wary of each other (kaitlin is very intimidated by erin but also feels guilty for what she did to her, erin sees her as a representation of aster's win/their upcoming confrontation + obviously does not feel great about having her free will messed with even if it was accidental). kaitlin is very timid and can't fully conceptualize how deeply uneasy she makes erin after their first meeting, because in her mind erin is very strong and unreadable and scary 😭 which is very fun to me personally

for a long time after that whenever they're forced to interact, erin defaults to treating kaitlin very like. detached, perfunctory, polite but not Friendly. and kaitlin is scared of her. LMAO

however they both have close ties with aster and aren't truly "enemies" either, especially as kaitlin starts to get her feet under her and push back against the less savory parts of aster's schemes. it's very obvious that erin never believed kaitlin would be anything more than aster's pawn, so when kaitlin finds her own opinions and starts rejecting things she doesn't like, it's kind of a change in her relationship with erin too. they start actually trusting each other as allies and people yknow. the "these assholes keep saving each other via ruining each others lives" cycle does absolutely include kaitlin rekindling erin's hope that things can be different (after first ruining her life w/ the IT'S OVER!! day). love world 🫶

also once theyre more comfortable with each other its very funny that aster's wife and gf(?) are hanging out talking shit about her 😭the relationships chart in this story is so.......................

[bensonstablers]

I was tagged by @sothischickshe (thank you!!! 🥰) to answer 20 questions for writers:

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

205.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

609,094

3. What fandoms do you write for?

fandoms i've written for include:

Law & Order: SVU / L&O: Organized Crime

Good Girls

Gotham

Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel

Criminal Minds

Graceland

Stranger Things

The Walking Dead

Riverdale

Castlevania

Preacher

Four Brothers

Outer Banks

Gilmore Girls

while no longer available, in the past i've also written for:

Fast and Furious franchise

MCU / Marvel

Boondock Saints

Hocus Pocus

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series

DC

(plus more i'm probably forgetting about)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Shared History (Good Girls/Brio)

Degree of Separation (Good Girls/Brio)

Milkshakes (Good Girls/Brio)

Deep Sense of Belonging (Good Girls/Brio)

Sacred Art of Kissing (Good Girls/Brio)

5. Do you respond to comments?

i read all of them for sure but i'm terrible sometimes at responding although i do try my best

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

ooft, okay. there's probably more than this but the following have major character death warnings that could very well be classed as angsty lmao:

i wrote this little ficlet: Gone (SVU, bensler/EO) in which a raid goes wrong and it's just pain from start to finish and then there's Until Long After She Takes Her Final Breath which is a Good Girls/brio fic in which their reunion at the beginning of season 3 goes very differently.

Why don't we go to Venus? is another Good Girls/brio fic in which the summary is: Rio killed her and that was supposed to be the end of it but Beth doesn’t seem to be done with him quite yet.

that one is probably my angstiest overall but the ending is probably the least angsty bit about it??? haha

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

honestly? i have no idea and i have no clue how to check 😭😂

8. Do you get hate on fics?

there was someone going around the SVU/OC fandom leaving weird hate comments on people's stuff (anonymously) and i got one but while it felt rude, it didn't feel like hate, but also it felt like it was supposed to be hateful, y'know? pretty sure i just deleted it though (i for sure ignored it) 😂

but generally, no. i'm lucky to say that i tend to avoid hate on social media and that includes fanfiction.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i have done and the variety isn't huge but it's there? i guess?

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

i have done! beyond the obvious (where shows, etc share worlds), i did a boondock saints/the walking dead one (which was also co-written) because norman reedus stars in both 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware of?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

again, not that i'm aware of

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes! the aforemention boondock saints/the walking dead fic was co-written on ff.net and i co-wrote (with the same person), a fast and furious fic.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

i lost myself a ton in writing olivia/elliot from svu/organized crime as well as beth/rio from good girls so they'd probably battle it out for top spot.

BUT

if i'm being brutally honest, my all time favourite ever to write were fast and furious ships 😂 especially the OGs (specifically vince and leon) with my OCs (although there were canon ships i loved to write too!). it was just so fun and freeing and i constantly think about it.

(i also loved when i wrote random marvel/mcu pairings, winterwitch was probably my number one for them and again, i think about it a lot)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i think it's unlikely i'll finish a lot but especially a degree of separation. i kind of hate it, i'm so sorry 😭😭😭

16. What are your writing strengths?

the thought of analysing my own writing right now sounds painful but two of the most common nice things people tell me is that: 1) they like how i write dialogue and 2) they like my writing style in general

(but of which i highly appreciate!)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i don't do it enough?

nah. true but seriously, there's a ton, however, i do tend to waffle on and write something in several sentences that could have been just one 😭

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I don't think i've ever done it? if i have it'll be dialogue or whatever that's already in the show/move/etc

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The Fast and the Furious 🥰

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

still on ao3: it has to be Why don't we go to Venus? but also Knock First which is a Beth/Rio/Original Male Character threesome fic that was SO MUCH fun

no longer posted: a fic for The Fast and the Furious. it was a Vince/OC story. it was so much fun to write and it was one of my most popular back when i was posting on ff.net and i miss this story all the time (even though it's probably awful 😂) and always think about re-writing and posting it again on ao3

Tagging: @conscience-killer @constant-sinner @astarkey @xstrawmari @blainesebastian if ya like! (sorry if you've been tagged before!)

[pastelpousay]

That anon was a total moron. They call themselves normal when they’re literally a tumblr user lmao. Like we tumblr ushers are not normal that’s why we’re on tumblr 😂

Like I’m anti-proship and all that’s stuff too and I genuinely don’t see anything wrong with your self ship with Hades! There’s nothing controversial about Rina and Hades! I mean Rina is 25 so…idk what they were talking about fr. I self shipped with older dudes when I was 15 too (of course I did the same thing you do by making the ocs legal lmao) 😂 I think we’ve ALL been guilty of that I mean look at those “I was sold to One Direction” fics on Wattpad back in like 2014 😂 Legit I self ship with dudes old enough to be my grandad like c’mon dude! Nearly half of tumblr ships themselves with old men lmao its what we’re all about 🤣

As long as the character isn’t a p*do or doing in*est stuff or horribly illegal stuff or stuff like that then you go for it! Hades literally a Disney villain like the most controversial thing he’s done is try to kill baby Herc lmao and he didn’t even succeed in that lmao, that god is just a big ol hotheaded dork lmao! Idk if that anon was an adult or not, but they should be ashamed if they were. The older self ship community should be looking out for the younger ones too! I think Rina and Hades are adorable! Keep up the awesome art and writing!!! I’m glad you didn’t let that anon get to you! Good job standing up for yourself! ☺️💕 (and sorry if this came off as weird! 😅😅 I wasn’t trying to be! I was just saying I did the same thing when I was a teen so I know how it is lol)

HIHI ANA!! DW YOU DIDNT COME OFF AS WEIRD AT ALL WHAT YOU SAID WAS VERY SWEET AND SO SO TRUTHFUL!!!💗

ALSO YES LITERALLY THE WORST THING HE DID WAS TRY AND KILL HIS NEPHEW LIKE WHAT AND IM ACTUALLY BAFFLED THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO CALL HIM A “problematic character” 💀 LITERALLY WHAT CHAT?!? I HAD TO SIT THERE FOR A GOOD 5 MINUTES ACTUALLY PROCESSING THAT THROUGH WITHOUT LAUGHING MY ASS OFF 💀 NGL I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRANK AT FIRST. ALSO LITERALLY YES WHY ARE YOU GROUPING YOURSELF AS NORMAL YOUR ON TUMBLR FIRST OF ALL SECOND IM ASSUMING THEYRE A SELF SHIPPER CUZ HOW ELSE WOULD THEY FIND MY ACC 😭 SO LIKE DUDE THATS BASICALLY A DOUBLE NEGATIVE TO BEING NORMAL MY GUY💀😭. I LITERALLY DONT KNOW WHY THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO COME HERE WITH THIS “ur a proshipper 😿” BULLSHIT LIKE DUDE I LITERALLY MADE SURE RINAS BRAIN WAS FULLY DEVELOPED BEFORE I EVEN MADE LORE 💀😭 like yea it’s an age gap but like she’s literally a human and Hades is a whole ass god LIKE WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO😭 but ohhh when someone else ships themselves with Dracula it’s not a problem 💀. I WAS LOWK HOPING IT WOULD JUST BE ME THO THEY SENT THIS TOO CUZ IM A BIT CONCERNED LIKE WHAT IF THEYRE SPREADING HATE TO OTHER HADES SELF SHIPPERS OR LIKE OTHER SELF SHIPPERS IN GENERAL. I was honestly contemplating on deleting it but I’m too petty for that lmaoao ALSO THANK YOU SMM ILL BE SURE TO KEEP UP WITH ALL MY STUFF AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DRAW THEM SMOOCHING JUST TO PISS PPL LIKE THIS OFF 💪😼 It gives me life.

THANK YOU AGAIN ANA THIS WAS SO SWEET 💗 I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD DAYYY, NIGHT WHATEVER TIME IT IS IDK BUT YEA!! If this person comes in ur inbox dw 💪🐺 I’ll take care of them /j

[candycryptids]

Quick! Your OCs are being dragged to the dancefloor by a friend - how do they react? Does the amount of people around influence that reaction? Or the kind of music played maybe?

GHFNFJDJFHB!? What a fun question omfg

Chuu has a vice grip on the sofa she’s sitting on if there’s more than 5 people at a party lmao. She’s not gettin up. N o p e. (Can sometimes be lured out onto the dance floor with a Waltzing number, but will rarely stay for longer than 2 songs before she’s found a way to slither out of being an active party participant. She’d rather chill and eat snacks and watch OTHER people look silly on the dance floor.)

Tuesday is ecstatic to be invited to the dance floor- but he only really knows how to do the stuffy Ishgardian Ball Dance when he first gets invited out to a party lmfao. The amount of people present doesn’t really impact his willingness to come out to the dance floor, but once he learns more ways to dance or even how to just, ‘feel it’ and make it up as he goes he gets much more excited about dancing to upbeat or quicker songs. He is Very good at not stepping on Toes :) (almost as if somebody didn’t want to deal with smushed toes…. 🤔)

Tangy is so zazzed to dance. She is…. Not the best at ballroom dancing or like, whatever you wanna call a couples dance, so. Watch your toes! It doesn’t matter how many people are there but being the center of attention can be kinda daunting :’> she’d rather dance to more upbeat music than slow dances so she’ll probs bow out for drinks and a snack during those to take a breather sjfjdkfs … pls also imagine her doing classic ‘dad’ dance moves or something from the Peanuts x3 [cut cos it’s Long 🫢]

….. 🤔 Ishi will gladly dance with a friend (or friends!) at smaller gatherings- and even invite others out to the floor x3 but at bigger more official events? She’s probably grateful for the excuse to step away from whatever Politically Charged Chat she’s been roped into regarding allied tribes or intercity relations. (She isn’t trained in dance, but will readily learn and follow somebody else’s lead •v•)

Mochiie is someone who’s reluctant to take an invite to the dance floor no matter how many people are present if there’s already people dancing and there’s not much space. He’s uh… conscious of his tail. (Poor guy sent a lalafellin couple sprawling once when he got tangled up in his feet, so he tries to be Overly Cautious now)

😂 Colette will indulge a friend in a dance, and relies more on being able to lift/twirl/dip her dance partner for flair - it’s an All-Eyes-On-Them situation. If Eorzean weapons didn’t have a habit of cracking under the pressure she’d probably be a tank. She prefers music with dramatic flair, to match her flashy dancing style. She laughs a lot more when it’s a Smaller group, there’s less performance pressures 🤧 (I should REALLY pose her dancing with Setsuna at some point… I’ll have to bug my partner for some files x3)

🤔🤔🤔 Levraut was the hardest for me to figure out. He’s classically trained in Ishgardian Dance? But he hates it. He thinks the whole thing looks silly, and he’s not so into huge parties (since they’re usually hosted by The Rich And Influential And Expect A Certain Class Of People yk) … he’d be a hilarious ‘sexy lamp’ for someone to dance with though… I think it would take him some time to feel comfortable dancing in the center of everything but he wouldn’t mind kinda grooving in place around the edges.

Until he’s 5 cups in. And then you have to haul him off the dance floor before he makes more of a fool of himself than he currently is, and tries to start a fight with the Violinist, because it quote ‘sounds like you’re killing the cat what made the strings all over again’ (regardless of if that’s true or not; a drunken Lev craves Rowdy Brawling and will Incite It)

… 🤨 I think that’s everyone if only because I don’t have a solid idea what the Trio would be like in a Party situation

[writing-until-i-drop]

alright so not only did we get car sex with ty today, but my Nat request too?? You're spoiling me 🥰

I love that Ty is like "oh she's surpassed my freak but im good with it" cause he fully recognizes that it's his influence lmao. There was a bones episode where there was a girl that slept with tornado chasers and apparently there is a kink for weather events apparently so im sure he'd come around at some point, honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he already tried it and it didn't go great so he's hesitant to do it again 😂

Part 3 of God Complex was TOO CUTE UGH what i wouldn't give to cuddle with her and watch scary movies...or any movie..... or make our own movie 👀 real talk that was just super cute and i loved it thank you 😍

I just started What's in a Name, like JUST finished part 1, and i am LIVING FOR THIS IM GONNA GO DEVOUR IT LIKE A 10 COURSE MEAL

her name being Meg is super cute and I know that Bill, Jo, and the OGs would get one hell of a kick watching the wranglers. I bet it was Rusty that found them and just put it in their group chat like " GUYS THEY SHOT FIREWORKS IN A TORNADO!!! WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THAT!!!!" 😂😂😂

I hope you liked that Icemav fic, I've been in an 86ers mood recently. Most of them have slider just watching the shitshow that is early Icemav and yelling at his friends to pull their heads out of their asses which I find fucking hilarious every time

here is a smooch for your nose 😘 -🗡️

🗡️,

There you are!! I felt like you could use a little treat 🥰 thank you for my nose smooch 😘

Tyler knows he's responsible for the situation he's gotten himself into, I feel like he just needs a little more convincing 👀

Anything with Phoenix is just too much for my heart 🥹 I would watch paint dry with her if it meant being around her. I'm glad you liked it!!! If you have a pt.4 idea, lmk 👀

What's In A Name? Is my favorite story I've ever written, like, getting to write the og chasers and the wranglers?? So much fun. You're going to love it and I want your full thoughts on it when you finish 💗

I'm enjoying the icemav fic so far, I'm reading it slowly because the angst is killing me but I just keep holding onto the fact its going to get better. Slider is just a mood though 🤣 he's so fed up with their dumb asses in every universe. Thoooouuuugggghhhh I do have an 86 ice x oc fic somewhere in my drafts that could come out to play 👀👀👀 if there's interest in that 👀👀👀

[eeblouissant]

Oh you reblogged the character ask game, yay!! I'd like to ask numbers 7, 21 and/or 22, and 24 (since you mentioned other fandoms 👀) for Dorothy :)

I just love these ask games, I get so chatty when my interests are brought up & I feel like the only people that ever want to listen are the friends I’ve made here 😂 I’ll reblog any ask game that comes across my dash for a chance to ramble haha!!

7: what’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I feel like our corner is very dedicated to portraying the girls exactly as they would be (sticking very strictly to canon, with the exception of, well. You know. The three of them being married. Which arguably is just barely not canon) & this is something I love so dearly. I’ve been in big fandom spaces in the past & have had to distance myself from favourite characters when their main portrayal happens to be far outside of canon. Dorothy is a very good example of this; she presents far from who she really is on the inside. It kills me on an entirely different level to see characters taken at face value, and to be extended and projected that way. For example, Dorothy presents herself with a very dominating presence, someone who is cold and who likes to be in charge. However!! That is very much not the case. In fact I don’t thing that description fits any of the girls. That’s just not a character type you’re going to get with this show. What I can’t stand is when people don’t pay attention to the media they’re consuming, & even more when it’s on purpose (ignoring canon and key character traits/experiences for the sake of it) - people who choose to pay attention to a version of a character they’ve created in their head. Good for you! Create an OC if you’re going to do that!!! Don’t ruin my favourite characters with your wildly out of character headcanons that you push as canon lmao!! Because it will always lead to others that haven’t actually seen the series they’re from thinking it’s canon & further spreading that agenda. Drives me up the WALL. The lengths some people go to to defend these fabricated versions of characters so far beyond who they really are is nuts!!!!

What I’m trying to say is that I love, love love how much care is put into every portrayal & piece of fan media I’ve seen from this fandom. Oh my goodness - if any characters deserve it it’s these four. Of course we’re only talking about Dorothy here but there’s no specific character from this show that deserves it more than another. (Speaking specifically about Dorothy though, I really adore how carefully her trauma regarding Stanley is handled here, in every aspect. It’s really lovely to see.)

21: if you’re a fic writer & have written for this character, what’s your favourite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?

I’ll start with something I don’t like; I don’t love writing Dorothy that much 😅 mostly because I relate to her so intensely that I sometimes catch myself straying from her character, or projecting bits & pieces of my own experiences onto her. She can be tricky to write - so I guess it’s not that I don’t like writing her, she’s the tricky. Younger Dorothy especially - lord. She’s real hard not to project onto. Harder scenes mostly, not my favourite. But at the same time so interesting I can’t resist.

At the same time I love writing her. What I love most is writing her to fill in the gaps of her story - that has always been the most interesting thing for me to write. The boring things, random little snippets of her life I guess. Sometimes I’ll jot down a paragraph or two when I’ve got nothing else to do on a train ride home. Don’t get me wrong, I live for the drama that came with her marriage, but ahhh there’s something about thinking of all the thoughts & feelings she must have had as a new mother getting to know her kids - & how she responded to Kate while she was an only child. The change that came with her son nine years later, how that affected Kate too (would Kate have smashed a plate dramatically the way Dorothy did when Phil was born? I think so lol). Anyway, I like the random & boring bits most :)

22: if you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?

I love seeing Dorothy get to show that happy bubbly side we don’t see very often in canon :’) anytime I’ve read a fic where she gets to be unapologetically happy & a little aloof it brings me an infinite amount of joy. That’s her!!!! That’s the real her!!!! ahhhhhh!!!!! She’s just silly she just wants to have a little laugh!!!! (thinking about how she was canonically the class clown. She just wants to make everyone giggle & maybe get to giggle a little herself 🥲)

I’ve mentioned it already, but … the mischaracterization… please lord spare me (and HER!!!). I can take this no longer I cannot deal. I’m so sick of it - I could count on my hands how many authors I trust to read a new fic about/involving her from - when!!! Will people stop leaning into her safeguard!!!!!!!!! She’s not that way!!!!!! Oh my GOD!!!!

24: what other character from another fandom of yours reminds you of them?

this is an interesting question 👀👀 hmmm … I’ve always been a huge poison Ivy fan, & Ivy from the recent Harley Quinn series reminds me a lot of her now that I think about it. I am also, very unfortunately, violently hyperfixated on the game genshin impact & have been for a good few years now, so naturally I’ll have to assign her a character - I think she & Xianyun have a bit in common for sure!! If even just in mannerisms & general outlooks on life. (Pictures below in the order I mentioned them!)

[beevean]

Given the show's tendency to essentially create OCs who just happen to share game characters' names and general attributes I think we all collectively dodged a bullet when they seemingly forgot about Rosaly, because Lenore was in the perfect position to be a bastardization of her

And then we'd all see posts about how Lenore is such a deeper and better character than her

So I suppose this isn't the absolute worst timeline

Yeah, they could have just called Lenore "Rosaly" and kept her the exact same because muh #girlbosspower, and I am positive the arguments would sound very similar to the ones surrounding N!Annette, basically "she sucks in the games anyway, your love for her is fake and forced, you are just sexist if you hate this new and improved version". I bet even more people would insist that Lenore is just so good and kind and precisely what Hector needs :^)

On the other hand, that would maybe make her fate even more disappointing for her fans. I can already imagine them sighing in relief that Isaac didn't kill her, so Hector can freely live with her wonderful sweet bae forever... only for her to basically fridge herself 😂 well, the important thing is that Hector doesn't go on a rampage for her sake. That would honestly have killed my soul.

Also, I now can darkly chuckle over the pre-S4 posts that hoped that Rosaly would show up somehow. Because of course the show would still care about the games. Lol. Lmao. You sweet summer children.

[lea-andres]

So,what other characters get high in your lore?

HELP for some reason the way this is worded is killing me. Who are you, anon, who do you already know of that constitutes this being framed as "alright, who else?" 😂😂😂

(A little context about me: I live somewhere where weed is legal, and I am legal age to do weed. I've been doing weed for a couple years now, usually via edibles. I'm not a smoker, I've found. I can't wrap my head around the mechanics of it.)

In terms of canon characters, I feel like Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, and Espio are the usual culprits, all hanging out behind Tails's workshop (he doesn't join in). I'm gonna give Amy my "can't wrap their head around smoking" thing and she occasionally makes some killer weed brownies. (I still have yet to have an honest to goodness weed brownie, I've had gummies and chocolate bars lmao.) Bark and Jewel occasionally dabble, to everyone's surprise. It usually turns into Bark being an unmoving lump on the couch and Jewel sprawled on him, ranting endlessly about something. She doesn't know what, she lost the conversation topic before she even started talking.

As for my ocs, Brutus and Dinah definitely partake. (Carlisle tries when he's older and doesn't like it. Damn those time dilations!) Bark's Uncle Moss does to the point we've joked on Discord it's why he's vaguely green. I spent more time thinking about canon than I did OCs, I need time to reflect further.

[wildernessuntothemselves]

Rereading YAMQN and agreeing with Beomgyu that OC should just let other people suffer so they can be happy together 🤡 Ik Beomgyu is like morally deplorable (or whatever 🙄) and she feels some type of way given the circumstances but damn what I wouldn’t give to have a hot man this dedicated and obsessed with me 😩 Other people sentenced to death?? That is none of my business 👨‍🦯 I’m just a dumb dumb who wants to live in luxury and be taken care of. So hard seeing characters reject my dreams like this 😔

Also was looking at the playlist for YAMQN and I can’t believe Hopelessly Devoted to You isn’t on it?? Not to be a critique bc every single song fits so well in the playlist, I just could’ve sworn it was on there?

lmao what's funny is that if oc hadn't left, only she would suffer. tyun is the one who was killing people not gyu (this in no way condones what gyu did of course. he just played the game smarter)

i am also a dumb dumb who wants to be spoiled but only in a fantasy "i want a sugar daddy" way but for oc that was actually her life 😂

i mean that is your fault babe for not recommending it when the fic was ongoing since a lot of the songs were recs. but yeah it esepcially fits gyu so much with how oc left him and he couldn't move on from her.

[zepskies]

Omg!! 😍😍 What a treat for me that you've started reading this one, friend! I know you've been on a Beau kick, so I hope you enjoy this series. 😘

I'm so glad that you already love the premise! The second I saw this show for the first time, I started imagining how to insert a character into the plot line of season 3.

But yeah, poor Mary. Some people didn't know if she was an OC or if I was following the plot of the show with her. (Small spoiler. I'm following the show. 💔) You'll definitely see how Beau fits into all that though.

Ha! Poor reader, if she's not super into Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries, something tells me she won't enjoy this little vacation. (I, on the other hand, would love this – aside from the real murders and the threat of being a victim... 😆)

Ikr? Love Agatha Christie!! I feel like my writer self would enjoy it (aside from the "reality" of it all. 🙄)

You pegged his accent as English, the “casual posh” kind. On a scale from Dame Maggie Smith to Dick Van Dyke’s attempt at cockney, you’d put Avery on a Benedict Cumberbatch level.

That one killed me! Omfg what glorious comparisons 🤣🤣🤣

Lmaooo thank you for shouting that one out!! That was a late addition, but another one of those "I think this is funny. We'll see if others do. 🤣"

YES for hot nerds!! LOL A++ for using a Benedict gif. 🤣🤣

Ah, I see her parents divorcing did not affect her at all...

Ech, ikr? I felt like that was something they didn't explore deep enough in the show (how Emily's dealt with her parents' divorce). So that's also going to be explored in this series a bit.

And I don't blame you for being annoyed with Mary lol. She was bent to grate on you. Though I'm glad you liked that chipmunk bit. 😂 Paige annoyed me too, ngl.

I smell a broken heart 🥺💔 But unknown doucheface didn't deserve her. Once she meets the sheriff, she'll be like "Doucheface who??"

Correct on all of the above!! 😂 All your questions on why she's moved to MT, what happened with her fiance, etc. will all be answered over the course of the next couple of chapters.

But omg I'm glad you relate to the horseback riding thing because that would also be me. 😂😂 (Though I too would risk it all for Cormack. Speaking of mountain men. 🫠)

Oh, do you know, babe? 😆 Already, I love how you're writing him and his inner monologue is spot on lol

😭🙏🏽🙏🏽 Thank you!! Lol I haven't had as much practice writing Beau, but I'm having a lot of fun with him and his fine, southern self. In that line in particular I tried to hear his cadence in my head.

And you're right about Beau and Avery's mini stand-off. Now I'm picturing a lot of huffing and stag antlers locking up lmao.

I might have blacked out and died here... Can we-... can we ride him? 👀🫠

Ooof girl, we'll get there. Don't worry. 😏

Hahaha Cassie calling him out 😂 But babe, don't pretend like you weren't flirting your ass off with Cormac 😝

HA! That's a great point lmao. Cassie's out here scoping out the talent too.

You’d just Googled some therapeutic techniques instead of, you know, going to therapy.

That tracks lmfao

🤪 Yeah, that's going to be an ongoing theme around here.

I'm so very glad you've enjoyed the start of this so far, lovely!! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. You always get me smiling from ear to ear! 💕💕

Take Me Home - Part 1

Pairing: Beau Arlen x F. Reader 

Summary: You are another lost soul at Sunny Day Excursions. You’re aiming to settle in Helena, Montana, where Beau Arlen is the new sheriff in town. But you’ve both got a past you’re running from. 

AN: Welcome to my first ever Big Sky series! I’ve been wanting to get to this for a while now. I’m so glad I finally get to start sharing this with you! I truly hope you enjoy the ride. (Note: This is set towards the beginning of season 3.)

Song Inspo: “Fly Away” by John Denver. And remember, you can listen to the full Take Me Home Playlist ⬅️ here.

Word Count: 4,400

Tags/Warnings: A bit of angst, a bit of setup, “Glamper Girl,” and a side helping of cops enjoying baked goods…

❤️ Series Masterlist

Part 1: All of Her Days

“This really feels like cheating,” you mused.

Yet again, you surveyed the sheer size and luxury of this tent you were supposed to be “camping” in.

Between the giant king-sized bed with crème and burgundy comforters, a two-seater dining table, a dresser (with a vanity), and even a small bookshelf, it looked like the Taj Mahal of glamping.

“Can’t you just enjoy it?” your best friend replied, poking a teasing finger into your side. She smirked when you flinched and gave her some playful side-eye. “My parents are the ones footing the bill, anyway.”

“Of which, I intend to pay them back for my half,” you said. Mary just rolled her eyes and waved you off. Her parents’ money was something she’d never had a problem spending.

“Come on, they’re getting ready to go on the hike without us,” she said, tossing her little purse over her shoulder. You were a bit more practical with your backpack, filled with a bottle of water, a couple snacks, bug spray, and your sketch pad.

Mary bumped your shoulder with hers as you two walked out of the tent, and you gave her a smile. You were glad she insisted on this little week-long excursion. It gave you exactly five more days to enjoy the fresh air of no responsibilities, before you returned to reality.

“So where are you guys from?” you asked a couple of walking companions on the early-morning hike.

The woods of Helena, Montana were vast and deep, and you found them a bit intimidating. You were a city girl, through and through, but you were learning to appreciate the mountains and the steep trails flanked by dense trees. You were also grateful that you weren’t alone. 

Emily seemed to be a nice girl around sixteen, while her stepfather Avery was a lightly graying man in his 40s. You pegged his accent as English, the “casual posh” kind. On a scale from Dame Maggie Smith to Dick Van Dyke's attempt at cockney, you’d put Avery on a Benedict Cumberbatch level.

“Well, I met her mother in Houston,” Avery replied, nodding at the girl beside you. “She and Emily joined me here in Helena after we were married this past spring.”

Emily confirmed with a nod. “Yep, starting school here in a few months.”

At that, you could smile. “Me too, actually.”

Emily gave you a confused look while she fiddled with an app on her phone.

“What? You’re still in school?” she asked.

“No,” you laughed. “I’m—”

“She’s a college professor,” Mary tacked on. “AKA: a giant nerd.”

Emily tried not to smile at your expense. You just shook your head at your friend.

“Thanks,” you said wryly, despite your amusement. “We can’t all be personal trainers. One can only take so much Spandex.”

Mary rolled her eyes and prepared to fire back a retort, but your attention shifted back to Emily, who seemed to be debating whether to press a red button on her phone. You thought it looked like a voice recording app.

You followed her line of vision and saw Paige and Luke up ahead—a young “happy couple” here at Sunny Day Excursions. They were whisper-yelling at each other, sniping something about Luke’s birthday. Apparently, he had a problem with getting another year older.

Don’t we all, you thought, with no small amount of sarcasm. The guy had been a sour apple since the start of this trip, and to be honest, he was starting to get on your damn nerves.

“This is like, prime time stuff for my podcast,” Emily whispered.

You looked over at her. “Oh yeah? What’s your podcast about?”

“Relationships, lies, that sort of thing,” she replied.

You almost grimaced. Good luck finding willing subjects for that one.

Mary snickered on your other side. She leaned close to your ear so only you would hear.

“God, Paige’s voice is so effing annoying. Like a chipmunk on helium,” she said. “I feel sorry for him.”

You shot her a dry look. “He’s the one asking for it, if you ask me. But they’ve been going at it the whole time. Makes me feel sorry for both of them.”

You shook your head and kept walking on the trail. Mary sobered as she stared back at you. She was reminded of why you two were really here, and what you’d been through this past year…

What you all had been through.

You and Mary fell behind Avery and Emily on the trail, giving Mary the opportunity to touch your arm and stop you in the middle of the trail.

“Do you really plan to stay here?” she asked. “In dusty-ass Montana? With the snakes and the bears and the old hicks?”

“Well, I got the key to my apartment before we got here,” you said. And she knew that. “My aunt is letting me crash with her until the rest of my things ship over in a couple of weeks, and I start a new job in the fall. So yeah, I’m staying.”

Mary’s lips pursed. She gave you a long look, but you held your ground. You even popped your Airpods in for good measure. You were done with this conversation.

She huffed and kept walking.

You watched your friend go in annoyance. You knew she would try to talk you out of your decision at some point on this trip, but you hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

Heaving a sigh, you looked up at the clear sky above you, filtered through the tall trees. You took a moment to collect yourself in this great big no man’s land, where you could finally let yourself slow down for a minute, and breathe.

You raised the volume in your Airpods when a particular song came through.

“All of her days have gone soft and cloudy. All of her dreams have gone dry,” crooned the soft melody. You nodded to the rhythm of the mellow notes, but all the while, you tried to blink through the sting of tears.

“All of her nights have gone sad and shady. She's getting ready to fly…”

You rubbed your left hand, where you still had the tan line of the ring you used to wear.

“It’s really okay, sweetie,” Mary tried to console you, rubbing her hand between your shoulders.

After the hike, you all had returned to camp and sat down to brunch. It was an amazing spread, with waffles and muffins and Danishes, eggs done three different ways, toast with jam, assorted sandwiches, coffee and orange juice (and sparkling wine for the adults).

But even with a huge plate of appetizing food in front of you, you were sulking a bit. You had your face covered by your hands as you rested your elbows on the table.

“One of my only goals on this trip was to ride a damn horse, and I couldn’t even do that,” you said.

Sunny Barnes and her husband Buck were the heads and hosts of this whole trip. And after the hike, their son, Cormack, had tried to help you onto the nice chestnut mare the handler had brought out of the stable for you. But your entire body had locked up in fear at the prospect of being vaulted onto the horse.

In fairness, she was huge. And you were both afraid of heights, and animals that could buck you off its back and trample you.

You hadn’t been able to speak. You just shook your head vigorously every time Cormack asked you if you were okay.

So he’d graciously patted your back and gave the mare to Emily instead.

“I’ve never been able to ride a horse either,” Avery offered in commiseration. You lowered your hands and gave him a wan smile.

Emily was carving an apple with an impressive (and somewhat scary) looking pocketknife. She shrugged.

“It’s not so hard,” she said. But, perhaps realizing how she sounded, she looked up and gave you an apologetic look. “Sorry. I mean, I’m sure you’ll get it! It’s hard in the beginning, but once you get used to it, it’s like riding a bike.”

Right. A bike with hooves, you thought, ripping a piece of bread from your egg and cheese sandwich.

Mary bumped your shoulder with a teasing smile. “You just got showed up by a high schooler. Again.”

You pursed your lips in amusement. You tossed the piece of bread. It hit her dead between the eyes. You giggled at the way she jumped with a start.

“Real mature,” she shot back.

“Yeah,” you replied, taking a giant bite of your sandwich for good measure. “I learned from you.”

Even Emily snickered, making Mary roll her eyes in amusement.

Shortly after, Avery and his stepdaughter were finished with brunch and got up to get back to their tents.

You glanced over and noticed that Emily had left her knife on the table, now closed in its sheath.

Sheriff Beau Arlen may have still been relatively new in town, but he considered himself a consummate professional.

He’d agreed to accompany Cassie, the local private investigator (and his friend), up to this mountain pass to look for a missing backpacker. Questioning Buck and Sunny Barnes and their crew was just good old-fashioned, thorough police work.

But if it also gave Beau a chance to check on his daughter up here “glamping” with her half-baked stepfather, then he couldn’t pass up on that opportunity, now could he?

After talking to Buck and Sunny, who hadn’t seen hide or hair of the backpacker, Beau let Cassie take care of questioning Cormack Barnes while Beau found his daughter outside her tent. After giving her a big hug and inspecting her “tent” (Really? he thought. Looks more like a hotel room than a tent.), he asked her how her trip was going so far.

“Good, Dad. But you really didn’t have to come all the way out here just to check up on me,” Emily said. She was amused, but no longer surprised to see him.

“No, no, no. I didn’t, okay?” Beau refuted. Though at the look on her face, he knew he wasn’t fooling her. She was a sharp kid. “All right, maybe not the only reason. We had to talk to Sunny about a missing backpacker. It’s something Cassie’s investigating.”

Emily’s amusement faded into surprise, and then concern.

“Wait, what?” she said.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing. Just, you know…parents probably didn’t get the memo that ‘off-the-grid’ was part of the deal,” he said, giving her a meaningful raise of his brows. Maybe his daughter didn’t have to screen so many of his calls while she was on this trip.

“Overprotective parents, huh?” Emily dryly remarked.

“The worst,” Beau agreed, shaking his head.

But he smiled. Just seeing her made his whole week better…and it alleviated some of the hurt in his heart. Not getting to be with her on a trip like this stung. And knowing Avery was the one who got to be there for her grated on him.

Beau was already missing too much of his daughter’s life, and he still wasn’t too sure on how to deal with that.

Speak of the devil, he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Avery approaching. Beau forced himself to look as close to pleasant as he could get around his ex-wife’s husband.

While Mary went back to the tent to freshen up, you grabbed Emily’s pocketknife and went to look for her so you could return it. It had a wood-carved hilt and had her initials, E. A., engraved on the side. The knife looked special, not the kind of thing you wanted to lose.

You found her outside her tent with her stepfather, and a man you didn’t know. He had broad shoulders and short brown hair that swept above his brow. When he turned to look at you, the first thing you noticed was the cut of his bearded chin, and then the green of his eyes.

You didn’t realize it, but your insides stilled, just for a moment. Then you remembered to smile.

Avery looked a bit tense, as did the newcomer. You sensed you were interrupting a tete-a-tete. 

“Uh, hi. I’m sorry,” you said, and extended the sheathed knife toward Emily. “Just wanted to get this back to you. You left it at the table.”

“Oh! Thanks,” Emily said gratefully.

“Well, hi there,” said the new guy. He was tall, you noted, wearing a beige jacket over a buttoned-down shirt, some jeans, and boots. It was a casual look, but all worked very well for him…in a rugged cowboy sense.

“This is my dad,” Emily supplied.

“Sheriff Beau Arlen, ma’am,” he said, giving you a more friendly smile that you matched in kind when you shook his hand. You also gave him your name to go along with it.

“You here for a little belated vacation, Sheriff?” you added.

“No. Matter of fact, I’m here on police business,” he replied. That concerned you, but he was quick to wave a dismissive hand. “Everything’s okay here. Just checking on a missing backpacker. But it looks like we’ll have to continue our search for him elsewhere.”

You hummed at that in concern. “Well, I hope you find him.”

“I do too,” he agreed with a nod.

Then, Emily took the slight pause in the conversation as her chance to escape.

“Okay, Dad, well, we’re gonna go hike down to the lake,” she said, gesturing at Avery. “But as you can see, I’m fine. We’re fine.”

Beau’s smile became a bit tight, but he nodded in understanding. He gave her a big hug, and you could see he was reluctant to let her go. Avery stood behind them. He held tension in his shoulders. You felt a bit awkward yourself, being in the midst of what was clearly an uneasy family dynamic.

Beau released his daughter. After she took off with Avery following close behind, Beau turned to you next. You tried not to blush at the sight of his handsome face.

“Sorry, again,” you said, raising a placating hand. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

His lips twitched upward, and he shook his head. “You’re fine. Though you don’t look like a local. You from outta town?”

I could say the same thing about you, cowboy, you thought. There was a slight southern drawl in his voice that sounded like Alabama. Maybe Texas?

“You got me,” you nodded. “I’m from Chicago originally, but…I’ve actually just moved here to Helena.”

“Ahh, a city girl,” he remarked. “Small world. I just got here a few months ago myself. Houston, Texas.”

Your smile brightened. Right on the money.

“Yeah, I figured,” you couldn’t help teasing him a little. His grin kicked up in the corner.

“How’re the mountains and fresh air treating you then?” he asked. “Better than that blanket a’ smog in Chicago.”

“We do not have smog…or, well, not that much,” you laughed, “but yes, I’m actually really liking it here so far. I mean, I just got here about a week ago. I’m still learning. Though Emily actually tried to help me ride a horse today.”

“Yeah?” His brows raised. “How’d that go?”

You had to laugh. A kind of self-deprecating laugh that had you half-covering your face to stem off your blush.

“Not well,” you admitted.

Beau ducked his head with a smile. He met your eyes in amusement, but not without kindness.

“Well, here’s a tip for ya,” he said. He planted his feet, held his hands up into lightly clenched fists. “The trick is in the legs. Grip tight, but not too tight. He’ll think you’re rarin’ to go.”

You blinked a bit wider. Was that just honest advice…or was he sort of flirting with you?

It made you blush in earnest.

“Ah. Good to know,” you said with a laugh. He treated you with a tip of his imaginary hat.

“Hey,” someone called out.

Both of your heads turned to a tall black woman with long curly hair. She gave you a polite smile before she nodded up at Beau.

“You ready to go?” she asked.

“Ah, yep,” Beau nodded. He gave you an apologetic look. “Sorry, gotta get back to the station.”

“Oh, of course,” you said. But you held up a finger. “Wait, just a sec.”

You hastened back over to the table of confections from brunch and offered them a chocolate chip muffin each for the road. Cassie politely declined, but Beau gladly took his.

“Although, are you trying to stereotype me or somethin’?” he teased.

Your brows furrowed in confusion, but after a moment, it hit you. You’d just given a cop a baked good.  

“At least it wasn’t a donut,” you quipped, despite your embarrassment. Beau still looked bemused, but he let you off the hook.

“That’s okay. I’ve never been known to turn down free food,” he assured.

“He really doesn’t,” Cassie confirmed. You noticed how she was waiting, arms crossed.

“Well, there you go! Sorry for keeping you,” you said.

“Not at all, darlin’,” said Beau. His smile had a charming gleam. “Nice to meet you.”

You quirked a smile back. “Wow, you are from Texas.”

You didn’t think you’d ever been called darlin’ in your life.

Beau’s good humor shifted into slight embarrassment himself.

“Sorry. I’ve been told to stop doing that,” he said. When he chuckled, you did along with him. You weren’t offended by it, just surprised by the old-fashioned endearment.

“It’s okay,” you said. “Nice to meet you too, Sheriff.”

You raised a hand in goodbye, and Beau returned it, watching you go. Meanwhile, Cassie watched him with a small smirk. He stepped down from the short platform in front of Emily’s tent to meet her.

“Were you just checking out Glamper Girl? In front of your daughter, no less,” Cassie remarked.

Beau shot her a look of denial. “I did no such thing. I’m a professional. And a gentleman, mind you.”

Cassie rose a brow at him. It stirred up a bit of his defensiveness. 

“But, I’ll have you know that Em had already moved on when I had a friendly conversation with the glamper,” he said.

Cassie rolled her eyes. Right.

That afternoon, you decided to bring your sketchpad and your modest collection of paints to the lake. You sat on the bank and tried to paint, while Mary joined the others in swimming.

“That looks nice,” Emily’s voice startled you from behind.

You twisted to look at her, and she gave you an apologetic look. She was dressed to go for a swim in a one-piece bathing suit and some shorts. She seemed more of a conservative dresser than typical high school girls her age. Maybe that had something to do with a policeman being her father, or maybe that was just her personality.

“Sorry,” she said, raising her hands.

“It’s okay.” You waved it off and gestured for her to sit beside you if she wanted. She did so, admiring your work over your shoulder. You felt a little embarrassed by it, but you didn’t mind her watching you try to paint ripples of light on the water.

“Are you an artist?” she asked.

You shot her a smile. “You’re very sweet, but no. I just started this year.”

You’d just Googled some therapeutic techniques instead of, you know, going to therapy. You just knew that if you did, your aunt would probably tell your parents, who would never let you hear the end of it. Specifically, why it was a waste of time. Your father especially would have something to say.

But one of the sources you found suggested trying out some creative outlets to calm the mind and think productively, but not create more stress for yourself. You’d tried a few different things, but landed on painting. It was working for you so far, even if you didn’t think you were that good.

“How do you like Montana so far?” you asked your companion. “Your dad told me you guys just moved here too, a few months ago.”

“Yeah, when my mom got remarried, my dad moved to stay close to me,” Emily explained.

Your brows raised. Your painting hand paused with the brush near the page.

“Well, that’s a good father,” you said. You smiled at the thought of Beau Arlen. The way he hugged his daughter before, like she was his entire world, and the fact that he’d moved entire states just to stay with her, told you a great deal about the town’s new sheriff.

Emily nodded, but her lips were pressed. “He’s a bit overprotective.”

“Well, he is a cop,” You said, smiling. “I assume that’s just part of the package.”

“I get that,” she said. “It’s just…a bit much sometimes.”

You gave her a sympathetic look. “I understand. My dad can be like that too. He’s got his soft moments, but he can be a real tough nut too… He’s a retired fireman.”

“Wow, that’s cool,” Emily said. She looked impressed. “Did you ever want to be a firefighter?”

You chuckled. “No, and he never wanted me to. It just wasn’t my beat, anyway.”

In the many years before your father had risen in the ranks to firehouse chief, your mother had often worried about him when he was on shift. Being a firefighter in inner-city Chicago had brought some hard and dangerous calls.

But you had always been more bookish, and both your parents were grateful for that.

You sighed. Your paintbrush made a stroke of deep green on the page, creating darker shades in the bottom of the lake.

“I did end up dating one though. Almost married him too,” you muttered, before you could stop yourself. You forgot you were talking to an insatiably curious girl.

“Really? What happened?” she asked. You looked over at her, and she was staring at you with her full attention. You remembered then that her podcast was supposed to be about relationships, but you had no desire to be a subject.

“It didn’t work out,” you said at last, and with difficulty.

“Why?” Emily asked.

Your internal struggle kept you quiet. It gave time for Emily to really see the withdrawn, almost pained look on your face, the slight hunch of your shoulders. She deflated guiltily.

“Uh, sorry,” she said.

You offered a small smile. “It’s okay, honey.”

“I’ll uh, just let you get back to painting,” she said. You waved her goodbye after she got up and left, giving you one last look before she joined her stepfather in the lake.

You let out a deep breath. The teen was tenacious, and naturally curious. That in itself wasn’t such a bad thing. But as you watched her splash at Avery, laughing that weightless laugh that kids got to have, you realized how much you missed being that young and free in your heart.

Again, out of habit, you set down your brush and rubbed at your empty left ring finger.

Mary finally joined you back in your shared tent after a long night of socializing by the fire. You had kept to the tent, reading Much Ado About Nothing for one of your classes that would start in the fall. It wasn’t your first time reading the Shakespeare play, by any means, but you did want to brush up on it.

“You know, you’re actually supposed to be vacationing on this vacation,” Mary pointed out. She started changing into her pajamas for bed. You were already cozy in one of your old college hoodies and some shorts, not to mention snuggled under the warm blankets.

“I am,” you said defensively. “I hiked, I painted, I ate no less than one burger, a basket of fries, and three smores, and now I’m reading.”

“Yeah, for school,” she pointed out. “I may not be as smart as you, but I know homework when I see it.”

You shot her a smile. “You’re plenty smart, M.”

She snorted and slipped into bed beside you. It felt like the sleepovers you two used to have in college, years ago, when she’d come to crash in your dorm, or you in hers. She’d been a philosophy major (despite not giving two shits about Socrates), forced to attend college by her parents. You were an English major, working three part-time jobs just to get you through until graduation.

“Hey,” she said, laying a hand on your shoulder. You turned to her in question. She seemed more serious than usual.

“I’m worried about you,” she said. “And I’m not the only one.”

You sighed. Lowering your book, you leaned back against your pillows and stared up at the tent’s fairy lights.

“I know,” you replied. “But you don’t need to be.”

“Yeah you keep saying that, but you know the real reason I’m here, right?” Mary asked. Her insistent hand on your arm made you meet her eyes.

“You don’t have to do this," she said. "You don’t have to move out here and leave everything behind. You should just come home with me. Your parents, our friends—everyone wants to be there for you, like we have all year.”

Your lips pursed, and you shook your head.

“I’m not going to change my mind. So if that’s really why you’re here, and not to just spend some time with me, as my friend, then you should just go home,” you said. “I’ll leave here and go to my aunt’s house. I’m sure your parents can negotiate some kind of refund.”

Mary got angry and huffy, just like you thought she would. You weren’t playing around though. This was your life, and your decision.

If your friends and your family couldn’t be happy for you, or at least understanding, then they could at least respect you. You just weren’t sure when they’d get the hint that this was real.

You were moving to Montana, permanently.

On the drive back into town from the camping site, Beau ate his chocolate chip muffin and tried his best to listen to Cassie—to her theories on where the backpacker might’ve gone, and how best to tell the parents to keep her on this investigation.

A good part of him was still thinking about his daughter, wishing he could be there with her right now. 

And maybe, his mind occasionally wandered…thinking about the pretty shade of your eyes when you smiled at him.

AN: And there we have it, Part 1 of a new series! If you liked it, please let me know! 🥰

And a special Happy Birthday to @jackles010378! 💖 I was going to say we're both Aries (mine is next month) but forgot Pisces comes first lol. ♓

Next Time:

The trees were tall and dark now. The moon was filtering through them like the sun had during other day hikes, but it was much more ominous at night.

“Shit,” you muttered. You gripped your flashlight in worry as panic started to well up in your chest.

Now you were lost.

You jumped with a start when the hoot of a bird passed by overhead.

Shiiiit. This was very bad.

You kept moving forward on what you thought was the trail. That was all you could do, keep moving forward. You made a few turns around some trees, occasionally calling out for Sunny, or Mary, or anyone to hear you.

▶️ Keep Reading: Part 2

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[rebelrayne]

The character is …drum roll please…Tom!

The love of my life! 😍 thanks, Tuesdays!

1 sexuality headcanon

I think he’s straight. He is so absolutely flustered by women - he can’t even think about adding men to this. So definitely straight.

2 otp

MC in game, but also think Thabi and Valentina can work. Valentina could probably work more than we think she can. And hear me out: Lexi. Honestly feel like Tom may have been able to make Lexi calmer? If he was confident enough. OC- obviously Summer but my new OC, Nat, works really really well with him. I think given the choice, he’d choose Nat over anyone.

3 brotp

Yeah, Bruno works but I said it before - Youcef. Youcef is the perfect best mate for Tom. He already had a jokester best friend, but Youcef would be snarky, yet make him think about choices.

4 notp

Juliet. Fuck her, she had such a sad and pathetic crush on him lmao also Tiffany does not work and Najuma!! Omg if you pick Youcef in 41, Najuma picks TOM. That is so not working. He’s way too insecure for Najuma 😂 fusebox - message me we need to talk about some of these choices you made in S4.

5 first headcanon that pops in my head

His best friend Tolly talked him into applying because he thought tom wouldn’t get accepted and wanted to make fun of him for applying to be on Love Island. Joke’s on you, Tolly!

6 favorite one liner

Every time I think Tom, these are what I think:

- “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true I am this handsome.”

- “I’ll just have to win you over with my patented Tom charm.” PLEASE WHAT CHARM BABY

- “next time I want your opinion, I’ll hop on my socials and conduct a poll.” HE IS SNARKY OH MY-

- fanon: “I’ll love you tomorrow and the day after that…” because I can’t leave that one off???

7 one way I relate to this character

I’m awkward af. Tom’s awkward af. I relate to that. Like I can totally see why he feels and thinks like this. Bless him, he tries though.

8 thing that gives me secondhand embarrassment about this character

I can only pick one? Cause I have three:

- he’s so scared of spiders, he waits for the cleaning service for a week to kill it. That will change. You’re gonna get over that fear real quick because I’m scared of them so you can’t be???

- the fucking tie dye shirt. Why.

- wanting James to protect him in the water bottle challenge. YOU PLAYED RUGBY??? Rough everyone up, come on. Use the muscles you were given!

9 cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

Big time cinnamon roll. Acts like he’s charming and suave, is really just an awkward mf who doesn’t know what to do with his hands

Character Ask Game