#maybe I'll come back...maybe I won't. hopefully I will. just...pray for me that I have it in me to continue doing what I love and—

[m4niackkyun]

Hi. (Announcement in the tags)

[ashleyfilm]

Seeing Clearly

Hi Everyone, this is my first fan fiction. I love Joel Miller and Pedro and I just wanted to write something about him/them. I was inspired by the many many many fantastic fics I've read and all their writers. You all are amazing. I don't know what I'm doing so, if I do something wrong, please let me know and I'll adjust. Please leave comments, I'd love to know your thoughts. And if you feel inclined to reblog, that would be so nice.

Chapter Warnings: violence, cursing, gore, blood. (There Will Be Smut, eventually) Minors - DNI

Characters: Jackson!Joel Miller x F!Reader Plus Size. I will give her some physical descriptions because she is me for this one but I've taken to writing her and You (Reader) so hopefully you can still imagine yourself. Black hair, glasses, tattoos, big body, wears dark clothes, won't stop talking, a little annoying. Joel is tv show Jackson Joel.

Story Summary: Joel just saved your life, begrudgingly. He doesn't know exactly why but he brings you back to Jackson and you ingratiate yourself into his very small circle and his life. This takes place after season 1 of TLOU and season 2 doesn't exist in my brain because no.

Chapter Summary: Joel saves your life and takes you back to Jackson.

Chapter 1: Him.

It all happens so fast. You step on that fallen fucking branch and it snaps. It feels so loud in the eerie quiet of the forest, like an explosion. Your heart almost burst in your chest, and the clicker you were hiding from, praying would pass you by, turns on the stumps left of its heels and comes towards you. Its limbs flailing, but at a speed that seems impossible. Next, you’re on the ground, pushing the things’ rotting neck and shoulders as hard as you can to keep its snapping jaws from your face, when suddenly, with the sound of a shot, the head splinters, and bloody debris falls onto the skin of your face as the clicker’s strength weakens and its weight falls against you.

Your brain can’t catch up with what is happening as the corpse is lifted off you and the sound of a man’s voice starts to come through as if you’re hearing it under water. “ANSWER ME!” You finally make out the words, “WERE YOU BIT?” You find your voice, shaky but still strong, matching the man’s intensity, “I DON’T KNOW.” You hear him sigh, almost as if he’s irritated rather than fearful. You still can’t see him clearly, the viscera of brain matter from the clicker being shot above you still blurring your vision, along with the loss of your black framed glasses that helped you see, even if the prescription wasn’t exactly right. Damnit, where are they now? You wipe your face as best you can and move your mass of black hair streaked with gray out of the way as the man, who you can now see is large, broad shouldered, only being able to make out his shape without your glasses. He grabs at your collar and moves your head from side to side to check your face and neck, and then pulls you up to a standing position. You’re weak on your legs after the, let’s face it, near fucking death experience you just had, and reach out to the man, grabbing his hand for balance, after you seem steady and not a second before, he pulls his hand back and squeezes his fist like you burned him. Okay, man, just trying not to fall over again.

“Roll up your sleeves and show me your hands and arms, both sides. NOW!” You do just that. His brow furrows at the site of the tattoos covering your arms, like he’s wondering how you got them all, and trying to figure out if it was before the world ended, or after. How old you would have been, and if you could have gotten them all before. You can see the gears turning, then it seems he finally deems you unbitten and therefore not an immediate threat, but certainly not safe. “What are you doing out here alone, where are your people?” He says while looking around him, checking his six or whatever the fuck, you wonder if he was in the military or something, he seems like a soldier but also like maybe the Jason Borne kind. You never got to see the sequel they announced before it all happened, sequels usually sucked anyway. God, you miss movies.

“What is wrong with you, kid, you got brain damage? Answer my questions,” the man says, still more irritated with you than anything else. Kid? You’re fucking 40. Whatever. “Um, no brain damage that I know of, but I have a theory that I had an undiagnosed concussion as a teenager, um, but I’m out here trying to not get eaten by clickers, or raiders, or murdered, or worse and trying not to starve. Also, no people. I have no people.” You ramble quickly and the man sighs, AGAIN. You look down and see a rough black outline in the grass below and- “Oh, thank fuck.”

You reach down, clean them off on the part of your black long sleeved shirt that doesn’t have blood or clicker gunk on it and put them on with a long sigh of relief, “Do you know how hard it was to find glasses that actually helped me see and hold onto them and not break them in this shit show of an existence…” another sigh of relief as you open your eyes to finally look at the man who saved your life and already seems like he wants to take it back from you and Holy shit. He’s hot, there’s no other way to put it. He’s the hottest person you’ve ever seen on planet earth, and you’ve just ran your goddamn smart mouth like a fucking moron this entire time. Without the decency to be quiet and nervous in front of, again, THE HOTTEST PERSON YOU HAVE EVER SEEN. You choke on your own thoughts and wide-eyed look into his eyes, they’re chocolate brown and filled with life and emotion, he’s gruff and scary but his eyes…god, they betray him. His hair is just below his ears, curled and brown with slices of gray throughout. His face is worn, scarred, like he’s been through shit, you know because you have too. His nose is like a roman god’s, aquiline and fucking beautiful. He’s got a patchy beard the same two colors as his curly hair and his lips are full and pouty with a mustache and you wonder how it would scratch if he put his mouth on your neck. Wait, what the fuck. I mean he’s hot but instantly thinking of him kissing your neck… relax bitch.

He clears his throat, looking at you like you have two heads and sighs. He really likes to sigh. Then he finally speaks in a stern but soft voice, “Okay, look, don’t know why, but I believe you when you say you’re alone, your eyes look like you haven’t eaten in a few days, that true?” You nod and he seems relieved that you don’t start speaking again, so you stick with it and stay silent. His southern drawl continues, “I come from a community. If you want, I’ll take ya there. Food, shelter, medical. You gotta contribute and you gotta behave. Might want to watch that smart mouth of yours until people start trustin’ you, or maybe forever.” You look at him, tears threatening to fall, turning away to shield him or yourself, you’re not sure. Food. Shelter. Medical. My god how is this possible. He takes this time to look away from you and retrieve jerky from his pack which he holds out for you, and you take it. “Thank you...” you say in the quietest voice you think you’ve ever used realizing you don’t know his name. “Joel, name’s Joel Miller.” He nods and points his head in the direction he wants you to walk. Looking at your hair he says, “C’mon Ash,” and he follows just behind you. What you don’t see is the uptick of his lip on one side that reveals a dimple you’ve yet to witness on his beautiful face and his eyes linger on you for far too long when he should be watching your surroundings. That’s what you don’t see.

[leclerc-s]

karma - part five

series masterlist // previous // next

charles_leclerc and natalia_leclerc posted new stories

je vous aimerai pour toujours (i'll love you forever)

"bébé, tu es l'amour de ma vie" (baby, you are the love of my life)

siempre te amare (i'll always love you)

tehe, that's my husband 🥰

hey siri, play slut! (taylor's version)

charles_leclerc posted new stories

how did i get so lucky?

😘😍

liked by gracieabrams, sukiwaterhouse, kellypiquet and others

natalia_leclerc no words to describe what it has meant to me to go on this journey with people i love. daisyjonesandthesix  has been the greatest, most fulfilling gift. it’s surreal that it has come to an end, but i have made friends for life, and memories that will bring a smile to my face forever. i could’ve never anticipated exactly how much love this show would get and how my life would change. it has just exceeded all of our dreams. i’m so proud of how far we’ve come. congratulations to all of the winners and nominees 💙 thank you televisionacad for this recognition. oh baby, look at us now 🎶

view all comments

user1 charles leclerc, you lucky son of a gun

user2 so cunty of her to be wearing red to the emmys. she owns that color.

landonorris DID YOU MEET TAYLOR SWIFT??

natalia_leclerc maybe. maybe not? charles_leclerc she almost cried. natalia_leclerc traitor landonorris and? i would too, she isn't special.

user3 can charles fight??

user4 red bull may be falling apart but charles will still simp over his wife.

sukiwaterhouse oh baby you looked gorgeous 😘

natalia_leclerc it was all you corazon charles_leclerc please stop flirting with my wife. sukiwaterhouse never you french man. charles_leclerc MONÉGASQUE!! I'M MONÉGASQUE!! sukiwaterhouse french adjacent 🤷🏼‍♀️

francesca.cgomes what a beautiful girl 💙

natalia_leclerc aww baby 💙 user5 praying for my man charles. everyone loves his wife.

user6 you're telling me lightning mcqueen pulled her?? how??

alex_albon believe me, we've been asking ourselves that same question since 2018. landonorris it's a miracle really pierregasly she is the sally to his mcqueen natalia_leclerc and pierre is the mater to his mcqueen

kellypiquet you look amazing red is definitely your color 💙

natalia_leclerc thank you kelly!

max verstappen so does anyone know who our new team principal is going to be??

charles leclerc i'm still trying to wrap my head around daniel not driving this season. sebastian vettel i haven't been told anything yet. natalia leclerc as if they're going to tell me. i only know everything because charles tells me everything.

max verstappen i was hoping someone would know something. i think the anticipation will slowly kill me.

charles leclerc good, then i can become champion. sebastian vettel not that he needs you to be dead to beat you.

max verstappen i guess we'll see won't we?

charles leclerc we will, won't we? natalia leclerc men 🙄

sebastian vettel i think if we don't know anything it's because they haven't found a replacement.

max verstappen then that's stupid, why are they going to announce it when they haven't found someone to replace him?

natalia leclerc because even now we can't get away from spanish papers. someone leaked this shit.

sebastian vettel i have a crazy idea.

charles leclerc how crazy are we talking here?

sebastian vettel i'll be back in like 40 minutes.

max verstappen way to leave us hanging seb

40 minutes later

sebastian vettel i don't know how successful i was but i think they'll think about it.

natalia leclerc seb, what did you do?

sebastian vettel hopefully something worthy of younger seb's chaos.

max verstappen we're fucked

charles leclerc don't be mean. as long as it's not another multi-21 we'll be fine.

sebastian vettel oh my god. let it go. charles leclerc as long as people still hold the inchident against me. i will hold multi-21 against you.

natalia leclerc i don't know why anyone thinks you three are serious people. you're all children.

max verstappen says the woman who's been thiristing over her husband on social media.

"how long did it take you to convince him?" natalia asked. sebastian huffed, "i almost got down on my knees to beg."

"it would not have come to that," kimi replied.

sebastian rolled his eyes, "he was enjoying it. i had to ask his wife to help me convince him. they gave me a deadline to get him on board."

"was there any other option?" max questioned.

"jenson," seb answered at the same time kimi said, "mark."

charles laughed, "oh, would it not have been great to see seb and mark on the same team again?"

"they would've killed each other," max realized.

"no, we wouldn't," sebastian argued. natalia gave him a shit-eating grin, "you still have to see him at the paddock, like every week. he's oscar's manager."

"the mini-me?" kimi quizzed, looking up from his ice cream, because nothing would stop him from enjoying ice cream. everyone at the table looked at him confused, kimi shrugged, "i read what people say. sometimes."

the conversation was stopped by kelly's arrival, "sorry, i'm late. daniil was running late and- nevermind. did you order yet?"

max shook his head, "just kimi, said he needed his ice cream."

"it's very good," kimi replied, "but i don't share."

sebastian huffed again, "i made a huge mistake."

"too late."

taglist: @janeholt3 @vroomvroommuppett @charlesgirl16 @someoneintheworld @iconicbookstore @evans-dejong @minmira95 @leanneg97 @asparklysoul @d3kstar @lollie0024 @magical-spit @gemnetjournal @rockyhayzkid @weekendlusting @ironspdy @namgification @moonyzsworld @Fall-bambi @emilyval1 @lorenakaspersen @spilled-coffee-cup @butterfly-lover @blushmimi @mgmoore @lovely-blackinnon @six-call @bingewatche @vroomvroom95 @lesliiieeeee @itscrzy @alymeddar @fletchingarcher @casperlikej @minmira95

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

click here to be added to the karma taglist

¡leclerc-s speaks! hope i didn't let anyone down with the kimi reveal, which due to popular demand, i just had to go with him. trust when i say i would've gone with seb if i didn't already have plans for him. listen, i love ollie, he is a baby, and i just had to include him somehow. so i took creative liberties. realistically this couldn't happen but oh well, poaching him and arthur was definitely seb's idea. also, please don't hate me for the daniel thing but liam lawson deserves an f1 seat and he's getting one in this story. at least i didn't get rid of him completely.

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[rxmqnova]

Lonely souls

Y/N: 12 years old Story: After a failed attempt of getting her family back, Wanda meets a young girl that needs help … ——————————————————

Y/N'S POV I've been walking around for the past few hours. I have no idea where I am. Actually… I've never been outside of the base I've spent my entire life in. I have no idea what happened, but I managed to sneak out when the hydra agents were busy fighting a bunch of guys named the Avengers.

Suddenly I see a young woman cutting branches of the trees that are surrounding this place. I take a deep breath and walk towards her. Maybe she could help me, right?

"I. Hm. Excuse me? Could I ask if there's some village, city or just something near this place?" I ask the woman nervously, playing with my fingers. I've never actually talked to normal people.

"How did you get here?" She asks, looking at me confused.

"I. Hm. I-I got lost" I lie. I can't tell her about the base…

"Well, there's nothing around in here" She says. "Only my house. Come on, I'll make you some tea" She gives me a smile.

"Thank you" I smile back, a sigh of relief leaving my lips.

"What's your name?" She asks as we step into her house. She leads me into the kitchen and gets into making the tea. The house looks nice, she must be kinda lonely here though if she lives here alone. I don't even see any pictures here.

"Y/N" I simply answer.

"That's a pretty name" She smiles. "I'm Wanda… How old are you?"

"Twelve" I respond. "… You live here all alone?" I ask which was probably a mistake, cause she only sadly nods. She places the tea on the table, telling me to sit down, so I do as said.

"Your parents must be looking for you. Where do you live?" She asks with a soft smile. I just blankly stare at her, not knowing what to say. She keeps looking at me, waiting for an answer, but suddenly I hear her voice in my head while her eyes are glowing red. "You were at hydra?" She asks, her eyes turning back to normal.

"How… how do you know?" I ask, standing up and backing off, slowly walking backwards to the front door. My heart racing as I'm praying she's not one of them.

"No, no. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" She stands up, slowly walking towards me, hurt visible in her eyes. "I have powers, I'm an Avenger… or was. I don't want to hurt you… Let me help you… please" She says, her gaze softening which makes me relax a little bit.

"Mhm" I slowly nod. I have no place to go anyway, so hopefully she's really one of the good guys.

"Good. You must be hungry. Let's sit back down and I'll give you something to eat, okay?" She smiles softly.

"Okay" I just simply nod. I'm really hungry and don't want to get killed by her.

She gives me some food that I've never heard of before. It smells nice though, I hope she won't poison me or anything. I get into eating and let me tell you… I've never eaten anything better before.

"Do you like it?" She asks with a warm smile.

"It's really good, thank you" I say politely with a smile.

"I'm sorry again… about scarying you. I really don't want to hurt you. You can stay the night and we'll think of something tomorrow. Would that be okay?" She asks, waiting for me to say something while she's playing with the rings on her fingers.

"I.. Yeah. Thank you" I smile.

When I'm done eating, Wanda shows me her bedroom, telling me I can sleep there and insisting she's gonna take the couch. She borrows me some clothes to sleep in and I take a hot shower before bed.

Once I'm all finally ready to actually go to sleep. I lay down on the bed, feeling better than ever. A knock interrupts my thinking. Wanda walks in with a smile on her face, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I just came to say goodnight. You can come to me if anything" She smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. She presses a kiss to my forehead, stroking my cheek with her thumb, making me feel something I've never felt before. It's a nice feeling though. "Sweet dreams" She smiles at me again before standing up and walking towards the door.

"Goodnight" I smile at her before she closes the door, closing my eyes right after that.

———————————

Tears are streaming down my face as I'm sitting in the middle of the bed, hugging my knees tightly. I've just had the worst nightmare. My hands are shaking like crazy and I just can't stop the tears.

I manage to crawl out of the bed and walk downstairs with hope to find Wanda. She said I could come to her, so hopefully she won't be mad.

I walk to the living room, finding Wanda sitting on the couch and watching TV. I let out a shaky breath before calling her name.

"Wanda?" I quietly call, not wanting to scare her. She turns around to look at me, her smile fading when she sees the state I'm in.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" She asks, already walking to me. She cups my cheeks with her hands, wiping my tears away with her thumbs.

"Nightmare" I manage to say, trying not to cry again which is not really successful.

"Oh honey. It's okay. I'm here" She smiles, pulling me into a hug. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asks, rubbing my back as she's still hugging me. I nod in response, hoping she'll somehow help me to get it out of my head.

She leads me to the couch and we both sit down. She wraps an arm around me which makes me to lean into her and wrap my arms around her.

"What was your nightmare about?" She asks, playing with my hair.

"… That I was back at hydra" I manage to get out after taking a deep shaky breath.

"I'm so sorry, honey" Wanda says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "I promise you'll never go back to that place. I'll make sure of that"

"How can you be sure of that? What if they'll find me?" I ask, looking up at her.

"… They won't… You have me now and I'll always protect you.. no matter what… I know I said we'd talk about it tomorrow, but… Y/N, I think we both need a new beginning" Wanda starts, still playing with my hair. "We can stay here or go anywhere we'd want. I promise I'll take a good care of you and always protect you" Wanda says, tears in her eyes by now.

"You want me to stay with you?" I ask, tears also filling my eyes. She's been really nice to me and I really don't want to stay alone.

"Yeah… If you want to stay with me" She says, wiping away the tears that escaped my eyes.

"Mhm" I nod, practically jumping into her arms, holding her tightly and receiving a kiss to my forehead. I really need a new beginning…

----------------------

I kind of rushed this…

PS: Currently working on the werewolf story someone requested :))

Wanda Maximoff masterlist

Masterlist

[sulky-valkyrie]

Happy happy Fridaaay! For DADWC, how about “Trusting you was a mistake" for Nanders, maybe? 🥺

Happy Friday, Gin! 💜 have some angst for @dadrunkwriting

Anders had not been pleased when Nate insisted they bring Loghain to Kirkwall, but he couldn’t deny he’d been useful.  The city guards damn near fell over themselves for the fabled Hero of the River Dane far more than they would have for a simple pair of no-name ragged Wardens.  Nevermind that he’d almost torn Ferelden in half.  Nevermind that the refugee crisis in the Marches was partially his own fault.  Nevermind that Wardens weren’t supposed to have any ties or allegiances outside the order.  He was still Loghain mac fucking Tir, father of the bloody queen of Ferelden.  

He wanted to head straight for the Gallows, but Loghain insisted they do it the next morning.  “They won't look on us kindly if we're still covered in sea spray and road dust.”

“Besides,” Nate added, “the boats only travel to and from the city twice a day.  We’d be stuck there all night.”

Anders shuddered at the thought as he stared over the water.  Karl, please, just one more day.  “Fine.”

They found a small inn near the alienage, paid for two rooms, and took their evening meals upstairs.  To Anders’ surprise and Loghain's confusion, Nate chose to bunk with him, leaving him alone to wonder and worry instead of sleeping.  

When they reached the harbor just after dawn, the ferry to the Gallows was still docking.  They got into the blessedly short line to embark and were back on the water in less than half an hour.

The boat ride was simultaneously the one of the most boring and – hah – harrowing experiences of his life.  Anders fidgeted with his jacket, as much from nerves as the need to do something to keep himself from jumping off and swimming the rest of the way.  It would be apropos, after all.  The swim across Lake Calenhad was one of his favorite and more successful escapes; doing it again to get Karl out would have a poetic irony.  

“Stop that,” Nate hissed as he slapped his hand.  “The more nervous you look, the more they’ll worry something is wrong.”

He bit his tongue to keep himself from snarling a retort.  Something was wrong, wrong with the institution, the whole bloody world.  And he was going to fix it as soon as Karl was out of harm’s way.

Karl, I’m coming.  For him, he’d keep his damn hands still.

The strange jangling in his nerves that he’d always associated with lyrium use was thick in the air as they walked down the gangplank, and only increased as they wound their way past the Tranquil shops to the main entrance.  He'd known it would be crawling with Templars, of course, but knowing it and feeling it were two different things entirely.  He felt like he was trudging through molasses and hot coals all at once.  I'm a Warden, they can't touch me.

It was a cold comfort.  No, it was just cold, with icy fingers that squeezed his heart and made it difficult to breathe.  He followed Loghain and Nate almost blindly and prayed they'd be able to get this over with soon enough to take the afternoon ferry back to the city.

A familiar face was at the gate.  Familiar and unwelcome.  Maker, it's Cullen; I thought he died, now he's here and promoted?  Anders knelt down to adjust his boot, wishing Loghain or Nate were taller.  Hopefully he doesn't recognize me.

Loghain pressed a paper into Cullen's hands.  “We're here for the Right of Conscription; these are orders from the Warden Commander of Ferelden.”  

When had Brosca done that?  Was it forged?

“We're not in Ferelden,” Cullen sneered, then crumpled it up.

“The Wardens have authority to Conscript anywhere Thedas.” Nate waved his hand in disgust.  “Even Kirkwall.”

Cullen made a face.  “I'll have to take this to the Knight Commander.  Gallows are off limits to everyone, yes, even Wardens, without her permission.  We can't simply – wait.” He peered over Loghain's shoulder.  “Anders?”

Damn.  He tried to hide his wince as he stood up.  “Knight Captain, what a surprise to see you here.”

Cullen ignored him as he swung his gaze back to Loghain.  “Warden Constable, is there a reason you're bringing an apostate into the Gallows?”

“Call it a gesture of goodwill.”  He pointed at Anders.  “This mage has proved to be more trouble than he’s worth.  We need a different one.  I'm sure you understand.”

What?  Anders looked at Nate, who cleared his throat and fiddled with his belt pouch.  “Nate, you – was this the plan the whole time?”  He lunged for him, reckless with despair as the smite hit, stealing his voice, burning his mana away, and Maker, it hurt, but not as much as this.  Templars were suddenly at his sides, grabbing his hands, then pushing him to the ground and twisting his arms behind his back before hauling him back to his feet.

Loghain watched the whole thing impassively, but Nate, fucking Nate, Nate whom he’d slept with, who’d offered to help him, couldn’t even do him the courtesy of looking him in the eyes as he sent him to his death.

It happened so quickly he was too stunned to even fight back as they marched him past Cullen and toward the gate.  The crushing silence faded as the gate lifted, and he twisted around in their grip, ignoring the agonizing pop as his shoulder came out of his socket.  

“Trusting you was a mistake,” he spat before they dragged him away.

[fuwaprince]

hey. are you okay friend?

No, I'm not and c'est la vie! Sometimes you're okay and sometimes you're not. Thanks for checking in sweet friend 🫂 I hope you're having a beautiful day! 💕

Yesterday I helped Mr. Leonard deep clean his home that we're still trying to save and this morning I unfortunately headed back to the hag house I reside in! He was so nice. Sent me home with half his cookies and told me to share with the people who were kind enough to give me a ride. I didn't even mean to stay over last night but I was just so tired after cleaning... I slept for a whole 10 hours! Kind of a miracle for me. I must've been comfortable

Soon as I got back to the hag house and started to microwave my usual (a single jumbo corn dog), I was rudely interrupted and told by the biggest bitch here that I am no longer a part of the household even though I am living here for the next 30 days still???? They can deny the reality (that I have been part of this house since the day I moved in) and believe in whatever delusion they so badly want to- fine!!! But the sucky part is that they say I can no longer help myself to the food my fucking rent covers because of that decision... Wackadoodle :/ Funny how the carpet slides around. They're literally fattened up by greed. They're willing to starve me down to nothing if it means I'll die faster than I can move out. Whatever it takes to drive me away I guess since the other terror tactics just didn't work! She was giving me attitude and rude comments. Other housemate blasted trans hate (happy pride btw). Got defensive af over their food in their kitchen :/ whatever

Good news is that I reapplied for food stamps after a friend motivated me to. I'm fucking praying that this time my fucked up mother doesn't sabotage it by denying me my fucking mail again like she did last time which resulted in me starving/withering all summer of last year! I should've had it this whole time... Hopefully it gets processed soon. Phone interview will take place once the weekend is over... I hope there's a way to expedite it.

If I had my own PO box then I wouldn't have to depend on my mom actually giving me my mail... I don't have a key and don't live there with her anymore but this mailing address won't work. The people here tamper with my belongings out of hate. Why? Who knows. I try not to think about the whole "what if I was a pure white lesbian instead of a brown trans traitor? Would they respect me then?" rabbit hole. I don't care. Even if I was respectable to them, I wouldn't be their friend based on how they'd treat others. Anyways, yeah. Coming back home sucks. People are mean. My heart rly hurts and keeps acting up. Stings and feels like I'm going to pass out from time to time. It's hurting more than usual and bothering me as I type this

My on and off boyfriend also texted me saying he got hit by a car a few hours ago (he's okay, apparently.... Although I question since he refused to go to a hospital). Stresses my poor heart out to hear that tbh. But yeah. Maybe I'll go on a night walk or something. I hate this house that I'm in. If Mr. Leonard lived any closer I would just walk back there and beg him to let me in. I would feel better if I was out of here and around compassionate people. I'm gonna be okay

[satan-s-favourite-book]

It's None of Your Business! | Obey Me!SatanxMC

content: oh no! MC returned home late into the night, but they're all bruised up! What happened?

Warning: minute swearing

←×→

"MC?" Satan widened his eyes, his lips parted.

It was the dead of night. No one was supposed to be awake in the House of Lamentation, other than Leviathan. Satan had woken due to his insomnia, of course. He was expecting to watch some cat videos to fall asleep and some more, but a bruised up MC was not on his list tonight.

MC ignored him and headed for the bathroom.

The panic grew in his chest. He had to know what happened.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Satan grabbed their wrist, and pulled them towards him. "Who... Why do you have cuts on your face?" His pact mark glowed green on his temple, pulsating.

"...Nothing." MC responded. They tried to rid themselves of Satan's grip.

"Why won't you tell me? Do you think I'm insane to hurt you even more, just because I'm the Avatar of Wrath?" Satan's grip grew even stronger. He frowned and bared his fangs at MC.

"Because you don't need to know everything that happens to me!" MC yells, glaring him in the eyes.

"Why shouldn't I, pray tell?" Satan sucked air through his teeth. His horns had started to emerge through the locks of his hair.

"Because I don't need YOU, or anyone ELSE to take care of me! I'm not your fucking kid!"

"That's not what this is about, MC!" Satan yelled, his eyes shaking. His eyes glimmered green in the dark.

MC freezes. The last moment they see is Satan towered over them, in his demon form.

The next morning, Mammon comes to wake MC. He knocks, for once. "MC? Ya alright?"

"Yeah," MC replies with the strength they had. They sat up straight on their bed, looking around their room. It was strangely, in order. Wait, in order?

Someone organised their room.

MC sighs heavily, pinching their nose. Satan. It was definitely him. He can't even organise his shambolic room, and he's the one to organise theirs.

"Go brush your teeth. I'll bring you breakfast, hm?" Mammon said, leaving shortly after.

MC hummed back in agreement and headed for the bathroom in their room. They came out soon after to meet Mammon with a platter. He set the folding desk onto their bed, and set the platter onto it. "There ya go, prince/ess." Mammon grinned at his job well done.

MC thanked him, and sat down to eat. They listened to his latest money making scheme he thought of, and honestly, this time it sounds like absolute gold. They might even help this time, who knows. Only if Lucifer doesn't catch wind of this.

Mammon left after a while, to most probably fill out a half-day permission slip to get signed at R.A.D. Maybe it was about something else, nobody knows. Either way, MC's going to the academy in his car. They quickly get dressed in the uniform and met Mammon outside the gates.

The whole day went by idly and it was only at that break that they met Asmodeus and Beelzebub. MC chatted for a while idly until Asmodeus finally spoke,

"Wait, you think Satan arranged your room?"

"Yeah? Didn't he?"

"MC, that was me."

"Oh. Oh! I'm so sorry, I thought it was Satan, Asmo. I didn't know."

"It's fine. Are you alright, MC? How is it with Satan?"

MC paused for a while before answering. They didn't know, honestly. They were just a scatterbrain at the moment, and nothing felt real. "How'd you know?"

Beel says in between bites, "We don't. This morning, he just looked like he read the worst review of his favourite book. But definitely more angrier than disappointed."

They don't think they hurt Satan that bad... Did they? I mean, it's not like he's someone special to them. Satan and them just live in the same house. And share the same rooms sometimes. That's it. Right?

"Oh. I'll see to it. Hopefully I'll coax him with cats, hardcover books, and an apology. Thank you, Asmo and Beel. See you later!" MC bids adieu to the pair of brothers.

—×—

Author's note: should I continue this? Let me know.

Merry christmas, everyone! 🌲🎅

[twilights-800-cats]

<< Chapter 17 || Chapter 18 || Chapter 19 || From the Beginning || Patreon & Ko-Fi >>

Chapter 18 

The days leading up to the next Gathering were uneventful, but Shadepool couldn't deny the tension that crept up on her Clanmates like an approaching predator. She didn't blame them, not when she felt it herself. 

The last Gathering had changed so much around the lake, especially for ThunderClan. What if Mudstar had found some little excuse to declare outright war? The uncertainty felt like claws in Shadepool's throat, and she missed when Gatherings had been quieter, with only the occasional border crossing or theft to shake things up. 

She had tried to see Crowflight almost every night that she could justify sneaking away - but she had found the stepping-stones empty each time. She prayed it was just his deputy duties keeping him away and not something worse. 

I'll see him tonight, she told herself. Hopefully, we can find the time to talk... Who knew? Maybe tonight would be a return to form for Gatherings? After all, WindClan had only attacked ThunderClan the once, and that had been an independent plan, according to Crowflight... 

“Shadepool, you there?” 

Shadepool flinched out of her own head. She found herself staring right into Sorreltail's yellow eyes and, with a flash of embarrassment, realized that the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat had been trying to ask her for something. 

“S-Sorry,” Shadepool insisted, feeling flustered. “What was it you wanted?” 

Sorreltail's whiskers twitched. “I told you, I'm feeling a little nauseous...” she prompted. 

“Right, right,” Shadepool confirmed. “Some juniper ought to take care of it.” At least, she hoped it would - it was about all they had. She was about as tired of doling it out as she was sure her Clanmates were of having to eat it. 

Her fur prickled as she ducked into the medicine store. If Brackenfur had caught her ignoring a patient, she'd have lost her whiskers! Thankfully, he was outside the cave, talking with Tinystar about who to bring to the Gathering. 

Shadepool came out with a pair of berries and rolled them over to Sorreltail. “If you're not feeling better after these, come and see us again,” she instructed. She peered at her friend and added, “You're not showing any more serious symptoms, so it'll probably pass.” 

Sorreltail gave the berries a sniff. “I hope so,” she sighed. “I'm already missing the Gathering tonight.” She lashed her tail in frustration. “I shouldn't have eaten that old chaffinch!” 

Shadepool watched her friend lap up the medicine. Sorreltail's fur rippled at the taste, but she swallowed without complaint. She swiped her tongue across her muzzle and wondered, “You're going tonight, right?” 

“Yes,” Shadepool answered. 

“You'll have to tell me how it goes, then,” Sorreltail sighed. Something sparked in her eye, and she pleaded, “Please, be careful - WindClan might try to start something.” 

Her worry touched Shadepool. She touched her muzzle to Sorreltail's ear and meowed, “It'll be fine. Besides, if StarClan tries to stop the Gathering and Mudstar goes against their wishes, it won't exactly help his case.” 

“I suppose.” Sorreltail's tail still twitched with unease. “Still, watch yourself. We're not on the Great Journey anymore.” 

Shadepool walked Sorreltail out of the cave, her own stomach turning at her Clanmate's words. Out in the clearing, in the deep red light of the evening, every warrior was gathered around Tinystar and Brackenfur, clamoring for a spot on the Gathering patrol. 

When Sorreltail headed off to the warrior's den to rest, Shadepool sighed heavily, heading to the back of the crowd. She didn't need to sense her Clanmate's emotions to feel how they stirred her ear fur or clouded the air with their scent. 

Sorreltail is right - the Great Journey feels like a lifetime ago now. 

Her gaze rested on Nightfrost. Her littermate was with Mistyfoot and Rainwhisker, and she couldn't help but notice how troubled his expression was. The Great Journey and the friendships made then had meant so much to him - letting go of those bonds would hurt him most of all. 

Shadepool tested the thorns between them again but did not press when she met resistance. He wasn't ready yet, and she still had no idea what to say. Instead, she turned her attention to her father, who was trying to divide up the Clan: 

“Mousefur, you're staying behind to hold down the camp,” Tinystar meowed. “Cloudtail can help you.” 

Mousefur made an annoyed sound, but Cloudtail piped up, “We'll keep things safe while you're gone, don't worry!” 

Tinystar nodded to his niece in appreciation. Shadepool supposed that was a prudent choice - Dustpelt seemed to be going to the Gathering, and he and Mousefur often agreed with one another. Keeping the two apart would cause less drama, and Cloudtail was a good foil to keep things light at the camp. 

“Cinderpelt, you're with me,” Tinystar decided. “Mistyfoot, you too. Ashfur, you can bring Larchpaw, but keep an eye on him with the other apprentices.” 

His gaze scanned the crowd. Shadepool guessed that her father was trying to leave the camp with a strong enough team of warriors to defend it should Mudstar try something dirty - but taking too few warriors would make Tinystar look like he had something to hide. It was a difficult balance, and Shadepool didn't envy him the task. 

“Rainwhisker, you didn't go last time, so you can come tonight,” Tinystar decided. “Swiftfoot, you're coming too, and... Nightfrost, you can join us. That should be enough.” 

Shadepool found herself agreeing with her father's choices. WindClan had injured Rainwhisker, so if Tinystar brought it up, he would help make a strong case. Swiftfoot was the Clan's strongest fighter, but he made Tinystar seem confident if he was away from camp. Nightfrost was friendly with cats in all the Clans, and bringing him could help smooth any rough conversations. 

“Tinystar,” a quiet voice meowed, “may I come?” 

It was Ferncloud. Shadepool saw her father considering it, and then he nodded. Ferncloud's eyes shimmered, and Shadepool was surprised at the queen's ingenuity - ThunderClan had no active queens at the moment, but bringing a gentle mother like Ferncloud would help show ThunderClan had security in itself. Not only that, but Ferncloud, like Nightfrost, had friends in all the Clans' queens, and she probably wanted to watch out for Larchpaw since Snowstep was staying behind. 

“Alright, the party is decided,” Tinystar meowed sharply. “Everyone who wasn't chosen is to stay behind and guard the camp. Mousefur, Cloudtail, set up sentries along the hollow's edge.” 

“Will do,” Mousefur grunted. 

“StarClan willing, we won't need them,” Tinystar sighed. 

“Better safe than sorry,” Graystripe assured. He nudged Tinystar and urged, “You should get going - the moon is going to rise soon.” 

Tinystar nodded. He lifted his tail, and the crowd parted to let the Gathering patrol through. Shadepool joined Brackenfur just behind Tinystar, nerves wiring the places where her fur and skin met. She glanced at her mentor, wondering what he was thinking, and found that he had his gaze fixed straight ahead. 

Heart thudding, Shadepool decided to do the same. 

———————————————————

ThunderClan was the last to arrive at the Gathering, despite them leaving early - having to take the long way around through ShadowClan's and RiverClan's territories made it so when they leaped from the cedar tree-bridge and onto the island's shore, the other three Clans were already mingling, and the clearing was filled with conversations that stopped abruptly at their appearance. 

“Yikes,” muttered Rainwhisker. “Do we stink or something?” 

Dustpelt nudged him, giving the younger warrior a cross look. 

Shadepool twitched her whiskers. At least some cat was trying to make light of things - the trip here had been quiet and serious, a marching trot meant to get them to the island as fast as possible and keep the other Clans from getting upset at their presence in their lands. 

Many of the cats in the crowd shrugged their shoulders and resumed their conversations after Rainwhisker's remark. Only some of the cats stopped talking to glare at the ThunderClan party - Shadepool noted with a chill that they were almost all WindClan, with a few RiverClan and ShadowClan eyes narrowed in solidarity. 

“The meeting will start soon,” Tinystar meowed quietly. His icy eyes flashed especially to Dustpelt and Swiftfoot. “Don't start anything.” 

He slipped into the crowd, and the patrol broke apart. Brackenfur immediately went to join the other medicine cats, while Duspelt and Cinderpelt found Oakfur of ShadowClan and joined his conversation. Larchpaw headed for a group of apprentices, prompted by Ashfur, who lingered close by. 

Shadepool heard a squeal and got to her paws, alarmed, but quickly realized that it was Larchpaw, who was tackled by two ShadowClan apprentices. They were licking him all over, purring, much to the disgust of the other older apprentices watching. Shadepool let her fur lie flat, but her heart still thudded hard in her ears, and Ashfur looked like he might expire. 

Rainwhisker, Nightfrost, and Mistyfoot met Stoneheart and his friend Pinewhisker in the crowd, and the group immediately sat together to talk. Ferncloud trotted past them, heading for a cluster of queens - she brushed noses with Dawnflower of RiverClan immediately. 

“You made it!” she breathed happily, barely in Shadepool's hearing range. “How are the kits...?” 

Shadepool didn't need to overhear their conversation. Instead, she found herself curious, staring at the gathered crowd. She thought back to the tuft of gray fur, and though she knew Tinystar had been right, it really, truly hit her just then - most of the cats in this crowd were gray-furred. There was no way to make a concrete accusation based on fur color alone. Something about that was comforting, though it still upset her. 

Shadepool swallowed back her thoughts. Everything seemed to be going well, other than the WindClan cats avoiding the ThunderClan party like they were plagued. Shadepool supposed she shouldn't have hoped for more. She thanked StarClan that there didn't seem to be any outright fighting. 

“You should join the other medicine cats,” said a quiet voice. “We're due to start soon.” 

Shadepool felt his pelt brush against hers and breathed in his scent. Her heartbeat steadied, and she resisted the urge to sigh happily, conscious of how many cats were around her. 

She meowed cordially, “It's good to see you, Crowflight. How are things?” She couldn't help but glance his way, trying to seem nonchalant, like a medicine cat above it all. 

The look in Crowflight's eyes caught her off-guard. They were dark, like the lake's depths, deep and drowning. Shadepool couldn't help her own eyes widening a touch as her stomach sank. 

Something's happened. Crowflight wouldn't risk approaching her at a Gathering, so out in the open, unless it was serious. He was smarter than that, or at least usually with cats who were smarter than that. He was giving her a very clear warning. 

Shadepool dipped her head to him respectfully and split away. She tried not to hurry to the other medicine cats, or else they might think Crowflight had purposefully scared her - which he had somewhat. It was so difficult a line to walk, and she couldn't help but stumble as she clambered over the massive, tangled roots of the Great Oak. 

“You okay?” Mothwing asked as Shadepool crawled up to her side. 

Shadepool looked up at the beautiful she-cat and came up with the excuse easily enough: “It was a long walk.” 

Mothwing's eyes glinted, and her tone was sympathetic: “I can imagine.” 

Shadepool's mouth felt dry, and she tried not to see Crowflight's dark shape as it slid through the crowd toward the other deputies. The leaders were already in the tree branches, with Mudstar and Tinystar as far apart as they could manage to be and Leopardstar and Russetstar between them like a barrier. 

“How're things in RiverClan?” Shadepool asked, pelt prickling. 

Mothwing's whiskers twitched. “Well, they're okay, for the most part,” she mewed. Her tail wrapped around her paws. “We've had a few scrapes, but nothing serious.” 

“That's good,” Shadepool breathed. “ThunderClan's been okay, too.” 

She glanced at Brackenfur, who was with Littlecloud and Ryewhisper. The three medicine cats were huddled together, but it seemed like Ryewhisper was very uncomfortable, and his jaws seemed locked tight. 

Mothwing made a noise in her throat. “They've been bothering him the whole time,” she mumbled. “Poor thing.” 

Shadepool nodded in agreement. Her heart thudded in her ears, and she found herself staring holes into her mentor. The only other cat who might know what had happened to Onewhisker's spirit was Ryewhisper - was he trying to find out what the WindClan cat knew? Had he told Littlecloud and Mothwing? 

No, he must not have, Shadepool thought. Both medicine cats would be a lot more freaked out if he had. 

“He's surely got enough to deal with,” Mothwing continued, oblivious. “Can you imagine a cat as nervous as Ryewhisper having to listen to Mudstar?” 

Shadepool shook her head. “I don't know how he's managing...” 

“I guess we'll find out,” Mothwing yawned. She nodded up at the branches of the tree. “They're getting ready to start.” 

Leopardstar's yowl sounded just a heartbeat later, clear and loud: “Cats of the four Clans, in the light of the full moon, we Gather as one! Be silent, and listen!” 

The clearing went quiet, with all heads turning to the Great Oak, ears and eyes turned to silver by the moonlight. Only the rattle of the surrounding trees could be heard as Leopardstar scanned the island for any spare conversations she might have to silence. 

When she was satisfied, she began: “RiverClan has been prosperous this past moon! Falcontail and Heronleap bravely drove off a curious badger, and despite the cold grip of leafbare, the prey runs well. RiverClan is full and happy.” 

Shadepool glanced at Mothwing, shocked. “Your brother drove off a badger?” she hissed. 

She expected pride from Mothwing, but the she-cat's muzzle twitched into a grimace. “He did,” she mumbled quietly, “but Heronleap nearly lost his muzzle for it. He's healing well, but going two-on-one with a badger like that was reckless.” 

Shadepool glanced up at Leopardstar and supposed that a proud she-cat like her wouldn't want to mention that. 

It was Russetstar's turn. The dark ginger she-cat stood tall as she announced, “Prey runs well in ShadowClan's territory: Nightwing has moved to the nursery, and I am proud to announce that we have two new apprentices with us tonight - Willowpaw and Rushpaw!” 

“Willowpaw! Rushpaw!” the Clans cheered. 

Shadepool glanced over at the apprentices and suddenly recognized the two ShadowClan cats that had tackled Larchpaw so happily - Finchsong's kits looked so different now that they were 'paws, having lost their kitten-fluff. The three young cats had been almost inseparable on the Great Journey. 

No wonder they were so glad to see each other, Shadepool thought warmly, happy that some remnant of the Great Journey's friendships had remained. 

“Willowpaw has been apprenticed to Pinewhisker,” Russetstar meowed on, “while Stoneheart has taken on the honor of mentoring Rushpaw.” 

Shadepool's eyes widened. Though the Clans didn't cheer for the mentors, she couldn't help but purr, her eyes stinging with pride - Stoneheart, with an apprentice? She couldn't think of any cat in ShadowClan who deserved one more! 

Shadepool spotted Mistyfoot in the crowd. She was with her brother, congratulating him alongside Nightfrost - but Shadepool couldn't help but wonder how she was feeling. First, Ashfur had been given an apprentice, and now her brother... There were no new kits in ThunderClan. Was she feeling left behind? 

“Good for them!” Mothwing purred. She glanced down at Shadepool and wondered, “Stoneheart is a good mentor, right?” 

Shadepool nodded. “He taught me some moves on our trip to the lake,” she answered. The memories tickled her fondly. “Thankfully, I've not had to use them yet.” 

Mothwing sighed. “It's a good thing for a medicine cat to know,” she said simply. “Just because we're healers doesn't mean we can't defend ourselves!” 

“Do you still practice your warrior moves?” Shadepool asked, tilting her head. 

Mothwing nodded, her gaze serious. “I've got to keep my claws sharp - you never know!” 

Finally, it was Tinystar's turn: “ThunderClan has little to report. Despite it being leafbare, our land has treated us well, with plentiful prey and shelter from the cold. My warriors are ready to face any new challenge - especially with Ashfur training Larchpaw, our newest apprentice.” 

“Larchpaw! Larchpaw!” Though no cat in WindClan cheered, Rushpaw's and Willowpaw's voices were loud enough to be a Gathering on their own, and Larchpaw seemed happy at their praise. 

Shadepool couldn't help but tremble, staring up at her father as the cheering died. Was he going to mention the WindClan ambush? 

Tinystar, however, dipped his head to Mudstar, and settled back down on his branch, a dark shadow in the oak. 

Shadepool swallowed. So he was going to hold onto the information, then - perhaps he was trying to give Mudstar the benefit of the doubt in case it escalated things too far? In the crowd, she could see Rainwhisker looking perturbed until Mistyfoot calmed him with some quiet words. 

Mudstar came forward, still balancing awkwardly on his leg injury, which seemed to be as healed as possible, to Shadepool's eye. The WindClan leader would likely have a permanent limp for the rest of his life - possibly as severe as Brackenfur's thanks to his advanced age. 

Mudstar's sharp eyes scanned the clearing, and every cat held their breath. What was he going to say? What was he going to do? He had made the last Gathering an event to be remembered, after all - was he going to do the same tonight? 

The sky was clear, and Shadepool flexed her claws in anticipation. Whatever Mudstar was planning, she wished he'd get on with it. 

“Last Gathering, WindClan did not have a chance to welcome our newest warrior.” Mudstar's voice was a thin rasp with the barest hint of a snarl. “I would like to rectify that - Thornpaw has become Thorndusk!” 

“Thorndusk! Thorndusk!” 

The WindClan warriors cheered the loudest, though Shadepool spotted a young gray ShadowClan warrior's shining eyes as he stared into the crowd at a cat Shadepool couldn't see. 

Mothwing made a noise. “How sweet,” she murmured. “She was named after Duskflower!” 

Shadepool recalled then who Thorndusk was and nodded in agreement. Thorndusk had been an apprentice on the Great Journey and had gotten terribly injured in the mountains. The ShadowClan queen Duskflower had saved her life by sacrificing her own. It was strange for a warrior to be named after a cat from another Clan, but that sacrifice must've meant a lot to Thorndusk. 

“Robinwing has also given birth to a strong litter of four kits,” Mudstar meowed as the crowd quieted. “Their names are Blizzardkit, Galekit, Sleetkit, and Ashkit.” 

The crowd called out the names, and Shadepool glanced over at Crowflight. She didn't know this Robinwing, but how did Crowflight feel about her naming one of her kits after his mother? 

“Good news for WindClan,” Mothwing sighed, oblivious again. “Four kits! That's wonderful!” 

“How are they?” Littlecloud asked Ryewhisper, perhaps hoping he would answer that question, at least. 

Ryewhisper did not respond. Littlecloud glanced at Brackenfur, who sighed quietly. 

Shadepool wasn't surprised, though. Ryewhisper looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but where he was right now. 

Still, things seem to be going well for WindClan, she thought. Maybe Mudstar really is good for them. He hasn't even mentioned Onewhisker... She stared over at Crowflight, recalling the look in his eyes. Had that been her imagination? 

Mudstar, however, was not done: “WindClan has one more announcement to make.” His voice had gone broken and rusty. “As you all know, when Onewhisker and Barkface were ambushed, Barkface survived with several injuries.” 

He lifted his graying muzzle. “I come here tonight to tell you that Barkface has joined his warrior ancestors in StarClan. He passed on two nights ago, just as the moon turned full.” 

Just like at the last Gathering, the entire world seemed to jolt to a stop. So powerful a feeling it was, Shadepool felt as if all the breath had been driven from her lungs. 

Barkface is dead?! 

She looked down at Ryewhisper. No wonder he hadn't said a word tonight! 

“That's terrible,” Leopardstar sighed. She shook her muzzle, her gaze glazed with sorrow. “He was a noble cat.” 

“StarClan will welcome him,” agreed Russetstar 

Tinystar shifted on his branch. “Mudstar,” he murmured, “I'm so sorry.” 

Mudstar squared his shoulders. “Keep your sorrow, ThunderClan,” he growled softly. “You have no idea how much he suffered because of what you did!” 

The mood of the clearing shifted immediately. Once again, tension filled the air, and Shadepool watched the crowd shift, splitting into four Clans again. Shadepool's heart sank - all Mudstar had to do was accept Tinystar's words, but of course he just couldn't! 

She looked up at the sky. No clouds, not yet. Her tail trembled. 

“Is it true?” Brackenfur wondered, his rasping voice bringing Shadepool's muzzle down again. “Did he suffer?” 

The medicine cats leaned in towards Ryewhisper expectantly. The WindClan medicine cat shivered. 

“I tried to keep him comfortable as best as I could,” Ryewhisper mumbled, finally. He seemed to sink into himself. “He was delirious from fever and pain in the end.” 

“Did he say anything?” Littlecloud wondered. His small ears flattened. “Anything at all?” 

Ryewhisper shook his head. “Nothing that made sense,” he admitted. The thin tom hunched his shoulders. “He mumbled of shadows and pain. That's all I could make out.” 

Shadepool's heart crept into her throat, and she locked eyes with Brackenfur. Shadows and pain? Did that mean what she thought it meant? 

Her ears were buzzing. She was vaguely aware of the cats in the clearing clamoring chaotically, but she was so far removed from that now. All she could think of were the shadow-cats, and that Barkface might have seen them, too, in his final moments. If they had come for him and not a cat from StarClan... Was that what had happened to Onewhisker? 

I have to find Barkface's spirit! 

“Shadepool?” Mothwing's voice cut into the noise. “Are you okay?” 

Shadepool blinked, realizing that her claws had been tearing at the root she was perched on. She forced herself to unclench, unsure how to answer Mothwing without spilling everything - so, instead, she stared at Brackenfur, willing him to know what it was she needed to do without her having to say. 

He looked up from Ryewhisper and stared back at her, but his look was so severe that it was, without a doubt, a refusal. If he could speak, she was sure he would tell her to wait, to stay put for now. 

Shadepool felt like she was about to vibrate out of her pelt. We don't have time to wait! She wanted to scream at him. What good had waiting done so far? What good did waiting ever do? 

There was a yowl in the crowd. Vaguely, she recognized Swiftfoot's voice and saw a flash of white. The cats in the clearing shuffled, some screeching, as a tussle broke out amidst them. 

“That's enough!” Tinystar yowled. His eyes blazed like stars. “Swiftfoot!” 

Brackenfur tore himself away from the medicine cats. “Have you no self-control?” he snarled. He stomped into the crowd, the fur along his spine bristling. “Starting a fight at a Gathering! Your ancestors would be ashamed of you!” 

Shadepool flattened her ears. Everything was devolving. Mudstar was flinging accusations, and Tinystar was flinging them back. Littlecloud joined Brackenfur in an attempt to quell the fighting. Tawnypelt and Crowflight stepped in to pull apart Swiftfoot and his opponent, Softbreeze, but another fight started just beside them as Dustpelt pounced on Crowflight, accusing him of trying to hurt his Clanmate. 

Shadepool's ears rang as Crowflight and Dustpelt rolled across the clearing, claws and teeth flashing. Stoneheart and Mistyfoot separated the two, with Nightfrost pressing himself between them, begging them all to stop. 

“Shadepool...” Mothwing mewed hesitantly. 

Shadepool felt sick. The tang of blood was in the air, but the sky was still clear. She met Mothwing's gaze. The golden she-cat was just as terrified, her claws unsheathed as if she might have to defend herself at any moment. 

“I have to go,” Shadepool meowed, her voice a strained whisper. “There's something I need to do. I can't tell you why right now, but-” She hesitated, her mouth dry. “But I will. I promise.” 

Mothwing's eyes flashed. “Do it,” she said, swallowing. “Go. Get out of here! I'll cover for you.” 

Shadepool was shocked - she'd expected the RiverClan she-cat to at least question what it was she intended. Shadepool touched her nose to Mothwing's, filled with love for her friend. “I'll owe you,” she promised. 

“This Gathering is over!” Leopardstar snarled, her voice resonating powerfully. “Mudstar, Tinystar, control your warriors!” The moonlight highlighted her dappled body as she leaped into the throng of tussling warriors.  

Shadepool didn't see what happened next. She tore away from Mothwing and the others, leaping into the undergrowth that ringed the clearing. She crossed the tree-bridge without thinking much about where she was putting her paws - she could've landed in the lake and not missed a step. 

As soon as she touched down on the opposite shore, she ran across the stony marsh as fast as her paws would take her. 

[convexicalcrow]

(Safe) Under Bast's Paw

This'll go up on AO3 when I have the time/patience/brain power to get the tags etc sorted out, but have some Lost Prince AU backstory and the introduction of Jellie! <3 This is set about a month or so after they left Egypt; Cub's around 13 years old, and Scar's around 15. They're just friends at this point. Inspired by The Old Prospector by sixteenthdays, which has been lodged in my brain ever since I read it nearly a year ago. (I'm not okay /hj)

-

Cub held onto Scar's waist as he drove the camel across the sand towards a quarry-like pit that looked like it would be a good place to shelter. Or perhaps be cornered, it was hard to tell how close their pursuers were and whether they'd managed to slip away from them. He didn't dare look back. Just gazed at the darkening sky, praying to Ra that He would once again rise in the morning. He had to, right? He just had to. He balled his fists in Scar's robes, clinging to the two certainties he had in life: the rising sun, and Scar.

"Come on, in here! We can wait out the night here in the caves," Scar said as he led the camel up the path to where an open cave waited for them. It was out of sight from where they'd come from, and looked like it had flat enough ground for a camp.

"But what if there's others in the caves? How do you know it's safe?" Cub said, walking beside him.

"We don't, but we can't stay outside another night, it's getting too cold," Scar said.

"Fiiiiine," Cub said, though he didn't quite believe him.

Scar stopped then and grabbed his shoulders, forcing Cub to look at him. He raised his right hand and showed him the scarab ring. "You remember the ring. You remember the promise I made to your father to keep you safe, alright? I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?"

"You can't even fight! How are you going to do that?" Cub said, both indignant and scared. "At least I can use a sword!"

"There's more than one way to fight than just with swords, I'll have you know. And you're in no way capable of taking on a soldier, let alone a group of them. Now, come on, let's get inside before anyone sees us, alright?"

Cub shoved him away, letting the fear get the better of him. "No! Take me home! I want to go home! Take me home! I order it! I demand it! Take me home!"

"Demand all you like, but there's no home to go back to, and you and I both know that. We saw it. We saw the temples fall. We know who didn't make it out. Home doesn't exist anymore. It's just you and me and this stupid camel, alright? Do you think I like this any more than you do? No! I'd love to be back in Per-Bast serving in the temple, but that won't happen now. Your father told me to take you and run, and that's what I did. I kept you safe. That's why you're alive. Now, come on, get inside the cave. We don't know how far behind us they are. You can yell at me all you like once we're safe and out of sight, okay?" Scar said.

"Okay. Fine." Cub scowled, but nevertheless followed him up the path and into the cave, anxiety pooling in his stomach as he half-heartedly kicked a little sand over the camel's tracks to disguise them.

-

"No fire. Too risky. At least we still have the last of the rabbit to eat. Then we'll sleep and try to get away before dawn, okay?" Scar said as he saw Cub begin to gather sticks from the edge of the cave.

"No fire?! Come on, man, just a little one. It's so cold, Scar," Cub said, dropping the sticks.

"No, we sleep next to the camel for warmth. Hopefully we run into some traders soon enough so I can haggle us some extra blankets. And some more food, too. We're running low on everything right now," Scar said as he unpacked the saddle bags.

"Well, you were the one who packed! You could've brought more food!" Cub said.

Scar sighed. He couldn't be mad at him, not really. "Sure, and maybe if I'd had more than a few hours' notice, maybe I would have. Just- now's not the time, okay? Let's get some food and clear air between us and those chasing us before we start tearing each other to pieces, alright?"

"Fine." Cub sat down petulantly beside the camel, staring at the ground, arms crossed over his chest.

Scar grabbed some bread, a flask of water, and the last of the rabbit they'd cooked up last time they'd been able to have a fire and served them both. Cub reluctantly took his dinner and ate sullenly as Scar sat beside him.

Scar didn't like to imagine the turmoil Cub was going through. The events that led to their fleeing had been… Scar closed his eyes, trying to push the sight of the temples burning out of his mind. The sound of huge metal things crushing anything and everything in their way. The look on Cub's father's face as he gave him the ring and told him to flee with his son…

Scar wrapped an arm around him, and pulled him close. Cub didn't resist; he moved in close and pressed against him. Neither spoke as they ate; Scar was sure that if he did start talking, he'd never stop, and all the grief in the world would pour out of him and they'd never make it. He had to be strong. For Cub. He promised. He promised!

"I am Hetmetnedjes, son of-"

"Silence!" Scar hissed, pressing a hand over Cub's mouth. "Do not speak those names. Wait. I hear someone. Something."

Cub froze, listening intently. Scar had definitely hear something moving. Was it a person? Or just some animal taking shelter? No, those were definitely footsteps. Someone was coming.

Scar grabbed the front of Cub's tunic, pulling him to his feet as he stood up. "Come on, time to go. We're not alone here," he said as quietly as he could.

"But the camel-!" Cub protested as Scar yanked on his arm.

"Leave him, there's no saving him now," Scar said.

Cub pulled away, and Scar turned to see him grabbing the camel's lead, both of them refusing to move.

"I'm not leaving him," Cub said, clutching the lead close to his chest. "We'll die without the camel!"

"We'll die if we're in hostile territory anyway, or had you forgotten that?" Scar said, hearing the footsteps growing louder.

"No!" Cub stamped his foot. "No. I'm not leaving anyone else behind. Please."

As Scar grabbed his arm, knowing that leaving was absolutely the safest thing to do, he saw a light followed by the face of an old man come into view. So he pulled Cub into his arms and put himself in the way as a shield, preparing to talk his way out of this if he had to, camel or no camel. Cub held onto him tightly; Scar could feel his fingers digging into his back. He was scared. They both were. Scar was just better at hiding it.

"What's all this commotion, hey? Have we got visitors?" the man said as he approached them.

Scar was relieved he spoke their language. Perhaps he would be kind, after all. "We just needed somewhere to stay the night. We'll be off by dawn, I promise!"

"You seem rather young to be out here on your own. Anyone travelling with you?" the man said.

"Just us, sir! Had to leave, well. There's no home to go back to, not anymore," Scar said.

"Hmm, yes, I heard about that from some travellers who came by a while back. Pity. Come on, no need for you to sleep on the ground. I'll take you back to my home," the man said. "You both look like you need a good meal and a good sleep."

"How do we know we can trust you? We've been- there's a lot of danger out there, that's all I'll say," Scar said.

The man looked straight at him, and Scar flinched, recognising something in those eyes that he knew. "Bast? Did She send you?" he asked in hushed tones.

"She might have whispered something in my ear while I was prospecting. Not often I get company out here. You're safe with me, don't worry," the man said.

"Alright. But give us a minute to get the camel moving. We're not leaving him behind," Scar said.

"I wouldn't dream of it," the man said.

-

It took maybe ten minutes to get to the man's house once they'd got the camel up and moving. By then it was properly dark, and the man's torch was their only guide. Cub had said nothing the entire time, only gripping Scar's hand tightly as he followed beside him. Scar understood. They'd rarely had any reason to trust anyone they met out on the road, and Scar was still cautious.

The house itself was stone-built, situated in what seemed to be the smallest oasis they'd ever seen, situated on the outskirts of the quarry. It had a few scruffy palm trees, a small lake, and enough land to sustain a small but productive farm and a couple of goats. The camel was tied up near the animal pen and given some food and water before the old man led the boys inside.

The man set the torch into a bracket on the wall, and proceeded to rekindle the hearthfire. Scar and Cub kept by the door, not wanting to get in the way. It was a small house, after all. And then, Scar heard a small mewl, and from somewhere Scar couldn't identify, out came a cat leading a small group of kittens.

"Oh, you have cats! That's so sweet!" Scar said. He'd always loved them, but his old cat hadn't made it out of the Two Lands.

The man sat down on a chair by the fire and picked up the kittens one by one. The mother followed, patrolling around the back of the chair, watching them closely.

"Yeah, she came in with some traders some years back. Gods know where the tom came from, but caravans will come through here from time to time. It's possible one strayed from there. They keep the mice out of the crops, so I don't mind them being around," the man said. "Does your silent friend want to cuddle one? I always find them great company when things get sad."

Scar nudged Cub. "Go on, they're just kittens, I promise."

Cub shook his head and stepped back, hiding behind Scar. Scar sighed, but he did understand. Cub could get like this from time to time, and he just needed to feel safe long enough to open up again.

"Seems like a no, sorry. He's a little shaken up, don't mind him," Scar said. "Anyway! Is there anything we can do to repay your kindness, sir? For letting us sleep here overnight? We don't want to intrude any more than necessary."

"Oh, I might have a few chores you could help with in the morning, but not for now. Here, take care of the kittens while I make us some dinner. You must be hungry," the man said, getting to his feet.

"Of course! We can do that, can't we?" Scar said, turning to Cub.

Cub nodded mutely, but did follow Scar over to the kittens, and grudgingly accepted one that Scar handed him. It mewled a little and Cub held it to his chest as he sat down by the fire.

Scar took a seat where the old man had been. He watched Cub, half an eye on the man pottering around on the other side of the room, preparing some food for them. The mother cat didn't seem to object to them holding the kittens, and a small grey one climbed up into Scar's arms, purring contentedly. Bast was definitely blessing them tonight. He'd have to make some extra offerings before they left, just to say thanks.

-

The rest of the evening was uneventful, which was a nice change. The man told them stories, fun stories, as they ate their dinner. Cub even managed a laugh! That's what Scar wanted to see. Yeah! Sure, Cub might have been silent the rest of the time, but Scar would take any win he could.

The man didn't keep them up, though. He would be back to the mines soon enough in the morning to continue looking for gold, lapis, amethyst, whatever raw materials he could find to trade to the smiths and other artisans who wanted to buy. It's how he sustained himself. Scar thought that was fair enough. He left them to sleep in the main room, where the fire had died down to coals, and bid them goodnight.

-

Cub lay in his bedroll, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. It was too loud, too loud. All the crunching, the metallic objects flung at temples and homes and other things, screaming, fire, burning, the awful smoke in the air-

Where were the gods in all of that? How was this safe? They'd abandoned him; he'd abandoned the Two Lands.

Abandoned means you made a choice to leave us behind. You have done no such thing, came Djehuty's soft voice.

Cub rolled onto his side, scrunching his eyes closed. He missed everything. Everyone. His father. His mother. His brother. His friends. His teachers. His- He wanted to go home. If he still clung to that, then-

"Cub? You awake?" Scar's voice slipped through the quiet night.

"Yeah." It was all Cub trusted himself to say.

"I never miss them as much as I do in the middle of the night," Scar said.

Cub turned to face him, shifting close. He understood that feeling very well. Scar pulled him into his arms. Cub rested his head on his chest. He could find no words adequate enough to articulate how he was feeling. He looked up as one of the kittens climbed over Scar's chest to come and sniff Cub's face.

"Hey, I think they like you!" Scar said, giving the kitten a few little scritches.

Cub managed a smile as the kitten licked him tentatively before settling down on his shoulder, curling into the space as if they were made for it. "Damn, guess I'm not moving now, hey?"

"Yeah, that one's been all over me. I think they like me! Maybe we'll see if the old man's willing to part with them. It'd be nice to have another companion. They could catch mice for us!" Scar said.

"Maybe, maybe," Cub said, unconvinced.

The kitten moved, curling up on Scar's chest. Cub gave them some little scritches, envying the small animal's ability to sleep at all. Did he sleep? No, he did not. He lay there, trying to silence his thoughts, trying to pull himself together. He couldn't just fall apart. He wasn't a baby! He wasn't! He just had to be strong. Strong enough that Scar didn't worry about him so much maybe. He could do that, right?

-

"Seems she's taken a liking to you," the old man said he served breakfast.

"Indeed she has! She was on my bed all night!" Scar said with a laugh. The kitten was still attached to Scar, curling around his shoulder to sleep. It distracted Scar from how tired he was, and not just because he felt so happy to have a cat again.

Cub was still quiet, Scar noticed, but perhaps a little less morose than he was yesterday. He might cheer up once they get going again and he begins to feel a little safer.

"You reckon you can care for a cat, boy?" the man asked.

"Oh, yes! I've had plenty of cats before! I love them!" Scar said. "Please, let me take her? I'll take very good care of her, I promise!"

"Hmm. Very well. Bast did send me to find you, after all. She might be sending you off with a guardian," the man said.

"Maybe, yeah! Thank you!" Scar said, containing his excitement. "I'll make extra offerings to Bast tonight. She really has been looking after us well."

"Of course She has. Cats don't slack when their kittens are in harm's way," the man said. "Now, get that food into you and I'll get you all provisioned up as best I can before you go. Now, where are you heading? I might be able to steer you clear of any danger."

"Just-, well. Away, really! We have no plan, we just want to be safe," Scar said. "Any help will be greatly appreciated."

"Hmm. Okay. I'll think on it. There's a few places I can think of," the man said.

-

Cub clung on tight to Scar's waist as they set off again, only this time, a small kitten had nestled herself in his lap, finding whatever shade was available. Bast wasn't his goddess, though of course he was thankful for Her protection. His devotions lay elsewhere.

But as the sun rose and the heat in the air increased, and Scar began singing silly songs to distract him, Cub felt a larger cat snuggle up next to him, pressing against his back, and soon enough, Cub was asleep, and this time, his mind was blissfully silent. Thanks, Bast, Cub thought, as he drifted off, the kitten sleeping on.

[ocean-in-my-rebel-soul]

So I'm doing something incredibly risky that will hopefully give me more concrete skills in business management and digital marketing/media (and barista-ing) (I'm the business manager, since I have the most experience in this role), but it won't really pay. I'm co-forming a worker's co-op with some queer folks in my local community to save a queer owned, queer friendly coffee shop in a small town about ten miles away. I'll be getting compensated in equity in the business instead of a salary, which is scary. It means I need to find enough work to be afloat while working at the shop. I haven't heard back from any of my job applications, so I'm putting myself out on freelance sites like Fiverr for editing/writing, etc. Hopefully, that can give me a reasonable income while I run this shop.

Honestly, it's a little terrifying. We haven't announced the restructuring publicly yet, as we're getting our contracts and tax concerns addressed first, but soon it'll be set up and official. I'm hoping that the announcement will be well met. Save for the current owner, the rest of us live a county away, even if the distance is less than ten miles. I worry that the bigots in town (of which there are many) will make even more of a ruckus about that. Some people are refusing to visit the shop because they "don't wanna get AIDS". First of all, the most recent major uptick in documented cases is from Texas. Secondly, you can't get it via saliva. Thirdly, while I do have an uncle who died tragically young of AIDS, his younger brother has been managing and living with it since the 90s. He has a full and fulfilling life. Even if you did somehow contact it (may all the gods forbid it), you can get help and manage it.

Anyway. There's a boycott going on, apparently, by a few conservative jackasses who wouldn't have bought from the shop anyway. So that's fun.

This is...well, one of my dreams, or close enough to it. I've always wanted to run a café or tavern or something, somewhere people can come to get food and drinks and spend time. Maybe a little inn. This place is small and awkwardly shaped, but I think between the four of us, we can make something work.

Just, you know. Pray for us or something.

[jason-802]

So... I'm not dead. (With the context that's about to come, that may be insensitive to say)

...but my father did in November. Sorry to start this update like that, I'm just doing this quick to summarize my situation. My dad passed back in November, we've been trying to reorganize and keep everything stable since then, and I've gotten a job at Target. I'm hoping to maybe cut my hours after my 90 days are up so I can look into college again or try getting more art done, but right now things have just been difficult. I just wanna say that if something happens, and I either don't (or can't) post here again, I'm sorry. I'm trying as I write this to do my best. Or, at least, I tried. I want to keep working on my art and creative stuff, and I wanna maybe make a life out of it if I can. I'm just so burned out and scared by everything happening, and I'm worried if I really splurge with my cash to do something with said creative work, that I'll leave less money to help Mom with the bills. She says it's fine and that we have a little more than a year's worth of tax money, but I still worry. I'm especially scared because I know once she's gone I gotta really step up and earn more, even if it costs me any last shread of art or freetime or happiness. That, or I move states, say goodbye to everyone who's ever cared about me, and pray I can have the OPTION to start a new life. So... yeah, not doing great. I wanna hope it'll get better, but I know better than to pray for it. Already tried that with Dad on the same day, you can guess how that ended. I have to work for it. Even if it kills me. Hopefully it won't come to that. Hopefully.

[claire-starsword]

We're back from the commercial break! So, how will Tao fare in the end???

i lov her

With the Dark Mage pulverized, Gong gets to finish his Skeleton, Khris gets to heal Tao…

…and Gong establishes full superiority of light priests versus the dark ones. This is the most peace I've felt in this battle so far.

So yeah it's over there's still dark elves.

I don't think there's any strategy I can use, everyone survives a normal hit from them, Lowe can heal Arthur, we just gotta pray our attacks hit, and try leaving them in range for the mages, who don't miss, especially Tao, who can hit both at once. Reeeeeally wish Anri had a level 2 spell already.

Arthur does hit and gets a chonky level up that I fail to screenshot as I didn't expect it. Also I don't wanna risk Max at the elves so he'll be cleaning up the remaining priest while waiting for the skeletons downstairs to come up, as they've decided to move.

Tao continues to be the best character, and Gong actually hits, finishing the elves. Clearly everyone has had enough of this.

Arthur hits the remaining priest but it survives and heals, so I send Lowe, hoping to farm some exp. Then I remember we have a time limit to clear, so I cut that idea out and send Gong back down to keep advancing. Perhaps Arthur can farm that guy because he has better movement to catch up to the team later, but it should be only him.

Meanwhile Max has already killed a skeleton with a crit because it's Max.

Khris gets a hit on the Skeleton because I think she can survive a hit, but that was definitely a bad idea, the thing could crit. She at least levels up for her troubles. She also learns Slow, but I don't care. Meanwhile Arthur finishes the priest before they can heal so that's it for that.

She's safe.

We're at turn 10, I think Max can advance while the people further in the back finish this skeleton. These people even happen to be the low level duo, Anri and Arthur, so that's nice. Arthur gets to level 8, getting… +1 attack.

You're gonna have to believe me on that previous chonky level up, because it was clearly a fluke.

It takes until turn 12 for us to get anywhere near the final enemies, and by us I mean Max. Hopefully I won't regret sending him ahead. The Master Mage boss should have Freeze 2 or something and do good damage, and I don't know the Lizardman's attack. The Skeleton and priest aren't a worry though. I'm also fairly sure I won't need all the healer MP I currently have, so I'll start wasting Lowe's Heals for exp at least, he's further behind.

The Skeleton decides to be stupid and gets a counter for its troubles. It doesn't even manage to block Max from reaching everything else.

While this is a bit risky without knowing how much damage the Lizardman deals to Max, the Master Mage has already moved, and Arthur reaches Max this turn, so he can come with a Medical Herb should things go bad.

Of course, question remains if he then survives the Master Mage's spell with his ridiculous HP, but uhhhhh, magic resistance man, make it work. Wasn't me who bragged at the start of the fight.

Oh no, I forgot double attacks are a thing. For the first time I was right to worry about this man.

He would still have survived without Arthur's healing though. While now Arthur is at risk. Maybe this wasn't the best play. The best play is really to just not care about Max ever.

Tao is out of MP for Blaze 2, but that doesn't mean she is still not the best character. Gong and Khris heal the frozen guys, and with that Arthur gets the kill.

Look, several stats rising at once! It was not a lie!

At the very beginning of turn 15, Max decides he will not let anyone else get exp, he will continue to be the world's most special little man, and that he does, getting his unique spell.

Supernova (Satellite Nova in Japanese) is a single target spell that deals massive damage, though it also costs a lot of MP as well. Max is still better with a sword, but this is a good option when you need range, since it has range 3, the best in this game. So yeah, the man is now really fitting the magic school run, and also more of a beast than he already was.

This also means I get to keep discussing promotion levels. He learns the next levels of the spell at 16 and 20, so I could get them quickly now, but delay the last level, which is at 26, that is, strictly after promotion.

Personally, I don't think it matters for him, but I also don't want the initial stat drop from promotion, so maybe I'll stick with this a little longer until there's need for a better sword.

Special man isn't the only one up for promotion though. Tao is here, but I did show her as the perfect example of someone who should wait until 20. With that, she will learn the whole Blaze line as fast as possible, which is everything Tao needs. Unfortunately that does delay her Attack spell which at level 27, but there are other people for that, like Narsha. The blazing woman is the blazing woman before anything else.

We then have Gong. By holding back his promotion, we get Heal 3 at level 16, however we delay Heal 4 at level 24 and Aura 1 at level 30. Actually, this is a good example on how this mechanic sucks, no healer learns Heal 4 unpromoted. Which means you'll always have a massive gap between healing spells no matter what you do. Given that character stats are not too big in this game, I prefer Heal 3 giving us some big ranged healing than Heal 4 healing max hp with no range. So I think I'm promoting him at 16. This will be a harder decision for the healers who have to worry about equipping weapons though.

So yeah, no one's getting promoted today! Boring! We go back, say hi to Zylo and Kokichi, and then we say bye to Zylo and Kokichi, and we prepare to say goodbye to Bustoke as well.

The only guy who stays winning is Arthur, who gets the Elf Slayer. It's a +4 compared to the Power Spear, which now makes him the most powerful member of the force even without the Power Ring! Who ever bullied this guy, I never bullied this guy, this guy is great.

I don't feel like giving the Power Ring to squishy people, and Max and Gong are tied for attack, so I'm giving it to, Max I guess, since he has more defense. Most special little man indeed.

It's a bit hilarious that we get to sell the Power Spear after one single battle, but it did help massively so it's okay. Sadly it's not enough money to get us another Silver Ring, so that's it for today. I will be very glad to start the next post without any of this setup stuff.

Losses: 0 Deaths: 2 The expected deaths on Narsha interludes: 0/3

The Guardiana Magic School Run - Part 9

We are back. After all the excitement for Narsha and the lack of excitement for our magic school last time, we've arrived at chapter 3 and Bustoke, the only town we'll be seeing the whole chapter btw.

And before we proceed I need to talk about promotion before I forget again. Just like in the classic game, unpromoted classes are up for promotion starting at level 10, and won't go past level 20. They still get a small drop in stats as they promote, which is so weird, I don't get why is this a thing, and their growth rates change as well, which is the part that makes sense. But I'm not here to explain basic Shining Force, I'm here to talk about the GBA changes specifically, and after praising so many of them I now have to talk about what might be my most disliked one.

The level a character learns spells doesn't adapt to promotion.

What do I mean by that? Let's pick Tao as an example. Tao learns Blaze 4 at level 20. In the classic game, this means either mage level 20, or wizard level 10, because wizard is a promoted class so the game correctly assumes you've had at least 10 levels before getting to level 1 wizard.

In the GBA version, she will learn it either as level 20 mage, or level 20 wizard. Which is at least 10 levels later.

It sucks massively. I get what they were trying to do, trying to make the promotion choice a little more interesting by making you pick between better stats and weapons versus quicker spell learning, but 10 levels is a massive difference, and for some, it's not actually a choice??? Let's look at Anri now, she learns Freeze at level 23. That means she can't get it as a mage at all, she has to promote, and wait ten more levels than she would in the mega drive version. By then I might be finishing the game! So yeah, I will be commenting more on how each character is uniquely screwed by this as they reach promotion level.

For now, the only character that can be promoted is Max, and, I'll be honest, I'm not sure Max can learn spells unpromoted?? He apparently should learn it level 12, aka the next one if unpromoted, but it feels weird. You'll understand when we get there. There's no hero-exclusive sword in this part of the game, so I'm tempted to test it, not like Max needs upgrades for now anyway.

Oh wait, I forgot to check the deals section as well.

lmao.

so, forget everything i said, there's a sword! And if you're reading that thinking "hey aren't aquatic enemies from chapter 5?", yeah! This is incredibly busted for this part of the game, and I don't know how the deals section work, but I tend to get this one fairly frequently. Very useful if you're playing with Amon and Balbaroy who need as much help as they can get, but for Max, it's very much overkill. I believe there's better use of our money for now.

We can, for example, get the beautiful Power Spear for 900 gold. Without the Power Ring, this would get him to 22 attack, same as Khris with the Power Staff, aka Really Good. With the Power Ring, though? He's now at the same level as Max and Gong, except from a distance. Perhaps I can stop bullying this man now!

jk the next battle is full of people who can beat him up from a distance i'm very afraid.

And behold, our next money sink! The Silver Ring is the cooler cousin of the Steel Ring, which is kind of an affront to our beautiful Guardiana but, we just gotta import it I guess.

Speaking of cool relatives, we say hi to Diane who won't be joining us this time sadly, but between hers, Amon and Balbaroy's weapons, and some extra loot from the circus and the abbey I had forgot about, we can already buy one ring. I definitely missed a chance to buy Charm Rings last chapter with this money, but it might be for the best, I did say this team needs defense more than magic res after all.

I hand over the new ring to Lowe, who had only 9 defense, and then give the Steel Ring we picked from the Ghoul last time to Tao, who also had 9 defense. Anri and Arthur also have 9 defense, because magic users are not very original with this stat! but they'll have to wait for now.

And that was a lot of rambling to start a post with. Let's save the game and head to battle.

The Elf Slayer is a spear, stronger than the Power Spear. I'm fairly sure it will be the strongest spear for most of the game before we finally get the Valkyrie at chapter 7. So I want this a lot. Unfortunately this is not a battle I'm confident to rush on.

And yes, it does bonus damage on elves which I think are only like, the archer enemies. I will hate on these guys soon enough so I would like some bonus on massacring them as well.

First we have to witness one of my favorite lines of all times.

Then we get to suspect that Arthur's lack of defense might not be a lack of armor, just a lack of care and brains. I can't heal you when you barely have hp, bestie.

Start of the battle is just going down to meet some skeletons, not a big deal given how the last battle went.

It indeed goes completely fine, these guys are super slow so I even get to coordinate things to get a level up for Anri who is still a bit behind the rest of the team along Arthur. She gets… +1 HP. And nothing else.

These two, man.

We're now at Turn 4 and that's when the real battle begins.

We need to break through this mass of enemies, and a pair of Dark Mages can always cause big damage. I guess Max can tank them because he's like that, but there's still only so much he can survive so we gotta deal with these guys fast.

The worst however is these guys i promised to hate on. Dark Elves. What's not to hate? They have Elven Arrows even though we can't buy those until next chapter. And that weapon? Can one-hit kill. That's right baby our "minimize deaths" goal is now on the hands of RNG. Thrilling.

The best case scenario is that Max never gets close to these guys, but I doubt that will be possible, only Gong also has the defense and HP to tank the other enemies. We can try to advance slowly but with how narrow the passage is, it is bound to become a mess at some point anyway.

Sigh. It's not gonna get better from talking about it. Let's attempt this.

We get a very good turn. Max baits a Dark Mage, taking 7 damage, and Arthur gets to show off the Power Spear + Power Ring combo by killing them instantly. Now there's a Skeleton is front of Max, but these are already weak so who cares. The real problem is that, as you can see, one of the dark elves already came down. We should kill them as fast as possible. Did I mention they have high evasion? They have high evasion. There's also two more skeletons in the way. I hate this battle.

Max and Tao team up to deal with the first Skeleton, and now is Gong's turn. You know, the guy who keeps dying in this run. I think he has enough defense and HP to tank everything here, but the elven arrow is a looming possibility, I don't see any way to wipe this elf right now. And if I don't place Gong here, it's likely they'll go for Max instead, and if he dies that's a loss. They could also go for Tao, who is naturally squishier and also a ranged AoE user, something we desperately need here. So alas. Go Gong, I'm so sorry man.

hoo boy now there's two of them. Gong tanked the mage, but the dark elf that was already here hasn't moved yet. I'm gonna heal just in case. Just to feel something.

THE DARK ELF PROCEED TO SAY, "excuse me skeleton brother can i pass through you please, i'm way too jealous of elves hotter than me to attack anyone already on my range" AND SHOOTS TAO ANYWAY.

did i forget to mention the elven arrow has more range than the arrows available to the player at this point? Yeah that's also a thing. i hate these guys so much. Tao still survived though, so get wrecked. I would love to know how to do this battle in a sane and reasonable way though. Assuming it's possible.

Mister overpowered hero you better deliver i want this fuck dead. And yeah this does put Max in range of the other guy but honestly he was in range for this one too. I'm definitely not smart enough for this.

*sob*

"And this is why I prefer magic."

This finishes the skeleton and thankfully Gong hits the elf to finish the job. Very glad I healed him last turn actually because we might be taking a lot of Blazes as long as I keep focusing on the elves over the Dark Mage. I regret not healing Max actually. Now Khris has to focus on Tao who would definitely die to another shot.

hoo boyy this is not great

Arthur somehow manages to sneak in the turn order exactly between the other dark elves and this one. It's risky to send Arthur like this but, it's 20 attack from the elf versus 9 defense, he should survive a normal hit, and again, a killing hit is better on anyone else besides Max.

Hatred festers in my heart as Arthur misses, but, the elf just moved down??? Legit don't know what they're trying to do, sometimes they do weird things trying to get to Max but, Max was in range. Many people were in range. Why this.

Not complaining though! Lowe, slowest member of the team, can now heal Max in peace.

Gong then gets a chonky counter on the Skeleton.

I won't know true peace until the dark elves are all gone though, so I'm going ahead.

And that's a real one-hit kill, asshole!

Tao has seen better days but Khris will get to heal her soon and I think she can survive the occasional hit. Also I really want this mage gone. They have 50% magic resistance and 8 defense, so the Power Staff is definitely the right call.

i hit the tumblr image limit though, so this is a neat cliffhanger for you until the next reblog :3

[hotxcheeto]

━ 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 ( 𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐏𝐓. 𝟐 )

𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) - Ellie Williams  x Fem!Reader 

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 - Cursing, mentions of sex and hookups, stressful day,

𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 ? - Yeah/Nope

𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 - this part is sucky but it's the transition part between the next chapter which is already being written ;) but enjoy this nonsense for the time being.

𝗔𝗨 - Modern !

PREV | NEXT

☾ ONE NIGHT STAND MASTERLIST ☽

The day had come and gone, then the next and you were waking up for work, smacking your alarm clock with a very grumpy looking expression.

You had slowly began to forget about her, knowing her only as a good hookup to your friends, one of your favorites to yourself.

Getting dressed, you stared at yourself in the mirror, her marks having basically disappeared. Outfit professional and a bit extra from top to bottom hopefully to tear away your coworkers eyes from how tired you looked.

But each time you walked out into that hallway by your front door you remembered her and how she'd broken a little decorative cat you had on that table that you and to clean up and throw out that morning.

'Meow' You smiled as Poppy jumped up onto the kitchen counter, purring and snuggling into your jacket-clad arm. "Hey baby, morning chubs." You began to pet her head feeling her pushing against your fingers and palm. Meowing again.

"I'll be back soon, then we can spend the entire night watching The Walking Dead together, m'kay?" She meowed once more, walking along the rest of the granite countertop to jump onto the fridge.

"Don't get into anything while I'm gone young lady." She meowed. "I love you to." You gave her boop as you walked off and back into the entrance. Gathering yourself.

You can do this.

"Geez you look like you got curb stomped." Was the first thing you heard when walking into your office. Turning around to see your assistant, and friend, hanging in the doorway. "Thanks Mia. Always a way with words." The sarcastic words made her laugh, watching you set your coffee down on your glass desk and took off your jacket to hang on the back of your chair.

"Anything important today?" "A meeting, at eleven. Mr. 'Stick up his ass' will be there." You groaned, collapsing back into your office chair.

"Really? I was hoping they'd make it for tomorrow. I look like shit." Mia snorted walking closer to you with a shrug. "Not that bad, just maybe apply a bit more concealer." She made a move with her hands signaling a little bit, grimacing with her face before harshly turning around.

"I'll be off now, email me all your scraps so I can do the dirty work." "Keep talking like that and I'll fire you." You winked at her. "Ha. Ha. So funny, that joke is like three weeks too old." "Mm, won't be when you're standing outside in the rain holding a box of your desk trinkets." "Love you too Y/n."

She shut the door behind her, the blinds tapping against the door from the force.

With a large sigh you rested your head in your hands with a groan. Praying today would go by faster, so fast that you'd forget you were even at work.

But the meeting having come up only made you dread leaving the room at all. Glancing at the clock on your wall.

9:39

There was never enough mental preparation that could've been done for a meeting, especially with your boss of all people. You only prepped yourself up to want to fall asleep the entire time, taking a large drink of your coffee.

You can do this, today won't be terrible.

Well shit, today was already terrible.

You all but stomped out of the office room, getting the author accepted after nearly an hour of arguing back and forth with your boss.

Hurrying over to the water machine and slamming the cup underneath it.

"That bad?" Mia's voice came from behind you. "He's gonna see the profit we bring in from this. He doesn't understand the demographic of teenage girls that will eat that stuff up. The profit and exposure will be amazing, all thanks to me."

You chugged the water and tossed the paper cup into the trash can beside you.

"Well, the entire office knows you'd be a better boss, if that helps." "Mm, if only." You took a breath and held your head, closing your eyes while Mia smiled. "You did good." "Thank you but God he just really makes you want to–" You made a strangling motion with your hands.

Mia laughed but hurried to cover her mouth.

"I gotta go." "Alright, well, don't kill anyone on your way back." Humming you turned around. "I'll try not to."

You walked back to your office, falling back onto the chair and staring out the glass wall. You could see the front of the firm from there, just past the plants in front of the window.

Most of it was glass an open, modern, as your boss would describe it.

You hated it.

Especially when you seen someone you knew walk through those doors. Eyes going wide and your heart seeming to stop. You could barely keep her out of your mind in the past forty-eight hours and yet there she was.

Ellie.

You panicked, hurrying to look away.

This day could not get any worse but it was definitely looking that way.

You pretended she wasn't there, grabbing the moment of peace that you got before having to log back onto your computer and actually work.

What you really wanted to do was scream and tear everything in the room apart, instead resting your forehead against your palms. Looking through the glass of the desk at your legs, moving your feet back and forth.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Hopefully she'd be gone when you looked back up.

A small knock at the open door made you squeeze your eyes shut.

"What is it now Mia?" You looked up only to be met with a familiar set of eyes, eyes you'd last seen two days ago that were a lot darker then.

"Names not Mia, but I do have something to talk about."

"Ellie, right?" You managed to say, despite how nervous you felt. The girl you couldn't get off your mind now standing right in the doorway.

"Ooo, that was cold." You laughed. "So was leaving with a half-assed goodbye." She put her hands up and made a face. "Guilty."

"So, mind telling me why you're in here, and should I be considering a restraining order?" She laughed.

"Not a stalker, my roommate is giving some papers over. Seen you through the glass and I wanted to take the chance, I guess."

"She's the one taking over Mia, wanting to start as an assistant?" Ellie nodded and crossed her arms, looking at your wall decorations and certificates.

"Yeah."

"Mm. Then me and her will be seeing a lot more of each other."

You looked down at your hands, avoiding the awkward quietness of the room and her eyes knowing she was watching you.

"I guess.. I wanted to say sorry, even though you probably don't care. Mostly because I liked you.. and I can't stop thinking about it. I was gonna go back, and if I seen you I guess... ask for forgiveness?" She admitted with a laugh, shaking her head while you slowly glanced up at her.

"It was a hookup, you did what everyone else did." She nodded. "I know but... it's stupid I shouldn't of came in here."

She went to leave, but you stopped her.

"Wait. It was just a hookup, but it's like it's itching at my brain. So I get it, but you have to make it up to me now." She raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh yeah?" "You don't get to dine and dash, that's illegal and frankly, a bit rude." You intertwined your fingers and sat back, watching a smirk appear on her lips.

"You make a good argument." She laughed.

"It's weird right? I mean it was a one night stand." Ellie shrugged. "It's fate." She winked while you giggled, looking away from her. "Maybe." You grabbed your notepad, scribbling down something as her roommate called for her.

"Here." You handed her the small piece of paper. "Make it up to me." "Will do." She took the paper and looked at it before tucking it into her pocket.

"Maybe it is fate, but it was good to see you. And know that I wasn't a terrible fuck." Ellie laughed. "Yeah, that's definitely not the case." "Oh really?"

Ellie disappeared out the door after her roomate called for her once more. Watching her leave from out the front window.

"Holy fuck."

Mia then appeared at the door. "What did she want?"

"Someone that just made today a lot better."

[hollowpurpl]

im losing my mind.

@saintobio since you just noticed my little post about my smol theory, i am taking this opportunity.

@saintobio you are extremely good at making playlists. i remember listening to the sincerely not playlist, and gurl i could picture everything that happened on sn whenever i listen to that playlist so i have TONS of theories about sy based on the playlist

my mind is overflowing right now. on my piles of theories i chose to talk about the song "see you later"

see you later

so the lyrics goes like "you just broke my heart even though you promised you'd never do that from the start, but i guess we could only make it so far"

i think it indicates y/n breaking toji's heart, toji breaking y/n's heart or utahime (well i guess)

then it goes like "cause time wasn't in our favour, this isn't goodbye, this is simply a see you later"

the playlist name is 'recollecting memories with gojo satoru' so i wouldnt be surprised if this meant them breaking up

then it goes "let me know when its time to come back, maybe when your life is on track and you don't have to hesitate, hopefully it isnt too late"

i think this might indicate toji giving y/n space because he thinks that y/n is getting a tad bit confused because after all, it has only been 3 years since gojo happened.

"luckily for you, im patient, im okay with your making me wait, and as long as your near, i'll be here, even if it takes ten years"

this might indicate toji or satoru waiting for y/n, but i highly doubt this is about satoru because of the amnesia (but its possible). but maybe he thinks about this before the amnesia incident

THEN IT GOES "cant fall in love, when i found the one, how am i supposed to move on, when you're never really too far gone"

SATORU CANT MOVE ON. THATS WHAT IT MEANS

"the memories won't go away, i feel pain everytime i hear your name, but i always think of you the same"

satoru being broken. broken satoru.

then the song just repeats its lyrics over and over again. ending with "even if it takes ten years, even if it takes ten years"

it might hint that satoru is willing to wait for y/n, or it might be toji willing to give y/n space and as much time to clear her head, hoping that when he comes back to y/n, it's not too late (THIS MIGHT ALSO BE THE CASE FOR SATORU THO)

this scheme of confusion revolves with most of the songs in the playlist such as 'lover, please stay', 'never the 1' or 'traitor'.

basically the confusion just surrounds around toji, satoru, y/n and utahime.

i just wanted to share my thoughts (or rather confusion) on the matter. saint if you're reading this im praying to you. i trust that this story will go well because u wrote it lmao ilysm

(i wrote this on a laptop so i hope i dont sound monotonous)

[moon-lixie]

about a letter left to be found and a boy who disappeared into thin air.

word count: 2.046k

genre: slight angst

song: 말할 수 없는 비밀 (Secret Secret) - Stray Kids

I don't think any of you would be able to understand, not even if I sit down and speak all of my truths. Still, I think I owe an explanation.

With trembling hands he gathered his things, the notebooks filled with dreams spilling from the edges of every page, his favourite hoodies, the pair of bright red headphones he had since the beginning of high school.

From the open window a cold breeze came in and ruffled the slightly damp hair of the boy, paying special attention to the ends that were still clamped together due to the dampness.

He wasn't exactly in a hurry, but he still felt nervous and anxious, because even if it was almost impossible, at the back of his mind he was haunted by the idea of someone coming in and stopping him.

Moving quickly he reached down for the towel hanging around his shoulders and ruffled his hair a couple of times more until he felt satisfied.

First of all, I have no idea where I am going but know that I'm fine.

A loud sigh caressed his lips as it escaped, filling the room that he had always called his own, his little world nobody could disrupt because in between the forgotten comics and the piles of clothes sprawled here and there he had felt more at home than he has ever felt anywhere else.

Throwing the towel to the basket of dirty laundry at the end of the hallway, he finally finished everything he had to do, simply being left with staring at himself in the mirror and fixing the wild strands of hair that had been upset by the freshly washed hoodie hugging his torso.

He could barely muster a smile at his reflection, not because he was sad, but because it all felt surreal in a sense that left him wondering if it was still the middle of the night many years ago and the last years had been nothing but the hopeful dreams of his younger self.

Maybe it's a bit selfish of me to simply leave without a warning, but please understand that I want much more than this place could ever offer me.

He closed the front door of his house, locking it with the pair of keys his mother had given him once he turned twelve; they were still held together by the Pororo keychain he had bought one day after school with such an overwhelming excitement that made the memory pull at the corners of his lips.

It felt bizarre to walk away from the entrance of his home knowing that he was never really going to come back, that this was the last time.

Just like the very first time he had arrived there along with a moving truck packed with boxes and furniture, he felt breath leave his lungs at the sight of the white façade. It made him stop for a second and contemplate in utter silence.

Goosebumps coated the length of his arms once he turned around and kept moving forward at a steady pace, leaving his old bike behind as well.

Know that the decision to leave wasn't made in a haste, I've been thinking about it for long and now just seemed like the perfect time.

Mr. Kim lazily waved in his direction, gentle smile and downturned eyes with the familiar brown that reminded Jisung of his grandfather; maybe that's where he would go next, to visit his grandfather.

Without much thought he returned the sweet and familiar greeting, feeling a bit nostalgic when he thought back to all the summers that he had spent working with the man in his garden.

Back then a young Jisung had been happy to make a few bucks while getting to stay out all day in the yard playing with bugs and with the sun kissing the skin of his chubby cheeks and legs that weren't covered by his favourite pair of green shorts.

He couldn't help but wonder where had all that time run to because despite being the one who lived through it, he could barely make sense or when had he ended up where he was.

Time moved too fast and without a warning, it left everyone wondering.

It isn't easy to leave my whole life behind but it feels right, the mere idea makes me feel lighter because who knows who I'll get to be when I get to the end of my journey.

Perhaps I'll be braver, a little bit smarter, more mature, maybe even a couple of centimetres taller.

He could walk the streets with his eyes closed and still know where every bump and crack was in the sidewalk, he could still point where his old school was, where the closest convenience store stepped in his way and as usual tempted him to buy a snack even on those days were his pockets were empty and his tummy full.

From there he knew his way to everywhere else in town, he even knew how long it would take him to get to said places on foot or with his trusty bike.

It all felt too easy and familiar, too comfortable, and those things weren't bad at all but Jisung thought he had had enough of them. He craved discovering himself inside the walls of another place so foreign that every single one of his truths were only known by himself.

Was it silly? That he thought a change of scenery would make him a new person, one much more alike to who he truly was.

Sometimes talking to someone isn't enough, because you don't think they'll understand, you know they won't. That's why I never said anything about the deepest desires looming in my heart or the biggest fears that tied me down for as long as I can remember.

All the interrogations running leaps around his mind made him walk faster, filling him with the same dreadful excitement he felt every first day of school, one that mixed with nervousness and fear.

He wasn't sure if starting fresh would let him be someone whose fears didn't weigh upon his heart so harshly, he wasn't sure if he would get to be the person he had always wished he could be but he could only hope.

Hope had been what drove him this far and today he was giving it full control of where his feet moved to, control over how his next day would look like or where he would wake up the next day.

Never in his life had he felt more ready to wander around by himself.

But I guess, since I'm going, it's only fair that I try to sit down and talk to someone, hoping that they will understand even if my words are scarce and there will be nobody to talk back to at the end of this letter.

On the horizon the sun rushed to slumber, leaving a comforting lilac pooling around the clouds and making them stand out even more.

Night hovered over his shoulders making him breathe with much more ease because if there was something that portrayed hope and tomorrow with an uncanny resemblance and lack of effort, it was the night sky with its endless stars and its shining moon.

In his childhood days he had discovered that there was no better cure for uncertainty and a nostalgic heart than staring up at the night sky; there was something about it that made him feel like time stopped for an instance, that time wasn't quite as unforgiving while the veil of darkness covered everything.

If he could go anywhere he wanted —which he was already doing— he would wish to go to the sky, not the endless and uncertain space, but the idea of the sky that humans have in their ignorance, a canvas that goes no further than our eyes can see.

Ever since I can remember I've felt like there was a place for me somewhere out there, a place I always called home without knowing what it really was.

It wasn't like I didn't feel at home here, there was just a feeling in my chest that told me out there I could feel completely free in the way I've always craved.

For him it had always felt unfair, how everyone got to live and walk around without the things that kept him back. Of course when he grew older he understood that everyone had their own problems but sometimes that was easy to ignore when one's own darkness loomed around their heart.

He had spent many years wishing, praying to whoever was listening, that he could just be himself without the voices in his head and the uncertainties that made every single one of his steps be cautious.

Nobody seemed to have listened as years went by and things got harder, still, he never gave up and even though he could never really say that there was nothing else bothering him he could at least say that he had everything under control.

If time is unforgiving it also is healing, and for him it had healed many wounds that couldn't be seen.

Unknowingly I spent a lot of time wanting to go to that place, craving to find where it was.

Some years ago I understood that it perhaps wasn't a place but a version of myself that could bring such soothing feelings. That's where I'm going to, that's why I have no destination.

He wanted to believe that nothing had been planned, that his savings carefully stuffed at the bottom of his backpack had just been him being responsible about his money and having enough for the impulsiveness that one day had won over reason and had driven him to this adventure.

He wanted to pretend but it was stupid to do now, there was nobody around to judge him or question his motives, so there was no use in not being honest with himself.

Thinking back to all those evenings spent running around the small restaurant in which he had found a job, he could see that perhaps this plan had been many years in the making.

Unconsciously he had always been hoping for a moment like this, a moment of unadulterated freedom.

Hopefully I do get there, hopefully I get to be happy and everyone I left behind does too.

The journey to happiness, to authenticity, to being unapologetically himself, had taken him to the airport, another thing that wasn't as spontaneous as he had tried to make it seem.

Passport in hand and trembling self, the whiteness of the place and the various people walking back and forth made him realise that this was really going on, he was really leaving.

For the first time in his life overthinking had no place in his plans.

I wish to be who I am meant to and disappearing was perhaps the thing I had always been destined to do. A boy who disappeared into thin air, that's who I am, a boy with secrets that weigh down on my heart and that I'm unwilling to carry with me on this journey.

Approaching the desk he was met with a young woman, in her mid twenties or early thirties, sweet but practised smile covering her lips as she recited the words that he must've learned a long time ago when she first started working there.

"I want a ticket for the next flight available," Jisung said, offering a reassuring smile after the confused look the woman gave him.

He looked around as the sounds of typing filled his ears and before he had time to start regretting something the ticket had been placed on his palm and his savings were short by a considerable amount.

I'm afraid that wasn't much of an explanation but it was my truth.

Good luck and see you whenever we're meant to cross paths.

The last thing he saw before falling asleep were the clouds from above and the sky now completely dark like the many nights he had wondered where he belonged.

Now he had an answer, he belonged wherever he felt free and right then in that comfortable plane seat he felt the freest he had ever been.

[givemea-dam-break]

hello tis i the hiccup anon. i shall sign this as LJ. but hi! how are you? im thinking more httyd rtte x reader because lets be honest theres a terrible lack of them and im thinking you can choose the pairing but please fluff. maybe the reader being made chief and the gang being there in support? (i literally need fluff im sorry. ive been stressed and so behind and im dying at this pt) you obvi dont hv to do this lol but i saw you wanted more requests and this is my current hyper fixation

a/n: i'm doing pretty good but don’t worry about me lol you focus on yourself and of course!!! i'm happy to write this especially if it’ll make you feel better :)))) for a change, i've made this for the icon herself: astrid lol. i am so sorry this has taken so long to come out, i've had so much trouble trying to get the plot right but hopefully you like it and it helps with your stress even though it's very short <3 Warnings: none Words: 781 Gender-neutral reader

With trembling hands, you adjust the wreath that sits atop your hair, signifying your new title - the title given to you not even ten minutes ago. Your ceremonial robes brush against your legs in the breeze, weighing you down but keeping you significantly warm. Everything seems heavier; the feeling of your clothes; the memory of your father's passing; the troubles you will now have to face. You aren't even sure if the gods know how you will cope with the newfound stress and expectations. "Kvsir," you mumble, praying the wise god, "guide me." The breeze softens for a millisecond, brushing along your skin like fingertips, and the grass crunches behind you. "You okay?" your new friend, Astrid, asks. "You kind of darted off." "Yeah, yeah, I'm all right," you say. "Just nervous, is all. I'm not sure how I'm meant to run a whole village at seventeen." Astrid's hand rests on your shoulder, sending sparks running down your arm. "You'll do perfectly fine," she reassures you. "Sure, you'll make mistakes, but even the old, grumpy chiefs do that. Plus, I'll - we'll come to visit you from time to time and help out if things are getting hard. Hey, you could be teaching Hiccup how to be chief, one day." You smile. "Imagine that. Hiccup, do this. Hiccup, do that. No, no, that's not right at all. He'd hate it." Astrid laughs, and it sounds like music to your ears. "I know we've only known you a few days," she says, "but I know that you can do this. I bet your father is so proud of you for even getting in front of the crowd and accepting the role." Her hand doesn't move from your arm, and you're glad. You like the weight of it, the way it makes your muscles relax and your mind clear. Astrid stands close to you, the leather of her skirt skimming against the amber robes you wear. Slowly, smoothly, her hand trails down from your shoulder to your hand, where her pinkie finger wraps around your own. "Send a terror mail if you need anything, all right?" she says. "I won't hesitate to come here and help with whatever you need." "Thank you, Astrid," you say softly. "It means a lot." Astrid smiles before glancing back at the village. "We should probably head back. No doubt the gang's wondering where we are." "And the villagers," you remind her. "I'm probably not making a very good impression by disappearing not even ten minutes after I got named Chief." Astrid's finger releases yours, leaving you with a surprising feeling of emptiness at the absence of it, but you pay no mind to it as you head back to the village. The rest of the night is more relaxing, thanks to Astrid. The second she notices any ounce of worry in you, she places a hand on your knee or your arm or wherever is most convenient. Her method seems to work, you notice, but it also leaves you with a flushed face and a racing heart. Yes, you barely knew Astrid, but that doesn't mean that she can't send your heart soaring into the highest parts of the sky. Just the smallest glance your way and you were done for. That made goodbyes the following day so much harder. You knew Astrid and her friends - Hiccup, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut - couldn't stay on your island forever. They had places to be, new lands to explore. They had a whole world out there waiting for them, and you would not be the one to hold them back from that just because you were catching feelings. "Remember," Astrid says. "Terror -" "Terror mail if I need you," you finish with a laugh. "You know I will. Have fun out there, you guys." Astrid's friends bid you their goodbyes and mount their various dragons, but Astrid hangs back a bit. She brushes some hair out of her face and smiles at you. "Expect letters from me checking in," she says. "I'm not leaving you alone that easily." "I'll keep every single one," you reply, returning the smile. Though it doesn't last long, you revel in the feeling of Astrid's arms locked around you in an embrace. The wave of calm and serenity that washes over you because of it is unreal, something you will miss for the weeks, possibly months, that you won't

see her. "Good luck out there," you say. "Good luck here," Astrid says. "But, I'm sure you won't need luck because you'll do great." You squeeze her softly. "Thank you for everything." And you let go, watching as she and the others fly off into the unknown.