#must break this plateau

[cloudedmoonofficial]

Crowstalker - Marsh Colony Ranger

Mother: Crocus

Sibling: Breezeheart

Other Family: Wildfur, Patch, Night, Fog

Secretive and stoic, Crowstalker always seems to carry a troubled stare, the weight of his thoughts heavy on his mind and in his heart.

Born outside of Marsh Colony, Crowstalker only has the vaguest of memories of life before he and his brother, Breezeheart, lived in the Marshlands. He remembers heat, hunger, and being carried by a large, tough cat who must have been his mother.

Breezeheart prefers to not dwell on the past, or what could have been, instead serving his Colony dutifully as a Mentor. “For a cat like us, born outsiders…it sends a powerful message that I can now teach the Spirits to Come, Crowstalker. We belong here.” But Crowstalker can’t just pretend he doesn’t have feelings–questions about his place in the world.

Most cats wouldn’t know that Crowstalker felt so strongly about these things. On the outside and in his day to day life, Crowstalker is a well-respected Ranger of the Colony. Dependable, quick-to-action, alert, and yes, aloof, and his break-up with Blueflower wasn’t a shining time for either cat. After the Incident with his sons, many hurtful things were said and friendships tested.

After that, Crowstalker would often go out alone. Get some time to just sit with his thoughts. Past Pine Creek, and up on the Dry Stones, Crowstalker could look out at Alliance Lake on one side of him, and turn his head and see the Far Plateau on the other, the edge of Alliance lands. And that’s where he ran into Crocus, his mother.

She showed up injured and in need of help, with another litter of kittens on the way…Crowstalker’s siblings. He helped her over the next several months and when Night and Fog were born, he helped his mother raise them in secret as well. He finally got to ask Crocus the questions laying heavy on him, and her kinship put his heart at ease. Their time together was short, but Crowstalker cherished it. 

Once Crocus was ready to leave again, Crowstalker knew she would ask him to take Night and Fog with him to live in Marsh Colony. On the day he arrived carrying two small kittens into Base, everyone assumed he was their father. Unwilling to spill his secrets, he continues to let them believe it.

[mlmvoreconfessionals]

That FNAF one was so good, can we have more of G.lamrock Freddy pred?

I can definitely get some more done for him, he’s great.

With a wet slurp, M.onty’s thrashing tail disappears past F.reddy’s lips and the gator fully lands in his gut. A wet belch rumbles out of the bear after, his gut sloshing back and forth as M.onty thrashes inside. B.onnie takes a step back, lifting his hands up. “Woah, Fred, let’s talk about this!”

“We have already talked about it,” F.reddy says, stepping forward to keep pace with B.onnie. “Now I am putting you and M.onty in time out until you start getting along.”

M.onty and B.onnie were almost always bickering with each other. Some kind of competition or sly exchange of words or just being around each other for too long gets the two animatronics worked up and fighting. F.reddy often has to break them up, and despite time and time again telling them to stop, it never does. That escalated to right now, where their bickering made them ruin a performance.

Now, in the backstage area, B.onnie just watched M.onty get snapped up and slurped down with ease. And F.reddy is advancing on him for seconds. “This is a bit extreme, isn’t it?” B.onnie asks with a nervous chuckle. “Look, you already got Mont, so let’s just call it even and--ack!” B.onnie bumps into a wall as he backed up, and soon after, has F.reddy’s full gut pressed against him. “F.reddy, c’mon, this is...oh Faz...” B.onnie’s eyes widen as F.reddy’s jaws do the same. Then his head is engulfed, and wet gulps and slurps begin dragging him down.

Sandwiched between the wall and F.reddy’s gut, there’s nowhere for B.onnie to go. He can barely even struggle as he’s quickly devoured. He gets a few seconds to kick his legs when he’s knee deep, but F.reddy tips his head back with a slurp and they disappear fast, sending him sloshing down into the bear’s gut on top of M.onty.

F.reddy huffs a bit, his tongue lolling out as he puts his hands on either side of his gut. “A-Alright, you two...you are heavy. I will let you out later once you have learned your lesson.” He’s sure that some timeout in his stomach together will let them work out whatever issues they have. They’re shouting a lot at the moment and won’t stop wiggling around, but F.reddy is more than capable of carrying that weight.

And carry it he does. He has to lug the two of them around for the day while continuing to do his job and entertain! He’s a bit gassier than usual doing it, and there’s no hiding his stomach. It’s all a little flustering for the bear, but any time someone asks, he just mentions that he’s helping B.onnie and M.onty “work out their differences”. Usually punctuated with a belch or some muffled shouting.

Of course, lugging around two giant robots is a lot of hard work on its own. Pair that up with having to handle customers and constantly move around, as well as needing to do even more work with two of the bandmates...indisposed, and it’s very demanding on his systems. Luckily, his body is sensing a lot of fuel for the taking.

F.reddy doesn’t noticed, too distracted handling so many people at once. When M.onty or B.onnie try to yell at him or when he lets out a notably harsh belch, it doesn’t register as any different than what has been happening today anyway. Their frantic thrashing is something he’s already adjusted to, so it doesn’t do much to get his attention when it grows more panicked and desperate.

The one thing F.reddy does notice is when his exhaustion starts to plateau and even wear off slightly. He’s also noticing that M.onty and B.onnie seem to be settling down a bit, their wiggling a lot less intent and their voices much softer. They must be calming down finally and getting along! And his systems are feeling less strained because of it. He doesn’t pay enough attention to notice that his stomach is smaller and softer, or that fuel is sluicing through him as B.onnie and M.onty fall apart.

The longer it goes on, the more energized F.reddy feels. He doesn’t really register the weird looks he gets from people when he mentions B.onnie and M.onty being in timeout in his stomach. It’s barely big enough for one robot, let alone two, and is far too round and sloshy anyway. Most people shrug it off as a strange joke though.

By the end of the day, F.reddy returns to his room with a soft sigh. “I am sorry that took longer than anticipated, I was unable to get a break today!” F.reddy says to his friends. “I will let you two out now, so I hope you have learned yoOOOOUUUUUUUUUUURRRRPP!!!” A thick belch rumbles out of F.reddy and something flies out of his maw. He recognizes them as M.onty’s sunglasses, and when he stoops down to grab them, he finally takes notice of his stomach.

It hangs off of him like a round pot belly, sloshing slightly when he moves. He blinks and presses a paw into it, feeling it squish and grumble. It’s far too small to hold one animatronic, certainly not two. F.reddy’s face heats up a bit. “...oh dear, not again...”

-

F.reddy blinks a couple of times as he suddenly comes back online. He’s in the giant cylinder still so his maintenance must have finally finished! He smiles to himself and moves to get to his feet. As he does, he feels his entire center of balance shift and he stumbles a bit as he gets up again. “What on Earth..?” He looks down at himself and...ah.

F.reddy’s stomach hangs out heavily before him, bubbling and sloshing. He can feel something shifting around in there. He stifles a belch into his fist and puts his own paw on his stomach to settle it slightly. That is not ideal. F.reddy rubs his stomach slightly as he steps out of the cylinder and sees the very unhappy expression of the lead technician.

“Ah...I hope I was not too much trouble,” F.reddy says with a sheepish expression. His stomach bubbles wetly and he feels the meat inside go completely slack. He stifles another burp.

“Well, we’re down five technicians now,” the lead says with an annoyed sigh. He jabs F.reddy’s gut with a screwdriver, making it slosh and wobble. It gets a wet belch out of F.reddy and a cap flies out of his jaws, hitting the ground with a wet splat.

“I see...” F.reddy can feel his face heating up and he looks away. He rubs over his gut ideally as it bumps the biofuel through him, most of those technicians long since broken down. He can’t help but let out a pleased hum as he feels his systems get more energized.

The lead technician sighs and shakes his head. “Just go back to your room and finish that off. I need to find some people willing to work on M.onty...”

“Understood. Thank you.” F.reddy smiles politely and heads for his personal maintenance tunnel. His gut bounces and sways as he walks, loud sloshes echoing through the tunnel. He’lll likely have finished processing all of the technicians within the hour.

“I do apologize for your rapid demotion to biofuel,” F.reddy comments to his stomach. He knows none of them can hear him, but he feels he should say something. It’s not like he meant to eat them! He just cannot control himself when he’s in maintenance mode. They go through technicians so fast, that most of them are new hires that make one mistake and...well...

F.reddy burps again, this time sending a shoe flying out and bounce across the ground. He slurps over his lips a bit and pats his stomach. At least all of the energy they gave him will let him get through the day without charging! He’s sure they are happy to provide that at least.

[howlingday]

It seems that Salem has cooked up an all new Grimm: a Geist that possess peoples clothes to control their mind! It also seems to make whatever clothing flashier and far more expensive looking, but there's no time for that as Jaune got possessed by one! Will Ren, Nora, & Oscar be able to bring their ally back, or will Jaune be lost to the swag he's now wearing?

Find out now on RWBY Z!

(Based off of the Ultra Dripnstinct Goku video by Lythero)

I did this before using Shaggy Jaune, but...

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

Jaune: (Standing with hands clasped)

Nora: Fuck you, Jaune! Your drip is trash, anyways!

Jaune: (Blink jumps as if to say)

HEARD YOU TALKIN' SHIT

Nora: AIIIE!

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

Oscar: (Jumps in)

Jaune: (Jumps on)

Oscar: HOLY SHIT!

Jaune: (Juggling Oscar) This is the power of drip...

Oscar: (Knocked into the dirt)

Jaune: (Prepares no-hands magic orb) You'll understand when you're older.

Oscar: (Blows up) HOLY SHIT!

Jaune: Damn, I'm good.

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

Ren: (Open-palm strikes Jaune)

Jaune: (Falls backwards) I've done my part... Finish it, Jaune...

Jaune: (Flies in) You got it, Jaune...

Ren: (Clashes with Jaune) What?! I just killed you!

Jaune: DRIP NEVER DIES. (Insta-kill flex)

Ren: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (Flies through plateau)

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

ReNora: (Ren/Nora fusion) NOT DONE YET!

ReNora: (Readies Thunder Orbs) KISS YOUR ASS GOOD-BYE! (Tosses)

Jaune: (Limbo dodges) ...You're finished.

ReNora: (Tosses bombardment of orbs) NO! I... (Clashes aura into beam) WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!

Jaune: (Uses aura to ride beam)

DRIP CHECK +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG +DRIP DRAG

Jaune: (Magic beam to their face) DIIIIIIIIE!

+BEAM THAT IS SUPREME

ReNora: (Blasted away)

Jaune: (Rolls along ground, Hands tucked) Don't need my hands; my drip will break my fall.

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

Salem: Without your leader, you will never be strong enough to defeat me~!

Jaune: (Appears behind ORN) Don't give up now!

Salem: Wait... Wait, is that drip?!

Jaune: (Uses magic with ORN)

Salem: WAIT! NO! NOO! NOOOO! STOP! NO- B-BAKANA! THIS IS- (Blasted through moon) THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! I- I STILL HAVE PTOOOO! (Into space)

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

Jaune: (Lv. 100)

Jaune: (Lv. 90)

Jaune: (Lv. 90)

Ren: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!

Oscar: AYO?!

Nora: Ooooo... Oohoohoohooooooo...

Ozpin: Yeah, we're dead.

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

Papa Arc: Wait... My boy! Is that you?! My son?!

Jaune: ...You couldn't possibly be my father, looking like that.

Papa Arc: You bastard... We were supposed to get drip TOGETHER!

Jaune: (Sauces the fuck our of Papa Arc) Listen well, old man... Without drip, you're NOTHING!

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

Jaune: I must protect my drip...

BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!

[bitterbetabunny]

Hypnovember 11/11 - Video Game

Writing from @jammed-out 's prompt list

CW: covert hypnosis, CNC, memory play

“Damn, you lost again?”

Denver realized they were staring and blinked a few times. The screen had the words “GAME OVER” written in large, bold letters. Below them, there were two buttons: one said “continue” and the other said “give in”.

Denver hesitated then selected to continue.

A crescendo played at the graphics came to life, their avatar moving in response to their controller as the start sequence ended. It was a simple platformer with bright colors, one that mostly relied on the player's ability to jump, duck, and run at the right times. They didn’t remember the game being this difficult, but Lawrence had mentioned changing some of the settings.

“You need to duck,” Lawrence warned.

A projectile hit Denver’s avatar and pushed them back off a ledge, causing them to have to backtrack. They glanced at their health bar, already a quarter drained. They knew there wouldn’t be any health kits until much later in the level. This run might already be a wash.

“I’d thought you’d get to the end by now.”

Denver scowled and threw a chip at their friend.

They knew Lawrence would be able to beat the stage on the first try, which only made each failure more frustrating. They were determined to get farther this time.

“Jump. Jump!” Lawrence urged.

They felt his hand on their thigh as he leaned forward, gripping as they took 3 more hits of damage. He pushed himself back and groaned as they were forced to backtrack again.

“This game is not forgiving at all,” Denver whined. “I feel like I’m getting worse.”

“You’re close. You’re so, so close,” Lawrence said.

His encouragement lasted about 2 seconds before Denver misjudged a jump and fell into the void, instantly dying.

Before they could complain, the colors on the screen began to expand and contract, morphing into shapeless blobs. Their brow furrowed and they opened their mouth, but suddenly they felt the confusion melt into a blank warmth.

“I’m… Oh, I…” Their voice trailed off, even simple thoughts crumbling under the visual stimulation.

Distantly, they felt Lawrence touch their cock. Denver hadn’t realized they were naked. Were they naked? They couldn’t bring themself to look down.

The swirling screen resolved into the GAME OVER screen, but Denver didn’t move, still deep in trance.

“Let’s stay here a little longer,” Lawrence whispered, more to himself than his friend.

Denver felt warmth on their cock and heard a strange noise. Lawrence must be sucking my dick, Denver realized distantly. But then that thought flew away, too.

Time felt meaningless, as if the present, these sensations and visuals were all Denver was and all they would ever be. It wasn’t a scary thought, it wasn’t a thought at all; Denver just sat limp and felt the pleasure and heard whines come from their throat. Their cock was on fire, but they felt the building pleasure plateau at that high.

“Fuck, you taste so good,” Lawrence groaned, his hand still working their cock as he sat up.

Lawrence kissed Denver’s limp lips and smiled.

He composed himself again, knowing the pay off would be worth the restraint, that eventually Denver would give in and Lawrence would be able to play with them as long as he wanted.

“Damn, you lost again?” Lawrence asked a little loudly.

Denver realized they were staring and blinked a few times. The screen had the words “GAME OVER” written in large, bold letters. Below them, there were two buttons: one said “continue” and the other said “give in”.

Denver’s gaze lingered on the “give in” button. It would be nice to take a break and do something else, but something told them to play at least once more. They has a weird feeling that the “give in” button might do more than take them back to the home screen.

They felt a warmth stir in their stomach.

Denver selected to continue.

Lawrence smiled, noticing that Denver’s hesitation was longer each time.

[ayoyoungg]

Because I got sucked into the drama on Twitter, I watched Popstar Academy (would not have otherwise):

First, I hate survival shows. I’m just like keep that stuff within the company and start showing us material once you’ve chosen the people for the group. I know every company goes through that process of selecting people for the debut group but I’m not a fan of seeing it.

Reason I say this is because I understand & get people having star power or certain people always being in the lineup because they fit what the company is looking for. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. In fact I think that’s the industry. But the way this show was formatted and presented to the girls, they went in thinking something else. Which I’m not sure what they were pitched vs if it was naïveté. (Also, it seems like only a small percentage of the girls were actually familiar with or fans of kpop, just an observation).

Having like 8 or so trainees join LATE, and picking trainees that didn’t even have singing or dancing background was certainly a choice. Like the show made the initial training group feel like a pre-training to get the girls where they need to be for the actual training/show. It’s a typical Netflix thing but I feel like some of the later trainees could’ve really benefitted from being there from the start. Especially since the show had some of the girls really starting from ground 1.

It turning into a survival show halfway through was VERY messed up, especially considering how many girls kept asking before they agreed to the program if it would be a survival show. That contract must have either been very vague with the wording or small font or something.

As the program was happening live, I think I only saw the Buttons performance. I wasn’t paying much attention to the program because I wasn’t interested. That said, the survival show didn’t even make sense if it was solely based on the performances & whatever content the girls chose to post on social media. I understand wanting to gauge fan interest in the girls but like idk have test groups? They should know any time there’s fan voting it’s biased as hell. There should always be a percentage taken into account with fan voting vs judge voting. But anyways, what makes this survival show weird is that part of what affects choosing favorites in other survival shows (like p101) is that you get to see the trainees interact with each other. Even though mnet evil edits, you see through the show who has leadership skills, who’s caring, who’s hardworking, who gets along, who’s improved, etc. All of that was missing when the program was live?! (unless I’m wrong) We’re only learning this stuff through the documentary. I’m only using this as an example but the girls were so shocked Manon scored high, but viewers didn’t know about the missed practices & stuff. Had viewers known, would Manon have scored so high? Who knows (she def has it girl + charisma, so very likely, but you see my point)

On Manon, as I alluded to before, I think it def would’ve been better if she were in that starting trainee group. While some things were missed due to covid which is excusable, it seems that other classes/training were missed just because. It has me curious if something serious irl was going on or what the cause was, but I suppose that’s her business. Classes/training are important. Personally, it would affect my choice of a bias if I knew that they skipped a lot and broke rules such as missing curfew a lot. That said, I do appreciate that she does show up & out when the time calls for it. I’m not sure if the girls really did isolate her or if anyone at least made an attempt to check on her. I understand the frustration of someone who consistently breaks the rules not getting penalized in some way. I’m glad Manon held herself accountable and really showed up at the end.

This program being in partnership with Hybe is so…🙃 to me. For example, Bang PD discussing the plateau in trainee growth and urging them to debut faster. Meanwhile Hybe groups are on blast about their short trainee times and the need to develop skills further. We start seeing more & more injuries in the girls and it’s like maybe if they took the time to further their training and learn how to properly do things, the amount of injuries could lessen. And then the emphasis on social media, developing a fandom, and discussing the parasocial relationship — felt very Hybe. Like yes social media skills are needed but the way they discussed creating the fandom was kinda 🙃 to me. Like the fandom is going to form. Those who were less comfortable/confident/familiar with posting on social media were at a disadvantage. And with them suddenly being thrown into a survival show, it’s not like they were prepared to appeal themselves to the public yet. I don’t think it should have been so important for them to necessarily be good at social media yet. That’s something I think could have been saved for the debut group (or maybe if they KNEW from the beginning it’d be a survival show with that type of format, more of the trainees would be those good at social media). But with how this survival show was formatted, social media was the only way to learn anything about their character.

[beholdtheleaves]

Character sheet for Mikulia for Loop Breakers, my Evillious TTRPG where you journey into the OSS era to save the members of the Court End. She's there specifically for Eve!

Mikulia was fun to make a character sheet for because despite being a supporting character, she was pretty fleshed out - she's a Held devotee, she grew up in a village, etc. It was also interesting to translate her skill in floral arrangements to something mechanically useful as an ability.

Transcript under the cut.

Mikulia Greeonio

Main Trait: Florist Beloved By All Weakness: Dimwitted Bonus Traits: Staunch Held Devotee, Cheerfully In Denial

Stats

Agility 2 Heart 4 Might 0+1 Poise 3 Wits -1

Abilities

Raised on a Farm: You gain +1 Might, and tasks involving physical labor such as planting seeds or building things are so easy for you that you can do them twice as fast as a normal person.

See Through You: Your charisma is so strong that once a scene you can ask someone a single question and compel them to answer truthfully no matter what.

Flower of the Plateau: You’ve got a knack for floral arrangements and decoration, and can make something breathtakingly beautiful using only the barest of materials.

Dance of Roses: You can perform a dance so captivating that anyone present must roll Poise against your Heart to break free from the distraction.

Herbalist: Once a scene you can brew a potion out of flowers and other ingredients found in nature. It grants either +1 on a chosen stat to whoever drinks it or another effect you agree upon with the GM. The effect lasts until the end of the scene.

Effects

Pocket Full of Roses

Seasick (1 Hit)

Hits left: 14

Boons: 3

[juni-aldaine123]

A PROMISE OF PROTECTION/ snf ; himfri

・❥・fluff . light angst . oneshot . nightmares . comforting . reassurance . cuddling . frieren looks after himmel . based on a dialogue prompt

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

The night is long and cold, and just as unforgiving despite the years, as Frieren remembers. The fire rumbles and crackles when she adds another branch to the charred remains sitting at the base. She is the first one to be on lookout for tonight, for there are monsters that meander the vales of the Northern Plateau. They even had difficulty setting up a camp tonight for they had to battle the ferocious Abyssal Dragon that had impeded their journey and locate a safe spot to spend the dark hours of night in peace.

Though it was long and odious their conflict with the dragon ended with them being victors. But they didn't win without a few spoils of war after all.

Why, their injuries and the scars they bear now are their rewards! Frieren still thinks it was rather pointless to accost the beast head on when they could've taken the easy and safe path through the woods. But needless to say- Himmel the Hero likes a challenge and is known not to back down when presented with one.

"Being an adventurer comes with its own set of dangers," he often reminds her whenever she asks.

"Besides, now people can traverse these roads without hesitance," he happily told her when she sat beside him by the campfire.

Well, that is what it means to be a hero after all, helping people along the way.

But who helps the hero when he is in need?

Frieren can see Himmel's discomfort from where she sits quite clearly, but she thinks she might not have noticed at she not been looking at him; he makes not a sound as he writhes in pain. He bites his lips and keeps his tears at bay but the elf can see him struggling.

'A nightmare...' So even Hero Himmel isn't exempt from such trivial distress.

She moves to sit by his side and attend to him, holding his hand in her hands and playing with his fingers like he does for her whenever she falls ill.

"Even now...you would rather suffer in silence than ask us for help?" she asks the sleeping man and then roams her gaze over their two unassuming companions snoring away peacefully. Perhaps it is for the best. Surely Heiter and Eisen would've noticed too and they been keeping watch now. Heiter might've even done a better job than her at comforting Himmel and she's not too sure about what Eisen would've done. But she's the only one awake and must do what is to be done to arouse Himmel from his nightmare.

Heiter had once told her how to deal with one. Though it had only been in theory.

Frieren hopes it works on Himmel.

"It's alright Himmel. You're safe. We're safe. What you're seeing isn't true," she whispers in a monotone. But then she gently pulls his head in her lap, like he does for her whenever she claims to take a nap, cradling him like a child. She frees one of her hands and runs her fingers through his hair hoping to ease his pain.

"I'm here Himmel. Frieren is here. Right by your side." And as if her name were a magical spell, all signs of hurt vanish from his body when Himmel hears her and he falls limp in her hold, visibly relaxing. Frieren lets out a small smile, happy to have helped her hero, happy to realise he feels safe from a now fading nightmare.

"I'll always keep you safe Himmel." Lips trembling she breaks out an amused huff when Himmel turns his head and starts to nuzzle his face against her stomach. "Nothing can hurt you when I’m here," she promises and for the remaining night as she watches over their party her hold on his hand doesn't loosen, her embrace doesn't quiver and her fingers don't stop fluttering against his forehead and blue silken locks.

When Eisen wakes up to take over her shift she simply presses a finger to her lips when she sees him open his mouth to question her and then points at his mattress, urging him to close his eyes once again and to allow her to handle this. The warrior understands her well enough and goes back to sleep.

Come morning Himmel is the first one to wake up and find himself looking up at the sleeping face of Frieren.

And he can't help but love her more.

"Thank you Frieren," he calls to the cool dewy breeze.

[env0writes]

Cicada Sentences Vol. 2, 7.2.24 “Patella Plateau"

@env0writes C.Buck   Ko-Fi & Venmo: @Zenv0 Support Your Local Artists!   Photo by @env0

Bend and snap Pull the drawstring back Saplings bow at blusters, gales Unnerved by thunder, fire, and tallship sails

Creek and grown Water, heat my warp Pain exists, subsists, persists even and must endure Bonny wood and joints mature

Old is the oak that snaps in ‘twain Rejecting any automotion Hold the arrow too long unloosed Break more than eggs as you rise from roost

Take flight, leap high into life and into air Relish in the elevated elation Caution then the landing ground No one near, is there still a sound?

Smother, oppress Mother, address reach sapling seed Fly or fall, bend or break Knees appease too soon forsake

Will I weep as the willow Or the larch or the rowan, when the wind will blow Where, oh where will I go Will I snap or will I grow?

[greenerteacups]

Awe-inspiring is a word I feel is overused. "Awe" in general is overused, really. I mean, awesome inspired completely different feelings and images a hundred years ago compared to today. As someone who adores the original meanings of 'awe' and its related 'awe-inspiring', I sincerely attempt to limit my usage to reflect its gravitas.

With that in mind, your work is awe-inspiring. Thank you for sharing it 🤍

You mentioned in another response that this fic is millions of words, and I believe it. I cannot fathom how overwhelming that must seem now, let alone when you began at book one.

Are there times you've questioned this project because of its length? How do you keep going if you become overwhelmed? Along these lines, have you ever posted a plot point or a detail you regret on some level? How do you keep moving forward, working with those already posted points?

This compliment is sincerely touching, and I thank you for it. I don't take the word lightly, either, and I'll endeavor to deserve your respect.

Mostly, coping with the length is a "don't look down" scenario. Like, yeah, in theory you're writing hundreds of thousands of words, but also, you don't have to write them today. And the way I think about it is: I'm a writer, and I love to write. I would be writing millions of words cumulatively across different projects anyway, so why not this one? If I'm still interested in it — and I am — what's the harm in doing more in this universe? Sure, you worry about plateauing or getting writer's block, but ironically, once you've put in enough effort, that stops being a problem. You don't lose all sense of doubt, but you do start to get amused by the feelings, because they're so obviously baseless. It's like: yeah, whatever, Brain. You were able to write 500,000 words of fic about this one Specific Little Dude, but 600,000 is too much for you? What, was word #600,001 too much of an ask? You're going to waste two years of effort because you threw a temper tantrum and didn't want to write the Middle Part of Chapter Fucking Seventy-Three? Sure, honey.

Being kind to yourself helps a lot. Taking breaks when you need them, not forcing the scene if it doesn't want to come. Being willing to fuck with the project a little and shake up storylines if you're not digging them. The general rule of thumb is that if you're not having fun, the reader isn't either, so keeping yourself entertained is a big priority.

I don't recall anything I regretted, though I'm sure there are. I don't dwell on it much. You have to forgive the writer you used to be for not being as good as the writer you are now, and that means long projects are gonna get better with time. I choose to feel pride about that instead of regret. As for the fic, you do the best you can. Sometimes you just have to play it as it lays.

[thatsadbietch]

How the Mighty Fall

When your and Scar's bickering about how to rule the Valley gets tiresome, the Fairy Godmother seems to have an idea, though its not exactly traditional.

My usual warnings: no spoilers this time, and it is a tickle fic! Enjoy <3

“Scar! You may not eat the sunbirds in the plateau, we’ve been over this at least a dozen times!”

“It’s not my fault.  What kind of leader lets their people starve? If I were in charge-”

“Not gonna happen!  Even if I wanted to give it to you, the other villagers wouldn’t allow it.”

“Oh, nonsense, they would love me as their Ruler,”

“You tried to eat some of them!”

This bickering between Dreamlight Valley’s current ruler and the fallen lion king went on, as it had been more frequently as the stress of leadership and dealing with the Forgotten ran more rampant on your agenda.  Scar, seeing the opportunity to try to break you, resulted in these arguments more often than not.  The remaining residents were getting both worried and annoyed: sometimes these arguments could be heard all the way from Dazzle Beach.

“That’s it!” Merlin shouted from his home and, using his magic, teleported in front of Scar’s cave, where the two royals were continuing on.  The Fairy Godmother must have had the same idea a few seconds prior, as she was already there when he arrived, trying to soothe both parties.

“Now, now, tell me what happened,” she asked calmly.  Merely her presence was enough to calm the torrent in your mind, and you took a deep breath.

“I have to keep telling Scar not to eat the sunbirds.  Or Remy.  Or literally anyone else in the Valley.  If he wanted to be a Ruler, he’d have to be smarter than that.” 

“Oh it has nothing to do with my intellect, I assure you.  It’s in my blood.  I’m a natural hunter.”

“What about Simba and Nala? I don’t have to tell them not to eat villagers!”

“If they’re so inclined to deny the nature they were born with, that is their choice.”

“All right, enough! From both of you!” Merlin intervened.  You were shocked at first; you’d never really witnessed your friend and mentor unleash his temper.  However, you also knew he had a particular sore spot for Scar.

“Merlin,” the Fairy Godmother started, “let’s calm down.  Not make matters worse, yes?” Merlin looked at her.  You may have been a quick learner with magic, but she and Merlin were born with it, and they understood each other.  She seemed to be able to calm him as well, and you were thankful she’d arrived.

“Yes, I agree, my apologies.  But what are we to do?  This behavior cannot go on.” Merlin spoke in front of you and Scar as if you two were not there.

You suddenly spoke up, “We used to be friends, Scar.  Or, at least friendly.”  Scar went from scowling at Merlin to looking at you, almost laughing.

“I don’t believe we’ve ever seen eye to eye on Valley matters, Ruler.” 

“Maybe not, and I don’t remember everything.  But I used to be friends with everyone.  I don’t know how I know that, I just do.”

Merlin and the Fairy Godmother looked to each other.  “Merlin, I have an idea.”

“Yes, m’lady, let’s hear it.”  The Fairy Godmother’s smile grew sweeter, which somehow made you more uneasy.

“It would be best if I just showed you all.”  You and Scar did not like the sound of that.  But before either of you could object, she began her spell:

This bickering and fighting just won’t do,

Try seeing from another point of view.

Repair these broken, severed ties,

Until then, they remain by your side.

You braced yourself, but only felt a fleeting and gentle pulse of magical energy.  Did the spell not work? Scar scoffed.

“I have no time for this, I have other matters to tend to,” the dark lion growled, and began making his way back inside the cave.  That is, until you both felt a forceful tug and, like a fishing rod, reeled you and Scar back together.

“What do you WANT?” Scar growled at you.

“Nothing to do with this, believe me.  I think this is Fairy Godmother’s spell at work.”

“Yes dear, it is!” she almost cheered, “You two will not be able to be more than two meters apart until you reach an understanding of each other.”

“What if I ate them?” Scar asked.

“WHAT?”

“You can try,” the Fairy Godmother replied, almost as if she dared him, “but my spell won’t allow physical harm to fall on either of you.”

As if he didn’t believe her, Scar went to swipe at you, his paw freezing in place a few inches from your shoulder.  He couldn’t even bear his claws.

“Now then, if we’ve moved past the arguing for today, I suggest you go about each other’s day.  See what daily life looks like for our dear Y/N, Scar.  And you for him, young one. Walking in someone else’s shoes is a good first step to understanding them.”

“Oh, I see,” you said, and turned to Scar.  “We’ll be stuck together until we make amends.” Scar rolled his eyes dramatically and, dripping in sarcasm, he spoke.

“Perfect.”

************************************************************************

You decided not to let this hinder you, so until you could come up with a way that satisfied Fairy Godmother’s spell, you tended to the village as usual.  Merlin and Fairy Godmother had already taken the Forgetting off your shoulders for the time being: you seemed to be at a standstill of the magic variety that they offered to figure out while you were with Scar.  

The first few days went about as well as you would have expected: the villagers were confused, some scared to approach with Scar tailing you. You both bickered about sleeping quarters until you both reached an agreement to trade off houses every other night.  You hoped this compromise, and a compromise to let Scar nap for an hour each afternoon in the plateau, were steps toward a resolution.  But, he was still pretty sour about the whole ordeal.

“Can’t you reverse this nonsense? Surely if you created the Valley, you can undo this treacherous enchantment.” Scar complained, lying lazily at the ground a few feet away while you tended the village vegetable garden.

“Believe me, I’ve thought about it,” you admitted, “but to reverse a spell that a powerful person like the Fairy Godmother cast, it would take more time than it’s worth.  We may as well do as it dictates.  Trust me, I’m as happy about it as you are.”  He huffed in response, and after a few beats of silence you were approached by Moana and Remy, a pairing you hadn’t at first thought would create such a strong friendship.

“Hey Y/N! We wanted to thank you again for helping me out with getting all those coconuts for me and Remy the other day.  The cakes we were able to make were amazing!”  You remembered this favor fondly, as Moana and Remy have started to bond over cooking with her home ingredients in all kinds of different ways.  When Remy told her about making coconut cakes and frosting, but not being able to pick coconuts himself, she nearly sprinted to you with her boundless energy in excitement.

“If Remy’s cooking, you don’t have to ask me twice! It's no problem,” you replied, smiling up at them from your kneeling position.  The two know also that, mostly at night when all the favors are done and most are asleep, you’re awake with Merlin and Fairy Godmother, talking all things Forgotten, Night Thorns, and the darker magic that’s tried to buckle Dreamlight Valley.

“We saw you looked busy and thought we would come help, if you’d like.” Remy asked, planting seeds being well within his range of capabilities. The worried glance in Scar’s direction didn’t go unnoticed.

“You guys don’t have to, no need to worry-” you stopped short when you realized they mostly asked as a courtesy, but planned on helping you regardless as they got to work alongside you.  Gardening was not your favorite task by a longshot, and your smile broadened.

“You didn’t come planning to take “no” for an answer, did you?”

“When was the last time you turned someone away that needed your help?” Moana asked, poking at your ribs to enunciate her point.  A few giggles came out with your response.

“Ohohokay, I gehet it.”

After the task was finished and the sun began to set, you said your goodbyes and headed toward the Peaceful Meadow, more specifically where the Pillar of Friendship stood.  Scar, reluctantly following, looked at you curiously as you sat on the ground in front of it.  He laid again on the ground and waited for you to say something, but you didn’t.

“What are you doing, exactly?” he asked, after enough silence had passed that he was genuinely confused.

“This is the first pillar I was able to restore when I came back to the Valley.  So I made it into a peaceful place.  I’m sure you remember I’d asked all the residents to keep this area of the meadow specifically quiet, clean, and comfortable, in case someone just needs a place to breathe for a minute.” You looked to Scar, and were surprised that you still had his attention. “I think we need to breathe for a minute.  Or, at least I do. I think it’s going to take more than daily tasks and afternoon naps to understand each other.”  

Again, he surprised you by not offering a sarcastic retort or a mild insult. Instead, he posed a question.

“Why do you go among your followers the way you do?” You studied his face but saw he wasn’t insulting you: he truthfully didn’t know. 

“What do you mean?”

“You do dirty work, the constant favors, the nagging. You even let them touch you.  Is this not meant for someone below a ruler?”

“That depends.  I’m sure there are rulers who reign much differently than I do.  The way you would, it sounds like, would be much different from my approach.  But I don’t see you all as “followers” or “beneath me”.”

“Is that not the reality?”

“As far as my responsibilities go, there are certain things only I can do.  But that doesn’t make me or what’s important to me any more significant than someone else or what’s important to them.  I like to think that this makes the difference between a leader and a tyrant.” Scar scoffed.

“You think of me as a tyrant?” To his surprise, you threw your head back and laughed.

“I absolutely consider you a tyrant!”

“What’s funny about that?” he asked, clearly not amused, “Your subjects need to know their place, and yours.”

“You don’t have to be demanding or instill fear to earn respect.”

“...What other way is there that does not show weakness?”  You met him at eye level, feeling as though the next thing you say could make or break the conversation.  This was, after all, the deepest conversation you two have had since being magically bound.  Maybe ever.

“There is strength in showing vulnerability.  We all have weak points, Scar, whether we care to acknowledge them or not.”  He was silent, contemplating this for a moment.

“Before Simba’s time, I was well-respected in the Pride Lands.” You fixed your gaze on the Pillar, freezing and listening, as if sudden movement would make him stop speaking.

“I was appointed leader of the Lion Guard under my insufferable brother.  We were tasked with keeping the Pride Lands safe and the Circle of Life in balance.  Once on patrol, I was approached by a lion I’d never seen before, stating I was the rightful ruler of the Pride Lands.  I had always agreed with that sentiment and… it became the beginning of my undoing.”  You chanced a look in his direction and he also was not looking directly at you; he was also looking at the Pillar as he spoke.

“I trusted this lion’s word only because he’d said what I wanted to hear.  Next thing I know I have a venomous cobra attacking my eye, and fortunately I find the strength to fend them off and keep them from ever coming near the Pride Lands.  I just wanted some recognition for it, and do you think Mufasa,” he uttered the name in disgust, “gave me that satisfaction?”

“He could have been a better brother to you, then.”

“To put it lightly, yes.” A few moments of tense silence passed before you responded.

“Scar… I’m so sorry. I wish I’d known.” you replied, to which he sighed.

“You were but a cub the last time you ruled.  I wouldn’t have expected you to understand.”

“Merlin may have.  And the other Villagers.  And they still can, but you have to allow them.” He scoffed.

“I’m serious, Scar.  You don’t have to tell them everything.  You don’t have to tell them anything, but you at least can’t threaten to eat them all the time.”

“...I’ll give it some thought, oh gracious leader,” he retorted, though you detected no malice. 

“I’ll take it.” you responded and, not thinking about it, pet Scar’s mane.  Simba and Nala don’t mind when you do this, but realizing your mistake you quickly retracted your hand.

“I didn’t mean-”

“How dare you pet me like a common housecat!” he said, more confused than angry.

“You’re right, I wasn’t thinking-”

“How would you enjoy it if I just touched you as I pleased?” 

“I just said you were RIHIHIGHT, Scar!” you cackled, Scar haphazardly poking and pawing at your side.  He looked at you curiously, then maliciously.

“I suppose you actually quite enjoy it.”

“That’s nohot what I- OOF!”  For someone as lazy as Merlin claims, Scar was able to stand and pounce in one quick and fluid motion, effectively pinning you on your back.

“I suppose if I can’t use my claws, this will have to do,” he reasoned, sounding annoyed.  However, the gleam in his eye and smug smirk told another story.

“Wahahit Scar, noohohoho!” You pleaded, and you weren’t surprised when Scar completely disregarded your cries.  Being a fully grown lion, his two paws were nearly the size of your torso, meaning he could knead into all parts of your ribs at once with relative ease.

“Scaahahaharr! Dohohon’t!” You spat in the midst of wild cackles.  In response, he kneaded faster and with more vigor, effectively rendering you helpless in your own belly laughter.

“Oh, dear, Ruler, we spoke of weak points, but I hadn’t imagined yours being so easily exploited,” Scar taunted, kneading down your sides and relenting just above your hips.  Residual giggles spilled out as you spoke.

“Scaahahar, wahahait!”

“For what, your majesty? I’ve seen the others torment you in such a way, this is your fault for allowing such foolish behavior,” He replied, dragging a claw across your belly from one hip bone to another. He hadn’t expected such a squeal to come from you, and smiled rather evilly, lazily tracing his single claw randomly across your belly and up your sides, occasionally using his other paw to skitter his claws lightly on your hip bones, keeping you guessing.  

“I suppose I can draw my claws, so long as I don’t hurt you.  How convenient. For me.” You doubted Fairy Godmother anticipated this when she bound you and Scar together.

“Ohohohoho, greheheat! AH HAHAHAHA, SCAHAHAR!” you shrieked, feeling light traces scurrying rapidly over the thin skin protecting your hip bones.  It seemed with each swipe your body wanted to kick your legs out, but being trapped under Scar’s body, the ticklish sensations had no other outlet than the grip you reflexively had on Scar’s wrists. He tutted at you, mocking sympathy for your situation.

“You poor thing, like a field mouse captured by a bobcat,” he teased, “Exactly how much of this can you endure?”  Coupled with the constant torment of your hip bones, the question had amplified your giggles and deepened the blush across your features.  You weren’t sure how much more of this you could take, but you had a feeling Scar would test that boundary. He wasn’t exactly known for mercy.  However, he relented, but kept his paws threateningly on your hips.

“Why do you allow your followers to torment you in such a way? Is this not demeaning?” You caught your breath and wiped the mirthful tears from your face.  Your breath then hitched upon feeling Scar’s paws tense, threatening the sensitive area.

“I expect an answer this time.”

“You’re *huff* getting one *huff*,” you finally said, and Scar actually waited a beat.  He also wasn’t usually known for his patience.

“Who you call my followers, I call my friends,” you started, “I let them for a lot of reasons.  Because I trust them, and they trust me.  And because that’s how some of them play or show affection. Or that’s how they express when they want to be ornery,” you glared up at him at this, and he scoffed, but his eyes appeared thoughtful. “When you create a bond with someone, it’s quite the opposite of demeaning.”

“I would not allow such behavior from my subjects.”

“I know, and that’s okay,” you stopped, debating internally about what you say next.  It could lead to your utter demise, but knowing you weren’t going anywhere yet anyway, you decided to rattle the cage. “Some just simply can’t take what they dish out.” Scar’s eyes widened at your impish grin.

“What did you say?” he growled, his glare sending a chill down your spine and anticipation in your belly.

“Although that could be pretty tyrannical as well, doling out punishments you couldn’t handle yourself.” 

“I’ll show you tyrannical, dearest Ruler,” Scar bellowed, willing his paws to dig with renewed vigor into your hip bones.  The squeal you elicited was probably not considered “quiet” as you like to keep it around this Pillar, but as there was not much you could do about it, you laughed madly, futilely bucking and squirming underneath Scar’s weight.

“Having regrets about challenging me yet?” Scar tormented, allowing himself a sinister smirk, featuring his fangs, at your expense.

“Noohohohohone!” You tried to remove the nearing desperation in your voice, not wanting to give Scar that satisfaction.

“Oh reeeaaally?” he asked, dragging out the question as if to emphasize how much he didn’t believe you.  “Let’s try this, then.”

You hadn’t the clarity to even imagine what he could be up to, but cackled and wriggled wildly as he trailed upward, letting one paw scurry with his claws haphazardly up your side while the other kneaded up until he reached your ribs.  He snickered at you, as if he could tell your body didn’t know where to go or what to do… that is, until he kneaded further up, toward your underarm, to which your body clamped both of its arms tightly to your sides.

“Oh dear, what could this be?” he relented, making sure you could hear him and how curious he was about your sudden defense.

“Scahahar, plehehease,” you wheezed through residual giggles. “I cahahan’t-”

“Now, now, that’s not the attitude to have.  Supposedly you can do anything you set your mind to in this Valley, yes?”

“You know this is different!”

“How about a game then? I know you like those,” he started, and freed you from under him.

“A game of cat and mouse. I’ll let you go and count to ten, then if you can keep away for ten minutes, you win.”  You were surprised at this, and wondered what the catch was, but then he started.

“One, two, three…” you scrambled up and tried to bolt it, but were instantly pounced on, landing on your chest.

“SCAR!”

“...Seven, eight, nine, ten. Oh look, I’ve caught you!”

“You cheated! I should have figured.”

“You wound me, Y/N,” he started, “I laid the rules quite clearly for you.  I counted to ten and you didn’t keep away.  I said nothing about being unable to count and hunt.  Now, where were we…” Being on your belly, you were even more powerless under Scar’s weight, and he wasted no time wriggling his claws in the hollows of your underarms.  You hadn’t stood a chance; even though you expected it, you still shrieked in surprise before devolving into hearty belly laughter.  You reflexively clawed at the ground in front of you, which made Scar snicker.

“You still think you can escape me? How pitiful,” he teased, using his claws to skitter under your arms as opposed to the vicious kneading.  

“NAHAHAH, SCAHAHAR!” you squealed, and it was about the last noise you made before your laughter fell silent.

“Oh, I suppose you’ve had enough.  This time, I’ll grant you mercy.”  This time he kept his word, removing his weight from you to lay where he originally was in front of the Pillar of Friendship.  Was the light that bright earlier? He couldn’t remember.

You allowed your giggling to cease and your breath to be caught before returning to where you also were sitting before you were viciously “mauled” by a usually grouchy lion.  This same lion though looked rather proud of himself… and strangely at ease.

“This is supposed to be a peaceful place,” you scolded, half-heartedly.

“I’m aware.  It was you disturbing the peace with your incessant giggling and carrying on.” Your banter continued and you spent a good portion of the evening in this spot before turning in for the night, tonight being a night in Scar’s cave as part of your rotation.  Funnily enough though, when you woke the next day, you stepped outside and realized you were too far from Scar for the spell to still be in place.

[pillowspace]

You had put very little thought into seeing new places before your adventures with the gods, but now, you had an preying need, a desire. The Celestial Realm had been beautiful, when you first saw it anyways, igniting a spark at all the wondrous landscapes. It made you wonder what you were missing out on back on Earth. Much as you loved your home, and were quite content to be there, sometimes you would venture out with one of the gods, whom had no trouble taking you places.

Today, your companion was Eclipse, the incredibly tall, crimson and coal faced god, head encircled by fiery rays, trailing behind you, staring out uncertainly with their many red eyes, dotted by yellow pupils containing black slits. They were just as unused to the travel after all their years imprisoned, the rocky, plateau-dotted desert stretching out on all sides. Passing under a massive light brown sandstone arch, Eclipse reaches up, stroking at the soft rock, laced with patterns and swirls while forming.

"It's pretty," you note, breaking the silence. The imposing being startles, glancing your way, tilting their head just the slightest bit. An awkward moment lingers before they hum, a more calm Meno side. "It is," they agree, moving past. A canyon swallows you both, following a straight line past prickly bushes and cacti. Dry dirt stirs at your feet, dust glimmering in mid-morning sunlight.

Soaking it all in, it takes a moment to realize your companion has stopped, currently staring intensely down at a rock a little ways off. Curious, you join them, your shadow unintentionally falling upon a long, spiky lizard that basks there, startling it from sunbathing. It blinks an eye at you and Eclipse, the god wide-eyed, watching it like a child that just found something particularly fascinating. They reach down towards it, but the movement disturbs the frilly creature, zipping from sight in an instant.

The god lowers their arm, disappointed. You offer a small pat along the appendage to try and cheer them up, smiling and gesturing to continue the walk when they look at you. They concede, gaze lingering for only a moment where the lizard had lain. How strange it must be for them, you think. From your understanding, neither Sunna nor Meno had held much care for the Earth before. Now, though, getting to see anything different was like a miracle, a fact that left you feeling crestfallen on their behalf. You knew things had been really hard for them, after their merge and the imprisonment, one of the reasons you'd forgiven them after the rough start to your friendship. Gods were strange beings, but they were also people, and neither deserved that.

You're yanked from your thoughts by Eclipse, stopping in front of you, examining you with a level of concern. "I'm alright," you swear. "Just thinking."

Curiosity brims once more, tilting their head. "About what?" they ask. You cringe at the idea of bringing up their past, knowing it's a sore subject, so instead throw on a smile, hands folding neatly behind your back, rocking forward on your tiptoes in a jovial motion. "About how lucky I am to have you all. You're all so amazing," you reply. Certainly not far from the truth. Despite everything that happened, the danger you faced, it is a constant thought in the back of your mind. You don't know where you would be without Eclipse, Sun, or Moon. Probably dead, or worse.

Eclipse preens at the praise, grin splitting wide, dripping obsidian liquid down their chin. Realizing, they turn away, trying to wipe it off, chattering between themselves, embarrassed. You smile, stepping up to tug gently at their sleeve. Looking back down at you, you guide their hands forward, laying their massive palms on top of yours. "You're okay, Eclipse. I've seen worse," you assure them. You think, for a moment, that they might cry. It passes, though, their hands lifting off yours to cup either side of your head. A few streaks of the thick black fluid that caught on their fingers ends up smearing a bit on your cheeks, but you don't mind. They lower, nuzzling their face to yours affectionately, eyes closed. You return the gesture, smile farther softening.

Eclipse is reluctant to pull away, but does, releasing you. Your eyes meet their largest pair of red orbs, a shared fondness between you. Taking a hand, your appendage is engulfed in theirs when they carefully fold their fingers down, and you both turn and walk, hand in hand, deeper into the desert, content to continue your exploration together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 3 of 3 complete! Happy birthday! Hope it's a fun one! ☺️

UAHHH I LOVE THESE, THANK YOU SO MUCH 😭😭 POST-CSD ECLIPSE WAHHHHHH. I made the happiest sound scrolling through my inbox and noticing this here, I am giving you the largest wettest eyes. I ADORE THIS, THANK YOU!!

It also is fun seeing Y/N's perspective having mentions of Sunna and Meno, because that is something that i actually want Y/N's thoughts to be like a lot later on. Even after they find out about Sunna and Meno, I want them to not really linger on it and just think of Eclipse solely as Eclipse until about the end of arc 3 when they start properly trying to understand it. And Eclipse would be so fascinated by the Earth, despite having never liked it prior.

I GIVE YOU A MASSIVE HUG, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[gremlins-hotel]

After driving about 8-9 hours yesterday, man I had some thoughts.

Do you ever look at the names on the billboards and highway signs you pass by? The people of the small blink-and-you-miss towns that in the mind of a driver only seem to serve the purpose of breaking up the monotony of the road. Names that if you were to search them would most likely bring up no results except for an obituary and a grave marker. Who were they to those towns, who were they to their families and the people around them that wrote about them, what made them so beloved so as to rename the streets or have a sign made in their honor?

And as your tires eat away at the miles and the minutes do you ever gaze out at the roadside and wonder how it came to look that way? I can sit and know and tell myself that yes, Texas was once part of the seabed of the Western Interior Seaway, which split North America in two, and that is why we have so much limestone and why our elevation is so low. Why we have the Edwards Aquifer as we were molded into a bed of karst at the tail end of the Great Plains. But what specific current made it so that we were perfectly hilly as you reach the Edwards Plateau? And how goofy must we look as you go from the tall, straight pines and forests of the Eastern Woodlands to the yawning deserts several hours west, having to cross through every biome in between. What winds and rivers and floods and storms shaped my seabed home into the geographical crossroads that it now occupies?

Do you ever think too much on how that influenced the way people lived when they came to live in those places? In all of Texas’ rivers it brings the alluvial floodplains that would later feed crops, then commercial farms as the course of history took. The draws formed by rains and that were used to hunt bison that would also one day break hooves and ankles in the age of the cattle trails. Who knew mesquite had so many uses? And though so many of them lay still and dormant half the time, the fact that we have enough wind for people to sport the great twisting turbines in an effort to try and be green.

I know I’ve never gotten to really travel outside the United States but honestly I wonder how I could answer these same questions if I did. What would I find if I looked long and far? And even driving through my home country, they still stand. What of the ontogeny of the Appalachians? The windward caress of the Rockies that made the Pacific Northwest? The evidential meteor that may have influenced the Chesapeake?

[hyylia]

REVELATIONS IN A TIME PAST ──

totk | rated G characters: princess zelda, queen sonia, mentions of link summary: in the past, queen sonia provides zelda with a revelation--and advice on how to deal with that certain swordsman back home word count: 2988 warnings: totk spoilers!

a/n: for zelink week 2023 - @zelinkcommunity​ big thanks to ​@sparklesthefatcat for beta reading this one!

read it below the cut or on ao3 → here

The past was everything Zelda could have ever hoped for. Fully-constructed Zonai temples, towering monuments carved with precision, the first monarchy of Hyrule… After months of correspondence with the Zonai research team back home, Zelda should have been teeming with excitement at the newfound discoveries laying in front of her. Their loose ends had seemingly been tied, and like a real researcher, she was here–in the field with firsthand accounts to dictate.

Yet, as exciting as it all was, it didn’t feel… right. None of it. There was a constant, gnawing ache in her chest. When Sonia spoke warmly of the Zonai people, Zelda found her thoughts clouded and distracted. When she laid down for bed each night, her arms searched for a familiar embrace. Each time Rauru held Sonia’s hand, tears welled up in her eyes. 

The past was everything, but it lacked the one person who made her feel safe. Link.

She looked for him everywhere, though she knew she’d never find him. A flash of turquoise blue fabric in the corner of her eye, and her head was whipping around to greet him. The sound of sizzling meat over a fire, and she found herself leaning forward, craning to listen for his familiar hum. Even now, walking the Great Plateau with Queen Sonia, she found her eyes trailing off, as if his form might suddenly appear through the tall grasses. She hadn’t known how familiar he’d become to her in the years since the Calamity–until she’d been unexpectedly torn from his side. 

At first, it had been manageable. She’d tried her best to put her feelings aside, determined to help Queen Sonia and King Rauru with their mission. She’d successfully distracted herself by journaling new findings and tinkering with Mineru’s constructs. As the weeks went by and the novelty died down, though, Zelda found her heart aching ever more for her swordsman. She yearned for his smile, the softening of his gaze, his strong arms holding her tightly each and every night. Just this morning, she’d rolled over in bed, half expecting to find his warm body tucked against hers. Instead, she’d been met with air. 

She felt miserable. It was all building up, and now, as her eyes trailed back to Queen Sonia, she knew that her ancestor saw it too. Sonia’s eyebrows furrowed with genuine worry as she took the princess in, stopping suddenly in her tracks. Smooth hands bridged the gap to gently take both of Zelda’s, and she turned the princess around to face her. 

Her mouth opened once. Twice. Then again, as if cautiously considering her words. Zelda braced herself for the wave of emotions she knew would come with them.

“You seem distracted, Zelda dear,” Queen Sonia noted after some time, carefully searching the princess’s face. “Is something wrong?”

Zelda silently averted her gaze and steeled her nerves. She knew that, if she spoke, she would undoubtedly break. 

“I know it must be hard,” Sonia murmured reassuringly, squeezing her hands. “To be far away from home like this. I remember feeling quite the same when I met Rauru.” 

At the sudden mention of the King and their first meeting, Zelda’s eyes flashed up to meet Sonia’s curiously. The queen only smiled, leaning forward to brush a strand of the princess’s blonde hair behind her ear.

She continued, “I traveled to meet with the Zonai at his request. He regarded me as a priestess who could help them during a difficult time, and it would have been against my teachings to turn him away. I love the Zonai dearly, and they were so kind and welcoming to me–as they are now–but… Even then, I could not help but to miss my dear friends and family. I’m sure it’s the same for you, Zelda, is it not?”

It was comforting to know that the Queen had experienced something similar, even if the circumstances were different. She nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat, “Yes.”

“So, ah… Who is it that you miss the most, then?”

Zelda’s face burned at the question. It was a basic question, requiring a simple, one-word answer, and yet she felt that familiar ache in her throat as she tried to speak. She pictured him in her mind’s eye: reaching for her with his injured arm, his face marked by both pain and fear. How terrible his wounds must be–all because of his loyalty to her. 

“Link,” she choked out, her vision blurred by tears. She didn’t realize she was crying until the tears rolled off of her chin, dripping quietly against their hands.

“Oh, my dear Zelda,” Queen Sonia whispered beneath her breath. Warm, outstretched arms rested gently around the princess as she pulled her into a tight embrace. It felt tender and kind, Sonia’s head resting gently against the top of her head as she sobbed. For a brief moment, Zelda wondered how long it had been since she’d been held like this–like a daughter held by her mother.

“I’m sorry,” she said, but she only cried harder at the thought. It was like a dam broke then; her gentle cries became wails, the queen humming softly beneath her breath as she ran the tips of her fingers along her back.

“Don’t apologize, dear. I should’ve known it was a sensitive question.”

“I just…” Zelda inhaled deeply, lungs burning for air. “I-I miss him terribly, Your Highness.”

Queen Sonia released a breathy laugh at that, her cheeks pinking as she pulled the princess closer. “Ah…” She pressed a chaste kiss to the top of Zelda’s head. “I know that feeling well, too. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t beside myself when Rauru leaves for his hunts. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.”

“It’s terrible.”

“It helps to talk about it, you know. If you’d like to.” Sonia pulled away just enough to look at Zelda, her hands moving to cradle her face. Her soft thumbs brushed the tears away as she said, “I’d love to hear about this Link of yours.” 

It was an invitation that Zelda wanted so desperately to take–but feared. Talking about Link would certainly evoke a multitude of emotions, though given the current circumstance, she couldn’t see how much worse it could get. Her eyes searched Queen Sonia’s as she considered the offer, blinking through the tears. She nodded.

“Link is… um,” she chewed nervously on her bottom lip. “Well, he is very kind, for one. And brave. He’s up for any task, no matter the size, and often takes on more than he’s able to bear. In fact, I have to help him keep track of the promises he’s made to the villagers, because he has a bit of a tendency to get sidetracked by the next assignment.” 

“Do you live in the same village, then?”

“We… We share a house.” Sonia’s eyebrows raised curiously. It was an innocent statement, and yet Zelda felt her cheeks burn. “Er–it’s his house, really. It was his family’s home long before… the events of our Hyrule. He paid a construction company to restore it some time ago, and some time later, he invited me to stay with him. It’s quite beautiful despite its age, and Link has allowed me to decorate it as I see fit. We have a collection of items from our adventures together on display.”

“Is there no castle in your time? Though our Hyrule is still quite young, Rauru and I have made plans to construct a larger one for the monarchy.”

Zelda paused, hesitating. Mineru had warned her of the adverse effects of disclosing too much information about the future, though she supposed that being vague wouldn’t make a substantial difference. “There is.”

Sonia tilted her head questioningly–almost playfully–gazing down at Zelda with a smile tugging at her lips. There was a question she undoubtedly wanted to ask, but Zelda knew that Queen Sonia had heard Mineru’s warning as well. Instead, she asked, “What kind of adventures do you take with him?”

Zelda thought hard about it for a moment. Link was always at her side, and she considered most of the things that they did together to be adventures. Even if they weren’t necessarily exciting in nature, he had a profound knack for making them fun and enjoyable. It was difficult to decipher what might be an adventure by Sonia’s standards, so she said, “A bit of everything, I suppose. If I have business to attend to outside of our village, Link is kind enough to escort me. We’ll usually stay at the stables between villages, but on nights when we want privacy, we make camp together.”

Zelda didn’t miss the way Queen Sonia’s smile pulled, as if on the verge of laughter. The queen asked her, a hint of a tease to her words, “And what business might that be, Zelda dear?”

“Well, if the village elders request my help, or if the research team has leads they’d like us to investigate.” She thought of the most recent adventure that had brought her here–the gloom investigation beneath Hyrule Castle–and internally cringed. She jumped to change the subject. “Or, sometimes Link becomes restless in town and asks to take me somewhere special.”

“How close, exactly, are you and this Link, Zelda dear?”

“Oh, we are very close.” She thought of him: how he’d cook her meals over a campfire, how he’d run his calloused fingers through her hair, hum her favorite songs and listen to her ramblings with the utmost interest. She remembered his gentle smile whenever she’d speak about this and that–how contagious it was. He would smile softly, and her face would light up, and his smile would only grow tenfold. “After… the events of my time… we have only grown closer. He is at my side always, though his role as my knight is no longer needed. He is my closest friend.”

“He sounds like the perfect match for you,” Sonia murmured, brushing a loose strand of Zelda’s hair away. “A brave and noble king is just what Hyrule needs in your time, is it not?”

Zelda stiffened beneath her predecessor’s touch. Her hand flew to her chest instinctively, as if it might quell the heart beating furiously against her ribcage. King? Queen Sonia had it all wrong. Link was simply her friend, not… not anything more or less than that. She blushed scarlet, ducking her head. 

“Your M-Majesty,” she stuttered. “It’s n-not like that!”

“Oh?” Sonia released her hold of Zelda, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “Am I mistaken then? I was under the impression that, with the two of you living together, and with your… choice of words, that… Well, I thought that you were perhaps courting.”

Courting? Zelda was mortified. She stumbled over herself to clear up the confusion. “N-Not at all, Your Majesty! Link is m-merely my friend.”

Queen Sonia tilted her head curiously again. “Yet you live together, despite the castle?”

“Well… Yes, but–!”

“And he is at your side always? He takes you to special places? You seek privacy with him?”

“I–!”

“Well, surely then, you must have separate beds in the home, yes? Separate tents on your adventures?”

Zelda’s face burned red-hot. “N-Not exactly.”

“So you sleep together?” 

Zelda nodded slowly–reluctantly–cringing with anticipation. She knew how it sounded, yet she was also aware that they had never done much more than that: sleep together. Sure, there had been minimal hand holding for comfort when one of them had a nightmare, and on just a few occasions, they had kissed. Nothing more than that had transpired in the five years since the Calamity, however. They’d both been too preoccupied with recovering and rebuilding, though she knew that Queen Sonia might have some trouble believing that. 

The queen stared blankly at Zelda for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. It was melodic, beautiful, and embarrassing. “Zelda, dear,” she asked through gasps for air, “what is courting to you–in your time?”

“Well…” She blanked. Really, she had never even given it thought. “I suppose it’s when a woman’s father, um, makes a deal with a man–”

“No, Zelda. Courting.” Zelda didn’t think it was possible to blush harder than she already was–until now. “You truly don’t know, then?” 

Zelda chewed on her lip quietly. “No,” she said.

Queen Sonia placed her hands on her shoulders, laughter quietly dying down now. Instead, as Zelda looked up to meet her eyes, her amusement had been replaced by quiet understanding. She smiled softly, caressing the princess’s cheek with a hand.

“When you are with Link, you are happy, yes?” Zelda nodded shyly. “Do you feel nervous around him or–maybe lighter, like you’re the only two people in the world who matter in that moment? Does your heartbeat quicken when he’s near you?” Zelda nodded again–and again. “Do you ever feel compelled to touch him, to hold his hand or to be close to him, or to press your lips to his, maybe?”

“Well,” Zelda hesitated. “We h-have kissed, Your Majesty.”

Queen Sonia’s smile widened. She continued, “He’s taken you to special places, yes? Has he ever bought you gifts, or gone out of his way to do things just for you–just for your happiness?”

Zelda thought of the many occasions where he’d taken her out for picnics or to ride their horses through the fields. She thought of the late afternoons when he’d bring her a handful of silent princesses for her vase, as if asking for her forgiveness, though his absence had been for the sake of helping the townspeople. She thought of their first kiss at the Lover’s Pond: she’d been in the middle of explaining the latest Zonai findings to him, and he’d simply smiled and pressed his lips to hers. She hadn’t recoiled then–had merely accepted it as if she’d been waiting for it her whole life. Zelda paused.

“Queen Sonia!” she exclaimed loudly. “I think–!”

“I know.” The queen laughed softly, shaking her head. She smoothed Zelda’s hair. “I suppose it would be hard to know for certain if you’ve never discussed it?”

“We’ve both been so busy,” she admitted. “I’m not sure that it would have ever come up.”

“There’s nothing wrong with approaching a relationship slowly.” Queen Sonia gently reassured her. “Rauru and I… We let our relationship progress as we became more comfortable with one another, but that is not every couple. I suppose it’s a bit like sundelions.”

“Sundelions?” Zelda didn’t try to hide her confusion.

“In a field of sundelions,” Sonia explained, “some have bloomed, while others have only budded. Each bud unfolds at its own pace–some quickly and some slowly, depending on which timing is most right for that flower. Love is a bit like that, I’d say. Where Rauru and I have already bloomed, you and Link are only just unfolding. Let it unfold naturally–slowly, if it must.”

Zelda considered her words quietly. After a pause, she asked, “And if I… decide that I want to progress our relationship?”

“You simply ask him,” Queen Sonia replied smoothly, taking Zelda’s hands once more. 

Ask him. She could do that: initiate a conversation and discuss the unspoken. Though her initial instincts were to shy away from the topic, she knew that it was necessary. Link was her best friend, confidant, research partner and proud participant in all of her shenanigans. If she wanted to keep him as such, Sonia was right. A discussion was certainly needed. 

Zelda wasn’t sure when she’d be home again, laying in that bed in Hateno Village with his strong arms wrapped around her, but she knew in her heart that Link wouldn’t give up until she was. She would approach the subject sometime after then. Zelda nodded, mind made up, and spoke genuinely: “Queen Sonia… Thank you–for your insight and your help.” 

“It sounds as though you both care very deeply for one another, and that’s all that I could ever ask for you, Zelda dear.” She smiled, squeezing both of Zelda’s hands. “Though we’ve only known each other for a short time now, I feel as if you’re one of my own.”

Zelda smiled brilliantly at that. It was her turn to wrap her arms around the queen’s neck, mustering all of her gratitude into that embrace. 

–

Sonia knew it was Link without needing confirmation. Her body was long gone, withered to dust inside of the Forgotten Temple, but her spirit remembered all of the kind words Zelda had spoken of him in their short time together. How much faith and trust her sweet descendant had placed in him–in this hero who floated before her, that radiant light trickling from Rauru’s arm. Yet, as Sonia saw now, Zelda’s faith had not been misplaced. Though her Hyrule had been threatened by a great evil, Link had done the unthinkable to save it–and his princess.

She gave the smallest peek at Rauru from the corner of her eyes. He was silent, but his chest puffed with pride. He gave a firm nod, stiff as he watched what was unfolding before him. It was time. Her hand laid gently on top of Link’s, Rauru’s resting on top of hers, and together, their powers magnified Link’s trickle. In a sudden glow of radiance, the Light Dragon’s curse was undone, and in its wake was Princess Zelda, floating.

She left Link’s side and took Rauru’s hand now. He squeezed it in return, a message that their duty was finally done. In their last moments on this land, they turned to look at one another. In her husband’s eyes, his small smile, she knew what he silently said: Hyrule would be in good hands with this king and queen. 

[writingdotcoffee]

Deliberate Story Practice: Human vs Nature

Deliberate practice is a systematic approach to improvement. After conquering the initial learning curve, it's easy to plateau and stop developing. But when it comes to storytelling, there's always more to learn.

This week, I want to challenge you to spend at least an hour working on a short story based on the conflict between humans and nature.

Human vs Nature Explained

Conflict is the driving force of any story. It's the struggle your characters must overcome to reach the resolution. A typical story, even as short as a flash piece will contain several different types of conflict.

It comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. From being embarrassed (human vs self), your phone dying at the wrong moment (human vs technology) to a full-on war (human vs human).

This week, we'll focus on another common type of conflict: human vs nature.

Nature is a powerful force in the world that affects us all every day. Our struggle against nature can range from inconvenience (rain on your way to work) to the extreme (a hurricane that wipes out an entire town).

Here are some examples of humans against nature:

a holiday ruined by bad weather

rabbits raiding the lettuce in your garden

an avalanche burying a snowboarder

a community struck by a terrible flood

a ship sailing through a massive storm

a post-apocalyptic scenario triggered by a meteorite impact

As you can see, you can write a novel based on human vs nature. Many successful stories use this type of conflict to drive the plot (Jaws, The Old Man and the Sea, Robinson Crusoe, The Day After Tomorrow).

The Challenge

For an hour or more this week, work on a story that includes humans struggling against nature. It doesn't have to be the only type of conflict in the story. For example, bad weather can lead to your characters fighting and breaking up during a holiday (human vs human).

When you start writing, you'll naturally layer various types of conflict. Your protagonist is struggling with something, and everything else around them seems to be going wrong. This is one way of adding progressive complications and building towards the crisis.

By writing this story, you'll be putting what you've learned into practice. You'll experiment with it and get a feel for how well it can work. You may even be inspired to include some human vs nature into your current or next WIP.

Practising is super important. All it takes is an hour.

Join this writing challenge

[panopticonrpg]

EVENT 01. PART 2: THE FEAST

Your new home...

You’re off the cruise ship - but where are you? There’s nothing else in the horizon but deep ocean; inland, the beach gives way to thick wilderness, and a raised plateau with small, bungalow-style houses peppering the landscape. They all look exactly the same, and are scattered like a small village - or like someone tossed them on the land like dice on a board. To the east, a large brick and stone building squats in a field. Something about the building hums; closer inspection reveals generators situated around the back. The same with a warehouse building to the east - in fact, generators seem to power all electricity around the empty village…but what was powering the generators?  No gas tank, no batteries, no solar panels even.  But they chugged along nonetheless.

The cameras on the tall poles lovingly follow your movements, everywhere. What catches your senses - particularly your nose - is the scent of food.  On the coast overlooking over the ocean is a wooden patio, spacious enough to hold over 200 people.  The patio is empty, save for one long table near what looks like a barbeque-and-bar counter.  Under covered nets to protect it from wandering critters, are dishes and dishes of food. Hot and cold food, non-alcoholic beverages in large dispensers, dishes to please every palate and dietary needs.  Given how empty this place is, it's unclear how the food - freshly made and beautifully arranged - even appeared.  Was it here before you woke up, or did it manifest somehow during the panic of waking up on the Odyssey? The loudspeaker message glitches, garbles up and then suddenly changes to a woman’s soft and cheery voice: COME CHECK OUT THE BUFFET AT THE HUB! You must be S̡̧̧̡̨͔̜̲̞̖̥͚̦̎T̡̜̦͖͈̥̈́̈́̓͐͘A̻̘̜̣̱̫̳͖͉͊̃̅́̄̑͘Ŗ͕̞̜̩̟͑͆͂͐̐̊̑̀̊͝͠͝͝V̛͙͍̘̟̞̓͛͒͐̇̀͑̐̋̿̈́Í̧̻̗͊̃̎͆̍̅̕͜Ņ̧̧͙̲̬̳̞͇͇̊͆́͒̋̊̔̽̕͝Ḡ̡̦͕͔̘͎̥̻̅̾̉̂̅̎̄̋͌́͝͠ (starving) after your long travel to get here.

OOC info below the cut!

OOC INFO:

The rest of the island has opened up for exploration!  Within immediate access (about a 15 minute walk from the beach) are the community areas.  The top point of the Tower is in the distance, and might be tricky to reach, as there’s a strip of wilderness and a crooked old bridge separating the community from the Tower. The black-sand beach is about a half-hour walk, and the volcano island is a ten-minute swim (by a strong swimmer) to reach it.   Within the bungalows and medicenter, there are electric sockets.  (Hint: need a phone charger?  Your character might want to head back to the Odyssey).  All bungalows have plumbing and electricity, powered by the mysterious generators.  NOTE: Breaking apart a generator comes with risks - if you don’t understand the power source, can you put it back together successfully?  There are no generators to replace the ones in use. The medicentre is basic, but fully functional.  Inside the brutalist building, it looks incredibly sterile, like no one has used it since it was built.  The technology in there looks like it came from before Y2K. The warehouse is fully stocked with perishable and non-perishable food.  There are also some other basic supplies:

 somewhat shapeless clothes made of natural fabrics, heavy coats (despite the island seeming tropical)

some small household appliances, including toasters

plenty of toiletries and cleaning supplies

a few books and magazines

some cassette tapes, CDs, and old music players.  No music from after Y2K.

there are no televisions

a variety of repair and household garage small tools, mostly non-powered 

a stand-up dolly, some wheeled wagon-carts for carrying heavy things, and five bicycles.  

FINAL NOTE: The bracelets do not work yet! Patience…

[kamilah-is-queen]

Could i request a kamilah mc and aiko fic..i love a jealous aiko of mc and definitely jealous kamilah. Where aiko crashes the wedding when they ask do any one objects, she does. Turns out kamilah had a drunken fling night before the wedding. They break up, years pass, although kamilah is the one who breaks mc ❤ she is the only one who can mends it. Mc dates someone who she brings to functions where jealous kamilah shows up. One of these events kamilah corners mc in the bathroom, mc breaks down showing her how much she hurt her. Kamilah explains why she did it. They make up and make out. They elope the next day, mc has a home gathering with there friends and surprise them kamilah comes out and they announce their marriage. Angst smut Fluff ending all in one

I just want to say what a fantastic idea this was. Thank you for submitting this Anon and allowing me the chance to express this in a unique creative writing style. I very much enjoyed working on it. Also, I’m terribly sorry for this ask being answered after two years. 😅

Pairing: Kamilah Sayeed x MC (Amy Parker) briefly Kamilah x Aiko

Warnings: Fluff, smut, and angst as requested

Tagging: @ta-sayeed, @kamilahtopme, @nydeiri, @genietotherescue, @rhonda-sayeed, @helpconfusedpersonhere, @millasayeed, @vonda-be-real, @livvynka, @queenkamilah, @leenasayeed, @skylarkxxyy, @choicesgrp, @ilove-kamilah-sayeed, @justavampirefan, @iamsimpforpoppy, @friendlybuddy

“Habibti, what do you fancy for dinner?”

Kamilah’s smooth voice cooed into Amy’s ear, her warms arms wrapping around the woman in a gentle embrace from behind.

“I would say you, but I think I’ll go with spaghetti and meatballs tonight.” She replied, breaking out in a grin.

Kamilah pressed soft kisses to her neck as she chuckled, heartily, into Amy’s skin. “You really are cheeky, aren’t you.”

With a sarcastically long wink, Amy cockily spoke back.

“And you love it.”

“And you love being punished for it.” Kamilah answered, smirking to herself as the younger woman broke out in a heated blush.

“Yeah yeah, go before we can’t stop.” She giggled, blushing harder at the idea of another passionate round of the day.

Not long after the aroma of sweet, fresh tomatoes and the herby richness of basil filtered through the penthouse. Kamilah didn’t waste any opportunity to use the herbs from her garden into her delicious home cooked meals, much to Amy’s delight.

She couldn’t help but stare lovingly at her wife, her cheek upon her palm as she watched in a daze.

Kamilah frowned in concentration as she chopped garlic for the sauce, prompting a subtle smile to arise on Amy’s face.

Afterwards, she created a small mound of flour on the kitchen island, ready to make the noodles from scratch.

She began cracking the eggs into the plateau, whisking and adding small bits of flour as she went along. Soon enough she was kneading the dough, sprinkling flour on it too, to keep from sticking.

Not long after the couple were snuggled on the sofa, blankets pulled up around their legs as they cozied in with Kamilah’s delicious spaghetti and meatballs just to top it all off.

Amy couldn’t wait any longer to delve face first into the bowl, a nerdy grin breaking out on her lips as Kamilah bellowed softly at the adorable, picture-worthy site.

“Only one week until our wedding, you know.” Kamilah’s eyes remained fixed on Amy, a mix of love and awe deep within her chestnut eyes.

Amy let out a soft sigh, “I know… time just flies by.” She set down her dinner on the coffee table and turned her attention to her fiancée “it won’t be long till we’re making babies.”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware you wanted offspring.” Kamilah hid her grin against the mouthful of noodles, her renowned charm making it’s glamorous appearance.

“You must be a crazy fool if you think that I don’t dream of having little Kamilah’s running around our home.” Amy gently brushed her thumb against her lover’s cheek, time seemingly slowing down as her heart began to quicken. “As if… I don’t want to wake up to these promising brown eyes of yours, and a bunch more of them too.”

Her voice picked up an octave as they both radiated love, intimacy, and hope for a promising future. “Kamilah, you’re the light of my life. You’re the one thing that’s keeping me grounded, sane, and the only one pushing me to be the greatest Amy Sayeed that I could ever achieve. If you mean that much to me… imagine how dear I’ll hold and cherish our young daughters.”

She let out a comforting smile, tears welling in the blood keeper’s eyes before she reached to wipe them away, “I don’t have to imagine.” The older vampire softly pressed her lips to her lover’s forehead, lingering there as her arms pulled her wife in for a lovely hug, as a way to make Amy feel secure in her own arms. “I already know that you’ll be the greatest mother, and most inspiring figure that a child could ever dream of. They will… and myself included, be the luckiest vampire’s in existence to have someone like you in our lives Amy. I would never choose anyone but you.”

Amy broke out in a sob and clutched Kamilah tighter, as the elder vampire smiled through teary eyes.

‘Oh you melt. You always make me cry.’ Amy said, laughing softly as Kamilah softly wiped away her tears. ‘For the record, I’d never choose anyone but you either Kami. I love you.’

She reached forward, giving Kamilah a soft kiss before the elder vampire could reply. ‘I love you too, Amy.’

Wedding day…

‘Oh god Adrian, I feel so nervous. I-I feel like being sick. What if, what if she says no!?’ Kamilah anxiously paced outside the doors to the wedding hall, Adrian pausing her by placing his hands firmly on her shoulders.

‘It’s okay to feel nervous, but I assure you Amy won’t say no. She loves you more than anything Kamilah, and everyone can see that.’ He smiled softly, watching as the tension slowly left Kamilah’s body.

‘You’re right. I’m just- I’ve been so many things in my life… I didn’t think being a married woman would be one to add to the list.’ She chuckled, nervously fiddling with the hem of her white sleeveless jumpsuit.

Adrian laughed alongside her, fixing her mini cape and adjusting her golden necklace before bowing slightly, teasingly. ‘Well then, after you, Mrs Sayeed.’

Kamilah rolled her eyes and grinned, making her way to the end of the aisle with Adrian at her side as her best man. She tried reigning in her nerves, desperately trying not to let her emotions show too much to the crowd.

Amy, having a similar outburst, was soon accompanied by Lily who practically began to drag Amy down the aisle herself, before the young vampire eventually fell into stride after meeting Kamilah’s gaze.

Amy couldn’t help the grin that spread across her lips, and Kamilah couldn’t keep her eyes off of her.

She wore a beautiful lacy white dress, form-fitting but not too tight that had a slight plunge in the neckline. She also wore a white lily flower headband that connected to her veil, courtesy of Lily, of course.

Lily gave Amy a wink before handing her off to Kamilah, who was in literal awe. She leant across, gently taking hold of Amy’s hands before whispering, ‘you look so gorgeous, my love’.

Amy blushed, returning the compliment before the priest began to lead them in their vows.

‘Now then, speak now or forever hold your peace. Does anyone object to this union?’ The priest asked, with a voice that echoed off the walls.

‘I do.

Everyone in the hall turned, gasping towards the origin of the voice.

Aiko.

Amy narrowed her eyes, amused, as if it was some joke. ‘Yeah right, Kamilah’s mine, Aiko. Now back off.’

‘That’s not what she said last night.’

Amy gasped along with the crowd, turning towards Kamilah who was pale in the face. She stumbled for words, unable to form cohesive sentences.

‘Oh dear… you didn’t tell Amy about the fun that we had last night, did you, Kamilah?’ Aiko approached the older vampire, grabbing hold of her arm before being shaken off.

‘Amy, let me explain, this isn’t what it looks like-‘

Tears pore out of Amy’s eyes, the sound of Kamilah’s voice drowning out as rage consumed her.

‘Did you fuck her, Kamilah?’

Kamilah winced, bowing her head in shame. ‘Amy I was drunk, it didn’t mean anything.’

‘So yes, you did.’

‘Amy, it’s not like that. I promise.’

Kamilah attempted to reach for Amy’s hands, but Amy snagged them out of her grasp.

‘Save it Kamilah, we’re done.’

With that, Amy stormed out of the hall, throwing her veil and bouquet aside as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Kamilah sighed shakily, her mind racing back to the events of the night before…

Kamilah had planned to spend her last single night at home, in her own peace and quiet. No fancy bachelorette parties for her, no way.

She poured herself a glass of bourbon from the bar before she made her way to her bed, setting the glass aside and getting comfy as she picked up her current novel.

Before she realized, she had consumed more than 8 glasses of straight bourbon, which was far too much alcohol even for vampire.

Kamilah began to sway from side to side as she made her way towards the bedroom again, stopping when she heard the doorbell ring.

‘Aiko? What are you doing here?’ She said, balancing against the door as she tried to focus on the woman in front of her.

Aiko knew exactly how drunk she was, and she planned to make the most of it. How else would she take Kamilah back?

Aiko gently pushed Kamilah back into the penthouse, closing the door behind her as she stepped dangerously close.

‘I thought you wanted to enjoy your last night being single, don’t you?’

Kamilah tripped back onto the sofa, watching closely as Aiko straddled her lap.

‘I waaaas reading!’ Kamilah’s words slurred, as she pushed up her glasses proudly. ‘I looove reading.’

Aiko hummed, putting Kamilah’s glasses aside as she hovered her lips above Kamilah’s.

‘Then you’re gonna love reading the way my body wants you right now.’

Aiko captured Kamilah’s lips in a passionate kiss, tasting bourbon on her tongue immediately. Kamilah groaned, clearly thinking it was Amy at this point.

‘Oh Amy, you tease.’ Kamilah hefted Aiko’s legs around her waist as she stood, backing her against the marble countertop, clearing the mess on the surface before lifting Aiko onto it. Kamilah trailed wet, open mouthed kisses down Aiko’s throat, feeling the heat inside her core grow as she heard the woman’s lewd moans.

Both their eyes flashed red, desperate for more. Within an instant, Kamilah had ripped all of Aiko’s clothes off with one hand, her lips trailing down the woman’s sternum and stomach as she felt all control leave her body.

‘Yes Kamilah, fuck me.’ Aiko’s voice was desperate, before she was met with Kamilah’s warm tongue against her core. She moaned loudly, hips bucking off of the countertop as she tangled a hand in Kamilah’s locks, desperately begging for more.

It wasn’t long before Kamilah made her find her release, Aiko quickly pulling the woman up and kissing her with more passion than before.

‘Now my turn.’

Kamilah lifted Aiko off the countertop and spun them, staring deep into the brown eyes before her as she lowered Aiko to her knees. She clutched the countertop behind her for support, biting her lip as Aiko took her sweet time caressing Kamilah’s thighs with her hands and lips.

Once Aiko began to meet Kamilah where she needed attention the most, the older vampire couldn’t back her moans anymore. Her head fell back, eyes shut as she groaned Amy’s name once more.

She bucked her hips against Aiko’s face as she reached her climax, not waiting long after to tug Aiko into the bedroom to continue the night with her.

Years later…

Kamilah zipped up the back of her shimmering red dress that he chosen after reluctantly agreeing to attend Adrian’s gala dinner.

She glanced at herself in the mirror, her eyes catching the gold snake chain that accentuated her prominent collarbone and neck. Then, her eyes fell to her hips, the dress’s thigh slits ending just under the curve of her hips, revealing enough to skin to be tempting, but nothing too scandalous. She opted for gold Gianvito Rossi heels.

For once, she was proud of herself. She had learning to forgive her past, however cruel and selfish she was and began to live for her future, whatever that may look like.

From the moment she stepped out of her Maserati, there were cameras everywhere. God, how she hated paparazzi. She tossed the keys to the valet driver and briskly strode inside, enamoring every cameramen she strode past.

Once inside, she decided to settle herself with a harmless glass of champagne. The same glass that Amy was reaching for.

Their fingers brushed momentarily, before Amy quickly took her hand back, frowning slightly.

‘Amy, I didn’t know you’d be here.’ Kamilah’s voice softened slightly, offering the glass much to Amy’s dismay.

‘I do work for Adrian.’ Her voice was cold, emotionless. It sent a shiver down Kamilah’s spine to see the woman she loved so much being so distant.

‘Right.’ Kamilah cleared her throat as another woman approached Amy, who brightened at the sight.

‘Lora! Welcome back honey.’ She placed a soft peck to the woman’s lips, leaning in again and again purposely to annoy Kamilah.

Kamilah turned her head away, biting her tongue before she steeled her natural, unreadable face back to Amy.

‘And this is?’

‘Lora, this is Kamilah. My ex. Kamilah, Lora. My girlfriend.’

Kamilah’s heart sunk a touch at the words, but what could she expect. Amy couldn’t grieve forever, she had to move on. Perhaps to someone better, as much as that pained her to think about.

‘It’s nice to meet you, Kamilah.’ Lora offered her hand, Kamilah taking it keenly, crushing the woman’s fingers instantly.

‘Yes. Very nice.’ She spoke through gritted teeth, applying more pressure before Amy broke them apart, Lora clutching her bruised hand instantly.

‘Anyway. Bye Kamilah, Lora and I need to dance!’

Kamilah watched with a burning gaze at the way Lora held Amy’s hips, swayed to her tempo, and the way she kissed her.

She flared her nostrils, looking away as her eyes flashed red, unable to contain the jealousy anymore. As much as she wanted Amy to be happy, she couldn’t possibly bear to see her with someone else.

Unsurprisingly, Kamilah’s eyes were on Amy the entire evening, especially when Amy made her way to the restroom. Kamilah followed, at a distance, locking the bathroom entrance once she got in.

Amy didn’t notice her there until she came out of the stall, jumping as she Kamilah standing practically on top of her.

‘What do you want?’ She pushed past, washing her hands in the sink as Kamilah crossed her arms.

‘I owe you an explanation.’

‘What for?’

‘About what happened the night before our wedding, with Aiko.’

Any tensed at the words, but turned slowly, nodding hesitantly for Kamilah to go on. The elder woman explained everything in its entirety, telling nothing but the truth.

‘So…’ Kamilah sighed, ‘I’m sorry, for breaking your heart, your trust, and the dreams you had of our future together. But I swear it didn’t mean anything. I thought it was you. I wanted it to be you. And, if I may, I want to get a second chance to prove it to you.’

Kamilah eagerly searched Amy’s face for a reaction, raising her eyebrows as tears were streaming down the woman’s cheeks.

‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you Amy. I want to share a home with you, a family with you, I want to do everything as long as you’re with me. Because if you’re not… it’s… my life will remain to be meaningless. I’ve never been the same since that day Amy. It’s not your fault, but it broke me. Seeing the woman of my dreams just leave, I-‘

Her voice choked, but Amy quickly cupped her cheek, and stroked the soft skin with her thumb, urging Kamilah to go on.

‘I’ve never been the same without you Amy. I love you too much, and we both know that’s the truth. I love you so much that I can’t even stand that stupid Lora looking at you. I really do want a future with you, Amy. If you’ll let me.’

Her eyes were hopeful as Amy quietly gathered her thoughts.

‘You know, you hurt me real good Kamilah. And you broke me too. But, I can tell that what you say is the truth, and I trust you. I wouldn’t want a future with anyone but you, either Mrs Sayeed. Believe it or not, I love you. More than anything.’

Kamilah smiled and wrapped her arms around Amy, gently spinning her in celebration.

‘So, how are we going to break this to everyone.’ Kamilah asked, gently kissing Amy’s cheek.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ve got just the plan.’

Amy had gathered all of her friends to her apartment for an “important announcement.” Of course, the suspense killed so everyone arrived on time.

‘I’d like to thank you all for being here today’ Amy stood in the living room, all eyes on her as she spoke, ‘because I’ve got a very special announcement.’

Everyone leaned forward on their seats, eagerly waiting.

‘I’m…’

Kamilah jumped out of the pantry, blowing confetti in the air as Amy did the same, giggling.

‘getting married again!’

Everyone cheered in unison, later taking their turns to congratulate the new couple once again.

Kamilah and Amy had agreed to respectfully kick the guests out early, as they packed eagerly for their upcoming trip.

Amy was packing clothes on the bed, relaxing a touch as she felt Kamilah’s arms wrap around her waist. She then felt Kamilah’s soft lips on the back of her neck, shivers running down her spine as she thought of what this would eventually lead to.

‘That Lora girl does know you’re mine now, right?’ She spun Amy, catching her lips in a heated kiss before she could answer.

Amy couldn’t help but give in, pushing aside the clothes she had just folded and sprawling herself back on the bed, tugging on Kamilah’s collar to keep her close.

‘I don’t know, does she?’ She grinned, biting her lip as Kamilah’s eyes flashed red.

‘She will once I’m done with you.’