#my chances could be good since i already have studied animation

[erinreality]

I shifted

I shifted to my nana dr for about six months (even though only six seconds have passed here, since I set the time so that one month in the dr equals one second in this reality). I'm still a little confused from coming back, but overall, I feel good.

This dr isn’t my main one but could become my main one. Before I share some details, I want to clarify that this DR doesn't follow the anime’s storyline. For example, that asshole Takumi will never meet Hachi. I'll try to keep it brief, as I don't like talking too much about my dr after all, it is real life .

I live about 15 minutes away from Hachi and Nana’s apartment, in a suburb of Tokyo. I work at a bakery and also do art. Living in Tokyo between 1998 and 1999 is a mix of nostalgia and surreal. It's hard to describe precisely. I’ve also learned to live without modern smartphones, using those old brick phones with buttons instead. This has taught me to live more in the moment, without the constant need to check social media or waste hours scrolling through TikTok, aimlessly losing time.

In this dr, I’m learning to be more independent. Thanks also to my experiences in my Kpop drs, I've learned to manage an apartment on my own here: I do the laundry, cook, manage my budget, pay bills, and work in the bakery. Oh, and I'm also studying to get my driver's license.

I’ve also started learning to play the guitar, especially thanks to Nana. Playing has always been a huge dream of mine, but I never had the chance to do it in this reality. Once, I even got emotional with joy while holding the guitar in my hands, because it’s something I’ve always loved doing.

My relationship with Hachi and Nana is really great.

Hachi is very close to me; she often texts to ask how I’m doing, how work is going, and invites me to hang out on weekends or go to the pub together. I love going out with her because she’s unashamed of anything or anyone, and with her, I never feel judged. She also has a great sense of style. Even though colorful clothes aren’t really my thing, she’s helped me find a style that suits me. I must admit, though, that she requires a lot of patience since she’s a bit naive.

As for Nana Osaki, I really love her a lot. She’s given me so much advice on some of my personal concerns, and she’s the kind of person who could listen to you for hours. She shows her affection through sarcastic jokes. We share the same taste in music. It took a little while for her to fully trust me and start confiding in me, but I understand her, and our bond has grown over time.

I’m still getting to know Shin and Nobu. Shin is very reserved, but I feel like we’ll become great friends. Nobu, on the other hand, has already opened up, and we’ve quickly become close.

Next time I shift, I’ll come back with a suitcase full of Vivienne Westwood clothes, necklaces, and rings!

[taurusdaylight]

our rendezvous

summary. being lost in the horizon sounds scary, but not when you're hand in hand with your lover.

pairing. boyfriend! jaehyun x implied fem! reader

genre. established relationship! au, fluff

word count. 4,021

warnings/tags. as far as i know, nothing :) it's only a little angsty because of uncertainty about the future, but nothing too intense! very very fluffy,,,, maybe a lil pda (oh?)

a/n. ur resident valentine is back! i'm so sorry for going off the grid, my life has been a blur over the past few months… i did nothing and everything. anyway, this is inspired by none other than horizon (soty!) and i was very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit florence, where the horizon mv was filmed, so i knew i had to write this! after finishing it, i realised it's rather similar to my first fic but what can i say, i love jaehyun travel! aus, plus, jaehyun and forever just go together. <3 hope the new year is treating everyone kindly, and as always, have fun reading~

–

Navigating life after graduation was akin to walking through a maze, struggling to find a way out. Growing up, you always thought that everyone’s life had already been nicely written out since there were only two things that truly mattered: school and work. The adults always preached about how good academic records would land you a great job. All your life, you never failed to achieve and maintain stellar grades so you never doubted that you would get a job. Yet, as the day of your graduation approached, you started to worry that you might not end up finding a job. Or at least, one that was to your liking.

The thought of working for the rest of your life sounded… boring. Perhaps an oversimplification, but you always made sure to put a hundred percent into your studies, so you felt like you never really had the chance to live your life the way you wanted to. You weren’t a party animal per se, but you wouldn’t hesitate to skip a night out with your friends if you had an important deadline to meet. It was always academics over everything else. Apart from meeting expectations that others had on you, the fear of failure haunted you too. More often than not, the urge of wanting to disappear creeped into your mind. It didn’t seem like a bad idea, running away to some random part of the world where no one knew you. Once you’ve spent enough time there, you could easily travel to another city and explore till your heart’s content. That was the dream. Unfortunately, this particular dream of yours never came true.

That was, until now.

Treading the path of adulthood was admittedly scary, you could slip and fall at any given moment and not know how to pick yourself up. But, you weren’t on your own. 

Jeong Jaehyun, your boyfriend of two years, shared the same sentiment. Sure, he was ambitious and had his goals set out. Like you, however, working himself to death wasn’t one of the things on his list. Jaehyun believed that it was important to strike a balance, to not throw yourself into something so deep that you would get lost in it. Working may be important but it would never hurt to have a little fun whenever time called for it. 

You first met Jaehyun in Introduction to Film Studies. Both second-year students, you and Jaehyun clicked extremely well with each other as you bonded over your shared love for films. What started as study sessions to help each other with assignments eventually progressed to warm, cosy movie date nights that also involved cuddling under a fluffy blanket on Jaehyun’s couch. 

While there have been minor arguments over those two years, you and Jaehyun always made sure to communicate. After all, a couple is supposed to fight the problem, not each other. The both of you understood that. These disagreements never bothered you that much because you believed that they were part and parcel of every relationship. Instead, you wondered more about how lucky you are to have found someone like Jaehyun. As you liked to put it, Jaehyun was your twin flame. He spoke to your soul in a way that no one else could.

Instead of taking the conventional route of starting a full-time job after graduating, you and Jaehyun booked one-way tickets to Rome the week after your final exams. How long the both of you were going to stay there for, that was a question for another time. The plan was to have no plan, going wherever your feet took you. Both of your parents weren’t exactly agreeable about this idea, nagging about how irresponsible and irrational it was. But what could they do? It’s not as if they could physically stop two grown adults from going. Eventually, they were able to come to terms with it and simply asked the both of you to stay safe. 

It’s been about three weeks or so since you two arrived in Rome. Tranquil mornings without a blaring alarm was something that you could really get used to. The icing on the cake would be waking up to the sight of Jaehyun sleeping peacefully next to you, an arm securely draped around your waist. His lips would slightly jut out, you would sometimes sneak a kiss or two because he simply looked too adorable to resist. 

A day out together would look something like sitting by an artwork in a museum, coming up with various interpretations or hopping from café to café to try out different desserts (which were often, gelato), you couldn’t count with your fingers the number of times the staff had to chase the both of you out because they were closing. Time is said to fly past when you’re having fun, but even more so when you’re spending it with the love of your life. At least, that’s what you think. 

The both of you woke up earlier than usual today because you’d turned in early the previous night, probably exhausted from all the walking. The sun wasn’t up yet, which meant that there were limited stores that were operating during this time too. It felt like a waste to sleep in and laze around in the apartment, so came the impulse decision of buying last-minute train tickets to Florence. 

“C’mon baby,” Jaehyun half-shouted, his gaze flickering between you and the platform located at the other end of the station.

Hands intertwined, you and Jaehyun were sprinting as fast as your legs could carry you in order to catch your train that leaves in approximately two minutes. Or rather, you were doing everything in your power to match Jaehyun’s speed because why was he running like he was competing in the Olympics? So much for wanting an athletic boyfriend. 

You were almost out of breath from running, you didn’t even have the energy to give Jaehyun a verbal answer. Instead, you tried to speed up like he told you to. After what felt like a hundred miles, the both of you finally reached the platform, boarded the train, and settled down into your allocated seats. 

“Oh my goodness. We are never doing that again,” you said, panting. 

Jaehyun shot you a wide grin. “Now that’s what I call an intense leg day.” 

You were rendered speechless. Here you were, thinking that he was going to agree with you. But you also remembered that Jaehyun was a gym rat first, your boyfriend second. Jaehyun goes a little over the top with exercising, you could tell that much just by looking at his physique. Though, you wouldn’t say that it was exactly a bad thing. In fact, what a sight for sore eyes he was… 

Before you had a chance to respond, Jaehyun used his other hand to push your head towards his shoulder. “Go to sleep, doll. Don’t want you feeling cranky in the middle of the day because you didn’t get to take your daily nap. I’ll wake you up when we’re reaching.”

Despite not being able to see him, you could hear the smile in Jaehyun’s voice, which caused you to grin too. Perhaps it was Jaehyun’s shoulder that made you comfy, but you could feel the sleepiness slowly start to envelop you, so you snuggled even closer to him.

“Good night, Jay,” you said before falling into slumber.

–

The train ride took faster than expected, probably because you were asleep throughout the journey. Upon alighting, you and Jaehyun walked aimlessly along Via Faenza. You stopped in your tracks when you caught the pleasant aroma of coffee beans coming from a café, it was so inviting that the both of you had no choice but to enter.

Save for the long line of people in office-wear queuing to get their morning coffee fix, there was no one else occupying the seats in the café. Wanting to be away from the crowd, you and Jaehyun made your way to the corner booth seat situated all the way inside after getting your order. You sat next to each other, with Jaehyun's arm wrapped around your waist. Your torso was slightly exposed because of the cropped top that you wore, and Jaehyun’s fingertips easily found purchase on your skin. Soft traces all over, which oddly enough, made you feel tingly and warm simultaneously. 

“Jaehyun,” you called out.

He turned to look at you. “Hmm?” 

“Do you regret being here with me? Don’t you feel like you’re wasting your life away?”

Jaehyun halted his movements, but he did not loosen his grip on your waist. His answer was written all over his face, from his creased eyebrows to his frowning lips. 

“Of course not, baby. Did I do or say something to make you think that way? I’m sorry if I did,” he said sincerely. 

“No, you didn’t do or say anything of that sort!” you quickly clarified. “I think I’m just worried about the future, you know? Once all of this is over…”

A small smile played on Jaehyun’s lips as he removed his arm from your waist. He cupped your face in his hand, sighing. “I wish you could see yourself the way I saw you, because then you’d have nothing to worry about at all. You’re going to do great things, ____. I’m sure of that. But for now, just let loose and enjoy yourself, okay? You deserve to have a break.” 

Jaehyun’s words could bring you to tears. He radiated so much positivity that it naturally rubbed off onto you, especially with the amount of time that you spend with each other. However, there were still moments of weakness, like now, where you’d inevitably think about how things could possibly go wrong. Before you could spiral into a whirlpool of negative thoughts, however, Jaehyun would pull you right out of it by telling you exactly what you need to hear in order to help get you through these times.

“Thank you,” you whispered, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Jaehyun’s cheek.

Jaehyun made a sound, as if to signal that he was pondering. He pointed at his cheek and tapped on it with his index finger several times. “One more?”

You couldn’t help but giggle at his request, but who were you to deny him? Since you were feeling generous and grateful to your boyfriend, you quickly moved closer to give him two more kisses. One on his cheek, and the other on his lips. The best part was seeing the Cheshire cat smile appear on his face after he’d received his well-deserved kisses.

For the rest of the time at the café, you and Jaehyun were people-watching through the glass window while sipping on coffee and feeding each other small spoonfuls of pastries. At some point, random passer-bys became a part of a guessing game that started out of nowhere. Dating or siblings? What would their coffee order be if they came in here? The both of you had a lot of fun making up stories to back up your answer, boisterous laughter sounding through the place. 

Afterwards, you and Jaehyun continued wandering through the streets now that more stores have opened. An apparel store selling headwear caught Jaehyun’s eye, and he spent about twenty minutes or so looking through the bucket hats. Taking one in his hand, he tried it on and started making silly faces at you while dancing. 

“Stop it, you’re embarrassing me.” You reached a hand out in an attempt to remove the hat from Jaehyun’s head, but he swiftly avoided you.

He held on tightly to the hat. “I think this was made for me. I’m definitely getting it.”

The hat didn’t look bad on him, but it was still… questionable. A helpless sigh escaped your lips when you knew that nothing you say would change his mind. “Okay… as long as you’re happy.” 

Fortunately, Jaehyun didn’t have thoughts of wearing the hat there and then. Because if not, you would think twice about walking next to him.

The next few stores mostly sold vintage items and souvenirs. You and Jaehyun ended up getting matching gnomes that had the initials of your first names carved into it. While checking out at the counter, the cashier made a comment about how cute the two of you look together and that the gnomes were such fitting choices, so much so that they looked like mini versions of you two. With shy smiles, the both of you thanked her before exiting the store. You also noticed the tinge of red on Jaehyun’s ears, but kept quiet about it since you were most likely a blushing mess yourself. 

Then, it was time for lunch. 

You and Jaehyun had previously crafted a mini bucket list, and one of the things on the list was to try the various types of pasta while you were in Italy, so that’s what the both of you had for lunch. It appeared that all the shopping must have taken up a great deal of your energy because the both of you still had an appetite for dessert afterwards, or, rather, gelato was considered a staple so there was no way that dessert could be skipped. 

Although it was sunny, the summer heat wasn’t unbearable so you two were at the outdoor seating area of the gelato café. Within the vicinity of the café, there was a group of children playing catch with one another. After finishing the gelato, Jaehyun dragged you along to them. 

“Ciao! I’m Jay,” he introduced with a friendly smile. 

You introduced yourself to them too and stood behind Jaehyun, hiding slightly. You didn’t have anything against children, but you still considered them to be strangers, and you always had a hard time talking to strangers due to your reserved nature. You barely had any experience with children too so this was still foreign to you.

On the flipside, Jaehyun adores children. You could see it in the way his eyes would light up whenever he interacted with him. Not to mention, he was great with children (an understatement, if you had to be truthful). Seeing Jaehyun with children always made your heart swell, in a good or bad way, you weren’t sure… The only thing you were certain of was that you definitely wanted to have his children.

While you were spacing out, Jaehyun was quick to ask and memorise the names of the children. He played around with them for a bit and made sure to include you as well, the game of catch was never so fun before. However, it wasn’t long before you got tired, so you opted to sit at one corner to watch them. You whipped out your phone to capture this moment, giggling at how precious Jaehyun looked. Happiness looked great on Jaehyun, and you hoped that it would stay on him for a long, long time.

All of them grew tired after a few rounds too, putting an end to the game. While they were busy running around, you discreetly returned back to the café and told the cashier that you would be paying for the children to get gelato. You also grabbed a bottle of water and gave it to Jaehyun, who was perspiring profusely; indeed, an intense leg day it was for him. 

Through body language and very poorly spoken Italian, you tried to tell the children that they could go pick out the flavours that they wanted at the café. You were far too preoccupied with communicating that to them, the endearing look that Jaehyun had on his face went unnoticed by you. Thankfully, the cashier was there to bridge the language barrier and they managed to get their gelato without any hiccups. Before leaving, each of the children gave you and Jaehyun a hi-five, a word of thanks echoing after one another.

Having spent almost the entire day in that area, you and Jaehyun decided to explore another part of the city before catching your train back to Rome. Long before this trip, you happened to stumble upon a website about the top spots that offered a picturesque view of the city. One of which was a twenty minute bus ride away from where you and Jaehyun were currently at. 

When the bus arrived, you and Jaehyun entered by the back door and sat down. You were busy admiring the old architecture of the buildings outside until you felt Jaehyun’s hand touching the side of your face. You realised that he was trying to put one side of his wired earpiece in your ear, which caused you to turn and face him, and you saw that he already had the other side of the earpiece in. Jaehyun was smiling so widely that his dimples were showing. You brought a hand up to poke it, feeling a sense of victory because you were one of the very few people in the world whom he allowed to touch his dimples.

Shyly, you took Jaehyun’s hand and interlocked your fingers together. No words were exchanged between the both of you, but there was a mutual feeling that this exact moment perfectly encapsulated the love you and Jaehyun have for each other. Tender, somewhat otherworldly in a way where everything, like the chatter of the other passengers on the bus, seemed to fade out in the background. 

As Can’t Take My Eyes Off You started playing through the earphones, you took it as an opportunity to mouth to Jaehyun, “I love you.”

Jaehyun’s dimples became more prominent at your sudden declaration. He made sure not to break eye contact with you before he mouthed back, “I love you.”

–

“Look!” you exclaimed, pointing toward the replica statue of David. It was the first thing that you saw after alighting from the bus.

Jaehyun turned his head to look at what you were pointing at. “Wow, it’s stunning."

The both of you hurriedly walked over to take some photos, which ended up in you and Jaehyun bursting into fits of laughter because he was imitating the statue and posing in the same way. It definitely earned you a few stares from the other visitors, but you and Jaehyun were too busy laughing to even notice that you two were getting judged. 

After snapping a few more photos, you and Jaehyun went to the other side of the square where you could see an overview of the city. It was breathtaking, to say the least, the both of you concurrently marvelled in awe at how it looked like a scene straight out of a movie. You could even spot the street that you two were at earlier in the day, as well as many other famous landmarks. Not to forget, the surrounding trees and mountains made it feel more complete, it was a perfect getaway from the bustling city for some peace and quiet. 

The both of you were standing at the top of the stairs, and you saw that there was a walking trail below. Due to time constraints, however, it seemed more logical to sit and admire the view, since neither of you knew how long the walking trail was and where it led to. Besides, it was a perfect spot to catch the sunset before you had to leave for the train station, so you two sat on one of the steps near the top where you had an unobstructed view of the city.

Like before, you and Jaehyun were listening to music together while holding hands. Other than humming along to the song, Jaehyun would also sing some of the lyrics to you, especially if it was a sweet or cheesy line. 

“Can’t believe I get to be here with you.” Even after some time had passed, you were still greatly impressed by the scenic view, in disbelief about how you could share this moment with your lover. The bright orange hues of the sun added more colour to the backdrop, it felt surreal watching it slowly go down.

“Me too,” Jaehyun replied almost immediately. “It feels like a dream…” 

“If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up from it,” you said while shifting closer to Jaehyun’s side. “Like, ever.”

“I want to stay here with you forever.” Your voice came out as a whisper, because deep down, a part of you was afraid that this happiness would be taken away from you abruptly. 

Yet again, Jaehyun made one of those sounds to indicate that he was thinking, which made you gasp in response.

“You don’t want to be with me?” you questioned, a look of betrayal on your face.

“No, silly,” Jaehyun chuckled. “Of course I want to be with you.”

Jaehyun let out a deep breath, as though he had to brace himself for what he was going to say next. “The thought of eternity feels scary. But if I know that you’ll be there with me, then… there’s nothing to be scared of. I think, for me… forever is where you are, wherever that may be.”

Silence ensued, music playing through the shared earphones being the only source of sound. Jaehyun gulped awkwardly when he noticed that your gaze was fixed on him, but you weren’t saying anything. “Did that come out wrong? I don’t even know what I’m saying sometimes. But I guess I was trying to say that–”

You cut Jaehyun off with a kiss. He smiled against your lips, causing you to do the same. Jaehyun’s hand travelled to the small of your back to pull you in before he tilted his head to the side for better access, going straight for your upper lip to return the kiss. It was slow, delicate, and everything you could ever ask for. You sighed when you felt Jaehyun’s hand running over your skin; he knew exactly what he was doing. Every kiss that you shared with Jaehyun never fell short of being exhilarating, which was one of the great things about love… or Jaehyun. Perhaps, both. 

He was the first to pull away, staring intently at you with a cheeky smile on his face. Jaehyun leaned in closer until he could bury his head into the crook of your neck, leaving another kiss on your collarbone. You wrapped your arms around his frame, hugging him as tightly as possible. You and Jaehyun stayed like this for a while until you heard a lady yelp from a distance away, her loud voice grabbing your attention.

As you looked up to find out what the commotion was about, tears immediately filled your eyes and you had to do everything that you could to hold them back. 

The said lady was standing by the railing, both hands covering her mouth. In front of her was a man, down on one knee, holding out a box with a diamond ring. You tapped Jaehyun’s shoulder so that he’d sit back up, and he turned to see what you were looking at. All of the other visitors were also invested, as everyone patiently for the lady's answer. 

Everything happened so quickly. The lady nodding and getting pulled into a hug by her fiancé, the crowd erupting in cheers and applause–a truly sweet moment to witness. Without thinking much, you blurted out, “that’s going to be us.” 

Jaehyun diverted his attention back to you, shaking his head. Seemingly biting back a smile as his lips formed a thin line, Jaehyun jerked his head to motion at something behind you. “That’s us.”

You were about to protest, pop another question that was something along the lines of whether or not he was planning to marry you. However, you remained quiet and decided to take a look at what he was referring to first. 

Well, it looks like the urge to complain has completely disappeared. How could it not? Rather than dissatisfaction, your heart leapt with joy when your eyes landed on a couple standing hand in hand at the other end of the steps from where you and Jaehyun sat; they were having their pre-wedding photoshoot.

[dakotalun]

"Close" | Eddie Munson

pairing: Eddie Munson X Fem Reader

summary: Eddie is teaching you how to DM, but what you don't realize is how close the two of you get throughout the night.

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff

word count: 1.3k

a/n: Just thought we could use some fluff in our lives.

*******NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS*******

When I showed up in the drama room before the weekly Hellfire game, Eddie thought I was lost. Just by the clothes I was wearing and the smile on my face he thought this was some prank from the jocks. He told me later on that he thought “there was no way that someone like you, someone so pretty and normal was interested in Dungeons and Dragons.”

But I was, I love D&D actually. Always have, well since my friends at my old school dragged me along to the first club meeting that year, but I fell in love instantly. The way you can just transform into someone else and not care about the shit going on in the outside world was a dream come true for me.

Once Eddie and I got to talking we hit it off, he was a god at being a DM and I loved that because my last one just wanted to kill all the players as fast as possible as if it were a race to see how many he could off before anyone got into the real storyline.

“So meet at my place around 8? My uncle should be at work by then so we can have the place to ourselves.” Eddie was walking with me to my next class after lunch. The two of us were planning on joint DMing a campaign and wanted to get together soon to start planning.

“That should work. Man, I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they see me sitting in the throne for the campaign!”

“Woah there sweetheart, the throne in there is mine. But I’ll gladly have you on my lap,” Eddie whispers at me before winking. 

I just laughed and punched him in the arm, “In your dreams lover boy,” We reach my classroom after the short walk from the cafeteria, “See you later Eds.”

“Bye sweetheart,” Eddie waves at you before heading off to his own class.

---

The school day couldn’t have gone by slower. The anticipation for tonight was gnawing at my stomach all day. I’ve always been interested in being a DM but never had the chance, so when I approached Eddie with the idea I was fully prepared for him to shoot it down.

To both my luck and surprise he agreed to teach me and help me with a joint campaign to get my feet wet in the Dungeon Master pool. I had almost every book on D&D, reading them late at night when I should’ve been studying for my tests. They were just too fascinating to put down once picked up.

Once I heard the high pitch screech of the school bell dismissing us for the day I was out of my seat and through those doors before my teacher could even give me the homework. I’ll just get it from May tomorrow. I headed straight home to get prepared for tonight, not that this was a date or anything. I just wanted to look good because this is the first time Eddie and I have hung out one on one since we met. 

By the time 8 rolls around I’m already dressed and prepared to see Eddie. I’m going a little out of my confort zone with this outfit because I’m not wearing a bra which is weird for me. The white tank top I have on doing nothing at hiding my nipples and the attached nipple piercings. It’s starting to get colder outside so I threw on some loose fitting jeans and a leather jacket to complete the look before I was off to Eddie’s trailer.

Truth be told, I wanted to wear something that involved a skirt because I notice the way Eddie’s eyes travel to my thighs when I wear one but I also felt like that was coming off too strong, so I decided against it. This shirt will have to do for now.

The drive was short and quiet, the only noice being the wind blowing in from my windows and the animals outside. I reach Eddie’s house and hop out my car, grabbing my bag out the passenger’s seat before heading towards the door.

Just like Eddie said his uncle was at work since I didn’t see his truck outside next to Eddie’s van. I walk up the steps and knock on the door a few times until I hear the lock click and am met with a bright faced Eddie.

“Right on time, come on in.” Eddie opens the door a little more allowing me to walk inside, “Make yourself at home.”

The place is cozy and nice, hats and mugs are hung from the walls in the living room. My eyes scan around, taking in the place Eddie calls home.

“Want a drink?” Eddie offers from the kitchenette to my left.

“Coke if you have it please. If not water’s fine,” I reply, sitting down on the couch. Eddie returns with a Coke for me and a beer for himself.

Eddie couldn’t take his eyes off me as I took the Coke from him, the way my nipples just barely peeked out from beind the leather, showing him the faint outline of my piercings. It was killing him not being able to touch me the way he wanted, to feel me underneath him.

Eddie clears his throat, “So where do we begin?”

---

A few hours later Eddie and I are sitting on the couch, looking over all the pages of notes and open books on the coffee table in front of us. We’ve been going over the base plot line for the campaign for a while now and just need to figure out monsters and level up points.

“I think it would be wise to level them up just before the Ogre caves so that way they won’t get immediately killed you know?”

“I hear that but if we level them up then, we would have level 3 players fighting level 9 monsters in the next town.”

“Shit right, okay what if we,” I think for a minute, taking a quick drink of my third Coke of the night, “I got nothin’.”

Eddie is still looking at the book in front of us, his leg bouncing up and down quickly showing how anxious he is at the moment. I look up from where I’m staring when I feel the movement, my eyes immediately locking with the point where our legs are touching.

My gaze then raises to our arms, his shoulder squished against mine, the muscles flexing as he plays with the rings on his fingers. I took off my jacket a while ago, getting too hot with excitement as we talked about the storyline. Now it felt like my skin was on fire, his heat engulfing me as we sat side by side.

Eddie must have noticed my staring and stopped looking at the books and looked at me. His gaze follows mine when he notices it’s not focused on his own. And once he does notice what my gaze was focused on, he gets even more nervous, his eyes growing wide at the sight.

The softness of my skin on his and the rough feeling of my jeans on his skin through the holes in his own is like heaven to him. He wishes I would stop looking at his arms and look at his eyes because he needs to read my full expression.

As if I read his mind my eyes lock with his, the brown orbs he has containing nothing but warmth in return. The two of us just sit like that for a full minute, neither one of us wanting to break the connection we have. I can see the mix of emotions behind his eyes, the conflict of what to do next. I’m sure he can see my emotions too, fighting and slowly losing the battle to not lean in and kiss him.

I can clearly see the moment when his restraint snaps, the way his eyes darken and become softer at the same time. He leans in slowly, so aganizingly slowly, he doesn’t want to scare me away, he’s giving me an out. But I don’t take it. Instead I take my hand and put it in his hair before pulling his face to mine, locking our lips in a long awaited kiss.

TAGLIST: @ali-r3n @dixontardis @witchwolflea @micheledawn1975 @daydreaming-mood @idfwfeelings @adaydreamaway08 @preciousbumplingbee @rustboxstarr @plk-18 @teary-eyed-egg @needylilgal022 @exploding-bonbon @gagasbee @eddiemunsonsguitarpic @aol19 @thatwitchyoucouldntburn @meanlilbean @sonnyahngel @corrodedcass @pigwidgeonxo @marsmunson86 @lottie-90 @figmentofquinn @sareim123122 @eddies-puppet @gvf23 @kennedy-brooke @rocklees-wife @emma77645 @cherris-n-peaches @breehumbles @joequinn-love @anyoddthoughts @aysheashea @eddiesskittle @uncxmfxrtablex @cherrymedicine13 @mrsjellymunson @shotgunhallelujah @bambipowerblueaddition @hexqueensupreme @josephquinnsfreckles @harrysgothicbitch @paleidiot @smurfflynn @lilyungpeanut @selena-rocker27

[mirkwoodshewolf]

No following; Planet of the Apes fanfic Chap. 1

*Author's note*

Okay so we're gonna try something new here tumblr. Ever since I saw the new Planet of the apes film a month ago I got interested in the fandom once again but never thought anyone wrote fics for the fandom. After reading some on FF.net as well as here, it got me wanting to write a series while I'm on a writer's block for my current series. And thus this series was born.

This entire series will encompass the Andy Serkis trilogy and will be a Caesar fic. But it is STRICTLY PLATONIC so if that's not your cup of tea, no hate and just move on. This is my story and I'll write it the way I want to.

Now to those who wish to give this series a chance as you read, leave a comment down below if you wish to be tagged for updates (rn I'll be binge posting cause I've already got 10 chapters ready to go and be read).

WARNINGS: Fluff, angst, swearing, violence. So this won't be for the light of heart (at least until I get to Dawn and then War).

Taglist:

@queen-paladin

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@psychosupernatural

@plethora-of-things

@gay-and-ready-to-cry

@waddles03

______________________________________________________

Some say that the bonds between human and animal are a unique thing.  That there’s an unbreakable trust between the two and that they are fated to always be together.  Others say that like soulmates, there’s always an animal for a person who needs them the most.  For me, I would end up having the most unique of all bonds with an animal that is closest to my own species of animal.

This is the story of such a bond, this is the story of Lin and Caesar.

It was nightfall and pouring down rain as I rode home with my best friend Gabriella and her mother.  Gabi and I had known each other since Pre-K after we both had a love for the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch.  From that moment on we’ve been inseparable.  Currently I was getting a ride home with her mom after our strings class.

She and I after school go over to the rec center every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights and perform with the San Fransisco Strings and Orchestra for minors.  Gabi plays the cello and I play the violin.  We’re both pretty good if I do say so myself, our teacher tells us that we could eventually go far into the world of music if we set our mind to it.  But I think I’m good cause of my genetics, after all my grandpa was a former music professor and conductor.  But he doesn’t really play anymore, or at least he tries to.

We soon stopped at my house and I said grabbing my things and readied my umbrella.

“Thanks for the ride Mrs. Montez.”

“Anytime Lin sweetie. Watch out crossing the dark, wet sidewalk.”

“I will, see you tomorrow in class Gabi.”

“See yah Lin.” I quickly opened the door and opened up my umbrella before quickly racing across the sidewalk and up the stairs to my front door.  I took my key and unlocked the door but not before waving one final time and soon Mrs. Montez drove off down the road.

I entered inside and shook off my umbrella before hanging it to dry.  I also took off my raincoat and hung it up beside it before walking further into the house proclaiming.

“Hello? Grandpa? Uncle Will?” that’s when I heard the sound of cooing, like a baby cooing but it wasn’t human.  I set my violin case down to the banister by the front door and walked into the study room where I found a large box with holes sitting on the table.  As I got closer to it, I heard my uncle say.

“Oh perfect timing, guess that means I can show you both.” I turned and saw both my uncle and grandpa coming around from the kitchen entry.

“Show me what?” uncle Will walked passed me, ruffled my hair and stood over the box.

“Hey grandpa.”

“Hey sweetheart. Get another gold star from Ms. Honey for good behavior?” I smiled solemnly.  Ms. Honey was my kindergarten teacher, my current teacher is Mr. Simmons. 

My grandpa for the past couple of years has been dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.  Uncle Will told me that it’s a disease that slowly eats away at the brain’s cells, affecting memory and sometimes body function.  You see, my parents died in a plane crash when I was just 3 years old and in their will they had the next guardianship be my grandpa.  But two years ago, that’s when the disease started to take its effect on him.

So my uncle Will had to move in with us to help not only take care of me but of grandpa too.  And when he’s at work and I’m at school, a nice nurse comes in and helps take care of grandpa.

“Grandpa, I’m in the 4th grade. My teacher is Mr. Simmons. You know the nice man you and uncle Will met last month at the school picnic.” He looked dazed for a second but then said.

“Oh right, yeah I knew that.”

“Dad, Lin, come check this out.” Uncle Will said trying to redirect the conversation.  We came over and the second we looked inside, there lay a baby monkey.

“Is that a monkey?” I asked with a head tilt.

“He’s actually a chimpanzee, an ape.” Uncle Will corrected me.  Grandpa was in pure awe as he slowly reached in and touched the baby chimp.

“What is that? Is he injured?” he asked as I took notice of a mark right around the right side of his chest.  It was a prominent balding mark in a unique shape, a long oval shape with an additional stripe at the top.  Kinda reminded me of an incomplete cross or an unfinished F.

“No, I think that’s a birthmark.” Uncle Will said as he crossed into the kitchen and started putting some things into the fridge.  All the while grandpa picked up the baby chimp and lifted him high into the air like he was Simba.  The little guy was just small enough to fit between both of grandpa’s hands.

“Listen Lin,” he told me before he began quoting, “‘But as for Caesar, kneel down, kneel down and wonder.’”

“He’s so cute.” I awed as I reached out and touched his little toes.

“Yeah don’t get too attached, either of you.” Uncle Will told us.

“So why bring him here then if we can’t keep him?” I sassed.

“He’s not a dog or a cat, not even a bunny rabbit. He’s a wild animal. My coworker promised he’d try to find an animal sanctuary for him in a couple of days.” I let out a exasperated groan.

“Animal sanctuaries are still prisons.”

“Don’t get smart young lady.” My uncle playfully reprimanded as he pointed at me.

“It’s not polite to point.” I sassed back.

“Polite? Okay, I’ll show you polite.” My uncle said as he shut the fridge and giving me that narrowed but playful look in his eyes.  I took off running as he raced after me.  I got only up four stairs before I felt two arms wrap around me and he swung me away from the staircase and the next thing I felt was a wet finger in my ear.

“GAHH EWW UNCLE WILL!!!”

“Yeah your mom did this to me all the time when we were kids, now it’s payback.” He laughed.

“I’m innocent in this vile act!” I proclaimed dramatically.

“But you must pay for the sins of thy mother young youth!”

“Will, Maria, you two better stop horsing around in there.” At hearing my mom’s name we both settled down and a somber feeling was in the air.

“He’s been calling me that on and off for the past week.”

“Honestly who can blame him. You look so much like her when she was your age.” He said with a soft smile and he ruffled my hair again.

“Really?”

“Yeah. And when have I ever lied about anything in regards to my big sister?”

“Never.”

“Exactly.” He then playfully nudged my side with his before changing the subject.  “Now please tell me you managed to eat dinner cause I’ve had a long day of work and I don’t feel like cooking anything.”

“Lucky for you, the rec center was hosting a pizza party after the past few months prepping for Districts last week. Maestro Fiyero said we earned a little break after working us so hard.”

“Good. Now why don’t you brush your teeth and get ready for bed.”

“Why does my curfew have to be 9 o’clock? I’m 10 years old, not five.”

“Growing girls needs sleep too you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell grandpa I said goodnight will yah?”

“Will do kid. Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.”

“You too.” I grabbed my violin and raced on upstairs and did my nighttime routine before getting into bed and turning off the light.

As the night progressed, I soon heard the sounds of shrieks coming from the hallway.  I opened my eyes and looked at my clock to see that it was 2:30am.  I got up and let out a cough and muttered to myself.

“Need some juice.” Quietly I walked down the hallway towards the stairs but as I came to the bathroom I could hear the shower running as well as the bathroom sink.  Did grandpa accidentally leave the water running again after taking his shower?  No, Uncle Will would’ve turned it off by now.

I knocked softly on the door and I heard my uncle’s voice say.

“It’s just me dad.”

“I’m not grandpa.” I heard footsteps and the door cracked open and when he saw me, he brought me into the bathroom before closing it.  Immediately I was hit with the heat that had been trapped by the hot water that was coming from both the shower and the sink.

“What are you doing up so late Lin?”

“I heard shrieking and then I got thirsty.”

“Ohh sorry, guess this little guy woke you up too huh?” it was then I took notice of the baby chimp swaddled up in my uncle’s arms.  I looked down at him and he looked up at me, moving his grip from my uncle’s finger to mine as he cooed.

“He looks like he has a cold.”

“You think?”

“Yeah, his nose is kinda runny.”

“Well that’s normal for babies sometimes. He’s barely a day old. You definitely had a runny nose when you were born.”

“No I didn’t!”

“Oh yeah you were quite the little snot monster. The original boogeyman, or boogeygirl.” He said taking his free hand that was on top of the baby chimp and playfully gripped my nose.

“Uncle Will!” I whined softly which made him laugh.  Our moment was stopped as the baby chimp let out a few more coos before snuggling up to uncle Will, all the while the grip on my finger got a bit tighter.  I smiled down at him and said as I stroked my thumb over his tiny fingers.  “Are you sure we can’t keep him?”

“I’ll—think about it. Holding him like this….makes me think back to the day you were born. Boy your mom wouldn’t let me near you at first. Feared I was gonna drop you, she always had that fierce mama bear instinct right from the get-go. Even when we were growing up and as she tormented me at times. When I needed it, she was there with her hot-headed attitude.”

“I miss her uncle Will.”

“Me too kid. Me too.” I leaned up against him and he rested his head on top of mine giving it a soft kiss.  “Go on back to bed, I’ll stay up with him.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m used to all-nighters, one day you might get there when you’re composing your first symphony. But for now, head back to bed.”

“Can I still get my juice first? I’m thirsty.”

“Just this once. Just be quiet when passing Charles’ room.” I nodded before leaning down and gave the baby chimp a kiss to which he let out a cute yawn and quiet hoot.

“Goodnight little chimp. Night uncle Will.” I gave him a peck on the cheek and he said goodnight to me as I quietly left the bathroom shutting the door immediately as I got out.  I went downstairs, got my drink and went back to bed.

The next morning I was finishing my breakfast and packing my school books into my backpack as uncle Will was coming down with the baby chimp and set him up in my old high-stool chair that grandpa had kept.

“Where’s my car keys?” grandpa asked as he was patting through his robe and pj pockets.  “My car keys where’d you put them? I need to get Lin to school!” he said urgently.

“Dad.” Uncle Will calmly spoke to him. “You-you don’t drive anymore. And Lin takes the bus.” Grandpa looked at him with a blank stare before turning away and telling him.

“I know that.” It really does make me sad to see grandpa this way.  He always looks so dazed and lost, like he’s here with us but at the same time he’s not.  Sometimes he’ll just sit there and stare off into space, frozen in his spot and not say anything for a really long time.

“Here, why don’t you feed him? Can you do that?” uncle Will suggested holding up a baby bottle filled with milk.

“Of course I can.” Said grandpa coming over.  As uncle Will went to get his coffee (blech!) grandpa came over and grabbed the bottle which made the baby chimp go crazy with hunger as he reached out for it.  As soon as it was in reach, he grabbed the bottle from grandpa’s hand and immediately began drinking it as fast as he could.

I dropped my fork and stared at him in awe.  I was told that babies always needed help being fed for at least several months and yet after just being born yesterday, he was feeding himself.

“Will, look at this.” Grandpa said as uncle Will came back into the kitchen and saw what we saw.  “How old is he? Like a day old, two days old?” Uncle Will sat down as he examined the baby chimp confused.

“Yeah.” Uncle Will said lowly as he kept his eyes on the baby chimp.

“Oh he’s a smart one isn’t he?” said grandpa as he came around and sat on the other side of the baby and gently placed his hand on top of his head.  “What are you gonna name him?”

“I—I don’t know.” Uncle Will said unsure.  That’s when I saw it.  Now I’m no monkey or ape expert but from pictures I’ve seen in books they normally have dark eyes, mostly brown but this little guy.  His eyes were green.

A green eyed baby chimpanzee.  One look into his eyes and I knew that he was something very special.

[theguytoendallguys]

Fuck it: here's my opinions on all the NPMD ships (in no particular order) and how much I ship them on a scale of 1-10 since I literally cannot just pick one and run with it like I can with most other fandoms I'm in

(Sorry idfk some of the names) (Also no poly relationships cause that's a whole nother rabbit hole that I MIGHT get into another day no promises)

Lautski: The cute canon straight fluff, I like it, probably won't write anything about it cause even though it's cute it doesn't rack my brain as much as the others, 7/10

Lautity: Fucking delicious, I eat it up every time, I love their dynamic, love them as a ship, literally only losing to Holyweeb by a thread 9/10

Holyweeb: the ship that I think about constantly, that I write about constantly, the ship that takes over my brain so much, they're so silly, I love their dynamic I love everything about them even though it's a straight ship in my brain because I choose to be a transmasc Richie headcannoner instead of a transfemme Richie headcannoner because I'm biased I still adore them just as much as I would with any gay ship they're so cool I wish straight couples were real (/j) 10/10

Spankoffschitz: I love them, they're silly and adorable and they pull all nighters together, they study to anime soundtracks, love em, and these opinions were totally not caused by a certain pal of mine, 8/10

Flipschitz: adorable fluff that I love, imo they always gave off best friends vibes, but the ship's pretty cute, 7/10

Ruthanie(?) (Is that what they're called? Idk): Cute, good for Ruth, I fuck with this, very yummy, 7/10

Halogear: again, very yummy, good for Ruth, love it, their dynamic is fun and it's cute, sorry I don't have much to say on most of the Ruth ships because it's just like I'm glad she's happy, but that's about it sadly, anyway, good ship, love it, 7/10

Ruth x Pete: (sorry I have no idea what the ship name for this is) again, good for Ruth, I like it, not as much as the other Ruth ships cause like they're barely shipped together on their own, and it's just kinda the same dynamic as Flipshitz but like with Pete instead and idk I just don't fuck with it as much as the other Ruth ships for some reason, still good though, 6.5/10

Pete X Grace: I have never seen these two shipped on their own and it's not bad but like I just don't see this happening like at all, 6/10

Michie: the only Max ship I am even going to entertain because of its popularity, (and just cause this is long enough already so) I can very much see it happening, if Max actually had the chance to get his redemption arc, it could be cute, and interesting, and enemies to lovers is a good trope, but I don't ship it all that much personally, 6/10

If there's any I missed, tell me and I'll rank it in a reblog!

[middleearthsdreams]

New World

Chapter 3

A/N: I feel like this is rushed, but anywaays. I'm sorry for the long wait, it's hard to update while studying :')). How are ya'll doing?

Warnings: attempted S/A, Smut, (no proof read)

Enjoy <3

chapter 1 / chapter 2

You know those tv shows, right? Where they strand famous people on a deserted island and they have to go on with what they can. Well, now you know that’s a bunch of bullshit. Because it’s been so many days, you’ve lost count, and you haven’t been able to wash yourself. All the dirt, mud and oil that’s formed on your face – and not just the face.

You smelled very badly, feeling so sorry for it. You didn’t feel comfortable smelling this horribly around people. Especially the ones you’re forced to ride with, chest to back. Sandor didn’t mind – of course – he smelt just as bad as you. If not more. But it wasn’t just that. You had to eat what Sandor could hunt: small squirrels, bunnies, sometimes berries and all things you find in the wild. Your stomach wasn’t very used to these poor meals, all made of meat. Sandor offered to bring you along while he hunted, but you just couldn’t. You’re too used to your soft and gentle world: where the meat was covered in plastic bags. You know you’ll have to learn someday: hunting is the only way to eat around here. Well, mostly killing. But you’re not ready to watch an animal die, even less by your hands.

You’re not complaining, at all. You’re glad you have someone as resourceful as Sandor to accompany you. He could sometimes be blunt and rough, but he’s a good company. He’s been nothing but a gentleman: a gentleman who curses a lot. Not that you’d mind. He’s the one that wasn’t used to women cursing. The only woman he heard talking like this was Cersei. When you did the first time, he was shocked to say the least. As shocked as his careless being could allow on his facial features. After these few days he understood that this is your way of speaking, only giving you a look whenever you did. Curses aside, he’s been very gentle with you. If you didn’t want to hunt, he didn’t force his hand. You wanted to stop to catch some pretty flowers, he didn’t oppose. You wanted to cook, he’d let you and praise your “well done squirrel”. You cried about your family, which you missed dearly, and he held you. His gentleness was indeed very contrasting with the raw wildness.

But, as much as you didn’t want to annoy him, you had to stop by the river.

“It’s been too long since I last bathed” You explain, the horrid smell invading your nostrils. “And since it’s sunny I can wash my clothes” You point out then “our clothes”. Sandor takes a minute to think. He knows that if it was just him, he wouldn’t mind being this nasty or smelling this much. He would go days with the same stains attached to his undershirt. But you were close to the Brotherhood enough. He’s just waiting for the right moment to get the Stark girl, bring her home. And make a good amount out of it, of course. He hadn’t told you his plans but you knew. You won’t have many chances to take care of yourselves, running form the Brotherhood and all. That’s why you think it’s a nice day to just stop and take a minute to wash up.

Sandor nods “Aye”.

He dismounts Stranger, then helps you get down. As always, his hands cause shivers to form on your sides. He puts you down, like you weighted nothing to him. You grow flustered a little bit more every day.

“I’m gonna catch something first, to eat…” He says, scratching his head. You nod sceptical. You had enough to eat for a few more days, so why was he- “Hold on, do you have some soap?” You have to yell to reach him, he’s already running for it in the woods. He stops and says “Left side pouch” then leaves, disappearing in the green. He’s acting weird, you think. You shake your head, caressing stranger on the side. Your hand reaches down in the skin bag, taking out a few things. A small knife, a piece of carved wood, a comb – you smile at that – and, in the end, you find the soap. You can’t believe he actually has it and, most of all, uses it. But it looks pretty much used, thank god.

It’s when you start to undress that you understand why he was acting weird. You couldn’t bathe together, obviously. And a gentleman again, he is. The embarrassment burns in your cheeks, but soon dissolves. The calm and warm water envelops your body, you have to hold back a moan. The creek is tall enough to cover you entirely, only when you’re sitting down. You put the dirty clothes on a nearby rock, enjoying the quietness. Pulling your head back you let your hair dive in the water. You could stay like this forever. The sun hitting your skin below the water, which is so clear and blue. If you look close enough you can see a few small fishes swimming by. You take your sweet time to use the soap, shivering by the satisfaction of being clean. A smile creeps up on your lips: the soap smells of lavender.

You’ve just finished washing your clothes, when you hear someone coming out of the trees. You don’t mind at first, being turned back. Sandor must have forgotten something, and the water covers you enough not to be seen. Then you hear Stranger neighing harshly. “Ain’t you a pretty thing” An unknown voice says. You glance back so suddenly you hurt your neck. Your hands move to cover yourself at lightspeed. You inspect the three men quickly, searching for barrels or weapons. Your eyes widen, terror filling you to the bone. Lannisters. And they’re all armed, sword at hand. The biggest out of the three speaks again “What’re ye doing all alone, pretty girl?”. They surround you, blocking all the possible exits. You know you wouldn’t be fast enough to run. Your insides boil, if only you had kept the small knife at hand. But what could you do against these grown men, trained to fight and with swords too? Your tiny knife would dwarf their mighty steel. You’re frozen.

“Come here, now love” The skinny one says. His face in scarred and eyes dangerous. You don’t move, not even breathing. You wish you could move, try to say something back or yell so that Sandor could hear you. But your body doesn’t respond. The same man says “I won’t ask a second time”. His dirty boots touch the water, getting close. You have to look up at him. That’s when you decide he’s too close. You stand up, opting for doing it yourself rather than having him touching you. You don’t know how long you could avoid their touch, but you want to prolong that moment nonetheless. “There you are” He says, his hand coming close to your side. You hear a faint sound, then you clearly see something moving behind the trees. You heart jumps in your throat: it’s him! You smile and whisper “You’re screwed”. That’s when you see the tall and dark shadow of Sandor. His sword cutting one man in half, not giving the time to process what’s happening to the big one close to him. The one in front of you turns back, horrified by the slaughter of his men, but doesn’t have much time to respond. Blood splutters on your chest, the pointy end of Sandor’s sword coming out of the man’s back. Behind it there’re his dark eyes and half burned face looking back at you. A wild glimpse. There’s quiet again. The sun hitting your bloodied skin.

You stand still. Sandor throws the man’s corpse away, like it weighted nothing to him. Again. Maybe it’s because he just came back from a hunt or the fresh kills, but he’s got a dangerous gleam in his eyes. The furrow of his brow casting shadows on his cheek, his facial muscles tight. His teeth are showing because of the heavy breathing. You’re trembling. Your eyes never leaving his, you don’t know what to say. You want to thank him, but you know if you open your mouth you might cry. But still, you want to thank him. You decide to move, very slowly, and take his sword out of his hands. You let it fall. He doesn’t say a thing, as you take his armour off. He lets you slip his undershirt off, revealing his hairy chest. Your cheeks burn but you’re adamant. You put his shirt on the dirty clothes rock, ready to be washed. When you turn around you kneel, ready to take his pants off too. You start to untie his breaches but he stops you “No need”. He kneels to you and sits, letting the water wash away the blood and dirt. You resume the soap and scrub his shoulders gently. You don’t meet his eyes this time, being too close. You sit between his spread legs, your body still naked. You should feel embarrassed for it, but it’s not because you’re bare in front of him that is making you feel nervous. It’s the closeness, the feeling of his intense gaze on you. The fact that he accepts your touch is a win, you think. As your hands massage him and clean his chest you dare a quick glance to his face. His lips are so close, you can feel his breath on your cheeks. His black eyes lock you in, not giving you a chance to leave so soon. You can feel his heartbeat from under your palms on his chest, it’s quickening. You have to lean your head back to maintain eye contact, even when you’re both sitting down. His lips open then close, not sure what to say. He looks like in a trance. You don’t want to break the spell. “I made a mess… the blood” He stutters out, pointing to your chest. You look down to your bloodied breasts, shrugging. He keeps his gaze on your eyes, and you’re thankful for that. Ever the gentleman, even in this situation. You snicker lightly, moving your hand to his hair. You shake your head and finally find your voice “You first”. You scrub the soap there, then hesitate, your hand a few inches from his scar. “Can I?” You ask in the tiniest voice. He looks like he’s fighting a storm in his mind, then nods, taking your hand in his and leading it to his burned side. You sigh relieved, refraining from gasping at the touch. Once you’re done cleaning him up you move to stand again. His hands stop you, grasping your sides gently but firmly. You kneel back between his legs, holding onto his shoulders. Your face is so close to his, you have to hold very tight to stop yourself from kissing him. It looks like he’s going through the same self-restraint. You wait there, minutes passing by. The hot sun dried your hair long time ago.

“Can I?” He asks, taking the soap from your hand. You don’t get it at first; then he looks down, below your neck. You squirm on the inside, ready to scream from the excitement. You don’t answer, but take his hand and guide it to your blood covered breasts. He doesn’t hesitate, diving into your flesh roughly. You have to hold back a moan, grasping his shoulders tighter. He focuses on cleaning you, at first. His black pools watching the supple flesh moving around in his hands. You feel the centre of your legs burn, aching to be touched. All the wait and expectation slowly building up your excitement. Until it finally explodes. He throws the soap on the ground, growling. His lips smash into yours so forcefully he has to hold your back tightly. You lock your arms behind his neck, kissing him back with almost the same strength. He engulfs you entirely, pushing you down but you push up into him. You grip his hair in a fist, pulling lightly; just enough to make him groan. The sound vibrates on your toungue, making you shiver and moan back. Your teeth clash, toungue diving into each other. You long to hear him once more: you pull his hair again. The sweet moans he makes, so low they shake all through your entire body. You gasp back for air, heavy breathing on his cheek. He grunts – of course – bending down to kiss your neck. You move your head to grant him more access, rubbing your hands into his hair tenderly. You don’t dare speak right now, although there’s so many things you want to tell him. Your heart is taking leaps inside your chest. The hairs of his body tickle you making you giggle; his teeth take a bite between your shoulder and neck. Your breath hitches, a half-moaned gasp escapes you. “S-sandor” You can’t help but hold yourself on him, his hands descending from your back to the soft skin of your ass. He squeezes lightly then moves further down, gripping the back of your thighs. You groan at the slow teasing, deciding to sit on his crotch, tying your feet behind his back. He smiles, more like simpers, keeping you anchored there. His lips come back up to kiss you, eating your face off hungrily. You can only hold his face for dear life, gasping at the bulge under you. You have to close your eyes. Your core finally knows some satisfaction, you grind slowly onto him. The water slows your movements, making you groan. He holds your thighs spread open, moving his hips slowly. A low rumble vibrates from your mouth straight to your clit.

That’s when you open your eyes. The dream stops.

“Sandor” You say, trying to separate yourself from him. It’s almost painful to do so, but those eyes stare back at you. Their corpses lay under the sun, white and cold. Puddles of blood form under them. Sandor keeps grinding and kissing your neck, not getting your change of mood.

“Please, wait-” You take his face away from you, forcing him to look you in the eye. He frowns, confused. You point your head back to the bodies; he follows your gaze. You sigh, heartbroken. He lowers his head, silently cursing under his breath. You don’t want to leave his warm embrace, putting your cheek on his shoulder. He keeps on holding your legs, standing up with you. Breeze brushes your back, you hug him tighter. He sets you on a prominent rock, which is warm thankfully. As he turns to leave you grab his wrist. He looks at you, letting you guide him down for a soft kiss. He accepts it gladly.

“Let me help you” You say, standing up to put on your grey shorts and tank top. They’re the clothes you had when you first arrived here, and the only ones that have dried up. He stands, shirtless and wet, looking at the dead bodies. “Where they the first men you saw die?” He asks. You can’t see his expression, his hair cascading down his face, covering his eyes. You nod “Yes”. Yes, it shocked you to see them die. But if he didn’t… maybe you wouldn’t be here. You know how these men work, how they think of women. They would have used you and then slit your throat. Just a few hours ago you thought you would never want to see an animal die. Now here you are, three dead men in front of you and you feel glad. You’re so glad to be with him.

He sighs sadly. He’s shown you what a real monster he is, his true self. He’s just an ugly monster, he thinks. You come up to his side, looking for his eyes “And I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, you know that right?”. You know that he doesn’t want to be touched right now, so you don’t, but nobody forbids you to search for his sad eyes. You want to change that. “Let me help you” You repeat, pointing to the corpses “What can I do?”. He looks at you grumpily, but takes your hands in his “I did this, I have to fix it”. He kisses your knuckles “Can you wash my clothes?” he asks. You roll your eyes, but nod. “I can do that, then I come and help you” You say firmly. He grunts but shakes his head ‘yes’, leaving your hands. You go to the creek again, retrieving the abandoned soap. The spell is broken.

When the bodies are buried and gone, the clothes dried up and the fire is going, a beautiful dusk sets on your heads. Sandor and you sit on the ground, close but not enough for your liking. After the events in the river you two only spoke a few words to each other. You’re worried he might tell you he doesn’t want you anymore, that it was a spur of the moment. So you don’t say anything. He didn’t touch you again and you didn’t try to do it to him, knowing it might upset him. The only way of knowing his emotions was by looking in his eyes. Which was a challenge, since he had his back turned all day. His beautiful, broad back. Now he’s wearing his clean shirt, the armour left aside. His eyes are lost in the flames, giving you his side profile. You have to look at his handsome features. His strong brow bone, his hairy jaw, that crocked nose.

“Stop looking at me like that”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m the most beautiful man on this earth”

You stutter for a moment, making him sigh. You know where this is going. “I think you are” You say. And it’s true, you really think he’s one of the most handsome, gentle, kind and purest men on this earth. He laughs coldly “Tell me then: what do you see in me? Mh?”. He turns to look at you, he has to look you in the eyes while you lie to him. He doesn’t need someone to tell him, he’s been served the truth his entire life. Each time his brother succeeded and he did not. Every fucking time that brat Joffrey called him dog. Or every time a lady walked past him laughing. Every time he had to pay double the price to fuck a whore. The scar he wears is not just physical.

“I think you’re one of the most handsome, loyal and kind men on this earth” You begin, shushing him when he tries to say something “And I know that you’re also one of the most irritating, stubborn and self loathing men to have ever existed, which is completely human. You’re the truest man I know, the fact that you’ve seen all kinds of horrors and survived it makes you honourable. There’s no such thing as the perfect being, like tales and ballads describe heroes. They don’t exist. And I don’t want them. You’re not good, but nobody is. Why do you have to be better when nobody is? Why is it that you have to, like it’s a burden?” you ask.

He’s speechless, which worries you. He usually comes up with sarcastic remarks or blunt objections. He looks at you completely unreadable. You bite your bottom lip, maybe you’ve gone too far? You didn’t want to break him, you only wanted to be true to yourself. You look back down, holding your knees hugged to your chest. The sky going from a light pink to a deep purple. You feel cold in front of the fire.

“You’ll be the death of me”

A large hand takes your chin, making you turn your head. Sandor’s lips crash into yours, taking your breath away. Your hand lingers on his coarse cheek, stroking it ever so slightly. Finally, the fire warms you up. You decide which fire. The kiss is heartbreakingly kind, like he’s pouring his heart out into you. Your eyes water at the thought of him being vulnerable. You kiss him back fierce, a fire burning your chest. Things grow much more heated by the second. He backs off to go to your neck. Sandor’s toungue leaves goose bumps where it lands, making you gasp for air. The tip of his nose caressing the back of your neck. You take him by the shoulders, taking him off of you. The position was making your neck hurt. You make him sit back on his spot, sitting with your legs spread open again. You sit on his crotch, keeping your knees by his hips. He takes you by the sides, holding you still. He nears your face, looking from your lips to your eyes. “Sing for me, little girl” he growls in your ear. You bite your lip to hold back a moan, afraid of the dark: someone might be hearing. He slaps your ass harshly, reprimanding you “I said sing!”. He manhandles you to grind on his cock, making you gasp out a moan. The friction feels heavenly outside the water. He smirks, the sound making himself grow harder. His mouth attacks your collarbone, biting and sucking. You hold him by the neck, gripping his clean hair and pulling hard. You could play that game in two. He groans on your skin, your breasts jumping at the sound. It’s so good to make a quiet man moan your name. You untie the laces of his shirt, signalling for him to pull his arms up. Once you see that big chest you almost drool, his big arms hiding you entirely. You grind back faster, feeling way too close to the edge.

He can feel you going faster and decides to switch places, holding you on the ground beneath him. He grips your tank top and rips it off of you, diving into your chest. He leaves a trail of bites and sucks each nipple hard, making you scream from the pain and pleasure. The knot in your abdomen growing tighter, ready to snap. Your head feels like on cloud nine, you’re a hazy moaning mess. The grip on his hair only grows stronger, making him shiver from head to toes. His hands then grip on your shorts and rip those too. “Fuck these tiny clothes” He murmurs on your stomach, kissing his way down. His beard tickles you, making you giggle and hold back a laugh. However, you can only release a strangled moan: his toungue laps your slit top to bottom. It looks like he knows what he has to look for, to bring you pleasure. You’re shocked: not even some men in your world knew that, let alone someone on a medieval fantasy show. Your lips form a ‘o’ shape, the shocks of pleasure running all over your body. He licks and sucks on your clit with an intent, eyes set on you. He moans on your mound as you scratch his hair. The vibrations send you over the edge, feet tingling. You see and feel white, hot shock waves starting from your toes and ending on the tip of your head. Shivering and hot, you spasm against him, trying to lead him away from your sensitive cunt. He keeps your legs open wide with his strong hold, your weak tries are worthless. He laps and licks, drinking till the last drop of your juices. You have but a few moments to take a breath. Once he’s done he kneels, slapping your thigh for good measure. He unties his trousers and takes his cock in his hand. You want to rub your eyes, because you don’t believe the size of him. His hand – which is gigantic – holds his cock almost entirely, his fingers not touching though. It might be the orgasm or the hormones, but instead of scaring you it makes you grow wetter than before. A challenge you’re glad to accept.

“Ready to take me?”

“Ohh yess, please Sandor!”

To make sure it’ll fit, he turns you around and holds your hip high up. He pumps his length a few times, then rubs it along your juice coated pussy. You moan loudly, head pulled back to look at him while he enters you. The tip stretches you out good, not yet painfully. He goes slow, filling you up inch by inch, holding you by the waist. You know you’ll wake up filled with bruises. You start to hiss from the pain halfway through. You drool on the ground, knees scratched and ass in the air. He stops to let you breath, taking a moment to control himself too. His strong hold on you moves up and under your body, fingers tangling in your tits. He massages them and pulls on your nipples painfully hard, making you squeeze around his cock. He laughs darkly, sending shivers on your spine. You feel so good, yet not quite satisfied. You push your ass back slowly, finally sensing his lower abdomen on your skin. You sigh happily, the tip of his cock feeling deep inside your belly. He stutters, balls deep inside you. “Makin’ me go insane, little girl” He whispers in your ear “Don’t know if I can control myself”. His hips slam up, making you jump forward by the force. You scream, not caring two fucks if someone hears you. If it weren’t for his strong hold on your waist you would have slipped out, his strength feeling unhuman. You struggle to speak “Then- then don’t”. You don’t want him to control himself. You want to feel him truthfully.

He growls like an animal at your words, taking you by the shoulder and saying “Hold on tight then”. He pushes you down on the grass, pulling his hips back. He almost completely exits your entrance, leaving just the tip; you hold your breath. Nothing could have prepared you. You open your mouth on the dirt, no sounds leaving your mouth. You don’t find your voice, nor air in your lungs from the sudden intrusion in your womb. His hips hit you ass painfully, as does his tip inside you. His pushes so strong you jump upwards each thrust, his hips moving too fast not letting you breath. You feel sore already, your entrance burning from the stretch, ass red and aching by the position. You love it.

His hands move but you barely feel them, too caught in the sweet mixture of sensations. One hand grips your hair, pulling you back completely. “Fuuck” You yell, the new position stretching your insides out. The skin of your neck hurts but you finally get to touch him. You groan in his ear, his cock filling you so much more, now that you’re basically sitting on him. His other hand goes under your belly, holding you there. He pumps up into you. His grunts reach your ear, your arms going on his neck to grab his face. He bites the skin of your neck, hard enough to draw blood. You hiss in pain, the stinging of his teeth leaves a burning sensation. He licks the area to soothe the pain, sucking your blood away. You kiss his neck while trying to ride him as much as you can. The hand on your belly pushes, making you feel just how deep he is inside you. He moans “Feel h-here” taking your hand and leading it downwards. You look down and, with his help, press down. He leaps up and you can feel the tip of his cock moving inside of you. More wetness leaves your entrance at the sight, your eyes watering by the building pleasure. You push down on him more, taking his large hand now. You guide it down to your clit and he understands. He flicks and swirls the nub, edging you closer to your end. You ride with him now, straining the muscles of your thighs by the pressure. Your voices mix together, the sounds of slapping skin are of background. You turn your head, getting closer to his face. You don’t kiss him though, you just want to look at him while you cum. The fire light casts shadows on his face, the dips of his scar more evident. His black eyes shining in pleasure, half lidded and intense.

You gasp as you feel his dark gaze on you, looking down to see your doom. The tight knot in your womb is ready to snatch, he notices. His fingers move faster, getting close himself to the edge, stuttering violently. You feel the light tingle in your limbs, gasping for the last time and holding tightly on his neck. You grab for dear life on him; he holds you, trying to keep you up. The knot snaps and you feel liquid gush out of you, the pleasure too much to handle. “’s too good” Your insides grip him, milk him towards his end. He curses under his breath, biting you again. You feel him fill you up, balls slapping your clit, making you jump out of overstimulation. His last thrusts are the hardest, you don’t have the time to think that he just came inside. You feel like butter in his hands, and teeth – which are still gripping your neck. The last drops of your pleasure subside. He kisses your neck tenderly, apologizing silently for the roughness. You come to your senses when he moves slightly, your pussy aching. He positions you both on your sides, you feeling too weak to move on your own. Your thighs hurt too much.

He moves slowly to slip out of your entrance, making sure not to hurt you. You can only hiss silently, feeling your belly being emptied out. You touch there, the area sore and swollen. You smile sleepy, the cold grass making contrast with your hot skin. Sandor gets up shakily, using your ripped shorts to clean you up. How many times have you washed yourself today? You’ve lost count. And to think it was the whole meaning of this day.

“Come here little girl, you have to get dressed” He says, already getting back in his clothes. You groan but nod, you know you should. He offers his hand to help you up. You accept it but, as soon as you get up, you fall down on your ass. Your legs fail to make you stand. You frown for a good two seconds then start to laugh. He barks out a laugh as well, all smug for reducing you in such way. He shakes his head, the hair that stick to his forehead move freely in the small breeze. You can’t stop smiling, you love to see him this happy. He hands you your clothes, deciding to put them on while sitting. Your legs needed a few more hours to regain their strength. He sits again beside you.

“Wasn’t too hard, right?”

“A bit, but that’s alright”

“Did I hurt you?”

“Hahah, I wish you did more”

You yawn quietly, leaning your head on his shoulder. He sniffles a silent laugh, then sighs deeply. He covers you both with his cloak, letting you hug him. You both lay down, one of his arms grasping you close to him, the other holding his sword tight.

“Thank you”

“For what?”

“Letting me love you”

“Uh…”

He hesitates.

“Thank you”

“For what?”

But he doesn’t answer.

[vay99]

Ace x reader

Modern AU

Studying you

Anime/Manga: One Piece

Ace is fast asleep on his desk, noiseless sleeping through the lesson. Marco keeps an eye on his friend so he doesn't get into trouble, quietly laughing to himself as he puts sticky notes on Aces face. 

"As I announced last week, we'll be doing a project. I've already chosen the partners, there won't be changes."

"Should I wake him?" Marco asks himself, assuming that they'll get teamed up anyways he decides to let his friend sleep. 

"Marco and Tatch, Ace and (y/n)..." 

"Mhm?!" Ace, shakes his head, trying to avoid Marcos poking. 

"Dude, wake up." 

But no chance. 

"Broooo." 

Nop, must need a miracle. Just then the bell rings, the teacher tries to keep everyone from stroming out but no chance. It's the last period, who wouldn't sprint home? Well, you didn't. 

Approaching the two friends in the last row you notice that Ace is asleep. 

"The usual?" 

"The usual." Marco sighs. 

"I'll wake him up, he probably doesn't even know we got pared up for the history project." you explain, ruffling his hair. 

"Mhm, stop that mom." 

You immediately freeze while Marco bursts into laughter, causing Ace to wake up. 

"What is it? (y/n)?" Ace squeals, accidentally falling off the chair. 

"I just wanted to tell you that we got paired up for the project." you explain, while the flustered boy picks himself up from the ground. 

"Sure, nice sounds that. I mean! That nice sounds! I-" 

"You can meet up at Aces house tomorrow, after school, right Ace?" Marco helps out his friend. 

"Yes, sure, totally, absolutely." 

"See you tomorrow then sleepy head." you wave goodbye to your friends, saving Ace from more embarrassment. 

"Why can't I talk to her like a normal person?" Ace sinks back onto the ground again. 

"Dude, that's the least problem right now, you called her mom." Marco reminds him, kneeling next to his friend. 

"I did WHAT?!" Ace sits up straight. "Please bury me." 

*Next day after school*

"I can't be alone with her!" Ace whisper yells at his friend who's pushing him towards you. 

"Yoi! Here's your Ace. Have fun!" Marco immediately runs off, leaving a flustered Ace and confused you behind. 

"Sooo, should we go?" you ask, whipping forth and back on your feet. 

"Sure." he says, head turned away from you. 

"It's been a while since I've visited you the last time."

"It is..." Ace thinks back to the first time you visited him. You just moves to his neighborhood and had no friends yet, so your parents thought it'd be nice if you'd become friends. 

At first you got along pretty good but after a year in school your interests driften apart, so you grew more more distant. You'd still hang out at school from time to time but in private you barely saw each other. Aces huge ass crush wasn't helping at all, if anything he distanced himself even more to get you out off his head. 

"There we are." Ace says, opening the front gate, letting you pass first. "My brothers are at home as well, I hope that doesn't bother you." 

"Of course not, what were their names again... Luffy and, oh, Sabo!" you remember, right then Luffy opens the door. 

"Hi Ace! Dinner is ready! Oh who's this?" the enthusiastic boy grins at you. 

"I'm (y/n)." 

"Are you Ace's girlfriend?" 

"Uh, no, I'm-" 

"Ace come on the food will get cold." Luffy interrupts you and pulls his brother inside. 

You're joining the three brother for dinner, Sabo still remembers you, unlike Luffy. 

While Ace and Sabo clean everything up Luffy bombards you with thousands of questions. 

"Isn't that the girl you have a huge crush on~" Sabo nudges Aces side. 

"Please shut up." Ace groans, sinking onto the ground in frustration. "Luffy will ruin all of my chances with her." 

"I beg to differ." Sabo chuckles. 

"Ace is the best brother! Next to Sabo of course, even though Ace isn't as smart as him. But he always cooks food for me and let's me play his video games." Luffy praises his brother. 

"I didn't know you could cook Ace, you should teach me someday." you laugh, making Luffy explode with happiness. 

"Can I eat it then?????" this boys brain has food as only information inside of it. 

"Congrats, that sounds like a date." Sabo pats his brothers shoulder while you're getting strangled by Luffys hug. "If she survives. 

"Oi Luffy!" Ace pulls his brother away. 

"Your brothers are really, lively?" you say as you enter Aces room, ready to start the project. 

"Yeah, sorry about that." Ace feels like drowning in embarrassment, but he has no time for that. 

"Yo what are you doing?" Luffy immediately slams the door open. 

"We're working on a history presentation." you answer, while Ace starts his Laptop. 

"School stuff is boring. Bye." Luffy leaves as fast as he came. 

"They're annoying." Ace mumbles under his breath as he starts the PowerPoint window. 

Working for two hours straight with no interruption and full productivity had you two grow tired by now. Aces head is already laying on the laptop, adding lots of N's to annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn... 

"Hey Ace. Ace?" looking up from the book you notice that your friend fell asleep and immediately save the laptop and presentation from the attack. "How can someone fall asleep so fast, we were talking just a minute ago." /He looks too peaceful to wake him now/

Looking threw his room you notice a picture on his wall, you two when you were younger. Smiling you take the picture in your hands, remembering how fun it used to be to hang out.

"This must be five years old or something." you turn it around, to srr ig there's a date on the back, only to find a handwritten note. 

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

From 15 year old me to future me;

My mom just gave me this picture, it's already been a year since I distanced myself from her. I'm not brave enough to do it yet so if you, future Ace, read this:

Confess. 

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

"Oh my-" you can't help but stare at the words and read them over and over again. /It's been two years, does he maybe... still?/

"What- Oh no I fell asleep again." Ace yawns, making you hidr the photo behind your back, instead of just putting it back which was a really smart move. 

"Yeah, you were really fast asleep." you chuckle nervously, unsure how to behave. 

"Sorry." Ace rubs his neck, slightly embarrassed. 

"No worries." 

"It's already late, I'll bring you home." Ace says, noticing the sun setting. 

"Oh." but you don't wanna go. "We don't have school tomorrow, we could do something else. Like we used to." 

"Like we- Oh. Sure, uhm, wanna, wanna watch a movie ooor, what about." Ace pulls out random video games to come up with suggestions. "Or what do you wanna do?" 

His black, messy hair, the freckles hidden by his blush, his dark eyes filled with confusion and hope. This made you loose your mind for a moment. 

"I feel like studying something else right now." you eye his lips, taking a few steps towards him. 

"Like what?" 

As if everything else blends away you bet everything upon that one card. 

"You." 

"But there's nothing interesting about me." Ace claims, now completely read as you hand him the picture. "Oh no, no no nonononoooo. You didn't, no, how, why. Im sorry, uh." 

"Ace." you cup his cheeks. "Calm down." resting your forehead against his he calms down. "I'd do it but since you've promised your younger self I let you go first. If you still feel the same." 

The last sentence took the most strength out of you. 

Taking a few deep breaths Ace pulls himself together. "I like you (y/n). I've always did and I still do." 

"I like you too Ace." you smile at him, kissing his nose. 

Letting out a relieved laugh Ace wraps his arms around you and falls onto his bed, laying on top of you, face buried in your neck. 

"Please tell me you didn't fell asleep." 

"No but I've just put all of my energy in this confession, I've got none left." Ace mumbles, his breath tickling your neck. 

"Then we'll study another time~" you play with his hair, growing comfortable in this position. Ace is like a heater, or like a big cat, or a big teddy bear. But one thing is for sure, his cuddles are the best.

[study-with-aura]

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

I missed posting yesterday, but I had a lot to get done. I volunteered at the library for two hours yesterday, so that took up my usual extra afternoon time. I'll be starting to volunteer for two hours every Monday since they started this particular volunteer program back up now. I enjoy doing it.The planning meeting on Sunday for Girl Scouts went wonderfully! We officially figured out the badges we would like to earn for the year:

Outdoor Art Expert

Democracy for Seniors (it's election year here)

Behind the Ballot

Adventure Camper

Outdoor Journey Project completion

Business Startup

My Cookie Network

Mission: Sisterhood Journey

Traveler

Voice for Animals

Social lnnovator

Business Etiquette

Savvy Saver

Digital Leadership

Game Visionary

Think Like an Engineer Journey

Sky

Outdoor Trail Adventure

Badges I will work on solo or with my friends in seniors on our own time:

Coding for Good (1-3)

Cybersecurity (1-3)

We have already determined that at some point, we will probably need to meet more than once a week, which if our schedules allow, my mom agreed to (she's one of the troop leaders). In all fairness, it gives us a chance to hang out and earn badges at the same time, so it's a win-win if we can make it happen. We'll still be missing a few badges before moving to Ambassador, but that's okay.

Then Saturday, the trip was incredible! It was a bit hot, but overall, we had an amazing time exploring the park! I even went fishing. I don't even fish with my dad and brother! Dad thought that was funny. It isn't my thing for sure, but I understand how it could be relaxing. Don't worry, all the fish we caught, we threw back into the lake. We also got to hike some beautiful yet quite steep at times trails. I was so tired when I got home that I didn't go in game at all. I finished up what I needed to with reading and language practice, showered, had dinner, and went to sleep (not all in that order).

Now that I have caught you all up with my weekend, I hope everyone has a wonderful week. It's almost autumn! My mom got me two new squishmallows! One is in a Halloween costume. She looks like a devil, but she's really dressed up like a vampire. You can see her little fangs. And the other is a squirrel! Aren't they adorable?

Tasks Completed:

Algebra 2 - Learned about special products of polynomials + practice

American Literature - Copied vocabulary terms + read about Herman Melville + read about Moby Dick + read about Moby Dick as a great American novel + read an analysis of the major characters + read about the themes, motifs, and symbols

Spanish 3 - Vocabulary test (20/20)

Bible 2 - Read 1 Kings 12

Early American History - Finished reading "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon by Johnathan Edwards + read about the Enlightenment + read "The Enlightenment in America" + answered discussion question + answered study guide question

Earth Science with Lab - Read about the rock cycle + completed rock cycle activity (15/15)

Music Appreciation - Listened to Beethoven's 5th Symphony + wrote a description of music using music terminology

Khan Academy - Completed US History Unit 2: Lesson 3.8

Duolingo - Studied for approximately 30 minutes (Spanish + French + Chinese) + completed daily quests

Piano - 60-minute piano lesson + practiced for two hours

Reading - Read pages 133-174 of Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe

Chores - Laundry + took trash and recycling out

Activities of the Day:

September Study (John 15: 1-2, Matthew 3:10, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 5:5)

Personal Bible Study (1 Corinthians 2)

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Guess who’s back to spoiling her own story? It’s me! 

So, I was going to keep this a secret until I got to it naturally in Lucky Break and have been omitting it from all stories happening post Little Garden, but I have finally caved because reading about Ace adopting Kotatsu in Ace’s Story got me thinking “aww this would be such a good bonding point between him and Lucky” so let’s talk about Magnolia!

Magnolia (Maggie for short) is a sabertooth tiger cub that Lucky stumbles across in Little Garden and adopts after seeing that her mother is dead and she’s been left alone. This leads into Lucky finally getting an official title as the Straw Hat’s animal tamer. Magnolia is Lucky’s main means of defense (plus a weapon she gets in literally the next chapter). Granted, Magnolia doesn’t become a huge threat until after the timeskip when she’s much bigger, but even as a cub she’s the size of a medium sized dog so an attack from her still feels like being mauled by an angry german shepard with huge teeth.

Magnolia has a big scar on her left hind leg that happened when her mother was killed by a triceratops. She was launched during the attack and tore her leg open on a tree branch she flew into. After doing some research on what noises sabertooth tigers would have made, I have settled on her sounding similar to a clouded leopard since that’s their closest relative and there aren’t any conclusive studies on their vocalizations. She makes a lot of meowing sounds, screams instead of roars, and chuffs.

As much as I wanted to keep her a surprise until her official debut, I was starting to feel bad about leaving her out of everything.

Now that the explanation is over, here’s a short drabble of Little Lucky and Ace bonding over this. This takes place immediately before What’cha Got There

Ace crouched down and chuckled at the affectionate cub rubbing up against his legs. He extended his arm and scratched behind her ears, eliciting some contented chuffs. The heat that he was constantly giving off was always a big hit with cats, and that appeared to apply to sabertooth tigers as well.

“So this one is yours, huh? What’s her name?” Ace looked up from the feline to see your happy face.

“I named her Magnolia, but I usually just call her Maggie,” you explained proudly, patting Magnolia enthusiastically. 

“Oh yeah? That’s a nice name. She looks awfully happy, you must be taking good care of her.”

You nodded aggressively, “Yeah! I’ve always wanted a kitty and now I’m gonna be the best at keeping her!” Magnolia leaned into your pets happily, chuffing more as she pushed her face into yours, “Isn’t she the sweetest little kitty?”

“Little? She’s almost as big as you!” Ace pinched your cheek as he teased you.

“Yeah, but she’s gonna get way bigger! Maggie’s mama was huge!” Your grin dropped, “I found her next to her mama after she got attacked by something. That’s how she got this, too.” You pointed to the patch of bandages on Magnolia’s thigh. Your arms locked around the feline’s neck, and you brought her in for a hug, “I helped Maggie, but her mama was already dead, so I decided to take her with me.”

Ace smiled fondly as he remembered rescuing a cat himself back in his days as captain of the Spade Pirates. An idea came to mind all of a sudden, “You know, Lucky, I’ve got a cat that I rescued, too.”

Your head snapped in his direction instantly, eyes wide with surprise, “You do?! Where?!”

He chuckled at your enthusiasm, “Easy there, he’s not here right now.”

“Aww,” your shoulders sulked and your lips formed a pout, but it was short lived. Immediately after, you perked back up with a sparkle in your eyes, “Well where is he? Can I meet him? What’s his name? Is he also a sabertooth?”

The rapid fire questions only made him laugh more, “Whoa, whoa, give me a chance to answer! He’s a kind of lynx, I think, and his name is Kotatsu. He’s living it up on my Pop’s ship now, so you’ll have to come visit if you want to meet him.”

“Can Maggie come, too? They could be friends!”

“I don’t see why not. Do you wanna go right now?” A very small part of Ace felt bad for essentially baiting you into coming with him, but was it so bad to want to introduce his newfound niece to his brothers?

His grin widened upon seeing you nod, only for it to stop abruptly. You paused and looked at your feet, “That does sound fun, but I don’t think everyone would let me. They don’t like it when I’m not with them.”

“It’ll be fine, you’ll be with me!” Ace tried to convince you, but you still looked unsure. “How about this: what if I sneak you off the ship so you can visit?”

You weren’t fully on board yet, but you were looking at him inquisitively, “How?”

That was a good question. Ace scratched the back of his head in thought until he got an idea. He stood up and went over to his backpack and rifled through it before pulling out a bunched up piece of cloth. With a flourish, he threw on the cloak and held out his arms to you expectantly.

All you did was tilt your head at him, clearly not understanding what he was getting at.

“Come here! I can hide you in this and we’ll go!”

You stared back at him for a beat, before dissolving into giggles, “That won’t work! You’re being silly!” Magnolia flinched from the sudden outburst, leaping back onto her feet from the sitting position she was in and looking around the room wildly.

“Hey, give it a chance!” Ace clutched at his chest, deeply wounded from being mocked by a little kid.

“Where would Maggie go?”

That did pose a problem. There’s no way he can fit both you and Maggie in his cloak. “Uh. W-Well… she can just walk with us? The others are only worried about you leaving, right? They won’t care if it’s just Maggie,” he offers.

You only continued to mercilessly laugh in his face, “You’re not very good at coming up with plans, Uncle Ace!” 

“Okay, come here you,” Ace stormed forward and scooped you up. As soon as you were secured to his chest, he wrapped the cloak tight around you. 

You squirmed and thrashed in his grip, “Quit it, you’re too hot! I’m gonna get all sweaty!”

“All the more reason for us to hurry!” Ace slipped his backpack over his shoulder and looked down at Magnolia, who was now at his feet and pawing at his cloak, “Alright, let’s go Maggie, follow me.”

“This isn’t gonna work,” you chimed in, muffled from the cloth and having your face squished into his chest. 

Ace paid it no mind and hurried towards the door to the deck. He knew this was far from his best idea, but he was desperate to show you off to his family. All he could do was pray that no one else was on deck.

[thornybubbles]

Blind Love, Blind Obsession (Yandere N'Doul x Reader)

Another Picker Wheel prompt story. 

Yandere: N’Doul 

Prompt: “Yandere and their darling are good friends until Darling accidentally finds something in their room that reveals what the yandere's intentions really are.”

**Note: I was working on the Jealous Yandere Doppio/Diavolo story but I’m struggling with it. I’m not sure, but I may end up rewriting it all together. I’m taking a break from it for now. So here’s a little something to tide you over until I finish it. I took some liberties with N’Doul’s character in this story. Not much is revealed to us about him (at least not in the anime, I haven’t gotten that far in the manga just yet), so I just got creative with him in this. Hopefully it’s not to the point that he’s out of character. I also didn’t realize it until I was already finished with the story that N’Doul went the whole way without ever once using his Stand. Sorry, Geb. Maybe next time.**

N’Doul had developed a strange friendship with you ever since you’d come to Cairo to study Egyptian Mythology. You ran into each other by chance and found that the mysterious blind man knew quite a lot about the subject. You would even go so far as to say that he was almost an expert. From there, you had developed a fondness for him. As for N’Doul himself, well, he never expected to make any kind of friendship with anyone. 

His duty to Lord DIO had been his one and only concern for so long that the notion of friendship or any sort of attachment to anyone other than his master was a foreign concept. But as he held onto your sleeve as the two of you traveled from landmark to landmark, he felt an intense emotion beginning to swell up in his heart. He noticed that it was beginning to happen nearly every time he was in your presence. Your excited laugh, your kindness and consideration towards him, your occasionally brazen touches, it all nearly drove him insane. You had a strange habit of tapping against his earrings to get his attention instead of merely speaking to him. He knew you were only doing it out of playfulness, but… you had no idea what sensations such a simple act sent through him. The vibrations of your fingertips coupled with the warmth radiating from your hands nearly made him drunk with the ever growing affection for you.

But it wasn’t just affection anymore. He knew that what he felt for you had broadened well past what was normal. Even Lord DIO had become aware of it and commented on it. 

“If you’re going to make your move, N’Doul, you had better do so soon. In the meantime I don’t want your pining over this commoner to get in the way of your responsibilities to me.” the vampire warned him. 

“Of course not, my Lord. Nothing will deter me from serving you.” N’Doul was quick to assure him, dropping to one knee upon hearing the voice of his master. 

“See that it doesn’t.” DIO said with a derisive sniff. 

He was silent for a moment before adding, “However, it would be painfully cruel of me to deny one of my most loyal and competent followers the simple happiness of being with the one they love…” 

There was a sinister tone in DIO’s voice that made N’Doul uneasy. If his vision had been intact, he would be disturbed by the look of wicked mischief that painted his master’s expression. He could hear some rustling sounds as DIO moved about. After a moment, he could hear the sound of something being put into what he assumed was a glass container of some kind, followed by the sound of Lord DIO’s footsteps approaching him. 

“Hold out your hands, N’Doul. I have a gift for you.” 

N’Doul did as he was told while balancing his cane against his shoulder. He felt a jar being placed into his hands and was confused until he felt the vibrations of something moving in the jar. It squirmed and writhed in a worm-like fashion and when N’Doul realized just what his master had gifted him with, his lips formed into a menacing smile. 

“Thank you, Master! Thank you!” he said in jubilation. 

“Yes, yes. I am a giving and generous god to those that earn my favor. Now go and bring your little pet here to join us, N’Doul. Just be quick about it.” DIO said. 

N’Doul slipped the jar into a pocket inside of his cloak and quickly got to his feet. He left the mansion as quickly as he could, grinning like a madman the whole way. He passed by Vanilla Ice, who stood in the shadows of Lord DIO’s room, looking grim-faced as always. DIO didn’t miss the slight twitch of one of Vanilla’s eyes as he watched the blind man pass by. His second in command always got so very jealous whenever he would reward his other lackeys. Sometimes DIO would do it just to see Vanilla’s stony facade crack ever so slightly as he eyed the other minions with envy. Maybe if he allowed him to have a pet of his own, Vanilla Ice would learn to lighten up a little. 

When N’Doul arrived at the quaint desert house he’d bought on the outskirts of town, he was surprised to find you already there. You smiled at him as he approached in spite of the fact that he couldn’t see it. 

“Good timing! I was just about to leave.” you said. 

He could hear the smile in your voice, but he could also sense an underlying sorrow there. Something was amiss. 

“Were you?” he said as he felt his way to you. He stopped when he could sense your presence close to him. 

“I’m glad I came home when I did then.” 

He didn’t ask you what was wrong. He left the unasked question hanging in the air, hoping that you would tell him without being prodded. 

“I’ll be leaving the country soon. I’ll be going back home.” You said, not knowing a better way to put it. 

N’Doul’s heart felt like it had shattered like glass. He refused to let it show. He leaned against his cane to balance himself, feeling like he was going to fall over from the rush of emotions flowing through him. 

“Ah, I suppose that means your studies are coming to an end then.” he stated, his voice sounding lifeless. 

You nodded, realized he wouldn’t know that you did, and said, “Yeah…” 

“When will you be leaving?” N’Doul asked. 

“By the end of the week.” 

There was an awkward, gloomy silence between you before you added, “I just came to say goodbye, N’Doul, and to thank you.” 

“Thank me?” he said with a weak smile. “For what?” 

“For helping me out, showing me around, just being there for me,” you said. “I was just some dumb foreigner that bumped into you by accident one day and you could have ignored me and been on your way, but you shared your knowledge with me and went out of your way to make me feel welcome. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated it.” 

You wrapped your arms around him in a tight embrace. Your sudden show of affection stunned him enough to cause him to drop his cane. He genuinely forgot to breathe for a moment. While his heart was soaring over the fact that you had your arms around him, he couldn’t ignore the despair he felt at the news that you were leaving. There was a very good chance that once you left Egypt, he would never see you again. He wrapped his arms around you, returning your hug. His embrace was far more possessive than he meant for it to be and he released you quickly. He felt his cane being placed back into his hand. You had taken it upon yourself to pick it back up for him.

“Thank you.” he said quietly. “Are you in a hurry to leave now? Do you have time to visit for a while?” 

You thought for a moment. 

“I supposed I could spare some time for a friend.” you said. 

N’Doul smiled, trying his best to keep the look of triumph off of his face. You let him hang onto your sleeve as the two of you went to the entrance of his house. He unlocked the door, letting you enter first, then going in and shutting the door behind him. He made sure to lock it back. 

“I will make some tea,” he announced. 

“Okay. Where can I wash up a bit?” you asked. 

He pointed with his cane down a short hallway. 

“First door on the right.” 

N’Doul walked into the kitchen, found the sink, and washed his hands. He had only just dried them off when he heard your footsteps going down the hallway. He stopped what he was doing immediately to listen. Why were you going in that direction? Your footsteps went past the wash room and stood in front of the door to his bedroom. He felt a shock of panic go through him as you entered the room. 

You couldn’t go in there! If you went in there you would see…

The panic in N’Doul’s heart vanished. At this point it didn’t really matter that you saw what was in there. He had already put his plan into place the moment you set foot into his home. He sighed. He supposed he was going to have to put things into action earlier than intended. 

You entered the room and quickly realized that it wasn’t the washroom. You must’ve misheard N’Doul’s directions. You started to leave when you spotted something on a table in the far end of the room that looked… wrong. You turned back to see that there were some burned out candles in the middle of the table and surrounding the candles were some very familiar items: a ring, a pen, a hair clip, and a nail file. They were yours. Every single item on the table were items that you thought you’d lost during your stay in Egypt. Why… why would N’Doul have them? And what were those strange marks encircling the items? Was that… blood?

The sound of the door shutting behind you caused you to scream and jump. You turned to see N’Doul standing there. His eyes were open for a change and you could see the white film over them. N’Doul’s expression was… not pleasant. 

“I distinctly remember telling you that the washroom was the first door on the right. You do know it’s extremely rude to wander a person’s home without their permission, don’t you?” 

His tone had a dangerous edge to it. 

“I-I made a mistake!” you said, defensively. “I misheard you… but N’Doul… why do you have these things? W-what is this?” 

“I was hoping you wouldn’t find that,” he said with a sigh. “But since you did, I suppose I could explain myself. It’s a charm. I know it’s silly, like something a superstitious child would do to get good luck or cause their crush to fall for them. Still, I had to try it.” 

He slowly began to approach you as you pressed yourself ever further into the room. His cane made threatening thumping noises with every step he took. 

“This particular charm was meant to keep a loved one from leaving.” 

You looked at him like he’d lost his mind, not caring that he couldn’t see your expression. 

“I knew that you would finish your studies eventually, I just wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. I suppose the charm worked in a way, though. Today, my Master gave me something that will solve all our problems.” 

You could feel a cold sweat beginning to form on the back of your neck. 

“N’Doul… what are you talking about? None of what you’re saying makes sense!” you said, nervously. 

“I’ll say it plainly then.” he said as he reached into his cloak to pull out a jar. 

You couldn’t quite make it out in the dim light of the room, but it looked like something living was squirming around in the jar. 

“You will not be leaving Egypt any time soon, my dear.” 

Your blood froze and you began to tremble. 

“N-N’Doul, I don’t understand what’s happening! Why are you saying these things? W-why are you acting like this? What the hell is in that jar!?” 

N’Doul began slowly, painstakingly unscrewing the lid of the jar. The thing inside it seemed to get excited at the prospect of being set free. You backed up until you ran into the table where the “charm” was set up. You looked back up at N’Doul who had a deceptively placid smile on his face. 

“Remember when we discussed mysticism, the origin of the tarot, and many other aspects of the supernatural that are embedded in Egypt’s history and mythology? What if I told you that there is a secret side to Egypt, no, to the world where the things that live in legend and myth are all very real and exist right alongside the modern dung heap that is human civilization? If you stay with me, I can show you all those things that mankind still thinks to be only make-believe! You will learn so much more than your paltry Universities could ever teach you! All that you have to do is agree to stay here with me and I’ll see to it that your every need is met. Just stay. Stay and unravel the mysteries that humanity has been too cowardly to seek out! You want that don’t you?” 

He was crazy. He was completely and utterly out of his mind! 

“I can’t stay with you N’Doul.” You said in a trembling voice. “I have to go home. People will miss me if I don’t.” 

N’Doul sighed. 

“I just wanted to give you a choice…” he said, and removed the lid from the jar. “...before I took away your ability to choose.” 

You screamed as what looked like a mass of tentacles leapt from the jar and right at your face. There was a brief moment of agony as whatever the thing was pierced through your skull and slithered into your brain. Flashes of a beautiful man with blonde hair and malevolent red eyes flooded your mind. A voice, calming yet commanding, spoke to you. 

“Follow N’Doul. Do as he says. N’Doul is your companion, your beloved, your soulmate, but do not forget that DIO is your Master.” 

You moaned and placed a hand over your forehead. Your head was killing you. 

N’Doul waited for you to do or say something to let him know that the flesh bud had done its job. After a moment of only hearing silence, he got impatient. 

“Dearest?” he called. “Are you alright?” 

You took your hand away from your head and faced your lover. 

“Just a sudden headache, that’s all… I forgot what I came in here for.” you said, laughing on the last part. 

N’Doul chuckled darkly. 

“I believe you said that you were going to wash up. I was going to make some tea, remember?” he said, not bothering to hide the wicked grin of triumph on his face. 

“Oh, that’s right!” You said in a bubbly tone. You bounced towards him, stopping to tap at one of his earrings and giggling as it swung like a clock pendulum. He blushed at the sensation and you giggled again.

“It’s late enough that we may as well start on dinner while we’re at it.” You said as you passed him to go out into the hall. 

He smiled at you fondly as you walked away from him. Once you were out of the room, he turned to look at the “charm” he’d set up. 

“Thank you, Lord DIO.” he whispered under his breath. 

[hardygalwrites]

FanFiction.Net Link

Anime/Manga: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Part 3: Stardust Crusaders)

Characters: Noriaki Kakyoin, Dio Brando, and an Original Character

Synopsis: “Shhh… Easy, Kakyoin. There is nothing to be afraid of.” Two clawed hands grasped Noriaki by the arms in a shockingly gentle hold, and Noriaki could feel a cold breath caress his ear as the man spoke into it, saying, “Let’s be friends, shall we?”

One cold night in Cairo, Noriaki Kakyoin walks into an ancient ruin and is met with one of the most terrifying men he will ever meet in his young life.

Note: A gift fic for my best friend @the-lupine-sojourner, as a tie in for her fic, "The Ace of Wands and Her User" ^-^

—

Noriaki Kakyoin was not a careless person. He was attentive in his studies, observed the world critically, and was aware of his own limits, making his decisions with care. Even though he was still in high school, both he and his parents considered him to be mature. Naoko would be teasingly quick to point out Noriaki’s more petty tendencies, but she was his twin sister, so that was kind of her job.

The point was, when Noriaki left the hotel to wander about the streets of Cairo at night, he, his parents, and even his sister considered him more than responsible enough to go out alone. He had offered Naoko a chance to come with him, but she declined, the day having left her exhausted.

“Maybe I would be willing to come with if you looked less like a tourist,” she said with a yawn and grin as flopped backwards onto her bed.

“I look good in this and you know it,” Noriaki retorted good naturedly, straightening the collar of his uniform. “And besides–”

“No, stop, don’t give me that student bullshit, especially since we aren’t even at school right now.” Naoko laughed and sat upright to give him a genuine smile. “Seriously though, just go have fun. Maybe we can do something together tomorrow night.”

Noriaki nodded, returning the smile. “All right then. See you tomorrow, sis.” He closed the door to her room behind him as he left.

...That seemed like an age ago.

Cairo was a beautiful place on its own, but tonight, with the full moon shedding its beams upon the ancient city, it was truly breathtaking. Noriaki went from place to place, landmark to landmark, sketching what he could. He made sure he knew where he was so he wouldn’t get lost, and kept an eye out for thieves or other people who might look to do him harm.

Yet all of that seemed to fade away when he found himself drawn to a particular ruin.

“Noriaki Kakyoin…”

The ruin was exposed and open. The moon shone down uninhibited from above. The walls had many open archways built into them. And yet in spite of that, it was as though his name echoed through the ruin, sending chills down Noriaki’s spine.

His spirit appeared at his side, and Noriaki turned sharply. “Who’s–?”

The challenge died in Noriaki’s throat, catching behind his hitched breaths.

Thorny vines sprawled across the ground and walls of the ruin, decorated with many dark red roses. There was a glowing aura to them that lit up the already moon bathed stones with a faint sickly pink, and they almost seemed alive , growing and crawling their way towards Noriaki bit by bit. Two bodies lay on the ground not far from where Noriaki stood now - a man and a woman it looked like, unmoving and already claimed by the thorny vines.

A tree of ice stood tall and gnarled at the end of the ruin. It was from this tree that all the vines and roses seemed to emit, and at the top of the tree, Noriaki swore he saw the shadow of some kind of bird of prey. A falcon maybe, with its wings spread wide as though in challenge.

It was like something out of a story book. A dark, twisted story book.

That was hardly the worst of it, though. Any of this might have given Noriaki a pause, made him stutter, but ultimately not lose his composure. No, it was not the scene before him that had Noriaki’s words and breaths catching in his throat.

It was the man standing at the center of it all.

If ‘man’ was the right word… There was something inherently inhuman about him. He stood shirtless, skin shining like marble beneath the moonlight. There was no wind, yet his hair flowed out in a captivating mane of pale gold. The vines and roses looked to be coming from his body . And what a body it was - bigger and taller than Noriaki could ever hope to be, every muscle from the waist upwards accentuated by the moon’s beams. Yet the way the man held himself, the very aura he gave off, spoke of a power deeper and so much more terrible than just physical.

Even through the shadows obscuring the man’s face, Noriaki could somehow still make out a pair of golden eyes, fixed solely on him .

Noriaki couldn't speak. He couldn’t even breathe . He realized, suddenly, what it must be like for a prey animal to be caught within the sights of a predator. Every part of him wanted to run, wanted to scream, but he couldn’t .

A low chuckle echoed through Noriaki’s very bones.

“What’s the matter?” the man crooned. “You look frightened enough to vomit.”

Noriaki’s guardian spirit disappeared into the depths of his soul. Noriaki took one step back. That was all he could manage.

Oh, god… Oh, god, he really was going to vomit.

Whoever, whatever this man was, whatever his intentions were with him, Noriaki knew that he himself was nowhere near powerful enough to fight back. Even his guardian spirit knew that. Noriaki could feel him in the depths of his soul, amidst the horror and terror, cowering , a reflection of Noriaki’s own desires.

He couldn’t fight. He couldn’t even run. He was completely at the mercy of this– this monster of a man.

The man approached. Noriaki fought for breath. Sharp and desperate gasps were all he could manage. They did nothing to ease his reeling mind.

Oh, god, he was getting closer.

His only other option would be to beg for his life. But Noriaki’s mouth refused to work. Even his knees refused to buckle. All he could do was watch as the man approached closer, and closer, and closer…

Was this it? Was this how it all ended? Noriaki Kakyoin, dead at seventeen. Some people flashed across his mind, three people specifically, but their images and his feelings towards them were marred and muddled by the fear that had taken hold of his very being.

“Shhh… Easy, Kakyoin.” That same baritone voice echoed through Noriaki’s body, speaking from just behind him. “There is nothing to be afraid of.”

Two clawed hands grasped Noriaki by the arms in a shockingly gentle hold, and Noriaki could feel a cold breath caress his ear as the man spoke into it, saying, “Let’s be friends, shall we?”

And just like that, Noriaki’s fear dissipated.

This wasn’t the end. The man was willing to show mercy. He still had a chance to live…!

Like a child being reassured by their parents that they weren’t in trouble, relief filled every fiber of his being that had been left vacant by the fear that had filled him mere moments before. Noriaki gasped, an audible sign of his relief, and collapsed.

The man caught him as he fell, easing him down to his knees, hands still grasping Noriaki’s arms gently. “There we are…”

One hand left his arm, and Noriaki felt an ice cold finger brush up his face. “Relaxed now?”

Noriaki sighed and nodded slightly.

“Good,” the man hummed.

Good, good, the man was pleased. He still had a chance to get out of this. It was all going to be all right.

“Now, Kakyoin…” The finger pulled and tucked a bit of hair behind Noriaki’s ear. “Why don’t you bring your lovely sister here to see me sometime? I’m certain we will all be good friends.”

His sister?

His sister…!

Naoko!

“No…!” Noriaki gasped before he could even think to stop himself.

That sick fear was back in full force, but this time it was split in two. Noriaki still feared the man holding him in this sickeningly comforting hold, god did he still fear him. But the thought of bringing his sister into this dizzying nightmare, the thought of his sister being held by this inhuman being like he himself was now–

“Oh?” the man said, and the soft monosyllable was enough to make Noriaki want to vomit again. “You won’t bring her to me? Even after we have become such good friends…”

The hand on his ear caressed downward until it was around Noriaki’s neck, a gesture that held no threat to it, and yet sent chills down Noriaki’s spine.

“No, please, no,” Noriaki whispered.

Whatever this man wanted with him, whatever this man meant to do with him…

“Please don’t involve her in this, please, I’m begging you.”

The man gave no response.

“I’m- I’m enough. Surely I’m enough...! Whatever you want, I’ll do it, I swear, I’m all that you need, just please don’t bring my sister into it, p-please, I beg you–”

He was rambling now, grasping at anything to satiate the man. Noriaki would have already been pressing his forehead against the ground, groveling, if it didn’t mean pulling himself from the man’s hold.

“You ask for your sister to be left uninvolved,” the man stated, the fingers around Noriaki’s neck idly tracing the contours of his throat.

“Yes, yes, please,” Noriaki gasped. “Please, I’ll do anything…”

“Hmmm.” He was smiling, the man was smiling, Noraki could tell. “Very well. For as much as I can, I will allow you to ensure that she remains uninvolved in our little schemes. Will that be all for you, Kakyoin?”

Those words, crooned into his ear, were enough to bring back that overwhelming sense of relief and reassurance.

Noriaki let out another breath and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Anything for a friend. Now relax…”

He did. Even as the vines and roses that had been acting as the twisted backdrop to this twisted exchange disappeared in favour of unfamiliar tentacles, even as the tentacles descended on him, driving something wrong and sick and invasive into his skull, Noriaki relaxed.

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: Wordsville's Official Release -- Is It Really an Odd Squad Clone? (Part 1)

You can bet your fine ass I am, because, to put it nicely, the fuck is this?

All right. Anyway. So part of what I used to weaponize my YouTube channel for was doing Seren Reacts videos on new PBS Kids shows. Basically, I'd take the first episode they'd upload and react to it. Since I don't have the capacity to actually do that for this show, and since I did tell you all I'd do a Seren's Study on Wordsville when it came out and I had a chance to see it...here ya go. I watched the first episodes of this thing so you don't have to!

...Uh...well...if you don't want to, anyway.

In this essay, I'm going to put the final nail in the coffin as to the issue of whether Wordsville is truly an Odd Squad ripoff or not. I'll also be picking apart the first episode screencap by screencap, just like I used to do in the good old days of Odd News.

(At the very least, the America's Funniest Home Videos animation I'm not a fan of. At least with Tom Bergeron it was funny.)

Below the break we go!

(Just as a side note: this will be split into multiple parts because Tumblr apparently has a photo limit now. That's...gonna make these followup Seren's Studies just a bit trickier.)

Ohhhh they're really trying, bless their little hearts.

Look at that, they even threw in a goddamn university degree like these kids up and went to Harvard. Because Odd Squad agents didn't go to university and aw God man you gotta be shitting me.

Man, the theme even follows the same schtick of Odd Squad agents explaining who they are and what they do! I guess that's one for the Half-Ass list...

(And on a related note, because I don't think I brought this up: Gabby's actress sounds like she was on Odd Squad at one point, but hell if I know where. Guess I'll know when the credits come up.)

Hm. Hah. Just like, y'know, Olive and Otto, Orla and Omar at one point in ti- really, do I have to keep going?

You could tell me this was an Odd Squad sequel spinoff in disguise and I'd 100% believe you.

(Also is that...is that a rainbow bead design in the upper right there? Does Sly is gay or am I just going nuts because this episode was uploaded in Pride Month and Sinking Ship already has some LGBTQ+ rep under their belt?)

I will say that, unlike with Odd Squad, I appreciate them not making this out to be some stupidly thinly-veiled Zoom or Skype parody. It looks like a new fresh platform that isn't supposed to reference anything. I like that!

...Nah, not even I'm desperate enough to pry an Odd Squad jab out of this title.

I am, however, getting flashbacks to Wonderful Precure and people speculating about the colors in the title. If this were one of those seasons we'd have a group of five with a blue-green Cure as the leader, which would melt the Internet. Definitely. Maybe.

Also, unless they're working on Odd Squad UK and we don't know it yet, Christin Simms is not an Odd Squad name I recognize. Seems they've worked on pretty much every modern Sinking Ship series but Odd Squad, which I choose to take as intentional just due to the similarities between the two series alone. I mean let's be honest...if it were an Odd Squad writer, it would really only reinforce a few of my points.

So I've chosen to watch "The Case of the Disappearing Donuts", mainly because I believe that's the episode that was featured in the sample script I talked about in the previous Seren's Study. Just...y'know, as a heads-up. I tried to go for the first episode.

And needless to say...I'm not sure if this is it (TVO released five episodes in a bundle and your guess is as good as mine as to which one is the series premiere) but I can already see a striking difference with Odd Squad, in that yes, Wordsville does indeed launch us clear into the plot without any warning. Yeah yeah they explained it in the intro but I do not care. Let me get to know your characters first!

Once again, I will reiterate for you all: this show being purely digital instead of live-action completely hinders it. It is 2024. The pandemic is not an excuse anymore. I'd get more enjoyment out of this if it weren't two people communicating through mock Apple laptops.

And if you aren't getting what I'm picking at, imagine if, for the nearly ten years it's been on, Odd Squad was a purely-digital show. Would we get the worldbuilding? The lore? The character development? The funny interactions? No, no, no, and no. It's like the difference between talking to someone in video chat and talking to someone in real life. One boosts your health. The other one, not so much.

Clearly they didn't really try for this bit in the audio department, because this cookie is all about that bass with absolutely no fuckin' treble.

(To be fair, though, Odd Squad has soundbytes like this from time to time too. So I can't really complain all that much.)

Something I was shocked to find out about Wordsville: each episode is all of 8 minutes long. Which...doesn't really help the series' case because the pacing is utterly atrocious. For Odd Squad, which has mostly 11-minute episodes, the pacing is smoother for a lot of them. I can take my time, understand what's going on, and enjoy what I'm seeing. Hell, even Tiny Time Travel's pacing isn't awful for the short time it has, and I wasn't gonna even touch that show for this Seren's Study because it's not made by the same people outside of Tim...until people brought up similarities, and I felt at least obligated to mention it once.

This falls squarely into the category of "if I go on an acid trip, can I drag out this episode three times longer than it actually is?"

We.

Are 55 seconds in.

And we are already getting to the conflict.

...Hand me the bong. The BIG bong. If you see dogs in my front yard, just tell 'em to get inside and glow upstairs because I'm goin' hard.

BIG BONG.

...I'm not touching the timing of this call because convenience is in literally every piece of media with video chatting ever. It's not just a Wordsville thing.

The Town Baker walked so Baker Graham could work his hand at a whip.

No but seriously, I can't look at this character and not think of Chef O from Odd Squad UK. The brainrot set in once I viewed the trailer. It hasn't left.

Hey, it's a good marketing tactic.

And it makes a great gift for your SO if they happen to have a name that starts with any of the letters. Hell, get the U, the T and the I and you'd have a winner!

...

Waaaaaaait a second-

In this era of super-powerful processors and AI seeping into anything and everything, there is no scientifically possible way Gabby can pull up a computer dictionary within milliseconds.

And when Odd Squad, the show that has ironic low-tech stuff, is more realistic than your high-tech show, you got a problem.

Minute and a half into this thing and this is the only bit that got me close to smiling thus far.

But something I wanna point out is that I've gotten cookies from bakeries that look a lot better than that. Hell, the cookies at my local supermarket look better than that! Just as big, and far yummier!

I see they switched around the personalities for Sly and Gabby, and I can see why.

Gabby emotes the most.

So does Olive.

Gabby is Olive with a braid and a fedora.

Gabby is the serious o- guys, really, must I go on?

Something something substituting bagels like in "Soundcheck" for donuts instead.

This is what happens when you let your co-CEO binge-watch all the Shrek movies, Sly.

Careful, Gabby...please don't drop the title.

Odd Squad doesn't drop the title all that much, but the fact that the episodes are referred to as cases in-universe sells the comparison. Wordsville's cases are just...different. Copyright infringement and all that. When Oprah sues, she sues hard.

Thank you. I hate it. Off you will fuck from my lawn.

...Look, I know what the "Sly-mation" is and y'all are not being slick. You don't get to wave a fucking stylus in my face and say what you're doing is animation but with a fancy name. Animation is hard. Animating stuff halfway and slapping your client's head on their animated body instead of drawing a face resembling your client is a disservice and I will abso-fucking-lutely take that personally as a fan of animation.

I mean, hey, if I were an animator, I'd fully commit. You people remember that the studio who made this worked on a Spongebob movie. Lemme repeat: a Spongebob movie. And yet this is what they decide to do for animation.

When Odd Squad does animation, it's good in most instances. (I choose to forget "Olive and Otto in Shmumberland", TYVM.) Not anything stellar, but it certainly is passable. Here? Lol. Lmao, even. God no. This feels like a way to insert animation into the show but without employing the CGI that other shows, Odd Squad included, have. Like a "lol I'm so quirky" thing.

Get out.

This is like if Disney had Disneymation. Dreamworksation. Laikation. Netflixation. Huluation. So on and so forth.

Point being, it's dumb. Just say it's animation and stop plopping flowers onto it. When you get more of a time limit, then you can be quirky all you want.

We are now 2 minutes into an 8-minute episode. I know what's happening. Kids know what's happening. Unless you're banking on the research that kids' attention spans are the size of a pea, we do not need a recap.

...Is this really the same person who wrote for Endlings? Because apparently they can't handle something in an 8-minute timeframe.

You either get the Chad Blender/Flash/ToonBoom, or you get the Virgin Mock Scratch.

I just feel cheated. Disappointed. Like when your mom and dad drove by McDonald's when you were a kid after they promised you they would get you some. I've seen good animation. They had the chance to do better, and didn't. That's what pisses me off the most. It's that complete utter wasted potential.

I know Vet Wilder is a reference to some celebrity (the name is at least somewhat familiar), but I'm at a complete loss as to if they did the same thing for Athlete Glory or if they just confined a girl named Glory to one destiny in life.

So she'll become...a Faded Glory.

(I'm sorry, I had to.)

Okay, they're reiterating this for the young children, and I- guys, this hurts. It's like they're trying to differentiate themselves from Odd Squad but tripping over their own feet in the process.

Ten cookies Gene Vet Wilder gave it to an animal named Yummy and that this series will go down another Odd Squad route and defy biology.

Either that, or "Yummy" is his pet name for Not-So-Faded Glory, which I am banking absolutely nothing on because romance.

...No, not Baker Graham's cookies. I'm sure dude's good at what he does, but I know of a better bakery, thank you very much.

*aggressively takes out the ibuprofen for the headache this shit is giving me*

This reads like TVOkids font, and I'm not even mad.

I'm only sad I didn't get the "I know so much about fonts" autism.

(Also, this is really just called The Bakery? They have one bakery? That's it? Even Toronto has more than one!)

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

Onward to Part 2!

[waeirfaahl]

Not worthy at all

Although I earlier pointed out the mistake Jack's father has done in "Birth of Evil", mostly I still considered this character as a kind person, who just wanted to save his family and kingdom, but didn't realize that he can do something bad to someone else. Still that was understandable. Later I discovered the aspect, which raises lots of questions to Jack's father and his ancestors — why they stubbornly made settlements near the dangerous entity they always saw as the evil (and it didn't become even a part of their culture/beliefs/legends/architecture), and the entity (the fragment aka the black lake) itself many times demonstrated that it doesn't want to share this territory with humans?

Let's talk about Emperor's irresponsibility now. Honestly, I realized this moment quite recently. I literally was like "Wait a second, what?!". My question — why the hell did Jack's father personally decide to go kill the "evil" instead of sending a small army, if in case of failure he risks leaving the kingdom without a ruler and guards at all?! This is not a war (I'm aware of the fact that kings themselves participated in battles), but just an attempt to kill some dangerous wild animal(?) with otherworldly traits — I don't know, but usually professional hunters (or maybe some people, who studies some religious/supernatural stuff in this case?) have to be hired and sent for this (the gevaudan beast case, for example).

But let's dive a bit deeper, because other aspects demonstrate that Emperor's soul is not pure and kind enough to become the material for "the weapon against evil" (and I many times pointed out that the three alien gods are the true villains, who made rules of this game, marking Aku's ancestor and later Aku as the ultimate evil and specifically Emperor and later Jack as some all-good chosen ones, who has to destroy this "evil" — here, here and here).

First of all, just like his ancestors, he was stubborn to stay on these lands, thinking that the black lake is the evil that ravages his lands despite the fact that this "evil" existed there before humans. Second, the spikes already reached for the palace, piercing all houses (I guess, it happened during the night?).

And it also dried out water from grass and rivers.

And instead of leading his wife and citizens toward the safe place for a while, instead of asking some hunters to study and to indetify the threat and its nature, Emperor leaves his pregnant wife (who will give birth very soon) and himself goes to destroy "the evil", so his entire army becomes kebabs on the black spikes.

Ah, excuse me for this question, but who these ladies are? Are they Empress's servants or Emperor's concubines? Hope, they're just servants. Third, Jack's father accidentally creates the creature (Aku), considers him as the evil and rejects him, provoking the aggressive attack of the palace (i.e. wife and citizens), and in the end he imprisons the creature without realizing his own mistakes.

Fourth, due to a chance of Aku's return, Emperor plans to train his son as a weapon to destroy the "evil" and puts on him the burden of "responsibility for the welfare of the whole world" instead of, I don't know... if not admitting own mistakes (and responsibility for Aku), but at least asking the three alien gods either to resolve the situation themselves (since it is exactly their fault), or to give "weapons against the evil" to all tribes, so humans could fight back and defend themselves together.

And it's not just my assumption — Emperor mentions that in 1 episode of 1 season, as well as the chief of the African tribe later blatantly tells to Jack about that in 12 episode of 4 season. Just no comments... I guess, humans' ignorance and cynism are good in the author's eyes.

Again, why 5 season doesn't cover this problem and tragedy of both Aku and Jack?! Why instead 5 season gives this theme and tragedy to random and forced female characters, shoe-horned into the story, where they have no reason to exist and no possibility to exist?

[mikibwrites]

Seven-Sentence-Inspiration-WIP-something Day!

Hi all! Thank you for everyone who tagged me on Sunday and today: @taralaurel @bonheur-cafe @carlos-in-glasses @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @lemonlyman-dotcom @alrightbuckaroo @chaotictarlos @sanjuwrites I decided to shove it all in one post lol. Here is a much-longer-than-seven-sentences bit of my @tarlosweeklyprompts Back to School prompt fill! For this fic, since we already have so many fics of Tarlos attending UT (which makes sense!) I decided to send them to my own alma mater instead :)

He can open a damned door and face what’s on the other side. 

He doesn’t get the chance to, however, because as soon as his nerve is bucked up, the door swings open to reveal an absolutely devastating scene: TK, rumpled and sleepy, dressed in only a pair of gray sweatpants and carrying his shower caddy. His hair is adorably mussed and his eyes are tired but bright. 

The worst part? They brighten even further when he sees Carlos standing on the threshold. All of a sudden, he becomes so animated that Carlos would have thought this was 8pm and not 8am. 

“Carlos! Hey! I didn’t hear you come in last night, did you pull an all-nighter? You know it was a Friday, right? You don’t have anything due today. Did you lose track of time again, like that one time during midterms where you thought it was Wednesday but it was actually Friday because you’d gone so long on only caffeine and snickers that you forgot to charge your phone? I keep telling you you’re gonna run yourself ragged, man! You gotta have some fun once in a while. Are you studying today? Oh shit, you have that chem test on Tuesday. Are you going to the Library? Cuz I gotta stop by the SUB to pick up a book so, like, I could walk with you if you want?” 

Carlos can physically see him clamp his jaw shut, and it looks like it takes effort. TK is chatty on a good day, but Carlos has never seen him filibuster for that long on inane chatter on only one breath. Carlos could swear TK is blushing, but it must be a trick of the light. 

It takes him a moment to find his voice. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m studying today, just came to get my chem book. And yeah, I was, uh, I was in the library all night.” He adds a shrug that he hopes doesn’t look forced or calculated, and tries to smile. He’s not sure how it turns out. 

TK, for his part, almost visibly relaxes. Huh.

As usual I"m super friggin late, so I'm definitely not sure who's done this yet, but I'll tag those who I would have tagged anyway (including the peeps up top!): @lightningboltreader @welcometololaland @liminalmemories21 @lutavero @wandering-night19

[sunekichi]

Unpopular Opinions On Doraemon

if we take into account all the long 2d doraemon movies (so, excluding stand by me & its sequel), nobita and the windmasters (2003) is the best one by far. although i haven't watched them all yet, none of the others i have watched comes close to this one.

in general, i'm not a big fan of these movies where they go on adventures (the only one i absolutely loved and would watch again with no issues is nobita and the windmasters, maybe nobita's dorabian nights too). this is one of the reasons why i have watched stand by me 2 at least 7 times, despite its flaws. they should bring back short movies like dorami-chan: mini-dora sos!!! and nobita's night before a wedding (but possibly come up with new stories, that take place in the future, considering we already know this one by heart).

the art style they use for the 2005 anime is atrocious, they should have sticked with the one they used in the late 90s and early 2000s, it was so polished. well, with the 2018 animation update things only got worse. at least many of the episodes that came out between 2005 and 2017 were fun, but the recent ones are boring as fuck and most are just bad remakes of classic episodes.

saved the most important for last: some of the grown ass men in this fandom call shizuka a gold digger and they don't even know they're talking about. you've probably seen this image already, now tell me: what kinda power does gian have? because nowadays you have more chances of solving your problems with money, not violence (that's gonna get u in jail if anything). she didn't even need dekisugi's help with homework since her grades were pretty good as well. it's actually common for students to enjoy studying with their friends. and who are her other friends? exactly, 3 kids who couldn't care less about school, so no wonder she'd rather do her hw with dekisugi. also, what's wrong with a rich kid inviting his friends to his family trips? cuz if i recall correctly suneo always invited shizuka AND gian, never only shizuka. and that's bc those 2 are his closest friends. and let's not forget she married the guy who wasn't rich or good at school, which says a lot about her. mind u they got married when they were 24-25, doraemon had prolly been gone for a decade by that time (so she did not marry nobita for the fucking gadgets). she chose him over dekisugi, who had also proposed to her (the others hadn't, which makes sense bc it was always platonic what they had going on with her). this speaks volumes on her character i think, she could have had a flawless guy who works as a fucking astronaut (=💸) but she said no.

i would like to know if y'all agree, especially abt the last one. my other opinions i know are quite controversial: idgaf. and i might make a part 2 cuz why not!

[randoom-r]

Hermit valley introduction: Lizzie and joel!

Joel and Lizzie met in College in a woodworking class. 

Normally on group projects she would work with bigB, her roommate however he got the flu and couldn't participate.

The two got it all figured out: with their savings they would open a Carpenter shop in the next village after they finished their degree. They already put down the first payment for the Shop. BigB would handle most of the electronic stuff while Lizzie would work on most Carpentry stuff. They took each other's classes just so they can occasionally help each other if there is something that doesn't want to work as it should. But of course, the second to last Project starts and B had to get sick after pulling 3 night shifts at the local fast food Chain. Sure it isn't important for B to participate in this Project since he isn't majoring in Carpentry but it sure is not the best since they normally are the best duo in class and always choose each other. Since that is the case they never actually talked or interacted with the others in that class so now Lizzie is doomed, no partner AND the teacher does not allow her to start alone so she and B can work together next week.

“hey, uh lizzie right?” She heard a voice and looked up. There it was, a guy who normally sits in the back of the class, an alien hybrid. She forgot his name but she knows he lives in the same village where she is gonna open her Carpentry shop. She saw him there when she and B put down the down payment. 

“yeah… and you are…?” she asked

“oh, yeah im joel, the teacher said you still need a partner and so i wanted to ask if we could work together?” 

She looked closer at him, normally she knows him as a trouble maker but he now seems so shy and is blushing. “Of course, hard shell and in himself he is a softboy” she thought.

“it depends, you promise to participate properly and not cause any trouble while we work on this?” she teased him, even though she is partially serious. She wants a good grade and not get in any trouble but she must admit, him being so shy and flustered is quite cute.

"Yes, yes! anything for you my queen!” he said laughing nervously.

In the first lesson they had to plan out how their project was going to look. They have to build a miniature house out of tiny pieces of wood. Meanwhile they tried to get to know each other, Lizzie found out Joel lives with his friend mumbo who has a farm with mostly animals. Joel cares for the chickens like his own babies. Meanwhile he studies to become a farmhand himself so he takes some classes which can be useful for emergencies at the farm. Lizzie on the other hand talks about her life in the city, how she and bigB met as children, they planned their future and how she ended up in the scenario where B ended up sick because he picked up extra shifts so they can afford stuff for the Shop.

“That's impressive Lizzie, I still don't have a proper plan for the future. I just know that this is gonna help me in the future in the valley. Meanwhile, you two basically have everything figured out. i'm kind of jealous” 

“Yeah, I mean don't get me wrong but B and I had many hard parts in between where we had to figure out to have our ends meet but we both have supportive parents who sometimes slipped us some bucks when they noticed we just were eating instant noodles for like a week” She laughed. 

Joel on the other hand found it still impressive and God, her laugh, he could get addicted to it. He always had a little crush on her, the fairy in the front of the class. perfect grades, always very invested in the topic and her willpower to reach her goals. He just never found a moment to approach her, since she always worked with B and he didn't want to interfere. but now he has his chance and he will definitely not throw it away.