#new world is a lot easier since i don't have to wait for the entire world to load in before i can close it

[nexus-nebulae]

trying to get a particular mod to work but to do that i have to individually troubleshoot like 100 other mods this is going to be Fun

[twice-inamillion]

Playing In The Future Home

Fluff and Smut

1.4 K words

(Jihyo and OC making new memories)

"I can't wait to see where we are going to build our future house," Jihyo said as she looked outside the window. The two of you are on your way to visit the plot of land that you showed her before through FaceTime. 

"Minji gave me the keys to the gate so we can park the car inside and walk around." Jihyo puts up her hands closer, "Look, my hand is shaking from how excited I am right now." 

"Don't be nervous. I know you are going to like it. We are almost there; just a couple more minutes."

You exit the highway and immediately make a left turn. Then drive down the windy road up a small hill and turn right into a private road. Only two hundred feet into a private road filled with trees and bushes, you are met with a large metal gate, "I'm going to open the gate; I'll be right back." Once the gate is open, you drive inside and close the gate around before driving again. The dirty road eventually leads you to a grass-filled field, "we're here." 

The two of you get out of the car; Jihyo walks around for a bit as you get your backpack and binder. "What do you think?"

"It's amazing, and it's big. I love the trees and bushes that surround the entrance." 

"Yes, Minji said that the previous owner fenced the entire estate so their animals wouldn't get out. Makes it easier for us because it ensures our privacy."

 You take out your binder and show Jihyo some sketches that you and Minji worked on for the past two days. "Look, here are some examples of the potential layout," as you point at the 2D view of the whole estate. "This right here is the layout of the entrance layout just came in front, and we are standing here," as you point at the spot you are standing in. "The lot is huge, and it does have a slight hill towards the back and trees throughout the lot. What Minji and I thought was to keep the entrance untouched, just grass and the house in the middle. Because the area has so much space, we have the option of a one-story house that has spread out or a two-story house. We can also have detached buildings like a music room and multiple guest houses away from the main house but still close. We can even have a large pool with a building on its own, but we would need to childproof it. We have a lot of options to make this place perfect. Towards the back of the lot are multiple trees and a small stream that runs across the end of the property." 

The both of you walk around, and Jihyo tries to visualize the house with the binder in her hands. "I like it, and I think the members will be happy. When do you think we can buy it and start building?"

"I talked to Minji about it, and she said that the owner has wanted to sell the property for a while since all his family has moved to the city abroad and has no more use for it. Regarding the building, we can talk to a few contractors and get the permits ready after we buy the property. Shouldn't be too long, but it all depends on the layout of the house."

"The faster, the better; I can just see the babies running around and having fun with each other. I want Jisoo to have a memorable childhood and grow up safe without the eyes of the public on her and the rest."

"She will; just imagine her playing with the twins on a swing or going down the slide. It's going to be perfect." You hold her hand and start to walk, "let me show you the best part." The both of you walk up toward the end of the property, where you see a hill surrounded by numerous trees. There is a special tree that is much older than the rest, and as you both get closer, Jihyo is amazed by its size, "Wow, the tree is huge." 

"The tree isn't the only thing; turn around." Jihyo turns to see a fantastic view of the landscape. Her future is right before her, and the rest of the world is in the background. "Omg, the view is wonderful. Thank you, oppa," hugging you. 

"Everything here is for us, our future. You deserve the whole world, and I will try my best to give you that." Jihyo tears up from happiness, and the both of you share a passionate kiss. 

"Thank you." 

After settling down, you both sit on the blanket and snacks you brought and enjoy a bottle of wine. Jihyo, a good drinker, enjoys the wine more than you and, little by little, gets tipsy. "Oppa, want to mess around a little bit? We're alone, so we can have a little fun," giving you a sexy wink.

"For you, I'm able to go all the way." 

She pushes you down, gets on top of you, and starts to unbutton your shirt. "Don't do anything; I'll take care of everything and just enjoy." With your chest exposed, she kisses every inch of you, "oppa, you have a manly chest; I love it." 

You give a soft moan as she kisses your neck, "Jihyo, it hurts." 

Jihyo looks down and sees the large bulge in your pants, "Oh wow, hard already?"

"It's just that you're too sexy, I can't help it."

She undoes your pants and fishes out your cock. "Don't worry, little fellow; you'll get your turn soon enough." Once she's done with your neck, she stands up and pulls down her leggings and panties. Jihyo sits on your shaft, causing you to moan, "Ahhh, you're bending my cock." 

"Hmmm, I can feel your cock throbbing, but it's not time yet," as she begins to grind on you. The feeling of her lips hugging your cock throws you over the edge, and Jihyo knows it. "How do you like that? You like it when I grind my pussy on your cock?"

"Jihyo, please don't tease; let me put in it." 

"Just a bit longer," as she increases the pace. She puts more of her weight on your cock, causing you to moan in pain. "Fuck, I can feel your hot cock throbbing. You're such a bad boy, but good job on holding on. Here is your reward." 

Jihyo grabs your cock and lifts herself, aligning it to her entrance. You watch as the head of your cock spreads her lips apart, causing you to gasp, "Fuck, you're so tight." She drops her whole weight, and her cunt swallows you whole, "Ahh… fuck, you're cumming already?"

You grab her waist and hold her tight, "take all of my cum!" She places her hands on your chest and digs her nails as she begins to ride you as you cum inside her. "Let it all out; I'll milk you of all you're worth." 

You see her lustful eyes, the eyes of someone who's found her prey. She rides you as you cum, her tits swaying from side to side, "come on baby, do you like how I ride your big cock? Your cock that's filling me up with baby batter. Stay hard for me, okay." 

Jihyo, with her head on your chest, can hear your heavy breathing, she knows that she has you in her hands. "You think you can go for another round?"

“Ye…yeah… I… I can."

She sits back up, ties her hair in a ponytail, looks you in the eyes, and begins to ride you once more. You can help you move your gaze, but she says, "Don't, look at me. You're mine." 

All you hear now is the noise of flesh grinding against each other, Jihyo's tight walls choking your cock. 

She rides you for about five minutes until you cum once, filling her womb with baby batter. "Yeah… just like that. Fill me up with your cum” as she tightens up her cunt. Once she's done milking you for the second, she lifts herself up and lays beside you. 

Haven gotten a happy ending you look at her erect nipple and attach yourself you it. "Aww, my poor baby, there, there. Suck on mommy's tits until you're full, okay" as she caresses your head. You fall asleep attached to her breast as Jihyo hugs you tight in her arms. 

[lucidlivi]

I Can See You (I)

Series Masterlist/Warnings

Tag List: @jc-winchester @mrsjenniferwinchester @perpetualabsurdity @antisocialcorrupt @heavenlyackles @anixiiee @jackles010378 @suckitands33 @deans-spinster-witch @k-slla @alternativeprincess @spnbaby-67 @cevansbaby-dove @cutedisneygrl (if you would like tagged in this, please send me a message or an ask with the title so I can make sure to keep my tags straight!)

story takes place during filming of season two of supernatural so the ages will make more sense!

switching points of view indicated with italics

a little mini series for you, I hope you like!

All my life, the only thing I ever wanted was to be noticed.

I wanted my parents to notice when I had done well on a test that was hard for me.

I wanted my friends to notice when I was quiet or felt out of the loop.

I desperately wanted that cute guy in my biology class to notice that I had spent the entire semester taking detailed notes just so I could help him study.

I just wanted someone, anyone to notice me.

It was never me though.

It was always my older brother Jared.

It was like he always had to one up me.

Nothing was ever mine.

For example, whenever I would ace a test, Jared would somehow be offered some prestigious award for academics.

He hung out with all the popular guys, and the girls practically threw themselves at him.

It was like he didn’t even have to try.

It's only gotten worse since he'd landed a starring role on the new hit show Supernatural.

Jared didn't know if they would even make it past the first season, but the show was an instant success. It catapulted him to stardom. Girls from all over the world were crazed about my brother.

It kind of grossed me out.

I had to admit, I was getting a lot of recognition now too, but it was always (y/n) Padalecki, sister of Jared, and never just (y/n).

I mean I love my brother to death, he's the best, but sometimes it would feel nice not to be so, so invisible.

I stretched my muscles with a sigh.

I had finally landed in Canada.

I was going to be visiting Jared for awhile, while they filmed season two of supernatural. I missed him like crazy.

I was also taking a much needed break from fashion school in New York.

"Moose!" I squealed, spotting the top of my brother's head.

I could hear Jared groan from across the airport. I chuckled as he hated being called Moose.

I pushed through the crowd of people, finally seeing my brothers dorky face.

He rolled his eyes before pulling me in to a bone crushing hug.

"I missed you moose." I said as I squeezed him.

"I missed you too brat." Jared laughs.

He lets me go, setting me back on my feet.

"come on, Jensen's waiting for us back at our house." Jared said grabbing my bag.

"wait you and Jensen are living together?" I asked, my cheeks tinting with a blush.

"yeah, we decided to just rent a place together this season, it'll be easier, is that okay?"

"mmhmm." I nodded not trusting my voice to formulate an actual answer.

Jensen Ackles.

my brother's crazy hot co-star.

and according to him, best friend, besides me of course.

I met Jensen before they started filming season one.

Jared and Jensen went on "bonding" trips together, I guess to make playing brother's more believable. I had been invited on a few. Of course I was always pushed to wayside, but I didn't mind.

It gave me the opportunity to gawk at the eye candy that is Jensen Ackles.

He wasn't just hot though.

He was more complex then that.

He was kind, he was funny, he was easy to get along with.

and I was completely crushing on him.

It didn’t matter though.

It wasn't like he noticed me.

I was completely off his radar.

"how's design school?" Jared asked breaking the silence.

"I just needed a break I guess. It's a cutthroat industry, and I don't know if I'm cut out for it." I admitted.

"what of course you are, you're insanely talented! I mean why do think I always call you before award shows? I trust you to make sure I don't look like a dork!" Jared laughed.

"well I hate to break it to you moose, but you always look like a dork, the clothes aren't going to help you." I smirked, earning a punch to the arm.

"ugh thanks to you the entire supernatural cast calls me moose now!" Jared groans.

"well if the shoe fits." I shrugged earning another punch to the arm.

"I could always call you gigantor, if you like that better." I added pushing my brother's buttons.

"I think we'll stick with moose."

Jared pulls in to a condominium.

It's beautiful, fit for celebrities I guess.

"wow, living the high life I see." I said as my eyes traveled around the luxurious condo.

"It's definitely crazy."

I gazed at my brother, seeing his shoulders slumped over.

I can't imagine how he was feeling.

I mean his life basically changed overnight. He can't go out now without girls flocking him. He has no privacy.

I know he won’t let it show, but I could tell the pressure that comes along with his new found fame gets to him sometimes.

I walked over to my brother wrapping my arms around his tall frame, squeezing him again.

"I'm really glad you're here brat, it's kind of nice to have some sense of normalcy." Jared said running a hand through my hair.

"hate you." I whispered with a smile.

"hate you too." Jared smirked.

I stepped away from Jared, just as the door flung open revealing Jensen.

"is that baby moose I hear out here? "

I swallowed harshly as he came over wrapping his arms around me in a hug. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and I hugged him back, nonchalantly taking in his sweet scent.

"Hi J." I said quietly.

Jensen stepped back, letting his eyes rake over me. I couldn't help but shrink under his gaze.

It was intimidating.

I took this time to stare at him too.

He's different.

His muscles were more defined now, signifying he'd been working out for the role.

His hair was still short but messy.

He had a very light stubble on his face that made his jawline more defined.

He looked good.

Better than good.

He looked sexy.

I heard Jared clear his throat loudly, making me tear my eyes away from Jensen. A heat spread throughout my body.

I wondered what Jensen was thinking.

"Jensen and I have a meeting with the director, I'll uh help you take your things in and then you can get settled while we're gone." Jared said.

I nodded my head as Jared grabbed my bag from the trunk, taking it inside.

"it's nice to see you baby moose." Jensen said offering me a cheeky smile before getting in the car.

I bit my lip, hiding the blush that spread to my cheeks. I followed Jared in to the house, which was even more extravagant on the inside.

"I guess it pays to be famous." I said spinning around to get a complete view.

"I'm not famous, just lucky." Jared laughed.

"yeah that's why a fangirl followed me around in the grocery store the other day, asking me a million questions about you."

"wait that actually happens?" Jared laughed.

"more times than I would care to admit." I said joining in Jared's laughter.

our laughter died down, a comfortable silence settling in between us.

"uh your room is upstairs, the third door on the right, next to Jensen's, you sure you're going to be okay here?" Jared asked handing me my duffle bag.

"I think I'll manage."

"I'll be back soon."

Jared placed a kiss on my forehead, before going out to join Jensen in the car. I watched them drive away before going to find my room.

Jensen

Jared got in the car giving me a stern look.

"what?" I asked innocently.

"don't what me, dude that's my sister." Jared growled.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I smirked.

"just keep your eyes away from my sister."

"I wasn't even looking." I laughed as I pulled out of the drive way heading over to the studio.

I was looking though.

She was different.

She looked different.

Her hair was longer.

She definitely grew in to her body.

She was no longer the lanky girl I had come to know.

I would be lying if I said my eyes didn't linger on her now defined chest.

She looked good.

Better than good.

She looked beautiful.

Fuck.

I shouldn't be thinking like this.

I mean this was my best friend's sister.

I know Jared would kill me if he knew I was thinking this way.

I better stop.

I didn’t want to though.

"hello, earth to Jensen." Jared said waving a hand in front of my face.

"sorry man, what did you say?"

"I asked if you were coming."

I looked up seeing we were in the parking lot of the studio.

I wasn't sure when we arrived, or how we arrived in one piece considering I wasn't paying attention.

"uh yeah sorry, just thinking about this meeting." I lied smoothly.

I just hope I can focus enough so I don't lose my job.

Reader

I finally settled in, unpacking my things and familiarizing myself with the layout of the house. It's been over two hours and the boys still aren't home.

I heard my stomach rumble.

I was starving.

I walked down to the kitchen, opening the fridge. I saw some ham and cheese.

Oh gosh a sandwich sounds good right now. I looked around in the cabinets, looking for the bread.

I finally found it, high up on a shelf.

Moose.

He needs to learn that not everyone is as freakishly tall as he is.

I stood on my tiptoes reaching for it, but alas I didn't get the height genes that Jared had. I huffed blowing a piece of hair from my face. I stood on my tiptoes trying again.

I heard a chuckle from behind me, causing me to snap my head back.

"need some help there baby moose?"

I blushed a deep red as Jensen came up behind me, reaching the bread with ease.

I could feel the heat radiating from his body just from the proximity.

I wondered what it would be like to be this close to him in a heated moment.

I let my imagination run wild for a moment before realizing he still lingered behind me.

He cleared his throat before stepping away.

I let out a shaky breath I didn't know I was holding.

"thanks." I whispered shyly.

"you know for a baby moose, you aren't all that tall." Jensen smirked.

"yeah, no Jar stole all those genes." I said causing him to chuckle.

"well baby moose I will gladly reach the bread for you anytime." Jensen said making me blush harder.

I'm sure I looked like an idiot from how bad I was blushing over his words.

"uh is Jared back?" I managed to choke out.

"uh not yet, they needed him to shoot a promo for the new season, he asked me to come check on you." Jensen said sitting down at the kitchen island.

I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness.

I was twenty two now.

I didn't need a babysitter.

"Jared still thinks I need a babysitter." I spoke as I took out two pieces of bread starting to make a sandwich.

"he's just worried about you."

"I can handle myself."

"I have no doubt about that." Jensen said.

I snuck a glance at him, accidentally meeting his eyes. He wore a smirk on his plump lips that got my heart racing.

"I have to, I mean now that you two are like major celebrities." I laughed.

"okay, hang on I was major celebrity before supernatural." Jensen joked.

I rolled my eyes throwing my cheese wrapper at him.

He dodged it with ease laughing at my antics.

"of course how I could I forget your starring role on Dawson's Creek."

"I don't know because I definitely made season six of that show." Jensen laughed.

“I never watched it.” I shrugged.

Okay that wasn’t exactly the truth.

I did watch it.

I watched it for him.

“well we’ll definitely have to change that.” Jensen said getting up from the island.

I let my eyes linger on his form as it retreated up the stairs.

I was hopeless.

I was completely hooked on someone I would never have.

I sighed sitting down and digging in to my sandwich. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.

I heard the door open, seeing Jared walk in.

He sat down beside me taking the other half of my sandwich.

“I made that for me you ass!” I whined hitting his chest.

“yeah out of my fridge!”

I rolled my eyes.

He had a point.

“how was your meeting?” I asked as we ate.

“really good, we’re all excited for filming to start.”

I wondered what it would be like to be on camera. I definitely didn’t have a face or body for film.

“actually there’s this party tomorrow, for the cast, kind of like a kick off to the new season, do you want to come with me?” Jared asked.

I was never a big fan of parties.

Jared always tried to get me to go to high school parties but it was never my thing.

“I guess, but just for you.” I said booping his nose.

I finished my sandwich, making sure to clean up after myself.

“I’m uh going to head to bed early, I’m exhausted from the flight.” I said giving Jared a hug.

I jogged up the steps towards my room. I felt the heat radiating from the bathroom as I passed it.

I could see the door was slightly cracked.

I peaked in seeing Jensen in only a towel.

He was wiping the condensation off the mirror.

I couldn’t stop my eyes from traveling over his toned chest and back.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stared.

I would give anything to be able to run my hands down his body.

I bit my lip, forcing my body to move away from the door before I was caught staring.

I crashed on to the bed, letting my thoughts linger on the gorgeous man.

I wondered what his lips tasted like.

I wondered how it would feel to have his hands caressing my body as we kissed.

I wondered how his body would feel on top of mine.

I choked back a moan as I thought about him in such an intimate way.

A loud knock on my door tore me away from my thoughts.

I quickly sat up, I could feel just how flushed I was.

“uh come in.” I squeaked.

I was surprised when Jensen came in setting a laptop on my bed. I gave him a confused look as he typed away.

“Dawson’s Creek season six.” He smiled turning the laptop towards me.

I laughed as I brought the laptop to my lap.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Jensen said walking towards the door.

“aren’t you going to watch it with me?” I asked slightly disappointed.

“oh no, I never watch myself on tv, but make sure you pay attention cause I’m going to quiz you tomorrow.” He said.

I rolled my eyes at his antics.

“Goodnight Jensen.”

“Goodnight baby moose.”

I hit play, even though I had already seen every episode he was in.

I watched anyways.

I watched until I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

I watched until I fell into a deep slumber, plagued by dreams of a man I know I would never have.

I woke up to a light pounding on my door. It was bright out, but still appeared to be early morning.

Jared strode in wearing running gear.

It was nice to see he still took his morning runs.

It was something that always made him feel at peace, helped with his anxiety.

“ugh what time is it?” I groaned throwing a pillow over my head to block out the sun.

“five am, come on a run with me.” Jared beamed.

“Jared normal people don’t go for runs at five in the morning.”

“good thing you’re far from normal.” Jared joked pulling the pillow away from my face.

“I don’t want to go for a run, I want to sleep.” I pouted.

“pretty please, for me?”

I glanced up at Jared to see him giving me the puppy dog eyes.

Damn.

He knows I can’t say no to his puppy dog eyes.

“you better get me an extra large cup of coffee after this.” I groaned throwing my legs over the side of the bed.

I threw on some workout clothes, making my way downstairs. I was surprised to see Jensen standing in the kitchen in workout gear.

Fuck.

I was uncoordinated, and the last thing I wanted to do was run in front of Jensen.

“you managed to get baby moose to come, impressive.” Jensen smirked.

I rolled my eyes grabbing a bottle of water.

“I uh hope you didn’t stay awake too long watching your new favorite show.” Jensen said laughing.

“It was alright, Pacey is definitely my favorite character.” I shot back walking past him towards the door where Jared was waiting.

“and what about CJ?”

“I mean he was alright in the beginning I guess, turned in to kind of a dick.”

“oh yeah how so?”

“I mean he did sleep with Audrey even though he knew Jen was in to him, kind of a dick move.” I shrugged.

Jensen huffed rolling his eyes.

“I didn’t write the script.” Jensen shrugged.

“It might’ve been better if you did.” I said, giving him one last glance before starting to jog.

I jogged at a steady pace, close behind Jared and Jensen.

I was smaller then both of them, so I took smaller strides.

I have to admit I did feel at peace.

I enjoyed the gentle morning canadian breeze nipping at my cheeks.

I was taking in all the beautiful sights around me.

I liked it here.

It seemed like we weren’t jogging for long before we were stopping at a little coffee shop.

“I believe I owe you an extra large cup of coffee.” Jared said glancing at me.

“I believe you are correct.”

“I’ll be right back, you want anything J?” Jared asked turning towards Jensen.

“nah man I’m alright.”

Jared nodded at us before disappearing inside the coffee shop.

It was silent as I stared at the quiet street, the town not quite awake yet.

“did you really hate CJ?” Jensen spoke making me glance at him.

“I think hate is a strong word, more thoroughly disliked him.” I laughed.

Jensen furrowed his eyebrows as I chuckled.

Was this bothering him?

“I like the guy who plays him better.” I spoke, not thinking about how it sounded.

I felt my cheeks heat up as I realized what I just said.

“oh well good.” Jensen responded, rubbing his neck nervously.

I was about to respond when Jensen grabbed my arm pulling me to his chest.

“Careful!” he shrieked as the coffee shop door flung open, almost smacking me in the face.

I swallowed nervously as he stared down at me, our bodies pressed together.

It felt even better than I had imagined.

“thanks for that.” I whispered tearing my eyes away from his.

I felt as if my heart would jump out of my chest at any moment from how fast it was beating.

I could feel his eyes lingering on me.

Jensen carefully tucked a piece of hair behind my ear that had fallen from my ponytail.

I shivered at his touch, feeling as if my body was suddenly engulfed in flames.

It felt good to be touched by him.

It felt heavenly.

I quickly jumped away from him, hearing Jared’s voice reappearing.

“what’s going on?” Jared asked looking between me and Jensen.

“uh baby moose is as clumsy as you say.” Jensen smirked, causing Jared to laugh.

I rolled my eyes taking my coffee from Jared.

I walked back to the condo as Jensen and Jared jogged ahead.

I was taking time to sip my coffee.

I was taking time to control my racing heart.

what in the world happened back there?

I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

Ouch.

Okay that hurt.

and I’m not dreaming.

I bit my lip trying to fight the smile that made it’s way to my face.

I have no idea what that was.

but I liked it.

I liked it a lot.

I made it back to the condo, being informed that the boys had to go to the studio to shoot more promos for the new season, and that they’d be back to get me for the party tonight. I gave them a wave, crashing on to the couch from exhaustion.

I remember now why I don’t run at five in the morning.

I grabbed a blanket off the couch, curling up to catch a few more hours of sleep.

I woke up around noon, sleeping later than I would’ve liked.

I got up making myself some breakfast.

I passed the time watching more Dawson’s Creek.

It wasn’t like I had anything else to do.

It was starting to get later, I needed to get ready for this party.

I grabbed a simple mini dress throwing it on.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

I didn’t completely hate what I saw.

I didn’t love it either.

I wasn’t anything exceptional.

It was no wonder I was so invisible.

I heard the boys come back home, stomping up the stairs like a herd of elephants.

I put a light coat of makeup on, before brushing through my hair.

I heard my door opening, making me glance over.

Jared stood there in a button up and some jeans.

“you look beautiful.” Jared smiled.

“thanks moose, you look, well very moose like.” I laughed as Jared gave me an annoyed look.

“come on brat, it’s time to go.” Jared said rolling his eyes.

I grabbed my purse, following him down the stairs. Jensen stood there waiting, wearing an outfit similar to Jared’s.

He looked handsome.

He looked flawless.

I could feel his eyes linger on me as I descended the staircase.

“ready to go?” Jensen asked looking at me and Jared.

I nodded my head nervously.

I didn’t like parties.

I would suffer through this one for Jared.

and maybe a little bit to be with Jensen.

I played with the hem of my dress as Jensen drove. It was a silent car ride, nobody bothering to make conversation.

I sighed as Jensen pulled up to the studio.

I hesitantly got out, already overwhelmed with the number of cars in the parking lot.

I could feel the nerves taking over my body making it shake slightly.

I felt a hand on my shoulder making me relax a little.

“it’s going to be okay, just stick with me.” Jared said offering a smile.

I gave him a forced one, following him and Jensen inside.

Jensen disappeared immediately when we got in, going to hug various cast and crew members.

I have to admit I got a little jealous watching him hug multiple women.

It wasn’t like I had a right to be.

Jensen looked right through me.

I just had to accept that.

“I want you to meet Jim.” Jared said grabbing my hand and pulling me to an older gentleman.

I made sure to act super polite as I met various cast and crew members that I hadn’t met the first season.

I felt like Jared’s shadow as he made his way around the room. I didn’t know anyone really except for Jensen and Jeffery Dean Morgan.

I had already talked to Jeff for a little so now I had nothing else to do except following Jared around like a lost puppy dog.

It was exhausting listening to conversations I didn’t really care about.

I needed some air.

I quietly slipped out the door, not that anyone would notice I was gone.

Jared was too busy basking in the limelight.

I was happy for him, don’t get me wrong, it’s just hard to be in his shadow sometimes.

I sighed looking around the studio parking lot. A bunch of trailers sat on the lot, with names of cast members etched on the doors. I found the one that said Jared Padalecki, and took a seat on the steps.

It was a beautiful night out.

It was quiet.

I took a deep breath blowing it out of my nose in a huff.

“you know the parties inside right?”

I jumped as Jensen’s voice took me by surprise.

“geez Jensen I never noticed how observant you were.” I joked rolling my eyes at him.

“not a fan of parties huh?”

“uh not really, they were always sort of Jared’s thing.” I answered with a shrug.

“yeah they’re not so much my thing either, too many people.” Jensen said.

I nodded my head, an awkward silence falling between us.

“uh do you want to see my trailer?” Jensen asked.

I felt the all too familiar heat creep up my spine.

“uh okay.” I whispered, flushed.

Jensen extended his hand pulling me to my feet.

It turns out his trailer was right beside Jared’s. He opened the door allowing me to step in.

It had his wardrobe for Dean in it, a small couch, a mini fridge, and a bathroom. I let my fingers graze over his costumes, observing a few articles closely.

“It’s nice.” I smiled plopping on the couch.

It was rather comfy for a small sofa.

“perks of being like a major celebrity.” Jensen smirked, quoting me from yesterday.

Jensen sat down beside me, our bodies just inches from each other due to the small size of the sofa.

“I’m uh glad you’re here baby moose, Jared’s a lot happier when you are.” Jensen said giving me a smile.

“I’m glad I’m here too.”

It was quiet, another awkward silence falling between us.

“we should probably head back inside, people are going to wonder where we are.” Jensen said standing up.

I stood up too.

“wondering where you are maybe, in case you haven’t noticed I’m pretty good at being invisible.” I said with a slight frown.

“well I can see you.”

Author Note:

I hope you enjoyed part one of this mini series! Please give a heart, reblog, comment or follow if you want more! I appreciate it!

Part (II)

[wolfgirlandfarmboy]

OK SO a very brief introduction to the 1920s themed AU for Jack and Nana.

A quick explanation though for why I keep saying 1920s themes instead of flat out saying "1920s au". BASICALLY It's the same way Beanstalked has a medieval-ish setting as a theme but it's not literally during medieval times (it's just easier for me to use it for building a fantasy setting). For this AU, it's the same but instead of everything being medieval themed. everything is 1920s in decor with the additional magic intertwined with technology.

Think of deco but magical.

That being said, this AU isn't a straight one-to-one of Beanstalked but with 1920s dressing on it. It's a completely different plot with the same characters.

The main setting Jack and Nana's story takes place in is a place called the "Big Poison Apple", an obvious spin on New York City. It's one of the best places to be if you want to make a name or living for yourself. HOWEVER, the "Poison" part of the name comes from how this city has one hell of a shady underbelly.

This underbelly is so bad because of the fact magic and all things magical are VERY regulated. There are a ton of speakeasy places where people can go and get magic potions or just be in an environment where magic can be used and discussed freely.

The entire regulation (and borderline ban in some places) of magic is a whole thing in itself as there's been a rocky history with spells and curses and fairy tales walking amongst mundane people.

ANYWAYS, Nana happens to be a club singer in these speakeasy locations. She mainly prefers one very specific club, meant to parallel the main hub in Beanstalked, but she has bills to help pay back home so she jumps around when she has to.

That's not to say she takes every club offer she gets. She prefers people hiring her because of her voice and not because of her body. And she also doesn't like the more seedier places the Big Poison Apple has to offer.

Jack moved to the Big Poison Apple from a small farm town with big dreams of experiencing the magic of the city. It's a very big city though that has a reputation for chewing people up and spitting them out so Jack can only really land a small little job at a bookstore/tea shop run by Mr. Blacksheep aka Baba.

This shop doesn't see a whole lot of action, even though it's near one of the busier parts of the city.

However, Baba happens to be an old family friend of Nana which means she occasionally pops in to get some tea for her Granny since the tea in the shop comes from places far and wide thanks to Baba's connections from years spent traveling the world.

Jack doesn't know this yet, as his first actual interaction with Nana isn't entirely direct and is just him going to see her performing at a club. And even then, he wasn't entirely planning on actually seeing her, as it was a completely accident stumbling where he winded up in a speakeasy without fully knowing what he was getting into (probably delivering some specially enchanted tea to a smaller one and not realizing "Oh wait there is actual magic going on here")

ANYWAYS, Jack is smitten by Nana's voice because he's never heard singing quite as soulful as hers before. BUT she is a very popular underground singer and Jack is very aware of this so he doesn't expect to really see her outside of her performing.

So imagine his surprise when he sees that enchanting voice walk into Baba's shop the next day.

I don't have a lot of the conflicts and new character roles super ironed out. I do know Pin works at the shop, or begins to work at the shop, and has past history with one of the gangs in the city that he would REALLY love to put behind him.

It'd be a good way to have someone who knows some of the seedy underbelly of the Big Poison Apple since I know Baba ain't got that dog in him (he is an old sheep man who prefers his exploring AWAY from danger).

And it's so important to have some way for Jack to be more aware of the dark side of the Big Poison Apple because I want Nevermore involved in this new setting somehow. Her goals won't nearly be as destructive as her canon self but I do want her to still hold a big bad status. I like to idea of her being the head of one of the biggest criminal groups in the city that works in the shadows.

[yannysif]

Sooo I know I disappeared for a bit again, but this time I was basically doing my own shonen protagonist training arc - been consuming a TON of tutorials and practicing in general, only a few of them are even remotely worth sharing, like this one! I'm not very happy with it, but at the same time, I put in too much effort to let it go to waste so I thought, why not attach a drabble with this because I need to practice my writing alongside my art too..

And so here's a short story of sorts that would take place in the prologue (it won't be exactly like this in-game since I'll have choices and variations to incorporate) hope you enjoy!

"Would you like to dance?"

You look at Lucien as if he's grown an extra head, as he extends his hand to you, waiting. The two of you were taking a stroll in his gardens after dinner, and you were in-between feeling at peace in the environment, and incredibly nervous as you were walking alongside Lucien Lockhart, trying to wrap your head around the fact that he was no longer just your favorite character beyond a screen, he was living, breathing, right next to you, you.

You were quietly taking in the foliage under the moonlight, reveling in the novelty of it, never having had the chance to see such a gorgeous garden at night (but really, everything was new when you were in an entirely different world) when he sprung the question on you.

You could feel his quiet amusement to your reaction, as you stare holes into the palm of his hand, wondering if it was worth taking it, to risk making a completely fool out of yourself in the process, in front of him, and so soon after meeting him? No, you couldn't-

"You are always welcome to say no, please don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to."

Doesn't that just lay on the pressure even more!? But as you look at him and his gentle expression, like you could do no wrong, it felt easier to go along with it. And the moment you placed your hand in his, you felt it was the right choice seeing his face light up from that action alone.

He gently pulls you into position, one hand still holding yours, the other on your waist. He looked for all the world, content, as if it was enough for him just to hold you, have you near. He gives you one last questioning look, silently asking if it's alright to keep going. You can't back out now; you give him a nod, not trusting your voice.

It took all of 2 seconds to step on his foot. Oh this was a terrible idea what were you thinking-

You were brought out of your down-spiral by the sound of your name, prompting you to look up, at his face, his ever present smile when he's near you, immediately providing you with reassurance.

"Don't overthink it, just trust me."

Trust him.

Wasn't that a lot to ask from someone who's practically a stranger? But then again, maybe you weren't. After all, the two of you knew about the other this whole time, when you assumed it was a one-way street. In fact, you think he knows you better (knows you well, too well) than most of the people in your life. You could see it in all the little considerations he made for you in your short time together.

So you couldn't help but want to trust him.

You take a deep breath to ground yourself, and as you do, you could hear music drifting in the air, faint, but present. It was from the musicians Lucien had hired to play during dinner (to welcome you, he explained, when you said it was a bit too much fanfare for someone like you. He promises the next dinner onward would be simpler, for you. You couldn't help but feel a little wonder, at the assured promise of future dinners spent together, like it was only natural.)

So they were still playing, you hadn't noticed from your nervousness, but it made it feel a little less awkward to have some music to dance to.

You set your shoulders, resolute, as you gaze back at Lucien. He gives you a knowing smile, and begins to move again.

Trust him.

And so you do. You let yourself loosen up, trusting him to lead, to go where he pushed and pulled. It takes a moment, but soon the two of you fall into a rhythm, dancing to the music, and soon everything else fell away. You couldn't help the smile that tugged at your lips; you were doing it, you were dancing! And when Lucien smiles back at you, eyes filled with nothing but pride and admiration for you, you could feel happiness swell from within you.

"I'm going to spin you, ok?"

The next moment, he gently pulls your arm up and leads you in a twirl, and you couldn't help but feel a little silly(a little giddy) as you enact a scene you could only imagine before.

"Once more"

That was all the warning you get when this time, he lets go of your hand to instead place both on your waist. You couldn't help the gasp ripped out of you when he lifts you for a spin, impossibly stronger than he appeared, but soon devolved into delighted laughter as you grab his shoulders, weightless in the air.

You've never felt freer than you did at this moment.

[danceworshipper]

@hphm-ship-week Prompt 5: Second Wizarding War

Fun fact, none of my ocs directly participate in the war!

Ship: Gracie/Charlie 💚🐉

Date: late June, 1997 (been in Romania for 6 years)

Fuck, it was supposed to be a good day. There were new Norwegian Ridgeback eggs that were set to hatch sometime before noon, and the whole sanctuary was throwing a party after. Someone was making fresh pizza. Would it be considered a bad coping skill to just ignore what they'd learned until tomorrow?

...yeah, it would.

Bill had been attacked. A bunch of Death Eaters and Fenrir fucking Greyback had been set loose on Hogwarts, and while no one had died, it sounded like Bill had come close.

"It's bad," Arthur said through the Floo. "I almost didn't recognize him."

Gracie thought her fingers might fall off, but she wasn't about to ask Charlie to let go of her hand. Not now. He looked like he might faint, and while Gracie was a Healer, she'd really rather if he didn't collapse on their living room floor.

"But he's okay?" she asked.

Arthur sighed. "He should be, but we can't know for sure. It's close enough to the full moon that Remus is worried something could happen, but he doesn't think it'll be anything serious. We're just going to have to wait and see."

"Is he awake? Can I come talk to him?" Charlie begged.

"He's still asleep. And these fireplaces aren't set up for international travel," Arthur responded. "He was up for a little while last night, and he was talking fine and remembered everything. I think the worst bit is the scarring."

Bill had been scarred before - he was a cursebreaker, he'd gotten a lot worse than that - but werewolf gashes on his face was a whole other level.

Gracie felt ill just imagining it. For probably the millionth time, she cursed the general wizarding world's lack of research into werewolves. There was no fixing a scar left by a werewolf, even in human form. Someday someone who actually gave a shit would figure it out, but not while this war was turning more and more people against the idea of werewolf rights.

"I've got to get some rest," Arthur said after a long pause. "I'll call you again later, alright?"

Charlie didn't answer. Gracie took one look at his face and sighed. She knew that blank expression a little too well; he wasn't there anymore.

Arthur knew it too. "Take care of him, Gracie," he said. "Bill's fine, really. I promise."

"I will," Gracie said, and the flames went out. Charlie didn't react at all.

Even as broken as he was, there were some things that Gracie knew Charlie couldn't miss, and one of those things was a hatching. He'd be devastated if he didn't get to watch their little baby claws stomping around while they squeaked. Resigning herself to a long fucking day, Gracie steered Charlie toward the kitchen to get some breakfast in him.

(Bill was one of her first ever friends, dammit, why wasn't she allowed to break too?)

She got some toast in him, and that was probably as good as she was going to get, so she gave up on the idea of a big breakfast so that they could skip lunch.

"We're going to his wedding," Charlie said suddenly.

Gracie turned the sink off, dishes half washed, and sat down next to him at the table.

"I don't care what's going on here," he continued. "I don't care if they fire me. We're going to his wedding."

"They wouldn't fire you for that," Gracie said, taking his hand.

"Even if they did."

"Okay."

"Should we move back home?" Charlie asked, looking at her for the first time since Arthur called. "I hate that they're all fighting for their lives and we're just carrying on like nothing's happening."

Gracie wanted to say an immediate no, no fuckingway, she wasn't doing that shit again and he couldn't make her, but she forced herself to breathe. The answer was still going to be no, but she understood where he was coming from. This was his entire family at risk. Hers was far from the action, so of course it would be easier for her to choose self-preservation. Plus, Charlie was a dumbass Gryffindor, so it was in his nature to be bold and rash and get himself fucking killed -

"No!" she snapped, and then sighed, because she hadn't wanted to say it like that.

Charlie stared at her in surprise.

"We can send them money and supplies, or we can bring them over here, but I'm not risking you," she said. "I can't risk you."

Squeezing her hand, he nodded. "But we're going to the wedding."

"Of course we're going to the wedding," Gracie agreed. One wedding wouldn't kill anyone. "And right now, we're going to see the hatching."

Finally there was a small spark back in Charlie's eyes. "Yeah, okay, lets go."

Somehow, they managed to make it through the hatching and even the party with only a couple of people asking if everything was alright, but it was a close call. Gracie practically fell into her favorite armchair - the one Charlie had found in an antique shop that was the perfect shade of Slytherin green - and let her eyes close. She had a pounding headache, induced both by stress and a bit too much alcohol.

She could hear Charlie pacing by the fireplace, waiting for Arthur to call again. It had better be good news when he did.

"Love, wake up."

Gracie forced her eyes open. When the hell did she fall asleep?

Charlie had tears in his eyes, but he was smiling brightly. "Bill's on the Floo, if you want to talk to him."

Wide awake, she was wide awake. Gracie jumped out of the armchair and ran to the Floo, and there his image was: beaten, scarred, and clearly exhausted, but smiling.

"Don't I look badass?" Bill joked. "I'm thinking I should get another piercing, really lean into it. Maybe a lip ring?"

"Fuck off," Gracie said, and Bill laughed, and it was all okay.

[dotster001]

Soft part 10 out of however many it takes for my coworker friend to like Lucifer

Summary: your new plan to fluster Lucifer into revealing his plans to win your heart is, as per usual, arriving with unexpected consequences.

A/N: *nervous laughter* it's been a long time since I updated this, so a lot of you may be behind....oops

Chapters: one two three four five six seven eight nine

"This is disgusting," Solomon said, furrowing his brow in complete confusion and disgust.

The thing he was looking at? 

You hanging off of Lucifer's arm as you whispered flirtily into his ear. Well, more like an attempt at flirtily whispering in his ear. It was clear you were not feeling it.

And as for Lucifer, he seemed to be trying to not react, and keep his face as neutral as possible. Neither of them was benefitting from this, but both were too prideful to end it, so the game of chicken seemed to have no end in sight.

Which Solomon wouldn't have cared less about…if he wasn't supposed to be teaching self defense spells right now.

As one might imagine, it was not going well, when his student and their main teacher were too busy trying to outplay one another in a game only they understood. 

He quickly shot a text to Satan.

So…Y/N and Lucifer…

Are they still doing that? 😒

Care to explain what's going on?

Not really, no.

But whatever it is, they've been doing it an entire week.

It's really annoying.

Aw, feeling neglected? 🥺

Satan stopped responding to Solomon's texts. Sighing to himself, he packed up everything he had brought with him, and started to head for the door.

"We'll try this again next week, since you both seem a bit preoccupied," he said over his shoulder, hearing what sounded vaguely like an "uh huh" from someone, but no other reaction besides that.

He really hoped one of them snapped before next week.

….

The first couple days of shamelessly flirting with Lucifer, you had felt nothing but deep nausea in the pit of your stomach. As the week had progressed, though, you had built up a bit of an immunity. It was easier to flirt him up. 

At least you hoped it was an immunity. There was no world where you were ready to process what it meant if it were something else.

The other boyfriends, meanwhile, were being very pouty.

"It's not fair. We loved you first. Lucifer should just get in line and wait his turn," Levi said with a pout.

The brothers had shown up in your room that morning for an unexpected intervention. You hadn't even been awake for two seconds when Levi had started talking.

Asmo wasn't even looking. He was facing the opposite way of the bed, arms crossed, face contorted into a childish pout.

"They don't even love him," he said, his protruding lower lip evident in his voice. "Well, not yet anyway. They're close but not quite there."

"I'm yer first man! If yer gonna spend all yer time focusing on one person, it should be me!" Mammon cried from the spot where he was laying his head in your lap.

"I've told you a million times, your not the first man anymore-"

"Shut yer face, Levi!"

"What are you hoping to accomplish here, that teaming up with the rest of the anti Lucifer League wouldn't?" Satan asked calmly, his white knuckles betraying the rage he was holding back.

You opened your mouth to respond, but honestly you couldn't come up with an answer. What were you hoping to gain?

"Checkmate," Belphie said with a smirk.

Suddenly, Beel locked the door.

Tag list- @leonia0 @eccedentesiast-sapphic @your-next-daydream

"You're not leaving until you can give us a real answer," Satan said, giving what sounded like an evil laugh.

[tabinavi]

Kikuoland-Go-Round and Six Long Years 9-3-24

"Thank you very much stormy Houston, Texas!!!" i'm still shaken by what i experienced last night. i don't know. i look back on it like i just imagined it; like it never happened. i didn't feel it at that moment, but i believe i experienced the purest form of joy i will ever experience. i look back on the very few photos and videos i took (i'm not the phone out type), and i remember it all like a decade old memory. covered in rainwater, face red from all the adrenaline, the way the crowd was excited and music blaring. i wish to go back, like legitimately, RIGHT NOW! i got to the venue at 5PM, where doors opened for VIP at 6;30PM and rest an hour later. i paid for the VIP and meet and greet; $100 was not bad i believe!my family paid ~$250 for general admission each for Coldplay! anyways, i got in, got my merch, and claimed my spot next to the railing (lol). very quickly did it become evident that it was gonna be raining during the actual show. i feel bad for those who didn't bring a bag for their merch shirts and other goods. i took cover for a short while before i had to submit to the rain to secure my first row spot. we got hilariously videotaped of us in the rain, and countless other recordings of us on the railing, which i know i will be CLEARLY visible if they do surface. embarrassing! but also exciting! not much happened between waiting and the show start at 8 o'clock other than regretting not taking a picture with the life-sized Hoshi-kun (or -live, mascot history goes a lil crazy).

honestly, i would like to keep details about the show very minimal as i let it marinate in my memory. lots of jumping i'll say. Lots Of It. and for being at the railing, did it mess with the acoustics overall since i'm so close to the subwoofers? yes, but... but...

but i feel very strong about getting the best view, and i wasn't taking "decent" for Kikuo. For Coldplay, i got a pretty good spot in front of center stage, getting to see the band up close, but there were two other stages they performed on. anytime they moved to a stage away from mine, i hated it. i hate having to tiptoe and move my head constantly to catch just quick glimpses. i want the full picture, so it clings easier to my memory. during Kikuo's performance, being able to see him move around on stage and fiddle with his deck was like hitting the jackpot. i'm crazy. i've been crazy for this since the announcement. i'm glad everything all worked out, and i got the best possible experience i was looking for.

and for the meet and greet, i took the guitar pick i had been using for a couple years as a way to send it off and retire it. it felt special to have that item signed. i showed it and he audibly gasped assuming he was surprised to see a pick or something that small be signed.

funny ryo. this concert, to me, was a culmination of six years of kikuo. late 2018, maybe from september-december, i had found and upload of Red Ridinghood's Wolf. after that, it's black. how did i end up here, really? from unassuming song to manic fan? god only knows. but i reflect on years of listening, and Kikuo to me, is just the most unique sort of imagination. his songwriting and lyrics all give off the feeling that he's reminiscing on a past and future that doesn't exist. his influences of trance, edm, pop, and traditional folk music are very obvious, but he crafts an entirely new identity separated from those. each song is a different world, and i get sucked in every time.

thanks to Kikuo for all the memories, and the unforgettable concert i had the first of september. i seriously wish i can go back.

[taomyou]

The Romance of Reimbursements - Chapter 5

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Reader Status: COMPLETED Summary: There’s a guy you see every Friday on bus 143, and you think he’s pretty hot. It wouldn’t hurt to tell your best friend about him, would it? or, you and Levi take the same bus home from work every Friday, and you fall in love slowly, clumsily, and with all the time in the world to fold as many paper stars as your heart desires. Word Count: 4.9k Tags: slow burn, friends to lovers, modern au, office au, fluff, romance, meet-cute, matchmaking

(A/N: this fic is entirely available on ao3 here if you would like to read it there instead!)

Chapter Navigation Accompanying Playlist

Not taking the bus today?

"You guys looked so cute walking back to your place when I had you over that one time!"

"Why are you even bringing that up, Hange?" You groan, writing in your signature at the bottom of the receipt.

"It's the truth! Please, let me set you up!"

Over the past month, Hange's been relentless in trying to get you set up with Levi. Bringing you along when going out with their crew, making you sit next to him, playing up your achievements when he's around.

Maybe if you were in high school, this would've worked, but you're all adults. It's more embarrassing, if anything, for them to try their hand at matchmaking with you.

It was especially humiliating when you met Mike and Moblit, and Hange tried making you out to be some millionaire hotshot lawyer when introducing you to them. It's probably worse for Levi, though, who Hange gloats as the youngest professor in Sina University history and the most sought after architect in the city.

At least Hange has half the brain to at least not say anything that hinted at your initial attraction to him. You wouldn't ever be able to live down the fact that you finding him attractive was what got you invited to that very first dinner outing together in the first place.

You can't be completely against how they've gone about it, though.

All the forced interaction desensitized you just enough to where your face doesn't heat up in flames whenever Levi's around, and it's become easier to keep up conversation with him with all the new information you get from Hange. After you and him spent the evening with Hange and Erwin in that disaster of a kitchen 3 weeks ago, on Fridays, he'll save a seat for you, even when it's not crowded, and when it's quiet enough, you'll ask each other about how the workweek went.

Nothing personal, nothing deep. You don't talk about any bad clients or how bad your workload is, and you suspect he doesn't delve into anything substantial when he tells you about his week either, but it's enough to rekindle a bit of your enthusiasm at the end of the week.

Speaking of work, it actually never ended up getting any better.

The following Monday after you and the lot baked at Hange's apartment, Erwin called you into his office to tell you that you're pretty much doomed to become even more overworked than you already have been for the last 3 years because of some fuck-up in management. He said something about it being privy to the higher-ups, so he couldn't tell you exactly what was going on.

Erwin actually used the more HR-friendly phrase of "going through some change" when talking about it, but you know what he really means. You and him have taken to talking about how  work is going when you're waiting for the others in the group to arrive since the two of you are usually the first to get to the hangout spot, and he's dropped more than enough hints that he's dissatisfied with how work's going.

Admittedly, you've been doing a subpar job adjusting. You've taken to skipping your usual lunches with the interns, instead eating quickly and immediately going back to work while they eat in the breakroom, and you still had some trouble getting done for the day before you have to get home. Even when you do get home, there's other emails and whatnot to attend to, so you're not even free when you're out of the office.

Being a workaholic is definitely in the job description, but you'd been doing just fine before this sudden surge of work. Everyone else on the floor seems a bit more tense anyway, so it's not like you're alone in your struggle. Petra doesn't leave for lunch with Oluo anymore, Erwin doesn't come by to check on anyone, and the interns are running around all day to deliver papers. Still, the only rest you get at this point is over the weekend or when you're hanging out with your friends.

"Even if I did want you to get me a date, I wouldn't have the time."

Hange sighs in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But still! We need to get you out there!"

"And if I don't want to be out there?"

"Then I'll respect that, but I still think you and Levi would be great together!"

"Really? I never would've guessed. You've said no such thing before."

After the waitress comes to take your signed receipt, you tear paper strands out of the customer copy and fold them up before handing them to Hange. They wordlessly put them into their pocket, and the two of you leave a tip for the lunch you just had together and thank the waitress before you head out to your car. Hange pushes some buttons on your car tablet to connect their music, and you're off to drop them off for the day.

"Tell your intern 'happy birthday' for me!" Hange says, waving to you before getting out of your car. You sarcastically roll your eyes before waving back, rolling down the window so you can see them enter the building.

"I will, thank you! Have a good day at work!"

"And don't forget, we're having Valentine's dinner together! Just the two of us!"

Once you see that they've safely made it inside (and after they send you an exaggerated thumbs-up to let you know they're good to go into work), you shift your car into drive and drive yourself over to the grocery store on Rose.

In the back of your car is a huge cooler with a cake you baked for Mikasa and the rest of the floor last night. Erwin, bless his heart, somehow got management to give you the day off to prepare for Mikasa's surprise party today. Last November when it was Armin's birthday, he ended up getting sent to the courthouse to assist Petra with a hearing, so you and the rest of the floor staff couldn't arrange anything for him, but he insisted it was fine and a birthday party never happened.

Holidays like Christmas and New Years don't get celebrated at the firm totally not because divorce rates go up so much during the holidays and it's literally impossible to make time for any big parties, so birthdays end up being very special at the office. Maybe it's not a surprise since the interns have experienced a few birthdays already, but it's the thought that counts. Mikasa and the other two get off work at 6 today, so there's more than enough time for you to get everything you need and get back to the office.

You park your car as close as you can to the entrance and head inside, taking a cart as you pull your phone out of your pocket to check what you need to get. You haven't been here since you and Levi came to get those eggs for Hange a few weeks ago, so you're slow moving through the aisles, but you find everything you need in time and head over to the in-store bakery to get some candles.

There's more than enough cakes, cupcakes, what have you along the chilled shelves, and there's a good amount of numbered candles on the hangers, but you can't seem to find any '2's. Behind the counter, there's a girl in a baker's outfit, so you call out to her to get her help.

"Hi! I'm sorry, but do you have any more '2's? I can't find any here," you tell her, hand up in a wave.

She smiles at you and nods. "Yeah, I can check! Give me a second!" She heads to the back to where you assume is inventory, and when she comes back, she has an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry, I don't think we have any more. If you picked out a cake already, I can write the number on it for you."

You wave at her again, this time to let her know it's alright. "Don't worry about it! And I have a cake already, but thank you for letting me know."

She nods, but before you can turn to leave to go pay for your items, she speaks up.

"Actually, do I know you? You look really familiar," she says.

You pause for a second, trying to remember. She's a bit young, so you don't think she's a former client, but you don't recognize her at all from anywhere else. "No, I don't think so."

Suddenly, her eyes light up and she brings her hands together. "Wait, I do know you! You're friends with Mikasa, right? She's posted pictures with you before!"

You smile at the mention of your intern-turned-friend. "Yeah, I work with her."

"Oh my god, are you here to get candles for her birthday?"

You nod. "We're hosting a surprise party at work for her."

"Wait right here then!" She rushes off to the back, and seconds later, returns with something. She puts it on the counter between you and pushes it towards you. It looks like one of those musical candles, but you didn't see any space for them on the racks earlier to know the store even carried them. "I keep one in the back in case someone needs it! They always sell out really fast, but the inventory people don't ever order enough!"

You beam at her and take it gratefully. This isn't quite what you were looking for, but it's really cute. Mikasa would definitely like this more than numbered candles, as corny as it is.

"Thank you! What's your name, so I can tell Mikasa who I ran into?"

She smiles pridefully at you.

"I'm Sasha, I went to university with her. I'm actually getting dinner with her and our other friends later!"

You nod at her, remembering the name for later. "It's nice meeting you then, Sasha! Thank you for the candle, I really appreciate it."

"No worries! What's your name?" You tell her, and she smiles even wider. "She talks about you a lot, too! Well, she calls you Astraea, but she said that's a nickname. Thanks for taking care of her at work!"

At that, you blush a bit and laugh nervously. "She talks about me?"

"Yeah! She says you're super nice!" Your face heats up even more, and you can feel your heart flutter.

"That's really sweet. I gotta get going, but make sure Mikasa has a good time out tonight for me, alright?"

At that, she stands up straighter and gets in a mock salute. "You got it!"

The two of you bid each other farewell, and you make sure to put back the '5' candle before you leave and go checkout. The cashier, noticing the candle, wishes you a happy birthday, but you tell him it's for someone else and he nods.

"Make sure they have a good one!" He tells you as he hands you the receipt.

"Thank you! Have a good day!"

As you're walking back to your car, you see the flower shop from that time Levi drove you to Hange's. You did think getting flowers would be nice, and you check the time on your phone; 3:02 PM.

Yeah, that's more than enough time to get something for her and make it back to the office. After putting everything you bought in the trunk of your car, you put the cart back before heading over to Magnolia Floral Company. The floral arrangements are much more red and pink than before, probably with Valentine's Day coming up soon, but it's quite cute.

Stepping in, you hear the bell from the door again and look around. There's nobody at the counter right now, but you do see the girl you saw last time helping someone at the far end of the store. What was her name again? Isabel? She hears the bell of the door and shouts a quick "welcome in!" to you before going back to the customer with her.

You nod to no one in particular and start walking around, looking through everything. You aren't quite sure what color flowers Mikasa would want, so you go to get your phone from your pocket to text Armin and ask. Surely, he wouldn't be able to guess what exactly you'd need her favorite color for. You send a quick text asking, and he gets back to you almost immediately with "red." Convenient enough, since it's almost Valentine's Day and the whole shop is covered in red roses, but all the bouquets have Valentine's motifs on them.

He also asks why you're not in the office, and you quickly reply with the lie that you're across town on company business. It's not really a lie when Mikasa's birthday is technically the company's business, though.

Before you can pocket your phone, however, you get a text from Levi. Weird. You've never exchanged messages since that first time you sat together, and you almost forgot you even had his number. Even with all the hanging out you do, you never found any need for it, only talking in-person.

Levi - 3:15 PM

Not taking the bus today?

It didn't slip your mind that it was Friday and that you'd be missing out on your ride back with Levi, but you didn't think he'd say anything about it. Before you can think of what to say in reply, Isabel comes up to you and you put your phone away as a courtesy to her.

"Hello! You're the woman Levi brought last time, right?" She asks, her hands politely in her apron pockets. You nod. A lot of people sure do recognize you today.

Well, not a lot, but two is more than enough.

"I'm Isabel! It's nice to meet you!" She smiles at you. Her energy is so contagious, you can't help but smile back. You tell her your name and greet her as well. You break eye contact with her to look at the flowers next to the both of you, and she joins you. "What're you looking for today? Something for Valentine's?"

You giggle good-naturedly at her and rub the back of your neck. "No, no, nothing like that. It's my intern's birthday today, and I'm looking for something for her."

She nods in understanding out of the corner of your eye. "Do you know what she'd like?"

"Her favorite color is red, but I think maybe something white too would be nice."

Isabel takes a quick look around the shop before laughing. "Well, nothing here is really suited for a birthday. I could make something for you at the counter, if you'd like?"

You sheepishly smile at her while putting your hands in a prayer position.

"If it's no trouble."

"Nonsense! I wouldn't've suggested it if I didn't want to."

The two of you head over to the workstation at the counter, but Isabel quickly makes the cash exchange with another customer before sending them off with their flowers. She heads into the backroom, and you're correct in assuming she's gathering flowers when she comes back with a bucket of white and red flowers and some greens. She pulls out a sheet of white tissue paper and sets it down before shifting through some of the flowers. You feel a bit awkward just watching her, but she thankfully strikes up conversation with you.

"So, how do you know Levi?" She asks, grabbing a couple of greens from the bucket.

"I'm friends with Hange, they introduced us."

At the mention of Hange, Isabel perks up. "I love Hange! I wish I could hang out with them more often, but I'm usually at school when they're available."

You hum, smiling. If she's anything like Hange, you'll definitely get along.

"What're you studying, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm a biology and environmental science double major, but I'm studying for the MCAT right now," she answers, now getting some red flowers.

"Sounds like tough work. I can't imagine working during undergrad while doing all that." You wince, and she laughs along.

"It's a nice break, for sure. My parents actually own this shop, so I just help out when I can."

"That's really nice of you." She quickly pulls away to take care of another customer's purchase, then just as quickly returns to where she was working on your bouquet. She struggles to grab a pair of shears that's across the counter from her, so you step over to get it and hand it to her. She smiles in appreciation, then cutting some of the stems of the flowers.

"What do you do for work? You came in dressed all fancy last time, are you a lawyer or something?"

You chuckle, covering your smile with your hand. "I am, actually."

She laughs along with you, putting down the shears.

"Guess that explains why you didn't need to ask me how much it'd cost for me to arrange this for you," she jokes, air-punching your shoulder from where she is. You feign getting hurt, clutching at your arm, and you let the smile overtake your face. You shake your head.

"I have money now, but student debt had me living off take-out for ages."

"It's okay, that'll be me when I go to grad school." You both laugh again, and she grabs some white flowers now.

Remembering that Hange told Levi to bring back the egg tarts for Isabel and someone else named Furlan, you decide to ask how they liked them.

"A bit random, but how'd you like the egg tarts Levi brought back a while ago?"

Isabel pauses before she looks up at you dreamily, her elbows now propped up and holding her face. "They were so good! Me and Furlan keep asking where he got them, but he wants to be all gatekeep-y and not tell us!" She pauses again, then stands up straighter and points at you with a comically accusatory finger. "You! You can tell me where he got them, right?"

You put your hands up in mock arrest. "If he wants to gatekeep, I can't do anything about it."

She rolls her eyes and goes to get some white flowers, fiddling around with both them and the red ones to figure out how to arrange the bouquet.

"Do you actually know where he got them, though? He won't budge. Some of them were really ugly, though, so maybe he got them from a bakery about to close?"

If Isabel is anything like Hange, you understand completely why he wouldn't want to say anything about it to save face the same way you need to when Hange pesters you, but there's no harm in telling her if she hasn't asked anything weird or invasive, right?

So you hum. "We made them at Hange's after you saw us leave last time. Well, more like I made them. His were the unsightly ones, I'm guessing."

Before Isabel can say anything, there's a ring at the door.

"Isabel, do you need a ride back toda-" You turn to see Levi, who's now stopped mid-sentence when you make eye contact.

You sheepishly wave from where you are. "Hey, Levi."

He pauses for a second before making his way over to where you and Isabel are.

"Nah, I'm good. I was gonna go to the movies after my shift's over," says Isabel. Levi nods, then turning to you. "Oh, yeah! You bastard, she told me you guys made the tarts! Why didn't you just tell me that? Me and Furlan have been looking all over Yelp to try and find them, and you just let us struggle!"

Levi rolls his eyes. "Because, if I told you, you'd force me to make them for you."

"Damn straight I would!" Isabel whines while grabbing some more floral accessories. "You don't even know how to bake! Is that why some of them were so ugly?" You laugh, looking away from the pair to hide your smile.

"Yeah, Levi, why were they so ugly?" You can't see him, but going by Isabel's laughter, he's probably deadpan staring at you.

"Good one!" Isabel finishes with your bouquet, and after wrapping it up, she tilts it up to show it to you. It's a masterful blend of whites and reds, and the greens are just the right amount to avoid evoking Christmas. "How do you like it?" You smile at her.

"It's perfect! Thank you so much!" She heads over to the register to start ringing you up, but Levi's still staring at you so you look over to him. Your ears feel a bit hot, even after all the forced time spent together. "Why didn't you tell them where they came from?" You ask gently.

He shrugs, leaning back onto the counter. "Didn't want to bother you for the recipe if they asked for more of them."

You bite the inside of your cheek at that. "It wouldn't be a bother."

"I don't think I could make them anyway. It was mostly you," he says. You roll your eyes halfheartedly.

"Don't sell yourself short," you reply. "I could make them again for Isabel and your other friend too, you know? I don't mind."

Isabel calls to you from the counter, and you smile at Levi before hurrying over to her. You hand Isabel your card, she swipes it, and you tuck the receipt into your pocket immediately over to avoid looking at the total. Pulling out your phone, you see that it's now 3:45 PM.

"I should be leaving now, but thank you so much, Isabel! I'll be sure to get some more tarts to you, and I'll text you," looking at Levi, "the recipe when I'm home, okay? Bye!"

When you're out the door, Levi turns to glare at Isabel. She looks back at him, eyebrow raised.

"What're you looking at me like that for?" Looking between him and the door, she smirks, crossing her arms across her chest. "You want me to tell you who those flowers are for, don't you?"

✰

"Erwin just went with her to one of the conference rooms! Hurry in!" Petra says into the line, then ending the call.

Just a few minutes ago, you had the receptionist call down Eren and Armin to the parking lot where you were parked in a client parking space to help bring in the cake, flowers, and all the miscellaneous party items. They're quite surprised to see you, thinking you were across town, but they're happy nonetheless and don't ask any questions when you force them to bring everything inside. You steal one of the luggage trolleys near the entrance and motion for them to come and put their things on it, and you all push it into the elevator when it gets down.

"So, this is what you were up to all day?" Eren asks.

You nod, smiling back at him.

"Isn't this a bit much? Mikasa just texted me asking if I think she's about to get fired," says Armin.

You look over at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's all in good fun. I also thought I was getting fired the first time it happened to me."

The elevator beeps once you're at the 8th floor, and you all rush out of there to start putting things in place. You shove a box of kazoos and party hats into Eren's arms and tell him to bring them to the breakroom where everyone's huddled up and waiting, and you and Armin carefully follow after him with the cooler the cake's in.

You wave hello to all your coworkers once you're inside, and after bringing in the rest of the things, you open the lid of the cooler to show everyone what's inside. They all "ooh" and "ahh," and you feel warmth in your chest at their compliments. It's quite big, so you need help from Eren, but you get it put out and put it on the table at the center of the room, and everyone's quickly setting out random things: plates, utensils, napkins. Thank goodness the breakroom is so big, and the thirty people on your floor are able to all fit.

You hear a knock at the door to let you know that Erwin and Mikasa are back, so you quickly peel open the packaging for the candle Sasha gave you and put it on the cake. Petra quickly lights it, and the candle starts playing the familiar birthday tune.

"Come in!" You shout. Erwin lets Mikasa open the door, and her jaw falls to the ground. Everyone moves out of the way so she can see the cake, and Erwin laughs from behind her. She doesn't say anything, but when you cue for everyone to start singing Happy Birthday, her smile doesn't fail to make you light up. You run up to her after you're all done singing with a party hat, and put it on her before she hugs you and slams her fists into your back, probably as payback for making her think she was getting fired.

"I hate you."

You laugh, hugging her back. "Yeah, love you too."

✰

Finally, after you've showered and gotten ready for the night, you flop onto your bed and sigh happily, letting yourself relax. The birthday party was a great bit of fun, everyone getting to have some cake and destress after the hard month's work. You haven't gotten to bake for a big event like this in a long time, so it was nice to be able to set aside time for that. You feel a beep from your phone, and you check to see that Mikasa sent you a selfie with her and Sasha giving the camera a thumbs-up.

They look happy. You smile at the photo and send them back a thumbs-up emoji and tell them to stay safe. Clicking back to the general conversation screen, you see Levi's text from earlier. Your smile falls a bit, disappointed in yourself for not replying earlier.

You - 8:56 PM

sorry i didn't get back to you earlier yeah, i had work off today to plan an intern's birthday party

You sluggishly get up from your bed and head into the kitchen to grab your recipe book, too lazy to try and remember the recipe for the egg tarts off the top of your head like last time. You take a quick picture of them and send it to him, careful to make sure everything was clear to read.

You - 9:03 PM

here's the recipe! sorry, my handwriting's kind of garbage

You don't actually think your handwriting is bad, but it's better to insult it before someone else does. You put the recipe book back into the drawer and yawn before stumbling back to bed and turn off your lights, staring at your phone at your conversation with Levi once you're settled in. You roll over when you see the three dots appear on the screen, now on your stomach to be a bit more comfortable.

Levi - 9:07 PM

No need to be sorry I was just worried you missed our bus

He was worried about you? You slam your phone screen-down on your bed before picking it up again to hold it to your chest. You roll onto your back, then back on your stomach, then kick your legs. You look at the text, and you feel a blush growing on your face. And he called it your bus?

Okay, to be fair, you've been hanging around each other a lot more, and it's the logical thing to think you'd be late for the bus when work's been kicking your ass. You take a few slow breaths, and your face cools itself down. Calm down, you don't even want to date him. Or even be with him. None of that. You hear another beep, so you pick up your phone.

Levi - 9:09 PM

And I'm a professor, do you think I can't handle some messy handwriting?

You - 9:10 PM

i said nothing of the sort! but is it really that messy?

Levi - 9:10 PM

I can read it just fine Thank you for sending it

You - 9:11 PM

yeah, of course! let me know if you need help with any of it

Levi - 9:12 PM

I definitely will need it

You - 9:13 PM

i can also make them for you guys i really don't mind

Levi - 9:13 PM

You barely have time to sleep

You chuckle, bringing your blanket higher up on your body.

You - 9:14 PM

and how do you know that?

Levi - 9:14 PM

You look more tired nowadays

You frown at that.

You - 9:14 PM

that noticeable?

Levi - 9:15  PM

Yeah, no offense

You yawn again, your head no longer propped up and instead on a comfy pillow. You can barely keep your eyes open, but you manage to send a reply before you fall asleep.

You - 9:16 PM

none taken i'm in bed so i'm gonna go to sleep

Levi - 9:16  PM

Sleep well then

You - 9:16 PM

you too!

You see three dots appear again, but they're gone by the time you get to closing your eyes. You stretch your arms out above your head, humming as your pull your blanket closer to you. Before you're fully asleep, you laugh to yourself at the realization that even without the bus, you managed to see Levi on yet another Friday.

✰

Next Chapter

[selvesdiscovery]

hi, i'm putting this on anon because people i know are highly anti-endo and i don't wanna out myself as being pro-endo. if you want to delete this feel free btw since i know fusion is a touchy subject for some systems

we're a system. we've been diagnosed with DID and told to see a specialist. said therapist who diagnosed us and referred us out is advising we peruse final fusion. we would do it... except the only reason why we would is because we fear nobody would ever like us the way we are (we're a very independent and private system. other than the host, all dating and such is done in system and kicking the host out of front is rare).

do you have any advice on that? i'm sure it eventually gets easier but i'm not sure how to make it easier. do you have any resources and advice on getting comfortable with being a system, and being comfortable sharing that with people (both other systems and singlets)?

thank you. just delete this if it's against the rules or if it makes you uncomfortable :) your comfort is important too

Hi! Thank you so much for reaching out.

This question isn't too sensitive or anything like that, and I see stuff like this a lot in the system world. Even I myself have dealt with similar issues.

What really helped me was 'coming out' to only a few really close friends. It gave us the space to talk about what goes on inside our head, and be honest about who we are.

Ofc, this isn't super helpful if you dont have really close friends. The second best thing I can suggest from personal experience is participating in the system community, either here on Tumblr or on Discord or wherever else, and working on being progressively more open there.

Those are both really vague and I'm sorry about that, the only thing we really personally needed to come out of our shell was trust, either already pre-existing or built from watching others live the same way as us.

Something else that really helps us personally when trying to get more comfortable with ourselves OUTSIDE of a social context, is encouraging the others to find their own way. That's why we made this blog actually. The best way to become comfortable both socially and personally with being a system is to foster a space for every headmate to live their most authentic life as fully as possible.

If you can, try inviting your alters to front with you, to try out new things that AREN'T related to trauma, therapy, or journalling (If you don't have a journal already, I suggest you look into that first and foremost). If you can't, you could always just wait until you cofront naturally to bring this up with them. Your headmates are people too, and the best way to make THEM stop feeling like less than or like something to be ashamed of is to help them grow.

As for your therapist, it sounds like she doesn't have your& best interest in mind. If you can, I'd look for someone who's comfortable with both fusion AND functional multiplicity as options, and can help you find the way you truly want to follow way better than I, some stranger on the internet, ever could.

Lastly, a fair disclaimer, DONT go about doing any of these things if you think you or your alters might not be entirely ready. If you happen to be newly discovered as a system, it might be good to take some time to learn about one another at a nice slow pace, first, before jumping into anything else. Be very careful, as much as selves discovery and branching out and growing as people is important to being happy how you are, it can be dangerous to some systems in certain situations.

I could understand though how these things may not be what your looking for, but since I don't have a ton of information on your personal experience I can't really get any more specific. If you're looking for more specific resources, I'd encourage personalized research, or going to a professional with your concerns, since the most I really have for this sort of thing is personal experience.

Either way, I wish you luck, and I genuinely hope you can find people who accept you as you are, and help you in your journey to grow. You& got this!

[belit0]

Unbreakable Bond (part 4)

It took me a while because I had no idea how to approach this chapter, but finally, here we are. Lots of revelations in it, and more Uchihas in the cast!!!

it always helps me a lot to get feedback on what you think, so please share with me your opinions on this!!!

"What about that one?" Obito tersely asks, lying on the roof of the tallest building in the city, black wings camouflaging themselves in night's darkness despite their blue feathers, these acting as a cushion for his body. He scans the streets with disinterested eyes, fed up with the situation and eager to return home.

Hunting humans is much easier than hunting angels.

"No, poor physical ability, he won't even withstand a hit," Shisui answers, observing the same celestial being his companion pointed out. Their goal is clear, to find a divine protector of excellent conditions and skills, though they have been on the task for about a month and the aforementioned does not seem to exist.

"Why can't it be either of us two, again?"

"You didn't hear a word the leader said, did you?"

"I mean, can you blame me? I get chills just listening to his voice, creeps me out so much I'd rather act as if I don't exist when he's talking to us."

"You're a child."

"I'm not a child, I value my life, it's different. I don't wanna be subject to the leader's wrath."

"Yeah, and for that very reason you keep asking what the fuck we have to do since we arrived!" Shisui ends up pseudo-yelling in frustration, shoving him and getting a punch in reply. "You wouldn't have a fucking clue about what to do if-"

"LOOK AT HIM!" A blue claw points at a new angel, and following the direction Obito guides, Shisui agrees with him for the first time. Down the street, an angel with a powerful aura and a bowl-cut walks beside an old woman, probably the human to whom he must be bound.

His wings are large, thick, and his body looks in good condition. Not so young, not so old, he's the perfect description provided to them by the leader before leaving. "Do you think he'll be strong enough?"

"I sure hope so." Both demons stand up in unison, launching themselves into the heights and taking advantage of the darkness to camouflage themselves without any problems. They fly higher than any angel would, out of the radar and shielded, following their target at a safe distance, waiting for the right moment to act.

When the angel they are tailing seems to stop in front of a building, they quickly descend, taking up position on another rooftop and observing again. "You have the leader's blood, don't you?" Obito asks, biting his lip at the sudden anxiety for action. They've spent what felt like an eternity searching for the perfect vessel, and now that they have it in front of their eyes, they can't fail.

"Ha, and here I thought you hadn't heard anything of what he'd told us."

"It's hard to ignore when the strongest man in the entire fucking world gives you a vial of his blood, you idiot."

Shisui produces a small container filled with red liquid, carefully feeling it in the palm of his hand as if afraid of losing it. The cold glass on his skin generates a sense of comfort, securing the most important part of the entire sequence in his grip, ready to proceed.

They listen as the old woman and her angel exchange a few words, presumably having arrived at the lady's home. "Thank you very much, Guy, again, no need to take care of this poor old thing if you have business to take care of up there you know."

"Please, Akira! In heavens I'm bored, it's much more fun to spend time with you and feel the blessings of youth blossom! Did you enjoy your Shogi game? Your opponent was humbled by your skills!"

His aura is sweet, pleasant, powerful, the kind of energy any human would want to have around.

The being's gestures, the bizarre movements of his body, the awkward way of speaking and expressing himself, everything is strange about him, but the strength he carries within is undeniable, just as the leader described he needed.

"You are exaggerating, my dear angel, I could only win once, but it was more than enough. How are your friends? I haven't seen the gray-haired boy for a long time."

"Kakashi? He's too busy to pay attention to me, I'd rather devote myself solely to you!" The angel flashes a perfect white smile and gives a thumbs up when he hears his human snorting.

"Ayay, come back soon so I can cut your hair, it's getting too long."

"Will do!"

As the woman closes her front door, the angel is left alone on the street, spreading his wings, and setting out to take flight. Analyzing him closely, both demons confirm he is the perfect vessel, the best body for the leader to possess and execute his purpose, they can't miss the opportunity.

Once they see him flying, the two decide to follow at a moderate distance to avoid suspicion, waiting until a reasonable altitude for no one to see them intercept him. At this hour, most humans are eating dinner, watching TV, getting ready for bed, and the flow of angels diminishes due to lack of demand.

It is the perfect moment.

At the right moment, both demons increase speed in sync, sandwiching him one from above and the other from below. Obito takes it upon himself to land on his back, shrinking his unsuspecting wings and embracing him in a constricting grab. “WO-A-AH”. Shisui, on the other hand, approaches from below, the vial of the leader's blood open, and grabbing him by the neck.

"WHA-AT!"

When Obito has him successfully imprisoned, being the one to keep the angel from plummeting to the ground due to the inability to move his wings, he spins in midair, letting the celestial being rest on his chest while still managing to keep them moving.

"WHAT'S GOING ON? WHO ARE YOU-"

Shisui, now staying on top of him, doesn't waste a moment or give him time to understand the situation, squeezing his cheeks and forcibly opening his mouth. The blood from the vial enters smoothly and slides down his tongue like honey, until the last drop is secured inside.

The change is immediate, and when the angel stops struggling in the demon's arms to try to free himself, Obito sets off for the landing, choosing a particularly desolate alley without prying eyes. Followed closely by his partner, they both hit the floor of the cramped passageway kicking up a cloud of dust, and deposit the angel carefully on top of a dumpster.

"And now?" the blue-feathered demon asks, uniquely sure of how they were to execute the plan but having no idea how it all follows.

"Just wait." Shisui kneels on the ground, bows his head, and prepares for his commander's triumphant entrance.

The angel's body, stiff and paralyzed as if dead, suddenly convulses. His limbs tremble uncontrollably, his ridiculous haircut moving with the uncontrolled shaking of his bones, his mouth producing incomprehensible and agonizing noises.

Obito can only watch in horror as the celestial being that seconds ago he had trapped in his arms now seems to transmute in front of him, its sickly sweet energy changing into a dark and terrifying one, the same one that gives him goosebumps when he has to face it at home.

The leader's own power takes possession of the angel's body, invading the entire cramped alley with spikes of fear and panic, the air becoming thick and heavy. Imitating his companion, he quickly collapses to his knees upon realizing what is about to happen, and ducks his head nervously to avoid looking his commander in the eyes.

None of them dares to watch the transformation, but after a few seconds of screams of agony and convulsions, all goes silent. Unable to check what's going on, they listen as the angel's body sits on top of the dumpster, and lands on the alley floor a few seconds later.

"Took you long enough." It is the guardian of heaven's voice, but both demons know it is not him speaking.

"I'm sorry... we... we weren't finding anyone bu-" Shisui tries to explain without daring to look up, only to be stopped in his tracks by that terrible presence. "Not interested in your excuses, where is he?"

"We have no idea." Obito bluntly confesses, preparing his body for the most brutal beating he will ever receive. The Leader is ferocious, a beast with no restraints, to be subject to his rage is a straight ticket to death.

"You're telling me you've been here for a month, yet you couldn't find who I asked you to find? A month, a whole entire month, and you have no trace of him?" The possessed angel walks up to them, and with their heads down, they can both see the sandals of the being they just abducted inches away.

"Sorry, my lord, but-" before he can explain anything further, Shisui gets kicked straight in the mouth, fangs flying and blood in the air. His head slams against the opposite wall of the alley, and the demon slumps to the ground. The Leader walks over to him, stepping on his black and emerald green wings on the way, grabbing him by the neck, and lifting him into the air.

"A month, a whole month, one where both of you strolled around whilst I still haven't regained my powers." The demon struggles for breath, holding the wrist of the possessed angel, desperate for release. "A whole month, where I remained wingless and you flew free as birds." Obito feels a shiver of terror run through his body at his words, finding himself paralyzed on the ground, unable to move his body out of fear of suffering the same as his companion.

"A whole month, where my brother wanders free through life and I continued to suffer his injustices." He has to move, he knows he has to say something to save Shisui's life, but the panic is stronger than his will, reduced to a bundle of tremors and cold sweat.

He hears his brother's body hit the ground again, a desperate cough as he tries to regain the air he lost for more minutes than would be prudent, and the dirt on the alley floor rattles again under the angel's sandals.

"Come on, I feel him." Is all he says before taking off, white wings unbecoming of any demon fluttering rapidly in ascent, and when Obito feels him far enough away, runs to Shisui, assisting him to stand and draping one of his arms over his shoulder. "I'm fine... I'm fine." The previously attacked demon manages to regain stability, able to launch himself into flight on his own and following the pace of them both amidst labored breaths.

Together they mimic the Leader, flying off and following the direction of his dark, unmistakable aura. If any angel in the city was paying attention, it would not be at all difficult for them to identify him, pure and materialized darkness in his whole person.

It is overwhelming to keep up with him, and it is bizarre to observe how the celestial being they captured, cheerful and calm, funny, now wears a long and angry face, serious and unpleasant countenance.

Obito never saw him in action, never able to witness the unrestrained power of his commander, so to be faced with his presence, not literally but energetically, about to go into action, is both wonderful and terrifying. He could stand and watch the perfect movement he executes with his borrowed wings, so different from what demons themselves do, but the fear the man inspires in him is stronger than anything else.

From birth, both demons were trained by their elder brothers, Izuna and Madara, without ever having had the privilege of seeing the leader use his might. They have grown up under Izuna's tales, the stories he always told about him, about his strength and power, about how he is the most powerful being of all time. The leader always confined himself to his private quarters, where only invited guests could enter, always wearing a long black cloak covering him from the shoulders down.

The only things he knows about him are myths, but he has no doubts about those either.

The man himself is a legend, a figure of respect and fear, someone not to be contradicted, and the only thing the blue-feathered demon is sure of is that the Leader has no wings. No one knows what happened to him, not even Madara himself can explain the story for he has no idea, and the only certainty is that they were taken away from him at some point.

Nobody knows why or how, who did it.

Engrossed in his fear and overwhelmed by his thoughts, Obito concentrates on keeping up, his companion a few meters behind him, and descends quickly when he notices the leader goes first. He seems to be heading for a rural area, few houses scattered around a small neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, desolate.

The possessed angel lands hard and without fear of attracting attention in the middle of the street, while the other two prefer to remain unnoticed, not sure if their help will be needed for the moment, hiding together at the top of a tree.

Several angels appear before the rumble, some coming out of their humans' houses and others rapidly descending from the sky. The two demons watch as a circle of white wings and light robes surrounds the leader, confused and worried faces asking him if he is all right.

Neither of them knows this angel is not normal.

One, in particular, stands out in the circle, a celestial being the commander keeps staring at, and before everyone can take note of what is happening, he pounces on him with the cry of "ASHURA!". The onlookers soon try to join the conflict, attempting to attack the leader among all, and that's the moment when they realize they both must help.

Angelic bodies fly back and forth and both are convinced the Leader could handle them all alone, without an ounce of help, but he seems to be interested in one particular guardian, and if the demons don't get rid of the excess, he'll never have time to fuck him up alone.

"NOW!" they exclaim in unison urgently, coming out of hiding and bringing out their sharp claws for combat. Where ten angels simultaneously attack the leader without any success, the two demons join the fray, landing on the heads of several and mercilessly launching themselves at others.

They form the perfect distraction for the Leader to take care of his target, fighting one-on-one with no hindrance in between.

...

Ashura looks at that particular angel, who landed in the middle of the street and left a crater in the asphalt, and asks him if he is all right. It irritates him terribly to think about how he’ll have to repair the damage in the morning, but it worries him even more whether his companion is in trouble and needs help.

"Are you okay? Hello?'" He asks again, and his neighboring angels join the round of curious onlookers. They all form a circle around him, repeatedly asking if everything is okay, but something is wrong with that creature.

His aura is heavy like pure darkness itself, energy full of black and revulsion, terror, and the hairs on his back stand on end when those eyes stare at him. Serious countenance and leaving nothing to be seen, the angel is scary, plain and simply scary.

Words catch in his throat as he realizes how recognizable the intensity of that gaze is, but before he can react, two hands grab him by the neck and take him flying over the street to the cry of "ASHURA!"

It can't be. There's no way this is happening, he's supposed to be dead.

Paralyzed, he watches as the rest of the angels swoop down on his attacker, trying to cut him down, but none are successful in their attempt. White feathers and forged bodies fly this way and that, and each one that tries to touch him is hurled in the opposite direction without success.

It cannot be.

In his peripheral vision, he notices two pairs of black wings, and the paralysis ends when a nostalgically familiar force impacts his face mercilessly. Ashura flies backward again, this time impacting a tree. "'Thought you'd never hear from me again?" The possessed angel asks, and no doubt remains.

The movements of his hands, the way he stands, the coldness of his gaze and the madness of his words, all indicate it is him. "A-Aniki-i?" he tries to ask, before a foot dives into his stomach and steals all the air from his lungs.

"Did you truthfully assume I would die, how you would never have to deal with me ever again?" there is venom in his words, pure resentment in every sentence, tangible evil in the way he expresses his loathing. When a fist is about to impact against his chin, Ashura finally reacts, deflecting the blow with his own hand and using the opening to stand up again.

"HO-OW… HOW CAN YOU BE ALIVE! I-I SAW YOU FALL!" his question is abrupt, solely because of the surprise and anxiety he feels knowing his brother never disappeared, never left. "I SAW YOU FALL, I TRIED TO STOP IT BUT-"

"Try to stop it... you were the one who yearned the most for my banishment, pure greed in your dirty intentions to keep everything for yourself." The serenity with which he relates his point of view is at odds with the violence with which he wields each blow, lashing out again and again at him relentlessly. This is not his body, yet there are marks of his own in each of his movements.

Ashura can even visualize that large, flowing brown hair flying in the wind after each lunge, red eyes full of anger at him, his Aniki's soft hands, the ones he held in his own over and over again as a child.

The way he uses the wings of the body he borrowed, the short, precise flicks of the white feathers, everything is an account of how Indra used to fight, exactly as he set out to remember him after the day of his death.

He saw him fall, and could do nothing to stop it.

Memories and flashbacks mix with shock and surprise, reducing his ability to battle the brother he thought dead years ago, showing himself weak and insecure at every step. Ashura cannot find within himself the strength to put aside all that was awakened when he recognized that look, exposed in front of the most brutal and merciless angel that ever stepped on heaven.

He saw him fall, for fuck’s sake, he saw him fall!

Two wings wrap around him from each side, acting as a catapult to bring him face to face with the body his Aniki stole, earning him a direct headbutt to the forehead that leaves him dizzy enough to collapse to the ground.

No one seems to come to his aid, unable to see what happened to all his companions, but the lack of assistance indicates they were reduced and defeated by those creatures that appeared alongside his older brother.

Everything is a blur from that moment on, but his last memory is how those black-winged beings hold his arms and legs, while his Aniki steals his blood from one of his cuts, and plucks two white feathers from each of his wings.

[thedragonagelesbian]

For want of something better to do with his body, Alistair paced across the study in tight, restless circles. He hated waiting, and he was never quite sure where to do it. The palace vestibule had more space for nervous exertions and the value of immediacy, but the study was private, all the more so for having dispatched the guard who had been posted outside. But maybe being alone with his thoughts was worse, allowing him to work the anticipation over in his mind until he couldn't bear it any longer and went sprinting to the front of the castle.

Mercifully, before he reached that point, he felt a twinge in the air around him. A slight, near-imperceptible bend in the Fade he only noticed because of the familiar trace whiff of vanilla that accompanied it. He was already turning around by the time that the door slammed open. For a moment, he saw no one there, except at the edges of his vision if he squinted just right and saw a figure blurring and bounding toward him on top of the Veil.

And then Luc was there, stepping out mid-leap for Alistair to catch him.

And Alistair did, as always.

This had been easier when they were eight years younger, scrappy, underfed, and undergrown Grey Wardens running to each other after the Battle of Denerim. But the laughter still came effortlessly, the pair of them all giggles and smiles as Alistair spun Luc around as best he could.

Fast enough, at least, to displace the hood of Luc's traveling cloak, which fell across his shoulders to reveal the most handsome man Alistair had ever seen. If there was one thing that hadn't changed since they had met, it was Luc's aesthetics: the string of silver rings up his left ear, the blood red rose that dangled from the other, the soft clatter of all the other bits and baubles adorned to his jet black robes, the matching lipstick that Alistair so often had to wipe from his own skin for the sake of appearances.

And would have to again as Luc let out a breathless, "Hi," and crashed their mouths together.

It was always fervent after they had been apart.

Given their respective stations, it was often fervent.

Alistair chuckled at Luc's eagerness, even as he also ached with it. Luc had given in first, and that meant Alistair got to tease him about it.

When Luc finally gave him a sliver of air to breathe, he snickered again and sang softly, "Soooomebody missed meee."

Sometimes Luc still prickled defensively against his emotions, but today he huffed and hugged himself tighter to Alistair. "I'm never leaving the palace again."

"Aw, was Cumberland really that bad?"

"Excluding the fact that I had to watch Wynne climb up on her highest of high horses to talk the Circles out of independence only for the templars to respond by disbanding the College of Enchanters entirely?" Sensing he had turned the conversation too serious too quickly, Luc hastily added, "And Cumberland is too hot."

"You think Amaranthine is too hot."

"And I'm right!"

"Oh, woe is you, isn't it?" Alistair kissed Luc's pouting lips. "Well, lucky for you, you're home now." That word used to make Luc burst into tears. Even now it elicited a small shudder, which Alistair answered by kissing him again. "And I'm yours for the rest of the day. No kingly responsibilities at all, just a nice hot bath, a couple of glasses of wine, and a lot of time doing this."

He squeezed Luc's ass, eliciting a gasp quickly hidden by a snort... and followed by a sudden tightening of Luc's expression.

"That... that all sounds nice. Fuck, it's more than nice, I've missed you so fucking much, and I all I fucking want in the entire fucking world is to..." For a moment, the lilac of Luc's eyes shone with hunger. But then, he pulled away, and with a frown, Alistair set him back on the ground. "Okay, I promise this is good."

"Oh, well, no bit of bad news has ever started this way."

"It's a surprise."

"You're finally leaving me for Zevran."

"Don't try to guess," Luc interrupted brusquely. "Just... okay, just wait..."

Alistair watched him hurry back to the door of the study. He had no idea who would be there when Luc opened it, but he certainly wasn't expecting an elven woman of short stature and greying hair. She was graceful in the white robes that marked her as the Grand Enchanter of the now nonexistent College of Enchanters, yet the elegance was somewhat undercut by the way her fingers danced up and down the length of her slim staff.

"Oh...?" Alistair shot a confused look at Luc, who stared back at him unblinking. "Grand Enchanter Fiona, isn't it? A pleasure to meet you."

"Alistair..."

She said it with such softness, a tender sigh that begged to be read as familiar, and the longer that Alistair stared at her, the more that familiarity tugged at him, nagging, insistent, gnawing.

"Sorry, have we met before?"

In the silence that followed, Luc cleared his throat and said, "I'll, uh, leave you two alone for a bit."

[x-neurodivergent-reader]

Heyy i Hope You’re Doing well! I’m a new writing acc and I don’t really have any requests or an audience, can I please ask for your advice on how to start writing more or gaining an audience, because I struggle to write without any ideas being given or a prompt list.

Sending love!! Byee

Hello, welcome to the world of writing fanfiction! Since this might get a bit rambly, I'll stick my advice under the cut. I'll also break it up into categories, and bold the most important parts, just for easier readability.

Writing a particular niche/experience

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how universal my experience with writing/the following I built is, because my blog is directed towards a specific niche? It was genuinely a case of there being very few fics directed at/including neurodivergent readers, deciding "fine, I'll do it myself", and then the people who also wanted more of such fics were drawn to my writing as they came across it.

As such, writing one or two things based on your unique personal experiences (that you're comfortable sharing) might be a good start?

Your blog doesn't have to be centred around those experiences for you to write about them, and it doesn't have to be very specific, either (a few of my first posts were literally HCs for "[character] x Autistic!Reader - Established Relationship"). My more specific/unique ideas came along as I wrote more, and from the requests that came in over time.

There'll always be someone out there who not only relates to your experiences and feelings, but is waiting to see themselves in your stories!

Prompt lists (even without anyone to send them!)

Other than that, though: there's no shame in starting with a prompt list! Even if there's no one to give you a prompt yet, you might be able to find a small list, and then put the numbers/prompts into a random name picker to choose it for you?

I've just had a look for some examples, and a lot of prompt lists tend to be fairly long, from what I'm seeing (around 15-25 prompts seems to be the average) - but I've found this blog, that has some smaller lists to choose from. If anyone else knows of any others that anon might find useful, feel free to share them here!

An extra bit of advice...

This isn't really relevant to your question, but is the No. 1 bit of advice I would give to a new fic writer: figure out what you are/aren't comfortable writing before you start taking requests.

When I got my first request, the requester ended up having to change it a couple times, because I hadn't considered that, for example, someone could request a character I wasn't familiar with - leading to the "don't request characters I haven't already written for" rule in my guidelines. In hindsight, I'd recommend writing several fics before you start taking requests, so you have a better idea of what your boundaries are, and can list them out for people to take note of. It'll save you, and the requesters, a lot of trouble!

It's also important to not let anyone intentionally try to break those boundaries (e.g. by blatantly guilt-tripping you). While it's wonderful to have people appreciate your writing enough to want to see more from you, they aren't entitled to cross the line like that - it's OK to stand up for yourself. Do no harm, take no shit, etc. etc.

And that's all I've got!

I hope this was at least a little bit helpful - again, I'm not sure how universal the way my blog grew is, but hopefully there's something you'll be able to take away from this!

I hope you have fun writing! c:

[sunnytastic-and-the-olympians]

Little author's note before I begin: To anyone following this absolutely riveting blog series, I have changed my blog name from @aangtheairfairy to @sunnytastic-and-the-olympians, just to make it easier to know it's me when I like and follow from my main blog (if you are into It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, come follow me on my main, @sunnytastic)

So guess who just finished The Titan's Curse???

You're right, this guy!!!

Right off the bat, I can say The Titan's Curse has lost its place as my favorite PJO book. Currently, the title belongs to The Sea of Monsters. I'm interested to see if The Battle of the Labyrinth or The Last Olympian will take its place. If I remember correctly, The Battle of the Labyrinth was my childhood favorite…

Ok, now moving on to the actual book.

I actually found it kind of boring?

Actually, let me rephrase: I found the novel repetitive. This is probably my fault since I am reading all the PJO books back to back, but The Titan's Curse reminded me a lot of The Lightning Thief, whereas The Sea of Monsters felt like something new entirely.

Don't misunderstand me though. I still very much enjoyed reading this book. When you love something as much as I love the Percy Jackson books, it's almost misleading to present criticisms of it, because it implies that I didn't find pleasure in reading the book, which could not be further from the truth.

The Titan's Curse is where the side characters of the PJO World really begin to shine. While many female characters written by male authors fall flat at best, and downright insulting at worst, Rick Riordan manages to write complex female characters without falling into too many cliches. Thalia, Zoe, and Bianca are fantastic characters, each with a rich backstory and detailed motivations.

(Also, we need more Thalia x Zoe fics because goddamn, did those two have romantic tension. Talk about the enemies-to-lovers trope…)

Zoe, in particular, is extremely well-written. While Riordan is famous for weaving mythology into modern stories, the infusion of Heracle's 11th labor into Zoe's backstory is especially remarkable. It is one thing to create new stories based on established lore; it is another to create a new character within established lore. Her death left me unusually melancholic. When a character I love dies, I react with big emotions, often (half-heartedly) hating the author and begging for their return. But Zoe's death invoked a softer feeling of pensive sorrow. While most tragic heroes deserve better, Zoe's tragedy seems especially undeserved.

While I started writing this blog post last night, I am glad I waited until this afternoon to finish because I recently had some great conversations that expanded my view on the Percabeth dynamic. I feel my analysis of the evolution of their relationship in this book will be more thoughtful than it would have been before these conversations.

While I missed Annabeth's presence in The Titan's Curse, I recognize how useful it is for exploring Percy's growing crush on Annabeth. What's the saying? Distance (and mortal danger) makes the heart grow fonder?

Annabeth's disappearance causes Percy to evaluate the place Annabeth has in his life. The previous book, The Sea of Monsters, had a similar plot, with Grover being captured and Percy going to rescue him, but a major difference between the two books is that in The Titan's Curse, Percy seems in denial of the reason he joined the quest- so much so that Aphrodite even calls him out on it.

Additionally, Percy is worried Annabeth will leave him for the Hunters, but he doesn't have as many reservations when Grover decides to leave to search for Pan. Percy supports his friends following their dreams, but Percy also realizes there is a difference between Grover going personal quest to find Pan and Annabeth swearing him off forever to join the Hunters. This distress isn't entirely romantic either. Part of what makes Percabeth so compelling is the strong friendship which their romantic relationship builds upon.

I believe this is where most of Percy's confusion comes from. When you go from friends to lovers, you spend a lot of time questioning what separates this friendship from your other relationships. And it's very easy to mistake your romantic feelings for a deepening friendship (especially because the two are not mutually exclusive and in fact, occur alongside each other).

This is why I find Aphrodite's quote to be so poignant: "Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you?" As a die-hard romantic, I live by this quote because, for me, it means taking the chance, because if the love is true, the joy you receive outweighs the hurt if it isn't. But for a 14-year-old navigating romantic feelings for this time, every aspect of love seems precarious, especially if your feelings are toward a friend you don't want to risk losing.

I think a lot of Percy's obliviousness comes from a place of "if I don't acknowledge my crush, it doesn't have the potential to end badly." But ignoring things doesn't make them go away and in fact, often makes them worse, as evident in Percy and Annabeth's strained relationship in The Battle of Labyrinth.

This blog post was a fun one. Last night when I started writing this, I was really unsure what to say. I didn't really know what to write about, especially considering my ideas for the blog posts for The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters came to me quickly. However, I am proud of this post because I had to actually think hard about the novel to pull out ideas to analyze and expand upon. The Percabeth analysis, in particular, is much more nuanced than my usual posts about the two.

Book 3 is down. Only two more to go!

As always, TLDR: The Titan's Curse is no longer my favorite, Zoe is a unique character, and Percy's being oblivious to his crush on Annabeth is not entirely unusual.

And because it satisfies my curiosity, this blog post comes in at about 900 words.

Links to the other blog posts in the Isa Rereads Percy Jackson series:

The Lightning Thief

The Sea of Monsters

[theroundbartable]

I have a quick favor to ask. I'm asking a bunch of people in the Merlin fandom this. Because this will only do anything if we all band together. Anyways I just made a petition for a season 6 of Merlin. (It's located in my last few posts.) It would mean the world if you checked out the petition and maybe even signed it. Extra points if you share the petition with other people. It's a long shot but it's worth a try. Have a lovely day either way ❤️

There already are a bunch of these :/

And... Well

Source:

I have seen these petitions floating around for a couple of years and I understand why people make them.

But in all honesty, I think the said above is true. We would all be disappointed, if the characters aren't what we expect. Especially nowadays.

There are so many good shows out there that I personally simply don't engage with because of the toxicity in the fandom. And the toxic people tend to be the first to leave when a show is over. The dedicated people remain to spread their lovely messages and that's what I love about this fandom, because it's the biggest part of who we are.

Please don't get me wrong, I would love more of BBC Merlin. In any form. Be it a cartoon, merch or a new Series or whatever.

But we're also talking about the BBC. They need a lot of money to make this happen and they are not Netflix that fires reboots whereever it can, only to then cancel the series, because payment is due around season 3.

I'm afraid to be disappointed. I am afraid of the toxicity that may come with a reboot.

I'm afraid of what they may do with it. I'd like a spin off, actually, where it's just Arthur and the knights wondering what Merlin does all day and finding the most ridiculous nonsense which completely warps their understanding of the man. It would play all within the BBC Merlin time frame. Because I like the ending, actually *suffering noises*.

Or just episodes with more ridiculous shenanigans. I don't want them to *finish* the series, I just want... Well... More.

You may now wonder: you don't have to sign the petition, you can just move on.

Since You put this in my ask box, I feel compelled to reply in earnest.

To all of you who are desperate for Season 6 , the fandom already made the script, if you haven't seen it already:

https://href.li/?https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1piYrUMtbJwGkOFnt0kRNG5bp0jS4ScAm?usp=sharing

I will soon reblog the kingdom come masterpost, so the access will be easier. There is also an audio version on youtube. I should go back there too. The narrator did say they would narrate another story about the first Dragon Lord soon and I NEED THIS. okay? Okay.

To everyone who is as obsessed with it as I am... There are SO MANY BOOKS ON THE ARTHURIAN LEGEND THEY FILL AN ENTIRE LIBRARY!!!!! and there are modern retellings. There is more than fanfiction of BBC Merlin. I highly recommend "The other Merlin" by Robyn Schneider. Very well written, I'm waiting for the Sequel.

I know this doesn't really help you. I do wish you good luck with the petition. But I don't think I want another season, personally.

Everyone else got to decided that for themselves and maybe they will sign it despite my contra points. I'm really sorry.

[quietbluejay]

Wolfsbane 4

pfff you know i was almost expected it to be ahriman's wine again so time for leman to tell the story of how he got that spear

with this level of casualties how did fenris not become the mess that olympia did especially because their population is a lot lower like obviously they wouldn't have been able to organize resistance in the same way but well i guess they're used to a higher mortality rate for one [i was informed re: SW geneseed working on adult men] that's actually worse in this scenario since they're taking the adults as well as the kids

and this is right at the beginning so losing a tithe of your people to feed the maw of the imperium's wars would be very new i don't see rebellion because that's not how fenris works but more just…people not showing up, fading into the backwoods which is 99% of fenris anyways hm we know they're at 40k now and that's reduced, I don't remember if it said the specific casualty figure earlier so we don't know what's normal for the Space Wolves i'm going to use 40k as a general number, so that's losses of 13k does the SW process have a better success rate than the average? anyways okay figuring out these numbers is a fool's errand i guess and also making population estimates for Fenris other than "very low, comparatively" i guess i'll put a pin in this :<

anyways emps did a ceremony for the spear

we still don't get to why it creeps out russ im continuing to chew on russ and his relationship with the emperor and the imperium and i think it's actually not as farfetched as everyone thinks to have him rebelling it's easier to pull off than dorn we get a little exposition on primarchs and sleep basically they have other physiological processes that handle what sleep does in normal humans but russ slept and dreamed that night

I feel like maybe I've been doing Russ and what I've been calling his cognitive dissonance a disservice, I think what Haley was trying to go for was - anyone seen that Narnia post floating around recently, about "even in your world, a burning ball of gas is just what a star is made of, not what it is"? Anyways, I think he was going for that behold his dream oh wow this is a long sequence

anyways he's surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of skeletons of his warriors

they fought kva wants to know how he won russ didn't win he woke up while they were still fighting he woke up because Horus showed up in his room Russ thinks Horus might have saved his life there lol

they got along okay, but russ picked up on Horus' eldest kid with nose out of joint problem

first off, I'm rolling my eyes re: primarch 2 and also Russ' pretensions here

i was also thinking about how the Space Wolves get so het up about being called Space Wolves like, it's not that bad a name, Russ did in fact come up with it and then it stuck and he later regretted it you guys get all this special treatment but you need to have a special name as well? i realize "it's not that bad a name" is a matter of opinion

anyways i am continuing to hold to the opinion i formed of russ (and magnus) in A Thousand Sons I hope they die I hope they both die man car door hook hand

Russ:

kva: you're gonna die holding the spear so he never talked to any of the wise old dudes about this before i guess??

[discussion re: disappointment in not getting into the pathos of confronting your brother happened here]

maybe we'll get some pathos out of the actual confrontation the book is young wait

it's 40% through and most of it we've spent: loken: this is a bad idea russ: i'm doing it anyways space wolves: this is a bad idea russ: i'm doing it anyways rune priests: this is a bad idea russ: i'm doing it anyways dorn: this is a bad idea russ: i'm doing it anyways wait also malcador: maybe this is a bad idea. maybe not. russ: it's a bad idea, and i'm doing it anyways valdor: this is a bad idea russ: i'm doing it anyways we haven't even gotten to fenris! the entire. first half of russ' part of the book can be summarized as "every single one of these meetings could have been a singular email"

this is not Haley's finest like i've definitely read so much worse from BL, even just in the Horus Heresy (…mostly in the Horus Heresy) but this doesn't hold a candle to the Perturabo book then again I honestly think that one is the best 30k era book I've read period

i think some of it is also, you can kind of tell when he's genuinely passionate about what he's writing because there is a noticeable uptick in quality and another part is I think this was written a lot earlier

1s let me check timeline like this is technically proficient, more so than Valedor which was written earlier, he's definitely better at craft oh geez he was writing this concurrently with Dark Imperium the Perturabo book was written before this, huh okay yeah this tracks, Valedor was 2014, Pharos was 2015, they were both rougher craft wise

i think he was putting most of his effort into Dark Imperium and kind of phoning this one in like there is some crunchy stuff with russ to be sure, that's the kind of character-driven stuff haley shines at and i think he liked writing the Cawl bits more, they've got a shine to them still not sure what that is going to do with anything lol anyways onwards

i forgot because i got sidetracked but i was going to make a joke about this do you remember the scene in the MTMTE comic in the slaughterhouse arc where they find a coffin floating in space and it's Rodimus and he asks someone to cut his arm off so they can avoid that future because the him in the coffin has both arms anyways that's what this reminds me of

lmao the spear is The Thing That Would Not Leave old mr russ had problems of his own he had a creepy spear that wouldn't leave his home he tried and he tried to give the spear away he gave it to a man, and left for far away

but the spear came back the very next day the spear came back, they thought it was a goner but the spear came back, it just wouldn't stay awayyyy

if you're not familiar with the canadian film board animation for The Cat Came Back, I highly recommend it

back to cawl hehehe the aspergillum love that thing and so did the old priest at my parents' parish context if you're not familiar but at easter mass (and at every high mass), the priest takes a bowl of holy water and the aspergillum and goes around the church flicking holy water at everyone with it sometimes the priests have such glee in flinging water so Cawl is inspecting more than 700 thallax how mind numbing the thallax are all brains in jars and cawl calls them all "he" regardless of whether they were women or not, he's got no freaking clue cawl: it doesn't matter when you only have a brain but the domina summons him so there's an ominous meeting that cawl is late for they're viewing a hologram of another mechanicum (or -us, it's unclear which) dude who is very ominous feeling and heavily altered oh that's fun, the hologram is described as being very like star wars ones down to being blue haha but someone is doing something spooky and the resolution is now wayyy too good and in full colour

as i expected from that description

the viceroy orders them to turn off the projection in a classic move, they can't stop it it's already disconnected oooooooooo spooky~ cawl smells something bad literally Sota's trying to talk them to joining her side of the schism "rotten meat and blood" is anyone surprised i'm not and now a message from our sponsors sota-nul starts a recording of Kelbor-Hal Kelbor-Hal: hey y'all i have a sexy new treaty with horus that gives us all the stuff we wanted that the emperor wouldn't Kelbor-Hal: also the emperor sucks kelbor-hal brings up the stuff about the fabricator-general being chosen by the imperium and that this is the sign they'll lose their independence forever join with me! he says

sota-nul is back, it's surrender or die

you know what, good for them time for a theological argument! viceroy: that's forbidden love science! sota: forbidden by the emperor!

honestly this book is doing a better job of making the mechanicus appealing than like literally anything else i've seen about them i skipped a whole bunch of theology squabbling because it really was getting repetitive to screenshot but it was glorious anyways sota leaves on an ominous note, time to cleanse the area cawl interrupts the domina again lmao cawl: so why would the warmaster even want to come here

cawl: why is she leaving so fast cawl: suspicious

the space wolves are out of the warp! the warp didn't want to let them go lol they got back just in time for hot wolf summer

great guys but we knew this already bjorn gets repeatedly mentioned as hanging out with people who really outrank him lol he really is russ' emotional support rando bjorn finds an old friend

TWO THIRDS that's Iron Warriors numbers empty chairs at empty tables where my friends are dead and gone bjorn doesn't hear any of the stories from his buddy or the new kids but he compliments them and is like "…yeah i gotta go somewhere" friend: don't be a stranger bjorn is an introvert he's not a big fan of being packed in cheek by jowl with all the other wolves bjorn is now drunk the two sentences are related

time for kva to bug him

bjorn feels sorry for himself some more so he's going to be with russ for the fancy ritual

yeah honestly this book had a strong start but it's really been dragging i just don't really feel like starting the next chapter

getting some tolkien echoes it's the solstice they're up in the mountains this entrance will only become visible on this day it's a trip to the "glowing heart of the world" so where's the thrush lol so russ is going to go into the land of the fair folk i guess

kva tells russ his True Name the one he would have gotten if he'd been raised by the emperor russ goes to the door

dun dun dunnn you know what we could have had an out of place FMA reference here. I'm glad we didn't

okay this book has started to drag which is why i keep putting it off but the sooner i get through this the sooner i get to see what Cawl is up to enough has been dropped that i'm pretty sure it's something at beta-garmon but if it is it'll be completely divorced from russ' plot? hmnmm is russ gonna see cawl in his vision quest perhaps cawl is what he needs to go after horus so russ is suddenly in a winter landscape

we get a bit of classic Haley prose

so russ notes he's wearing an outfit made entirely from wolf skins which is, notably what the trickster wears in the saga gee russ why do you get to be odin AND thor russ sees a lone wolf and starts chasing it russ is being physically pressed in a way that's very hard to do to a primarch many things are possible in this kind of space the wolf is now a man wolf it goes into a log house Russ goes into the hall and the next chapter is "The court of the Erlking"

they're all eating human meat and drinking mjod

this whole vision quest feels a little weird for the setting, like it doesn't quite fit the setting and the book Everything Else Is Daemons But Not The Fenris Warp Spirits which these guys are c'mon they're eating human flesh and they're supposed to be neutrals?? I know it's not going to go this way, but it kind of feels like it should have been a daemon reveal, you know? it's set up kind of like the tutelaries (…did i remember the term right) the king wolf man has black fur he completely ignores Russ

lmaoo

Russ calls out "My lord!" but they all ignore him like he's not there then he howls they all turn to look at him Russ asked for guest right, the wolf erlking mocks him also belatedly, i am once again reminded that Haley primarily feels like a fantasy author Russ gets his guest right and immediately gets offered some human flesh luckily, bluejay is saved from having to read another book with cannibalism as Russ gets out of it he gets offered a drink and has to take it, it's completely frozen

anyways he asks a favour from the wolf king, he wants an answer to a question wolf king decides to set before him 4 challenges, he has to pass 1

if he loses all 4 his soul belongs to them juuust local special warp spirits~ he already lost the first challenge because he didn't drink all the mjod

it's really pulling from a lot of folklore and fairy tales rather than regular 40k metaphysics like this is absolutely classic, i'll…i dunno, take a picture of my tomato plants and post them on the server if i'm surprised by any of the challenges the next one is wrestling the wolf king's agèd mother 3 bouts russ is going to lose this one

the wolf king calls her "the worst killer of man" russ is like "i'll be gentle" he loses, quelle surprise

challenge 3 is move the shadow wolf before the throne he's going to fail this one as well

so russ has dominion over all wolves and he tries to exercise it over this one you'll never guess what happens russ does get to pet the giant doggie

he fails erlking: you failed 3, i'm calling it all the wolves jump up to attack him again this must be a completely new experience to a primarch lol he challenges the king for the fourth contest erlking: you're gonna lose but ok. name all the four challenges first one was the sea, i took have read norse myths yep second one is old age yep okay the wolf i didn't get it was Death

it was perfectly fair it's not their fault you overestimated your strength in the halls of powers beyond human ken and didn't try to set limits on the challenges

or well, perfectly unfair lol death, the sea, old age, a primarch or a regular man has to grapple equally with them though i mean, the old age happens a lot slower

finally the erlking asks him to name him it's time for a persona 4 moment! because yep, it's Russ

everything is literally falling apart a human rips his way out of the wolf skin iiiits Russ' identical twin

time for another test he's facing the him he could have been if he had been raised on Terra

I mean it's not actually russ it's what russ thinks he would have been, that's my read