#not necessarily completely hopeless but like..

[fairweathermyth]

Wildfires in western Canada has it looking, feeling, and smelling positively apocalyptic here in the northeast USA and I’m just trying to mentally prepare myself for this becoming a norm in years to come since fuckall is being done about climate change by the people in charge 🙃

[writers-potion]

𓆩☠︎︎𓆪Dark Fantasy Tropes:

Magic Hates You: Magic usually comes at a high price and is viewed as a corrupting force that characters really shouldn’t mess with.

The Government Hates You: Whatever government exists is usually oppressive or, at the very least, doesn’t look out for anyone’s best interests. Sometimes, those who are capable of sucking up to the right people or making back-alley deals can get what they want or need. Whoever is in charge often doesn’t care about “the poor” and would rather spend time doing things that don’t involve being a leader. Or, they could just be a very bad but active leader for reasons that can range from “Wants to help but actively makes things worse somehow” to “Violent maniac with no actionable way to reign in the crazy.”

Religious Institutions Also Hate You: If the deities aren’t real or uncaring, they acts as tricksters or deliberately antagonistic to mortals, needing constant appeasement and sacrifice just to keep them from wreaking havoc.

The Protagonist Hates You: Apathy and general melancholia are strong themes in general dark fantasy. This is especially noticeable in the protagonist, who is usually reluctant to get involved in the story, on top of having a snarky personality and constantly being angry or annoyed. If they aren’t totally unsure of themselves, they are frequently, extraordinarily arrogant, uppity, or just plain nasty toward others. And, they can often be self-absorbed or unwilling to do things for others without getting something in return.

Everyone Else Hates You, Too: Supporting characters run into the same behavioral and temperamental pitfalls: unwarrantedly aggressive, snooty, apathetic, annoyed, inconvenienced, and sardonic.

The World Hates You: Most of what’s going on in the world is the result of bad leadership and bad intentions. The way things are is often portrayed as hopeless and completely unwinnable, though this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.

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[everyonewooeverywhere]

MDNI 18+ BLOG -> ageless blogs and minors WILL BE BLOCKED

pairing ✭ bf!jongho x f!reader

synopsis ✭ when you come home from a less-than-perfect day, your boyfriend is nowhere to be found, but you don't want to call him and ask him to come home while he's out with friends. even though he'd drop everything if he knew you were struggling.

content/genre ✭ smut 18+ MDNI, established relationship, non-idol!au, hurt to comfort, slightly angsty, relatively fluffy (certainly the fluffiest thing i've ever written here)

word count ✭ 2.5k

note ✭ so this was something i really needed to write for myself, i think. for those who don't know (which is all of you lol) i have adhd. where i see it the most in my own life is chronic procrastination. it's something i've had to learn to cope with a lot throughout my life. a lot of times, when i feel the need to avoid feeling the stress of my personal life, i'll scroll on instagram or tumblr forever. which then leads to a heaping ton of guilt in the following hours as i try to make up for lost time. it's a wonderful cycle.

anyway, this is to say, that coping alone can be incredibly difficult. don't get me wrong, i have a handful of wonderful friends (who go to school across the country) and an angel of a therapist, but i often romanticize having someone there to help drag me out of those hopeless cycles. and not because i think i need someone to do it for me, but having that person is a really comforting thought. and, today, that is jongho i guess 😀

that being said, this mc doesn't necessarily have adhd, but they are certainly experiencing something that i experience very frequently as a byproduct of it.

like, is this smut? yeah, but im allowed to be emotional 😗

warnings ✭ mc is stressed af, protected sex, really soft sex (they're in love 😤)

✭✭✭✭

It was a terrible day. One of the worst you’d had in a while. Nothing seemed to be going your way. You’d ripped your favorite pair of tights this morning when getting ready in a hurry after waking up super late. You’d locked yourself out of the apartment. The seven dollar coffee you’d bought for yourself to cope with aforementioned events had spilt all over your desk, ruining the book you had just received as a gift from a coworker. And, to top it all off, your boss had demanded you to stay late to finish what was supposed to be his job.

So when you finally made it back to your apartment, after waiting in the lobby forever waiting for your landlord to let you in, you wanted nothing more than to collapse on the couch with your boyfriend and fall asleep in his arms. 

You were plagued with fatigue as you slipped out of your work shoes and made your way through the kitchen and into the living room, not finding him anywhere. The bedroom the two of you shared was also completely vacant. Nothing had changed since you’d left this morning. He hadn’t been home all day.

Maybe he’s just working late, you thought, slightly defeated knowing you’d have to wait for him, not knowing how long it would take. 

Trying to take your mind off of it, you scrolled on your phone for a completely indiscernible amount of time, feeling completely defeated with the day you’d had. Moving in with Jongho months ago has been an incredibly helpful step for you. Before the two of you had lived together, you were a master of procrastinating your own feelings. Constantly letting yourself rot away in your bed and letting the day pass you by. Only to be plagued by that crushing guilt that came with letting a day go by unproductively. Living with Jongho had given you someone to hold you accountable. To pull you out of bed because sometimes it was impossible to do it on your own.

But on nights like these, where your boyfriend was nowhere to be found, which was not a common occurrence, you felt yourself slipping back into the endless cycle of losing yourself in your phone for countless hours. 

Hours passed and the sun was almost completely down before you received a text from your boyfriend.

| jongho 🐻🤎: hey love, sorry i had to stay late for work today. i’m gonna go get some drinks with my coworkers.

| jongho 🐻🤎: that ok?

God, you felt so helpless. How horrible and controlling of a partner would you be to tell him ‘no?’ Did he ask? Yes, but you desperately didn’t want to be the girl who always needed to be by her boyfriend’s side. Telling him he couldn’t go out with his friends would make you feel like such a nuisance. You stared at the screen for a good two minutes, biting your thumb, trying to think of how to respond.

| jongho 🐻🤎: y/n? 

| jongho 🐻🤎: i can see you read the message. is everything alright?

Before you could even draft a response, his name flashed across the screen. Taking a deep breath, you slid your thumb across the screen, answering the call.

“Hi,” you picked up.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” You could hear some of his coworkers in the background. He must already be at the bar. 

You held in a sigh, “Nothing, I’m alright. Why?”

“Y/n, you read and didn’t respond to my message. Like you were overthinking a response."

You didn’t say anything. Overthinking yet another response.

“Love, I don’t even want to be here that badly. If you need me to come home, I will. But you’ve gotta tell me.” He was being so patient with you. So much more patient than you thought you deserved, though he would certainly disagree with that.

You took a deep breath, nearing tears, “I–” this was so incredibly hard, “Can you please come home? I didn’t really have a great day.”

“Of course, I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. Do you want me to stay on the phone?”

“No, it’s alright. I just need to see you.”

“Ok, just hang in there alright. Why don’t you hop in the shower, and we can watch a movie when I get back. I’ll pick up some takeout on my way, too.”

When you hang up, you force yourself to get out of bed and get in the shower. It’s so rewarding and feels so relaxing that you can’t imagine why you ever couldn’t get out of the bed in the first place. But, of course, you say that every time. 

✭✭✭✭

By the time you had gotten out of the shower and dried your hair, Jongho had made it home with the takeout he’d promised in hand. 

When you left your bedroom, you saw him sitting on the floor in your living room. He’d lit a candle on the coffee table and set the food down with it. You could tell he’d changed out of his work clothes into a hoodie and basketball shorts, mirroring your almost identical outfit. He didn’t notice you at first. He was chatting to someone on the phone, seemingly a friendly conversation, and not one you wanted to interrupt. When he saw you, though, you heard him say goodbye to whoever was on the line. 

Throwing his phone down on the couch, he got up from the floor and met you at the door of your bedroom. Pulling you into a big hug, he placed a kiss on the top of your head. 

“No pressure, but, if you wanna talk about your day, we can.”

You shook your head, “Not really. I just wanna eat, I think.”

The two of you ate, sitting in comfortable silence on the floor in your living room. You noticed as you took in the scene around you, that Jongho had turned off all the overhead lights in the room. Leaving only the candlelight and the string lights around the ceiling to illuminate the room. There was something about warm lighting that made everything feel so much more cozy and comfortable. 

Your boyfriend wasn’t the most physically affectionate individual, but he never failed to make you feel loved. He always noticed the small things. He was hyper aware of your emotions in the least patronizing way possible. It was little moments like bringing home food for you and turning the cool-toned overhead lights off that reminded you that this man knew you better than anyone.

And that wasn’t something that happened overnight. He tried harder than anyone you’d ever met to know you. Your likes, dislikes, discomforts, phobias, and even your little habits. He knew it all. What he knew most is that you desired so bad to have someone to pull you out of your slump. Which is why he had come home early.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t stay out with your friends,” you whispered, staying focused on the food in front of you.

“I didn’t come home because I felt any obligation to. It’s not that I couldn’t stay out with my friends. It’s that you needed me here at home, and I wanted to come home and comfort you.” He ran a hand over your hair as he finished up his own food. 

That was another thing you loved about him. He wasn’t saying this because he wanted to make you feel better. He wanted you to know that you were not alone. That you were free to feel your feelings, and he’d always be right beside you to comfort you through them.

“Thank you,” you looked up at him, “I love you, you know that, right?”

“How could I ever forget? I love you, too, y/n.”

✭✭✭✭

After the food was gone and the coffee table was cleared, Jongho had put on a movie laid down on the couch, holding out his arms for you. When you finally sat between his legs and leaned into his chest, he pulled a quilted blanket over the two of you, wrapping his arms around you.

You paid very little mind to the movie playing on the TV. Instead you were focused on the rhythm of his breathing, the steady beating of his heart, and the minor movements his chest would make when he let out a soft laugh whatever he was watching.

He played with your hair, running his fingers through the strands, softly brushing his fingers over your neck with each pass. This position couldn’t have been more comfortable. Being with the man you loved as he comforted you in the way he knew best with absolutely no complaint was more than you could’ve ever dreamed of.

Jongho would claim that it was the bare minimum, but you always felt the need to let him know how much he really amazed you. 

When you reached your hand up to his cheek to brush your thumb over the skin, he looked down at you, completely forgetting about the movie playing. He grabbed your hand from his cheek and kissed your fingers, your palm, the back of your hand, the inside of your wrist.

Pulling yourself up to his face, you kissed him as softly as he’d done to your hand. Everything was so soft. From the way he kissed you to the way he caressed the skin under your hoodie right above the waistband of your shorts. From the hand you had in his hair to the way he lifted you to sit more comfortably in his lap.

He kissed your neck just as softly. You sighed contently. Fully basking in the way he took care of you. His movie was fully disregarded at this point as he gripped the bottom of your shirt.

Looking into your eyes he asked, “can I take care of you, love?” You nodded, helping him lift the sweatshirt over your head. 

Before you could even comprehend the nakedness of your chest, he lifted you into his arms and carried you to your shared bed. Laying you on your back. Your bare skin taking immense comfort in the softness of your sheet. He pulled his shirt over his head and threw his pants off to the side.

He immediately went back to kissing you. Hands moving from your cheeks, down your neck. His thumbs caressed your collarbone as his lips brushed the crook of your neck and then your shoulder. You shuddered when one of his hands took your breast. His lips met the other one, causing you to let out a breathy moan and weave your fingers through his dark hair.

He continued to kiss and touch every inch of your torso. When he got to your waistband, he left a small kiss under your belly button. His big brown eyes meeting your own as he pulled your shorts and underwear off together. Tossing them to the side of the bed. 

Lifting one of your legs onto his shoulder, he kissed your inner thigh, still meeting your eyes. The eye contact wasn’t broken until his thumb met your clit. Brushing over it slightly, making you toss your head back into the pillows under you. His mouth replaced his thumb, slowly teasing you. 

With his free hand, he took your own hand, the one that wasn’t gripping his hair, and threaded his fingers through yours. Thumb brushing over the back of your hand.

He felt so good. His tongue working so hard to make you feel pleasure. Everything was so gentle, but felt so euphoric. His fingers pumping in and out of you as he sucked on your clit. You felt like you could’ve floated away with the way he caressed your hand and your thigh. It wasn’t long before you were washed with a wave of pleasure. Everything was hot. You felt it rush through you from your ears down to your cunt. He kissed your thigh one more time after you came, fingers pushing you through the finale of your orgasm. 

Your breathing was ragged when he made it back up to your face, kissing you tenderly. Reaching a hand beneath the pillow under your head. He pulled out a condom. Before he could open it, you plucked it out of his hands, tearing it open as he stripped himself of his own underwear before you rolled the rubber onto his length. He groaned at the touch.

“You ready?” He asked, grabbing your arm and kissing your wrist.

You nodded, smiling, “yes. please, baby.”

When he pushed into you, you gasped and threw your head back again. He kissed your neck and shoulder, slowly thrusting into you. On most occasions, you’d beg him to go faster, but his subdued nature in this moment was so incredibly comforting. His thumb massaged your clit.

He kissed you deeply as he thrust into you. Completely overtaking your lips with his own. His kisses were so full of passion that your head spun. His adoration for you was so evident from the way he looked into your eyes when he stopped kissing you. Your foreheads pressed together, separated only by a thin layer of sweat. 

“I love you so much, y/n,” he says, just above a whisper. So close that you can feel his breath tickle your lips when he says it.

You moan softly, feeling yourself reach a second high, “I love you, too.”

It’s only a matter of minutes before you reach your orgasm. You grip his shoulders tight as he coaxes you through your climax. Walls fluttering around him as he finishes inside the condom. 

He kisses your lips once more before pulling out. He pushes himself off the bed to throw it away. When he comes back, he slides back into bed with you. Breath still slightly ragged. 

You laid on his chest, listening to his heart beat once more.

Running a hand over his stomach, you said, “Thanks for coming home early today.”

“Of course, love. You know I’d drop anything to come home to you if you were struggling.”

“I just feel like such a nuisance asking for you to come home,” you groaned.

He ran a hand over your hair, “I will never ever see you asking for help as a nuisance. Sometimes you just need a little push. Or sometimes you just need to lay in someone’s arms. I will always be there to do that for you. No matter the circumstance, ok?”

You wanted to protest, tell him he was too much, too good to you, but he kept going, “I trust you. I know that when you ask me to come home, it’s not because you're insecure or controlling. It’s because you need help, and I want you to always feel comfortable asking for it.”

He’d left you just a little bit speechless. All you could respond with was a gentle kiss on his lips.

For him, though, that was more than enough.

✭✭✭✭

note ✭ ok this shit got really personal 💀 but i did really enjoy writing it. it's not often that i write a whole oneshot in one sitting but i did today (other than my minor break to eat dinner).

also, i was actually between writing this for vernon or jongho because i felt like they both kinda fit the vibe (sorry if the knowledge that this could have been a hansol fic makes anyone sad), but maybe i'll write something similar for him next time i'm feeling it

again, i hope you enjoyed this! thank you so much for reading 💗

mwah~

[cupcakeslushie]

Ayup! So, question about Donnie's view of his brothers:

He's never met Raph, only seen him once, hasn't actually met Mikey but has kinda stalked him, and talking to Leo was like talking to a filing cabinet. He loves them, but he also hallucinates them, and does he just have kind of made up personalities for them in his head, based off of so little?

“Talking to a filing cabinet” (wheeze) sorry I just gotta take a sec…(ﾟ∀ﾟ)

So before actually meeting them all, and forming a real bond with his brothers, Three is obsessed with comparing himself to them. Not necessarily in a bad, resentful way, but in a sadly unachievable desperate way. He (by way of listening to Draxum) puts them all on pedestals without actually knowing their skills. He just assumes they would be perfect, strong specimens, and never really thinks much of what their personalities are like. While the hallucinations that constantly plague him are convincing enough to fool him in the moment. Three is still able to remind himself in the after, that they are not his brothers. Most days he talks more to those shadows, than Draxum, the goyles, or even Vee. They almost never leave him, especially in the last year, when, as far as he knows, Vee has just up and disappeared on him.

Through the footage he can get his hands on, he sees Mikey’s resilience in battle, and is curious about the mystical acumen there. Vee tells him about how The Oni spares more lives than Big Mama demands he take, all while still managing to make an entertaining enough performance that he avoids being punished for his mercy. Mickey doesn’t even realize he’s doing it in those battles, but he’s mimicking the theatrical Leo from his memories, when they would all play together, and his big brother would weave these bright and lively stories for them act out. Donnie is very protective of Mikey, as Draxum has always held Four over Three’s head. When they meet, Donnie is really thrown off by how happy and bright Michelangelo is.

For Raph, Three is baffled by the kind expression he sees on One’s face. Three has always assumed he would be an absolute power house monster, based solely off his species and the size he must be. When Three watches Raph rescuing Mickey from Big Mama—a scenario Three could only dream of completing—there’s a kindness and type of strength, Three had never even considered. Three grows desperate to experience that safe feeling, but it also brings a sort of hopelessness. Subconsciously he begins waiting for a similar kind of rescue. When he meets Raph, Donnie is on his best behavior. Raph is a sweet and caring blanket of comfort, but he’s still huge and a possible threat. If Donnie makes Raph unhappy in any way, he could be kicked out, and sent back to Draxum.

For Leo, yes, it is sometimes like talking to a brick wall. Three gets almost nothing from him, except a feeling of failure. Draxum is expecting Three to convert Leonardo to their cause, or at the very least gain some inside knowledge that they can exploit at the right time. But Leo is so unyielding, Three is almost more scared to talk to him than anything, because can never make any headway. But Draxum doesn’t accept failure, so Three goes all in every single time. When he meets Leo again, it’s like being reunited with a stranger. Leo is guilty and overcompensating for his cold attitude towards Three, but he still has some moments where his anger is scary.

[aniihera]

Ok. I’ve been compiling my thoughts on the pathologic 2 endings for a while now, and I’ve finally pinpointed my feelings on them (enough to share at least). I’m desperate to hear what others think about them too.

Lengthy Kin-themed rant oncoming? Perhaps.

More under the cut.

CW: Spoilers for Pathologic 2 (of course).

- - -

To preface: As I am Māori, not Buryat or of the other cultures I have heard the Kin to be based on, my perspective is more from *my* understanding of what it means to be Indigenous than anything else. There are probably many things I’m missing. But I’d like to throw in my two cents, however relevant they are.

Suffice to say, my feelings are complicated. Stylistically and narratively, there was a lot that I enjoyed. From a reconnecting/ mixed Indigenous perspective, however, I still feel unwillingly bisected, torn.

At the culmination of everything, Artemy Burakh and the player are roped into a cruel, two-pronged choice. Destroy the Polyhedron along with the miracles of the Steppe, or let the plague devour the town as you lead the Kin back to its heart. In these scenarios, you either assimilate the Kin into the town, which many of them will despise you for, or push out the nonindigenous townsfolk by force, letting nature run its course. Any third option has already been amputated, beyond your will. You cannot protect the Kin completely either way, some will likely die from the plague in the latter, and the more fantastical will in the first, by being cleaved from the earth’s dying magic.

Diurnal, or Nocturnal. No matter how you look at it, the kin cannot thrive in either. For it to be a choice at all, hurt, to say the least. After playing the bachelor’s route in the first game, I’m sure that was deliberate in an anti-utopian sense, perfection is impossible etc, etc. But the first lens I saw it through, stuck with me.

When I initially read Isidor say this after Artemy’s trial in the abattoir:

“Facing the Future is the way of Love. Facing the Past is the way of Love. But the two are incompatible, and it broke my heart.”

I was devastated. The hopeless dichotomisation of future and past… and I could only construe it as assimilation or death in some manner (but I could not see what role it took yet). That feeling festered for a while, but I wanted to see it from another angle. I think it's natural to be sensitive to the words “progress” (which is usually linked to “civilisation” and colonisation) when anchored against Indigenous culture, but I didn’t want that to blind me completely.

On its own, I do like this line. It’s weighty. And I think it articulates aspects of Indigenous struggle well, to some degree. Going back to the “past” is somewhat impossible for many reasons. Decolonisation is needed but I don’t believe it means restoring the “past” fully by any means. Culture is not stagnant, and neither is the future. To say they are incompatible though pains me. Especially when contextualised inside the divide between the kin and the town. It is an intentionally agonising line, and successfully so. Pitting the themes of Past/Future, against, Kin/Town, is something I find hard to reconcile with. Even just the first part irks me; personally the past walks with me at every step, the future is void and useless without it in full view. But I wouldn’t say a line from Isidor (or Artemy’s subconscious) necessarily defines the game more than it does his perspective. For me, it is the patterns that follow and precede it.

Aspity is a very obvious portrayal of what it looks like to “face the past” completely. Visiting her sanctuary, It becomes very evident that her opinions of the non-Kinfolk sway towards genocidal. They must “flood the town”, as she put it. Considering their treatment on the Bull Project and well… everything else, It’s not unfounded. During the night visits, we develop a growing understanding of what is at stake for the kin. Their language, legends, arts, and traditions, and too many Kin are dying from pest and persecution (Its a familiar story). Herb brides are forced to sell their cultural dance to get by (another familiar story for Māori, kapa haka and tourism, our culture has also become a commodity out of necessity). Legends like the shabnak adyr too are warped by the townsfolk (as it is used as an excuse to target Kin women). Assimilation means these things for them too.

There's also the case of how the Kin are depicted as more animalistic than the “more human” townsfolk. Oyun, Big Vlad, and even Artemy have a long history referring to them as such. To make the Kin less than human is inherently othering (as is any case where the empire views us as inherently more primitive or unevolved). The importance placed on Aurochs and being one with nature in Kin culture paints this in a less hostile light (Big Vlad’s view not so much). But I fear the effect this might have on player perceptions of the Kin will be negative regardless. I’ve seen a few statements about the Kin being a “hivemind”, I can't say I entirely agree. Many are divided on how they view Artemy, as well as what they desire for the future. I’ve also seen this in reference to when a few odonghe gift you organs for your tinctures, but at this point everyone in the town is desperate for a cure no matter the cost. Their more violent practices appear to weaken many fans' empathy for the Kin, painting the Nocturnal ending darker and darker. Getting rid of herb bride “marriages” would be a good thing at least right? Assimilation might be a good thing then? Nothing good comes without cost, and for the Kin this cost is too steep. Survival doesn't have to mean losing yourself piece by piece.

I will say that despite liking the non-Kin townsfolk, I do wish there was a larger Kin presence among the main roles. While we have Nara, Aspity, Oyun, and Taya, I understand how their presence does little to assuage the dread of seeing the rest of the cast wade out into the Steppe. For me, seeing Murky and Sticky in such a lost state during the Nocturnal ending, made me unable to see it as anything but a mistake.

Two other alternating themes are present through the endings. Childhood (miracles and dreams) and adulthood (waking up and walking forward). The dominant presence of children in Nocturnal, and the fact that walking through the near empty town really does feel like a nightmare, showcases this. The impossible has been made possible, the earth sleeps, sated. The endless cycle of responsibility, from father to son, from parent to child... Children rule the future here. In Diurnal, this cycle, at least, has some room to be broken. Responsibilities are weighed more evenly. Letting go of miracles and childhood dreams, that is the only future in this end. I’m not sure If i have to discuss how problematic it might be to place indigenous revival in the realm of childishness, and assimilation in the realm of growing up, but i thought i'd leave the notion there regardless.

Leaving how you view the two ends aside, it's obvious that Nocturnal has a heavier, gloomier tone.

Maybe having a third ending would’ve been reductive, to have one person so easily find a solution to unifying the town. But, it hurts so deeply to have that choice wrenched from your hands. The choice might have been severed by Isidor, but it felt like so much was possible for Artemy. With one foot in both worlds, the potential of true reconnection, i thought we could move past what was possible for his father. It felt like that was the direction Artemy was moving in, seeing the choices before him and bullheadedly trampling through the middle. Just like he did with the cure, finding the impossible connection.

As it stands, the endings are brutal. Survival for the kin is held by a thread, regardless of the direction you look. They either die a physical death, or a cultural and spiritual one (the two could very well be interpreted as present in both depending on how you look at it). By your conversations with Aspity, even if they survive, the Diurnal end is hinted to lead to an essential “dissolution” of the Kin as they know it. Wherein the differences between the Town and Kin will become so negligible that the two are no longer distinct. Which from my perspective is its own, however voiceless tragedy.

Ok, that was a lot of negativity but I’d like to be candid. Even despite all that, Pathologic is still one of my favourite games of all time. I saw someone say on here that Pathologic 2 is most interesting when allowing the player to decide where love takes them (even if they are led to extremes). Love being at the forefront, regardless of the choices you make, no wrong answers, that's what I appreciated most when playing as Artemy. Whether you chose to kill the three odonghe for Rubin, begged him to stay despite everything, killed Oyun, the Oglimskys, or the pest, it was for the love of something. The internal strife of having a mixed identity too, the rejection and affection from both sides, is something I related to even if the circumstances were miles apart from my own. I wish that Nocturnal aligned with that energy, that the nuances there were a little less stark. That opposing assimilation felt like less of a mistake.

There's a lot more I could delve into but this is pretty long already. This post could all read like nonsense/surface level, but I’m curious to see what other people think! Especially other indigenous folk, I’m dying to know how others interpreted the endings regarding the Kin.

[geekforhorror]

Hi!! Could you write something where after Anakin turns to the dark side fem!reader (who he’s in a relationship with) goes with him. She doesn’t necessarily agree with it but doesn’t want to leave him so she follows him. She begins feeling depressed because Anakin stops paying attention to her and practically emotionally abandons her. They eventually get into a fight where she plans to leave him because nothing has changed but he promises ge will change back for her.

ghost of you

pairing: sith!anakin x fem!reader

warning(s): mental health issues, emotional abandonment, mention of dark side, fighting, sadness, kissing, and fluff at the end.

word count: 1.3k

a/n: did i base the title off the song “ghost of you”? yes i did.

He promised things would be different.

After Order 66, You and Anakin had fled to your hometown of Naboo where you guys would hide from the Republic and whatever was left of the almost extinct Jedi order. To say the thought of being discovered didn’t scare you would be a complete lie. You had gone with him for one sole reason— you didn’t want to leave him. He was the love of your life, the only person who understood you, and the only one who sacrificed everything to have a better life with you.

But recently, you had been plagued with uneasy feelings about the entire situation. See, you were never on board with abandoning everything and everyone in your old life, but once Anakin had carried out Order 66, he made it very clear that the two of you couldn’t remain on Coruscant when there was a warrant for his arrest. You could see the difference in his eyes when he first told you about what would happen if you stayed. Agreeingly, you went along with him and now you were stuck with the harsh reality of what he did. He had promised you that the two of you would rule the galaxy, but you didn’t want that. You didn’t want that at all. All you wanted was his love and nothing more, but he seemed to forget about your needs and wants.

He used to touch you whether it was hugging you or making love to you all hours of the night. Now he barely even kissed you. The romantic date nights had been replaced with him working on his plans for his new empire while shutting you out. He didn’t even ask how your day was anymore.

There was no denying your state of mind had been a sliver of what it used to be. You were once filled with joy, hope, and most importantly— love. But now you were filled with feelings of hopelessness. It was because of Anakin. He had been so focused on building his new empire that he had left you behind at home for hours before returning home late at night. Unbeknownst to him, you had spent those hours crying in despair. You wanted your old husband back. The one you fell in love with back on Coruscant.

Tonight had been like every other night. All alone in the living room with no one to talk to besides yourself. It was really depressing to say the least. This was what your life had come to. Despite not being the biggest fan about all this, the thought of him being gone for countless hours scared you to death. You still loved him after everything he did. You didn’t know how you could still be with him, but here you were.

All of a sudden, you heard the door open and you knew he was home. You looked over at your husband with sad eyes, only to see that he wasn’t doing the same. In that moment, you felt yourself reach rock bottom. You could take everything else, but this? This was a new low for you. It hurt you enough knowing he didn’t touch you or talk to you anymore, but not even being met with his eyes? That hurt you more than anything ever did. You don’t know if you were feeling anger or sadness in this moment. Maybe it was both, but it was enough for you to finally say something.

“Maker, Anakin! Just look at me!” you shout with a crack in your voice.

You almost miss the way he looked at you in disbelief, but not quite. It takes him a second to gather his thoughts and words, trying to figure out what the hell this was about. “What the hell?!” he replies, still taken aback by your harsh tone.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Anakin! You know damn well what this is about!” you reply, the anger overlapping any feelings of sadness you previously had.

“Do I?” he replies sarcastically.

“You better know, for your sake,” you say.

“How am I supposed to know?” he asks, sounding annoyed.

“That’s exactly my point, Anakin! You don’t know where I’m coming from because you never talk to me anymore! I’m your wife, for makers sake!” you say, tears now protruding from your swollen eyes.

“I do talk to you!” he counters.

“You’re so ignorant it hurts,” you say with a scoff.

“Oh really? Go on and tell me what I’m so ignorant about,” he says.

“You’re ignorant about the fact that you don’t talk to me, touch me, or even look at me anymore,” you say.

“That’s not true,” he says defensively.

“It isn’t, huh? Then tell me what I did in the past week,” you say. You can see him struggling to come up with a sufficient answer that’s also honest and true, but he has nothing.

“That’s what I thought,” you retort.

“Listen I’m sorry about that. I’ve just been busy,” he says.

“Busy?! That’s what you call busy? You haven’t given me one ounce of love since we came here!”

“You’re overthinking this, angel,” he says.

“Don’t ‘angel’ me. You gave me a half assed apology and you expect me to be ok with that? God damn it Anakin! I deserve better than this!” you say with tears starting to form from how angry you were.

“What are you saying?” he says with a bit of fear in his voice.

“We’re done,” you say harshly before you start to walk away from him. Anakin’s heart sank with sadness as reality came back to him. It had taken you threatening to leave him to finally come out of a trance. He couldn’t lose you. You were the only person in his life that mattered and it had been that way for a long time. Not even the emperor mattered that much. You were the only reason he stayed alive. You were too special.

Before you can get far, you feel your dress being dragged harshly. You looked behind you only to see Anakin on his knees, tugging at the skirt of your dress.

“Please, angel. Don’t leave me!” he said with a shaky voice.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t,” you say with a scoff.

“I’ll kill the emperor!” he says abruptly which makes you stop in your tracks.

“I don’t believe you,” you counter.

“I would do anything for you, love. Just tell me what and I will!” he begs.

“I want you to turn back into the man I loved and married,” you say with a trembling voice. “You’re a sith lord, for makers sake! Has it ever occurred to you that I don’t want to live this life? I want my husband back,”

“I promise I will. Just give me one more chance, baby,” he asks of you.

You were conflicted. You hated the way this new man made you feel recently, but he was still your husband and you loved him. The new man had died when you broke through his barriers and spoke to him in a way neither of you knew was possible. All that mattered was that it worked. You wanted nothing more than to give him room to grow and learn from his many mistakes if he loved you so much. The only thing worse than being in this situation was living your life without him. The love of your life.

“Get up, Ani,” you say, now cupping his face. He does as you say and is finally back on your level. Once he is, you tenderly kiss him on his lips. It’s a rather foreign feeling after all of these months of being touch starved. The two of you find harmony in the kiss and you feel the galaxy become so little around you guys.

“Maker, I’m such a fool for you, Ani,” you mumble against his lips.

“So am I, darling,” he says back.

Things finally felt right.

[vinylfoxbooks]

June 18 - Date | @jegulus-microfic | wc: 870

Early on in their relationship, Regulus had started forcing James to read books that he enjoyed to ‘culture’ him. They both discovered that James prefers to read the romances that Regulus has him read to any of the other genres that Regulus likes. Partly because of the romance -- James is a hopeless romantic through and through -- but it’s also because Regulus annotates his books.

Well, he annotates all of them, but his regular annotations are more… official. They’re more investigative and questioning but in his romance books? He likes to let loose and write small notes more like ‘me,’ ‘cute,’ ‘i wish,’ etc. He also tends to underline the cute, romantic scenes or any and all interaction between the main character and their love interest. And it gives James some… ideas.

Every time that James is reading one of those books in private, he takes a picture of whatever sort of date or cute interaction that Regulus underlines or highlights or writes something along the lines of ‘I would kill for this’ in the margins. And it’s why, when he asked Regulus out on a date for the weekend, he started going through the album in his phone where he stored all of his pictures of Regulus’ annotations, trying to find a good date for him to take Regulus on. 

And eventually, he finds one. 

The set up begins immediately and James is buzzing with excitement when the day comes. He tells Regulus to wear something comfortable and picks him up just before sunset, making sure that he’s got everything in the trunk of his car before he leaves his house. 

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Regulus asks once he’s comfortable in the car. 

James shakes his head, “You’ll just have to see. It’s a bit of a drive but… Just trust me.”

“Okay.” Regulus nods and James starts driving. James drives them for about 30 minutes before he pulls off to a parking lot and gets out, prompting James to do the same. He grabs one of the backpacks he has sitting in the back of his car and gives the other to Regulus, “Put this on.”

“James I swear to God if we’re going hiking, especially right before it gets dark.”

James shakes his head, “We’re not going hiking. It’s a bit of a walk but it’s totally worth it and it’s not a hard walk, just along a flat trail.” 

“I know you said to trust you but that trust is wavering.” 

James laughs and grabs Regulus’ hand, “I promise it will be worth it. Just… work with me.” And with that, James takes off into the woods. 

It’s sparse woods, with only a few trees and a thin canopy above them so it’s not hard to see, even with the dying light. Eventually, they come up to a building. It’s maybe four stories and has a flat roof, abandoned but not necessarily decrepit. 

“What is this, James?” Regulus says as they walk towards the door, “I hope you know how sketchy this seems.”

“I know that it seems weird, but, please.” James pleads, “I promise, the building is completely safe to be in. I’ve been here plenty of times. 

“You and the weird, sketchy shit that you do in your day to day.” Regulus shakes his head.

James laughs but continues to pull Regulus into the building. They climb up the stairs until they’re on the roof of the building, having a beautiful overview of the woods and parts of the city that they just left. James instructs James to Regulus to put his backpack down and he starts to unpack them. Blankets are set out, one on top of a mattress sitting by one of the edges of the roof and another on the actual blacktop of the roof. There are fairy lights strung around and James makes quick work of pulling out food, treats, and drinks from the backpack that he had. 

“This is our date.” James smiles, “We can stay here as long as we want. I know the woods really well and I packed flashlights as well. For now, let’s watch the sunset and eat.”

Regulus nods, though he doesn’t say anything, instead looking around at what James has just set up in front of him in wonder. James sits down on the mattress and gestures for Regulus to sit next to him, “The mattress is clean. My dad took it up here with me when I was younger and I keep it inside when I’m not here. I pulled it out this morning.” Regulus sits down with him, still not saying much and instead just staring out at the sky. 

James doesn’t push him to say anything, just grabbing some of the food that he brought and starting to eat, watching the sunset. 

Eventually, Regulus reaches out and grabs some food for himself as well, though it seems like his gaze doesn’t want to leave the sunset they’re watching, “Thank you, James. This is…”

“You’re welcome. I know you’ve wanted a date like this.”

“How did you know that?” Regulus asks, furrowing his brows.

James shakes his head, just offering him a small smile, “That’s my secret.”

[qprstobin]

Stobin Different First Meeting AU where they go to prom together. This was meant to be an au post and turned into a mini fic oops (written completely within a tumblr post so sorry for the poor quality)

(edit: realized I should link the fic I was inspired by for those who don't follow me and so didn't see me reblog it earlier)

Steve doesn't necessarily want to go to prom, right? Like yeah, he'd been imagining it for a while, but now that he was very, very single it just didn't have the same shine that it used to. And he really wasn't ready to start dating yet. However, he didn't want to just, not go to prom, and also knew it would seem really weird (and pretty fucking sad) if he didn't go.

Which leaves him in a conundrum.

He thought for a while that maybe he would go with one of the junior cheerleaders. While he didn't have any close friends anymore, he was still friendly with plenty of people. There were girls that wouldn't be going to prom unless they had a senior boyfriend - some he had even gone on dates with in the past who wouldn't think a single prom date meant that he wanted a new girlfriend.

However, he is pretty sure most of those girls would have... other expectations for the night. And honestly? He isn't quite sure that he was ready to get back on that horse either.

... Not that he thought women were horses.

He's pretty sure men are normally the ones called horses in riding metaphors.

Anyway.

That left him stuck. He couldn't just not go to prom, but also didn't want to wind up trapped on an actual date with someone. So who could he ask?

His solution ended up coming from an odd place.

Robin Buckley was... quite honestly, kind of a weirdo.

She was cute, in an alternative sort of way. She never took any of his shit (he wasn't completely sure she even liked him) but also reluctantly laughed at the snarky shit he said under his breath during their Film History class. And not in the fake giggly way girls did when they were flirting, but didn't actually care about what he was saying, just the way he said it. She actually seemed to think he was funny. Even if that revelation seemed to piss her off.

The only reason he was even in Film History that semester - and therefore, knew who she was - was for the easy A. He got to watch movies in class, and watch movies for homework. He was willing to plow through a couple of shitty essays in exchange for a class that he didn't feel like a complete idiot in.

(Well, he was pretty sure Robin thought he was an idiot about movies, but just because he had trouble remembering the names and shit of characters, didn't mean he couldn't analyze the themes, fuck you very much, Buckley.)

They had gotten assigned a project together early on, and it hadn't been completely terrible. She had quickly taken over doing most of the writing portions, but hadn't thought all of his ideas were terrible. By the end of the project he thought they were even sort of having fun together.

He'd always been one to try his luck, take a little more than he was given. So, after that assignment was over, he started sitting next to her in class, not wanting that easy, if sharp, camaraderie to end. Robin rolled her eyes at him and asked him what he thought he was doing the first time he did it, but she never sent him away.

They ended up chatting more and more during down times, passing notes to each other and sharing sly comments under their breaths during the movies. Steve often had trouble paying attention at school, his mind easily wandering away, and it was almost as bad during most movies, but Robin helped keep him on track.

The class turned into one that was done for the easy grade, a last ditch effort to improve his already hopeless GPA, and became one he actually enjoyed.

The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of going to prom with Robin. It made the night seem a little less unbearable.

He thought about making a big deal out of asking her, because he knows that's what girls (and even Nancy) had enjoyed for past dances. He quickly scrapped that idea, however, because not only did he not want to put pressure on her like that, but also she seemed to hate public spectacles like that.

Or at least when aimed at her, they both enjoyed watching drama unfold in the halls a bit too much to say she hated it completely.

So Steve waits until the end of the day, their film class being their last, to pull her into an empty classroom. She follows him without question in a show of trust he didn't realize she had in him. The notion warms him, and for some reason makes it more difficult to get the question out.

"Why do I feel like you're about to try to sell me drugs or something?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He squints at her in offense.

"Why is that your first assumption?!"

"I don't know! Why else are you pulling me out of the hallway all secretive like, making sure no one followed us, into an abandoned classroom," she asks, throwing her arms into the air.

"The classroom isn't abandoned, it's the end of the day! Also, who does drug deals on campus, that's just stupid?" He asks rhetorically, before waving one hand through the air, as if trying to erase the current thread of conversation. "That doesn't matter, you're distracting me."

"Well then, get on with it! Some of us have practice we need to get to."

"It's like talking to the kids," he mutters to himself, "Whatever. I wanted to ask - will you go to prom with me?"

That stops Robin up short. There's panic in her eyes now, though Steve isn't sure what exactly put it there. Was his reputation that bad that even band geeks are terrified of getting asked out by him?

"You want to go on a date? With me?" she asks slowly, disbelief coloring her voice, though it doesn't hide her unease.

"No, I want to go to prom with you," he scoffs, "Not go on a date with you."

"That is a date, dingus! The person you go to prom with is literally called your date!"

"Okay, sure, maybe, but I don't actually want to date you," he said, rolling his eyes at her.

Like, okay, he understood his reputation for being... what did she call him last week? A 'huge effing rake'? But that didn't mean that he was trying to date any girl that looked in his direction. A lot of girls looked in his direction. That was too many women, even for him.

Robin relaxes a little at that.

"Then why are you asking me to prom instead of someone you actually want to date?"

"Because!" he says, resisting the urge to flail his hands back at her. "I don't want to date anyone right now. Most people I ask are going to expect all these things from me - they're going to want dinner, and at the very least a kiss at the end of the night if not more, or another date the very next day. Because Steve Harrington is supposed to want those things!" He takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair to calm himself. "But right now? I really don't."

"Well then, what does Steve the Hair Harrington actually want?" She had relaxed fully at this point, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

"I want to go to prom with someone I consider a friend, someone who makes me laugh," he says after a moment of silence. "I want to dance badly to really corny pop music and drink just enough spiked punch that I don't remember how much I hate wearing any sort of tie. Then I want to go get milkshakes or go see a really trashy midnight horror flick, just because I'm having so much fun I don't want the night to end."

That small smile has grown into a reluctant grin on Robin's face. It makes her eyes shine and her freckles pop. Steve thought that if he was in a better place, if they had met at a different time, he could have fallen in love with her.

But they had met now instead, in some shitty public school elective course, and she was the closest thing he had to a friend that wasn't a snotty middle schooler.

"That sounds... like a lot of fun, actually," she says, mischief sparking on her face. "Who would've known the hidden depths hidden behind all that hair."

"Hey!" he protests half-heartedly, unable to keep a grin of his own off his face. "So what do you say? Wanna go to prom with me?"

"I guess," she sighs, acting like it was such a trial to go to prom with him. Him! But her next words make up for it. "Since we're friends, and all. However, I still expect you to buy me dinner, though you can keep the kiss goodnight to yourself."

Steve can't help the giddy laugh from spilling out of him. For the first time in weeks, he is actually looking forward to prom.

[snakes-writing-corner]

Recently been obsessed with Undertale Yellow, and I am very much in love with a certain star cowboy. Long story short I need to get this idea out of my head before I forget.

Hear me out.

North Star x Bandit Reader

————————

You heard about this little town growing in popularity in the Wild East. A little place in the Dunes where monsters can get a taste of the surface, with some interesting characters to make the area more appealing.

The main attraction, of course, being “The Feisty Five” as they call themselves. Just a group of human-interested friends wanting to have a little fun, and bring hope to the other monsters trapped in this hellhole.

The Feisty Five are indeed… an interesting group. Not particularly threatening, but a good group to hang around with if you’re looking to have some fun. Most you’d have to look out for is Mooch, who ironically, has a nasty stealing habit.

Oh but what caught your eye the most? The self-proclaimed sheriff of the Wild East.

“North Star” is the name he goes by, and boy is he quite the charmer!

Initially you came by the Wild East looking for a bit of excitement. A place where you could have a bit of fun and mess with the residents before moving along to the next unfortunate destination.

Oh but this? This was a lot more fun than you ever thought it would be!

The Feisty Five despite being the “protectors” of this town were, quite frankly, terrible at the protecting part. Just a gaggle of monsters living out some sort of human-based fantasy.

Unfortunately for them, you had a streak of causing trouble wherever you went, and to this day you’d never been caught for it.

Living in the underground got… boring after a while. Everyone living in a zombie-like state of hopelessness and despair was a bit too… depressing for your taste.

Call it morally wrong, but you wanted monsters to feel, well, anything! So you resorted to becoming a… well North Star would call it a “bandit” if he knew.

During what monsters considered night-time, you’d don on your trusty cloak and mask and cause a bit of mischief. Breaking and entering, stealing, blowing things up, occasionally scaring any poor monster who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time? All were fair game to you!

You weren’t a completely terrible monster however! Any damages caused would end with the owner of the property mysteriously ending up with the gold to fix it, and stolen items would always be returned by the next night. It was simply just to stir up a bit of chaos and have some fun! That and it got monsters feeling something other than hopelessness!

Which leads us to the situation at hand.

You started living in the Wild East for a little while. A few months at least, getting time to know the locals so when the chaos ensued… well you wouldn’t necessarily get blamed if the town trusted you right?

In that time you grew a bond with the Feisty Five. Honestly who wouldn’t! They all had their quirks that made them fun to be around!

Ed despite being the muscle of the group had a heart of gold, and was very fun to mess around with. You still remember his face when you snuck that little fizzy tablet into his drink, and it exploded all over his face. His reaction was priceless!

Moray was always a chill monster to be around. You enjoyed how you two seemed to be able to talk about anything, and admired their skills with a sword. Truthfully, you had a bit too much respect for them to pull a prank… yet.

Ace was a mysterious fellow, the most quiet out of the four for sure. You two never talked much, but you quite enjoyed the card game he used to offer you. Keyword on “used to”, he stopped doing that after you won one too many times. You got revenge about a month after that with an unfortunate loose floorboard in the saloon.

Mooch was a lot like you actually, mischievous and a pretty good thief at that! You quite like her and can’t wait for the day you can steal all the gold she’s taken from you back. Friendly competition and all that, but stealing it now would blow your cover so you wait. In the meantime some harmless pranks from time to time that can’t be traced back to you will do.

Oh and now for your favorite member of this rag-tag gang, the sheriff himself! North Star was definitely a fun guy to be around! Matched your dramatic flair almost too well honestly! His hero act was always one you enjoyed feeding into, especially considering what you had planned.

Oh right! That little plan of yours is exactly why you’ve stuck around the Wild East for so long!

You see, North Star wanted to play the dashing hero, but you can’t be a hero without a worthy adversary to face can you?

Sure the town had Vengeful Virgil, but honestly? He’s not a threat at all! There’s no stakes or genuine mystery with him! And quite frankly you’ve started to hate the staged performances.

No twists or turns? No drama or unplanned hang-ups? No no no! That won’t do for your new favorite group of monsters! I mean you’re hiding right under their gazes in plain sight! A well trained “bandit” who’s actually willing to cause actual chaos around here!

Which led to where you’re currently stationed. Mask and cloak obscuring your true identity within the night, you press a simple little button.

*BOOM*

You smirked from your position on top of the saloon. You see earlier you had planted some little explosives around town. Not in any spots that would hurt someone, but enough to give everyone in town a scare.

You chuckled as you heard screaming and panic envelop the town. Monsters like many times before running around terrified like mice. It was always fun to watch!

A shout rang out above the others however.

“Alright settle down everyone!”

Ah there he was… North Star.

You climbed down the roof of the saloon as you quietly hid behind it and watched.

The Feisty Four we’re running around under North Star’s orders, checking to see if any damage or harm had been done, while North Star tried to calm down the increasing crowd of monsters in a panic.

You watched a little longer.

Then North Star looked up at you.

Oh this was going to be fun.

“Stop where you are!” North Star shouted.

You smiled under the mask and made a run for it, the sheriff hot on your heels trying to get you to stop.

Oh but sheriff, the chase is half the fun no?

You continued to run, but quickly dug your heels to the ground and stopped to face your pursuer.

North Star managed to stop fairly quickly in return, and you two were suddenly at the end of a cliff in a stare down.

The sheriff lifted his gun and took aim.

You tilted your head in return, purposefully deepening your voice like you’ve done so many times before.

“Aw did the sheriff not like my welcoming gift?”

North Star glared. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you made a mistake coming into this town,”

“Bandit.” He spat with venom in his voice.

You chuckled, as you took a step closer.

“Oh but North Star,”

The sheriff’s gaze grew more sharp the more steps you took forward, you stopped mere inches away from him and the barrel of his gun.

“I don’t think I did.”

North Star fired.

No bullet came out of the barrel, a result of the tampering you did earlier to prepare for this moment.

You took the opportunity to rush forward and grab the taller monster by his bandana, and seize the wrist holding the gun in his mere moments of shock.

You stood there locked in place for a few seconds. Tilting your head to the side, you watched as the sheriff seemed to be caught between emotions of his facade and what lay underneath. After all, you can always break an actor if you try hard enough.

You chuckled and broke the silence between the two of you.

“What-” North Star started, but you cut him off.

“Tell me sheriff,” You tighten your grip on his wrist. “What do you think I want hm?”

You leaned closer towards his face.

“Money? Recognition? To simply hurt others?”

North Star stiffened.

“No.” You loosened the grip on his wrist.

“You and I both are not so different ya know?” You continued. “We’re both acting to bring some life into this hell of a place.”

You let go of him completely and take a few steps back.

“We just do it for our own personal reasons right?”

North Star glared you down.

“I’m nothing like you.” He spat.

You shrugged in response.

“Maybe not, sheriff.”

You back closer to the edge of the cliff.

“But…”

You stop right at the edge as North Star aims his gun at you yet again.

“You’ve always wanted to play hero right?” You ask.

North Star continues to glare you down. “I don’t want to hear it, bandit.”

“This is your last warning.” He whips out his lasso in his free hand. “Surrender now.”

You smirk, purposefully ignoring him.

“Well sheriff. You have your villain.”

You step off of the cliff as you see the lasso at the edge of your vision.

————————

Where?

Starlo ran over to the cliff-edge, kneeling down to look over the edge.

Where did they?

He frantically looked for the bandit, but they were gone without a trance.

Starlo huffed in annoyance, too many thoughts running through his head.

Would they actually kill someone?

Why was this monster so intent on this?

He never wanted this! This was just supposed to be for fun! He didn’t want to endanger anyone!

Starlo started internally panicking. The thought of- of this monster hurting anyone here. Would they do it? They wouldn’t right? They talked about acting so surely they wouldn’t-

The sound of paper caught his attention.

He looked down on saw a piece of paper tucked neatly into his bandana.

When did they have time to put that there?

With trembling hands he opened it.

“Howdy North Star,

Glad we finally got to meet face to face. I’ve been dying to see your reaction to when I finally make a move.

But don’t worry, I won’t hurt anyone. At least not yet.

You see I’m a bit of an actor myself, and any good actor should know you can’t have a hero without a proper villain.

So I’ll give you a warning. A heads up if you will.

I won’t hurt anyone in any truly damaging way. Unless things get boring that is, but I highly doubt that’ll happen with how entertaining you and your crew are.

I think this town needs a bit of chaos. And lucky me that you just so happened to imply you wanted a challenge when I showed up!

So tell you what. Let’s have some fun with a little game of cat and mouse. I’ll cause some trouble and you can play the charming hero as always. Besides I’m sure even you’ve grown tired of the same boring routine every day.

See if you can be the first to actually catch me sheriff. I’ll be waiting to see if you can pull it off. :)

-With hope for future fun encounters, Anarchy”

Starlo stared at the letter for much longer than he should have.

Well…

If this bandit wanted to mess around with his town?

They’ll have sure as hell a tough time doing so from now on.

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura fic recs: captured on a mission/mission gone wrong

Okay, I'm going to be completely honest with y'all, I'm really just recommending stuff by my favorite tropes lmao. Quite honestly, mission gone wrong just makes things so much more entertaining. Poor Sakura though, this girl just can't catch a damn break.

Now, I should point out that there are MANY Sakura fics out there were the mission goes wrong, but in this list I am only going to put ones where that is the primary focus of the series.

Started: 2024.07.23

Last Updated: 2024.07.25

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

----

Survival of the fittest - cywscross || ao3 || T || shikasaku || mission gone wrong || one shot

Sakura is thirteen, still a Genin, lost in the middle of Earth Country, lugging an unconscious Chuunin around, and so far beyond scared that she’s moved right on to pissed off.

Survival of the Fittest is a fabulous one-shot that follows the trouble that Sakura and Shikamaru find themselves in after accidentally landing themselves in Iwa. This story depicts the characters truthfully and fully conveys exactly how hopeless they feel in their situation. I highly recommend.

.

The Ocean is Deep and Dark - Pleasedial123 || ao3 || M || captured || complete

Gato doesn't trust Zabuza to get the job done. Instead he sends a team of thugs to ambush the Bridge Builder on his return to Wave. Team Seven, exhausted from their fight and Kakashi still unconscious, is separated. Sakura gets captured.Terrible things happen to pretty girls in the hands of men like Gato and his thugs.But Zabuza puts his claim in first and suddenly Sakura isn't the prisoner of a civillian businessman and his hired muscle. Suddenly she's Momichi Zabuza's.

I won't lie, I have a soft spot for fics that take place during the land of waves arc, especially when they focus on Sakura's growth. I love how Zabuza was portrayed in this as although he wasn't necessarily a bad guy, he wasn't a good one either. He simply has morals. Sakura's fear in this is also quite raw and eye opening as it covers a theme that isn't ever covered in the original series. The reality is, the world is not kind to women, and a captured young female ninja is most certainly going to be at some untasteful risks. Oh, team 7's concern was also pretty touching ngl.

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With Every Beat - halfdemonfan || ffn || sasusaku || M || canon divergent || incomplete

Pain can come in various forms. Sakura had suffered all of them; but with the war raging on she found the torture would continue.

If I'm completely honest, With Every Beat probably isn't the best rec for this trope since from what I remember Sakura is not captured for too long. I never did get very far reading this so I don't have too much to say, but it takes place during the war arc and is an interesting take.

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Ripples - Yellow Mask || ffn || sasusaku || T || captured || complete

Following a botched mission, Sakura is made a slave by Sound, a position that could very well alter the future…especially concerning a certain familiar missing-nin.

Ripples is probably one of the og mission gone wrong/captured Sakura fics, as far as I am aware, but it's pretty good! On her way back from a mission, she manages to get captured and is taken to Orochimaru's hideout. Super interesting to see as Sasuke is still with the sanin at this time.

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The Pack Survives - ihopethelightwillshineupon || ao3 || team 7 || mission gone wrong || complete

When a simple C-rank mission turns into a straight-up nightmare, the members of Team Seven narrowly escape with their lives. They end up stuck in the middle of nowhere, each of them injured and forced to rely on one another for help.They’ve only been a team for a couple of weeks, still distant from one another, still trying hard to prove themselves. But when they’re all hurt and struggling desperately to survive, they have no choice but to lower their walls.Stranded far away from the village, Team Seven fights to get back home safely – but with help impossibly far away, with their food supplies shrinking and with their injuries slowing them down, their journey becomes more difficult with every step.In the wake of their struggle, though, their bonds grow steadily stronger.

Sakura is not the main character in this one as it it more focused on team 7 as a whole, but she still has some great development! Essentially, in typical team 7 fashion, they find themselves in a bit of a pickle during a mission and it results in some great bonding between them.

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An Inch of Gold - KuriQuinn || ffn || sasusaku || T || mission gone wrong - time travel AU || complete

Team 7 is sent on a mission to investigate a disturbance outside of the village, where they encounter an unconscious girl in a crater. The mysterious Sarada insists she's a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf trying to rescue her teammates. When the team discovers she possesses a Sharingan, things become even more unbelievable. [Part of the Legacy of Fire Series]

Somehow, the Boruto and Naruto timelines interconnect and Sarada literally falls into team 7's mission. Things only get worse from there. The writing captures the personalities of the characters so well and I'm a complete sucker for the whole Sarada meets Sakura and Sasuke trope!! Sasusaku is super cute in this (while being realistic) and I love how Kakashi is such a shipper. Also, this is a multiple perspective fic.

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Dirt and Ashes, or: The One-and-a-Half Body Problem - Tozette || captured || gen || M || canon divergent || complete

The invasion of Konoha during the chuunin exam didn't fail. Team seven is broken, people are dead, and Sakura is hurt and frightened and a very long way from home.Alternative summary: In which Sakura carries half of Hidan across two countries, leaving a trail of blood, bodies, and other people's legs.

This one is pretty gross tbh, but I highly recommend!

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Only a Crush by Gingersoup || ao3 || kakasaku || M || canon divergent || complete

It was supposed to be an easy, fun night out. She never intended to wake up in her sensei's bed, half-naked and with no memory of what happened the night before! As she tries to unravel the mystery of that night, something sinister is growing beyond the walls of the Leaf Village... and what was only a crush spirals wildly out of control.

I can't really say much without spoiling, but Sakura is unwillingly thrust into the world of illegal drugs, trafficking, and sex all while coming to terms with her new feelings regarding her former sensei. I typically don't like kakasaku, but I think this work is done tastefully well. The characters are both adults and the immorality of the relationship is not ignored, so be prepared for a lot of "we can't," "this is wrong," etc.. Anyway, Sakura is an absolute powerhouse and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between all of the different characters and villages!

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Got Nothing to Prove (but I'ma show you how I do) - GuardianMars || ao3 || gen || T || mission gone wrong || incomplete

Civilians and orphans are always used as cannon fodder. Sakura’s not sure where she first came by this phrase. Whether she heard it or read it, she can’t quite remember, but it stuck in her head and it stays in the back of her mind whenever Team 7 takes a mission. When Sakura and Tenten get placed on a temporary team looking into a series of kidnappings of local village girls, Sakura is naturally worried. She doesn't want to be cannon fodder. When the mission goes to pot, Sakura and Tenten find themselves far away from home and with only each other to rely on. As it turns out being cannon fodder is the least of their worries.

Genin Sakura and TenTen are sent on a mission due to their unimpressive lineage and things go wrong. This is a bit of a mystery where details of the mission are uncovered as the series progresses and is seen from the prospective of both the girls and their sensei's who are desperately trying to bring them back.

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The Storm Beneath - CrimsonEden || ao3 || gen || T || mission gone wrong || one-shot complete

Sakura skidded to a halt. “Sensei?” she choked out, voice raw and painful. Kakashi made no reply. His eyes stared desperately up at her, as if he thought that she was going to disappear if he looked away. One of his hands reached out slowly, like he wanted to touch her face, to check to see did she was really there. His eyes were glazed over and his chest was heaving from the force of his heavy breaths. She stood there frozen, unsure of what to say or do. How could things have gone so wrong? . . . . . A simple mission goes horribly wrong, and Team-7 finds themselves stuck in the wilderness injured and facing Kakashi’s past demons. POV Kakashi and Sakura.

Team 7's mission gone wrong not just lands them in a complete disaster physically and politically, but also uncovers some of Kakashi's trauma. Really well written and focuses a lot on the team bonding, primarily Sakura and Kakashi, which I love.

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Team Seven and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Roadtrip -Transformatron || ao3 || gen || T || captured || incomplete

No chakra. No allies. Captured by an unknown enemy a thousand miles from home, Team Seven must work together if they want to survive - which, if you ask Sakura, puts their life expectancy at approximately one week. If she’s feeling generous.

Team 7 is captured and the enemy is trying to get information out of them by any means possible. Follow them as they try to escape.

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final exams coming up! - waterpllar || ao3 || gen || M || captured || complete

Kakuzu can name numerous reasons why Hatake Kakashi could make him an excellent profit, most of which involve the numerous organizations he's sabotaged. Specific figures would certainly be willing to pay very well for free reign to relieve their violent frustrations on one of the most notorious jounin in the Bingo books. Such a business would only function with a healer on hand, but it just so happens that a vast majority of shinobi teams have a healer, and there is a pink-haired genin without a bloodline limit or bijuu on the team. What he did not anticipate is that the Copy-nin's teaching might be so remiss that he hadn't trained said genin in any iryo-ninjutsu whatsoever. Kakuzu does not like making oversights, and he decides to remedy this fact immediately (unluckily for sakura).

Kakuzu captured Sakura and Kakashi in an attempt to make money (of course) off of Kakashi's many enemies and Sakura is forced to learn medical ninjutsu in order to keep him alive. Although this is marked as complete and could be considered that to those who read it, the ending is not very conclusive tbh (I wanted more).

Edit: ok this actually just got updated even though it’s marked as complete, so ig it’s still ongoing?? Maybe???

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New Day Dawning - IncompleteSentanc (Erava) || ao3 || narusaku || T || captured || complete

One day, while visiting the grave of Nohara Rin, Obito stumbles across a young girl terrifyingly like her. He decides to ensure she doesn’t meet the same fate. As for Sakura? Sakura had no idea what she was awakening the day she went to visit her parents graves - but she never looked back. One way or another.(Feat. Sakura raised by Obito and the Akatsuki, and her eventual return to Konoha and all those she left behind)

Sakura is brainwashed and manipulated, but loved by notorious killers nonetheless. Incredibly well written and I won't lie when I say that the ending took me a bit by surprise.

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Your childhood home is just powder-white bones (and you'll never find your way back) - Dovey || ao3 || gen || M || captured || complete

Sasuke is not the only one who worries he's getting too comfortable in his genin life. Itachi decides to add another motivator to Sasuke's revenge plans by kidnapping the teammate who wasn't a charismatic Jinchuriki. Sakura is used to being an objective for those around her, not a person, but even for her this is a little much. In which Sakura is held captive and learns what a genjutsu specialist can do to a person's mind, that sharks can actually make great friends, joins a dying clan, and gets regifted multiple times before she's finally strong enough to fight back. *while this fic contains explicit and graphic torture, there's no sexual assault.

Okay, this was actually a really hard read for me. We truly see Sakura's decline in this as she slowly loses her mind and it is very frustrating to see what has happened to her. Nonetheless, it is extremely well written and great is you want something dark.

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Freedom in the Eyes of Another - Oroburos69 || ffn || gen || M || captured || complete

The Wave Mission was a failure. They got caught, captured, taken-it didn't end well. Now Sakura has a half-heard order, uncut fingernails, and more desperation than bravery. One way or another, she's getting Team Seven out today. Complete.

I actually can't believe that I forgot to add this the first time I wrote this list! Anyway, team 7 is captured on the mission to Wave and Sakura takes Kakashi's mumble and runs with it! Pretty interesting as we get some nice team bonding and there are some other popular character appearances too.

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Like always, please send me recs if you have any!

[lizparkcr]

Ramble ahead -- I want muriel to be full of rage because it fixes so much about his characterisation and story

(i think the devs were avoiding him having any real anger bc the fandom would have crucified them as they did for everything else which sucks, but would explain a lot of his woobification)

it would explain how on earth he was actually able to kill yknow?? call me whatever but his characterisation as it is i don't think he'd be able to kill anyone or anything, past or present -- even when his only loved one was at stake. but if he was angry. if he let the years of subjugation, loneliness, helplessness, and exposure to corruption and violence just take hold of him, give into it -- because hes always been assumed to be violent due to his size and strength, and he gives up trying to prove he's not. Its not necessarily a consious decision and no, he doesn't want to kill, and maybe he does refuse to kill at first. but when forced and trapped in this horrific situation and treated like a monster and an object he throws himself away and gives in to the anger, and takes it out on people who are no longer people but those who have hurt him, people who its ok to hurt and kill (not that i think he would think about it this deeply, i think there'd be a whole lot of detachment and disassociation involved)

Less relevant stuff under the cut

it would add depth to his apparent self loathing and lack of self-worth

which would explain more deeply why he isolated himself and sees the curse of being forgotten as a "gift", why he doesn't even want to think about himself as a real person or be seen by anyone

it would add complexity to his pacifism, which in canon is less of a choice and more an extreme aversion to hurting anything due to PTSD. imo pacifism is not a very interesting trait when no part of you actually wants to hurt. like a part of him wants to use his strength, to actually fight back to show people they cannot control or subjugate him anymore. It just happens to twist into an awful rage that rots him during the gladiator days because there he is, being controlled and subjugated, but its the only power he has. I think he'd fantasise about killing lucio, but becomes utterly hopeless because he knows he cant, lucio becomes this figure of absolute power because of just how powerless he feels against him in the arena (which would further explain his passivity!! Like the way he didn't seem to even try to find a way to escape or figure out if he could keep asra safe. once he was done with a fight he just becomes hollow and passive, without that anger driving him he just empties, andd would let himself be hurt if someone attacked him -- similar to how he is in his route when attacked by those muggers)

He's afraid of becoming that monster again, or the MC seeing that side of him at the very least. Anger being associated with combat would have been a very real obstacle to break down during their training which could have added complexity to morga's character and their relationship

it would also make his and Inana's first meeting and him leaving make more sense: she's the straw that breaks it, muriel is beginning to crumble, or he's almost at the point of no return is maybe a better narrative. she is completely calm and knowing, and since she is/becomes his familiar, he sees himself for a moment as she sees him, as everyone sees him, and he's brought back to reality. and that's when he runs away

[meanbossart]

Just gotta say that the way you draw facial expressions is soooo dynamic, and your art makes me grin with equal feral glee when I see it. 🥰

I love your spooky smiley deranged durge, will you tell me more facts about them?

Thank you so much! And YES i certainly can uuhhh lets see

-In my personal canon he has no name, having first assumed to have forgotten it along with everything else and later being told/figuring out that he renounced any in favor of being called Bhaalspawn, Slayer, Death Bringer, Bhaaling, and any number of edgy titles we hear throughout the game lol he did this pre-tadpole to emphasize his birth-right and deny himself any personal identity. He never picked a name for himself post-tadpole and everyone just refers to him as The Drow, Astarion also calls him his usual pet names.

-He's not necessarily one for luxuries but still likes pretty, ostentatious things, especially jewelry. Pre-tadpole DU drow wore them generously, post-tadpole doesn't understand his own fascination, but he likes wearing rings and holds some sentimentality for specific pieces. (he never threw away the "magic" ring he stole from the tiefling child in act 1)

-Every expression of love and affection he had pre-tadpole came out pretty twisted, but with this in mind he very much adored Orin, though you would never guess it from seeing how they interacted with each other.

-The patterned scars on his chest, face and neck were mostly self inflicted (the rest he had Orin's help for). The one's on his arms were an "accident" kinda but he still put them there willingly (and gleefully lol)

-He has a borderline irrational hatred for drow women. He hates drows in general, though mostly because they're uptight and snobby and less so because of, yknow, all the slavery and child killing etc.

-Despite looking evil as hell he's very much morally neutral post-tadpole. He's pretty much a "do what you have to do to survive" kind of guy - and sometimes a "because i want to" kind of guy lol.

-He thinks very highly of himself which makes him overly bold. This got him through the whole campaign and destroying the brain but it also makes him a huge liability LOL its also a source of conflict in his and Astarion's relationship because he lowkey doesn't think Astarion can make it without him - he continuously and completely fails to realize how this is an issue.

-The only other people he has respect for and trusts are Shadowheart, Astarion and Jaheira. Ironically these are all people he didn't get along with well at all at the start.

-He's kind of a hopeless romantic, he's just weird about it. He's pretty much picked Astarion as his person and kind of devotes his life to him now, sometimes to a troubling extent.

-I'm writing a whole story that takes place post-game here where you can gleam a lot more about his character and learn things that i can't share yet because it would be a spoiler hint hint nudge nudge

[sleepanonymous]

Good evening fear I'd like to say it's been a while But really I have seen enough of you to last a lifetime In the gap between a smile and every unforgotten tear...

Recently I've read between the lines Outside the supermarkets Selling every single type of positive emotion Stacked in tiny little bottles Filled with tiny little bubbles That rise like stones that Wished for more than lying there Inanimate and hopeless at the bottom of a riverbed Projecting every parallel of my life In a vacuum-packed synthetic hell What have I done?

How am I supposed to be a human being? When I'm so scared of the future How are we supposed to function? When all we know is we're running out of time

Propaganda melting through this magazine Reflected in computer screens A manufactured fame machine Coming to a cinema near you To tell you you're one of the lucky few Who gets see things from a different view High above the famine and the pain relief pills And I've got too much time to kill Too much empty space to fill With crumpled sheets of paper Failed attempts at finding out why This adolescent outcry is drowned Beneath a sea of empty visions

How am I supposed to be a human being? When I'm so scared of the future How are we supposed to function? When all we know is we're running out of time

This is all we need This is all we need Is this all we need?

(What are you afraid of?)

Yeah, I reckon it'd be hard for Ves not to make every song completely depressing too. Just take a look at his discography so far.

ALSO!! I have an update for the Lost Media folder of my Google Drive. Due to some requests, I added three MP3s that aren't necessarily baby Ves on vocals, but a partner while he plays the piano/keyboard. I have a cover of Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl, a cover of Etta James's At Last, and a cover of Gabrielle Aplin's The Power of Love.

[reddorkredemption]

It makes me sad when people say that Jack 'became everything his parents feared in the end' and 'everyone's sacrifices were wasted on him'. Because it's so defeatist and not necessarily true. ( I also hate the victim-blamey undertone of the 'Jack wasted everyone's sacrifices' claim but that's a whole other discussion… )

The ending of rdr1 is very open-ended-- it's ultimately up to the player what Jack becomes. Yet so many people treat it like a 100% hopeless tragedy, like he's just a lost cause. As if people who've gone through trauma/hardship at a young age are incapable of ever finding happiness or living a normal life again.

He's only 19. His life has just started. Why do y'all wanna act like it's already over?

As far as we know, killing Ross is the only bad thing he did. And I don't think that killing the man who caused the death of your entire family = becoming an outlaw who robs and kills indiscriminately. Plus, it's important to note that the game implies that he does get away with killing Ross.

I've played as Jack a ton to 100% rdr1, and he isn't all doom and gloom like people seem to think he is. I feel like all of his positive traits and potential just get completely erased in favor of angst, and it's sad. :(

I like to think that Jack has a redemption arc of his own after killing Ross because his personality-- his love for and desire to please his departed family-- really lends itself to that. But obviously not through the tired old 'redemption through death' trope. I think he redeems himself by struggling past his hardships and living in spite of them.

One of the most important parts of Jack's character for me is that, despite all their similarities, he is not John. And I think his story should ultimately reflect that.

[3rdsleeper]

r/s fics rec list!

(simplified by highly specific tropes)

remus does not want sirius paying his rent and sirius is having a normal one

inflations, invitations and flirtations by mblematic

summary: The Li-Lo at Lupin's. In which plenty of people crash on Remus' air mattress after Hogwarts, and Sirius isn't jealous at all. complete - 9k

practical oddities by lurikko

summary: Regulus needs a place to stay, Remus needs to get over Sirius. It’s August 1979 and things are getting out of hands. complete - 47k (ok this one technically they do live together, but its not necessarily remus' first choice iykyk please read it)

how remus got his groove back by RealityShowJunkie

summary: Remus Lupin becomes king of the cockroaches, Fabian Prewett writes a book, Gilderoy Lockhart is a catfish, and Sirius Black realizes he's a fucking idiot. complete - 42k

the son and heir of nothing in particular by aeridionis

summary: Remus is nineteen and tired, now. And he knows that if he and Sirius were ever going to become anything—if Sirius loved Remus the way Remus loves, and will probably always love, him—it already would’ve happened. complete - 23k

frog and toad aren't friends anymore by swordfishtrombones

summary: “Some people just aren’t good flatmates. I wasn’t trying to say I liked Adrian and Mary better than you, or whatever you’re thinking.” Sirius runs a hand through his hair and squints at the streetlight, twisting his mouth like Remus is truly hopeless. “It hurt,” says Sirius, “my feelings.” complete - 10k

an episode of skam (in the sense that remus is avoidant dismissive /j /j)

the lord of desperate longing by reyghost

summary: Sirius has a lot of feelings, Remus has his own issues too, and James is a very good best friend complete - 13k

and only felt good while moving by aeridionis

summary: The summer before university, Sirius falls in love and throws a punch and then he makes a friend. complete - 17k

SHAME by wiltedtddaisy (taotu)

summary: Sirius has some figuring-things-out to do. He’s not sure if Remus helps or makes things worse. complete - 82k

angle of doubt by mblematic

summary: The Map had been going missing. Or—not missing, exactly. Sirius always knew where it was; Remus had been spiriting it away. Which, it should be said, was fine. Really. complete - 9k

a bird at your door by moongnome

summary: Of pub quizzes, old films, Chinese takeaways, broken arms, and impassioned discussions of literature: Remus is confusing, and Sirius is just trying to figure him out. complete - 31k

if you're the bassist, and i'm the lead singer, then who’s flying this plane?

the cadence of part-time poets by motswolo

summary: After losing his mother at age eleven, Remus has spent the better part of the last four years bouncing from school to school or else running around London and pretending as though he wasn't the kind of well-bred boy his father brought him up to be. Now, with his chances all run out, Remus is sent to Hawkings Independent School as a last-ditch effort to clean up his act. There he meets the very people who will set up the rest of his life, and is forced to confront the pieces of himself he'd long thought had been lost. complete - 979k

dress up in you by MsKingBean89

summary: Sirius attends a charity rock gig organised by his best friend's girlfriend, and the tall, quiet bassist catches his eye... complete - 88k (ok sirius is not in a band in this one but please just go with it)

sirius black & the six by BellaBabe

summary: Remus shrugged. “Not much for the spotlight.” “Right,” Sirius drawled. “I bet you’re also not much for the rock ‘n roll perks.” Remus tensed, sparing Sirius a scathing glance. “I’m sober now.” Sirius quirked a brow in disbelief. complete - 79k

saturday nights and sunday mornings by SoupyGeorge

summary: A story about music and family, the price of fame and finding love somewhere completely unexpected. (its an arctic monkeys au) complete - 121k

sirius black learns the meaning of true love. remus lupin does too but in a much more put together and chill way

a series of sketches done in black ink by musntgetmy

summary: Sirius had always imagined the aftermath of falling in love would mean lightness, and an escape from all the horrors of his childhood. But the past never leaves, and even love can't stop bad memories from resurfacing. complete - 57k

dissonance by renaissance

summary: Remus searches for solace in all the likely places, but somehow he keeps coming back to Sirius Black. Featuring sad acoustic indie, spearmint gum, and irresponsible usage of social media. complete - 4k

the time when you were mine by renaissance

summary: the walk from Grimmauld Place to Parliament Hill is just under an hour, but it's easier going at four in the morning complete - 9k

as red as hearts and autumn by Rosie_Rues

summary: it's the autumn of sixth year, theres a flu epidemic at Hogwarts, and the Blacks want their heir back. complete - 43k

[one-fin-wonder]

Can I have the boys reaction to someone info-dumping to them?

A/N: Yes Anon, you sure as heck can. I really enjoy info dumping on my friends so this is right up my alley. I hope this is what you were hoping for! :D

Warnings: I used my poor duolingo skills and limited Spanish knowledge to write the Spanish, there only a few but the grammar may off, I am so sorry for it in advance but there is translations to what I intended to say. not beta read / I’m too dyslexic for my own good, and fluff? I’m a hopeless romantic man. What do you want from me. 

Word count: 1090

Steven Grant:

It all started when Steven asked you about your day as he walked through the door. He set down his messenger bag and turned towards you. It was too late, the waterfall of words already was released. 

You began explaining how you dived deeply into your hyperfixation (or specific subject you would be info dumping about)

You smiled wide as you explained, and his heart melted at the sight of you.

are you the type of person that stims when you get excited? (I shore am) Steven will smile if you begin to stim happily while explaining. 

He loves knowing that you are so excited that you can’t contain the energy, you have to physically let the happiness out 

He simply smiled as he sat down next to you. He nodded and began asking clarifying questions.

“So, what you’re saying is…” “Theoretically then…” “Wait! That means…*He connects to another concept to allow you both to be engaged*”

He’ll wraps his arms around you if you’ll let him, holding onto you as you speak about your topic

He will praise your enthusiasm for the topic and vast knowledge. 

“Love, you’re simply a genius.” “I love hearing your view and knowledge” “That’s so fascinating!” 

Steven knows exactly what it’s like to need to explain one specific topic. He knows that feeling, that specific feeling like pasta water boiling over on the stove. 

He holds your hands (with your permission) as you speak, he likes showing you that he’s there with you and listening, it's a gentle reminder.

He feels it's incredibly important for you to be comfortable enough to share these moments of informational rambling. So he tries his best to show you he’s interested, he hears you and that you are loved. 

Marc Spector:

He is very caught off guard

Once he knows you aren’t upset or in distress he sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose before nodding and listening

He tosses his keys to the side as he nods listening to you

Marc doesn’t know fully how to react but he likes to hear your voice. The excitement and sincerity in your voice as you speak makes him smile, just a little. 

Marc makes his way over to you finally after he completes his after work routine

Like Steven I think Marc would wrap his arms around you but he wouldn’t know much more than that to show he cares about your information

He does though, He loves you, and he wants to see you happy. He simply doesn’t do emotions well. 

(My poor emotionally unavailable boy. He just needs a hug.)

He silently listens and only replies when you ask him if he follows, 

Finally once you’re done you look at him with a small little sigh and smile and he melts. 

You see it in his eyes and the stern expression he always has just softens. 

you can tell how much he loves you in this moment, the pure love just radiating, but he won’t say it. He won’t explain the feeling he is experiencing. 

But he loves you and you don’t necessarily need the words that he struggles to say, because it’s obvious in his actions. 

and god, the feeling is mutual.

Jake Lockley:

this man has no fucking clue what you are rambling about

He will freeze in the doorway of the small apartment, hand still on the doorknob. He’s so confused and you’re talking a mile an hour in an excited tone. He cannot understand you at this moment. 

Once Jake gets to you he will take his gloves off, stuff them in his pocket and put his hands on your shoulders (or a more comfortable spot if this can trigger you like it does me. Essentially he wants to ground you.) 

“Mi amor, por favor, slow down. No comprendo.” ("My love, Please, Slow down I don't understand")

Or alternatively, he May think something’s wrong with how excited and rushing towards him you are. He puts a hand on your arm and looks around the apartment then back at you. “Que pasa?? Está bien???” ("What's wrong?? Are you okay???")

He would then notice your smile and beaming expression and relax a little “Dios mío,” ("oh my god")you gave this Poor man a heart attack but he loves you all the same. 

he will listen but he will make you repeat yourself again

But it’s only because he cares so much. He wants to understand, so if it takes him several times to understand he will put that effort in.

He nods a lot, especially when it finally clicks in his little murderous, spanish, brain.

When he asks a clarifying question he always ends it with “yeah?” Ex: “so when you say the sun is a star you mean like that fucking ball in the sky, yeah?” 

He sits next to you, his arms on his knees as he hunches over listening. He doesn’t look at you he’s looking most likely at the floor or the wall as he focuses on your words. 

He tries really hard to make you feel heard but he legit makes that grumpy Spanish man expression the entire time. But you know this is just how he is, he loves you, he really does. 

This man keeps a little notebook, like those ones for detectives that fit in pockets. He keeps one of those in his jacket pocket and writes down facts he wants to remember about your favorite topics. He is like a dad who is trying to keep up with the trends. 

Not that he would let you necessarily see said notebook, he keeps it hidden in the inside pocket with a small pen or golf pencil in the spiral of the notepad. 

He pats your knee like a dad too, to show you he’s there. He’s present with you. It’s subtle but it’s his own way of letting you know he’s trying to understand. 

He would move heaven and earth for you, he loves your intelligence, your insight, he loves you. All of you, no matter your flaws, perfections, your needs. 

So if being heard is what you need in this moment you know damn well he will give you everything he can to make it happen.