#or at the very least help you feel less alone 💙

[maple-the-awesome]

Body Swap || Part 1/2

Part 2 ||

Pairings: Wild, Four, Sky, Hyrule x Reader

Overview: A wizard's spell leaves you both in a state of confusion, especially upon realizing you're no longer in your assigned bodies. No Wind for this one, so we'll just give him a cookie and spare him the trauma for today -.-/🍪 The other boys are at my mercy, though

Zelda Masterlist 💙Fandom Masterlist

This dungeon had been going great - so great, in fact, that you were actually sad to reach the end of it. Sure, the puzzles were a pain in the butt and the miniboss was an embarrassing waste of time, but what had made it all worth it was the fact that you had gone through every trial right by Link’s side. 

In a group of ten travelers, a date day with just the two of you is rare - extremely and unjustly rare - therefore you had both jumped at the chance of completing this dungeon alone together. Everything was going swimmingly, too, right down to the main boss battle. A tiny, itty bitty yet still very evil wizard is nothing compared to your combined force, so you expected it to be a piece of cake that would end in a wonderful memory to look back on later. Instead, it ended in a very different, less appreciated way.

One more hit was all it should've taken to defeat the little guy, however right as Link raised his bow for the final arrow, the wizard began swinging its wand around in a last ditch effort for success. Fearing for your partner's safety, you had rushed over with your shield, hoping to use it to block whatever spell the wizard planned, but in an unexpected twist, said spell turned into a cloud of smoke instead of a ball of energy like you expected.

As the boss made his escape, the fumes of his final spell poisoned the air and entered your lungs with an uncomfortable burn. Link and you both fell to your knees in coughing fits, suddenly feeling dizzy and woozy much to your concern...

Aside from the initial wave of nausea you felt, that wizard's spell seemed like nothing more than a harmless distraction for escape, at least that's what you would've went on thinking if not for the sight that greeted you once the smoke officially cleared.

"Oh jeez! ...Uhhh, are you alright?" Although a shock indeed, you remain calm with your first priority being to check on Wild who's still fanning away the fumes from his face.

"Yeah, I'm alrig -" He freezes almost as soon as the words are said, his eyes immediately shooting open to look down at his body - or rather your body that he's suddenly found himself in, "WHAT THE -?! HOW AM I - I'M YOU?!"

“Very observant, Wild,” You roll your eyes before looking around the room to find no sign of that wizard. Whether that’s fortunate or unfortunate might depend on your ability to reverse this little problem he’s now left you both with, “...Guess that little guy was such a sore loser he decided to play dirty then retreat. What a coward.”

Standing up, you start examining yourself for possible injuries - ones that weren't already a part of Wild's collection, that is. Thankfully you see nothing aside from a small cut above your hip from a hit he had taken earlier; an easy fix with the help of a red potion. If only the same could be said about your incredibly tangled hair that you pull a leafed branch out of with a cringe, "When was the last time you've taken a bath?"

"Rude!"

"Personal hygiene is very important. It keeps you from harboring full-on ecosystems in your hair."

"...You sound just like the Captain…" Wild mumbles under his breath while pushing himself off the ground. Once up, he wobbles and holds his arms out for balance as if he’s never stood on two legs before.

"Oh, the Captain! He’s going to have the time of his life with this one - all the boys will, I'm sure,” In Wild's opinion, your teasing smirk doesn’t quite carry the same effect as it would if on your assigned face. Instead, it looks a bit...silly to see you speaking as himself and judging on your sniffled laughter, he, too, must look equally as funny glaring back at you as you. 

"Ugh. I can already hear Twilight blaming us for not being careful enough," He groans, subconsciously runs his hand over his arm which is smooth like silk rather than being rough with scars. Huh. He had forgotten how that felt...

"Yep, we're in for a heap of nagging and annoying jokes when we get back, but I say we at least have some fun with it while we can. Wanna see how long it takes anyone to notice?" You nudge his side as you pass by towards the exit of the boss chamber, your suggestion finally lifting his spirits.

"I don’t know. It could take them all night if we keep our mouths shut about it."

"No way. They'll notice as soon as I do something stupid and you don't, which should take approximately an hour at most…I mean, assuming that you’re not asked to make dinner tonight.”

“Oh, well in that case, they’ll definitely notice then. You’re a terrible cook.”

“Rude!”

You moan while rubbing your burning eyes. Even with them closed, you can still see remnants of the same flashy colors that had followed after that wizard’s stupid spell; like a firework show inside your eyelids that's so realistic you can actively smell the gunpowder.

"Don't panic," You hear someone say. You assume it must be Four since he's the only other person here, although his voice sounds different, almost like…

"Don't...? Why would I panic - AHH!" Once finally being able to see straight, you expected to find Four kneeling in front of you, but instead you just see yourself. It's as if you're looking directly into a mirror until you glance down at your hands. That's when you let out a shout, doing the exact opposite of what Four asked by instantly panicking upon realizing they aren't actually your hands, but his. Your clothes, your hair, your BODY; IT’S ALL HIM!

"I’M YOU!”

"I can see that."

"YOU’RE ME?!”

"Yes."

"...H-How are you not freaking out?" You blink at him - er, you? Whoever! You blink at who should be Four but is actually you as he simply shrugs in response to your question as if this is just another Tuesday for him!

"This isn’t really the ‘craziest’ thing that's happened to me. Maybe in the top three, but..."

You stare at him for a long minute, wanting to be angry that he's behaving so calmly right now, although he does have somewhat of a reputation for being one of the more relaxed Link's, not to mention the pair of you have seen some pretty crazy stuff during your adventures, both separate and together.

Running a hand through your hair, you take deep breathes and try your best not to be so freaked out especially once remembering this isn't technically your hair you're touching which makes you instantly stop the action, "...What do we do to fix this?"

"I...don't know."

"You 'don't know'? What, are we supposed to just live like this forever?!"

"No, of course not!" He crosses his arms uncomfortably and sighs, "We'll find a way to reverse the spell and get back to our normal bodies. We're in Legend’s world, but I think he mentioned that his Zelda knows some magic, so if we can get to the Castle, she might be able to help us."

You groan, running your hand over your face in irritation. You were having such a good day until this point! Why can't the universe allow you just one normal evening with your boyfriend, huh? Is that too much to ask for?

Four offers you a hand and helps you up. Once on your feet, you realize yet another detail about your current situation that makes you uncomfortable, "Woah. I'm not used to looking at myself from another perspective like this…or being so low to the ground.”

Four rolls his eyes at your comment before taking your hand and dragging you after him outside of the dungeon.

"Oh, come on! Doesn't it weird you out, too? Looking at yourself from my point of view while I’m in your body?"

"Of course, it’s weird,” He sighs again, using his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, “I'm just considering myself lucky I'm only looking at one of me."

"...One?"

"Sky? You alright?" You crawl blindly out of the smoke cloud, coughing along the way while keeping your eyes squeezed shut to prevent anything from getting in them. Although you receive no verbal reply, you can at least relax upon hearing Sky's wheezing close by. 

You’re about to repeat your question, yet your voice dies within your throat. Once opening your eyes, you see yourself kneeled on the ground where you fan smoke away from your nose with a face scrunched up in irritation – except that’s not really you. It can’t be! You’re right here, so how is it that you’re suddenly able to look at yourself through a third person perspective? …Then you look down, slowly but surely putting the pieces together in your head.

"...Sky?" 

Just as predicted, the 'other you' looks up in response, even giving a small hum before their eyes go wide with the same shock you undoubtedly mirror.

“(Y/n)? Is that you? You’re –“

“- You…And you’re me,” It doesn’t matter how many times you close your eyes and reopen them. Each time, you’re greeted by the same sight. Thanks to that stupid wizard, you’ve switched bodies with Sky which definitely wasn’t on your agenda for today…or any other, for that matter. Worst part? Neither of you know a thing about magic to reserve this, “…Shit…”

“M-Maybe someone else knows how to fix this?” Sky suggests hopefully, although judging on his waivered smile, even he must realize it’s a long shot. Not many Links are accustomed to magic either, and believe it or not, no one’s been in this situation yet not that they’ve ever cared to share, anyway.

“Here’s to hoping…Come on, we should at least get out of this place before that wizard comes back and switches our heads,” Sky gulps, but nods.

Standing to your feet, you brush yourself off and prepare to make your exit from this dark boss’s chamber, however you pause in place when you notice Sky following you at much slower pace, his posture rather stiff as he holds his arms slightly away from himself, “…Why are you walking like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like…” You copy his stance then give him a pointed look that makes him bow his head in embarrassment.

“I-I don’t want to touch something I’m not supposed to!”

"Awww, that’s sweet, but dude, you can relax. They're only feminine arms. They won't kill you," You roll your eyes, but can't help smiling at how careful and sweet he's trying to be. If there’s one thing to be grateful for in this situation, it’s that you got switched around with a gentleman instead of a pervert, "Just don't touch my breasts or anything and we’ll be good.”

Poor Sky whimpers uncomfortably after your comment…Yeah, hopefully this situation can be solved without leaving any lasting trauma behind...

"Mmm...Hey, are you alright?"

Hyrule's voice sound so distance despite him being so close by. You wish you could see him, but every time you try to open your eyes, you're only met with blurred colors and sparkles, "...I-I think so..."

Hyrule sighs and is about to say something else, but his relief is instead punctuated with a gasp once he looks down at his hands. He whispers your name, however his voice goes unnoticed the first time. He has to shout it a bit louder for you to actually hear him. Finally, you're able to open your eyes and see a bit more clearly - at least that's what you thought before looking over to his voice and just seeing yourself.

"What kinda spell was that? My eyes aren't working right," You start vigorously rubbing them again only for Hyrule to reach out and grab your wrists to stop you.

"They're working. At least, I-I'm pretty sure they're working. You, uh, see yourself instead of me, right?"

"Yeah."

"And I see myself instead of you."

"Okay?"

Hyrule bows his head, removing his hands from wrists to stare down at them with a wobbled frown, "I don't think it's a trick of our ours. I think that spell switched our bodies."

"...Oh...Oooh!" After his words sink in, you glance down at yourself and pick at your tunic, confirming that it feels as real as it looks.

“Alright. This might seem bad, but look on the bright side: neither of us are hurt so the others can scold us too much, right? Let’s just get back to camp and –" Hyrule’s cut off when you suddenly squeal. Startled, his head snaps back up at you, fearing that perhaps you had gotten hurt somehow, yet to his surprise, you have a bright smile on your face as you tangle your fingers in your hair – or rather his hair.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! It’s just – I’ve always wondered if your hair is as soft as it looks and it definitely is!” You giggle, unable to help yourself from testing your theory personally. Hyrule's hair has always appeared to be the fluffiest out of all the Links and you've been dying to ask him if you can touch it, perhaps even braid it. Now that you technically in his body now, might as well, right? It's at least some benefit to this weird situation, “What do you use to wash it?”

"I, uh...water, I guess?"

“…”

[irisbleufic]

Hello! I've followed you for a while and if I'm brave enough, one of these days I'll ask for an invite to your server. I am too socially anxious to do it right now.

But I wanted to say that the current fandom environment (not only in the Good Omens fandom but at least what I've seen almost everywhere) is a bit scary because apparently not liking something and saying it openly is seen as some kind of unforgivable offense.

I'm a bit sad bc I was a bit involved in some fandom projects for S1 and had a lot of fun with people I thought was very reasonable and open but this season has made those same people act so weird if someone dares say they didn't like it.

I wasn't kicked out of servers, I left them voluntarily because it felt uncomfortable seeing this almost cult-like reactions. I really don't know if fandom has always been like this or I was lucky before.

I'm more or less old but I am not what some people would call a fandom old since I discovered fandom (the interaction with group of people that like the same stuff as me) somehow late and didn't experience LJ, for example, so I am curious to know if people acted like this before too.

Anyway, I hope you have a nice day/afternoon/evening.

Good morning, anon! I’m sleepless and happened to see this come in. Please rest assured that the server will still be there if and when you decide to request the invite link. It’s honestly shaping up to be where all of the book devotees and other misfits not welcome in the TV crowd for various reasons are seeking refuge, if you want to know the truth. We welcome you.

The environment in fandom right now is disheartening. I feel like dissent and criticism surrounding media used to be a normal part of fandom interactions. Somehow, fandom has forgotten how to let it co-exist with positive sentiments. I’m as taken aback as you are.

Whether you were kicked out of servers or left them due to discomfort, I just…wow, I’m tired and sad to keep hearing this story from folks right now. It’s why I feel keeping the Ritz around is so important. It was founded in 2017 and used to be the largest, busiest GO server. As soon as the show hit, new folks coming in expected the (as you say) cult-like devotion to the show…and mostly left because they did not find it. I’m heartened to see it coming back to life, though, with newcomers. I’m one of the only founding mods left; the co-mod who created the server is now less active since transferring ownership of it to me a few years ago.

You’re asking if GO fandom has always been like it is now, and the answer is a resounding no. It was so much more diverse before as far as opinions that were socially “permitted.” The expectation of homogeneity that the show has brought about is frankly unprecedented.

You’re not alone in not quite being old/a fandom elder, either. I’ve been in GO fandom for 19 years, but I’m only 41. I started writing them a lot younger than some of the first writers the fandom ever had (those writers were my mentors and many remain my friends). TL;DR I’m young relative to how long I’ve been in the fandom, and I agree that it places a person in the weird position of being an elder, but not precisely being old.

I hope that this perspective helps. You truly aren’t alone in how you’re feeling, and your observations are valid 💙

[plural-affirmations]

I know I can't control who I split, but I feel like an asshole.

I (L) am friends with another system (S) and was acquaintances with one of S's friends (C) who was also a system. S and C knew each other for years, before S met me and before S knew they were even a system.

C died almost a year ago now. I don't have details but from what I understand it wasn't exactly.. Peaceful. C had a bunch of fictives from the same sources as us, but the one double between us wasn't a frequent fronter so it never came up much.

About a month after they died, we split a fictive of the same character that was one of their co-hosts and very close to S. He kept his distance for a bit, but eventually we worked it out enough to be okay around with each other. And then a few months later we split a double of a little that was in C's system, and S flat out asked us not to let her talk to/around them.

We split again recently. He's a double of C's main host. They were friends with S for nearly a decade. I'm honestly afraid to even tell S, much less let the new guy talk anywhere near them.

I know I can't control who I split. The ones who showed up are sourcemates to other fictives we have and we split easily. And I feel like an ass for telling them they can't talk in the main server all our friends are in, but I feel like potentially triggering S is also a horrible thing to do as a friend. I know they're not the same, they aren't introjects of the same people that were in C's system, but they're the same faces and same names.

I just don't know how to navigate any of this. I'm not used to dealing with death with singlets much less with systems and all of this. Sorry for the big word dump, I just don't really have anyone to talk to about this.

Oh, jeez. First of all, I'm incredibly sorry you're put into something like this. I can't even imagine how stressful it must be.

Second. You're not an asshole; you CANNOT control who you split. You're trying your best to navigate an extremely rough situation without stepping on anyone's toes. That alone is difficult, not even to mention the added nuance and complexities I'm not privy to.

Let me say it again: You. Are. Doing. Your. Best. That is literally all any of us on the planet can strive to do. You're not a bad person for existing, and neither are your system's introjects.

Personally, as much as it might not seem like the most appealing option, I would discuss this directly with S. You mentioned them being a system as well, so you've at least got the added understanding than if they were a singlet. It's important for everyone in this scenario to express themselves and open up communication; no one needs to stay silent in a time like this. Especially not while there's unspoken (or possibly hurt) feelings going around like bad cold.

Speaking of talking, have you tried communicating with your headmates in question about this? Like... asked how they're doing, what they think, etc. Because they might have insight I don't. They deserve to feel loved and valued like everyone else.

To me at least, in the long run, it's not really fair to keep them away from fronting in your own server; I imagine that's something of a safe haven for you&, so denying them that outlet seems... Not Great.

I guess it comes down to this: are you willing to sacrifice your& own comfort and wellbeing for the sake of staying vaguely peaceful with S? Because... well. This is my 2 cents worth, but I think you should always put your system first, even if it's hard to.

Anyways. I hope this helped even a little bit, or at least that having somewhere to talk about this was meaningful.

Stay safe, ok?

🖤💜💙💚💛

[deepspacedukat]

The Wizard And The Maid

Literally nobody asked for this, but my heart requires it. There’s hardly any Hemmer fanfiction, which imho is a heinous oversight that I’m here to correct. I couldn’t stop imagining this after S1E8 “The Elysian Kingdom,” so here we are.

Cross-posted to AO3 here.

~*~

Hemmer (ST:SNW) x Reader

[A/N: Hemmer my sweet Aenar bb 💙]

Warnings: None, this is just fluff.

~*~

“I know him...but from where?”

The question from someone else’s mind came out of nowhere as Hemmer was thrown into the...well, he hesitated to call it the ‘dungeon,’ despite what the deluded crew members had insisted it should be called. It was just the transporter pad with metal bars around it.

And he wasn’t here alone.

The Lieutenant was familiar with the voice that had asked the question - very familiar. He should be. After all, she was his romantic partner.

“Ensign? Are you alright?” At his question, he felt a tinge of confusion from you.

“W-Who is this...‘Ensign’ you speak of, sir?”

Oh no. Whatever this madness was, it had clearly affected you, too. You’d forgotten who you were, but perhaps you hadn’t forgotten everything. You were clearly aware that you’d seen him somewhere before. Maybe he could use that to bring you back to yourself, somehow.

Taking a slow, careful step toward you, he took in what his senses reported of your condition. Everything seemed normal, except for your mental state and, oddly, your clothing. Everyone, including himself, had been put into bulky, heavy clothing, and you were no exception. What seemed to be a less ornate dress than the ones he’d already observed adorned your body. With a gentle murmur of your name, Hemmer offered you his hand.

Hesitation filled your countenance, but you did take his hand.

“I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else, sir. My name is Lucy. I’m a chambermaid to Queen Neve.”

You most certainly were not, but you seemed pretty convinced so Hemmer didn’t argue.

“...My apologies, Miss Lucy,” he said with the hint of a smile curling his lips. “If you’re the Queen’s maid, then may I ask why you’re in here?”

“She didn’t like the way I polished her scepter,” you said sounding ashamed. This was absolutely ludicrous. You were an accomplished science officer under the command of Mr. Spock. You shouldn’t be feeling ashamed over some fictional imaginings foisted onto you by whatever was doing this to the crew.

“What a ridiculous reason to punish someone,” he muttered. “Well, at least I know you’re not injured.”

“I appreciate your kindness, sir, but I’m afraid I don’t understand why my well-being would be of any consequence to a great wizard such as yourself.” Hemmer tilted his head curiously.

“What makes you think that I’m a wizard?”

“Well, only wizards wear robes of that style, sir, and the guards who put you in this cell were afraid of you. Who would such well-armed guards fear but a wizard?” Hemmer couldn’t help the little smile that spread across his mouth. You’d always been clever. The Doctor had called him a wizard, as had the crewmen who’d brought him here. “Judging by the way Pollux was behaving, you must be Caster. Sir.”

You felt intrigued and a little nervous as he stepped closer to you.

“Would you like to know a secret, Miss Lucy?” Hemmer asked in a conspiratorial near-whisper with a mischievous smile across his lips. You nodded your head, and he leaned in to whisper in your ear. A little shiver ran through you at his proximity, and although he was aware that he shouldn’t, he relished the reaction he was able to elicit from you. “Caster is not my real name. It’s Hemmer.”

You turned your head and he could feel the wonder in your expression.

“The only other person who knows is King Ridley,” he confided. “You mustn’t tell anyone. Promise?”

“I swear on my life, sir,” you breathed, but Hemmer was still able to detect the slight fear in your voice. That definitely wasn’t what he was going for. Pulling back a little, Hemmer lifted your hand to his lips and laid it carefully over his chest.

“You have nothing to fear from me. I have no desire to harm you. You’re safe with me, I give you my word,” he murmured in the most soothing tone he could manage. Slowly but surely, Hemmer felt the tension melt out of you only to be replaced by curiosity. You’d just begun to open your mouth to speak when the guards returned with a new batch of prisoners.

“Unhand me, you–” Hemmer recognized that voice. Captain Pike. The guard he’d begun to give orders to glared at him, and the Captain changed his tune rather quickly with a nervous laugh. “–Y-You wonderfully skilled soldier! Yes, you are quite strong, aren’t you?”

Well, that wasn’t like the Captain.

The guard tossed him unceremoniously inside with a flick of her cape, and the rest of the guards shoved their charges inside as well. The Doctor, the Captain, and Ortegas were all stuck there with him, and only two of them were of sound mind. Hemmer brought your hand to his lips and excused himself before moving to speak with Doctor M’Benga. 

Despite the rest of the crew being affected by...whatever this was, apparently the Doctor and he were the only ones who hadn’t been mentally altered. The two of them came up with a plan: get to Engineering and use the ship’s scanners to find out what sort of entity was doing this to the Enterprise and its crew.

Now all they had to do was get out of this makeshift prison, but who said he couldn’t have a little fun with it?

“You should be kneeling, maid. Don’t you know you’re in the presence of royalty?” The Captain’s hissed reprimand to you made you drop to your knees.

That simply wouldn’t do. Moving to your side, Hemmer knelt in front of you.

“Miss Lucy, if we are to escape the dungeon, I shall require your assistance,” Hemmer murmured, and he could feel surprise in your expression as you looked at him.

“I’d be happy to, sir, but how could I help? I’m not a wizard.”

“Perhaps not,” he said as he helped you to your feet once more and kept your hands clasped lightly in his, “but you are the only one who can help me. This is a special kind of magic called science. May I have your assistance?”

“Of course, sir,” you replied with a determined look. Brave girl. No, this wasn’t strictly necessary, but when would he get another chance to impress you with wizard powers? Even if you didn’t remember this afterward, it would make a good story for him to tell you someday. Hemmer smiled and led you over to the locked cell door, pulling out a laser cutter. “What do I need to do?”

“Hold my hand,” he said offering you said appendage. “Now, close those lovely eyes of yours and imagine the door open. Doctor, what is something a human magician would say?”

“Abracadabra.”

“‘Abracadabra’...I like it,” he mused quietly. “Everyone else, close your eyes too. Otherwise this will blind you.”

“What about you?” The Captain asked as everyone did as he requested.

“I am a wizard!” Hemmer exclaimed as he sensed you close your eyes. Now for his fun. With his telepathy, he sensed that you were imagining what he’d instructed. He took a slow breath and projected his senses into your mind so that you could perceive things the way he did. A quiet gasp from you was drowned out by the engineer turning on the laser tool and beginning to cut through the thick lock. Amazement poured from your mind into his as you quite literally saw things as he did - through his antennae and telepathy. He’d done that with you once before, and you’d reacted the same way. He supposed that to a species without telepathic abilities, what he did on any given day must resemble the sorcery he was supposed to possess at the moment.

As soon as the door swung open, he turned the cutter off and released his hold on your mind. Your hands were shaking as you opened your eyes and looked up at him. Pike and the rest filtered out of the cell with varied reactions to his ‘magic’ but you remained stationary beside him.

“That...felt familiar,” you breathed, and a glimmer of hope surged through the Aenar’s mind. “It was as though I had done something like that before...or perhaps dreamed it.”

“You have. Do you remember me now?” Hemmer asked as he cupped your cheeks softly in his hands. You shook your head, but he’d found a crack in whatever this thing was that was holding your mind hostage. “I–”

“Hemmer, we need to move,” the Doctor called, and he sighed.

“Coming, Doctor,” he answered, but he turned back to you and kissed your forehead. “Stay close to me. I will do everything I can to protect you...and to help restore your memory.”

--

Several hours later, Hemmer awoke in a set of quarters he didn’t quite recognize. Shaking his head slowly, he noted that he had a rather severe headache and that his memory was surprisingly blank for...for...a few hours, perhaps? What had happened? Where was he?

Something shifted beside him on the bed that had been lying atop, and he felt a familiar mind - yours. Beyond the same disorientation he was experiencing, you, thankfully, didn’t seem to be injured.

“Are you alright?” Hemmer cringed at how rough his voice sounded and felt. Had he swallowed sand at some point?

“I think so,” you replied sounding just as out of it as he did. “I had the strangest dream, Hem. You were some kind of wizard, I think.”

That rang a bell for him rather vaguely.

“How odd. I believe I had the same dream,” he murmured as he helped you to your feet. “Sweetheart, why do I feel like saying ‘abracadabra?’”

[hom3land3r]

Ahem, Sir? Hello. I'm sorry to distract you, yes-yes, i know you're very busy, but i won't take up much time, promise.

So, um... Well, you're my comfort character, Sir. Looking at you, i don't feel so alone in my sadness. I do not exclude the fact, that i can interpret you, your character and background to my own taste, perhaps, i am putting too much tragedy into you, than was intended, but we are all sinners, what can we do.

Yes, our sorrows differ, but there are a couple of common things. You don't get along with your family, in many ways, my family hates me. There are dudes, who want you dead, people, who should have been my close people, my family, all my childhood, and now too, said to me, that they regretted, that i was born, and it would be much better, if i didn't exist at all. You are someone's disappointment, and i, the deepest disappointment, too... They said, that my birth was a mistake. Yeah... Well, this list can, of course, be continued, but i promised not to spend a lot of your time.

Yes, in many things you are wrong. And even if i had your power, i'm not sure, i would do things like you, but... Yeah. You're not me, and i'm not you. But, anyway. You're sad - i'm sad. This, of course, is bad, but at least, i don't feel deprived, like, God, if he exists, doesn't love me. So, it turns out, that he doesn't love both of us. And other dudes... There are, actually, a lot of sad dudes... But we're talking about you right now, right? So, yeah. I feel sorry for you, but looking at you, it doesn't get so lonely. The feeling, that i'm cursed, is getting a little less... Ahem, so. Once again, i apologize, for the inconvenience. Goodbye, Sir. Have a great day.

Thank you for this. It helps in a weird way to know I’m not alone.

Life can be very cruel, which we don’t deserve. You’re right, I am sad. I don’t remember the last time I was happy or if I ever really have been. It’s unfair, isn’t it? Why us? Why were we dealt an unlucky hand? We deserve better. So much better.

Listen, I don’t normally care when it comes to mudpeople, but your message has stirred something in me. I suppose heroic acts come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not always about rushing out to the rescue and saving someone from a burning building. Sometimes it’s just being there for someone. And for that, I’m honoured I can give you in your time of need.

I will do my utmost to be the comfort that you need. No matter what, you’ll always have me, friend. We may both be sad people, but at least it’ll be less lonely together. And should you wish me to do so, I’ll laser anyone who upsets you. Just say the word and I’ll be there.

I truly wish you the best, friend. Homelander is always here for you. 💙

[ladyazulina]

Azu is Talking - Quickly Passing By

I can’t believe how busy I have been this week.

After the first post that started all this, I found it easier for my mental health that, instead of sitting down on Sunday to write all this recap, having to go through my calendars to try to remember what I did, how, and when, I would just slip a little daily update if my schedule lets me. Not even religiously daily, every two days also have worked.

It didn’t this week.

I was finally able to sit down to do something of the like without feeling rushed or breathless for the first time on Thursday. Almost the whole week passed already. And that annoyed me and overwhelmed me in equal parts.

You may not understand. I’m not used to being busy. Having to cancel stuff or reschedule or just right away forgetting something that was on my mind but not on my task list yet is a new experience. Until really recently, I spent most of my time idling by, roleplaying, or waiting for my turn to roleplay. Even before my life drastically changed, I was just starting to feel the need for more time to do my stuff, but not in this way.

Thematically categorizing my days is really doing things…

There is something I don’t like about it though. If I miss one day for whatever reason, I will have to wait until the next week to continue. Yeah, that may help me to organize myself, locate what is priority, and how to plan the way to tackle it, but it slightly annoys me. When I have power outages, for example, which happened A LOT this week alone.

There’s nothing I can realistically do about that, I’m aware of it, but it doesn’t make it less bothersome.

Also, just until now I have been religiously tackling my thematic tasks first, even though I may have tasks outside of it that are more… priority, like my [REDACTED] adventure and the editing projects I’m into. So far I have been starting the day with one small part to edit those projects, passing then to the thematic tasks, but once the dynamic fell through one day, I just continued with my previous order by inertia. And the power outages are a great help to throw me out of my carefully crafted routine.

I started the week great, for once, still volunteering at Actual Plays and charity events because it feels good, hoping to be able to participate in future opportunities. I also took some space last week to reorganize stuff on my Tumblr; you can take a look if you’re interested, I’ll do my best to keep it up to date.

I’ve been making swift progress with the ARC I’m currently reading, for small times, which is unlike me, I used to read a minimum of an hour, but I’m trying to not turn that precious reading moment into a chore. It has been fun, even though I’m slightly sad I haven’t felt great enough to write down my thought process during the reading; it’s something I have been wanting to implement for my Patreon, but that is something that could turn reading into a chore pretty quickly…

So, on Creative Monday, it took me some time to settle back into my game, but I did not continue with what I’m missing to end it. I’m still half-stuck, and blank, and not completely sure about how I will go through it, but in the meantime, I’m creating the lore around the game (really important, at least to me). In the amount of time I didn’t have power during a power outage on Tuesday, I satisfied the urgent need to draw a map. It’s the very second I have made so far, so I’m not that good at it, but I’m interested in learning. After deciding all my stories will share the same universe (the Azuverse 💙✨), my subconscious has been hard at work. The map is from the game age (some way back in the past), so I still have to ponder what it looks like in the present time of my novels, but details of those appeared during the drawing session. I was heavily creative during a big part of Tuesday, which is an example of states not being closely tied to their thematic days. I mean, of course.

On Review Tuesday, after easing out of the creative state, I went right to work.

Read last week’s review, Upon a Waking Dream.

In between posting last week’s and this week’s reviews, I scheduled a Linney’s campaign post. I wanted to do this twice to be a full month ahead but, to start with, I ended pretty late and was growing pretty fed up and done with things.

There’s nothing like getting angsty to spice things up.

The power outage and the unplanned creative session threw me out of my flow, so everything else was a bit uncomfortable. I was glad and grateful enough that I got myself “up to date” with the reviews—not that there is someone else but me pressuring me this way. I could have kept it only one per week, real-life stuff will always happen and interrupt and not because of that I have to drag myself through the floor…

Read this week’s review, A Rival Most Vial.

But… I guess I wanted to show myself something, I don’t know. I have to learn to be flexible enough with myself as well. Nothing is set in stone. If there is something that can’t happen for any reason, I should be able to reschedule it, move it to another day, or just right away take it down until the next week, without the added weight of also having to accomplish that next week’s task.

I’m still learning. Every day is a new lesson.

Iron Valley, Linney's Campaign, is being live every Tuesday.

I’m about to finish scheduling everything I have on Linney’s campaign and soon will start putting into the schedule my personal campaign on Iron Valley. The first day with Linney is not finished yet, and I may or may not be up to continue playing there, it’s something to look at later on. I would love to just because of Chase—have you met him yet?

On Working Wednesday, I had an Outside World Adventure ✨ (I should get back to those…) I mean, I already let you know I’m trying to get my passport, so I had to go out in an attempt to convince my sister with food to go put the money in her bank account ‘cause I still don’t have one so I can pay for the passport procedure. And we did it! I’m still fighting to get the photos done, something I thought I had but they (the site’s staff) aren’t satisfied with the ones I had at ready, so I need new photos. This has brought me so much stress and anger, I barely recognize myself (a lot of family drama and issues as well with which I will probably bore you some other week).

I did work on my thematic task: translating the second workshop. That was everything I was able to do, tired and mentally exhausted, so I’m expecting to be able to upload the workshops for real this time next week. I will be opening Patreon tiers that will work as groups for one-on-one writing coaching, to accompany you during your writing process. It will be fun, but I’m still thinking if the slots should be fewer than I thought at first, so I can get accustomed to it without getting overwhelmed, and expect to increase them with time. More on this next week, hopefully 🤞🏼

Also, with my partner, we started taking ASL classes. I’ve been trying to learn for years, but without someone to practice with, it’s hard to keep the knowledge. Due to my hearing loss, and some other stuff, I’m really interested, to the point of turning ASL into my main language. A long way to go, but I have to start somewhere, and we just did! So exciting! (This one is a very widely known sign, do you know what it means? 🤟🏼)

On Backstage Thursday, I spent a lot of time going back and forth with the passport site’s staff, but I reached a compromise. After getting mad like three times in a row (just when I got to relax, something –or someone– threw me back into the anger fit again… there was no respite). If I don’t get the new photos on Monday, taking advantage I have to go out for college, I should be exclusively going to a studio on Tuesday—of course, all that if my partner doesn’t convince me to try his method today, he’s keener to finish with this than me. I would have tried it earlier if I hadn’t been that mad. I need to get out of that headspace without it backfiring each time I think about it to be able to progress on it. I needed to take it out of my mind for a few days.

The power outage that day was less felt because I needed to cool down, which was easier to do offline. However, when it was back, and after the fourth anger fit, I went to work on my task. I wanted to do more stuff (get into the [REDACTED] adventure for once, not much time left and still lots to do), but time hasn’t been on my side. The power neither. I believe that with a little bit of priority organization, my current routine will be a blast. I just need to reel myself in. Yeah, easy. Peachy.

Secret Friday, though, was… a weird day. For a great part of it, I felt like I was drowning without a clear reason as to why. I’m grateful I have people I can talk with about whatever, but the timing wasn’t right—they were all busy with something or in such a good mood for me to bring them down. I know my people would rather know than be kept in the dark while I’m suffering, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it, so I drowned for a while.

Working on the secret stuff was hard ‘cause it’s an emotional activity and I was definitely in the wrong mood. I didn’t want to ruin it because of it but, at the same time, I didn’t want to miss it. Not much time is left for both finishing that particular thing and the day in question, it wasn’t the time to skip it. But neither was the correct feeling.

I got to topple it over, fortunately. I finished this week’s section feeling somewhat satisfied (I can always –and I will– check it out next week to confirm it), and when people went back into my orbit, I wasn’t so mood-driven. (Things are still bothering me, though, but I can’t say what it was that upset me, as if I don’t know how to even phrase it to start with. So I don’t feel like I can even talk about it… yet? Anymore? I guess I will see.)

I hurt myself during the coffee break though, which wasn’t fun. I’m wearing a burnt mark in a sensible and uncomfortable place (my breast, don’t- don’t ask about it) and the only thing I can do is just deal with it. I swear I’m trying to be careful, but stuff just goes out of hand. I’m not a particularly lucky girl anyway. But, after spending a small amount of time with my partner, I got to progress something with the [REDACTED] adventure.

I still have a way to go, but the word count is looking good. I’m not confident I will reach it with everything I had before, but I still haven’t finished accommodating things to even throw an estimate. It’s sounding nice and smooth, which is the goal, so I’m content with the small progress.

(I’m more than content with the sweet time I shared with my partner right before going to sleep—the sort of stuff I want to follow more often, not only with my partner but also with everyone else I love.)

Playful Saturday was playful but not in the way I had expected. As the week went by with less time to juggle extra things, I couldn’t find a space to write to the solo game’s creator and let them know my (excited) thoughts. This day was the day for it, but it went by as the usual weekends used to go.

I didn’t even get to read in the morning, less so do a small edit. I spent time with my partner though, and my lovely friends. I went to sit next to my mom for a while, and occasionally do chores. I wrote something that sparked out of nowhere about one of my novel projects and spent some time musing and worldbuilding. Before I was able to notice, it was already getting dark and I hadn’t started any of the day’s tasks.

There is not much use in crying over spilled milk. I guess I needed the breaks more than I could comprehend. So I took them without fighting. I’m a firm believer that everything falls into place as time goes by and that if something doesn’t feel like fitting it’s because that is not its place yet. It’s hard to know where it goes then, but you shouldn’t have to fight that much for it. It just fits like a puzzle piece. So I’m not fighting. I still have the tasks in the schedule, getting to them it’s just a matter of time.

[kindahoping4forever]

I’m really find it hard to enjoy what the guys are doing right now and it hurts because they were always my comfort people. But with the allegations yesterday, the damage control thing that ended up with a dumb joke that later got deleted… I know we can’t have a say with the people they choose to relate with but as a SA victim that was forced to stay quiet it just hurts to see them or to be excited about anything when ignoring the problem.

And I know it’s not with them and they have nothing to do with it. But they could’ve handle it better, they could just say that they don’t have an opening. It’s just every time I look at them now I don’t feel safe anymore and I just wish they could fix it and make it at least just a bit better, let me know that they’re not as bad as the people they hang out with and not making me feel guilty for being in the fandom

I'm so sorry you're hurting, my friend. This band is my safe space as well and I know there's really no way to describe the distress that comes from that feeling of comfort being compromised. Please make sure you're taking care of yourself - if you need to limit your exposure to fandom socials for the time being, if you need to step away from the internet entirely, that's ok! Doing what's needful for you and your health is absolutely the top priority, so I implore you to be gentle with yourself as far as what you take in online but also in doing whatever you need to do to comfort yourself. 🥺

I don't know if it'll be of any comfort to you (I hope so?) but I still strongly believe that their activity yesterday was a simple circumstance of unfortunate timing and not a form of damage control as parts of the fandom are choosing to believe. Going off of social posts from members of their crew, they appeared to be working in their rehearsal space all afternoon and seeing as the majority of what went down yesterday was relegated to Twitter (I am not a Twitter user myself so I legit did not know about ATL's statement until the Q&A when people got upset), it's entirely plausible that they were unaware of the minefield they were walking into when they logged on to Instagram. And I actually think that the fact that they did answer that question about tour and that they did delete it after is actually a good indicator of their unawareness. If this was meant to be a coverup, why would they even raise the subject in the first place? The question was framed entirely devoid of context and is a logical question even outside of yesterday's events (since each time they've postponed, no update has been given on the topic of openers) and so they treated it as a regular question, with the same silly air that the other questions were treated. Since the Q&A stopped shortly after that answer, I imagine the responses they received afterwards more than informed them of what was amiss and the story was deleted because in this new light, it's easy to see how it could've been seen as flippant.

I agree with you that it would be ideal (and in everyone's best interest) if they were to at the very least make clear that their fans' concerns are being heard but it's hard to say what the expectation of that should be given that there's not really a way to comment on the matter without also implicating other artists, who could pursue legal action. It's a messy and unfortunate situation with no clear cut answers on what the best recourse is. Our connection with the band is so personal I know it's hard not to take it personally, especially when it involves a topic that affects you on such a deep and personal level, but it's important to remember that 5SOS is not just the 4 of them, there's dozens of people who have a say in something like this. I know the previous "we're going against the advice of our team" statement last year set a precedent but like I said, this case has many more layers to it and so it's tough to know what to expect here.

I truly wish I had better answers for you, my friend. And I sincerely hope that you're able to find peace in this situation. 💙

Usually I'd leave this part to tags but I want to make sure everyone sees it: as I said yesterday, I genuinely do not think I'll be able to answer asks on this topic as I find it personally triggering for a myriad of reasons so please be mindful of that coming into my inbox. (Also I'm about to be offline for most of the day today as I'm about to be on my way to physical therapy so just a heads up for that as well) 💙

[purplesugarbabe]

Hello my beautiful darlings! YuGiOh has to be one of the best anime series I have ever watched. Here are some dating headcanons I came up with, please enjoy! ✨

(part 1)

Yugi:

You have absolutely no idea how you ended up dating Yugi Muto. You never imagined he had feelings for you. He was always so shy around you, you even thought that probably he didn't even like hanging out with you. When he actually confessed you were more than surprised.

You can't complain at all, he is the sweetest boyfriend you could ever ask for. He texts you every morning to ask you about your date and calls you almost every afternoon if he knows you have free time to talk. You love listening to him talking about his dreams and all the goals he has set. He inspires you to chase your dreams and be a better person.

When you have free time, you usually go outside for a walk since Domino City has many lovely places to visit. If you decide to stay home you will probably watch a movie or binge watch your favorite series. You two never stop at season one. Yugi is a very affectionate person. He loves hugs and holding your hand, it makes him feel special. He always wants to make sure you feel comfortable and that you're having a great time.

Seto:

Lot of things are heard about Seto Kaiba and most of them are not good. People say he is a cold, emotionless person that only cares about himself and money. When you got to meet him better you realised that those things weren't quite right. Yes, Seto can become distant from time to time and refuse to talk but he is far from the villain they describe him to be.

He isn't the person that enjoys holding your hand or making lovely and sweet gestures at you. Not in the public at least. When you two are alone he allows you to see a much softer side of him. His tone is gentle and he actually smiles quite a lot. Whenever he has paperwork to do he will call you to sit next to him. Your presence makes him feel better and less stressed.

There are times when he calls you late at night. That's the time when he is more honest, both with you and himself. He talks to you about his life and why he wants to succeed. Truth is that Seto also chose you because you are very affectionate towards his little brother Mokuba. It's important for him that you accept and love his family. Some times he picks you up late at night so you go for a ride, Domino City is very beautiful at night. He feels relaxed and you can actually have some quality time with him.

Joey:

How did you get yourself into this trouble? You have absolutely no idea. You would have never imagined yourself dating this little troublemaker but on the other hand this is why you liked him in the first place. You love his sense of humor and the fact that he isn't afraid to speak his mind.

Joey is actually a very sweet and caring boyfriend. He wants to help you with anything you may doing, from chores to leisure activities. He just loves spending time with you. Also he follows you around like a curious puppy always ready to start a new adventure with you. He would actually follow you anywhere, as long as there's action.

He loves talking to you on the phone. The sound of your voice makes his heart skip a beat. He usually tells you stories about all the times he got himself in trouble or got into a fight along with Tristan or Yugi. Deep down he is really sensitive and emotional so you try to take care of him as much as he does for you. Always manages to persuade you to play his favorite video games. You somehow beat him every time. He pretends to be mad so you end up kissing him. You then chase him around the house. You two are a crazy couple!

I hope you liked it! Part 2 is coming soon! 💙💜🧡

[xaharadesert]

Polyamory - Headcanon Pt 2

Arcana Characters (Main 6) x MC

A/N: part 2 for @xerhhere! Part 1 is here :) please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes :) requests are open!

💚Muriel💚

It’s not intentional, but he ends up being a bit of an outlier in the group

It’s just that, relative to people like Portia, he’s much more reserved

Usually someone has to explicitly invite him, or drag him along for him to participate

But it’s a good thing— it makes him feel even more loved

As for the more specific dynamics…

Julian and Muriel are polar opposites, but at certain times, they mesh perfectly

Muriel enjoys Julian’s calmer, more caring side

He appreciates that he has someone to stand up for him, especially in situations where the other person is trying to fight

Sometimes he needs his space from Julian, if only to emotionally recharge, but that doesn’t mean he loves him any less

Portia is one of Muriel’s favourite people once they get past the initial misunderstandings

Portia seems to have a romanticized view of what fighting is really like, but Muriel opens her eyes to the reality of the situation

After that, though, Portia clues in pretty quickly to what is and isn’t acceptable

They spend most of their time enjoying the more simple things in life

Muriel avoids Lucio like the plague (pun intended)

Asra and Muriel have the least trouble shifting their relationship to a romantic one

They’ve been friends for most of their lives, and there was always a little something extra that they hadn’t really bothered with until now

Any time they spend together is well-spent, even if they’re just wandering around the market

They share everything, and they have complete trust in each other

Asra is always patient with Muriel, and Muriel appreciates it greatly

Nadia is perhaps Muriel’s favourite new person

She’s calm and collected, and easy to be around

Muriel never feels stressed when spending time with her; if he’s faltering, she’ll carry on the conversation or activity with ease

And of course, you’re one of his favourite people as well

You helped get him out of his shell, and he’s eternally grateful

His life is quite literally the way it is because of you

💙Asra💙

He’s the go-to of the group whenever someone is feeling bored or uncertain

He’s always doing something, and he’s always willing to include someone else

He seems independent, even within the group— other people come to him, so he’s never alone, but he never has to actively seek out anyone else

More info specifics…

Julian doesn’t seek Asra out very often in the beginning, and Asra appreciates it

He wants things to develop naturally, and he doesn’t want Julian to try to push his love on him

The two usually meet with others around as well, during group dates

They find they get along much better with some others to filter the conversation

Portia is one of the few new people to enter Asra’s life in years, but he absolutely adores her

Her energy and enthusiasm endear her to him immediately, and he’s more than willing to entertain her ideas of grandeur

He shows her as much magic as she’d like, but he also enjoys how fun she makes even the most boring of spells

Asra stays away from Lucio as often as possible, and only really tolerates him to monitor his interactions with the others— he doesn’t want anyone to be hurt

Muriel and Asra get along better than most

Asra knows and understands Muriel’s actions, and he appreciates the little demonstrations of love

He knows his friend is one of the few reliable constants in life, and loves him dearly

Asra firmly believes that Nadia is one of the most intelligent people he’ll ever meet

He looks up to her, and their relationship is built on mutual respect and a desire for personal growth

It really is the epitome of a relationship where both people learn and grow— both of them value it deeply, and they would never take the other for granted

And obviously, you, as his first love, will always have a place in his heart (and a piece of his heart— by default, larger than the others)

He struggles a bit with favouritism simply because of how much the two of you had been through

He never wants you to doubt his love for you, and even when the two of you are apart, he finds a way to tell you every day

💜Nadia💜

She fits into the group as a stable, steady figure, to the point where it’s impossible to imagine life without her

Despite her busy life, she always finds time for the people she loves— whether by spending quality time with them, or picking out a new gift

A small part of her is insecure about her position— she has other obligations, and she worries she’s too far removed from the others

And more specifically…

She gets along with Julian better than most would expect

She enjoys his antics and tales; he brings some excitement to even the dullest of events

But he can also play the part of a perfect gentleman when necessary, which is good for when they’re spotted in public

Of course, she and Portia are closer than most people would assume they ever could be

Nadia trusts Portia completely; in both political and intimate settings

Portia will bring Nadia all of the latest news that Nadia usually doesn’t get to hear as the countess; every bit of gossip around Vesuvia eventually makes its way to her ears because of Portia

Lucio is a complicated case for Nadia

There was a time the two of them were close; and she hasn’t quite given up hope that they can achieve that again

Before, Lucio was mostly a problem because of the power he had

But now that he has significantly less power than her, she finds that he’s become a much more pleasant person

Annoying and barbaric at times, yes, but it’s still an improvement

She and Muriel seem to get along incredibly well considering they’ve only known each other for a short period of time

She respects his boundaries, and sympathizes with his past and his trauma

She never pushes him to leave his comfort zone, and instead tries to expand that comfort zone by taking things at a slow pace

Nadia greatly appreciates Asra

He’s someone easy to talk to about her troubles, and his advice is always vague enough to allow her to draw her own conclusions while simultaneously leading her in the right direction

With his help, she expands her mind past the realm of reality to a more spiritual and magical world

She discovers much about herself, and hopes she does the same for him

And you, of course, she absolutely adores

In her eyes, you’re perfect in every way

You helped her learn how to lean on others and be more trusting, and she’s eternally grateful

[theforgottenmcrmy]

The Bane of His Existence

Pairing: Platonic! Riff X OC Jet Girl

Warnings: Suggestions of Violence, References to Minor Character Death/Loss of a Parent, Mild Angst

Summary: Though they had been at odds with one another for weeks, they really weren’t that different after all.

Word Count: 4300 ish.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that this oneshot is directly related to the fic After All. The masterlist of said fic can be found here. Reading After All before reading this oneshot is not necessary, but doing so will provide a lot of background context for Riff and the OC.

Request from Anonymous: “Hello! Saw that you were doing oneshots and HCs, so I was wondering if you could write about Roxie and Riff meeting, or when they started dating, I’ve always wonder how their relationship began! Thanks and btw I’m obsessed with the history and your writing!!”

A/N: Hi everyone! 😊 Here is one of the oneshot requests I mentioned in this post. Also as mentioned, I went ahead and tagged everyone included in the After All taglist since this oneshot is directly related. If you would like to be tagged in future parts of After All only, please reach out to me to let me know. Absolutely no hard feelings. I hope this piece will help to hold you over until I am able to finish Part 18. I may get another oneshot prepared and posted in the meantime, but I am not sure just yet. (BTW- if you have submitted a request, thank you! I will be working on those as well. Unless I answer your specific ask and indicate otherwise, it’s safe to assume I plan to write a little something about your ask when time allows.) If you would like to submit a new request, here is a post with all that info. If you decide to give this oneshot a read, I appreciate your time! I hope you all have a good rest of the weekend. 💙

Riff couldn’t remember the very first time he met Roxie. He supposed they’d always gone to the same school since they were first old enough to enroll. There were only so many elementary schools in the area, and even at that time a lot of them were getting shut down and consolidated with another.

But Riff did remember when he first realized Roxie’s existence. And in fact, Roxie was more of a thorn in his side than anything else.

Though they went to the same school, they had never been in the same class. But one fateful summer, another elementary school in the neighborhood a few blocks over had closed down, and half of its students were sent to their school. The increase in population meant bigger classes in general.

As a result, on the first day of 5th grade, Riff finally met the girl who he would’ve sworn would always be the bane of his existence.

Riff hadn’t noticed her presence in class that morning at all. He could care less about the actual classwork, let alone most of his piers. All ten year old Riff ever cared about on the days he made it to school was recess. During recess, he’d get a break from all the nagging and threats coming from his teacher and would get to run free- if only for a little while. And while Riff loved a good run, climbing was his special forte.

Riff loved climbing things, and he always had. His ma used to scold him whenever he tried to sneak out and onto the fire escape landing and climb up the steel staircases outside their apartment window. She told him it was too dangerous, and looking back on it, it probably was, at least for a ten year old. But Riff couldn’t have cared less at the time. Climbing the fire escape meant he’d get a great view of the city. From a high vantage point like that, he could see over the terrible place that was their neighborhood and out over the rest of the city beyond. He could see somewhere better out there, just waiting for him.

The monkey bars on the school playground during recess didn’t provide nearly as great a view, but Riff was willing to live with it. Climbing on top of the metal structure was dangerous, and when Riff did it, all the other kids- especially the boys who thought they were something hot just because they were bigger than him- knew not to mess with him. If Riff wasn’t afraid of a bit of a nasty fall should things go wrong up there, then he certainly wouldn’t be afraid of standing up to anyone who gave him some grief.

The problem with the monkey bars was that the very top bar was wide enough for only one kid to sit on comfortably. Tony was a real pal, and he always let Riff have the very top bar. Riff would’ve let Tony set up there instead, if he ever asked, but he never did. Either way, Tony was always nearby, sitting on the second highest bar, which was wide enough to fit several kids at a time.

On the first day of school, recess commenced as it usually did. And, like they usually did, Riff and Tony sprinted over towards the monkey bars. They secured their sitting spots in plenty of time before any of the other kids even thought about making their way over.

As they sat upon their respective bars, Tony began to fill Riff in about the trip upstate he and his parents had taken towards the end of the summer. Riff knew Tony didn’t mean anything by it, and that Tony was likely just trying to distract him from various thoughts that could've been running through his mind at the time, but Riff couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy while listening. Tony had been on this grand trip with his folks upstate to see all kinds of crazy stuff. The only trip Riff had taken that summer was from the apartment he used to live in with his ma, and his father, when he wasn’t incarcerated, to the apartment above an auto shop where his uncle and aunt lived.

Tony was in the middle of explaining how he and his mother had nearly left his father behind at a hotel one morning while two girls approached the monkey bars. Since it was their break for recess, the girls had to have been in Riff and Tony’s class. But to Riff, the brunette and red-head girls before him looked vaguely familiar at best.

“Can we help ya with somethin’?” Riff asked.

“Are you going to be up there all day?” the brunette asked, looking up to where he sat and scrunching her eyes under the bright sunlight.

“Yeah.”

The brunette frowned. The red-head girl beside her looked a bit nervous, but said nothing.

“We were here first…” Tony said, though he sounded a bit more apologetic than Riff had been.

“Besides, these are our monkey bars,” Riff added firmly.

The brunette frowned. “Nuh uh, last year they were ours. You two were never here.”

Riff shrugged and made no move climb down from his comfortable position. “Ya must’ve had another recess, then. But this is how it is- we’re here now, so they’re ours.”

The girl huffed. “But it's our recess, too!”

“You should share,” the red-headed girl added, though she was so quiet Riff barely heard her.

Tony looked up at Riff. “Maybe they’ve got a point, pal… maybe we oughta share?”

Betrayal was the only word that came to mind as Riff gave Tony a shocked look. “What? No!” Riff looked back down at the girls. “You twos oughta move on, before ya waste the rest of recess. Now go play with some dolls or somethin’ and leave us be.”

“You’re real tough, you know!” the brunette called up to him. Her hands were on her hips and she glared up at him, but Riff wasn’t scared… not yet. “It’s really easy to talk like that all the way up there, but I bet you don’t have the nerve to come down and tell me that to my face!”

Riff rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. As much as he didn’t want to give in to the girl’s demand, he also knew she wasn’t likely to buzz off until he did as she asked. He began to climb down the monkey bars.

As he passed Tony, Tony whispered to him, “Riff, don’t do anythin’ stupid.”

Riff smirked. “Stupid’s my middle name!”

“You could say that again,” the brunette muttered under her breath. The red-head standing beside her giggled.

Riff landed two feet on the ground with well-practiced ease and immediately turned to give her a glare of his own. “Like I said, move along!”

The girl took a step closer to him. Instead of replying immediately, she looked him up and down.

Riff frowned at her actions. “Your eyes broken or somethin’?”

“No,” the girl replied with a small smile. “I just thought you’d be taller.”

Riff inhaled through his nose angrily. As soon as he opened his mouth to reply, a bell rang out in the distance, signaling that the recess had come to an end.

Both girls immediately ran off to head back inside. When Tony climbed down the monkey bars and landed on the ground beside him, Riff’s blood was still boiling. A good part of his recess had been ruined by some girls- and he didn’t even know their names.

By the time everyone had made it back inside the classroom, and Riff had taken his usual desk in the back of the room with Tony in the desk beside him, Riff was still reeling. His anger was further fueled as his teacher began the history lecture and he started to scan the room.

There she was, sitting almost near the front of the classroom. Her friend was sitting at the desk beside hers.

Teacher’s pet.

Later in the afternoon, Riff finally learned the girl's name when she raised her hand eagerly, like a true teacher’s pet, to answer a question.

“That is correct,” their teacher said. “Very good, Roxanne!”

Roxanne.

Kind of a stuffy name, if you asked him.

————————————————————————————

Riff made use of his newly obtained knowledge the very next opportunity he had. When recess the following day began, Riff and Tony ran over to the monkey bars. However, unlike the day before, the girls had beaten them to it.

This time, the one girl sat on the very top bar. Her friend sat on the one just beneath it, where Tony usually did.

The look she gave Riff as he and Tony approached the monkey bars was smug. Too smug.

“Don’t fall now, Roxanne!” Riff shouted up to her.

Her smug look fell and was immediately replaced with one of mild annoyance. “My name is Roxie,” she grumbled.

“That ain’t what the teacher said!” Riff replied with a smirk.

“It doesn’t matter what she said, I go by Roxie.”

“Oh, yeah? What’re ya gonna do ‘bout it, Roxanne?” Riff challenged.

As Roxie began to descend down the monkey bars, Riff heard her friend whisper something to her as she passed.

Tony grabbed his arm. “Riff, let’s just take turns. I don’t wanna start fightin’ with a bunch of girls.”

“What? We ain’t fightin’ em,” Riff assured him. “We’re just gonna let them know how things are ‘round here.”

“And how are things ‘’round here’?” Roxie questioned, finally getting back down on the ground. She took a step towards him, and the two were just a foot or two away from each other, just like they had been the day before.

That was the moment Riff realized he may have met his match. The two stood face to face, staring each other down and silently willing the other to cave as each of their respective friends watched them warily.

————————————————————————————

The next few weeks passed and Riff and Roxie’s struggle with one another continued.

During recess, verbal fights were more often than not the norm as Riff and Roxie passed the time bickering over whose turn it was to climb up to the top of the monkey bars. Meanwhile, Tony and Velma would sit on the second highest bar, watching them both with piqued interest.

The bad blood between them even showed in the classroom. Riff had developed a bit of a crush on a blonde girl in their class named Nancy. He’d been working up the courage to talk to her, with Tony’s encouragement, of course. Apparently, Roxie had gotten wind of Riff’s crush and had told Nancy that he had cooties. By the time Riff worked up the courage to finally talk to Nancy after school one day, she barely spared him a glance.

The next day in class, the back of Roxie’s head became Riff’s primary target. Wads of paper, even a pencil or two- there was hardly a thing that couldn’t be used as ammo. Tony warned him not to, but not even the threat of the teacher yanking him outside the classroom and punishing him would deter Riff.

Every time Roxie was struck with something, she would turn around and shoot Riff a cold look. However, she never squealed to the teacher about it. Riff supposed that was the one good thing about her.

This pattern between them continued until one day Roxie did not show up for school. Riff hadn’t noticed her absence in class that morning. He tried not to pay any more attention to her than what she drew to herself.

Riff only just noticed she wasn’t there when he and Tony made it to the monkey bars first at recess. They climbed, sat on their usual bars, and waited for the inevitable moment the girls would come along to start some trouble.

But Roxie and her friend never bothered them. Riff and Tony waited, but they never showed. From his high vantage point, Riff spotted her friend, whose name he had learned was Velma, over on the far side of the playground. She was by herself, and Roxie was nowhere in sight. Riff pointed this out to Tony, mostly due to the fact that it was rare to find the girls separated. Tony suggested they may have had a fight, but Riff wasn’t entirely sure.

When they returned to the classroom, Riff’s eyes immediately went to Roxie’s desk. It was empty. Even Velma glanced over at it every now and then, as if worried about her friend. She probably was.

Riff tried not to think about Roxie’s absence from school too much. She had been nothing but a pain. But, try as he might, it never strayed too far from his mind, and he wasn’t sure why.

————————————————————————————

That night, as he sat at the table in the small kitchen in his uncle and aunt’s apartment, Riff would’ve still been thinking about her, had his aunt’s behavior not been slightly off.

Riff could give a rat’s ass about his uncle. He hardly knew him, despite living in the same neighborhood almost his whole life. And in the few months Riff lived with him, Riff’s came to think even less of him. All his uncle did was drink, fumble around in his auto shop below the apartment, and complain about anything and everything.

“Food’s already cold,” his uncle snapped that night. He had a bottle of beer in one hand, but Riff knew it couldn’t have been his first one of the day.

His aunt’s distracted daze was broken by her husband’s gripe. “Let me see if I can warm it up a bit,” she proposed, hastily moving to stand from the table.

“Forget about it,” his uncle replied dismissively. He rose from the table and the legs of his chair squeaked in protest at the sudden movement. “Clean up my plate, boy,” he barked at Riff.

Then, beer still in hand, his uncle turned and headed towards the front door. “I’ll be in the shop. Don’t wait up for me.”

The door slammed and Riff and his aunt were so used to it that neither of them flinched.

Riff looked at his aunt, worried she’d been upset by his uncle’s words. But she just seemed distracted once again.

Though couldn’t care less about his uncle, Riff did care about his aunt.

His ma had died earlier in the summer. Without any other options, the state determined his uncle should take him in. His uncle had protested the idea, but his aunt had talked him into it, insisting that it was only right to keep the family together. She didn’t treat him as her child, but she was never cold to him and Riff knew he was better off in her care than in any other that a foster parent or nun at an orphanage would provide. Riff was fearful of the day where she would come to her senses and leave his uncle, leaving Riff all alone with him.

Riff liked his aunt enough that he wished she had been the sister of his ma, or even of his father. If she was his aunt by blood, and she left his uncle, there was no reason Riff couldn’t go with her. She and his ma had always gotten along well, and his ma used to tell him that they were even friende back in their school days. It was a bit of a coincidence when his ma realized who his uncle had ended up marrying.

Unfortunately, his father and uncle were true brothers. That was hardly a surprise. They were about the same horrible person, just with different hobbies. One liked tinkering with cars while the other liked playing cards.

Riff climbed off his chair and immediately went to clean up his uncle’s plate as asked. Like his father, his uncle also had a certain way of correcting Riff. While Riff didn’t think highly of his uncle, he valued his own hide enough to want to avoid pissing him off any more than what couldn’t be helped.

Once Riff placed his plate in the sink, he turned back around to face the table. His aunt was still seated, and though she was looking at her plate, she never resumed eating.

“Are ya okay?” Riff asked her.

“Your uncle’s been tired lately, but I should know by now that this behavior isn’t unusual for him,” she replied, still staring down at her plate.

“Not talkin’ ‘bout him,” Riff corrected.

His aunt finally looked up from her plate and towards him. The look in her eyes was a sad one, and even though Riff had thought something else was on her mind, maybe his uncle had truly upset her this time.

“I’m fine.”

“If you’re sure, ma’am…”

His aunt stood from her chair and put her own plate in the sink, not bothering to discard the almost entirely untouched food upon it. She turned to look back at Riff and pursed her lips, thinking about her next words.

“An old friend of your ma’s and I died last night,” she told him. “I heard about it this morning at Doc’s.”

Riff hadn't expected that. But if it involved his ma, it interested him. “It was someone my ma knew, too?”

His aunt nodded solemnly. “The three of us grew up together. You probably wouldn’t have met her, though.”

“Why not?” Riff asked, though he could barely remember a time when his mom had ever brought any of her friends around their apartment. If she had even had any, his father would have scared them off for sure.

“People grow apart,” his aunt told matter-of -factly, though her tone was still sympathetic. “Adult life gets in the way, and you have to leave some parts of your past behind to make way for the future. You’ll learn soon enough.”

Riff had yet to have any experience with what his aunt was referring to, but he accepted her answer just the same.

“When your ma passed away a few months ago, I reached out to this woman to catch up,” his aunt explained. “She lived here, actually- just a few blocks away.”

Riff remained silent. His aunt had some distant look in her wide, somber eyes, as if recalling some distant memories. He knew it would be more polite to let her finish her piece than to interrupt. His ma had taught him many things, but respecting women- women, not necessarily girls- who deserved it was chief among all the lessons. And even if she hadn’t otherwise, his aunt deserved at least a little bit of respect just for putting up with his oaf of an uncle for as long as she had.

“No, you probably wouldn’t have known her,” his aunt repeated, though it sounded like she was reconfirming the idea to herself rather than for Riff’s sake. “You might have gone to school with her daughter at some point, though. She’s around your age, if I’m remembering that right… poor thing.”

Riff paused as the implications of his aunt’s words dawned on him. He connected what she said to what he had seen, or rather, hadn’t seen, in school earlier that day. And he just knew.

“What’s her name?” Riff asked anyways.

His aunt seemed a bit surprised by her question. “It started with an R, I think,” she trailed off as her brows furrowed in concentration. “Valentina just mentioned her again this morning…”

“Roxanne?”

His aunt’s concentrated look fell immediately, and she looked at him blankly. “… Yes, that was it. Roxanne. How did you know?”

Riff’s mouth felt a bit dry, but he forced himself to answer anyway. “Just a lucky guess.”

His aunt hummed in response. “Right… Wow, I didn’t realize how late it was. Why don’t you go ahead and work on your homework? I’ll clean up dinner. Let me know if you need any help.”

His aunt set about doing as she said she would, and Riff left the room with slow steps as his mind was bogged with all the information she had dumped on him.

He ended up barely touching his homework. Though it was still early in the school year, his teacher already knew better than to expect any better of him.

Later that night, well after his uncle had stumbled in at an unmentionable hour and fumbled over to the lone bedroom in the apartment, where his aunt was likely already sleeping, Riff was still awake.

The makeshift cot in the living room that had been his sleeping place for the past few months and would be for the foreseeable future wasn't comfortable, but that wasn’t what was keeping him awake. It was his mind.

————————————————————————————

Another few days passed before Roxie finally returned to school.

Riff had noticed the minute she walked into the classroom. Though he had never paid attention to her prior to recess time before, since her initial absence, he’d made a point to take his seat in the back of the classroom early. He watched her desk vigilantly, waiting for the day she would come back and take her seat.

Tony had teased him for showing up to school earlier than what was usual. Riff couldn’t blame him. Though Riff started showing up earlier, he made no effort to improve his grades, and it’s no wonder why Tony was so confused. But Riff never told Tony about what he knew, and how it was the cause of his odd behavior. He never spoke a word to anyone about what he knew.

Riff watched as the girl entered the room quietly and immediately sat down. Velma, who was already seated at her own desk, turned and gave her a small, comforting smile.

When all the students were seated, the teacher began her lecture. Meanwhile, Riff’s eyes bore into the back of Roxie’s head. As he stared at her dark hair, he wondered why he had even felt so compelled to throw anything at her at all, even if it was just wads of paper and the odd pencil or two.

Riff could sympathize with her. There she was, just days after losing her ma, sitting at a desk and keeping herself together as if nothing was amiss. At least Riff had been on the summer break when his ma had passed. He couldn’t imagine being forced to go to school right after, when everything was still so raw.

Though they had been at odds with one another for weeks, they really weren’t that different after all.

Later that day, the class emptied out onto the school grounds for recess. As usual, Riff and Tony made their way over to the monkey bars. The past few days without Roxie had meant that Riff and Tony had free reign over them.

But when Tony began to climb them that day, and Riff made no move to follow, the other young boy paused. “What’s wrong?”

Riff looked across the playground until he finally spotted Roxie and Velma. They were both sitting on the concrete. Roxie stared down at the pavement with her head bowed. Velma sat on her knees beside her, trying her best to chat with her, but it was clear to Riff that Roxie was in no mood for idle chat.

Choosing not to answer his friend’s question, Riff started walking across the playground and over towards the pair. A moment later, he heard footsteps following him and he knew Tony was right on his heels.

“What’re ya doin’, Riff?” Tony asked him, slightly out of breath from keeping up with Riff’s fast steps.

“Got an idea,” Riff answered simply, not looking at him.

As Riff and Tony approached, Velma looked up at them with a bit of a helpless look on her face. Roxie continued to stare at the ground. She had to have seen their feet, but she didn’t lift her head.

“Roxie?” Riff asked quietly.

It was the first time Riff had called her anything other than her full name, and she noticed.

Roxie lifted her head and finally looked up at him with wide eyes. He knew the look on her face- he’d caught it in his own reflection enough times over the last few months.

Riff wasn’t sure what all to say, he was just a kid, but he knew he couldn’t continue on with her the way things had been. He knew too much about her. Even though it wasn’t even a whole lot, it was enough that he knew he would never look at her in the same way he used to.

“I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout everythin’,” Riff began awkwardly, “and I realized that the monkey bars are big enough for all of us.”

Roxie tilted her head and her expression lightened. “Really?”

“What?” Tony asked from beside him, raising an eyebrow.

Riff nodded curtly. “I mean, we should share ‘em… there ain’t no reason we can’t.”

A small smile formed on Roxie’s lips. “Okay.”

Velma smiled as well. “You guys should take them today. We’ll get them tomorrow.”

Riff shook his head. “Nah, we should all use ‘em.”

Velma’s brows furrowed in confusion, but Riff looked at Roxie instead.

“Roxie?” he asked again, though he had never lost her attention. “Ya wanna take the top bar today?”

Roxie smiled fully then. “… Sure.”

Riff smiled back at her and offered her a hand. She took it readily and hoisted herself up off the ground. Tony did the same for Velma.

The four of them walked back over to the monkey bars in a comfortable silence. Once they reached them, all four began to ascend the metal bars. Roxie sat down on the very top, while Velma, Tony, and Riff sat down on the second bar just below it.

Riff looked up at Roxie as she sat above them. She was smiling.

If her ma was good enough to be friends with his ma back in the day, that was good enough for Riff. He could find it in him to be friends with her too.

Later in life, Riff would realize that Roxie was never the bane of his existence at all. She was actually one of the things that made his existence bearable.

And from that day on, Riff and Roxie never argued again.

Well, they never argued about the monkey bars, at least.

A/N: Thank you for reading! 😊 Feel free to interact if you enjoyed, but no worries if not.

Taglist: @whisperofsong @disguisedbassethound @lingerasthesmokeoncedid @westsidelegendary @sallymakesstuff @youngteenagehearts @wombtotombx @loverisi @wnygirl2012 @b-bella9 @princessmiaelicia @childesbbyy @amberash05 @robin-jackkelly @eatslothsat @mikefaistgf​ @acciosiriusblack​ @jaemsslut4​ @makaelahdelvalle​

[rare-and-beautiful-things]

headcanons for the Eunjang boys with an s/o that’s recklessly selfish and is always trying to protect them? thank you!

Hmm, alright, I was kinda putting this one off because I wasn't sure if you actually meant 'selfish' or if it was supposed to be 'selfless'. They're... kinda opposite, and I think selflessness makes more sense in this kind of scenario? So I'll do that, I guess, but if I'm being stupid please don't hesitate to send another ask and specify! 💙

I'm not exactly satisfied with how these turned out but at the same time I don't think I could do it better... Hope someone can enjoy this anyway.

Eunjang sweethearts with a reckless, selfless and protective s/o

Gray Yeon

Your selflessness was probably the thing that made him fall for you in the first place. He's fed up with self-serving, greedy, cowardly bastards and he's desperate for someone real, and kind, and true. (Less desperate after being adopted by Ben but still)

He's learned to protect himself but having someone to stand up for him makes him feel safe. A little like home, y'know? But if your brend of protectiveness is more about suffering alone and bearing all the pain yourself he's going to be pissed. Like, do you think this shit helps anyone? He knows it doesn't.

Now your recklessness sometimes leads to him losing it. He also thinks it's kind of endearing but he'll never admit it, not in a thousand years. Will scold you if you throw yourself in a fight without thinking and end up getting hurt - actually he'll scold you every time you'll get hurt while doing something stupid and sometimes even if you're unscratched but the potential of you getting hurt was big.

I think in the beginning he'll be blissful, but as soon as he starts to genuinely, wholeheartedly care about you, the blissfulness is over. He'll be constantly worried, especially if he knows you can't really handle yourself in a dangerous situation. Starts to low-key mother you, spending more time with you and making sure you're not trying to get yourself killed. Will try to make you go to his cram school so that you have less time for your recklessness.

Scared af of you ending up like Stephen. Represses this fear but still has nightmares about it from time to time.

Eugene Gale

Someone protective? Who'll do their best to stop others from bullying him? Who's actually selfless enough not to use him as a shuttle? What is this, a dream???

He'll romanticise the hell out of you. It can easily become a problem, though I doubt any of you would be able to see it as such. Eugene tends to comply to the rules of the world, not try to break them. He's also into delinquents... He'll idolise you, kinda like he did with Jake, especially if you're strong enough to protect him without getting hurt. He'll support your reckless behaviour cuz he'll see it as charming and cool. At least until he sees your weakness - your defeat, injuries, your shaking hands or just you looking exhausted and sad.

And then he'll blame himself for letting you go that far, he'll feel like he's forced you to do it. He'll start trying to stop you from getting hurt for his sake, for anyone's sake, can literally beg you to value yourself more.

He'll protect you too, as well as he can, from the very start, and do his best to ease the weight of your burdens. He'll buy you food and drinks, always getting your favourites right, he'll patch you up and take care of your ripped dirty clothes if you let him. Also excellent at making people feel better with just his words.

Ben Park

So you're just Gogo 2.0 huh? When did they release the new version? Why is he hearing about it so late?

Ben doesn't really need you to protect him most of the time, he's strong and doesn't care much for rumours so long as they're harmless. He's fine with whatever you're doing as long as it doesn't get you or his friends hurt. There's no particular qualities he looks for in a s/o, it's more that he just... loves what makes you you. If it's your protectiveness, your recklessness, selflessness, he's going to love it and treasure it just like he would with any other quirks and character traits he finds in his beloved.

If you're protecting him and not just, y'know, his name, he's probably by your side and is able to return the favour. He'll do everything in his power to make sure you're unhurt, and in most cases it'll be more than enough.

All in all, while he certainly will adore these traits in his s/o, I don't think it will make much of a difference to him? He'll let you protect him like he does with Alex, but it's more him indulging you than needing you to make a sacrifice. He's only going to be angry if your recklessness becomes a serious issue and gets you into a life-threatening situation.

Teddy Jin

Ugh, you know you should care more about yourself, not other people, right? They don't deserve your kindness anyway. Except for him, obviously.

He'll be either thrilled with his s/o playing protector or utterly annoyed, maybe even angry. You just cannot treat him like a child, y'know? You should keep in mind that he can handle himself and is rather confident in his abilities. No need to jump at every threat or block every swing. It's better to fight beside him than for him.

Now if you try to protect him from something he could handle on his own and fail, then he'll get mad. Will scold you while patching you up and will never let you live it down.

He's fine with recklessness as long as you don't get hurt too much. Don't make him worry about you! But he's rather reckless himself, so you might actually click just right.

[lovelywingsart]

Sure, here ya go-

So I made this girl back in October last year as can be seen by the /slightly/ outdated design of Karl I have, but I made her based off of a single idea- what if Emelia met someone she... didn't 'fall for', but caught some kind of feeling for other than Karl?

Well, meet Regina, one of many flings the two(yes, two- you really think they're the strictly monogamous type????) have over the years, and one of the first times a WOMAN is involved in a trio. uwu Meaning Emelia gets to be as utterly fucking gay as she wants to be for the few short years they had.

Ah... now unfortunately her story doesn't end on an entirely happy note, and when I say 'few short years', I mean it.

Have some info 💙

Regina was, of course, born and raised in the village; mother died of sickness at a young age, father in an... 'accident' when older, but she got by pretty well otherwise. She was kind, outgoing, and took pride in her work; She worked as a pretty skilled seamstress for a good while, and was fairly content with being alone- until she caught the eye of a certain factory resident during a day out for drinks and general fuckery.

She was the first person to actively make Emelia blush simply by just looking at her, and Karl, being the encouraging jackass he is, damn near shoved the mutant towards this very petite, slightly nervous woman who was now confused as to why a Lord showed a sudden interest in her once he notices his... 'assistant' was staring in her direction. However, Emelia was absolutely fucking SMITTEN with this little village girl pretty instantly, and pretty much figured why the hell not, y'know? Some small flirting here and there and the two girls were pretty much a perfect match, and throw in Heisenberg for some ocsssional extra fun and it was a party for a good while.

Aaaaand then she was 'hired' to work at the castle.

She got quiet, and learned her place VERY quickly. But she was still the best at her job, being a seamstress, so she at least had that going for her as she took on repairs and creation of clothing and such. She, like many others, was initially terrified once bing brought in. The only communication she had with the outside world were letters snuck back and fourth to Emelia via the Duke, and was then promptly visited as soon as Emelia found out where she was. Now, because the Daughters ADORE Emelia, it got Regina a slight bit of leeway with the Dimitrescu family once they found out that Regina and Emelia were... *ehem* 'friends'(Alcina knew otherwise, there was literally NO way she didn't with the way they looked at eachother). While it didn't cut her THAT much slack, she was more or less left alone from then on, and even got some pleasant greetings from the girls every once in a while. it let her breathe a bit, and she was able to actually openly write letters instead of sneaking them. Emelia legitimately DID care about her though, and visited as often as she could along with sneaking Karl in sometimes, or maybe even managing to steal her away for a few hours with permission from Alcina so long as Regina behaved herself. (She did, of course)

Now for the sadness- unfortunately, as she was only human, she did fall ill at one point. None of the medicine Dimitrescu had seemed to work, and even some distant help from Moreau proved to only work for a short time. Emelia was a pretty constant face around the castle at that time because she was understandable worried over her worsening condition. She did die from the illness, and it was one of VERY few human deaths that actually tore Emelia up pretty bad... The only solace she really got was knowing that it wasn't Dimitrescu who got to her, and the woman was actually attempting to help simply for the fact that her Daughters were fond of this girl because she was her friend. However, Regina did manage to avoid one of many 'purges', so in a way she was lucky to die rather peacefully rather than... well... yeah. But, thanks to Emelias influence, she did get a nice, small burial in the castle garden. 💙

So yeah, enjoy this one-off character I made as a tiny story arc for Metalworks which I MAY post some drabbles for?? 🤔 I have their meeting written out, so we'll see. Tbh I mainly made it for a dumb smut idea but I got attached as soon as I gave her a name so I mean- And... I dunno, maybe I'll work more with her and this little arc if people wanna see it??? Its been a few months and I may tweak her design a bit if I do... but we'll see!

[milkytheholy1]

HC 9: Hair care

Request: AAAA AJDJWJDH THIS IS SO CUTE! I get so excited when you post a new chapter! If you don’t mind, I have a request. Could you do the Rise! Turtles learning about how to take care of black people hair on their s/o? Like they get confused on how their s/o takes care of it and tries to learn. Sorry if my request is a bit confusing!

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get to, I've had so many requests to do recently. I hope this is somewhat accurate to hair care, I didn't specifically know if you wanted straight or tight curls, etc so I kinda just kept it safe and vague. Hope you enjoy and sorry if I did anything wrong!

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

Raph: ❤️

Doesn't really understand it at first.

Like, you just went through that soooo fast I think his mind broke a little.

But once you repeat yourself, he starts to understand what you do.

He's quite nervous to actually do that to your hair.

Do you really have that much trust and faith in him to pull it off? What if he does something wrong and ruins your hair! You'll hate him he just knows it!

When he starts to wash your hair for the first time, his hands are shaking.

He's also never had hair so it's not like washing hair is a normal thing to him either.

When he's got over the washing and conditioning, which he believes is was the hardest part so far, he dreads what's next.

You give him the oil treatment and tell him to chill out a little.

Nearly drops the oil treatment cause it's too slippery in his hands.

Is terrified when he sees the array of combs and straighteners.

Yeah, you decide to do that yourself. Watches in awe as you start to braid.

Eventually, after watching you long enough, feels confident enough to try braiding it himself.

Leo: 💙

Remembers having hair for less than an hour and wants nothing to do with yours.

When he sees how disappointed you are about it, he changes his mind.

So Leo won't admit it but he's got a slight fear of hair now ever since his attacked his face.

Sits back on the toilet seat lid while he watches you go through the stages of washing it.

Finds your wet hair amusing when it sticks to your face, and your annoyed expressions are hilarious to him.

Literally freaks out when you mention hot oil.

"You're puttin' what on your head!"

Once you explain it's to moisten and elasticate your hair he backs down a little.

He watches as you internally debate putting relaxers on.

Starts fidgetting when he's bored, his fingers itching to touch your hair in its current state.

"Do you wanna help braid it?"

"Nope! I'm perfectly happy over here."

Ten minutes later and he's sat behind you helping you braid your hair.

Hates to admit that he actually enjoyed his time, and hints that he wants to braid your hair again another time.

Donnie: 💜

Donnie is purely fascinated with the process of your hair care.

Being someone who doesn't have hair himself, hair care has also piqued his interest.

Not so much that he thought about creating synthetic hair for himself, but he's done his research.

So when you roll up and ask if he wants to help or at the very least provide company, he doesn't deny.

Watches you like a hawk throughout the process.

You can see him in the reflection of the small bathroom mirror, he's sat on the toilet seat lid, his chest nearly touching his thighs with how far he's leaning just to see what you're doing.

Asks you questions as to why you're doing certain things and what they all mean/do.

"What's the best oil to go for?"

"Does it hurt when you braid?"

"How many times do you have to use conditioner?"

When you ask him if he wants to help, he falls from the toilet seat in surprise.

Is quite cautious to touch your hair let alone comb/iron or braid it.

He seems to be quite the natural at it though.

Confesses he's seen April do stuff like this sometimes.

Mikey: 🧡

This boy is so hands-on it hurts your ever-growing smile.

He tells you all about the times he's sat with April and watched her do her hair.

He's also helped her a fair few times and deemed himself pretty good at it.

Can't wait to do your hair for you.

He treats it as though it's a hair salon, even though he's never been to one in his life.

Gets all his hairstyling knowledge from Youtube videos.

"Soooo, how's Stacy?"

"Who's Stacy?" Will dig his fingers into your scalp and promptly give you a little massage.

Allows you to condition your hair because his hands are too wet and he constantly drops the bottle.

He tried to grab it at one point but it would just slip and slid away from him.

Takes extra caution when putting on the hot oil, apologies are flooding from his lips if he does anything wrong.

His smile is hard to contain when you finally get to braiding your hair.

Wants to add cool beads to your hair desperately.

He's the kinda turtle that would take pictures of the back of your head to show you what's up.

Is extremely proud he did it.

[pk-majora]

i saw your post and just wanted to say smth- anything?- to make sure you know you’ve got a reach somehow. idk how to word this (evidently) but your hurt sounds suffocating rn and i wish someone would listen to you properly- I’m putting my hope into the call going better for you at the very least 💙 I’m sure the MH systems in FL and the UK work differently but I’ve been in a similar position and knowing where you’re at rn- living like that isn’t sustainable, and you shouldn’t be expected to. ik well wishing won’t resolve your situation rn but I’m really holding out hope for you- and ofc i hope you’re doing okay from COVID too💜 im sorry. i wish sentiments were enough to change this

Thank you so much for your kind words, sincerely. one thing ive found to be the most therapeutic at least while i wait for professional help has been listening to the experiences of close friends some i didnt even know had had such similar experiences to mine. just things we never talked about but so many overlapping experiences and i feel dumb having kept my mental unwellness to myself for so long and rationalizing distancing myself from loved ones. anyways working on socializing more and at the very least i feel a little less crazy and a little more relieved just knowing im really not alone. and i thank you for sharing that you also understand where im coming from.

im pretty sure the covids gone lol but also i dont really know. im vaxxed, masked when out, and ive taken isolating to new levels lol so i was really surprised to find out i was positive to begin with. just taking it all slowly and finding little things to hope for in the mean time.

[cosmojjong]

hey buddy, just wanted to say i feel you and that you're not alone in your sadness today. it's been really difficult for me since bistro de shinee. been on a rollercoaster the past 2 weeks, constantly switching between emotions. i really really miss him too. all day i've been looking at the send-off photos put together and couldn't stop thinking about the one missing. he would look so handsome with a buzzcut, right?

it's all just so bittersweet all the time. and sometimes i feel like dealing with it, accepting it....is a process i have to restart every single day. so i know what you mean. i'm sorry that you also feel like you're going in a loop. grief is such a senseless thing to go through i guess, you never know when it'll strike like that.

i'm sorry, i know this isn't very comforting. i wish i had good advice but idk if that would be something you want anyway. just wanted you to know you're not alone. it is a lonely experience and often feels like something you're battling in silence while the rest of the world goes on, but, always remember that at least one person is also standing with you.

and one last thing: i think you honor his memory very beautifully. thank you for being so good to our jonghyunie. the way you speak of him makes me feel so warm.

hey there, firstly i want to say thank you as you reached out so kindly and i appreciate it a lot... sometimes i come on here to throw my thoughts out, to put them down somewhere and don't necessarily expect or 'need' anyone to reply, but i can't hide or deny how lonely i've been feeling so your message itself is something i can cherish. thanks for showing your closeness and understanding.

i'm really sorry to hear that the past few weeks have been difficult for you as well, you've come to give me comfort but i hope that knowing i am in this position helped you understand that you're not alone either... and i definitely feel you on what you said, seeing the comparison of pictures today was such a hit. i often find myself fantasizing about what he'd look like now, what he'd say, what kind of updates we'd get and it's... hard to get back to reality. i get into this bubble of mine and then it always pops at unexpected times.

that's also to relate to what you said about it being a process (which, sometimes, feels 'senseless'), i am really bad at expressing thoughts with the limited terms i know, but i understand how frustrating it is and how scary, lonely and difficult it can be. i am just sending you a hug and letting you know it's okay to take your time. somehow it feels hard to apply these words to ourselves but, as it is such a fluctuating and nonlinear process itself, if we can be a little kind to ourselves, the path may be less rough and less bumpy. give yourself some kindness too, please.

you don't need to give me any advice by the way, usually i prefer just being listened to and you did that, which i'm thankful for, and hopefully my words were okay and not out of line... thank you so much for giving me some of your time and for reassuring me that even though i feel alone i am not, i hope you know it's the exact same for you and i'm always here to listen!

lastly, thanks for what you said at the end. even saying these words doesn't feel enough to express my feelings but jonghyun seriously means so much to me. just... everything about him. he is the person i resonate with most and i am happy that the way i cherish him speaks for itself and makes you feel warm. i'll keep it all up, you're so kind. i'm sure your way of cherishing jjong is as lovely and as unique. ahh, i'm sorry i talked so much... do have a good day 💙

[twopoppies]

Hi, i know this might not necessarily be your cup of tea but i adore your recs so i was wondering if you could rec me some fics that are short and sweet and really cute? I’m going through a difficult time right now emotionally and i could really use some Harry/Louis sweetness to make me smile. Maybe some meet cute au’s? Thanks in advance i hope i’m not asking too much 💙💚

Hi darling. I’m sorry you’re struggling right now. You’re right that I don’t read a lot of short fluffy fics, and the short fics I read often are PWPs, or are angsty, so I’m going to do my best! Let me see what I can suggest for a good pick me up.

perfectly purrfect in every way by cozycryptid (E, 6K) really sweet, flirty, and very sexy. I guess I need a new category for fuck buddies to lovers.

Things Unsaid by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (GA, 4K) This is so sweet and cute, I actually laughed out loud a couple of times. Louis’ internal monologue is neurotic and funny and this is such a fun twist on soulmates.

Carry These Feelings by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (GA, 3K) This was just lovely and mysterious and sweet. I loved their banter and the whole description of Harry traveling the world, remembering and collecting feelings. It’s totally unique and beautifully written.

If You're Hoping for a Harbour by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (GA, 3K) This was so sweet and lovely. Perfect world building, quirky characters, and a charming twist on soulmates.

when you say you love me, know i love you more by darkofthenights / @jimmytfallon (E, 2K) Gentle, lovely, a bit of body worship, and someone who understands you well enough to make the insecurities vanish. 

‘Sup by mediawhore / @mediawhorefics (GA, 7K) I love awkward, older Harry pining for silver fox Louis. A very sweet meet cute. 

What Am I Gonna Say When I See You by runaway_train / @runaway-train-works (E, 7K) A teeny tiny bit of light angst, but the rest is sweet and sexy. 

Help! (I Need Somebody) by orphan_account (E, 2K) This isn’t really “sweet”, but it’s hilarious and even though I’ve read it multiple times, I still laugh every time. 

O’ Christmas Tree by @justalittlelouislove (M, 15K) I know this one is long, but it’s one of the few fics I’ve loved that is basically 100% fluff, It’s so sweet and charming and if 15K isn’t too long, you’re in for a treat! 

like an animal (i wanna feel you from the inside) by @bottomlinsons (E, 4K) Louis and Harry find themselves getting to know each other in the most awkward of circumstances. Funny and sweet. Link is to a download.

Strange How the Half Light by aheavenlyrush (T, 4K) Just really beautiful writing and Louis falling for alien Harry.

Time will tell, I suppose, or at least, these pages will. by lets_get_messi (GA, 5K) I’ve read this one so many times. It’s just touching and funny and sweet. 

Let Your Hair Down While You Still Can by @alivingfire (E, 5K) I read this one ages ago, and only remember that I really liked it, but you can never go wrong with this author. 

Bruised Fruit by @glasscushion (E, 1K) Seriously…so gorgeous. I could read 150K of writing like this. But all you get this time is a little over 1K. So worth it! 

Never Stare by throwthemflowers / @hazzabeeforlou (E, 2K) Just funny and sexy and silly. 

maybe by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (GA, 2K) I have a soft spot for older larry. And meeting someone you know you shouldn’t let go. 

to hell with romancing by bottomlinsons (E, 8K) This is worth reading for Harry’s internal monologue alone. This is just a funny fic that morphs into a sweet and really sexy one. Link is to a download.

it’s all fun and games until by louisandthealien (M, 6K) Ok, definitely on the smutty side, but also one of my favorite characterizations of them: nervous, smitten Louis and equally smitten, but also slightly less afraid Harry. 

pink skin by @jaerie (E, 4K) Smutty, yes, But also really funny and sweet.