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wandussyfantasy · 1 year

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Movie Night

Summary: Wanda and you are enjoying a movie night together when she makes a bold move.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word count: 3.7k

WARNINGS:

18+ ONLY, MINORS DO NOT READ & DO NOT INTERACT!!!

insecurity, smut, gn!reader amab, powerbottom!wanda, oral, hand job, fingering, praising, creampie, and fluff

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓. 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

“What do you feel like watching next?” You ask as you scroll through one of the many streaming apps that your parents pay for. It’s summer break from college and you wanted to be out having fun but unfortunately you didn't have a lot of money saved and close to zero energy with the summer job your dad had secured for you at his company. He wanted you to have more structure than he did at your age so you have to earn every penny in your account. And he did not make it easy.

Which is killing your social life that consists of friends that have big allowances and enjoy going to expensive clubs, especially since they're all now legally allowed to drink. Luckily, your friend Wanda wasn't really much for going out. She enjoys a simple night in more than anything. The two of you have been hanging out pretty much every night off that you have and you appreciate that she enjoys spending this time together. However, at this point in the summer, the two of you have made it through all of the best movies and are now challenging yourselves by watching movies you otherwise wouldn't. Some turn out to be great and others turn out to be horrible. But the horrible ones are your favorites because those are the films that make you and Wanda laugh the hardest.

Wanda suggests a movie you've never heard of and you begin searching for it, only to finally have something on. “Is it good?” you ask as you select the title.

She shrugs, “I haven't seen it but,” she looks at you nervously as she scoots closer, “I’ve heard good things about it.” Wanda grabs the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and covers your laps with it.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” you toss it in her lap, off of you. “But I'm not cold.” You clear your throat as you set the remote on the coffee table and settle back into the cushions. Your arm rests on the couch behind Wanda. The action gives her a little more confidence as gets a little closer.

As the two of you have been hanging out alone together, Wanda has developed stronger feelings for you but she didn't know how to express those. So she went to her friends Carol and Natasha. They suggested that she make sure this movie played. They said it got anyone horny and if she wanted to make a statement that let you know how much she wanted you, it was to get you in the mood.

The film opens with a graphic sex scene and you clear your throat again as you check your watch. Maybe this wasn't the kind of movie that is viewed in the living room of your parents house. You worried about them coming home to this playing. You grab the remote to lower the volume so you at least have a chance at changing the movie if they enter the house. You set the remote next to your thigh this time and relax as the scene ends and the plot begins.

You give Wanda an awkward smile as you return your focus to the screen. The actress was pretty but she wasn't really your type. The story wasn't really great, it was honestly putting you to sleep until it happens again. Another sex scene with very vocal actors making your body respond naturally. You try to subtly adjust yourself so that your pulsing bulge isn't noticeable but it is hard to do in sweatpants and Wanda does take notice. “Actually, it is a bit chilly in here,” you say as you pull the blanket back over your lap. Wanda smirks as she boldly reaches over and runs her fingers along the length of your bulge under the blanket. You freeze, unsure about what is happening. She removes her hand and pretends that she didn't do anything. You shake your head, believing that you made it up.

That is, until after the third sex scene. The storyline is back and so is Wanda's hand. Only it's creeping its way into your pants, just outside your boxers. She squeezes your erection, causing your breathing to get harder. “Wanda,” you whisper in question but she shushes you.

“Do you want me to stop?” she asks and you shake your head no. “Good,” she leans in to give you a kiss but it's interrupted by the home's intelligence system welcoming your parents home. You scramble to change the channel to something more appropriate and try to take Wanda's hand off of you but she shakes her head. “You’re just going to have to behave,” she says and although your heart races with anxiety, your dick stiffens at the idea and she knows that you love it.

You scoot closer to Wanda and grab a few more blankets to hide what's happening while lowering the temperature in the room just before your parents enter the space.

“See honey,” Tony says to his wife, “All these two get to do is rot away with movies when they could be going out.”

Pepper rolls her eyes and sets her clutch on the kitchen island behind you, “Don’t try to fool them. This parenting strategy wasn't all my idea, Tony.”

You gulp as Wanda finally slips her delicate fingers in your underwear. Her soft skin touching your burning length for the first time has you clutching your fists. “Hey guys,” you clear your throat as you look back in their direction, trying to act as normal as possible. “How was the fundraiser?”

“Boring,” Tony leans against the counter and pops a couple of grapes in his mouth. “How was your millionth movie night?”

“It’s been a lot of fun, Mr. Stark,” Wanda says as she runs her thumb over your sensitive tip. Making you want to lose yourself and moan.

Tony moves from his spot with a groan and a contorted expression, “What have I said? It's Tony. Mr. Stark is my father. I am not my father. Although, I am that one's father. I don't—”

“Dad,” you call out with a laugh to stop his rant. “She’s just messing with you.” Wanda smiles at your father and shakes his head.

“Ha ha ha, very funny,” he looks at his watch. “I’m off to bed. Don't get loud.” He walks to the stairs and you almost relax until you feel your mom's hand on your shoulder.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” she kisses your temple. “Please don't be up too late,” she says as she pulls away. “And make sure she gets home safely,” she tells you and you nod as you prepare to promise to your mother that your friend will be safe at home after this movie is over.

“Actually, I'm spending the night,” Wanda interrupts.

“Oh,” Pepper fails to hide her surprise. “Well, it's a good thing the guest bed is already set up.” She smiles and begins walking away, “See the two of you in the morning.”

Once you hear your parents bedroom door close you release all of the air you were holding as your friend jerked you off in front of your parents. “Fuck Wanda,” you gasp out. “I didn't know you were like this,” you say as you roll your hips in order to pump yourself in and out of her hand.

“I can't take all of the credit,” she says as she finally latches her lips to your throat. “Because you did so good, you get a reward.” You face her with confusion and she takes advantage of the position to kiss you on the lips. Her hand squeezes your cock causing you to grunt into her mouth.

“What’s that?” you ask with a dry throat.

Wanda smirks before she adjusts herself so that she is under the covers. You have no view of what is going on. All you can do is feel. The relief of being released from your pants. The feel of her hands working their magic on your dick. Then finally, the exciting and intoxicating contact of her tongue. You sit up straighter at the feel. It has been a long time since anyone has touched you here which made you extra sensitive to her touch. When her lips wrap around your cock you let out too loud of a moan that causes her to pull away completely. You whine at the loss and she looks up at you from under the blankets.

“You heard your dad,” she says. “We can't get too loud.”

“Please, can we move this to my room?” you ask breathlessly. As thrilling as the idea was, you know that the two of you would be mortified if either of your parents caught you in this act. Wanda nods and she gets up from the covers. You shut the tv off and tuck yourself back into your pants.

You follow Wanda into your room and once the door is locked, she pushes you onto the bed before you can finish dropping your pants and boxers. Both stop halfway down your thigh but Wanda isn't concerned about your state of undress. She wants you back in her mouth. You fall at the edge of your bed and she gets on her knees in between your legs. This time, you have a full view of her sucking on your dick. She uses her hand to massage the rest of your dick that she can't quite fit in her mouth. You lean back on your elbows as the view drives you crazy. Watching her work so much to pleasure you that when her hair falls and covers some of your view, you move it over her ear. This gives you the idea to hold on and guide her rhythm as she was starting to get a little too fast for your liking.

“Fuck, Wanda,” you whisper as you feel yourself getting close. “Hold on,” you pull her off of you as you try not to let the thought of the sweet sweet release control the situation. She looks at you with her once big green eyes, that are now dark with desire. “How far were you planning on this going?” you ask as you sit up. You pat the spot next to you to offer her a seat on the bed.

“Um,” she accepts the invitation but the question makes her a little awkward. Some of the boldness she had earlier leaves her. “I honestly didn't even plan this far ahead. The girls only told me to follow my instincts and do what felt right.” She plays with her fingers as she talks. A habit that you've always thought is adorable.

You try to fight a smile, “Ah, so you talked to Carol and Nat about me?”

“Is that bad?” She makes a face to show her concern.

You shake your head, “No, no, of course not. I think it's sweet that you went to them but, Wanda.” You sigh as you think of the right words, then you notice your stiff cock still standing at attention and now you feel a little awkward and ridiculous. “You could have come to me about this. You know, you've had my attention ever since high school,” you let out a small laugh.

“Really?” She is surprised by this information. You confirm it with a short nod. “I had no idea! You never showed any interest in me back then.”

You blush as you begin to feel a bit sheepish, “You were dating Vis back when we were all friends. It wouldn't have been appropriate. Besides, back then we all thought the two of you were made for each other. It was high school, I thought I missed my chance with you a long time ago.”

Wanda raises her eyebrows and twists her lips to the side of her face as it starts to click in her mind. “I didn't prepare for how far I want this to go but,” she bites her lip as she starts to get nervous. “I haven't… no one has ever…” you sit up straighter as you figure out what she is trying to say. “And it's not because I was waiting, it's just I never really wanted to before. But, I do now.” She reaches over to stroke your cock again,“With you,” she emphasizes.

“Are you sure?” You ask as you try to focus on her and not how good she is making you feel. Wanda nods again and leans in to kiss you on the lips. She climbs on top of you and straddles your lap without breaking any contact with you and you moan. As much as you love letting her be in control, you need to make her feel as good as she is making you feel. You're clumsy with your touch as you try to find a good place to grab her. When you settle one hand on her back and the other on her thigh, you spin the two of you on the bed so that she is laying on the mattress.

She lets out a sound in surprise as she tries to avoid breaking the kiss but you pull away so you can finish taking off your clothes. You start by pulling your shirt off and then finally dropping your pants along with your underwear. You put your hand over hers and pull it off of you. She is confused until you hook your fingers in her shorts and yank them down. You lick your lips at the sight of her wet pussy. As greedy as you wanted to be, you had to control yourself. You finish pulling her clothing down her legs with soft kisses down her legs, leaving a trail of goosebumps.

Wanda wasn't really on the receiving end of things so she has no idea what to do with herself other than to pull her shirt off of her and remove her bra while you make your way back to her center. When you slip your tongue between her folds for the first time, she makes a loud noise. Nothing has ever felt so good before. You shush her with a grin and she nods as she bites her bottom lip to reign in her sounds. You continue on, inserting your pointer finger and you groan at how tight she is. You haven't been anyone's first before, so you wanted to take extra care of Wanda. She deserves the best treatment possible.

You insert a second finger to stretch her a bit and start to pump them slowly. “You’re so wet,” you praise. “Fuck, Wanda,” you say again as her walls squeeze around your fingers as you pump them in and out of her. “You like it when I compliment you, baby?” You test out the term of endearment and her walls tighten around you again as she nods. “We are going to have so much fun,” you say and you pull your fingers out of her and replace them with your tongue. Wanda's thighs try to close around your head until you have to pry them open. You kiss her thighs as you get her to relax them. “I’m not going anywhere, love. It's okay,” you whisper to her.

Wanda nods and falls back onto the mattress as she had been holding herself up to watch you. She begins to fondle her breasts as shuts her eyes to focus on feeling. Your tongue and fingers teasing her entrance. Your thumb massaging her clitoris. When you enter a third finger in her. She can hardly handle any of it. “Y/n,” she whimpers when she feels something really good happening below her belly.

“Let go, Wanda,” you tell her as you work your fingers harder on her clitoris. She finally does and she covers her face with your pillow to muffle her scream. You drink as much of her arousal as you can before kissing your way back up her body. You hover over as you wait for her to come back to Earth.

“How did you do that?” She gasps out once she finally removes the pillow from her face.

“I’ll show you later,” you say. “Are you ready?” you ask as you tease the tip of your cock at her entrance. Wanda nods as she moves her hands from her chest to your biceps. You reach over to your nightstand to grab the box of condoms you kept in there but your hand lands on an empty drawer. Your eyebrows pinch together as you move away from Wanda to find nothing there. Your heart races as you pull the other drawers open and sigh in defeat. “I’m sorry, Wanda,” you scratch your head. “I don't have a condom.”

Wanda shrugs, “It’s okay, I've been on the pill forever.”

“Are you sure?” you turn to her, a bit shocked.

She nods, “Besides, I wouldn't mind feeling all of you.”

“Okay,” you say as you climb on top of her again. You adjust yourself at her entrance and pull her into another lengthy kiss. You feel her up as you prepare to enter her. You rock your hips so that your dick rubs up against her. “Mmm, you can always tell me to stop,” you remind her.

“Please don't,” she says with her hands in your hair. As your hand finds its way to her thigh, you grab your cock and aim it at her entrance. Anxious to finally feel what it's like to do this without a condom and what she is going to feel like. You slowly slip inside of her, stopping every other inch to allow her to adjust. You rub circles on her clit to try and keep the pleasure up but get sloppy as you get lost in feeling her warm tight walls around you for the first time. You almost finish inside of her right then and there. But the image of her hanging off of Vision is enough to calm you down. Until you open your eyes and face the reality that she is naked under you moaning your name.

You begin to rock your hips a little and your head falls to her shoulder. “I don't know how long I'm going to last,” you warn her as you slam all the way inside of her. She yelps in surprise and you shoot your head up gearing up to apologize but she silences you with her lips.

“It’s okay,” she says softly. “You’ll just have to make it up to me next time,” she teases a little and it makes you smile. You start to thrust into her more as you kiss her more.

“Gosh you're so tight, Wanda,” you say as you pick up speed. “Oh fuck you have no idea how long I've waited for this,” you say you kiss her shoulder. Wanda's hands are on your back as you continue to rock into her and when she digs her nails into her you have to slow down before you explode. “Damn you're too good, oh fuck, I don't want this to end just yet,” you say as you try to prolong your oncoming orgasm.

“It’s okay,” Wanda whispers in your ear. “I want you to cum inside of me,” you fall apart at her words. They trigger something inside of you that takes over and causes you to slam into Wanda harder and faster than you wanted to. You thought you could give her a slow and sweet experience for her first time, but it has been a long time since your last sexual experience, you haven't even masturbated in a while and you could only do so much when it came to your body. “Yes, yes, yes!” Wanda encourages making you feel better about fucking her so hard.

Then finally, one last thrust and you're releasing a big load of your cum inside of her. Your head falls into her shoulder again as you try to muffle your sounds. Wanda's walls close around your pulsing cock as if she is trying to milk you dry. She places lazy kisses on your face as she waits for you to be done. “You’re so amazing,” you say as you grab a few tissues from your nightstand and pull out of her. You clean your soft dick as you roll beside her on the bed. “Now, let me help you finish,” you scoot up on the bed. “Lay on top of me,” you request. Confused, she lays the front of her body on you and you lightly laugh. “Hi,” you greet.

“Hi,” she smiles.

“As much as I like to see your face,” you start as you run your fingers down her sweaty arm. “I meant the other way.”

“Oh,” she spins around on your body until her back is against you. “Like this?”

“Yes,” you say as you grab her hand. “How often do you touch yourself?”

Wanda is glad to be facing away from you as she is sure she wouldn't be able to answer this question otherwise. “I don't really,” she says shyly. “The first few times I did it, it felt wrong to be doing it. I was afraid I was going to be labeled as some sort of sex addict in school if anyone ever found out.”

“Aw lovely girl,” you say as you guide her fingers to touch her clitoris. “It’s okay to touch yourself. In fact, you should do it at least once a night.”

“Really?” Wanda leans her body further into you as you help her find her spot. “Oh god,” she moans out, “you’re right. I should do this more often.” You remove your hand from her as you watch her learn how to pleasure herself.

“Follow your instincts,” you guide her. “Find out what feels right.” She follows your directions and her breathing gets harder as she gets closer. He free hand searches for you and you give her yours. She laces your fingers together with a tight grip as she makes herself orgasm for the first time ever. Her body shakes on top of you and you kiss her temple to her shoulder as you say encouraging words until it's over.

“Thank you,” she whispers as she turns her head to kiss you.

“Thank you,” you wink at her and she shakes her head at you.

The End

#smut #wanda fanfic #wanda smut #wanda x reader #wanda x y/n #wanda x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you

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jeonginsleftcheek · 2 months

Text

Seasons with you

pairing: changbin x gn!reader

genre: hurt/comfort, friends to lovers au

word count: 5.0k

warnings: vague descriptions of anxiety, insecurities, depression, abusive exes (not physically), lots of metaphors, they're in love your honor!

a/n: okay this might be one of my favorite fics i ever wrote, i got so emotional and sappy while writing it (i cried aksksll) and i hope y'all love this as much as i love it🥹🩷 binnie deserves the world and so do you, reader💕

(the book i'm referencing in my fic is called 'my name is memory' by ann brashares)

~check out my: Masterlist

🌸SPRING🌸

It is a known fact that everything comes alive with the arrival of spring. The sun rises earlier in the morning, illuminating the trees and the flowers, uncovering new sights to be seen, ones that were blanketed by the darkness of the night before.

The first drops of dew are heavy on a small leaf, making it bend but never break as they slide down to the grass, all the way into the earth below, satiating it's thirst, kissing the roots buried deep.

It's silly to think so, but you kind of relate to the little leaf as you sit on your picnic blanket and stare at it. You always bend to other people's will, always put yourself in the second place, forgetting about your own needs, telling them and yourself that it's fine and you're fine just like this. You bend and bend, and you wonder how much longer you can bend without breaking.

Sometimes you're the little drop in the sea of other drops, invisible and unremarkable, existing just to serve some higher purpose, to feed the earth and disappear like you never even existed before.

Thoughts like this plague your mind often times, especially on a beautiful day like this, when the sun is shining high in the sky, revealing all the colors of pretty flowers that bloomed in the grass, the clouds that look like cotton candy, so fluffy you wish you could bite into them and taste the sweetness of sugar.

The serenity and the beauty around you only feed into the sorrowful black hole inside you that grows bigger and bigger each time you give a piece of yourself and get nothing in return.

Everything comes alive with the arrival of spring, and you hope that this spring you will come alive too, blossom with all the pretty flowers, be one of them and not just a disregardable little leaf.

You wouldn't dream of being the sun itself, when that title is already taken, saved in your heart for your best friend Changbin. The one who is as warm and bright as the sun itself that you're sure the flowers bloom whenever he passes by them. They bask in his incadescence, seeking his light just like you do, but you would never ask for too much, never say it out loud, never bother him with the darkest parts of you in fear of dimming his brightness.

You have no idea that you don't even need to ask, Changbin would reach up and pluck the stars out of the sky only for you, just so he can see that beautiful smile you give him as he approaches you. And as much as he loves the smile that dances on your lips, he can't help but notice every time that it doesn't reach your eyes.

You hide, but the eyes are a mirror to the soul and the dark hole that grows inside you is reflected in your gaze, making Changbin wish he could reach in and touch your soul, illuminate the darkest parts of you. Where you see yourself as the insignificant leaf, he sees you as the most beautiful flower, too delicate to be plucked out roughly like you were before when uncaring hands wrapped around you. Where you see yourself as a little droplet, disappearing and forgettable, he sees you as the water giving life to everything and everyone you come in touch with, the love you carry inside your heart for others quenching their thirst as you scatter parts of yourself all around.

You wave at him, your other hand coming up to shield your eyes from the rays of sun peeking through the leaves as they start rustling. The wind is picking up and your eyes fall to the flowers swaying in the field and then back to your friend's fluffy hair, swaying in unison with the flowers.

Changbin waves back at you, a smile so big on his face that you wish it was all yours, you wish you could be selfish like that and keep him all to yourself, but you can't.

"You left without me."- he pouts as he sits next to you, placing the basket he brought next to his legs.

"Sorry, I peeked into your room and you were still asleep. I didn't want to wake you."- you say, placing your book aside as Changbin opens up the basket.

"Brought you apples."- he says, knowing it was your favorite thing to eat early in the morning. "I washed them, too!"- he adds as he hands you one and you chuckle.

"Thanks, Binnie."- you smile and bite into the apple. It's the perfect sour and refreshing taste sprinkling on your tongue and waking you up a little, spreading through your body.

"Are you still reading that book about soulmates?"- Changbin asks, getting more comfortable on the blanket as he chews on an apple too, the crunchy sounds filling your ears, melting together with the birds singing in the tree above you.

"Yes well, it's the third time I'm reading it actually."

"Doesn't it have a sad ending?"- he asks, tilting his head to look at you as you stare ahead, counting how many red flowers you can see in front of you. Sometimes counting stuff like that calms you down and you do it almost subconsciously, listening to what Changbin is talking about at the same time.

"Not everything is meant to have a happy ending."- you sigh, he reads between the lines. You're referring to yourself, he knows it as well as you do and it's like a thorn in his heart, piercing through the muscle, making him bleed red, red like the flowers you're tallying up.

"Maybe the journey should be appreciated more than just wanting to skip to an ending. Be it happy or sad."- he smiles and you chuckle at his words, the warmness of the sun on your legs is nothing compared to the warmness Changbin envelopes your heart with.

"Maybe."- you shrug, your apathy deeply rooted inside you, you're stubborn like a child and you can't or maybe don't want to let the sunshine in.

🌸

Today must be a special day, a day filled with warmth and laughter. You don't remember the last time you had this much fun, the last time you were this carefree, finally forgetting about what you have to do and who wants to tear away another piece of you.

There's a fair in town, one that has been a constant in your lives, you attended it every year, ever since you were kids when your mothers had to hold your hands and warn you not to wander too far. You never missed a year and this one was probably your favorite.

The only thoughts in your head are Changbin and how you had to try so hard to resist kissing him all over his face when he picked up a kalimba from one of the stands and started playing a random melody on it.

He looked so gleeful like he was that child again, your best friend, who grew up with you and who you grew to love more than yourself, so irresistible and loveable to you. He focused on the instrument in his hands and you didn't want to shatter the sweet moment even though he wasn't even hitting any of the notes right.

"I'll get it for you."- you say when he finally looks up at you, his eyes are shiny as he smiles.

"Really?!"- he asks excitedly and you nod, thinking nothing of it, it wasn't something very expensive and you didn't mind buying him a gift he liked but to Changbin it meant so much more.

After all, he still has the pretty rock you found on the beach when you were 9 and gave it to him as a present, claiming you were sure that it was the prettiest one and that he deserves to have it.

"I swear I'll learn to play it."- he says after you pay for it, making you laugh.

"I'm expecting a full concert."- you tease, wiggling your eyebrows.

"With an encore!"- he adds, both of you giggling as you stroll together, your shoulders brushing occasionally, making your heart skip a beat or two.

You browse through many stands and both of you get hungry, stomach growling and legs cramping from all the walking. You decide to get some dessert, pancakes with ice cream, and you sit on one of the benches, the view of people eating, laughing and talking with their loved ones before you.

Changbin notices pretty flowers right there next to him and he gently plucks one out. You look at him and he smiles at you, like you're the most beautiful of them all as his hand reaches towards you and places the flower in your hair.

"What is that for?"- you chuckle, your cheeks warm and you almost bring your hand up to touch them, but you're balancing the ice cream pancake in your lap, you don't want it to fall and make a mess of your clothes and the floor.

"Looks prettier there."- he says and your breath is caught in your throat.

He means the flower, not you, it's not you, it's never you, that is what you think.

You don't say anything, you look back at your food and Changbin deflates, wishing he could find a delicate way to yell out how beautiful you are, how precious your heart is and how rare a soul like yours is. He wishes to do so quietly, so you don't get scared and run off like a vunerable animal that jumps at any loud sound.

You feel down suddenly, but Changbin doesn't let you feel blue for too long, quickly changing the subject to something funny he remembered or a movie he found interesting.

And when you finish your pancake, your stomach is full and so is your heart. Even just for a moment, you feel full.

You start walking back home, your legs hurting and Changbin offers you to climb on his back and you do so, both of you laughing as he jokes around, pretending he'll drop you as you squeal before he actually starts walking normally with you attached to his back. He carries you home as your limbs wrap around him, wrapping around his heart even more.

You fall asleep as he carries you and he hates having to wake you up as he stands on your porch.

Your peaceful sleepy state is something Chanbgin wishes you could have when you're awake. He wishes he could be your peace, your comfort, your home.

And as he bids you good night, he stands on the porch a little longer than he needed to, even after you close and lock the door.

"I love you."- he whispers, his hand clutching the kalimba you so happily bought for him.

🫧SUMMER🫧

You don't like it. None of it. Not the weather, not the sun constantly making you feel like you're sizzling, not the crowded streets, not the laughter and squeals you can hear whenever you arrive at a beach.

You're a starfish, arms and legs spread out on your bed as you melt into it, the only sounds you hear are the fan turning and the music playing low as you stare up at the ceiling.

There are weird little spots on the ceiling, they were always there, you remember them since you were a child and you know how many there are. Exactly 43 of them but you will count them again and again, with the thought that a new one may appear any day now.

You concentration is broken on spot number 21, when Changbin walks into your room carrying a towel and a backpack.

"No."- you say before he can even open his mouth and he shakes his head, opting to try a light approach as he chuckles at you.

"You're gonna burn a hole into that bed if you keep laying in it."- he says.

"Great. Maybe it swallows me."- you say.

"You're a grim little thing, aren't you?"- he asks and you laugh, throwing a plushie at him but he manages to catch it mid-air.

"Come on, look I have watermelon. And sandwiches. And cards, we can play cards, you love that. And I brought my portable speaker."- he pouts at you and how can you say no to that?

"Alright, alright, you won me over. Give me 15 minutes to get ready."- you say, finally getting up and only then feeling how sweaty your back actually is.

Changbin waits for you in the kitchen, as you pick yourself up, take a quick shower and finish getting ready.

Your heart flutters just a little when you come down and see him helping your mom with the dishes.

In moments like this you wish you could tell him how much he means to you but your tongue twists, a knot in your stomach and a void inside your chest pulls you deeper under water, drowning you in the darkest depths of the ocean.

There's a smile on Changbin's lips the whole way to the beach as he leads you down the path you're familiar with, where your feet have padded through countless times before.

It's unbearably hot and you try to chase the shade as much as you can, the crickets screaming in unison with your burning skin. The closer you get to the beach, the more excitement courses through your veins and Changbin notices how the ends of your lips quirk up and how there's a skip in your step. His mood instantly shifts, matching your pace before the two of you start racing to the beach and giggling like crazy.

"Whoever gets there last, pays for lunch!"- you shriek as you start running, and Changbin scampers behind you slowly, ofcourse letting you win as he looks at your figure getting further away from him and fusing into the sparkly ocean and the blue sky before you.

The little giggles spilling from your lips fuel his heart and his desire to drink from your lips and taste the love that you carry inside you. He hurries to catch up and you turn to look at him breathless, weightless, elated.

The smile he loves reaches your eyes, for a fleeting moment, the sparkle that he unknowingly ignites is burning in your irises, bringing your soul out transparently only for him.

"Thank you for lunch in advance."- you smirk and he giggles.

"You don't have to thank me."- Changbin says and he means it, you don't have to thank him for anything he does for you, he would do it in a heartbeat again and again.

The two of you make it to the water, finally stripping and all but running into the water, excited to cool off a little on a hot summer day.

As soon as you adjust to the temperature of the water, laughter travels through the air between the sounds of splashes as you and Changbin start playing around, not caring if anyone is looking at you, feeling like only the two of you exist.

You wished every day of your life feels just like this.

Only when you get exhausted and the skin on your fingertips shrivels is when you finally get out of the ocean. Changbin is quick to grab a towel and put it around you, another one of the little things he does that makes your face and chest warm.

He opens the mini portable fridge, taking out some watermelon that was cut into pieces. You are the dj, playing some music on his speaker as the two of you settle into a chat.

You get lost in the ocean, watching as the waves roll and roll, your head is a little dizzy and it feels like your body rolls and crashes together with the waves. At first, it soothes you together with Changbin talking about some new band he discovered. Suddenly you feel like something's grabbing your ankles and pulling you down, and you try to fight against it. But the turmoil grows bigger and stronger, grappling to pull your head under water. You want to fight so bad, you wish to have it in you to fight for survival but you are just so tired and you have no fight left inside you anymore.

The sweet juice from the watermelon melts down your fingers, mixing with the salty tears sliding from your face down to your hand.

"Y/n?"- Changbin looks at you. "What's wrong?"- he asks, his face turning into a face of worry, his eyebrows pinched together.

You hate it, hate seeing him unhappy, hate bothering him with your silly little outbursts that you don't even know the cause of.

"N-nothing. I don't know."- you wipe at your face and his eyes soften, his hand coming up to caress your upper back gently.

"It's okay. We can count the clouds together and take deep breaths, what do you say?"- he smiles and you're slowly being pulled up from under the ocean, Changbin being the first thing you see as you emerge out and steady yourself, his hand searching for yours, fingers slotting perfectly together.

You count and he squeezes your hand, sticky from the watermelon but neither of you care. All you care about is him, and all he cares about is you finding your way back to him.

That evening, Changbin goes home with a new pretty rock you found before the two of you made your way back from the beach.

He places it next to the other one,

"I love you."

🍁FALL🍁

The heat has gone away, replaced by crisp air and the smell of petrichor. The rain drips, drips, drips on your windowpane as you sit with your warm cup of tea, a comfy blanket wrapped around your body, your book laying on the side forgotten as Changbin paces around the room, talking excitedly about some people he met who share the same love for making music as he does.

You gaze out the window, watching as the leaves fall down, hitting the ground soundlessly and making piles under the trees. You wanna count how many red ones fall down, but you can't, not when your friend is literally bouncing off the walls as he talks, distracting you from the task you gave yourself.

"Okay Binnie, I love that for you but please slow down, you're making me dizzy."- you chuckle.

"Oh! I'm sorry!"- he bursts into laughter with you, before he finally sits down, taking a deep breath in.

He talks about this Chan and Jisung that are apparently geniuses at what they do and he wants to join their little squad, and they want him to make music with them.

You're extremely proud of Changbin, you're estatic for him but you can't help feeling just a tiny bit jelaous and weird, like someone is bursting your little bubble and taking Changbin away from you. You know it's irrational, but you can't stop the tears that slide down your cheeks that night together with the raindrops sliding down your window glass as you stare at it, your legs pulled up to your chest.

You wonder what is wrong with you, why you feel so cold and abandoned, why you feel so completely alone when you know you're not.

You fall asleep only after counting raindrops.

🍁

Halloween might be your favorite holiday ever and Changbin shares the excitement with you as you decide to dress up in matching vampire attire. It wasn't the first idea that came to his mind for costumes but when he saw your puppy eyes and your lower lip jutting out cutely he couldn't say no.

There was a party held by one of your acquaintances from your uni, Hyunjin, who was popular enough to probably have the whole town come to his house, which is what went through your mind as you arrived at the party.

There were too many people for your liking, and Changbin assured you he wouldn't leave your side the whole night and if you needed to get away, he would be your partner in crime.

The evening was going fine until you caught sight of your abusive ex. A chill went down your spine. They never lifted a hand on you physically, but they always took from you, never gave anything in return, they peeled away all the layers, cut out all the pieces, fed their own desires and just kept taking and taking until you were left shattered on the floor like a porcelain doll. There were so many broken pieces that you're sure you'll never be able to glue them back together.

Changbin follows the line of your sight and finds out the reason the look on your face turned sour. He wrapps his arm around you and pulls you closer to him as your ex had the audacity to approach you.

"What are you doing?"- you whisper to Changbin and he just squeezes you gently.

"Trust me."- he whispers back, and you do. You would trust him with your life.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"- your ex smirks.

"A loving couple. You got a problem with that?"- Changbin speaks up and you gasp, you've never seen him speak to someone like that, you always saw him as a soft teddy bear, tender and sweet, always delicate with you like you were made of glass.

Your heart beats hard against your chest at the thought of you and Changbin being a couple, a loving couple at that and you dare to let yourself dream for a second as you drown out the sounds of the party wilding around you and your ex scoffing as they fuck off back into the mass of moving people.

"You okay?"- Changbin asks and you nod.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Surprised they didn't talk back to you, honestly."- you say as Changbin leads you to the couch so you can sit and calm down.

"Maybe they turned over a new leaf."- he says and you chuckle, it sounds so easy to do that, a leaf weighs absolutely nothing. You wish you could do the same, but when the hands are heavy, even lifting something as wispy as a single leaf seems impossible.

Changbin hold your hand again as you sit and count the fairy lights in Hyunjin's living room.

You don't know how, but your eyelids get heavy and you fall asleep on Changbin's shoulder.

His lips gently press into your hair amidst the chaos of the party, something so simple and gentle unfolds as his heart hammers inside his chest, spelling out,

"I love you."

❄️WINTER❄️

It's a yearly occurence, your families get together every Christmas and travel to a big house in the mountains to enjoy winter in all of it's glory; the snow high to your knees, the skiing resorts, the cable car where you can take in all the sights, the mountains massive, strong, soaring, touching the clouds and sky itself, they almost seem surreal to you.

Something like Changbin, who is always strong for you, a rock you can lean on, someone with a soul as big as his definitely touches the clouds and deserves to have the sky.

You almost feel like a little ant staring at the mountain, like you're nothing compared to it. Nothing compared to him.

Thoughts swirl in your mind, painting your soul black again, the dark void is now almost swallowing you whole, you're afraid you'll disappear inside it.

It grows even when your families are all together, wearing stupid christmas sweaters and exchanging gifts, it grows when you and Changbin go sledding, screaming and racing each other which ends up in a snow fight and him profusely apologizing because he hit your leg too hard with a snowball. It grows and grows, and you know you can't bend anymore, you're about to break. About to run out of fake smiles and I'm fine's, terrified of spring coming and nothing ever changing.

The vast snow covered hills and mountains that you stare at look like the void inside you feels, and that void looks back at you and mocks you, laughs at you.

"Hey, it's pretty late. Come inside, you'll get sick."- Changbin appears on the balcony and you jolt out of your thoughts and turn around to look at him.

He looks at you ever so softly, a beacon of light in the darkness of you.

"Where is everyone else?"- you ask, peeking into the living room behind him.

"They went to sleep. It's just you and me. Come on, we'll make some hot chocolate and gossip by the fire."- he wiggles his eyebrows and you can't help but laugh as you follow him inside.

Your eyes are trained on the fire, as Changbin's are on you, the reflections of it dancing on your face and illuminating every single spot, freckle, wrinkle that you have, everything he loves about you, everything he's already counted many times before wishing he could count them with his lips too, not just in his head.

"Is the chocolate good?"- he asks.

"Yeah, perfect."- you nod, but you want to scream. You want to tell him how scared you are of being unloveable and broken, scared of ending up alone, scared of never blossoming into a beautiful flower.

It's like he feels your thoughts and Changbin's heart swells, growing and expanding to fit everything that makes you you inside it, as the words spill from his lips;

"I love you."

Your head snaps towards him, the movement making you spill a few drops of chocolate on your sweatpants.

"W-what?"- you say, sure you've gone deaf in the middle of everything else.

"I love you. I can't keep it in anymore, I'm sorry. I've loved you always and I don't know living without loving you. I don't know who I am if I don't love you."

Your ears ring as you stare into his eyes, the crackling of the fire sounds like the crackling of your heart as it bursts in little fireworks and you feel like you've lifted up into the air, your body weightless like the little leaf, unbothered and carefree, and you cry.

You burst into tears as sobs escape your lips and Changbin's arms envelop around you, keeping you safe and pulling you back down to root yourself in the ground.

"Shh, it's okay. It's gonna be okay. I'm here."- he keeps whispering as he rocks you and you clutch onto him like he'll fade away from existence if you let go.

You want to tell him you're unworthy, that he's so much better than you and he deserves someone with an open heart, not you, the black hole that sucks everything in, you want to tell him you feel as empty as the white snow covered field, you want to tell him of your fear, your insufficiency and your doubt, residing in your soul that was tainted with darkness of other, befouled souls.

But you don't have to say anything, he knows you better than you think he does, and he holds you tightly, like you're the most precious thing to exist since the dawn of time until now.

But most importantly, you want to tell him that you love him too. And you can't. It eats at you as you cry harder but he understands. He always does.

His hands are smoothing down your back as he whispers over and over again;

"I love you."

🫀EPILOGUE🫀

And with the arrival of this spring, you have come alive too. You're not just a little leaf anymore, nit just a drop of dew, you're the most lovely flower of them all, you're his flower. Like a butterfly you've emerged from your cocoon, more beautiful, more colorful, more mature and loved. Your sun rises in the shape of your wonderful boyfriend, the one who removed the blanket of darkness from your eyes, the one who helped you pick the pieces back up, helped you love yourself.

It's a journey, the hole is still there albeit considerably smaller and you sit and count the red flowers while Changbin feeds you sliced up apples, nothing but love and adoration in his eyes as they observe you.

"Seventy six."- you exclaim suddenly, startling your lover from admiring you.

"Oh yeah? That was pretty fast."- he smirks jokingly at you.

"I'm kinda good at counting, actually I'm a professional at it."- you say matter-of-factly.

"I expect you to count all the kisses I give you today."- he giggles, pecking your cheek.

"Right, like you don't kiss me every second."- you roll your eyes playfully.

"Mhm, acting like you don't like it. Maybe I should just stop and make it easier for you to count when there's less of them."- he jokes and you laugh, the smile gracing your face reaches all the way up to your eyes.

"No, you should keep going. That way, I'll get even better at counting."

You continue joking around, like there's no care in the world, your book is next to your legs, the one you read over and over again. Maybe it doesn't have a happy ending, but now you know you don't need a happy ending in a book because yours is right next to you, being silly for the purpose of making you laugh.

The gaping hole inside you shrinks smaller and smaller and you don't feel like you're constantly on the edge of a cliff anymore. And even if you were, Changbin would be there to catch you.

You're lost in counting his eyelashes as he leans in closer to you and before your lips touch his, you whisper,

"I love you."

🫀

✨Taglist: @moonchild9350 @janepg @velvetmoonlght @hwanghyunjinismybae

#skz x reader #stray kids x reader #stray kids #skz changbin #changbin x reader #changbin fluff #changbin scenarios #changbin imagines #seo changbin #skz fluff #changbin #skz imagines #skz scenarios #stray kids changbin #changbin x you #changbin soft thoughts #changbin soft hours

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atlabeth · 8 months

Text

(they all say that) it gets better | luke castellan

bleedin' me dry for context (this is that reader's origin story!!)

summary: a look into your unclaimed year.

a/n: does it still count as fluff if you already know it doesn’t end well? idk but i’m having fun writing for this pair so it’s okay. i hope you guys are enjoying reading them!! this ended up becoming a hell of a lot longer than i thought it would be but these kind of one shots are my faves to write lol

title from teenage dream by olivia rodrigo bc apparently guts teenage angst works very well for a demigod who feels like they're worthless and unwanted for a good period of time!! shoutout to the gods

wc: 11.4k JESUS

warning(s): fem!child of demeter reader. typical anger at the gods, but luke is actually pretty sweet! crazy. mostly hurt/comfort, reader is going through it at the beginning (mentions of injuries and almost dying), honestly she's going through it the whole time but luke is very nice to her lol. barely proofread bc proofing 34 pages is a nightmare !!

It was your first day as a demigod and you were already off to a bad start.

You didn’t remember much, obviously. There was a lot of stumbling, barely held up by your satyr as you crossed the border, and then full on collapsing. Somehow you managed to stay conscious all the way to the infirmary, enough to hear shocked murmurs from the people-like blobs around you and terrified, whispered affirmations from your satyr as he ran along with whoever was carrying you.

You didn’t remember much. But you do remember thinking what a shameful existence it would be to die at fourteen.

And now you were sitting in an uncomfortable cot, staring at the wall and counting divots. The first half of your visit was only there in flashes as you drifted in and out of consciousness, but now, unfortunately, you were fully awake. You belatedly wondered how many other kids began their camp life with a stay at the infirmary.

The thought was dashed from your head as you jolted and cried out in sudden pain, and you shot daggers with your glare at the boy next to you.

“Sorry.” The boy fixing you up was about your age, and he almost seemed to glow from within. “You dislocated your shoulder—I was popping it back into place.”

“You could have warned me,” you seethed.

“I did,” he said, and when he placed his hands on your shoulder they actually did glow. “You just weren’t listening.”

“...Sorry,” you said after a moment. “I’m having a rough day.”

He shook his head with a slight smile. “It’s expected.”

“It’ll be okay,” your satyr said, and some of the tension left your shoulders as you looked over at Tate. He’d been by your side for the past two weeks of disasters, and you’d saved each other’s lives more times than you could count. You were just thankful he didn’t have to watch you die. “Jace is one of camp’s best healers. You’re in good hands.”

You nodded, not wanting to cause any more problems, so you bit your lip and bit your tongue and let him heal the rest of your injuries in silence. He was done soon enough, and you could feel both their eyes on you as you rifled through your backpack. Thankfully, Tate brought it in as you were dying. Your own blood stained the nylon.

“How do you feel?” Tate asked anxiously.

“Better,” you said, tearing your eyes away from it as you continued making sure all your belongings were still there. “A lot better. Not like there’s much competition.”

Tate chuckled, and Jace picked up a small bag from the bedside table and handed it to you—it looked like there were little pieces of fudge inside. “Here.”

“What’s this?” you asked as you took it.

“Ambrosia,” he said. “Wait a few hours before you have a piece, and only have a little if you feel a lot of pain. I already gave you nectar while you were out, and the last thing we need is you burning up.”

You looked at Tate with raised eyebrows and he smiled a bit. “Ambrosia and nectar are the food of the gods. It heals demigods in small portions, but take too much and you’ll get a fever. Worst case scenario, you’ll literally burn up from the inside.”

“Oh,” you said, and you stuffed the bag into your pack before zipping it up. “I’ll… I’ll wait.”

“Probably a good idea,” Jace said, and he looked over at your satyr as he stood up. “I’ve gotta get back to my sword-fighting lessons. Can you give her a tour?”

He shook his head. “I have to debrief with Chiron and Mr. D. There were some… rough things on the road.” Tate looked at you. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes— are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“It’s fine,” you said with a smile. “Do your thing. I’ll look around some, then we’ll find each other later.”

Tate nodded thankfully and went through an open door opposite your bed, and Jace gave you a tight smile as he started to put away all the medical supplies he used on you. You sighed, slung your bag over your shoulder, and walked out.

You shut the door behind you and blinked rapidly as you tried to adjust to the sunlight. Then, you heard someone sigh.

“Thank the gods you’re okay.”

You turned to see a boy standing up from the wall. Dark curls hung just above his eyes, a contrast to his tanned skin, slightly red from exertion. He was wearing the same bright orange shirt that your healer was—Camp Halfblood, it said in curved text. He was far too pretty for his own good.

“I’m the one who carried you in,” he said, and you realized you were frowning. “Wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Oh,” you said. “That’s… that’s nice of you.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve gotten someone new,” he said. “Even longer since they’ve had such a dramatic entrance.”

You shrugged. You didn’t exactly know what to say to this boy. “Sorry.”

He paused for a moment, and then he nodded. “Not one for conversation. That’s fine.”

“I did almost just die,” you said wryly. “I’m fresh out of icebreakers at the moment.”

“Maybe I can help with that.” He held out his hand. “Luke Castellan. Head Counselor of the Hermes cabin, and apparent rescuer of damsels.”

You huffed a laugh as you stared at him. “I’m a damsel?”

“I’d say you were in as much distress as someone could be back there,” he said with a shrug. “I practically saved your life. I think that deserves a handshake.”

The slightest bit of tension dissolved from your shoulders and you shook his hand. His smile grew.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, dropping his hand. “You were pretty rough when I found you.”

“Better,” you said, though you grimaced a bit as you tested your shoulder, and you decided to switch your pack to your other side. “Whoever that guy in the infirmary is, he’s good.”

Luke nodded. “Son of Apollo—they’ve got healing abilities. Very useful when we’re all constantly getting injured.”

Your brows knit together. “So it really is all real.”

“You were nearly dead on our doorstep, and from those claw marks I’m guessing it wasn’t just a bad fall.” Luke offered a wry smile. “I’m sure you’ve known it’s all real for a while.”

“Of course,” you said. “It’s just weird to really know that it’s all real. To see all of you, really. Just knowing I’m not alone.”

He nodded. “That’s the best thing about it, knowing you’re not alone.” He looked around at your surroundings—various campers chatting as they walked with each other (some glancing at you as they went by), distant shouts and cheers, and a perfectly blue sky matching the perfectly blue house you just left.

“I’d say the worst thing about it is feeling like I still have no idea what’s going on,” you said. “Unless the gods exist just to be deadbeats. That’d be disappointing.”

Luke actually laughed at that, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and you found yourself smiling a bit. “I can tell we’re gonna get along.”

Your own smile returned—it was like his joy was infectious. “You think so?”

“I know so,” he nodded. “Just… try not to throw the gods’ names around like that. They don’t like to be talked about unless they’re being revered.”

You huffed. “Sounds like an interesting place.”

“Camp Halfblood,” he provided, and he gestured around you with his hand. “Keeping young heroes safe for over three millennia.”

“What,” you said wryly, “are you their PR guy?”

Luke laughed and shook his head. “It’s something Chiron likes to say.”

“You’re the second person to mention Chiron,” you said. “Who exactly is he?”

“You haven’t gotten a tour yet?”

You gave him a look. “Come on. You carried me in. You think I could have gotten a tour between then and now?”

“Fair,” he admitted, and he tilted his head. “I can give you one, if you’re so inclined.”

“I said I would wait for Tate,” you said. “He’s my satyr— I figure I owe it to him.”

“C’mon,” Luke said. “He’s meeting Chiron and Mr. D—that’ll take long enough on its own, and if we don’t get out of here soon enough, you’re gonna get dragged into a whole other conversation with them. At least this way, you can get a little bit of downtime before all the lore of this place is dropped on you.”

You bit your lip, and then you sighed and nodded. “Fine. But it can’t take too long.”

Luke smiled and held up three fingers. “Halfblood’s honor.”

You didn’t know where to start.

There were far more people than you expected, not nearly enough beds for all of them, and half were talking and a quarter were fighting and the others were just completely unfazed. All you could do when you walked in was stare.

“You get used to it,” Luke said, glancing over at you. “Everyone’s nice, I promise—just keep a hand on your pockets.”

You frowned. “Why?”

He gave you a crooked smile. “Hermes is the god of thieves. We learn by experience in this cabin.”

Your hands instinctively reached back to the pockets of your jeans, despite the fact that you hardly had anything to your name. “Why do they put the new, naive kids in here again?”

“God of travellers, too—all are welcome.” Luke saw your hand shoot to your pocket and laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone mess with you too much—for now, at least.”

“Oh, good,” you said lightly. “The hazing doesn’t start until later.”

Luke smiled as he continued to guide you through the cabin, nodding to and greeting campers with equal parts names and handshakes as he walked past them. You got just as many stares as Luke did hellos, and your skin crawled at the attention.

“Why are they all looking at me?” you whispered to him.

“Like I said, you’re the first new camper in a while.” Luke glanced at you. “News spreads fast, especially in this wreck of a place.”

“It’s not that bad,” you said , but your grip tightened on your backpack strap. “Just very busy.”

“That’s what happens when they shove everyone in here,” Luke said. “All are welcome means all are welcome—Hermes kids, unclaimed kids, and kids of minor gods.”

You frowned. “Minor gods don’t have cabins?”

“This place is as much for us as it is in honor of the gods,” he said. “Twelve cabins for twelve Olympians. They don’t see it as a problem, therefore we can’t see it as a problem.”

You decided to bite your tongue, but you couldn’t hide your sigh. “I guess I’m gonna be here for the time being.”

He looked you up and down, and all you could think was that you must look like an absolute disaster. “I’m guessing you fall into the unclaimed.”

Your lips pressed into a thin line, a sad attempt at a smile. “Yeah, but I just got here—I bet my mom doesn’t even know it yet. Gods are busy.”

“They’re also omniscient,” Luke said wryly. “I’m sure she could have claimed you the second you crossed the border. Your parent could’ve given you a little divine intervention and kept you from nearly dying on the hill.”

“Well, I’m here for now,” you said with a bit too much force, and your nails dug into your palms. “So do you mind showing me around?”

Luke stared at you for a moment before he smiled. “‘Course not. I can also give you a quick tour of camp too, if you haven’t already gotten one.”

You shook your head. “Only the infirmary.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” he said, “you heal up well.”

“I don’t think that’s a credit to me,” you said. “I think it’s whatever magical drink that healer gave me while he was trying to bring me back. Tasted like pecan pie.”

“Nectar,” he said as he started walking, and you followed behind him. “Drink of the gods that heals demigods in small portions. It tastes like your favorite food—same as ambrosia.” He stopped in an empty corner and looked at you. “You like pecans?”

You shrugged, suddenly self conscious. “My dad makes it the best.”

“I hope you’ll be able to get the real thing soon,” he said, and then he gestured with a flourish at the same empty corner. “Welcome to your new home.”

You stared at him. “This is the floor.”

“We’re a little overbooked,” Luke said sheepishly. “If it makes you feel better, we’ve got sleeping bags. And this is a top tier corner. Quieter than the others.”

“…Great,” you said. “I feel very welcome.”

“I’m sorry.” To his credit, he sounded like he meant it. “Bunch of unclaimed kids, couple kids of minor gods, couple Hermes kids—it all kinda adds up to a mess.”

“...It’ll be better than camping,” you said, though mostly to yourself as you took your bag off your shoulder and let it thud to the ground.

“Hey,” Luke said, and his voice was softer, “it’ll be okay. With any luck, your parent’ll notice you now that you’re at camp, and you’ll be claimed before you know it.”

“I hope so,” you murmured.

“Luke, who’s the new girl?”

A boy with curls just as good as Luke’s walked up and clapped him on the back, smiling at you in a way that instantly set you at ease. He also wore the orange camp shirt, with long tan sleeves below that he’d pushed up to his forearms. He had kind eyes.

Luke said your name, his own smirk on his lips as he looked back at you. “You’ve probably heard about her dramatic entrance by now, but she’s the newest resident of the Hermes cabin.”

“Unclaimed or your sibling?” he asked.

“...Unclaimed,” you said yourself. You hadn’t even been here for more than two hours and it already felt like your own brand of shame.

He repeated your name with a nod and held out his hand. “I’m Chris,” he said. “Fellow unclaimed kid.”

A little bit less of a scarlet letter, at least. You swallowed your budding insecurity and shook his hand. “Sounds like a shitty club to be in.”

He snorted. “You’re telling me.”

“How— how long has it been?” you asked hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer.

His lips pressed into a tight smile. “Couple years.”

“Gods,” you murmured. You didn’t know if you’d be able to wait that long. It had been hard enough already growing up without one—if your mother was just out of reach after all this time, you would surely lose your mind.

“Don’t worry,” Chris said, his expression softening a bit. “It won’t take that long for you. I can tell.”

“That’s what Luke said,” you responded wryly. “Do I give off a vibe that says ‘I’m unwanted, but not for too long’?”

Luke laughed and shook his head. “I promise, it’s all gonna be okay. I’ve been the counselor here for a couple months—kids get claimed all the time. I bet you’re next on the list.”

“Maybe,” you said. You didn’t believe it as much as they did—if they did at all.

You heard the door open and your head automatically turned to the noise, and you felt the heat rush to your cheeks in embarrassment as Tate came through, slightly out of breath. You stared at Luke—he said thirty minutes at least. He just shrugged.

“I figured you would be here,” Tate said, his chest rising and falling just so as he walked—trotted?—inside. “You didn’t exactly wait.”

You opened your mouth to speak up, but Luke beat you, already putting on a charming smile. “Sorry. We got to talking, and then I offered to show her around the Hermes cabin. Just so she could put her things down, y’know.”

“‘Course,” Tate nodded. “That— that was probably a good idea. Would have been bad if you got lost or something.”

“I’m sorry,” you said, and you went to pick your bag up. “Luke said you would be talking for a lot longer— I was going to come back after I was done with this.”

Tate shook his head. That nervous energy from the worst parts of the road was back, and you wondered how badly the talk with Chiron and Mr. D went. “No, it was a good idea. Better than you getting lost around camp or caught up with some troublemakers. Thanks, Luke.”

“‘Course,” he said.

“Not sure she’s in much better hands with Luke,” Chris said wryly. “He’s head troublemaker in the cabin of troublemakers.”

Luke just chuckled and shook his head. “It’s her first day. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

You were only able to glance at Luke for a moment before your attention was drawn back to Tate as he gestured outside with his head. “Chiron’s waiting outside. He wants to talk to you some before the tour.”

And now you had to deal with it too. “...Great,” you said. You set your bag back on the ground, in your newly coveted corner.

“It’ll be fine,” Tate promised. “You already went through Hades to get here— he’s not gonna pile on you more. That’s why Mr. D is back at the Big House.”

This time, you did look at Luke. Thankfully, he understood.

“Dionysus,” he explained. “He’s our camp director.”

You blinked. “The god?”

“Yep,” he nodded. “Punishment from Zeus. Not the worst gig, but he’s… interesting.”

“Great,” you repeated, because you didn’t feel like processing that at the moment, and you looked back at Tate. “You’ll be with me, right?”

He nodded. “Not for the talk, but for the tour.”

You let out a loose breath, because it was going to be fine. He was just the authority figure of the one safe place in the world for you, and you were just an annoying kid that had no idea what the hell was going on.

“Great,” you said for the third time. You looked back at Luke. “I’ll see you around?”

He smiled and bowed his head. “Definitely. You do kinda live here indefinitely now.”

You nodded, more relieved than you wanted to show, and you started following Tate out.

You heard Chris mutter something to Luke, and you turned your head in time to see Luke jab him in the side. His head perked up when you laughed, and his whole expression changed as his smile returned and he did a little wave.

You couldn’t help but smile back as you did the same, and you left the cabin with a little pep in your step.

—

“You promise you’ll be safe.”

“Yes, Tate,” you said with a slight laugh. “The worst is already over—you got me here, and we’re both alive. I’m gonna be fine.”

“I know,” he said, and he managed his own smile. “I’m just worried about you. You don’t spend two weeks on the road fighting for your life with someone and not get a little attached.”

“You’ll be back here, right?” you asked. “I know your whole thing as a Protector, but you’ve gotta drop the demigods off too, right?”

“Of course I’ll be back,” he promised. “It… just might be a while. You’re the third demigod I’ve gotten to camp safely, now—Chiron’s trusting me with a bigger mission. It might be a couple months, but I’ll be back.”

“And you’re telling me to be safe,” you said wryly.

“I’ve been doing this for a while,” he said. “You just got here.”

“I know,” you said, and you pulled him into a hug. “Just don’t get killed out there.”

Tate laughed and patted you on the back before he pulled away. “So long as you don’t killed out here.”

“Thanks for everything,” you said with a nod.

“Thank you,” he said, and he gestured at the pavilion with his head. “Now get over there and make some friends. I’ll see you around.”

You hugged him one last time before you reluctantly went off, and you looked back to wave him goodbye before you really started on your way.

Your head still spun with all the information Chiron and Tate had imparted on you—so much about Greek mythology (and how it was all real), ADHD and dyslexia (and how they weren’t just there to make your life harder), your godly parent (who would hopefully claim you within the month) and so much more that you knew you would forget in an hour or two.

And Chiron’s talk. God, it felt more like you were in the principal’s office than anything, even though he was nothing but kind. You couldn’t help but be overwhelmed from it all, and though the talk was probably meant to stave some of that anxiety off, it really didn’t.

But you’d always felt out of place all your life. And now you were finally where you were meant to belong—that had to count for something.

Tate had dropped you off at the pavilion—nearly dying had taken a lot out of you, and it just happened to be lunch—and just as you neared the tables and realized you had no idea where to sit, your eyes were drawn to a boy raising his hand and calling your name.

You looked over and saw that it was Luke, the counselor from earlier, and you couldn’t help but smile. True to his word.

You weaved your way through various campers and around tables full of kids to finally stop next to Luke’s table—Chris, the guy from earlier, sat across from him, and they both smiled at you.

“How’d the tour go?” he asked.

“Fine,” you said with a nod. “A little overwhelming, but better than I thought.” You pulled at your new camp shirt, the fabric noticeably brighter than a majority of those around you. “I match now, at least.”

“Orange suits you,” Luke remarked, and he patted the open spot next to him. “Sit down—stay for a while.”

You chuckled as you sat down. You still felt out of place, but at least they weren’t going to hang you out to dry. “Bright orange seems like an odd choice when we’re trying to stay hidden.”

“Probably so Chiron doesn’t lose us,” he joked. “This place is huge, and there’s a lot of us. When the newest camper gets turned around in the woods during capture the flag and nearly dies to a monster, it’s easier to find them.”

You frowned, and you must’ve not been very good at hiding your panic because Chris shook his head.

“Luke, you’re scaring her. She’s already been through enough.”

“Don’t worry,” Luke said, patting you on the shoulder. “Just a little halfblood humor. You’re gonna be fine, I promise.”

“It doesn’t feel that way,” you said wryly. “It feels like I nearly died four hours ago and now I have no idea who anyone is or what to do.”

“Not true,” Chris spoke up, and he smiled. “You know us.”

“I’ll look out for you,” Luke promised. “And pretty soon, you’re gonna be good enough to look out for me.”

You let out a long lasting sigh. “God, I hope so.”

—

“You’re not holding it right.”

You adjusted your hold on the hilt, resisting the urge to wipe away the bead of sweat dripping down your forehead and the even stronger urge to hit him.

“You’re still not holding it right.”

Your teeth grinded together as you turned to look at Luke. “Are you gonna actually help me, or just stand there judgmentally?”

“I dunno,” he said. “The weather’s pretty good over here.”

You groaned and moved your non-dominant hand closer to the pommel, shifting your other down as well. “Is this worthy of your approval, Your Majesty?”

Luke chuckled as he walked over to you, and you could feel the calluses on his hands as he adjusted your form with slight touches to your arms. “It is acceptable, my lady, but your posture is not.”

“I don’t know how so many people at this camp like you,” you grumbled. “This is awful, and so are you.”

He smiled. “You’ve been here for two weeks. Give yourself some grace.”

“I’ve spent one of those trying and failing at the most basic basics of sword-fighting,” you said. “I spent the past hour losing to an Ares kid who I’m pretty sure actually wanted to kill me.” You looked over at Luke. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

“Trial by fire,” he supplied. “You’re still alive, so obviously you’re doing something right.”

“Yeah, probably because you’re here,” you said. “You can’t just kill someone when their counselor’s standing right next to them. It’s bad publicity.”

Luke huffed a laugh and shook his head as he crossed his arms. “Stop talking down on yourself. You managed to make it here with a couple monster attacks on the way—what’d you use then?”

“I started off with a screwdriver I stole from the garage before Tate and I left,” you said. “And then I stole a hunting knife from some outdoor store. Not exactly top-tier.”

“Lotta stealing,” Luke chuckled. “Maybe you are a Hermes kid.”

“They nearly caught me,” you said. “Definitely not.”

“Regardless of thievery, you still survived,” he continued. “You’re not a bonafide swordsman, that’s fine. But you’re resourceful, creative—scrappy in a fight is just what we need sometimes.”

“Great,” you mumbled. “I’m ‘scrappy’.”

“It’s a compliment,” he promised. “If we were all sword-fighters, we wouldn’t get far. Someone like you is gonna do us a lot of good.”

“If I don’t die before I even get out to the battlefield.” You knocked the helmet off of one of the straw dummies with your sword and sighed as it clattered to the ground. “This is the only enemy I stand a chance against.”

“You’re thinking too much about it all,” Luke said. “You’re literally wired for battle—didn’t you feel it during your fights on the way to camp?”

You shrugged. You guess you did—you remember not even taking the time to analyze the situation, just knowing your lives were in danger and finally feeling the ever-present jitters in your bones settle for the first time.

“It was rough,” you finally said. “But… it did feel like I knew what I was doing. Like my body understood it all even when my mind was still a couple steps behind.”

“And that was without training, and with,” Luke huffed an incredulous laugh, “a screwdriver. Just imagine what you’ll be able to do with actual Celestial bronze and actual training.”

“…I think I remember why people like you,” you said reluctantly. “And why I liked you.”

Luke grinned as he stood up. “That’s the spirit.” He picked up the fallen helmet and placed it back on the dummy, then looked at you. “I think I’ve put you through enough suffering. Let’s get lunch.”

“So a compliment was all it took for me to get out of this?” you asked in exasperation, gesturing with your sword as you worked to undo the ties on your armor with your other hand.

“Exactly,” he mused, and he took the sword from you to store it away. “I don’t get nearly enough compliments these days, y’know. Sometimes you end up taking that out on campers that don’t know how to swordfight.”

“Luke Castellan,” you grumbled as you finally got your breastplate off, “you are a piece of work.”

He winked. “Thank you.”

—

You didn’t think you were built for this life.

It was the only thought running through your head as you sat at a crowded Hermes table, absentmindedly picking at fruit with your fork as you stared off into the distance.

You’d been at Camp Halfblood for a month now, but it had already felt like a lifetime.

You’d managed to make a few friends—a Demeter girl who grew you a bouquet of your favorite flowers as a consolation prize for fighting dirty during training; an Athena boy who told you whatever interesting fact popped into his head first every time you ran into each other; the Hebe girl who had the misfortune to have the corner opposite you in the Hermes cabin and showed you skincare tips once in a while.

Throw in a smattering of Hermes and unclaimed kids and a counselor that seemed determined to make you smile, and you weren’t as lonely as you thought you’d be.

You were learning how to fight in your own way. Luke was right—you weren’t a swordsman, but you were damn good up close and personal. He’d taken you to the camp armory, you found a Celestial bronze dagger that spoke to you, and from then on you’d actually been doing well in training.

Your corner of the Hermes cabin didn’t feel as sad anymore, either. Luke took you to the camp store for retail therapy after you nearly burned your jeans off on the climbing wall, so now you had an AC/DC poster (courtesy of the little money you had) and an I ❤️ NY keychain to attach to your backpack (courtesy of Luke’s idle hands).

You were starting to come into your own, sure. You were doing better in training and making friends in the cabin you were stuck in and starting to get used to burning part of every meal, but the most glaring issue of all still hadn’t been resolved.

You still hadn’t been claimed.

And maybe it shouldn’t have been such an issue for you, but how could you not feel shitty? How could you see all the different tables and all the different kids talking and smiling and joking with each other that had parents who cared enough to at least claim them, and not feel unworthy?

Because you did. You felt unworthy, and it didn’t matter how many times you took your sparring partner down or bested the climbing wall or actually hit the bullseye at archery practice—your mother didn’t think you were good enough, so neither did you.

“How’re you doin’, Berkeley?”

You frowned. You didn’t have to look up to know it was Luke as he sat down next to you. “What?”

“Did you not hear me?” he asked, but you were already shaking your head.

“Berkeley,” you repeated, finally glancing at him. “That’s not my name.”

Luke shrugged. “I dunno what to tell you. You’re unclaimed. UC. University of California—first one I think of for you is Berkeley.”

You were staring now. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’ve got tons of UCs. I’ve gotta keep track of them all somehow,” Luke said, and he pointed at campers both at your table and walking around as he talked. “That’s LA, Irvine, Davis—the others aren’t here, but you get the gist.” He looked back at you. “Been savin’ Berkeley for someone special.”

“Oh gods,” you said, horrified. “I’ve got to get claimed.”

One of the girls at the table—Irvine?—rolled her eyes as she stood up and flicked Luke on the head. “Be nice,” she said before walking away. All he did was smile.

“Maybe give it to someone else,” you said. “I don’t feel special.”

Luke’s brows creased. “If you don’t like it—”

“It’s fine,” you said. “The name doesn’t bother me. The reason I have it does.”

His eyes softened as he said your actual name. “It’s only been a month. You’ve still got plenty of time.”

You looked across at the Hebe girl you’d become friends with—Marisol, if you remembered right—and hoped that your eyes didn’t show the desperation you felt. “How long did it take for you?”

She offered a sympathetic smile. “Six months. But it probably won’t be that long for you.”

“That’s what everyone keeps saying,” you mumbled. But it had been a month, and you hadn’t gotten a single sign.

“Because it’s true,” Luke urged. “Whoever your mom is will notice you—you’ve been killing it lately.”

“Really,” you said flatly, “I’ve been killing it.”

“Yes,” he said. “You don’t know it because you’ve only got your own experience—you went from nearly dead on our doorstep to taking down most of your opponents.”

“In training,” you said.

“That still counts!” Luke exclaimed. “Y’know, you’re holding yourself back. You’re incredible, but you’re the only one that seems to not notice it.”

“And my—”

“Do not say your mom,” he said, pointing a finger at you. “We’re not talking about the gods right now, we’re talking about you. And you, Bee, are killing it.”

That gave you pause. “Bee?”

“I’m trying to get you back up and you focus on the nickname?” Luke asked wryly.

“Just explain it,” you said.

“Bee shortened from Berkeley,” he said. “Not fully unclaimed, but still something special.”

God, you hated him. You’d been feeling shitty for a majority of your month here, but he always managed to make you smile.

“Sure,” you said.

“And a little annoying,” he added, earning himself a jab in the side as he laughed, “with a bit of a sting.”

“Aren’t you just so clever?” you mused, though you couldn’t help your smile widening.

“It’s in my genes,” he said proudly.

For the rest of a less than exciting lunch, Luke kept you occupied. Whether it was stories of his life before camp, or the couple of months that earned him counselor before you got here, or getting the other campers at the Hermes table to talk about themselves, he made sure you didn’t get a chance to spiral.

By the end, your face hurt from smiling

As you finished cleaning up, Marisol turned to you. “Me and a couple other girls were gonna go play volleyball—do you wanna come with us?”

“Yeah,” you said, and your smile grew. “Yeah, I’d love to. Thanks.”

“‘Course!” she exclaimed, and she linked arms with you. “I’d be a fool not to get you on my team after you took down Liam yesterday.”

She continued to talk as she pulled you along, and you looked back at Luke. He chuckled and gave you a thumbs up. “Go get ‘em, Bee!”

You gave him one back, and as you turned back to Marisol, you found that you couldn’t stop smiling.

—

It was two in the morning and you couldn’t stop crying.

You finally had a mattress against your back, and however stiff it was, it was better than the floor. A decent amount of kids got claimed over the past month, and half the cabin left after the summer was over, so you finally had the privilege of a bunk—thankfully, Marisol did too, and she was below you.

At least, until the summer-only campers that all the Hermes kids liked more than you returned. Then it was back to the floor.

Unless you got claimed before then. But that was less likely than being able to muster some good will from your cabin mates.

Because it was embarrassing, truly. You’d been at camp for four months now, and you hadn’t even gotten a single goddamn peep from whoever your mother might be. You just woke up every day on the floor, moseyed about a camp that still didn’t feel like home, burned offerings to a god that didn't want you, and went back to sleep on the floor.

And now you were crying in a bed that was barely even yours and it was two in the morning and you were wondering if it would have just been better for you to die on the road to camp the first time, because at least then your mother might have actually paid attention to you.

“Hey.”

And now you were really wishing you’d died because you’d woken someone up and they’re just gonna hate you more—

“Are you okay?”

You finally turned your head from where it had been buried in a pillow, a laissez-faire attempt to suffocate yourself or maybe just muffle the noise, and you saw Luke Castellan. Counselor of a cabin of thieves, vagabonds, and rejects, and maybe the only person that you didn’t want to see you like this. All that good will, the unearned faith you’d accumulated—this was the easiest way to lose it. His eyebrows were creased, and his whisper held what sounded like concern, but he was required to be concerned.

You nodded, still not moving, still not speaking. Tears rolled down your cheeks and stained the bed sheet.

“You’re gonna have to be a little more believable than that, Bee,” Luke murmured.

“No, I don’t,” you whispered back.

You got the tiniest huff of a laugh out of him, and he gestured towards the closed door with his head. “Wanna take a second?”

“It’s past curfew,” you mumbled.

“And you’re miserable,” Luke said. “You can’t feel any worse getting eaten by harpies than you do now.”

Still, you stared at him.

“It’ll be okay,” he promised. “Right outside the cabin. Harpies won’t even know.”

You rubbed a hand across your face, coming away wet with tears, and you realized that he wasn’t just going to leave you like this. So you got up as quietly as you could, careful not to disturb your bunkmates, and followed Luke. He pushed the door open and shut so quietly you wondered how many times he’s snuck out.

The cold air was sobering, and you wiped away more tears before wrapping your arms around yourself. Camp Half-Blood was always supposed to have perfect weather, but you guess not even they were immune to November nights.

“So,” Luke started, and in your peripherals you could see him leaning against the side of the cabin. You could feel his gaze on you, and you just stared off into the distance.

“So,” you repeated.

“You wanna tell me why you’re crying in the middle of the night?” he asked.

“Not really,” you said, because it felt ridiculous that a boy your age was acting like he’s ten years your elder.

Luke chuckled and tipped his head. “Fair. You want to say anything at all?”

“I’m sorry for waking you up.”

He shook his head. “I was already up. I’m a light sleeper.”

“Seems rough in a cabin like this,” you said.

“I’ve gotten used to it,” he said. “Did you have a nightmare?”

You frowned, because now it really felt like he was babying you. Luke must have caught on, because he laughed a bit and shook his head.

“Demigods have… extremely vivid dreams,” he said. “Typically horrific nightmares. Sometimes prophetic.”

Your frown deepened. “That’s awful.”

Luke shrugged. “It’s just the way it is. The gods can’t interfere in mortal affairs, so I guess it’s their way of letting us know what’s wrong.”

You shook your head with a sigh. “No nightmares, thankfully. Just… feeling overwhelmed.”

“About what?” he asked. “I told you you’ve been doing great.”

“It doesn’t matter how many times you say it,” you said wryly. “It doesn’t mean I believe it.”

“There’s no reason you shouldn’t,” he asserted.

You huffed a laugh. “It’s been four months, Luke. Four months since I got here after nearly dying in five different states, and I don’t even know who’s responsible for it.”

“Ah,” Luke said. “The unclaimed thing.”

“Yeah,” you said wryly. “I guess you could call it that.”

“Sorry,” he said, and he shook his head. “It’s a bigger deal than that, I know.”

“Maybe it isn’t,” you said. “There’s at least six other kids in there dealing with the same thing as I am, and none of them are waking up their counselor in the middle of the night with their tears.”

“Don’t talk about yourself like that,” Luke said with surprising conviction. “Like your feelings aren’t valid. Because they are.”

You crossed your arms. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

“They are,” he insisted. “A— and you’re not bothering me. We’re friends, and we help each other. I care about you, y’know.”

“I never said I was bothering you,” you said wryly.

“You thought it,” Luke said. “I know you did.”

“...Maybe.” You sighed and shook your head as you looked out at the stars. They really were beautiful here. “I just can’t help but be bitter about all this, and I feel so shitty about it.”

“Would it make you feel better to know you’re not the only one that thinks that?” he asked.

“A little, yeah.” You glanced at him. “No one else seems too bothered that their parents are never around.”

“Most of them have accepted that it’s just the way it is,” he said. “Doesn’t mean you have to.”

“Have you?”

Luke sighed after a moment of reluctance. “I… I have a complicated relationship with my dad because he was around. It was almost… worse to know him, and then to have him leave.”

“It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” you quoted.

“I don’t know about that,” Luke murmured. “But it certainly helps to talk about it.”

You glanced over to see him gazing off into the distance, a look in his eye that you couldn’t quite place. This was the most he’d ever talked about his past to you, you realized—and it still wasn’t much.

“When were you claimed?” you asked after a moment of contemplation.

Luke shrugged. “I never really had to be. Hermes stayed with my mom for a year after I was born, and she told me who he was when I was a little older. I’ve known basically my whole life—he had no reason not to claim me as soon as I got to camp.”

“So you’re saying my dad could be keeping secrets from me too,” you said.

“He might not know,” Luke said. “A lot of times, they don’t talk about it. Sometimes, we don’t find out until a monster’s trying to kill us on a field trip.”

You huffed. “What a great existence we’ve been blessed with.”

Luke smiled, though it was tighter than usual. He let out a deep breath, then fully turned to you.

“Do you have your dagger with you?”

You frowned. “It’s under my pillow. Why?”

“Under your—” Luke stared for a moment before he laughed and shook his head. “A little paranoid?”

You shrugged. “You said it yourself. You’re a cabin of thieves.”

“True,” he admitted. “How’d you like to get some of this emotion out?”

“We’re sneaking out even more?”

“It’ll be fine,” Luke promised.

“You always say that,” you said. “Eventually, it’s not gonna be true.”

He laughed and gestured at the door. “Get your dagger. We’re gonna make this a very bad night for some mannequins.”

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.”

You huffed as you ripped your dagger out of the dummy, a few strands of straw coming out of the new hole you’d torn in its forehead, and wiped the sweat off your forehead. “Are you kidding? This was a great idea.”

“Not this part,” he said. “The ‘being alone with you during a rage’ part.”

“I’m not in a rage,” you muttered as you slashed at the breastplate, “I’m blowing off steam.”

Luke hummed. “And you thought you weren’t a good fighter.”

You stabbed at the armor again then rammed your fist into its head, and you took a step back as the mannequin thudded to the ground. “I guess I just need to think about my mom before I go into battle.”

“Y’know, Bee,” Luke said, “you scare me sometimes.”

You shook your head, wiping your blade on your night shirt to get any debris off as you turned around. “You’re really gonna stick with that?”

“I told you I’d stop if you didn’t like it.”

“It’s not that. I just…” You sighed and shook your head again. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does.” Luke crossed his arms. “Everything you have to say matters.”

“Not if I say it doesn’t,” you countered, and you looked at him. “Who do you think it could be?”

“Your parent?” he asked. You nodded.

“Definitely not Apollo,” Luke said. “You’re way too dreary to be a kid of the god of the sun.”

“Gee,” you said dryly, “thanks.”

Luke shrugged. “You asked.”

“Well— who else?” You picked the dummy back up and dusted the armor off. “Athena, maybe? I’m smart.”

“Not smart enough to not be out past curfew with me,” he said.

“You suggested this,” you scoffed. “And I definitely needed it. If we get caught, I’m blaming you.”

“And why do you think that would work?” he asked, amused.

“You’re the camp’s golden boy,” you said. “I doubt you’d get in much trouble.”

“Sure, sure,” he said, nodding. “Or you just think I’m good enough to talk my way out of it.”

You tilted your head. “That too.”

“I never thought Ares before,” Luke chuckled, “but after all this, I think you might have it in you.”

“God, I hope not. Priya hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” Luke said. “She just tried to kill you that one time.”

“And that other time during capture the flag,” you said. “She’s out for blood, Luke.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “She always is. She’s probably already moved onto her next victim.”

“I hope so.”

“Maybe Aphrodite?” he suggested. “You’re awfully pretty.”

You rolled your eyes. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s true,” Luke corrected.

You huffed a laugh but couldn’t help the slightest smile as you shook your head. “It’s not Tyche, at least. I have the worst luck.”

“Maybe you’re a Big Three kid,” he said. “How do you feel about the sky?”

“I like it,” you said.

“The ocean?”

“Not so much.”

“And the darkness?”

You huffed a dry laugh. “I’m not a Big Three kid, Luke. Even I know that.”

“No, you don’t,” he said. “You can never know for sure until you’re claimed.”

“If I was, I would be the biggest disappointment,” you said, looking at your reflection in your dagger. “Breaking their pact for a kid that can barely fight.”

“Why do you always do that?”

Luke’s voice had lost the joking edge from before, and when you glanced over at him, he was frowning.

“Do what?”

“You always put yourself down,” he said. “You don’t even give yourself a chance to believe that you’ll be great, or that you’ll succeed—you’re just a coward, or a failure, or worthless at the first bump in the road.”

“Luke—”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I need you to understand that you are so, so much more than whatever that shitty voice in your head says.”

You went silent. Any words you could have even said stuck in your throat.

“This is not an easy life,” Luke asserted. “We’re thrown into an ocean before we know how to swim, and we have to find the shore all on our own or die trying. We—” he laughed, but there was no heart in it— “we’ve got our parents above us that could guide us, could save us, but most of the time they refuse to even acknowledge us. And we’ve got every single goddamn obstacle in the way trying to kill us.”

He inclined his head towards you. “But in spite of all that, you’re alive. You’re still here. You’re pushing through everything in your path, and you are still fucking here. Do you get that?”

“…I’m still here,” you repeated, and your hands clenched into fists. It had never felt more right to have your dagger in your hand.

Luke nodded resolutely. “And you’ve got a couple lifeboats to help along the way.”

“You mean it?” Your voice came out softer than you thought, in stark contrast to the stiffness of your bones, but you felt like a kid all over again.

“With all my heart,” he promised. “For as long as you’re here, I’ll be here.”

Your throat tightened, and the telltale beginnings of tears pricked behind your eyes. This time, when you spoke, your voice was little more than a whisper. “Thank you.”

“Always,” he said. “And I mean that.”

You nodded, maybe a few too many times, and cleared your throat as you looked back at your dagger. “It’s late. We should get back before we actually get in trouble.”

Luke nodded too, and he helped you move the dummy back into place. You hated how your heart jumped into your throat when your hands brushed for the barest moment, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice.

“Thank you for this.” You played with your hands as Luke finished putting everything else away—extra insurance to make sure no one knew you were here—and only managed to make eye contact just as he looked at you. “It… it really helped.” More than he knew, you were sure.

Luke smiled, and he offered you his arm. “Always.”

You took it, ignoring the heat in your cheeks. “Just… don’t tell anyone about the crying.”

He chuckled as you started walking together. “After the way you’ve been handling that dagger? I’d be a fool.“

“Luke,” you groaned, “this is awful.”

“You were the one who said you wanted to spend time with me,” he said, giving you a crooked smile. “Spending time with me after the worst cabin inspection ever means cleaning the place head to toe for our next one.”

“Is skipping dinner really worth it though?” you asked as you scooped up a pile of dirty clothes and tossed it into the basket between you two.

“It’s the only time this place is completely empty,” he said. “I told you I could handle it alone—you’re the one that insisted on helping.”

“Maybe I do want to be a Big Three kid,” you grumbled. “At least I’d only be cleaning up my own mess.”

“You’d also have the wrath of the gods and every monster in the world to deal with,” he said.

You shook your head. “A small price to pay for a clean cabin.”

“And then you wouldn’t get to see me when you wake up every day,” he mused. “A much bigger price to pay.”

You huffed as you dropped to your knees, reaching under a bed to grab a stray camp tee. “Keep talking, pretty boy. It won’t clean the floors.”

Luke grinned. “You think I’m pretty?”

“I think you’ve got the messiest cabin in the world,” you said. “We’ve gotten the lowest rating every day for the past two weeks. I’ve been here for seven months now, and I don’t think we’ve ever gotten a full five.”

“Which is why you’re helping me!” he said. “Because you’re as sick of scrubbing the pegasi stables as I am.”

“You’re the counselor here!” you exclaimed. “You’ve gotta whip your siblings into shape.”

Luke gestured at you. “You’re basically my co-counselor. It’s just as much your responsibility.”

“And just what makes you think that?” you marveled.

“You’re the person in the cabin I like the most,” he said, “and we spend a lot of time together. That’s enough to make you my partner.”

“My stuff is always clean,” you said. “It’s you and the rest of the Hermes kids that’ve gotten us stuck in the stables and the kitchens every afternoon. Not me.”

You started remaking the unmade bed—would it kill any of the Hermes kids to make theirs right after they got up?—and shook your head. “It’s just not fair. Aphrodite’s cabin is basically Barbie’s Dreamhouse, and Demeter kids can grow plants to make it all pretty. We’ve just got a cabin of slobs.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, but when you glanced at him, you saw he was smiling. “It’ll all be fine.”

“You always say that.” You got the fitted sheet into all the corners then looked at him full-on. “Even when it’s not about something as stupid as laundry. How do you know?”

Luke shrugged as he nudged a ladder to a top bunk back into place. “I don’t. I just hope for the best.”

“How do you do that?” you asked. “How does anyone here do that? I feel like I’m the most pessimistic person here.”

“Every single one of us is an anomaly,” Luke said. “Freaks of nature. By all accounts of logic, we shouldn’t exist. But we do. All of mythology does. And when we have to literally fight for our lives for every single day, it doesn’t do much good to sweat the small stuff.”

“All I do is sweat the small stuff,” you grumbled, and you stretched your back out before you continued. “D’you think they’ll get annoyed that we just pooled all their laundry together again?”

“Nah,” Luke said. “If they didn’t want to have to pick all their stuff out after we so graciously do the laundry for them, they would keep their things clean in the first place.”

You chuckled and shook your head as you finished laying out the sorry excuse for a comforter—it would end up on the floor five seconds into the night, but Sisyphus and the boulder and all that—and sat down on the fruits of your labor. “I think this mess is the one thing I won’t miss when I get claimed.”

“You’re not as down about that as you used to be,” Luke noted.

“You know how they say a watched pot never boils?”

He actually laughed at that as he leaned against a bed post. “If you don’t care, you’ll get claimed faster?”

You shrugged. “Nothing else has worked. And like you said—don’t sweat the small stuff, right?”

“Like you said— all you do is sweat the small stuff.”

“Maybe I’m gonna try and turn over a new leaf,” you mused.

“I think that would be good for you,” he said. “You’ve been happier lately. It’s good to see you happy.”

“You’ve been watching?” you asked wryly.

Luke smiled. “You know I always am.”

You ignored the warmth stirring in your chest as you shrugged. “I’ve spent way too much time this year being sad over things I can’t control. Might as well start focusing on the things I can.”

“And to think,” he mused, “this is the same girl that wanted nothing to do with me when we first talked.”

“Oh, please,” you said dryly, “I’ve always wanted something to do with you.”

“And you still understand that flattery gets you everywhere,” Luke said with a grin. He pushed himself up and held out his hand. “C’mon—this place is clean enough. I think if we run, we can still make dinner.”

“Think we’ll get in trouble for partially skipping?” you asked as you stood up and took his hand, swinging your intertwined hands a bit as you walked together.

Luke chuckled as he pushed the door open and you walked out. “After the work we did here? We should be hailed as saints.”

“Luke,” you whispered.

His eyes shot wide open as he jolted up, and you had to stifle your laugh at his bewildered expression before he realized it was you.

He said your name groggily, rubbing his eyes as he kept himself propped up with his other arm. “What d’you need?”

“The stars,” you said. “They’re beautiful tonight.”

“So are you,” he mumbled. “You don’t see me waking you up in the middle of the night to tell you that.”

“Luke,” you said, but you couldn’t help your smile. “On topic.”

“The stars,” he said, barely nodding in his addled state. “Good for them. I’m going back to sleep now.”

“No, Luke—” you laughed softly and took his hand. “Come stargazing with me.”

He closed his eyes, but he didn’t take his hand away. “You’re insane.”

“Please,” you said. “I could never see the stars at home, not like this. They’re brighter than I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s so late,” he complained. “Can we do it in the morning?”

“Do you know what stargazing is?” you asked, amused.

“Hey, lovebirds.” The annoyed, tired voice of a camper rang out as they hit the wall. “Take it outside so we can sleep.”

Again, you had to bite back a laugh. Luke looked like he was holding back a groan, but he got up anyway, rubbing the grogginess out of his eyes. You moved to the door as quietly as possible, and you waited until he joined you on the small porch.

“Thank you,” you said, hearing the door close, “and sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Luke covered up his yawn as he held a jacket out for you. “Put this on. I’m not gonna be responsible for you getting a cold because you want to stargaze in February.”

Your eyebrows rose as you took it. “Is this yours?”

“Don’t think too much into it,” he said, but he had the slightest smile on his lips. “You wanna see the stars, right? Let’s see ‘em.”

“Not here,” you said, shaking your head as you zipped up the maroon hoodie. You held out your hand once you finished. “Do you trust me?”

“Oh, gods,” he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair. “We’re doing a trust exercise too?”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” you remarked. You took his hand and started dragging him along, a clear spot in mind.

“You’re kidding me,” he said in exasperation. “I thought we were just gonna look at the sky for a couple minutes— you’re taking me to a second destination?”

“Hey,” you said, “don’t sweat the small stuff.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to use that on the harpies when they catch us and eat us,” Luke said offhandedly. “‘I’m sorry, ma’am—we’re really trying not to sweat the small stuff.’”

You laughed as you continued on your way, and out of the corner of your eye you could see Luke smiling too, despite himself. Suddenly, though, his grip tightened on your hand and he pulled you behind one of the thicker columns of the pavilion.

“Wh—”

He shook his head then gestured with it to the other side of the pavilion. One of the harpies—Aello, if you remembered correctly from Chris’s rant the past week about cleaning dishes—was walking past, muttering things to herself.

“Speak of the devil,” you marveled. You definitely weren’t a child of Tyche.

Luke gave you a look that quite clearly said be quiet, and for some reason that only made you want to laugh more. He must have seen that glint in your eye that he’d grown used to, because he placed his hand over your mouth right before the dam was about to burst.

You squeezed his hand tight as you tried to keep yourself from blowing your cover while Luke occupied himself with actually watching to make sure your path would clear. You were pressed right up against each other, and even through the jacket, even in the cold, you could feel his body warmth. He did say he ran hot.

Eventually, Luke let out a labored sigh and let his hand drop, and you wheezed, nearly doubling over.

“There is something wrong with you,” he said. He was barely able to hold back his own amusement.

“Oh my god,” you breathed, “that was awful.”

“That was your fault!” he exclaimed.

“How was it my fault?” you argued. “You’re the counselor here—you’re meant to be the responsible one!”

“I was being responsible!” Luke laughed again as he ran his hand through his hair then used it to gesture at you. “You were the one that nearly got us caught—you were the one who wanted to be out here in the first place!”

“Right,” you said, pointing your finger, “we gotta get to the beach.”

“Stargazing on the beach,” Luke marveled. “Definitely worth nearly getting eaten.”

“Oh, shut up,” you said as you continued to pull him along. “You could’ve said no.”

He squeezed your hand for a moment. “We both know I can never say no to you.”

Once you got to the beach you let go of his hand and laid down, taking care not to get sand in your sneakers. Luke sat down next to you but stayed up, watching the tide go in and out.

At night, without a hundred campers running around making all the noise they can, you actually felt like you could breathe.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” It almost felt wrong to break the sacred silence, to insert yourself in the ambiance of nature working together in all its glory.

“Yeah.” Luke’s voice was softer than usual, that rough edge you’d grown used to absent in the face of calmer seas. “Yeah. It’s…”

“Serene,” you suggested.

“Beautiful,” he said. When you glanced at him, he was already looking at you.

“Very smooth,” you said wryly. “Now stop flirting and look at the stars.”

Luke chuckled lightly as he let himself fall back. His hand bumped yours as he adjusted his position, and your breath caught in your throat for the barest moment. You moved it away.

The two of you laid there together in silence gazing at the stars for what felt like forever. The gentle waves coming to shore then leaving, the scattering of sand from quiet winds, and not a single angry car horn or police siren.

You missed home, the city. You were headstrong in your belief that Detroit was better than New York. But gods—sometimes, you just couldn’t beat camp.

You didn’t know what possessed you to break the silence. But something had been tugging at you since the moment you laid down on the beach, and so you did.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Luke didn’t miss a beat. “Always.”

“I…” you trailed off for a moment, but you bolstered yourself. “I’m scared of what comes next.”

You heard Luke shift in the sand and felt his eyes on you. “What do you mean?”

“After this,” you said. “The honeymoon phase of being a demigod.”

He huffed a laugh. “I wouldn’t say we have a honeymoon phase.”

“You know what I mean.” A shiver went down your spine and you put your arms on your chest. Like a coffin. “I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“I think you need to stop getting up in the middle of the night,” he said. “It seems you have all your existential crises then.”

You exhaled out your nose, a sorry excuse for a laugh. “I’ve heard about quests—how they can happen for no reason except a god’s will, to— to prove that you’re worthy. And all I can think about is that my mother will never claim me until I prove I’m worthy or die trying.”

Luke was silent. You could feel your throat closing up, the threatened onslaught of tears. You blinked them back.

“All my life, I have never felt seen,” you murmured. “And I’m terrified that the only way I will be seen is when I die.”

“Look at me.”

You turned your head—Luke’s eyes were piercing in the moonlight.

“I don’t care what anyone says, especially that voice in your head—you’re worth everything and more,” he said. “And you are worth so much more than becoming a martyr for a god’s approval.”

“I wish you could tell my mom that,” you mumbled.

“I would march right up to Olympus and say it to her face,” he said. “And if it bothers her that much, she can smite me right now.”

That got a breathy laugh out of you from the pure absurdity. Luke’s eyes flicked to the sky as he waited, and when he didn’t instantly die a horrific death, his gaze went back to you.

“I see you,” Luke promised, his voice low. “And I’ll make everyone see you the way I do. I swear it.”

You were starstruck. You couldn’t look away from him, from the determination etched into each detail of his face, the softness in his eyes directed wholly at you—the fact that he was here at all in the first place at an unholy hour just because you asked.

Oh gods. You were in trouble.

“It’s late.” You finally managed to break the spell that held you under. “We should go.”

“Yeah.” Luke made no motion to move, still focused wholly on you.

“Luke,” you whispered.

You could have sworn his eyes moved down to your lips, but he was sitting up so quickly that you knew you must have imagined it. You cleared your throat as you followed suit, brushing the sand off your—his— jacket.

“This was nice,” he said after a moment. “...Thanks for waking me up.”

“Of course,” you said. “There’s… there’s no one else I would’ve wanted to share it with.”

Luke smiled, and you didn’t think he’d ever looked more beautiful than he did now, awash in the silver moonlight. If you were braver, you would have taken his hand again. You would’ve done what the voice in your head desperately wanted to do—had wanted to do for the past two months.

But you didn’t.

“I guess it was worth nearly getting eaten, huh?”

“Yeah,” he said, and he shrugged. “But most things are worth it when it comes to you.”

You nearly melted right there, and it was a credit to your strength that you didn’t say anything horrifically stupid. Instead, you put on a smile, hoped he couldn’t see how much he was killing you, and started back up on the path.

“C’mon,” you said. “Before we end up having to clean the entire camp for breaking curfew.”

“Whatever you say,” he mused.

You groaned as you slumped into your usual spot at the Hermes table. You heard Luke laugh, and you felt his eyes on you as you put your head in your arms.

“What’s got you so down?”

“I’ve been fifteen for three days and I already feel like an old woman,” you said. “Everything still hurts.”

“Capture the flag was meant to be a birthday gift,” Luke said wryly. “And we did win.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” you grumbled. “I swear, some people went after me on purpose just because it was my birthday. I’ve got bruises all over.”

“You know, we have an infirmary for a reason.”

“They’re battle wounds,” you said. You picked up your head just to take your goblet. “Lemonade. Actually, pink lemonade.” You took a sip, but even that didn’t make you feel better. You buried your head back in your arms with a rough sigh. “Signs of our victory.”

Luke huffed a laugh. “Sometimes I really don’t…”

He trailed off suddenly, and you heard a collective gasp go up at the table.

“What?” you asked halfheartedly.

“You— you’re—”

You didn’t know why he couldn’t finish his sentence. You picked your head up to see Luke’s face awash in golden light, his eyes wide. Everyone else at the Hermes cabin was just as awestruck, and Marisol fumbled around in her purse until she pulled out her compact. She opened her foundation, the mirror pointing at you, and you realized why.

A glowing, golden, translucent sickle with a few sheaths of wheat floated above your head. You frowned.

Before you had the chance to say anything, Luke was yelling your name and tackling you in a hug. You let out a grunt of surprise as you barely managed to brace yourself, and when he pulled away he was smiling wider than you’d ever seen.

“You’re claimed!” he exclaimed, his hands gripping your shoulders. “You— you’re finally claimed!”

“Demeter,” you said, almost absentmindedly. It still hadn’t quite hit you.

“Demeter,” he repeated, nodding rapidly, that gigantic smile seeming like a permanent feature at this point. “I told you everyone would see you— I told you we would make them see you the way I do!”

The rest of the table was chattering away, and you could feel Chris patting you on the back and saying words that went in one ear and out the other. The rest of the pavilion was starting to catch word, and you could see a couple kids from a table on the opposite end standing up and craning to see. Maybe your new siblings.

(You should be happy.)

Your new siblings.

…Your new cabin.

You could still barely think, like there was static in your brain. Luke’s hands on your shoulders were the only thing grounding you.

(You should be ecstatic.)

A year of tears, silent prayers, and apathetic resolution had finally come to a close, just days after your fifteenth.

(Why are you not smiling?)

You’d been claimed. But you didn’t think you’d ever felt more lost.

#also you may notice. that these include the flashbacks mentioned at the end of bleedin me dry. bc i enjoy hurting people #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan fic #luke castellan angst #percy jackson and the olympians x reader #pjo x reader #x reader #sadie writes

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utilitycaster · 11 months

Text

Wizard Breakdown Tracker: Echoes of the Solstice

You know it, you love it, it may return on an as-needed basis for Campaign 3 now that Allura has entered the narrative and we know the fate of Caleb, but no promises: it's the Wizard Breakdown Tracker! As a reminder, I now include PCs because I make the rules; wizard NPCs are included on the very scientific basis of "do I have something I think is kind of funny or meaningful to say" so as always, if I left someone off, it was on purpose specifically to annoy you.

Astrid Becke: well her boss is missing, Caleb has expressed concerns in private to Beau about all of the Assembly, apparently the king is bedridden and has been for some time, and I suspect news of unsealed things being unsealed gets to her quickly; even if she isn't aware of the events in Blumenthal yet, she's about to be. Also, it's the apogee solstice. 8/10; ever the opportunist, it is a good time for her to try to become head of the Assembly, but also shit's gone real sideways.

Eadwulf Grieve: lost his title of hottest mage (men's division) to one Fjord Stone during the last Nicodranas County Fair and has been sulking ever since but more importantly the temple of the Raven Queen is doing Not Great Bob as of like an hour ago so a rare Eadwulf stress moment. 7/10.

Planerider Ryn: just lost her arm...but is unaware of it, so that's probably helping. technically cannot be calculated because she is a rock but spiritually like an 8/10 and that's only because she is remarkably unflappable; she just witnessed the Malleus Key and that should drive anyone up to a 10.

Allura Vysoren: has absolutely sensed a disturbance in the force weave and I'm sure Kima's feeling some bad vibes from Bahamut right now, but rather like Ryn she actually has some degree of sangfroid, a concept unheard of in the entire continent of Wildemount. 6/10.

Yussa Errenis: have you ever dealt with like, an ER Nurse, and unless something is actually exploding or someone is actually bleeding out they're like "yeah it be like that sometimes"? After you've been sucked into the Cognouza Hivemind while trying to do your silly little arcane investigations nothing short of the Calamity will ruffle you. He's an elf; he knows this solstice is wonky but also he knows this is Someone Else's Problem. Also Jester's left him alone for a whole 24 hours? Incredible. 2/10 and that's really just because he's still a little cranky about the disappearance of his blast scepter. As always: never change, king.

Prism Grimpoppy: by my calculations she's discovering that she's actually fucking incredible in combat right now. 0/10, she's doing GREAT.

Pumat Sol and sure, fuck it, Oremid Hass: I suspect the Zadash Wizard Contingent is dealing with some wild unsealed shit from the time of the Julous Dominion and they can't get in touch with anyone in the capital, but it's probably manageable. 4/10. On edge but not too bad.

Ludinus Da'leth: oh did your little plan to unleash the god-eater go a touch sideways? were you unprepared for the possibility of fucking all of magic? did you think it was going to be easy? did level 9 "Fuck Up Airship" and level 8 "Shield Against Werewolf" fail to save your bitch ass? As we've seen, he'll scramble and recover, unfortunately, but it's a well-deserved 9/10 right now. I love to see a plan fall apart.

Trent Ikithon: OH this motherfucker has LOST IT in prison. Like...he was able to put together a pretty elaborate situation, to be clear, but also he's gone bugfuck nuts and does not really improve. I think he's already broken down from the start having clearly been planning this exact scenario from the moment of his imprisonment honestly given that he appears to be going off of the frissons he picked up from Caleb and Essek shortly before he was captured, but regardless: he definitely ends it at a 10/10. Stuck in an egg for eternity, if he's even still a separate entity from Omentis. A well-deserved fate if ever there was one. Get fucked lol.

Veth Brenatto: hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha 10/10 you know she watched Luc leap through the teleportation circle as it closed and has been shrieking loud enough to be heard at the Chateau.

Luc Brenatto: the arrogance and naivete of youth insulate him initially, but Aggy's demise probably spikes it to a solid 6 minimum and it's definitely 9 during the battle. It goes back down pretty quickly though; see Caleb's entry.

Caleb Widogast: he keeps it together pretty well, honestly! Still I have to imagine he's kind of at a 7 or so this entire time with occasional spikes to 9 (NEIN) throughout, and I wouldn't fault him for finishing up the Blumenthal Brunch and then quietly locking himself in a soundproof tower room to scream, cry, and throw up for a while. Indeed, I would encourage it; Caleb should go have a good cry and hug a magic cat for a couple hours until he feels better, and then come back down to find that everyone except the clerics but DEFINITELY including Luc has implemented Spontaneous Apogee Solstice Oktoberfest to celebrate the demise of Trent, the engagement of Fjord and Jester, and the general experience of being alive, and is varying degrees of extremely wasted. This will of course bring him back up to like 7 as he realizes he has to return a hungover teenager to Veth and then goes down to a 4 or so when he realizes the clerics can fix that and Veth will probably be so glad that Luc is alive she'll ignore the rest of it.

Essek Thelyss: Our international drow of mystery looms large in the narrative, but does not make an appearance, which makes this premise extremely funny. I assume he's feeling kind of rough given that the Dynasty wizards are well-attuned to leylines and I would imagine he picks up that Sending isn't working and was broadly aware Caleb was going into danger, so he's certainly stressed, but Trent doesn't actually seem to know Where in Exandria is Essek Thelyss and is merely threatening blackmail. Honestly while we're at it, we don't know where Essek is because I wouldn't put it past Mr. Geometer Owner to have been at a solstice nexus and to have possibly experienced his own Solstice Shunting. In fact I assume Essek is blissfully unaware of these specific goings on re: Trent and is just experiencing The Anxiety for all of the previous reasons. (1d6+3)/10.

Known Gem Wizard Hotsauce Lutefisk: Hmmm. Things becoming unsealed, you say? The uninvited guest list (The Real Gelidon, Isharnai) for The TusktoothStone-Lavorre wedding may have gained an extra entry.

#i'm gelidon i'm the real gelidon and all the other gelidons are just shapechanging #critical role #critical role spoilers #wizard breakdown tracker #mighty nein #echoes of the solstice

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devskindawritingblog · 3 months

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Heey, I was wondering if you could write a Natalie x rich!reader who loves to spoil Nat, and she doesn't know what to do with all that attention.

Like, they're at a record store where they usually hang out, but this time is different cause they're finally together, so r says that Natalie could get whatever she wanted and that r would pay for it and Nat doesn't know how to react, maybe getting a little defensive

Click to help Palestine 🇵🇸 🍉

And I love her

Natalie scatorccio x reader

AN: I tried to do a song title, but I don’t know any like nirvana songs. So I picked one that I felt kind of went with the vibe. Please don’t come for me nirvana fans 😂😂😅😅. This request sounded much like @yameoto Natalie bot. So I want to make sure I say that here. This is my own fic but I’m like 99% sure it’s based of her bot. But please check her bots out, they are great.

word count rounded: 3.4K

divider from @strangergraphics-archive

You and Nat have been together for a while now. You knew about her shitty family life and how she grew up. Everything Natalie got she worked for, she saved up for a while just to buy herself that leather jacket. But you grew up on the opposite side of the spectrum. Growing up on the other side of town, your parents were rich. Big house, lots of money; parents made six figures. You basically got anything anytime you wanted. It was a pretty lonely childhood. Your parents were also off on business and out of town most of the time.

So you spent a lot of time with Lottie, having lived in the same neighborhood. So when she joined the soccer team at the start of ninth grade, you joined with her. From there, you and Natalie became friends. At first, she didn't like you, but Nat never liked anyone at all. She thought you were annoying and a brat. You got everything you wanted, and she was jealous, and she knew it. She never thought you’d be nice.

One day, you invited the Yellowjackets team over to your house. Nat would never be caught dead at your sleepover, but she was curious about your home and, deep down, wanted to be close to you. She caught a ride with Van, as they lived close to each other. As Van pulls up to your house, Nat stares up at your house, raising an eyebrow at Van. ”Rich people, man,” Nat scoffs as Van shuts off the car, and they both get out, heading toward the house.

Before Natalie could even knock, you swung open the door, already dressed in your pajamas. “Hey guys! Come in! Come in!” You usher them in before Van or Nat can even greet you. The other girls are in your bedroom getting set up for movie night. Natalie walks through your hallway, trailing behind you. She glances at old family photos of you when you were little. She tries not to notice that she smiles at an old photo of you as a toddler.

She enters your bedroom after you as she feels the soft carpet underneath her feet. She walks in, taking it to your bedroom. It's much bigger than any room in her house. The girls are laid across your bed, and some are on beanbags on the floor.

She makes her way over to the end of your bed and notices a record player sitting on a table. She scoots closer, silently admiring it. She breaks out of her trance when Taissa throws a pillow at her. She whips around, scoffing dramatically and flipping her off. She positions herself at the end of your bed, focusing back on the girls trying to pick the movie, but every so often she finds herself staring at the record player.

You move over while also sitting on the end of your bed as Shauna and Van argue over which movie is “the best." “You like it?” you ask, nudging Natalie's shoulder.

“What? ” Natalia snaps out of her trance again to look over at her. “My record player. It was a gift from my last birthday. Do you like records?” You ask, staring at her as Natalie tries to process. “Uh, well yeah, I just don’t really have that much.” She trails off, avoiding your eyes. You understand what she means.

People gossip all the time about how Natalie lives in a “dump” and how much of a “whore” she is. You knew she had it hard, but the girl that they were describing was nothing like the one sitting in front of you.

You ended up dropping it and watching the movie with the girls.

As the girls all filed out the next day, you noticed Natalie was still admiring your record player. You walk over again, tapping her on the shoulder. She jumps, clearly not hearing you approaching.

“Hey, you have a record player, right?” You ask as Natalie shifts, still embarrassed that she was caught again. “Uh.. yeah. Old thing. It used to be my grandpa's, but he’s gone, so he let me have it.” Natalie replies a little awkwardly. "Oh, I'm so sorry.” You respond sympathetically. “No, it's alright. I didn’t really see him often when I was little.” Nat responds, trailing off, still awkward.

“What albums do you have?” you ask excitedly as you sit down on your bed next to her. “Uh, well, it's mostly my dad's old ones. I have Guns & Roses and Metallica. And my grandpa had an Elvis Presley one.” She states, naming them off. “Nice, I’m kind of a music "freak,” so to speak. I go to the record shop at least once a month. I don’t always buy new records, but I love to look at them. Wanna check out my collection?” You basically jump off your bed, grab her hand, and drag her over to your bookshelf. Natalies smiles a little, never having seen someone so excited to show her vinyls.

“OK! So obviously, Madonna, AC/DC, Kate Bush, and Stevie Nicks I was so excited to get this one. Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and The Smashing Pumpkins as well. Ooh! Nirvana, the Cranberries. You go on and on, showing her your extensive collection. She wants to be annoyed, but deep down, she knows it’s pretty cool.

“You have Nirvana. That’s so cool. I wish I could get their albums.” Natalie says it mostly to herself. “You want to barrow?” You ask, holding it out for her to take. Natalie locks eyes with you and is almost confused by the fact that you're not a bitch to her. “Wha-t? No. No, I couldn't; it's your record.” She says she is pushing her hand out. “It’s one of my least favourites anyway. I’m not going to miss it; I have so many Nat.” You insist on putting it in her hand.

After much convincing, Natalie takes it home. She listens to it and couldn’t possibly be happier. She brings it back to you at school because you share an English class. “So what did you think?“ you ask, smiling. “Really good; I love it.” She smiles back, and that’s the first time you’ve seen Natalie Scatorccio smile, let alone look at you at school.

“Why don’t you keep it then? Gotta be honest, I’ve only listened to it once.” You say, passing it back. “ uh…. It’s alright, really. I don’t need it.” She replies awkwardly again. “Okay, Nat. I’m going to ask you a question and just answer with yes or no.” You say, and she narrows her eyebrows but sighs and nods.

“Do you like the album?”

“Yes”

“Did you have a good time listening to it?”

“Yes”

“Do you want to keep it?”

“Well………kinda…..” She replies, slowing down her words, and you raise your eyebrows before she sighs and gives in. “Fine, Yes.” She replies, trying not to sound too excited. “Yay!! It's going to go to a great, loving parent.” You smile, giggling at your own joke.

After that moment, you and Natalie Scatroccio became so close. It really shocked both of you and the whole school. The whispers and rumours didn’t bother you. You now have someone to talk about music with and share yours with. You began hanging out at the record store together almost once a week. Digging through the albums and talking for hours about music. Sometimes you would buy something, but Natalie would never.

She wouldn't express it, but money was really tight lately, and she didn't have the type of money to spend on a new record. Her dad would also get mad at her for “wasting” her money. She already has three records. How many more could she need? Mostly, her dad didn’t like seeing her happy, and he craved control. So she would mostly follow you around; you picked them out, and if asked, she would make something up at first. After spending crazy amounts of time together, you picked up on things. You never went over to her house; you never met her parents or even learned about them.

But you also picked up on her favourite songs and artists. Her likes and dislikes. She was such a closed-off person, and you wanted to learn everything you could about her. You found out her birthday and her favourite foods. After hanging out with her as friends for months on end, you developed feelings. And unbeknownst to you, she did as well, not that she would admit it to a single soul.

You decided to just go for it. You invited Natalie over under disguise to show her your “new record." She was a little suspicious because anytime you went to the record store, it was with Natalie. But still, she shrugged it off. She had grown fond of you, and much more than that. She comes over and lets herself in, seeing that your parents are away again. She heads up for you calling out to tell you that she is over. When you don’t respond, she furrows her brow, calling out again before she makes it to your bedroom and opens the door.

She finds you wearing one of your favourite outfits, quickly whips around, and hides something behind your back. “Hey!! Nat, you’re here!!” You say it overly enthusiastically. She can’t help but laugh at your inability to play it cool, but she decides not to press you about it. You smile a little too wide and hide whatever you have under a blanket. “Come in! Come in!” You say, shutting your door and pulling her so she is sitting next to you on your bed. “Hi, are you good?: she asks, smiling at your eagerness.

“Me? Yeah, wonderful, so great.” You respond a little too quickly. "Soo, what's the new record you got?” Natalie inquiries. “What?” You respond, your face twisted into confusion. “OH! Right! Uh, that was a lie.” You decided not to lie to her this time and just ripped off the bandage.

“Well, the truth is... I don’t have a new record. I haven’t been there since our last hangout. But I knew it would get you over here. The thing is, I have been thinking about us recently. I love hanging out with you; you’re one of my best friends. But I don’t just want to be your friend. When I hang out with you, I never want it to end. You just kind of get me, and you love what I love. I guess what I'm saying is that I like you a lot." You confess, finally making eye contact with her, trying to read her expression. You reach behind you and pass her another Nirvana album with a cute little handwritten letter.

You find her staring back at you, her expression extremely unreadable. Her face is twisted into confusion, as you can see her thinking intensely. “Really?” Natalie finally asks quietly, almost worried about saying it too loud for fear of you making fun of her.

“Yeah! You think I insisted on giving you my record because I wanted to just be friends? I want to be your girlfriend, Nat." You proclaim, grabbing her hands and smiling. You see her face light up and smile back. “I want to be your girlfriend too!”. She admits, and you smile, tackling her in a hug on your bed. She yelps in surprise as you giggle. She lands on her back, and you hover over top of her.

She looks up at you, placing her hands on your hips before looking at your lips. “Can I kiss you?”. She asks as you smile and nod. She pulls you down, capturing your lips in a kiss. She rolls over, and you laugh as she hovers over you now, pulling you back into the kiss. You both spend the rest of the night cuddling in bed and listening to music together.

It's now been over a year since you asked her to be your girlfriend. It was a Saturday morning. You slowly woke up to the soft glow of the sun through your white curtains. You tried to rub your eyes, but Natalie was cuddled up to you, her arms locked around your arms, which were by your side. You smile softly, tugging an arm free to fix your hair and rub your eye of sleep.

You smile, reaching up to run your fingers through her freshly blonde, messy hair. You lean closer to give her a kiss on the nose, giggling to yourself as her nose scrunches up. She blinks awake and groans, burying her face in yours. “Babe”. She whines, “Your blinds don’t do anything." She rewraps her arms around you, holding you as close as she can. “I like them, Natty; it’s nice and bright in here. It helps wake me up." You say, kissing her forehead and tracing your fingers down her spine.

“If you needed help waking up, I'm sure I could help you with that." She smirks, pulling her head out of your chest. Her eyes finally adjusted to the light. You roll your eyes and giggle, "Uh, huh, and how are you going to do that, babe?”. You smirk, pushing her hair behind her ear.

“I can think of a few ideas...”. She trails off before you feel her hand sneak under your pyjama shirt. She places her hands on your hips and pulls you into a heated kiss. You wrap your arms around her neck as she kisses you deeply. She pulls back after a few minutes before she finds her way to your neck.

You glance over at the time and almost push Natalie off, trying to sit up. She whines and pushes you back onto your pillow. “Baby, come on. It’s Saturday”. Natalie whines into your neck as you giggle at how whiney she is when you interpret your guys' make-out time. “I have a surprise, Natty. Fine, one more kiss." You give in as Natalie makes out with you again. She finally pulls away and sits up, getting off the bed with you as both of you get ready.

It was your one-year anniversary, and you both have been talking about what you want to do. You told Natalie that you didn’t need anything for it because she was already enough. But unbeknownst to you, she saved up a bit to buy you a CD. She wanted to buy you a walkman, but they were way too expensive. She understood why she was never able to get on when she was younger, even now.

"Baby, I have a gift for you.” Natalie says, smiling shyly as she pulls out a CD in the case with a cute pink ribbon tied around it in a bow. "Awwww, babe, you didn’t need to get me anything. Today is already perfect because of you.” You smile, but take it from her, pulling her into a hug and a soft kiss as she wraps her arms around your waist.

“I saved up a bit; I wanted to do something nice for our anniversary. And we both love our music." She smiles, proud of herself that you liked it. You both pull back, but you pull her back into another kiss.

“I have a little surprise for you, but it's not here right now. It's more of an activity; get ready, then we can go." You say, pulling her into a little kiss and smirking. The both of you got ready and took your car to the record store. As you pull up, Natalie grabs your other hand, smiling. “Our hangout spot?”. You nod and kiss her cheek, shutting off your car and holding Natalie's hand as you walk in.

You enter the shop together, and you both walk around looking at all the records together. Natalie eyes up a certain album—the first album you gave her. She cherished it; it was so special to her. Before her dad died, he came home drunk out of his mind, and when he heard Natalie’s music coming from her room, he went in there and broke it. She went over to your house and stayed over for a few nights. She apologized to no end, and you comforted her all night before she fell asleep and cuddled with you.

Same with the day her father died. You went over to her house for the first time because Natalie wanted to show you her mixtape, and that's when it happened. He came home early and shoved you out of her house. You didn’t want to leave her, but you didn't have a choice. You called her house phone every hour, praying and stressing about her. You ended up finally throwing on a sweater and heading to your front door.

You swing it open and find Natalie, her eyeliner smudged and running. Her face was speckled with blood. You were in shock and pulled her into your house, bringing her to your bathroom and wiping the blood off her face. She didn't say anything the whole time; she was visibly shaking. You brought her back into your room and let her cuddle with you.

She told you everything after an hour. It all just came out at once. She broke down, talking about how it's her fault and how you should hate her. You, of course, didn’t hate her. The first time you met her dad was that day, and you already knew you didn't like him. You reassured her until she cried herself to sleep in your arms.

After that, you knew she couldn't live like that, so you offered her to stay with you. She was reluctant at first, but she also wasn't super excited to go live alone with her mom. So in the end, she decided she would stay with you. Having your girlfriend with you every day was great, and knowing she was safe was another layer of happiness.

As you watched Natalie stare at the album that started all of this, you went over, wrapped your arms around her waist, and kissed her on the cheek. You knew about what her dad did to the last album and knew it would be a great gift. “That's my gift to you, baby; I'm going to buy you the album." You say, "Smiling." "Awwww, babe, that's so sweet. I know you're sentimental, but that's adorable.”

She grabs the album and turns around, giving you a little kiss. "Oh, and the second part: Do you want anything else? I'll buy you whatever albums you want for today." You say as you take the album from Nat, holding it for her.

“What? Babe, come on. I don’t even need the first album.” she counters

“It's our anniversary; you bought me a CD. I get to spoil you. We are not going to argue about this because I am not leaving her until you let me buy them." You say back, insisting.

“You already got me a place to stay, and I don't deserve this." She says she is getting a bit defensive.

You stop stepping closer and hugging her. “You deserve the world, Nat. I want to spoil you, and I won’t take no for an answer." You pulled back, looking into her eyes, not relenting until she sighed, and you smiled in triumph, giggling excitedly.

She walks around the shop at a slow pace. She was still reluctant to pick out albums. But you ended the day with six new records. It took even longer to convince her because after every one she picked out, she tried to talk you out of it. You doubled down, and she knew you wouldn't give up.

You both returned home and cuddled in your bed while listening to her new records together. She thanked you more, and you again told her that she was worth it. She told you she would do something better on our next anniversary. But you told her she didn't need to. Being your girlfriend was already enough for you. You didn’t need things to know how much she loved you, and neither did Natalie, but new records are pretty good.

#yellowjackets x reader #natalie scatorccio x reader #Natalie scatorccio

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vicsbasement · 6 months

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Watching Charles closely I came to believe that he might have abandonment issues (for obvious reasons), so yeah, I guess he hasn’t been taking Carlos’ departure from the team very well… Of course Carlos isn’t actively abandoning him, but anyways

Ohmygod, anon. You're absolutely right. I mean, it's a logical response to his past trauma, too. I'm not presuming to know the guy, but from what I can see, I just feel like he's really going through the trenches right now. I'm not going to say that they're extremely close, but, just from what we've been able to see about their relationship and the way they talk about each other, I'm ready to assume that they really seem to be close, especially now that we can see Charles visibly reacting to Carlos' departure from the team. I'm pretty sure there's not an ounce of bad blood between them, especially since they've been seeming so much closer ever since before Vegas. I feel like their friendship had time to develop towards the end of their third year together (trauma bonding and all things provided by a very rocky Ferrari car that put them both in uncomfortable situations that only both of them could understand) and so, now that that was blooming, to have it taken from them must be tough. Carlos has been brought up to be much less emotional about his relationships in the paddock, based on interviews alone, yet I think he's been saving up some emotion for their alone time. Charles, though... he seems to be that guy who wears his heart on his sleeve sometimes, and when it comes to this, he doesn't seem too shy to let people know that he really does like Carlos as a teammate and as a person. I mean, they have so much in common, everyone's said it, Mattia, Fred, constantly talking about their competitiveness and how close they'd become when they started to make everything a race... and they probably know each other well. They've shared small spaces, probably had important conversations with one another, they're both in a position where nobody else would get it, except for the other. And they've never, EVER shown disrespect towards each other. So, yeah. Carlos might not be abandoning Charles, but they're both in rather similar situations, and to bring Lewis into the mix, Lewis, with the bigger salary, with the seven titles, with the past experience... it should be something that makes Charles take pause and probably appreciate what he has right now with a guy who's basically in the same level as himself in terms of... I don't know, I guess gravitas. Lewis has so much, and Charles has the whole team behind him, and yet he turns to Carlos as a friend? Maybe we're not seeing how much of an equal footing they have between each other. They've probably discussed even this between them and Charles must be feeling so comfortable with Carlos by his side... This whole thing rocks his whole world, and I would love Carlos' security just as much as Charles is probably appreciating it right now. Sorry, I got totally off the rails with this, but the point is: what this shows me is that Charles really does care, deeply, about Carlos. And it's a wonder to see, honestly. If I were to be completely honest, I saw their relationship much more unilaterally. I felt like Carlos liked Charles more than he liked Carlos. But right now? Wow. I really do see how much Charles seems to appreciate Carlos' company and friendship as a teammate. And it's an absolute relief to me. The fact that he started the year defending Carlos from the italian press and insisting, on record, that they should focus on the fact that they have a whole year together out of "RESPECT FOR CARLOS"? Wow, Charles. You had my eye, before, but right now, you finally caught my attention. Thank you for sending me this ask, anon! I love analyzing stuff and the content has been pouring lately, so I love just to be able to talk about these two guys without restraints 😅

#Charlos #vic talks #ask #anon #carlos sainz jr #charles leclerc #you guys stop liking the post and JOIN THE CONVERSATION I WANT TO KNOW YOUR TAKES #charlos thoughts

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blitzyisfine · 5 months

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STOLITZ FIC RECS

Lift your hips for me, love by AjWriter

“You look pretty tense,” Blitzø murmured. “How about I help you out there?” He gently pushed Stolas back onto the pillows. And Stolas just looked back at him with wide eyes, a blush hot on his cheeks, and Blitzø noticed he was shaking. Honest-to-Lucifer quaking. Blitzø pulled away quickly and called out, “Cut!”

Or Blitzø and Stolas meet on porn set (slow burn but they're having sex the whole time)

Stolas figuring out his sex life and starting to film pornos. Blitzø just wants Stolas to know what he’s getting into, so obviously they have to have sex off set which turns into love and dating.

Pre Episode 5 by DaniDrawz

Basically the things that took place right before episode 5 happened

This is actually a comic but it’s hosted on ao3! A look at Stolas and Blitzø’s BSDM heavy sex with an emphasis in consent.

Far From Heaven by Novaeris

After their disastrous first date, Blitzo and Stolas struggle to pick themselves back up again in the aftermath. It takes many small steps before they can finally be honest, with themselves and with each other.

Blitzo learns to tell the truth. And Stolas learns that, sometimes, things aren’t as hopeless as they appear.

A study of Blitzo and a study of Stolas as they fall apart and then come back together after ep 7.

Major hurf/comfort set after the events of Ozzie’s. Blitzø and Stolas are both spiraling and we get a look into their feelings. Eventually they communicate and make up sex ensues.

The Mating Habits of Imps by AjWriter

Stolas knelt so he was hidden between the bookshelves and took another sharp-eyed glance around him before he gently tugged the much-too-thin book from its shelf. He felt the fire red blush stain his feathers as he read the title again.

The Mating Habits of Imps

Sweet Lucifer! How had he not thought to look in this section before?

Surely, there must be literature on how to please his imp. After all, it was only right that he should become educated. With how attentive his Blitzy was in the bedroom, Stolas wanted to at least return the favor with the same fervor.

No other reason.

Or Stolas finds a book called The Mating Habits of Imps and decides to try some of the tips out on Blitz.

I saved the best for last. This is so far my favorite fic I’ve read! It fills in all of the little gaps in Stolas and Blitzø’s relationship and includes parts of the sinstagram posts. A canon-compliant and gut-wrenching story of Stolitz fucking and falling in love.

#please please read the mating habits of imps #and all of the rest these are my top fics atm #stolitz #fic rec #stolas goetia #blitzo #helluva boss #my ramblings

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sirjuggles · 6 months

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Things My Partner Knows About The Locked Tomb Through Osmosis

I am an unrepentant and annoying TLT fanboy, to the point where my partner has sworn to never read the books on principle (for this I respect them). However, given that I never shut up about these miserable books, they have picked up quite a bit of knowledge about them purely through my rants. With that in mind, I asked them to describe to me everything they think they know about The Locked Tomb (notes in italics are mine)

There are characters named Gideon, Nona, and… something like… Pacifica Sales Bonecruncher of the West? I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be Harrow's full name and title.

It's a scifi-fantasy world in a necromancy space realm

There's… 10 kingdoms that are all part of an Empire? Or maybe houses? But they're part of a monarchy?

The ruling classes of each of the realms gets summoned by God because they want to play a Hunger Games thing to find their… new God child?

It's not a God child like he's gonna adopt them… it's like rebirthing them into a new god? They will also become God?

Each one of the realms has a special quirk about them, something that's their specialty. Like, one realm are accountants. Shockingly accurate.

Gideon and Pacifica’s realm are like cool goth themed? More goth than the others. Extra-goth.

Oh there's a person named… Electra? They have long blonde hair and kickin curves and they're really hot? Everyone likes them? I'm pretty sure this is a conflation of Alecto and Corona as seen through reblogged fanart.

Personal philosophy aside rant: The whole necromancy-as-center of-an-empire thing… I find it kinda rude? I don't like the idea of people and their remains being used as a resource/tool. Like, I don't like using people as interchangeable cogs in a machine under someone else's control, both in life or in death. It doesn't seem consensual or respectful. In death your obligations should be released.

I think Gideon has a big hero’s death while trying to save Pacifica, and then their… souls mingle? And then after that Pacific has Gideon-flavored intrusive thoughts? And I'm not sure if it actually is Gideon or just, like… the same as if you stare at the sun and get the after image burnt into your cornea. This isn't wrong, but I'm almost certain part of this is actually my ramblings about Baru Cormorant leaking through.

Is reincarnation or resurrection a thing? I feel like it should be in a necromancy setting.

DIRECT QUOTE: “Is there a Jesus allegory in here? I feel like there is. Wait... Is Gideon Jesus?” Folks, upon hearing these words casually spoken out loud by someone with no knowledge of context, I straight up left my body.

God is just a chill dude. He's just a guy making pancakes, and occasionally he'll go “How's that whole Hunger Games thing going? You want a snack? I'm just gonna be over here.”

God was wanted by aliens or something? There's something bigger going on with entropy or heat death or the Discworld auditors and it's a problem for God and that's why he's doing the whole Hunger Games thing.

I think God used to be not a God and that's why he's such a chill dude. And then there was a problem and everything was dying so he did something and necromancied everything and that's why he's God now and also why things are so weird?

One of the groups from the houses was two annoying siblings who split from the party and died really quickly.

Gideon is big and bulky and has short red hair.

#tlt #the locked tomb #gideon the ninth #gtn #technically spoilers #spoilers #mine #harrow the ninth #nona the ninth #gideon nav #harrowhark #htn #gtn spoilers

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snapscube · 1 year

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i don't know if you said so on your recent Web of Shadows stream, but what are your thoughts on Insomniac's more casual style of web swinging vs. the more difficult, physics-based web swinging? I've been avoiding Spider-Man 2 footage, so I haven't seen any web swinging, but I'd love if they could incorporate some risk/reward aspect to make swinging more engaging.

i think there's been a big push from spider-man game fans to re-contextualize Insomniac's web swinging as underwhelming and too casual that's kinda unnecessary and does it a big disservice. THAT IS NOT TO SAY that there haven't always been people who don't prefer the very low skill floor and relatively low skill ceiling of those titles, and that's also not to say that it isn't a fair assessment when looking at swinging mechanics in a vacuum. something like Web of Shadows ABSOLUTELY has a lot more rewarding moments of web swinging because of its higher skill floor, and when you really get a feel for the mechanics you can pull off some crazy stuff that it feels like insomniac's take isn't even dreaming of.

HOWEVER, i reiterate, this is all totally true and not exactly in Insomniac's in favor when examined in a vacuum, but in reality these mechanics DON'T exist in a vacuum. they're very important yes, they're how you're gonna spend a majority of your time in game yes, so it's important that they have a baseline level of fun and satisfying enough risk/reward to sustain an entire playthrough, or maybe even multiple. but Insomniac's swinging mechanics are in service of a game that not only does MORE with its open world than many others previously, but also does pretty much everything else a LOT better. Insomniac's take feels a lot more like it's in service of creating a much more approachable Spider-Man sim, where you don't have to necessarily "figure out" the swinging mechanics as much as you might in WoS or in SM2 (PS2) because there's a lot of content they want you to be spending more of your time on, and they need you to feel like you are playing an extremely capable and seasoned version of Peter.

playing through even just the opening of Web of Shadows on stream this week really drove home how much the world just feels so empty in comparison. the swinging was admittedly more fun at times!! but that kinda ended up being the saving grace of an experience that otherwise is feeling very bare-bones. and ultimately, as much as i PERSONALLY like mechanics with a bit more physicality, and i don't necessarily think that needs to be at odds with a larger amount of other content, i think my point is that i don't necessarily consider the swinging a FLAW of the Insomniac games, just a representation of the design philosophy of this take. and the design philosophy happens to be one i really appreciate. they want you in there DOING stuff, sure swinging around idly is fun and it's a great way to get you from point A to point B in a more exhilarating fashion than a lot of games even come close to, but these games have a much wider target audience and i don't know how much the average person cares more about the physicality of swinging as much as they care about it being an easy way for them to..... *sigh* feel like spider-man while traversing a larger set of activities.

THAT BEING SAID.... the improvements so far in Spider-Man 2 look SO SO SO GOOD and they will come MUCH appreciated. It looks so much faster. I straight up might turn on fall damage for my playthrough, which IS a new option they added. it's gonna rule.

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megabondlocalfan · 1 year

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God I hate it when people say that Magical Girls are too dark nowadays. Like, c'mon magical girls have been dark since the dawn of the genre.

You guys want an anime like Sailor Moon again and yet fail to realize that Sailor Moon itself is dark as fuck. Literally in the first finale of the show, all the Sailor guardians fucking die. Sure they're brought back to life but still.

Also, I get the hate towards the Madoka copycats. I get it. But most of these copycats aren't copycats. Daybreak Illusion, Yuki Yuna is a Hero, and Magical Girl Raising Project are all there stories. Except Magical Girl Site I guess.

Also Princess Tutu, Fresh Precure, and Heartcatch Precure are all pretty dark before Madoka Magica came to be. (Although Heartcatch was the inspiration for Madoka Magica)

You want more light hearted magical girls? Well, you won't get much because in every magical girl show you will get something dark. Even in western shows. For example, Lolirock, the main villian has probably killed multiple people during his reign. This includes Talia's and possibly Iris's parents.

Even the most light hearted of shows aren't safe from this. Except Magical Angel Creamy Mami. I haven't made it so far to the anime so it's probably a cute title.

Anyways, if you want a more cute magical girl story, then maybe make one your own. Do a webcomic, a small short series, or even just make OCs based on the ideas.

Why am I even ranting about this? Well, I remember seeing a post that says that Hirogaru Sky Precure was already (and I'm exaggerating a bit here) dead to them because of spoilers. Let's just say that the season was already getting into dark territory by that point.

I'm not going to name who that was (because I forgot) but dark Precure seasons already exist. The aforementioned Fresh and Heartcatch Pretty Cure are all considered the darkest seasons of Precure and they were successful. Especially Fresh, since that season basically saved the whole franchise.

Dark magical girl series are here to stay. They have been around for quite around now and they won't stop anytime soon. The only magical girl series that I want to see made fun of is Magical Girl Site. Anyways that's it. It's just a little rant I have about the magical girl fanbase.

I should do the same thing for the Vocaloid fanbase too because holy hell I hate the gatekeeping in that fandom.

#random #magical girl #precure #hirogaru sky precure #madoka magika #magical girl raising project #magical girl site #yuki yuna is a hero #creamy mami #dark magical girl series

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instacarma0798 · 8 months

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Title: the moon will sing a song for me

Ship: Wanda Maximoff x Reader (briefish Natasha R x Reader, but not really)

Warnings: None.

{A/N: sorry if Natasha is a little ooc in this one. I hope this is as good as part 1}

Part 1

Things were supposed to be fine between you and Natasha, they were supposed to be fine. Things were fine. You were fine. Natasha was happily married to Maria, and you were happily....you were hapily running backend and doing their paperwork. At first it was difficult to work into a routine while staying at the tower, but it worked.

A few months ago you moved to compound with everyone, but thankfully your routine stayed the same. It was much more spacious in the compound. Tony gave you a bigger room, even though you protested, he claimed, "It's a raise." And raised his hand dismissively.

So yeah, everything was fine.

Right now, you were typing out paperwork after the latest disaster in Lagos. It may have been an accident, and in no way did you blame Wanda, but the paperwork was killing you. Meanwhile, you were pretty sure most of the avengers were out chilling in the main room. You decided to take a break and go check on Wanda.

Peeking into the mainroom, only Clint catching you and sending a small smile, you found no Wanda (and no Tony for that matter, which was odd) so you went to look in her room. You socked feet glided over the floor as you jogged over there before skidding to a halt and letting yourself slide on your socks with a soft laugh. Softly knocking on her door, you could hear television playing inside - the news by the sound of it.

When there was no reply you called out, "Wanda?"

It took a moment before there was a reply, and a hesitant one at that, "Come in."

Carefully you pushed the door open and stepped in. You had never actually been in Wanda's room before, taking in the bookshelf with small trinkets and cluttered desk. Wanda, herself, sat on the large, fluffy, bed. Her legs were sitting criss-crossed as her brown hair fell down past her shoulders. As you stepped closer, hesitating on where to sit, her lips twitched up and her amber-ish green eyes sparkled a little bit. The witch gestured for you to sit on the bed after your obvious hesitation.

You snatched the remote on the way and shut the TV off.

"It's my fault," Wanda spoke first as you sat on the bed, "Turn the TV back on."

"No."

"They're being very specific," her accent laid heavy on her words, it came out more when she was angry.

"It's not all your fault," you shook your head, "there were other's there. And not that I'm blaming him, Rumlow obviously said something to trigger something, but Steve was there first. You did the best you could so it didn't kill everyone in the vicinity."

"People died, that's on me," Wanda refuted her head turning to down as she fiddled with her sleeves.

"Wanda- this job-" you weren't quite sure what to say, comfort was never your thing.

"You try to save as many people as you can," Steve interrupted, and you could barely restrain yourself from glaring at his form leaning on the doorway, "that doesn't always mean everybody, but if we can't find a way to live with that, next time maybe nobody gets saved."

Before anybody could get another word in, there was a distinct sound, almost a whirring sound, and Wanda jumped before Vision phased into the room.

"Vis," she reprimanded, "we talked about this."

"Yes, but the door was open so I assumed-" he gestured to the door as if to make his point, then Wanda gave him a look, so he sighed, "Captain Rogers and Ms. Y/L/N wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving."

"Thank you, we'll be right down," you said curtly.

Vision hesitated then pointed towards the door, "I'll use the door this time. Oh! and he's brought a guest?"

"Do we know who?" you and Steve asked in tandem, drawing a soft smile out of Wanda.

"The Secretary of State," Vision said before exiting out the hallway.

<____________>

Tony just finished his spiel on the kid who died, the young-ish boy who wanted to make a difference. Your heart ached for the kid and his mom, it did, but the whole world would be taken over at this point if the Avengers hadn't done anything.

"Tony the whole world would be gone if we didn't stop those threats, I'm not-" you didn't even get to finish your sentence before Tony cut you off.

"No, there's no decision making process here," his tone raised (you did not flinch) as he leaned against the counter, "we need to be put in check. By whatever means, I'm game."

There was a slight stunned silence, nobody quite expected Tony to sign the accords.

Steve sighed, "Tony if someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." his tone weighed heavy on his words.

"Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we don't take responsibility."

"Guys listen-" you tried to get your voice in, but when Tony, Steve, and Rhodey started arguing you were cut off.

They weren't even being that loud, but you despised when people argued and quietly slipped out, just barely catching Wanda's "They'll come for me." You would protect her. Your feet carried you towards the balcony and you took a seat on the ground, tilting your head towards the sky.

These Accords were going to split the team apart, you knew it, but you would be dammed if you lost another group of friends. You wracked your brain for flaws in this plan. If the Avengers were needed but were told 'no', that could cause more disasters. But that wasn't enough. The team could all disagree to sign it, bluff and say they would no longer help and be heroes, but they might be called on their buff. There wasn't a lot of options to keep the team together.

Maybe, just maybe, Steve told you they had 1 month to decide - if the team could win back trust, then maybe they wouldn't have to sign the accords. It was a long shot, and you didn't even know how to pull it off, but it could work.

"What's on your mind?" Natasha asked as she stepped out onto the balcony and slid down the wall next to you, "You got your thinking face on."

You love how she thought everything was perfect between you two.

"Nothing," you croaked, "How're things going with Maria? I haven't seen her in a while."

Natasha winced, "We...aren't on the best of terms right now. Currently taking a break, she has an apartment in the city."

You never expected their marriage to last. Two hotheaded, stubborn women? That was a recipe for disaster. Natasha should have been able to tell, but she seemed to desperate for love. You made a sympathetic face, but offered no other comfort.

"What if..." you trailed off, hesitant, "What if you guys appeal to the UN? Ross gave you a month right? Appeal to the UN, get them to repeal the accords."

Natasha let out a long, heavy breath, "That would never work," she shook her head.

When she oppened her mouth to speak again, Wanda stepped out onto the balcony fidgeting with her cuffs.

"Is it alright if I steal Y/N for a moment? I need her help with something."

It looked like the last thing Natasha wanted to do was say 'yes', but regardless, "Yeah sure, go ahead."

You followed Wanda out into the hall and she led you towards her room silently, stopping just outside the door. The witch bounced on her toes and bit her lip.

Eventually she mumbled, "Do you want to watch a movie with me?"

"Huh?" you asked momentarily stunned.

She looked up, eyes a little wide, "It's just that Vis cancelled for some reason and I have all these snacks so I figured-"

"Wanda," you cut her off with a laugh, "I would love to."

For some reason, an ugly feeling twisted in your gut when she mentioned doing this Vision. You didn't want her to do this with Vision.

Wanda smiled and opened the door to her room. She led you towards her bed and snuggled up under the covers. Tenderly, you sat atop them, careful to keep a boundry. Popcorn and candy sat atop the bed, which the witch softly passed towards you before flicking the TV on.

It was some cheezy sitcom, a genere of movies you had never been particullarly interested, but Wanda would let out small giggles that warmed your heart. The young woman had been through so much and deserved some happiness in her life.

<__________>

Your nose bled as you cradled Wanda in your arms in the airport of Germany. Her strain from using magic and Rhodey's attack was too much.

In the end, when forced to choose sides, you tried to choose neither. Then Tony locked up Wanda, and caught Steve. Before you could even decide, Natasha approached you with her best puppy dog eyes that you could never say no to and asked you to join them.

"Y/N please," she had begged, scooching closer, your shoulders touched, "We need help."

Her hand landed on yours and you shook her off, "No, Nat. I don't- I'm not- this isn't right."

You knees knocked against hers accidentally, "Please," she asked once more.

"No, Natasha." you shook your head.

A steely mask came over her face as she nodded and exited your room. You didn't see her after that until the airport fight.

As the situation escalated, you tried to keep yourself neutral and spent time with Wanda and, unfortunately, Vision. The android didn't seem to like you very much. To be honest neither did you for one, simple, reason. Over the past month you realized you liked Wanda. No, not liked, you loved Wanda. You guys did movie nights together, she taught you how to cook, and simply hung out together despite the chaos growing.

Vision did not seemed pleased by this development. You found it stupid, he was an adriod for pete's sake. You would be damned if you let an advanced microwave steal Wanda.

(Maybe you had already had someone better than you steal the person you love once, and you didn't want that to happen again.)

When Clint stopped by, your first time seeing him since Christmas, he recruited you and you joined the fight.

Now, here you were with a few cuts and a bloody nose craddling Wanda in your arms gently.

"You ok?" you panted as she regained her breath.

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm good," you responded.

Tenderly you bent your head towards hers until your foreheads knocked together. She offered a soft smile, and even though she had looked better before; Wanda looked stunning. Her red centric outfit that made her amber eyes pop. You trailed you eyes further down her face, down the kissable slope of her nose, past her perfect cheekbones - all the way to her soft lips.

She leaned up, her hand coming up to cup the back of your head and pressed her lips softly to yours. You were enveloped by the taste of paprikash and could smell Wanda's honey shampoo, mingled with the smel of sweat and smoke. You pressed lips further into hers with a meek whine and could feel her smile.

Before it could deepen any further you were ripped away, the collar of you shirt pressing against your windpipe. Vision yanked your arms behind your back, leaving Wanda on the ground.

"Vision!" Wanda exclaimed, climbng to her feet, "What are you going?"

"You and Ms. Y/L/N are criminals now, I have a duty to arrest you," he explained in his stupid monotone robot voice.

Wanda raised her hands, ready to fight, before you shook your head.

"We're beat Wanda, let it go."

The witch lowered her hands, giving you a tight-lipped frown to convey her displeasure.

<___________>

The raft was perhaps the most unpleasant prision you had been too. Other than one in Germany, that one really sucked. You had no sense of time on the raft, they delivered food at random intervals - sometimes what felt like days apart, and they only seemed to give water at regular intervals so you wouldn't die.

When Tony first came, you wanted to punch Clint for telling him where Steve and Bucky went. When Tony first came you wanted to punch him. He turned you guys into Ross, and now you were sitting in this stupid water prision and Wanda was in a straight jacket like she was some physcopath. The young brunette hand't spoken in days, opting to stare at the wall - no doubt reminded of her HYDRA days.

Clint and Sam had taken to singing the most horrid songs, but trying to keep the mood up none the less. However, some time ago (you still weren't sure) an officer came and told them if they agreed to house arrest they could go home. Both gentleman agreed giving the rest pitying looks. Clint had tried to advocate for at least you and Wanda (sorry Sam) to come with him, be on house arrest, but he was denied.

After what had felt like at least a month (still time was an unknown variable), Steve, The Winter Soldier, and Natasha came to break you all out. It was perhaps the most messy prison break and you had a feeling the only reason it had any semblence of order was because of Natasha. If it was just Steve and Bucky they would brute force it.

Once they broke you out, all of you went to Wakanda and The Winter Soldier was sent into cyro-freeze. T'Challa, despite previously being against you, offered for the 'Rouges' (as you were dubbed on television) to stay in Wakanda. You all gratefully accepted the offer.

Currently you sat cuddled up with Wanda, her arm wrapped around you as you laid on her chest, watching a sitcom. She claimed it to be one of her childhood favorites, but she said that about every movie.

"Wanda," you peeked up at her as the credits rolled, "Is it wrong that I think I might still love Natasha?"

The woman pursed her lips, "..How much do you love her?"

"I-" you shrugged awkwardly, "I still feel like I love her- I had known when we were little, but I don't love her. I just think I'm-" you reached a hand up to your hair and tugged in frustration because you couldn't get the words out.

You would never break up with Wanda for Natasha. But some stupid little part of your heart still loved Natasha, and for a moment you almost shot your shot. During the early stages of the accords, when she mentioned taking a break with Maria, you almost tried it. Only stopping for two reasons: one, you would almost be helping her cheat on her wife, and two, you were already falling for Wanda. And yet still, there was that lingering warm and fuzzy feeling your chest when you thought of Natasha. That feeling that made you want to care for her and protect her.

Wanda looked down at you, seemingly reading your mind (she probably was), and gently pried your hand away from your hair, "I think..." she bit her lip before "that based on your thoughts, I don't mean to listen they are just loud, that you care for her, but you do not love her," the witch shrugged, "I trust you."

"I love you," you whispered, "I'm supposed to love you."

"Dekta," she took your face in her hands, "you're not supposed to love anyone." she brushed her thumbs over her cheeks.

"...I love you," you stated, your voice firm.

Wanda smiled widely, flashing her pearly white teeth, "I love you too."

You tucked your head into her chest as the next movie began, smiling in content.

<___________>

Life in Wakanda was awesome. You kept in shape, training with the Dora Milaje (even though you got your ass handed to you every time), and running laps around the area. The Winter Soldier came out of cyro not too long ago, and you became pretty good friends with him. Turns out his name was Bucky, and he was actually very sweet, choosing to go work on the farms and earn his keep.

Steve and you often jogged around the area "together". He mainly ran ahead and waited until you were done.

Sam became your new cooking budy, both of you trying out Wakandan recipies and occasionally starting a tiny kitchen fire.

Natasha was a bit of a rocky start once again. She approached you one morning, fiddling with her thumbs - something she never does.

"Look- Y/N," she began after clearing her throat, "Maria and I decided to get a divorce and I was wondering if you wanted to- if you wanted to go out with me?"

Your heart broke at her sad expression, but you already had a girlfriend, "I'm sorry, Nat, but I'm already with Wanda."

"Oh, I see," she visibly deflated, her shoulders dropping.

"But, we can still be friends," you offered a friendly smile with a shrug.

"I would love that."

After that encounter you two spent some awkward time together before building up your usual comfort and hanging around each other like you had been best friends your entire life.

The best part of Wakanda was Wanda.

You two spent most your free time together. Whether it was watching cheezy sitcoms, talking about dark pasts, cooking, making out, or working out together. It made you fall in love with her even more. By this point you had been dating for a year and a half, a year and a half since the accords.

Gosh, it had been a while.

"Y/N, my love," Wanda asked that afternoon, "how would feel about doing a picnic for dinner?"

Ignoring the oddity of the request you grinned, "I would love to."

Which led to your situation of sitting with your girlfriend on a blanket, watching the sun set over a river - a beautiful array of colors. Wanda looked beautiful in the light of the setting un, her brown-ish red hair falling past her shoulds with subtle waves. Her green eyes sparkling against her red-dress. Her lips, plump and kissable, and oh so soft.

You loved every piece of this woman. When you glanced away for a moment, and heard shuffling, you thought nothing of it. But when you turned back around....

Wanda was kneeling on the ground, the softest smile on her face, as she held a small black box in her hand. A glittering, but simple, ring sat snuggly in the box.

"Y/N, my love, my beautiful love, would you do the honor of marrying me?"

You blinked at her like an owl, drawing a soft laugh out of her, before tackling Wanda to ground.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," you chanted.

An angelic laugh left Wanda's mouth as she wrapped her arms around you. You propped yourself up and stared into her eyes, which were shinning with adoration. Pressing a soft kiss to her lips as you savored the moment.

Gosh, you loved this woman. You love her laugh, the way she scrunched her nose when she laughed. You love her eyes, those shiny green with a slight hint of amber eyes. You love her cooking and how she's always willing to cook when your sad. You love the way she tells stories, mostly about her brother. You love the way she cares for you, holding you tenderly in bed and stroking your hair. You love how kissable her lips her, always soft and always tasting faintly of paprikash, and the way her hair smells of honey.

Most of all you love how thoughtful she was. The way she would leave little reminders around your shared room so you wouldn't forget things. When you were sad she always made your favorite comfort meal and listened to your stories of your dad. Both of you watched childish shows together, healing that inner child. There were so many things about her that you loved.

Gosh, you love this woman.

#marvel cinematic universe #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maxmoff x y/n #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanov #wanda maximoff #female reader

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wangxianficfinder · 11 months

Text

Fic Finder

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1. Can anyone find me wangxian fic in which lan zhan captures nie huisang and nie huisang ask Wei wuxian helps to save his brother from Meng Yao in nightless city @wangxianpet

FOUND? The Way It Wasn’t by KouriArashi (T, 72k, WangXian, XiYao, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fix-It, (eventually haha), Slow Build, Family Feels, Moral Ambiguity, Eventual Happy Ending)

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2. I need help looking for a fic please.

All I can remember about it is that they were smuggling Wen Ning and possibly Wen Qing across a border somewhere and they put a fake mustache on Wen Ning. People kept complimenting it, even the bad Wens they came across, and some possibly even grew their own Wen Ning-staches after. WWX might've been dressed as a woman? I can't remember for sure.

Thank you!

NOT FOUND! Propagate Understanding by draechaeli (E, 175k, wangxian, not everyone dies, pregnancy kink, consensual non-con, adoption but they’re all birthed by wwx, mo xuanyu lives, temporary character death)

FOUND! Bloom where you are planted 🔒 by luckymoonly (M, 44k wangxian, MM/WQ, Canon Divergence, Fix It, courting, Mpreg, Sunshot Campaign, Fluff, Happy Ending, getting together early, Romance, WWX giving birth in the middle of the war? Most likely than you think!, Yúnmèng Siblings Feels, Smut, Drama, Blood and Violence, Minor Character Death, There Is Only One Bed, No Fall of Lotus Pier, Crossdressing, Shotgun Wedding, Mention of miscarriage (not WWX), wangxian Have a Breeding Kink, Giving Birth, Soft granduncle LQR)

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3. I just remembered a fic that would fit in the ghost comp but I forgot it's name 😔 it was a fic about wx haunting a house together and I think taking care of a yuan as they do? I may be thinking of two fics because I think there was one where they were ghosts in the bm and raised yuan too but in this one they died in a fire i believe and the house was alive? Again may be combining fics 😅 thank you!

Yes I think that was the bm fic I was thinking of! But I can't remember much of the house fic besides I think wen ning and wen qing lived in the house with yuan? And I think either xichen or Jiang Cheng appear at one point?

Those are definitely 2 different fics. I remember reading the Burial Mounds one, where they're both ghosts and they raise A-Yuan together, and there was no house fire. Couldn't find it myself, but hopefully that'll help someone else find one or both of these...

FOUND! Gently Haunted by LusBeatha (T, 19k, WangXian, Character Death, Sentient Burial Mounds, Autistic LWJ, Shutdowns, Canon Divergence, Ghosts, Child LSZ, Oblivious WWX, Getting Together, Ghost Marriage, ghost parenting, Grief/Mourning, but only for ghosts that are still present, Golden Core Reveal, Soup, Happy Ending) Wouldn't the one where they are both ghost raising A-Yuan in the Burial mounds be "Gently Haunted" by LusBeatha?

FOUND? The Ghostly Adventures of Wen Yuan by Llamamomo (Not Rated, 13k, WangXian, Ghost WWX, Ghost LWJ, Established Relationship, Married Couple, Supernatural Elements, Modern AU, Murder Mystery, Haunted Houses)

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4. For the fic finder, there's a fic I'm pretty sure I first found somewhere on this or the recs blog but I can't for the life of me find again. It deals with WWX accepting a deal where he'll be a prisoner of the Nie clan if the Wen remnants are promised safety. NHS is happy to have his friend around, but it's major depression hours for WWX

I remember him neglecting himself to the point of not brushing his hair for weeks

Thank you 💕

FOUND? Always walked a very thin line by tucuxi (T, 22k, NHS & WWX, JYL & WWX, WangXian)

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5. Hello! I hope you all have been having a great day. I have been plagued by this fic that I just can't remember the title! 😭

It was a post-canon fic where WWX just kept "bothering" LXC in his seclusion and sorta made him help in his research. There was also a scene where WWX got injured and LXC was there to help.

I really appreciate your help and thank you 🥺❤️

Agapé (home is in your arms) by estel_willow (G, 14k, WangXian, fraternal bonding, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Wwx is oblivious, lxc is patient, sizhui remains the best son, Wwx uses his words, Or tries to at least, Wwx is an unreliable narrator, Light Angst, well semi-lite angst, canon-typical self dislike from our favourite chaotic disaster bi)

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6. Hey! I was hoping you could help me find a fic. WWX has some "ghost brides" while they're living in burial mounds. There's some description of these ghosts picking and pulling at his clothes, skin, etc.

Hey! I'm #6 on the latest fic finder. I'm afraid that's not the fic I was looking for. It doesn't have f/f wangxian or any gender bending. The fic I'm looking for doesn't have any smut either

Not FOUND your grave, a garden; a barrow, your bed by twinagonies (E, 31k, Female WangXian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Ruke 63, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderbending, BDSM, Power Play, Undernegotiated Kink, Restraints, Bondage, Impact Play, Cunnilingus, Vaginal Fingering, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Porn With Plot, Golden Core Reveal, Wēn Remnants Live, Mental Health Issues, Plants, WWX's Ghost Girls, Sex Magic, Dual Cultivation, POV LWJ, Switching) a wild guess but this one has the ghost brides doing a lot of touching with wwx. it is a genderbent f/f wangxian so it might not be right

FOUND? 🔒💖 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, immortal WWX, slow burn, pining, arranged marriages)

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7. I am looking for a specific untamed fiction. It is modern day. Wei wuxian is an omega. Supposed to rule all the clans. Gets injured when the Jiang fall. Lan zhan finds him and helps heal him in the back mountains. Later meet when the clans start fighting to mate wuxian. Lan zhan is selected as his guardian. Ruohan tries to force a mating but gets killed by wuxian.

Recesses basically function as assassins.

Qinghe tend to function as military.

Huasang and Lan zhan have similar scents. @manalover

FOUND? Under Red Skies by AngelSpirit (E, 169k, wangxian, graphic depicitons of violence, Soulmates, Fantasy, Wolves, Wolf Pack, Wolf Shifters, Alpha LWJ, Asena WWX, Wolf hierarchy, Everybody-wants-WWX, Multiple Time Skips, Canon Setting, Modern Cultivation, Fluff and Angst, Smut, Mating Bond, Werewolf, Scenting, Marking, Biting, primal, Royalty, Slow Burn, BAMF LWJ, BAMF WWX)

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8. Hi! I've been trying to find an a/b/o fic (Lz is an alpha and Wy an omega). What I remember of the plot is that people thought Wy was always hooking up around. Lz had a one night stand with him to try getting over his own feelings for Wy. When Wy went days later to confess to him, Lz said something about Wy hooking up around, and Wy left crying because Lz also believed the rumors about him. Wx, who was Lwj's roommate, said something about fucking Wy, so Lz punched him and went to apologize to Wy.

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9. for the next fic finder: i only know that it was post-cql and wangxian were writing each other letters until wwx broke his leg very badly on a night hunt? i don't remember much else, im sorry!

FOUND? Between The Lines by Witch_Nova221 (M, 153k, WangXian, Epistolary, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Letters, Falling In Love, Love Confessions, Love Letters, Long-Distance Relationship, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Canon-Typical Violence, Post-Canon, Idiots in Love)

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10. Hi! For the next itmf, I have been looking for a fanfic in my bookmark and my history I couldn't find it 😅

I think it's (abo) I don't remember quite good I think Jiang Cheng ran away for lotus pier with wei ying to the woods later on lan zhan and lan xichen will find them and take them back to lotus pier, madam yu wants to beat wei ying and wei ying take the blame and Jiang Cheng wants to stop madam yu because lan zhan was there to and lan zhan is wei ying mate, and I think lan zhan will step in front of wei ying, and later on Jiang fengmian slap Jiang Cheng(I think it chapter 9 or something 😅) @rayan12sworld

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11. Hi! I remember reading a modern au fic on AO3 where Lan Wangji, while preparing for an arranged/political marriage, finds out he was actually married to Wei Wuxian and needs to divorce lest he commit bigamy. Lan Wangji does not remember getting married at all! Less clear on the following details: Wei Wuxian was either missing or dead, and Lan Wangji travels to the courthouse where it happened for more info. He finds on the back of a photo of the occasion that Wei Wuxian had written it was the happiest day of his life.

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12. Hi. Firstly I wanna say I absolutely adore this blog and thank you for providing us WangXian fans with amazing fanfiction.

I've been dying to find this one fanfic but I have no idea where it is now and after constant serching I decided to give it ago.

From what I remember: Lan Wangji is taken prisoner and kept in a prison next to Wei WuXian who is some sort of creature (a Phionex to be exact) and Lan Wangji watched helplessly as he is tortured everyday to provide for the Wen Sect using his tears, Phionex cry, etc.

I also remember Wei WuXian helps him escape the prison and Lan Zhan goes back for him but (I think) Wei WuXian already burnt Nightless City and saved the civilians and the Wens but is unconscious.

Please, I hope you have better luck in finding this fic, I've been dying to reread it.

Thank you in advance!!!

FOUND? a thousand hills, no birds in flight | 千山鳥飛絕 by defractum (nyargles) (E, 26k, WangXian, Mythology, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon adjacent setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)

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13. Hi! I’m looking for a Pregji fic. It’s post-canon and I think wangxian had some sort of post-sex misunderstanding that led wwx to leave. Lwj finds out after that he’s pregnant. I remember the juniors going out and searching for wwx, trying to bring him back. (I checked the Pregji compilation, but it wasn’t there and it’s not under the pregnant Lan zhan tag on AO3) thank you!

FOUND? A Joy That’s Hard to Find by airinshaw (E, 26k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mpreg, Misunderstandings, Minor Angst, Anal Sex, Fluff and Smut, Kissing) After their first and only night together Wei Wuxian disappears. As Lan Wangji tries to find him again, he gradually realises that Wei Wuxian left him with an unintended gift.

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14. Mood for story where wei wuxian disappears into some faraway land with cliffs. Then appears as some powerful sect with the wen survivors and song lan xiao xing chen. Apparently he rides a dragon to battle.

FOUND? 💖 Echo, Murmur, Dream, Here by bluerainmist (M, 51k, wangxian, canon divergence, WWX survives, sect leader WWX, yiling wei sect au, slow burn, angst w/ happy ending, getting together, pining, love confessions, reunions, mind all the tags)

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15. Hi 😊 huge fan of your blog, I've found so many gems here so thank you and keep up the good work.

I read a fic last year and it's driving me insane because I cannot find it please help....I such at summaries but I can recall that LWG stepped in front of a sword that was met for Yanli , they thought he died because his brother had him away . WWX gives him self up to the lan sect for punishment @b-rabbitsposts

FOUND? If I Could Go Back in Time by Runningbarefoot (M, 122k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Role Reversal, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Grief/Mourning, Loss, YLLZ WWX, Eventual Happy Ending, The Twin Jade Brotherhood, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Healing, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Dynamics, Slow Burn)

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16. hi there! for the finder; theres this one v specific scene i can remember but nothing else. it was definitely canon divergence — they were trying to save yzy and jfm (after the massacre of lotus pier), and they were still alive. they brought them to wq, who did heal them, but jfm was worse for wear while yzy... out for revenge i think? i cant remember all else but if anyone has an idea that'd be great thank you! @revellingfate

NOT FOUND! could be "A Price To Pay" by wangxianist, which was sadly deleted

FOUND! I’m aching and I know you are too by edenwolfie (M, 236k, WangXian, XuanLi, Canon Divergence, Fluff, POV Alternating, POV Outsider, Family Feels, Humor, Romance, Engagement, Fix-It, Drunken Shenanigans, Hurt/Comfort, Qíshān Wēn Indoctrination, Canon-Typical Violence, Fall of Lotus Pier, Sunshot Campaign, First Time, Possessive Behavior, Panic Attacks, Everybody Lives, Established Relationship)

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17. Hi, I'm hoping that you could help me find a fic. It was after wwx death, lwj keep on dreaming a life where wwx didn't die. Then he found out that the incense burner is the source of his dream. To avoid the pain of losing wwx, lwj start to sleep more and it started to affect his health. Lqr and lxc notice this and try to interfere since lwj condition keep getting worse as he choose to stay asleep. They tried to warn and stop lwj but he ignored them and keep using the incense burner. Later lqr and lxc found out that lwj is dead. Sorry if I'm ranting but that's all I can recall. I can't remember the name and wish to read it again. I would really appreciate it if you could help me find it. Thank you in advance! @mayuchi96

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18. Hi lovely Mods! (＾▽＾) I hope you can help me find these fics I've been looking for!

A) WWX builds (is that the word?) a new core, that isn't a golden core, and I think it's something about yin vs. yang cultivation?

B) WWX grow op with XXC, and I think WWX get a title in the same style as XXC and SL?

C) I just remember a scene where LWJ gives WWX a knife (dagger?) made of like the same material a Bichen, and say something about it protecting him when LWJ can't?

hope you have a great day!

18A)

Not FOUND Did I Not Explain Why the Sunset Turns Red? by 3988Akasha (E, 110k, wangxian, time travel, canon divergence, Canonical Character Death, Soulmates, Demonic Cultivation, Original Female Character(s), Emotional Constipation, Minor Character Death, Hand Jobs, Sexual Content, Bathing/Washing, Idiots in Love, Poetry, Mild Gore, Anal Sex, Angst, Rimming, Blow Jobs)

FOUND? 🧡 Never Again by Hauntcats (T, 67k, WangXian, WWX & WQ & WN, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Angst, Not JC Friendly, BAMF WWX)

FOUND? 🧡 a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke ( M, 180k, WangXian, Arranged marriage, Canon Divergence, Hurt/comfort, Light angst, Canon typical violence)

18B)

Not FOUND I Will Call You By Name by DisasterMages (T, 73k, SongXiao, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Family Feels) I'm not sure about the title for WWX but he grew up with XXC and SZC

18C)

FOUND! 💖 Looking at You Always, All Ways by Keysmashed T, 29k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, fluff, nostalgia, mild angst w/ happy ending)

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19. A) I have been searching for a specific fic for a while but I cannot find it anywhere. It's an ABO Au with Alphaji and Omegaxian, LWJ is older (35ish) and WWX younger (18ish) and they're being set up on an arranged marraige. WWX is originally hesitant but falls for LWJ and it turns out LWJ travelled from a universe where WWX died and found this one where he lives. There's a scene where LWJ gets jelous of LJY and one where WWX dolls up to look silly but YZY lets him bc he looks cute. Thank you!

B) I remember very little about this fanfic except that LWJ travels back in time to his child body but keeps his power so everyone thinks he's a reincarnated ancestor (or smth)so let him do anything, this includes him destroying the wall of rules. I think WWX also has returned and the story follows both of them. It's the destruciton of the wall that sticks most in mind. Any info would be amazing! Thank you!! @yilingweiclan

19A)

FOUND? 4018 by sweetlolixo (E, 28k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, ABO, Older LWJ, Immortal LWJ, Pregnant WWX, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Age Difference, Boypussy, Vaginal Fingering, Dry Humping, Knotting, Blow Jobs, Dirty Talking LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending, Size Difference, Feminization)

19B)

FOUND? A Life Without Regrets by naqaashi (M, 74k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Crack Treated Seriously, musical cultivation, Slow Burn, Pining, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Murder Husbands, PTSD, BAMF WWX, Demonic Cultivation, POV WWX, Cultivation Sect Politics, Worldbuilding, No Yīn Iron, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Artist WWX, Musician WWX, Night Hunts, Fate & Destiny, Bad Parent JFM, Bad Parent YZY, Golden Core, Cultivation Theory, Sentient Burial Mounds, Father-Son Relationship, Dysfunctional Family, Grief/Mourning, Parent-Child Relationship, Angry WWX, Pining WWX, WWX is Not Okay, No Golden Core Transfer, BAMF LWJ, Pining LWJ, POV LWJ, Angry LWJ, One-Braincell Wangxian, Love Confessions, Idiots in Love, WIP)

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20. Oh woops, missed the collection window.

Anyways I've been trying to find this fic for a few weeks now, so no rush.

I'm trying to find a specific fic that is NOT decay by antebunny, because I was reading that one and got reminded of the fic I'm trying to find!! But it has a similar plot hook: the Lans broker a ceasefire with the Yiling Patriarch, under the condition that they purify WWX of resentful energey & WWX agrees, even though he assumes it will kill him. Unlike "decay", i think in this fic the purification ritual was held *not* at Cloud Recesses -- maybe in Koi Tower?? Anyways LWJ is also the one to perform the purification, halfway through he realizes what the ritual is doing to WWX and improvises a change in the music to save his life, while still making it seem like the proper ritual was completed. @businesstiramisu

FOUND! A Moment's Warning by Neery (G, 8k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Misunderstandings, Golden Core Reveal, JL Gets His Bracelet)

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#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic finder #wangxian fic search #the untamed #wangxianficfinder #long post

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