#serena wants 2 be in control in the sense that like

[wihlted]

USFW MISC HEADCANONS :

serena is an extremely sensual person. she appreciates the aesthetics of sex a lot, particularly the touches, sounds, and intimacy.

her love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation, with explicitly correlate to how she likes sex: lots of touching, lots of praise.

she doesn't have casual sex often, but it's not too unusual. serena will only have sex with really charming strangers who come on to her first -- she will never initiate. more likely, serena will have sex with friends or people close to her in a friends - with - benefits kind of way.

she loves dressing up for sex. serena has plenty of really fancy, beautiful lingerie, and loves knowing she's at her most lovely right before she gets down & dirty.

she probably masturbates at least every couple days. she considers herself above looking at porn, so she'll just fantasize about whatever attractive person she's fixated on at the time, if she doesn't have someone to have sex with.

while her sex drive can be high, that to her has no impact on whether she wants to be in a relationship with someone. she's okay dating someone who doesn't want to have sex as often as she does, as long as there's some sort of compromise. mutual masturbation, thigh riding, dirty talk, teasing etc. they don't have to have sex, but if her partner rebuffs her too often, serena will get really insecure and shut down, and she doesn't know how to talk about her feelings regarding that.

she's really fun to have sex with!! beautiful, willing, flexible, and she knows how to make her partner feel their best and most attractive.

specific kinks: she likes the idea of risky public sex, but will only do it with some convincing ( she likes it but she's nervous ), she's a bottom in name only, serena likes to have and assert control over her partner. she likes when her partner grips her hips / thighs, she's most sensitive on her thighs, neck, and collarbones. her fingers are also very sensual to her -- licking or nipping her fingertips is the easiest way to turn her on. she also really likes cockwarming, just to have a sense of control over the other person. cumplay, feeling it after she's cum is something she likes, but only with someone she's really in love with.

serena does not like the idea of pegging unless it's someone she has a really strong, protective relationship with. to her, serena doesn't like feeling 'masculine' so pegging is not for her, but if it's someone she feels she wants to protect and take care of, then if they asked her, she's more likely to do it.

rough sex is only the move when she explicitly asks. she doesn't mind some force in her sex ( leaving fingerprints on her, cumming inside, etc. ) but she doesn't like it to hurt really bad.

to elaborate on her control, serena loves being the one in charge -- she wants to guide her partner, but she wants to be on the bottom ( IF THAT MAKES SENSE LOL ) she'll only let her partner have control if it's someone she trusts explicitly.

OK NOW ON THE FLIP SIDE,

trigger warnings for underage / dubcon.

serena does have sexual trauma. she was coerced into a sexual relationship at fourteen with her ballet master, and was groomed by him until she was seventeen. he was her everything during that time, her father, her boyfriend, everything. he taught her how to dress, how to act, how to navigate the ballet world. this still affects the way serena tries to appeal to men.

[shiorimakibawrites]

The Plan (Happy Little Accident #2)

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem! Reader Word Count: 3431 Summary: Matt has a plan Warning(s): Undescriptive sexual fantasy (f receiving oral sex, p in v intercourse), horny thoughts, sexual innuendo, flashback, clumsiness Happy Little Accident Masterlist Matt Murdock / Daredevil Masterlist General Masterlist Tag List: @loves0phelia, @sarahskywalker-amidala, @fanfiction-fanatic221, @nowheredreamer, @marshmelloyellow02, @milkbummm, @writtenbyred, @beezusvreeland, @dorothleah, @m1cky-y-y, @yarrystyleeza, @justvalkyrie A03 link

Part 2 - The Plan

“You’ll have to. I can’t.”

Matt ignored his partner’s groan on the other end of the line. He knew perfectly well that Foggy loved his blind jokes just as much as he loved Foggy’s puns. You did too. It was one of the things that he liked about you, that sense of humor.

“Left myself wide open for that one, didn’t I?” you said, ruefully but without rancor.

“Yep,” he said, grinning at you. “But yes, I’ll see you later.” That earned him a smile. “Bye, Matt.” “Bye, sweetheart,” he said.

If he had his way, this would be a short good-bye. He had a plan.

The plan had been underway for a while. Ever since Matt realized that he liked you more than a neighbor or a friend, he had been trying to signal that. Subtle flirting at first as he didn’t want to scare you off. You were rather shy after all. Well he thought he was being subtle. Karen and Foggy had told him that he had been anything but subtle about his interest.

Subtle enough for you it seemed. You had yet to realize that he was interested in you. The same could not be said for your roommate Serena. She had tried repeatedly to get you to see that Matt wasn’t flirting just to flirt. But you kept insisting that there was no way he could be interested in you that way. That he was way out of your league.

Nonsense. If anything, it was the other way around . . .

“Thurgood Marshall’s legal reasoning was full of logical fallacies!”

“What?!” Matt said, snapping back to the present.

“Knew that would get your attention, ya big nerd,” Foggy said. “Now, how long do I and Karen have to wait for you to put your pants back on and join me at the office?”

“I didn’t take off my pants.”

“Kinky.”

Matt rolled his eyes. “Nothing happened.”

“I’m sure.”

“Nothing happened,” Matt repeated. Not that your arousal perfuming the air hadn’t been the sweetest temptation. But he had some self-control. He could refrain from having his way with you on his kitchen counter. No matter how much his mouth watered at the thought of being buried between your thighs. Or his half-hard cock longed to be deep inside you, no more walls between him and those breathy moans of his name . . .

Foggy let out an exasperated sigh. “I thought you said you were asking her out today. Remember that guy at Josie’s?”

Matt scowled. “I remember.”

‘That guy’ hadn’t done anything wrong. Just found you attractive and flirting with you every chance he got. He had no right to be jealous. You weren’t his girlfriend. You weren’t even his lover. Just a friend and a neighbor. That didn’t stop the Devil inside him from snarling in fury. That you showed no attraction to that man and didn’t even notice his flirting only mildly appeased the beast.

Especially when you returned to the pool table with the stink of his pheromones maring your sweet scent.

The Devil only stopped rattling its chains when, during the walk home, you gratefully accepted the offer of his jacket. This covered that man’s scent with his own. Much better. Curiously your scent still held traces of his. Perhaps he had “forgotten” to ask for the jacket back and you kept using the jacket during the sudden cold snap this week.

Even if those traces had made it even harder to keep his hands to himself. Which was already a struggle. You felt so right in his arms and you smelled so good . . . the crisp apple of the beauty products you favored complemented well with your body’s natural odors . . . .

“Well?” Foggy demanded.

“I was working up to it.”

“I thought you were done being subtle.”

“I am,” Matt said. “But stripping down to my boxers felt a bit much before the first date.”

“Fair enough,” Foggy acknowledged with a laugh. “So what’s the plan, Counselor?”

“You know how we have that hearing in front of Justice Watanabe in an hour? Well . . .”

His good luck had continued. The hearing had gone well. For them at least. Not so much for opposing council. Justice Watanabe had ruled early enough for Matt to arrive at the Daily Grind at a little after ten. Almost an hour before closing time. Good, early enough that he wouldn’t be making a pest of himself. The rich aroma inside was a refreshing change from the streets.

“Hi! Welcome to - Matt!” You said, sounding surprised but happy. A good sign.

“Hello sweetheart,” he said, smiling and hearing your heart make that excited little skip. It happened often around him but he never got tired of hearing it. Same with the rush of blood flooding your cheeks every time he called you sweetheart. “Told you that you’d see me later.”

“So you did,” you said. He could hear the smile in your voice. “What can I get you?”

Yourself, naked, on the nearest flat surface was the answer the Devil wanted to give. But the lawyer was firmly in the driver seat right now so instead he answered, “A latte, please.”

“Gotcha,” you said. He heard the squeak-swish of the marker writing his name on a cup. “Just the drink? We still have one of those cinnamon rolls you like.”

That was surprising. In addition to its coffee, the cafe had become known for its cinnamon rolls. Usually they were sold out well before closing. Especially the ones with the apple topping that Matt was particularly fond of. But there it was, smelling like it had been baked within the last two hours. Upon that realization, his stomach decided to remind him that he hadn’t eaten any dinner yet. By growling loud enough to be heard over the soft music playing in the cafe. Matt felt the tips of his ears flush with blood.

You giggled. “Sounds like your stomach has voted for cinnamon rolls.”

“Apparently,” he said, ruefully. In fairness to his stomach, the food here was very good. Much of it was made in-house with high quality ingredients. The things the cafe didn’t make themselves were sourced from other small businesses with a similar commitment to producing a quality but reasonably priced product. “I’ll take the roll.”

“Coming right up,” you said. “Your usual table?”

“Yes, thank you,” Matt said, paying before moving toward what he considered to be ‘his’ table. It was tucked in the back corner, away from the large windows. This lack of view caused the table to be avoided by most patrons unless the cafe was packed. But that’s why Matt liked it. It was a shame that he hadn’t discovered this place sooner. It was a perfect study spot. Quiet without being too quiet with readily available caffeine and many foods that could be eaten with one hand.

And he might have met you sooner. He remembered you mentioning that you had worked here since college.

Not that he minded your first meeting. It was so memorable. You’d probably say that was a bad thing. He would disagree.

Matt had been aware of someone moving into 6B. Hard to miss the rumble of the old freight elevator, the chatter of unfamiliar voices. Two women about his age, old friends from the sound of things. A theory confirmed when he met one of his new neighbors, Serena the barista, in the elevator the next morning.

He fully expected to run into you in the elevator sooner or later. 

He had no idea how right he was about that.

He was headed toward the elevator when you stepped out of it, struggling with an armload of groceries. He had been about to offer some help when it happened. Distracted by an escape attempt by an orange, you completely missed his presence. Right up until your face smacked into his chest.

You bounced back, dropping one of the bags and scattering its contents. You babbled out apologies while trying to get out of his way without dropping anything else. Never noticing that you were backing up right toward the stairwell. Not until you were teetering on the edge of the top step. And starting to fall.

Matt didn’t think. He just moved.

He made it in time. Barely but he made it. Holding you in his arms, he let out a sigh of relief. Safe. Frightened with your heart beating against your ribs like a trapped bird but alive and unharmed.

“T-thank you,” you said, your voice thin and shaken. “Mr . . .”

“Murdock. I’m Matt Murdock,” he said. “And there’s no need to thank me, sweetheart.”

“Umm . . . sorry about . . . bumping into you like that . . . I didn’t see you,” you said as Matt eased you back on your own feet. Your voice was hesitant but pleasant to listen to. 

“I didn’t see you either,” he said and waited. It didn’t take long.

It wouldn’t be the last time he had saved you from a dangerous fall. Or even less dangerous falls. It was a little concerning how often you lost your footing. But he couldn’t deny that it had some benefits. Namely how often he got to hold you in his arms.

Never for long as he would like but catching you was one thing. Holding you without explicit permission was something else. But it was nice while it lasted. Your body felt so right against his. And those times your shirt had ridden up, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from rubbing his fingertips into your skin. It was soft as satin. It always took more willpower than was pretty to let you go during those moments. His hands itched to explore, find all the spots that made you shudder like that . . .

Matt shook his head, pushing away that thought. This was not the time or place to be thinking like that. He didn’t need to get an erection right now.

He focused his attention on you making the latte. There was something quite enjoyable about listening to you work. Your hands moved with practiced confidence, much like when you were sketching or painting. Humming along with the radio as you measured out the expresso while your coworker plated up his cinnamon roll. The song was a favorite of yours. He had heard you sing it before.

He enjoyed listening to you sing. And talk. What was that Shakesphere line that described your voice perfectly? ‘Her voice was ever soft / Gentle and low, an excellent thing in a woman? Yes, that was it. He had found it comforting on those days when he got overstimulated. He could just tuned into your humming, the beat of your heart, and drown out the painful world.

The grinder was far less pleasant than your singing voice, painful even at this distance. At least the results smelled good with all the rich complexity of good espresso beans. The powerful aroma only grew as you pulled the shot.

Though he found himself curious why pouring in the steamed milk had your heart making that little skip. Your coworker at the bar gave him no clues. Just made him even more curious by whispering “Dark and Beardy in the corner? That him? . . Damn girl! You weren’t kidding!”

“Lex!” you hissed, that delightful flush returning to your cheeks.

“What? That is one fine ass.”

“Lex!”

Matt had to cough to hide his laughter. So you liked his ass. He had suspected as much but it was nice to have confirmed. He managed to get his expression back under control before you reached the table. You were less successful at banishing that flush. Or keeping your heart from speeding up as you approached him.

“Apple cinnamon roll at your twelve o’clock, latte at one, fork is about an inch to the right of your plate,” you said, giving him the rundown that he didn’t, in the strictest sense of the word, need but did appreciate. Just because he could do something didn’t always mean that he wanted to.

And it wasn’t like you knew about his senses. Not yet anyway.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said for the sheer delight of deepening that flush. He couldn’t help it. You seemed to find your blushing embarrassing but he thought it was adorable. While it was tempting to ask you for that date now, Matt refrained. You’d be off work in just under an hour. He could wait.

In the meantime, he could enjoy his meal.

The roll was soft and bursting with flavor as usual. The tart apple was such a pleasing contrast to the sweetness of the sugar and spices. The coffee matched the richness of its aroma. The warmth was also welcome. It was April so the nights were warming up but some were still bitterly cold. Tonight wasn’t one of those nights but it was cool and windy. He hoped that you brought his jacket with you.

“Hey,” Lex said as you returned to the coffee bar, “Mind holding down the fort for a minute? I need to ask Abby something.”

“Go ahead, I’m good.”

“Thanks!”

Lex ducked into the kitchen while you tidied things up at the coffee bar. There were two people moving around back there, the owner Abby and a male employee who seem to be assisting her prepare tomorrow’s batch of baked goods. Matt tuned out their conversation in favor of listening to you softly sing along with the radio as you swept the floor.

The song had finished when Lex returned, making a beeline for you.

“Hey,” Lex greeted you. “You wanna head out early? Abby said it was okay.”

“Hmmm,” you hesitated, fidgeting with the ties on your apron. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Lex said before lowering her voice. “You could bring Dark and Beardy home, see if he wants to taste your cinnamon roll.”

Matt had to pretend to cough again. Her tone made it clear she wasn’t talking about baked goods. Judging by the sputtering and blushing, you picked up on that too. He had never heard it called that before. It was an apt comparison. Soft, warm, good to eat . . .

“Alexandra!” you hissed. He couldn’t help noticing the shift in your scent. The first hints of arousal . . . If nothing else, your body was interested in the idea of him eating you out.

“What?” she asked with faux innocence. “It’s important. Trust me, never date a guy who won’t eat your cinnamon roll.”

“Since when have you dated guys?”

“Hey! I went to college!”

This got you to laugh.

“So, you stayin’ or goin’?”

“I’m going,” you said. “Before I die of embarrassment.”

“Excellent. Gonna share a cab with Dark and Beardy?” Lex asked in a tone that from Foggy meant waggling eyebrows.

“Doesn’t matter if I do,” you said. “Matt has no interest in my cinnamon roll.”

That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart, Matt thought. I am very interested in your cinnamon roll.

He waited until you had gathered your things and said good-bye to your coworkers before standing and calling your name. Despite having already clocked out, you walked over to him.

“Yes, Matt?”

“Are you coming home, sweetheart?” he asked, as if he didn’t already know.

“I am.”

“Why don’t we share a cab?” He offered. “Since we are going to the same place?”

Your heartbeat spiked at the offer. Probably due to the conversation with Lex. Nevertheless you agreed. It didn’t take long to hail a cab and be on your way back to the Kitchen. The cabbie wasn’t the chatty type, seemingly content to allow you two to talk without interruption.

“How did the rest of your lawyering go?” you asked.

“Good,” he answered. “Judge granted our motion.”

“That’s wonderful!” you said. It wasn’t an empty platitude. You actually meant that. One of your most endearing qualities was your sincerity.

“The DA will probably appeal but we can handle that,” Matt said. “How was barista-ing?”

You giggled. “It was fine. Be glad you missed the afternoon rush.”

“Busy?”

“As a bee. Abby put strawberry shortcake on the menu today.”

“Thought I smelled strawberries.”

“Really? Even after they were all gone?” you asked, surprise clear in your voice.

Matt nodded, then waited for your reaction. This wasn’t revealing his senses. Just hinting at them. But it still made his stomach clench.

Fortunately he didn’t have to wait long.

“Neat!!” You said. “You can settle the debate between Serena and Lex about what ‘starry night’ is supposed to smell like.”

Matt blinked, unsure of how to react. On the one hand, relief at your positive reaction to the barest hint of his senses. On the other . . . 

“What ‘starry night’ smells like?” Matt repeated.

“Scented candle they both love but cannot agree on what its scent profile is supposed to be.”

“And that wasn’t on the label?” He didn’t have a lot of experience with scented candles. Most didn’t play well with his senses. Sometimes an individual candle was tolerable or even pleasant but just walking across from a Yankee Candle gave him a migraine. But he had been told the label had the scent profile on it. Or least what the manufacturers thought it smelled like.

“Not really,” you said. “Just something about the woodys aroma of a night under the stars. Serena thinks its oak, musk, leather, and rose. Lex thinks it's applewood, leather, and amber.”

“And what’s your theory?”

“No, no, no,” you said, shaking your head. “Not it. Wrong number. I plead the Fifth”

Matt laughed. “Not going to ask that, sweetheart?”

“Absolutely not,” you said, voice firm even with that little skip of your heart. “I remember the Fresh Rain discourse. Never. Again.”

Matt chuckled as the cab pulled to stop in front of their building. He paid the fare before you could dig out your wallet. You grumbled about it a little but the argument was half-hearted. Perhaps because you were tired. Your steps were dragging a little as you led the way into the elevator. It still smelled faintly of your arousal. Something his dick took immediate note of.

You turned toward the control panel and kicked something small and plastic that smelled like paint.

“Wha-?” You bent down to pick up the mystery object and made a faint groan. “So that’s where the cap went.”

Matt had to suppress a grin. “The cap to what?”

“The magenta paint that I sprayed all over your suit,” you said, blood flooding your cheeks again. “Along with the some of the wall . . . God, I hope the super doesn’t find out it was me who did that . . . the offer to pay for your dry-cleaning still stands.”

“Appreciated but unnecessary,” he said, then took the plunge. “Are you free tomorrow night?”

“Hmm, yes?” you said, after a moment’s thought. “Why?”

“Because I want to take you to dinner.”

“Oh! Okay . . .,” you said, fidgeting with the cap. “As a friend?”

Matt shook his head. “As a date.”

For a moment, you just stared at him with your mouth opening and closing. But then you found your voice, “A d-date? With me?”

“Yes, with you,” he said. “Unless you don’t want-”

“No, no, I want to,” you interrupted.

“Good.” The ding of the elevator alerted them to the arrival to the sixth floor. Matt offered his hand. And, after a moment of hesitation where you surreptitiously pinched your thigh, you took his hand. Your hand felt right in his. Like it was meant to be there.

The only downside was that it was a short walk between the elevator and the door to 6B. Far too soon for his taste, it was over.

“How does seven sound?” he asked, squeezing your hand.

“Seven is good,” you said, tentatively squeezing back.

“Wonderful,” he said, lifting your hand to his mouth. He kissed the skin across your knuckles. The first of many kisses, he hoped. The skin was silky smooth under his lips, tasted of coffee and sugar. So much nicer than his rough hands, crisscrossed with scars and stained by blood.

You shivered. It was tempting, oh so tempting, to trail kisses up your arm until he reached your mouth. To mold his body against yours and fill this hallway with the sounds of your moans. But he restrained himself. Soon, he reminded himself as he forced his mouth away from your skin. Soon. 

“Tomorrow at seven,” he said.

“Tomorrow at seven,” you repeated, your voice a touch breathy.

He waited for you to close the door behind you before entering his own apartment. Phase One was complete. Now for Phase Two.

To be continued . . .

NOTES

Special thanks to Riley aka @chaos-and-ink for answering my barista questions.

Thurgood Marshall (1908 - 1993) was a United States Supreme Court Justice from 1967 until 1991 and civil rights attorney in NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) where he argued numerous cases, most famously Brown vs Board of Education that ended school segregation.

Justice - In New York, trial judges are called Justices.

Her voice was ever soft . . . - quote from William Shakespeare’s King Lear, Act V, Scene 3.

Latte - Coffee drink made by pouring steamed milk into shots of espresso (usually around two), the way the milk is poured in can produce patterns like a heart in the crema.

Pulling the shot - refers to the procress of brewing a shot of espresso of pulling the lever that forces the hot water through the freshly ground compacted beans.

Bar - The counter set-up where the espresso and other machines to make the coffee, along with the supplies like beans, milk, syrups, etc.

Dark and Beardy - continuing to be inspired by the leaked Daredevil: Born Again trailer.

DA - District Attorney, the attorney who represents the government's position in a criminal case.

[silvermeww]

for your Kalosian Woods AU, I have two questions! (1) what’s the direction you’re gonna take Amourshipping/Ash and Serena’s dynamic in? Their friendship along with the romantic subtext felt like it had a lot of potential in XYZ-proper but never really got utilized. And (2) how’re you gonna tackle Showcases? I’ve been meaning to work on a Showcase restructure but I’d love to hear your ideas :D

Hey there!!!!! For the first question, I 100% acknowledge the force of Serena’s crush on Ash in the XY series— even if I did tweak it so that she would fall after meeting him for the first time, watching him train for the Gym and having seen him fall off Prism Tower inspiring her to see him through tinted lens (and how it evolved from the admiration she had for him when they were kids so long ago). While XY anime itself had the weird notion of making everyone down for Ash (a terrifying scene after coming out of the professional haters of BW and literally every series before it) (ngl though I am a believer of the polycule + Bonnie idea lol, it exists in my heart), I can’t deny that side of Amourshipping even if I’m not a shipper myself or even much of a good writer for romantic relationships imo. In my AU I want to show how that love for him grows and eddies throughout the series: from their first meeting to taking up her own dream of showcases to seeing Ash lose himself in his endless hunt for strength— how she puts him on a pedestal because he was the first Trainer she knew, the strongest one she knew, and back then how she didn’t know better, relying on him instead of taking the risks herself and working with other people for a change. You’re absolutely right in the potential their relationship have in XYZ especially; with Serena coming to the tail end of her first Showcase season, ending up in the same place as before but with a totally changed perspective, and Ash fixating more than ever on being the best of the best, distancing himself from everyone else… and of course, all of that feelings and realisations coming to a head in Snowbelle, the Crisis, and the aftermaths. And also having both of them face each other at the end of it all and realising how much changed. I’m not really sure if I’m wording any of this right or if what I’ve said even makes sense heh, especially since I’m not too far ahead in this AU, but their friendship and that romantic subtext is definitely going to play a part in this series, and even if the plot details changes like the weather I’m going to do my best in keeping it as true to its potential as it should be (because a girl can be in love and also grow as a person, in spite and despite and even with it— you’ve just got to find the right angle).

(Also I’m going to have fun with that crush, so it might meet some light-hearted banter and miscommunications and all of that stuff. I mean, hey, these are kids on a journey lol. There are going to be awkward moments for everyone at some point, but they’ll grow past it as with everything else. Also fun memories. :P)

For the second question, wow, I’ve been giving it so much thought lol. I’m nowhere near the Showcases right now (although it is closer than what canon gave us in my AU) and yet it’s all I can do to plan for how it works. I have spitballed a few ideas with friends but for me (so far) I honestly want more of it to be outdoors. Showcases as a whole has this pesky problem of being a one-to-one copy of Contests but ‘declawed’ by having no battles, and it really gets me because if we’re discarding battles then we have to actually redefine Showcases as a whole— because the battle portion is the ultimate showing of precision and control with your Pokémon and their moves, which is what Contests are all about. Especially with AG and DP, we see examples of atypical Appeal rounds with Harley going for a more terrifying show of power, while Kenny (as :/ as a character as he was) goes for showings of strength— even though they are not ‘beautiful’ they still get to pass, because it really is about how your bond can perfectly translate to moves that can command the audience and grab their attention, naturally highlighting the Pokémon. With Showcases though, to me, they are more about creativity— about how a Performer can work with their Pokémon to get past certain obstacles which are based off a certain characteristic the Kalos Queen should have (the Theme round or whatever it was called lol) and then the Freestyle showing off what they uniquely bring to the table, their own brand, what they want to be remembered by (in which I thought that they could bring props to that originally but eh, that’s what my AU is for!). Sheesh, I went through such a big rant and I still feel fired up heh, but ig this is to say that since Showcases are about creativity, the outdoors location would be a great way to show how they deal with everything. On a sunny day, would they use Grass or Fire Types? Would they call out a Rain Dance and form a rainbow? Of course they wouldn’t actually have an open venue if it’s raining or snowing, but in different terrains can you see the characters stand out, I feel like. Also giving all sorts of Pokémon room like Flying or Ground. I have a bunch more ideas of course, about it being connected to PokéVision (still mad about how that concept got dumped) and having small events where people can get to know the up and coming Performers, getting hints for the Theme section so we don’t get the most unbalanced group of people and have a real competition (that always bothered me ngl), as well as other tweaks to that whole system. Showcases can be good in their own light, it’s just the rep of it being baby ‘only girls’ Contest (still thinking about the girls bit ngl) along with the stupid popularity bit of it (not that the concept is bad in and of itself, just that it should have a place and not be the be all end all of passing to the next stage) (it’s only good for the Freestyle, can I say that?) that makes it flop. Also because it came in so late and left so early. And the rivals kind of sucked because they weren’t given any time to grow. And the way Serena wasn’t challenged enough through them. So basically, I’ve got A Lot of thoughts about it and it’s going to be a headache to go through because it desperately needs a redesign to be viable in any way. But that’s the fun bit about an AU, isn’t it heh. Tell me about your ideas, I’d love to hear about them and thank you so so much for the ask!!! :D <33

[eliteseven]

Now that you have had exactly *1 day* to think about tav and SH having twins, have you thought up any HCs? 👀

I just imagine their parents instilling in them that they are never alone, and always strongest when looking out for each other. I think it would be so interesting to see how different get complementary they are. I’m a bit inspired by Naestra’s and Arahan’s temperaments and personality from Warhammer.

A common trait though would be their love for nature and animals, although it might manifest differently. Perhaps one is nurturing, while the other can be more violent (for good and deserved reasons, obviously)

I took *2 days* haha, sorry! (Business trip is killing me rn) BUT of course I do! I think we’re still a ways away from seeing the baby/twins in fic (I have a Starfield fic that is wayyyyyy overdue for an update, so I’ll be working on that for a bit!) but in the meantime, I’m always open to discussing and hearing your ideas! 🥰

Some thoughts if we do end up going down the twin route:

I think they’d be very different! I kind of envisioned one taking after Shadowheart and one taking after Tav in terms of mannerisms. Of course, their parents stress the importance of sticking together- they should always be each other’s biggest supporters 😭💕 and they will be!

We’ve discussed Jen- I think she’s little Shadowheart. Mischievous, a menace, loves animals, has a tendency to get into trouble. For this reason- I think Tav is maybe a little better at dealing with her when she’s in trouble? For Shadowheart, it’s like looking into a mirror lol. (Not to say she doesn’t absolutely adore her baby girl, ofc- just that she’s also stubborn and Tav has more of that endless reserve of patience). Jen wants to study the blade like Tav- she wants to be the best, not unlike the way Shadowheart wanted to crush her competition in the cloister. She’s more of a fighter than her twin- but she believes in being good. She wants to be noble- not in the sense of wealth, but in character. She wants to be a “hero” like Serena and Shadowheart. After all- her mothers are 2 of the heroes of Baldur’s Gate. But, conversely, I think she also might be more impressionable- more susceptible to being influenced, just like Shadowheart. She’s very willful.

Baby #2 (Lunette? Emmeline jr? Amelia jr? Who knows) is probably a lot more like Serena. She’s quiet- curious, like her sister, but more reserved, definitely more bookish. She’s a diplomat- she knows how to get what she wants using her words and finding common ground. She’s patient, like Serena. While Jen learns by doing, she learns by observing. She isn’t quite as mischievous as Jen- she’s clever and craftier, but still- they’re partners in crime and complement each other well. She reminds Shadowheart so much of Tav- she’s quick to learn and so eager to please. She’s more interested in learning casting, possibly controlling the weave, learning healing from Shadowheart- maybe becoming a cleric herself.

I think they both obviously adore animals, given where they’re raised! Would be interesting if they both developed lycanthropy- or only one of them, I haven’t quite decided 👀

Together, they’re near-invincible (like a certain couple we know 😍). And they’d both be half-elves! Shadowheart could teach them the elvish language 👀

And ofc, they’re probably very concerned with Tav’s shorter lifespan 🥺💕

[pokenoire]

You mention that you have a lot of Anipoke fanfics ideas you never finished, can you tell a little about them? I'm just curious

Ok. This is going to be long, so as a cartoon from my childhood said, "Sit down because here comes a story."

The first time I wrote a FanFiction was in 2013-2014, it was basically an OC based on me and the people I knew, I even added the readers themselves to the story. It was a rewrite of XY, and took the early episodes from when Ash only had Froakie and Flechiling. I needed more characters for a revolution that would happen at least in a 2 story that would interrupt the Kalos League (funny that it was similar to the team flare arc) but with Lumiose's control I looked in practically 52 chapters and was close to Ramos gym, I changed some of Ash's Pokemon and included others keeping their Kalos mon at the same time as my Pokemon for them.

I also had an AU with Mirror Ash instead of an alternate character, a twin brother of Ash who was with his father, in fact this was before the Shudo novel was translated I didn't have much of an idea how Ash father is, the only thing i knew was "Ash will see his father for development" which i came across in the interviews looking for stuff about ash...As I had a cousin with an absent father similar to Ash and I witnessed similar situations with people close to me, I used this as a reference for Ash's father who ended up being very similar to Shudo. Less similar to Yuyama and Yajima UA (20 - 21 - 23 movie and Distant Blue Sky)

I started seeing a lot of real world stories without Pokemon so I decided to try something similar several times, always leaving Pikachu as some object, animal, plush, game or Ash's favorite thing in whole world.

Mirror Serena and Mirror Ash on their journey from leaving Kanto to arriving in Kalos

Mirror Ash autistic child non verbal, hiperfocous on Pokemon anime like it's your mirror version seeing your OG version if that makes sense lol Serena wasn't Mirror Serena, she was just normal Serena, so we can say it's Mirror Ash x Serena

The UA where Ash and Misty and Satoshi and Serena were a couple each with one was missing because I thought it would be fun to make a Pokeshipping fic BUT I COULDN'T PUT ANYONE with Serena other than Ash...so I reused it 💖😅

A whole journey, from Serena in Hoeen with a bit of Palleshipping and Rivalcrushshipping, with mention of the battle frontier and May's appearance.

A rewrite of Serena as Kalos Champion progress, while Ash was in Alola trying to practice all the things he learned from Ash after he failed in Hoeen due to the current chaotic state of the government on Pokemon world in 2017.

A story I've never written about Ashley X Serena, like Serena as sapphic Ash as bi, I think they's bi in pretty much 90% of my stories. Lesbian Serena only came to my mind for the first time because of the 2023 conflict, I admit, before for me they were both a Bi4Bi couple regardless of the universe I wrote, be it yaoi or not.

(Thanks to the Male Marinette and Fem Adrien Agreste versions - the concept of genderband as I only found out what non-binary was in 2019 to 2020 they were both cis)

Yaoi Amourshipping is the most recent of them all, I've simply been watching Serena's genderband for a long time but I've never been able to choose a correct name for it, so it was a bit "how do I can I write a character without a name?" so I was left without any idea updates and I stuck to that, just the desire in the back of my mind in 2015-2016 😭

- Crossovers -

A story based on a book I was reading, where Ash was an immortal and Serena was an incarnated soul that Ash would look for from time to time because in this story he loves her, but she doesn't know and has no idea who he is. I wanted to explore the concept of reverse crush UA but at the same time without going out of character, so it was a bit like Kanto- Diamond and Pearl - Advanced Generation and Kalos Ash mixed together in one character (a little bit of Dark Ash in the middle).

A crossover with Nisekoi, with the idea of recovering the two's memories of their camping days, taking advantage of the theory that Ash was the son of Giovanni and Serena by Lysandre for the first time. Just to give the same main idea of the anime I was basing it on.

A journey of May and Dawn as a crossover of DanMachi because a friend recommended this anime to me, I did something as if the gods were people with Pokémon powers like aura, electric, etc. Pokemon trainers were like the adventurers were like Pokemon trainers but I admit that Ash and Serena had a secondary role in 2016.

Many, many crossovers with Miraculous

A crossover where Ash was Chat Noir and Serena was Ladybug

A crossover where Adrien could go to school and wanted to be a Pokemon trainer and Marinette was there.

A crossover where Delia would work with Tom and Sabine, fleeing from Ash's abusive father in Japan (original Kanto) but they are in the Miraculous world itself. No appearance, no idea who he would be, keeping pretty much the anime, I didn't really involve his father outside of the sibling UA.

I picked up both ideas recently and now that I'm back writing, I thought about putting some of them together into one, but without a very definite spoiler.

I've already done a Bridgette and Felix journey too because they're my OTP in Miraculous but I admit I had a lot more ideas for them in the original universe of their own franchise.

[blairwld]

Okay but I love the idea that everyone who was originally supposed to be Gossip Girl before they switched showrunners in season 6 actually was lmao. It’s like the material version of the season 2 “I guess the real Gossip Girl was the friends we betrayed along the way <3” ending.

Fun fact to that end, the *original* Gossip Girl pick before Nate or Dan was actually Eric, but the writers apparently scrapped that idea after the NYPost came out and publicly theorized that that’s who they thought it was (because you know, the best way to write a mystery is to make sure it’s impossible for the audience to solve it by making it logically incoherent!) So maybe after starting the Gossip Girl blog in the flashback, Dan and Jenny passed it off to Eric after Dan achieved his original goal of writing himself into Serena’s narrative. And then maybe after Jenny and Eric both left the show, Nate seized control of the blog because he ran out of plot and had nothing better to do. Then he shuts it down in 5x10, only for Georgina to take over and bring it back - then Georgie of course passes it along to Serena. Dan regains control in season 6 with his morality and mental health on the decline, officially bringing things full circle.

(This is also serves to explain why Blair was the only one actually mad at Dan by the show’s end - no one ever included her in the Gossip Girl conspiracy gang! 😔)

Dan: I started GG Everyone: omg how dare you? You know how much that site has ruined our lifes!!!!!! Dan: i was only GG for a semester then Jenny and I gave it to Eric. Serena: so it was Eric this whole time? 😡 Chuck: no, I stole it for a few weeks, but then I got bored and gave it to Nate Nate: ......but only for a year, and then I shut it down! Georgina: and then I stole it from him and gave it to Serena 😌 Serena: .... Everyone: .... Blair: wait, anyone else want to admit to being GG? Everyone:

Blair: .......Dorota. put. your. hand. down.

ok but it would have been really fun if everybody had been it at some point. They always get on their high horse about hating GG and keep sending tips, and at the end it's revealed that they were all IT at some point, and they just have to shut up about being better about it lol

they all have their reasons and justifications to want to do it at least shortly, and it would solve a lot of the logic issues (at least partially in theory since the writers could just pick whoever makes the most sense at the moment), and this way GG kinda keeps that point of GG being and "idea", Dan might have created it but everybody else made it grow and kept it alive

Also love the idea that Nate became GG because he was bored shjdshfdjhs

[nekrophoria]

HIIII 🥝🥭 🍑for any OC of your choice! <3

Thank you!! <3

(My character icons are pretty outdated as well, so apologies for that ^^")

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

Mel

🍑  :    how meticulously does my muse look after their physical appearance?  do they spend a lot of time on their hair,  makeup,  grooming,  and clothing?  is there a particular reason why they do or don’t? 

When Mel was a teenager he actually cared a lot, probably too much, about his appearance.

Serena would make jokes about the fact that he needed twice as long in the bathroom as her just to do his hair alone. That was slightly exaggerated on her end though.

To Mel focusing on his appearance was mainly an attempt to get his insecurities and dislike for himself under control. He had certain (sometimes rather conflicting) images in his head of how he wanted or was supposed to look but despite his best efforts he could never quite get it right.

These days Mel isn't really in a position to focus or at the very least do anything about his appearance, given his living situation. It's still on his mind from time to time though...it's a complicated subject all around for him.

The only time he sees himself is in the crusty bathroom mirrors of public toilets or when he passes a storefront window, and while he doesn't go out of his way to avoid it he's still not overly keen on perceiving himself.

Nowadays he switches between being completely disconnected from his appearance to  feeling immense shame and self hatred to getting a grim kind of gratification from that.

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

Lyall

🥝  :    does my muse have any  ‘  unusual  ’  habits,  interests,  and  /  or talents?  do they hide it,  or are they proud of it? 

Lyall almost has a sixth sense for people. He can observe a person and assess how they feel, what they fear, what they want, what they need. And 9 our of 10 times he's correct with his assumption.

Although he perceives it as a gift (as well as a curse) to some degree he's still not proud of it for two reasons

1) it has a pretty grim background. It mostly stems from the fact that he had to assess his surroundings almost constantly as a child. Being able to read the room was necessary for survival to him.

2) He feels that being proud of it would cloud his judgement and hinder him more than anything.

He's also got a knack for solving riddles, puzzles, brain teasers of any kind. (Something he used to annoy Alev with on occasion when she was still a kid)

Again, not something he's particularly proud of. Although he thinks it speaks for his ability to think outside the box and not take everything at face value, which he definitely is proud of although he probably wourdn't admit it.

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

Roland

🥭  :    how important to my muse is their hometown,  or where they’re from?  are they proud of it,  or considered a hometown hero?  did they move away,  or do they wish to?

Roland has always been a bit of an involuntary drifter at heart. He finds it difficult to build connections to places.

The city he was born in, Omsk he has absolutely no connection towards anymore. He moved away from there when he was very young and he's only been there once since, because he wanted to know what it's like. But it just didn't feel like home to him.

Dublin, where he grew up, also doesn't have much meaning too him anymore.

His parents cast him out after his discharge from the military which basically eradicated any feeling of home he had for this place.

He spent some time in the US after that but inevitably decided to go back to the UK. He's been living in England since and at this point point he feels somewhat at home there...though not really in a sentimental sense. It's more of a "Fuck you, I'm settling. I ain't going anywhere anymore" kind of attitude.

[iwasbored777]

Nathalie is a little better than Gabriel. I will support her redemption if only because 1. She’s the only reason Adrien was allowed to go to school. 2. She is generally nicer to him than his father and has tried several times to appeal to Gabriel when she sees him upset. 3. She encouraged Gabriel to be honest with Adrien over what he was doing 4. We never got to see her in the aftermath of the reveals in Ephemeral or Chat Blanc. She gave Chat Noir up but it’s possible that she didn’t realize Gabriel would react the way he did.

It’s true she’s been supporting a crazy terrorist man and simping needlessly for him but I am just happy to see her (maybe) come to her senses and I’m more tolerant of her redemption than his. I don’t know how long this anti-Gabriel phase is going to last. He might lure her back in. In one of those screenshots it looks like she might get akumatized and be purple too? So she might say “he made us purple together and that means his love is true.” I’m hoping for the best anyway.

"HE MADE US PURPLE TOGETHER THAT MEANS HIS LOVE IS TRUE" 😭😭😭😭😭

I don't think Nathalie nor anyone is worse than Gabriel. Gabriel is the bottom of the bottom. I just find their relationship toxic and Nathalie's standards low af. Gabriel isn't even good looking and he doesn't have a nice personality.

At first I didn't even notice Nathalie. Then in Heroes Day part two I found her relationship with Gabriel already toxic and a huge red flag was how she risked her life for a man who just beat two children with a stick in front of her. He did THAT to Ladybug and Chat Noir in front of the whole Paris and Nathalie was like "I love him so much he deserves help he is a good man who loves his family". Then as the season 3 went on I disliked her and their whole relationship more and more, I already hated him of course. But the whole concept of what they have is unhealthy to me. Then in Chat Blanc she literally spent all credit with me. The "she didn't know what he was going to do to Adrien" could work if she didn't help Gabriel break Adrien's and Marinette's hearts earlier in the same ep. She already hurt Adrien, she broke his heart. Then when she snitched on him to his father OH MY GOD I WANTED TO MURDER THESE TWO ADULTS SO MUCH IN THAT EPISODE! Then Risk, don't forget it when she flew in to control Adrien with the ring cuz Gabriel couldn't. I don't see her as a momma bear nor anyone who looks at Adrien more than a tool to help his father. I literally don't care if she dies. I used to feel little sorry for her in Strikeback when she collapsed but now I legit don't care. I just want her to go to prison or whatever. Like people legit hate Marinette and then call Nathalie "power woman who has standards, successful queen" what's with the fandom praising every bad female character and hating the good ones lol?! I would rather give Chloé development at this point than Nathalie. Chloé has more potential and she's a kid, Nathalie is a grown woman destroying the world for a one inch long d*ck and now I'm supposed to forgive her?! The same woman who's creating and killing sentimonsters knowing full well what Adrien is. Also the same woman who is also teamed up with Lila and she helped Lila against Adrien in Ladybug. Also when she let Gabriel take credit for the gift Marinette made for Adrien... (also I don't need the "that's bc the writers hate Chloé and they will give everyone development before her" just admit the writers f*ck characters up quite often at this point that no wonder the fandom is so confused who's good and who's bad). I'm just so sick and tired of hers "oh no this is so sad Alexa play Despacito" moments. Also when someone compares Gabenath to Love Square 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 f*ck them.

Now I don't know if she'll come back to Gabriel but I always compared Nathalie to Serena from The Handmaid's Tale cuz they are basically the same character, but there was a part of the series when Serena was seriously considering leaving Fred (who is just as bad as Gabriel) and she was so close and then she came back to him even though she wasn't 100% happy with that choice she still forgave him everything. So everything is possible. I just know that it's impossible for me to like Nathalie like it's impossible for me to like Serena. When a character crossed it they crossed it. If Nathalie and Serena don't have standards I have them.

Also (this isn't about this ask tho) if Nathalie stans could just ignore my blog instead of harassing me and making fun of me for hating her that would be really appreciated 😘

[sariahsue]

A Cat of Their Own - Ch 5

[1] [2] [3] [4]

It was Tuesday night. Adrien stretched out on his stomach on his soft carpet, school papers scattered around him and video game cases lined up, ready to be grabbed. He ignored them all for rereading messages on his phone as he waited. The bright glow of the screen did more to light up his room than the sinking October sun. Plagg munched softly on something in the background. Probably cheese. (Adrien hoped it was cheese.)

Tuesdays used to be his only free night of the week, but starting now they were game night with Ladybug's family. He'd been ready for an hour, and it was almost late enough for him to call them.

Adrien's texts to Ladybug's parents had become much more frequent in the two weeks since they'd fought The Saboteur, and he'd never been happier in his life. He would often have three conversations with them going at once, one with just Tim, another with just Serena, and a third with both of them together. He even started bringing his phone with him on patrols, hidden in his suit's pockets. Ladybug, naturally, had complained about it, though she never told him to stop, even when he asked her if she wanted him to.

When they weren't texting, he'd often reread past messages, like he was now.

When Serena surprised her husband on his birthday with a new game controller, Adrien heard all about it. "He hadn't even thought to ask for one. You should have seen his smile!"

"My wife is small, but she is mighty," Tim had told him a few days ago.

"My husband has a punning problem," Serena had mentioned only yesterday. "You can probably relate." That had been in the group chat, and Adrien laughed when Tim replied that he didn't have a purr-oblem. Cat puns showed up often in the group chats.

It was no wonder Ladybug was so cute. Her parents were adorable. (It was probably weird to ship real people, but it was okay if they were already married, right?)

He looked up at the clock again. Time was moving so slowly. It was five minutes seven, when they'd agreed to get on. The whole thing had been Tim's idea, and it had taken him the entire two weeks to convince Ladybug that playing games together was not going to end with an identity reveal, but he'd finally done it.

Adrien scrolled through a few more messages, trying to distract himself from the ticking clock. Tim and Serena had quickly become a source of strength and wisdom for him, a constant connection to his Lady, and a reminder that there were adults who cared about him enough to text him out of the blue. Ladybug was so lucky to have such good parents. And Adrien was honored to be included, even as he wished it were more.

But that wasn't right. He was being greedy. This was more than he thought he'd ever get, and it was far more than he deserved. All of this attention from her family was far more than he was entitled to, and he reminded himself to be grateful.

In total, it had been almost two months since they'd exchanged phone numbers, and it had only made him fall farther in love with Ladybug. Though he appreciated the time they spent together outside of patrols and battles more than he had words for, it went beyond that. Tim and Serena were Ladybug's model for a relationship. It made sense that she would want something similar for herself, and he was quickly realizing it was something he wanted too. A loving, affectionate, stable relationship, where they joked around and were always there for each other. Adrien wanted that kind of relationship with her.

At two minutes to seven, he figured it was close enough. He was finally going to see if his Lady was as good at video games as she'd always claimed. Few people could beat his score at Ultimate Mecha Strike III, but he wanted to see her try.

***

Tom wasn't sure who was the most excited for game night. It was a toss up between himself, Cat Noir, and (secretly) Marinette. She'd been wondering aloud how good he was. "He boasted about it when we were fighting The Gamer, but he always boasts about everything. I'm just curious." It would have been more convincing if she hadn't brought it up eight times in the past three days. It also would have been more convincing if she hadn't started setting up forty minutes before they were expecting his phone call.

Ever since the Saboteur and the phone call that followed, Cat Noir's texts had started changing. Instead of waiting for them to text first, he would call or text at random times. He started giving more details about his personal life, though it was never anything specific, and finally took them up on their offer to ask them for help if he needed it.

That last one had taken the form of asking questions. They were mostly innocent. Where was that secret level again? Hey, what was your high score for this game?

There were quite a few personal ones, like "I have this childhood friend, who was my only friend for a long time, but she's kind of a jerk now, and she does things that make me uncomfortable. How do I talk to her about it? What should I do?" Tom's first response was a pun. He followed it up with real-life advice.

One of the most memorable questions had been just three days ago.

Catson: Can I ask kind of a weird and dumb question?

Tom: Don't be in-tim-dated.

Catson: How do you know if it's love or just a crush?

Tom couldn't help but show that one to Sabine before giving him a very serious answer. She chuckled.

"Either we're reading the signs very, very wrong," he'd said, "or he's talking about our daughter."

Marinette came back into the living room with a plate of cookies and a can of soda under each arm. "Papa, can you take this please?" she asked, holding the plate out for him. One of the sodas fell and she yelped and almost dropped the plate. He grabbed her wrist to keep her upright. The soda landed on one of the pink cushions she'd brought down from her room.

The room looked like she was expecting him to drop in at any moment. There were snacks and drinks for everyone, with plenty of soft places to sit. Every controller was set out and ready, and the game was already loaded and waiting, and they still had ten minutes left to wait. Marinette checked the time, and then became very interested in fluffing all the pillows when she saw him watching her.

"Has he texted you yet?" she asked.

"Not yet."

"Can you check?" Worry laced her words, high and tight, like she was worried he was going to cancel.

Tom opened his messages, but it still showed their conversation from that morning.

Catson: Random question, what should you do if you're really tired and can't sleep?

Marinette read over his shoulder. "That's the kind of thing you guys text about?"

"Sure," Tom said. "I think he's just looking for things to talk about."

Marinette looked uneasy. He and Sabine thought it was cute, trying to keep in touch with his crush's parents that way and make a good impression, asking for advice.

"I don't think that's all it is," Marinette said. "He's mentioned no one noticing him enough to realize that he's Cat Noir."

Sabine put a finger to her lips, thinking, and then pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her texts. "Why would he ask us, though? He has parents, doesn't he?"

"What if he doesn't?" Tom asked. The question hung heavy in the air for several seconds, until Cat Noir's early phone call interrupted them. Marinette snatched Tom's phone and answered it before the second ring.

"Hey, Kitty!" she said too brightly. "Are you ready to get your butt kicked?" She turned it on speaker and strode to the couch.

"No way." His voice was muffled as she sat down in front of the tv and started rifling through her game collection, calling out ones she thought he would enjoy.

Tom and Sabine watched her, still transfixed in their horror. That poor boy wasn't an orphan, was he?

"He obviously has someone looking after him if he has a phone and so many video games," Sabine finally whispered.

Tom could only nod and watch as Marinette took over the conversation, something she'd never done before. She complimented him, said how excited she was to be able to play with him, and didn't even complain about identities once. On the other end, Cat Noir stuttered over his words and thanked her for saying yes, and admitted he'd been looking forward to this all day.

"Uh, we'll just get some more snacks," Tom announced as pulled Sabine into the other room, so they wouldn't be overheard. Something else that had been on his mind for a few days. "What do you think about them?" he asked.

"What about them?" Sabine pulled open a cupboard.

Tom followed her example to make it sound convincing. "I mean, look at her talking to him. She can't do that with Adrien."

"You think she'd be better off having a crush on her partner?" Sabine turned around to steal a glance at her. She was laughing loudly at something he had said, eyes crinkled with a genuine smile, all traces of her daily stresses erased with a few words from him.

"They have a strong relationship already," Tom said. "That's one reason I pushed for this game night thing. I think this will help them."

"To see if her feelings would change?" Sabine said. "Or maybe..."

"I wasn't thinking specifically that. They both need to have fun with the only other person who understands what they're going through. And they obviously care about each other. But-"

They stopped, extra snacks forgotten in their hands, watching as Marinette made a pun, and as a glowing grin spread across her face when she heard Cat Noir's answering laughter.

"But maybe she just needs to realize what's already there," Tom finished.

***

Marinette's character spun in a tight circle and kicked Cat Noir's in the chest, knocking him over. He yelled his compliments at her as Sabine came back into the room, Tom following close behind her.

"Ladybug," Sabine said, careful not to use her real name. "We have more snacks."

"Thanks."

"Sorry we can't send any to you, dear," Sabine said.

"It's fine," Cat Noir said. "I'm counting on the food distracting her."

"Hey, you said you could beat me fair and square. That's cheating."

"Not cheating if you do it to yourself. I'm not the one offering."

"Either way," Sabine cut in, sending a knowing grin to her husband, "we'll have her bring the leftover cookies for you on the next patrol."

"That's if Tikki and I leave any for you, Kitty! HAHA!"

"Noooo, My Lady! I want cookies too!"

A scratchy voice crackled over the phone, one Sabine had never heard before. "Can you send some cheese with her, too?"

"Plagg," Tikki scolded. She floated right above the phone, bright red and difficult to ignore. "Can't you see they're having a conversation? Behave yourself." Sabine knew enough about how everything worked at this point to quickly realize that must have been Cat Noir's kwami. Another little creature teaching children to lie to their parents.

"Hey, kid," Plagg said. "Can I go over there and get some more cheese?"

"What? No," he said. "We have a bunch here for you already. Eat that."

"Pleeaase? Tikki's probably got a huge stash that she isn't even eating."

From the way Cat Noir sighed, Sabine suspected this was a routine sort of conversation, but something about it bothered her. "Why are you asking him?"

"We need our holder's permission for things like that," Tikki supplied, moving directly in Sabine's face.

"Permission?"

"Yeah," Plagg said. "And this kid never lets me eat as much as I want! It's horrible! I'm starving over here!"

"You're a stomach with legs. You're fine."

Plagg wailed incoherently, and Tikki frowned. "He likes to complain," she said quietly. "But the current Cat Noir and Ladybug give us a lot of freedom. We normally don't get holders that are so kind to us."

Tikki floated back toward Tom and Marinette, who were taking turns on the controller against Cat Noir. Both kids and Tom seemed to be having fun while Sabine stared at the corner of the television screen.

Marinette controlled how much this creature ate and when and where it could go? The revelation didn't sit well, and she was relieved when her phone rang, inviting her to jump off the couch and leave her thoughts behind.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "Just keep it down for a second. It's Shu Yin."

The others battled in silence for a minute as Sabine explained in hasty Mandarin that they had someone over and couldn't talk. Tom elbowed Marinette quietly, hoping to throw her off the platform. Marinette's character wobbled as she shoved him right back. Cat Noir won that round.

"Okay," Sabine said, pocketing the phone. "Who's winning?"

"You speak Mandarin?!" Cat Noir shout was tinny over the speaker. "I speak Mandarin! This is great!"

Sabine stole a quick glance at Marinette's face, waiting for her to complain about this new piece of information.

"You do?" Marinette asked, incredulously. "Since when?"

"Me too!" Tikki said.

"Why does everyone I know speak Mandarin?"

"Do you, LB?" Cat Noir asked.

"No," Sabine said. "And I've been trying to teach her for ages."

"I only know about ten words or so," she said.

"Oh, really?" Cat Noir said. They could hear the smile creeping into his voice. "Well, in that case, wǒ ài nǐ."

All three of them froze. Those were three of the ten words that Marinette could speak. They all could. I love you. 

Tom and Sabine looked at each other over Marinette's head. There was the confirmation that they'd been looking for.

Marinette's face burned bright red. "I know that much, you big dork." She covered her face with one hand.

"Oh, uh... heh heh." He cleared his throat. "Sorry."

She peeked through her fingers. "You've overlooked something important, though," she said, trying to pretend as though nothing had happened even as the blush creeped down her neck.

"What?"

"Now we know even more about each other!" she said, throwing her hands in the air. "We'll be figuring out each other's identities next week at this rate! This is disastrous!"

"On the bright side, I can teach you Mandarin on patrols. What do you say?"

"Please do," Sabine said. "She won't listen to me when I try to teach her."

"Yeah, it'll be a fun way to pass the time," he said.

"To distract both of us, you mean," Marinette said, as she glared at the screen and avoided looking at the phone (and her parents' curious glances). "Patrols are for focusing, Cat! Something you need to do more of when we're playing because I'm smoking you right now! HA!"

"Nooo," he wailed through the phone. "That was sneaky! I want a rematch!"

"What did you say earlier? It's not cheating if you do it to yourself?"

He groaned as Marinette plowed his character off the side of the arena.

***

Adrien was up early the next morning, not ready to get up for his photoshoot but much too happy to fall back asleep. The hazy dawn glow spread across his blankets, filling him up almost as much as game night had last night.

Tim was usually up at this time of day, so he sent a quick text (and he didn't even feel bad about starting a conversation without having anything in particular he wanted to say). After a few minutes of back and forth, Tim let it slip that Ladybug was upstairs working on her fashion hobby.

Tim: Don't tell her I said that, though!

Adrien: Really? Is she good?

Tim: Well, I'm horribly biased in her favor.

Adrien: Naturally.

Tim: I also know nothing about fashion, but she's very passionate about it.

That didn't surprise Adrien at all. Ladybug never did anything halfway.

Tim: She can spend hours at a time on it, and she's even won some awards. Probably shouldn't mention which ones.

Adrien happily buried his face in the nearest pillow. She loved fashion! It was perfect! If they ever got engaged, his father would have a reason to love and accept her!

Then his stomach dropped. She'd brushed off his (admittedly unplanned) confession last night and changed the subject as fast as she could. It had been a blunt reminder that she liked someone else. He shouldn't be expecting anything more than her friendship. That would have to be enough.

Adrien: Question.

Tim: Shoot.

Adrien: Is Ladybug... uncomfortable with me flirting with her?

Tim: She's never said anything about it. Why?

Adrien fumbled his fingers over his phone before answering. Tim had to know how he felt by now, between the questions he'd been asking and his declaration during the game. The thought of her parents knowing his feelings for their daughter should have felt uncomfortable, but it wasn't.

Adrien: Well...

Adrien: Because I know she likes someone else. I want to be with her but...

Adrien: Is he good to her? Is he a good person?

Adrien: Does he treat her right and take care of her?

Adrien: I just want her to be happy.

Tim: Yes, he's a good person. He's very respectful and kind to her, and he would be very good for her, but he is unaware of her feelings for him.

***

Sabine's next text from Cat Noir was Wednesday afternoon, and unfortunately it was a pun in Mandarin. And she made sure Marinette was the first to know about it. She'd climbed up to her room to share the awful news.

"No language is safe!" Marinette had complained, throwing the blue chiffon she was working on over her head to block out the terrible pun. "And now I have to listen to them all the time, not just on patrol."

Sabine smiled. "You know, sweetie, if things don't work out with Adrien, maybe you should marry your partner!"

"Mama!" Marinette said, scandalized. "Adrien is my one true love!" She picked up the photo she kept on the desk and held it close to her heart.

"Of course, dear, of course." She gave Marinette a quick peck on the head. "Just remember that he's a good person, he has our approval, and, most importantly, he's fluent in Mandarin."

Sabine had meant it as a joke (mostly), but she felt terrible about her flippant comment when Marinette came home from school the next day.

Read Ch 6 here

***

Author’s note: So, uh, you're definitely getting a chapter again next week.

Because it's already done! HAHA!

@tbehartoo @redhoodsdoll @salsyy301 @kayla0binow @fleurie3am15inspo @ladybug-182 @secretacademia @lunadensmidnightprowl @vixen-uchiha

[calico-strawberry]

OCs list! Updated and now including OCs I have for other existing things!

Personal OCs

Valerie, She/Her, Trans and Bi. 26- A strong willed girl who has exceptional control over the Roots. Stubborn and kind hearted.

Natalie, She/Her, Pansexual. 28- Compassionate leader of a group of survivors after the emergence of the Roots. Tries her hardest to help out and rescue other people. Is strong and affectionate

Serena, she/her, lesbian. 16- young, but intelligent girl. She's self taught in first aid and basic medicine and has an insatiable sense of curiosity and always yearns to learn. Very sweet.

Ava, She/Her, Trans lesbian. 17- a young winged folk, she's had a difficult life due to discrimination and bigotry as a trans girl and struggles with her identity. Protective and quiet.

Daniel, He/Him, just some guy, 22- The next in line to a Magnolian noble family, due to his sister refusing to be the heir. Smart and caring, but a fair bit egotistical. Shares a love for the environment and nature like his father before him.

Clover, She/Her, Bi and Ace, 25- Daniel's sister, a usually shy and reserved women, she's an exceptional sharpshooter and participated in many marksmanship competitions. Very sympathetic and most find her a joy to be around. Absolutely smitten with Valerie.

Dr Bennett, They/Them, Ace, 30.- A researcher in ecology and biology, they've taken an interest to the Roots and the Shadows that came with them, studying their behaviors and trying to find ways to keep people safe from them. They're eccentric but well regarded as both a friend and asset.

Alex, He/they, gay, 27- Childhood friend of Natalie's. A doctor but not a fighter, he dedicates his work currently to stitching up and taking care of the survivors Natalie rescues.

Michelle, She/her, Bi, 18- Childhood friend of Serena's, once a very kind and loving friend. After the loss of most of her friends, along with months of isolation, has become extremely bitter and hateful. Blames Serena for the death of Samantha, a girl she was in love with but whom Serena was dating at the time.

Kellam, he/him, just some guy round 2, 17- Childhood friend of Serena. Chivalrous and kind, he aspired to be a knight of Magnolia when he was an adult. Got separated from his friends during the emergence of the Roots. Protective of his only 2 remaining friends, but hates seeing what Michelle had become and tries to help her.

Pokemon OCs

Lavinia (Pokemon Desolation), she/her, lesbian, 19. An energetic and theatric young women who loves the dramatic. Very flirtatious with girls and prefers to be an optimist. Preference in bug types, but uses several types of Pokemon, an Ariados is her signature.

Anya (Pokemon Rejuvenation), She/They, Bi and Ace, 18 (chapter 1) - 19 (Chapter 15, current). A shy and quiet young women who used to live in the pre-Meteor ruined Reborn region before dying in an accident. Brought back as the Interceptor in the Aevium region 15 years later. Very shy due to a childhood of bullying from her peers, and horribly unconfident in her own abilities, she perseveres regardless. They're a Grass and Ground specialist, and her ace is a crested Delcatty.

Allyson (Pokemon Reborn), trans lesbian, 22- An outwardly warm, but somewhat meek person who loves music, and wants to master her battling skills. While she hates the idea of killing and refuses to, she is however, inclined for violence on terrible people. A dragon type and dragon adjacent (see serpent like Pokemon along with species like Charizard and Tropius) specialist, her ace is a Steelix.

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

no pressure or anything but if you ended up writing this my little nerdy punk heart would have been eternally grateful 🥺 (and please, please, please, boyband him a little, that hair can't go to waste) love you!!!!!💖 these tags actually made my day so thanks!!!!!!

hello jo, i hope you're doing well!! <3 sorry abt taking a while to get to this ask, i have been a little out of it, and i didn't want to half ass a reply to something as important as a natie themed ask....

this entire concept is 100% on my to-write list!!! i have a lot of thoughts about nate figuring himself out/figuring out who he is away from his family's expectations of him and the ideas people who think they know him have of him (since he's so popular, everyone thinks they know him, he can't escape the reputation that follows him around, etc etc).

in fact, since we're talking about this - i made a list of connected, nate-focused, stuff! and this response got RIDICULOUSLY long. so. 11-point bullet list focusing on nate, here you go!

you might enjoy my natessa fic "out of focus". it's not exactly this, but it is sort of the first time i dip my toe into the pool of.. whatever this concept is. nate lets vanessa buy him a shirt he would never pick out for himself. things go on from there!

i have a lot of thoughts about nate & ruby, specifically. we never actually got to see her, but i think he'd awkwardly gravitate towards her in that way that you do when you're young & queer and you meet an Openly Gay And Comfortable person for the first time. and i think ruby would see this and kind of adopt him/take him under her wing? anyway.

more natefic i am yet to write involves nate coming out to vanessa, vanessa being the first person he comes out to, it's after a lesbian punk concert and he's hyperventilating a bit and he KNOWS v will support him. she has literally shown him in a million ways that she's a good ally to the lgbtq+ community, and vanessa's just like, "what's wrong?" and nate is like. "nothing's wrong, and i really like you, but i'm not - i don't - " and then he says something awkward and stumbles through how he likes men, and vanessa gives him a hug and kisses his cheek and says "thank you for telling me that"

anyway i bring up #2 and #3 just to say that i feel nate has a sort of comfort with the abrams sisters that he doesn't have with anyone else at the time (he will eventually get here with blair and serena too, but in s1? they ALL had their own shit to deal with and i don't think nate was really in a place to open up to them, whereas vanessa & ruby aren't his childhood friends so in that way, it's easier, etc). and i love the thought of like. vanessa bleaching his hair super pale, ruby buying him a hair straighter (and of course he knows how to use it, he's blair waldorf's ex boyfriend what do you expect of him) and just. the abrams sisters - without even realising they're doing it - giving nate a space to explore who he is and specifically, his presentation

so we can either roll with nate being a trans man, which i LOVE, and am trying to write a fic about - OR - and it makes sense here, with these headcanons specifically, i feel like nate would maybe be one of those cis people who's explored their gender identity, realised they're cis, and therefore, is far more in touch with their gender than the average cis person?

connected to THAT, i have a fic in the works in which nate just presents... extremely femme. he goes super flamboyant, dresses in a way that puts himself on everyone's gaydar, etc etc. at first he does it to be like "fuck you" to his family, but after a bit he realises he actually really likes being perceived in that way, as a queer man, as a pretty queer man, and it makes him feel in control & good about himself to be able to do all these stereotypically feminine things WHILE identifying 100% as a man. putting on nail polish and mascara and gloss, wearing very femme things and heels, etc etc, it makes nate feel like himself in a way that he's never really felt before. (he IS a cis man.) dan bumps into nate at a gay bar, doesn't recognise him at first (this is a very au fic, i think they've lost touch since high school ended) and then promptly falls in love with nate AND has a gender identity crisis that goes a bit like "well nate maybe you can do these things and still identify as male but i can't" and it's just... trans dan my beloved.

unconnected to all that, you know what would've been fun? s2 nate is staying with the humphreys arc, and jenny... dyes his hair for him, and designs outfits for him, and basically both of them just. go thru a whole fashion revamp together.

i have a lot of ideas for futurefics in which jenny is like. 18, 19, etc and has a cool new line of men's clothing, but she doesn't have the $$ to hire a professional model for her clothes OR she wants the person modelling the clothes to be someone who Gets her mission statement in designing them (this is better but it could sorta be a combination of both) and essentially she awkwardly asks nate to model lingerie for her. he is like, of course! because i'm me, this doesn't go anywhere romantically, but if a jenate shipper wants to take this idea and run with it, go ahead, just credit me, lmaooo. i will definitely write this fic to centre around nate & jenny both being really gay, which is the other direction altogether, so that doesn't bother me.

since we're speaking about nate in lingerie, this fic of mine's first birthday is coming up in a few days! wow, it's been a whole yEAR.

so, disclaimer, any and all fics that centre around Identity... always take a lot out of me + i always have to be in a very specific headspace to write them (that's why the nonbinary dan series is taking ages, too). so while i really DO wanna write all the nates exploring how they present and, as the kids say, fucking around and finding out, it might be a while!

oh. this reminds me*. i REALLY have to finish writing my demisexual nate fic... it's a tricky thing to write. i have another fic im yet to write about how sleeping with dan makes nate re-evaluate a lot of things, in a very trauma survivor way (like an "oh, this is what it feels like to be with someone who respects me!" kind of way) and that... i want to write it sooo bad but i gotta do the idea justice. life is Hard.

*if anyone is curious about my thought process - “nate fucking around and finding out” ... wait, a bit like.. “nate fucking around and finding out that he doesn’t even like to fuck around, which is what happens in THESE fics i’m writing, let me just,...” etc.

[vrednic]

COLLATERAL DAMAGE (PT. 2)

Teen Wolf x Vampire Diaries AU

Prompt: Teen Wolf, but with a twist. Scott McCall has a twin sister… and she falls in love with Derek Hale.

Summary: After Scott refuses to join his pack, Peter Hale turns Serena McCall into a werewolf. Will her transformation be for better… or for worse?

Word Count: 3,285

Author’s Note: This series will skim the events of seasons 1-3. I have a lot of content planned, so there will be some skipping around at certain points, but it will all work in unison, I promise! I hope you all enjoy part 2! Please let me know if you’d like to be added to my taglist. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading :)

*PART ONE IS HERE. *

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Werewolves.

The topic of lycanthropy was one I hadn’t visited since freshman year english. I thought back to the unit of Greek mythology, and how we had been assigned research projects on famous Greek myths. My english teacher gave us the liberty to choose our own myths, and I had naively chosen Lycaon of Arcadia. Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, attempted to trick Zeus into eating human flesh, testing to see if he was truly all-knowing. Angered by Lycaon’s blasphemous actions, Zeus punished Lycaon by turning him into a wolf.

Oh, the irony of it all.

For the past three weeks, I have been given gradual insight into the world of the supernatural. The full moon was fast-approaching, and I needed to learn everything I could as quickly as possible. I wasn’t yet sure how I felt about my transformation. I was amazed at how quickly I began noticing changes. Overnight, it seemed, my senses had been dialed up to a thousand. I was stronger, faster, and more confident. I could smell, hear, and sense things other people couldn’t. One of the most fascinating things about my newfound abilities was that my body’s healing process was nearly instantaneous. The only downside of it was that I had yet to experience the brutality of the full moon. I was afraid that I would see things differently after, that I’d realize that I’d never be able to control it. Would my supernatural powers really be worth being enslaved to an insatiable bloodlust every month? Would it be worth putting my friends and loved ones at risk, especially when one slip-up could mean death for any and all of them?

I had been training tirelessly with Scott every day since I was bitten. Before school, after school, and during free periods. He had effectively taught me how to make my claws appear and disappear at will, how to partially shift into my werewolf form, how to follow scents, how to decipher chemo-signals, and how to trigger the healing process of an injury using pain. I was impressed with my progress, but I knew that I had only been exposed to bits and pieces of the extensive supernatural spectrum that I was now a part of. I had always been good at the technical side of things, so I knew that learning the basics of lycanthropy wasn’t going to be an issue. I considered myself to be on the smart side-- I had no problem displaying resourcefulness or creativity or administering critical thinking in complex situations. One thing I wasn’t very good at, however, was regulating my emotions.

When our parents got divorced, Scott and I handled things very differently. He was always a mama’s boy, and I was a daddy’s girl. Our father was an alcoholic and a cheater; something I knew all too well, but was also something I wanted to remain oblivious to. I’m assuming this realization is what made it easier for Scott to hate him, to be okay with moving on without him. It was harder for me to cope with his absence because our dad had always been my rock -- my hero --  and I couldn’t picture him ever hurting anyone. Especially me.

The night my mom kicked my dad out of the house for good, he had come home drunk. He instigated an argument with her over something, as usual. But with them it was never just an argument; it always ended up with them screaming at each other. Scott and I shared a room back then, and it was located right by the staircase, which was where they happened to be arguing that night. Not surprisingly, their heated voices turned into shouts, and we were both awoken. We peered through a crack in the door as our parents fought. My dad could barely keep his balance; his cheeks were flushed, his eyes crazy, violent words spewing from his mouth fueled by intoxication. I remembered vividly how he had lost his composure and grabbed my mother by the neck, slamming her against the wall. I let out an audible gasp and stood frozen in horror. Scott flung the door open and rushed into the hall, immediately wedging himself between our mother and father. My dad grabbed Scott’s arm, attempting to pull him out of the way, but yanked my brother with too much force. He was flung against the railing of the staircase, and he tumbled down the stairs. He was unconscious at the bottom of the stairs for maybe 30 seconds, and when he came to, he didn’t remember a thing. My mother ushered us back into our room and put us into bed. I fell asleep crying that night, but I didn’t know exactly for whom I was crying. Had it been for my brother? Had it been for my mother? For the loss of my dad? Or was it for me?

I hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to him. I woke up the following morning, expecting him to be there, bags in tow, waiting to talk to us one last time. But he was already gone. I knew he didn’t deserve it, but I couldn’t help but miss him. When the plea for divorce was initiated, there was never a discussion about shared custody or visitations. Once the divorce was finalized, I knew that he was never coming back. It was because of his betrayal and abandonment that I grew up with issues when it came to trusting people. I was filled with this deep, aching feeling of isolation, and it made me angry. Very. As I grew older, I got better at suppressing it, but I knew that somewhere deep down, it was still there. With the full moon prodding and poking at my resolve and self control, I knew it was only a matter of time before those feelings resurfaced.

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The day of my first full moon, I felt the effects as soon as I got out of bed in the morning. I felt my heartbeat rising with every breath that I took. When I got to school, my senses immediately began to feel overstimulated. Everything was brighter, louder, and more jarring. The sound of the bell ringing made me feel like someone was hammering nails into my skull. The people I passed in the hallway blurred together, all of their emotions and scents hitting me like a door to  the face. At lunch, the sound of people’s voices and laughter made me want to tear their heads off. I looked around the cafeteria, feeling myself grow angrier and angrier, for seemingly no reason at all. Rationally, I knew that these people had done nothing wrong. Emotionally, they were the piece of gum stuck under my shoe. My gaze locked on Jackson Whittemore, and I fantasized about how good it would feel to tear his tongue right out of his head. He had always been an asshole to my brother, so why shouldn’t I kill him? It would be extremely satisfying to watch the smug look on his face disappear as I stood over him, my hands drenched in his blood, as I began to tear him limb from limb…

“Uh, Serena? Are you okay?”

Scott’s voice brought me back to reality. I was suddenly overcome with anxiety as I realized the vile intrusive thoughts that I was just experiencing. What was the matter with me? This wasn’t me. I wasn’t a killer. Only, maybe that wasn’t exactly true anymore.

I nodded, fabricating a smile. “Yeah, no, everything’s great. I was just thinking about my research paper for… biology. It’s due tomorrow and I have no clue where to start.”

“That’s fair,” he said. “But remember that it’s perfectly okay for you to be feeling on edge today. It’s your first full moon and I promise nobody will blame you for not feeling or acting like yourself.”

I felt the tension in my shoulders ease ever-so-slightly. I nodded once more, reassuring him that I was in fact okay. I felt better knowing that out of all of the things that had changed, our sibling bond hadn’t. He’d be there with me to make me feel safe and to teach me control. Before long, I would be able to be just like him. I trusted him, and I knew he had faith in me. That meant only one thing: I had to have faith in me too.

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

Later in the evening, as the sun was setting, I began feeling the effects of the full moon amplifying. My heartbeat was nearly erratic and Scott was nowhere to be found. I was in the bathroom, standing over the sink and looking at myself in the mirror. There was a flicker of golden yellow in my eyes, and I nearly sobbed out of pure anxiety alone. I balled my hands into fists, trying to focus on anything other than the impending sense of dread that I was experiencing. I felt a warm, slippery substance course down my wrist. Blood.

I opened my fist up, revealing four deep punctures on both of my palms, where my claws had dug into. The temporary flicker of pain was small, but enough to bring me out of the frenzy. I took this opportunity to set out to find Scott.

I didn’t remember the way to the Hale house all too well, but what I did remember was its scent. The smell of charred wood and smoke would be very hard to miss. I maneuvered my way through the darkness, making sure every step I took was careful and calculated. Scott had mentioned that Beacon Hills Preserve was littered with traps set by hunters. It was also a full moon, so I knew there would not be any shortage of hunters roaming around town tonight, hoping to catch and kill their next supernatural victim.

As if on cue, I heard voices from a distance. By the sound of it, there were maybe four or five of them, all men. I swallowed, trying to think of an escape plan. I couldn’t run. It was fall, and the weight of my body against the leaves on the ground would give my location away immediately. I could have hidden, but I knew that they probably had some sort of a thermographic camera. If they happened to get me in one of the shots, I would have considered myself dead.

I tried to weigh any and all other options, but I had none. The best chance at escape that I had right now was simply to run. They sounded far away enough so that even if they did hear me, my superhuman speed would give me an advantage. I decided that now was as good a time as any, and began moving. I tried to keep to the shadows, not daring to make any unnecessary sounds. I noticed too late that I had no idea where I was going. I looked around me, but I couldn’t pinpoint any familiar landmarks. I could have sworn that I was heading back in the direction I came, but judging by my surroundings, that wasn’t the case. I stopped for a moment, attempting to gather my thoughts.

“Come on, Serena,” I whispered to myself. “Think.”  

I was jolted away from my thoughts when I saw a red light from my peripheral vision. I was frozen, completely unsure what to do. More red lights emerged from the darkness, pointing straight at me. Lasers. It was then that instinct spoke to me, telling me to run. And that’s exactly what I did.

I turned on my heel and bolted away from where the hunters had been. I didn’t take the time to care about the tracks or the noise I left in my wake. I had the advantage of speed, but they had the advantage of knowledge and experience. These were professional killers. I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew what move I’d make next even before I did. Through the commotion, I almost forgot why I had been in the woods in the first place. The fury of the full moon hit me, unforgiving. It was as if she allowed me only a few moments of peace before the storm. I looked up at the sky and the moon glimmered at its peak. Almost instantaneously I was overcome with an animalistic urge to go back and rip the head off of every single hunter that was on my trail.

My claws and fangs appeared as if by magic, and my eyes were aglow. I felt angry-- so angry. But it was that anger that gave me power. I felt strong… unstoppable. Against all rational thought, I turned back around, using my infrared eyes to see through the darkness. A few rows of trees ahead was where I spotted them. Two of them were kneeled down, examining the tracks that I had left behind, judging the direction I must have taken. The other three were behind them, standing guard. They looked around, weapons drawn, ready to fire at any given moment.

I growled. It was a sound that conveyed equal parts rage and purpose. I was hiding behind a tree, looking for the perfect moment to attack. Just as I was about to launch myself in their direction, a pair of hands snagged me from behind with tremendous force. Before I could growl or scream, the person used one hand to cover my mouth and tucked me against his chest, making sure our bodies were still shielded by the tree. I tipped my head back to see who it was, and was met with the fiery gaze of Derek Hale.

He broke eye contact first and peered over my head, trying to come up with an escape tactic. His stone cold composure made it clear that it wasn’t his first time evading death by the hands of werewolf hunters. I, on the other hand, was terrified. I felt an equal amount of shame and embarrassment once I realized how foolish I had been. It was a night of the full moon and I wasn’t in control, for one. I also felt extremely stupid for walking into woods that were infested with hunters; ones that wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet between my eyes. Another shame-inducing component was the fact that Derek just had to be the one to find me. I had gotten a brief description of him from Scott, so I knew that he was hardcore. He also hated liabilities, and at the moment, that’s exactly what I was.

“Now’s not the time to wallow in shame,” he whispered to me, his voice gruff. “If you hadn’t noticed, they’ve got us completely surrounded. It’s a miracle they haven’t seen us yet.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off. “Don’t bother denying it. The smell of embarrassment is rolling off of you like a stench.”

Your commentary isn’t exactly helping, I wanted to say to him. But I knew better than to push his buttons, especially when we were on the brink of being discovered. I kept my back against the tree, waiting for further instructions. After a few minutes, Derek finally spoke again.

He lowered his mouth next to my ear, his warm breath sending a tingling sensation onto my neck and down my back. “On my signal, you run. I’ll stay behind and cause a distraction so you can get away.” He pointed behind him to another row of trees. “Run that way. Get out of the woods as fast as you can.”

Before I could get a word out, he was gone. He roared loudly, capturing the attention of the hunters that resided a few yards away. As they ran to him, he turned back to look at me, flashing his icy blue eyes. That was my cue. I took off running in the direction he had said. I heard the commotion of the fight almost the entire way. Growls and roars from Derek’s end were met with the sound of guns firing. I found myself secretly hoping that he would be okay, although in the back of my mind I knew he would be. He was Derek Hale, after all.

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I made it out of the preserve after only a handful of minutes of running. At the end of the treeline, right where the road started, a vehicle’s headlights cut through the darkness. The closer I got, the more details I could make out. It was a blue 1980 Jeep CJ5. Standing beside it were two silhouettes, both male. I let out a sigh of relief.

I jogged the rest of the way and launched myself into Scott’s arms. He squeezed me tightly and ushered me into the Jeep. Stiles drove onto the road, taking the route that led back to my house. Scott turned to look at me from the passenger’s seat.

“Why the hell were you in the woods?” He asked. His tone was firm but still held a touch of delicacy. We both knew it was more for my sake than his. “Didn’t I tell you about the hunters? The preserve is not a safe place for a werewolf on a night of a full moon. Argent and his hunters have memorized every square inch of those woods. You’re lucky Derek found you when he did. If he hadn’t, I’m sure Gerard would’ve turned you into a human kebab by now.”

I felt my throat tighten in frustration. “The imagery really isn’t necessary. I know what I did was stupid, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t know what else to do. I felt like I was losing control and you weren’t there, Scott!” My voice caught on his name, and I had to take a few moments to collect myself. “You weren’t there and, quite frankly, I have no one else to turn to on this. I don’t have a best friend like yours. I don’t have one that’ll pick up my call in the middle of the night and be willing to be a part of the world of the supernatural. I don’t have a best friend who’ll chain me up on a full moon and help me find restraint. I was all alone in my home, which I could have easily torn apart if I had lost control of myself tonight. I was counting on you to help me, and you weren’t there.”

The air was thick with tension. I could sense the sadness emanating from both Scott and Stiles. I felt guilty for taking all of my frustration out on my brother, but everything I said was true, and I wasn’t going to apologize for how I felt. Scott was a natural leader, and I admired that about him. Being a leader meant taking on responsibilities, and I understood that he wouldn’t be around all the time. Over the weeks following my transformation, I got a chance to see just how much people needed him.  Peter wanted him in his pack. Derek wanted him as an ally. Stiles wanted him as a best friend. Hell, even the lacrosse team needed him as team captain. But tonight was the one night that I needed him. I needed my brother, and he wasn’t there.

“I’m so sorry, Serena. I can do better, I promise. If you’ll just let me--” he began.  

“No,” I said, cutting him off. “I don’t want to talk. Just take me home.”

With that, I turned to face the window, looking at the blur of lights, cars, houses, and dark, desolate streets passing me by. Scott sighed, but he didn’t protest.

We rode in silence the entire way back.

TAGS

@broco8

[thefudge]

what do you think they don't let jeronica have scenes together? can it be because of some cast or fandom drama? i find it impossible to watch riverdale post-season 2 and understand why the hell they never let them become (at least) friends. their story is so damn connected. it would make so much sense. what doesn't make sense is that they don't

ha, well, back in the day we speculated that even a jeronica friendship would seriously threaten the main couples that riverdale was trying to sell because these two have insane chemistry and their background and storylines are way more exciting when put together (as you also pointed out) and i still think that’s true, buuuuut in recent years i’ve come to suspect there’s a little more to it. i mean yeah, riverdale has pretty much turned into a “whatever we throw at the wall and sticks” kind of show, but they also have weirdly moral stances about who should be together and the *right* teen couples (and yes, that is gross and weird and controlling).

so my pet theory is that this might all be about barchie. the showrunner gives me the impression that he wanted to be clever and *subvert* expectations (especially wrt. to the comics), and show that betty and archie are actually deluded in their young love and don’t belong together. that’s why b*ghead is presented as a “smarter” ship, because uhhh deconstructing-america’s-sweethearts-something-something. and look, isn’t betty brave to be going out with an “outsider”? so, despite the fact that the show has and will continue to explore barchie for the drama and chemistry, it feels like the showrunner is very invested in ultimately shutting it down because he wants to be *right* about the main couples. and it’s not enough to show how misguided barchie is, you have to also make sure the reverse couple is not palatable. except that jeronica could actually be a solid duo, clearly better than v*rchie, at least (i’d argue it’s better than most of the ships this show has tried to make a thing, but anyway). even GG saw this and paired up dan and blair.  but GG weren’t obsessed with proving that the equivalent of betty and archie (serena and nate?) are wrong for each other. whereas, the riverdale showrunner really wants you to know how much he understands The Teens (TM). that scene in s4 where cheryl makes a big case about how b*ghead found each other? that is the showrunner talking, cheryl is just the avatar through which he’s making his stance known. and his stance is “betty thinks she wants that, but i know she actually needs this”. ultimately, the writers of this show have their own preferences, and fine, they don’t click with jeronica, but the lack of bare-minimum friendship and interactions makes me think this has to do with the weird, holier-than-thou stance about barchie. why else do they keep framing barchie as misguided cheating and young kids who don’t know any better? and since i mentioned b*ghead (a ship which happened in roughly 5 episodes of season 1), i wouldn’t have had a problem with it and might have enjoyed it if it had better development and didn’t constantly have to pit itself against barchie in a weird pseudo-moralistic stance. it’s like none of these ships can stand on their own and be their own dynamics because the showrunner needs to prove a point. and okay, you can frame it as this *foursome* being very tangled and incestuous, but they don’t do that either, because the storylines are not about exploring the messiness of the core four, but rather about making sure only half of them interact and the other half is presented as morally dubious. at the same time, they have no qualms about milking the romance of barchie for the #drama*. it’s...weird. and lol, i’m sorry this has turned into a RANT but it needs to be said that the CW as a whole seems to be in the business of placing young people in weird situations and then shaming them for it. and that is pretty awful. anyway! that’s my take on it. sure, there could also be cast drama involved, but given the way this show is written, i think it’s more likely this is about some nebulous *values* that the showrunner and writers are trying to promote. 

*i also wanna add, i’m not even a ride-or-die barchie, i like them fine and i think they have solid chemistry, but it feels like this show is frollo and barchie are their esmeralda, if you catch my drift lol

[nekrophoria]

Silver Children (as requested by @nocturnalazure):

Mabon

Not gonna say that much about him at this point anymore until I finally get him worked into the story properly. But yea, I love what a complex and conflicted character he is and I honestly can't have Mel hog the spotlight without Mabon.

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

Serena

I mean, what's not to like about Serena? She's tough, she's caring, she's funny, she's a bit dorky at times and she's an incredibly good friend.

She started out as a bully and worked hard to become the person she is now . I just love her. End of story xD

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

Roland

I'm still fascinated by how this man evolved into the character he is now.

He turned from what was supposed to be a very emotionally distant father figure for Mel who makes like 1 or 2 appearances into someone way more special and essential.

Granted I'm not very far into writing Volatile yet, but his appearances have left a big impact on me already, and I hope I wasn't the only one who felt like that ^^;

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Last one is probably surprising cuz the guy had like 1 small scene so far but.....

Lyall

Now this may be subject to change given how his character evolves in Volatile. (If there's one thing I learnt from Roland it's that I don't really have much control over that)

First of all I absolutely adore his character design and the fact that I managed to very loosely base him on Jesse Williams, while he still looks like his own character. But that's not the only reason xD

Lyall's character has been in the making for quite some time and he has given me a fuckin headache throughout most of that process. But it's also been an incredibly interesting experience.

He's went through a shit ton of changes.

He started out as a sort of mentor figure for Mel, then got changed into a more antagonistic character with unhealthy, co-dependent and abusive tendencies.

And now after I finally managed to remake him again...he's sorta walking on a tight rope between these two parts and I'm trying to find a balance that feels right. While this process has been stressful because I want to do his character justice and don't want to mess this up, the things I have worked out about his character make me feel immensely for him. Idk, I feel like no matter which way he'll go in the story I can't help but like him somehow.

(Disclaimer: me liking a character doesn't mean I condone all the things they do but that should be common sense)

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

That being said, I feel like my Favs (after Mel) can change fairly rapidly depending on where my focus is right now, and truth be told I don't dislike any of my characters, even the more reprehensible characters I care for in some way.

As a "sim parent" (sim maker) we shouldn't have favorites - but we do. Post your favorite sim baby (the golden child) and least fave. Pass it on!

Thank you so much for this ask <3 I think the answer to who's the golden child of my blog should be rather obvious....

Mel takes up like 90% of my content after all. I wouldn't go as far as to say that he's my most interesting character but...idk, he's been my main since I started creating with sims and at this point he's such a fundamental part of me and my imagination that nobody else could really take that space.

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

As for least favourite....from all the characters I've introduced so far, which isn't a lot, granted, I'd probably have to go with Marilyn.

As much as I like her character from a story teller's perspective...it's difficult for me to find much sympathie for her. It's a long and convoluted story as to why and in order to avoid spoilers I'll leave it at that.

[amlovelies]

what desire will make foolish people do

@wayhavenmonthly​ Fall for Unit Bravo

Day 5: game

pairing: Mason/f!oc Serena Willis (not a detective)

warnings: not technically smut, but super suggestive also smoking and foul language

words: 2779

read on ao3

A/N: this is part of my Au and takes place before the scene I posted for day 2: Liability. I’ve posted parts of this before as “excerpts from a fic I’ll never write” guess I’m a liar. This is all pulled from different parts of the story because I liked the way I could use them to fit the theme, so there are some slightly awkward bits where I edited it to make more sense. 

Round 1

               The cool spring air outside the warehouse helps to clear my head. The last few weeks have been hard, and as much as I think I am adjusting to my new life and role here, there are still days when it’s harder. Days when I miss home and feel so out of my depth it’s almost a joke. I lean back against the door and close my eyes taking deep breaths.

               “Are you planning on blocking the door all night?”

               My eyes snap open at the growled question. Great, Mason. Of all the members of Unit Bravo I’ve been unable to really connect or understand him. He’s made it clear he thinks I’m useless and I’m surprised he bothered to waste a whole sentence on me rather than just grunting. I watch him pull out his damn near ubiquitous pack of cigarettes.

               “Can I have one?” I ask almost surprising myself. I haven’t smoked in years, but maybe it’ll take the edge off.

               “Sorry,” Mason says as he pulls a cigarette from the half full pack in his hands, “I’m all out”

               “So you’re the only one who gets to use self-destructive behaviors to make them feel better?” I ask in what I hope isn’t a petulant tone.

               “Isn’t self-destructive if I’m immortal. Besides, I’ve got something I can give you that’ll make you feel much better than a smoke would.”

               I’m glad it’s getting too dark so I don’t have to see the smirk on his face. It’s too bad it doesn’t affect his vision because I’m sure he can see the blush that paints my cheeks even as I’m rolling my eyes at his much too obvious come on. I’d heard rumors about Mason’s “charms,” but this is the first time he’s ever tried to use them on me. No matter what I think of his personality, he is a dangerously handsome man and I hate how flustered the comment makes me feel even if his flirting has more in common with a battering ram.

               “Or I could just go to the store and pick up my own pack. Sounds a lot more satisfying.” I say as I push off the door and make to walk past Mason. I don’t actually want a smoke that bad, but I also don’t want to back down in front of him.

               “Fine, don’t say I never did anything for ya.” Mason scoffs and I yelp as I’m hit in the chest with the pack. I eagerly pull one out and pass the pack back to him. I’m a little skeptical about his sudden altruism, maybe he really is trying to get me into bed.

               “Where’s your lighter?” I ask.

               “Never asked for a lighter, Sweetheart, and it seems I’ve lost mine.” He says, voice smug and mocking. So much for my victory. “Maybe you should pat me down, see if you can find it.” He adds opening his arms wide to give me access.

               “I think I’ll pass.”

               “Your loss.” He replies as he leans against the wall.

               I sit for a moment tapping the cigarette against my leg trying to figure out how to regain the upper hand. Or maybe not even the upper hand so much as just to stay in the game. Because this is some sort of game to him, and the last thing I was going to do was let Mason win this round of whatever the hell this is.

               A hazy memory resurfaces of younger wilder nights, and I start speaking before I lose my nerve.

               “Don’t worry, Sunshine.” That gets his attention and a scowl replaces the smirk he’d had only a moment before. “I know how to take care of myself. It’s not the first time I’ve had to get creative to get what I want.” I say in what I hope is a low and teasing tone, but I worry sounds like I have a head cold. I close the space between us.

               I raise my cigarette to my lips and wait until he begins to pull another drag from his. “All I need is for you to stay still.”

               I move forward on my tiptoes until the unlit end is pressed firmly against the glowing ember of Mason’s cigarette. We are so close and alarm bells start ringing in my head. His presence envelopes me. My senses are overwhelmed by him. The scent of smoke and sandalwood is heady and enticing, especially combined with the heat I can feel pouring off his body. God he’s good looking. I have to remind myself to breath, to inhale or otherwise this won’t work and I’ll just be trapped under the intense gaze of his grey eyes.

               To my relief, it ignites and I’m able to move away from him. I put some space between us, and take a thankful drag from the cig hoping it will ease my now rattled nerves. It doesn’t, and to be honest I’m not sure why I used to enjoy this so much. I steal a glance over to where Mason stands with a wry smile, his eyes studying me. I’m not sure what he’s looking for.

               “Well thanks for the smoke.” I say with an attempt at a flippant tone. I don’t wait for a response; I turn on my heel and walk off toward the fence. I can hear the door open and I breath a sigh of relief to find myself alone once more.

 Round two

               I guess I earned some sort of respect in Mason’s eyes after the cigarette incident. Oh, sure it was mostly him making innuendos and propositioning me, but it was a hell of a lot more than the monosyllabic grunts that I was used to.

               I tried not to read to much into the flirting. That he wanted to sleep with me I didn’t doubt. I also had heard enough rumors, and been subtly warned by Nate, that I knew it wasn’t really personal. Mason wanted to sleep with everyone. Besides I found myself enjoying our little verbal sparring matches. Considering the fact that he kept doing it he didn’t seem to mind or maybe he just viewed me as a challenge.

               Mason manages to corner me in one of the warehouse’s many labyrinthine hallways. I had been avoiding him all day. The night before I had woken up from vivid dreams that definitely didn’t involve the incredible annoying vampire in front of me. As much as I try to play unaffected by his seduction attempts, I know it’s a lie, and my subconscious did not come to play last night.

               “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, Sweetheart, but our bedrooms share a wall.” Mason leans forward closing the already small gap between us a wolfish smile on his face, “and my hearing is very good.”

               He pauses and I try not to be entranced by the sight of his tongue running over his top lip. I’m pretty sure I know where he is going with this and I wonder it is possible to die of embarrassment.

                “Not that there was much to hear last night. I’d be glad to show you how best to use your fingers,” he raises one hand to push his hair back drawing my attention to his well-shaped and surely dexterous hands.

               It takes all my self-control to hold his gaze and I’m secretly grateful for the solid wall pressed against my back. You could probably boil a pot of water with the heat pouring off my face. The thought that he had heard my clumsy fumbling last night is perhaps the most mortifying thing I could imagine. He probably couldn’t wait to use this against me. At least he doesn’t know I was thinking about him. After all everyone masturbates. The only part of this that is really getting to me it knowing that there is some part of me that wants to see exactly what those hands can do. Not the rational part obviously, but still I’d be foolish to continue to pretend it’s not there.

               At least he had waited for a moment when we were alone. I could only imagine the field day Farah would have with this, or maybe he was afraid of Nate’s disappointment. He looks so pleased with himself and I would give almost anything to wipe that smirk off his stupid handsome face. I have to think of something quick.

               “Listening at walls? Are you really getting that little action?” His smile drops and I know I’ve picked the right counterattack.

               “You know I don’t really think I should be the one you’re concerned with,” I smile and place a friendly hand on his shoulder. “Maybe Dinah can set you up on a bind date. I’m sure she knows some nice girl who is just frothing at the mouth to reform a bad boy and teach him the meaning of love” I gaze up with what I hope is an innocent expression.

               The angry growl that he response with is music to my ears. I try and keep the glee from my face, but as he stomps away, I can’t help but congratulate myself on another victory in what-ever-the-hell game it was that I somehow found myself playing with him.

 Round 3:

               “You suck at this.” Mason says as he once again knocks me on my ass. He isn’t even breaking a sweat while my gasping attempts to catch my breath seem to be echoing in the empty training room.

               I push away the hairs that are sticking to my sweat drenched face and give him a withering glare. He just laughs. How kind of him to make sure I want to hit him, not that I’ve managed to land one yet.

               “Always such a gentleman, Sunshine,” I say as I haul myself back to my feet. “Considering how charming you are it must be a miracle that I haven’t just fallen into bed with you yet.”

               He quirks a brow and gives me a look that I know well enough by now to know is trouble, “yet?”

               I inwardly curse my poor word choice or Freudian slip or whatever. Not that I’d found myself thinking about him late at night more and more, or appreciating the long lean lines of his body, or wondering if he actually had to skills to back up all his bravado.

               “Fuck off, Mason” I say as I roll my eyes and sink into a crouch ready to continue our sparring. It’s a petulant response, not at all keeping with the game we’ve been playing. A game which mostly consists of me trying to not let him unnerve me and find new and exciting ways to drag the very dangerous vampire who is has spent the last few hours kicking my ass.

               He circles me, his movements lazy and languid. When he moves it’s sudden and with a speed I can’t follow. Before I know what’s happening, he’s behind me, his breath ghosting over my neck, “I’d much rather fuck you.” He says with a laugh.

               Summoning ever bit of agility I possess, I turn and swing, but there’s nothing but empty air and his laughter. I overextend myself and have to stumble forward a few steps to avoid falling over. Once I’ve regained my balance, I flip him the bird.

               He just grins and lands a stinging hit to my right side. “Do you know what the problem is Sweetheart?”

               “Oh? Enlighten me.”

               He moves in a blur, and I find myself pressed up against him chest to chest. My arms are held secure behind my back. His face is only inches above mine, his well-shaped mouth curled in a taunting smirk. This close I can clearly see the freckles that dust his checks. He’s breathtaking, and I hope he attributed the rapid increase of my pulse to a fight or flight instinct of being trapped rather than his proximity.

               “Your body gives you away.” His voice is almost a whisper. A fierce blush erupts over my cheeks. Damn his stupid vampire super senses.  He’s so smug and enjoying this. I rack my brain for a way to turn this around, but it’s hard to think clearly when I can feel the lean lines of his body pressed against me, and I can’t help but wonder how far those freckles extend over his body. I have to act quick, maybe I can distract him.

               I tilt my head up to meet his gaze and moisten my lips. His eyes dart towards the action and I press forward against him. I’m playing with fire. This is a stupid idea, but that has never stopped me before.

               “What exactly is my body telling you now?” I ask my voice breathy, low, and inviting. Before he can answer I close the space between us and press my lips against his. I try not to think about the feel of his lips against mine.

               His hands on my arms loosen in surprise. I know that it’s now or never, but I hesitate. No small part of me what’s to stay in this moment surrounded and overwhelmed by him. But that would mean he wins. So, I pull my arm back and strike a weak jab to his right side. He moves back from me with a grunt

               . “Not afraid to fight dirty. Maybe there’s hope for you yet. “He says with a nod before turning and leaving me standing along in the center of the training room.

               I know I should be savoring my victory, but all I can taste is Mason on my lips.

  Match

               It’s a little after midnight and I’m standing in front of Mason’s door. I’ve spent the last few hours tossing and turning in a vain attempt to sleep. I keep replaying what happened in the training room: the feel of his body against mine, the brief taste of his lips, the feel of his breath ghosting over my neck. All these months of trading innuendos and hot tense moments seem to have come to a head and I feel consumed by wanting. It was a line I shouldn’t have crossed, even if it did let me land a punch, but now that I have, I feel like I’m falling towards the inevitable conclusion. And would it really be the worst thing? It’s been so long since I’ve been intimate with someone. Maybe it’s better to do it this way knowing that it’s just fun?                

               So now I’m standing in front of his door daring myself to knock. I mean he’ll probably be insufferable after this, but at least I’ll get laid? We both want this. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.

               In the end, he saves me from having to knock. I jump a little, startled out of my deliberations, when the door swings open. His shirt is off and my eyes trace over his form. Freckles dot his skin and a patch of hair curls over his well-defined chest. Fuck he’s hot.

               “Is it yet already?” He asks with a smirk his eyes tracking over my body. I’d only thrown on my bathrobe before following my libido to his door.

               I take a deep breath and swallow the snarky comment I want to make. “Guess it is,” I say as I push past him into the darkened room.

               He closes the door and turns to face me.

               “You sure about this?” he asks taking a step closer to me.

               I step closer as well only a foot or two separate us. If I wanted to, I could reach out and run my fingers over his chest tracing the line of dark hair to where it disappears under his skinny jeans. And god knows I want to.

                “I am. Are you? You’ve talked a big game. Afraid you won’t perform to expectations?” I ask with a smirk.

               His laugh is dark and low and confident and turns something within me molten. He closes the space between us, pulling my body flush against his. I’m intensely aware of the thin fabric of my robe as the only barrier between us.

               “Not even remotely.” His voice is velvet and sends a shiver through me.

               Then his lips are on mine and all I can sense is Mason: the smooth skin of his back under my hands, the wicked glint in his grey eyes, the heady scent of him-sandalwood and smoke, the taste of him on my lips, and the way he growls as nips his way down my exposed neck. He walks us backwards toward his bed and I know I am lost.

tagging: @morgans-ass-freckles @specialistagent-morgan @bionicgrapejuice and @agentnatesewell

[natsubeatsrock]

The Rewrite of Fairy Tail: Part 31 (Brandish)

How good a villain is Brandish?

Let's see. Juvia, Irene, Acnologia, Ultear, Zeref, Jellal, Laxus, and Gajeel. The last few characters I've focused on in this series have been villains. Most of them have become good, but all have been antagonists at one point in the series. This hasn't been on purpose. I've had reasons to talk about these characters now. However, it's cool that I've been talking about villains since the main cast. It's helpful to recognize what the main character wants when talking about the people that are opposing them.

Brandish is an interesting example of this. Is she the best version of a villain turned ally in Fairy Tail? Maybe in the last two arcs of the series, but that's about it. (And that's not saying much.) Still, it's worth talking about the kind of villain Brandish is. It also helps with discussing a particular slight against Lucy and how she's written.

So what do we know about Brandish? She was a citizen of the Alvarez Empire. Her mother used to work for Layla and previously owned Aquarius. She grew up with Aquarius and almost definitely knows about Lucy's existence, though she never met her until later. The hope of their mothers was that they'd meet up and become friends.

If only things were that simple.

Grammi ended up dying after hearing that wish. Brandish (for pretty understandable reasons) blamed Layla for her death and would transfer that hatred toward Lucy. If that weren't enough, they would already be enemies considering their alliances. Lucy's a committed member of Fairy Tail, and Brandish was a part of Zeref's Spriggan Twelve. They were nearly destined to be rivals.

Honestly, Brandish isn't much of a threat to most of the characters in the series. I don't say this to diminish her skill and power. It's not as if shrinking and expanding an island isn't a big deal. However, Brandish isn't responsible for nearly as much destruction as her partners in the Spriggan Twelve. The worst thing she does is stab August, but that's under Mest's control and is ultimately a net-neutral action. (They were trying to negotiate peace and this made things break down.)

Think of some of Brandish's exploits in the Alvarez Empire. Her plan to take out Lucy after getting through their defenses? She gets knocked out by Cana and almost gets choked out in a Fairy Tail cell. Her big fight against Lucy after causing Natsu's "magic cancer" to grow? A fake fight that ends with her getting slashed by DiMaria, who saw right through it.

In fact, Brandish could easily be argued as a poor antagonist for Fairy Tail (the guild). She serves as more of a boon to them. She "heals" Natsu when he's thought to be sick. (She does undo this, but likely would "redo" it if she was able to fool DiMaria.) She's willing to negotiate peace in the battle. Her existence helps Natsu and Lucy beat Jacob. She takes DiMaria out of the equation near the end of the arc.

The sequel hasn't even done much to make her seem impressive. Her plan to make Gajeel grow to beat Aldoron didn't have the positive effect they wanted it to. It made some good story material for the Gajevy twins. But Natsu was the one to carry the victory.

If this sounds like I'm not a fan of Brandish...

Well, she's not my favorite character in any stretch. I think DiMaria was a better antagonist for the guild, and specifically Wendy, given her arc.

Still, I am willing to defend her as a villain because she's meant to serve as an antagonist for Lucy.

At this point in the series, Lucy is interested in preserving the relationships she has with her guildmates and spirits. She's lost Aquarius but has just been reunited with the rest of the guild. The people she cares about matter deeply to her.

Though, that can't be all there is to it. After all, MOST villains in Fairy Tail represent threats to the guild and its interests. Why is it such a big deal that someone new is added to that mix?

At least two things. 

First, their connection. As I mentioned at the start, Brandish and Lucy's fates were tied together through their mothers. This isn't the first time past connections have played into the hero/villain dynamics of the series and it wouldn't be the last. (This is the same arc as Irene vs Erza.) The storyline is obvious: two characters who could have been great friends meet as rivals. Considering this is Fairy Tail, we expect them to be cool by the end of the arc.

Though, things don't exactly play out that way. Sure, they aren't outright enemies, like they were at the start of the arc. However, they aren't best friends. This is less like post-fight Jellal and Erza, where they come to like each other more over time. This is more like post-fight Lyon and Gray. They don't hate each other, and they'll work together. But it's not as if we're going to see much more than that anytime soon.

Part of that plays into the second thing: the search for Aquarius. If Lucy gets her way, she'll use the wish from Elefseria to get her key. (I have my doubts about how this will happen, but that's beside the point.) It would be rather disappointing for Lucy to go through these past few arcs and not Aquarius. And I don't mean that she still has to look for Aquarius (that's how Lucy in this rewrite will be). I mean that someone else has her key already.

It turns out that Brandish might be the other owner. She's currently in her own search for Aquarius' key. In a sense, this means that Brandish still opposes Lucy. Yes, she is not fighting Lucy and has (kind of) helped Fairy Tail since "defecting" from the Spriggan Twelve. Still, she presents a threat to Lucy's interest to reunite with Aquarius.

The funny thing for me is that the current state of the situation is what matters to me. Hopefully, there will be a resolution to this in a canon somewhere down the line. However, I'm not bound to that end. In fact, my rewrite will have ended long before that happens in the chronology of the series. How Mashima is currently writing this is helpful to me in taking that on.

You'll notice that I haven't talked much about changing Brandish. There's not a whole lot that I can change about Brandish. I don't have space or reason to make her more of a presence in the series. For what it's worth, I don't find her to be so bad that she's worth cutting. Really early into thinking through how to rewrite Fairy Tail, I actually had the idea to cut a few members of the Spriggan Twelve. Brandish was never one I questioned cutting. (It's been a while, but I believe the original plan was to cut the Dragneels and Jacob while reworking Nienhart and God Serena for a Spriggan Seven.)

There is one small change I will make to Brandish. You might have the answer for what it is: imply the search as she leaves Lucy. You're not wrong. However, that is less a change and more using assets from the sequel. I've already talked about that as something I will do in some cases. (I'm hoping Mashima doesn't invalidate my lore posts.)

No, the real change is Brandish's ranking among the Spriggan Twelve. Brandish will be among the lowest-ranking members of the Spriggan Twelve. Why do this? We know that Irene and August are among the strongest mages on the continent. However, I want the pressure to be on for Fairy Tail. They see what she can do first-hand and have to think that there are others stronger than her.

Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19  | Part 20  | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30