#so i don't know if the story addresses this later or if it's fixed now and every character addresses grell correctly

[fluffykitteninabox]

Hate it when 90% of a fandom misgenders a canonically trans character because "ThE cHaRaCtErS iN tHe ShOw Do iT tOo!!"

[simp-ly-writes]

The Comment Section (pt.5)

─────── · · A Social Media AU Fic

Pairing: Spencer Agnew x gn!Reader

─ · · SUMMARY: You and Spencer get invited to another convention and host a panel; the fans are ecstatic and you have never felt so high, so happy and truly carefree in your life that makes you do things you would have no considered doing...

─ · · TAGS: SPOILERS IN TAGS!! gender-neutral pronouns, angst, social media au, suggestive themes, attempt at comedy, alcohol consumption, slowburn, light swearing, kissing, fluff, mutual pinning, friends that act like lovers, friends/lovers.

─ · · MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQUEST | PART FOUR | PART 4.5 | PART SIX

─ · · A/N: will they... won't they...

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Much Time Later...

🔔 CreatorCon just posted, check it out!

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Liked by spennser, ianhecox, (name)s_username and others

CreatorCon please give a warm welcome to our newest additions to this years panel roster: (name) and Spencer Agnew from Smosh! 🎉

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username99 not to be the grammer police or anything but you should also put (name)'s last name if you are putting Spencer's down since they are both not married 😬

↳ username01 shhh let them join the ✨ delusions ✨ ↳ username84 grammAr not grammer* ↳ username99 shut up 😘

username32 please bring back Brennan Lee Mulligan again!! I am on my hands and knees begging you, please!!!

username22 spencer helping (name) up the stairs and (name) holding the door for them afterwards is just so sweet 🥹

username48 hopefully the V.I.P passes actually work this time around

↳ CreaterCon we are so sorry to hear this, please send us a direct message to let us know what we can do to further improve your experience. ↳ username48 fix your shit. ❤️

username10 what is going on?? what about the Theorists panel, does anyone know where that got moved to?? I can't find any info on the websites or socials 😭

username50 love the line up (so far!) would like to see even more members of the Smosh family though. But I am really looking forward to this!!

username43 those crowd questions about to go crazy, too bad though they will probs limit their personal life stuff.

username19 they about to make a whole 1000+ people crowd third wheel, now that is talent 👏👏👏

smosh thank you for having them both for the weekend, us parents need a break every now and then

↳ smoshpit yes, please take them for us. PLEASE 🙏 ↳ ianhecox (but seriously don't actually, they make us a lot of money) ↳ smoshgames wait, why am i just finding this out now 😭 ↳ username67 for once i am actually fine with company account commenting, what is going on?!?!?

(name)s_username so excited to attend, thank you for having me and my "husband" 🤣

username71 OMG after last years PAX and CreatorClash events I am SOOO READY FOR THESE TWO AGAIN. ORGANIZERS ARE IN THE KNOW ABOUT (NAME) AND SPENCER, (YOURSHIPNAME) FOREVERRRRR!!!!!!!

spennser we are never escaping the allegations...

↳ (name)s_username never 🤣 ↳ username44 (yourshipname) actually addressing (yourshipname) directly?? never thought i would live to see the day! ↳ username01 we take this as them admitting feelings... right... right? ↳ username39 touch grass.

username29 Does anyone know what they are willing to sign or if they are signing stuff this year??

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What is the best movie? (definitively)

Smosh Cast ✓ [Subscribed] Like 128k | Dislike | ... 582K subscribers 488k views 2 days ago #7 on trending (name) and Spencer debate the greatest form of every media. from movies to tv shows, video games and music; listeners are in for a wild ride.

2,222 Comments

username56 2 days ago Really missing Amanda and Shayne doing the weekly episodes, but I guess I can survive on (name) and Spencer... username77 2 days ago Why is nobody talking about how outstandingly (name) preformed in their movie?!?! I just watched it this weekend and was floored by their preformance. I'm surprised it didn't get any further mention in the videos! ▼ 199 replies ↳ username62 2 days ago I am shocked that a youtuber, nevertheless a comedian could portray such range and subtle expressions- it was beautiful even with what little screen time they had in comparison to others. They took away every scene they were in! ↳ username88 1 day ago I really hope they receive recognition, I really think (name) could make it mainstream. I mean, their connections alone from starring in this but be crazy. ↳ username19 1 day ago Im a selfish fan I will admit, I wouldn't want them to leave Smosh for other projects. In all honesty I could not image not having them in front of or in the background of Smosh videos. I mean could you even think of how Spencer would react?? They are stuck to each other like glue. ↳ username33 1 day ago they both are adults, i'm sure they could work something out. (name) shouldn't be held back from becoming something greater (even though they are great now!) because of the "kinda" relationships they are in. ↳ username20 1 day ago I think time will tell us the answers. But I really hope that (name) considers all their options... username01 2 days ago I have been living for all these play fighting and argument videos of the two of them. Like they have chemistry, a degree of hate for one another in some ways (but like healthy silly hate)- i'm pulling out my hair more and more as to why they won't just kiss already!! username67 2 days ago Okay but (name)'s take are 100% based. homebro/girl knows what they are speaking about and never missed ▼ 31 replies ↳ username72 1 day ago Yeah but I think Spencer's take was more well rounded especially in the TV Shows argument. ↳ username22 1 day ago Couples Therapist Here, I just like how they can argue so civilly with one another and really show active listening with one another. Take the eye-contact, small head nods, and inclined seating with restating what they said and expanding upon it. Its beautiful really plus they both know a lot about their field so that helps too I guess. ↳ username88 1 day ago OMG please make a full video break down of one of their videos together, it would do really well!! ↳ username10 1 day ago Yes, Please!! username27 12 hours ago Okay, but we all known that the best video game is Purble Place. username50 30 minutes ago I can't wait to hear from you both in person, have it marked on my calendar!! username91 1 hour ago cringe. username43 5 hours ago Okay but now I need tier lists on them together. Video Concept #1: (name) and Spencer rank every time they almost fell in love and the one time/multiple times they really did. ▼ 10 replies ↳ username66 1 hour ago Officially am deceased XD ↳ username21 1 hour ago Video Concept #2: (name) and Spencer rank every hangout that was actually a date username74 30 minutes ago why am I crying when the video ended?? Like I want whatever this is.

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🔔 (name)s_username just posted, check it out!

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Liked by spennser, co_mill, anthonypadilla and others

(name)s_username it was awesome meeting everyone, same time next year? 😄❤️

View all 2,334 comments

CreatorCon let's make it a date? 😉

↳ (name)s_username noooo, not again! 😩 🏃‍♂️💨 ↳ username41 bwahahahhahahah!!! ↳ chickenshopdate oi!! 💢😡 ↳ (name)s_username ummm, now this is awkward... 😬

username88 was not long enough, i could listen to the two of you speak all day. defiantly worth the money!!

tomeybones i don't think florescent lighting was anyones light but you shine beautifully in it!

username48 glen powell's character should have gotten back with you at the end of the movie, you both had better chemistry!! Its giving La La Land all over again 😭

co_mill wished we could have made it but great work bestie, you killed it up there!! ❤️❤️

↳ (name)s_username aww thank u! would have loved having you there too ❤️❤️

username40 okay google, play "can't help but falling in love with you." move out of the way spenser, if you don't want them- i'll glady take (name)!

spennser good job fellow "spouse" 👍

↳ (name)s_username yes, you as well, "spouse" 👍 ↳ username01 okay, but this is just straight up cruel 😭

anthonypadilla i didn't see anything appear in the news so good work team!

damien_haas so as I was stuck in the signing booths you both were playing with paper airplanes and arm wrestleing?? What fairness is this?? /sarcastic positive

username71 OMG how did I just discover you now and miss a chance of meeting you?!?!?

username60 please tell me that there's a sequel coming out, I refuse to accept that you didn't re-marry him in the film 😭

phatchance excuse me but I know these two people packing out a 2000 person panel and they are the coolest ❤️

username31 I was too scared to ask anything because you both are just such pretty people like holy crap I love you both so much, you all mean the world to me and thank you so much for the hug. I am never washing the coat now

↳ username77 so that went progressively down hill lol

username12 Day 1.4 million of asking, just get together, or fuck, or something, anything but this (or breaking up for that matter) with Spencer. Like get it together.

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🔔 SmoshPit just uploaded! Turn off notifications here.

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Sneaking into Concerts??? (Two Truths, One Lie)

Smosh Pit ✓ [Subscribed] Like 79k | Dislike | ... 8.29M subscribers 370k views 1 weeks ago

7,889 Comments

username31 1 week ago I know I sound like a broken record but it feels weird not having Spencer or (name) in front of camera for once. I got so used to them always being part of the cast like Courtney or Ian. ▼ 10 replies ↳ username29 1 week ago I think around the 12 minute mark, Courtney said something about them both calling in sick. ↳ username73 1 week ago I mean... did you see their stories with one another last night? They both were properly wasted LMAO ↳ username90 30 minutes ago (name) is such a cute drunk, just complimenting and flirting with everyone until Spencer asks them to shut up or hugs them. Damien and Alex really had their work cut out for them hahahha! ↳ username20 4 hours ago Okay but external videos also show they dancing together and grabbing waters its so wholesome that even when heavily drunk they are constantly thinking about one another username88 1 day ago Would have never thought Anthony would have been the one to sneak into a festival! username28 12 hours ago Did anyone manage to catch (name)'s or alex's story last night or was I just seeing things before it got taken down?? ▼ 301 replies ↳ username90 30 minutes ago OMG YES! I threw my phone in shock!! Should've taken a screenshot I am kicking myself rn. ↳ username01 30 minutes ago I. am. not. okay. physically and emotionally after this. username55 4 days ago HAHHAHA "sick." hmmm sure (name) and spencer, sure...

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🔔 (Yourshipname) Updates just uploaded!

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"Drunk Minds Speak A Sober Heart:" A (yourshipname) Edit

(Yourshipname) Updates [Subscribe] Like | Dislike | ... 1.12K subscribers 499k views 1 week ago #2 on trending click to expand

14,119 Comments

⚲ Pinned by Creator (yourshipname)updates ✓ 1 week ago I will take this video down if requested by either (name) or Spencer but for now... MWAHAHHAHA they have kissed with photo evidence!! ▼ 173 replies ↳ username97 1 hour ago I think I have just ascended. This is truly one of the best days of my life. Take this all your non-believers and haters!!! Amazing edit BTW! ↳ username11 1 week ago I don't think they are going to bring it up anywhere but a small victory is a victory nonetheless. I see this as a mission success boys!! ↳ username01 1 week ago I am happier for them and their still non-relationship than my own long term one hahahhaa ↳ username27 12 hours ago I am in disbelief, I never thought they would. I don't care if they were both hella drunk, they actually kissed?!?!? Like I don't know how to process this information. ↳ username13 12 hours ago fwehd0dfygdkospfhjhgf ↳ username44 just now eloquently said. username23 1 week ago 12 years of pining for one drunk kiss, I'll take it gosh darn it! username90 4 days ago Am currently re-watching all the edits and past moments while having this picture on the side monitor. I am living in a peak moment rn. username80 2 days ago I called my mom to tell her about this and she cheered as well. usernmae32 just now (name) just confirmed on their twitter that them, spencer and the rest of the smosh crew are all going to the oscars! ▼ 4 replies ↳ username13 just now Yes!!! LETS FREAKING GOOOOO!!!! username60 4 days ago This will go down as one of the greatest love stories in the history of the internet; i need movies, more fanfiction, music, and more fanart!! username78 10 hours ago happy for them, truly.

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─ · · A/N: 😉

─ · · TAGLIST: @lisiliely @missflufffanfics @little-stitious-studios @thejourneyneverendsx @sibsteria

[theocddiaries]

Alfred: I don't understand. What are we watching? Bruce [Pointing at a camera footage on the TV]: Okay, look. I fell yesterday at the market. Dick and I have been having a little disagreement as to what happened. Just watch. I stop to fix my shoe, and then Dick… Right there. He makes way for this very attractive woman, whom he conveniently leaves out of his retelling of the story. Now, right here, Dick backs up, pushes his butt into the cart, pushes me into the cans. Do you see that? It's all his fault! Just like I said! I was right! Suck it! Cass: When did you get this? Jason: Oh, my God. That's why you wanted to come separately. Steph: You went to all that trouble just to prove you were right? Bruce: It really wasn't that much trouble. I went to the store, found your friend Jordan, the bag boy, who got me the manager. He gave me the address of the off-site security office. I filled out some paperwork. Sally faxed it to corporate. Three minutes later, I'm buying a pack of DVDs and burning a copy. Piece of cake. Tim: …It's like a sickness. Bruce: What? None of you believed me, so I got proof. You should all be sucking it right now. Kate: Please stop with the "sucking it," Bruce. They're children. Clark: Yes, children are very impressionable. You'll never know what they'll pick up. Lois: Ugh! Okay, Clark, I'm sorry that I blamed it all on you, okay? But we both need to look at our actions. I mean, if we're thinking about adopting another baby, then we need to-- Diana: You're adopting another kid? Clark: That's not the way you make an announcement! Banners! Banners! [Puts on music] 🎶Ah, let's give the boy a hand 🎶 Jason: What the hell's happening here? Dick: Is that from Footloose??? Clark [Turns off the music]: Really, Lois? You couldn't even share telling our friends. Kate: Why are you upset? This is such good news. Lois: No, we're a little on edge because Conner has been acting out, like he doesn't want a sibling-- Clark: Yeah, because Lois taught him to hate sharing. Lois: And, or, because Clark wears him like a fanny pack. Alfred: Oh, stop blaming each other. No kid wants a sibling. I remember Bruce hated his cousin so much, he stuck her in a dryer when she was two. Kate: You put me in the dryer? Bruce: …I did. But it wasn't 'cause I hated you. My friend Thomas said that it wouldn't run with a kid inside it, and I knew it would. I was right. Dick: Good governor. It's been going on since you were five? Bruce: …Oh, my God, it is a sickness. What would make me have that need at such a young age? Kate: How long was I in that dryer? Because- I-Is this why I'm afraid of tumbling? I had to quit gymnastics! Dick: A childhood without tumbling?! [Faces Alfred]. You knew this, and just stood by and did nothing? Alfred: Okay, okay. What's done is done. All you can do is learn from your mistakes. And in that spirit, I would like to propose a toast to our young master Damian. This week, he did something he wasn't supposed to do, like we all do-- Diana [Interrupting]: Like we all do!. Cheers, my young warrior! Alfred: No. Not yet. Master Damian stood up like a man. He admitted he was wrong, and he took his licks. And I'm very, very proud of him. Diana: Aaaand now we clink. Alfred: No, we clink when I say we clink. So Master Damian made a mistake, but he didn't take the easy way out. He's got guts. He's got integrity. And as far as I'm concerned, he's the best-- Damian: Okay, stop, stop! I didn't do any of that! Miss Diana broke into the locker and threw the necklace inside, and then we ran away like cowards! I'm sorry, Alfred! I'm sorry! Alfred: Aha! I knew it. I was right! I was right! Everyone: … … [In realization]: Ohhhh. Makes sense. Alfred: … [Drinks in silence].

[mama2bears]

Guardian In The Night - Part 2

Warnings: A few curse words maybe, use of pet name Sweetheart

Pairings: Tyler Owens/F. Reader

A/N: Thank you for the likes! Hope you enjoying the story. I am planning on one more chapter maybe to finish this one up.

Catch up here with Part 1

Tyler was awoken later that night by sirens, or what he thought was sirens. He peeked out the window, and saw blue lights going down your drive way.

He grabbed his cell phone quickly calling your number as he ran out to his truck, still wearing nothing but his boxers.

“Tyler?” you answer your phone and he could tell you were crying.

“What happened? Are you okay? I am on my way now.” he said in one breath.

“Someone tried to break in. They were trying to kick down the door then broke a window.” you couldn't stop the tears and he heard the tremble in your voice.

“I am pulling up to your house now. See you in a minute.”

He barley got the truck parked before jumping out and running over to you, wrapping his arms around you. You were giving a statement to the police officer.

“And you are?” the police officer looked at Tyler.

“I am her neighbor, Tyler Owens.” he said.

“Any idea who could have been around here?” the officer asked, addressing both of you.

“There was a creep at the bar tonight.” Tyler said. “We got into a little altercation when he put his hands on the lady. I followed her home and didn't see anyone following us. Other then that though. I don't know.”

“Ever have trouble out this way before?” he asked.

You shake your heard, “No, I have always felt safe here. Never have had anyone prowling around.”

The officer asked for a description of the guy from the bar, which you gave. They promised to keep a patrol car out this way and would be on the lookout. Other then that, there wasn't nothing else they could do.

Once the officers left, Tyler turned to you. “They broke the window?” he asked.

You nodded, showing him the front porch window smashed with a rock. “I had my daddy's gun and told them I was going to shoot and the police were on the way.” You were shaking, “They took off running.”

“I'll get some stuff in town and fix the window tomorrow.” Tyler told you, “In the mean team, come on over to my house. There's a guest bedroom you can sleep in for the rest of the night.”

“Okay, thank you.” You wipe the tears from your eyes as Tyler pulls you into a hug. “It'll be alright.” he whispered.

You lay your head on his chest, arms tightly wrapped around him, just taking in his scent. You felt safe and protected as Tyler lead you to his truck, opening the door.

Within a minute, you were over at his place and he was leading you up the stairs to the guest bedroom, “You want some tea or anything?” he asked.

“No..I am okay. Thank you.”

“Alright.” he smiled, “My room's right down the hall. Just yell if you need anything.” he backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

The rest of the night, he spent sitting on the sofa, unable to go back to sleep. He felt that he needed to stay up, stay on guard.

* * * * *

Early that morning you awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking. You saw one of Tyler's shirts and sweatpants laid out on the chair next to your bed with a note, “Bathroom down the hall. Feel free to take a shower and put these on. I know we forgot to grab you some clothes last night. Thought you'd feel more comfortable in something other then your nightgown to wear. Breakfast will be ready for you.”

You smile, picking up the clothes and heading into the bathroom, turning on the hot water.

Tyler hears the water running upstairs, so he goes ahead and fixes you a plate of food and pours your coffee, setting the cream and sugar out on the table for you.

“Morning.” he smiles when you walk down the stairs, “Breakfast is ready.”

“Thank you. It smells delicious.” you smile.

“Still like cream and sugar in your coffee?” he asked.

“You remember, after all this time?”

“Of course I do. Used to be three creams and two sugars. I wasn't sure if it changed, so I just put the cream and sugar on the table.”

“It hasn't changed.” you smile.

“I am going to head into town and get some glass to fix that window for you. Want to ride along?”

“You don't need to fix it. I'll file a claim with the insurance and get someone out there.”

“It will take days if not weeks to get someone out there. It's no problem to fix it. I just need to take measurements, have them cut the glass and put it in. A few minutes I'll have it in.”

“Thank you, Tyler...for last night, for everything.”

“Anytime. That's what friends are for.” he looked at you, sitting at the kitchen table in his t shirt and sweats, sipping coffee and eating a breakfast he prepared for you. He couldn't help but to think if this might have been what every morning would have looked like if he had only returned your call five years ago. Maybe you would have had a little one or two running around the table.”

“Ever wonder what could have been?” he asked softly after a few moments.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“What if you didn't leave for school? What if I didn't leave to go chase storms? What if I wasn't an ass and I returned your call or even called you. What if we didn't go five years without seeing or speaking to each other.”

You only shook your head, “There's no way to know what could have been, so I just don't think about it. Life goes on.”

“Yeah...yeah it does.” he starts loading the dishwasher, then drives you back home. He makes you wait in the truck while he runs a check though the house and around the property, making sure no one was hanging around and nothing else had been broken into.

“I'll be back in about an hour or so and get that window fixed.” he said before leaving.

“It's my turn for lunch today. Since you made it yesterday, I'll have us some sandwiches ready when you come back. Maybe make some of my sweet tea.”

“Ah, I used to love that sweet tea! It was always the sweetest.” he smiled, “Alright...see you for lunch then, sweetheart.”

You smiled, that was the second time he had used 'sweetheart' with you since last night.

Going into the house, you double check all the doors to make sure they were locked and called your dog Jack into the house before sitting down to try and read a book. You try to concentrate on the words in front of you, but every little sound was making you look. You felt like someone was watching, but you knew no one was there. You felt alone, and for the first time that you could remember, you were actually scared to be alone.

You toss the book down and turn up some music before beginning to make lunch. You kept glancing out the window, watching for Tyler's truck to come speeding down the drive way. Two hours seemed to drag on forever, until finally, you heard the music blasting and soon the truck appeared in a cloud of dust.

Finally, you felt some relief. You felt safe again.

As promised, it only took Tyler a few minutes to get the new window put in.

You brought the sandwiches and tea out to the front porch and set them on the table between two rocking chairs. “Bathroom is right in the door, to the right if you want to wash up.” you tell him.

“Thanks. Those sandwiches look amazing.” he lingered in the doorway for a moment, everything in him wanted to kiss you, but he forced himself to go on into the bathroom and wash up.

Again, he thought about what could have been. Him fixing things around the house for you. You having lunch ready for him and you two sitting there on the front porch, making small talk and enjoying the view.

Tyler sat down, taking a sip of the tea you made and gave you a smile, “Still the sweetest tea ever.” he paused looking out over your front yard, towards his house, “There's a few cells about an hour west of here into Texas. The team and I are going to head out soon as I am done eating. Would you care to put the horses in the barn for me tonight? It might be late when I get home.”

“Yeah, sure.” you say, dread filling you as you thought about night.

“Thanks. You gonna be okay?” he asked.

“Yeah..fine.” you force a smile, “I am sure whoever it was last night is long gone.”

“Probably. You got my number, if you need anything, call me, okay?” he asked.

“Will do.” you pick up the plates and glasses and carry them into the house. Tyler waits a moment before standing and opening the door a bit, “I am heading out now. See you in the morning, I'll send the money I owe you to your Venmo before I leave.” he called.

“No problem. Whenever you can. I trust you. Be safe out there.” you call back.

“Bye.” He says and walks to his truck, 'I love you.' He whispers under his breath, taking one more look at the house before driving away.

* * * *

You get the kitchen cleaned up and then run over to Tyler's place to bring his horses into the barn and feed the dog. The sun was just starting to set when you made your way back home and you quickly ran into the house, slamming the door and locking it.

Your dog, Jack laid in middle of the living room floor looking at you as tried to catch your breath. Why were you terrified of the coming night? Surely there was no one out there. They were gone. There was nothing to fear...that's what you kept telling yourself.

Going over to the sofa, you pick up the phone, seeing a message from Tyler,

“We're going live on the YouTube channel in a few minutes...this one looks big...maybe you wanna check it out?” was the message along with a link to the Tornado Wranglers you tube.

You sigh, settling in and opening up the channel. The first thing you see is Tyler's truck in middle of the tornado, fireworks shooting off the back of the truck, lighting up the twister.

This was worse then bull riding...you thought. You continued watching as the team danced around the truck hooting and hollering once the tornado was over. Somehow, not feeling quite so alone as long as you were connected to the live feed. It was like you had a connection to someone else, and weren't sitting here alone with who knows what outside.

A thump outside made you jump and you ran to turn on the lights. Your dog only glanced up at you and didn't seem alarmed, but you were. You thought you heard footsteps and you run though the house turning on lights at each room you came too. Then you dart back to the living room, turning on the TV and turning it up louder. Maybe, if you had the TV on, whoever or whatever outside would think you weren't alone...and would leave.

You sat on the sofa trembling in fear until sleep finally won out.

* * * * *

It was almost 1 am when Tyler was approaching his drive way. He slowed as he passed you house, noticing all the lights were on. He quickly turned into the driveway and sped up to the house.

Picking up his phone, he texted, “You okay?”

The ding of your phone startled you awake, once more. You kept drifting in and out of sleep, every little noise you heard or thought you heard make you jump.

“Yeah. Where are you?” you sent him a message, noticing the time. Why was he texting you at 1 am?

“I was heading home and saw the lights on.” he answered, “Everything okay?” Tyler decided not to tell you that he was sitting right outside your door just yet.

“Yeah, I just thought I heard a noise. Guess it was nothing.” you replied.

Tyler scanned the area around your house, then picked up the flashlight he kept next to the driver's seat.

He called you instead of sending another message.

“Tyler?” you answer on the first ring.

“Hey, I am just outside of your house now. Where did you think you heard the noise at?” he asked, on full alert.

“I...I don't know. All over I guess. I can't sleep. Every time I fall asleep, something wakes me up. Just jitters probably.”

“I am going to take a look around just to be sure. Stay in the house with the doors locked. I'll let you know if I find anything.”

“Tyler..no.” you protest. “I am sure it's nothing.”

“I'll call you back in a few. Hang tight.” he hanged up and stepped out of the truck, shining his flashlight around. He made a full circle around the house, checking the windows, bushes and ground then moved on towards the barn, checking in every corner he could. Once he was satisfied there was nothing there, he walked back to the truck and called you.

“Everything okay?” you asked, peering out the window, your voice trembling a little.

“All clear. No signs of anything out here. Probably was the wind.” he paused, “Wanna come crash at my place again?”

You thought for a moment then answered, “No...I'll be okay. I am just really tired. Thank you, Ty. I feel safer now that you checked out things.”

“No problem. Good night, Sweetheart.” he smiled, getting back in the truck. He sat there for a few moments, watching as one by one each light in the house was turned out.

He leaned his seat back and did his best to get comfortable before dozing off. He wasn't about to return home if you were afraid. If you weren't going to come home with him, then he was going to stay out here in his truck, making sure you were safe.

* * * * *

The sun was just peeking up over the horizon when your dog started fussing to go out. “Alright, fine.” you mutter, stumbling out of the bed and to the door. You were shocked to open the door and see the red Dodge Ram sitting there in the drive.

“Tyler?” you called.

He jumped awake at the sound of your voice, quickly looking around, then smiling at you.

“Morning Sweetheart.” he smiled.

“What the hell are you doing sleeping in your truck in front of my house?” you scold him, hands on your hips.

“I didn't want to leave last night. You seemed worried and if you were hearing noises out here, I wanted to stay here and makes sure everything was okay.”

Your heart was filled with love. Actually, the love you had always felt for Tyler Owens never did go away. It always lingered, and maybe that's why you never got too serious with anyone. Your heart always belonged to him. Even if you would never be anything more then friends, the thought that this man would willingly sleep in his truck outside your house... just to make sure you were okay, made that love grow ever more.

“Well come on in and I'll make us some coffee. Want some pancakes for breakfast?” you offered.

“Sounds great.” he smiled, hoping from the truck, giving the dog a pet on the head before following you in. “Let me help with something.” he offered.

“You take the plates out if you want, after you wash up.”

“Yes, ma'am.” he grinned, washing his hands in the sink, “Where's the plates?” he asked? “Right side of sink, second cabinet, first shelf.” you direct him, pouring the pancake mix in the skillet.

“Wanna go for a ride today? We can load the horses up on the trailer and take them to one of the trails around. I am sure the dogs would like to come too.”

“No storms to chase today?” you asked, standing to clean up the dishes.

Tyler puts his hand on your arm, then stands. “Nope...sit back down. You cook, I clean.” he grinned, “And no, don't look like there's any storms until maybe next week. There might be some over in Oklahoma.” he stated, taking the dishes from you and loading them in the sink.

“You don't have to wash my dishes. My house, my dishes, I clean.”

“Don't work like that, Sweetheart. Not with me. I'll get these washed up and run home to tend to the horses. Maybe we can pack a lunch and have a picnic up at the state park...if you wanted to go. I could help out with any chores around here before we left.”

“That sounds great.” you smile. It sounded like the perfect date to be honest...but it wasn't a date. You both had already established that you were friends...best of friends, but friends all the same. “I don't have much here to do. A quick shower and feed the dog. I'll get us some sandwiches and chips put together for a picnic.”

“It's a date then. I'll pick you up in two hours.” Tyler said causally, but hoping that maybe...just maybe it could have been the date that he wanted to take you on fifteen years ago...back when he first carved your name in that old oak tree. He walked to the truck with a skip in his step. He knew he had some work to do, but maybe...just maybe, he could make up for his past mistakes.

[love-byers]

Hi! Not gonna lie I was a bit disappointed that you believe the birthday gate stuff... The Duffers wouldn't have admitted to have made a mistake if that were the case. And most of all, it would've come up in volume 2! Now if something happens in S5 it would just feel like they came up with it during the 3 years between S4 and S5. They can say it was planned all they want, people would call bullshit, and rightfully so. I'm sorry I can not believe how anyone can think birthday gate could be a real thing. Not to mention it doesn't even make any sense. Please bylers let's just accept the Duffers made a mistake!!

i disagree with everything you said

1. "the duffers wouldn't have admitted to have made a mistake if that were the case"

they lied.

the duffers are sneaky snakes who want us to analyze and always be looking for little details. they have literally said there are no coincidences in the show.

so yes, i completely believe that they would go out of their way to lie in order to save the surprise for s5. i mean actually think about it, if it really was just a mistake, why would they not just fix it?? they have the full power to just do a little voiceover edit and boom, problem solved. they explained exactly how they'd do it. but they didn't. 2 years have passed and they still haven't changed it when that little tweak would literally solve all their problems if it really was a mistake.

they lied. they're liars.

2. "it would've come up in vol 2"

since when does every single problem have to be solved in one season?? do you know what show you're watching??

there are hints and foreshadowing all over the seasons. vecna is foreshadowed in s1 ep1 when will's door was opened with telekinesis, and we had no idea he existed until 6 years and 3 seasons later.

in s1 they don't fully explain how will was communicating with joyce. but after s4 everything clicks into place.

they show us that will can clearly hear her and is finding a way to make the lights light up. then in ep 8 they show joyce and hopper making the christmas lights light up as they walk through the byers upside down house. jonathan sees this and asks if it's joyce, and joyce hears him.

that isn't addressed AT ALL in s2 or s3. it is fully explained and explored in s4, when nancy steve eddie and robin are stuck in the upside down. they fully show us how it works and acknowledge that it was how will communicated with joyce.

the creators knew exactly how the light upside down stuff worked the entire show. but it wasn't time for it to be explained just yet. it was meant to come up later on. it's a masterful way to write a story with longevity.

stranger things teaches you to never just write something off. everything is important. don't let it go just because it hasn't been fully explained. there will be payoff.

3. "now if it comes up in s5 it would just feel like they came up with it the 3 years between s4 and s5. people would call bullshit."

respectfully i think you're projecting a bit.

the average viewer who does not spend their time on forums is not going to think that whatsoever. the average viewer is going to think "wait what?!", go back and watch s4 ep 2, and think "holy shit it was planned all along that's so cool!"

like that's such a dumb way of thinking. you have to be a master level hater to see a well written plot twist and think "they just did that to cover their asses" like that's some next level hating

and i guarantee you once s5 comes out the duffers will be like "yeah of course we had to lie you guys were too close to figuring it out!"

david harbour has talked about how hard it was for him to flat out lie to people about hopper being dead. it's really not that crazy to think they lied

4. "it doesn't even make any sense"

....it does.

i don't know how you could think it doesn't make sense

rink o mania day was march 22nd. will's birthday. they have not changed his birthday. his official canonical birthday is still march 22nd.

but no one mentions it. even will doesn't seem to know it's his birthday.

s4 is all about memories and trauma and feeling isolated from others. we also literally learn there is a powerful monster man who can read minds and enter other people's memories, just like el can. so i don't see how it's so outlandish to think there's some memory fuckery going on.

of course we can't explain exactly why or how, because it hasn't been adressed yet. you have to wait for the pay off.

5. "just accept the duffers made a mistake"

i would accept that they made a mistake if they actually fixed the mistake LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD. they said "we are going to edit the episode and change it to say may 22nd" and then DIDNT. EVER.

and not only that, they wished him happy birthday on march 22nd 2 years in a row. noah schnapp posted a bts photo on march 22nd 2024 with the caption "Do you know what March 22nd is? It's your birthday. - Joyce Byers"

they are saying "yes it's still his birthday so get hyped for s5 where it'll be addressed" every way they can without spelling it out for you.

i really don't know what more you need

[brawlite]

some horror fic recs for october 👻

i wanted to put together a rec list of my favorite horror fics for the spookiest month. there are a bunch of different flavors of horror in here as well as a number of different fandoms, so hopefully you can find something that tickles your fancy (though ngl i would still rec reading these bad boys even if you don't know the fandoms at all).

i tried to tag tumblrs when/where i could find them, but if i couldn't, the author name links to ao3.

a reminder as always: this is horror—please read all the tags.

thanks for reading and i hope you find something to enjoy!

also, pretty please feel free to reblog and add your favorite horror fic recs.

👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪

the ghost apple tree by @thefearofcod

10k words, rated m song lan/xue yang/xiao xingchen (the untamed/mdzs) summary:

Fixing up a decaying house in the woods is the same as addressing your problems. (sxx is haunted)

brawls' notes: i think about this fic a lot; i'm haunted by it. this is by far one of my favorite horror stories i've ever read—the vibes are off-the-charts and horrific in a very visceral, tense way. made me feel weird (positive). i hope it makes you feel weird too (this is a threat).

—

convergence by @astrophyllitely

33k words, rated e lan zhan/lan xichen, lan zhan/jiang cheng (the untamed/mdzs) summary:

Lan Wangji regains consciousness in a crashed spaceship on an unfamiliar planet. He is not alone; Lan Xichen is there. He is not alone; Jiang Wanyin is there. But never both at once.

brawls' notes: space horror? check. psychological horror? check. uneasy and tense alien vibes? also check. beautiful push and pull of the narrative, paired with an an intense feeling of claustrophobia. there's a particular moment that had my heart right in my throat. stunning.

—

mockingbird by MarInk

82k words, rated e stiles stillinski/peter hale (teen wolf) summary:

Stiles works tirelessly to keep the roof over his heads and longs for a proper challenge for his brains. Peter chafes under his sister's authority and nurses big, bloody dreams. One day, the two are connected by a mistaken text message. One never knows who is on the other end of a wrong number. Sometimes it's somebody one will come to cherish and adore. Sometimes it's a ruthless, unapologetic monster. Sometimes it's both.

brawls' notes: sometimes you read something and are just blown away by it, forever altered. that's what this was for me. want a type of monster-au you've never seen before? this is it. also: ostensibly a wrong-number au, but don't be fooled. (i was.)

—

never meant by nonhicsumus

3k words, rated m alex krycek & dana scully (the x-files) summary:

Sometimes the past isn't worth digging into.

brawls' notes: whump and psychological horror? plus alex krycek?? my favorite. every word of this is perfection—i instantly wanted to read it again for the first time. you can.

—

fais do-do by @moku-youbi

18k words, rated e will graham/hannibal lecter (hannibal)

summary:

“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein (this fic does not have a summary, but begins with this quote)

brawls' notes: a different-meeting au packed with everything you need for the perfect horror story: violence, blood, a chase scene, and an unreliable narrator. delightful.

—

blackbird, fly by @acroamatica

19k words, rated m kylo ren/armitage hux (star wars: tfa)

summary:

One sunny afternoon in the mountains of Washington state, Ben Organa-Solo walked out into the woods. He never came home. Six years later, a journalist specialising in missing-persons cold cases decides to follow his footsteps and see where they might lead.

brawls' notes: a masterpiece of vibes. this reads so much like a spooky mystery novel, but with a creeping, anxious dread. perfect for the season if you want that true autumnal sort of chill. i've carried this fic in my heart for nearly a decade now—it has inspired me in my own writing so much over the years.

—

grey stars on the rise by @iodhadh

4k words, rated e song lan/xue yang/xiao xingchen (the untamed/mdzs) summary:

Xiao Xingchen comes back. Xiao Xingchen comes back wrong. It takes too long, maybe, for Xue Yang to realize something is wrong with Song Lan too.

brawls' notes: the exact embodiment of: be careful what you wish for. brutal and crushing and so deeply, utterly satisfying. absolute yi-city perfection: the vibes are wretched but strangely romantic (chefs kiss).

—

half your life you've been hooked on death by @whatever-you-can-give-me

4k words, rated m vash the stampede/nicholas d. wolfwood (trigun) summary:

Wolfwood is cornered in an alleyway. Things get worse before they get better.

brawls' notes: and what's a horror rec list without a little bit of gore? whump and blood and near-death-experiences—oh my. this is brutal and feverish and exactly the right flavor.

—

black rock mountain by @bokuno-jinsei

24k words, rated e will graham/hannibal lecter (hannibal) summary:

Will is a hitchhiker with questionable hobbies. Hannibal is a man who has questionable motives. When Hannibal drives by Will who just so happens to need a ride, things quickly take a turn from the questionable to the downright depraved.

brawls' notes: you know That Fic that is really the epitome of that pairing for you? yeah, this is it for me. perfect alternate first-meeting fic. lives rent-free in my head.

👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪

and hey, why not be a little self-indulgent: i can't help but rec a few of my own horror fics here, too:

old growth

21k, rated m song lan/xue yang/xiao xingchen (the untamed/mdzs) summary:

There’s something in the woods outside of their hometown. Xue Yang and Song Lan are going to find it.

brawls' notes: i tried something new with the formatting on this one and i think it panned out solidly and was a desperately fun way to tell the story. this is full of spooky, sleepless forest vibes.

—

what's real or isn't

57k, rated e kylo ren/armitage hux (star wars: tfa) summary:

Hux's new house is not haunted. It isn't.

brawls' notes: i honestly love playing favorites and this is one of mine. this was a load of fun to write—it's chock-full of vibes, personal experiences, local history, and love notes to my favorite horror stories.

—

acquiesce

16k, rated e original luo binghe/original shen qingqiu (svsss) summary:

After seeing the gentle and loving Shen Qingqiu of the other world, Luo Binghe returns to his own with a hunger that can only be satisfied by one thing—a Shizun of his very own.

brawls' notes: this isn't spooky or haunted, but it is psychological horror—packed with nightmares, flashbacks, dread, and manipulation. enjoy!

👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪👻👁️🎃🔪

and that's it! hope you find something fun to read for this october 🖤

and again—please reblog and add your own horror recs if you are feeling so inclined!

[chibigaia-art]

Do you have any favorite webcomics?

oh boy, do I

ok, addressing the elephant in the room immediately: homestuck. just read it. don't read anything after the main webcomic ends, don't get into the epilogues, or the sequel, but hs? fun, still love it dearly.

now for the others!!!!

Paranatural - middle schoolers with supernatural powers fight supernatural entities, it's one of the funniest thing I ever read that also managed to punch me in the gut and make me want to draw even more

Sleepless Domain - magical girls protect the city at night from monsters. Everything is fine until things happen :)

Heartstrings (18+) pop star/punk lesbians :]

webtoons:

Public U. Art Club - it's an art club. liloth my beloved

Cursed Princess Club - story about self love and acceptance, I just really really love this comic and I am still so happy I followed it while it was updating. It's finished so it's a good binge read!

Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell - this one is also finished, idk how to pitch it, just read it, it's so fucking funny, also read Vampire Family from the same author

also on tapas:

Fantasy x Grounds (I'd say 18+ for this one too) - the summary on the page just says "A funny fantasy comic with nameless characters". This is true but it's also a lie, it's also a fantasy comic full of heartaches and characters that feel like real people This one is from an italian author and I've been following it for years, I'm so in love with the story, the characters and their arcs it makes me unwell. There is an english translation and that version has updated art on old pages, some fixes for colors and redrawn sequences that are very very cool - the translation itself is also kinda rough at first but it gets better. I will also say, the earlier parts of the comic didn't age super well BUT. IT'S SUCH A GOOD COMIC. YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT FUCKERY HAPPENS LATER, YOU HAVE TO SEE THE INSANE THINGS THEY FIGHT. YOU HAVE TO READ THE [MOONANGEL KING] ARC BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MY FAVOURITE GUY STARTS BREAKING FOR REAL

edit also if you read any of these pls let me know what you think

[diminuel]

What r ur thoughts on Crocodile being Whitebeard's biological child AU? I read few of these theories online and on fanfics.

I think for the angst potential it's an interesting concept to think about.

WB always wanted a family, but even as he kept collecting stray sons, there must have been a falling out with his own biological child. If Crocodile had been loved as WB loved his sons, then he probably wouldn't have turned out as he did and they might not have clashed when Crocodile was a newly appointed warlord, so what happened? Did WB not want him on his ship? Did he treat him differently than his adopted sons? Was Crocodile just jealous and cranky and there was nothing WB could do to fix it?

(If we go with Crocodile was a woman, then we can of course go the trusty "the sea is no place for girls" route, though of course WB would have sailed with at least three other women while he was still part of the Rocks Pirates so wouldn't that have been hypocritical? Did he not want him on a ship so he would remain "safe"?)

Was he kicked off the ship, abandoned, trust broken? I think the break with WB would have had to happen when he was still young, a teen maybe I have no clear reason for this apart from having some doubt that Crocodile was on WB's ship in the scenes we saw in the Wano flashbacks. Teach and Crocodile doesn't really seem like they once served on the same ship from the interactions we got between them in Impel Down? And Teach joined WB when Crocodile would have been around 18.

But then again... those of the WB crew who fight Crocodile during Marine Ford don't seem to show any restraint or remorse. Which means either they've never been "brothers" or the falling out (and the challenge back in Crocodile's 20s that ended in Crocodile's defeat) was so bad that they won't forgive him? *scratches head*

I don't know which theory of Crocodile's past I find most intriguing. I mean the story with WB is over now (apart from the Weevil stuff that's not been resolved yet as far as I know), if Crocodile had been his biological child, I think that would have had to be addressed at some point, I don't know if the reveal 10+ years later would still pack the same punch (even though we still need to figure out what issues they had with each other... So who knows!)

[theamityelf]

(Most of this post was made before I finished the movie. It gets addressed later.)

"Does it really count as being a good person if you're getting a reward for it?" This movie has an interesting attitude toward the activity of goodness where hardship is inherently moral and nothing you do actually counts; only the circumstances around it.

We are encouraged to feel sympathy for Red and ignore any wrongdoing because of her circumstances, and we are encouraged to ignore anything Chloe does right because her circumstances make it easy.

Which...I mean, I guess it's not the worst exploration of Attribution Theory, but it sets up this world where the only lesson to be learned is that anyone who does harm has a good heart and a sympathetic reason, except high school bullies I guess. There is no reason to feel any sympathy for school bullies. They are bullies because they are fundamentally unkind, and you are being bullied because you are fundamentally kind. The worst thing you can be is a school bully, and the meanest adults in your life are probably mean because they were bullied in school. Good news; because you're unhappy now, you're morally in the clear to make someone else's childhood unhappy when you grow up. They'll feel bad for you when they hear about how hard you had it.

Ella had a bad childhood and made sure her daughter's childhood was happy. Her daughter goes back in time to meet a young version of Ella who feels disdain for her privilege. Not inherently a bad thing; just maybe a weird zag on the happy scene from the beginning. It's like they wanted to teach Audrey or Chad a lesson but couldn't, so instead they used her.

If they wanted to teach Chloe some moral lesson other than "You should feel bad for having nice parents," the line Ella gave Red about how her mother is kind when others are unkind to her would be a much better choice! Instead of showing us a version of Bridget who is this angelic being who tolerates all manner of mistreatment, make that Ella. Because that's the actual story of Cinderella?!

Let Chloe react to Red's rudeness with dislike, the way she already did. She was nice to Red, Red was rude, Chloe immediately formed a negative judgement of her character. She goes back in time, sees her mother constantly taking the high road with mean people, hears that line about how hard it is, learns a lesson. That's so much more coherent with everything we already know than making Ella really wry and condescending toward pretty much everyone and giving Bridget the halo.

But I'm not going to post this until after I've finished watching the movie, in case they turn it around. If you're reading this, I've finished the movie and I still agree with myself, lol.

Okay this is me after the movie, and they did manage to pull something together as far as Chloe's arc being that she abandons her legalistic view of the world to a more utilitarian morality. There are aspects of the execution that I don't love, like I feel like they didn't do enough to set it up before the payoff, but they definitely did something coherent with her character. I might do a how-I-would-rewrite for this one.

I will say, the vase scene is the one my mind keeps going back to. Chloe breaks the vase. She does accidental harm. She apologizes and doesn't seem to fully understand that apologizing isn't going to fix it, because she was raised in a positive environment where intentions matter. Ella, angry about the vase, basically explains that her intention doesn't erase the harm. Okay.

But neither does penitence. The resolution of this scene is "Let's give her some space because she's mad," not "Let's do anything to make things better for her." Maybe helping her with her chores later was supposed to count as that, but it more reads as a learning montage for Chloe than any attempt at atoning for the accidental wrong she did.

Bridget is wronged and turns that into a dictatorship and abusive parenting. She has no agency in the harm she does; she is just a machine where if you input "unhappy school dance" she will output "evil queen". I kind of thought that preventing this one thing from happening to her in her teens was going to prove an ineffective way to change who she became, and maybe they were going to address some deeper issue with her worldview that would resonate with one of the protagonists. Maybe connect her lesson to Chloe's, since they seemed like they wanted to connect Ella's situation to Red's.

But no, this one incident at a school dance turned her from a cheerful, nice person to an evil queen, preventing it makes her nice again, there is nothing else to it.

For the record, I'm not mad; I'm fascinated.

That was a first watch, so who's to say how I'll feel later, lol.

[thebestofoneshots]

WOLFSTAR X READER SERIES

Gilded Constellations | THE INTERLUDE Part 2

Summary: You meet Sirius and Regulus at a family vacation in the Caribbean, but things don't go as planned and you end up losing contact once the trip is over. Years later your family moves to England and you get accepted at Hogwarts where you finally see Sirius once again, along with all of his friends. One of them with a mysterious secret, that you'll uncover as you embark on your own Hogwarts adventure. Mostly canon-compliant. This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it.

Series Masterlist | Previous episode | The first Interlude

You guys know I wanted to make another interlude, but upon lack of time, and because I don't want to have you wait another week to read the next chapter (darling @aremuslupinsimp for sure needs someone to vent about the absolute rollercoaster of emotions that it is) I've decided to make it a WEEKL-LONG EVENT!

But Lilly, What does that mean? It means you can send as many questions as you might have and I'll try to address all of them within the week. Including anything related to last week, this week's, and the next week's chapter (although I will not spoil that one).

Adding a few questions here, just as a start:

Have you always known where the story is going or have you kind of figured it out along the way? do you have the ending planned?

Hey love! I do have a base idea of where GC is going. I've had these big plot points thought out from the very beginning to the part where they all start dating. Having said that, a lot of things that happen in the story, and that are in between those points, are just me letting my imagination soar, and a lot of those chapters end up being some of my favourites.

I wanted to end the story either before they end school or before 1981, but now that I've gotten so attached to the characters, I've honestly thought of writing past that, and "fixing" some of the things that happen in canon. But who knows, that's like a whole other fic just on how much plot it would have.

SoIi can’t really remeber if the ‘prank’ that Sirius pulled on Snape had already happened in Gilded Constellations, if it hasn’t will it be happening or will it just get skipped over?

It's happened already (in 5th year). That's the reason Snape is weary about leaving Vixen in the Shack in "Bad Moon Rising". He knew she would be in danger because there was a werewolf inside. He couldn't say anything to them because of the young twisting charm Dumbledore put on him, and he's never been brave enough to stand up to the other Slytherins, so he went straight to Lily and told her Vix was in danger.

That's why Lily knew about Vixen being in danger when Sirius showed up with a fox in his hands and was livid about it.

Tu penses prévoir combien de chapitre pour GC si tu sais sinon si tu sais pas une estimation de chapitre que tu aimerais écrire pour GC ?

I'm terrible with estimations, originally it was going to be a short 5 chapter-long series. And then I wanted to end it at thirty, and then at forty. So far I've written 55 chapters, but I'm thinking of ending before chapter 70. (That's IF I don't get carried away).

Do we get to know if Sirus ever got that necklace back from the first few chapters?

Oh, the necklace is still on Vix's neck and it's going to be HUGE in the next couple of chapters. I've been building on is for a while and I'm really excited about it finally happening.

How is it going with Remus' and reader's fireworms?

They are amazing! They've implemented a whole system that helps them get fed automatically. They're probably going to ace that test.

Are we seeing more to Nina?

Definitely.

After they come back from winter break will the study group start again?

I mean, there're going to be a LOT of things happening after the Winter Break, but I assume yes. Also the reading club, the reading club is going to happen.

How long do we have to wait 'till Remus, Reader and Sirius go out?

I think I'm about one or two chapters away from writing that, but I'm a few chapters ahead. But it's waaay less than before.

Does Nina have a little crush on Reader or is it just me?

I mean, there's a reason why the ribbon she tied on her quidditch gear was enough to defend Vix from Barty's spell. And why, more than once, Nina's love has proven to be a strong protective spell over the reader.

Are we getting more lessons like some of the first chapters?

Yup, not very soon, since the next few chapters will all be happening over the winter break, but once they're back in school, certainly.

Further questions will be answered directly on asks as they come.

I'm really excited about the questions I might get, also a bit terrified about the questions I'll get after Chapter 44, but of well, the show must go on.

Love ya lots, Lils xx

Series Masterlist | First Interlude

Taglist: @rayrlupin @callmelovergirl @warcelia @ireneop @endversewinchester @moonyunebi @smuttysluttybitch @mazzymoons @drugs-for-memes @sofiacblair @vmpir3lvr @remuslupinisbae @rabluver @willgrahamisalesbi4n @thatobsessedreader  @itskailey24 @hell0-kittie @belovedmoony @blacksgarden @loving-and-dreaming @cassie-love20 @starchaser-lily @zucchini-queenie @springflwer07 @sseleniaa @cometsghost @orkwardx0 @imdoingbetternow  @sbrewer21 @remuslupinsbae @maxinehufflepuffprincess @wifiatthetrainstation @unstablereader @msblacklupin @oliversaurus @jaylienpotter @remussbitch @hermionelove @izuoyarmin @themarauderswife7 @keira-kaz2y5 @lampthemacarenagod @bugg06 @a-n-1-m-3-f-r-3-4-k @darlingeels @kissmeunicornbaobei @xluansstuff @boo8008 @angelmixer @voteforintensedreams @allons-y-molly @aremuslupinsimp @imaginexred @writingshae @nyanwyn @poetrypirate @crazyhorseforgot @saturnhas82moons @ryeyeyer @mothraantics @maqqiekwon @desikudisworld @pastelorangeskies

Leve a comment telling me if you wanna be tagged on Gilded Constellations

Want to support me? Like and reblog this post (reblogs are extra nice since they help me get my work to more people), also guys, I absolutely love reading your comments, so do throw them my way if you have any!

Read more Marauders Fiction

[burrowbaddie]

Moving On

Joe Burrow x Female Reader

Series Summary: Childhood friends to lovers to nothing. You and Joe had history, you were each others first and then you were nothing. Years later, you guys rekindle the flame but with more obstacles in the way this time.

Chapter 6 Summary: You and Joe try to move on from the scandal.

Word Count: 4.4k

Warnings: Afab!reader, smut, swearing. Oral (female & male receiving), vaginal fingering, penetrative sex, vaginal sex, unprotected sex, cheating! (You are the side girl, sorry.), the small fight scene, jealous Joe, mild violence, stalker

Series Masterlist

You lock yourself in your office, trying to avoid co-workers and patients. Your phone is blowing up with texts from family, friends, and random people who have your number somehow. All of it was sending you into a panic. Joe's name flashes on your phone.

"Joe." You cry.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'll fix this. I promise. I'm going to fly home right now."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Don't look at any of your social media accounts, and don't answer phone calls. I'll see you when I get home. I love you." Joe hangs up, leaving you alone again. Tate knocks on your door, but you're too ashamed to open it. He uses his master key and opens the door, locking it behind him.

"Mya is calming things down out there." Tate walks over and hugs you. You can't stop crying; people have already been texting you hurtful things. Tate takes your phone, so you can stop reading your IG comments which are flooded with hateful words.

"What am I going to do?" You can't stop crying. Your chest is so tight that you begin to hyperventilate.

"Hey, you have to calm down. Think about the baby. Hey!"

Tate's words are muffled together and unheard because of your rapid heartbeat. All you can hear is the blood pulsing. And then everything goes black. When you wake up, you're in a hospital bed with your OB next to you.

"Relax. You're okay. You started having a panic attack. Tate came to get me. I'm taking you off the rest of your shift. Tate is going to take you home." She says. Mya is sitting next to you with an apologetic look. You comply with your OB's ruling. Tate takes you home, and Mya promises to come by after work. When you get home, Tate turns off your cell phone and takes it. You argue that Joe might call, but Tate says he will handle it. George is on high alert because your new address was also leaked. You know that your parents must be blowing up your phone, so you cry yourself to sleep. a few hours later, Tate wakes you up to eat and let you know Joe is on his way home. You refuse to eat, but he drags you from bed downstairs to Mcdonalds on the dining room table. You take a seat, picking at the fries. The front door opens. Joe rushes to you, and you immediately break down. His eyes glare at Tate as he rubs your back. He knows this isn't the time to be jealous, but the thought of someone else comforting you pisses him off.

"I'm going to fix this. I promise."

"Joe, I don't think you can fix this," Helen states, making her presence known. You try to calm down and wipe your eyes.

"There has to be something. I won't deal with the media talking about her like she's a side piece."

"Joe, when you started a relationship with her, she was one. I told you to leak the story first; now the ball is in Nicole's hands. I don't know how you will be able to fix this." Helen looks at you with a frown.

"Sorry to step in on this, but you should come clean about Nicole. Do an interview and tell the truth."Tate says, making everyone turn to him.

"I'm not doing an interview. I never have and never will do one about my personal life. It's no one's business." Joe's intense, and you hold his hand to calm him down.

"The kid is right. This might help clear some things up."

Joe lifts you and takes you upstairs. He doesn't want to hear a thing from anyone else. For the next few days, you hide out with Joe inside your home. Joe misses practice, but he doesn't care. Your health and sanity are far more critical. Today, your parents are coming over, which sends you into a further spiral.

"I don't even know what to say! What were you thinking!" Your mother shouts, pacing the living room. Joe's parents and your father sit quietly to the side while your mother spends the next 10 mins chewing you and Joe out.

"You don't even want to know what the people at my church have been saying about you!" Your mother directs her anger toward you this time.

"Ma'am-"

"Boy, do not even fix those lips to interrupt me. I am speaking to my daughter."

"I understand that, but I'm not going to let you speak to my wife like that." Joe stands up in front of you protectively. Your mother's eyes widen along with everyone else.

"Your what?" Robin speaks up, this time entirely shocked by this news.

"What we did was wrong. I know that. I ended this with Nicole. I know I should have been upfront about everything, but I wasn't. That's on me. I kept telling Cheeks things with Nicole were over, and she believed me. So don't put it all on her. We love each other, and I'm going to be with her. I'm going to marry her. She is the mother of my child and future children. I'm not going to let you or anyone on this Earth disrespect her, ma'am." Joe's words take the room by surprise, and shut your mother up. Your dad coughs. Mr.Burrow comes forward.

"Joe came to me some time ago and told me about them."

"You knew?" Robin's voice is filled with disappointment. Your dad stands up.

"I think we all knew deep down. Look at them. The kid's been in love with my daughter since he was 12. Our daughter has been equally in love with him too. Right now, all we can do is support our children. I don't care what the media or church says about my daughter. Because she is my daughter, and I know her." Your dad kisses your head, and Mr.Burrow nods. Your mother leaves the room, and Robin stares at you and Joe.

"Dad." You whisper, hugging him.

"Your mom will take some time, but she will get over it. You and Joe are adults. What choices you make do not define the whole picture." He says, kissing your head before going off to find your mother. Mr. Burrow pulls Joe away, and Robin finally gets up. She puts her hands on your belly, smiling with tears in her eyes.

"That's my grandbaby."

You nod your head.

"I'm happy. I wish you would have said something to me. You or Joe, but I get it. You're not little kids anymore. No one wants to run to their parents." Robin continues rubbing your belly until your mother comes back. She won't even look at you. You don't blame her. Your mother grabs her things and leaves with your father behind her. Joe's parents stay awhile talking to the both of you; they leave an hour later when Helen comes.

"So here's the thing we need to take this thing head on."

"What are our options?" You ask, biting your lip.

"Interviews. You need to do one or Joe." She says, staring at you. You look at Joe for an answer.

"I can't. Doing an interview like this is too personal. There's nothing else?" Joe stands, running his hand through his hair. He's flustered and pissed, so you try your best to keep him calm by holding his hand.

"I-I'll do it." You whisper. It's been days since you've heard your own voice outside of crying. Joe shakes his head.

"I'll do it. Baby, I want you to rest. You don't need to be in front of the camera for them to ridicule you even more. I will come clean about everything."

"This is good. You two need to go out on a date. Show the world how in love you guys are. Your parents need to be on board with this too. A family outing. That's good." Helen claps at her brilliant plan. You give Joe an uneasy look. There is no way your mother would agree to this. Helen tells Joe she will take care of the interview and let him know when it is all set. The object is to get in front of the TV before Nicole. After Helen leaves, you're left alone with Joe. There hasn't been much talking between you two since the story broke up. Joe follows you to the bedroom, contemplating what to say. You sit on the bed staring out the window. Joe squats in front of you, rubbing your legs.

"I'm sorry about all of this. I should have ended things with Nicole right away. Talk to me. Please?" He begs. Your eyes look down at him, but you can't bring yourself to acknowledge his words.

"I need to go to work." This is your only response. You push his hands off your legs and walk to the bathroom. Joe stands up and follows you, but you slam the door in his face. You know you have no right to be mad. This is just as much your fault as his. But it hurts, and being pregnant fuels every little emotion inside you. So the only way you know how to cope is to ignore Joe and go to work, burying yourself in something you love.

You don't know why you thought work would be the best place to be because half the staff keeps asking you questions. People you've never met from the other departments. Tate protects you from most of their comments and questions, threatening to beat them up.

"Mr.Cove? Tell me where the pain is?" You ask, checking on a patient.

"Uhh, my right."

You look at the chart, which said his left side was the trouble area.

"Your right?" You question, walking to the other side of the bed.

"Yeah. I think. I need to ask you a question."

"What's up?" You ask, lifting his shirt.

"How long was the affair with Jie Burrow, and is that his child?" The man asks, pulling a tape recorder out of his pocket. You smack it out of his hand and call security.

"Come on! The silence is killing everyone! It has to be his child, right?" The guy shouts as security removes him. You return to the office, where you find Mike and the Hospital Director, Max. The board called a meeting to determine if you are eligible to remain head of the ED. You stand in the room watching everyone vote.

"All in favor of removing her as head of the ED? Raise your hands." Elaine says. Seven out of nine people raise their hands. Max looks around the room, shocked.

"We don't have a choice. The scandal will only cause further donations to stop. We're sorry. Mike will be named head immediately." Elaine states.

"What we do in our personal lives has nothing to do with work. She has worked her ass off-"

"Max, it's fine. I'll get going." You whisper, walking out. Mike wears a big victory smile. You don't burst into tears until you get home. Joe pulls you into a hug apologizing again. He was going to practice but said he would miss it and stay with you. You shake your head.

"I'll be okay. Quinn is coming this evening. Go to practice. you missed enough days." You whisper. Joe kisses your lips and grabs his bags. At practice, not much is said to him about the scandal. Everyone is focused on going to the championship and then the Superbowl. In the locker room, Ja'Marr sits beside Joe, shaking his head.

"How's Cheeks?"

"Not good." Joe looks down at his phone. Helen was able to get him an interview for 20/20.

"If there is anything we can do, let me know. It's really shitty how Nicole went about this. Like there is no way she didn't know the story was coming out." Ja'Marr says. Joe nods his head.

"Good looking out. Right now, Cheeks is struggling. They fired her from the head of ED."

"That's crazy. She's an amazing doctor." Sam chimes in. Joe nods his head. Dj walks by, not saying a word but making sure Joe hears him chuckling. Joe stands up, and Ja'Marr jumps and stands before him.

"Don't let him get to you. Focus on taking care of Cheeks and getting this ring." Ja'Marr tells him. Joe grabs his things and leaves the locker room. Leaning on his car is a young woman.

"I'm not answering any questions. Get off my car." Joe says, throwing his bag in the backseat.

"I didn't want things to get like this, Joe. It was honestly a huge mistake. I just wanted things with you and Nicole to be over. I thought she would end things. And the other girl, I thought if I scared her, she would stop too. I'm sorry."

"What? Who are you?"

"Your biggest fan. Here this is for you." She tries to hand Joe an envelope, but Joe reaches over to grab her hood. The girl drops the envelope and runs. Joe picks it up and empties the content in his hands. Inside are photos of DJ and Nicole from when he first got drafted. Joe looks around for the girl but can't find her when he gets home. Quinn is in the kitchen for the first time in days; he hears your laughter. Joe walks in and leans against the door frame watching you and Quinn.

"Joseph!" She waves him over. Joe stands behind you, rubbing your belly. You lean to the side so he can kiss your cheek.

"How are my babies?" He whispers into your ear. You nod. You were actually feeling better because of Quinn. Dr. Brian called you, telling you it wouldn't let this slide and would have it handled by Monday. Quinn walks away to answer a phone call, and Joe tells you about the interview. He shows you the photos of Nicole and DJ. You place the photos down on the counter.

"So this all came from that stalker. Your fan. Joe, that's scary. What did they want from this?"

"Me to be single, I guess. I didn't look at her face well, but I think we'll be okay right now. I will figure something out about it next week." Joe holds you and sighs. He asks you what he should do with the pictures. You tell him not to leak it. You don't want to fight dirty with Nicole. The next day you build up the strength to speak with your mother. She sits across from you while your father and Quinn stay in the kitchen.

"I don't hate you. I'm not mad, just disappointed. Everyone is saying such nasty things about you. They called you the new age Monica Lewinsky." Your mother shakes her head. You try to cover your laugh, but you can't. You start laughing hysterically. Your mother looks at you like you have two heads and laughs. Both of you are laughing so much that tears are rolling down your faces.

"Monica? That is the funniest thing I have ever heard." You wipe your eyes, and your mother smiles. She stands up and takes a seat next to you.

"I had to say unholy things to the women at the church. I will never let anyone disrespect my baby or my grandchild. I love you both so much, and Joseph. If you are happy, all I can do is support you. I hope you learned from your mistake."

"I mean, I have the man of my dreams. I don't plan on cheating or being a side piece again."

Your mother frowns.

"Don't talk about yourself like that."

"Mom, it's true. I've come to terms with what our relationship was. But we're past that, so we will focus on our family now and growing." You rub your belly, wearing a big smile. Your mother kisses your head and rubs your belly. Your father joins you with Quinn. Before you know it, Friday arrives. You and Joe have been seen out and about without a care in the world of what people think. While in LA for the interview, Paparazzi followed you guys, and you did your best to ignore them and their questions. You sat behind the scenes watching Joe sit across from the host.

"So, How about you tell us about her? Just the story between you two."

Joe smiles.

"We met in 6th grade during this meet new sixth graders event. She is allergic to bees, so when I met her, her face was swollen. She had just got stung by a bee. That's where the nickname Cheeks came from. In the back of my mind, I've always loved her since that moment. I couldn't really put my feelings into words." Joe chuckles.

"But you knew it was love. You guys dated?"

"We dated in college, yeah. We broke up because I went on to LSU, and she stayed to start her internship. We just kind of fell apart after the breakup."

"So things with Nicole. Why cheat?"

Joe sighs. This was hard for him; you knew it and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I wanted to end things with Nicole, but she was going through a lot, so I didn't want to add to the heartache. In the long run, I was a fool for that. I hurt both women in the process. I've apologized to Nicole many times. I completely understand if she doesn't accept my apology." Joe states. You told him not to bring up Nicole's threats because it would only look bad on his part. To the world, Nicole is the only victim. Joe continues answering every question thrown at him. He responds with honesty and with ease. It warms your heart every time he talks about you and his daughter.

"I'm excited to be a father. I'm excited to marry my first love, and I'm excited about everything in the future."

"What would you like to say to the fans who feel like you've let them down?"

"I would like to say I'm sorry. At the end of the day, I am a human, and I have flaws. I love this woman, and that is not one of my flaws, and I would like everything to pass and to move on. I know it will take some time for people to forgive me, but I am working on being a better man." Joe's words are soft-spoken.

"Anything you want to end on?"

"Cheeks, I love you. I'm sorry that you have to go through all of this because of me, but if I had to do it again, I would love you each and every time. In every life, In every world. I promise I will find you and love you every time." Joe is now looking at you. You wipe your tears and whisper you love him back. The guy ends the interview and shakes Joe's hand wishing him the best of luck. When Joe takes off his mic and makes his way over to you, you waddle as fast as you can to him, meeting him halfway and kissing him with so much love and passion. Everyone in the room smiles, looking on.

"I love you so much." You cry. Joe smiles in between kisses.

"Yeah? Enough to marry me tonight?" He asks. You nod your head.

"But My parents and-"

"Already handled that," Quinn says, showing her phone. You guys finish up on set and leave for a tiny little chapel where Joe's parents and your parents are waiting. Fran and Quinn stand to the side as you walk down the aisle. And in that tiny little chapel, you guys get married. You guys fly back to Cincinnati so Joe can get ready for his game. After the interview, people seem to have a better picture of you and Joe. And the weeks go by quieter than that scandal-breaking week. Joe is going to the Superbowl, and everyone is in a better place. Nicole does an interview that doesn't add on to your hate but doesn't make people like you more. But recently, you've come to terms with not caring about the outside world's opinion about you or Joe. You post Joe all over your IG and limit the comment sections for your mental health, and so Joe doesn't start cursing people out because he has twice already on his backup, of course. Joe posted you one time on his story, and the majority of people loved it; maybe because you are pregnant, no one wants to bully a pregnant person.

The night before the Superbowl, Joe's attention is focused on the game, which is driving you crazy. You'll be nine months soon, and your hormones have been through the roof, so you sit on his lap, cockwarming him. Joe rubs your back and turns rewinds the play. You want to move badly, but Joe only allowed you in this position if you stayed like that for 30 minutes. You shift, causing him to groan.

"Has it been 30 mins?" You whine. Joe kisses your neck.

"It's only been 10 mins, baby. Stop." Joe warns, his voice getting deep. You smirk and shift in his lap again. Your belly was preventing you from being close to him.

"You've been studying this same footage all week. Philly this, Philly that. fuck me right now." You moan, circling your hips. Joe groans and presses pause. He holds your hips and starts bouncing you on his cock.

"You are so needy, Cheeks. Begging me all week to fuck this pretty little pussy. Why?"

"I miss-mm-mm you." You moan, stuttering, when Joe's tip touches your cervix. Joe speeds up, bouncing you on his lap like a rag doll. You take every inch and begin sobbing as you feel your walls breaking; an orgasm follows after.

"Feels good. So good." You cry as you cum on his dick. Joe smirks and lifts you with his dick still inside of you. he carries you to the bed holding your legs up as he fucks you into the mattress. You awakened a monster because you knew before a big game Joe enjoyed fucking pretty much all night. During college, he would fuck you all night only to wake you right before 6 am practice to fuck you again. And just like college Joe takes you all night, but this time he lets you sleep in, cooking you breakfast in the morning.

"Nervous for tonight?"

"A little, but I have a good feeling," Joe says as his phone rings. You look at the name. Both of you are shocked.

"Nicole?" Joe answers, putting it on speaker.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck."

"Thanks," Joe replies. The line is quiet.

"Why didn't you leak anything about my bullying or my threats? Why would you take all the heat? You found out about me and DJ, right? I mean, it was only twice better than what you did to me."

"It wasn't worth it. I hurt you, and I was going to pay for it. Whatever happens next for you is on you. You can't live your life being nasty to everyone you meet." Joe answers. Nicole is quiet again.

"I hate you, and I don't think I will ever get over how you made me feel, but I hope you win."

"Thanks. Goodbye, Nicole." Joe ends the call and gives you a what the fuck look. You laugh and lay back on your bed. Joe kisses your naked body before picking you up to shower with him. After the shower, you dress and get ready to meet his parents for lunch and game time. Quinn sits next to you as you get ready to cheer Joe on. He finds you in the crowd and blows you kisses during warm-ups. The game is neck and neck, with the Eagles scoring, then the Bengals. Usher is the halftime performance, and you and Quinn lose your mind during the set. During the third quarter, you start to feel uneasy and slight pain.

"Are you okay?" Robin asks with a worried expression. You nod, but then another pain rips through your belly.

"Something is wrong with the baby." You cry, buckling over. Quinn jumps up.

"Honey, you stay here. Quinn and I will take her to the medical unit." Robin says, helping you out of the area. From the Medical unit, you are sent directly to the hospital.

"You're going to have to baby today or the wee hours of tomorrow."

"But I'm not due until the end of February. I really can't have the baby. Joe's playing. I can't give birth." You cry. Robin holds your hand, trying to get you to calm down.

"You are in the right time frame to give birth, and your blood pressure is very high, so the best thing to do is to induce labor." The doctor says. You nod your head.

"Can you at least turn on the game?"

"Of course. Let's get you started." The doctor says, leaving. Robin calls Joe's dad to tell him the news. Your mother and father hop on the first flight to Vegas. They induce labor as you sit there watching Joe battle for his ring.

"Ouch! I need the-"

"On it!" Quinn jumps up to get the nurse. You find out you are 7 centimeters dilated and ask for an epidural. After you get it, you are doing much better and can enjoy the game.

"Touchdown!" You, Robin, and Quinn shout as Ja'marr scores a touching putting the Bengals in the lead with only 30 seconds left in the game. Joe goes off the field feeling amazing. He watches the next 30 seconds praying for the defense to hold it down. And they do. The Bengals win 24-14. Joe cheers with his teammates, forgetting to look into the crowd. A few people grab him for an interview. Helen grabs him before he can get caught up.

"She's going to be giving birth soon. You need to go!" She shouts, smiling. Joe looks at the crowd and doesn't see you. He takes off his pads and sprints to the back. Joe gets to the hospital in record time.

"You did it!" You shout. Joe kisses your lips.

"Today? We're having a baby today?" He asks. His mother nods her head.

"I'm dilating pretty fast. Joella is ready to come out and see us."

Joe doesn't leave your side for the rest of the night, and at 5:15 am, you give birth to a healthy baby girl. Joe tries to hide his tears, but he can't stay calm. When he makes skin-to-skin contact, he breaks down. You cry, staring at your husband holding your daughter.

A/N: Well lol This chapter is blah! But I hope it was decent enough. I'm sorry if it sucked! If you guys wanted more drama sometimes I hate dragging the story out too long and I felt it was time to wrap it up! There will be a short follow-up chapter! For sure! What kind of series would you guys like to see after this?

Tags: @joselyn001@savii999@lostaurorax@simpgirl-lat@edenhess @blinkloverx3 @dboanalooaa @nm112495 @mhm-ok-sure@katiehud@blu3jeanbaby@mrosales16@wineauntharry @Cosmolover96 @loviingjihyo @hrlzy @spideybrina @wickedfun9 @dessxoxsworld @Tjb113 @heartsml @munsonrry @blu3jeanbaby

[depressedbagpipe]

A Heartrender's Fire: ch. III

Tolya Yul-Bataar x Lantsov!ofc

Words: 5199 Warnings: canon-typical violence and language, volcra, poor descriptions of grisha powers, grisha powers following the show's logic and not the one in the books, me making up names and titles. also justice for kovu cause the guy straight up disappeared mid-episode. also i don't speak ravkan (russian?) so let's pretend i know what I'm doing A/N: this took way too long because i essentially had a surgery performed on me last month and I'm *still* recovering. anyways, this is way too fun to write so don't worry, i am continuing this story. we're getting some backstories here, too, which i think is pretty neat.

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III: Like calls to like

The day woke up cloudy, but the spirits at the Volkvolny were as bright as the Sun Summoner’s light. Sturmhond had been preparing the ship for the trip to the Fold all morning, giving concise directions to the crew. Only a small group would be coming with him and his clients up in the air, and his sister quickly pointed out that she wasn’t staying behind, no matter how much her brother wanted to keep her safe on the ship while he returned to their homeland. 

“Anything happens on the Fold, you’ll need me,” she had argued, once again before Tamar and Tolya’s unimpressed faces.

“I have a Sun Summoner now. I think I’ll be fine.”

Ouch, Irina didn’t let the reaction show in her face. Tolya did feel her heart beat just a tad faster, though. Not that he was actively seeking her heartbeat out. He would often find himself listening unconsciously and could distinguish it from miles away. Not even metaphorically. 

“It’s my country too, Nikolai. Anything happens on the Fold, you’ll need me,” she repeated.

Sturmhond looked at his sister. Few times she ever addressed him with his name, right in the open, and he realized that no matter how much he wanted to keep his little sister away from danger, she would always find her way to it, face first, full charge.

“Fine,” he sighed. “You’re buying kvas later, though.”

“Deal.”

He still scowled when he took her in, smiling her victorious smile as she high-fived the twins, the three of them chattering amongst themselves as the ship took them closer to the black void that had haunted and fascinated the second prince for so long. Irina was fully aware of the danger, and despite her best efforts, a chill went through her spine at the thought of her first passage through the darkness, afraid, and alone. 

I have a Sun Summoner now. Sturmhond could lie to himself all he wanted, but his sister knew he was just as scared as her. Only now they had a living Saint with them, able to wield the power of two amplifiers and the hope of an entire nation. 

The Volkvolny sailed through the waves seemingly faster than ever. Irina almost wished the ship would stop and trap them on the sea forever, anything but returning to the one place she had been miserable at. No matter how many dirty taverns, war camps, and smelly docks she stepped on, the image of the Grand Palace was enough to fix a permanent frown on her otherwise peaceful manner.

But she was a big girl now. Whatever was waiting for her on the other side should fear her, too. She was powerful, not as much as Alina, or as intelligent as Nikolai, but she still had royal blood in her veins, which coincidentally pumped enough fire to bring down the whole palace with just a flick of her hand. She felt the warmth on her cheeks at the thought, and with a small smile, she looked up, finding Tolya’s gaze.

The giant was looking at her with an all-knowing grin, which she quickly replicated. He noticed her fingers had been absentmindedly tracing her own amplifier, barely taking it out of her clothes. He had noticed that little quirk of hers after she got it, almost a month into joining them on the crew. A failed smuggling operation on the Fjerdan border ended with Sturmhond almost decapitated by a wolf, and Irina melting the snow around them as she protected him from the pack that was sure to attack. Tolya had known Irina’s heart marched to a different beat than her brother’s, but it was only after seeing the flames around her body that he fully knew what was different about her. He had eyed her closely after that, always finding something new about her to stare at, from the way her eyes seemed to come alive in the sun and radiate warmth in the night. Or how she was grounding herself as her fingers danced down the wolf’s fang as if she too needed a reminder of the fire she carried in her soul. There were many things about Irina Lantsov that could be admired, according to Tolya. Not that he would ever tell her. 

Simultaneously, Alina was also stroking her wrists, feeling the amplifiers without looking up. Irina glanced at her, noticing the way her face lit up when Mal approached her again. For a second she longed for it, that love out in the open, despite the dire situation the young couple was in. Their conversation was soon cut short by her brother, perched nearby, waiting for his big entrance as he always did. His voice was loud, demanding, and powerful–everything he had been raised to be.

“Who says you’ll be on your own?” He raised his leg on a box and casually leaned up front. “I want a front-row seat to the light show, thank you very much. Plus, the King’s on the other side of the Fold, ergo, so is my payment.”

“We could definitely use your arsenal,” Mal reckoned.

“Maybe some kind of fortified carriage?” Alina thought.

“Carriage? Land travel is so boring. And that’ll take days!” Sturmhond walked away from them, giving Irina the silent indication she needed to brace herself for takeoff. “Come along! Prepare to decouple!”

Tolya and Tamar quickly jumped to the section, their faces glistening with anticipation.

“Kovu.” Sturmhond nodded at the Squaller behind Alina and Mal. He pulled the lever that engaged the sails. “Secondary mast released!” Kovu shifted the position of the sails so they stood horizontal to the ship, all of it under the astonished eyes of the Sun Summoner. “Engage secondary sail!”

And with another push upwards, the Hummingbird flew out of reach as the rest of the Volkvolny stayed on the water. Alina stumbled over to the wooden bench Irina had fallen asleep just a day prior and looked around in disbelief and fear as the air grew colder and purer the higher they flew in the sky. Tamar chuckled at the girl, enjoying the sight of the Sun Summoner scrambling to stay sitting. Even Irina grinned, feeling somewhat superior for a slight second.

Even the Sun Summoner feels fear.

She couldn’t help but comment. “It’s like watching a newborn discover the world.”

Tolya laughed, who had casually stood beside her, looking at the sea below them and enjoying the sight of the horizon. Irina felt a warmth in her cheeks that she was sure wasn’t because of the chill that settled around the Hummingbird. Instead of looking in Tolya’s direction, she faced her brother, who was also staring at Alina with amusement, only his eyes were kinder and curious, a sight Irina knew too well was only reserved for very few women out there. 

Yet Mal was the only one who got her to open her eyes and walk with her to the edge. Mal was the only one she trusted to catch her if she fell. Irina wondered what that would feel like, should the moment come. Who would come to her rescue, not for who she was, but because they cared about her. 

Kovu kept working the sails as they rapidly approached Ravkan soil, the sea blending with the land. Irina’s heart drummed in anticipation, looking back as they left the sea behind.

“How are you holding up?” Tolya suddenly spoke. He seemed nearer, their arms barely touching.

“Meh.”

He shook his head, his eyes shifting from the sky to the ground below them. “Why haven’t you told them about you being Grisha?” He lowered his voice. Irina looked around, sighing in relief once she saw her brother keeping his guests entertained. “It’s bound to happen, anyway.”

“And give away the big reveal? No way.” Irina scoffed, looking back at him for a second.

“Don’t be like your brother.” Tolya’s seriousness would’ve caught her off-guard, but she was used to his sudden tone changes. 

“I’m not like my brother. In fact, I’m better.”

“Something Sturmhond would say.”

“Something Ainthe would say, too,”

“See?”

“Shut up,” she giggled. He smiled too, missing the sound of her laugh. After the prior day’s events, he wouldn’t admit he would miss her laugh if she was gone. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m so used to hiding amongst Ravkans… I can’t tell how they’ll react.”

“They’re good people.”

“How can you tell?”

“I happen to have a way with hearts.”

“You don’t say.”

“Captain! The Fold’s in sight!” Tamar called, effectively interrupting the banter between the two Grisha.

“Next stop, destiny.” 

“For Saint’s sake, Sturmhond,” Irina groaned. 

“What? I’m trying to add dramatic effect here.”

“We don’t need it.”

“Says who?”

“Says me.”

“Children.”

–·–

The Hummingbird entered the pit of darkness in complete silence. Thunder rumbled as the flying vessel tore through the barrier, and Irina took one last big gulp of fresh air before her body was completely surrounded by obscurity. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the black, and she released a silent breath, moving her head around as soon as she heard the first creature’s wail in the distance. Kovu kept the flying skiff afloat, his arms tiring but without complaint. Alina stood at the front, arms ready, while Irina gripped the ropes, looking wildly around. 

The crew seemed to gather behind Alina, with narrowed eyes, trying to find some hope to hold on to.

“I hate this place,” Mal commented in a low voice.

They all knew they had to be very silent if they wanted to make it out alive.

“Eh, it’s just a bit of pitch black and bloodthirsty monsters,” Sturmhond joked. He ignored the unimpressed faces of his clients and faced his family. “What’s not to love?”

He gladly received in his open palm his firearm which Tamar had thrown at him, never losing his mischievous smirk.

“Seems like a good day to kill some Volcra,” Tamar growled, getting her own weapons ready as well.

Tolya sighed. “I’d much rather a hot bath and a book of sonnets.”

Tamar stared at him in disbelief. Tolya was looking at the darkness with a longing look, picturing himself in the warm water, and Irina had to glance another way just to stop those thoughts from wandering elsewhere. She rolled the sleeves of her red coat up, her hands tense and ready to summon. Should Alina fail, she would become the first line of infantry. Irina stood next to Kovu, guarding the Squaller at the back while the rest of the team remained at the front.

“All good?” she asked the man, noticing the faint line of sweat on his forehead.

“Could be better,” he replied.

Irina sighed. “It won’t take much longer, don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

The girl couldn’t say anything else, for she too felt the tension rising with every passing second. She knew it hadn’t been that much time since they entered, but any time spent inside the Fold felt like an eternity. 

Alina stood up near the edge, and the light show quickly began. With heavy breathing, the Sun Summoner created a light barrier that first extended around the Hummingbird, and then expanded into the black void. Irina stared around in amazement, a hole opening itself in front of them where the ancient mountains of Tsibeya stood at the horizon, welcoming them home once more. Light and heat overwhelmed Irina as beams of light danced on Alina’s arms. 

The barrier only got bigger from then on, and just as they were about to exit on the other side of the hole Alina had opened, things spiraled down. Alina’s light flickered, her arms flailing wild as she tried to call on her power once again, but nothing responded.

“Alina!” Mal kept calling her, but whatever made her stop had also thrown her off on the deck, the protective barrier of light gone with her.

The Volcra didn’t take long. Their growling was near, angry and ferocious, as the last beams of light extinguished around them. The Fold swallowed them whole again, and Sturmhond didn’t waste any time.

“Kovu!” he yelled at the Squaller as he took some steps back. “Get us out!” he stood before his sister, guns ready.

Kovu quickly rearranged the sails, making the ship fly faster at his mercy. Irina’s relief was short-lived, for one of the haunting monsters was now perched right beside them, ready to launch itself at its first victim.

Sturmhond quickly fired his revolver at it, making it stand back. The twins stood at the rear of the ship, the five of them standing in a circle as they protected each other’s backs. With Alina still on the floor and Mal perched over her, they weren’t the primary victims of the giant creatures.

Another one tore the main overhead sail open and landed on the deck right in front of the twins, who quickly got to work to end the monster’s life. The skiff was tilting dangerously, having lost its main support to stay afloat, but Kovu was doing everything in his power to get them out of the Fold on the other side while keeping the Hummingbird in the air. Irina didn’t need to be a genius to know they would not last long.

Sturmhond helped Tolya with a shot to where the Volcra’s heart supposedly was, and the giant quickly cut its head off. Irina assessed the damage, noticing the big hole in the fabric right above her head. She saw Alina finally stand up, still looking out of it, and because Mal only had eyes for her, neither of them saw the monster that was coming at a rapid speed to them.

Alina barely had time to look up before Irina stood protectively over them, firing a big and scathing flare up towards it, almost bursting it into flames as it fell through the void, fire following the Volcra as it sunk deeper into the Fold. 

Irina smiled at the sight, her fingers itching for more, standing tall and proud at her own display of power under the stunned faces of Alina and Mal.

“You’re Grisha?”

“No time to explain, Sol Koroleva,” Irina said.

The Hummingbird hit the exit of the Fold with a strong thud, nothing in comparison with their previous smooth entrance. The ship kept descending, gaining speed as it did so. One of the engines didn’t survive the attack, and the smoke was quickly turning into a well-spread fire at the front of the skiff. Irina was almost sent back flying, and would have crashed into the ship’s barrier if it hadn’t been for Tolya’s extended arm, catching her and bringing her closer to him, pinning her to the same rope he was holding on to for dear life as gravity pulled the crew down.

“Kovu, begin descent!” Sturmhond called, balancing on two feet, even though there wasn’t much Kovu could do. “Brace yourselves for landing!”

They were hurtling straight to the ground, and the Squaller could only do so much to prevent them from crashing completely. Everybody was trying to grasp at anything that could keep them up, bracing for the incoming impact. Irina felt helpless once again, but she didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself, because, with another jolt, the Hummingbird finally crashed, sending everybody down on the ground, impacting with the walls as the ship swept along the flat land and continued forward. Tolya kept a hand on the rope and another slithered around Irina’s waist, keeping her in front of her as the ship continued in motion through the meadow. Irina could only count the seconds until the movement stopped, closing her eyes in a silent prayer. 

Fortunately for her, it wasn’t long before it did.

Everybody was grunting and breathing heavily. Irina felt the burn on her hand from groping the rope for dear life, but Tolya didn’t take his arm off her.

“Is everyone okay?” Sturmhond asked loudly, quickly getting up.

Irina felt Tolya’s arm tensing slightly before finally releasing her, going to check on his sister who was still panting but seemed otherwise fine. 

“You good?” Sturmhond asked Irina, placing a hand on her back as he checked for any injuries on the younger girl. 

She nodded. “Yeah. You?”

He nodded too. That was all confirmation they needed before they both jumped over the deck onto solid ground, assessing the damage.

“Another one gone.”

Irina frowned. “This one worked. It was the Volcra.”

“It’s always the Volcra.”

But none of them could even breathe in relief before a bugle blew nearby. A regiment of the First Army had so lovingly decided to welcome them back to their land, with raised firearms ready to shoot at them, and its Colonel walking up front in a menacing stance.

The twins didn’t even shudder at the sight.

“Well, looks like we’re about to enjoy a traditional Ravkan welcome,” Tolya joked. 

Irina smiled, feeling the air charging with her brother’s boastful ego, about to make his big entrance. Maybe she was a bit like her brother. Not that she would ever admit that.

“You’ve crossed illegally onto Ravkan soil. Identify yourselves,” the Colonel called.

Sturmhond jumped down, standing in front of his crew with a straight back. He took off his bag, giving it to Tolya. “I’ll handle this.”

Irina stood back, repressing a smile.

“What are you doing?” Alina whispered at him but shut up at the look Irina sent her. She hid back slightly behind Mal, mainly because she was still the country’s number one fugitive.

“Identify yourselves at once or be shot.”

“Have I really changed so much, Raevsky?” Sturmhond, very slowly, started undoing his blue captain coat, leaving behind his fake persona and embracing his birthright before the Colonel’s own eyes. “I know it’s been a number of years, but people swear I remain boyishly handsome.”

He was wearing his First Army uniform underneath, and just as the green attire caught the Colonel’s eyes, he smiled.

“It can’t be.”

Tolya was being used as a coat hanger by that point, with Nikolai Lantsov standing proud and tall, with a devilish grin as he walked closer to the regiment.

“Yes, it is.”

“Moi tsarevich,” Raevsky mumbled before kneeling, the rest of the troop doing the same. “My prince. We’d all but given up hope.”

Nikolai chuckled as he shook the Colonel’s hand. Raevsky didn’t waste any time and turned around, facing his regiment and presenting the prince with a boisterous speech.

“I present Nikolai Lantsov, Major of the 22nd Regiment, Soldier of the King’s Army, Grand Duke of Udova, and Second Son to his Most Royal Majesty, King Pyotr the Third, Ruler of the Double Eagle Throne,” the Colonel called.

Irina mouthed the titles as Raevsky went on, and even the twins shared impressed looks at the many names their fearless captain bore.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Mal whispered, both him and Alina frowning. 

“Saints.”

Nikolai continued. “And in your own words, as I recall, ‘the greenest and most useless grunt you ever had the misfortune of commanding.’”

“Now, that sounds like you,” Irina spoke out loud, only noticing her mistake when the Colonel’s eyes glanced at her, also opening wide as he kneeled once more.

“Moi tsarevicha.”

The regiment, once again, copied their Colonel, kneeling as she walked closer to her brother, already regretting the attention she was receiving, but knowing the longer she stood without saying a word about her identity, the harder it would get later.

“I, once again, present Irina Lantsov, Grand Duchess of Mydrov, and First Daughter to his Most Royal Majesty, King Pyotr the Third, Ruler of the Double Eagle Throne.”

Nikolai chuckled when he noticed his sister's discomfort. “Thought you could get away with it?”

She groaned before motioning the Colonel to stand up. He took a step forward and bent down to kiss her hand, while Irina forced a smile onto her face.

“At your service, Your Highness.”

“We wanted to return sooner, but not without her,” Nikolai looked back at Alina.

Irina grimaced, knowing what was coming.

“May I present my esteemed traveling companion, former cartographer and sometimes Saint, Alina Starkov!” he extended a hand towards her, yet looked back at Raevsky. 

His sister shook her head, seeing how Alina was taking fast steps towards her brother. Despite her protectiveness over him, she knew he had it coming.

“Sol Koroleva. We heard you were dead,” Colonel Raevsky spoke with fear evident in his face, but his words died as soon as Alina yelled.

“You lying bastard!”

The punch to Nikolai’s face was met with utmost silence. The sound of betrayal was too loud to say anything else in return.

–·–

“That was fun,” Tamar said as they rode toward the Spinning Wheel.

“It was terrible,” Irina groaned, closing her eyes momentarily.

“You looked so cute there, like all stiff and stuff, and all the soldiers in awe like ‘Saints, the princess’,” Tamar kept going.

“I didn’t know where to look anymore! Everything was so awkward.”

Tolya joined. “Were they curtsying the right way?”

Irina groaned. Tamar laughed. 

The twins loved teasing the princess about her royal status every time they were on Ravkan soil. And while Irina pretended she couldn’t stand their banter, she knew she wouldn’t last a day without it. 

“How long do you think she’ll be mad at him for?” Tolya wondered.

The three of them looked back at where the Sun Summoner ignored the prince, looking at everything except the blond next to him. The three of them rode at the front, followed a few feet away by Nikolai and Alina, the rear of the party finished by a brooding Mal and a silent Kovu. Alina was still ignoring Nikolai, and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t seem to get on her good side. 

“No one can stay mad at Nikolai for long, but she seems stubborn enough to try,” Irina commented. 

“You know what he’s planning, don’t you?” Tamar said as she looked ahead again, fixing her posture on her horse as she looked around, searching for anything dangerous that could find them on their route.

The princess nodded. “Yup.”

“And she’s not gonna like it.”

“Nope.”

Tamar groaned. “Did he tell you?”

Irina shrugged. “It wasn’t necessary. I always know what he’s thinking. I mean, when you grow up with him, it’s easy to read his mind. Heartrender or not,” she winked at her friend. 

“It reminds me of this poem by a Kerch author, about the bond between brothers–” Tolya started, but his sister interrupted him.

“Is he dead?”

Tolya stopped. “Yes?”

Tamar shrugged. “Then I don’t care. I only vibe with the living.”

“In which case, last time on Novyi Zem there was this street artist who…”

The three of them continued with their playful chatter as their party rode on, leaving behind Raevsky’s regiment and the Fold. The Spinning Wheel was already in sight, and Irina felt a shiver set permanently in her bones as she gazed at the fortified mountain. She had spent years sneaking up there with her brother, perfecting her techniques, helping him build the place from the ground just to create something that would somehow resemble her ways. It had been her personal sanctuary once, and it was now full of Grisha displaced by General Kirigan’s torment and greed. Irina wasn’t truly the patriot that her older brother was, she too felt the tug in her heart at the thought of all the families that had suffered at the mercy of a pointless war, and the generations of both Grisha and Otkazat’sya that had been divided by the envy of the few. Her own life had been a constant lie because of it. And she was about to face it all over again, no matter how much she had convinced herself that she wouldn’t ever have to.

Those thoughts lasted long enough to reach the Spinning Wheel. Irina was still frowning as she got off her horse but forced a relaxed grin as soon as her brother appeared next to her.

“Welcome to the Spinning Wheel. My inventions workshop. It’s become something of a refuge for Grisha,” Nikolai spoke, introducing the place to Alina. He made sure to wink at his sister at the last bit of information, which the Sun Summoner clearly caught.

“Is that why you care so much? Because of her?” Alina asked the prince.

He simply shrugged, suddenly not caring about boosting his ego further. He looked at his sister, who was looking at him with a knowing smile.

“She’s my family above all. And as I already told you, you do what you have to do to protect the people you love.”

Irina shook her head, yet warmth spread across her chest. Nikolai finding out about her being able to summon fire had been an accident, much in the same way she found out. They were both playing outside the Grand Palace borders, sneaking around their older brother, their nanny, and the two guards who followed the small party into the outer world, as the princess liked to call it. The storm found them sitting on top of a tree, and suddenly, Vasily and the rest of their chaperones were running towards the palace again, leaving the two lesser children to fend for themselves. Nikolai was gripping Irina’s hand tightly as they made their way down and followed the path they had taken out of the woods when lightning struck a nearby tree and cut it in half. The trunk was about to crush them when the girl raised her hands in a terrified scream, and the next thing she knew, a huge chunk of ash was dissolving into thin air. Nikolai, wide-eyed and drenched, only took his sister’s hand once again and ran with her back to the palace. Without saying a word they sneaked past the guards at the entrance and escorted her to her quarters, helping her dry off. He sat her near her chimney, and with a silent nod, they both agreed no one ever would know about it. When she woke up the next day, Baghra was sitting by the window in her room, looking at the poor unfortunate royal soul with a sad expression on her pale, aging face.

–·–

“We’ve received accounts of First Army units found massacred, here, here, and here,” Nikolai pointed at the map. The improvised war room stood on one of the balconies overlooking the main entrance, and his most trusted advisors –namely, his sister, Alina, and Mal–, looked down as his fingers traced the old ink on the yellowing parchment.

“Too far from the border to be Shu incursions,” Mal commented.

“Or Fjerdan.” Alina kept her hands close to her, her hands almost itching to touch the intricate patterns on the paper, suddenly missing her simple life as a cartographer, before the entire world fell down on her shoulders.

“There’s good evidence that these units were holding Grisha captive. Some reports say soldiers were mutilated. Some… cut in half.”

Alina sighed. “It’s Kirigan, isn’t it.” But she didn’t even have to ask to know the answer.

“We haven’t been able to find his base camp–”

Mal shook his head in disbelief. “There’s no way he survived the Fold.” 

“He survived it before,” Alina cut him off. “Besides, he’s the only one who can do the Cut. Baghra, yes, but this is him.”

Irina shuddered at the mention of her old teacher. The only Grisha who knew about her back at Os Alta. The only one who never treated her as a porcelain vase, but instead built her up to become strong and fierce in her abilities. With a frown, the princess realized she had missed the old hag. She could only pray the General had spared her.

“If he’s alive, it’s only a matter of time before word reaches him about your attempt in the Fold,” Nikolai voiced it carefully, but his statement stung Alina.

“‘Attempt,’” she repeated. 

“No disrespect meant.”

“No, you’re right. That’s what it was. An attempt,” she still sounded defeated. “You three saw my light. It was… strong and angry and dangerously off-kilter. I can try to master what I have, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough.”

“We need to find the third amplifier,” Mal finished for her.

“The firebird,” Irina spoke, surprise laced in her tongue. 

Nikolai stepped away from the table, turning around as if to follow his train of thought, his head orchestrating their next steps as they continued the meeting.

“The more we search for it, we are at the mercy of your protection in this country.”

Alina searched Irina’s eyes, desperate to get her point across. And Irina already knew what her brother was about to say.

“Well, until then, a proposal.” Nikolai turned around. Irina closed her eyes. “We can try to stop this country from falling apart and tell the Fjerdans to shove their bounty up their ass in the process.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” Alina asked.

“I bring you under the wing of the Royal Family, our name becomes a shelter to you, and a banner under which we can enact change.”

Mal frowned. “Your name?”

Nikolai nodded. Irina shook her head.

“Wait,” Alina caught on. “This is a ‘proposal’ proposal. You’re suggesting marriage.”

Mal looked ready to throw himself off the balcony at that point, whereas Alina seemed she was going to be sick any second from then on.

“Alina, I’m not proposing a love match. Just a political alliance of Grisha and Otkazat’sya.”

“Well, that’s just what royal marriages are, aren’t they? Strategy,” Mal was looking everywhere but the future royal couple.

“Precisely. Maybe we never get to marriage. An engagement signals a strong commitment to cooperation and it will allow us to enact meaningful change for Grisha and Ravka,” Nikolai explained. 

“Don’t you have a Grisha sister, too?”

“Leave my sister out of this, Mal.”

Irina stepped forward. “Mal, I know Nikolai’s plan sounds crazy but it’s our safest bet. Nobody knows about me being a Summoner and the court will not take likely to the revelation. There’s never been a Grisha on the Ravkan throne and I certainly will never be the first one.”

“I’ve seen what you both mean to each other. I understand if you decline, but I hope you weigh the options and consider the benefits,” Nikolai nodded his head in silent farewell, and both royal siblings left the couple to talk it out.

On the way down, Nikolai grabbed her arm. “How long have you known?”

She frowned. “About the proposal? Since you saw her face on the posters.”

It was his turn to frown. “Not even I thought about that then. It was after she got on the ship.”

Irina smiled mischievously at her brother. “Guess I’m smarter than you now.”

He pinched her side, making her giggle.

“You should rest before tonight. Gotta be patient enough not to punch Vasily in the face.”

“How did you know I was thinking about doing that?”

Nikolai smirked. “Guess I’m still smarter than you’ll ever be.”

“You little piece of shit.”

Next chapter

[cabe0512]

I don't know why but I'm so obsessed recently with writing a fanfiction adaptation of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness and I feel like I want to give it a shot.

My vision is that it combines the story/characters from both the game and the tie-in manga (add in a bit of lore from Judgment in there) while being an unofficial follow-up to N!Castlevania, tying up all loose ends and character arcs from Season 4 and retconning Nocturne from existence (more on that later!).

Don't get me wrong, I liked the first two seasons of the original show but it all went downhill for the third season all the way to Nocturne (the latter which, as a hardcore fan of the series, left an awful taste in my mouth). My general perspective of the show also turned very sour as soon as I played the games and took a deeper look into its lore.

Outlining the story, it's going to include Hector as the main protagonist with a much deeper focus on his relationship with Rosalie, whom I reimagined as the twin sister of the witch Julia Laforeze.

Since Hector has become my favorite character in the game, it saddened me just how much he's been treated in the show, both within the storyline and outside of it (looking at you, Ellis!). So I wanted to give him a little bit of justice and redemption for this one.

Carrying on from Season 4, this would give me the opportunity to start his character arc from scratch and gradually transform from the person we ended the N! show with into the badass that headlined the original PS2 game.

Some characters who appeared in the game - like Trevor Belmont, Isaac, Saint Germain - won't be included due to how vastly different they've become compared to their game counterparts (for better or for worse).

Instead, their roles within the story are being filled in with new characters, mostly those that were left out from the games but should've been included in the original show to begin with (cough Grant cough).

Another aspect that I want to include in this story is more emphasis on the magical (albeit somewhat Lovecraftian-esque) side of this universe, which I wanted to explore through Julia and Rosalie as well as Hector's evolution as a Forgemaster.

I feel like making Castlevania too grounded ALA Game of Thrones came at the expense of the gothic/fantasy aesthetic the games were known for. The Infinite Corridor is only a gist of that, but it even felt underwhelming for how little it was utilized at all.

On the topic of loose ends, I feel like the show left so many more questions than answers when it ended. There were two characters whose ultimate fates are left in the wind, a plot hole which I found too egregious to ignore, combined with an ending so convoluted it nearly ruins the purpose of the games that follow it down the timeline.

In the process of fixing those issues while taking reference from the original games' lore for solutions, I ended up making an alternate timeline separate from the Netflix canon. This occurred when, in planning the finale of the story, I would have to address the consequences that the actions of the characters bring to the overall timeline.

Due to this, the timeline would remain relatively unchanged from the games' canon minus a few changes (such as Dracula's appearances, though his presence is more prominent). As a bonus, this would also mean completely ignoring/retconning the events of Nocturne (Rondo of Blood still happens albeit very differently, as that's a story I want to write about next).

All in all, I'm currently writing the first chapter now, sharing a few snippets at a time whilst doing so. I appreciate your time in reading this post.

[marietheran]

Thinking I might shed some light on a few cryptic statements I'm wont to make, and besides, it doesn't hurt to say and it's probably a strangely large part of my inner thought in proportion to the actual temporal significance... so...

Kamil. Kamilek. He is my brother, and he was born and died after six months pregnancy and I was three years old at the time. I was awaiting him eagerly, and I vaguely remember the day I was brought to see my mother in hospital and they explained everything to me. We were sitting by a window. I think it might have been raining.

If he had been born ten years later, or in Warsaw where the facilities were better equipped, he might have lived, I guess.

I have no idea how it impacted me — I don't think adversely, or not adversely in a particularly marked way and not more than things like being an undiagnosed child on the asd/adhd spectrum or anxiety did. But I never, ever forgot, and he always occupied a strangely wide portion of my thought, all considering (all being the circumstances, the period of time we shared — zero or the approximately three months since I learned I was a sister, depending on how you count it — and my age then).

And the Catholic view on the Communion of Saints — there was a time I talked to him (well, monologued, rather) probably more than... certainly any acquaintance from school (not that I did talk to anyone there). Addressed a fair amount of diary notes to him. That's decreased a lot over time, probably to/due to my better psychological state.

(I also spoke to God a lot these days. Sometimes in the same sentence — as should be maybe. The intersections of spiritual and psychological states are tangled for me.)

And, I don't really believe in "ghosts". I don't know if Catholics can share the popular beliefs about the subject. But I wonder what I should say if a secular person asked me if I do, how someone from without this tradition might understand the fact that I can't count the nights I fell asleep believing my brother to be (symbolically/metaphorically speaking) sitting at the side of my bed. Not because I "felt" anything but simply because I asked him to. And to speak to me of the great things that are his to know, though I may not hear, because surely even that would be help and healing.

When I was a child, he was always a baby to me; then I realised how old he would have been had he lived and tried to adjust the image accordingly, based on my other brother and cousin. He'd have been older than that too now, but right now it's "fixed" at somewhere around twelve, I think. Dressed like a prince or a royal child from old stories, with a fillet of gold on his brow. Of course it's all an image, but it's one I ever return to.

...he was not technically baptised, but I trust in God's grace. And my parents would have had him baptised if it was at all possible, "baptism of desire" (technically not the same thing, but an analogy is welcome, I think) et cetera.

...I named him, too. As a three year old. My mother didn't entirely like it, but no one came up with a better one in time, and then mine stuck. I may be oddly proud of the fact, even if I did name him after a baby boy in my nursery and I might have named a doll the same soon before or after. I then lost that doll and I wonder how much of my enormous regret for it had to do with the other loss.

[ashxketchum]

A Fine Day for Curry [Mayblade 2024 entry for Card, Apron, Doughnut and Secret]

Summary: Before anything else, Kai would like you to know that he's not a picky eater, he is just very particular. Rei might wholeheartedly disagree, but he's not getting off the hook so easily. [Crackfic, No plot only vibes]

Characters: Kai, Rei (Other BBA Team Members mentioned)

Word Count: 2649

Note: The idea came to me when I found out that National Curry Day in Japan is also celebrated as KaixRei day by the Japanese fandom since the first letters of their name spell curry (Ka-Re) in Japanese. I thought it was really cute and funny and wanted to post something silly featuring the two and of course, Curry. I'm usually very happy with my 'no plot only vibes' kind of writing style, but this is the first time I'm posting something like this for Beyblade without Tyson and Hilary leading the story so I'm very nervous. I don't think I did a good job with this fic and I'm sorry in advance if you read and it feels like a complete waste lol. Feel free to send in constructive criticism, I won't mind at all!

[post divider by @/cafekitsune]

Resting his hands on top of his knees under the table, Kai resisted the urge to push the plate placed in front of him away. He was not a picky eater, or so he liked to believe, but he was set in his preferences, never taking the chance of trying something he didn’t like. He had worked hard on developing and maintaining his taste palette and didn’t really enjoy it when it was disturbed out of the blue. But still, he was an adult so most of the time if he was served something he didn’t enjoy eating, he would gulp it all down with a passive face, compromising on his beliefs to keep up appearances.

Today, however, was different because he was under the impression that when Rei invited him over for lunch, the two would get Thai takeout as they usually did, instead he was taken by surprise when his friend served up a plate of freshly made curry and rice.

Japanese-style curry was one dish that Kai found hard to make compromises on. If it wasn’t cooked with the specific recipe that his mother followed, he would rather not go anywhere near it. When he raised his eyes from the plate and watched as Rei happily folded his apron to keep it aside before taking a seat opposite him, Kai found it hard to voice out his thoughts about the dish. Rei fixed him with an eager smile and rested his folded arms on top of the table with a nod towards the food, signalling him to go ahead and take a bite.

He swallowed a gulp, raising one hand from under the table to pick up the spoon before he changed his mind and looked at Rei with a raised eyebrow, “I assumed we would be getting takeout.”

“It’s nice to switch things up once in a while, don’t you think so?” Rei shrugged, if he was bothered by how Kai had still not taken a bite of his food, he didn’t let it show on his face.

No, was what he wanted to respond with, you should know that by now.

“Aren’t you going to join me?” Kai sent a pointed look towards the lack of a plate with food in front of Rei. It was when the latter chuckled lightly at his observation that he realised, today he would not be able to get away by just inhaling the food without tasting it and pretending he liked it.

“In a bit, I need to know what you think of the dish first,” Rei said.

“Why?”

Rei considered his question for a moment, possibly debating whether it was worth telling the truth right now or to save the explanation for later. After a while he sighed, raising one hand to rest his chin comfortably in it, he addressed Kai with an excited look in his eyes, “I’m thinking of adding a new menu on my food truck.”

“Is that feasible? For the business model, I mean,” Kai asked, letting his gaze drop back towards the curry. If it were up to him, he would rather eat a month’s worth of Rei’s baozi in one sitting over trying out the Japanese curry offered to him.

“People love buying steamed buns on their way to office or school in the morning, or while heading back home in the evening. But business slows down during the day quite a bit so I thought having a popular lunch item might help.” Rei explained, surprisingly still not annoyed that Kai was spending so much time delaying taste testing a dish clearly very important to him currently.

“That makes sense,” Kai muttered, eyeing the food in front of him with a somewhat renewed interest, “But wouldn’t Tyson be a better choice for something like this?”

Rei laughed loudly, waving his free hand dismissively, “Tyson only enjoys finding fault in Hilary’s cooking. He never judges my food harshly.”

“Max?”

“On the off chance that Max wouldn’t like the dish, he would just empty a bottle of mayo on top of it and I’d rather not watch him butcher my cooking like that.”

Kai felt defeated, he didn’t know whether telling Rei that his opinion would not be as unbiased as he assumed was the right thing to do. His chest did swell with pride, however, at the thought of being the more reliable friend within their circle.

Then he decided that since eating the curry would end up helping Rei, there was no point in trying to push the task any further. He picked up the spoon once again, and while attempting to fight off the disgust from showing on his face, he scooped up a small portion of the curry and rice. As he lifted the spoonful close to his mouth, Kai closed his eyes with the hope that not being able to see the curry would make it easier to swallow.

He had intentionally put more rice on the spoon, diluting the taste of the curry slightly but when it finally hit his senses, he was taken by surprise for a second time that day. He frowned as he chewed on the carrot piece that had landed in his bite, admitting to himself that it didn’t taste as bad as he thought it would. The sweetness of the curry wasn’t overpowering, as was the case in most Japanese roux mixes, but was a much subtle presence at first easily subdued by the rice, allowing the spicy aftertaste to flourish in all its glory making Kai conclude that the taste was actually quiet-

“Decent.”

Uncharacteristically, he ended up voicing his last thought out loud, biting his tongue in regret he sneaked a careful glance at Rei. Assuming that no chef ever wanted to hear their new dish described so blandly, Kai was expecting him to look offended or annoyed even but instead, he had the biggest smile plastered on his face, his amber eyes shining bright with accomplished pride as if he’d just won first prize at a cooking competition.

“That is a huge compliment,” Rei said, his voice now loud with excitement but still retaining the gentle, teasing tone as he added, “Considering how much you hate curry.”

“Wait, you knew I hate curry?” Kai quickly dropped the spoon back onto the plate, pushing the dish towards Rei as he scowled at him, “Why did you make me taste it then?”

“Because-” Rei paused to shake his head, the way he pursed his lips made it obvious that he was trying to hold back a laugh before he spoke, “As I implied earlier, you are the only one I can trust when it comes to objective feedback.” He leaned forward to bring the dish closer to him, picking up the spoon Kai had dropped to serve himself a bite, gathering more curry on it than rice, unlike Kai. He let out a gasp of satisfied approval after tasting it and passed a grin in Kai’s direction, “Decent enough for you to want seconds?”

“Sorry, that privilege is reserved for my Mom’s curry alone,” Kai muttered grumpily, a little relieved to see Rei nodding in understanding. While he wasn’t happy about being manipulated into sharing his opinion on something he didn’t like, he still thought it best to let Rei know that he shouldn’t put his review on a pedestal, “You should get a second opinion. About the taste.”

“I plan to. The others should be here in a while.”

Kai rolled his eyes at the obvious set-up he had walked into, Rei laughing at his reaction only soured his mood further, “I suppose I am more surprised by the fact that you do know what I don’t like.”

“Of course I do, how long have we known each other? Don’t hurt my feelings with accusations like that,” Rei clicked his tongue as he shook his head disapprovingly, “Do you know how much trouble yours and Max’s picky eating habits have given us over the years?”

“I am not a picky eater.” Kai defended himself quickly, “I’m just particular about my likes and dislikes.”

“That is the definition of being a picky eater, Kai.” Rei chuckled, going back to take a few more bites of the curry, he did not bother to explain his own statement of accusation against Kai any further.

“What did you mean, when you said Max and I have caused problems over the years?” Not that Kai was one to give up easily, he fixed Rei with his best intimidating stare and folded his arms across his chest in a gesture to show he wouldn’t budge till he got his answer.

“You know when we used to travel extensively for tournaments and stuff,” Rei said, expecting it to be a sufficient hint but sighed when he noticed that Kai was still looking at him with confusion, “The amount of effort Hilary put into finding hotels and restaurants that would match all our tastes so we wouldn’t have reason to complain.”

Kai leaned back in his chair, relaxing his arms slightly. If he was being honest, this thought had never crossed his mind. After all, whichever hotel they stayed in or wherever they stopped by for meals after matches, the menu always had some option that he enjoyed eating, there was no reason for him to go beyond and think how that always worked out. But now when he revisited those memories, little things seemed to pop up. Like how if he ever lost a match, he never joined the others for a meal afterwards, opting to go for a long walk to clear his head instead. When he’d get back a package of his comfort food would always be waiting in his hotel room, which he had always taken for granted, but now understood was something that wouldn’t be possible without Hilary.

“We had a secret group chat too, Chief, Hilary and I.” Rei continued, his eyes softened as memories of their beyblading days probably came rushing back, but it was quickly replaced with a mischievous glint, “We still do actually, do you think it’s a coincidence that all our get-togethers and reunions always have a perfect menu to boast?”

“So the three of you have just been gossiping about our eating habits behind our backs?” Kai scoffed, the moment of guilt he’d felt about not appreciating Hilary’s efforts as a manager was immediately doused by Rei’s extended explanation.

“Can you blame us?” Rei responded in amusement, but seeing Kai refusing to take this lightly only made him laugh more.

Kai found it hard to fight back with denial because the truth was just that obvious.

If he ever had to spend time with his former teammates over a meal, he preferred to have Rei or Hilary tag along, since he’d always assumed their tastes were quite similar. Now he knew it was just because they understood his habits so well, and were being considerate towards him by accepting his invitations. That didn't leave him much to argue with so he kept quiet even as Rei looked at him expectantly, deciding to instead focus on how to get back at Rei for first, making him eat curry manipulatively and second, implying that Kai was a fussy eater.

Because he really wasn’t, he was just particular. There was a difference, even if Rei refused to acknowledge it.

After seething and brainstorming in silence for a while, just when he thought he was at a loss for ideas, the sound of the doorbell ringing loudly across the apartment reminded Kai that there was still one very good card left to play. Rei quickly got up from his seat and began to rummage through the kitchen, pulling out more plates, and turning the stove on to reheat the food.

“Kai, can you get that please?” He called out as he moved around.

Kai reluctantly got up from his seat and walked to the door, though not before he caught Rei pulling out a plate of egg sandwiches, one of Kai’s favourites, from his fridge and setting them on the table along with the pot of curry. He couldn’t tell if knowing that Rei had already prepared a backup dish for him as per his tastes made him feel happy because at least his friend knew him well, or even more annoyed because it only served to strengthen the trap he’d fallen in today. When he pressed the button on the intercom and saw Tyson, Hilary and Max wave through the tiny screen, he settled on feeling annoyed for the sake of it.

“Rei! We got doughnuts!”

Tyson’s voice cracked through the speaker as he lifted the bag in his hands up towards the camera. Kai didn’t respond obviously, only pressed the button to open the door that would let them in.

“Rei? Are you there?”

Tyson asked again, making Kai roll his eyes at his actions. He could just come up and talk to Rei in person, why did he feel the need to speak through the doorbell was beyond him, Kai thought as he shook his head.

“It’s probably Kai who answered, Tyson. Let’s go.”

He saw Hilary dragging Tyson away, and the plan became quite clear in his head at that moment.

“Would it kill him to greet back once in a while-”

Tyson’s muffled complaint was completely cut off as the display went black, indicating that all three of his friends had successfully entered the building. It would take them a while to come up as Rei lived on the tenth floor, so Kai decided to saunter back to the kitchen, a smirk playing on his lips as he leaned against the door frame with the confidence of a beyblader about to land the winning strike.

“This secret group chat of yours,” Kai spoke, pausing to check if he had Rei’s attention and when his friend passed him a confused look, he continued, “Does Tyson know about it?”

Rei stopped setting up the table and looked up at Kai, eyes wide with fear and horror, “Kai, don’t.”

“Because I just think that, it’s the kind of thing he should know about.”

“Kai, please! If he throws a fit, Hilary will strangle me without a second thought, you know she’s capable of it.”

Rei's scared yet pleading voice did make him feel better about all the manipulation, and just for a second, he thought he would forgive his friend and play nice. After all, Rei did prove that he knew him better than most people, and valued his opinion more than the others, so there really was no need for Kai to exact his revenge.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of their friends and the tension on Rei's face deepened as Kai promptly turned on his heels to open the door.

"Kai, I will owe you big time if you keep this secret for me!" Rei called out in a squeaky voice from the kitchen, making Kai laugh out loud for a change.

“It’s been so long since we saw a real Tyson and Hilary fight, you know" Kai turned his head just once to smirk in triumph, "They just don’t do them like that anymore.”

As he turned the doorknob, he heard Rei shuffling behind him in the kitchen at twice the speed from before, possibly hiding any sharp objects out of Hilary's reach. He suppressed another laugh before swinging the door open. In the end, Kai decided to let Rei off the hook just this once. But there was no reason for Rei to know that, instead he would enjoy keeping him guessing about when Kai would drop the bomb for the rest of the day. When he finally came face to face with Tyson, Kai made sure that Rei could hear him as he announced loudly, “Tyson, guess what-”

- x -

[totesnothere04]

Deviant With a Big Defect: Introduction

The Bad Batch x Sister!Reader, Obi-Wan x Reader

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the fanart, screenshots, or gifs used with my stories.

Warnings: This series describes injuries, pain, and some uncomfortable situations such as judgement, misunderstanding, and sexism later on.

Also for anyone who might be following this story on Wattpad, yes it is I, Jedi.Master.Rage. I want to address that this may seem like a wild ride, but I had this idea cooking in my mind for well over a year before I started writing for it. Side note: The artist is TrixEclipse, but I don't know if they're here on Tumblr. My friend sent this to me because they're so adorable!

Chapter 1

You were sat reading about the ships that were being prepared for the Republic military. Omega was currently working with Nala Se so she wouldn't be back for a little while. Well that's what you thought until you heard the door open.

   "Hey 2B!" Omega said as she sat down next to you. "Haven't you already read that?"

   "Yes, but I want to beable to fix whatever gets broken while I'm around." You tell her and she huffed.

   "Want to go get some food?" She asked and you raised a brow at her.

   "We never eat in the cafeteria, and for good reason." You tell her thinking about the last time you both went to eat out there. "I mean we could grab some food and come back if that's what you mean." You tell her and she smiles and nods. You both get up and head out to the cafeteria making sure to steer clear from other clones. "So learn anything new and interesting today?" You ask her.

   "No not really. Just kind of handed Nala Se instruments when she needed them." She told you and you smiled down at her. By standard years Omega was 8 years of age, while you were technically only 5. However, due to the enhanced aging you looked about 16 years old. As you both went to exit the cafeteria you bumped into a group that you and Omega would watch from a distance. Hunter looked at you curiously and you felt Omega step behind you to hide herself from them.

   "Who are you?" Hunter asked and the three other boys watched with curiosity.

   "I don't have a name." You said awkwardly and sneakily signaled for Omega to go out of the other exit of the cafeteria. You felt her presence leave from behind you, and you relaxed a bit.

   "Then what do we call you?" Tech asked, now just as curious as Hunter.

   "Uhm..." Your nerves started getting the best of you since you weren't sure if it would be a good idea to tell them. They didn't know about you.

   "CT-9902-B. It is good to see you socializing with your batch." Nala Se said from behind you. You turned to look at her as she stopped next to you.

   "Her batch?" Crosshair asked in confusion.

   "Yes. She is the fifth member of Unit 99." Nala Se told them. "Why don't you get your food and I will tell you everything you want to know about her. As well as her reintegration into your unit." Nala Se told them.

   "Wait reintegration? I get to be with my brothers again?" You asked excitedly, and she nodded.

   "If you are able to be re-accepted into their ranks that is." Nala Se said and followed your group into the cafeteria. You sat down at the table Hunter told you too, and Nala Se sat down with you. You stared at your food as a feeling of nervousness took over your appetite. After a few minutes of sitting in silence the boys returned and waited for Nala Se. "You may ask any question you would like."

   "How old is she?" Hunter asked.

   "She is the same age as the rest of you." Nala Se answered.

   "If she's one of us why haven't we ever met her before?" Wrecker asked.

   "She was separated from her twin for observation when she was old enough to be on her own. He was not particularly happy to lose his podmate." Nala Se tried her hand at a joke, but noone chuckled.

   "Twin? No clone has ever had a twin before." Tech stated.

   "It is ironic that you say that, since she is your twin." Nala Se informs Tech who drops his fork.

   "What?" Tech seemed stumped as he looked at his brothers who looked just as shocked as he did. "I- Why did my DNA create a twin?"

   "From what I was able to gather your genetic coding was stronger than most. Causing a second clone to grow with you." Nala Se tells Tech whose face goes from shocked to red with anger.

   "I've never seen him this angry before." Crosshair says. Tech looks like he wants to say something, but knows better and looks away.

   "Why separate us though? It seems very unfair for her to have been hidden away from us." Tech says and Nala Se looks at him surprised.

   "I don't see anything wrong since she was allowed to observe all of you from a distance." Nala Se said.

   "Observing from a distance isn't the same as being able to interact. She knew I was her twin, but was unallowed to have any contact with us. Mistress Nala Se don't you see how unethical that is?" Tech argued back, and Hunter set a hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down.

   "Tech." Hunter whispered in warning.

   "No it is quite alright CT-9901. He does have a point, as I've read that normal twins separated at birth are more prone to mental disorders. However, we wanted to make certain that she didn't have anything wrong with her. She was unplanned... A surprise. It was to make sure she was healthy." Nala Se said.

   "Then why wait this long to return her to us?" Crosshair asked.

   "I had to wait for the go ahead from the Prime Minister." Nala Se answered.

   "If you are my twin does that mean you have my intelligence?" Tech asked you as he looked at you from across the table.

   "Does a Venator Class Star Destroyer have a lightspeed capacity of 60,000 lightyears?" You asked him.

   "How are we supposed to know that?" Wrecker whined.

   "The answer is yes, Wrecker. You've been doing your homework." Tech said.

   "I want to beable to fix whatever gets broken while I'm present." You tell him.

   "You really are Tech's twin... I don't see the resemblance." Crosshair said.

   "Of course you wouldn't, because I'm one of only a few clones that turned out to be a girl." You said and looked Crosshair in the eyes. "You know for your enhancement to be that you never miss a shot, you sure blew it with that insult." You said to him and Wreckers jaw nearly hit the floor.

   "Oh burn! She got you with that one!" Wrecker said then laughed obnoxiously.

   "I will leave you all to get acquainted." Nala Se said and stood up from the table.

   "Wait! What will happen to her if she isn't accepted into the batch again?" Hunter asked her.

   "She is to be placed on maintenance with 99." Nala Se answered then turned and left.

   "Well I like her!" Wrecker said.

   "I like her too." Crosshair said with a smirk, but it fell when he noticed everyone staring at him in shock. "She knows how to argue in a fun way. Something none of you have figured out yet."

   "I'm with them." Tech told Hunter who nodded.

   "I like her too. Plus there's no way we could leave her to maintenance." Hunter said and everyone turned back to their food. "So have you ever shot a blaster before?"

   "Well I was kept for observation not sheltered. So of course I have shot a blaster." You told him.

   "Hand to hand combat?" Tech asked.

   "Yes I have trained there too, but I trained directly with those mandalorian mercenaries. Not too fun, but it got the job done." You told them and everyone looked to Tech.

   "I think we just found your greatest opponent Tech." Hunter told him.

   "I would very much like to test her skills... For research purposes." Tech said.

   "Uh-huh. Research purposes." Hunter said with amusement. "If you're so interested we could go train after we're done eating." Hunter suggested.

   "Alright. I'm in." You tell him. Everyone basically inhales their food to beable to get to go to training. You put your trays on the dirty stack to be cleaned and started to follow your brothers out of the cafeteria. An older clone spotted your group, and from your prior experiences with regular clones, you tried to hide among the guys. This clone pushed through to your group, but his eyes were set on you.

   "Hey kid. I think you might be lost. What's your name?" He asked and your mind raced as you thought of what to do.

   "Uhm..." Was all you could manage, before you set to hiding behind the scariest person in your group, Crosshair. You stepped behind him and he got the message that you didn't have any better of a time with regs than they did.

   "She's a clone like us." Crosshair said to the older clone taking a bit more of a defensive stance. The older clone looked confused but understood that you were nervous around him.

   "Your group has nothing to be afraid of with me and my boys. I'm Commander Garrett of the 75th. Why don't you come meet my unit?" Garrett offered you his hand and you looked to Hunter who seemed just as bewildered as you. You took Garrett's hand and allowed him to lead your unit over to his. "75th!" He shouted when he reached a table with a group of clones that were acting rather rowdy. The clones all stopped what they were doing to look at their Commander. "We have a clone who doesn't have a name here." The clones all looked at you, but one of them did a double take when he saw you.

   "Sir that's a girl. Clones aren't girls." The clone said.

   "She's a part of the experimental unit, Kit." Garrett informed Kit who looked to you.

   "You got hobbies, kid?" Kit asked you and you shook your head. "What about Hack?" He suggested.

   "No, Kit that sounds rude." Another clone threw a roll at Kit, which it bounced off of his armor harmlessly. "Hmm what about-"

   "No, Stim. You don't get to name people after you tried to get everyone to call Bluster, Ass." Kit told Stim who huffed. Another clone looked at you and smiled.

   "I'm Cut. How does the name (Y/n) sound to you?" He asked and you tested it out, and smiled at him.

   "I like that!" You told him and he shot a smile back at you.

   "So... You're really a clone?" Stim asked you and you nodded.

   "I'm a very rare multiple defect." You said sadly.

   "Why do you say that?" Garrett asked and you exhaled.

   "Well for one I'm a girl... Two I'm a twin. Three I hold high levels of intelligence like my twin." You told them and Garrett smiled at you.

   "Well I would gladly have you in my company any day. Defect or not." Garrett said and his unit cheered with him.

   "She's already in a unit CT-4427." Nala Se said as she approached.

   "Nala Se... His name is Garrett." You told her and she raised a brow at you.

   "Very well. She is a part of experimental clone unit 99, and will remain there, Garrett." Nala Se informed Garrett, who nodded.

   "Yes, ma'am." He said as he saluted her.

   "Come CT-9902-B. I would like to run some last minute tests, before youre completely settled back into your batch." You lowered your head preparing yourself for all of the needles.

   "Mistress Nala Se." Garrett said from behind you, and Nala Se turned to address him. "Her name... It's (Y/n)." He told her and she nodded. As you walked away you passed by your brothers, and they gave you a sympathetic look. Tech went to try and join you, but Hunter held him back and shook his head.

   "(Y/n)... That name suits you." Nala Se said as you reached her lab.

   "Thank you. Cut just picked it out for me." You told her and she patted your back. Omega came into the lab and smiled at you.

   "Hello!" She said to you and you smiled to her.

   "Hey Omega! I've got a name now." You told her and she looked at you excitedly. "My name is (Y/n)."

   "It suits you!" She said as she smiled. Nala Se patted your shoulder signaling for you to lay back, and you did while you frowned.

   "So what tests are you running on me?" You asked Nala Se.

  "I want to make sure that your vitals and immunity to disease are at optimum level. After they are done I will escort you to Unit 99's quarters." She told you and you nodded. You sat back and she drew some blood then put it in for testing. She and Omega went to the other side of the glass and the bed you were on slid into the x-ray machine. You closed your eyes so the lights wouldn't blind you. After a few minutes in the x-ray machine the bed slid back out again. You sat up and waited until Nala Se came back in. "You are clear to return to your unit. Come (Y/n)." You stood up and followed her out of the room, then she led you to the room your brothers were in.

   "Thank you Nala Se." You said and she bowed her head then left. You knocked on the door and Tech answered it.

   "You're back!" He said happily then pulled you into the room. You stumbled as you entered then the smell hit you.

   "It smells like the bathrooms after burrito day." You say and you hear a chuckle from behind you.

   "That would be Wreckers bunk. He doesn't believe in cleaning." Crosshair said and you exhaled through your nose.

   "So (Y/n) let's get to know you." Hunter said and gestured to the only table in the room. You sat down and waited for the first question.

   "Do you lead, or do you follow?" Hunter asked.

   "I do what I'm told to do... Sometimes." You tell him and he smiles.

   "Oh you'll fit in just fine." Hunter said and the others agreed. "So training?" Hunter asked and everyone got up to make your way to the training room.

          2,348 Words