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squidhominid · 4 months ago

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The Wounds that Got Me Here: A story about my experience working for Lockstin

I have a story that I want to tell. A story I've told some people, in bits and pieces, but never really fully written out before. Given who the story involves, what their reputation is, I don't expect it to be fully believable. And because of that, I've spent years debating telling it. Afraid of being judged, of not being believed, of people thinking I'm just trying to tear someone down. I'm afraid people will think I'm overreacting, that what I experienced is 'just how the business works'. I'm afraid that they might be right.

But no matter what people think, it's the truth. I lived it. And I'm finally ready to share it, I think.

Not because I want to cancel anyone, this isn't a call-out post, but so I can share my story and heal.

CWs: discussion of underpaid creative work and inappropriate content involving minors

The story starts in late 2017, during Sac Gamers Expo. I had heard that Arlo had somehow gotten hold of copies of the Splatoon 2 Sound Selection vinyl, an extremely rare piece of Splatoon merchandise even now, originally only sent to members of the gaming press, and was giving them out. I was an avid collector of modern vinyl, as well as an avid Splatoon fan, and had been trying to track a copy down ever since it was known they existed. I begged my dad, desperately, to take me, even though it was a hell of a drive from San Diego to Sacramento, and, once I communicated to him just how rare this was and just how much I wanted it, he agreed.

While I was there, I had the chance to meet Lockstin, a YouTuber who I was a huge fan of at the time. Knowing he'd done a Splatoon video recently, and knowing his channel had gotten its initial start doing Game Theory counterpoint videos, I urged him to do a 'are Inklings actually made of ink' video, given this was a sticking point in the fandom, as well as due to personal frustration with MatPat for his 'are Inklings kids or squids' video. I saw value in trying to discuss the 'actual question', rather than the question MatPat had asked, in the process hopefully clarifying a widespread lore misconception, and I thought it was a topic his channel would do justice.

He said he'd think about it.

A month or two later I messaged him on Discord, asking if he had given it any more thought. He admitted that he didn't know anything about Splatoon, that his previous attempt to write on the games hadn't performed well, and that, and this isn't an exact quote, 'if I wanted to see it made, I'd have to write it myself', meaning I could write the script and sell it to him.

The Splatoon video they had done by that point, to be honest, was terrible. It was extremely poorly researched, and took what was in-universe meant to be propaganda, information from an unreliable narrator, at face value, building its thesis on the idea Grizzco presents to the player that Salmonids were just dumb animals. I knew that, if things were really this dire, I had to do this. I had to 'right the wrong' that was the quality of Lockstin's Splatoon content. So I took him up on his offer. We made a handshake deal, that I would write scripts for a cut of ad revenue. What 'a cut of ad revenue' meant, what percentage it would be, a payment schedule, none of it was ever specified. Just 'a cut of ad revenue'.

It took around a month of workshopping after that, but once I had a solid idea for a first video, I threw myself into the work. For two weeks, during my computer science lectures at community college, rather than paying attention to the lectures I'd be researching for the video I was writing. Two weeks of work.

I made $89. And in the meantime, I got some…pointed messages from friends.

See, for the thumbnail, he used key art from Octo Expansion. It had just been announced a couple months prior, so he probably thought it would grab attention, even though it wasn't really related to the topic of the video.

The problem was what art he used, and how he used it.

He had put, front and center, Agent 8, a canonically 16 year old character, in a piece of art showing her with splotches of ink on her. Except, he had photoshopped the ink splotches to be white. And then he added key art of Cap'n Cuttlefish from Octo Expansion, lurking in the background, positioned such to look like he was looking at Agent 8.

People who knew I had the gig, who I had excitedly told I was working for Lockstin, blamed me for the thumbnail. I told them I had nothing to do with it. I confronted Lockstin, since the original thumbnail he showed me before the video went up didn't have the 'white ink' edit. His response? To attribute the video's success partially to the thumbnail, and that he "could always swap it real quick if it [got] out of hand".

He never did. The white ink thumbnail is still up, to this day. And this wasn't an isolated incident; he has a pattern even now, years later, of using sexual clickbait in his thumbnails, because it's what 'works'. Even though the videos really don't need it. Even though, in my opinion, they're undermined by it.

In the time following that, I built a small team of Splatoon lore obsessive friends to work on the videos together. And Lockstin came to me with a question. He had a long-running series on his channel, 'Why do X have breasts', meant to analyze and apply actual scientific reasoning to humanity's propensity to put breasts on non-human and even non-mammalian characters, and he wanted to know if I could think of a way to make that work for Splatoon. I initially turned the idea down, saying I couldn't think of a way to make it work. Until someone on his Discord server came to me with the seed of an idea, and me and my team started mulling it over, and I realized that I had a way to turn the topic into something else.

Something that took the idea of 'Why do X have breasts', the sexualization, the clear fetishization by people who wanted to see that video made, and turn it on its head.

I came up with a theory merging female empowerment with body horror, something I thought would be unsettling to those who showed up for sexual gratification. The idea that the breasts were really musculature around the ink sac, enabling female Inklings and Octolings to be superior fighters in a society that, even in canon, seems to be dominated by strong women.

Of course, people didn't see it that way. I forgot, or perhaps was even baited into by the member on his Discord server, that people with buff-women fetishes would find that take on the idea more exciting than disconcerting. That's something I'm not proud of, even if I'm proud of, overall, snatching female empowerment from the jaws of misogyny.

The video made me $60. Even less, because I split the money between me and my collaborators. In the years since, this has become the best performing of all of the videos I wrote for the channel.

In the meantime, he came to me asking if I would be willing to work on non-Splatoon content, floated to me an idea he'd been workshopping about making a channel focused on western animation. He wanted to keep me on as a writer, even as it was clear Splatoon content wasn't as lucrative, for me or for him, as the other work his channel was doing. I told him I wasn't sure, but offered a Steven Universe theory that I had written the year prior, for a channel that never happened. His response was that he didn't want to involve himself in that fandom for drama reasons, which I agreed with, and we never spoke again about it.

Next, I was told that I had to write a video under a strict deadline; they had a sponsorship from Splatoon Amino, and the video had to be done by a certain date. Me and one of my collaborators, also credited on the end card alongside me, cranked out a video on why Inklings and Octolings die in water. It didn't perform amazingly, but I still made… $92. More than I expected, and I chalked this up to the sponsorship. Again, I split the money, because I felt that was the right thing to do.

Then came the video I'm the most proud of. I came across a theory on Reddit about Splatoon 3, based on evidence found in the at the time new Salmon Run stage, Ruins of Ark Polaris. I messaged the creator of the theory asking if I could use it as the basis for a YouTube video, and was told I could. I built on top of it a larger theory, that ended up getting quite a lot right about what Splatoon 3 would be, almost a full year before the New Years 2020 'Save Our Salmons' art where Nintendo made a direct point of Splatoon 3 involving Salmonids.

I made… $35. And for my trouble? Another sexualized thumbnail, with the focal point of the thumbnail being the Smash Ultimate render of the Splatoon Wii U default Inkling Girl, a 14 year old character, having eaten the Spicy Curry item, edited to make her blush more intense. The implications are plain to intuit.

And, this video had unseen effects. In all of my scripts, I would make meticulous notes, of sources, of evidence. In that video, I had cited a translation I came across on Tumblr, belonging to an at the time smaller creative voice, Rassicas. The translation was used in the video as I wrote it, but no citation was given. Rassicas, for their part, for years thought 'Lockstin stole their work'. They have cited not wanting that to happen to them ever again, to stand on their own merits rather than others benefit from their work, as one of the reasons they started their YouTube channel to begin with, with them now considered by the fandom to be the definitive, authoritative voice in the community on Splatoon lore, especially lore that is exclusive to the Japanese text.

For my part, years later when I found this out, I apologized. I even wrote a public apology, taking full accountability, because I had forgotten IF I had credited them or not. When I looked at the script, and found out that I in fact had, and that it was his choice to strip that out, I told them immediately. We were both livid at the revelation.

Then came my final video, and the one I'm the least proud of. One of my team shared a meme that had been blowing up on /r/Splatoon, comparing Inkling and Octoling ear shapes to the mantles of actual squid and octopuses, pointing out that the idols' ear shapes corresponded more to the mantle shape of cuttlefish. We realized it for what it was, a joke, but realized there was an opportunity for an actual video there. I mean, hell, we know cuttlefish Inklings exist thanks to Octo Expansion, so it wouldn't even be bending the canon all that badly. So we ran with it. Made a damn good video, I admit.

Too good. The fandom even now, five and a half years later, is convinced Callie and Marie are cuttlefish.

Lockstin did us another kindness, as well; at the end of the video he plugged a website that I had been putting together, now long-since defunct, for Splatoon lore investigations by my team that I didn't think could be made into videos, either due to the turnaround time required, the length, or the interest. Sending people off of his platform and onto ours. And, on top of the direct plug, the direct shout-out, this time the end card credited 'the team at Inktank.info'. It didn't credit us by name, like the prior videos. But in its place he actively was driving people to our platform instead of his. On the one hand, legitimizing our work as part of a team and a place. But at the same time, meaning our names weren't directly on the video this time. I have mixed feelings about this, but I'm willing to err on the side of leniency and say that wasn't his intention. He was trying to drive eyes to us and our efforts, uplift us as creators, like he had done for others by launching their careers.

And from the video we made $102. The most we made off of any video, even though it performed among the bottom two. I haven't mentioned it until now, but at some point it had been established that this was because Lockstin had been rolling forward ad revenue from past videos into payment for future videos. Unspoken was the fact that, if I wanted to keep making money on my old videos, I'd have to keep making new ones.

Again, I split the money. Even when I was making almost nothing, I wasn't going to let the people who helped me, the people who understood the things I didn't, go unpaid and uncredited. Multiple of the videos contained deep dives on topics like mollusk biology as part of their evidence, which were things I'd have no idea about on my own. Not paying them, not pushing Lockstin to credit them, would be laundering responsibility for the content I sold him, at best.

And, of course, another thumbnail scandal, again falling on me within my friend group. Lockstin had used a Garry's Mod fan render of Marie in the thumbnail, and people who knew I worked on it messaged me about him using stolen art. I ended up giving Lockstin the official render that he had meant to use, which was identically posed so he probably just mixed the two up… He never fixed it. Even now the thumbnail still uses stolen art.

It was at this point I decided to walk away. There was a sixth video that I had begun to research, that I had been planning since the beginning and was really excited to finally work on, but… I just, gradually and silently stopped talking to Lockstin, and I walked away.

I didn't immediately cut contact, though. I maintained messaging him until halfway into 2020. Because despite it all, I saw him as someone I had an amicable relationship with. Because it took time for me to fully accept what had happened to me. I even told him, in our last exchange, that I was still planning on making that sixth video. Because it took me some time to really sit with what happened.

And during that time, something happened. Around the end of 2019 there were serious concerns going around, of the FTC going after YouTube channels run by pop culture focused content creators, due to the updates to COPPA reclassifying them as 'children's content', regardless of what they actually contained. I messaged Lockstin in a panic, telling him if things got that bad, to delist my videos since I lived, and still live, with my dad, both of us disabled and on a fixed income. He assured me that anything that occurred would happen to the channel owner, and that I was safe, no matter what happened. And, "if it does wind up bad I'll be delisting all the videos. and also I'll take the hit for any fines."

Edit 3/12/25 (in bold): Regardless, having done some back-of-the-napkin math talking to Rassicas since making the original version of this post, it turns out I likely was only receiving a 10% share of ad revenue, assuming a standard-at-the-time $2 to $3 CPM for gaming content. Likely less, since I noticed a bump in income on the video that was directly sponsored despite it doing poorly, implying I may have received income from the other videos' sponsors as well. If I received any sponsor money though, knowing now how lucrative sponsorships are, I can't imagine I got a reasonable share of that either. And no matter how much napkin math I do, the fact of the matter is I'll never know exactly how much he made, and exactly how much of it I made. But it wasn't a fair amount.

And when you factor in lost residuals in the years since? The breasts video alone would have made $2,000 to $3,000 by now in just raw CPM, meaning I ultimately made about 2-3% of the ad revenue on that video.

Also, I want to be clear. It was my choice to bring in a team after the fact. He was never responsible for that, and it made a meager pay situation worse. I accept the responsibility for that.

Even now I struggle to square the circle of what this was. I don't know enough about his YouTube finances to know if I was paid fairly, if money really was that tight for him and his team. He had been known for uplifting creators he worked with. He helped launch Arlo's career. I can't imagine he would abuse his employees.

Not to mention, there were good times. This was a gig that I really, truly enjoyed, and put more effort into than he ever asked for. After my first video, at my own personal expense, I flew to Portland for a day to be a part of a fan meetup he did for the channel. He didn't ask me to do that. Hell, he told me not to, he told me I was crazy for doing it. But I did it because I was passionate about the work and about representing my work to his fans. Not only that, every time a video came out, I would spend one or two days, replying, personally, to as many comments as I could, answering questions, clarifying and elaborating on things, interacting with fans on a personal level. He never asked me to do any of that. I did that because I was passionate about the work I was doing. And I don't regret that.

But at the same time, this feels like abuse. Even as he was kind to me at points.

And that's the fear, right? He's 'one of the good ones', even with the sexual clickbait and everything else. My fear is that if I share this story, I'll be crucified for trying to tear down, trying to cancel, someone who overall has a positive reputation, who's much, MUCH bigger than I am. But that's not what this is about. This is just…me telling my story. Me telling people what happened to me.

So, I don't know what to call it, really. Other than a learning experience, as I start to lay the groundwork for my own channel, years later. Because I don't want to do this to other people. No matter what you call it.

And I want to be clear. There are other creators I've worked with. Other people I've made handshake deals with, but who treated me kindly, with integrity and respect, with definite terms set out in advance. And when I haven't gotten paid by those people, it wasn't because they exploited me, it was because the work fizzled out, and there was no profit, so there was no pay to be had. That's not exploitation. That's a reality of the industry. Sometimes things just don't pan out, and that's okay.

What's not okay is the ambiguity, the space in the margins that can be used to exploit others, whether that was one's intention or not. Because I don't think that was Lockstin's intention. I think he saw me as another Arlo, another person he was lifting up. But at the same time, this experience was a source of genuine trauma, and something that I'm only now starting to be comfortable with telling people outside of my friend group, five years after it ended.

Like I said. I'm not trying to tear anyone down. I'm not writing a hit piece. Because I doubt this was malicious. I really do. I know that, if I messaged him? If I told him what his actions were and did to me? We could hash it out, I could get closure privately. And, hell, I might do that if and when I feel ready to. Or, if he sees this and messages me? Hey, dude. I'm open to talk about this. I'm listening, if you want to say something. Because, that's the thing, right? I didn't confront this, publicly or privately, for five years, even after I walked away. I was afraid of talking to him, of what that could mean for me if he disagreed that what he did was harmful. I was afraid of a potential escalation, or losing work in an industry where I'm still only starting to find my voice.

But this isn't about that. It's about making the world a little safer for people like me, for other people who went through what I did and might not have the language or the tools to recognize what they're going through. And to make a public point, that I learned from the experience, that I plan to be better than what happened to me. Not so I can aggrandize myself, but so you, the people reading this, can hold me to it if I ever lose my direction. So I put what happened to me to a stone tablet, never allowed to forget it. Because I want to stop the cycle of abuse before it's allowed to start.

So, thank you. For taking the time to read this, and for taking my story for what it is. It means more than you could ever know, not just to me, but to everyone like me.

Edit 2, 3/12/25: Since making this post, I remembered and checked on something, and it's so much worse than I thought.

In January of 2022, Lockstin posted a series of 'Season Collection' videos, bundling his content year-by-year across seven videos. These videos made up a total almost 55 hours of content and 310 videos.

The first problem... He cut out all of the end cards. All of them. I know I wasn't the only writer he worked with. How many other people went uncredited in these compilations besides me?

The second problem... Going back to the point I made about residuals. How do you even calculate something like that? Compilation content is meant to ride the wave of super-longform content like Arlo's 'A Big Fat Review of Breath of the Wild' or Quinton Reviews' series on Dan Schneider. It's meant to play to YouTube Premium viewers, where creators get a payout based on watch time. A big one. A proportional share per-viewer of 55% of their subscription cost, based on how much of their watchtime went to which channels each month. Both LinusTechTips and Arlo have referenced longer-form content being some of their highest-earning content as a result of this.

So, at best? Maybe he figures out how much money he got from YouTube Premium and tries to split that up based on the retention charts. I can't imagine that'd be reasonable to expect someone to do for seven compilation videos on an ongoing basis. Maybe he just divides all the YouTube Premium money, and the $2 to $3 CPM, across all 310 videos equally. But that doesn't ensure people are paid for the specific viewtime for their specific videos, and on a 10 hour supercut of as many as 60 videos, the CPM split would be negligible.

The third problem... The Season 5 thumbnail has the Agent 8 'white ink' image again, one of a few videos the thumbnail references.

I know that this is a drastically different tone than the rest of this post. But this isn't just 'a good guy making mistakes' anymore. This is systemic abuse of everyone who ever worked with him. Not just writers, but editors, special thanks to people who contributed in other ways... What does he call it? "The vast majority of Lockstin's "Gnoggin" videos, with the sponsorships, needless outros, and end cards removed".

My work. My credit for my work. Is "needless".

And among the videos that he removed, he references 'videos with very incorrect information (such as predictions)'. The Season 6 video removes my Splatoon 3 prediction video. The video that I think was my best work for him, that yes got some things wrong but got a shocking amount right, that has value not just to me but to him on that merit alone. Just proof he didn't understand the content.

I'm sorry. I'm just, angry. I know this is a change in tone but I'm angry.

#youtube #lockstin and gnoggin #lockstin & gnoggin #lockstin #gnoggin #splatoon #nintendo #youtube meta #content creator #content creation #tbh afraid to click post now #I spent all day working on this and I'm afraid people are going to crucify me #like he's not a bad dude but #what happened wasn't okay #and I think that dichotomy is what scares me #rambling

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writerslittlelibrary · 2 years ago

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Thank you so much for writing my request. Omg that was amazing if you could do a part two pretty please (also like reader scared of Maria but I didn’t think of what to call her apart from agent/director hill)

I hope it wasn’t much problem writing it

Sending you this love💛💛💛

-🦈

We are your mothers 2

masterlist requests masterlist

part 1

summary: when you get kidnapped, your moms do everything in their power to get you back, only to find out that now you'll never call them mom again...

pairing: Blackhill x daughter reader

warnings: yelling, nightmares

genre: angst

words: 1169

a/n: part 2 is finally here! also, covid's been kicking my ass and I can't really breath or see (due to teary eyes) so sorry if this isn't great. I really wanted to write the part 2, and I might improve it or make it longer when I feel better :)

(also who has covid three times? why is that a thing🤨)

You do not have my permission to repost, copy or translate my work

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

It had been over a week, and you were yet to interact with your mothers. Yelena was the only one you let close to you, but even she had no idea what you had endured. You didn't sleep a lot, nightmares haunting you, seemingly even when you were awake.

It broke your mothers hearts, to hear you scream and cry every night and not be able to comfort you. They made that mistake the first night, and the moment they walked in, you tried to crawl away from them, falling off the bed in the process. They tried helping you, but when they got close, you shielded your head and face with your arms, shaking in fear with the thought they might hit you. Natasha had spent that night crying in Maria's arms, hearing how Yelena shushed your cries and cuddled you back to sleep.

When the mornings came, you wouldn't come out of your room, afraid your moms might be in the kitchen. Natasha picked up on that quickly, and her and Maria started having breakfast at least an hour before you'd wake up.

Most nights they spend crying. Maria tried to be the strong one, comforting Natasha to the best of her abilities but she failed, and soon broke down beside her with the fear they might never get to hold their little girl ever again.

It was a frightening thought to the both of them.

“How you doing, baby spider?” Yelena asked as she walked into your room, seeing you drawing at your desk. You shrugged. Yelena sighed softly in disappointment, but made sure not to let you hear her. You hadn't spoken a lot, and despite Yelena's many efforts, you wouldn't speak to her either.

Yelena sat down on your bed, leaning back and facing you.

“I was thinking we could go to the mall today. Maybe visit that bookstore you like so much?” Yelena tried, but you didn't even acknowledge her sentence.

Yelena sighed to herself again, getting up and walking towards you. You quickly closed your sketchbook when you felt her coming close, turning around with your chair to face her.

“Will Miss Romanoff and Miss Hill come too?” you asked Yelena softly, and she smiled hesitantly at you. “You know they are still your mothers, right? They'd love for you to call them mom and mama again…” Yelena tried carefully, but you flinched from even hearing those names.

You shook your head and turned back around to your desk, tears stinging in your eyes.

Yelena wasn't sure on what to do, but she decided that after a week, it was finally time to push. “Why wouldn't you want to call them that again? They've missed you so much.”

Tears streamed down your face, but Yelena just couldn't drop it. “They love you.” That was when you let out your first sob, crying as quietly as possible. Yelena didn't hesitate to lean forward, capturing you in a hug and letting you cry on her shoulder.

“What happened to you? What did they do to you?” Yelena asked softly, rubbing your back with one hand while the other cradled your head against her.

You sobbed and shook your head, trying to tell her, but your sentences came out muffled and in broken sobs. Yelena continued to comfort you, softly sushing you and continuing to rub your back. “We all love you, y/n,” Yelena said softly. “Just know that.”

After your sobs reduced to sniffles, Yelena tried to pull back to look at you, but you just pulled her closer.

Quietly you explained what happened. You left out most details, but covered the most important parts: they hurt when you didn't listen, and all you could see were your mothers.

Yelena had tears stinging her eyes as she heard you explain, holding you closely as she tried to keep in her own sobs. Hearing you talk about Natasha and Maria like that, hearing what you thought they did to you, broke her heart into a million pieces. She kept rubbing your back when your sobs started up again, whispering comforting things into your ear as you explained.

After a few minutes, when you both calmed down, Yelena finally pulled back, pulling you to face her. “We all love you. Natasha and Maria love you more than anything in this world. They would do anything to hear you call them mom and mama again,” Yelena explained, wiping some hair from your face.

You nodded softly, your tears finally reducing.

“I'll try,” you said, hugging Yelena one more time before standing up.

Yelena held your hand as you walked to the common area, your moms found sitting on the couch, watching a movie together to try and distract themselves.

“Natasha…” you softly called, her head whipping around to see you standing there, squeezing Yelena's hand out of fright. “Hi baby,” she said softly, slowly getting up to walk towards you. You tensed up slightly when she came closer, but Yelena squeezed your hand reassuringly.

Natasha came closer carefully, reaching her hands up to try and touch you. When she saw you didn't try to move away from her, she softly put her hands around you, pulling you into a hug.

Maria soon joined, putting her arms around you both as you quietly embraced each other.

When Natasha pulled back, she carefully reached her hands to your face, wiping some hairs that had fallen in front of it away. “I love you so much,” she spoke, tears stinging in her eyes. You kept quiet, tears stinging in your own eyes as well.

“We both do,” Maria spoke, putting her hand on the other side of your face carefully.

They were so afraid to hurt or scare you away. You nodded softly, your tears now streaming down your face. When you fell asleep that night, it was on the couch, your head on Yelena's lap and your legs on Natasha's.

You still hadn't spoken to them, but it was progress. You fell asleep in the same room as them, even going so far as letting Natasha touch you.

Natasha smiled to herself as she saw your sleeping form, softly stroking your legs as you slept. Yelena had told them everything that night, and both Natasha and Maria had broken down after hearing what you'd been put through.

You hadn't really said anything to them, and it would for sure take a long time before you'd call them mom and mama again, if you'd ever even call them that again, but Maria and Natasha were willing to wait, helping you wherever they could.

They love you, and they always will.

(Tags : @marvelogic @marvelav @lgas202-blog @jusnough @carol-romanoff @natsbraids)

#black widow #marvel #natasha x reader #blackhill #mcu #avengers #natasha romanoff #natasha x daughter #natasha x reader platonic #blackhill x daughter #marvel reader insert #marvel requests #writing requests #reader insert #maria hill x daughter #maria x natasha #maria x reader #maria hill x reader #maria hill

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leviathans-watching · 2 years ago

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can i request a continuation of this post: (https://www.tumblr.com/leviathans-watching/655248256619724800/brothers-or-datables-with-an-mc-whos-given) if u havent already done so ? n if u have done a continuation than can u link me to the post :) ? thank

finally calling the dateables by a pet name

includes: the dateables x/& gn!reader (no pronouns mentioned)

wc: .6k | rated t | m.list | pt 1

a/n: this was a blast from the past! i hope you enjoy!!! my inbox is open to chat, req, and leave feedback so come say hi

please reblog this yall

➳ diavolo frowns, thinking about your behavior towards him. you weren’t acting strange, warm and kind to him as ever, but he can’t help but feel a distance from you when he considers how intimately and familiarly you call everyone else. “what are you thinking so hard about?” you tease gently, giving him a smile, and his frown deepens. should he say anything? or would that be childish? you roll your eyes. “just spit it out,” you chasten, and so he does. “i was just thinking about how you never call me by a pet name. it’s not fair.” you can’t help but laugh; considering everything the demon lord and acting demon king has to focus on, he’s hung up on this? “you want me to? i just thought you might find it rude for me to discard your title. but i can call you by a pet name–in fact, i’d be glad to. how does ‘tiger’ sound?”

➳ barbatos adjusts his collar slightly, unable to pinpoint why he’s so irritated. all you’d done is paused in your conversation with him to ask simeon to get something, weaponizing your pet name for him to make the job get done faster. oh, that was it. you’ve never once weaponized a pet name against him. he doesn’t know what kind of face he makes at the realization, but you notice something’s wrong and give him a questioning look. barbatos smiles thinly. “sorry, i hope you don’t mind the request, but can you call me a pet name? i’m afraid i’m feeling a little left out.” you blink at him, and he grows somewhat self-conscious. “sorry, forget it, it was a weird ask of you.” “no!” you hasten to reassure him. “absolutely, i will. now, baby, will you go help simeon? i think he’s struggling.”

➳ simeon hasn’t really, you know, dated before. so it’s not unusual for him to do research, making sure he’s being a good boyfriend by looking at the most reputable of resources: teen girl magazines. but when he finds an article about ‘picking the perfect pet name for your partner’, he realizes you’ve never once called one another by a pet name. you call the others familiarly, but not him… he does what anyone would do and sets out to remedy that. “hey, mc,” he begins, “do you think we could call one another by pet names? this article says it’s a good way to further a relationship and deepen the bonds between a pair.” “just what are you reading?” you ask with a chuckle, but give in, quite liking the idea. “how does ‘sweetheart’ sound?”

➳ solomon puts at you. “call me by a pet name! you call everyone else one but are only rude to me! it’s not fair!” you raise your brows. “fine. i had a few i wanted to try out anyway.” your easy agreement should have been a sign; you spend the next few days calling him every variation of pet name. it’s funny when you call him ‘studly’, mildly embarrassing when you shout ‘snuggle buggle’ across the cafeteria, and just plain annoying when you refer to him as ‘shortcake’ for an entire conversation. he gets back at you when you call him ‘wild thing’, stating, truthfully, that he likes that one and it’s a keeper. “fine, wild thing,” you smirk. “love you.” “i love you too, sugar plum,” he says, enjoying how your face contorts.

leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own

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braveclementine · 1 year ago

Text

Chapter 2

Warnings: None. (Will however be a 18+ reader book)

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own a few OCs like Elizabeth, Katherine, Stacy, and Jessie. I do not condone any copying of this.

The walk from your apartment building to the Avengers HQ was a good thirty minute walk. On a good day, it would've been pleasant, the kind of walk you might've made daily if you'd had a dog. However, wearing the sweatshirt again with the nerves made it feel like you had been walking for hours.

You swallowed the lump in your throat as you stood at the gate with the intercom thing-a-ma-bobber before pressing it with a shaky finger.

You weren't entirely sure why you were so nervous. There was no crime for bumping into people. . . but when it was a King, much less the King of Wakanda, well perhaps it was good sense to be nervous.

"How may I help you?" A bored, female voice said on the other side.

"Hi, I was hoping to talk to the King of Wakanda." Your voice, at least, didn't sound shaky.

The voice on the other side snorted, "Yeah, sure."

"I'm the girl that bumped into him earlier." You said, embarrassed. "I just wanted to er, apologize to him was all."

There was a bit of silence before the female voice said, "I'll let him know. Have a fantastic day."

You blinked. Well, at least he would know that I had attempted to apologize. Some of the nerves dissipated as you turned to walk back to the apartment.

Having only walked a few feet though, you heard a voice call behind you, "Excuse me!"

You turned slowly and then flushed dark when you saw the King standing there.

He was wearing very standard clothing. A black button up shirt with black slacks and black dress shoes.

"Aren't you hot?" You blurted out. The blush went darker. "I mean, hot in your clothing. I mean cause it's summer. You know what, just completely ignore what I just asked."

The King actually smiled, his white teeth almost blinding against his darker skin. "You forget I am used to African climate. Much hotter than this."

Oh. His accent. Oh my God.

You swallowed again and then you said, "I just wanted to apologize. I forgot about work and I was rushing to get to work and I bumped into you and I just spat out an apology and I had no idea that you were the King of Wakanda-"

"Breathe." He said with a light chuckle that almost made you die inside. "It's quite alright. I understand."

Every nerve dissipated. You nodded awkwardly.

"I never got your name." He said, tilting his head.

"Oh, I'm Y/N." You said quickly, not sure if you should hold your hand out. You saw his left hand twitch slightly and he held out his hand, "T'Challa."

"Ouch." You yelped before shaking his hand. You'd felt a sharp pain in your left wrist. It was like backing into a table corner. It didn't really hurt, but you felt like saying 'ouch' anyways.

You blushed, "Sorry, I had a pain."

"I thought you might." He said with a small smile.

You stared at him blankly. He rolled up his sleeve which had a singular colour there. You noticed that it was [Periwinkle/Turquoise/Jade] line. You barely even realized that it was the same colour as the one on your right wrist- a.k.a your favorite colour.

He stepped closer, showing you the name that had been branded into his skin: Y/N.

Of course. After you met your soulmate their name was matched with their colour. You just hadn't realized that it hurt.

Then you realized something.

Your soulmate was the freaking King of Wakanda.

You weren't entirely sure what the correct reaction to the information was. Faint? Squeal? Run away screaming?

Somehow, you just stayed frozen, staring at your name on his wrist.

"Are you alright. . . Y/N?" T'Challa asked.

You licked your lips, trying to form a coherent response. "I- but you're a King."

T'Challa chuckled again, "That I am. Which will make you my Queen."

You blushed again and then said awkwardly, "I'm afraid that you're going to have to um, share me with quite a few people." As you spoke, you pulled up your sleeve to show the eleven brands. The eighth line of purple and black now had the name T'Challa imprinted there.

T'Challa took in the ten other lines and chuckled, "So I will. I recognize your name now, from the record book. Of course, only your baby picture is in there."

"That's a good thing." You muttered.

"Follow me. I'd like to introduce you to my sister Shuri." T'Challa said with a smile.

You nodded, slightly surprised as he put his elbow out. You hooked your hand around his elbow like you had done this before, and let him lead you into the compound.

"Did the attendant behind the intercom let you know I was out here?" You asked curiously.

"Sharon? No. I was walking along the grounds. Tony has a good selection of botany here. I thought I recognized your figure and I was curious about what you were doing here so I came to inquire." He said with a smile.

We entered the Avengers compound and you took a look around. There were two women there, both dark skinned and bald. One, the taller of the two, narrowed her eyes at you. "What is-"

"This is my soulmate, Y/N Y/L/N." T'Challa introduced me. "Y/N, this is Okoye, my personal guard and friend."

There was a slightly shorter girl there with a head of hair who bounced up onto her feet, rushing to hug me. Slightly taken aback, it took me a moment to hug her back.

"Hi! I'm Shuri. You're beautiful." She said, pulling back.

"Y-You're stunning." You stuttered.

"Whose this?" A new voice, male, asked. You looked over to see the Tony Stark strolling along the floor like he owned- oh wait.

"Mr. Stark." T'Challa said genuinely.

"I'm Y/N." You introduced, sticking your hand out on a whim. No idea where you got the courage to do so, even more surprised when Tony actually shook your hand.

"Tony Stark naturally." He said easily but you felt another prick on your left arm. You fought the urge to look down. He was wearing long sleeves as well, so you had no idea if he had felt the prick. Probably, right?

You both stared at each other as you both lowered your hands. Maybe you were wrong. Maybe it was an after effect of T'Challa's bond.

Tony's eyes shifted to T'Challa as he swiped his glasses off, putting them in the breast pocket of his suit jacket. "Everyone's upstairs. We're just waiting for Thor and Loki."

You blushed. There must be some sort of meeting. You certainly didn't want to intrude.

"How about we bring Y/N along here to introduce her to the rest of the crew?" Tony asked.

"Y/N?" T'Challa asked.

You were startled, "Oh, but I couldn't possibly!"

"Nonsense." Tony said, putting an arm over your shoulder. "You're clearly my soulmate, unless you didn't feel a prick in your left arm. It's only fair to introduce you to the group."

"Oh?" T'Challa asked in surprise, "You as well?"

Tony turned to look at him, "Pardon?"

You quickly rolled your sleeve up. Indeed, Tony was there on the red and gold line. Tony looked at the several lines and then whistled, "Well, aren't you a hot commodity? Definitely need to introduce you now, pretty sure that's Capsicle's line." He said, pointing to the red, white, and blue line.

Was he right? Was it really Captain America's line? How many of your soulmates were going to be the Avengers?

"Shall we?" Tony asked, quirking a brow.

Well, at least they were all hot, right?

T'Challa gave you his elbow again which you took, while Tony was slightly more possessive, taking your hand into his.

"FRIDAY, floor 47." Tony announced as we stepped into the elevator.

"Yes Mr. Stark. Miss Y/L/N doesn't have clearance however." An automated, slightly Irish sounding female voice said from. . .the speakers? The air? It kind've sounded like it was all around us.

"Override it. Miss Y/L/N can go wherever she pleases in the building, including the lab."

"You don't let anyone in the lab, not even Stephen." T'Challa said as the elevator started to move with a 'yes sir'.

"Well Stephen would break everything, but I think my soulmate right here will be quite good. Small hands." Tony said, squeezing your hand a little.

You slightly blushed. This was starting to be a bit overwhelming for you, but neither of them seemed fazed at all.

"H-How are you taking this so. . . easily?" You questioned.

"We're used to weird sweetheart." Tony dropped. "You've got eleven soulmates and we just happen to be them. At least there's no time travel or aliens involved." He paused and then questioned, "You're not an alien are you?"

"No." You said quickly. "I'm. . . average except the eleven soulmates."

"I wouldn't say average." Tony said with a nonchalant shrug, "You're quite stunning."

You blushed again.

"I was going to say gorgeous." T'Challa said in a low, husky voice that sent shivers over your spine. Exactly how long would they take to marry you? Because there was a hell of a lot of sexual tension in this extremely small box.

The bell dinged, the doors sliding open. Tony led us down the hallway at this point, pulling open one of the double doors and the three of us stepped through.

Several famous faces stared back at us and you shrank slightly into T'Challa's side.

"Whose this?" The blond man you knew was Steve Rogers asked Tony.

"Well, go on sweetheart, introduce yourself." Tony said with a smirk. You wondered just how many of the people in the room Tony suspected were your soulmates.

"Hi. I'm Y/N." You said quietly.

Five of them jerked their left arms slightly.

Steve, James Barnes, and one of the other African American men exchanged looks. You weren't entirely sure if that was Sam or James Rhodey.

Steve was the first to move, holding out his hand, "I'm Steve Rogers."

You shook it, ignoring the sting in your left arm. You'd left your jacket off, showing the eleven marks. Steve's name slowly filling in on the red, white, and blue one. Tony smirked.

"Bucky." He said. His metal arm was black and gold, but he held out his flesh hand which you shook quickly.

"Sam." The man that you hadn't been quite sure you were said next. Another sting.

"And I'm James." Another African American man stepped forward to shake your hand. "But my friends called me Rhodey."

"I'm Clint." The famous archer said, shaking your hand. Another sting.

"Natasha." The red head assassin said, holding hands with Bruce Banner.

"Bruce." He said with nod of his head.

"I'm Peter. Peter Parker." The youngest one of them said. I almost waited, cringing, for another stab of pain, but nothing happened.

"I'm Wanda, this is Vision." Another red head, slightly brighter said. The robot that was standing behind her had his arm wrapped around her waist. He settled down into a more human appearance.

"Hey I'm Scott, also known as Antman." One of the last guys with a grin said.

"Hope." The female next to him rolled her eyes.

"And I'm Maria Hill." The last person in the room said.

"Nice to meet all of you." I said quietly.

"How many lines do you have left?" Tony enquired.

"Four." I said. I showed him my arm.

"Hmm, well high probability that the gold and green is Loki. He doesn't wear anything else." Tony speculated.

"Loki?" Steve asked with slight distaste and a little bit of a frown.

"I already know the green and blue is Stephen Strange because it matches mine." Tony said, not sounding at all displeased about sharing his soulmate with You. "But the black and the gold, I have no idea."

Suddenly, the doors opened up behind us again. You pressed back into T'Challa's front as a rather intimidating man with an eyepatch entered the room. He greeted Maria Hill softly first, his one eye roving to land on You.

"And who are you?"

"Y/N Y/L/N sir." You said quickly.

There was a slight flicker as his eye moved between Maria and yourself before moving forward to shake your hand, "Nick Fury."

Another stab of pain as you shook his hand firmly. His eye flickered down to your arm, seeing his name on his arm and the multitude of colours there. "Well, aren't you special?"

Was that an insult?

He let go of your hand, motioning to Maria Hill, "This is my other soulmate."

I nodded but didn't have to say anything as Sam asked, "You and Fury? Did not see that one happening."

"Should've placed bets." Clint and Scott said at the same time.

"Guess it makes sense pure black would be Fury." Tony said nonchalantly.

Suddenly, there was a large crash of lightning and thunder outside.

"Damn, he still did it on the lawn." Tony muttered.

You were still rather stressed, feeling completely out of place at the meeting, despite nearly half of the occupants being soulmates. You weren't entirely sure if you were cursed or blessed at this point.

"Point Break." Tony barked to the tall, short brown-haired man that entered, "What have I told you about creating bifrost crop circles on my lawn?"

"My apologies tin man." Thor said in a loud, booming voice, flashing me a huge smile, "I got so excited when Heimdall revealed that our soulmate was here, I temporarily forgot."

My eyes flickered to the just as tall, polar opposite behind Thor. Loki, god of Mischief. Eyes blue as the ocean, wavy black hair neatly falling on his shoulders. He was wearing a black suit without a hint of the gold and green that showed in his colour band.

"Our?" Steve questioned behind me.

"Loki and mine!" Thor said, his voice still loud as he strode forward, "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance Princess, I am Thor God of Thunder."

He kissed your forehead and both cheeks, leaving you red as a tomato before you managed to say, "Y-Yes pleasure to m-meet you. I'm Y/N."

Loki stepped forward with more eloquence and grace, taking your hand to kiss the back of your knuckles, blue eyes never leaving your E/C ones before he said in a quiet voice that sounded a whisper to his brother, "I am Loki, my Queen."

It was so overwhelming as he stepped back and you just stood there. You had only one soulmate left to meet.

Stephen Strange. Dr. Strange.

You didn't know much about him, other than he lived in New York and had helped save the world. Oh and that he had discovered something called the multiverse. But yeah, other than that, you knew nothing about him. You weren't even entirely sure you'd be able to pick him out on the street unlike the others. Unless, of course, he was wearing his infamous robes.

As if called by your thoughts, an orange portal opened up behind Tony, a tall, extremely handsome man stepping out followed by a slightly shorter Asian man, perhaps of Chinese ethnicity, though you weren't certain. Perhaps Tibet?

The man You were sure was Stephen Strange placed a rather sweet kiss on the top of Tony's head before introducing himself to You. The familiar sting took place and You told him your name.

"Well, with introductions out of the way, doesn't change the fact you don't really have clearance for the following conversation. Neither do you Mr. Parker. So-"

"But sir." Peter complained.

"Yeah, right, of course. I should go home anyways." You said quickly. "My sister is probably wondering where I am."

"Parker, please accompany her home." Fury said with no room for arguing.

Peter followed You from the room and once you were in the elevator, you nearly collapsed. You hadn't realized just how tight and uncomfortable you had been until now.

"You alright?" Peter asked with obvious concern.

"Just stressed. That was stressful. I've gone so long without a single soulmate and suddenly they're all dropped on me. And not only do I meet all of them in one day in less than an hour, but they're Gods and Super soldiers and magicians and billionaires and spies! I mean, how is this possible?" I asked.

"It makes sense." Peter said simply. "They're all like family and they're all missing a piece of themselves. You're that."

"I thought some of them already had their soulmates." You questioned.

"Sure. Mr. Fury has Agent Hill and Agent Hill has Mr. Fury and Agent Coulson. But Mr. Fury's also had a band for the past [18-30] years, saying he had another soulmate. Mr. Stark and Mr. Strange as well. Not to mention Mr. Rogers, Mr. Barnes, and Sam, though they're all together, they've had a band missing. And the others just haven't had one period."

You mulled that over for a moment. "It's so. . . interesting the way it works."

"Oh yeah, You should hear Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner talk about soulmate bonds. Real sciency stuff. But yeah, I got two soulmates. One's name is MJ and the other's name is Ned. I think the only one out of us all that doesn't have a soulmate is Pietro."

"Pietro. Who is that?" I questioned.

"Oh, he's Wanda's twin brother." Peter answered as we started our walk out of the Avengers compound. "He's got three bands, but he's never met any of his soulmates. But he spends a lot of time in Sokovia instead of with us."

"I thought. . . I thought he died?" You asked carefully, not wanting to bring up an insensitive topic.

"When Dr. Banner snapped everyone back, he brought back Avenger members too. That's how Natasha, Coulson, and Pietro came back. And then Captain Marvel snapped to killed Thanos and that was that."

"Interesting." Was all you could muster to say.

"Say, I could swing us to your apartment." Peter said excitedly. "We'd get there so much faster."

"Um, sure?"

What could go wrong?

*A fEw MoMeNtS lAtEr*

I'm going to die. I'm literally going to die.

You had shut off your voice so you didn't scream as you clutched tightly around Peter's neck as he swung through the city.

Sure, it hadn't been to bad when he'd first started going, but now that you were high about these skyscrapers and there wasn't even a seatbelt- well you were starting to feel a little more anxious.

Finally, Peter landed in front of your apartment building. There weren't to many people around. "See you around Y/N." He said, waving slightly before taking back into the air.

You hurried into the apartment and then made your way upstairs, opening the apartment door and stepping inside.

You sunk down with your back to the door, wondering what your reaction was going to be. Cry? Or laugh?

The apartment was silent as you closed your eyes, thinking of the head spinning day you'd had.

"Where the hell have you been?"

You screamed.

⬅️➡️

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i-love-zelda-16 · 2 months ago

Text

Rebirth ~ chapter 1: Voices

entire work summary:

Link wakes up in the Shrine of Resurrection. Or… at least… a different Shrine of Resurrection. He’s scared, confused, and of course, without the entirety of his memories. But he’s not alone; someone has been watching over him these past few years.

Follow the Hero of the Wild on his journey to discovering who he truly is after he is stolen and killed as a child by the Wicked Man of the Desert and revived by a copy of the Shrine of Resurrection.

Will Link recover who he was by going against who he is? Will he overcome the malice that has resurrected him and saved his life?

And what happens if you mix two opposing eternally bound spirits into one?

READ ON AO3

entire work notes:

Hey everyone! This fic is inspired by this post by @hazeleafyy and they gave me permission to write this. super cool au idea, and i’m so excited to get this going! I have absolutely no idea how long i want to make this, and i have done no planning whatsoever, but it’s fine right? I usually don’t really plan my fics because that makes me feel restricted idea-wise. but anyways, let’s get this going!! (ps. this is gonna be in present tense, committing now, because after reading Adjuration, my brain is stuck and won’t revert, so present tense it is!!) @orika03 saw ur comment on the post, so here ya go :D

chapter summary: Link wakes up.

chapter notes: This is so frickin cool. Oh my gosh. btw i’m on mobile so the formatting might look weird on a different device sryyy

chapter word count: 821 (short and sweet :D)

(banners: @cafekitsune)

“Run! Now!”

A voice beckons him…

He doesn’t recognize it…

“Link!”

…

Link…

A name? He thinks so.

“You can’t kill him! Please! He’s the—”

The voice seems upset. Panicked. Afraid.

“He’s just a child! Why do you want him—”

A child?

“We’re… going to protect you, Link… no matter what.”

…

The voice doesn’t seem sure.

***

And then, the world explodes.

Blinding, all-consuming, frightening light floods into his vision, as an urgent voice calls to him, whispering into his ear.

“Link… Link…”

A name. His?

“Wake up, Link…”

The voice is soft, light, gentle. Something purely instinctual in him tells him he can trust the voice, the warmth, the light.

Yet, something else tells him that he cannot. The thought is a dark cloud blotting out the others— the light. Like the day shifting into night, the moon replacing the sun in the sky.

Against his own silent wishes, he flutters his eyes open, just barely slitting them open enough to see the brightness of the world, blinding him once again.

He’s decided. He hates light. It always buts in when you don’t want it to. It’s annoying.

But this time, when light flashes into his eyes, it isn’t that annoying gold. It's calm, comforting, peaceful, familiar…

Red.

Red…

Why does he like red? It feels nice… it feels like… like… healing… like power…

Once his eyes take their sweet time adjusting to the new brightness, he starts to take in the details around him. His head feels… surprisingly clear. It’s able to take in every nice detail with incredible accuracy, like the wires and pipes dangling from the ceiling, the cool sensations of the strange, dark liquid surrounding him, the soft yet technical fabric of his maroon underwear, the only clothes currently on his toned and heavily scarred body—

Link stops.

Link? He just called himself Link… Maybe that is his name…

Link sits up. The dark liquid splashes a bit around him.

Link’s eyes narrow. How is he here? Why is he here? What is here?

Where the hell is he?

He takes another look around, carefully inspecting his surroundings instinctively. From what he can tell, he’s in a shallow bath of an unknown, black-ish liquid. The bath itself is on a small pedestal, raised from the rest of the ground. Hundreds of cords, cables, and pipes hang from a large hub in the ceiling, connecting to his pedestal. Each one pulses red, transporting some sort of power to his bath… maybe it’s the liquid?

Link notices now that when he moves, the liquid reacts. When he places his hand around in the shallow substance, it wants to climb up his arm. Black and red tree branches slither up his body like veins, leaving trails of coolness on his skin.

He likes it.

It feels… comforting… in some strange, eerie way he doesn’t understand.

He removes his hand from the liquid, hovering it above the surface. The veins trickle away off of his skin, dripping back down into the bath. As they fall away, so too does that sense of warmth and comfort.

The liquid is somehow supplying him health.

Therefore, he’s decided he likes the liquid.

“You’re awake.” A deep voice echoes from the shadows, “Good.”

Link whips his head around to face the direction of the voice. He doesn’t utter a word in response.

“She was going to wake you one of these days…” the voice mumbles annoyedly under its breath.

She?

“Hm.” It pauses to consider. “Well, there’s nothing we can do now. Seventeen shall be fine.”

Seventeen?

The figure of which the voice belongs to steps out of the shadows.

He is tall and large, with dark skin and flaming red hair. Golden jewelry decorates his forehead, arms, and chest, and a robe is lazily draped over one of his shoulders. A long, slender katana rests on his left hip.

Link hasn’t decided whether he likes him or not.

“I would think that you would have many questions…”

He does. Where am I? What is this liquid and why do I like it? What is this bath? Who are you? … Who am I?

Link stops again.

Who… am… I…?

The question lingers in his mind for a moment. He… can’t remember. He has no recollection before this point in time— nothing whatsoever.

Well, that’s certainly frightening.

He ushers the question forward, towards the man.

“Who… am I?”

The man grins.

Link sees now that he is holding a smaller sword by his side.

The man takes a few steps closer towards Link. He kneels down beside his bath and sighs, cocking his head, still grinning.

Link has no idea of whether this man can be trusted or not.

“Who are you?” The man repeats Link’s question. He fiddles a bit with the red tassles on the sheath of the smaller sword in his hand, before abruptly thrusting the blade towards Link.

“The Hero.”

Thank you again to @hazeleafyy to letting me use ur AU idea!! this is gonna be so cool, and i promise to do ur idea justice!!!

#botw #totk #breath of the wild #tears of the kingdom #botw au #totk au #botw fic #botw fanfic #botw fanfiction #totk fanfic #totk fanfiction #loz #tloz #zelda #legend of zelda #the legend of zelda #legends of zelda #rubiiwrites

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uramakimochi · 2 years ago

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SISTER, I MET A BOY

Lo'ak x (Metkayina)Reader

Warnings: nothing, just fluff, (choose your spirit sister's name because i was too lazy to make one lol). Translated english, so feel free to correct me.

All my stories are works of my fantasy so i hope i didn't accidentally copy someone else's idea^^

///

All the years you'd lived in the Metkayina clan, you'd believed that you would have never been able to find your ideal mate, the one you would have spent the rest of your life with. Yes, there were a lot of very handsome, strong and good-natured guys in your clan, but none of them had ever particularly attracted your attention.

But your life was suddenly turned upside down by the arrival of the Sully family in your village. And among the sons of the notorious Toruk Makto, it was Lo'ak who threw the cupid's arrow in your heart.

When you met, first becoming friends and then later lovers, you immediately understood that Eywa herself had made sure that your destinies crossed. When you were with Lo'ak it felt like the missing puzzle piece of your life had finally been put into place, with him you felt complete.

Lo'ak was a sweet and funny boy. You also understood that he was the type of person who acted before thinking, but you liked the determination he held in in heart and the sense of protection he always had towards the people he cared about.

When he told you, his brothers and your friends how he was rescued by a lone Tulkun, whom you later recognized as Payakan, none of the group listened to him, trying to tell him that he must already felt himself lucky to still be alive from the creature.

You felt a certain tenderness and slight pity towards him, but also a small tinge of disappointment with your friends. You might have expected it from his siblings, but you others, who were Metkayina people and had ties with your Tulkun brothers and sisters yourselves, could understand Lo'ak more than anyone else.

So that day you followed Lo'ak alone to comfort him. And it was at that moment that you both understood that you were made for each other.

Lo'ak would have no longer cared about being teased by Ao'nung and the others, or being scolded by his father and feeling the disappointment of the family. As long as you were with him, Lo'ak needed no one else.

///

"Do you think that one day you could let me meet Payakan?"

Hearing those words, Lo'ak turned to look at you, while you lifted your head from his shoulder to look back at him.

His face was confused and almost uncertain.

"You… Would you really want to do that?" he asked you slowly.

You shrugged with a smile.

"Why shouldn't i?"

Lo'ak looked down at the flowing water below you.

"I don't know... Maybe you didn't trust him. Maybe you were afraid of him. I mean, everyone in your clan is afraid of him"

You reached out a hand to take his. Despite the difference in the color or the number of your fingers, in your opinion, there was no sight more beautiful than seeing your fingers lovingly intertwined.

"Lo'ak" you called him softly and he looked back at you. "Payakan chose you and now you are brothers. There is nothing better than this to be proud of. I am proud of you. I believed you, didn't i? Right from the start. And if you say Payakan isn't as bad as everyone thinks, then i trust you"

Lo'ak nodded slowly, feeling his own lips curve slightly upward.

"So i'd like to meet him. But if you or him don't feel ready yet, then it's no problem"

With the other hand you tried to move those two braids that always remained out of the others, bringing them behind his ear. Then you left your hand resting on his cheek.

Lo'ak leaned his face into your palm, rubbing his cheek against it and covering your hand with his.

"I already told Payakan about you" he told you.

You widened your eyelids slightly, while a shy smile spread across your face.

"I hope you said some nice things, at least" you replied and Lo'ak made a mock shocked face.

"Hey! Who did you take me for?" he exclaimed and you laughed. "Anyway, Payakan would be happy to meet you too. Actually, i haven't asked him yet... But i think it won't be a problem for him"

"Then i look forward to it" you said with an excited smile, which Lo'ak returned.

Suddenly the sound of a horn rang throughout the village and both you and Lo'ak rose to your feet.

Some people whooped with joy, while you saw the others begin to jump into the water and call their ilu or tsurak, making their way out into the open ocean.

"Y/n!" someone exclaimed.

When you looked down, you saw Tsireya on her ilu, a broad grin on her face.

"The Tulkuns are back!" she said, and then invited Lo'ak and his siblings, who were coming to you from their Marui curious, to welcome them.

Immediately you smiled too, hopping a little in place and then took Lo'ak's hand, squeezing it between both of yours.

"Our brothers and sisters are back! I'm so happy!"

Lo'ak smiled tenderly as your eyes seemed to sparkle with joy upon hearing the news.

"Come on, let's go!"

So you almost dragged him into the water, followed by Tsireya and Lo'ak's siblings, heading in the direction from which the Tulkuns were coming.

///

The Sully family had never imagined seeing such a sight. A huge herd of Tulkun had crossed the waters of the village, while any member of the clan swam towards them to welcome them with joy.

Everyone, men, women, even the newly born Metkayina babies were interacting with their Tulkun. Stories were exchanged between Na'vi and Tulkuns, together with smiles, laughter, swims and pirouettes underwater, as if it was talking between close relatives who hadn't seen each other for years.

But after all, that was exactly what it was about, wasn't it? This was the bond that united the Metkayina people to those wonderful creatures.

Your ilu sped past the people and Tulkuns who were swimming underwater around you, as you longed to finally be reunited with your Spirit Sister.

While Lo'ak, seated behind you, was looking around in amazement, you suddenly touched his leg, calling his attention. Lo'ak looked at you and you pointed a finger at a medium-sized Tulkun, not too big and imposing, but also not as small as a baby, who was slowly swimming in your direction. The closer you got, the more Lo'ak noticed the peculiar tattoo decorating the creature's abdomen, which was identical to the one on your arm. Combining that little factor with the huge smile you had on your lips, Lo'ak realized that it was indeed her, your Spirit Sister.

Without saying anything else, your ilu stopped and you broke away from it to swim briskly towards the Tulkun. Lo'ak preferred to stay behind, wanting to let you have your moment in private, so he just swam towards the surface, but still staying in the area.

As the Tulkun's eye fell on you, you mimed with your fingers.

"I see you, sister"

Your sister Tulkun was called [___]. She was sweet and caring, especially towards you, because she always cared about you and always put you before her, even when the problems might be her own. You owed her a lot, but you were so glad you bonded with her.

You saw her smile at you with her eyes, as she moved her fins.

"I see you Y/n" she replied. "You look grown up. You're even more beautiful than the last time we met"

You smiled embarrassed, but thanked her, then swam towards her and clung to her fin with your hands, as if you wanted to hug her.

"So are you [___]. I've missed you so much"

You wasted a good few minutes together telling each other about your adventures, even though between the two of you, she was the more curious to know how you were doing.

"[___]"

You swam to position yourself in front of her and the Tulkun immediately noticed the way your gaze dropped slightly in shyness, until you looked at her again.

"My sister, i met a boy" you said with a small smile.

"I'm very happy to know that. Finally your time has come too"

You nodded and even if at that moment you would have preferred to squeeze your fingers out of shyness, you knew that you needed them to communicate with her.

[___] knew about your lack of interest in the boys of your clan. She was your sister, you revealed even the darkest of your secrets to her, because you knew she would have never judged you. And knowing that finally, after all those years, you apparently seemed to have found someone, made her almost happier than you were.

"And what is he like? Tell me"

"His name is Lo'ak. He is from another clan. Some people in the village still seem to fear or judge him because of his different appearance from ours, but he is intrepid and courageous and will not let anyone step on his feet. But he's also sweet and funny and sometimes a little clumsy. We actually haven't known each other for a long time, because he and his family came here some weeks ago, but we bonded very quickly"

"Are you mates?"

Hearing that question almost seemed to make you feel your cheeks warm up, despite being underwater.

"No... Not officially, at least. I mean, we are still young to unite in front of Eywa. But i really wish that what we have built together will also remain for the rest of my life. I know it sounds strange, but i feel like a fire inside me every time i see him and i wish we'd never be apart. Is it... Is it weird? Am i exaggerating, sister?"

[___] let out a noise, almost like she was giggling.

"Y/n, that is not weird at all. It just means you fell in love. He makes you happy, doesn't he?"

[___] immediately saw the love and devotion for that boy, Lo'ak, fill your eyes and then you did a little spin backwards in excitement. She believed that she would have never witnessed a scene like that.

"So much. I see him, [___] and he sees me. I don't know what i would do if i ever lost him"

Since you were facing her, you could not have known that Lo'ak had watched the last part of the conversation from the distance, with a typical lover's smile on his face and his heart pounding fast in his chest.

But unlike you, [___] did notice, and when her eyes met Lo'ak's, he immediately floated to the surface, almost fearful of her presence.

Neteyam, who was swimming nearby, looked confused.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

Lo'ak said nothing, and seconds later you too resurfaced in front of him, making him jump.

You took his hand with a wide smile.

"[___] wants to meet you" you told him and Lo'ak's eyes widened.

"A-Are you sure? She's not going to tell me something like that if i want to be with you i have to treat you right, or anything like that? She's not going to threaten to eat me, is she?"

Both you and Neteyam chuckled at his uncertainty and without saying anything you took him underwater with you, returning to the Tulkun.

She was waiting for you where you left her and as soon as Lo'ak was close enough, he greeted her.

"I see you [___]" he told her, gesturing with his fingers and she waved back.

You joined him with an amused smile.

"Lo'ak is a little afraid of you, sister" you told her and Lo'ak glared at you, which you ignored.

"But you told me just now that he was brave"

You giggled, covering your mouth with your hand and [___] closed her eyes as if she was smiling.

Lo'ak shook his head slightly as he saw you chatting and teasing him, as if he weren't right there beside you watching, but he couldn't help but smile too.

[___] made a turn on herself and then invited you to approach her with one of her fins.

"How about we go for a ride?"

You nodded frantically, then took Lo'ak's hand again and swam towards her together and once you reached her big fin, you clung tightly to it.

You and Lo'ak exchanged a smile, then [___] set off into the depths of the sea, taking you with her.

///

And so, after Lo'ak had known your Spirit Sister, some days later, he took you to meet his brother, outside of the reef.

"Payakan! Payakan!" cried Lo'ak aloud. "Payakan! It's me, Lo'ak!"

You remained attached to him, sitting with him on his ilu and waiting for the much feared outcast Tulkun to show itself.

After a couple of minutes, the water around you started moving harder and a few seconds later, Payakan rose to the surface.

"Hey!" Lo'ak exclaimed, throwing up his arms. "What's up bro?"

Payakan swam towards you and when your gazes met they remained fixed on each other.

You flashed a sweet smile at the Tulkun, greeting him with the hand gesture that said "I see you."

"Nice to meet you" you greeted him, trying to be as polite as possible.

Payakan made a small cry, closed his eyes quickly and then opened them again. You and Lo'ak noticed the almost indecipherable look in his eyes. He looked uncertain, afraid, and Lo'ak felt a small pang in his heart, having never seen him like this.

"Payakan, are you okay?" Lo'ak asked worriedly.

It almost seemed to you that the Tulkun shook his head negatively, looking at Lo'ak and then back at you.

Until suddenly he spoke.

"Are you not afraid of me?"

You felt in his words the pain of those who had been through a lot. Payakan was young, the equivalent of a carefree little boy who had all the happiness in life brutally taken away from.

He didn't deserve that.

You stepped off the ilu, swam towards him and placed a hand near his eye.

"Lo'ak has told me so many wonderful things about you and i trust his words completely, because he is not afraid of you" you said, throwing him a comforting smile. "So no, Payakan. I am not afraid of you either"

Lo'ak shot you a tender smile from your shoulders and came to you, covering your hand on Payakan's body with his.

"We see you, brother. And we will never leave you, okay?"

Payakan closed his eyes, enjoying the touch of what could feel like a strange group hug. As long as you and Lo'ak were with him, he knew there was still a small shred of happiness left for him.

///

That afternoon you stayed with Payakan, playing, swimming and talking until the eclipse was complete. The sky above you turned blue, while the stars that slowly appeared on it shone over your head like the freckles that decorated your bodies.

While you and Lo'ak laid on Payakan's back, cuddling and looking at the stars, the Tulkun swam slowly in your company, also admiring the multitudes of celestial bodies high in the sky.

"We should go back to the village" you muttered, not taking your eyes off the sky.

Lo'ak, who was gently stroking you from the shoulder down the arm with his fingertips, said nothing, just a discreet "Mh" that meant nothing.

Despite your words, neither of you wanted to go back to your families yet, you wanted to keep all the time possible just for you.

Silence fell between you again, broken by your breathing or the sound made by Payakan as he floated on the water.

Until...

"Y/n" Lo'ak called to you.

"Yes?"

You didn't want to move from that comfortable position, but you were forced to take your eyes off your beloved stars when Lo'ak placed a hand on your cheek, making you lift your head from his chest to look at him.

Despite the dark you remained enchanted staring at his face, starting from his yellowish eyes, to the rebellious braids that fell next to his cheek and to the bright dots that spread over his skin.

"What you said to [___] today..." he said, stroking the skin above your cheekbone with his thumb. "Did you really mean that?"

Your heart began to beat faster and for a moment you feared that Lo'ak himself could feel the warmth of your cheeks under his hand.

"Do you really want to live the rest of your life with me?" he asked you again.

"Lo'ak-"

"Because i want it. I know that we are still young and our relationship has just begun, but i know that i want to be with you until the end. I want us to be mates in the future, in front of Eywa. I want it more than anything else" he said solemnly.

You didn't answer him right away, but you slowly felt your lips curl upwards, while your eyes stung from the small tears that were forming.

"Lo'ak, i..."

Quickly, you rubbed a hand over your eyes, to avoid crying in front of him. Then you nodded frantically.

"Of course. Of course i really mean it. Otherwise why would i ever reveal all those things to my sister?"

You both chuckled and you lowered your face to him so that your foreheads touched.

"Oel ngati kameie, Lo'ak (I see you, Lo'ak). And I'm so glad you came into my life" you muttered, closing your eyes.

Lo'ak rubbed his nose against yours.

"Oel ngati kameie, Y/n" he replied, before placing a small kiss on your nose and then on your forehead. "And i am grateful to Eywa for bringing us together too"

You remained embraced for a few more seconds, immersed in your thoughts and daydreams about your future.

But your lovebirds moment was abruptly interrupted a few seconds later, when Payakan suddenly squirted water out of the hole in his back, wetting you a little.

You and Lo'ak let out squeals and he leapt to his feet.

"Payakan!" you exclaimed.

"Bro! You're disgusting!" Lo'ak then said.

Even without seeing him, you could swear that Payakan was laughing to himself, proud of his gesture and both you and Lo'ak, not being really angry with him, could not help but laugh too.

///

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meganlpie · 1 year ago

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Sleeping Knight...Of Hell?!

Based on this request: : Would it be possible to do a spn Cain x Winchester reader fluffy, where cain gets cursed by a witch well helping the Winchester take down a witch. Ends up getting sleeping beauty and won’t wake up in till the reader kisses him from @sirlsplayland

Here you are, lovely! I apologize for the wait! I do not own ANY SPN characters. They are the property of the creators/writers!

Warnings: Angst-ish? Sleeping Beauty AU. Fluff.

Pairings: Cain x Winchester!reader

Under normal circumstances, you and your brothers would not want to work with a demon, even Cain. No matter how kind and fair he could be. But with you currently unable to hunt and no one else available, your two brothers reached out to Cain. The demon seemed to have a soft spot for you so he agreed to help until another hunter became available.

"You guys be careful. Call me if anything goes wrong. Broken arm or not, I will haul ass," you said as the boys and Cain prepared to leave. Dean rolled his eyes while Sam chuckled. You turned to Cain. "Same goes for you." His blue eyes didn't betray the surprise he felt at your words. He hadn't known his safety was so important to you. Cain gave a quick nod before all three headed out, leaving you alone and bored out of your mind.

Your boredom didn't last long, however. Too soon, the boys reappeared in the bunker along with Cas and an unconscious Cain. "What happened to him?" you asked, worry creeping into your tone without your permission. "We think he was hit with a spell, but we don't know what and we can't wake him up," Sam explained. Dean nodded along with Sam. "Cas tried and we ganked the witch, but Cain's still not waking up. But he's breathing so I guess he's still alive. For now anyway."

You helped your brothers get Cain to a bed in the infirmary before beginning the long and difficult task of research. All the while, in the back of your mind, you worried for Cain. What if he never woke up? For some reason, the very thought made your insides churn unpleasantly. You made it your sole mission to figure out a way to wake him and soon.

*time skip*

Weeks. You lost count of how many weeks it had been since your brothers returned to the bunker with Cain. You'd tried everything you could possibly think of to wake him. You'd even called in Rowena, who offered to go through every spellbook she could to help. Mostly because she didn’t want to be on the bad side of the Knight of Hell should he wake and partly because you told her that you’d owe her. She was very much like her son in that way. And it was Rowena’s son who would crack the case wide open.

Crowley sat with you, your brothers, Cas, and Rowena as you explained to him what was happening. While Crowley didn’t care much for Cain, he did respect him. “So you’ve had no luck waking Sleeping Beauty.” Sam shook his head, but you stared at Crowley as if he’d just said the most brilliant thing of the century.

“Rowena?” you asked after a moment, prompting the redhead to look at you. “Are there any spells that can copy fairytales? Like…a sleeping curse?” Rowena’s brows furrowed as she thought. “I suppose there might. After all, your human fairytales have a basis in fact. It’s quite possible, but if so, I’m afraid Cain is going to sleep forever, dearie. True love’s kiss doesn’t exist.” You nodded solemnly before standing and leaving the room. All you could think about was poor Cain being asleep until the end of time.

You weren’t paying attention to where you were walking and soon found yourself in the infirmary where Cain was. With a sigh, you pulled a chair up next to his cot and sat down. “I’m so sorry, Cain,” you said softly even though no one else was around, “If I hadn’t gotten hurt, you wouldn’t be in this mess. And I have no idea how to help you. Rowena thinks you’ll be stuck like this forever.” You reached over and took Cain’s hand, repeating how sorry you were.

You remained like that until Sam appeared in the doorway to let you know they were heading out on a supply run. “Hang on, I need to come too. There are a few things I need.” Sam nodded and turned away before speaking over his shoulder, “Alright. We’ll meet you at the car.

Once Sam was gone, you glanced at Cain again. “Come back, Cain.” You stood and leaned over him. “Come back to me,” you whispered as you leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. You straightened up all the way. However, as you turned to leave, you felt something tugging on your hand. You looked down and were surprised to find Cain’s eyes open as he stared at you in amazement. “Cain,” you whispered, unable to fight back the sound of tears in your voice.

Cain slowly sat up, his blue eyes never leaving your face. “You…” he began, “You brought me back.” Your brows drew together and you started to shake your head, but Cain stopped you. “Yes you did. I heard everything. I was trapped in my own mind, unable to move or speak, but I heard it all. It was your determination, your kiss, your…love that woke me, Y/N.”

Your eyes widened. The idea you’d gotten from Crowley had been right. It was a sleeping curse. And just like the fairytales, it was true love’s kiss that broke the spell. But that meant-

“Cain? Only a kiss of true love could have worked, if my theory was right.” A brow rose on Cain’s forehead. “Yes,” he confirmed, “Ask the question that’s on the tip of your tongue, Y/N. You already know the answer. You only need to ask the right question.”

“Does this mean that you-that you love me?” A rare, soft smile made its way onto Cain’s lips. “And you love me.” You stared at him and he stared back, an amused smile still on his lips. For a while, neither of you said anything. But the silence was soon broken by Dean. “Hey, I thought you-” You looked back at Dean, whose mouth was open in surprise. “Sonovabitch,” he muttered before turning on his heel, probably on his way to tell Sam what was happening. When he was out of sight, you couldn’t help but laugh a bit. You looked back to Cain to find him still looking at you. His hand came up and rested on your cheek. “May I?” he asked, quietly. You swallowed thickly, but agreed. Cain’s lips met yours in a moment later in a soft, sweet kiss.

(a/n: I hope you like it!)

Forever Tags: @fizzyxcustard @brewsthespirit-blog @sirkekselord @aikibriarrose @lady-of-lies @motleymoose @esoltis280 @stories-by-shanna-p @dark-angel-is-back @supernatural4life2022 @asgards-princess-of-mischief

SPN Tags: @jotink78

#supernatural #spn #cain #cain x reader #sleeping beauty au

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brinkworth · 1 year ago

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I heard it was your birthday @heartofspells, so I wrote you a little crack fic as a gift. (curse?) Featuring Remus, who is just trying to print his smutty fanfiction and runs into printer trouble. Happy Birthday!

Tech Support

Remus can pinpoint the exact moment his bad luck started. He’d been working on a project, printing some of his favourite fanfiction. He liked the story so much that he wanted to put a physical copy on his shelf.

It was all going smoothly at first, his printer churning out pages, all with perfectly crisp black letters printed neatly in rows. He clapped his hands in celebration. At this rate, this project would be done in record time.

That’s exactly when the bad luck starts. The printer makes an alarming noise; the paper caught half in the printer and half out. After several angry beeps, the screen reads ‘Error - printer jammed. Please clear printer and try again.’

When he opens the machine, it’s full of paper jammed into every nook and cranny. Places he didn’t know paper could even go in a printer. The printer seems to fight him as he removes it. He has to press a foot against the desk for leverage to pull out a particularly stubborn piece and the printer makes an awful grinding noise. It’s later that he sees the warning message that says, ‘Do not remove paper by pulling in this direction.’

“Oops.”

Several hours later, he’s sitting next to a printer that no longer feeds paper at all as tech support tells him they’ll mail him a new one. It should be there in 7-10 business days.

This just won’t do. Remus doesn’t want to wait that long, so he makes a trek to the store and buys a new printer. Now he’ll have two, but they’re different. And he prints a lot, so it’s worth it. Only upon getting it home, the printer won’t print anything legibly. It all comes out looking like a copy of a copy of a copy. Remus spends hours adjusting settings and test printing.

In the end, he’s sitting next to a stack of badly printed pages of his favourite smutty fanfiction when he’s back on the phone with tech support.

“Hello, thank you for calling The Printer Company. My name is Sirius. How can I help you?”

“Er- yes, hello, I just purchased a new printer and I’m having trouble with the quality.”

Sirius is very nice and seems committed to fixing the problem. He has Remus test different settings and try again several times. After 45 minutes on the phone, though, they’ve accomplished nothing. It all looks the same, and Sirius is now just as frustrated as Remus.

“Will you send me a few photos of your printed pages? One good one from your old printer and one from your new printer,” Sirius asks. “It will help me see what the problem is, and I can share them with my supervisor, who might have an idea.”

“Oh - er - sure, yeah.” Remus replies, kicking himself immediately. He should have just hung up.

He suddenly feels too hot. He begins to root frantically through his stack of papers, to find ones that might be appropriate to send.

“Oh God, definitely not that one.” He thinks, more than once.

A few awkward minutes later, he’s found two pages that look fairly clean, though by the character names, it will be clear what this is, if Sirius has ever read one of the most popular book series ever written. WHY couldn’t these characters be named something normal? Like George and Henry…

He sends the photos and chews on his thumbnail as he waits for Sirius’ response.

“Oh, I see them right here,” Sirius says eventually. There’s a shuffling noise and Remus thinks he hears Sirius snort.

Sirius hums as if he’s studying them carefully. “I’m afraid I’m having a hard time telling these two apart...”

How is that possible? Remus wonders. They are so starkly different.

“I’m just going to read these out loud to verify which is which,” Sirius says. And Remus swears he can hear the man smirk through the phone.

Remus’ eyes widen. “Oh, of course, sure,” he blurts out and then kicks himself again.

As Sirius reads, Remus wants to crawl into a hole and die. The man takes his time, drawing it out, and reading more than must be necessary for what he needs.

“Yes, yeah, you’ve got that right,” Remus says in the end, just ready to be done with this.

Another 30 minutes later, Sirius has walked him through how to fix the printer and Remus is anxious to hang up before he can embarrass himself further.

“Thanks so much,” Remus says, his finger hovering over the end call button.

“Happy to help,” Sirius says. “And you have good taste, Remus.”

Remus’ head jerks back in surprise. “Sorry?”

“I’m partial to Heartofspells’ work myself, but this is good too.”

Remus is stunned into silence for a few moments before replying weakly. “Oh.”

“Have a good day, and feel free to ask for me personally if you need help again in the future.”

Remus bit back a smile. Maybe his luck wasn’t so bad after all.

#Happy Birthday Holli!#Wolfstar #crack fic

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corporalellie · 21 days ago

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hi. (I really hope this is anonymous) First off, I absolutely love your art. And I think it’s one of the best styles for humans that I ever saw. Now, can you give me any tips in how to draw people better/easier? Also, if it’s no trouble, more suggestive Graves (or Valeria, my pansexual self won’t mind either) art?

-That one girl in the back of the room playing solitaire

Hi! First of all, I’m really sorry for the late reply. Also, I’m using a translation tool for this answer (so please understand if it sounds a bit awkward). Since I don’t know what level of skill you have as an artist, I’ll try to give you some very basic advice. (And honestly, I don’t think I’m skilled enough to be giving art tips, haha.)

Drawing a lot is definitely the best way to improve, but that process can be really boring… So I recommend something called simplifying into basic shapes. After all, the human body is made up of simple shapes too! What I mean is, try breaking things down into forms.

For example, let’s say you’re trying to draw from a photo.

1. First, start by loosely sketching the basic structure with simple lines. This step can help you get the proportions and sizes right.

2. This is where the “shapes” come in. Try to represent different parts using circles, triangles, cylinders, squares—whatever works. If you’re a digital artist, one great advantage is that you can resize and adjust things that feel off more easily!

But if you’re a beginner, this part might be a bit tricky. Still, I really encourage you to keep trying. Over time, you’ll start to get a feel for the human body’s shapes and contours. I promise—you will improve with practice.

3. Lastly, add the detailed features based on those simple shapes. (I’ve kept it rough here just to explain.) The same goes for the face—try simplifying the skull, nose, eyes, etc., into shapes first.

✨ Conclusion: To draw people well, it’s important to understand the human body in general. And to build that understanding, I recommend studying lots of reference photos and trying to break them down into shapes.

That’s how I started drawing too, a long time ago… Everything in drawing comes down to form! Using simple shapes helps you understand which parts stick out and which parts go in—it really helps you build a 3D sense of the body.

If you’re a beginner, it’s also great to start drawing your own ideas right away. But when it comes to growth, I believe copying and studying is essential. I think this process will help you eventually create your own unique style. Google and Pinterest are full of useful references—don’t be afraid to dive in!

I’ve always been a bit lazy with drawing. Compared to how long I’ve been at it, I don’t think my skill is very impressive. But even so, I’ve managed to create art that people love. So if I can do it, I truly believe you can too!

Thanks so much for reading!

(I hope it help you …🥹🤍)

P.S. K, I’ll draw more Valeria and Graves🖤

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gardensnakie · 1 year ago

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.@nav-i-nav

YES AJSSHNSXBJSNS (referring to your stranger thoughts)

Stranger would most likely hold resentment to both Basil and Sunny. After everything, the final battle, after the realization of the truth and managing to self-forgive. It didnt help Stranger. Sure, he did what he was meant to do. A purpose fulfilled and he was meant to be erased, but he couldnt accept that. What did he want? Stranger was never acknowleged, it was always one-sided. And it was with the one person, the one hope, Stranger could rely on. Stranger remembers pieces of Basil, about how Sunny knew of his secrets, dreams, worries, all of it. It is painful, because Sunny still tried to shut him out. Stranger wants to save him, but there has to be a point where you ask "why do i try?". It might be selfish, but Stranger didnt exactly do anything wrong. He is a manifestation of the pieces of Basil Sunny was afraid him, that base eventually making him into the person he is in the present. Stranger wasnt actually there to tie the rope, he remembers it, sure, the guilt is overwhelming, but he still didnt do it. Also, while Stranger is hurt from Sunny/Omori's, he holds back a lot of his feelings for him. He is created with the outer knowledge that Stranger is a manifestation in a nightmare. Of course Sunny wouldnt think of Stranger as a person, there is no reason to be aggressive. That would probably fill that resentment further after he arrives in Faraway, since he is given that chance to be human. It seemed like Sunny's well being came first, no doubt, he was basically a god.

Resentment for Basil develops from the memories Stranger has from the recitial. "A desperate, shameful image acussed him of being somebody meant to be forsaken" is a line (maybe different wording im going off memory) i used in the fanfiction where Stranger wonders if he could possibily be a little selfish in life. Stranger doesnt want to be that unstable mess who couldnt find reason in a stressful situation.

And i agree what you said about Basil being careless about his own life and Stranger resenting that. Their abadonment struggles definetly differ from each other since Basil willingly hid away in the belief that he was undeserving of being listened to. Even so, it pulled him into such a sprial where Basil pinned those 4 lonely years on Sunny during the fight. Mostly influenced by the fact that Sunny was moving away and that Basil wasnt in the right mind space.

Stranger had no choice and had to face it all alone without any reason except for the memories he was given.

Rambling a lot, uhhhjmshsbs, about the rest of the gang, Stranger doesnt have a lot of thoughts about them. He barely remembers them, he only remembers the idea of pinics, flowers, friends, and family. He knows that the dreamworld versions are copies, so he doesnt have much to say since they were gone after the funeral.

Since Stranger is going to meet them again in the world world, he might get complex feelings seeing everyone all grown up. He might get anxious and wonder if he could really make up for what he lacked for his entire life. Its what he wanted, to belong AAAHHH LIKE YOU SAID Stranger may feel like he cant truly be friends with them. Meeting them again might make him hyper aware of who he is. An actual stranger to these people, who all changed. I have a small headcanon that Stranger would always call Hero "Henry" despite it always being his nickname because he doesnt want to seem intrusive or rude by assuming that he is close enough to call him that (unaware that literally everyone calls him Hero). Also because Stranger has never been around adults before and would probably use Ms. to address Polly as well.

Other things I think about is how Stranger precieves himself, like his human-self. He doesnt want to look too closely at his body and usually changes his clothes in the dark. Stranger isnt a human, he is a manifestation based off somebody else. A creature? He was created. Its complicated. His body is a complicated topic, one that he doesnt want to know about quite yet.

There is so much more ideas I have about Stranger. like the idea of death coming back to him, him actually thinking and wanting to go back to the darknees at one point, witnessing senseless cruetly, asking for help, the idea of aging, that fact that so many people have different minds (Stranger only deeply understood one, Sunny), self-expression, sickness, purpose and the thought of living itself.

Oh hooligans, those sillies. Stranger, as 'Rowan', hangs around with Kim and the others. Getting to know new people was suggested and Stranger got to know them a little more. I like thinking about them cause its important :>

Kim is suspcious and Stranger has to either keep lying or willingly tell the truth. Just some trust issue stuff. Cough ive been typing a lot and vomited a lot of words so yippe [good conclusion here]

#snakie goes insane #omori stranger #stranger omori #faraway stranger

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popcornoncemore · 10 months ago

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TLDR: Basically, I have no idea why but my brain decided that in order to cope, I would need Grantaire from Les Mis in my head bc I probably have an undiagnosed dissociative disorder or something

So idk what's up with me, but I deal with stress and trauma by dissociating and just kinda becoming different versions of myself? I'm hesitant to call it OSDD or anything, but I've been doing this for quite a while now and there are a couple consistent characters that help me live life. We're all simultaneously me but also kind of not and we feel different ways about things, have different skills, and we have different priorities. There's not really an inner world for me like many people I know with OSDD, but I do have a lot of conflicting thoughts and internal conversations. Hopefully that makes sense.

There's Dallas, who is adult me and who isn't afraid of confrontation or doctors offices. There's Cheesecake, who is kind of child me who helps me deal with trauma and interact with people. There may be a guy called Maximillian who helps with my OCD stuff but idk if he's really defined enough.

But for whatever reason, a couple months ago my brain decided that the way to deal with suicidal thoughts and stress for my future was by copy-pasting the fandom version of Grantaire from Les Mis into my head? Technically, he came with the name Blake, but internally is just called R for no reason and he's a dramatic af alcoholic. I have never had alcohol or any addictive substance (besides my caffeine addiction, which is much stronger when I'm R), but when I'm in that "mode" I just get tempted to go drink it off. It's funny because it actually helps because when we're him, it's easier to pretend not to give a damn about problems and also we don't care what anyone thinks about us. It's funny because I'll feel weird in a social situation and my brain copes by turning on chilled out alcoholic man with no filter.

Idk why I decided to post about this now lol, it's just a funny thing in my head. I don't understand what this is, but it's something I've lived with for a while and I know there are some other people with dissociative disorders in this fandom who might get a laugh out of my internal fanfiction insert

#popcornwithnate #random #les mis #les miserables #grantaire #dissociation #Gotta lot of trauma and undiagnosed weird stuff going on and sometimes it's just laughable

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drunkinchicago · 2 years ago

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coriolanus snow x lucy gray baird

link: chapter 1, link: chapter 2, link: chapter 3 link: chapter 4 link: chapter 5, link: chapter 6

Chapter 7: bloodstream

Depollute me, pretty baby

Suck the rot right out of my bloodstream

Oh, dilute me, gentle angel

Water down what I call being grateful

Leith Ross

“Nothing was made by God for man to spoil or destroy.”

John Locke, Second Treatise on Civil Government

There was a time in my life where, if there was a heaven, I would’ve set fire to it.

Hozier

Monday morning began before sunrise, steam rising off of the clawfoot bathtub in Coriolanus’ bathroom. He was making a habit of this - scalding coffee, hot bathwater, biting his food long before it cooled, because why should he have to wait? Nothing melts Snow, he told himself, always challenging his boundaries, trying to imagine what an enemy would do to him so he could do it first.

Tigris hadn’t come home yesterday. Coriolanus was trying not to think about it, about the fact that she was the only other Snow left and that their relationship was undeniably scarce. She acted differently toward him and he could imagine several reasons as to why. He wasn’t the same person he’d been a year ago, and he’d be the first to admit it. Coriolanus wanted to blame this on his involvement in the Games, but that would be cheap. If he’d had a different tribute, he would’ve let them die and impressed Dr. Gaul in some other way, providing her with the same rich insight she so highly values. He was not afraid of the Games nor was he was disturbed by their conception. In fact, he was grateful for them and the many opportunities of its existence, allowing him to gloat his intelligence through his ideas. He was a Victor. That thirst for winning and power hadn’t been born into him by his assigned role as a mentor - he had been born with those traits. No, it wasn’t the Games that changed him. It was Lucy Gray.

There had been times where he fantasized about a life without their meeting, but it was a futile thought. When he thought of her and the ways she fit into his world, there was nothing but divinity. She had been the driving force for every decision that had landed him where he now stood, wealthier and more intelligent, reigning over his peers with his apprenticeship and tailored suits. He liked to convince himself that he invented Lucy Gray, that she wasn’t her without him, but he knew reality to be a much harsher truth that he scarcely entertained - Coriolanus was nothing without her.

Coriolanus stared at his hands beneath the surface of the bathwater, noticing how his fingertips were beginning to prune. Anxieties about the coming week were starting to ebb and flow through his mind, flitting around the edges of Lucy Gray shaped thoughts. The emotional high of her arrival was beginning to give way to the complexities that would come out of her being in the Capitol, the pressure of Dr. Gaul’s threats blurring the edges of his vision. He hadn’t heard from Dr. Gaul over the weekend, and she hadn’t assigned him any writeups at their last meeting. It was unnerving and irregular. Then again, his last assignment had been both lengthy and meticulous - perhaps they were due to review that first. Besides, Coriolanus wasn’t scheduled to see Dr. Gaul today anyway. He had a full day of courses at the University and intended to come home directly after to finish a philosophy paper. Had it been last week, he might have considered staying late at school to write it, sandwiched between Clemensia and Festus Creed at a crowded darkwood table. He enjoyed the library, craving the familiar grassy but sweet scent of the rotting books that the University catalog boasted - “from before the Dark Ages,” his professors would say, holding a tattered copy with yellowing pages as though it were holy. Everything must have been holy before the War, unjudged and impartial and tolerant. Coriolanus wished he could remember it, and wondered who he would’ve become if he hadn’t been choking on the taste of vengeance since grade school. He tried to imagine a softer version of himself, his frame drawn in charcoal pencil rather than sharp ink, bending at the will of others rather than breaking them. Would Lucy Gray like him more that way?

Lucy Gray. She was sleeping then, he imagined, her blanket pulled up to her perfect chin - how many times he had cupped it, rubbing his rough thumb against the smoothness of her face. Once in the meadow outside the buzzing fences of Twelve, he’d moved his hand down to neck, made confident by the sweltering heat and seclusion. Lucy Gray had smiled against his lips as he’d done it, daring him to press harder, to go further. Back then, he was preoccupied with the act of being gentle and good, caught up in the preciousness of her. But she had wanted him to, and instead, he’d moved his hand to the small of her back. She pulled away, insisting on getting back to the Covey for supper. Coriolanus hadn’t been able to tell if she was disappointed with him and was too nervous to ask. It was only a few weeks later that Lucy Gray gifted him with betrayal, reawakening the aggression he’d been swallowing every time they kissed. Since that’s how you like it, I can be harsher now, Coriolanus thought. I can hurt you in all the ways that feel good to you.

Coriolanus hesitated to grab his bath sheet as he stood, staring at himself in the mirror. He’d maintained the muscles that his Peacekeeper training had given him, stronger and leaner than any male in his year at the University. Insecurity turned on and off like the flicker of a dying bulb as he turned to the left side, the burn wounds that had become permanent scars on his back coming into view. He’d doused himself in ointments, oils, whatever he could find at the apothecary and pharmacy alike - nothing worked. They remained, a reminder of what would’ve killed him had Lucy Gray not been there to save him. Always a reminder.

Clothes, coffee, shoes, breakfast, messenger bag, call driver. His routine was just that - routine, monotonous. Today, he added a step and wrote out a menu of suggestions for Lucy Gray’s morning and afternoon meals. Breakfast: orange juice, quiche lorraine, sliced bananas, coffee with cinnamon, whatever else she wants. Lunch: gorgonzola salad with grilled chicken (perhaps add candied walnuts? Ensure she’s not allergic first). Before leaving, Coriolanus reread the note he’d left and underlined ‘not allergic’.

In the elevator, Coriolanus decided to cancel his call for the driver, opting to walk instead. This was what he once did, what he’d done for many years, back when his apartment smelled of cabbage and rat poison. It used to feel humiliating ducking through back alleys and scuffing his shoes, his only pair that was already a size too small. Now it was simply motivating, the perspiration soaking his shirt serving as a reminder of what he had been through and what he had risen above, pushing him onward as sweat danced between his shoulder blades.

Livia approached him during their lunch hour, an unpleasant interruption to Coriolanus’ green apple slices and Dostoevsky readings. He was sitting outside on a concrete bench that had been engraved with Panem’s emblem, the dips and ridges of the carved symbol digging into his back.

“Hi.” Livia was attractive enough to reductively be average - blonde, thin, attainable. She spoke in a gloating tone, contrived confidence brushed on like her eyeliner, which was thicker on her right eye.

“Hello,” Coriolanus replied, reluctantly shutting his book and bringing his hand over his eyes to shield the sun. The action sharpened Livia’s face before him, but made it no better. She still looked painfully regular, the daughter of a wealthy family who was convinced she was worth just as much as their revenue. She wasn’t.

“Why don’t you come out on the weekends with us?” Livia cocked her head, letting her curls fall over one shoulder.

Coriolanus didn’t have to ask who us was to know - Clemensia, Livia, Festus, Hilarius Heavensbee, Vipsania Sickle, whoever else he was forgetting. After the Games, the majority of the Mentors had remained close, gaining entry to the University and studying together in the same small groups they’d grown accustomed to at the Academy. Now that they were over the age of eighteen, Coriolanus’ classmates spent their weekends at nightclubs and other alcohol-affiliated outings in the Capitol, scandalously recounting the dramatics of such excursions throughout the school week. Coriolanus was noticeably absent and had no desire to attend. There wasn’t anyone for him at those events, no appeal in going. He planned to begin making appearances at the clubs only if Lucy Gray was booked for shows, anticipating the sight of her on stage again, making the knees of the crowd weak, his heart drumming against his chest knowing she was his. They could look, but they couldn’t touch.

“I’ve been tied up, I guess.”

Jarringly, Livia reached out to touch Coriolanus’ left wrist, examining it. “Funny, I don’t see any scars. No rope burn? Were you using cuffs?”

How desperate. He bet she thought he liked to fuck rough. Maybe he did. What would it matter to her? Coriolanus jerked his arm back sharply, embarrassed on her behalf. He wasn’t even sure how to respond.

Livia’s cheeks flushed as she observed Coriolanus’ disinterest. “I like you,” she hissed. “And you’d be stupid not to do something with that.”

Coriolanus blinked in return, not at all surprised by her shrill response. That’s who she was - loud, expectant, sneering, assuming that her opinion was remotely valued. It was true that any other boy would probably want her, but many had had her already, exchanging stories at lunch tables. Girls were jealous of her, comparing themselves to her designer clothing and routinely bleached roots. Coriolanus saw through this face. The traits that Livia thought she held - mysterious, trendsetting, likable - were characteristics that Lucy Gray possessed tenfold. And Lucy Gray wasn’t the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the Capitol. She was a girl from the Districts, if even that, natural and one-of-a-kind, created with an allure that couldn’t be replicated. That’s the kind of girl Coriolanus Snow wanted and deserved. It was entertaining to watch Livia be denied something she wanted - he imagined it must be a first.

“I’m not stupid,” Coriolanus said flatly before tossing an apple slice into his mouth.

Livia was already walking away, her skirt tight and unflattering, adding to the growing list of evidence that money can’t buy everything. “Come out this weekend, and we’ll see.”

When Coriolanus got into his driver’s car shortly after five, Strabo Plinth was in the backseat. It was a surprise, and a moderately unwelcome one at that. It had been a tense day riddled with assignments and he’d been unable to articulate himself when called on in his rhetoric course. Coriolanus felt off and wanted to get home, frustrated at the lack of instruction that came with obtaining your greatest desire. The combination of euphoria and lack of clarity that had come with Lucy Gray’s arrival was disconcerting. She would have to perform at shows, but when? He wanted to feel close with her again, but when? When would they share a room, when would she trust him the way she used to? They had so much to talk about in aims to understand what they'd done in each other’s absence. Was this eating her up the way it was him? The days were growing shorter as winter approached, the sun already beginning to set. It would be dark by the time he got home from school.

“Hello, Coriolanus,” Strabo said, adjusting his pinstripe tie. Coriolanus had never seen him in anything but a full suit.

“What’s this about?” Coriolanus wanted to cut to the chase, unable to play coy today. Strabo was unaffected by Coriolanus’ sharp comments, which made him all the more comfortable to make them.

The Avox driving the vehicle began to lumber forward as soon as Coriolanus slammed his door, the gravel of the cobble roads loud under the tires. For a moment Coriolanus worried this would be about Livia’s comment, already sick of the Cardews and their interest in him. He detested the notion of Strabo bartering him off like a show pony. He wasn’t something to choose, he was the one who made the choices. But that wasn’t what this was about at all.

“How’s your mail-order bride?” Strabo smirked, nudging Coriolanus with his shoulder as if they were brutish Capitol men gossiping about their boring wives, a role Strabo likely accomplished and one that Coriolanus hoped never to.

Mail order bride. The only word that stuck with Coriolanus was bride, an image of Lucy Gray in white grabbing him by the neck. “Lucy Gray is adjusting,” he murmured, eyes fixed on the hand sewn leather seat in front of him.

“She must be happy to be here, though. Must be easy enough to impress a little thing from Twelve.”

Coriolanus scoffed. “You are aware that she left me, aren’t you? I forced her here, so no, she doesn’t seem entirely happy at the moment.”

“People are fickle creatures when weighed down by the pressures of what they’ve been taught to believe. Patriotism is as rampant in Twelve as the dust of coal, scarring the faces of those worn out people. A very problematic place, really.”

“She’s not from District Twelve, she’s of the Covey.”

“All the same out there, isn’t it? Bleeding together like ink - all the same.”

If it’s all the same, what are you? Coriolanus wanted to say, irony being the richest aspect of Strabo’s perspective. District Two and District Twelve, don’t they bleed just alike too? “I’ve asked you this before, but I’ll say it again. Is this wrong to you? Are you upset with this?”

Strabo thought it over, his index finger tapping his right knee methodologically, following the same pace. “I’d simply like to be informed of your life and the decisions you have taken upon yourself to make, as is my right. Don’t you agree?”

Coriolanus could feel his blood pulsing, throbbing like something swollen and agitated. For a split second, a feeling regrettable and grim washed over him. Was this how Lucy Gray felt, indebted to a person, choiceless? He’d have to discuss this with her. He didn’t like to hunt deer that were strung up and immobilized anyway. He wanted them running, but only for fun, giving him a chase because they liked the feeling too, secretly hoping that he would shoot them down and mount their stag’s head on his wall for people to see and admire. Mutually assured destruction - it could feel so nice.

“I’m not going to marry Livia Cardew.” It was all he managed to say, ‘as is my right’ running through his head on a loop.

“Coriolanus.”

“Strabo,” he acknowledged, turning his head to meet the older man’s eyes and challenge Strabo to whatever he was planning to say next.

“I am looking out for you. I know that you assume that you know what’s best, but you are young and naive. I have been in this game longer than you have been alive. You cannot and will not become President if you take a District girl for a wife.”

“Lucy Gray has been here for two days. Let me have what I want at eighteen years old before you color my world with this speak of marriage and candidacy,” Coriolanus could hardly speak through the severity of his gritted teeth.

“I can see why Sejanus and you were such great friends.” Strabo’s voice was void of emotion, the rest of the world seeming to go quiet.

Coriolanus’ heart seized at the sound of his name - Sejanus. Sejanus.

“Why?” He sounded small, sweat beading on his palms.

“You remind me of him sometimes, so impassioned by what you think is right, so sure you know best. It’s the power of youth, I suppose. Perhaps I’ve just forgotten.”

They spent the rest of the car ride to the apartments entirely silent. Coriolanus felt as though he could read Strabo’s mind, envisioning the bittersweet recollections of a lost son. However, he was certain Strabo couldn’t read his. If Strabo could see what Coriolanus was thinking, all that he was remembering of the responsibility for Sejanus’ death, Coriolanus was certain his blood would run through the streets, thick and guilty, drying to amalgamate with dirt and waste.

Coriolanus worried that he had broken the front door with the force in which he slammed it. One of the maids, who was preoccupied with dusting the picture frames lining the main hall, jumped at the sound. “Where is she?” He demanded. The Avox pointed toward the ceiling, signaling with veracity.

“She’s in the garden?” Coriolanus couldn’t help but yell, furious. He thought of the rotting barrier surrounding the rooftop, imagining her stepping too close to the edge. He envisioned her running her fingers along the rose patches, her skin catching on the unbridled thorns. The maid continued to cower as Coriolanus stormed past her, running up the corridor to the grounds.

Lucy Gray was startled by his arrival, still in her nightgown, her silhouette accentuated by the waning moon. She was already close to the edge, her eyes wide and wild. Coriolanus threw his hands up, hoping to calm her, so as not to scare her.

For a moment neither of them said anything. The air was heavy with the smell of looming rain, fraternizing with the hue of roses. Coriolanus was certain it would storm tomorrow, but not tonight. Tonight was clear. “Are you okay?” His voice was soft, warm, a tone so alien to that he’d been using the rest of the day. He hardly recognized it himself.

Lucy Gray nodded, crossing her arms over her chest timidly. “Are you?”

Coriolanus shook his head as he approached her, desperate to pull her away from the precipice of the roof. “No, but that’s not relevant. Why are you up here?”

Lucy Gray didn’t move from him as he neared. “I wanted to be outside. Am I not allowed?”

Coriolanus was desperate to touch her. It was striking, then, staring at her before him, how rarely he felt the warmth of another human being. Over the last several months, he’d assumed that remembrance was enough. He could recall how she felt like it was inherent to his existence, embedded so deeply that it was just as cursory to his being as his eye or hair color. Looking at her now, he couldn’t remember it as well. The potential for new memories was too heavy, washing away what was to make room for what could be.

Once close enough, he brought his hands to Lucy Gray’s shoulders and gently moved her to face away from him, hugging the back of her. The Capitol sprawled out around them, figures moving through high rises like ghosts, flashing from window to window as they moved about. The hum of cars and electricity lines buzzed like white noise, soothing the aggressions that had been plaguing Coriolanus almost as much as the feel of Lucy Gray’s body. She didn’t protest against him, dropping her shoulders and leaning back, letting his arms wrap around the front of her and his chin rest on the top of her head. The moment was stripped down, absent of the past and current ailments, even if only for a moment.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Coriolanus whispered, afraid to disturb the delicacy of the present.

“What would hurt me up here?” Lucy Gray’s voice was equally faint, her words lingering on ‘up here’. Coriolanus wondered if she was implying that the true danger was downstairs.

“The balcony rails are decaying.” Coriolanus lifted his hand to direct her chin to the left side of the roof, showing her a gaping hole in the banister. “I don’t want you to fall.”

Lucy Gray did not respond, cheeks warm at the familiarity of his hand on her face. She was suddenly glad for their positioning and his inability to see her expression. The tenderness of his touch felt foreign, distinctly Coriolanus yet so jarringly altered from the hostile person she’d known him to be. She never quite knew what to make of him and was afraid to commit to one opinion over the other. Ultimately, it felt easier to demonize him and push him away than the alternative, which felt synonymous to betrayal, a fear greater than death, that she could love him and he could destroy her because of it.

“You can let me in,” Coriolanus whispered in her ear, close enough that his bottom lip grazed her earlobe. “You can talk to me.”

She remained silent, too afraid to say the wrong thing, more afraid to say the right thing. Instead, she simply leaned back even further, wishing to crawl inside him and make judgments on the way his heart beat and the thoughts etched across his brain. Would she understand him then? Would she understand this?

They stayed this way for a while, Coriolanus’ heart beating against her back, slowing the longer they touched. The Capitol looked beautiful, lights stretching out for miles. If Lucy Gray looked hard enough, she could almost imagine her younger self on the precipice of the world, picking flowers in Twelve. Untouched and unharmed, unaware of the darkness inside her. Innocent and rare.

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #thg series #thg #tbosas spoilers #coriolanus snow #snow #president snow #snowbaird #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus x lucy gray #lucy gray baird #lucy gray x coriolanus #suzanne collins #archive of our own #ao3

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uwu-mi · 1 year ago

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Surviving As A Maid

Description: When I opened my eyes while cooking ramen, I woke up as the Queen’s maid who was treated coldly by the King in the BL novel where the King was gay, the concubine was gay, the knight was gay, the servant was gay, and the librarian was gay.Will she be able to survive safely after becoming an ordinary maid, Ash, who has no main character buffs?

My review:

I would like to start my review with the fact that I just finished first season (gobbled it all in just one day to be more precise) and although I think the novel already ended I'm too scared to look it up because well - spoilers.

And there is A LOT to be afraid of as "Surviving As A Maid" is fucking amazing manhwa that forced me to wake up from my 'reading 10 manhwas at once as a brain turn off' mindset that I've fallen into after finishing another mind-blowingly good webcomic

Main character is called Ash.

Ash what? You don't know and neither does she.

Although MC shares her appearance in modern world with Ash (as well as certian parts of her personality) the original Ash had a life, friends and feelings towards certian someone - nothing that MC might remember

You see, this is no reincarnation into novel character with all their knowledge on the world nor popping into existence as a new character with no baggade of the past to get a new chance at life (which is usually fault of Truck-kun). No, the MC got rudly kidnapped in the middle of preparing delicious sounding dinner and thrown straight into chaos with no knowledge of her new self and only determination to stay as unnoticalbe as possible and will to survive in this new strange place

All of the characters are multilayered and you could probably write essays on their hidden motivations and what keeps them getting up in the morning (if anyone have any opinions or questions about any of those characters I'll gladly answer those) but especially MC brings something completly fresh into table as an isekaied protagonist

There is always that dissonance between her and all the other "characters" as she slowly struggles with the idea of living in this new world and treating it's inhabitants as real people - but not once does she forget of her place of origin.

Actually one of my favourite quick scenes (outside of everything with prince of course) is MC's first thought after noticing that summer is just around the corner of new world, is that it has to be winter in her homeland.

Another excellent existential horror element is fact that Ash's body is the exact copy of MC's original one which make her confused a lot about her place in universe and where she might be, and after she gets herself something to help her distinguede between those two worlds she keeps it on herself all the time

also this manhwa blessed us with this beautiful shitpost material

also also (and this might be little spoiler for chapters pre 70) if a certian white short haired man turns out to be male lead I might just fucking drop this manhwa, cause author is amazing at writing powerful and impactful scenes and his intruduction certainly made me hate that man with burning passion - and that sudden taking off his cartoon-villain-like fucking monocle that I've noticed author have been doing recently will not change my mind

Anyway this is a great read that I certainly can reccomend, so go read it and then let me know your own opinions

#surviving as a maid #manhwa #manhwa recommendation #manhwa review #manga reccs #transmigration #webtoon #reincarnation manhwa #isekai manhwa recommendation #isekai manhwa #uwu-mi posts

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got-into-worm-by-mistake · 1 year ago

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Agitation 3.8

(This is me, writing reactions as I read, because why the fuck not. They're not complete, mature thoughts taken after I sit back and evaluate what I've read. Consider them as such)

(Every time I type out Agitation, I feel like I'm spelling it wrong)

“Any trouble?” Grue asked Tattletale.

Tons

Tattletale took hold of the stainless steel wheel that jutted out from the front of the vault and spun it, then stopped it. She repeated the process, going right, then left, then right again, for an indeterminably long time. Just when I had the hopeful thought that maybe she wasn’t able to get in, there was a sound of something heavy shifting inside the door.

Tattletale OP, please Nerf :P

The bank kept copies of all important documents for the local branches here, in a fireproof vault, in case of disaster

Take those too!

Grue, for his part, withdrew a short crowbar from within the darkness that smoldered around his body. He set to cracking open the filing drawers with the squealing noise of metal creaking and bending.

Oh. They are. Cool. I don't remember hearing about this part. Probably Coil wants to do identity theft or w/e with it.

Or, on a similar note, maybe there was something specific that would be found in the midst of the paperwork, and he was willing to buy it all if it meant keeping his true intentions unclear.

Probably not in this case, as the Bank wasn't his idea, but it's definitely the kind of thing I can see Coil doing.

I’d only ever seen her sullen and hostile, so any smile would be kind of creepy. It was worse than that. Hers was the kind of smile you’d see from someone who had never seen one before and was trying to replicate one from what they’d read in books. Too many teeth showing, I suppressed a shiver and focused on the work.

Fuck. I'm not allowed to relate to Rachel. I don't like her. But fuck me if I don't do that too. Always too many teeth when I smile on purpose. When I was a kid my then stepmom called it my 'serial killer smile' which really does to wonders for a ten year old's sense of themselves. Thanks!

The cockroach, I’d come to think of him. The boy with no weak points.

That's a bit rude, Taylor.

Gallant was an older teenager in a gunmetal and silver costume that blended the appearance of a pulp science fiction hero with a medieval knight.

Boo hiss Dean! /s

(Dean's nice. I like Dean.)

Also, probably a striking visual image.

His muscle laden arms were bigger around than my thighs,

Does that mean much, coming from you, Taylor? :P

He’s also packing personal biokinesis, which means he’s got a kind of ability to manipulate his own body. He can heal just by concentrating on an injury, and he’s used it to bulk up. He might be capable of doing more on the fly, depending on how much he’s trained since we saw him last. He’s been a solo hero in Brockton Bay for a little while.”

Kind of the opposite of Amy then. She can affect all life but herself, and he can only affect himself.

“I made an educated guess,” Tattletale spoke in a low voice, “I was wrong. Sue me.”

I volunteer!

“Educated guess. It would have been nice if you had said it was an educated guess, way back when we were planning this.”

I think that's technically *all* Tattletale can do. It's just that her guesses are very educated.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was a bad situation, and worse, I was afraid it was my fault. I’d warned Armsmaster something was going to happen. I could believe that he’d told the teams to be ready to go out in force. Even worse, he could be the unknown person on the roof. If that was the case, and Tattletale caught on, I was supremely fucked.

This one's not on you, Taylor.

“You guys are masters at the getaway, right? So we change gears. We fight them face to face.”

There are so many ways this could go wrong for our protagonists. Is this Taylor hedging her bets, or just desperate to not get a hostage hurt and grabbing onto the only option?

#Worm #Wormblr #Kylia Reads Worm #Taylor Hebert #The Undersiders #Rachel Lindt #Agitation 3.8

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randadrives · 5 months ago

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How to: Handling your dog on adventures

Traveling with our furry, canine companions can be rewarding for so many reasons. I find nothing more peaceful in life than sitting outside with my dog watching a sunset or a campfire together. I fully believe dogs enjoy that just as much as their people. And I find my walks and hikes are more centered when my dog can come along. She makes me look up from my feet, stop to examine something interesting while she investigates the smells, she will see movement from a lizard or a bird and call my attention so I don't miss it. There is no one I would rather experience the outdoors with more. But with this privilege comes responsibility. As I've outlined before, it can be enough just to keep yourself safe while camping, hiking, or traveling; keeping your dog safe adds another layer to the information and tools you should keep at the ready.

My number one rule for myself when traveling with my dog somewhere new is to research ahead of time where the nearest emergency veterinarian office is located. I find looking up this information online and screenshotting it the best option for me, so if I don't have cell signal or WiFi I still have the address, phone number, and email. If you're afraid of running out of battery, writing it down somewhere you will have access to it, like in your vehicle, is also a great idea. This has been useful when I was exploring a mountain range near Moab, Utah and my dog had a fishhook stuck in her leg. I had no service to call the vet, but I knew where it was, and I spent the entire 40 minute drive descending in altitude calling, hoping I would get through to them before our arrival. Once I reached the bottom and my cell signal came back, I got through and let them know I would be arriving with my dog about ten minutes later, which luckily wasn't an issue. I know if I did not have this information, I would have more than likely sent myself into a panic about it. Removing the hook was a five-minute process, cost me about $35 dollars (bless that office for not charging me an outrageous emergency fee), and everyone was calm and happy. The technicians there came to know my dog by sight and name, as that was an accident-prone summer for her. So just as important as knowing where the vet office is, make sure to treat the staff how you want them to treat your dog. You might have to see them more than once!

If you choose to camp or hike in areas where you won't have access to a veterinarian office within a couple hour drive, there may be some things you need to learn how to do, and be comfortable doing, on your own for less-emergent situations. I suggest at least learning doggy CPR on YouTube and also having Benadryl at the ready for allergic reactions. When in Georgia while on a walk, my dog Eva (the same one with the fishhook, yes) and I both were bitten by red fire ants. We both broke out into the worst hives of our lives! I couldn't even drive her to the vet because of my own reaction. Fortunately, my neighbor had enough Benadryl for both of us, and I did not have to spend any money on a vet visit for Eva. Ask your vet or research reputable pet health websites for dosing, write the dosage down for your pet's weight and keep it somewhere safe like their medical file, or posted on the fridge. It is also worth mentioning that having enough of any medication (and your dog food!) your dog might be prescribed is important, as well as keeping vaccine records on hand. I have called previous vet offices we used to fax information to new vet offices; however, the operating hours don't always match up, or you may be in a different time zone, or sometimes technology just fails. Keeping at least a copy of the rabies vaccine is important for access to certain locations, or for the need to visit random groomers for a nail trim. If I know I'm going to be taking a big, cross-country road trip, I make an appointment for a checkup before we head out, just to be sure my dog is in a good, healthy condition for travel and is up to date on everything. Along with carrying medications and documents, having some extra things in your own first-aid kit is a good idea. Think about what you could possibly use on your dog in case of emergencies, such as extra gauze, and stock up on that.

How to drive with your dog in a vehicle is a controversial topic. Someone is going to tell you that you're wrong, no matter how you do it. My main piece of advice it to try to follow state guidelines if you can. Some states can give you a citation for distracted driving if your dog is in your lap, but even if they can't, it's not a safe way to drive. Some states require a dog to be restrained. There are harnesses you can purchase that work like a seatbelt for your dog in the rear seat - the air bags in the front are not made for dogs. In other states, a crate in the back seat may be the way to go. If this is what you're going to do, choose a crate that is large enough for your friend to stand, turn around, and lie down in comfortably. Strapping the crate in is ideal in case of collision. If you are going to travel with your dog loose in the vehicle, keeping their heads and limbs inside to prevent injury is a must. Also, keep in mind the dog is not aware of what "distracted driving" is, it's your responsibility to not be inattentive to the road. I frown upon traveling with your dog in the bed of a truck if you're not on your own land/farm. Many states have legislation on dogs in the bed of a truck needing to be restrained. At the end of this post, I will include a link to a trustworthy website outlining state laws on the topic.

Depending what type of activities your dog will be participating in, and also where these activities will be, will determine what type of gear you may want or need. A six-foot leash is a must no matter what you're doing and where you are. As a dog walker, I'm not a fan of retractable leashes because they don't give you much control and they break easily. A sturdy six-foot leash gives you much more control and some reaction time in case you happen upon other dogs or wildlife. Hiking with your dog off-leash in territory you're not familiar with is a huge red flag for me in the outdoor community. More than likely the people you run into doing this don't even have a strong recall on their dog, unfortunately. Keep your dog safe from hazards by keeping them beside you. Choosing a collar or a harness is a personal choice based on your dog. Having a tag with at least your phone number is desirable. I also make sure my dogs are microchipped, and the microchip company has up to date information on my account. It doesn't help to have a microchip if you change your phone number, then don't update that on the account. If you have the money and want extra security, a GPS tracker on the collar could be an investment for you. When it comes to purchasing new things, I really take into consideration what I will or won't end up using now. I originally bought my dogs all-terrain booties before heading west, because I was concerned about the temperature of the ground when walking them. Those turned out to be something I never once used, as if the ground was too hot in the daytime, we weren't walking outside together. I quickly learned they had to be walked in the morning before the temperatures soared, and in the evening when the sun set. The same will go for a purchase like dog goggles, or "doggles." Are you really going to be in situations where you think your dog needs them, like sandy high winds? I don't find that enjoyable, so I know my dogs won't either, so I opt to keep them inside. Reflective collars/harnesses, or blinking lights to attach are fun and nice for camping in the dark. I also do keep a sweater in case of cooler temperatures, but it's rare I end up in places where my dog needs it. Dog backpacks may look cool, but dogs should be trained to use these and not just thrown on for the first time on a hike. Personally, I carry whatever I might need for my dog on my person, such as extra water, a collapsable water bowl, and waste bags. If your dog is coming along for water activities like canoeing or boating, consider a life jacket! Aside from function, there is nothing more adorable than a dog in a life jacket (especially if it has a shark fin).

Some hazards to consider when adventuring with your dog are encountering wildlife, extreme temperatures, dangerous terrain, and toxic plants. I try to choose where to bring my dog based on these factors. For example, black bear encounters are usually pretty tame, but having a reactive dog can aggravate those circumstances. The same could be said for Bighorn sheep. We have yet to run into either, but we did share a path with a coyote. Cara is fairly reactive with other dogs, so for a moment I panicked at what could happen if she started growling and barking at this guy, but I think she knew it wasn't a dog and she kept herself quiet, allowing the coyote to walk in a different direction and observe us curiously. Also, when I hike with my dog, I no longer am worrying about snakes, or scorpions, or ticks for just myself, but her as well. Arming yourself with the knowledge on what to do in these situations is your best defense. The six-foot leash also helps, so Fido isn't sticking their snout in random holes in the ground. Regarding extreme temps, when I would want to expose myself to a hike on a 100-degree day at noon with limited shade on the trail, I would leave the dog at home. Learning the dog signs of heat exhaustion/stroke, like red gums, vomiting, quickened heart rate, is vital. Cara can handle most terrain better than I can, but there have been moments where I decided to carry her for a short distance through something so as to prevent injury. I might have been overly cautious, but better safe than sorry. I like to keep our adventures joyous, not stressful. I have considered purchasing a wearable harness for myself, if there were ever a situation where I would have to carry her miles out of a hike because she was injured or sick, but I haven't committed to it yet, and we have survived so far. She's at the age where I don't take her for more than a 5-mile hike at most, so if anything happens, I guess worst case scenario is I have to carry her in my arms for some of that distance. At 40 pounds, I don't stress too much about the possibility. And last, when it comes to toxic plants and the like, this is another way that six-foot leash comes in handy, as well as some basic training. The "drop it" command is the first thing I believe someone should teach their dog, because it can be lifesaving. If you cannot identify mushrooms or bugs that can harm your dog, they should not have the opportunity to snatch those things up into their mouths. Cara is a natural water dog, so avoiding standing water like puddles is something I do stress about. She loves to dunk herself and drink whatever she finds. If you're familiar with toxic algae, leptospirosis, or giardia, you know this can be dangerous. It's best to only let your dog drink water you trust.

I am full time in a travel trailer, and I know there are others who choose to live full time in vans or other recreational vehicles. There is a world of technology now that helps us make things more comfortable for animal friends. In drivable vehicles, window and lock controllers can prevent your dog from opening/closing the windows and from unlocking the doors. Window shades are a must, so no one tries breaking into your vehicle to "save" your dog. Remote start can keep your vehicle running, while still locked, for a specified amount of time, if you need to leave the dog in there for whatever reason. And I have been doing this long enough now that I love having a WiFi-controlled temperature monitor and a camera set up so that if I leave my baby behind, I can see what she's doing (definitely napping or staring out the window) and I have peace of mind that if the internal temperature of the trailer starts to go up, I can head back to let her out. This has been a game changer for me so I don't always need to be plugged into electric at an RV park and can have more fun boondocking.

If leaving your friend behind is not going to be an option whatsoever on your adventure, keep a list of activities to enjoy together. If it's too hot for what you had planned, find a dog-friendly brewery or patio restaurant to hangout in. If you need a break from the outside, there are many stores like PetSmart, Petco, and Tractor Supply where you can have your well-behaved dogs. I was even able to take Cara to the PIMA Air and Space Museum, because they have signs in the parking lot inviting your dogs inside instead of leaving them in the vehicle. In the event your plans go completely awry, and you have the means, there's nothing wrong with changing your mind about what adventures your dog is built for, and you can find a doggy daycare for them to hangout in for a day, or you can hire a sitter from Rover that offers daycare or boarding out of their home. As a sitter for Rover myself, I have actually been asked to dog sit for folks who booked excursions they could not take their dogs on, and I was paid to hangout in a hotel room or a rented cabin or Airbnb with the dogs so they wouldn't be alone.

It may seem like a lot of information if these aren't things you have done before, but I promise it becomes second nature the more you do it. With dogs being the new children, the nation is really opening up quickly to the possibilities of where you can take your canine companions. I hope more people decide to try new things and adventure with their dogs (responsibly!). Your dog may not be your whole life, but you are your dog's whole life, and the more you can fit them in, the better a life your dog experiences!

Does Your State Require Dogs Be Harnessed in the Car? - Orvis News

#nature #travel #hiking #lifestyle #blog #camping #dogs #pets #safety

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