#sparks flying all around its INSANE.

[aceholmes]

tm s16 is. truly the homoerotic tension season.

[baeshijima]

mr reca fic where he’s suffering a creative slump due to the lack of good scripts (by his standards) from various screenwriters. he feels himself going positively insane with every script he’s given.

it’s too dull. it’s too predictable. this one has no creative flair whatsoever!! that one just doesn’t spark enough imagination!!!

it’s troublesome, really. some think he’s really going through it, while others believe the scripts he’s been given won’t bring him enough money. but really, who cares about monetary value when it is he who cannot even begin to picture himself enjoying the process that comes with each script?

and so that is how he finds himself wandering around aimlessly. sometimes the outdoors is necessary for the mind, and who knows? perhaps he really will find something that will give him a spark. hmm, those trees are looking a little dull. the sky overhead is too cloudy. hm? did he just hear thunder—

something collides into his chest, a choked “oof!” following soon after. he stumbles backwards a little, papers flying through the air around him. he blinks once, twice, at the sight of you on the ground, muttering something under your breath before a sharp gasp escapes you, hastily scrambling to gather the papers fluttering and strewn around.

one such paper falls into his hands. he glances over its contents, skimming through it as he goes to pass it over to you with an apology at the tip of his tongue, only to freeze.

this… this is genius! this is absolutely the pinnacle of writing!! while a little rough around the edges (as drafts usually tend to be), his once clouded mind is now clear, giving way to a blank canvas which slowly depicts the imagery your writing induces. idea after idea pours into his brain as he can visualise exactly what he wants, his body trembling and heart pounding as he insantly fixates on your panicked form still collecting all the fallen papers.

“yes… yes! this is what i was looking for! everything about this is pure artistry! the possibilities are endless, the sky is the limit!!”

this is possibly the happiest and freest he has felt in what seems like eons! seriously, compared to those other mind-numbing scripts this truly is the pinnacle of writing itself.

a laugh full of pure, unadulterated glee escapes him, careful not to crinkle the god-sent paper cradled in his palms. “you! you’re a genius!”

“i’m a wha…?”

he whirls in the direction of the source of the voice, further praises and a proposal for a collaboration on the tip of his tongue, only for his breath to catch in his throat.

you… you’re so radiant! even with that disheveled appearance and absolutely adorable confused expression you’re giving him, he never realised such beauty existed! not only does your writing fill him with endless creativity, but his pounding heart, parched throat and warming skin tells him you’re definitely the main character!

but wait! if you were to be the main character, then would that make him the main character’s love interest? surely he wouldn’t have had such a cliché meet-cute like bumping into each other if he wasn’t the love interest! but what if there is a second love interest? no, no, he can oust them…

you, on the other hand, believe you’re about to get whiplash instead of the man, baffled at how he instantly switched from a maniac to stark silence to muttering senselessly with a dreamy expression.

well, each to their own. you have more pressing matters, and that’s to quickly return home and continue fantasising before you forget the idea! but first, you have to get the last piece of paper back…

“um… sir? can i have my paper back, please?”

in an instant, he kneels in front of you. now that you’re at eye level, he certainly is very handsome. if you didn’t know any better, you would have thought this was some movie or drama plot with him as the main lead! oh, but why is he holding your hands—

“yes, i will spend the rest of my life with you.”

“…what?”

tldr; you’re just a silly writer who daydreams far too much for their own good, and somehow managed to bag top-tier director mr reca with the power of said daydreams. (his ever-growing obsession with you is concerning to say the least but, hey! what genius isn’t at least a little insane?)

[misswynters]

Alone in the rumble, as you died in his arms

short drabble

pure angst / hurt no comfort

requested. by anon

Flames danced in the ruins of Piltover, their light painting the chaos in flickering shades of orange and red. The once pristine city was now a battlefield, torn apart by Ambessa’s Noxian forces. Smoke billowed from the destruction, and the air was thick with ash and the metallic tang of blood. Ekko sprinted through the wreckage, his heart pounding with a fear he hadn’t felt since he lost his family in Zaun.

Every explosion made him flinch, every shadow looked like you. He had sworn to protect you, to keep you safe despite the horrors of this war. You weren’t supposed to be here, not in the thick of the fight, not in the crumbling heart of Piltover. But you had insisted, standing firm in that quiet, determined way of yours.

“Zaun fights against corruption. I won’t stand idly by and do nothing,” you had said, your hand brushing against his.

But now, as he tore through the smoldering streets, his heart filled with dread. Jinx’s globe, her insane, chaotic weapon of destruction, had careened into one of the towering structures nearby. The crash had sent debris flying like deadly shrapnel, and he had lost sight of you in the chaos.

He shouted your name, his voice hoarse from the smoke and desperation. His feet stumbled over rubble, and his eyes scanned every twisted beam and broken wall for a glimpse of you. Your name that once brought warmth now felt like a prayer. The world around him was collapsing, literally. Another blast shook the ground, and a wall buckled under its weight. But all he could think about was finding you.

And then he saw it. A hand peeking out from beneath a pile of rubble, fingers limp and covered in soot. His breath hitched as he ran toward you, adrenaline driving his every step. When he reached the debris, he fell to his knees, his hands trembling as he began pulling away the heavy stones and broken wood. “No, no, no,” he murmured under his breath, the words spilling out like a mantra.

Finally, he uncovered you. Your body was twisted and broken, your beautiful gown torn and stained with blood. Soot clung to your skin, and a deep gash ran along your temple. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

“Firefly…” His voice cracked as he leaned down, cupping your face with shaking hands.

Your eyes fluttered open, unfocused and dim. The spark that always lit them, the one that had drawn him to you in the first place, was barely there. “Ekko…” you whispered, your voice so faint it was almost lost amidst the chaos.

“I’m here,” he said, his tears falling freely now. “I’ve got you. You’re gonna be okay, you hear me? Just hold on for abit.”

You tried to smile, but it was weak and fleeting. “I… I don’t think I can,” you murmured, your words slurred from the pain.

“Don’t you dare say that,” he said, his voice breaking as he pressed his cheek to yours. “You’re strong. Stronger than anyone I know. You’re gonna make it. We’re gonna go home. You just have to stay with me.”

But your body was trembling, and your breathing was shallow. He could feel the life slipping away from you, and he was powerless to stop it.

“Mmhm,” you hummed softly, your voice trembling as tears spilled from your eyes. “I’m scared.”

“I know,” he whispered, his heart shattering. “I know, Firefly. I’m here with you, okay?”

Your hand lifted weakly, brushing against his cheek. “I wanted to stay and see it… the future you talked about,” you said, your voice barely audible. “I wanted to be there with you.”

“You will be,” he said, even as the truth clawed at his throat.

But your eyes were beginning to close, the light in them fading like a dying star. “Promise me…” you whispered.

“I promise,” he choked out, his tears falling onto your face as he held you on his lap. And then, with a shuddering breath, you went still. Your body went limp completely against his, no more strength to hold onto.

“No.” The word left him in a broken whisper. “No, no, no!” He pulled you into his arms, rocking back and forth as the weight of your loss crushed him. The city burned around him, but he didn’t care. The world could end, and it wouldn’t matter. You were gone. The one who had brought light into his life, who had stood by him even when the odds were stacked against them, was gone. And it was his fault. He had promised to protect you, and he had failed.

His tears fell freely now, mingling with the blood and soot that covered your face. He pressed his forehead to yours, his voice a broken whisper. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I love you. I’ll always love you.”

Around him, the war raged on. But in that moment, Ekko was frozen, trapped in a world where the only thing that mattered was the girl he had lost. The flames reflected in his tear-filled eyes, their light a cruel mockery of the fire you had once carried within you. He held you close, his heart breaking with every passing second. And as the sounds of battle echoed around him, one thought consumed him: he would never let your memory fade. He vowed to himself that he would add you onto a mural, the one were the rest of the people he cared about were. The future you had dreamed of, the one you had believed in, it was his now. And he would fight for it, no matter the cost.

a/n. first time doing angst for him…idk if i can even do this to him bro 😞 (literally wrote this while at work so sorry if it doesn’t make sense)!

banner. @anitalenia

[piningbuddies]

@canonbibuck hey. remember i said if we see tommy pick buck up and kiss him at the door i WILL explode btw? and you said i think my heart will stop? i couldn't get it out of my head. i hope you live near an AED.

"hey evan, you ready to go?" tommy says, his mouth creasing at the corner where he smiles and buck wants. wants to press his lips to the corner of tommy's mouth, wants to learn every curve and crease. he finds himself wanting to be pressed into a counter or a wall or even his fucking front door and thoroughly kissed. he wants to be held and he wants it to be tommy doing the kissing and that's a heady feeling he can't quite wrap his head around.

"evan?" tommy says, snapping him out of his head.

"sorry!" he breathes, tucking his phone into his back pocket. "got a tendency to get in my own head a bit."

tommy chuckles, an amused thing that sends sparks flying down to buck's toes. "so i've noticed." he rakes his eyes over buck then, his smile turning more smirk at the corners. "you look great."

"so do you!" buck rushes out, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. and it's true. tommy's dressed in a loose-fitting olive green shirt that makes him look massive and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans which cling to his thighs sinfully, and now that buck's properly seeing all of this, it's...well—

it's honestly driving him insane.

tommy's eyes crinkle, and he thinks about telling maddie he wasn't going to act like a 14 year old girl anymore but he has to physically fight down the urge to giggle. the older man steps into his space, his hand coming up and his thumb gently tugging buck's bottom lip from between his teeth.

"wha—"

tommy cuts him off with a kiss. it blows his mind how good this is — to just kiss with zero intention behind it. just kissing for the sake of kissing is something he hasn't really done a lot of, and he's still new to the whole kissing a man thing, but the way tommy kisses is unlike anything else he's experienced. buck actually feels smaller in tommy's grasp, and it's not overwhelming like he expected. it doesn't feel wrong or bad or anything any of the websites he's spent the past couple of days looking at warned him about. it—

it actually feels really nice.

tommy kisses buck with a slow, soft drag of his lips, his stubble scratching lightly against buck's chin. buck's hands eventually take up residence on tommy's chest, the steady thump thump of his heart a grounding presence before he floats off onto some other plane of existence.

they part eventually, their foreheads resting against one another as buck's eyes flutter open. "what was that for?"

tommy's smile is wide and unashamed as he shrugs, stealing a quick peck from buck. "just because."

he steps back then, taking buck's hand in his, and the slide of their calloused palms together sends another tingle down buck's spine that he chases after. he never wants to stop chasing it, actually. this feeling? the full exhales he's been able to take since tommy flipped his world on its head? the sheer wanting and feeling wanted?

buck's hand tightens around tommy's as they step towards the door. he's not letting any of it slip from his grasp. not anymore.

[stitchwraith-stingers]

sorry for never shutting up about how people treat hazel but ohh my god shes my fave character atm.... i get to be mad!! she has good enough information that you can play around with headcanons freely

the only moments people wouldve brung up is when dev is in the episode, there was no reason for the episode that showed her tendancy to overthink and be emberassed over small mistakes by wishing a do-over and over again, having to realise that running away from the idea of creating a problem wont help her in the long run JUST so people could go "omg haha dev has a crush on her" i could litterly not tell you what the general concensious on most episodes are because i dont know peoples opinions on them because in general they dont discuss them beyond his scenes

fanart too, ive personally muted the dev and devzel tag and when i look up #hazel wells i want you to guess how many posts i find that arent hidden! spoiler alert its barely any of them, listen im not saying im shocked at the fact The Characters Made As A Duo are drawn as a duo, its whatever and while im not personally a fan in general i really do get the appeal, but you have to admit that at some point it gets really suspicious when the only fanart you can find in one character is only with the more popular one, over 200 fics in the hazel tag on ao3 and theres only 20! without the dev tag! (10 more then when i last checked, crazy! go read fly bird, fly now), and my main problem is is that hazel is shown to be her own person OUTSIDE of their friendship, infact wouldnt you know it shes the protagonist herself! the fact that most aus ive seen are focused on dev/dale/peri is whats most confusing to me, "oh but theyre so interesting to work with"

really! youre telling me you cant think of a fic / au idea on her own? miss "i was going to have a previous godparent who didnt listen to me at all", miss "i am very anxious and i overthink to the point where my desicions", miss "i had an encounter with my evil shadow self when i was a fairy" (shout out to fairy bound au btw, im a big fan), miss "my mom doesnt fully know how to handle children inspite of being a therapist and tells me im handling things mature so i feel like i should be", miss "with the fact that im terrified my friends are making fun of me behind my back, i didnt know how to talk to anyone and a cafetiria made me so overworried and i speak to my rocks could imply the fact that i was outcasted at a young age", miss "my brother who has been my anchor and i has taught me everything i need to know has left me and hes also struggling to adjust to everything and we were insanely close to the point where the reason this whole thing started is because of him", miss "i regularly help my dad hunt a ghost that doesnt exist but it makes him happy", miss "i am litterly friends with the coolest kid in elementary school", miss "my landlords are litterly doomsday preppers and our parents want me to get along with their werido twins", miss "i didnt even hestitate to kill myself if i had to save potatoes for humanity after i pissed off mother nature", miss 'i got called out on projecting my past bonding expiriences on my best friend by some werid demon posessing her body right infront of me' none of that makes you want to think of something about her on her own? not even a spark of an idea? its almost like you guys watched exclusively 6 episodes and watched 5 minutes out of them at most

hazel is very interesting and shows her own struggles, she likes puns and fries and rocks and anime and horror movies (and apparently mushrooms if you count that one scene), she tries to problem solve so that no one is unhappy (patty being alive so winn wasnt upset, trying to get the band and orchestra together, accidently haunting her house and wishing her dads day was extra special, trying to find a dinosaur she spontaniously teleported his own job), she has multiple episodes showing her insecurities and how she tries to hide it so she doesnt look like a bad person, but inspite of it all is a understanding person and a peacemaker and doesnt like arguments, hell shes even such good autism represntation im 99.9% sure it wasnt intentional at all

dont even get me started on the takes ive seen in the finale, listen the finale has alot to be said and it definatly wont be everyones cup of tea (i think them trying to refrence every episode felt so chaotic personally) but regarding people with the ending is still giving me a headache, "she shouldve used her wish on him" that wouldve been so boring and predicable, say what you want on what she actually used it for but i think you guys should realise that for the kid whos regressing back into his bad copium mechanisms should get to face his concequences, 'hes 10 and neglected so thats why he acted like that' and 'she doesnt need to put up with how he treats her and hold his hand and be his personal therapist' can both coexist, people being pissed that she lightheartly agreed that he fucked up when HE admitted it is crazyyy CRAZYYY (also the fact ive seen someone say 'her moms a therapist she shouldve known' ???)

this isnt even touching on "hazels other relationships like her friends and family arent developed enough so thats why ppl dont care that much" while that is a valid critism i have with the show in general i still dont think applys to what im specifically talking about to demonstrate dale has appeared in THREE episodes (four if you want to stretch it), meanwhile hazels parents have appeared more often and im barely seeing them in fanart "but dale has a backstory!" so do those two have a whole episode explaining how they met "b-but dale is interesting as a role as a villain!" the guy is barely a villain [so far atleast], but also is being a therapist and a parascienists already not an interesting enough? are you guys suddenly not able to make as much headcanons expanding apon them as you did with dale? thats the thing that confuses me the most, whats stopping you from giving random information from your head to anyone else?, (i didnt know how to word this point so hopefully this makes sense)

listen im going to say it right now MOST OF THIS IS DEFINATLY UNINTENTIONAL AND NOT EVERYONE IS DOING THIS ON PURPOSE but some of u guys might really need to uncover some biases on why you think the black girl should coddle the rich white boy when he wasnt treating her well at the time, if that makes sense

[mandiemegatron]

ꜰᴏᴜʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ᴡᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ

A Trafalgar Law/YN mini ficlet ✨️💖

Rated: G

Fluff, slow romance, Law being annoyed that he has emotions.

A/N: A lil gifty-poo for my friend @baka-tsuki - I hope you have a better night bestie and I hope you enjoy this lil treat 👀✨️💖

We love soft Law in this household! I hope you all enjoy 🥺💖✨️

Header by @baka-tsuki / @baka-tsuki-2 💖

The first time Laws skin brushed yours, it was like a spark had run through his fingers as he handed you a cup of tea, crawling up his entire arm until the tingles settled at the back of his neck. You didn't notice how the tips of his ears burned, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief when you turned away. He locked himself in his office the rest of that night, his face buried in his hands as an irritated huff left him every once in a while.

Annoying.

The second time, your shoulders had bumped each others as you leaned on the railing up top, enjoying the last few moments of sun shine as it set for the day. He knew you loved sunsets, always finding you watching the sun fall into nothingness every time the sub was ascended and somehow found solace in spending those quiet moments with you.

His heart skipped a beat as you sighed, an almost lost look on your face as the sun finally disappeared beyond the waterline, looking up at him with a small smile. It skipped again as you thanked him for staying; he was unable to return the smile but gave a short nod instead, basking in the grin you gave in turn.

Incredibly annoying.

The third time, you'd stumbled into his office, holding your bleeding left shoulder. Your knees hit the ground and he was out of his chair in a flash, gently yet firmly grasping you by the uninjured shoulder.

"Y/N-ya, what the hell happened?!"

He hated how his voice cracked, shock and worry slipping through the cracks in his skin as he flew into doctor mode. He didn't even give you a chance to respond as he summoned a room, the both of you disappearing in a blue bubble and ending up in the infirmary.

He helped you up onto a table, making quick work to scrub his hands as speedily as possible at the sink before rushing back over to snap on his medical gloves. He gently removed your bloodied hand, giving a low huff as he examined the damage.

"O-one of the boilers had a leak- I didn't move in time- OUCH, mother fucker, can you not?!"

He glared down at you as you snapped at him, his thumb pressing a bit too roughly right on the border of your burned skin. You both stared each other down before you relented, giving a roll of your eyes before looking down at your dirtied work boots.

There was an excruciatingly heavy silence that hung around you both as he worked, his fingers practically flying over your skin as he disinfected and brushed a salve over the burn. You hissed and groaned, squeezing your eyes and hands into fists, fighting back another snark as you bit the inside of your cheek.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings-"

Your head snapped back to him, and you gave him the darkest look you could, trying to convey that you already understood and felt stupid enough as it was. It took him a moment, but it clicked eventually, causing him to sigh with an air of annoyance as he reached for the gauze.

"... at least I'll have a cool scar?"

His eyes were wide as he turned back to you, unable to wrap his head around how quickly your attitude changed, an almost cheeky grin covering your features as your feet swung back and forth slightly.

"Woman, you are absolutely insane, did you know that?"

You gave a chuckle and shrugged, unable to keep the grin from your lips.

"Ah, but of course! It keeps the locals away."

Law couldn't stop the snort that bubbled up, rolling his own eyes as he began to wrap your upper arm and shoulder, his lips pressed into a firm line for a moment before he retorted,

"No wonder you fit right in. Apparently, I have a habit of adopting weirdos." His voice was almost mocking, though a joking tone made its way through easier than it had before. How he ended up here, able to make jokes with one of the most annoying yet cute people ever, perplexed and irritated him to no end.

Absolutely, incredibly annoying.

He had just finished cleaning you up, moving less than a space away as he snapped off his gloves, tossing them onto his tray when you suddenly grasped his one tattooed hand with your uninjured one, a gentle thumb brushing over his knuckles.

"You are the best doctor in the world," you gushed with a slightly smaller smile, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting it fall back to his side. Your cheeks burned as you finally looked up at his face, feeling your stomach flip-flop as his own cheeks flushed pink.

"Yes, I'm aware."

He internally smacked himself over the head, sighing with a huff as he ran the hand you didn't touch through his messy hair.

"... I, uh ... thank you."

You gave him a swift thumbs up and hopped off the table, quickly making your way to the doors as you threw over your shoulder,

"Anytime, boss. See you at dinner!"

Before he could respond, you flew out the doors the second you opened them, slight panic on your face as you booked it to your shared room with Ikkaku, ripping the door open and slamming it shut. Your back hit the door and you exhaled slowly, trying to calm your racing heart.

"Ugh, disgusting. Who said you could give me feelings, you rat bastard," you murmured to yourself.

The fourth time was that night, out on the deck once more as the sun slowly fell behind looming storm clouds. Law made his way to you and glanced over your wrapped shoulder, ignoring your sounds of protest as he gently poked and prodded.

"Oi, come on man, that sucks- ouch, Law!"

He stopped, his hands not moving from your skin though his eyes met yours, an unrecognizable look in his eyes. You rarely, if ever, called him his name. He decided then and there that he could listen to you say it over and over and never get sick of it.

"Y/N-ya, I apologize."

His voice was low, genuine in his apology as his eyes never left yours. His heart jumped when your eyes flickered to his lips, your own pressing into a thin line as you stared back up at him. It was only a few moments before you sighed softly through your nose, eyes closing as you leaned into him.

"I'm too tired to argue with you," You moaned out, the side of your face meeting his chest as he turned to hold you. He was stiff, an embarrassed look on his face as he thanked whatever gods were up there that everyone else had retired inside for the night.

As the sun finally disappeared, Law looked down at you, his gaze meeting the top of your head. After a moment, he gave a sigh of his own, his forehead meeting the top of your noggin as he finally began to relax. It felt so foreign, having a warm body in his arms and the feeling of warmth that filled his chest.

"We should go in," he murmured into your hair, unwilling to move or lift his face from your hair. His stomach flipped when you chuckled softly, pulling away enough to look up at him with an almost pleading expression.

"Can we just stay out here a little longer? Please?"

Your plea was so quiet, the sound almost not meeting his ears, and he couldn't fight back the small smile that washed over his lips as he relented.

"Alright brat, just a little longer."

Maybe... not that annoying.

A/N: WEEE WELL, there we have it !!! It took me about 3 hours to write and beta so if there's any mistakes, it's cos I was stoned and missed it! 😂✨️💖

I hope you all enjoyed, please like and relbog if you did, we love a soft Law in this house 😭😭😭😭

Love you all, be good my little tangerines! ❤️

[agirlnamedelia]

Training Grounds Rush - Part 3

genre: smut pairing: Levi x FEM!Reader synopsis: During a particularly intense training session, Levi pushes you to your limits, demanding perfection. As tensions rise, the physical exertion and close proximity cause a spark to ignite between you. After a heated argument, emotions overflow, leading to an unexpected and passionate encounter in the training room. The intensity of the moment leaves both of you questioning the nature of your relationship. Tip Jar!

The quiet of the training grounds was now stifling, the earlier tension between you and Levi hanging thick in the air. His hand still rested on your waist, the grip firm, as if he wasn’t ready to let go. The way he looked at you—eyes dark and filled with a mixture of desire and something almost feral—told you that the line you both had been toeing for so long had finally been crossed. There was no turning back now.

“Levi,” you whispered, your voice barely audible in the silence.

He didn’t respond with words, but his gaze told you everything. His eyes traveled over your face, lingering on your lips before meeting your eyes again, and you could see the battle raging inside him. For a moment, it seemed like he might pull away, but then, with a low, frustrated growl, he closed the distance between you.

The kiss was hard, almost bruising in its intensity, as if Levi was trying to pour everything he was feeling into it. You responded with equal fervor, your hands flying to his shoulders, pulling him closer. The heat between you was scorching, all the pent-up tension finally released in a torrent of passion that neither of you could control.

Levi’s hands were everywhere—tracing the curve of your waist, gripping your hips, sliding up your back as if he was trying to memorize every inch of you. You gasped into the kiss when his hands dipped lower, cupping your ass and lifting you off the ground with a strength that left you breathless. Instinctively, your legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him even closer as he pressed you against the wall of the training room.

“You drive me insane,” Levi muttered against your lips, his voice rough, almost desperate. His breath was hot against your skin as he kissed a path down your neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh there, sending shivers down your spine.

You tightened your hold on him, your fingers digging into his shoulders. “Levi… please…”

A low growl rumbled in his chest at your plea, and he responded by biting down gently on the curve of your neck, just enough to make you gasp. “I shouldn’t want this,” he murmured, his voice a mixture of frustration and desire. “But I can’t help it. I want you.”

“I want you too,” you whispered, your voice trembling with need. “So badly…”

That was all the encouragement Levi needed. His hands slid under your shirt, the touch of his rough, calloused fingers against your bare skin sending electric jolts of pleasure through you. He yanked the fabric up, over your head, tossing it aside without a second thought. His eyes darkened even more as they raked over your now-exposed body, and he quickly followed suit, shrugging off his own shirt to reveal the hard, defined muscles of his chest.

For a moment, he just looked at you, his eyes roaming over your body with an intensity that made you feel as though you were being devoured by his gaze alone. Then, with a low, hungry growl, he leaned in again, capturing your lips in another searing kiss. This time, it was slower, more deliberate, as if he wanted to savor every second.

Levi’s hands were busy, sliding up your sides, over your breasts, his touch firm and possessive. You moaned into the kiss, your own hands tracing the hard lines of his chest, feeling the tension in his muscles as they rippled under your touch.

With a sudden, swift movement, Levi spun around, carrying you with him, and laid you down on the padded floor of the training room. He hovered over you for a moment, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his eyes locking onto yours.

“This is happening,” he said, his voice low and rough, a statement more than a question.

You nodded, unable to form words, your heart pounding in your chest as you looked up at him. “Yes,” you managed to whisper, your voice trembling with anticipation. “I want this.”

Levi’s lips curled into a smirk, one that was both confident and predatory. He leaned down, his mouth finding yours again in a kiss that was all-consuming, as if he was trying to claim you with each press of his lips. His hands roamed your body, tracing the curves and dips of your flesh with a possessiveness that made you feel like you were his, completely and utterly.

His lips trailed down your neck, over your collarbone, and lower, until he reached the swell of your breasts. He paused there, his breath hot against your skin, and looked up at you through half-lidded eyes. Without breaking eye contact, he dipped his head lower, his tongue tracing a path along the curve of your breast before he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking gently.

The sensation was electric, a sharp jolt of pleasure that shot straight through you, and you arched your back, pressing yourself against him. Levi responded with a low growl, his hands gripping your hips tightly as he continued his assault on your senses, his mouth working its way down your body.

You were trembling by the time he reached the waistband of your pants, and when he looked up at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of lust and something deeper, you knew there was no going back. Without a word, Levi unbuttoned your pants and slid them down your legs, his touch reverent, almost tender, as if he was unwrapping a gift.

“You’re beautiful,” he muttered, almost to himself, his hands tracing the line of your thigh as he tossed your pants aside. He leaned down again, his mouth finding yours in another hungry kiss, his hands sliding up your thighs, spreading them apart as he settled himself between them.

“Levi,” you gasped, your voice breathless, your body aching with need as you felt the heat of him pressing against you.

He didn’t respond with words, but his actions spoke volumes. His hands slid up your thighs, gripping your hips as he positioned himself at your entrance. He paused there, his eyes locking onto yours, the intensity in his gaze making your heart skip a beat.

“Tell me you want this,” he demanded, his voice rough, his breath hot against your lips.

“I want this,” you breathed, your voice trembling with anticipation. “I want you.”

Levi’s eyes darkened even more at your words, and with a sharp thrust, he entered you, drawing a sharp cry from your lips. The sensation was overwhelming, a mix of pain and pleasure that sent shockwaves through your body. Levi’s hands tightened on your hips, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he began to move, his thrusts hard and deep.

You clung to him, your nails digging into his back as he pounded into you, each movement sending you spiraling closer to the edge. The world around you faded away, leaving only the two of you, lost in the raw intensity of the moment. The sound of your ragged breaths, the slap of skin against skin, filled the air, driving you both closer to the brink.

“Levi… I’m—” You couldn’t finish the sentence, your words lost in a gasp as the pleasure built to an unbearable peak.

“Let go,” Levi growled, his voice rough with strain. “I’ve got you.”

With one final, hard thrust, you shattered, your body convulsing around him as the orgasm ripped through you, leaving you breathless, trembling in his arms. Levi followed right after, his own release tearing through him, a low groan escaping his lips as he buried his face in your neck, his body shaking with the force of it.

For a long moment, you both stayed like that, clinging to each other, your breaths mingling in the aftermath of what just happened. The tension that had been hanging between you was gone, replaced by a deep, bone-aching satisfaction.

Finally, Levi lifted his head, his eyes meeting yours. There was a softness there now, a vulnerability that you had never seen before. He pressed a tender kiss to your forehead, his arms still holding you close.

“This changes things,” Levi murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper.

You nodded, your heart swelling with a mix of emotions as you looked up at him. “Yeah… it does.”

And as Levi held you close, his breath warm against your skin, you knew that no matter what happened next, nothing would ever be the same between you.

[takeyourcyanide]

Rationality; a Supposed Loss and Deterioration

AO3

Fandom: Soul Eater

Character(s): Franken Stein, Spirit Albarn

Word count: 2 408

Tags: Mentions of Violence, Mentions of Age Regression, Age Regression/De-Aging, It’s Not Paranoia If They’re Really Out To Get You, Triggers, Paranoia, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Short One Shot

Summary: Stein spends the entire day pacing after receiving a particular alert. Spirit comes home, and is not very happy with his agitated demeanor.

Notes: A mutual of mine once said that it seems that I use writing as defragmentation. That perfectly describes whatever this is, and another fic I might post. This is sort of an exploration, as well - a dissection to a degree. A lot of my fics are.

Multiple trains of thought raced within Stein’s skull, all being derailed once their tracks would abruptly break, sparks flying from where they’d be cut off by sometimes nothing and sometimes something. The same sound he’d heard in the morning was playing endlessly in his mind, the same feeling, that sensation which spread throughout his limbs, gnawing on his insides, remaining almost effervescent in the way that it’d bubble up and nearly cause his body to bust open.

His extremities twitched every once in a while, odd muscle spasms often occurring, as he paced back and forth and back and forth through the short corridor of his and Spirit’s small apartment for hours on end. Soon, he found that his calves would ache with each step that he took, the floor rubbing against the forming and formed callouses on his toes, even his lower back seemingly a little sore.

But he could not stop his vessel from moving, not until that sensation which left him ticking, his head often jerking to the side, his shoulders rolling and cracking, dissipated.

There were still some leftover tremors in his hands, which he found almost funny. The same individual who’d regularly involve himself in any form of danger for the sake of feeling alive and euphoric was the same individual who was shaking at a mere sound, at a message of sorts, at something he could not even name without becoming jittery and agitated.

Surely they were coming for him. Surely. They’d ask who that ‘they’ even was, and perhaps it was those included in that… broadcast. Perhaps it was anyone. But it must’ve been those included.

Stein was lucky not to have experienced whiplash with the amount of times he’d whipped his head around, up, and even down, to check for any sign of an approaching figure. He could feel their presences. They were inside of his apartment. And each time he’d arrive at the end of the hallway, near a source of light and near the kitchen, he’d freeze briefly to cautiously check for those figures, before turning around after hearing and feeling someone’s breath on his neck, only to be met with nothing, except for the occasional oddity. He was being teased, taunted. Mocked, even.

For a moment, he flapped his hands, he beat on his arms, he pulled at his hair, he ripped the skin off of his lips with his teeth.

There was nothing he could do about it. If he were to hurt or even murder someone, perhaps Spirit since he had been awfully conspicuous lately, he’d be deemed as criminally insane. Imagine if he were to tell the judge and jury just why he’d been so violent. He didn’t want to be stuck in a psychiatric institution for the rest of his life because he got a little too agitated one day. But what about those coming for him? Would it not be self-defense? Was Spirit involved as well? He wasn’t, was he?

He darted back down the hallway, no longer walking, but running from the presences. He stopped once he entered his bedroom, making sure to check everywhere for the same person that was… broadcasted loudly to him. Once he found nothing - though he still knew there was someone in his apartment waiting to get him, playing with their food before devouring him - he grabbed his stuffed, stitched-up rabbit swiftly, holding it by one of its long, floppy ears and bolting out of his room, shutting the door behind him.

He brought the plushie to his chest for a moment, his chin resting on its soft head, as he embraced the toy, hoping that maybe it could soothe some of that pent-up sensation coursing through his body. And while it did nothing to get rid of what seemed to be his anxiety and agitation, it did cause a pleasant warmth to spread in his heavy, pressured and dense-feeling chest, contrasting, yet blending in with the noise.

He trudged closer to the kitchen, closer to the blaring light, ignoring the pain in his feet and legs, and the aching in his knees and hips.

“Oh, hey, Stein.”

There was a figure. The figure of his weapon, standing in the kitchen, digging through the cabinets. He hadn’t heard him come in. What else hadn’t he heard? What if someone else came in - or, really, broke in - and he was much too lost in his own internal landscape to notice?

He whipped his head in every direction he possibly could, their oppressive presences replacing and becoming the air he breathed.

He silenced a whimper. He silenced a strained, somewhat frustrated, exhausted groan. His body was becoming gradually more cumbersome to move and maintain any semblance of control over.

How was he supposed to interact with the scythe like normal? He needed to. He could not, but he needed to. He wasn’t in the mood to be yelled at and chastised. Therefore, he needed to, though he knew he wouldn’t. He did not wish to interact with him at all.

“Stein? What are you doing? You pacing again? Why are you just standing there?” Spirit tilted his head in suspicion, walking up to Stein, apparently having given up on finding a snack. “You really need to go shopping. It’s your turn, you know. We have, like, nothing.”

“What time is it?”

“What?”

“What time is it?”

“God, I wish you’d stop mumbling for once. I have no clue what you’re saying-“

“What time is it?” He, even more agitated than before, repeated with an accidentally whiny emphasis. He was antsy, he could not help it. He hadn’t the energy to interact, not when he knew how annoyed Spirit would be, how far from calm he’d be - which would only continue to worsen his growing distress. Spirit always had to be mad about something. Why couldn’t he ever just shut his fugly mouth and leave him be?

“It’s seven o’clock.”

“What day is it?”

“It’s Sunday. I went on a date. Remember?”

‘Barely.’

He was much too focused on the prospect of hearing an alarm again to remember what year it was, much less what day it happened to be.

“You’re always on a date.”

Spirit scoffed as though it weren’t the truth. He was always so offended, always on the defensive.

“That’s not true!” He moved towards the living room, Stein curiously following him. He wanted to gauge the now sitting boy, to figure out precisely what he should be suspicious or not suspicious of him for. He should always be suspicious, and he always was. They were conspicuous. Did he sell his information to the one broadcasted? Surely not. Though he couldn’t help but question it. Perhaps he did. He did not want another broadcast.

“Can you turn off the emergency alerts on your phone?” He did not want to ever hear another one, though he certainly would at some point. Just voicing what they were was enough for him to shiver, the sensation worsening as it rolled down his spine.

“Ohh… You got one, too, then?” He kicked back on the sofa, his feet lying crossed on the coffee table. “Yeah.. it was kind of unnerving. Some guy’s wanted for a bunch of murders and kidnappings and shit, and apparently he was last seen somewhere, like, half an hour or so away from us. He’s on Lord Death’s list- I heard some first years ended up with the mission.”

That did not answer his question. And he did not want to talk about it.

That same painful sensation sent shocks throughout his chest, throughout his arms and legs. His forehead began to throb, leaving him to wonder if his brain was finally about to explode, the rims of his eyes a little sore. He clumsily, sloppily rubbed one of his eyes with his free hand, as he yawned, finding that he’d forgotten to wear his glasses for the entire day. No wonder his eyes hurt.

“Honestly, that rabbit just screams you,” he pointed at the stuffed toy in Stein’s hand. “With all of the stitches, and how mangled and disturbing it looks. It’s pretty cute, though. …Are you going to sit down? Do you wanna watch something?”

“Mm-mm,” he hummed in disagreement, beginning to rock himself on his feet, that antsy, restless feeling not leaving him. Noisy, noisy, noisy.

“Why are you being so pouty? It’s annoying.”

Pouty? What had he done wrong? And even if he was, how could he not be a little pouty? After a long day of chronic agitation and failing to repress regression episodes, was he not allowed to be a little pouty? After being quite literally woken up by one of the few things that is able to illicit something akin to a fear response from him, was he not permitted to be a little fussy? No, he was not. He was not some sort of baby, after all. Everyone gets unnerved by things sometimes. Get over it. Suck it up. Don’t be so pathetic.

But how was he being annoying? He wasn’t venting to him, he hadn’t told him anything. He wasn’t seeking his comfort, or any sort of assistance from him. He wasn’t pestering him for anything. What was he doing that was so terrible?

“And you’ve been even weirder than usual lately. I wish you’d at least respond to me. I don’t know what psychiatric thing is going on with the you, or what psychiatric thing you want me to believe is going on with you, but It’d be nice if you’d pretend to be normal or human for even just a little while.”

“He’s coming for me,” he muttered under his breath, little titters escaping him despite his increasing agitation, as his lips twitched to the side. Spirit had often told him that his face twitched when he’d speak, when they’d converse. He noticed a lot of facial twitching, and twitching in general. Involuntary spasms. He found it odd. He found everything about him odd.

“Who’s ‘he?’” He gazed at him, looked him up and down with an expression that made it obvious just how bizarre he thought he was. He stared at him as though he’d said the dumbest thing in the world. He appeared almost repulsed by him. “No one’s coming for you. You’re fucking ridiculous. You used to actually be somewhat logical. I seriously can’t even speak to you anymore- no one can,” he sighed, his eyes seemingly telling him he perceived himself as being above him, as being better, more logical. How insulting. “Whatever. Gone are the days of having a rational conversation with you.”

Stein immediately walked away. What was even the point in trying to argue with him, or explain his side of things when he’d only be looked down upon, when he’d only be told he was being ridiculous and apparently faking some sort of issue? What was he even faking? What incentive would he have to fake anything? Attention? But being strange in the eyes of others did not typically bring anything good. He didn’t think he was acting all that different than usual. But any time he was even more “off,” or was having an even worse day than is typical in terms of the noise, he was often accused of apparently exaggerating or lying. But what the fuck was he lying about? He hadn’t told him anything? Was he lying about them coming for him? Was it because he’d giggle when he’d tell him that? But he didn’t mean to. His laughing didn’t mean was happy or faking. It just happened. It happened a lot when he’d get agitated and anxious. It could happen in his brief moments of euphoria, but he wasn’t euphoric. Why couldn’t Spirit understand that his body did things against his will? He didn’t feel like laughing. He didn’t know why he did. It was paradoxical, sure, but it just happened. If anything, giggling meant he wasn’t feeling too well a lot of the time. Not always, of course. But sometimes. Sometimes his happened at random, when he wasn’t feeling particularly any way. Sometimes it was a result of something negative, and other times it was a result of something positive, though that was fairly rare.

He opened his bedroom door, peaking into his room and checking for anything about to jump him. He checked behind the door, shutting it and locking it. And he crawled into bed, his comforter over his knees, as he held his rabbit tightly to his chest, rocking himself back and forth in an effort to calm himself.

He did not want to pathetically cry, he was not the type to cry, he never experienced the urge to cry. He hadn’t cried in God knows how long, so why now? Was it because of those idiotic regression episodes? But even when he was physically small, he did not weep. He wanted to be rational.

He nibbled on his lips, he nibbled on the fingertips coming to rest unconsciously against his lips.

He was supposed to be the logical one. He was supposed to be rational. Was he not logical anymore? Where was he? He was lost. He was supposed to be the smart one. He was supposed to be intelligent. He was supposed to be rational.

But they were coming for him. But he was supposed to be calm and rational. He typically was, was he not? He was grounded, down to earth. Where has he gone? Perhaps he’d finally lost himself to the madness. But he wasn’t supposed to irrational.

He knew this would happen, didn’t he? But he was being rational. Someone coming for him was the truth.

Where was he? Where was everything? Where had everything gone? He was finally gone, most certainly in the eyes of others. They’d made it clear how insane they thought he was for a variety of reasons- whether it be his violence or.. this.

He was supposed to rational. There was nothing left. But he was rational. This was rational. What did he mean by ‘gone are the days of having a rational conversation with you’? What did anyone mean by anything? Why did he have to interact with those who did not want him around? And where was he?

But they’re here. That is the truth. He was not. That, too, is the truth. There was a weight on his chest. And he wanted to brutalize Spirit.

[wereh0gz]

Corrupted - Oneshot (?)

Final Horizon's ending, but things go very, very wrong.

This au is driving me insane enough to get me back into writing fanfic after months of not writing. Might do more maybe idk.

Anyways. Woe corrupted au be upon ye.

Word count: 1697

The End looms over Ouranos island, its overwhelming presence crushing those below it. The Titan floats before it, beaten and powerless, yet kept up by its invisible puppet strings. A golden star glimmers defiantly, his piercing blue eyes staring death itself down.

"Sonic! It's now or never!" Eggman calls out, readying the rifle stolen from the Titan.

Sonic quickly flies into its giant barrel, focusing his power, ready to unleash it and end this nightmare once and for all.

"Sorry, Master King," Sonic says as he turns to face his enemy, "Looks like I'm going all-out after all."

He closes his eyes, tapping into the cyber-energy he kept locked away per the Koco's advice. It tingles in the tips of his fingers like electricity, spreading to his palms, up his arms, to the rest of his body. He shakes uncontrollably, power surging through his very veins, burning, corrupting.

No, wait, this isn't right. This isn't–

He yells out, pain consuming his entire being like a raging wildfire as his body spasms. Noise floods his ears, his mind racing, thoughts turning into static as he feels something snap.

The chains break.

The rifle fires.

Everything goes white.

-

Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Eggman, and Sage all watch with bated breath as a blue spark shoots out of the rifle, flying sporadically towards the entity looming overhead. The blue bullet pierces it, causing it to explode into thousands of fragments, raining pieces of heaven over the isles as the hellish red sky fades to a pleasant blue dawn, and the Titan falls dead onto the marshy battlefield.

The blue spark falls with the rest of the glimmering stars, crashing like a meteor, leaving a crater on the ground and burning the grass around him.

Now free of their corruption and back in physical forms, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles rush after their fallen friend, calling his name worriedly. They freeze at the crater's edge when their eyes land on Sonic, shaking as he slowly pushes himself up, eyes unfocused, growling and baring his teeth. His body is consumed by glowing cyan corruption shifting and flashing like pixels on a broken screen.

"Sonic?" Tails mutters, reaching out to him.

Sonic's head rises, his eyes darting from place to place before stopping at Tails, a black spiral staring deep into his very soul.

"Watch out!" Knuckles exclaimed, pushing Tails and Amy out of the way as Sonic lashes out, snarling and lunging at them.

Sonic knocks Knuckles down, pinning him to the ground.

"What the hell?! What's gotten into you?!" Knuckles kicks him off, sending him flying into a nearby tree. Sonic screams out in pain as he collides and falls to the ground.

"Tails, what's going on…?" Amy asked while summoning her Piko Piko Hammer.

"I-I don't know…" he stammered, "Maybe… maybe he couldn't handle all that power after all..."

Knuckles pushes himself up. "Whatever's happened to him, we gotta snap him out of it!"

Before they can do anything, however, Sonic disappears in a flash of blue, leaving a shockwave that knocks the three to the ground, and burnt grass in his wake. When they come to their senses, Sonic is nowhere to be seen, but explosions boom in the distance.

Eggman descends in his Eggmobile, followed by Sage floating next to him. There's a grim look on his face.

"Foolish hedgehog," he said, "he got in over his head and lost all control. Should've known not to take that kind of power lightly."

"This… out of my infinite calculations, this is the worst-case scenario." Sage shook her head. "He's been completely corrupted. If he's in this form for too long, he will–"

"No!" Tails interrupted, "I am not losing my brother to this!" He looks up to her, brows furrowed and a fire burning in his eyes. "Sage! You can track his movements, right?"

"Yes."

"You!" He looks to Eggman, who's scowling, "You're going to help us catch him!"

Eggman scoffs. "And what makes you think I'll help you?"

"Well, Sonic could come back at any moment, and, in this state, it's very likely he'll send you into orbit with zero hesitation the moment he sees you," Tails threatened, "plus, you're the only one with any tech on hand that could help us catch him. So either you help us get him under control, or he ends you along with us and the rest of the island."

"Tch– oh, fine!" Eggman grumbled, "I'll do it, but don't you dare think I'll ever help you again. This is the last time, got it?"

"Hmph." Tails glared at him, earning him a glare back.

Another explosion reverberates nearby, followed by Sonic screaming, catching everyone's attention.

"If my simulations are correct…" Sage began, "It should be possible to repurpose one of father's energy generators to siphon the Chaos and cyber energy out of him. But doing so comes at the risk of his life." Eggman seems to smile at that last sentence.

"Guys, I don't think we have much time left! H-how are we supposed to catch him like this?" Amy asked, gripping her hammer tightly.

Tails' heart drops, but he shakes his head. "It's worth a shot. It's not like we have any other options." Tails turns to Amy and Knuckles. "We're going to distract him while Eggman gets whatever he needs to catch him and bring him back to us. We don't have any time to waste, so let's go!"

Amy and Knuckles nod, and with that, the three set off after Sonic, following Sage's lead while Eggman goes in search for the necessary pieces to bring him down.

-

Noise. Too much. Hurts. It hurts. Head hurts. Burning. Too much noise. It hurts. It burns. It–

"You think you can escape the inevitable, mortal?"

…?

"Fool. Don't think you have bested me simply because you have destroyed my physical form. You cannot kill me, for I am infinite."

…!

"Your arrogance shall be your End."

-

Sonic's screams echo throughout Ouranos, he screams until his voice cracks and gives out. The pain, the burning, he can't take it. Can't think. His heart pounds in his chest as his form flickers red. He can't stop moving. He can't.

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.

"There!" Sage said, pointing at Sonic as the rest caught up to her. "He's becoming more unstable! We need to act quickly!"

"Got it, kid!" Knuckles responded, "We'll take it from here!"

Knuckles immediately goes in for a punch, but Sonic is quick to dodge and retaliate, lunging at him and biting at his arm. Knuckles cries out in pain as he tries to shove him off.

Amy swoops in and, with a well-timed swing of her hammer, knocks Sonic away.

"I hate to do this to you, Sonic, but it's the only way!" Amy exclaims, but it falls upon deaf ears.

Sonic growls and pounces, bashing into her and knocking her down. Her hammer slips from her hands and falls just out of reach.

Before he can attack, Tails shoots him down with his arm cannon, the electric shot stunning him for a moment. "I'm sorry, Sonic," he muttered, seeing how much pain his brother was in.

Eggman and Sage approach from behind Tails, with some kind of device attached to the Eggmobile. A claw stretched out from the bottom of the floating vehicle, snatching Sonic while he's stunned.

He squirms and kicks and yells out in a vain attempt to free himself from the claw's iron grip. The device begins to rumble, and…

Sonic screams as the device drains him of his energy. Electricity sparks around him, the Emeralds finally leaving his body, flying off in different directions. It rips into his very being, tearing the corruption away from his body and into the Eggmobile's engines. The vehicle trembles, becoming overloaded with power.

"Father! Get out!" Sage cries.

Eggman hastily leaps out of the vehicle, barely landing on his feet, just as its internal mechanisms begin to explode under the immense pressure. The claw releases Sonic, letting him fall limp onto the grass as it crashes mere yards away and combusts.

"Sonic!" Tails, Amy, and Knuckles cry out as they rush to his side.

As he lies motionless on the grass, the voices of the crowd of five fade into merely distant echoes, until the burning pain that seared his body subsides, and everything goes quiet.

-

…

…

…

… It's dark.

His body felt so… drained. And heavy.

What's that noise? … Voices?

"I don't know how much longer I can keep him stable, father…" a younger, worried voice says, strangely sounding like it's coming out of a speaker.

"Just a little bit longer, Sage. The inhibitors are almost done… There!" an older voice says.

"Great! Now get them on, quick! Before the cyber corruption gets any worse!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed.

A hand gently lifts his left wrist, and something clicks around it. Then his right. Then around his ankles. Whatever it is feels heavy, and cold. But, somehow, the rest of his body begins to feel lighter.

"It's working! Oh my gosh, it's really working!"

"Pfft, of course it is! Thanks to my- and Sage's- ingenious design! And no thanks to you."

… What are they talking about…?

His eyes inch open, bright, white light filtering through, blinding him. He groans, closing his eyes again and rubbing them. His head hurt.

"Sonic? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Another new voice spoke up.

"C'mon man, you've been out for almost two days now. Get up, sleepyhead!" Yet another new voice, deeper and rougher.

He feels a large hand push him. He jolts.

Suddenly, he found himself on the other side of the room, looking at five strangers that stared back at him with confused and worried looks on their strangely familiar faces. A fox with two tails, a pink hedgehog, a red echidna, and two humans, a giant clad in red with a dignified mustache, and a child that didn't look quite real.

His quills bristled. He felt his chest tighten, his breathing quicken, his hands trembling.

The fox looked at him with terrified blue eyes. "Sonic…?"

He tilts his head, confused.

Who's… Sonic?

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

😊🥰👽

👽 a fic that isn’t prose (poetry, text fic, etc.)

woahg what a cool question 0:

rhymesswith‘s WOH modern setting Cat!ZZS AU comic strips

rhymesswith's WOH Ladyhawke AU specifically this part of it! (masterpost with context in chronogical order)

you already know this but annannjay's iwtw WOH republican era shanghai AU that still has me be wildly insane

bardorable's WOH canon compliant introspective wen kexing poem Entropic Notions

megafaunatic's modern TYK setting comic of zzs throwing a birthday party!

😊 a fic that made you smile on a bad day

this wouldve been much harder to answer but fOrtUnaTely [at the time of writing this] im having a bad mental health month .. phase ,, time! (laughcrysob) [it's been a few i'm fine now!]

i‘d always been rigid before you by thehoundisdead. The Untamed modern au, wangxian, gender changes, wlw, identity shenanigans, texting, food as a gateway for love, university, light angst, misunderstandings, G. wei ying flirts with the driver who delivers her food orders via text, not knowing who they are, and it has no connection at all to lan zhan, her classmate! i love this little fic. its fun and silly and sweet and makes me go all warm inside, its exactly what i need when im down. i remember that u dont prefer school fics but maybe u like this??? there is not much serious school stuff happening there aside from the opportunity for wei ying to flirt with lan zhan since theyre classmates

no one understands the chemistry we have by livinginaworldofnoise. WOH, wenzhou, modern au, story told in posts, G. wen kexing tries to woe the most handsome man in the world. zhou zishu needs advice to get rid of a weird creep. these things are not at all related, why would u think that! its been a few weeks but i read this when i was having an extremely bad night and it lifted my spirits!!!!!! livinginaworldofnoise is one of my fav fandom authors, theyre so good at balancing rawness with humour. and i like how this fic transplants wkx from canon to a modern setting and shifts into an outsider‘s pov (the reddit community, this is told in posts), which automatically removes any context that would explain his Behaviour and Attitudes. i mean, wkx is actually disturbing! if u dont know why he is the way he is agdgdgdg

🥰 a fic that gives you warm fuzzy feelings!!

hey girl (you are what i've been looking for) by detectorist. The Untamed, MDZS, modern au, wangxian, background niehuan. gender changes (EVERYONE is a lesbian except for jiang cheng, who is the token gay man), wlw, house parties, drunk kissing, chaotic friend groups, casual queerness, T. wei ying and lan zhan meet on a house party the jins are hosting. sparks fly. highly recommend to read this together with its sequel!

the only place you wanna be by aiyexayen. WOH canon divergence/fix-it, gu xiang/wen kexing/zhou zishu, background wenzhou, four seasons manor arc, multiple pov, gu xiang-centric, introspection, non-sexual intimacy, hurt/comfort, angst, found family, rarepairings, polyships, M. zhou zishu has a problem, and its just as annoying and confusing as wen kexing. gu xiang realizes that the lao bing gui her zhuren keeps following around might be a little bit good-looking. wen kexing rearranges his perspective of what it means to him to care for his silly little girl. while they all live at four seasons manor, things develop. this fic single-handledly changed my brain chemistry! and the dynamics are so warm and so gah!!!! also aiyex shared a little of the bts process of working on it here!!!!!

ask me for a fic rec meme <3

[starlightingsss]

sparks fly / 2

wildest dreams. 3

kinda hating how i wrote the relationship between haymitch and reader ☹️

u guys i js realized but when im typing on mobile my capitalization is inconsistent n some paragraphs have capitalize first lettters and some dont 😭 sorry

129. she had waved and blown kisses at 129 people so far, making eye contact and reaching her hand into theirs. everything had gone by so fast, she was holding onto haymitch as they got off the train, holding onto his arm.

the crowds had gone wild once they saw, haymitch himself slightly opposed to the public display but unable to shake the woman off his arm.

she loved it, loved having everyones eyes on her. loved the attention, loved the fame. it took forever to get to the stylist cars - much to haymitch and her district partner's annoyance.

haymitch had been careful to make sure not to show any favoritism to the girl, made sure he didn't get attached. he wanted her to survive, and he didn't want to break the poor girls spirit, but still - he didn't think she could live, tributes don't usually care for beauty and it wouldn't get her allies. she would have to prove she was smart, or strong, or anything that might be considered valuable in the arena.

as she and her district partner boarded separate cars, he went onto his own car - one for mentors.

in that car, she was with 4 people. one woman with gold braided into her hair, contrasting against her dark skin, with bright pink makeup and a bright blue dress - weird contrasts but still stunning on her and her skintone. this was her stylist, allium everstar. she had seen the woman on tv many times, as she was always assigned to district 12. the other 3 looked quite bizarre, a woman with fairy wings instead of ears, a man wearing a crop top and ankle length dress with dyed body hair and purple skin, and another woman whos hair was insanely long; split into 2 pigtails wrapping around her ankles, her skin was paper white and she seemed to be drawn in black and white, except for the gigantic golden necklace wrapped around her neck.

she heard them whispering among themselves, "this one is different ... unique! look at those eyes!", the man excitedly squealed to his team members.

she heard other fragments of conversation, little "she looks so different from them.. she could be a capitol girl!", "can't wait to see her all styled up..", "she would be gorgeous if she was pink!"

she looked out the window, still seeing people lined at the streets and waving at her, until they turned into a parking garage.

they all exited the car with peacekeepers joining them and leading them down the elevator.

she was getting sent even more deeper underground - into a room where there were bright white lights.

the team had led her into an odd bathroom, settling her into a bathtub. they stripped her of her clothing, leaving her bare in the cold air of the room.

the head stylist, allium took in her figure, looking at her up and down. she wrote something down onto a little notepad before leaving the room.

she was settled into the tub by the other 3, still unsure of their names.

the women scrubbed her body as the man prepared what seemed to be dye? was he gonna make her purple like him...

"oh dear god! rhuba! abernathy said not to mess with her hair!" exclaimed the woman, in all black.

"we're not cutting it, we'll just make her a little bit blonde .. i'm thinking a split dye, it'll be absolutely stunning on her!" the man named rhuba exclaimed, "don't always have to be so closeminded, volta.."

"we're gonna get in trouble!" the woman with fairy wings instead of ears snapped, "he specifically told us not to touch her hair!"

"i-its fine? i don't mind if you dye it like that .. just d-dont cut it!" y/n said, interrupting their little argument.

"oh dear .. your mentor is gonna kill us." sighed rhuba. "plus people probably wont like it like that, its not popular in the capital at all!"

"she said we could do it!" the man practically squealed, "how exciting! most tributes are so against us dying their hair!"

the two women just tsked, as they rinsed her of the soap and dried her off, they wrapped her in a towel and led her over to a metal bed.

"dear i'm just gonna wax you .. not sure i'm gonna need to though, bare as a baby.." said rhuba, "well! at least we have a tribute who actually takes care of herself this year, not sure why i'd expect less from someone who looks like her.."

"her nails seem ok too ... some color wouldn't hurt tho!" said the little elf looking woman, with the fairy wings instead of ears. she was buffing down her nails, just evening them out a little bit because otherwise she didn't need anything done.

"alright, so its just the hair!" the man said, as he moved himself to be able to access the womans hair.

"alright .. come over here.." he told her, leading her over to a chair. she had nothing but a robe on, and her body had already been examined and picked at her prep team. "it'll be done in just a second! only takes a few seconds to bleach your hair .. can't believe it used to take forever before!", he smiled as he coated half her head in the thick liquid, "...hey how about we add some tinsel extensions?"

"extensions?" she said, a little confused on why she would need the,.

"not just any extensions, hon! tinsel ones, they're like little reflective strips, it'll be totally gorgeous under the spotlight and we can have them match your makeup to it in the parade!" he laughed this, as he pulled out the extensions anyway. he rolled her chair over to the sink as he leaned her head back, washing out the bleach - leaving her with a head of half blonde and half black hair, it suited her but her hairstyle in general suited her beautifully.

he pulled out some weird hairdryer thing that fit over her whole head, and instantly dried out her hair.

once her hair was dried, he started adding the tinsel into her hair.

after about an hour, it was done. she had little holographic streaks coming out of her scalp and honestly, it was gorgeous.

"my makeup.." she asked, "who's gonna do my makeup?"

"oh dear that'll be allium! she's really good at it .. i'm sure she'll do you well!" he said, as he spun her to face him. looking her in the eyes, examining her hair and face .. "really gorgeous.."

"thank you.. and my clothes are decided by allium too right?" she said, a little bit worried.

"yep! she basically does everything except hair, waxing and nails, but she still had control over what we do with you .. now she might be a little mad about your hair.." he laughed again, as he pinched a lock of it. "but i'm sure it'll work well with however she dresses you!" , he gave her a reassuring smile.

she smiled back, as he sent her off to allium, peacekeepers greeting her as she walked out of the room and escorting her to the elevator. they went up 16 floors, up to the 2nd floor. the peacekeepers dragged her up to a door with her name on it, "y/n l/n" and then her stylist's name under it.

she walked into the room, it was like a dressing room - the vanity illuminating the clutter of makeup products on it, a rhinestone bodysuit on a mannequin. it was beautiful but it didn't cover much, the neckline of the suit high and up to the throat but it was sleeveless, and had a heart cut out over her chest area that would show cleavage and little red rhinestones around that heart making it seem like it was a bleeding heart. the sides were cut out, showing even more skin, the cut-outs were all lined with lace, and there was a little very sheer cape and "skirt" meant to cover her a little, the cape wouldve gone as far as her wrists, and the skirt didnt even reach 1/4 of her thigh, barely covering anything.

"oh you saw it .. was gonna make it a suprise for you! didn't expect you to be done so fast.." allium gushes, as she came out from a back room. "the bodysuit is one of a kind, and you're going to need to be stitched into it - it's held together by pins right now but its fine, the jewels are all little pieces of obsidian, the red stuff is rubies, theres also some absolutely gorgeous shoes to go with them! this isn't what i had planned at the beginning but then when i saw you at the reaping ... oh god you were stunning! wasn't sure how i would be ok with myself if i covered you with coal, we're still gonna go for that kind of makeup look though, smudgy eyeliner, freckles and a blood red lip! it'll be stunning on you .. your hair... jesus he butchered it! but no worries, it matches up.. we'll just use a lot of highlighter to make you look like a diamond!"

"you know .. back in the day some people actually used coal as liner i think! we could try that but im not sure how it'd look .. better not to risk it. now i need your help to pick what shoes and jewelry we'll have for you! nothing on the neck of course, its already covered by the suit but we need some bracelets, earrings and maybe an anklet?" she seemed insanely excited as she just kept talking, "we'll cover you in diamonds .. you've got to love that! come come!", she continues gushing as she gestured the girl over to a table where jewelry was displayed.

"i was just stunned by you ... these are all real, and all very expensive. i think this one and this one are the best," she pointed at 2 bracelets, but not bracelets, more like something to go on the upper area of your arm with diamonds spilling down to your wrist. more like a makeshift sleeve?

"those are really nice! could i have a ring? the heart shaped diamond one!" y/n asked, her voice a little squeaky from excitement - she loved all things beauty, makeup, skincare, clothing.

"of course! was thinking about giving you pearls but then i remember that 12 was a mining district, not sure how you'd get pearls there!" she smiled, happy that her tribute was sharing her admiration for clothing and all things beauty.

"now! shoes, you pick .. i think you'd stun in something that'll make you taller and goes up higher on the thigh..!" she pulled the girls arm, taking her to the shoe collection ..".. how about these! you better pick quick .. we only have 2 hours left and i'm not sure that'll be long enough for you to get your hair styled and your makeup done.."

"those are really nice!" she smiled, as she looked at the thigh high boots with pointed tips and red bottoms, covered in black velvet - luxurious.

"alright alright! now we'll have your makeup done, then ill style your hair a little, and then you can get dressed and meet up with your mentor and district partner for the tribute parade!" she said this, her voice getting louder as she clapped her hands and a squad of people came out. seating herself into the chair in front of the mirror, they wet her hair, and started her makeup.

it took around an hour for makeup, excessive makeup that would only look good from a distance. stage makeup, and it was gorgeous.

the smudged out eyeliner drawn out to give a "kohl" look to the girls eyes, the dark red lips lined with even darker lip liner and sharp corners - making her lips seem curled in a smile, her eyes standing out. her eyes were captivating, her entire look was sultry, dominating and seductive at the time - all things that she wasn't. and that would've worked out for her, in the interviews and everything. a woman forced to appear strong in her parade, a woman with a sharp eye and luscious lips, a sultry and seductive woman. a maneater, something that she wasn't and she knew how to work across it, "oh god my stylist just did that to me .. i swear i'm not actually like that!" and little smiles, kisses and looks that would melt anyone. the innocence that wasn't yet stained, something she would have to work to show off, she wasn't what she was dressed to be and it felt like a costume to her. but still, she wore the costume well and just for the night.

as her stylist re-entered the room, she practically squealed when she saw the girl.

"oh dear! this is exactly how i imagined everything .. you stun me!" she managed out, as she examined her face.

"thank you.. i feel really pretty right now!" y/n proclaimed, unsure what exactly she should say.

"honey! you are really pretty!" she laughed, "well now it's time to give you back to your mentor and stuff.."

"he's probably gonna have a stroke when he sees me like this." the girl jokes back, haymitch was probably going to look like hes having a stroke when he first sees her, his jaw dropping a little and eyes widening in shock as he would took in the figure - a figure she wasn't used to "rocking" like this.

as she was lost in her thoughts, allium was pulling her around and eventually into the elevator.

"im so excited!" she squealed, this was her first year after all - and she got to style one of the more gorgeous women she had ever seen..!

the girl still lost in her own thoughts just had a dreamy smile on her face, imagining what haymitch might think of her.

as she entered the room, there was exactly 26 minutes until the tribute parade.

"someone finally decided to show up.." her district partner grumbled this while scowling, haymitch was reclined back into the luxurious sofa with a drink in his hand. he had cleaned up quite a bit, he was wearing a suit. he looked amazing and the girl was definitely staring.

"jesus theyre gonna have a field day with you." he slurred a little, he was drunk. he sat up, looking at her with his full attention. he took in the bodysuit, it hugged her curves well, showing a lot of skin, his eyes lingered where they shouldn't have for a while as he looked her up and down - slightly shocked by what she was wearing.

she just laughed at his words, blushing a little because honestly, she wanted to be on the couch snuggled up into him. she wasn't sure why but she was always quite drawn to the man, he was attractive , rough and a little messy - but still, he had a nice face and a nice body (for an alcoholic at least).

she sat down next to him, still not very comfortable as her stylist followed and sat down next to her district partner, his stylist standing behind haymitch.

"alright so .. you two need to try and get along.. just for the parade." haymitch said, a little grumpy. "but if you don't want to do that because the idea of being nice to each other disgusts you that much, then make it as obvious as possible .. you" he said, pointing at basil, "you need to figure out how to market yourself, make yourself look good and make them like you. and you, ehh sweetheart, you seem to have this whole 'make everyone fall in love with me' thing under your belt."

this led to a smile from her, as she nodded. her district partner seemed less than pleased, asking "why do we even have to make them like us anyway? shes not even that likeable.."

"you have to make them like you so you can get sponsors, sponsors are the difference between life and death in the arena- if you're starving, then a sponsors gift of food might saved your life .. and knowing you, you'll probably be starving if you survive that long. and, she" he said this, gesturing to you, "she is likeable because she is pretty, people are going to look at her before hearing what she says and they're gonna decide if they wanna keep her alive or not, she is desireable in terms of looks and looks can get you everywhere when it comes to sponsors."

"they're gonna hate her after they figure out what her personalities like.." he scowled as he thought about her, the simple thought causing his troll-like features to contort in displeasure. haymitch let out a sigh, seeing how those 2 couldn't get along.

the woman seemed offended at his words, and as she was about to say something not very kind about her partner, the intercom interrupted her.

"Tributes, the parade is taking place in exactly 10 minutes! Make sure you head to your chariots now." a shrill voice said from the speakers.

The group of them got up as they headed over to the chariots, she wasn't present for when they all rewatched the reapinga so she hadn't seen any of the tributes before.

The girl and guy from one were both beautiful, with the boy reminding her a little of cupid. They were covered in gold, matching their shiny blonde hair.

The pair from two were a little more average looking, with a younger girl and older guy, the girl looked as if she had been crying - not something expected from a career district.

From 3, they were both tall and slim, nothing extraordinary.

The pair from 4, with a boy that was obviously a kid - he couldn't have been older than 14.

She kept watching the other tributes, and she noticed how the girl from one would occasionally reach for the boys hand, holding it and smiling at the comparison. How she would look up at him with loving eyes, a look of longing and regret that was only visible to the trained eye. She noticed how the boy from 2 would comfort the girl from 2, patting her head sometimes. She saw how the girl from 4 was always looking back at the girl from 5, she noticed how the boy from 4 would scan the crowds with anxiety in his eyes. How the girl from 5 was also always looking at the girl from 4, love in their eyes for each other. She noticed how horrible the pairing for the career districts were - a pair of lovers, 2 kids, a woman entangled in a queer love affair that was bigger than she was, and the only actual "career" looking tribute was the boy, but still - he would comfort the girl from two. if anything, all the careers from one and two would group together, and the boy from 4 but the boy from 4 would be the one they left out a little more, the disposable one. The girl from 4 would probably ally with the one from 5, running away from the cornucopia to live out their dying moments in the arms of their love.

The pair from 10 seemed strong, 10 was the livestock district - butchers. They knew their way with a knife, and they probably knew how to kill. They would make powerful allies, the only reason they lacked victors was because of their lack of sponsors, they were a district that was greatly overlooked in the games.

She looked at the hands of each tribute, paying particular attention to those of 4 and 8, the districts where knots were useful, 4 using fishing knots and 8 being the one of textiles and fabrics. The pair from 8 almost definitely knew their way when it came to knitting / tying / sewing, the boy was 4 had callused hands - probably from fishing. She knew that those 4 people were to be looked out for as they would know how to manage and craft traps. The girl from 4 wouldn't be a problem unless she found her lover, she would be easy to pick off during her love crazed and very desperate search for her girlfriend. And the girl from 5, would be even easier once the girl from 4 was gone..

She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when Haymitch snapped his fingers in her face, "sweetheart, parades gonna start in a minute or so."

"sorry , was js thinking about something" she apologized, not trying to upset the man. she climbed into the chariot, as she waved a goodbye to the group.

She stood in the chariot, Haymitch's words stuck to her, or not his words but more his tone. He always seemed a little irritated with her, unless she was serving him liquor, he didn't really acknowledge her other than that. He didn't go over plans or advice with her, he just asked her to refill his drinks. She felt like the was dumbing her down, but he wasn't like this before the games. When she first met him, he was sweet. He was drunk but he saved her, and was still kind with her. She didn't understand the reason for his overall dismissal of her, always talking to basil about actual stuff instead of her.

The chariots started as Snow finished his speech, she wasn't sure she had it in her to smile and wave like she did before but she did anyway. The capital seemed to love her, screaming her name. She was showered with roses as they threw them over the stands, she caught one and smelled it, lifting it into the air and blowing a kiss in the direction it came from, even louder cheering emerged from the stands. She kept a smile on her face for most of the parade, but honestly - she was glad it was over.

She met back up with her district partner, mentor, and their escort.

"So! How did we do?" she said, as she smiled, excited.

"Crowd went absolutely insane when you did what you did with the rose! You're a natural in the spotlight!" her escort gushes, a smile on her face as she admired the girl. "Oh and your outfit! It was stunning ... I'm not sure how anyone could keep their hands off you!"

The tribute smiled at her, still a little upset with the idea of the games.

Once they got back to the building where they were going to spend the night, her prep team made quick work of her outfit - giving her her old clothes back and leaving her to remove her makeup by herself.

She went up the elevator, following the instructions of Allium, to go up to the 14th floor because that's where she was staying.

She walked in and saw Haymitch and her district partner, both by the coffee table and obviously discussing plans about the games.

They both looked up at her when she walked in.

"What are you guys doing?" She said, walking closer to them, her voice pleasant.

"Just discussing strategies for the games," Haymitch said, "..could join us if you'd like."

"She'd probably prefer to go play with her makeup or try on dresses.." sneered Basil, he knew she took an interest to those things and he mocked her for it. Haymitch honestly wasn't much better about it though, just sighing and ignoring Basil's words as he continues to discuss the plans.

She was a little hurt, but just said "maybe later, havw to go take a shower right now.", as she put on a smile and walked away to her room.

She didn't have much trouble finding her room, as they were all labeled. It was a beautiful room, decked out in pink and gold, unsure if they made special arrangements just for her, she walked into the bathroom.

As she explored, she found a cleansing balm and a whipped cleanser, which she used to remove her makeup. After that, she found a hair mask, and some scissors. So naturally, she decided to cut her hair. She was unsure if it was because of her newly dyed hair color or because she was unhappy with how the dya went, but it didn't matter because she picked up the scissors and snipped off a chunk. As she realized what she had doen, and how it was a very big and noticeable chunk, she gave up and kept cutting. Eventually she ended up with a medium length haircut, that cut off at her breasts, opposing to where he hair used to be - at her hips, that admittedly did fit her newly dyed hair pretty well, as did it frame her face. She brushed out any of the hair she cut out and applied the hair mask, putting on a shower cap and laying on her bed. She found what she thought was a tv remote and turned on the tv, she didn't find many shows or movies - the media allowed in Panem was mostly government broadcasts and talk shows. She ended up not watching tv and instead decided to paint her nails and take a quick nap.

She slept peacefully for almost 30 minutes, as her hair mask marinated. Once she realized it had been 30 minutes, she removed the shower cap and slipped into the shower. Scrubbing at her body as she relinquished all the bad thoughts and feelings of the day, erasing the dirt and sweat that stained her pretty body. She decided to take her time, she would exfoliate and shave and everything, made sure to be perfect by the end of it. As she rinsed off her soapy body, she reached for the body scrub, applying a lather of the sandy feeling liquid to her legs. She scrubbed for a little, exfoliating her legs as she picked up the razor, coating her legs in shaving foam, she glided the razor down, removing any hair that might've grown since the last time she did this. She repeated this process on her whole body, as she rinsed herself off and felt truly clean.

She exited the shower, engulfing herself into a soft robe, she felt truly at peace with herself at the moment. She looked through the contents of the skincare drawer in the room, finding sufficient products. She grabbed a piece of ice from the mini fridge in her room, rubbing it over her face, once she finished with that, she decided on a skin tightening toner and some rose water, which she applied to her face and neck. Afterwards, she layered a moisturizer over it, before finally adding some snail mucin to lock in moisture - a weird ingredient but common capitol beauty trend.

She patted her face as she applied a hydrating eyecream, before grabbing a hairdryer and drying her hair. Once she was sufficiently happy with how damp it was, she applied some hair oil, then grabbed a gua shua and ran it along her face. Once she finished with that, she picked up the hair dryer once again, this time fully drying out her hair. She grabbed a lash serum, applying some onto her eyelashes, and picking up a pair of tweezers, as she plucked her eyebrows into the perfect shape. The woman was high maintenance, she wasn't going to lie, but she loved it. Her little beauty rituals made her happy, made her beautiful.

As her hair was dried and she was happy with how she looked, she went into the closet they provided for her, and she picked out a pair of pajamas.

She had grabbed a satin babydoll top, lined with lace, and a pair of lacy underpants, that she put satin shorts of the same color over.

She ran her hands through her hair, adding a little bit of volume before exiting her own room, to join Haymitch and her district partner at the table.

They were still at the table but this time, Basil seemed to be yelling at Haymitch for something, with Haymitch being a little too drunk to care.

She made her way closer to them before hearing what Basil was so upset about, "you're literally a drunk why would i take advice from you" and other things, she didn't really plan on interfering except for maybe glaring at Basil a little more often, thst was until he grabbed Haymitch's drink and splashed it into his face.

The woman slammed a quick punch into Basil's face, letting out a "what the hell are you doing?"

"are you really gonna defend him, huh? hes a drunk! hes literally sending kids into an arena ever year judt for them to die!" basil said, delirious and mad.

"everyone has their problems and everyone has their way to cope for it. don't blame him for something out of his control." she hissed, as she bent over Haymitch, to help him wipe some of the alcohol off of him.

"he can control it but he just keeps ln fucking drinking - i don't even know how you can try to defend him ! he's gonna be the reason we die soon!" basil snapped, still upset.

"alcohol is not addictive," she said, wiping haymitch's jaw, "but alcohol is numbing, alcohol makes people forget. alcohol lets people escape the pain of their modern lives, it takes a while for it to develop into an addiction but getting addicted to alcohol is not something someone does for fun, alcoholics are people who have something to forget, something to hide from, something that is hurting them just to remember. alcohol is an easy way out that still lets them live, still lets them function. i promise you , just because he's an alcoholic doesnt mean he doesnt care, and it doesnt mean he doesnt fucking try." the tone of her voice was sharp, unpleasant and spearing at the moment, something abnormal for her, "if he didn't care and he didn't want to try, if he didn't have some hope for us, us as in the tributes, he would be fucking dead. sending kids into a death arena is something no one could enjoy, but if he didn't have a little bit of hope - that one of us could win, he wouldnt be here today. he was a kid too when he went into his arena, he survived and it scarred him, what he did scarred him and snows punishments scarred him. he's not a bad man for wanting to escape the horrors of his past, and hes not a bad man for being drunk while hes supposed to be helping us because at least hes still here and at least hes still trying. so you need to shut the fuck up and realize that everyone has their own problems and to stop bitching at every minor inconvenience." her tone indicated the end of a conversation, as basil walked over to his room, unable to argue with the woman, the sympathetic woman who always seemed to look into a situation more than she had to.

she leaned back down to haymitch who was watching her with sharp eyes now, questioning eyes, her little outburst wasn't something he expected. the little observations she made, the little assumptions, and how she had seen through his facade things that shocked him. he realized she looked at him with wide eyes and sympathy because she figured he was trying, still trying his best after the dozens of kids he watched die.

and at that moment he knew, he knew what she was. a people watcher, a sympathizer, a woman who knew how to wear everyone else's shoes, a woman who took nothing to heart because she trusted that whoever was delivering it had something going on for them, someone who could see through everything and still never tried to hurt them with the information she had gathered as she observed them.

she rested into his arms and caressed his jawline, her own attempt to comfort the man. she was sweet and beautiful, insanely likeable, and insanely marketable.

[star-going-supernova]

Can you write some badass Gregory? In the games nobody was really around to witness him surviving and doing an awesome job for a child so maybe get everyone’s reactions?

Gregory doing an insanely impressive thing without thinking:

The animatronics & Vanessa: !!!!

Freddy clutching his chest: that’s my superstar!!

This is tumblr generated prompt number 65 and marks the halfway point of this round! I’m a big fan of competent/bamf Gregory, enough so that I feel like I’m running out of slightly plausible scenarios to put this kid in to highlight that, lol. I ended up repurposing the premise of an old ficlet that I never finished, so, context: there’s a handful of kids trapped in the pizzaplex that Vanny’s looking to pick off one by one, like a game. Gregory’s thirteen here!

title taken from an old short story of the same name

The Most Dangerous Game

Gregory silently grit his teeth together, legs aching from how long he’d been crouching in place. Behind him were the two younger kids he’d found—seven-year-old Jenna and ten-year-old Delaney. He didn’t know how many of them were trapped inside the pizzaplex; he didn’t know how many were dead already. 

“Okay,” he whispered as Roxy finally disappeared into the east arcade. “Ready?” 

Both girls nodded, their fingers tightly linked together. Jenna was crying. He wanted nothing more than to get there somewhere safe, or as safe as any place could be in this hellhole. 

He took Jenna’s other hand, keeping her between him and Delaney, and then he pulled them out of the photo booth they’d been huddled in for ages. To the younger kids’ credit, they kept up with him and did so quietly as he ran as fast as he dared to the escalators. Gregory kept a careful eye on the arcade entrance, but it stayed Roxy-free as they cautiously started down the steps. 

He dared to breathe a sigh of relief when they reached the middle level, but they kept going. He was aiming for the ground floor. 

Their ultimate goal was the daycare. Sun was odd, not murderous, and hopefully by the time Cassie was done with him, whatever weird glitch had him so twitchy and at-odds with his other half would be fixed. 

As much as he hated it, as much as he wanted to keep all of them with him where he could protect them himself, Gregory had to leave the girls behind if he was going to find and rescue as many kids as he could. He’d already seen one too-young dead body. He refused to stand by and let the crazy bunny lady get to another. For that, he needed to move fast. He couldn’t do that with tag-alongs. 

Their little trio reached the ground floor without alerting anyone to their presence, which was all Gregory could have asked for. His eyes automatically scanned their immediate surroundings for a hiding place, even as he hurried them along to get out of the extremely exposed atrium. 

Their luck ran out before they could find cover. He heard the heavy, clunking footsteps first, rushing closer. In addition to the character animatronics, the bunny lady had unleashed a horde of creepy endoskeletons to hunt her victims down. 

There was something uniquely terrifying about the skeletal, wide-eyed robot bearing down on them. Its face was so blank, and unlike the band, they didn’t speak. 

Gregory blew out a sharp breath and herded the girls toward the wall before going to meet the robot head-on. He freed his sole weapon from his makeshift belt holster: a crowbar, snatched from the construction area around the raceway. 

The only silver lining with the robots was that they were dumber than a box of rocks. The endo just rushed for Gregory, not even trying to dodge when he wound up and swung. It might have looked intimidating with its wide shoulders and large hands, but there were so many delicate wires and moving parts exposed along its spine and clavicle.

The crowbar’s hooked end tore through a lot of that, leaving the endoskeleton twitching. He lashed out, kicking one of its ball-jointed knees backward. It collapsed sideways, sparks flying, and Gregory clubbed the back of its head until it had stopped moving. 

Sliding the crowbar away, Gregory gave himself a little shake to loosen up his tense shoulders, then hurried back to the girls. They stared at him with wide, awed eyes,

“Whoa,” Jenna whispered. 

“That was awesome!” Delaney whisper-shouted. 

Gregory smiled weakly. “Thanks. Now, c’mon. We’ve gotta keep moving.” 

They both nodded, and he was at least a little gratified that neither of them looked quite so scared. Dodging STAFF bots by the dozens, their progress was slow but steady. At Gregory’s direction, during their one close encounter, they scooted along the floor, hidden by a large walled planter, staying out of Chica’s sight. 

It was the tensest game of hide and seek Gregory had ever played. 

But at last, they slipped through the doors into the hall outside the daycare. The home stretch. 

Just as Gregory carefully closed the doors, a child’s scream echoed through the pizzaplex. He froze, instinct tearing him in two. He wanted to rush out there and find and help whoever’d probably just been caught. But he couldn’t leave Jenna and Delaney behind, not when they were so close to being safe-ish. 

Biting back curses, he took their hands and rushed them through the hall to the door to the actual daycare room. 

“Are you gonna go save them?” Delaney asked. Jenna looked to be on the verge of tears again. 

“I’m gonna do my best,” Gregory swore. “But I have to make sure you guys are okay first.” 

Delaney nodded, and Jenna sniffled and asked, “Will you come back?”

She was too young for him to make a morbid joke that only death could keep him away. “Yeah,” he said. “I’ll come back, and I’ll bring more kids when I do.” 

He hoped he wasn’t setting himself up to be a liar. 

The daycare was still brightly lit, and Gregory rushed to the railing. “Cassie?” he hissed, loud as he dared. 

“I’m here!” she called. “I’m in the play structure with Eclipse.” 

He paused in his move toward the slide. “With who?”

Her shrug was audible. “Whatever I did to fix Sun and Moon brought out Eclipse. He’s nice, promise, and way more, uh, reasonable, I guess.” 

Gregory ushered Jenna and Delaney down the slide. Eclipse, apparently, was waiting at the edge of the ball pit. “Welcome, welcome,” he said cheerfully, but Gregory could hear some well-hidden tension. As he gently lifted the girls out, he said to Gregory, “You must be Cassie’s friend! She’s told me a lot about you.” 

Gregory leaned up over the ledge, waving at Cassie, who was indeed inside the play structure. Delaney led Jenna over to one of the ramps that would led up to her. It wasn’t a bad place to hide; she was easily out of sight of anyone who tried to scope out the daycare from the balcony.

He almost wished she could go with him. Cassie would be able to keep up with him and watch his back. Or, she would’ve been able to, if not for the broken leg the crazy lady had given her by dropping her down an elevator shaft. 

“You’re not staying, are you?” Eclipse said. 

Gregory dropped back into the ball pit, already sidling toward the slide to climb out. “There’s more kids out there,” he explained helplessly. “Someone’s got to help them.” 

“You’re a kid, star-shine.” 

Gregory pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything. 

Eclipse sagged in place. 

“Keep them safe,” Gregory demanded. “Lock the doors, don’t trust any adults until this place opens up in the morning.” 

“No one will touch them,” Eclipse promised, hand over his heart, or where a heart would be. “I hope I see you again soon, Gregory.” 

“Yeah,” he muttered, ducking into the slide and scrambling up it, sneakers squeaking. “Me too.” 

[taylortruther]

Okay now I’m thinking about longevity in the fandom and ttpd which is SO interesting because she’s putting out so so much material and people’s shortening attention spans and all… the staying power definitely feels different, versus people who were here pre-Lover, waiting 2ish years between albums meant you listened to the albums a LOT. You’d easily remember all the words to Sparks Fly even by the time 1989 was out, because you had 2+ years of Speak Now being the recent Taylor album and only Red in between. (Of course I still remember all her lyrics but I’m insane. Ttpd is a slightly different story though, there’s So Much.)

Anyway, idk if that point before made sense, but I could see a few songs having longevity. I agree about The Manuscript because it’s so rich and ties together some very big people and motifs and experiences. I could see Guilty as Sin? because spice and it’s got an addictive quality not unlike Dress (but the opposite as I’m pretty sure you’ve said… but similar!). Possibly also So Long London (sad bop/bookend the Joever, track 5, beautiful intro), Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? (her fame songs tend to stick around, even the more “obscure” ones like The Lucky One, because there aren’t many and her views on it continue to evolve; same applies to Clara Bow, but I doubt it will be as popular just due to the sound tbh, like cardigan vs peace, traditional song structure and sounds tends to win in the fandom). The others are a toss-up and this is getting long so I’ll stop but yeah felt the need to share ajdjsjd

yeah and those albums had multiple singles, music videos, tons of radio play and promo... looots of time to let them sink in. and after 13+ years of releasing music, she knows some of it will get lost in the shuffle (like deep cuts, or simply older tracks - 'if you know this one, sing it, because it's old' re: crazier recently.)

i think ttpd has some bops - guilty as sin?, maybe down bad, icdiwabh. and i agree who's afraid will have some longevity because of its message (same with i can do it.) but there's like, this category of Meaningful Taylor Songs that say something about her life or relationship with her career, like long live, yoyok, wcs... i wonder which ones will fall in that category? maybe the prophecy (in addition to icdiwabh and waolom)?

[annot8]

Officially half way through assassins fate - spoilers below

Chade really called that boy lantern, didn’t he?

On the subject of Lant, I am really waiting for him to do somethingggg. Both Per and Spark are so likeable, and its not that I don't like Lant, he just seems like a very random addition to this cast. Nothing against him, just hasn't really done anything yet.

But anyway, I am really enjoying this book so far! If someone had said that the final book was going to be Fitz and Beloved posing as a couple as they travel to Kelsingra, and aboard the Tarman and the Paragon, as they go to rescue their daughter... I would have not believed you. The gang have just departed from Divytown on the Paragon, with Althea, Brashen, Boy-O, and Kennitsson. And Bee is still trapped with Dwalia and Vindeliar on a ship to Clerres.

I've loved seeing so many of the old characters! Malta, Thymara, Alise, Leftrin, Althea, Wintrow, Etta, etc - I am having the time of my life! The only thing that's a little frustrating is that, because we're seeing them all through Fitz's perspective - and he isn't particularly interested in the complex relationships between all these characters - a lot of the interactions feel a bit surface level.

After Fitz, Amber, and the kids got to Kelsingra (which is still such an insane concept to me), I knew we were gonna start seeing familiar faces. Rapskal was a fun surprise! But his line - "Before I welcomed the elderling memories of an ancient warrior into my mind, I was a bumbling, stupid boy, earnest and tolerated by my fellow keepers but never respected." - killed me!!!!! Oh, my boy, what did those elderlings do to you?

I wish we could've gotten a little more time with Thymara. I really wanted to know about her work with silver, and to see her fly! The revelation of just how badly the dragons have neglected the children of their Elderlings was horrific. Fente and Sintara fighting over the growth of her and Tat's kid made me so angry. I get that the dragons think the way they do about humans but god is it frustrating!

Something I really appreciate about these books is that because Fitz isn't always the brightest, the reader is often left to work out things for themselves. I've really loved how much Hobb has expanded the lore around the Skill and the Silver, and I loved being able to make all these different connections on my own.

Seeing Alise and Leftrin, and the crew of the Tarman, again was so fun. Happy to see they're all doing well!

And then!!!! I have been waiting for Fitz and Paragon to meet since Amber carved his face. It was so fun! Amber being all "I can explain!" as if she's not known that this moment had to happen. She had so many opportunities to warn Fitz but was just in complete denial that it was going to be a thing.

It is a little strange to see Paragon from the perspective of someone who doesn't have a history with him. Fitz's opinion of him is very unforgiving. Amber loves him, Brashan is his captain, Althea relied on him to save Vivacia and her family - all these people make allowances for him because they love him. Meanwhile Fitz simply does not care lol.

Was not expecting to see Wintrow, Etta, and Vivacia, which was a treat! Don't think I've spoken about it at all here really, but Wintrow is my boy. His story felt a little abandoned in Ship of Destiny, but in the first two Liveship books, he was my absolute favourite. And the Wintrow we meet here, so many years later, felt so familiar. And I love Etta as well, no matter how much she's inconveniencing everyone lol.

One thing that is killing me tho is how casual everyone is about who Kennit really was. I get Etta and Wintrow being a bit blind about him, but the way Amber and Brashen are so dismissive of Althea's trauma is crazy. Like, no one cares except me and Althea for some reason?? I loved how interesting and well thought out Kennit was as a character, but these guys are STILL worshipping his memory and it makes it such a difficult read.

What else makes this a difficult read are the horrors Bee is going through! That scene where they come out of the pillar in Chalced and they are pinned underneath it, and people are pissing and vomitting and being sexually assaulted (Kerf, you are my enemy!!) was maybe one of the most horrific, visceral things I have ever read.

I don't know if I've ever hated a character the way I hate Dwalia. She is so awful to everyone! I was feeling a little bad for Vindeliar but nah, not anymore. They can all rot. The only upside to them continually finding Bee every time she escapes them is that at least she and Fitz are going to the same place.

Bee is my girl. I love her so much. Her relationship with wolf-father (I am cryingggg) is so sweet. Crazy that of all of Bee's fathers, the wolf is the best one. I just know Molly would be so devastated at how Bee has been dragged into all the mess that she fought so hard to protect her family from :(

Anyway, back to reading. I am sure this book will ruin me :)

[pergerinerabbit]

Right so I've been sick in bed all day; and as some of you may know, outside of my business, as in when you're not thinking of the person who runs this shop as a mippy itty bitty brand entity, I'm kind of a Massive Non-traditional Horror Fan? So I finally watched a playthrough oh and picked around the files of Indigo Park Chapter One. And this post will very much contain spoilers for that as I pick it apart in the same way I suck the marrow out of the bones of a roast chicken; but the tldr is that:

1- I feel like game theory is... *mostly* wrong, but they always are. Sensationalist and nuts, for views and in turn, money

2- UNIQUEGEESE IF YOU EVER NEED A MERCH ARTIST *PLEASE* HIT ME UP MY SCHEDULE IS SO WIDE OPEN AND THIS IS A PROJECT I WOULD KILL AND DIE TO WORK ON,,,

3- Rambley Raccoon scratches the same itch in my brain as Ralsei Deltarune, which if you Additionally know anything about me or my shop, you'd know that means that he is My Son Who Can Do Very Little Wrong and I Will Commit Attrocities for Him

So, we Know Isaac Indigo, if he's meant to be a direct parallel of Walt Disney Himself- Must be an absolute Stark-Raving Lunatic. Anyone who likes Disney beyond its brainwashing mouse-eared nonsense knows this. and You CAN in fact, like Disney's body of work and know the guy was just as insane as John Harvey Kellogg.

So i am. Thinking there may be some stuff that alludes to the "Disney wanted to live forever"/"Cryogenically Frozen Head" Theory? It's clear that he's picking animals that are easy to obtain and raise from a very early age, if you happen to be a deranged madman with a ton of extra cash and a clear kind of unethical science-experiment hell center under your theme park. In addition to blood, we do see sparks fly off of Mollie in that decapitation cutscene, so. It very well may be a combination of organic being and cybernetic nonsense, as well as the good ol "placing everyone you love into your mascots/ai so they can live forever" thing (Eat your heart out, GLaDOS!) the creator did say that they were a MASSIVE fan of Shipwrecked64 (aka, the game I affectionately call "Shit-rekt-my-pants, 64 times." I would have appreciated it more if the shock and surprise horror elements werent so heavy-handed. the giovanni goose death scene lives in my nightmares rent free, not inclusive of how much havoc that game's jumpscare-only layers wreaked on my heart condition.) so it would not surprise me that these mascots are human and animal experimentation gone so wildly wrong it warrants a horror title. I definitely CAN appreciate that these critters are actually slightly cutesy and not... gross 80s rubber mask mascot being piloted by a morbidly deformed and genetically altered human, but also I can Appreciate if that's the angle and its just more palpable to the viewer as a sort of fursuit thing... ah, but that's always the surprise/plot of mascot horror-- "what the fuck is wrong with them and why do they act Like That." Rambley is Very Obviously Not The Villain, he comes across more like Ricky from My Friendly Neighborhood. And also he also comes across like a more verbally comprehensible Donald Duck who actually DID take the spotlight over Mickey Mouse, or in our case, Lloyd. He really DOES just want all his pals okay and to not be forgotten about. Also im going to put him in the pear wiggler. Next chapter is DEFINITELY going to focus on the Submechanophobia elements, no doubt. Really love the lil eeyore guy. I think Salem will also get a chapter, but it's really really clear that they're a kind of "bug in the code" here. For whatever reason, Rambley can't form a functional statement about them, and all their traces either disappear or blow up. Its clear the other mascots do not want them there, re: why their shit's just annihilated.. I can imagine that the other mascots aren't okay with humans (their first instinct is to run and hide, not attack. to approach first with curiousity and THEN murderous intent.) Its really clear to me that lloyd is driven off NOT by some noise your cuff makes, but by Mollie mimicking some high-pitched noise she once heard to make Lloyd get away. The other theory im entertaining is that these mascots are Mostly Harmless and the park is Not Actually Abandoned, but something inside them (like an AI chip) is going nutso and telling them to kill and maim. either way Salem isn't the bad guy either, outside of the cartoons themselves, and mioght be something like a "we don't talk about Failures to the Process" kind of thing. I'm betting money that the True Bad Guy is Indigo's Lunatic Hubris and Corporate cash giving him access to tech levels of a Mad scientist. it's said that Ed's full name is a reference to something extremely niche, and I'm going to be so real its probably a reference to some yet unknown by me Theme Park Urban Explorers thing or, my funniest and favorite theory I have ever come up with, its a Reference to Crashbox's Eddie Bull. God I hope its a Reference to Eddie Bull.

[misc-videogame-blog-reblogs]

Things in Animal Well that made me LOOSE IT /pos:

SPOILERS under the cut (please don’t spoil yourself for this game it’s a one of a kind experience)

• Figuring out you can ride the frisbee. The sheer delight of “I’M RIDING THE FRISBEE!?” combined with the achievement popping up made my day.

• That wiener dog that can slink its way though tight spaces like a slugcat from Rainworld. It’s absolutely cursed and I was NOT expecting it.

• When you warp with the flute for the first time. I had to visit that fish like four times before it clicked, and it felt so amazing when it actually WORKED!

• The GOOD ENDING achievement actually killed me. I was trying to solve a puzzle and I just??? Randomly died??? And then in the middle of processing that a freaking achievement pops up reading:

GOOD ENDING

Get crushed by a chinchilla.

What the HECK does this mean? When I tell you I laughed so hard I cried.

• I had to get help for the Secret Rabbits but every time I read about a solution it sucker punched me all over again. Moving the game window around with your mouse to make the game world shake? A random barcode made of grass? Connect the dots with statues? Literal PHYSICAL origami? This game is absolutely insane in the most absurdly funny way possible. Like the Secret Rabbits are borderline impossible and I completely understand if some people don’t like it but I just find it hilarious.

• Evil kitties

• Shoutout to the fact that all the items are kids toys. Every time I found one I was like !!!! Do you want to throw the yoyo? Do you want to slink the slinky? Do you want to throw the bouncy ball and watch it fly across the screen with ridiculous bounce physics? Yes. Yes I do.

• The infrared light thingy sparks joy