#story i'll never write

[messier-47]

"I earned my place in hell" Soap

Maybe I missed it, but I've been reading a few Ghoap fanfics where, of course, there's the usual dialog of Ghost telling Soap, "You don't know the things I've done. I'm a monster who doesn't deserve you. There's blood on my ledger." Ect. And of course Soap ain't having it and it ends happily ever after.

But i wanna read a story where Soap says, "You don't know my ledger either. I earned my place in hell."

Where Soap got into the 141 because his very particular skillset and experience as a demolition specialist in the Iraq/Afghanistan war.

Not only was he trained in the dismantling of bombs, mines, and the home-cooked variety, but he's also trained on how to make bombs. Let's talk about his awareness of his bombs, how sometimes he has no say in where they go or what they do. One day, his bombs are blowing out a wall. The next? Blowing up the car of a target.

And he doesn't have the power or say in stopping his bombs when the wife and kids of the target clamber into the car he rigged to explode. He doesn't get a say when the building he's rigged gets brought down, whether it be in the light of day in the middle of rush hour or when the area is vacated.

Making a name for himself as "Our Terrorist" within the military, sometimes people step back when he enters a room, no one is sure what he could be armed with at any given moment. Yeah, it's cute when they first called him "Lil' arsonist" "firecravker/starter" the whole 9-yards with the jokes about being explosive happy.

But then someone says maybe Soap's got some IRA in his blood.

How many bombs he's made? People he left broken or dead? The list is long, longer than Ghost's even, cause bombs don't usually make singular kills and buildings are the biggest weapon Soap can yield.

If Ghost were to open his eyes, listen carefully beyond the awe attached to his name, he could hear the murmurs aimed at Soap, "That's him, that's the guy, the one they got doing terrorism for us."

[justthinking005]

“I owe it to her to be a better person.”

Okay. Fine. But what about me? Don’t you think you owe it to me to work on yourself? To be a better person so you never hurt anyone again like you’ve hurt me? For the last 5 years, you’ve dragged me through the mud, pushed and pulled me in so many different directions and caused so much heartache and pain. You drop me at every bad turn because you don’t want to deal with the consequences of your actions but it leaves me dealing with them. The pain is real. The heartache never seems to go away. And after 5 years of this fucking bullshit, you owe it to me to be a better person because I’m the one you consistently fuck over. I’m the one you consistently hurt. If you owe anyone, anything - you owe me the biggest apology, the biggest turn around and the biggest hug. Because I can’t seem to stop hurting. And it’s all your fault. And I wish I could hate you for it, for all of it. I wish I could hate you. I’ve tried and I’ve tried. But I can’t. And I find myself missing you when you’re not here. I’m missing the friendship more than anything. You owe it to yourself but you also owe it to me. Because I don’t think the heartache and pain is ever going to stop. And I need it to stop.

[noemitenshi]

Moral Compass

The Madison & Troy story I won't write (probably not. you never know. my word means nothing)

---

So, for some reason, I envisioned a Madison&Troy story (dark-ish) where their relationship is much deeper than in canon and they are influencing each other (not exactly for their betterment. but Troy does survive the dam so that’s good, at least).

I was trying to come up with an idea for the start of this deeper relationship. What would do it? What had to change from canon? And then I thought about the time after Jeremiah’s death and before Walker and his people come to the ranch. Someone must have told Troy about this. And he must have had opinions. But they never showed us this. So below is one idea of how this scene could go (keeping in mind that this is also where they leave canon).

I don’t think I’ll ever really write this (hence why it is a tumblr post) but I may add to it if ideas keep coming.

Enjoy

"so. whats the play?" Troy asked deliberately casual. The same way he was leaning against the wall. "??" "with the indians. you don’t really plan on sharing. are you?" "no play" troy presses his lips together, unhappily while madison looks at him impatiently. he wants to say "youre joking", wants to rage against her. but he can see that wont work. she's unbudging in this. and there's something else, too. something more pressing. something he almost doesn't want to ask. but he's not one to back down. not even from questions he suspects he wont like the answer. *especially* not from those. so he goes: "do you still need me, now that youve settled for compromise? now that theres no war coming? or are you looking for the first opportunity to discard me. hmm, madison?"

madison does not answer, just looks disapprovingly at troy. so he adds. "jakes the lawyer after all. if you want pretty words - then it's him you need" and he's looking at her all challengingly, kinda daring her to say it. So she tries to deflect all "its what your father wanted" "well, newsflash, my father is dead." "He died for this place. His people" troy huffs "dad didn't have one selfless bone in his body. He'd rather have let us all die in an attack than sacrifice *anything*. So if he died for anyone - must've been himself" And Madison kinda doesn't know what to say to that, probably looks uncomfortable and broody. And then troy goes "you haven't answered my question. Wanna do away with me now, huh?" and guess she will go on the offense now "yeah. you're right" she will say and look him in the eye, kinda squinty "what i need now *isn't* brutality. i need cooperation and goodwill and-" troy scoffs loud enough that she stops talking. "this isnt a joke" madison hissed. "no" troy said slowly, measuredly "this, them and us, together, is a powder keg" "you planning on being the match?" Troy smirked in this condescending way of his "I dont have to" he said and shrugged a little "enough folks being on edge here. enough folks that lost someone to those... people." "do you *want me* to do away with you?" "you promised me a war, madison. had me go against my brother, my father. i did that *for you*" he'd gone close, close to her, towering over her. She was not cowed. "let's not get into who owns whom, hu?" she said. a warning. he snarled, not that it did anything. "so, where does that leave us?" he asked then. it was both the easiest thing he'd ever done and the hardest. madison had such a way about her. "you tell me, troy. where *does* it leave us? you gonna become a problem?" "we both know why you chose me, madison. before. why you... played nice. if that's- if that's not needed anymore..." he trailed off and shrugged, a self-mocking smirk on his lips. "it could be" she offers then. oh, she knew exactly when to offer him a lifeline. "there's still the dead out there. we still need-" "you don't think that's enough. do you?" she gave him a quick side-eye. that was enough to tell him that no, she didn't think that. he bit his lower lip. "there could be others. others that wanna take whats ours. i'd feel safer knowing you were there in case..." "in case what? those unknown strangers *may* attack? come on, you don't believe that" "you didn't expect *us* either, did you?" There was such an undertone in her voice it raised the little hairs on troy's neck. "What are you saying?" he asked slowly. pointedly. "you just - you never know what'll happen" such feigned casualness. but then her voice became soft. alluring "don't you want to see? what else there is?" - Oh, he knew exactly what she was doing - "...by my side?" Yep, there it was. By her side. He wanted nothing more. And she knew, she knew it, damn it. He inhaled shakily. But she wasn't done. "I  don't want to... have to..." again she side-eyed him "*manage* you" He tilted his head in a 'come on' gesture and demanded, "Say what you mean." "I mean it, troy," she said instead, touching his upper arm, squeezing, "i do want you by my side." "do you now? or.. is this you managing me already?" "it can be both - can't it?" madison asked. and she sounded almost uncertain. there was a glint in her eyes, betraying her "i don't know why but- there's something between us - from the very first moment. something about you... feels like kinship." troy blinked slowly for lack of an answer. he hadn't expected any of that. her acknowledging this connection between them. wanting it, even. or so it seemed. "kinship? that why you look like youre in physical pain any time im around your kids?" "kinship to me. not to them." there was no apology in her words nor her tone. in fact it was unyielding. familiar. it made troy smile. "so, you're telling me" he said slowly, voice softening, a meaningful look back and forth between them, "you *don't* want to rain hellfire down on them? the people who killed travis..." "i want to survive. my *kids* to survive..." she trailed off and he suspected she finally understood where they differed. he didn't have anyone like that in his life. where he'd do anything and everything for their continued survival. "but you don't get that, do you?" It hurt more than he'd like to admit. Hearing it out loud. He'd always craved connection like that. From the very first time she'd said she loved travis more than her life it stupidly had made him jealous. jealous bc he didn't feel like that about anyone. but he wanted to. didn't even understand why he did want it. it sounded suicidal. and so, so alluring. "i..." he didn't have a clever answer. nor could he bring himself to admit it, admit that yes, he didnt have that. never had. madison looked at him like he was a caged tiger. "it's not like i don't want to" he finally settled on "..get it, i mean." he swallowed uncomfortably. "no?" Oh, he had surprised her. That was... well that was something. "no" he affirmed, running his tongue along his bottom lip. "nick said..." her voice wasn't assured anymore. she spoke slowly. careful "nick said you'd die for the ranch - as a suicide note..?" troy's lips twitched, amused. "he said, did he? did he also tell you what he told me?" "what? no. Don't deflect" Troy shrugged. He truthfully had thought she should know. But then again if she herself told him to leave it, he would. "So." Madison prompted, somewhat impatient. "So?" "So, would you die gladly for the ranch? Or was that just talk?" "I would." "Then-" "It's not, it's not the same," he interrupted her, "I'm not doing that for anyone else. I'm doing it for me." She furrowed her brows. "You'd still be saving people" she offered. "Yeah" he said and did his half-snarl half-smirk "saved alicia too. didn't i?" And he lifted his brows. Madison's face did something complicated. "didn't do that for her either." "You did it for me" "or i did it because i was bored. because i didn't agree with jake's plan. because i owed you. because i got excited about the opportunity to kill people." The smirk was still playing on his lips and madison's furrow deepened. there was a long stretch of silenece between them. then she whispered, "doesnt mean you won't ever have it" "does that matter? if i don't have it *now*" uncomfortable silence. she broke it again. "aren't i reason enough?" and she almost sounded like she meant it. that she didn't want to manage him - do away with him. like she wanted him to *give her a reason*. "not yet." "what does that mean?" "means we're not there yet." "troy..." she whispered in this placating,  no soothing. No, pleading tone. she *did* mean it. however this had started out, however she would feel after. in this moment troy was sure that she really didn't want to act against him. want to *have to* act against him, as she would no doubt put it. it *was* something. "let's not kid yourselves madison. i am what i am." he regretted it the moment he saw her face. so he amended "but i can.. try. for your sake. i can." she did not look convinced and he cursed himself. why couldn't he have bit his tongue? But that just wasn't him. "no you can't" she said and she sounded so sad. he had to swallow uncomfortably. "you could..." he hesitated for a beat. did he really want to reveal that much to her? but then again, she probably already knew. Had had him pegged from the very first moment after all. "teach me?" He had surprised her again. Now he just had to wait and see whether it was in a good or a bad way. though he added, slyly almost "i *can* follow orders." "can you now?" she finally said. asked. but there was no bite in her voice. if it were anyone else he'd say it was teasing. "try me" he challenged and spread his arms from his body. She closed her eyes. sighed. "youre following my lead." It was a statement, not a question. he still nodded, a small grin on his lips. "I'm following your lead" he confirmed. Oh, this had him excited. It was something new, unknown. It was... something he wanted. She sighed again. But he didn't pay that much mind, giddyness taking over. Who'd have thought this would be the outcome of their conversation? Certainly not him. He didn't exactly know what he had expected - maybe both of them firmly on opposite sides. But not *this*. An offer of... mentorship? The thing he had envisioned the moment he'd realized that she *understood* him. "im glad you came to talk to me." Her words pulled him out of his memories and he smiled. The same soft smile he'd smiled back then. This time, she reciprocated. 

[thenightmareauthor]

The man looked at his daughter as she slowed her breath, calming from her crying as she kept her hand on her bruised arm. Looking at her, he sighed and said, "Tomorrow, I'm going to start teaching you how to fight."

The girl looked up at him, and said bluntly, "But you and mom said that fighting is wrong. That I should never have to."

"Yes, we did say that," he replied. "That means you don't go looking for a fight; rather, when one finds you, you stand up and defend yourself. Do you understand?"

She nodded and he nodded back. "Good. So, remember this as well... when you fight, be as immovable as the Earth. When you fight, be as smooth as Water. When you fight, be as swift as the Air. When you fight, be as fierce as Fire. When you fight, never give up and never surrender."

[same-skies]

For what we had

"This is the last time. I’ll come back this once, for old times sake.” The last four words hung in the air between them, both heart-breaking and beautiful in their sentiment. He understood exactly what she was saying, that she’d come back for the love that used to be there, because that was reason enough. But that love wasn't there anymore.

[thevoidstaredback]

Enough Caffeine to Kill an Elephant

Listen. It was an accident. He didn't mean to! It just kinda happened.

So maybe he brought a drink with enough caffeine in it to kill an elephant within a few minutes, and maybe he forgot to put the sleeve on his cup so he could tell it apart from the others, but it's not his fault! He didn't think anyone else was going to have the exact same Yeti cup as him! It's not like he'd seen any of the others carry one before. Besides, he worked with superheros. They should be smart enough to check before drinking someone else's drink.

Danny had been summoned by the Justice League Dark a few years back in order to help with a world ending crisis and he just didn't leave. It's not like he could go anywhere anyway. His ghost half hadn't grown past fourteen and his human half had stopped visibly aging at eighteen. He'd had to leave town as Danny Fenton, but he'd stayed in Amity Park as Danny Phantom. When his parents died of old age, thank god, he'd closed down the portal, stuck around for a few more years, before traveling the world as Danny Fenton.

Anyway, he'd taken up residence in the House of Mysteries after the JLD had summoned him. Constantine, at first, had been wary, but he and the rest of the JLD had grown to accept him. He was an honorary member of the team.

At some point, just after Robin had become Red Robin, Danny had been introduced to the Justice League. He liked those guys, too, and worked with them sometimes. Though, he usually only went to bug them.

Red Robin had been very interested in the fact that his was fourteen and working with grown heros, like he was one to talk, but Danny hadn't explained anything other than saying that he had died and come back. The following conversation was an interesting one that lead to Danny knowing that Nightwing was the Batman he'd met and that Batman was lost somewhere. He'd confirmed that the man was not dead, but he hadn't offered to help look for him. He probably should have, in retrospect.

Back on topic! Everyone in the JLD knew not to touch Danny's drink. They'd all seen him make it before and had been horrified on varying degrees. It's not like it could kill him. He's already half dead! So long as he only drank this specific brew as Phantom, he'd be fine.

The Justice League, apparently, didn't get the memo. He blames Constantine because Zatanna and Raven can do no wrong. No, John, he's not biased.

The point is, Red Robin just had a sip of Danny's drink. The horror he now felt was akin to the fear he held when he'd told his parents he was Phantom. (An interaction that had gone very well, thank you very much.)

Danny knew the exact moment that the vigilante realized he grabbed the wrong drink. His eyes widened to an astonishing degree, and, if he'd been able to seen his eyes behind the mask, Danny knew that the man's pupils would've completely overtaken the irises. His hands started shaking, too. Oh, no. The man's already addicted to hellish amounts of coffee. This is only going to make it worse!

Quickly, and without drawing any attention, thank the Ancients, Danny rushed over. "You, um, you okay, man?" Obviously not, but he tends to talk when he's anxious and he was certainly anxious right now. He could've possibly just killed a man via poison!

"What the fuck is in this coffee?" Red Robin asked, going to take another sip.

Danny pulled the Yeti from his hand and gave him the proper one. "Enough caffeine to kill an elephant."

"Obviously not, seeing as I'm still alive."

"Yeah, I can't tell if that's a good thing or not."

"Excuse me?"

"I-I mean-! I didn't-! You know what I mean." Caffeine is poisonous in excess, and his drink was way beyond excess, but it's the only thing that works for him as a ghost! Superpowered metabolism and all that.

"Do I?" The laugh in his voice answered for him. He took a sip from his drink and frowned at it. "I don't think any coffee will ever be enough again."

"And that's my cue to get my drink very far away from you." Danny turned, fully intent on moving to the other side of the room. Besides, the meeting was going to start as soon as the Flash and Kid Flash arrived, which would be soon. Something about one of their Rouges getting out?

"What?" Red Robin asked, "Why?" If he was a little desperate to get another sip of that coffee, he'd rather not acknowledge it.

"Because you don't need anymore lethal coffee," he muttered, "The sip you took will already keep you awake for three days at least, and it probably jump started an addiction. Best to stop it now. Besides, I need to go have my crisis on how the hell you're still alive after even a sip of this stuff."

"Again, rude." The bird themed vigilante crossed his arms as best he could while holding his cup. "If it's so dangerous, why do you drink it?"

Danny took a deliberate sip as he locked eyes with the technically younger man. "I'm dead. I don't need to worry about my heart stopping or having a seizure."

"Excuses."

"No, it's not 'excuses'. I'm saving your life."

"You're a kid. If I can't have that coffee, then you shouldn't be having it."

"First, I'm older than you. Second, I already told you: I'm dead. This isn't going to hurt me. Third, you can't tell me what to do."

"There's no way you're older than me. You're like, ten."

"I'm thirty-eight!" He balked, "I only look fourteen because I died when I was fourteen. We've been over this."

Neither noticed the entire Justice League looking at them. The two they were waiting on had arrived a few minutes ago and everyone was ready to start the meeting, but they'd been distracted by the two's conversation. Was that true? Had Phantom really died so young? They'd all been made aware he was not living, but they didn't think he'd died so young! Though, that was probably the denial speaking.

The Justice League Dark had been fully aware of this and didn't really bat an eye. Though, someone should probably get this meeting started. A potentially world ending threat was the topic, and that was a pretty important thing to discuss.

Captain Marvel was the first to pull himself together, though that was only after Atlas and Zeus had mentally slapped him out of his stupur. "As, ah, riveting as this conversation is," he stepped between the two boys- er, boy and man? "we really need to start this meeting."

Batman did not clear his throat because he'd not lost his voice in the first place. "He's right. Everyone take your seats."

Storyboard Part 2

[hyacinthsdiamonds]

I'm sorry but the irony of Nico calling Max unprofessional is sending me so bad like sir there's an entire garage full of people, who were literally in the trenches trying to survive the Brocedes fallout while just doing their jobs, who might have a few things to say about your (& Lewis') level of professionalism at that time 😭✋️

[vomitingwords]

and then I learned

how to cry

without tears

falling from my eyes

behind clouds // ma.c.a

[cvtastrophee]

i have yet to find the end to this pain.

[charmingwinds]

I read somewhere that the act of peeling oranges for someone is considered love. I found it stupid.

Then one day, I was home after a tiring day and there were oranges sitting on the counter. I knew they had to be eaten that day, a day later, they’d be rotten.

I was just too tired.

I completed my chores, and the oranges were still there, colourful and nudging, hoping I’d pick them up.

I walked past, and found my bed. My head comfortably rested on the pillows.

Those damn oranges.

I got up, sat on the counter and peeled them grudgingly. As I ate in silence, I understood what they meant. It was love alright, not peeling oranges but being taken care of.

[justthinking005]

Feeling depressed, lonely and broken hearted but not sure how to explain it

Another day of laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling. I know I should get up, brush my teeth and change my clothes but I can’t. I can’t move. And I can’t respond to the texts coming through my phone either. I don’t know what to say. I can’t move. My heart and my head hurt. I can’t focus. I can’t move. And I’m not sure how to explain it to those around me. Why I’m so sad. Why I’m so tired. Why I can’t move. How do you tell those you love that you’re so incredibly sad that nothing feels worth moving for? How do you tell them that even though you’re surrounded by love, you’ve never felt so alone? I can’t move because I can’t find anything motivating enough to move for. And I don’t know how to explain it. So laying here, staring at the ceiling feels like enough for now.

[thewaitingluna]

I loved you in the purest forms, only for you to hurt me in the cruelest ways.

[thenightmareauthor]

Story writers are sometimes seen as commonplace, no matter the world they come from. For one, he started as a simple little fan project… one to have a little fun, and write a fun story with some creators he looked up to. But… something from another world decided to play the trickster… and pull not only him, but his lover into the story as characters they had made once long ago.

But… that isn’t all…

The creators he looked up to… they’ve been drawn into this story as well; but not as themselves, but as their personas they had made instead. That is the downside.

There is one upside, however… and it’s that they have all abilities their personas have or could have. Now, they need to form together, and find a way home. Relationships are going to be strained… but new bonds will be made, and new stories will be written.

But in the end… will they really want to go home? Or… will they want to stay?

This is a very brief synopsis of a fanfic I'm thinking of... whether I'll fully write it or not is yet to be seen... maybe you'll see something in the new year, eh?

[thesewordsaremymusings]

“I want to take my heart off my sleeve, it has grown too heavy.”

-m.n.

[apolline-lucy]

i am beyond thrilled to share the cover of my fantasy novel, THE HOLLOWS 🗡️💀🖤 coming out November 29, 2024!

Hollowing or rotting, such is the fate of Misttown’s witches.

With its eerie, unfading fog, enchanting shops selling cures in the forms of pastries and flowers, and its crystal market, Misttown is the perfect witchy haven. But when the fog vanishes, replaced by a strange green smoke, and ghosts begin to roam the streets, everything changes.

For Brume, a witch whose modest talents include being haunted by ghost cats, baking heartbreak-soothing treats, and uprooting moss and weeds, her uneventful life takes a dramatic turn. Not only is she the only one able to see the ghosts, but when she loses someone to the smoke, she has no choice but to investigate.

Accompanied by a half-demon, a bone witch, a seer, a necromancer, and a herd of ghosts, Brume embarks on a journey that might do more than solve the curse; she might find herself and the magic she has always been too afraid to embrace.

preorder for THE HOLLOWS is now live on Kindle Unlimited!

*only for ebooks; if you’d like to order a physical copy (paperback or hardcover) please wait until the release✨

Amazing art design by Makomeri

[afterthelambs]

This 20-yr old cartoon is basically the plot of Arcane

I'm not exactly surprised so many people jump to classify Jinx a terrorist since she kinda fits the Western stereotype of that (although that's debatable since she doesn't have a concrete ideology or organization), but I guess I'm a bit surprised the real world commentary is flying over some people's heads in a way that gets them to justify Piltover's response as valid or write off Jinx's response as unreasonable.

In my opinion Jinx was partially intended to be a deconstruction of the terrorist stereotype by interrogating what causes someone to be like this in the first place. They deliberately gave her bomb/ explosion motifs, plus she's literally firing a missile at a tower of politicians. It's meant to evoke a certain imagery but you're not supposed to stop there. Youre supposed to ask "okay well why did it get to this point and how could this have been prevented?" and the answer to both those questions is Piltover.

Season 2 takes this further by asking what's the difference between a terrorist and a revolutionary. It's not a coincidence that Piltover (the oppressive regime) is the one framing her as a terrorist while Zaun sees her as a revolutionary symbol. In reality, she isn't either of those things (not completely) but no one sees her as Jinx-the-complex-person because of the dehumanization someone in her role gets subjected to, from both sides.

Piltover and Zaun are not the same. I really don't think you can both-sides-are-bad this conflict at all, particularly when one side possesses all the resources and power for centuries. You can debate about whether it was handled properly because yes the writers have biases and I think the depiction of fascism and revolution was rushed and clumsy, but I do appreciate the attempt at real world commentary.