#the comparison of humanity and the universe gets to me alright

[petrichara]

‘Love is the one thing that we’re capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space.’

“Eulogy from a Physicist” by Aaron Freeman, with quotes from Interstellar by Christopher Nolan, and images from NASA, Interstellar, Getty, Petrichara, and Reuters.

1- NASA: GOODS-South.

2- NASA: NGC 1850.

3- NASA: Iberian Peninsula.

4- Christopher Nolan: Interstellar.

5- NASA: From the Earth to the Moon.

6- Hannah La Folette Ryan: Subway Hands.

7- Adams Evans: Heart Nebula.

8- NASA: Exploring the Antennae.

9- NASA: Crescent Moon from the International Space Station.

10- Petrichara.

11- Getty Images.

12- NASA: SMACS 0723.

13- Reuters

[sytoran]

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄 | 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐬!𝐧𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐭.𝟑

you and natasha were star-crossed lovers, separated by galaxies and timelines. like any other shakesperean tragedy, you and natasha's tale comes to an end... or does it?

pairing: goddess!natasha x dom!fem!reader (G!P)

note: this is the 3rd installment to the goddess!nat universe! please read the other parts first if you haven't already. this part contains major angst and smut. i have spent ungodly hours on this chapter.

word count: 4.5k (i am impressed with myself)

series m.list | main m.list | join the taglist | AO3

Previously… 

No one escapes the consequences of their actions. Not even the Goddess of Lust, who had formed romantic relationships with a mortal. SHIELD’s decision to forbid the two of you from ever seeing each other again tears apart all the ‘what-ifs’ of a bright future.

Now…

Natasha doesn’t know how many hours she’s been crying in the bathtub.

After the finality of SHIELD’s crushing decision had truly weighed itself upon Natasha’s burdened shoulders, the mere thought of what she would have to do to you shook her to the bone.

Which is why she crashed at her sister’s place: to cry her problems away in a bathtub made of priceless gold, alongside a fine bottle of Pinot Grigio.

“Jesus, Nat, you’re gonna die of hypothermia if you stay in there a second longer.” Yelena says, kicking open the bathroom door with a tray of smoked salmon appetizers in hand.

“Take one,” Yelena says absentmindedly, sitting herself on the edge of the bathtub next to Natasha’s partially-submerged form. “Food helps with everything.”

Natasha doesn’t respond, only looking up at her sister through glassy eyes. Empty eyes. She felt raw and numb at the same time, but the contrasting emotions were merely child’s play in comparison to the storm that raged within her weary mind.

Yelena looks at her unamusedly, before folding her arms. “Talk to me,” she stated firmly, and it wasn’t a request.  The blonde sister was the Goddess of War, after all, she could be as intimidating and ruthless as she wanted to be.

Hot-headed at times, sure, but so paradoxically calculative and strategic at other times Natasha felt like she could get whiplash. Despite all of the finicky situations the older sister had found herself drowning in, Yelena was always there for her, fiercely protective with a passion like no other.

This was no different, with Yelena being the hand to pull her out of the water. Physically and metaphorically. 

Natasha inhaled shakily, then exhaled and felt a whole lot worse than before. Impulsively, she snatched one of the smoked salmon appetizers off the plate and stuffed it in her mouth, feeling her eyes well up as she does so.

“Damn, this human fucked you up this bad?” The blonde said quizically, with an air of sarcastic wit on the surface but a layer of genuine concern underneath only Natasha would be able to decipher. 

"... I've fallen in love with her." The Goddess says softly, faraway, like she was floating with the wind and time itself. Detached from reality, or perhaps running away from it.

Yelena stayed silent. For once, the Goddess of War was at a loss. 

“I’ve fallen in love with her,” Natasha says again, with slightly more conviction. She looks to her blonde sister, and Yelena’s heart nearly shatters at the sight of the sheer hurt on Natasha’s face. So broken, so agonized, everything that she did not deserve to be.

“But that doesn’t even matter, alright? She gave me her heart, Lena, and I’m going to have to break it. I’m gonna break so many– Fuck, I’m gonna have to break every single promise I’ve ever made to her, like she’s some kind of toy.” Natasha chokes out. “And I don’t, I fucking don’t– understand why it was us, why I lead her on and why I let it happen. I’m fucking stupid, and now it’s blown up in my face. Maybe I deserve it. Maybe I-”

“You’ve never deserved it,” Yelena interrupts, placing a hand over her sisters’. Is that how you’re supposed to comfort someone? Yelena doesn’t know. Anyways, she’s trying. “Nat, I know you’re the Goddess of Lust, and your reputation precedes you, but, you, of all people, deserve love.”

You deserve love… what a fucking lie that was.

“Don’t try that on me,” Natasha snaps, her walls snapping back up in record timing. Her self-destructive defence builds like armour, and soon she’s standing up. 

“I’ve done some fucked up shit in the past, and I’m very aware of it. I thought I’d moved past it, but now those demons have caught up to me, and I can’t do jackshit but watch the love of my life slip away from my fingers. I don’t deserve love, it just happened to find me and I played along because I thought it could last.”

Natasha’s chest heaves at the impact of the outburst. She stares at Yelena, who remains painfully impassive. Arms folded, jaw working on the stupid fucking smoked salmon.

Fuck, she wanted to hurt someone. Make them feel her pain. Let it consume them like it’s consuming her, let it choke them and–

“Is that what you really think, Nat? That you were simply playing a game with Y/N L/N? Because I assure you, I haven’t seen much but I know damn well that those two months with her pure, unfiltered, undying, devotion.”

Yelena’s words puncture a hole into her conscience, injecting venom with it. Each syllable, each emphasis, cuts her. Because Natasha knows that it’s true, but she can’t accept it or she’ll never be able to let you go.

So all she does is give Yelena the best death stare she can muster, and stalk out of her bathroom like her clothes aren’t dripping with bubbly water. (Yes, she had gone into the bathtub with all her clothes on. Depression waited for no man, or Goddess.)

She shakes her head, forcing the stray thoughts to dissipate, and fixes up her appearance with wordless magic.

My palace. Natasha visualizes the place, closing her eyes, and when she opens them again, she’s standing right outside the door.

Apprehensively, she puts her hand on the handle to the huge, sparkling door. You would be waiting on the other side, waiting for Natasha to come home. 

Waiting for Natasha to break your heart.

She pushes the door open before she can cower and hide, before she can run away and curse every sentient being in existence. 

It was time for her mortal demise.

—

It was time for Natasha to see the fruits of your hard work.

You wipe the sweat off your forehead with the back of your hand, huffing heavily but proud nonetheless. You step back to admire the absolute feast you had prepared for your girlfriend.

The fancy dining table was adorned with a checkered tablecloth and ornate with all kinds of things, expensive plates and cutlery already set up, just for two.

It was no secret that Natasha loved your home-cooked meals, despite being able to eat whatever she wanted, as a Goddess with a private chef. She had sworn you put something magical into your food.

You’ll never forget the moan she let out the first time she ate your perfected medium-rare New York Strip.

Which is exactly why you’ve spent over an hour cooking up a banquet of all kinds of food for the Goddess, an array of cuisines from all around the world. As much as you loved the hot sex you had with Natasha, you were an absolute sucker for the domesticity of life with her, how simple and perfect it was.

As if on cue, you hear the front door open, which was not too far away from the dining hall. 

Your heart physically leaps, unbridled excitement adorning your features. Natasha had taken longer than she normally would, and you could barely contain the anticipation thrumming in your bones.

That is, until you see Natasha standing in the hallway defeatedly, shoulders sagged and eyes lowered. Like all the life had been sapped out of her.

Fuck, you had never seen her like this. Natasha was the embodiment of undying energy, always with a smile on her face, or her expression schooled into composure, or her eyes fluttering in a state of lust. Not like this. 

Never like this.

“Darling?” you ask, hushed. You take one step towards her, tentatively. The head of red hair looks up to you, and Natasha’s biting her lip like she’s stopping the words from falling out of her mouth, like she’ll start crying if you say one word more.

“I-” Natasha tries, her voice hoarse and choked. The rest of her sentence dies in her throat, as she shakes her head and strides past you quickly, like she can’t burn any longer under your gaze.

Your hand drops in complete loss as Natasha simply walks past you, shoulders brushing like a ghost of what used to be warm hugs and sweet kisses. You chase after her before you know it, yelling her name as the Goddess speeds up.

Natasha blinks back tears furiously, striding through the dining hall as the servants scatter like mice. She hardly registers the feast prepared on the ornate table, vision blurring with each desperate cry of her name you let out.

“Natasha? What’s the matter? Talk to me, please!” 

You sprint faster, dodging your way through the hallways and up the wide set of stairs. The Goddess is within arm’s reach, now, and you extend your arm to grab onto hers, so you can spin her around and ask what on earth is going–

And the Goddess simply teleports away at the last second, the fleeting touch of her warm skin dissipating into thin air.

“Fuck!” you yell, eyes darting in frustration. Why was Natasha acting like this? Had you done something? Forget her birthday? No, that was December 3rd. Forget the anniversary of your first meeting? Nope, that was January 24th. What on earth had you done? Or had she done something? You–

No, okay, calm down. Slow down. The rational voice in your head speaks up. Where would Natasha have gone? What was a significant place she would escape to, in times of distress?

After a moment of contemplation, you find your answer, and sooner than later you’re sprinting up the long flight of spiral staircases to the Astronomy Tower. 

—

Natasha’s thankful for the dome-shaped glass ceiling the tower has, doing what it can to block out the cold. The sky is absolutely breathtaking, a heart-wrenching contrast to her inner turmoil.

It’s a dark blue and a soft pink, with millions of little bright planets splashing across the canvas like silver sequins. The view of the galaxy from the land of the Gods had always been the greatest, after all. 

The Goddess stands, unmoving and breathing lightly. She doesn’t feel the least bit better, but at least she’s calmed down in the slightest.

She’s bought some time by teleporting up here. Her hands were clammy, but no matter how many times she wipes them down on her dress it doesn’t change a thing. She can’t change a thing, not for anything, not for you.

“Natasha?” you ask, weakly, heaving at having sprinted up so many flights of stairs. 

At the sight of you, the Goddess feels the tears spring back into her eyes again. Stupid. She wants to say sorry. Stroke your face and kiss your lips, maybe. Well, not maybe, because she can’t. Because it’s the last– nope, she can’t say it.

“Nat, can you….. fuck, I need to work out more. Can you tell me what’s going on, please? I made- I made a New York Strip, if you’re hungry–”

The Goddess walks up to you, cradling the side of your face in her hands. Oh, fuck it. Tender, sweet, delicate. You’ve never seen her face like this before, so soft yet so broken.

“What—”

You’re cut off when Natasha leans into your space, eyelids fluttering shut. And for once, this wasn’t preordained or predetermined. You didn’t have to calculate the next move. You didn’t have to fix a destiny. 

Natasha’s lips meet yours in a grand, cruel, beautiful, broken kiss.

It feels so right, tongues interlocking like cogs on a machine, quavering breaths escaping from the sides of her mouth. You let her in, you drink her up. All other thoughts shut down.

Natasha kisses you with a hyena’s jaw, swearing she could never get enough, never satiate her desires for you, even if everything else is wrong. You’re stealing her every breath, every kiss, every sigh — she needed more.

She slides her hand down your torso, hands already finding the hem of your pants. But then you push her away – for the first time, for that last time – you push her away, and step back, and your head is spinning.

“I deserve to know,” you breathe heavily, and Natasha’s heart cracks. “You’re scaring me, Nat, okay? First you brush past me all soulless, and then you make me chase after you, and then you kiss me so- so sadly, and now you wanna fuck? It doesn’t make sense, not at all. I wanna know, I deserve to know, I–”

“You deserve everything,” Natasha interrupts, eyes transfixed on you now, and they look kaleidoscopic, just like the galaxy that hung above your heads. “You deserve everything, but I can’t give you what you need, and that’s why this is the last time we’re ever seeing each other again.”

Silence ensues.

You take a good moment to actually mentally digest what Natasha had just said. “...What?” 

“This is the last time we’re ever seeing each other again,” she repeats, firmer. You let out a bark of laughter in disbelief, half-joking, but Natasha’ stony face makes your face drop.

“Are you… breaking up with me?” you whisper, scared to say it loud, like doing so would make it less true. Natasha feels her heart clench, and her hands shake because you’ve never sounded so small, so vulnerable.

“No, I’m not– I had to, Y/N, darling,” Natasha says, trying to reason, clasping your hands in hers, shaking her head desparately, like it would stop her eyes from welling up. “I’m a Goddess, and you’re a mortal. I love you, please. But we can’t do this, we can’t-”

“Is it me?” you ask, softly, troubled. Eyes locking Natasha’s magnificent green eyes, one’s that you’ve fallen in love with a thousand times. Ones that you were still in love with.

“No,” Natasha says immediately, her knuckles whitening. “It’s not you. Definitely not.”

“Then who is it?” you follow up, eyes narrowing, head tilted. “Who’s the one tearing us apart?”

It was them, Natasha wants to scream out, until her lungs burned and her chest heaved and she ran out of tears. You’re the best fucking thing that’s happened in my life, and I’m a damned fool if I ever let you go, but this isn’t in my hands anymore. She wanted to curse the higher beings for centuries, taint their names with bitter words, but she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth.

You grow more hopeless as the silence stretches on. 

No, you’re the villain. Natasha’s voice says in her head. This was what had come to bite her back, this was her karma. You’re paying for everything you’ve ever done wrong, for all the hearts you’ve broken and never mended. It’s your turn to face the music, your turn to go through suffering. What a shame, isn’t it? That she’s the one who’s so hurt because of you. Y/N L/N. Only person to blame is yourself.

…Only person to blame is yourself.

“It’s me,” Natasha finally says, a shell of a woman who once was, and the Goddess swears she hears your heart smash into smithereens, the glass pieces against the floor you trod on.

“No, what are you saying, Nat?” you ask, confused, tearing up, visibly shaking. “You’re- we’re together. We’re doing good. We’re doing so fucking good, please don’t–”

“I’m the Goddess of Lust, and you’re an attorney from earth. We were never gonna work out. I wasn’t made to have long-lasting, committed relationships. Just… lustful nights,” the falsehood of the words that fell out of Natasha’s mouth wasn’t her own. It tasted bitter on her tongue, but it was like medicine and it was the right thing to do.

You needed a villain. Someone to hate. Someone to blame it all on.

And Natasha happened to be a very good one.

“We were a time-ticking bomb, Y/N, separated by galaxies you could never even fathom.” she continues. “We were never meant to be. I realise how wrong I am for this, because it was never real–”

“It was real to me!” You yell out, voice cracking, tears in your eyes. 

Natasha is stunned by the sheer volume of your words, so ferocious and so determined and fuck, she was pathetic. “It was fucking real to me, alright? It was the realest thing I’ve ever had in my entire life. It was so fucking real, Nat, so you don’t get to just pretend you never fell in love!”

Love.

“Love?” Natasha asks, letting out an amused huff of disbelief. “Love doesn’t exist, not in my world, Y/N L/N. It had to end at some point, you know that. You have your responsibilities, I have mine. We’re over, alright?”

You stand there, feet rooted on the ground, face fallen and ashen and grey. This was a dream. This was a dream, and you’d wake up next to the real Natasha later, the one with sweet smiles and peanut butter cookies, and everything would be alright.

“I’ve said what I had to say,” the Goddess says, and she has to regulate her breathing so she won’t choke on her words and swallow them back. She had to escape before she fell to her knees and begged you for forgiveness. “I’m leaving, now.”

She turns, and you grab her arm. “You’re staying.” you state, non-negotiable. A commanding tone. One that Natasha had grown to love.

This time, she scoffs, wrenching herself out of your grasp. “Fucking make me, then.”

Just like that, a lever between the two of you was flicked, and the sexual tension you’d been trying to avoid since just now is nearly suffocating.

“We’re not gonna do this right now,” You growl, looking up at the ceiling with a clenched jaw. Teetering on the edge of precipice was your raging impulse, to either punch a hole in the wall or shove your hand up Natasha’s skimpy dress.

The Goddess tilts her head up in defiance, looking at you daringly in the eyes. Your eyes narrow, taking it as a challenge. God, she looked so fucking bratty like that, and it didn’t help that she was still wearing a stupidly skimpy dress and that her pink lip gloss made that mouth so damn kissable.

“No? Then I’m leaving,” Natasha says abruptly, her tone of voice unyielding and domineering. She uncrosses her arms and turns on her heel, her hand going to the door of the tower. 

The rhythmic clicking of her strappy high heels against the tiling of the ground ticks your brain like a metronome. You stand there with your arms folded, her long legs in the field of vision of narrowed eyes. 

Click, click, click–

And then she’s being spun around and slammed against the back of the door with an unruly force.

“The only time someone ever turns their back on me, when I’m talking, is when they’re bendin’ over,” you growl into Natasha’s skin, each pause in your sentence filled with a harsh bite to her porcelain skin. Her gasp-turned-moan is heaven to your ears. 

Natasha struggles for a moment, hand still grasping for the doorknob. “Fuck,” she cries, but she feels the gyration of your roughly-shoved thigh up her dress and she nearly loses it. You wrap a hand around her neck, letting her give up her power, and you do what you’ve done a thousand times before.

Except this was the last time.

You don’t bother to take off her garments as you hike up the bottom of her dress and push your front against her. “Fuck,” Natasha moans, feeling your rock-hard bulge against her panties. She tries to grind against it, tries to alleviate the growing tension, but you do nothing more than rut against her until she’s fucking soaking.

“I don’t think so,” you growl, hands going to her ass as you push her up against the wall. Your mouth latches on to whatever slivers of bare skin you can find, on her neck and her collarbone and her upper cleavage.

You suck hard on her porcelain skin, leaving marks like you could claim her. Like this wouldn’t be the last time. “Please,” Natasha begs, indescribably aroused, her panties completely soaked through. You had never been this unforgiving.”Need you, please.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t what you were saying just now, hmm?” You ask, harshly, slapping the side of her thigh just because you can. You pin her against the wall with your knees and your left hand, using the other to unbuckle your own pants. 

She tries to reach out to help you, but you slap her hand away. “Don’t fucking touch me,” you say coldly, and Natasha wants to cry but she knows she brought it upon herself.

It takes you more time on your own, but you get the job done and the sight of your cock, the one Natasha took the first day she met you, it makes her cunt grow a heartbeat and she’s a fucking mess against the wall.

“Now you need me so bad?” You taunt, rubbing the tip of it against the slit of her pussy. “Don’t have any more words to say?” God, she’s absolutely drenched, and you think you’re gonna die if you don’t go inside her in the next five seconds.

This was probably the worst way to communicate, but, fuck, the two of you were bad at talking and you couldn’t resist the divine goddess that was Natasha, no matter how badly she had hurt you.

You nearly cum the second you enter the Goddess. Her velvet walls cling tight to you, so warm, too fucking warm. Natasha’s babbling something you don’t understand, but you can’t wait any longer.

“Oh, fuck!” she moans, as you slide your cock into her wet cunt with ease.

Your bodies move together with every thrust, Natasha’s legs wrapped tight around your torso as you thrust into her against the door. It’s hard, and fast, and rough, and nothing tender like your Saturday mornings.

She clings to your back, head thrown back, moans and cries bouncing off the sides of the wall. The door is shaking, like it might crack from the sheer weight of your thrusts into her.

You grunt at the inconvenience of that prospect, instead opting to walk the two of you back to a desk in the corner. Natasha gasps, whimpering into your neck as you walk across the floor with your cock still deep inside her pussy. It’s too sensitive, so sensitive everywhere.

You bend her over the desk, pulling away then lining yourself up again. 

You’re about to make her beg, before the irrational, carnal side of your mind takes over, and you’re pounding into her pretty little cunt mercilessly. Grunting and groaning as lodge your cock in deeper with each harder thrust, as her moans delve into a symphonic crescendo of screams of your name.

She’s thrashing around, so warm and so wet and so overstimulated all over, but you don’t let up for a moment. You only grip her thighs harder and make her hear how wet she is, before Natasha’s eyes are rolling into the back of her head and there’s drool at the sides of her mouth.

“Pretty slut,” you grunt, pulling out to slap at her puffy clit before she’s squirting, white cream going all over the mattress. “Daddy,” Natasha moans pornographically, visibly shuddering at your degradation. She might like it, a little too much.

The title that had fallen from her lips elicits a groan of acknowledgement out of you, but simultaneously brings back the bittersweet flashbacks of your time spent with her.

This was the last time.

After she’s come down from her high and you’ve hit your climax, you spread her legs and lean down to get a good taste.

"Oh! Daddy - ungh - please," she begs, as your tongue meets her overstimulated cunt. Natasha hadn't even recovered from her previous orgasm, still bent over the desk and panting like she was in heat.

You lap greedily at her wet cunt from behind, and the sheer novelty of how many times you’ve done this truly hits you. How many hours you’ve spent exploring Natasha’s body. How many days you’ve spent worshipping.

All for it to succumb to this.

It’s only after another few orgasms that the weight of ‘the last time’ hits you. Both of you have ended up on the floor, completely naked, heaving heavily to regain oxygen.

“I loved you,” you whisper, hovering above Natasha, and the use of the past tense makes chips away at Natasha’s heart. It’s only then does she realise that there are tears on her cheeks, because you’re crying.

“You deserve someone better,” is the only thing the Goddess says, a ghost of her whisper on your lips. 

“You've ruined me for anyone else,” you say, face devoid of the passion there once was. “You loved me so tenderly I won't be able to have another, had such good sex I can't sleep with anyone else.”

Natasha doesn’t respond to that. She can’t respond to that. There were too many unsaid words, broken promises, a future yet to be.

Both of you look up at the pink-blue sky, bare backs on an astronomy tower, bound by love and unbound by timelines and galaxies. It was brokenly beautiful, undeniably so. 

You only wish everything could’ve been different.

—

You wake up the next day in an unfamiliar bedroom. The room was far too small, the walls were too grey, the air was too cold, and fuck.

No, no, no, fuck. This was not happening.

Realisation slams into your exhausted body like a two-hundred kilogram sledgehammer, and you're winded by the weight of the impact.

This wasn't Natasha's home. This wasn't her fancy palace. 

This wasn't the Goddess' universe.

Air crushes your lungs. Your heart pounds in your chest.

This was your bedroom. This was your universe. The one you had spent all your days in, before you met the love of your life. 

At least, who you so stupidly believed to be the love of your life.

You get up with a start, the ache in your bones forgotten with the sheer emotions coursing through your veins, terror and disbelief and anger.

Your mind swims as you grab at anything you can, overturning furniture and messing up papers to find anything, anything, that could explain why this had happened.

Deep inside your chest, you had already known. Even if you managed to fool yourself. Even if you’d dreamt up a whole future of your life with her.

With a shuddering breath, your eyes fall to an envelope on your bedside table. You open it with trembling hands, almost fearful of what lay beyond.

In the envelope, contained a signed check with so many zeroes you could live luxuriously for the rest of days. 

In the envelope, contained a note with five fated words and the name of the one that got away.

All you're left with is a broken promise, an agonized cry, and the ghost of what could've been. 

To every universe and back,

N.R.

series m.list | main m.list | AO3

4.5k words my eyes are not okay i've been staring my screen and typing for two hours straight, look what i'm going thru for yall

[razzdazzledoo]

How do you feel about people roleplaying as MX?

Alright everyone, sit down. I've been waiting for this moment.

Welcome to

RAZZDAZZLEDOO'S QUICK GUIDE TO WRITING MX!!

For those who wanna be in-line with the character while still having the freedom of not being canon.

So first things first, let's get the ground basis with MX.

MX does what he does for the reactions it brings, that kinda stuff is his entertainment. So he plans ahead, hoping to find the best snowball effect for the strongest look of terror on people's faces.

Though he doesn't plan THAT much, he gets a ground base and then improvises the rest of it so it's hard to plan ahead against him.

He's also not meant to be intimidating all the time either, his playmates will get bored if it's the same song and dance so he plays into other personalities to throw them off.

When their guard's down? He strikes while the iron's hot. And that makes them terrified even more.

Second, how he interacts with other people.

It ultimately depends on what the other person's like. Are they exactly like him? Do they have the potential to be? Or are they like Lucas where they clearly fear him?

Those kinda aspects will play into the chemistry MX can have with a person. He's best friends with Executable M and Mr. Virtual for a reason, they're just like him in the sense of 'tormenting for their own entertainment' along with whatever goals they have.

If they show fear, he'll play into it. He'll show them reasons to fear him, and then the next moment deceive them into believing there's some good in his heart. Only to then tear down those chances, and watch them crumble.

"What if I wanna ship my MX roleplay with someone?"

You have the freedom to do that, don't let me restrict you from having fun. I'll provide how he would, in-character, respond to romance. But I wanna get some rules down first.

Do not be sexual with him. That kinda shit makes me incredibly uncomfortable, not to mention I don't see him ever showing interest to the thought.

Do not ship him in problematic scenarios. This can include: People in the victim role, like MX took their soul and put them in a vessel; Characters who are directly stated to be minors; And characters that use Luigi's likeness. I outright forbid this and will not hesitate to block you if I see it.

Build up to it. MX obviously isn't going to know what the hell a "relationship" is, he's never entertained the idea and so it's going to take some time for him to learn. He's gonna have to figure out why he feels the way he does around that specific person, whether with their guidance or not.

He knows that humans can feel love, and how they respond to it, since he's been around since the universe's creation; but he personally doesn't know much on the subject.

When he realizes he's actually capable of love, he's not gonna know how to respond to it. He might even outright avoid the person he feels those emotions to since he has not an iota of knowledge with relationships.

If your interpretation of MX has an actual friendship with other muses, and he gets along greatly, he might go to them about it as a show of trust and they can help him figure it out.

Otherwise, he'd try and leave "gifts" for his special someone. Like a cat bringing you a dead bird, for comparison. Most of his gifts are eldritch abominations though, like a smaller version of one of his clouds in his world as an example.

On the other hand, if his special someone went to him first about pursuing a relationship and he does feel love towards them as well; He'd go along with it, essentially being a big giant teddy bear for them if he thinks it'd be funny enough.

If someone tries to pursue a relationship with him and he feels no attraction, he just kinda messes with them about it. Poking fun that they'd fall in love with a monster like him, who'd never love them back.

There's no canon MX ship, I just personally lean more towards Powerforest since it's a comfort ship of mine.

"What are some other tips?"

If your interpretation of MX can frown, make it have impact. That brute smiles all the time, regardless of the situation; So if he frowns, that's gonna have to mean something.

Canonically if MX frowns, he's locked in. He's not gonna waste time playing around, he wants you DEAD.

Don't be afraid to be silly sometimes.

It'd get awful boring real quick if MX was one-dimensional in a roleplay scenario, having something like that can give him way more depth and I encourage it.

You don't need to follow this guide exactly, but please still be respectful of the boundaries I expressed in here.

This is not meant to be a rulebook on how to write MX, you still have the freedom to write him how you feel most comfortable with writing him. This is just how I go about writing the character in my own spaces.

[the-fiction-witch]

Life

Media Doctor Who

Character The Doctor (Eleventh)

Couple Doctor X Reader (Prior Companion)

Rating Sweet Af

This is a lil trial so if you like it! let me know!

I scrubbed the bottles and cups with my sponge and hummed to myself when I perked up as I heard the unmistakable sound. I set down my dishes and headed out of my little house to see the familiar blue box on my garden grass. The door opened and he stepped out looking almost exactly as I last saw him but there was more gravity to his eyes, more darkness there than I had last seen. He wore the same suit his hair the same and he smiled at me.

I chuckled as I put my hands in my pockets, "Been a while since I saw you doctor,"

"Did I inspire you?" He smirked as he looked at my outfit,

I looked down at my outfit, my little white sneakers, my black leggings, long sleeve white t-shirt, blue pinafore and white headband in my hair, "Somewhat." I shrugged putting my hands in my pockets, "How long has it been for you? Since we saw each other last?"

"...I don't know," he sighed, "I'm fairly convinced... a few months, a few years, It's hard to keep track of these things."

"Six years."

"Six?"

"Six years since you left."

"...God I've wasted time." He sighed running a hand over his face,

"It's alright, I know it passes quick for you,"

"It never gets any easier. To see how people change when I come back." He explained,

"What are you doing here?"

"... a bit of a farewell tour, I had to come visit one of my favourite humans."

"Quiet the compliment, Tea?" I offered,

"Pop the kettle on Y/n." He smiled so I led him into the house, "quiet the place,"

"Well I had time," I laughed, "You still take Three sugars?" I asked as I went to the kitchen and began to make two cups of tea the basic reflex of it all coming back to me even after six years to make the two teas as perfectly desired,

"You still remember? Still, care?"

"Hard not to care about a man you spent so long of your life flying around space and time with," I laughed handing him his tea and taking my own having a seat on the sofa,

He had a sip and sat down beside me and we chatted between the sips of tea, "what have you been up to then? the last six years."

"Living I suppose, It's a little strange to just come back and settle into a normal life after everything... I mean... You took me to the edge of the universe. To the beginning and the end of time. To sights and sounds, I'd never even imagined... And then I come back and ... get a mortgage"

"Ugh normality," he grimaced,

"It's not all bad, I've built a decent if... dull life by comparison."

"You miss it? Travelling?"

"I miss it. But... life goes on. I'm happy."

"I'm glad to hear it." He smiled, "That you're enjoying it,"

"I am." I nodded,

"Do you ever think of about going back?" he asked,

"I don't know," I answered, "So much has changed,"

"You like living here then? No more living out of suitcases and the tardis' wardrobes exploring the ends of the universe."

I giggled, "No, no more of that. I like living here. Built a career, a life, filled my house with trinkets from adventures."

"quiet the life, all that's left is a wedding and a baby,"

I did my best to save face but, "I uhh yeah... divorced so."

"Oh... sorry. I-"

"It's alright, don't worry over it,"

"I am sorry, really I am sorry," he said as he took my hand, "I don't mean to bring up bad memories,"

"It's fine. really." I nodded squeezing his hand,

"Anything else I should know I missed?"

I smiled and squeezed his hand tugging him with me as I set down my mug, I led him upstairs to the bedroom I let him go and headed inside to the room filled with stary wallpaper, sweet blue fabrics, the shadow of the star lamp on the ceiling, and the little crib to the side, I leant on the side of the crib and he came over to have a look too.

He smiled and leant on the crib with me too, he laughed and looked down at him.

"This is Danny,"

"Danny." he smiled, "I love it, perfect name, brilliant name," He smiled, "May I?"

"So long as you don't wake him, doctor," I laughed picking Danny up and handing him over,

"Ohhh Hello," he smiled as he held Danny in his arms, "You're my new best friend aren't you Danny,"

"Ohh I bet he will be," I smiled, "He loves stories about you,"

"He does?"

"Of course, he loves them. there his favourite stories for bedtime," I smiled, "Ohh almost forgot, he'll get grumpy without his favourite toy." I laughed as I took Danny's little crotchet sonic screwdriver from the crib and let Danny hold it in his little hand,

"You made it for him?"

"Yeah, I figured he'd like it."

"Maybe, he always waves it at the light switch when he wants them turned on,"

"Like his own little sonic screwdriver," he chuckled, "He'll be ready to head off through time and space pretty soon,"

"I think so," I laughed,

"You're a very good mother to him Y/n,"

"I do my best," I laughed,

"You must be, he loves your stories, loves his toys gets his beautiful eyes from you,"

"I kinda hope he didn't get much from his father,"

"Was his father that bad?"

"He was a jackass. some men are."

"Some men are." He chuckled before he pulled out his screwdriver pointing it to the starlight and after a few seconds, the cheap white star and moon-shaped shadows turned into vibrant colours and views of the stars of planets, stars, and galaxies full of colour and life, moving gently with a spin and sweep across the white ceiling.

"You-"

"My little gift. for Danny," He smiled, "so he can look up at the stars,"

"Thank you," I smiled,

he set Danny back in his crib to sleep, and we headed back to the sofa,

"Why are you here doctor?" I asked,

"Visiting." He smiled,

"You haven't visited once in six years, why not?"

"Because I missed you, I miss everyone but... I missed you most."

"Thank you, I missed you too."

"did you ever think that you'd be a mother back when we were travelling? Or did you ever think about it when travelling the universes, settling down and having a child?" He asked,

"Admit it very rarely entered my mind. So much else going on." I explained holding my mug in hand and stroking it between my fingers, "But it had always been there the desire to settle down and have a child."

"You deserve to finally rest and raise a child, life is hard and it's nice to have a little bit of hope and peace in your life. I just hope that you are truly happy that you are finally able to settle down somewhere and be content,"

"I am happy," I nodded, "But... can I tell you a secret?"

"I won't tell a soul,"

I blushed running my hands along the curve of the mug, "I always thought It would be with you... Settling down I mean. Crossed my mind more than once over all those years to imagine a room in the Tardis with a crib and a universe's worth of toys, and a baby... with you,"

He blushed a little, "Really?" He asked, "We went through so much together and now you're telling me you were really thinking about settling down with me,"

"I did. Guess I was a stupid little girl then..."

His smile widened, "You weren't stupid,"

"No?"

"No, and if it means anything. I was thinking about it too."

"What?"

"I did,"

"why didn't you ever tell me?"

"All of time and space... I never found the time," He said, "but I did always wonder about what would have happened if we did just settle down and have a nice quiet little life together,"

"it would have been nice... It must have been hard then ... To just leave me here?"

"I wanted you to stay with me... that's the thing, that was the hardest for me, it was extremely difficult leaving you. I wanted to stay and stay with you forever,"

I finally met his eyes, "Wanted? or still want?"

he didn't answer leaving us in silence for a moment before his hand gently took my cheek and his lips pressed gently against my own, I blushed hard and softly kissed back, until he pulled away his nose against my own,

"Do you really need me to answer that?"

"...More than anything,"

"Yes, it's always been yes. always will be yes." He smiled as he happily kissed me again, I kissed back excitedly until we pulled away.

"If it is still what you want," I whispered, "It's here waiting for you,"  

[championari]

Alright. I said I would write this and I’m gonna stay true to my word.

I’ve been seeing a lot of takes since The Giggle has come out questioning the potency of 14’s ending. People have been citing multiple different times during the reboot era where the Doctor has “settled down” somewhere, from Darillium, the university in S10, to even Trenzalore. However, I think all of these comparisons are apples to oranges, completely missing the details of each instance and how The Giggle’s ending rebukes all of them. 

So, because I cannot leave an inaccurate take alone, I’m going through every single one of these instances and explain why 14’s ending is different from them, in chronological order.

I’m gonna start with a weird one: S7EP4, The Power of Three. Because it provides a good example of all the things we’re going to be talking about. 

Prior to this episode, long time fans already had a good idea that the Doctor…does not do well in monotonous environments, a truth that is consistent across multiple incarnations.

“I don’t do families.”

“Street corner, two in the morning, getting a taxi home. I’ve never had a life like that.”

“Here you are, Living a life, day after day. The one adventure I could never have.”

“Christmas dinner.” “I don’t do that sort of thing.”

“Oh god I had a terrible nightmare about you two!” [Talking about Amy and Rory having a normal life in Leadworth]

The entirety of The Lodger

“There’s a bigger, scarier adventure waiting for you in there.”

The Power of Three, spells this truth out in bold, montage style marker pen. The Doctor “needs to be busy”. Why, as Amy later asks?

Personally I think this answer varies slightly between regenerations, based on experiences and losses each face goes through. 9 couldn’t imagine a life of peace coming out of a war, a war that he had a major hand in. 10 continues that idea, with the added baggage of losing Rose. 11’s reasoning is a bit subtler: he says to Amy that he is running to things before they go, as if he now understands how short beautiful things last. He’s going from one thing to the next in avoidance of staying to watch things die. 

“And what’s the alternative? Me standing over your grave?”

This doesn’t change by the end of the episode. The Doctor explicitly tells the Ponds that he’s only staying to watch the cubes, and once the threat is gone, he’s already out the door. He only stops because of a potential threat, an idea we will return to in the next example. He even accepts the idea of Amy and Rory wanting to stay behind: “things to do. Worlds to save. Swings to swing on. Look, I know. You both have lives here. beautiful, messy lives. That is what makes you so fabulously human. You don’t want to give them up. I understand.” The Doctor is saying, ‘I know you have lives here, and that I can’t always be a part of that. And that’s ok.’ 

This episode in my opinion is a perfect microcosm of The Doctor regarding this topic, spelling out explicitly why The Doctor can't ever settle down. The Doctor needs to have something to run to because they don't feel secure enough in any place to not allow their altruism outweigh their need to process their trauma. The only thing that could motivate the Doctor to stop, even just for a second, is the promise that their friend(s) will be there too. The next example is the worst-case scenario of this issue.

Trenzalore is an interesting case. When I first heard of it being counted, I immediately shut it down, because Trenzalore was a literal war zone (wars are obviously not a good place for mental health time). But in doing research, there is actually way more baggage contained in this period making it unsuitable for this argument than just that fact. 

Trenzalore was set up to be the Doctor’s final resting place, where they would truly die. It wasn’t the first time a death prophecy had surrounded the Time Lord, and once again, just as with The End of Time, the thing that kills them is, what Davros would later call The Doctor's “greatest indulgence”: compassion. Tasha Leem warns 11 that she will burn the planet upon the possibility of the Time Lords returning, a warning the Doctor takes extremely seriously.

“This planet is protected.”

“Christmas has a new sheriff.”

For 300 years, 11 stayed true to his word. He fought long and hard, for the townspeople and his own. He was celebrated and was loved. But Clara returning with the TARDIS revealed how he really felt about all of it. 

“Everyone gets stuck somewhere eventually.”

“But you didn’t have your TARDIS.” “Well, that made it easier to stay.” 

There’s an unspoken sentiment in these words, echoing 11's philosophy in Power of Three: the Doctor will always want to leave, in this case, to understandably avoid his prophesied death. But he doesn’t, because “Every life I save is a victory”. Their compulsion to help, their innate capacity to help those in need. So often it’s been their greatest strength, but here it’s framed as destructive selflessness. 11 has become so wholly committed to helping others before himself that he’s willing to accept his own death. 

Clara correctly calls this out: “What about your life? Just for once, After all this time, have you not earned the right to think about that?” The Doctor didn’t stay on Trenzalore for himself, he stayed for everyone besides himself. It’s only because Clara gave the Time Lords a proper verbal smackdown that the Doctor managed to survive. Had they not intervened, The Doctor would've suffered and died, once again to protect them, despite already saving them from annihilation in the previous episode, Day of The Doctor. Trenzalore wasn't The Doctor stopping, it was a century-long effort to keep satiating the bottomless survivor's guilt they still carried from The Time War.

Darillium is yet another case of looking like a time the Doctor settled down somewhere on the surface. But the details don’t match that conclusion. The entire thesis of 12 and River’s final conversation was about the fleeting nature of their situation. 

“Times end, River, because they have to. Because there’s no such thing as happily ever after. It’s just a lie we tell ourselves because the truth is so hard.”

The Doctor says this, cries at hearing the Singing Towers, despite already knowing they have 24 years in a night. Because he knows it can’t last. There’s already a deadline on their moment of peace before it’s begun. Eventually River must go to The Library. 

The final quote of the episode punctuates this: “And they lived happily ever after.” Fading away until “happily” remains. Because they didn’t have their “ever after” and they didn’t “live”, because a person can’t entirely experience life to the fullest with a clock hanging over their head. 

While they got their moment of happiness, it was only a moment. 24 years is just a blink of an eye for a Time Lord, and sure enough, we see by the end of “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”, the next chronological episode, 12 is ready to leap back into the fray. Still the same overall Doctor he was before.

The University is an extension of this. We find out that the only reason he has stayed is to guard Missy in the vault. When 12 tries to mindwipe Bill (an eerie parallel to both Donna and Clara), he directly says: “I have no choice, I’m in disguise. I have promises to keep.” Just like with Trenzalore, The Doctor’s altruism has trapped him somewhere he doesn’t actually want to be. The second he hesitates, he immediately runs after Bill, inviting her into the TARDIS and sneaks off to the universe behind Nardole’s back.

So, now that we’ve gone through each past instance, what’s the connection? What’s the key issue(s) that prevented the Doctor from permanently stopping in any of these cases?

The (fear of) loss of their friends, and the Doctor’s own self-loathing. Either out of fear of the march of time, or the chains that their altruistic nature binds them to, The Doctor always runs away from the picket fence life.

Now, let’s look at 14 and how this ending departs from all other examples.

Wild Blue Yonder and The Giggle more prominently explains 14’s origins as a coping mechanism. The reason why 10’s face came back was to retreat to an incarnation that didn’t invoke the loss of The Ponds, Clara, and Bill. The second destruction of Gallifrey and the reveal of The Timeless Child. The Doctor’s avoidance of their trauma has now been made physical, just like how mental stress can often manifest as physical changes or ailments. 

“We stand here now, on the edge of creation, a creation that I devastated, so yes I keep running, of course I keep running!! How am I supposed to look back on that?!”

Already this is a departure from the instances we’ve discussed, because by the very nature of having 10’s face again, it’s forcing the Doctor to ask why. 

“It’s like I'm trying to tell myself something. Like I’m trying to make a point.”

But 14 chooses not to answer it, because answering it means accepting the truth: it’s too much. The trauma can’t be avoided anymore, because The Doctor would always be reminded of what they’re trying to avoid by looking in a reflection. 14 telling Shirley, “I don’t know who I am anymore.” Then asking Donna, “what am I? What am I now?” It’s not because he’s been given a blank slate and doesn’t know what to do with it, like other regeneration stories. In trying to run away again, to bury the trauma and pain, The Doctor has made it more visible than ever, and doesn’t know what to do with that. 

Ironically, the Toymaker causing the bi-generation was the greatest gift he could’ve given the Doctor, because 15 was exactly who 14 needed to see. He’s happy, energetic, full of life and wonder, but also empathetic, understanding and open. He’s the only other person in the entire universe who The Doctor will listen to (well, one person, we’ll get to the other later), because he knows all of the trauma they went through, and yet, made it through ok.

“But you’re fine.”

“I’m fine, because you fix yourself.”

15 is leading by example, their own ‘ghost of Christmas future’ but positive. 14 now has an ideal self to strive towards, a face born from love and empathy. 14 doesn’t have to ground herself out of moral obligation, 15 will now protect the universe. 

But that leaves one question: why Donna? Out of all of the people to settle down with, why her? That’s easy: because she gets it. 

Donna, out of all of the companions the Doctor traveled with, understood the soul behind the legend, because she recognized someone fundamentally similar to herself. One of Donna’s signature character flaws is her horrendously low self esteem: “I’m nothing special.” no one ever listened to her (thanks Sylvia, for at least cleaning up your act later), so she covered up the silence with noise. She held onto whatever indisputable moments of genius she had to drown out the cacophony of voices shutting her up. Wild Blue Yonder explained this perfectly: Donna believes she is both brilliant and stupid at the same time. 

She lives in two contradictory self images at once, and so does The Doctor. The genius and the idiot. The universe’s most fascinating person, and the person who would easily throw away their life for the betterment of others. She’s seen their blinding arrogance/rage (the Racnoss, Jenny) and their crippling self doubt/loneliness, and always met both with empathy and kindness. 

“Doctor! You can stop now!”

“Cause sometimes I think you need someone to stop you.” 

“It won’t stay like that. She’ll help you. We both will.” 

“Is ‘alright’ special Time Lord code for ‘really not alright’ at all?” “Why?” “Cause I’m alright too.”

Donna shouldered the burden of destroying Pompeii, she silently hugged 10 after coming back from Midnight. All because she knew what all of that would feel like in her own life. She didn’t need to know the history of The Doctor and Davros, because she saw her best friend afraid and knew he would want comfort, because she would too.

Even if Dalek Caan manipulated the timelines to get Donna to him, That friendship was completely real to both of them. We saw what Donna was like without the Doctor in Forest of the Dead and Turn Left, and she always felt some level of unhappiness. 15 years removed from them and she still felt as if something was missing. In every future/reality, she always wanted them there. Same for the Doctor too. Within only a few episodes of losing her, 10 started to fall into becoming the “time lord victorious”. 12 looks the way he does because of Donna’s plea to adhere to his name, and save people. Even before 14 came into existence, the Doctor was willing to tell other people how important she was to them, on account of River recognizing Donna by her name: “you’re Donna, Donna Noble.”

Donna didn’t just travel with the Doctor and she wasn’t just friends with them. She completely understood them, their soulmate. Two halves of a greater whole, The DoctorDonna. 14 stayed because there was a more stable incarnation to take his place, and because his best friend would be there alongside him, helping and supporting him through and through. The Doctor stayed because, for the first time in their life, they felt safe. In where they would be staying, and what they would be leaving behind. 

That's why 15 doubling the TARDIS was so significant. In giving 14 her own TARDIS, 15 is allowing his younger self to have what they always removed from the equation: free will. The Doctor can still go anywhere they want, which makes them even more motivated to stay and fix themself. 14 can feel safe staying with Donna, Wilf, Mel, Rose, Shaun, and Sylvia because the option to travel is still there.

And the truly amazing part of all of this is that the TARDIS knew it from the beginning. Was it a coincidence that very soon after 13 regenerated into 14, the TARDIS landed close to where Donna and Rose would be shopping? 

“You didn’t always take me where I wanted to go.” “No, but I always took you where you needed to go.”

The TARDIS brought the Doctor home, and this time, they stayed. Because it was a place where they wanted and needed to be. 

[my-coven-is-claudia]

i’m going to bash my head into a wall if i don’t get this all out NOW but something really clicked into place once i finished good omens 2.

i’ve always wondered how dark the show was going to go when it came to it’s critism of Christianity. however,, this season really solidified it for me that they are going to dig deep.

the confession scene between aziraphale and crowley really came across to me as one religiously traumatised person desperately trying to show another deeply religiously traumatised person the flaws in organised religion and how it isn’t everything. that there’s this whole beautiful world outside of being ‘pure’ and ‘holy’. it isn’t worth it. life might be absolutely meaningless and we might be incomprehensibly irrelevant in comparison to this vast universe but at least we have each other. isn’t that enough? aren’t i enough? can we not be each other’s meaning in life?

crowley knows more than anyone how corrupted heaven is. how it chews up and spits out anyone who questions the status quo. crowley asked questions and he lost everything. he fell. as a result,, he had to completely uproot his old identity as an angel and build himself up again. and i think his bravery in just completely bearing his whole self to aziraphale proves how much he’s grown. he isn’t ashamed of his love for aziraphale,, doesn’t view their relationship as the problem but instead the toxic heaven and hell as the issue. he’s okay with leaving behind the system of heaven and hell - of good and evil. he recognises that that kind of black and white thinking doesn’t help anyone. although he may be an outcast for it,, he knows he’ll be alright as long as he has aziraphale by his side. we’ve seen multiple times now that crowley is more than willing to just up and leave earth and give up everything as long as he’s with aziraphale. freedom is not scary to him - it’s something he desperately desires actually. he doesn’t have to rely on god or heaven or even frankly his role as a demon to be confident in himself. the system’s fucked and they’re all alone and only have each other and he’s fine with that. as long as it’s him and aziraphale against the world.

aziraphale,, on the other hand,, has yet to find solace in the loneliness of it just being him and crowley. we see during the story of job flashback that once aziraphale realises he isn’t as angelic as he thought he was,, that he’s only willing to go along with heaven’s plans so far,, he is crushed. the weight of the situation - him losing his picture perfect view of heaven - destroys him. he’s alone. and he hasn’t really moved on from this initial realisation. yes he’s grown in other respects (e.g. he’s a lot braver now when it comes to standing up to heaven and the archangels than he was at the beginning) but he’s still stuck in that moment. this angel is traumatised!! the deal with the metatron is his chance to prove himself in a way. to prove that he isn’t this impure,, traitorous angel. he can fix the system. heaven is actually the answer. it may need a little sprucing up but at it’s core good always triumphs evil. and crowley’s good so he must be deserving of becoming an angel so maybe they can finally be together and their relationship won’t be wrong.

and it’s just this painful justification for aziraphale to return to the place that abused him for so many centuries. self-sabotage at it’s finest. he doesn’t know life outside of being an ‘angel’. it’s an intrinsic part of who he is even though at this point he’s more human than anything else. throughout the series we see him attempt to present as this stereotypical,, fearless angel who smites evil at every turn. during the story of job flashback he attempts to appear as a messenger of god to the humans but they don’t take him seriously. he insists to the archangels that he will shape the antichrist into a good person despite the fact that the whole point is that adam will actually bring about armageddon and they just laugh at him. he wants to be pure and holy so bad!!

this has been bubbling beneath the surface for literal millennium and it’s finally cost him everything. it was always going to get in the way of his and crowley’s relationship. his unresolved trauma has convinced him that his love for crowley is his hamartia. but if he takes this deal maybe,, just maybe,, they can be together. in the holy way of course. crowley will have to give up his personal growth and return to the place that chucked him out like a dog bone just to become a part of the system he’s been fighting against for so long.

to be clear,, i don’t think aziraphale realises this and wouldn’t ever wish for crowley to have to conform but he doesn’t realise that by rejoining heaven that’s literally what they will be doing. heaven is the pinnacle of the status quo - distant and cold with not a sign of love in sight. it’s not the right place for them at all. i think aziraphale is being simultaneously selfless and selfish in choosing to become the archangel supreme: obviously he’s giving up living on earth and more importantly crowley so he can rebuild heaven but he seems to also be doing this to sooth his own self-hatred.

everything ties back to his feelings of inferiority and that he isn’t good enough. no matter how many times crowley screams at him that he’s better than all of heaven and hell combined he’s not going to leave heaven behind until he recognises his own self worth. he loves crowley for defying his destiny as a demon and being a kind person but he can’t seem to love himself for doing the exact same. he needs to find himself before he can truly leave heaven behind along with his faith. and in a way i think aziraphale did a long time ago on that cliff with crowley but ever since then he’s just been trying to convince himself that he still believes in the almighty.

[softguarnere]

12) chipped nail polish and an empty dinner table is giving chiara vibes

Andy once again coming through with the prompts in my time of need 😌🫶🏽 Thank you lovely!

Using this prompt as an excuse to give some Chiara lore, some origin story, under the cut

The sad thing is, this isn’t even close to the worst canceled family dinner that Chiara has ever had. It’s honestly just another typical Tuesday night out in Forest Hills. In the St. Claire household, that is. Chiara has never been inside the homes of any of her neighbors, and therefore has no evidence supporting her hypothesis that her homelife is an outlier when considered next to those of everyone else in her neighborhood. 

God, how pathetic – using a comparison like that to rationalize loneliness. Maybe she’s been working on this math homework for too long, has made one too many boxplots for one night. All the numbers are stacking up, and Chiara’s mind is beginning to feel as disorganized as the kitchen table, with her homework and textbooks and scrap papers spread all over it. And somewhere beneath it all is the note, the reason for this whole thing, buried deep in the mess like some sort of metaphor, the root of tonight’s problems.

Urgent meeting out of town, back in two days. Call if you need me  – XO, Mom

Chiara drums her fingers against the table, the vibrations traveling up her arm in a way that’s almost as comforting as the noise. It’ll chip her nail polish, though, she knows. And then she’ll be annoyed with herself. But that’s a problem for tomorrow’s Chiara, who will notice the chipped paint when she zones out in her second period AP Lit class when she should be reading along in Wuthering Heights. If she’s being honest, though, mourning her paint job is much more appealing than listening to her classmates misinterpret Heathcliff’s character. Or finishing this math homework. Or just about anything else relating to school. 

“Alright,” she breathes. “Focus, St. Claire –”  

Almost as if the universe doesn’t want her to focus, like God is sending her a sign that she should abandon her math homework, a metallic clanging from outside interrupts Chiara’s peptalk. It’s followed by the chittering sound of animals who seem all too pleased with themselves. 

The next thing she knows, Chiara is outside in the driveway, staring at the raccoons who have overturned the trashcan on the edge of the sidewalk and are happily pilfering through the garbage that they’ve managed to scatter everywhere. 

“Hey!” she yells, her hand outstretched, a shadow loosening from her fingertips and flying in the direction of the creatures before she realizes what she’s doing. It ricochets off the garbage can with a metallic pop! that sends them scattering – or maybe it’s just the way her eyes glow bright and purple, which is terrifying for anyone, human or not. “We’re gonna get fined by the HOA because of you!”

She feels bad as soon as the words are out of her mouth, as soon as she realizes how much she’s scared them. They’re just raccoons, after all. This is their nature. They don’t know any better. 

But as she watches them flee, as the glow in her eyes dies down, Chiara surveys the wreckage. Across the street, at the house next door, the trash cans have also become casualties of this raccoon family’s dinnertime prowl. Unknowingly, these little bandits have just put three different houses on the HOA president’s shitlist, unless they get the mess picked up by morning when the garbage truck comes. 

It’s kind of like what happened to the city after the Battle of New York, Chiara reasons as she picks up the garbage littering her driveway. Someone else makes a mess, but they don’t stick around to pick it up, to face the actions of their own consequences, to make it right. No – someone else gets stuck doing all of that because everyone moves on to bigger and better things, leaving the little guy to fend for himself. 

And in places like this, aren’t the regular, everyday people the littlest of the little guys? The lowest priority on the radar of people –  

People like Chiara. 

She stops what she’s doing, sitting back on her heels, the thought stunning her. She, Chiara St. Claire, could do something for the people that everyone else has forgotten about. Well, she can do something for her neighborhood, at least. After all, she’s pretty sure that raccoons breaking into garbage cans and kids TP-ing houses isn’t exactly an Avengers level threat. But those things do drive her neighbors crazy, and if she wanted to, she could probably stop them pretty effectively . . . 

If nothing else, it would give her something to do. Besides homework and having dinner alone, that is. 

Once the garbage from her own driveway is picked up, Chiara moves on to the house next door. It’s only fair, seeing as the people who live there left for a vacation that morning and don’t even know their garbage cans have been attacked. 

“Well, Forest Hills,” Chiara mutters to herself. “The HOA ladies are always ranting that we need someone to avenge you from the everyday threats.” Someone with a cool name and an even cooler costume; things Chiara could easily work out. “It might as well be me.”

Send me a prompt and an OC, and I'll write a lil fic!

[erisismywaifu25]

Free Until Dawn

Before we start, a few bullet point facts to get out of the way:

•Jake and Bella are the same age (Bella is still older) and Seth and A.J. are a year younger than them

•In this Twilight fanfic universe, vamps and wolves who were changed before they turned 18 continue to age until they reach 18 cause I said so

•Jasper served in the Union

•My idioms or comparisons may suck but sometimes the only way for me to get a point across is to be extremely descriptive

•This story follows both the movies and books and may switch between the book’s timeline and the movies

•Proofread but not perfect

Also this story is Seth Clearwater x OC (?) Cullen based on my friend who requested this slow-burn fic, cause there are almost no Seth fanfics (the disrespect😤✊🏻). All chapters are named after Florence+the Machine songs cause me and my bestie love her stuff.

Word count: 9491

Without further ado…Chapter 4 of Shake It Out

——————————

     “You going to play fair this time?” Alice asked as she stretch her left arm across her chest while standing at second base.

     Emmett scoffed, twisting his back only a few away from Alice, “I always play fair.” The striped baseball cap was secured by him for emphasis.

     As it thundered around them, seven out of the eight vampires were currently preparing for a game of baseball patiently, on some parts, awaiting Bella and Edward’s arrival following the Cullen's official introduction to her. Lucky for Bella, she was about to witness a sacred tradition in the Cullen household that started years before A.J. was around. It was something each vastly different personality could enjoy and gave each of them a chance to use their physically enhanced abilities to their full capacity. 

     Nine days after A.J. joined the rest of her family in Forks, Edward decided a baseball game was just what A.J. needed. The idea for a baseball game to ease A.J. into the new family dynamic, came to Edward after he caught A.J. reminiscing about a game-saving catch from her human years. Later that day, he approached Carlisle and proposed a game the next time it stormed, and naturally, Carlisle and everyone else eagerly agreed. So on the ninth day, when the forecast called for a thunderstorm and delivered, the Cullens played a heated baseball game. 

     During A.J.’s first game of baseball with the Cullens, the newborn broke out from the remainder of the barrier she had built up after her transformation. Being a part of the winning team, with star pitcher Alice, definitely aided A.J. in feeling like her old self. Easily the last ‘strike’ of her barrier, especially since striving to win and typically doing so, had encapsulated her human years. Along with the fun on that day, Emmett saw an opportunity to ensure he would always be on the winning team and jumped on the bandwagon; claiming the title ‘A.J.’s Coach’ after witnessing her skilled third-basemen skills.  

     “Nu-uh,” Alice exclaimed and placed her hands on dark leggings, “You totally lied about that ‘foul ball’.”

     “I didn’t lie about the foul ball you hit.” the younger of the two Cullens smirked, “Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of, Alice. You’re just a crappy hitter.”

     Alice gasped and smacked his shoulder, “At least I can pitch without taking someone’s head out!” she defended herself.

     Emmett snickered before a smug smirk crept onto his alabaster skin, “Can’t help it, Wonderland. I’m jacked like Hercules!” he kissed both of his biceps after flexing underneath his navy blue tracksuit.

     “Alright, alright, alright,” Jasper called out as he strutted towards the bickering siblings, “No fraternizing with the enemy.” 

     The Texan placed a hand upon Alice’s narrow shoulders which dawned a white baseball vest, and gently guided her away from Emmett with a baseball bat in his other hand.

     By first base, a groan came from Rosalie that was bending down by the waist and holding her calves to stretch. The couple and Emmett, who were conglomerating near home base, turned their attention to her.

     “You’ve watched ‘Dazed and Confused’ too many times.” the tall blonde gracefully swung her torso up to stand straight.

     “No such thang’, Rosie.” A.J. quipped while flashing next to Rosalie with a moderately sized pink boom box in her sleeve-covered arms, “We Texans support each other.”

     A.J. met eyes with Jasper’s, a mischievous glint in both their eyes to match their smirks. A silent conversation transpired between the Texans, much to the others' despair before they both resumed what they had been doing.

      The youngest Hale gave Rosalie a friendly pat on the back and clicked her tongue before jogging off toward the right side of home plate where Esme and Carlisle were chatting. Her black backpack bounced off of her back as the wind pushed against the buttoned pinstripe shirt, which was similar to Carlisle’s, which was tucked into her black leggings. On her feet was a pair of hot pink socks that peeked out of the same dusty white sneakers she always wore when participating in any outdoor activity - provided an extra bounce to her step. 

     A ‘bleh’ left A.J. when Carlisle and Esme shared a sweet kiss just as she walked past them. 

     “I think I feel my teeth rottin’.” the girl swiped her tongue across her top set of teeth.

     The lovers parted with a chortle from each and turned their attention to their youngest child. 

     “You know, Angel,” Esme sang as A.J. set the boom box down after kneeling a few feet away from them, “You might find yourself falling for someone like your father and I have for each other.” 

     A.J. shook her head as four of her siblings snapped their attention to their conversation.

     “Absolutely not,” Emmett commented with a small frown.

     Alice rolled her eyes at the overprotective brute, “Dating is normal and healthy; especially for developing teenagers.” she spoke with her arms crossed.

     Rosalie stared at Alice, “She’s going to have to wait, regardless, Alice. There aren’t exactly sixteen-year-old vampires roaming around here, and we don’t need another reason for the Volturi to be on our backs.”

      The Cullens stilled. Faces dropping, bodies tensing, and minds swirling with guilt. The words Rosalie were the same as they always were; spitting out insults or malign words aimed towards Edward and Bella’s relationship. Though, this time, her words held a different meaning for the group. Reminding them all A.J. couldn’t have what they wanted her to; what they all wished she could.

     A normal life.

     Having been changed at the youngest age of fifteen in the Olympic Coven, she had even less time to have lived as a human. Too quickly was she thrown into this world; too quickly had she been forced out of the other. They all knew she loved her family dearly, and they shared the sentiment, but they were aware of her desire to ‘be’ a teenager again; to live a normal adolescence. They desired the same for her. Rosalie most of all. Despite a few apprehensions about A.J. dating, the choice being stripped from her makes it a bit harder to play the role of an ‘overprotective and gruff’ family member.

     A.J., having her back turned to the brooding vampires, knew what they were all thinking and could feel the tension in the atmosphere. She often thinks of the same thing - she craves it. Not necessarily romance, but at least the choice to.  More often than not, she chooses not to share her thoughts on it, except for a few times when Edward caught her thinking about it or her and Rosalie’s late-night talks. Unfortunately, ignoring them only made the thoughts and desires stronger. The fact of the underlying doom of immortality is that every choice you’d thought you’d gain - every decision you’d thought you’d get to make twice, gets ripped away from you in a few short moments.

     A.J. shook her shoulders as if a chill ran over her, and unzipped the small compartment on the front of her backpack once she set it in front of her. 

     “Listen,” she broke the silence as she pulled out a CD case with four men sitting around a table on the cover, “they’d have to be a very special person for me to consider datin’ - I mean, I’m hot…and got standards.”

     Her unspoken mission of raising the mood was a success as a plethora of smiles, and an eye roll or two made its way around.

     “Oh no! Guys, where’d the sky go?” Emmett feigned a look of fear as he peered up at the sky with a hand as a shield, “Oh, never mind, it’s just A.J.’s big-ass head.”

     A.J.’s mouth dropped at her brother's words just as she finished placing the CD in the correct compartment, and twisted her torso while in a squatted position.

     Rosalie sent a glare toward Emmett before saying, “There’s nothing wrong with confidence.” her eyes softened when she turned to A.J. from afar.

     

     “It’s hot on you, babe,” Emmett explained, his body language matching his whiny tone, “Not on A.J.”

     A.J. snorted, along with Alice, and the other Cullens gave Emmett a look of confusion at his choice of words.

     “I sure hope it’s not hot on me,” A.J. spoke with a flabbergasted tone as she fumbled with buttons on her boombox.

     Emmett physically faltered, “I-I-you guys know I didn’t mean it like that.”

     Jasper quirked an eyebrow up, “Oh, really, dearest brother? Then by all means, please elaborate your eloquent words.” he spoke with one hand still on Alice’s shoulder and the other twirling the metal bat.

     Emmett frowned, “I was trying to compliment my wife and insult A.J. at the same time, which proved to be more difficult than expected.”

     ��Seems you really are only brawn.” Jasper teased further, an almost sinister smirk across his face.

     “Hey!” Rosalie barked out with a harsh expression, “I may be on your team, but I won’t hesitate to hurt you.”

     Emmett’s demeanor changed instantly to smugness at Rosalie coming to his defense. The smirk on Jasper’s face didn’t move, instead, it seemed to grow wider at Rosalie’s threat; as if he were daring her to touch him. He dropped his arm from Alice’s shoulders and dipped it into his pocket.

     “I’d like to see you try, yank.” the Texan leaned back as he pointed the baseball bat at her.

     At the sight of Rosalie beginning to stomp forward, Carlisle thought it best to speak up.

     “Rose,” the eldest vampire warned, arm tucked under his wife’s white jacket and around her waist.

     The irritated blonde’s head snapped toward Carlisle’s so fast it was a miracle it didn’t break.

     “What?” She spat, annoyed at Jasper and Carlisle.

     Carlisle gave her one of his hopeful smiles, “Let’s try to have a nice day.”

     “That goes for you too, Jasper,” Esme paused before switching her gaze to a smug Emmett, “And you.”

     “W-what-I,” Emmett fumbled over his words, “I’m a victim of defamation! I’m innocent here.”

     Jasper lowered the bat to the ground and settled his weight on it.

     “Yer’ ‘bout as innocent-,”

     A.J. drowned out the bickering behind her, engrossed in her boom box and getting it to work. The recurring problem, which she insisted was easily fixable and did not require a new one, was that the CD she put in would spin for a few seconds before coming to a stop. She grew more agitated as she repeated the process of taking the CD out, exhaling on it as she would on a cold window, gently wiping it off on her black leggings, then placing it back in the compartment, and pressing play - only to have to repeat the process. After another failed attempt, A.J. took an unsatisfying deep breath before forcefully exhaling through her nose. 

     “Shit.” A.J. huffed to herself, thankful no one could hear her over the bickering.

     “Ya know, ever since the fall of New Year’s Eve of ‘08, my boom box ain’t never played the same.” A.J. thought aloud to anyone who would listen.

     Rosalie was heading up the field and across to A.J.’s side instantaneously; always being willing to help her baby sister. It helped that she was the most skilled mechanic out of the Cullen Coven; her confidence in cars crossed over to most things technical…except t.v.s, though she was always looking to expand her knowledge. In her own time.

     “Did you put fresh batteries in?” Rosalie inquired once she reached A.J.

     A.J. observed Rosalie squatting down next to her, out of her peripheral vision.

     “Yes, I put fresh batteries in,” A.J. snarked out without thinking.

     The tone she used earned the young vampire a warning look from Rosalie, who stared her sister down. A.J. shut her eyes and turned away for a moment, before returning her gaze to Rosalie.

     “Sorry, that w’n’t directed at you,” she earnestly apologized, “This damn thang’ is pissin’ me off.” she gestured vigorously at the malfunctioning boombox with pinched brows.

     Rosalie ushered a ‘thank you’ in response before examining the portable stereo further.

     As the two Hale girls inspected the boombox and the other Cullens chatted amongst themselves, a silver jeep pulled toward the wide-open field. Its wheels tracked through the soft ground, leaving a muddy trail behind it and on the black tires. 

     Esme and Alice both grinned excitedly at the arrival of the new couple and Carlisle smiled softly, not outwardly matching their level of excitement. Emmett and Jasper were too busy misconducting themselves to turn their attention to the car as it was pulled into park a bit away from the others. From beside her, A.J. felt Rosalie tense up. Well aware of Rosalie’s opinion on all of this, she knew her attitude could turn fast and possibly ruin what was supposed to be some family fun time. 

     Esme and Carlisle shared a look before both turning back to give Rosalie an encouraging smile. Rosalie, who held the look of distaste she always held when Bella was in mind, gave them nothing promising in return. With a cheesy grin and painfully raised eyebrows, A.J. shot her parents a double thumbs up. The couple chuckled at her behavior and returned her thumbs up and smile, at a lesser volume. 

     The eldest Hale sister turned her attention to A.J. after observing Carlisle and Esme’s reactions, to find her sister still in the over-the-top position. In a blink, the newborn now sat with a dramatized frown and slowly raised her left hand to rest on her no-longer beating heart. Her head shook in a defeated manner, in hope that her big sister would crack a smile at her ludicrous behavior. Fortunately for A.J., in a move so minuscule only the trained eye would notice, the right corner of Rosalie's lips raised ever so slightly. Victoriously, A.J. beamed; savoring the lightened presence and softened gaze of her bitter sister.

     During this transaction, Edward stepped out of the driver's side door and walked around the silver Jeep he arrived in. His gaunt hand opened the passenger-side door, and out stepped Bella in a rugged, brown jacket with her brown hair in a ponytail covered by a baseball cap that mimicked Emmett’s, only being worn the right way around. Her shoulders were hunched as she was within herself in a way that completely contradicted the way Edward delved into himself; usually. Today, however, Edward seemed more withdrawn than usual. Previous teasing didn’t aid in reducing his nerves at all, and the fact of the constant threat this brought to Bella and his family, well, it added up.

     The couple shared the same social awkwardness, but Bella carried herself in a way that lacked confidence and made her appear fragile. Whereas during most occasions for Edward, he exuded confidence, some even say arrogance; at least that’s what A.J. had heard from her sibling's school gossip and teasing. For the unusual pair, however, it seemed to work quite well for them.

    While A.J. observed her brother and his new girlfriend, Rosalie had found what she believed to be ‘the sweet spot’ on the pink boom box. With a loud ‘thump’ that nearly made A.J. jump out of her skin and attracted the others' attention, the CD in it began spinning fast. A.J. beamed at her sister, who she considered a hero at the moment, and flicked her head between the boom box and her at a lightning-fast speed. A.J. excitedly placed her index finger onto the ‘play’ atop the boom box and pressed it without hesitation. Music blared from the speakers, bass instantly filling the chests of the two vampires who sat in front of it.

     “WHOO!” A.J. cheered and fell back onto her butt.

     Emmett thrust his fist into the air, “HELL YEAH!” he yelled.

     “YEAH!” Jasper joined with a playfully stern face and copied Emmett’s action with the bat.

     From an awkward angle, the ecstatic newborn wrapped her strong arms around Rosalie’s midsection, nearly toppling the elder Hale over. 

     “Thank you!” the girl squealed while Rosalie gained her balance back.

     Rosalie smiled brightly as she hugged A.J. back, “No problem, just stop letting people touch your stuff.”

     “I tried to stop Emmett from recreating that scene from ‘Say Anything’.” Edward called out from the Jeep where he and Bella just finished a conversation.

     “Aw, come on,” Emmett whined with a smile, “It was Valentine's Day! I had to do something for my babe. After 72 years together, you gotta’ keep it fresh.”

     The burly Cullen winked at Rosalie, who didn’t spare a glance at her husband, leaving him dejected as she marched her way to Carlisle who was only a few feet away from her. Carlisle had retrieved the second baseball bat from a long white and blue that also contained extra gloves and umpire gear and was resting his weight upon it. He greeted Rosalie with a close-lipped smile and opened his mouth to ask her but was quickly stopped by her palm flying up in front of him as she stomped by.

     A.J. could feel the anger radiating off of her sister, even without a special power and her being across the field now. She knew it was a miracle for Rosalie to even be here, with her previous plan of leaving to avoid the game and Bella all together. Without a doubt, A.J. knew it would get better once the game started, the others thought so as well, especially since her demeanor was quite bright beforehand the new couple arrived.

     “So that’s how you’ve managed to keep her.” Edward teased Emmett as he and Bella reached home plate.

     Emmett flashed next to Edward, causing Bella to jump, and wrapped a thick arm around his brother’s shoulders, which were covered by a button-up baseball jersey.

    Edward gave the younger vampire a look, already knowing what he was about to say. 

     “Emmett, that’s revolting,” Edward grimaced and pulled himself from Emmett’s grip.

     “What?” Emmett furrowed his dark brows, “I was just gonna remind you that I’m not the one who thought sparkling was a dealbreaker.” he decided to keep his previous thought to himself.

     A few of the Cullen ‘children’ laughed at Emmett’s remark, despite it being at Edward’s expense. His joke, as expected, did not sit well with Edward who was glaring at his brother.

    A.J. glanced up at Jasper messing with a baseball bat, “Oo! That’s awkward.” 

     The girl sucked a breath through her bunny-like teeth while beginning to read through the tracklist on the back of her CD case.

     A half-hearted grin slowly spread its way onto Edward’s face and his right flew up to swipe his mouth.

     “You know, Emmett,” his arm was now around Emmett’s shoulders, “I think you're just scared of your team losing.”

     “Not unless you plan on throwing the game,” Emmett smirked with crossed arms.

     Edward’s shit-eating look was stolen by Emmett. His head snapped over to Esme, asking a silent question, but easily found the answer by using his gift.

     “Rosalie and Alice wanted to be on a team this time,” Esme explained nonetheless while grabbing umpire gear out of the baseball bag, “We’re team ‘Wonder Woman’!”

     Edward furrowed his brows, “Jasper’s on your team.” His inquiry was disguised as a statement.

     “It’s an honor to be on a team named after comics’  finest heroine,” Jasper answered for himself as he practiced his batting stance to the side of Carlisle and Rosalie.

     Edward looked to Emmett, “And we are…MVP?” a look of dissatisfaction was on his face.

     “I was vouchin’ fer the Cheetahs, personally,” A.J. spoke up, “You know, Wonder Woman’s nemesis and all.” she clicked the skip button at the top of the boom box.

     Esme smiled at her children’s banter and pushed her way toward Bella with a black baseball glove and chest protector. Bella met her gaze with a close-lipped smile and hesitantly took the glove when the Cullen matriarch extended it to her.

     “Glad you’re here,” Esme wrapped an arm around Bella, “We need an umpire,” she stated while leading the girl to home base.

     Emmett waltzed past them, “She thinks we cheat.” he continued heading down the field.

     “I know you cheat.” Esme taunted as Emmett tossed a baseball between his hands.

     A.J. tsked, “Y’all love to say that ‘cause our team happens to always win.” she goaded while placing her ‘Muse’ CD back into the small compartment of her backpack.

     “What about last time,” Rosalie asked with a sarcastic tone from her spot near second base.

     Bella glanced at the brooding woman, “What happened last time?” she switched her gaze to Esme as they parked themselves at home base. 

     “Here, slip your jacket off for a moment, sweetie,” Esme instructed kindly, “Last time we all played, which was…,”

     “March 30,” Alice answered from the pitcher’s mound.

     Esme thanked Alice with a smile, “Thank you. Anyway, Carlisle continuously struck out during the first inning, resulting in team ‘VIP’ having five fewer runs than team ‘Great Batsy’.” 

     During her explanation, Esme slipped the black chest protector over Bella’s neck. 

     “Crying, Bella,” A.J. scooted her bottom to face Bella, “I was cryin’ and I don’t even have tears.”

     Carlisle smiled sheepishly, “In my defense, I had a lot on my mind.”

     A.J. didn’t miss the subtle embarrassment that showed on Edward’s face nor the looks her siblings gave him.

     “No excuse, sir,” A.J. threw a finger up, “We’re winners, and I expect ya ta act like it!” 

     Her behavior earned a chuckle from Carlisle and an exclamation of agreement from Emmett. 

     As this went on. Esme adjusted the chest guard causing Bella to blink at the sudden movement but eventually helped Esme settle it on her torso. Once it was resting on her shoulders, Edward snaked behind Bella and adjusted the straps across her upper back. Esme then stepped away to give the new lovers some space. Her pallid face held a warm expression at the sight of the ‘son’ she had grown most fond of, finally finding happiness in love. 

     The sweet moment was soon ruined as Bella was jerked back by the force Edward unconsciously used. A crease formed between Esme’s dark eyebrows as she frowned at the  uncomfortable scene in front of her. She sent a small smile; whether it was a warning to be mindful or encouragement was unknown; and stepped away from the couple to help the others in setting up.

     “Sorry,” Edward’s hands faltered on the straps, “Last time I did this was back when A.J. had first joined us.” he secured the chest guard on Bella’s back.

     Bella nodded, still holding her brown jacket on her arm. The sleeves of her white shirt twisted as Edward’s hand snaked around her to lift the brown jacket off of her right arm.

     “It’s okay,” she swallowed as Edward prepared her coat to assist it on, “How long ago was that?”

     “Why does it matter?” Rosalie snarked out with crossed arms and a hip popped out.

     Edward paused in helping Bella put her jacket back on to give a warning look to the blonde.

     Carlisle’s lips pressed into a straight line, “Rose,” he warned.

     Bella looked back at Edward before back at Rosalie.

     “It doesn’t, I was just curious.” Bella answered honestly.

     “And it’s a perfectly valid question,” A.J. spoke up.

     Rosalie’s eye roll could practically be heard by the others.

     A.J. briefly glanced back at those behind her, “If we’re goin’ off the day I actually moved here, then…,” she trailed off while calculating.

     “A.J.’s lived here since last August.” Carlisle answered for her.

     Bella nodded as she consecutively pushed her arms through the sleeves of her jacket as Edward finished helping her by hiking the coat up until it was entirely back on. 

     “It’s a little tight,” Bella stated with tight lips as she rolled her shoulders.

     The jacket she wore barely fit over the padding of the chest guard thrown onto her. Her arm movement was restricted, but she supposed it was better to have stiff arms than a shattered sternum. 

     Loud guitar suddenly blared from A.J.’s boombox, the owner of it now swaggering over to home plate. She snatched up a black glove lined with hot pink from the gear bag on her way over.

     “Sorry, Bella-rella,” A.J. approached the uncomfortable human, “It’s either have no protection ‘gainst my lethal pitches and get soaked down to your knickers, or have protection from such pitches buuut still get soaked - ‘cause-uh-do you smell that?”

     A.J. threw her arm around Bella’s padded shoulders and thoroughly inhaled with her nose pointed toward the sky. 

     “It’s gon’ rain.” A.J. rasped out while gradually lowering her head.

     Emmett grinned from over by third base, “It’s gon rain!” he repeated.

     “IT’S GON’ RAIN!” A.J. shouted before patting Bella on the back and jogging to the pitcher's mound.

     Esme chuckled next to Carlisle before turning to her husband.

     Her hands pressed his chest, “Alright, enough chitter-chatter, Bella didn’t come here to talk. Let’s play some baseball!” 

     Esme patted Carlisle’s chest, signaling him and the remaining Cullens not in place, to assume their positions on the field.

     A.J. eyed Alice as she approached the pitcher’s mound, “You’re gonna’ have to move.” A.J. jutted her left thumb toward home plate.

     Alice furrowed her brows, “And why is that?”

     Rosalie frowned as Carlisle her way, “Yeah, why is that? The team I’m on lost last time.”

     “We know,” Emmett stated, “We decided, however, that we wanna play the field first… and so A.J. can pitch first.”

     Rosalie rolled her topaz eyes once again while Alice agreed to their decision and they both jogged back to home plate. The remaining two members of team ‘Wonder Woman’ had yet to move from their previous spots at home plate and waited for the others to get into position.

     “Keep an eye on Emmett, alright,” Edward spoke into Bella’s ear with a smile.

     Emmett frowned, “Hey, we’re on the same team!” 

     His fist slammed into his gloved left hand, clearly itching for the game to start.

     “That doesn’t change your track record.” Edward retorted after flashing over to second base as Carlisle jogged to first.

     With the baseball gripped tightly in her right hand, A.J. swung her arm toward Jasper at home plate, who was also preparing.

     “Careful, Eddie,” A.J. warned, “Might start ta’ think you're a snitch.”

     Edward chortled, “How can one be a snitch in baseball?”

     A.J. craned her neck to look at him, “Uh, I don’t know, mind reader.” she squinted suspiciously at him.

     Emmett glanced between before a look of realization spread across his pallid face.

      “Ohhh, yeah, I see what you’re gettin’ at, Aje,” Emmett smirked while eyeing Edward, “You’re gonna listen to our team's thoughts and then sabotage us.”

     Edward paused and blinked, words escaping him. One weakness he would never admit, even if he was being tortured, is the effect Emmett and A.J. have to completely and utterly bamboozle him. Once the shock of Emmett’s accusation wore off, Edward peeled his eyes open and met Bella’s brown ones. She held an amused expression, her eyes asking a question Edward couldn’t hear. He sent her a silent shrug as an answer whilst A.J. and Emmett continued their rant.

     “Alright,” Carlisle’s call silenced Emmett and A.J., “I’m sure Edward is not planning a betrayal, and even if he was-,”

     “Which I’m not.” Edward chimed in.

     “I know,” Carlisle spoke in his mind with an apologetic look, “Even if he was, I think we’d still manage to win. Even without Rose on our team.” 

     A smug smile spread across Carlisle’s lips, as a chorus of ‘Oo’s’ blended with the breeze that blew his striped scarf.

     “Let’s go then,” A.J. spun on her heel to face home plate, “Jasper.” she nodded.

     Jasper nodded back, preparing his stance.

     “Angel.” he smiled at her, eyes filled with determination.

     In an instant, A.J. propelled her right arm forward. The ball flew from her hand and headed straight to Jasper. The bat he held swung out and away from his shoulder, his torso and legs twisting to enhance the force he hit with. With a loud crack of thunder, the ball collided with the bat and launched high into the sky. Unfortunately for Jasper, the ball headed into the air directly above A.J., who leaped up what seemed like five-hundred feet to Bella, and caught the ball with ease in her gloved hand. A.J. landed on her feet with a thud, sufficiently stopping Jasper from running just as he dropped the bat.

     Bella glanced up at Esme from her squatted position a little ways behind Jasper as laughs or winces echoed through the air. The speed at which the Cullens play made it difficult for her to decipher anything, let alone the baseball knowledge she lacked. She briefly wished she would’ve paid more attention to her step-father’s career now. Answering her silent question, Esme nodded to her with a grimace.

     “Out.” Bella called.

     “Oh-ho-ho, Mr. Whitlock,” A.J. called in a nasally British accent, “How it seems your strategy has grown weak.” her smile grew at the sound of Emmett’s snicker.

     Alice watched as her husband tracked back to join her and Rosalie on the sidelines, frown on his face but posture still perfect. Jasper handed her the bat as he passed her and continued until he was next to Rosalie.

     “It’s okay, Jazzy,” Alice cooed, “It was only your first bat.” she gave him an assuring smile as she approached the plate.

     A.J. grinned at Alice as the older vampire settled into batting position. A strike of lightning in the distance lit the grey sky and was quickly followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Bella jumped in her skin at the unexpected volume which only heightened her stress levels. Having noticed the jump, Esme raised a hand that had been resting on her knee and placed it on Bella’s padded shoulder. She gave the girl a squeeze and a gentle smile as Bella craned her neck to meet Esme’s gaze.

     “Hey, batta’-batta’, hey, batta’-batta’, swang~,” A.J. mimicked exuberantly swinging an imaginary bat.

    A smile spread onto Alice’s face upon hearing the song, “I got ta just do my thang~.” she happily sang back.

     “Enough singing,” Emmett yelled, “Get on with the game!” he eagerly threw his fist into his gloved hand.

     A.J. frowned as she twisted her head back, “Let us enjoy ourselves!”

     “Clearly someone can’t dance.” Alice smirked teasingly still in her batting stance.

     Emmett’s hands paused with an almost offended look on his face. Those spectating were either watching thoroughly entertained, or less than amused and wanting to continue with this close game.

     “Oh, I can dance,” Emmett answered nonchalantly, “Tell ‘em, babe.”

     Thunder cracked around them as all eyes zoned in on Rosalie, awaiting an answer.  A smile slowly grew on her diamond-like jaw as if a pleasant memory was filling her mind.

     “Oh, he can dance,” her declaration rewarded her a wink from her doting husband.

     A.J. stuck her tongue out, “Bleh,” she faked a gag as her torso rag-dolled.

     Esme chuckled at her reaction from her hunched-over position behind Bella.

      “Alright, ‘nough talk, let’s get back to the game.” Esme clapped her hands together right as it thundered.

     Carlisle nodded at his wife, “Impeccable timing.” he smiled at her.

     She quirked a short eyebrow up at him with a smirk, “Thank you.” 

     Returning her attention back to the game, A.J. peered up at the sky as if she was waiting for something. Her eyes fluttered shut as she forcefully inhaled for an exaggerated amount of time. Bella furrowed her brows at A.J.’s action, briefly glancing up at Esme again. 

     “She’s waiting for the thunder,” Esme answered without taking her eyes off the scene in front of her.

     “She technically don’t have to,” Jasper chimed in, “As long as we’re playing during a storm, we don’t have to wait for a ‘loud sound’.”

     A.J. lowered her head, “I like the dramatics. Sue me!”

     Before Bella could blink, the ball was flying at Alice. With another loud crack of both thunder and the bat and ball colliding, Alice dropped the bat and dashed toward first base. The ball flew past A.J.’s left side and headed to Emmett who immediately jumped into action. He shot into the air, left arm extended above him, with the ball directed at him. As Alice reached first base, the ball grazed the top of Emmett’s gloved hand and continued into the forest behind them. 

     Edward darted back into the forest as Alice approached second base. His topaz eyes bounced rapidly around the trees and brush until he spotted the baseball. Edward then snatched the ball off the ground and threw it to Emmett through the trees, who was anticipating the throw. Emmett hurled his body to the left and roughly landed at third base when Alice stepped on it.

     A chorus of ‘whoos’ and hollers sounded from home plate as Alice bounced victoriously on third base. Emmett scoffed as he rolled onto his knees before hopping up while Edward came flashing back from the woods. 

     “Lucky shot,” Emmett commented as he stood next to Alice.

     Alice looked up at him with a smug look, “That was pure skill, Emmett.”

     “Damn right it was,” Jasper called out with his arms crossed.

     The Cullens continued an epic game of baseball, one that was far too fast for the human eye to properly view. Bella struggled to see anything but the aftermath chatter and positions after the end of a run. Thankfully for her sake, Esme or another member of team ‘Wonder Woman’ was there to help her with the calls; disregarding Rosalie. 

     The Cullens had made it to the third inning, in record time thanks to their enhanced abilities. Team ’MVP’ was currently three runs ahead of team ‘Wonder Woman’. Jasper had redeemed himself and hit a home run, Alice was currently at second base, Esme resided by Bella and awaited her turn, and Rosalie was currently up to bat. Team ‘MVP’ were positioned the same way as before and eager to continue.

     “You ready?” A.J. nodded at her sister as they both readied themselves.

     Rosalie crouched into position, “As ever.”

     A.J. drew back her right arm before swinging it forward and putting her weight on her front leg. The baseball flew toward Rosalie before another crack echoed through the field and throughout the surrounding forest. Rosalie dropped the bat, pushed off of home plate, and sprinted down the field. The baseball was heading between second and third base, where Edward and Emmett were positioned on either base. 

     Alice sprinted past Edward and Emmett who were distracted by the fast-approaching ball. As the pixie-like vampire passed by third base and Rosalie reached first, Emmett and Edward jumped simultaneously with their arms outstretched and ready to catch the ball. Unfortunately, the duo collided with each other in a loud ‘thwack’ and the two members of team ‘Wonder Woman’ managed to reach home plate. The women secured two more runs for their team and caused a total wipeout for the opposite team that resulted in Edward and Emmett splayed out on the grass and the baseball deep in the forest.

     Alice skidded to stop a few feet away from home plate and Rosalie followed by sliding across the grass and onto home plate. Amidst the cheers of the successful team, Jasper ran to Alice and picked her up into a spinning hug; squeals of laughter leaving the victorious woman. With a grin, Esme extended her arm down to Rosalie who grabbed it with a smirk and hopped up. 

     “That’s how we do it!” Esme high-fived Rosalie once she was standing.

     Bella nodded from her squatted position, “Yeah, that was a good play.” 

     Rosalie glared down at the girl, “You couldn’t even see it.” she spat.

     Esme’s smile turned to a frown, “Rose.” she warned.

     “What? It’s true.” Rosalie defended.

     “Well, I mean, she’s right,” Bella said, “I-I couldn’t see it, but-,”

     “Alright, how ‘bout we turn our attention to the real issue ‘ere,” A.J. interrupted the three, “Which is betrayal!”

     A.J. thrust her finger in the direction of a chuckling Emmett and Edward who had just stood up.

     Edward, having already heard what she was about to say, ceased his laughter.

     “A.J., are you really pushing this?” Edward groaned.

     A.J. fought back a smile, “Oh, yes, indeed I am pushin’ this, traitor!”

     Emmett stared at Edward, “Oh, yeah. It is a bit strange that the mind reader Edward didn’t read in my mind that I was gonna jump for the ball.” a smirk spread across his short jaw.

     “Exactly!” A.J. eagerly agreed with a stomp, “He sabotaged us so the loser team would have a chance!”

     Rosalie crossed her arms, “I think we have a chance regardless of Edward’s treachery.”

     “I’m-I am not a traitor. I did not even think of reading anyone’s mind, because I was focused on the game.” Edward let out a flabbergasted laugh.

     Emmett adjusted his stance and crossed his arms.

     “Exactly what a traitor would say,” Emmett stated.

     

     Edward’s tongue darted across his pristine white teeth as he grinned in annoyance, “I think the only one you should be accusing of ’treachery’ is Alice.”

     A smirk spread across Edward’s lips at his words. 

     “What!” Alice’s hands fell onto her hips.

     Her eyebrows knitted together underneath her navy blue cap at the sudden accusation. A crack of thunder sounded around them as if Alice herself conjured it up with her voice. The babbling duo, Emmett and A.J., observed Alice before staring at Edward and then meeting each other’s gaze. Skeptical looks were painted upon their pale faces as the wind picked up around them. The rest of the Cullens and Bella were left awaiting their next move, wondering if Edward’s distraction worked or not.

     The accusing pair busted out in chuckles and giggles, ripping Edward’s hopeful look off of his face. 

     Emmett turned his head to a dejected Edward.

     “Alice wouldn’t have the time to see our moves,” Emmett stated matter-of-factly.

     A.J. nodded, “Yeah, plus, she ain’t on our team.”

     Emmett and A.J. smirked at each other as if they just deduced the most abstruse mystery in history. A snort could be heard coming from Hale ‘twins’ by home plate, though that did nothing to deter the growing confidence of A.J. and Emmett.

     Edward chuckled out in confusion, eyes darting around those who stood throughout the field. His mouth opened and closed, struggling between the option of a logical defense or leaving the whole ordeal to rest. Staying silent seemed like the best option, considering logic fell upon deaf ears when it came to Emmett and A.J., but ultimately Edward decided to play the ‘call on the parent’ card.

     “Carlisle,” Edward pleaded to the man who was standing near first base.

     Edward motioned to his ‘attackers’, hoping the wise man’s words would bring some sense to the situation. Carlisle looked upon his son with tight lips and one hand over the other resting in front of his body. A glint of amusement shone in Carlisle’s golden eyes from the scene he silently observed, much to Edward’s dismay. 

     “Emmett, A.J.,” Carlisle spoke, “Edward isn’t a traitor-,”

     The wind picked up around them and quieted Carlisle as a fog emerged from the enclosing forest. A gasp fell from Alice’s lips while her arms fell from her hips to her sides. Her eyes had seemingly glazed over, hinting at the vision she was having. As if in slow motion, Edward stared at her before peering over at the forest behind them just as Alice’s vision ended. The rest of the Olympic Coven’s eyes turned toward the forest, whether it be from their own acute hearing or sensing the seriousness of Alice’s vision.

     “Stop!” Alice yelled desperately as it thundered around them.

     Edward was across the field and next to Bella at a moment's notice, the rest similarly hustling about. With her eyes still peering past the bare trees, A.J. felt an arm grip her left bicep tightly. Her eyes flicked over to see Emmett pulling her toward the rest of their family, Carlisle on her other side. Their eyes held a look of worry as they flashed over together.

     A.J. flickered her gaze between them as they joined the rest at home plate, to which Edward was pulling Bella toward the Jeep as Alice spoke quickly. A.J. stared at her family with knitted brows, clearly missing a vital piece of information, though she heard words of getting Bella out of here and nomadic vampires hearing their baseball game. 

    “Nomad vampires?”

     Panic fell upon A.J., concentrated in her chest, as memories filled her mind. She swore she could feel teeth tearing into her skin again, the excruciatingly slow loss of blood, her vision blurring, the taste of iron mixed with mud cutting off her breathing; choking her as water filled her lungs. Squeezing her eyes shut,  A.J. attempted to combat the rising terror with logical thoughts.

     “I’m a vampire now too.”

     “They can’t hurt me.”

     “I ain’t food anymore.”

     “They might be vegans like us.”

     “No, they ain’t. They’re the ‘predator’ on the news.”

     Unfortunately for her, the thoughts weren’t anything but a mere hindrance, to what she knew was illogical fear. 

     “It is illogical, right?” A.J. questioned herself amidst the chaos growing around her and the sudden absence of music.

     Before she could freak herself out more, a wave of peace washed over her and drowned out the fear in her chest. A moment after, two hands came to rest on her shoulders, which she deduced to be Jasper’s as everyone else was in her line of sight.

     Her head snapped up, the bottom of her messy braided pigtails bouncing with the movement. A.J. was met with an assuring smile from Jasper, who squeezed her strong shoulders.

     “Everythang’s gonna be alright.” Jasper reassured her as he guided her to stand in the back with Bella.

     A.J.’s pigtails bounced again as she nodded furiously, “Yeah, I know.”

     With another squeeze and a close-lipped smile, Jasper parted from his sister and hurried over to Emmett who stood waiting at the far right end of the line of vampires.

     “Get your hair down.” Edward ordered Bella with a pinched expression.

     Bella momentarily froze and stared at Edward with a bewildered look, before hesitantly pulling the hair tie from her mousy brown hair. 

     Rosalie turned around with a scowl, “Like that’ll help, I can smell her from across the field.”

     With one last look, Rosalie turned back to face the oncoming threat with the others. Carlisle moved to stand tall in the front as everyone else gathered around. They formed a ‘wall’ in front of Bella, her being the obvious vulnerable human here, and A.J. as she had been pushed to the back by Jasper. 

     “I shouldn’t have brought you here, I’m so sorry,” Edward shook his head as Bella pressed him for an answer, “Just be quiet and stand behind me.”

     Bella clung to Edward’s side as he stepped toward the others but stayed just behind them with Bella. The youngest Cullen moved to Bella’s other side, matching the body language of her family. Past the line her family created in front of the three, A.J.’s copper eyes fell upon three figures emerging from the woods. 

     In the front, passing through the growing fog, was a dark-skinned man with long locks, an orange leather jacket atop his bare torso, and a pair of dark, lined pants. To his right, was a woman with curly ginger hair and a long fur shawl that blew in the wind as they tracked forward; a confident smirk carved into her alabaster skin added to her alluring appearance. Lastly, the most menacing of them all was a man who stood to the left of them; his blonde hair was pulled into a low ponytail that enhanced his dark, hooded eyes. The one characteristic that united them was the piercing ruby color of their eyes, which reminded A.J. of her own a couple of months ago.

     The young vampire hurriedly untucked her pinstripe jersey from her leggings all the while keeping her eyes trained ahead. With her enhanced speed, she threw open the buttons of her shirt, leaving her with just a baby blue tank top adorning her torso.

     “Here,” A.J. spoke to Bella, snapping the girl out of her frozen state.

     The human turned her head to face the newborn vampire and her eyes followed consecutively. Her gaze fell upon A.J.’s worried face as the taller of the two threw her jersey around Bella and placed it on her shoulders. Bella briefly unlatched herself from Edward for the jersey to encase her shoulders and arms.

     A.J. adjusted the jersey on Bella, “It’s not much, but I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t wash it last time we played so it’s…oh shit.” 

     A.J.’s ramblings were cut short as the trio of vampires was now standing still a few feet away from the group. With her enhanced hearing, she heard Bella’s heartbeat pick up next to her and prayed that the oncoming threat wouldn’t notice amidst the storm.

      The frontman raised his right hand in a fluid motion, and in it was the homerun ball Rosalie hit. His pristine teeth contrasted against his dark skin as he flashed an inviting smile. A.J. couldn’t help but appreciate his good looks despite the tense situation. His shorter stature and medium build were carried casually, in a way that let you know he was confident and felt no need to compensate. The exposed torso revealed by his unbuttoned green-tinted vest and jacket showcased his toned upper body. He was undeniably tantalizing and attractive, though A.J. supposed that’s what made him dangerous.

     “I believe this belongs to you,” The vampire remarked before flicking his wrist and sending the ball toward Carlisle.

     Carlisle caught it with ease, an unreadable expression on his face. 

     “Thank you.” a friendly smile appeared on Carlisle’s face.

     A.J. shifted her weight before stepping over to stand next to Esme. Sensing her daughter moving next to her, Esme instinctively reached for the girl’s bicep before snaking her arm around A.J.’s. and pulling her close. Esme flicked her eyes to A.J.’s arm upon meeting bare skin, curious as to what happened to her jersey. In response, she received a simple smile and her daughter’s cold left hand on hers.

     “I am Laurant,” the stranger spoke again, “And this is Victoria and James.”

     A.J.’s gaze lingered on Victoria, her voluminous curls framing her soft features. Her presence intrigued the young vampire more and more as she studied her face and body language. It was almost feline, the way she moved, her minuscule movements were elegant and smooth. Once again, it was clear how her looks could be a weapon.

     James, however, did nothing but frighten A.J. Everything about the vampire screamed dangerous and to stay away. He, unlike his coven-mates, did possess the same alluring appearance or body language. The ways his eyes seemed to stare into your soul along with his tall stature reminded A.J. of the tales of Slender Man she’d heard some classmates talk about before she was turned. His weapon, without a doubt, was intimidation.

     “I’m Carlisle,” the Cullen patriarch gestured to the others standing beside him, “This is my family.”

     

     “I like your shawl,” A.J. spoke and nodded to the one draped around Victoria.

     Instantly, she felt all eyes on her and Esme pull her tighter to her side. The girl shrugged it off, thinking to herself that flattery is usually the best way to smooth things out. 

     Victoria eyed A.J., taking in her appearance having paid more attention to everyone else.

     “Thank you,” Victoria smiled, “I like your top. It’s a good color on you.” her words seemingly rolled off of her tongue.

     A.J. returned the smile, “I know, right.” she let out a stiff chuckle.

     Flattery certainly worked for herself as her apprehensive mood lessened from the compliment.

     “Yes, well, I’m afraid your hunting activities have caused something of a mess for us.” Carlisle brought the attention back to him.

     Laurant’s dark eyebrows raised as his ruby eyes widen ever so slightly.

     “Our apologies,” he spoke earnestly, “We did not realize the territory had been claimed.”

     His apology seemed almost empathetic according to A.J.’s ears. Regardless of whether or not she had been swayed by his being, she almost took his apology to heart if it had not been for the guard she desperately held onto.

     Carlisle nodded, “We maintain a permanent residence nearby.”

     Laurant twisted his neck to face James who was peering past Carlisle and Esme at Edward. A.J. unconsciously hardened her eyes in anticipation of what the nomad may do, having a hard time relaxing in his menacing presence. She feared what he may attempt to do to her family and wondered just how capable his coven could be against the Cullens.

     “Really?” Laurant’s smooth voice held a tone of disbelief, “Well we won’t be a problem anymore. We were just passing through” His gaze returned to Carlisle.

     

    “The humans were tracking us, but we led them east,” Victoria announced, “You should be safe,” she spoke the last part in a hushed tone as she leaned her head forward for emphasis.

     Carlisle nodded, “Excellent.”

     A.J. caught the reluctant smile on her father’s face. It was one she’d seen him use on a woman who had struck up a conversation with him on one of A.J.’s earlier excursions to ease her back into society. She recalled the woman’s tone being rather flirty as she rang them up at the register.

     Laurant glanced around at the Cullens.

     “So,” he pressed, “Could you use three extra players?”

     One by one the Cullen’s eyes fell upon Carlisle, awaiting his response. His gaze never left Laurant as he silently considered the best option.

     Laurant smiled, “Oh, come on, just one game.”

     Carlisle let out a quick sigh before smiling, “Sure, why not. A few of us were leaving - you can take their place.”

      A.J. crane her neck to glance back at Edward and Bella. Edward’s hardened gaze seemed almost frightened as he glared ahead at James. The fear on his face didn’t come from a fear of his own well-being but Bella’s. A.J. knew that was the only thing on his mind, getting Bella away from here and keeping her safe. 

     “Why didn’t you just flash her to the car? You had time.” A.J. thought to Edward who only briefly spared her a glance.

     Deciding to let it be, A.J.’s eyes moved to Bella who stood with her mouth slightly agape and still clung to Edward. The young vampire knew the human’s fear well and sympathized with her, especially since it was unknown how long Bella would be forced to endure this.

     “We’ll bat first.”

     A.J.’s turned around in time to see Carlisle toss the ball to Laurant, but Victoria flashed her pale hand up in time to catch it.

     “I’m the one with a wicked curve ball.” The smirk permanently edged into Victoria’s face grew wider.

     The atmosphere grew lighter at her remark as the Cullen's spirit slowly returned.

     “Oh, well I think we can handle that.” Jasper egged her on which earned a confident smirk from Emmett and A.J.

     Laurant sang out an ‘oh’ at the banter, body swaying with anticipation as he clapped.

     A.J. leaned her torso forward, “I’m a bit of’a star pitcher myself.” she eyed Victoria with a smile while Esme began to pull her toward the others as they retreated back.

     “We shall see,” Victoria spoke as both she and Laurant spun around to head down the field.

     Though his coven-mates were moving to prepare for the expected game, James stayed stationary with his animalistic gaze set on Edward and Bella. His head tilted to the side as he further inspected his ‘prey’, but Bella kept her gaze set on Edward. Her arm was wrapped around his as she waited for him to move though he stayed in an intimidation contest with James. Finally and with one last look, James turned on his heel and began to find his spot on the field. Bella let herself breathe as they were almost off the hook, but she relaxed too soon. Just as she and Edward began turning, the wind blew against their backs which pushed her scent straight toward James. 

     James’s neck twisted as he inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering shut as he faced the couple again.

     He exhaled and smiled, “You brought a snack.” 

     The predatory vampire lunged forward in a hunched manner, ready to pounce on his prey. Edward pushed Bella back and jumped to action as well, all but A.J. following suit, including James’s coven-mates. The young vampire swiped her jersey off of Bella’s shoulders and swiftly threw it on as she moved to stand in front of Bella. The girl’s copper eyes glared at the trio in front of them, her fear manifesting into courage. She and Bella suddenly stumbled back as Esme pushed A.J. farther away from danger. Perhaps that was where her courage came from; an unconscious understanding that her family wouldn’t allow any harm to come to her.

     “A human,” Laurant questioned as the tension grew.

    “The girl’s with us.” Carlisle stated with a calm voice, “I think it’s best if you leave.” his eyes stayed trained on James.

     Laurant nodded, “I can see the game is over. We’ll go now.” he held his palms open and facing the ground as he slowly backed away.

     Once again, James lingered, this time with Victoria by his side, who seemed eager to kill for him. Laurant glanced at James questioningly, his patience running thin for such antics.

     “James.” Laurant called out.

     With a growl and one last look, James’s posture straightened as he turned away from the Cullens. Victoria followed with a hiss and joined James to which they wrapped an arm around each other and stalked away. Laurant led them as he walked backward before gradually spinning around to walk straight.

     A.J. watched as Edward slowly raised from his hunched state, deep in thought…or what she assumed was James’s.

     “Get Bella out of here.” Carlisle ushered as he placed a hand on Edward’s shoulder, “Go.”

     The eldest Cullen then pushed Edward back toward where Bella and A.J. resided. A.J. quickly flashed to the side and gave her brother an encouraging smile to which she received a nod. As Edward rushed Bella to the jeep, the Cullens quickly gathered what they had come here  with.

      “W-wait, what ‘appens now?” A.J. asked as Carlisle wrapped an arm around her shoulder and placed his right hand protectively on her other.

     “We go home.” Carlisle answered and began to lead her away in the direction of home.

     A.J. stared at him as the others caught up with them, “Then what?”

     Carlisle looked down and gave his daughter a close-lipped smile as Esme flashed to her other side.

     “Let’s just get home first.” he told her.

     A.J. nodded and turned her gaze forward before stopping dead in her tracks and craning her neck to look around Carlisle.

     “Wait, my stuff!” she called out.

     “Don’t worry, we got it.” Rosalie answered as she slugged A.J.’s backpack around her shoulders and Emmett cradled the girl’s boom box.

     A.J. nodded again, “Thank you.” she let her gaze fall forward.

     The girl bit her tongue in anticipation of what was going to happen. The courage she had gained left her once she heard the wheels of the silver Jeep skid away in the mud. Dread replaced it as the primary emotion in most of the vampires present. Her thoughts were far too jumbled and rapid for her to calm herself down as Carlisle began to pick up speed. One thing that remained clear in her mind as she started to run, was her family staying safe. Though, she had no clue how she'd do it.

[gremoria411]

The poor decisions don’t stop, since I decided to start Gundam Ibo Urdr Hunt while watching 0079. (Though realistically, it seems I’ll just end up putting 0079 on the back burner for a bit). This was motivated by Four Factors:

The announcement that they’re actually going to do something with the series going forward (I’m *hoping* for a full series or compilation movie, but I can’t guess at how practical that’d be, since I don’t know what the series is like yet). Regardless, I felt I should at least watch the series so I have an opinion on it. EDIT: I’m betting a compilation movie, there’s a lot of reused animation, and a lot of the parts lacking animation are conversations.

I already bought the model kits of both the Marchosias and the Asmoday purely on the strength of their designs, and I kinda want to decide if the Hajiroboshi or Cyclase’s Schwalbe Graze are similarly worthwhile (I’m slowly coming around to the Graze), since now’s probably the best time to go for them.

I kinda really want to know what’s going on with Cyclase Mayer. I really liked Mcgillis, and so I’m interested in seeing what a similarly designed character is going to be like in Post Disaster (plus, he’s a serious-faced man in a business suit, so he’s probably going to be fun to watch just from a broader perspective, given what characters in this universe typically have to deal with).

I haven’t actually been that excited about it, which annoys me. Maybe I didn’t see much hype, maybe it’s too close to Witch from Mercury/ the SEED Movie, or maybe I’d just gotten a little too settled in Post Disaster

Also, I just watched the opening for the first time and feel like I should jot something down;

Do each of the rings come with a maid? And Cyclase has two of them? Is he just trying to put a maid household together by collecting all the rings?….…….is this a Gundam harem anime? (I mean I know they’ve been trying to diversify lately, but still….)

Obviously it isn’t, but the thought did briefly cross my mind as I watched the opening.

*the following contains spoilers for the first four episodes of Gundam Ibo: Urdr Hunt*

I’ve watched the first four episodes, as of writing, so I’m just going to jot down a few thoughts;

I like how each of the maids is shown to be different in personality. Berose’s so obviously unhappy with her posting and Parstai actively manipulates things to get a better owner for the Urdr hunt ring (granted it didn’t take much). And then Korunaru’s just cheery by comparison.

I kinda expected the Zan Brothers to be a comedy side-act - a duo of bumblers pursuing the Urdr hunt, based on their aesthetics (very flashy). As such, Rome murdering a human debris for failure and Aiko barely concealing his hostility toward his idiot brother were both very surprising, and a welcome addition.

I didn’t expect I’d like Range’s suit, the Enzo, as much as I did. It feels like someone took the Hexa Frame used by the Hugo and made an actually solid mobile suit out of it - Range loses because he’s outclassed, not because the design is lacking in any particular way. It’s balanced, well armed and has a neat aesthetic. Good job guys.

Similarly, I really like the design of the Monkey Rodi’s. So sleek.

Alright, so I’m assuming the Chairman of the Board for the Omden Colony Company is Torrado Omden? Regardless, absolute peak character design. Man looks like an overgrown toddler and I hate him for it. It really sells him throwing away resources and lives on this thing as…… sorta casually despicable? Like it’s a bad financial quarter?

Overall, I’m really enjoying it. But I do have two criticisms I want to note at this juncture. Though I’m reasonably certain that it gets addressed later, Wistario Afram (is it Afram or Afam? I think it’s Afam, but Afram just rolls off the tongue better) is just kind of the least interesting of the Urdr Hunt participants we’ve seen so far. Like, he wants to use the money to rebuild the Venus Colony into a major tourist attraction. That’s a solid, achievable goal, and the way he talks and acts makes me feel like it’s less about “can he do it” and more about “how will he do it”. I don’t mind that angle, but it’s very different from everyone else around him. Range is trapped working for a company that will cut him off for any perceived failure, and he’s grappling with the fact that it’s not the solution he thought it would be and that he’s got more in common with Afam than his employers. It’s a good angle, as he slowly re-examines what his place in the world, and the crushing pressure exerted by both the Colony Company - a very powerful organisation, as evidenced by the fact that they consider the grand prize of Urdr hunt to be pocket change; and that exerted by the Hajiroboshi itself, a Gundam from the Calamity War. Meanwhile, 598 is enamoured with the idea of becoming like Tekkadan, showing the far-reaching influence they have, however, he’s forced to re-evaluate his own actions and who they’re truly for - in doing so, he can realise who his enemies are and actually take steps to free himself from their control, and from there take’s the first step to becoming like his idols in Tekkadan. They’re both very compelling characters, and it’s just unfortunate that Wistario can’t seem to eclipse that. It could be that we were just told how bad the situation is in Venus, rather than shown - a few shots of the prison’s might have helped, or showing how they affect the populace.

That said, now that I come to write this all down, both of their origins are somewhat similar to Tekkadan (598’s for obvious reasons) - it’s possible that I’m only rating them as highly as I am due to the familiar elements. With that in mind, it is possible that Wistario may offer a fresher perspective on the world of Post Disaster.

My second criticism is one I’ve mention before, regarding Noisy Fairy; Don’t call someone “character A” it’s stupid, because the message it sends to me is “this person isn’t worth caring about”. If a character is worth caring about, they’re always called “mysterious girl” or “???”, so “Girl B”, “Mercenary A” and “Board Member C” are just worthless. Does it cost more to give them names? Do named characters denote different rates for their voice actors or something? It’s just really immersion-breaking, because it creates the sense that named characters are the only ones that matter.

(Also Radonitsa Colony being essentially a prison colony is great, because it roughly parallels the real- life British Empire’s treatment of Australia, though granted without any natives).

[zlobonessa]

a piece from university au that i-maybe-will-write-one-day; otto & subaru discussing their new terrible and maybe a bit rotting professor

"It would be for the best if you didn't argue with our physics professor," his classmate said, looking warily at the empty wide staircase, then at Subaru: he hadn't managed to remember this guy's name yet, but the face was definitely familiar. Soft and round, with naivety and whinyness written in large letters all over his face, and shoulder-length hair — he looked pretty fine, actually, only he wore a cap without taking it off for some reason.

"Why me?" Subaru bristled: at once he felt insulted and lonely. "Was I pestering him or something? No, he decided that he wants to ask me about all his... kinetic energies, these energy conservations, about Newton! Come on, what this Newton ever did to him? You've heard him, he talks about him like he knew him personally, like they lived on the same street or something! What was that all about, huh?"

The classmate shook his head impatiently: the strands of his hair hit his cheeks.

"I mean, you're right, but.. Listen to me!" he hissed when he saw that Subaru was about to object. "I have friends — in graduate school, you know? These are not simple bachelors, everybody are dying to write a thesis, they are not special, but that's — that's not even close! These people survived all the exams, passed philosophy, defended their thesis to Emerada Lugunica!.."

"To whom?"

"Oh, trust me, you'll find out about it in time and you'll regret ever asking, but that's not what I'm talking about right now! The bottom line is that these people, they are barely humans now — titans, witches! — and you know what? He asks to be their scientific supervisor, then reads drafts of their dissertations — and begins to nitpick every single line, one by one, until he criticizes the whole document! And then? Do you even know what's then?

"Well?" Subaru snapped, unable to stand it anymore: his voice echoed down the corridor. The classmate shuddered.

"And then," he whispered pushy and almost aggressively: somehow he now stood very close to Sybaru, almost nose to nose, and Subaru didn't notice how it happened at all, "then he chooses those people whose dissertations are absolutely, as he puts it, slothful, — and disintegrates them!"

Subaru blinked, puzzled, then blinked again. The completely serious face of the classmate in front of him has not gone away.

"How is that?"

"How? By hand!"

(He said the last word in a very strange and terribly desperate way: Subaru felt that he didn't understand anything at all, but immediately and suddenly he realised that he really did not want to argue with the professor anymore.)

"Eh?"

The classmate hesitated. Chewed on his plump pink lip. Got closer to him again, clumsily: after trampling on the spot, he moved to Subaru's left side and leaned to the railing pressed against the wall.

"Listen," he whispered again, "the thing is, I— well, maybe something will change, I can't promise, but maybe — I know where to get the answers to the final test. Exactly the right amount of answers, you know? So that he doesn't send you to do a retake, and so that he doesn't like you enough to counsel you on any thesises."

Subaru looked at him more intently. Suddenly, the naivety from his face seemed to peel off: a tenacious grip appeared in his baby blue eyes.

"What's in it for you?" he squinted suspiciously.

The classmate almost blossomed:

"And for me," his tone became more trusting, "I would like you to help me with Professor Mayer. He's kind of interested in you, and they say he's sometimes tough, sometimes weird, but generally not mean, and in comparison to others, of course, well..."

Subaru clicked his tongue.

"So what's your name," he raised his eyebrows expressively, "my fellow future graduate student?.. Uh, that sounded bad, yeah?"

"You can do better," the classmate agreed easily. — "Friend, let's say, is quite alright with me."

He held out his hand.

"Otto Suwen."

Subaru shook the outstretched hand: the handshake was surprisingly firm.

"Natsuki Subaru."

[heaven-s-black-box]

Side Project- Luke & Leia

Return to File- Event Masterlist

Recovery date: July 25th, 2022

Description: Luke and Leia are forced to take a break, but even then they can't sit still.

Notes: An entry from my 2022 research project into the universe of Star Wars. You can find the next entry here.

Word count: 647

Back to directory

Sometimes the twins were far too much like their parents. It was something both R2 and C3PO could agree on when they spoke -which was rarely-, since R2 left with Luke to form a new Jedi academy.

In this case, it was their work habits that forced the comparison. Leia spending late nights in her office drafting up proposals and arguments for the senate, much like their mother, and Luke training from dawn till dusk like their father. It was ridiculous, and neither of them showed signs of stopping. A trait their parents had in common and they shared, dragged them on, stubbornness. 

“Alright goldy, what is it?” Han huffed.

He was leaning back in the pilot's seat of the Millenium Falcon, arms crossed and legs kicked up on Chewwie’s seat.

C3PO had been looking for him all day, assuming it was some political quest from Leia, Han had tried his damndest to avoid him. The droid had finally found him in the cockpit getting ready to head out on a supply delivery run.

“It’s about Master Luke and Mistress Leia, R2 and I are very worried about them.”

Han dropped his feet and leaned in a bit more to the droid, arms now propped up on his knees.

“What d’you mean?”

“Well, neither of them have taken a break since the battle of Endor and they both spend all day working. It cannot be healthy, the human body requires rest or else it will burn out.”

Han sighed, “Look, I’m sure if they needed a break they would take one. Now, I’m heading out, so unless you’d like to come with me, get off the ship.”

“Mistress Pamde and Master Anakin wouldn’t,” 3PO huffed and left the cockpit. “It was no use,” he exclaimed to R2 as he left the Falcon, “we have to find some other way to make them relax.”

“Hey droid!” 3PO turned around to find Han standing in the doorway of the Falcon. “What did you have in mind?”

---

“There’s a folder of drafts that need to be sent out for approval, things like trade agreements, treaties, everything. It’s all in the drafts folder… Oh and!”

“Do not worry mistress Leia, I will make sure everything runs smoothly in your absence.”

She took a deep breath and smiled at him.

“I know you will, thank you 3PO.”

“You sure you don’t want me to drop you two off? At least on Naboo?” Han asked, handing the last duffle up to Luke. He was kind of surprised the droids’ plan worked.

“Nah, we’re good. Besides, I’m thinking of letting Leia fly for a bit.”

The two looked back at her, giving some last minute directions to her stand-ins.

“I wish I could be there to see that.”

Luke chuckled. “Leia, come on. The sooner we leave, the sooner you can be back.”

“I’m coming! I’m coming,” she waved. 

“Okay, I gotta know, what’s so special about this trip?

Leia pulled the X-wing helmet on and Luke helped her fasten it before she got into the back seat.

“It’s a chance to let us get to know our parents,” Luke shrugged.

“When I first met Obi-Wan, he seemed so sad talking about them. I guess, now I know why but… I want to understand why, I want to understand who they were,” she shrugged, leaning over the side a bit.

“I grew up on Tatooine, our father’s home planet, but I want to see where our mother grew up.”

Luke hopped into the pilot seat and pulled on his helmet.

“So what, the droids convinced you to take a break by going on a journey of self discovery?”

Both twins shrugged.

“Closing the hatch, bye Han.”

Leia waved and settled in, saying something to Luke once the hatched closed. Han couldn’t hear them anymore, but he could tell they were already relaxing. Luke laughed at whatever Leia said and waved bye to him and the droids.

As Han stepped back, he watched the twins take off on a much needed vacation.

[dappercritter]

On the Knuckles series announcement:

Okay first of all, obviously I'm happy to see that hat return.

And more Maddie ofc.

But I'm worried about the plot. Not because of how much game lore we'll get referenced or how well they'll pull of the premise of "Iconic Character trains Comic Relief Character That Was Okay I Guess in the ways of the warrior, hijinx ensue" but because I'm worried I'm getting bored of the Sonic Cinematic Universe.

This is an entirely subjective criticism, so just know this is more of a vent than a real criticism post.

That said, as much as I liked the first movies for what they were able to do right, I feel like these movies are being held back by their attempts to mesh the creator's passion for the games with the studios' need to make it a basic funny animal movie series.

It's not offensively bad as the Peter Rabbit movies which had the charm of the source material gutted to make a James Corden vehicle, but it feels like it's got the same symptoms. The feeling like somebody feels it would be more marketable to focus on Sonic characters interacting with our world than fully indulging in Sonic's world. Something that I'm more willing to blame on Paramount execs than anybody onboard the creative team for the record.

I do think that part of this disappointment is me and some folks hoping that Knuckles was going to get a dedicated character study like Peacemaker or The Mandalorian (but with a red echidna), but without drawing unfair comparisons... Sonic Prime is doing it better?

Maybe not as a Knuckles show, but Sonic Prime while definitely made more for the fans and rushed because of the binge model curse is unapologetic about being about Sonic. The story is about Sonic, the characters of Sonic's world, and Sonic's world itself. It's written by people who love the games and want to make stories about the world of the games!

It doesn't feel the need to dress it up as a mid cgi animal buddy comedy thinking this will somehow make it more approachable to non-fans, or to hold back the stuff the fans came for with run-of-the-mill human characters.

(Alright, I'm going to just come out and say it: the Watchowski's are really nice in theory, but in execution they're a pretty average family.)

Well now that I've probably gone below the belt, now's the part where I remind everyone that you're welcome to enjoy what you like, and the show isn't even out yet so any real attempts to critique it are moot.

...

That and I don't have Paramount+ yet and I don't want it, so. Yeah. That's bit of a turn off, too.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Julie Byrne Album Review: The Greater Wings

(Ghostly International)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Albums billed as being shaped by grief often don't follow linear rules, or at least a perfect pipeline of death to grief to songwriting. Famously, when Jeff Tweedy sang, "Tall buildings shake / Voices escape singing sad sad songs," on "Jesus Etc.", released in 2002, many listeners thought the line to be about 9/11, even though Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was finished before the attacks. More recently, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' Skeleton Tree hit shelves after his son Arthur tragically died from a fall; during its recording sessions, Cave amended many of the album's lyrics, which had been initially written by the time his son passed away, but to this day we don't know exactly what changed. On the title track to singer-songwriter Julie Byrne's new album The Greater Wings, she declares she will "name my grief to let it sing," rendering that grief a living, breathing entity, almost a character in the album. Halfway through the making of the record, Byrne's creative partner Eric Littmann suddenly passed away. After shelving it for six months, Byrne completed the album with producer Alex Somers, her first time in a conventional recording studio. The result is a stunning canvas of reflection on things that are no longer for this world, from people to relationships, filtered through Byrne's blue-colored glasses.

Really, a more apt timeline for comparison to The Greater Wings is Bell Witch's Mirror Reaper, an album that acts as a tribute to a former member while including documents of their physical presence, more living artifact than ghost. On Mirror Reaper, it was the late Adrian Guerra's voice; here, Littmann's synthesizers shine throughout the record, like his arpeggios harmonizing with Marilu Donovan's harp on "Summer Glass" and his wobbly instrumentation on "Conversation Is A Flowstate". To see how Byrne and Somers owned the material from there is breathtaking. It's hard to remember that before her previous record, Not Even Happiness, Byrne was a DIY folk singer. That album's glassy closing track "I Live Now As A Singer" not only informed The Greater Wings' expanded aesthetic, but it's proven to be a total turning point in Byrne's career. The production flourishes and additional instrumentation on The Greater Wings are sometimes subtle, but they move mountains. Synthesizers shimmer alongside acoustic guitar on the title track. Somers' backing vocals on "Portrait Of A Clear Day" nestle among Byrne's lead vocal turn, Donovan's harp, and Jake Falby's strings. "I get so nostalgic for you sometimes," Byrne sings, her hazy memories perfectly contrasting the crispness of the music.

In fact, contrast is a defining feature of The Greater Wings. On emotional centerpiece "Summer Glass", Byrne's words consist of recollections of specific moments in time ("You lit my joint with the end of your cigarette," "The tattoo you gave me lying in bed"), all-encompassing devotionals ("You are the family that I chose"), and broad therapeutic goals ("I want to be whole enough to risk again"). Even the instrumental "Summer's End" showcases the tactility of Donovan's harp against the atmospheric wash of the synthesizers and echoing bells. And Somers added textures to Littman's initial work on "Conversation Is A Flowstate", making it a harmonic, yet percussive and conversational push-pull as Byrne recites affirmations: "Permission to feel it, it's alright / Permission to grieve, it is alright / Healing can be heartbreaking, it's alright."

Making yourself "whole," or as close to it as possible, is not an easy or definite process, in life or in music. Even on a song like "Flare", Byrne goes through multiple so-called "stages of grief," including bargaining and acceptance, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma's modular synth buoying her words. The Greater Wings, then, is as close to universal art as it gets, a treatise on the human penchant for imperfection, for being naturally unable to fully appreciate something while it's there. "I tell you now what for so long I did not say / That if I have no right to want you / I want you anyway," Byrne sings with smoky heartbreak on "Lightning Comes Up From The Ground", a title that makes literal what happens when an event in your life shakes you to your core: It turns your world upside-down.

[aidanyk]

A note from a few years prior…

I wrote this freshman year… I now look back at it and laugh. Enjoy :)

Alright... so I’m a freaking insomniac so instead of going to bedm, ima be putting my random thongs on paper (or more accurately this blog because I’m hoping that most people click through it).

What is fate? Well... that’s a difficult question to answer. Fate is defined by the dictionary as:

the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.

That is terrifying. Essentially what the definition means is that while everyone makes their own decisions, they weren’t really making their own decisions... only following the laws of the universe, playing the results of a pre-determined outcome. And while the existence of fate is a controversial idea in itself, with many people believing that we indeed have free will while others assume that everything is pre-determined, in the end, it’s something that no human that walks this earth will ever know the answer to. Kind of a Schrödinger’s cat sort of deal in a way, as we’ll never really know the system until we’re finished with it. Now, enough with the monologue, let me get into how this goes into my own life. (Because I’m obviously the most important one) jk.

In my life... I’ve been through so much crap. Living eighth grade in the brink of chaos... there’s just been so much. I’ve fought with my friends (some I’m closer with now than ever, while some being gone for good). I’ve spent hours grinding my life away, from academics to video games. I’ve fallen for a girl wayyy out of my league. I began to finally build a strong passion for music, and discover new aspects of myself. And while my life is pretty mild in comparison to others, i like to look back at it and wonder.

Was this... was this truly me that did these things, or was it always determined from the start? Was these emotions that I felt... pain, anger, stress, love... was it truly me... or something greater? In the end, I guess it really doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a score on a test, a conflict, an interaction, any event at all... whether it be up fate, or to our control, it happened. And that’s the bottom line.

I’ve experimented with the thought of being able to go back in time to different points of my life in the past, particularly in times of conflict. Despite the fact that all of the conflicts I’ve been in have been resolved for a while, I still find myself contemplating them, wondering if there was something I could’ve done different, could’ve said (or not said) that would have made a situation better. I’ve thought that maybe if I did this one thing, refrained from saying this other thing, just... been better in the moment, I could have changed the past. But as soon as these thoughts come to my head, they’re whisked away in an instant.

For example, I wanted to take the time to think about the conflict with one of my friends (not mentioning names). I remember reflecting on everything I did, wondering thay if I could’ve said something different, done something different, the situation might’ve come out better, and we could’ve still been friends without me coming to realize their flaws (the same as them to realize mine). But then I realize that with every outcome I’ve calculated in my head, every decision I simulated where I did better... it ends in the same outcome. I’m not bitter or still caught up on the drama, but it intrigues me that despite any modifications that I could’ve made in the moment, the end result is unchanged. It’s almost as if the universe meant for it to be that way, like everything that has taken place is just- meant to be. Cliche, isn’t it? I’d always like to believe that we are all individuals of our own will, of our own volition. And to an extent, I think that’s true. But in a larger sense, all these things that I’ve gone through with those I care about, all these events that have happened throughout the world crumbing around us, the burning emotions that I carry around in my heart and head... I’d like to think it’s fate. That it was always meant to be, and the events that will carve my future are ultimately up to the universe.

In the end... I’m realizing that this conversation I had with myself really doesn’t matter. That whether it was an act of nature or my own actions... things happen. And what’s the point of reflecting on the reasons behind my past? I guess honestly... nothing. Nothing really mattered In the end, did it. I was initially somewhat saddened, thinking about this. That nothing I did mattered. But then I realized something much greater, which is that: who cares? We’re people of planet earth, living our lives for some purpose, whether it be happiness, charity, or sometimes even greed. To reflect so heavily on our actions I’ve come to realize, is essentially pointless, and it’s much more important to focus on who we can be moving forward, whether or not it’s up to fate. Life is short, and you should spend time living it, not wondering how you could’ve lived it.

Well... I don’t think the text is going to fit on one story... uh if anyone made it this far, I’m sorry this was kinda my 11pm fever dream thoughts. But i hope at the very least you enjoyed it. Uh... if anyone read this far tell me because I’m actually curious who actually reads my rambling lmaoo. Alright this was a lot so yea... ima sleep now... gn y’all ❤️

Sincerely,

Aidan of the past :)

[goggles-mcgee]

Hey, I heard that your a Dark Parables fan from someone I follow, and I has to ask. It's alright if ya don't want to, but I was wondering if you have any salt/ Hot takes for the series of Dark Parables just for fun.

Like how a plot could have been better, or how character detail could have been written to make sense for examples.

Thank you for reading, and glad to see ya back.

Hi! I have so many you don't even know my friend, I'm like legit in the middle of a re-playthrough of the whole series XD

I do gotta say one game that doesn't really feel like it "fits", feels off story wise and gameplay wise in the series to me and kinda throws off the flow of the games is Dark Parables: The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide.

[SPOILERS AHEAD FOR DARK PARABLES: THE LITTLE MERMAID AND THE PURPLE TIDE]

I know it's weird to include gameplay mechanics in the salt list but (it sounds ridiculous I know) I have a degree in 3D Arts & Game Design so when I play games I tend to focus on game play as much as the story and graphics.

First off, I genuinely am always thrown off because for a game called The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide....the Purple Tide had a minimal role. Like it was a thing but only in the first like 5 minutes of the game. At least with Ballad of Rapunzel, the flowers were a constant issue as well as the plant monsters. They made sense. Then we have the princess who annoyed me more than anything. Her reasons for being stand-offish or down right rude and somewhat a mini boss to get by were kind of....dumb. like usually the mini boss has a reason for what they did and why they fight the Detective until ultimately lending help, and the reason is usually sound (in the game Universe logic anyways) or good.

Of course you could argue that her reasons are the same as other game characters. Which,, yeah, but it felt weak in comparison. She wanted to find the last Elemental Orb to save her father, her father who was completely off his rocker. But she also thirsts to become human so like, she's doing it for selfish reasons and only after she basically gutted Pinocchio was she wanting you to save her and then willing to help you. If I could have left her to the piranhas or whatever they were....I would have.

That brings me to my issue with the godforsaken Elemental Orbs! They are supposed to be the King's only salvation after being cursed! Yeah? Yeah. Except they are also the treasures that broke the the curse on his daughters! Now you may be thinking this isn't really an issue or something to be mad about but for me it just infuriates me that the daughters broke their curses and yet the orbs were still powerful enough to cure their father....their father who they left so they could pursue their own lives. Like legit. They leave him even though they wanted to help cure him and his sanity but no. After they gained their legs they skeddadeled! Their stories were interesting! I give it that but the fact they left their cursed father and sisters to their fate never sat right with me.

Also it's never mentioned how the King got the orbs after the daughters broke their curses because it never says they went into the sea to take them back. So how does he have them???? If they used them I think they should be null and void and he should have just thought in all his delusion that one orb would be enough for him to experiment with. We're supposed to believe that this family is worth saving and I gotta say...I did not feel like helping at all during that whole game. I did it very reluctantly.

Then the mechanics are added in and yeah...least favorite game right here. It's honestly one that is very forgettable until someone asks me if there's a game I dislike from the series and then BAM! It comes rearing it's ugly head back in my face. The mechanic overall were very stiff, the accessing of your inventory to the change of locations all felt stiff and clunky as opposed to the others games in the series.

Also they didn't have to so Pinocchio like that. They really didn't.

Another point against the game was the fact we never got a scene hinting at the next game which was always part of the whole Dark Parables experience and to not have it really made the game not feel like part of the series. Maybe it's silly, but it was as much a part of the series as the collective parables themselves. Just having the statue in the Temple wasn't enough nor satisfying.

In the end all I have to say is I get why the Sea Goddess cursed everyone. I would have too. Both kingdoms were fickle people and honestly their whole backstop wasn't that intriguing. Like I'd get the tidbits of info and just be like meh.

I could rant about this game a lot but in doing so I just get more petty, especially stupid small things so I will leave this here.

In the end, all I can say is they could have made a better plot, one that was more engaging and made me care. Because I adore The Little Mermaid, in any font, but this font was my comic sans.

[funkymbtifiction]

Hi! A little bit of self-confirmation. Am I really ENFJ? (more specifically, am I really Fe-dom? Definitely Ni user that's for sure). Disclaimer: I still believe I am ENFJ (no Te, too much Se interplay and boatload of Ni) but I think I'd like to confirm it a little if that's alright. [...] I suspect INFJ is more correct than ENFJ? Thank you! And happy new year to you, big sis. Hope you giving us your big sister advice for years to come. Typology community in Tumblr will be so dry without you :p

I honestly don’t know. You’ve given me so much contradictory information over the last dozen asks, it’s all gotten confused in my mind. I don’t think ENFJ is right, no.

It feels like you are seeing yourself through a lens of having read about specific types and then applying that language and those terms to your own experience, instead of learning to look inward and see what that function is doing in your thinking process. For example, Ni is about more than just goals, or having one thing that you want. It’s a lens placed over reality that seeks out unique vantage points, so a strong Ni user never has the same perspective as another type; they frame it in a different, long-term context. As my ENFJ father puts it, it’s a certainty of the patterns you are seeing, a preoccupation with the unknown, as if the universe is handing you glimpses of the future—your own, or when paired with Fe, those of other people and society on the whole. You see into them, you see what lies ahead, you see where they are headed unless they get off this path, and you make accurate predictions about the future. It’s not just about you for an ENFJ, it’s a broad cultural context. It’s about humanity. I don’t see that in what you shared with me; I don't think that's your focus.

It seems, for you, to be more about “me” and “what I want.” This more often than not indicates strong Fi. You are speculating on amoral ways to get yourself to your goal (manipulating people into giving you what you want), either out of desperation or eagerness to make it happen now. The question is, have you ever been good at this in the past? Have you succeeded at it, or is it just a fantasy you are indulging? You seem impatient, as if you want things to get off the ground once you decide what your “goal”/future life would be. I do think you have Se and Ni, but if I had to give you an answer, I’d say ISFP. It feels like potentially you are in a Fi/Ni loop.

All I can do is gauge you from afar based on what you’ve written, so take what I say with a grain of salt. It would be useful for you to get out into the world and meet people, and rub elbows with ENFJs if possible to use for comparison. The rubber really meets the road when you can see a living example of a type and it allows you to recognize whether your thinking process is similar or nothing like it.

MBTI is not that important in the scheme of things. It won’t make you more or less likely to get what you want, it won’t change how you behave or act, and people won’t hire or fire you based on your type. It’s far more important to work on bringing your Enneagram type into a greater sense of self-awareness and health. That will benefit you far in the long term than knowing your “letters.” :)