#the past few days have been a stream of bad luck so...

[oizysian]

I. VICTORY ROYALE

All Eyes on Me masterlist

Word count: 1.7k

•

"You're kidding. Brie Larson? The Brie Larson? The Oscar winner Brie Larson? CAPTAIN MARVEL Brie Larson?!"

"Yes, yes, yes - a million times yes." I laughed as my best friend went on and on about my big news that I finally had the time to tell her about. "That Brie Larson."

"No way." She was quiet for a moment. "And I wasn't mentioned in the tweet at all?"

I felt bad for Claire. We had a joint Twitch channel together and we also had our own separate ones. I had been working on my channel longer than she had so I had more time to grow, and it seemed that my hard work was paying off and I was starting to leave her behind.

"No," I answered sadly. "But that doesn't mean you can't join in." I tried to be optimistic about it, hating that my best friend in the whole wide world was upset.

"Nah, I'm better off just watching the stream. But," I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was smiling. "Do you think she could hook me up with one of her celebrity friends? Maybe Scarlett Johansson?"

"I doubt that. Plus, she's got two kids now. Are you really ready for that responsibility?"

"Yeah, no, nevermind." She laughed. "Well, what about that Olsen girl you've got a crush on?"

"No, you cannot have Lizzie." I replied quickly.

"Oh no? You called dibs?"

"I think her husband already did that." I couldn't even pretend to hide my disappointment.

"Pfft. Husband or not, you've got dibs."

This wasn't exactly a conversation I wanted to have, especially when I was about to make a connection to someone so close to her.

"Whatever. Maybe she'll hook you up with one of the new Marvel girls; Florence or Hailee."

"Oh hell yes, Hailee for sure."

"If it gets you off my back about my crush on Lizzie, I'll talk to her for you." I chuckled, knowing very well I would do no such thing.

"Yeah, right. I know you too well to believe that."

"Worth a shot." I shrugged to myself, checking the time before mentally cursing myself. "Shit, I gotta go. The stream is in a few hours and I still gotta get things set up with Brie."

"Well, okay. Good luck and I'll be watching so don't say anything stupid!"

"Same to you. I know you'll be active in the chat."

"Damn right. Later."

I shut off my game and took off my headset, sighing as I got up and made my way over to my computer. I had a lot of work to do before the stream, mostly setting up Brie's camera and microphone so that she could be seen and heard while we played.

I was still in awe of the fact that I was going to be hosting a live charity stream with a celebrity. It was scary and surreal and I couldn't pretend that I didn't get a heady rush from it. I made all of this happen. I was finally someone. My past be damned.

I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn't even realize nearly two hours had passed, and that I had multiple notifications on my phone, the most recent one being from Brie.

"Shit." I muttered to myself, loading up Discord on my computer and video calling my new friend.

We had been texting nearly every day since I sent her the message with all the charity information, but we had never spoken, so this would be our first time face to face.

She answered the call quickly, her face popping up on my screen, taking me by surprise. She looked so down to earth, but still beautiful in a casual outfit and her hair up in a messy bun.

"Hey, Y/N." She greeted me with a bright smile and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey, hi, Brie." I finally spoke, my cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment at my nervousness.

"You ready for our twenty-four hour stream?"

"Twenty-four hours?" I laughed. "Maybe twelve. I'm not sure about twenty-four."

"Aw, c'mon. It's for charity."

We spoke for a while before getting ourselves hyped up to start the stream. Once we decided on a game and double checked that all the stream settings were perfect, we went live.

@y/n_gaymergod LIVE 🔴 with @brielarson raising money for The Trevor Project!

We decided on Fortnite, a game she was familiar with and one that I was pretty rusty in, which made me a bit nervous due to the fact that my character skin was Scarlet Witch - someone she knew. I loaded up the game and invited her, ready for the influx of comments mentioning my big, embarrassing crush on Elizabeth Olsen.

She joined my game and I silently watched her reaction. Nothing. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and turned my attention to the chat.

"Hi, everyone! We just got started and already we've got $15 donated! We didn't even start playing yet." Both Brie and I laughed, interacting with the chat as we started up a game of duos.

y/n is playing as the love of her life

big gay crush on fruity lizzie

y/n your gay is showing

I blushed a fierce red as I read the comments, hoping Brie didn't notice. It seemed that she was too busy trying to snipe some guys from across the map to pay any attention to the chat at the moment, which I was insanely grateful for.

"Nice shot, Y/N!" She exclaimed as I saved her from being downed.

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself, Larson."

She smirked at me and I dropped some items for her in-game so she could recover from the fight we were just in.

was that flirting

y/n don't cheat on lizzie

y/n is flirting with brie larson i cant even

what about ur waifu for laifu lizzie y/n?

I ignored them.

"We've got this dub for sure." I assured her and she nodded and started cheering us on as we ran through the storm.

"Number one victory royale, baby!" She yelled as she ran into an unsuspecting duo, blasting them both with her shotgun.

Our first win of the stream done, we returned our attention to the chat and donations, now having received nearly $130.

"Wow, guys!" I couldn't believe it. "We're doing great so far. And we got a win! This is going really well." I directed the last part to Brie and she smiled, nodding at me.

A large donation flashed on the screen and my jaw dropped at the message attached to it.

"Brie, introduce Y/N to Elizabeth Olsen. She's in love with her."

I could feel my cheeks burning, tears building up in my eyes as she, obviously, read it. I was so fucking embarrassed.

"Thank you for the donation, but please don't say things like that again." I swallowed roughly. "We respect Elizabeth's marriage in this house." I tried to joke, the hurt surely evident in my voice.

Brie looked at me through the screen with an expression I couldn't quite identify before speaking again.

"I could make that happen."

My eyes went wide, my attention completely gone from the game and on my new friend. I got myself shot at and I cursed under my breath, trying to recover from the assault we were currently under.

"If we win this game, I'll see what I can do."

"Brie ..." I started to speak before she cut me off.

"You've gotta get more kills to catch up to me, Y/N. Keep up." She gave me a crooked smile, probably realizing that by saying that the chat would lay off me about it.

I made a mental note to thank her later, pushing down my awkward feelings from the chat and the last donor and focusing completely on the game. Even if it was just talk, I was determined to win.

Which we did. And many more after that.

We streamed for nearly twenty hours, with small breaks in between. We played a few different games and even played with viewers for a while. Our final donation total was a whopping $5,450, which surprised the hell out of me, but I was proud of our efforts. We did really, really good.

"So, about meeting Elizabeth." Brie started as we sat in a video call after the stream, just chilling and talking about how much fun we had.

"Brie, don't worry about that. My chat often busts my balls like that trying to embarrass me."

"It seems like they care about you." I was silent. "It sounds like you admire her."

"I just think she's cool, that's all. She seems like a nice person." I tried to cover my ass, but I'm sure I was very transparent.

"She is a nice person, and I think she'll like you a lot." She looked down at her phone for a few minutes before looking back up at me. "There's going to be an invite only party in LA in a few days celebrating the release of the new Doctor Strange movie."

I swallowed roughly, listening to her with bated breath.

"I want you to come with me as my plus one."

"I'm in New York, not LA, Brie."

"We can fix that. We have time to get you a flight and hotel."

I bit my lip in thought.

"Would it really be okay?" My voice was small and unsure.

She smiled brightly at me.

"Yes, of course it would! It's gonna be so exciting to hang out together in person."

I smiled, now excited myself and nodded in response.

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll come visit you and we can party and we can even record some of it for your YouTube channel if you want and -"

"Y/N, breathe." She chuckled at my reaction and tried to calm myself down.

"Sorry." I apologized bashfully. "I've never been to LA before."

"Oh no? Maybe I can show you around a bit. I know some really fantastic restaurants that you might like."

"That sounds great, I'm so excited!"

"I can tell." She smiled. "And does any of that excitement have to do with meeting Elizabeth?"

"Psh, no." I lied through my teeth. "I'm excited about spending time with you."

"Mhm. Nice cover."

"It's true! I consider you a good friend, Brie. I think we're gonna have a good time together."

"Me too, Y/N."

•

@oh-thats-cute @marvelwomen-simp

[chaletnz]

Cajas National Park Tour

Around 6am the driver was yelling out Cuenca and I wondered if we were here already or if he was shouting out to get people at this station to get onboard for the ride to Cuenca. I wasn’t expecting to arrive until 7 or 8am and my phone didn’t load a map at all which is usually when it’s a random place I’ve never loaded on it before. The driver came down and told me that this was Cuenca, the final stop so I asked for directions to a taxi and headed off. I jumped in one waiting cab and gave him the names of the two streets that my hotel was on the corner of and he found it no problem. The ride on the meter came out to be $1.49 so I gave him $2 and then checked in. I’d booked for the night before so my room was ready waiting and Andrés the receptionist led me upstairs. He was kind and only charged me for one night since I hadn’t been there last night due to the flood that was no fault of my own, and I had contacted him in advance. I would’ve paid the 2 nights if he’d asked but I kept my mouth shut and paid him in cash as he requested. I messaged Edison my tour guide and let him know that I had arrived in Cuenca and was ready for the tour as soon as he was ready. He replied back quickly and said he would pick me up at 8:45am so I took a shower and then went for a quick coffee at Cafe Ñucallacta. Edison picked me up on time and we drove out to Cajas National Park through various different neighbourhoods to get a feel for Cuenca city on our way out. He told me the history of Cuenca, founded in 1557 and it’s the 3rd largest city in Ecuador after Quito and Guayaquil. The historic city centre is a unesco protected world heritage site. This city trades in agricultural products, cattle, hides, and marble. He gave me a few tips on places to visit with my afternoon, evening, and morning before I fly out tomorrow afternoon. It took about 45 minutes to reach the trailhead of the trek in the park we would be doing today. It was about 3400m above sea level and I felt the air was thinner and I was a bit light-headed up here. We began our walk on some rocks and boardwalk, and then for most of the rest of the trek it was a spongy kind of moss that was comfortable to walk on. We walked slowly due to the altitude, and stopped often to look at some trees, birds, plants, and flowers that were unique to the area. Edison kept saying how lucky I was to have this beautiful sunny day to explore Cajas as it’s mostly foggy and cloudy and had snowed there yesterday. I figured by this point I was due some luck! He helped me cross a stream that was terrifying for me with the slippery rocks combined with my bad ankle but I made it and then we stopped for a lunch break at the best viewpoint on the trail. I enjoyed my banana chocolate chip muffin that I’d carried with me from Baños. The loop back to the start was on an incline so it was a bit tougher, and there were some shady spots that were muddy and slippery. We passed a lot of tussock grass, the King Kong rock formation, some spiky pineapple plants, and a tree with layers of papery bark. There were some people beginning their walk in the opposite direction sloshing past us in the muddy spots so I was glad to be wrapping up after having almost the entire walk to myself. He offered to drive me up to the highest elevation point in the park, a lookout at Tres Cruces at an elevation of 4167m above sea level. It was a nice view but very windy up there, and a bunch of children screaming too. Edison drove us back to Cuenca at breakneck speed and dropped me off back at the hotel asking me only for a 5 star review to help the company get more tour business after the difficulties of covid and the negative press on Ecuador and its drug cartels and public safety recently.

[epicthemusical]

Alright I’m actually so bad at writing, and this wasn’t beta read, so any feedback is appreciated!

The noise and heat of the celebrations faded, beat back by the limbs and lengths of the black poplars. I was glad for their shade, even under the darkening sky - after the days before, any number of gods could’ve been watching. Usually said number was only one, hovering at the edges of my attention, right at the line of divinity. If not for the lingering remnants of my own godly heritage, I wouldn’t have been able to sense my patroness’s eyes.

But enough of the gods as, for the time being, I was just a man. My hands were stained, and I had no hope of ever cleansing them.

The day had been beautiful, cool and damp in the wake of spring. I’d tried to enjoy it: the lovely weather, the doling of spoils and treasures from Priam’s rich city, the sacrifices and feasts that followed. Most of it I’d spent crouched in the hold of a ship though, tallying supplies and calculating how many days of rations we had. Not enough, but with any luck we’d find an island on the way home and resupply our stores. I had gold enough to pay now, and men to hunt and forage.

After ten years, I’d learned the landscape of the forest bordering the Achaean camp. The trees soon gave to rocks and boulders, cliff overhangs and lichen. Just past these one could find a gentle stream, clear and cold as it eddied along its banks. Here, sat in the silence, I could truly think (even if that thinking traced one well-worn path).

Astyanax, his name had been, a boy of only a few months old. His blankets had been crisp and white and embroidered finely along the edges. His eyes, large and dark as the sky above. The King of the Gods spoke, voice ringing like the crack of thunder through mountain gorges. Astyanax was tiny in my arms, soft against bronze plates, softer still against the ground below. No one forced my hand.

These were the facts, indisputable and true as my own title. Still, was I to solely bear the blame? The King of the Gods had given me a task, threatened my family, denied my contrary offers. What choice did I have? But it was my steps that had taken us to the edge of the wall, my hands that released their hold in his swaddling. My eyes averted during the fall, sparing myself the view.

Something crunched at the treeline a few dozen yards away. Something, or - no, definitely someone. The sounds came in connected pairs, with definite breaks between. This was all that kept me from turning my head, whipping around and seizing the sword at my hip. That, and the knowledge of my advantage if I could take them by surprise in those first few seconds.

They moved delicately, but not stealthily - with caution if not cunning. So, if not to attack, what were they there for? If not an attacker, then who?

I wagered a guess. “Polites?” My voice was far too loud in the night. I could practically hear his smile behind me, beaming bright as the sun.

“What’re you doing away from the festivities?” I continued as walked past my side, “I thought you of all people would have fun.” It was not a pointed remark. Someone, at least, might enjoy the night, I’d hoped.

My friend settled just in front of me, perched at the edge of the stream. He seemed to truly ponder his answer, humming lightly as he leaned forward to dip a finger through the water. Finally: “Same as you, I guess. I’m all for celebrations, but not like this. I’m just glad it’s over.”

“And on that, we’re agreed. We’ll be home before we know it though, my friend.” White lies slipped out as easily as breaths.

Polites paused a few seconds. “So how bad is it, exactly?”

I narrowed my eyes, though he didn’t see from where he sat. “What do you mean?” All innocence.

“Nothing,” his voice was easy and light, “just that you don’t speak like that unless something is wrong.”

“Like what? I didn’t even say anything!” My indignation surely gave me away, but I didn’t seem to care when it was him.

“‘We’ll be home before we know it, my friend,’” Polites said, his voice slightly lowered in imitation. “It’s unlike you. If everything was fine, you’d be going on and on endlessly about maps and charts and labor division. You’re an awful liar, Ody.”

“Says you,” I retorted automatically, dully.

He reached back and fiddled with the ends of his headband, which were limp in the still air. “So, what’s wrong?”

I sighed. “I wish you’d let me pretend everything’s alright.”

“No can do!” His words were bright with victory; Polites usually didn’t try to ‘win’ in banter, but on occasion he’d best me.

“I can tell. Anyways, we only have a few weeks of food. We could maybe get to Ithaca on it alone if nothing else went wrong…”

“But the gods are angry,” he supplied. “We have the sea god on our side, at least!”

“There’s that, I suppose.”

We lapsed into silence, my words inviting no further conversation. Polites continued anyways. “There’s something else, huh?”

“No.”

“You want to tell me about it?”

“No.”

He seized upon this, quicksilver bright. “So there is something else!”

“No! Polites, stop. It’s nothing. It’s not up for discussion,” I snapped and stood up from where I’d been sitting. “Goodnight.”

My friend didn’t follow me, didn’t even glance back when I did. He did call out, though, “You know you can tell me anything, Ody, right?” The nickname, one I usually didn’t mind from him, only fed the guilt flaring in my chest. For a heartbeat, I wished he didn’t care, that he’d never asked, even if it was unlike him.

Then, softer and more distant as I reached the tree line, “Please. I can’t stand to see you like this.”

I clenched my teeth and froze just as the shadows began to slide over my skin. It would be easy, so infinitely easy, to head back to my tent and forget this conversation. Polites might’ve even had the tact to not bring it up for a while. I’d win a few more days or weeks of guilt, but he’d still love me for that time. If he knew what I’d done… well, Polites had never had the stomach for war like me, and even I was struggling to swallow the facts. He’d never keep them down.

Still, when I glanced back over my shoulder at him, curled up with knees to his chest by the stream, I found myself unable to leave. The water and stone and his unstained clothes seemed to glow in the moonlight, which softened the world, turned it a bit kinder. It wasn’t like I could leave him, I reasoned, not without a weapon of his own. It only made sense for me to go back.

Polites had moved away from the water, so when I sat we were companionably side by side. He glanced back at me, one arm lifting from where it held his knees and settling so his palm cupped my shoulder.

“You’ll hate me if I tell you,” I said, my voice thick and clumsy.

His eyebrows lifted in acknowledgment. “So there is something?”

“Polites-“

“Just shush. For half a second, please. I could never hate you, Ody, you know that. I’m probably physically incapable of it,” he joked gently.

“You don’t know that! You’ve… never really had a reason to hate me before this.” I’d started too loudly, volume dropping at the end of my second sentence.

His voice lowered, lost its joking edge, “We’ve all done awful things, my friend, things we wish we could take back. Even me, even your men. You didn’t choose this war. I know that nothing is certain, but I trust that whatever you did, it was the best you could’ve done at the time. I’ve never known you to be cruel.”

As long as I’d known him, Polites had a seemingly-genius way of always cutting to the heart of the matter. He was like a perfectly sharpened blade, leaving behind minimal pain and a wound healing without a scar. To extend the metaphor, he didn’t hide behind pretty, cunning insignias and jewels that caught and tore in flesh, nor was he dull and hacking.

Still, this one would leave a scar. It was simply buried too deep.

“Then you’ve never known what I’m capable of.”

Polites inhaled slowly. “Not unnecessary cruelty, then. You don’t burn fields and claim women for the fun of it. You fight to get your men home, and no more.” His grip tightened on my shoulder in a gentle squeeze.

I sighed deeply. “If you insist. During the taking of Troy, I received a vision from the Sky God.”

My friend didn’t interrupt. He stared with solemn, owlish eyes as he scanned my face.

“I’m not even certain what it was of. Someone stabbing me from behind. It would come true if I didn’t kill a certain enemy, I was told.”

I felt tears filling my eyes, but forced myself to continue, “A foe who won’t run.”

“Oh no,” Polites barely breathed.

“Hector’s son- just an.. an infant. I did it. Right off the Trojan wall. They - the gods - said he’d kill my family if he lived.”

The tears came freely now, choking any further words I might’ve used to justify myself. Polites watched me, and I swore I saw on his face disgust, horror, malice, shame. I looked down at my hands, unable to face him any longer.

It took him a few seconds to say anything, and I’d prepared myself for the harshest rebukes. When he spoke, however, his words held only grief. “I’m sorry.”

There had been no need for me to worry, really. I’d never known Polites to be cruel.

“What?” I managed to force out through sobs. He wrapped an arm tightly around my shoulders and, despite my guilt, I leaned into the embrace.

“I’m sorry that you had to make that choice. That’s an awful thing to have to do.” I had to strain to catch some of his words, soft as they were and muffled by my shoulder. Hesitantly, terrified that Polites might come to his senses, I hugged him back.

We stayed that way for a few minutes. When I trusted myself with words, and him not to leave in utter disgust, I spoke, “So you don’t- you don’t hate me?”

“Not at all. I told you I couldn’t, right? I don’t lie.”

“No,” I sighed, wiping my face, “you don’t. You should try it sometime. Add some excitement.”

“I’m good, thank you. You’re evasive enough for the both of us.” He stood, leaning down to offer a hand.

“Thank you,” I echoed quietly. “We should be heading back. We’re leaving early tomorrow, you know.”

Polites nodded, but didn’t respond, just squeezed my shoulder once more and disappeared into the trees. I didn’t follow for a few long minutes but, upon returning to my tent, I slept better than I had in days.

omg I am screeching this is so good! I love it so much! Ahhhhh Polites and Odysseus deserved so much better than they got😭 I saw a few spelling errors and the wording was a bit awkward at times but in general it's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this! If you would like a more in depth review I would be happy if you DM me! But seriously this is such good hurt/comfort 🥹 feel free to share any future writing with me as well!

[phoenix]

So, who wants to hear the story of me trying to do my review of Guilty Pleasures?

...Well, too bad, I'm gonna tell it anyways.

But I'm not a monster.

I needed to do this yesterday, because of my best friend's birthday...

So, my best friend's birthday is, well, yesterday. The 27th. Trisk has always posted reviews on the 26th of each month, so when February rolls around, I've always tried to make my review on that day be something that makes me think of him. From something as much as a movie he likes (Rare for our interests to align enough for that to happen, but I got a few out of that), to something as basic as "made in Canada". The connection doesn't have to be much, and it was always just a bit of something that made me smile, nothing more.

About ten years ago, Scott did a movie review show of his own called, Guilty Pleasures Cinema. I gave him the tagline for the show, and designed his logo, and even made a few appearances as Cthulhu. He eventually gave it up because of trying to include clips always led to copyright strikes, and the audience never showed up enough for him to be happy.

So of COURSE, the reason why I wanted to review Guilty Pleasures this week, once I heard about the movie, is obvious.

Unfortunately, the movie is ONLY available on Blu Ray, and Trisk requires DVDs because of my workflow, and creating images. And also, the one rule of Trisk is "I will own the movie". There's only been two exceptions I've made.

But this is a minor issue, because surely someone has it streaming...well, no. Even though a lot of obscure stuff is, not this. Well, surely I can find it through...other means. Again, no, and that's a bit more shocking. I can usually find stuff SOMEwhere somehow. Maybe ripped to YouTube or similar, other elsewhere, but this was just NOT out there. Or it might be, but GOOD FUCKIN' LUCK trying to find something named "Guilty Pleasures". So much porn...

Side note; I mentioned this to Scott, and he offered to look, and I was like, oh no you are literally the one person I can't tell the name to. ;)

The movie might be out there somewhere, but it's not being easy to find.

STILL, I have a Blu Ray player and a DVD burner! I've done THAT before too, but it's a pain in the ass, and there's loss of quality! EXCEPT...this time the recorder picked up copy protection signals and refused to work, no matter what I did.

Time was running out, and I had three choices; play it on my Blu Ray player in the living room, pause every five seconds, walk to the computer in the other room, right up my notes go back, repeat for 110 minutes...because of course I picked a long movie lol.

Choice #2: Scrap it for now, keep working at it, do it next year, and pick another movie REALLY QUICK.

Choice #3: Buy a Blu Ray drive for my computer, and do it that way.

I went with #3, and found a drive that was reasonably priced that I could justify, and then had to play the waiting game.

Scheduled delivery...the 26th. Because of course...oop, no wait, the 28th.

Under ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE, I would have been happy to push it that late, as much as it hurts, but this is literally the one time, in 14 years of Trisk, when it HAD land no later than the 27th.

In the meantime, I had done my first basic watch of the movie in the living room, handwritten down my basic notes I do on that past, transcribed it to a text file, and gotten the post all set up, just needed the bulk of it to be filled in.

And of COURSE there was problems with the delivery. I used my STREET ADDRESS, since it was coming UPS, but they decided randomly to go 'Nah, we're sending it SurePost so it goes to the post office". But I have a *PO BOX* and not a box at my house, for reasons, and when a package with my street address goes to the post office, it adds another whole day, as it gets sent around on trucks trying to find an address they don't feel 'exists'. And they yell a me for sending it to the street address when it comes to the post office...but this is tangenting and I digress.

I scream and upgrade the package to Ground, and yep, it knocks a day off the delivery time, so the drive is at least arriving on the 27th. There should be zero problems of swapping the drive, watching the movie, and doing the thing!

But hahahaha, do you have any idea how fucking difficult it is to get a Blu Ray movie to play on Windows? IT SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD. DVDs were just ready to go. I know all the reasons why Blus are a pain, and it's so incredibly ridiculous.

The drive arrived around noon, the actual swap was RIDICULOUSLY easy. I didn't even have to unscrew anything.

It then took me three hours of bashing my head trying to get the discs to be recognised and play. And I won't go in depth with THOSE details.

But FINALLY it got working, I chugged my way through the movie, I did the work, and got it posted around 7pm.

At this point, I had been up 30 hours, I'd recorded, edited, posted a podcast, swapped a drive, did tech support, did up an entire Trisk review, and lemme tell ya, I was exhausted.

What a bloody journey for one absolutely ridiculous movie.

The good news is, this does open up a new door for Triskings, since as can be seen here, while I've done a few Blu movies before, they were always a challenge. Now, they're on the same level of ease as DVDs.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Possessive Behavior Masterlist

Ab Aeterno (ao3) - shibesvevo

Summary: An end. A crash. A chance to correct Phil Lester’s biggest mistake: loving Dan Howell.

Or, where they get involved in a car accident and travel back seven years earlier. Or, the one where Phil looks at Dan and thinks, "God, the places we'll go."

Apple of His Eye (ao3) - sundaechii

Summary: "It shouldn't have turned this way." Tears streamed down his cheeks, his voice trembling. "I thought it was only a rumor." He continued, staring in horror at the blood splattered on the floor.

Floor 6 is a restricted floor with one security personnel that changes every few days. Everyone says that it is haunted and Dan and his friends made a mistake of going there.

Belongs to the Bad Boy (ao3) - ReallyPham

Summary: Dan Howell, the new kid, the bad boy who smokes pot, causes trouble just for the hell of it, and doesn't give a shit about who's hearts and/or bones he breaks. Someone caught his eye though, Phil Lester the shy emo kid who is named the 'Loner' of the school... Dan is intrigued by him. Dan is going to do whatever he has to to have Phil be his and only his... Dan gets what he wants... And he's going to get Phil... No matter what. *this story contains many plot twists and sudden changes of the main problem/main plot of that chapter*

blow me (a kiss) (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: - i wanna play with you a little more, is that okay? and phil nods his head before he’s even fully registered to the question, yes please

Firecracker (ao3) - AnnaSepulchre

Summary: You step on the sparks (You get in the way)

On days when his head wasn't loopy with heat and groggy with sleep, he would think of moving his hands to loop around Dan's neck to drown him.

Five Times Dan Got Jealous… (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: …And the one time jealousy was the last thing on his mind, ft. collabs, puppies, misunderstandings, unbuttoned shirts, twitter selfies, and a happily ever after. Enjoy!

Good Luck Boy (ao3) - dannihowell (anotherdaughter)

Summary: Born of a prostitute, Dan never expected anything better for himself, until he met Phil.

Hands (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Phil thought he was done learning things about what he liked in bed, until he started paying attention to Dan's hands.

Hands Off (ao3) - doctorwatsonofhogwarts

Summary: While out in a bar celebrating Phil reaching one million subscribers, Dan gets overly jealous and strangely possessive when a fan starts flirting with Phil.

Ice Cream, The Beach, And Teasing Gone Wrong (ao3) - JenCollins, WordsAblaze

Summary: Dan and Phil love teasing each other but things can go wrong when they go outside, especially when jealousy, self-doubt and unstoppable love are involved... Enjoy!

Love Lead Us Here (ao3) - AnnaSepulchre

Summary: "Sorry, I promise I wasn't watching you sleep or anything creepy like that." 2009 - Dan kidnaps Phil. Phil's POV.

A repost from my old account to my new account, so if this looks familiar, you've probably read it before.

Phanthony (ao3) - toomanyboats

Summary: What happened after their videos.

Photoshoot (ao3) - auroraphilealis (peachrayne)

Summary: Seeing Dan model his clothing for the new AmazingPhil merch proves to be too much for Phil, who can’t quite bring himself to care that they’re in public.

Stockholm Syndrome (ao3) - casanddeanforever

Summary: Dan is kidnapped by a mysterious man named Phil.

The Heat Of The Water And The Heat Of Our Souls (ao3) - kuwuromi (aphrodeity)

Summary: Dan and Phil have been best friends for as long as either of them can remember. One night in a jacuzzi changes the entire dynamic of their relationship, starting with some fond memories of the past.

The Sexual Fantasies Outfit (ao3) - blissedoutphil

Summary: Based on that one instagram story of Dan being a hoe on main lmao

We Make Our Own (ao3) - queerofcups

Summary: Dan’s Name stretches from the outer edge of his shoulder, across his clavicle and stops just above his heart.

It’s not Phil’s name. Never has been. Never will be.

Wrapped Around His Finger (ao3) - Spring_Haze

Summary: Phil finds himself feeling a bit insecure and even jealous when his new boyfriend receives a flood of attention from men and women alike. Dan, who has agreed to keep their relationship a secret, finds it harder and harder to appear single. Phil sees another male hitting on Dan and feels the need to make their commitment known to others.

[lightofunova]

DONT MIND IF I DO i arrive precisiely on time like im pepsi man, and you cant expect pepsi man of all people to be anonyous

where do i START? thats the greatest hurdle thats been presented to me today. and, you know, as i send this, ive kind of come to a realization.. that, like??? 99% of our conversations are via my streams, and i feel like thats FUCKED UP thats my bad and i apologize for that. i need to make an effort to DM more because you are such a bright light!!! literally every time youve ever popped in, said hello and gone to work; every time you helped me in pokemon; or kept company on drawings- its the highlight of the day!!!!!

youre so exquisitely yourself, you know?

youre like... i dont know if this metaphor is gonna resonate with you, but youre like when theres a really tough day. the universe is testing you, and youre tired. you go, you sit down, and you pick up a familiar game where just its sight brings you comfort. resting back, you alight the game, and you just.. enjoy. thats what your energy is like. your presence is a comfort, and you brighten the day. youre good. youre just really good. thank you for being in this community and allowing us to partake in this silly adventure we call askblogging

also, i try to not play favorites, but bah gawd, reshi is definitely up there as one of my all times. such a great character whom i love unconditionally. youve done well, and i cant wait to enjoy more of the story you wish to tell, and i really appreciate the effort you put into it. its a delight and a blessing to enjoy your content. thank you again

NDJFJDBSBSB YOURE TOO KIND HONESTLY- Ill be honest sometimes I really dont feel like I deserve such sweet words from others haha, when I first read this I thought that for a moment. But honestly this really resonated with me once I reread it, it means alot to be surrounded by such amazing people who see me in such a wonderful light and enjoy me just being me? Sometimes I get worried that me being me feels kinda like,,,a third wheel LOL or like my ideas arnt as interesting or cool as others. But its people like you that really help build me up and get past all that.

Honestly seeing you stream can be such a highlight to my day and it gives me something to listen to while I’m busy drawing or going about my morning! Even thought we don’t talk in dms too much, it makes me happy to chat on stream and just chill cus the vibes are always immaculate haha.

And honestly oml the metaphor is just too kind 🥹🥹🥹 I completely know what you mean XD i’ve been there so many times myself and have done it alooot the past few days(hgss shiny hunting rn, no luck on starters so far haha) But gah you’re too kind honestly, It always makes me so happy that people like reshi in all her silly forms and aus(i feel i saturate her alot in some places and that sometimes people get sick of her,,,shes my main child im sorry LOL i play favs) but knowing people love her honestly make me giddy and happy because it makes me feel like I can craft a story with her or make a game with her. It makes my dream feel real, yaknnow??

Anyways i’ll stop ramblin haha you’ve made my night so much better esp after a tougg shift and I just appreciate it so much, thank you for everything truly

[moscoviummalt]

New people, new comfort

Objects clattered across the ground as a pale black haired girl hurried to pick them up. This part of the city was abandoned, for now at least. It wasn't long before someone would find the place. And she hadn't encountered a single human in the past 6 months (she chose not to) and was glad she hadn't.

She just had to think about it because an hour later, she was on the hunt for another abandoned building, but this time with an obnoxious tufted titmouse (In her defence, her companion did look like one), who wouldn't stop talking. ''Listen. I am not thinking about attracting attention or meeting up with someone or looking for another crack headed idiot to deal with so will you please shut it?''

''Alright alright. As you say your majesty. Say doesn't that look good? We're miles away from the other city and it doesn't seem like anyone will come here for a while.'' She hummed, slowly opening the door to the empty shop. It wasn't in a particularly bad condition except for toppled over chairs and broken shelves. Compared to the others, not a huge amount of damage. Her train of thoughts were interrupted with a ''Hey it's a candy store!  Just our luck!'' ''Is there any food left?'' ''Loads. No one's been here yet! We should totally crash here for a few days.'' ''We'll see. For now, we should focus on storing as much as we can. You have a bag or something?'' ''Of course I have one. And it has loads of free space.'' ''Get collecting then.''

As it got darker, she decided that she'd take the first watch. ''You sure?'' ''Yeah. Sleep doesn't come all that easy to me anyway.'' And now, she realized how much she missed being able to rest completely, without a care in the world. It was strange how her companion trusted her so much. She was either a complete idiot, oblivious to the current situation, or that she had a plan in mind and seems to be playing dumb.  Either way, she had to be careful.

But still, she hated to admit that it was somewhat of a relief that she had company, even if it was someone annoying and loud. Sighing, she stared out the glass panes of the once colourful candy shop, looking at the peaceful night sky. She'd always found peace in looking at the dull navy colour, sometimes sprinkled with a sparkling dot of white. White reminded her of what she left behind, so she avoided looking at it. But now, she couldn't look away. The stars were enticing, pulling her gaze towards them, and she didn't dare resist or avert her gaze, even as warm tears streamed down her face. She'd felt something. Something she never felt before. It burned, and bristled in her, and her throat was constricted, making breathing difficult. Her eyes burned. This, she realized, was guilt. Funnily enough, it took her 8 entire months and human interaction to realize what she'd done. She abandoned her family, left them to rot, and had runaway without a care. Just as she was about to wipe her eyes with her sleeve, she felt a hand brush against hers. ''It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. You tried to save yourself, and that's not selfish at all. So come on, wipe those tears away, and run away with me. We can get through this hell together.''

''To the end of the line?''

''Right to the very end.''

And when morning comes, they scout for another place all over again, no matter how much it hurt to leave the past behind.

[the-firebird69]

We have a couple things we want to straighten out.

1. We're not the empire, but we're certainly not your friends. More luck. you're mean to us. You're hateful. You try to steal from us all the time, and you put us down, and you say rude things, and you try and harm us all the time. And you have a revolution and it's to eat people to get ahead. And we don't really think that's a good idea..

.2 We asked you to leave and you have not left. I. in the deadline has not passed yet, but you're approaching it and we can see that you're not moving and you're not getting ready. And we asked you to leave permanently. We're going to start coming down on you starting today until you leave..

3. There are several things that are wrong with the statements you've been making Firstly, we're going to punish you, no matter how many times you say it. You're going to be punished for every time you say it. Secondly, you've had no leash at all on you, and you're insane people in your cities are getting ruined by yourselves and will be assessable of disease. And nobody. will make it out of there anyways. You're You're a waste of time and a waste of space.

- I want people to know what you're like and just see it. So gonna turn the pressure up and everyone will see what you're doing to him. You're angry, you're mean, you're honoring your street people in your bums and your nasty parasites. and you're gross.. what you'll say to him is horrible and he's a boy, a child, and you're going to get killed, all of you. If I catch my men seeing it, I'm gonna punish them But I have to tell you what we need you out, and you're gonna leave. Today is a different day. We've. laid the law down, and we expect it to be listened to And if not, we're going to just call the procedure. Of course, you're way ahead of it already in failing and we are contemplating what to do. because there is a way to change it, and we're consulting with other people too of ours. This is not gonna end well for you. It takes a lot to be expelled And for your way over the limit.

mac daddy

th cities flow out with morclok we issue warnngs now. tons of them leve. and yeh evacuate. and the puplace areas too. you dont want us here we leave. now. and tons . about 50% in cities that have walls up around morlock and that was annoucned but they are leaving still. and ten more percent and the stream has started incouragin them to conitinue. and ahuge line of crs to the sepratist cities. huge.

and that his HUGE ok the largest movement of people ever in history we thank our Father and Mother for their help and Olympus

soon 70% of areas will have walls up wethin end of day tommorrow. and more shall evacuate. by friday all out we feel yes.

Thor Freya

Olympus

It is so bad and was so bad. This guy is tortured by all of them and they all get this like opportunity. And they're sitting there messing with him and messing with him. Finally, he said, why don't you get out of here Try and threaten those caverns. They're full of uranium, and you'll even know it. And they looked at it over the past few days, when they figured out they'll leave and everybody's going to mine the stuff out and use them as an excuse. and kill them all

and kill them allm

macs

Olylmpus

[peppermintbuttlemon]

here’s what the vq posted on fauxmoi that everyone there are calling fanfic. it’s two separate replies here from the same account but they deleted because they flopped so hard. reads like the theory vqs are trying to start about doja and joe on tumblr and that grace will rekindle what she has with joe at the next fanexpo.

this checks out considering joe was also secretly dating and hooking up with his stranger things costar grace van dien until they called it off a few months ago and he went public with DC. grace has been discretely vocal about it on her tumblr and mentioned a break up two or three weeks ago and now the pap pics dropped with JQ and DC.

if you follow grace's tumblr you would know exactly what she has alluded to and talked about for the past two years. more specifically, the last few days/weeks when she spent all afternoon indirectly posting about joe when the doja pics dropped saying that people should feel bad for criticizing her past relationships when he went public with someone who's problematic. i'm way too old to be sitting around and shipping random ass people and think those who do are crazy but i have followed grace since the start of her streaming career before her stranger things season even dropped and anyone knew who JQ was. she 10000% was dating and constantly hooking up with joe until very recently and documented it across multiple of her blogs. including private ones. real things that happen are not delusions, babe.

But how do yall know she’s talking about Joe and not another dude?

Like at what point can she say cryptic shit about another guy? A lot of girls do this. Not me. I’ll say his full government name and birthdate on my post. What is he gonna do? Sue me? Good luck. Oh here you can have my collection of empty topo chico bottles I keep stashed under my bed lol get outta here! Guys I’m so lonely. I haven’t fucked up a guys life in so long. I don’t wanna get back on hinge tho

[inretrospectthatwasstupid]

Mum and the Cats

Let me start this with a question. Have you ever seen someone traumatize 97 cats at once? This happened when I was younger - probably around y’alls age. It was just after the 4th of July, around the year of '98, we had a massive dry spell hit the area. The dirt was so dry water would just sit on top of it, the grass was brown, the dirt was little more than brown dust, the air was brown… you get the picture. I still swear that had the deities not set the humidity to "make it feel like they're underwater", the heat itself would have set fire to the area. This is what's called the dog days of summer - the worst part to deal with if you need to be outside for any real length of time. And, on a farm, you've gotta be outside often, and for hours at a time. We've had to double the amount of water we're giving the animals. The cows aren't too bad, the four water troughs we had kept the load spread out enough that they never went thirsty. The cats, on the other hand, were a different story. We weren't lucky enough to have a stream, or creek, (pronounced 'crick'), on our property, so every drop of water had to come from a spigot and water hose located just in front of Dad's shed. With this in mind, we're having to water the animals and cats as well - by this point, we've got 97 feral cats that live on our 8 acres with us, and nary a rodent to be found in at least a five mile radius. (Cats are awesome like that). So, we're feeding the cows and watering them and the cats at dawn, and giving the cats a second meal and topping off their water dishes at around 5pm. Why 5pm, you ask? Well, back in the day when I was young, 5pm was when it started to cool off outside, and that's when the cats would begin to congregate for their evening performance of 'Cats: the Musical', where they would join in with the crickets and cicadas, yowling and screeching along with them until dawn. Unless, of course, we fed them. Cats truly are intelligent beings. Anyway... Part of making sure the cats were hydrated was switching up their food - mostly by adding in more wet food. We could've just mixed water with their dry food, (and we did,) until we realized that not only did wet Meow Mix makes better spackle and grout than just about anything we could find in stores, but the cats flat out refused to eat it. After many an attempt to get the cats to eat the paste (which they hated), and more than a few destroyed bowls, we gave up and switched to the small cans of wet cat food - kinda like the Friskies you can get today, but the much, much cheaper version, since farms cost a lot to run and we didn't have alot of extra cash just lying around. So we've added the wet food, Kiy and her colony have taken to it like a fish to water, and they're happy and healthy as a horse. So are the 80 some others - well, what of them we could catch were, anyway.  So it's a weekday, the day has been clear and hot, not a cloud in sight yet again, and it's now around 5pm. Evening feeding time. My brother and I were just coming back in from checking something - I believe we were checking the fruit trees that day, to see what was ripe and bring it in to be canned - anyway, Mum decides she's gonna feed the cats since we’re busy. Something to note about this woman: she stands 5 foot stone, and is so slim that a stiff breeze would blow her away. She also has… how do I word this.. She has bad luck when it comes to thinking. You'll notice this more as the stories go on.

She tells me later that she's on the back porch with these cans of wet cat food, and the cats are completely ignoring her - like she wasn't even there. She spots this cat - Foggy Wanderer was her name. Foggy was solid white, except for her tail and ears, which were covered in splotches of brown and black. (I’ll explain how she got her name in another story.) So Mum spots Foggy sitting on the fence rail grooming herself, and she gets this idea. (This is never a good thing.) Back to my bro and I - we're sitting beneath a tree next to the house when there's a rumbling like thunder, and the world goes quiet. For what feels like an eternity, (but was probably only a couple of seconds,) we stare in abject horror toward the house. I ask my brother what it could have been, and he shrugs. "No idea." The words had no more than left his mouth when a flood of fur and terror pours off the porch, ears laid back, and these cats. Are. Booking it. I mean, I've seen Nascar races that were slower than those cats. Minutes pass like hours as 97 cats stampede away from the porch, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake. The last one off the porch, Foggy, leapt gracelessly off the porch and, after almost landing on her face, tried to go in three directions at once, as if trying to invert herself out of existence. She manages to squeeze herself under the porch after a few moments, and the dust begins to settle. The sound of coughing is the only sound as we stare in abject horror, waiting with bated breath for whatever had spooked that many cats. Mum staggers around the corner, arms outstretched, a can of wet cat food clutched in each hand. She lets out another cough, spots Kiy, who had decided to run to us for protection, and screams "Eat me! Eat me!" while waving the cans in front of her like a madwoman. Needless to say, Kiy booked it, racing around the corner of the house opposite Mum and disappearing. Mum stumbles forward, stops, looks at us and, in the most humble and sorrowful voice, says "I don't think they're hungry."

[savebatsfromscratch]

No.24 And after all they went through together…

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51088714

Words: 1,059

Cws: Suicide (specifically of a close friend), flawed thinking, guilt

Notes: Hhooo…. This one was a bit depressing, even for me. :(    If you are struggling with thoughts like these, always remember that there is life to live for. There are people who love you, people who care about who you are and what you can be. It is never the right answer to end your life, there is SO MUCH to live for! Seriously!

Prompt: No. 24: “I’ve got a head full of chemicals; mouth full of ridicule.” Goodbye Note | Neglect | “I thought they were with you.”

“Have you seen X?”

“Did you check on X today?”

“Do you know where X is?”

The questions had fallen like autumn leaves from Y's mouth, leaving it drier than Route 13 in a dry month as she soared across the sky. From the moment she woke up that morning, she’d had a bad feeling in her gut. She'd tried to ignore it at first, it had been her first day in the new semester at Sky Trainer School, after all, but that hadn't lasted very long.

The last time she'd gotten a bad feeling like this... 

Well, you could say that it was pure luck that she had gotten there in time to stop the inevitable, and now she feared that it was already too late.

She zoomed across the sky. Already crying as if she knew the answer to the questions rushing through her hopelessly screaming mind. She had to get there in time to stop it. She couldn't just let him die.

The wind was complicated today, but she floated on it so flawlessly she could have easily received extra credit for it had her teachers been watching. At the moment, however, Y was not thinking about that.

If what she was thinking was true...

Why, the idea was so horrific that she doubted she'd even get a break from the grief to even remember what she had done in the ticking seconds before it happened.

As Vaniville Town came into view below her, Y dove a steep dive towards the house that she knew X was currently living in. The wind raced past her, colder than night, but she didn't even flinch as she skidded to a stop outside of his window. The landing was perfect, second nature even, but Y's heart pounded hard inside her chest, throwing off the emotions of what she normally felt outside his room.

“X?” she called, banging on the window as hard as she dared without aiming to break it, “Are you in there?”

Y waited a few moments, pacing back and forth nervously as she listened for any signs of life from inside the closed curtains. Any flicker of paper, any shifting of fabric, even a creaking floorboard would have done it, but nothing came.

“X?” she asked again, growing slightly frantic as she stopped her pacing, “I'm coming in if you don't answer me!”

Again, there was no sound. Only the whistling of wind through the perfectly clipped trees surrounding the silent property.

”X?!“ Y was practically yelling now, banging against the window with both fists as she screamed for him, ”X!“

Even with all of her racket, there wasn't a chirp from inside the room.

Y's blood felt frozen in her veins. Was she too late?

She stepped back, almost slipping on the tiles of the roof in her rush to get to her friend as she rammed against the glass. There was a small cracking sound, but not nearly enough, so she backed up and tried again. This time, the window shattered, and Y crashed through into the cold apartment.

Pain stung on her face and arms where the glass had scratched her, but she forced her eyes open. She strained against the shattered glass for several agonizing seconds before she finally managed to actually struggle to her feet.

Standing, however, was only half the battle.

”X?“ she asked the quiet room, gingerly stepping out of the glinting remnants of the window as she looked around. Even with the light streaming in from the newly broken window, the room was still dark enough to cause considerable trouble for her eyes. ”X, are you here?“

There was no response, and Y's heartbeat picked up in tempo as she squinted into the shadowed corner of the room.

What she found there made her heart stop in her chest.

Was she too late?

Hadn't her mother sworn to protect him, no matter what? Hadn’t she been here with him?

She stepped forward on shaking legs, her arms hanging numbly at her sides as she stared uncomprehendingly at the sight before her.

How could it be real?

Her hands shook, and she found herself falling to her knees.

As she had expected, there was a reason X hadn't answered her.

Y didn't notice it until later, but X had left something for her. Bloodstained and crumpled, but just as full of personality as his now empty body had ever been. A note, just for her.

It was about their time together. The way their lives had entangled so specifically. The story of an Ace Trainer and a Sky Trainer, so often parodied in Kalosian entertainment, had been true with them. She had been his sun and moon, his stars and clouds, and his wings to the world. He had been the one that had calmed her when she was scared, the unmoving (and often terribly upsetting) rock in her life.

She hadn’t even gotten time to say goodbye.

When Y looked back on her life afterwards, she couldn't help but rewatch everything that had led up to this. Even years and years later, she still missed him as if he had been her world. (And when her mom wasn't looking, she still found herself crying randomly about it.)

They had been friends since childhood, and even through unimaginable hardships they had always stayed close. Even when X had locked himself in his room (Y couldn't help but feel heartache at the idea), she'd been the one out of her friends to have the most connection with him. 

She'd thought he'd been getting better after their little adventure against Team Flare, but it seemed that the new media attention was just as bad as the old. No matter what Y had begged to those reporters, no matter what X had said about how he felt, it was now overly clear to Y what had happened.

It wasn't her fault, but, Arceus, she felt like it was.

Yes, her mother had been the one in charge of taking care of X for those last few days, but Y didn't blame her. Y blamed herself, even though she knew it was wrong. She should have been there. She should have done something.

But, in the end, she hadn't, and now she had to live with the consequences, without X by her side.

Again, I have to reiterate that suicide is NEVER the right answer, and that if you are struggling with thoughts of this, PLEASE reach out to someone who can help. I, thankfully, am not dealing with such thoughts (I am completely fine), but if you are, please know that you are not alone. You are loved.

[marjaystuff]

New Blog: Moderation

Welcome to the monsoon season in New England.  It is a relatively new phenomenon to the area and most people are finding it quite puzzling.  However, for me - I am just finding it depressing.  It rains and then it rains more.  The lakes and streams are overflowing and dangerous, even when the water starts to recede.  The constant gray, gloomy conditions are (I admit) wearing on me quite a bit.  I have only read books that are simple love stories - no gore or mystery and while that has passed the time, it has not beaten back the gloom.  What hasn’t helped me has been that baseball has been on break for the last few days so I haven’t even had that to fret about.  Luckily I have been able to crochet and the past couple of days I have found a couple of easy bright projects for friends.  NONE of this takes the place of the sun, sand and the glittering waters of the lake!  As I told my sister, I am trying to be philosophical about this.  She replied, “Good Luck with that.”  How right she is…  

I am still partially on a Devney Perry binge time.  I don’t think I’ll run out of her books quickly as she has been prolific.  I am beginning to start an historical romance but find myself needing to push myself to pick up the book and read, not play a game on the iPad or other time sucking things.  

Elise sent in a review of the book, The Traitor Beside Her by Mary Anna Evans.  The book encompasses women in the sciences during WWII with spies and traitors.  Elise also sent in an interview with Linda Castillo about her newest book An Evil Heart. Linda Castillo shared why the last couple of books were more procedural in the past and explained why the wedding was planned the way it was.  I loved how she connected Kate more with her family and the past, helping her see that not all was bad. ( I did a review on this book a couple of weeks ago, but Elise’s interview is awesome!)

Here’s hoping for some sun - but not the oppressive heat of the south and less rain - but not like the Sahara.  Moderation

[reveriix]

Ash & Theo

Summary: Ash doesn't believe in love. Theo has bad luck in love. One day they get matched on a dating app.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

- Ash -

Ash was staring past her, focusing on the poster behind his sister. It wasn't that he didn't want to pay attention to what she was saying but he was trying to figure out just what exactly was in the picture.

"Earth to Ash!" She pushes in front of the print causing him to look back at her. "Did you even listen to a word I said?" Liz pouts slightly, her brows pushing together.

"Sorry, it's just-"Ash points toward the poster. "Have you seen that weird thing, what do you think it is? Looks like a weird combination of a dog and a slime, what is that supposed to even mean? They need to hire someone better to do their mascots design because it's not working out." He takes his drink, creamy caramel mocha, if there was one good thing about these lunches with Liz  it was that he always got a free beverage out of it.

She rolls her eyes. "I'll take that as a no then. As I was saying, there's this new dating app I've been trying out and I thin-"

"No."

"Ash let me finish. I think, that maybe yo-"

"I know what you're going to say and I know that you know what my answer is going to be and it's a solid, no."

"If you weren't annoying little brother what would you want to be, huh?" Liz shakes her head, taking a sip of her own drink." I think you should give this app a try. I know that you think you're too cool for this kind of thing but it wouldn't hurt to give it a chance, who knows you might find someone there that catches your attention, possibly even make a friend?"

Ash laughs at that, pushing back his black hair from his face." A friend? Liz why would I want to join a dating app to make a friend?"

"Alright, fine. Maybe you have a point but I still stand by what I said, you should give it a try. It's not going to cost you anything."

"My time."

"Oh, and how exactly are you spending your time exactly?" As if on cue Liz rolls her eyes again." And don't say work because that doesn't count. I mean your spare time."

Ash opens his mouth to answer but finds that he doesn't really have an excuse, sure he has friends and he does hangout with them from time to time but other than the usual hanging out most of his days are just filled with work, riding his motorcycle and sometimes catching up to one of the shows on stream before falling asleep half way through. He wouldn't admit this to her but it does feel lonely at times.

"But why would I even join? You know that I lose my patience with that type of stuff."

"Yes, I know Ash but that's why you have me. I can help you set up everything. Give it a month or two and if you don't like it then you can just delete it from your phone, okay?" She gives him a smile, hoping that he'll say yes and like most times in their life Ash can't help but give in to his sister's demands.

"Fine. One month and then I'll be done with it, got it Liz?"

Liz claps her hands together an excited squeal escaping her lips." Deal! Okay give me your phone so I can download it for you."

Ash grabs the phone from his leather jacket, he's about to hand it out to her but she quickly snatches it from his hands.

"How long is this going to take?"

She hums to herself. "Oh not long. You just have to answer a few questions, set up your photo and then you are good to go! I won't bother you anymore for the day don't worry."

Ash groans already regretting his decision, at least he still had his caramel mocha to get him through the rest of the lunch.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

All chapters are posted here

[tutorgirlcommissions]

friendly reminder to everyone to never say your luck can not get any worse because it always will in spite of saying it !

updates under the cut of my bad luck only getting worse. anyways, i'll delete this in a few.

got into a mega fight with my mom last week.

my dumbass got a concussion thursday morning ( i'm fine now, just a bit of a headache ) (also entirely not related to the fight with my mom)

more family drama that ended in my uncle telling us never to call him or my aunt ever again bc they're a bunch of a**holes and blamed us for something that was my aunt's fault.

my sister's situation got worse.

ver*zon said they're not giving us another extension so we're cut off after the 31st if i can't come up with the backlog of money we owe + this month's bill.

somehow need to come up with $2.5k ( rent + bills ) before the 1st with no way of doing that no matter how hard i work my ass off.

neither my mom's, nor my dad's doctors are getting back to them about overdue prescriptions for their meds and they're all for medications they can't just cut off out of nowhere bc they're for serious illnesses.

lost more than half of my streaming services over the past two weeks because all of my funds went to whatever i could attempt to afford to pay of last month's bills. i'm getting them back when my next payment comes in, just bare with me i'm still working on orders. i'm just trying to work on what i already have available / with what streaming services i currently still have while i wait to get them back in a few days.

unrelated to all and completely irrelevant to why i've been on the slower side but i miss my girlfriend.

in the wise words of veron*ca mars...

guess whose external hard drive broke out of nowhere when they had orders half finished and screencaps on it? my luck could not get any worse this month.

[mxliv-oftheendless]

Writer’s Month Prompts Day 6

Day 6: Coffee Shop AU

This was an interesting one to write! Requested by @tanookiroxx <3 Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Paul was stressed out. Like, not the usual good, healthy kind of stressed out that kept your mind focused on the tasks at hand so you could get them done. It was more of the “I am going to actually have a meltdown if one more thing is added to the already enormous pile of things happening to me” kind of stressed out. If one more thing went wrong he was going to scream. Or cry. Or both. Probably both.

It didn’t help that his car was in the shop for repairs after being rear-ended by someone who had applied the breaks too late. At least it hadn’t gotten too banged up, enough that the person’s insurance would pay for damages. But it still sucked that he was reduced to taking the bus to work. Nothing was going the way it should, he seemed to be plagued by bad luck, and at this point he was just hoping and praying that this dark cloud over him would clear up soon.

At least he still had Rock ‘N Brews, the coffee shop by the university. He liked to go there when his classes were done, grab a coffee, and sit and work on his laptop for a couple hours to destress. It was his one safe haven; the dark cloud over him seemed to be chased away whenever he went into the building.

Today had been an okay enough day. Sure, he’d been caught in a little bit of rain on his way inside the faculty office building, but only a little bit. Everything had gone… well as smoothly as they would get during this period of bad luck. He was actually smiling a bit as he opened the door to Rock ‘N Brews, and although he bumped into someone he didn’t mind much.

In the back of his mind, he was wondering when the other shoe would drop and he would be swamped by more bad luck. But he was willing to shove that aside and enjoy this little reprieve as he ordered and waited for his coffee. He picked up his cup of iced coffee and turned to find an open booth…

… and crashed right into another man, popping open the lid and spilling iced coffee all over his front.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” the man said remorsefully, trying to move past him to grab napkins. Paul was silent, staring at the incredibly huge stain on his front. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and—”

“God… fucking dammit!” Tears pricked at his eyes and he covered his face with his hand, willing himself not to cry. But his shoulders shook anyway, letting the man know that he probably was about to cry.

He handed him the napkins. “I am so sorry,” he apologized.

“It’s fine,” Paul’s voice shook as he wiped at his shirt. “It’s fine, I just—ah!” His messenger bag that contained his laptop began to slide down his shoulder, and for a split-second Paul panicked that it was going to drop and break on the floor. But the man swooped in and grabbed the strap. Paul swallowed roughly and kept scrubbing at his shirt. “Thanks.”

“No problem, I just—I should’ve been looking where I was going. I can pay for a new one…”

“It’s fine,” Paul insisted, even if he still felt like he was going to cry. “I can just order another one myself…”

“No, I’m serious, I will. It’s not your fault. What was your order?”

He really was serious. Well, with how Paul was failing to hold back tears, he probably wouldn’t be able to get it out to the barista himself. So instead of arguing, he wiped his eyes with his sleeve under the pretense of pushing hair out of his face and mumbled, “Iced caramel latte, medium,”

The man nodded. “You got it. What’s your name?”

“Paul,”

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Fine…”

He went off to get back into line, while Paul immediately headed for the bathroom to try and clean off his shirt the best he could. The universe decided to give him a bit of a break and not have anyone in the bathroom when he knocked.

To his dismay, he was unable to clean off his shirt. So he was forced to take off his shirt and stuff it in his bag and button up the cardigan he was wearing. He just wanted to get his coffee and go home. Before he went back outside, he splashed cold water on his face and wiped his eyes, and blew out a shaky breath before leaving.

The man was sitting at a table waiting for him with his replacement drink, and perked up when he saw him approach. “There you are.” He held up the order. “Here’s your drink.”

Paul wasn’t sure what compelled him to do it, but he pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. He slid the drink over and said a quiet “Thank you,”

“I’m Tommy, by the way,” the man held out a hand for him to shake.

He shook it. “Paul,”

“I know, you already told me,”

“Right.” He took a sip, letting the caramel taste soothe his nerves. There seemed to be more caramel flavor than usual; maybe the baristas felt bad for him. That wasn’t what he was hoping for, though; the last thing he wanted was people giving him pitying looks.

Tommy looked at him in slight concern. “Sorry for asking, but… are you okay? You seem a little… I don’t know, frazzled.”

Frazzled… what a word. It was the right word, along with tightly-wound and stressed. “Hella stressed”, as he’d heard a student say once. He sighed. “You’re right… You ever have one of those periods where everything seems to be going wrong?”

“Yeah, sometimes,”

“Well, I’m going through one myself right now.” Why was he admitting this to a stranger he’d just met? Why didn’t he just dodge the question, thank him, and leave?

He was nice enough to buy you a replacement coffee, his mind whispered. The least you can do is tell him why.

Tommy gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry… Stuff with work?”

“Part of it… My car got rear-ended too. And my basement got flooded last week when we had all that rain.” Not to mention some asshole had graffitied the “Anyone But Trump” sign he had put up in his front yard. But politics were a touchy subject, so he would leave that bit out.

Tommy winced. “Oh jeez… I’m sorry.”

Why did he keep apologizing? “It’s fine. It can’t last forever.”

“That’s true. But it’s always terrible when you’re going through those periods. Is there anything I can do to help, or…?”

A brief smile flitted onto Paul’s face. “No, you don’t have to do anything. Buying me a replacement coffee was enough. Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Tommy smiled back. “So do you work nearby here?”

“I teach art history at the university…”

They ended up sitting there for quite a while, talking about their respective jobs and other interests. Paul hadn’t expected to do that, but he certainly didn’t mind. For perhaps the first time in two weeks, he’d been blessed with a little bit of good luck; he was going to take this and enjoy it while he could.

[obislittleone]

House Of Memories (4/?)

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Padawan!reader

Warnings: angst, nightmares, non-canon use of the force (idk)

Summary: Obi-Wan is tired, and having two padawans is a struggle. He becomes lucky when one of them is able to help the other in his favor.

A/n: Last episode was one of the greatest episodes in television. Also, someone asked me about the title, and no I was not being creative, this series is being inspired by the song House of Memories by Panic! at the disco... so do with that knowledge what you will ig

Words: 1.9k

As a child who has experienced passed trauma, Anakin often had nightmares. You were young enough not to remember the days of your slavery, having been rescued by Obi-Wan and Qui Gon very early. Anakin, however, struggled with some memories of being treated less than human by beings who thought themselves superior to a slave. He also dealt with visions of his mother, and how poorly she did on her own. He would sometimes have dreams of her crying alone in her room because of how she missed him.

He was getting to be more independent, a young teenager by now, so often he kept it to himself, until one night, he started thrashing in his sleep, unable to control himself for the inner torment his subconscious was going through. He tried his best to fix it, to reach for his mother and make it so that she could escape that planet the way he did. She was always so close and yet unattainable. His arms were reaching out, both in his dreams and in reality. He didn't know if he'd ever conquer the last few inches, it seemed he was struggling against a solid wall to no avail.

You had woken up when you heard him cry his mother's name. You'd grown quite close to Anakin over the past years you've been training with him, and you knew how dearly he held his mother in his heart. Shmi Skywalker, a lovely woman in whom you thought you'd known just by the stories. A loving mother with a kind and gentle soul, a sweet smile with the most genuine meaning behind it always. A woman who wanted what was best for her son at any cost, even leaving her behind. You hated when Anakin had nightmares about her. He always sounded like he was in pain when he cried out in his sleep.

You got up out of your bed, opening the sliding door between your room and the main room of the apartment you all shared together. Anakin was between yours' and Obi-Wan's rooms, though sometimes you wish it wasn't. Not for your sake of course, but for your Master, who awoke practically at the crack of dawn to see where he was needed before your training even began. You knew that some days after dealing with the both of you, he would be running on little to no sleep.

You had been branching out your power recently, trying new things with the force, under the watchful eye of Obi-Wan. His guidance helped you to explore places in your abilities in which you never knew existed. Though you were a tired twelve-year-old, not thinking straight and simply opting to try something for the sake of more restful hours, it didn't seem like such a bad idea in your head.

You went into Anakin, who was nearly about to roll off his bed and onto the floor, his arms out in front of him, reaching for something that was not there. You rubbed your tired eyes before approaching him quietly. It was bad luck to wake a sleepwalker, and though Anakin wasn't standing, you translated the meaning of the phrase that it should apply to him also.

You knelt down, grabbing one of his hands, and closing your eyes to focus. It was hard, since your need for sleep caused your focused mind to wander into an almost restful state. Focus... Just like Master always says, keep your mind tethered.

Soon you had delved into Anakin's nightmare, and it was awful. You saw his mother's face, tears streaming down as she cried out for her son to come back, as she wished to see him one last time. The sorrow and grief you felt coming from the boy in front of you was painful, and it went all through you, hitting your heart the hardest. Is this what he deals with at night? You didn't know how he was able to see these things in his dreams, then pretend like it didn't bother him the day after. It bothered you now, knowing how much emotional stress this brought on.

I'm strong enough, you thought, I can take it for him.

It took more energy out of you, energy that you didn't think you had to spare. Your body became tired, and your mind felt so full. It was quite a task, but sure enough, you were pulling away all the bad things from his dreams, leaving only the good things. The beautiful smile of his mother, the loving embraces and warm feelings from memories not soon lost to him.

_

Obi-Wan had awakened at Anakin's voice as well, though with his state of exhaustion, having dealt with the council grinding down on his schedule lately, it took him longer to reach the boy's room, where you were already tending to your fellow padawan. His brows furrowed as he didn't quite know what he was seeing in the dark of the night. The only thing lighting the scene was the passing by speeders outside the window, the Coruscanti traffic never seemed to stop.

He stood in the doorway a few seconds longer, unsure if he should interrupt you yet. You were so focused, and clearly had a reason for being here.

You were breathing evenly, almost as if meditating to yourself. A moment later you had abruptly pulled away from him, a small jump back to your behind as you fell away from Anakin's subconscious. It worked, or you believed it did, for the boy was sleeping soundly, his arms now wrapped around one of his many pillows, which he swore daily were absolutely necessary. You believed him now.

You stood up, keeping your eyes on Anakin, tiptoeing backwards to make sure he stayed as restful as he was. You were so focused on the boy's newfound comfort, that you neglected the fact that there was another presence in the room. You backed right into your Master, standing with his arms crossed as you dropped to the ground in immediate fear. You covered your mouth, not letting any noise escape after all you went through to keep Anakin resting.

You looked up at Obi-Wan over your shoulder, seeing how he was quite unamused with your reaction to him being there, as if you could help it in the slightest. You sighed softly, lifting yourself to your feet, and followed him out into the main room.

Only once the door to Anakin's room was shut did Obi-Wan begin on what you felt was going to be a lecture of sorts.

"You helped him," He began, tired out of his wits and still trying to collect his thoughts on what he saw. "What did you do?"

You weren't quite sure how to answer exactly. You didn't even know what it was called, and you had only found out it was possible upon doing it for the first time just now. You opened your mouth to speak, but when nothing came out you huffed, raising your shoulders along dramatically. It didn't help that your master was standing opposite you, probably growing grumpy at being kept awake longer than he should have to be.

"I heard him and got up to see what was wrong," you sat down onto the chair in the room, your legs feeling too weak to keep standing on. He followed suit, seemingly very interested in your explanation. "He was having more bad dreams, and I didn't want him to wake you again."

"I very much appreciate the sentiment, little one," he sat back, running a hand over his face before he continued, "but I just want to know what you did to calm him."

Oh.

Oh....

"I took them away."

"You took what away?" He sat forward, now; his eyes wider awake than just seconds before at your confession.

"His nightmares. I took away everything bad and left only the good things. I could feel his pain, master... It was horrible," you finished with a frown. You were much wiser now than you had been, your level of understanding had risen significantly, and Obi-Wan knew that when you could feel someone's emotions like that, you always sympathized. Even when you probably shouldn't. It was the light inside you, the wonderful part that was trying to do good by others even if it meant you would bear the brunt of the pain yourself.

"I didn't know you could do that," he tilted his head, as if you would tell him about your profound discovery and how it came about.

"I didn't either. I just couldn't bear him feeling that way anymore."

Obi-Wan nodded, smiling, before he arose to his feet. He held out a hand to help you to yours, but before you parted ways for the night, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

"You are a going to be one of the great Jedi in our time, I know it."

"Thank you, Master."

-

They were about to get out of hand, your nightmares, begun the same night that you drew Anakin's away from his mind and into yours. You thought that maybe you could take it, that perhaps you were strong enough to make them go away. You didn't know that they would culminate into a disastrous combination of your greatest fears and sorrows.

Often you dreamt of those close to you, Obi-Wan, and Anakin. Even Master Yoda made an appearance in your dreams. It was horrible, the way you would almost save them, then they would almost instantly fall to their deaths upon your arrival. Most of the time it was too real to acknowledge as a dream, so you weren't able to wake up like you normally could. You would be screaming their names, over and over, only to be met with silence, and the fact that you were completely and totally alone. Utter devastation was felt in every part of your body, and you would fall to the ground, the last of your strength gone. Your will to keep going never there.

Once you had woken up, it would be a mess of silent tears, and cold sweat running down your back that made your sleeping tunic stick to it in a most uncomfortable way. You would be breathing erratically, as if you hadn't taken an inhale in days. You would always try to be quiet, to calm yourself down enough to think, to tell yourself it was only a dream and that it meant nothing. You only believed yourself the next day, when you saw Obi-Wan in the morning, sitting on his chair and going over his checklist on the holo-pad. You would see Anakin in the hallway and join him down in the communal areas for breakfast and a small conversation.

He knew you had taken his nightmares from him. He told you after the night it happened, he could feel your signature somehow protecting his dreams. He was thankful beyond relief, and so you couldn't possibly share with him about how it affected you. He would want you to give it back. You weren't going to anyways, so you figured it was best not to upset him by it. You kept your conversations natural. Those nightmares were your problem now, and as long as the people you held dear to your heart were alive and well, you would continue to deal with them on your own.

As the weeks passed, they became a dull ache in the back of your mind during the day, only haunting you at night. You began to find a way around them, putting up a block through the force around your mind before bed every night. You only hoped it would continue to work to your advantage.

You were becoming stronger with the force, and with Obi-Wan's training, you would someday help others the way you helped Anakin.

-

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