#this is the ritual she does before she tries to eat me....

[liz-lukas]

Some motion frames of my bird, Rosie!

[drvscarlett]

About You Pt3

Sebastian Vettel x Webber!Reader

Summary: Everyone knows about the history of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. But there's a well kept story within the paddock about Sebastian Vettel and another Webber. This is that story.

About You Series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Taglist: @spideybv28@randomcuboidshape @mehrmonga @casperlikej @cliosunshine @honethatty12 @randomgirlnumber-13 @sugyomama @ririyulife

2009, Hungaroring

There was at least 2 weeks before Formula 1 went back to racing. It means that there was 2 weeks for Y/N to hide herself and that embarrassing situation she was in. 2 weeks to prepare herself how to pretend on how to act if she sees Sebastian.

'As long as Sebastian does not bring it up then I will pretend that nothing happened' she told herself.

She tried not to think about the incident by allowing herself to be buried with answering emails and looking into other things needed pre-race.

"Did you eat already?"

A sudden orange appeared in between her and the computer screen. Y/N didn't have to look up to see which driver handed the orange because there was only one driver who would always give her an orange.

"I haven't got the chance yet"Y/N replied to Sebastian

"You should probably eat. It's not good that you aren't eating" Sebastian insisted "Can't Mark do these things?"

"I'm his personal assistant remember, I'm paid to do these"

"But is it really necessary to finish it at the moment?"

It was pointless to argue with Sebastian so Y/N took the orange and closed her laptop.

"Happy?"she asked

"Very much"

The two of them started eating the oranges brought by Sebastian. It was a habit that the two have, Sebastian calls it a pre-race ritual. He actually believes he performs better when they share oranges. So here they are sitting and enjoying the oranges.

In the back of their minds, they are both thinking about that night at the hotel but there is a certain peace between the them. They don't want to ruin things by saying something stupid.

"You heard what happened with Massa right?"Y/N tried to establish a new topic just to get things off her overthinking.

"Absolutely felt bad for him. It's a good thing that he seems to be in a stable condition"Sebastian said.

The qualifying incident yesterday has been terrifying to watch. Y/N didn't want that happening to either Sebastian or Mark or even any other driver. Her heart dropped when she saw Massa being wheeled out unconscious to the hospital.

"Do you sometimes think that you'll ever stop racing?"Y/N wondered "You have been racing since you were like young and now you are stil racing"

"I honestly don't know, racing is all I have ever known" Sebastian admitted.

"I know, you were born gripping on a steering gear I bet" Y/N joked which made Sebastian laugh too.

"But seriously, if you ever want to retire of racing. Don't retire and go out because you got badly injured. Retire because you want to"Y/N added

It was her way of saying that she is extremely cared about him. Maybe its something that she cannot put into words but maybe Sebastian can figure it all out, he is a smart man in Y/N's opinion.

With a comforting smile, Y/N was assured that he got the message.

2009, Spa-Francorchamps

"Did you try texting Mark?"

Christian Horner and Sebastian Vettel are both in a meeting room about to discuss some things with the team strategists. They were supposed to meet up 10 minutes ago but they can't go on with the meeting since Mark is not around.

It was highly unusual for Mark to be late. He is never late as far as Sebastian knows. He considers giving Y/N a text when the door burst open.

"I'm gonna punch Button in the face when I see him"Mark Webber was fuming when he entered late at the conference room.

"Hold on, what did Jenson do?"

"Punk tried to ask my sister out"Mark huffed.

"He did what?" Christian butted in the conversation "I thought Sebastian was dating Y/N"

"HOLD ON WHAT?" "EXCUSE ME?"

The two red bull drivers were on their feet. Mark seems to be ready to hit Sebastian while Sebastian was debating which exit is much more safer. Frankly, Sebastian was never afraid of Mark but with the way he is shooting daggers with his eyes- If looks could kill, Sebastian was 4 feet under ground now.

"I just thought Sebastian was dating Y/N, they are always together when she isn't following you around Mark" Christian explained.

"My sister and Sebastian?" Mark repeated

Sebastian wanted to explain himself to Mark but he is internally panicking. If Christian, their team principal, can notice then there is a big chance that his feelings might be obvious to other people in the paddock.

At the same time, he felt a sick feeling in his stomach upon realizing that Jenson Button asked out Y/N. Jenson had the courage to ask her out and Sebastian couldn't even talk to Y/N about what happened weeks ago.

Christian seems to sense the tension that he brought to the two red bull drivers

"Maybe its just me and my understanding, right seb?" Christian apologized

"Huh yeah, mmhh nothing going on" Sebastian lied

There was a sharp gaze from Mark "I'm watching you"

"Let's talk about Jenson"Christian redirected the topic "maybe he is just trying to get a rise off you. We're slowly closing on him for the championship"

"If I hit that boy with a car this Sunday, I won't regret it" Mark swears.

"Don't bring your personal life on the car" Christian reminded.

Sebastian seems to take it as a mental note for himself as well. He was actually debating that if Mark wasn't successful in punting Jenson then he would.

"Besides Y/N has to date, she is in that age of dating" Christian added

Sebastian knew that Mark has been the kind of sibling that is overly protective. Given that Y/N has been the youngest one and the one that has been following Mark around, Mark has a special worry about her. It was very understandable why he acts like this.

"As much as I could, I will not let my sister date drivers." Mark says with finality.

It felt like it wasn't just a statement meant for Jenson but it was also something meant for Sebastian. Great, now Sebastian feels like everything is more complicated than it was before.

2009, Interlagos

It wasn't Y/N's brightest idea that she went on a date with Jenson Button. She figured after weeks of being constantly asked by Jenson, she should give him a chance. She thought it could also help lessen her feelings for Sebastian.

It's a pretty bad idea now that she thinks about it.

But there was no going back because here she is sitting with Jenson at a small restaurant somewhere in Brazil.

Don't get her wrong but Jenson is charming and he knows how to make people comfortable. He is a gentleman, he picked her up with roses, asked her for her favorite dish, and was kind enough to lend his jacket when she is feeling a bit cold.

But there is something missing about Jenson.

"You know, I really enjoy spending time with you tonight"Jenson started "But are you enjoying yourself?"

"I'm sorry its just that its my first time going out for dates, I'm not good with this sort of thing" Y/N replied

"That's okay, I'm glad to be the first one to take you out"

Y/N felt the guilt of lying eating her up so she quickly wanted to clear out the air "Jenson, you are a really nice guy but you know I really think its better if we become friends instead?"

There was a small smile from the British driver. It seems like he has also felt that he was about to be friendzoned tonight.

"It's perfectly fine Y/N, I just really enjoy your company"

The dinner continued on more smoothly and they were able to share some personal details about their life. It felt like an air of relief for the two of them to clear out things that this will not be a failed date but rather a new friendship.

The media on the other hand has seen a different story.

Jenson Button winning on and off track against Red Bull?

In case you missed it, the newly declared Formula 1 champion, Jenson Button, has been seen in a restaurant in Brazil having dinner with a very special lady. Who is this mystery lady? It's Mark Webber's sister and personal assistant, Y/N.

The pairing is a shocker for everyone since Red Bull is the main competitor of Button this season. It seems like the two are a star crossed lovers in the making. People who have been in the restaurant has noted how the pair were giggling and close to one another.

We can't wait what Mark will have to say about this pairing.

2009, Yas Marina Circuit

"Sebastian please just slow down"Y/n begged.

It was really petty for Sebastian to be angry and ignore Y/N but he felt really confused on how to act around her. Ever since he read that stupid article, its all that he could think about. So while he couldn't deal with his emotions then he thinks its best to avoid her like the plague.

"I'm busy" Sebastian's curt reply

"Oh c'mon, you are not busy. You are ignoring me" Y/N was still hot in trail "This is so childish and stupid"

"Me? Stupid?" Sebastian stopped and turned to face her.

"You are calling me stupid when you are the one out there having dinner with the enemy"Sebastian wasn't thinking at this point.

"The enemy? Do you think I'm giving out secrets to Jenson?" she asked in shock

"Yes, Jenson is our enemy. You should have not gone on a dinner date with him, don't you have any sense of loyalty to the team?"

Sebastian could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. He knows that he said the wrong things and its not something that he can take back. Everything was just so heated.

"You believe those tabloids than me?"

"I don't know what to believe. You two looked pretty cozy on that front page" Sebastian really wanted to shut himself by now but jealousy is a sick sick disease that cannot be stopped.

"That's real mature of you Seb, you disappoint me" she sounds so defeated "Out of everyone, you were one of the people who I thought would believe me rather than what was painted by the media"

"Y/N you can't fault me on that, you were close"

"We were just friends and besides I-" she caught herself to stop.

There was a confession at the other end of Y/N. She almost confessed how she cannot see herself with Jenson because all she can see is how he is not Sebastian and all she wants to love is Sebastian. It was a good thing she caught herself before she slipped again.

"Besides what?" Sebastian wondered.

"Never mind. Talk to me when you mature"

"Yeah that's real mature, run away when you don't wanna face the consequences of your actions" Sebastian chastised.

Y/N felt that her tears are falling so she could only turn away and run the other direction. Sebastian, on the other hand, felt like hitting himself. It was the type of conversation he wanted to avoid because he could not contain his emotions. He bitterly regrets how this was their last conversation for 2009.

[readychilledwine]

Eris Week Day 4 Hounds | Autumn Equinox

Moth to a Pyre - Nsfw

A/n- I, uh, I don't know what happened here. There's a plot. For a little while. Then there's not. Happy day four of @erisweek2023 ?

Summary - The reader is visiting the Autumn Court during their yearly Equinox celebration on an invitation from Eris. Between discussing traditions from their courts and watching the young fae, she doesn't fully grasp she's about to enter another Autumn Court Tradition.

Warnings - NSFW, mxfxfxm, orgy, voyeuristic/exhibitionist elements, oral (females receiving), fxf play, dom/sub dynamics **accidentally posted before my last edit run through. Sorry fam😅**

Word Count - 2651

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Eris could hardly take his eyes off of you. Between the magic of the court beginning to fuel males for the hunt, your bright smile as you watched children running around the carnival, and the burgundy dress clinging to your body, you were irresistible to him. 

You were too distracted by the smells of warm pastries, the laughter as the faelings bobbed for apples, and the speed they ran in their little costumes with to go from tent to tent collecting candy to notice the shift in Eris's behavior.

Kallias had tried to warn you to come back to Winter or be in your guest suite before the carnival began. He had tried to tell you this was a giant sex orgy, that if you were outside an Autumn Court male could claim you for the night as his prize, and you'd be forced to join in the mass sex ritual held in Autumn for their equinox celebration. "It's similar to Spring's," You could hear his cold voice in your mind now. "The only difference is Spring uses their Equinox to replenish the magic and allow the harvest cycle to begin, Autumn uses theirs to thank the land for its magic and for successful harvest." 

This felt nothing like that, though. Eris was holding your hand, leading you through row after row of vendors with candies you'd never tried before and odd food that was traditional to the Court. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Eris looked down at you with a slight smile. "I imagine Winter has nothing like this."

You nodded. "I am. Thank you for inviting me." Eris smirked slightly at you as ypu ducked behind him to avoid a group of little ones running by. "What are they doing?"

"Trick or treating?" Eris rose a brow. "You have no clue what trick or treating is. So, the children dress up for Equinox each year and run from vendor to vendor, or door to door in the villages. The owners of that home or shop then have to present them with candy or risk being pranked. Do children not trick or treat in Winter?"

"No. Children try to be on their best behavior in the Winter Court. Asking for free candy and pranking fae does not fall into that category," you played with your long white hair. Eris had his brows raised, nodding for you to continue. You felt a blush rising to your cheeks under his heated gaze. "There's a legend of a male old as time in our court. He watches children and ensures they are on their best behavior all year, that they follow their mom and dad's rules, and honor their high lord. If they do, he rewards them with candy and presents on solstice. If they don't, he adds them to a list and takes them from their homes in the dead of night, never to be seen again. It is believed he eats them."

Eris stared at you, his eyes wide, before bursting into laughter. "That's horrid, y/n." You couldn't help but to smile and nod as Eris pulled you to a more vacant bonfire.

Males and females were gathered around countless fires in this clearing. Holding each other close, laying on blankets together, whispering to each other. Eris moved a hand to tuck the hair you had been playing with behind your ear. 

You had not noticed how quiet it had gone, you had not noticed that the children were starting to run home and some vendors were closing shop and clearing out. You were too busy staring at Eris as he talked with one of his friends. 

You had gathered the male he was speaking with was one of the generals in his father's army, you had also gathered the intentions this male had with the pretty female sitting on his lap. He was stroking her upper thigh, squeezing it every so often while she kissed his jaw and throat.

"Relax, little moth," Eris Whispered into your ear. "You don't have to do anything you do not want to." You blinked at him as he pulled you closer. "Kal warned you, didn't he?" You nodded. "Good. The hunt will start soon."

"What happens during the hunt?" Eris kissed below your ear, causing a haze to set in as you relaxed and sighed. 

"My father will shift into something different and more animalistic. He will go through the forest to find his fawn for the night and bring her here. They begin coupling we all will as well. It helps us thank the land and keeps the population of Autumn higher than other courts."

"So this is a breeding festival?"

"Yes, little moth, it is." You watched as his friend smirked, repositioning the pretty female in his lap so she was straddling him and facing him before kissing her deeply. "And we can just watch them all if you'd like, we can partake if you'd like, or I can winnow you to the Forest House and find myself a new little moth to play with. It is all your choice." 

His warm hands had begun to roam your body. Kal had allowed you to commission a special dress for this visit. The short sleeved dress was made with the latest Autumn fashion in mind, but it was allowing Eris access to skin you had not had touched in years. "It's all your choice, y/n. Say the words and I'll stop and take you somewhere safe." 

He pulled you into his lap, and you studied him. "You invited me here on purpose." He nodded. "You had this all planned." He nodded again, moving to kiss your neck as your hand tangled into his wavy hair. "Why? Why me?"

He smirked against your smirk and his friend answered. "Do you look at yourself when you get dressed and ready for the day, emissary? Or do you just blindly look so delicious?" Eris chuckled against your skin, dragging his teeth along your pulse point making you squirm slightly in his lap.

"Hurry and pick, little moth." He continued kissing your neck, moving lower to your collarbones, making you pull his hair slightly and grind your hips against him with a whimper. "You have limited time, lovely. Father is about to go hunt, and the females wanting to bed him tend to make this pretty easy."

"Where is your mother? Should she-" Eris tapped a finger to your lips. Stopping thr question. 

"Your questions later. Mine now. Do you want to stay?" You were in a mental haze, watching as countless males and females kissed. There were two females being watched by the males with them. They were already naked and kissing each other as their hands roamed. You felt Eris move lifting you to turn you in his lap so you were able to watch all the fires. "Who would have known Kallias had a little voyeur in his chain of command." His voice had gone deep and raspy in your ear, you could scent Eris's arousal as he continued touching you.

"I want to stay." You finally whispered. You watched as Beron came back, a pretty little Burnette was thrown over his shoulder giggling as high lord set her down on the ground and forced her to her knees. Warm hands moved your hair and began unlacing your dress. 

"Stand for me." All eyes had locked on you and Eris as the High Lord began his coupling with the young female. "They're waiting for us and my brothers, little moth." 

It made sense now. The groupings of fires. A Vanserra male was at each other, watching her and Eris with feline like smirks of anticipation. You stood and allowed him to undress ypu. "Good girl. Such an obedient good girl," Eris ran his hand down the front of your body, squeezing your breasts as he nodded at his brothers. "I can smell you, y/n. I've been waiting forever to play with you." He pulled you back down, ripping his own shirt off. He kept your back to him and began pinching and playing your nipples as he kissed your neck and shoulders.

Heat was pooling between your legs, practically dripping from you. You were fixated on the fires before you. Watching females play with each other or with the males they were with. There were groups of people all partaking in the carnal games. 

Soft hands roamed up your thighs and you looked down to see the female his friend had been playing with between your legs. Eris's friend was watching as Eris spread your legs for her. "She's so pretty, Eris." 

You were blushing as she began kissing your thighs, her long dark hair pulled into a ponytail as she looked up at you from her long dark lashes. "Keep watching the other fires, little moth." She placed a light kiss above your core. 

You obeyed, finding your eyes lingering on two males with a female pinned between them. She had her head thrown back on one of their shoulders as they pounded into her like well timed machines. And then you felt it. A tongue licked a long pathway in your folds causing you to moan and lean further back into Eris. "Fuck," the males whispered as Eris's grip on your legs tightened. "Keep those pretty thighs spread for her, y/n." 

You hand found her hair as she began kitten licking your leaking hole. She hummed against you before latching onto your clit and sucking lightly. Pleasure shot through your body, causing you to grind against her mouth, and in turn Eris. "Use her, pretty girl," Eris encouraged with a moan. "She loves being a little toy." The female moaned at Eris's praise, causing vibration to hit your core and you to moan out as she alternated between gentle swipes with the tip of her tongue and longer flat ones with more pressure. 

You looked at Eris over your shoulder, eyes wide with lust before grinding on him again. "I need your clothes off," you whispered. "I need you."

She pulled off of you long enough for Eris to lay you on the ground for her. "Make her cum." He commanded. "I want her soaked before I even get inside of her."

She doubled her efforts on your clit, only pausing as Eris's friend came behind her and began to play with her. The noises coming from you two were obscene. The sounds of her wetness, the sounds of your moans ringing into the night and hers muffled in your cunt. Eris was still sitting near you, his hand wrapped around himself as he watched you. 

He was beautiful. You knew that since you two had become friends years ago. You reached a hand to him and he laced your fingers together just as his friend pushed one of her fingers into your heat making your back arch and you cried out as she began to press into that perfect hidden spot while sucking and licking at your clit. 

Eris smirked as your eyes rolled back. "Such a good little moth, aren't you?" His hands found your breasts again, squeezing them. A coil was tightening in your stomach, threatening to burst as your moans became constant. Her mouth was like magic, finding every sensitive nerve as her fingers pushed and pulled you apart. 

Eris could tell you were close, as was the female pleasuring you. Her mate had two fingers buried deep into her cunt, curling them perfectly into time with her pleasuring you. He knew it wasn't the dirtiest thing that would happen tonight between you four, and the thought of you, wrapped around his cock, while another fae played with you and joined in your corruption had Eris aching for relief. 

Your eyes met his, and you couldn't place what he was thinking, but you were too lost in the haze of the ritual. One more harsh suck on your clit had you falling apart, moaning loudly and whimpering as she slowed down to allow you to ride out your high. 

Eris gently pulled you away from her, kissing your neck and running his hands along every curve. "How do you want to do this, y/n?" He bit into your pulse point, shooting pleasure and pain through your body. "Do you want to take me from behind and be on top of her so you two can still play with each other?" You and the female whimpered. "Do you just want to watch her get fucked by both of us?" You shook your head quickly. "Do you want me to fuck you, little moth?" 

"Please," you whispered desperately. "I need you." Eris kissed below your ear, long fingers gently circling the swollen bundle of nerves. "Eris, please."

"You can beg prettier than that, y/n," his voice set you alight, eyes rolling back as you leaned heavier against him. You two were watching now as his friend entered the female laying on her back near you. "I want you to get on top of her with your pretty little cunt near me. Do you understand?" You nodded eagerly. 

She was too pretty for you to say no to him over. Long thick hair, long lashes, wide brown eyes. Her body was stunning. She had more curves than most fae females, but they landed in all the right places on her body, and her waist had you drooling and wondering how much tighter your corsets would need to be to achieve the same look. 

She shamelessly pulled you to her just as Eris' friend had entered her. Your legs were straddling her head, your head was near her core, and without warning, you let out a loud whine as Eris entered you. 

"Fucking better than I ever imagined, little moth." Eris wasted no time, he began fucking you with deep, hard thrusts. You were quickly a mess. The situation from watching countless fae deep into their pleasure, the situation from the moaning female below you, the situation from each heavy drag of his cock inside of you.

It didn't take long for you to understand why they had you two in this position, nor did it take you long to realize this was clearly something the three of them had done before. She latched on to your clit again, sucking it gently and rolling her tongue against it. The constant vibrations of her mouth against your aching core had your head reeling. 

Her partner gently gathered your hair, "Return the favor, little emissary." And you did. 

Eris growled loudly behind you at the sight. You responded with a twitch that had him pounding harder and deeper into you, hitting that perfect spot every time. You were all moaning messes, heart rates beating together. Your ears still picked up the screams, growls, and groans from the other fae around you. 

That coil tightened again, and you knew Eris had picked up on it. He began aiming for the spot that had you moaning deeper into his friend's cunt. You two both reacted to each other's picked up moans and screams. 

You didn't fall from the edge this time. You exploded from it. Your vision filled with stars and color as you came with a muffled scream. She followed behind you, her hands gripping your thighs tightly. 

It was seconds later for both of the males to find the edge and dive over. Eris's groans relit the fire burning inside of you as his large hands bruised your hips. 

When you all came down from the high, he removed himself from you and pulled you off of her, sitting back down on the ground with you between his legs and your back locked tight against him.

His fingers began to roam. Exploring your sides, your breasts, and your stomach. It wasn't until they dipped lower and began teasing your core that you realized you were in for a very long night. 

[radioactive-reactions]

Just a quick little idea for a reaction, could you maybe do companions (and maybe Mr. House) finding out that the Courier is a pre-war ghoul?

Of course! The New Vegas fandom has just celebrated Mr. House's 4th birthday, so consider this my small contribution.

Ghouls were anything but uncommon in the Mojave, but those who had lived through the Great War were particularly exceptional. Everyone knew about the ghoulish Courier - zombies rising from the grave made good saloon talk, after all - but only those closest to them were trusted with the knowledge of just how old they were.

Raul is just happy to have another viejo around to commiserate with. Invariably, he begins to keep the two up long into the night trading stories of the Old World - and more often than not, the Old World's failings - around the campfire. "Hey, boss, you... you remember Cuna de Lobos? Ahh, the bomb dropped right at the end of Season 91, just when Catalina was about to show everyone what she'd been keeping stashed under her eyepatch. My grandmother would have killed to see it. She could have, too."

Boone is as unflinchingly stone-faced as ever, and his thoughts are quickly summed up in three succinct words: "I pity you." There's a moment of consideration, a realization that he may have gone too far, and he tries again. "You and all the... others. There are a few in the service. You knew what came before. Saw it with your own eyes. Christ, the rest of us must be like kids playing dressup to you. In your shoes, wouldn't have bothered staying around to see how it'd all turn out. No point."

Veronica has a million questions. Try as the Brotherhood might to hoard pre-War knowledge, she's never come quite as close to a living, breathing repository of it as she is now. "Wait, wait, back up, like... five steps. You're telling me you could walk into the bunker anytime you please and totally school Elder McNamara and you've just been sitting on that?! Oh my God! Okay, okay - is it true that every kid back then was raised by a robot slave? A-and did you really have to ritually encase all your food in Jell-O before you ate it?"

Cass gives an impressed whistle, looking the Courier up and down just to make sure they haven't actually been feral this entire time. "Fuck me. Uh, that's not an invitation - I don't want anything falling off. But that'd make you, what, two-hundred-something? Older than the Republic, the way they tell it. We've got some Rangers like that, supposedly the ultimate badasses if you look past the bad knees and the death rattle... but between you and me, I think you've got a sturdier claim to the title."

Arcade freezes up at the news, getting that awkward, wavering smile he always flashes when he's backed into a corner. "Wow. Uh... hey. Just so we're clear, I in no way endorse - o-or endorsed - the whole Enclave 'cleansing of the world's tainted' thing. I'd like to think that goes without saying, given the way my life has gone since then, but... just so we're clear. Uh, if you need any kind of specialized care, please just say the word. I've given Beatrix enough topical collagen to fill a bathtub... if one inexplicably wanted to do something like that."

Lily doesn't quite seem to get it, bless her heart, but enough careful explanation does slowly get her to regard the Courier as more of an equal than a grandkid. "MY MISTAKE! YOU DON'T LOOK A DAY OVER A HUNDRED, DEAR. WHATEVER YOU USE, I'VE JUST GOT TO GET DOCTOR HENRY TO MAKE ME SOME! IF I HADN'T MADE A PROMISE TO MY HUSBAND, REST HIS SOUL, I COULD JUST EAT YOU UP."

Mr. House predictably uses this as ammunition to further his own plans. There's no change in the face on the flickering screen, but whatever cold mental calculus drives him moves the Courier up a few spaces in his strictly regimented list of priorities. "Then you, more than anybody, understand what we have to lose - or rather, what we have to gain. Put another way, you are in a unique position to understand the resources at my disposal. Imagine the luxuries you enjoyed before the barbarians in Washington reduced you to this base, hardscrabble existence among the ruins of their shortsightedness - and I think you'll appreciate that ruins isn't simply a turn of phrase here. Imagine having them again: not just the house and the car, not just the material indulgences, but the structure that made them possible - will continue to make them possible. We alone know what's been lost, and we alone hold the potential to see it returned."

[splitster]

answering ASKSSSSS

featuring: headcanons, mspaint yonny, and more

check it out! ↓↓

UHH the timeline is already hard enough to follow for 4 it's a little messy... I imagine for the pom wraith AU, it's mostly the events of pikmin 4 with some extra bits tacked onto it (like Olimar encountering the plasm at some point on his lonesome).

WAHHH THANK YOU... heres some secret mod lore, yonny is the HARDEST motherfucker to draw for me. he was ever since i started drawing the rescue corps and he still is!!!!!!!!!!!! his stupid face is so HARD GRRUUAUUGGHH

THANK YOU!!! i have a few bernard drawings/doodles in the pipeline to post eventually

(ive done a few ask masterposts at this point so forgive me if i already answered this one) AHHHHH i mean pom DOES really like Olimar. he challenges her skills out on the field when she's trying to track him down as a leafling which she finds engaging, and she finds him quite charming from the logs she reads. after he's cured, he's nothing but kind and supportive.

i don't think she'd try to take off with him like the plasm, but she'd feel protective over him if something were to threaten him

WAUUGGHH THANK YOU!!!! putting my favorite fictional characters into an enclosure and watching them

THANK YOU!!! you get it, he's so wet and pathetic

YEAH i have more bernard incoming!!! he's so genuinely supportive and it kinda freaks pom out because she can't tell if he has ulterior motivations or not (he doesn't. he's just a really cool dude. they'll become besties💖)

i'll perform the summoning ritual for you anon

there he is. what a jolly fellow

THIS IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION... i had to consult with my friends for a lengthy food discussion (big hearts to @cosmicocoffee who helped me with like literally all of them)

for Pom, she's a wraith, so she just likes interesting and strong tastes. she's very partial to sweet things, and she LOVES chocolate (because that's one of the first sweets she ever tasted). although, she also like really spicy things because it's a neat feeling. as for least favorite, uh... i mean, the girl will literally eat soap for fun. it's very rare for her to have a food item she despises. they DO exist though, she fucking hates raisins

Dingo likes MANLY food, like MEAT and RIBS. well, he mostly likes being seen eating it. he does have a fondness for sweet things and smoothies. the town he grew up in could get pretty cold, so he grew up eating quite a lot of hot meals like caldo de res (he's especially fond of soups made the way his mama used to make them). he also picks up a fondness for hot tea from growing up with yonny, but he always puts extra honey in his cups. dingo HATES some foods though, especially sushi. the last time he tried to impress people by eating sushi, Dingo was hunched over outside the restaurant with Yonny rubbing his back...

shepherd! likes coffee. @soupvnova said she'd go to starbucks (spacebucks?) often to get the pup cup for oatchi which is very good. she has the healthiest diet out of all of them with routine exercise, protein shakes, lots of fruits and shit. she does have a weakness and a bit of a sweet tooth though, especially for cake. it hardly puts a dent in her diet though given her metabolism, she's a very built captain. she's not a fan of steamed vegetables... too squishy for her.

while talking about shepherd it is imperative to share that Oatchi will eat ANYTHING. if something hits the ground it is in his mouth immediately, shepherd has had to wrestle him to get space dog-unsafe food outta there before. although she will also constantly sneak him stuff from the dinner table

collin's fun because he enjoys eating healthy, he's a fan of fresh spring salads and stuff like pineapples and watermelon, but he also has to live off of a lot of processed/vending machine food because the man pulls all nighters frequently. he's also prone to stress eating... you can find him demolishing a watermelon and he's just. covered with seeds. he likes crunchy foods and seeds-- he's very hamstercore. he comes to Despise instant noodles because of how often he has to rely on them for food in the dead of night

fucking uhhh yonny, he likes foods that pair well with reading, he has pretty "mature" tastes and enjoys tea, maybe a glass of wine if he's feeling it. he often gets tunnel vision with his work and will neglect to eat, and as their doctor he'll have to set reminders on his phone to go have a meal so he doesn't fall ill. i can imagine he's not too into sugary things...

we already know bernard has some very expensive tastes, but he might just struggle with some textures or tastes in food. like, he enjoys pizza, this man is just a very picky eater... i can see him having tastes all over the board though. also he's protective over his stuff, he cared more about dingo eating his pizza than abandoning him

russ. uh... russ. yeah

olimar and louie are not part of the rescue corps, but i could see olimar joining (and louie following) sometime after the events of 4! he'd get a much better benefits package... he'd be good at providing logistical support for rangers out on the field, although his achy back would probably keep him off the field himself

AHH THANK YOU!! i have written some things but i don't have anything published -- to be honest, i'm not much of a fic writer. most of my writing is mostly just me talking through ideas/stories/cool character moments with friends, which is not a very shareable format unfortunately💔

i will say, talking about ideas with buddies gives me a shit load of ideas/motivation for drawing, and a lot of the stuff i've posted probably had that as an origin

THANK YOU!! and yeah of course that's fine! every artist is a collection of inspirations, and i'm no exception. my style comes from studying what i like in art and media (made by other people). i'm honored you find me as an inspiration💖

AUGH AUGH THANK YOU!!! i appreciate the anatomically correct hearts 💖💖

YEAHH i have designs that i've been meaning to flesh out but i'm lazy... i've been sitting on a dingo and yonny wraith design for like a month now, i should just bite the bullet and post them as-is if i ever want to share them... oh well! it's all for fun, i'm not gonna stress about it looking good

---

thank you for reading this far!! and thank you all for the asks, i will continue to slowly get through them...

[avonne-writes]

I was thinking about your fallen angel AU and was wondering about Gale experiencing physical needs/wants for the first time. I'm assuming that as an angel, Gale doesn't need to eat or sleep and that he doesn't get sick. How does starting to experience these things affect him?

Hi dear! Thank you for the great questions 🥰 They helped me come up with a few things for this au!

TLDR: Gale doesn’t have a problem with thirst, hunger or sleep, but he struggles with sexual desire.

I think I'm going more in the fantasy direction than towards religion, so angels are magical beings, but not spiritual - they're perceived as spiritual only due to their culture and humanity's beliefs. They have metabolisms, although very different from humans'. They eat, drink, sleep and age (slowly). They're culturally and magically trained to be asexual and only have sex during strictly specified mating seasons. Young ones are raised by the community and they don’t know their parents.

So, Gale knows hunger, thirst and exhaustion, but I think he only experienced them in a very muted way and he has never felt sexual desire before. I think he likes to experiment with new things so he tried to starve himself once or twice to understand the depth of human need before, but his community prevented him from truly immersing himself in the experience.

There are two ways of leaving his community, either by becoming a demon, which is essentially a process of joining a different culture, or becoming a fallen angel, which is a magical process of banishing the angel to the human plane permanently. This involves a forced magical transformation that also burns and tears the wings off, because the wings cannot materialize in that plane (it's physically impossible) and they want to force the angel to stay permanently on that plane. They can only do that if he/she has no wings anymore.

They fail to complete that process with Gale because [spoilers].

So, Gale is seriously wounded and has magical damage. He’s not quite a human, but not a biologically functional angel either. He’s in a lot of pain at first, so his new metabolism doesn’t register, not until Bucky starts caring for him in the only way he knows how, the human way, with human amounts of food and drink. And Gale is alarmed to find that he craves it, he wants it all. He should be sick from the amount he puts into himself but he isn’t, and he doesn’t crave the [magical sustenance] angels usually eat.

He’s okay with this - he might even find it fun and fascinating. It distracts from his pain, and he’s always curious to taste things. He loves loves loves that Bucky brings these things to him.

Bucky: *makes a cup of tea without sugar to avoid overwhelming Gale*

Gale: 😍🫠🥰

Sleeping so much annoys Gale at first and makes him think that he’s more gravely wounded than he is. But then he realizes that Bucky sleeps even more. He’s absolutely not used to touch on the human plane but really likes it, and his new state gives him more opportunity to cuddle.

Sexual desire though is something he tries to suppress with all his might. He feels like a freak, he feels defective, he loathes himself for it. He was okay with innocent kissing but the things he wants now are not fit for anything but mating season, and he hasn’t participated in that yet. He still hasn't lost all his angel senses though, so he can tell when Bucky wants him and it makes his heart pound in ways it never has before that he wants Bucky back.

I think he'd try to make it all better by performing courting rituals they'd usually do during mating season, to at least pretend what he's doing is culturally acceptable when he finally has sex with Bucky.

[valley-of-headcanons]

Could you maybe do headcanons of the bachelorettes with a farmer who gets lonely easily? If not all of them, then maybe just Emily, Leah, and Haley.

emily, haley, and leah x lonely!farmer || headcanons

loneliness is a rough battle, but these bachelorettes are here by your side <3

warnings: none really, takes place before dating

requested by: anon! hii, tysm for the request! i really enjoyed writing this one, i feel pretty lonely a lot of the time too. these lovely ladies sure can combat that shit tho! this is my first time really writing for emily and feeling kinda good about it, so there's that! hope you like it :)

emily

• Emily is not the most lonely person. She used to be, but she found solace within herself. She has her life in order, and she took charge! But, she does remember how she used to be. There once was a little girl who was nervous, who didn't know what to do with herself. But, she found it. And maybe she could find the solution to yours as well.

• When you opened up to her about everything, she tried her best to be understanding. She nodded along, thinking hard for a solution. She hummed, before hopping up for her chair. She raced to the other side of her room, grabbing a crystal. She plopped it into your palm, closing your fingers around it.

• “It's moonstone! It's used to combat loneliness! I know you're having a rough time right now, but I'm gonna help you through it as much as I can! This is just a stepping stone, and something you can use if you truly need it, but I'm gonna try and stop by more often. I'll check up on you once a day if I can, 'kay?”

• Emily would pop in at the most random times at the most random of occasions. Down at floor 20 of the mines? Emily would shout a little "hey!" at you from the ladder. In the cave of your farm? Emily would sneak up behind you and scare the daylights out of you. Chopping hardwood in the Secret Woods? Emily's sitting on a stump eating her lunch while waving at you. She made your life so much more interesting, and much less lonely.

• As you two start dating, her visits are a bit more frequent and usually come bearing gifts. Food she made for you, a small gemstone she thought you might find useful on your journey for the day, maybe just a flower she picked out of the ground she thought you might like. She wants you to feel her love and warmth, even in unconventional ways. Putting Emily and conventional in the same sentence is nearly impossible, and you can't get enough of it.

haley

• Haley seems like the kind of person to be a socialite. She's stereotypically beautiful, kind of mean, and looks like she'd be the life of the party! But there's not much of a "party" in Pelican Town. She feels a bit like an outcast, so when you open up to her about your loneliness, she can relate a lot.

• She is a great listener, opting to stay quiet while you talk about how lonely it gets on your farm. It's much different from the big city, in good ways and bad ways. Haley listens, filing her nails as she hums along to your problems. She nods, understanding what you mean completely.

• “Yeah, I get you. Me and you aren't so different, y'know. I have better style and much better taste, but ... maybe we could be lonely together ... or something like that- I don't know- like- ... like friends. That word is not something I use a lot, so be grateful! ... but if you're ever feeling lonely, I'm a call away. And I'll call you whenever I feel lonely. Deal?”

• Calling Haley became a daily ritual. If you were doing something time consuming yet boring on your farm, you'd dial her up and talk for a while. About a magazine she was reading, who she saw at the Saloon together, anything. She'd hate to admit it, but talking to you was the brightest part of every day. You were her safe space, away from all the loneliness of Pelican Town. She was yours, too.

• Eventually, you two start dating, and the loneliness has been brought down to a minimum. You two spend an enormous amount of time together, pretty much attached to the hip. Who else would you ever need? If you're ever feeling lonely, even with her, let her know. She'd do anything to make you feel more comfortable. You're changing her for the better.

leah

• Leah's cottage felt so far away from the rest of Pelican Town, so she definitely felt the loneliness you had brought up to her one day. She listened, nodding along and agreeing to pretty much every word you said. She tried thinking of solutions, wanting to fix the problem you both had. Maybe you two could help each other, in the long run.

• The idea struck her. What if you two just did things separately but together? Working alongside each other, not necessarily speaking, but enjoying each other's company. Maybe the time she spent carving her sculptures wouldn't feel as lonely.

• “I got an idea. Maybe you could start fishing by my cottage, and I could set up shop outside? So you wouldn't really be alone, but I wouldn't be bothering you. Doin' things together, but not together ... do you get me? I knew you would. I guess we're just on the same wavelength! Tomorrow, twelve o'clock? I'll see you there, farmer!”

• Almost everyday, you met with Leah. Twelve o'clock, sharp. You would sit by the river, fishing away, while Leah carved at her newest sculpture. You shared the peaceful scenery of the forest, enjoying the soothing sounds of the river beneath you. You slowly started sharing occasional words, which turned into endless conversations. Those conversations were the highlight of Leah's day, week, month, year, lifetime. She couldn't get enough of them.

• You didn't feel nearly as lonely once you started dating, as Leah would offer to work alongside you whenever she could. Of course, if you needed emotional support, she would put down her supplies and care for you. You mattered a lot to her, and she happily took your loneliness into her hands. She loved you and cared for you deeply, and for once in her life, she knew that you felt the same exact way. She would do anything for you.

[aperfectlylesbian]

Nobody asked, but...

There are second chances for everything, right? | agathario pregnancy idea

Summary: What if, because of a ritual they performed centuries ago, Agatha and Rio could be moms again in the present times?

Note: this is like a preview for the fanfic I'm making, which I definitely won't post before the next ep. Anyway, it's just a way for me to keep procrastinating. Enjoy!

The ritual had taken place centuries ago, before Nicholas had been a baby at the time, and Agatha had fallen in love with motherhood to the point of wanting another baby. "Who knows? This time, it might be a girl!", she would say, pretending to be casual, but Rio knew how serious she was.

When the stipulated time for the results of the ritual to appear passed, Agatha didn't think much, she was actually excited about this idea, and so they tried a few more times. Delicious times, by the way.

On the fourth attempt, they finally gave up, Rio assured Agatha that the results might end up coming a bit late, so it wouldn't be a surprise for them. It turns out it was a huge surprise, and a very, very, late one at that.

Centuries later, more specifically in 2009, Rio's the one who's affected by the delayed effect of the ritual. It's almost ironic, that Lady Death herself generates a new life, but it ended up happening.

The magic of the ritual is almost like an annoying alarm, ringing until the two are reunited, they're bound by blood in marriage and now by this — this... pregnancy.

Wherever Agatha was, she felt the tug, the magic nudging her irritably, pulling her where it wanted to go. And it hurt, because it was the same thing she had felt when she had discovered she was waiting Nicky.

Between the two of them, Agatha knows better what pregnancy is like and... Rio wasn't the best one to carry this child, honestly. She, who had her tendencies and her macabre work, perhaps wouldn't adapt very well to it.

It's one of several fights they've had since Agatha decided to stay, even with all the pain in her chest. Rio is covered in blood — probably not hers — and Agatha repeats that she's fragile, like it or not, she needs to get used to the fact that everything she does affects the baby now.

That's what Rio does, against her will. She's been inside the house longer than she'd like. Sometimes she needs to step out — take a soul or guide another — and when she returns, Agatha frantically questions her about her well-being.

Lady Death doesn’t need to eat, or sleep, or have random emotional spikes. But pregnant women do, and that’s what Rio is now. She refuses to admit how scary it's to have so many feelings at once.

Agatha has never seen Rio be more "human" in so many years as she's now, falling asleep carefree on the couch, trying to relax by focusing on the garden at the back of the house and nervously craving affection.

If there's one thing Rio had forgotten over the centuries, it was how much she loved it when Agatha cooked. Or maybe it's just the pregnancy hormones, she's not much sure.

Pregnancy symptoms are the. fucking. worst, and if Rio didn't respect pregnant women — which, in fact, she had done a lot since Agatha's pregnancy — now she would start to do so.

Agatha is always there, muttering a few: "See? when it was me..." and Rio can't help but smile. They're okay, strangely.

Morning sickness is the most common symptom, she staggers as fast as she can to the bathroom, feeling a little sick of herself, it's not normal for Rio to feel weak and fragile like a flower. But Agatha's there, the comfort of her arms and the softness of her words are nostalgic, "They're for the baby, probably."

If Agatha's pregnancy was brutal, Rio's is slowly torturous. Her belly is growing and everything has been uncomfortable, but it gets worse when the baby kicks for the first time.

It was on a stuffy night, when Rio had fallen asleep in the living room armchair, a half-open book lying beneath it, that Agatha dared to rest her hand on Rio's one month belly, and then the kick came with all the force it could muster.

Agatha was shocked, first by the kick, then by the fact that she could feel that there was more than just one baby there. She wondered if Rio, being who she is, had felt the presence of two souls forming inside her from the very beginning. Agatha had no idea whether she should cry her lungs out or faint from happiness on the carpet.

When Rio wakes up, Agatha is watching her lovingly, sitting on the couch, which makes her ask: "What's wrong?", and Agatha just replies that: "There's nothing wrong."

Author's note: I'll probably only post this fanfic in November, because of my exams (I have to do something with my life) and planning my birthday. I hope you enjoyed it!

[the-way-astray]

Keefe headcanons???

when keefe realized he could inflict, he had mixed feelings. on one hand, he always wanted to be able to. on the other, he can only really do it because his empathy's so strong and why is his empathy so strong? because of his mom's genetic manipulations. so like. he struggles with that

he takes longer than cassius to do his hair. look, i know canonically he makes fun of how long cassius takes to do his hair, but you know keefe takes longer then thirty-one minutes, let's be so for real here, anon. canon doesn't exist actually

anyway fitz taught him to do his hair, actually. they were experimenting and keefe liked that style so fitz taught him how to do it

speaking of fitz, they share a room in the elite levels. oh, but the elves don't really do sharing rooms because there's space enough for every- well, guess who doesn't care. that's right. me

keefe learned his . . . dubious use of empathy from his dad. when he was a kid, his dad would always read his emotions and then just casually tell his mom what he was feeling, so keefe learned to do the same thing and doesn't realize it's fucked up

fitz was the first one to call out that behavior but keefe still struggles with it

fitz keeps keefe in line. in my head

fitz is actually the one that won't let keefe touch his hair everyone has it flipped

this post is turning into a keefitz post lemme backtrack

keefe really likes the elvin equivalent of oranges/citrusy fruits and in unraveled if i don't see him intimidatingly eat a lemon like an apple i will simply perish

before the series started, he changed his hair and eye color all the time with elixirs from slurps and burps so he did know dex kinda even before sophie was in the picture

one time he dyed the tips of his hair black so he looked like a porcupine

he's one of those people that buries himself under the comforter even if it's like 150 degrees outside and inside (i think this is canon actually)

(spoilers for crooked kingdom whoopsie) you know that scene where they fall through the ceiling because they spilled really potent acid on the ground? keefe has definitely done that. that's why Nobody Goes To The Fifty-Sixth Floor Of Candleshade. there's just a gaping hole in the floor between the fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth floor

keefe decorated the rim of said hole with tiny chunks of lumenite he secretly shaved off his dad's statue and since his dad never goes to that floor he doesn't know about it

keefe performed the elvin equivalent of a satantic ritual with the hole (he was high on fathomlethes)

his favorite scent is sharpie. unfortunately he's never actually smelled it before. come on, shannon, give the people (me) what they want in unraveled

when he first heard about sophie (not from fitz) he thought she was a rumor

he's ridden verdi before once when grady made him do chores waiting for sophie to come home

he fell off. painfully

he has never baked ever not even once in his entire life. not ever. this is important to me

keefe and fitz are the epitome of the newest, hottest romance trope that's taken the book world by storm: baker x cannot bake for the life of them

keefe was the one that painted that vacker family portrait actually

della told fitz she wanted to commission a portrait of them to celebrate alden's recovery and fitz was like "i know just the guy"

fitz just didn't tell sophie that because he didn't want to ruin the mood during the flashback scene

remember when fitz said he went to the hekses place for a delivery once? actually alden took keefe too and keefe thought it was cool. yes i know canon says keefe wasn't there and thought it was gross but we ignore canon in this headcanon household

he tried to convince fitz to join his hair and eye color changing ways by changing his eye color to teal and hair color to brown but alas fitz refused to join him

oh shit i'm keefitz posting again

he only turned the lab table to silver because it was ugly he wouldn't have done it if it wasn't so crusty-looking why doesn't lady galvin appreciate his efforts no one understands him

he once showered in the elvin equivalent of orange juice

[yandere-fics]

(I put Eliza after Miriel because she's also a future leader of her area but let me know if you think I should have placed her somewhere else in the order. Nora is excluded because if her darling did not explicitly agree to date her then she would be content being close friends and just sabotaging anyone else her darling tries to date. Sawyer is also excluded because her scenario would be too similar to Nikki's except Sawyer would be a bit more amused by it and a bit more playful than Nikki.)

♡ How They Act With A Darling Who Doesn't Know They're Dating ♡

♡ It's very easy to not know you are dating Miriel or even that you're mates with her. Sure a supernatural randomly approaching you in the city should be a sign but there are alot of people in the city not even aware that elves have soulmates, you likely wouldn't know that unless you worked with elves and most in the city work closer to the outskirts to be with nature or work at the diplomat building on Miriel's team. And Miriel is a meanish boss, her employees rarely have time to chat and have fun with the others in the building so it would be hard to get close enough to one to get that information, meaning Miriel is the only one who could tell you that and she... forgot. ♡

♡ She just thinks you're shy which is why you're not showing affection towards her and so while she is very sad about this, she's happy as long as she knows deep down you really do love her because you spend all your time with her and even moved in with her and while she is sad you sleep in a seperate bedroom, at least she can sneak in at night and hold you. You do relax in her hold which means you must really love her at least slightly, though she always makes sure to leave before you wake up so you don't get embarrassed from shyness. ♡

♡ Despite how affectionate she is, she never actually lets you know where the both of you stand because she would have assumed it would be obvious based on the courting rituals she performs with you like making sure you smell exactly like her and growling at anyone who comes too close on your "dates", not to mention the dead bear she left on your doorstep once hoping you would make a coat out of it. (You didn't, you called pest control to take it away though they did advise you it was likely a gift and whoever sent it would be mad, you still made them get rid of it.) She thought you got the message because she licked all over your face every chance she could and she marked you the first day you met though you just thought she was fighting the urge to actually eat you and that the biting happened when she slipped for a moment and almost devoured you. ♡

♡ She does realize later she never actually said anything and while she is pretty sure you should know already, she remembers receiving advice from her elders before she left for training, warning her that having a human for a mate was extremely challenging, and then she starts to wonder if this exact scenario is what they were warning her for. So what does she do? State directly you are dating? Don't be silly, there's no need to do that when she can just bite out the throat of someone who asks you out in front of you just to make it clear where you stand with her! ♡

♡ When Kassien is being patient with you she doesn't make it obvious to you that the both of you are dating and she would prefer it to stay that way, she doesn't want you to realize, she wants to firmly slot herself in that place before she asks you out and makes it clear you're dating. She can't let you catch on until there's no way you'll say no when she asks you out. Of course any normal person would have realized this a long time ago but she does love how clueless you are, it makes it easy to spoil and treat you like her mate even before she's finally claimed that position. ♡

♡ Once her patience runs out however it's a much different story. She was all good just treating you like her mate and waiting for you to want to start dating her but you continue to not notice her advances. You might be a bit dumb but it's okay, she's just going to have to get that much more aggressive so you become aware the both of you are in fact dating. Though she also didn't tell you still so you probably still are left unaware because she is in fact a dumbass. ♡

♡ Nikki unlike some of the others on this list makes it clear from day one what your position in her life is which means that you have to be willfully ignorant or very naive to not know. She like "You're my future wife." and you're like "So like for tax purposes right?" At this point she's going to have to shove her tongue down your throat for you to realize and even then you might not realize. Nikki is just very confused by you not realizing, is this a human thing? Eventually she just comes to terms with the fact you want never realize the two of you are a couple and that's fine with her as long as she still gets to do all the stuff with you and you don't flirt with anyone else. ♡

♡ She may get out some literal children's books to explain to you what dating is if you're still not getting it. She's just very annoyed when you introduce her to people as your roommate and she says "Mate." to correct you but you're just like, "I know, that's what I just said." She is gritting her teeth so hard, eventually she does manage to get it through your head by leaving hickies all over you but she was rather annoyed that things had to be so much work when it could have just been simple. ♡

♡ You're trapped in her apartment so it is a bit weird that you don't recognize you're dating her and that she wants you as her girlfriend but she never explicitly says so and while she demands love and affection at every turn, she never said dating so you could just assume she's treating you more like you're her captive that she kisses and cuddles with. It's not like you're talking to anyone so you never felt like you should ask her to define the relationship either, it just is what it is. ♡

♡ She's very angry to discover you don't think of her as your girlfriend and you haven't this whole time but unlike the others she realizes she never did define the relationship so you're just confused and love her too, finally a yandere's delusionality is partially correct! She actually takes the steps to remedy this issue by taking your hands gently, as gentle as she can when she's so anxious, and declare you two are officially dating though this small label doesn't really change anything but she's glad you now realize this! ♡

[quitealotofsodapop]

Some Tang-y asks;

Both asks referencing; this previous about Tang realising his buddies are the Monkey King and the Six Eared Macaque + he's the godfather to their upcoming baby.

Tang is freaking tf out after the shock/fainting wears off. His academic career has revolved around the Journey to the West and connected mythology. Even as a lowly libarian who does mythology talks on the side, even he recognises that this is historical Iridium. He has *The People Who Were There* in his apartment (eating his chips)!!

Afterwards he has a moment of; "Oh gods, I've pretty much adopted the Monkey King." since he's been helping the monkeys learn how to read/write in modern chinese and generally giving Wukong life advice in the manner of a father-figure (all mid-twenty years of him).

And although he def shares all his secret wuxia and isekai fantasies with Macaque (fantasy nerd to theatre nerd communication); he certainly didn't expect to end up like This.

Tang knows he at least has a genetic link to the historical Tang dynasty - something he isn't really proud of since he's been kicked out by his parents. But with all the Monkey King stuff starting to pile up, he wonders...

Then he gets kidnapped by a firey toddler calling him "The Tang Monk", and is told to help out in a super specific ritual that requires the skill of an enlightened sage. Tang faints in the backseat of Red Son's mini-car when the penny drops. His frantic call to Pigsy straight afterwards is a babbling info-dump that sounds more like a cicada screaming.

Bonus ask!: Did Wukong *know* that Pigsy and Tang were reincarnations of his friends?

Sort of.

You see, after the Harbringer accidentally got sealed in Macaque (and the shadow monkey was still passed out); Wukong asked Guanyin to help him seek guidance from his old master - since he isn't exactly able to contact the Pure Lands himself. Guanyin tries calling up the Golden Cicada and... she appears to a confused, bleary-eyed Tang in the noodle shop at like 11pm. Even the bodhisattva is confused. Tang Sanzang/Tripitaka was supposed to be the last Golden Cicada incarnation. Tf is he hanging out on earth for?

Guanyin mentions this fact to SWK, and Wukong has a heart-stopping second of "Oh sweet buddha, Master is alive!!", before the goddess confirms otherwise. Wukong is super-confused, and a little disappointed, but really wants to seek out this new version of the GC even if for his own comfort. He's given a vague direction of where his master's soul is now residing, and the bodhisattva doesn't discourage him from following it. Wukong does hide his main reason for hiding in the city when Mac wakes up.

Eventually as the duo are ducking the sight of curious local demons/human (the meteorite and battle on the mountain def drew attention), Mac and Wukong bump into a strangely famililar face...

You see, after Tang literally glimpsed at the Goddess of Mercy, he became super-awake and rambled to Pigsy about his vision. Pigsy, despite being dismissive of most magic talk, thought that his suspicions of the meteor shower being a "sign" could be correct. The two went downstairs to eat/talk about what Tang's vision of Guanyin could mean.

Ironically, it's Pigsy who catches the monkeys walking down the street. He'd gone out to grab something from the convenience store and saw the two young, kinda skinny-looking, monkey demons arguing and trying to dodge the rain. The ginger-haired of the two shielding the darker-furred one with an old cape.

Pigsy has a moment of "No. No no no no. Good samaritan sh*t only gets you hurt." before he recognises something off about the two "kids" words. And with Tang's talk about having a vision of the Goddess of Mercy...

"Mihou": "This is all your fault!" "Wu": "How is it all my fault?!" "Mihou": "You put this... this thing in me! Now we've got no money, our magic isn't working, we can't go home, and we don't even have shelter for the night! I'm so..." *crying* "I have no idea what to do Wu..." "Wu", holding the other's face: "Hey, hey, it's ok Mihou. We'll figure this out." *presses foreheads together* "I won't let anything happen to you or the ki... guess it's too early at the moment. Egg, I guess?" *goofy, hopeful smile* "Mihou", sniffling: "You're so dumb."

They hear a cough beside them and turn. Wukong looks at the face illuminated by the neon of the storefront like its wearing a halo. It can't be!

Pigsy, holding grocery bags: "Hey... you kids sound like you're in a tough spot right now. If you need a roof over your head 'til the rain eases off, my restaurant is around the corner. Door's opened either way."

Wukong happily jumps at the offer, seeing the familiar glow of his pilgrim brother's soul resting warmly in the cook's body. Macaque is super sus of the situation; he kinda recognises the face infront of him but he just knows it isn't Zhu Bajie. The tired, sincere look on the demon's face is far too unalike the greedy gluttonous fool he'd seen getting his King into so much trouble. Just for now will he trust only his instincts - which at the moment wish for him to get dry.

Wukong sees it as a sign from the Buddha. Clearly someone is looking out for them. Even if this isn't Zhu Bajie, and the man inside the noodle shop isn't his master, then something in the Pure Lands or Diyu has shifted to allow them to reunite in this life - just in time for the King's heir responsibility to be brought into the world.

And then Pigsy ruffles his hair? Calls him "kid"? And then Tang is helping him with his writing? And telling him all the stories he's heard a million times in a way thats never boring?

Wukong feels queasy in a good way. He doesn't know how to describe it. He cries when he sees the silly mock shop logo he drew pinned to the corkboard by the kitchen - pinned amongst the pig-chef's most prized moments in his cooking journey. He doesn't know why he's crying but it feels like something he's been left out of for so long... thats the moment he decides that Pigsy and Tang (+Sandy) would be the godparents of the Egg. He just knows they'd all be great parents cus they already are.

[acheel-and-cat]

Hey guys! I think I’ve finished Vampire Monty. I’ve never been super great at writing endings so we’ll see how I did. Thanks to @eat-the-lemons for the idea, and my amazing proofreaders @parathepineapple and @exploding-mush00m! Tag list: @random-potato-mil! Past chapters: one, two,and three!

Enjoy!

They finally made it back to Port Townsend.

“Uh so, I died in the Esther’s house. I swear I’m not going to lure you to some weird trap,” Monty prefaced their investigation with a shaky smile.

“Alright then Monty, lead the way,” Edwin said. They walked to Esther’s house and into her kitchen before Monty stopped.

“Okay so I died about right here,” he told them, pointing to a small scattering of black feathers.

“Crystal, can you read these?” Edwin asked, handing her one of the feathers.

“Yeah, okay,” she assured, taking the feather. Her eyes turned fully white as she read the feather. After a moment her eyes returned to normal and she looked at Monty.

“Jeez Monty, Esther was a major bitch!” she exclaimed, “You plummeted down and died, but about thirty-ish minutes after, a cat jumped over your body? After that you turned back into a human, or a vampire I guess?”

“A cat? You said a cat? Why does it have to be a cat?” Monty questioned, remembering his ordeal with the Cat King.

“Edwin mate, cats are kind of your thing,” Charles joked, “guess we’re taking a trip to the old Port Townsend cannery.” They began their trek towards the cat’s lair.

“Oh wow, the whole gang is here!” The Cat King called, appearing behind the group.

“What did you do to me?” Monty yelled, walking towards the Cat King.

“My little birdie experiment worked,” the Cat King seemed rather pleased with himself.

“What did you do?” Monty asked again, his anger rising.

“All my interesting supernatural acquaintances left and all I had was Tragic Mick, who is not the gossipy type. So I tried a little ritual I had heard of: a cat jumping over a corpse to create an undead bloodsucker, aka, a vampire. I wasn’t quite sure it would work with our crow here, but it appears it did!” he told them, prowling closer to Monty.

“Why would you want to talk to me? Don’t you have other beings to pester?” Monty really didn’t want to be a pawn in the Cat King’s game, again.

“Do you people not listen? I told you I had no one else to talk to! Jeez, you guys suck at paying attention.” The Cat King sighed, “Either way, I’m sure you haven’t eaten anything yet, so here.” He gestured at a body at the foot of his throne.

“Oh calm down,” he responded to the horrified looks from the group, “this lady abused animals. She isn’t going to waste either, Monty here will take his fill of blood, and the rest will go to my cats. Go on birdie.”

Monty slowly walked towards the corpse. As he drew near, the coppery scent of her blood became overpowering and he found himself draining her quickly. When he turned back, he saw everyone staring at him. He self-consciously wiped his mouth and averted his eyes, staring at the floor instead.

“So case closed, I guess?” He started sheepishly.

“Nah mate. We can’t have any loose ends can we?” Charles interrupted, looking at Edwin.

“That is true. While we have now figured out what you are, we have yet to answer where you will be staying or how you will be getting food,” Edwin added before the Cat King stepped up.

“He could stay here. There are unused rooms in the cannery and I often bring fresh bodies for my cats.”

“Monty what do you think?” Crystal asked, looking to him.

“Um, I guess I’ll stay in Port Townsend. I have a job at the library and I might be able to fix up Esther’s house or maybe find a different house to live in.” He said after a few minutes consideration, “I suppose I will have to find food, but I will be alright. Thank you for helping me. What is your fee? We’ll have to stop by the house so I can grab some more money.”

“Monty you covered the fee by buying my plane ticket over here. Believe me, we’re all good.” Crystal told him.

“Oh, alright then. But can I take you to lunch? I want to see if I can still drink stuff, or if everything is off limits.” Monty explained, silently begging to be able to still drink coffee. Crystal laughed, “Of course Monty, let’s go to Fountain Cafe. Have you been there? I think it’s pretty nice.” Monty let Crystal continue talking as she lead him to the cafe. He looked back at the Cat King and smiled before taking a step towards his new life.

The end!

[zeldaelmo]

Congratulations on your two milestones!

Have fun:

“What do you mean you ate it?”

Hey B! Thank you for your prompt! This was fun. 😆 Thank you @flutefemme for betareading!

Imagine Link speed ran both games for this. He didn't do the tears quest apart from the one Impa half-dragged him into. Crack fic, kinda, takes place after the ending.

Of Rocks

Link peeks into the cooking pot and then back at Zelda who sits on a log and scribbles furiously in a notebook. He speaks up anyway; she usually gives him her attention if he keeps talking. Old habit from when he hardly got words out.

“I'll have to admit, I was a little confused earlier, you know, back with Rauru and… his wife. What did you say was her name?” He shakes his head to himself. Sometimes he thinks his memory took more damage than they thought.

“Sonia,” Zelda breathes absently and continues taking notes.

“Yeah, Sonia. Anyway, maybe you can tell me more about this Light Dragon thing.”

That makes her look up. She rubs her ink-stained fingers at each other, frowning when he underlines his words with the sign for ‘noodle’. Another old habit.

“Did it… swallow you?" he asks. "Kinda like the Calamity?”

The fire under the cooking pot pops and Zelda sighs like she always does when he brings stray animals home or weapons that are too good to be tossed away (they are!).

“You didn’t search for the geoglyphs, did you? Just like you ignored the pictures on the slate the first time. I even made them easier to find this time, they’re glowing in the dark and all.”

He narrows his eyes on her. “Zelda. You fell into the abyss when we accidentally stumbled over the mummy of the Demon King. You were gone. Poof, swallowed by golden light. So, no, I didn’t feel like searching for anything but you.”

She stares at him for a moment, but then she puts her notebook aside, and faces him fully. “The secret stone here”—she taps the golden, tear-shaped gem on her necklace—”it amplifies the powers of the wielder. It can also be used to perform a forbidden ritual that turns the wielder into a dragon who isn’t bound to the limits of time. Performing that ritual was the only way to heal the sword for you.” Her gaze searches the small clearing where they’ve set up camp on their way to Hateno. It's not far from where they fell from the sky.

Link points his thumb in the general direction behind him where the sword leans against his pack. “I got it, no worries. Didn’t forget how mad you were the last time when I rushed to the castle with a soup ladle.” He lifts the stew-covered one currently in his hand for good measure. Then, he mulls over what she said and tries to piece it together with the strange things that happened in the sky. Or realm. Might as well have been a different realm with the clouds, the hovering, and all that. He stirs the soup, watching her through his lashes. “So, the Light Dragon, that was you?”

“Yes.”

Now that answer came quicker than he had expected. “Huh.” He scratches his head. “So, the other dragons, Naydra, Dinraal, and Farore…”

“Were once priestesses who swallowed a secret stone to guard the springs eternally, yes.”

“Wait.” He leans the ladle against the brim of the pot and frowns.

“What do you mean, you ate it?”

“Well, it’s part of the ritual.” She crosses her arm in front of her, voice growing impatient.

Yes, yes, he should have tried to find more of the geo-thingies. They would probably have explained everything, but they've been through this before; he doesn't feel like dabbling when her life is on the line. And he didn't even have amnesia this time!

“So when you eat a stone that's fine but when I do it, you get mad?”

She blinks and blinks and blinks. He clicks his tongue. Seems like she has been mad at him so often that she can’t even remember it.

“Goronia,” he jogs her memory.

“Oh!” she calls and leaps up, the notebook toppling into the grass. “Oh, now that was completely different!”

“Is it now? You ate rocks, I ate rocks. Seems pretty similar to me,” Link says, unwrapping a dark clump directly in front of her eyes. His little diversionary tactic nearly works out when he drops it into the cooking pot and the whole content shifts to a dark blue, but she shakes off the urge to investigate.

“You ate the rock roast for sports. For me, there was no alternative to this measurement. I took the risk of losing myself entirely to give you a fighting chance!”

“Well, I saved diplomatic relationships with the Gorons, as you surely remember. And just for the record, it was a Rock Roast Flambé.”

“You are ridiculous and you know it.”

“Ridiculous, huh? The Princess of Hyrule causing a scandal by refusing to eat traditional food prepared especially for her? I saved your ass back then.” By now, he can’t help the grin tugging at his lips. Her eyes flash dangerously when he passes her a bowl of dark soup. "What?" He laughs. "It's true and you know it. Just admit that you're just as unhinged as I am."

"It was a sacrifice," she insists, blowing over her spoonful of blue soup. "For Hyrule. And you. Although you make me second-guess myself about the latter."

"Ah, come on. You seemed pretty happy to see me earlier although it has hardly been two weeks."

"Two we—" she starts, her spoon freezing mid-air and soup dripping back into her bowl.

"I know, I know, last time I only needed a couple of hours after I woke up. Rauru kept holding me back. Tricked me into thinking you were at the sky island."

"Well," she deadpans. "It sure felt like an eternity for me."

He knows he's missing something with the way she chuckles dryly, but she'll bring it up again later. He'll feel stupid for the things he said, then, but she says it's part of his charm, so he doesn't mind.

They eat in amicable silence, fire cracking and soup simmering. Farore buzzes in the distance, climbing the skies at her own, leisurely pace. Link's gaze follows her for a while, but then he turns back to Zelda.

"Did you chew it?!"

"Link!!!!!!"

[anticomedygarden]

can we give ourselves one more chance

Annabeth is having trouble adjusting after the giant war. What better way to attempt to handle her quickly deteriorating mental state than to get a dog?

title from 'under pressure' by queen

small tw: there is a semi-graphic panic attack starting at 'one hour earlier' and ending at the end of that section

also on ao3

this topic is really important to me. i hope y'all like it!

-

They build the shrine at the edge of the woods.

It's a simple design, just a fake stone sword stuck into the ground with the names of the demigods lost to the titan war. A similar one stands a few feet away for the giant war, but for some reason, Annabeth is inexplicably drawn to this one.

Objectively, she knows its placement is simply because it's an easily accessible spot while not being especially obvious; one can find it without searching, but they don't have to pass by it everyday. Emotionally, though, she can't help but see the symbolism. Light vs. dark, humanity vs. nature, society on the brink of unhindered chaos where the only barrier is the shrine. The only barrier is war. The barrier is Luke.

Annabeth isn't sure how she made it back here again, staring at the shrine, barely restraining herself from tracing Luke's name over and over until her fingers bleed with the weight of it. How close had they come to losing it all?

Now, it won't be long until the conch horn sounds, but she's not hungry. Just like yesterday. And the day before. And everyday since Tartarus.

She can't stomach the dining pavilion, anyway, not with Percy unable to eat anything substantial, either, despite the urgings of their friends, or to see the hole in the Hephaestus table where Leo should be. She can't bear to scrape more food into the fire and recite prayers to her mother only to be met with stony silence.

The conch horn sounds, and a warm body drops down next to hers. "Here again?"

It's become somewhat of a ritual at this point, Percy finding Annabeth here.

"I...don't know," she admits. He is the only one who gets to hear her say those words.

Sluggishly, he stretches his legs out in front of him as she leans against his side. "Me either."

They sit in silence for a bit.

Today, there are a few bouquets of flowers scattered around the shrines and some little trinkets. Someone has left a note that reads, We love you, Michael. Apollo cabin, most likely.

Percy asks her the same thing he's asked everyday since the end of the war.

"Any word from your mom?"

As usual, she shakes her head, and tries to ignore the ever present feeling of disappointment in her chest. "Your dad?"

Like the sea, Poseidon is less predictable. Some days - most days, honestly - the sea god doesn't communicate at all with his son. Some days, Percy is granted a whispered mind-to-mind conversation, tucked away in corners from Zeus' prying eyes and ears. Even fewer days, Poseidon comes directly to camp to see his son on the beach to make sure the bags under his eyes have gone down and he's still gaining back weight. More often than not, he is just as disappointed as Annabeth.

No matter what, it is still more than Annabeth has gotten from her mother.

Absolutely nothing.

"Yeah. He asked me how I was doing."

"And?" It is surely a lie.

"I said fine." Bingo. "What am I supposed to say, you know?"

She does know. Nobody wants to hear that the two most powerful demigods of their time are struggling, and the gods don't want to face their failures.

It isn't long before they change the subject.

"Mom thinks she found a school that will take me for senior year," Percy says, tone cautiously optimistic.

She beams. "That's great!" One step closer to NRU together. Now, Annabeth just has to broach the subject of boarding school in New York with her dad, not that she thinks he'd say no. No one really wants her in California.

He smiles sheepishly. "Yeah. It's called 'Alternate High School.' Apparently they specialize in kids with no other options." She almost starts talking about mortals and how stupid they are to not see how amazing he is, but he doesn't seem to care. "Whatever. I'm just happy they'll take me."

She throws an arm around her boyfriend's shoulders and kisses his jaw. "I can't wait."

They sit there for a bit longer, talking about nothing important, before it's time for campfire and then bed where they will both lay silently until morning without sleeping.

-

It starts like this.

Annabeth is dragging herself back to her dorm from Percy's apartment one day when she hears the unmistakable whine of a hellhound. Her fingers go straight for the drakon bone sword at her hip, and, before she knows it, she's turned around and slashed the great beast in half.

Just like that, it's gone. No fanfare; just a small shower of dust that coats the sidewalk, shimmering gold like cornflakes.

The mortals keep going as if nothing happened, and she supposes to them, nothing did happen. She knows she should keep going, too, or she'll miss curfew, but she can't get herself to move.

Instead, her sword tips our of her grasp, falling to the ground with a clatter. She didn't even give the dog a chance to do anything to her, just mercilessly cut it down, sent it down below to ruminate in that monster's body for the gods know how long. The sword may as well be her dagger, her hands Luke's as he kills himself, Percy's hands as he chokes Akhlys.

Annabeth falls to the ground with a sob, one thought circling in her mind.

I don't want to be a killer anymore.

-

Three days later, Annabeth throws her bag down on the Jackson's kitchen table and says, "I want a dog."

Percy pauses, a soapy bowl in his hands. "Okay...?" His eyebrows are furrowed in confusion.

"I already checked, and New York housing requires buildings to accept service animals. If they get picky about it, we can get the dog registered to you, but since I've been listing your apartment as my permanent address, it shouldn't be a problem. There's a Humane Society nearby. They spay and neuter and give all the shots for free-"

"Okay, okay, hold on," Percy interrupts, holding up a wet hand. "Not that I don't think this isn't a great idea, but is there a reason you've suddenly decided we need a dog?"

Annabeth shakes her head, because if she has to think about why, she'll have to think about everything else, and she doesn't want to think about everything else.

Of course, Percy sees right through her, and a second later, dry hands are cupping her face, a thumb tracing a tear she didn't know was there. "'Beth," he starts, "what's going on?"

She suddenly realizes that she's barely been holding it together the last three days, throwing herself into pet research and school work to distract from her fracturing mind, and gods, if one look from Percy doesn't unravel her completely.

"I just-" A sob breaks free from her throat, and several more follow. Tears cascade from her eyes like blood.

Like always, Percy is right there to press her face into his chest, picking up the pieces, staunching the flow, and all the other metaphors that had ever been used to describe a protector, and she could almost believe that neither of their bodies had ever been used to hurt, to kill, or to maim.

When the sobs finally taper off and the tears slow to a trickle, she manages to choke out, "We're supposed to be protectors."

He makes to pull back, but she digs her fingers into his shirt so she doesn't have to see the ever present bags under his eyes, mirrors of her own. With Sally practically force feeding them now that they're back in New York for the school year, she can't feel his ribs through his shirt anymore, but she knows that doesn't mean anything. They may not be living with constant reminders of what they've been through, but all that really means is they've found better distractions.

"What do you mean?"

She sniffles and burrows deeper into his chest. "We're supposed to protect people, but lately it just feels like all we're doing is killing things. I want to feel like I'm doing something good again."

One of Percy's hands comes up to stroke her hair. "You are so good. You do good things all the time, baby."

"I know," she says, though she becomes less sure everyday. "I still want a dog."

-

"Our dogs are in this room on both sides," the shelter worker, a young woman with coiled black hair, says, gesturing to the large open space to the left. "Their information packets should indicate everything you need to know about the dog. If you find one you want to have a one on one with, feel free to come up to the desk and ask."

Annabeth nods, attention already taken over by what can only be described as a warehouse floor of dog enclosures, each containing an adorable dog. She walks right in.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Percy asks as he allows her to pull him from cage to cage.

Annabeth isn't ashamed to admit that she researched dog breeds and took several personality tests to find which breed would best suit their lifestyle: highly trainable, active, protective, apartment friendly, good with young kids and, as they had just found out a few weeks ago, babies. However, she also knows that it's very difficult to predict the temperament of a rescue dog and even more difficult to find a purebred, not that pedigree is particularly important to her. "Ideally, a terrier or shepherd, but the most important things are trainability, activity level, and friendly with kids and babies." They stop in front of the first cage to see a little black and brown dog, not quite Yorkie looking but not really anything else looking either. Must be a mutt.

Percy holds his phone up to the information card to scan it through the translator app into Greek. "Bella. I am a spayed female Yorkshire terrier mix. Staff shelter think I am about 11 months old. I have been here for two weeks." Underneath that is a checklist of compatibility traits, color coded. Thank the gods. Annabeth looks at it while Percy attempts to pet Bella through the bars.

"Aww, babe, look," her boyfriend says, drawing her attention to the floor. Percy had somehow managed to reach the tiny dog who was splayed out on her back enjoying the treatment. "Do you wanna see her one-on-one?"

It absolutely breaks her but- "I don't think she'd be a good fit for us. She wouldn't be able to keep up, and under 'good with kids,' it says 'unsure.'"

Percy pouts a little but nods, and they move onto the next enclosure.

This one is a 2 year old medium sized black mutt, and again, it breaks her heart, but he's listed as bad with kids. Between Camp and Sally being pregnant, they just can't have that in the house.

They pass a few more enclosures, all amazing and adorable but just not right, before they get to a cage in the back corner with a white and brown dog sleeping on a cot. It's hard to tell how big the animal is because they're laying down, but a good estimate is medium to large.

As soon as they get to the cage, the dog stands up and trots over to the bars revealing a triangle shaped face, sickle ears, and a gorgeous off-white coat speckled with light brown that absolutely takes her breath away. Her original size estimate had been correct; the dog comes up to about her lower thigh. The fur is deep but not long; just imagining sinking her fingers into it makes her feel like she's getting a hug from Sally.

She crouches in front of the cage and jams her fingers through the bars, and the dog leans forward to sniff them. She holds her breath, and, a second later, the dog shoves they're face under her hand for pets, and her heart completely melts.

This dog better be good with kids because leaving them behind will break her.

Percy tugs on her shoulder, jarring her from the moment, and says, "Babe, look."

Following his index finger, the dog's bio reads, Luke. I am a neutered male Australian shepherd mix. Shelter staff think I am about 3 years old. I have been here for two months.

Luke.

Luke.

Luke.

Percy presses a kiss to her head before she even realizes she's crying.

She really needs to get a handle on that.

Gods, how did her life come to this? She's having some sort of mental breakdown/religious experience in a fucking animal shelter of all places because a dog has the same name as her dead friend.

Still holding on to her, Percy flags down a shelter worker. "What can you tell us about this dog?"

This shelter worker is another young woman, this time with straight green hair clutching a clipboard. She smiles sadly. "Luke's been with us for a while now. He's very active and is doing wonderfully with his training and is already potty trained." She stops there, fidgeting nervously.

"How did he get here?" Annabeth asks. It all sounds great, but the woman is clearly hiding something. She braces herself.

"Well, Luke is a second chance animal which means he was abandoned by his previous owner. That tends to make potential adopters nervous, but I can assure you that Luke is an amazing dog with a great temperament." She says the last part with conviction as if she's used to people doubting the temperament of second chance animals which, of course, she probably is.

Great. Now Annabeth is self identifying with a dog.

Percy pulls away from her then and reaches down to pet the dog who is staring up at Annabeth with wide brown eyes and a pink tongue lolling out of his mouth, somehow looking even cuter than before. He takes to Percy as fast as he took to Annabeth. "Do you know anything about the previous family?"

Do you know why anyone would do such a heartless thing as leaving their dog alone?

The woman shrugs, but Annabeth can see in her eyes the same anger she's feeling. "Unfortunately, we never actually met the previous owners, but there are a number of reasons people surrender their pets to shelters. Sometimes it's money problems, sometimes divorce, sometimes health issues, sometimes the previous owners die and the family can't take them in. Sometimes when people have kids, the pets don't get along with children or the children develop allergies. Occasionally, puppy mills and illegal breeders are busted, and the animals are sent here. You just never know with rescues what you're getting." It is clear from her words that the woman really cares about what she does, and Annabeth can't help but respect her. She knows from her research that shelter work is challenging and often depressing and discouraging, things Annabeth relates to hard.

A glance at Luke's chart tells her that he meets all their criteria down to activity level and protectiveness.

Percy looks up at her, and she nods. "We'd like to see him one on one if that's alright."

The woman looks absolutely incensed. "That's great!"

-

The one on one session only confirms what they already know, that Luke is the one they want. He runs right to them and climbs into their laps, alternating between licking them all over and demanding pets. His fur is exactly as heavenly as Annabeth imagined, maybe even more so. At some point, Percy steps out to call his mom because they can't adopt a dog when they're under 18.

It is around then that Annabeth learns the feeling of a dog licking peanut butter directly out of her hands is the best feeling in the world. She never wants the moment to end.

An hour later, they're back home at the Jackson's apartment following Luke around as he explores every inch of the place. He's hesitant at first, careful to not leave the general proximity of people but eager to get into places even Annabeth can't. (And won't. No human should have to walk through Percy's maze of dirty clothes.)

Eventually, they make it back into the living room, Paul relaxing on the couch and Sally doing something in the kitchen. He must have come in while they were following Luke around.

"Hey, boy." Paul puts his hand out, and the dog runs over to sniff him. "So this is the new family member?"

Annabeth nods, and she and Percy sit on the floor to get out dog toys. "His name's Luke. He's a 3 year old Australian shepherd mix."

Paul smiles as he scratches Luke's ears. "Well, he's very sweet. I think you two picked a good one."

Annabeth beams, and it is then she realizes that she hasn't thought about Tartarus or her parents or the wars or even school since she first saw Luke. "Me, too."

-

Annabeth never thought a dog could change her life so much, but laying on the ground in Central Park under the stars, a hand trailing through Luke's fur, she knows she could never go back to before.

See, she's laying like this, tracing constellations, technically illegally, because of a goddamn peacock.

One hour earlier

They are just taking a walk. Annabeth is just trying to take her dog on his nighttime walk. Why does she have to ruin everything? Why does she have to insert herself into every moment of their lives? It isn't enough that her actual mother refuses to acknowledge her existence, but Hera has to monitor her like fucking Big Brother?

Annabeth buries her free hand in her hair and tugs, near tears. Of course, senior year has just been too easy, apparently. Nevermind the all nighters and scholarship essays, the bullies and the nights she almost quits because it's too damn much.

Luke whines and pulls on his leash in an attempt to move Annabeth forward, but her eyes refuse to leave the blue and green bird in front of her. Then, the dog gives a particularly hard tug, and she stumbles forward, forced to either keep moving or get trampled in the throngs of people somehow still out at 9:30 at night in New York City.

Her eyes dart around to the people around her, sure that one of them is the marriage goddess in disguise. Why else would there be a peacock here?

Too distracted to notice where Luke is leading her, they somehow end up in Central Park which Annabeth only realizes when there is no one else to pick apart with her eyes. That still doesn't let her off the hook, though. Hera could be hiding as a bug or a bird or a fucking gust of wind for all she knows.

“Where are you?" she screams. "What do you want from me?"

She doesn't care that anyone could find her here, that she could get arrested. If Hera is around, Annabeth might as well be fucking dead. She should've known better than to try and escape the brutality of her world; did she really think a dog could save her?

"I don't want you here!" she yells. Then, falling to the ground, ass smarting in a way she'll certainly feel tomorrow, hands hitting the dirt with a thud, she whispers, "I don't want you here."

I don't want you here I don't want you here I don't want you hereidontwantyouhereidontwantyouhereIDONTWANT-

Something cold and wet presses into her palm, and she draws back involuntarily. It then pushes into her neck, her face, then over and over again it hits her cheeks. Something incredibly soft hits her right hand, and she feels something else wap her in the thigh.

Luke, she thinks, and for once, the name doesn't give her more anxiety. The dog.

Luke continues to lick her face as his tail thumps against her leg. Slowly, very slowly, she comes back to herself. The anxiety is still there, the fear that Hera is spying on her even as there's no one around, but other possibilities trickle in. Maybe it’s someone’s pet, or it’s one of the ones from the zoo that they let wander around. 

And she is cold. Always freezing after a panic attack.

But Luke helps with that, too. He stays in her lap, warming her with his fur and body heat until she gains the strength to pull her phone out of her pocket and text Percy to come get her. She would send an Iris message, but there's no rainbows here at this time.

Suddenly, it hits her. Luke can sense gods. They'd found out after an accidental run in with Demeter. If Hera, or any other mythical being for that matter, were around, Luke would have alerted her.

She snorts, then giggles, and it turns into a full on laughing fit, the kind that makes her stomach hurt and tears fall freely down her face. Maybe the tears are from before. Maybe they never stopped. Maybe she's been crying the whole damn time. It's all so fucking pointless.

She falls backward into the grass, Luke curling next to her, and stares up at the stars as they wait for her boyfriend to come get them because if she moves she'll surely disintegrate like a freshly-slain monster.  

-

The next time she's especially thankful to have a dog in her life is during the summer between senior year and the start of college when she and Percy are staying at Camp.

Some time in the night, Percy startles awake with a shout, pulling Annabeth from her own fitfull slumber. Before she can even sit up, Luke is on top of him and licking his face, whining as he paws at his neck. She watches as the terror on hier boyfriend's face drains into confusion and finally weary anxiety, and he doesn't even have time to reach panic.

When his breathing slows and Luke settles on his chest, Percy turns his head to her and says, "I'm so glad we got a dog."

She smiles. "Me, too."

-

Annabeth winds through the streets of New Rome, black dog leash clutched in one hand. Luke cuts a handsome figure in front of her in his little service dog vest, drawing stares and mournful looks as people realize they can't pet him.

They'd started training him as a psychiatric service animal pretty soon after adopting him, so she is pretty used to it at this point, but it never fails to amuse her.

Finally, they make it to the restaurant, some Italian place Thalia picked out. The dark haired girl spots her quickly and waves her over.

"Hey," Thalia greets. She's seated at one of the outdoor tables with a big green umbrella over it, tipping their whole area into pleasant shade.

"Hey, it's so great to see you," she says, partially unbelieving that those words just came out of her mouth in a truthful manner and not as an overly polite greeting to someone she hopes she'd never have to see again. Like her stepmom, for instance.

"You, too."

Annabeth picks the menu up off the wiry black table, pointedly not wondering how much longer she'll be able to look at her oldest friend without Thalia looking like her youngest friend. "How have you been?"

Thalia swirls her straw in her water. "Pretty good," she answers, and seems to mean it. "We followed a monster all the way up into northern Canada last month and didn't even kill it."

Annabeth laughs. "Really?"

Thalia rolls her eyes. "You know how Lady Artemis is. If it's not hurting anyone or damaging the ecosystem, she says leave it."

After the year Annabeth's had, it's incredibly refreshing to hear, though she can't help but feel a little bitter that Artemis can talk to the hunters but Athena can't say one word to her daughter (the daughter that saved her ass). "So you went up there for nothing?"

Thalia slings a leather clad arm over the back of her chair, metal bracelets clinking. "I wouldn't say nothing. We saw trees older than the gods and thicker than Ares." Annabeth's nose scrunches at the comparison, and Thalia laughs. "We saw millions of stars every night. Do you know what the Milky Way looks like?"

Annabeth shakes her head, knowing only what she's seen in books. Light pollution truly is a bitch.

"Gods, it's so beautiful, you can't even breathe. There's so many colors. It's like staring into the face of - well, not a god, because that kinda sucks, but something amazing." Thalia gestures vaguely, and Annabeth is briefly blinded by the idea. Seeing something greater than the things she has already seen. Standing under a sky unburdened by human defacement and finding something so beautiful the Ancient Greeks made an entire myth for the creation of it. Her heart seizes, and she yearns. "Seriously, I'll show you sometime."

Suddenly, Annabeth isn't in New Rome anymore but a town square somewhere along the Eastern seaboard. 12 year old Thalia is telling her about her cross country travels, little Annabeth hanging onto every word, and Thalia laughs and says, "I'll show you sometime."

Back in the present, Luke the dog rests his head on her thigh and barks, sensing her increased uneasiness. She pets his fuzzy head. "It's alright, bud."

A waiter comes by and takes their orders, Thalia ordering a pizza because her and Percy really are exactly alike, and Annabeth ordering spaghetti because seeing Thalia makes her miss being seven.

Thalia leans in. "So what prompted you to get a dog?"

Annabeth gulps and figures there's really no reason to lie to Thalia. "PTSD. Guilt. Nightmares. Pick a reason, honestly."

Thalia nods in understanding. "Some of the girls have service animals, especially the newer ones. They really do help."

Annabeth assumes by 'have service animals', Thalia doesn't mean legally. "Yeah, it's amazing." Looking down at Luke, she can't believe how much he's helped her, and Percy, too. They rarely wake up screaming anymore, and when they do, he is right there to take care of them. "He can sense when we're panicking now, or even just when anxiety spikes."

She rubs his ears and leans down. "Can't you, boy? Yeah!" His tail thumps against the ground in excitement.

She sits back to see Thalia with a wide grin on her face. "What?"

Thalia points at the dog. "You know, it's kinda like you two adopted a kid together."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "I highly doubt a kid would be able to help me through a PTSD induced flashback."

"Whatever. You and Jackson have a kid."

Annabeth's retort is lost as the waiter comes by to deposit their food.

As they chew, Thalia looks at Luke again.."What breed did you say he is?"

"The Humane Society said he's an Australian shepherd mix," Annabeth says, twirling a noodle onto her fork.

Thalia snorts. "There is no way in hell there's no pitbull in there."

Annabeth brightens. She'd actually come across this in her research. "Sometimes, shelters don't list traditionally aggressive breeds because they're harder to adopt out, and because if they become banned - which has happened before - the dogs can't be taken away. It's the same principle as big dogs being cheaper than small dogs."

Thalia stares for a moment, then looks furious. "I really hate mortals."

"Yeah, but at least some of them are fighting." It's as good a reason as any to hold onto hope.

They lapse into silence a bit as they eat their food.

"Luke." His head snaps up, and Annabeth feeds him a piece of bread.

Thalia makes some odd kind of aborted snort noise. "You named him Luke?"

Annabeth's eyes widen. She thought for sure she told her friend her dog's name before. "That was his name at the shelter."

"Good." Thalia visibly relaxes. "Wow, that's practically meant to be."

Annabeth isn't ready to brush off her reaction just yet. "Why would it be so bad if I named him Luke?" Obviously, she never would've done it herself, but she wants to know why Thalia is so horrified.

Thalia heaves a sign and sets down her pizza. "During the Titan war, I was constantly worried you were building him up in your head, remembering those two weeks as bigger than they actually were." Annabeth opens her mouth, but Thalia holds up a hand. "You were seven; I wouldn't have blamed you. I was just always afraid you would think of him as this great, amazing guy when in reality, he was...just a guy."

Annabeth's mouth gapes slightly. "Were you afraid I would join his side?"

Thalia's eyes widen. "No, I just didn't want you to start to think of him as a martyr. He was just a guy who fell to the wrong side."

Annabeth doesn't entirely understand what she's getting at, but she nods anyway, and they continue to eat and chat.

When it's time to leave, though, Thalia puts her hands on Annabeth's shoulders and says, "We only spent two weeks together on the run. They were two very important weeks, and you were very young, but please don't make us out to be more than we were." When she sees the dawning pain in Annabeth's eyes, she says, "I love you, and I will always love you, and so would Luke if he were still here. But we made mistakes. We let you down. Don't forget that, okay?"

Annabeth nods, still not entirely what the point is. She doesn't think she's been building them up in her head. Every Greek demigod in the US knows who Luke is and what he did; it would be impossible for her to forget.

But maybe she sometimes forgets what he did to her.

"I love you," Thalia says one last time. "See you soon."

"I love you, too."

-

Two months later, over a year after the giant war, Athena finally decides to speak to her daughter.

The wisdom goddess finds her on the beach of Camp Halfblood snuggled up next to Percy with Luke at their feet. It's winter break, and she couldn't be happier.

'Couldn't' being the key word. She could definitely be more happy now.

"Annabeth," she says. There is no tone, nothing to give a clue as to the reason of her visit. Luke starts barking, warning her that this isn't a nice visit.

"Mother?" she asks. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I not have a nice conversation with my daughter?" She raises a brown eyebrow, and Annabeth, frankly, has had it.

"A year ago, maybe. What do you want?" Next to her, Percy sucks in a breath, and Luke continues to bark.

"I'll let that slide because it's been so long, but you will not speak to me like that again," Athena says, dark brown hair lifting in the sea breeze.

A year ago, Annabeth might have considered listening, but a year ago, she still had hope that one of her parents might love her. "I'll speak to you however I damn please."

Percy grips her arm tighter as if he wouldn't say the exact same thing. "Annabeth, maybe you should-"

"I don't remember asking for your input, sea spawn," Athena hisses. "I came here to have a mature conversation with my daughter, but it seems I came in vain."

The sand tickles Annabeth's bare feet when she stands. "I'm the immature one? You're the one who ignored her daughter for a year after she saved your ass from insanity." Behind her, Percy stands as well, shushing Luke.

"As soon as you're ready to speak with me like an adult, you can have your time with me."

Words surge behind her shut mouth, something about how she was and is still a child despite what Olympus seems to believe, or that her "time with Athena" is about a year too late and she doesn't really care anymore. "Fine."

Athena clasps her hands in front of her. "You must stop this outlandish behaviour."

"What behaviour?"

"Concerning the Castellan boy."

"What-you mean my dog?"

Athena sighs. "I mean your insistence on honoring him in everything you do. I could tolerate it when the war was still recent in mortal terms, but this is getting a bit ridiculous, don't you think?"

Stupidly, Annabeth can still only think of the dog, though she's sure Athena is referencing other instances. "I didn't name him."

The goddess sighs again. "I am not talking about the dog, though that is an unfortunate coincidence. I am talking about the shrine, and the statue you plan to build, and your continued prayers for his swift and easy path through the underworld even two years after the fact."

Annabeth waits for more, but apparently that's it. "The shrine honors all of the demigods who died in the wars, and the statue is a reminder. I'm not sure how you think my prayers are a negative, but it's nice to know you've been getting them all this time."

Athena's eyes flash. "You say the shrine is for everyone, yet you only seem to pay attention to the one name, and I for one, don't need a reminder, not with this one's-" she points to Percy "-demands."

This argument is clearly going nowhere. "Aren't you the goddess of wisdom? Don't you know 'those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it'?"

"Yes, but you are not remembering the past. You are turning your traitor friend into a martyr."

Again, Annabeth might have fallen for her words had it not been for her conversation with Thalia. "You only think that because he pointed out the gods' flaws, flaws you are doing a pretty fucking good job of showing off right now. I know Luke wasn't a martyr, but the more you act like this, the more you make him into one."

Athena steps closer to Annabeth, close enough she can see the goddess' individual eyelashes. "Listen, girl-"

Abruptly, a wave crashes to shore, loud and disruptive, throwing them into ankle deep water. Athena jumps backward. "Stop this! You cannot scare me with water."

Annabeth turns to Percy whose eyes are wide. "That wasn't me!"

Another wave, bigger than the first, hits the sand, and realization dawns on Athena's face alongside horror. She turns to the sea. "Poseidon, you dare put my own daughter under your protection?"

This time, a slower wave climbs up the beach and leaves, revealing a bunch of seashells arranged to spell the word 'YES'. In a flash, the dark haired goddess is replaced by an owl and flaps away, up and up and up until Annabeth can't see her anymore.

She turns to Percy who looks just as bewildered as her.

He clears his throat. "Uh, what the fuck?"

Amnabeth shrugs. " I have no idea."

They sit back down as they had been before Athena dropped in, snuggled together with Luke at their feet.

She should probably be sad and maybe even offended that Athena doesn't believe in her anymore, but she just can't bring herself to care. She had made peace with the fact that she would never have the picture perfect parents that love her, or even really like her, a long time ago. She was building up to the life she deserved, and carving out little pieces of that life in the people she loves was good enough for now. She was only 19; she had a lot of life left, and she still had a lot of healing. This wasn't the end of anything.

Good riddance. She has her family.

And, as night turns into day, they watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, clutched in each other's arms, ready for whatever comes next.

-

everything in here is extensively researched or i know from my own experiences. adoption and dogs are really close to my heart. i'd link the sources but there's so many that i've gathered for essays, presentations, etc., throughout so many years that it would take me hours. if you spot something i got wrong, please let me know!

edit 11-19-23: I changed all the mentions of Luke being an ESA to a service animal or service animal in training because being an ESA basically just means someone paid for the certification and has a doctor's note, and they are not actually trained for anything. In this case, Luke is a psychiatric service dog trained for things like deep pressure therapy, buffering, room searching, etc., because he helps his owners with PTSD. Check abetternameneeded 's comments on ao3 for more info, and/or these two articles: https://www.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/ https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/psychiatric-service-dog/#psd-tasks

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Love Song for a Vampire Pt.25

Pairing(s): Edward Cullen x Wolf!Reader

Warnings: none

Words: 1996

Part 1    Part 2    Part 3    Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20  Part 21  Part 22  Part 23  Part 24  Part 26  Part 27  Part 28  Part 29  Part 30  Part 31  Part 32  Part 33  Part 34  Part 35  Part 36  Part 37  Part 38  Part 39

Giving you and Edward privacy, Evita goes back to the bonfire. She does give one last look to the vampire, as if wondering if it was okay to leave you alone with something like him. Regardless, Evita leaves, carrying her bag that held the ritual items she would have used.

You watch her figure join the bundles of trees just to make sure she was heading in the right direction. Satisfied that she’d find her way safely, you turn to Edward who offers his hand out to you. “Care to join me for a walk?”

Hesitant fingers slide along his cold hand. Your body temperatures were solar opposites. The two colliding sent a rippling tingling that started from your palm and up your arm. Edward felt it too as he his body jolts slightly from the sensation.

“Alice called you?” You ask as you fall into step alongside him. “She said you were at Bella’s with the Denalis.”

He nods. “Yeah. But I told them there was somewhere I needed to be. Alice was freaking out. I think I freaked out a little bit more. . .”

The gentle singing of the river gets closer the further you and Edward delve into the forest. Leisurely you bump into one another in a soothing rhythm, wandering with no real destination.

“How is she doing? Bella? I saw her sometime ago and we had lunch.” You hadn’t gained the courage to call her yourself. While the two of you had spoken in a civil manner, you were still uncomfortable with the thought of ringing her up yourself. Jacob wanted friendship to blossom between you and Bella, but it was too soon for that. Especially with Edward making a stance and choosing to go after you.

“Healthy. Healthy and safe.” That was all he ever wanted for Bella. You nod and move to continue along the riverbank but Edward stops you. “Wait. I know we’re fated to be together, but I feel like there is still so much I don’t know about you. You probably know more about me.”

What was there to know about you? Before turning into a wolf, your life had been normal. So normal that it could border on being mind painfully boring. A life of rinse and repeat. Wake up, go to school, come home, do homework, then go to bed to do it all over again the next day. Occasionally on the weekends your small family might go out for a refreshing hike or even fishing.

Going on to tell Edward of your simple life on the reservation, you describe your mother and father; both hard working people and yet always generous to those who had even less n than you did. Like when Harry Clearwater died, they made sure Sue and her kids were fed for weeks. Your mom would stay up late preparing casserole dishes and other easy to heat up meals so that Sue wouldn’t have to worry about her family eating. They even picked up Seth (along with the others) for carpool.

Never wanting them to worry more than they needed to, you tried your entire childhood to be a good kid. Being a wolf though changed that. Now constantly worried about your wellbeing, all you could do was give them hollow promises that you would be safe. That was not the job of a Quileute wolf though. Combating danger was. And fighting vampires guaranteed that you were never safe.

“Do they know about me?” Hesitantly he brings up the imprinting. Unsure of how much your parents really knew about your others life.

Pursing your lips, you relent. “To an extent. They don’t really know imprinting itself but they understand that something is going on between us, whatever that may be. But they don’t know what you or the rest of your family are. Just that you’re descendants from the stories that we tell of the Cold Ones.”

Not it mention that they probably thought you still had a crush on Embry. Your parents saw it immediately when both of you were small children. Their giggles could be heard whenever you and Embry hung out and they were home. Worse was when Quil threatened to tell Embry at one point if you didn’t do whatever he said. That threat didn’t hold up when your hurled your small body at him and pinned him to the ground; hissing that you would spit in his face right then and there if he promised to keep it a secret.

“You know, I still don’t know much about you either. I know that you were the first vampire Carlisle created, but nothing else.” What you really wanted to know was what was his life like when he was a human. But you realize how sensitive that topic could be. His human family was definitely dead by now.

His gaze warms thoughtfully. When he spoke, along with fondness came the sting of sorrow. “Before Carlisle saved me from the Spanish influenza, I grew up in Chicago with a vacant father and a loving mother. Nothing particularly exciting happened during that time. I was seventeen when my mom and I got sick.”

That tender smile twitched downward for a split second at the memory of his mom and the day he became an immortal. You couldn’t imagine losing your own mother the same day you discovered you could live forever.

Edward notices the sad gleam on your face and he makes sure to lift his lips back up into an easygoing grin. “Don’t be sad. I’ve had many decades to mourn and grieve and really understand the opportunity she wanted me to have. With this life I was able to get not one, but two medical degrees, learn a handful of languages, and so much more.”

He truly had lived much longer than you. You were still the young and naive age of sixteen despite looking like a full grown adult thanks to the wolf transformation.

“That’s incredible. I’ve never been out of the state of Washington.” You bemoan and pick through the rocks that lined the slow trickle of water.

He laughs a little. “You still have plenty of time to change that. I never left Illinois when I was human either. There was the option of boarding school out of state, but I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my mom alone.” Edward sits down along the bank with a sigh and leans his head back. The sky was already a dark blanket with stars embroidered into it. His skin nearly glowed in the starlight.

You wouldn’t learn everything about him in one single night. For now, this was enough.

**

Evita couldn’t help but release a relieved breath as she walked out of the thick of trees and back to Sam Uley’s house. Happy that she didn’t have to perform a life changing spell like that. While she was more than capable, there were a lot of things that could have gone wrong for her to intervene with strong forces. Edward and (y/n)’s differences may prove to be challenging, almost to impossible, but Evita had a good feeling that things would work out for them in the end. Patience and communication was required on both sides. (Y/n) had a good head on her shoulders though. At least from what Evita could see from the short amount of time they had known each other.

Already Evita could see the orange glow of the bonfire and hear many voices reveling. For a second, she felt a ping of homesickness. Being among the warmth of a close knit community had her longing for her family. She wouldn’t be able to go home for quite awhile. There was much work to do here. Her mother had understood the duty she felt and commended her daughter.

Most of the seats closest to the fire were already taken by other members of the pack and elder’s council. There was one seat however that was still empty. Next to the only other female wolf.

Leah right?” Evita walks up to her and points to the plastic folding chair propped next to her. “Is it okay if I take this seat?”

The she-wolf flicked her dark umber eyes over to the witch, nodding her consent silently. Leah observed Evita carefully as she sat. “Where’s (y/n)?”

Grinning, Evita looked back over her shoulder at the forest. “Thought I would let her and Edward have some privacy as they talk.”

That seemed to make her draw even further into herself. “I thought I smelled a leech.”

“Oh? What do vampires smell like to you?” She innocently asked with a cock of her head. Leah had never paused to really describe a vampire’s scent.

“Grossly sweet.” Was all she could find to explain.

Humming with thought, she leans back in her chair, her view filled with the laughing faces of the younger members of the pack and the thoughtful ones of the elders. “How funny and odd this world is.”

Leah didn’t think it was funny at all. More like some cruel joke that she would never get the hang of. In every single way, this whole wolf thing had royally messed up her life. There was no solace she could take.

She knew that if she told Evita about Jacob imprinting on her, that Evita wouldn’t find the world quite so funny.

It was on the tip of her tongue as bitterness nearly won her over. Evita was genuine though and only wanted to get to know the pack better. She was willing to protect them with her magic after all.

Gulping back whatever sour thing she could have said, Leah asked her “Was this your first time encountering vampires?”

“Yes. They weren’t quite as I imagined. A visiting witch came to our house one day and told us about them. How terrifying it is to be in front of one. Even of the massive coven called the Volturi.”

(y/n) had mentioned them too. If they were enough to make the Cullens fear them, then they must be a big deal.

Her concern was palpable and Evita told Leah reassuringly “Like I told the rest of the pack, I’ll do my best to protect everyone here in Forks. I just might need to call in one more person. . .”

Eyebrows lift quizzically, Leah sits up a little straighter. “Another witch?”

She nods. “I would have preferred my grandma to come, but she’s too old for traveling and my mom is too busy taking care of my sisters. There’s someone else I know. Thing is they’re in Haiti right now so it would take a while for them to fly here.”

“You don’t think you can do it by yourself?”

“I can make all the wards myself, but I won’t have enough energy to install them strategically around Forks. I would ask the pack to help me, but they need to have a proper knowledge of magic that would take me months to teach. And with the informants that the Volturi possess, who knows how long we have until they know about this Bella girl.”

Anxiety would have besieged Evita, it should have from all the responsibility. She was good under pressure though and knew that she shouldn’t waste her time worrying. Leah watched the expression of determination calm the witch’s features. Even if it was just herself, she would do the best she could.

“Calling your friend is always worth a shot. . .” Leah murmured; Evita’s beaming confidence was contagious. “You never know. Like you said, the world is odd and funny. They might be able to make it if they plan properly.”

Evita shot Leah a bright smile. “You’re right! I’m going inside to call her.”

Knowing she could offer appreciated assistance, Leah grins to herself and glances over at the dancing flames. Her rigid demeanor softened and one could say she was at peace with herself for but a moment.

——————————

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[beeloovedd]

Can you write more about Phantom and his OCD? Maybe the others notices him struggling. Really liked the one the one with phantom’s thoughts.

-Anon

Hiiii sorry this took so long lol.

Thank you for the request 💕

Quick note: these are me projecting my current compulsions and this is written as a part 2 to the first fic 💕

Warnings!!: OCD, Compulsions, phantom pretending he's ok when he's not. A quick kiss on the cheek

Phantom sighs as he finishes getting his coffee ready.

He sips it then smiles as it tastes perfectly sweet

He picks up his cup then moves to sit on the couch on the other corner from Swiss.

"You ok?" Swiss asks with slight concern on his face.

Phantom nods "Yea just tired" he says with a smile as he takes a sip.

Swiss raises an eyebrow but nods as he goes back to watching the TV.

Dew moves over to get more comfortable and hides his face in Swiss's neck.

Phantom giggles quietly and Swiss rolls his eyes with a smile.

Phantom takes another sip, gently tapping the top him of his cup to the forehead while counting in his head.

Eventually he takes the sip and goes to put the cup back down in the coffee table but he lifts his arm then lowers it but doesn't put it down yet.

He does it for about 4 times then eventually puts the cup down.

Then he picks it back up and puts it down then finishes the little moment and relaxes back into the couch, he glances at swiss only to see swiss looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Are you sure your o-" swiss says before he gets cut off by the Ghoulettes coming out of Aurora's room laughing loudly.

"How did you manage to get nail polish on in your forehead?!"

Aroura says while laughing. Cirrus rolls her eyes while still also laughing.

Cumulus chuckles at the two and pours more coffee into her cup.

"Well if you let me paint your nails then the polish wouldn't be on your forehead" Cumulus says with a playful smirk and small laugh.

"Hey I'm good at doing nails!" Cirrus says while playfully poking Cumulus's shoulder.

Phantom giggled and Swiss laughs.

A few hours later and after a lot more little off rituals and swiss being skeptical about if phantoms really ok, Dinner is ready and all the ghouls are sitting at the ghouls den table.

It's Swiss's turn to cook tonight and he made enchiladas.

The food is amazing and Phantom begins to eat then puts down his fork to take a drink but of course, it's not that easy to put a fork down apparently.

He taps the fork gently against the table while counting in his head then after 5 tries he finnaly finishes.

He shivers slightly then looks around to make sure no one noticed. Everyone's still eating and talking away then he spots swiss looking at him concerned.

Phantom flashes a small smile to make it seem he's ok.

Thankfully, the rest of dinner goes smoothly, amazing food, no one noticing, And again, amazing food.

All the ghouls finished their dinner and now Mountain and Swiss are washing the dishes while talking about Swiss's recipe, Cirrus, Sunshine and Dew are making popcorn and Cumulus, Aroura and Rain are getting the couch ready for the movie night.

"Hey bug? You gonna watch the movie with us?" Cirrus says as she sits down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and sunshine steals a piece.

"No, not in the mood for a movie tonight really, You guys have fun though" Phantom says with a smile while also walking up and stealing a piece of popcorn.

He grabs the piece then looks down and sees another piece pointing out to him, he gets it.

It feels wrong, not the right number. He gets 3 more pieces, now having give pieces of popcorn.

Cirrus doesn't seem to mind, her, Dew and Sunshine are too busy grabbing handfuls out and Cumulus picks out little pieces and throws them at Aroura for her to catch them in her mouth.

Phantom smiles then eats his popcorn and walks off to his room, he can feel Swiss's energy, concerned. He gets to his room closes his door.

Pressing his back against it then touches the wall and his dresser, he taps it twice except on one he accidentally taps the poster on his wall instead of the wall.

He sighs and closes his eyes then taps the door while counting to 10. .

Then he tried again, he taps the wall twice then taps his shelf once then taps his bed twice.

Finnaly he's done with that and he can lay on the bed. He sighs and relaxes onto the bed, exhausted mentally.

He closes his eyes and puts his arms on his stomach.

Fortunately his relaxing mind break gets interrupted by a knock on the door.

He opens his eyes and sits up and another knock hits the door gently.

"Hey ant, if your not busy I wanna talk with you" Swiss's voice says from the other side of the door.

Phantom takes a deep breath, a tinge of anxiety now flowing through his head, he gets up then opens the door.

"Hey Swiss, aren't you watching the movie" Phantom asks confused and still anxious.

"Eh, they're watching Mean girls again" Swiss says as he steps inside the room and closes the door behind him.

Phantom laughs smally and swiss chuckles before sighing and look at Phantom up and down.

"Are you ok?" He asks, the concern clear in his voice.

"Uh yeah? Why" phantom asks, anxiety clear in his voice.

"You've been.." Swiss thinks for a second "acting off all day, what's going on in the head of yours?" He asks as he ruffles phantoms head.

Phantom blushes out of embarrassment and quickly tries to scramble up an answer.

"What do you mean? I'm fine Swiss, really" he says with a smile.

"I wasn't born yesterday phantom" he laughs then sighs and gently grabs phantoms hand and guides him over to sit on the bed.

"Tell me what's wrong bug, clearly there's something your hiding and it worries me" Swiss says gently but concerned.

"I- uhm.." phantom begins then looks away.

What was wrong with him?

Why did he have to do things a certain way?

Why was he different?

"I...don't know" he says quietly as he realizes he doesn't even know.

"Well....here, why do you keep taping and doing things a number of times? Can you at least give me a bit of answer and we'll figure it out from there?" Swiss asks as he runs his thumbs over the back of phantoms hands.

"I don't know.. I-its just wrong if I don't, like if I don't something b-bad is gonna happen! Or I do it without realizing" he says quietly.

"Ah, I see, I get it. OCD, that's what you most likely have, do you want to go see Aether and Omega in the infirmary? They can let you know for sure?" Swiss says with a small smile.

Phantom shakes his head quickly, yes he loves Aether and Omega but what he doesn't love is the infirmary. The energy is off, it makes his stomach hurt and it makes the thoughts and feelings worse.

"They're something wrong with me?.." phantom says quietly "OCD.. what's that?".

Swiss quickly cups his cheek with one hand and holds and caresses his other hand.

"There is nothing wrong with you phantom.

You're an amazing beautiful ghoul" swiss days as he caresses Phantoms cheek and phantom smiles.

"Here, how about after Aether finishes his work in the infirmary I'll shoot him a text and he'll come over and explain what OCD is ok? Untill then, how do we feel about mean girls?" Swiss says with a playfully smile and gets off the bed.

Phantom nods then smiles with a giggle.

"Sure" he says as gets off the bed too.

Swiss smiles and kisses his cheek then they make their way for the movie night.