#though you know who fits all these characteristics too? BIG

[true-blue-sonic]

Because it's a rule that Silver befriends yellow eyed serious purple people with strong senses of justice that means that Silver would somehow be friends Thrash The Tasmanian Devil

I do not know what it says about me that I have no recollection of ever seeing that character before nor know what franchise he is from😅

*one internet search later* okay but what the actual FUCK was Archie smoking

Silver could try and befriend him? I guess?? I feel like Silver would sympathise with his whole situation?? And he can probably relate to the black-and-white "all these people bad, no exceptions' mindset that Trash seems to have. But in the same vein, he also would not let Trash hurt his friends, of that I am certain. I dunno if they could hit it off so well, though, haha! Trash might be too hot-tempered at any given moment compared to Espio's and Blaze's usual calmer and more collected demeanour.

[lis-likes-fics]

The Sound of His Voice

Pairings: Spencer Reid x agent!Reader Word Count: 3k words Warnings: Descriptions of crime scenes/vague gore, mentions of death and murder, standard Criminal Minds stuff, fluff otherwise... A/N: I started watching CM a while ago and now I can't stop so enjoy this. There will be more, I dunno when. (Should I be working on my months-in-progress-wips? Yes, I absolutely should. Am I? Mostly. I'm trying my best)

Morgan rubs his temple, digging his fingers into the side of his forehead as he shakes his head. Tapping his pen on the desk, he tosses down his file. “But here's what I don't get,” he says, drawing the attention of the rest of the team. “If the unsub thinks of his victims as prey, even going as far as to torture the victim, why go through all the trouble of tucking them into bed?”

Hotch looks back at the picture in his own hands, where he had been analyzing the scene for the hundredth time in search of something he missed the first hundred. He shrugs, “Tucking them in can usually indicate signs of remorse.”

JJ motions to the pictures. “Yeah, but look at this guy. Does this look remorseful to you?”

You lift a shoulder, leaning back in your seat and crossing your arms. “Could be a second unsub.”

You are a relatively new addition to the team. It was your fifth case with them, but they already treated you like part of the team, like family. It was easy to sink into the ebb and flow of everything, especially when they trust your skills and instincts and let you know when you're doing something wrong so you know not to do it again.

But this case was difficult. Your unsub had a strange profile: an organized, white male, with surgical experience and the MO reminiscent of a cat. He kills men and women alike, and the only connection between his victims have been their smaller statures.

The age range itself was too wide, though there was a slight reoccurrence of ages between 25 and 35. But it was still too wide, either way, not enough to work with.

He ties up and tortures them before finally ending their lives with strangulation. He uses his bare hands to get the job done, which makes him a sexual sadist. As if that wasn't enough, he carves out the victim’s heart after death and takes it as a trophy.

He shows plenty of psychopathic characteristics, but he also fits the profile of a sociopath, so it's hard to make anything stick. His MO suggests a lack of empathy and guilt, but the bed-tucking… You always lose him with the bed-tucking…

Morgan shakes his head a little, humming. “But we already ruled out multiple unsubs,” he says. You nod gently. “Besides, if this guy is mimicking the hunting habits of a cat, he would hunt alone, wouldn't he?”

Reid’s head perks up. He points a pen in Morgan's direction as he shakes his head. “Actually, no.” He licks his lips, and he's grabbed your attention like a siren to a sailor. “It's a very common misconception that cats are loners, but it's untrue. Cats prefer the companionship of others just as much as a human being would.”

You lean toward him a bit across the table, watching him as he speaks, his hands moving to illustrate his words as he does. “People often think, because of their aloof nature, that they like to be left alone or actually despise the presence of other people, including their owners or other cats—which is why people believe them to be low maintenance creatures. But they are just as social as, say, a dog. Actually, it's interesting, big cats like lions, or sometimes even cheetahs, hunt in packs to take down larger prey. Domestic cats–”

“Reid,” Morgan interrupts, making a cutting motion with his hand to his neck.

Your eyes turn back to Spencer, who seems to retreat in on himself a bit as he gives an apologetic smile and a small nod. “Sorry,” he says, pulling his lips in a wide smile.

You set a hand on the table, shaking your head. “No, keep going. That was interesting.”

Spencer looks at you with these eyes that seem to shine. Your heart feels fonder, warmer, at the sight of him.

“We really don't have time to go through all of this,” Hotch says, his tone final.

“I mean,” you continue. Since joining the team, you've grown a certain affinity toward Spencer and his genius mind. Every time he's gone on his tangents, you've become enchanted by the words coming out of his mouth like he's put some sort of spell over you. You lift a shoulder, gesturing toward him. “If this guy is basing his MO off the hunting patterns of cats, we should…know everything we need to know about them, right?”

Hotch looks at you, his face hard and unreadable. You're unsure if he's considering your proposal or just trying to intimidate you. But then he sighs, his crossed arms loosening a little as he turns to Spencer.

“Reid?”

Spencer looks between you and Hotch, relenting hesitantly as he starts off slow. “Well…I was going to say domestic cats are solitary hunters but sociable creatures.” He picks up his normal speed once more, “They can be very affectionate, especially toward their owners and other cats within their households. They're also one of the only types of cats who play with their prey before killing them, which could be a reason this unsub tortures his victims so extensively in his murders.”

“Wait…” Prentiss says, catching all of your attentions. “You said ‘affectionate toward their owners’.”

“Yeah,” Spencer nods.

She waves her hands gently, “How do cats show affection for their owners?”

Spencer shrugs, “Um, bunting, purring, some scratch, sometimes they leave offerings, like dead rodents, around the house–”

“Right there!” Prentiss exclaims. “They leave offerings.”

You sit up, “The hearts.”

Hotch’s dark brows furrow. “You're saying this unsub is taking the hearts as an offering to someone else?”

Spencer thinks over that, nodding. “It's possible.”

JJ sighs. “But that still doesn't explain why we wouldn't have identified a second unsub earlier.”

Spencer holds out a hand, pointing with his pen. “Actually, it could. You see, cats also have the tendency to mimic the people they hold affection for. We might not have noticed a second MO because the submissive unsub may be mimicking the dominant one.”

“Or learning from him,” Morgan says.

“Learning?��� Hotch asks.

Morgan glances around, “Well, if we're sticking so close to this cat thing, older cats often nurture the young and teach them to hunt.” He shrugs, “We could be looking at…brothers? Older and younger?”

“Or lovers,” JJ suggests. She points to a picture, the image of a chest carefully carved open to reveal a missing heart. “If the hearts are offerings, it could be a Valentine.”

“And the bed-tucking?” you ask.

Hotch picks up the picture of one of the victims, “safely” and securely tucked into bed…put to sleep. “Well, if the hearts are offerings for a lover, this unsub is sentimental. He could feel some type of sympathy or guilt for the victim and want to ‘put them to sleep’ after the torture.” He studies the image, a flash of unease behind his eyes that you know all too well. He sets it down.

“Okay, so how do we find them?” Prentiss asks, clicking her pen before setting it down to begin a definitive course of action.

Spencer points to yet another picture. “Look at these injuries. These incisions are surgical,” he clarifies. “So the dominant is a doctor or a—a veterinarian, which can be implied through his intimate knowledge of cats’ behaviors.”

“And the submissive might work under him as a nurse or an assistant,” you continue, adding on to his clever insight. He glances over at you, smiling almost giddily at your understanding.

Hotch turns to Morgan. “Do you think that's enough to work with?”

Morgan thinks for a moment, his shrug melding into a nod as he turns back to Hotch. “To fit in with the rest of the profile,” he hums, “I'd say so.”

“Okay.” Hotch nods firmly. “We'll present the profile ASAP. Morgan, get Garcia to search for any vets in the area with any records of assault charges.” He says this all while taking long strides toward the door, his red tie bouncing slightly with his movements.

Prentiss follows him with her gaze as he exits. “You think the unsub is aggressive?”

He turns briefly. “Look at the bruising on the neck. The torture alone is an indicator of anger and frustration, but the way the victim was strangled suggests force. Much more than necessary just to crush a windpipe. He's an organized killer with a lot of rage. If he moves more along the lines of a sociopath, our best guess is he's had some kind of trouble with the law at some point in his life,” he concludes. Glancing aside, he speaks again, a little more firmly. “Morgan.”

“On it,” he says, his phone already ready to contact Garcia on speed dial.

“And Reid,” Hotch says, focusing his hard stare on the younger agent.

He stiffens, straightening his back and awaiting his response. “Yes?”

There's a pause as Hotch examines him silently. With a single nod, he says, “Good work.”

He glances at you. A nod.

You nod back.

Hotch leaves in a hurry, and your gaze immediately and instinctively flicks to Spencer. He smiles at you, turning away as though he was shyly hiding that same smile.

~

There were two unsubs: a surgical veterinarian and his nurse. You caught them just in time, just as that knife was gleaming in the golden light of the lamps swinging above the three bodies down in the basement of the submissive unsub’s house.

And now you soared 40,000 feet above the ground with another killer put away for good.

Everyone's in their own spirit, placing you across the aisle from JJ and Spencer in their own booths, a crochet set in your lap as you continue one of your projects. Emily's eyes linger on JJ, watching the crease of her brow as she studies case files.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks, setting her book to the side to shift her attention. Derek darts his eyes up from his own book, lifting his brow as he does it.

JJ looks up, breathing in and lifting her shoulder in a half shrug. “I don't know about you,” she says, “but I know that if I got an actual human heart on Valentine's Day, me and my alleged partner would have some serious issues.”

Snorts and chuckles lift from multiple places among the seats, heads shaking and attentions shifting back to their own activities.

But as soon as you hear the first lilt of Spencer's voice, like clockwork, you're a fish on a hook.

“Actually,” he begins, “if we were set back thousands of years, that would not be a very unusual occurrence.” He licks his lips quickly, “You see, Valentine's Day’s origins actually go back to a festival called Lupercal, or Lupercalia. The festival was in itself a very violent and sexually charged affair that lasted roughly three days—from the 13th to the 15th—set in Rome. Its traditions were carried out in two separate locations, firstly–”

“Alright,” JJ rises to her feet, her eyes wide in annoyance as she closes her case file in a large announcement to Spencer. “I'm getting coffee. Do you want anything?”

Spencer purses his lips, that same wide, apologetic grin covering his face as he leans back in his seat and shakes his head. “Uh, no. All good here.”

She nods, turning to walk away, “Great.”

You watch JJ leave, your eyes fall back upon Spencer, who's pulling his book back into his palms to turn his focus back on the pages. His eyes flit over the words at lightning speed, absorbing the information and moving to the next.

Taking your crochet set in your hands, you stand and plop down in JJ’s old spot. Spencer's eyes darts up to you, glancing between you and his book as you set your stuff down and readjust your yarn.

Beginning again, you nod toward him. “You were saying?”

Spencer, his eyes wide and confused and his lips parted in wonder and his cheeks a little pink, stares at you. After remembering he had to respond, he sputters in an attempt to.

“Uh, it's-it's really not that…interesting,” he mumbles, trailing off at the end as he sets his book down, his fingertips pressing against the edge of the desk between the both of you.

“Well,” you look up at him, setting your elbow on the table and tucking your first underneath your chin, “I was very interested.”

His Adam's apple bobs when he swallows. His lips form the word before it comes out of his mouth. “You were?”

You nod, “Mhm.”

Looking at him for a moment—just looking at him for a moment—you take in the pretty sight of his bewildered expression, fascination and confusion and excitement crossing his face in a flurry of emotion.

You move your elbow from the table and pick up your hook, nodding toward him before training your eyes on your work again as you await his words. “Firstly?” you prompt.

Scrambling to organize his thoughts, Spencer nods. As the words form in his brain, he smiles as he thrusts himself into another rant, speaking a little softer so as not to aggravate the rest of the team.

“Well, firstly, the uh— The-the first location was in a cave called Lupercus—named after the Roman fertility god that the celebration was dedicated to—and the second is a public meeting place called the Comitium.”

You tilt your head toward him, smiling a little. “Like the word ‘committee’.”

“Exactly like the word ‘committee’,” he beams.

Your attention, as hard as you tried to split it, becomes entirely caught up in Spencer as you forget about your project and focus your gaze entirely on him. You set your arms on the table separating you and watch as he speaks, your smile definitely too love-sick to be a hint anymore. He seems to lean in closer.

“So how did Lupercalia become Valentine's Day?” you wonder aloud.

“Well,” he starts, prompting a larger grin from you, “in the late 5th century A.D., Pope Gelasius I eliminated it and declared February 14th a day to celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Valentine instead—although it's highly unlikely he intended the day to commemorate love and passion as it is celebrated now. In fact, some modern biblical scholars warn Christians not to celebrate Valentine's Day at all, due to its Pagan roots and rituals.”

You hum, your eyes taking glances at the stretch of his skin over his fingers and the way they move when he speaks.

“Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?” you ask gently, speaking slowly.

His hands fall back down to his lap, and he shakes his head as he straightens his posture a bit. “Well…I don't usually have anyone to celebrate it with, so… No, not really.”

Feeling the shyness slipping into your veins, you set your hands on the table and let your fingers slowly inch toward him, staring at them inside of his eyes. You don't want to see the rejection if it lives there, in his eyes.

You speak slowly, emphasizing every syllable. “Would you like to have someone to celebrate it with?”

He swallows thickly, letting one hand lift onto the table, still close to him but building up courage to maybe meet you in the middle. “Like…” he clears his throat quietly. “Like you?”

You offer a right smile, finally flicking your eyes up to meet his and feeling giddy at the light blush on his cheeks, the nervous wideness of his gaze. “I promise no actual hearts.”

You watch him, and again…his eyes, his Adam's apple, his cheeks, his lips. “Uh…yeah,” he stutters. “Yeah, sure. I'll be your…your Valentine.”

You smile, a wide smile that splits your face in two. Spencer's own grin follows suit. Looking past you, he catches the eyes of Derek, who smirks and offers a cheesy thumbs up, proud of him for securing you as he did.

His gaze falls back to you when you begin to speak, your voice just as song-ish to him as his is to you. You're both equally as infatuated as the other. “You know,” you trail off slowly, “supposedly, Saint Valentine might be so commonly associated with our day of love because there are rumors that he used to perform secret weddings against the wishes of the authorities in the third century.”

He nods slowly, his brows furrowed slightly. “Yes, that's right…” Licking his bottom lip, he speaks again. “You already knew all that stuff about Lupercalia, didn't you?”

You smile, your face squished a bit as you raise your hands and close your thumb and forefinger close together. “Maybe a little,” you whisper. But then you shrug and just keep looking at him. “But I like listening to you talk.”

Spencer suddenly doesn't think you're real, but he isn't about to question it if you aren't. There's someone who enjoys his tangents. He isn't going to jeopardize that.

“Oh,” is all he says.

With your crocheting long forgotten, you lean forward on the table and give him every ounce of attention in your mind. With a fond smile on your lips and a twinkle in your eye, you rest your chin on your folded hands. “You should tell me about…” you pause, thinking, before you smile curls even more, “bees.”

His brows lift as he nods. “Okay, well,” he starts, “did you know the first civilization to practice widespread, organized beekeeping was the Ancient Egyptians, who began beekeeping around 2,500 BCE?”

Your brows lift in fascination. You shake your head, “No, I didn't.”

His smile grows. “Well…”

For the remainder of the flight, Spencer talks and talks and talks, his voice quiet and meant solely for you as he talks about whatever you want: bees and wine and marbles and Halloween. He keeps smiling at you, as you keep smiling at him. Somewhere along the way, he officially asks you on a date, and you both get off the jet together to get a cup of coffee.

You love the way he talks.

Criminal Minds taglist: ... Tag yourself here...

[justcallmesakira]

DOA trio (Fyodor, Nikolai, Sigma) separately with a fem reader who

Absolutely loves everything pink, frilly and with bows.

Nsfw and sfw PLEEASSEE.

Fyodor definitely has an innocence kink or something..

"TIED YOU UP WITH RIBBONS"

Sypnosis: DOA trio with a s/o who is just obsessed with frilly dollete stuff!

Genre: fluff, smut

Warnings: bondage, clit teasing, use of vibrator, hickeys

A/N: PLEASE I LOVE DIS REQUEST SO FUCKING MUCH BECAUSE LITEARLY ME

FYODOR definitely likes well dressed women, its just his type!

I am pretty sure he can easily get you all types frilly stuff its really easy for him

Though he sometimes wonders why you are so obsessed with it infact hes more shocked when he sees your curtained bedroom

His eyes being flashed by all sorts of stuff like teddies, plushies bows pretty clothes

Sure he will act a bit judgy when he finally takes a seat in your feathery brown sofa but he will get used to it

No because i can see both yalls aesthetic being opposite he might even match fits with you!

Like for example for him dark coquette and you light coquette

Imagine calmly walking beside a lake in the afternoon with the clouds like gloomy???

I think he also likes seeing you in dolly like clothes like pink lolita skirts, big PUFFY ones and i mean puffy puffy.

NSFW MENTIONS★

I can totally see this one ride of a man have an innocence kink

I personally cant see fyodor be into bondage but he absolutely loves edging you for hours

Pressing a pink vibrator against you clit and watching you with a sadistic face as you whimper and beg to be his little fuck doll

Fyodor absolutely loves ruining your innocence especially if its in your bedroom because the you will be constantly reminded of last night

I can assure you NIKOLAI is more obsessed with dressing you like his doll then you being obsessed with pink

Not only in dollete clothes also in maid dresses with frills, pink nurse costumes, maybe even jester clothes

If you dont like the red and yellow then he will jjst make dress you into a soft pink and baby blue parriot like melanie in her Glued Up mv.

He loves doing your make up the most whether its heavy or just tinted he can do it pretty well

But what he enjoys the mlst is teasing you like asking you to mark him by revealing his collar

Nikolai definitely calls you innocent lamb, little fleece, angellete every type of pet name like this

Sometimes if you ask him to tie the ribbon he might tie it a bit too tight just to see you squirm in discomfort

NSFW MENTIONS ★

He definitely has a doll kink, shifting you here and there and using you like a marionette

Tying you up with pink laces, your wrists above your head just so he can see your pretty face whine and squirm

OKAY HEAR ME OUT nikolai specifically buying you those pretty lingerie sets you know the ones with like a transparent layer on top?

Nikolai very touchy so expect a larger hand at the top of you thighs at all times or stroking your white stockings randomly

I dont really know what to type for SIGMA because he already memorized your characteristics and stuff you like!

For example if you like big poofy skirt you will already have 10 different of them in ur closet all ready!

Hes actually intrested in your style

So one time you tied his hair in a ribbon and you just couldnt stop luaghing

I think sigma has really skilled hands so he can style your hair with different clips!

He isnt really a menace like the other two so you will just find him staring at your cotton teddies

You two switch both of them at night and he likes your one better because it reeks of strawberry <3

NSFW MENTIONS ★

Personally the thing i can see him doing is making you place hickeys on his neck

SORRY but i jst cant see him be kinky with an innocent type reader

He just wants to cuddle with you man😭

Infact sigma probably blushes and curses himself whenever hes staring at your stockings for too long

A/n: sorry it was short also FIRST TIME WRITING SMUT!!!

Tags! : @inojuuy @little-miss-chaoss @terururuko

Divider crds! : @muruffin

[daenerysaizie]

𐔌 . ⋮ REALM’S DELIGHT .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

MK1 x Targaryen!Reader

Note:

Game of Thrones concept included in MK 1. Even though, Game of Thrones is kanonically a show in the MK world (shown in the DLC), in this fanfic it’s not lol. Also, I will be changing plots and details for the both. Will get confusing as I’m not an experienced writer and yes :3 OH! You’re also basically Daenarys, sharing the look of classic Valyrian (only hair and eye color) and characteristics. If you don’t know anything about Game of Thrones, don’t worry I will explain it in the fic? But do realize it’s heavily rewritten so it’s not the same as the kanon one. Heavily inspired by “Kombat Hearts” by @ilykirara and “New Era” by @atlasofthestaars . I love this two fics so so much<3 female reader? But read however you like.

Edit: changed the story lil bit to fit the flow🩷

Chapter 1 — Everytime a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin.

In the year 283 AC (After Conquest) on Dragonstone, Westeros, a storm raged, with fierce winds and crashing waves echoing the pain that consumed Queen Rhaella. She lay in labor, her face pale and drawn, haunted by fear—fear of soon losing a husband to his madness and sons to a brutal world. Yet, she clung to her strength, whispering, “This child is of House Targaryen,” as though breathing life into the fire in her womb.

At the storm’s peak, the child was born—a girl with silvery hair and eyes like amethysts. Rhaella looked upon her newborn daughter with a bittersweet smile. Her breaths grew shallow, each one softer than the last, yet her gaze held firm. She would not yield to death, not yet. Her lips parted, and with a fragile voice, she spoke her child’s name—a final act of love and defiance.

—

They called you Stormborn. The youngest child of King Aerys, princess of Dragonstone—a darling of the fortress that rose dark and forbidding from the rocky, windswept island, surrounded by an endless sea. In your early years, you grew up there, often found by the beach, close to the waves, with sand in your hair and the scent of salt in your nose. You loved the sea; it made you feel free. The cold, unyielding stones of Dragonstone comforted you, and to your young eyes, this was home. Warm and protective.

You were never alone. Upon your mother’s death, the King, your father, appointed guards and servants to remain by your side at all times, just as he had for Viserys, your elder brother. Before you or Viserys, Queen Rhaella had suffered multiple miscarriages and stillbirths. This led the King, who was starting show signs of insanity, to suspect her, and he sent her away to Dragonstone from King’s Landing. He would visit her only after executing someone by fire.

Raised on the island, you knew little of the world beyond—King’s Landing, the Seven Kingdoms, or even your eldest brother, Rhaegar, whom you met only twice. You have met your father supposedly just once, when you were a babe. Viserys was your only guide, the voice that taught and reassured you. Sharing quite the big of age gap, he knew beyond the misty, cold walls.

When conditions grew too dangerous, you were too young to understand why you had to leave.

“Brother, please come with me. I’m scared,” you whispered, clinging to him. Viserys held you tightly. “I must stay. I am the Prince of Dragonstone, It is right for me to stay,” he replied, pressing a small bag into your hands. “Sister, I promise I’ll bring you back home. Protect this at all costs. It is the crown of King Jaehaerys I.” You clutched the bag close, nodding.

A man with clad in blue took your small hand and led you away from the only home you’d known to a place far, far away. Clutching the bag with the crown, you looked back at your brother for a final look. The maids and servants who had raised you weeped as they watched you leave.

In time, you would soon forget the feel of home and the memories it bore, but never the promise your brother made or the vow you’d taken to guard the crown.

—

You stayed at a placed called the Lin Kuei when you fled from home. The Lin Kuei's former Grandmaster knew your father personally. How? You didn't know. All you knew was that the Grandmaster was kind enough to lend a hand to your father and save his only daughter. "Do you know why you are here, little dragon?" He bent down to your toddler body. You gripped the golden crown to your chest. "Home is dangerous." you replied as you looked at the Grandmaster. He had the face of a strict man, but deep in his eyes, you could see honor and kindness burn. He hummed as he nodded, "You will be safe here." he told you as he put his hand on your head. And you were, for years.

Obviously, being in the clan, you were destined to meet the three sons he had. You became close to the youngest one, Tomas. He bore almost the same burdens as you and understood your pains and discomfort. Eventually, you got close to Kuai Liang too. He took care of you and guarded you away from the clan's considerably cruel side. However, as for Bi-Han, you never got the chance to get close. He was heir to his clan, making him busier than his brothers. To your memory, he was cold and strict, stricter than his father. The only vivid memory you have of him is him asking you how your hair and eye color were so... different. You could not give him an answer that satisfied his curiosity.

As you got older, when you showed the sign of maturity in body and mind, you were sent away once again. Somewhere much safer and peaceful. According to the former Grandmaster, the clan was not made for you; you were meant to live a life that was peaceful, not a life to become a skilled warrior. Thus, Madam Bo, a former Lin Kuei warrior, took you to the village where she resided. You would keep contact in with the Lin Kuei brothers through letters. Though, the last letter you got from was a year ago now.

You lived with Madam Bo for many years now. She taught you everything you needed to know, from tough love to combat (for self defense). You remember the moment she brought you to Fengjian as clear as day. The night was as silent as death when she brought you to this quaint village. Her horse's gallops echoed through the stillness, bringing little bit of life to the sleeping village. She had you firmly seated in front of her on her horse, your hair skillfully concealed beneath her deep purple scarf. Madam Bo took great care to inform you of the local norms and the dos and the don’ts. She explained that your unique features, which were considered royal in Westeros and the Essos, would seem different and will be only met with curiosity. You were also strongly advised to not speak of your old home or family name.

Through Madam Bo, you were able to meet Kung Lao and Raiden. "Thick-skulled boys," she would call them. Growing up, the three of you sparred, trained, and played together. Being homeschooled, Raiden and Kung Lao were diligent in ensuring that you didn't miss out on any fun experiences. After grueling training sessions, the males took turns to take you out for treats. In return, you helped them with various tasks around the farm. This included harvesting the freshly grown vegetables, a labor of gratitude from you. They were also vigilant in ensuring that no boys with ‘ill intentions’ ever bothered you with courting or whatever. Whenever you insisted you could handle yourself, they would respond with a confident "I know," followed by a statement that they knew even better because they were males. In retort, you would often ask, "In that case, should I be cautious of you two as well?" to which they would simply shut down.

—

It was early in the morning, 5 AM to be exact, as you sat on your bed staring at the golden crown in your hands. It was the last thing you had that represented your family's existence and was evidence of your royal heritage. The crown had a large sigil of a three-headed dragon at its center, while seven smaller gems of different colors decorated the rest. You had the same dream again. At this point, you could recall every detail.

"BURN THEM ALL! BURN THEM ALL!" A hoarse, old voice boomed through the room. An old man with a long white beard and crazed eyes yelled, ordering his pyromancers (who used some kind of chemicals to start major fires) while he sat on the Iron Throne, a seat made from thousands of swords. The pyromancers hesitated. It was your father who sat on the throne, though you didn’t know it was him; his unmistakable Valyrian looks—white hair and purple eyes—gave it away. He continued to yell until one of his guards, a golden-haired man with blurry face, drew his sword, stabbed him in the back, and slit his throat. The golden-haired guard watched your crazed father bleed to death as he sat on his throne, yet your father still whispered the same thing as he bled on the floor: "Burn them all."

You ponder if the dream was a real event or not. After all, you were never there to witness this event, and you were extremely young when you fled from home. Plus, you had no memory of ever meeting your father or what he looked like. What if it was a cruel joke your mind played?

"No use thinking about it," you whisper to yourself as you put away the crown into your nightstand's drawer. With one swift move, you get up to get ready for the day. After all, you had so much to do. You start your morning routine and change from your nightgown into more proper clothes for the day.

—

The day went by rather quickly. From getting fresh vegetables and produce early in the morning to serving customers until closing time, the day went smoothly. Almost too smoothly. You sigh and hum as you watch your two friends put away food like vacuums, with Kung Lao doing most of the work as usual. It was amusing - how did his stomach not burst? It was superhuman, you swore. Soon, you saw Madam Bo approach the two with a massive bill in her hand. Poor Raiden and his wallet.

Despite closing hours arriving, a few drunken uncles from the village stayed behind. One made a mess on the bottom floor, which you had to clean up. You mopped the floor as the drunken man apologized. "Ahhhh, I'm sorry! Here, here, have this," he slurred his words as he handed you an unopened bottle of beer. You shook your head and refused his token of apology. You chuckled inwardly as you washed away the mess from the floor.

Suddenly, Madam Bo came down to the bottom floor and crashed into the table, breaking it. She was unconscious. "Madam Bo?!" you exclaimed in horror. The drunken uncles behind you seemed to sober up and stare. You looked up to see the culprit with wide eyes.

The man with very familiar hair jumped down to the floor, landing next to Madam Bo's unconscious body. He wore mask that covered his face. Your chest tightened as fear clouded your mind for her. You tried running towards her as the previously drunken guy, now sober from the shock, grabbed your wrist. "Are you crazy!? He's going to kill you!" he whispered as he tugged you, preparing to run. "Go" you whispered back to him. The once-drunken guy thought for a moment and let your wrist go when he saw your determined face. He dashed out of the place with a few other people. You still gripped the mop in your hand as the man approached you. He had grey hair that reminded you of Tomas from your childhood. Was it truly him? You hadn't seen the man for years!

"Surrender to the Lin Kuei! Or end up like her," he replied as he prepared his karambit, aiming it at you. It is him! Is this what the Lin Kuei does now? you thought anxiously. "I thought the Lin Kuei protected people from harm. I never thought you would stoop this low," you spoke calmly, with a hidden wobble in your voice. How could your childhood friend do this?

Kung Lao and Raiden shout your name from the floor above after taking out the other members of the clan. They try to go down to help you, but Bi-Han and Kuai Liang stop them in their tracks. "You interfere with Lin Kuei business. Leave, or face our wrath!" Bi-Han warns as he dramatically stands on the rooftop. Kuai Liang approaches the two with his weapon from behind, swinging it in the air. "Abandon Madam Bo and her? Not happening," Kung Lao replies. After his reply, Bi-Han launches himself at Raiden while Kuai Liang grabs Kung Lao, pulling him towards himself as he yells ferociously, "Get over here!"

Tomas slowly approaches you with his karambit, closing the distance between you two, as if he were a hunter and you were his prey. You contemplate your actions as you grip the mop tighter until your knuckles turn white. When the gap closes, he swings his karambit at you. You dodge his attack and use the tip of the mop to strike his stomach multiple times before hitting him hard on the head with the mop's end. He falls down. "No, it can't be that easy," you think to yourself as you look at his ‘unconscious’ body. Emotions surge through you the more you look at him, unsure how to feel, but you take the result for granted, leaving the mop near his head and running towards Madam Bo.

The noises around you seem to blur as you barely breathe. You gently turn her body to see her, and your hands shakily brush her face to sweep away the strands of her hair. "Madam Bo?" you whisper with great worry and fear. Soon enough, Kung Lao and Raiden come running down to you. They ask about your condition first before turning to Madam Bo. "Oh no. Is she—" Kung Lao is cut off when Madam Bo suddenly opens her eyes and looks at you three. "Dead? Not yet." You three can hear the playfulness in her voice as she stands up. You and Raiden are quick to help her, but she brushes away your hands as she swiftly lights up her cigarette. "Madam Bo, how are you—" Kung Lao gets interrupted again. Raiden points at the stairs, "Guys!"

"So, Madam Bo, are they ready?" A man comes down as he takes his hood off, revealing his glowing eyes and chiseled face that bears a small, proud smile. You notice it's the same man who caught your attention earlier today. Madam Bo was fondly standing at his table as she served him tea. You anxiously fidget with the ring on your middle finger. Raiden notices your fidgeting and gently takes your hand, holding it firmly with care.

Madam Bo stands in front as if to present you three. "These two are a bit thick in the head, perhaps... But they are ready," she says, referring to Raiden and Kung Lao. "However, I did not think my child would be included in the exam," she chuckles as she glances at you.

"His eyes are glowing," Raiden blurts out to Kung Lao, who is on his right side with you on his left, still holding your hand.

"I am Lord Liu Kang, God of Fire and Protector of Earthrealm," the man with glowing eyes introduces himself as he connects his hands together and folds his arms. In response, you gently let go of Raiden's hand to bow to the god. "God? Earthrealm?" Kung Lao asks with curiosity as Raiden observes the god, silently mourning the loss of contact with your hand.

"Madam Bo has been preparing you for this moment since you were boys. Today you have proven worthy of joining my champions," he explains further.

"This fight was a test?" Raiden asks. The god smiles and nods, "Of your ability and character, yes. Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, Tomas," he calls out to the Lin Kuei members. Bi-Han and Kuai Liang come down the stairs while Tomas, who was already on the same floor, stands up and positions himself behind the god.

"So these three aren't thugs?" Kung Lao asks suspiciously, eyeing them. You can only send an apologetic look to Tomas, who returns it with soft eyes.

"The Lin Kuei is a centuries-old clan dedicated to Earthrealm's defense," the god explains.

"You keep saying Earthrealm. Don't you mean Earth?" Raiden asks, confused. Madam Bo chuckles as you smile. You already possessed a little information of this topic. "You boys have so much to learn," she says.

"Earth is only part of Earthrealm. Earthrealm itself is one of many realms. Together they comprise the whole of the universe," the god explains, gesturing with his hands. "The realms can be fierce, bitter rivals. That's why we need champions to defend ours," Madam Bo adds. "The time draws near for the grand martial arts tournament between Earthrealm and the realm of Outworld. Held once each century, it allows each realm to demonstrate its strength. While our realms are at peace, there are Outworlders who would prefer us to be at war. Our victory in the tournament will... temper their zeal," the god concludes.

Madam Bo turns to the boys and partially to you, "I've taught you everything I can. You must finish your training with Lord Liu Kang," she informs them.

"More training? These three couldn't defeat us," Kung Lao asks skeptically. At his remark, Bi-Han scoffs audibly, which makes Madam Bo chuckle along with him.

"They were pulling their punches," she explains. You nod at her words as you remember the Lin Kuei being so formidable and strong. "Had we not held back, you would not have survived," Bi-Han says proudly and threateningly, stepping forward slightly. Lord Liu Kang blocks his way and interrupts him. "Come. The monks at the Wu Shi Academy await to continue your tutelage." The god offers the choice, which Kung Lao accepts without hesitation.

"And you, Raiden?" the god asks. Raiden hesitates, "Leave Fengjian? I'm needed here," he replies. Madam Bo steps in, "Earthrealm needs you, Raiden. You'll best serve the village by being one of its champions," she assures him. After considering for a moment, Raiden agrees to the god's offer with a simple "I understand."

"How about you? You have proven yourself to be worthy as well," the god turns to you as he utters your name. You, who had been silent the whole time, gape at his question. You point towards yourself, "Me?" you ask, to confirm. Madam Bo chuckles. "Come on! You heard the god. The three of us could train together like we always did!" Kung Lao says as he steps forward towards you as Raiden nods in agreement. You were unsure. "But I do not fight well and I cannot leave Madam Bo." you answer bluntly. At your words, Madam Bo chuckles as she pushes you towards the god by your waist. "Forgive me, Lord Liu Kang. As you can see, she is timid, obedient, and so humble. But she has the spirit of the dragon." she says. The god and everyone else only looks at you and awaits your answer. You sigh and nod, which earns a proud smile from Madam Bo.

"Excellent. I will join you soon. First, there are other champions I must gather," the god says.

—

Lord Liu Kang departed the tea house to gather his other champions with Kung Lao and Raiden shortly after him, to prepare for the Wu Shi academy.

The Lin Kuei stayed behind to clean up the aftermath of their physical test, during which you exchanged subtle glances with them. It had been over a decade since you last saw them, and they had transformed from boys into men, now towering above you easily. Their faces had become more defined and chiseled, contrasting the young boys you remembered.

“You dyed your hair.” Tomas remarks as he approaches you. You were setting the chairs upside down on the table to sweep any debris or broken objects. “Ah, I had to” you return his greeting with a warm smile and stand up straight. A moment of silence hangs between you, filled with the unspoken words and nostalgia.

“You and your brothers haven’t written for a year now. Why?” You ask with curiosity. As you ask about the lack of communication from the brothers, Tomas chuckles softly and explains, “Many more new initiates. How about you? You haven’t written to us as well,” He then turns it back on you, wondering why you haven't written either. You answer in a soft voice, your smile revealing a hint of melancholy. "Life hasn't changed much for me," you reply. "I didn't want to bother you or your brother."

Tomas can only hum in response and before you could speak. “We will leave” Bi-Han commands, followed by Kuai Liang, as he walks up to you and Tomas. You immediately bow to them in greeting, and Bi-Han responds with a nod. Kuai Liang, on the other hand, returns your greeting with a slight bow.

"It was lovely seeing you three again," you say, your smile lighting up the conversation. "I hope we'll meet more in the future." There was happiness in your voice as you express this sentiment, despite the awkwardness, it was still refreshing to be in their presence. Kuai Liang responds with a simple, but sincere "I agree." Bi-Han quickly guides his brothers and the members of the clan out of the tea house, after finish repairing.

As the repair work on the tea house concludes, you realize that the only task left is the chore of cleaning. With a sigh, you mentally prepare yourself for the tedious process of scrubbing and tidying up, accepting the fact that it's part of your responsibilities. Madam Bo helped you, as always.

[is-on-its-way]

The moment Mulder quits

A point in which Mulder was ready to quit the minute he saw Scully hold a baby in season 7 and its effects in season 8

*this is my headcanon, its not gospel obviously Firstly, two scenes that are very linked in my head

Season 7 Ep 22 Requiem and Season 8 Ep 16 Three Words

Look at that face. That dead serious, at all costs face.

Season 7

Requiem. The culmination of Scully and Mulder's secret yearish? long quest for a baby. They've tried for a baby with IVF already. Mulder has promised her he wont give up on a miracle for her and they're well... trying basically, throughout season 7. Perhaps I would call it "hoping" for a baby. Maybe Mulder is hoping and Scully is characteristically ambivalent? Fully not using any contraceptives and I know there's a fic in there somewhere, anyway

The first scene above is why Ive never watched past the season 8 finale. nothing past them agreeing to be a family makes any sense because of Mulders face here. People knock Duchovny for not showing out when acting, but I will always be a defender of subtle acting. The way he can say an entire monologue of dialogue with the minute expressions on his face is quite breathtaking here.

Hes goes from sorrow at Scully not being able to have a baby, sorrow at her loss, sorrow at not being able to give her that; to regret at what he thinks is all his fault, at dragging her into this life; to pure love and affection for her seeing this baby in her lap and how good she is with him; and then a smile peaks out. A smile of hope that could compete with the Mona Lisa. Hope for their future and the certainty with which he knows what he wants so clearly, maybe for the first time in his life. His own family.

Like for the first time hes really deciding the cost is too much and he chooses her over the mission. He chooses their future over everything. And he's hopeful and perhaps even happy about it. which for someone with his amount of family trauma is a seismic shift. For so long he's chased the past in hope of fixing it, completely discombobulated and reckless in his search for well, his family.

Though, from the beginning of that moment in the rainy graveyard, he has slowly unconsciously coming to regard Scully as his family. In small gestures, a hand on her cheek or voicing out loud how important she is to him; to big gestures, giving up who he believes is his actual sister to save her.

We are lucky here, to be able to witness the moment the sparks of unconscious thought bloom into the flame of certainty. He follows up as well. Tells her she has to stay, that the cost doesn't outweigh the price anymore. Sure he wants to finish out this case, but he doesn't work without her, thats been established. Him telling her to stop, is his resignation as well. (There's a fit there too, with Skinner and him on the plane probably Skinner already knowing he's done.)

Thomas Flight praises subtly in acting better than I could ever articulate here:

Season 8

Mulder was weird and the PTSD was implied, but I choose to see it everywhere. After the moment in three words where Mulder tries to let them go gently because he thinks he's too damaged to be a father (Thanks @randomfoggytiger for the meta on that) (there's a fic here obviously where Scully gives him the space to be broken and also hers) After this though, he's not the Mulder as we've seen, ever. He's not the Mulder who

cares about exposing the government so he can say I told you so

cares about saving the public from the invasion

cares about finding the ultimate truth that has driven him since he found the X files

cares about solving cases and one upping the FBI, trying to force them to admit the truth out loud.

Mulder is fighting the entire season for his family.

he cares about exposing the conspiracy so everyone including his child will be safe.

he cares about saving the earth for his child's future

he cares about his childs and his families safety

he has zero concern about the FBI and what they do anymore.

In the second scene above, he's about had it with the entire conspiracy and he's downright pissed. He wants it all to end he doesn't care how. He wants to protect his child above everything. Sure he's usually reckless but this isn't for him and his self involved cause anymore, it's for his family, his wellbeing be damned at some points along the way. He states his thesis in three words while breaking into FBI files in an astonishing show of recklessness

"Look, Scully, I need to make sense of what happened to me. So that I can stop it. Because if I can't stop it, it could happen to anyone. It could happen to you. And who's to say it's going to stop there?"

I always wondered why he was putting Scully through all that, without realising this was the reason. Poor guy. There's nothing else in his purview anymore besides that baby who's in danger, and his family, so much so, when he is ultimately fired from the FBI, he's positively giddy at his newfound freedom.

If he had then gone down a path temporarily where he murdered his way through the remnants of the syndicate to assure the safety of his family John Wick style, I would've absolutely believed it.

It would've been insanely intriguing look at an evolving dynamic between Scully and Mulder. Scully law abiding Mulder reckless as always but with a different motivation. Becoming what he's always feared, to protect the family he has never had. A family he feels like he's only grasping at, as they're slipping through his fingers due to the danger and his recent and past traumas.

There's a reason a lot of the fandom sees Mulder as a happy stay at home dad post wherever they decide to end watching. Thats what he's been searching for his entire life. A happy family with loving parents. When he let go of that dream for himself in Closure, he found he could want that for his future family whatever that looked like (adoption, a miracle, etc.) in Requiem. And I personally don't believe he ever would let that dream go once he realised, I mean we all saw the devotion he had to his sister right?

In other words these are my reasons season 9 onwards make zero sense and I regard them as AU

[moonbyulsstuff]

Hi, could you please write a Dg, Jaeha and Sikyung x male! Reader who is androgynous, (he has an alt style) the reader always looks bored and cold but when you know him he is very affectionate and sweet, I hope I don't bother you and I really like what you do, thank you very much for your work 💙

Male Reader Who's Androgynous and Has an Alternate Style Headcanons.

Male Reader.

Requested.

Request Rules.

Masterlist.

I don't know if you want it headcanons or scenarios so I made it headcanons instead. I tried my best to mention the alt style and the reader being androgynous, I'm sorry if I did bad. And I don't know if you mean androgynous by physical characteristic or emotional but I did physical.

Jaeha Han:

You two were childhood friends as far as Jaeha could remember.

Due to your looks of looking like a boy and a girl, you were the target of bullying back in kindergarten.

Ever since the 1st day, you were constantly teased. You hated going to kindergarten.

But it all changed thanks to Jaeha, though he was one of the kids that constantly teased you about your looks. You were only one of the kids that didn't break the promise of playing with him.

He had a reputation of beating up the other kids if they ever broke a promise with him.

But you were the only one who didn't break that promise.

So, Jaeha has been protecting you from the other kids.

And that's how your relationship was until middle school when Jaeha had a revelation of going through the realization that he had a crush on you.

Especially when you started dressing in a way that was called alternate style, outfits that aren't on the main stream.

You looked hot and Jaeha never thought of being interested in another boy, but oh boy, ever since you started dressing that way.

It awakened his gay side of him.

Jaeha was overprotective of you, especially since you started to look handsome or beautiful.

Like you could pass of as a girl and you would still have girls falling over you.

And especially with your attitude of not caring a damn but you actually do, it just made girls and some boys attracted to you.

Jaeha didn't like that, so he constantly had a wall surrounded you whenever someone shows an inkling of interest in you.

And it got amplified when you two started dating.

It was clear as day that Jaeha was overprotective of you.

But you didn't mind since it wasn't overbearing and Jaeha tried to make sure that he didn't go overboard.

He always admired the outfits you put on, and always accompanied you whenever you go out shopping for new outfits.

And he protected you like always whenever someone mentions your look.

Diego Kang (DG):

Diego thought you were a woman at first when he first saw your photo for a song collab.

But he was completely wrong when you showed up, the deep voice was obvious that you were a man.

But the way you look made him think you were a girl.

You were a popular idol but Diego never really took a 2nd closer look, your songs were beautiful and you had a large fan base.

And he could tell why.

Not just with your look, the way you present yourself too.

Most idols follow whatever is trendy but for you, you don't follow those trends.

You make your own, and that is best resulted in your style.

Your outfits were what makes you stand out from the rest of the idols.

You dressed in your own style, in a way that South Korea mainstream wasn't used to.

But you caught Diego interest, the way you just didn't seem to care at all.

Bored look on every photo and photoshoot, not interested at the tiny bit at whatever was happening around you.

You seemed cold and uninterested.

The only reason why you worked with Diego was because your manager told you so.

You weren't a big fan of the mainstream k-songs, and Diego just fit right into the mainstream.

But you sucked it up because your manager told you so.

And to your surprise, you two worked perfectly well. Diego didn't care much too, and just what is best for him and in his own interest.

So when the news of you two having a collab broke out, fans were sorta mixed.

They felt excited and happy while others felt it was abrupted for two musicians from different genre to collab.

While you two worked on the music, you two grew to know more of each other.

Diego could see even if you looked cold and bored, being nonchalant. You do care, you care deeply.

You were kind, and caring to other people.

You made music for the people and always encourage people who have different tastes to embrace themselves.

You two spent so much time with each other to the point, Diego doesn't even notice that whenever he thinks of you. A smile appear on his face.

And he doesn't notice it until someone points it out.

Maybe he had a grown close to you...

Ryu Sikyung:

He didn't think someone could actually have physical attributes of both genders.

That was until he saw you.

You were a man but you have both attributes of both gender, Sikyung never really thought it was true but here you were.

You were an evidence to Sikyung that people like you do exist after all.

It always amazed him, so when he first saw you. He began to constantly follow you, asking you questions.

It always annoyed you since he followed you everywhere you go.

And always asking you about your weird outfits.

You were a weirdo in his words, having both physical of a man and woman and dressing "weirdly".

It was like having a parrot follow you, asking the same questions over and over again.

But you slowly got used to it and just ignore him like he's a ghost.

And Sikyung slowly started to get used to seeing you dress "weirdly".

In fact, he started to anticipate what outfit you would wear each day.

He began to like to see what outfit you would wear today, tomorrow and the next day.

In fact, he even gifted you outfits he knew you would love.

It's not like you two are dating or anything, cough though he catches feelings for you and he realized that faster before anyone else cough.

He was in shock but quickly got over it and accepted when he realized he has feelings for a boy, and that was you.

He can't deny it, it's the truth after all.

And it's the truth he doesn't want to hide.

[soapoet]

PJO pick-a-card reading

Percy Jackson; Your life purpose

01.

Shufflemancy: Fan behaviour by Isaac Dunbar

Your life purpose involves a lot of instability. Some of which you face, and some of which you create. Leaving a legacy has never been easy, and though you sometimes doubt, there is a storm raging inside you and you know, whether consciously or subconsciously, that you have an important mission to fulfill.

You do not fit the mold because you are meant to break it. A catalyst of change, you are here to have your voice heard. You are a formidable enemy, but also a powerful ally. You have a strong sense of justice, and your heart and mind form a compass that shows you the way. In one way or another, you are here to create big changes. Early in life you may deal with a lot of karma, generational trauma, or simply have the odds stacked against you. You may often feel like everything that could go wrong always does, and sometimes every day is a struggle to get through.

The older you grow the wiser and more capable you become, and eventually you will turn the tables and serve up karma for those who have it coming, so to speak. You're protective of your loved ones and strangers alike, and are always ready to stand up for the underdog. You may engage in power struggles and fight unfair authorities often. A clever mind and slick tongue helps you a lot in your journey. You seem able to talk your way in and out of anything with ease, and you are meant to harness this ability to pave new paths forwards and catch people in their lies and failures through the plethora of loopholes and information which you integrate with ease like a sponge in water.

Regardless what you choose to do for a living, there will be an undertone of a greater purpose, creating change, and protecting others against injustice and harm. You have much to both overcome and to give, and there is a distinct sense that your name will be known for your words and actions in this lifetime.

02.

Shufflemancy: Saturn by Sleeping at last

Your life purpose may simultaneously feel as though it fits you like a glove and not at all. Perhaps you've been told by many that you have the characteristics of a great teacher or mentor, yet you may believe yourself too broken or flawed to lead or help others. You have intelligence which lends itself to both heart and mind, but have weathered quite the storms in life which leaves you weary and doubtful of your own light, certain you could never be a proper lighthouse for other children of the storm.

But it is precisely your own suffering which ultimately helps fuel your sense of purpose. A sense of never wishing what you have been through upon any other soul, and a motivation to serve and protect others who may stray and get lost. You are meant to carry a lantern so that those stumbling in the dark may find you and learn of their own internal light so they can find their way.

You must learn to place boundaries and to say no, and walk through the depths of hell to heal that which has harmed you. Then, you will step into an empowered kind of gentleness. One that is equally revered and feared, one which cannot be taken advantage of. A sweetness which packs a punch, kindness which isn't taken as weakness. You have a natural ability to heal and to help. You're able to walk into the crossfire unharmed and help opposition find the middle ground. Whether academic or spiritual, you make for a powerful sage who can wield wits and emotion as equally sharp blades.

Regardless of what you choose to do for a living, there will be an undertone of guidance, aid, and healing. Your journey won't always be easy, and in your darkest moments you may feel hopeless and wish to give up, but you will always hold on to hope for better days, and be helped to take just one more step forward and then another, because your soul knows how much you are needed in this often grim and cruel world.

03.

Shufflemancy: New romantics by Taylor Swift

Your life purpose may very well be quite the mystery to you, even cause a lot of confusion. Perhaps you found your way here precisely to find some clarity on the matter due to your uncertainty, as the other two groups felt so much more certain and yours is foggy and full of riddles. You may have asked yourself this question frequently. Unsure of the future, and at a loss in terms of direction. There are so many options and so many things you could enjoy, but is it really what you were meant to do?

Well, therein lies the answer. It may seem strange, but really you have a lot of choices, and none of them would be wrong. A jack of all trades, you could find purpose in many places. Though most of all you are meant to explore and to discover. You have an inherent vibrance and zest for life. You are open-minded and willing to try most things once. You enjoy freedom, and though you have an aversion to stagnation, you do long for some kind of roots. Though you struggle with indecision and may often compare yourself to others in your worries of not measuring up, you are capable of much more than you think and have the capacity to inspire many to choose their own path too.

Those roots you often yearn for will come in the form of the connections which you build. Some call it found family, and you are meant to find and connect with people from all walks of life and build a home away from home, a community of kindred spirits. You may travel or move often, or are meant to relocate from your comfort zone to somewhere different and new to you. Either way your interpersonal relationships play a big role in life and will bring many exciting opportunities for your you to seize as you please.

Regardless what you choose to do for a living, community and relationships will play a big role in your life. Your best bet in your attempts to navigate your life choices is to go with how you feel and always try to pick and choose the options that resonate most with you in your heart. And to never be afraid of changing your mind and seeing where the new winds take you, rewriting chapters of your life and making life look the way you wish it would at any given time.

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @mysticstarlightduck!

Character Profile Tag

Rules: Answer the questions for one of your characters

I feel like giving Djek some love <3

Full name: Djek Serun Kagura

Age: 19 in book 1, 23 in books 2 and 3

Gender: Cis man

Type of Being: Human, specifically of Amaranthi lineage

Appearance: Djek is a scrappy man standing at about 5'5". He has light brown skin, deep-set red eyes, and a black buzzcut about two weeks overgrown. He constantly squints because he needs glasses, lending to his shifty appearance, and he's missing a few teeth from a long ago brawl. In later books, his hands are covered in rippling black tattoos. He usually dresses in the fantasy version of laid-back chicano style, and can often be seen with lots of jewelry that may or may not belong to him and messy eyeliner.

Way of speaking: He grew up on the streets of a big city, and you can tell. There isn't a formal bone in his body. In my mind, he has a Chicago accent.

Physical characteristics: Elaborating on what I said in appearance, Djek’s most noticeable trait is his bright red eyes. This is the telling feature of the Amaranthi people, and his eyes are very vibrant even by that standard. Too bad they hardly work.

Occupation: Part-time thief, part-time locksmith. If he can break it, he can make it.

Family: Djek is estranged from his family, as his parents abandoned him to cut down on mouths to feed during a famine. His parents' names are Kali and Jedul. His older sisters are Kiva, Kana, and Avra. His older brother is Shon, and his younger brother is Vanik. He hasn't seen any of them since he was seven, though, so he's not sure which of them survived.

Best friend: His best friends and found family are Izjik Meautammera, Sepo Kaiacynthus, and Twenari Devaris. He considers them to be like sisters and brothers more so than any of his blood siblings.

Pets: Lord knows he's not responsible enough for that

Relationships: He tries, but he can never get past the talking stage, rip

Describe their room: For a large part of the story, he shares a room with Sepo. Djek’s side of the room is perpetually messy. Dirty clothes cover the floor, and the remnants of a half-dozen card castles litter every flat surface. His bed has approximately nine blankets and no fitted sheet or pillow. He likes to tinker on locks before bed, so there's a few screws floating around in there.

Items in their bag/purse: Lockpicks, snacks, spare change, a wallet that might belong to him, and ibuprofen

Hobbies: Playing (cheating at) cards, dancing, tinkering with locks, yapping

Favorite sport: He, like the rest of the quartet, loves to swim

Abilities/talents/powers: Djek is a sorcerer, albeit not a very powerful one. His best spell is his shadow summoning.

Fears: Abandonment is the big one. Djek has bounced from group to group all his life, always the weakest link. He does his best to make people laugh and always go along with what people say, as he believes any group will leave him to die if he's not useful or amusing enough.

Faults: Chronic people pleaser, consummate liar, terrible self esteem, always trying to be funny at bad times. He doesn't trust himself and thinks he's weak, so he usually just does what the strongest person in the room tells him to.

Good points: Unbreakably loyal, legitimately funny when he gets his timing right, has a heart of gold underneath his rough exterior, incredibly resourceful and creative. Despite how easily peer pressured he is, at a certain point, there are some things Djek refuses to budge on, like killing.

What they want more than anything else: To finally find a place where he belongs.

I'll tag @thecomfywriter @chaotictravelerrants @pluttskutt @tragedycoded @melpomene-grey and anyone else who wants to play :)

Full name: Age: Gender: Type of Being: Appearance: Way of speaking: Physical characteristics: Occupation: Family: Best friend: Pets: Relationships: Describe their room: Items in their bag/purse: Hobbies: Favourite sport: Abilities/talents/powers: Fears: Faults: Good points: What they want more than anything else:

[harlowtales]

A chance encounter leaves Jack searching for his Cinderella 🪄✨✨✨

18 plus - Adult Themes

PART 1

Jack saw you from across the New Balance store. He was getting fitted for tour and was busy recording in New York and had an appearance on the Tonight’s Show. He walked in and they rushed everyone to finish their purchase to let the superstar shop. You desperately needed a new pair of shoes with being on your feet all day at work. Since working nights the pain was getting worse. You didn’t take kindly to being asked to clear out and were so annoyed you didn’t even care it was him.

“I’m not leaving because some big shot walked in here.” You said pointing over to him which had Jack looking around slightly embarrassed but quite entertained with a smirk on his face. “That’s so disrespectful to your other customers. My feet are in pain!” You complained loudly and caused a bit of a scene.

“Can I help?” You knew the voice. Everyone knew that smooth Kentucky drawl.

“Not unless you work here.” You shot back rudely. Like how dare he?

“Slow down I didn’t ask for the store to be cleared out. I wouldn’t do that.” He said “hold on let me clear this up. Don’t move.”

You sat down out of sheer exhaustion and agony and waited on him for what reason you didn’t know but were too miserable to care.

“K it’s all good, just shop and take your time. You ight?” He asked with the crease in his brow characteristically showing concern.

“Since you asked I am in fact NOT ok. My feet are fucking killing me working night shift.” You replied honestly.

“For real? What do you do? Oh sorry I know you know and don’t seem to care but I’m Jack by the way nice to meet you…” he said extending his hand

“Zoey.” You said shortly. You knew he was a heartthrob but Jack did nothing for you. Although his height in person was impressive you just weren’t into slick fuck boys and didn’t get all the hype about him. He did look effortlessly good though with a backwards green hat that went well with his eyes, white tank and jeans with the New Balances on that he designed with his best friend Urban. There was a kindness in his crystal blue bedroom eyes and dimpled grin with an almost boyish charm the way he covered his mouth and bowed his head when he chuckled. It was staring to register with you a little bit why girls liked him.

“Nice talking to you Jack I gotta go find something good with amazing arch support” You said sounding every bit the old lady you felt like.

“Um ok no worries I’ll um…leave you alone but you had me shook for a minute I can’t lie. I like your spunk Zoey.” He said almost tentatively but kept an eye on you as you browsed.

“My spunk? Ok Connor, me and “spunk” need some shoes for these tired ass feet.” Your slight grin let Jack know at least you didn’t hate him for potentially ruining your one chance to get comfortable sneakers.

“Forget it bro. She ain’t with it.” Urban nudged Jack and whispered. “Not every chick digs you man just chill.”

“Yeah you right lemme relax. Something about her though” Jack mused as he played with the little tuft of hair under his lip trying to figure out his next move or to actually leave you let you be.

“Yeah like she could give a rats ass who you are and now you’re taking it as a challenge and want to crack her code, we’ve been here before fam. Just drop it we gotta go.” Urban said sensibly. Since he settled down he really wasn’t into Jack hunting down girls around him. He had fucked up once and wasn’t about to do it again.

Later that day Jack Tweeted on X as he now rarely did and sent his fanbase reeling “Hey Zoey I got you. Holler.” while holding his New Balance collab. X was going nuts and soon it spread like wildfire across all platforms and gossip blogs were crashing fielding questions about who this Zoey person was.

A few weeks later you hopped on IG. With night shift, school, and managing your little one you didn’t have time to scroll and had turned off notifications for everything. You hadn’t told anyone about your encounter as you had virtually forgotten about it by now. Nobody alerted you to anything as there was thousands of Zoeys in New York City and you never talked about being remotely interested in Jack Harlow.

As you scrolled finally having the time to get your nails done you dropped your bubble tea. “Mommy are you ok?” Your daughter Aaliyah asked you and picked up your drink with her little chubby hands lovingly handing it to you. You pecked her on the forehead.

“Yes bubs I’m fine.” You lied. Suddenly you felt warm and like you needed to lie down, but why? It was New York and famous men checked you out before but this was no regular feeling. You weren’t following him on IG but a hip hop page had the pic of Jack holding the shoe and said “Who is Zoey a.k.a Cinderella”. You swallowed hard, followed him on X and Tweeted back “I’m a size 7”.

PART 2

“Jack? You good bro?” Copelan said watching Jack’s face suddenly look like he’d seen a ghost. They were out just chilling grabbing some fast food which Jack didn’t do often but lately he felt off and everyone noticed.

“She…it took weeks for her to…” he said dumbfounded. He hurriedly called his assistant Kat. “Get me on a flight to New York ASAP. Cope pack a bag we’re going to New York” Jack had kept his Twitter notifications on to know the minute you replied and was just about to turn them off again and flag it under just another chance encounter.

The plane couldn’t go fast enough. He had to get back and see if there was a chance of what exactly he wasn’t sure. He didn’t like feeling out of control like this. He called the shots in every situation but you had a way of unnerving him. Most of the girls in his circle didn’t have much to do but hang out and look pretty. Here you were working a night shift. He had to know more. There was a story there with you for sure. He saw pics of your daughter and you on IG but no dad. He was hoping the coast was clear.

His assistant had already found where you work. Mt.Sinai Hospital. Him, Copelan, Kat, and his security hit the room and had a nap because from Kat’s sleuthing she found out your shift at the hospital started at 9PM. Exactly what you did he wasn’t sure but by the looks of you he was crossing his fingers you were a nurse.

“Ok everybody listen up! It’s going to be another crazy night. You know what to do, have each other’s backs and Zoey will be your resident med student tonight so let her know what you need.” The safety huddle was only 5 mins before everyone scattered for a busy night at the hospital. You were loving your new sneakers, got an A on your last assignment, your daughter was safe with your Grandma and you got an extra pep in your step with a hot large coffee.

Tonight was going to be good. You were finally awake and had a 2 week break from school. It wasn’t easy being in med school as a single parent but landing the gig at the hospital was a huge win. Aaliyah was finally able to get the glasses she needed. Poor little thing kept bumping into things before it was realized how bad her eyesight was at 5.

The night was wearing on but that large coffee had worn off. You had to fill in at the front desk for a bit and it actually was a bit slow. To keep from dozing off you put in your earbuds and put on some Jack Harlow. After you met him you started listening to more of his music and liked what you heard. You put your feet up and did nod off for a second. You woke up with a start by a tap on the shoulder.

“Does anybody fucking work around here or what?”

“JACK????!” You screamed “WHAT THE FUCK”

“Hello is more like it young lady.” Jack said cheekily sitting on the front desk counter swinging his legs preparing to be a total nuisance.

“How did you..???” You said bewildered “When did..”

“I have my ways and I got in this afternoon.” He answered loving that he regained control by throwing you off so much. “So can you get off or what? I got your shoes want to take a walk and break them in?” he said producing a box of size 7 New Balances in his floral design.

“I…wow. Thank you so much.” You said blushing opening the box with a smile that showed your dimples.

“That’s what I like to see.” Jack remarked wholeheartedly. To see you smile and be happy rather than annoyed to see him like the first time made the whole trip worth it. “I also brought well…a smaller pair.” He said as Copelan handed him another smaller box for Aaliyah. “I hope they fit her.” He said.

“Jack I can’t.” You refused the pair for your daughter not wanting to send him the wrong message and not trusting him yet.

“Please. It’s just some shoes, we give them away to kids all the time. I insist.” He said convincingly

“So you’ve obviously been on my insta to know where I work and have a daughter.” You said not sure what to make of all this but cautiously accepting the small box.

“I also didn’t see no man on your gram.” Jack said confidently his manly side showing up in a big way.

“Yeah about that…” You said slowly “I’m too busy and Aaliyah’s dad passed away the 1st year she was born so it’s just me and her now.”

“Oh.” Jack said completely changing his posture to a more humble one. “I’m sorry to come all up in your space like this.”

“No don’t be it’s adorable. I just can’t you know…” You said trying to let him down gently. You saw his face drop and decided to make it up to him. “Let me work my magic and I’ll be right back.”

His face lit up and he jumped down from the counter excited. A few minutes later the supervising doctor came out. “So you weren’t lying! It’s Jack Harlow!” She exclaimed. “Nice to meet you” She said nervously shaking Jack’s hand way too hard and for too long. “You know what Zoey? Take tonight off we got it covered here.”

“Imma get you some sneakers too.” Jack said to her gratefully as he walked away with you. Just let Zoey know your size and I got you.”

“Seriously??!! Can you sign them?” Your supervisor said glowing.

“Done.” Jack said “I’ll send them signed.”

“Wow. So how long you been a nurse?” Copelan asked you.

“Um I’m in med school to be a doctor. Cardiac specialist actually.” You said a little tired of people always assuming women were nurses.

“Oops my bad. I didn’t mean..” Cope tried to recover but Jack just gave him a sign to stop.

“Look Jack I need to know where we’re going. I can’t be walking in too late.” You said worried about Aaliyah and knowing your Grandmother would not be having you coming in wee hours of the morning because you had been out with a rapper.

Jack opened the door of the black SUV for you and once nicely inside he sat beside you and took your hand and said “I know you’re a mom and you have a life and responsibilities and I totally respect that. Nothing crazy, let’s go for a bite to eat with the team so you feel safe. There’s no rush. I’m here for a few days because I wasn’t sure how this would go and in case you didn’t like that I surprised you I had time to go back in for more abuse until I had a relative level of success.” He chuckled and it melted your heart. You were starting to relax.

Dinner was fabulous. It was the fanciest restaurant you had ever been in. It made you a little scared because you were working hard and you didn’t want to give Jack the impression you could be bought and no way was he meeting Aaliyah any time soon. You never had guys in and out of her life and you weren’t about to start now. As glasses of wine clinked and the hum of rich conversation was all around you as you sat in your hospital scrubs you knew that without Jack, the way you were dressed, how ordinary you looked, you would never get in a place like this on your own. Your head was spinning. Forever the med school major you were thinking too much. “Why can’t I just enjoy this?” You thought in frustration.

Jack caught a vibe you were uncomfortable. He leaned over to you and whispered “Hey you want to go for a little walk? Get some air?”

“Sure.” You said immediately feeling claustrophobic.

He got up and pulled out your chair for you. As you stepped out of the buzzing Italian restaurant the night air was chilly so he gave you the light jacket he was wearing and rubbed your shoulders to warm you up making you full on laugh.

“That’s what I been wanting to hear. That laugh. That’s the spark in everything.” Jack said wistfully as you strolled together down the street in the city that never sleeps hitched under his arm. For both of you it felt like a dream. You leaned your head on him that sent a tingle through his body. He liked girls before but was this what love felt like? The feeling he said in numerous interviews he had never felt? Maybe it was the champagne but his head felt light and he felt a weight had been lifted off of him having you warm up to him like this. He just wished he could take you home with him. You, Aaliyah, your Grandma and make all your lives so much easier, but he knew that wasn’t possible, at least for now.

“Thank you Jack for all this I…” Jack interrupted what you were saying with a deep kiss. Steam was rising from the street with lights and sounds going fuzzy for that moment like you were in some surreal parallel universe. You didn’t expect his lips to feel so soft and the touch after so many years of not being kissed was almost overwhelming and old instincts kicked in to escape closeness.

“Oh god, Jack that was… oh my, I need to get home to Aaliyah.” You lied checking your watch. Everyone at home was sleeping not even aware you were not at work.

“Zoey please.” Jack pressed into your body gently going in for another kiss.” This time you felt yourself wilt and totally succumb to him. He backed you up against a brick wall as you hadn’t noticed you had turned into an alley that was hard to see what was happening but you felt completely safe with him. Too safe.

“I need you Zoey.” He said breathlessly as his hand drifted lower and lower to your behind. You pushed your tongue into his and felt him rising. Was it going to happen here? In the open like this?

“Jack no this can’t happen here.” You said weakly protesting as he kissed up your neck.

“I wouldn’t expect anything now.” He said “I’m just savouring this moment. Why don’t we head back sweet Zoey, songs are written about girls like you.”

PART 3

In dropping you off Jack walked you to your door. An old brownstone row house you shared with your Grandmother and daughter. As you were saying goodbyes and you were standing in the doorway Aaliyah snuck right past you. You didn’t even hear her coming. With pyjamas on, a curly mop of hair, rubbing her eyes with a teddy bear she was suddenly looking at Jack bewildered.

“Hi.” She said to him shyly and hugged your legs.

“Aaliyah hunny I’m sorry to wake you up.” You apologized picking her up and hitching her on your hip. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Now she saw Jack and Jack saw her.

Jack was immediately taken by Aaliyah. She was a mini- version of you and he felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest. It was hard to contain what he was feeling and not be super goofy with her in some way. He hoped to have a few of his own one day.

“Hey Aaliyah right? Pleased to meet you I’m Jack.” He simply said not wanting to overwhelm the tired little girl.

Aaliyah rested her groggy head on your shoulder and stuck her thumb in her mouth. “Well Jack as you can see I have to tuck her back in. Thank you so much and I apologize for how I acted when we met.” You offered.

“It’s all good. You were going through it that day. Bye Aaliyah, have sweet dreams. I got you a gift and your mom is going to give it to you tomorrow ok?” Jack said rubbing her back.

“Ok Mr.Jack.” She said sleepily

“Zoey, can I please see you tomorrow?” Jack asked cautiously hopeful.

“Jack I have to spend time with Aaliyah tomorrow.” You replied.

“Ok I can come with, if it’s ok. Aaliyah can I hang out with you and Mommy tomorrow?” Jack asked her

“What are you doing? Don’t ask her that, she’s not ready for that.” You shot back at him turning away cradling Aaliyah as she drifted off back to sleep.

“She’s not ready? Or you’re not ready.” He countered. He wasn’t going to back down easily.

“Jack…” you started to say

“I’ll pick you up at Noon.” He interrupted. You had successfully curved guys for years but feared you just met your match. “How’s the Zoo sound tomorrow for this little sleepy bubs.” Jack said affectionately.

“I call her bubs.” You said frozen in surprise at him using that word.

“I knew this was on some serendipity vibes meeting you. I hope you’re ready to make some changes in your life Zoey cuz this is happening.” Jack said firmly

PART 4

Aaliyah waited by the window for the man that gave her the pretty sneakers with flowers. She liked that he was nice to her mommy and made her smile because mommy didn’t smile that much. She saw the Black SUV roll to a stop in front of her house. He started walking up and rang the doorbell. Aaliyah jumped down from the couch “Mommyyyyyy!!!! Mr. Jack is here!”

You were in your room breathing and talking to yourself that everything would be fine. “It’s just the Zoo, it’s just the zoo.” You said calmly while freaking out inside. That kiss lived in your head rent free since it happened and made you nervous to see him again. You jumped when the doorbell rang and Aaliyah called for you. You gave yourself one last look in the mirror scrutinizing every last detail of your outfit. Hoop earrings but not too big, jeans with a rips in the knees, Jordan’s and a Nirvana hoodie, light makeup, and sloppy but controlled bun. This was a day at the Zoo with a pre-schooler not exactly the time for impressing Jack, and in fact you didn’t want to send the message you were too available.

Jack had a personality that was very strong, quiet, light hearted but energetic all at the same time. He was almost as much of a handful as Aaliyah. You were adjusting to who he was feeling awkward and out of practice going on dates. When you made it downstairs Jack, his Security, Copelan, his assistant, and the driver were all in the living room talking to Aaliyah and your Grandmother. They were eating some fresh homemade banana bread and sipping some tea out of the good tea set. Granny only broke that out for damn near royalty.

Aaliyah was enjoying the extra treats she was getting because there was a guest. She sat happily having an extra piece of banana bread which was her favourite and playing with a new Barbies Jack instructed Kat to pick out for her at Wal-Mart early in the morning. He knew the key to your heart was him treating Aaliyah right and he was holding back from spoiling the little girl or you. He had brought you flowers but that’s it. He could tell showering you with gifts would make you run.

As you appeared in the doorway everyone stopped and looked at you. Jack swallowed hard because he thought you looked naturally gorgeous. Copelan nudged him because he had his mouth hanging open and was staring. “Miss Zoey you had this poor man waiting on the stoop I had to entertain and feed him poor thing was hungry.” Your Grandmother said in a chiding tone.

“Thank you Granny for entertaining everyone while I took a whole 5 minutes to come down.” You said sarcastically. “Aaliyah you remember Jack right?”

“Yes and he brought me Barbies!” Aaliyah exclaimed

“I see that. Don’t get spoiled.” You cautioned her sternly. “Shoes and Barbies in less than 24 hours. Wow okay thank you Jack.” You said disapprovingly.

“Zoey! So rude!” Your Grandmother said in shock you would say that to the only date you had in years that happened to be so handsome and charming. “I’m sorry for my Granddaughter’s attitude Mr. Harlow.” She said turning to Jack embarrassed.

You were mortified and turned crying running upstairs and slamming your bedroom door. “What is wrong with me?” You said sobbing uncontrollably.

“It’s ok Mr.Jack Mommy cries a lot.” Aaliyah said while playing with her Barbies.

“I got this. Guys we’ll meet you in the car. Aaliyah I’ll go check on Mommy ok.” Jack said concerned it was so normal for the little girl to see you cry like that. He gently knocked on your door. “Zoey? You ight? Can I come in?”

You were surprised he hadn’t left. You blew your nose, straightened yourself out and opened the door. “Hey” you said humbly knowing you were totally out of pocket a minute ago.

“Hey.” Jack said softly holding out the bouquet he brought you like some sort of peace offering. “May I?” He asked gesturing to wrap his arms around you to which you tearfully nodded. “No matter how hard you try I’m here. Even if this goes nowhere. I know this is a lot for you and I been holding back to not overwhelm you but if I don’t push a little Imma get nowhere.”

Jack continued holding you and tilted your chin up to look him in his blue eyes. “I’m just trying to get to know you. I didn’t fly all the way back here with my team to make you feel bought and paid for. I genuinely think Aaliyah is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen because she’s a mini you and I’m hoping…Zoey I….I’ve fallen for you and dammit Imma fall as hard as I want to. You’re not the only stubborn one up in here.”

Jack disarmed you once again with his caring calm voice and his warm embrace. “I don’t deserve you. I’m a single mom, I’m not anything to date a famous person. I don’t know how to act or what to say.” You said frustrated with yourself.

“Zoey, that’s why I like you. You’re just you. I haven’t seen you try to impress me once since I met you and you don’t know how much that means to me. Barbies? I held back from buying Aaliyah that whole damn toy store. I’m trying to go at your pace but you gotta let me do something to show I care. So can we go to the Zoo? I’d really like to get out of your bedroom because 3 more minutes and we are taking this convo to the mattress. That messy bun is my kryptonite.”

You giggled and gathered yourself to have a great day. “I’m going to the Bronx Zoo with Jack Harlow and it’s perfectly natural right? What in the actual fuck is going on??!!!” You thought as he helped you into the luxury SUV with the most plush seats you ever sat in holding your hand all the way to the Zoo.

PART 5

“Mommyyyyy!!!! Look!! The giraffes have suuuppper long legs like Mr. Jack.” Aaliyah said delightfully not in any way trying to insult Jack. She was quite taken with him hitching a ride sitting on his shoulders.

Jack thought it was adorable “Can’t beat kids for their brutal honesty” He said with a giggle.

“Wow now I can’t unsee it.” You said with a straight face looking at him and looking at the giraffe. Jack thought he was the only one that could joke sarcastically serious but he was wrong. Most girls would be afraid to come off rude and be putting on a show for him on their best behaviour but not you. He’d already experienced you being down right rude and a crying mess so this was a step up as far as he was concerned.

The day was super fun but on the way home both you and Aaliyah fell asleep on either side of Jack putting your full weight on him. Kat thought it was so cute she took a picture. “Don’t post that it would piss my baby right off.” He whispered in a chuckle feeling like the luckiest man in the world.

“Your baby?” Kat said with a smirk “Careful Jack it sounds like you have feelings after all.”

“I have lots of feelings I just make sure I stuff em down as far as I can cuz when I settle down it’s gotta be forever. I have big shoes to fill with my Grandparents and parents married for so long.” He said so seriously it gave Kat tingles. She was so happy to see this side of her boss. “I can’t fuck up my whole bag on some gold digger. This one right here…might be it” He said pecking you on the forehead waking you up.

“Oh geez I’m so sorry I fell asleep on you!” You said with a start.

“It’s fine. I’m glad y’all enjoyed it.” Jack said

“I never been to the Zoo. My parents died before…and then her dad…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a downer. We had a ball Jack.” You said not wanting to ruin the moment. There was plenty of time for sob stories. You happily pecked him on the cheek.

“That’s why you cry a lot.” Jack said looking at you like his whole world.

“How did you know that?” You said incredulously

“A little birdie told me.” He said looking at Aaliyah passed out leaning on his arm.

“Yeah that little birdie sings like a canary sometimes.” You said frowning at your daughter for spilling that tea.

When he dropped you off it was turning into evening. Granny was cooking up a storm disappointed Jack couldn’t stay for dinner. Jack had Aaliyah on his shoulder and carried her upstairs. You tucked her in and met him in the hallway. He pulled you in for a long kiss his hand grazing your breast but he pulled it back. “One day soon Jack, I promise.” You said breathlessly. “It’s not like I don’t want to I just…”

“You don’t have to explain but if I don’t hit the road we gone make a movie in your childhood bedroom and Granny tryna feed me.” He said completely serious but you snorted a laugh.

“Mmmmm I hope we make a movie and a sequel.” You said caressing his built chest through his TShirt.

“Zoey please I’m getting a hard on stop it.” Jack said in mock protest. “Im tryna turn over a new leaf here and behave myself.”

“You’re right. Aaliyah is all I can handle.” You replied rolling your eyes at her bedroom door. “Unless….”

“Unless what?” Jack said sexily leaning back against the wall while you put your hand on his generous bulge through his trackpants

“Zoey…..” he moaned

“Come to my room.” You said daringly pulling him in and locking the door.

Granny heard a thud from upstairs as you both flopped on the bed and just shook her head giggling to herself as she finished the macaroni and cheese she was making to go with the pot roast. “I guess he’s staying for dinner.” She said

@itsyagirljaz @okaaay-mice @ride4harlow

[noblebs]

oc profile tag

tagged by the talented @tragedycoded wow <3 I was like "maybe I shouldn't just do Orion by default" so I used an RNG and it landed on Orion anyway lol--NO WAIT FUCK THAT. DEV TIME

Name: Devilant

Nickname: in-universe, Orion's the first one to call him Dev

Kind of Being: demonic

Age: ???? was summoned 50 years ago, he considers that his age

Gender: masculine, sort of ambivalent about it tbh

Appearance: 8' tall from the top of his head, horns coming out of his temples (shaped kinda like upside down ?) make it closer to like 9.5' or so. he's fat, his skin is made of obsidian, and he has burning eyes. clothes are very basic and old/ratty, nothing fits unless he stretches it out beforehand. I think wifebeaters and sweatpants are his go-tos, and if that doesn't scream "long-term undiagnosed depression" then damn idk what does

Occupation: retired Annex agent/monster hunter

Family members: the person who summoned him and sort-of-maternal figure, Aisha

Pets: none. I bet he'd enjoy keeping goats or cows though

Best friend: oh don't even bother asking, she's long gone

Describe their room: cramped, bed takes up most of the space. a few bits of trash (mostly beer cans) lying around and a little dusty, but he doesn't own enough stuff for it to be disorganized

Way of speaking: usually has a very even and measured tone, doesn't inflect a whole lot

Physical characteristics (posture, gestures, attitude): tends to slouch and try to make himself look smaller (doesn't really work), doesn't gesticulate much and has a hard time emoting with facial expressions (skin too thick/stiff) so he can be very hard to read

Items in their pocket/purse: one key and some cash. talk about traveling light

Hobbies: woodworking

Favorite sports: not really a big sports fan, but I guess if you made him choose he'd say baseball maybe?

Abilities/Talents/Powers: I mean just...very very strong/durable. wounds close fairly quickly, but he can't, like, regenerate (but surely that's irrelevant). decent aim with a handgun

Relationships (how they are with other people): very quiet and stoic around people he doesn't know well. relaxes a lot more once he feels like he's not going to scare someone away, and then he can be more jovial and earnest

Fears: he thinks he's not afraid of anything. but really: the past catching up with him. in the deepest recesses of his mind he feels like he has terrible things to answer for.

Faults: withdraws/self-isolates the minute he's uncomfortable; gets complacent and stuck in a rut when he doesn't have some external force to drive him forward; can be very stubborn

Good points: compassionate and conscientious; very easygoing and emotionally mature, it's truly very difficult to upset him most of the time

What they want more than anything else: a purpose

ALL RIGHT going to test out my snazzy new tag list (no pressure, ask to be added/removed): @saturnine-saturneight @tragedycoded @sodaliteskull @autism-purgatory @leahnardo-da-veggie

@rhikasa @varsbaby @badscientist @ashfordlabs @sender-paulson

@captain-kraken @aalinaaaaaa @author-a-holmes @cowboybrunch @wyked-ao3

[hearts-hunger]

Chapter Two: The Way of Lady Justice {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You’ve been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy’s most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Word Count: 3k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, sexual innuendo

A/N: Everybody say hello to pirate Josh! I'm enjoying giving them their swashbuckling characteristics, and though we don't get to meet Sam and Danny in this chapter, I promise they're coming soon. I hope you like it! ♡

Your breath caught in your throat as you looked up at him, eyes wide and heart pounding at the sight of a pirate who really did frighten you. Jake had proven himself honorable, at least so far, and the rest of them were bruisers and henchmen, obedient to their captain’s call. This one, though, had a cunning curve to his mouth, a keenness to his gaze that seemed to cut straight to the heart of you. He looked at you as if he knew you, as if he understood every secret you’d ever tried to hide.

He came down the stairs to stand before you, his gold earrings and necklaces catching the firelight from the raging inferno of the Commodore’s house. His hair was unusually cut, shorn on the sides and wild with curls otherwise. His eyes flashed between your face and the gaudy necklace you wore as if trying to determine which he liked better.

“Brought home a little plaything, Jake?” he asked, not taking his eyes off of you. You shivered under his gaze.

“Josh,” Jake warned. “Don’t frighten her.”

It was too late for that, and both you and Josh knew it. He gave you a smile that did nothing to soothe your nerves.

“What’s your name, little dove?” he asked. His rings clinked against the hilt of his cutlass as he ran his hand over it in a habitual motion.

Your mouth went dry. You couldn’t have answered if you’d wanted to.

Josh smirked. “Cat got your tongue, my love? No matter.” He reached out to you, and you panicked and shied away from him.

“Steady now,” he said, though it was more of an order than a consolation. His slender fingers grasped the sapphire in your necklace. 

“Fitting to find a gem this big at this port of call,” he said, almost lovingly. He met your eyes. “But you’re the real jewel of the bay, aren’t you, sweet one?”

Your head spun with all the pet names he lavished you with. You’d never been called anything close to those kinds of names, and they held a strange kind of magnetism in his voice.

He knew the pull he had over you. His eyes swept up from your necklace to meet your gaze.

“I think that’s what I’ll call you,” he said. “Sapphire.”

You swallowed. He gave you a lazy smirk.

“Take it,” you blurted, your voice more fearful than you wanted it to be. You reached with shaky hands to unclasp your necklace and hand it to him. “It’s yours.”

He laughed. “I know it is.” He kept his eyes trained on you as he took it, and it was only when he held the necklace in his hand that he moved his gaze. 

He ran his thumb over the surface of the gem. “However did you come across such a magnificent jewel, Sapphire?”

“M-my fiancé,” you stammered. You glanced at Jake; he was watching the exchange with a cool expression, completely unreadable.

Josh raised a brow. “Caught yourself a rich one, did you? What’s his name? Perhaps I’ll send a few men to see what other gifts he has secreted away for you.”

Despite the disgust you felt for Kit, you held on to a flicker of bravery; he was legendary for his cruelty to pirates, and perhaps his name held some weight with this one.

“Commander Kit Drake of the Black Smoke,” you said, trying for confidence. “That’s his name.”

Josh’s eyes widened, and to your surprise, an almost giddy smile spread over his face.

“Is it?” he asked. He looked over at Jake with vicious glee. “Got a little sidetracked, did you, Jacob? Stealing the beloved of Kitty-Kat Drake?”

Jake snorted. “Beloved?” he repeated. “He used her as a shield when our men attacked. Show him your bruises, lass.”

You hesitantly offered your hand to Josh. He took it in a surprisingly gentle grip and looked over the bruises blossoming on your wrist.

“He marked your pretty face too, didn’t he?” Josh said, releasing your wrist and examining the cut on your cheek. “Wasteful.”

“It was his signet ring,” you said softly, a wave of tears threatening at the memory. “He struck me with the back of his hand.”

“Only after she’d nearly bitten a finger off,” Jake said, and there was a hint of pride in his voice.

Josh’s brows rose in a way you would have thought almost playful if you hadn’t been so wary of him still.

“I suppose I’ll keep my distance, then,” he said, and there was a wry teasing in his voice. He held up two fingers. “I use these too frequently to have them bitten, sweetheart, even by a mouth as pretty as yours.”

You blushed vividly, suddenly all too aware of your state of undress as you stood before him. Jake either sensed your unease or felt the comment too forward; he took a step towards Josh, but stopped obediently when Josh shifted the hand that rested on his cutlass.

“Now, now,” Josh said, directing himself to you. “I see I’ve made my twin restless. Unfortunately for me, that means he’s entirely too keen on you.”

Jake made a little noise of impatience and embarrassment. You blushed hotter, unsure what to do with the implication that a pirate had set his affections on you with less than an hour’s acquaintance.

Josh gave a magnanimous gesture towards the stairs.

“You may allow yourself to be whisked away to Jacob’s private chambers, if you wish,” he said graciously. “Or you may roam the ship. Whatever you prefer, Sapphire.”

You looked uneasily at the crew of pirates that went about their duties but could not take their eyes off of you.

“Your men...” you said faintly. You looked meekly up at Josh. “Jake said they wouldn’t hurt me.”

Josh’s eyes flickered with something close to gentleness, the warmth of sunshine amid the untamable fire of his presence. You were drawn to him, suddenly, this golden twin of your pirate, and wondered at how easily he’d swayed you.

“Every man aboard this ship will feel the cut of the captain’s blade if he so much as looks at you the wrong way,” he said, and his voice was for a moment hard and unflinching. “My word is law, Sapphire, and I bind myself to your honor and my brother’s vow. You have no need to fear any unwanted advances, I assure you.”

Before you could thank him, or even think of how to respond to such surprising respect, cannon fire sounded from the fortifications on the bay and caused both twins to swear loudly.

“Though it seems we may receive some unwanted advances upon our ship for our trouble,” Josh said. He called to his men. “Load cannons, you dogs! Give the King’s men a taste of iron.”

You watched as the crew obeyed immediately, working together as a well-oiled machine. You’d always thought of pirates as careless, almost rabid individuals; never had you imagined them as loyal and efficient as any crew of Navy men you’d seen.

“You might want to cover your ears, lass,” Jake said conversationally. You looked up at him in question, but no sooner had he said it than a deep, reverberating barrage flooded your senses. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air as cannon after cannon was fired from the body of the ship.

You pressed your hands over your ears and tried not to flinch at every sound. Jake stood with that imperturbable calm, watching the scene unfold on the bay. To you it seemed a morass of chaos and violence; from Jake’s expression, one might think that  the billowing smoke and leaping flames was no more than a day’s work to him.

“Are they firing on your ship because of me?” you asked, raising your voice to be heard over the din. 

“Might be,” he said easily. “More likely no one has noticed you’re gone. We’ve sent a crew to get our man before he hangs, and we decided we’d cause a little trouble for the King while we were at it.”

“And get your share of gold and jewels, no doubt,” you said, feeling a little put out at the destruction of the only home you’d ever known.

Jake grinned. “Aye. That too.” He absently rubbed the part of his arm you knew bore the scarred brand of a pirate. “You’ve been marked by a King’s man just as much as any of us. You don’t want your revenge?”

You didn’t know what you wanted. You tore your gaze from the battle, following the dance of the fire over the choppy waves until it met the cool shine of moonlight.

“What will you do when you’ve got your man?” you asked. “Where will you go?”

He shrugged, his expression shadowed with pain. “We’ll hide away for a while. More likely than not, Daniel has been treated with cruelty. He’ll need rest.”

“Daniel?” you said, looking up at him. “He’s a member of your crew?”

Jake shook his head. “He’s our brother’s first mate. Got taken in a raid nearly a fortnight ago. We didn’t know where he’d been taken, but your Commander Drake is a braggart; he told anyone who would listen that he’d caught the first mate of the Indigo Streak.”

Your eyes widened. A million thoughts raced through your head, the first among them being the one you voiced:

“The Indigo Streak is real?”

His smile was wry. “Real as the fire she’s spitting now.” He nodded to the other galleon in the bay whose dozens of guns shot cannonballs and then recoiled into the shadowy darkness of the hull. “That ship’s dedicated to Lady Justice, and she’ll have her way with the King’s men tonight.”

You noticed, then, the blindfolded figurehead at the front of the ship. She held a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other and seemed almost alive in the firelight.

“Then that means...” You moved breathlessly to the side of the ship, leaning over the railing to try and see the figurehead. You caught a glimpse of a wing and a laurel wreath held up in triumph.

“That’s Nike,” you said. “Goddess of Victory.” You looked up at Jake with innocent wonder. “This is the Starcatcher, isn’t it?”

“Aye, lass.”

You searched his face for some kind of mythology, some indication that he was the first mate of a ship that existed only in legend.

He noticed, and his laugh was so charming against the backdrop of violence that it made you dizzy.

“What are you looking for?” he asked, but it wasn’t unkind. “An unnatural gleam in my eyes? Fangs, perhaps? A phantasmal aura?”

You blushed and looked away from him, knowing that some small part of you had been girlishly looking for something otherworldly.

“Look at me, lass.”

You did, embarrassed and wishing you’d comported yourself with a bit more dignity. His smile was amused and curious.

“There’s magic in these waters, Sapphire,” he said, and you knew he wasn’t teasing you. “Magic I can’t explain. I won’t deny it, and no sailor worth his salt would deny it either.”

You thought of all the times Kit had ridiculed young sailors for their fear and awe in the face of the mighty ocean, their eagerness to believe the stories of ghost ships and captains with supernatural powers. You had never dared to mention that you believed them too, choosing instead to listen and drink in the tales of phantoms and magic and monsters that captivated your imagination.

“But this ship,” Jake said, scuffing the heel of his boot against a plank — “this ship is just wood and water, lass.”

“But the legends,” you said, moving closer to him, trying to convince yourself it was just to hear him better. “To hear sailors tell of it, the Starcatcher can outpace any ship in the sea. They say the Streak can vanish without a trace.”

Jake grinned and looked up at his twin who was perched at the ship’s wheel to watch the drama of thievery and jailbreaking unfold.

“That’s because of their captains,” he said. “Our brother Sam is the captain of the Streak, and he and Josh are better sailors than all of the King’s men put together.”

You thought the way his expression lit with affection and pride for his brothers made him even more handsome. You didn’t have long to look, though, as your attention was grabbed when Josh ran to the balustrade and looked out into the bay.

“They have him!” he called to Jake. “They’ve got Danny. Send the signal.”

Jake gave a shrill whistle to a man halfway up to the crow’s nest. The man nodded and climbed his way to the top, lighting a huge beacon that washed the deck in an eerie glow of orange and red. 

Jake looked over the side of the ship; below, a skiff with two men came steadily to the Indigo Streak. One man was rowing hard, already calling for help; the other man was slumped over, the back of his white shirt ripped and bloody.

“Damn them,” Jake said, quietly and with feeling. His face was a mask of pain and anger.

You felt sick at the sight of the injured man, even as distant as he was in the waters below. You’d heard enough stories and scurried past enough public punishments to know whip wounds when you saw them, and this man bore more than you’d ever seen.

“That’s Daniel?” you asked quietly, barely audible over the noise.

Jake’s knuckles were white on the railing. “Yes.”

You looked upwards to the fire in the crow’s nest. “And that’s the signal for your crew to return?”

“Aye,” he agreed. “It also means it’s time to get you home.”

You were bereft, suddenly, at the thought of leaving. You couldn’t imagine why; surely home would be preferable to this. Then you realized that you might not even have a home to go back to; fires raged across the north side of the island, the houses of nobility and wealth in Sapphire Bay plundered until nothing was left.

“How do I know your men haven’t ransacked my home and burnt it to the ground?” you asked, wrestling with the emotions that flooded you. Everything suddenly seemed as unsteady as the deck of the ship, and you tried desperately to keep your balance over the choppy waves.

Jake scowled, his amiable mood all but vanished now that he’d seen the state of the man they’d come to save.

“You don’t,” he said. “I said I’d get you out of there with your life, lass, not with all your little treasures still in your jewelry box.”

He made to ready the skiff for your return. “Besides,” he said bitterly, “a lady like you has friends all over the island, all over the kingdom. Surely you can find a place to rest that pretty head of yours tonight.”

“I shouldn’t have to,” you shot back, embarrassed that he seemed disappointed in you, appalled with yourself for caring about what he thought. “I’ve never done anything to you. Why should I face retribution for something I had no part of?”

Jake gave you a scathing look. “Your fiancé put my brother’s man in irons and would have hanged him if he hadn’t been too busy whipping him within an inch of his life.”

You paled, unable to argue that fact. “I had no knowledge of it.”

He cursed. “Your kind live on the knowledge of it,” he spat. “You couldn’t have your empire without it. You’re worried about your castle on a hill when you have no idea of the bones it’s built on. All your jewels, your dresses, your dinner parties — they’re a gilded cover over a kingdom of death and savagery.”

“And what do you call this?” you said heatedly, throwing an arm out to encompass the bay in flames, the hoards of pirates coming back to their ships after ravaging the island. “Is this not death and savagery, sir?”

He had the unmitigated gall to laugh at you.

“Sir,” he repeated, and your face burned hot. “You still keep the gilded cover, even when it doesn’t serve you.”

“What do you suggest I call you?” you said through gritted teeth. You could think of a few choice names to try on for size.

He’d just opened his mouth to deliver a snarky comeback when his twin gripped his shoulder.

“No need to worry about it now,” Josh said to you. “Plenty of time to figure it out on the way to the Cove.”

You and Jake spoke as one, his voice surprised and yours curious. “The Cove?”

“Aye,” Josh said, clapping Jake’s shoulder. “Set course.”

He was off to the quarterdeck before either of you could question him, though that didn’t stop Jake from trying. 

“Are you mad?” he yelled after Josh. “She can’t come with us!”

His call was lost in the din that had only gotten worse with the arrival of the rest of the crew and the orders being shouted from every side.

Jake glanced over at you, your eyes locking for a moment that felt like it might have been years. He gave a scornful huff and left to join the men in readying the ship to leave the bay.

“Don’t be cross with me, pirate!” you shouted after him, for a moment too indignant with his sudden change of heart to be very fearful of it. “You brought me on this ship, and it’s no one’s fault but your own that you’re stuck with me!”

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the taglist for this series!

series taglist: @ohmy-kiszka @starcatchercarol

jake taglist: @m0uthfl13s @ohhey1293

gvf taglist: @malany-gvf @spark-my-nature @eearevee @madneedshelp @demonrat444 @josh-iamyour-mama @honeyandsweettae @mydarlingdanny @gretavandann @sacredjake @myleftsock @joshskittytickler21 @hellowgoodbye @watchingovergvf2

@gvfrry @ohhey1293 @the-chaotic-cow @mountain-in-springtime @xserenax-13 @stardustjtk @brooke-gvf @weightofdreams-gvf  @jakeydoesit  @gretasmokerising @hayley1623 @doodle417 @finestoflines @brokenbellz @bowievanfleet @s0livagant @strugglingtodoshit @s-u-t @kay-jordan @gretavanfleas @jakeyboiiiiiii @gretavansteph @gretavanbitches @myownparadise96 @luverleaver @weightofdreamz @greatervanfleet @maedesculpaeusoubi @jakekiszkasbestie @pineapple-photographer @baguettejuliette @alexxavicry @levi-wants-ur-bones  @carlybubs @cowboysamkiszka @dannyandthekiszkas @jordierama @slutforsteve @starshine-wagner

sorry if tumblr didn’t tag you — it’s stupid sometimes. but i’m real thankful for you, sweet peaches! and if you’re a new bestie and would like to be added to my taglist, check out the form right here!

[kvnex]

PART 1: THE BASICS

What is your full name? Kane T. Franklin

Where and when were you born? Sept 7,1997 Memphis Tennessee

Who are/were your parents? (Know their names, occupations, personalities, etc.) His morthers name is Kayla Franklin, she’s unemployed because he takes care of her. In the beginning she wasn’t much of a nurturing type of mother. But over time she developed this personality where she only wanted the best for her children and the best is what she did. She did whatever she had to do for Kane and his sister and for that he’s thankful. She’s a bit on the rough side she’s been through a lot a she’s seen a lot so she can tend to come off a bit more harsh at times but it’s all love. As for his dad his name is Maurice Halsten, didn’t know him, didn’t like him, didn’t care about him.

Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? Yes he has a younger sister, she’s very sweet and nice almost too good to be true in so many words. She’s the complete opposite of Kane but she stands on business when it comes to her big brother.

Where do you live now, and with whom? Describe the place and the person/people. Bel-Air, big ass house nice yard neighbors kinda far apart. Lots of rooms, lost of space, basketball cout all of the things a bel air mansion would have.

What is your occupation? He's a Rapper

Write a full physical description of yourself. You might want to consider factors such as: height, weight, race, hair and eye color, style of dress, and any tattoos, scars, or distinguishing marks. 6’0 tall, don’t worry about his weight, it’s enough. Black male, brown eyes with black hair. He likes to think of himself as a hood rich dresser, he can jump fresh any day of the week with just a simple fit to throw on but he likes to have things that others dont tend to have so that it sets him apart a bit from others. Tons of tattoos on his arms and hand and neck. A scar on his face that’s fading but it’s from when he was younger and got cut in the face by a glass bottle.

To which social class do you belong? Upper

Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? He's allergic to oranges but will risk it cause he likes orange juice. No diseases or any other phyical weakeness

Are you right- or left-handed? Right

What does your voice sound like? Deep but not Barry white deep, like regular deep southern drawl or should I say a Memphis accent.

What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently? I’m good or it’s whatever, what’s that word shortly

What do you have in your pockets? Money and a lighter.

Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? He has an obsessive behavior but at the same time he plays it very nonchalant when he feels like people playing on his head top. But at the same time he can be very nonchalant or not care which tends to annoy people.

PART 2: GROWING UP

How would you describe your childhood in general? His life wasn’t sweet at all actually, it wasn’t the best but it could have been a lot worse. He lived in the hood so we all know what that’s like, shoot outs, gangs, drugs and jail things that he seen on a daily basis. But his grandma tried her best to keep him on the right path even though it didn’t last too long because he still ended up doing what he wanted.

What is your earliest memory? Seeing his uncle get shot…traumatizing.

How much schooling have you had? High school diploma

Did you enjoy school? NO

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities? Life skills were taught by the streets.

While growing up, did you have any role models? If so, describe them. My cousin Tat, he was a get money type of nigga, he had the respect of the hood and I wanted everything that he had. I always looked at him as a bigger role model than all these other people, because tat was getting money, he wasn’t just a regular drug dealer tat had the south really in control. He was powerful and I wanted to be exactly like him until he got shot, then I just lost all hope on who I wanted to be like because he changed his whole life after that.

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? Yea his hating ass uncles and Aunties.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A drug lord

As a child, what were your favorite activities? Football

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? He was a jokester, always the funny bad lil kid no matter where I went.

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? He was very popular due to him clowning all the time and mostly his cousins, he didn’t have many outside friends. Niggas was frauds for real.

When and with whom was your first kiss? Middle School, Tati

Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity? No, Tati

PART 3: PAST INFLUENCES

What do you consider the most important event of your life so far? Most important…probably going on my first sold out tour a few years ago.

Who has had the most influence on you? Currently? Nobody, everybody cool though.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Sold out shows, best feeling ever for an independent artist.

What is your greatest regret? Not trying hard for what he knew he wanted, things could have been way different.

What is the most evil thing you have ever done? He's not a evil person but life happens and you gotta survive it so yea.

Do you have a criminal record of any kind? Yea, assault charges and some other things.

When was the time you were the most frightened? Couple of years ago, he was spiraling out of control. Unable to really see life and the bigger picture, he was living and thinking for in the moment. Could have ended badly but reality kicked in.

What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you? Nothing

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? He would listen more to the things that people were telling him to better his life. So being less hard headed.

What is your best memory? First real vacation with his mama, grandma and sister. They didn’t go far but they went to New York and his grandma was hype as hell. She always wanted to go, so when he was able he took her. Brought her everything she wanted, she was happy as hell so for him that was all he needed to see.

What is your worst memory? As a kid seeing his uncle get killed, nothing tops that bad memory.

@la-resources

[spaceorphan18]

What makes you squee over a couple and call them your OTP? Are there characteristics that your OTPs share? Do you multi-ship characters?

I loved our initial conversation about this - and I'm so sorry it's been taking me a while to get back to you. It's funny, though, because recently, this question has been on my mind a lot. Why does something just dig into your heart in a certain way while other things do not?

It feels, oddly, like a such a personal question.

I do know that shipping can just come down to wanting two pretty people to smush their faces together. And I don't claim to be immune to that. But this little demisexual often wonders if I fall in love with the story first and then find the characters more attractive after?

As an aside, it's funny, because there's a rather specific type I'm attracted to when it comes to men, almost annoyingly so. With women, though, women are so beautiful. There's never been a pattern there.

But anyway - back to shipping and there are definitely patterns here and I really doubt anyone is going to be shocked when they read this...

But I need to answer your multi-shipper question first. The short answer is no, I do not multi-ship. One reason I like a ship is usually that they're securely devoted to their partner. And with multi-shipping, I just can't. It doesn't work.

I will say -- A) this is not a condemnation of those who multi-ship. I mean, go wild. There's no right answer, and to each their own. We don't singularly own these characters. And ultimately, who cares what other people ship? B) There is a specific instance that I don't mind when my fav is with someone else -- and it's usually tied to the idea of being apart from the person they love, and are trying someone else, but it doesn't work because their heart belongs to someone already. Don't know why - that trope just sends me.

Alright, so a list of things that often pop up in pairings whose stories tend to get me in all the feels. While my OTPs won't have all the things on this list, a lot of them have most of them, and while it may seem rather specific, there are a lot of ships that often fall into these categories. I'm sure none of this is going to surprise anyone, and I'm also sure every time I get a new ship, no one is surprised by the dynamics.

Best Friends: This is the big one - that I'm pretty sure appears in all of my favorite ships/romance stories. Friendship as a foundation is just really huge for me. (As an aside - I love stories of deep platonic friendship, too - in general I love friendship stories.) There's something about having this solid foundation of someone who knows you, who gets you, whom you want to spend your time with, but also, you can be a part and you just keep coming back to them. Friends to lovers is an obvious favorite trope - and it's the idea of someone knowing you before you make it a sexual experience. It's comforting and comfortable and as people have often told me, it's probably no surprise that this little demisexual loves this trope as it aligns with how I interact with the world and how my own relationships work.

Shielding and Isolation: This one is an interesting one that may also say something about me. I have a tendency to be drawn to characters who who kind of isolate (emotionally or physically) from the rest of the world -- who have a personalized armor that they wear against the world. And of course, the second half of the pair always draws them out. Is always the one to get past that shielding -- to dig into the layers that are there.

Humor: I do love comedy. But maybe more broadly, I love weird and quirky and absurdity and not really fitting the norm. There's just something a little off about my OTPs and I love it that way.

Devotion and Independence: This may seem like a weird thing to put together but -- I love a couple who is absolutely, stupidly devoted to the other. And I also love that the characters themselves can stand on their own, have their own lives and stories and remain stupidly in love but it isn't always at the foreground of the story. Which leads me to...

Part of a Bigger Story: I'm not one who often goes straight up for romance stories. I like the love story to be a part of a bigger whole -- usually part of a character's longer/bigger journey. I love character stories -- and love can be a huge part of that, but ultimately, I love characters and their personal journeys

Old Marrieds: It's not intentional, but a lot of my favorite pairings end up getting married. But it's not about liking weddings (honestly, I don't actually like weddings) it's about knowing someone so well that you know how to get under their skin just. I love banter. I love familiarity. I love when two people can just get each other with just a look.

Romantic: At the end of the day, I think I've always been just a silly romantic. I like simple touches and knowing looks and smiles and laughter. I love gentle bonding moments and intensely quiet thoughts. I love things that take my breath away.

It's funny because I don't (really) seek out love stories because I love stories. But I fall in love with characters in love stories because of the characters. I love when characters have great arcs and great stories and go on great journeys. I love when they are put through the wringer and come out the other end stronger for it. I love strong bonds between two people friends or romantic and exploring those dynamics.

And, of course, I do love a happy ending.

And so all of that is what usually gets me in a romance story. But maybe the funniest twist is that more often than not, the romantic pairing finds me. I don't know if I've ever sought out a story thinking I'll love the romantic couple in it. Usually, I'm happily surprised that I've fallen in love with the characters and stories.

Thanks for the question, Julia, it was a great thought experiment <3 <3

[realsfriend]

unintelligible rant No. 1

I can't have normal relationships...I can't change the way my mind reacts to things. My roommate/best friend - who has never called me their best friend though I don't know what else I'd be to them - is completely exhausted by my moods, but no matter how hard I try not to, I continue to need constant reassurance. The problem is that no matter how much reassurance they try to give me, it is ineffective. I just convince myself they're lying. When I feel an episode coming on and turn sullen, I can feel their dread setting in, parallel with my mood. They bear the brunt of my moods, and it's not fair. I want more friends, but I'm desperate for the two of us to be all we need. And my wanting more friends is selfish, in the end, because I want them so that I have more people to turn to when I'm in an episode. I don't want more friends for the reciprocal nature of friendship, I just want them so that I can give my roommate a break, so that they don't hate me, so that they don't abandon me. But I feel so broken, and I can't concisely state why. My perceptions are so skewed, but maybe they're not. In a recent social situation I felt like I was one step behind, I felt like I didn't fit. I've always felt that way, in any given situation. I don't fit, and I'm not good enough. Lately, and in the past, those feelings have caused harm to those around me. Not only am I not good enough, I'm not enough at all. I always change the characteristics of my personality according to who I'm with. I don't know who my authentic self is. I feel like other people can cope effectively with feelings like these, but as soon as they set in for me, I am triggered beyond belief and it takes days to get over it. And, usually, I truly have no idea what is real and what is the fabrication of my disease. Why should it be such a big deal what other people think of me? It's like, I'm supposed to have this intrinsic sense of worth, but I can't wrap my mind around why the hell I should have that outside of how other people perceive me. If literally everyone hates you, and thinks you're a piece of shit, how can you still assume you're worth anything? Intrinsic self-worth...fuck it. It makes no sense. I am convinced that I'm the worst person in the universe. Out of everything that is conscious and sentient, I am the worst. I used to pin all this on my body, I used to think it was my body that made me unappealing, undesirable, unattractive, repellent. Now my body image has improved a bit, but big deal. I'm still awful and everything around me is pure wreckage. My best friend can't even talk to me. They want nothing to do with me. This morning, there's no way they didn't realize I was awake, but they walked right past my door anyway. Everyone hates me. I have always wished and pined for this person who would be able to handle me, who'd love me unconditionally with all my flaws and ways I make everything difficult, but honestly no such person exists. There is no reason why anyone should put themselves through a relationship with me. Everyone realizes at some point it's just not worth it to be involved with me. I reel them in at the beginning because I can make myself funny and soulful and effervescent all at once, and then they get to see who I really am and they're backed into a corner because they still somehow care about me and they know that severing the relationship would completely shatter me...they don't know what I'll do, they're afraid I'll kill myself, but even so, eventually being around me is too painful and they leave, and I AM shattered. In this way, I'm just the same as an abuser. I love-bomb at the beginning, and then something in me turns and the people in my life see me for real, and they want to get out but they can't get out. It's my insecurity, which is so big I can't even fucking comprehend the size of it. Insecurity, trauma, fear of abandonment, etc. I'm so exhausted, and in pain, and my pain turns my entire body into this one throbbing flesh wound that screams for attention and love. I just want to be loved, and I want to believe I'm loved.

[midnightsun-if]

Hi! I just want to say right off the bat that this isn’t a criticism or an attack on you in any way. I absolutely adore the world and characters you’ve created, and you seem like a delightful person based on how you respond to asks.

Anyways, I love Scarlett. My favorite archetype of all time is the Ice Queen with a hidden heart of gold. When I first found this if, she was the one I wanted to romance the most. Then I found out she’s gender locked and I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty disappointed. It just kinda sucks when one of the most popular romance options isn’t available to you, you know? It’s not like you can just ignore them either, they’re still gonna be present in the story and since they’re super popular a lot of the asks are gonna be about them too. I know I can always just create a female MC just to romance her, but it just doesn’t feel genuine to me.

If I had to guess, I’d say that that’s probably why a lot of people are simping for Cienna (even though I personally am not really interested). They share a lot of the same characteristics, and as far as I know, Cienna doesn’t have a set sexuality which means anyone can romance her (in this hypothetical game where she’s a romance option).

I guess at the end of the day I’m just curious why you decided to make only two of the romance options exclusive when the rest of the cast is more fluid. Again, I’m really not trying to sound insulting or like I’m attacking you, I’ve been following this blog since the very first post and I’ll still be a fan no matter what you do. I’m just a little disappointed and was curious to hear your thought process. Thanks!

A lot of my reasonings actually tie into her backstory (or a couple big ones, I should say)— so I can’t really go into that, but I will say that Scarlett, like Koda, just didn’t fit with the more fluid archetype like the other ROs. I knew that there’d be a possibility that same readers would either get turned off Midnight Sun because of that or grow annoyed due to it (not saying that you are, of course).

My choice mainly just boiled down to me understanding Scarlett, who she is, and what her sexuality means to her in a sense (I suppose). I settled on it because I felt, in my heart, that it was what was best for Scarlett, and what would make her character ring the most true (if that makes sense). Originally, she was going to be gender selectable, but I just didn’t connect well with the character and couldn’t figure out why— until I started writing for just Scarlett and fleshing out her backstory and the various nuances that make her who she is. In fact, the original character that Scarlett was is so far removed from who she is now that it’s almost a different person altogether. I’m happy with how much Scarlett has evolved and it may seem dumb to some people, but a lot of that had to do with figuring out her sexuality and what would overall work for her and for her involvement in Midnight Sun altogether.

I just decided to do what was best for the story, for Scarlett, and honestly for a lot of peoples reading experience in general, because if I felt disconnected from my character, I couldn’t imagine how you all would have felt interacting with said character.

And I know you’re not trying to be insulting at all! You’re curious, which is completely understandable. I hope that some of my reasons make sense in the grand scheme of things— I wish I could go into more of deeper ones, but I don’t want to spoil anything. Hopefully this’ll be enough to satiate some of said curiosity though! ❤️

[vikingsbigbang]

Hey Everyone!

Thank you for filling out our Interest Sheet! Unfortunately, the responses we got are currently too small to consider doing another Big Bang so soon. We appreciate all responses that we did get though!

Because we don't wanna leave you empty-handed, we came to the conclusion that we might do something else entirely... if enough people are up for it! We know a few of you would love to stay active in the Vikings fandom and connect through an event. Will you help us one more time to make it happen?

Explanation for each option beneath the read more:

* Secret Santa: This means you will fill out a gift exchange on ao3. You'll have the option to say what you'd like to read, tell your squicks/triggers and what you love, as a guideline for the author. Our authors will tell us what they love to write, but also what they don't want to write. We will take all of this info into account as we pair readers with authors. You will be the reader of one fic created especially for you, and you'll also be the author of one fic you'll create for someone else! It's a lovely exchange between readers and authors for the holiday season.

** Zero Comment Challenge: This challenge has piqued our interest last year. We thought it would be a nice way of giving back to those who create for our fandom and may not have gotten a huge fandom response to their work. As one might instantly notice, the Vikings fandom is vast and there are lots of fics on AO3 that did not get any comments. Even those who've been there for years. We think it's a little sad that some authors never received a kind word for their work. It would be ideal to strike them off the list of "zero comment fic". It is important to note, that a proper comment for this challenge is one that is structured and longer than five sentences. This can be achieved by following a comment guideline we would post for you. A How To if you will. Also, the knowledge of making an author smile is such a reward! Spreading love is important.

*** Fic Bingo: This one's a bit like a collect 'em all. You will get a Bingo sheet with varying tropes and other fic characteristics listed. Every time you read a fic that fits an entry on the bingo sheet, you get to cross that entry out. You have to comment in some way for us to track it, i. e. reblogging with a comment in the tags also counts, or you comment on AO3. Obviously we will need to get the links to the fics you read (and where the comment will be visible to us) to check if you actually did read them. Hence why the comment or reblog is necessary.

To make both the Fic Bingo and the Zero Comment Challenge a little more interesting, there will be 3 prizes to be won. This is where artists and writers come in. For all three places you can get a reward of differing value.

3. Prize will be a art of any kind: edit, gif, moodboard, digital art of something the winner can prompt (i.e. specific theme or character it revolves around).

2. Prize is a ficlet of max. 1k words that the winner can prompt with explicit guidelines on what they want and/or not want

1. Prize will be a combination of a fic and art of any kind by two different creators that will come together and collaborate for the winner.

To make this happen, we will need artists and authors to sign up to be available- much like with the Big Bang. The prize doesn't have to be ready immediately and you will be given a generous time frame to finish. This also means that it's possible someone might not create in case the prompts given don't suit them.