#until he said “we're pirates. we don't play by the rules.”

[chiarrara]

my favorite panel from one piece so far:

also really liked how shanks cape looked in this one:

he's very gender. 2 me.

honorable mention for the most batshit framing for a backstory:

so unintentionally funny. I'm sorry.

so far it's very much a cartoon for little boys, very very simple morality, very one dimensional cartoon villains. but it's early.

[deadprompts]

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙳𝙴𝙰𝙳 𝚂𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙾𝙽 𝟺 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂.

content warning applies. change any pronouns / wording if necessary.

i don't make decisions anymore.

come down here. we need to talk.

if you understand what it's like to have a daughter, then how can you threaten to kill someone else's?

look, we can settle this.

there's enough room for all of us.

honey, you’re weak.

you take one sip before those meds get in our people, i will beat your ass into the ground. you hear me?

i hereby declare we have spaghetti tuesdays every wednesday.

when you care about people, getting hurt is kind of a part of the package.

it's not a farming hat.

liar.

i still believe there’s a reason.

i know you look at me and you just see another dead girl.

why hurt yourself when you can hurt other people?

seems to me like things are finally starting to fall together.

we all have our jobs to do.

just so you know, i liked you first.

you never let me win anyway.

you don't think it'll hold?

when can i have my gun back?

the only thing you can choose is what you’re risking it for.

i don't want to be afraid of being alive.

i think you made the right call.

sooner or later, you gotta make a move.

at the camp, it just got worse and worse.

i know we all can change.

how many people have you killed? why?

first we have to find some spaghetti.

it was a nice watch.

we'll make it.

come on, let's play.

what do you want me to say?

i was just another monster.

any requests? books? comics? some stale m&ms?

i think we should make some new rules before they get back.

it was all of us.

look at us, digging through drawers.

we don't need to take any chances.

you should have seen him back in the day.

he told me all i had to do was believe, and that's what i'm gonna do.

you either live with them, or you don’t.

we can all live together.

time for you to leave, asshole.

anger makes you stupid. stupid gets you killed.

i mean, what the hell is going on in this cabin?

i'm a pirate.

you didn't wake me up.

best not waste any more time.

so you want to spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and eating mud snakes? screw that.

how many walkers have you killed?

was there ever a time you weren't the boss of me?

you're the one that likes stale m&ms.

some council meeting, huh?

is this what you want?

he's too loyal to bounce.

you walk outside, you risk your life. you take a drink of water, you risk your life. nowadays you breathe and you risk your life.

i killed two people and you haven't said a word about it.

you're gonna have to learn to live with the love.

we’ve all lost someone.

we've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive.

you're a tough son of a bitch.

i don't know how to talk about it.

what we want is what you got. period.

i can make these people feel better and hang on a little bit longer.

was your dad mean?

so you tell me how in the holy hell did you possibly kill this truck?

she'll need a safe place when it comes.

now you put down your weapons, walk through those gates you're one of us.

everybody makes it until they don't.

you can be a farmer, but you can't be just a farmer.

there are some things you don’t come back from.

we're not too far gone.

they're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out.

if you wanna live, you have to become strong.

you're gonna miss me so bad when i'm gone.

where should we go?

you're a tough son of a bitch.

i'm gonna be honest, i forgot about you.

it's not about what you say.

hey. i know it's been a while.

i'm never going to let anything happen to you, okay?

i don't want it!

why would you want my help?

we care about you.

don't look back.

probably best not think too much about it.

did you have kids?

everything we've been working so hard to keep out, it found its way in.

he made it through the night.

we don’t get to be upset.

i think it was the humane thing to do.

i can save lives, that's reason enough to risk mine.

a sad soul can killer quicker than a germ.

we just went through something terrible.

that's the guy you want to capture.

what i’m picking up is, murder is ok in this place now.

you do a lot for us. for the kids. you sacrifice a lot.

what the hell are you gonna do now, sport?

they're fucking with the wrong people.

we can live here for the rest of our lives.

it was a real treat, sir.

you can’t keep me from it.

he seems stable enough for me to get some air.

i still think there’s a plan.

is there anything you wouldn’t do for the people here?

they wanted to go out together same as they lived.

but i made it and you don't get to treat me like crap just because you're afraid.

i'm sorry. i'm not very good at making boys your age laugh.

your place or my place?

do you think we can make it?

it was stupid. i was so stupid.

i'm just tired of losing people.

that's what my daddy used to say.

did you think it was right?

you have to have numbers. people are the best defense against walkers or people.

i'd be honored to shake your hand.

you fight it. you don't give up. and one day you just change.

you gonna help us figure this out?

i screwed up too many times.

i'm gonna take a group out.

still, it is survival of the fittest.

he's a lying sack of shit.

the whole world is haunted now.

i've been afraid to get my hopes up thinking we can actually stay here.

i have to talk you all in to doing something i know we need to do.

end of the world don't mean shit when you got a tank.

he’s already given me fleas.

i tied the door shut.

they could have gotten hurt.

we get to come back.

see, going it alone, that ain't an option nowadays.

i think it’s my job to try.

smells good.

everybody loves a hero.

look, i fought him before.

i've survived and you don't get it 'cause i'm not like you or them.

you don't have to like what i did, just accept it.

if you don't have hope, what's the point of living?

you can't think forever.

you guys got separated?

you don’t have a choice.

you can lose a lot of soldiers but still win the game.

all this time you've taking off, you earned it.

it could work, you know it could.

whatever else this place needs, i'm here for it.

when i fell on my ass, they should have just left me out there.

she didn't have a mean bone in her body.

the walkers didn't see me anymore.

i knew you were up all night reading comics with a flashlight.

we wouldn't be here without you.

that's what it always comes down to.

man, what happened here?

those douchebags in the vines took themselves out, holding hands, kumbaya-style.

we go in, kill them all!

i could use a vacation.

today, we're talking about knives. how to use them, how to be safe with them, how they could save your life.

wasn't much use without my gun.

i just want to say thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday.

[griseldabanks]

Let Me Count the Ways ask game

Requested by Princess of Words from the Fig Tree Discord

Fandom: Sherlock Characters: John and Sherlock Prompt: "Of course we're best friends. No one else would put up with your shenanigans."

Please note that this is part of my kidlock AU, in which John and Sherlock meet when they're 8-ish/9-ish years old (I don't think I've ever specified exactly how old they are).

Maybe he should have picked a different subject. John realized, as he read over the paragraph he'd written for Miss Martin, that he would have to read it out loud in front of the whole class. Maybe he should have picked a movie star or a football player, like most of his classmates probably had.

But when Miss Martin had given them the assignment to write a paragraph about someone they admired, the first person that had leapt into John's mind was Sherlock.

The person I admire most is my best friend Sherlock Holmes. He is very smart. We are the same age, but he is two years ahead of me in school. Sherlock is very good at maths and science, and he wants to be a detective when he grows up. I think he will be a very good one, because he is very smart because he's brilliant because he knows how to do deducktions deductions, which means he can look at clues and figure out what they mean. To be a detective you have to know a lot of things about the world, and Sherlock is always learning new things and telling me about them. That is something I admire in him very much.

John sighed over the piece of notepaper covered with his attempts at summing up what was so amazing about his friend. Nothing he came up with seemed to even scratch the surface. How could he describe the way his heart thrilled every time Sherlock came bounding over to him, dark curls practically sparking with whatever his newest idea was? What words would be enough to explain what it meant to John that someone as unbelievably incredible as Sherlock Holmes wanted to muck around with him, of all people, playing pirates and detectives and mad scientists?

When John sighed again, a groan from across the room followed it up. “Aren't you finished yet? We still need to solve the case of the Camden Garroter!”

John frowned over at Sherlock, who lay on his back on his large bed, hanging backwards off the end because it 'helped him think better.' But now, instead of folding his arms under his chin in his favorite 'thinking pose,' his arms flopped down to either side over his head as he looked pleadingly across the room at John.

“I guess I've finished it,” John said doubtfully. “But I don't know if it's any good....”

“Oh, give it here.” Sherlock didn't flip head-over-heels to the floor, instead rolling over and over until he dropped over the side of the bed and flopped onto the ground, whereupon he scuttled across the room on hands and knees. That was the rule now, after that time he'd passed out after standing up too fast after being in his 'thinking pose' too long. Naturally, he couldn't just sit up slowly like an ordinary person, but had to carry out this bizarre reenactment of a human crab every time.

Reluctantly, John handed over the piece of paper. “Well...you can at least check my spelling, I guess.”

Sherlock knelt on the floor in front of him, poring over the paper. He always finished reading things in a fraction of the time it took John, especially after he'd found that book about speed-reading in the school library. Now he would breeze through an entire book in under an hour, and he was practicing to cut that time down even further.

So John was puzzled when Sherlock just sat there, staring at the page, as the minutes ticked by. Was his writing really so terrible that Sherlock was paralyzed with horror and disgust? Was he angry that John was writing about him? John didn't think his handwriting was so bad Sherlock wouldn't be able to read it....

“Sherlock?” he said hesitantly. When he looked closer, he saw that Sherlock's eyes weren't moving. He wasn't reading the paper, just staring into space. “Sherlock?”

Sherlock finally looked up, his eyes glazed over, lacking their usual intensity. John waited for another minute for Sherlock to say something, or at least to give the slightest indication he hadn't transformed into a statue or something. “Okay, it's getting a bit scary now.”

At this, Sherlock drew in a deep breath, blinking rapidly and finally focusing on John's face. “The first...the first sentence....” he said breathlessly.

“Yes?” John squirmed a little under Sherlock's scrutiny. Was it really so bad that Sherlock hadn't even got past the first sentence?

“Did you really...you really meant that?”

John looked down at the page, where Sherlock was pointing vaguely at the top corner. The person I admire most is my best friend Sherlock Holmes. “Yes, of course,” John said impatiently. He wished Sherlock would get on with making fun of him or berating his word choice or whatever he was about to do.

But Sherlock just kept staring at him, as if he couldn't understand what he was looking at. As if the great Sherlock Holmes, for once, was utterly stumped. “So...I'm your...best...friend?”

Now John was the one staring at him, at a loss for words. How long had they known each other? Months? For practically the whole school year, they'd spent as much time as they could together at school, even though they were in different classes. Every day, one of them would go to the other's house—usually Sherlock's, since there was much more land they could rove around as pirates or explorers or detectives. They'd met while fighting off bullies. John had been there when Redbeard died. Sherlock had confided in him about his parents. John had told him about his dreams of joining the army.

Sherlock had changed John's life completely and irrevocably. And yet...somehow he didn't know they were best friends.

“Of course,” John said, his voice shaking with a disbelieving little laugh. “Of course we're best friends. No one else would put up with your shenanigans.”

Sherlock's eyes looked blue today, John noticed. They widened as John's words sank in, skittering from one of John's eyes to the other and back, as if checking any of the thousand minute details that would give away a lie. John sat there patiently, knowing Sherlock wouldn't find anything other than the simple truth he should have figured out ages ago.

“You know, Sherlock,” John commented when he still didn't say anything, “in moments like these, you're supposed to say something like, 'You're my best friend too.'”

At that, the stunned expression on Sherlock's face broke into a smile as he pushed himself impatiently to his feet. “I don't have friends, John!” he scoffed. He held out his hand with a little grin, full of sincere joy. “I've just got one.”

John grasped his hand and let Sherlock haul him to his feet. They raced off to solve the latest mystery, school assignment fluttering to the floor behind them, forgotten.

[memento-morri-writes]

@space-writes Okay, so for a little context, me and the DM have been planning for months for Rook to get (re)captured by Captain Kora Wolf, the vengeful pirate captain who held him prisoner for 2 years prior to the campaign. She originally bought him (from his own traitorous crew mates) to get back at his captain (and mentor) at the time, Captain Zara Fairweather. (Rook has no idea that they even know each other or that they have beef.) Since then, however, Wolf has grown to hate Rook personally. Some of her reasons are somewhat valid (he set the deck of her beloved ship, the Sea Snake, on fire when he escaped, and also killed one of her crew), but mostly she's just irrationally justified Rook as the cause of all of her problems at the moment. She had previously tortured him when he was on her ship, but this time it's worse, bc she has an intense personal hatred for him.

Info about the blood barnacles and some other ramblings about my plans for the boy under the cut. :))

Anyways, to get to what you actually asked: the Blood Barnacles came about because for my DM's birthday, I bought him the PDF of Kobold Press's Creature Codex. Since it was a PDF, I had to download it and then send him an uploaded copy, so we both have access to it now. We were both looking through it, and sending each other messages about and screenshots of funky creatures, which led to me seeking out some of KP's other stuff. I came across the Blood Barnacles from their Tome of Beasts 3:

And I sent it to my DM immediately. I didn't even have to voice my thoughts, because his immediate response was "Imagine these are on the hull of Wolf's ship when she keelhauls him..." and I knew we were on the same page.

So, basically, when the party finds Rook, he's going to have that Barnacle Shivers disease, or a slightly modified version of it. This puts the party on a ticking clock (though they won't know it at first) to get Rook to a sufficiently powerful cleric before his max hp reaches 0 and he dies. (We've ruled that it would take a Greater Restoration spell to remove the barnacle shivers, since it lowers max hp which is one of the conditions for Greater Restoration. We don't have a cleric in the party, so they're going to have to find one.) We're doing a flat rate of -3 per day instead of rolling for it, because with Rook's hp at that level, it would take exactly 3 weeks for him to die.

Of course, it won't take them 3 weeks to find him and sail back to land, unless something goes catastrophically wrong...

But then again, it's highly likely that their time sailing back to the continent will align with the appearance of a powerful arcanaloth woman named the Duchess, who is going to either a) force the party to sign a contract that will hurt all of them in order to free Rook from the Demon Lord's curse that he's under (which Rook would rather die than let happen), b) take Rook with her so he's kept out of trouble (which means I couldn't play him anymore, which I would rather die than let happen), or c) fight the party. Of course, given that we'll be on a very small ship at the time, fighting her isn't really a viable option bc she could just sink the ship with ease. However, my temporary character for the rescue arc, the captain of said ship, Val, is a warlock, and I voiced to the DM the idea of them calling to their patron to help. It would then become a time challenge, with us having to protect the ship for a certain number of rounds until the patron's protection would set in.

The most interesting thing about this though, would be that the Duchess's original plan was to give Rook to Captain Wolf and force her to sign a contract not to kill him. Seeing Rook in his condition after being rescued (half-dead and getting worse) would be an interesting turn of events, because as Rook would gladly point out, Wolf wasn't trying to kill him, and yet here he is, one foot in the grave. Having such a powerful entity be forced to admit that she was wrong will certainly be interesting... Of course it will also piss her off, but hey, what's one more ultra-powerful person who hates Rook's guts? Besides, she can't kill him without risking unleashing the demon lord who cursed him.

Oh, and the other fun thing is that the city they'll end up in upon returning to the continent is the very city where Rook's former captain and mentor, Zara, is currently living and working. (She's no longer a captain.) So of course, as soon as he's back on his feet, Rook will want to go see her, which as another character pointed out, could very well destroy him (mentally/emotionally) if it goes poorly.

But if all goes well, I know ooc that she'll give Rook her ship and we get to go on a sailing arc!!! Which is gonna be super fun, especially because I got to make a bunch of crazy monsters for it. (Including but not limited to: A modified version of the Riptide Drake from the aforementioned ToB3, some Kuo-Toa raiders, "Drowned Maidens" (based off of the monsters of the same name from the Tome of Beasts 2023, but also inspired by sirens, among other things), and and an unnamed sea monster I've referred to as simply "tentacle monster" which is capable of grappling a ship and deals double damage to ships.)

I also designed all of the stat blocks for all three ships. (Val's ship, Wolf's ship (the Sea Snake), and Zara's ship (the Tide Breaker)) They might very well be the best stat blocks I've ever made, despite being for inanimate objects. I also wrote up the rules/procedures for sea combat using the ship, and am basically going to be co-DMing those battles. :)))

Okay, I'm soooo sorry for rambling this much, if you didn't read it all, that's okay. But if you did, allow me to shower you with affection in whatever form you most prefer.

So, it's been a million years since I've done any real writing, but I was toying around with potential descriptions for one of my dnd campaigns, and I'm really proud of how it turned out:

tw for graphic description of an injury

Every inch of [Rook's] back and shoulders is raw, covered in dozens, maybe hundreds, of small cuts. They overlap and merge so that his entire back is one giant wound. But you can't even get a good look at the cuts, because they are covered by a thick layer of dried blood, almost black in some places.

This will be part of the description the party gets upon seeing Rook for the first time after he was kidnapped by Captain Wolf, and dear god I can't wait to see their reactions both in and out of character. :)))

[dehydration-stati0n]

{Yandere!Who's-Who x Reader}

Rules Word Count: 0.9k TW: Yandere Themes

You hid in the bathroom, locking the door behind you. Your breathing was heavy and your body was trembling under the pressure it had to stay quiet. Footsteps were calmly and slowly approaching where you were. You threw your hand over your mouth in an attempt to muffle your breathing. You wouldn't ever leave if it meant avoiding the man awaiting you on the other side of the door. You'd rather starve than let him get what he wanted.

"You're in a pretty bad position right now." You could hear his grin through the door. You knew he had bad intentions for you, and you were terrified.

You opted to not say anything. Maybe he would just go away? Maybe he didn't know you were hiding in there? You knew it was useless, he was a cat, after all. He could probably smell the fear that radiated off of you.

"I'll tell you what, if you can tell me where some other marine bases are, I won't hurt you. Is that a deal?" His voice was sweet but his words felt sadistic.

"W-What would you need with a Marine base?" You hesitantly asked.

"I think you know." His smile was only growing wider. You couldn't see it, but you knew he was having fun toying with you.

If you agreed to help him he'd kill everyone, but if you didn't he'd probably kill you. It was a hard decision to make, knowing you were almost certainly going to die gruesomely by his hand.

"I'll tell you." You started, "but you promise not to hurt me?"

"Of course, that was the deal."

You opened the door slowly, revealing the tall pirate. He was crouched down in an attempt to talk to you at eye level, however, he still towered over you.

"Lead the way." He grinned, bringing one of his large hands over to gently pet you.

----------

"You're a liar!" He breathed, pressing you up against the wall. Your arms were being restrained behind your back by him. Smoke filled your senses as he brought his face down closer to yours, his cigarette dangerously close to burning the back of your neck. "You think you're clever, huh? Did you think you'd get away with it?" He asked, his breath fanning over you.

"Get off of me!" You shouted at him, struggling in his grasp.

"I guess I can't blame you, I wasn't going to keep my end of the bargain either." He admitted, chuckling at your terrified form. He loved the way you trembled in his hold. "We're pretty similar, you and I."

"No, we're not! Don't compare me to someone like you!" Your confidence had gone up significantly, you assumed it was because you knew that no matter what you did you weren't getting out of this alive.

"Calm down, we can always make another deal."

"Yeah, cause that went really well the first time." You said, your words dripping with sarcasm.

"Don't get snarky." He said in a threateningly low tone, "You're lucky I haven't killed you yet."

You were suddenly ripped from the wall and brought into the air, face to face with the masked man. He held you by the back of your shirt, dangling you from his 11'0" height.

"You're kinda growing on me though, play your cards right and I might let you go." He told you, tapping his cigarette so the ash fell off.

"I'd rather die." You spat.

"I don't care what you'd rather do. I'll just break you into submission."

He wasn't lying when he said that. Every day for months he would beat and torture you, anything to get you to obey him. And eventually, it started to work. You'd listen to what he asked you to do, told him what he wanted to know.

As highly ranked as you were in the marines, you knew where a lot of bases and ships would be located. He'd made sure you still kept in touch with your higher-ups so he could gain the information he needed. Whenever he asked you always led him to the people who were once your comrades. And every time, without fail, he would slaughter them all.

You felt like shit. Some nights all you would do was hit your head against the wall until Who's-Who stopped you or you knocked yourself unconscious. He openly laughed at your suffering. He didn't care. He only cared enough to make sure you weren't going to die. He still needed to extract his anger out on the World Government.

But some nights his attitude would change, and he would comfort you the best he could. He must've cared to an extent, or at least he needed to convince you he cared somewhat so you didn't kill yourself or try to run away.

"Don't beat yourself up over all this," He'd tell you, "Anyone in your position would do the same."

You couldn't complain too much, he had the decency to feed you and give you things you wanted. After robbing the bases, he'd always buy you a gift to show how much he appreciated your cooperation. You'd be lying if you said you weren't starting to grow feelings for the pink-haired man. Sometimes you'd feel genuinely happy to be able to help him. Maybe this little relationship between the two of you wasn't so bad.

[emma-nation]

The Devil In I - Bela x OC (Resident Evil Village AU)

“Step inside, see the Devil in I”

Summary: Aleena Novak is a 19 years old orphan who desired more than living in a village in the middle of nowhere. A talented artist with a big future ahead, she gets the scholarship of her dreams in United States. But everything changes when her twin brother, Auryk, steals an important artifact from Castle Dimitrescu.

In this adventure, Aleena will find way more than she expected.

“You’ll realize I’m not your Devil anymore”

Pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x OC

Genre: Between T and M (Trigger warning for violence, blood, abuse and eventual smut)

Tag List: @nydeiri

Notes: This is my first RES fic, so I'm sorry if I mess it up a bit. English is also not my main language, so a mistake or two may happen. I hope you enjoy it :)

Trigger Warning: Language, abuse, blood and violence.

Eastern Europe - July, 2009

"If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?"

Mother closed the book, placing it on the bedside table between Auryk's bed and mine. Then, she lowered herself and kissed my forehead like she did every night. Her long, blonde hair tickled my face and left a trace of her sweet lavender fragrance in the air. I giggled.

"Good night, sweetheart," she spoke.

"Good night, momma."

"Cherish your last night as a six years old. Tomorrow you will become a..."

"Princess?!"

"A seven years old girl. The prettiest girl in the village."

"Pffft," Auryk let out a displeased grunt from his bed, covering his head with the pillow to avoid listening another word from the conversation.

"And you too," mother sat by his side on the bed and repeated her nightly ritual of kissing his forehead to wish him a good night too. "You'll become the most handsome and brave warrior in this village. Do you understand?"

"I hope so. Good night, mom."

"Good night, buddy."

Mother left the room, leaving us both in the dark. However, we couldn't sleep. Not because we were thrilled about our incoming birthday party as any regular child, but because we knew our lives were about to change. Seven years old was the age every child from our village was introduced to the truth and started being trained to fight the evil that haunted our lands. Auryk and I spent minutes, or maybe hours, in silence, staring at the ceiling.

"Leena?" He was the first one to speak. "Do you believe a spell can broken? I mean, like a curse?"

"I don't know, Ryk," I answered, feeling my thoughts starting to drift away. "Maybe we're doomed after all. Or... we could learn how to love the beasts."

The birthday parties always happened during the daytime, rules of the village. We could no longer be outside after 6 PM. Mother got help from the other women to prepare the treats and organize the decorations. Auryk was disguised as a pirate and I... I was Belle, from the Beauty and the Beast.

"So, what do you think you will be getting this year?" My best friend Elena asked while we were playing with our dolls. She was about two years older than us.

"I don't know," I shrugged. Being a merchant, my father always returned home with the most unusual gifts: a magical music box, a voodoo doll that had a life on its own or a fragrance that chased away the monsters - and everybody else too. "A new book. I'm hoping for a new book."

It was only by the end of the party Adrian Novak made his entrance. That was the mystery about him. Nobody knew when he would show up, or if he would show up at all. He still had that same annoying smirk on his face. The corner of his mouth holding a cigarette. The months away made his beard grow longer, as well as his dark hair. In the sunlight, the scar above his eye was even more visible.

"Auryk," he shouted, "come here, son. I've got something for ya."

My twin brother, who had been climbing trees with his friends stop frozen in spot for a second. I couldn't tell if he hated or feared that man. Maybe both. He slowly followed father's command, approaching him cautiously.

"Hi, dad."

"Happy birthday, son," father ruffled his dark straight hair with his strong and calloused hand. "It's about time you grow up."

He handed my brother a large package. From our experience, we knew exactly what it was, a shotgun.

"T-Thank you, dad."

"I'll be spending some time at home. Tomorrow we'll start practicing."

Auryk consented. He shot me a quick glance. From our twin bond I could tell my brother was far from happy. When he blew his candles that afternoon, he didn't wish for a weapon. We wished to be a normal child.

"What did you get, Leena?" He asked once we were locked in the safety of our bedroom.

"Pencils and a drawing book. Dad thinks I'm talented."

Not really. Adrian Novak would never allow his daughter to hold a shotgun. That was, according to him, 'a man thing'.

"Good, at least one of us got what they wanted. Happy birthday, sister."

"Happy birthday, brother."

4 Years Later - October, 2013

It wasn't easy to be the weakest of the twins. Although he was born first, Auryk was the tinniest. The one who was always getting sick or getting injured. The one who couldn't hit a single fucking target when he had the alcoholic breath of his father on his neck.

He aimed for a crow, sitting still on a fence. How hard could it be? Even the eldest man from the village could do any better than that.

BANG! He shot again. And missed.

"Again?!" Adrian angered, shoving him hard on the shoulder. "What the hell is your problem, kid?"

"I don't know, okay? This gun... it's heavy!"

"Heavy? And why do you think we've been exercising for all these years, huh?! We do not live in Disneyland, Auryk. We need to fight monsters, abominations. Someday I won't be home and you need to be prepared to protect our people. Do you understand?"

Tears started forming in the corners of the boy's blue eyes. He couldn't cry. Not in front of him. Crying was a sign of weakness and he couldn't be weak. Not right now. Auryk started to think about all the things he could be doing. He thought about the ocean, as he had seen on TV and books. He could feel the warmness of the sun on his skin. The sand between his toes. His mom and sister were also there, of course - they'd carry them with him everywhere. And he would study Math and Physics. There would be no guns, no monsters, no blood, only numbers, only formulas, only theories. He smiled. He no longer felt like crying.

"I'm sorry, dad," kindness was always the answer, his mother said. "But this isn't for me, you know? I don't like it. I... Remember that boarding school my teacher mentioned? I thought maybe I..."

His words were interrupted by a hard slap on his face. Auryk could taste a small amount of blood coming out from his lower lip.

"So that's what you want? To become one of those little fancy fags? Maybe you're not my son after all."

Adrian started walking away, leaving his son alone, sitting on the floor.

"I AM!" Auryk yelled, enraged. "I am your son."

"Then prove it."

"You shouldn't take so hard on him," Savannah poured her husband a cup of tea. "He's just a boy."

"He's eleven years old, for god's sake," the husband punched the table strong enough to make it shake. "He needs to man up a bit. You should stop spoiling him."

As I left my bedroom I found my brother sitting on the stairs. He didn't have to be so close to listen to the conversation between our parents, father's voice was loud enough to echo through every wall of our small and cozy home.

I sat down by his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Maybe you should do it, Leena. You'd do it better, I know."

"I'm not so sure. Remember when I tried to shoot a scarecrow and almost shot that old witch?"

"Come on, you aimed on purpose! I know."

Auryk finally let out a small laugh at the memory.

"You're good at everything, Leena," he spoke fondly. "You're an extrovert, you're everybody's friend, you can cook, you can draw and paint... you're a true artist. I'm a mistake."

"You're not a mistake, Ryk," I pulled my brother closer, resting my cheek against the side of his face. "We're only at the wrong place and you know it."

Going back to our bedroom, we pulled from the drawers the postcards our grandma Louise sent us from San Diego. Mom had been born in California and lived there her entire life, until she met father during one of his trips. God knows what made her fall in love with that man. Adventure? Danger? I expected better from myself when I turned eighteen. Otherwise, I'd never want to fall in love. Love could be my ruin, just like my mom's.

"Leena..." Auryk held the postcard tightly, "do you think... if he died... do you think mom would take us to nana's home?"

"I don't know, Ryk," I didn't want to think of my father's possible death. But I also dreamed of a better life. "Maybe."

"What the hell?" Father's voice in the kitchen made me jump in fear. I knew that tone. I grew up used to that. Something was wrong in the village. We had to hide.

"To the basement, now!" He emerged at the bedroom, holding a rifle. "Lycans were seen surrounding the area."

We barely had any time to react, mom came and dragged us both to the basement. Father left, carrying his arsenal of weapons as usual. There were other hunters in the village but we always knew how badly it could end. Somebody could always get seriously hurt. Or worse.

The basement had been carefully prepared for that kind of situation years before. It had a big bed, two armchairs, a heating source, some stored food and a shelf. Mom sighed and forced a smile.

"So," she walked to the shelf, "what is it going to be today?"

"Frankenstein," Auryk suggested. My brother loved mystery and horror. As if his life hadn't enough of it.

"Romeo and Juliet," I spoke. There was something about forbidden romance that always caught my interest.

"Okay. I... I'm gonna say a prayer and you two can read the books you picked by yourselves. What do you think?"

"Great!"

Mom kneeled down by the bed's side, holding a crucifix. I could join her if I wanted to, but I'd rather watch in silence. I grabbed my book, sitting on one of the armchairs and pretending to pay attention, while I tried to distract myself from the fact my father could be the Lycans' next prey. Or all of us, if they managed to break into our house.

"Leena?" I woke up hours later with my mom shaking me. "Leena?! Where's Auryk? Where's your brother, Leena?"

I had no idea. I had fallen asleep and apparently, so did mom. She checked for the basement's door, it had been locked from outside.

"No..." she tried to force it open. "No! I can't be..."

All Auryk had to do was to successfully kill and take a Lycan's carcass as a trophy to his father, right? That was what that old douchebag wanted him to do, to prove his courage, his manhood. We had his shotgun, a binoculars and a knife, that should be enough, but first, he needed a good plan.

Looking down to his hands, he had the most perfect idea. Without thinking twice, he sliced a cut through his palm, letting some blood pour on the ground. Then, he found a tall tree. He climbed it and observed. The smell of blood his trail left behind should be enough to attract a creature.

"Come on... come on..."

From a distance, Auryk could hear the sound of destruction and death. There was a battle going on somewhere nearby. Once again Lycans should have found a family or a group of hunters.

And then, he could hear it. The heavy footsteps, the screeching sounds, the sniffing. The mutant creature was only a few meters away from the tree. He aimed, but it was still too distant. He needed to move to a closer branch.

It all happened in one second. He was almost there, reaching for the spot he had picked, but his weight was too much for the tree's branch. In a blink of an eye, he was lying on the ground. His vision was blurred. His head hurt intensely, as well as his arm. It was broken for sure. He possibly had a concussion too. He tried to stand up and run but his legs wouldn't follow his commands. The Lycan was coming straight at him.

"AURYK!" His mother screamed behind him. "NO!"

Time seemed to freeze in that fraction of second. How did she manage to escape the basement? How could she have found him?

But without hesitation, Savannah threw herself on top of her son, protecting him from the jaws and claws of the monster. Auryk couldn't see much, but he could smell it. He could feel it. Blood. There was blood everywhere. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, he or his mom's.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

A fast sequence of shots suggested the hunters had found them. The creature stopped moving, stopped howling. It was finally dead.

"M-Mom... it's dead. We... We're safe."

She didn't answer. Instead, he heard another familiar voice.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" It was from his father. "Savannah! Savannah!"

"D-Dad..." Auryk tried to speak, but the words got lost along the way. "I... I..."

Adrian lifted him by his jacket, holding him inches above the ground.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED YOUR MOM, YOUR STUPID BASTARD!"

"I..." tears streamed down the boy's face, his injured brain trying to process what had just happened. "I'm sorry.'

After he was thrown back to the ground, he was hit with a hard kick on his stomach. He turned his head around to notice a small figure hiding behind a tree, watching the whole scene in pure horror.

"L-Leena..." he muttered.

"This is all your fault, Auryk. You're a disgrace to this family."

And then, he passed out. Rumors said he was unconscious for days or maybe weeks. When he woke up, he wished everything had been a nightmare.

Present Days - July, 2021

Nobody mourned Adrian Novak when he died. Not his children. Not his village mates. No human being would ever feel any sympathy for a man who abused and blamed his eleven years old son for his mother's death. It had been two years since Adrian left this world and I couldn't feel any more free.

"Hey," I left another message on my brother's voicemail, "in case you've forgotten it's our birthday today. I'd like to have my twin home, you know? Call me when you get this message."

It was useless, I knew. Auryk would only pick up his phone when he wanted to. Or when he was too drunk. God knew where that guy would be at that time, probably waking up at some girl's bed or getting some rest from... working.

After grabbing myself a cup of coffee, I checked the door's mat. Bills, bills, newspaper and... California Institute Of Arts? I remember having an argument with Auryk about this matter at some point. He wanted me to fill the application and send them my portfolio. I insisted we had no money, not even to pay for the tuition. I won - I always win every argument by the way.

"Your damn son of a..." I placed the envelope on the kitchen's table. I was a coward, I confess. However, I didn't know which pain was worse - to be sure I wasn't good enough or to be sure I was, indeed, but I'd never have money to leave that hellhole. Anyways, I decided to leave it alone. I had more important things to do.

My morning routine: to go to the middle of the woods and do some training. My father used to say fighting wasn't a girl thing, but I was no regular girl. And never in this life I'd allow someone to tell me what to do.

After running, climbing and doing a set of push-ups, it was time for combat training. Travelers from abroad taught me some different set of moves, I'd like to think I created my own fighting style. I was also very good with knifes, daggers or any kinds of short blades, they were useful during a close distance combat. My shooting was a work in progress, once or twice I'd miss the center of my handmade targets.

Then, like everyday, I'd go back home, shower and follow to my shift at the village's pub.

"Hiya, Leena," Gustav greeted me when I arrived. "I heard today is a special day... the day a little girl..."

"NO!" I stopped him. Gustav was my best friend. We had known each other since we were children and somehow, he liked to make my birthday a special - and embarrassing - event.

He placed a handmade fairytale-like book on the table. There were some edited pictures, mixed with some messed up drawings about my birth and childhood. He called it 'The Princess Who Carried The Light'.

"God, you're soooo stupid..." I rolled my eyes and moaned, before wrapping him into a very tight hug. "I love you, you know that?"

"I know. You'd probably marry me, if you weren't into girls."

We laughed together, as Olga, our boss emerged from the kitchen, bringing a cake with nineteen candles.

"Here's to another year," the older woman opened a wrinkled smile, "make a wish, my darling."

I fell pensive for a moment, besides having my twin brother back home, safe and sound, what else could I wish for? California, that scholarship, a new life... that's for sure.

"I wish for... a new life, a new adventure," I pronounced aloud while blowing the candles.

"Careful," a male voice spoke behind me, "words have power, little sister. You may get what you want."

"Ryk!"

I jumped straight to my brother's arms. I could swear that in only a few weeks he had gotten a little bit taller, and stronger too.

"I wouldn't miss my own birthday, right?" He smirked. "So, where's the cake? Please, chocolate... tell me it's chocolate."

"Your silly boy," Olga spread some icing on his nose. "Of course it's chocolate, as you love. And with cherries too."

Auryk responded with a satisfied smile. Olga and her husband, Kristoff, were those responsible for taking care of him after the Lycan attack, years ago. They sort of adopted him like one of their biological children.

"Oh!" The woman exclaimed taking a closer look at Ryk's forearm. He had gotten a tattoo. I hadn't been informed of those news either. Apparently, my brother had more secrets than I could even start to imagine. "This is... new. It seems like my kids are really growing up."

"And only now you noticed that, Olga?" Gustav joked.

Olga shook her head, grinning at herself and returned to the kitchen. The customers were starting to fill the pub. I stared at Ryk again, wondering what other secrets my brother could be keeping.

"So, what does that mean?" I pointed to his newly gotten tattoo, a strange and ancient symbol it seemed.

"Protection from the evil. This is what we need the most in our lives, especially in a place like this. What reminds me -" we turned around, taking a small box from the pocket of his jacket. "Your gift."

I took the black velvet box from his hands, it contained a golden necklace with a magenta gemstone as pendant. My blue eyes drowned themselves in the stone. It had a mysterious glow. Something hypnotizing. Something magical.

"Whoa..." was everything my mouth could pronounce. "And I bought you an Astronomy book."

Auryk stood up from his chair and went behind me, taking the necklace from my hands to wear it around my neck himself.

"This is supposed to protect you from any supernatural and inhumane beings. I won't lose you to them, Aleena. Not like I lost mom."

"Ryk, I... I can't even thank you enough."

"You don't have to. Just... stay alive."

First, I was overflowing with happiness. It either had to do with the fact my brother was home, alcohol, or both. Also, Olga should thank me. Most of the costumers of the day only stopped by the bar because of me. They absolutely loved me and knowing it was my birthday, they had to come and see me. A few of them even gave me some extra tips or a small gift, which was even greater.

"Okay, party girl..." Auryk helped me to get inside of the house as I tripped over the door mat. "Time to go to bed now. Don't you think?"

"Come on, Ryk! Have some spirit! You're home, Olga gave me the day off tomorrow, I earned some money..."

"You told Mrs. Hansen you secretly had a crush on her daughter during Middle School, you danced on top of a table, you're gonna get a hangover..."

"Party pooper!"

I threw myself at the couch. Auryk stood in front of me with arms crossed, looking like a father about to give his child a lecture.

"What?!" I yelled. "It's not like you've never been drunk before. Remember when you stole Adrian's..." I started to laugh, remembering the episode.

"When you were going to tell me about this, Leena?" He showed me the envelope. The Art Institute envelope. The one I had been struggling to open.

"Oh! I forgot. My bad, I didn't open it myself yet. I probably didn't get in anyways."

"You did."

I did?

"It's not like we have money to pay for my tuition. Also, how are we supposed to move to California, Ryk? I work at a pub and you..."

"I've gotten more than enough for that. You know that getting out of this place has always been the plan, since we were children. Leena, I've done some big jobs those last few months. I have the money to grant us a comfortable life in California."

"Smuggling, Ryk!" I raised my voice, saying aloud the information that was supposed to be a secret or not. "You've been stealing to grant us this life."

My brother stared at me in silence. I couldn't tell if he felt offended or embarrassed about my words.

"I'm getting out of here, whatever it takes," he ran a hand through his dark hair. "And you are coming with me. In two weeks, we move to United States for your enrollment."

"But..."

What I was trying to protest against? Leaving the village and starting a new life with my brother was everything I always dreamed.

"Look, I promise you," Auryk placed both of his firm hands on my shoulders, "once we settle down, no more smuggling."

"Okay," I sighed. "We leave in two weeks then."

There was a loud knock on the door. Being drunk as I was, I figured out I should have forgotten my purse at the pub. Or it could be a neighbor with some very stupid emergency.

Auryk opened the door and there was a strange looking man standing there. We wore sunglasses and a hat, behind his back he was carrying a giant hammer. According to the rumors and stories I heard from my parents, that was one of the Lords of The Four Houses, Karl Heisenberg.

"Auryk Novak?" He asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Come with me, kid. You've gotten yourself in big trouble."

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom season 2, eps 1-5 thoughts! opening the new season with episodes like these kinda blew me away. we had multiple serious episodes INCLUDING a two parter!! also, valerie :)

see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3

-I don't know what I expected s2 to open with. but danny portal incident in more detail was not it. (also, I hate to break it to you, sam, but danny's parent's bigass ghost hunting rv def chugs more gas than those vehicles, lmao. unless it runs on ectoplasm or something...)

-WHY WAS DESIREE IN THE SEWER? HAVING TEA WITH IT DOWN THERE?? Her making the giant cow come alive is a boss move, we've almost had all of my fav animals as ghosts now <3 I also don't like how sam was expecting danny to just, haunt the place so the cars wouldn't get sold? I KNOWWW I know she's 14 (and I had a very annoying phase like this, I think I mentioned in a previous post, I GET IT) but they're HIS powers, and messing with (1) dealership will not really put a dent in sales overall because they can just move the cars to another sales lot, and it certainly wont change the industry anyway, it's more of a minor annoyance for (1) location. Also, usually people who work at car sales places work on commission, so if they dont make a sale, they don't have money to pay bills, or eat. sam baby if u wanna be an activist you need to like, actually look into these things. with as much money as her parents have, she could be doing a lot..more useful things for causes she cares about? it's frustrating to see someone with resources who doesn't know how to use them. but shes 14 so again. cannot be really upset :/

-IS THIS A PREDATOR VS TERMINATOR VS FREDDY KRUEGER MOVIE BUT THEYRE ALL WOMEN?? you know, sam is so right to be excited about this. /I/ want to see this movie. that rules

-paulina inviting danny and friends to her quinceañera, aw! even if it is just to get phantom to show up :') and there'll be a meteor shower, and we KNOW danny wants to be an astronaut!! there's not a meteor shower every night!! the tickets are non-refundable, but..she's rich? like. gotta agree with danny, they never get invited!! I KNOW it's the principle of keeping promises, but if she was that upset, she should've said something. directly. I hated how she was like, passive aggressive about it through the episode, like you SAID IT WAS FINE, THAT YOU'D GO TO THE PARTY TOO. MOVIES SHOW FOR A FEW WEEKS IN THEATERS. IF YOU HAD A REAL PROBLEM YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, SAM. YOUR FRIENDS. ARE NOT. MIND READERS.

-MR. LANCER GOING AFTER THE GHOST WITH THE FIRE EXTINGISHER LMAO

-this outfit is everything . anytime the show does an over the top cutesty pink outfit i WANT IT. it looks like shit I wear JKASDHF I HAVE a bow like that and a pink sweater. I need leg warmers </3

-SAMS GOTTA RE-HALF-KILL HIM??? thats fucked up. but also, he finally got his logo!! it took until s2!!! this episode was lowkey very fucked and I felt like it glossed over a lot. does sam have guilt about like. kinda KILLING HIM?? I know, he also agreed and walked into the portal. but. she made the choice to redo it SO quickly (even if it was because someone had to beat desiree) and danny, during their fight, brought up a lot of stuff sam's done in the past, meaning he was holding onto those memories and resentment was building. (I KEEP SAYING HE LOWKEY NEEDS THERAPY, BUT I THINK MOST EVERYONE IN THIS SHOW KINDA DOES) which...is a red flag? and then they didnt even GO to the party URGH I know she tried to make up for it, but it really felt like Sam fucked up and barely faced any consequences and got everything she wanted in the end. I KNOW it's a kids show obv they aren't going to go too in depth, and she undid the damage, kinda, but...I DUNNO how to articulate it but it rubbed me the wrong way.

-but on a note about desiree, her powers of wishes were STRONG ENOUGH TO ERASE NOT JUST THEIR MEMORIES, BUT DANNY'S POWERS?! fuck, if I was danny I'd be like, trying to make friends with her. I know they always have horrible side effects as most genie-granted wishes do, but...c'mon, I'd at least TRY to be like 'I wish no ghosts would hurt anyone in my town' or 'I wish vlad would lose his ghost powers forever no matter What and also forget about my mom' LIKE. SHIT DESIREE IS SO POWERFUL. rewriting reality powerful, basically!! appreciate her. respect her.

-aww, sam helping tucker pass the nurse's office so he wouldn't see because he's afraid of medical stuff? very sweet. I also don't like medical stuff, I've gotten a lot better at handling it tho. but seeing blood and needles still makes me feel lightheaded x_x

-FOLEY, BY TUCKER FOLEY. I want to make my own perfume, that's so cool. even if his first attempt isn't good, he's pretty consistently shown to have an inventor/entrepreneur streak in the show, so like. I can see him inventing or making something (or several somethings) that make him $$$ when he grows up :) proud of my creative son

-I know the 'creepy abandoned hospital on the edge of town' is a joke and the creepy hospital trope is so Worn Out, but in my town we actually DO have a hospital like that! my dad was born in it, but its not in use and hasn't been for, like, 20 years! it needs to be torn down but I think the city doesn't wanna pay the money. the inside is horrible, spray painted and broken glass and shit everywhere. but there's still like, rusty equipment and fucking DOLLS all over the place. the cops drive by it pretty frequently to make sure no one is like, breaking in. (because of water damage, some of the areas really aren't safe. also, asbestos, but people still go in anyway) but also, some of my town was used in a filming for a stephen king show. So it's lowkey spooky all over. just a fun personal tidbit :) to lead into saying, any hospital abandoned for any period of time is NOT safe to quarantine these kids in JKSAHDKF like I KNOW it's a ghost trying to do this, but NONE of these parents are even like, 'well, why dont we keep them in the regular, working hospital'....YIKES. this hospital looks pretty accurate to the one in town. grungy and spooky.

-fentons are tax evaders confirmed by jack's fear of being audited, lol no one is surprised

-ghost sickness via ghost bugs. horrifying concept. I actually expected it to be a new villain, not dr. spectra again! this is a very elaborate scheme. her new form rules, love the new costume. the way none of the bg kids seem to recognize her as their old school councilor. did we just forget about that completely?

-dash watching romance movies in the fucked up ghost hospital. same.

-'oh please, you're ghosts, do you have any idea what YOU smell like?' no, tucker, what DO ghosts smell like? I genuinely didn't know they would even have a smell, I actually want to know now.

-it feels like a while since we've seen jazz!! i was happy to see her again, even if she was a head in a jar for most the episode. I want another jazz-focused ep!!

-we finally see danny doing space-related stuff!! him and his friends stargazing to open ep 3 of s2. cute :) until, GHOST PIRATES!!!!! ...ghost pirate captain is a small child?? VOICED BY TAYLOR LAUTNER???

-oh, the easy listening is ember's song instrumental slowed. 'vapor drone' THEY VAPORWAVED HER!!! ember in a pirate outfit tho >>>>. and the cruise being called m.bersback JKASDHJK. ember adopting a little pirate brother is also pretty cute. concerning this teen and little kid have such bad opinions of adults, like, who hurt you?? (how did you DIE ALSO?? im always lowkey curious about that. we know desiree died at an old age, but her ghost form is young, probably mid-20s, so I wonder how that sort of thing works...its a more mental thing, isn't it?) but ghost team-ups are always cool to see, even if ember bailed after danny took her guitar. I guess she probably thinks youngblood can handle it (which, he's been owning danny this far in the ep, so...fair)

-tucker got that sponsorship from nasty burger for their radio!!! again, opportunistic money maker king, love to see it!!!

-danny taking control of the kids SO FAST. he makes a pretty great leader. no one is surprised, im pretty sure I said I think he's the most mature of the trio, once again, correct, because he's taken on so much responsibility already. all the teens suiting up in the jumpsuits to go save the adults and taking the ship over with a BLIMP. OKAY LETS GO. this feels like it should be a mid finale or straight up finale.

-...speaking of finales. why is ep 4-5 of s2 combined into a 50 minute episode? I havent even clicked play and im concerned. weird placement, like, this season JUST started and we're getting a two parter? okay...why are the episodes placed like this? why not put this at episode 10 or something, for a mid-season thing?

-this is also a cute dress. possibly my fav dress so far. can her parents give ME cute dresses, I'LL wear them.

-it turns out the castle fright knight was in is called pariah's keep and there's something worse than fright knight in there! lovely! fuck off vlad wtf are you doing <3 your hubris <3 is going to literally get you killed <3 'ring of rage' and 'crown of fire' are great names tho. ...vlad turning into a super polite guy when he was scared of mr. pariah was hilarious. and fright knight doing the same...I mean, it makes sense, he's a knight, he serves a king? happy to see fright knight again either way :) vlad telling him to call him tho, lmfao. you WISH HE WOULD. (I wish hed call me, too. 😔)

-so...jack being genuinely concerned about vlad...maddie really didn't tell him what happened at the cabin, did she. damn. if I was her id immediately come home and be like 'YOU WONT BELIEVE THIS SHITTTT THIS CREEPY GUY--' like, I feel like that stuff you need to tell your partner!!! I know she didnt want Jack to think she was an irresponsible parent putting danny in danger at that time, but STILLLL. maddie spilling boiling tea on him. get his ass. how is jack this oblivious to his wife's discomfort with vlad!! ughhh

-fenton wipe (tm). trademarked toilet paper.

-DANNY AND VALERIE BEING FRIENDS??? :D that was a cute moment. 'hey val <3' and 'if you like him like him, make a move, or someone else will ;)' at sam...damn!! I love her. valerie go for it girl!!! I hate how sam and tucker treat val also, like I GET IT YOURE PROTECTIVE AND DONT TRUST but if anything him befriending valerie will help when she finds out or he tells her like I feel like she'll be more understanding that they think! ALSO I feel like her reason for not liking ghosts is valid, like you haven't really explained the full story to her anyway! she doesn't seem to have any other friends after being booted from the a-listers so im like :( but seeing them kick butt together again was nice <3

-the ghosts all RUNNING FROM PARIAH DARK IS NOT GOOD, I thought he sent them to attack or something, but no. why doesn't someone just tell desiree 'hey i wish pariah dark would die' lol. once again I think she can solve every problem <3 but seeing all the enemies in one place, being civil and hiding together? love it.

-you just know danny's gonna have to clean up vlad's stupid mess. also, jack being willing to put on the ectoskeleton pants to help maddie, as soon as vlad heard it could kill him, he suggested jack do it instead of helping maddie himself? this is why jack got the girl, my man.

-ghost skeletons. how do you end up as a skeleton ghost in your afterlife instead of a humanoid like most the ones we've seen? lmao

-the ghosts just making new homes in various stores. I'd totally be setting up in an expensive clothing store if I was a ghost.

-valerie's dad is possibly the most useful adult so far, with that ghost shield expansion!!! and valerie saving vlad and danny, even tho shes been thru it already, shes still so good!!! this family rules.

-danny: *gently caresses valerie* :)

-*then he immediately TELLS HER DAD ON HER. and his first response is 'are you okay?' :'( such a good dad...

-*me every time fright knight breathes* youre doing SO great sweetie :)

-the fenton suit thing is so silly looking. does anyone take this thing seriously

-ALL THE GHOSTS FIGHTING WITH DANNY <3 AAAAA. and the fact that pariah isn't perma-defeated, but just locked away again. yikes. he'll probably get out again, won't he? it wasn't too clear, but if vlad DID make a pact with fright knight, I am rabid. I will beat vlad to death with the fenton bat (tm). YOU DONT DESERVE A COOL KNIGHT.

-valerie being direct with sam and challenging her? kinda love that, even tho I normally don't like 'catfight' type situations. because sam has been very passive aggressive about it which is annoying. valerie knows wtf she wants and wasn't even embarrassed to tell sam, but she did tell her, giving sam time to make her own move! and sam denied it and got embarrassed/mad! and sam did have a chance when danny was about to go off and fight, and she hesitated and didn't tell him. I feel like she's hesitating because they're friends and it might make it weird between the trio (poor tucker would be third-wheeling) but if u snooze u lose, u gotta GO after what u WANT girl. smh this is a No Tsundere Zone. 😤

[cinnamonmoony]

Reddish mane | Arthur Shelby

A/N:Hey I just wanted to say that I'm new to this and it's my first OS and what better than to do it from Arthur!

(Internal shouting)

I appreciate you guys taking the time to read this.♡♡♡

•English is my second language

You were running across the lawn on a weekday mid afternoon the first time he saw you. The weather was warm something very unusual in old Birmingham,your hair previously braided patiently by your mother was already fluttering wildly in the wind with some mud soaking into it,The flowers you had picked that morning were in her little hands somewhat dirty from playing and leaning on the dry grass.

The Shelby brothers were coming home with bruised faces after going to school, Arthur had gotten into a fight trying to defend Tommy from a boy bigger than them.

Clearly he had lost this time but he was proud to at least leave a little blood on his expensive clothes.

The conversation between them had stopped when they were interrupted by thunderous laughter coming from the crowd.

He moved a little closer to the place where all that racket was heard, then his gaze was diverted to a burst of fire that passed in front of him.

It wasn't fire at all, it was a tangle of hair he had never seen in his life,its Natural reddish color so vibrant that contrasted with its orange ripples made it look like they were moving of their own accord,as the girl ran her hair disarmed those precious ripples only to have them soon after return to their place in a continuous action.

It was almost mesmerizing to him.

The pirate hat that adorned his head was strange,it was worn from the years it must have been and the constant uses it was put to.

"That's right,we're almost ashore!" She exclaimed loudly extending his hand around his eyes as if it were an invisible spyglass.

Arthur bowed his head as he took in the scene "Strange girl" he thought.

Tommy ran towards her to introduce himself, seeing this the older Shelby brother felt a pang of jealousy to see them talking so confidently despite having met only a short time ago, he decided to walk back to resume his walk but stopped when called by his brother and turned around to watch him approach being followed by the girl.

Two blue eyes were watching him, a blue so beautiful that it reminded him of the ocean itself, his red-haired eyebrows were also slightly furrowed and finally he saw his freckles, thousands of them decorated his face.

Tommy elbowed him and he reacted by starting to introduce himself in front of the fire-haired girl.

"I'm Arthur" he said extending his hand hoping she would accept and return his greeting.

"I'm (Y/N)" she said accepting his hand cautiously trying to remember some of the lessons on how to behave and be a lady that her mother had put so much effort and dedication into but had predictably fallen asleep in the seat after playing for hours away from home.

Arthur smiled as he watched the pirate's hat fall down covering her eyes because of how big it was, he delicately released his hands still clasped together to shyly move a little closer to her taking the tips of his worn hat and raising it back up to his head exposing those completely beautiful eyes that stared back at him.

He cleared his throat taking a step back returning to the upright posture he had before.

"We've never seen you around here before" Tommy spoke after an awkward silence from everyone.

"I'm not from here I uhm we moved in together with nana a little while ago."

With unusual encouragement the Shelby brothers returned home,as they opened the door revealing a smoking Polly reading the newspaper and John eating a cookie, Thomas Yelled drawing everyone's attention;

"We met a girl today and Arthur fell in love with her!" said the boy noticeably emosionated.

"That's not true!" Arthur panicked trying to hide the crimson pink color that was creeping up his neck to his cheeks.

Polly listened intently to the boy talk about how they met her on their way home and added at length how her older brother was speechless when he saw her, his brothers started to scoff at his inexperience talking to girls but immediately shut up as they received an annoyed look from their aunt, she approached Arthur who was still standing by the side of the door with a kind smile.

"Aunt Polly I-

Polly laughed at her little nephew's babbling, soothing the situation she invited them to tea and cookies and they all made their way to sit down at the table. But before Arthur could even take a step she approached him and whispered "I want to meet her" watching him fiddle with the buttons of his coat and nodding his head.

The next day as they walked boredly to school Arthur told them to go on their way without him, his brothers didn't find it strange as he was an expert at skipping classes on a daily basis.

He decided to try his luck and went back the same way as yesterday finding (Y/N) standing on the trunk of an old oak tree extending your hand in the air like a sword, she hid behind some tall grasses watching you dance and jump, unconsciously her gaze traveled to the reddish hair that fluttered wildly.

She was different from the other girls brought up to be perfect in every way (Y/N) she was like a dream, a fantasy from which he prayed he would never be awakened, from the short time he knew her he deduced that she was fearless, even though you couldn't even reach her shoulder he didn't rule out that if someone insulted you you would fearlessly jump in and confront them.

Arthur stepped backwards stepping on a branch on the ground making it creak thunderously, (Y/N) she gave a startled jump making her left foot wobble on the hollow wood ending up on the ground in a loud thud.

The Shelby quickly came out of hiding approaching the girl on the ground extending her hand to help her get back on her feet.

"Thank you" she whispered after a moment of silence,her voice as sweet as honey was intoxicating to his ears.

"It was nothing" he replied with a hesitant smile.

From that moment on Arthur Shelby and her were completely inseparable,people who knew them got used to the fact that if they saw the boy (Y/N) he must not have been too far from there,she was by his side at all times supporting him and he did too,they were both there they were his safe place the one person they could count on no matter what.

Arthur was a loner before meeting him, a difficult temperament that no one could get to understand as he closed himself in his own bubble keeping everyone away for days, except for (Y/N), she was the only one who let him in and kept him with one foot in reality.

Entering adolescence, the boy's attachment became a pure and sincere crush on the red-haired girl, the boys of Small Heat began to pay attention to her, making Arthur's nerves grow as he feared that (Y/N) would abandon him completely when he realized that you could have something better than him, but she would always remind him that she would never leave.

For her part (Y/N)'s feelings grew with the same intentionality as he did but she was afraid that Arthur would only see her as a little sister condemning their friendship to be shipwrecked, she tried to make her feelings for her best friend change by focusing her attention on some boy in the area not knowing that Arthur's heart would break the times she had knocked on his door being answered by her grandmother apologizing because a boy had arrived hours ago to invite her to dinner.

He was there too when she was crying on his shoulder lamenting not being prettier like the girls in the magazines.

"If I became prettier do you think he would like me?"

Shelby's anger increased as he heard how (Y/N) was afraid to talk to a boy since he knew how a young girl had been cruelly rejected by the damn bastard, he tried to restrain himself he really tried but he couldn't hold back years of feelings for her any longer.

"Stop crying for him (Y/N) he's just a fucker who doesn't know how lucky he is, besides,Tell me what do you see in that idiot?" he asked.

She made a shoulder shake "I thought he was nice".

"Yeah, right" He said sarcastically, letting out a bitter laugh.

"I don't understand why it bothers you so much" she said standing up again.

"Because I love you,Damn it!" shouted Arthur making her eyes widen in surprise.

Neither of them knew what to say after that, (Y/N) she still didn't finish processing all the words accurately but when she did she let out a giggle, the Shelby already standing just watched her not being able to understand why she was acting like that.

"For God's sake, we're complete idiots Arthur Shelby" she said as she slowly approached him.

"Why do you say that-?" he managed to reply completely flustered by her approach,but being silenced as he was kissed by (Y/N).

He awkwardly continued the kiss taking it to a soft rhythm making both of their hearts beat faster as the other could hear their heartbeats.

"I love you too" she said as the kiss ended.

Arthur smiled in a way he had never smiled before, he was completely happy.

He took her by the waist lifting her up and starting to turn on his feet listening to the girl's laughter in the background.

After that loving confession both became inseparable, more than before, being able to formalize their feelings by asking to be his girlfriend some time later.

Everything was rosy until one afternoon while you were learning to knit with a hook with Polly, the letter carrier knocked on the door and was opened by (Y/N) who received the mail with a warm smile, the smile that was a typical symbol in her was erased when she read with Aunt Polly the call to the Shelby Brothers to join the ranks in France.

They both cried hugging each other for hours having for the boys' lives, she didn't want Arthur to go to that bloodshed but there was not much she could do as the weeks passed in the blink of an eye and it was time to say goodbye at the train station that would take the soldiers to France.

Arthur almost missed the train that morning as he didn't want to take off from (Y/N), she didn't want to say goodbye to him either but they had to sooner or later.

So she managed to get him to go quietly by handing him the ring the Shelby had given him days before they were drafted.

"(Y/N) What are you doing-?"

"Listen,You'll give it back to me when you get back...can you promise me?" she told him showing confidence even though going inside she was trembling with fear.

"I promise," he said looking into her eyes.

Those again beautiful eyes that only had their sight on him.At that moment he thought of the first time he saw her,her hair red as burning fire covered by the old pirate hat that was his father's as a child and her Thousands of freckles,which would take years to count if he set his mind to it but that task would be completely worth it if it was about her.

He never took off the ring hanging on a chain around his neck, the picture he had of her tucked in his uniform pocket at chest level, the constant letters they sent to each other reassuring them that the other was well and his silent promise to her before he got on that train that he would return to her, those were the only things that kept him sane until the war ended.

As he stepped off the train he fell to his knees at her feet (Y/N) wrapping his legs in an embrace, whispering that he would never leave her side again.

When he regained his composure, he kissed her effusively as he had not been able to do for so long, unhooked the ring from her neck and proposed to her for the second time, listening to the cheers of joy from his family and strangers at the train station.

The people who saw them continued to be amazed at the existence of a strength and a love as great as theirs, which lasted for a long time.