#what should we do now? contemplate our place in the universe....

[therehavebeenstranger]

@allgremlinart DREW THE BESTIES FOR DOODLES FOR PALESTINE. LOOK AT THEM. MY CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS. THANK YOU GREM FOR THIS IMAGE OF MY CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS

[hyukakisses]

We got beomie and hyuka as ghostface individually but what would happen when our sweet little reader ends up being ghostface with him????

I was binging the franchise and pondered on the idea since there’s typically more than one behind the mask OOooOoOoOoOo

I love spooky szn hahaha not as much as I love you!!!

- 🙂‍↕️

aww omg i love you too :D

-ghostface emo txt dating ghostface reader! (request!)

pairings: emo ghostface txt x ghostface reader

plot: random separate ghostface txt x ghostface reader headcanons

warnings: gore, smut, fluff, plot twist, txt infantilizing reader, cursing, death, heavily inspired by different ghostfaces’ from the scream franchise, bottom reader x top txt, takes place in university, established relationship between txt and reader, fan x celebrity dynamic between beomgyu and reader, (reader is jill roberts and beomgyu is charlie walker), crybaby reader

yeonjun as amber freeman ㅤׄㅤ 𝜗 ♥︎ 𝜚:

•when a second ghostface was back in town you were more paranoid than usual, resulting in giving yeonjun your sliver heart locket necklace as a form of protection. “w-wait jjunnie” a small squeak falls from your pouty lips as you lay beneath your boyfriend on your pretty back. yeonjun pulls away from your mouth with a whine of protest. “what is it baby? am i going too fast?” you shake your head at that question, “i-i just don’t know what i’d do if anything happened to you” your shaky hands reach up to take off the sliver chain around your neck and you cursed at yourself for sparing yeonjun. what makes him so different from the friends in your life? you hated them and you hate your boyfriend too right?

•with a flushed face, your hands wrap around yeonjun’s neck clipping on the heart locker necklace you always wore. “i just wanna make sure you’re okay.. with ghostface running around again im really scared of losing you” you cringed at yourself, hating how you just said how you felt out loud.

•yeonjun only smiles at your scared state, you really think he needs protection from the masked killer running around town? if only you knew. “thanks baby” yeonjuns brown eyes pierce down at your pretty skirt, “you have condoms right?”

•yeonjun loved how stupid you’d get from his cock each time he’d fuck you, smiling menacingly as the emo boy imagined how cute you’d look struggling to breathe with his hands wrapped around your airway- “jjunnie?” you call out weakly, yeonjun’s eyes open. “i wanna cum jjunnie” you’d whine at his fingers pinching and pull at your swollen bud. the cold metal from yeonjun’s rings making you shiver

•yeonjun always threw the best parties in campus, which annoyed you since you hated parties but whatever tonight can be the night you finally kill your boyfriend right? “why are you watching this?” you stand behind the couch yeonjun laid on watching the texas chainsaw massacre. “it helps calms me down” the black haired male finishes his drink, “hey baby can you please get me some more beer?” you sighed and nodded going into the basement. closing the fridge you jump at yeonjun standing in front of you with a grin, “that was a test and you failed!” “what? you said to get more beer!” “yeah and you should have asked me to come to the basement with you!” you scoffed contemplating if you should just kill yeonjun right here right now “look baby you can’t just go around in scary places alone with a masked killer around it just makes you look suspicious” “what? what do you mean i look suspicious?” yeonjun steps closer “it makes me think maybe you’re the killer running around woodsboro” you froze your eyes wide and yeonjun laughs at your petrified state “im kidding baby i know you’re not the killer” you narrowed your eyes confused now. “and how do you know that i’m not the killer?” yeonjun chuckles again walking so close to you that you felt his breath on your lips “because im the killer” you squeak falling to the ground below your feet “im kidding baby! jeez!” his strong arms lift you up to your feet again “no but seriously i know you’re not the killer because look at you, you’re such a crybaby i think even killing as something as little as a bug will have you confessing in shame. now come on let’s go i wanna play beer bong”

•you blinked confused at why you were being dragged in a closet, “jjunnie? what are you doing?” “baby just be quiet yeah? it’s hard to explain just- just don’t come out until you i come get you alright?” your eyes widen at yeonjun bonding your wrists together with a rope “i promise baby i’ll explain everything later just be a good girl and be quiet for me yeah?” and that’s when you knew yeonjun was the other ghostface running around town. “can you say ‘yes jjunnie i understand’ for me baby? i just wanna make sure you’re not going to leave” you were paralyzed with fear “y-yes jjunnie i understand”

•you felt like you were about to have a heart attack watching yeonjun clean his bloody arms with a rag, grabbing a huge stash of cash and stuffing it in a duffel bag. the sound of police cars coming from outside. you couldn’t lie you felt extremely turned on by watching your boyfriend slaughter people with his bare hands and a single knife but still you couldn’t believe yeonjun was the second masked killer all along. “you scream and ill silt your throat” yeonjun grabs you out of the closet whispering in your ear “or better yet i’ll tell the cops outside that you did this which wouldn’t be a lie considering you are the other killer” “how did you know?” your blood runs cold staring at the knife yeonjun had poking by your airway “oh come on baby you’re so fucking obvious you really think i’m that dumb? i mean you’re good with your killings i’ll give you that but you’re sloppy leaving pieces of the pretty ribbons you wear behind? you’re so lucky i was there to clean up your messes now be quiet and come with me” you felt an arm tug you by the back door as police officers burst through the front door.

soobin as ethan landry 𝜗 ♥︎ 𝜚:

•am i gonna die a virgin? was all soobin could think about as he tries to listen to his classmates talk about a masked killer going around campus slaughtering everybody. i mean soobin was one of the killers but who could the other killer be? he was nervously picking at his nails because of this. his mind immediately going to how badly you’re gonna flip at this

•soft whines and whimpers echo the walls on your bedroom when soobin’s tongue swirls around your right nipple while his large hand kneaded your left tit “binnie?” you call out making soobin whimper at you tugging his face up to meet yours “yeah?” his eyes bore into yours “i think i’m ready now” you were referring to losing your virginity. soobin’s face squints into a smile, “yeah?” he moves the hand from your tit and drags it underneath your short skirt. “you want me to pop your pretty little cherry? really baby?” you nod making your boyfriend excitedly kiss your lips

•soobin moans deeply his hands gripping onto your hips with an iron grip, fucking your smaller body onto his cock scared you’ll squirm away. “s-soobinnie!” you wail hugging onto your boyfriend tighter when you felt soobins cock reach your sensitive spot. his globes smacking against your ass making you whine at the burning sensation. “w-wanna cum! wanna cum” you babbled with tears welling at your pretty eyes. this action going straight for soobin’s dick making his hips stutter as he pulls you flush to his body. “yeah?” he drags you closer to his weeping cock, his hand rubbing tight circles on your puffy clit making you weep pathetically, your cunt twitching uncontrollably when you cum all over soobin’s cock triggering his long awaited release. the emo boy sighing dreamily when he shoots in load in your pussy, —this is way better than getting off to hentai

•you constantly tease soobin after that night, giggling about how you both weren’t going to die as a virgins and how you told your friends and they high fived you. which normally could have set soobin off but he let that slide. soobin pretty much let anything slide, even your cute habit of calling him ‘bunny!’ each time you see him in public. soobin just thought you were too cute to kill anybody. so that definitely rules you out on his ghostface suspicions…

•“binnie?” you break the makeout session you were currently in with the secret masked killer. “you won’t let ghostface hurt me right?” your faux eyes in fear bore into soobins as he huffs at the loss of contact from your lips. “i-i won’t, i-ll fucking kill him you hear me?” soobin chants yanking you into another kiss, a large hand presses against your throat, hard enough for you to feel but not hard enough to choke you. “promise?” you breathed smiling holding out your pinky. soobin chuckles wrapping his pinky around, yours kissing your hand before kissing you again. “i won’t i swear i won’t- i promise” you felt yourself melt at the reassurance. “i love you bunny” you flush watching your boyfriend play with your hand. “your hand is so small” “look at how big my hand looks compared to yours” you thought soobin randomly comparing your hand sizes was cute

•when soobin asked you to get his pierce the veil cd you were more than willing to do so! reaching in his top drawer and when you felt something shiny you just assumed it was the said cd, before you let out a wince in pain at a stabbing sensation. “what the-“ your eyes widen at the familiar knife you mistaken for the cd. you couldn’t believe your boyfriend who reminded you of a bunny could be a crazed serial killer. without saying anything you tuck the knife away and start to look elsewhere for the requested item

•watching soobin slice open a boy’s throat from under your bed definitely wasn’t on your bingo card. you shook in fear and your hands cling on your mouth in attempt of silencing your whimpers, not so sure if you were whimpering in fear or arousal. you just couldn’t believe soobin went as far as killing some guy for you just out of his own jealously- maybe you can come clean about being ghostface too? you yelp when you felt your leg being pulled. okay fuck that! you were definitely too scared maybe you won’t tell him until you’re certain he won’t cut you up too

beomgyu as charlie walker ㅤׄㅤ 𝜗 ♥︎ 𝜚:

•beomgyu was absolutely obsessed with horror films, the boy even ran a club for it. so he was definitely caught up with the ghostface lore, even as going far as making documentaries his victims that loved around woodsboro.

•you thought this was annoying, how beomgyu followed you around like a lost puppy with a stupid camera in your face because he thought you were pretty. or how beomgyu would invite himself over your house to watch a scary movie and forced you to download letterboxd for him

•beomgyu was pathetic, you never talked to him around campus yet he has this huge crush on you and he knows everything about you. from your favorite color to the fact that you’re not this moody girl you painted yourself to be, but instead you were a huge crybaby who talked to your stuffed teddy bears out of loneliness.

•beomgyu began watching you through binoculars each time you left your window open. his cock weeping with pre cum in his pants as he snaps photos of you pleasuring yourself with your adorable little plushies. praying to god you’d stop being a bitch and let him fuck you

•beomgyu’s heart filled up with joy when you randomly asked him out. you claimed you’ve always had a thing for him and his nerdy interests but really you just wanted help in your ghostface scheme. you knew beomgyu wouldn’t say no.

•your heart pounds in your ears as you stare at the bloody portrait beomgyu placed behind your teddy bear. it was a boy you had math with, gutted all over a mattress and you really feared beomgyu at this moment, afraid of what he might do to you if he found out you were just using him

•“you’re not fucking serious? you’re backing out because you’re scared you’ll get caught?” beomgyu chuckles blowing another thrust at your sloppy cunt making you whimper loudly. “we’re not done with this ghostface shit until i say so you hear me? now stop fucking moving and make yourself useful and take my cum yeah?” beomgyu breathes yanking you up and down his member, using you as a fleshlight. “if you threaten me like that again i’ll fucking you kill you and behead your plushies” beomgyu laughs at your teary eyes. proceeding to kiss you deeply shoving his tongue down your pretty throat <3

taehyun as billy loomis 𝜗 ♥︎ 𝜚:

•taehyun knew you were behind recent killings the second you expressed your jealously. “i’ll.. i’ll kill her if you don’t stop being her friend!” you told taehyun about how you hated his girl best friend. well you actually hated all of his friends but that’s not the point. taehyun was able to calm you down after swearing he’ll stop the friendship, but when he heard about the death of his beloved friend he knew it was you.

•taehyun asked you carefully, afraid he’d upset you if you had anything to do with the murder. “so what if i did? why are you asking? did you wanna fuck her or something!” you sob at the accusation. taehyun panicked and immediately dropped the conversation comforting you was more important

•taehyun also found your ghostface mask and black robe when he was doing your laundry, already imagining how baggy the piece of clothing looked on you. a smile crept onto his face when he should have been scared

•taehyun thought how blunt you were about something as serious as killing was cute the way you can babble about gutting any girl he ever talks to and then show him your collection of ribbons like if nothing happened really did throw him off

•“what’s your favorite scary movie?” you heard ghostface whisper in your as he stuffed his long fingers inside your wet cunt. smiling as he notices the tears down your chubby cheeks. “black.. black swan!” you cry holding onto taehyun’s wrist, scared he’d kill you right there despite you being ghostface yourself. taehyun lifts the ghostface mask off his face needing to kiss you, this reveal making you jump. “h-hyunnie?” your cunt squeezes taehyun’s digits as he spreads your folds apart. “shhh just relax and be a good girl for me yeah? lay down so i can have my meal.” he smacks a hand down your pretty clit. lightly tossing you back in your baby pink sheets ):

•when taehyun started killing along with you, you grew lazy on your killing spree. “you can do it hyunnie i just wanna play animal crossing” “you’ll take over for me right?” you smile handing him your ghostface mask and robe “you’re way stronger than i am hyunnie!” taehyun would take this role very seriously

•taehyun let you do whatever you wanted until you started spiraling. “i had to hyunnie! she was going to take you away from me!” you sob hysterically, soaked in your victim’s blood. “baby she was just delivering mail” taehyun sighed scared you’ll blow your cover, along with his. “how about you just let hyunnie deal with the killing from now on yeah? you just sit there and look pretty” he coos at your quivering lips, pulling you into the bathroom he’ll just clean up your mess later.

huening kai as stu mutcher 𝜗 ♥︎ 𝜚:

•huening kai didn’t have a serious bone in his body, he was always giggling at something despite being very fucking weird and awkward. i mean who has a collection of butterfly knives? and who gifts that to someone else else? nobody knew how he pulled you.

•the only time you’ve ever seen kai so serious was when you both were listening to tommy february and tommy heavenly 6 on his hello kitty cd player, aruging over who was better. you being team heavenly and him being team february.

•hyuka being one of the masked killers just didn’t make any sense to you. despite everyone on campus saying he gave off that vibe, you refused to believe that rumor. you knew huening kai better than anybody, this is the same guy who sung you lullabies when you needed sleep but couldn’t sleep on your own. the same guy who kissed your plushies goodnight before kissing you. the same guy who screams like a princess when he gets splashed by water. the same boy who watched magical shoujo girl anime with you and knew the soundtrack of each anime by heart. so seriously? why does everyone think he could be ghostface? because he owns black nail polish and wore black clothing? how stupid.

• your hands brace themselves on a teddy bear kai gave you for good measure as his pierced tongue swirls against your cute clit, the taste of the strawberry you were eating earlier lingering on your pretty pussy. you let out a quiet sob as you felt the cold piece of metal tug at your puffy bud, “n-ningie i-i can’t take it! wanna cum! need to cum!” your cries quickly turn to sobs as your heart thumps. you felt like you were going to burst if you didn’t cum any time soon. hyuka smiles against your heat, loving the stinging sensation of your gentle pulling at his long black hair. “yeah?” he pulls away from your cunt and replaces his mouth with his fingers, jabbing his pointer and middle finger at your sweet spot hovering over your smaller body. watching how you squirm at his touch. “is that it baby? is that your little princess spot? or should i aim higher?” kai teases his hair falling over his eyes. when you’re about to respond, the emo boy pulls away making your eyes wide in disbelief. “ningie!” you let out a wail “i wanna cum! please let me cum!” more tears fall down your face as you helplessly tug on kai’s shirt. eventually coaxing him to let you but on one condition. “okay baby i’ll let you cum but you’re cumming all over my cock understood?”

•when you hid underneath your friends bed sheets, you couldn’t help but flinch violently when you felt blood splash all over the blanket around you. you squeeze your eyes shut as an attempt to play dead thinking the killer currently slicing up your bestfriend would spare you. you felt bad but you did tell her to not go downstairs. when loud footsteps near the bed you were laying you shivered. covering your mouth to quiet your breathing. yelping when you felt a yank from the covers, you were about to get stabbed until ghostface studies your face. kai immediately covers you up again taking his leave, this confused you.. why did you get spared?

•when the coast was clear you shakily try to make a run back home, freezing in your tracks when you notice a cardcaptor sakura sealing wand charm on the ground. this immediately makes you realize that you were spared because huening kai was the man underneath the mask. you were scared at what he’ll do if he knew that you knew

•“where are you going?” you gave kai a pout, reaching up to bring the boy closer to your body. “i just have to go finish my homework” hyuka lies but you knew that wasn’t true “i know you’re ghostface” you blurt out like word vomit. “and? what are you going to do about it? throw on your ghostface mask and kill me too?” kai laughs unserious, you quickly shake your head no. “good girl now be quiet i’ll be back later”

a/n: wait happy halloween what the fuck there’s only a week left until halloween..

[athynathens]

chapter two : fancy ass bird

“So you’re a fancy ass bird? That’s your quirk?”

PAIRING. Bakugo Katsuki x Amphyr Domino (m-free)

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. This short story is a crossover between the Boku no Hero Academia world and Winx Club world. It will take place after the battle with All for One and Shigaraki. Let’s just all assume that the villains are defeated and everything is back to normal.

SYNOPSIS. Bakugo’s sudden request took Amphyr off guard, now she is contemplating whether or not if she should accept it or not. However, Bakugo’s remarks about her identity made her rethink her decisions. Now she’s debating if she should accept his damn sudden request — a fight.

WARNINGS. None :)

AUTHOR’S NOTES. So incase yalls won’t get it as you read, Amphyr’s on her Harmonix stage already!! Now, i am contemplating what color scheme she should have, do yalls have any ideas? if you do hit me up in the comments or pms!!

TAGS. @lovra974 @selmasemlan @andysdrafts @citrustsuki . If you want to be tagged, comment down below!!

amphyr domino’s profile | the world in betweens masterlist

“FIGHT ME” Bakugo calmly spoke, his hands were on his pockets. The cold night breezed around his black sleeveless shirt, as the leaves flew up in the skies of twilight.

Moonlight shone down on Amphyr, emphasizing her brown locks dancing with the wind. Her eyes went wide, blinking thrice before saying, “Heh?”

When he didn’t react, Amphyr knew that he was fucking serious. That’s when she finally screamed, “HEHHHH?!?”

Her screamed caused birds flying off the trees, causing leaves to fall down. She moved back a bit, shivering from that request. “We haven’t talk in months, and this is the first thing you ask of me?!?”

“Don’t be such a fucking pussy. We exchanged greetings in the hallways, didn’t we?” Bakugo clicked his tongue, looking away briefly.

“THAT WAS BARELY A GREETING!” She retorted, remembering the times when she would greet this explosive student, and he would just walk past by her and hum in response.

The blond rolled his eyes, “At least I fucking responded!”

She sighed, bringing her hand to the temple of her nose and asked, “Why are you even asking me to suddenly fight you? The latter rubbed it, her forehead aching from this sudden request.

“Because you ain’t from here, aren’t ya, fucking Croissant?” He spoke out, catching her off guard.

She gulped, trying to stay composed. “Of course, I’m not. I am a foreigner after all.”

Small blasts exploded from his palm. “Foreigner…” He chuckled lightly. “As in you’re a fucking white person or…” He asked, staring at his palm emerging explosions.

His red orbs snapped to his front, staring at her soul deeply “….you’re someone from another world?”

“A-Another world? Don’t joke with me, Bakugo-kun. T-There’s no such thing as—” She was interrupted by a loud blast. The next thing she knew is that she’s being held by the collar of her shirt.

Bakugo held her up so high, her feet are not touching the ground anymore. “Don’t fucking give me that bullshit!!” He exploded, causing her to fall back to a tree harshly.

This heavy impact made her back hurt, choking a bit of blood from her mouth. With shaking legs, she used her wrist to wipe out the blood from the corner of her mouth. She panted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about Bakugo-kun.”

The blond clenched his jaw in annoyance, hate being stalled when he asked a question. “That’s fucking bullshit. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past months. Your fucking so-called quirk? I analyzed that shit. The fucking blast on my face, the shitty barrier you made, the damn power wave you caused? Those quirks already belonged to someone.”

“Those blasts? That’s my fucking quirk, and you sure as hell are not related to me or my parents. Never seen you in any of our family meetings nor have I heard of you. The damn barrier? That fucking belongs to that villain that Shitty hair fought when saving that white-haired brat,” He continued, making her pale up in fear.

“And that power wave? That goddamn quirk is similar to Nejire-Senpai’s quirk, but there’s no way in hell you’ll be related to her. She’s a fucking talks for shits, she wouldn’t miss the chance to talk with anyone, especially to a relative,” He added, causing Amphyr to be agitated by the fact he is closed in knowing the truth.

When she thought it was over, there were still more to her surprise…

“From where I’m from, you’re called a dwarf,” Bakugo repeated the words she said to Mineta in the past.

“Does that sound familiar to you, Croissant?” The blond’s side mouth lifted. Amphyr can only stay silent, knowing that her defending right now will make everything else so much obvious.

“From where I’m from,” He repeated slowly, staring at his fingers as he stretched them.

“That means something else, right? The where is definitely not a damn place in the US, Europe or any part of this world, ain’t that right?” He asked, doing one small blast in his palm.

Suddenly, he grinned and released a blast towards to Amphyr, “The where is in a place that’s not in this fucking world, right?!?”

Her eyes went wide, immediately reacting to the blasts so she flipped to her right, doing a back tuck tumbling to save herself. When she landed on the grass, one knee up and the other on the ground, Bakugo chuckled as he releases more blasts from his palms.

“So let me ask, fucking extra…” He rasped, blasting some of his quirk in the air. “…who the fuck are you?”

Amphyr breath in and out a couple of times, contemplating if she needs to come up with a lie or not. It’s not like her family is asking her to keep her identity a secret since a small town called Gardenia knows about fairies already. However, she likes it better if no one knows who she truly she is. It’s like she’s reliving her life once more; doing a reset, a break, a rest from her usual life as the Crown Princess of Domino and one of Alfea’s prodigy.

“Before I answer,” She panted, standing up from the ground. “Why did you ask to fight me?”

Bakugo’s jaw clenched in annoyance, he hates being stalled when he asked a question after all. But if she means to cooperate, then he can let this go.

The latter clicked his tongue, placing both of his hands on his pockets. “I already fucking knew that you’re some kind of being from another world so I decided to fight you. Fighting someone who’s from another fucking world sounds fun to me after all.”

Amphyr’s eyes soften, the light on her eyes vanished. “So you’ll really give it your all to fight me or you’ll just hesitate and make it easy for me because I’m a fai—something…?”

She recalled the amount of times she was understimated as a fairy. In Magix, there is a division of work between men and women, fairy and specialist, and princess and princes.

If you’re a woman, a fairy and a damn princess, you will be an object of protection, hence, people mistakenly saw Amphyr as weak and timid.

Amphyr’s hands clenched in annoyance, remembering the amount of times she asked for a fair battle from her fairy friends; they took it too easy to her as they were afraid to harm the princess. She recalled the time when she opened up to her friends that she wants to practice fighting. But, they degraded her by gaslighting that her powers are enough. They even emphasized that fist fights are supposed to be for the males only.

Honestly, the only person who understood her was her mother, Daphne of Domino. As the Supreme Nymph, she was hard on Amphyr. She taught her everything that a Nymph should do and follow. She trained her till she sweats to dawn. She fought with her as if she was an enemy. She coached her like a warrior fairy.

However as a mother too, she also had to hold back in certain aspects, especially when they duel together.

Since then, no one has given her the fight she fucking desires the most — a fair fight.

“HAH?!?” Bakugo’s loud voice echoed. “Are you fucking with me? Ya looking down on me, aren’t you?!? You think I’ll go easy on you? In your goddamn dreams, fucking extra!”

Amphyr’s eyes twinkled, light of hope counterclockwise her pupils. “W-Will you really give it your all?” She stuttered, wanting confirmation.

The blond clicked his tongue, “You’re underestimating me, aren’t ya, damn Croissant!?!” He roared, squatting a bit while releasing small blasts from his palms. “I don’t give a shit on who or what you are! Just fucking fight me!”

She felt the sincerity of his words. Will I really get the fight I want from him? The side of her mouth twitches, she can’t contain her excitement any longer.

“You better not hold back, Bakugo,” She sternly told, closing her eyes.

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do. It is you that should not hold back! Don’t even think of using my rehab as a damn excuse,” He smirked, licking his lips from the adrenaline rush flowing through his body.

Swirls of winds surrounded her, the strands of her hair flowed gracefully with the wind. Amphyr opened her eyes to reveal her glowing pupils of gold, “You asked for it, Bakugo.”

The blond flinched, witnessing her newly formed aura. He saw her jumped to the sky, screaming a word he didn’t know. That’s when a ball of glowing magic surrounded her. Soon, the magic ball exploded, revealing Amphyr in wings.

Bakugo was left at awed. His so-called Croissant does not look like an extra at all in the sky — she looks like more of a celestial ethereal being.

He watched as her long skirt flew side by side, being one with the night breeze. The latter noticed long ribbons attached on both of her legs, those ribbons were connected to some-kind of high heeled sandles. His eyes moved up to her upper body, it was a top with one strap to her right side and it was decorated with ruffles like a ball gown.

His red orbs shone a bit when he finally saw her face. Amphyr’s eyes blazed up with determination while her hair moved in the same direction as the wind carries. The sea shell tiara on her forehead emphasized her royalty aura to him.

Amphyr channelled her magic energy to both of her hands, releasing fire then circled her arms to the top. She looked down to Bakugo and roared, “Don’t you dare hold back on me now, Bakugo!! You need to keep your damn promise!!” She threw the ball of fire towards him.

Smokes from the fireball scattered all over the ground. Amphyr’s wings flapped foward, in hope to find him easier, yet suddenly a loud blast from behind. Her eyes quivered, feeling an ominous sensation rushing towards her from behind. With the support of her wings, she flipped in the air and that’s when she noticed Bakugo grinning in excitement.

When he landed back in the ground, he yelled, “I ain’t holding back for nothing, Croissant!! This shit’s getting better!! Fight me!” He blasted up in the sky.

She used her wings to accelerate her movements. The brunette brought her arm back, chanting a small spell on her fist. After the enchantment is finished, she toughen her fist.

The blond’s smirk widen, almost smiling at her attack towards him. He placed more power on his palm then yelled, “DIE!”

The two collided, causing a strong drift of wind to hover through the forest.

Bakugo and Amphyr fought in the air, blasting each other with their quirks. The blond kept using his quirk to avoid her attacks, but he had a hard time dodging them. Since he had no idea what her quirk is, Amphyr became unpredictable.

He can only click his tongue in annoyance, realizing that he has no clue who he is fighting.

Meanwhile with Amphyr, her reputation as a support student has its uses. She knows what fighting style what Bakugo is into. She took advantage of her knowledge to battle this student hero.

The sounds of small explosions appeared from his palm, he aimed it to her midair and blasted it out.

Bakugo smirked, thinking he had won but to his suprised, he saw Amphyr flying above his explosion. His body shivered in excitement and screamed, “Not bad, Croissant!!” He used his explosion to rotate his body, accelerating his movements towards Amphyr.

The two fought like there’s no tomorrow. Explosions, blasts, waves, omitted around the forest. The smell of burnt wood surrounded the area, the trunk of most trees broke in half with a hint of fire and water around it.

Suddenly, a robot drone flew over them. “Hey! Who’s there?!?” It screamed, accelerating it’s movements to capture the people in the act.

Amphyr and Bakugo were quick to react, hiding among the trees. They used the trees with the most leaves which can help camouflage their presence. As their heard their robot drone flying away, the two sighed in relief.

The two had the time to catch their breath, wiping their sweat and panting their lungs out. The blond looked to his side to see her outfit a bit ripped from the blasts, her face covered with ash and some burns. Her soft arms covered with scars while her fair legs were covered with debris of soil and dirt.

“You look like shit,” He panted.

Amphyr looked at him. He was covered with ashes and burns from each other’s quirks. His black shirt was ripped, revealing his abs and scars from his previous battles. His arms bulged as he moved, showcasing his veins.

“Your arm, how is it? Nothing’s wrong with it, right?” She asked, wiping some ash off her face.

He chuckled, “Don’t worry about me. ‘M fucking fine.”

Her eyes traveled down to his injured arm, it was shaking a bit from overusing it. She sighed, “Sit your ass down, Bakugo-kun. I’ll heal you.”

His eyebrow arched, “Don’t tell me what to fucking d—” He was silenced by a spell chanted by Amphyr.

He muffled through his mouth, trying to speak but he couldn’t in the end. The vein on his forehead became more prominent as his eyes turned white in irritation. The next thing he knew he was floating a bit, then he settled on the ground.

The brunette sat down in front of him, placing both her legs on one side. She stared at him for a brief moment while grabbing his arm. Amphyr snapped her fingers then swiped them left and right while moving her hand down.

Bakugo watched as golden flakes traveled down his injured arm. He felt his arm feeling less painful. She swiped her two fingers up, releasing the silence spell from his mouth. The brunette carefully turned his arm around, double checking for more injuries or anything.

“I didn’t completely heal your arm cause that’s not how magic really works. The injury is still there. I just enhanced the healing process by—Bakugo Katsuki,” She was interrupted when he spoke his full name.

“I-I’m sorry…?” She asked with confusion.

He stared at her again, not breaking eye contact. “That’s my fucking name. Bakugo Katsuki.”

Amphyr stared at him with bafflement again, unsure why he is introducing himself again. As she thinks, she finally realized what he was doing.

He’s acknowledging me…The brunette smiled, realizing that his introduction is a new beginning to their relationship chapter. The fact he is introducing himself to her shows a declaration of her strength.

“Amphyr Domino,” She smiled, not breaking eye contact with him.

He grinned, satisfied that she understood what he was implying.

“So, you’re gonna fucking explain who you are? You weren’t entirely trying to hide your fucking quirks from me anyway. Those blasts? The fire? The water? And this damn healing? Just who the fuck are you? And why the hell do you have so many quirks?” He asked, removing his arm from her grip.

“Remember when you asked if I was a princess?” She asked.

His eyes went wide, “No fucking way. You’re a princess?” He caught on very quickly. “So what? Am I supposed to bow down or some shit?”

She shook her head and pleaded, “Please don’t.”

“Okay good, cause wasn’t fucking planning to.”

Amphyr rolled her eyes, slightly hitting him on the chest. Bakugo stared at her with wide eyes, his eyes gave the ‘what’ look which annoyed her a bit further.

“You really have the ability to annoy people, huh?” Her eyebrow twitched violently, a vein on her neck became slowly prominent.

“It’s a fucking gift, Croissant,” He placed his tongue out while revealing his middle finger to her.

The brunette sighed in aggravation. The latter crawled to sit beside him against the tree trunk. She placed her head back, positioning her legs on one side. “But yep, you’re right though. I am a princess.”

He leaned his head back, gazing at his side to look at her. “Princess of what exactly?”

“Domino — Princess of Domino.”

“Hah? Isn’t that your last name?”

“Y-Yeah…I forgot this world requires a last name so when U.A. asked what my last name is…well…I kinda panicked and just said Domino…” She answered, remembering how she just screamed her kingdom’s title as her last name.

He scoffed playfully, “You fucking serious? You panicked because you forgot? Goddamn, Croissant. You better fucking tell me what you are or else I’ll think you're a damn alien or something.”

A vein in her forehead appeared, “I’m not an alien, you damn moron!” She faced him completely, pointing at him aggressively.

“Then what are you?” He questioned, bringing one knee up and placing his elbow on that knee.

“I’m many things, but I’m mostly known as a fairy,” She responded.

A sudden wind breezed upon both of them, causing their clothes and hair to dance with the wind as one.

“So you’re a fancy ass bird? That’s your quirk?”

“What the fu—fine yes, if that’s how you interpreted it.”

Bakugo looked at her briefly before gazing up in the night sky. “Fairy, huh? So you do magic or some type of shit?”

She sighed at his poor choice of language. “Yes, Bakugo-kun. I do magic, but it’s a bit different from quirks. Magic is quite flexible compared to quirks, but like all wonderful things, it does have limitations. I guess an example is when I silenced you. That’s a common spell for fairies. Let’s say you say the chantment, you can’t silence someone since you’re not a fairy. This means that as long as you’re a fairy, you can chant the common spells. This also applies in witchery.”

He listened attentively as Amphyr continued. “What differentiates each fairy is their chosen ability from birth. An example is my Aunt Bloom; she’s the Fairy of the Dragon Flame or my Aunt Flora; She’s the Fairy of Nature. These attributes help people differentiate us from other fairies.”

“What ‘bout you? What you’re the fairy of, Croissant?” He asked.

The brunette stared at him for a moment, trying to think of a satisfying answer. “It’s a bit complicated…”

Bakugo clicked his tongue, “Fucking try me, Extra.”

Calling a princess extra really shows what character he is. She sighed, “Okay, if you insist. I’m only classified as a fairy for now since I have not yet reached a certain level, but I’m really a Nymph.” She responded, but he just gave her a perplexed expression.

“A Nymph is one of the oldest magical creatures of my realm. They hold greater powers than any other fairy because the possess more than one power. In my case, I can manipulate any elements like fire, water, ice and others,” She added.

“WHAT THE FUCK? You’re old?!?” Bakugo blasted, creating tiny blasts from his palms in shocked.

Amphyr twitched in anger, slapping his left arm. “I’m not old, dumbass!! I’m literally 17 like you!! I was born from a Nymph, fool!”

“You didn’t fucking specify that shit!!”

She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t even done explaining, moron!”

Bakugo clicked his tongue again, leaning back a bit more while placing his hands on his pockets. “You seemed like a strong motherfucker. Heck, you’re even a damn princess. So what’s a princess like you doing here in Japan anyway?”

Amphyr’s eyes soften with his question. “That’s a story for another time.”

His eyes turned white and exploded, “There is no other time!!”

She was caught off guard with his sudden explosion. But she was quick enough to understand what’s happening. Amphyr definitely does not want Bakugo to leave just like that after giving her that fight. This blond has given her the fight she wanted, and she sure as hell want to experience it again.

“How about this,” She spoke. “If you fight with me again, then I can tell you all about me and where I’m from.”

Bakugo scoffed, “What makes you think that I want to fight with you again, Croissant?”

Amphyr grinned, swiping her one arm to the side which released a strong wind that sliced up trees in half. “Because I didn’t show you everything yet, Bakugo-kun,” She kept her cocky smirk as the trees fell harshly to the ground.

“I’m sure you don’t want to miss a fight with someone like me after all,” She added.

“Are you playing with me, damn Croissant?” He chuckled, somehow getting fired up again.

“No, of course not. After all, you should consider yourself lucky because….” She stopped her words. “….you’re fighting with Domino’s precious princess, you big moron.”

His eyes flared up, feeling his adrenaline boosting through his veins. As much as he hates to admit it, a fight with Amphyr again is an exhilarating offer.

Over the course of their fight, he had witnessed her combat style — he could conclude she was definitely strong, hence why he didn’t back down and kept his guard up.

She’s strong in all places he can think of, but Amphyr’s main strength lies in strategy. He noticed that she’s quite observant with his tactics so she would carefully strategized on the spot.

Additionally, he also noticed that she would aim her powers at his left area, she was so careful not to aim too much on his right injured arm. Bakugo looked down at his injured arm, reminiscing the moments of his battle with Shigaraki.

Ba-tump…

His heartbeat made a sound he never anticipated.

Ba-tump…

There it goes again. Another beat on his heart.

“—ugo? Bakugo? BAKUGO!” His train of thoughts were interrupted.

His eyes quivered, looking around his area then looking up to see a small blasts on her palm.

“Oi. Were you ‘bout to slap me with that?” He pointed at her palm which was creating small blasts already.

“Uhh…n-no…?” She replied, immediately distinguishing her blasts from her palm.

Bakugo’s eye twitched. “Fucking Croissant! Don’t lie to me! I saw that shit!”

“….”

His entire body twitched violently, not liking that she isn’t responding. “At least fucking answer!!” His vision turned white and explosions occurred in the forest.

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[justrainandcoffee]

Inferno (Alfie Solomons x fem!oc)

Alfie x Rose masterlist

Summary: Twenty two years is the time that Alfie waited for that moment. Lawrence Evert was the man who ruined his wife. His Rosie. Evert broke Rose in thousand of pieces for four years and if something characterizes Alfie is that he never forgives. Evert dared to put his feet in Margate and he was going to pay for that with his own life.

Warnings: || Dark fic. || Torture: physically and mentally. Guns. Knives. Mentions of rape/sexual abuse. Mentions of Antisemitism. Mentions of previous killings. || Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Words: 2.1k || This is an alternate universe where Rose's ex-husband is alive (temporary.)

"I think a storm is approaching."

Sitting in Alfie Solomons' living room, Lawrence Evert looked through the window where he could see the ocean and the black clouds.

"It is, yeah. It is."

He heard rumours about his ex-wife being in Margate. That bitch who stole everything from him, including his lands and manor. Rose Solomons was now. The woman of a baker with so much money that could afford a house next to the beach and claim the sand and that portion of the ocean as private property. So rich that that they said that half of London belonged to him. And yet, it was just a baker.

Lawrence Evert wasn't used to lose. He was a lord, owner of mines and ships in England and Portugal. If he wanted something, he got it.

Margate seemed to be a ghost town when he arrived that morning. The first time he visited it, he saw people walking. Adults working and kids running around the streets. But this second time, everything was empty as if everyone disappeared. An unpleasant feeling ran down his spine. It wasn't the feeling that everyone in Margate disappeared but everyone was dead.

Except one person: Alfie Solomons.

His face didn't show any emotion, like a soulless creature waiting in the shadows for the perfect opportunity to show his true form.

The sound of the thunder made Lawrence Evert startled but Alfie remained quiet and still looking at him.

"How's your wife?" Lawrence asked.

"Alive."

Evert nodded. Maybe he should leave the Solomons' house and return to his new place and forgot everything about his manor, his money and his pride.

"She's the light of my life," added Alfie and Lawrence contemplated him as the man in front of him grabbed a match to light up his pipe. "Do you know what happen when there's no light?"

"Darkness."

"What smart boy ya are, aren't ya, Evert?" Alfie smirked but his eyes remained cold as the weather outside "Darkness, yes. Darkness."

"I think you're busy, Mr. Solomons, I need to go and -"

"You're not leaving, Evert. We didn't finish 'ere. You came here for business, innit? Then, we need to talk about business."

The scar on his face and the dim light of the lamp behind him gave him a grotesque appearance, in Evert's eyes.

"I- I don't really think we have much to talk about. I- I think it was a bad idea to come here, I'm not really interesting in making business with a baker."

"I'm not just a baker, Evert. I'm much more than that. Ya know when I was just a baker? When I was 16, when Rosie was 16, too. The moment that ya, almost 40 years old, put your fucking eyes on her, there I was just a baker. Long time ago, yeah, long time ago."

Through the smoke around him, Alfie stared at the man with pure hate.

"My Rosie," Alfie said standing up and walking towards the armchair where Evert was "I'd kill for her. No, let me rephrase this: I killed for her. And I'm going to kill for her once again. Soon."

Alfie leaned against the window and looked at the sea. "I bought this house for her. I promised her a house next to the sea when we were just kids and this is one of the things I'm most proud about. Us, our dogs and the beach. It's our little paradise. Rosie is happy, so, I'm happy."

"I-"

"You're not going anywhere, Evert. Not now, not in an hour, not ever again. This is the day you're going to die. But first, I'm going to play with ya. I'm going to torture ya. I'm going to enjoy every fuckin' second of it, because I waited for this moment twenty-two years."

A gunshot sounded inside the Margate's house at the same time a thunder broke the skies above the ocean. Evert's painful scream, accompanied the infernal melody that on that moment was filling the whole town.

Alfie, gun in hand, looked at him like he was a looking at a shit on his new shoe.

"I'm going to need a new chair," was all he said while Lawrence Evert was on the floor holding his shattered hand against his chest. The bullet destroyed his bones and tendons and the pain didn't allowed him to think.

Alfie sat in his sofa again and crossed his legs. He stroke his gun and kept talking.

"I killed your brother," Alfie said to Evert "I did it inside a Catholic church, because we all know that ya and your fuckin family believe that praying could save ya from hell. I had another theory and wanted to prove to him. Fuckin' cunt yer brother was, wasn't he? He called my Rosie a 'Jewish shit'. Yeah, he did it. So I had no other option but strangled him with his own rosary. I still have it, like a trophy."

Evert was paler, probably because he was bleeding but Alfie didn't pay attention. Instead, he put his hand in his pocket and removed the rosary that he kept there. He saw the horror expression in Evert's eyes.

"Ah, ya recognize, ain't ya? I'm guessing you never know what happened to him, who killed 'im. Well, now ya know." Alfie chuckled and threw the rosary in Lawrence's face.

"Please…"

"Did Rosie say please when you were raping her? When you put your dirty hands on her body? I bet she did."

"Sh-she wanted."

"No, she didn't."

A new gunshot. This time Alfie destroyed his left knee. Evert was trying to get up when the bullet made him fell over the rug again.

"You're not going anywhere, I told you, Evert. This is your final destination. You shouldn't came here." Alfie scratched his beard before continuing "when I was a kid, me mother gave me a book. She barely knew English, but a friend of hers gave it to me 'the Divine Comedy'. Pretty interesting, especially the Inferno. Did ya read it?"

On the floor, Evert was a mix of snot, tears and blood. "DID YOU READ IT?!" Alfie yelled at him and Lawrence tried to recoil, sobbing. Alfie rolled his eyes "oh, fucks sake."

From a table next to where he was, Alfie took a knife. It was a pretty weapon that Rose gave him once, several years ago. Never used it, but it was a good chance to do it now.

"I just want to talked about literature and you're making the things quite complicated to me, Evert. If you're going to die soon, then at least have the decency to talk to the only human being around ya." Alfie's knife ended on Lawrence's shoulder and his scream resounded around the house, but Alfie barely blinked. He was being careful to not cut any important artery but he wasn't being gentle at all. The blade penetrated his flesh, completely. "I'm going to ask once again, did ya or did not read the Divine Comedy?"

"No, FUCK YOU, I DIDN'T!"

"Good, see how easy is to reply the questions another man asks?" Alfie sat down on his sofa again, while Evert was on his carpet with two bullets in his body and a knife on his shoulder. He was shaking, probably about to suffer a shock. But alive. "This memorable quote from the book stayed with me until these days: 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.' It was a warning that Dante see before going down to hell. Beautiful."

Alfie stood up and chuckled "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." He repeated "I should put this sign in my house to warn unwelcome visitors. You made a big mistake coming here, Lawrence Evert. Ya did. Looking for what? My wife? Again? Rose outsmarted you once and she did it again. How many people did ya see coming here, Lawrie?"

"None."

"Ah! Ya learnt how to answer to me. See? Ya, smart boy. "Alfie patted Lawrence's shoulder "Exactly. None because Rosie knew you were here. She's more than my wife, she's very influential here, she's trying to be a member of the Parliament, you know that? My Rosie, getting a seat next to those fuckers. So, Rose talked to the local authorities and you know what they decreed? Curfew. Because a rapist was loose in the streets. To protect young girls, minors. No one saw you, here, Evert. No one was going to see your dead body either because there's no one outside. And this beautiful storm is helping. Listen to the thunders, claiming your fucking soul."

And to corroborate his words, another one resounded in the sky.

"Weather is angry. Maybe your god is, too. But I assure, Lawrence Evert nor the weather or your fucking god is angrier than I am. You touched, you broke the only thing that I love in my life. And you're going to pay for that because nor the fucking knife on your shoulder, the bullets can be compared to the things I'm going to do to you. And you're not going to have another opportunity to ask for mercy because I'm going to kill you just when I consider that you're less than a worm. And you're going be too tired, too catatonic to talk. Maybe once you're dead and suffering along your brother and your fucker mother, then, and only then maybe you'll understand what means to harm Rose and if you decide to reborn and touch her again, I'm going to do this again. And I'm going to enjoy it, like I am going to enjoy now."

Deal or death, said Tommy Shelby the first time he met Alfie. "I know you're angry, Mr. Solomons…"

But Tommy never saw Alfie really angry. Unlike Lawrence Evert.

So Alfie forced him to stand up and dragged him out of the house. The man was screaming in pain and fear, claiming for help that never was going to arrive.

The rain and the sea will erase everything, Alfie thought when at the seashore his knife found Evert's liver and then his penis. He was soaking wet, his back hurt, but adrenaline was keeping him on his feet. That was the man responsible for Rose's trauma. He was the one who took her away from him. He was the one who ruined their lives for almost five years. And was there at his mercy, alive because Alfie wanted him alive. But not for so long.

The beach was a mess of blood and flesh, and if not the storm and the sea, then the seagulls were going to erase the rest Alfie's job.

A boat was approaching the coast. There, two of Alfie's men were ready to take whatever remained of the man to deep ocean.

"No one touch Rose Solomons and live to tell the tale."

The last gunshot blew up his brain and then, finally, Evert died.

The fireplace was on when Alfie entered the house again. The old rug covered in blood wasn't there anymore. There was a white bowl with hot water and a towel next to his sofa and his favourite record sounding in the living room.

"Once, my mother said one of the things that shows love to another person was a warm cup of tea. I agree. I always love coming here after work and have a teacup in my hands, while you're there next to me."

Alfie, still covered in blood and shaking because of cold and the rage that filled his body moments ago, was just watching at Rose who was standing in front of the fire smiling at him.

"So," she continued "I thought you could like the same. There's dry and warm blanket next to the fire as well, Al. You need to take off your clothes or you can catch a cold."

He obeyed. The feeling of the clean and warm blanket caused him a good sensation.

"Here's the cup of tea," she said offering it to him who accepted it. "I must add that along with the tea, one of the things that I consider love language is a hot bath. Those where you can relax and forget the world. But I'm reserving that for later."

Rose winked at him and Alfie couldn't help but smile. He didn't say a word yet, he was just listening to her. The white bowl next to the sofa had cloths that Rose used to clean his hands first and then his face.

"I don't want our bath be dirty with his blood. Once I promised you that he never was going to be between us again and I'm doing my part."

She sat on his lap and used the cloth to wash the last string of blood that was dirtying his eyelids. The water once clean now was red. Slowly, she used the towel to dry his face and hair.

"You're perfect now," she said. "As always."

Alfie left the mug on the table put his hand on the back of her neck to kiss her. That was the woman he loved with his whole heart.

"I love you," she whispered against his mouth while he started to lift her dress.

"I love you, too. I love you, Rosie."

A new thunder broke the sky, but this time didn't cover Lawrence's screams of pain, this time the rain and the thunder accompanied them. And while they were making love in front of the fireplace, Evert's corpse was devoured by the ocean to never been seen again.

[evilminji]

I contemplate the Martian Afterlife...

And the reality, that as a Father? The only thing more painful then losing his family for J'onn. Would be to have hope... and lose them again.

To get back, perhaps, ONE child of his several. To see them forever trapped as they were and know they were alone all this time. That he will one day be forced to choose. Stay with them... or see the love of his life again. His other children. Be at peace.

Worst of all? Is they would never ask such a cruel thing of him. Are proud of him. Love him. Are gleeful at this reuniting. They have made friends, papa! Won't you introduce them to YOURS?

Standing at the gates of Death itself? Looking into the swirling green...

It's losing those you've lost all over again. Uncertainty. Fear. A quite sort of horror. What if they ARE there? What if they are NOT? They never wanted this. Are seperated from their Gods and their Peace. Are they happy? Do they suffer?

....are they there?

Grief is a heavy thing. Mortal. It weighs like mountains on our shoulders. What is worse, we wonder? What will be worse? As ghost after ghost steps out to find loved ones. Not to stay, though.

They can not stay. The Dead must move on. Too strong, too REAL and unfiltered by flesh, to exsist in this breakable Reality. But these ones at least, can look back and wave. Can visit.

Is it worse when they can't?

When to find them, you'd have to do like the stories of old? And visit Death themself? Reach deeper then Depths and farther then any horizon, to the pulsing Core of all that ever Lived. Not "lives".

But past tense. As in once did or should have, could have, might have. Lived. And now does not.

Larger then any planet, smaller then a pin prick, every color imaginable and utterly void of anything on any visible spectrum. THEY exsist there. And everywhere, but that's besides the point, now isn't it?

There at the Core, things are sorted. Resorted. A human dying on Zoltan soil does not belong to Zoltan gods. Nor vice-versa. And vows must be taken into account. Families kept together, be they choice or blood. Ghosts who convert in Death may come to be sorted again just as those who lose faith may leave for another place.

It flows. It is balanced.

Held, eternal, in they loving hands of A God of God's. The Final King. To whom all bow.

Is it better? Knowing those you love WOULD come? If not for Death? As you stand, small and mortal, looking up and up and UP into incomprehensible eyes. That know you and always have. That will claim you soul with gentle hands and hold no malice in their grand, alien, heart. That ARE as they always have been.

This is simply doing their duty, keeping order and balance. Organizing the universe to keep things clean.

Is it better?

The glowing child that lead you here, looks at you with such sympathy. A child king. You all but forced him too. Were full of such grief and anger. But it is like cursing the birds. A storm. Grass holds you no malice. Fire burns you because it is fire. And this great and terrible creature, this true Awe inspiring God of Gods... is Death.

Death simply IS.

They would not stop you walk past them. Entering their domain. But you would not be allowed to leave it. The stories were just that. Stories and myth. You can SEE your loved ones from where you stand. Almost HEAR their voices.

They are horrified. Waving their arms and shouting. Clearly begging you to turn back. To LIVE. Don't you DARE.

Others have joined them, at the gates. Too every sort of place. The two of you noticed. Aliens and humans alike. Shock and horror. Concern. Go back! Go back!

The souls on the paths between audibly trying to get Deaths attention. To distract away from you. While others try to shoo you away. You... you have no place here. Do you? Not yet. Possibly not ever, if you become a ghost. You worry about that.

The boy king laughs. Bright and ringing in the green. We can change our minds! Well, THEY can. He's kind of king. So he kind of has to stay around, you know? But Death is Infinite and so are the Realms. There are a LOT of afterlives. Even a few After-Afterlives! He's heard there might be a THIRD layer to one or two, but who can say?

You ponder the Martian afterlife. The little Martian ghost you saw. Was she stuck... or simply waiting? To go together. It's a good thought. Better then the bleak and terrible horrors your mind has conjured lately, in its grief. You don't want to know. Let it be a suprise. They wanted you to wait. So you'll wait. As long as human biology will let you.

But first... you probably should look up apology gift baskets. "Sorry about the grief rampage, I kinda snapped" doesn't seem like a... CARD sorta thing.....

@hdgnj @ailithnight @the-witchhunter @nerdpoe

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Bret Stephens

Precisely the same logic applies to Israel’s other conflicts, above all with Hezbollah. The brilliance of the pager/walkie-talkie strike in Lebanon has done more to restore Israel’s regional reputation than 11 months of relative restraint and tit-for-tat reprisals against enemies to the north. A similar lesson will also have to be given to the Houthis, especially since the Biden administration seems incapable of doing so. “Who Dares, Wins,” the motto (borrowed from the British) of Israel’s special forces, should be the motto for the Jewish state as a whole. The path out of loneliness is always a path of action.

What about American Jews?

The resurgence of anti-Semitism in the United States has begun to force a fundamental rethink of the way in which at least some American Jews contemplate their place in society: I call them “October 8 Jews”—those who woke up the day after the attack with a clear understanding of who our friends are not. Those Jews include the donors who revolted at the idea of continuing to give money to Harvard, Penn, Brown, or Columbia; who are investing heavily in new educational institutions that adhere to classically liberal values; who are calling out the DEI/anti-racism com- plex for being the anti-Semitism incubator that it is; who are breaking out of the stale orthodoxies of traditional media; who are investing all of their philanthropic energies in strengthening Jewish life.

They are the vanguard, but we are only at the beginning. So many institutions in American life that were once welcoming places for American Jews have turned bad: elite private schools; human-rights organizations; the literary world; social work; Mideast-studies departments; public-school curriculums—the list is long. In every one of these fields or institutions, October 8 Jews have a clear choice: Reject, reform, or reinvent them. What’s no longer possible is to pretend that what we have now is acceptable, or that indifference and inaction are viable options.

Just as the Bush administration spoke of a “whole of government effort” after September 11, 2001, we need a “whole of American Jewry” effort after October 7: to make high-quality Jewish day-school education available and affordable to every Jewish family that wants one; to cut off all giving to colleges and universities that are hostile to open and vibrant Jewish life and Zionist expression; to create a new ecosystem of literary prizes, faculty chairs, “genius awards,” and grants that reward and celebrate true merit; to fund and tell stories on large and small screens that richly and empathically explore the Jewish experience; to deepen American ties to Israel through corporate and academic partnerships; to expose and shut down the opaque and potentially illicit networks that fund and support the anti-Israel student protests.

This is a partial list, but you get the point. If we don’t want to wind up alone, we cannot afford to stand still, think small, or look back. The questions are no longer “Who betrayed us?” or “Why is the world this way?” They are “What do we do now?” and “How soon can we get it done?”

Israel and the Jewish people aren’t alone—yet. Ensuring that we never wind up alone is going to take courage, work, nerve. And a demand for respect.

[emmaofnormandy]

The Dragon and the Rose.

• In this universe, Lady Kathryn Howard crosses path with King Aegon II. The result of it may be more surprising than what onlookers have judged at first…

Long post; fluffy.

"You need a wife", the Dowager Queen of Westeros tells his son. "As a king, specially given the current circumnstances, you need to produce an heir. Such a deed cannot be done by yourself, as you must know.”

Aegon rolls his eyes at his mother’s words. Despite his reluctance to get himself crowned as the overlord of the seven kingdoms, here he is now, urged to get married. And he cannot take his sister as his wife as former Targaryens did because she simply eloped with Aemond.

Not that I needed her anyway.

Besides, Aegon believes he can have any woman he desires. Why marrying one alone? When he makes this point to his mother, Queen Alicent takes a very deep breath as if she is beseeching her patience in Heaven before saying:

“We need allies, you fool. And a legitimate heir.” She says between gritted teeth. “If you are not looking for one, I will. Should I explain the basics to you? If you don’t have legitimate heirs, Rhaenyra’s sons will rule after you. Is that what you want?”

That has her son’s attention. Good. Alicent softens and smiles.

“You can choose any noblewoman you like as long as it’s a highborn damsel appropriate for the rule of a consort.”

“Very well”, Aegon sighs. “I will do my best, my lady mother.”

Yet, where should he begin? Perhaps Aegon should ask the aid of his siblings for that task. As he summons Aemond back to court, Aegon does not need a very long time to tell the reason why he needs his younger brother’s help.

“Ah right. A wife, a queen. I’ll pity the woman who might get all the praises but your attention when she sits in the place once occupied by our mother.”

“If I needed your disdain, Aemond, believe me… I would rather you to stay with Helaena wherever the fuck you have been.”

“Watch your tongue, Your Grace”, Aemond smirks. “Very well. I’ve been traveling for a while and if no Westerosi ladies get your attention, I can give you other suggestions.”

Aegon’s eyebrows are epically raised.

“Oh?”

And so he is told of England and its own noble houses, one of which has been friendly towards Aemond and Helaena in their journey to the west: the Howards.

***

Katherine never before felt so uncomfortable as when she was at the court of King Henry. Specially when she’s getting his unwelcome flatteries.

King he is, but he could be my father. Worse, he is not handsome at all. Why cannot he be content with his wife? Poor lady Anne does not deserve this treatment.

However, her uncle seems pleased with the idea of rising high in the court sphere once again. Whilst Thomas Howard contemplates a form to separate the king from his wife by joining him to his niece, his brother, Edmund Howard, is not sharing his enthusiasm.

In fact, without Katherine’s knowledge, her father has been entertaining other ideas. Having received Lord Aemond and his wife, lady Helaena, there had been conversations concerning a possible betrothal to Aegon Targaryen and his daughter. Eventually, though, Edmund becomes anxious to remove Katherine out of court.

“What?”, Katherine is talking with her first cousin, the countess of Richmond. “What are you talking about? Why would my father ask me to leave? You are lying.”

Lady Mary Howard sighs.

“Just read this envelope here. I’m sure you can read, can you not, cousin?”

Katherine blushes at the sharp tongue of the other woman, but takes the letter and opens it without giving an answer. As she reads the content, she is partly relieved for leaving—she’d been feeling like a fox about to become the prey of a dangerous predator with no chance to escape. On the other hand, she is somewhat preoccupied about how this will be handled.

“How familiar are you with this plan, cousin?”, inquires Katheryn, suspicious about the veracity of it.

Lady Mary shrugs her shoulders in a nonchalant posture, although her eyes give an otherwise meaning.

“Familiar enough to help you escape the hands of the tyrant. I am helping you because I’ve been there too, although he ensured to deprive me of the presence of my beloved”, she explains in between gritted teeth.

Lady Mary was referring to the days she’d been married to Henry FitzRoy, King Henry’s favoured son, albeit illegitimate. But due to the monarch’s paranoia, they never made to consummate their love for each other and what happened next was her widowhood.

Katheryn understands well her sentiments and appreciates that amongst her family members there was at least one relative she could trust. The relief is evident in her features which softens her cousin’s pride mask.

“You deserve better, cousin.”

And so the new journey to Katheryn Howard’s life begins.

***

As the feast begins, Aegon is nowhere to be found, much to his mother’s dismay. The unpleasant task to find him falls upon Ser Criston Cole’s dutifulness since Aemond has been too busy with his wife to remind Aegon of his regal duties.

“Bring him to us as soon as possible. We have been told the lady is arriving anytime now. Aegon must be here to receive her”, so the dowager queen points out as-a-matter-of-fact.

It takes little time for Ser Criston to find the king. He is in his bed, taking his time to let the hangover state out of himself.

“Your Grace”, says the knight. “Do you intend to spend the rest of the day in your bed whilst the Seven Kingdoms await your good will in ensuring its rule goes as expected?”

Aegon sighs heavily. His hair is a mess, his eyes are only half open, in a state that only irritates the knight. But before the king is lectured about his misconduct, Aegon decides to take leave of his bed.

“You may spare your breath”, says the silver haired prince. “I am doing what is expected of me today.”

Ser Criston raises an eyebrow all the whilst folding his arms, in a posture that clearly disbelieves the other’s words.

“I mean it. I am perfectly aware that very few have some faith in me”, he says grudgingly.

As if to prove him right of surprising everyone, Aegon cleans himself and dresses in his mother’s colors. Although unwillingly, he knows there is a role to play. And this is the day he ought to do things in a different way.

The moment he arrives to the grand hall is the same moment where his soon to be wife arrives too. His mother, Dowager Queen Alicent, is relieved and ensuring nothing goes wrong.

But when the doors open, destiny plays the card that will change everything.

***

It is a beautiful court, so Katheryn judges as her eyes capture the shades of dark green that somehow mixes with red and black, although it could be more colorful.

She is very impressed, though. The Red Keep is all about grandiosity, reinforced by the regality in the decoration, joined by the beautiful landscape that has been running through her eyes during her journey from London.

But nothing impacted her more than seeing the shadow of grand beasts, flying across the skies and howling through the air. Katheryn once read about them… Dragons, that’s what they were named. They were the symbol of the Tudor dynasty, the same one her beloved uncle sought to marry her into.

The prestige is not worth it, I know it in me.

Nevertheless, she wanted a good marriage for herself, being the noble lady she is. So her father sent her to be the wife of another king, whom he assured to be more gentle and closer to her in age than Henry Tudor.

Now that she is walking into the Red Keep surrounded by her retinue and her eyes are glued upon the regal figure that stands tall, Katheryn finds herself amazed.

As Aegon slowly comes to greet her, both seem to be oblivious to the anxious parts that seem to be eager to join them in sacred ceremony. They too ignore the pair of eyes that follow them curiously.

They only seem to notice each other. Whilst Katheryn is, admittedly, baffled by his Valyrian features, so is Aegon by her English inheritance. Never before had he met dark, astonishing and deep eyes staring so intently into his lilac ones.

“My lady Howard”, Aegon is the one who breaks the ice by greeting her with a proper bow. “Welcome to King’s Landing. I pray your journey has not been uncomfortable for your ladyship.”

A weak blush paints her pale cheeks as she curtseys in return.

“Your Majesty, I appreciate the kindness you display towards me. Indeed the journey has been good, thank you.”

“That is fantastic to hear”, says Aegon, unable to refrain his growing smile. Then gallantly he extends his hand to her and Katheryn promptly takes it.

It is as if the world breathes in relief when the Westerosi king is delighted at his foreigner queen-to-be. To some as the former queen of the realm, though, there is still much to wait for the unpredictable Aegon.

But even the lady Alicent is forced to admit that prospectives are positive so far.

“What are your impressions of this land you’ve set foot? In all honesty, I’ve never encountered a foreigner lady like yourself before”, says the charmed king.

Kathryn smiles, pleasantly blushed to get his attention. Indeed, Aegon’s handsomeness, gallantries and youth count positive for this alliance favoured by her father against her uncle’s ambitions in rising another of his family to occupy King Henry’s vacant side.

Even before these impressions, Kathryn is no fool. She spent enough time at the court of the old king to know that appearances can be misleading—and deadly.

This conversation is the start of something new for both parts involved… and more so when considering a new world beyond the seven kingdoms of Westeros.

For King Aegon, however, this marriage is politically fruitful: not sooner and his reign will be acknowledged before his fellow kings out of Westeros.

Yet… when looking at Lady Katherine, these dark eyes and darker hair make him forget of the true purpose of this union. Each time she smiles, Aegon realizes that maybe now… he wants more than casual flings.

***

As controversial as the wheel of fortune might be, Lady Katherine occupies the higher ground without fearing for her life. Henry Tudor is no more the reasons of her concern nor disgusts, the mere thought of him is now turned to dust.

She is queen herself… of a distant realm, where she has a husband to please and duties to attend without the fear of reprehension of her uncle Thomas Howard, even though Aegon’s grandsire, Otto Hightower, has the same likes—somewhat irksome to her.

What does it matter? I am the queen now.

In these festivities, Kathryn enjoys the attentions of her handsome husband, with whom she comes to discover there is so much they share in common.

“As soon as we can, I’ll take you to a ride. Have you ever been to a dragon’s back before?”

“I do not think husband”, she says, savouring the taste this new word brings, with a gentle smirk, “that I have ever even seen one.”

It is inconceivable to Aegon that there is a world out there where dragons are not part of it. Thus as his wife tells him about her origins, all she’d known about these flying creatures are stories, legends, myths, his bafflement only increases.

“I shall bring you to Sunfyre by tomorrow dawn”, he vows to her, very serious in keeping his promise when locking their hands tied.

In this crowded room, every sound dies before this new level of intimacy just recently disclosed. When Aegon looks at Kathryn, she knows he sees her for who she is.

Not just her beauty. But who she really is underneath all of this pomp she likes to exhibit in a form to conceal her sensibility and all of her dreams that her family despised and she had no other choice but to hide.

One gaze is enough. No more words are enough. Silence already speaks for itself.

*

“You fancy her”, observes Lord Aemond when he occupies the vacant place left by Lady Kathryn. By his brother’s side, their eyes follow the brunette’s moves, captured by the vivacity in her gracious steps as she dances.

“Could it be otherwise?”

“When mother at first suggested you to wed Helaena, you despised her.”

“Suggested?”, Aegon snorts at his younger brother. “That is kind of you. Well, Laena and I never saw eye to eye, which worked out for you just fine if I recall well.”

Aemond gives the eldest of the two a smirk.

“Indeed, though what I wanted to say is that you can be…”

“Imprudent?”

“I’d prefer to say careless”, says he. “Whereas the lady Kathryn is a blossom rose.”

Aegon’s eyes go to the woman the High Sparrow crowned, the brunette of a foreigner land he espoused. So much joy in her figure, the gentleness evident in her countenance, reinforcing a beauty that brings her the attention.

“I am not a man who shares”, says the king, subtly, giving more in these words than his pride would bend to admit.

Aemond takes the glass to his lips, pleased for the result of his match.

“I know how well you like to keep your prizes to yourself.”

And nothing further has been discussed about it.

***

“Lady, today you will experiment few out of our family has ever had”, so boasts Aegon, proudly. He likes the eyes of his wife on him, carrying a new genuine admiration he’s never found on the eyes of another.

“And what is that, husband?”, she asks, excited and intrigued.

They are out of the Red Keep this day. Though it’s not cloudy, it’s a little windy, but perfect condition to fly. Kathryn is frightened, though she struggles to conceal it, before the sight of large beasts that howl through the air and are not mythological.

“I appreciate your efforts in playing the brave, my dear”, Aegon smiles at her, bringing her closer to him. “But no need to fear. Come, let us make these new memories together.”

Kathryn is thus taken to Sunfyre, whose large yellow wings and its golden eyes impact the new queen. She blinks a few times, frozen before this encounter, but does not shy away of it.

As Sunfyre bows to her, she smiles gracefully, taking the hand Aegon extends her. The next thing she knows is adventurously wordless.

“I’ve never taken anyone to fly so high”, he whispers in her ear, pleased to see her blushing as his arms snake around her waist. “Do you want to command Sunfyre? Go on. I know you can do it.”

Kathryn gazes at her husband with a mix of surprise and atonement. Never before she was consulted in anything of the kind; her views and tastes were often disregarded as a matter of little importance.

Underneath titles two lost souls are found in a surprising alliance that is turning positively healing for both parts.

The moment she smiles, Aegon knows there is chance for redemption…. And he’s prompted to take it.

***

• Epilogue.

According to the unofficial and unnamed chronicler of Aegon’s court, the king and the queen had a very successful marriage. This gleeful union, which seems to have cast a shadow over the king’s questionable past by designing a better future, has resulted in the following children:

1. Jaehaerys, Prince of Dragonstone.

2. Elysbeth, Princess of Dragonstone, who married her oldest brother, following the Targaryen tradition.

3. Eddmund, named after the queen’s father, chose to become a Maester.

4. Alysanne, Princess of Dorne.

5. A stillborn child.

6. Daeron, who took the oath of becoming part of the King’s Guard.

7. Aemon, his twin brother, who, in due time, moved to Dragonstone and there resided with Lady Rhaella Targaryen, a cousin.

8. Laena Targaryen, who became Lady of High Garden.

It’s said that the Queen suffered with poor health after giving birth to Lady Laena. However, she managed to have a long and happy life by Aegon’s side. So then peace reigned…

[mellybouboulove]

My guardian angel🤍𓆩♡𓆪☁️

Chapter 4

Plot summary: Drug Dealer Ellie Williams X OFC slowburn fic, out of universe and takes place in college, set in the 2000s. Smut content to come.

previous: Chapter 3 next: Chapitre 5

Tags: #wlw #sapphic #drugdealer!ellie #modern!ellie #tlou #slowburn #smut #fluff #tlouau #au #modernau #drugs

CHAPTER 4

Monday morning: Ellie told me she had a lot of work today so she left early in the morning. After my encounter with Emily, I had set my mind to make things better, at least that’s what I was planning for today. I woke up with a severe stomach ache and migraine; my body begging me to take drugs but I tried to stay focused on my goal; I got ready and went to the hospital. Starting with Jonathan who’s in a coma will be easier than facing Emily who could punch me. 

Stepping into this hospital again made me feel weird but I knew I had to do it. I found my way to Jon’s room, the atmosphere was heavy which is weird considering it as filled with flowers and gifts. The only sounds in the room were the beeps of the machines and his artificially controlled breathing, all of this because of me. I sat next to him and started to talk. I felt stupid at first as I didn’t even know if there was a chance he could hear me but it actually did make me feel better to let it all out. I told him how sorry I was and how much I hoped he would get better; how I would’ve rather been in his place instead. I left flowers and a note on his bedside table hoping he would wake up in the following weeks and would be able to see it, knowing we kept him in our minds. 

I already felt relieved from this talk but I still had to give Emily a visit. My body was still shaking, my head and stomach were still hurting. I hope these symptoms will be gone soon enough. 

Once in Emily’s front door, I felt reluctant remembering everything that she told me this weekend. Leaving now would make me a selfish coward; I have to talk to her. I knocked and after a couple seconds she opened. Her eyebrows furrowed as she saw me, she was about to close the door at my face but I stopped it. 

-Please give me a chance to talk. I know, you were right. You were right about everything, I’ve been acting selfishly; I just wanna talk, please.

She let out a sigh, quietly opening the door for me to come. 

-May I use the bathroom first? I’m not feeling very well.  -You already know where it is. 

After refreshing my face in her bathroom to calm myself, I opened the pharmacy without thinking and noticed she had the same treatment as me. I contemplated it for a second and decided to empty the bottle in my pocket. Just in case. At this point, this is not a big deal, I've already wasted her life. 

We sat in her living room, a blank silence surrounding us until I decided to break it to tell her everything that was killing me inside. 

-I have no excuses for my behavior but believe it or not, you and Jonathan have both been on my mind everyday since that day. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for what I did to you. If I didn’t come earlier it was just because I was in a really bad place and didn’t think I would have the courage to face you knowing I ruined your life and almost killed my two best friends. I’m not expecting you to forgive me but I think we should communicate; I don’t want to cause any more harm to you. I really miss you and our friendship and if I could, I would switch places with you.  -Are you done now?  -Ugh, yes I guess. -Okay great now leave.  -What?   -Do you really think that’s how it works? Acting like a victim, giving a clingy monologue after all your bullshit thinking this is enough to fix everything ? You’re dead to me and I don't have anything to do with you. You didn’t come here for my forgiveness nor for the sake of our friendship; in fact, you don’t give a fuck about this. All you want is to make yourself look good, to make your conscience lighter, just to manage to look at yourself. If you really did care, you would’ve come earlier, you would’ve visited Jonathan and checked on me but you just disappeared. You were in a bad place when it came to facing your responsibilities but you felt good enough to find yourself a girlfriend to take on dates. You’re a horrible person Maya, you’re not even able to understand what you’ve done. Get the fuck out of my house, you can die for all I care.  

I was flabbergasted by her reaction, I didn’t expect her to forgive and forget nor for everything to come back to normal but I thought she would be more understanding and willing to save our friendship. But she’s right, it’s too late. I became somebody I don’t know, I’m just a worthless piece of shit who only cares about itself. I felt my heart pounding louder and louder, my breathing speeding up; I don’t have anyone anymore. I need drugs. 

Without even counting them, I took a handful of pills from my pocket as I was making my way back home. When I finally reached home, it felt like this was not enough. I looked around all my drawers and finally found a bottle of vodka that I quickly emptied. As I was about to swallow the last drops of alcohol, I heard the bell ringing and used the energy I had left to open it. Ellie was standing there, she looked at the bottle in my hand then she looked back at me. 

-What the fuck are you doing??  -I guess I’m.. n-not feeling so good.

Suddenly my eyelids felt so heavy and closed themselves; then everything was pitched black. When I opened my eyes again, I was on the couch, Ellie sitting next to me with a bunch of medicine, food and water on the table. 

-Are you awake? -Yes, I think so.  -Are you feeling better?  -Yes. -Ok good. Now tell me, what happened Maya? Why did you do this?  -There was nothing left to do. I couldn’t control myself anymore, I’m sorry. I said bursting into tears. -It’s fine, but you have to think and be more careful. This is not a game, if I wasn’t here to take care of you and give you pills you could’ve been dead by now. She was very gentle in her tone. I could tell she was worried.  -Wouldn’t have been so terrible to be honest.  -I was planning to go back to my house but I guess I’ll stay a little longer. Drink a lot of water. She handed me a bottle of water as she said that and I thanked her and drank it without further questions, then fell back asleep.

[bakhiu]

Bad Desire

Nanami helps you understand why dating him would be better than casually sleeping with your boss Gojo.

read it on AO3 Pairing: Nanami Kento x Reader Rating: Explicit Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Office Setting, One-sided Feelings, Jealousy, Referenced Boss/Employee Relationship, Implied Gojo/Reader, Oral Sex, Alcohol Word Count: 1,623

“What kind of man should I be with then?” you asked with a dejected look. “Someone serious, someone like me.” Nanami replied without hesitation.

Last minute dinner dates are high up on the irritability list for Nanami Kento. Unfortunately, this does not apply to you. The two of you have worked together for a few years, your desks right across from each other in a shared office. 

Your frequent sighs and glances at your phone were not work related stress. You and Gojo have been casually seeing each other for six months. Nanami only knew this because you casually let it slip that you and Gojo hang out after work. You would show up the following day with badly concealed hickies on your neck. It was obvious it was much more than hanging out. 

The multiple scorned lovers of Gojo Satoru making an uninvited appearance to the office and causing a commotion was enough for Nanami to know Gojo was not the serious relationship type. You witnessed this firsthand seven months ago. His ex berated you, accused you of sleeping with him before storming down the hall screaming for Gojo to come out.

And yet, a month later, you and Gojo began casually seeing each other. He was currently working at the second office location and based on your reactions, he was leaving you high and dry. 

“Need help with the end of month reports?” Nanami asked as he glanced up in your direction. 

“Sorry, I’m just distracted.” You sighed as you put your phone in your desk drawer. “Hey, want to go out for a drink after work? We can celebrate finishing these reports!” 

“Oh, well I was planning–” 

“Nevermind!” you interrupted, your face slightly flushed. “What a silly thing to celebrate, especially at the last minute.” 

“I was planning on going to the bar on 5th street, if that sounds good to you.” Nanami responded, forcing himself to glance back at his computer. 

“I’d love to.” you replied, a huge grin replacing your embarrassed expression.

You swirled your straw around your half empty drink, sighing in the process. You were three drinks in with Nanami close behind, on the verge of finally asking why you are so down. Before he could interrupt your sighing, you interrupted. 

“Y’know Nanami, you seem like such a great guy.” you rested your cheek on your palm, glancing up at him with a soft smile. “How are you still single?”

Nanami took a long sip of his drink, keeping his eyes locked on yours. Eventually you broke eye contact, finishing the rest of your drink in a big gulp. 

“I’m sorry, that was so inappropriate.” you stuttered, still too embarrassed to meet Nanami’s gaze. 

“I’m just waiting for the right time to make my feelings known to someone.” Nanami replied, finishing his own drink. 

“How do you know when it’s the right time?” you asked. 

“You will know when the time is right.” Nanami motioned for the server to order another round. 

You both ordered another drink, promising it was the last round. Nanami was a responsible and logical person; you contemplated asking for advice on your relationship with Gojo. Your friendship (if you would even call it that) with Nanami was limited to friendly conversations in the office and courteous inquiries about what you did over the weekend. 

The server returned with your final round, check placed between the two of you with a reminder that the bar closes in thirty minutes. You immediately reached for your drink and took a gulp. It was now or never and if it ended badly, you would chalk it up to drunken shenanigans. 

“Nanami, what do you think of Gojo?” you asked, easing into the conversation. 

“As our boss, or something else?” Nanami questioned back, a small smirk following. 

You choked on your drink, not expecting a response like that. So he knows… you thought to yourself as you coughed and took a sip of water. After clearing your throat several times and tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“I guess as a romantic partner.” you replied, holding your breath as he contemplated a response.

“He does not have a good track record.” Nanami answered flatly. “You were verbally harassed by one of his exes.” 

“Technically she wasn’t an ex, just a one night stand.” you retorted. “Gojo told me that she would not leave his apartment and had to call security.” 

Nanami stared at you with a blank expression, waiting for you to realize just how ridiculous you sounded defending Gojo. You took another sip of your drink before inhaling deeply and deciding to be honest.

“So, Gojo and I have been casually seeing each other. He said he doesn’t want anything serious but I really like him and–” 

“He doesn’t want anything serious and you still want to confess to him?” Nanami interrupted, rolling his eyes in the process. “Please respect yourself and stop engaging with Gojo. Not only is he unserious, he is also your boss .” 

You gripped your glass, the cool condensation making your fingers slowly slide down. You knew he was unserious most of the time, but he made up for it in other ways. You had some great conversations…sometimes. You would go out to dinner…rarely. The more you thought about it, the more you realized it was a convenient hookup for Gojo. He did the bare minimum to keep you interested. 

Nanami reached for the check and left his card inside, setting it on the edge of the table for the server. You didn’t bother trying to argue about paying for your half, too wrapped up in your own thoughts surrounding Gojo. You had fun with him, isn’t that what matters? You could easily convince yourself to stop wanting a serious relationship, right? 

“What kind of man should I be with then?” you asked with a dejected look. 

“Someone serious, someone like me.” Nanami replied without hesitation.

The time between leaving the restaurant and being thrown onto Nanami’s bed was a blur. You stared up at him, pupils blown wide as he grabbed your face and pressed his lips against yours. Heart hammering in your chest, you watched with your lips parted as he slowly kissed down your torso, his eyes locked on yours. 

He pressed a soft kiss on your clothed cunt and groaned at how wet you were. He gently pressed a finger on your clit, smirking when you squirmed at the minimal touch. Nanami continued his ministrations over your pussy, intentionally ghosting his finger over your clit. You gave an annoyed sigh, bucking your hips as a silent plea.

“Please stop teasing, Nanami.” you inhaled sharply as he pushed your panties to the side and raised his eyebrow. 

Without missing a beat, he licked a long stripe against your slit, paying a little more attention to your clit but not enough to satisfy you. You moaned and pressed your thighs together, glancing down to watch as he slowly swirled his tongue around your clit. 

You were a leaking mess, your clit throbbing for more pressure. Nanami slipped a finger inside your pussy, but just barely. You threw your head back, feeling equally annoyed and aroused. He was definitely teasing you, or punishing you for wanting Gojo so bad. 

“Why are you teasing me?” you sighed as he slowly curved his finger in your walls. 

“You think this is teasing?” he mused as his thumb started circling your clit. “I could be worse.” 

You bit your lip, wondering if you should try and rile Nanami up by using your previous hookups with Gojo. You weren’t sure how Nanami would react but figured whatever outcome would result in you cumming…eventually. 

“Gojo teases me a lot.” you whispered, anxiety coursing through your veins. “Sometimes he doesn’t let me cum until the next day when we hookup.” 

Nanami raised his eyebrow as he pulled his thumb away from your clit, his tongue circling around it, savoring your essence. You gulped, unable to gauge Nanami’s reaction as he raised himself away from your body. 

“Lucky for you,” Nanami began as he loosened his tie. “I plan on making you cum multiple times.”

At least, that’s what Nanami wished had happened. He wished he could truthfully express his bad desire to be with you.

In reality, before you could question Nanami further, the server appeared and handed Nanami his card back. Nanami gave them a confused look before the server cleared their throat, motioning towards a customer sitting at the bar. 

“The gentleman over there covered your bill.”

You and Nanami turned around at the same time but had very different reactions. Gojo gave a smug grin and raised his glass to you both. Your heart skipped a beat, resisting the urge to run over to Gojo. Nanami clenched his fist and ground his teeth, annoyed that Gojo once again gave the bare minimum for your attention. 

“Should we go say hi?” you asked excitedly, already reaching for your handbag. 

“You two enjoy your time together.” Nanami answered flatly, placing his card back into his wallet and excused himself. 

You watched as Nanami walked away without acknowledging Gojo or saying good night to you. You hesitated for a moment, recalling your conversation a few minutes ago with Nanami. Was it really worth it to pursue this relationship with Gojo? Before you could ruminate further, Gojo appeared behind you, placing his hand on the small of your back. 

“You missed me so much that you entertained Nanami’s advances?” Gojo whispered into your ear, guiding you back to the bar. 

“Advances?” you questioned, leaning against Gojo’s arm. “We were having a few drinks as friends, er, coworkers.” 

“Sure, baby.” Gojo smirked as he helped you climb up on the bar stool. “Let’s get one more drink in ya before we go have some fun, as coworkers.”

[madamlaydebug]

MEDITATION IS OUR MAGIC ~



"Our body is the theater for our own mind. Our expressions are merely a reflection of our contemplation. We use our bodies to play our mental judgements as we create the emotions that match our thoughts.

Energy is released from our own life force to do what we experience in our lives. It takes more energy to be angry than it does to remain calm. The impact is felt in all of our bodies, as tears are a result of the pain of internally wrong things.

We weave magic in our bodies, we are the wand that allows us to feel what is right and wrong. Saying someone else made you happy when the truth is you decided the emotion in the first place.

Many are unaware that our natural body perfume changes according to how we are feeling. People can subconsciously smell your confidence and fear. Our thoughts are made of our own electricity, they are not confined to the boundaries of our skin.

Your thoughts create a cloud with your intentions, they can be felt by others miles away. Our presence can make some people happy, for others they'd prefer us to stay away.

Positive thoughts create lighter ions and negative thoughts create heavier ions.

We all walked into a room where the atmosphere was a little heavy and knew things weren't quite what they seemed. This is all science, not a great mystery, we are the reason people stay or just go.

We all prefer to stay where we are wanted, the environment reflects what others feel. Our thoughts are what we feed others, as they have to digest what we feel.

You are in sync with everything you see, smell, hear and touch, for to be aware is to become one with that thing now. There are things that exist beyond our senses, we need to develop our minds to make sense of all these things.

The reason we need some peace and quiet is so we can focus and sync with our minds. We need to cut out external illusion. We are constantly bombarded with things we just don't belong to.

We are the sun that feeds our own universe. We are the writers of everything we see. No one should ever come before you. Be positive as you attract the things you feel. ”

MAAT- Guiding Principles of Moral Life EXTENDED EDITION-

Meditation for African Americans igniting your inner light-

www.ushakainc.com

www.shiftingyourparadigm.com

OUR MAGIC IS MEDITATION ~



“Our body is the theater to our own mind. Our expressions are merely reflections of our contemplations. We use our bodies to play out our mental judgments as we create the emotion to match our thoughts.

Energy is discharged from our own life force to make what we experience in our lives. It takes more energy to be angry than it does for us to just stay calm. The impact is felt all over our bodies, as tears are a result of the pain from things internally wrong.

We weave the magic in our bodies, we are the wand that allows us to feel what is right & wrong. To say somebody else has made you happy when the truth is you are the one who has decided on the emotion all along.

Many are unaware that our natural body scent alters according to what we are feeling. People can subconsciously smell your confidence and your fear. Our thoughts are made of our own electricity, they are not restricted to the boundaries of our skin.

Your thoughts create a cloud with your intentions, they can be felt by others miles away. Our presence can make some people happy, to others they would prefer we stayed away.

Positive thoughts create negative lighter ions, and Negative thoughts create positive heavier ions.

We all walked into a room where the atmosphere was a bit heavy and we knew things were not quite as they seemed. This is all science, not some fantastic mystery, we are the reason why people stay or just leave.

We would all rather stay where we are wanted, the environment reflects what others feel. Our thoughts are what we feed on others as they have to digest whatever we feel.

You are in sync with everything you see, smell, hear and touch, as to be aware is to now become one with that thing. There are things that exist beyond our senses, we need to develop our minds to make sense of all these things.

The reason we need some peace and quiet is so we can focus and sync with our own minds. We need to shut out the external illusion. We are constantly being bombarded with things, to us just don`t belong.

We are Sun that powers our own universe. We are the writers of everything we see. No one should ever come before you. Be positive as you attract the things you feel.”

MAAT- Guiding Principles of Moral Living EXPANDED EDITION-

Meditation For African Americans Igniting the Inner Light-

www.ushakainc.com

[harmonictechnicality]

💚❤️ steddie The Holiday au preview scene incoming...💚❤️

“So you’re here to…” Eddie swallows the question. Has to try again with a raspy throat. “You’re here to get to know me?”

Steve is looking around the house, picking up little trinkets and placing them back down in different places. Like he is Nancy’s newly hired interior decorator all of a sudden.

“Essentially, yeah.” Steve examines a snowglobe (ugh, Eddie hates those little glass fuckers).

“And then what?”

“Date?”

Eddie’s heart pinballs around in his chest. Ricocheting on every corner and scoring high numbers. Like Eddie just won all the tickets in the whole goddamn arcade.

Almost forgetting that he leaves in a week.

“Is that what people usually do when they are majorly crushing on someone?” Steve asks, suddenly sounding insecure.

“Big shot sportscaster, Steve Harrington, is crushing on a lowly guitarist from Brooklyn?” Eddie is beaming now.

“Thought you were from Georgia.”

“You remembered.”

“You’re hard to forget.”

What a cheesy line. Not even a flirt veteran like Eddie Munson can resist such a cheesy, charming line though. He’s about ten-seconds away from having it down bad for this guy.

Steve sets down the snowglobe, looking diabolical. “So you cyberstalked me back, huh?”

“No.” What a fucking liar. “A little.”

“Well, I went full-blown binoculars outside your bedroom window with how much I researched you.” Steve admits, almost proudly. “And I never look up the people I’m hooking up with.”

Eddie snickers, walking into the living room. “Almost hooked up with.” 

“Right. That never happens either.”

“Almost hooking up?”

“Spending the night in someone’s arms.” Steve approaches Eddie now, reaching for his hair. Twists a curl around his finger - it’s still a little damp from Eddie's shower earlier.

“Oh.” Eddie suddenly feels a little guilty. Like he made Steve do something he wasn’t interested in doing. Like him made him vulnerable when that’s not his Thing.

“Sorry if that was-”

“Don’t.” Steve releases his hair, touching Eddie’s cheek sternly. “I haven’t slept that soundly in several months, so don’t apologize. In fact, I should be thanking you.”

But Eddie is dying to apologize - needs to say 'sorry' a million times over for bailing in seven days. After all of Steve’s raw emotions are on full display, he’s gonna have to catch a plane across the country. It’s stupidly unfair.

He puts his hand over Steve’s, the one that is resting on his cheek. Strokes his thumb over Steve’s knuckles, over the thin sterling band on his index finger. Wondering faintly what the significance behind it might be.

“I’m leaving in a week, Steve.” Eddie finally finds the courage to say it. 

Steve continues to hold his cheek, but his expression falls along with his shoulders. 

“I really want to get to know you better, but…” Eddie holds Steve’s hand now, removing it from his face. “How is this gonna work?”

Their hands drift apart, reality dividing their physical affection. Both of them seem to be contemplating what happens next, predicting an unwritten love story. Filling in the pages with propositions. Hopeless for an answer.

“Whatever.” Steve finally speaks up. Almost dismissive to their predicament.

“What…ever?” 

“Yeah - whatever.” Steve plops down on the couch, kicks his feet up on Nancy’s coffee table (Eddie’s not so sure if Nancy would approve of something like that).

“Care to expand on the context of your ‘whatever,’ Steve Harrington?” Eddie cautiously sits on the adjacent couch.

Steve places his arms behind his head, full-on lounging. “I say we try this anyways.”

“You do?”

“Sure.” He’s so casual about this. How is that even possible? “It’s sort of ideal, actually.”

“In what universe is this ideal?”

“If we spend the next week together and it goes poorly, then we don’t have to worry about an awkward breakup. You’ll fly back to Manhattan and I’ll stay here in LA - no running into each other or being forced to evenly split up our mutual friends post-breakup. No mess.”

That’s only somewhat true. Eddie’s heart will be a mess. His overly tender heart feels everything so deeply. He’ll spend months mopping up the heartache if this doesn’t work out.

“But if things go well, I think we can figure out how to make it work.” Steve says that so casually too. Like he’s suddenly the most capable and committed human being.

“You can’t know that.” Eddie’s tone comes out frustrated. Which he is. The whole thing is frustrating. Lovey-dovey feelings and motherfucking distance? That’s outrageously frustrating.

“No, but I’m trying something new here.”

“Why?”

“Lets just call it an early New Years Resolution. Keeping an open mind. Going with my gut.” 

Steve walks over to Eddie, offering him a hand to shake. Seal the deal, like a fucking business exchange or some professional bullshit. 

“What do you say, Eddie Munson? Wanna date me for a week - see where this holiday whirlwind takes us?”

Eddie chews the inside of his cheek, strongly considering the consequences of this plan. Jots down a scribbly mental list of all the emotions that may lie ahead of them: Heartbreak. Misery. Grief. Resentment. Malice.

And before he can say hell no, a fucking red permanent marker adds two more words to his list, in bold letters:

Potential Love.

There’s potential that this could be it - a potential love that will finally stick. A potential love that can withstand distance and life’s complexities.

Eddie firmly shakes Steve’s hand.

“I’m all in, Steve Harrington.”

[endlessbigbang]

Round Up 1

(A little more than) the first week of posting is done, thank you so much to our artists and writers, and everyone who has left them some love so far <3 You can find this week's collaborations beneath the cut!

Title: Feathers take Flight (find a home in my heart) Writer: @the-narwhals-awaken Artist: @amielot Rating: Teen and up Warnings: No archive warnings apply Word Count: 16,233 Pairing/main characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus / Hob Gadling, Destiny of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Death of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Destruction of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Desire of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Despair of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Delirium of the Endless/Hob Gadling, Hob's Coworkers (just characters). Up to 10 Additional Tags: Alternate Universe- Wings, all relationships other than dreamling are somewhat minor Summary:

In a world where there are those that have wings sprouting from their backs, many things remain the same- after all, human nature is human nature, and wings can only change so much. However, when a belated meeting turns into a chance to get closer, to offer and recieve trust and care after a century locked in Fawney Rig, a new path can be set upon- and new futures open up.

Fic link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48303274 Art link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48587698

---

Title: blue windows behind the stars Writer: celestarium (@meadowziplines) Artist: Blargh (@brokebrainmountain) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator chose not to use archive warnings / Suicide, suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts Word Count: 21,532 Pairing/main characters: Gen; Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Lucien | Lucienne (The Sandman), Death of the Endless, Hob Gadling, Destruction of the Endless, Matthew the Raven, Desire of the Endless, Despair of the Endless, Delirium of the Endless, Background & Cameo Characters Up to 10 Additional Tags: Trauma, Panic Attacks, Flashbacks, Depression, Nightmares, Exhaustion, Catharsis, Farms, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Hopeful Ending

Summary:

Dream contemplates what death would mean for an Endless after the resolution of the Vortex, dragged down by untold millennia of exhaustion, suicidal ideation, and self-loathing. Struggling with his own past and mistakes, but with the conviction that he should give the world a new Dream of the Endless, he attempts suicide. Lucienne, Death, and Matthew catch up in time to save him, and to aid him in the weeks following, Destruction of the Endless offers to let Dream (and his friend Hob Gadling) stay with him on his farm in Aotearoa (New Zealand). A vulnerable and emotional Morpheus agrees. While there, Dream struggles to reconcile his emotional state and sense of self with his duty as an Endless, and most of all, find hope again. His friends, family, and allies do their best to help him find answers, aid in nourishing hope, and plan for the future.

Fic & Art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48335944/chapters/121909153

---

Title: Room For Love Writer: @staroftheendless Artist: @pintobordeaux Rating: Explicit Word Count: ~ 65,500 Warnings: None Pairing/main characters: Dream x Hob Additional Tags: roommate AU, friends to lovers, slow burn, mutual pining, sexual tension, fluff and smut, artist Hob

Summary:

Sometimes in life, we make little decisions that lead to things so much bigger, we can hardly wrap our heads around it. After never quite getting along with people, Dream is surprised to become best friends with his new roommate Hob. He might even have a bit of a crush on him. The only problem? Hob could never like him the same way. Hob makes friends easily, especially with Dream, who's the best friend anyone could hope for. The only problem? After five years of living together, Dream shows up in places of Hob's mind where a friend doesn't quite belong. Now the only question left is, who's going to make the little decision that leads to bigger things?

Fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48699178/chapters/122844601 Art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48715300/chapters/122886778

---

Title: By The Dead of Morning Writer: Essie (@essie007) Artist: @teejaystumbles Rating: Explicit Warnings: Suicidal Ideation, Minor Character Death, Temporary Character Death, mentions of revenge porn, mentions of stillbirth Word Count: 39,775 Pairing: Dreamling Additional Tags (up to 10): reverse verse, canon divergent AU, Hob Gadling is Hope of the Endless, Human Morpheus, angst with a happy ending, Endless Family Drama

Summary:

When Despair is killed by the Kindly Ones for spilling family blood, she departs to the sunless lands, never to return. Thus, Hob Gadling, a lowly mercenary living in London in 1389, becomes Hope of the Endless. Over six hundred years later, Death takes him out for a drink, Desire in tow, to the Tavern of the White Horse, where he meets Morpheus, a down on his luck mortal crying into his sangria after a recent break-up. Desire believes that Morpheus’s death wish is genuine and that he will be dead within a year, but Hope is certain the man has too much to live for. Death offers a solution, she will not take Morpheus until he asks for her gift, but as soon as he does, she will grant it. Hob approaches Morpheus with every intention of winning a bet, but Hob is the youngest Endless by far and doesn’t know the family’s full complicated history. Or their connection to Morpheus. A reverse-verse canon divergent AU.

Fic & Art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48475690/chapters/122275639

---

Title: The Moonstone Writer: gisho Artist: @vriah Rating: Not Rated Warnings: no warnings Word Count: 21,254 Pairing/main characters: Rose Walker, Dream of the Endless, Jed Walker, Gault Up to 10 Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Knightly Quests, fairytale logic

Summary:

Morpheus finds a way to avoid killing a vortex - he gives Rose his own heart, forcing her to take his place as Dream. The new Dream has to deal with a life she never expected and try not to repeat her predessor's mistakes. In the waking world, the people she left behind grieve and wonder. And when Roses's little brother Jed is offered the chance to switch from superhero to questing knight, with some help from an old friend, he leaps at the opportunity.

Fic & Art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48314338

---

Title: little by little, and also in great leaps Writer: she_who_loves_dreamling (all_fandoms_reader) ( @i-love-all-books ) Artist: @d8dc Rating: Teen+ Warnings: Graphic violence Word Count: 21,082 Pairing/main characters: Dreamling Up to 10 Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, The Love Is Requited They're Just Idiots, idiots to lovers, Getting Together, Canon-Typical Violence

Summary:

In one world, Jessamy and Death depart for the Sunless lands, and it will be long years before Dream is free.This is not that world.~Hob is eating breakfast on Tuesday, August 10th, in the year of our Lord 1926, when Death comes knocking. Or, the obligatory fishbowl rescue fic, followed by a series of dates in the Dreaming which Dream doesn't realise are dates and Hob doesn't realise are real. AKA mutual pining with a happy ending.

Fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48535429 Art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49062727

---

Title: It's Only Forever, Not Long At All Writer: @beholdingthegaytimes Artist: @mayhemspreadingguy Rating: Explicit Warnings: None Word Count: 25k Pairing/main characters: Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling Up to 10 Additional Tags: Masquerade Ball AU, Vampire Au, Alternate First Meeting, Violinist Hob Gadling, Vampire Dream of the Endless, Blood drinking, First time, Lust at first sight, Strangers to Hook Up to Lovers

Summary:

Hob should know by now not to go along with Death’s schemes, but here he is at a masquerade ball for her baby brother. He’s never met him, but Death's told Hob that he was indeed that pale lord that left the White Horse in a stink just before Death sauntered up and gave Hob immortality. Surrounded by impossible creatures and otherworldly beings, one specific person catches his attention: an inhumanly beautiful dark haired man in a raven mask. Hob loses track of him and the night spirals out in mayhem as Hob gets himself into trouble. Fey trouble to be exact. Or An alternate first meeting with romance, dramatic disputes, vampiric flare, and classical music.

Fic & Art: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/endless_big_bang_2023/works/48594271

---

Title: The Seven Lamps of Architecture Writer: Quilling (@Quillingwords) Artist: @the-cloudy-dreamer Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Word Count: 29,640 Pairing/main characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Up to 10 Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence; Magical Realism; Gothic Atmosphere; The Dreaming is both a setting and basically its own character here; Literary and artistic references and allusions; Meta on storytelling and narratives; Dream goes by all of his names here; POV Hob Gadling; In which he gets to peel back each of the layers like an onion (or a tulip bulb - this will make more sense later)

Summary:

Moonlight made pools of yellow on the marble. What was this place? And the man he caught a glimpse of, the first night this place opened up to him, from between the windows that could have been doors. That was his Stranger from the Tavern of the White Horse, almost a century ago, Hob was sure of it.Hob had come to suspect that on that otherwise ordinary summer evening, he had embraced immortality and perhaps, given up his soul with perfect happiness. What a fable that would be. -- November, 1475. Hob Gadling arrives in Venice, explores a mysterious world of cosmic grandeur, trades ink-stained love confessions with his stranger, and embraces the most important lesson of all: that life is a story all on its own, past and present and an ending that isn't really an ending at all

Fic & Art: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48302461/chapters/121819900

[visardistofelphame]

10, 20, and 30 for the ask game

10: What do you think of Gerald Gardner?

Without him, my tradition would not exist as it does now. It might not have reached out from the UK over all the way to my corner in the PNW. What would the world of Witches look like without the explosion that he helped cause? I think a lot about that. I've been working on my degree elevation and really contemplating the beliefs and practices, some that are his direct creation. And I have to be honest, as a queer woman, I have a lot of mixed opinions on things. He has had a lot of good influence, a lot of crutial influence. However, it doesn't omit the harm he has done. I've read a lot about him, heard things from a lot of different people (both within and outside traditions that stem from "Gardnerian"), and watched/listened to his interviews. Part of me wants to completely ignore it and certainly witchcraft evolves with the peoples that practice it. That said, I know that would be irresponsible of me to do. I believe, for a faith to remain healthy and relevant, its vital to acknowledge all truths within it. To face questions that don't have a universal answer. Anyone that is turned off from Wicca or "Gardnerian" influenced paths is within their right to. In fact, I can completely understand why.

But here is my opinion, I see him as a human being. He isn't exempt from criticism and consequence just because of his contribution to the modern renaissance of occult and pagan practices. He was a product of his time, but also a prisoner to his own faults and ego. Yet, I understand that there is no way of knowing if he would change his opinions on homosexuality and queerness in general. His death was during a time when the world was a very different place. Despite all this, there is also the chance that a lot of this could be false. Gerald was a figure of controversy and often was a trickster, as described by those close to him. He also had a lot of critics. To elevate or degrade him won't do any good.

He is a good example why you shouldn't idolize people like they're superhuman. And thankfully, no one really does that with Gardner (at least in my circles).

20: Do you research ex-pagans viewpoints with an open mind?

Its not something I've done in a long time, not since I first decided to explore different spiritualities back in my late-teens to early twenties. Part of the reason I took a bit to answer this was to actually research a little.

Its never too late to change yourself, to seek out something different. Its healthy to allow yourself the freedom to explore and educate yourself through experience and study. I am saddened when I read about people leaving due to tramatic experiences within the pagan-sphere. The truth is that there are a lot of inidivuals and groups that act in bad-faith, abusing the trust of seekers. No one belief system is above bigotry and cult fanaticism. Its wonderful to read when people leave because of their own personal choice fueled from their desire to truly explore and understand their faith and spiritual selves. One of my core beliefs is that the spiritual is a journey, so we should question ourselves, our practices and the goodness they bring into our lives. Healthy introspection is they key to a happy and healthy life.

30: What do you think is a scam in witchcraft?

Not really a scam per say, but…I really hate it when some of the more "obscure" occult/pagan publishers don't really do anything to prevent 3rd party sellers from buying their stock in bulk, to resell for insane prices. Its not a good look ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[rainbowvamp]

A little snippet from that between time in the post-letters fic.

They're friends. Completely normal friends :)

-----

“Hey, where are you right now?” 

Dream looks away from the sky to see that Hob is leaning up on his elbows again, studying Dream like they are a miracle needing to be unraveled. It should unnerve them to be so studied. They are flattered. 

“I am here with you, Hob Gadling, just as I intend to be.”

Hob laughed. “No, I mean. Just now. You looked like you were thinking. Penny for your thoughts.”

“Do you think me worth so little?” Dream raises and eyebrow, but they are teasing. They can’t remember the last time they teased someone. 

“I think you’re worth more than every treasure on earth and all the stars in the sky. It’s just an expression.” Hob smiles easily, but there is a tension between his brows, like perhaps he is worried he’s said too much.

“I find you equally valuable.” Dream says, mostly to reassure their friend. The sentiment is no less true for it’s purpose. “And if you must know, I was contemplating the nature of our friendship. My sister came to see me not so long ago and asked after you.”

The nature of the Endless siblings and their influence on the universe had been a topic of conversation some months past, where Dream had finally confessed that Hob’s immortality had been their sister’s gift, and not their own. As with everything else, Hob had taken the idea that his sister was Death in stride.

“Yeah? What did you tell her?” Hob’s smile is fond and curious in a way that makes Dream wish to indulge him. 

“I told her the truth. You are well. We meet often.” Dream turns their gaze back to the stars. “You have no wish for death. I take joy in your company.”

For all that their meetings in Dreams take place with such regularity as to be difficult to define, Dream has not yet grown tired of the easy smile that any praise of Hob or their time spent together brings to the immortals lips.

In another life, in another scenario, they might have kissed the grin off the immortal’s face, just to watch the joy become desire. 

But Dream knows the dangers such things present, and so they do nothing.

“I’m always happy to be a bringer of joy. Life’s not worth much if you can’t do at least that.” Hob rests one hand behind his head, the motion stretching the muscles of his pectorals in a way that Dream would be happy to explore with their mouth, but again, they do nothing.  “Are there any constellations from this perspective? Anything I’ve never seen before?” 

“There are no beings who witness the night sky from this angle with the capacity to give star clusters names. However,” the sky moves again at Dream’s will and Dream lean’s close to Hob pushing his hand up with the tip of their fingers, guiding the immortal’s fingers light the sight of a gun, “cultures long past observed that star cluster,” Dream guides Hob’s hand, leaning closer than necessary as they traced Hob’s hand along the invisible outline of a constellation long past, “as a manifestation myself. When Stories and Dreams were worshipped above most other things. I admit, I’ve never seen the likeness.” 

[ghostly-penumbra]

DannyMay 2023. Day Nineteen

"No Ctrl+Z/backspace"

Ao3

Summary: After he witnesses everyone he loves die in an explosion, Danny meets a being that looks like a man. Crossover with the Sandman.

Warning: Suicidal ideation. Major character death.

- - -

Danny was empty, in core and heart. He had hollowed out in the span of seconds; he had been whole, seconds ago when his family was alive and he was void now that they were dead.

He knew he would keep moving, at some point, he had already gone through this. Dan had already gone through this.

But right now, he would stay here, kneeling next to what would become the grave of those he loved.

“Well, there it goes again.”

Danny looked up through his dishevelled bangs and found a mountain of a man standing next to him, contemplating the scene sadly.

“What are you?” Danny asked him plainly.

There were several little things about this guy that painted a bigger picture that Danny couldn’t really see and that someone normal would not even know existed. But even if Danny couldn’t see what it was he knew it was there.

“I am… Andy, that’s my name.”

Danny only kept on staring at him, unblinking, until the being finally sighed and gently pulled Danny to his feet with unrelenting strength and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Let’s walk, Danny. There are things we need to talk about.”

- - -

Danny followed Destruction as they made their way through ruins and more ruins. Destruc- Andy, since that’s what he preferred to be called, had explained a bit about himself, his nature his post, and why he had left it all behind.

“Well,” he said, turning back to face Danny, “mostly, all.” His smile came mostly as a grimace as he looked down at him, only receiving an impassive stare in return.

“The thing is, with beings like me, with concepts like me, is that when we don’t do our job it tries to do itself, restore its balance.” He looked sadly at him. “In my case, that’s easy. Plenty of beings willing and ready to destroy things, you know? But sometimes,” he pursed his lips, and continued, “sometimes, the universe tries to replace me with someone else, but it can’t really do my job without me, so it’s just- senseless mayhem… that helps no one, that means nothing, and of which nothing comes, nothing changes.”

“.... Dan, me.” Danny whispered, wading through the grief and the pain to wrap his mind around this new development, this new problem.

“Yes.” Andy said. “That’s, heh, that’s the only time I ever touch my tools, because otherwise…”

“So you’re here to kill me.” Danny said quickly, bluntly.

Andy flinched, and sat down in a tree stump in the desolated forest they had stopped at.

“It’s not… something I want.” He said, scrubbing a hand down his face, his beard.

“But you have to do it. You will.”

Andy looked at him, with something Danny couldn’t name gleaming in his eyes.

“It’s not something you should want, either.”

Danny stopped himself from snapping at him to not tell him what he should or shouldn’t want; this was- something big. If someone like, like whatever kind of being Andy was had to come see Danny even though he had quit. He couldn’t just jump into it because- because there was nothing else he wanted anymore.

“But none of that matters.” Danny said, putting the pieces together. “Because this wasn’t my second chance. It’s yours. Clockwork- you were supposed to kill me the first time around, but you didn’t, and that’s why Dan… that’s why he existed.” It stung, to know that he wouldn’t have succeeded, that all of this, his hope, his effort, weren’t supposed to bear fruits, that he was doomed.

Who the fuck made these rules? Who decided that, because one guy didn’t want to spend the rest of eternity destroying everything and anything Danny’s loved ones had to be screwed over? How was that fair?!

“It’s not… that I have to kill you, Danny.” Andy was staring at him, and Danny knew he was being measured up, his worthiness to live weighed. “I don’t know why my father would accept getting involved, when he’s… never mind; but killing you is not the only option.” He stood up again, and closed the distance between himself and Danny, who stared back unflinchingly.

He had already lost everything, he wasn’t afraid anymore.

Andy lifted a fist, up to Danny’s chest, and in it he held a sword’s knob.

“I could give you my post.” He said. “You could become Destruction of the Endless, take over my- over the realm, become properly immortal.”

“What would happen to you?” Danny asked.

“Don’t worry about me.”

Danny scowled. That’s not how it worked; he worried and cared and protected, that was his thing.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen, no.”

Andy snorted softly. “We are between a rock and a hard place, yeah?” He chuckled. “I’m- I’m sorry, Danny.”

Danny looked at him steadily and, somehow, managed to give Andy a small sad smile. “Me too.”

Destruction shifted the grip in his sword, and swung.

- - -

Hello, it is I, over-thinker extraordinaire. How is it that this isn’t an awful, jumbled mess of a first draft? Did you cheat and edit it? No! I planned out every paragraph at least three times in my head before writing them down in my notebook. What is in my notebook is here.

The only things I erased were misplaced quotation marks, where I thought I was closing a dialogue but realized it should be going before I even started the narration, because I hate misplaced quotation marks when I read and even more when I write.

I knew I just couldn’t do any first draft not because I think it has to be *perfect* from zero, but because if I felt I needed to change the course of the story and couldn’t because of what I had written, I would be upset, and that’s why this took me several days to write. For example, Danny wasn’t supposed to die, Destruction was only there because of the havoc, and wanted to tell Danny he could move on in spite of his grief, but you see what happened.

Another little thing I allowed myself was spelling mistakes, mainly because English is not my first language and I get confused with certain words that I’m good with in Spanish, so.

Anyway I’m planning on posting this separate and edited once I finish the event if the volcano doesn't explode!

[chaosthatsmellsgreen]

Netflix's Avatar The Last Airbender thoughts, part 3/5

about Team Avatar and side characters

Missing adventures: oh yeah, about that. so we had references to The Waterbending Scroll, The Great Divide and The Fortuneteller. basically these episodes are canonical in NATLA, although whatever run-in they had with the pirates was clearly not about a waterbending scroll since Katara already has it. (more on that later) and i'm not saying these are top tier episodes (i'm partial to The Fortuneteller because Sokka is fucking hilarious and also because kataang), but what's important to understand about ATLA is that even their little side adventures are important because they build character and relationships. that's not filler, it's very much the backbone of the original show. in NATLA, there is very little distraction for our heroes, and therefore we get to see less of their everyday lives and their bond

Team Avatar: i think this is an issue between Aang and Sokka as well, but their moments with each other are much better executed, and so it's less noticable, and then of course Katara and Sokka are family in a literal sense, but also get a lot of time to bond and work on their connection. the overall effect of all this is that Team Avatar (which they also call themselves waaaaaay too early for my liking, but eh, i'd look past it) doesn't feel as close and as bonded as the show is saying they are.

KOH. FUCKIN'... KOH. okay so you know how spirits are very neutral and self-serving in ATLA? they don't really give two shits about humans and their problems and just focus on their own goals? yeah so apparently Koh is just Evil (TM). this is the same issue as LoK had with the spirit world was having to make it more black and white than it was in ATLA. Koh... honestly, he wasn't really evil in the OG. he steals faces because that's what he does, that's his place in the universe. (if you read the comics, it's mommy issues, basically, but still that's not evil, that's sad, and clearly this Koh has the same origin story as the comics, because statue.) he's completely fair to Aang, even very, very helpful, as long as Aang plays by his rules. now, obviously we don't know what ATLA Koh would do if Aang's friends followed him to the spirit world, probably the same as he did in NATLA. he was just so much more intriguing in the original show where he was more than "creepy centipede spirit monster"'

Katara: Katara is so... timid. LET MY GIRL YELL!! she's a hothead, and a very passionate person. to be clear, i don't think this is Kiawentiio's fault, i think it's writing and maybe direction. she barely even gets to get mad during the water tribe episodes, a place in the story where in the original she was BIG mad. it's the closest Katara gets to original Katara, but even there she's very reserved and nowhere near as passionate as she should be. like her duel with Pakku was an on the spot, hot headed, unplanned decision, in this, she lets Pakku insult her, walk away, and then she goes off to contemplate whether she should fight him. i also like that she got quite far as a waterbender by herself, but i wish they gave her some time to train with a master and actually earn the title of master, not just be bestowed it after showing basic combat prowess. she was a very talented bender, but her having discipline and being a diligent, hard-working student is just as important a part of her character, and i don't love the "i'm a girlboss so i don't need anyone to teach me" arc. she's also very much idk, i call it perfect-washed in my head? all her flaws are removed (she doesn't steal the water bending scroll, she doesn't lash out at her friends and family when she's frustrated with her waterbending progress, and the whole thing about her not being nearly as angry or loud, too) and all that's left is this perfect, talented, flawless girl. which is, you know, i wanted to see the Katara i knew, and she didn't feel like the same person. if i try to ignore what i wanted to see, and focus on the character they were building, she does seem relatively consistent, i just find her boring because she ends up being pretty much a Mary Sue.

Sokka: i think Sokka is really well done. he's funny, he has depth, despite removing his sexism, he still has some of his rough edges, and so he doesn't suffer from this perfectisation. i'm glad they acknowledge both his humour and his intelligence, i think a lot of what they chose to build NATLA Sokka around is good insight into who Sokka is and why he was an important part of the Gaang. i find it weird that they are eluding to him not actually wanting to be a warrior, that it's something he's pushed to be - but, well, if that's a direction they want to take his story, i don't think it's necessarily bad. the one thing i hate about it is....

Hakoda: i'm so. fucking. bored. of everyone having to have a shitty relationship with their fathers. Sokka always wanted to live up to Hakoda, but Hakoda clearly didn't care if his children were like him. all he ever expected of them was to be good people, and all he ever did was love them. you're trying to tell me that a dad who was characterized as telling his daughter that he missed her and her brother by saying "I missed you so much it would ache" is going to publicly shit-talk his son because he didn't properly pass his coming-of-age ritual at <13 years old? (let's ignore that actually Sokka never even did the ice dodging because he was too young to, before his father left, another reminder that he was still a child when he was left as the oldest man of their whole tribe, and even though NATLA is putting a lot of emphasis on that, they somehow miss the point that Sokka wasn't even of age when this responsibility fell on his shoulders). it just doesn't follow. and yes, this is actually a bit of the story and Sokka's motivations that is technically done just fine, i'm just soooo bored of it. Sokka himself did want to prove himself to Hakoda, but Hakoda never actually needed any proof that Sokka was... idk "worthy"? of being his son. so yeah, i hated all of that, even though it was fine and consistent in execution

Bumi: is literally the same issue. i prefer ATLA Bumi, even though NATLA is probably more realistic in what 100 years of war and constant, impossible decisions would do to a person. i just... i always loved that there is someone, anyone that Aang used to know, one person who's still alive, still there, who knows who Aang is and what the world used to be like in his time. seeing Bumi be so... honestly, downright cruel to him, it just made me really sad. and in fairness, i think it was supposed to make me sad, so it did what it aimed to do. like i said, same issue as Hakoda, this was done alright, it's just too different from the OG for me to enjoy

Oma and Shu: i loved the animation style for the tale of two lovers, i think it was wonderfully done. as for them being F/F, i can take it or leave it, i don't really care. it's one of those Netflix-style token representation things, it makes no difference to me either way. i'm glad it's made a lot of people happy though

Yue: so the fox thing was a little weird? jury is still out on whether i liked that one or not, it might take me a rewatch to decide. other than that, i enjoyed how they fleshed her character out. the whole thing with Hahn was a little strange, but eh, i'm fine with that change. i liked the forbidden romance thing she and Sokka had going, but i think them just having a normal romance is completely fine. i thought their connection was done well, i was overall very happy with her and her relationship with Sokka

PART 3/5

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