#yeah that’s right I’m outing myself as a Jane kind | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

trendywaifus · 4 months ago

Note

Can I request Zhu yuan and Jane doe (separately) confessing their feelings to gn reader

hmmmm. i think i seen you around somewhere with this request but okay! | cw: non. gn! reader

↳ from the start

“ so, are you not going to ask them out for dinner before this shift ends, ZHU YUAN? “ qingyi queries, sipping from her hot cup of tea. the aforementioned woman fiddles with the vase of roses in her hands, leaning on the edge of the table with a nervous expression on her face. “ i-i will. i-it’s just. .will they reject me? o-or is it even the right time to ask—“

qingyi sighs, shaking her head. “ clear your mind. it isn’t good to overthink. perhaps it’s best to ask them now so you won’t have to worry about it later. besides, it’s a very low chance they’ll reject you because of how they act around you. “

zhu yuan gives her senior officer a puzzled look. “ b-because of how they act? what do you mean? “

the android finishes her cup of tea. “ you can’t see it? they act considerably kinder to you than others. they smile more when they talk to you, the way they look at you with such warmth is admittedly adorable. “ zhu yuan’s cheeks turn a darker red as she thinks about the times you and her interact with each other during break periods and patrol hours. honestly, she thought you were naturally like that to everyone; a caring and kind person. your words—your voice leave her heart a beating mess. the way you’d check up on her during and after busy days with a gentle smile on your face inspires her to do better; to be better. gosh, she always thought your smiles were breathtaking, the way your eyes would crinkle and sparkle as your lips spread never fails to make her knees weak.

unbeknownst to zhu yuan, qingyi had already left the break room while she was in deep thought and you walked in through the door. “ oh captain zhu yuan! you’re still here? “

she jumps upon hearing your voice, snapping out of her trance. “ y-yes, i was just waiting for you. “ zhu yuan stutters, facing you as you walk over to her with that patient smile of yours. you glance down at the vase full of red and white roses in her hands and back up at her.

“ oh? did someone give those to you? how—“

“ a-actually, these are for you! “ zhu yuan shyly hands you the vase, cheeks flushed red. you blink several times at the roses held in front of you before taking them. “ captain zhu yuan, th-thank you. but what’s the occasion? “

zhu yuan shifts her weight on the other foot as she nervously fiddles around. she takes a deep breath, clasps her hands around her back.

“ i-i like you—a-a lot actually. i-i really admire how wonderful you are as a person. pl-please, grant me permission t-to t-take you out to dinner tomorrow at 8:00pm! “ she stammers, the tips of her ears red and eyes squeezed shut. if you do reject her, she doesn’t want to see your face or she might burst out from anxiety.

“ i would love to go out to dinner with you captain zhu yuan. i’m interested in you myself, haha! “ you laughed shyly, rubbing the back of your neck. those ruby eyes of hers snaps open and an adorable, surprised expression sinks into her face.

“ r-really? “

“ yeah, captain. you’re wonderful yourself, and gorgeous too. “

a embarrassed noise leaves zhu yuan’s throat. her flustered gaze flickers to somewhere else before back at you. she clears her throat with a happy smile on her face. “ th-thank you, but please—it’s just zhu yuan. i don’t want any formalities between us. “

you reciprocate her smile with a bright one, causing her heart to skip several beats. “ you got it, zuzu. make sure to tell me more about where you’re thinking about taking us. “

“ z-zuzu? “

“ what, you don’t like the nickname? “

“ i d-do! it’s just— i have never been called that before. b-but it’s fitting coming from you. “

you let out a soft laugh, reaching your hand out to affectionately poke her nose. “ that’s good to hear. well, i’ll see you later zuzu. text me tonight, yeah? “

she shyly waves as you walk out of the break room with the gifted vase of roses. “ i-i will! a-also, adding sugar water to the roses will make them last longer and fresher! pl-please return home safe, a-and look both ways before crossing the street! “

“ i drive, but thanks! “

of courseee.

zhu yuan mentally facepalms herself but is nonetheless happy with the outcome of her confession. her phone rings in her pocket and she’s quick to answer it.

“ hi mom, i’m coming home now! do you need anything from the store? “ she asks, her voice an octave higher than usual.

“ i-i sound happy? y-yeah, it went well, mom. .” zhu yuan mutters, smiling stupidly to herself as she ambles out of the break room and her way out of the building.

“ m-meet them? n-not yet! it’s way too soon and i’m just taking them out for dinner tomorrow night too. .”

JANE DOE walks down sixth street, her fingers loosely hooked around her hanging straps. the chilly wispy night air kisses her sensitive ears, provoking occasional twitches from them. although she’s only walking through sixth street to get back home, her ears perk up at a familiar voice in the distance.

“ mr. chop, let me order a bowl of green pepper chicken noodles—the regular! i need something to warm me up since the fall air is kicking in! “

she subconsciously smile softly at the sound of your voice. her sharp teal eyes skim over to the waterfall soup shop not too far ahead of her. jane can make out your figure sitting on one of the chairs. her gaze softens; she’s very lucky to catch you around here this time of night. the way you talk to the owner makes it seem like you’re a regular around here. interesting note to pin in the back of her mind. jane saunters over to the shop, your figure becomes clearer and clearer as she approaches.

“ i didn’t think i’d get to see you around this neighborhood, (name). “ jane speaks up as she slides onto a empty chair beside you.

“ oh, jane! “ you offer her a sweet smile she oh so adores. “ i didn’t think i’d get to see you here either! how did everything go with the informant? “

the rat thiren sighs, running a thumb over her red nails as she examined them briefly. “ it went alright. i’m suppose to meet back with them tomorrow for more information about the case. what a hassle. “

you laugh bubbly, “ that certainly is a hassle having to meet with them twice. since you’re here, you have time to eat noodles with me, right? “

her gaze softens even more at the hopeful tone in your voice and the tender look marinating in those brilliant (e/c) eyes of yours. how could she refuse you? you’re just what she needed after a tedious day of running around prepping for an upcoming operation.

“ of course. i was on my way back to my home, and i was just about hungry anyways. “

you nodded, “ so what do you want to order, janey? “

her tail swish with delight from the cute nickname you’ve given her. it’s a shame that she hasn’t given you her real name yet but that’ll change soon in the future. you’re aware that jane has a secret identity, but you don’t seem to care at all and treat her as if she’s a close friend. your guard is always down around her—your body language is relaxed, there’s no skeptical look in your eyes, none of that at all. you’re so genuine with her that she can’t help but fall for you. you’re her first real friend she’s had in years but she grew to wanting something more than that with you. she knows what she likes so there’s no point in denying her feelings for you, right?

jane hums thoughtfully, “ hm, that’s a good question. what do you recommend? “

“ vegetable noodles for you. i’m sure you’ll love it. “

she chuckles, “ oh, really? i’ll take that then. “

you ordered it for her and a soft comforting silence settles in between you and jane as you wait for the food. jane’s observant gaze wanders off to you every now and then, admiring the softness of your face, the way the light perfectly bounces off your skin—do you know that you look memorizing like this right now? she feels like a little lovesick high school girl around her crush. how embarrassing.

“ sorry to break the silence, but, can i ask you a question, (name)? “

“ mhm? “

“ do you trust me as a person? “

you look at your colleague like she has two heads. “ huh, what’s that about? “

“ because you don’t really know much about me or my actual identity, yet you act like we’ve knew each other longer than we actually have. for all you know, i could just be a weirdo waiting for the perfect strike to tear you down. “ as if she would ever hurt you. no matter what disguise she’s in, she wouldn’t dare to lay a finger on you.

you still have that weird, adorable look on your face. “ oh please jane, don’t call yourself a weirdo. but you’re right, i don’t know much about you. however, you have your reasons for keeping your identity secret which is understandable, you’re a criminology specialist. if i was that, i would want to keep my identity secret too to avoid any mishaps with going undercover— thank you, “ you give mr. chop quick smile as he places the ordered bowls down in front of you and jane.

“ anyways, just because you have excellent skills of messing with people and deceiving them for the sake of your job doesn’t translate to how you actually are as a person. i seen how you care and worry for other people in your own little ways. seth told me about all the odd things you did throughout his time being a hostage and how it all added up once he realized you were one of us. when i saw you during that ambush and found out that the mountain lions took him and the hostages. i wasn’t really worried because you were there. I’m starting to ramble so to cut things short, no matter what type of person you are, i’ll always put my trust in you. you’re a good person and i find your presence welcoming. “ you smiled warmly at her before starting on your bowl of noodles.

jane’s utterly taken back by your answer. butterflies flutter around in her stomach like the first week of spring. she expected you to answer kindly to her question but not sentimental like that. her tail sways a little faster than usual and her pupils would resemble heart shapes right now if such a thing was possible. cheeks unusually red, she quietly focuses her attention on eating her noodles. just as you figured earlier, the noodles tastes appetizing.it’s smooth and well done. the chicken broth isn’t really salty and has a rich taste to it. the liquid is warm and easy as it goes down her throat, heating up her cool body temperature. the veggies were nice and crisp. her sore bones softens, the weight of today’s labor eases off of her.

“ this is really what i needed, right janey? “ you giggled, looking over at the woman beside you who’s a little too quiet while she eats.

“ mhm, thank you for recommending this to me. “

after you and jane finished your noodles, you paid for the meals and stood outside of the shop. “ wow, i feel full and tired. i’m definitely going to be sleeping good tonight. thank you for eating with me, i really appreciate it. “ you shove your hands in your pockets, smiling tenderly at her. the love-stricken woman nods her head, tenderness evident on her face as she looks at you. “ no need to thank me, i would of stayed whether you asked me or not. but before we part ways for the night, let me tell you what i’ve been meaning to get off my chest. i may not act like it but, i’m not really good with telling others how i feel so i’ll try to convey them as simple as i can. “ she says awkwardly, her hooked fingers playing around with her hanging straps.

her teal eyes glimmer with devotion as she takes a step closer to you, unhooking one of her fingers to place a delicate hand on your shoulder. “ although we started off as simple colleagues, our connection grew stronger the more i learned about you. the way you don’t hide your emotions is admirable, your eyes doesn’t hold an ounce of darkness behind them; they’re clear as a sunny day and i can’t help but feel drawn to them. .i feel at ease and warm. your presence is the same way. you’re so honest, thoughtful—your genuine nature pulled me in like a magnet. i love you and i wish for us to grow even closer. i promise i’ll tell you everything that you want to know about me if you’ll have me, of course. “ like that, jane leans in and softly kissed the corner of your parted lips.

she retracts away, peering at you patiently as you thoroughly process her confession. your face increasingly turns red every second until you resemble a bright red apple. once jane sees the awe in your eyes and the jubilant smile dancing across your pretty lips, she’s the happiest she’s ever been in a while. you wrap your arms around her and pull her tall frame against yours.

“ of course, i’ll have you. i love you too after all. “ you mutter softly, burying your face into her grey bomber jacket. she laughs breathily, circling her arms around your body, and perched her chin on your shoulder. her ears jiggles in response to your pleasant confession. her long tail curls around your leg as you continue to hug each other under the soft glows of sixth street.

a noisy bangboo in the distance: “ ehaa nu tha! ( i wish i had something like that in my life! )“

#zhu yuan x reader #jane doe x reader zzz #zzz women x reader #zzz x reader #zenless zone zero x reader

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fandom-lover2 · 14 days ago

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Deep In The Woods, Something Lingers In The Trees

Chapter Four - A Troop Of Two

Word Count - 2230

Chapter Three - Like Tarzan And Jane Do

Chapter Five - Scientists Always Spoil The Fun

My eyes fluttered open slowly. It was quiet, peaceful. Outside, birds called cheerfully to one another.

Beyond that, the ever present dull of the city beyond. I could hear distant voices, followed by a child’s laugh. The neighbours, no doubt. Kids playing on the street.

I yawned, stretching as I rolled over and prepared to go back to sleep when my eyes flicked open one more time and an almost human, hairy face greeted me.

I shrieked, moving backwards, which then led to me falling out of a bed much smaller than my own and landing harshly on the ground.

Caesar jumped up onto his bed after me, looking over the edge.

Right, I hadn’t gone home.

One minute Caesar was showing me how one of his games worked, our sign language lesson had taken a break, and then I woke up curled up in his bed.

Damn, I fell asleep, in a stranger’s home, with a fucking chimpanzee. I was shit sacred of him six hours ago and now I’m crashing in his bed?

Caesar called down to me, looking uneasy.

“I’m fine.” I reassured, beginning to untangle myself from the blanket I’d taken with me on my way down.

Caesar then began to laugh, more like huffs than the actual sound but the gesture was the same.

“It’s not funny.” I glared up at him.

The attic steps creaked as someone made their way up and Will, Ceasar’s dad (I had learnt the sign for father), popped his head up. “Everything alright?” he called.

“Fine.” I answered, standing. “Fell asleep and woke up to a very unexpected face, is all.”

Will smiled in understanding, nodding. “Yeah, you looked dead on your feet. Surprised you managed to stay awake that long.”

I sat up, stretching as I did. Damn, I needed this.

“Well, you slept through lunch, and most of the afternoon.” Will continued. “We’ll be having dinner in about an hour. You are welcome, if you’d like.”

I glanced over at the clock on Caesar’s bedside. 4.30pm. My parents would be home in about an hour. There was probably a pile of dishes in the kitchen and a full laundry room to get back to. Nevermind all the school work that was probably sent through. If I wanted to make the walk on Sunday….

Wait, Caesar was at the forest on Sunday last week. Would he be there again this week?

“I should probably head home.” I decided, standing and putting Caesar’s blanket back on his bed.

I looked over to Caesar, at his sad expression, complete with a pouty lip and all.

“I’m sorry, but I need to go be a boring human.”

Caesar nodded, still sad but understanding and leapt off his bed and retrieved my jacket I had hung over his desk chair.

We headed for the front door, Charles, Will’s father, meeting us at the door to see me off.

“Don’t be a stranger now.” He placed a hand on my shoulder as I passed.

I nodded in reply.

Caesar made a barking grunt, tugging on Will’s pants and then signing in a hurry.

“He’s asking if you’ll come back.” Will filled in, looking over me to as if he too wanted the answer.

Did I want to come back? I mean, today was the most fun I had in probably my entire life. Caesar just got me, enough though he wasn’t human. We got each other. Both looking out at a world we couldn’t join, both young and eager to experience life.

Caesar was teaching me to understand him, and Youtube videos would fill in where he could not.

But it was more than that, we understood one another’s souls. He was not human, not on the outside, but on the inside there was something in him that made him better than most I knew. Made him more. He was funny, and fun to be around, and insanely smart and kind. He was gentle, and a bit stupid that only a adolescent boy could achieve, and he was a good friend.

Maybe we could take this slow, arrange to meet at the forest another time. Or, we could see one another everyday. I mean, it’s not as it if mattered, he was right across the street. I could visit him every day if I wanted. And go with them to the forest every time they did.

I would see Caesar again, that I knew. How soon, and how often, I had a feeling it was going to be impossible to keep us apart.

Huh, this having a neighbor as a friend thing wasn’t so bad.

“Well, I still have a lot more sign to learn.”

Caesar moved quickly, and before I had a chance to react, he was standing and his arms wrapped around me.

I froze, unable to understand what was happening for a good few moments.

He was hugging me. A proper, arms around the neck, chin resting on my shoulder, hug. His fur rubbed against my exposed skin, tickling it. He was warm, and like this I could feel how much muscle the fur actually hid.

But there was no fear, no uncertainty, no alarm. It felt good, and safe. It felt… like there was actual care behind the hug.

Slowly, I raised my arms and wrapped them around him in turn, securing them behind his middle. I took a deep breath in, and when I released my entire frame relaxed, a weight lifted off my chest.

I had a friend, a safe space to go to, a person who would listen to my troubles. I had a person. I had a friend.

Dashing across the street, I raced into my house and up to my room. Yanking the curtains open for the first time in three days, I looked out across the street and waved at the ape. He waved back.

“Alina in window.” Caesar signed.

“Yes.” I signed back. “Alina in window.”

------

My heart pounded in my chest, my lungs burning as I fought to get enough oxygen to keep going. My legs burned as I pushed toward.

Behind me, the trees were near silent, which was strange considering what was happening.

I could hear him through, his grunts and pants, his growls.

I pushed myself to go further, faster. I was almost there. I didn’t dare turn to look back, wouldn’t turn to see him getting closer. Wouldn’t see his fangs bared, the sick triumph in his eyes as he closed in on me.

I sailed over a fallen tree, scaling a boulder and leaping from it, hitting the ground running.

Yes, the cabin was in sight. Almost there, almost safe.

Above me, he released a scream that froze the blood in my veins, stirring me on as adrenaline gave me one final push.

Almost, almost, allllmost…

Caesar leapt from the tree above, landing before me with a heavy thud.

I skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding crashing into him as I slipped on the smooth pine needles.

He held his arms out, reaching towards me, mouth open and canines on display. I looked at him, scanning for any sign he was going to move. Slowly, taunting me, he began to reach out his hand, knowing there was nothing I could do.

“Caesar, please.” I tried to reason, holding my hands out in surrender.

He seemed to consider my words for just a second, before his arm shot out the rest of the way and knocked against the run-down ranger’s cabin.

I groaned, collapsing onto the forest floor. I tasted blood with every hagged breath, my lungs shuddering as they attempted to expand fully.

“No fair.” I whined.

Caeser grunted and I looked over at him. ‘You almost got it! You are getting better.’

I huffed at the comment. Mock flattery.

Caeser had so much fun making sure I always thought I was so close to winning, and then swooping in last second to crush my victory.

‘You cheat.’ I signed back, knowing that would get a rise out of him.

As always, he rushed forward and all but collapsed onto me. I grunted at the sudden assault of his weight, which then turned into a shriek as he began to tickle me.

God I regretted the day I had taught him how to tickle, and more importantly that I was ticklish.

His calloused fingers slipped beneath my shirt, running up and down my skin on my sides.

“Caesar!” I wailed, squirming around in his hold as laughter erupted from me uncontrollably. “Sttttoooooppp!” I tried to say, unable to form words as peals of happiness took my breath. “I’m sorry!” I screamed, still trashing around to try get away from him.

Caesar finally conceded, pulling away and throwing himself down to lie beside me.

I gasped, now fighting even harder to try catch my breath.

Caesar took my hand in his own, squeezing it gently as I forced air in through my nose and then out my mouth. Deep, smooth breaths. When I had gained control, I looked over at Caesar and he back at me, him smiling softly.

The forest always made his eyes look so much brighter, more full of life. The green popped more vivid and the gold shown like a jewel in the sun.

I raised a hand, resting it against the side of his head and stroking my thumb across his forehead, then frowned when my fingers felt pine needles and soil in his fur. “Caes, you got dirty.”

I sat up, gesturing for him to do the same. He did so, turning his back to me.

If someone had told me 2 months ago I’d be sitting in the forest grooming a chimpanzee, I would have laughed at them, and then start crying because I couldn’t imagine a worse hell. Now, as my fingers slipped between the layers of his fur, gently pulling out leaves and twigs, I found myself relaxing.

It was relaxing, a repetitive and soothing action as I smoothed out his fur.

Around us, birds called and the forest kept on growing, content with us.

When I had finished cleaning Caesar, he turned and began shifting through my hair. His fingers were so gentle through my uncontrollable curls, the ape so sure to be careful.

He was the only one I trusted to touch my hair besides me, because he never yanked and never pulled.

Once he was satisfied with his work, we stood and made our way back to the picnic.

Will had come alone today, Charles needing to take a nap and Caroline having to cover a shift at the zoo. My step father and mom were out of town for the week, so I’d be sleeping over.

Did my parents know? Yes.

Did they know Caesar was a chimpanzee? Yes.

My mother was not comfortable letting me just go over to someone’s house, and so insisted on meeting Caesar and the other humans. To say they were surprised would be an understatement, but then they saw Caesar and I and realized our friendship was real.

Now, I spent most days at his house. After school, he was surprisingly good at homework. Weekends, I head over once I was dressed and we’d spend the entire day screwing around. Movies, books, board games, we did it all. Sundays were our days to escape the city and for Caesar to be an ape.

And how amazing it was to see him swing through the trees so effortlessly, to command the forest as if it was his domain. His trees, his sky, his home.

I saw the way Caesar looked out his window, the wistfulness in the gaze. I saw it too when I recounted stories of school. He was lonely, and as much I ask spent time with him, he was alone. Trapped in that room without the chance to feel the sun in his skin or wind through his fur.

I tried bringing him the world, snuck in candy he wasn’t allowed, brought books and movies not approved by Will, took photos and videos of everywhere I went.

But it was not enough. He deserved more. He should have had more.

9 months of this friendship and there was still so much to learn, so much to grow.

We still had time.

Finally reaching Will, he began to pack away the blanket when he saw us approach. “How far’d you go this time?”

“The Ranger’s cabin.” I answered, bending to close my abandoned homework books I was supposed to be working on today.

Caesar obediently walked up to Will, allowing him to reattach the leash.

We’d had an argument about that before, one night when Caesar was in his room and I’d met Will in the kitchen on one of our movie nights. I did not approve, Will said it was needed. I went home and refused to speak to Will for a week.

Packing my backpack, Caesar took it from me and slung it onto his own shoulder. Will finished with his own backpack and secured it to his back.

“What we watching tonight?” he asked.

“Gladiator.”

“Godzilla.”

Caesar and I turned to one another.

“Oh boy.”

Did I feel bad that Will now had to deal with two arguing teenagers fighting in the back seat about which movie to watch? No, I did not.

#pota caesar x reader #pota x reader #pota caesar #rise of the planet of the apes #planet of the apes #pota will #pota caroline #pota charles

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aziraphalalala · 1 year ago

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Hey :)

Ask you anything? Okay :D

If you would fall into the back of the bookshop right now and Crowley would be there, staring you down, unblinking, what would you do?

This poured out of me. Thanks, @nerdypixel

Aziraphale was gone.

Well, good riddance. Better to have the ugly truth of him come out now, rather than later.

He gave it his all, but it was in vain.

The “I forgive you” still trembled in him, like a wild, hungry thing. It ate at him. It carved him out, left him brittle and broken.

Aziraphale was gone. The fucking Supreme Archangel Aziraphale had fucked off to fucking Heaven and left Crowley alone.

From the backroom sofa, Crowley extended his hand petulantly. Another bottle of Château-neuf-du-Pape 1921 floated unsteadily to him. He uncorked it with a vicious gesture (which was considered rude in the extreme in several cultures, including this one), and drank deeply.

He didn’t need that fucking angel—

“Excuse me?”

“Wot?”

There was a lady. A lady had entered the bookshop. Hadn’t he closed the door? Crowley couldn’t remember.

“Excuse me. Are you Mr. Fell?”

“WOT?”

“The door was open, and it started pouring like the end of the world out there, and me with no umbrella, so I thought, ‘Why don’t I drop in that delightful bookshop in the corner, I’ve always wanted to see it’, and—“

“Do I look like I run a bookshop?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I ssssaid, do I look like I run a bookshop?”

“Um, well. Don’t you? It kinda looks like you do.”

Crowley heaved a heavy sigh, and wobbled up to his feet.

“Nggyyeeeaaaah. I suppose I must do.” He picked up a stray book off the table. Jane Austen. Of course it bloody was. “Umm, so, what was it you said you wanted, exactly?”

She squinted, looking suspicious, and asked: “Are you drunk?”

“No. Yes! A little. What of it?” stammered Crowley.

“Nothing! I don’t mind a tipple myself, now and then.”

She looked half-intrigued, half-ready to escape back into the safety and predictability of English weather. Having been raised with three brothers and a mother with a penchant for bra-burning, she wasn’t easily intimidated. She could deal with a moody bloke. She resolutely stood her ground.

“Lost someone, did you?”

Crowley’s head snapped up. His mouth was opening and closing, like a fish on dry land, struggling for breath.

Any other day, he would have snapped his fingers, and slung this nosy, too-curious-for-her-own-good insolent woman straight into a vat of acid.

This was not any other day.

This was this day, and he was a post-heartbreak demon, attempting discorporation through tears and extraordinary amounts of alcohol.

“Yeah,” He sighed with visible exhaustion.

“Was he the blond one?”

“Coulda been a she,” he retorted, cheekily.

She levelled a gaze at him, utterly unimpressed.

Crowley stared back, mutely.

“Yeaaahh, the blond one.”

“Was it your fault?”

“Was it my fault?!” he blurted, like spitting out food that tasted rotten.

“He wants to save the world. I think he can’t, and shouldn’t try. I wanted to run away. He wanted to stay. End of story.”

He sat back, indicating he was done arguing, and that he was undeniably right.

She stepped closer, understanding in her eyes. “So, he left you… for a job opportunity?”

“Nngggghhhyyeeaaaah, you could say that.”

“Well, good riddance. If he didn’t choose you, he doesn’t deserve you.”

“He kind of does, you know.”

“Rubbish. I’ve been there, you know, it’s absolutely not worth it. If he’s got an ounce of sense in him—“

“He really kind of doesn’t.”

“—then he’ll come to realise his mistake soon enough, and come crawling back.”

Crowley slumped even deeper into the sofa. Staring at his shoes, he poured himself another generous helping of wine.

“I… hope so.”

“He will, or damn him.”

“He’s just, he’s an angel, you know?”

“He’s really not, if this is how he treats you.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” he paused. ”And, if he does come back, I’m gonna make him do the apology dance for a century.”

“Do what now?”

“He will watch the entirety of Golden Girls with me from start to finish. Twisssce,” he hissed.

She looked a little confused, but decided to show support. “Attaboy.”

“Not a boy, but thank you.”

Crowley stoop up abruptly, wobbling a bit, and went to pick up another glass from the tray on the side table.

“He’ssss going to hate it, and he’s going to remember he misses m— sushi, and Shostakovich, and the bloody Sound of music!”

She stepped closer again, pleased that this strange, dark not-a-boy before her was emerging from the worst of his gloom. The rain had stopped.

Crowley wielded the bottle of wine at her like a sword.

“Care for a tipple?”

#my first ever fanfic #thank you for that ask #it got my juices flowing and i wrote this in a frenzy this morning when I should have been working #good omens #good omens season 2 #good omens fanfic #ineffable idiots #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #air conditioning #consenting bicycle repairmen #aziraphale #crowley #writing #my fanfiction

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christinescupofcoffee · 3 days ago

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First Strike is Deadly | Chapter Two: Voodoo Chile

Vanessa had offered me a drink of water to help ease me along. Though it wasn’t entirely hot outside, sitting in that cool house away from the desert was enough to coax a good sweat out of me.

“Dressing old wounds will do that, too,” she assured me with a shrug of her shoulders, “even if it doesn’t hurt you anymore.” I sighed through my nose at that, and especially when I remembered what Brendan had suggested to me. A place with no arachnids seemed so far out of my reach, as I knew the only place he could move me to was either of Earth’s poles, and I was the desert rat, the one who didn’t want to leave the southwest even if it meant it could potentially kill me. I also didn’t want to leave because I had met Vanessa and she proved to be good company in the hour that I had gotten acquainted with her.

“Are you hungry at all?” she asked me at one point. “I have a bunch of tamales in my fridge right now.”

“I would love a couple of tamales,” I confessed to her with a nod of my head. “What kind do you have?”

“There’s chicken, beef, green chile, and red chile,” she replied. “Personally, I love the beef ones and the ones with red chile. And I’d be more than happy to make us some other things, too, if you’d like.”

“Sign me up for a red one,” I told her with a smile. “With a dollop of sour cream and rice, if you have it.”

“As a matter of fact, I do have some rice!” she promised me. “I’ll have to make a pot and it’ll take a while, but I can do it if you’re patient.”

“And I am,” I promised her. But when she left the room for the kitchen, I had forgotten to ask her about the bathroom.

I could tell that her hands were full with the making of Spanish rice, and thus, I did not want to bother her at all. I stood to my feet and walked on down her hallway to find it for myself.

When I made my way down there, past the closet door and past the door to her room, something posted up on the wall caught my eye. I stopped and looked on at the thin black picture frame next to a photograph of a small boy next to Vanessa herself: she looked rather young, and I could only assume that that boy was her brother. But I returned to the picture frame in front of me, to the creature encapsulated upon her wall right outside of her bedroom door.

The dark brown pincers were shiny and glossy, even with a few tufts of hair around the sharp edges. The exoskeleton remained very much intact while the tail coiled around the side of its body towards the spindly stubby legs. I gasped when I realized what she had done with that thing, and especially when it was huge.

“Hey, Jane, I don’t have any—Jane?”

“In here!” I called out to her. She padded down the hallway to meet up with her, to which she showed me a little smile.

“I don’t have any tomatoes for Spanish rice, but I do have tomato sauce,” she told me as she came on closer to me with a spatula in hand. “I could make Basque rice instead.” She stopped and looked on at the picture frame.

“That… sounds good,” I sputtered out.

“You okay?” she asked me, slightly befuddled.

“You actually kept the vinegaroon that stung you?” I asked her, taken aback. Vanessa batted a single lash at me as if I had said something truly preposterous.

“Yeah,” she plainly stated. “I had it euthanized, but I still have it here with me, though. The guy who killed it for me told me that the venom can be therapeutic when used correctly. I also keep it as a memento of sorts. A marker of what I went through, from the transformation to the moment that it began.”

I squinted my eyes at her as the words left my lips. I had never really heard anything like that before, but something about it struck me as odd. The moment of transformation, as if things had been transmuted into something else. We had been elevated by the kiss of venom which flowed through our veins to give us this power, the power of strength and something else—

“You’re a witch?” I asked her, and she shook her head.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m a witch. More like a… simply curious person.” She winked at me, and then she followed it up with a thin-lipped smile. I gaped at the creature on the wall, but then something else caught my eye. I craned my neck for a look into her bedroom, only to find another picture frame posted up on the wall right by the door.

“I see you found my straight up scorpions,” she explained as i padded into the bedroom for a better look: they, too, were of good size, about the size of my hand, and with black exoskeletons as well. They had much longer pincers, almost like those found on lobsters. “I only found a few of them but they’re the real thing, though.”

“That looks a lot like the scorpion that got me,” I confessed with a gesture to the pane of glass.

“Oh, no, those are emperor scorpions,” she explained. “They’re actually quite friendly. I have them with me for good karma.”

I was taken aback by that. She said she wasn’t a witch, but she believed in karma. Nevertheless, before I could get another word in, she doubled back into the kitchen to make the rice. I doubled back out of there, only to find the bathroom was right across the hallway.

Once I had finished up, I was met with the smell of cumin, coriander, garlic, and tomatoes cooking as well as tamales being cooked on the stove. I padded into the kitchen right as Vanessa turned the heat down low on the rice.

“Twenty minutes,” she promised me.

“Can do,” I assured her. I had doubled back into the living room for my glass of water when a horn honking outside caught my attention.

“Oh, that’s my friend, Maya,” she informed me. “Now, she knows a thing or two about magic and the supernatural. She’s Hopi Indian.”

“Oh, cool! I haven’t met too many Hopi.” I finished my water right as Vanessa gave the pot another stir, and she skirted past me to the front door. I could hear them greeting one another as I watched over the rice and the tamales to ensure they didn’t burn. If nothing else, I wanted to be there in the Southwest, at least to see how the venom which flowed through me would behave for the foreseeable future.

“Maya, this is Jane,” I heard Vanessa say right then from the kitchen doorway. “I met her earlier while I was out fetching prickly pear.”

I lifted my head to see her, the short slender little Native American woman with the long black curly hair cascaded about her shoulders like a cataract and big brown eyes. Stones of turquoise encapsulated in silver lined her collar, even if she wore a plain white shirt and faded denim shorts.

“Hi,” I greeted her.

“Scorpion,” she said in a hushed voice.

“Scorpion?” I echoed her with a slight lean into her.

“You have been stung,” she said as her eyes widened. “Much like Vanessa back here. You have a certain energy about you just like how she does.”

“I didn’t even know I had an energy,” I confessed to her, and she chuckled at that.

“It’s okay, not everyone understands that,” she assured me with a wave of her hand; indeed, I could see her looking on at my braid. “Only those who know will know.” I was unsure as to what she meant by that, but I took her word for it.

“Would you like a tamale, Maya?” Vanessa offered her as she skirted on past us, and I backed up towards Maya herself as well as the table.

“Oh, no, thank you,” she replied with a gentle wave of her hand. “I would like some rice with green chiles if you have any.”

“I like putting both red and green on my beans, so of course I do,” Vanessa promised her.

I then took my seat at the table, and Maya followed suit right next to me. It was right then I noticed her looking on at my leg and the scar left behind. The feeling of her eyes on my skin made me shudder a bit, especially when I had only just met her there in Vanessa’s house, but there was something about her, however. The way that she looked on at the scar, and the way in which she brought her gaze up to my face.

“So, what’s your story?” she asked me.

“My story?” I raised my eyebrows at her. “Well, let’s see, I’m born and raised here in Santa Fe, although I lived down in Las Cruces and in Albuquerque both for a brief time. My boyfriend and I have been together for about three years now—he wants to move me away from here, but I don’t really want to leave if I’m honest.”

“He’s going to be hard-pressed to find a place that doesn’t have things like spiders,” Vanessa chimed in as she stirred the pot of rice some more. “You know, unless you guys move to… say, Alaska or really far north of Canada, or better yet, down by like Tierra Del Fuego, way down in South America, I don’t really see it happening for him very well, especially if the place in question is Carson City, up in Nevada.”

“And how quickly we forget that those places also have a summer,” Maya pointed out, “especially northern Nevada. I used to live up there, too.”

“Right, exactly! I’m not sure what he’s thinking and—apologies to Jane for talking about her man friend like this, too.”

I shook my head at that.

“No need,” I promised her. “I don’t really know what he’s thinking, either.”

“Have you told him of your doubts?” Maya asked me, at which I shook my head again.

“Not really. He said he wants to talk about it is all. I’m gonna try and talk him out of it.”

“As you should—” Vanessa stirred the pot some more, at which point Maya turned her attention back to me with a slight tilt to her head.

“Vanessa’s element is air,” she told me. “Yours is fire.”

“And what’s your element?” I asked her.

“I am all water,” she answered. “When fire and air mix, you have a backdraft.”

“Or chaos,” I retorted, and she laughed at that.

“True, true! When water and air mix, you have a hurricane. Now, when fire and water mix… what have we here?”

“Contradiction,” Vanessa filled in.

“Exactly, we have contradiction,” Maya explained with a wag of her finger. “Now, even without so much as knowing him, I feel your boyfriend may be water as well. You have to try and be brave, Jane. Be the fearsome, fierce fire woman that you are with him and speak what’s on your mind. You don’t want to leave the desert and, to be frank…” She took another glance down to the scar on my leg, still there even with the cocoa butter spread over and worked into my skin. “I don’t think you should, either.”

Vanessa tapped the side of her spoon on the edge of the pot, and she reached up for three clean plates for each of us.

“Looks like lunch is ready,” I told Maya, who then nodded at me. I thought about what she had said right then, and I decided to take her word for it once I grabbed a chance with Brendan.

#writing #writers on tumblr #writeblr #my writing #new chapter #first strike is deadly #the scorpion ladies #the scorpion ladies chronicles #original story #original fiction #original series #original character #also on ao3 #text

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notsocheezy · 8 months ago

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Brain Curd #37 - Twenty-Minute Tuesday #5

Brain Curds are lightly edited flash fiction - practically first drafts - posted daily and sometimes written with the express intention of being terrible… but, you know, in an endearing way. Please enjoy.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to The Frank Program.” Frank took a pull from his vape and blew it out onto the microphone. “You hear that? That’s the sound of freedom. But the government doesn’t want you to have access to Sticky Maple Peanut Butter THC/CBD/NCT/CBT E-Juice! Right, Daryl?”

Daryl nodded. He had patchy burned splotches on his skin.

“That’s right. They’re banning all the good flavors because it ‘encourages children to vape more.’ Ridiculous.” He took another pull from his vape and started coughing. “God damn that tastes delicious. I couldn’t enjoy myself so much if I had to vape that smoke-flavored crap. So that’s why Daryl and me cooked up something special, and I’m happy to share our recipe with ya, America, because that’s what a good radio host does.”

“Podcast…” Daryl said with a small voice.

“Yeah, yeah, ‘podcast host,’ whatever. Same difference. The point is, we got a big cauldron from some kinda forest witch at the Home Depot parking lot, and we loaded it up with ingredients. Make sure you listen close, because if you don’t, you might have some problems.” He glared at Daryl, who cowered on his wooden stool in the corner. “First, get a jar of peanut butter. Smooth kind, not lumpy or crunchy or chunky or what-have-you, just smooth or you’ll clog your atomizer. Put a whole jar in there. Then, a bottle of your finest grade B maple syrup.”

“They don’t have grade B anymore, it’s all grade A with different levels of -”

“Goddamn it, Daryl, you know that don’t make no goddamn sense! There has to be another grade or grades ain’t even a thing!”

“But they changed -”

“Don’t argue with me, boy!” Frank took another puff to relax. “Right, you pour the syrup on in. Next step is you get one of those tea infusers with the metal basket and fill it with tobacco and Mary Jane. Chuck that in too. Next step, a gallon of propylene glycol. And after that, the most important step, which you do not want to get wrong! It’s a gallon of vegetable glycerin. VEGETABLE, Daryl!”

“I thought nitro meant it would go faster.”

“It did go faster, it went faster enough to burn through yer damn left eyebrow, ya idiot!”

“I’m sorry, Pa.”

“Hey man, it’s your fuckup. I don’t care. But to the listeners out there, uh… listening: the recipe is fantastic.” He took one more puff and choked on a chunk of peanut. Between coughs, he managed to say, “this has been… The Frank Program… Thank you for letting me be Frank with you!” He collapsed to the floor, wheezing.

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lyon-amore · 2 years ago

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The half of me Chapter 10

Chapter 9

I want to apologize in advance for the change in narrative. I know we are already at chapter 10, but the truth is that I still don't like it in the third person and it makes me a little angry to see that I don't like it when I describe some things well (all this from my point of view), like this which I will change to first starting in this chapter. I really like writing from the character's point of view. My apologies again 🙏 🙏 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I decide to focus on finding an online store some glass for the store that I destroyed. I hadn't thought about the store since the first day in Daliah's apartment, packing up her things. I had to at least set it up so we could sell some things we could use before customers wanted to sell things they didn't want or have value. But I have to wait for Mom to be in the right mood. She was the valuables expert.

Mom…

I haven't spoken to her since I went home with my friends. I didn't even talk to her at the funeral. She was so absent that… It was as if she had forgotten that she had another daughter. But I can't blame her. Maybe she thinks I'm old enough not to need my mother trailing behind me like a little girl… Wondering how I am… If I'm okay… If something hurts… "Don't be mad, MC…" I sigh, shaking my head to focus "You know how things are lately." I get a notification on my phone. Someone has added me. It's Carter. I smile relieved. At least he's someone I know who knows Jane perfectly well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carter Good morning MC I wanted to apologize for what happened with Jane yesterday As I said, she is somewhat upset with what happened 😔

MC No, don’t worry I’m also a bit bad with everything that is happening.

Carter While I was making dinner for my brothers, I began to think about what you said In which she received a toy of a horse

MC Do you know anything about it?

Carter Unfortunately, no But I've been thinking that it could be any of us... And I don't want to point anyone out, but Seo-ah is good at crafts

MC Crafts? I don't think I said what kind of toy it was...

Carter Oh! No! Don't think wrong! Grace told me this morning before going into classes And right now, I can't concentrate while I'm trying to find information about the best film directors

MC Oh right You wanted to be a director

Carter Yeah Now it was my turn to direct and Mason to handle the camera Although he was not very happy about it 🙄

MC Huh huh… It must be pretty tough then

Carter Mason likes to be the boss And more when it comes to impressing Seo-ah But don't tell anyone that I told you 😋

MC And why did you say about Seo-ah and crafts? Do you suspect that it could be her?

Carter Hmm… I don't believe it Well, at least, not that she’s a prankster But it was out of curiosity

MC You won't say it so I don't suspect Jane?

Carter I know, I know that Jane is a little difficult sometimes But when you know her well, she's a good girl It's just that both Jane and Daliah had their differences.

MC What kind of differences? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After that question, Carter fell silent. I wait for his answer, starting to get nervous.

I take out the lipstick balm I had bought yesterday before I got home and put it on my lips. I lately made myself more nervous than usual and my lips couldn't stand so much dryness.

I finally get a text from Carter, but my hopes are dashed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carter Sorry MC, I was talking to a teacher We have to meet about the movie Since after Daliah, there are many things that we need to change in the short

MC Yes of course I understand We'll talk later

Carter Okay Well bye 🙂

----Carter has disconnected---- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I put the phone aside, raising my hands to my head.

That damn movie… I'm sure Daliah didn't even really want to be involved, but by dedicating herself to studying everything related to film, she had to cover all the subjects she could. I smile when I remember the first time she had to shoot a short while handling a camera. She hated having to handle it herself, complaining that she didn't like carrying something so heavy. But that was the situation, if you wanted to be in those film classes, you had to practice each and every one of the subjects that they covered.

I hear the song Lavender Haze in the background and I remember that I had not put Spotify on. I look at my phone remembering that it was the melody I had on. Sometimes I forget when I'm concentrating. "Hi Dan." I answered, not taking my eyes off the computer. "Hello, MC" he greets me, encouraged ", we were wondering if you wanted to meet us before we go to Duskwood." "Yeah, sure" I replied, finishing ordering from the window shop. It's going to be more expensive than my apartment ", the truth is that I have something important to tell you." "Uh, that sounds like a good deal and it sounds really weird about you" he laughs and I join him ". We will be in a restaurant called ‘In the Paradise’-" "Oh yeah, I know which one it is, we used to go there as a family every Saturday." I replied, turning off the computer. "Then I shouldn't give you directions" he jokes, knowing I'm from here ". We'll be waiting for you." "Okay, I'll try not to be late." "Later, MC." I hang up and tap my phone. I should tell them the truth about everything I'm doing, but I know that if I mention Jake, Dan will be upset that I'm getting back in touch with him after everything that happened.

I get out of bed and go to the closet for something decent to wear. I see Daliah's clothes and for a second I think about putting them on. I back off grabbing a shirt and jeans like always, then head straight for the bathroom. I'm not ready to go out in her clothes yet.

As soon as I get ready after my shower, I see that I have a new message from Ralph. He has added me at the time when I was busy. It seems that little by little they want to have contact with me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ralph Hey Uh This… I guess you didn't expect me to add you, did you? 😅

MC No, the truth is that no But I guess it's to help me, right?

Ralph Yeah I'm sure what happened in the chat has left you a little confused.

MC Well… You are quite a peculiar group

Ralph Yeah It's not that we have the same tastes and things like that The truth is, we're only together because we're good at what we do. We are better together Or that's what they say in TV dramas, right?

MC Haha, I guess By the way Ralph Thanks for making Daliah's funeral video It turned out very nice 🙂

Ralph You are welcome Um… Well, actually I wanted to tell you something It's about Jane

MC That she and Daliah didn't get along?

Ralph That they did not get along is not enough Let's just say you never agreed with each other. And then there is Carter

MC What does Carter have to do with it?

Ralph Except that he was Daliah's friend and Jane's boyfriend? He was always between the two of them, trying to calm them down. But Jane was always making her usual little speech And Daliah with her sarcastic laugh They were both like... How would you say it?

MC Queen bees?

Ralph Something like that If you want to know my opinion, I think there was something else behind their rivalry And precisely, it is Carter

MC You mean Jane was jealous of Daliah because they got along?

Ralph I think that… There was some kind of love triangle between them. Once we had to separate them because they almost reached each other's hands

MC Excuse me?! Daliah has never told me that!

Ralph Because maybe she didn't want to worry you You were her sister after all I think that's all I have to say about Jane. If it serves you as information

MC Thanks Ralph It's interesting to know this

Ralph You're welcome MC Hopefully soon we know who it was. I don't want to say directly that it was Jane, but… Who knows? This town hides too many crazy people And Jane is one of them.

MC Hmm… Well, I wouldn't call her crazy

Ralph Because you still don't know her Give her time to show her true nature Anyway… We’ll talk about it

MC Yes of course

Ralph And… I didn't expect you to be such an awesome girl Investigating your sister's death and all that. After so many rumors and you never talk to anyone, I thought you were really a psychopath

MC Well, you see that no I'm totally normal

Ralph Yes, I see it well 😆 Until we meet again, MC

----Ralph has disconnected---- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I keep my gaze straight ahead, thinking about this information about Jane. The conversation they had must have been something strong enough to reach the extremes of fighting and almost coming to blows. "Jane and Seo-ah…" I murmur, given the information I've been given "But Carter has reason to divert Jane's attention and focus on someone else…" <<And I still have nothing against Seo-ah, her crafting means nothing. On the other hand, that Jane and Daliah had a fight is something very positive for the investigation. >> I put my phone in my bag and put on my sneakers, ready to go. I look forward to discussing this new information with Jake later. "Let's hope everything goes well."

When I get to the restaurant I adjust my bag and let out a heavy sigh, hoping they won't get mad at me for what I'm doing. When I enter I see them animated at a table. Who was going to tell me that I was going to have a group of friends? I smile to see them and approach. "Hello." I greet, placing things on an empty chair. "Hello MC." Cleo greets me with a hug "What happened yesterday? You didn't contact us." "That's exactly why I agreed to come here." I sit up and watch her face change expression. Dan crosses his arms, waiting for me to speak. Jessy frowns at me, confused. Cleo places her hands on the table. Phil is kind of relaxed in the chair. I took a breath, closing my eyes trying to sort the words out of my head. "It's about…" I look at them a little afraid of their opinions "I'm investigating Daliah's murder, along with the help of 'him' " I whisper at the table, so that no one else outside the group would hear. I watch Dan start to change his face, rubbing his hand together in annoyance. "But what are you saying?" Jessy asks me nervously "MC! It's not a kidnapping! They murdered your sister!" "And that's not the case either." Dan leans against the table and points his finger at me "What's he doing back? Didn't he give you enough trouble to put you in danger again?" “Who is Dan talking about?” Phil asks Cleo. “Nobody you should know about.” she answers, looking at me angrily. I shrugged into the chair, uncomfortable with the situation. I knew that was going to happen. "I know" I answered, in a calm voice ", but I worried him because he thought it was me who died-" “Sure! Let him try to fix it now!" Dan exclaims, furious. “Dan, calm down.” Jessy says, holding him back. He calms down and leans back in his chair. Then Jessy looks at me, concerned. “You understand how we feel about all of this,” my friend tells me, releasing Dan slowly “, but he put you in the FBI's crosshairs for a while, what if it happens again?" I start tugging at my shirt sleeve nervously. I don't think it's going to happen thanks to the Nymos chat, I think that's the only thing they haven't been able to detect, besides when they saw it, I told them it was some kind of note-keeping app.

Curious that in the end it turned into something real.

I try to calm down, not because I feel like I'm doing something wrong by being in contact with Jake again. "You see it?" Daliah appears between Dan and Jessy, leaning on the table with her hands under her chin "If you didn't listen to me, why don't you listen to them? Stay away from him." "I won't." I reply, looking at her. "MC?" Cleo looks at me and I look surprised "Are you okay?" "Yes, sorry..." I try to hide my face with my hair. I hear Phil snort, then look around the group. "I don't know exactly what you're talking about" he begins to say ", but I don't think this person has anything to do with whether or not this person is helping her, it's just that she's getting into another fucking mess again." "We know that, Mister Aurora" answers Dan, looking at him furiously ", that's why we don't want him to get into trouble again either." "Nothing will happen to me" I answered, trying to remain calm ". I understand you don't like the idea-" "Zero, true, exact, unconditionally." they all say at the same time. I shake my head. I fully understand how everyone feels, but I need support on this. “The police are always watching me” I say slowly, so they understand there's no problem “and he's just passing me clues we found in Daliah's journal." "Stop right there." Dan raises his hand, confused "Daliah had a journal and this guy has it?" "Yes" I nod slowly ". Daliah's computer was locked with a virus and all the files in that diary are affected, that's why I need his help." "MC..." Cleo shakes her head, disappointed "You should have told us before." "That's why I'm telling you now" I look at them decisively ", believe in me when I tell you that everything is going to be alright." They look at me with doubt, fear and concern. I wait for their response, but they just stay silent.

Finally, Dan sighs, looking at me concerned. "If something happens, you come to Duskwood immediately" he tells me as if he were a father or a brother ", no staying here with a murderer, do you understand me?" "Yes." “We don't want to lose you after all you've done for us. To be clear." I smiled at him and Jessy gave him a kiss on the cheek with pride in his words. Phil rolls his eyes at the sight of them. “Great, looks like I'm the only one sane that this isn't a good idea.” he says as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Well, you didn't to come with us." Cleo answers, annoyed with him. "Please, it's our last day together" I say, looking at them ", a truce just for today?" Cleo and Phil look at each other in disgust, but in the end they shake hands, although they don't look at each other's faces. I giggle and Cleo wipes her hand on a napkin. Phil mumbles "exaggerated." <<I don't think they'll ever get along, do they? >>

After the meal, they go to the hostel and together with their suitcases, we go to the train station. One by one I say goodbye to them, even Jessy still talks to me worried. "Please keep us informed of everything you discover, okay?" She tells me a little sad. "Yes, I will" I nod, looking at them "See you soon guys." “By the way” Phil points to me, along with a smile “, I've been told you can play the guitar and sing, so you have a special slot at the Aurora when you want to perform." I look at Jessy who shrugs. They knew I sing for the night of the bonfire in the hut, because out of nowhere a lyric popped into my head and I couldn't help but sing. It was instant. The guitar thing came later, when we all started hanging out and Thomas lent me his guitar. After Jake, they were the ones that I showed them my love for music. Along with Daliah. "Thanks Phil, I'll see if I can one day." I lie a little, I still don't dare to show the rest of the world my songs. "You're welcome, cute." he winks at me, but I know he's not doing it to flirt. The train arrives and they slowly approach. Cleo waves her hand goodbye and the rest of her follow. "Be careful, okay?" She tells me before they close the door "And no putting herself in danger." “I'll have it!” I exclaimed, as the doors closed. The train starts to leave and I keep waving. I sigh putting a hand to my chest, melancholic.

I have been completely alone.

I take a walk through the town while I go in the direction of my house. I want to take things to clean the store. I should do it before they bring in the glass and ask me too many questions. “Which reminds me… I need a new lamp and bookshelves” I say with a sigh ". Great MC… You did great." The ringtone rings. I can notice a shy smile when seeing the name of Nymos on it. "Hello?" "Are you busy?" I hear Jake on the other end of the line. "I'm in the street" I answered, while I looked around me ", I want to be careful with what I say." "Understood" he replies, his voice calm ". I have read the chats." "And what do you think?" “Pretty interesting” He makes a throaty noise and I swallow hard at the sound of him. The sound of his voice always keeps me distracted from my thoughts ". I think Carter wants to divert Jane's suspicions with Seo-ah." "I've thought about it too" I stop for a moment and lean against a wall, to concentrate on the conversation ", and the information I've gotten afterwards has been much better than I expected." “So, Ralph saw Jane and Daliah fighting." "And quite a strong fight" I reply, remembering the conversation ". They almost hit each other." "If we find out why, surely we can expand the theory that Jane might be guilty." I look at the undercover police car. Elliot is still my watchman. I wonder when he sleeps. I know that he knows that I have noticed him, because he gives me a signal to see if everything is okay. I nod slowly, so it doesn't show. "MC" I hear Jake call me "Is everything alright?" "Yes, excuse me" I resume walking ", I was looking at the police car that was following me." "Is Elliot still the one protecting you?" "Yes, why?" "For nothing." I look at my phone for a moment when I hear him upset, why is he like this? He always seems upset when it comes to other guys. Is he…. I shake my head. No. To think that he is jealous is nonsense, why would he be? "MC, a conversation now." he tells me quickly. I stop for a moment and watch the spy chat. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mason Seo-ah

----Seo-ah has connected----

Seo-ah ? Yes, whats up?

Mason What do you think about yesterday's chat? 🤔

Seo-ah Hmm… I think Jane went a bit too far... I don't know… But I don't want to talk bad about her either 🙁

Mason Yeah, me the same I understand the rivalry that she and Daliah had but… My goodness! Jane cross the line! 😩

Seo-ah I know I still remember when Daliah confronted her because she convinced a group to choose Jane They both really loved to stand out 😓

Mason But that was always so The worst was when they got into a serious fight Do you remember what Jane yelled at her?

Seo-ah Yeah… I like to think that she told her because she was really angry…

Mason ''The murderer should have taken you! You are a real bitch!’’ It was scary! I don't think I've ever seen them so confronted

Seo-ah And do you know why?

Mason No idea Luckily Carter separated them in time Because the rest of the class was recording the video

Seo-ah Oh right What happened to that video?

Mason Hmm… I don't know if they managed to upload it to social networks 🤔 Hey, I have a couple of things recorder and I'd like to get someone's opinion Where are you?

Seo-ah I'm at the academy I can help you if you want 😊

Mason Perfect then! 😁 And where are you? Seo-ah?

Seo-ah Sorry, I just saw Grace and Jane argue.

Mason What?

Seo-ah Oh, oh… Jane is in a rage

Mason 😲 And so?

Seo-ah I don't know…. Aah! She look at me! We'll talk later 😨

Mason Sure, see you later then

----Seo-ah has disconnected---- ----Mason has disconnected----

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I finish reading the chat and get back on the call with Jake. "Are you there?" I ask nervously. "Yes, I am still on the call" I hear him say ". It seems that it touches something more than a simple rivalry between actresses." "Yeah" I sigh, wondering what Daliah could be into "What do you think Grace and Jane were arguing about?" “Hmm… Maybe since Grace is on your side, maybe she will tell you at some point." " 'The murderer should have taken you’ " I repeat Mason's words, which Jane said. “It sounds almost like a death declaration." "Yeah..." "I am so sorry" I hear him sigh, with a sad voice ", that you have to see all this-" "We're doing it for Daliah" I answered, reaching my apartment "I have to stand my ground and be objective." "But I do not like that you have to be like this" he says quickly ". You do not… You must be like that, MC… Not in relation to her death…" I smiled sadly listening to his words. His concern for me makes my heart race. "I'm fine Jake" I reply calmly ". Don't worry so much about me, really." He stays silent. Breathing slowly. I go into my apartment and go for the broom and dustpan, along with a couple of garbage bags. I put my speakerphone on as I do it, but Jake still hasn't said anything. “What’s going on?" I ask worried. I feel like we're reversing roles. "Nothing, do not worry" he answers seriously "I am trying to find the video that Mason has commented on. It may cost me a bit." I grip the broomstick tightly, worrying about him now me. "I'm giving you a lot of work, aren't I?" I ask with a trembling voice. "I keep busy and not looking at the wall, really" I hear him laugh ". And also speaking to you." "I don't give you interesting topics, do I?" "I do not care as long as I can hear your voice." I start to tremble when I hear how he says it. It's like a whisper that penetrates me and remains stuck in my brain. I sigh as I bite my lip. A strange feeling in the stomach appears. I see Daliah shaking her head, moving her lips at the word 'FBI'. I blink awake from my thoughts. “Hey Jake, I have to leave you” I say quickly ". I have to go to the store to clean it up." "Alright" I hear her exhale heavily ". So I continue with the search for that video." “Okay, we'll talk as soon as I have more information." I hang up and gasp for air, nervous. I feel my cheeks burning right now.

Walking into the store, I try to see everything from a negative side. There are so many crystals that it overwhelmed me to see them. "Okay, here we go." I roll up my sleeves and start cleaning.

I'm careful not to cut myself trying to pick up the big pieces of glass and put them against the wall. I take the last one and carefully, I put it slowly with the rest. "Oh! Here you were!" I hear yelling from the door. A female voice. Out of fright, I cut myself with the glass. I turn and see Jane striding toward me. "Can you tell what you're doing by asking about me?!” she asks me, cornering me against the wall. In fear, I pushed the glass and ended up knocking it to the ground. I look at Jane fearfully and lean against the wall. "I don't know what you're talking about." I say nervously, avoiding even looking at her. "Whoa! We are brave by message, but when it comes to talking you don't dare to look me in the face and tell me that you are accusing me out there!" she starts hitting me, as if she were pushing me. I swallow nervously, beginning to tremble in fear at seeing her furious expression. "What's happening?! Why don’t you answer?!" "Jane! Stop!" I hear a man's voice, but because I'm focused on Jane not attacking me, I don't start thinking about who she is. Elliot separates us and stands between us. "Get out! Now!" he yells at her, pointing to the door. "Not before she tells me what she's doing investigating me!" Jane yells louder "I got rid of bitch number one but bitch number two is more annoying!" Elliot approaches her, standing up to her. I stare at them while I grab my injured hand. "If you don't want me to arrest you for attacking a person, then walk away." Elliot's voice sounds cold. Jane looks at him and then back at me. She twists her mouth and lets out a cry before walking away.

I hear Elliot let out a long breath and he turns to face me. “Are you okay?” he asks me, placing his hands on his hips. "I think so-" "Wow..." he approaches me and looks at my hand "Look what you've done to yourself." "It's nothing" I watch as he takes my hand to look at the wound ". It's just a cut-" "We'd better heal it for you" he looks at me worriedly ". Come on, we'll go to the health center to have stitches done." I nod and he places his hand on my back, leading me to walk out of the store. I hand him the keys so he can lock everything and then we go to my car.

Great, now Jane knows what I'm doing…

But how did she find out?

*Jake POV*

I try to stay focused on the search, but everything ends as always thinking about MC. I worry about her. Something happens.

I remember moments talking when she seemed to show interest in me, making me talk so she would not feel uncomfortable talking to a stranger. Then there were those moments when she would pull herself away. I want to be able to ask her what was going on before and now, but I feel like it's an awkward question and that I would be bringing up a topic that I should not.

I run a hand through my hair, trying to focus. Now she need me to find that video of Jane and Daliah in that fight. "Exactly when it was?" I wonder, looking at Mason's social network “Knowing that he named it, it must have it somewhere…"

There are too many videos, I even put keywords. It is as if they have deleted it from social networks, have they deleted it from social networks?

I hear the notification sound that a file has been decrypted and look at the other computer for the new entry.

My eyes widen in surprise at its content. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----#####----

I have gone back to the “Two Candles” to meet Mike. After so long, I've gotten what I wanted.

I think that the guy has become fond of me, because he has asked me when we would see each other. The truth is that I don't even know myself. I have only used him, as always.

But I have promised him that if everything goes well, maybe I will pay him a visit like every Friday at nine. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mike?" I ask reading the content "Who is this man now?" I rub my chin thinking, I do not remember MC saying this name, it is new to us.

Friday at nine... It's Friday… So maybe he is at that place waiting for Daliah if he does not already know she is dead.

I pass the document through PDF and send it to MC. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nym-0s [Entry number ####.PDF] MC, I have a new entry. It is pretty interesting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wait for her to connect but she does not.

I miss knowing it's important. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nym-0s I have been looking for the video on social networks, but I cannot find it. I suspect it has been erased, but do not worry, I will find it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, I am still waiting for her to come online.

Nothing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nym-0s MC? I am sorry if you do not want to talk because of earlier. I know I am being too direct right now, but I cannot help it. I do not want to make you uncomfortable with my words. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I read my messages, thinking that with them she can connect if I apologize.

Seeing that she does not connect with those words either, I put the computer aside and start to walk nervously. Will she be okay? Could the murderer have caught her?

The police are with her, so she must be safe, I should not worry. "Please answer when you see my messages…" I sigh, going back to work looking for the video. But while I do it, I cannot stop looking at my phone. Waiting for a signal to answer me.

Chapter 11

#duskwood #duskwood jake #duskwood mc #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood fanfic #duskwood everbyte #everbyte #everbyte studio

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sl-newsie · 1 year ago

Text

Spelled (Carlos de Vil x Sanderson Daughter) Descendants 2- Ch. 12: Trust

Thankfully, there are very few girls in the hall since they’re all busy getting ready for cotillion. The only one I allow to see me is Lonnie, who is looking very pleased with herself.

“Jay made me the fencing team captain!” Lonnie squeals.

My heartbreak from Carlos fades a tad and I offer my congratulations. “That’s wonderful, Lonnie! I wish you the best of luck.”

She smirks. “Thanks. I get to mess with Chad! Are you coming to cotillion?”

“Yes, for a small time. I’m going to keep my cloak on so people won’t see me. I’m not here for socializing, only to bring support for Mal and Ben.”

“Sounds like a plan! See you tonight!”

Before I go to get ready, I decide to pass by Carlos’ room to see how things went with Jane-

“Audrey! Audrey!”

Only to find Chad sprawled on the floor clutching his phone. After I pull on my cloak, I feel Carlos come up behind me and see him give me a blank stare. I just tilt my head and point to Chad.

“Again? This is my room, Chad!”

“Shh! Audrey? Yeah. That’s great!” He turns to us. “Audrey got a flat tire in Sherwood Forest and wants me to go fix it!” He unwillingly gives Carlos his printed crown before zooming off down the hallway.

I give an unsatisfied grunt. “Visit the Dark Woods, while you’re at it.”

“What’s that?” Carlos whispers.

“Cursed evil part of the forest. He won’t be back for a week,” I whisper back. When we’re alone, I slip off my cloak and dare to ask. “How’d things go with Jane?”

Carlos’ eyes light up. “Fantastic! She said yes! Jane said she’d love to be my girlfriend! And hang out after the dance and-” He stops, probably sensing this is not the best subject to be speaking of in great detail. “I’m sorry. This is probably awkward, isn’t it?”

He’s right. Every time he talks so highly of Jane and how excited he is to have her as- his girlfriend, I feel my heart being squeezed with every sentence. I should support my friend and not be so jealous, but why is this so hard?!

I shake my head, trying to convince both Carlos and myself. “No, no… It’s alright. I’m happy that you’ve found a nice girl like Jane. She’s very kind, and I’m sure you’ll both have a good time tonight. I’ve gotta go find Evie now, but I’ll see you later.”

I flip my cloak back on and stride out the door, before Carlos can respond and my heart snaps in two. Conceal it… I’m here for Mal and Ben. I cannot show any fragile emotion.

When I get to Evie’s room I find both her and Doug, who greets me with a high-five.

“Ready for your big surprise dress? Evie’s been ranting about it all week.”

I smile and shake my head. “You guys, I don’t need a dress.”

But Evie just waves me off and rushes over to her closet. “Nonsense! I expect everyone to look their best! Now close your eyes!”

I comply, and when I hear her say to open my eyes I still argue. “I still don’t see why- Oh my, oh Evie…”

She holds up an elegant Victorian-style dress sewn with a beautiful violet fabric with black patterns. One might say it’s a gown worthy of royalty and not meant for a witch.

“And I added a hood for you to wear, since you’re so keen on keeping a low profile. Though by wearing this I don’t think it’ll help keep eyes off you.”

I reach out to touch the gorgeous fabric. “Evie, it’s magnificent. You’re so talented… But this seems like it should be for someone a more high-ranking royal of the court. Not an outcast witch.”

“No, Magica.” Doug walks up and puts a hand on my shoulder. “You need to wear this, so you can show everyone just how wrong they are about you. That you’re not an evil witch.”

“I want you to walk into that party with your head held high and no regrets,” Evie says proudly.

I start to feel excited, even overjoyed! But then…

I sigh. “Yes, I can show them. But Carlos will still be there, a reminder of my pain.”

Evie looks confused. “What do you mean? Did he hurt you?”

In a way, yes.

“He is my true love, and he has given his heart to someone else. I know partially it’s my fault for being so isolated, but I do still love him. And- And-” I start to tear up, but push through it. “And even if I can never find a happy ending, he deserves every amount of happiness. And if Jane can give that to him and I can’t, then fate has spoken.”

My words send Evie into a spiraling rambling about how ‘I should have told him’ and ‘this isn’t right,’ and it just makes it worse. I no longer wish to burden Evie with my problems, so I quickly thank her again for the dress and go to change in her bathroom. At first I think it’s too much, but after doing a twirl the dress makes me feel powerful. Not too flamboyant, yet still something to be proud of.

When I step back out, Evie’s jaw drops. “Magica, you look stunning! People are going to love you!”

I huff. “Not before they form a mob. I’m only here for Mal and Ben, and then I will go back to the Enchanted Forest. If I do not have the courage to tell Carlos, please let him know that deep down a part of me truly is happy for him, and that I will not bother him.”

He doesn’t deserve to keep having me fawning over him.

“But Magica, if you still love him maybe he-”

“No. He’s already moved on. And if you ever mention this, I will spell your mouth shut,” I warn. I hate to do this, but I’ve had enough of having my emotions manipulated and gossiped.

After leaving Evie’s room, I decide to chat with Ben before heading off to the cotillion. When I get to his room I see he’s wearing a spiffy blue tux, almost like every other guy I’ve seen so far.

“Why do the girls get to wear different dresses, but all the guys have to look the same?”

He sees me come in and shrugs. “It’s always been like that. So… You’re still coming? I see Evie’s been busy.”

I smile and give him a twirl to show off the elegant dress. “Yes, I am most grateful. I just wish I could be present at this event under different circumstances.”

Ben nods. “Trust me, Sparks. I’ll do what I can to clear your name. If that’s what you want?”

I nod eagerly. “Yes, please! I wanted to be isolated, but… never this much. I’m so tired of having to hide.” Now I change the subject. “You’re still going to work on bringing over more VKs, right?”

“Yeah. After what Uma showed me, I now see that the Isle’s much worse than I thought. If only she weren’t so evil, she wouldn’t feel she needed to steal the wand in order to escape. I tried to talk her out of it,” Ben tries to explain as he fixes his tie. “I said she could come with us if she let me go.”

His words send specks of betrayal leaking into my brain. “Ben… Do you know how shallow and insensitive that sounds? You’re using the chance of leaving Isle as a bargaining chip! It’s as if- as if… you’re just like Uma.”

My words have the equivalent of venom and leave Ben shocked.

“Magica, how- Why would you even think that?”

“Because you’re manipulating her, Ben! Just like everyone who hates me and the other VKs, every student or politician of the court, you’re manipulating people with promises you might not be able to keep. And for what? To prove that you’re a good king?”

“I will keep my promise!” Ben argues. “Why don’t you trust me?”

I sigh and bring a hand to my head, starting to feel overwhelmed. “I do trust you, Ben. But if you keep trying to appeal to people through bribes of gratification then that is something I do not agree with. Trust is done through actions, not promises. And I intend to keep mine.” I turn and start for the door. “I will be at cotillion tonight for you and Mal, no one else. Afterwards I will return to the Enchanted Forest, and you will be hearing from me about sending over more VKs. Do not let me down, Brother Ben.”

When I shut the door I lean against it and hold back the urge to scream. First Carlos, now this? My instincts to trust keep being tested, and I’m starting to question trusting anyone at all. It feels like my emotions have been dilated, each one tipping the scale and threatening to spill over. Anger, jealousy, selfishness, hostility… Each poisoning my true intentions of being good.

“Goodness gracious, is that Magica?” A voice calls from behind and all of a sudden I’m pulled into a tight hug. “It’s good to see you again, sugar!”

“Hi, Tiffany- can- can I breathe?” I gasp.

“Oh, right!” She lets me go and giggles. “I see you’re all gussied up for the dance tonight!”

“Yeah, I just hope for a halfway-decent welcome. I love your dress.”

It’s a mint green, one that (of course) was also designed by Evie.

“Thank you, sugar! Oh- do you think you could do me a small favor and help me carry the lemon tarts to the ship? Mal had me do the catering.”

“Of course, Tiffany.” I allow a kind smile and start to follow her to the kitchen. At least one person in Auradon still holds friendship towards me.

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peace-coast-island · 1 year ago

Text

Diary of a Junebug

Quilts, knits, and the art of letting go of those who only see an idealized version of you

The dangerous thing about fiber arts is that when you get into one thing, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll want to try another, then another, and another. Some things you really like, others, you’ve tried it and thought maybe this isn’t your thing. Depending on how much you plan to get out of a certain craft, it can end up being sort of costly, not in terms of $$, but in terms of materials. I’ve seen people with a huge yarn stash that there’s even a saying about how they’ll never get through all their yarn in their lifetime!

This event involves two crafts, knitting and quilting. It’s also a collaboration between Daisy Jane and Jamila for a special fall/winter collection. Almost exactly one year ago, Jamila opened up her shop, Patchwork Knits, which for now mostly sells knit and quilting patterns. In the near future though, Jamila hopes to expand with things like hand-dyed yarn, fabric, and various notions for sewing and knitting.

So far, Jamila really been killing it with her knitting patterns. I fell in love with her Cozy Cardi as soon as I saw the pics she posted on her socials and just had to make it. It’s one of those patterns where I want to make a lot of them in different colors because the style is so classic and can go with a lot of different outfits.

Never have I been so proud of a project like this one. The construction’s the kind where you start with the neckband and then pick up for the body. Since the button band’s worked on as you go in smaller needles than the body, it can get a little fiddly to work with, especially in the beginning. It took me some time to get used to, but in the end. It wasn’t so bad. And I think it kept things a bit interesting when I got to the body.

And instead of stockinette, it’s in half-Fisherman’s rib, a stitch that I’ve grown to like. Sure, it can be slow growing since your rows are basically in half. And it’s ribbing, which can get tedious sometimes. But, at least for me, half-Fisherman’s engaging enough that it doesn’t feel like a drag. Plus, I really like how the fabric turns out. I definitely don’t mind doing more projects with half-Fisherman’s rib.

As for full Fisherman’s rib or brioche, I don’t know if I’m ready to tackle those yet. I’ve heard that they’re real yarn eaters, which means they’re even slower growing. Yeah, I don’t know how I feel about that yet. I do want to tackle them in the future, but maybe not for something like a sweater or cardigan, at least not anytime soon. I have seen some patterns with brioche that caught my eye, but with the fact that they use fingering yarn - meaning tiny stitches that’ll take even longer to make progress on - I think I need to slowly build my courage. The last thing I want is to become discouraged in the middle of a project, especially one that I put so much time and effort into.

Right now, I’m working on a Cozy Cardi for my mom, as well as another one of Jamila’s patterns, the Warm Spring Days cardigan for myself. Since my mom’s birthday is coming up in two months, this project will take priority. Plus, Warm Spring Days is meant for the warmer season, so it’ll be a while before I get to wear it. So far, both are going well. I just separated the sleeves and body for my mom’s cardigan, and am slowly making my way shaping the back of Warm Spring Days.

The thing about Jamila’s knitting patterns is that they look simple and classic, the kinds of things that most people would consider staples in their wardrobe. What makes her stand out is the construction of her patterns and the techniques she uses to shape her garments. It’s also a plus that she’s size inclusive and seriously takes the time to make sure that her patterns work for all different kinds of body types. Although she’s a new designer, she’s already seriously making waves in the community!

Based on my personal experiences with Jamila’s patterns, her designs are engaging enough that it sort of challenges you to step out of your comfort zone while being straightforward enough that once you get the hang of what’s going out, it’s easy to turn into a mindless, meditative knit. Though most of her garments look simple, it’s the little details that make her designs stand out and makes the process of making them more fun. Simple, timeless, and basic can be good.

Edie’s mainly working as sort of an assistant with things like tech editing, proofreading, and doing occasional admin stuff. She says she doesn’t mind being an official one when the business really takes off as it would be nice to have something consistent on the side. While she can support herself on music and writing alone, it’s nice to have something else to fall back on if she can’t do either for whatever reason.

Although I’ve been mostly talking about knitting, Jamila’s quilt designs aren’t meant to be slept on. It’s just that I don’t know too much about quilting as the hobby seems kinda intimidating to me. I’ve always liked the idea of using leftover material to make something like a patchwork quit, which is really probably the only reason I would get into quilting.

It’s just that there’s a lot of bits and pieces and steps when it comes to quilting, so I’m afraid of my project looking wonky or off. With sewing in general, there’s a lot more stuff and equipment you have to handle, as well as measurements not behind as forgiving. Especially when it comes to garments, sewing them takes more work than knitting.

So far, quilting isn’t as intimidating as I thought. Though, I’m sticking to small and simple projects where if I make mistakes, it won’t ruin the whole thing. I don’t think it’s something I’ll pick up often, but it is fun and satisfying to put these fabric scraps to good use.

However, I am working on making a patchwork quilt. It’s just that I want it to be strictly fabric scraps rather than going out and getting material specifically for that. It’s gonna be a long term project, just like my granny square blanket. With all the fabric I’ve accumulated over the years, I’m hoping it’ll be kinda like a scrapbook but in quilt form. I think my fabric scraps will be able to make something cohesive looking. I mean, I had all kinds of yarn for my granny square blanket and it ended up looking nice and colorful. So it’ll be something that I’ll work on occasionally whenever I feel like it and I’m excited to see how it turns out.

The event kinda also serves as a test run for some future patterns Jamila’s working on, as well as give her an idea on what to include when she starts putting together kits. We also did some experimenting with dying fibers - nothing much, but just to get an idea of it. She hasn’t gotten the materials yet, which makes sense because dyeing seems expensive and takes quite a bit of work, so it’s a good opportunity to do some tests to see if that’s something she wants to do in the future.

So far, I’d say it’s been going well. Jamila’s not entirely sold on the yarn she used as a sample, though the results came out good. She has other samples to test out and we have plenty of time. At least she knows now that hand dyed yarn is definitely something she wants to dive deeper into. Nothing set in stone yet, but it’s something to look forward to when the time comes.

Edie’s been in better spirits now that a weight has been lifted off her family’s shoulders. Although her father hasn’t been really a part of her adult life, he was always hanging over her and her siblings. The way she put it, he’s not a bad guy, just someone who’s expects too much and only sees you as potential instead of who you actually are. Those kinds of people can be conflicting.

A couple months ago he died unexpectedly and left a will to his kids. Basically, the will he left behind says a lot about how he sees his family. At least, how he thinks they should be. It’s no wonder that Edie and her siblings can’t rely on him. Truth is, they’re actually relieved that he’s gone.

According to Edie, her mother says that her father struggled with dissatisfaction. He was an intelligent, hard working person who was forced to grow up quickly, so he kinda became resentful that his siblings were given opportunities he was never able to get for himself. That was part of the reason why he placed such high expectations on his kids.

Sure, a lot of parents are like that. Well, maybe most of them aren’t as resentful as he was, but it’s understandable that they only want what’s best for their kids. But the issue is, how do they really know what’s best for their kids? Is it based on the kids themselves, or is it self projection? Even with parents who mean well, the line between what they want and what their kids want can be blurred.

At least most parents try to communicate with their kids and know how to admit when they’re wrong. Mistakes happen and we get blinded by our own wishes and aspirations. Sometimes we just have to take a step back and admit that we don’t always know what’s best - for ourselves and for others. We may not see eye to eye on some things - and maybe we never will - but at least we could try to make an effort to communicate and understand each other.

Unfortunately, some people refuse to be understanding. They see you struggling and find something to blame it on instead of addressing the real problem, which is usually more complicated than “X is bad, and it’s you’re fault, and that’s why you’re having this problem.” They shut you down whenever they feel like it, and then complain that you don’t know how to stand up for yourself. You do something that you’re proud of and they respond with indifference, even outright dismissing or insulting you because they’re just not interested.

Being the third born, Edie knew that she was gonna disappoint her father no matter what. He insisted that no one was interested in her music and her writing, dismissing everything just like he did to her older sisters. He made her second guess all her decisions and question whether she deserved to have good things happen to her. At least with her younger siblings, he was kinda like fuck it, like he expected them to disappoint him too.

The biggest thing about him though is that he just blatantly lies about his kids. Like with Edie’s second oldest sister, he told people that she wasn’t married because she has a wife instead of a husband. He told people that Edie’s music wasn’t worth checking out due to her lack of talent, sort of implying that Edie bought her views to make herself look good, which obviously isn’t true. And him sort of implying that Clanwing had ulterior motives to have Rolly and Easton become friends, which is completely baseless and pretty insulting.

I mean, it’s fine if you don’t approve of how your kids are living their lives, but don’t go around spreading misinformation and then shut others down when they call you out on your bullshit. That’s just on a whole different level of low.

No wonder Clanwing doesn’t like the guy. Edie said her father had very high expectations for Easton since he was the only son. But when it turned out that Easton was born missing a limb, he seemed ashamed. Well, that’s shitty of him. At least by the time Easton came around he had distanced himself as a parent to the point that Easton honestly sees him as more of a distant relative who you kinda stay out of their way rather than a father. I’d say it’s a good thing.

Then Easton befriended Rolly, and suddenly his father was a bit more interested in him. By that, he was really only interested in Kent Clanwing. The Clanwing head might have his own glaring issues on the high expectations he sets for his family and the pressure he puts on them for not being like him, but at least he’s not as two faced and dismissive as Edie and Easton’s father.

As for him being two faced, the way he treated Anissa after her stroke is a good example of that. Anissa was one of the few friends who he approved of, though he didn’t like it when she talked back. Meaning, whenever he said something rude about one of his kids in front of her and Jamila, Anissa will respond by saying something nice about them. She was one of the few who didn’t hesitate to call him out on his bullshit, and maybe he kinda respected that as he still would compare her favorably against his own kids. But then she had the stroke and he didn’t hesitate to make fun of her behind her back. So that pretty much says a lot about him.

As for the will he left behind, the terms he set are pretty ridiculous. He didn’t have much to leave behind, but it is pretty significant - as in the amount of money, not so much the real value of it. He really told one of his daughters that she can only get her share of his inheritance if she break up with her wife and marry a respectable gentleman. Uh, not gonna happen. For Edie and a couple of her sisters, he basically told them to give up the lives they have now and follow his instructions or else they won’t get anything. And for the younger ones, it’s pretty much the same - give up what makes you you, and be the person I wanted you to be, even if it contradicts everything about you. Yikes.

Obviously, they’re not following these terms. It’s not like they need the money, so that’s not the issue. Yeah, it’s…I don’t know how to put it…disrespectful? This guy really thought he could control his kids from the dead because he’s their father and they have to do what he says. Except most of them are grown now and are living their own lives with no input from him whatsoever. He was never involved to begin with, so why did he think he could take control now?

Edie wrote about the whole thing on her blog as it was unfolding, mainly just to look back on how ridiculous the whole thing was. Again, she wasn’t mindlessly hating on her father, more like trying to figure out what kind of a person he was. Maybe he had good intentions but he was too blinded by the idea of potential that he failed to see what was in front of him. Either way, she’s long accepted that she can’t change who he is, the same way he couldn’t change who she is.

The way people are is often a mystery. But I guess in most cases, we’ll never really know or understand. I think it makes sense, seeing that we don’t always understand ourselves.

Read on AO3

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #headcanon ramble #diary of a junebug

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starjane312 · 2 years ago

Text

Kit Tanthalos x OC

Big Masterlist

Masterlist

Chapter 21

He turns around. I see Kit.

K: Jane.

J: Kit.

I quickly walk to her and pull her into my Arms.

J: Are you ok ?

She nods in my shoulder. She looks at me and gives me a Kiss. I look and see Boorman fighting another guy.

J: Who’s that ?

K: Allagash. An Old friend of my Father.

W: Where is the wand ?

E: Look I may or may not have, well, kind of , like ,dropped it.

W: What.

Ja: She only dropped because she was saving …

W: Shhh

He points his finger at Jade.

W: And the staff ? What, you drop that too ?

E: No graydon has that.

W: And where’s Graydon ?

E: Supervising a spill on Triton level Probably.

J: And very Happy he’s still alive.

I look at Kit.

J: Nearly got himself killed.

K: Again ?

I nod

W: You are in serious trouble, young lady.

E: Yeah, I know.

Allagash and Boorman are still fighting.

B: Not the Hair.

E: I Kinda missed you.

A: Who cares about your Hair ?

W: Yeah ?

E: Yeah.

W: Missed you too … in a way.

B: Stop it ! Stop it ! You puckered old bergencoif !

A: You spineless little zudcudder.

W: Come on guys. Language.

A: Sorry.

B: Sorry.

A: Sorry Ladies.

I raise my eyebrows.

B: I’d prayed you’d still be alive so I would have the pleasure of killing you myself.

A: I’m right here. Buffets open. Beanpole. Grab a Tray.

Kit walks to them and since I’m not letting her go she pulls me with her.

B: Beanpole ? Yeah well I’v actually put on quite a lotta bulk.

A: You know what, you have. You’ve gotten bigger, you look good.

B: Well, thanks. It’s Diet mainly actually a little bit of Torture endurance …

Allagsh tries to attack him. Boorman pushes him away, grabs his Sword and crosses it with Kit who's holding a Hammer with spikes. I hold my Dagger under his Chin.

J: Step away from my Wife.

He lowers his sword. Then he looks at Kit.

B: Whatever he told you,it’s a lie

K: You stole the Lux arcana.

B: Back from him. He got Blaylock and Mookie killed. He betrayed us, he … He betrayed Madmartigan.

A: Oh come on this guy will say anything. That was you huh ? That was him.

He steps a little bit too close to Kit. I give him a sharp look and he steps a step away from her.

A: You think I’ve been down here for ten years ‘cause I like it balmy, huh ?

K: You were his squire and you left him to die.

B: I know.

Kit lowers her weapon. I grab her hand.

B: I would’ve stayed with him till the end. I should’ve. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

E: I think there is someone coming.

W: Trolls.

A: This is were they caught me last time. They must#ve known I ‘d come back here. They’re so smart. Damn it.

Ja: What’s the quickest way out of here ?

Allagash walks to a wall.

K: The doorway.

A: Yeah.

He grabs into a wall and pulls out an Arm.

A: Put your arm in here.

He points at Kit.

J: Definitely not.

I go to him and push my arm into the Hole.

J: And now ?

A: Pull the lever.

J: If I lose my arm I will kill you.

A: Understood. But you will not.

I take a breath and pull on it. Something rattles.

A: Good, stay put.

He starts running.

A: Herewe go, solving elaborate booby traps.

He sticks his hand in another one. Something sounds like it’s opening. But nothing appears.

Ja: Yeah I don’t see a secret door.

A: That’s because you don’t know how to look.

We follow him. It’s a Giant stone head.

J: What the hell ?

B: Ah big head. Great, where's the treasure ?

Some weird music starts playing.

Wiggleheim: Through the Ages and remember I have tested those who entered. Seeking fortune, fame and Glory. Hoping those might change their story. But the greatest Treasure I ever found was the Love and laughter all around.

A: Ah, what a lovely sentiment, huh ?

Wiggleheim: Though should Riches be your heart's desire, the answers I shall now Require. And If by chance you don’t reply in my tomb you all shall die.

E: Wait hang on did he just say we all would ie.

B: He did.

The secret Door closes.

J: Wait what ?!

Wiggleheim: So I pass for sire to heir and each of brothers takes his share. A gift or curse I may be, used by others more than thee.

A: Anybody ?

W: It’s a riddle, I’m good at these.

A: Good, you got the answer ?

W: Wait, wait, wait.

Ja: A name.

A: What ?

Ja: That’s the answer.

A: We’re going with “A name ?”

Wiggleheim: Congratulations.

A: We’re in. We did it !

Wiggleheim: If Once more you do succeed, my vault of treasures is yours indeed.

A: Oh.

Wiggleheim: Where whatever by your hearts appeal, awaits you beyond it’s seal.

I look at Kit.

J: Didn’t know you were in there.

She pushes her elbow in my ribs.

J: Sorry.

A: Come on, Come on. Team Allagash. We got this. all right Wiggleheim, give us your best shot.

Wiggleheim: Beggars have what wise men crave. But both shall take it to their grave.

Noone has a clue.

Wiggleheim: Seems perhaps you need more Time, Or if you wish, I’ll repeat my Rhyme.

We are stuck here. And he continues repeating the same words over and over again. It feels like we’ve been here for hours.

J: This leads us to nothing, we're all going to die. Great. Just what I want. You know. Growing up, meeting the love of my life, marrying her and then dying with her locked in a cave, not even a day after. Fairytale ending.

Ja: Can you stop being sarcastic ?

J: In a situation like this ? No.

She gals at me.

E: Wait, say that again.

I look at her.

J: No ?

E: The first thing you said.

J: This all leads to nothing ?

E: That’s it. The answer is Nothing.

The doors open again. Boorman and Allagash run in. They search everything. Allagash finds it in the end and runs out with it. Kit walks inside the vault. Everything starts to Rumble.

J: My Love ?

I walk to her.

#kit tanthalos #kit tanthalos x reader #kit tanthalos x oc #willow #jade claymore #aryk tanthalos #elora danan #thraxus boorman #graydon hastur

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anthrofreshtodeath · 1 year ago

Note

Do you remember what the first smut you ever wrote was? And how did you get so confident in writing it (or was it always easier for you?) I am dabbling in some writing for the first time in my fandom life and I find a lot of it flows right out of me, but the smut?? Good christ I’m all over the place with it and don’t think I’m succeeding in what I’m actually trying to convey 😂😭 Do you have any tips?

Hmm… I think the first smut I wrote was when I was 19 for Alucard and Integra of Hellsing (the anime). I never posted it. It was bad.

And I hope I’m not bursting your bubble, but for me, the smut writing never really got easier 😂. I don’t really think my smut is all that good, so I may be the wrong person to ask. But like you, I struggle because it is very… choreographed. It’s like playing Tetris with your writing. The end result is supposed to be sexy, but the process is so technical as to be dry (at least for me).

But, with that said, I guess I have a few tips:

1) unless you’re writing PWP, try to give your smut a purpose. I’ll use CMWHS chapter 14 as an example - Jane and Maura are fucking, but Maura is using the fucking to punish Jane in a very particular kind of way that she knows will hurt Jane because Jane hurt her. So, successfully or not, it serves the plot. Once I know what I want the sex scene to do, then I plan out the acrobatics, LOL. Meaning what positions, what do they say to each other, etc.

2) just get the skeleton on the page. If you’re not sure of all the above, put a barebones placeholder down, like a sketch of how you want the scene to go, then return to it later after you’ve had time to think about it. Wow, lots of bones talk here, but I do this one all the time.

3) listen to music to get you in the right headspace! This doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me. Listen to sex music. Get a feel for what is sexy to you and to other people and draw inspiration from that. Notice I am not recommending a certain genre because sex music can mean different things to different people. Send an ask or a DM if you want to know specific artists or songs I listen to in order to get in the smut writing zone.

4) read other people’s work! This is so important for all types of writing, smut included. Well-rounded readers are better writers. Don’t copy, but draw inspiration.

5) Last one - don’t try to be too sexy. This is hard to explain and I’m not even sure I can articulate what I mean by it very well, but I’m going to try. Avoid porny language, the “oh yeah right there baby” stuff. The over the top, “her orgasm ripped through her” type of stuff. I think we’re all guilty of going there from time to time, myself totally included, but sex is a thing that real people do. Real people say real things and crack real jokes and express real emotions during sex. They say silly things, they say sexy things that you wouldn’t necessarily find conventionally sexy, but oh boy does it work for their partner(s). Write about what you find sexy, or what people have told you they find sexy, independent of what media tells us what we should think is sexy. Queer spaces are great for this. One thing I think is hot? When Jane Rizzoli crosses her arms and nods while Maura Isles is talking, all while she looks down at her, in a completely nonsexual context or conversation. I can take that body language and transpose it onto a sex scene, alter it a bit, and it works. It’s not, you know, them making out or moaning or getting bent over or whatever (those things can be hot too), but it feels more real because it’s true to character. I hope that made even the tiniest bit of sense 😂. Long story short I think the hottest smut is the smut that is unique to those characters, not just the smut that ticks all the kink boxes or gets all the conventional positions right. Though getting those boxes ticked can be fun too! When people combine the character development and the kinky boxes? God tier smut.

Like I said - probably not the right person to ask given my complicated relationship with my smut writing, but I hope this helped! If it wasn’t so awkward I’d do a “my favorite sex scenes and what I find successful about them” series of posts or something.

#ask anthrofreshtodeath #fic writing

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pesterloglog · 11 months ago

Text

Roxy Lalonde, John Egbert, Harry Anderson Egbert

Candy, page 38

ROXY: sup john

ROXY: long time no see

ROXY: well alright then pal

ROXY: i do believe u know the way to the living room

JOHN: yeah, yep.

JOHN: thanks.

JOHN: sorry for staring like an idiot.

JOHN: it’s...

JOHN: i just got done with a whole week of feeling weird about hanging out in my dad’s old house again.

JOHN: I kind of forgot to think about how it would be surreal coming back here, too.

JOHN: some kind of nostalgia whiplash, i guess.

ROXY: fair enough yo

ROXY: harry andersons out if u were wonderin

ROXY: hell scoot back home later so if you make it thru round 1 of awkward ex-family convos im happy to say you can be rewarded with another

JOHN: oh, cool.

JOHN: i’d like to see him, if…

JOHN: if it’s okay with both of you.

ROXY: ya we chatted bout it

ROXY: but like i said

ROXY: one thing at a time

ROXY: lets me n u tear this ol egbert/lalonde estrangement band-aid right the fuck off n see what we got goin on underneath it

JOHN: sounds like a plan.

JOHN: so, uh.

JOHN: i’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently.

JOHN: and i’ve realized some things.

JOHN: some stuff that involves you and some that doesn’t, but all things i think you deserve to know.

JOHN: whew.

JOHN: ok lemme think where to start...

JOHN: you know how jake left jane?

JOHN: i mean, i assume you know.

JOHN: though, uh, no offense, but jane’s version might be...

JOHN: skewed.

ROXY: oh lmao nah i didnt hear it from janey

ROXY: harry anderson filled me in on wat he got thru the teen grapevine

JOHN: oh!

JOHN: are you guys not...

JOHN: nevermind.

JOHN: i’m sorry, i came to apologize for my shit, not pry into your business.

JOHN: we don’t have to talk about jane if you don’t want to.

ROXY: janey n me havent been super tight of late

JOHN: ah.

JOHN: what about politics not coming between friends and all that?

ROXY: lmao well turns out sometimes someones politics make it p clear what kind of friends they value

ROXY: or dont

ROXY: and idk sometimes people you used to like when you were a teen grow up to be assholes or w/e!!

ROXY: i think i was clingin to somethin just to prove to myself that i was doin stuff right

ROXY: ol rolal

ROXY: hella normal

ROXY: v good at sticking with friends

ROXY: the more i thought abt it the more i figured holdin on to that one thing made me lose out on some other shit

ROXY: u might relate

JOHN: haha, you got me there i guess.

ROXY: anyways

ROXY: im not tryna take up all ur big speech time w/ my stuff

ROXY: you were tellin me about how jake n janey finally went splitsways and how it gave you some kind of epiphany

JOHN: no, it’s cool!

JOHN: i’m glad to hear it.

JOHN: we can come back to your shit after my shit, maybe.

JOHN: but yeah, jake, he uh...

JOHN: he and tavros are living with me now.

JOHN: i think for the foreseeable future. we were expecting jane to have kind of a fit about it, but all we’ve gotten so far are some divorce papers.

JOHN: if she knows where jake is and she hasn’t had a drone fleet dispatched to nuke my house off the planet i think that’s a good sign she’s actually just letting them go?

JOHN: which is kind of surprising, but, uh. good, i guess.

ROXY: ok ill b the first 2 admit that janes turned into kind of a jerk lately but u no shes not actually like

ROXY: literally evil

ROXY: lol

JOHN: that’s debatable!

ROXY: sry to disappoint but janes just a person and you cant actually blame her for everything that went wrong in our marriage like i was her helpless thrall or somethin

JOHN: that’s not what i was saying...

ROXY: ok neither of us came here to argue about janey did we

JOHN: you’re right. let’s just not talk about her.

ROXY: yea

JOHN: anyway...

JOHN: i’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how things got to be like they are.

JOHN: i guess i’ll just come out and say it.

JOHN: i completed fucked up your entire life.

JOHN: i’m not going to pretend like there are two sides here. it’s my bad, totally.

JOHN: like, not just what happened to our marriage, though it’s also true that that’s completely my fault.

JOHN: but even before that...

JOHN: i think i fucked up on just this massive, fundamental level, and it’s what i did—

JOHN: or, well, what i didn’t do—

JOHN: that caused every stupid bullshit thing about the way this world is.

JOHN: none of this was supposed to be this way.

JOHN: honestly, it doesn’t feel right that we got married at all, does it?

JOHN: your life was heading in this whole other direction with callie, and i just...

JOHN: i dunno. i just kind of took that from you.

JOHN: i think i ended up taking a lot of decisions from a lot of people.

JOHN: everything took a backseat to what i wanted.

JOHN: whatever cosmic significance the lives here do or don’t have, all the pointless suffering i’ve created is... inhumane. and—

ROXY: oh nah ill stop u rite there my man

ROXY: im sorry john ilu but this is some hot steamin horseshit

JOHN: what?!

ROXY: its some real jerkoff emoji stuff is all im sayin!!

ROXY: you think you choice mattered so much that no one elses could measure up?

ROXY: n then what

ROXY: did u get what u wanted?

ROXY: did your life end and the points got tallied and you came out on top or like what?

ROXY: still p much seems like were movin to me

ROXY: and you sure dont seem like ur winnin so wheres all this good shit you got that you gotta go around handin out apologies for?

ROXY: also damn dude while were at it!!

ROXY: u forgot to actually say sorry in that apology!

JOHN: no, i didn’t — i just meant...

JOHN: i’m sorry for fucking up your life, or making it not—

ROXY: i like my life!!!

ROXY: i mean it aint perf and i got my share of fuckups n mistakes in there but you dont get to tell me its fucked up

ROXY: or that it isnt real or somethin

ROXY: its mine!

ROXY: i mean i felt... somethin i guess

ROXY: but its not just you

ROXY: youve never been the only player in this game u kno

ROXY: do u not remember who all was there when this all kicked off?

ROXY: me n callie wouldna told u u had a choice if it was all just some meaningless bs

ROXY: its not like i was ever some master seer of all that ever was or will be but i do know a lil bit abt what coulda gone down if things were different

ROXY: and u know what

ROXY: i like the way things turned out just fuckin fine

ROXY: so maybe u could stop wastin precious eternity thinkin ur so special that its ur fault everyones not perfectly happy

JOHN: i just kept wanting to find ways to make everything make sense, you know?

JOHN: but maybe it just fucking doesn’t.

ROXY: i know we became grownups in a world built specifically n cosmically for us

ROXY: so i get wanting to find a pattern in everything

ROXY: but not everything has 2 b that deep

ROXY: n when u think abt it

ROXY: lookin at it that way, like evrythin has to be this elaborately purposeful heroic design to be worthwhile

ROXY: is actually p shallow

JOHN: oh.

JOHN: yeah, i guess.

JOHN: i’m sorry. it’s just so hard to not feel like a total asshole.

JOHN: maybe i’m not some grand vizier of destroying time and space or whatever.

JOHN: but we KNOW that there’s a canon timeline out there.

JOHN: and it seems really obvious to me that we aren’t in it anymore.

ROXY: so what

JOHN: “so what”???

ROXY: yea

ROXY: so what

ROXY: tf do i care that theres some other reality out there some1 arbitrarily decided was the “real” one

ROXY: whats that have to do with the life i have now

ROXY: what is there actually that makes this one mean less than that one to the ppl who r actually in it

JOHN: you never feel like it would’ve been better if things had gone a different way?

JOHN: magic or no, i could have done a lot differently, for you especially.

JOHN: stuck around, or... fuck.

JOHN: stayed out of your way to begin with.

JOHN: let you and callie do your thing, or do whatever it was you seemed to be headed off to do.

JOHN: i just didn’t expect it to be me, after...

ROXY: nah dont say that

ROXY: i mean i accept ur apology this time but

ROXY: theres obvs all kinds of ways shit coulda gone

ROXY: and tbh back then

ROXY: with her...

ROXY: mostly i think i just wanted to do stuff right

ROXY: not that i knew wtf that even meant lmao

ROXY: which was prob the problem lmao lmao lmao

ROXY: just like

ROXY: we had this big fresh as hell start at bein people!

ROXY: i had all these conflictin thoughts abt how to be me in the first place

ROXY: like what it meant to date a beautiful skull alien

ROXY: sexualitywise and genderwise and person in generalwise

ROXY: for a while there i didnt know if i wanted ppl to think of me as a woman at all

JOHN: ah, i didn’t know.

JOHN: well, i guess maybe i wondered?

JOHN: but the way young idiot me would have wondered, so not that deeply.

JOHN: and it seemed like you’d forgotten all about it when we got together.

ROXY: i hadnt forgotten about it

JOHN: do you want to talk about it...?

ROXY: i coulda told you then but i kinda felt embarrassed abt flip floppin with my identity i think

ROXY: mean it isnt like i grew up with big airquotes society tellin me what was right n wrong like u did

ROXY: so it wasnt any kind of shamefest

ROXY: just a lot of abstract hypotheticals wed only just started talking about and never got very far into

ROXY: just idk i thought i might do things one way but then i stopped hangin out with callie as much

ROXY: its not like i stopped thinkin abt it

ROXY: or her

ROXY: but it never rly came up with anyone else and i didnt rly feel like i could talk abt it with you so i never brought it up again

JOHN: i’m really sorry you felt that way, roxy.

ROXY: its ok its not ur fault

JOHN: but you don’t regret it?

JOHN: not going for that stuff, and instead just... marrying me?

JOHN: i’m not asking so you can absolve me, i’m just impressed.

JOHN: how do you not second guess every choice you make?

ROXY: i havent stuck my head in the timeline vortex like u have so i dunno what its like to see other options

ROXY: i just do things the best way i think to do em and then shrug n hope it works out?

ROXY: i dont think i can regret anything

ROXY: theres not only one right way to be me imo

ROXY: i like the me i am

ROXY: its not like i went n decided “actually hell ya love to be a woman n do all the shit on the woman checklist”

ROXY: i get that thats prob what it looks like outside of my own self but i dont care abt that

ROXY: sorry lol im not good at this whole explainin what transpires in my brain thing

ROXY: idk this life ive been livin gave me harry anderson

ROXY: that kinda outweighs anything else just for me personally

ROXY: n its not like i ever totally quit thinkin abt that gender stuff

ROXY: i just found a different way to work it out than maybe i was originally gonna

ROXY: i...

ROXY: but lmao john were just adults

ROXY: were not dead!

ROXY: idk i mean were only what... barely middle aged in regular human years?

ROXY: we got all kinds of hypothetical but still prolly finite eternity to work our shit out

ROXY: who tf knows

ROXY: its not like you figure out who you are when youre 23 and then the rest of ur whole life is just sittin back watchin ur shit fall apart or not

ROXY: i mean maybe thats been it for u so far

JOHN: haha. ouch.

ROXY: i just dont think im anywhere near done buildin those roxy self actualization train stops

ROXY: who the fuck can say how many more i got lined up

ROXY: same goes for u

ROXY: if youre willing to look at this life as more than a cosmically pointless dead end failure that is

JOHN: i guess...

JOHN: there’s literally nothing to do but keep moving forward.

JOHN: i may as well not be a big fucking downer about it if i don’t have to be.

ROXY: thats the spirit

ROXY: weve got a million billion lifetimes ahead of us john

ROXY: u dont even KNOW all the ways u got left to fuck up in!!

ROXY: hows that for some inspiration??!

JOHN: it’s...

JOHN: it’s pretty fucking inspirational, roxy.

JOHN: thank you for trusting me with this personal stuff.

JOHN: i know partly you were telling me all that to kick my sadsack ass, but i know you don’t talk about this kind of thing every day.

ROXY: to be real i hadnt even let myself think abt it every day

ROXY: so thanks for lettin me ramble at u out loud instead of just almost thinkin abt it once every few years

JOHN: i guess sometimes it takes hearing the same shit over and over until it sticks.

JOHN: that’s mostly an own on myself by the way.

ROXY: lmao were just rippin off those bandaids left n right over here

ROXY: a coupla professional issue discussers

JOHN: yeah, i’m frankly baffled by how fucking good we are at this?

JOHN: where was this when we sucked so hard at being married?

ROXY: buried under a shocking number of issues is my guess

JOHN: well, it’s nice to throw a few off, for once.

ROXY: feel free to communicate with me instead of spendin the next 300 years in a silent prison of your own making if u so desire

JOHN: hey harry anderson.

JOHN: it’s really, really good to see you.

JOHN: do you wanna go for a drive?

HARRY ANDERSON: yeah, dad.

HARRY ANDERSON: that could be cool.

#homestuck #homestuck epilogues #roxy lalonde #john egbert #harry anderson egbert #candy epilogue #page 38

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toomanysurveys9 · 2 years ago

Text

Think back to yesterday, what were you doing around this time? Just getting home or on the way home from Jacob’s mom’s house.

What was the last thing you watched on the TV? I don’t remember. Probably Jane the Virgin.

Do you think pets can get annoying easily? No, it takes a lot to annoy me generally. At least for my pets to.

Did you know that pickles have no calories? I didn’t know that.

Do you enjoy family get togethers? I do.

In a group of three, do you often feel like the third wheel? Yup.

What color are your pants? Blue jeans.

Is there snow on the ground where you are? No. It’s almost officially summer.

What is keeping you warm right now?

It’s warm outside right now. But Nora is also sleeping on me with a blanket and she’s a little heater.

Has anyone bought you a piece of jewelry? Yeah.

How far away is your next birthday? Three-ish months.

Do you have plans for that birthday yet? No plans.

When did you last take a shower? It’s been a few days.

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? I have not.

Have you ever flown somewhere alone? Nope.

Are you more serious or funny? Definitely more serious.

Is there someone that annoys you but you haven’t told them? There are a lot of people that fall into this category.

When is garbage day in your area? Friday.

Who/What was the last thing to really irritate you? All the kids yelling and screaming and fighting.

Do you think people either love or hate spongebob? I mean, I feel like there’s probably people somewhere in the middle too.

Have you seen that new “Lie To Me” show? It’s not new, but yes. I watched a couple seasons, but never finished the series.

What is something you’d rather be doing right now? I’m ready to go to sleep.

Do you find that people are too hard on you? They can be but I’m hardest on myself.

Do you take surveys often? Not as often as I used to or would like to. But I’m hoping to be able to get back into it.

Do you tend to slam things around when you’re mad? Not usually.

Do you know anyone who hates/dislikes chocolate? Probably but they’re not coming to mind right now.

Could you vote in this last election? Yup.

Have you taken a shower today? Nope.

How much sleep did you get last night? Not nearly enough.

Do you have more girl friends or guy friends? Neither. Lol.

What is your current mood? Super sleepy.

Is there anything on your mind at the moment? Just stressing out about everything I need to do and buy and take care of before the trip next week.

Are there any movies out that you’d like to see? I want to see the new Little Mermaid movie!

Have you ever been on a website called Stickam? I don’t think so.

Have you ever hated yourself? All the time.

Are you hungry? Nope.

Did your parents ever ground you? Alll the time.

Where was the last place you went out to eat? Hacienda with Nora on Saturday. Panera was the drive thru.

Have you ever felt like you needed a better life than the one you have? I guess so.

Do you own an MP3 player of some kind? I do but I don’t use it.

Do you have a moment in your life you wish you could replay over again? A few.

Have you ever been in a play? If so, did you like it? I was in a musical once.

What is one musical artist you wish wasn’t making music? I don’t care for Cardi B much. But I know there are others that like her.

When was the last time you cleaned something? I swept the floor not too long ago.

Have you ever been so sick you had to be taken to the hospital? Yup. Several times at various ages for various things.

Do you like your smile? I hate it actually. My gums and teeth are shit because I never expected to live this long and my parents never taught us proper dental hygiene.

Do you have someone that you think truly understands you? Not really.

When was the last time you doubted yourself? Anytime I think about my upcoming internship. And I was also worried about my signature assignment for this class but ended up with a perfect score.

Is there anything currently bothering you? I have too much on my plate before next week.

Would you say that you’ve got something ‘special’ about you? Nope.

Who was the last person to cheer you up when you were down? My kids.

Are you scared of what you do not know? Sometimes, yes.

Is there anything in the next six months that you’re looking forward to? Florida. And hopefully going to Louisiana for Leslie’s wedding. And starting my internship.

Were you/are you popular in high school? Not even a little.

Do you really care what people think about you? Not really.

Do you find yourself treating others like you’d want to be treated? I try.

Are you constantly envious of others? Not really.

Are you more of a whiner with things or a do’er of things? Definitely a mix of both.

List three of your favorite TV shows: Supernatural, Criminal Minds, and Hart of Dixie tend to be my comfort shows.

Would your friends say you’re a relaxed person or stressed? Stressed for sure.

What do you find yourself worrying most about these days? Finances. My babies.

Would you say it’s hard to earn your trust? No. It’s too easy and I always get hurt.

Who was the last person to compliment you? Eliana I think. :) She’s a sweetie.

Anything interesting happen this past week? This week just started.

When was the last time you felt scared? Yesterday when Michelle and Jacob let Nora on the trampoline.

What’s on your mind this very second? I need to get to bed.

Do you know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’? I do.

Do you correct other people’s grammar/spelling when talking to them online? Nope.

Is bacon one of your favorite foods? I enjoy it on occasion, but it’s definitely not one of my favorite foods by any means.

Are you one of those people who like to sleep in on the weekends? Yes but my kids say no. Lol.

Do you like things Vampire related? I do. Although I’m super into fairies right now. :p

Have you ever cussed at a parent or teacher? Not that I can remember.

When was the last time you saw snow? Whenever it snowed last, which wasn’t as long ago as it should have been. Lol.

Have you ever felt stupid after saying something? All the time.

Do you find yourself cold at the moment? Nope.

Are your nails currently long? Longer than I like them to be. Especially with my job being with kids.

Are you the kind of person who does not like talking about their past? I talk about it too much sometimes. Especially on here.

Do you have long slender fingers or short chunky ones? Chunky. :(

Do you think your foot size fits your body type? No. They’re too big for as short as I am.

Are you the competitive type? Noo.

Are you more of a mommy’s person or a daddy’s person? Momma’s.

#survey #surveys #personal #question #questions #random

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christinescupofcoffee · 1 month ago

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First Strike is Deadly | Chapter One: Prickly Pear

My legs carried me up to the top of the hill, and I reached the crest with utmost ease. There was a bit of a breeze that day, and there was not a cloud in the sky, either. I stood there with my hands pressed to my hips and the breeze billowing my braid off to the side. I turned and looked at the plume of hair at the end of the braid. Even though I had killed my potential killer, there was not a lick of blood to be found on my hair. Indeed, the strands of hair making up the braid had returned to appearance of hair right then and there.

I glanced behind me to the view, to the sight of the hills and Route 66 down below. I let myself be enveloped by the sunlight.

I stood up to a killer, and I couldn’t help but feel like the venom of the scorpion had done something unto me: had I not been stung, I probably would’ve been hauled away in the back of his truck at that point and I would be out there in the desert alone with him. It made me sick to think about.

But I was alive and feeling powerful, and I returned to the top of the mesa right there before me. A few scraggly shrubs dotted the sun-baked earth before me, and I noticed a bundle of prickly pear on the far side there. I hadn’t had prickly pear in quite some time at that point, and I decided to try my hand at picking it: I did have some pretty sturdy gloves in my pack, and I wondered if I could do it with the assistance of the book in the small pocket at the side of my pack.

I made my way over there, whereby I beheld the sight of the pile of rounded rich green ovals decorated in those sharp points: violet tinged a few of them, and I knew it was ripe. I took my gloves out of hiding and put them on.

When I reached the side of the cluster, I spotted another woman who looked to be about my age. She was slender and wore a black midriff top and snug jeans with flared hems lined with black leather. She looked like the kind of person whom I would be around before the scorpion’s sting, but when I saw her, I immediately could feel my braid firming up again at the sight of her. I could feel it retracting back towards the back of my head.

I turned to the prickly pear before me for a couple of pieces to take home with me for either a round of cocktails with Brendan, but then she lifted her head and squinted her eyes at me in reaction to the sunlight. She showed me a friendly little smile, and I could feel the stinger laying back down on my upper back: it was still ready, but I had to trust her, especially when she looked that easygoing.

“You, too?” she asked me.

“Yeah, may as well,” I replied. “Get ‘em while they’re ripening up and big like this.”

She took some clippers and removed a few nopales from the part of the cactus in front of her: I noticed she had a basket slung over her forearm.

“I need one of those,” I said.

“A little wicker basket like this? Oh, yeah, it’ll definitely come in handy soon enough.” She took another one and tucked it away in the basket, and then she extended a hand to me.

“Vanessa,” she replied.

“Vanessa… I’m Jane.”

There was something odd about her, and I knew that it had something to do with the way that her hair was shaped: she had taken her bangs and styled them up into tight points with a slight bend to them, as if she had horns on her head. She, too, had a braid on the back of her head, whereby I noticed the end of it in the shape of a point. She lifted her gaze from the tops of the prickly pear for a look over at me.

“You okay?” she asked me, slightly confused.

“Yeah, I’m just looking at your hair,” I confessed.

“Oh, yeah, my… my spikes,” she said with a nudge of the one closest to me. “This is gonna sound crazy, but I got stung by a vinegaroon last year—pretty badly, too—and ever since then, I’ve wanted to wear my hair like this. I took my bangs and just styled them up in the way the claws of a vinegaroon stand up.”

“Weird,” I began as I took an oval of prickly pear and gently tucked it in the front pocket of my pack. “I got stung by a scorpion recently and… I feel my braid in the shape of the stinger.”

She reached behind her head for her own braid to show off the point.

“Me, too,” she noted.

“I feel like I’ve been bestowed with super strength of some kind, too,” I further confessed to her.

“The same feeling happened with me as well,” she replied. “It’s like you danced with death and then returned to life with a new zest of sorts, like the venom placed the defibrillator on you and sent the voltage all through you. Now you carry a switchblade and threaten to cut anyone who even so much as looks at you funny.” She clipped off more pieces of prickly pear and tucked them into her basket, and then she closed the lid.

“Were you attacked recently?” she then asked me in a low voice.

“Yeah, about twenty minutes ago,” I replied. “Some guy came at me with a knife and then fought back against him. I stuck my stinger deep into him and made him bleed out right before my eyes.”

“I got two guys,” Vanessa said. “I killed the first with the venom from my ‘tail’ here—” She flicked her braid forward, over her shoulder so the point curled up over her breasts. “—and then I quite literally ripped the other one apart limb from limb with my bare hands. It happened just yesterday, too, and it still feels like a dream, like… did I actually do that? You wanna know what else I did?”

“What’s that?”

She gestured for me to move in closer, and I leaned into her, complete with the prickly pear off to the side to act as our protection, even though we were alone on the crest of the plateau.

“I masturbated to the thought of it,” she whispered to me. I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“Really?” I asked her in a low voice, and she nodded.

“I couldn’t explain it, but… it felt good. It made me feel good.” She flashed me a wink, and then she held back. It was there that she lowered her gaze to my legs and gasped.

“I see you saw my scar,” I told her.

“Oh, wow,” she remarked as she crouched down right next to me; she ran her fingers down the scar tissue on my leg. “Is that from the scorpion?”

“It is,” I replied; her fingers reminded me of little feathers down my skin, such that it nudged something in me. Vanessa stood back up and wiped her hands together.

“Does it hurt at all?”

“Not really,” I said. “It’s just kind of… unsightly is all.”

“Let me take you back to my place. I have some things that can help with that. When I got stung by the vinegaroon, I put some shea butter and aloe on it and it helped rid of the appearance a bit, especially when I got stung on the ankle.”

“Oh, my goodness,” I remarked, and careful not to stab myself with the spines of the nopales, I closed the pocket on my pack, and I slung it back over my shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll take some of that.”

She then led me around the cactus to the other side of the plateau: it was there I spotted the rows of houses down below the bushes and the thick sprouts of prickly pear here and there throughout the hillside. While we made our way down the plateau, I glanced around for any cues of scorpions or snakes throughout the bushes, but they didn’t look to be out that day, despite it being rather warm out.

The trail leveled out a bit, and I took my phone out from my pocket to check my messages.

“Brendan called,” I said aloud.

“Brendan?”

“My… best guy friend,” was all I could muster.

“You can say boyfriend’,” she assured me with a shake of her head. “I won’t mind at all.”

“Okay.” I closed my eyes and let out a low whistle. “Yes. He’s my boyfriend. He called me while we were out, and he told me to call him back.”

“Better call him,” she stated in a low voice. I noticed she had a little smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. We reached the bottom of the plateau and I opened my phone for his number. As we continued on walking to the bottom of the hill and eventually the pavement, I dialed his number.

It rang once, twice, three times—

“Hey, you,” his voice crackled on over the phone. “I was wondering about you.”

“I was out on a hike,” I replied. “What’s happening?”

“I’ve been thinking,” he began, “I want to away from Santa Fe up to Nevada.”

“Really?” Vanessa pulled away a bit to give me some privacy of sorts, and it helped that I slowed down a bit as well. “What for?”

“I want you to come with me,” he continued, “and especially after you got stung by that scorpion, I really want you to be away from here.”

“There are scorpions up in Nevada, too,” I pointed out; as the words left my lips, I noticed that Vanessa was glancing back at me with a somewhat worried look in her eyes. She took her keys out from her bag, and it took me a moment to realize that her house was the first one before us, the little gray one with a mocha-colored roof and matching shutters on the windows. She stopped right next to the chimney as she waited for me.

“Yeah, but they aren’t as prevalent up there as they are here,” he said, and I could tell he was worried. “They aren’t as terrifying, either. I just keep worrying about you.”

I nibbled on my bottom lip.

“Okay, um… when do you want to do that?”

“I’m in the process of it as we speak,” he informed me. “Let’s shoot for the end of summer at the earliest.”

“Let’s talk more later, though,” I told him. “I’m going to a friend’s house right now.”

“Okay! Yeah, we can do that. I love you, Jane.”

“I love you, too,” I returned the favor, and we hung up at the same time.

“Man friend wants to take you to a place without any arachnids?” Vanessa summed it up. “Mind me asking, of course?”

“Yeah, he does,” I replied.

“He’s gonna be in for a rude awakening, though,” she pointed out as she stuck the key into the door there on the side of the house.

“That was what I told him,” I said as she nudged the door open. I was greeted by the smell of pepper and incense as well as the sight of the dark red shag rug before the door. Red and orange beads dangled down in fine bands from the sparkling opal ceiling like that of a tapestry, and she led me into the cool, dimly lit living room on the left side of the corridor.

“Very interesting entrance,” I told her as I closed the door behind me.

“It’s actually the side door,” Vanessa replied as she set her bag and the basket down next to the comfy-looking couch next to the effigy and accompanying sugar skulls in the corner. “The front door’s in need of fixing.” She turned the low side table next to the couch and showed me a big bottle of shea butter as well as another bottle of aloe juice.

“Perfect!” I set my things down on the floor next to the couch, and she happily handed them over to me. But rather than joining me there on the couch, she took her spot on the floor next to me, right in the face of the scar on my leg. As I put some shea butter in the palm of my hand, and then I subsequently rubbed it down my leg, I noticed her watching me all the while, and she wasn’t just watching me in the way that she made sure I was putting it on properly.

“You ever… do anything with girls?” she asked me on a low voice and with a clearing of her throat as well.

“No, but I have thought about it, though,” I confessed to her, and she lowered her gaze to my bare legs. She nibbled on her bottom lip as I smeared the butter down my skin. She then lifted her gaze up to me, and all the while, she showed me a little smirk. I was telling the truth about that, too.

Even though I had only met her not even a few minutes before, we were in her house, and I could feel the tension between us, and I could feel it more as I moved my hand along the toned line of my lower leg and applied more shea butter. Something told me that the sting did far more than inject me with a newfound zest for life, and it did the same for her as well.

Things could get interesting so fast.

#writing #writers on tumblr #writeblr #my writing #original story #original fiction #original series #original character #the scorpion ladies #chapter 1 #also on ao3 #text

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