#you can't tell me the two of them didn't have a heart-to-heart by the campfire while eating some pork chops or something

[jo-the-bass-stealer]

the great divide is probably the least interesting episode of atla. this is not a hot take.

HOWEVER.

consider bi girl sokka, who just a couple episodes ago met the kyoshi warriors and got a lil kiss on the cheek from suki (another girl. gasp.) seeing the leader of the zhang tribe??? butchest woman to ever live??? are you kidding me???

[agatharkn3ss]

Rio's flower theory (contains spoilers!)

Some people have noticed how Rio's flower kept making appearance in the last episode, so naturally I re-watched it for the 100th time, and made note of every moment we see the flower because I have a theory...

First appearance - Rio presents it to Agatha when she crawls out of the ground

Agatha pushed it out of her hand, but it's unclear what happens to it - I thought maybe it looked like she put it in her coat pocket, but actually I think she just threw it to the ground, she would be too angry to keep it. And so we see the flower back in Rio's hands when she merrily hops along the Road. She doesn't stop playing with it even when they stop to look at the trial house.

The flower (and also her knife) is also present in the trial. As we saw with Agatha's locket, amulets and Joe's spell book, the trial seems to let the witches keep things that are important to them.

When they exit the trial, frantically trying to save Teen, Rio is back playing with the flower again, silently observing Agatha.

This continues until the campfire. Seriously, why is this girl stimming so much?

The interesting bit is when Agatha returns from Teen. Her hands are in her pocket, so we can't see whether she's holding something in her hands or if she's taking something from her pocket. But in the next frame, as she sits down to join the coven, she has that flower in her left hand! I think Rio must have put it on the seat, waiting for her. There are some interesting looks!

Finally, when Rio gets up to go after Agatha, the camera pans out and we see the flower has actually been left back on the log, where Agatha sat... What is the meaning of it?....

So in summary, the flower has some deeper meaning to Rio and she seems to really treasure it, maybe even use it as a stimming device, maybe trying to control her emotions?

Enter the Marvel promo for Death tarot card!

In one hand, we see Death holds her dagger (looking familiar?), in the other hand she holds an object that people believe to be Death's black heart. But it also reminds me the shape of a flower. So what if Rio's flower IS her heart? That she keeps offering to Agatha?

But I wonder if Agatha realises the meaning of the flower yet. In ep.1 she looked a little surprised when Rio says she does have a heart, that it's black and beats for her. It would be hard to believe that if these two were an item for centuries, that they wouldn't end up knowing everything about each other. So Agatha's "you don't have a heart" could just be a snarky, hurtful comment to reflect Rio's possible betrayal (the "job" she had to do) or a more literal fact that she doesn't believe Rio can be truly human in any physical way (no heart, no scars), because she's Lady Death. Or both. So maybe Rio hid that part from her? They certainly seem like they didn't even talk and reconcile after the dramatic events because Agatha seems surprised at Rio's hurt and regret when she tells her "scar story".

Anyway, I digress... In short, I think flower is (or at least symbolises) Rio's heart.

Bonus content - we actually get a glimpse of that flower in ep.1 as it makes its appearance even in Agatha's fake reality. Even though the camera angles make it impossible to see it most of the time, there are scenes when Rio moves her head just enough that we can see a bit of her her clip - which looks eerily like the flower!

While there was no actual flower in their ep.1 fight scene, Agatha is wearing a flowery robe and the wallpaper is all flowers. So I think there is a deeper symbolism there that the show is trying to subtly incorporate - does it all link to the Green Witch powers? Or the language of flowers?

Even Teen places a flower on Sharon's grave, where would he even get it from in that dark place? And finally, Jen uses blue flowers when they summon the green witch (Lilia offers a rock, Agatha adds a leaf and it's not clear what Alice adds - some dust or fruit?)

So... after all that, I don't actually know anything about plants or gardening. So does anyone know what type Rio's flower even is? I mean, there literally is a flower called Rio, could that be a hint or is it too simple?

EDIT: My bad, Rio is a proprietary company name who sells those flowers. But what about this flower called Surprise Lily? (also called Resurrection Lily!) Doesn't look quite like Rio's but I like the name as it would be quite funny if it was true...

[multi-fandom-imagine]

🏕️ camping || Bigby Wolf ||

A/n: My love for Bigby has returned, so I had to write some dad!Bigby things

Bigby didn't do camping, he spent enough of his life time in the woods so why the fuck would he do it willingly.

But then you asked which in turn got the pups excited and he couldn't say no to them which in turn lead to him driving his shitty ass truck to some shitty ass camp ground in upstate New York.

Rolling his neck, he parked the truck as he barely had a chance to tell the kids to stay safe.

"Hey! Don't go far." Bigby shouted as all seven of them rushed out of truck as then ran off to the lake to play in. Shaking his head he turned to find you sleeping. Letting his fingers caress your cheek his gaze softened. He was so lucky to have you, his best friend, the one he loved. "Red, we're here."

Blinking sleep from your eyes, you let out a yawn then turned to smile at him. "Thank you for doing this." Leaning forward you pressed your lips into his for a gentle kiss.

Humming, Bigby gave you a smile shaking his head as he placed one last kiss to the top of your head.

"You don't need to thank me, I can't say no to you let alone the kids."

Stepping out of the truck you raised your arms above your head. "Well I'll go check on them, do you need help setting up?"

"I'm good, go have fun with the kids."

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Bigby glanced at the two tents. A smaller one for the kids than a much larger one a few feet away. He knew it was pointless though since he expected them to come to you half way in the night.

It was the choir of 'daddys' and 'dada' that snapped him out of his thoughts. Each of them jumping on his leg trying to knock him down.

"Come swim with us daddy!" One of them asked, she was already climbing up half way through his pant legs.

Grabbing her by the scruff he then set her down rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What did I say about shifting in public places."

Bigby looked over his children, half of them in their tiny wolf forms as the others stayed as normal humans.

"Don't." They chimed.

"So why-."

"Mommy said we could."

Letting out a grunt he then dropped his shoulders nodding his head. While it might be safe for them, he knew he had no chance to due to his size. "Come on let's go swimming...but do not leave my side."

"Yay!!!"

Catching his breath, Bigby sat next to you in one of the chairs as the kids continued to play and splash around in the lake. "How do they have so much energy?"

Snorting, you closed the book you were reading as your head then rested on his chest. "They are children Bigby."

Letting his arm wrap around your waist he then closed his eyes. "Not to mention they are part wolf."

Smiling you closed your eyes enjoying the sound of your husband's heart beat, of your children's laughter as you fell asleep.

You weren't quite sure how long you slept but it was night time, the sun long set as the kids were gathered around the campfire listing intensely to whatever story there was telling them.

"I see sleeping beauty is finally awake."

Shaking your head, you pulled your chair giving Bigby a look as one of the kids crawled into your lap.

"Please, don't stop on my account."

Giving you a grin, Bigby retuned to his story. Your gaze fixated on him.

While some of the people in fable town may still not trust Bigby, a few may still hate him. He had you and his children. The ones that mattered most.

He might be known as the Big Bad Wolf but to you he was your loving husband, an amazing father.

And nothing will ever change that.

[mayasaurusss]

Day one: Mushroom hunting

Today is quiet. Everyone is doing their best to provide for the group: finding wood to burn, gathering herbs or hunting. You sit near the campfire, cutting off wood with the point of the knife to create makeshift arrows. You hear her before you see her. Lottie sit next to you, looking at your work. "What are you doing?" she asks, attempting to small talk with you, only to get shut down by your sour mood. "I'm making an arrow. Isn't it obvious?" she's a little hurt by your words but doesn't say anything. Both of you changed since the crash, and your relastionship is slowly deteriorating away.

You guys never even kiss that much anymore, only exchanging quick pecs here and there. She knows you still love her, and she loves you too, but the impending doom hanging on your head is making it difficult to enjoy anything.

She has to think of something, and fast.

When she sees Mari chopping the remains of meat and herbs, she has an idea. "We should go look for mushrooms" she tells you with that calm voice of hers, getting your attention. "What? But- but I am making-" she shush you before you can finish your sentence. "I know what you are making, but we should go look for food".

"Okay, I'll go take Misty-" you feel her hand pressing down on yours, her dark eyes peering into yours. "Let's go, just the two of us".

"But...Misty can recognize mushrooms..." you point to where the cabin, where Misty is, probably checking in on Ben.

"She's not the only one who can do that" her legs strech as she gets up, towering over your figure, "So? Let's go".

This is how you end up tailing after Lottie, hearing leaves crunch beneath your feet.

"Are you sure you know how to distinguish mushrooms? I'd rather not be accidentally poisoned" you kick a chestnut away, accidentally hitting Lottie's shin with it. She looks at the chestnut, then at you, then again at the chestnut before continuing to walk.

"Yeah. I know mushrooms. I have been reading a lot of books about them" that sound pretty weird coming from Lottie. The tought that one of the most popoular girls at school is truly a nerd at heart is endearing at best.

You let out a small laugh, "What's the sudden interest in mushrooms?" Lottie hums in thought, recalling an old memory of hers.

"When I was little, I had gone to my home's backyard. It rained the night before, so there were mushrooms everywhere". With the point of the knife you used prior, she carves a sign on one of the trees, indicating your passage.

"I was a pretty dumb kid, so I thought that those were just normal mushrooms. I didn't know how to cook them -obviously- so I took a bite out of one". She lets out a small laugh, one that you have missed ever since the crash. "I got food poisoned. My parents had to drive me to the nearest hospital and I had to get a stomach pump".

"So I decided I would study them so I wouldn't get poisoned again. Then I learnt that they're very complex..." she stops for a moment in her tracks, thinking, "...fungi".

"You forgot what they are, didn't you?" you only recive a huffed hum in response. Suddenly, Lottie bends over and inspects the root of a tree. There are various mushrooms growing at the root of the tree, golden and funnel shaped. "These are Chanterelles. They are good for eating" she cuts the stems and places them in her backpack.

"What about these?" you gesture to some white ones with a round top. "Are their gills brown or yellow?" you look to see a reddish brown colour on the underside of the caps.

"Brown" Lottie's voice rings behind you, "Take it, it's edible".

"And these ones?" you point to a small patch of round and flat mushrooms. They are white in colour, darkening to a deep brown towards the centre.

Lottie tails behind you before you can touch them. "No! Don't touch those!" she takes your wrist in her hand and holds it, worry written all over her face. "H-Have you touched them? Are you okay?" the situation is less than ideal to think so, but you can't help but feel a slight hold on your heart when you see Lottie so worked up over your safety.

"Uh- yes, yes I am okay" she breaths out a sigh of relief, helping you stand up. "So...are those very poisonous?", Lottie let's out a worried laugh, "Well, they're called 'Death Cap' so, make of that what you will". Lottie seem absent, having gone silent. "Look" she says, attracting your attention.

The last sunrays are flooding in between the trees, tinting the forest floor with a warm light. You can see the sun peering in between the branches, red like the last flames of a dying fire. Wind blows through the leaves, creating an echo throughout the entire forest.

You are at loss of words, only admiring the beautiful scenery in front of you. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" then there's Lottie, standing as a black figure against the sunrays. She is ethereal.

"Shall we get back?"

You speak, and your voice doesn't truly sounds like yours; your heart cries for something. "I missed you" is what you tell her, earning a sad smile from her, "I know".

[apollosunshineisdead]

my favorite lyric or two from every will wood song

Everything is a Lot:

6up 5oh: "they shoulda fried me, I'll give ya PTSD!"

skeleton Appreciation Day: "give me all your LSD so i can feel my mind unweave again!"

front Street: "you said let loose, but now you're lost"

aikido!: "i told doctor tillis to prescribe an illness, but he said his schedule's filled with children with need Prozac, prilosec and lo-jack, triple-sec and lexapro"

white Knuckle Jerk: "i wonder how i woke up in the middle of my surgery, and i watched them botch my heart"

cover This Song!: "i'm just a little bit crazy 'bout you, just a little bit out of my mind"

Thermodynamic Lawyer: "so all that i see, absolute entropy as the chemical bounds fall apart"

red Moon: "the crescent rests, tethered to the west"

lysergide Daydream: "ooh, i wanna be on the picture on the postcard, pouring pitchers in the backyard by the garden we tend"

the First Step: "i lost count after 21 in the college crawl"

jimmy Mushrooms': "i think the truth is that everyone's wrong!"

Compound Fracture: "bienvenidos a la villa de arañas españas"

everything is a Lot: "night sky, i wonder why i am alive until i die / i find that at this size, no answer can be right"

destroy to Enjoy: "lao tzu, chaung tzu, yin-yang tattoos, FUCK your mystic wisdom! find your own way home from Bonnaroo!"

SELF-iSH:

self-: "i'll shake the apples from my family tree, so when the autumn comes to take the leaves..."

2012: "testing my hypothesis, never finding a theory!"

cotard's Solution: "rolling my third eye into the back, of my head and squinting through the black"

mr. Capgras: "eulogy or biography, i'm who i ought to be, and that is God to me"

the Song with 5 Names: "WHAT IS "IS"? WHAT IS "NOT"? WHAT IS "WHAT"? WHAT'S UP PARTY PEOPLE! WHAT? / WHY I WONDER WHY I'M NOT WHATEVER, WHAT THE FUCK!"

hand Me My Shovel: "looking up, i could say Heaven sent me! / hand me my shovel, i'm going in!"

dr. Sunshine is Dead: "i'm noone if i'm nowhere in between!"

-ish: "well at 27 will i see, that i was born to be the man i'll be?"

The Normal Album:

greetings from Mary Bell Township!: "so give me your half-life crisis / i can tell that you know where paradise is!"

(vampire) Culture: come on, drink that BLOOD! didn't they want your blood?

Love Me, normally: the Lord looked down, said, "hey, you're only mortal"

2econd 2ight 2eer: "my grip on the secrets' slippin' while i'm speakin' in tongues!"

laplace's Angel: "so if you wash your hands of where you've been until you flood the second floor / neatly fold your skeletons, but still can't shut the closet door"

i/Me/myself: "eating your prosthetic, meet your anesthetic"

...well, better than the Alternative: "she's gonna be a lot like me, but i don't wanna be at all like me"

outliars And Hyppocrates: "i am the shadows cast aside by gallows, and you, the red hot sky"

blackBoxWarrior - OKULTRA: "his ribcage was a hornet's nest, his palpitations set the beat!"

marsha, thankk you for the Dialects: "doctor, what's my prognosis if the studies show that / disease is in the eye of the beholder, tell me "so it goes!""

love, Me Normally: "is there nothing to fear, cuz shit's getting weird!"

memento Mori: "no need to fear cuz when it's Here you won't be alive / try not to think about it!"

Camp Here & There: Campfire Songs:

venetian Blind Man: "string on his finger, a tourniquet ring"

yes, to err is Human: "if you don't hate me, then reanimate me!"

your body, My Temple: "furthering the fever of your fervor for believing, I will"

when somebody Needs you: "fishing lure moon on a string for you, didn't you say you need space?"

"In Case I Make It,"

tomcat Disposables: "what's the moon made of? meet me there after i'm gone"

becoming The Lastnames: "weeding out the garden where the milestones gather moss"

Cicada Days: "here at the end of days, my god, what have I done? / christ, now it feels damn inhumane to get all i dreamed of"

euthanasia: "and every, everybody dies / fighting for their lives, just trying to survive"

falling Up: "airplane eclipses over spirals of math – would or could the impact kill me?"

that's Enough, let's get you Home: "but CO2 and fish tanks do enough to get you home"

um, it's Kind of a Lot: "sorry darling, please excuse my constant need to self-aggrandize!"

half-Decade Hangover: "but i can't make amends for things i can't remember"

vampire Reference in a Minor Key: "the seraphim on my shoulder, whispering "please don't turn your head""

you liked this: "Ten Red Flags that a Neurotypical Narcissist is Trauma Dump Gaslighting You into Sex-Negative Self-Abuse Emotional Labor and Internalised Reverse Racism Against Post-Modern Flat Earthers with Facts and Logic (Number Seven Will Destroy Your Family)"

the Main Character: "judge me by what my cover shows, author becomes beyond reproach"

Against the Kitchen Floor: "i'm not a good person, i'm barely a person at all"

Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll: "and i hate proving that i'm still human after all"

BFB's Blueberry Pie: " "

Willard!: "so gather 'round pandora's skinner's box, look through the one-way mirror / if you can see in shade's of grey, the colors are much clearer"

White Noise: "it begs the question just to tell you the answer!"

ICIMI outtakes:

misanthrapologist: "I hear your hear beating under the floorboards" and if i did, you deserved it: "that i really don't carе what you think or what you say, either that or I do way too much, oh well whatever, either way"

thank you for listening

[mattraeax]

Stitched

Zoro x Reader [1/?]

WC - 1164

Warnings ↔ mentions abuse (work + additional notes), alcohol (work + additional notes), zoro kinda really sucks ass in this, OOC Luffy (? idk he's serious so to me that counts)

Notes ↔ i debated making this third or first pov but I said fuck it and did second bc it irritates my friend so badly AND bc it helps feedback putting yourself in a situation, excuse the shittiness of it im so out of touch w/ writing anything not genuinely disturbing LMFAO; additional notes/vent at the end I REALLY really need some advice 😭

IF YOU SEE THEY/THEIR WHERE YOU/YOUR IS SUPPOSED TO BE NO YOU DON'T 😁

story under "keep reading as to not clog/give you carpal tunnel <3

It was a cool night out in the Alabasta desert and Ace decided to make up games around the campfire to ease tensions about the war. Everyone was sitting around talking and enjoying themselves, occasionally breaking the peace was Ussop yelling at Luffy to "leave the fire to the fire man please" when he started to “cook his food over here so you all won't take it”. 

You were enjoying the chaos, speaking with Nami when they felt a hand on their shoulder. "hey I need to talk to you" Zoro said, practically dragging you behind a pair of boulders some ways away from, the crew. "Why don't you treat me like a priority?" Before you could even look up at the man, he began rapid-firing questions like an interrogation. The two of you had been together for what seemed like forever and he felt you didn't value them. "Why don't you talk to me as much as you talk to Nami or Ace or Ussop? How come you don't ask personal questions about me?" he continued on and on, pouring his heart out. You grabbed Zoro’s hand, leading him to sit on smaller rocks. 

"Zoro are you drunk? What's going on?" you asked, but you already knew. Zoro wasn’t a man of face to face confrontation if it didn’t involve violence unless he was at least buzzed. He knew you were concerned and somewhat appreciated it, but he was upset. He continued to stare, waiting for a response. You looked him in the eyes and squeezed his hands gently. "Zoro. My love, I am sincerely sorry I treat you the way I do to where you don't feel like a priority in my life. As you know I’m sick and am almost always asleep or on the verge of it, and barely have the energy to get out of bed, let alone come to find and spend time with you but that’s no excuse. You are truly the most important person in my life and I'm sorry I'm not making you feel as special to me as I know you are.” You sighed, leaning their elbows on their knees, and spoke as softly as possible to avoid further emotional strain. “I don't ask you questions because you tell me everything before I can even think of what to ask. I told you how I feel about you drinking so much. I know you have a lot going on in your head but I’d rather you just talk to me. I hate it when you drink so much Zoro." 

He squinted, seemingly trying to make sense of your words. “Y/N I get you're tired all the time but that's no excuse. I always still find time for you when I'm busy and I can't figure out why you won't do the same. I’m not saying all of this to make you feel bad but it's been for months now. I feel like I'm a side piece to you. I don't feel like this relationship is working, sometimes it feels like its all one sided because we barely interact. The way you treat me makes me feel abused by you. Emotionally physically and mentally I am being abused by you and your actions I feel like you just don't care.” Zoro continued on and on, repeating everything in different ways. You, however, were stunned. The love of your life has lost his mind. You blinked once, twice, and stood up. “Zoro. Im going to bed. Please keep your distance from me I need to think some things over.” At the mention of space, he stood up and raised his voice just enough to draw the crew's attention. “You will stay here while we finish our conversation Y/N L/N.” 

You turned around in shock at being shouted at, trying to calm yourself before making this any more painful. “Roronoa Zoro, it’s not much of a conversation when all you do is drone on and interrupt me when I answer whatever question you've asked for the nth time in a row. I hate when you don't listen yet demand I change my actions. It’s not my fault you choose to ignore me when I try to speak to you or go to bed not 10 minutes into our alone time everytime. I tell you every time when I don’t feel well enough to hold a regular conversation or when I’m exhausted beyond belief but you’re so dense you think I’m lying. You can’t figure out why I don’t communicate before you only think of yourself Zoro! You do not dictate what I do or when I speak with you. Leave me alone for now Zoro.” Everyone could have sworn the desert had never been quieter. Y/N was high on adrenaline, remembering why you loathe alcohol. In a heartbeat, Zoro was in their face, bent down at eye level. “You need to do better Y/N. I lov- well maybe not that word, that's too strong but I do like you a lot. I want to make this work with you. Get it together.” he gritted through his teeth. That was your last straw. Eerily calm, you backed up, muttered a very soft “okay” and walked back to the temporary base. Everyone looked extremely uncomfortable and sympathetic for them, as they had nosely listened to  overheard everything. You picked up your sleeping bag and a spare piece of wood, walking up to Ace. “Hey I'm sorry to bother you but can you light this? Don't wanna ruin your lovely blaze here.” you weakly chuckled, gesturing to the fire.

 He nodded, trying to make eye contact but failing as they looked away quickly. As they walked away from the group, Luffy approached them, slightly startling you. “Sorry didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay? Do you need anything?” he asked rather seriously, a rare but much-appreciated sight for them. You turned to your captain and the crew. “Please keep your swordsman away from me for a while. I may actually end up killing him if he’s anywhere around me.” Your tone set everyone on edge. Seeing everyone nod and affirm the favor, you slouched, finally relieved to be away from him. Between the flashbacks and the headrush of shouting, you finally felt safe. You felt your body grow weak and hit the sand. Luffy reached out to you but he was waved off. “I’m alright Luffy. Goodnight everyone, I'll be 56 paces this way when yall are ready to get going in the morning.” pointing over your shoulder, diagonal to where your “conversation” with Zoro took place for as much distance as possible. As you walked and set up for the night you couldn’t help but cry, remembering that any and every time alcohol was involved it was a disappointment. You wondered if you were the catalyst for everyone’s drinking habits as you finally got to sleep, absolutely dreading the morning.

↪

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (◎﹏◎) oh my god my partner (idek what to call him now I ain't spoke to him in bout a week n a half dog) called me drunk and called me all types of manipulative n abusive for not communicating enough (im chronically ill and the heat is NOT helping, he knows this) and called our relationship a situationship so that's always wonderful to hear. every line from zoro is either exactly or summed up what this mf said to me and oh my god I really just don't know what to do, I'm not sure if i wanna make it work or not

close friend said its manipulative as fuck n i need to get out bc every fight we've been in has been bc he forgot I said/told him something and he flipped it to me not communicating, I can see it but FUCK why is leaving so hard

[breninarthur]

Happy Friday Aster!!! intrigued by ❛ i look at you and my heart breaks because all i see is loneliness. ❜ from the for the damaged prompts - for maybe Kallian Tabris & Duncan? 👀 OR Kallian Tabris / Anders unrequited? 👀👀👀

ohhhhh this one is so good, thank you for the prompt!! i might revisit this for kallian & duncan because it's such a good fit for them too, but unrequited kanders came first!

rated g. unreciprocated tabris/anders for @dadrunkwriting. 712 words. anders and the hero of ferelden talk. he thinks about how how they met, among other things.

* * * *

Anders had expected the Wardens to be just another prison; another guarded tower to escape. But Commander Tabris was anything but what he'd expected of the fearsome Hero of Ferelden.

Kallian. That was her name. She'd grumbled about how formal "Commander" was, but no one around the Keep quite knew how to talk to her. She'd saved the whole of Ferelden; how did you speak to someone like that? And on a personal level, she'd saved him too.

When the Warden barged in with two recruits in tow and saw Anders, surrounded by dead templars, he would have been lying if he'd said the fear of the Maker Himself hadn't coursed through him. But she kept him. Rescued him from the Circle, the only way she knew how.

"That's how I was recruited too, you know," she said to him one night as they warmed by the campfire, before lowering her voice dramatically. "Ferelden's Warden-Commander invoking the Right of Conscription to pull someone out of the jaws of the law... I hope you carry on the tradition."

He balked at her. "What?"

"What?" she gave him a small, tired smile before turning back to the fire. "I hope it's one of you, after me. You'd make a good Commander, I think."

"Maker, I'm not sure about that," he laughed self-consciously.

"I am," she said. Anders didn't think she realised how firm she sounded when she talked, how final her words sounded. She brooked no argument, ever. He wondered if the King dared disagree with her.

The King. He'd turned up at the Keep once, early on. Anders didn't know much about him save for him being Maric's bastard, and a Warden too. The Warden; or the other one anyway.

Warden-Commander Tabris and King Alistair had embraced that day, undoubtedly unsatisfying in all their armour. But they held each other anyway, their faces buried in the crook of their necks, the only exposed bit of skin they had.

"Are you the King's mistress?" he blurted out, inwardly cursing.

She snapped her attention to him, wide-eyed and abruptly scarlet. That was a yes, then.

"Why'd you ask that?" she squeaked. He shrugged, and she looked as though she was going to say more, talk to him, like a person. Anders was reminded of how young she was; younger than him.

But she turned away, still flustered and pretending not to be, prodding at the embers of the fire with a stick.

"You just..." He trailed off, trying to think of the best way to word it. Anders wasn't sure how to tell her that his chest tightened whenever he looked at her. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that whatever he felt for her wasn't quite what a subordinate should feel for his Commander. But she was confusing. Talking with her was difficult, yet her presence was a balm. She naturally commanded respect, but held nothing over them. She wanted to be their equal, he thought.

Kallian just looked so lonely.

"If you're not," he started again slowly, against his better judgement. "The next time we're in Amaranthine, maybe we could... go to The Crown and Lion. For a drink. Alone. If you wanted to."

Kallian looked at him again. She wasn't a difficult person to read at the best of times. She looked at him with surprise in the parting of her lips, sadness in the pull of her eyebrows... and something akin to distant longing in her eyes. He knew his answer.

"I-I'd like to, I just... I can't," she muttered, dropping her gaze again.

"Okay," he forced a smile. "Don't worry, I'll ask Oghren instead."

She laughed; thank the Maker. "Oghren?"

"Yes, he's much better company."

"Yeah?" she smirked, raising her eyebrows. He hummed in response.

"Yes," he nodded sagely. "Prettier too."

"Shut the fuck up," she chuckled, grinning.

Kallian was in charge. Not just as Warden-Commander, but as Arlessa, as Bann. But she'd gained the titles, and lost her friends. And despite it all, despite everything she'd done, and everything she was... Ferelden would never accept an elven queen.

Anders looked to the fire. Dying orange flames licked at white wood. None of it was fair. But if she was lonely, he supposed he had to be lonely with her.

[istadris]

Hey, i hope this isn't a bother, but i really like that short fic you wrote where mario and luigi are sleeping next to a campfire while mario thinks to himself, imo you nail their characters so well and the premise itself is so sweet :')! I reread it every so often when i need a pick-me-up sjkshd,,

But there's a part in it thats a little hard for me to understand and i really want to, its this paragraph:

"And it hurt Mario every time. He knew he didn't understand, couldn't understand how it felt to always be scared. It even frustrated him at times, but he knew it was not something he could change and he had learned to live with it. It didn't mean he should put Luigi through it."

Who is frustrated at what? What did he know he couldn't change and learnt to live with? What shouldn't mario put luigi through?

Again i apologize if its obvious, im not a native English speaker but i really really love this fic and i can tell this paragraph is a heart wrencher and i wanna fully understand it hskdhdk,,,

I hope youre doing well! Thank you for writing such a heartwarming short story :')

First of all, thank you so much for this sweet ask, Anon! I'm very happy this fic comforts you, I have a special fondness for it since it was my first try at writing in this fandom !

Don't worry about asking ! English isn't my native language either, or maybe I could have worded that part better.

To answer your questions : Mario gets frustrated at times by Luigi's anxiety and cowardice. Usually they both manage around it, but sometimes it acts up at the worst times, and as patient as Mario is with Luigi, he's still only human, and as much as they understand each other, they're still two different people and have both parts of themselves the other can't fully understand. In Mario's case, he can't completely put himself in Luigi's shoes when it comes to his fears, and he can't completely understand what it's like to always be scared.

But, and I insist on that, Mario doesn't hold it against Luigi, ever. His frustration comes from the danger Luigi's cowardice can draw (freezing in the middle of a fight, running away from something ready to chase you, freaking out and getting hurt, distracting Mario at a crucial time...).

He knows Luigi's nature can't be changed easily and it will do nothing good to force him. Instead, he does his best to keep Luigi out of stressful situations, and provides an anchor for Luigi to get through the difficult times when they can't avoid them.

The thing is, most stressful things in their lives come from their adventures, and Mario feels guilty that by taking his brother with him, he's exposing him to danger and stress. He feels it's not fair for Luigi to face his worst fears just because he came along with Mario.

As mentioned after in the fic, his method to keep Luigi away from that stress is to leave him home, but then Luigi will get anxious anyway because he worries he's a dead weight for his brother due to his cowardice. Luigi then will try to get out of his comfort zone for Mario's sake, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it don't. Which is why Mario feels anxious in turn that he can't just find the perfect solution, like he's supposed to do.

I hope I could make it more clear for you !

[madamescarlette]

I'm feeling a tad bit too foggy to write up proper book reviews this month, so instead you're getting a list of Media I Particularly Enjoyed (In February)! for the audience of all two of you where these will all crossover, enjoy <3

Books:

Namesake by Kate Stradling (I also rec. The Heir and the Spare & Brine and Bone by her)

River Inside the River by Gregory Orr (I especially rec. this to anyone who is also a writer/poet, the last sequence was so lovely I had to stare at the wall every time I turned a page)

Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer (still makes me laugh to no end)

The Selected Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay by, well, her (I love the simplicity and sharpness of her voice, two of the three long-form poems at the very beginning made me SOB and then the rest were just very solidly good and precious to me)

Movies:

Babette's Feast (beautiful luminous never been done before)

Ponyo (rewatched after many years, still brings me unending light)

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (what I consider the better of the two Ghibli docs on HBO, and it may only be dear to me because it covers the development of The Wind Rises, but it left me with a weird sorrowful achey peace in my heart)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (I saw this with friends and I very much think you should see this with a buddy, I had a great time cackling and gasping with them over it)

Games:

Crystal Project (an as-open-world-as-you-can-make-it spiritual-successor-to-classic-JRPGs game that I was enveloped by for the better part of January and the beginning of this month. It has a great deal of quality of life things that are great for me who just likes to climb cliffs and fly over the sea, and the story was just spare and sweet enough for my taste 4.5/5)

The Last Campfire (a short and sweet puzzle-y game about the process of letting go and learning to say goodbye that is very well suited to the state I'm in currently 3.9/5)

A Space for the Unbound (a little indie that's heavily story-based; I watched a playthrough of this and unfortunately was already miserable enough that it didn't quite devastate me as normally it would have but I truly have been thinking about it constantly ever since 3.75/5)

CrossCode (for full clarity, I'm still in the midst of playing this, but I adore the main character and I think the friendships in it are so so so sweet and the conversations that they have about the game they're in get to me because I'm like hey I'VE said that!!! Issa little ARPG about a fictional MMO and the players in it and the art is GREAT 4/5 so far I'm deeply invested in it)

Songs:

Staring Contest - James Ivy (quite frankly I can't tell you why I'm obsessed with this but the bit about laundry in the closet makes me feel so known idk)

You Let Me Down - Alessia Cara

I'll Call You Mine - girl in red (drums!)

Holding Pattern - Nickel Creek (the circling chord pattern is so sparkly to me personally)

I Know the End - Phoebe Bridgers (you know the drill this song is my companion when I drive around town shout-singing at the top of my lungs)

Trying to Feel Alive - Porter Robinson (my song of this year maybe)

[auggie-beaniessssss]

Cancelled Episode 14 "Get in the way"

"Yo mama so stupid, when someone ask her what is two plus two, she say KFC Elon Musk!"

-yo mama jokes series

"Ok ok, all's well that doesn't implode on my heart causing fatal tissue damage but...what was that black substance you absorbed from my body? Was it my Kineticore?" Who cares if I just escaped death and had a near-death encounter, I NEED ANSWERS!

The girl opens her mouth and prepares to suck in air to talk before immediately stopping her breathing and hesitating. Yes, girl, whatever you say, you're still gonna get killed.

She gave the answer after a while, and she definitely made sure to say it a careful tone, "...yes,"

WELL. THAT'S. JUST. DELIGHTFUL.

"Wait, does that mean I can't..." I clench my fists and gather all my willpower to try and summon even the last strand of light...nothing. Instead, my hand just fizzes out with smoke like a campfire that had just been put out.

!!

"You..." I take a deep breath and inhale all that air in first, then exhale it out to calm myself down. Don't be mad, don't be mad...this Kineticore was going to kill you anyway...

Ah, right. Now on to the burning question of purpose.

"You say the Kineticore was designed by the Dragon Lord so he could spy on us, and kill us if necessary, so...what exactly did I do that warranted a kill?" I questioned our oh-so knowledgeable Queen of Kineticore Knowledge right here.

"Well, I really have no idea," She shrugs and responds, shaking her head dismissively.

"...The Dragon Lord. Kineticores. Wait. Um," Erik muttered to himself in deep thought, then proceeded to search his bag for a specific item he needed.

He pulled out the sacred inscription I had retrieved the first day I met Nemean. "Do you know anything about this?" He also proceeded to empty this portable Knowledge Capsule and suck it dry of information.

"This is the inscription detailing the Dragon Lord's wars and fights to become the lord of all...we needed this to get information," Erik explains further.

"Yep, that is the inscription, all right," The girl confirms it with a nod of her head.

Oh ok.

"Wait a second now...how do you even know all this?" Disparage is now questioning her in a fashion that doesn't exactly praise her wisdom.

"I was banished from my village for discovering secrets of the Dragon Lord, and it didn't help that I was already stigmatised against for being a half-blood, and you're really questioning my information source right now?" Right right right, the powerful Dragon Lord, lord of all creatures that roam the land, and still can't solve simple bullying problems.

"Well, we can't exactly tell if you can be trusted, can we, now?" Snowball smirks away at the back, hands crossed, arrogant smirk on his face.

"Speak for yourself, MOONSHADOW ELF!" And at that exact moment her eyes went full-on beast mode, glaring at Snowball with such force one might think she'd start shooting daggers out of them.

Snowball retreated back and put his hands up in the air, then did that "I told you so" face without the "I told you so" element in it, lamenting, "I'm innocent, Your Honour!"

"AND YOU. AND YOU." The girl fixes her glare onto Disparage and Nemean instead now.

The boys look at each other now with a confused expression.

"Well, it's obvious with you," She creaks her head towards Nemean. "You're another Moonshadow Elf,"

"You got me," Nemean shrugs his shoulders at that. I SWEAR TO GOD ERIK BETTER NOT BE ONE TOO-

"AND YOU NOW. You have the essence of a legendary Tengu warrior I used to know, yet you seem awfully human...what are you?"

"Oh, oh..ohoh, ho, ho, that...uh...well...one day I was out and this Tengu guy was...dying...so I offered to...host him...and in return...he gives me his powers! Yeah yeah yeah!" Disparage chokes out a few sputtered, stammered words.

Clearly someone didn't bother to prepare a convincing enough excuse first.

"Well, enough questions about us, what's with the fox? Also that weird hand of yours," Erik, who is now playing and cuddling with the fox, posed the question.

"The fox...is my ancestor, in the form of a fox to avoid being recognised, because...she also got banished for discovering Kineticore secret, ehehehe," The girl laughed away, attempting to direct the attention onto something else. Fishy.

Seeing as everyone's attention is still definitely focused on her and the fox, she just sighed and continued.

"Well, the hand was found by my ancestor back when she was...n't a fox yet, and still able to take human form, she found it on one of her wandering travels and adventures in the woods, in some distant treasure trove, she took it and left, then she found me, and apparently she wasn't able to resonate with it but I was; the moment I touched it, it fused with my hand and became what it is now, giving me incredible powers at the same time," The girl explained.

"I'm really not sure what it is, and why it has such an ominous aura, but I keep getting the feeling like this black substance is really powerful, and that this hand once belonged to a powerful second-in command general...I don't know why that's so specific, but that's just the vibe it gives me," Fox girl continued.

"By the way, how should I address you all?" She announced-asked.

"Disparage,"

"Nemean,"

"Snowball,"

"You can call me Erik, pretty sure even my own disciples do so secretly *casts side-eye at me*"

"...Alex," I hesitate before revealing my name.

"Well, I'm Hydrogenium," She reveals too. "You all trust me enough to reveal your true names?"

"Well, you know enough to know that those are our true names, so what's the point of hiding from you?" Snowball shoots down Hydrogenium's question using the power of basic logical common sense.

"Well, trust here is a good thing, we both share a common goal after all," She then continues her statement no one asked for.

"Wait, we are?" Erik queries with that puzzled look.

"I know ya'll are here to lock me up, but since one of your beloved here just suffered and I saved her, don't you think I deserve a bit of a reward?"

"And what do you want?" Snowball asks.

"Not much, it's rare that I get to meet a team with such extraordinary fighting prowess, I'd just like you to help me...rebel against the Dragon Lord,"

At that moment our eyes go wide. This woman is crazy, who would collude with her to rebel against...the DRAGON LORD.

"Alright, I'll do it," Erik announces.

Nemean nods his head in agreement.

Disparage says nothing.

"Come on you guys are insane, she's our target, why are we colluding with her? If we get her, we can just be released and go back to normal life!" I need to knock some reasoning into them.

"Well, Alex, all those missions I asked you to complete...we needed information on the Dragon Lord. So we could rebel against him. And now we have the perfect ally, why wouldn't we?" Erik reveals crucial information on WHY THE HELL I WAS TASKED TO DO ALL THOSE BLOODY TASKS. WELL.

"Fine, I guess, Disparage, you in too?" I just have to go with the flow.

He nods in agreement. Snowball as well.

"Haha, Team Dragon Lord Rebel, go!" Hydrogenium cheers delightfully as the fox scrambles to her side and jumps happily.

"We are NOT calling it that,"

[caniasfire]

embarassment flushes his body. with every sentence astarion says, the panic levels rise, but he can't stop listening. he feels warmer than usual, and he's too aware of his breathing - how do you breathe normally again? maybe he's finally having a panic attack, or maybe he's just flustered, the line between those two was very thin. astarion leaning away helps, though he's still hyperaware of how air comes in and out. don't inhale too much, don't exhale too loudly.

"oh."

that's an innuendo, right? you would think someone like amay, who had to deal with incubi and succubi for a lot of his life, would pick up faster on these type of things - or would be more careful with his words - but this was just a peak at how ill-fitted he was to play the 'devil' part, no matter how hard he tried. he honestly wants to throw himself into the campfire. swordplay. why did you bring up swords?

actually complimenting others was not something he had been trained for. it was easier to say things he didn't really mean but knew the other wanted to hear, right now he feels like he has things he means to say but he doesn't know if the elf wants to hear them. the logical part of him was begging for him to not do this, this is uncharted territory and he is not supposed to just throw himself out into the darkness like this, but he braced himself and opened his mouth. "well . . . i've met a lot of elves but you do stand out among them." alright, amay, be imaginative. years of daydreaming trained you for this. do not look at his arms, that's not imaginative, that's clearly obvious with the way he shows them off by rolling up his sleeves. "i really like your hair. your curls are really pretty." hair was really important, he had heard people say, but that's not imaginative enough if he can lift it off one of his many saved scripts. he closes his book, finally, his fingers tracing the writing on the cover as he spoke. another thing he also knew was that eye contact was good, so he tears his eyes off from the book to look at astarion's. "i've seen all kinds of eye colors as well, including red . . ." he blinks, gears turning behind his own yellow eyes as soon as he says that, but he goes on, "but yours are unique. you're very expressive with your eyes so it really draws one in. and our eyes match. they're a--" he stops himself, making sure he says the right word in the right language. "--analogous colors."

"you're really nice too." he means it this time, there's no fake smile to accompany his words, just an earnest look in his eyes. "when you brought up my skin i thought this conversation would go down differently. i can't really single out elves as the ones who make the weirdest comments about me but they are up there in the list." don't make this about you. "you're also funny. that joke you made about the tell-tale heart was funny."

"i like your laugh lines. it means you've laughed or smiled a lot, right? i like thinking about that . . ."he looks up at the sky as he examines the quality of what he just said, then lowering his gaze again to look at astarion expectantly. it was not something the devils around him would say, so that should be a good sign.

He watches with a quiet satisfaction as Amay’s smile appears, a familiar mask he’s seen so many times before. It’s a smile that hides as much as it reveals, a shield carefully raised, though he can sense the nervousness behind it. The way Amay tenses, his gaze flickering to the ground, the tight grip on his book——it’s all too telling. He’s either unused to such attention, or simply unsure how to respond. Either way, Astarion finds it endearing, though he takes care not to let it show too plainly. His charm must remain steady, calculated, never too forceful. The last thing he wants is to spook him away.

When Amay offers a polite compliment about his skill with weapons, Astarion can’t help but chuckle softly, the sound low and velvety in the quiet night air. ❛ Oh, my dear, surely you can do better than that, ❜ he purrs, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He leans back a little, still close but no longer intruding on the tiefling’s space, giving him a moment to breathe. ❛ Praising my proficiency with a sword? How dreadfully practical. ❜ He tilts his head, the moonlight catching the sharp angles of his pale face as his smile widens, teasing but never unkind. ❛ I was hoping for something a little more… imaginative. Surely there’s more you’ve noticed about me. ❜

Astarion lets the words hang, his voice dripping with playful suggestion. There’s a lightness in his tone, as if the conversation is nothing more than a harmless game. But beneath it, there’s a quiet, nagging truth he rarely admits to himself. He’s fishing, yes, but not just for flattery. He’s fishing for a confirmation he often seeks but never fully believes: that his beauty, his allure, is still intact ( it’s how he values his worth at this point ). That he’s still someone worth desiring.

He can’t remember his reflection——Cazador had taken that, along with everything else, long ago——but surely, he thinks, if Amay looks at him with such intensity, there must be something there worth admiring.

He stretches languidly, pretending to focus back on the fire but still very aware of Amay’s presence beside him. His mind flits briefly to the darker hunger gnawing at him, the thirst that never quite leaves. But he pushes it down for now. Seduction, after all, is a slow dance, and he’s willing to wait for the right moment. For now, the game continues, ❛ Trust me, darling, ❜ he adds with a wicked grin, ❛ I’m far more than just my swordplay. ❜

[surftrips]

don't be a stranger

pairing: jj maybank x reader

summary: y/n begins dating her boyfriend, not knowing that she would lose her best friend in the process.

word count: 1427

warnings: none, just angst as usual (but a happy ending!)

You began dating your boyfriend a few months ago. He was a great guy. Funny, handsome, and caring, he checked off all of the boxes of an ideal boyfriend. You were happy for once.

Unfortunately, you didn't know that having a boyfriend would mean losing your best friend in the process.

Ever since you began seeing your boyfriend, JJ started distancing himself from you. Not from the other Pogues either, just you.

It broke your heart to see him getting further away from you, but did you not deserve to be happy? You didn't understand why JJ was making you choose between your happiness and his.

But maybe it was because in another world, JJ would have been the one for you. You wanted to go back in time to August, your shirt stained with red wine from laughing too hard with him, sitting by the campfire nestled safely in his arms.

You were his best girl and he always made sure you knew that. "Just wanted to see my best girl," or "What are you up to, sunshine?"

You missed that the most. Your friendship with JJ often crossed the lines between platonic and romantic, but you didn't mind. It was like you and JJ existed in this grey area, both of you afraid to make a move but content with where you were.

You thought you had forever together to figure it out.

Then you met your boyfriend, and your conversations with JJ went from "I'm picking you up after work today," to "You don't pay attention to me anymore!"

"Because, JJ! Every time I try to get close to you now, you always pull away from me. We never hang out unless it's with the Pogues, you're always in a bad mood around me, god you won't even hug me anymore!" you had shouted at him.

Then, having regretted being so harsh, you said "I don't want things to be different between us just because I'm seeing someone."

"But how can they not be?" he responded. "Nothing ever feels right anymore."

You sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, JJ. You're my best friend, and you always will be. But I can't do this right now. You know it's not possible for us to be like the way we were before."

That was the last time you talked to him. Weeks ago. It was the longest you had ever gone without any contact from him. It was like you two were strangers again.

How did you get here?

You still loved your boyfriend, but you would be lying if you said the angst between you and JJ hadn't caused a rift in your relationship. Each time you laughed, you felt a part of yourself wish that JJ was here with you. That he was the one making you laugh.

When your boyfriend called you his girl, you almost frowned because JJ would call you his best girl until you realized that those days were long gone now.

You tried your best to hide your sadness around your boyfriend, it was something you were good at, hiding your emotions. The only person in your life that could clock you was JJ, of course.

He knew when you were mad you got passive aggressive, when you were frustrated you would cry, when you hated someone you would be extra nice to them. He could read you like a book.

Which is why you never picked up his phone calls. You knew that as soon as you tried to speak, he would know something was wrong. You wanted to believe that you were fine, that you and your boyfriend were fine, but the thought of JJ kept you up at night.

You told yourself you would never be the kind of girl that let their boyfriends take over their lives, let them drift apart from their friends. But JJ wasn't just a friend. You knew that. He knew that. You both were so caught up in whatever weird limbo you were in between friends and lovers that you almost didn't realize you had left JJ behind.

You didn't know how much longer you could be with your boyfriend. You adored him, but he just wasn't JJ. He wasn't your best friend. He wasn't the one that made you laugh the hardest or knew all your secrets. No, that was someone else.

How could you tell your boyfriend that you were starting to hate who you've become? How you wanted to go back to how life was before you ever met him?

You usually went to JJ for advice, but what were you going to say? Hey, how do I break up with my boyfriend because I realized that I am actually in love with you?

At the same time, it would be nice to hear his voice. The one that always managed to calm you down, but at the moment terrified you. You knew that he had been leaving phone calls here and there, so you decided to check your voicemail, not expecting very much.

You were surprised to see that you had not one or two, but several voicemails. All from him.

Some were just a few seconds, the longer ones were two minutes. You hit play on the most recent one, from a few days ago.

"Hey Y/N. It's JJ... I don't know if you're listening to these, but I just wanted to let you know that we're fine. I'm sorry, I was being selfish before but I decided that what I want isn't worth losing you for. I just want my best friend back. That's all."

Suddenly you couldn't hold it in anymore. You let out the sobs you've been holding in for the past few months, not caring if your boyfriend in the next room could hear or not.

—

It had been a week since you broke up with your boyfriend. Meaning that you had been sitting alone in your room trying to work up the courage to call JJ back for seven days.

All throughout this, your friends Kie and Sarah have been extremely supportive. They knew that what you and JJ had was special, and really, they just wanted the Pogues to be back together again. Ever since you left, JJ had become a shell of himself.

"I just feel awful about everything, what if he doesn't want to talk to me?" you were saying to the girls.

"Then he wouldn't have called you. All the voicemails on your phone are from him," Sarah said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, why would he leave all those messages if he didn't want to talk?" Kie added.

You knew they were right. You picked up your phone and shooed your friends out of your room.

He picked up almost immediately, his voice on the other line startling you. "Y/N?" he said.

"Hey, J. It's nice to hear your voice."

"Yours too." A beat. Then, "Why are you calling? Did something happen?"

"We used to call all the time, not just when something happens," you tried to hide the hurt in your voice, "But yeah, me and him broke up."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Y/N, what happened? He didn't hurt you, did he?" The concern in his voice causing tears to sting your eyes.

"No, no, nothing like that. I actually broke up with him."

"Oh. Pretty boy wasn't good enough for you?" You almost smiled, relieved to see that you were on bantering terms again.

"No, he just wasn't you, JJ." There it was, the truth.

You heard him take a deep breath on the other side, and then there was silence. You had been waiting weeks to confess your feelings for him, and you couldn't take it any longer.

"Please say something, JJ."

"Where are you right now?"

"I'm at home."

"Stay there, I'm coming over."

You looked outside your window. "Wait- it's raining pretty bad. You could get sick. How are you going to get here?"

"Y/N, I have been lying in bed for the past month beating myself up for not running over there and telling you how I feel. If you think this rain is going to stop me, then you've severely underestimated my love for you."

"You- you love me?"

"I thought that was clear by now." It was, but it was something else to hear him say it aloud.

"I love you too, JJ."

"Great, I'm glad we've established that. Now do I have your permission to run into the rain so I can see my best girl?"

[evelxtus]

Could I please request a fluffy reunion with reader that they haven't seen in months? Childe, albedo and whoever you would like to add toooo. Tanchu and I love your stories a lottt. Could I please be 🌸 anon too???

❛ — ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ! ♡

pairing. . . . . . childe, albedo x gn! reader.

genre. . . . . . . fluff.

notes. . . . . . . just childe and albedo because i'm thinking about doing a part two hshssh. this was so cute. and also, welcome 🌸 anon! <3

⩩ CHILDE

when you see him standing there, waiting for you to walk in his direction, tears threaten to roll down your cheeks. you're so happy to see childe again! that boy so troublesome, but at the same time so cute and careful with you.

childe can't wait to have you in his arms, so he opens them giving you free rein to throw yourself into him. it's what he wants the most right now — feeling how you melt into the warmth of his grip. this boy has been waiting months for this moment to happen.

in response you accelerate the pace of the steps, a big smile on your face as you jump towards him, and he firmly catches you by your waist, lifting you slightly off the ground and releasing a sweet chuckle.

“missed me?” he asks, the answer being more than obvious, but he wants to hear you confirm it. his fingers get lost in your hair once you're on solid ground again, holding you in that hug for a while longer, your face against his neck.

“of course i did! i... i...!” your words begin to fail you, your voice breaking when a tear escapes of your eye.

“y/n? don't tell me you're crying!” he places his hands on your shoulders, pulling you apart to see your face, which was flushed with how your feelings have betrayed you in that situation. you didn't want to cry! come on, it was only a few months... it wasn't that bad, right?...

“don't cry, or you'll make me cry too.” he comments running his thumb gently over your face, wiping your tear off your face.

“i'm sorry...” you look at him, curiously seeing his reaction, and it's the first time you have seen him simply admiring your expression, his lips curved in a genuine smile of affection.

“i've missed you too, you know. maybe a little too much.” childe muttered, he seems somewhat shy from telling you this, but soon his energetic voice returns. “you have no idea how many i have defeated in your honor while you were gone! i always repeated to myself: the more opponents i defeat, the faster you'll be by my side again.”

and basically, this is how he has dealt with your momentary remoteness. as always, cute in his own way.

⩩ ALBEDO

small snowflakes fall on your face. your nose is red from the cold, but you don't care about it because your priority is to see albedo again. and there he was, with the sketchbook in his hand as he moved his pen nimbly over the paper.

he feels a pair of eyes on him, so it doesn't take long to take his gaze from his strokes to cast a glance in your direction. when the boy sees you standing there, with a smile on your face but shaking slightly, he runs towards you.

“y/n. i didn't know you were coming back now. let's go to my camp, you'll freeze out here.” one of his hands dubiously rested on your shoulder as you nodded, walking together to that warm place. despite everything, albedo felt his heart fluttering just to having you back.

and you noticed it, because since you both met again, a small smile has not left his lips for a moment.

when you finally arrive, he releases his grip on you. you make yourself comfortable by the campfire. “i've missed you.” you admit, your cheeks red from your comment more than from the cold.

“it was a mutual feeling. i have waited for your return every day. i'm glad everything went well for you.” his voice as calm as ever, but inside albedo was a little nervous. if sucrose showed up, he was thinking he could ask her to bring some hot chocolate for you, or maybe some blankets. he just wants to keep you company longer.

for him it's alright to pause his investigations today, today he wants to focus on you. what less than dedicating a day after so much time apart.

little do you know that he has been dedicating at least a few minutes of his time to you each day. and it can be demonstrated by opening his sketchbook, where on some pages there are portraits of you, on others just lazy doodles.

of course, he doesn't intend to show it to you unless you ask him about it!

[bi-bard]

We’re Two Worlds Apart - Tenth Doctor Imagine (Doctor Who)

Title: We’re Two Worlds Apart

Pairing: Tenth Doctor X Reader

Based On: Astronomy

Word Count: 1,067 words

Warning(s): argument, yelling, pretty sure attempted kidnapping is the right warning here

Summary: After all that he’s lost, the Doctor was hoping that (Y/n) would stay with him. When they decide that’s not the best decision for them, the Doctor ends up scrambling to hold onto them.

Author's Note: Yeah... I'm sorry.

SUPERACHE - CONAN GRAY WRITING CHALLENGE MASTERLIST

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

I felt like I was ready to throw up as I walked into the console room.

"Ahh, you're awake," the Doctor said once he spotted me. "I swear, you lot sleep for ages."

"8 hours is recommended," I muttered, trying to ignore the weight in my stomach. I forced a chuckle. "I don't usually get that much."

"I'll have to fix that," he grinned at me. I grinned back at him. "You're upset."

I hummed, eyebrows furrowing.

"I can see it," he explained. "We've been traveling together for a while now. You think I can't tell?"

Another chuckle was forced out.

"(Y/n)... what's wrong?"

I let out a sigh and looked down. I heard the Doctor walking over to me. I didn't look at him until I saw the tips of his shoes. He had his eyebrows drawn up as he frowned at me.

"Talk to me."

I took a deep breath. "I... I think I should go home."

"For a visit," he asked. A smile started breaking out. "That's fine. You've just gotta ask."

He walked to the console.

"I'll take us there right now and you can have a nice visit-"

"I meant forever," I cut him off. He looked up from the controls. "I... I wanna go home."

He stared at me for a moment before furrowing his eyebrows and looking down. He was trying to avoid showing any kind of extreme reaction. I had been with him long enough to know that.

"Why," he asked after a few moments of silence.

I bit my tongue.

"(Y/n)?"

"I... I'm scared," I said. I felt pathetic saying it out loud, but it was true. "I can't do this anymore. I need to stop running. I need to feel safe."

"I can keep you safe."

"I can keep myself safe on Earth," I replied. "But here... I can't do this anymore, Doctor. I'm sorry, but I can't."

"But the adventures," he stepped toward me again. "The planets and the history and the amazing sights-"

"Don't outweigh my fear," I stopped him. "I walk out of those doors and my heart drops. I... I can't commit to helping and being with you if I can barely handle being outside of the TARDIS."

He didn't speak. He just looked at me.

"I'm sorry-"

I was cut off by him reaching over and flipping a switch. I jumped to grab the console.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm reminding you why you decided to go with me," the Doctor said, pointing at me. "I... I can't let you leave."

"Doctor, no!"

"Here."

The TARDIS landed harshly.

"Come on."

"No."

"It's a planet where there are cliffs made of pure crystal. The sun catches it just right and creates this gorgeous-"

"Doctor, stop," I said as he tried to grab my arm.

"You're right," he nodded, stepping back. "I have a much better idea."

"You aren't listening to me-"

I latched onto the console again. I closed my eyes as the TARDIS landed. The Doctor was ignoring me. He was so focused on this that he was ignoring what I was actually saying.

"Planet that is basically one giant garden. Beautiful flowers from every corner of the universe; all of them sitting here to make sure none of them go extinct."

He grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the TARDIS. I hissed a little. It hurt. He had never hurt me before.

He started pointing at plants as he dragged me away from the TARDIS. He was moving quickly. He was barely keeping himself from just running. He was trying to make sure that there was a considerable distance between me and my only ride home.

"This one genuinely smells like a campfire, which isn't great, but you can understand why it looks like flames."

"Doctor-"

"This one produces almost four times the oxygen as the average tree on Earth."

"Doctor-"

"This one is actually edible-"

"Doctor, stop!"

I finally managed to pull my arm away from his and stopped running. He stared back at me with wide eyes. I felt my heart breaking all over again.

It was silent. Tense. For the first time, he was the thing that scared me. And he knew that.

"I... I wanna go home, Doctor," I said as tears filled my eyes. "I've been thinking about this for weeks. I know what I want. No more running, no more convincing. I want to go home. Please. Let me go home."

He blinked a few times before looking around. It was like he was suddenly realizing what he had done today. I looked down, blinking away the tears.

"I... I'm sorry," he muttered. "(Y/n). I'm so, so sorry."

I stepped back when he reached for me. He froze and stepped back again.

"I'll take you home now," he promised. "I... I'm sorry."

I just nodded.

It was silent on the trip home. The only noise was the engine as we landed. I stood up and walked toward the door.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I... I just wanted to get you to stay. I thought if I convinced you, then I wouldn't have to be alone."

I stopped with my hand on the door. I walked back over to him. He was looking down as I pulled him into a tight hug. He slowly hugged me back.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"I'm not leaving because I'm angry or because I hate you," I mumbled before stepping back. "I'm leaving because this world isn't meant for me. But I know that it's perfect for you. You are always going to be that man running around with his police box that saves everyone he can. And I have had an amazing time traveling with you. I'm not trying to make you lonely, but we are on two different worlds... figuratively."

"I know," he nodded. I closed my eyes as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

I stepped back, walking backward toward the door. "Goodbye, Doctor. And thank you... for everything."

"You're welcome," he grinned. "And goodbye, (Y/n).

As the TARDIS door closed behind me, I felt a pressure roll off my back. As much as I knew I would miss the Doctor, I knew this was for the best.

For a moment, just for a moment, I was able to feel safe.

Even if that meant that the Doctor and I no longer saw eye-to-eye.

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

Masterlist (Includes links to All Writing Challenges)

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[justonemorechapternicercy]

Should finish the Halloween prompts, but I was in the mood for a bit of Nicercy fluff~

"Ugh, please, for the love of my father, just talk to him," Jason said, looking as if he was physically pained. He pushed at Nico's shoulder, trying to make him move towards the campfire.

"You know I can't," the younger one whined, eyes drifting toward the group of demigods gathered around the campfire. Percy was sitting between Annabeth and Grover, looking so pretty as if he was the son of Aphrodite and not Poseidon's. They were too far away for their conversation to be heard, but it must have been something entertaining, considering how he was laughing, head tossed back, body shaking.

"Remind me, why is that?" Jason's voice was almost as dry as the Sahara. Nico's glare could have made anybody run away in fright, but after years of friendship, Jason was immune of it.

"Because he is... He is busy," Nico stated. Blue eyes rolled at his sentence, not caring about the younger demigod's excuses anymore.

"I've heard this excuse about a thousand times. It is getting old, cuz."

Nico glared at him, but Jason's unimpressed look showed how unremarkable he thought it was. The dark haired boy sighed dejectedly.

"What do you want me to do?! March over there and tell him all about the big fucking crush I have on him? Like it went that well the previous time..."

Jason's unimpressed expression was unchanged. "As if what you did could be considered as confession... But yes, that's exactly what I think you should do! Just tell him straight in his face what you feel for him, and don't lie that those feelings are gone."

Nico considered telling him that not being straight was exactly his problem, but the look in Jason's eyes told him that it wouldn't be welcomed. Instead, he scoffed. "Jason, there's no point! He is not- we are not... We are not compatible."

The usually mild mannered demigod inhaled deeply, bracing himself not to strangle his favorite cousin. Even when he was being a fucking idiot. "What the Hades are you talking about? Each and every time the two of you are together, the chemistry between you two is overwhelming! The Aphrodite cabin is literally showing you as an example for how much compatibility can be between two people!"

The warmth flooding Nico's cheeks were immediately blamed on the heat of the fire, even if it was a bit farther away from them. "I don't know what are you talking about," he denied it, but he knew exactly what Jason was talking about. He just didn't want to talk about that.

"Nico. I love you. But you are making me stressed out! Your pinning was adorable, but it's been years and now it is just depressing," Jason said, shaking his head. "I want to know why you think he doesn't like you back."

Nico sighed, eyes lowered to the ground. There was just too many reason for it. His eyes searched for the familiar form of the pretty son of Poseidon, while the depressingly honest answer left his mouth without his consent, "Because he is Percy Jackson. Look at him, Jason, just look at him!"

The blonde demigod followed Nico's example, glancing at the small group of friends. Percy was talking animatedly about something, and Grover was doubling over with laughter, while Annabeth looked close to strangling the both of them.

He looked perfect.

An ache, deep and familiar settled in the pit of Nico's belly, but his lips lifted in a helpless, besotted smile, as the sound of Percy's laughter reached them.

"Oh, Nico," Jason sighed, and tossed him a Polaroid picture, one, that must have been taken when the nine of them were in New Rome during spring break.

On it, Nico was talking with Hazel, an almost unnoticeable smile lit up his face as he was looking at his beloved sister. Jason was joking with Frank and Leo, while the girls must have planned world domination. And Percy-

Percy was looking at Nico with a soft smile, eyes showing-

His eyes were-

He was-

"Mm..." Jason nodded.

Nico was staring at the photos, not believing his eyes. His heart was racing, as if it wanted to escape from it's confines, and his mind was jumping from one thought to another.

"It is... It must be..."

"Nico. He looks at you just as you look at him," the son of Jupiter said, smile uncharacteristically smug.

"Wh- when?" Nico asked hesitantly, still not believing his eyes.

"Every time you look to the other way," answered Jason in an even, sure voice. Nico tried to believe it, but he couldn't, even with the evidence was still in his hands, squeezed tightly.

He shoot a quick glance at Percy just to remind himself that he was still unattainable, and his heart leaped into his throat as his eyes met with soft sea-green eyes.

Both looked startled, and it seemed Percy was about to turn away, but he stayed. And smiled. It was a small little thing, unsure and shaky, but it made Nico's knees weak. That smile...

It was not a new thing.

It was on his face every time he thought about Percy, it was on Percy's face on the picture.

It was-

"Oh," he whispered.

As if they were pulled together, they met before Nico could even notice he started walking. Percy seemed like the embodiment of calm and collected, yet his smile was a little nervous now, his eyes were nervously looking around, but always returning to Nico, his steps never faltering.

Nico felt he could finally breathe since a very long time.

[tears-of-a-gemini]

A Glimpse of Us - Reyna

inspired by Joji's Glimpse of Us ~ please listen to it while you read!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvOpPeKSf_4

She'd take the world off my shoulders If it was ever hard to move She'd turn the rain to a rainbow When I was living in the blue He loved Piper, really. She was comforting and happy - always uplifting his spirt whenever he needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to hold onto when his mind is lost adrift in cloudy memories. Why then, if she is so perfect Do I still wish that it was you? Perfect don't mean that it's working So what can I do? (do ooh) She's perfect. Familiar, and what everyone expected of him - with her choppy brown hair and his electric blue eyes. Ever since that day he woke up on that bus, she's all he's ever had that was consistent. Stable, comforting. But some part of him (especially on the late nights around the campfire) wishes that her hair was obsidian black and eating jellybeans instead of marshmallows - but it's all too late and he doesn't want to hurt Piper because he loves her. When you're out of sight In my mind 'Cause sometimes I look in her eyes And that's where I find a glimpse of us So he banishes that part of him away and buries his face in her shoulder and tries to forget memories he once wished he'd never forgotten. But it always comes back when he looks into Piper's eyes during those moments. When they're laughing just a bit too hard, when they're cuddling around a fireplace, and especially when they're visiting New Rome. Through her multicolored eyes, he sees her. Her black hair whipping around her face as she rides Scipio, the way she looked when she fell asleep while doing paperwork late at night with a coffee still in her hand, the blazing fire in her dark eyes as she fought with him against the titans (always silently guarding his back), and the way her lips, her voice, and her eyes looked and sounded when she whispered to him that she loved him. And I try to fall for her touch But I'm thinking of the way it was Said I'm fine and said I moved on I'm only here passing time in her arms Hoping I'll find A glimpse of us

But he can't go back and change everything. He wishes he could, sometimes. But he can't. So he holds onto Piper, trying to banish memories and regrets while he presses kisses into her hair. He hates the way he loves those candid moments because deep down, he knows it reminds him of Reyna. He holds Piper, telling her he loves her and reassuring her whenever Reyna gets mentioned. "I love you Piper, not her. Always have and always will," Tell me he savors your glory Does he laugh the way I did? Is this a part of your story? One that I had never lived

It falls apart when he's invited to Reyna and Malcolm's wedding. He wonders if they're in love like how he and Reyna used to be. He wonders if this could've been what he could've had. One that he could have lived if he had gotten his memories back. If he didn't forget her. One that he could have lived if he wasn't a coward. The life he could have had with her. Maybe one day you'll feel lonely And in his eyes, you'll get a glimpse Maybe you'll start slipping slowly And find me again (again) He hates everything about their wedding. He hates how much he wishes it was him in Malcolm's place. He hates the way her eyes light up when she sees him. He hates the perfect venue she has - just too similar to how he used to envision his wedding with Reyna. He hates himself for wishing that maybe, just maybe, Malcolm's just his replacement, that Reyna's heart is still his and that he and Reyna will be together once again in the future. He hates these thoughts that he can't stop thinking while he watches them exchange vows. Jason knows that none of these wishes will ever happen; the way her eyes sparkle when she sees Malcolm and the way she'd look at him like he was the only good thing to happen in the world, like they were the only two there - the exact same way she did to him years ago tells him that she's only going to see Malcolm and that he doesn't have a place in her heart anymore.

When you're out of sight In my mind 'Cause sometimes I look in her eyes And that's where I find a glimpse of us And I try to fall for her touch But I'm thinking of the way it was Said I'm fine and said I moved on I'm only here passing time in her arms Hoping I'll find A glimpse of us

At the reception, Jason slow-dances with Piper. They're sort of secluded, away from the main venue, and he's grateful for that. He doesn't want to (and can't) handle to see any more of Reyna and Malcolm. But he knows, even if he can't see them, that she's gone, too far away for him to reach and he's falling apart because of that. His heart aches so badly, Jason's struggling to keep himself from breaking down so he relies on good, sweet Piper for support once again. 'Cause sometimes I look in her eyes And that's where I find a glimpse of us And I try to fall for her touch But I'm thinking of the way it was Said I'm fine and said I moved on I'm only here passing time in her arms Hoping I'll find A glimpse of us

He avoids eye contact with Piper though, as he savours the comfort and support she brings with her. He's afraid that the glimpse in Piper's eyes may be the final straw for him to break down at Reyna's wedding. So, he buries his face into Piper's shoulder like he always does when he thinks of her as they continue to slow-dance. He hates it but while the night slowly fades away at Reyna's wedding to another man, Jason can't help but to think of Reyna and him.