#Thank you for seeing something worth rooting for when I was just figuring things out.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Happy Valentine's Day! (and this blog's first post anniversary!)

#poorly drawn mdzs #better drawn mdzs #mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #Woah...it's been a whole *year* since I took the leap and uploaded my 'first attempt' art. #It's outdated now but it holds a special place in my heart for the fact it started all of this off. #Calling this 'poorly-drawn' was always about accepting that my art was going to be imperfect and messy - and doing it anyways! #There has been a staggering number of times I have drawn something I almost didn't upload because I didn't think it was 'good enough' #only for someone to say they liked it - or that it made them laugh. And it has helped me realize - #-The worst critic for my work has always been myself. If I listened to it all the time...well we would not be here now B'*) #And now that I have dabbled in other fandoms I can truly see how lucky was to start out with the MXTX fans. #The supportive messages and tags have truly been a guiding force toward my artistic and self improvement. #I really can't describe how grateful I am. #Thank you for seeing something worth rooting for when I was just figuring things out. #Thank you for being sweeter than the candy I have strategically hidden in the nooks and crannies of this house. #But watch out! If you forget to find them we will get ants. #I remembered to not hide chocolate in the bed this year. Yes I know it melted last time. Yes it did stain. I'm still sorry. #Thank you for loving me regardless <3 Even if it looked like I shit the bed real bad.

[ghost-bxrd]

Fae!Dick scaring Lex Luthor? He deserves that :)

I don’t know much about Lex Luther apart from that he made Conner and that he’s kind of Superman’s nemesis so take the following headcanons with a grain of salt. 💚

Science and Fae!Dick only get along to a certain point. Dick does NOT like it when people mess with the natural order or with nature. So him heavily disliking Lex from the get go is a given.

Dick isn’t allowed to make him go away completely (Bruce sadly put his foot down regarding that) but he takes full advantage of the galas they attend together to absolutely HOUND Lex. If he’s not allowed to make him into food for his trees, he’s at least going to have some fun with the human.

Lex learns to DREAD each public event he knows Wayne’s strange kid will attend, and no matter how much he tries to avoid him, the boy is always suddenly THERE.

Lex doesn’t know what’s wrong with Wayne’s ward (he suspected alien at first), but he SWEARS he saw the boy eat a live bird the other day. And then watched as the bones rearranged themselves and flew away. He ran several tox screens on the alcohol he had that evening, but all came back clear.

Grayson, because at this point Lex remembers his name, has it out for him. Lex is sure of it. He must be some kind of metahuman, or something cooked up in Gotham’s labs. God knows Gotham is its very own warning. But Grayson’s kind of weird takes the cake, and he swears he didn’t imagine the way the boy smiled at him last night, the picture of adorable child obedience, and kept growing teeth. Lips stretching back impossibly wide to show rows upon rows of teeth that most certainly shouldn’t be in a kid’s mouth. But upon Lex’s horrified stuttering Wayne had just looked at the boy proudly and said he’s very proud of managing to brush them all in under an hour tonight. Lex downs five glasses of champagne to get through the rest of the night. Ignoring all the teeth-eyes-feathers-moss-overgrown-roots-please-stop becomes easier the tipsier he is.

Grayson wants to kill him, Lex decides. Grayson wants to kill him, and Wayne is either a fool not to see his kid is some kind meta-slash-alien-slash-experiment-slash-whatever-the-hell’s-got-this-many-teeth, or he really is as stupid as everyone claims Brucie Wayne to be. But Lex is a smart man, and he’s not gonna go down without a fight. He’ll get a tissue sample and figure the thing out and devise a plan for counteracting assassination attempts. Easy.

When Lex finally manages to snatch a dna sample from the boy and puts it under a microscope. And— he has to recheck several times, but— all that shows up under the magnifying glass are cells of plant matter dating back millions of years. And traces of animals whose remains can only be found in museums these days.

Grayson hands him a glass of champagne during the next gala. Lex has no intention of drinking it, but when he takes it from the boy’s hand and he smiles his too-many-teeth smile Lex could swear— no, no that can’t be. That’s most DEFINITELY not his tooth in the kid’s mouth, right? (He obsessively checks the mirror in the bathroom and tells himself he‘a imagining how one of his teeth is the wrong color compared to the rest)

Lex avoids Grayson like the plague after that. This kid and his mysteries aren’t worth his dwindling sanity (or his teeth). Thank you and good day.

Hehe alright that’s all I got for now. Hope you liked it 💚

#fae dick grayson #dick grayson #Lex Luther #the other things in the woods #others are spiteful creatures #and dick knows how to be disconcerting in a very strange way #Lex knows he’s being played with like a cat plays with a mouse

[m1d-45]

discretion advised

summary: during the hunt, a handful of people know the truth. the only problem is, they don’t hold any influence, and must help you in their own way.

word count: ~2.6k

-> warnings: blood mention, barely any spoilers save for character names + roles, imposter au things

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yum1x

< masterlist >

diluc trudged down the path through the whispering woods, kicking aside overgrown bushes. his patrol had proved worth his while, the hilichurls near starfell lake had begun to regroup, and were fashioning shields. they were easy enough to take care of, but the smell of ash clung to his clothes and his arms were rather sore. perhaps he should cut tonight short, he had been doing quite a bit of labor today…

whispers off the side of the path caught his attention and he stopped to listen, turning slightly.

“-grass isn’t edible!”

“is too! teacher had a book about it!”

he stepped and pushed aside the bushes, startling those beyond them.

two figures hunched around a patch of lamp grass, the blue light doing little to help with the dense canopy overhead. two visions shone in the dark, one purple and one red, and he identified them after a moment.

bennett, eyes wide and on scuffed knees, and his friend from the forest, the one lisa was teaching grammar, hunched over in an odd crouch.

“what are you two doing out so late?”

“is lamp grass edible?” razor asked, pointing to the glowing plant, and diluc stared.

“…it’s used in a few recipes, yes, but-“

in an instant he snatched up the plants, ripping up some of their roots in his haste to shove them into his jacket.

“we leave now,” he said simply, standing and pulling bennett up with him. “thank you, master diluc.”

diluc stepped to block their exit. “you didn’t answer my question. bennett, what are you doing out? friend or not, your dads would have your head if they knew you were in the woods after dark.”

“i wasn’t just wandering! i was-…” he stopped suddenly, as if aware whatever he would say would get him into trouble. “we were looking for some stuff.”

“that doesn’t answer my question. anything would be easier to find before dark.”

“we looked with the sun,” razor interrupted, the soft glow from his pocket slightly illuminating his disappointment. “but nothing was found.”

diluc sighed. he couldn’t be mad at them, not really, mot when it was clear they never meant to stay out so late.

“whatever you’re looking for can be found in the morning. for now, come with me back to the city. razor, we’ll stop at a waypoint so you can return to wolvendom, okay?”

the two boys nodded, and he let them cross into the path.

“but don’t do this again, understood? and if you need help, ask.”

they both nodded, and diluc was left to wonder why they needed lamp grass in the first place.

“oh! sir albedo!”

albedo stopped, finishing his sentence on his clipboard before looking up, seeing noelle rushing over to him from the direction of the library.

“lady noelle. are you in need of something?”

she shook her head, metal gloves clicking together as she clasped her hands. idly, albedo noted the many scratches on them, presumably from the same action. “oh not at all, i’m alright, but lisa wanted me to remind you that your copy of ‘common medicinal herbs and their uses’ was due for either renewal or to be turned in soon, and to please not poison yourself again.”

albedo took the small card she handed him, noting the date. “i see. i’ll make note of this, and i’ll be sure to turn it in shortly. thank you, noelle.”

he took a step away but she stopped him with a hand, a flicker of irritation running through him.

“is there something else?”

“well, not from lisa, but i wanted to ask why you were researching this? normally you’re in dragonspine and studying ley lines, not stationed just outside of springvale and renting books on plants…”

he turned fully towards her, tucking away his pen and holding his notes close to his chest. “i am an alchemist, and the study is not fully about ley lines. i admit this is somewhat outside of my usual range of work, but sucrose is currently on medical leave—as i’m certain you already know—and i have no other sources of information aside of field research. this project is not an assignment, merely an interest of mine, and as such it has not made its way onto any formal paperwork. however, i can assure you i am not behind in any of my work.”

“ah- i never meant that you were behind! i was just curious!”

his papers crinkled under his hand. “there is no need to be. good day, miss noelle.”

without another word, he turned on his heel and left, making his way down the stairs and out the front gates of mondstat. taking his clipboard away from his chest, he reread the last portion of his notes to get his bearings, pulling out his pen to finish the report.

‘i’m not certain as to why you’d need these notes, klee, considering the knights are well-equipped to handle injuries, but please do not try to make your own medicine. it’s dangerous near wolvendom on a normal day, and you know what’s been going on lately. please, come see me or the healers for any injuries you may have.

‘remember, the knights are here to help.’

“diona? what are you doing out here?”

fish scattered as boots stomped through the shallow water, glittering scales barely visible through the splash.

“wh- hey! you scared off the fish!” diona shouted, tail lashing behind her. all that time she spent, waiting for the plumpest fish to swim up from the depths of the lake for nothing! now she had to wait even longer!

“fish? what do you need fish for?” draff asked, stopping near her as she sat on a rock, collecting her things. “are you hungry? oh, do you need more scales? i know the traveller helped you last time, but i have pretty quick reflexes too! i could catch you some.”

“as if,” she mumbled, glaring at where he was still standing in the lake. “and it’s fine, i don’t need your help.”

he watched in confusion as she brushed right past him, reaching to pluck snapdragon instead. “diona… you know you shouldn’t be out here, not now. it’s dangerous, and i don’t want you caught up in-“

“i’m fine.” she carefully put the flowers in her bag, pulling out her bow and scanning the waters. all the fish were far too lean, barely anything on their bones, but she might as well get something, right? “just stay still this time.”

before he could say anything—or worse, step forward and scare off the fish again—she nocked an arrow, collecting cryo on the tip. as soon as a fish got within range she let it fly, the cryo forming a spear that stabbed through the gills, pinning it in place. she set down her bow and carefully pulled the fish out, twisting the arrow to kill it before removing the small icicle and throwing it aside. it wasn’t a clean kill, and definitely not worth all the waiting she did, but… it was better than nothing.

“what do you need a fish for? we have plenty back in springvale…”

she ignored him, putting her bag over her shoulders and picked up the fish by the tail. “it’s fine. you better go back soon, you’re due for a patrol.”

her father hesitated, eyes wide and lost.

“diona, is this about last night? i already said i was sorry-“

“and i heard you then. now get out of the lake, your socks are going to get wet!”

he looked down and quickly stepped out of the water, taking off one boot to check that no water had gotten in. by the time he confirmed there wasn’t, she was gone, only a swaying bush to indicate where she had gone.

draff sighed.

razor stayed low to the ground as he ran, one hand on the strap of his bag. the patrols had gotten too close again, he’d heard lisa talk about it, and he couldn’t follow her orders to stay away.

‘it’s dangerous,’ she’d said, distaste apparent in her eyes. ‘and i’d hate for you to get involved in such things. you’re too young.’

‘too young.’ him?

he climbed up a cliff as quick as he could, the scrape of stone against his fingertips familiar, and pushed through the thick bushes at the top. thorns pulled at his jacket, denser than they should be, but he continued anyway, gritting his teeth through the pain.

‘too young.’ too young to read notes stained with droplets of blood, too young to sneak books about medicine into his reading practice, too young to bite through the bitter skin of wolfhooks in accordance with the notes albedo had taken at klee’s prompting.

too young to see knights swarming the place he’d come to know as safe, too young for the stench of blood to reach his nose, stronger than just the small drops beading on his skin.

kaeya was the first one to spot him, quickly excusing himself and walking over, attempting to block the scene even as razor cranes to try and see around him.

“razor! what are you doing here, huh? wasn’t your pack further south?”

in between people, he could see the stone he used to tuck supplies under, the white of a paper just barely sticking out amidst the shadows.

“what happened?”

kaeya sighed. “a patrol ran into somebody that we’ve been looking for for a while.” just say it. “things got.. a bit messy. are you alright, by the way? the bushes around here are incredibly thick…”

his arms barely stung. he kept his eye on the stone tucked between two wolfhook bushes. “i’m fine. here for wolfhooks.” he pointed through the crowd and kaeya looked, turning back with an odd twist to his lip.

“i think you’re better off finding wolfhooks elsewhere, razor. if you go down the path im certain you’ll find more.”

he knew. he shook his head anyway. “need these ones.”

another sigh. why was everybody sighing today? they had nothing to fear for.

“alright, fine. just stick close to me, alright?”

he put a hand on razor’s shoulder and let him through the crown of people, keeping his body between him and the source of the blood-smell. it didn’t matter.

razor crouched purposely close to the bushes, setting his bag right on top of the stone. he reached for the further wolfhooks first, knocking down the ones closer to him, dropping them into his bag on top of the skewers he was meant to leave. he picked up two of the fallen wolfhooks and hid the paper against his palm, pretending to rearrange the berries as he buried the note deep into his bag.

when he stood, kaeya turned with a smile. it was forced. “all done?”

razor nodded, clutching his bag close to his chest with both arms.

“good! now do me a favor and stick close to springvale for a while, okay?”

razor nodded again. “swear.”

hidden against his jacket, two of his fingers crossed.

jean’s chair scraped against the floor as she sat at the head of the meeting table. “so, any news on the hunt?”

heads shook all around the table. a few hands clenched, a few jaws ticked, but nobody spoke up.

jean held back a sigh, reviewing the papers in front of her. “we have to catch them before they leave mondstat… has the only time we’ve seen them been with captain kaeya’s patrol?”

everybody nodded, but kaeya himself didn’t seem satisfied. instead, he stared across the table at klee, who was drawing on a notepad.

“klee?”

she looked up at his voice, and though jean raised an eyebrow, he continued, leaning forward in his chair. “have you spoken to razor recently?”

klee thought about it for a moment, but eventually shook her head. “nope!”

“klee’s been in solitary for the past few days,” jean cut in. “why are you asking about razor?”

kaeya shrugged. “he showed up at the scene and seemed pretty insistent on getting the wolfhooks there-“

“and you let him?”

“look, lisa, it would have been harder to say no. you want me to explain to him what’s going on? you haven’t.”

electricity crackled across lisa’s fingertips. “he should never have been allowed to get close.”

“he popped up out of nowhere, what was i supposed to do? shove him back into the bushes?”

“kaeya.”

the silence that followed was only broken when klee put her pen on the table with a loud clack!, smiling widely at her finished drawing.

jean sighed, directing her attention towards her to try and break the tension. “klee, before you went to solitary-“ her excitement dimmed, her smile slipping to a pout, and jean’s heart hurt a bit “-did you talk to anybody? outside of the knights, of course.”

she thought about it again, carefully putting away her pen and tearing off the sheet of paper with her drawing on it. “nope! klee’s stayed within the walls for the last… month, maybe? i don’t want to get in the way!”

albedo looked up from his notes—did he ever stop working?—with a frown. “then why did you ask me about herbs?”

herbs?

she shrugged. “curious! bennett needed help with a friend of his, so i wanted to ask you because you’re super smart!”

a few of the knights smiled. albedo did not.

“a friend…”

klee picked up her notepad, free hand on the edge of the table. “can i leave?”

jean sighed. “sure, klee. stay out of trouble, okay?”

she nodded with a wide smile, pushing herself away from the table and walking away, leaving her drawing on the table.

jean picked it up, “klee, you left this!”

she paused for a moment, turning, but eventually continued. “you can have it!”

jean’s lip picked up in a small smile as klee reached for the door handle, carefully closing it behind her. she picked up the drawing, turning it right side up.

it was simple, as most children’s drawings were, and though the pen that albedo got her had multiple kinds of ink inside, she was still limited on color. two trees stood on either edge of the page, and three figures stood on grass. one was small, with a red hat and bag, labeled ‘mE!’. another had goggles and a weird circle at its side, named ‘bEnnY!’, and besides him was somebody in what looked like a jacket and with fluffy hair, named ‘razor!’.

it was cute. the z in razor was backwards, and the bushes were little more than some scribbles, but she had clearly put effort into it. there was even some wolfhooks on a bush, with a little label of….

“jean? is something wrong?”

jean slammed the paper on the desk and stood, uncaring of the way her chair skid as she pulled her jacket off the back of it, quickly putting it on.

“all of you, with me.”

the wolfhooks weren’t wolfhooks. they were eyes.

eyes labeled ‘the creator’.

#sagau #self aware genshin #genshin impact #sagau impostor au #genshin sagau #genshin imposter au #genshin #sagau diona #genshin diona #sagau bennett #genshin bennett #sagau razor #genshin razor #genshin albedo #sagau klee #klee #genshin klee #sagau diluc #diluc #kaeya #sagau kaeya #(albedo was meant to be In On It which is why he was so snippy with noelle but i wanted klee to know instead for the ending so… imagine he’s #irritated because his experiment concerns klee) #‘man idk i haven’t had much motivation to write recently ://‘ **writes 2k words in one sitting** #may or may not add on in a pt 2… idk if i’m feelin quirky i might #it would be really funny if i suddenly started posting these with the titles they had in the drafts. this one would be ‘hee hoo :))’

[politemagic]

Sleep Token Living in a Haunted House

These headcanons are based on this meme I made the other night. I had a lot of thoughts on the eepies living in a haunted house, a lot of them are inspired by the show Ghosts if you've seen it. I had a lot of fun writing these so I hope you like em♡

1.45k words (she got lengthy so i added a keep reading)

➺ Thanks to a few years of communing with an ancient deity, Vessel has become quite attuned to the spirit realm. Everywhere he goes, he can sense the presence of the souls unable to move on from the mortal plane.

➺ When they first step foot in their new home, Vessel immediately feels like he’s being suffocated by the amount of activity in the house. He tries to identify the spirit, but there’s too many to even keep count, the grand foyer a whirlwind of translucent figures in various period attire.

➺ When they sit down for dinner at the end of the day, Vessel decides to tell the others about their spectral roommates. After observing them for the better part of the day, he hasn’t picked up on any signs that they’d be malicious, they honestly just seemed to carry on with their lives despite being dead.

➺ II just shrugs. From what Vessel's told him in the past, there are ghosts just about everywhere you go, and they haven't bothered him yet. He imagines it won't be much different living in a haunted house, if the spirits are as tame as Vessel seems to believe they are. 

➺ Really, II just feels bad for Vessel. He knows that he'll be able to live in peace, unable to see, hear, or even sense the ghosts, but he knows Vessel isn't afforded that same luxury. He just hopes he will be able to find some form of solace from the constant commotion Vessel was describing.

➺ III is way too excited. As a kid, he always dreamed of living in a haunted house filled with a bunch of ghost friends. He’s always secretly been a little jealous of Vessel’s gift, but if he lived in a haunted house… Maybe he could find a way to communicate with them himself.

➺ Two days later, Vessel knocks on his door only to find III seated in the middle of a ring of candles, mumbling some words he knew were just gibberish. His interruption earns him a pointed glare as III explained to Vessel that he wanted to make sure that the ghosts knew it was okay to talk to him, so he wanted to reach out first.

➺ In the long run, it might have been better for the ghosts if they had left III alone.

➺ One night, he was trying yet another method of communication with the ghosts after exhausting most of the suggestions he found online. The Ouija Board started out as a joke, a housewarming present from Espera given after they had been filled in on the house’s haunted status. But III decided it was worth a shot.

➺ He had been at it for about a week at that point, and he was starting to think that Vessel was full of shit when he said the house was haunted. That was, until he sat with his fingers resting on the planchette and asked if he should give up.

➺ The planchette drifts slowly over to the “No” and III was over the moon. Using the Ouija Board suddenly became his favorite activity.

➺ He asks them any questions he thinks of. He’ll ask for opinions on things like his outfit or if a classic novel was worth the read. “They were there when it came out, I figured they’d know!”

➺ The ghosts plead with Vessel to get him to stop (in my own personal hc the ouija board emits a sound or something that beckons the spirits and they actually find it really annoying).

➺ When Vessel tried gently suggesting III use Google instead, he insisted that he preferred “Ghoul-gle”. (i'm so sorry). Vessel knew better than to try and dissuade him any further.

➺ IV is equally as excited as III, but it’s more from a root of curiosity than a root of fantastical dreams. He’s always been fascinated by ghosts, sometimes even wondering if he might be a little “sensitive” himself, though he never experienced anything like what Vessel described.

➺ He spends a lot of his time as they’re settling into the house researching the different people who have died in the house. He’ll print out news articles and stuff to show Vessel, asking if that person still haunted the house.

➺ He has a note on his phone where he keeps track of the different ghosts and what he knows about them. He tries to keep track of where the different ghosts tend to hang out, so he can be aware of who might be around any time he’s wandering the house. (in the US version of Ghosts Jay has a note on his phone that’s all the different specifics of how ghosts work. I think he would have that too for sure)

➺ IV would never openly admit it, but sometimes, when he’s alone, he’ll talk aloud to the empty rooms. He doesn’t try as hard as III because he’s overhead Vessel tell him to ease up a few times. But he secretly wants to talk to the ghosts so badly, and thinks it just isn't fair that Ves is the only one with the ability (he doesn’t think it’s fair to him or to Vessel).

➺ The ghosts were constantly talking Vessel's ear off, excited to finally have someone who can hear them! They'll ask him to do different things for them, like open a window, turn on some music, or leave the television on while they're out of the house.

➺ Vessel is still navigating the best ways to set boundaries with the ghosts so he can, you know, live his life. He already lives in the service of Sleep, he really doesn’t need to be serving the will of these ghosts on top of that. 

➺ Sometimes he’s very receptive to their requests, and other times he can be quite crass in his denial. Slowly, they begin to work out some systems as to what they can ask for and when they can ask him about it, and for the most part they’re very respectful of his space and offer their own help when they can.

➺ Outside of Vessel, the ghosts have also taken a shine to II (probably because he’s the most chill™), taking it upon themselves to help him in any ways they saw fit. It could be anything as menial as closing the door when someone forgets to shut it all the way so that he doesn't have to get up from his seat, or once he swore he felt a sudden, cold presence engulf him when he complained about the heat while practicing his drumming.

➺ As you can imagine, III was very jealous when he walked into the kitchen one evening to see a coffee mug carefully floating down from the top shelf as II fixed himself a cup of tea. 

➺ He was pouty the rest of the day, not understanding why they would prefer II. When II tried to suggest that maybe it was because he left them be, III insisted that II just didn’t understand them the way he did. “Maybe if you bothered to talk to them, you’d learn they were real chatterboxes!” 

➺ IV expresses his silent jealousy of II's status as the ghosts' favorite non-medium in the house differently than III. Instead of moping, he pays attention to the little things Vessel did for them, and he makes a point to do them himself as well.

➺ He winds up becoming quite a talented baker after learning that the ghosts loved the smell of cookies. The aroma of his chocolate chip cookies quickly won over a few of the ghosts. (I’m just gonna say it. I think there’s a female ghost from like the 1800s in that house with a little bit of a crush on him. He’s attractive, thoughtful, and knows his way around a kitchen. That’s what dreams are made of right there)

➺ Though IV really won them over when he snuck into III’s room and threw the Ouija Board away.

➺ III decided that he didn’t like ghosts anymore when IV showed him the picture of the “Thank you ♡” left in the steam on the mirror after his shower.

Bonus bc I like the idea:

➺ One night at dinner, IV makes a playful jab at III but instead of hearing the expected laughter of his friends and bandmates, he swears he hears the laughter of a woman.

➺ Later, IV asks Vessel about it in private. He laughs and confirms that yes, he did indeed hear ghost laughter. Evidently the former lady of the house found his comment to be very amusing.

#these were just some silly ideas rattling around in my brain but i hope you enjoy them!!! #if you have thoughts please please please share them i want to read them <3 #also consider this my formal invitation to anyone to come scream with me about sleep token #this is my first time posting anything like this for sleep token im surprised it took so long? #sleep token #sleep token headcanons #worshitposting #sleep token vessel #sleep token ii #sleep token iii #sleep token iv #em's stcu #(gang pls don't let this flop)

[ahundredtimesover]

WOOWEEE i’m still processing the new chapter 🥹 i just wanna stress that there’s multiple realities, guys. jk wanting to respect oc by upholding her wishes to grow, but also feeling abandoned by her choices despite him baring his emotions and desire to have her close by. then you have oc feeling the burden of her family ties/debt with the jeon family and wanting to find out who she is away from her current role, but she’s emotionally attached to jk and it’s blurring with her own goals. not only that, we see jk’s codependency on oc and how that could make her feel more chained down. ultimately she’s always needed by someone, but when has she put her needs first?

as mentioned, this is all so deeply rooted. they need to spend time away from each other to grow. jk is probably going to retreat/relapse to his past behaviors or maybe he’ll also be working on himself so that he can be a better partner for oc … my guts say former because ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i’m an angst enthusiast.

ALSO i see lots of ppl saying UGH JUST STAY AND DATE, and while yes … this is a fic, this is a slice of life too. yall realize it is super inappropriate to have a secret relationship with your boss? granted all of my bosses have been old balding dudes and not jk, still … it’s the principle 😭 oc and jk having this “separation” period is good (i’m sleeping on the highway) and needed for their character development. i’m sure theyre gunna meet again and the tension is gunna be so high and they will do the boom boom pow💥🤯😏 without feeling that guilt/weird power dynamic!! 🫶🏼

mimi, you’re so awesome and i love this fic so much. YOUR BRAIN IS SO BEAUTIFUL, MUAH!!!!!!! 💋 you did not disappoint with the make out scene … cuz man if they can get like that on their first kiss … WE ARE NOT READY (i am🤲🏼)!! pls take care of yourself as always and hope you have a lovely day

Hi, anon. I took a break from doing my readings bc this just... this just made me smile and it appeased me (as did a lot of other readers' asks and comments) 🥹🥹 especially considering the other asks claiming how the characters are so dumb and stupid, or that they can just date while OC's in the company or date after she resigns. I would like to copy-paste your first paragraph to everything now hahaha (bc oh god the immense joy of a writer when someone accurately says what I was trying to show is insane and that's what I'm feeling!) 😭😭

Like, you couldn't have said it any better. All those things you mentioned can co-exist, and part of the characters' respective stories is learning that those realities can indeed co-exist. Which is why they're as burdened by their choices as they are (and we'll see more of this in ch12). I'd like for you to park that second paragraph bc... I wrote this entire series with the plan for season 2 so whatever happens at the end of this season, know that more will happen and you kind of raised some points already. 👀👀

And with the boss/asst. thing - YES. The power dynamic goes beyond their roles bc their pasts are intertwined as well. Mr. Ri pointed it out to JK - did he want OC to feel indebted to him, too? There are just so many complications. It's always been about needing to feel free for OC. What that freedom means is something she has yet to explore. Even the question of happiness is something she's figuring out.

BUT THANK YOU, like, really. 🥹🥹 It's always tricky and draining to write super long stories like this bc I need to make sure that the characters and storylines are consistent, and knowing that what I intended comes across (most of the time) is truly worth all the stress of writing this one hahaha I hope you're well and I hope to hear from you and your wonderful mind again! 💕💕💕

#mimianswers #fic: iwyts #let me smooch u anon

[simpliao]

UDBSISNDSIKF MADAM I CANNOT! STOP! SCREAMING!!! THESE FICS!!! UGGGGGHHHHHH

You are one of the few people giving me my JSchlatt fix, and I cherish every second of it. If I may be so humble as to make a request, can I suggest something involving praising and giving some lovin’ to the Big Guy himself? I feel like he’s the kind of guy to not recognize his own value and contributions, especially in a romantic relationship. Sometimes to just need to smooch, hold, pamper, and remind your boyfriend how much you love him. Thank you and bless your goddamn angelic heart🤍

hey, hey, hey lover ; (irl) schlatt x reader

summary : schlatt is adamant about breaking up, y/n sees through it. and even if he doesn't ever feel worthy, if it takes her an eternity of holding him close and assuring him; she'd do it in a heartbeat.

info : angst to fluff, feelings of unworthiness, depression, poor mental health, mentions of anger issues, reader comforting schlatt, she/her, afab reader. title sourced by the amazing song by the daughters of eve.

a/n : SO GLAD YOURE ENJOYING ANON, BLESS YOU TOO AWE ! decided to take his self deprecation to the extreme just to have some heart warming, chicken-soup-for-the-soul type fluff. Still doing my best to roll out requests!

to anyone who may relate to the way schlatt feels, even if you don't have your own y/n please do know you're not alone. people love you so please seek help if possible. you can get through this toots, we're all rooting for you. ♡

Everyone had their down days, days where everything seemed so hopeless and desperate; being that Schlatt wasn't always the most mentally healthy he would have these feelings more often than not. Never dare uttering the things his mind conjured up in the midst of his constant battle against himself. He took medication, medication that he hid in the back of drawers and never mention to his lover, sometimes he'd never find a moment alone and he wouldn't take it. He'd deal with it on his own, this was his problem, and therefore he figured it was his to deal with.

Other people had their own struggles, adding his would only hurt and stress other people. It wasn't worth mentioning, they'd only want to help him to be civil, because they were forced into it out of pity. He knew his girlfriend of so long didn't need that added stress when she's already practically worked herself to death, she didn't need him to weigh her down.

That's when real rainy days rolled in, when he wouldn't take his levothyroxine, when his lover found herself working late nights and leaving him alone at midnight with nothing but his own thoughts. Sleep would never find him, his mind too busy overthinking every decision in life, he wasn't doing enough, he wasn't enough. He'd find on those still, cloudy nights, nothing but doubt; Y/n must be working late because she can't stand me anymore. Every little distant memory finds a way to him, he wasn't the kind of guy to like PDA, she wanted to hold hands but he didn't, she must still resent him for it.

It sounds slightly exaggerated and stupid, like he was one of those alt, fifteen year old girls he oftentimes would poke fun at. But being in the right state of mind meant that he couldn't see past the fog of doubt that clouded his better judgement. She'd always kiss him goodbye, she'd always whisper the sweetest of nothings into the lobe of her ear, and repeat time and time again how much she loved him; but he was sure she did it out of pity. Who could possibly love him? His temper was short, he was by no means ever the hottest guy in the room, he told stupid jokes that he knew people only laughed at because they had to.

Y/n deserved so much better, just seeing her smile left a bittersweet ache in his chest; she would be happier with someone else. He adored her like she hung the stars and moon themselves, she was otherworldly beautiful to him, always so caring and bright. She was the light holding him together, but he was convinced he was the darkness that consumed and poisoned her life. Her insistence of her love was nothing more than sweet lies that he felt as if he just knew weren't true.

Those murmurs from within the confines of his mind reminded him of this constantly, a fake truth of his own worth and care from others. They whispered lies that would occupy his mind rent free, no one would ever truly love him because there was nothing there to love. Why was Y/n even with him? If he truly loved her he would want her to be happy, and how could she ever be happy with him? He was imperfect, he was damaged, why would she want a relationship that forced her to pick up the pieces he struggled to pick up on his own?

It all cumulating to a breaking point inside him, when Y/n confronted him about it. Her voice gentle and hesitant, she'd picked up on his behaviours for a while but marked it up to stress or just an off day. It slowly bled into his work, his relationship; becoming more closed off and distant. She wasn't entirely sure what was happening, that was until she found the pill bottle whilst cleaning up their bathroom. The original worry of some kind of addiction morphed into pain and regret once she searched up said medication's name to find out what it happened to be: anti-depressants.

She felt the realization sink into the bottom of her stomach, how could she not have known or have been there for him? She was determined to make it right on her end; be the girlfriend that she knew her boyfriend desperately needed and deserved.

"Darling, had there been something on your mind?" She didn't want to immediately jump into her findings, maybe he had an explanation for them? The last thing she wanted was to make him defensive and start a fight. She could have never anticipated the words that fell past his lips, all while never managing to hold eye contact longer than a few seconds at most.

"I..." want to hold you and have you tell me everything is okay "...want to break up." She stood before him shellshocked, mouth agape and seemingly straining to try and say even a single word. Eyebrows furrowed together with only a single thing escaping her, "what..?" Confusion evident upon her delicate features, Schlatt was breaking apart from the inside. She tried to take a step forwards, but all he did was take one back; maintaining the space between them. If she got to close, if her touch graced his skin and he'd be sucked back into his addiction of the feeling of her, he'd lose his self control and break apart. She didn't need his mess, it was his to fight alone; she deserved to fly.

"Why?" Her words were much firmer, a saddened tone lacing between them. At first came heartbreak, and slowly as she awaited for an answer to her cracked voice, she could see with the brief moments of eye contact something clouded in his eyes. He was hurting... It kind of clicked that he was pushing her away, he was trying to cope and prevent her from finding out the truth. He was still suffering, and knowing Schlatt as long as she has, it was in character.

She blinked away tears, he was ready to get into a shouting match and braced for the absolute worst. What he didn't brace for were the arms of his girlfriend to wrap around him, soothing voice never ceasing. It was a risk on her part, if he was genuinely wanting to break up and she babied him like this he would certainly blow a fuse; but she had faith in what she's learned in all their time spent together. And to her favour, rather than get upset, he melted into her embrace. "I don't..." He paused at his words, trying to bite his tongue of his words. "...I don't love you anymore." Those words did sting, no question about it, but he wasn't in his proper state of mind. Y/n promised to be with him until the end, she intended to live up to that promise, and now was not the end; just a bad day.

"I know, Schlatt. I know you're taking medication to try and help yourself." He tensed up at her words, in response she only made her grasp more reassuring and tightening her hold; letting him know she's there. "I really do love you, you know that right? I understand your belief in privacy, but you're obviously hurting; and seeing you hurt really does hurt me too." His large hands slowly came up to rest upon the back of her head and her back, head hung downward to face her. "Please don't hurt because of me." It was similar to that of a desperate plea of a disciplined child, as if he was the one at fault. "I don't hurt because of you, I hurt for you; that's because I love you."

"Then maybe you shouldn't love me." His words, spoken in a hushed manner whilst he kept his eyes glued to hers, filled with such belief of the falsehood. "I will always love you. Please, talk to me. What made you want to break up..?" He held a pause for a handful of moments, heart in a tough ache before he breathed out his confession. "Because you deserve someone better. Someone who won't hurt you, who'll make you happier." Her eyes watered at this, he'd been hurting so bad and what had she done? Seeing him like this, defeated, nothing like he should ever be, killed her a little on the inside.

"Schlatt." Her doe-like wide eyes are those that he could stare into forever, "no one will ever make me happier than you do. You're just... You're my everything. You think of me when I don't think of myself, you're secretly so damn compassionate, the most loving person I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting..." She burrowed her head into his chest, "and it kills me thinking you'll never see yourself the way I see you. You complete me, so please don't punish yourself to fight this alone. I'm here for you, and I always will be."

He practically fell into her arms at that point, gripping onto her like she'd be forever whisked away should his grip every loosen. Something in his chest alleviated, and for once he could finally breathe again. Holding her in his arms felt so natural, like they were always meant to be this close and interlocked together. For the first time a good while, he could feel the love again. She knew his feelings of self hatred and inability to handle praise wasn't just magically blown away, internally was still scarred and beaten down, he was still hurting. But at least for right now she could soothe his pain even just a little, and take the first steps towards recovery.

#she/her #schlatt #reader insert #schlatt x reader #schlatt x y/n #afab reader #chuckle sandwich #irl people #jschlatt #songfic #schlatt imagine #schlatt x you #jschlatt x y/n #jschaltt #jschatt #jschllat #jschlatt x you #jschlatt x reader #schlatt fanfiction #jschlatt imagine #jschlatt fanfiction #jschlatt fanfic #schlatt fanfic #schlatt fluff

[marcilled]

hi Vivian! I've been meaning to ask about reading dungeon meshi for a while but I've been super low on things to read for a bit now so I want to take the plunge! I wanted to ask, are there any "caveats" you have about recommending it? I know sometimes people will love a thing but actually not recommend it to others lol. I don't think this is one of those situations but I wanted to check :) Or if there's anything like "the first couple chapters are slow but then it picks up" you know. Also do you have suggestions for a good place to read it?

You've just activated an unskippable cutscene. *rubs hands together gleefully*

For those not aware (if you follow me you're probably aware... but just in case), Dungeon Meshi is a fantasy comedy manga by author Ryoko Kui about a group of adventurers who have to cook and eat monsters to survive in a dungeon. It's a seinen, meaning it's targeted more towards adults, which really shows in a lot of its plot beats and humor- like how the party nearly disbands because Laios (the party leader) can't afford to pay everyone upfront, etc. It's also not entirely accurate to call it a comedy, really, it's an action/adventure series that focuses on comedy, oftentimes dark humor. Which brings me to your question!

I don't have any big caveats for recommending Dungeon Meshi, I think it's a series just about anyone can pick up and get enjoyment out of! But there are some things I think are worth warning about, since the story actually gets pretty serious later on, and explores some potentially triggering themes.

Here's some content warnings for dunmeshi I can provide just off the top of my head (that shouldn't spoil anything on their own); Body horror, eye trauma/eye injuries, asphyxiation, cannibalism, blood, some gore, unsettling imagery, uhh general warning for? psychological themes (idk how to word this or even warn for this without spoiling though) and mentions of child abuse.

There's probably more that I'm forgetting, but despite its reputation for being silly, dungeon meshi gets pretty damn dark at times!! All the same, it is, to its core, built upon the humor- even in the tensest, most dramatic chapters, there's always something to lighten the mood, something to make you smile. It's kind of surprising, really, how masterfully Ryoko Kui finds this balance of drama vs. humor. No one illustrates this dichotomy better than Laios...

(least spoiler-y image I could find)

As for slow starts... I suppose it depends on what you're hoping to see in dungeon meshi! If you're excited about izutsumi (the catgirl), she doesn't show up until much later on in the manga. There's some other popular characters that don't show up for a while, either. Also, I just re-read the first chapter before answering this ask- the start is a bit slow, i.e. everything seems low stakes at first, but I think that's only to dungeon meshi's benefit tbh. I kinda dislike when series will show their hand way too soon. I think the premise and presentation of dungeon meshi is strong enough on its own, although the early art style is really unrefined and messy compared to the modern chapters. The art gets so much better as time goes on! As do the characterizations... You really get the sense that their personalities weren't entirely figured out yet in chapter 1. I think that's fine, though, the roots are all there.

All this being said... I'm gonna be honest with you, I've never actually re-read dungeon meshi from my initial read of it! and I've been keeping up for each new chapter since, like, 2018, which is crazy to think about... I really ought to do a re-read sometime, it'll give me a fresh perspective I'm sure. truthfully I just struggle to read things, which is the only reason I haven't reread it like 10 times. I still love it to bits anyway. I hope that this answer is enlightening regardless, and- oh! also! you can read dungeon meshi on Mangadex, though I recommend buying it physically if they sell it where you live :-)!!

Anyhow thank you for indulging me, i love talking about dungeon meshi & introducing new people to the series! i hope you enjoy it!!!

#asks #skyvirus #dungeon meshi

[cleabellanov]

Two weeks after season 2, but I'm still there. Here are some chaotic thoughts I felt like sharing 🌞

Part 1 :)) Contains spoilers for season 2

Free will / Responsability

I was just thinking how, before everything changed in seasons 1 and 2 of Loki, the events on the Sacred Timeline were, so to say, scripted. In He Who Remain's words (though i have to admit it feels weird mentioning him, the man is so LITTLE compared to our Loki); the road was paved.

That's the thing about branches, about the infinity of the vast multiverse. The path isn't paved anymore, no more yellow brick road, every decisions sets you on a new one. Anything can happen. So, if anything can happen, nothing matters? No. If anything can happen, the choices that are made, the paths that are taken, have their own entity. Everyone has a story that they can make different every day. That's what Loki is there for. Rewriting the story. The hard thing to do, the thing that had to be done. And I find that really interesting. If you only believe in Destiny's hand, what are yours there for? Gods don't give humans destiny, because it would be just too easy. Too easy to blame it on fate, rather than take responsability for your actions. And the other way around too, if it all falls on your shoulders, isn't it too much to bear?

That links to burden, the burden of responsability. All "variants" will have the free will, while the God of Stories bears it. for a while. I mean, he won't be there for forever, alone, right? Come on now.

Bittersweet, exceptionally good, but definitely heartbreaking

Yes, I still sob sometimes because a once analyst or jet ski seller from Ohio can't move on from losing / being separated from his favorite person. And that favorite person hearing him from a very long distance.

Thank you, my friend / Thank you, Mobius.

I genuienly think Loki learned a lot about himself and the essence of life so different from what he knew because of his time at the TVA, not only because of Mobius. As Tom said in an interview ( for SagAftra Foundation) he found himself in this kafkaesque organization, where people, now variants, are just numbers and a verdict: guitly. That gradually changes, but as we see Loki evolve, it's Mobius who stays by his side. They meet at the TVA, and influence each other for the better while changing the institution as well!! "Thanks for the spark"

It's Mobius who looks at Loki without judgement. With a little bit of admiration, even.

It's Mobius who tells Loki he doesn't have to be alone. And that he can be someone good.

He offers this outcast, a "mischevious liar", a hand, both literally and figuratively.

And this is returned, because now Loki is trusting Mobius, something we barely see the God of Mischief do before, right? (examples: Mobius is the one Loki turns to in episode 1, they very much work together in episode 2 when finding Brad and getting that information out of him, and at the end of the ep Loki stayed. The hug, our only on screen *actual* hug between these two, at the end of season 1. It's great).

It's Mobius who Loki turns to, at the roots of this relationship, when not knowing what to do anymore, or needing that last piece of the puzzle, or number of the equation (and knowing the person that will give it). That "thank you, Mobius" as Loki shakes his hand is like a reflection to all this time spent together, not only that moment in time. It's a thank you of ages, of learning how to love and BE loved; learning, across this path, that every life and every branch is worth of love, ultimately turning Loki's understanding and caring of this in the biggest motivation.

And the thing is it doesn't even have to be romantic!! (I mean it kind of is to us fans, but not everyone sees it that way*ahem*D!sney). But even platonically, this is still a very strong connection, undeniable so. Everyone agrees: Kevin Wright "He cares about Mobius, more than he ever cared about anyone else", Eric Martin : "They have great chemestry", Tom: "They're *passionately* disagreeing" or any time he talks about these 2.

Secondly after Loki's fulfilling journey and more than poetic end, these 2 are certainly the best we got this season.

Thanks for reading <3

#Rattling nonsense from sleepless midnights #lokius #tom hiddleston #Owen Wilson #Where is Owen are they keeping my man in a basement because he would say too much about lokius #Marvel #Marvel cinematic universe #lgbtq #wow #free will #responsability

[writtenjewels]

Couldn't Leave You

Pining, Far Away

Salim was in his garden spreading more mulch and carefully pulling out weeds. He leaned back to wipe some sweat off his brow and caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look, thinking it was Zain coming to check on him. But the figure standing at the entrance to his yard was the wrong size to be his son. It took him a moment to make sense of what he was seeing and even then Salim didn't want to fully believe it.

“Jason?” He dared to speak the name out loud.

“Thank God it's you,” came the reply. He heard the voice so many times in his mind that hearing it out loud was a little startling.

Jason looked different from how Salim remembered. He was no longer in combat gear, of course, and his head was free of the gray cap. His pale face looked flushed and his dark hair was a little longer than Salim expected. Jason was wearing a long-sleeved shirt (probably to hide his military tattoo) and a pair of jeans. He rocked back and forth on his heels like he wasn't sure he was allowed any farther into Salim's yard.

“You're okay,” Salim acknowledged in relief. Jason's lips quirked up in a small smile.

“Were ya worried?”

“Five hours is a long time,” Salim answered. It felt unreal to see Jason again after thinking about him for so long. Salim wanted to go to him but was rooted to the spot. Jason seemed equally unsure of himself, making no move to get closer. How was it easier to approach each other down in those catacombs?

“Glad ta see ya made it home,” Jason spoke up.

“Jason.” There were so many things Salim wanted to say but now that the marine was here, he couldn't manage any of them. “It's hot,” he said at last. “You should come in and get some water.” Jason looked relieved and stepped forward. When he got close enough Salim could see that the younger man's face was indeed flushed and red, strands of hair sticking to his skin. “How long have you been out in the sun?” Salim wondered.

“A while,” Jason hedged. Without thinking, Salim lifted his hand to touch Jason's cheek. It was only when he felt the warmth of the other man's skin that Salim finally believed this was real. Jason's eyes flicked over Salim's face like he was assuring himself of Salim's presence, too.

“I hear you thinkin',” Jason prompted him.

“I'm thinking how happy I am to see you again.” And how much I don't want to see you go. Salim pushed aside that thought and reluctantly let his hand drop away from Jason's face.

“Yeah, it's good seein' you, too. I'd say it's worth the heatstroke.”

“You're just a little dehydrated,” Salim assured him. He got some water and passed it over. “Your face is going to have quite the sunburn. Why aren't you wearing your hat?”

“I got my reasons.” Jason's eyes flicked to Salim's face again, causing the older man's heart to flutter. Jason took a gulp of water. “Is it all right?” he asked. “Me bein' here?”

“I just said I was happy to see you.”

“That ain't what I mean.” Jason squirmed a little and ran fingers through his hair. “I didn't come all this way just to check that you made it home,” he explained. “I came...” He paused, his expression cautious. “I came 'cause I couldn't leave you.”

The air went so still between them Salim was sure they would hear each other's hearts beating. “What do you mean?” His voice trembled slightly at the words.

“Fuck,” Jason huffed, “I donno how to say it. You know how many miles are between here and the U. S.?” Salim gave that some thought. Geography wasn't his best subject. “Too many,” Jason cut in. “It's too fuckin' many.”

“I still don't understand what you're trying to say.” Jason let out a frustrated noise.

“How many feet are between us right now?” Salim stared at him, his eyes widening when the realization hit him.

“Too many,” he answered softly, moving to close the space between them.

“Too fuckin' many,” Jason agreed. He tilted his head at the perfect angle for Salim to kiss him.

#house of ashes #jason kolchek #salim othman #jason/salim #jason x salim #jalim #jason kolchek x salim othman

[theosconfessions]

ohhhhhhhhhmygod okay.. I finished! I am all caught up and I have... FEELINGS! 😭 Mostly, I just want to take a moment and say that I LOVE Theo, and I think he deserves a moment of appreciation. Yes, that's right. This man deserves some recognition for the hard work he put into bettering himself and being there for this family.

I get it.. he fucked up.. I mean, he fucked up BIG time. But he worked on himself and he worked on his relationship... and I just want to point out THIS moment... when Dustin was in the hospital, he'd woken up but wasn't himself and Theo was right there by his side through all of it, making sure everything was taken care of (the best he could) and... I just... this line got me "like every other shitty thing we've been through, we'll figure it out together, okay? always together." 🥹 For me, in that moment, he proved that he is worthy of Dustin, and I may have cried a little.

I know he has his faults, and I don't know what's to come in their future, but I'm rooting for them! 💖

oh my godddd what a thing to see after work. Thank you sooooooo so so much for catching up on these boys and their shenanigans . seeing that you love theo is SOOO nice to hear because he really is hard to love sometimes. even im like eh . haha! but hes definitely multi-layered.

he fucked up A LOT and he has in the recent past which we will definitely be getting into but hes not a bad guy or evil. i think with theo the thing is that he tries to give excuses anytime his actions have consequences and back then he started to see that. especially when dustin was in the hospital. granted his stress wasnt the only stress that dustin was under but it definitely did not help things with his health at all. theo stepping down and not running things because he wanted to prove that he was faithful had an adverse effect. dustins like just control your dick,man and come to work lol. but if theres one thing steady is that no matter what these boys have gone through. no matter where they stray. they always came right back together and thats something theos never had before. sure he had marlee but marlee also had jami when they were married lol. this is the first relationship hes been in that is just FOR HIM. and hes attempted to ruin it countless times i think he just doesnt know his worth . maybe he thinks dustins too good for him. probably still does but theres a reason why dustin stays. and dustin himself does not have a squeaky clean past and i think with how 'broken ' they are.. they see 'why' the other does the things they do. which makes it easier to just kinda fall back in line. they always figure it out together <3 no matter where they are or what theyre doing.

nows a unique situation. theos a lot older. dustins taking on more responsibility with not just the teenagers but the two new babies they chose to have. theos kinda end of life crisis-ing out because i think he realized how big of a dickbag hes been. theyve also gone through a lot in the time jump.

i didnt mean to essay but my passion! haha! thank you so so so much you have no idea how this made my day!

#im long winded today haha

[probablyhuntersmom]

Therapists have to pay attention and see if there is a root problem that is different from the issue that a client speaks about (the latter is termed the client's "presenting problem"). The root problem is the goldmine of info behind a client's symptoms and thus how to reduce/manage said symptoms.

I think Hunter's presenting problem is he fears not being useful. We hear this directly from him in Eclipse Lake.

But beyond that, I believe the uneasy undercurrent - the root issue - is what would happen if he is no longer regarded as useful.

It's about "family" (the keyword in the screenshots shared below), except his understanding of family is warped thanks to being brainwashed by his uncle. In his world, the love offered by family is conditional and must be earned. It's about the risk of being rejected and cast out (a.k.a. killed) of whatever is left of their family, if he does not deliver...even though dear uncle Belos never phrases it in such an overt manner.

"Not being useful" is "no more family" at the deeper level. If he isn't attached to the safety and love of a family unit, he is "nothing".

The lie that Belos tells him in the first screenshot, creates the fear that fueled his drive to excel as the Golden Guard. It was the basic script that underpins every aspect of his duties as the specially appointed right-hand man of the Emperor himself.

What's totally nuts to me is how Belos spins a web of lies about being worried that something will happen to Hunter, implying that the threats are from the external world, that he will lose Hunter as his nephew. But fast forward to the part where us in the audience were truly horrified in Hollow Mind. Belos made it sound like the external world was the biggest danger for Hunter. But the biggest threat was in the 'comfort' of home all along.

When the rug was pulled from under our poor boy in that episode, his symptoms of C-PTSD are then in full swing because the "family" he regarded as his safe nest turned out to be the biggest threat towards him: Belos had attempted to murder him in a freakish way.

When Hunter's perceptions about "family" are threatened so directly, it feels way scarier than the dread he felt being "useless" in Eclipse Lake when he failed yet another mission. It isn't about usefulness anymore and goes deeper than that, because if you are cast out, you therefore have nobody to prove your usefulness to in the first place.

And he can't just get rid of these mental scripts about family. The usefulness scripts may be easier to reframe. But the family ones in particular, are highly subconscious stories of his that have been woven in during formative years of his life, and he can't help but make sense of the world through them as his lens. They can certainly be tweaked, bit by bit, which requires that he rebuilds trust again in people, the external world, and himself. Now he might be wondering if "family" is even worth any effort anymore, and wondering about what the word is even supposed to mean.

I wanna see his future parental figure extending the kind of care towards him, which he has extended to other characters like Gus:

(Notice above that when he put his arm around a very distressed Gus in the finale, he is still living out the belief that family is important, which led to him wanting Gus to experience the closest thing to family that Hunter could offer. It's all about reframing and redirecting the underlying belief(s) towards the right people and places)

#source: about 170 hours of me chatting with my supervisors about various cases #toh #toh hunter #the owl house #toh analysis #emperor belos #golden guard #abuse tw #child abuse #child abuse in media #ptsd #cptsd #long post #loz writes a meta

[cinamun]

I’m sorry I know it’s late but this has been brewing with me for awhile and I know imma ruffle some feathers so I apologize in advance. I’m angry…. I’m angry for Hope and Elliot but mainly Elliot. What he did was selfish, cruel and disrespectful towards his friendship with Hope and her family. But as someone who tried to commit suicide I understand it…. I understand the loneliness and the pain of failure and staying there and thinking that’s all you are. Elliot legit had NO ONE other than Hope and her family and without realizing it it was taken from him. Hope had every right to discover herself and follow her own path, but she was the only support Elliot had. He was abandoned by his mother, forced to live out a dream by his father, replaced the love for Hope with Hani which was unfair to her and him and never had the time to figure out who he was and what he wanted. Please no one think this is a defense for Elliot and what he did. All I’m saying is I understand why he figured he had no other choice because at that point he was back to being the abandoned child who was alone watching his father trying to relive a time that was gone. Darren was his father, Indya was his mother and Hope was the love of his life all of who had their own lives to live. Elliot was failed by his parents and I’m angry with Sean for not giving him the live he deserved instead taking it away as punishment for the “life” he was “robbed” of by the “woman” who chose to leave. If I see her ass at the service I’m hopping through the screen and beating her ass myself. Thank you for coming to my red table talk.

You know what time it is anonymous friend, let's get into it:

First off, I'm glad you're still here. The bookclub loves you.

Now, here's the thing; the anger is the biggest piece here, its the 2nd stage of grief. Its valid to be angry at everyone who failed this young man INCLUDING this young man. You're absolutely right about the progression of Elliot's reliance on The Drake Family. It became a safe space for him where there was none.

What I hoped to do, and it looked like it worked out, was show how two kids with vastly different backgrounds and experiences might handle something like love. Basically, I took a play out of the Indya/Darren circa 2017 playbook and applied it to the next generation. This time it was Elliot with a broken home and codependency issues, reliant on the love and support of a healthy Hope with a healthy support system being taught healthy boundaries. What drew Hope and Elliot apart is actually something 2017 Indya/Darren just dealt with and that was disrespect and intimidation (Elliot and the B word on the porch).

But we no longer do that here, so Elliot had to go off and deal with his shit. He did so with blunts, whatever, do you bro.

But now as a young adult and all this pressure to perform, he never addresses this deep rooted anger (see what I did there?). Elliot is angry, he's pissed that Hani isn't Hope, that all he is worth is a contract and a smile (and rushing yards and touchdowns). He's pissed off that Hope ran off to go be happy with some random who "doesn't have the history" they do. And we all know what happens when we do things out of anger; as another bookclub member said, we "make permanent solutions for temporary problems". Elliot never made it past the 2nd stage of grief after losing his world.

Personally, I believe he could have if he tried hard enough. Kinda like how Darren did.

#story stuff #tw suicide mention #late night bookclub meeting

[my-reality-my-rules]

Do you have any recommendations for guided meditations or creating ones own method?

[thanks for this ask!]

≿❈≾

GUIDED MEDITATIONS

before i start anything else, I'd like to mention one of my favourite shifting subliminal creators on youtube: Alunir! they have a wide collection of guided meditations, all with different methods and full or short versions. I've used the subs ever since late 2021; the ones that've worked for me so far are the adhd, the void state, and the intend-pretend methods. check the channel out here!

now, onto a few tips i can suggest (:

- - -

(1) trying different methods

one of the biggest things that's helped me when it comes to guided meditations is the practice of spontaneity. it's quite tiring to research and practice several methods on every other night, but the payoff of being able to see where my limits lie is worth it. note that this isn't a quick process—it can take up time and energy. this is a small warning that you might end up demotivated at certain points, but i want to assure you that it's also a part of the learning process.

i have a bucket list of methods, some simple and some complicated. all of these have become into quite the considerable pile, and i won't hesitate in admitting that attempting to do most of them makes me incredibly exhausted at certain points. but that list also helps me discover and root out what works best for me, and what doesn't. this is also a reason why i recommended alunir! they have guided meditations that touch on a wide variety of methods for shifting. if you're interested in trying out new methods, i highly recommend the channel.

- - -

(2) if you feel unsure of yourself, appeal to your stronger points

I've had many people message me in private about how guided meditations simply don't work for them, how they simply can't commit to them. there are factors to consider, of course—for example, overthinking, exhaustion, or a limited attention span. one thing I've thought of recently is to work smarter, not harder. be realistic about it: don't force your body to do what you can't physically achieve.

so, find the chance where it counts. what do you find difficulty with? an overactive imagination can be directed with a script; mould your perfect scene and pour the emotions into that. if you fall asleep before finishing a guided meditation, then don't lie down—try shifting while sitting up. some people are disturbed by dreams, so find meaning in them and learn to adapt with them. a stronger point doesn't necessarily mean something you're good at while shifting. it's something you can do with ease better than the action you're having trouble with.

- - -

≿❈≾

CREATING METHODS

to be frank, I'd been unsure on how to talk about this topic in particular—and i still am, I'll admit. i don't know how to start this as every person's shifting journey is different, so it's challenging to track down and evaluate every flaw and success that happens.

so, I'll base this off of general ideas. these are things that I've learned while trying to create my own method/s. be warned that it's not as detailed nor comprehensive as I'd like it to be, so just take it with a grain of salt for now.

- - -

(1) bounce off others' ideas

this relates to what I've said about being spontaneous. it doesn't hurt to take inspiration from other people! if anything, they could be a key in figuring out just what it is you need when creating or trying out a method. similarly, listening to others' advice may also help. they might be able to pinpoint certain details that you might have overlooked as well.

(2) it's not just about what's comfortable—it's also about your limits

progress doesn't exist if you don't learn where you stagnate. i think this applies especially if you're planning to create your own method for shifting. i always advertise how shifters need to find what feels best for them first, and i stand by that. but alongside it, I'm of the opinion that without knowing what makes you tick or stop, you won't know how you're going to move forward. when you realise what it is that's blocking you, find a way to create a method that addresses that problem.

#shifting #shifting realities #reality shifting #desired reality #shift #guided meditation #shifting methods #subliminals #subliminal #subliminal community #shifting subliminals #Esther's shifting posts

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #80

I rested for most of the day today. In so doing, I had a realization.

Truth be told, on a near-constant basis, I'm plagued with a wide variety of doubts and insecurities, like most anyone with a trauma history. Thanks to the power of "pathological projective identification" (I'm so glad that this is a phrase that I now know!), I had been forced to internalize, as a small child, the notion that I am fundamentally defective, wrong, strange, and inferior to all other humans. While I am at a point now where I understand rationally that all of this is false, these messages have been ground into my bones, and I am still trying to root them out and replace them with better things. Just because something gets ground into our bones doesn't mean that that's who we truly are or who we have to remain forever.

I thought about my biological family, with whom I've severed all ties. I've thought about my own growth and learning over the years. I imagine if they saw me now, they would look at me and see a very stupid, naive, and weak person who has all the wrong ideas about how the world works and about people in general.

And you know? Old me would have deferred to their judgment of who I am and what I stand for instead of trusting my own. Old me would have tried to adjust myself in order to better suit their definition of what is the "correct" way to be a human, to change my worldview to something harsher in order to better suit their definition of what "strength" is.

It's not quite that bad for me anymore, but still, when I think about the notion that they would most likely vehemently disapprove of who I'm becoming, I feel more than a little sad, and still a part of me wonders if maybe they were right about me all along - that I'm nothing more than an oblivious weakling with poor judgment, who is far too open, and does not have enough perspective for my perceptive abilities or my general manner of thinking, feeling, and being to be worth a damn.

But then I realized. Given that I've grown past them in a variety of ways, why should I continue to see myself as beneath them, and continue to view my judgment and manner of being as inferior to theirs? Given that they still make choices that are destructive to themselves and to other people, I think it might be wise to reconsider how much weight I place on what they might think of me.

The people in my immediate circle know, understand, accept, and love me as I am. And shouldn't that be enough, even if the rest of the world was my enemy?

And… I suppose more importantly, given that I am a person who does my best to stand for compassion and mercy, shouldn't my own approval of myself and my own faith in my judgment and perception be enough as well?

…I'm going to work on it. I can't protect the people around me if I'm questioning my own integrity every time someone who doesn't understand me acts like they know more about who I am than I do. I can't try to protect you or other fallen folks if I am constantly questioning the validity of the kindness and mercy I've been trying to learn to embody. I don't know exactly what I'm gonna do yet, but I am surrounded by a wide variety of very amazing people, and I like to think that I'm reasonably intelligent; I'm sure I'll figure out something if I pay careful attention to the things going on around me.

Hey, Sephiroth? Are you resting properly? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you hydrating and nourishing well? I know you're supposedly superhuman or some shit, but you're still a man, still a squishy mammal, and as such, basic needs and comforts are essential. Please treat yourself as though you deserve nice things, won't you? Please treat yourself as though you deserve to feel healthy and good. And maybe then you can think about your childhood and your upbrigning and all the horrific circumstances you suffered under, and realize that none of it was your fault. Maybe you can realize that it happened because the people around you were so traumatized that they made bad choices while interacting with you, and not because you're a "monster" or an "aberration" or an "abomination" (because you are NONE of these things!).

I think I'll end today's letter here. Though I am slowly recovering from the trip and from the other adjustments that have been made to the structure of my immediate circle, I'm still pretty tired.

Remember you're loved. Not for what you look like. Not for the power you wield. Not for your status or your fame. But because you're you. Remember that even if you lost all of those things, there are still people in this world who would do their best to know, understand, accept, and love you as-is. Use that knowledge to muster up the courage you need to make good, wholesome, and loving choices. Use that knowledge to muster up the courage to be gentle, compassionate, and kind with your words and deeds; this is what it means to be strong in the real way. Do no harm, but take no shit, okay?

I'll keep writing to you every day until you come home to the people who care for you. We miss you.

Your friend, Lumine

#sephiroth #ThankYouFFVIIDevs #ThankYouFF7Devs #ThankYouSephiroth #final fantasy vii #final fantasy 7 #ff7 #ffvii #final fantasy vii crisis core #final fantasy 7 crisis core #final fantasy crisis core #ffvii crisis core #ff7 crisis core #crisis core #ff7r #final fantasy vii remake #final fantasy 7 remake #ffvii remake #ff7 remake #final fantasy vii rebirth #final fantasy 7 rebirth #ffvii rebirth #ff7 rebirth #final fantasy 7 ever crisis #ffvii ever crisis #ff7 ever crisis #ffvii first soldier #realizations #healing and growth #wholesome

[dalishthunder]

Honor and Glory I Have Enough Of (p4, final part)

You'd been staring at him for a while now, half empty wine glass perched between your fingers, cheeks flushed a bit from the drink. The intensity of it was heavy on him, and he would have been flattered if not for the fact that he was pretty sure you were fucking Xelzaz. He didn't have any proof. Yet. But he was not looking to be your third, and he had been about to say as much when you spoke.

"I think I've got it."

"And what, pray tell, have you got? Certainly not any common sense." Nebarra snapped back.

You just gave a disgusted sigh and a roll of the eyes, taking a long drink from your glass. "No. I mean, yes. I mean, what I'm trying to say is you." You'd gestured vaguely in his direction.

"You're going to have to be more specific."

"I'm not deaf, you know."

"Well whatever you are, you're not helping your case. Have you already reached your limit? Two glasses of Nord wine?"

You got up and moved next to him. "Just... listen for a minute, yeah?"

"You've got fifty eight seconds left."

Though he couldn't feel your hand through his armor, the gesture of you placing it on his arm was.... Your eyes had locked with his and you gave him a half smile.

"Neb. Nebby. Nebbadiah. I think I've figured something out about you."

Nebarra froze, swallowing down something he couldn't quite place. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He'd replied blandly, very, very glad you couldn't see his face.

"I think you pretend to not care because caring can hurt." You'd pressed your finger to his breastplate, voice low. "But you do. You care deeply. You're just really good at hiding it because caring can be so, so painful, so you run from it as far as you can. But you do."

His breath had caught in his chest, heat blossoming on his cheeks as he looked down into your eyes. He... he couldn't dignify that with a response. No. You were wrong.

"But I want you to know that I see the strength that those bonds give you.... It's not a weakness to care."

It's not a weakness to care.

And that's where you were wrong.

Because you dealt with jarrin root and made the most debilitating and deadly of poisons like it was some sort of stupid game. Because he was about to do one of the dumbest things he had ever done in his life.

He dripped a bit of the thick, condensed liquid onto his cut.

But it was worth the risk if it meant bringing you back.... And if he was wrong, well then, one less dumb, son of a slek nebarra in the world.

"Are you MAD?!"

"Yeah, all the damn time." Nebarra snickered at his own joke as he watched and waited, within seconds his flesh began to knit back together and he let out the breath he'd been holding in. "Oh thank Auri-El."

Gariil smacked him in the shoulder. "Do you know how dumb that stunt was?"

"A true, patented, Excellent Nebarra Idea. You can't see it, but I'm winking under my helmet." Nebarra couldn't help the way the corners of his lips twitched into a faint smile at the exasperated sigh from his friend.

He positioned your head in his lap, the pad of his thumb brushing against your lips before he tilted your chin and poured the potion down your throat. "Auri-El, please...."

Slowly, color began to fill your cheeks again, the bruised, blotchy purple beginning to fade. You didn't wake up, but at least he knew the potion was working, so even though he rather enjoyed the weight of your head on his thigh, your warm skin against his scarred hands reminded him that you were here, alive with him, he placed you in your bedroll and just sat next to you.

Gariil finished organizing everything they'd removed from your pack, moving to take a seat by the fire. "You know...."

Nebarra's skin prickled, bracing himself for the lecture that he knew was coming.

"As long as you only keep things casual, I don't think anyone will fault you."

"Stupid is a bad look on you." He knew Gariil was trying to be supportive in his own way, and he... begrudgingly appreciated it, but it didn't change the facts.

It just... wouldn't ever work between the two of you.

Not that he wanted it to work per se.

But even if he did. Which he didn't, but if he did... it just wouldn't work.

... Simple as that.

He rummaged through some of the books from inside your pack, settling on one of many unmarked leather bound book. Maybe it was Inigo the Brave, he'd actually kind of been wanting to read that for a little while. The altmer flipped open to a random page, eyes catching on a diagram of a thistle flower, each part meticulously labeled with what it could be used for.

Oh... your alchemy notes.

That would have been useful about an hour ago.

Nebarra turned the page, another diagram, this time of fly amanita, mellow colors demarcating the white spots on the cap all through its life cycle. What each bit was useful for, the potency of it all. It was... lovely. He hadn't known that you dabbled with such activities. The next page was filled with schematics for your current armor. Dragon scales, a list of potential different ways of shaping and forming it.Some of it crossed out, others circled or underlined. A lot of question marks. A list of potential enchantments to put on it. He huffed out a soft chuckle.

Some people find me enchanting.

Sure, maybe it had been a corny joke, but Nebarra supposed he knew it firsthand.

Enchanting.

He traced the line work with his finger for a moment. Sometimes you made things look so effortless.... It was a good reminder that you really were just... a person.

I'm not strong enough.

You'd whispered that to him not too long ago. He had no idea what that made him then.

And as angry with you as he wanted to be, he couldn't muster the same virulent hatred he had for so, so many others. Even if you had crossed him..

He flipped through a few more pages, breath hitching in his throat as he took it in, book clutched just a bit too tightly in his grasp. Was that... was that him?

Sitting on a boulder, staring off into the distance, relaxed. Golden armor contrasting with the light blue sky. Something about it felt so peaceful and soft, and a weight settled in his chest.

It's not a weakness to care.

Then why did he feel so small?

A few scribbles adorned the other page, most of the words crossed out too much to be legible, but with the way everything was laid out, it almost seemed like... a poem.

He could just make out, Oh, Old Soldier how-

Why was it crossed out?

Why was he trembling.

Nebarra snapped the book shut, eyes falling to your face. He wasn't going to be a voyeur. You gave him his space... he wasn't going to pry any more than you were.

Placing the book back on the pile, putting another one over it and standing up. "I'm getting some fresh air."

"We're outside." Gariil snarked.

The old soldier didn't respond as he shoved his hands back into his gauntlets and wandered off into the night. The cold was bracing, but despite it gnawing, it didn't sink into his bones like it normally did.

It was all about the money.

He reminded himself.

He was here for the money.

There was no reason to make it more complicated than that.

His heart clenched.

It's not a weakness to care.

But that's where you were wrong.

He'd almost lost you.

An arrow ripping through Camia's eye, laughter dying in her throat as she crumpled.

He wondered if that young soldier's sweetheart still thought about their love. An altmer with a sweetheart. How... how damn silly.

How many people had he lost now?

Not for the first time, he wondered if there was a way to carve his heart out.

But the softness of your drawing....

Oh, Old Soldier how....

How what?

Nebarra paced the ground, letting the rhythmic sound of the waves ground him.

Oh, Old Soldier how... how far you have fallen.

That was almost definitely NOT what you'd written... but it echoed in his head nonetheless.

He sighed, shaking it out and casting up a glance at the moons. An aurora passing overhead and he paused. It really was beautiful up here in the boondocks.

Everything would work out....

It would be just his luck for you to wake up before him and be quizzed by Gariil about dumb shit.

So he made his way back, breaths deep and even finally.

"You okay?" Gariil looked up from the fire.

Nebarra cleared his throat, "Yeah."

If his friend noticed how small and hoarse his voice was, felt, he didn't remark on it.

And as Nebarra sat outside the tent in a silent vigil, he heard the telltale signs of you shifting; The sound of your breath heavier. He turned back to look at you, relief flooding his chest as he saw you begin to sit up. You blinked blearily, wincing as your brain caught up with your body.

"Well don't you look like a skeever's nest."

You blinked again, eyes focusing on him, at first the hints of a dry smile on your face before it fell, the events of last night probably reminding you again that he was dangerous.

Good... good. It was better this way.

No, it wasn't.

"Oh thanks, Neb, for dragging me out of that ruin and saving my life." He drawled. "I'm ever so grateful, whatever would I do without you?"

You let out a soft snort, and his heart fluttered. "Thanks, but... why? Why would you save me after crossing you like that?"

"Consider it payback for that potion. Don't try to stop my plans in the future. I might not be so charitable next time." Maybe.... Definitely not.... He was a hardened war veteran who would follow you to the ends of Nirn and back.

Oh, Old Soldier....

You just nodded, eyes so full of a deep, dark sadness. "Where does that leave us?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Well... I mean, you no longer owe me a life debt or anything."

Was that really the only reason you thought he stuck around?

"I feel like I've saved your ass enough times over these past ten months to have covered that already. This just makes it official."

"O-oh... yeah." There was a glimmer of hope in your eyes, and he felt his stomach twist itself in knots. "I guess that's fair."

He wanted to grab your shoulders and shake you, ask you how dumb you could be to think that he was going anywhere. But instead he just shrugged, turning his face to the fire. "Well with all of that out of the way, we can continue."

"Wait... you still want-"

"Somebody's gotta pull your dumb ass out of trouble." He grumbled halfheartedly. "And we make a fair share of coin."

You chuckled, "Fair enough."

He poked at the fire, and even though there was plenty of wood on it, Nebarra stood. "Now that that's all sorted, I'm going to go chop some more wood for the fire."

"Let me help you with that." You went to stand up, and immediately he shot you a glare.

"Sit. You're still recovering."

Your eyes went wide, and you immediately complied, mumbling out a quick, "Yes, sir."

Something in him stirred at that; very, very hungry.

But he pushed those thoughts to the side. For now.

Oh, Old Soldier....

Oh, he most assuredly would be visiting those thoughts again though. Maybe not tonight, but soon.

Yes, sir.

He should probably just go walk into the frigid sea. Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.

Nebarra made his way to the outskirts of camp to a fallen tree, taking the axe that you always made him keep in his pack, and hacking away.

After a few moments, he could pick up Gariil's voice, and he cast a glance over his shoulder to see that he had sat next to you.

Abort mission. Abort mission. Abort-

Yes, sir.

No, he absolutely needed something mind numbing.

"Good to see you awake. We were worried for a bit there."

"Oh, thanks. I guess I did get hit pretty hard."

There was some idle chatter that was drowned out by the sounds of the axe biting into the wood.

And then his ears perked up, "You know, Cor- Nebarra is one of the most fiercely loyal people I've ever met once he warms up to you. Don't take that for granted."

"Yeah... I promise to do my best to keep him safe... ish."

"Good."

Your voice went soft and it took a lot of straining to make out what you said next. "I actually consider him one of my closest companions. I'd be lost without him..." Damn right you would. "... And I still have no idea what he looks like under that helmet."

"Ugly. Count yourself lucky."

You laughed, and Nebarra whipped around to give him the middle finger. Gariil just gave him a cheeky smile.

But he had to admit, the sound of your laughter was comforting. And while he wasn't necessarily sure he had his friend's approval if he ever did want to... pursue something with you, it was good to see the two of you getting along.

Nebarra looked up at the sky for a moment, and despite the churning in his gut, he hadn't felt this at peace in a long, long time.

#nebarra #nebarra skyrim #custom skyrim followers #custom skyrim follower #guys I love hi so much i could cry #i want to kiss him so badly #I felt so so many emotions while writing this #i hope yall enjoy #thunderous applesauce

[jimblejamblewritings]

where deserts meet oceans | part 4.

Summary: (Y/N) is Uma’s sister and dating Jay. When he leaves for Auradon, (Y/N) wonders if she’ll ever see her Prince Charming again, and if he was really worth it in the first place?

Pairing: Jay x reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: none

Previous Part | (Series Masterlist)

“I’ll take these swords back to the gym, see you guys later,” Lonnie said taking off once you guys were back on Auradon.

“Oh, Ben. There you are, we still need to discuss Cotillion details,” Jane called out to the group. She pulled Ben away to talk about Mal’s gift.

“Hey, Mal.” Ben turned back before leaving with Jane, “thank you for helping us. Do whatever you need to do.”

“We need to talk.” Evie pulled Mal aside.

Carlos stopped them. “No, Jay and I are sick of you going off in your girl huddles. We’ve been through a lot together. We’re your family too. We’re not stopping that now, okay? Now, everyone sit.”

“Here? On the lawn?”

“Yes, so…I don’t know how to start girl talk.” Carlos said once they sat down.

“What up?” Jay said. You hit him, he wasn’t helping either.

Mal laughed.

“Girl talk usually starts with everything’s going to be okay. We can figure out,” you offered.

The VKs looked at you. You shrunk into Jay.

“Just trying to help.”

“I’m a mess guys. I’m such a mess. Six months ago I was stealing everything in sight and now everyone wants me to be this lady of the court.” Mal broke down as she spoke.

“Then don’t,” Carlos offered. “We’re always going to be kids from the Isle.”

“We’re always going to have those roots.”

Evie gave Mal a side hug. “We all did what we had to do to survive. But it made us who we are and we’re never going to be like anybody else here.”

“And that’s okay,” Jay spoke up.

“That’s okay.”

“And we can’t fake it.” Carlos said smiling.

“Yeah, especially without my spellbook. I must’ve dropped it, it wasn’t in the limo when we got out.”

You kept your face as neutral as possible.

“Give it one more chance. People here really care about you.”

Evie and Carlos started to walk off leaving you and Jay sat down in front of Mal.

“Stay till Cotillion and if you find that you can’t be here for another minute, I’ll drive you back to the Isle myself. No questions asked.”

Jay patted Mal on the shoulder, leaving the girl to think about his words.

“Now, we have a few things to do. First the gym and then we’re off to find you a dress.” Jay grabbed your hand and escorted you towards Auradon’s gym.

“Bring it in boys. I know I come from the Isle where shit’s pretty whack. But if there’s one thing we got on Auradon, it’s we want the strongest on our side. Boy or girl.”

“Jay, what’s this got to do with anything.” Chad started.

“Lonnie’s joining.”

“She can’t. The rule book…”

“Says a captain and eight men. I’m becoming the eighth man. Gentlemen, welcome your new captain.”

Lonnie strolled in satisfied.

“Have fun holding down the fort. Time to get my girl all dolled up for Cotillion.” Jay smiled at Lonnie and you two were off.

~~

“So, how important is this dance that I have to go?”

You and Jay were in Flora’s dress shop looking at the fancy dresses.

“The whole school’s talking about it so I’d argue fairly important.”

“And if I don’t find a dress…”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Look, if you can’t find a dress and have to go in jeans and a t-shirt then I will go in matching jeans and a t-shirt. We can get them bedazzled.”

You huffed, while holding a bunch of dresses. Jay laughed and kissed you on the cheek. “You’ll look amazing in whatever you wear.”

You went through a bunch of dresses and then settled on something you liked. You wanted to make a good impression. The dresses neckline was low enough that your shell necklace could be prominently featured.

Jay bought the dress, you had no money, and you two left the store.

“Jay, we need to talk.”

“That never ends well.”

“You never answered me earlier. If Mal hadn’t left, would you have come back? You promised me you would come back, did you ever mean it? Ever?”

“Do you want the truth… I couldn’t bring myself to come back. I thought about you every day but the Isle… that’s why I wanted you to come back with me. I wouldn’t step foot back there… I don’t know if I could.”

“Ok.”

Jay stopped in front of you. “You’re not too mad are you?”

“If I was that mad, I would’ve stayed on the Isle.”

Jay cupped your face with hand. He kissed you.

“I love you,” he whispered before kissing you again.

Cotillion was super fancy. Wow, Auradon really knew how to throw a party. You washed your hands after using the bathroom. Even though you didn’t need it, you were taking advantage of the pretty hand lotions they had laid out in a basket on the sinks. Why was this even necessary? You looked up in the mirror to make sure your makeup was perfect when your necklace started to glow.

“Huh,” you muttered to yourself as you clutched it.

There was no magic on the Isle so this was all new to you. You heard mumbling coming from the necklace. You held the shell up to your ear.

“Is everything alright?”

You gasped. That was Uma’s voice. You’d recognize your sister’s voice anywhere.

“Yeah. I just never noticed how pretty you were until right now.”

“Oh, Ben, why thank you.”

Was this happening in real time? You knew your sister found Mal’s book. She must’ve spelled Ben. You would feel bad if it wasn’t for a greater cause. Saving the Isle was more important than Mal’s love life. Besides, she spelled Ben to get him in the first place. You put the necklace down. Your sister was absolutely brilliant. So was your mom. Matching necklaces that let you communicate with each other, great.

Jay waited outside the bathroom for you.

“Hey, you ready to go in?”

“Let’s go.”

“Do you want to be announced?” one of Ben’s helpers, Lumière, asked when you and Jay reached the top of the steps.

“Can we just walk down quietly?”

“Of course.”

You and Jay danced around and ate some food. The fanfare of trumpets drew everyone to attention as Lumière announced Ben’s name. You smiled as Ben came down the stairs, knowing exactly what was about to happen. You gave Ben a thumbs up which he returned, smiling.

“I didn’t know you actually liked Ben.”

“He’s alright. I’m in Auradon now aren’t I? I should learn to get along with some of your friends.”  

You watched Ben formally bow to Mal. “I wish I had time to explain.”  

“Ben, what are you talking about?”

He didn’t have to explain because you could see Uma at the top of the stairs. The crowd murmured as she gave a shy smile at the top. You blew a kiss to sister. She beamed even more as she smiled at you. Everyone else was stunned into silence as you watched Ben go escort Uma down the stairs. He kissed the Beast ring that was resting on Uma’s pointer finger.

“My sister’s scored herself a prince.”

“This doesn’t… what about Harry?” Jay whispered to you.

“A lot happened on that Isle, Jay. You missed quite a bit,” you lied through your teeth.

“Yeah, I guess I did.” Jay trusted you too much, Auradon made him soft.

“I’m sorry. It all just happened so fast and I thought I’d be back in time to explain. Something happened to me with Uma on the Isle. I tried to ignore it but…”

Ben and Uma smiled at each other, noses touching.

“What are you saying?” Mal asked.

“I’m saying…”

“It was love!” Uma cut him off all smiley.

“It was.”

“I just realized how much Ben and I are alike, you know?”

“We are,” Ben said, giddy.

“They are,” you chimed in. It wasn’t necessary; you just wanted to add fuel to the fire.

“I know.” Uma’s voice held the same emotion as Ben.

“Not too thrilled I risked my life for him,” Carlos spat out.

“Did you go back for her?” Mal asked.

“He didn’t have to… I dove through the border before it closed. I’m a pretty decent swimmer.”

“You are,” Ben chuckled.

Your sister was good. If you hadn’t known any better, if you hadn’t heard it through your necklace you would’ve believed it yourself. The VKs pulled Mal closer to them.

“We’re with you, Mal.” Lonnie put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get you out of here.”

You leaned into Jay, ready to have him go to the food table. “Let’s leave the two lovebirds.”

Jane ran up ahead and asked Lumière to do something.

“And now for the unveiling of King Ben’s masterpiece! Designed especially for his lady,” Lumière called out.

You looked over at your sister trying to silently communicate with her. Something told you her plan was about to get slightly complicated.

Something was covered in a curtain at the end of the dance floor. The blue curtain was taken off and revealed a stained glass panel. It was one of Mal and Ben. The guests all clapped enthusiastically at its reveal. It was beautiful, you couldn’t deny it.

“Ben did that?” Mal asked.

“Yeah, he did,” Evie responded.

“Ben!” Uma yelled before her voice turned sweet, “why don’t you tell everyone my present.”

Uma touched his arm and Ben melted into the touch. “Uma is joining the court as my lady and my, my gift to her is that I want to take down the barrier once and for all.”

Ben’s announcement surprised everyone but you. Uma was tugging on his arm in excitement but Ben stayed looking at Mal’s portrait. Uma frowned.

“Cover that back up!” she yelled.

“I will not!” Fairy Godmother yelled back.

“What my sister means is this might not be the best time for the stain glass. You’ll have to forgive Uma, she’s been hardened by the Isle.”

You tried to appeal to Fairy Godmother. It seemed like it worked, at least to some extent.

“Ben, look at me,” Uma interjected.

You saw Ben’s face change as he looked at Uma. The Ben you saw moments ago when he was watching Mal wasn’t there. The magic was only so strong.

“Uma!” you called out to your sister. “Leave the stain glass, let’s just dance. How about we all dance?!”

You hyped up the crowd. You just wanted to distract everyone. The quicker they forget the nonsense the quicker Mal would leave and Uma’s spell could work fully.  The music was about to start again. Jay shrugged and put his hands on your waist waiting for a song to play.

“Ben! Don’t listen to her, I know you’re in there.” You turned to see Mal looking at Ben.

“Look at me Ben… Bring down the barrier, now!” Uma yelled at Fairy Godmother.

“No, Ben focus on me.” Mal kissed Ben. It was over, you knew the spell would be broken the minute their lips fell apart. Even your mother’s spells weren’t enough against true love’s kiss.

You watched Uma panic. “Give it to me.”

Uma lunged for Fairy Godmother’s wand.

“No, guards seize her!” Fairy Godmother struggled to hold the wand out of Uma’s grasp.

Uma ran to the side of the boat. She was going to jump.

“No, no!” You called out.

Ben tried to hold everyone back from running out to her. “Uma, stop. Please!”

“Uma. We see you, you are so much more than just a villain,” Mal said.

You ran to your sister’s side. “Back off! Don’t touch her!”

“I won’t let them hurt her, (Y/N).”

Ben stepped slightly forward but you wouldn’t back down from shielding Uma with your arm. Jay walked through the crowd and approached you two.

“I understand this didn’t go how you planned,” Jay attempted to talk to your sister.

“But don’t let your pride get in the way of something you really want. Stay here. Stay with the two of us, Uma. I know you. You’re a sweet girl that runs an amazing shoppe and lets me date her awesome sister and always cares about her crew. You want to help people, it’s who you are. Stay with us. Show everyone the Uma we know.”

Uma paused and looked at the two of you for a second before giving you a hug. You knew she had to do what she had to do. You watched Uma stand on the railing, she clutched her necklace and you did the same. Then she jumped.

“NO!”

You stopped Jay who was about to launch off the side.

“She’s fine trust me.”

Everyone ran to the side to find her. The water where she jumped began to bubble like a whirlpool. You looked on in a mix of awe and horror as a giant Uma with tentacles appeared in front of you, soaking the whole Cotillion in water.

“Did you know she could do that?”

“Ursula’s daughters. We’re sea witches. Of course, we can.”

“Wait, you can do that?”

“I mean I’ve never tried but…”

One of Uma’s tentacles snapped out. Everyone ducked to try and avoid it. No one had a chance to stand up because another tentacle snapped out. You watched as Uma and Mal, who had turned into a dragon, battled it out, fire and water flying everywhere.

“They’re going to destroy everything,” Ben said to himself.

“Whatever you’re thinking Ben, don’t do it.”

“We’re about to become collateral damage if I don’t do something. Your sister could get—”

“My sister will be just fine. You’re gonna be the one to get hurt.”

Before you could say anything, Ben jumped overboard.

“BEN! Uma be careful!”

You watched him appear in the water, between your sister and Mal.

“Both of you, stop. Back down!”

“And what are you gonna do, Ben? Splash me?” Uma taunted. You knew she wouldn’t attack him. What worried you is that no one else in Auradon knew that.

“Uma. I know you want what’s best for the Isle. But we can’t do it this way. You have to work with us. Help us make a difference,” Ben said.

Ben reached out a hand to Uma. She extended a tentacle. Rather than holding Ben’s hand, Uma’s dropped Ben’s ring in his palm. Uma gave you a sad smile. She took a deep breath before disappearing under the water.

“What happened?” Jay asked. “Where is she?”

“She’s doing what she has to do, Jay. We got to let her have it.”

“Will you be okay? With her gone?”

Your necklace began to glow. You held it up to your ear and then motioned for Jay to lean in so he could hear it.

“Of course she’ll be okay. She’s not a flower. But leave her again and I’ll drag you to the bottom of the Seven Seas myself.” Uma’s voice rang out from the shell.

“Whoa.” Jay stepped back making you laugh.

Uma wasn’t really gone, at least not from your life. Not while you had the necklace.

You kissed Jay. “I wanna dance.”

“Then let’s dance.” He kissed you one more time before escorting you to the dance floor.

(Part 5)...

#jay x reader #jay descendants #descendants fic