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mego42 · 3 years

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Hi, since you seem more positive/excited about the triangle possibility than a fair amount of people, can you talk more about why? I fall into "the not thrilled about the possibility, but have a little hope it could result in some good moments" group and would love some more reasons to not dread it. Thanks! And love your writing and love reading your tags :)

hey anon!! i am v sorry you are not thrilled and am always happy to shriek nonsense about why i’m excited (though idk how much it will help bc the tl;dr is more or less i’m hype for a triangle bc i am an incredibly messy bench who lives for drama and if you are not a similarly messy bench, ymmv)

don’t get me wrong, i super understand the trepidation, pop culture is LITTERED with absolute shite examples of love triangles but here is an incomplete list of reasons i personally think beth and rio are the perfect kind of disaster to set up a spectacular love triangle:

the existence of a triangle implies there are FEELINGS at the various points

the use of the descriptor "romantic" applied to said triangle implies ROMANTIC feelings

i am a simple woman and my pulse has already picked up

one of my absolute most favorite things about the toxic stew that is beth and rio is how completely balls to the wall obsessed they are with having and holding each other’s attention and focus

like straight up possessive nightmare people

now imagine wedging an actual rival for one or the other’s attention between the two of them

(something we have not reeeeeally seen before, 206 withstanding and i’ll come back to that, bc lbr beth doesn’t give a fck about dean and rio’s known that for sure ever since he walked LITERALLY RIGHT PAST THE GUY to rail his wife in a public bathroom at her invitation)

(the 204 proximity point has nothing to do with this list it’s just a source of endless delight and that was enough for me to justify adding it)

where was i

mmmmm feelings, possessive nightmares, OH RIGHT

they are also nightmares in the sense that it appears to be physically impossible for them to use their words with each other unless it’s like, ripped out of them which means they’re sitting on ALL THE BAGGAGE between them and it’s just stewing and boiling and

wait, let me back up

look, i want brio sex as bad as the next person

but even more than brio sex? i want them to fight

i mean like, Fight fight

i want the kind of knockdown drag-out brawl that brings Stuff to the surface and leaves them with a bunch of nasty, ragged, pieces dragged out into the light bc lbr they’ve both done some incredibly awful things to each other

(kind of like what 213 was looking like before it all went to shit tbh)

(i’m just saying, beth saying you put it all on me with that kind of jagged, disbelieving betrayal behind it? my catnip)

(it’s up there with rio at the picnic table in 306 telling her that ship sailed when she put three slugs in him)

i live for them being raw and honest and emotional okay

IF ONLY THEY COULD BOTH DO IT AT THE SAME TIME

bc here’s the thing, for the magnitude of horrifying shit between the two of them? i (personally) think that they like it because they are so! twisted! when it comes to each other and i love that for me, specifically

like no seriously a huge part of what i love about the ship is that whole i see your monster and it looks like mine thing they’ve got going on when they let themselves and i am full on foaming at the mouth feral at the thought of them leaning into that

i’m sorry i’ve lost the thread again

wait no that was the thread

okay so basically they’re both ticking time bombs of smothered angst and rage who are absolutely incapable of being normal about each other but are also keeping all of that locked tf down and the only time we ever really see it come out is when one o them is too emotionally overwhelmed to keep their iron grip

you know what brings emotions to the surface?

TRIANGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE SEETHING MESS OF EMOTION THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING TO THE SURFACE??????

AND HOW UTTERLY UNEQUIPPED EITHER ONE OF THEM WOULD BE TO DEAL WITH ANY OF IT????????

AND HOW SIDEWAYS IT COULD EXPLODE???????????

like don’t get me wrong there is absolutely no way it’s gonna be pretty but i didn’t get on this busted ass carnival ride expecting nice things, i am in this to feEl stuFf and nothing makes me feel stuff more than seeing the two of them feel stuff and this is perfect set up for that

you know how they say the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference?

you know what’s not indifference? big messy emotions

but okay okay okay i am icarus and the sun looms large, lets say they don’t fight, that doesn’t mean they’re not gonna feEl stuFf on their own

do you remember beth’s face in the van when rio hugged dylan??? do you?????

and what did she do after that? went out and robbed him blind and held his shit hostage until he caved in what is one of my top 10 of all of their scenes

and god, idk if we’ve really seen rio really get jealous of attention lavished on beth yet but when i think about it i want it so bad my teeth hurt

and i know i’m not alone here bc i have i think 3 jealous!rio prompts in my inbox rn

(i’m not saying i’m working on it but i’m also not not saying it)

god i just

can you imagine how much fun it could be to watch rio seethe over having to watch someone else be into beth

WHAT WOULD HE DO?????????

ESP IF HE COULDNT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT DIRECTLY BC ITS SOMEONE HE CAN’T INTERFERE WITH

oh christ and if beth responded to it??????????

oh gOD thE mESS

idk even if it doesn’t lead to a confrontation (but i feel like??? it would have to????) just the idea of the kinds of feelings they’d have to grapple with and confront within themselves is D E L I C I O U S

also, to jump back to an earlier point: brio sex

i know some people are feeling like the sexy chemistry between beth and rio is lacking this season

you know what’s great for chemistry? fuel

you know what provides great fuel? messy emotional situations that tug at intimate connections and make people feel out of control

you know what’s a messy emotional situation that tugs at intimate connections and make people feel out of control?

you probably guessed it

A TRIANGLE

(and we know that neither of them does well with feeling out of control period at all even without the intimate emotional stuff mixed in so like oh boy)

listen i am just saying given where they’re currently at with each other i cannot think of any situation more ripe for an explosive hook up than one or both of them feeling driven to reassert their claim/mark on the other

would it be nice? no, probably not

would i care? not even a little bit

(don’t you judge like any of y’all are any better than me)

look. to quote marie kondo horrifically out of context: i love mess and the mess potential in a romantic love triangle with beth and rio as two of the three points is stratospherically high.

#i hope this helps! or makes sense!#beth x rio #nbc good girls #in defense of love triangles #(a thing i never thought i'd tag tbh)#also while this is probs not a popular stance and debatably helpful #it's worth mentioning that the stakes of this are at the end of the day not very high #it's a tv show #i'm here to enjoy myself and when i stop enjoying myself i'll walk away #i'd be sad sure #but life's too short to put this much energy into something that does not spark joy #so idk remembering that makes it easier to not get that worked up #i lean into what i love and know that i can bounce if it doesn't deliver #shut up meg #anon

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gracelessfighters · 4 years

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don’t feel (4)

jj maybank x female reader

masterlist

part one // part two // part three

summary: you and jj go on your surfing date and get to know each other until topper interrupts (terrible summary im sorry)

word count: 2.3k

warnings: mentions of abuse, swearing, topper is a dick (sorry lads), gets pretty angsty at the end (it wasn’t even gonna be an angsty chapter but my brain got the better of me apologies) i also havent read it through so pls ignore the mistakes

—— I am in no way romanticising abuse if you have any issues with my writing pls message me

A/N: everyone say hallelujah because i’ve finally written something!!!!!!!!!! sorry in advance if it’s not the best, i havent written in like a month and i struggled with this chapter before my little hiatus but i want to finish this series so badly so i did some the other day on the train and its kinda got me back into the swing of it :) as always feedback is appreciated

After JJ had left last night, it didn’t take long for you to finish cleaning the pool and then collapse onto your bed for one of the best nights of sleep you’d had in a while.

Your alarm woke you up out of your slumber, and as you reached for your phone turn it off you hissed in pain as your injuries on your side and head throbbed at the movement.

Lifting your pyjama shirt up to inspect your side, you were met with a large bruise and as you looked at it you couldn’t help but feel a little hatred for Topper and his carelessness - no doubt he’d try and talk to you soon enough to apologise, but that was a problem for another day. Today’s problem was meeting up with JJ for your little date, you had no idea if it would even go well but you knew you had to try as you were apparently soulmates. You looked at the bruise on your side again making you realise it would definitely be obvious when you were wearing your bikini so you were going to have to try and find a shirt to cover up, at least for the initial part of the day.

Going through your draws you found a nice black bikini that complimented your body nicely and a large shirt, that was slightly see-through but not enough to really show your bruise, as well as some of the other scars on your body from multiple different injuries. You got dressed, brushed your hair before pulling it into a loose bun, and quickly admired yourself in the mirror before picking up your keys and leaving your room.

You poked your head into your sister’s room, only to be met with her soft sleeping face, you didn’t want to wake her up, but you needed to let her know you’d be out for the day, and hoped she would be too instead of at home on her own.

You walked over to her, lightly flicking her nose, and laughed as she tried to swat your hand away, still half asleep.

“I’ll leave you alone if you open your eyes.” You said, ready to poke her cheeks until she woke up enough to talk to you.

She groaned as she opened one of her eyes, “it’s so early, let me sleep.”

“It’s almost 10, in what world is that early?” You asked, a smile on your face at how incapable she was in the mornings, an almost polar opposite to you who always loved waking up early.

“My world.” She huffed, pulling the covers up over her face.

“Okay well I was wondering if you were going anywhere today as I’ll probably be gone for most of today, but I can try and make it back early if you are on your own.”

“No I’m going to Carley’s again,” she pulled the duvet off her face to raise her eyebrow at you in question, “but where are you off to? You almost never socialise with people.”

You jokingly scowled at her, “Hilarious and if you must know I’m meeting up with a boy for a possible date thing.”

She squealed and sat up to look at you, “Oh my god yes! Who is it? Do I know him? Is it Topper? What are you doing on the date?”

“I’m guessing you’re awake now jesus christ. But you’re going to have to find out about it later, after the date so if it goes badly I don’t have to tell you.”

“Rude,” she pouted, “But have fun!”

You gave her a small wave before heading out of her room and downstairs to grab some toast before you left.

Even though it was tourist season, the beach seemed pretty empty and calm when you arrived, a few people in the sea already catching the waves, and as you looked at all the different groups on the beach the blond hair of JJ Maybank caught your eye.

He seemed to notice you at the same time as you saw him, he waved and walked over to you, “Hi.”

You smiled at him, trying to ignore the pain you felt on your face as you took in his injuries, “Hey, you good?”

“Always, and like I said yesterday I’ve had worse - Topper isn’t exactly the best at beating people up.” He laughed it off, but you couldn’t help but think there was something behind the words he was saying.

“Sure,” you said, fiddling with the hair band on your wrist, “well I hate small talk, so are you ready to be amazed by my incredible surfing skills.”

He laughed, clearly not convinced, “Bring it on Y/N.”

You grabbed your board from your car, and headed with him to the water, trying to pay more attention to the waves than his toned chest, not wanting him to realise how attractive you found him - you didn’t need that sort of teasing.

The two of you walked out into the water, moving to lay on the board as it got deeper so you could paddle out a little further. The waves weren’t as big as you’d like, but at least the sea wasn’t flat, otherwise this whole day would be less than ideal.

Both you and JJ sat up on your boards, waiting for the perfect wave for you to ride, and as you watched the water you could feel JJ watching you.

You turned to him, eyebrow raised, “What?”

“Why are you wearing a shirt?”

“Are you that desperate to see me in a bikini?” You joked, trying to avoid the question.

“Of course,” he winked at you before a look of seriousness came back over his face, “but also a little concerned as not many people where shirts in the water.”

“I bet they do, but if you must know, where Topper elbowed me last night I have a shitty bruise and I didn’t want people on the beach to see and maybe judge, so I covered up.”

“Oh, um, can I see it?”

“A bit of a weird request,” you chuckled, “but I guess so yeah.”

You lifted up your shirt, revealing the dark purple mark across your side, green tinging the outside of the mark, you heard JJ breathe in sharply as he took in your injury, “Holy shit are you sure you’re alright, like obviously I can feel it slightly but it looks awful Y/N.”

You gave him a small smile, “I’m fine, can we surf now?”

He nodded, and as he turned away from you he muttered under his breath, “Just avoid every question I ask huh?”

You looked at him, eyebrow raised, but he was already paddling his board to catch the next wave.

So that’s what the two of you did for almost two more hours, caught lots of waves - showing off the different tricks you could do, which in your opinion you were much better than him, not that he would admit it - and spoke about all the little things you could think of whenever you were waited for a good wave. Even whilst talking, you felt like you weren’t really talking, neither of you really spoke about anything deeper than your favourite colours or films and you were pretty sure he was now beginning to notice how you avoided any question about your home life. But you knew he was hiding something too so you didn’t feel as bad.

It was when you were both out of the water that the day took a turn for the worse. You were heading to where your bags were when you spotted Topper arriving at the beach, his eyes searching for something. And you were pretty sure that that something was you.

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” JJ said from where he stood behind you, looking at the way Topper was now manoeuvring along the beach looking for you.

You held out your hand in front of JJ, “Please stay here, I’m gonna talk to him and do not want you to start something.”

“He started it last night not me.” He scoffed, ignoring the way your eyes rolled at how childish he sounded.

“Just stay here. Please.”

You didn’t wait for him to answer, instead you headed towards Topper, bracing yourself for the apology that he was going to try and give you, even if you were far from forgiving him.

He spotted you as you approached him, smiling widely and jogging over to meet you half way.

“Hey Y/N I was looking for you.”

“I guessed that.” You say, crossing your arms as you stood looking up at him.

“Right,” he moved his hand through his hair, “well, um, I know you said last night that you didn’t want to see me, but I can’t stand you being mad at me and I really want to apologise. I really didn’t mean to hurt you and i don’t think I’m like Rafe and hurting you is the last thing I would ever want -and can you please say something!”

You couldn’t help but flinch at his raised voice, his eyes widening at your reaction.

“Shit I’m sorry Y/N, please talk to me.”

“I have nothing to say to you Topper, you hurt me and it might take a while for me to forget that. So I have nothing to say.”

“But-“ he tried to reach for you hand, but was instead met with the empty space as you stepped away.

“Nothing to say.”

You looked at his sad eyes one more time before turning around and heading back towards where you assumed JJ still was.

You didn’t realise you were shaking until you reached JJ and he looked at you with worry, “Woah are you alright?”

“I’m fine, it’s just-” you clenched your fists, “nevermind it doesn’t matter now anyway.”

He stepped towards you, “You know Y/N, this whole soulmate thing means we need to talk to each other about stuff, so it does matter. Please talk to me.”

You tapped your foot anxiously as you considered his words, “Fine. It’s just that in my life I haven’t had many people who care about me, and most of the time if they do care, I either push them away or they leave because they realise I’m not worth it. But never T - he was always there for me and my sister, and I’m just not sure I want to lose that but at the same time he hurt me and yeah that’s pretty much it.”

JJ put his hand on your shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as you looked up at him, “Well thanks for telling me but we might have to continue later because the idiot,” he pointed behind you to where Topper was now marching towards you, “has spotted us.”

“Oh for fucks sake.” You muttered, wondering if the angry look on his face was due to seeing you with JJ. It most definitely was.

You waited for him to get closer, no longer in the mood to deal with his shit.

“Really Y/N? You won’t talk to me or spend time with me but you’ll spend time with this dirty pogue?”

“I’ll have you know I bumped into him a while ago and we were just chatting and even if I hadn’t, who I spend my time with is none of your fucking business Topper.”

You could feel JJ tense up beside you as you lied to Topper about why you were with him. You’d apologise to him later but if Topper knew you’d been on a date together then the situation would get much worse a lot quicker than you’d like.

“Funny that I don’t believe you,” he scoffed, “but then again all you do is lie Y/N isn’t that right? Lie to everyone about everything, especially your home life.”

You froze, shaking your head for him to stop speaking, but he was too lost in his own anger and jealousy to realise he was crossing a line that could never be undone.

“Does your new friend know about that? Or should I tell him?”

“Topper please, don’t.” You reached out a hand to try and calm him down. You could feel JJ’s ocean eyes focused on you, his suspicions apparent.

“Well Y/N, you’ve already made it clear you don’t want to be friends with me so I’m just passing the information to the next guy you’ve found so he can pick up the pieces whenever you decide to show actual emotions.”

“Please-“ You tried.

“Her parents beat the shit out of her and her sister, that’s the big reveal,” he told JJ, ignoring the tears streaming down your face, “but what she doesn’t realise is that she is as emotionless and uncaring as them, so be ready for when she gets bored of you and throws you out like yesterday’s trash.”

Topper didn’t even look at you as he left, leaving you crying and JJ staring at you wordlessly. Your whole life unravelled before you, in one of the most to the point and unpleasant descriptions you’d ever heard, ignoring the implications of what he said about you. Is that really what people thought about you?

The silence between you and JJ became too much for you, you steadied your breathing, wiping the tears off your face “Well I think I’m gonna go, it was nice spending time with you, I guess I’ll, um, see you around.”

You looked up to see him open his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly closed it. You nodded to yourself and headed back home, ignoring JJ finally saying your name behind you, you just wanted to get away from the disaster of your first date with him. Soulmates sometimes didn’t work out and apparently yours was one of those, even if you wanted it to work.

A/N pt2: i was gonna add a bit of JJ’s perspective but im lazy so sorry y’all and sorry again for the fact i haven’t read through it i’m ill and sorry again (i feel like a youtuber making apologies here) that this isnt my best i’m just happy ive posted something and thanks for reading

A/N pt3: (it never ends sorry) I don’t know whether it’s because I’m very unromantic but even if I had a soulmate I wouldn’t feel strong feelings straight away so I tried to portray that but it gets better in the next chapter!!

taglist: @outerbongs @jjaybank @bailspogue @outerbankslut @ilikealotofpeople-younotsomuch @alexa-playafricabytoto @teamnick @k-k0129 @do-not-talk-to-me-i-am-awkward @thoughtsofthestars @http-cherries @n1ghtsh4d3-67 @thesurfingsnail @lonely-kermit @oopsiedoopsie23 @overly-b @lus-shh @xlittlemissydjx @asaks6082 @copper-boom @danicarosaline @deathcompass @jellyfishbeansontoast @butterfliesinthenightsky @iamaunicorn4704 @my-soul-is-the-moon @diverrdown @thorsangel @saintkore @prejudic3 @ponyboys-sunsets @starrystarkey93 @teenwaywardasgardian @celestialmaybank @kaylinfayezink @pixelated-pogues @otrbnks @x-lulu @obxmxybxnk @im-a-stranger-thing @jjmbanks @allycat449-blog @rudyypankow @silverstarsandsuns @chaoticbisous @realistic-breadstick @boldlypessimistic

Strikethrough means I couldn’t tag you

#jj maybank x reader #jj maybank #jj maybank x y/n #jj x reader #jj maybank imagine #outer banks #outer banks imagine #outer banks fic #obx #obx fic #rudy pankow #john b routledge #kiara carrera #pope heyward #outrebanx #outrebanx - don't feel

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seimeinotaka · 3 years

Text

A beautiful gift for a beautiful flower: the Legendary Sword (Vil X MC fic)

It is still the 9th, so I’m still on time to upload a fic to celebrate Vil’s birthday. I wanted to give something he would love, so here it is, given and made with him and Ann in mind. Maybe one day I’ll upload Ann giving him also his so-wanted list hehe. But for now, I hope this will do!

Thanks to polyphenols@AO3 for beta-reading this!

This is a story from a young prince who lived in a faraway land.

~ ° ~

Vil had just returned from his afternoon walk as he crossed the now empty lounge, devoid of any of the birthday tables and balloons for his own celebration, as expected for it was the day after. Well, it was empty except for the lone presence of Ramshackle dorm’s prefect, Ann Hawthorne, and Vil’s almost professional headache.

“Vil-senpai, here!” the young girl said as she handed Vil a thick-looking envelope, with a purple ribbon on top.

The unexpected gift made him raise an eyebrow. “Potato, my birthday was yesterday and you were here, with your usual birthday interviews for the School’s News Section. You even took a picture of me. Did you somehow not know it was my birthday yesterday and made a last-minute gift to excuse yourself?”

Ann rolled her eyes and made a mocking grin. “Haha, how funny, there is no way in hell I can make this in one night. I had actually brought it with me, but well, I wanted you to read it, and I didn’t want to take up your time at your birthday party. I mean, you didn’t read Rook-senpai’s poems either, so it was fair that I handed you this now.”

Vague curiosity in his eyes, because he wasn’t really interested, just a little, Vil opened the envelope and took out a large stack of papers bound together with a purple thread. The words “Legendary Sword” could be read on the first page, and with a quick glance, Vil realized it was a script with some pictures in between.

~ ° ~

Long ago in the hidden remains of the Araceae Kingdom lived a beautiful young man, with brilliant cold amethyst eyes and delicate flawless skin. His hair was silky golden and he blinded everyone with his appearance. Every day, he devoted himself to his studies, from arts to economics, languages and science. In the afternoon he would train his body, fencing, wrestling, running, horse riding. He worked harder than anyone, never complaining, as he pushed himself day after day.

However, he was feared and scorned, for he was the scion of the wretched Zantedeschia household, Schwartz Zantedeschia. His family had ruled the kingdom with an iron fist, and had seized control of every other kingdom under the sun.

Shedding blood, many fought the Zantedeschia until one day a brave hero, wielding a mythical sword, was able to dethrone the cursed family and their household vanished from history. The hero, coming from the Leiron family, the rulers of the Lilium Kingdom that everyone had dismissed as negligible, was of pure heart and as the chosen hero, he was able to vanquish the evil.

However, the Zantedeschia weren’t completely destroyed and each heir was carefully trained in hopes of achieving their dream.

Before Schwartz, no one had been as successful nor had anyone worked as hard, and he was the only one to cast off from the shadows to fulfill his mission, leaving his homeland in shambles behind him.

To regain their former glory, and extract revenge, that was the reason for his journey.

~ ° ~

“A villain protagonist, really? This is your gift to me?” Vil took his eyes off the script for a moment to give Ann a dismissive and insulted glare.

Unamused, the girl rolled her eyes as she pushed the script closer to his face. “Keep reading, Vil-senpai.”

Vil kept his penetrating and heavy stare on her, though the young girl didn’t even flinch, probably used to his flair for the dramatic. However, the actor kept on reading.

~ ° ~

To fulfill his quest for revenge, he would need to seize the mythical sword Durendal, which had been the fall of his family. The next chosen holder would be Weiss Leiron, the heir of the Lilium Kingdom, adored by everyone for his purity. As soon as he turned of age, he would become the legitimate owner of Durendal.

Prince Schwartz had known of Weiss, meeting him long ago when he hid his identity to get to know the faces of his enemies. Even now, he was painfully aware, Weiss was beloved by every creature in the land, his affable nature charming everyone in spite of his failings. During that time, Schwartz came to learn that his own nature scared others, finding himself pushed away even if his true name hadn’t been revealed. His beauty alienated everyone he had met and his stoic personality was found distrustful by many, no matter what he did or said.

Thus for years, he couldn’t help but to grow deep resentment in his heart, jealousy taking root like a bloody, poisonous flower. So for Schwartz, this quest meant also his own reassurance of his worth to the world that had shunned him.

~ ° ~

“Do you enjoy making me upset?” Vil squinted as he kept on re-reading the last line, his frown growing deeper and deeper with every word.

“Do I look like I’m enjoying this?” Ann replied with a not so concealed smarmy smile.

“Your suspicious gaze makes me wonder if you are secretly a sadist. You’re not even trying to flatter me in the slightest, and of all people, you had to put him as the hero again. Really, you have a morbid sense of humor.”

“Who says Neige is the hero?”

“I am obviously Schwartz, as the narration clearly describes me. That would mean Neige can only be Weiss. Stop playing around, you aren’t fooling me.” Vil let out a long sigh. “At this rate, I’m going to have you list 200 beautiful things about me instead.”

“Please finish reading the thing, Vil-senpai? Do you judge books on the first page?”

Vil sighed again, gently shaking his head as his eyes went back to the papers in his hands.

~ ° ~

To aid him on his quest, Prince Schwartz had been sent with two trusted knights serving the Zantedeschia, the bow master Vert and the young knight Violett. Vert was a self-proclaimed defender of beauty and followed Schwartz wherever he would go. Violett had a tense relationship with Schwartz, feeling constricted by Schwartz’s rules and strictness, and with a promise of freedom after this journey. Whatever their goals were, they would protect him with their lives, as his travel would grow more dangerous the further he went. Prince Weiss had seven renowned knights and no matter Prince Schwartz’s prowess in combat and magic, it would be safer for him to be accompanied. The Araceae Kingdom was also on the northern end of the continent, hidden behind a harsh tundra and treacherous mountains, and Schwartz’s safety was to be prioritized.

As the prince and his knights traveled south, to reach the center of the continent where Durendal was enshrined, they met a group of four travelers in peril, surrounded by foul beasts. Even if it was dangerous, as it could blow his cover, Schwartz and his knights went to their rescue. In gratitude, the brawler Azure, the thief Vermillion, the young lost researcher Ai and her magical talking cat Hai joined Schwartz on his travels south.

~ ° ~

“Why do I get vague videogame allusions from this?” Vil arched an eyebrow at the recent development.

“Well,” Ann replied with a shrug. “They are classes you find in RPGs. It would make sense for Schwartz to gather several comrades that can cover any weakness he might have.”

“Then? What is your class, Ann?” Vil turned to the girl, a mocking smirk dawning on his beautiful face. “I don’t think you’d be able to be a Healer here.”

Ann pursed her lips before reluctantly answering, “I am the very important NPC tagging along. You all can fight to protect me.”

“Fufufu, bold of Ai to wander alone with her talking cat who can barely manage a spell. I wonder if they will be of help.” With a dark chuckle, Vil resumed reading.

~ ° ~

Vermillion and Azure hailed from the Rosaceae Kingdom, a land not far away from Lilium and the shrine for Durendal. Originally a couple of bandits, they had initially attempted to trick Ai and her cat, lost travelers who had just survived a shipwreck and were looking for a way back to their homeland, the Asteraceae Empire on the other side of the world. However, after being saved by the same girl they wanted to rob, they decided to reform and help them reach a port. Being told of their quest to reach Lilium, the group tagged along unaware of Schwartz’s true intentions. They all believed he was a young man kidnapped and sent to Araceae who was trying to go back to his own land, Vermillion and Hai hoping they could snag a reward for their efforts.

To reach Lilium and the shrine, the group would need to cross a perilous desert, where the rays of the sun would be so merciless that the unprepared would easily die. Unaccustomed to such warm weather, Schwartz and Violett struggled with the inclemency of the climate, growing weaker with every step. However, Schwartz was not willing to abandon his mission, even at his own health’s peril, and he continued his trip until he grew gravely ill.

~ ° ~

“You’re not writing this right now, but one could think you were expecting me to question your abilities and you kindly decided to get some petty revenge on Schwartz,” Vil said flatly, as his eyes dangerously narrowed, throwing daggers at Ann.

“Excuse me, I would be incapable of doing that, Vil-senpai.”

“Have you forgotten the time your hand slipped and your fist casually connected with Rook’s jaw? Or the time you-”

“That was a legit reason to punch him, okay?” Ann pouted as she folded her arms in front of her. “And we don’t need to talk about other things, go on and keep reading.”

~ ° ~

Taking a detour, the group reached the land of Oleaceae in hopes of finding a doctor to treat Schwartz and Violett. In their search, they found a pair of young men running away from a large group of pursuers. Ill and weakened, Schwartz still led the party to defend and protect the men in need of help, learning that the people running away, a dancer by the name of Asfar and his servant Burtiqali had been wrongly accused of murdering Asfar’s father. Even if Asfar had chosen to distance himself from his father’s business, one of the largest spice traders in Oleaceae and the land, he was the heir to the family and people within the clan wanted to get rid of the father and son to claim the business for themselves.

After a narrow escape from Oleaceae, the group learned that Burtiqali was a proficient chemist, and he provided relief to Schwartz and Violett, in gratitude for helping them escape. With no place to go, Asfar and Burtiqali decided to travel with Schwartz, hoping to find a way to clear Asfar’s name if they reached Lilium and found the hero Weiss.

Meanwhile in the Lilium Kingdom, word of Schwartz’s quest reached the ears of Weiss.

“Someone sullied is not fit to be a hero, only those pure can be one. Envy, jealousy, those emotions are unbecoming. A hero is a beacon of hope, a model to follow, a paragon of virtue. Someone who is envious of the natural course of things is not fit to be a hero.”

Those were the words of the beloved hero, the next in line to inherit Durendal. He looked at the eyes of his loyal knights, seven brave men who would follow Weiss wherever he went, taking his word almost as if it came from the heavens. Anyone wishing to follow the right path would look closely at the Prince of Lilium, with his bright and kind features and no darkness in his eyes. For his sake, they would even shut their hearts, to do what was right.

If Schwartz was willing to attack the hero, they would prevent him from even touching a single strand of the hero’s hair. A villain must never win, and good will always defeat, vanquish evil. In these times of crisis, with the kingdom’s growing unrest year after year caused by the Zantedeschia, the populace was suffering. Inequality, famine, disease, they had been slowly creeping in Lilium, and Schwartz’s arrival would be the key to opening the forbidden box.

Thus, they needed to bring swift judgement to the villain trying to usurp power once more.

~ ° ~

“A paragon of virtue, the meaning of a hero,” Vil uttered those words, almost wounded.

“In my world, the origin of the word ‘Hero’ was one meaning Defender.”

“It’s the same as this world. Color me surprised, though, I wouldn’t put you as a reader.”

“How rude, senpai, even after all this time you still think the worst of me.” Ann pretended to sigh dramatically, though Vil just rolled his eyes. “You probably think I spend my time thinking of how to annoy you and picking my nose.”

He let out a chuckle, his now trademark sardonic smile aimed at her. “Given how much you neglect your appearance, would you blame me for believing it?”

~ ° ~

As they traveled, the burden of his secret mission weighed heavily on Schwartz’s shoulders, as he found himself growing attached to his companions. Keeping an aloof distance and not hiding his critical tongue and stoic and strict nature, he had assumed they would be simply people he would be using to achieve his goals. Schwartz had always been alone and feared by everyone, so he hadn’t expected anything else. The kind interaction of these people made him at times believe they could be friends, something he had once thought impossible.

After all, no one knew better than him that he was sullied with jealousy and anger, stains perhaps too deep in his soul to be the hero recognized by Durendal. After all, the legendary sword would only choose someone who was a hero and the more Schwartz looked at himself in the mirror, the further he traveled in his journey, the more he believed himself to be the villain, just as his ancestors before him.

~ ° ~

This time, Vil had no snappy retort or effusive reaction. Instead, he solemnly stared at the words in front of him, his lips pressed together into a thin line. He wouldn’t admit aloud that Schwartz’s feelings were hitting too close to home, the traces of his Overblot still lingering in his thoughts. His own failings caused his heart to be tainted with ink and even to his day, he struggled with his wish to be cast once as a hero, to prove he wasn’t the villain everyone appointed and believed he was.

His eyes briefly met Ann’s, before he diverted his gaze. He recalled the times she had called him several things, such as kind, that he, to this day, did not believe he was, and he wondered if there were some of those feelings portrayed in the script in his hands.

She didn’t say anything, as she quietly looked at him with a warm soft smile, in hopes that he kept on reading to find the answer he was suddenly seeking for.

~ ° ~

Just as the travelers arrived at the shrine where Durendal rested, Schwartz came to face his sworn enemy, Prince Weiss, the paragon of goodness and the hero of the land. He almost laughed maniacally, as the seven holy knights came to protect him. It would truly be a fight of good and evil, and for once he decided to unveil his ugly mask to the oblivious people who wrongly decided to accompany him.

~ ° ~

“Did you honestly write ‘Fighting scene goes here’?” Vil arched an eyebrow, with a dismissive and almost stunned glare at Ann, who simply blinked in return.

“Do I look like I know how those kind of fighting scenes normally go in a script?”

“Shouldn’t you know it? You ARE writing this after all.”

“You can make it up as you want.” Ann waved her hand nonchalantly, and Vil let out a groan. The nerve of the girl to leave out the most important part of the scene, and he thought of thousand ways to express his utter shock and frustration. Ann huffed. “If you really want it, you can pretend I wrote you kick Neige in the balls…Ah, but be careful with your heels, you might break his baby-making machine and that might give you trouble.”

“Baby. Making. Machine.”

“His dick, senpai. You break his dick.”

Vil’s blank expression was on her for a couple of seconds, before his line of sight was interrupted by her gently shoving the script toward his face.

~ ° ~

The knights defeated and Weiss wounded, Schwartz would lift his sword, deep in anger to decapitate his nemesis, at the protest of his friends. The anger of knowing that his family had been shunned for years for crimes they never committed, Schwartz finding himself damned for the only reason of being born under the Zantedeschia name fueled his fatal blow. As the sword fell like a guillotine, an arrow threw it away from its trajectory, his friends deciding to oppose him in a battle they knew they might lose. But they would face him because they knew what kind of person Schwartz truly was, cold and aloof, but secretly caring, and they didn’t want him to commit a heinous crime.

Somehow, his words reached Schwartz, horrified at the monster he had become. Falling on his knees, he threw away his magic tome and his sword, realizing he was no hero, he was the villain awaiting his execution. He would no longer be capable of wielding Durendal, no, the idea of wielding it was ridiculous from the very beginning. And to wound him further, his close knight Vert had picked up the Legendary Sword, handing it to a wounded Weiss, as he protected him from any harm on their escape.

“I was hoping you would recognize your own worth without needing external validation. You do not need Durendal. The wielder of Durendal is the one who shines like the sun, the most beautiful at heart. One day, you will surely be recognized, farewell, Schwartz, but my heart truly lies with Weiss, who is unclouded by sin and is as radiant as any star.”

Vert’s betrayal caused everyone to fall back, taking everyone by surprise. While Asfar, Burtiqali and Ai had caught grasp of Schwartz’s true intentions, they never realized Vert had sent a warning to Lilium. Tending their wounds, Schwartz finally explained the truth he had concealed.

Long ago, as a great war emerged, the Zantedeschia were one of many houses caught in the strife. Fighting to protect their territory and lending a hand to nearby lands, they grew in power, and lords of other lands deemed them too dangerous. While they hadn’t invaded other kingdoms, they were plagued by fear, and decided to vanquish them before they could do anything. And thus, they imparted their judgement and executed most of the royal family except for one who managed to escape, keeping the bloodline alive and hiding at the ends of the world.

They gave the honor to a random lowborn house, the Lilium, as they would make the better heroes for a loving fairytale. A chivalrous story of the good and weak defeating the evil and strong. Pinning all of their internal problems on the Zantedeschia, they decided it was for the best to brand them as the evil of the world, and thus it would be allowed to destroy them. Because Durendal happened to choose the prince of Lilium, they could embellish their tale which was no more than political machinations to benefit just a small few, while giving crumbs of justice to the unknowing folk.

And thus, with the passage of time, the world would know of the story of the evil Zantedeschia and the good Lilium and it became the truth for everyone. Except for the surviving bloodline of the Zantedeschia who relayed their truth to their successors, hoping that one day, they would finally be acquitted of something they never committed. And if Durendal chose any of them, then it would finally be proof that they weren’t the evil they were always thought to be.

“Did you want to wield Durendal for yourself or for your bloodline and your people?” Ai had posed this question to Schwartz, who had tried everything and had failed.

“For them, but also for myself, though it no longer matters. Someone like me isn’t meant to be a hero. Which Legendary Sword would choose a murderer driven by jealousy? Which kind of people would follow a hero tainted by anger, envy, and resentment? Weiss is as radiant as the sun, I am the cold moon doomed to die at every dawn.”

“I don’t believe you are the villain you have convinced yourself to be, nor is that one born a hero. If you still wish to try, there is still time for you to see if Durendal has rejected you.”

“Even if it doesn’t choose me, I want my clan’s name to be cleared for sins pinned on us.”

Because of Schwartz coming to Lilium, the official ceremony for Weiss to become the next wielder was rushed and would be before he was of age. It was also to quell people’s anger, as their issues in their land had become unbearable to wear and a hero would bring peace to the people, as Weiss truly believed with all of his heart. To bring light to cast away the shadows, he would take his place as the hero.

Apologizing for what he had done, Schwartz asked his friends if they would accompany in a final quest. If he were to be fought and executed, so be it, and if he was never to become Durendal’s wielder, so be it, but at least, he would want to denounce the infamy his family had been accused of. He would accept his death if it at least meant the truth was finally known, and with it the Zantedeschia would be no more. He was surprised when everyone decided to go on with the journey, everyone knowing what kind of man he was, and wishing to support him one last time. Thus, Schwartz and his friends traveled to Lilium to set right what was wrong.

“I am Prince Schwartz Zantedeschia from the Araceae Kingdom and I have come to reclaim the innocence of my people, unjustly accused in the past of crimes they did not commit. If I have to fight the hero chosen by Durendal, so be it! But on this day, the truth shall be known!”

“I will not let you, Prince Schwartz,” Prince Weiss proclaimed. “The Zantedeschia have become the evil of this land, and will be purged once more. You even wanted to steal this holy blade, someone like you is unfit to be Durendal’s wielder.”

Prince Weiss fought Prince Schwartz, not letting him say anything else. And deeply wounded after so many battles, Prince Schwartz fell on his knee, the sign of his loss and imminent execution. With a heavy movement, Prince Weiss swung Durendal, only to find that it wouldn’t even touch one strand of Schwartz’s hair, falling to the ground and staying there unmoving no matter how hard Weiss tried to lift it.

For Durendal would never harm the wielder it had chosen.

Surprising everyone, Schwartz included, he found himself picking up the sword, glowing as beautifully as the sun, a sign it had picked his newfound hero. However, before anyone could rejoice, the flames of revolution stormed into place, as Schwartz and his friends had to flee Lilium.

~ ° ~

“And that’s when the first movie ends,” Ann chirped happily as Vil closed the script having finished reading it, “setting up the second one where Weiss goes batshit evil because he wasn’t the chosen hero as his land falls into shambles because of a revolution unfolding because the government was trash. Schwartz and his friends had to flee and embark on a journey to unfold a thousand year conspiracy and reveal the people behind the scenes of every tragedy. Burtiqali might or might not have to face the fact he kinda murdered Asfar’s dad and tried to set Asfar up but it blew up on him. Ai and Hai try to go back home, Violet has to reevaluate his relationship with Schwartz, tension between Vert and Scwhartz for the treason he committed, and Azure and Vermillion try to redeem themselves from their petty felonies while working as comic relief.”

Vil blinked for a moment before bursting out laughing for a couple of minutes. “A sequel, really? You even thought that far?”

“There are too many developments to fit in one movie. This isn’t a cash-grab sequel, it’s because the plot is too heavy to work in only one.”

“Pffft!” Vil couldn’t even stop himself from making that grin, between condescending and touched. “I didn’t know you had quite the imagination, I know you make a comic and you made your friends cry with it, but I didn’t expect a conspiracy for Legendary Sword. You truly never watched any of the films, the sword’s name is Excalibur by the way.”

“I knew the name, but Durendal fits better, duh. The meaning of Durendal’s name has been debated actually, but a common point is how it resists and endures. It was a sturdy sword, so of course it would endure, that is why it had to be the Legendary sword here.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow your obtuse logic, Ann.”

“If you’ve read as much as you claim to have, you will concede that former heroes weren’t good-natured people. It was a term given to those humans who defied all odds to achieve something impossible. In fact, many of them were terrible people struggling with vices. It was with time, especially modern times, that the word hero morphed into what we see, the pure-hearted paragon of goodness.”

“I almost poisoned Neige. How many heroes kill their rival in a fit of jealousy?”

“I like reading, and I realized the most valuable heroes weren’t the ones who never did wrong, but the ones who faced their own weaknesses and demons, and at their lowest, they could go on. You aren’t born a hero, you become one. Durendal chose Schwartz because he was willing to live on with his resentment and envy and help others. Durendal recognized Schwartz’s struggles and the time and effort he had spent all his life, trying to live up to his own morals. He saved people he encountered because it was the right thing to do, even if it was at odds with his goals. Would you call a villain someone who helps others out of the wishes of their heart?”

Vil opened his mouth to refute everything she had said, but Ann lifted a hand, a sign she wasn’t even done.

“You didn’t harm Neige in the end, and you overblotted because you regretted what you were going to do. You had a moment of weakness because you bottled it all in and because you are human. But your weakness doesn’t define your worth, it’s how you deal with your failures and faults what does. I told you, didn’t I? You are a hero, Vil. And I thought of making a story for the hero you deserved to represent.”

“…You depicted what happened during the VDC. That is no original story,” he mumbled, though he wasn’t mocking her. In fact, he was saying it to try to confront his own mixed feelings, at how she had turned his own struggles in a story of him being the hero. To be seen at his worst, yet being given this…

“It stops being based on that at the end, and there’s still the sequel, don’t forget. I haven’t finished it, but it can be a future birthday gift, right? I am a no-name person, but I’m giving it to you so you can give it to a director or a producer or a big shot and tell him ‘Hey, I got this great idea for a movie’. Obviously, you are Schwartz, the description was there so no one would get funny ideas of casting Neige.”

“You have no idea how these things work. No one will take me seriously if I hand them this.”

“Then arrange for someone to hand it to them then, duh.”

Vil chuckled. “Of course, I might follow your whims, if you behave well. Though I can’t say I hated this gift, you’d better improve your written action scenes next time.” There was no way he was giving this to Adella.

With a bright smile, not knowing that her gift would never reach the light of any studio, Ann excused herself, not before waving at him as she disappeared from the corridor. Vil himself reached his own room, carefully closed the door and threw himself on his bed. The script was carefully held between his arms, as he sighed.

“What a naïve girl, no one would make this film,” he said to no one, disappointed.

Vil knew how the industry worked. Such a story as the one depicted in this tale deviated too much from the norm to become a mainstream film and the budget needed was too large for an independent studio. Thus, only Vil would know of this story, the story of Schwartz Zantedeschia.

Even so, he held the script tightly against his heart, as he closed his eyelids to hide the tears forming in his eyes.

This has a lot of Author’s notes to make things more understandable.

Every character’s name is, as you might have guessed, based on a particular color. The color designation was depending on the origin of the fairy tale. Schwartz (Vil), Weiss (Neige) and Violett (Epel) got the German names for the colors black, white and violet, respectively. Vert (Rook) is the only exception, his name coming from French for green, this is to highlight that in the end he is a traitor of sorts to Schwartz.

Azure (Deuce) and Vermillion (Ace)’s original story hails from England, so they got variants of blue and red. Aladdin was written by a Syrian author, so Asfur (Kalim) and Burtiqali (Jamil) are the Arabic words for yellow and orange. I don’t know Arabic, so I am not sure if that’s the proper way you’d spell those words in the English alphabet, so if you find any mistakes, please let me know. Finally, while Ann comes originally from England, her character Ai and Hai (Grim) are in a way from Japan, so they are the Japanese words for indigo and gray.

Every character’s last name comes from a particular flower. Schwartz’s comes from Zantedeschia, or the calla lily. The calla lily can be found in a purple color so deep it might even look black. In spite of its name, it is not a true lily, hence it comes from the Zantedeschia genus and from the Araceae family. In the language of flowers, it represents beauty (hence ‘calla’, beautiful in Greek), purity, holiness, faithfulness, rebirth and resurrection. Funny though, the flower IS poisonous because of course Vil gets a poisonous flower. :^)

Meanwhile, Weiss’s Leiron is the Greek word people believe referred to the white Madonna lily, and his Kingdom’s name is Lilium, the Genus for the lily flowers. Lilies have different meanings, depending on the color. White ones represent virginity, purity and modesty, while yellow ones represent falsehood and gaiety and orange means hatred. It is used in funerals in the west and are actually poisonous as well.

The other kingdoms come from the family of the Roses (Heartslabyul people), Chrysanthemums (Ann and Grim), and Jasmine (Kalim and Jamil). Because the author of the story of Aladdin is from Syria, I picked the national flower from that country.

Also, it’s ok Vil, you can make it an anime, or you can blackmail Crowley for $$$ and make it your club’s pet project :^) Ehehehe

It was longer than expected, but I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading!

#twisted wonderland #vil schoenheit #twst oc #vil x mc #twst

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aaetherius · 3 years

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Get To Know The Writer!

——— BASICS! ♡

(PEN)NAME: Noise

PRONOUNS: They / Them

ZODIAC SIGN: Virg.o

TAKEN OR SINGLE: I am a single parent to a gremlin cat. I also have a dog and another cat, but when do I ever talk about them sorry my fur children I should not have a favorite, but I do.

——— THREE FACTS! ♡

I am fairly/decently tattooed (verging on heavily tattooed, I think most would argue)? I think that’s something most people don’t know or assume about me (unless you’ve seen me, then, of course, it’s the first thing everyone notices). I have a lot of tattoos so I won’t describe/go over all of them (most of them are nerdy though). But the most obvious/largest one I have is my full sleeve (entire left arm), and that one is of Ok.ami! My favorite one, though, is on my thigh because I’m biased, and it’s a decently sized heart with a scene from K.iki’s Delivery service in it/things that reference it, but Lily and Jiji (the cats from Kiki’s) are colored/drawn as my two cats instead (their names are Elise and Bella and I love them very much gfheudhg)! And my most recent one is a pretty large Sailor Moo.n (Luna) inspired one on my calf (I got it done, unintentionally, like the day before we went into lockdown here and I still think about how that’s the last time I left my house other than to walk the dog and for the essentials, obviously dshjgjfy).

A lot of you know this already, but I sew/know how to sew (largely self taught)! I mainly do cosplay stuff for myself now, and sometimes make cosplays for friends (if I love them enough ghufdihrudk). But there was a period of my life where I was doing it professionally/as a job. I had my own business, and used to make and sell plushies (mainly at conventions, and would do several conventions in a year. Free fun fact from that, but my best con was actually in Canada, of which I am not from nor do I live in, but because of that I have a business license/Tax number in Canada. Used to get invites to events in Canada all of the time and I had to tell them I don’t live there gfudrkugfgrfdr)!

This is so very difficult. I’m out of facts and trying to come up with things you guys don’t already know ifdshliuf. Uhhhhh, on the more personal side/less fun side I guess, but I was on a learning plan (I honestly forget the actual term for it - basically it’s for when you struggle with a certain subject and have to take extra classes for it or are given accommodations for it because it’s difficult for you) throughout most of school/prior to college for - writing, actually (believe it or not gifdljhgkgrt)! I was often told how terrible I was at it/that I would never get better at it because the school system can be awful, but I enjoyed it, and was a very stubborn child so I kept at it anyway! Eventually I was taken off of it in high school entirely because of my own efforts. So, I just want to say: never let people tell you that you’re incapable of something/can’t do something/don’t let people bring you down! If you love something, and get enjoyment out of it, you should do it regardless of what others think/believe! And be kind/supportive to creatives (including yourself - so very much including yourself, you’re wonderful and deserving of respect and praise for doing what you do). It can take so much courage to write or draw or sew or sculpt a single thing (and you should be proud of that thing, even if it doesn’t live up to what you wanted, because what really matters is that you had the courage to do it at all)! There’s often so much going on behind the scenes that you’re not aware of, and you never know where, when, or how someone started off in something (so even if something seems easy for someone now, it likely wasn’t when they started and still might not be)!

——— EXPERIENCE! ♡

I can’t recall when I started role-playing exactly (I’ve been writing, in general, since I could hold a pen). It’s been years, but I started with OCs on forums and with friends (in high school I had a group of friends that I would trade around a physical notebook with where we would write replies - one time, for a friend’s birthday, I had owed them a reply for a really long time, so we wrapped it up and them put it in five or so boxes, all of which were also wrapped, and gave it to them. It was a good time haha. Gosh I’m so old). Before eventually moving to tumblr. Most of my older/oldest OCs are still around on my general multi (August being the oldest, but a decent chunk of the OCs on that blog are pretty old). The first canon character I wrote was, I believe, Steven St.one from P.okemon. As far as Lucifer is concerned, I’m a few days away from this blog being seven months old!

——— MUSE PREFERENCE! ♡

I’m not quite certain what my preference is to be honest! I enjoy writing both OCs and canon characters. I tend to favor characters I’m more emotionally invested in since I tend to be on the shy/more withdrawn side of things so it’s easier for me to interact with others/reach out to others when I’m more invested in a muse! A lot of it can depend on my mood as well, certain characters are easier for me to write depending on how I’m feeling ( but there are muses I find easy to write regardless of how I’m doing). And how comfortable I feel with/on my dash also plays a fairly decent role in my preference, as well! And I enjoy running both single and multi-muse blogs, though most of my blogs are multis (but having a single muse blog is so nice). As far as archetypes go, I think I don’t favor one as much as I used to, but I still write a lot of white-haired muses haha. As far as gender goes, I tend to write male identifying muses most often.

——— FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT! ♡

FLUFF: I love and adore all things soft. Obviously it’s easier with certain muses than others (Lucifer lends himself well to fluff, but I have muses, like L.ucilius, who do not). I’m always down to write fluffy things, and very much enjoy it! I like and favor happy/soft content! I like seeing muses get closer, and living their lives and I’m always excited to see characters happy/finding out what they enjoy/spending time with others and learning about them/letting characters live their lives (especially in Lucifer’s case because, well, you know haha. If Cy.games won’t let him be happy I will simply have to do it myself).

ANGST: I like angst to a certain extent. I’m not into super heavy angst that has a bad/unhappy outcome, and doesn’t serve much of a purpose beyond being angsty. But angst that allows characters to develop is wonderful, and expected. And I love the recovery period. Writing muses addressing and living with their actions or learning how to cope with them - how their past or how what’s happened impacts their day to day lives and how they think/what bothers them/their actions/how it becomes a part of them, and what it takes for them to grow. Or how it deepens their relationship with another, and the comfort that comes with it. I enjoy angst that has a happy/meaningful ending.

SMUT: It tends to be very case-by-case by with me. I may write it with certain muses (of mine) and not with others. I may be open to writing it with certain ship partners, and not with others, as well. I will/can write it, but it depends on my comfort level (and it is by no means a deal breaker if you chose to write or not write it). Generally speaking, it largely depends on how comfortable I am with the mun I’m writing with, and with my own muse that’s involved. So I might write it from time to time/it could come up, and there might be other times where I’m not comfortable/confident (and fading to black/time skipping is also a-okay with me, especially if you’re interested in exploring the aftermath/comfort that follows it, but not actually writing the smut part of that out). Though, keep in mind, when it comes to actually writing it out on my end, I’m more invested and interested in the emotional aspect that intimacy tends to bring with it/how it impacts the relationship (before, during, and after), and that does tend to be what I focus on when I write it (because I just find that part of it interesting to explore because my favorite things to write are character and relationship development). So, long story short, I’m selective with it.

PLOT / MEMES: Both are good! You’re always welcome to turn an ask or meme into a thread, and I find that it’s easier to start threads through asks/memes than it is through starters/a starter call so I very much enjoy them! But plotting is also nice, and I enjoy it! Sometimes, though, I have a million ideas, and it goes super well, and other times my head is completely empty and I have no thoughts whatsoever. But plotting also tends to make writing a starter/interacting easier, and also leads to interesting threads! So, I’m open to both!

tagged by: @cirocchio (thank you)!

tagging ( if you want to do this, but no pressure if you don’t! ): @cxffexngel, @anamnaesis, @hartblooms, @shymaidxn, @unladylikc, @whisperonn, @dcpraved, @synnthos, @caelumsaltator, @againthemartyr, @eternalwhite!

#| ☩ Out of Time (OOC) ☩ |#| ☩ A pocket full of feathers ☩ (dash meme) |#{ I keep telling myself I will sleep at a reasonable hour and then I blink and it's four in the morning save me from myself gufidhgouio }#| . long post . |#{ I'll tag my stupidly long ooc posts but not my actual replies hrtfgkdujgtr }#{ It took me like 18 years to do this and yet I still wrote so much fhuurhfgiud }#{ One day I will learn to be brief }#{ No I won't that's a lie and we all know that lol }#{ All of those periods are my sad attempt to keep the bots at bay they don't mean anything lol }

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illogicallyinclined · 4 years

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Let’s Make Some Noise (for The Boys)

tws: cursing

Callen and Julian Facts

Callen once tricked Peter into eating one of those chips from the Paqui One Chip Challenge and took a video as Peter subsequently Perished On Sight. (Callen was convinced that it couldn’t be that bad, so he ate one as well, and Nope He Was Wrong. it was That Bad)

Callen’s alarm is that scene from Shrek where Shrek and the villagers are all screaming at each other

Callen struggles to make friends because of how blunt and brutal he can be, but he’s fiercely protective of the friends that he does have. Peter’s honestly the first friend he’s ever had, and although Callen dunks on him daily, he’d also murder for him at this point

Julian, despite being a Big Baby, has quite a lot of sass packed into his Little Body. (this is unfortunate, because he WILL cry if he manages to instigate an argument by saying something Too Sassy)

Julian’s allergic to peanuts, which SUCKS because peanut butter smells,,, so good,,,,

Julian works at the LGBT center, so every single pen he owns is one of the free LGBT Center Pens that they distribute to whomever wants them

he also has a collection of free chapsticks from the center because they taste unreasonably good

Bo and Jared

the fact that these two get along is hysterical, but also makes sense given the fact that Bo is quiet and likes listening to others whereas Jared is a motor-mouth who is incapable of Turning It Off

Jared usually has Incurable Bastard Disease, but the minute Bo is In His Presence, he is a Large and Flustered Mess. the team uses this for evil more often than not.

once Jared and Bo start dating, the team starts referring to Bo as Jared’s “Bo-yfriend” in the group chat

(Jared: if Bo is my Bo-yfriend, then what am i?; Roman: Bo’s bitch)

Jared isn’t a fan of his glasses because he thinks they make him look like a dweeb, but Bo tells him that they’re cute One Time and he just. straight up dies.

General OC interactions

Jamie likes gaming and Jared likes being a horrid little ghoul, so sometimes Jared will write up objectively terrible mods for a few of Jamie’s PC games so that they can get a good laugh out of it

although Patton does it more often, another person on the team who likes to put little braids in Bo’s hair is Payton. he, like Patton, had a little sister that he could learn off of, and braiding is an excellent way to keep his hands moving (which is fantastic, because he can NOT stay still for the life of him)

Myles and Holly engage in a little wrestling match out on the ice during warmups prior to each game. it’s a ritual that they’ve come to anticipate and thoroughly enjoy.

#hockey au #hockey hcs #bo anderson #jared jaslow #callen kang #julian beauregard #jamie bratcher #payton o'shaughnessy #myles nye #holly dean #cursing #OCs

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lovelybunny08 · 4 years

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A Blissful Moment (Revised)

♡ Pairing- Jimin and you

♡ Genre- Smut and One-Shot

♡Description- You finally convince your friend to go out to a club; on the last weekend your in Korea.

♡ This is my first story in a long time. For personal reasons I am scared of writing but thanks to some people I decided to try it. Please leave comments on what you honestly think. ♡

♡ Word Count- 3,644

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You monotonously check your Instagram one last time before putting your phone back in your clutch. You’re currently in the backseat of an uber with your best friend as you head to one of the hottest clubs in Gangnam. You had spent the last few days begging for her to go until she finally caved. You knew you had her when you argued that this was your last weekend in Korea, and that there was no better way to end the vacation than with several overpriced drinks, average to cringe-worthy dancing, and some extremely attractive strangers. Some of the mystique from the night fades, however, when you and she get out of the car and join the line that runs nearly a block away from the club entrance. This was your one of your last nights in Korean, though, and nothing was going to drag your mood.

“I can’t believe I finally convinced you to go to a club” you announce as you beam at your friend.

“You’re lucky I love you, because there’s no other way I would stand in these heels for this long if I didn’t cause honestly my feet are going to be fuc—” her words are cut off when you abruptly squeeze her into a hug.

“C’mon don’t think so much let’s just have fun” you muffle in response as you shove your cheek against hers and tighten your hold on her shoulders. If you only knew then how utterly dumb your words would sound after the events that would follow.

After shuffling forward for almost an hour, you finally reach the velvet ropes. You and your friend eagerly flash your passports to the bouncer and pay the hefty entrance fee. As he removes the ropes to allow your passage, you can already feel the bass from the music thrumming through the floor. As you emerge from the long black hallway into the main part of the club, your draw nearly hits the floor from what you see. This place was utterly massive with several bars lining every wall space, a dance floor larger than any you’d ever been on, and a balcony above stretching around the whole joint. You easily identify the balcony as the VIP lounge when you spot the security at the stair entrances on either side of the club. That didn’t stop your eyes from peering through the glass railing to catch anything interesting. Without a soul in sight you figure they must all hang away from the railings for privacy. You shrug and grab your equally amazed friend’s hand and drag her to the nearest bar. You lean across the bar to order (shout is more accurate) two vodka’s in RedBull with two shots of green tea shots. Waiting for your order, you and your friend lean with your backs against the bar, taking in the scenery once more. The DJ is losing his mind on stage at the opposite end of the club as his audience screams every time he twists the track.

“This club is the definition of high-end insanity!” your friend shouts into your ear. You quickly yell back,

“Yea, I know! I read somewhere online that it’s supposed to be one of the best clubs in Gangnam!”

“I can see why! This night club looks like it’s straight out of a movie!” She answers, and you nod your head in agreement. You feel her turn to face the bar before her arm is outstretched, handing you your drink as she begins to chug hers.

“Come on and drink up so we can dance!” She smiles when she comes up for air. With new enthusiasm, you both down your drinks in record time before dragging each other deep into the mass of hot, sweaty bodies. You begin to roll your hips in the tight space as your ears catch onto the familiar tune. You’re surprised to hear reggaeton pulsing through the speakers

Several tracks and quite a few drinks later, you and your friend are still dancing the night away as the alcohol in your veins takes away any inhibitions. A thin sheen of sweat covers you skin, making you shine with a worn out, dewy look matched with a large dopey grin as you scream as the next song begins to play. You begin dancing once more when a tall, burly man in a dark suit approaches from behind your friend. You recognize him as one of the security personnel and begin to wonder what you or your friend could have done wrong when he interrupts your thoughts.

“Excuse me, ladies, but there are a few VIPs who request they meet with you,” he explains.

With a sigh of relief, you playfully roll your eyes at your friend. Of course, she had caught the eye of some rich or famous man. Your friend was naturally stunning. Her slim frame was accentuated perfectly in her black shorts and white halter top tonight. To top it off, her long, sleek black hair draped down her back, effortlessly catching the eyes of several men throughout the night; now including some high-end suitors as well. Meanwhile, your eyes travel down your figure in a simple, green sleeveless dress that stopped mid-thigh. You look back up to meet your friends pleading eyes. You chuckle as you lightly shove her shoulder,

“Go on” you laugh. Her brow furrows slightly in concern.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

“Heavens, yes! I’ll be perfectly fine dancing here with strangers as we have been all night. Now go and meet whoever, but you have to tell me all the juicy details later!” You exclaim with a wink.

“But—” your friend tries to respond but is cut off by the security guard.

“Actually, they requested both of you.” He corrects.

You stand there dumbfounded, trying to process that there were high-end men up there who for some reason not only wanted your friend but also you. Before you could ponder up various explanations, you feel your friend’s grasp around your wrist as she chirps,

“Great! Lead the way!”

You both follow the security guard closely as to not get lost in the crowd. When you arrive at the bottom of one of the staircases to the balcony, you meet four other guards who quickly step aside for the guard you are following. As you climb the stairs, your eyes glance across the club to the other staircase to see how many guards there were. Damn, who was so important that there were nearly 10 guards blocking the entrances to the VIP lounge? You all eventually arrive at the balcony entrance, blocked by a swing glass half-door. When the guard swings the door open, you and your friend step onto the fine red carpet and continue to follow the guard to the back of the lounge. You stare at your feet as you all amble over because the nervousness in your stomach begins to eat away at you. What did they want? Why you and your friend? Why were there so many guards? Before you walk face-first into the back of the guard, your friend grabs your shoulder. You spare her a thankful glance before turning to take in what, or rather who, sit before you. There is a low-set square table, only a couple feet above the ground, supporting a wide variety of drinks. Surrounding the table on three sides, is a jet-black leather couch, providing a striking contrast against the red carpet. While this screams prestige, you are so distracted by your audience that your brain no longer registers—well, anything else. Not the music. Not at how the guard is no longer there. Not even at your friend whose grip tightens on your shoulder. You suck in a breath as you finally admit to yourself that you’re not dreaming. There before you, sitting casually with their arms draped across the back of the couch, are Jeon Jungkook and Park Jimin.

You vaguely take in a few other guys and girls sitting on other parts of the couch, but you could care less. To ease yourself in, you scan Jungkook first. He is the embodiment of sin in tight black dress attire and designer leather boots. Your mouth waters at the way the muscles in his thighs pull tightly on his pants. After adjusting to Jungkook, you breathe in sharp breath and comb over every inch of the man that is Park Jimin. His pristine white dress shirt hugs his arms and stretches across his chest and abdomen before it dips underneath the band of his black skinny jeans finished with black leather boots as well. At this point, you are biting on your tongue so hard that you aren’t entirely sure if you would be able to talk due to swelling. Content with staying silent, you continue to stare, well honestly gawk, and the way Jimin’s smooth skin peeks out at the top of his shirt where the buttons were—

“You both are pretty impressive on the floor, dancing well enough to capture the attention of these two pros” says one of the other guys on the couch as he nods his head in Jimin and Jungkook’s direction. Your friend throws a soft smile and a “thanks” before turning to squarely face you. She leans in and whispers in your ear,

“Aren’t those two guys from that group you like?” All you can do is nod your head in affirmation; your eyes not breaking from Jimin’s form once as his scan you from head to toe.

“Hey, why don’t you both come take a break beside us?” Jungkook smirks as he pats the couch between the two of them. You freeze and of course your brain decides to leave you in your most dire moment. To save you from staring blankly, your friend nudges you forward enough to stumble next to where Jimin is seated. You throw a glare at your friend as she snugly takes her place next to Jungkook. She did this on purpose. She knew your bias was Jimin, and although her intentions were pure your thoughts at the moment were anything but.

“Where are you both from?’ Jungkook breaks the silence first.

“ Oh, well I’m from the states, but my family is Hispanic.” Wow, maybe your brain returned enough for you to answer a question.

“Ah,” Jimin’s breath is hot on your ear as he leans in. “and where is your family from?”

You manage to force out a coherent string of words about your ethnicity, but the husky yet sweet smell of Jimin’s cologne left you incapable of focusing.

“That explains why you looked so sexy dancing then…” You suck in a breath as he places his hands on your thighs while admitting this. Wow. Okay. Park Jimin. His hands. His hands on you. This is happening, right now. Okay, This. Is. Happening. Now. You don’t respond to him because this has to be a dream. Nonetheless, it’s a dream you don’t want to end. Jimin inches closer to you and whispers in a low even tone,

“You don’t have to seem so shy. You know who I am. You know exactly who I am don’t you?” Jimin’s hands wander further up your thighs, the coldness of them making you shiver slightly. “I recognize your tattoo. You’re an ARMY.”

Your eyes fly down to your wrist where you had a tattoo of the cover of the Love Yourself album inked onto you as a permanent reminder. You had been a little concerned that he would view fans as off limits, but the whole time Jimin continues to run his hands up and down your thighs, getting closer and closer to where you want to feel him most

“I—” You cleared your throat to prevent squeaking. “I—won’t tell anyone I saw you and Jungkook here, I swear.” Your promise radiates in your eyes as you lock gazes with him. His eyes pull into a smile.

“I trust you…and you haven’t even glanced at your phone the whole time you’ve been here.” Both pairs of eyes stare at the object of conversation. You remember you had placed your phone on the table when you were sitting down. As if on cue (and the universe working against you), your phone buzzes with a notification. That part is fine. It’s just a random email. However, it is behind the notification that turns your face scarlet. Staring back at you and Jimin, lit up in all of its LED glory, is your lockscreen of Park Jimin’s abs. Oh, yes. The universe does indeed want you to hide away forever. Your face falls into your hands, and you don’t even try to explain it. Although, you can’t resist the curiosity of seeing his reaction, so you spread your fingers to peak through them… and you’re met with the darkest gaze you’ve ever seen grace his angelic features.

“Aha, I see what type of ARMY you are…” he grips your chin to make you look directly into his eyes. “You’ll do what I say, won’t you dear?” Surprisingly, your motor functions haven’t short-circuited, and you manage to nod your head. “Good. Now be a good girl and sit on my thighs, legs open, facing me” he demands.

He doesn’t need to ask twice as you’re quick to follow orders. As soon as you’ve placed yourself over his lap, you feel his hands cup your jaw as you’re drawn forward into him. The kiss is hard and deep, contrasting with the soft, pillowy feel of his lips. You let out a small groan and an instinctual roll of your hips before you abruptly still on top of him. He is hard, very hard. This lets you know two things: 1) Holy hell you got THE Park Jimin hard? Your ego has never been more inflated, and 2) his size was well above what you have dreamed and that speaks volumes. Feeling more courageous after this discovery, you experimentally roll your hips harder across his erection. When you pull a deep growl from his throat, you know it’s over. He drags you in by your hips and begins kissing you even harder, tongue encircling yours and fighting for dominance. Small moans from both sides only spur you both on further until you’re positive your dripping. As you continue to encourage his wandering hands, he bites on your bottom lip and drags it through his teeth, pulling away to flash a devilish grin.

“You want me little bunny?” Fuck. You’re already soaked and now the nickname? Hell, if agreeing to him makes him put his mouth on you again then you’ve forgotten how to say no. You bite your lip as your hands trace up his chest, your eyes following your motion until they lock with his.

“Yes,” you half moan, half whisper to him. You feel one his hands sprawl across your upper back and suddenly you’re falling forward, chests pressed tightly against each other.

“Then un-zip my pants and ride me,” he deadpans.

“W-What? B-But—people are going to see us Jimin!”

“Shh darling, they won’t. It’s too dark, they’ll just assume you’re giving me a lap dance of sorts.”

Although in your mind you know his logic is flawed, the pull in your lower abdomen is writing his new philosophy across your decisions for the next half hour. You want to say you’re smarter—at least be able to say that you give yourself a few moments to consider.

Nope.

Nada.

Not at all.

You don’t even hesitate. You slide backwards slightly on his thighs, creating just enough space to unzip his pants and pull out his swelling erection. Stifling a moan at the sight, you ready yourself by reaching to move your panties to the side when Jimin’s grip closes around your wrist.

“Take them off and give them to me.”

You look at his expression to see if it’s a joke, but his eyes are void of humor and filled with lust. You quickly, and without shame you must add, stand up to slide off the lavender lace panties and curl the soaked material into Jimin’s outstretched palm. He immediately pockets them and drags you by your hips to resume where you both were headed previously. His fingers dig harshly into your hips as he guides your wet center down onto his dick. You both let out quiet moans at the indescribable sensation.

His size stretches you out so well, leaving a pleasurable sting as he bottoms out. You both sit there completely still giving each other time to adjust to the feeling and you the sheer size of him. Seeing your face relax, he mutters, “move” and begins to pull at your hips. You’re dying for relief, so you set a fast pace sliding up and down his length. You bite your lip in order to hold back the salacious noises you want to be screaming right now, but there are too many eyes that might suspect more than a lap dance if you do. To make up for this deficit, you pick up the pace and roll your hips even more, small beads of sweat beginning to form on your hairline and roll down your neck. Your thighs burn from the vigorous motion, and he catches the way you begin to falter. Without missing a beat, his hands dig into your flesh and guide you up only to slam you back down onto him. The pace combined with the sudden force is bringing you closer to your release.

“Please, Jimin I-I’m so close,” you whisper heavily.

“Good. Now, relax my little bunny and cum on my dick. Let go—”

“Agh! Jimin!”

You can’t help but cry out his name when those sweet words fall breathily from his lips and push you over the edge. In response to your outburst, you feel a heavy hand land on your ass, and you let out a small yelp. Your eyes flick to Jimin’s which tell you that the slap is a silent warning to stay quiet. As you continue to ride your high, Jimin gives a few hard thrusts and releases inside of you. You roll your hips lazily a few more times to help him before the oversensitivity becomes too much. You weakly slide yourself off of him and turn to collapse down next to him on the couch, your legs still dangling across his thighs. As he tucks himself back into his pants, your eyes lazily scan your surroundings. To your surprise, everyone is still preoccupied with their own business, not a single eye cast in you and Jimin’s direction. The wetness in between your thighs is growing sticky and uncomfortable, so you decide to go clean yourself before it dries completely.

“I think I’m going to head to the restroom and clean myself.”

“Yea, the bathroom is on the left down that hallway in the back.”

You flash him a nod in confirmation and rise to your feet, pulling your dress down as you do so. Jimin sends you a wink as you walk away and leans towards the table to fix himself a drink. Once you finish cleaning yourself, you stare dead at your reflection in the mirror. This is the first time tonight your mind is catching up with your actions. You can’t believe it. You just fucked Park Jimin. THE Park Jimin. In public no less! You’re equally stunned and amazed with yourself as you head out of the bathroom and back down the hallway. Once you return to the opening of the lounge, your friend is leaning on the wall waiting for you.

“Hey, y/n. I’m glad I gave you time to uh, finish up, but I’m really really exhausted, and these heels are digging into my soul now.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go say goodbye and then we can go back to the hotel.”

As you stroll back to the couch, Jimin and Jungkook rise to their feet to give their farewells. You and Jungkook exchange a laugh as you say that you’re happy to meet him. Then your friend leans in close to wish her best to Jungkook, and you roll your eyes and turn to Jimin. When you spin towards him, his face is mere inches from yours again. He leans in even closer as he slides something into your palm.

“I thought you might want to keep my number for the next time you’re in Korea, by the way thank you for the present.”

With a wink and small peck on the cheek, he sends you off. You and your friend quickly descend back to the floor of the club and make a beeline for the exit, eager to get to the hotel and flop into bed. After climbing into the back of a taxi, your mind wanders off about the fluffly sheets you would soon get to pass out on. Your friend, however, has different intentions for the ride back.

“So, uh- that was one hell of a lap dance you were giving Mr. Park, huh?”

Your head whips to her side of the car as you witness the most brilliant know-it-all grin she could muster plastered across her face.

“W-wha- h-how, b-but I-we were so care—”

“Please, y/n, Jungkook and I were on the other side of the couch, not the universe.” You stare dumbly in complete disbelief and utter embarrassment. “Hey, hey it’s okay. You had a good night, and an even greater time in Korean now, right?”

Your face slowly morphs into a large grin. “Yeah, and I can’t wait to come back for more…memories?”

“Also what present was he talking about” your friend asked.

That when you realize that son of a bitch had your panties still. You turned to your friend

“Maybe he meant the lap dance” you told her with a smile.

You both fall apart into giggles at your weak attempt to disguise your favorite part about Korea. With a few more laughs and excessive eye rolls, the taxi continues to drive into the night, closing the most ~memorable~ vacation you’ve ever had.

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theshatteredrose · 3 years

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Relic Keepers: Awakening of the Red Lily (Chapter 14) - Original Fiction

AN: Ok, so we’re approaching the meat of this novel quickly. The following chapters should be fun to write :3c This is going to be a long series. So, hope my readers are enjoying themselves, too~

Ao3 | Wattpad | Inkitt | FictionPress

~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 14:

The tunnels deep underground wasn’t as dark the second time around. That was entirely due to the fact that they had powerful high-beam torches with them. But even with a team of Elites acting as escort, Eishirou was still nervous about their surroundings. It wasn’t that much of a surprise. He just didn’t want to encounter one of those large, reckless centipede ShadowDwellers again.

Battling against it in the middle of a large field was bad enough. How difficult would be in these small, cramped, confined tunnels?

He honestly didn’t want to imagine it.

The halls they moved through were that of the ancient tunnelling. The path unilinear. Often curling from left to right, the ground beneath their feet would dip up and down at random intervals. Old, disused torches lined the walls.

And they weren’t the only things. Ancient cave paintings and carvings were etched in other side of the tunnels. The deeper they moved through the passageways, the more prevalent the paintings on the walls became.

There was one in particular that caught Eishirou’s attention. Enough to pull him to a stop to stare. It was similar to the one he came across before. However, the figures painted purposely as dark and black as possible were in the form of large, hulking humanoids. Yet, they appeared to move on all fours. They towered over the dark brown human figures who held spears and torches of fire as they battled the creatures.

Those creatures…they looked like the ones he saw from his recordings.

Both of them. But it was the one attached to the Elite team that had him the most concerned. Could a ShadowDweller they’ve yet to encounter have followed them?

“Eishirou?” Zayne asked him, worry in his tone.

Eishirou decided not to divulge his concerns with Zayne in the bleakness of the tunnels. “Sorry, got distracted. Just examining a painting. I’ll muse more on it later,” he said as he used his tablet to take a photo.

He couldn’t help but stay close to Zayne as they continued on their way, though. The more he thought about that recording with that humanoid shadowy figure scurrying after the Elite team, the more unnerved he became. There was something undeniably creepy about a humanoid figure with long spindly legs walking on all fours.

No, scurrying on all fours.

A low glow of light in the distance caught everyone’s attention. And they all tensed and fell silent in preparation for a possible confrontation. They couldn’t hear anything, though. Eishirou was fairly confident that a ShadowDweller wasn’t the origin of the light. ShadowDwellers were darker than shadows, so they were incapable of producing light.

He had to remind himself that his preconceptions were from their current research. And as a researcher, he was taught to never say never.

Zayne instinctively grabbed Eishirou by the elbow and pulled him toward him as they moved as a group toward the distant glow.

Eishirou was incredibly surprised to find a small side room through a crack in the wall. And it was filled with low, glowing lights. And those lights originated from patches of mushrooms and fungi. They glowed with neon green and blue lights. Shimmering, but steady. So bright that they didn’t need torches to look around the small room like area.

“Glowing mushrooms?” Eishirou was surprised, but excited by the find nevertheless. After all, he had only read about such things!

“They look pretty,” Rinka admitted with genuine but restrained awe in her voice.

“They also look toxic,” Zayne added, undeniably cautious.

Eishirou couldn’t deny either observation. “They certainly do.”

He slipped out of Zayne’s grip to take a step forward. Toward the closest grouping of mushrooms on the ground. Blue and green mingled together. The lights were gentle, reminding him of fairy lights that would be hung during Christmas or other celebrations.

He crouched down, making sure that he didn’t touch the mysterious discovery. “Luminescent fungi. I’ve never seen one in person before.”

He obviously needed to take a photo and check it against the database. Jacob would be interested to see pictures of them, too. So, he took a couple of pictures. And took another of the whole room.

“Hm,” he murmured as he tapped at the screen of his tablet. “No matches. I’ll need to take a sample.”

“Is that really necessary?”

Eishirou stifled a sigh at the bored, yet exasperated voice of none other than Tatsu.

“We are on a research investigation, Tatsu,” Ernesta chided quickly.

Eishirou didn’t hear a response, but he could feel a pair of eyes on the back of his head. He could also feel some of the tension that was in the air. He couldn’t help but wonder if Tatsu was simply agitated that he was on such a lowly mission. Or if he was actually worried about that other Elite team. He was the one to discover that badge, after all. And he appeared to be a lot more irritated than usual.

But he may just be looking too deep into it.

“This will only take a second,” Eishirou promised as he pulled his bag to his side and rifled through it. Luckily, he had picked up a couple of specimen jars with him. Not to mention some gloves. He couldn’t be too careful. Fungi was notorious toxic in general.

Picking out two of the largest mushrooms that could fit in the specimen jars, Eishirou carefully dug at the ground near the roots and pulled out the entire plant system. With both mushrooms chosen, he carefully set the two into their separate jars. He then set them in a separate pocket in his bag.

“There, done.”

Eishirou pulled out his tablet and instinctively moved toward Zayne as they all moved as a group out of the small room. He concentrated on jotting notes down on his tablet as Zayne guided him through the tunnels with a hand on his elbow. He also took a moment to check their map and quickly noted that they had already moved at least a kilometre. Not in a straight line, but they had travelled some distance and the paths of the tunnel spiral outwards.

He hoped that they would reach an exit soon. They had been fortunate not to encounter a ShadowDweller so far. He could only hope that their luck held out until they at least found a way outside.

As they rounded a slight bend in the path, they were greeted with a dim light in the distance. It was different from the lucent glow of the mushrooms. It was the low light one would associate with the sun. The air felt fresher, too.

“There’s a light ahead. Be ready,” Ernesta commanded.

They fell into silence once more as they walked toward the light. The path began on an incline as they moved, giving the sense that they were indeed heading toward an exit of some kind. Whether or not it they would be able to use the exit was still up in the air.

It took them a moment or two to allow their eyes to adjust to the bright light as they stepped out onto a rocky landing.

After the glare had faded from his eyes, Eishirou scanned their new environment. They appeared to be in a natural bowl, surrounding in steep mountain cliffs. The foliage was as green and lush as the forest Flutterlight Forest. But there was a slight difference; there was a tall white building in the distance. He didn’t recognise it, but it did feel familiar.

“Ah, it’s the lighthouse! I saw that in a recording.”

Of course, it looked slightly different to the one he saw in a recording. It was a mosaic in his vision. But it was still a lighthouse. And he was certain that it was important. It was sure to led to an interesting discovery.

The members of Elite Team 3, however, obviously didn’t feel the same.

“I can’t see the other Elite team,” Tatsu stated, his tone as brisk and terse as ever.

“No, neither can I,” Ernesta replied.

It was extremely obvious where their thoughts were centred on. Not that he could blame them. Elite teams all knew each other. Just like researchers did. If a researcher was lost somewhere, Eishirou would be worried, too.

“You guys should go search for that other Elite Team,” Eishirou suggested firmly.

Ernesta turned to him with a surprised expression on her face. That soon dissipated into a placid expression, though it was obviously a forced one. “…We have our own assignment.”

Yes, he understood that. But it didn’t sit right with him forcing them to do something they weren’t entirely focused on.

Eishirou sighed at gave the Elite leader a pointed gaze. “Look. I’m going to be busy inspecting the lighthouse and surrounding area. If you want to search for your fellow Elites, it’s fine. I know you’re worried.”

Zayne took a step forward and clasped his hand on Eishirou’s shoulder. “I’ll stay with him while the rest of you look.”

Eishirou turned to look at Zayne and nodded his head in acceptance. Yeah, he found that perfectly fine with him. Zayne actually seemed interested in his research, so he was likely interested in learning more about the lighthouse, too. Especially after Eishirou had told him about the recording he had witnessed.

Ernesta didn’t appear all that convinced, though. Torn, maybe, but certainly not wholly convinced. She had been given the task of escorting Eishirou through the Flutterlight Forest at the request from Jacob himself. She was dedicated to her role.

But as an Elite, it was understandable that she was worried about her fellow Elite Teams.

It wasn’t like she was going to abandon him. They lighthouse stood out like a sore thumb. And unlike their previous dealings with the lush forest, this particular area had an open canopy. Allowing for Elites to use their mana wings at will.

“Jacob would understand,” Eishirou added. “In fact, I’m sure he would be far more insistent that I am right now.”

That seemed to helped Ernesta to make her decision. And maybe even put her mind at ease. “We’ll escort you to the lighthouse and secure the area first. After that, we’ll conduct a surveillance of the area further.”

Ok, that sounded reasonable.

Eishirou turned his attention back to the view before them, this time intent on searching for the best possible route to the lighthouse. The foliage of the woods was as dense as ever, but there was a natural trail along the steep cliffs. And it led straight to the tall white structure.

Ernesta took the lead once more as they moved in single file along the path. And they walked in silence, waiting for a noise or disturbance in the environment. Be it ShadowDweller or the other Elite Team.

Thankfully, their trek to reach the base of the lighthouse was an uneventful one.

The lighthouse itself was in a small peak that overlook the basin. With stone steps spiralling toward it. The steps were covered in moss, and broken in some instances. But appeared sturdy enough to be scaled.

Ernesta turned to regard both Eishirou and Zayne with a pointed look. “Do not wander from this area without alerting me.”

“Easy, I’ll be sure to keep him safe,” Zayne replied, both dismissive and reassurance. “I’ve done it before.”

He had. And, honestly, Eishirou couldn’t imagine trusting anyone else to keep him safe.

A placid smile finally appeared on Ernesta’s lips. “Yes, that is true. Very well. We will return, soon.”

The four Elites called out their mana wings and took into the air in order to get a higher perspective of the area. Eishirou saw them off, hoping that they would find some kind of evidence that the other Elite Team had somehow made their way to this area, too.

If not, they were still somewhere in those tunnels.

And he certainly hoped they weren’t trapped or lost somewhere in there.

“Right, let’s see what this lighthouse has for us,” Zayne said as he turned toward Eishirou.

Eishirou nodded. “Right.”

They both turned to face the lighthouse. It was a relatively simple structure. A tall building. It appeared about five stories tall. And made from white stone. Not paint as there was no obvious peeling. Though, it was most certainly had patches of moss dotted across the outer façade.

Oddly, though, there was no windows. He couldn’t see the very top of the structure, but as they walked along the stone pathway that spiral along the peak toward the white structure, he couldn’t see a port or window anywhere.

“It’s the one from the runestone recording?” Zayne asked

“Well, the recording I saw was that of a mosaic, but I’m certain that the mosaic was actually pointing to this structure,” Eishirou replied. “Besides, it’s in the middle of a forest. It’s suspicious, right?”

Zayne stifled a snort. “No kidding.”

After a few more minutes, they finally reached the top of the stairs. They led to a small grassy landing that, in turn, led to the entrance of the lighthouse. However, the door to the structure was not what he had been expecting; the door was large, set within an archway made from old grey stone. The door itself appeared to be made from old stone, too.

“That’s quite the door,” Zayne commented sarcastically.

It most certainly was.

Eishirou quickly approached the door while Zayne moved at a more cautious pace behind him.

There was nothing to be seen on the door. Just a small hole within the very centre. It was likely they keyhole. Though, it wasn’t shaped as normal key, it was quite obvious that something indeed fitted in that slot.

So, since that slot was there…

“It’s likely locked,” Eishirou mused aloud.

“Not jammed?” Zayne questioned as he stepped forward. “Let me try opening it anyway.”

Zayne placed his hands upon the door and steadied himself. He tried pushing it in first before attempting to shift it to the left. There was suddenly the distinct sound of rock grounding against rock.

Had he managed to open it after all?

Unfortunately, the door moved no further.

And Zayne pulled back. “It moved a little. But something is preventing me from moving it further,” he explained.

“I’m going to assume there’s a locking mechanism here,” Eishirou continued to muse aloud. He walked closer to the door and laid his hands upon it and closed his eyes. He soon furrowed his brow. “There’s…also a bit of mana, yet…I can’t access it.”

“Can’t access it?”

“Y-yeah,” Eishirou stuttered, both unnerved and puzzled as he pulled his hands back and opened his eyes. “There’s…something blocking me from accessing it.”

He could feel the mana. It was there. So close. And yet…there was something stopping him from reaching out to it.

“That happened before?” Zayne asked.

Eishirou shook his head, still obviously unnerved. “No…”

It was just…really unnerving to be able to feel something, but unable to reach out to it. Though, it could be because the door itself wasn’t complete. The key or item that fitted into that slot might be the very thing needed for him to reach that mana.

Yeah, that made sense.

Well, he supposed there was little he could do about it. Getting unnerved wasn’t helping anyone. The door might not allow him to access the mana stored within at the moment, but maybe something else would?

“Hm,” Eishirou murmured as he held his chin in thought. “If there is a locking mechanism, then there’s got to be a hint of how to open it around here somewhere. If I can find a runestone or mosaic, then maybe I can pull another recording.”

“You’re reading ability is quite useful,” Zayne unexpectedly commented, causing Eishirou to turn toward him with a subtle expression of surprise. “Can you do that with any object?”

Eishirou shook his head. “No, just objects with mana of intent. Basically, someone infusing mana into an object with the sole purpose to document something.” He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. “W-well, that used to be the way. But I was able to get a recording from that badge. From the badge’s point of view.”

He couldn’t really imagine the owner of said badge purposely infusing mana into their badge just to show something from the object’s point of view. Maybe it was completely unintentional. But that would mean…the owner of said badge had a spike of powerful emotion.

…Like fear.

“From the badge’s point of view?” Zayne questioned with a curious tilt of his head.

“Yeah. Just like that.” Eishirou shifted on his feet as he took a moment to find a way to explain further. “From the point of view of the badge as it laid on the floor. That was honestly a first for me. As is that blockage. I wonder if that has something to do with me or…”

“It might just need a key,” Zayne interrupted.

Eishirou turned his face toward Zayne and gave a small smile. “I think so, too.”

A loud explosion in the distance suddenly erupted and echoed around the basin. It was so loud and sudden that it caused Eishirou to jump. And for Zayne to immediately pull out his mana holsters, move to stand in front of Eishirou in a defensive stance, and attempt to search for the source of the sound.

He soon narrowed in on an area within the forest where birds fluttered into the air in a giant flock. And right behind them was a plume of smoke.

“That sounded like Tatsu,” Zayne murmured. “They must have encountered a ShadowDweller.”

“Wh-what should we do?” Eishirou asked as another explosion was heard.

Before Zayne could answer, Eishirou himself witnessed four figures dart into the sky. Their mana wings and weapons fully materialised. They were quite a distance away, but Eishirou knew that they were the other members of Team 3.

And they were rapidly heading in their direction!

#original fiction #scifi fantasy #young adult #relic keepers: awakening of the red lily #rpglit

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avoutput · 4 years

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Final Fantasy VII Legacy || Nomura, Complex?

This is the 3rd out of 3 articles. Find the second here.

It’s time to get down to mythril tacks. At this point, I have talked about what this game meant to me when it was released and how it’s newest installment fared as a game. Finally, it’s time to talk about the impact the Remake has on what has unexpectedly become a robust and diverse universe. What does this mean for us at large, the players? This is a no-holds-barred SPOILER frenzy about anything and everything in the Squaresoft/Square-Enix pantheon. This means not just the games in the orbit of Final Fantasy VII, but the entire catalog at Square-Enix. To be honest, this is just the introduction, I don’t know if I even have an intent of going so far beyond the purview of the Remake, but in the spirit of the Final Fantasy gatekeeper, Tetsuya Nomura, I refuse to limit myself.

It’s been almost exactly a month since I started writing this article. It took so long to come back to this because I kept finding more and more content related to Final Fantasy 7 that I either forgot about or didn’t even know existed. On my own shelf sits Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, and Crisis Core. I decided to watch Advent Children immediately after beating Remake. As a movie fan and amateur critic, the film is littered with terrible film decisions and was clearly the work of people who spend much of their time penning and creating video game stories. It’s a series of cutscenes without a controller attached and at a certain point, you realize Advent Children was never meant for film fans, but for fans of the game. Specifically for fans desiring an epilogue and more directly fans of Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth. The story is almost unintelligible because there is tons of connective tissue left to be assumed by the viewer. It is at once too far removed from FF7 in both linear real time and in-game universe time to be recognizable, and simultaneously inexplicable in what has transpired and why. It takes a crack at explaining it from moment to moment, but largely, it looks like they were looking for excuses to push the characters to act. I am not trying to review the film but rather my intent is to create a modus opendai for the gatekeeper, Mr. Nomura. The more I learned about the world of FF7 that was being created over the years, the more it seemed to lean on the stylings of this one man. In a way, Nomura launched Squaresoft and himself into a whole new stratosphere of fame and broke all expectations. In my first article, I mentioned that for a certain generation of fans, it was the perfect storm, but I would later find out the cause of the storm was Nomura breaking open lightning in a bottle, releasing his brand of design on the world with a multi-million dollar international company backing him.

If I may, let me take a parallel series by the same creator infested by the meta of his own other original creations, namely Kingdom Hearts. In its inception, it looks like two producers at Square were trying to make a 3-D adventure platformer game with characters as popular as Mario, but only the biggest brand on earth, Disney, could possibly beat the king of platformers. Nomura was… walking by and pushed himself into the conversation, and they decided if they could do it, they would let him direct. (Read more here) Yada yada yada, Kingdom Hearts was created. While I can’t seem to find (and didn’t look too hard to find) proof, I can only imagine that with KH having a tenuous new relationship with big-corp Disney, they focused more on a simple game that was straightforward. KH is very much a disney product with a little bit of artificial Nomura sweetener. With its unbridled success, Nomura was unleashed. Kingdom Hearts 2 would go on to be, in my opinion, one of the most unintelligible video game stories ever inscribed to plastic discs. But the power of Nomura’s story-telling is that we all understand it differently. He creates bedrocks, little story islands of unshakable facts that are connected via a salty sea of undefinable liquid moments. Cast out to sea, rudderless and deprived, you try to bring to your mouth this brine only to be dehydrated faster than if you had just sailed the sea and died in the sun between fact islands or lived long enough to tell the tale. And that metaphor is my tribute to Nomura. Long, winding, hard to remember, and just clear enough that you think you got it, but you still have problems with its construction.

It has now been over two months since I have last visited this article. What is keeping me from continuing? The incomplete nature of my knowledge of Final Fantasy VII lore. Unlike the Kingdom Hearts sea, VII is like a series of interconnected caves, and the more you unearth the more you learn. And therein lies the problem. The Nomura-verse is composed of both his methods and his circumstances. His methods, we have discussed, but his circumstance is game development. Unlike movies or books, games obviously have an interactive capability, but they also have a variable development cycle. Some titles come out quickly, others span decades. They also consist of different teams, story writers, directors, and a myriad of producers. This in turn can make it much harder to make a solid universe, especially when new additions start off in a place where a continuous story was never meant to exist. Nomura is at once hindered and strengthened by his circumstances. He can’t tell a better story because the development cycle of his vision is variable, and success is based on sales and popularity. Without success, he can’t create a new addition, and often in games, the end is meant to tie the whole thing up. Were there to be a sequel, a whole new story is thought up and tacked on wherever it fits. Gamers are pretty forgiving of this concept. Still, at the same time, Nomura probably wouldn’t make a concise story because it's not his style. For comparison, see the Dark Souls series. A game that both has deep lore and an involving story, but at the same time, the game doesn’t require you to know a single point to continue moving forward. This is almost the antithesis of Nomura’s style. In Souls, they let the player decide to explore its story caves, but doesn’t confront them with it to continue advancing. This is a strength of video games. A strength that Nomura keeps using to his disadvantage.

Yet, Final Fantasy VII still excelled to unparalleled heights. It engages you in the same way all of the previous games in the series have, but with a slight departure on the strict fantasy theme, instead a merger with steampunk or semi-future. The series was changed forever, and so was gaming. Instead of doing the Dragon Quest method, expanding on the same universe design with different stories, Final Fantasy was emboldened to try completely random approaches with vector entries like VIII and X. For longtime fans, or fans of their original design, Every future title, MMO or Single Player, would go on to be successful, but not fully realized in their original context. Even the return to form in IX was much more playful than any of the original six entries. Gaming franchises have since become playgrounds for developers. Once they are accepted by fans, developers are emboldened and experiment with what would normally be a new IP, but instead use the financial shield of the famous namesake to move forward with new ideas. And in the case of Final Fantasy, when this concept of change works, it means that every numbered game becomes a wildcard. It’s a double edged sword for a gaming franchise that dates back to the 8-bit era. It has fans over 40 years old by this point and they may be willing to buy anything new. But this isn’t new to you and it isn’t a revelation for me. Final Fantasy VII Remake causes me to reckon with these demons I had buried years ago. It rips off a scab I thought had healed. I had given up on the past, a past where I was excited for a singular story, contained in a single universe, in a single title. I had given up on the glory years of Final Fantasy, but the Remake took me back and said, what if we told you everything you remember about the original was true, and everything we added after that was also true, even though you probably didn’t play it or even know it existed. Even if you do your very best, you probably won’t be able to track the story or interconnected characters if you aren’t in the know. It’s like joining a group of long time friends that are constantly referencing inside jokes, all of them just winking at each other, nudging you in the ribs and asking, “Do ya get it?” Truly, the Remake series thus far makes me feel lost at sea when what I wanted to feel like was coming home.

This retrospective has left me feeling broken. Based on the end of the FFVIIR, I sought out to reconcile all of the loose ends to all the connected media. However, spending time with the prequel Crisis Core for over around 40 hours, I realized this was a crapshoot. None of it mattered. It didn’t enrich the characters, it only made the story longer. It just added wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey “facts” to an otherwise complete(ish) origin point. The FFVII universe can’t handle the weight that is put on it. It’s a faulty bridge over a treacherous pass. On the other hand, that same bridge for some is a point of excitement. You tread the boards, one by one, testing your weight, hoping to get to the other side intact. And I think that is why we keep trying these games and why they keep getting made. We don’t want the fun to end, despite the fact that it has nothing left for us to be excited by. It’s a closed loop that we keep looking for something new in. By the end of the Remake, we are somewhere between ⅓ or ½ way across the faulty bridge, dangling between where we have been and where it is taking us. At this point, I am too mentally exhausted from trying to make sense of it all. Yet I am incapable of not enjoying it, the mental somersaults one does to understand the interconnected mess that is Final Fantasy VII. It’s too dear to me. I got on the bridge for so many reasons, but the biggest one is to be on the other side with all of the other fans who dared to play and dared to complete the game. To be in the know, to wink across the room. I want to be in that hyper-critical utopia where we all have one thing in common: We played Final Fantasy VII in 1997. And we all have something to say about it.

#Article #Final Fantasy VII #Final Fantasy 7 #Final Fantasy VII Remake #Final Fantasy 7 Remake #Tetsuya Nomura #Yoshitaka Amano #Cloud #Tifa #Aerith #Nostalgia #Gaming #Kingdom Hearts #Squaresoft #Enix

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thefanficmonster · 3 years

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Forever With You

Sam Giddings (Until Dawn) x Emo!Reader (Female)

Warnings: Death, Mourning, Swearing, Slight Gore

Genre: Angst

Summary: Living with knowing that your life was basically given back to you from near-death thanks to the demise of a loved one is the closest feeling to death with your heart still beating. Sam now knows that. The whole group knows that. Good thing friends stick together even after death.

Requested by my lovely Until Dawn Anon. Hi babyy! I hope you enjoy the read and I sure as hell hope this isn’t the last request of yours I’ll be writing. We’re business partners at this point LOL. Love you ❤❤❤

QUICK NOTE - Some elements of this fic, by request of Until Dawn Anon, have been inspired by a certain drama series. I’m not gonna name it to avoid spoilers for both the show and this fic, but whoever’s watched the show will recognize which show is being referenced.

Sam’s POV

“You’d make a mean hunter!“ Chris comments as Y/N lowers the shotgun after shooting her mark for the fifth time.

“Nah, I’d never hurt animals.“ She gives him a sincere smile, “But I appreciate you thinking I have the proper skillset.“

We’re waiting for the world’s slowest cable car to make its way to our station, aka the lower station so we can meet up with the rest of our group, assuming that any of them are already there.

When I arrived at the station Chris, Ashley and Y/N were already there. They were sitting on the benches outside the station, waiting for me. I was actually supposed to take the same bus as them but something came up right as I was about to head to the bus station, forcing me to take the bus an hour after theirs.

“Sam, I will never forgive you for this, I swear!“ Y/N says, standing up from the bench and heading in my direction, “You let me thirdwheel alone! I mean, I could only survive watching these two beat around the bush for so long!“ She lowered her voice when she said that, giving the couple us two and Josh call Chrashley a quick glance over the shoulder.

I took her hands in mine almost instinctively, “Aw, I’m sorry. But look on the bright side: the love radiating off them is so strong it kept you warm as well!” It was true, her usually freezing hands were not so frozen. Still colder than a person’s should be, but not yet to the point of provoking concern.

She smirked, rolling her eyes, “You know I’d rather freeze to death than have love keep me warm.” She spat the word ‘love’ as though it was poisonously bitter in her mouth. Luckily, before I could say anything more, Chris dragged us to the makeshift shooting range he had found at the side of the snow covered clearing.

It didn’t take long for him and Y/N to start getting competitive with one another, like the not-blood-related siblings they are, so now Ash and I are observing their little competition of who can hit the most marks with the smallest amount of prep time. It’s obvious Y/N the one winning, but Chris isn’t the quitter type so while she is shooting even the smallest of pebbles in the snow we point out to her, he’s still aiming for the hanging sacks of sand and the glass bottles.

With the two of them being so immersed in their ‘competition’, Ashley and I are chatting while remaining a safe distance away from the shooting pair - Chris especially. Y/N has at least slight experience in the field. Being at the distance that we are, we are also out of earshot for them. So, both Ash and I bring up the obvious topic that never remains unspoken - RELATIONSHIPS.

“You and Y/N have been really close as of late. Finally making things official?“ Ash nudges the conversation first as she adjusts the beanie she’s wearing.

I sigh, a white cloud created from that breath of something between disappointment and dread, “We’re not even unofficial. We’re just friends.“ I take the opportunity to take a teasing stab at her, “I’m not luck enough to have my...“ I make quotation marks with my fingers, “’crush’ feel the same way about me. Unlike you.“ I smirk at her, noticing the color of red appearing on her cheeks despite the cold breeze that’s caressing every inch of exposed skin, making it worryingly pale.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Sam. For both of those statements.“ She says diplomatically, scanning the shooting duo with a quick once-over. “She isn’t as reserved when she’s with you. I know you don’t notice, but everyone else does. She’s different, warmer even, with you.“ I expect her to go on, explaining her situation with Chris, but she doesn’t.

As much as I’d like to get her to go on and spill a little of what she feels about Chris, even though everyone and their grandmothers already know, I can’t help but let my mind go down the rabbit hole of ‘what if’s. I’m not oblivious nor blind, I can see the way her demeanor changes around me in comparison to, let’s say, when she’s around Mike. However, she’s ‘warmer’ with Josh, Chris, Matt and Ash as well. It’s called friendliness. It’s no secret that she’s never been too fond of Emily or Jess or Mike. The friendliness of a person can so easily be taken out of context when someone’s crushing on them.

And Y/N’s friendliness especially. This girl hates romance. Absolutely hates it. The word ‘love’ itself gets her annoyed and bothered to the point of discomfort sometimes. I have never tried to probe and try to figure out why. I say I haven’t cause I respect her privacy, but truth be told I am scared. I want to believe there is a small part of her that still wants to experience a romantic relationship, a love connection, and I’m afraid that prodding the subject would shatter all the hopes I have.

How did I end up falling for this dark, broody, Catwoman like emo girl? - I have no idea. It was only natural if you ask me. I think I’m not the only one who’s so whipped by her, but I could never be sure. I mean, how could someone NOT fall for this raven badass: black hair, eyes just a shade lighter than black, tattoos - perfect combination of beauty and brains. And balls, she’s probably the boldest person I’ve ever known or will ever meet. What really caught my attention when I first laid eyes on her was the way she shined. Literally. I don’t mean that as a cheesy metaphor - the girl is always covered in jewelry that reflects the sunlight perfectly. She mesmerized me from day one. She made me a big hypocrite - I was always the one to tell Chris and Ash to make a move, to confess their feelings, and now here I am, in their shoes as though they have cursed me.

“Hey, eagle eyes! Our ride’s here.“ Ash announces, handing Chris his backpack as they fall in step, walking side by side around the station.

Y/N falls in step with me, elbowing my ribs gently, “Slow down, let’s give them some privacy.” She slows her pace to a frustratingly slow walk and I oblige, “I don’t usually say things like this, but they are really cute.”

We’d be really cute

Wait, where did that thought come from?!

“Yeah, I know.“ I say through the fog of confusion that has taken over my brain. “They sure are.“ I clear my throat, trying to hide the fact that my own mind just shocked me. Damn, what is happening to me? What is this crush doing to me? It’s exhausting and terrifying but....I don’t want it to stop.

* * *

“It’s ok, baby. You’re ok.“ Y/N’s voice echoes in the eeriness of the mines.

How did this night make a swerve for the worst so suddenly. All of it, all the horrors just piled up so suddenly. We’re fearful of our own shadows at this point. We are terrified of each other as well. We’re all in a fragile and vulnerable state, with out sanity hanging by a thread. We are all slowly losing ourselves more and more, the events of the past few hours and the hours to come dragging us in the depth of this seemingly endless void of terror.

And then there’s Y/N. Mike, her and I have just found Josh who was having some sort of hallucination-riddled breakdown in the mines. While Mike and I stood aside, contemplating our next move, Y/N didn’t waste any time hesitating. She ran right to his aid and literally pulled him out of his horrific delusions, wrapping her arms around him tightly, murmuring words of comfort as he cried on her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry. For everything. I should’ve done something...I should’ve saved them.. I shouldn’t have done this to you guys.“ Josh’s sobs tear my heart to pieces. Seeing him like this is like watching a disaster happen right in front of me, but I’m incapable of doing anything to prevent it or aid help the people affected by it. I’m helpless, I can just stand aside and watch. Watch as he falls apart and Y/N desperately trying to keep him together as if she’s strong enough to carry such duty on her shoulders.

“It’ll all be over soon, it’ll all be ok. Hannah and Beth know it wasn’t your fault, Josh. We forgive you too. Please, don’t do this, at least not now.“ Just as she says those word, an inhuman screech comes from somewhere in the distance behind us, accompanied by another shortly after which came from right up-front.

Good thing we don’t have to head in either of those directions, not that we’re safe no matter which path we take. We’re walking through thigh deep water which could be hiding anything below the surface yet we wouldn’t know because it looks more like ink than water. We’re not the most discreet nor quiet as we move forward, taken that we are doing our best to push through with letting out as little curse words and sneers due to the inability to feel our lower body.

My foot hits something solid and rather sharp, most likely a large stone, causing me to let out a loud hiss before I could stop it. I freeze, listening on the noises surrounding us, expecting those screeches to emerge from behind the nearest wall and put an end to this torture we’re enduring.

I nearly jump out of my skin when a hand wraps around my wrist gently. My first instinct is to pull away, all my muscles tensing as I try to take a step back.

“Hey, hey relax. It’s ok.“ Y/N’s voice is unusually soft and sweet, just like when she was comforting Josh. It’s the voice she uses when aiding a hurt animal, or calming a weeping baby. “You’re ok, nothing bad will happen to us, ok Sam? We’re making it out of here.“ She’s carrying the mom role, the older sister role, the nurse role and the pillar we’re all leaning on for support. She’s keeping it together so we can too.

Her hand moves down to mine, unfolding my fingers that I’ve curled into a tight fist due to the uncomfortable sensation of being half frozen and half numb. He holds my hand open while quickly slipping off a ring from her pointer finger and putting it on mine. It has a small brightly blue rock on it. I recognize it right away - it’s the only ring she wears permanently. She changes all her other accessories, but never this ring. I can swear I’ve heard her joke that she’d like to be buried with it when the time comes.

“The lady that gave me this ring said it symbolizes the courage to carry on while carrying the world on your shoulders, and that really stuck with me.“ Her tone takes me to a different place, somewhere nice, safe and warm. Her words wrap around me like a safety blanket, for a moment letting me forget everything: the past few hours, the present and the yet to be determined future. “I have a feeling you need that courage more than I do.“

I nod but I’m physically unable to look up and meet her eyes. My gaze is fixated on her hands, which I’ve never felt so warm, holding mine as though it’s made of porcelain.

“If you keep going at this rate, all your jewelry will end up on me.“ I fish the necklace from underneath my hoodie, holding the charm so she can see it.

It’s a necklace she gave me right before she went on her first forest ranger training program. We weren’t sure if we’d see her again when we were at the train station saying goodbye. She said there was a chance of her staying at the camp to fully devote herself to what she wanted for her future. Thankfully though, she returned about four months later. I remember how hard I had to fight my tears that day. I should’ve know it would be useless - Y/N notices everything. That necklace, a beautiful blood red circular pendant hanging on a silver chain, was her saying ‘see you soon, hopefully’. I haven’t taken it off me since.

“I’ve already written it all to you in my will.“ She gives my hand a squeeze before letting go and continuing forward. After a brief return to the present reality I follow, making sure to always be an arm reach away at most from Y/N. Being within close proximity to her makes me feel like it will be alright. I mean, she said it would be, and she’s never wrong.

We enter an area where the water isn’t as still anymore. It rushes towards this small cliff where it creates a waterfall, pooling in the lower level in the form of a deep lake. The water is way higher there and the ground at the bottom is not reachable.

“Let’s try not to get pulled.“ Mike declares, his walk now more of a struggle just like everyone else’s “If we can reach that wall without dying we should be ok.“

We all nod, more as a way of reassuring ourselves than a response to his statement. We are less than fifteen feet away, I have a strong belief we can make it.

Ten feet away. We’re almost there.

And then we hear it - a deafening screech. It’s right next to me.

We turn to see that monster grab Y/N by her throat, throwing her into the water. Before we even have time to react, it’s too late. The thing has once again picked her up, holding her high above the surface of the water. She looks at me, her eyes screaming the way her vocal chords can’t. The fear has silenced her.

The wendigo’s other hand pierces through her chest, pulling her heart out.

She’s gone. She’s gone. She can’t be gone! WHY HER?! Why couldn’t it be me?! Why am I still drawing breath when she just let out her last one?! WHY DID IT GO FOR HER?! Is it because it knew that’s the quickest way to kill me?! TO KILL ALL OF US?!

The wendigo throws Y/N’s body over the cliff and into the deep lake below right before it climbs one of the stone walls and leaves our sight. It didn’t see any of us. We were too frozen to move even if we tried, of course it didn’t see us.

“We..- we gotta keep moving. Sam, come on. It’s over. She’s gone. We can’t help her.“ Each word shakier than the last, but still like sharp stabs right through my chest. Mike has taken hold of my arm and is leading me towards the wall we are supposed to climb to get out of here and back to the lodge.

* * *

I don’t remember climbing the damn thing. I don’t remember the way back to the lodge. I can faintly recall the pained cries of everyone in the basement when Mike told them what happened. All that time I couldn’t utter a single word. I couldn’t comprehend what had happened. It all happened so out of the blue and it was over so quickly, like it wasn’t the end of a human life. Like it didn’t matter and it wouldn’t have any lasting effects on anything that followed. As though her death wasn’t worth to be remembered.

It all sunk in only after I was out of that hell-hole lodge, the flames dancing in front of my eyes, surrounding the structure that within its walls held several of those monsters, one of which was the one that killed Y/N.

Y/N

Thinking of her got me to look down at the pendant of the necklace around my neck, the fire being reflected off its smooth red surface. Like a pool of blood in the middle of a forest caught by a wildfire.

See you soon, hopefully

I take one look at those woods, my heart sinking at the thought that behind those trees there’s an entrance to the mines. The mines that are now the resting place of the girl I loved. The girl that deserved better.

“Sam, they’re here. We’re safe. They’re saving us. It’s finally over.“ Mike’s words are nothing but a faint echo at the back of my conscience.

What’s on the front lines of my mind is that phrase - See you soon, hopefully. I’ll be seeing her soon. But not through death, she would never wish that upon me or anyone.

She’ll come back. She won’t let this be the end. She’s too stubborn.

“SAM!“ The screams fail to reach me completely as I run as though my life depends on it. My feet barely touch the ground, my instinct leading me to the nightmarish depths of this mountain.

I will not allow it to be your resting place, Y/N!

I jump from the top of the wall into the shallow water, letting the water drag my shaky form towards the cliff. With zero hesitation or doubt, no regard for the filthiness of the water or the horrors that may await me below its surface.

It’s pitch black. I can’t see or feel a thing. My body feels like it’s being stabbed by thousands of needles, causing it to go numb. I push my lungs to their limits, testing every cell of my body, begging them to not fail me.

The discourage starts settling in, accompanied by the pain that’s spreading throughout my chest due to the lack of oxygen. I’m just about to swim to the surface to breathe when I see it.

A glow. More of a reflection, actually. The reflection I was talking about earlier. The minimal light that’s pushing its way into the mines has made it to this depth and is being reflected by a metal ring connected to a pale hand.

Dizziness and pain all but forgotten, I push myself to swim lower, grasping the hand and giving it my all to pull it up. I only realize I’m above water when air enters my lungs in large gulps. It takes me a second to take in the fact that I’m holding the bloody, pale, unmoving body of Y/N with a hole through her chest.

“Please...“ I beg through gasps for breath, “Please open your eyes, live. Oh God, a wendigo or not just...just please come back to me, Y/N! Come back to take me with you!“

Despite my words of desperation, my screams of agony, I know they are in vain. I know she wouldn’t come back even if she could. She would rather stay dead than return as a threat to her friends with the risk of actually hurting them. She would never bring harm to her loved ones.

Images flash before my eyes: The hurt in her eyes when Josh’s scheme was revealed; Her comforting Ashley while Chris was out with the Flamethrower Guy; Talking Mike into putting the gun away and not shooting Em; Her standing up to Emily, grabbing her arm before she could hit Ash; Her comforting the disoriented and scared Josh we found in the mines; Her looking at me a second before her death.

There are two scenes that have been permanently engraved in my memory: Seeing her shining form for the first time and seeing her ink-like eyes, filled with terror for the last time.

* * *

We’re sitting in a room with bright neon lights and security cameras in each corner. I don’t remember how I got here. I don’t even remember leaving the mines. We were all given a change of clothes and a blanket. They offered us food and something to drink to refuel our bodies but after those horrors we saw, non of us are able to hold anything down. Josh was taken to a separate room the moment the helicopter landed and we haven’t seen him since.

I’m sitting on a bench next to Chris and Ashley, opposite Mike, Jess and Emily. Poor Jess has had it the roughest out of all of us. She has been drained of all emotion, her face isn’t even pale - more see-through. Mike’s arm is protectively wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her close. Matt and Emily are holding hands, unable to say anything to each other. Chris has Ashley tightly wrapped in his arms as though he’s prepared to protect her from anything.

And I’m alone.

I saw a black body bag being unloaded from the helicopter. I knew whose body it contained. No one dared say a word about it. We had run out of tears and words at that point.

I keep my head hanging low, my eyes fixated on the white tiled floor beneath my feet. The lights are too bright compared to my pitch black world. It’s all just empty and meaningless now. Looking back, I should’ve taken my own advice and spoken up about how I felt. Maybe it wouldn’t have changed much, maybe everything would’ve been different. And that’s the real torment - I will never know.

I straighten up, squinting at the artificial blinding lights, resting my back against the wall behind me. As I’m doing so, I catch a glimpse of something shiny in front of me.

My heart leaps.

It’s such an irrational reaction to something so simple. So ordinary to anyone else.

The shine is coming from the light reflecting off the chain Mike’s wearing around his neck. A familiar chain I’ve seen on someone else.

“That’s Y/N’s.“ I bark at him angrily, gaining his attention, “Why do you have it?!“

“Sam...“ Chris’ hand rests on my arm, “We all have something hers. She was sentimental, remember?“

‘Was‘. That change from ‘is‘ to ‘was‘ is killing me. And the ease with which everyone has accepted that Y/N is now a thing of the past.

“She gave me a bracelet.“ Ashley shows me her wrist

“She gave me this cool watch...“ Chris rolls up his sleeve, “I’m glad it survived all the crap it was put through with me. Not a scratch.“

“She’d haunt you if you scratched it.“ Matt smiles but his eyes are dull with sadness

“She’ll haunt us regardless.“ Emily says, “I hope she does.“

The rest of the crew shows the pieces Y/N left them of herself and it’s the most heartwarming while also heartbreaking feeling. The room has a different atmosphere all of a sudden. We are seven people, each with a soul of our own and a piece of Y/N’s.

As long as all the pieces are near each other, she’ll be alive and present. She’ll live on to watch over us and guide us. She’s probably looking down at us right now, relieved that we made it out. Overjoyed that Chris and Ashely are finally where they’re supposed to be - in each other’s arms. Glad Matt and Emily have found a stable middle ground. Proud of Jess for what she survived back there and happy she has found safety in Mike’s embrace. And what does she feel about me? As I said, I’ll never know, I can only hope she heard what I said to her back in the mines.

Assumptions aside, her message is crystal clear and leaves no room for speculations:

As long as we’re together, she’ll be with us. Forever.

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edda-blattfe · 5 years

Text

Twisted Wonderland: Academic Headcanons pt.4

(Last of part of these headcanons, yay! Btw, I am up for taking requests if y’all have any.)

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit:

- Beauty is all that matters to this gentleman; shame the teachers can’t grade him on that. Vil’s grades are average, chemistry being the only exception, he is inexplicably talented in that particular discipline.

- Has mastered the art of multitasking, will study while also going through his morning routine; his textbooks may have a few smudges of eyeshadow or foundation along the pages. He’ll read through the chapter once, then go back and check on the terms. For chemistry, Vil will test the information himself in the lab. With Professor Crewel’s blessing, of course.

- All of his notes are written with the finest pen and in the most elegant cursive you will ever witness in the modern age; Vil claims it’s completely unintentional, but every compliment on his handwriting gives him an extra confidence boost (I can personally affirm that this does, in fact, happen, and it’s great). Each chapter has a heading to indicate the subject and terms are listed in a group dedicated to whatever that section of the book was discussing. His chemistry notebook has a periodic table drawn on the front cover and he keeps an ongoing list of formulas on the back.

- Is rather indifferent to study groups. There has to be a few conditions before he’ll accept; a) Leona can not be invited, b) gossip needs to be appreciated, c) he’s in charge of all experimentations, and d) Leona can not be anywhere near the location they’re meeting at. He’s not welcomed at the Heartlabyul study group due to his tendency to “constructively criticize” Riddle on his appearance and choice of decor.

- Prefers the show-and-tell method, assuming it’s chemistry you need help in. Vil will take position at the dry erase board, while you watch from the desks, answering your questions with flamboyant descriptions and a few visual aids. A firm believer in lab safety, he’ll insist you wear the appropriate attire. Expect to stay for the clean up. Over all, he’s a good tutor and knows how to simplify the lesson in a way you can understand.

Epel Felmier:

- Above average, but not so much that it catches attention. He’s a good student, but never calls attention to himself.

- Epel will usually read through the chapters a few times, and will make up little games to test his knowledge of the terms.

- His notes are short, to the point, and are written with a hard leaded pencil (the trail is light). There are small doodles of webs, plants, sometimes broken glass in the boxed off corners of his notebook paper. Occasionally he’ll write questions regarding philosophical arguments in the margins.

- He seems distant when socializing, which doesn’t give others the impression that he’d be fond of joining a study group. If anyone cared to ask, Epel would calmly accept the invitation. Most of the time would be spent merely observing the others while looking over terms.

- Like Ruggie, he wouldn’t enjoy tutoring you. Having him as a study budy might be a little uncomfortable at first, due to the lack of idle chatter. If you stick it out, though, you’ll come to appreciate the tranquil silence between you two.

Rook Hunt:

- Well, Rook is certainly not a boring student. He’ll often ask Professor Crewel if a substance is lethal; if anyone questions why he wants to know, he'll cheerfully reply with an unconvincing, "no reason." His grades are decent enough, and he always turns in his papers when they’re due, so it’s not like anyone can complain.

- Will flip through the chapter at the oddest of times, posing as if there’s a camera man hidden away somewhere. Sometimes he’ll take a page from Epel’s book and make some fun memory games....although, Rook’s games are rather-erm, unconventional.

- Refuses to use a notebook, instead he’ll write in the margins of his textbook or highlight the important parts. If he likes an underclassman, they might find one of his old textbooks conveniently left at the foot of their door.

- Also indifferent to the study group experience. If he’s required to study with someone, Rook would make an effort to get paired up with someone “beautiful”.

- Look, I’m gonna be honest. You should NEVER ask him for help, ok? Rooks idea of tutoring is putting an apple on your head and threatening to shoot an arrow at it if you get a problem wrong. He might be less severe if you’re a “beautiful” person, but really, is his knowledge worth the risk?

Diasomnia

Maleus Draconia:

- Valedictorian of his year, no doubt. Mal expects only the best from himself, and that’s exactly what he gets.

- Has a specific time and place in the Diasomnia common room, known as the “throne” to the members, where he’ll camp out with his textbooks, notebooks, and writing utensils. Everyone observers his study time, and will make themselves scarce before then. Maleus will typically page through the chapter, read it through, writes out everything he could recall from reading, then checks to make sure he got everything; afterwards he’ll look over his notes to solidify the information. Works every time.

- His notes look like a page out of a story book; everything is written in calligraphy, is evenly spaced along the lines, and the margins are adorned with elaborate decals. There’s a fountain pen that practically lives in his coat pocket just for taking notes.

- Most of his classmates are deterred by his intimidating aura, Other than Vil and the rest of the Diasomnia dorm, so he doesn’t get invited to study groups. Not that he minds, Mal is rather fond of his privacy.

- You actually had the courage to walk up and ask THE MALEUS for help? Kudos to you! He’ll recover from the initial surprise quickly and might actually agree as a reward of sorts. If you haven't visitedthe Diasomia dorm before, now is your chance. Mall will be lounging in his throne and insist you sit at the coffee table to remind you of your place give you something to write on, of course! He is a strict tutor and expects you to pay attention, refusing to explain anything more than once.

Lilia Vanrouge:

- Purposefully screws up his grades just to piss off the teachers. Everyone knows he could easily outdo Maleus, Lilia just doesn’t see the point in that. Besides, the look on Mozus’s face is worth it!

- No one has ever seen him study, not even Maleus. Some believe he doesn’t at all. He has yet to confirm this.

-Are those notes? No one can tell! Lilia writes everything in a language not found in any text in the library or on the internet. Maleus suspects it’s some ancient form of Sylvan, but even he is incapable of translating it.

- Lilia is well known for randomly popping into study groups without warning nor an invitation. He likes the look of utter shock on everyone’s face, along with their growing rage at his charming little insults. Before the volcano of unadulterated chaos bursts, he pops back out to only god knows where.

- The last thing you remember is the toothy grin on Lilia's face as you thanked that red eyed imp for agreeing to tutor you. Next thing you know, you’re smack dab in the middle of a mushroom ring at five a.m., cold sweat beading across your brow with no memory of the last thirty six hours. On the plus side, you know all of the answers to your next test! Worth it, right?

Silver:

- Silver is passing his classes, but that’s it. He’s not particularly driven to do well in school, his only goal is stay close to Mal until the right moment...whatever that means.

-Needs to study more often than he does. At the moment, Silv will only study when he can’t be by the side of the dorm master (So Mal’s mandatory study time is also his mandatory study time). He has terrible insomnia and will nod off while reading through the chapter.

- His notes are rather lacking. He’ll jot down some terms and their definitions but not much else. Some places have spot of drool from one of his unintentional naps.

- Refuses to join study groups after that one time Lilia drew on his face after he nodded off. Poor boy can never trust again.

- He’s not much of a talker, isn’t driven to study, and might nodd off in the middle of a conversation; there’s surely a better person to ask for help from?

Sebek Zigvolt:

- A straight laced student with the determination of a soldier, Sebek is determined to live up to Maleus’s example. He has a tendency to fall into a state of depression when he doesn’t do so well on his exams; Thankfully, he works hard to earn his good grades, so that isn’t common occurrence.

- He has a ruthless study regimen that soaks up a large chunk of his days. Sebek uses every study method under the sun to ensure his success.

- His notes are just as strict and obsessive as he is.

- Maleus-sama teach me your ways. Sebek is actually thrilled by the idea of joining a study group. Classmates working together to improve their academic careers is right up his alley! Too bad no one else appreciates his intensity.

- Don’t ask him to tutor you. Once you cross that line there is no turning back! Sebek will push you just as hard as he does himself, even after you fire him as your tutor! It’s kind of a sweet gesture when you think about it; he genuinely wants to help you succeed as a student.... Would be even sweeter if his methods didn’t push you to the brink of insanity; but what can you do, right?

#twisted wonderland #pomefiore #diasomnia #vil schoenheit #epel felmier #rook hunt #maleus draconia #lilia vanrouge #silver #sebek zigvolt #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland headcanons

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we-are-the-rebellion · 4 years

Text

Everything Is Gonna Be Fine - File 003

Date: 3/5/215

Incoming signal: Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear me? Is there anyone in the wasteland listening to me? Fuck, this is hopeless... We don’t even know if people are alive out there, we’ve never left the region because of the horror stories we’ve heard. CeeCee are you sure? ...Yeah, right. Ahem! I’m Nate, I’m from the Eastern OQ region, and for the last ten years I’ve been fighting in, well to put it lightly, a pretty nasty civil war. The group I was with has been mostly killed or captured and our leader is missing, presumed dead. Please, if someone is out there and can hear this, we need supplies. Wait what’s- Shit! CeeCee get down they found-

Outgoing message: Nous vous entendons. Sur routre chemin.

__________________________

Date: 28/4/215

Location: Wasteland

Kenji had been out in the wasteland for three weeks now. After he had finished reading that repulsive public broadcast, he had stolen some gear and had gone over the wall. It was... Scary. He hated admitting it, he thought it made him look like a child watching a spooky film. But what else was he supposed to feel in that moment? He had grown up with stories about the radioactive monsters that lived in the wasteland beyond the wall. When someone died of The Sickness, their body was thrown over the wall so as not to contaminate anywhere else. That was what the wasteland had always been; radiation, horror stories and disease. That was the only reason he had never run, never jumped the wall and escaped the horrors of living as one of Toronto’s lower class citizens. When Jesse had appeared from the west, it marked something new, something interesting. Jesse was proof you could be in the wasteland and survive. Now obviously, Jesse had had state of the art anti-rad equipment and survival gear, and he had been driven or flown most of the way, only having to walk for the last 400 or so kilometres. But still. “Only 400 kilometres” was still 400 kilometres, it was only small compared to the 4000+ kilometre journey from the Yukon-BC Region to the Ontario-Quebec Region.

Kenji was not a survival expert like Jesse, and he didn’t have state of the art anything, (popular to contrary belief, having a state of the art “resting bitch face” didn’t count) but he wanted to try. After all, he couldn’t stay in OQ. The rich hated him for being the rebel leader, and the poor would no doubt turn on him now that the rebellion was effectively crushed and the elites would start cracking the proverbial whip on their literal asses. Where could he go but the wasteland?

It was frustrating, to say the least. Kenji had always prided himself on his perceptiveness and spacial awareness. He recognized landmarks better than anyone he knew, and he could navigate the streets of every city in the region with ease. He had even memorized the streets of the ruins of old Toronto, back when it was nearer to the lakes, and that area hadn't been inhabitable since the end of the war. But out here in the wasteland, everything was new, and the goggles he had to wear to protect his eyes were so broken and filthy that he could barely see. He assumed that he had just been wandering in circles for weeks, and honestly wanted to keep it that way until he could get better gear. The unfortunate truth, however, was that might never happen. He was stuck out here.

__________________________

Date: 1/5/215

Location: Wasteland

As Kenji started to come around, he could hear voices. He closed his eyes and groaned in pain, covering his eyes with his hand. Fuck, he was in so much pain. His head...

"Where am I..." he muttered. The voices around him got closer.

"Tu te réveilles maintenant?" one asked. Kenji blinked, trying to focus on something in his surroundings.

"My head..." he moaned, turning over. The voice sighed and turned away to babble to its companions.

"Il ne parle pas français. Non." Wait... Were they speaking French? Fuck... Of all the places to end up, of course it was here.

The French person snapped their fingers at him, making him focus back up at them. They had long, dark brown hair and thin, distinguished features. They seemed female, but also just androgynous enough to make him unsure. He had also been told that he shouldn’t assume these types of things.

“Me comprenez-vous? Comprenez-vous ce que je dis?” they asked him. Kenji knew just enough about the French language from Lewis that he almost understood what the person was saying. Almost.

“No. Fuck off.” he spat. The person seemed to understand that phrase, and they roughly pulled him to his feet. He stumbled, a wave of nausea passing over him. Life his head was killing him.

“Parler.” they snapped, jerking him forwards. Kenji snarled defensively. He knew talking to them was going to be useless, so he didn’t bother. Instead, he did the only other logical thing; Muster up all his remaining strength and punch the person in the face.

__________________________

Kenji was thrown out, but thankfully they didn’t knock him out again. He remembered what was going on now. He had been looking for food, shelter, etc, and had briefly taken off his goggles. He had found a shielded area in the ruins of some old house, safe from the wind. He assumed he would be safe here from the wind blowing anything into his face. As he was crouched behind the wall, cleaning his goggles, someone had come up behind him and ambushed him. Typical. Of course he would find the only shred of remaining human life out here and they would be hostile. He couldn’t blame them, really. It was just annoying.

What was even more annoying was the fact that he was currently tied to the trunk of a very large tree, unable to move and incapable of fending for himself. His head gear was still off, seeing as his francophone captors hadn’t been kind enough to bring his goggles with them when they tried to crack his head open. He was, figuratively speaking, completely fucked.

Footsteps sounded from somewhere nearby. Kenji groaned.

“Back for round two, assholes?” he snapped. “Or are you some huge, lumbering, mutant beast come to eat me and use my ribs as toothpicks? Either way, bon apetite you piece of shit, waste of space, rancid, ugly, motherfucking-”

“Kenji?”

That took him off guard. That was Lewis’ voice, wasn’t it? The radiation had gotten to his brain, he was sure of it.

“No, it’s Carson fucking Pryce.” he muttered sarcastically. “Just kill me already, put me out of my misery.”

The thing making the footsteps came around the corner and into Kenji’s field of view.

“Holy shit! Kenji! You cantankerous old bitch, what the fuck are you doing out here?” Lewis exclaimed, rushing over to free him of his bonds.

“Getting the best blowjob of my life. What does it look like?” Lewis stopped.

“I didn’t think it was physically possible for your personality to get worse. You are full of surprises.” he muttered.

Kenji was positive he was hallucinating, either due to the concussion the French fuckers had undoubtedly given him or the radiation, and so he wasn’t taking anything seriously.

“I doubt that I could surprise you.” he said snarkily as Lewis tugged at the ropes tying him to the tree. Lewis squinted.

“Sure.” he muttered, finally undoing the knots and setting him free. Kenji didn’t stand up. “Hey, you gonna get up?”

“This is a hallucination, I can’t go anywhere.” Lewis groaned and put his face in his hands.

“Oh so you’re stupid now? That’s it you’re stupid now? Fuck me.” Kenji scrunched up his face indignantly.

“Prove me wrong.” he snapped.

Lewis exhaled sharply and kicked the older man in the shin.

“Ow!”

“There’s your proof, you belligerent geriatric.” Kenji grunted and begrudgingly accepted that he was stuck in a radioactive French wasteland with the most obnoxious child in the world. Life, he wished it was a hallucination. He stood up.

“How are you not dead?” he questioned skeptically.

“I am dead. I’m a spooky ghost here to haunt you for your sins. Ooooh.” the young boy responded sarcastically, waving his hands in front of his face. Kenji elbowed him in the shoulder sharply.

“I’m serious. You were in one of the explosions on the west side, nobody else survived. We took out a fucking city block, for world’s sake, people don’t just come out of that a-fucking-okay.” he pressed the younger individual. He hesitated. Did he really want to tell the next part? “I... Nate blamed me, he refused to talk to me for months.”

Lewis’ expression changed, becoming remorseful and tired.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t come back. The soldiers tossed me over the wall with all the other bodies, I was more dead than alive honestly. But somehow I didn’t die, and some wastelanders picked me up. I’ve been too injured to go anywhere, I only recently got strong enough to walk around.” he said with a sigh, rubbing his forehead. “What happened to you to get you tossed out?” Kenji’s stomach twisted.

“None of your damn business.” he hissed, starting to walk away.

“Hey! You can’t just walk away from this!” Lewis shouted after him. Kenji ignored him. He needed to go back to that abandoned house and find his gear. “So what, you’re gonna abandon your friends? Let them fight for you while you sulk and pity yourself from the safety of-”

“They aren’t my fucking friends anymore and there won’t be any fighting!” Kenji shouted, whipping his head around to face him. “You want to know why I’m here? I fucked up. I fucked up our chance to finally beat the elite bastards once and for all and I jumped the wall so I wouldn’t have to face what I did.”

Lewis was shocked for a few moments before his face darkened in anger.

“You’re a coward!” he snapped. Kenji laughed, turning away once more.

“I know.”

__________________________

tag list: @thereasontherumisgone @germanmetal

//author’s note: I do not speak french! sometimes I forget what “bonjour” means. I am so sorry if these halfassed translations suck, I tried to stick to simple phrases that would be easy to translate but I don’t know how accurate they are. I’ll try to not write for the french characters too much.

#everything is gonna be fine #dystopian world #original world #Original story #original content #dystopia #dystopian #mike shinoda fine #rebellion #ocs #canada #mike shinoda #kenji hirayama #lewis spiorad

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drummerqueenrmt · 5 years

Note

Heeey! Wanted to thank you for all your works cause I find them amazing *-* so if you don't mind please tag me on your roger imagines *-* :D also wanted to ask you if you can do one of it with 32 from the drabble list :3

First of all, thank you soooo much for your kind words, it means a lot!! :’) ! I will tag you don’t worry 💛

32. “I locked the keys in the car.” feat Roger Taylor

“Rog…”

“Yes, honey?”

“Promise me that you are not going to get mad at me”

You were at the door of your shared house and he was reading a book sitting on the sofa. When you said those words he looked up at you, a curious look on his face.

“Why do you say that?”

“Just promise it”

He left the book on the table and focus his attention on you. “Alright, I promise. Now tell me what’s wrong”

You sat by his side, your eyes fixed on the floor, incapable of looking at him. “Do you remember that you told me I could drive your car whenever I wanted?”

“Oh, God… I don’t like where this is going…”

“I took it this morning to go shopping and… God, Rog… I promise that I drove perfectly! I parked it in a large space, no other cars could have done a scratch to it… I took care of it as you told me…”

“But?”

“But when I arrived home I forget to do something…”

“What?” He was closer to you now, his eyes trying to find yours. He was visibly nervous.

“You told me to lock the car with the little thing that is on the inside of the door and not with the keys, so…”

“No… Tell me that is not what I’m thinking…”

“I locked the keys in the car….”

“Fuck, [y/n]” He stood up and began to walk in every direction.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t do it on purpose…”

“Jesus… What I am supposed to do know? I knew I should’t have told you to use it…”

“Hey! I said I am sorry”

“Yeah… But that doesn’t help right now!”

“You promised me not to get angry…”

“I didn’t know it was this” He exited the house to confirm that what you said was true. You followed him.

“I can call a mechanic or something… I will pay for it”

“That would take time… I need the car today!”

“No, you don’t. You can call the boys and one of them will pick you up”

He was trying to open the car with all his strength, cursing all the time, getting more and more angry.

“It’s not going to open, Rog”

He let out a frustrated noise and began taking deep breaths, trying to calm.

“I know that I have screwed up and as I said I’m sorry… I know this car means a lot to you but-”

“A lot? I fucking love this car more than anything”

“You what?” Now you were angry too.

He realized what he just said and looked at you in panic. “I didn’t mean that”

“Oh… But you did, didn’t you?”

“Honey…” He approached you and tried to give you a hug but you took him by his arms and pushed him away from you.

“Don’t touch me…”

“You know that’s not true, they are just different kind of loves”

“Oh, you are making it worse…” You were red in anger by then.

“Look I said stupid things just because I trusted you and you messed up, you fix it and that’s it”

“Yeah… I’m going to fix it right now…”

“[y/n]? What are you doing?” When he wanted to react you were with a stone on your hand and ready to throw it to break one of the windows of the car with it. “No, no, no, no!”

*sound of crystal breaking*

You opened the car and grabbed the keys.

“Fixed it” You said smiling to him and throwing them to him. “Now enjoy yourself with the love of your life, I will be searching for a new boyfriend who’s less worried about a fucking, stupid car” You entered the house while Roger stood there, frozen, without believing that you have done a thing like that to him, to his car.

—————

You were in your room, laying on the bed and listening to music to relax yourself, when you heard a knock on the door. It was obviously Roger.

“Can I come in?”

You didn’t answer, your eyes fixed on the roof. He entered and laid beside you, looking at you with his big blue eyes.

“I’m sorry…” He said with the softest voice possible.

You turned to face him. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”

Of course you heard him and he knew it so he smiled softly before saying it again. “I said I’m sorry”

“Oh, that… Ok” You looked again to the roof.

“That’s all you have to say? Ok?” You pretend not to hear him again. “Hey! I’m talking to you” He took off your headphones and placed them on the bedside table.

“Hey! I was listening to a good song…”

“Well, but now you are going to listen to me” You snorted. “I’ve lost my mind before and I want to apologize, I know you didn’t do it on purpose and that I should’t had get that angry…”

“Go on”

He took you face with his hand and made you look at him. “I love you more than anything in this world, [y/n]”

“Sure…”

“I’m being honest and you know it… You are the most important thing in this world for me… Not a car, not the group, not anything else…”

“Then why have you said that before?”

“Because I wasn’t thinking… God, [y/n], I’m going to marry you in two months not that fucking car!”

“But… because it’s not possible to marry a car or-?”

He stared tickling you and he didn’t stop till your lips connected.

“Don’t search for another boyfriend just in case you find one better than me” He said suddenly.

“I found one that-” He tried to tickle you again but you stopped him with another kiss. “I will never find someone better than you, even you are an asshole sometimes”

“You lost your shit too, you know… You broke the fucking window”

“Yeah… Sorry?” You said with a smirk on your face.

“Well, at least now I can drive… And feeling the fresh air on my face” You both laughed.

“I will pay for it”

“No, don’t worry, love. I will pay this time just because I reacted stupidly”

“And…” You started tracing circles with your fingers on his chest. “I will be allowed to drive your car again?”

“No way!” He laughed.

“C’mon!”

“Nope…”

“Pleeeease” You pouted.

“Don’t put that face on… I said no”

“Can I do something to make you change your mind?” You changed your position, now being sitting on him, your legs at both sides of him.

“Maybe…”

You started kissing his neck, he grabbing your ass strongly. “By the way, which song were you listening to?”

You took his head between your hands, noses touching and smiled funnily to him.

“I’m in love with my car”

THE END

I’ve loved writing this, THANK YOU 💛 I hope you like it!

REMINDER THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY REQUEST DON’T HESITATE IN SENDING IT TO ME, I WILL WRITE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE 💛

#short fic #request #roger taylor #roger taylor x reader #roger taylor x you #roger taylor fic

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salmonthestoryteller · 5 years

Text

Friendships - Roswell New Mexico

I've been meaning to write this for awhile. Friendships are an important part of the Roswell universe, regardless of the version. I will admit that, in some ways, RNM disappointed me on the friendship front in Season One. Partly because everyone was kept so separated during the season. 1x11 has the biggest gathering of characters in one place. But, in the Crashdown group gathering we're still missing Kyle, Cam, and Alex - despite them being in on the alien secret. (We're missing Maria too - but she's not in on aliens.). And while a lot of characters gather again at the UFO Emporium Gala, there is still only a few scenes with more than two characters interacting directly. The lack of group dynamics during the season, and that in the finale they still weren’t brought together but separated once again, is a disappointment of mine that I hope we get to finally see change in s2.

I feel the lack of large group dynamics was in part because most of the friendships we are given in RNM start out fractured rather than the type of Ride or Die friendships the other two Roswell versions have. In both Roswell High and OG Roswell, we start with both the Pod Squad and Human Squad as groups of three who would pretty much do anything for each other. However, while RNM sets it up that these characters were like that ten years ago, we are introduced to them with these friendships mostly broken.

The Pod Squad - This is the story we get the most of through season one. The breaks in the trio’s friendship spawn from a few points (Their separation when they were seven, and the Drifter when they were fourteen), but the main one that really broke them was the murders ten years ago. When it comes to who's going to bury a body with you type of friendship, The Pod Squad quite literally does this twice so there’s the answer. However, the murders also destroy the relationship the trio once had. As we learn as the season progresses there’s other reasons, because on top of mysterious murders the trio compound two sets of lies. Michael and Max hide from Isobel that she blacked out and murdered the three girls (to their knowledge at the time), followed by Isobel and Michael using Isobel’s powers to send Liz away from Max when he seems likely to tell her the truth and hiding that from him.

When everything is over all their relationships suffer. Max and Michael’s suffer the most - with the close friendship we witness in the flashbacks completely destroyed. Max and Michael are not even really talking to each other at the start of the season and their interactions are mainly antagonistic. While we see that slowly change as the story progresses, culmination in their talk in 01x11 - their friendship is still not completely healed by the end of s1.

While Isobel and Max are still close, several comments between them hint that their relationship has suffered as well. Max’s “Will you stay out of my life for once?” to Isobel is one. Obviously Isobel has ended up mother henning Max after what happened, and it has not always been welcome. I also feel several comments he makes about her marriage and Noah (before the reveal) hint at a jealousy or bitterness over the fact that hiding the truth from her has led to her being able to get married and settle down while he was left alone. (But maybe that’s just my interpretation.) After the full truth is known, their relationship is badly damaged. However, once Isobel places herself under watch, and especially after her nearly dying, they come back together - in many ways better than before. I feel they are more open with each other in the end of the series. More willing to honestly support, rely on, and protect each other rather than the sort of bitter or overwhelming version of these things we are first shown.

Isobel and Michael’s relationship seems to have actually suffered the least. Perhaps because they both felt they were protecting one another. (Isobel thinks Michael killed the girls on accident, Michael thinks something went crazy with Isobel’s powers and she murdered the three girls when not herself.) Isobel has no problem running to Michael when Max shuts her out about Liz, Noah mentions Michael’s names among the reason Isobel disappears on him which shows that Michael does rely on her as well; Isobel is the one to first verbally protest when Michael suggests turning himself into Liz; when Max shuts them both out after finding out the truth Isobel holes up in Michael’s trailer; etc. The end of the series is full of more of this relationship, with Michael being the first person Isobel goes to when she thinks the flashbacks are telling her she was in love with Rosa, and Isobel being the first person Michael speaks openly about his relationship with Alex to. (He speaks about Alex to Max, but both times reluctantly and after being prodded, multiple times in the case of 01x11. With Isobel, Michael brings it up of his own free will.)

To be honest, I think Isobel and Michael are the best friendship we are given in RNM, and I adore them. However, I hope that after Max’s resurrection we will get to see more of the three always being there for each other - and not just Michael and Isobel.

The Human Squad - I’m going to start with Liz, Maria, and Alex. I do have a very different opinion on their relationship than most people. Because while I feel that, much like the Pod Squad, we are given this friendship that ten years ago was this deep, known each other all our lives, I will dump my boyfriend on prom night if he is a jerk to you, type of friendship, I also feel - like the Pod Squad - we are presented with a completely broken version of that in present time.

I see a lot of people referencing this notion about how they grew up together and how much that means, but… that isn’t my experience in the world. Especially among those who left small towns behind. Their best friend is the person they met in college. Or the person they met once they entered their chosen field. Many of them never even speak to their childhood friends again, or have a very distant relationship with them. (I feel like I am ruining someone’s childhood right now saying this.) It’s a different story if you don’t leave where you grew up, especially in small towns, and people who still live in the same place; work in the same place - those childhood friendships can mature with them and stay strong friendships. But, honestly, for the most part, the people I have met over the years who left their towns behind end up leaving childhood friendships behind as well.

I think that is very much the take we are given in RNM. We know Liz basically cuts all contact with Maria. They say so in their first interaction. And while it is not said distinctly, Alex and Liz’s first interaction hints at the same. Alex and Maria are more complicated, given that Alex does know what is happening with Mimi. Maria also comments that the Wild Pony is not Alex’s usual place to hang out in their early interactions. Clearly there’s been some contact. However, I don’t feel it was a lot. Even Alex’s comment to Mimi of “I’ve come out to you, like seven times” really still isn’t a lot. Given that one would have been the actual first time he told her when they were teens, that’s referencing six interactions. In ten years. Mimi calls Liz “Rosa” multiple times in a single day’s interactions. There’s also the fact that given Alex’s life there was no way for him to be spending a lot of time with Maria and Mimi. He went to training, he’s been on three tours, and after he lost his leg he probably spent months elsewhere with recovery and rehab before returning to Roswell. It just isn’t believable for him to have actually been in Roswell for any length. Whatever future Maria was planning she gave up for her mother. So, just like they haven’t been in Roswell while she deals with her mother's illness and giving up her future, she was completely incapable of being the type of friend who would hop a bus or plane and go to them if they needed her. Their lives pulled them apart, and along the way that friendship would have suffered by default. And it did.

The thing with these three is that we see no hint anybody ever filled that void in their lives that was left by that friendship. They never trusted another person to that length again. Not romantically, not friendship wise. Nobody. So when circumstances bring them together again - they sort of regroup and automatically begin to act like friends again. However, if you really think about it - it’s a very superficial healing. On a deeper level, the three do not reconnect.

This is obvious because of the secrets kept between them. In both previous versions of RNM, Maria is the first person Liz goes to with Max being an alien. Admittedly, both times Maria is there for the shooting, but it’s more than that. Liz goes to Maria because she trusts her deeply. In OG Roswell there’s a period of time before Alex is brought in, but in RH Maria runs to Alex with the secret almost immediately after Liz tells her. Once again, the trust level is there. The trust isn’t there with the Human Squad in RNM.

Liz never tells Maria about Max. Alex, even after Mimi discusses things with him that are a reference to Project Shepherd and the Alien Spaceship, doesn’t go to Maria. Nor does he go to Liz, despite discovering tech that looks partially organic and she is - oh, yah - a biochemical engineer. Maria doesn’t tell Liz what is happening with her mother until Alex forces her hand. None of that speaks of deep trust.

While what’s happening with Mimi brings them closer, it still doesn’t heal them. Maria still ends up crying alone over it at the end of the day - Liz fails to return and she doesn’t even ask Alex to stay with her. (She ends up crying on Michael but that was chance and not choice.) Maria and Liz grow closer, and she does ask her to go to the faith healer with her. But Maria is drugged and controlled by Noah, and Liz sees the flower in her necklace, the one that was used by Noah, and she still doesn’t even contemplate for one second telling Maria the truth. By the end of the season, Liz and Maria have grown the closest of the three, and I love their interactions. But this is not a fully repaired friendship, or one where the three trust and rely on each other. Definitely nothing like their past incarnations in RH and the OG series.

By comparison, Kyle sort of slides in and takes over where the friendship between the three fails - at least where Liz and Alex are concerned. Kyle and Alex’s friendship fractured in high school, while Liz and Kyle are exes who hook up when she returns to town. And, yes, you could say that Kyle was already involved with everything alien already so that set them both up to rely on him - but you can also question: why did they? Alex, as he tells Kyle, is well past worrying about Kyle’s “locker room taunts”, but that doesn’t mean he should place anymore faith in him - knowledge about aliens or not - then he does Liz and Maria. He purposefully does not look into his suspicions of the cabin wall until after Kyle leaves, yet when Cam approaches him he calls Kyle rather than Liz to find out about Dr Holden - even though she works at the same hospital.

Liz is kind of the same. Yes, she’s always had more faith in Kyle than anyone else did in the past, and he’s the one who saw the handprint and is a doctor. But he’s been out of her life just as long as Maria and Alex. Yet when she is questioning Rosa’s death, she doesn’t go to Maria - who was definitely a good friend of her sister’s and would want to help her discover the truth if she was murdered - or Alex, who’s in the damn military and a hacker - she goes back to Kyle.

I love Kyle, but he pretty much takes Maria’s place. By the end of season one, the human friendships are centered more around Kyle than the original trio. And, frankly, while I love the result, it's because of plot. He takes over as the most trusted person for both Liz and Alex because the writers wanted to tell the story of what happened to Jim Valenti. However, as a result, when you actually focus on character interaction and not plot - it lends itself to the telling that Liz, Maria, and Alex are no longer that close or trust in one another.

Kyle and Alex’s friendship, I’d say is probably the second best of the series next to isobel and Michael’s. They overcome their past - they’re there for each other as secrets about their families, and especially their fathers, come to light. They rely on one another, and each take turns talking the other down when they begin to question if their father’s were right. That is a friendship built on trust.

Kyle and Liz have a deep relationship by the end of the season. They rely on each other as well, and they care deeply for each other. Whether this is leading them towards just a friendship, or - with Max’s absence - a relationship we’ll have to see in s2.

Human-Alien Interactions - While we are given lots of positive interactions that could lead to friendships - Kyle and Isobel when she's sick, Max and Maria in Texas and again at her bar, Liz supporting Isobel when the truth about Noah comes out - the only friendship that actually forms in season one between the aliens and humans is Liz and Michael.

Liz and Michael's friendship isn't limited to just 01x09, either. While we see them working together, her making him dance with her, and her reluctantly admitting she likes him to Max in 01x09, it's 01x10 that Michael - equally reluctant - admits to Isobel he does like Liz (which is one of the only humans we ever hear him say that about), and their interactions in 01x11 continue the trend. Liz teases him about how he spends his time, Michael flat out tells her he and Max aren't doing well when she saves them, he teases them about Max about her flirting, and the look they exchange when he promises to protect Maria is gold. These are two people, both who have trust issues, who are building a friendship and putting their faith in one another.

Personally, I think Liz and Michael are the third best friendship RNM gives us - even above Liz and Maria due to the secrets Liz keeps from her. It's definitely among the top friendships of s1.

Hopefully with s2, we'll get a chance for these friendships to grow and this group to finally begin trusting one another, especially in regards to alien-human interactions pls, and more group scenes. Where are my group scenes?

#roswell new mexico #meta #friendships #character thoughts #character interactions #pod squad #human squad #writing this made me realize we desperately need more human-alien interaction

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empowermentisfree · 4 years

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Dear leader,

I’m very glad that you’re here.

If you’re open to it, you will learn a lot, you will grow empathetically, you will earn respect, and you will fight your fair share of battles.

I’ve written for you, lessons I’ve learned from leading a team. Policies I created and beliefs to which I hold firm. Experiences I’ve had that left me to decide what was right and what was wrong in a group and often on my own. Decisions we make impact people, we’re the leader.

I’ve found that what I will share with you takes courage, vulnerability, directness, and gratitude. Take what works for you. Let’s begin.

You don’t know everything and you don’t need to.

How many times have we been told that the boss knows best? Have you ever thought that to be in charge, you must know the most? I may have thought this from time to time, in fact I’m sure I did. It wasn’t until I was thrust into a management role, tasked with caring for thirtyish people and an entire theatre that I realized the folly. Stricken with fear, I thought maybe I’d made a mistake. Did I lie? Did I trick them into believing in me? Do I believe in myself?

How did I get here? It’s important to know. I asked for a chance and then I told them to hire me. Seriously. I said “I am not afraid of this job. I can do this job.” Verbatim. They hired me. At twenty-three years old I was the leader of a team within a New York City institution.

Did I know how to run a theatre? The building itself? No.

Had I managed a team before? No.

Had I hired a team before? No.

Did I know everything? No.

Did I need to? No.

I know how and when to ask for help. I recognized that in order to be a leader you have to first be confident in your own ability to rise to the occasion. I did. I took the responsibility of caring for a theatre and for a team with a respect that, well, is unparalleled.

My team spoke Spanish. Some spoke broken English, only a few were fluent. I don’t speak Spanish. This was a large example of something I didn’t know. And yet I found myself in charge. Something to consider: when you feel fear as the leader, consider the amount of fear your team must feel and swallow both. I learned basic Spanish. I was insecure. But my job was to be their champion and in order to be someone’s champion you must be able to communicate. There is so much power in stepping out on fear and setting an example. In two years I’d won the respect of a Spanish speaking team because on day one I leveled the playing field and made it clear that this was going to be about us. Not about me, not about them, about us.

There were days I came up short. There is no shame in failing. There is certainly no shame in needing help and asking for it. There is shame in shaming others for their failure. If there’s never shortcoming, there is no life in what we do. Causing fear and shame does not a leader make.

Do I know everything now? Still no. Forever no. (If you find yourself answering yes to that question, my bet is you should’ve moved on from your position years ago.)

There’s a lesson of respect to be learned in everything.

How is this job going to help you reach your goals?

Well, everything I’ve done has taught me a lesson of respect. I assisted an incredibly brilliant costume designer once and whether or not I was good at it (I wasn’t) or even liked it (I didn’t) it taught me an invaluable lesson of respect for the work of a costume designer.

As a leader, you get to earn respect by giving it (notice I said “get” not “have” - this is intentional because it’s a privilege). It’s up to you to give it first. You have the first move. Why not make it respectful? By doing this, you’ll learn countless lessons of respect. I can’t tell you what they’ll be because it’s up to you to recognize them when they arise. Two of my favorite lessons are...

1. Without an operations team you can’t get in the building and then your work doesn’t happen. The operations team is the first in and the last out. They are also often the lowest paid and most disrespected. It didn’t take me long to recognize this and take it incredibly personally. When we opened and the only team not to receive a gift was mine, I made it my business to provide a gift for my team on the next opening as well as every other department. Nobody knew that it was at my personal expense or even that it came from me. That wasn’t the point. The point was bigger than me. On my last show, we received gifts for the first time (my last show was my ninth.)

2. Designers are often met with unsolicited opinions from everyone. I’ve found that the most brilliant of designers, when faced with said unsolicited opinions, remain level headed and dedicated to their craft. I once asked a designer “how do you experience these awful attitudes and still work endlessly to make them look brilliant?” His response was along the lines of he just brushes them away, focusses on his creation, and remembers each of the comments and from whom they came. To be so dedicated and humble, to not let the toxicity into the creativity, is something that I constantly work on ever since that day.

When I enter a room, I wear every lesson of respect I’ve learned through witnessing brilliance, or learning from my own mistakes, like a badge of honor.

Empowerment is the only key.

When you exhibit bravery, you’ll empower your team, and they too will be brave, and in their bravery everyone thrives.

Day one of leading my team at the theatre, I met my head assistant. He spoke broken English, originally from the Dominican Republic. I greeted him warmly and he smiled and then looked away, unwilling to speak to me. Slowly, we began to trust each other. The tide turned on a day where I was feeling particularly low. It was Friday and the week had been rough for me. There was one more project on my list (I had to organize the supply room that had no resemblance of any kind of order) and I didn’t know where to start, I certainly didn’t know how to direct my team to accomplish it. I decided to just begin working on it myself. When my head assistant saw me, he tried to stop me. My team didn’t enjoy seeing me do any work that they felt they should be doing because they would rather see me have a relaxing day sitting in an air conditioned office than sweat and get dirty. I was prepared for this. I looked at him and said slowly “No sir. We can do this together, but you’re not going to stop me because I don’t know how to do this, so let’s figure it out together.” He conceded, handed me a pair of latex gloves, and put on a pair himself. Together we organized the entire room. We began speaking. By example, with few words, I showed him he could trust me. I’m honored to say that two years later, at my going away party, he gave a speech honoring me half in English, half in Spanish, and he will now engage everyone who comes through the gate.

This wasn’t something I set out to accomplish, this wasn’t a specific goal. The goal was to show a team that is so often overlooked that they are seen and worthy. That what happens on stage is accomplished because of their work as much as that of the director.

Now, as a leader, you probably have someone above even you. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a boss that is empowering. Sometimes, you’ll have a boss who is unwilling and incapable of empowering you. Sometimes, you may simultaneously have one of each. This is when you have to be intrepid with your values and goals for yourself and your team. Whether you’re empowered or not, you still have a responsibility to speak for those who don’t have your access.

Empowerment is simple. It is free. It takes nothing from you. You lose nothing but have a chance to gain everything. Imagine being able to buy your loved ones the most elaborate gifts, their dream car, an entire house, something that would make them feel invincible but didn’t cost you a dime. Empowerment is a gift that costs nothing but has the ability to make another human feel invincible.

If you lead with “no”, you’re wrong.

This one will be quick. If you’ve read up until this point you now know that you don’t know everything, that there is a lesson of respect in everything, and that empowerment is a gift. If your first response to an idea is “no”, you’ve just created a culture of shame and fear. You will not have a team that feels empowered and therefore you won’t really have a functional team. Even if the answer is, under garish light, “no”, use it as a moment to guide your team toward a better idea, say thank you and think about it, explain yourself and in doing so you may realize that you are in fact wrong or maybe in explaining your thought process, together you’ll reach the best idea! Leading with “no” is cowardice and lazy.

It’s about people. Always.

The squeaky wheel really does get the grease, but that wheel sometimes has to squeak for a LONG TIME.

Life is about people. We go through life in search of connection. As a leader, your job is to connect and take care of your people. Leading them to a larger goal. At the end of the day, their professional wellness is your responsibility. If someone threatens that, it is your responsibility to take care of it. Is it weighing on your heart? Good. Welcome.

I once raised a concern about a situation threatening the wellness of my team and a response I received was “well I don’t think this happens all the time” and whether that was true or not, it was happening then. I brought it all the way myself. I chose to carry the load. I was exhausted and my heart was hurting, but it was my honor. A profound responsibility that I chose and continue to choose to take personally.

Sometimes, oftentimes, you’re going to have to be uncomfortable in order to lead wholly. There’s no way around it.

Know when to move on.

You can’t do it forever. Nobody can. Have enough awareness to move on when you know you’ve given everything you can. Do what you can to help aid the transition. That’s what originally inspired this document. I was writing to my successor and then I decided to write to us. Leave the work strong, don’t undo it.

When you succeed, you’ll feel like you’re on your own. Remember to be grateful because you’ve earned this feeling. It’s a privilege to be respected and a privilege to be responsible. You’ll feel frustrated and you’ll want to quit like everyone else… Pause. There are people counting on you and if you look around, they’re still there, and you’re in fact, not on your own.

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