#and at some points gets overwhelmed by certain sounds/smells

[libraryleopard]

Young adult fantasy novel

In a world where an order of nuns train to fight the ravenous ghosts that roam the land, a young trainee awakens an ancient spirit from a saint’s relic and must harness its power to defeat an ominous enemy growing in power

Immersive world-building & a thoughtful exploration of religion and childhood trauma

TFW the ancient entity of dark power residing in your brain forces you to practice self care

Aroace-coded main character (also maybe autistic/neurodivergent-coded?)

No romance

#I LOVE ARTEMISIA AND THE REVENANT!! #fuck that bit about the goat was good :( #did take me a little bit to get immersed but i loved the dynamic between artemisia and the revenant SO much #i say aroace-coded bc it is a bit word of god but also she's never interested in sex/romance #also i kinda think artemisia might be autistic? #i am not so take this analysis with a grain of salt #but she struggles with social interactions especially eye contact #and at some points gets overwhelmed by certain sounds/smells #so i kind of read her as autistic but not labelled so because it's a fantasy book #also this is a standalone btw #vespertine #books #lulu speaks #lulu reads vespertine #2023 reads #margaret rogerson #i have so many more books to add to this tag but i am tired and will now go to bed goodnight

[sixeyescurseuser]

(1)

The temple curse Geto absorbs has a certain side effect; One that will strip away all the affects of his suppressants. 

He calls Shoko immediately. There’s no one else he trusts. Yaga-sensei would find this a pain to deal with, not to mention Geto’s placement at Jujutsu High would be at risk if he’s seen as a liability, and-

Geto would rather claw his insides out then admit to Gojo about being the so-called “burden that would drag them down on missions.”

Using his manta ray curse, Geto gets himself back to campus grounds and rushes to the infirmary where Shoko has already prepared a room in the isolated basement.

Geto has never gone through a full heat, only diluted ones because of meds he began taking once becoming a jujutsu student. Everything completely overwhelms his senses. His body aches already, and he’s beyond light-headed.

Bless Shoko, man. She made sure to get some blankets, pillows, and clothes from Geto’s dorm to bring into the heat room. If she includes some of her clothes and Gojo’s jacket that she stole when he took it off to train just an hour ago, then that’s their secret. 

“You know he’s gonna find out, sooner or later?” Shoko states, watching Geto gain a burst of energy as he meticulously arranges his nest.

“I have no idea who you’re talking about,” Geto says absent-mindedly, holding up a dark blue jacket that’s doused in the scent of cotton candy and faint gunpowder.

Shoko sighs heavily, about to point out the fact that Geto is currently hyper fixating on the exact jacket of who they’re talking about.

The sound of sniffles makes her bite her tongue.

There Geto is, holding the jacket up to his nose, clearly basking in the scent. Except tears pool in his eyes, the first few slipping down his cheeks.

“Satoru is going to h-hate me,” Geto chokes out. Shoko blinks, taken aback.

“He’s not going to hate you-“

“Yes he is! He- I lied to him! I’ve been lying to him,” Geto whimpers, subconsciously nuzzling into the fabric that smells like his best friend. The scent of a panicked omega fills the room. 

Shoko quickly walks up to the bedside, putting her hand on Geto’s shoulder.

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright. Gojo may be petty, but you’re his closest friend! He adores you,” Shoko says softly, rubbing Geto’s arm comfortably. 

Geto merely shakes his head, which begins to pound with a sharp pain. He can’t think rationally, the only thoughts pointing to Gojo’s betrayed reaction.

“I don’t want to lose him.”

“Geto…”

“Which is why you can’t tell him about this,” Geto concludes, eyes narrowed as he scrutinizes his friend. “Shoko, promise me.”

Shoko makes the promise. She says she’ll be in periodically to check on Geto, make sure he’s drinking water and eating what little he can stomach.

After Shoko leaves, Geto’s heat continues to burn him from the inside out. That night, he lays in his nest, which feels like it has a crucial piece missing.

The dark blue jacket lays shoved beneath his pillow.

***

Gojo knows something is wrong. He’s very irritable, snapping at everyone and everything. It doesn’t help that Geto hasn’t talked to him since that conversation. 

Naturally, Gojo’s been replaying their argument in his mind over and over again.

Why did Suguru get upset? 

Angry. He was angry, Gojo corrects. 

The itch under Gojo’s skin continues to get worse. When there’s no sign of Geto returning on the day his mission was supposed to end, Gojo is positive something is wrong.

He goes to Yaga-sensei first.

Yaga-sensei doesn’t reveal anything, saying he hasn’t heard from Geto.

Gojo forgoes asking Nanami because apparently he's also pissed at Gojo for whatever he said the other day. Asking Haibara is out of the question.

So without anyone else to bother, Gojo heads to the infirmary.

Right as he enters the front door, Gojo is hit with the most intense wave of chocolate, with a hint of lavender. A scent he’s never smelled before, as that’s sure as hell not Shoko’s citrusy scent.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Gojo heads for the stairwell that leads down into the basement. The scent grows stronger and stronger the closer he gets to the bottom.

A voice in the back of his mind tells him to fucking get a grip: a weird, enticing scent that has his body moving on its own? Major red flag. 

But alas, Gojo isn’t thinking clearly. And he’s still hung up on how obviously upset and disappointed Geto was with him. If Gojo can’t do anything right in the moment, he may as well do what his instincts are telling him - to follow the scent of chocolate and lavender.

Unfortunately, the sound of footsteps coming up reveals Shoko, who blocks the path to the rooms in the basement. 

“Gojo,” she acknowledges, a hint of surprise on her face. In her hands, she limply carries an empty tray. 

“Yo,” Gojo says dumbly. Shoko clicks her tongue, unimpressed by the innocent grin Gojo sends her way.

“You can’t be here.”

Gojo levels her with a determined expression. His subconscious knows who is in the basement. Shoko knows there’s no stopping him, so she reaches up to pinch Gojo’s cheek - HARD.

“You hurt him, I make you wish you were never born.”

When Gojo walks into the room, his brain short circuits. 

The scent he was smelling had belonged to an omega.

And that omega was Suguru.

(3)

#jjk #satosugu #geto suguru #gojo satoru #ieri shoko #jjk headcanon #satosugu fluff #satosugu headcanon #satosugu fanfic #TBC #cerdrabbles

[bubuslutty]

MIKE WITH A PISS KINK PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

tbh I've never really wrote for piss kink before the other post. but I'm exploring and dipping my toes very slowly into stuff (am I being slow? idk? anyway. who fucking cares.)

Mike is a nasty little freak and nobody can convince me otherwise. he likes having some power over at least certain aspects of his life, he likes being in control of things he chooses to control. not like paying the bills and going to work. cuz he has to? to live?

but he can have control over his gf. her body. her bladder. Just because he can.

so when he first was plagued with the image of his gf just pissing on him, his brain chemistry changed and he kind of wanted to make it a reality, trying without freaking his gf out and also without really telling her.

maybe it was him convincing her to let him fuck her when he knew she drank a bit too much water today and felt like going on the middle of him fucking her. maybe he'll let her go, maybe not, maybe he'll ask her to hold it in until he's done, she can wait, right? She can do it, she's a big girl <3

and maybe he'll hold onto her waist, dig his fingers super close to her belly button, press down a bit where her bladder should be in guise of him just holding her up, but really, he just loves her little squeals of panic and flinches, and not once does she tells him to stop, just whines and whines and moans while getting rocked on his cock.

And as soon as he's done and at this point, his baby is shaking and overwhelmed, he'll help her to the toilet, and help her sit and relieve herself while she's still. panting. and he's there, standing over her with a hand on her shoulder, so she wouldn't somehow slip and fall?

he's just a good bf after all, he has to make sure his gf is safe and taken care of <3

and then obviously Mike will take care of her, hop in the shower, wash her body for her and all, dress her up in some comfy clothes and lounge in their bed together <3

perhaps this keeps happening for a long time, his gf needs to go, but he needs her more than she needs to go, and how can she say no to those eyes??? and the cycle repeats until she realises that maybe he really, really, want her to let go.

So it happens then, for the first time, while in the shower, because its the perfect place to make a mess, and it starts off pretty innocent, just showering in silence, together, then washing each other's hair, giggling and slowly getting touchy until her back is to the wall and he's moaning in her neck with the sound of his hips snapping against hers echo in the shower.

And she doesn't tell him she needs to go, she just holds him tighter, wraps her arms around his neck and presses herself closer, he moans, and then he feels something, he's confused at first, terrified that he somehow hurt her because why the fuck is something hot dripping down her thighs, and when the smell hits his nose he absolutely loses it.

"Hah- Had to go, hm? Couldn't hold it in? Hm, baby? Fucked you so good you just-- Pissed yourself? Fuuuuuuuuuccckkk... Yeah. Yeah, you're mine. And I'm yours, yeah?"

his eyes almost roll to the back of his headand his rythm stutters and he snaps them harder, tries to get himself deeper, closer, all the while making the most debauched and pathetic noises he's ever made, he's so unbelievably horny he cums in no time.

and from that day on, everything changes.

#bubuslutty ask #bubuslutty writes #mike schimdt x reader #mike schimdt smut #mike scmidt fnaf #mike schmidt smut #mike schmidt #mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt x you #mike schmidt x y/n #mike schmidt x fem!reader smut #mike schmidt x fem!reader

[its-jaytothemee]

Until I Met You - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Introductions

Pairings: Halsin x Tav

Word count: 3,898

Rating: Currently M, will be Explicit in later chapters.

Read on AO3

Next

Summary: A slow burn Tav and Halsin romance fic about their relationship forming between the major events of Baldur's Gate 3, and probably a little bit after too. Explores Tav's friendships with some of the other companions, but mainly Karlach. Lots of longing and fluff, including plenty of soft Halsin moments.

Tags: Slow burn, hurt/comfort, love confessions, eventual smut, light angst, implied past rape/non-con

A/N: After starting another playthrough specifically to romance Halsin, I decided to write some additional details of how their relationship forms throughout the game. Not sure how many chapters there will be yet...we'll see where the game takes me :) There will be POVs from both Tav and Halsin throughout the fic. Enjoy!

The disgusting sight of the goblin camp was bested only by the smell that assaulted the group’s nostrils as they strolled through the mucked-up halls.

“Ugh, goblins are such vile little beasts. Remind me why we agreed to come here?” Tav could hear the eye roll in Astarion’s tone.

“Because Astarion, there’s a medically talented Archdruid who can maybe help rid us of these tadpoles who is being held and probably tortured by these little beasts.” She tried to keep her voice down but found it hard to stay quiet while keeping up with Astarion’s quips.

“Speak for yourself, my friend. My tadpole and I are getting along swimmingly. I can walk in the sun, wade through rivers, and enter any home I like. I’m living the dream.” He teased back at her.

“All good points. I’ll make sure to remind you of them when your skin is turning purple and sprouting tentacles.” She turned back with a smile just in time to catch Astarion’s playful glare.

“Hey soldier, eyes up. Archers on the beams.” Karlach had her eyes fixed above them on the two goblins patrolling the large chamber.

“Best exercise caution. I might remind you all that goblins come by dozens when one of those war drums sounds off.” Gale was clutching his staff with a white-knuckled grip.

They carefully continued exploring the unfamiliar temple, on the lookout for anything that could give them a clue to Halsin’s whereabouts. Tav had thought the mercenaries and tiefling refugees may have been exaggerating about the goblins. But now that they were here amid their den of depravity, she was starting to doubt the abilities of her party – and herself. The numbers alone were enough to overwhelm them even if Karlach could cleave three goblins at a time.

In one of the far corners, Astarion spotted a small path that wound around into a back room. There was a door guarded by a few goblins, but they were able to pass by them easily while still passing as ‘True Souls.’ The air around them somehow smelled worse as they walked into the next room. The mix of decaying flesh and the worg pens caused them all to gag slightly. Several small laughs and squeals drew their attention towards another prison cell, inside was a very large cave bear. Two young goblins were throwing stones at the bear huddled in the corner of the cage. Tav quickly and quietly cast Speak with Animals just as the bear’s eyes locked on to hers.

“Stop them…free me.” The bear growled. Listening to its voice, Tav noticed the smallest tone difference between this bear and other animals she had spoken to in the past. Given Rath’s description of Halsin, she was almost certain this bear was the Archdruid they had been searching for.

“Again! Again!” One of the young goblins squealed, picking up another rock. Tav jogged up to them.

“He’s helpless! Let him go.” She demanded.

“Tav, what are you doing? We can’t stop to help every furry creature in need.” Astarion didn’t even try to hide his disapproval. She turned around to glare at him and called on their shared tadpole.

“Astarion! Use whatever piece of your brain the tadpole hasn’t eaten yet. This is obviously Halsin from the Emerald Grove.” She held her glare until he seemed to understand their situation. He let out an exaggerated sigh and backed off.

Gale groaned behind her, realizing that they were probably going to be fighting off the several goblins and worgs in the room with them.

“The beast is stayin’ right ‘ere.” The older goblin responded, taking a step towards Tav.

“I’m ending this. Now.” She growled back. The bear let out a small roar in response.

“Time for blood.” Its voice was a low snarl.

Before she had a chance to react, the cave bear rammed into the cell doors, effortlessly breaking them from their hinges. The older goblin was crushed beneath the heavy iron, causing a scream from the two younger ones.

“The guards! Get the guards!” One of the little ones yelled. They both turned to run past Tav and her party.

“Those little brats are going to bring this whole fucking camp down on us!” Astarion yelled, daggers twirling in his hands.

“Then take care of it you whiny prick!” Tav yelled back at him, lunging for the goblin that was looking after the worgs. Karlach followed suit, jumping back up the stairs to swing at a goblin that had been butchering some suspicious looking meat.

“We’re killing children now?!” Gale cried from the top of the stairs. A thin line of ice shot from his hands to the goblin archer approaching them from the rear.

“Goblin children, darling. Hardly a moral dilemma.” Astarion responded, driving his dagger into the chest of the first young goblin.

“Perhaps but still, I think we should discuss –” Gale started to respond but let out a strangled yell that interrupted him. When Tav looked back she saw an arrow sticking out of his neck, and blood was starting to spew from his mouth. Another arrow suddenly struck him in the chest. He made a small choking sound before collapsing to the floor.

“Shit! Gale’s down!” Tav yelled. When she turned away, the goblin she was fighting tried to make a swipe at her but was quickly taken down by the cave bear that had rushed to her side.

“He’s going to have to wait! We can’t risk these little monsters alerting the rest of the camp.” Astarion was slicing his blade across the throat of the other young goblin.

Tav drew her bow and shot two arrows into the worg pens, easily landing the shots right between their eyes. She could hear Gale’s labored breaths, the sound was warped by the blood spilling into his throat. Karlach took her goblin out with one more clean swing of her axe and turned to the archer.

“I’ll get Gale, take that archer down!” Tav yelled. The others all moved in to surround the last goblin as Tav dashed over to him. She quickly looked him over, ready to remove the arrow in his neck so she could heal him. Before she could start the spell, she heard one last raspy gurgle come from Gale before his body went limp.

“Fuck.” Tav whispered under her breath. She pulled her pack to the front of her waist and started frantically searching through it. They had found a couple of revivification scrolls on their journey that she was certain she had stored in her pack somewhere. Just as she started to search through the pockets, the air around her became thick with the smell of death.

“What the…” She started to exclaim before she became horribly sick, necrotic energy swirled all around her. Startled and struggling to breathe, she jumped back a few feet away from Gale’s body, allowing her to cough the toxic air from her lungs.

The last goblin’s body fell to the floor with a soft thud. Karlach and Astarion walked back down to join Tav, examining Gale and the small cloud of death encircling his lifeless body.

“Terribly tragic, always a sad day when you lose a friend. Oh well, best we keep moving before these goblins catch wind of our little fight.” Astarion said, waving his hand in the air nonchalantly and starting to walk away.

“Astarion…” Tav grumbled and turned to shoot him a warning glare. He smiled sweetly in response.

Before they could say anything else, an illusion of Gale popped up in front of Tav, causing a small scream to escape her lips.

“Well met! I am a magical projection of Gale of Waterdeep, and if you see this manifestation, that means I have prematurely perished.”

“Oh for fucks’ sake Gale…” Tav pressed one hand to her forehead, already exasperated by Gale’s afterlife theatrics.

“…it is of vital importance that my death be remedied at your earliest convenience.”

“How am I supposed to bring you back then?” Tav asked, annoyed.

The three of them sat and listened to Gale’s projection list a very detailed description of his security protocol to receive a scroll of true resurrection. First, they had to retrieve a small pouch from his robes which Astarion deftly picked from his pocket. To open the pouch, they had to unwind the purple cord in a counterclockwise motion. Inside, they found a small flute and a folded letter with notes in the corners that they would have to play. Next, a magma mephit was supposed to appear and pose the question ‘I’ss k’cha t’chiss n’aga’ to which the answer should be K’ha’ssji’trach’ash. The mephit would then give them the scroll.

“Well shit.” Tav muttered. “Does anyone know how to play a flute?”

Karlach and Astarion shrugged in response, the panic they felt evident on their faces.

“I at least caught the mephit name!” Karlach offered.

“Gods above, Gale!” Tav yelled. “What are the chances that whoever you’re dying around knows how to play a fucking flute?!” She waved the small instrument in front of the projection’s face, whose expression didn’t change. While she continued berating the magical illusion in front of her, she failed to hear the magical whoosh behind her.

“…and even if we do figure this out, it won’t matter! Because I’m going to punch you so hard that I send you in to the beyond again! And then I’ll revive you, just to choke the life out of you so we get to do this shitshow all over again!” Tav was stomping and screaming at the projection now. She noticed Karlach and Astarion staring past her, bewildered looks on both of their faces. Was Astarion…blushing?

“Excuse me,” A deep voice called out from behind her, “perhaps I could be of some assistance? It’s the least I could do.” She could only assume it belonged to Halsin.

 “Look, I know we came here to free you and all and yes, we will need your help but right now our melodramatic friend has…” She had whipped around ready to tear into the mysterious addition to their group, but her breath caught once she was able to fully look at the Archdruid.

Tav wasn’t sure what she had been expecting to see when they met Halsin, but it certainly wasn’t the large, handsome elf standing in front of her. She was rather large for an elf, but Halsin made her feel tiny. Her mouth was hanging open, unable to form words as she stared him down. His smile was enchanting, his tanned skin covered in blood from their fight.

“I owe you my thanks, I am the druid Halsin. I did not expect to meet the acquaintance of someone who would not only speak with a bear, but free it too. I’m always happy to meet another true friend of nature. And you are?”

“I’m…” Tav sputtered, “…single.” Her voice was barely a whisper. She shook her head to regain some semblance of composure. She could hear Astarion giggling like a child behind her.

“Tav…my name is Tav.” She finally blurted out.

“Oakfather preserve you, Tav. Now I’d be happy to…”

Halsin was speaking but she wasn’t really listening to his words. She saw that he was holding his hand out to her. Without thinking, she placed her hand in his and gave a soft handshake, interrupting him. He gave her a confused look, still smiling.

“As I was saying, I know how to play the flute if that would help to resurrect your friend.” He was still smiling at her.

Tav’s face and chest turned a deep red and she yanked her hand back quickly. Astarion burst out laughing behind her, almost falling over. Karlach at least had the decency to try and cover her laugh. She handed over the small flute and quickly unfolded the paper, holding it in front of her face to try and hide her blush.

“Okay so his instructions said to play the notes listed in the corners of the pages, starting in the bottom right, and working our way around the page clockwise. I’ll read them off to you. Ready?” She asked, peeking over the page at Halsin. He gave a small nod, flute held up to his lips.

“D…” The first note floated through the air.

“E…” Halsin switched gracefully to the next note.

“A…” Another note rang in across the room. Tav paused before reading the last note, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

“…D…” The last note echoed off the walls slightly mixing with the groans of her companions. Of course his resurrection tune spelled out ‘dead.’

A small magma mephit appeared in front of them.

“I’ss k’cha t’chiss n’aga.” He asked.

“K’ha’ssji’trach’ash!” Karlach responded, excited to help.

“D’a jah’jah s’um!” The mephit leaned forward as Tav held the folded paper in front of her. The small note transformed into an ornate scroll. She turned back to Gale as the mephit vanished.

Tav read the incantation and felt a warm swirling energy gather around her. It was quickly transferred to Gale who disappeared momentarily. He reappeared in front of her, standing and gasping for air. His hands shot up to his neck, feeling the area where the arrow had pierced him. Then he started laughing.

“You did it! Oh it feels good to be alive. I’m sorry to say my hands are still quite cold, so a handshake will have –” Gale was interrupted by Tav punching him in the gut, letting out a loud grunt.

“That was for your ridiculous protocol. What if we couldn’t find someone who could have played the flute? What if you had died and we weren’t around? We need to do something about that orb, Gale.” Tav was yelling again, she wasn’t truly angry with him though. She had come to like Gale, seeing him dead had upset her more than she cared to admit.

“You know the volatility of my condition, Tav. The element of mystery helps persuade others to keep me amongst the living. Sore abdominals aside…I sincerely thank you.” He wheezed back.

“You’re welcome,” Tav sighed, “and welcome back.” She nudged his arm slightly.

“Thank you for your help.” Tav looked back over to Halsin. “I suppose proper introductions are in order.” She wanted to put her embarrassing display from earlier behind her.

“This is Gale, that’s Karlach back there, and Astarion standing next to her.” She pointed to each of her companions as she introduced them. Karlach waved enthusiastically, Gale was still bent over catching his breath, and Astarion wiggled his fingers seductively in their direction.

“A pleasure, truly. Might I ask how you found me?” Halsin looked between the four of them.

“We’ve been to the Emerald Grove, it’s in danger.” Tav responded. She quickly filled Halsin in on their adventure so far. Kagha’s alliance with the Shadow Druids, the cult of the Absolute, the mercenaries that had escaped from the goblins. She paused, trying to decide if she should tell him about the tadpoles yet. Before she could continue, Halsin held a hand out in front of her.

“That look in your eyes…” He said quietly. A golden glow surrounded her as Halsin closed his eyes in concentration.

“Oakfather preserve you child, you’re infected, aren’t you?” He jerked his hand back to his side. Tav placed a hand on her sword, prepared for a fight. Halsin held his hands up innocently.

“It’s no coincidence that you found me, I wager. I’ve been studying these tadpoles. They’re different from how mind flayers typically procreate.”

Halsin launched into a summary of his research surrounding the tadpoles. Of course, there wasn’t going to be a simple cure for their affliction. He confirmed that their tadpoles were special, altered, just as they suspected. He was also able to give them their next destination, Moonrise Towers. She froze at the mention of Moonrise. It was their first solid lead since the nautiloid crashed, but the news filled Tav with dread. She knew all too well the evil that besieged that land. Without thinking, she stepped close to Halsin, leaning in so only he could hear her. She reached up and grabbed his arm, trying to keep her balance.

“You’re sure that’s where we need to go?” She asked quietly, in Elvish. “That is no easy task.”

His expression softened and he gave her a knowing look in response.

“You know of this place?” He lowered his voice to match hers, as smooth as his voice was before, it was nothing compared to hearing him speak their native tongue.

“Unfortunately, yes. I would not go back there unless I had no other choice.” Tav’s hand was starting to shake slightly against his arm, but he placed his other hand over hers to steady it. His hands were lightly calloused but warm and comforting. She felt the blushing feeling returning to her face.

“It will be dangerous, but it can be done. And perhaps, we can see the light there again.” He whispered back. His voice was hopeful, but his face was a mask of pain.

We? Before she could respond, she heard Astarion clear his throat loudly.

“Care to include us in your little whispers, darlings?” He practically sang the words.

Tav quickly let go of Halsin but noticed his hand lingered on hers for just a fraction of a second longer.

“Don’t be jealous, love. There’s enough of me to go around.” She composed herself and flashed a teasing grin at him.

“Thank you, Halsin. At least we know where to go now.” Tav turned back to face him.

“Wait,” He called after her, “I could accompany you if you’ll have me. I’ve long sought to return to Moonrise.”

“Great!” Tav said a little too quickly. “We just have to find a way to sneak through this camp and we can get you back to the Emerald Grove. Could you shift into something small so we can sneak you out? Like a mouse or a bird?”

“I cannot do that.” Halsin said, his voice lower than before.

“So much for a powerful Archdruid.” Astarion murmured. Halsin pursed his lips.

“I cannot allow these butchers to continue to threaten the Grove. I have no right to ask it of you, but if you would lend me your aid in removing the goblins’ leadership, I would be free to join you on your journey.”

Tav considered his offer for a moment. They were a capable group of fighters, but there was an alarming number of goblins between them and the three leaders. Even with Halsin, she wasn’t sure if they could fight their way out. Then she thought back to the refugees, the tieflings sheltered in the Grove. Even if they could sneak past the entire camp, Zevlor and his kin would never be able to survive on the road. Halsin was right, they needed to take out the leaders.

“Having a shapeshifting bear-druid at my side might make things easier.” She smiled at him and held out her hand. “Welcome to the team.”

He smiled back at her and clasped her forearm, once again lingering just a little longer than she would have expected.

***

Halsin let go of Tav’s arm and took a moment to catch his breath. He had been in his bear form for days now, standing on two legs made him feel a little uneasy at the moment. The four strange adventurers in front of him had huddled close together, plotting their plan of attack on the goblin leaders.

His eyes wandered to Tav, who seemed to be their leader. A picture of elven beauty in his humble opinion. Her long white-blonde hair was tied back in a braid that was currently slung over one of her shoulders, several strands had worked their way out of the confines of the braid and swirled around her head. The long scar that ran over her nose and right cheek looked like it had been caused by a claw of some kind based on the shape of the edges. She had a rugged look to her, like she had been in the wilds long before she was abducted by mind flayers. But something was off. He listened as she strung together a plan with her companions, effortlessly doling out assignments and orders, commanding their attention despite their tired state. There was a noble air about her, but he hardly knew of any nobles who would prefer stomping around in the wilderness over the comforts of their estates.

Seeing her now, it was hard to believe their initial awkward encounter had happened. She seemed so confident and sure of herself talking with her companions. He wasn’t a stranger to others being caught off guard by his appearance. Given her own beauty he was surprised that she would have any trouble forming words of flattery. She seemed witty enough and happy to flirt back at the pale elf in her company. He would have assumed she had suitors lined up from here to Neverwinter, so why would he elicit such a flustered response from her? Regardless, he would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a slight pull in his chest looking at her. It had been quite some time since anyone looked at him with any kind of desire in their eyes. As for her awkward fumbling, he found it rather endearing. He pushed the thoughts away for now, he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted, not when he finally had a chance to correct so many of the mistakes from his past.

At some point while he was lost in his thoughts, Tav had summoned a large wolf to her side. The beast paced around her protectively, the smells in this wretched hideout were no doubt overwhelming to it. Halsin met its eyes, causing the wolf to freeze. He kept calm, careful not to startle it. Making a small lap around the others, it walked over to stand in front of him, still crouched in a protective stance.

“Lunari! Here girl!” Tav shouted.

Halsin carefully lowered his eyes, continuing to stand still. The wolf tentatively circled around him, sniffing around his legs. Seeming satisfied, she moved back over towards Tav and plopped down on her haunches in front of her, tail wagging slightly. Such a loyal creature, he thought to himself. Tav was absentmindedly scratching Lunari’s ears, causing her to lean against her legs and wag her tail faster. A friend of nature indeed.

Halsin thought back to Tav’s reaction to Moonrise. She had to know of the curse. When he looked into her eyes, he saw the same fear that had haunted his reflection for the last century. There were so few still alive who knew of that tragedy, let alone who had lived it. Now, it seemed that he may have found another who shared that burden.

“Okay, I think this gives us as good a chance as anything.” Tav’s voice rang through the room. “Anything to add?” Astarion’s hand shot up in the air, but Tav gave him a look that caused him to lower it again. She took a deep breath and motioned for them to head for the door. Halsin took the cue to wildshape back into his bear form. He padded up behind Tav, braced and ready to follow her into battle.

#Someone take this man away from me #i cannot be contained #bg3 #bg3 fanfiction #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #bg3 halsin #halsin x tav #halsin silverbough #bg3 headcanons #bg3 brainrot #bg3 fluff #the tadfools

[dumbfloweralive]

Mystery Hack

Chapter 4: Goodbye

Machine Connor x Reader.

Warning: Brief mention of suicide, guns.

It felt overwhelming.

Elijah had ran toward you, tugging you in his arm, his hold tight on you. You hated being hugged, most of the time. It felt like an overwhelming sensation. Usually, you would either move back or, occasionally, you would slip one of your arms around the person, patting their back while your body would step aside, away from their body, your free hand hanging at your side.

When his arms sneaked around you, for a second, your body acted as usual, your hand patting Elijah’s back, your body leaning away from his body. Like a reflex.

The second after, something snapped in your head, his smell and presence invading you. Your chest ached from what you felt was loss or, maybe, it was hope. A pain as the world stopped spinning around you. All the movement stopped, you could finally breathe.

The third second, your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to you.

And, Elijah broke the embrace. He knew you were not comfortable with physical touch, probably seeing his own action as selfish toward you.

You pulled him back.

“I thought…” He started a grin on his face.

“Shut up.” you cut him short, your head falling on his shoulder, fighting the tears threatening to fall.

26 December 2035

The party was tiring, the crowd, the people, all of them made you sick. Elijah had stayed at your side, like a protector, but at some point the two of you got split. He was nowhere to be found and after two hours of speaking with a stranger who didn’t understand a thing about your job, doing small talk and who were more certain than you Elijah and you were dating, you felt exhausted. 

Therefore, you did the most mature thing you could do.

You ran away. 

It was 11 pm when you entered the lab, Elijah and you had in common at the Cyberlife tower. Your happy place. With a loud sight, you fell on your chair, closing your eyes.

“Good evening miss L/N” The voice came out of nowhere, making you jump out of fear.

You turned your head, following the sound of the voice, only to find Connor on his base, smiling at you.

“Jesus fuck. You scared the shit out of me, Connor.”

“Oh, I am sorry.” 

Your head turned back toward him, your eyes frowning. Something was wrong.

“What’s wrong with you? What did Elijah do to you?” You say, running to the android.

His cheeks were all blue, so was his forehead. The back of your hands fell on his cheeks softly, feeling the warmth of his body. Android couldn’t be warm. Connor was overheating.

“How the fuck does an android end up with a fever.” you whispered more to yourself, trying to find something to lower his temperature.

“Probably a mistake in my program. I am sorry.” He whispered as you dropped a cold blanket around him.

“Do not apologize, this is not your mistake.” You answered, heading toward Elijah’s computer.

It took an entire hour to find the mistake. At this point, Elijah had joined you in the lab, the two of you talking about the way he could improve the android just like the council asked. 

“I need your help.” He finally said.

“You know I can’t help you. Pretty sure the council doesn’t want anything to do with me.” You sight.

“I don’t care. This is still our firm. We are still CEO. You can do anything you want. I’ll back you up.”

He was sincere. Since the beginning, the two of you together had done the best android ever made. Markus had to be your greatest success. But you knew you could get more. And, to you, the best was an android self-aware of himself, able to think and act on his own.

“You know my point of view of the improvement we could make.” You said, wanting to be sure. “I won’t mind being the bad guy in the end if I get the results I want. Someone has to fulfil this job. We can do so much more than just androids. We could have perfection. A new form of intelligence.”

“Than go ahead. It’s all yours.” Elijah said, leaning at your side, his hand extending toward Connor. “Show them what you can do. I trust you.”

Your head turned to Connor, meeting his sweet brown eyes, who didn’t leave yours the whole time. He offered you a soft smile, the blue of his cheek had now disappeared.

“OK, I’ll do it.”

30 May 2039 00:10

The thought was unbearable.

When you thought about this reunion week before, you expected Elijah and you to be like strangers. How could it be otherwise? The two of you haven’t seen each other for the past three years. 

It would have been even easier to leave.

But no.

It was the opposite. As if it were the most natural thing, the two of you were actually speaking like nothing happened. Like the two of you had just seen each other the day before. Like the fight you had the day you left never happened.

He had made you a coffee, no sugar, even if it was past midnight. Old habit never changes.

Therefore, the thought of leaving cracked open your ribs, tearing your organs apart. After three years, you finally felt like breathing, getting part of your old life. But you would have to throw it away again.

How could it be bearable?

Your mission would make it bearable, you thought. You tried to convince yourself. 

In your hands remained all the cards capable of offering freedom to androids. To change popular opinion and ask for their support. All the cards that will bend the government to your demands.

If you failed, you would fail them all.

But you weren’t able to just change around Elijah, to act like, after all these years, he was nothing to you, no one. You had done it numerous times, pushing people away. 

Yet, this time, every time you acted neutral, cold, your heart broke in your chest, making you shift behaviour. He looked so happy by your only presence, you didn’t want to rip that memory from your mind.

Why this had to end?

“You look older.” He said, watching your long hair before tugging one strand behind your ear.

“Well, so do you. Nice shave, by the way. Look cleaner than your prolonged teenage years.” You said, teasing.

He laughed, then, a silence fell after that, your finger toying with the aim of the cup. You could feel his eyes on you, feel the thousands of questions he wanted to ask. And you wondered why he was so quiet. It wasn’t him. 

You knew him too well, even more than he knew himself.

He always liked to brag around about what he did, talking about his discoveries, new film, new everything, really about anything. Elijah’s mind felt uncomfortable in silence, you knew that, genuine thought running in his head like a processor. Same way, he hated being lonely. Which was pretty strange given the fact he was living in a gigantic house, away from any being on earth.

 Genius brain.

So, him being this quiet felt odd.

They were two geniuses mind in the same room and suddenly, none of them were able to talk, until.

“So, you are behind RA9? Aren’t you?” He asked, his eyes searching for yours.

“You’ve seen that show on the TV too?” You asked, a smile on your face. He nodded no with his head, and your eyes frowned.

“Connor came to me a few months ago, asking questions about RA9. I didn’t code it, you were the only one with access to all the code. My assumptions were true if what they said in this TV show is true.”

“It is true.” 

“What was the agreement with the council? I want the real reason you left. No lies.” 

Finally, your eyes found his. They looked tired, you thought to yourself now that you took time to study it. He looked tired in general.

“They wouldn’t deactivate Connor as long as i leave Cyberlife for good and… If i cut any string attach.” You said, your eyes falling back to the coffee in your hands as your voice had lowered at the end of your sentence.

When Cyberlife’s council explicitly told to leave and to cut any contact, you knew what they implied. Though your little Vendetta against them had already been planned in your head, you didn’t want Elijah to be associated with this. 

Didn’t want to ruin his life.

“So, ruining our friendship was the best way for you to leave?” He asked, his calm tone betraying anger in it.

“No” you started, crossing your legs in front of you. “Ruining our friendship was the best way to have you out of my plan and out of my way.” you said, your voice turning cold. 

He kept his gaze hold on you for a while, studying your reaction. Perhaps you might have forgotten he knew you, too, better than you knew yourself.

“You’re lying.”  He simply said.

“Yes.”

“How bad it is for you to hide it behind such a lie?” 

You took a second sip of your coffee, thinking of the best way to approach the talk. He knew when you would lie. 

“I did it because i wanted to protect you.” You found the strength to look back at him yet again. “I needed to protect you in many ways and for different reason i can’t talk about but just…” You paused, arch breath coming out of your chest. “I just genuinely care about you.” He knew, drawing such words out of you was difficult. 

He didn’t say anything at first. Probably out of fear you would stop talking, stop opening up if he talked now. Therefore, he kept looking at you, seeing you fighting with yourself. His hand raised forward and landed on yours, still holding the cup of coffee.

How could he be angry at you?

“You can talk to me.” He whispered when the silence lasted.

“I know. I just can’t tell you this. Because then, you’ll be in danger.” Your eyes fell on his. “ I can’t lose you.”

“Because you think i can lose you?” He whispered, leaning forward. “I’ve spent the last three years being miserable because you weren’t around. I opened up to you, years ago, i said i needed you in my life. How the hell do you think that would have changed years after that?” You expected him to be angry, but he kept whispering, protecting you from the screams. “I still need you in my life.” He confessed.

“Don’t you think i’ve been miserable?” You shook your head. “I spend every day of the last three years wondering if all i was doing was worth breaking our friendship. I still need you in my life, but it can’t be the only variable in the program. Not after what happened with the deviant last fall.” You paused, holding his piercing blue eyes. Elijah took his hand away from yours, moving to your face.

His eyes frowned as he swiped a tear that had found is way out.

“You don’t look old. You look tired.” He started, his eyes falling outside the window. “You felt that too?” He asked.

“All i ever wanted for this revolution was for them to win, and they didn’t, they slaughtered them Elijah, like they were nothing. And it was all my fault. If i had been there, i could’ve stop it.” 

“It’s not your fault. No one could’ve stopped it. Not even us.” He comforted you.

 It pained him as much to see the android loose. Especially after seeing Connor that day, knowing he felt empathy, as he never shot Chloe.

“They break my heart.” You paused. “When they died, i felt like a part of me died with them.”

“Me too.” He said, his eyes searching for Chloe, before returning to you. “You're back on an anti-depressant, aren’t you?”

You rolled your eyes, the words “no” ready to slip out of your tongue. But you knew better than lying to him. You didn’t answer, which it gave him the answer he wanted. The two of you, constantly worrying about each other. Elijah could feel how vulnerable you were at the moment. He always feared for your potential action. After all, he never forgot your suicidal attempt. 

It was unbearable. The thought of leaving him again. The idea of losing the only real friend you had. But you had no choice. A surge of hope lightened in you, hoping that, perhaps, if God was kind, he will let the two of you met again.

“Come on. Let’s play a game. Anything.” He said, raising from the couch. 

“Get that chessboard so i can beat your ass.” You said, observing around you. His place hadn’t changed. What would he think of yours? Your new place. You wondered.

“I improved myself, i doubt you could beat me.”

“Well see.”

For the next hour, you two played together, the party lasting longer because, yes, he did in fact improved, which he didn’t miss an opportunity to brag about. But you had always been two-step ahead of him.

That’s why you knew he had called the cops. You knew him, enough to know he would rather see you alive and arrested than dead. It was his worst fear.

“You know, i’ll always win.” You started, watching at the watch on your wrist. You would have to leave soon. “I am about to take your king in like… 3 moves.” Your heart tightened in your chest. “So? Do you withdraw?” You asked, raising from your seat, your coat on you.

“What are you doing?” He said, his eyes frowning at your move.

“I am about to win the party, i always have two-step ahead of you at least. Therefore, i need to escape before the cops arrived.” Elijah raised from his seat.

“Y/N i…” He started.

“It’s okay, i understand, really.” You said, moving closer to him. A small smile formed on your lips, wanting to be reassuring, as your hands moved to cup his face. “Elijah, i need you to promise me something.” You started.

“No. Don’t you dare. You promised.” He said, composing himself.

“I know. I just need to know that, whatever happen next, you’ll be happy. You’ll keep on living. Can you do that?” You asked, seeing the red and blue light coming in the hallway.

“You promised me.” He said, his hand falling over yours, stopping you from moving away.

“I know. But i need to finish something important. Promised me Elijah. Whatever happen, don’t be angry, don’t be sad for too long. One day, you’ll be happy.” Your hands slipped from his face, as you moved away, your hands grasping one last time at his hands. “Promised me Elijah.” You started hearing the sound of the siren.

His eyes fell on the ground, breaking the physical contact you had. “I promised.” He whispered. “The back door is open.” He continued.

“Thank you.” you said before turning away, running toward the exit.

“Y/n…” He called as you turned away one last time. “Whatever you have plans, you won’t be able to fulfil it. Connor is after you. The moment you’ll see him injured, on the verge of getting destroyed or shut down, you’ll run to his side to save him. You love him so much, even if he was on the verge of killing you, you wouldn’t press the trigger to stop him.”

“I know.” 

And you were gone.

Running toward the forest as fast as you could. Everything was working as you plan. The interrogation, pissing off Connor to a point he felt anger, escaping, bonus point for meeting and seeing Elijah one last time and, escaping again. 

This, was the last line before the end.

One last line before you’ll disappear forever.

And, as you ran toward the bridge, you thought you were ahead of the FBI agent, not hearing anything around you.

That was until something hard hit you from the side, projecting you on the ground.

“Fuck” You shoot, your body aching from the fall. 

You looked around, finding Connor next to you, lying on the ground. He surely fell with you too. It didn’t seem like he expected the damage the fall would cause him. Connor was barely moving. Your eyes found something between you. A gun. You throw yourself on the weapon, taking it in your hands as Connor finally moved to stop you.

But it was too late.

The gun was in your hand, aiming at him. His hands raised, unthreatening. Connor didn’t move, assessing the best option he had, all of them leading him to the next conclusion. You’d shot him before he even reached you. Useless for the case.

Only, he didn’t expect you to be… You.

Despite the strong grip you had on the gun, you couldn’t press the trigger. You wouldn’t hurt him. Elijah was right. 

Damn you Kamski, you swore in your head, trying to find something, anything. Connor looked almost scared when you step forward. Your hand holding the gun fell at your side as you walked toward him.

“I never would.” You said, before running away again, the gun still in your hand, hoping to get to the bridge in time.

And you did. You stopped in the middle of it when you saw the FBI cars and the agent coming down of them. In a second, they were circling you, forcing you to back up against the guardrail. You stopped on it.

“Stop this, we need her alive.” Connor's voice pierced through the crowd as he ran toward you, pushing away any agent in his way.

Then, his eyes fell on you, standing over the edge. His LED flickered a soft yellow amber, processing information. Connor moved to you slowly, his hand raised to you, offering his hold.

“Come on, get down, we just need you to deal with the RA9 code, if you succeed, i am sure the judge will be more inclined to your fate.” Connor started.

“Wow, you’re such a smart ass, like i cared about time in jail.” 

Of course, that’s not what you cared for. Connor knew it. He needed to understand you further, he needed to think out of boxes. He felt like his heart missed a beat when he saw you moving further away from him, ready to fall, the feeling of deja-vu playing in his mind again. 

That scared him, you on the verge of falling scarred him. You couldn’t want to kill yourself, right? And then, it clicked in his mind.

“I understand. You created all of them, all of us. They are the work of your life, you want them to be free.” He started.

“Finally, you’re using that brain.” 

“You need to understand, it can’t happen, machine can’t have emotion. You should know that, you are their creator.” He continued, his hand still raised toward you. You were tempting to just take it. “I understand you do not wish for them to be destroyed. Perhaps we can figure things out, together.” His fingers brushed against yours, his synthetic skin retracting once again, showing the white chassis underneath. “Please, get down. We won’t hurt you.”

His voice was southing you, you were almost ready to gave in. It was so tempting, but you know, when speaking of Connor, you had always let your guards down. His fingers brushed your palms slowly, inviting you down, his chassis showing further, following your touch.

“Please.” He said, like a soft plea.

You crossed his eyes. He was scared and worried. It wasn’t the first time he’d looked at you this way. But then, movement caught you off guard, one of the FBI agent moving forward, raising his gun. Connor immediately saw the changed in you. Without ever breaking contact with you, his arm raised  to the agent.

“Stop this. She won’t cooperate if she feels threatened. We need her alive.” He said, his finger grasping at your palm.

“Too bad then.” You felt his entire body tensed the second the words left your lips.

But it was too late. Connor felt your hand slipping out of his hold as you fell, he throws his body forward hitting the guard-rail, his hand extended as possible, trying to catch your hand but all he saw was your body falling in the void before hitting the water. He stood there, hand hanging in the void, his body against the solid cold metal, staring at the water. 

What has he done?

He felt a strong pain inside him, clawing at his chest in a desperate attempts to ease it, as the diagnosis showed no sign of problem. Yet, the pain continued crawling up in his body, never stopping. He couldn’t feel pain, he tried to convince himself.

He didn’t know how long he stayed like this, looking at the place your body hit the water. Connor only found back his senses when the agent who threatened you, stood at his side, started saying:

“Be ready to look for a dead body in the morning. Let’s get home.”

“We needed her alive” Connor said, feeling his blue blood running wild in his biocomponent. Was that anger?

“She jumped, not our fault.”

Then, something snapped in him. He felt his body tensing up as he throws himself at the agent, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket, bringing his body over the water. If he let go, there would be more than one death tonight.

“The fuck are you doing, stupid android, put me down.” The agent said, desperately grabbing the edge of the guardrail.

“She jumped because you fucking threatened her, She felt unsafe. Y/N did it because she didn’t see any other choice.” 

All he wanted was to push the man over the bridge, ending his life for being so wreckless, for hurting you. For causing your death. A “software instabilities” showed up in his vision. And he let go of the man, bringing him back to safety on the ground.

For a few seconds, he kept staring down at where your body hit the water, this feeling still present in his chest. He wanted to collapse on the ground. 

Instead, he walked back to the car, joining back agent Wilson as they returned to Elijah’s house. Connor looked at the time in the car, his chest heavy when he said.

“Time of death: 2 AM 42, May 30”

30 May 2039 2 AM 59

They just parked in Kamski’s alley when the silence in the car broke.

“I’ll talk to him.” Wilson started, heading out of the car, but Connor stopped him.

“No, i’ll do it.” He said, moving toward the door.

He knocked a first time, getting an immediate answer, Chloe opening the door. She looked different from usual, leading Connor immediately to Elijah, without words to invite him or form of politeness. She passed the door leading to the pool where he first met Kamski. This one was standing in front of the window, looking at the black night.

“Mr Kamski.” Connor started, getting an immediate answer from the man who turned around. Connor didn’t know how to phrase the truth. He knew he should be clear in his words, yet somehow, the words were stuck in his vocal cords, the picture of your fall playing in his mind again. Therefore, he chooses simple. “I am sorry, Y/N jumped from the bridge, we weren’t able to prevent her act.”

He didn’t even any idea about why he felt that way. You were his mission. He had to stop you, and he did. Yet, somehow, it felt wrong.

“No.” Elijah said, sitting on the couch, the truth of your presence sitting right in front of him on the table. “No you’re wrong.” Chloe run away. Connor saw her leaving the room. He didn’t chase her. “Y/N can’t be dead, she… She was here an hour ago.” 

“She jumped from the bridge 20 minutes ago.” Wilson stated, standing right behind Connor. “I am sorry for your loss, Mr Kamski.”

A tear fall runned on Elijah cheek, processing the words he just heard. He felt his world crumbling under his feet, getting swallowed all. Connor was speaking, but he couldn’t comprehend a thing he said. So, Connor stopped, waiting. Elijah brought his hand to his chest, just like Connor did minutes before. The pain, so much pain.

“A team will be looking for her body in the morning. You’ll be able to say goodbye.” Winston said, knowing well the man didn’t want any goodbye. Grief. “I know that’s not what you want, but it will be the best we can do.”

“She’s dead now. And it’s your fault.” Kamski said, eyeing Connor. “She trusted you, and you killed her.” 

“I didn’t… I tried to catch her.” 

“You liar. Get out of my house.” 

Connor was about to talk again, but he felt Wilson’s hand on his shoulder, seeing a little nod from him. 

“You loved her.” Wilson said. 

Elijah eyes shifter, his brow frowning. “Of course i loved her, she was my best friend, the only person who understand me. She was everything to me,” he kept himself from saying more, feeling the crack in his voice. 

“If you loved her, why did you turn her to the cops?” Connor asked.

Elijah didn’t answer, his eyes lost on Connor’s. He felt the anger building inside of him, but he recognised something else. He wasn’t the only one angry here. Connor was too. Which meant, not everything was lost. It gave him a hint of hope.

“I don’t expect an android to understand the deepness of human friendship.” Elijah started, his finger brushing tears falling. “Get out, we are done here, i have nothing to say.” He said, showing them the front door.

They did, turning around, none of them noticed Elijah’s phone buzzing, nor the way he froze in front of the screen.

30 May 2039, 5 AM

Connor was standing still in front of the house, unaware as if he should ring at such a late hour. He didn’t even know why he was here in the first place. Maybe your suicide had shaken him up more than he expected. He didn’t know.

His fist raised to the wooden door, knocking a first time and a second time. 

Why would he want to see him after all? After what happened?

“Lieutenant Anderson?”

Connor prevented Lieutenant Anderson from his suicide attempt that famous night. Now only, Connor realised Hank might have waited longer but did end up killing himself. But, he found no death record.

He pushed the door open, finding it unlock. The house was empty. No traces of human living here, no traces of Sumo. Hank didn’t live here any more. Connor sat on the floor of the house, waiting a few minutes before he finally retrieved the force of moving, closing the door behind him, heading toward the Cyberlife tower, a huge weight on his shoulder.

30 May 2039, 9 AM

“The ex co-CEO of the Cyberlife company, known as Y/N L/N recently revealed to the public had been reported dead after a suicide, following a track by FBI agent. The police are actively searching for her body after she jumped off the bridge. We will give you news as soon as we know more.” The TV shut down.

“I am officially dead.” You stated, turning toward your team. “Now, the real game start.” Markus was standing next to you, handing you the Vendetta mask. 

“Let’s win this war.” He said, a smile on his face.

30 May 2039, 1 am 52

You rushed out of the water, freezing, your entire body aching from the fall. It had worked. Everything worked out perfectly. Joel was running toward you with a blanket, urging you out of the water.

“We need to leave, now.” He said, pressing your footsteps.

“Yeah, i know, but my body ached right now.”

“I guessed that.” 

He helped you climb on the black van, as North started the car, looking at you over your shoulder.

“Are you in any pain?” She asked.

“Don’t worry, i’ll be fine, let’s go.” You rushed, using the blanket to warm yourself up. “We’ll have a clear vision in the morning. We need to be at the tower as soon as possible.”

“We’ll be there, don’t worry.” North tried to comfort you.

“Yeah, i know, sorry.” You tape Joel shoulder. “Give me your phone.” 

30 May 2039 2 am 15 Kamski’s house.

Elijah heard the vibration of his phone on the table, seeing Connor and Wilson leaving. With anger, he took it, ready to throw it against the window before the text took him off guard.

It was from an unknown number.

“I’ll always be two-step ahead of you.

                                  With love. “

A smile crossed his face through the tears running down his cheeks as he fell on the ground.

“Damn you” He whispered.

Thank you for your patience while waiting for this, thank you for still showing interested when i lost interest. Thank you all. I'll post the next part as soon as possible 🫶

#connor dbh x reader #connor rk800 #connor x you #dbh connor #connor x reader #connor rk800 x y/n #connor rk800 x reader

[iamcautiouslyoptimistic]

Call of Duty Werewolves🐺 - Part 2!

{Author's Note} Since y'all loved the first part so much, here's a second for you to enjoy! I've included more lore and some cute werewolf snippets for each of the characters I mentioned in the first post so hopefully I managed to write them all accurately. I'll probably do a fic for one of them at some point so let me know who you'd like to see! Thank you for all the love and please feel free to write/ask for more headcanons for this AU! I'm having so much fun with it❤️ Happy Halloween! 🎃🧟‍♂️👻 >Call of Duty Werewolf AU -> Part 1 >Shadow Company Snippet by @http-paprika -> SC Werewolf AU (she's also writing her own werewolf AU fic so go give it some love👀)

~ ~ ~

>Werewolves have fangs in both forms. The human canines are replaced by longer, sharper teeth when natural werewolves lose their baby teeth. In bitten werewolves, the human canines are pushed out within their first month of being turned. While in human form, only the sharper tips are visible, resulting in fanged smiles (just imagine your favorite boy flashing you a fanged grin👀). When transforming, the teeth extend from the gums as the muzzle forms.

>Werewolf hair and nails grow faster and are usually thicker, requiring more frequent trimming, especially after a transformation.

>Werewolves heal faster than their human counterparts. Cuts heal in a few minutes, broken bones take days rather than weeks. Most tissues can be fully regenerated, except for entire limbs. The canine teeth will always be replaced if lost.

>Bones and muscles are thicker and heavier than those of humans, resulting in increased strength and stamina.

>Werewolves digest meat more easily than humans and prefer carnivorous diets. It's healthier for them to consume more meat on a regular basis.

>Werewolf senses are far more acute than humans'. They have great night vision and colors are more vivid to them, as if the saturation has been increased. Their enhanced hearing, however, can be problematic and a werewolf will often have to learn how to tune out certain sounds so they're not completely overwhelmed. Scent is also important to them as it denotes health, emotional state, and belonging. Familiar smells offer comfort, whether they belong to people, places, or things.

>While transformed, werewolves can't really speak. The fangs and muzzle tend to prevent intelligible human speech. On the other hand, their unique vocal cords allow for animalistic grunts and growls, even in human form.

>Transformations will always be painful for both werewolf types. With practice, the process can become smoother and faster but it will always have a pinch, especially as the face changes. Heightened emotions can trigger the beginnings of the change, though it takes a conscious effort to completely transform, unless a werewolf is suffering from moon blindness. Bitten werewolves tend to be more reactive but transform more slowly as it takes longer for their bodies to get used to the shift in comparison to natural werewolves, who are specially built for it from birth.

>A werewolf's transformed state is so dependent on their human traits that they don't always look very wolfish. Some can look like coyotes, foxes, or even bears because of differing body types, features, and hair colors.

>Poisonous to humans, wolfsbane also has an adverse effect on werewolves. It clouds their senses and prevents them from transforming but it won't kill them. It's often used to control a werewolf and keep them in line. However, it can also be mixed into a poultice to treat wounds caused by silver.

>Silver causes mild allergic reactions in werewolves. It only becomes fatal when enough of it pierces the skin and enters the bloodstream, which is why hunters lace their weapons and bullets with silver. Despite this, many werewolves still revere the metal for its association with the Moon.

🌙 🐺 🌙

💲Price is the fluffiest. His iconic beard remains when he's transformed, making him easily recognizable, though he has been mistaken for a bear in the past. If you laugh at that fact, he'll simply huff in feigned annoyance and lay on top of you to prevent you from escaping. Being a natural werewolf, not only does he have more hair but Price's transformations are about as easy as they can be so he'll often use his time with you to relax and catch up on sleep. He sleeps the most soundly when you're cuddled into his chest or back, your face pressed to his fluffy mane. He loves hearing about how much you love his fluff and secretly takes pride in it.

💀Ghost is the biggest. As a 6'4 mountain of a man, he's even larger when transformed. It'll take some getting used to, especially when he transforms in your living space. If you try to make the area more comfortable for him, he'll be especially grateful for your effort. More than anything, he'll just want to be close and feel your touch. His body aches after he transforms and he's more easily overwhelmed so the gentleness of your hands helps him settle into this second shape. No matter how many times you've seen him transformed, he'll always feel some degree of shame around you so make sure he knows just how adored he is.

🧼Soap is the most playful. His transformations tend to energize him rather than exhaust him so expect him to be bouncing off the walls for a bit. If you match his energy level, he'll never let you go. He'll want to chase you and wrestle around but he's hyper-aware of his own strength so any change in your attitude will make him settle down. Once he's burned through that extra energy, he'll just want to listen to you ramble about anything that comes to mind, even if he can't really respond.

🧢Gaz is the sweetest. In the field, he’s known for his level-headedness and clever quips. When he gets home, he’s nothing but a big softie with you. His favorite place to be is in your lap, his wolfish head snuggled against your stomach as you card your fingers through his hair. To know that you accept and love this side of him warms his heart and he'll let you know just how happy it makes him with plenty of cuddles and kisses. He absolutely loves hearing you giggle and does just about anything he can to get that reaction from you.

🦿Alex is the most sensitive. All werewolves tend to be very in-tune with their surroundings, especially in the military, but Alex is even more so. His job as a secret agent of sorts has honed his ability to pick up on the tiniest changes in his environment and, when it comes to you, he's even more aware of your reactions. A slight change in your scent or heartbeat will immediately have him hurrying to your side to check in. More often than not, he can tell if he's actually needed but you're always grateful for his attentiveness and respond with a reassuring hand to his head or chest so he knows you're alright. When you're not, prepare for some inescapable werewolf cuddles.

🪦Graves is the most stubborn. As the Commander of Shadow Company, one of the most notorious groups of werewolves around, he's used to getting his way. When it comes to you, however, he tends to give in far more easily, especially so when he's transformed. A simple scratch around his ears or under his chin will make him melt in seconds and he'll never be able to resist when you run your fingers through the sandy blond hair covering his neck. The usually snarling and snapping werewolf commander will want nothing more than to hold you close, peppering your skin with gentle kisses and warm huffs of breath. Just don't let his Shadows know or he’ll withhold his cuddles.

🐺 🌙 🐺

*BONUS: Werewolf features! Thought it'd be fun to do short descriptions of how I imagine the boys! This includes height, eye color, and hair color for each of them. Pretty straightforward lol

💲Price - 6'2" -> 7'2" ; blue eyes ; brown hair w/ strands of gray

💀Ghost - 6'4" -> 7'4" ; brown -> yellow-amber eyes ; dirty blond/brown hair

🧼Soap - 5'10" -> 6'10" ; blue eyes ; dark brown hair

🧢Gaz - 5'11" -> 6'11" ; dark brown -> orange eyes ; black hair

🦿Alex - 6' -> 7' ; blue -> silvery-gray eyes ; light brown hair

🪦Graves - 6' -> 7' ; blue eyes ; sandy blond hair

#captain john price #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #kyle gaz garrick #alex keller #phillip graves #call of duty #cod #call of duty x reader #cod x reader #call of duty au #cod au #werewolf au #werewolf #werewolves #lycanthropy #Ren's writing #mine mine mine

[dickgraysonwayne]

Eighty Four

Ao3

Summary: Dick has 84 years of memories in his head. Except he doesn’t

@dickgraysonweek 2024, Day 7: A Celebration of 84 Years

It all happens very suddenly.

One moment, Dick is turning in for the night.

He’s just come back from a long patrol, and the worst of Blüdhaven had been particularly brutal today. He loves this city, but it has its moments where it just about grinds him down into dust. Today is one of those days, and all he wants to do is sleep.

Too exhausted to do more than peel off his uniform, he staggers to the bathroom to splash some water down his face to get the smell of the bowels of the city off of him.

The next moment, his head explodes: all colors, shapes, and sounds. The sounds overwhelm him: voices screaming, speaking, chattering , one after another, layering on top into an unstable cacophony with seemingly no end. At first, Dick is certain he’s been shot in the head. His hand desperately roams around his scalp, his forehead, his face, trying to find the source and plug the wound, anything to make it stop.

But he finds nothing, and he searches and searches and searches til his arms are tired but there’s no hole and no blood and the voices in his head won’t stop talking (shut up shut up shut up).

Finally he can’t do it anymore and just gives in, curled up on the tiles and rocking against the pain and waits and waits and waits and waits

-

Hours (Days? Weeks? Months?) later, Dick can move.

The voices in his head don’t stop, not really. Instead, they settle there, filling out all the nooks and crannies, whisper and yell and scream until the noise is just noise and Dick is able to come back to himself, slowly but surely.

He quietly tests movement, twitches his fingers and his toes. When they move normally, he carefully levers himself up into a seating position, leaning against the bathroom wall. His head thunks on the cold drywall, and he breathes out once, twice, three times.

He can’t think (it would just be another voice inside his head, and there’re too many, too many) but he can move, and waits for a bit more function to return. You got it chum, Dick whispers to himself, pulling on the thread of an old, comforting memory. You got it. You got it. He feels something inside him react in confusion in response.

He waits some more, rubbing feeling back into his arms, wrists, fingers, trying to center himself in the physical world, trying to find his voice again.

Eventually, he can weakly maneuver his arms and, with great effort, push himself up to his feet. The voices don’t get better, but they don’t get worse either. That’s all he can hope for at this point.

Okay. Okay okay okay. Move.

He takes a step, and everything explodes again. Everything goes dark before he hits the the floor.

-

He wakes up outside the manor.

The first thing he notices is that his headache is much more muted now. The noise is still there, but muffled, moved to the sidelines in his forehead.

The second thing he notices is that the manor looks…different.

There’s small details here and there that look altered, just similar enough that it’s clearly the manor but different enough that it’s triggering the space of uncanny valley in his brain.

He stumbles towards the manor, mind whirling. How did I get here? He thinks. Why does it look so different?

Paranoid, he makes his way over to a window instead of the front door. Cupping his hands, he leans over and peers directly inside only to see…

Himself?

He blinks, and he’s back in his apartment bathroom, cheek pressed onto the tiles. The headache is back, exploding in his head so suddenly he almost throws up.

He breathes through it, then prays.

-

At some point, he can move again.

He moves slowly, half-crawling out of the bathroom, trying to remember where he left his phone. Help. Is all he can think. I need help.

He moves until he reaches his bed, shakily lifting himself on it and grabbing at the phone on the bedspread. He makes to unlock it, wincing at the light, then pauses.

911 would be a logical choice. However—

His…disappearing act, or whatever had just happened to him? That hadn’t sounded medical. It hadn’t felt medical. This had to have been something else.

And so…

Hoping he doesn’t regret this, he scrolls through his contacts, takes another breath through the pushing headache, then calls Bruce.

-

Yeah. It’s a mistake.

“I’m telling you,” Dick hisses through his teeth as Bruce takes a sharp turn in his car. “I don’t think it’s medical. I’ve been having—”

“We’re going to get you medical assistance,” Bruce interrupts, like Dick hadn’t been speaking at all. “Then, if it doesn’t work…”

“It won’t,” Dick says. His thoughts are so loud. “It’s magic. I feel it.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Bruce says. He takes another sharp turn. “Don’t worry. I have it handled.”

“It’s not medical…” Dick says again. “It’s not—”

He draws in a quick breath. Something flashes in front of his eyes: shattered images, shadowy figures, memories. Childhood memories rush into his mind: moments from his time as Robin, form the teams he was part of during his youth. There’s Wally and Artemis and Kaldur and—

He frowns. That doesn’t sound right. He’s never…he’s never…

“Hey!” Bruce says, voice joining the shouting in his head. “Pay attention! We‘be almost reached the League. Stay awake!”

-

The voices get too loud to ignore very quickly.

He starts losing vision too, he thinks: quick flashes of things, of people, of conversations, start running through his brain at a constant pace. He doesn’t really know if what he’s seeing is what’s in front of him or not.

Eventually, he just starts asking.

“Bruce?” He wheezes out. “Where’s Duke?”

There’s a brief silence.

“Docto…”

“I’m calling Zatanna. This is outside of my capability.”

“Duke?” Dick asks, holding onto the name for dear life. “Where is he?”

He feels a hand grab his forearm. “Who’s that?” He hears.

“I’m giving him something,” He hears, and something pricks at his arm.

Dick says “what-” before the images and sounds come back and he can’t see anything and everything’s so much so much so much—

-

“It’s not magic,” Zatanna says.

Dick steadfastly refuses to look at Bruce. “What is it, then?” He asks. He scratches at his hospital gown. “They said it wasn’t medical—”

“Well,” Zatanna says. “It’s not not magic either. It’s just…it’s just not the magic I’m familiar with. This is…” She pauses, tapping her finger on the solid Justice League medical wing bed. “I don’t know where it’s coming from, or how it got to you. But I know what it’s doing.”

Dick winces. The voices pound at his head relentlessly. “What is it?” He asks. “What’s wrong with me?”

He sees Zatanna make nervous eye contact with Bruce. “It’s the same magical signature. How could you tell?”

“I couldn’t,” Bruce says, sounding defeated. “But from what he was saying…I had to check. I didn’t want to be right.”

“What is it?” Dick repeats, looking between them.

“Crisis,” Zatanna says simply, voice heavy.

Bruce actually freezes. He closes his eyes. “Shit,” He says.

That, make than anything else, scares Dick. “What is that?” He demands. “What does that mean?”

“We have to tell him—” Zatanna begins, but Bruce interrupts her.

“No we don’t,” He says staunchly.

“Then why did you call me if you didn’t want to…” Zatanna argues, and Dick has had enough.

“You put it out there,” He says. “So. Tell me. What’s Crisis and what does that have to do with,” And he gestures at his head. “This?”

Zatanna hesitates. She looks back at Bruce.

Bruce stares back at her, glaring.

“Forget him,” Dick says. “Tell me. Please.”

Zatanna sighs. “Well,” She begins. Bruce makes a gruff noise of disapproval. “It’s…well. It’s a long story. But to summarize: there’s been a few…events, in recent years. Multiverse events.”

Dick’s eyes widen. “Multiverse? Like…like mirror universe multiverses?”

“Yes, and no,” Zatanna says. “The details aren’t important. But. These events sent huge shockwaves over multiple worlds across the multiverse. I got caught up in the stream of events through…some sort of magical feedback. Because of that, Bruce knows too. And the Justice League. But other than that…our Earth was one of the ones that wasn’t caught in the crossfire, so we kept the information secret. Until…until now, I suppose.”

Dick’s head spins. “You’re telling me,” He says. “You guys had access to the multiverse for years? And you didn’t tell anyone?”

The voices in his head shout louder.

“We didn’t want to cause panic,” Zatanna says. Bruce shakes his head. “Since we would likely not be affected…”

Dick turns to Bruce. “Why didn’t you tell us?” He asks. “This seems like a big deal!”

“You didn’t need to know,” Bruce says shortly. “And honestly? Why would you want to. It’s difficult information to deal with.”

Dick can’t help but laugh. “What the fuck,” He says.

“Anyway,” Zatanna says. “I recognize the signature of multiverse connections. And…it’s all over you right now. You’re being suffused by the connection to not just one other earth, but multiple. You’re experiencing memories from multiple multiverses all at the same time.”

Dick places a hand on his forehead. “You’re telling me,” He repeats. “Everything I’m hearing here…it’s real people? Real thoughts, and they’re speaking to me?”

“Not speaking to you,” Zatanna says. “Just…connecting to you. They don’t know you’re there. It’s more like you’ve tuned in to a bunch of radio stations at the same time. And, well. It’s not ‘people’. They’re all…they’re all you.”

“Me?” Dick repeats.

“I didn’t know this part,” Bruce says, eyes narrowing.

Zatanna shrugs. “That’s what’s happening,” She says. “You’ve become…a focal point, I suppose. Of all your multiverse equivalents. They’re projecting onto you, and I don’t know why or how. You’re probably seeing their memories, or thoughts. But yes, they’re all versions of you.”

Dick feels dizzy. “So what I’m seeing…the memories that don’t make sense?”

“Are not yours,” Zatanna says. She looks grim. “Not this Earth’s version of yours, anyway. Earth-84, by the way. In case you were wondering.”

“What can we do?” Bruce says. “How do we fix this?”

Zatanna twists her mouth. “I’m not sure,” She says. “Yet, at least. I can call up Doctor Fate. Maybe Constantine? We’ll try to come up with a way to cut the connection without harming anybody.”

“I thought you wanted help?” Bruce says, sounding disgusted.

“You have got to get over the Constantine thing,” Zatanna starts, before Dick interrupts.

“What do I do, then?” Dick asks. He feels…numb. Empty. But also, much too full. “Do I just…do I deal with it?”

“You’ll have to,” Zatanna says, sympathetic. “We can’t risk anything that might make this worse. Try to deal with it for now. I’ll get back to you as soon as we have a solution.”

Dick looks to Bruce, who still looks displeased. “We’ll deal with it,” He says.

Dick just sits there. The voices keep shouting.

-

Dick insists on going back to Blüdhaven. Bruce is very much not happy with the plan.

He hasn’t had this bad a fight with Bruce in years. Dick is catapulted back years, to his adolescence and beyond, when fighting was Bruce was an everyday sport for them.

“Don’t be stupid,” Is Bruce’s argument. “You have a multiverse in your head right now. You’re seeing memories that aren’t yours. That’s dangerous. What if they overwhelm you? What if you lose yourself? Be smart.”

“I don’t see how staying here will help with that,” Dick argues. “I can only fight this battle by myself. Which means I get to choose how to do it. And that means going back home.”

In the end, Bruce can’t actually do anything to stop him (being injured or restrained could cause him to lose his concentration and fall into the voices, so Bruce doesn’t even try) and Dick stomps out, borrowing one of Bruce’s cars and hauling ass back to Blüdhaven.

When he gets home, he quickly scribbles EARTH 84 on a post it note and sticks it on his bedside lamp. Just in case.

-

Dick wakes up in a prison.

Well. Not in, really. It’s more like he’s watching a movie, seeing things move on a flat screen in front of him, two-dimensional.

He blinks at it. Where he is?

He sees a figure in a familiar uniform lying on the ground of a cell in the corner. The suit is black, with blue stripes running across and curling up around the fingers.

The figure groans.

Dick feels the pain and confusion from it like a physical thing. What the hell, he thinks, half hysteria, half curiosity.

Well. If he can help this Dick, why not? He’d have to have been summoned here for a reason, right?

He starts talking, and the man on the floor responds.

-

One morning, Dick walks out of his apartment to go to work.

He’s halfway to the station when he mindlessly looks down and just…stops.

He’s not wearing a uniform: just jeans, a tshirt, and sneakers. And that’s because he’s not a cop. He’s never been a cop. Some Dick somewhere must have been, but he’s never been. He’d gone on autopilot anyway.

Dick runs home, grabs his post it, and stares at EARTH 84 until his eyes tear up.

-

Dick’s phone rings. Startled out of his memories stupor, he leans across the kitchen table to grab at it.

“Hey Dick,” Tim says. “Haven’t seen you in a while. What’s up?”

“Oh, you know,” Dick says. A chorus of voices whisper Timmy. “Not much. Just Blüdhaveing away over here. What’s up with you?”

One thing Bruce and him had agreed on? Stay away from everyone. He knows himself, and knows that he’s not going to be able to act normally around them when he’s got so much happening in his head. And if they find out about this…well. There’s a lot that can do wrong there.

He sees the hypocrisy there, but he can’t bring himself to think about it more.

“Just Red Robining away over here,” Tim echoes. “Anyway, wanted to give you a call and see if you wanted to help with something. I’ve been chasing a lead with the League, and I think that—”

“League of Shadows,” Dick says, trying to covertly confirm that his memory of it is the correct one.

“…yeah?” Tim responds, then jumps right back into it. “They’ve been active again in Gotham, which, as you know, is a problem. I don’t want Damian involved either, so. You in?”

Dick sighs. “I can’t, Timbo,” He says. “I’m working on something super sensitive right now. I’ll give you a call if I wrap it up early?”

He hasn’t left his apartment in days. Hasn’t even read a news article in at least a week. He thinks.

There’s a silence at the other end of the line. “Okay,” Tim says. “I’ll wait for your call.”

“Great,” Dick says. His pounding headache increases. “Then I’ll just—”

“Wait,” Tim says. He sound serious. “Dick. Are you okay?”

“Of course,” Dick says. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Tim’s sigh sounds tired. “Okay,” He says. “I’ll believe you. This time.”

Dick doesn’t know what to say. “Bye,” He says, then hangs up.

-

Dick wakes up, heart pounding.

He can still feel it: his stomach flipping as he falls, the momentary pain as his head smashes against something on the floor. And then blackness, darkness and goes on and on and on and on…

He frantically dials Bruce. “What universe are we in, are we 84? Are we 84?”

“I—” He hears the telltale signs of a car pulling over. “Dick—”

“Is this Earth 84?” Dick says frantically. He stares at the post it note like it’s lying to him. “Am I alive?”

There’s a short silence. “Yes,” Bruce says. “On both counts.”

-

“They need help,” Dick tells Zatanna at their daily check in.

Zatanna looks up from her notes. “Hm?” She asks, more sound than word.

“The other mes,” He says. “I can hear so many of them. But the ones I’m seeing? They need help. They need support. They’re suffering.”

Zatanna worries at her lip. “I was worried about that,” She says. “If they’re connecting to you, they might need you for something. Has anything been happening in the visions that you see?”

“Yeah,” Dick says, biting the bullet. “I think they’re hearing me.”

There’s a short pause. Zatanna looks shocked. “Please explain,” She says.

“I’m talking to them,” Dick says. “And they’re hearing me. Sometimes,” And he thinks back to that first memory, the one that started it all. “They’re seeing me too. But only briefly.”

“When did this start?” Zatanna asks, intense.

Dick shrugs. “Always been like this,” He says. “I just haven’t been engaging much. Not until recently.”

“Why?” Zatanna asks, alarmed. “You shouldn’t. The consequences could be…well. This is existential, here. You shouldn’t even be able to do this.”

Dick shrugs. “You know,” He says. “It’s not just people in here. It’s decades. Almost a century. Years and years and years. All inside my head. I don’t know if they’re dead or if they’re alive. All know is that they’re stuck in here and I can’t help them. The only thing I can do is speak with them.”

“I know,” Zatanna says. She sits down next to him. “You can’t, though. This is greater than them. This is greater than us. We all need you to keep the fabric of this universe, and all their universes, together.”

“I think they’re reaching out to me, though,” He says, practically pleading. “They…I keep hearing our number. Eighty four. Eighty four. Over and over again. And then that’s when I can show up, and when they can hear me.”

Zatanna looks even more troubled now. “You cannot keep engaging,” She says. “The fact that they can reach you at all is troubling. When it was just you crossing the multiverse, it was concerning. But if the rest of them can too? What if they start bleeding into each other’s timelines? That would have potentially disastrous consequences. You have to stop doing this.”

Dick nods. He doesn’t speak for the rest of his visit.

-

He can’t fight anymore.

Dick stares up at the ceiling, lost in the worlds in his head. He cycles through them, again and again and again, checking in. He sees how own gaze land on him, eyes widening, before he vanishes. He hears whispers crossing the lines between the many versions of himself, sees them making their way into their own heads.

He hears a knock, and it takes him to second to realize that it’s coming from his own universe.

He sits up so fast he gets dizzy. There, at the window, is Jason. He’s not wearing his helmet. Instead, he’s wearing his regular gear, and a Jasonesque frown.

Dick crosses to the window and pries it open. It sticks a little, so he has to push. “I have a door, you know,” He says, stepping back so Jason can leap inside. “It works perfectly fine.”

Jason rolls his eyes. “What, you’re telling me that?” He says. He glances around the apartment. “Whoa. Did a tornado go through here or something?”

Dick shrugs. He really hasn’t been up to tidying up much these past…however long. “Did you need something?” He asks instead.

“Touchy,” Jason says. He looks vaguely uncomfortable. “You been busy or something? Tim says he asked for support on a couple things and you didn’t come.”

Dick feels that familiar guilt rearing back up. “Well,” He says. “You know how it is here. I’m always working on something.”

“Clearly,” Jason says. He eyes the apartment again.

Dick feels itchy, uncomfortable. He feels the tug of the counterparts in his head. “Can I get you anything?” He asks. He searches through his brain. “I don’t have ginger tea or anything.”

Jason gives him a weird look. “That’s specific,” He says.

Okay. Wrong Jason’s tea. “You know what I mean,” He deflects. “Do you want something?”

“Nah,” Jason gives him a searching look. “Well. I came here to get your input on something but. Yeah. I don’t think that’s happening now.”

“Why?” Dick asks, even though this works out for him, actually. “What’s going on?”

“You’re asking me?” Jason asks, disbelieving. “Tim was fucking right. There is something very wrong with you right now.”

Uh oh. “What?” Dick asks. “Why?”

Jason snorts. “You kidding me? Look at this place. Look at how you’re acting. Have you even left this room today? Nightwing hasn’t been in the news for weeks. Maybe longer.”

Dick shrugs. “I have a lot of underground stuff going on right now.”

“And,” Jason barrels on. “You’re not making eye contact right now. Which is. Unusual for you.”

Is it? Dick lifts up his eyes, locking eyes with Jason. He prays that Jason doesn’t see the other worlds swirling around in his pupils. “There,” He says out loud.

“Dude,” Jason says. He keeps eye contact. “You have to be seeing this. What’s going on with you?”

Dick’s head hurts. “I know,” He tells Jason’s eyes. “I know it’s all weird right now. But…I can’t tell you right now. I need you to trust me.”

Jason just laughs. “Do you know how much like Bruce you sound like now?” He says. “You clearly need help.”

“I do,” Dick admits. “And I know you can tell that. But. I’m managing it right now. And I need to do it alone. And. When I’m done, I’ll tell you. But you need to let me do this.”

“Do what?” Jason says. “I don’t even know what you’re taking about!”

Dick breaks their staring contest. “Yeah,” He says. “God. It’s all fucked up right now. But it’s doable. Can you trust me on that, at least?”

Jason doesn’t say anything, and Dick is worried he’ll keep pushing—

“Don’t make me regret this,” Jason says. “Fine. Call me as soon as you can. I mean it.”

-

He wakes up in a dilapidated mansion this time.

“That’s new,” He says to himself, wandering the space. It’s all dark and cold and misty: something happened in this world. Something bad. “Where are you?” He asks himself vaguely. “Where are you, Dick?”

It doesn’t take long before he finds him: a familiar figure stands a distance away, looking far too put together for his surroundings, at least from the back.

The figure whirls around suddenly, and Dock catches a glimpse of a very familiar face. “What the hell…”

Dick waits for the moment where he’ll vanish from the other him’s sight, where he’ll fade into the background…

It doesn’t happen. The other him keeps starting at him, open-mouthed. “Hey,” Other Dick says. “Who are—”

“You see me?” Dick interrupts, eyes wide.

“Um, yeah,” Other Dick replies. “You’re standing right in front of me, of course I see you! Who..who are you? Why am I here?”

Dick raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t this…this is the manor, right? Wayne Manor?”

“I guess,” Other Dick says. “I was just there, with everyone else…and now I’m in this one, and everyone’s gone. So. Yeah. I’m just…who are you? Why did you bring me here?”

Huh. This is new. “Um,” Dick says. “Well. I didn’t bring you here. You brought me.”

“How do you figure that?” Other Dick demands. “Look, just take me back, okay? I don’t have time to deal with this. Damian needs me.”

Dick’s heart pounds. “Why?” He asks. “Is he in danger?”

“What?” Other Dick asks. “No! There’s a school thing—anyway, I don’t have time to explain myself to you, bizarro-me. Just send me back.”

Dick frowns, examining the other him. He’s…different than the ones he’s seen so far. Brighter, almost. Colors deep and shiny against the backdrop. Almost too shiny.

“Um,” Dick says. This is…bizarre. Even by these standards. “I don’t really know how. Sorry.”

Other Dick’s eyes widen. “Well that’s just great,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “First I’m haunted by ghosts or whatever, now this? This is possibly the worst week anyone has ever experienced in the history of the world.”

Dick stares at him.

Other Dick shrugs. “Okay. So I may be exaggerating. But, hey. I think I’m entitled.”

Dick can’t help but laugh. “You’re kind of weird,” He says.

“That’s kind of a self own,” Other Dick says. “Considering. Either you’re me, or you’re pretending to be.”

“Can’t argue that one,” Dick says, shrugging. “Um I guess we can try to find a way to get you home? If, you know. I can figure it out.”

“Hey,” Other Dick says, tone pointed. “Of course you can! I don’t tolerate any downer self talk in this house. Even if it’s, you know. Post apocalyptic.”

Dick laughs again. “You know,” He says, before his vision shimmers, and he wakes up in his apartment with a gasp.

-

“Another one of them saw me,”

Bruce’s disapproving stare radiates over the phone. “I hope you didn’t engage,” He says

Dick hesitates. “Well…” He hedges.

“I don’t think I have to tell you,” Bruce begins, voice icy. “That you’re playing a very dangerous game here. Not just for you, for all of us.”

“I know,” Dick says. “I do. I would never put us in danger.”

“And yet,” Bruce begins, but Dick interrupts him.

“I’m helping them,” He says, almost desperate. “They need me, they need advice, they need support. And I’m doing that.”

“And you would risk—” Bruce begins, voice icy, and Dick quickly interrupts.

“No,” He says. “Maybe I was. But now. Now…after that last interaction? There’s something…” He cuts himself off. “It was different this time. But different good. I think I can figure this out. Maybe…maybe I’ve been going about this wrong. I’ve tried doing nothing, I’ve tried leaving hints. I think I need to be more involved.”

“Remember what Constantine said,” Bruce warns.

Dick chuckles. “A sentence I’ve never heard you say.” He comments. “Anyway. I know. Be careful in crossing the streams, I know. But he also said that I’m gonna have to break this connection on my own. And you know what? I’m gonna try it my way this time.”

“Just,” And here, unexpectedly, Bruce’s voice softens. “Don’t fall on your sword. That’s not your job.”

“It’s not yours either,” Dick responds. “And don’t worry. I got this, right? Who knows me better than me, anyway?”

There’s an amused silence on the other end of the line. “I think you know the answer to that,” Bruce says.

“I’m not gonna say you,” Dick replies. “Anyway. I’ll keep you updated, okay. You know I wouldn’t risk anyone if I wasn’t sure.”

“I know,” Bruce says, then: “good luck.”

-

“Oh, it’s you again,” Other Dick says.

Dick starts. He glances around the space: he’s in his childhood bedroom. A fire crackles in the fireplace, bathing everything in a warm light. “Huh,” Is all he can think to say. “I don’t have a fireplace in my room.”

“I’m just lucky, I guess,” Other Dick says. He sits cross legged in bed. “So. As fun as it is to see you again, did you want something?”

“Kind of,” Dick says. He crosses, sinks into the chair in front of his desk. “I wanted to ask something, I guess. More like talk things through.”

“Uh huh,” Other Dick steeples his hands. “Sure. I’m doing breakfast with Damian tomorrow so I’m gonna try in turn in early, but go ahead.”

“So,” Dick barrels on. “I’ve been looking for you again, cause, well. In summary, I’ve been seeing different versions of us, at various points in time. None of them have been able to see me, except for you. Why is that?”

Other Dick shrugs. “Are you about to tell me?” He asks.

“The other key difference,” Dick says, staring at the Flying Graysons poster on the wall. “Is I can’t figure out what you want. Everyone else needed help. You…you don’t. At least, I don’t think so. So why? Why did we connect? What did you need?”

Other Dick crosses his arms. “I think you’re missing something here,” He says.

Dick nods at him. “Go ahead,” He says.

“Maybe you called me to help you this time,” Other Dick suggests. “You said all of us needed help, right? You’re one of us too. So maybe…so maybe I was meant to help you?”

Dick thinks about it. “With what?” He asks.

Other Dick shrugs. “Hell if I know,” He says. “You tell me. Give me all your problems and I’ll psychoanalzye you right now.”

Dick laughs. “How are you so game for this?” He says. “You don’t even know me.”

“You’re me, right?” Other Dick says. “Who knows me better than me?”

Dick hides a smile. “Good point.”

“Anyway,” Other Dick says. “Look. You’ve been running around solving everyone’s problems for them. What’s going on with everything else? Life? All of that?”

“Um,” Dick says. “Well. You know how it goes. We have certain priorities we have. Vigilante shit.”

Other Dick sighs. “If I may,” He says. “Don’t. You’re not gonna make anyone else happy nor will you be able to do your job if number one,” And he points to Dick. “Isn’t okay either.”

Dick shrugs. “I hear you,” He says, then: “Your world seems nice, by the way. It’s so…it’s so bright here.”

“Why thank you,” Dick says. “I think we do okay.”

“Not that, though,” And Dick gestures at the Flying Graysons poster. “You know, everything’s almost free of tragedy here.” He smiles sadly. “You know that’s one thing I’ve never been able to help with? I can’t change events, but this seems like it happens again and again and again. They die every time.”

“Yeah,” Other Dick also smiles sadly. “Well. Our version of us kinda depends on that happening. You can’t really change that.”

Dick sighs. “And Bruce,” He says. “He’s there every time.”

“Same reason,” Other Dick comments. “But you know what? We’re not so bad. Stuff happens, you know? But sometimes…we can make that work. And all you can do is be you.”

Dick sighs. “Damn,” He says, leaning back. “Does that work on the family? You’re not a very specific encourager.”

“Oldest brother superpower,” Other Dick winks. “Works every time. You should know.”

“I mean,” Dick shrugs. “I think you do that gig better than me.”

“Your world seems different,” Other Dick says. “So, I don’t know. Maybe your gig means a bit of a different approach. Whatever.” He gives him a significant look. “From where I stand, you seem to be doing okay. You helped the rest of us too, right?”

Dick nods. “Yeah, I guess I did.” At those words, he feels a tug at his head. “Oh,” He says. “I think this is goodbye.”

“See you around,” Other Dick says. He waves. “Or not. Hope you figure it out.”

“Me too,” Dick says, before everything shatters again.

-

It all happens very suddenly.

One moment, Dick is turning in for the night.

He’s toweling his hair dry, contemplating. The last few days have been mostly manageable. He thinks he might have cracked it, he just needs to—

And the voices vanish. Just like that.

Dick drops his towel to the ground. He clutches at his head, looks hard.

Nothing. Not a peep. His head is empty and silence and all him and blessedly quiet. He’d forgotten what quiet sounded like, and it’s the loudest thing he’s ever heard.

Dick breathes out. He can actually feel tears in his eyes. “Oh my god,” He whispers. “Oh my god oh my god,”

He scrambles to his phone. The image of Other Dick comes to mind. Thank you, he thinks as hard as he can. He hopes it gets to him. Thank you.

He dials Bruce before the quiet can get too loud again.

-

“Earth to Grayson,” the Bluetooth speaker in his car crackles. “You there?”

Dick shakes his head. “Babs,” He says. “Sorry. I got a little lost in my head.”

“Can’t be doing that,” Babs says, laughter in her voice. “Especially when you’re driving. So. Just to confirm. 7, my place?”

“Confirmed,” Dick says. He signals left, changing lanes. “How many people did you manage to get?”

“Pretty much everyone,” Babs says. “Jason too. So. That’ll be fun. I’m gonna make him socialize.”

Dick laughs. “Good luck with that,” He says. “Anyway, I’m gonna pass by the manor and say hi to everyone there for a bit, then drop by yours after.”

“Woof,” Babs says. “Well. Good luck. Hope you make it out in one piece.”

“You and me both,” Dick sees the Gotham skyline in the distance. He basks in the familiarity. “To be honest, it’ll be nice to see everyone again. It’s been a little…lonely up in here.”

He remembers the days he had wished his head would stay quiet. He doesn’t regret that, but…

That connection, that ability to help? It had been a lifeline that was difficult to let go.

Bab’s voice softens. “I get it,” She says, then. “You sound better. I’m glad.”

Dick smiles softly. “I am better. I think.”

“I want to hear all about it,” She says. “You promised, right?”

Dick thinks of Jason. “I did,” He says. “You’re not ready, I can tell you that.”

“Ominous,” Babs says. “Anyway. See you soon! Don’t be late.”

“When am I ever?” He asks. The WELCOME TO GOTHAM sign passed by him in a swirl of green and blue. “I’ll be there. Promise.”

#dickgraysonweek #dick Grayson #nightwing #Bryce Wayne #Batman #speaks #Zatanna

[optimist-pine]

Hey there, today I got stress tested and, long story short, I have an extreme case of burnout. I’ve been having panic attacks, dissociating, puking a lot, and have been struggling with a chronic illness, deaths in the family, etc. I really hope this doesn’t sound too much like I’m just complaining. I would really appreciate it if you could do the rise boys with someone dealing with… that whole situation. Leo and Donnie are my favorite btw. Thanks!

A/n: That really sucks, Anon. Thanks for opening up and requesting this. I hope this meets your expectations, and I really hope it helps even the tiniest bit. Please let me know how you're doing. (Here's a hug from me to you (⁠⊃⁠｡⁠•́⁠‿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)⁠⊃)

Word Count: 1,230

Warnings: Severe burnout and related symptoms

---

Leo:

• He's acutely aware of the buildup leading to your burnout

• If you don't come to him by a certain point he's going to gently - but firmly - make you talk things out and tell him what's going on

• Some of these things he already knows about of course, but there are still things he hadn't realized were weighing so heavily on you

• He helps you to establish and maintain a better routine while still giving you space to accomplish things on your own

• Be prepared for lots of non-verbal reminders including:

• Him setting out personal care items to have a "spa time" every evening to unwind

• The smell of freshly steeped tea coming from an area that's already set up for morning meditation/yoga

• Recruiting Mikey to make healthy family meals where the group conversations are filled with laughter and hope

• Maybe the two of you will even find a project to invest in together that benefits others within the city

• Ninjitsu is an exceptional way to relieve some stress so be prepared for a lot of training

• You'll go up and practice on the rooftops where you can feel the breeze across your skin and hear the people and cars go past

• He'll guide you throughout the movements and encourage you to go without shoes to really feel the cement ground you through your feet

• He hopes, with time, that he can help you to slow down and process things in a way that doesn't allow the stress to overtake and overwhelm you because he hates seeing you so severely burnt out

• He will always be there to listen and he really values communication so please tell him what helps and what doesn't

Donnie:

• Donnie's been there once or twice before, though maybe not nearly as severe as what you're dealing with

• If you tend to withdraw, he's not going to let you go it alone

• He may not be the best talker or listener or all that great with even his own emotions, but he knows something is wrong and he wants to help

• He'll make sure you go and actually do things and get out of your head

• Maybe that means testing out new inventions or going around the city to study the engineering and architecture of the buildings

• Anything to just do something while simultaneously not doing much of anything

• He may also egg you on to play the dance machine they have in the arcade since the physical exertion is good for clearing the head

• He lets you in on his next big secret project, allowing you to not only name but customize its design and final look since that can be the most exciting part of the creation process

• And even though he doesn't feel very confident doing it, he'll try to get you to talk things out because it would really help him understand what's draining you if you outright told him

• He'll make sure you get to bed and get a good amount of sleep, but he also won't let you avoid getting up in the morning since he knows it won't help

• He starts beginning the day with you in conversation about what each of you is looking forward to, and ending the day with what made your day good/better

• Even though he feels like he's the worst at helping you through this, he understands how you feel more than any of his brothers do

Raph:

• Look, it doesn't matter if the issue is physical, mental, or emotional, but this guy's number one solution is cuddles

• Obviously they won't fix things on their own, but it's a good start

• Being in charge of his younger brothers, he understands what it's like to feel like so many things are out of your control that you just can't keep up

• He's going to encourage you to remove yourself from as many responsibilities as possible and take a break - a long one

• He's the best listener if you'll tell him what's going on, although he'll probably ask lots of questions to really understand

• He does a good job of subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) reminding you how valuable you are to himself and the others

• How just your presence is so vital in him keeping his head on straight, so he's going to be right by your side through the thick of it

• This guy's default setting is protective so he may tend to lean towards being overbearing

• He knows this so he'll really try his best not to be - if he seems really awkward or unsure of himself it's not because of you

• He'll probably convince you to box with him for the connection between mental focus and physical coordination and reflexes

• He'll encourage you to really feel the connection between your body and your soul, how each movement connects your physical posture with your mental posture

• Out of all of them, Raph has the most difficult time watching you go through this

• He tends to take everyone's burdens upon himself, and this time he can't, so you can be sure he's going to be doing a lot of little things for you

Mikey:

• Mikey is pretty in-tune emotionally and mentally, so he noticed the progression of things going from bad to worse before they were even bad

• He really, really wants to help and he wears his heart on his sleeve so you can see it in his face constantly

• He doesn't really understand what you're going through, and listening and talking through things isn't his strong suit, but he's a master distractor

• Everything you eat, everything you wear, and everything you do is going to have some added razzmatazz courtesy of Mikey

• He'll drag you out to tag buildings late at night, scour thrift stores for crazy outfits, or serve food at a homeless shelter

• His plans may not have a lot of rhyme or reason but he really wants you to step away from everything and just feel alive and connect with other people

• Laughter is the best medicine, right?

• He'll scrounge up a bunch of art supplies and recruit you to help him spruce up some dingy part of the lair because he's convinced it needs your personal touch

• He'll ask you to come hang on the rooftops for an evening and watch the stars - even if you can't see them in the city

• Moments like this he can actually slow down and focus, so he'll encourage you to talk and tell him what's up

• It scares him that you're not acting like yourself, but he also knows it's something out of your control so he doesn't want you to feel guilty

• He'll grab you and his boombox and go bust some moves on street corners in hopes you'll be filled with the buzz of a group of strangers all hitting a certain groove together

• Mikey cares deeply for you and he'll do whatever he can to help you heal

• He wants to see the sunshine come back into your life

#answered #rottmnt #tmnt #rottmnt x reader #tmnt x reader #rottmnt headcanons #rottmnt imagines #rottmnt leo #rottmnt leo x reader #tmnt leo #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt donnie x reader #tmnt donnie #rottmnt raph #rottmnt raph x reader #tmnt raph #rottmnt mikey #tmnt mikey #rottmnt mikey x reader #optimist-pine

[dross-the-fish]

Silly, but, perhaps a drabble of Adam catching anon fainting?

(and sorry, this is probably bit of a boring request 😅)

Some gore in the beginning. Gets rather fluffy towards the end. Sorry to put Anon through some ordeals but I had to think of a reason for them to faint. ..... “Adam’s destroying the last of the coffins in that den as we speak. Anon, would you be so kind as to go and check on him? He might need a hand and the rest of us have our hands full digging up these graves,” said Watson as he pressed a torch into their hands, handed them a jar of salt and pointed them to the opening to a small crypt. Anon couldn’t help but chuckle a little as they watched Larry, muzzle planted in a fresh grave, burrow away with his large forepaws while Quincey protested that he was getting dirt everywhere.

Destroying empty dens during the night had become a regular task and Anon thought little of It. It was simple enough, smash or burn the empty boxes and then scatter salt over the earth the vampires slept on. Without refuge they would no longer have a place to hide from the sun and would perish come morning. While this wouldn’t help with vampires born on English soil it was sufficient take care of certain members of Dracula’s brood.

Holding the torch before them Anon entered the crypt. Being fairly new to the crew they were not yet burdened with heavy tasks and so were unprepared for what they would find once they entered the main chamber. Adam was wrestling a large, bat-like creature out of an ornate coffin. The creature screeched and clawed at him, biting at his arms and trying to twist its body away but Adam dragged it to the floor, pressed a heavy foot against its back and brought the claw end of his hammer down on the unfortunate vampire’s skull. Bone split and bloody chunks sprayed across the stone floor. The creature fluttered helplessly, like a moth pinned by a spider. With one final CRACK! it went limp and stilled. Panting Adam straightened, curled his lip, and ground his heel into the mess. “What misfortune that this one chose to sleep in while his brethren took flight. Ah, well, now he sleeps once more and ne’er again shall the dusk rouse him from the slumber I have supplied,” he muttered darkly.

For anon, it was too much. The sight, the sound, the smell, all of it, instantly overwhelmed their senses and sudden cloud of grey descended over them. Before they could hit the ground Adam had rushed to their side and caught them, lifting them to his chest as easily as if they were a child.

“Alas, now you sleep too! Soft-hearted thing that you are, you are not made for the violence of our work. It’s alright! I shall relieve you the sight of this carnage and you shall wake once out in the clean night air,” he said with the barest hint of affection as he settled Anon in his arms.

To his relief as soon as they had cleared the dank tomb and Adam had carried them to a clearing beyond the graveyard, Anon began to stir. Still woozy they gripped Adam’s coat and leaned their head into his shoulder.

“Easy there, breathe slowly, I’ve got you,” Adam soothed them, sitting down on the grass with them.

“Blood…so much b-blood,” Anon stammered.

Adam rubbed their back, “Are you going to be sick?” he asked furrowing his brown in concern.

“N-no. I was-I was surprised,” they said, trembling from head to foot as they drew their knees up to their chest.

Adam fished around in his coat pocket for a flask, “Here, I have some water, sip it,” he instructed.

Anon’s hands shook so badly that Adam cupped the back of their head and pressed the flask to their lips to help them drink, “There we go, drink slowly. I’m sorry I couldn’t forewarn you. We didn’t expect a live vampire to be there after dusk.��

Anon rocked back and forth a little, hugging their knees tightly. Adam sighed and stretched out on the grass, patting a soft spot next to him.

“I find that when I am distressed it does me good to admire the splendor of nature. There is a wonderful starlit blanket above us tonight, would you like me to tell you their names? For 100 years I have collected the writings of sailors and I know each constellation and every planet.”

Anon uncurled enough to lie back next to him following his hand as he pointed out start clusters. Before long their dizziness was forgotten, in its place a comforting warmth had settled and they let Adam carry on their stargazing until Watson finally called them back.

[sleepy-gee]

famine┊vampire!coryo/sejanus┊chapter two┊fic navi┊playlist

His first day home after the incident

word count: 1.6k

trigger warnings: emetophobia, starvation

Much to his displeasure, he wasn't allowed to go home for a week- He could already imagine the conversation he would have with his family. He was forced to stay in that same dim room for a while, the only interaction he had being assistants asking him the same questions over and over. If I knew my name yesterday, I'm pretty sure I still know it today. 

They brought him meals twice a day, yet he found himself rejecting them. On his first night, when they brought him a simple ham and cheese sandwich, he found himself throwing up the thing after a few bites. The same thing followed with breakfast the following day and the dinner he ingested later the same night. So, he just gave up on eating. Dr. Gaul refused to explain why he couldn't keep anything down.

Sleep was another thing his body denied him after a certain point. He passed out after having the first ham sandwich for God knows what reason, but it wasn't sleeping. Just being unconscious. He'd lay there for hours with his eyes closed, waiting to drift off into unconsciousness, but nothing would happen. And he felt fine. Completely fine. Better than fine, actually. The normal wear and tear he felt in his day to day life vanished. It was odd. He missed the way hunger would dig its claws into his stomach. Made him work harder, more productively. He had something to go for, but now? Nothing.

When Coriolanus was allowed home, the whole ordeal was very secretive. He had a team of peacekeepers escort him into a hidden garage, where a black limousine waited for him. Now this, he could get used to. The car was a lot more spacious than it appeared to be on the outside, coolers lining the walls filled with all sorts of beverages. The smells all conflicted, overwhelming his senses.

He sat down on the plush leather, resisting the urge to grab one of the candies off a tray to his right. He didn't want to risk throwing that up as well and ruining his uniform. The thing probably reeked. He hadn't been issued a change of clothes and was denied when he asked for some. You're changing the chemistry of my body. The least you can do is give me a clean shirt.

He was joined by two peacekeepers who sat opposite from him, looking bored. Ah, great. More awkwardness. Coriolanus cleared his throat before turning his gaze out the window. Was the sun always that bright? He flinched away from it, scooting over just enough to be hidden where the sun couldn't reach him.

"Have you eaten yet?" One of the peacekeepers asked out of the blue. Coriolanus shook his head no. "That explains it.. Here." He grabbed a bottle from one of the coolers off to the side and handed it to him.

Coriolanus took the bottle carefully and sniffed. It smelled incredible. "What's in this?"

"Just drink it. Doctor's orders."

He squinted in annoyance before screwing off the lid and taking a sip. What followed was cold, thick, and had a hint of iron. Refreshing. He drank around half of the bottle before handing it back, wiping off his lips with the back of his hand. Something red stained his skin.

"What was in that?" He asked, adding on after a moment, "I'm feeling better."

"Afraid we can't say that, sir." The other peacekeeper spoke up. "It's classified."

Some help you are. Coriolanus thought bitterly, turning his attention back to the scenery outside. They were approaching his block. He tensed. What would he even say to Tigris and the Grandma'am? He didn't have answers to any of the questions he'd ask.

“We have created the first human mutt in Panem history, and we call it a vampire.” The doctor's voice rang in his head. Vampire.. What the hell even was a vampire? It sounded so familiar, yet so foreign..

He shook off the thought as the car came to a stop. The peacekeepers got out first, then ushered him out as well. He muttered a quick and polite ‘thank you, gentlemen.’ Before watching the limousine round back to the cave it came from. The sun peeked out from its place behind the clouds, and he took that as a sign to begin his trudge up the stairs to his penthouse. Why did it sting his skin so bad?

Coriolanus was able to climb them easier than he remembered. It was long and tedious, sure, but he didn't feel the slightest amount of exhaustion. What he felt mostly was dread.

Just like a bandaid, he told himself as he opened the door to his penthouse. The place was just as he remembered. He entered with newfound stealth, not yet calling out for his family. What would he even say? Should he lie? Probably. But what would be plausible? He didn’t know if Gaul had updated his family on his.. Condition? Could he even call it his condition?

Ponder on that later. He thought, making a beeline for the bathroom. It was still pretty early in the day, so they shouldn’t have run out of hot water yet. A hot shower was just what he needed after the whole ordeal.

He wouldn’t be able to stay in for too long since Tigris normally got up for work around his time. Shit, Tigris. Maybe he should’ve pondered a bit longer on what to say to his cousin- A response for if they knew and a response for if they didn’t know what happened to him.

He was too exhausted to bother putting on anything proper, slipping on a fresh pair of underwear and his father's silk robe. Hopefully now he looked a little more proper. He wiped off the small build up of condensation on the mirror and went to grab his hairbrush, freezing at the sight of his reflection.

He looked sick. Pale. Even more so than usual. His eyes, already naturally cold, had lost their sense of humanity. He looked dead.

And what was the most concerning were the two little fangs starting to grow in.

---

Exhausted and maybe even delusional, too, Coriolanus retreated to his bedroom, deciding a nap would be for the best. He awoke to the sound of his name being called and his shoulders being shaken. He jolted awake, pawing at whoever was attacking him. “Coriolanus! God, where the hell have you been?!”

Once the sleep had cleared from his eyes, he was able to see who it was- Tigris, in all of her tired, half awake beauty. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that left his mouth was air that Tigris managed to squeeze out of his lungs with a crushing hug. “Don't you do that to me again.”

She doesn't know. He wrapped his arms around his cousin in return, patting her back awkwardly until she pulled away, still clinging onto one of his hands. “Now, what the hell happened?”

“I.. Caught a flu. You know the one that's going around? A new strand, very.. Very dangerous.” Could I be any worse at lying? “They quarantined me in Dr. Gaul’s lab.. Wouldn't let me go until I was symptom free.”

Tigris didn't buy it one bit. He could tell by the look in her eyes, but he also knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't press anymore than she would have to. “.. I'm glad you're okay. Why didn't you call, though?”

“Oh.. Her lab. It's- It's deep underground. Out of reception range.” Maybe he was better at lying than he originally thought he was. “Phones were prohibited. She's very.. Very secretive.”

The look in Tigris’ eyes shifted. Had he managed to fool her so easily?  ".. Like I said, just don't do that to me again. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, too."

Coriolanus frowned, squeezing his cousin's hand. "Don't you worry about that.. I'm not going anywhere.."

Tigris squeezed his hand back. "They fed you down there, right? You look ghastly, Coryo. No offense."

"I feel ghastly." He chuckled softly. "They did, don't worry.. Most boring ham and cheese sandwiches I've ever tasted."

"Still.." Tigris placed the back of her hand against his forehead. "You look like a ghost.. I'm going to make you something not so boring."

Coriolanus caught her wrist as she began to stand up. "Don't. Save it for the Grandma'am." Came the response, quick as second nature.

Tigris pulled her bony wrist away gently. "I'm sure the Grandma'am will understand.. She's been worried sick about you, too, you know."

---

Lunch went as he had expected. Tigris had made him an excellent chicken noodle soup with some leftover bits of last night's dinner, and he spewed it right back up. At least he wasn't alone this time. Tigris brushed his curls out of his face and rubbed his back, muttering kind words like she used to when they were younger. "Maybe you're not over that flu yet.."

Coriolanus groaned, slouching back onto his bed. "Maybe.. I hope it passes soon.. I don't want to stay away from the Academy for too long."

"They'll understand.. That reminds me. We got a call from the Plinth's earlier. Their boy has been worried about you."

".. Sejanus?" He asked.

Tigris nodded, combing back his sweat-soaked curls. "Hasn't seen you all week. He said something about Dr. Gaul and the thing you had with her.. You asked him for advice on something?"

".. Oh.. That was nothing. Just another one of her assignments on the glory of war." He laughed weakly. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"I don't like her, just from what I've heard about her.. She sounds scary. How demented do you have to be to want to come up with new ways to kill children every year?"

It's not that hard, actually. "Maybe she just has a.. Vivid imagination."

#the hunger games #thg #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #tbosbas #coriolanus snow #sejanus plinth #tigris snow #snowjanus #coriolanus x sejanus #vampire au #vampire!coriolanus #vampire!coryo au #human!sejanus #vampirism

[candythepuppy]

Insanely basic steps for writing Autistic characters:

(I have Autism, so this one rings close to home.)

1. I would recommend looking up the traits of Autism, both common and not, to pick and choose from. Obviously, you can't just shove every single trait into one character. That would be cringe. But at least for now gather together all the ones you can find. (Bonus points if you do some extra research and get a feeling for why such traits exists and what it is like to have them.)

2. So, you know generally what an Autistic person looks like. Nice. Now, pick out the traits you think would work best for YOUR character. That's right. As a writer, you essentially get to play GOD, so use that power wisely my friends. Remember to think about what fits your character's story the best.

Example: In my "The Last Human" book Steve has lived on his own for a remarkably long amount of time. This has made him terribly...terrible at communicating and getting close with others. The subtle Autistic traits, such as being touch avoidant and easily overwhelmed in social situations, is only meant to fan the flames a little more.

Basically, don't try to make your character all about Autism. Instead, pick out traits that will only add to the character you have already created.

3.1. Taking whatever traits you have chosen for your Autistic character, whether it be certain stims, difficulty hearing, or pain tolerance, it is time to fit all of these things into your character's backstory. Remember that someone's traits are formed as a coping mechanism for said character's weaknesses. (I, for instance, am particularly sensitive to noise, so I -- being a shy person -- tend to shut down if in a really loud environment. My 'coping mechanism' is blocking out the noise around me by retreating into my own mind. Dissociating, as you may also call it. This, in turn, has essentially coaxed me from birth into having a very large inner world to which I retreat to.) It's all about cause and effect.

Your character's past can affect their traits just as much as their traits can affect their past. It is a vicious cycle that you just have to figure out how to balance.

Example: Say your character is really outgoing and one of their traits is that they are very sensitive to light. This person may naturally gravitate towards being a night owl or only agree to go to events if it is later in the evening. But since they are so outgoing and may have a hard time knowing ahead of time whether or not an event will meet their needs, they might end up becoming the person in the friend group who always hosts the events. That way, they have full control over every single aspect of the setting that might trigger them.

3.2. And of course, for the more dramatic character backstories, if your Autistic character lost their entire family in a blazing fire, perhaps give them really sensitive hearing or something, so on top of everything they witness, it will be the sound..or the smell..that ticks them off the most. Maybe the smell was overwhelming, and even getting a whiff of it again instantly reminds them of the event. Fun concept for writing PTSD in general~ Sorry, I'm off topic again.

Or say your character's backstory deals more with long term abuse from a parental figure trying to turn their child into the next greatest villain or something. In that case, their traits may adjust accordingly. Hyper-fixation is a good one. Perhaps they teach themselves to hyper-fixate on "important" things like practicing magic or perfecting their fighting style. This can go to an obsessive level thanks to their hyper-fixation. They may not even notice their knuckles are bleeding or their hair is on fire. (Which is an actual trait I have dealt with while training in martial arts. "Oh I'm bleeding?? Sorry, didn't even notice.")

4. And finally but arguably one of the most important steps is naturally weaving their traits into the character's story going forward.

Example: Again from ma' pal Steve, he throughout the story had to learn to use moderation when it came to his obsessive, one-track minded behavior. He had to learn to enjoy taking it slow and not overwork himself so hard. One of his stims was actually jogging, so whenever he broke his leg, it was an especially big deal, since he could no longer do whatever helped to calm him down. Such a small problem quickly grew into a big deal that had to be faced head on...all thanks to the inclusion of his Autistic traits.

As you may have noticed, I never used any "truly Autistic" examples. I didn't tell you how to write a visit with the therapist where the two talk about the character's struggles. I didn't give any tips on how to write a meltdown realistically. And I most certainly didn't say anything about writing a socially inept kid trying to make friends.

Wanna know why? Because that's a bit repetitive at this point. By now, pretty much everyone knows what Autism is. You shouldn't have to spell it out for your readers unless it is 100% crucial to the plot and characters driving said plot.

Bonus tip:

Just being real here. Saying up front that your character is Autistic right away, or advertising them as such, will in the end ruin people's perception of them. They will go, "oh, well I am not Autistic, so I can't relate." and not emotionally connect to the character as much as they would have if the lable was left ambiguous. Either that, or they will question why this is not an "Autistic story."

I have nothing against "Autistic stories," but they're all the same in my experience at least, and by this point everyone already knows what to expect from one of these stories. And that takes away from the magic of storytelling.

So, it's perfectly alright to tell people, "Hey, my character is Autistic." However, it is when people advertise their character as such or bank on people only liking them because they are Autistic that I have to ask you to chill. Advertising Autism leads to less immersion, since the diagnosis is expected to be at the center of it all. And expecting people to like your character only because they are "quirky/Autistic" is just asking for people to roll their eyes and walk away, uninterested.

Sorry if this post was a little too long. I had a lot to say... Seeya! 👋

#autism #writing tips #writing characters #writing #neurodivergent #autistic characters #how to write

[scarred-but-still-smiling]

cubfan, joehills, sonder, barbecueing

Cub and Joe were rather similar creatures. Not biologically of course; Cub was some variety of faerie, tangentially related to the Vex, and Joe was very much human. What I mean is that their minds move in similar circles, logic following similar pathways and fluent in a similar dialect of nonsense.

So it wasn't much of a surprise that they wound up hanging out together pretty often.

Tonight they were at spawn, it was one of the rare nights on the server when Bdubs wasn't online to chase away the moon, and the two were taking that rare opportunity to soak in the vast ocean of stars above them.

Like all Southern dads, Joe was pretty adept at grilling, and tonight he had decided to treat his friend Cub to some of his signature brisket and burgers. The thick, meaty smell of beef and spices hung over spawn, a gentle breeze wafting it over the Hermissippi as Joe tossed the patties on the grill.

The sharp sizzle of the meat hitting the hot metal of the barbecue cut through the stillness of the night and Cub's eyes snapped to the source, part evolutionary instinct and part hypervigilance.

Joe caught his gaze and smiled softly; all of the Hermits knew how he and Scar were always on guard for the Vex or any Evokers that could twist them. "Don' worry Cub, it's just me. Last I checked Vex didn't sound like cooking meat."

Cub laughed, "Yeah, you're right."

"Mind if I ask what you were thinkin' about before I interrupted you? You seemed really focused on somethin'"

Cub hummed; Joe was always very perceptive, from the very first time he met the guy there was always a sense that he just Knew Things, even without having been told.

"I guess I was just thinking about how small we are, you know? Like, as well travelled as we try to be, there's always gonna be so much we don't see or know." He gestured across the Hermissippi, "like, Ren's been talking about this Gigacorp thing; back in the Concorp days I did dealings with a lot of other corporations, and they never came up. And even beyond that, how exactly did the other Hermits get here? Not how did they survive, but what did they experience on the way?"

Joe nodded, "Oh yeah, I know the feeling. There's a word for that, by the way, did you know?"

"Hm?"

"It's called sonder, the acute awareness that everyone has their own rich lives that you'll never have access to." He flipped a burger, "there are so many different stories being told, all the time, and there's only so much we can glean from our brief moments of crossover, and oftentimes it's better that way." He flipped the rest, "just like a burger bun can only hold so many toppings, our lives can only be so full before it becomes overwhelming and very unhealthy."

Cub smirked, "that's a bit rich coming from you man, it seems every day you're seeking out a whole supermarket's worth of toppings for your life."

Joe raised an eyebrow at Cub and smiled slyly, "well unlike most people I am constantly bored and my burger bun seems incapable of filling up, and also every time Cleo kills me I forget just a little bit of the extraneous toppings on my life burger."

Cub laughed loudly, his voice dully reverberating across the spawn village in the cool night air, dancing with the cinders from the grill, "Dang Joe, I'm surprised you even remember your own name at this point if that's the case."

"I'll be honest with you," Joe laughed, "I do forget occasionally. You know how respawn is after all. Also she really doesn't kill me that often, it's mostly just standard non-lethal violence like breaking limbs."

The pair laughed together for a while, just enjoying each others' company, before Cub spoke up again as Joe was removing the burger patties from the grill.

"Okay but, for real though, don't you ever just wish you could know all those stories? Doesn't it just eat at you?"

Joe paused as he was picking up the completed burgers, a certain tension in his body that Cub couldn't pinpoint. "I used to." He said quietly, his accent suddenly a lot thicker, in a way that made Cub feel like he was witnessing something not meant for him. "But that's the thing about wishes, ain't it? Y'all should be careful about what you wish for, lest some cruel trickster hear you and curl a finger on a monkey's paw. A mind ain't meant to know that many stories."

"Joe?" Cub ventured, getting to his feet and approaching Joe, his hand going to rest on his shoulder. "are you alright buddy?"

As Cub's hand made contact, the moment passed, and Joe straightened up, a wide smile affixed to his features that couldn't have been more forced if he tried.

"Of course, Cub my friend, right as rain!" He handed Cub a plate with his burger on it. "can't be wrong with barbecue this good."

Cub took the plate, making a mental note to look into things later, maybe talking to the other Season 1 hermits who've known Joe longer. He returned Joe's smile, equally as forced-looking he was sure, "if this tastes as good as that brisket smells then you ain't wrong."

#scarred stories #asks

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24Leaders #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental justice #environment protection #environmental health #Youtube

[awetistic-things]

okay sooooo i went to see a psychologist two years ago and she said that i fulfilled the criteria for autism. but then i went to see another psychologist and she said that i wasn’t neurodivergent. it’s kinda confusing but maybe it’s because in the second assessment i was masking my symptoms a lot more because i was a lot more aware of them???because college has been incredibly difficult for me with the disruption in my routine and also i’ve always had an issue with food and sensory issues. my mum thought that i was autistic when i was 15 because of my problems with food. i also have some hyper mobility and when i was younger i saw a speech therapist and i had additional classes for maths because i found it difficult. i also have bad hand eye coordination and find sports difficult.. also idk if this classifies as a special interest or not but when i was 17 i loved gilmore girls.

i watched it once and then during the summertime i watched it four times back to back, also bought all seven seasons on dvd. another thing about me is that this summer i loved stranger things so much that i would spend hours on end analysing it.

do you think that’s similar to anyone else’s experiences on here ??? i’m a little thrown off because of what the second psychologist said😭 but also maybe this is just me but does anyone on here find that people who are loud and bubbly are overwhelming to be around… because they’re always talking and it can be quite overwhelming… and they can just be so bubbly that it’s hard to keep up… they’re so loud that it’s hard to be around them…

i also find the sound of people eating so annoying like the texture and sound is just too much for me also the smells , i find really hard to deal with unless it’s something nice like chocolate or pizza. i just feel like i can get so attached to people really easily and they just aren’t like that and tend to take advantage of me😭😭 but idk if i’m autistic🫠🫠 does anyone find that this relates to them too?obvi you can’t diagnose me, just wondering if anyone relates.

also, i did a couple of tests on here and here are my results.

autism spectrum quotient: 27 out of 50

RAADS-R: 140 out of 227

empathy quotient: 26 out of 80

clinical partners test: 20 out of 30

aspie quiz: 127 of 200

AQ 10: 5 out of 10

AQ: 23

toronto empathy quotient: 60 out of 64

masking test: 131

hey :)

i definitely think your masking in your second appointment contributed to your psychologist saying they don’t believe you’re neurodivergent

as for relatability to what you’re saying, i pretty much relate to all of it:

- i love being friends with bubbly people, but sometimes being around them when i’m already overstimulated makes things excessively difficult

- i hate, hate, HATE the sound of chewing. like once i full-on screamed at my brother just because he was eating, just eating

- smell is a really, really big thing for me personally. it really wasn’t until recently, but it has resulted in me walking around my own home with a mask on (lathered in Aveeno baby lavender lotion)

- i open up to people stupid quickly, ending in hella over-sharing because i just don’t know the correct amount of information to tell someone at a time. people may have used this against me at certain points in time, but i genuinely could have not noticed 😭

- i definitely get your stranger things special interest, because that was me with “avatar: the last airbender” i mean i could not go 40 minutes without talking about that damn show much less thinking about it

#autism #autistic #actually autistic #asd #autism spectrum disorder #autistic things #on the spectrum #autistic problems #autism problems #autism masking #autistic masking #masking

[rfaromance]

Hey..

Can I please please ask AE Saeran to (or how he would...?) comfort me whenever I feel anxious to the point of being so, so overwhelmed? I tend to even feel physically sick. It's just...such a horrible feeling.

I just totally break down, it's like a meltdown. It's awful and absolutely mortifying, for anyone watching.

...

Can Saeran please help me? I'm so ashamed of myself. I just...want him to be with me when I feel like this. I just need a whole load of comfort from blue rose boy right now 😅😅

Hello anon! I'm so sorry for the delay on this one. Please take care of yourself, and remember that Saeran loves you more than anything in the universe! ♡

He wasn't sure what had prompted it.

You'd been eager this morning to head to the craft store with him, in search of yarns and needles and books to help guide you two as you began your new quest to learn how to crochet. After you'd gone to a local arts and crafts fair and seen all the beautiful handmade goods, from jewelry to aprons to stuffed animals, Saeran hadn't been able to shake the idea of learning how to make some crochet companions himself. You'd encouraged him from the get-go, offering to accompany him and learn alongside him.

That was how your life had been, for the most part, ever since he'd left the hospital. Just spending every moment together and taking on new adventures, new activities, new skills, side-by-side. Despite the number of years Saeran had been alive, he'd never quite lived.

You wanted to be there for every new experience and see his smiles as he uncovered the hidden beauties of the world one day at a time.

Why then, had your hand suddenly gone cold and clammy in the aisle? Why had your grip loosened and you slipped away, when moments before you two had been perusing your options and trying to decide between pink and yellow yarn? Saeran couldn't figure it out.

He couldn't figure out what prompted it, but he knew what he needed to do to help you through it.

"My angel," he whispered, lowering himself beside you on the tile floor of the store. You had collapsed onto your knees, and your hands were making small fists, open and close, open and close, by your sides. He could hear your breath coming in ragged gasps, and the shaky rise and fall of your chest were almost enough to make him panic.

But he couldn't afford to be weak right now. Not when he needed to be strong for you.

"It's okay," he whispered, and you flinched, your hands immediately rising to cover your ears. He pursed his quivering lips, trying his best not to show how alarmed he was. Gently he scooted closer until he was right in front of you, and tenderly he reached his arms towards you. He went at a slow pace, not wanting to overwhelm you with any sudden movements or sensations. When he finally managed to place one hand on your back, he swiftly pulled you into his chest, murmuring apologies as he did so. "I'm here. Focus on me. Just me."

The sights. The sounds. The smells. He could understand how a store filled with color and light and chatter and candles could bring you down without warning. He couldn't be certain what had been the final straw, but he was all too familiar with the breakdowns that struck unexpectedly. Ray inside him was trembling, knowing the pain of collapse after working for too long when the bright screens and whirring machines became too much. The other Saeran was scowling, knowing that strength was nothing without care to temper it and keep it honed.

He could hear muffled sobs coming from you, and he could even feel your tears beginning to soak into his sweater. But Saeran had no intention of letting you go until he knew you were secure. With his free hand, he began to stroke the back of your head, humming softly as he did so.

Just see his body. Hear his voice. Feel his warm embrace. Saeran would shield you from anyone and anything that'd ever try to do you harm.

"My sweet love," he murmured. "My dearest darling. Even angels need to rest their wings from time to time." He lowered his lips to your forehead, barely brushing your skin with a feather-light kiss. "And when you need to rest before you continue to spread your love and your light, there's always room in my heart's garden reserved for you."

#mystic messenger #Mysmes #Mysme #Saeran choi #GE Saeran #Saeran x Reader #gn!reader #tw panic attack #Anon #He snuggle

[sasster]

Insomnia for Reid!

Truly I do not know what you expected bestie! <3

One word prompt! Make sure you specify muse!

[And here's a google doc, for your eyes!]

--

Reid lay in bed watching the shadows from the trees outside stretch across the ceiling, painting themselves onto the black and red walls of his room. It was funny, he thought, that the trees surrounding Koteus’s territory were there for their protection. How could they be so scary? In the light of the morning, no less, silhouettes becoming gnarled, mangled hands that reached around the light filtering curtains into the room.

Why were the hands always reaching directly for him, though? Of course they weren’t reaching for him, that’s silly, they’re inanimate objects after all.

Wait, are shadows objects?

He shakes the thought from his head, it was irrelevant to the problem he was currently having.

After a certain age, one starts to feel a little silly when they wake up in the middle of the night, adrenaline pumping, from some horrific manifestations brought about by an overactive imagination. Or was it too much sugar before bed? A mind incapable of letting things go. But it was much worse when the "middle of the night" rolled around a little after noon.

Alternia had a funny way of making the mundane horrifying. Deadly sunlight that morphed branches into disembodied hands, unnatural silence turning a bids call into an ungodly shriek that echoes and bounces off of ceilings meant for giants. What use is a diurnal creature afraid of the day anyway?

Nonsense, he decides as he squeezes his eyes shut. He just needs to get back to sleep, then everything will return to normal.

Sleep does not find him easily, however, and before he can settle back down the strongest stench of vanilla begins to wash over him, and assault his senses. It fills his nose and burns at his throat. Who – Who could possibly be baking at this hour?

That doesn’t matter either, he needs to focus on getting back to sleep.

It is so familiar, this overwhelming smell. Somehow.

Realization dawns on him, and he sucks in a deep breath, an action that allows the smell to overtake him completely. Permeating him inside and out. Despite his fears, he opens his eyes again, hoping that the disfigured shadows would still be there to greet him.

Instead, his field of view is taken up by a plain grey ceiling, even further away than the ones the birds used for their choir practice. There is a small window on a far wall, it lets in enough light that he could make out that the moons were its source, not the sun. The entire scene highlighted by the faintest scent of death, just underneath all that vanilla.

He’s been here before.

Reid shoots up to sit in the bed, panic panging out in every direction. In the same instant, a spark of purple lights up at the foot of the bed.

His gaze is drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. They make eye contact.

Fuck.

Reids arms fall, useless, to his sides.

“Toto,” the stretching of the stitches that decorated the intruder's mouth are barely audible as he speaks. Yet, to Reid, it is deafening. “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

The sound of that voice, the taunting of its cadence, paints a grimace on his face and forces him to once again screw his eyes shut. There was at least that freedom.

“Come now, Reid. If it were as easy as breaking eye contact, where would the fun be?” His voice was calm. Persep rarely found a reason to raise it.

“Shut up!” He shouts at the apparition, trying in vain to regain the use of his limbs. “You aren’t even fucking real. Persep wouldn’t know that reference!”

“No?”

Reid’s eyes flutter open against his will to find Persep standing now.

“So, I got the quote right. I was worried I didn’t.” It seems as though that is a point of pride for him, despite having borrowed it from his host's picture perfect memory, as he walks around to the side of the bed. Something shiny glints in his hands.

“What’s the matter, Reid? Cat got your tongue?” He grins, flashing two neat rows of sharp teeth. “No, not yet anyway. From where we left off, then?”

As the question leaves Perseps mouth, Reid feels his own begin to open.

“Ready?”

He doesn’t answer. He can’t.

“Of course you are.” 

Suddenly, he finds the ability to screw his eyes shut again.

How. Gracious.

He braces for the pain and…

And nothing.

Nothing but the pool of sweat surrounding his body and the thrum of his own heart beating in his ears.

When he opens his eyes again, the disfigured shadows of the branches swaying in the breeze wave their hello, welcoming him back.

No sleep this morning, he guesses.

#reid #persep #coko writes sometimes #mlems #uhhh i hope this is good! #i miss writing in third person #but im not very confident in this one #so hadded to end it here

[ryker-writes]

Hi hi Ryker! First off; congrats on the milestone! Also make sure you give yourself some breaks, drink plenty of water, and touch some grass.

~ The information ~

Name: Dove (feeling silly, wanted to include it)

Likes: Autumn (weather, atmosphere, food, clothing), cats, sharks, crocodilians, snakes, antiques/vintage items (I have a few), cleaning, the colour green, funky earrings, cursive handwriting, bodies of water, old-growth forests, bumble bees, chunky knit blankets, the smell of cinnamon, candles, fossils/cool rocks in general, comfy clothes BUT they're also professional, queer culture.

Dislikes: People who don't clean up after themselves in main living areas (I don't care if it's their bedroom, just pick up your stuff p l e a s e). Crowds. Putting my hands in water while washing dishes (sensory thing, I wear gloves). Yelling, sudden loud sounds in general actually. HEIGHTS, terrified of heights. Not having my work recognized (like chores, the effort I put into IRL tasks). Really hot & humid weather... and also winter. Oh, also I hate bigots.

Hobbies: Writing, reading, knitting, crocheting (new hobby right there), collecting (rocks, glass jars, pens, notebooks, cool knick-knacks, some cursed items in that they give people psychic damage), nature walks, swimming, making funky earrings, bugging moots on the internet, cleaning (just not my room x-x), cooking (average cook, but I enjoy it), tarot, learning about stuff (mainly nature related, but also art history and history in general), listening to music, singing, dancing

Physical & Personality Preferences: I don't care about physical appearance, as long as they are happy in their own skin and being themself, that is enough. As for personality? Someone honest, as I have a hard time detecting lies. Comfortable being wholly themself and taking up space. Who is both comfortable giving and receiving support.

Love Languages: I tend to give quality time, acts of service, and parallel play. Receiving? Quality time & parallel play (physical touch is iffy, but probably in there as well)

Other Fun Stuff IG:

I'm 166 cm tall (in case there's a height difference).

A chronic older sibling who forgets to reach out for help/support (I'm working on it).

My aesthetic or vibe has been described as cottage-core, and you know what, I'll take it. I dress more dark academia, splashed in with some art hoe though ^v^

I know my entire natal chart, but I'll just share my big 3; Cancer Sun, Scorpio Moon (Moon in 12th House), Scorpio Rising (Mars & Pluto in 1st House)

Personality: I tend to be honest to a fault, and blunt; I like getting to the point and making sure that I am understood. At first, I'm friendly and a bit aloof when getting to know people, but I become warmer as I get comfortable with people and can chat your ear off if you allow me to infodump about a shared interest (I once spent a 2-hour bus ride talking non-stop about Pleistocene mammals). I have been called an encyclopedia with the amount of stuff I know and IDK why my brain remembers the stuff it does. (based on my IRL personality)

Hopefully, that's enough information... or at least not too overwhelming ^v^ Take your time Ryker!!!

Thank you so much Dove! I'm trying to pace myself with these requests and take care of myself so don't worry! I hope you don't mind but I'm going to casually ignore the natal chart thing because I don't know anything about that (and honestly I'm scared to learn)

"Dove! I'm so wonderful you decided to come in for this! I'm also glad to learn more about you, and I feel I know exactly who to put with you. You have a lot of variety in your likes and hobbies, and that's a great trait! I only felt it natural to pair you with someone who also has some variety and can appreciate it all!

A great appreciator of all types of things...sounds a lot like Rook right?"

It takes a certain type of person to be with Rook, and somehow I get the vibes that you can do it! He's a wild one, but somehow I think that works with you.

pls Rook loves everything you do

he tries to find beauty in everything, and you help with that!

anything you make is absolutely beautiful and he loves it and shows it off with pride

he even goes into extensive detail about the little things he likes about each piece

he adds to your collections whenever he sees a new piece you don't have ✨

he calls you "ma petite colombe" (my little dove)

quality time and parallel play? Rook has you covered

he loves to be near you and doing your own things and he will often glance over at you and admire your beauty

cottage core or dark academia, he loves you no matter your aesthetic and thinks all of them are equally appealing with you

you don't have to reach out for support from him, he has a sixth sense for you when you need support

pls infodump on him he welcomes it and will remember everything you tell him

you two are like wild cards of information who love to share with each other and I can see you two just rambling about something random for hours without stopping

I see a duo of chaos and love

#sees happy in their own skin and comfortable with being themselves and frantically scribbles azul off my list #idia too for that matter #ryker the matchmaker #twisted wonderland matchups

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

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