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tsunami-of-tears · 20 days

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Draw me like one of your fae girls

Feyre x Reader (sapphic)

A/N: okay I may have plotted too hard before the porn

Thank you so much to ✨ anon who sent this request in. I’ve diverged a little bit, but most of your points are covered 💛

Wordcount: 2.4K

Warnings: Female reader; we have a little bit of angst/pining; smut (oral - f!receiving, fingering, soft d/s, mommy kink)

The rushing of the Sidra, a crisp breeze rustling through the trees, the soft tap of footsteps on the cobblestone streets, people laughing and chattering as they mill about. Velaris, the city for the dreamers.

I meander through the artist’s quarter, arms full of my new supplies. A big gust of wind blows down the street and I spin to shield my face, clutching the bundle close to my chest. As I turn, a sign comes into view:

“Help wanted. Any artistic experience is desirable. Enquire within.”

What are the chances? I’ve been looking for a new job, and being surrounded by art all day sounds like a dream come true. I shift my supplies into one arm and open the door.

Inside the studio is bright and welcoming. Easels line the room, some holding paintings in various stages of completion. The walls are scattered with artwork, all portraying different subjects– flowers in vases, scenes of restaurants by the Sidra, a boy throwing a ball in the park– all breathing life into the space. Vibrant, joyous life.

A high-fae female stands behind one of the easels, she has smears of yellow paint on her cheek and smock. Her grey-blue eyes are narrowed in concentration and waves of gold are tied messily in a bun on her head. She bites on her lower lip as she continues painting, her nose scrunching ever so slightly.

She is captivating.

She looks up from her work, finally noticing my presence in the room.

“Oh hello there. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you come in. My name is Feyre,” she smiles warmly at me before setting down her brush and palette. She wipes her hands on her smock, though it doesn’t help much.

“It’s okay, I just got here. I’m Y/N, I saw your sign outside.” I return Feyre’s smile, and gesture to the door behind me.

“That didn’t take long,” she laughs. “I put that sign up an hour ago. You’re an artist?”

“Yes, I paint and draw, but my preferred medium is ceramics. I like using my hands.”

“We have that in common,” she says, her smile turning slightly playful. “I’m looking for someone to assist during classes. It’s gotten so busy, which is wonderful, but my attention is stretched too thin. Do you think that’s something you’re interested in?”

I nod eagerly, “Absolutely. It’s my dream to be surrounded by art all day. Would you like to see some of my work? The sculptures are difficult to transport but I can deliver some of my sketchbooks.”

“I’d love to, but it’s not required for the position. How soon can you start?”

I blink a few times, repeating her words in my head to make sure I heard Feyre correctly. “Does next week work?”

————

I’m unpacking the fired pottery from the kiln a few months later. Feyre had bought it soon after I started working for her. With her blessing, I’d begun teaching ceramics classes. This last batch was from my regular students who attend once a week.

I’m holding the last piece when Feyre enters. “Wow, these are amazing. You’re doing so well with the students,” she beams.

“It’s all them,” I respond, setting down the pot carefully.

“Don’t do that,” Feyre tuts. “You’re a great teacher and I’m thrilled to have you working with me.”

“Thanks, Feyre. I really love it. It’s so rewarding.”

“I’m still waiting on my personal lesson though,” she laughs. “Are you still up for drinks tonight?”

“Definitely. I just need to reload the kiln, the next batch should be dry enough.”

————

Feyre and I walked to the bar arm-in-arm, already giggling at each other and we hadn’t started drinking yet. Since I joined Feyre’s studio, we’ve developed a close friendship, though a small piece of my heart yearns for more.

She’s mated, I remind myself for the hundredth time.

As we enter the dimly lit bar, Ressina spots us, calling us over to her booth. I take a seat next to another instructor, Coral, and Feyre slides in beside me. Across from us sits Ressina and her partner, Pollux.

Ressina had bought a round of drinks for our group just before we arrived. We raise our glasses, clinking them together in cheers before taking a sip.

“Coral was just telling us about her hot date last night,” Ressina explains.

“Don’t sound so excited,” Pollux says sarcastically.

“Oh it’s just fun, we have to live vicariously through our single friends. Feyre gets it, right?” Ressina gestures vigorously towards Feyre.

“Oh actually,” Feyre says, “I might be back on the market.” She takes a casual sip from her drink, as if she had just said the most mundane sentence in the world.

My jaw drops and my eyes widen in alarm. Across the table, our friends are sporting similar expressions. No one saw that coming.

“Oh no, not like that!” She quickly reassures us. “Rhys and I are quite happy, we’re just finding it a bit… stagnant. We’ve discussed it at length, and have decided to open our marriage one weekend every month.”

“Wow Feyre,” Coral says. “Are you and Rhys equally excited about that?”

Feyre smiles, looking down at her glass, the flush on her cheeks deepening in colour. “We’ve both got different reasons for wanting it but yes, we are. I’ve had my eye on someone,” Feyre’s gaze meets mine for a split second, “and Rhys knew that. It took a lot of conversations to figure out our boundaries, and they’ll likely evolve over time, but we’re taking the first step.”

“Well congratulations,” Pollux says, raising his glass before taking a swig.

“Thank you,” Feyre says, her eyes finding mine again. I can detect a hint of… longing? Surely not. This wine must be going straight to my head.

The rest of the night goes on without a hitch. We drink and talk and dance until late into the night when we stumble out of the bar, waving goodbye to our friends who are heading in the opposite direction. Feyre’s arm is wrapped over my shoulders as I do my best to keep her upright.

“Mmms love you, Y/N,” Feyre slurs, drawing out the syllables of my name.

“I love you too, Fey,” I answer, quickly grabbing her forearm to stop her falling to the ground.

“You’re the bestest,” she sighs, slumping in my arms.

Just as I’m wondering how we’re going to walk home, the darkness in front of us ripples, revealing Feyre’s mate.

“Feyre Darling,” Rhys coos, scooping her into his arms like she weighs nothing; a stark contrast to my earlier struggles. Feyre wraps her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. My heart constricts at the sight.

“Perfect timing,” I smile tightly in an attempt to hide my true feelings.

“The bond was muffled and I got worried, though I now understand why,” Rhys explains.

Right, the bond.

“You must be Y/N,” Rhys continues. “She talks about you often.” He smiles, looking down at the female cradled in his arms. “Thank you for taking care of her, do you need to be dropped home?”

“No, thank you. The walk will sober me up.”

“Of course, I’m sure we’ll meet again at some point. Goodnight, Y/N.” Rhys inclines his head before disappearing into the night with Feyre safely in his arms.

The walk home certainly was sobering. How could I be silly enough to believe she thought of me in any light other than as a friend? Surely she meant she was opening her marriage to other males. Not me.

————

A few weeks after our night out, I’ve finally given in to teaching Feyre how to use a pottery wheel. She’d been gushing over my latest collection all week - a series of vases celebrating the divine feminine, the Mother. She was dying to get her hands dirty, quite literally.

The reason I was hesitant to teach Feyre wasn’t because of her artistic talents. No, I hadn’t stopped thinking about her confession. I hadn’t stopped hoping she meant me.

Feyre is perched on a stool across from me, the pottery wheel in between us with a lump of earthenware clay. Feyre had quickly picked up how to work the peddle, now she just needed to use her hands to shape the clay.

She put her fingers into the centre of the ball like I demonstrated, easing the sides outwards as it spins. As she concentrates, her nose scrunches up and she bites her lip. It’s the same face she always makes when she’s engrossed in creating something.

“It keeps getting wider, how do I make it go back in again?” Feyre asks.

“Here,” I put my wet hands on top of Feyre’s, helping her ease the clay in the direction she wanted. “Perfect,” I smile. Feyre looks up from her work to smile back at me. With her focus shifted, her foot slips and the wheel spins out, spraying both of us with muddy water. We both erupt in giggles as we look at the mess covering each other.

“And I thought painting was a messy hobby,” Feyre laughs.

————

Feyre finished her creation - a simple round vase that she has plans to paint once it’s fired.

The two of us are cleaning up our tools and hands in the large basin. The laughter from earlier is gone, leaving us with a comfortable silence.

Feyre sighs, “It’s the last weekend of the month.”

“I do have a calendar,” I tease.

“No I mean, it’s the weekend Rhys and I decided on.”

“Oh,” I say quietly. “Do you have anything planned?”

“I have someone I’d like to ask, but I’ve been a bit worried about how they’ll react,” Feyre admits.

My heart breaks a little bit at her admission. “You do not need to be worried, you’re gorgeous. I doubt anyone could reject you.”

“I guess,” Feyre sighs.

The silence has now grown deafening between you.

Finally, Feyre breaks it.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” she asks.

“Hey, I thought we were talking about you here!” I exclaim.

“We still are. I was hoping you’d like to join me.”

Oh.

OH.

Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I know my mouth has fallen open.

I look down, unable to meet her gaze as my heart races, the sound pounding in my ears. “Yeah, I would like that,” I respond.

————

Kissing Feyre was everything.

Soft lips against mine. Soft hair between my fingers.

Her scent is dizzying.

This kiss is all-consuming.

Every thought, every touch, it’s all her.

Slowly, her hands slip down my body. Brushing down my neck, grazing over my breasts.

We’re in her townhouse. I’m lying on the couch with Feyre on top of me, her thighs on either side of my hips.

We barely made it through the front door before our hands and lips were all over each other.

Feyre sits up, panting as she regains her breath. She peels off her top, throwing it to the side before doing the same with mine.

“I can’t believe you asked,” I say, propping myself up on my elbows.

“I can’t believe you said yes,” she retorts, leaning down to kiss me again.

Feyre kisses down my exposed neck, teasing along my collarbone, surely littering my skin with marks.

She keeps kissing lower, taking one of my hardened nipples into her mouth and sucking. She takes the other between her thumb and finger, pinching softly. I gasp at the sensation, my hips roll, desperately begging for more.

Feyre hums against my chest, nipple still in her mouth as she grazes it with her teeth, eliciting another gasp from me.

“You make such pretty sounds,” she says, swinging her leg over my body to stand on the floor. Feyre extends her hand for me to take. “Let’s go somewhere with more room, I want to explore every inch of you.”

I take her hand, following her upstairs to the bedroom.

We remove the rest of our clothes before Feyre motions for me to lie in the centre of the wide bed. She crawls between my legs, her face hovering centimetres above mine, her hand gentle against my cheek.

Feyre leans down to kiss me again. Each stroke of her tongue is intentional.

I wonder what that tongue would feel like in other places.

I’m not left wondering for long as Feyre moves down my body. She pauses above my exposed sex, stroking down the outside of my thighs.

“So pretty,” she says. “May I?”

“Please,” I moan.

“Such good manners too baby,” Feyre purrs, dipping her head between my legs.

She starts slow, lapping at me like a cat laps at milk.

My hips start rolling and she presses them down firmly.

“So responsive,” she laughs and I whine at the loss of contact.

Feyre goes in with her fingers next, softly tracing along my clit at an agonising pace.

I moan as the strokes turn to circles, giving me even more friction. My eyes close, allowing my body to focus on the feeling.

“I like that noise,” she says, “but what sound do you make when I do this–” Her fingers slide down inside me and she starts to fuck me slowly. My moans get even louder as she starts to curl her fingers, hitting my sweet spot. I writhe beneath her fingers and she starts to pick up her pace.

“You’re doing so good baby, tell Mommy how good it feels,” Feyre says, lowering her mouth to my clit once again.

“Mmmm Mommy, feels so good. Mm so close.” I babble, eyes rolling as Feyre’s tongue circles my clit in tandem with her fingers.

“Cum for me baby,” Feyre says, her fingers keeping their steady pace.

A few more hard thrusts are all it takes to send me barrelling over the edge, crying out as the waves of pleasure roll over me.

“Such a good girl,” Feyre says, slowing her thrusts as I ride out the high.

My body stills as Feyre crawls beside me, wrapping her arms around me. She softly kisses the top of my head as I sigh contentedly.

“How are you feeling?” Feyre asks.

“Phenomenal.”

Feyre laughs at my answer. “Are you tired, or do you want to keep going?” she questions.

“I’m not even close to being done, it’s your turn.”

“Well then, come here and show Mommy some appreciation.”

“Gladly.”

#a court of thorns and roses #acotar fanfiction #requests #feyre archeron #feyre x reader #feyre x y/n #feyre oneshot #acotar #acomaf #feyre smut

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novasintheroom · 7 months

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Learning to shoot - Vash x Reader

Now part of the 150 Bullets drabble series on AO3!

A glistening brown bottle sits squarely on a fence post. It didn’t have much to do today, other than sit pretty. And, hopefully, get shot off its seat.

POP! BANG!...POP POP!

That doesn’t look likely.

Another bullet cracks by the bottle’s neck. You groan, lowering your gun. “Eleven bullets,” you mutter, adding them up as a shopping list for the next town. “This is stupid.” Then, louder, “This is stupid! I can’t hit it; I’m wasting your bullets!”

“No, you’re not,” Vash says. He sits on a nearby rock, munching on a maple-frosted donut for breakfast, your own powdered jelly sitting precariously close to his wandering hands. Through a mouthful of pastry, he calls, “Try again! Feet wide!”

You sigh loudly for emphasis. Fumbling to reload the gun, a few golden bullets spill on the sand. You grit your teeth. “What does it matter that I learn to shoot something? I’ve gotten this far without it!”

“Yeah,” Vash swallows half his donut in one go, licking his fingers, “but you’re traveling with me now. And you asked to learn anyway.”

“Didn’t think I’d have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn to shoot a bottle, though.”

Vash hums and stuffs the rest of the donut in his mouth. “Just don’t want you shooting anyone’s head off.”

And that was fair. Vash could take care of himself and others with his gun. You, squeamish as you are with weapons, are a hinderance to this status quo. You know this, and Vash knows this, though he’ll never admit it. You try to be a good travelling companion, but it’s hard when you can’t defend yourself. Poor Vash has been put through enough gun fights and brawls just to protect you.

You take a steady breath and go into a wide stance. It’s your turn to protect yourself. You raise the little pistol and spot down your arm the glint of amber twenty feet away.

Steady. Aim.

POP!

The shot goes wide.

A frustrated snarl rips your throat. “Vash– “

“Hold on, just,” he trots over with a smile and goes behind you, “you’re locking your knees. Keep them bent just a bit. It’ll help with the recoil.” He kicks at your left foot. “Keep one leg a bit behind, too.”

“I’ve been doing that,” you grump, but do as he says. It’s awkward, standing like this, but you suppose it’ll get easier with more practice. “Okay, so I just – “

“Just a sec.”

His side presses into yours, and your breath stills. One of his arms comes up to hold your own. You can smell the maple on his breath. “Relax your shoulders,” he presses his hand into the groove of your shoulder and neck, “you want to be firm, not frozen. And – “ he leans forward, adjusting where you’re pointing, “try aiming a little higher than you have been.” He whispers something to himself, the words brushing the shell of your ear.

Goosebumps spread across your arms, and you’re grateful to have a jacket hiding them.

Careful of the warble in your voice, you ask, “I’ve seen you shoot with both eyes open and one eye shut. Which is better?”

Vash shuffles, his chest brushing against your back. “Keep both eyes open when you’re close to a target,” he says, “if you need more focus, close your weaker eye.” At your nod, he leans forward. His lips almost brush your ear. “Try again now.”

A hush comes. There is only the bottle, the gun, the sound of Vash’s coat brushing against your own clothes. You let out a long breath…

…BANG!

The bottle sprays apart in a shower of golden shards. An involuntary yelp erupts from your throat, and suddenly you’re cheering, turning around to hug Vash. He laughs and squeezes you tight.

“I did it!” you shriek in his ear. “I shot it!”

“Careful, put the safety on!” He grabs the gun out of your flailing hands and locks it up. Safe from friendly fire, he hands the gun back and smiles. “See? It’s not so bad.”

You holster the gun. “Well, it’s fun when it’s not something living! Can we try again?” He winces, and you mirror it. “Um…after the next job, I mean. Need to get more bullets, huh?”

He laughs. “Maybe we can find some rubber bullets in one of these towns soon. Then you can use as many as you want!”

“Maybe…” You stop and lean closer to his face. Your hand comes up to trail at his cheek. Vash feels his ears go pink, his cheeks redden. What are you…? Did you want to…?

“Is that…donut powder?”

His hopes are dashed, replaced with primal fear as realization dawns. “Uh…”

“Vash! Did you eat my donut?!”

He backs away with nervous laughter. “Uh…I – well I – “ He takes off, and can’t help but laugh at your shriek of rage as you give chase. He laughs again when you curse his long legs. “It’s payment for the bullets! The bullets!”

Well, at least your morning is eventful.

#trigun #trigun stampede #vash the stampede #tristamp #vash the stampede x reader #vash x reader #nova writes #yay my first longer drabble!#i hope you like it :)#writing

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akilikesbread · 1 month

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quotes from watching trigun stampede with my friends so SPOILERS:

“Bro he even falls zestily” (in reference to wolfwood)

“oh cool flashback” “more like a VASHBACK am i right? ZINGER” “kys.”

“my lawyers have advised me to not discuss what i would do to his stupid fluffy blonde hair”

WW: “the big man upstairs made me strong” “The big man upstairs made me like people with wires and mandibles.”

*vashs arm gets sucked into a blackhole* “bro wtf, hollow purple”

“boy why you so 🪴”

“motherfucker so gay the cigarette bends the second it touches his mouth”

“this is just a documentary of california”

*BadLads gang shows up* “BL? Boys love? They kiss men?”

*Livio standing menacingly* “SANS???”

*in reference to eye of Michael* “Why’s their logo literally new mexico”

*Legato appearance* “blue hair AND PRONOUNS??” “whats with daman mills and voicing gay men”

*Woowoo getting tortured* “theyre injecting 🏳️‍🌈 into his bloodstream”

*First wolfwood appearance* “He better hit people with that fucking cross”

“he looks hot when hes troubled”

*In reference to Rosa* “If pregnant lady dies i’m leaving the call

“OH MY GOD HES REDPILLED.” “Vashed and redpilled”

“Tricum stampede”

*we were watching on an illegal site so it kept opening new tabs* “AHHHH PORN”

*wolfwood gets fucking bent in half by legato* “Bro where can i get a massage like that”

“Roberto looks like. hold on.” The image sent:

“if the animation was a person i’d make out with them sloppy style. with tongue.”

*in Rollo’s old town with the biblical radio shit* “Guys this sounds just like something my bus driver would say”

*zazie turns into a swarm* “would you still love me if i was a worm :(“

“vash’s mom is pretty” “i’m gonna stop you right there.”

*vash.* “LOOK AT HIS SLUTTY WAIST”

“yeah nai just really liked taking out arms this episode”

*knives playing the piano in the distance* “IS THAT THE GRIM REAPER😨😨😨”

EG Bomber: “MASTER KNIVES😈” my friend in the zestiest voice ever: “master😳”

Vash: *reloading* “THATS SO FUCKING HOOOOTTT” “i wish i was that gun.”

*wolfwood gets fucking run over* “i think hes my new favorite character”

*vash getting chased by the residents of jenora rock* “california has never looked livelier”

“Call me Millions Knives.” “edgy ass emo name, he sounds like hes a 13 year old emo who listens to panic at the disco and cries himself to sleep at night.”

“is this prophetic stress dream bothering you queen”

“i wish Californian sand looked as good here, dont eat the californian sand, its chunky”

*conrad appears* “LUIGI???”

“so this is julai…” “its still may dude, idk how to tell you this”

*Julai screenpan.* “THIS IS JUST VEGAS.”

*wolfwood and vash running away* “me when i skeddadle”

*vash gets shot and walks away* “bros like ‘damn i just got shot :(‘“

“Nicholas the Punisher.” “he can punish me if he wants I MEAN WHAAAAAT”

*That Roberto Scene™️* “*through tears* SO HOW ARE YOU GUYS ENJOYING THE SHOW?”

*Knives dramatically playing piano* “You and that fuckin church organ.”

“5gum stampede”

“Why is nai so jacked???” “theyre both built like brick shithouses”

*Meryl points a gun at conrad* “KILL YOURSELF OLD MAN.”

“WHYS NAI CLENCHING HIS ASS SO HARD…”

“Vash wake up!!” “THIS ISNT LIKE YOU POOKIE”

*Wolfwood steals one last cigarette from Roberto* “Rare cigarette that wasnt fucked up”

“WHO CUT THEIR HAIR.” “Xinqiu.” “Yelan ass haircuts.”

*talking about vash* “hes such a shonen protag. Food friendship and (avoiding) fighting”

“Knives, ur literally gay. i dont wanna hear it.”

“The entrance to the higher plane!” “it looks like a butthole.”

*Knives fucking just floating into the higher dimension* “*cackling*” “WHY HE SLIDE LIKE THAAAT” “stone scraping sound effect”

“Vash shouldve been called damian”

“Prepare mentally for episode twelve, take a deep breath, take a sip of water-“ “KISS A MAN” “DONT KISS A MAN” “KISS A MAN!!!”

*start of episode twelve.* “surely this wont be horrifying”

“I promise to protect you both.” “well you really sucked at that, huh.” “yeah fuck you rem” “HELP???”

*looks at Nai* “Whys he wearing a speedo…”

*Red geranium sprouts in tint Vash’s hand* “NAI LOOK DO YOU WANNA SEE A MAGIC TWICK”

*Running through field of red geraniums* “this reminds me of the angry birds logo”

“metal wing?” “its made of knives, yk, like his name :D” “shut up.” “alright then.”

*chanting* “CUBE!!!!”

“HES GONNA STAMPEDE!!!”

“kiss my vash!!”

#lmao #vash tristamp #trigun stampede #trigun #trigun meryl #vash my beloved #vash saverem #vash the humanoid typhoon #vashwood #vashmeryl #tristamp wolfwood #wolfwood my beloved #nick wolfwood #nicholas d. wolfwood #roberto trigun #there will probably be more added to this #we havent finished it yet so stay tuned

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helix-studios117 · 1 month

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Halo Reloaded: Cat Ears

John-117, the legendary Spartan, master of all things military and perhaps not so masterful at the subtler art of humor, found himself utterly disarmed—not by anything dangerous by any stretch of the imagination, but by the unexpected addition of mechanical cat ears on Linda-058's helmet. Leaning casually against the cool, unforgiving metal of the UNSC frigate's hangar wall, he observed Linda tinkering with the ears. They twitched with a life of their own, probably zeroing in on the soft hum of the ship's engines or the distant clatter of a dropped wrench somewhere across the bay.

"Cute, aren't they?" Linda's voice cut through his thoughts, her tone playful yet edged with a challenge, as if daring him to comment.

Caught in the act of staring, John straightened up, adopting the slight smirk that usually preceded his attempts at banter. "Cute? That’s a term for kittens and babies, not something I’d expect to see on a Spartan’s battle gear."

Linda chuckled, her helmet now cradled in one arm as she turned to face him fully. "Oh come on, John. You need to broaden your horizons. These ears are the latest in auditory enhancement tech. And yes, they are cute—might help lighten up the mood when we're knee-deep in grunt guts."

John picked up the helmet, examining the ears with a mixture of curiosity and bemusement. "Practical and cute. Still, it’s a bit out there for a Spartan. We're supposed to intimidate, not... charm."

"Who says we can't do both?" Linda quipped, leaning back against the workbench with an easy grace. "Imagine the look on an Elite’s face when they get dropped by someone wearing these. Adds a whole new layer to psychological warfare."

John snorted, the sound muffled by the hangar’s vast emptiness. "I’ll just stick to my usual scare-them-silly routine. You can keep the charming to yourself."

Linda’s grin widened. "Afraid you can't pull it off?"

"Terrified," John admitted, playing along with the light-hearted jab. "There's a fine line between charming and ridiculous."

"Well, if anyone could manage it, it’d be you," Linda responded, pushing off from the bench to stand closer to him. Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Just think, John. You, with cat ears—might make the rookies less jumpy around you."

"They’re supposed to be jumpy. Keeps them on their toes," John retorted, though the twinkle in his eye betrayed his amusement.

Linda sighed dramatically. "There you go again, all doom and gloom. Maybe it’s time for a new approach. We could start a trend. Spartans: the fierce warriors who can also do 'adorable.'"

"Adorable isn’t very Spartan," John grumbled, though the smirk lingering on his lips suggested he found the concept more amusing than he let on.

"Neither was fatherhood, but look at us now," Linda pointed out softly, her tone shifting as she touched on the new, uncharted territory they were about to navigate together.

John’s features softened, the playful banter fading into a moment of sincere connection. "That’s different. This is... what we never expected but I wouldn’t change it."

"Exactly," Linda smiled gently, reaching out to take his hand. "We adapt. We overcome. Cute ears and all."John squeezed her hand, his voice firm yet warm with affection. "Together."

"Always," Linda agreed, her smile matching his. "With or without the cat ears."

#halo fanfic #halo #halo fanfiction #john 117 #master chief #halo headcanon #halo au #master chief fanfic #master chief fanfiction #halo reloaded #ultimate halo #helix studios117 #john 117 x linda 058 #linda 058 #john/linda

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splatsvilles-fashionista · 2 years

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Nintendo just released the patch notes for Version 2.0: Chill Season 2022! There is a lot of stuff in there, including a Tenta Missiles nerf, so here is the link in case you’d like to read them yourself. If not, then allow me to break down what I think are the most significant changes:

The only direct changes to main weapons are that Tri-Stringer and Splatana Wiper now paint better.

Angle Shooter’s velocity was increased by 20%, and flies further before disappearing.

Zipcaster’s duration drain while using your main weapon was was reduced by two thirds. Go buck wild, folks.

Reefslider and Ink Vac’s explosion had their damage increased to 220 meaning they’ll now consistently splat through Squid Roll armor when hitting the central hitbox.

The one y’all have been waiting for, folks, Tenta Missiles can now not be charged again until all the missiles from the previous use have landed. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s going to reduce missiles spam by like, a lot. I suspect we’ll see like, average missile output reduce by at least a third.

Undertow Spillway’s turf wars layout will now include a ramp into the base, opening up more of the stage for both teams.

Moving onto Salmon Run, Big Shots now move 30% slower, reducing the frequency of their attacks and making them vulnerable for longer as they return to the sea to reload.

Killer Wail 5.1 tracks better, Triple Inkstrike landing markers now trigger immediately upon hitting a salmonid, and both have had their damage increased by 25%.

Landing after using the inkjet and using Booyah Bomb now removes you as a valid target for Salmonid, meaning they won’t be waiting underneath you as you land for an easy splat.

Boss Salmonids have now been capped to a maximum of 15 on the stage at once to avoid the slowdown that occurs when too many of them are on stage at once. This won’t affect most players in any meaningful way.

A big change for Tri-Color turf wars: Regardless of the half-time standings, all teams now have a chance to attack or defend. Clout calculation for tri-color has also been changed.

If you win a x10, x100, or a x333 battle, your team’s photo will now show up on the pledge box, just like in Splatoon 2.

You can enter photo mode in recon mode, even when in recon mode with other players.

This is just a taste of all the stuff in the patch notes. Overall, I think this is a very good patch, if a bit more cautious than I’d like. There’s some stuff I definitively feel like should have received changes. Neither Crab Tank nor Splash-o-matic received any changes, despite their dominating presence in competitive play. On the other side of the coin, Toxic Mist, Point Sensor and the Brellas are glossed over, despite definitively needing a bit of a boost. That said, I am happy with this patch, and am looking forward to seeing how these changes and the new weapons shake up the meta going forward.

#Splatoon 3 #chill season #Splatoon 3 chill season

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mostlymarvelsstuff · 2 years

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Flufftober Day 21

Kiss For Good Luck- Natasha Romanoff

Word count: 789 Nat Masterlist Marvel Masterlist Flufftober

“May the best woman win, kotenok(kitten).” Natasha says with a smirk as she finishes loading up her rifle

“I think I might need a good luck charm. I mean look at you guys.” you say gesturing to her, Clint, Steve, Maria and Sam, “You look ready for an actual mission, not a game of paintball.”

She chuckles, “Well, your team looks pretty battle ready themselves”

You turn and look at Kate, Sharon, Bucky and Yelena as they finish putting their padded armor on, “Yeah, I guess they do look pretty formidable, don’t they?”

“They do.” she replies, “And so do you.”

You smile, “You're just saying that to make me feel better.”

“If I wanted to make you feel better, I’d do this” she tells you before grabbing the back of your neck and pulling you into a kiss, “Good luck”

She winks before walking away, swaying her hips to tease you. You shake your head with a smile before turning back to your team to go over a strategy.

You go over your strategy at least three times to make sure everyone memorizes it, and then you all finish gearing up. Both of your teams head out onto the battlefield to get into your starting locations. After about a minute Tony's repulsor blast goes off signaling that it was time to start.

You keep your guard up and attune your senses as best you can. You know Natasha well, so you know her plan for her team will include utilizing stealth. Clint and Maria will absolutely be good at that, but you're a bit more unsure about the star spangled boys. You knew Steve had a flair for the dramatic and was practically a human wrecking ball in battle, and Sam usually followed his lead without a second thought. You anticipated you’d easily hear the two of them coming.

Proving your point a stick suddenly breaks from behind your group. You turn around to see Maria and Sam standing there, a look of fear on his face as the woman glass daggers at him. Your team manages to take them down, but it costs you Kate. She of course protected Yelena to the end.

A while later, after taking some enemy ground your attention moves to a tree as you see a glint of light. Unfortunately you spot him too late and Sharon falls to the ground with a large paint splatter marking her chest. The rest of you take cover and Yelena is quick to get the offender in her rifles sights. Clint falls out of the tree with an shout, and Bucky high fives the blonde.

The three of you continue on but stop when you hear the thundering of boots coming your way. You smile with a shake of your head as you see Steve practically charging at the three of you. Bucky steps forward when hes see him

“Don’t worry. I can handle him.”

You and Yelena eye eachother then shrug, allowing him to carry on. You both watch as the men expertly dodge each other's shots and punches, each of them being able to anticipate the others moves easily. After almost five minutes the fight between the two friends ends up ending in a tie, and Yelena can’t help but smirk at you.

“Come on Y/n, let's go find my sestra(sister).”

You both tread lightly, heads practically on a swivel as you attempt to track down the redhead. You have no doubt she's been there the entire time though, near enough her team members that approached you all so she could study your fighting techniques so she could save that valuable info for later. Also making things more difficult was the fact that her bright red hair that normally made her stand out was now something that easily blended into the background of the fall forest.

“She's near” Yelena suddenly speaks up

Your brows furrow, “How can you possibly know that?”

“A sister's intuition. Or a spys.” she shrugs

Suddenly the blonde stumbles forward clutching her paint covered shoulder and you quickly dive for cover. You can hear the distinct sound of a pistol being reloaded and you try not to chuckle as you hear Yelena grumbling.

“Suka(bitch), that hurt.”

Natasha absentmindedly chuckles at her sister, momentarily forgetting that you were still out there. And now you know her location. You stand, aiming your rifle in her direction and pull the trigger.

Everything goes silent as two pairs of green eyes stare at you in awe. You did it, you managed to hit Natasha Romanoff, The Black Widow. You won. Yelena shouts in victory, rushing over to hug you

Your girlfriend smirks, “Shouldn’t have given you that lucky kiss.”

Taglist:@wandaromamoff69 @mmmmokdok @nataliasknife @natashasilverfox @when-wolves-howl @danveration @naomi-m3ndez @sheneonromanoff @sayah13 @likefirenrain @nighttime-dreaming @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @readings-stuff @chaoticevilbakugo @crystalstark02 @wackymcstupid @xchaiix @iaminluvwithnat @lovelyy-moonlight @blackwidow-3 @mistressofinsomnia @that-one-gay-mosquito @yomamagf @yourfavdummy @justarandomreaderxoxo @scoutlp23-blog @whoischanelle15 @lissaaaa145 @eline03 @wizardofstories @imthenatynat

#natasha romanoff #marvel #fanfic #marvel fanfiction #flufftober2022 #natasha x y/n #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x reader

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strawberryjamsara · 3 months

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Persona 3 reload: a retrospective

A while back, I watched a let’s play of persona 3. And I hated it. I found it juvenile, nihilistic, extremely gross, and I felt like the members of sees were hardly friends, so their bonds hardly meant anything.

But, Persona 5 is a game I love, and also a long game that I’ve played multiple times, so I wasn’t sure if I was ready to play it again. And I had scrounged up enough for the new game, with me reasoning to myself that I’d have a better experience playing myself

And I was right. Everything I didn’t see in the game before came out at me in this playthrough so much I wondered if the original was ever really as bad as I thought.

So I just wanna recount a lot of the experience here. Beware of spoilers.

story and themes.

In my first watch, Persona 3’s story sort of felt like what I’d come up with at 14. Constant talks about how death is inevitable, nothing matters, and a line at the end saying our dead protagonist “found the answer” by dying which honestly made my jaw drop when seeing it. Not a good thing for someone with constant suicidal thoughts to hear, and the line struck me as tasteless, gross, and neglectful of the audience mental health.

That line is still there, and I still despise it, but this time around, I better understood the message the entire game wants to convey, that being: “Yes death is inevitable, yes nothing in life matters: which is why it’s important to live each day to the fullest and make your time matter.” This is shown by the fictional condition “apathy syndrome” a syndrome that literally makes you stand in place doing nothing forever, essentially a giving up on life that is what the villains hope to inflict on the world. The fall isn’t just an instant death. It’s plunging every human on earth into this state of apathy, and through this, they will all die while not even doing anything about this, and THATS what makes Nyx terrifying. And understanding this, it greatly raised my appreciation. The game also comes with a label warning for heavy themes and advising players to take a break if it gets too hard, which I appreciate.

There’s also a pretty good conflict with the heroes that being: the want for the world to constantly be in peril so they have something to do with their lives. This was sort of in Persona 5 with the thieves (Or really just Ryuji) soaking in popularity, but Persona 3 is a much better utilized version of this. All these people hated their lives before they became humanities saviors, and the idea of losing that purpose in life is scary to them. It’s only through their bonds with eachother they come to realize what they’re actually living for, and makes the villains Strega perfect foils, because their bonds with eachother aren’t enough. Jin obviously would give the world for Takaya, but they so easily threw Chidori away for bonding with the ones who took away their purpose. Takaya is pushed forward by pure nihilism and the ability to do whatever the hell he wants, and so he neglects the people around him. Jin dies in his final fight with you to protect Takaya’s dreams, and Takaya in his last moments wishes Jin could see the end but he didn’t. Takaya put his power trip over the only person he had left, so he was alone at the end.

I will say though, that while Strega are good villains, I don’t really like the games wishy washy handling of the Kirijo group. I’ll talk more about Mitsuru and her bond with her father when I get to characters (it’s nowhere near as bad as Haru though) but while the actions of the company are truly horrific, it sort of looks away from what it means for Mitsuru to inherit a company that caused this entire disaster then profited off of it, which like, yes I hate capitalism, but it’s also a very fascinating thread of idea that gets dropped. Also, yes, making the villains the group of orphans who were experimented on by the Kirijo group and have nothing from the heiress except a line about how she had ‘no idea’ and having the main characters work with the police, and the police being seen as a role model, and working with a coorporation is. A choice. And a huge downgrade from P5. Back to Mitsuru and the Kirijo’s though, this sort of thing could easily have been explored in her social link.

Speaking of which….

Social links and linked episodes

So when I watched that let’s play, the worst part for me was the social links. They were where a lot of personas signature brand really gross content came from, and the characters were utterly uninteresting to me. So were they bad as I remembered?

Yes and no.

One big thing I’m glad they’ve changed is that in the original game, whenever you maxed your bond with a female character you’d enter a relationship no matter what. So if you wanted to max your bond with multiple girls, then guess what! You’re cheating on your girlfriend. This lead to moments where I cringe in sympathy because Mitsuru is ranting to her fiancé about how much better and kinder the protagonist is and knowing this boy is leading on seven different girls.

Also some of the bonds were better than I gave them credit for! I loved coaching the group of kids with Yuko, being with Hayase in rough times, and helping Kamiki come to terms with his death.

Some were just as bad as I remembered though.

The hermit social link is extremely uncomfortable, having to listen to a woman who is obviously your teacher gleefully talk about her plans to get you alone to date you and the game treating this as funny and not horrific. Or Kenji talking about dating his teacher. Or a girl whose so nervous around boys so you can fix her and she becomes confident enough to protest a sign at school condemning relationships between students and teachers- what is with this game and student teacher relationships?

There’s also the problem of the best options in some of these links involve being an enabler. Yes little girl, run away from home, and only bring your insurance card, this is a great idea. If you don’t wanna take the optimal route and say that, you can tell her she deserved her parents hitting her. Yeah, in the original let’s play, I had NEVER hated a main character more than this guy and he was literally a silent protagonist.

I still really hate these moments. I could get attached to the main character (probably because I was playing as him, and there was more time in between… this. And also he wasn’t a cheater) but I still felt so ick picking what I knew was the best option.

So what about the parties links?

I think they’re a mixed bag. Yukari and Aigis have incredibly good social links about themselves and their lives, but Mitsuru’s is clearly just written with romance first, introducing a fiancé who is never mentioned anywhere else in the game for the protagonist to be better than, and Fuuka took a potentially interesting character and made her character arc about what a good cook she is. Thanks Atlus, feminist as always.

But what about the boys? Hahaha… sickos… YEEEES.

The boys in the original game did not have social links. This contributed to my original feeling like SEES weren’t friends, and my dislike towards the protagonist that you couldn’t hang out with any of your roommates who weren’t romance options to cheat on, but reload fixes this. Well, sorta.

Instead of social links, you have ‘linked episodes’ with the boys where you spend a day together and get stat upgrades, and I LOVED this. Often during these episodes the rest of sees would come together and hang, and even if they didn’t, the character insight offered felt worthwhile and like they had bonded. This and study sessions with the group, seeing Yukari Junpei and the protagonist spending time as a group chatting after school, and nightly activities where you could chill with your dormates after dark contributed so much to making these bonds feel more real, and making me believe they’re friends. Even if it’s just the protagonist hanging out with Akihiko on his own, you still get bits of him talking about Shinji and Mitsuru that make it feel alive. I LOVE how sometimes if you go to Tartarus one person won’t be able to make it because they’re out, or they’re studying, or they’re just not feeling it. It makes you feel like you need to take everyone’s schedules to heart. I’m aware that last feature is in the original, but it feels a lot more meaningful to play it for myself.

I’m getting off topic. Time to talk about

The characters

A lot of the characters in P3 I did not like on my first go. With the exception of Yukari and Junpei. And I’m glad to say I’ve come around to all of them this time around. So to go one by one:

Junpei Iori

Junpei at first seems like your typical first persona party member. He’s not very bright, he’s sexist in the way a lot of teenage boys are, and he’s seemingly just there for comic relief.

Then the game flips the script. You realize Junpei is insecure of you. You realize that his girlbestie who teases him all the time, may actually be getting under his skin. You realize that he’s so deeply and utterly sad, and finding out that the entire world would crumble without him is the best thing that happened in his life.

And then he meets the first love of his life.

Chidori and Junpeis romance is so well written, and makes me wish the games would make more romances for your party members instead of the obnoxious romance system that exists where the developers think if the player can’t date any woman that moves they’ll keel over dead.

Junpei finds with Chidori the first girl he doesn’t just think of as someone to hit on for the man points. He finds a genuine crush, someone he cares about the safety and well being of, and a reason to keep going and saving the world because Chidori is in it. And Chidori finds much of the same in him. Watching Junpei turn from a womanizing creep into the sweet guy who waits at Chidoris hospital bed every day was something that even in my first watch had me gnashing my teeth about how Yosuke and Ryuji didn’t touch this level. So yeah. Junpei is great and so is his character arc.

Yukari Takeba

Yukari was the other character I was attached to first run. Mostly because the lets player kept talking about how much he hated her and nothing makes me love a female character more than male audiences treating her like shit, but I was also just attached to her relationship with Junpei. They were the only characters that to me felt like genuine friends, and you could see by the way they’d jab at eachother back and forth.

And I was glad for her headstrong nature. She was the one questioning what was really going on, and she could be mean, and angry, and unpleasant. She could kinda suck, and I appreciated her for that. The scene in my first time where she tries to cheer up Junpei by teasing him and it backfires miserably lived in my head rent free for a while.

And while my opinions of Junpei being a good character pretty much stayed the same this time, my love for Yukari skyrocketed. I realized how endlessly loving she is, and yet how emotionally stunted her beginnings made her, with her dads death, her moms distance, and her friends leaving her behind. I loved when I realized ‘Oh. It’s not just that one time. Junpeis been bothered by her teasing since the beginning, but it’s her expression of love because she’s afraid of vulnerability.’ I loved how she connected with the protagonist, she found someone in a similar situation, but she could still be an asshole to him sometimes because she’s messy and complicated (and side note: I think I ship shuyuka now.)

So yeah. Yukari is a ten out of ten character.

Akihiko Sanada

I thought this guy had no personality the first time around. What was I thinking? Oh boy, I love this dork.

Akihiko going on about bolstering his muscles but can’t bolster his social skills enough for a normal conversation (Mr Autism my good friend) is already endearing to me, but what really comes in clutch is his relationships to Mitsuru and Shinji.

Aki is the only person in the group who doesn’t really see Mitsuru as an authority figure, disobeying her orders from the very start to not push himself, and pushing her buttons a little, a far cry from how she’s essentially the leader (yes I know the protagonist is the textual leader but let’s be real. Mitsuru is the leader.) and they’re a bond I feel like I neglected my first time around.

But let’s talk Shinji.

Akihiko and Shinji are a tragedy and despite knowing how it ended every step of the way this time, I couldn’t help getting attached. Aki losing the only friend he had as an orphan was not all at once but a slow burn. It’s easy to see coming, and yet Akihiko is Sisyphus pushing that boulder up the hill, hoping this time, things can go back to normal with every time he tries to talk him into joining, not realizing the boulder is already falling to the man’s death and Shinji knows it.

I think his final awakening and development happened to fast after that though. Like at least give the man more than a day of his best friend being dead before you make him have his big revelation.

Okay that’s pretty much all my thoughts but one last thing: I didn’t realize how hilariously gay coded he is my first time. He has crowds of adoring girls around him but doesn’t talk to any of them and instead goes to hang with the guys. He’s best friends with Mitsuru and romance isn’t hinted at once. Why are you as a man so obsessed with Shinji, hm?

Fuuka Yamagishi

I think Fuuka has an incredibly strong entrance into the game.

Her status as a navigator is like any person playing their first persona game and gets the navigator, pretty weak at first. Until you realize how powerful she really is. And I think that’s a good metaphor for her character. Turning her bully into her best friend shows her kindness, but also her strength at how she got Natsuki to respect her, not through brute strength but just by being good to her and saving her, and began to spend time with her because of this respect.

Unfortunately, Fuuka is pretty stagnant through most of the story.

I’m glad for some things like her bond with Yukari, and how she finds out the truth behind the Kirijo’s, but it seems like most of this is frontloaded while she takes a backseat to other plotlines, and most of her lines just seem to be her using her persona.

She does get one last incredible scene though in her evolution. When Natsuki leaves and gives Fuuka encouragement, I honestly did feel tears in my eyes for this friendship and the growth Fuuka had knowing she had people who loved her, in both Natsuki and SEES. I speak as someone who usually HATES the bully and victim become friends trope when I say they were a highlight.

So Fuuka isn’t my favorite but she’s a worthy character. I would fix some stuff, but I care her.

Mitsuru Kirijo

This is another character I found bland and uninteresting my first time. I can’t believe how dumb I was.

Okay, so there’s problems with Mitsurus character. I’ve mentioned most of them. Her social link, her becoming the heiress to the evil coorporation, etc etc. but oh goodness is she interesting.

This girl subjected herself to some implied horrific shit for the sake of correcting her families injustices. Because she didn’t want her father to live with the guilt. So she became isolated, depressed, and a bit of a ‘no fun allowed’ type. It could be argued that in the beginning she wants to rid the world of the dark hour the most.

But she’s also just a kid who shouldn’t have to subject herself to that. Her happiest moments aren’t when she’s talking to the father she wants to appease but with her found family in SEES.

As for Mitsurus dad- okay it’s not a Haru’s dad situation. I CAN see some of why Mitsuru cares about him. He’s the ‘stoic but kind’ archetype. The ‘beforetimes’ referred to are before the near end of the world was caused by this man’s father and left him feeling awful, and Mitsuru herself wanted to change that. But I still think the game glorifies him a little bit. Like hey, Strega said they were gathered by Kirijo group to learn persona summoning, and I’m pretty sure Mitsurus grandpa died in that explosion, so who was in charge of those child experiments that killed orphans? You wanna answer that game?

But okay, at the very least, I can see why Mitsuru would care for her father. He’s not as cartoonishly awful as Okumura is, he is an actual human being. And the game keeps its focus on this arc on Mitsuru where it belongs. And her big awakening is, while it’s still not great about acknowledging her dads shit, where it should be. On her realizing she has her friends.

So yes, Mitsuru isn’t as tightly written as Junpei and Yukari, but she’s still a good character.

Aigis

While most characters my first time around felt boring, Aigis felt fetishistic.

Like yes, this robot girls first action is to bury her face in the players bare chest. She watches you while you sleep. This is a running theme. Not only that, but I did not buy her transition into caring about SEES and becoming more human for reasons stated before. SEES don’t feel like friends, yadda yadda yadda.

This time around though, I saw a lot differently. Having the main character slowly bond with her as a friend outside her directive made her feel so much more like a character and not a writers fantasy. I liked little things like how she got excited over ladybugs and that made me appreciate other things like how she goes ‘maaan’ to repeat Junpei or how she gets into an argument with Koromaru. And this made her character development and realization of life’s beauty so much more impactful.

A robot who comes to understand life is a very typical trope, one that I love dearly. My first time didn’t really capture any of the magic for me, but this time around I really love Aigis.

Koromaru

Well, Koromaru is a simple character. He’s literally a dog. He does dog things. He’s implied to be smarter than the average dog. He has a backstory. But sometimes that’s all you need. He is a puppy. A creature. He’s your best friend. He’s loyal and he guarded the place of his last owner. I love you puppy.

Ken Amada

Okay, so first time, I thought Ken had the pieces of an arc that were decent but everything happened so fast. He was introduced, then the next time he did something significant it was saying his backstory and then attempted murder.

I think reloads linked episodes fixed this for me because god I wanna hug this kid. The way they imply his suicidal idealation, and how everyone in SEES sees him as a little brother, give him a family, but he just keeps ruminating on the single worst day of his life so bad he makes another. This kid has such good character development.

Shinjiro Aragaki

God I love Shinji. I love the ‘tough guy secretly loves dogs’ tropes. I love how he knows he’s doomed but still uses his last moments to try and make sure Ken doesn’t end up like him. I love how he cares about Akihiko but doesn’t want to move past his trauma. I love how he’s stuck in place as he is, refusing to let things go but is still fundamentally kind. I love Shinji.

Shuji Ikutsuki

Despite the fact I knew his betrayal was coming this time, I didn’t wanna believe Ikutsuki was a bad guy.

I loved his bad puns, his notebook full of them, how he suggested making the garden, how he just came to hang out in the living room sometimes to be supportive. I love you can catch him on camera making his bad jokes and laughing like a hyena to know that even if he was a shitty dude in the end, he genuinely loved those jokes. After everything he put you through, he was genuine when he told you his bad jokes. Which to me, is far more interesting than anything anyone has ever gleaned from Adachi.

Ryoji Mochizuki

Ryoji is honestly a very good character and I’m shocked. I’ve seen people compare him to Akechi for ‘friends who turn into antagonists’ but as much as I love Akechi, I don’t think Ryoji is anything like him.

But boy do I love him.

While the idea of a nice grim reaper has been done a million times, a kind hand guiding you towards the afterlife, (mind you I love that trope) Ryoji is the first time I’ve seen a bringer of death who hates being one. He loves life, and his friends, and the idea of it ending is scary, but inevitable and he wants to offer a choice, and it honestly feels so gut wrenching when you spend all this time waiting for him to betray you, when you realize he’s just a sweet kid who didn’t ask for this. And honestly, I think I liked him my first time around for that reason. Ryomina is a different story, but I came around to that too this time, and I don’t want this to be bogged down with thoughts on shipping.

Chidori

I pretty much got all my thoughts about Jin and Takaya down in the story section so I’ll skip right to Chidori. And I love her.

Chidori in the beginning feels like just another member of Strega. But when she gets taken to the hospital by SEES partway through, you can see that Strega were not very good to her. They don’t really care most of the game to try and free her, and we find out that she’s been self harming for a while- something Strega doesn’t just ignore, but considering Takayas philosophy, probably actively encouraged. And I like that at first, SEES aren’t equipped to handle her either. They close in and interrogate a very obviously traumatized and mentally ill girl before Junpei busts in to yell at them to give her space.

And I like how we see her passion for art. That despite her claims she cares for nothing, obviously she can’t do that. She loves art. And it’s because of Junpei she really wakes up to that.

I love Chidori

Conclusion

Honestly, I’m not sure if I can put my finger on what it was about Persona 3 that clicked for me this time. Maybe it was the linked episodes, maybe it was playing it for myself, maybe I’m just better at literary comprehension and analysis than before.

But P3 this time really stuck to me, and despite its flaws, I really do get the hype now.

#not putting this in the tags because it is very personal #p3 #gothitxt #that’s it

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enid-rhees · 5 months

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haii!!! can i throw another request your way?

can you write a fic on enid where fem reader is a gun expert in alexandria, where enid is eager to learn how to shoot a gun, and she gets paired with reader? so basically, fem trains enid, and because of this, she finds herself attracted to the brunette. but enid is rather cold and emotionless, so she's worried about not having her feelings get reciprocated. one day, when enid is waiting for fem to show up for training, fem doesn't show up. so enid goes looking for her, only to find her drunk in her house. she tries helping her to bed but fem inadvertently confesses her love for enid, to which enid promises to stay by her side forever.

i hope you're enjoying your week!! stay well :D

kind regards f.f

drunken confession || enid rhee x fem!reader

warnings: reader being intoxicated, please drink responsibly!

a/n: thank you so much for your request, anon! i hope you all enjoy 🫶🏻 and thank you to the amazing @elisiassideb1tch for editing the photos 🫶🏻

Enid Rhee Masterlist

you didn’t exactly have a fascination for guns, but you were good with them, and you decided to put it to good use when you arrived in Alexandria. its been over a year since you’ve been here, and you had become somewhat of a trainer to the citizens of Alexandria.

they’d all have to learn to fight one way or another, and having you there made it easier for them to learn how to use different types of guns. Deanna even let you use an empty building to create a small, makeshift gun range.

you took down the shot pieces of paper and started to replace them with new ones you had just drawn out this morning. not only did you teach others how to use the guns, you also drew out the aim sheets for people to practice on.

as you put up the last sheet, a few knocks landed on the front door of the building. you finished pinning it to the wall and walked over to the door. when you opened it, you weren’t expecting to see Enid, a girl you’ve seen around before, but never spoken to.

“hey,” you smiled. “what can i do for you?” Enid pulled at her shirt sleeves before she spoke up. “i really wanna learn how to shoot… do you think you can teach me?” her voice was quiet, and she didn’t really make eye contact with you.

“i’d be happy to.” you told her, stepping aside so she could walk in. “was there any gun you had in mind that you wanted to try out?” you asked once she was inside, and she started to follow you to the room where everything was. “any gun, really. i want to learn to use as many as possible.”

Enid already seemed more determined than most people you had taught. but you still wanted to start off easy at first. “okay! we can do multiple sessions a week if you’d like. but today, why don’t we start off easy with a just a pistol?” Enid nodded, “alright.”

you took a pistol off the wall and reloaded it with ammo. “stand here.” you instructed, pointing down at the red tape on the floor. Enid stood over it and you handed her the gun. “don’t put your finger on the trigger immediately, especially if the safety is off. you can hurt someone or yourself. keep one hand here,” you gently took her hand in yours and placed it on the gun. a wave of electricity struck through your body.

“and the other here,” you took her other hand in yours, trying ignore the second spark of electricity you felt. you shook it off and took a deep breath. “now… lift you arms up, almost at your eye level. make sure you have a clear sight of where you want to shoot.”

Enid did as told, lifting her arms up at the drawing. “place your finger on the trigger.” you said, and Enid did so. “good. now… again, make sure you know what you want to shoot. keep your eyes locked on it, and then go for it.” you backed away from her and watched her concentrate on the paper.

a few seconds later, Enid shot the gun, and the bullet went right through the chest of the faceless person on the paper. Enid sighed, “i was going for the head.” she mumbled. “you still did great,” you encouraged, “most don’t even hit the chest on their first attempt. you’ll get better in no time, as long as we keep practicing.”

Enid smiled, but only slightly. “you wanna practice more?” you offered, and Enid nodded. “alright, do what i did last time, if you’re still aiming for the head, put your hands up a bit higher than last time. make sure your hands are steady, and your feet are planted on the ground.”

another few seconds went by, and then Enid shot the gun again. you watched the bullet go through the head in a clean shot. “yeah!” you cheered. “nice, Enid! you’ll be an expert in no time.”

Enid shrugged, “bit too early to say that, don’t you think?” you shook your head. “not at all. a headshot on your second try? that’s great, dude. don’t doubt yourself.”

you looked outside and noticed the sky beginning to grow darker. “it’s getting late, but i’m free all day tomorrow if you want to practice more.”

“yeah, this sounds good.” Enid nodded. you took out the keys that belonged to the building and locked it up once you and Enid were back outside. “if you need me for anything else, my house is that one.” you pointed over to the house that was across from the building. “thanks.” Enid said back in response before walking off without saying anything else. you watched her walk away for a few seconds, a little stunned by her cold way of speaking, but that didn’t stop a smile from painting your lips.

you walked into your own home and set your shoes by the door, making your way to the kitchen afterwards. while you microwaved some leftover food, your mind couldn’t help but wander to Enid. today was the first day you had spoken to her, but you’ve seen her very few times before that. she was always distant from everyone. today wasn’t all that different. but something about it captivated you.

you couldn’t lie that you were now a bit excited to see her again tomorrow.

“okay. i think you’re pretty good with the pistol, so let’s start off slightly harder.” you took a pump shotgun off the wall and handed it to her. “now, these have a bit of kickback when you shoot. but i’ll be here behind you incase.” you said softly, and Enid nodded.

“don’t forget what i taught you yesterday. that goes for any gun you hold, alright?” you stood behind Enid and placed your hands on her arms. she jumped slightly, “sorry, just want to help get your hands into the right position. shot guns are way different than pistols.” you said with a chuckle.

“you’re fine.” she mumbled, keeping her eyes locked on the target in front of her. “raise the gun up. a little below shoulder level.”

“close one eye. keep your eyes on where you want to shoot. make sure your hands are steady…. plant your feet on the ground.” you felt your face grow hotter as you stood behind Enid. you didn’t know why just being in her presence made you so weak.

you backed away a few inches, “now shoot.” Enid pulled the trigger and the kickback made her stumble back, and she fell right into you. a chuckle left your lips, although your heart was racing. “you did good. feel okay?”

Enid pushed herself out of your grip and shook herself off. you cleared your throat. “a shotguns bullet are more powerful than a pistol, obviously. so even though you hit the chest, that could still kill a walker. but it you ever get the head with this gun, you can easily just blow it right off.”

“can i try that one?” Enid asked, pointing to the tactical shotgun on the wall. you raised your eyebrows. “this is way more powerful than the pump, Enid. don’t you want to-“

“i wanna try it.” she cut you off, so you nodded. “alright,” you sighed and took it off the wall. you filled it with shotgun shells and handed it to her. she struggled for a moment with the weight of it. “how did you get used to all of these?” she asked you.

you shrugged. “i grew up around them. i never really liked them, but after this shit happened, i figured i had to put the skills i had to good use somehow. and then i found this place. the more i helped others with them, the more i got better with them as well.”

“you’re really good with them.” Enid said. you smiled, “thanks, Enid.”

“can we try them on walkers soon?” Enid questioned, and you let out a choked laugh. “um, let’s practice for a few more days. and then we can try, alright? because if you get hurt, that’s on me.”

Enid nodded and lifted up the gun. you hesitated before asking your next question. “is it okay if i hold your shoulders? this gun is strong, i don’t want you falling down and getting hurt. i promise i do this with everyone.”

“yeah, that’s fine.” she mumbled, closing one eye and holding the gun up close to her. you gently held her shoulders, watching her every move. Enid sucked in a deep breath before she pulled the trigger. her body jolted back against yours, but you managed to keep her in place by holding her. “that felt good.” she laughed breathily, and you looked up at the target sheet. she had gone straight through the head.

“wow.” you whispered. “you’re truly already a master at this, Enid. most people struggle for days, and sometimes weeks. you’re doing great.” you looked at her with amazement, and maybe a little bit of pure love. something about Enid and her being good with guns just pulled you closer and closer to her. you wanted to know more.

you didn’t really believe in love at first sight, especially now in the apocalypse, but Enid had completely captivated you. but if you were being honest, it was probably a lost cause. Enid only wanted to learn how to protect herself, she didn’t come to you looking for a relationship. she was already distant enough towards you. you weren’t looking for one either, but hey, things change.

“i want to help more around here, i guess.” Enid mumbled. you smiled at her, “you’re gonna be such a great help with your skills.”

“you think?” Enid asked, handing the gun back to you. you turned around and placed it back on the wall, “i know.” you told her. “your arms might ache a bit from the weight of the guns. let’s stop here for now… and maybe tomorrow we can head out into the woods to kill a walker or two.” you said, and watched as a small smile made its way to her lips. “okay.”

“alright, head home now and rest. what do you say around noon tomorrow?” you questioned as the two of you walked outside of the building and you locked the door. “sounds good.” Enid said.

you began to say something else, but Enid started to walk away. with a small sigh, you walked across the street and walked into your house.

the next day in the morning, you scavenged your fridge to find anything to eat. you were running low, meaning you’d have to go talk to Olivia soon to get some more.

you settled with eggs and began frying them on an old pan. as you let them cook, you went back into your fridge, and in the back of it, sat a good amount of canned beers. you pulled one out and cracked it open, practically chugging it down. your hand crushed the can effortlessly and you threw it in the trash before grabbing another one.

Enid left her house and walked the two blocks it took to get to the building. she knocked 3 times, and after a minute of waiting, she knocked again, but you didn’t answer.

with furrowed eyebrows, Enid walked around the building to look through one of the windows, she didn’t see you, or any sign that you were in there at all today. then she remembered that you only lived across the street, so she walked over to your door and knocked again.

still, there was no answer. Enid tested her luck and twisted the doorknob, and to her surprise, it opened. she walked in quietly and slowly. “Y/N?” she called out. no response, but then she heard a clattering in the kitchen.

she ran into the room, eyes widening at the sight of you on the floor, multiple beer cans surrounding you, and your eggs burning on the stove. Enid rushed to turn off the stove and then got down on the ground with you. she gripped your arms in hopes you would look up and notice her. “Y/N? what the hell happened?!” she yelled.

your eyes finally found hers, and you gasped. “Enid! hey!” you slurred your words, and Enid sighed. “why are you drinking this early, Y/N? you of all people should know this is terrible for you.” Enid told you. you shrugged, “i found one in the fridge… and couldn’t stop.”

Enid started to clean up the rest of the beer cans, and when she was done, she started to try and pull you up. “okay,” she groaned, “you need to work with me here, let’s get you to bed. come on, stand up.”

it was a process, but Enid managed to get you to stand up and began to make her way to your bedroom. “you know,” you giggled. “i wish you could hold me like this all the time.” you mumbled, and Enid almost dropped you on the floor. “what?”

“i’ve never met anyone like you.” you slurred, stumbling over to your bed. Enid held your back as you tried your best to crawl in. you fell on your back on the bed with a sigh, “you’re perfect, Enid. and watching you… shoot those guns… you’re just so perfect.”

Enid could only stand there, not knowing if you really meant your drunken words. “i..” you started. “i think i love you. but i know you don’t love me back. i fell way too quickly, why would you ever feel that way too? but all i want… you’re all i want,” you mumbled, staring up at the ceiling.

the bed dipped as Enid slowly got in with you. you turned your head to see her next to you, looking down at you. “even when i’m not drunk, i still love you just as bad.” you whispered, and Enid was hoping that you really, truly meant that. “i’m sorry you had to see this.” you told her, tears pricking your eyes. and now Enid was hoping you weren’t an overly emotional drunk type. “because i will still love you just as much when i’m sober.”

“i believe you.” Enid whispered. “i love you too.” she whispered again, and she watched as your eyes found hers again. “and i’ll never leave your side, ever.”

Enid leaned down and kissed your head. your eyes started to droop as sleep was taking over, but Enid didn’t leave. she only quickly went into your bathroom to fill up a cup of water for when you woke up.

when she came back, she got back into your bed and laid on her side, just watching you sleep. her finger traced your face, down to your eyes, your nose, cheeks and lips. with one final kiss to your nose, she laid her head next to your shoulder and closed her eyes, letting sleep take over her as well.

#divider creds : cafekitsune #enid rhee #enid twd #twd enid #enid rhee x reader #enid rhee x fem!reader #the walking dead #twd #the walking dead x reader #twd x reader #the walking dead x fem!reader #twd x fem!reader

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fractured-legacies · 11 months

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Imprudent, Chapter 8: Outsiders

Prologue | Chapter 7 | Chapter 9

Chapter 8: Outsiders

Other anomalies keep mounting as we continue to observe. While our instruments are not specialized for this form of observation work, we have registered what can only be described as ‘unknown entities’. Our initial thought was that they were unknown ramuses that we missed in our initial survey. However, our lifesignature sensors have been unable to classify these entities as either living, artificial, some form of construct, or other device. Given that they are operating within acceptable limits for the humanoid inhabitants of the planet, even from orbit, we can only assume that our sensors are operating correctly—they just cannot identify what it is they are seeing.

And speaking candidly, for the record, I have to agree, given that we are trying to get them to identify giant dragons flying through the clouds and enormous, glowing, translucent canids, felines and other predators prancing through forests.

~o0O0o~

Raavi ava Laargan

Standing on top of the snow drift that hid the stone wall of the canal, I stared into the distance. I fancied that I could see our tracks in the ice, here and there, along the path back home.

But we weren’t going there. Instead, we were turning along a different canal path, one that would lead us southwest, along the kingdom’s central plains.

“You okay?” Lady Fia asked, coming up behind me. “We can take you back to your home, and then continue on. I appreciate you coming and helping this far, but you don’t have to.”

I shook my head. “No. I need to come. No offense, but none of the others would be able to fix the boat if it broke, and then you’d all freeze to death. Well, maybe not you, but I imagine you wouldn’t enjoy it.”

“No, very much not. I hate it when I get that cold. I won’t die, but I still get to suffer a lot of the other fun symptoms,” she said. “Come on. Let’s get back to the boat.” We walked—up, this time, because we were going to be working our way up to the mountains. And that was the whole point of canal locks, after all—the land rose and fell around them, and they lifted the canal barges between the different levels of water, which were flat.

There were three hundred locks on our path to the mountains, which would lift us up by over three miles. But there wasn’t a straight-line canal going up there; it wasn’t practical, with so many hills in the way. So what would have been a seven hundred mile journey by road was going to be a four thousand mile journey by ice-boat along the canals.

Lady Fia’s voice broke into my thoughts. “So, Raavi.”

“Yes?”

“This is your boat… and while it’s small, it’s well made. I think we should give her a proper name. What do you think?”

“Really? You think that?”

“I do. It’s a bit unconventional, but if anyone argues that it’s not a real boat… I’d be happy to take it up with them.”

I laughed a little at that, imagining a queue forming of outraged sailors wanting to take Lady Fia to task for giving my ice-boat an honor only for ocean-going vessels. Would she duel them or drink them under the table or what? Or mix it up a little for variety?

“So what would you call her? Give her an old girlfriend’s name?”

I coughed. “That would require an old girlfriend first.”

“Oh dear. Well then… hmm… we could go whole hog and give her a virtue. Courage or Duty or something along those lines.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, as we came up to the ice-boat, reassembled and reloaded on the higher ground of the upper canal, beyond the lock. “Come on. We’ve got a long way to go.”

“That we do.”

The townsfolk had emerged after the earlier attack, heartened by our report from the capital that the King was going to send out troops to help them defend themselves. With their help, we continued on, heading south-west, away from my home in the north and east.

I didn’t know if I would ever go home again.

But I needed to do this.

For everyone’s sake.

Zoy

Sitting at the back of the ice-boat, Zoy found herself fidgeting. Which was annoying; she knew how to hold still for extended periods of time. She knew how to keep watch, how to reconnoiter under stealth, and stay hidden for hours upon hours.

So the fact that she kept finding herself tapping her foot or shifting her arms around was downright bothersome.

It wasn’t the trip in the ice-boat, she was fairly sure. The initial fascination and novelty of Raavi’s creation had already turned to tedium. As amazing as it was to be able to travel at such a speed, Dormelion-built canals weren’t exactly known for their picturesque views even in the summer; in the winter, it was all snow-white under gray and black skies. The fact that they were traveling an average of forty miles an hour now was strictly intellectual when those forty miles all looked pretty much the same, hour after hour.

But even though she was bored by the unchanging scenery, it wasn’t the source of her fidgeting. Nor was it the seats; while they were plain wood, with the only padding being their coats and supplies, she’d sat in more uncomfortable places without any problems. She’d once spent nearly twenty hours straight laid out on a dusty and splintering wooden ceiling beam, waiting for an opportunity to sneak into a back room. That had been loud and obnoxious and smoky, and while the sound of the skates on the ice was irritating, it didn’t even compare.

So it wasn’t that.

What was it? Why was she twitching like some thug who’d overdone it on the stimbark?

She sighed and leaned back in the seat.

“You all right?”

Zoy turned to look at Yufemya. The other woman was looking at her with concern—an expression that Zoy recognized all too well from Stylio, even when it was hidden behind scarves and masks.

A dozen lies came to her lips, everything from the sullen yeah, sure, to the more upbeat of course!, but she pushed them aside. Stylio was right there in front of her, and if she tried to dodge the innocent question, her mentor would be sure to call her on it.

“I should be, but I’m not,” she confessed. “And it’s bothering me that I can’t figure out what’s bothering me.”

Yufemya smiled behind her scarf. “Oh, I know that feeling.”

Giving a smile of her own, Zoy leaned in a little and said, her voice pitched lower, but still loud enough to be heard over the skates, “I’ve been meaning to ask why another person from the Empire is here. You’re… well, not the first, that we’ve run into, but definitely the first we’ve seen who seems to just be another traveler.”

“I notice that you didn’t call the Empire ‘home’,” Yufemya said.

Zoy shrugged. “It hasn’t been for a long time. But you’re from Kasmenarta too, judging by your accent.” Although her accent was definitely not from the poor lower levels of the grand crystal city. “Is it home for you?”

With a shake of her head, Yufemya said, “I’m in exile, to put it bluntly.” She frowned and said, “I… sort of killed someone.”

“Sort of?” Zoy snorted. “What, so it was manslaughter, or murder? Or something else?”

“I didn’t exactly get the magistrates to rule on it,” Yufemya said with a roll of her eyes. “I just knew that I needed to get out and away.”

“Fair, fair. Someone from the upper levels?”

Yufemya sighed and nodded.

“Eesh. Good thing that you got out, then.” Zoy considered just how brutal the city militia would be in hunting for the killer—accidental or otherwise—of one of the capital’s upper ranks, those who lived above their lessers, both literally and figuratively. When she’d been a child, before she’d met Stylio, there had been a case where a young lord—a count’s son or something along those lines—had gone down into the slums to enjoy himself at the pit fights. He’d been beaten and robbed, but not killed. After a week’s intensive search by the militia, the three muggers had been found, and lashed to the exterior of the city to let them die of exposure.

They sat in silence for a moment before Yufemya asked plaintively, “Why do you have so many knives?”

Zoy snickered as Stylio gave an overwrought sigh from her seat; she’d been listening, not that she could avoid it, given how close they all were. “I have them because I can use them, and always having one more can make the difference in a fight.”

“Even the ones…” Zoy saw Yufemya’s eyes glance downward, “even the ones there? How would you even get them out in a fight?”

“Oh, those are the holdouts, for when you’re told to hand over everything… and you do. Almost. Saved our lives a few times,” Zoy said with as light a voice as she could manage.

“I see. Well… let me just tell you that seeing you pull out a small arsenal like that was amazing.”

Feeling her cheeks heat at the compliment, Zoy cast about for a reply, but a call from Fia drew their attention. “Everybody, brace yourselves! We’re about to hit a gust!”

“How—” Zoy started to ask, and then she saw it.

Everyone on the ice-boat gasped as they saw the glowing form flying among the gusting clouds, heading northward like an arrow from a bow.

A dragon.

It was vast, and even from here Zoy fancied she could feel the power it exuded.

The gust of wind hit like a blow, making the sails flap hard, and Zoy felt it as they picked up speed; even though they were heading south, more or less, the way Fia had the sails trimmed let them use the north-blowing wind to speed them on their way.

Zoy kept her mouth shut, watching the banks of the canal rush by at a notably faster pace than they’d been moving before. If they crashed at this speed…

But Raavi and Fia seemed to take it in stride, even as Stylio called out “Sixty-four miles an hour!” as they passed another mile marker.

Next to Zoy, Yufemya swore, and Zoy put a steadying hand on her leg. “We’ll get through this,” she promised the other woman.

Yufemya’s gaze caught hers, and she nodded, even as the little ice-ship rocked from side to side; they were traveling more than a mile a minute, down a corridor of ice and snow, miles from civilization; if they hit anything, they would almost certainly die.

But Zoy didn’t feel any fear, now that she’d had a moment to think. Stylio could heal just about anything, so long as the brain was in one piece, and Fia could probably get the mast through her chest and just whine about it ruining her clothes.

And Raavi, for all that Zoy was enjoying teasing him, was someone whose skill she had grown to trust.

They would get through this, traveling faster than anybody ever had.

The gust passed, as did the dragon, and the ice-ship started to slow with the wind.

“Well. That was exciting,” Fia said. “Yu, can you find us some place to stop and take a break?”

Yufemya nodded and pulled out the map.

Zoy leaned in to help.

Raavi ava Laargan

“Do you ever wonder what it is?”

“What what is?” I asked, working on piling the kindling over the mound of tinder I’d ignited with my lighter. The thinner branches caught quickly, thankfully.

“The Night-Light,” Stylio asked. “The Night’s Companion. The Sleepless Eye. The Light In The Dark. The Exiled Sister.” She pointed up into the—amazingly—clear sky, where the Night Light glowed among the glittering and twinkling stars. The moon had set hours earlier, but the Night-Light gave more than enough light to see by, especially with the ground covered by snow. “Do you ever wonder?”

I set some more kindling on the burning branches and added a few logs to the pile, the warmth welcome on my skin. “I have. There’s been some interesting research on that, in fact.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, one of my housemates back home—Emuund—is an astronomer, and he told me about the sorts of things that he and the others were doing and researching.”

“And?” Stylio sat down next to me, sounding fascinated.

“Well, it’s not a planet. The orbit is all wrong for that.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, helping me put on another log; they’d come from a stack of wood under a tarp by the empty village next to the canal lock. The residents were—hopefully—all off in one of the nearby towns or cities, sleeping away in the caverns underneath, having left their orchards of conifurs, beefnuts, and yews to sit through the winter. We were just grateful for the windbreak; Yufemya’s suggestion that we stop here had been well received.

I frowned, doing my best to remember what I’d been told. “All right, so a planet orbits around our sun. There are five of them—two of which we can only see with telescopes—and since we’re orbiting closer to the sun than they are, we go faster. So they seem to ‘loop’ in their motion when compared to the background stars as we catch up and then leave them behind.”

She nodded, especially as I held my fingertips up to show the looping motion as one seemed to ‘overtake’ the other. “I follow.”

“The Night-Light doesn’t do that. It’s apparently locked to our orbit somehow; while it moves around a little, it’s nothing like the other planets. It’s a huge mystery as to what it is, how it’s moving when our math shows that it should be falling behind in its orbit, why it apparently doesn’t have any features we can pick out even with our best telescopes, or even how far away it is exactly.” I frowned. “Why do you ask, though? I thought that the Dormelion Empire… um… discouraged that sort of questioning.”

“Because of the Sacrem?” she asked.

I nodded, and added another log, the previous one having caught, followed by another.

“Yes, they are a problem. But, shall we say, I have left the Empire for various reasons, not the least being their beliefs.” She rose. “Later, when we are done with this, I would like to see the research on the Night-Light if you can find it for me.”

I grinned. “Of course!”

Yufemya came over at that moment with a pack and sat down, warming herself. “Good job getting the fire going, Raavi.” Twisting to the pack next to her, she opened it and started taking out food and a pan.

“It’s not ready yet!” I protested, looking at the blazing logs.

She shrugged. “It’s all right, Raavi. I’m just getting them out and ready. I know to wait.”

I shrank a little. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m honestly surprised you’re still awake. You know you can let one of us take the tiller for a bit, right?”

“But…” I grimaced, trying not to sound too selfish. The ice-boat—which still had no name—was my creation, and I felt so anxious at the idea of giving it to someone else. “It’s all right. I can handle it.”

“Just if you’re feeling tired, feel free to ask one of us to take over,” she said. Then a smile briefly grew on her face as footsteps crunched through the snow behind us, and she turned towards Zoy. “Is the tent ready?”

Zoy slumped next to the fire. “It is. Village checked?”

“It is. No one here, alive or dead. Some tracks through the snow, but they’re at least forty hours old.” Yufemya started rummaging through the pack again. “Also, I looked at the maps, and assuming the surveyors and Stylio’s watch are accurate, we’ve gone close to four hundred miles in the last sixteen hours.”

Zoy whistled and patted me on the knee. “Well done, Raavi.”

A yelp echoed through the trees, followed by Lady Fia’s cursing.

“Everything all right?” I called out.

Lady Fia called back, “Just dandy! Torn gods, I hate field toilet in winter…”

I grimaced in agreement as a chuckle—sympathetic by the sound of it—went around from the others.

Emerging from the trees a few minutes later, Lady Fia was still grumbling as she brushed snow off of herself. “‘Oh, this looks like a sheltered spot! Go here!’ I tell myself… and bumped the tree and the damn thing dropped a whole load of snow on me just as I was finishing up.”

I winced. “That sounds awful.”

“Just unpleasant. It’s not like I can get frostbite, unlike the rest of you, so be careful.” She pointed at Stylio, just as the older woman started to speak up. “Yes, you can heal it, but we shouldn’t depend on your healing if we can avoid it.”

Stylio nodded. “You are correct. But it is still worth noting.”

Lady Fia smiled and gingerly sat down around the fire, before closing her eyes and leaning her head back. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“The fire?”

“That for sure… but also not hearing that screeee sound of the blades on the ice!”

“Hear hear,” I said, and the others echoed me. “I feel like I can still hear it, and I see the canal walls every time I close my eyes!”

We sat in calm silence, only the crackle of the fire making any sound, and then, soon, the sizzle of meats and vegetables in a pan. We had miles to go—a lot of them—but we would do it. I was certain of that. I would make sure we got there.

After we ate, we took the hot stones from the firepit and brought them into the tent to help keep it warm. The thick padded wool of the tent kept the warm air inside. It was cramped inside, but we were all so tired we all fell asleep almost instantly.

I woke up, feeling an urgent need for the toilet, and pulled myself from my sleeping pad and blanket. Staggering to the tent flap and managing not to step on anyone on the way, I let myself out.

Wandering away a bit from the camp, I found a sheltered spot—not beneath a tree laden with snow—and did my business, doing my best to ignore the chill and trying not to think of the warm bathroom back in my parents’ house.

I was on my way back when I heard chanting on the wind.

Out here? Now?

I turned in the direction of the sound, and made my way through the snow. It took a little while, but I saw flickering light soon enough, and started heading towards it.

A short while later, I found the source. At the edge of the vast groves and orchards, abutting the forest nearly a mile away from the village, was a massive shrine-stone. It was at least twenty feet tall and carved over every inch. At its foot was a stone bowl, filled with a blaze, with offerings set in niches around it. A group of three men bowed before it, prostrate in the snow, chanting.

And then they stopped.

I swallowed a gasp as the blaze seemed to congeal into a shape. A cat… if cats glowed yellow-white and stood two feet tall at the shoulder. A pair of tufted ears extended up from a squat face above a stocky body ending in a short tail, patterns of spots picked out in yellow highlights.

The fire died down, and the cat padded forward, as if examining the three men, before pausing on the top of the bowl and standing as poised as only a cat could.

“Great Wise One,” said the center man of the three. “We greet you and thank you for answering our summons as always. And our bargain is unchanged: our gifts in exchange for the fecundity of the forest and groves, as we have ever done for you and you have done for us.”

The ethereal cat considered, and I turned and left.

I’d heard about such ceremonies. I’d never seen one, since I hadn’t been inducted into any, but I knew about them. They were private, personal affairs between mankind and the spirits. They were emphatically not gods—the priests had always been very clear about that—but they were beings of power who could be called and bargained with.

The fact that I’d intruded could have broken the whole thing; they might need another man sitting crouched in the trees for next year, and not know it…

I considered going back and telling them. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for breaking their pact with their patron, and it was a beautifully laid out grove. Maybe before we left, so I could have Lady Fia and the others with me, in case they took offense…?

I saw motion out of the corner of my eye and turned, to see a brief glow vanish behind a tree.

Uh oh.

I kept moving through the snow, retracing my steps.

Another glowing blur in the corner of my vision.

I started to sweat, wondering if I was going to suffer a different penalty for my trespass.

I saw it again, and by now I was certain that it was stalking me, and for fun.

Keeping moving as quickly as I could, I kept following my footsteps back. I’d just reached the campsite—I must have been moving faster than I thought—when I heard a sound and turned.

A weight hit me and knocked me to the ground on my back.

I whuffed with the impact, but the snow cushioned my fall. I blinked and looked up to see the ethereal cat standing on my chest. I could both feel and not feel its weight. It was there—I could feel it—but the weight felt less than my own coat.

At the same time, it was unquestionably pinning me to the ground.

I grimaced and said, “Are you going to be upset? I didn’t mean to spy on your summoning. I’m sorry.”

The cat seemed to consider for a moment and sat down on my chest in a classic loaf pattern.

“Urk! How can you weigh so much when you’re made of light?”

It settled in more pointedly, and not having any other ideas of what to do, I reached up and awkwardly petted it.

It purred, the vibration seeming to shake my entire body. I kept that up for a good ten or so strokes before I stopped and it opened a glowing yellow eye and looked at me.

“Got it. So this is my apology for spying on your summoning?” I got back to petting it, and it continued to purr. Somehow it had mass despite the fact that I could see my hand through it, as if it was cloudy glass.

After a few minutes, it shifted and stretched—with long claws extending out right near my face—and then walked off of me.

I rolled and started patting myself down. As I got up, I looked around for it, finding its tracks next to me… but those ended abruptly. And then I saw it on the ice-boat, sniffing inquisitively.

How had it gotten there that fast? It was a good thirty yards away, at least!

It saw me looking, and then, walking lightly along the rim of the boat, made its way to the prow and hopped down to the ice, out of my line of sight.

I trudged over, and looked down.

It was—unsurprisingly—gone.

Turning, I scanned the trees, and saw it standing by the base of one trunk, near where it had toppled me into the snow.

It saw me, stretched, and then pointedly walked into the groves, quickly vanishing from sight.

My heart pounding, I leaned against the ice-boat, and then blinked as the tent stirred. A moment later, Lady Fia emerged, yawning. She went over and started up the fire using a taper from the lamp, before looking at me. “Raavi, you all right?”

I nodded and looked at the shallow prints the cat had left in the snow, before looking again at the ice where it had landed before. In the corner of my eye, I saw the lines from the skates for the ice-boat. “I’m fine,” I said. “And in fact, I have a name for the boat now.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Meet the Lynx.”

<<<<>>>>

Prologue | Chapter 7 | Chapter 9

And there we go!

Also, after some fiddling with settings, there are now Patreon-exclusive chat channels on the Discord server!

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vexenya · 9 months

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“Unsupervised internet access won’t affect my child!!”

The child in question: Girl intruder with no future a computer claims my soul burdened with a nasty burning obscene yearning for control shy and quiet there but silent there’s a violence in my heart want to maim you to repaint you want to make you come apart growing up I had these urges I’d feel bad about but I’m done feeling guilty I’ll take these thoughts and tear them out so you can’t stand to see me punishing myself only other option is to take it out on someone else stickers on my artillery I’m gonna make history hurry up and get rid of me while there’s nothing left in me quiet girl so unassuming don’t ask me how I’m doing born to bring the end of the world swear it’s nothing personal tried to take it out on myself didn’t have the same effect blood is always satisfying but yours will be better yet round the corner acting normal scary how they don’t see it ain’t it strange it feels like yesterday that I was just a kid another night I’m all alone enthroned within a screen rgb light reflects uncut orgasmic tragedies oh I can’t stand these awful thoughts inside of me only way to compensate is lead and metal sharp and clean razor bladed sugar coated just cock it and reload it in the backyard firing rounds who’s an easy target now quiet girl so unappealing don’t ask me how I’m feeling born to die I’m taking you too how much damage can I do bloody feet across the floor no one there to clean the stains never got to be adored no one there to ease the pain nobody to kiss it better laughed at for all of the scars abusive misuse of a child guess that must’ve been the cause now I’m bitter now I’m better angry but I know the truth you all hurt me you all hate me this is what you made me do when nothing matters at all you can do anything I have to hurt them for balance for karma before they do it to me so you can’t stand to see me punishing myself don’t be so nice to me you’ll make me wish I wanted help stickers on my artillery why won’t you go and kill me hurry up and get rid of me before I say I’m sorry quiet girl nobody knows her please let me start all over born to bring you all misery and yet you see good in me if this really wasn’t the end and I could do it again do you think that I’d deserve it do you think that I’m worth it sympa empa apathetic they’re only theoretic for now I’ll put down my weapon I wanna be a person (/lyr)

#splitter girl #tptm #YES I know the song is not just about how the internet affects people #I know it’s about intrusive thoughts and child abuse and unresolved trauma and low empathy and #the effects of bullying and self demonization and social isolation and self harm and suicidality and messy transition into adulthood #and anger issues and undiagnosed mental illness and SO much more #but it’s okay I’m just making a funny #there was a wrong lyric here for an embarrassing amount of time

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savagecowboy · 4 months

Text

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐃𝐆𝐄

A raucous holler, “ YEEEEHOOO ! ” Cut through the sound of gunfire, somehow louder than the rain of shells clattering to the marble floor.

“Is he always like this?” Diamondback panted, pressing herself tighter into the alcove of safety formed by the corner of the counter; still unused to the idea of immunity to bullet wounds.

“Yup”, Homer answered her, sighting in another of their assailants.

“I think it’s charming” Jesse said sinking down next to the woman as she struggled to reload her gun.

The crazed blast devolved into a series of weak clicks as the tommy gun spent its supply. Disappointed, Severen tossed it aside and wiggles his fingers over the handle of the holstered revolver at his side. A bullet whizzed by his head as he looked down at Jesse, who is finally getting Diamondback’s gun in some kind of working order.

“Fifty bucks says I can knock all their hats off” he gives a manic smile, licking his teeth in anticipation of the self proclaimed challenge.

“No trick shots!” Jesse shouts at him, peeking over the counter and unloading several rounds out the window of the bank they are trapped inside.

“I’ll take that bet” Homer says, slamming another magazine into his semi-automatic.

“Attaboy!” Severen whoops, drawing his gun with flair, spinning the cylinder out of habit and bracing his palm over the hammer.

Six officers are barricaded on the far side of the building, some of the last left alive. Six shots are fired, each one echoing deafeningly as they angle into and out of each man’s skull.

“Woo!” The vampire pumps his fist into the air with a cheer, “You were always a poor gambler little man”.

The tease riles Homer and he stands with rage in his eyes.

“And you were always a damn cheat! His hat’s only cockeyed!”

Severen rolls his eyes, “No it ain’t, not my fault the wall’s right there”.

“Stop shakin’ peckers and clear out those last two”, Jesse snaps in a tone of voice they know not to question, “forget this piece’a shit darlin’ we’ll get you sumethin’ better on the road”.

He tosses her gun and gives her a quick kiss, seeing that despite everything she’s already been through, this new lifestyle can still rattle her. She grins at him brushing her knuckles against the stubble of his cheek.

“I’m ok Jess, guess it’s just my first rodeo”. She laughs and he gives her a genuine smile in response, their love still newlywed sweet.

“Aw gee, need me to hold your pony?”

Severen cuts in acidly, two shots ringing out, as two last bodies fall. Diamondback steels herself against the man’s jibe, she’s suffered enough jabs from others to take this one on the chin. She won’t let him ruffle her feathers. Jesse lowers his eyes and stands, reaching his hands down to her to help her up now that the building is silent.

“C’mon, you an’ Homer grab the bags and we’ll take one’a their rides outta town. Make it to the state line before sun up”.

She nods curtly and does as bid, helping the boy— or what she can’t stop thinking of as a boy— stuff wrapped bills into the satchels, tying tight knots at the top. Severen is dumping empty casings from his pistols as Jesse approaches, boots crunching over broken glass. He purposefully avoids his elder’s gaze, knowing he two-stepped over a line that he’d been warned about.

A firm hand clasps his shoulder and squeezes.

“We’ve been on this train nigh on 40-50 years now, you reckon?” His words are slow, almost ponderous, as if frozen by the icy tone of his voice.

“Ya”, Severen responds shortly, feeling the hot iron raised and waiting for the sear.

“You always been one for raisin’ sand, and it don’t bother me none, because we have an accord”, Jesse paused, Homer and Diamondback passing by them.

“Now, when I told you I’d taken a fancy to our Diamondback, I was real clear on the terms and conditions of joining up with our little posse, just as I was with you, right?”

Severen sighed through his teeth, squirmy in the face of tension; Jesse’s grip tightened, the press of his jagged nails biting into the worn leather.

“She’s as much a full fledged member as any, and while I won’t cry foul at your particular brand of unsavory humor, you need to give more than a lick an’ a promise to makin’ her feel welcome”.

The younger of the two rolled his eyes and tried to shrug away his shoulder, Jesse bore down, and the two locked eyes.

“I’m dead serious boy. I know you ain’t keen on change, gets your dander up, which is why I give you my time and I explain myself. That’s respect, you paid it forward in turn, which is why we are the way we are”.

The stressed emphasis on his last words marks them. All at once Jesse let go, neither broke the stare.

“I never intended on finding my lady love, but she is my own an’ you best be treatin’ her how you would me”.

This Severen seemed to understand, the petulance faded and the man Jesse met on the prairie all those years ago stood before him again.

“Yessir”.

And with that affirmation the air cleared between them.

The two rustled up whatever else they could salvage for profit or future battle from the wreckage and dashed out to the motorcar, its engine idling. Jesse went to the driver’s seat while Severen clambered in the back with Homer and the duffels full of their ill gotten gains.

“I got it to start, but I’m not too good a driver” Diamondback said shuffling over so Jesse could slide in behind the wheel.

“Not to worry darlin’, that’s my job”. He gave her a winning smile and she patted his knee.

Severen piped up from the back, rubbing a grubby cloth over the barrel of his revolver, “Diamondback, don’t you worry any about learning the trade, no one better at it than me’n Jesse, an’ I can teach a blind man to shoot a fly at twenty paces”. She looks back at him still with a grin on her face.

“It’ll take more than a poor turn of phrase to get under my skin sweetie, but I may take you up on your offer regardless”.

Something passes between them, a pact established.

“Maybe with something less likely to act up on me though”.

Severen leans over and slaps the seat behind Jesse.

“You still got your knife?”

“Sure, why?”

“Thinkin’ it might well suit our purposes”.

Diamondback catches his drift before Jesse does, “I did do a little carnival act where I threw knives once. People said I wasn’t half bad”.

Severen shows his teeth in a smile.

“Wouldn’t that be sumethin’”.

Jesse laughs, “It sure would”.

“Severen couldn’t teach his grandma to suck eggs” Homer pipes in, the accused sitting back in his chair to comically glower at the smaller vampire.

“Don’t forget that fifty you owe me, an’ I want it from your share, don’t go shortin’ a pile thinkin’ I won’t notice”.

“And here I wasn’t sure you could count”.

Severen grabs for him and the two tussle in the back seat making the car sway on the road.

“Simmer down back there!” Jesse shouts at them, “worse than a couple’a horny broncos” he grumbles.

But the worst is over, the town lies behind them, the safe house they marked out only a few miles more, and then they’d be able to lie low for a while, take things a little slower— savor the night again. Diamondback catches his eye and gives him an affectionate wink.

“We’re in for some fun times ain’t we?”

“You can take that one to the bank”.

Hearty laughter fills the car and filters out onto the dark road they speed along.

#near dark #near dark fanfic #severen van sickle #✘ ONE SHOT.

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skylarmoon71 · 1 year

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Timeless Wells (Flash) Soldier- Chapter 1

Surviving a war wasn’t hard.

It’s the path that came after.

They always said that the battle would be hard. For you it really wasn’t. Most of your life was a fight. Jumping from home to home was no way to live. So when you were offered a chance to serve, you took it. Not because of patriotism. Nor was it for some need to protect. It was only for a roof over your head, warm clothes and something to eat. You were strong, you’d always been. So fighting for a cause was worthwhile.

Months, years of training and drills, you were exposed to the real thing.

Life.

It was cruel.

Brutal.

Standing out there with a rifle in your hand and the people you’d come to call your friends drop one by one felt unreal.

For the first time in your life, you felt fear. Not for your own life. But the ones of the people who actually had something to live for. Someone to go back too.

“Fall back!!”

You ducked behind the boulders after the yell from your lieutenant.

“Sir we’re surrounded!!” Your evaluation was an understatement. If you made it out of this situation alive, it would have been a miracle. His head laid back on the rock, clutching his tags. You just watched. Waiting for some kind of signal from him. It was down to the both of you. There were more than a dozen people out there. You swallow.

“I’ve got a little sister back home. For the longest time it’s just been the two of us. She’s always taken care of me. Whether I live or die out here, her tuition is getting paid. I was a wash out. I’d never done anything good with my life. She is the only thing that matters to me.”

It feels like yesterday that he’d told that story. All of you had been sitting at a checkpoint as you went over lost loves and past screw ups. You’d never been someone of sentiment. That’s why you’d spent the night just listening to the very entertaining stories of your comrades. Your family.

He was your family.

Maybe your life didn’t have to be for nothing. For once, this felt like a decision you made out of understanding what was next. Not just a choice for your convenience.

“It’s been an honor sir.”

His eyes shift to your side, and when you jump from behind your spot, he panics, rushing to load his gun.

“S-SOLDIER STAND DOWN!!”

He cursed, scrambling to reload. His attempt to follow was stopped, because the onslaught of bullets continued. He jumped behind a thicker rock. You just lifted your weapon, taking out as many enemies as you could. The crashed truck from earlier presented a good cover. Huffing, you did a mental note of the positions of each person. You’d only managed to strike down two, and that alone felt like sheer luck.

Gritting your teeth, you continued. Your first shot took down another, and you gasped when a bullet struck you right in the shoulder. Eyes clenched in pain you pushed through. You're fired with all your might. The second your bullets ran out, you accepted your faith. There were maybe six men left. Help was ten minutes out. If your Lieutenant was smart about his approach, he could survive this. So you dropped your empty gun, waiting for the inevitable.

The sound of lightning ahead is what seems to stop all movement. At first you assumed it was some kind of enemy battleship that was approaching. Because the earth seemed to shake. But your enemies didn’t look very reassured. Because they had seized all attacking to look at the gaping hole that opened in the sky. You staggered back, eyes wide in disbelief.

That doesn’t seem like the only unrealistic situation. Just beneath it, your eyes catch a flash of green. The light seems to disappear just as fast as it came.

“YALE!!”

Your mind just barely processed your name being called. Your superior was sprinting in your direction as he fired his gun. It’s obvious that he was just as terrified at what seemed like an impossible anomaly in the sky. He took down each target, easily. They were far too distracted by the freaking worm hole that appeared in the sky. The second he was by your side he grabbed your hand.

“We need to get the hell out of here!!” It was an order, but your body wouldn’t move. It refused to.

“SOLDIER!! WE HAVE TO GO!!”

You blinked, staring at him. Motion returns to your body, and the second you take a step, your Lieutenant is thrown at least ten feet away by what looks like a spark of lightning.

“LIEUTENANT!!”

Your scream echoes and so does the clap of thunder. You race to his side. When you drop to your knees, you check his pulse urgently. He’s unconscious, but alive. You sigh, dropping your head on his chest in relief.

“I’m back.”

The tremoring tone of something behind you makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. You turn around shakily, greeted with demonic red eyes. This stranger is wearing a bright yellow suit, with a bolt as what you can only assume is his emblem. If you can call it that. The red slowly retracts from his eyes, and you make out a very human gaze. Blond hair, dangerous eyes. This is not a friend. It can’t be.

“W-What the hell are you…”

He tilts his head, a satisfying crack ringing. His steps are slow, taunting almost. A sinister smile planted on his lips.

“Never mind who I am. It seems you both are in a tough situation.” His eyes mark the many dead bodies. Some of which are people from your squad.

“You’ve lost quite a bit of people, how tragic. “

His tone is mocking, and you grit your teeth. Your evaluation of an enemy is correct. Your eyes drift to a gun a few feet away. One you hope has bullets for you to at least defend yourself.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Your eyes dart back to his form.

“What do you want?” You try to level your voice. Because he seems to get off on your fear. He’s just a few feet away.

“Ultimately, I’m going to kill the Flash. But I suppose I could have some fun here with the both of you. What year is it, where are we?”

Your mouth stays shut. You aren’t sure who or what this Flash is, but it can’t be good if this thing is after it.

“Not in the talking mood.”

You barely have a chance to breathe, because your body is lifted right off the ground. You struggle to pull in air as he holds you upright. You grab at your neck, but his grip offers no resistance.

“Speak.”

Your gaze hardens. Even though you’re terrified, you would quicker die then let this enemy gain whatever it is he’s after.

“Maybe if I kill your little boyfriend over there, you’ll be more willing.” He shoves you to the ground, and you hit the dirt with a grunt, coughing, gasping.

He moves over, the sound of dirt beneath his feet are like daggers to your chest. You crawl, trying to stop him.

“N-No...”

The closer he gets to your lieutenant, the faster your heart beats.

“If I manage to make it back after this tour, I promised her I won’t come back. It’ll be over. We’ll move to a nice quiet town in Florida and just enjoy life. “

You sob at the words of your commander that rush back.

The man kneels, lifting his hand that now appears to be vibrating.

“I’m going to kill him, then I’ll make you suffer until there is nothing left. You’ll wish those men had killed you.”

It all feels like it’s happening so slowly. His hand is aimed right for your Lieutenant’s heart.

“STOP!!!!”

A pulse of green flashes throughout the entire terrain, and he grunts as his body is forced into the air. You stare as his body hits a boulder. He’s wedged between the rock, and all you can do is gape. You’re still somewhat groveling in the dirt, You can hardly comprehend what just happened. But it’s clear that whatever it was, he’s not happy about it. He pulls his limbs out of the rock aggressively. When he’s free, the deadly red light in his eyes return.

“I’m going to kill you.”

He rushed forward, but didn't even make it within ten feet of you or the Lieutenant. His body is stopped by what you can only assume is an emerald shield. The bubble sound it makes is so loud. Both your bodies are completely sheltered. The being in yellow slams his hands angrily against it. When it's clear that he can’t get through, his angry grunts turn into laughter.

“I will be seeing you again.”

The tone of that brings an unpleasant chill. In a rush of red lightning, he is gone.

There is nothing you can say to try and make sense of all that has just happened.

All you can do is be thankful that you are still breathing.

That is all your brain can truly process.

It is the only thing that appears real.

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xxiamtiebrousxx · 2 years

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Chapter One "Press Start" (My Fortress Home | Tf2 x Reader)

A/n: For @niccino-apino. Sorry it took so long to get this done! Reader is gender neutral by the way, using they/them pronouns.

The light from my laptop illuminated my room. The Team Fortress 2 pop funkos lined the shelves. A 3D printed mini-sentry was on top of stacked books. Printed physical copies of the comics were laid out on the desk. I had all the posters of each mercenary taped to my wall. I owned the plushies, including the RED and BLU spy crabs. There were several pins, nine to be exact, spread across my desk. Each had the mercenary class icons.

I was a huge Team Fortress 2 fan and no one could change that.

It was near midnight, there was nothing wrong with that. I could catch up on my sleep later. I waited for the big update for Team Fortress 2. My uncle, U/n, who was one of the Team Fortress 2 developers, actually listened to the community and decided to make every update come true. Gabe Newell allowed this major update to happen. They even released the seventh comic!

It would include the long awaited Heavy update, new maps, new items, a new short film, and a new class. The legendary, mythical tenth class would be a customizable character for the player. You could design their costume, name, weapons, everything! And I would be the first person to try it out. I’d be the (class name). I already had sketches of my character’s design. My uncle granted me super, special VIP access to the update. It would only happen at midnight. The next day, anyone else could play.

I had already logged into my Steam account and accessed TF2. I waited and waited. I scrolled through my cosmetic items. I nearly owned them all! From hats to Halloween gear. My phone lit up, notifying me. Then it began to ring. The ringtone was Medic’s theme. The notification sound effect was Scout’s “Bonk” catchphrase. The alarm was the main theme.

“Hello?” I asked, picking up my phone.

“Y/n, sweetie!” my uncle exclaimed. “It’s me, how are you?” I practically felt him smiling. He was my favorite uncle.

Fortunately for me, he was my only uncle.

“I’m fine, just waiting for the update,” I replied. My screen crashed. I tried to reload it but it wasn’t working. It turned black. “Oh, something’s wrong with my laptop.”

“Uh, Y/n, about the update,” U/n said.

“Hold on,” I said. I hit the screen and it turned back on, playing the Valve intro. The update! It was already happening! “My screen’s back on,” I said. “So, what’s wrong with it?”

“There’s some bugs that need to be fixed and-.”

The line went dead.

“Uh, uncle?” I asked. As the Valve intro finished playing, the screen glitched again. There was an option. “PRESS START.” It said. I simply hit the enter button. Then one by one, the icons of the mercenaries appeared.

Scout, Soldier, Pyro.

Engineer, Heavy, Demo.

Medic, Sniper, Spy.

A last icon appeared. One that was different from the others. It was the game’s logo and it seemed to grow.

"WELCOME TO TEUFORT."

I blacked out.

My limbs ached and were sore. My head was throbbing. I couldn’t see. It felt as if I was falling. Falling down an endless abyss. Wind blew through my hair. It didn’t seem to end. Then the pain arrived. I screamed as my arm cracked. I could hear it. It sounded like when the bones break in TF2. That sound of chips being crushed up in a bag when you lose HP.

“Mission starts in sixty seconds.” I opened my eyes. The bright sun was blinding. I groaned, covering my eyes and got up. I was standing on gravel because it crunched under my feet. I looked up.

“Woah!” I exclaimed. The two bases of TF2’s map, 2Fort, stood before me. I started laughing. “This is unbelievable!” I said. This had to be a dream! There was no way this could be real. I started to look around. The bridge, the gate, the bases! It all felt real! Even the Administrator’s voice was legit! It sounded so real! I was animated in SFM style. My clothes, skin, and hair shined. I wore a one piece jumpsuit similar to the one Black Widow wore in Avengers. Only, it glitched back and forth from red and blue. I had a utility belt around my hips, a satchel backpack on my back, and fingerless gloves. The TF2 logo was on my arm.

“Mission starts in ten seconds,” the administrator said. I giggled. Lucid dreaming hypnosis really works if you listen to it long enough. I don’t remember using the shifting abilities people on the Internet talked about, which seemed unbelievable, but this was a story worth putting on. “Five, four, three, two one, fight!” The alarm sounded off and the gunshots went off.

The only problem was that both teams were headed right for me. Bullets skimmed past my arms. I started to lose HP.

As if it was muscle memory, I pulled out a gun from my pack and started shooting. The RED Scout dodged and hit me with his metal bat. It was painful! I fell back and landed on my shoulder, possibly breaking it. The scout towered over me.

“Are you new?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so,” I weakly answered.

“Cool,” he said. He held his hand out and pulled me to my feet.

“Scout! Stop messing around and come help us!” Engineer called out.

“Alright, alright! I’ll be there!” he replied. “But first, meet uh… What’d you say your name was?” he asked.

“Uh, Y/n,” I replied.

“Sorry, can’t use that,” he said. “I shoulda asked for your class name.”

“Oh, it’s (Class name),” I said. “Is that good?” He nodded.

“It’ll work,” he replied. “Hey Engy! Come meet (Class name)!” Before he could come over, a rocket landed in front of us, blowing Scout and I into the water. I was extremely low on HP. I was near death. I swam towards the sewer. I crawled halfway before giving up. Pyro ran past me, holding his flare gun when he stopped and looked down at me.

“Hey,” I said, panting. “Is this real life or am I dreaming?” I asked.

“Mmmmph,” he replied, shrugging. I sighed, resting on my back. I floated in the water. “Mmmph mmph?” I wiped water off my face.

“What?” I asked. He grabbed me by my feet and dragged me to the nearest medikit. I collected it and my HP was restored. “Thanks,” I said, standing up.

“Mmph,” Pyro replied, running off. I looked down at the hall/sewer before me. I walked up the stairs and hid behind the crates. My suit stopped changing colors and settled on red. The Red Heavy just entered with a disguised Blu Spy following behind him. There was a backstab noise and Heavy screamed in pain. I looked up from my hiding place. He was dead.

And I was next.

I felt the butterfly knife pierce my back and I collapsed. I was dying, watching the Spy pull out his weapon.

The next thing I knew I was dead.

I woke up, gasping for air. I was on the floor back in my room. My laptop was off. My uncle busted down, not literally, the door.

“Y/n!” he exclaimed. “What happened? You weren’t answering my calls!” I rubbed my head.

“I don’t know what happened,” I replied. “I must’ve passed out from exhaustion.” He sighed.

“Well, let’s get you to bed,” he said. I looked up at my laptop.

It flickered back on for a moment with words that read “(Class Name) has joined the game.”

#Romance #Team Fortress 2 x reader #tf2 x Reader #Tf2 Sniper X Reader #Tf2 Spy X Reader #Tf2 Medic X Reader #Tf2 Heavy X Reader #Tf2 Demoman x reader #tf2 Engineer x reader #tf2 Pyro X Reader #Tf2 Scout x reader #tf2 Soldier x Reader #X Reader #Fanfiction #Humor #video games #tf2 #team fortress 2

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all54321 · 7 months

Text

A Promise Fulfilled

[AO3]

Finally wrote for this AU, and it’s definitely one of my favorites. Unfortunately I’m starting with one of the worst (emotionally) scene of this AU. Cause… whumptober.

The basis of this AU is that after the winner dies in the life series, they wake up a few days into the following one. They look like a red life, and have the single life of one, but lack the bloodlust and desires of one. They also can’t interact with the mechanics of the games (ie life transfers).

Grian in both LL and DL attaches himself to Scar and keeps him company/dedicates his life to him.

Summary: Being the last greens on the server paints a huge on Grian and Scar’s back, but Scar is confident we can talk his way out of any confrontation. Unfortunately when he realizes he can’t, he loses the one person who cares about him.

Day 14: Alt 14: Human Shield

—————

Scar holds his hands up as the reds surround him in a half circle, “Now, I’m certain we can make a deal here, fellas.”

“Or,” Joel grins, “We can kill you and take the sand from your corpse.”

“Well-“ he verbally stumbles, trying to find the words to get out of this one. It seems like escaping all of those encounters before did nothing but aggravate them all.

Scar’s eyes flick around to the many crossbows pointed at him, most of the reds are here, which is the least ideal situation. He needs to find a good way to pacify all of them.

He flinches to the side as an arrow flies past his arm, and his eyes flick over to where Etho is reloading, “No more talking.” It seems like that’s a cue as the crossbows get raised again.

Before Scar can do anything to defend himself, a few of the reds fire them, arrows flying towards him. He goes to brace himself, but suddenly someone stands in front on him, wings spread wide.

“Grian!?” Scar exclaims in shock, before watching in horror as the avian crumples to the ground, a few arrows sticking into him. Fully ignoring the red lives around him, Scar rushes to Grian’s side, cautiously picking him up, “G-Grian…?”

Grian slowly opens his eyes, red eyes hazy, and smiles, “Got here… just in time…”

“Grian- you- why !?” Scar mumbles, grief suddenly crashing against the horror within him. This Grian might not have been his soulmate, but he sure as hell cares more about Scar then the one who is.

“I told you… that I’d… protect you,” he rasps out, voice growing weak.

“You didn’t have to risk your life!” Scar shouts, tears brimming in his eyes.

Grian shrugs minutely, “It was… the only thing… I could think of…” He takes a shuddering breath, “It was worth it… I was going to die eventually… no better way then… saving you.”

“Grian,” Scar whispers, voice breaking.

“Please survive,” Grian interrupts, quiet but firm. “That’s all I want… goodbye… I l-“ his eyes fall closed again as he goes limp.

“Gri-“ A loud boom of thunder interrupts him, and it echoes with a finality of Grian’s death. The equally timed communicator beep only confirms it. Scar clutches the avian tighter, ducking his head down as the tears start spilling from his eyes, “G-Grian!”

Too absorbed in his grief, Scar doesn’t hear the quiet whispers of the red lives around him, nor does he hear them all exit the area, leaving him to mourn in peace.

#my writing #ailesswhumptober2023 #day 14 #alt 14 #human shield #no au #for now

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biblicallyaccuratebeskar · 1 year

Text

Metal Home

Read Chapter 8 Here

Also on AO3

Chapter 9/22: ~2K words

Unfiltered

Mando was purposefully vague about or brief “vacation.” Karga was curious, naturally, but luckily respected our privacy.

I healed well. The bacta was a miracle, even if it did feel like fucking molten lava. In a day or so I was up and moving again, almost like nothing happened.

The wound had apparently left behind a scar. It was out of my line of vision and I didn’t mind, really. I’d never minded scars as long as they had a story attached. Mando hated it though and I didn’t know why. Once I felt his gloved finger linger on it a second too long after applying more bacta. Maybe I just imagined that part, but it gave me chills nevertheless.

We’d been staying on the tiny moon Reius because of its low population and general level of boring compared to some of the other places we’d been to. Breaking through the atmosphere when we first arrived, the view took my breath away. Rolling hills of blindingly green foliage cut into pieces by rushing rivers that carved through the surface everywhere you’d look.

I loved being there. The air was crisp and cool and smelled of trees and soil. The vacation was a farce, but I could at least pretend, right?

Mando usually approached everything with neutral confidence, but since I got hurt it was like he was walking on an icy lake, trying not to fall through. I always felt his eyes on me wherever I went, never letting me stray too far from the ship.

I didn’t like feeling like I was a liability, like I was breakable. But, I admittedly found amusement in his attentiveness. After years on my own it felt a little nice to be taken care of.

One afternoon we were sitting in the hull, where I was helping him clean some of his blasters. I had no idea how much upkeep they required, all the polishing and reloading. Well, maybe that was just him and his tastes. I happily played along.

I was just finishing the barrel of his pulse rifle when there was a knock on the hull door.

We both jumped to our feet in surprise. He drew the blaster he wasn’t cleaning and slowly crept towards the noise.

“You stay here. I’ll take care of this.”

I drew my blaster and followed him, of course.

We opened the hull, backs flush with the sides of the door, ready to pounce, when I saw who was standing outside.

It was a tiny old woman. “Hello? Is anybody there?” she called out. I motioned for Mando to withdraw his blaster. He didn’t listen. I huffed as I put mine in the holster and walked out to greet her.

“What are you-Larkin!”

“Hi there, everything alright?” I asked, trying to angle my arms to cover the blaster on my belt.

“Ah, yes! Hello! Were you the one I saw tinkering on this ship?”

“I am,” I responded cautiously. It was true. I’d started updating the gas line underneath the cockpit that morning, but why she was interested in that was beyond me.

“Oh, good! I live in a town three or so klicks east of here. I saw your ship fly overhead a few days ago and I knew I needed to find you. You see, we have a water filter and it’s been broken for nearly a month now. There’s a reservoir, but we’re beginning to run low and I can’t help but fear the worst. I’m afraid we do not have the tools to fix it. Would you be willing to come help? We have some credits.”

“Our services aren’t for sale,” Mando announced, emerging from his hiding spot. The woman’s eyes widened and she took a few wobbly steps backward. Living with him and knowing who he was, I sometimes forgot how intimidating Mando could be to strangers. And right then, he was definitely turning the whole fierce Mandalorian facade up a few notches.

My jaw clenched. “Can we talk?” I said as I grabbed his arm and dragged him into the hull.

“One second!” I called, giving her an apologetic smile as the door closed.

“What the hell?” I hissed, letting go of his arm. “She seems harmless, why are you being so weird about it?”

“We aren’t mechanics for hire. And we shouldn’t trust just anyone.” “Oh yeah, because you should never trust sweet old women. I’m going to help her, whether you’re coming or not. It’ll probably be an easy fix.”

Now he grabbed my arm. “You’re not going alone for a handful of credits.”

I shook him off. “You know I’m not going for the credits.”

He sighed, turning away from me.

“I’m going, Mando. I know you’re worried about me, so then come with. I trust myself more when you’re around.”

He thought for a moment, pacing back and forth, boots clunking on the floor.

“Fine,” he finally muttered.

I bit back a smile and nodded as I ran to grab my tool kit.

——

The woman, who introduced herself as Pira, took us to her village on a gondola she expertly maneuvered through brush and over streams and rivers. She seemed kindly, her white, fine hair blowing in the wind as she explained how she was the matriarch of her people. In the early days of the Empire, a mining facility had been built upstream from her village, polluting their water supply. The young people who went to work there during the day, given no other choice in the new economy, managed to pilfer enough parts to build a filter with what they learned engineering in the plant. Five years after the mine was built, there was an accident, an explosion she said, and no one came home. The Empire left the ruin they created, dissatisfied with their failed venture, and Reius had been quiet ever since.

The filter had persisted through all these years, still required as the creation of the mine had torn a hole through the earth, leaking chemicals into the water supply. But now, since it broke, they were getting desperate. We were their last chance.

When we approached the village, the people slowly crept out of their homes to see us. Some grimaced, others smiled and waved. Children looked at us with wide eyes from behind their mothers’ legs.

I took a moment to look around the village, finding it to be beautiful. The homes were to be made of sediment from the riverbeds, adorned with greenery and flowers. It seemed as if they’d emerged from the earth itself. As the sun went down, lanterns flickered to life in every direction, casting everything in gold.

Pira led us just beyond the village to a small stream, no wider than my bed. There was a metal box there, sputtering and choking out water from the other side. I could smell the chemicals.

Luckily, I was right. It was an easy fix, just like realigning the coolant in a ship. Mando stayed right by my side keeping watch as I worked (I nicely asked him to put the blaster away when there were no imminent threats). He held a light so I could see as the woods grew dark.

When I was done we went to find Pira. She was in the main square of the village in front of a large fire, surrounded by children, animatedly telling a story. Her expressions were heightened by the shadows cast by the flame, eyes bulging, hands waving. The kids were entranced, laughing and screaming at all the right parts.

I stopped just beyond the firelight’s reach to watch, leaning on Mando’s arm. It reminded me of when I was growing up. My mother was a fantastic storyteller, like Pira. She was an expert at doing the voices and movements, each character in my nightly bedtime stories rich, almost living and breathing. Tears unexpectedly sprung in my eyes as I thought of her. Mom cared so deeply about stories. Mine probably wasn’t what she imagined for me, but I hoped she’d still be proud.

I could tell Mando wasn’t looking towards Pira. He was looking at me. That happened every so often. I’d feel his gaze on me, even underneath the helmet. I always wanted to look back at him, but I would rather look into his eyes than a visor. I knew that was impossible to even think about, so I never looked.

Pira approached us as the crowd dispersed.

“All fixed. Just an issue with the piping. Nothing a good tool kit couldn’t help.” I said, handing over the box in my hands.

Her light eyebrows shot up. “Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly-“

“Please, I insist. I needed to update them anyway. If you ever have another problem, you’ll be able to fix it yourself then. Your village needs water.”

Suddenly I was wrapped in an enveloping hug. To my surprise, I hugged her back. She leaned back, cupping my face in her hand, the deep wrinkles in her face curving over smiling cheeks. “Thank you. My people thank you. Both of you,” she spoke, looking over at Mando. He stiffened, never good with compliments.

“You have no need to travel back to your ship in the dark. Come, I have an extra room you may stay in for the night.”

Mando somehow stiffened even more at that.

“Uh, that’s a very generous offer, but we’ll need to talk it through first if you don’t mind,” I responded.

She bowed her head. “Of course. If you do decide to stay I’m in the one just there,” she said, gesturing to one of the dwellings across the plaza, covered in vines. “If not, may the Maker watch over your journey.”

As she walked away, Mando said, “We shouldn’t stay.”

“Ok, but here me out. Reius is quiet, nearly remote now since the mining incident. And just look around you right now.”

The lanterns swayed in the breeze, casting light all around in golden wisps. The stars were infinite overhead from the lack of light pollution.

“We told Karga we’re on vacation,” I said slowly. “Just one night?” I gave him my most convincing smile, and it worked. Like always. ——

Pira was happy to see us. She led us to the spare room in the back of her home. It was modest, just a bed and a table. The door closed behind her after she said goodnight.

Just one bed. We stood there for a moment, frozen. It wasn’t like we didn’t sleep next to each other anyway, but we did sleep separately. It wasn’t a big deal. Not a big deal at all.

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he blurted out.

“No, that’s stupid,” I shot back, mildly offended for no specific reason. “We can both sleep on the bed.”

“I’m not taking off my helmet. Or my armor.”

I figured as much. He never did when we were outside the Crest. “Ok. I’ll just be sleeping by a block of beskar, then. Nothing new.” He huffed a little at that.

“I’ll take first watch,” he said curtly.

“Mando, we’re not on a job. You can relax.”

I might as well have told the sun not to rise, but I tried anyways.

I laid down first, staring up at the ceiling. I felt him lay down next to me, but I didn’t look. It reminded me of the first night I slept next to him with the blindfold. The nerves, the tension, it was all the same.

“That can’t be comfortable,” I muttered.

“I’m used to it.”

“Ah.”

It was about as relaxing as a business meeting with Karga, neither of us knowing what or what not to do.

“I’m, uh...I’m going to sleep now,” I said after a long period of silence.

“Am I stopping you?”

“No! No. I just...I don’t know. Thought I’d announce it.” Maker, what the hell was I saying?

“Thank you for sharing.”

I sighed, covering my face to hide my smile. “Goodnight, Mando.”

Surprisingly, I slept well. He made the bed warm with his body heat, even underneath the armor.

When I woke up the next morning curled into his side, neither of us said anything. It was like an unspoken agreement. Unspoken words.

#metal home #din djarin #din djaren #din djarin fic #din djarin x f!reader #din djarin x female reader #din djarin x female oc #din djarin x oc #din djarin fanfiction #the mandalorian #mandalorian x oc #mandalorian x female oc #mandalorian slow burn #mandalorian fanfic #mandalorian fic #mandalorian x female reader

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