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d1xonss · 6 months

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Desert Rose

Chapter 1 ~ Introductions

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 1

✧ Word Count : 4.2k

In this chapter ~ In a life full of unexpected turns, this one by far hit Rose the hardest. A disease begins to spread when the dead are somehow brought back to life, that alone being the tip of the iceberg of what she remains to be faced with. When it all leads to her fighting for her life in Atlanta, she meets a group that ends up saving her from what she thought was the end of her rope. But when they bring her along for their great escape out of the dead infested city, she's faced with a decision that seemed to be more difficult than she first realized.

AN ~ Hi! So this is my very first post and series on tumblr and I’m still very much trying to get the feel of things lol. I originally uploaded the first two seasons of this fanfiction to wattpad and am still uploading frequently there, but I also wanted to give this a try as well. Just putting it on a different platform for more people to see:)

I will admit before you read, I started writing this story a little while ago so the phrasing and writing might be a little rusty at first seeing as I was just starting out. But I promise it gets better as it goes on, trust me! I hope whoever reads this grows to love it as much as I do. I will be uploading here as much as I can and adjusting to the new feel of things on here as quick as I can.

And I think that’s all for now! I hope you enjoy!

Fear.

That's the only emotion anyone ever feels anymore, or that's at least what I believe. Considering I've been on my own since the beginning, fear is something that I've had to grow accustomed to. And the world going to shit only made me realize how alone I truly was. Sure, I had a family but ever since I grew up and left them completely, I've never liked to talk about them much, mostly because they didn't care about me whatsoever. I mean, I'm on my own for a reason.

But I knew how to take care of myself pretty well and I was always silently thankful for that. I couldn't imagine living in this world and not knowing how to fight, or fend for yourself, so I considered myself lucky. I caught on quickly when it came time to start killing the dead, the very first time I had taken one out still haunts me to this day, the first feeling of fear I had felt in a very long time. I've learned the hard way that you never quite shake the feeling.

I had a day off from work, which was rare, and I was just in my apartment painting while the T.V. played quietly in the background. But then the whole atmosphere changed, nearly in a split second it felt like. My ears instantly perked up when I heard blood curdling screams coming from the hallway just outside, instantly sending me flying to the front door to press my ear up against the surface. Though when the screams didn't die down, I slowly opened my door to see two disgusting looking corpses going after a few of my neighbors. I froze at the scene in front of me.

They were trying to fight them off with random weapons clutched tightly in their hands, flinching away as they tried desperately to push them back, screaming in utter terror. A part of me was torn, not wanting to step in and actually kill these things that looked exactly like us. People. But these things were no longer human, anyone could see that from a mile away.

I snapped back into reality and rushed into my apartment to grab a large steak knife from my kitchen drawer, trying to help them kill whatever the hell these things were. Rushing into the hallway, I shoved the thing up against the wall to get it away from the small group that had formed around it, causing it to growl loudly as it looked directly at me. Goosebumps formed on my skin at the sight, quickly twirling the knife around to stab it in the chest, but it continued to flail around in my grasp. My eyes widened as the thing didn't seem the least bit phased, trying again and again desperately to get its clawing hands away from me.

But finally it a fit of aggravation, I took my knife and stabbed it right in between its eyes, silencing it completely as it fell limp out of my hold and onto the carpeted floor. My breathing was heavy as the others continued to panic loudly from just behind my head, but I stayed completely still as I couldn't take my eyes away from the thing. I felt disgusting, horrified, and clueless all at once. Though one thing I did know was that I couldn't stay here.

I didn't hesitate then to storm back into my home and pack a larger bag full of my stuff to evacuate, knowing that this couldn't have just been happening here. Curiosity got the better of me as I flipped through the T.V. channels quickly, landing on the news which showed utter chaos and live footage of these things attacking more people. My heart seemed to stop for a moment as I watched, seeing that the world was nearly coming to an end as tanks were flooding down the streets, trying to take these things out and put an end to it before it spread.

I didn't know what to do, or where I would go, but I wanted to get as far away from here as possible. Looking into the dead eyes of the monster really didn't sit too well with me.

Though after that day, life was never the same. The dead slowly took over everything, killing off anyone they could get a hold of and silencing the world completely. Leaving everyone left alive utterly terrified and alone.

Two whole months had passed since the dreaded outbreak, and I found myself to be moving constantly. Never staying in the same place for too long, before packing up to move on and stay alive. That's truly all that mattered anymore.

I somehow ended up in the city of Atlanta just passing through the large structures hoping to gather some supplies before moving on all over again. But what I didn't expect was to see hundreds of walkers filling the streets instead. My eyes widened at the sight as soon as I turned the corner, hoping to just silently slip away as I backed up from the giant swarm of them. But a few of their heads turned as they somehow spotted me, and then the "few" turned into a shit ton.

I practically sprinted in the other direction as fast as I could, slipping in between a few buildings to try and escape the many that chased me with outstretched hands. But I quickly realized that the space I ran into was an alley, blocking off the other side in which I planned to escape. My stomach flipped as I slowly turned back around to face the dead, seeming to accept my fate as I was trapped and had no escape.

And that brings me to today. No, I didn't die...but if I'm being honest a part of me wished that I had.

Instead of feeling the corpse's dead fingers tearing into me, a few live people came out of nowhere in the tall building to my right and began killing off the corpses one by one, right before my eyes. I stood completely still as I thought at first I might be dreaming, but one of the men quickly grabbing my arm and pulling me along like a rag doll told me it was far from that.

Anyone else would be grateful for these people being at the right place at the right time, but I didn't work too well with others so grateful isn't really the word I would use.

So, currently you could say I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place as I racked my brain, trying to figure out how to get out of the situation I was put in. One of the men that had saved me was wearing a God awful hat that made me want to walk back in the herd of walkers. His name, I learned, was Rick Grimes and he and his group were the ones that helped me get out of the pickle I got myself in, along with dragging me with them as they too escaped from the large city of Atlanta. From what I overheard the others talking loudly about, they had just managed to save Rick as well, who was having just as bad of a day as I was, an hour before they saved me. To me it looked like we were both just random strangers that they decided to pick up like lost dogs.

The rest of the group seemed to be nice enough, except for this asshole Merle who was this racist, sexist, piece of shit. Spewing out bullshit and insults from his lips every five minutes and only pushing me further into wanting to walk towards the flesh eating monsters. Though, to make a very long story short, we ended up leaving him handcuffed up on the roof of a building where we were once trapped on top of. Though much to my surprise, it wasn't on purpose. Rick eventually had enough of the man's bullshit and took his fancy, shiny handcuffs to lock him in place on a metal pole, and a man named T-Dog accidentally dropped the key to unlock him down a drain.

But when the time came, we had no choice but to leave him when the dead were chasing us once more as they somehow had gotten into the building. The only option we really had now was to maybe go back for him later. Maybe. But to put it into perspective on how uncomfortable I was with these people, riding in this truck with them to their camp...I would rather switch places with Merle.

I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts when the truck we were riding in stopped abruptly, assuming we were at the camp these people were talking so much about. I took a second to lean forward and glance out the windshield at my surroundings, not liking the feeling that was forming in my gut at the thought of meeting anyone new. But Rick caught me scanning the area, reading my expression from where he sat in the passenger seat and clearly sensed my nerves.

He eventually caught my eye as I felt him staring right as he began to speak, "Don't worry, we're in this together." he assured, flashing a half smile at me that made the corners of his eyes wrinkle.

I raised my eyebrows. Oh, thank God we're "in this together."

The guy who was driving, who I learned was named Morales, told us to come out and meet everyone with a nod as he jumped out of the truck to run to his family. I shared another uneasy look with Rick before slowly following his actions to see for myself what I would be dealing with. My eyes scanned through everyone that was gathered around and instantly all eyes were on me once they heard my door slam shut. I grew uncomfortable at all the watchful eyes boring holes straight into my forehead, and a man named Glenn eventually stepped up when he sensed the obvious tension.

"Guys, this is Rosaline. We saved her back in the city. She's cool." he assured with a smile, silently telling all of them to back off.

I shifted uncomfortably, "Rose." I corrected.

It seemed after I opened my mouth to speak everyone relaxed slightly, thinking that I wouldn't be much of a threat. Though I could be. But they didn't need to know that. I didn't plan on hurting these people or taking their fishing poles unless they tried anything. But by the looks of it, some of these people looked like they wouldn't even kill a fly, so I think it was safe to say I was good.

Though all of a sudden, the whole atmosphere seemed to change, everything happening in slow motion as a few people stared at me wide eyed. A man, a woman, and a kid. I stood still there for a moment wondering what I did to make these people stare daggers at me like this until I heard a small gasp from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Rick standing there in awe with the same expression that they had as he stared at them in disbelief. I soon realized that they were looking just behind me the entire time and quickly stepped off to the side as fast as I could.

Well, that's fucking embarrassing.

The little boy then took off in a flash towards Rick, screaming "Dad!" as he cried and then it all seemed to click in my head. This was the family Rick briefly mentioned to the group back when we were on the roof of the tall building back in the city. The family he had been trying desperately to find. They had been here the whole time.

My eyes stayed on the small family as they reunited with laughter and tears, almost feeling myself smile at the sight. Though I snapped out of it with a shake of my head, stopping it before I could let it happen.

After the moment had passed, that only came time for very long and boring introductions as Rick and I seemed to meet everyone else in the camp. I nodded towards everyone politely as I learned each of their names that I would surely accidentally forget. But one name seemed to really stick out to me amongst the many others.

Someone briefly mentioned that there was another man who lived with them, one who wasn't here at the time. Merle's brother, Daryl. And here I thought one was enough.

However, I had yet to meet the second one because the older man, Dale informed me he was currently out on a hunt somewhere in the woods just ahead of us. But the truth was I didn't need to meet the man to know that he was an asshole just like the one we left behind. I mean they are related after all.

The entire group then sat around a fire once the sun finally set, eating something small they cooked for the night, while discussing some random things that people would occasionally bring up. But the hot topic currently, was what needed to be said to Daryl once he got back. In my mind it was pretty simple, but it was clear these people didn't want to be too harsh about it.

"What should we say to him?" Dale asked.

"We tell him the truth," Rick stated simply, "I'll tell him, I mean I was the one who cuffed him."

"No, I'll tell him I'm the one who dropped the key." T-Dog piped in as he finished the remaining food on his plate.

Glenn sighed and went on to say, "I don't mean to bring race into this but...it might sound better coming from a white guy."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes hearing them going back and forth about what to tell him, hearing the same things being said over and over again. I stayed completely silent as I thought more to myself, slowly tuning their conversation out as I planned my escape from this hell hole. Coming here was clearly a big mistake and I realized that the moment I stepped foot inside, I didn't belong with the rest of them. I was better off alone.

And what seemed to annoy me the most is that I didn't have a choice, they just dragged me back here without even asking, without a care in the world. To me, that alone was a good enough reason to get the fuck out of here.

The group finally decided after what felt like hours that Rick would be the one to tell Daryl about his brother, and eventually it grew much later in the night as everyone began to go their separate ways. I planned to just head off into the forest to sleep against a nearby tree for a few hours, then slip away in the early morning before any of them had a chance to notice.

I began to gather my stuff, strapping my backpack across my shoulders and stepping over the few large rocks in my way to head towards the tree line. But just as I was about to get the smallest taste of freedom, a voice calling out behind me caused me to stop.

"Hey Rose!" I recognized Dale's voice softly shout.

My chest raised up and down with a deep sigh, turning around to face him as I looked at him expectantly. "I know you don't have a place to sleep tonight, but we have some room in the RV..." he trailed off.

I continued to stare at him, hardly showing any emotion on my face at all as I tried to read him, figuring out what his intentions were.

He continued, "Look, I know you're new and clearly don't trust any of us just yet, but I just want to make sure you have a safe place to sleep. You don't have to, I just thought I would offer." he said, finishing with a smile.

I could tell by that alone that Dale was a good person and a decent man. There were definitely some people in this group that gave me a bad feeling right off the bat, but Dale wasn't one of them. But I needed to get away so I could leave. I only wanted this group to be a distant memory in the back of my mind and nothing more.

So, with that I shook my head, "I'm okay." I said as politely as I could before heading off into the forest.

I could hear him sigh from behind me as I walked away but I didn't let it bother me. I needed to go. A part of me didn't even want to sleep so I could get a head start and further away, but I was fairly tired from running for my life throughout the day. So I figured I could sleep for a couple of hours and before anyone could wake up, I would leave and head off to...well anywhere but here.

My eyes groggily peeled open the following morning just before the sun began to rise over the hills, looking at it made me guess was it was around four in the morning. I yawned and stretched slowly before standing up to my full height and placing my bag on my back, starting to head off in the opposite direction of the camp as the dirt crunched loudly beneath my feet. Although I didn't get very far, maybe about five steps away before something suddenly stopped me in my tracks. I stood still there for a minute, just thinking. For some reason there was a gut feeling I had. Something was telling me to stay.

My mind started to spiral with many different thoughts, enough to give you a headache, but then that's where I stopped myself. My whole life whenever I had a gut feeling about something, I needed to trust it. My little intuition was almost never wrong. And although most I had felt like warnings about uneasy feelings, this one was different. Like a magnet was pulling me back to the group. A strong ass magnet.

I found myself plopping back down on my ass, my back up against the tree with my knees to my chest, just lost in my own thoughts, debating and arguing with myself for what felt like hours when in reality it was probably only a few minutes. But a golden flicker appearing out of the corner of my eye is what made me look back up, seeing the sun beginning to rise higher in the sky enough to kiss my cheeks. Okay...so it really had been a few hours.

But even after clear hours had passed me by, I was still left very torn on what to do with myself. My head was screaming at me to just leave and be on my own, but my heart was just calmly telling me to stay for a while and see how it works out. I hadn't had a real group at all since the outbreak first happened, but in my mind I never wished for one. I always believed it was okay to be alone, watching out for yourself rather than anyone else dragging you down. That was the logical way to survive...wasn't it?

With that I let out an annoyed groan and slowly stood back up to make my walk of shame back to the camp, deciding to give it one more day and if nothing changes, I'd leave tonight. To me even staying one more day seemed to be pushing it, but I didn't want to regret not trying and seeing how this would play out.

As I walked back into the grounds, I noticed some people were already awake in the early hours of the morning to my surprise. Carol and her daughter Sophia were sitting up on one of the logs talking quietly to each other, the woman's gaze glancing up to me as she noticed my movement. She sent me a sweet smile with a small wave, to which I nodded to her in return.

My eyes then looked away from her for a split second when I caught a brief glimpse of Rick walking away from the campsite with a certain determination in his step, and his head low. I stayed in place as I watched his figure disappear, before I found my feet slowly moving forward to follow him. I didn't know why I did, I just grew curious I guess.

When I caught up to his long strides, I found him sitting on a larger rock, seemingly talking to himself though I couldn't make out the words from where I was standing. It was all too hushed and quiet. But then my eyes panned over a bit to see a device in his hands, his mouth lowering closer as he spoke into it. Good to know he wasn't batshit crazy or anything.

After an only few seconds I turned on my heel to leave him be, though I accidentally stepped too far to the right and straight down on a branch that snapped loudly. My eyes closed the second it happened, silently cursing to myself. When he heard the noise he whipped his head around, with his hand hovering over his pistol on his hip, but his body instantly relaxed when he realized I wasn't a walking corpse.

He then recovered and flashed me a thin lipped smile, "Hey, you're up early."

I lifted my hand to check my imaginary watch, "No shit." I said, lowering it back down again at my side.

"You're not a morning person...noted." he said slowly before sighing to himself as he stared at me, "You know, I can tell you were alone for quite some time, if not the entire time. And I know you're probably scared but-"

"I'm not scared of anything." I snapped.

He looked at me surprised with raised brows, not expecting me to say anything at all. But I wasn't going to just stand there while he accused me of the things I was feeling when he didn't know anything about me at all. Everyone around here might've been scared but I sure as hell wasn't. Maybe that was another reason I didn't want to be with this group, they didn't know what the hell they were doing, too scared to have a steady head on their shoulders. I should add that to the list of reasons why I should take my happy ass out of here.

Once he recovered, he nodded in agreement to my surprise, "Okay, maybe you're not scared... but you are alone."

I didn't open my mouth to respond as my eyes narrowed at him further. Thanks captain obvious.

He continued, "Look, I know you don't trust us, but all I'm asking for is that you give us a chance. I saw the way you were looking at everyone last night, like you were ready to pounce any minute if anyone tried anything. I can tell you need us as much as we need you-"

"Okay," I interrupted with a wave of my hand, "Let me stop you right there before you break out into song and dance. I'm going to make something perfectly clear. I don't need you, or your parade of assholes back there for anything. I have always been just fine on my own, and last time I checked I didn't even ask for you to save me and bring me back here. You just did it. So don't tell me I'm scared, or I need any of you because that is far from the truth, asshole." I spoke harshly.

He stared at me for a few seconds not knowing what to say, but clapping back quicker than I expected, "Okay, fair enough. You're right I don't know you, you didn't ask me to save you, and you don't look like you need anyone. I'm just saying it's nice to have other people watching your back. I felt so alone until I found a man and his son while looking for my family, and now I can be a part of this group...and so can you. But I can understand if you want to leave. Just know that...everyone in camp likes the idea of having you around."

His response was far from what I expected, and I didn't say anything back to him right away, mostly because I couldn't find the right words. How could he be so understanding over someone he didn't even know. It honestly blew my mind a little.

When he saw I wasn't going to argue further, he turned back around to watch the sun continue to rise in front of him. And after debating in my head for a minute or two, I decided to walk over and sit next myself to him on the giant rock. He glanced at me when I sat down, probably expecting me to say some smart ass comment in return to what he stated, but I didn't. We just sat in comfortable silence until the sky was no longer orange and pink, but now turning into more of a pale blue with clouds slowly filling up the remaining space. It was somewhat nice.

I could tell he was about to move and stand up to his feet, probably to head back to camp, but I said something that stopped him.

"I never wanted to be alone." I confessed, not taking my eyes off the sky.

As soon as the words left my lips, I closed my eyes for a moment as I regretted what I said almost instantly. I didn't want to admit defeat to anyone let alone a stranger, but I figured I should in this case for him to truly understand what I was feeling.

I felt his eyes on me as he said nothing, expecting me to continue, so I did. "I was alone before the world went to shit, and I've gotten used to being by myself. I guess I've just come to realize it's exhausting looking out for other people."

He still remained silent.

"My point is I don't know if I'm staying." I said while finally turning to look at him.

He nodded, "That's okay. Just make sure to think about it before you make any rash decisions. Who knows...maybe you'll change your mind." he said almost suggestively before standing up and turning around to head back.

I turned my head and watched his frame retreat away from me for a few seconds, his words echoing in my mind, before turning all my attention back to the sky. A part of me still wanted to leave, the fear of the unknown creeping up to me, however I did tell myself that I would give it another chance. But if I couldn't find a reason to say by tonight that was that. I would leave this group behind.

~ Thanks for reading!

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y2kawaii · 14 days

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༊*·˚ The Grieving Husband And Lost Widow — Part Two (John Wick X Fem!Reader)

Summary: (Y/N) had just met John after storming out of your now deceased husband's hospital room, the very room you've spent the last three weeks in to support your dying husband. After a brief introduction between the two, (Y/N) offers to get John a drink at the nearby bar. At the bar, (Y/N) would have a more wild night than you could've ever bargained for. part one, part two, part three (coming soon!) word count: 1,488

Tonight would be (Y/N)'s first evening without your husband, your soulmate. So, what better way to get through the grueling hours by drinking the pain away with the now ex of an old friend of yours, who has also passed? It sounded just like what you needed after crying your heart out for the last few weeks. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ John was walking in long yet calculated strides, his eyes carefully scanning the environment around them. Although John didn't make any mentions of Helen, (Y/N) would be able to see the grief behind his eyes. Not knowing that Helen passed yet, (Y/N) decided to express your concerns for John.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "You lost someone, too, huh?" (Y/N) broke the tense silence between them, laying down each word with care and in a gentle voice that would be meant to soothe John.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Yeah..." John answered, nodding his head slowly while staying vigilant. Although he was at first hesitant to add more, John would briefly glance over at (Y/N) as he noticed that you were taking off the black lace veil that was covering your tear-stained cheeks and red, puffy eyes. A light then went off in John's head, finally recognizing who you were: one of Helen's friends.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "—My wife." Those last two words from John made your heart shatter like glass, instantly piecing together what he had meant by his answer. The memories that you made with Helen over the years made (Y/N) begin to tear up worse than before, but you did your best to stifle them back and maintain your composure. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "I'm sorry," (Y/N) replied with sincerity.

John would pick up on the change of your voice, making him halt in his steps to turn to face towards you. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "You look like you're freezing." He pointed out, making a small gesture of his hand in your direction before he reached both of his hands around his back to take off the coat that he was wearing. "Here, take this,"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Oh..." You feel your cheeks heat up against the coldness of the rain that was falling onto your face. Although you were initially anxious to accept John's offer as the memory of your husband flashed through your mind once again, you suddenly felt the warm leather wrap around your back and arms.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Thank you."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "It's no problem," John said with a light nod of his head. He then turned back to focus on covering more of the road ahead of the two until they would be able to spend the night at the bar together; hopefully, forgetting about their pain for a at least few hours. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The two continued their walk down the sidewalk with John ensuring that (Y/N) wasn't cold from the rain or in any danger from the risks of walking out in the New York streets late at night. Wanting to learn more about the man you were now walking with, (Y/N) took in a sharp breath and decided on a question that you felt like he would be comfortable with answering. After all, it's an average question that nearly everyone asks each other.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "So...what do you do for work?" (Y/N) asked while keeping your voice calm and gentle as to not possibly strike an unpleasant response out of John. However, John's response was quick and calculated, like he was all too familiar with what his answer would be to the mundane question; one that he always knew he'd be asked often.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "I'm an attorney." John said nonchalantly, even shrugging his shoulders up a bit while making sure each step that he took held purpose, even if that only meant walking to a nearby bar with a friend of his dead wife.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Really? My dad was an attorney." (Y/N) inquired with curiosity, your head tilting slightly to one side while following John along the stretching sidewalk.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "What about you?"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Huh?" You ask, confused.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "What do you do for work?" John repeated (Y/N)'s question, turning his head in your direction briefly before returning his attention to the sidewalk and crowds ahead.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Oh..." You nervously chuckle, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I'm a travel nurse."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Hm, so you...save people?"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "I always try my best to."

John appeared to take your words to heart, but his expression suddenly shifted into a more solemn one as a thought crossed his mind. But, as he was about to speak it, you point out to the nearby bar that was bustling with other patrons who were going through the two front doors. Subconsciously, being the kind gentleman he always was with women, John began walking towards the door to open it for (Y/N). ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Upon entering the Red Circle, you would notice how loud and bright it was inside compared to the white and blue walls of the hospital you've practically confined yourself into for the sake of staying with your husband. You get a drink for yourself, and one for John to uphold your offer from earlier.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "To the loves of our lives?" John suggested, raising up the shot glass of whiskey in his hand with a barely noticeable smile - but, it was still there.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "To the loves of our lives."

With that, the night seemingly blurred by the two as they drank the heartbreak away of losing their significant others. However, you were a bit of a lightweight; even only having two or three drinks can lead you to having a wild and unforgettable night. (Y/N) and John stayed with each other throughout the night until you became interested in another man who was attempting to work his charm on you. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The man, who introduced himself to you as "Seth", was charismatic and described himself to be an "ambitious businessman". Using all of the right words, you would eventually snap back into reality with your arm locked into Seth's.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "My, you look lovely tonight, милый (darling)."

That one damned word was all it took for John's ears to perk up and whip his head in (Y/N)'s direction, and that was when he noticed that you were about to leave the bar with Seth. Knowing Seth's history, John jumped into action and sprinted towards the both of you with a determined and fierce glare behind his eyes. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Она со мной." ("She's with me.") John spoke up coldly to Seth as he approached (Y/N)'s side and reached one of his hands out to your shoulder from behind. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Seth didn't have to turn his head around to see who was standing behind him; he already knew just based on John's dangerously dark voice who it was.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ "Бабай." ("Boogeyman.") Seth hissed with a distinct tone of hatred laced through his voice. Although he didn't make any sudden movements against (Y/N), John would be able to notice his grip tighten around your waist as a warning.

You just stand there, drunk and now more confused than ever. One minute, you were sobbing by the bedside of your dying husband. And now? You're in the local bar with two men seemingly starting an altercation between each other over you. All that you can do then is feel your heartbeat beginning to increase at a rapid rate as your mind raced with questions with the loudest of them all being:

"What the Hell did I just get myself into?"

special mentions: @br-24085

#y2kawaii #tghalw #ff #john wick #the keanuverse #keanuverse #keanu #keanu reeves #fanfiction

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aspoonofsugar · 1 year

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Life, Death And Rust

The Parfait Predicament is that the Parfait is the least important thing that happens this episode :P

Here are some thoughts on what we got this week.

THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH

When we break or wear out or simply finish what we were made to do we are called back (...) I know, I know. Wehre you come from, things die, but we are not like you at all. We ascend. Herb will have his purpose again.

The CC's speech and Ever After's creatures not dying, but "ascending" ties into 2 themes dear to RWBY and Ruby:

Grief

Creation and Destruction

Both ideas come together in The Cycle of Life and Death, which is illustrated (or at least hinted at) in the character of the mysterious Blacksmith:

The Blacksmith's role seems to be collecting lost weapons and to use their metal to forge something new. When it comes to this, she is similar to Jinxy:

Jinxy takes things that are lost, changes their shapes and gives people the chance to get them back, if they are willing to pay the price. It is possible that what is left unsold is then given to the Blacksmith, who gives new life to it.

Two details have interested me of the Blacksmith's introduction:

She is made of gold and her workplace is all gold

She is forging a butterfly

Both are important symbols in the series.

Gold is the perfect metal and the objective of alchemy. The characters are going through the scale of metals and getting more and more refined, so that they can become gold. Pyrrha is gold to begin with and is the first one to become a true Huntress and to end her arc. Penny dies surrounded by a golden cloud because she goes from copper (her metal) to gold and reaches perfection. (This also ties with Pinocchio's fairy tale btw). In short, gold is important and the Blacksmith being covered in it frames her as an alchemist. Someone who starts reactions and transforms things.

Butterflies are symbols of transformation, of death and rebirth. So, it is important the Blacksmith is forging this specific animal. It may hint to how she is some kind of God in the Ever After. Or at least, that her role is God-Like. People who lose themselves in the Ever After come to her in the form of weapons and metals. She reworks them and gives them new life. The Butterfly might even be a reference to Herb, who "ascended" and is now being "fixed up".

So, what does all of it has to do with Ruby?

RUBY RIDING HOOD

(I have yet to write a full analysis of Ruby's allusion, I only have snippets of it for now. However, the imagery this episode was rather strong)

Ruby's meeting with the Blacksmith develops 2 ideas already present in the previous episode:

Her Journey Through Grief

Her Loss of Identity

So far, each episode has explored a specific stage of grief. Let's review:

Episode 1 > Denial

Episode 2 > Bargaining

Episode 3 > Anger

Episode 4 > Depression

Last week I identified episode 4 as Acceptance, but now I think it was depression (both Ruby and Herb are depressed). What is true is that it ends with the concept of Acceptance, which is fully developed this episode. The CC's speech and the appearance of the Blacksmith hint to this idea. Ruby, however, is still far away from fully reaching this stage.

Still, she is slowly getting closer to fully facing her ghosts, even if it is difficult to say if this is a good or bad thing right now:

The Blacksmith's weapons give Ruby 3 different mirror images:

Penny

Alyx

Summer

Why is that so? @lintuwaterfall shared a theory where they could represent Id, Ego and Superego (these are their words):

Penny - Id - Desire - She has deep feelings about her friend

Alyx - Ego - Reality - Doing what one can to survive in the world

Summer - Super-Ego - The ideal set out by a Parent

I quite like this idea and whatever the case, it is clear Penny, Alyx and Summer represent 3 parts of Ruby. In particular, they could once again allude to past, present and future (just like Neo's allusion while Ruby is falling may):

Penny is a lot like Ruby's past idealistic self. They became friends precisely because they were so similar. This is also why when Penny came back it is as if Ruby could find her childhood and innocent self once again.

Alyx went through a journey very similar to Ruby to the point they are often paralleled and juxtaposed. Alyx is described as a girl running from herself and she probably lost herself eventually.

Summer is set up to be Ruby's future. She is who Ruby has always wanted to be. An ideal she has been chasing after. She is the self Ruby has always wanted to become. Until recently, at least.

In short, the Blacksmith's scene is just Ruby going through the exact same pattern she did last episode with Herb. There she meets her past self, who asks her who she wants to become and suggests she may meet the same fate as Summer. Here, those unsolved and repressed feelings manifest themselves in a more subtle ways through the weapons.

This may also be why Ruby goes from Penny's beautiful sword:

To Alyx's humble and small knife:

From an ideal:

Ruby: Not just a powerful warrior, the most powerful to ever lived. She was touched by magic, and she gave her life for thousands. She took a message of hope to the stars, and she saw the world through better eyes. Take us to the royal birthday, and allow us to present this most precious gift.

To reality, which is much less beautiful and impressive:

The Blacksmith: What are you? Are you lost?

Ruby starts as beautiful as Penny's sword, a precious gem (rubies and jades), but has right now turned into a smaller knife. The question is... who will she become? Which weapon will she choose to wield?

Blacksmith: If you change your mind, you may choose anyone of these you like.

As for now, she seems to be willing to let go of her past self to a degree that is almost dangerous and destructive:

Ruby: Here, I'll give you this! It carries a mother's promise!

A moment after seeing a glimpse of Summer in herself, she immediately bargains away a reminder of her. Just like she gives up Penny's sword after getting it in order to meet the Red Prince. Ruby has just gone through the stages of grief when it comes to Penny. However, Penny's death has now forced her to go even deeper and to face Summer's. She is probably going through the stages once again, so that she can deal with Summer. Only then she will be able to accept both her friend (her inner child) and her mother (her future ideal self)'s deaths. And change.

RUSTED JAUNE

It is too soon to say for sure, but so far Jaune seems a foil to Ruby when it comes to dealing with grief and identity.

It is implied Ruby wishes to forget:

Ruby: When Herbs come back... will he remember anything?

And she is willing to let go of herself completely. To self-destroy:

Young Ruby: You can do whatever you want! Be whoever you want! You don't even have to be Ruby Rose.

The first glimpse we get of Jaune instead suggests he wants to remember:

He calls his new friend Juniper

He chooses to live in an acre called "garden" and full of flowers (Nora) and leaves (Pyrrha)

The leaves have a rainbow pattern, which calls back to both his teamd and name

His house is a giant lotus (Ren)

He wears a red bow to remember Pyrrha:

He seems to have been in the Ever After for years, but he has apparently failed to change. He is still wearing his old armor or at least a similar one and his weapon is still broken:

In short, if Ruby's reaction to grief is to refuse it, to forget it and to self-destroy, Jaune's reaction seems to be not to let go when he should. Both characters clearly have to change and evolve, but Ruby only sees the relief of self-destruction, while Jaune only sees the importance of moving forward. Interesting considering they reacted in opposite ways when it comes to Pyrrha and Beacon. In general, the 2 of them seem to also have exchanged places since the beginning of the series. There Ruby was an already experienced Huntress in theory and very effective in combat. Jaune was instead unsure of his role and was often the load. In this week's episode instead we see how Ruby seems helpless when it comes to fighting, while Jaune rushes to the battlefield and basically takes Ruby's role as the 4th of her team. (This is a superficial note btw... I think the point is simply Ruby doesn't know where to fit right now, which reflects on her fighting style and willingness to fight - see the chess fight).

Basically, Ruby and Jaune explore 2 opposite and extreme reactions to grief. It is probable them both will be forced to revisit them. Ruby might have to accept her own pain, while Jaune might be asked to let go of an already consumed persona.

Obviously, Jaune's appearance might be misleading and he might have already been remade into something new. In this case, his own attachment to the past and knight persona might be an illusion to hide how broken his own identity is (the shattered sword).

Whatever the case, it is probable Jaune will be forced to change and to be remade into his true self. So, that he can finally evolve.

JAUNE AND NEO - RUSTED KNIGHT VS JABBERWALKER

We have reached the midway of the season. So, all the main characters and ingredients for the story have gathered. This means that both Jaune in the form of the Rusted Knight and Neo in the form of her illusory Jabberwalker have joined the fray and interacted with RWBY.

This gives us space for a meta commentary (this partly repeats last week's post):

Ruby is the protagonist - she even more so than the others has 2 animals guides there to help her out. Still, she is thinking of refusing her role and wants to lose herself and to be remade.

Neo is the antagonist - she multiplies the Jabber Walker aka the only antagonistic forse in the Ever After > the only thing able to kill. Symbolically, she is spreading her grief in a world which knows no death. However, she might seem to want more than just a role and is using her semblance to add new characters and potentially change the story (only 1 Jabberwalker was supposed to exist).

Jaune is the side character- he has completely fused with the story to the point the protagonists know his character even before they meet him. It is as if Jaune is running from his role of main character in RWBY to be content with an easier role in another story.

At the same time:

Ruby processes grief through wishing to destroy herself (she internilizes)

Neo processes grief through wishing to destroy others and the world (she externalizes)

Jaune processes grief through refusing destruction altogether, so he doesn't let go of his mementos and protects others even in this strange world.

We'll see where we go from there. That said, it is interesting the Rusted Knight is introduced fighting the Jabberwalker because these 2 characters are juxtaposed in the opening:

And there is clearly something going on with the Jabberwalker... are they a person trapped in the Ever After? What is their deal?

The wonderful Chatterbox's song seems to suggest there might be a problem with communication:

youtube

I don't think the Jabberwalker is evil. Rather I think they have a problem, but since they are scary, dangerous and impossible to understand people have made them be the villain. Which leads us to the final thematic highlight of this week.

CREATION AND DESTRUCTION

Weiss: It's impossible. Things have to die someday, right? CC: Goodness no! Although, I suppose there is a creature...No, no. That's not the sort of thing you talk about while in polite company.

The CC may insist there is no death in the Ever After, but there actually is in the form of the Jabberwalker. Whatever form this death takes is left to be seen. (When is it that stories die? I would say when they are forgotten or their meaning is lost... so maybe the jabberwalker not being able to articulate things might be the reason behind it?). What is sure is that the Jabberwalker is a creature of Destruction, while the Ever After is the world of Creation. And yet, Destruction and Creation can't be divided:

Weiss: I am so tired of leaving places in ashes.

So, very poignantly the Ever After is compared to Atlas. Both are Kingdoms of Creation where the inhabitants live happily and think they are untouchable. And yet, Destruction arrives and changes things.

I don't think this is the only similarity between Atlas and the Ever After, though. First of all, the 2 places appear as incredibly rich and wonderful, but both ignore their shadows:

Atlas ignores Mantle and the Ever After ignores whatever place the Jabberwalker comes from. Not only that, but both places are in the end run through control and manipulation and roles.

Each character has a role and is dismissed the moment they are not able to fulfill it anymore? Doesn't it remind you of something? Like a very utilitarian and strict military state?

Maybe this is why the CC's power seems at the same time extremely kind and extremely dangerous. Atlas explores trust, but shows how it can degenerate in control. The Ever After might introduce the theme of empathy and how it can be used for manipulation:

CC: I gave him something new to do for the moment...

MISCELLANIA- A CAT AND A MOUSE

Blacksmith: Are you her guide, little one?

Little being recognized by the Blacksmith as Ruby's guide makes me wonder... is it possible Alyx too had a guide? And if yes, could that guy have been the CC? Did they fail their role as guide and this is why they are so interested in RWBY and Ruby especially? To the point they are ready to challenge the Red Prince, to have Herb ascend, to sacrifice a Poor Bird and to risk their own life, just to protect Ruby?

It seems a little bit too much investment for character introduced as minding their own business and acting on a whim.

If so, then this take on Alice In Wonderland is a retelling where Alice fails to get home and The Cat wants to make sure the story doesn't repeat itself? And yet, the CC is not Ruby's guide. Little is. Interesting the juxtaposition between a naive little mouse (heart) and an experienced tricky cat (mind).

Finally, this week's song rocked! I am enjoying the new songs, I must say! Also, this volume's soundtrack so far seems to be about Ever After Characters. Both the Red Prince and the Jabberwalker have now their own song. Interested to see if this continues or if our titular RWBY characters will get new songs as well.

#rwby #rwby spoilers #rwby volume 9 #ruby rose #jaune arc #neopolitan #rusted knight #jabberwalker #blacksmith #rwby meta #my meta

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dropintomanga · 2 months

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We Would Not Be Here Without Akira Toriyama

I am sad and emotionally wrecked right now. We lost a legend that changed everything.

Akira Toriyama, who's famous for Dragon Ball and working on other properties like Dragon Quest, passed away at the age of 68 this March. It sucks because we're celebrating 40 years of Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball Z was my gateway into anime fandom when I was a 5th grader literally 30+ years ago. Way before Toonami, I watched a Cantonese-dubbed episode of DBZ at a friend's place and became slowly hooked ever since then. Chinatown in New York City at the time was filled with Dragon Ball Z merchandise. Posters, toys, wall scrolls, video games, trading cards, etc. You name it, it was there. DBZ fandom wasn't as mainstream back in the early-to-mid '90s as it is now, but there was something. Especially for me.

I also remember my first time using the internet at a public library in 1999 and one of the first sites I visited was a GeoCities fan site about DBZ. That's how I found out about the original manga. My first manga purchase was Dragon Ball Z Volume 1 by VIZ Media in 2003 and it was a big-sized volume that was priced at $14.95 at the time.

Dragon Ball Z also got me closer to one of my younger cousins during the Toonami years and we formed a bond over anime since that time. I would play make-shift DBZ scenarios with him when he was little. I had Dragon Ball Z figures at the time. When I think about those days, I realize that it's those moments that count especially when kids are dealing with so much competitive stressors that don't encourage play.

I know everyone has their favorite Dragon Ball characters, but my favorite character ever is Vegeta. I wrote a whole bunch of articles about him through the years. One of my top posts ever was about growing up with Vegeta. And that was written 13 years ago.

At the time, I felt similar to Vegeta. I have this very lone wolf-ish disposition despite appearing friendly to a lot of people. I'll admit that I have softened a lot over the years. I don't have as much pride as Vegeta does as of late. But the thing about Vegeta lately is that he's a much different character than in the past. If you follow the Dragon Ball Super manga, you know what I'm talking about.

And then I realize I've grown up alongside Vegeta for 3 decades. It's surreal. Part of me feels like I haven't changed all that much like he has, but I have grown up in ways that I wouldn't have expected.

Which leads me to this - if it weren't for Dragon Ball Z, I wouldn't have gotten into anime. I wouldn't have gotten to explore other series beyond it. I wouldn't have gotten into manga. I wouldn't have met friends in fandom in my '20s. I wouldn't have fallen deep into the JRPG abyss. I wouldn't have gotten into Yakuza/Like a Dragon afterwards. I wouldn't have gotten into Japanese mahjong as a result of that. Dragon Ball Z started a chain effect that's still sending ripples to me to this day.

Akira Toriyama provided a introduction for me and everyone looking for something different into the world of Japanese pop culture. He is Cool Japan to me. Toriyama got so many people to see how wild, imaginative, fun, and inspiring Japanese pop culture media was. It's arguable that Toriyama had a much bigger impact on overseas fandom than Osamu Tezuka.

A lot of people involved in anime and manga would not be here if not for Toriyama. I want us to acknowledge that. I know I have. He was a game-changer or should I say, a world-changer for everything related to the perception of anime and manga globally.

Rest in peace and power, Toriyama-sensei! You will never, ever be forgotten!

#Akira Toriyama #Dragon Ball #manga #anime #pop culture #RIP #fandom #anime culture

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oxpogues4lifexo · 14 days

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Full Kook - Part 1

A Protective/Sweet/Obsessive/Possessive!Rafe&JJ Fanfic

Warnings: Mentions of drugs, Alcohol, Language, SA, Abuse, Sex. Anything I missed Lmk. Word count: 1.7k Summary of Part 1: Introduction of the main three characters, told by the one and only JJ Maybank.

JJ's Pov:

Bella Elizabeth Brooks.

The Princess of Kildare. With a heart of gold and the face of an angel. The girl everyone wants to be or be with. And the only person to disagree with that.. herself.

Bella grew up on The Cut with no mum, a father but no dad, and barely any friends. Despite the idolisation, everyone has always avoided her, and that's for one reason and one reason alone - Thomas Brooks.

The man who created the island's untouchable sweetheart.

There's reasons for it, that only the Pogue's side of the island understand. Whereas, for Figure Eight? Let's just say Tom has a good friend who keeps his status well-worded.

Don't get me wrong, Tom is THE most respected man in the OBX; works for everyone, always knows how to put smiles on their faces, and never has a bad thing to say about anything or anyone.

Well, that all goes out the window when it comes to Bella. I mean who wouldn't throw that all away if they had a daughter like her? But it definitely all changed when the whole fiasco with her mum came out last year. (14 years prior her mum passed. Her dad.. I'll save that for later). But it completely ruined everything for the both of them; everyone stopped wanting Thomas to take their jobs meaning they were losing a lot of money, and Thomas didn't want Bella having anything to do with anyone, as they all started spreading rumours about her, so he pulled her out of school.

Luckily the news only went around The Cut. So, ever since last Summer, Bella and Tom have been working up on the North side, taking jobs from anywhere they can like the Island Club or even just small things like mowing people's lawns. To be fair if I was getting paid that much, l'd do anything for them too. It helps that their family friend is only THE richest man on the island, so it makes surviving that little bit easier.

The Brooks had to start over from rock bottom, again, but they've managed to get themselves back to where they were. Everyone has started to move on from the situation, but now it was Thomas' turn. Which leads me back to why Bella doesn't like her life, despite having almost everything.

Her parents are Kooks, grew up on Figure Eight, best friends with Ward and Mary Cameron (before she left). Tom and Ward were inseparable since the day they met in Middle School, then meeting Mary and Elizabeth (Bella's mum) in High School, as they were cheerleaders for their football games.

However, Thomas suffered with mental illness since he was a little boy, and it slowly grew worse over the years. It meant that taking care of himself was bad enough, so being in a relationship with Eli would be extremely difficult. But, Elizabeth and Ward were what he needed as a distraction from everything else, so he stayed.

Taking us to 17 years ago (7 years later), when Eli found out she was pregnant and began to focus on that instead, something clicked in Tom's head. Almost like flipping a switch. Eli wasn't enough to make his thoughts go away anymore and Ward was now busy with Cameron Development so he turned to alcohol as a last resort. He wanted to move to The Cut to see if starting over would help him to get better but in-fact it did the opposite.

Around when Bella was 2, Eli and Thomas got into a huge argument over his drinking problem and how it was affecting their daughter’s life. One thing led to another and.. (I think you can piece it all together by now.)

The problem was, Tom is the sweetest man to exist, but when he lashes out he's a completely different person, even to himself. Afterwards, he doesn't remember a thing as if it was someone else inside his body. So him and Bella thought nothing of it; ignoring whenever he had an ‘episode’ (what they started to call it as he began to switch up more often and had no recollection of it after).

When Ward found out, he realised how distant he'd been; bailed Tom out and sent him to rehab.

This is where I come in.

At the time, Thomas, Ward, Mike, Bobby, and my dad, Luke, were all friends. They all were aware of Tom's mental health but never knew what happened that night (other than Ward) and they made sure to keep it that way.

Bella stayed with me and my dad for about two weeks before Thomas gave up on rehab. He believed that as long as he had Bella and he stopped drinking, he'd be okay. Ward didn't want to admit it, but he didn't trust Tom with his own daughter, especially when he was still grieving, so all of his friends would be over every night to 'check up on him'; they'd gamble, watch football, spend time with me and Bella (and an occasional Sarah and Rafe if Mary was busy).

Whatever it took to distract Thomas from his own mind.

Bella grew up surrounded by people; as we grew older and went to school, meeting new people was on the top of our list. Because of my dad, I practically lived at the Brooks house, so when Bella and Tom started going to Tannyhill for the weekends, I had to fill in the time. That's when I met John B. Then Kiara, then Pope. Bella, on the other hand, wasn't good at making friends, her dad was very picky with who she could surround herself with so she settled for me, Rafe and Sarah. The people he knew.

Rafe and Sarah began to visit the Brooks with Ward and so, even though I was quite sceptical about the whole ‘Kooks befriending Pogues thing’, I had no choice but to do so. The Camerons are the only reason, me, Bella and Tom have a good life so tolerating them is my way of thanking them.

Sarah ditched Bella for Kiara during High School before ditching Kie aswell (I don't know what happened, don't ask, the look I get when I ask is like I just murdered a whole family of turtles). This led the visitings to stop however, and they only saw each other once a week. The weekend stays were cut to a Friday dinner at most and so Bella and Rafe grew apart.

Bella was left with me and her dad. And then because of the whole information outbreak last year, she lost everything else. Thomas has worked his ass off to give her everything he can and she appreciates every part of it. She always tells him that she'd be happy living in a cardboard box as long as she had me and him, but it never stopped him from trying to give her the world.

But trust me, she meant it.

Anywho. The good news after that shitshow of a trauma dump that doesn't actually belong to me but to my gorgeous best friend, is that because of Bella and her dad working at the Island Club so much, her and Rafe reunited and are now as close as ever.

Gross, gag me..

Joking, I can't say that.

He's sat right beside me smoking a J with me whilst Bella's asleep on the other side of the L -shaped couch.

Me. Rafe. Bella.

The ‘Famous Trio’ of Kildare Island. I'm not going into another lecture but let me just say that we are the most well known people in the OBX right now. Rafe's the heartthrob of the Kooks, me? I'm the Pogues equivalent of course, and Bella's the beauty that came from the beast (Her dad, get it? No? Okay..) and we're all somehow friends.

Everyone on the island thinks we’re this weird throuple because of how close we all are to one another but we're actually so far from it.

Okay that was a lie.. to Bella there's absolutely nothing between us. But me and Rafe? GOD we fawn over Bella whenever we get the chance. And what makes it even harder to ignore is the fact that we know it'll never happen.

It's not that we want to sleep with her or anything, it's actually quite the opposite. We love that she likes us outside of that. That's what gets us the most, (other than the way she looks but that's a given), that she cares about us. And even through everything she'd never leave.

Bella Brooks is for life. And me and Rafe are never ever letting her go. That's a promise.

"Hm look.." Rafe lifts his phone to meet my eyes with the proudest grin on his face, a picture of Bella taking up the screen. It was a photo he took of her earlier today at the club whilst she was beating Topper at golf. Rafe taught her and she was quick to learn; he enjoys watching Topper's expressions when he loses to a 'beginner' when in reality she gets private lessons.

I watch the picture, as if it were a video waiting to load. My eyes widen, not being able to fix on only one area.

"Right..?" He chuckles, eyeing the photo himself, tracing every inch of it. Bella bent over, ass hanging out her shorts, and chest slightly exposed over her crop top as her arm is swung to hit the ball. Hair pulled back in a ponytail, held secure in one of Rafe's hats, showing off her whole face.

His eyes glare at me, eyebrows furrowed, now impatiently waiting for a response wondering if he should've shared the photo with me at all. "Send it to me.." I mumble, taking a glance at the Bella laying under a blanket across from us.

I always feel guilty about the way we ogle at her, like some toy we can play with, but we simply just think she's the most beautiful girl we've laid our eyes on. We don’t mean anything by it we just like to let her know.

He laughs passing me the joint, "Knew we were friends for a reason.."

Jealousy doesn't exist between me and Rafe; we know that Bella wouldn't choose between us and she loves us both equally so we have no reason for there to be any tension. Although I can't lie, I do get a little pissed when I see the way he looks at her. Because I know he sees her differently to me, he sees a sparkle somewhere in her that I haven't yet found and he's digging further for it with every interaction. I also know that he has a better chance with her, as me and Bella grew up together, meaning if we ever tried dating it would ruin everything we've worked for.

And Rafe knows that..

Alternative intro to my other one (pinned)

Let me know which you’d prefer to read more of x

Thank you for reading 🌹❤️

Masterlist

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skyfallslayer · 2 months

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Should We Stay or Should We Go? || Prologue

-A ST Rewrite Feat. Steve Harrington x Henderson!OFC-

Main Masterlist || Series Masterlist

🎲Summary: On the night of November 6th, 1983, Stephanie Henderson decided to walk her little brother’s friend, Will, back home. However… they never arrive. Now, Dustin, Mike and Lucas, and soon the exception of the girl’s ex-best friend, Steve, must band together to find out what happened. Meanwhile, Steph and Will must fight for their survival in this nightmarish version of Hawkins, Indiana.

🎲Chapter Summary: When they interlocked their pinkies none of them ever expected the weirdness that follows the years after. None of them ever expected to start growing apart. None of them ever expected the red string to stay attached. And none of them ever expected that they would be out saving the world with a baseball bat and wings. Yeah... you can’t make this stuff up.

🎲Pairings: Will x Platonic!OFC; Dustin x Sister!OC; Slow burn! Steve x Henderson!OFC (Ex-bestfriends to Lovers); Slow burn! Byler

🎲Rating: Teen-Mature

🎲Word Count: 921 (Small Introduction)

🎲Date: 3/6/24

🎲Warnings: Angst; Swearing; Implied Broken Friendship

🎲A/N: Extremely small chapter, hence why it's just the prologue. I just wanted to show my readers what the big picture is of this story, which is the Steve x OC relationship. However, just like above, this will contained the loving sibling relationship of Dustin, and even Will, between OC. This story also contains Jopper (a personal fav), Jancy, Mileven and the slow burn of Byler (I got to give this boy some love and if you think Will has been a background character for the last few seasons like I have then don't you worry! I'm giving Will a time for him to shine throughout this fic). Anyway, don't want this paragraph to be longer than the actual chapter. Lol. Enjoy!

Pinky Promise.

It’s a bond between two people, a vow that’s taken so it shall not be broken. Childish, you know, but to a small kid it means everything. When they locked their pinkies together, muttering their promises to one another, they both had barely turned five, barely ready to take on the world head first.

But a promise was a promise— Yet a pinky promise was so much more. It holds so much more weight than crossing your heart or giving a handshake.

At least it was to these two very best friends…

“Wow.” The blue eyed girl said, genuinely surprised (She can’t even believe their conversation is so calming in a situation like this). “That explains so much. And… you never mentioned that to me before?”

“Well, can you blame me?” He asked, with a small smile and laugh. “I think it kinda does. I think, like, right out of the gate, like, I’m super confident. But I’m also, like, an idiot. Which is just…” He shrugs. “I mean, it’s a brutal combination. But, I mean, the good news is, I get a big enough thump on my head, I can change, you know? I can learn. I can crawl forward.”

She noticed his pace was slowing, and his brown eyes of his were becoming distant. “Steve?”

“Listen–” He stops them both, face looking like a lost puppy now. “I guess what I’m trying to say in a really stupid, roundabout way is, um… is thank you.”

She tilts her head, confused. “Thank you?” She watches him nod, adding fuel to her emotion. “For...?”

His face softens. “For giving my head the biggest thump of its life two years ago.” He chuckles. “Nancy, you know, she gave me the push, but you, Stephanie, gave me the thump I needed. It’s changed my life. And now I’m crawling forward in a way I never thought I could achieve. Slowly.”

And now he’s frowning, looking down at himself, engulfing himself in the glum. “I just wonder sometimes... you know, if... if I had just opened my eyes before I met Nancy, would things have been different? Like… part of me thinks we would’ve made it without our relationship falling apart.”

“Steve–” She croaks, teary eyed and shocked.

“And… you know what the craziest… most messed up part of the story is?”

“What?”

His lips curled up just a bit. “Remember the dream I told you about? About the Winnebago? Seeing the country with my six lil’ nuggets? It’s all true. Every last word. But… the mess up part?” He swallows, also getting emotional. “The mess up part is when I first thought of that dream… is that… you’re there. You’ve always been there.”

“Steve–”

“And that…” He smiles. “That’s my pinky promise to you, Miss Stephanie Henderson.”

The creature shrieked above, its claws waving around frantically –trying to get a nick out of him– as he held it back with some piping. He watched the pupils go all ‘cat-like’, fangs coming out that he swears were growing with each scream.

He was struggling, he knows this, and he knows he has to buy the kid some time to get a radio signal out to his girlfriend, but he was slipping, fuck it. However, he knows deep in his heart he can’t back down from this.

His jaw clenched and his eyes flash with determination. “I don’t care what you’ve become! I ain’t leaving you, Henderson!” He shouted, hoping his words would get through to her. “That’s a pinky promise.”

“I’m helping you and Dustin out.” He insisted, knowing damn well that she didn’t even want him near her brother, let alone near herself.

She sends him a look, skeptical, on edge. “Why?”

“Look, I know you don’t want to talk–”

“Damn, right.”

“Steph.” He says, stepping in front of her way to get her attention. “We’ll just put this on the backburner. Right now, and I mean it, I just want to help you and Dustin, keep you guys safe. Pinky Promise.”

“Steve–”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He says, while playing with his hands, nervously, worriedly. “Not until I know you’re okay.”

She frowns apologetically. “You know that might be a while.”

“I know.”

“I have Dustin and my mom, you don’t have to stay here.”

“I know.” He breaks eye contact. “But what if I want to?”

That made her chuckle. “Well… if you want to.” She says, making them both smile. “Fine sleeping in a chair?”

He nods. “If that’s what I’ll have to do.” He replies, making her hum.

She raises an eyebrow. “Is that a pinky promise?”

“Yeah.” His expression grows. “Pinky promise.”

But what if you break it? The promise? What if you don’t follow through? That is the unfortunate part of this story. The promise was to stay together forever, to make their friendship last a lifetime. For them, they were two peas in a pod, polar opposites that still attached themselves to one another… until they couldn’t.

When the boy decided to become a King, the girl became a peasant. The boy was showered with love and affection, and the girl was on a quest of loneliness that became bitter.

This was a story about Steve Harrington and Stephanie Henderson.

A story, where no matter what happens, the red string still stays attached to their pinkies despite their attempts to take it off.

This was story where the two of them decided to save the world–

Their families–

Their friends–

And their friendship.

(TBC)

A/N: I was so surprised when everyone was asking to be added in just a few short days. Makes me really happy :D

-Taglist is Open-

@ladygrey03 @poppet05 @tooearlyforthis @lovesfics @lordzzz

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ciphermeztli-x · 18 days

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Ifinallyfinishedhimomg, I present to you the first of five-

The Shiba Brothers series!

Meet: Ichiro.

I finally finished this little introduction to the eldest brother of the pack, I’ve been wanting to post these for forever but I wanted to have their lore written and refined first.

A little about him:

Ichiro was the first born son of Shogunate General Giichi and shrine maiden Ren, ever since childhood he had been trained to inherit’s his father’s position which resulted in very little to no time for leisure, despite sharing this lifestyle with his younger brothers Jiro, Sabu and Shiro (with only one and two years apart from each other) Ichiro, being the eldest, was given the task from his father to assume a position of authority rather than familial with them, orders that he followed by the letter as he fully believed that his father had only the best interest in mind them, turning his relationship with his siblings into an estranged, cold and, with time, a violent one, something that only started to change once he became experienced enough to learn what kind of man his father really was.

The biggest turning point in his life was at 15 years old when Gorou was born and his mother passed during birth. Right when he had thought there was no redemption for the way he had treated his siblings their whole lives, in Gorou he saw a second chance to make things right, so without his mother and a more than apathetic father, Ichiro took it upon himself to raise Gorou with all the love and patience he nor his brothers ever got from anyone.

Slowly as his brothers grew older, one by one fled far away from Inazuma and their father’s damning presence, it was only him and Gorou left. Ichiro had gotten many chances to flee, but he could not leave Gorou alone, and so he stayed, he protected and shielded Gorou as if his own life was on the line, that was until the vision hunt decree happened, and Gorou announced himself against the Shogun’s orders, and his father, as expected to everyone, took this as another “failure of a soldier” and his wrath was unleashed.

Ichiro knew first hand that his father’s punishments were merciless, the thought of what he could do to Gorou, his baby brother, the boy he had raised by himself, terrified him. He knew Gorou would not step down nor flee and if it were to be on Father’s hands there would be blood spilled, so Ichiro had to make the decision to use his newly obtained position as General to punish Gorou himself by disowning him completely from the family, the words came out of his mouth with bitter pain as needles piercing through his tongue, and his brother’s broken blue eyes that saw this as the ultimate betrayal from the only real family he had left. Ichiro felt as if the whole world had fallen unto his chest.

During the first months of the Vision Hunt Decree, Ichiro led the Shogun army until news of the resistance at Watatsumi Island reached him, and felt the utmost gut wrenching guilt when he found out that Gorou was the one leading as General. It was at that moment that he made the one selfish decision in his life, quitting his position as Shogunate General, which was then passed down to his fellow comrade Kujou Sara, who was actually the one to protect Ichiro as soon as his father called for punishment.

Ichiro remained in the shogunate army by Kujou’s personal request, as they had grown close as comrades in arms, she understood the emotional involvement with the former General, so she assigned him as Captain to the guards, keeping him away from any direct involvement in the war.

Ichiro then spends his days still by his father’s side along with Shiro, not because he wanted to, at this point he was beyond detached from that horrid man and Shiro was every bit of mad as he was, but because a small part of him still held onto the fantasy (for hope was beyond lost) that one day his siblings will return home, or maybe, something may bring them back together.

His vision:

He obtained his vision the day he exiled Gorou from the family and his father, for once in his life, approved of his decision and declared that he would be a great General. Words that he yearned for his whole life now rang empty to his ears, it didn’t matter anymore, nothing did. As he walked through the now empty hallways of his house, the memories of his siblings running around and little Gorou following his steps everywhere he went now were hollow, he realized then, he was alone, the coldness that grew in his chest as thoughts of what he had lost rang like gongs in his head, the freezing agony then materialized in his hands as a cryo vision.

His whole life he had worked hard for one, as he thought “maybe this will make father proud”. He stared down at the gift from the gods in silence, it felt like a joke, as if the one time in his life when the gods ever noticed his cries was to make a mockery of his loneliness and regret.

The vision was then locked up somewhere in his room, never to be seen or used.

Anyway I don’t want to say more cause I fear I might spoil some lore stuff lol here’s the inspirations I had for this character!

Character inspirations:

-Joel Miller (The Last of Us, mostly the HBO series version of Joel)

-Freya (God of War 4)

-Thor (God of War: Ragnarok)

-Jonathan Byers (Stranger Things)

-Garen (League of Legends)

Songs!

-Little Lion Men (Mumford and Sons)

-So Will I (Ben Platt)

-Wait For It (Hamilton)

-The Truth is a Cave (The Oh Hello’s)

-A Sadness Runs Through Him (The Hoosiers)

-Midnight Dove (Shawn James)

___

Anyway, I think I went a little crazy with this whole thing lol

Hope y’all liked it anyhow:3

I’ll be back with the rest of the siblings.

#genshin impact #gorou #gorou fanart #gorou is a very pretty boy #Shiba brothers au #Gorou’s brothers #oc insert #delulu is the solulu

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minnieves · 2 years

Text

bj terry part two, three, four, and five.

new to the bj series? see here for the guide.

summary: camboy!taehyun who films his dick up to only his lips.

bj terry is live...

a notification popped out, catching your attention. you immediately clicked on it, putting your tablet into landscape while terry does his introduction. you stood up from your bed to look for your vibrator and lube.

"have you done your assignments baby?" his voice ask from the other side of the screen. you removed your panties before climbing back to your bed. "i have a classmate who i think is beautiful."

you snapped your eyes at the screen. jealousy filling you in from what he is saying. who is he talking about? you asked yourself as if you personally knows him.

"she has such a nice voice. it makes me wonder what they'd sound like if she were to moan my name." he talked to the camera.

"someone commented that i'm getting hard thinking about her," he reads. you could see his head nodding a little.

you felt suffocated. like your room was too small for you. too small to accommodate you. you didn't know that you'll get attached to the man behind the screen. the man who makes you cum every tuesday and thursday nights.

"do you think you could distract me enough that i won't be thinking of her?" he asked.

"yes!" you answered like a fool. thinking he could hear you.

from the other side of the screen, he was stroking himself. the pinkish head of his cock looking appetising as ever.

"play with yourself baby, come on. don't be shy now." he told you. making your hand went down to your clit. rubbing it in circular motions like he does on the tip of his dick.

"are you mad that i'm talking about someone else?" he asked you.

"yes, stop talking about her." you answer him. lubing the vibrator that you took out.

"be good for me and put it in." he told the camera. "think that it's my dick who's making you feel good."

you slowly pushed the vibrator inside you. with it being in a lower setting. you have the controls in the application on your phone, but you wanted to mimic his administration on his dick.

"should we go faster, hmm?" he asked. "are you doing to be a good little slut for me?"

he started moving his hand faster. making you increase the intensity of yours while moving it in and out of you.

"terry!" you softly moan as you played with your nipples.

"look at you, moaning like some bitch in heat. do you not feel disgusted?" he said. moving his hand to focus on his head. "getting jealous over someone but is getting really wet?"

you slowly rock you hips to meet your vibe. letting is stay in place and let your hips move it. you changed your position, kneeling in the bed instead as you rock back and forth on it.

"is my baby jealous?" his voice coming out teasing.

"move those hips faster baby," he told you. his hand moving faster, gripping his length every so often.

you took your phone to put the vibe in it's highest setting as you move your hips in rocking motions.

"are you going to cum?" he asked.

"yes, terry, please." you said in between moans.

"cum." he told you. you pressed yourself deeper in the vibe as you ride your high.

you immediately closed his live. not wanting to hear anymore of him. you look at your thighs and the mess you made and took a heavy sigh.

you woke up the next day. grabbing to check your phone. you were supposed to meet taehyun today so that you could do your research together. before you could read the time, the devil's name popped out

kang taehyun is calling...

"good morning y/n!" he greet you from the other line. your ears prick up to his voice.

"morning," you told him in your morning voice.

"i might run 15 minutes late from out meeting time." he told you

"oh, no worries! i'm just about to get ready myself," you answered. voice still raspy.

"i see. just wait for me, okay?" he told you.

"you sound like someone," you told him truthfully.

"what?" he asked. "oh, tell me later. i need to go. i'm just going to message you.

"bye." you said dropping the call. has taehyun always sound like terry?

#txt hard hours #txt hard thoughts #txt smut #taehyun hard thoughts #taehyun smut #txt suggestive #txt scenarios #txt imagines

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russosafehaven · 1 year

Text

All Of Your Parts

Series Name: All Of Your Parts

Chapter Title: One - Baking and Lavender

Pairing: Billy Russo x System!Reader

Content: Reader with Dissociative Identity Reader, Soft!Billy, Established Relationship, Billy and Reader have been together around 5~ weeks, This chapter is Billy’s first introduction to the alters, written in first person so readers can get a feel for the difference between alters, name in bold is who’s fronting, host is Y/N

These will all be drabbles!!

BR Taglist: @snowkestrel

Elisadora / Eli

The scent of cinnamon and apples wafted through the air as they stewed on the stove top. Billy’s apartment was chic and slick, untouched by time unlike my own. The place we lived was cheap and all we could afford on our pension. Until we met Billy we lived a rough life, still living with our mother in the small place. It was home though and the first place Y/N picked out when we turned 18. Our brother had long been gone by then, moving in with his best friend. Currently we worked at the gift-shop in a museum, it was a quiet job and we knew it well.

“You home- what’s cooking? Didn’t you tell me you can’t cook?”

That was my first mistake. It was true, Y/N had told Billy they couldn’t cook because well they can’t. In our youth they’d burn everything or over cook it. It was odd considering we’d been brought up baking and cooking, making treats for our family. I suppose that’s something unique with our disorder, when I split I took all that knowledge with me. My name is Elisadora, a whimsical name I know but I formed in the mind of a child.

“Oh, well I found a recipe and I thought I would try it out”

Billy and Y/N had been seeing one another for a few weeks now. They were lovely together, everything they didn’t have he did and vice versa. One may see them and say soulmates, considering Billy had told our host he’d never settle I may just believe those who call them that.

“Isn’t that dangerous without adult supervision?”

He cracked a smile, walking towards me slowly. Even with the heavy work of the day his clothes remained primped and smooth, not a wrinkle in sight. Something that always impressed me. I may not share Y/N’s taste when it comes to dating but I must say they know how to pick them. Billy leaned in for a kiss to which I promptly pushed him away.

“Get into something more comfortable first, then we’ll see. You must be sore from your day”

Trying my best to fake the New York accent of the host was difficult, typically we didn’t mask. There was no need. We live in Manhattan and don’t have many friends. Our co-workers at the museum pay little attention to us. Everyone we see is typically once and gone, they never remember our odd behaviour so what’s the point in masking? Only three people in our life knew of our disorder. Our mother, our brother and our one close friend, Marc Spector. Marc is a childhood friend of ours and we learnt about his DID early on. His symptoms presented longer then ours had but we got closer over it. Steven and Jake were close to us as well. The Moon boys, as we call them, have a special bond with us no one else can.

“When did you become so bossy?”

He huffed, walking away slowly. Eventually I’d have to tell him that I’m not his lover but in fact a fragment of their mind. For now I’d just let Billy change, focus on my baking and maybe ask Marc for advice. My phone elicited a notification and speak of the devil it was Marc.

🌙: Has Steven ever asked you lot about your service dog?

☀️: No, why? - E

🌙: Hey Eli and I’m asking cause he remembers meeting a dog but can’t pin point who’s

☀️: This is New York Marc, he’s probably meant plenty.

☀️: Actually I wanted to ask you something.

🌙: Ask away, not like I’m doing anything important anyways

☀️: When you lot first told Layla about your DID how’d she take it? Better yet how did you do it?

🌙: Well not sure I’m the greatest example of that, but after the whole Khonshu and Ammit thing. Harrow was taken down shit like that. We sat down and had a proper discussion about it. What it meant for me and Steven all that. Steven did most of the talking. Why? I thought Y/N told Billy ages ago

☀️: They’ve probably thought about it but I think after our teen years, after the whole Beri incident and our father they’re hesitant. I’m at his apartment now and I don’t know what to tell him.

☀️: Well look at that, he’s coming back. I’ll update you later.

Turning off my phone I throw it onto the bench. Billy’s arms wrap around me and I can’t help but feel guilty. Lightly I tug them away and turn to face him. He looks confused and understandably so.

“Billy there’s something we need to discuss”

#billy russo #billy russo imagine #billy russo x reader #billy russo fluff #the punisher imagine #ben barnes #the punisher #x reader #dissociative system #dissociative identity disorder #dissociative alters #this is such a niche i’m sorry #hopefully there’s other systems out there who like billy russo????

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the-paris-of-people · 1 year

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I truly don't understand some of the criticisms of the sex lives of college girls season 2, particularly with the s2 finale. Yes, I agree the pacing is confusing and inconsistent, but the same can also be said of the Mindy Project, s3 of Never Have I Ever, or a LOT of other popular shows. They definitely could have defined time better in the show by explicitly stating major holidays/ I'm going to be detailing my response to some of the criticisms that I've seen from both reviewers and critics:

1.) The constant introduction of new characters and high romantic relationship turnover:

Honestly this one confuses me greatly because.... it's their first year of college? You're constantly meeting new people and "trying them on" as friends, as romantic partners, as hook-ups. It's realistic that you would be able to look back on your freshman year and laugh at how you had sex with your annoying biochem lab partner, or fucked a short king and cheated on your boyfriend and screwed things over, or went through a twincest phase, or were constantly catching the eye of the campus hotties. Honestly, the fact that these characters are slowly reckoning with their own identities and figuring out what they want out of their relationships (and the fact that some of them have!! after their first year of college!) is incredibly realistic. Also it's the second season of the show!! The characters need novel experiences (or at least just EXPERIENCES) for "character building" in the later years of their college journeys. Freshman year of college (and even just being 18-19) is supposed to be messy, and fun, and make no sense because you're figuring out who you are. I don't understand how people can't attribute the "messiness" of the plotlines with the life phase of the girls

2.) The fall of Leighton x Tatum and the revival of Leighton x Alicia:

Truly, I didn't know people were nvested in their relationship. From the very beginning, Tatum was cited as part of a "twincest" phase of coming out by Miss Willow (who is my favorite btw) and there was nothing that negated that. Tatum simply served as a catalyst for Leighton realizing how far she had come in embracing her lesbian identity, and just generally, realizing she cared wayyyy more about the LGBTQ+ community and other people's feelings that putting on this cool girl facade. Everything she did to impress Tatum at the beginning (the art gallery, trying to catch her attention) should how image and status-obsessed Leighton was, only for it to all fall down when she realized she cared more about changing and becoming a better person. Which is a positive thing! Also, what "relationship" was there to ruin? Tatum and Leighton had just started seeing each other and if count their dates including the dinner with the dads, had probably only had been on a small number of dates. This is in stark contrast with Leighton's relationship with Alicia, who she spent LOADS of time with at the women's center and privately in their own personal relationship. Alicia, on the other hand, who initially was everything Leighton didn't want to be in season one, actually was the person who taught Leighton a lot and made Leighton into a better person through Alicia's efforts at the women's center. I truly don't understand people's criticisms of Alicia's character that she was "so performative" and Tatum "showed that you can just be gay and exist without all this activism" I feel like that's code for "Tatum is more easily digestible in this cis, white, heteronormative world therefore I like her better as a love interest" Alicia, in my opinion, has a lot of positive qualities. She's bright, hilarious, has great chemistry with Leighton, and is incredibly caring and devoted to the LGBTQ+ community. I don't understand how it's a bad thing that she's seen an activist, she is just trying to create a safe space and make the world a more inclusive place.

3.) Bela's character demise:

This one REALLY pisses me off. To see people turn on Bela in what is clearly a trauma response after they claimed to stan her so hard in season one is absolutely reprehensible to me. Also, like the NHIE fandom shows, it proves that you can be a white woman and get away with anything whereas if you're POC, you make one mistake (particularly this is in response the point in the series where Bela cheated on Eric with Dan) and everyone turns against you. Seriously, no one says a word about Leighton gaslighting Natalie for not informing her about her chylamydia? And she never apologized to her either! People are forgetting how traumatizing the world of the Catullan was to Bela in s1. She was assaulted and belittled, and in the very beginning of the show was taught (with the six handjobs) that it was beneficial to leverage her sexuality to get ahead. Eric perpetuated this idea when Bela chided him for showing off in front of Dan in front of her, this idea that she needed to do whatever possible to rise to the top of her field. Also, the rigorous "rushing" process of the Catullan made her feel like other people also had to tough it out and that ultimately went to her head when she was in a position of power, which is NOT UNCOMMON! AT ALL! From the very beginning, Bela was a people pleaser and trying so hard to get people (her roommates, comedy writers, etc.) and coming up short so from the start this was built into her character. People are saying they hated Bela's character arc this season clearly do not understand TV and are not in it for the long haul. Regular people do not have linear journeys. They go through traumatic or triggering events which fuck them up, then they go down to their darkest point before they can rise again. The fact that this was written into Bela's character and the fact that they thought about her trauma response and wrote it into journey this season is amazing to me, and a sign of GOOD writing, not bad writing at all. The fact that people don't have anything but empathy for my girl is incredibly sad to me.

3.) Whitney's love affair with biochem and sex affair with the son of Julia Louis Dreyfus:

I feel like I haven't seen as much criticism of this besides the lack of direction in her romantic life. To that I say, Whitney explicitly said she was focused on finding herself this season. Her main goal was to explore her other interests outside soccer and to have fun, outside of relationships. Her cheating trauma (from that ugly ass man dalton) came back when she checked Canaan's phone, and though bio bro didn't really teach her much about romantic relationships, but like.... does everyone have to? Isn't it fun to hook up with your lab partner while discovering your passions? Also catty-words did a much better job of articulating Whitney's arc with Canaan than I ever could. Again, college is for being messy and self-discovery and Whitney is on the right track. Also this season 100% indicated that her relationship with her mom is much better than it used to be and I thought the moment they shared was really sweet (when her mom tried to get her the internship) I've seen people say Whitney had a terrible arc in season 1, and her grooming by Dalton served no purpose, but honestly I think they missed the point (which again, this post is complaining about people with no media literacy) Whitney not confiding in her mom about Dalton acted as a catalyst for relationship growth with her mother, and I'm sure it will come up in future seasons.

4.) Kimberly's story arc:

Oh, boy. I think I am going to make a whole separate post for the relationship of Kimberly and Canaan and how (to me) they make perfect sense together and the show has been building to since their first interaction. But I want to speak on Kimberly's egg donation storyline and betrayal (which I think is a strong word) of Whitney. A lot of complaints I've seen about the egg donation storyline is that it was just dropped. I agree with how it was strange that it was dropped, but upon future reflection, if this show is about all the four years of college, I'm sure the repercussions of the egg donation and Kimberly's revelation of the loss of her scholarship will come up in future seasons, which makes the most sense (because how can Kimberly deal with her donated eggs and the possibility they are being used to make babies if she JUST gave them. And I don't want her to have a medical issue right after, she had already been through so much!)

As for her betrayal of Whitney, well.... I have a controversial opinion about that. Whitney has every right to feel hurt and upset about seeing Kimberly kiss Canaan. HOWEVER, if my rough calculations are correct, Canaan and Whitney only dated for a month to a month and a half, 5-6 months ago. They were only official for a few days (though you can make the argument that Whitney thought they were serious for longer) Whitney showed no indication to her roommates (and even Willow when they were together at the last Theta party of the year) that she wanted to be with Canaan again, so Kimberly didn't know it was going to hurt Whitney as much as she did. As for "Whitney gave Kimberly the option to confess" I don't necessarily think a roommate breakfast was necessarily the best forum for Kimberly to deliver that news, and Kimberly KNEW that because she opened her mouth, saw how hurt Whitney was, and changed her answer. I ABSOLUTELY think that Kimberly should have spoken to Whitney about liking Canaan before kissing him and should have told her privately about it, but honestly, I know that most viewers at the ages of 18-19 would 100% be stunned at how to navigate the situation if they were in Kimberly's place as well. Again, these girls are still learning how to communicate with other people and honestly they 100% act more maturely than most people I knew in college so stop being so freaking harsh on them, JESUS! Also, they were setting up a Whitney x Canaan x Kimberly "love triangle" (because I think the feelings are unfortunately unrequited on Whitney's side from Canaan) from THE FIRST EPISODE. This tension between them was ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN because Canaan (at least in my eyes) was introduced as a love interest for Kimberly in the sense that their first meeting was a funny story that will be one to reminisce and Whitney hooked up with Canaan also in the first episode. Also this isn't a situation of "two girls fighting over a guy" this is more the situation of "my close friend didn't confide me or come to me first about an issue that affects me and that betrayal hurts me deeply and I don't think I can bare to live with it" which I feel is incredibly relevant and relatable. I heard a podcast that said Whitney is not so much hurt by Canaan liking another woman, but that Kimberly wasn't completely transparent with Whitney, which also occurred with Leighton and Nico in s1 and is VERY consistent with Kimberly's character. I have no doubt they will work it out and it'll make their friendship stronger. Whitney's hurt hurts ME (Jesus Alyah Chantelle Scott is amazing) but I know they'll get through it.

TL;DR: They're young, they're stupid, they're 18-19, and a friendship breakup/going through rough patches in a friendship and particularly a large friend group in college is so, so NORMAL. Have some grace for these wonderful young women and their messy journeys. If you actually examine the show and characters holistically s2, while not as good as s1, makes a LOT of sense. Also why is no one talking about how we got so much Lila this season and it was glorious?? She's a gift to this world.

Tagging @thefabulousfab-3 @basiltonpitch

#i realize i forgot to talk about eric but im not an eric fan sorry guys #but obviously he's coming back #just because characters #especially women characters regress or go through rough patches or dont have complete storylines with personal romantic work storylines the #whole shebang #doesnt mean they arent going through wonderful self discovery journeys #truly why are yall such haters #the sex lives of college girls spoilers #tslocg #kimberly finkle #whitney chase #canaan greene #lila flores #bela malhotra #leighton murray #the sex lives of college girls #tslocg spoilers

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g8dess · 1 month

Note

1 - how many f/os do you have?

3 - who are/is your main(s)?

7 - how did you meet them?

-Ren

1 - how many f/os do you have?

Quite a lot, but a lot of them never get any love from me so idk if I should count them.

So roughly between 40 and 100

3 - who are/is your main(s)?

I've currently got 6 mains again. Which are Nebulae/Devlin, Belphie, Ichi, Cove, Qiu and Kaoru. I used to have Shion as a main as well, but I demoted him since I don't think about him as much anymore.

I started this blog when I only had Kaoru as a main. And slowly as interests shifted and rekindled the others came to occupy a big part of my love too.

For the main amongst my mains, that would be Nebu, since he's an oc fo and I feel like nobody could ever replace him.

7 - how did you meet them?

Meta answer: sort of:

Kaoru was while I was in middle school somewhere, I think. I was generally into romcoms already and this one was just, amazing to watch. I soon read the manga for it too and just absolutely fell in love with Kaoru (I also really loved twin characters so that was a win too). Belphie was during the moment the game just released, I was getting so many ads for it and upon seeing Belphie I just knew I had to play it. Nebu came to me in a dream. Qiu is because I played Cove's game and they are in the new game fron the same series and I finally caved and downloaded the beta. Cove, I don't remember how I stumbled upon the game, probably in a moment I was really into visual novels and wanted to see if steam had any free ones. Ichi I started to only fall for recently as well in consideration to how long I've been in the fandom, my favs changed quite often for them.

In universe: some of these are just the game's introduction

Kaoru: in middle school, when we accidentally talked to each other, I've known them from preschool but never interacted before now

Cove: as a child, he was the new neighbour and escaped from parental supervision so we had to go find him too (in poly au, my uncle introduced me to the neighbourhood kids when I came to live with him)

Qiu: as a child, I was the new neighbour and was exploring the neighbourhood and stumbled into their garden (this is the same in the poly au, just different circumstances, here my aunt introduced me)

Ichi: I've seen him around but never talked to him before that one fatefull rainy day when I noticed he didn't have an umbrella with him and went to offer up mine

Nebu: Officially met him during my last year in high school, but he was already an observor to my life from elementary school

Belphie: Got summoned to the Devildom and snuck up the stairs to the attic after getting Luci distracted (this stays the same in the double mc au)

#ask #general asks

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infiniteorangethethird · 9 months

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anyway here's part 2 to my paracosm snippets

(previous / next)

ignore the fact it took me more than a month to post this

It was exactly midnight when Mike opened his eyes.

At least, that’s how he would’ve written it, if his life was a book. It would’ve been a headstrong introduction. But alas, his life was not a book, and he had no idea if it was actually midnight.

All he could tell was that the sky was clear, the stars were beautifully visible, and that there definitely was no second nor third moon the last time he went to sleep.

He would’ve kept admiring the sight, if not for the head appearing right above his own.

“Hey there! Are you alright?”

Mike stirred at the question. He tried to recall the last thing he saw before waking up. He remembered Leo’s message with a “call for adventure” (his words, not Mike’s), how they were supposed to meet at a cave entrance of all places. Strange place for a first ever meeting in person, but Mike wasn’t one to judge. He remembered entering the cave with Leo, wondering how many people have died following strangers into weird caves. He remembered getting lost, he remembered the weird berry bushes inside, the ones that then began moving around and that spoke to them about stories and dimensions and imagination coming to life, he remembered Leo’s friend showing up alongside Rowena, then a flash of light and-

A wave of dizziness hit him at that last memory. He swallowed a groan.

“…yeah, sure. Just admiring the stars. Although, if you ask me, some of those constellations have changed place since I last went stargazing.”

“Oh thank god,” Leo sighed, vanishing from Mike’s vision as he straightened up. “For a sec I thought I accidentally teleported your internal organs separately, or something.”

“Certainly would’ve made for a much different evening, don’t you agree?” Mike couldn’t help but smile. Leo was a nice guy, but he had a habit of worrying just a tad bit too much at times.

Except when he was about to plunge himself and his friend into a completely different reality, apparently.

“Speaking of teleportation.” Mike sat up, taking in his new environment as much as the moonlight allowed. “Where are we anyway?”

He turned around slowly, inspecting his surroundings. On his left, the edge of a coniferous forest, sparse enough for him to see the stars between the trunks. In front of him, a large clearing rolled into a low hill, rising lazily until its dark form became indistinguishable from the inky sky. To his right, the other edge of the forest continued.

And behind him, the midsection of the forest, in front of which he could vaguely make out Leo’s thin frame.

Leo’s eyes glinted with excitement. “I have no idea,” he whispered.

“Well, that sounds like a surefire way to get lost and then starve to death,” Mike noted, taking Leo’s hand to stand up. His words had no venom, though.

Leo chuckled. “Between my magic staff and your willar abilities, I supposed we could easily come up with something if need be. Plus, who knows? We might even run into civilization at some point.”

Mike dusted himself off, shaking his wings and using his fingers to comb out the grass blades from between his feathers. By the time he deemed himself clean enough, Leo already stood by the edge of the trees, waiting impatiently for his companion.

“Ready whenever you are, princess,” he said as Mike caught up. Mike ignored the bitter taste in his mouth at the nickname.

“So, uh, just to be absolutely and definitely sure,” he began instead. “Is it true that we’re currently in a book?”

“A book, a movie, a series – anything that counts as a fictional story,” Leo replied nonchalantly. He walked with a spring in his step, lighting the way with a magic flame at the end of his staff. “But, yes. This alternate reality – this dimension – is, in fact, the same as one of our stories in our homeworld.”

Mike pondered the idea for a moment.

“Can you imagine?” Leo continued enthusiastically. “The worlds we will see! The people we’ll meet! All this time, an infinitely vast universe hid right under our noses – and now we finally get to be the first ones to explore it all! The limit is, quite literally, only our imagination!”

He turned back to face Mike. “Can’t wait to see one of yours in person, too. I mean, can you?”

Mike didn’t know what to say to that. Despite a writer himself, he appeared to have run out of words to properly express the swirling tornado of emotions within him.

“Uh, sure,” he replied.

#paraportal #the orange dimension #my writing #characterizing with tiny details is my fav thing to do #the contrast between this duo and the prev is so funny in hindsight #Mike and Leo: oh yeah we've only talked online before but we trust each other #Ro and Lucy: Fucking Die Bitch

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syderary-theory · 1 year

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My three favorite books of 2022

2022 has actually turned out to be a pretty big year for me in terms of reading. For anyone who doesn’t know, I have been struggling with an intense reading burn-out since my junior year of undergrad (English majors go off) that I have slowly recovering from over the last few years, and this last year especially has done a lot in terms of reigniting my love for reading.

Now, overall, I read a total of 23 books over the course of 2022, which might not be much for some folks, but it’s a lot for me and I am very pleased both with the number of books I read and with the books themselves.

Generally, I have enjoyed a lot of creative nonfiction as well as literary fiction, but I also ended up giving myself more room to explore different genres like horror/thriller as well as sci-fi and graphic novels. Some examples include: The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, and Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kirsten Radtke.

The list below are not exactly what I would consider the best of everything I’ve read (but don’t get me wrong, they’re all fantastic) but rather more so the books that have changed my approaches to life, reading, or otherwise have lingered with me since reading them. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

This is not my first Toni Morrison novel, but I wish that it had been. My initial introduction to Morrison had been Song of Solomon, a novel that I don’t remember enjoying but plan to revisit soon.

The Bluest Eye clicked for me in so many ways, from Morrison’s artistic description of 1940’s Lorain, Ohio to her masterful execution of theme as a linking mechanism throughout each chapter. I love the way Morrison refuses to shy away from the more grotesque parts of her characters without completely stripping them of their humanity.

I recommend looking up the trigger warnings before diving into it, but The Bluest Eye is a wonderful novel that I’m glad to have picked up the past year.

2. On Immunity: an Inoculation by Eula Biss

I think I picked this up after hearing about it from some bookclub servers I was in, but this book ended up being the harrowing examination of our mass response to disease and vaccination that I needed after these past few years neck deep in the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Immunity does not respond to our most recent global panic, but instead responds to our history of illness and treatment, and how much of that history gets shaped by human fear. The similarities between the epidemics and vaccine treatments Biss faced at the birth of her son and what we’ve encountered over the last few years is hauntingly similar.

But what I ended up loving the most about this book was Biss’s honesty about her own fears and apprehensions towards vaccine treatment. It ended up making the book more about self-examination instead of mass cultural critique, which helped me to breakdown my own anxieties over scheduling an appointment for that first COVID booster.

After everything we’ve all been through over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book couldn’t be relevant and worth reading.

1. Why Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller

This has probably become one of my favorite books ever. Similar to On Immunity, I initially encountered this book via one of my bookclub servers (it was a really great bookclub y’all), and have not stopped thinking about.

Why Fish Don’t Exist is half biography of the late taxonomist, David Starr Jordan, and half memoir of Lulu Miller’s pursuit for meaning amongst personal devastation.

It’s hard for me to describe what exactly I love about this book beyond the standard execution of lyrical prose and investigative reflection. This is a book I would recommend to anyone new to nonfiction, because it’s artful blend of form makes for a really captivating read complete with twists and unexpected beauty.

I think for me, what this book really ended up providing was a reflection of my own questions about life and meaning in the wake of my own spiritual deconstructions. Growing up in an intensely religious home, I’d been conditioned to rely on notions of a god for almost all my personal deliberations. So, by taking a step away from all those preconceived notions of the universe and my place in it, I, like Miller, found myself faced with the task of finding new ways to connect to life in order to find purpose again. It’s a book I find myself returning too quite frequently.

So, that is the short list of my favorite books this year. If you’ve read any of these, I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you want to tell me about your favorite books from this past year, please feel free to share.

Until then, ✌️

#books and reading #book blog #why fish don’t exist #on immunity #the bluest eye #book review #happy new year #books #reading #2022 reading

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crownamedblue · 1 year

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Letters to myself

Blue (any/all)

This is the part of the article known as the introduction. Similar to an essay format, this has a broader beginning, eventually funneling to a more concentrated idea, be it something to be explained or a question to be answered. This is also where I usually address you, the readers, and congratulations, you have been addressed! Unlike my other articles, this paragraph is the only section written for you, to you. In this dead stretch of time, when winter drags so slowly, I thought something more personal to me might be more satisfying than what amounts to a rant about whatever caught my interest this week. And so, the rest of this isn’t for you, isn’t to you, isn’t about you. These are letters to my past selves, be them short or long, with things I wish I could tell all the past mes. Each letter is to a different moment, and so just one beginning simply will not do. If you find that you can relate, good for you, and I hope these bring you solace, but again, this isn’t about you. This time it’s about me.

Dear Milo,

You need to stop manually changing your personality like this. I know, it seems like it’s working, and every change you make eventually feels natural. I know you think that eventually they’ll stop feeling fake, but it’s been more than a few years, and I promise you, they don’t. Growth is natural, don’t force it. You don’t want to forget your original personality, trust me.

Hey Kid,

You’re hurting, and that’s okay. You should know it isn’t your fault. You’re not dumber, or have less willpower, or your subconscious hates you. You have Attention Deficit Disorder, it’s not your fault, you can’t help it. In a few years you’ll get a diagnosis and start taking meds for it, and I promise you’ll feel so much better.

Mon amie,

Hormones aren’t going to turn you into a meathead, promise. You’re allowed to enjoy sports or feel romantic attraction, you’re not suddenly going to transform into a misogynist. You are, however, going to transform into a bisexual. You know, once you get over all this. Just warning you now.

I’m Sorry,

I don’t know if she loved you. I think she did, but I guess I’ll never really know. I haven’t talked to her since you stopped. I do know, however, that he didn’t, but I don’t think that you really did either. He was good for you, despite what happened, or, rather, didn’t happen. Take solace in that.

You absolute fool,

That Cracker Barrel offer was absolutely meant to be a date, they’ve wanted to be with you since fall fest. For the love of god, that graveyard walk to the amphitheater was easily the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you. So help me if you screw this up (and we both know you won’t, as I’m still with them but regardless) I will put anthrax in this letter. I mean it.

Guess What,

You have anxiety! Surprise! You really, and I cannot emphasize this enough, need therapy. I know you were planning on waiting until college, but the copay is only twenty dollars. Mom and Dad’s insurance covers most of it. You having anxiety, talking about having anxiety, doesn’t just magically invalidate other peoples’ experiences. In other news, you’re genderqueer! Double Surprise! In case you were wondering (and I know you weren’t, denial being what it is) your experiencing dysphoria also doesn’t invalidate other people. And don’t argue with me, you literally hate your reflection and will dodge a photo being taken of you at all costs. If you try to argue with me about how you talking about your experience detracts from other peoples, then allow me a simple reroute to my earlier points: Therapy and Only Twenty Dollars. I hate to be that person, but you really need it. Also, I’m sorry, but you know that semi-embarrassing nickname they gave you at school after staining your fingers? Yeah it's going to grow on you. Be prepared for jokes about naming yourself after a color. My bad I guess.

By the by,

That joke was funny, and I also can’t believe no one else appreciated it. Your dedication to your crafts, be it music, art, or writing, is inspiring to say the least. You deserve the praise you’re not getting, as well as all the praise you do. What isn’t special for you can be special for somebody else. You trying to fight against it only makes everyone else feel bad, including yourself.

In case you were wondering,

Your current friend group is going to drift away a bit. I know, I know, you called it. But did you really call it, or was it just anxiety? Again, therapy. Either way it’s going to happen, and it’s going to suck. That being said, you have other friends. They might be from other schools, or you might not have seen them in a while, but they are really, truly, your friends. They come to school specifically for you, don’t take that for granted. You’re really close now, and from what I can tell you’ll only get closer. I know you don’t like physical touch, but you’ll feel safe enough around them to ask for it, and guess what: they don’t ask any questions, they don’t judge, they react with complete understanding, and they’ll get so excited when you seek them out. For future reference, shoulder perching is awesome, and everyone loves it. Just saying.

Oi idjit,

They love you so much, stop being so anxious about it. They’d do anything for you, and I know it’s scary, but you’d do anything for them. It’s okay to feel this strongly about someone, even though the last time hurt you. And if you didn’t feel this strongly I’d be concerned. They love you so much, they memorize almost every passing thought you have. Remember complaining how he was supposed to take you on the Ferris wheel during that one summer fair? Guess who remembered even after you forgot. Guess who kissed you at the tippy top of that thing. I cannot emphasize enough how much they love you, and you should do your absolute best to ensure that their love isn’t misplaced.

Dear Blue

Don’t forget, you have a chariot article coming up. Don’t forget that you need to write something, and may I suggest making it a little more personal? People are emotionally exhausted this time of year, so maybe not one of your usual rants. Just a thought.

Sincerely, Blue (any/all)

#replacing my real name with my old username #I am so cool #my writing #letters #me being sappy #crowfeatherquill

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