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anasui-at-disneyland · 10 months

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Chelsea Van Der Zee - Villain Re-Write

Chelsea is probably the one thing that makes me feel conflicted the most about this movie:

I love her chemistry with Ruby and the scenes where is just them hanging out is by far the most entertaining parts of the movie

I hate her as a villain because she´s on the level of "I´m evil because the plot needs a villain" (and her twist being Nerissa downright sucked).

With that in mind, this is a bit of my "re-write" of her as a villain to give her a bit more depth:

*Most of the events of the movie remains the same, just modifying the bits with Chelsea

Make her Nerissa´s actual daughter (because that twist was dumb, came out of nowhere and I´m dying on that hill).

2. After her mother´s death on her battle against Agatha, she´s raised by the Mermaid kingdom´s courtiers basically her entire childhood.

3. She´s indoctrinated into believing Krakens aren´t these so called protectors of the sea, but rather they heavily police the rest of the kingdoms so they can´t expand their reach and keep that territory all for themselves (That way, just like Ruby, she´s being told the other side is in the wrong).

4. Through her life she develops a passion for all kinds sea creatures, and isn´t to fond of the idea she was taugth about Krakens controlling how much other sea kingdoms can expand.

5. The courtiers tell her there´s a way to bring her mother back AND to lower Kraken´s power so the sea territories can be balanced, and it´s by spell/ritual that involves the trident and Kraken´s blood.

6. She meets Ruby, and upon realising she´s a Kraken, at first sticks with her to manipulate her so she can retrieve the trident and take her blood to bring back her mother.

7. Over time, she actually starts bonding with Ruby over their shared interest over sea creatures and get to know each other backgrounds, so propose to her to get the trident as a peace sign between both kingdoms to reach balance (By this point, it plays a lot like in the actual movie, only that Chelsea still omitts the Kraken´s blood part because she believes Ruby would not accept if she knew that detail).

8. Ruby brings back the trident, and when Chelsea is preparing the spell, she stabs Ruby´s arm-tentacle, a weakened Ruby is baffled by this and Chelsea tells her it was necessary for the plan and she has to understand.

9. The trident reacts to Kraken´s blood and manifests Nerissa´s soul, to which Chelsea greets her mother as is the first time she sees her since she was a child.

10. Chelsea explains she learnt eveything about her and the courtier´s plan to balance the sea territories, and she even convinced Ruby, the heir of the Kraken´s throne to the plan.

11. When Chelsea asks how the trident could do all of that, Nerissa says that the trident never was intended as a peace sign, but rather a weapon with enough power to kill a Kraken, and when the Krakens are gone, all sea creatures would unite and obey the Mermaid kingdom as the supreme sea kingdom, and the ones to no comply would run into the same fate as Krakens.

12. By this point both Ruby and Chelsea see both of them got played, Ruby by accepting to the spell and Chelsea by trusting the courtier´s plan, now not only Ruby´s family is at risk, but pretty much every other creature on the sea.

13. Chelsea tells Nerissa that the plan is complete madness, and as heir of the throne of her kingdom, she wouldn´t let it happen, to which Nerissa says that she no longer has a voice on it since she was back as queen, and the role she plays on her plan is being her avatar to wield the trident, and that for starters, she was going to get rid of Ruby.

14. Chelsea refuses, Nerissa tells her how dissappointed she is that her daughter is so weak, but she got a contingency plan for that, if Chelsea doesn´t do it herself, then she would.

15. Nerissa´s souls enters Chelsea´s body to control her, but while Chelsea still has some control she struggles against the possesion, tells Ruby to escape and pushes her to give her a headstart, letting Ruby to get into a sea current, pushing her away while she sees Chelsea falling to her mother´s control and starting to grow.

16. Ruby gets to the Kraken´s palace and tells her mom and grandma everything that happened (the big kaiju fight takes place as normal).

17. Once the trident is shattered, Nerissa´s soul vanishes and Chelsea shrinks back to her normal size several meters mid air, to which Ruby rushes to catch her, saving her from the fall.

18. Upon waking up and staring at Ruby´s giant eyes, Chelsea breaks down after realising how she almost doomed the entire sea AND hurting Ruby (This way we can see Chelsea on a phase we never saw her before, instead of being bossy and self-confident, she´s now doubtful of herself and the things she did).

19. Ruby´s grandma tell Ruby to bring Chelsea to her so she can fry her, to which Ruby refuses (Just like in the actual movie, despite everything that went down, Ruby still advocates for Chelsea´s life).

20. There´s a talk between the 3 royal Krakens (Grandmamah, Agatha and Ruby) about what they should do with the trident´s shards, since it´s too dangerous if it´s assembled back.

21. Ruby has an idea and says they could scatter all parts across the sea, so there´s no way someone could find all of them, to which Grandmamah and Agatha recognise it might be a good idea, with the issue that they being as big as they are, that would draw to much attention and would risk to spot the shards.

22. Chelsea still shocked by everything that just went down, overhears their talk and says that she could scatter all the shard, since being smaller she would pass on as a regular fish.

23. Grandmamah and Agatha immediatly turns down her initiative after all that happened and how she backstabed Ruby, to which, Ruby stands up for Chelsea and tells her mom and grandma that she would be dead and couldn´t be able to alert them about Nerissa´s return not being that Chelsea fought back against her mother.

24. After some time pondering about it, they accept the initiative, under 2 conditions, those being that Chelsea must hide the shard where they tell her too being escorted by a guard, even if that includes land as well, AND, once she´s done with it, she must stay at the palace, since they don´t want to risk another betrayal (by doing this, Chelsea is given the chance to redeem herself, without immediatly being forgiven so she can work on her character for a possible sequel).

25. Chelsea accepts her new duty, and after they give her the map and her designated guard to start her journey, she goes to Ruby to say her farewells, hoping that Ruby will forgive her, to which Ruby says it may take some time, but she is grateful that she once gave her the determination to embrace her Kraken self and becoming better, so she will be waiting for her to comeback.

I know that this re-write may come as a long, dramatic and a bit corny (because it´s all of that, I recognize that), but that´s because I wanted to write both Ruby and Chelsea as 2 sides of the same coin:

Both of them were taught about the dangers of another sea creatures.

Both of them had good intentions at heart wanting to make the sea a better place.

Both of them got their trust played with and in consecuence got hurt by it.

I just really like Chelsea´s character and design that much that I don´t want her to go to waste to not be seen again.

___

But sadly, things are set in stone now, and unless they decide to do some crazy retconing for a sequel/series, we will be stuck with Nerissa "NO Chelsea" Van Der Zee.

But hey, not everything is doomed, in the words of Luz Noceda:

...

Hey, if you´re still reading this actual wall of text, you deserve a pat on the back, I knew this was LOOOOONG.

#ruby gillman teenage kraken #Ruby Gillman #Chelsea Van Der Zee #Dreamworks

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mugentakeda · 2 months

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scoring a job at the tea shop was too easy. but now that he’s staring at bowl of jasmine flowers next to the black blend, it might have been a dumb idea. it’s not busy enough to numb his stupid brain.

the owner, mr. dugu, a short middle aged man with greasy long hair, was all too happy to hire him. we could use a looker like you, it’ll bring all the women in!

lu ten thinks back to zhao and jiro in dismay. he highly doubts his love life will ever heal itself back to normalcy. azula would agree with that.

it’s probably for the best that zhao doesn’t know where i am, he muses, but jiro would probably try and send me money.

now that he thinks about it, mr. dugu kind of reminds him of jiro. just a few decades older, and in green. a slick and stout guy that thinks he’s all that and a bag of fireflakes. so slick, you wouldn’t see the earnest, hard working gentleman hidden beneath at first.

but his dad is in there too. with the crows feet, receding hairline, deep tea scent, big hands. laughter in his eyes, at just about anything.

in the tea shop, however, his dad is everywhere he looks. his dad is the smells, the old tea cup rings stained in the tables, every sun ray shining through the windows, the cheap peeling wallpaper with painted leaves floating in the wind.

is it betrayal, what he’s done? or is he just dying on the hill of what his gut tells him is right?

he’s forcing his heart and his gut to become one, so he can physically stand loving his father, but not liking his father, simultaneously. letting them both exist together, at the same time. it’s not life ruining or earth shattering. it just… is.

lu ten misses the parts of his dad that he enjoyed, with great guilt. the roughhousing, the morning meditation, a warm hand brushing through his feathery hair, carrying him to bed after a long day at the beach, dropping his bags and letting lu ten barrel into his arms at full force after weeks being gone, bickering over the do’s and don’ts of tea. things got spotty and more spaced out once he turned double digits, because at that point lu ten was old enough to go longer without seeing his father. he was a busy guy and lu ten had been okay with that. he’s never been someone that needed constant attention, anyway.

but those parts were only enough to satisfy the young lu ten who didn’t care what his dad was outside of being his dad. then his aunt was married into the family, and lu ten started caring about a whole lot of things.

his aunt and his cousins give him purpose. what would he be, without them? they shape his interests, his entire worldview, his habits, his sense of self. the areas of politics and legislation that he dipped his toes in as a prince were even influenced by them. he tells right from wrong by wondering, if it was your aunt and your cousins, would you be okay with it?

what ursa went through after having azula haunted his dreams. the afterbirth stench, her hyperventilating, hoarse wails. the fire sages and azulon and ozai all muttering to each other, just to add to the chaos. he’d gripped little zuko to his chest in the dark corridor across from her chambers like a vice, biting his lip in terror and cheeks flushing as hot tears rolled down his face. it was the worst thing he’d ever heard in his life, and nobody seemed to care.

then he finds out that his mother went through the same thing with him over morning tea with his grandfather. casually, like he was being informed of the weather.

she believed she had the right to name you toshiro, despite not showing any enthusiasm over you at any other time of day, azulon had grunted. i don’t know why he ever bothered with that commoner wretch. you’d still have a mother today if he hadn’t picked some halfwit dancer with a smart mouth, you know. i even went through the trouble of setting up a whole line of good, wellborn women right before him, and he didn’t entertain a single one! but i suppose it doesn’t matter now, seeing the fine young man you’ve become regardless. i was afraid you’d inherit her crassness, if you’ll forgive me.

so she got sick of the shit and disappeared. to this day, he barely knows what to do with that information.

he hates ozai for doing the same shit to his aunt that his own father did to his mom. forced, unwanted marriage. the pain and misery of childbirth. postpartum. making heirs. he fucking hates that word. heirs.

toshiro. it’s a good name.

he’d leave his dad if he were his mother, too. he did leave his dad.

mr. dugu asked after hiring him if he was a soldier, going by his posture. he’s no earthbender, and the scars are from trial and error lightning bolts. but there are nonbenders in the earth army, and lu ten can put his mouth where the money is when given a staff. so he says yes.

that must be why i like you so much, mr. dugu had sighed. my own boy is a little older than you and lives in ba sing se with his old lady, as a teacher in a little kid’s school. he’s a bender, so he enlisted to help fight- but that stubborn old prince bastard is persistent. you know the ash and blood is filthying their water? his old lady is pregnant, and she has no clean water to drink. it’s unbelievable! but that ashmaker doesn’t realize how steadfast the good people of the earth kingdom are. the spirits will deliver them, and he’ll tuck his tail between his legs and run for the hills.

filthy water also means sick livestock. and sick livestock means sick people when the livestock is eaten. sick people means sick mothers and children, and sick doctors that can’t help sick pregnant mothers give birth. and then ba sing se is cut off from incoming supplies due to his father’s army, so they’re probably rationing the medicine. so sick pregnant mothers giving birth without proper medicine, without proper doctors because they’re also all sick. that leads to dying mothers, dying newborns, or mothers and newborns dying together.

lu ten just isn’t sure his father realizes little stuff like that. or maybe he does, and just doesn’t care. and that thought makes him so angry, he doesn’t even know what to do with himself.

his father had acted like all that was happening in the impenetrable city was something funny in his letters. along with a couple of thinly veiled pleads for lu ten to quit being stubborn and join him already.

narrow, ignorant self-interest does not impress him. its ugly coming from his own father. its even uglier on a man that’s supposed to lead their fucking country one day. lu ten will not be the same. the people he loves most in this world cannot afford for him to be the same.

you have a savvy for diplomacy, zhao had snapped at him. your father could use something like that. what’s keeping you here? don’t you see benefits waiting to be reaped from this? your cousins will still be here when your father succeeds! get over yourself!

“diplomacy,” lu ten sneers out loud. then sighs loudly in frustration when he knocks the cup over with a jerky hand.

one minute ba sing se is being taken by his dad so it can become one with the fire nation. the next minute he’s burning it to the ground. if it’s the fire nation, why in the all fuck is he ruining it? is that not counter-productive? is that not hypocrisy? what diplomacy is there to be had when there’s nothing left of the city?

but then, people on the homeland get arrested for some real petty shit. the colonial towns get paid dust. his dad killed the last dragon, despite a good portion of lu tens childhood folktales composing of dragons. despite agni herself being depicted as a dragon. a million things that he never questioned before that make no sense to him now that he has the freedom and time to truly ponder.

the spirits are not to be trifled with or questioned, my son. the spirits can even judge the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

lu ten isn’t a man who claims to know the spirits ways, nor does he question them. he wasn’t there when they laid foundation to the earth. he doesn’t know who determined its measurements. but he does know that agni wouldn’t deliver a message so stupid and pointless.

he just questions his father, and the authenticity of his pointless quest to flatten a city being spirit-sent.

what do you wanna bet he used the wrong kind of flower for his tea and was just tripping balls?

the more he thinks about it the less grace his train of thought is willing to spare.

he’s so mad that he can’t like his dad. he’s so mad that he exists at the cost of his mother’s everything. he’s so mad that everything his proud, beautiful country stands on and believes in has the strength of a single grain of rice. he can’t bare the thought of just continuing to ignore it to maintain his sanity- he’s never been so glad to be an adult with a brain and not a kid in his own little world- but realizing things is so painful. its only ever painful. he wants to curl up in a ball and rot away. the guilt and anger is mind numbing.

do you think of me with as much frustration as i think of you, dad? do you sit and ruin your own day trying to understand what goes on in my head, or is it just me?

the fumes from the boiling teapot steam his face as he bends over it slowly, trying to curb the acid crawling up his throat like a demon emerging from hell. static curls up and down his arms and brings his hair straight up, the heat bleeding from the tips of his fingers and his palms into the counter is teetering on the edge of unbearable-

“cousin?” a little voice startles him out of his thoughts.

he pauses, and turns his head.

zuko’s standing there in front of mr. dugu, who’s grinning at him cheekily.

zuko is wearing a green apron that drags on the floor. the anger building in his chest melts like chocolate over a fire. the counter is already cooling beneath his steel grip.

“…li,” he greets, weak humor in his voice. “what’s shaking?”

the kid flushes. “i got bored and walked here from mom’s work. and mr. dugu said no loitering in his store. so i’m….. hired.”

“are you a seasonal employee?” lu ten snorts.

“i don’t even know what that means,” zuko replies curtly. he doesn’t realize his sass definitely matches azula’s. “i can bring the tea to the customers.”

“well,” lu ten sighs, “i believe i’ve scalded the hell out of this jasmine by accident. give me a few minutes and i’ll happily provide you with something drinkable.”

“…do better!” his baby cousin orders awkwardly. and so he does, because lu ten is only ever the loyal servant to his baby cousins.

zuko brings the tea to the customers. every time lu ten hears his lispy little voice thank them for their patronage in monotone, he can’t help the way his lips quirk in amusement.

“the girls in the front kept baby-talking me,” his little cousin grumps later that day. “i had to run away before they got the chance to pinch my face.”

mr. dugu laughs, and pats zuko’s little shoulder heartily. lu ten’s heart aches. he can think he hates ignorance until the sheep-cows come home, but there’s nothing crueler than seeing his father in this man’s mannerisms, who’s son could be dead or alive at this very moment, due to his father in question.

“just be glad your sister wasn’t here to see it,” he replies, lest he choke himself up with his own angsting.

zuko huffs and slides off the chair he’d been sitting crosslegged on. “mr. dugu, could i take some cakes from the back to my sister? she’s a sweet tooth.”

“it’ll be coming out of your paycheck,” the man replies teasingly.

zuko frowns like a cranky owlcat. “i don’t know what that word means either.” and with that, he stomps to the back.

“that one’s a trip alright,” mr. dugu laughs. “and you say the younger one is even worse?”

“sure is,” lu ten sighs happily. “they both are the worst. i’m wrapped around their greedy little fingers. they don’t let me hold the house keys, but they’ll let me buy them candy.”

“it’ll be like that forever,” mr. dugu says sagely. “my only son is now a grown man with a wife of his own, and soon, he’ll make me a grandfather. but at the end of the day, he’s always gonna be my precious boy. my baby. and no matter what, i want him to always know he can come back home to me. despite everything. no matter what.”

the man deflates suddenly. “if anything, i might just beg him to come back home to me, once ba sing se chases that scumbag away. i have enough room to house the three of them. my boy lives and breathes to be a teacher in the city, but this old heart can’t take not knowing….”

he trails off, and pushes over a rock with his foot glumly. “they say he has children, too. the fire nation prince attacking the city, i mean.”

lu ten’s blood turns to ice in an instant.

“i doubt one such as he would feel anything if he lost them. if a man can kill another man’s child, i believe he’d might as well kill his very own. and this father would protect every child in this village as his own. you, and your little monster cousins. you know?”

agni is a big blurry dot in his vision, and he swallows hard. “yeah. yeah, i do. this one thanks you for it.”

he holds zuko’s little hand tighter than usual as they go to pick ursa and azula up from the florist.

#this took me ALL DAY to finish. ALL DAY #and idk if its even good or not but we move.#i hope you guys can forgive me sneaking a jiro mention in. i love my ocs #IROHS POV COMING UP NEXT WHOS READY TO RUMBLEEEE #runaway fire fam au #alicias writing stuff

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bradshawssugarbaby · 4 months

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Wherever You Will Go - Derek Hale x Reader

A/N: Inspired by the song Wherever You Will Go by The Calling

pairing: Derek Hale x Reader

warnings: angst-ish with fluffy ending, mild swearing, pining, toxic relationships.

word count: 2.4k

“If a great wave shall fall, and fall upon us all, well then I hope there's someone out there who can bring me back to you”

You and your friends piled into your usual booth at the bar, the same one you frequented so many times years ago when you still lived in Beacon Hills, barely old enough to drink, and with no real responsibilities of adulthood to your name apart from the odd phone bill and college tuition payment. Your friends had always called you sheltered, although back then, you didn’t really know what that meant. You had led a cushioned existence until your early twenties came, sick of being the well-behaved, pampered princess your friends and classmates thought you were (and really, you had to admit now looking back, they weren’t wrong), you rebelled. It started with being more open to attending parties, going out with friends every time they invited you, rather than turning them down to study as you usually did.

Then, you met him.

At this point, you weren’t even sure what it was about Derek that reeled you in, other than the fact that he was everything your parents didn’t want you to date. Reserved, mysterious, rebellious, and often the centre of controversy - you knew Derek was the exact opposite of who everyone expected you to end up with, and that seemed to make you want him all the more at the time. He’d been resistant towards you at first - shrugging you off with a cold shoulder the first time you’d attempted to flirt with him. He was always so closed off, and he liked it that way.

Everyone you knew warned you that he wasn’t the type to open up and make you swoon with romantic gestures or musings of love - all things you’d talked about wanting from a partner - but once you did start to break down the walls he’d built, you couldn’t deny the fact that he was a different person under the persona. He was caring and passionate, even if he didn’t convey his feelings very well most of the time. Behind the frosty cold exterior he’d created for himself, was someone who just wanted to be loved and appreciated, someone who was scared of losing the people he was close to, and someone who was building up walls to guard themself from getting hurt.

Your love for Derek was hard and fast - you fell almost instantly when he rejected you the first time. You’d spent your whole life always getting what you wanted, and the fact that he’d denied you without as much as a second thought that first time made you crave him all the more. By the second attempt at conversation, you’d changed your approach from flirtatious to friendly, and you’d begun to wear down his resistance little by little, with Derek offering to buy you a drink by the end of the night. By that point, your friends had gone home, and you’d forgotten entirely about how that had meant walking home alone in the dark.

Derek sarcastically made a comment about not wanting to be questioned by the police if you didn’t make it home safe, with him being the last person you were seen with, and offered to walk you home. The next morning came the first text message, a simple, sarcastic, “Did you make it into bed without dying?” from Derek. Your reply was something along the lines of “Barely, but I’m here. Thanks for walking me home.”, and from there, you thought that the conversation would trail off, fizzling out and leaving you with nothing more than a one time gesture of friendliness from him. However, something ignited between the two of you - and to be honest, neither of you knew where it came from or why, but to everyone on the outside looking in, they’d say Derek fell as hard and fast as you did.

That one time text exchange turned into daily text messages checking in to see how you were, what your plans were, what his plans were, how he was, if he was planning on being at the bar again when the next night of drinking with your friends rolled around. From there came sneaking Derek into your bedroom window like a pair of high school lovers, forbidden from seeing each other past curfew. One night together turned into a weekly occurrence, and the weekly escapades of sneaking Derek in or you sneaking out turned into nightly rituals of hooking up in any space that was deemed discreet enough to hide your indiscretions.

All the old memories of your relationship with Derek came flooding back to you as you sipped your tequila sunrise, but just as quickly as they came, you were brought back to your senses by the sounds of your friends laughing and joking about their old college boyfriends. You blinked your eyes a couple of times as you stared off into space before snapping back to reality and looking to your friends, who were now glancing at you with raised eyebrows and sideways looks to one another.

“You still with us?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Just, thinking is all.” “Oh god, here we go.” Your friends all collectively let out a playful groan as they laughed, shaking their heads. Natalie, the least reserved of your group, looked at you with a knowing smirk as she put the straw of her drink to her lips, taking a sip.

“You were thinking about Derek, weren’t you? Wanting him to just walk through that door and sweep you away or some shit?”

“No, but weren’t we just discussing college boyfriends? He was my college boyfriend for two years,” you retorted dryly as you sipped your drink, shooting Natalie a dirty look as she teased you.

“I don’t think any sane person would call what you and Derek had a “healthy relationship”. You literally snuck him around like he was some kind of fugitive.”

“I did not. We just…liked the privacy.”

“Well, the way he ended things alone is reason to stop thinking about him. He was an asshole.”

You felt yourself fighting the urge to defend him and his actions, but you couldn’t deny the fact that Derek had ended things abruptly with you, and that you’d been heartbroken at the time. You knew he had his reasons - he had secrets and he was trying to protect you from them.

He was scared and didn’t want you to get hurt or risk losing you to something beyond his control, so by making it his decision to let you go, he figured you’d both be better off for it. At the time, you’d argued, stamped your feet, threw your fists against his chest, all but begging him to reconsider, but you knew it was futile, and that his mind was made up. It’d crushed you, but part of you always knew that when your relationship moved at the speed of light, it had to come crashing to a halt at some stage. It just happened sooner and more abruptly than you’d expected. Still, despite you understanding he was doing what he thought was best for both of you, part of you resented him for how coldly and nonchalantly he’d done it. How he’d just ended things without as much as giving you a chance to fight for your relationship.

“It was three years ago. I’m over it,” you responded coyly as you sipped your cocktail, trying to brush off your lingering feelings, or drown them in alcohol.

“Really? Let’s test that theory, because I think he just walked in.” Your head spun around a little faster than you should have considering the tequila you had coursing through your veins at the moment, your eyes looking towards the doorway expectantly as you held your breath before your gaze landed on him. Sure enough, there was Derek, haunting your otherwise uneventful night out with your friends like a nightmare personified. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to see him again, but for every happy memory that came to mind, a dozen reminders of how you’d felt when he left you would accompany them.

“I doubt he’ll say anything, and even if he does, I’m over it,” you reaffirmed, nodding your head as you looked back at your friends seated around the table.

“You’re right. He never did talk much. I always wondered what exactly you saw in him. He was always so…weird.”

As you opened your mouth to defend your relationship with Derek, you stopped, letting out a slight huff instead. You knew your friends were baiting you at this point, trying to get you to prove that you weren’t truly over Derek. And really, how could you be? He was your first everything - your mother warned you that you never forget your firsts, and as ridiculous as you thought she was at the time, in Derek’s case, it was true. You still loved him, as much as you hated to admit it.

You still loved the way his lips would turn up into a smirk whenever you said something he found amusing, like he was trying his hardest not to smile in public out of fear his reputation as a stoic, reserved individual could be blown. You loved the way his eyes weren’t quite green, yet weren’t quite hazel - sort of a colour all on their own. You loved the way that he would steal a kiss when he thought no one was around, his hand resting on your waist as he pulled you in to his body, holding you as close to him as physically possible, your body heat radiating between you. It had always been like he was starved for your touch, despite having seen him just a day before, and as soon as he held you close, you could see everything in him relax, all the tension and trauma he’d been holding on to, melting away for a brief time with you.

Turning your attention to your empty glass, you frowned as you excused yourself to head to the bar. You felt your friends watching you closely, almost protectively keeping a gaze on you in case Derek should approach with an unwanted reunion. You let out a sharp exhale as you tried to collect yourself, having not stood this close to him in three years, at least. You couldn’t let him get to you. You knew what would happen if he even as much looked in your direction. You’d get pulled back in within an instant - faster than your heart could beat. You couldn’t let yourself do it again.

You pretended to not see Derek, indifferent towards him, pretending he didn’t exist. Ordering yourself another drink, you leaned against the bar, your back turning to him in hopes he wouldn’t even see you there. However, sooner than you could request for the drink to go onto your tab, a leather jacket-clad arm extended in front of you, holding a credit card in its hand. The smell of Derek’s cologne enveloped your senses, pulling you in, intoxicating you as it wrapped around you.

“I’ve got it, thanks,” you responded, yet finding yourself unable to push Derek’s hand away, knowing for sure that if you as much as brushed your hand against his, you’d be a goner for sure.

“I insist,” Derek said, without further argument.

Your drink was handed to you and the moment it entered your hand, you pressed your lips to the straw, taking a drink. You needed the alcohol if you were going to deal with Derek once again and confront your lasting feelings for him once and for all. You turned to face him, your expression cold and and collected as you looked at him, trying to avoid direct eye contact.

“Thanks, but that was entirely unnecessary.”

“I think I owe you a drink, at the very least.”

“I would have settled for an apology.”

“Fine, consider it my way of apologizing,” Derek said coldly, shrugging his shoulders with indifference as he nodded his head.

“That’s a pretty piss poor excuse for an apology, but ok,” your tone was bordering on cruel as you spoke to him, it almost surprised you how non-caring you sounded.

“Look, maybe I didn’t do things right the first time,” Derek’s voice trailed off as he spoke, almost sheepish as he stopped just short of admitting guilt for how your relationship deteriorated.

“You think?”

Derek sighed as he dragged one of his hands over his face in exasperation and frustration, almost as if he was struggling to find the words to speak, and to make you understand him. He huffed as he looked down at you, shaking his head as if making a desperate attempt to formulate his thoughts before opening his mouth.

“Fine, I admit it. I fucked up. Happy?”

“Not really. That doesn’t make three years of you never really explaining why you couldn’t be bothered to give me a chance just magically go away, Derek.”

Derek furrowed his brows, shaking his head again and sighing. His hand snuck its way around to your waist, pulling you in towards him with one smooth fluid motion. Part of you wanted to push him away, humiliate him by dumping your drink over him and storm out, but the other part of you knew that you’d been craving something like this for the last three years, and you weren’t about to throw it away, especially if it was the last opportunity you might have to kiss him.

“I’m sorry,” He whispered, almost inaudibly as he breathed the words into your ear.

“That’s more like it,” You felt yourself smirking as he held you close to his body, knowing for a fact that you wanted him as badly as he wanted you and vice versa. The feel of his hand on your body made your heart race, sending shivers up your spine as he gently gripped your hip.

“You know, if you’re willing, I have three years to make up for, I think,” Derek murmured, his lips brushing against your ear in the way he always did when he was trying to be affectionate towards you.

“I think I could make room for you in my busy schedule. You’ve got a group of girls who think you’re the enemy though, Derek. You may have to charm them too,” You grinned, nodding your head towards your friends who all looked ready to get up and fight Derek until they saw the grin on your face.

“Let me make things up to you first, then you can decide if you want me to try my hand at grovelling to them too, ok?”

#derek hale x reader #derek hale x you #derek hale fanfiction #derek hale fic #derek hale x f! reader #derek hale x female reader #teen wolf fanfiction #teen wolf fanfic #teen wolf fic

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chai-and-cherries · 1 year

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5 Insanely Underrated (Dark) Queer Book Recs for Your TBR (No Spoiler Reviews!)

I ain’t gonna beat around the bush, folks--this post has been a long time coming. Over the past year, I have somehow stumbled into my new favorite genre, leaving the careful days of YA comforting fantasy reads behind (but not forgotten!). I used to never be one for the dark, grisly, and not so man-made horrors beyond comprehension. But with the help of time, mind devouring storytelling, and gut wrenching emotions the world loves to carve out of us all, tastes have changed! So without further ado, let me recommend 5 of my favorite (darker) queer reads of 2022. Titles are linked to official Goodreads summaries while I have included my no-spoiler reviews below.

Some of these are horror, some fantasy, some tragedy, and most a mix of the above. As the new year draws closer, if you’re feeling ready to branch out (or branch in!!) please consider giving these severely underrated titles a read. And support lesser known authors while you’re at it!

As the title of the post implies, these books tend to brew darker than your average cup ‘a joe. So please heed included trigger warnings and take care!

1. You Will Love What You Have Killed by Kevin Lambert

(Original title: Tu aimeras ce que tu as tué. English Translation by Winkler Donald).

Genres: Adult Fiction, Horror, Canadian Literature, Queer AF

Review: If you’re not a fan of blood, gore, and every horror under the dying sun, scroll away now. Starting off incredibly strong and incredibly twisted with French-Canadian Lambert’s debut novel, You Will Love What You Have Killed, this novel is neither for the faint of heart nor some of the hard of heart. I went into this book knowing next to nothing about what was in store and left somehow feeling more empty than before. As arguably the darkest and most gory book on the list, this surrealist take on childhood rage and post-humous revenge on the town that discarded you before you had a chance to fight back is bound to haunt you long after you’ve finished it. Lambert’s own style of dark and nauseatingly twisted humor will either seal the deal for you, or leave you running for the hills. To be honest, I loathe this book as much I appreciate the queer, surrealist landscape of apocalyptic vengeance. Brownie points for being flat-out strange.

Content Warnings: if you can think of it, chances are its here. loads of death and murder, including that of children, suicide; ableism; homophobia, transphobia; pedophilia, rape, sexual abuse, explicit sexual descriptions, abortion, necrophilia; animal abuse, killing of animals; child abuse, emotional abuse and verbal abuse (by the narrator); cancer; 9/11 (comprehensive list via Ashton on GoodReads)

2. Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Genres: YA Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi/Dystopian, Queer AF

Blurb: In this world on the brink of man-made/god-induced apocalypse, trans-boy Benji has to fight not only to survive a hellscape determined to burn itself to the ground, but also his own role in bringing about the End. Hell Followed With Us is a queer rage manifesto, the gospel for those forced to become monsters by the same society that weaponized and then condemned them for being such. White’s novel not only brought healing to a large part of my own religious trauma, but it helped me embrace the very “monster” the so called righteous would have damned. Because when the world will villianize you anyway, revolution may very well be embracing the monster within--the monster the world forced into being. This one is definitely a keeper, and definitely a re-reader. The character diversity in this book is incredible, also for the simple fact that it isn’t forced or seemingly “trying to meet a quota”, and for canonically calling out [redacted].

Content Warnings: For a comprehensive list courtesy of the author himself, please visit his website here.

3. Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

Genres: Adult Fiction, Horror/Psychological Thriller, Short-Stories, Queer AF

Blurb: Shorter but no less impactful than the rest, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke is a twisted foray into the psychology of human obsession. After reading the blurb, I tried to prepare myself for the following unease and depravity I was promised. And god was that promise delivered on a silver poisoned platter. Set to the backdrop of chat forums and online messaging, LaRocca weaves a sadomasochistic love story between two women searching for deeper connection. But love isn’t exactly the right word, is it? After all, things can only get worse from the start. Suffice to say, wholesome does not live in these pages. And I need more.

Content Warnings: animal cruelty/death, body horror, gore, mental/emotional abuse, exploration of kink, very toxic example of a dom/sub relationship.

4. Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicolás

Genres: Adult Fantasy, Mythology Retelling, Romance, Paranormal, Queer AF

Blurb: I try not to pick favorites on list recs, but as my most recent read of the year, Nicolás’ debut novel has quickly been shelved in my mind and heart’s hall of fame. Angels Before Man is a queer retelling of the fall of Lucifer from a paradise that may not be as, well, paradise as it seems. With narrative prose so poetic that epics of the ancient world come to mind, and themes of religious rebellion and queer rage reminiscent not only of other novels on this list but also the lives of countless individuals whose love warns at revolution, Angels Before Man tells the story of the greatest disobedience Heaven had to face: the creation of sin, born from the first love that turned a jealous god to rage. As ABM only released weeks ago, I sincerely hope it’s only the beginning for this book and author. Bible? Who needs her. The Word of God? I don’t even know her. I’ve got Angels Before Man. And so will my friends because I’m gifting them this heavenly-gem (heh, see what I did there?) for the holidays.

Content Warnings: Courtesy of the author himself (list also included at start of book): Blasphemy, off-page sexual assault with related internal monologue post-incident, Self-harm, Atypical depiction of grooming, Animal death, Abuse (emotional, physical), Sexual content, Body horror, Graphic depictions of violence, Incestuous term use, Potential correlation to homosexuality being sinful, Depictions of mental instability

5. Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Magic Realism, Queer AF

Blurb: Of the 5 recs on the list, I have to be honest and say with full disclosure that this is my one cheat as I have not actually finished it yet. But as I can attest from the 60% progress I have made, along with two of my close friends who recommended her in the first place, Siren Queen is a breath of fresh air in a genre that is understandably stifling at times. Interweaving the monstrous industry of Hollywood with actual monsters, Siren Queen explores the sacrifices made and prices paid for the chance at stardom and just being seen, all while embracing the monster society demands of us. Largely character-driven, this book has been a slower read than the rest, but its commentary on workers’ rights and inequalities, among other social issues often at the forefront of WASPish-run Hollywood, has kept me engaged since the start.

Content Warnings: racism, racial slurs, fatphobia, violence, family violence, homophobia, sexism, drug abuse, addiction.

#book recs #book recs 2022 #queer book recs #you will love what you have killed #Kevin Lambert #hell followed with us #Andrew Joseph White #angels before man #rafael nicolás #things have gotten worse since we last spoke #eric larocca #siren queen #nghi vo

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birdsareblooming · 6 months

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god i wanted to be positive about sonic superstars because i am about every sonic game, especially with how still negative everything around sonic games can be. It's visually stunning and they actually tried something new with the areas instead of green hill reskins, at least mostly. but im confident i'm not choosing to be negative and picking anything to be mad about.

the game is infuriating to play. when just running through the levels as sonic it's mostly okay, but later boss fights ESPECIALLY for trip's story you have to play more than perfectly, and even if you play frame perfect the game will fuck you over via lack of planning. A blue missile just won't show up on your screen or in a way that's reachable. multiple of final boss fang's attacks are one-hit kills, which wouldn't be so bad if all of these boss fights weren't 5-10 minute long segments, where if you die at the end to some bullshit you have to go back to the very beginning. this includes Fang in golden city, where in the in-between segments things will hit you offscreen.

multiple times in the gameplay you are punished for going too fast. not stopped, punished. hit if not straight up killed. The point of the game is to build up speed, and if you do what it's designed to do in final boss fang as trip, you hit a one hit kill barrier and have to start all over.

Speaking of Trip, i hate to say it but after looking at her for very long her unmasked design is disappointing at best. She looks like a recolored modern Amy. And if that was the point like it looks like it is, it's a dumb idea. They should've focused on making her look like her own character and actually like a lizard. Other than the thing glued to her head she looks like a recolored amy you'd find on a forum in 2008 and I mean that in a poor way. She doesn't look like a lizard or even a sunglider. They gave her a hair accessory and an undercut and called it a day.

activly while playing as her i wanted the helmet back on. it's a much more fun/different design. everytime i looked down at her I just saw Amy. full stop.

don't even get me started on her dragon design. it just looks stupid. not only should they have leaned towards a more eastern oroborus dragon but god it just. looks dumb. not only that but that super transformation seems too overpowered for a character supposedly forgotten by the main cast until recently or just. some random girl.

At this time i have not reached the final boss, this is in the state trying to beat fang and once again dying to some bullshit on the first phase. Ive only ever reached phase 2 once and got hit by an intakill.

i don't care if it's "authentic"

the old games were also hard as balls for no reason. they were based on an arcade-style idea despite not designed for an arcade, where you want the character to die a bunch and go back to the beginning so they waste their quarters.

not only is this not an arcade game, but you already got my 60 dollars. The old games had many problems with how they played that I only survived via save-states.

this game consistently made me wish i pirated it. Specifically for the save state feature. with that feature I would've actually had fun. But I'm sent back to the beginning of a 10 minute long boss battle.

it's 2023, not 1991. why is your game like this. why is her design like this.

especially after following the bullshit that was the master king trial specifically. one guy on reddit sad fronteirs was easy and they decided to make all of their games need frame perfect runs to be beatable.

not only is this a disgrace to wanting games to be accessible to anyone, but holy shit I have a disability. my hypermobility makes my fingers hurt after all this. anyone with worse disabilities are fucked, and again no easy mode or save stating is offered.

i don't know if doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. but being forced to do the same thing over and over again for different results sure makes me feel insane.

if you read this thinking of buying the game and didn't have spoilers tagged. if you do. pirate the game. you'll have a much better experience than I am paying 60 dollars.

sonic superstars overall was disappointing in everything but visuals. and that's coming from someone who goes out of my way to spread positivity about sonic projects because I actively see them. I don't here.

truly the best way to describe it is disappointed.

#sonic superstars #sonic superstars spoilers #sonic spoilers #trip the sungazer

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aniron48 · 3 months

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Let’s play a game. Send me a potential AU and I’ll tell you five fun facts that would happen in a story

is it a low hanging fruit? yes. sometimes low hanging fruit is delicious.

bond's secret to his talent for resurrection is... resurrection. he has been dying his hair increasingly grey to look older over the years. he Does Not examine any similarities between M and Andromache. he is Not Going To fall in love with a mortal again, green eyes and adorable laugh be damned.

@dude-watchin-with-the-brontes hello friend! thank you for the AU ask! Oooh, "The Old Guard" AU for James Bond, let's do this! 😁

Well, first of all, in this AU, Vesper is the one who gets put into the Iron Maiden and dropped in the ocean Oh wait, this was supposed to be fun facts! Right! haha... ::sweats nervously and starts over::

The relationship between The Old Guard and MI6 is a special one. In this AU, one of Booker's children lived long enough to have children of his own, and Booker's identity became a family secret that was passed down through the generations. The last in the chain? Dench!M. (This at least partially explains her exasperated fondness for blond, broody alcoholics who don't follow the rules.)

2. When Bond dies for the first time (Moneypenny still shoots him off a bridge because in this AU I will give the people what we want--it's me, I'm people), the connection between Andromache's band of immortals and MI6 grows stronger, if more complicated. Andromache is the one to fish Bond out of that river in Turkey, and to bring him back to London when MI6 is under attack. When she does, Andromache and M eventually reach an uneasy truce whereby Bond can remain under M's command...for now.

3. Smart Blood trackers won't work on Bond--every time he dies they go offline and don't come back up. Bond has been known to use this fact to his advantage a time or two (shocking, I know). Q is going to figure it out eventually.

4. Meanwhile, over in the U.S., Copley has roped Felix into helping him find suitable missions for TOG. The first time Felix and Bond, unbeknownst to each other, show up at the same meeting after Bond's initial resurrection, it's like that meme of the Spidermen (Spidermans?) pointing at each other.

5. Once Q becomes immortal, too (because he's going to, obviously, I do what I want), the band gives Bond advice that is varying degrees of useful about how he should finally get his shit together and woo Q for the long term. Nicky suggests cooking a meal (goose fat cassoulet anyone?). Joe offers to help with a poem. Andy's suggestion of repeated mortal combat and mutual murder is greeted with some skepticism until everyone remembers how Joe and Nicky got together. Nile's all set to curate a romantic playlist until they get derailed by Bond's love for Celine Dion (I *will* die on this hill). Booker suggests drinks and everyone winces uh, flowers?

Sometimes low-hanging fruit IS delicious! What are your other fun facts for this AU? (Bond dying his hair grey at the temples absolutely sends me, btw.) I would love to hear them! 💜

#AU ask game #james bond #the old guard

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madnessofthespirits · 15 days

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2, 9 and 17 about Diar and Alter for the character ask game 👀👀👀

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on

cu alter: ummmm i'd die for anything. for example:

he's not lancer but he is very much cu chulainn

in EPU (and to a certain extent post-EPU too) he's basically just a guy trying to give himself agency in a situation where he's been robbed of his agency. this makes him act really weird

nothing about him has anything to do with warp spasm cu, even on a meta level

he's got that dissociative ptsd

whenever he's kind or caring i find it moving because he's quite literally been altered to suppress those parts of himself, which goes to show that they're actually too strong to be suppressed completely at all, and that he's fighting extra hard to be that way

(i may be interpreting this question as an opportunity to just share random opinions but hopefully that's okay)

diarmuid: the worst things that ever happened to him were ultimately the fault of awful old men with too much power and if fate would actually notice that and try to do something with what that might mean about him i think that would be a much more interesting thing to explore in regard to his character in fgo (or any other post-f/z media he could potentially be in) than well, most of the other things they've done with him post-f/z instead

also *straight guy voice* he's way stronger than either canon or fans usually treat him as being. urobuchi (or someone else on the f/z staff, i forget who) said he might have won the grail war if it weren't for kayneth being a fuckwad. all of the stuff he's done in his legends is at least as impressive as anything cu has ever done.

9. Scene that first made me love (or hate) the character

cu alter: honestly i think it was during the scene where he fights nero and she's trying to understand his motives and nothing he's saying really makes much sense and she points out that he's not even enjoying what he's doing, which he implicitly agrees with, and then tells her that his only goal is to just keep fighting until he's dead. i remember thinking to myself stuff along the lines of "wow bro that sounds Bad what's your problem" and "oh he's like Fucked Up fucked up i can't not care about him" and really it just made me want to understand him so bad

and then there's the finale scene where he finally admits that he's being forced to do what he's doing because medb used the grail to place him under a geis and it's like sad as fuck because he's been forced to sacrifice the parts of himself that feel joy and love just so he can maintain his honor, and therefore it's also heroic at the same time (this is what i'm talking about when i say that though he may not be lancer he is very much cu chulainn). also the part where's he kind to medb while she's dying in spite of having little reason to be and actually holding clear dislike for her is very touching

diarmuid: i definitely liked him from the start - like he so clearly just wants to do the right thing and have fun at the same time in spite of the fact that he has this horrific past and got saddled with this shitty master - like how could i not care about him? but it's definitely the last couple of scenes he appears in that sealed the deal for me. just seeing him walk away from that shitty encounter with kayneth and turn around and decide he's not gonna let that stop him from enjoying an epic fight with his best friend - and then he experiences one of the most awful fictional deaths i can think of and we learn that this whole time while he's been smiling and taking the high road at every turn he's actually been building up this whole volcano of grief and resentment. the whole thing is just as brief as it is powerful. it's a moment of honesty, it's touching, it's relatable, it's the closest thing to justice he's allowed. it contrasts so starkly with the side of him the audience sees up until then that it comes off as genuinely shocking, and it shows that he is just as glaringly human as he is a perfect knight, and therefore what makes him such an interesting and lovable character. can't imagine how hard your heart has to be to see all that and not care for him at least a little

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them

cu alter: i think you will either get it or not, but out of all the songs i associate with him, of which there are many, i think of this one as being the most "his" of them all

diarmuid: i know i've already brought this one up before but:

"when i choose to see the good side of things, i'm not being naive. it is strategic and necessary. it's how i've learned to survive through everything." -- waymond wang in everything everywhere all at once (excellent film btw if you haven't seen it)

also:

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queercherrypie · 1 year

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I feel like I'm going crazy, because if I put the pieces of the puzzle together I can say that Damon and Bonnie are canonically in love. And I could write an entire essay about it pointing out scenes and parallels and lines and what they mean starting with Damon's letter to Bonnie. I kept thinking about this because I was rewatching this scene here.

He says that supposedly he has everything, but he has nothing. Bonnie is dying and he is desperately trying to save her life even if it means she wakes up and kills him. He's going to extremes because Bonnie just wanted to die. He manages to wake her up by talking about his relationship with Elena; teases her to the level that she rips his heart out. He literally gave his heart to Bonnie in the same place he gave his heart to Elena.

DUDE!!! WHAT?! I'm hallucinating all this and my brain has been corroded with fanfiction? Or am I really seeing this? Was Damon willing to die to save her life and basically saying he's in love with her? I'm going crazy, please someone from the TVD fandom tell me I'm not going crazy.

He's in love with both of them and the last conversation Elena had with him was about how he can have both and I'm going to die on this hill!!!

The season 7 is basically Bonnie being teased by Enzo every 5 minutes about the fact that she's in love with Damon before he left her behind. He seems to be absolutely sure of that, you know why? He was spending time with Lilly who helped Kai with the plan. She had very open ears in that house and what I'm saying makes perfect sense when I think about it. Kai made Damon make a choice. What the hell happened in that Prison World?! Damon has thought a lot about this piece of advice he's been giving Stefan I wonder why...

#He wasn't right of course. He should have just accepted that Bonnie was going to die because the result was literal hell on earth.#TVD 7x21 #bamon shippers club #Bamon #binge watching Vampire Diaries way too much #Am I supposed to ignore this shit?#He reminds me of Damon from the first few seasons #Going to extremes when he was in love with Elena and preferring her alive and hating him #there are too many parallels to ignore #He is deliberately drawing a parallel with Stefan who is in love with Caroline at the moment.#this scene is the extreme confirmation that Damon is in love with Bonnie and it is not unrequited love #Damon talked about flowers and chocolates being romantic gestures and he brought flowers to Bonnie when he came back with that goofy face th #He ruined everything and now he wants to be extreme in saying how much he cares because Bonnie clearly didn't read the letter.

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slyvieselkie · 3 months

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Reverse Comfort - Geto Suguru

There's something about a bath, that's just so comforting. Maybe its the way the warm water just soothes the aching muscle, maybe it the way the rain-like sounds drowns out the noise of the outside, how the crystal clear streams remove the dirt and filth...or maybe its the way you look.

It was one night when Suguru was walking back to his dorm that he saw you in your pajamas, walking around with a skip to your steps, and a small frosted bottle of milk. You had a towel around your neck, to catch all of the remaining water from your damp hair, and a sparkle in your eyes.

He couldn't help but stop you, wonder why you had seemed to happy and blinked when you answered, "I just had a bath!"

What? Amused, you sat him down and started explaining how baths (or showers) are the best for relaxation after a long day of work. It wasn't just to clean yourself before bed, it can become a place to unwind and feel safe. Especially in this day and age where people are always blah blah blah. The boy cancels out the rest of your TedTalk and focuses on the way you seem so content with everything.

With a small huff and smile, he reaches out and wipes the drop of milk in the corner of your mouth, "Alright, just get to bed soon", "Yes, Senpai~"

From then on, every time he gets in the shower, Suguru heard your voice and feels his body loosen. He also gets a new habit of walking around at night, around the same time you get out of the bath and go on your nightly walk. He acts like its a coincidence, stops you for a small chat and smiles at the way you bounce, before parting for the night. But not before glancing back to see your little goofy dances and hear the bright tunes.

After a week or two of doing this, he is caught by Satoru and glares at his best friend who has a Chershire smile, "No, you stay out this", "Come on, Sugu~! Let a bro help you out!"

The boy whips out his phone and shows a few items of blackmail, Satoru's recreating the 'Scream' before deflating as he gives up. Suguru is successful in defending this small joy of his and he celebrates the victory by talking to you for just a bit longer.

The two of you cheers your bottles of milk and share a laugh as Suguru pulls out embarrassing stories about Satoru one after another. He's gained enough confidence to scooch closer to you and lean in with each laugh, the boy beams when you do the same and your head falls onto his shoulder. Unfortunately, he doesn't gain enough confident to go past than that and leaves that night with satisfaction and a desire for more.

Then the mission to protect the vessel is handed to him and Satoru. And everything slowly goes down hill. At first the boy keeps contact with you, heart fluttering when he finally got your number, and tells you everything that happens.

But at some point, he grew distant. You glanced at your phone now and then to see that he hasn't replied, and hasn't even looked at the message. Worry grows in your heart, but there's nothing you can do because curses don't stop to let you sort out your problems.

Then you hear that your senpai's mission ended with the vessel dying, the young girl who Suguru viewed as his own younger sister. You didn't know the girl but you cried for her, standing in a beautiful flower field that you had told Suguru to bring her to. Riko, you sniffle, Suguru had said her name with such warmth and told you how he wanted to show her the beauty of the world she hasn't been able to experience yet. He returned, a ghost of the person who had left, and gave you a sad smile before breaking down.

And you should've known that he would only crumble further, but life doesn't stop for these kind of things. So you accept that he doesn't show up at your nightly spots, he keeps his distance when you pass each other, and your chat is dead. All you know about Suguru is from the little updates Ieri-senpai gives you every now and then.

What you don't know, is how Suguru couldn't bare to see you anymore. Despite being a sorcerer, you've always seemed to soft with your cute smile and innocent eyes. And Suguru had always shown you a version of himself that was gentle, friendly, affectionate. He was scared of the things that could escape his prison, and how it would hurt you.

That's why Suguru only allows himself to see you in the shower, to hear your soothing voice, and feel the weight of you on his shoulders. The water doesn't feel comforting anymore, it's a place of grief as he cries until there's nothing left for tonight.

The last straw was Yu's death. You didn't see how his death impacted Suguru, you were too busy crying over another loss...now it was your friend. Kento's on the side, looking like a ghost as he stares at the lifeless body. Yu's death unraveled the darkness Suguru tried to keep inside himself, and he desperately soaks his body in water in order to retain the last bits of his sanity. But it doesn't work because he feels like its burning him and making him shiver at the same time, it doesn't work and he's crying for the last time.

The next time you see your senpai is in outside your inn, while you were on a mission. You stand there frozen, because his shirt and face is stained deep red. Your eyes travel pass him, and you see two small figures in the distance. What had happened to him, you don't ask because this shouldn't surprise you.

He calls out your name with a softness and just as he's about to start his farewell speech, "Bring those girls in, they need a bath and some food."

Suguru really should leave but he's somehow in the nearby convenience store - wiping the blood away and covering himself with a jacket of course- buying food while you're in the bathroom with the girls. You use a soft tone that's almost a song as you fill the tub with bubbles and help them inside, creating bubble bears and rabbits as they requested. You clean the girls, massaging them and discreetly checking for injuries. Afterwards, you bring the girls out with them wrapped in fluffy robes and Suguru watches with a soft smile as they devour the food. In minutes, the girls are sleeping in your bed.

And you turn to your senpai with a blank expression.

Suguru has a few seconds where he shrinks in panic before the boy laughs brightly, "This wasn't a part of my plan."

Neither was the way you dragged him up and pushed him towards the bathroom. He only gulps and allows you to guide inside, body jolting when he hears the lock clicking. Then the two of you are in the shower. Suguru stares down at you with wide eyes and you only blink before water is soaking the both of you, causing the fabrics to stick to your skin. He chokes out your name and whimper when you step back, only to gasp as you remove your nightwear.

You're bare and defenseless on front of him, you open your arms out, "Come to me", and he melts in your arms.

There's nothing between you as Suguru nuzzles deeper, its not possible but he does it anyways. Stuffing his face into your chest and bringing you into his lap, soft was all he could think. He pushes all of his misery, anger, regret, and loneliness onto you. And you're still so soft, despite soaking up all of his negativity. There's a familiar tune by his ear, a familiar weight on his shoulder, and a familiar feeling as he reminds himself its you he's holding. And he feels his body relax, the shower is working with you next to him.

Suguru's drowsy and clingy as you drag him out, playing the role of a baby -as he should've done long before all of this- while you dry his hair and feed him. He flourishes under your kisses, your touches, your whisper of sweet nothings, and returns it tenfold. The two of you settle onto the sofa, the boy draping himself over you and dozing off immediately.

The next time he's waking up, its grumpy Sugu because Satoru poking his face is the first thing he sees in the morning. Why couldn't it be you, he hisses and pushes his bestie away like he was a curse. Sitting up, he sees Shoko talking to the two girls while she's checking up on them. But there's no you.

"Calm down, lover boy, she's just getting some breakfast for all of you", and true to that you return with a large bag of food.

Its Satoru's turn to make a face of disgust because his friend is acting like a weak child, relishing in your affection.

However his face changes when you turn to him, and the white haired boy shows a thankful smile. And you don't know how grateful he was when you called him, or the way he and Shoko sobbed on their way here. Because you've brought Suguru back. And now he'll handle the rest.

Hi lovelies, hope you enjoyed reading.

With the beginning on my new reverse comfort series, there was really no character that was on my mind more than Suguru. Boy needed to loved, kissed, and swaddled like he's a goddam baby because he deserves it.

Anyways, see you another time ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

#reader insert #romance #fanfiction #reverse comfort #jujustsu kaisen x reader #getou suguru x reader #happy ending

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bloogers-boogers · 10 months

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I have an idea I think you'd like... I shared it on my blog but I'll give it to you directly. So the premise is a soulmate au where you have to stay with your person, because they are your source for your life force/energy. If you go too far from them for too long you will become physically weak and eventually perish. Now imagine this... with kyman.

They can't leave each other or they will literally fucking die

Fine, you’re gonna get me into a emotional wreck bc of this au? Then so be it.

Okay, so I see this insanely with Kyman however I see they project their weakness into anger! they start destroying their own lives bc for some reason it doesn’t matter?

Every time they feel weak they get into a self destructive mood that not even their friends could intervene, I feel in this AU they did not realize they needed one an other just cause they were always together but the moment they split up (after high school) is we’re their lives went down hill.

Kyle has always felt a strange attraction towards Cartman while Cartman has always had this obsessive attraction towards Kyle. They connected immediately since children and they felt STRONGER and indestructible while being together. But it was never something they questioned much.

However, now apart they’re vulnerable, weak, lifeless like a rose that’s about to give up it’s last petal before drying out and finally dying. Cartman’s is Kyle’s rose while Kyle’s Cartman’s spikes.

(Kyle see Cartman’s as his spikes while Cartman sees Kyle as his rose)

They’re each other’s rose beautifully seeing each other in the opposite position of it.

They perfectly balance their energy, soul bonding into one when they’re together. Like they say the yin to its yang.

So of course, being far apart is a deadly thing to do, dangerous even. I see Kyle getting weaker by day just cause I see his energy being more stronger than Cartman’s so ironically he’s the weakest. Having Cartman made him the strongest because being around him even it, and being with Cartman was a automatic win when it comes to beating him in a match cause he is STRONGER.

However Cartman wasn’t far off when it comes to strength, of course, having Kyle made his strength even to his (but never beating him. It’s not like he attempted it either so..) though he was still slightly weaker.

I see Cartman realizing this first after talking to Mephesto about it and having been explained about energies and all that stuff. He runs, and heads searching for Kyle and tell him about his discovering even if there was a risk of Kyle believing it was bullshit.

Kyle was literally going delirious by the pain, Stan was by his side holding his hand and reassuring him that everything would be okay.

The hospital didn’t know what was wrong with him, in just a couple of days his condition worsen by seconds. And he was declared a small percentage of living. His parents were shattered by the news and his brother broke in tears after years of ever doing so. They were all devastated, however Kyle didn’t feel that same sentiment; he was calm, accepting.. as if he was already expecting it to happen.

Laying there feeling his body weaken until a chubby man dash inside his room startling Stan and abruptly making Kyle’s heart burst into flames jumping outta bed and pointing fingers at eachother.

Both did.

Cartman was feeling that same burning passion, life has never been more colorful, livid.

“THE FUCK WERE YOU!? I WAS ABOUT TO DIE!” Kyle screamed offended, finally able to feel that scare his family was feeling, actually fearing the possibility and closeness to death.

Not being able to actually live.

“The fuck you expected me to do!? You never called!”

“I never expected to be in death bed!”

“¡You’re not even dying, you’re seating your ass comfortably there!”

“¡Barely!”

And they just continue bickering but somehow, they deeply connected after that and never wanted to ever fall apart again.

#asks♡#kyman soulmates au #i luv these types of emotional roller coaster au 😭😭❤️

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grapenehifics · 5 months

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something i love about solsbury hill is how at the end of it all, theyre both still in their 20s. They've got so much life ahead of them to live and love each other! :)

BABIES, the both of them. I know they're both on their second marriage and are raising three children one of whom is already in high school but they are BABIES and they get SO much time together to learn from and with one another and travel and experiment and try new things and quit other things and support each other and love each other through all the hard stuff and all the good stuff and some stuff they or I can't even imagine yet.

I've got various things imagined for their future - simple stuff like Anakin teaching the twins to ride bikes without training wheels, and big stuff like Obi-Wan doing what they talked about and transitioning to teaching full-time. I thought about Anakin taking a step back from working at the shop and finishing his bachelor's - I thought it would be cute if he and Ahsoka were going to college at the same time, and Ahsoka, like any normal college student, would be very embarrassed by her father waving wildly across the quad at her and bringing her lunch when she forgets, and even more embarrassed when having to explain to her new friends that yes, that twenty-nine-year-old man is her dad, and please could you stop making eyes at him because he's very married.

Anakin starts making extra money on the side by buying classic cars in pieces and Frankensteining them back together and selling them to collectors. He refurbs an Austin Healy Sprite and Obi-Wan has such heart eyes any time he looks at it - even though he won't admit he likes it and insists (correctly) that it's totally impractical for their family and they have no room to store it - that Anakin claims to have 'sold it' only turns out he just bought it right back, slapped a giant bow on it and gifted it to Obi-Wan, who (after enumerating to Anakin all the varied ways in which this is a bad idea) drives his husband up to Makeout Point and fucks him over the driver's seat.

(Anakin's like that? That's your dream car? Weird choice babe but I support you in every way and I will continue to source obscure parts for you and keep that car running with my dying breath if it will make you happy. I will even drive a station wagon to make up for the fact that we are a five-person family and your car can only seat one passenger and is totally useless anytime it so much as drizzles.)

#solsbury hill #obikin

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kaylassturniolo · 3 months

Text

Tour life

requested:no

notes+warnings:none+travel sickness, use of y/n, chrisxfem!reader, slight mentions of throwing up

about: living on the road seems like fun until you remember you feel like dying every time.

Chris and his brother are going on there second tour of this year, and he asked me to come to this one as I couldn't make the last tour due to work restrictions.

It was a no brainer, of course I said yes, I would be stupid not to, so we all got to packing about a week before we had to get onto the tour bus for like 6 weeks.

I packed the essentials, or what I find essential at least, clothes, shoes, hairbrush, sanitary products, chargers and lastly my travel sickness tablets. Granted having travel sickness at a time like this is very inconvenient, however I will have my boyfriend, his brothers and my bestfriend with me incase anything happens.

Now for anyone wondering why I need so much support for my travel sickness, its because I also have this thing called emetophobia, which is a fear of sick, being sick, feeling sick, having a sore stomach, if anyone else is sick, there's no escape from this fear.

Now the day has come for the tour to start, and I am shitting it. Chris has been so helpful in calming me down which I am so happy about because without him I'm sure I would have passed out from hyperventilating.

We all put our suitcases, and bags we packed for the nights we would spend in the hotels, under the bus, and kept all our carry-ons in our hands.

Walking on to the bus, it was a lot more spacious then I was expecting, considering its a bus and all, but it felt very cozy and homely almost, with all the decorations that Laura had put up for us.

Once we al got settled on the bus, we slowly started to take off, and that was the moment everything went down hill for me,i was already paranoid about traveling but the fact i couldn't see where we were going made it 10 times worse than what i thought it would be.

I cuddled up next to Chris to try and calm myself down and i think he caught on to that pretty quickly. I could feel him place a soft kiss on my forehead, whispering to me.

"you're okay love, I'm right here"

After hearing that I try to get even closer to him, trying to sleep as well so I don't have to bare with the thought of being on a bus traveling through a lot of the USA.

I did fall asleep, for about two hours, but when I woke up I had the worst stomach pain I've ever had, running to the toilet I hunch over and let everything out. Once I was sure I had finished I just stayed sat on the floor crying as Chris ran in and just hugged me, not letting me go.

"it's okay, you're okay"

repeating that same phrase over and over again, until I had the courage to either move out of the bathroom, or just even talk and after a few minutes of silence I did the latter.

"think I need stronger tablets"

Chris just looked at me, before letting out an airy laugh and agreeing, and going to let everyone know I was fine and that we may need an extra stop.

again this is so shit and short I'm sorry, I promise I will have a longer one out at some point in the future 😭

#chris sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #matthew sturniolo #nick sturniolo #matt sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo

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my-name-is-jefferooni · 4 months

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I JUST SAW “GRIME TIDINGS” AND I AM SHOOKITH TO MAH CORE

The new episode was… Oh my god. There’s so much Sonadow in just this first episode and I am close to fucking SOBBING.

So to start off, we got the fabled “Sonic feels bad about how Nine took the shards” in the cavern scene and even though it ended far too quickly compared to most other predictions, it was still very enjoyable! Shadow wasted absolutely no time in getting Sonic back in the game, while it took Sonic a while to realize that now is NOT THE TIME FOT A GODDAMN MENTAL BREAKDOWN. Twas a great interaction that had my soul flying outta my body frfr

THEN SONIC’S FRIENDS LITERALLY START FLYING AWAY AND MY HEART JUST SHATTERS BECAUSE WTF THEY LITERALLY JUST WENT TO SAY HI TO GOD I AM NEVER GONNA BE NORMAL ABOUT THAT THEY LEGIT JUST SAID “Bye Sonic cya in heaven” AND THEN WERE GONE LIKE WHAT

Poor Sonic just had to speed run the five stages of grief lmao

AND THEN ALL MY WORRIES WASH AWAY WHEN I SEE SONADOW WORKING TOGETHER TO GET OUT OF GHOST HILL AND IT IS SERIOUSLY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SEQUENCE OF 3D ANIMATION I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. There is so much squash-and-stretch, so much dynamic posing, so many fast movements, so many moments where you blink and you miss something. It’s so fluid and so expertly done, my heart was melting when I saw it. Prime is just straight up eye candy at this point and I am not in any way complaining. This scene was so pretty and so epic and so intense. And I could feel literally every impact. Wonderful story boarding to whoever did the storyboards. You have my full respect.

And then Shadow gives Sonic a compliment and my soul once again leaves my body. I am not okay.

AND THEN THE SONADOW FANKID BATTLE ENSUES WOOHOOOOOOOOOOO

And then. AND THEN. WHEN NINE BRINGS OUT THE OTHER 4 ROBOTS TO FIGHT SONIC AND SHADOW THE TWO HEDGEHOGS LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND GO “Behind you!” AT THE SAME TIME AND I START DYING AGAIN. Feel bad for Big tho. Bro didn’t get a robot… 🥺 Feel so horribly bad for Shadow too. He got stuck fighting the Rouge robot during the fight. Must’ve been a horrible experience. Can’t wait to see how he’ll react to the other versions of her though! If we even get to see him again…!

Which by the way, the ending scene…? OH MY GOD??????????? THEY REALLY HIT US WITH THE BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER EVER. SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG. SHADOW THE GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKING HEDGEHOG. THE BITCH WITH ALL THE EMO DRIP AND THE HEELIES. THE ONE WHO CAN FUCKING FLY NOW. YEAH. HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR SONIC. WHAT!!!!!?????????

Obviously, he’s not gone for good. Cuz then we wouldn’t be able to call this season “Sonadow Prime season 2.” But the fact that he gave himself up and chose to fight off a whole horde of super strong and powerful robots that could beat him in an instant all because Nine had his sights on the blue blur…? That is A LOT. Especially since we’ve waited like 2 whole decades for some good Shadow characterization. In no way am I complaining, duh, but for someone like me…? MAN I WAS NOT OKAY.

Sinister Nine is… It is wild. I always knew he was gonna be a problem ever since Shadow pointed it out at the beginning of season 2, but I never expected him to actually be this evil. He lands next to Sonic and Shadow before the sacrifice, and when he reveals what he plans to do to Sonic… He’s hardly recognizable anymore. It’s scary, how utterly broken and changed he feels. This is still the same fox as before though, just a bit more sure of what he wants. And that’s terrifying.

So naturally, when Shadow figures it out, he is mortified.

AND I START INTERNALLY SCREAMING BECAUSE I WAS NOT EXPECTING HIM TO REACT THAT WAY OH MY GOD BRO WAS FLABBERGASTED HE WAS SO TAKEN ABACK HE WAS SO HEARTBROKEN HE WAS LIKE “Why u tryna hurt my boo???” AND THAT MAKES THE SACRIFICE HIT THAT MUCH HARDER. OH MY GOD. MAKES IT WORSE THAT SONIC HAD NO IDEA WTF HE WAS TALKING ABOUT TOO.

Anywhizzle my energy has dwindled since my first watch because it’s been like 30 minutes but I just wanna add that. I am pretty sure it’s official that the Prime Universe is dead. Gone. Deceased. That shit ain’t coming back, I can guarantee. We spent like half the episode trying to get out of Ghost Hill and then mourning the loss of it, and I highly doubt all that screen time is gonna go to waste. They’ll probably say that Sonic succeeded and that we’ll be shown everyone returning to normal, but based off what we see I at least hope this isn’t the case. This now feels more like a show about moving on, about finding out who you are and making friends. It’s about change, but it’s also about connection. And with the Prime Universe gone, with Ghost Hill destroyed, and with the Paradox Prism in Nine’s grasp until the foreseeable future… I really doubt we’ll see Ghost Hill restored. This fact is amplified by the fact that we’ve been getting more screen time and development with each different universe/shatterverse.

Aight that’s all for now bye bye

#As you can tell I have my priorities straight lmfao #my shitty rambles #sonadow

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arotechno · 1 year

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O. basilicum, part vii

By the summer that Basil turned eighteen, the state of affairs in Verdigris had begun to change.

Long before then, Jim’s mother had passed away unexpectedly, and he had followed his older sister out of town. His parting gift to Basil had been a new cane, as his old one was much too short to be of use to him now.

“Don’t worry about me,” Jim had assured him. “I don’t know where I’m headed, but wherever it is, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Basil had been skeptical, but he hadn’t voiced his concerns. It was a dangerous world out there, but who knew? Maybe Hank was right. Maybe there was a better world out there. If Basil had resigned himself to never leaving, perhaps Jim could see enough of it for the both of them.

In the weeks and months that followed, Basil took up fishing alone. Throughout the warmer months, whenever he wasn’t running errands for Frida or working in the community garden with Dusty, he could often be found down in the creek, wading up to his knees. Other times, he took long walks in the woods with his cane, staying out as long as he dared before Frida would start to worry.

She worried less, these days. That was one of the more surprising changes. Perhaps Basil was just growing up, or perhaps it was something else. Either way, Frida spent less time fretting over him and more time lauding him for how far he’d come since arriving at her doorstep, battered and broken. She did still worry for him, of course. Such was the natural way of things: the sun rose every morning, Basil did not have a heart, and Frida worried.

After all, for how much things may have changed in Verdigris, others would always remain the same. Basil liked that just fine.

All of that to say: by his eighteenth birthday, Basil had become so firmly rooted in Verdigris that the thought of calling anywhere else home felt incredibly foreign. Where he had once been a stranger wearing someone else’s clothes, now Basil walked the dirt roads of the village like he’d been born there, his unsteady gait the only visible indicator of his former life. Two more years and he’d have spent half his life in Verdigris. Already, Swallow’s Point felt like a distant dream.

Basil had long ago given up any intention of ever returning to Amistadia. It wasn’t home to him any longer; being driven out of it had severed those ties completely. Even if he wanted to return, even if he thought it was safe to do so, he doubted he could manage it. And what would be the point in returning? Nothing awaited him there. Why leave Verdigris, the only place he’d ever truly been accepted as he was? Here, they were left alone. Basil had no doubt that passing travelers knew they were out here—but whether those strangers recognized them as Heartless, he couldn’t say, and did it matter? So long as they kept to themselves out here, no one thought of them as a threat. Sure, there were some who understood—Jim’s mother had been one of those precious few—but most never would, so it was best not to bother.

Even so, Verdigris was a small place. And Basil knew, from Hank’s many stories, that the world was much bigger than this. But he was no king, no god, no hero—after everything, a quiet life suited him just fine.

Basil hefted his pack over his shoulder as he walked home from the creek, barefoot in the tall grass. In it he kept his shoes and his canteen, and his cane hung from a leather loop attached to the outside, should he need it. Fireflies rose up from the grass around him, blinking softly as if keeping time with his own steady breathing. Crickets chirped and cicadas hummed their mournful evening song, like a choir all led by the gentle summer breeze blowing through the hillside. Basil walked slowly, taking it all in, though he didn’t have time to stop and rest a while. He was already late for supper; the sun was starting to set earlier than he had gotten accustomed to anticipating.

As he crested the hill, Basil squinted through the evening’s dying light. Dusty stood at Garth’s front gate, gesturing wildly. Raising a hand to keep his sunhat from blowing away with the breeze, Basil hurried up the road to meet them. His bucket slapped against his thigh as he went along.

“...and that’s what I don’t understand!” Dusty was saying animatedly when he arrived.

“What’s this?” Basil asked, expertly dodging Dusty’s waving arm.

“Ah!” Dusty said, pointing. “You! Tell the old man here to stop being so damn difficult.”

“Oi, don’t involve the poor lad in this,” Garth cut in, voice gruff. He was hunched behind the fence, leaning on an old, sanded down tree branch he used as a walking stick.

“Don’t involve me in what, exactly?” Basil asked again, setting down his bucket with a sigh. It looked like he wasn’t going to be home for supper after all.

“Old man Garth here won’t accept anything from the town garden,” Dusty explained, crossing their arms over their chest. “Not a single bite.”

“I grow my own food,” Garth said firmly. “Save what the town grows for others who need it.”

Dusty gestured at Garth’s garden, incredulous. About a week prior, animals had gotten into Garth’s yard and eaten most of his late summer harvest. Something had also eaten one of his chickens.

“I have enough,” Garth insisted. “I preserve most of what I grow. Save your charity for those who need it.”

“Save my— I don’t understand what you think the point of a community garden is if not to feed the community!”

“Stop,” Basil said. Dusty actually quieted. Despite being one of the younger folks in town, Basil seemed to have that kind of sway over people. Even Dusty, from time to time.

Basil glanced down at his bucket of fish. Only a few measly brook trout sat at the bottom, still with their scales (he was too squeamish with a knife to skin them himself). He’d been hoping to take these home to Frida; it was a poor afternoon’s catch, but it was something. Basil frowned. Then, he picked up the bucket and held it over the fence toward Garth.

“Here,” he said. “At least take this. Just in case.”

Garth peered in the bucket, wary. He raised his bushy gray eyebrows.

“I don’t need charity from you either, lad.”

“Don’t think of it as charity.” Basil shook the bucket. The fish slapped around wetly inside. “Think of it as payment. I still owe you for this.” With his other hand, he reached behind and pulled out his cane, tapping it against the dirt.

Garth’s expression softened. “It was just scraps, Basil. Jim did all the work both times.”

“Jim’s not here, so I can’t repay him. Besides, you taught him everything he knows. Please?”

Garth was quiet for a moment, scratching his short beard in thought. Then, finally, he sighed and took the bucket.

“Thank you, lad,” he said softly.

Basil smiled wide and turned to walk off. If he stayed any later, Frida would certainly have his hide. Dusty stared after him, feigning suspicion.

“I still expect your help in the garden tomorrow,” they called after him.

Without looking back, Basil lifted a hand and waved. He understood the code for what it was: he would almost certainly be interrogated tomorrow. Dusty liked to challenge and taunt him, whether that meant a mandatory heart-to-heart or getting his hands dirty. Often, it was both. Whereas it had once embarrassed him, now Basil found himself looking forward to it. Not that he’d ever admit it.

That was the greatest change since Basil’s arrival in Verdigris, although it was mostly an internal one. In a way, the people of Verdigris had become family to him more than even his own parents had been. Thinking that way made Basil feel guilty, but he hadn’t seen his parents in eight years, and doubted if they were even still alive. Maybe they had loved him unconditionally—they certainly risked a lot for him. But Basil wasn’t too concerned with love, not anymore.

The people of Verdigris had taken Basil in exactly as he was. They’d sheltered, fed, and clothed him. They—Frida, Hank, and Ann especially—had raised him, and saved his life. Basil wasn’t very strong, nor was he particularly skilled; but he would be there for them in return, in the only ways he knew how. But it wasn’t out of a sense of indebtedness—that wasn’t the kind of debt that could be repaid, anyway. It was simply what felt right.

Frida was waiting on the front porch with a lantern when Basil finally arrived. He committed the image to memory, deep within the well of his chest, of her standing with a light in the dark, waiting however late into the night for his safe return.

She looked at him disapprovingly.

“Sorry,” was all he said.

“You’re never going to listen to a word I tell you, are you, Basil?” Frida asked fondly. She glanced down and tilted her head, as if noticing he had arrived empty handed. “No catch today?”

“I gave it to Garth.”

Frida hummed, urging him into the house, not caring for the dirt on his feet.

“You make it difficult to be upset with you.”

Basil beamed ear-to-ear, which only seemed to weaken Frida’s resolve further.

“Come now,” she said. “Supper is getting cold.”

#i actually wrote the next chapter before i finished this #it needs work though #wink wink nudge nudge some of you may guess where we're headed #aro #aromantic #aro writing #aro writers #writing #writeblr #o basilicum #the heartless #long post #op

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