#i say like the next couple of days aren't also busy lol

[tracybirds]

first update for the lovely equinox to equinox bingo challenge made by @gaviiadastra

I ended up writing a few fills from this "sickness prompts" list. I'm going to work on a few more over the next couple of days, but decided that I wouldn't wait to make this post, since I can always edit it as I write more!

Fills

Alan + snoozeville

Gordon + speechless

Gordon + snoozeville

#i genuinely can't wait to get back into it :D #but been a very busy fortnight #equinox to equinox bingo challenge #soooooo busy #i say like the next couple of days aren't also busy lol #i gotta calm down and do a little less.... #(that absolutely will not happen lol)

[golbrocklovely]

cultish love // colby brock

A/N: first off, so sorry for this being so late, i had a lot of things i had to edit about this fic. also this is my longest fic ever ! like the other fic before this, this is a AU version of colby… where he, you guessed it, is a cult leader. and he is also corrupt (but like aren't all cult leaders). again this deals with some possible heavy themes, so give a good read of the trigger warnings before reading ahead. i've always joked about colby being able to lead a cult, and that's basically where this idea came from. this fic also took a turn i wasn't expecting, but i like it anyway. also the first half is written as a journal entry (all italized) and then the rest is an actual fic (not italized). lmk what you think, and happy haunting !

prompt: you're a journalist, and your next big story is on the 'empathic love' cult, led by none other than colby brock. this cult is not known well, but you are getting a first hand look at them and what they do. and quickly, colby takes a liking to you. || fem!reader x AU!cult leader!colby brock

trigger warning: SMUT, no actual sex but you do get mentally fucked (it will make sense in the story), cult vibes all around, love bombing, cursing, supernatural powers, colby is very intense and kinda scary but also still his charming self, slight dubcon similar in vain to sam's story - you never say no outright, but you do have general feelings of 'wtf is this, idk if i like' so if that's too much for you, feel free to read something else :), colby's aura is crazy good at giving you visions, strangers-to-soulmates?? don't know if that's a tag lol, also…. colby's technically bisexual in this????? but like barely

word count: 8610

I've been a reporter for only five years, and this story.... it could make or break my career. Cults aren't as prevalent as they once were way back when. They still exist, just in the shadows. A lot quieter on most fronts. Usually disguised as a business or religion, for tax reasons of course. But this cult, Empathic Love, is unlike any cult I've heard of.

Of course, they don't call themselves a cult, but that's what they are. How else would you describe a bunch of randos following one man around wherever he goes?

They only started so many years ago, right before I graduated university. The main founder, Colby Brock, is a pragmatic individual, according to his followers. The cult began blowing up in my town a little over two years ago, and now people flock from all over the world to visit the Love Compound. You would think it's Disney World the way people grow excited about it.

But I am here to get to the truth of this cult. What is their motive? What are they planning to do? Will this be another Waco or Heaven's Gate? What sinister beliefs hide underneath the modern-day hippie aesthetic they show?

These notes will document everything I experience for the next couple of days. And in case I go missing, these are my proof of who's to blame.

I don't think it will go that far, but you can never be too sure.

~~~~

Day 1 - Investigation

I'm still incredibly surprised I was allowed to come onto the Love Compound. The leader himself apparently reached out to my boss and told them that they wanted someone to come down and interview the group. They allow visitors from time to time, "new recruits" as some of the townspeople call them, but reporters have never been allowed in. Not once. Until me.

Driving up to the compound was nerve-wracking. I never imagined I would be nervous; I've interviewed plenty of criminals in my years, have done full blown investigations into scary, horrifying crimes. But something about this place freaked me out. Partially because I didn't know what I was getting into. But another part of me, and I will never admit this out loud, felt... at home.

The only promise I made to myself was I wouldn’t drink any kool-aid while there. So, I plan to stick to that. Pretend my previous statement never existed.

I was greeted by a beautiful woman when I got there: Avery. No one went by last names. And some apparently changed their names altogether, which was not surprising. My guess is there were most likely criminals hanging out amongst the group. But I had no proof of that, just a hunch. It easily could be a safe haven for those wanting to escape whatever life they had before.

The compound was three Victorian style mansions connected to each other and had a decent size farm attached - about 222 acres. Avery told me about all of the vegetables and chickens they farmed. Everything was organic and used up as often as possible. Anything that couldn't be eaten or produced too much for the only 100ish people in the compound, was sold at the farmer's market or given away to the local food bank. Avery explained to me very clearly that everyone in the compound chipped in one way or another. Some still worked normal jobs, but just lived here with everyone. But she noted that Colby hoped in the near future no one would have to work at all and they would be self-sufficient in a couple years.

A cult with future plans? Almost unheard of.

I told Avery that I was given an all-access pass to ask anything I wanted to, and nothing I asked could be ignored or deflected. She agreed to an interview. I recorded all of it, but here are the highlights of what I gathered.

I asked her why Colby was such a secretive man. There were very few photos of him that did exist out there, but all that was rumored about him was his alluring eyes and generally attractive presence. She agreed that he was handsome, describing his as having "ocean blue eyes" and his voice was to die for. "Deep and arousing", as she explained.

I noted that she seemed almost lost in thought at the idea of him, like she was envisioning him directly in front of her. Strange behavior; but not for a cult follower. Many end up falling in love with their leader, believing they have a genuine relationship with said person.

I bought up the name of the group, Empathic Love, and said it felt a little too inviting. She laughed and told me that it was right on the money - the best way to describe why everyone was there. She expressed to me that so many of Colby's followers wanted peace and love and light, and that being in this group felt like that. It was rewarding to be surrounded by those that cared and wanted to see each other succeed. Life outside the walls of the compound was rough, scary, draining; but inside, it was all love.

Call me cynical, but I don't believe that for a second. It took all the strength I had to keep from rolling my eyes at her. But I could tell from her voice, her motions... she was telling the truth. Well, her truth.

I wanted to know what brought her here, so she spoke of her previous life. She was abused growing up, moved around a lot in foster care. She was almost homeless, and then one day she ran into Colby. He had just begun the Empathic Love group, and she just knew she had to stick with him. Her life immediately turned around the moment he was in her life. The adoration in her eyes told me a different story, so I pressed her - "are you and Colby... together?" She smiled and said no, but she knew that they were life partners before, just not currently.

Oh... so it's one of those types of cults.

She said that Colby doesn't have a second in command, wife, girlfriend, whatever. Everyone is equal and heard. He's just the face of the group, which is a bit ironic given even I have no clue what he looks like. I knew he was young, in his mid-20s. But other than that, no idea.

I needed to know, why stay? What keeps you here? A dreamy look came over her, like she had said this a million times before: "Colby. He is love, and that's all anyone could ask for."

Chills ran up my spine at the tone of her voice. It was dull, and her words sounded like a mantra, the way she said them so easily.

I wrapped up my interview with her, quiring if I was allowed to interview others. She said yes and began sending over random people one-by-one to me.

If I hadn't gotten chills from her first, I would have from everyone else. Something about seeing everyone saying similar things, smiling happily, like the ship isn't sinking around them was eerie. It made my stomach churn when I would ask questions I already asked Avery, and get almost the same speech back.

I interviewed about 15 people. All variety of ages and genders. I suddenly realized that there were no children around, and everyone was over the age of 21.

Consenting adults… minus the supposed brainwashing.

A couple of the interviewees stuck out to me:

Penelope, 25. Her upbringing was similar to Avery's, but she still kept in contact with her family. Apparently, she wasn't the only one like that either. Many still kept in touch and even visited their loved ones. I asked her to describe Colby, tell me anything about him. She giggled, almost like a schoolgirl, and began to weave such a story about him. He was kind and caring. His smile was contagious, just like his laugh. And his singing voice was fantastic. She talked about him like he was a boy band member, and she was his biggest fan. I asked her to give one word to describe him, and she said "Love. He is love, and that's all anyone could ask for."

Greg, 36. He had fallen into rough times, and desired a fresh start. He had heard about this group online, and figured checking them out while he was in town wouldn't hurt. And that was a couple years ago. I wondered why he didn't feel weird listening to someone that was younger than him, and he shrugged. It was nice not having eyes on him. He loved being in a wallflower, and he believed that Colby deserved all the love he got from everyone in the group. Every ounce he got was ten-folded back into the group. Greg had never felt so connected to a group of people and he knew it was all thanks to Colby. "He brought love into my life like I never have had it before. Because that's who he is: love."

Heather, 29. She mentioned how for most of her life she felt like shit. Her confidence was at an all-time low when she met Colby. He encouraged her to keep at it, to love herself and find happiness everywhere. And by spending more and more time with him, she did. She has never felt more confident about herself, her life, her direction, and Colby is the reason for that. The tone that took over her voice when she bought him up was odd. It was very similar to a partner describing the love of their life, almost like wedding vows. I asked her haphazardly about her love life, how that was going for her. And she told me she had been on many dates - something she never used to do back when she was younger or before Colby. But she did note that regardless of who she ends up with, she knows that a part of her heart will always belong to Colby. They were connected, forever. "Love and light and happiness is what I desired, and I got it - all because Colby exists in my life now."

It felt like I was getting nowhere with some of these interviews. Many said the same thing, Colby being love and light and blah blah blah. I wanted someone that wasn't gonna just quote to me whatever mantra he made them learn. And luck was on my side, because I was able to interview their newest member, Ash. They were 23, and very beautiful. There was an almost smugness about them, like they knew they were the shiny new toy on the block. The confidence only a young 20-something year old could have.

I asked them, point blank, about Colby. Be brutally honest. They told me he was hot, and that's what drew them to him. They liked the idea of living in a group setting, especially since they grew up with many brothers and sisters. They liked helping out, and they liked knowing that Colby was keeping an eye on them the most recently. I then followed up with how long it took for them to join the group. "Three days. That's how long it takes for everyone."

I questioned them about the "Colby is love" thing, and they agreed it was a bit strange, but they couldn't help but feel the same way as everyone else. They were like a moth to a flame when it came to him. Everything about him was hypnotizing, entrancing. It was like staring at the sun; even though you knew to look away, you just couldn't help it.

Then I had to know: were they sleeping with him? Most of these cults feed off of the leader fucking every person they wanted to and leaving other members high and dry. But for some reason, it felt as if Colby was sleeping with everyone with the way they all talked about him. Ash dissented, saying no one was sleeping with him. He didn't sleep with any of his followers. But they all shared a deep, sensual mental connection with him. They felt like, sometimes, he was in their soul. And that sensation alone was euphoric, bordering on orgasmic. They also knew that in another life, they would have been together, similar to what Avery said.

It was then I knew that this group was clinically insane, or just really infatuated by what Colby was selling. It had to have been some crazy brainwashing. But it was odd; people were allowed to leave, to see loved ones, to have lives outside of the compound walls. Hell, some had dating lives that included those not here! That's unheard of, and completely stupid on Colby's part if he wants to keep things going.

A cult leader that wanted to watch his world implode.... I had to meet him. I had to meet the myth that was Colby Brock. And tomorrow I get my chance to.

~~~~

Day 2 - Interview with Colby

I feel the need to explain that these are my notes, not really meant for anyone else to see. And really, the only reason anyone would be seeing this is if I disappear or got murdered.

So, I say all of that just so I know, for myself, that this is a safe space for me to express my truest emotions and thoughts after interviewing Colby.

And all I can say, honestly, is that... I get it. I understand it now.

I felt my nerves hit their break last night before going to sleep, unable to stop my mind reeling from what was to come. I ended up bringing along a bodyguard, or really a photographer. I had known Trey since I started working as a journalist, and I knew I could rely on him to get us out of the Empathic Love compound if anything went south. I wasn't sure what I was up against when I went to interview Colby, but God... I didn't think I was so underprepared.

I met him in his office, Avery walked me over to it. It was up in the attic of the third house. It overlooked the entire property with wide windows. For an attic, I expected it to feel dark and dusty, but surprisingly it was light and airy. Almost like being out in the woods and taking a deep breath.

Colby was sitting in his main office chair. He spun around to see us, a light smile on his face. I'll be honest - I was taken aback by his beauty. I understood Ash's whole spiel about him being attractive and looking at him was like looking at the sun. It was intense. He was intense. His blue eyes bore into me, almost like they could see through me. I felt chills, but they weren't of fear. It was out of... excitement, of awe.

He greeted me, giving me a warm handshake. I hate to admit that I almost blushed at the sound of him saying my name. I had to take a couple deep breaths before starting. Avery left the room, and Trey sat outside the door, in case of backup.

I recorded our interview, knowing that I couldn't keep track of everything he said. But listening back to it now, his voice.... it's like a song. A beautiful, spellbinding song. I could almost fall asleep to it....

I asked him about his life, and how he came to be a leader for a group like Empathic Love. He spoke of his upbringing lightly, barely scraping the surface. He talked about growing up pretty normally, having a loving family, a great friend group, and then one day realizing that he could make a change in the world. That many people loved him and loved being around him. And that's when he knew that if he could make their lives better, he would. So, he started Empathic Love. Originally, it was just gonna be a safehouse for those that needed it. But then more and more people joined and suddenly, it grew into what it was today.

I asked where his family was now. "In Kansas," he told me. He said nothing further than that.

He humbly spoke of all the love he received from his followers, or his "friends" as he put it. They all cared about him in a way that he only wished he could return tenfold. I questioned him about the whole "Colby is love" thing. "How come everyone says almost the exact same thing, like they've been brainwashed into saying it?" He didn't even trip over his words as he spoke matter-of-factly to me. "I didn't come up with that phrase, they did. You would have to ask them. I take it as the highest form of a compliment, truly. I'll be honest, it's a bit embarrassing at times when they call me that, but I can't help what they do. I appreciate their love, nonetheless."

I continued asking him about different topics, until finally reaching the one I was most intrigued about. "How many of your followers - excuse me - friends, have you slept with?" He smirked, smirked, at me and said "None. Did any of them tell you that we slept together?"

"No, but the way they talk about you like the sun shines out of your ass does seem a bit odd, don't you think?"

He looked unphased. God, he had an answer for everything. "I'll be honest with you, some of my friends might be in love with me. But I make it abundantly clear that while I love them, and love their love, I don't have feelings for them. I'm still looking for the one."

I remember holding back a glare, "So, you're celibate?"

"Now, I never said that." He let out a chuckle, then his eyes darkened. "Why do you care so much about my sex life? Unless of course, you want to join it."

I tried ignoring his gaze and his words but stuttered through my next question. “Then who exactly is the right one for you, if it's not one of your followers or friends?”

It took him a while to answer, he even closed his eyes for a bit. He sat up once he knew, sauntering over to his window that overlooked it all. "I imagine the one for me is someone that will bring peace to me and my life. Someone that for all my faults, can see who I am truly deep down. She will love me, and I will worship her. I will show her what true love feels like. Our souls will be one, because they always have been."

Something strange came over me. I don't know why I said it, but I uttered, "What about looks?"

Who cares about looks! Why did I ask about looks? I was a serious journalist, not a reporter for Star Magazine!

He looked over his shoulder at me, "Looks aren't that important to me. What matters is mind and soul. Who you are deep down. But if I had to pick… someone like you. I feel someone like you would be a perfect fit around here."

I wanted to give him the sassiest voice and rebuttal I could muster, but deep down I was shaking. Energy raced through my body, like I had been electrified.

He kept his back to me, staring out the window. “I'm not trying to be overly complimentary. I'm just being honest. But I can tell that you would do so well to have us around. To have... me, in your life. I bring a lot of love to people's lives, that's for sure. But I also bring a lot of drive, and passion, and intimacy.”

Intimacy?

“People open up when I'm around. They tell me everything, even things they never dreamt of telling another person. And I allow it, because clearly, they needed to express it. And once they do, it's like the floodgates open. Love and light just start pouring into them, into their life, and it's overwhelming - but so worth it. Doesn't that sound nice?”

I guess so...

“I bring happiness to so many. My friends have told me that they get jittery around me, I'm like a shot of adrenaline. And that energy, that power, courses through them. And when it gets expressed, it comes out in…” He took a long pause, turning back to me. The look in his eyes… I can remember it as if he was still in front of me. “Pleasurable ways.”

I hate admitting this, and it's embarrassing to say it even now, but I felt a jolt of... something, run through me. I won't even say what it was out loud, in fear of never being taken seriously again. But what happened after that, I don't know if words can even express it well.

Colby continued talking, but I couldn't pick up on any of it. He was talking up a storm, but I couldn't help the sensations I was feeling. Even in my wildest of fantasies, I've never felt anything in reality. It was all in my mind. But in that very moment, it felt like it was happening to me.

I felt lips tread up my neck, stopping just below my ear. A hot, low moan breathed into my ear. My spine tingled at the sound, my hands gripping the armrests of the chair. If I didn't know any better, I would think Colby was behind me, making those noises. My hands suddenly felt hands on top of them. My eyes widened, looking down, but nothing was there. I couldn't really move my arms once the invisible hands were there. My whole body felt numb and heavy, relaxed. My mind was the one on edge, worried as to why I was feeling all of this.

I hadn't eaten or drank anything at the compound. Maybe it was being poured into the room by the vents? I don't know, but something was making me feel this way.

The invisible hands drifted up my arms, massaging my shoulders for a moment. My head lulled back, almost hitting the back of the chair. My mind was on high alert, but my body was about ready to fall asleep. The hands relaxed me so much that my eyes began to flutter.

But then... they drifted down my torso. They traced along my neck gently, drawing small, insignificant patterns. The hands grew lower and lower until they finally were on my chest. I felt the hands cup my breasts softly, my breath hitching in my throat. They kneaded my tits gingerly, my nipples hardening in my bra. I bit my lip, praying that I wouldn't make a sound. It was hard not to, especially when the delicate fingers of these invisible hands found my nipples, gently pinching them.

I remember closing my eyes tight. Trying to clear my mind. This wasn't actually happening to me. There was no way. This was a psychosis or a drug hallucination that was happening to me and Colby was doing nothing about it.

One hand drifted down my body, stopping right above my sex. I suddenly became very aware at how wet I was, my eyes widening. I felt a rush of blood flow through my cheeks. I was about to get caught. These invisible hands made me wet, and I couldn't stop them.

And the terrible thing was, I didn't want them to. I wanted them to finish the job. To get me off... in front of Colby. One hand rose back up my body, grabbing my neck and turning my face to look up at him.

A deep voice whispered harshly, "You want him, don't you?"

I didn't say anything, afraid of what would come out. But deep down, I knew.

"Say it, and it's yours. Say you want him. And he'll have you... forever."

I opened my mouth. I felt the words almost leave my lips. I stuttered out something. I closed my eyes, my body feeling high.

And then in a split second, it was all gone. The room grew quiet, and Colby cleared his throat. "Y/N, are you okay? You look flush."

I jolted out of my seat, being able to move freely again. I looked around and realized Colby was sitting once more, staring at me concerned. I finished the interview abruptly, saying I had everything I needed - even though I definitely didn't. And then he uttered words I wish I didn't hear.

"If you want, come back tomorrow. We are having a celebration here. I would love if you came by, even if for an hour."

I nodded, not even really taking in what he said, and left. Trey was confused as to why I bum-rushed out of the room, but I never told him the truth. How could I?

I knew deep down I shouldn't have said yes to go to the party. But getting that footage would be killer for my article. Interviews are great, but a party at a cult compound? That's bound to end terribly (for Colby, but great for me).

But something in me can't shake this feeling that I basically signed myself up for the end. End of what? I'm not sure. But I'll find out tomorrow.

~~~~~~

Stepping back onto the compound made my heart race. I was nervous as all hell, and just wanted this day to be over with already. Today was my last day doing this story. I was counting the minutes to when I could go back to my office and write about how this place was insane, or whatever narrative I planned to write.

I had enough proof that something was up here. All I needed to do was a bit more digging. And during the party is when I planned to do it.

Avery walked up to me, smiling brightly. "Hey, Y/N! How are you doing today?"

"I'm okay. I know it's a bit early, but Colby never specified when the party was going to take place." I replied.

"No, you're totally fine. The party is gonna happen later. Right now, though, we have something going on that you'll definitely want to see." She clapped excitedly.

"Oh? And what is that?" I questioned.

"We are inducting a new member!" she exclaimed giddily. "There's a whole process that we do, and everyone is involved. I imagine that will bode well for your article if you see it firsthand. It's all taking place in that tent."

I stared over at the huge tent, its plastic cover doors strangely inviting.

I hummed, "Sure, I'll be there in a moment."

Avery nodded, turning on her heels and prancing over to the tent, following in other members.

"What's happening in there?" Trey asked.

"Apparently they are inducting someone new into their cult." I informed him.

He blinked. "Group, you mean."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, whatever. Make sure to capture as much as you can."

He shook his camera, giving me a wink, "On it."

We both walked in, many members still up and around, giving everyone hugs and chatting. Avery waved me down, patting the seat next to her. I walked over and sat. My body tingled in anticipation. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. My breathing picked up as everyone grew silent, the doors opening. Colby walked in, and people rushed to their seats.

Colby called out, "Hello everyone, good morning."

"Good morning, Colby." Everyone said in unison.

Jesus, that was creepy.

"A lot of things are going to be different today. First, we have guests watching our festivities. Y/N and Trey. Everyone, give them a hand." He gestured to the two of us.

The tent exploded in applause, Avery evening rubbing my back sweetly. It felt like I was being congratulated on something I didn't achieve, my cheeks flushing at the acknowledgement.

"And secondly, sadly, the new member we were going to have decided not to stay." He frowned, his face dropping.

Members gasped, some audible "oh no" echoed around the tent. Colby nodded his head sympathetically. “I know, but fret not. I think this will be a learning experiment for our new guests. We can still do our traditional motions of having someone join us. But, imagine it as if it's a mock ceremony instead. Ms. Y/N, would you please step up here?”

My heart stopped when he looked into my eyes, the first time since yesterday. I glanced at Avery, who grinned enthusiastically. She pushed me out of my seat, my body following her lead. I gazed around, finding Trey, who pulled away from his camera with a concerned look. I stumbled up the walkway, stepping on stage with Colby.

Colby lowered his voice so I could only hear him, moving away from the microphone. "I know you wanted to know about how we induct someone into our little home, so I figured why not use you as an example? We aren't actually inducting you, in case you’re worried. This is just what would happen if you were joining. Are you okay with that?"

I gazed around the huge, white tent, making eye contact with many people in the audience. They all looked so eager, waiting to hear my response. Some were even shaking with excitement.

I stuttered, feeling Colby squeeze my hands to bring my attention back to him, "I-I guess so."

"Fantastic." He turned, still holding one of my hands, "Alright everyone, you know the drill."

The crowd cheered, suddenly many lining up to a microphone at the side of the stage. Colby lightly pulled me to a cushioned throne, sitting me down. "So here's what's going to happen. People are going to come up to that microphone, and they are going to give you plenty of love. Genuine love. And then the next person will go, and so on until everyone has spoken."

"Everyone here? Like, all hundred plus of you?" I whispered.

"Yes. It's gonna be a while, so get cozy." He laughed, rubbing my shoulders.

Time felt frozen as slowly everyone came up and said something nice about me. Some were quick, mostly just commenting on how nicely I dressed or how the stories I had covered in the past were interesting and thoughtful. But others, it's like they could see into my soul and point out the exact thing I was insecure about. Everyone was complimentary and it was nice, but exhausting.

The line had dwindled down, and the next person to speak was Avery.

She stepped up the microphone, giving me a huge smile. "Hi, Y/N. I know we don't know each other that well, but I feel like I've known you my whole life. These couple days of getting to know you, being interviewed by you, have just been the highlight of my life. You are such a lovely presence to be around, and you deserve all the success you've gotten these last couple years."

Lots of people in the crowd nodded, agreeing with Avery. She continued, taking a deep breath, "I wanted to add - you are so deserving of love. You are easy to love too, and I hope that you are surrounded by people that make you feel that way. I know that this is just a mock ceremony, but I truly believe you would be such a great addition to us. I know you don't trust us, but I hope that soon you will find that you have a safe place here. Even if you never come back here again. This is your home now, and forever will be."

My chest heaved suddenly, tears welling up in my eyes. What the fuck is happening right now? Why was I crying at what she said? Sure, it was sweet and kind, but... how did she know I needed to hear that?

I turned my head, wiping the tears before anyone could see them fall. The crowd clapped as Avery left, going back to her seat.

The last couple people were a blur, my mind still hanging onto Avery's words. Suddenly, a hand was placed on my shoulder, jolting me out of my thoughts. I gazed up, seeing Colby's beautiful face staring down at me.

"The ceremony is done. Now, time to party."

~~~~~~

It had been a couple hours since the ceremony, my body feeling almost numb but jittery all at the same time. It was hard to shake all the love and words that were thrown my way today. Sure, some were probably just lying and saying random things because they had to, because they were conditioned to. But it freaked me out how some just... hit the right spots, knew my insecurities.

The party itself was fine. Two of the houses had parties happening in them, and since all three houses were connected, you could leave one and walk into another. There was a dancefloor full of people, and multiple fully stocked bars. Tons of food was at each table. It honestly looked like an adult prom. But I wasn't in a partying mood. Trey, on the other hand, was enjoying himself immensely. Girls and guys surrounded him, laughing at his jokes and bringing him plates of food and wine. One girl kept rubbing his thigh, staring at him longingly.

I wanted to leave. I had had enough of today, and I just wanted to be as far away from Empathic Love as I could be. I decided fresh air was what I needed, so I got up and slid out the back door of one of the houses, taking a deep breath. There were still too many people around, but I noticed the last house, the one with Colby's office in it, had no lights on and no one around it. I walked through the yards, stopping once I was by the back porch of the third house.

I sighed, leaning back against a railing. I could still hear the party going on, almost getting louder now that I wasn't there. I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed.

“Hey, Y/N. Fancy seeing you here." Colby's voice broke through my thoughts.

I exhaled. “Hi, Colby.”

He cocked his head, “Are you doing okay? You seem... upset.”

I felt this sudden rush of anger, knowing in reality he was to blame for all of this. “No, I'm not doing alright. I want to go home, I'm extremely overwhelmed by this party and all the people around here. That ceremony was too much for me to deal with, and the only way for me to get out of here is Trey and he's getting rubbed down by your followers!”

He took a step back, putting his hands up defensively. “Woah, that was a lot. You must have needed that release.”

I glared, “You think?”

“Look, I get it. It's a lot to take in. I myself don't love going to all these parties. It can be really overwhelming and if I'm honest, it gives me a lot of anxiety,” he admitted casually.

“You get anxiety?” I scoffed, “How? Everyone here loves you.”

“I know. That's the stressful part!” He sat on the railing, turning to me. “I'm the leader of this family. I have to make all the right decisions, and sometimes that means upsetting some of the people closest to me. Not to mention, so many eyes are on me, and it's just all too much sometimes. Even if you think this group is a cult, I still care for everyone here. I make sure they are fed, have a job, and have a life outside of here. And that's a lot to take on.”

“How do you deal with all of it, then?” I questioned.

“Patience. And a lot of alone time when I can get it - through meditation, specifically,” he laughed. “I was actually going to go meditate before I found you. Would you like to join me?”

I shook my head. “No, I'm good.”

“Are you sure? Look, at the very least, it will get you away from the party and all the noise. You don't even have to join me, you can just... sit in the room with me while I do it.” He argued, shrugging his shoulders.

I gazed at the party, everyone had grew rowdier while we were talking, and I didn't even notice. But my head felt like it was spinning from the noise alone. I sighed, nodding my head. Colby smiled, opening the door to the house, and I walked in first. I followed him up to his office, sitting down on his couch as he sat in the center of the room on the floor.

I raised an eyebrow. “That's where you meditate?”

“Yeah, I know it's a bit silly. But I feel so much more grounded... on the ground.” He replied cheekily.

I snickered, sitting back and watching him. He crossed his legs, resting his palms on his knees. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He took multiple breaths until they were low and shallow. I furrowed my brow, my eyes never leaving his form.

It almost seemed like he was asleep, or in a hypnosis of some sort. He was completely still and silent. A dull glow appeared at the top of his head, growing brighter and larger. I leaned away from him, my eyes widening at the sight. What the fuck is that...?

An aura grew around him, surrounding him completely. He didn't move, unfazed by it. His eyes remained closed, and with each breath it grew.

"How... are you doing that?" I uttered, my mouth a gape.

"Doing what?" He spoke in a monotone voice.

"That... aura. How are you doing that?" I pressed.

“I've always been able to do it since I was young. You can get closer if you want to.” He suggested.

How did he know I was still far away?

I stepped off the couch, moving closer to him. I kept my distance, but the aura was almost pulling me in. It was beautiful, the light reflecting and growing bigger. I was almost engulfed by it, but it stopped right before getting to me. I could feel its warmth, its energy. It was calling to me, beckoning me to step towards it.

The aura wrapped around me, filling me with light and love. Or at least that's what it felt like. I gasped at the sensation, my legs shaking underneath me. I breathed in deeply, my lungs filling up with fresh air. I didn't feel like I was in the room anymore. I felt like I was flying, the world almost zooming around me.

“Let your body relax, Y/N. I know it's so much to take in.” Colby’s calming voice spoke.

I felt my body give out on me, falling onto the soft rug. I laid down on my back, staring up at the ceiling. Visions began to swirl in my mind and around me.

How is any of this happening?

He answered, reading my mind. “Because of me. Because of us. Because of the connection you and I share.”

My body felt very heavy, unable to move even if I wanted to. I could move my eyes, and out of the corner of them, I saw Colby stand up. The aura remained around us, almost engulfing the entire room.

“You know, I knew the moment you stepped foot on to the compound's grounds, you were going to like it here. You were going to stay.” He smiled sincerely, gazing down at my body.

I blinked, confused. “What? I-I don't plan to-“

He cut me off, “This is the final step, Y/N. Everyone gave you love, people celebrated you, and now... I'm allowing you in.”

I wanted to shake my head, but couldn’t. “But I don't want to join.”

He chuckled, “Yes you do. If you didn't want it, none of this would have worked on you. You wouldn't be seeing what is directly in front of your eyes.”

The visions morphed around me, suddenly showing Colby and I. But we weren't us, we were different people, at a different point in time. But I could feel it was us. We were in love, growing a family together. Our lives were beautiful.

What the fuck is this?

“That is our past, or present, or future,” he winked. “The thing is, Y/N, I never seek out anyone. They all seem to find me.”

“That's not true, you emailed my boss about being interviewed.” I remarked.

"Oh, you are so forgetful, Y/N. You emailed us, begging to interview me and anyone else that said yes. I only agreed because I knew you wanted to meet with me. You sounded very eager to join in your email." Colby pulled out a piece of paper, reading from it happily, "Dear whoever reads this, I'm hoping to score an interview with your group, Empathic Love, for an article I am writing. I would love to meet Colby, and really pick apart his brain on why he created said group. Maybe I could even join if you guys win me over. Please let me know if any of this sounds of interest to you. Sincerely, Y/N of Global Gazette."

He leaned down, staring into my eyes mischievously, "Now does that sound like someone that didn't want to be here?"

My heart raced, suddenly scared. “Why don't I remember writing that?”

“I couldn't tell you. All I know is you wanted to be here. And there's a reason for it.” He sat down on the ground next to me. I wanted to get up and run, but my body stayed still, heavy. “Growing up, I realized very early on that certain people just... gravitated to me. A lot of women, yes. But really it was anyone. And not only did they gravitate towards me, they became obsessed with me. At first, I was confused, uninterested in ever going through that. Who wants someone obsessed with them? But then I realized how much good I could do with so many people rallying behind me.”

He continued, “As I got older, my ability, or power, or whatever it is - grew twice as strong. Suddenly, all the people around me followed me, did anything and everything I could ask for. Then, I began getting visions, and I understood why this was the case. Everyone here: we had a past life together. Their souls and mine have always been connected. They find me and then continue to stay. And almost always, they fall in love with me. It's just so glorious.”

“You're insane.” I mumbled.

He hummed, “Interesting, especially since you’re seeing the same things I am.”

It was true. The whole time he spoke, I saw vision after vision of our past lives together. We were always destined to meet, destined to be with one another.

“But the thing is, I know you're different from all the rest. You and I, we are meant to be together forever. You are meant to love me forever, and I am meant to love you. That's why my abilities affect you so greatly.” Colby divulged.

“What if I say no? What if I want to leave?” I grunted, trying to shake free.

“You've had the ability to go all this time. You just don't want to. You know how much love I can give you. You know how much pleasure I can give you as well.” He bit his lip, his eyes snaking up and down my body, “You've known that since yesterday, haven't you?”

Blood rushed to my cheeks, memories of yesterday played in my head.

“And do you know what’s crazy about that? That's not even half the pleasure I can give you.” Colby kneeled next to me, a devilish smile on his lips. His hand lightly brushed my face, cupping my warm cheek sweetly.

A burst of arousal raced through me, my body spasming in ecstasy. “Oh my God!”

“I know, it's a lot to take in. But I just want to make you feel good, darling. You deserve it.” He leaned in slowly, “You are mine, after all.”

"This is what your followers meant by a deep and sensual mental connection," I groaned, feeling hands all over my body, touching me in the most lustful of ways. "You got inside their heads and mentally fucked them."

“...That's one way of wording it. But if they didn't trust me, if they didn't already want me, it wouldn't happen.” He winced playfully, “So in reality, it's your fault.”

“Fuck you.” I growled.

“But baby, that's what's happening,” Colby laughed darkly. “Those hands, those kisses and bites... that's all mine. I can tell you're losing it. You want me real bad, but you don't want to admit it. I get it, you’re overwhelmed.”

I felt like my body was getting electrocuted with pleasure. My hips grinded into the air, needing some form of relief. My nipples strained against my bra, wanting any form of touch. I closed my eyes tightly, embarrassment rolling through me as I felt my damp panties against my sex.

Fuck, he was right. I did want this, and him.

I didn't even need to say it out loud. Suddenly I felt a cock slid inside of me, too easily from how wet I had become. I ripped my eyes open, looking around. Colby was watching me from his chair, smirking.

He palmed his hardening dick through his jeans. “Imagine how much better it would be if I was actually inside of you, filling you up with every. fucking. inch.”

I thought about screaming Trey’s name. Maybe he could help me.

He grimaced, rolling his eyes. “He won’t do anything for you, sweetheart. He joined our group just a couple weeks ago. Right around the time you sent the email. So really, you have all the more reason to join us.”

“Even if I join this cult, I will never stay here. I will leave here and never come back.” I hissed.

“And that is your choice to make. But Y/N,” his gaze lowered at me, his eyes intense. “You will never be satisfied. You got barely a taste of what I can offer you, and you're gonna want it forever. Just like everyone else here.”

“You're a- fuuuuuucckk!” I moaned, the cock inside of me hitting my spot deeper. I caught my breath, glaring at him. “Y-You're a freak.”

“Says the girl almost coming to my invisible dick.” He spat, clenching his jaw.

I bit my lip, annoyed at how right he was. The hands exploring my body gripped my ass, slapping it lustfully.

“Okay, okay. I'll agree with you. I am a bit of a freak of nature. But let's not act like I'm some monster. I let people leave. But they always come back because they choose to. I can't force people that far. Pinky promise,” He stuck his pinky out, and I rolled my eyes defiantly. He huffed, “It's not like this place is Scientology, for Christ's sake. We are love. I am love.”

“You are the most tainted form of love that I've ever met.” I retorted, gripping the rug to hide my building arousal.

He deadpanned, “Ow. That hurt.”

Colby strutted over to me, laying down right beside me. The pleasure grew more intense, my hips bucking desperately. His one hand hovered over me, never touching me. It didn't matter, because having him this close felt like his whole body was on top of mine, fucking me hastily.

“If you allow yourself to enjoy this feeling, you might actually come. Because I won't force you to. I'll just keep you here, for hours, riving in pleasure until your brain melts into goo.” He smirked, “How's that sound?”

"I-I hate you." I gritted my teeth. Why did I feel like I was lying?

"No you don't. But soon you'll be able to admit the truth." He leaned his mouth in close, his voice low and sincere, "I know that this place might not be what you imagined your home to be like, but it is. You will always have a place here. You will always be loved here. And I know that's what you want deep down. To be loved unconditionally. To have every fiber of your being satisfied. And if you let me, I will do that. I will please you every night, however you want me to. But for me to do that, you have to let me in. You have to let love in."

The cock inside of me pounded faster and faster. I could barely think anymore. The only thing on my mind... was him. The lives we had together, the life we could be having. I knew I shouldn't want it, but I did. I wanted him in my life, forever. He was what was missing, and I couldn't live one more day without him.

I mewled loudly, my hips thrusting up erotically. Colby's hand cupped my face gently, turning my head to look him in the eyes.

His alluring eyes stared deep into mine, his jaw clenched. "You will always be mine. I am love, and that is all you could ask for."

"You are love, and that's all I could ask for." I repeated mindlessly, grabbing onto his arm desperately.

His face softened, “That's right baby. You're such a good girl for me. My good girl, forever. You want that, don't you?”

“Yessss, please Colby. I want to be yours forever.” I keened.

"You will be. I promise, you will always be mine." His eyes darkened, the pupils almost completely blown out. "You will never leave."

"I won't!" I trembled, my orgasm building closer and closer to the edge.

“You wanna come, Y/N? Get close for me. Don't I feel so good inside of you? You like when I do this?” Colby's hand snaked down my body, rubbing my clit sensually.

I begged wantonly, dying to come. "Pleaseeeeee! Please let me come! I need it! I need you."

"Of course you do, baby. You and I need each other. Our connection is unlike anyone else's. Tell me the truth and I'll let you come." He leaned in close, his lips brushing against my ear, "Tell me, baby. Say it..."

"I love you," I cried out, right on the edge. I direly wanted him to say it back, knowing it was already the truth.

“I love you too, baby,” he smiled sweetly, kissing my cheek. “Now, come for me.”

Hot, white pleasure shot through my body. I had the strongest orgasm of my life, my mind shattering as I rode every wave of pleasure that went through me. Colby stayed by my side, shushing me as my high lowered down more and more. He kept whispering 'I love you' repeatedly, my mind unable to hear or think anything else after a while.

I blacked out at some point but awoke when my body was lifted off the floor and placed softly into a bed. “Wha... happenin?” I slurred.

“Relax, darling. I just brought you to my bed. Well, our bed now,” he chuckled. “I want you to get your rest because tomorrow is a big day for you.”

“What's tomorrow?” I murmured.

“Your introduction to everyone as my soulmate.” Colby informed happily, tucking me in. “Everyone will be so pleased that you changed your mind about joining us.”

I nodded my head, snuggling deep into his bed. He dimmed the lights, whispering softly, "Welcome home, Y/N."

#colby brock #colby brock fanfic #colby brock fic #colby brock fanfiction #colby brock x reader #colby brock smut #colby brock one shot #colby brock oneshot #golbrocklovely's 13 nights of halloween

[lynaferns]

The Forest On The Other Side

Chapter 1: I want to go home.

Ver. [ENGLISH / SPANISH]

A girl gets lost in the forest and finds a misterious gate in the middle of nowhere. At the other side she meets a... very peculiar individual who seems to only want to befriend her and play. Everything seems fine. Until night falls and someone else joins to play...

Again, I appreciate feedback about the english adaptation. English is not my first lenguage and I still mess up sometimes.

This is in some way a more "joyful" story than BIOMáquina, still with its dark themes. I wrote this a year ago. By this I mean I forced myself to get it written down and ended up hating it and burning myself out. A couple of weeks ago I decided to reread it and I though it was pretty ok actually, so I edited it a bit to make it flow better. It used to be written more as a script for the comic I wanted to draw buuuut that didn't happen (cough stressed myself out cough forced myself cough don't force yourself to make content out of a hobby, a hobby is supposed to be for your own fun). I'm not completely satisfied with the final draft but I think is good enough for my first ever fic written.

I originally planned to make it a Y/N thing but that didn't last long. But I keeped the original idea of the first person POV. The Y/N stories I've read has always some narrator telling you what you do insert you in the story. I thought of making the MC the narrator, this way the reader can insert themselves like it's their story or they can read it as if someone else is telling them a story. This is also a bit limiting, since the narration is also the MCs thought process and sometimes I may skip details MC couldn't have seen.

AU, Magical forest, DCA centered, Sun fnaf, Moon fnaf, Elves Sun & Moon, OC, Selfinsert, Character & OC, platonic, friendship, slowburn (kind of), Moon is agresive at first, Moon is also a bit of a gremlin, Protective Sun (I think), OC is a potty mouth, Female Main Character, First person, Angst.

The first post where I showed this AU and my first sketches ideas.

Tumblr archive with all of the art, ideas and anwsered asks.

Youtube Playlist which I'm pretty proud of how it turned out :] It's in a specific order but you can put it on mix.

Note: even though I try to keep things light some things may be triggering for some readers.

CW: Anxiety, Suicide ideation, Implied death, Choking, Non sexual abuse.

Wordcount: 9,700 (It's not rounded, that's literally the number Word tells me it's at lol)

Welp.

Here we are again, in the old village house (yey...). Well, 'I am', my family won't arrive to settle in for another week. They brought me here beforehand a few days ago for organizational reasons. They took a quick look inside before they left to see the state of the house, if it needed any repairs and such, and they headed back to the city. While they finish preparing everything, I take care of the house and text them messages about anything that may be needed for when they return.

We haven't been here in years, the house needs some repairs, and I'm sorry for the spiders, but it could use a deep cleaning. We can't do a deep cleaning but I have been cleaning what I can these last few days, at least so that it looks decent... at first glance.

Well, it's not like anyone is coming to visit.

It's a quiet town, until the kids from the town next door come to make a racket with their bikes. They play in our field, scare away the cats and throw cans around. They are assholes.

Anyways, the people in the village are nice. The adults I mean, the kids I used to play with, I don't get along with them anymore. Some of them aren't kids anymore, we have grown up and are going down different paths. But those who are still kids... they're still interested in the only older kid in the town who listened to them and let them do whatever they wanted, to a certain extent.

I don't want them to come looking for me to go out and play. I've been avoiding them by saying that I'm busy cleaning the house and getting it ready for when my family arrives, but I feel like interacting with them less and less. That's why I'm going out to the woods behind the house to get lost for a while, as always. The kids don't go near the forest so they won't bother me there.

There is an area for tourism and hiking but not many people come, some police cars border the forest from time to time but they never go inside. The reports of missing people in this forest have been coming in for decades, only some lost children have returned but there is no trace of any of the adults who disappeared along with the rest of the children. The areas marked with signs are safe but you can't go out of bounds unless you want to disappear with those people.

And I, who right now am alone and with no one to notice my absence if I go missing, am going to head straight to the forest. Don't you think, I don't want to disappear, I just don't like people and I usually go into the forest but I don't go too far away. As long as I see my house in the distance, I know how to return.

I grab my bag with my sketchbook and pencil case, in case I feel like drawing (probably won't) and step out to the back porch. The outer sliding metal door that protects the inner one is rusty and difficult to open. It would be better to oil it but I don't know when it will be done, considering that the broken railing has had a wooden board tied to it for years. I already sent my mother a message talking about it.

I enter the forest and start walking around. It's hot, of course, it's early summer, but it's quite noticeable after being in the cool inside the brick and stone house. That's the good thing about coming here in summer, the houses are made to stay cold inside and it's great, sometimes I even need to wear a jacket. But outside I'm dying, the trees don't provide enough shade. In fact, some trees are missing. I used to have my routes memorized but time has passed and some paths have changed, some have disappeared and others have formed. I admit that it makes me a little sad... I began to walk absorbed in my thoughts not paying attention to where I was going.

I'm walking away, I should go back. I'm not going to draw anything here anyway, and it's hotter outside than inside so I'm gonna to turn around-

I hear screams and laughter in the distance, the sound of the voices produces me an immediate disgust. It's those kids from the next door village. They must have come to 'investigate' about the disappearances or maybe they don't care and they just came to be idiots-

They're getting closer.

I don't want them to see me. God. Don't let them see me. Anyone but them. They're getting closser. Don't let them see me. I can't go back home now. They're cutting me off. Of all the people who could have found me. It had to be them. No, please. Don't let them see me. I have to go further into the forest, I can't let them see me. They're getting closer. Don't let them see me. I want to leave. I want to leave. I'm getting too far. I want to leave. I don't see my house. I want to leave. I don't see the village. I want to leave. I don't see the kids.

...

...

...

Where am I?

Fuck.

Where am I?

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

…

—

Now I'm wandering through the forest. I don't want to go back. I want to get out of here. Even though I'm walking in a straight line I feel like I'm going around in circles, and I'm not going to get out of here now. Great. I'm lost. Now what? People who get lost in this forest don't return, no one has returned except for some children.

...

I'm going to disappear.

...

For now I keep walking until something happens. Maybe there's an animal that kills people who get lost, or maybe it's a group of kidnappers, or maybe I should stop giving myself anxiety and focus on getting out of here. Maybe if I find a field or road, or even the tourist area, I'll be able to get out of here and return bordering the fores-

...

There is... colorful graffitis on the trees. Someone has painted eyes, hands, stars and more on the bark of the trees...

What's this?

I don't know where I've come to, I didn't know this was here, in the middle of nowhere in the forest. The trees have red leaves like in autumn even though summer has just started... The first thing I thought was 'climate change's fault' but there is something that stands out in the middle of this entire flat area and it is disturbing me.

In the center there is a kind of circular gate made of stones supported by roots.

Okay, maybe it doesn't sound aaaaas disturbing as, I don't know, a totem with a human figure being impaled or something, but it's giving me a bad vibe. What is this place? Who built a stone arch in the middle of everything and why?

A bird appears flying from behind me and goes through the gate, but nothing comes out on the other side... wait what? how? The bird has crossed the gate, and disappeared behind the stone arch? ...I had to imagine it, it's not possible that that happened. I approach the arch but not before picking up a rock from the ground and throwing it to the other side of the gate.

It's still there.

…

For some reason the thought of going through the gate makes me uncomfortable, so I go around it.

...

...And the rock? It's not there.

I go back and look from inside the portal.

The rock is there.

...

I look from outside. The rock is not there. I repeat this multiple times. Rock. No rock. Rock. No rock. Rock. No rock... What?

Alright, this is weird, this is VERY weird.

Even though it is clear that this isn't normal, I have to go back, pick up a fallen branch from the ground and pass it through the portal. This time I don't throw it, I've grabbed a branch long enough to see it peek out from the other side of the arch.

...

Welp.

I should be seeing not only the branch, but also my hand sticking out of the side, but I'M NOT SEEING IT. OKAY. OK. ALRIGHT. IT'S CONFIRMED. THIS IS WEIRD.

I'm asleep, right? Or unconscious. I must have passed out from exhaustion from endlessly wandering through the woods and I'm delirious or something. No, wait, it can't be, in my dreams I'm not this aware of what's around me. Where am I?

A breeze begins to pass through the gate. It's getting stronger but not enough to push me. The leaves rise from the ground and float towards the portal, none slipping outside, all entering through the stone arch. Suddenly the breeze that had become wind stops. The leaves fall to the ground.

...

I look back for a moment, as if there was something behind me that could help me make a decision. Grabbing with both hands my bag strap I look back at the portal again. Okay. Alright. This is possibly the death of me. I'm going to cross. I'm going to go to the other side. I'm just one step away from crossing. I wrinkle my face and narrow my eyes before taking the last step.

...

Nothing has happened. Everything seems the same. However, I know it's not the same... Or at least it doesn't feel the same!

Well, I've already crossed. I'm gonna... keep walking, I guess, even though this is scaring me and I don't know if I'll know how to go back. For now I'm moving forward. The red leaves have disappeared several meters ago. It's starting to look like a normal forest, except for the multicolored drawings and handprints that I keep seeing on the trees. In fact, it seems like the trees are taller with every step I take. So high that I can barely see the top. I almost tripped while looking up. Whether this is the same forest I come from, I no longer know.

This was a bad idea. I just hope to find something that'll help me know where I am, a sign or the road if possible.

*cling*

...?

I hit something with my foot. There is a ball attached to a small chain on the ground. Oh, no, wait. *cling diring ding* It's a rusty bell, I think. It doesn't have the typical cross-shaped hole or slot, rather it has several holes in a pattern. It looks like it can be opened.

There's nothing inside.

?

There's nothing? But I could have sworn it had rang. I close it again and shake it.

*...*

Nothing.

I'm going to put it in the bag, it's totally a good idea. I'll think about it later, for now I'm moving on.

—

I've been walking for a while now and throughout this time I had a constant chill on the back of my neck, as if someone had their eyes on me.

*din dirring* I hear a soft tinkling in the distance.

Okay, I'm not alone, awesome, what do I do now? Do I say hi and risk the potential danger finding me? Do I ignore the sound of bells and keep moving? It's very possible that whatever made that sound is watching me right now...

“Hello?” Still nervous, I try to say hello looking around “...” “Is someone there? H-hello?”

“-HEEEEELLO!”

“AAAAAH-!” I cover my mouth with my hands as I turn to look at what the hell has greeted me back. I take a few steps back while I look at the figure of earthy and sunny tones who responded, he seems as surprised as I am, I think (with the scream I made, normal), at least it looks like he's surprised. He wears a two toned wooden mask... it looks like a sun, with a crescent moon on its right... It gives the impression of two faces merged into one... Damn, he is tall, he's almost doubles my size. He appears to have two skin tones dividing him in half, his right side being the lighter and the left darker, especially the arm, which also has a light-colored tattoo of lines representing a sun symbol that covers from the shoulder to the pectoral and to the middle of the bicep. The right arm is covered by a long fingerless glove that reaches to the shoulder and is tied around the chest. He's wearing baggy pants with leaves coming out of the waist and legs, some... cloth boots? with a long toe bending sharply and curving in a geometric swirl with a bell at the tips, a bag hangs from the waistband of his pants and falls below his hips. His chest and neck are tied by ropes decorated with hanging stones, metals and crystals, he wears a pendant that ends in a carved symbol of a crescent moon with rays. Some of the 'sunrays' on his mask have ropes tied between them holding them in place and some metal dangling. Some red ribbons along with bells hang from his wrists.

“um... Helloooooo.” He greets again, this time he lowers his tone of voice. I manage to react, I turn around and walk away. “¡ah- eh- Wait!” Nope, I'm not going to wait and see what he does with me, I'm leaving. “He-! Hey!” Nope. I quicken my pace and try to get lost among the trees, changing direction every time he appears in my vision angle. “Human? Human-! FRIEND. Can I call you friend?!” Nope, nope, nopnop, nop, nop, nope. “Friend! Hey!” God, no, god, god, no, why are you following me? “Look, I know what you're trying to look for...! And believe me, you're not going to find it~!” How are you still following me? Where do you come from? “Hey! Listen! Why don't we do something else besides running in circles!?” Noooooooooo... “There are TONS of other activities we could do! Like... HOLY MOLY, look at this stick! Do you like sticks!?” Leave me aloneee... “You aren't looking at it! Okay, alright, you don't like sticks, erm... what might be of interest to you...” If I don't look at it it doesn't exist. “Could you help me a little here?” I want to leave... “Look, no matter how much you wander around, you won't find the portal-!”

“STOP—! STOP FOLLOWING ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!” The sudden scream startles him again, making him jump in place. He stands completely still looking at me. I'm leaving before he gets angry.

“B-but I- ...okay.” I thought I heard him say before I left him behind.

It seems that this time he's not following me, finally... Although I'm not calm, he could still be following me and simply not be in sight. Anyway, I think I'm coming back? I hope I am. I want to find that portal as soon as possible and go back to the house- what the fu-? “WHY?”

He's there. Right where I left him. Sitting on a rock. Waiting. “...! I haven't moved from the spot!”

“Yeah- but- WHY?”

“Because I knew you were going to come back here!”

“...What?”

“Is what I was trying to tell you! You can't leave! No matter how hard you try to find the portal, it won't appear before you!” The Sunman exclaimed.

“…” I'm just about to turn around. In fact, I'm already turning around.

“N-No, wait! Please don't go!” I stop in my track and look back at him. He gets off the rock he was sitting on but remains squatting, almost at my height, a little below. I move back, keeping my distance. He puts his hands up. “Look, I'm not doing anything! I won't chase you! Just- ...don't go.”

“…”

“L-look, listen, there's no way it's going to show up! Well, not to you at least. But even if you find it back, it won't work! It only works when it wants to work.”

“...” Let's imagine that I trust what he says “Ok... and when does it want to be working?”

“...” “No idea!”

“...”

“...”

I'm about to collapse on the spot. At least he doesn't seem hostile, for now. “...” “Okay... Good... Great...” “...” “FanTAS-tic.”

“...” “You don't seem like it.”

*ಠ_ಠ* I could only look to the side in frustration in response to that. I looked back at him with concern showing on my face and grabbing the strap of my bag with both hands. “And... what... do you plan to do with me?”

He took his hand to the chin of his mask and with the other he held his elbow in a comical thoughtful pose. “MmmmnnDUN know! What do you plan to do?” He asked so nonchalantly. He ended up sitting on the ground crossing his legs. “You have a good while until the portal opens again...!”

“...”

“...”

“...”

He started swaying. The silence has become uncomfortable for a while now, but I can't organize myself on what to say, and I don't know if I trust him. I don't even know if he's human, although something tells me he's not.

“You could wait here.” He suggested, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Or anywhere else, if you want. I would recommend somewhere high like the treetops (for no particular reason)! If you're going to wait... But wouldn't that be really boring?” There was something in his tone of voice... “Being there... at the top of a tree... waiting... alone... with no friends to hang out with (can I call you a friend?). Aaall on your own until the portal opens again.” He looks aside for a moment “...” And back at me again. “With no one to be with you.” He repeats the head motion “...” “alone...” Wow... I wonder what he's implying, ahem. “Wouldn't you want to have someone...? ...Someone...keeping you company?” Yeah, yeah...

“...” I guess... “I-I guess I wouldn't want to be alon-?”

He rises to his knees. “That's what I thought! Do you want me to accompany you? Only if you want! But can I?” He clasped his hands together as if asking a favor.

“um...”

“Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?” He approaches, dragging his knees on the ground.

I'm starting to miss personal space. “Okay! Okay, alright...”

“REALLY?” He started hopping and jumping around me. “OH, ohoho hO! Great! Oh, there are TONS of things we could do! Like... Like...!” He moves faster, doing bigger and bigger flips and jumps, it almost seems that he is very light, as if the breeze of air lifted him. “We could paint and decorate trees! Or we can also paint on rocks! Or paint leaves! Or paint us! Oh! We can tell stories! I'm very good at making shadows and puppets.” He moves from place to place with each sentence he says. “We can also play something!” It's moving so fast all I can see is the wind and the leaves it stirs up as it moves. “Anything! Whatever you want!” Finally he stopped in front of me half crouched. “What do ya say?! Hmm! Friend!?”

“Don't... call me like that.” Makes me feel awkward.

“Oh...why not-? Oh true, true! How silly, I don't know your name! What do you call yourself, potential friend?”

“...”

“...” “Aren't... you gonna tell me your name?”

I twist the bag strap “Depends...” I must say I'm a little skeptical about this. “Are there any consequences for telling you my name?”

“...Consequences...?”

“Like... I don't know... Mmm-by telling you my name I become your possession and cannot regain my freedom until... certain conditions are met...”

“...”

“...”

“Why- how-? Where did you get that from!?” It did sound a bit stupid when I said it out loud.

“I dunno- that's what they say in old children's stories about elves and fairies!” I just hope the embarrassment isn't showing on my face.

“Really?” I could feel his deadpan expression behind the mask.

I shrugged.

“...” “Okay... Oh, what if I tell you my name first? Will you tell me yours? It's only fair, I'm Sun!”

“...”

“Can I know your name now?” He asked expectantly.

“...How do I know you're not trying to trick me?”

“...” I must be driving him crazy with this “The only thing I can do with your name is treasure it in my memory.” He put his hands together as if he was carefully holding something and brought them to the forehead of the mask. I gave him a distrustful look. It doesn't seem like it made him desist “Please?”

I grip at my worn out bag strap “...” “ Fern...” I ended up murmuring.

“Hmm? Fern? OH, I like it!” “Sounds like FRIEND.” He emphasized the last word by making a gesture like jazz hands, leaning to the side and moving his head closer to me.

“Yeah... I think you are missing a couple of letters.”

He straightened his posture again. “Nope, I don't think so!”

“You're still not my friend.”

“Oooowwwwwnnnnnggghhh” He lowers his head dramatically until it practically touches the ground “nnnnnnngggghh, alright!” And cartwheels to stand up again “So... what will it be?”

“Hm?”

He straightened his posture and puts his arms on his hips “We have plenty of time, ya? What do you wanna to do?”

“I don't know, what do you want to do-?” Bad mistake.

“Come with me!”

“aaAAAAA-!” Before I knew it, he had grabbed my arm and I was being dragged through the woods. We visited several places and he offered me an activity to do in each of them.

—

Sun took me to a place where the trees were full of colorful paint “We practice painting on the trees here!” He said.

“Ah.” That explains the crossed out lines and the repeated imperfect shapes. By the look of it is also where he tests the quality of the paint.

“Do you want us to paint something!?”

“Not really...”

“Oh, would you prefer it to be on a rock?”

“Nah.”

“...And in star leaves-?”

“I don't want to paint, Sun.”

“Oh... Well, I can show you more places!”

“OkayyEEEEEE-” And I'm being dragged away again.

—

He brought me to another area of the forest, the ground here seemed more leveled. Not a single tree was straight, all of them were twisted and even seemed to be hollow. “How about playing something!? Like hide and seek-! No, wait, I can’t let you out of my sight.” He mumbled at the end “And chase?! We can climb a tree and see who reaches the top first! We have a place full of vines and it's perfect for swinging- and jumping from one tree to another-!”

“I don't... really want to move a lot…” With the way he runs without getting tired and me, who doesn't exercise... he would let me dead.

“Oh... well, theeen-”

—

We arrived at a place full of vegetation and humidity. Sun seemed quite excited... “This place is full of insects! We can look for cool bugs!”

“Mmmmmnoooo... I don't want to.” I had to tell him, trying to show as little disinterest as I could.

“You don't like them?” He sounded a little disappointed hearing my reaction.

“No, I do like them, some of them, but I don't like to touch them.” And I'm terrified of them flying into my face.

“Oh, well, it's okay!” He said brushing it off and we moved on to the next stop.

—

“I know that bird!” He stopped us on the way to point at a robin high up on a branch.

“ah.” I said as I removed leaves from my hair and clothes, and checked that I still had my glasses.

“He's a little rascal!”

“...” I think the bird is making us the equivalent of 'mooning'.

—

“Look fish-! Oh, they're gone…” The noise must have scared them away “We can go find more places to look at them if you want!”

“...” “...no, pass...”

“…”

—

“Look at this stick!” Sun had suddenly sprinted past me, picked up something from the ground, and came back just as fast, showing me the stick as if it were a sword.

“oh.” It's a cool stick, must admit it.

“Do you want to look for more sticks!?”

“No...”

“oh...” He looked at the ground in disappointment.

“Why would we go looking for sticks? There are all over the ground.” Specifically, in this area the ground was all sticks. We are literally just stepping on sticks right now. I don't see the ground.

“Variety!” Sun said pointing at the ground with both hands. A branch is heard falling in the distance.

—

“That's a deer!” He pointed at the deer passing nearby. The deer stopped to look at us.

“Yeah, I see.”

“We call 'em Adoquín!”

“...Why is it called Adoquí-?”

*THUMP!*

“…”

The deer smacked itself against a tree when trying to run away. It stands still for a minute, processing the hit, looks at a side and then the other, then runs off again but this time avoiding the tree.

Another *thump!* is heard in the distance.

“...” Alright.

—

“Do you wannaaaa look for pine cones? There will be some fallen around here. Oh! We can also look for mushrooms!”

I keep saying no to everything he suggests and it doesn't look like he's going to run out of ideas to pass the time. In fact, he's very insistent that we do something. I guess at some point I'll have to say yes to something. “...” “...okay...”

“Hmm?! Okay? Okay to what?” His exaggerated surprise offends me but I don't blame him.

“To... I don't know, pine cones?”

“...You don't look very convinced.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“OKAY! On the hunt for pine cones then!” I startle a little at the sudden shout. He makes a pose pointing in a direction, as if he were leading an expedition.

He takes me through the forest looking for pine cones. We aren't finding many, especially me who's not paying any interest. He tries encouraging me to put more effort into it but I keep looking at my boots.

We passed near a shingle river. I find a pebble at my feet and bend down to pick it up and take a better look. It's like a bluish gray, it has some reddish lines in the shape of waves, it feels good to the touch.

I hear the soft tinkling of a bell and feel a shadow fall beside me. “You like pebbles?” Sun is crouched next to me with his arms full of pine cones.

“…” I nod.

We go down to the river and spend some time collecting pebbles with curious shapes or small details of colors, lines, spots, etc. He comes over to show me one every time he finds weird shapes.

“…”

*rin* This time he's hunched over resting his hands on his knees. “You look… a little down.”

“…”

“Hey... we can do something else if you're tired of the pebbles.”

“...” I drop the pebbles I was looking at on the ground.

“...” He turns his gaze from me to the sky. It hasn't gotten late enough to be getting dark, but it's been a while between the walks we've taken (dragging me from here to there), looking for pine cones and then pebbles in the river. He looks back at me. “Oh, I know! Can I take you to one last place? A better place than the ones I've shown you!”

“…” I got up from the ground and waited for him to start leading to follow him.

We enter the increasingly thick forest. The trees are taller and bigger, in fact, I start to see platforms and bridges lying between the trees, I even see small shanties in them.

“Wait here!” He takes a run and jumps onto one of the trees with bridges. He takes three steps running up the tree, with a jump he pushes himself off and climbs with agility until he reaches the platform and climbs on it. “Just a moment!” It can't be seen from here but I can faintly hear some squeaks. I have no idea of what he's doin-

*rush*

“........eh?”

A rope.

A rope has fallen. At the level of my head.

“.......”

What?

…

He said he knew a better place.

No. It can't be this.

“Is it at a good height?! Can you reach it?!” He says...

It can't be.

A better place.

He can't be referring to this.

A better place.

A better place. A better place. A better place. A better place.

“Can you put your foot in?!”

“..........” For some reason what he said throws me off. “WAT-?”

“Can you put your foot in the loop and hold on to the rope so I can pull you up!?”

“..............”

“You can't climb trees, can you?! ...or you can?"

… “...” Oh “....It's...It's too high!”

“Okay!” Squeaks are heard and the rope descends to the ground.

I put my foot into the rope as he told me and hold on to it. “O-okay...!”

“Are you ready!?”

“Yes!”

“Okay!”

He begins to pull up the rope (which doesn't tighten around my foot as it supports my weight) and helps me up to the platform. (That's what it was for, obviously, what else would he want? I'm such an...) “Come on!” He says cheerfully, as always, and takes me over the bridges. “You seem tense... Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!”

“S-something like that... it's nothing.” He tilts his head at that but he says nothing. I have an unpleasant sensation in my throat.

We arrived at a high place with a view of waterfalls, I can't see above the trees. We sat on one of the bridges, resting our arms on the rope that serves as a railing and letting our legs hang off the bridge. I've thought about taking out the sketchbook to draw... but I don't really feel like it right now, so I just quietly observe the landscape. It is a better place, yeah.

…

I feel watched. I turn to look at him ...Of course he was looking at me. I don't even know whether to say something or keep quiet. ...I decide... not to say anything and look to the front.

“You... aren't very talkative, huh.”

“…”

“Not that it's a bad thing! Many people who have come here weren't very talkative at first either.” More people...

“...” “I have… nothing to talk about.” I don't want to talk.

“...” “Well, I do.”

“…”

“If it's okay with you, of course.” He laughed. Although something tells me that he is going to talk anyway.

“…”

“...” “What brings you to the forest?”

“...” Really? “I got lost.”

“Yeah, I already know!” He says between laughs “But what made you get lost?”

“...” “There was a group of kids I didn't want to get close to and I decided to go into the woods to lose them.” He makes a 'hum' sound and looks at me expectantly waiting for me to continue “And... I ended up getting myself lost...”

“...” “Only that?”

“...” “Well, yeah.” What do you mean 'oNlY tHaT'?

“...Mmm...” He places his hand on the chin of the mask.

“...” “What?”

“Nothing!” “...” “You know? You're the first human to visit the forest in a loooong time. For several cycles now…”

“Cycles?”

“Mhm” He nods.

“...What are cycles?”

Sun points to the sky “The turns that the Moon makes in the sky!” He emphasizes by rotating his arm in the air. It's pointing right at the Moon that's visible in the sky.

“Oh...” He uses the lunar cycles to know what day he's in, makes sense. “...” “So no one has been here in a while.”

“That's what I said! Well no, but yes!”

“A-and so the humans who came are still here? Have they been here all this time?”

“Yeah...! Well, no!” He paused. “They're gone!”

“What do you mean they're-?” He didn't let me finish the question.

“They are gone! They 'left'!” It sounded like he had given this answer many times already.

“What do you mean they left-?”

“They 'left'!”

“...” “...You mean...they disappear-?”

“Nope!” “...” “Something like that!” “…” “Mmmore or less…” He hesitated between one answer and another.

It seemed worthless to ask about the missing people. “...okay.” “Can I ask you-?”

“You can ask me anything!” A hint of nervousness escaped his tone.

“...okay. What is this forest?”

“My home! And the home of many other animals.”

“...” “Alright, and... how many are you...? How many of you live here? I mean. You have taken me everywhere and we haven't seen anyone of your…” I make a pointing gesture, spinning my hand around in the air. He can't be human, it doesn't look like he is. “...” “Honestly, I don't know what you are.”

“...” “There's only me... And someone else!” He looks away, as if trying to hide something.

“Oh... and who's that someone?”

“Oh! N-no, don't worry! He’s… just a friend… But it’s not important that you meet him or anything!” He brushes it off making a gesture with his hand. “Uh-um- How about we talk about you!? huh? What things do you like? Earlier, since you said no to everything, I thought you didn't like ANYTHING!” He continued talking without letting me respond. “I didn't know what to do if I ran out of ideas. I started to worry! But at least you're not one of those who spend all day shouting and threatening with a weapon in hand, ahaha...” He let out a nervous laugh.

“Um-”

“Well, you ran away screaming, yes.” He began to gesticulate widely as he complained “Like everyone-! No, not like everyone, some don't run, but those who, apart from running and screaming, attack you...! I mean...!” Something tells me he wasn't going to shut up and I was already half listening. “First they throw rocks at my head, then they insult me and run away. And I have to run after them because I can't just leave a human running around alone! No! I can't! Not in this forest! Anything could happen to them! But they never let me warn them!” He sounded tired. “And when I get them to stop running away from me, they throw things at me again and yell before demanding me to tell them where are they and how to get out of here, and when I explain it, they yell at me even more and accuse me of lying!” He turns to look at me with his hands pointing to his chest. “What reason would I have to lie?!” I don't know if he hasn't noticed or if he's ignoring the deapan I responded with. “UGH! I don't know what to do with those! But anyhow... I'm so glad we found something to do in the end!

“eh?” I snap out of my thoughts. It seems that now he is directing the conversation to me.

“The pebbles!” He sits turning his body towards me, leaving one single leg hanging from the bridge and the other resting on it. He takes out of his pocket some of the pebbles that he had been collecting with me. “I don't know why I assumed you wouldn't want to look for rocks. Maybe because you didn't want to paint them before... You left them back in the river in the end tho, I thought you would keep some.”

“Ah... I don't know. I didn't think I could take them with me.”

“You can keep some of mine!”

“No, it's okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“You suuuuure??” He insist.

“Yeees.”

He puts a pebble very close to my face “Suuuuuuuure?” Each 'u' sounding higher than the last.

“...” I push the pebble away from my face “Yeeeees.”

“mmmh... Okay! But I hope you don't regret it later when you don't have a cool rock like these and think 'Oh man, I could have a cool rock right now!'.” After a bad impression of me, he keeps the rocks in his pants. “So... Besides pebbles, what else do you like? Mm? I haven't been able to deduce much from today.”

“Don't know.”

“What do you mean you don't know!? Oh! Is it a secret?” He approaches and starts to whisper, putting his hands to the mask's mouth “I won't tell anyone, promise.”

“No. I don't know.” I looked to the side. “I can't think of anything... so suddenly.”

“ooow...” He slumps a little over the railing, looking sad.

“…” I hesitate whether to say something or not “...Drawing...”

“Mmm?!” He no longer seems sad.

“And listening to music, I guess.” “It's... all I do... most of the time.”

“Really!? Oh! I also like drawing! And music! But is that really all you do all day? Don't you do other kinds of things? Like reading! Or writting. Don't you go out for a walk or play with your friends?” I wrinkle my face at that last bit and he tilts his head in confusion.

“I don't go out.” “I have comics, but I rarely read.”

“Comics?”

“Um... They are stories but instead of narrating what happens there are drawings and only what the characters say is written.”

“...It's a book with drawings?”

“Yeah, but with a lot of drawings on each page, from start to finish.”

“WOAH.” He sounded perplexed. “That's drawing A LOT.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Ahh, I'd love to see what they look like.” He rested his arm on the railing to hold his head in his hand “Too bad I can't…”

“I didn't bring them anyway.”

“Do you normally carry them around?”

“No, it's just that I didn't bring them to the village with me, I left them at home.”

“...” “Oh!” It seems that something has clicked on him. “You are not from the village.”

“No, I'm from a more urban area. My family used to come to the village every year in the summer, but we stopped coming. Now it seems that we are trying to get back into the habit.” I sighed.

“Why did you stop coming?”

“...That's personal.”

“Oh... okay.” He let a minute of awkward silence pass. “Hey, I can bring some books that I have at home! I think you might be interes-!” He looks away from me to the sunset behind us, the sun is almost gone. “-ted...” I look at the sunset too and then at him with confusion. “...” “...oh...oh-OH, Oh-no!” He stands up abruptly causing the bridge to shake slightly. What could have he seen? “We have to move!” He extends a hand to help me up. “We have to start moving!”

I get up in a hurry on my own, ignoring his hand. “O-okay, to where?”

“Come, run!” Once again he grabs me by the arm and leads me over the bridges between the trees until we reach a tree hut. It's small and dark, it looks like a small shelter. He opens the door and enters “You'll spend the night here, stay inside, do not go out, try to hide well and don't open the windows or doors, okay? Here, there are some blankets. I'll come back later.”

“Wait wait wait! What? What do you mean you'll come back later? What's happening? Why do I have to hide-!?”

“Sssh-ssh-sh” He grabs me and covers my hand with his, his left hand resting on the back of my right hand. He begins to speak in a calmer tone, with a voice that I had not heard him use until now. “It's okay, nothing happens. I have to go, I'll come back, but I can't stay now. You hide, try to rest, I'll be back, I promise.”

“...” I take my hand away from his. “Okay.” “I'll stay, but don't take too long.” Please, I don't want to be here alone.

“Yes. I'll be back.” He affirmed one last time. I watch him run away and disappear among the trees and undergrowth. I enter the small shelter to inspect it.

*TAP TAP TAP* *PLOK* *TAP TAP FOOSSSH! *

…? A noise comes from behind me. I turn around and there's a pebble on the floor.

…

Okay.

I take out my phones flashlight to see better inside the house. There are what appear to be some trunks, small cabinets, and a trapdoor in the floor, It seems that there are corners and blind spots for the windows where the little moonlight that enters through the cracks cannot reach. It's freezing cold and I haven't brought my jacket. I leave the bag on the floor against the wall, I cover myself with the blanket and curl up in a ball in the most hidden corner I can find. I'm tired, I want to sleep, but I can't close my eyes.

…

—

It's been a few hours now.

…

I can't sleep, I simply can't.

…

It doesn't look like he's coming back.

*creek*

…?

*rin*

*tap tap, creek*

Sun?

“S-...” I pause before saying a word, I have the feeling I shouldn't speak. I remain silent and wait.

*tap, tap, tap, creeeeeek, tap*

*rin dirrin*

If it were Sun he would have already let me know it is him. That or he's playing a prank on me which isn't funny, but I'd better stay silent. From the shadow I look at the windows. I notice movement through the cracks, something has just passed through the wall next to me.

*dirriring dirring*

I cover myself more with the blanket, back against the wall, I stay as still as I can, I leave a gap between the blankets and the floor to see. A red glow sneaks through the cracks in the window and scans the room.

…

The glow is gone.

*tap, tap, rin, tap, dirring, tap, tap*

It's on the roof.

…

*tap, tap, tap...*

It moves again.

*rin *

…

It sounded on the other side of the wall.

…

…

“nghehe...”

It laughed. Why did it laugh? Whatever is on the other side of the wall just let out a laugh that made the hairs on the back of my neck and all over my back rise.

…

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no no no.

I have to move. I have to get out of here. I can't stay here.

*creeek*

It came from the door. It's trying to get in.

*rin*

The trapdoor.

*rin dirring*

Where was the trapdoor?

*creek creeeek*

I crawl across the floor making the minimum noise, carefully feeling the floor, looking for the edge of the door.

*tap tap ring dirring*

…!

I found it. I open it carefully. It's too high. I'm at a very high altitude, I don't know if I'll be able to go down.

*rin, creeek...*

…

Fuck it. I slip through the gap quietly, closing it slowly, but that doesn't stop the door from creaking. I cling to the bark of the tree-

…

I left my bag. If it comes in and see it it'll know for sure that I have been there-

…

It doesn't matter now. I have to focus on getting down from the tree without killing myself. My fingers hurt and I can't put my foot down properly because of the soles of my boots. I feel like I'm going to slip at any moment. Somehow I make it to the ground. Still attached to the tree, I look up at the house. I don't see it-

…

A shadow appears from behind the tree. I press myself against the tree and hold my breath. It's looking for something. When he doesn't seem to look I move to a nearby tree, he moves to another tree, I move to the next, and the next, and the next. We continue like this until I start to get further and further away from him. When I think I've lost him I start running. I hide behind a tree to catch my breath.

…

I slowly peek out from behind the tree.

*rin*

…

It sounded above me.

…

I don't look up, I run.

“nnghehee...” He laughs.

He gives me a few seconds advantage before coming after me. The chase begins.

I run forward as much as I can, I hear his footsteps behind me but I don't look back, there's no time for that. I hear him laughing like a madman as he moves from left to right, from one tree to another, crawling on the ground, trying to confuse me, waiting for me to make the slightest mistake to catch me.

“Ah-” I trip. As soon as I fall to the ground I get up, ripping my stockings and scraping my knees, falling again, my nerves not letting me stand up.

“Nnhehehhehe...” Asshole. He has stopped running, he approaches by walking. I try to keep as much distance as my hands and legs allow me to move. I search desperately with my hand for something on the ground to throw. Finally my hand finds something.

I throw a rock at him “AGH!”

The rock passes by him, flying one or two meters away from him. He hasn't even moved, he didn't move a single muscle to avoid it, he just watches me still from where he is. I hear the nearby *pof* of the rock falling to the ground.

“...”

“...”

…

I get up and run. He grabs my leg and I fall to the ground again. He won't let me get up, every time I try he throws me to the ground. I struggle, I kick, but I don't break free from his grip. He never stops laughing, he is enjoying this. He drags me closer to him, no matter how much I twists, he doesn't let go. “ACKH-!...Hhhh-hh...-hh-h...” He grabs me by the neck, red pupils stared at me, I'm looking straight into his crescent moon mask (or waning, I don't know. Do you think I care right now?). He raises his free hand and his veins begin to glow a platinum color that extends to his fingertips. The hand approaches my face, I don't know what it's going to do to me, I'm scared, I don't want to look. I close my eyes, cover my face with my hands. I wait.

…

…

…?

Nothing's happening. It stopped. Why?

“Mun, nïe.” I hear Sun's voice. I open my hands a little to see what's going on. Indeed, it is Sun, several meters away from us... He looks exhausted. The one with the moon mask stares at him for a moment, until he decides to look at me again while bringing his glowing veiny hand closer. “¡Mun!” The Moonman looks at Sun again “Fehreh.” He seems to speak another language, I don't understand what he says.

“...” “Nïe” For the first time I hear him say something else besides laughing. Even though I can't understand him.

“Fïer pehgïer.” Sun responds.

“...” Moonman remains silent again.

“Bïelïe óubseh góuh...” Sun continues.

“Móu txehb móunsuvïe.” The Moon responds.

“Lïe bóu ¿Sóundïe mïesugïeb fehreh nïe txehtehrlïe?”

…

The air feels tense. Probably because of the hand grabbing my neck.

“¿Zkaóu fuóunbehb txehtóur tkaehnvïe nïe bóueh mehb zkaóu ïesreh rehuh óunsóurrehveh óun leh suóurreh?” Longest sentence I've heard him say so far.

“...” “Fïer óubseh góuh.” “...” “Vóuyehmóu óuntehrdehrmóu vóu óulleh” Sun takes a step forward “Nïe suóunóu fïer zkaóu ehtehkehr ehbu” Another step forward “Nïe sóunóumïeb fïer zkaóu txehtóurlóub... óubsïe” Another step “Óullïeb bïelïe óubsehn... fóurvuvïeb.”

“...” There's no response from the moon man.

“Behkehb tïemïe óub óubïe.”

“...”

…

The hand that grabbed my neck now grabs my shirt and yanks it. I grab his wrist as he pulls me to my feet and drags me to Sun, making me stumble. He throws me against him. Sun catches me before I fall over.

“Ska óubpkaóurhïe óub óun gehnïe.” The moon says something as he walks past. Sun puts a hand on his shoulder before letting him go, there's a pause between the two. The Moonman disappears into the trees. Wind and leaves are heard passing by.

…

He's gone. I feel dizzy. I fall down.

—

…

…

…

A faint light begins to seep through the cracks, illuminating enough to wake me up and make me open my eyes, I look around. I see my bag propped against the wall. I'm at the shelter where Sun left me.

…

My body aches, I have a hard time keeping my eyes open, it feels like I've been sleeping on the hard floor. No, wait, there are some blankets underneath me... It's still too hard to sleep well, either that or as I said, it shouldn't help me at all that everything hurts. After a while of staring at the ceiling I try to sit up. I emphasize trying. With every slight effort a pained moan escapes me.

“Oof...” Hurts.

*creek, tap tap tap tap*

Those wood creaks bring back bad memories from last night (which by the way, I'm alive, wow, I just realized), I can't help but cringe at every noise, I hear footsteps approaching, I try to move but the stinging pain prevents me from it.

*creek... *

The door opens.

Triangular shapes appear through the door followed by orange earth tones. “…Oh…!” “Early bird!” Thank god it's Sun and not the other one, or something worse “I didn't expect you up this early!” He says laughingly.

“ah?”

“How are you feeling?” He walks in. When he sets foot inside I lean back, towards the wall. “...” I don't really know why I did that. Sun stands at the door showing confusion with his usual head tilt. “...Arrr...re you okay, Fern?”

“...” I became tense suddenly. I really don't know still if I can trust him? He hasn't done anything to me yet but that doesn't mean that I can trust him. I don't know if he plans to do something with me like whatever that other one, the moon one, was going to do last night. “...ehh...hhh...h...” I can't get a word out, I'm afraid to ask.

“Mm?”

“...” I don't know what to say to him. My eyes go somewhere else.

…

He enters further into the house, ignoring that I keep my distance from him, leaves a bag he was carrying on the floor and begins to open the windows, letting in the little light of the dawn that is just beginning. He kneels on the floor in front of me with the bag. “Are you hungry?” He opens the bag and takes out an apple “Do you like apples?”

“...”

“No?”

“...”

“Um... I also brought berries... (It's what I had on hand coming here) There are... different types, you can choose” He brings the bag closer to me. I move further away. “uhhh...”

“...” I want to leave.

“You don't like them either...?”

“...” I don't want to eat. I want to leave.

“...”

“*snif... *”

“u-um...!”

“...*snif* *sob*...” I started crying out of nowhere.

“Ahhh...! D-do- don't cry! Ah-I-Um- Ca-can go find other things you might like-!”

I felt ashamed for crying and I put my hands to my face trying to wipe away the tears, but they wouldn't stop coming. “*hic, sniff, snif *” I looked away in an attempt to cover my face. I ended up looking at the floor, letting my hair act as a curtain.

“I can go in a moment!” Sun was already getting up.

“...w-want to leave...” I managed to get a murmur out.

“...W-what? Um...”

“...” *hic, hic *

“O-okay, um... If you aren't hungry... -we can do something else- uh- we can go look for rocks like yesterday in the river!”

“...” I don't want to do anything “...want to leave...”

“O-or we can do something else! Ah-bah-b-b-b- W-won't you like to go draw??! Somewhere, some landscape?! Wherever you want! We can draw together! If you prefer we can look for animals instead of landscapes!”

“...leave...want to...go... *hic, snif *”

“¡D-don't n- uh! ¡L-let's... um- let's not- uh!” He no longer knew how to order his words “H-hey, ¿Why don't we go to-?” He extends his hand towards my arm.

“I want to go home...”

He stops before touching me and removes his hand. “...” “...home?” There is a pause. He remains silent and unmoving. He finally speaks “Do you want…?” His tone became more serious.

“...”

“...to... go see the portal?” I look up slightly, I can't see through the tears and the fogged lenses of my glasses.

“...” I nod my head.

—

…

We didn't walk far until the red began to become visible. He brought me back to the portal. The same plain of red leaves and stone arch in the center of it all, as yesterday.

…

Sun has been quiet the entire time.

He advances towards the portal and stands facing it. He turns. “Come.” He extends his hand towards me. “You can pass through.”

“...”

I advance towards the portal. I stop before crossing. If it doesn't take me back home, what do I do? I don't want to stay.

A breeze begins to come out of the portal. The breeze turns to wind, the leaves rise, they pass through us. It's the same thing that happened yesterday when I went to cross. I turn to face Sun. Motionless, he looks back at me, the leaves pause in the air for a second as if time has stopped, the wind changes. From where the wind and leaves came now they come in, they push me towards the portal. I finally cross it.

…

Am I in the forest I know? I turn to look at Sun who stayed behind in the portal. “...Sun?” He's not there. I look around. He's not here. I've already crossed the portal, he must have left.

I notice a sudden draft pass by me. It's soft, like someone walking past you. I turn towards the forest, I have to start moving, I don't want to be here another minute.

...The air current that I noticed has lifted some leaves, they reach the trees, between them the wind does something strange, it forms a transparent silhouette. It looks like Sun, I can barely see him but I could swear it's him. The wind figure raises its hand and makes a gesture, it wants me to follow it. When I approach it turns around and walks into the forest, leaving a trail of leaves behind it. I follow the trail of the air current. Sometimes it stops to look at me, making sure I'm still following it. The red-leafed trees and the paintings disappear from view the farther we go. We crossed the forest until we arrived at the entrance of the town, near my house. There is no one on the street. If I walked into the house and pretended nothing had happened, officially no one would have noticed my absence.

I'm not one hundred percent sure if the wind figure that guided me is Sun or not, but I should at least thank him for bringing me back.

…

The air current has dissipated before I turn around. I look around, there's no one.

…

…

…

I enter the house, go up to my room and throw the bag on the floor. I go to the bathroom to wash. …I feel something strange in my hands but I couldn't say what. Doesn't matter. I change my clothes and get into bed, the tiredness of the previous night makes my body succumb immediately and I fall asleep instantly.

—

…

…

…

“ah...!” I wake up with my lungs begging for air. I need a moment to calm my breathing. I look at the clock without lifting my head from the pillow.

…

It is 12 midday. I rub my eyes and from my eyes I move to my face. I'm still tired. My body still aches. I stare at the ceiling.

…

My bag. I reach out to pick it up from the floor, making strange positions so as not to get out of bed.

I open it and search in the pockets. The bell. I put the bell to my ear. “...” I shake it.

*rin, diring diring*

“...”

I open it.

…

It's empty.

#my writing #fnaf daycare attendant #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #fanfic #forest elves au #the forest on the other side #oc #selfinsert #platonic #sun & selfinsert #moon & selfinsert

[azulaoi]

Old AA writings: Life with Andrew (Revised ver.)

Andrew x Darling (M4A)

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: idk lol, see end of notes.

✨This writing is SFW✨

Life with Andrew

By: Azulaoi

"Goodness, I'm so tired," you sighed as you put your highlighters aside and stretched. Its been a rough start ever since you started working as a part-time writing editor, with an overload of papers needing to be tended. Although it was truly difficult, you knew taking a job opportunity would be very important for you and Andrew's income. This was also a great chance to build up your work experience.

With so much in mind, you thought, "hm... I want to relax. I don't want to put too much thought into this." You look around the room, "seems like Andrew isn't home yet.". Andrew started working full-time at the British Museum. It wasn't too surprising since he was previously a university professor. Plus, he's been working on achieving his PHD for the time being also. Seeing him busy most of the time, made you feel somewhat lonely... But you knew that he would make time for you. Even if it's the littlest time, you both cherished it nevertheless.

You got up and walked towards the kitchen to hear the front door handle twist. The door opens swiftly, revealing a tall slender suited man with string glasses. "Andrew! You are finally home!", you smiled and blushed as you rushed towards him, giving him a big hug. He chuckles, "heh, missed me?". You nuzzle your head against his chest, "of course I have! Why wouldn't I? To be honest, I've been missing you ever since you walked out of the door this morning.". He smiles, giving you a kiss on your forehead, "I also missed you too, [name].".

You slightly pull away from his embrace, caressing his cheek gently. "He looks... Tired," you thought. Moving your hand smoothly against his soft skin, he couldn't help but hold your hand in return. "Your hands are cold...", he says raising his eyesbrows. You quickly moved your hands away apologizing, "I am sorry! It's been cold for the past couple of days. My hands have been freezing drastically...". He shakes his head smiling, "aha, it's alright. Your hands aren't that cold, darling. So, don't apologize.". He pats your head and makes his way to the bedroom.

You follow him towards the room, only to see him undressing himself; loosening his tie, removing it with his slim fingers. Your eyes widen when he begins to unbutton his shirt, slowly sliding it smoothly off his elegant torso. You felt your cheeks burn at the sight of his exposed chest. "How long are you going to stand there?", he says slightly raising his voice. Caught from your stare, you jumped. You walked into the bedroom, your cheeks blazing hot in embarrassment. You sighed, "alright... You got me.". He throws a smirk at your direction and continues to undress.

He sits on the edge of the bed, tilting his head to the side, giving you a desired look. You apologized once more, "I'm sorry for lurking like that.". He laughs, "haha! No, it's okay. I don't mind it, I kind of like it. Love the way you look at me, especially when your cheeks are bright red.". You pout in response as he gets up and grabs a towel from his nightstand. "Are you going going to bathe?", you asked. He replied, "after a long day of work, of course. As you said earlier, it's been quite cold for the past few days, including today. A warm bath should suffice.". He walks towards the bathroom but stops midway, turning to you, "you are free to join me, if you like. I wouldn't mind some company.".

Many thoughts whirled around your mind, like a whirlwind. But only a question remained, "should I join him? I don't want to seem like a bother to him. Then again, he did say he wouldn't mind some company.". You were indecisive and couldn't make up your mind at that moment.

After much deliberation, you decide not to disturb him. "I think I'll join him next time. I want him to have some time to himself," you thought to yourself, "while I'm at it, I'll brew him some tea for now.". As you begin to turn on the stove, you were suddenly reminded of something, "crap, we don't have anymore tea...". You thought of heading to the store to get more, but you were too tired to go out. To make up for the loss of tea, you settled on some wine.

Other than wine, there wasn't anything else to drink. "I think it's best to go grocery shopping tomorrow. We are missing a lot.", you sighed, "maybe I'll order dinner tonight, but I'll wait to see what he wants to eat.". You patiently paced around the kitchen for a bit, then sat by the counter; watching Oscar and Wilde swim aimlessly in their fish bowl.

Not much long, you hear the bathroom door click, revealing a handsome wet hair figure standing in front of bathroom door way. "Sorry for the long wait. Showers really do take up a significant amount of time," he laughs. Your cheeks once again, began to flush wildly from the sight of him. You wanted to look away but you couldn't take your eyes off him. He looks at you with a confused look on his face, "are you... Okay? Is something the matter?". You couldn't say anything, but simply stand there as your cheeks continue to blush brighter.

Your eyes and mind wander about his wet features. Seeing his gorgeous messy dripping hair, droplets of water draped alongside his delectable skin, and a white towel wrapped around his waist. You've seen the same man half naked a thousand times, yet you still get flustered by the sight of him. You stare at his bare chest, avoiding his gaze, but catches your stare soon on. "[Name]? What's wrong? You've been staring at me for awhile. Do I have something on my face?", he asks raising an eyebrow. Your heart skips a beat and peer upwards to see his concerned eyes looking down at you. You blinked rapidly smiling, "I'm fine... Nothing to worry about!".

You didn't want to admit that you were staring and admiring each frame of this man's physique. You wanted to lessen the awkward between the both of you but your mind couldn't stop salivating about his body. Before you could speak up, Andrew sighs, "you don't need to tell me if you don't want to. I understand-", you interrupted him laughing, "haha! I wasn't holding anything personal against you. It's just...". Before you could express yourself, you gaze at his pecs making you hold your breath. "I want to tell him so badly...", you kept repeating to yourself.

You cleared your throat, "ahem, could I... Tell you something?". He replies with a small hmm. "Are you hungry?," you asked. He seemed a little surprised by your response but didn't question it, "not going to lie, yes. Other than a sandwich, I haven't eaten anything else today. What about you?". You two continue to converse about what you two wanted eat for dinner. You lose yourself in the conversation, forgetting the awkward moment you had a few minutes ago. However, you felt something suspicious behind those brown chocolate eyes of his. "Does he know?", you thought to youself, "no, I don't think he does...".

When you finished ordering the food you two agreed upon, Andrew heads back to the bedroom to change. You called out to him, "wait... Could you stay here a bit longer?". He turns and smiles at you, "don't worry, I'll be back. What? Do you like what you see?". You felt your heart go berserk as you screamed internally, "he knows!!". He chuckles, "aha, I'm joking! Unless?". He throws another smirk at you, sending a shiver of excitement down your spine. You roll your eyes at him, "oh my goodness, just go change! I don't want to be staring at you and your bare beautiful chest-," you clasp your mouth shut before you could elaborate any further.

Andrew looks at you wide eyed for a moment, followed by a few chuckles, "heh, I knew it. Staring at is no surprise when it comes to you, [name].". He then proceeds back into the bedroom. You slap your face grunting in disappointment, "he always gets me... But how though? Do I make it that obvious? Or is it because he's that good at catching people off guard?". Guess you'll never know...

_______________________________________

This writing is one of my writings from Twitter, originally part of my little "Life with Andrew" series. I went back to this writing to revise it a little bit since the first draft didn't look the best. If there are grammatical errors or just errors in general, I apologize 🥹.

FYI, if it says "Old AA writings" it means Old Azulaoi (AA for short) Writings.

Love y'all Crumpets!

- Azulaoi 💙

#zsakuva #zsakuva andrew #zsakuva andrew marston #andrew marston #zsakuva fan fic

[bylertruther]

nancy says ily to keep the peace with steve bc at that point in time she still hadn't grappled with what growing up with parents in a loveless marriage did to her and still hasn't accepted herself for who she really is and what she really wants, and

mike doesn't want to say i love you and avoids it for almost a year despite hearing it all the time from el, because he doesn't want to lie to keep the peace like his parents (specifically his mom), but he also doesn't want to discuss The Issue of why he's still in that relationship despite not feeling that way.

part two of this delves into sexuality which is where i'm gonna lose some of you, but...

it's easier for nancy to play her part and say ily, because even if she isn't in love with steve, she still likes him and feels attracted to him. it doesn't have the same emotional weight to it for her as it does him, but she can still participate convincingly.

it's not as easy for mike to play his role and say ily, because he doesn't love her like that and despite being physically there in their interactions, he's not totally Mentally there.

we see this in 4x02 where he's too busy focusing on will and his every mood and move, but not noticing when el is in clear distress despite being glued to his side. (he can tell when will breathes differently once, but doesn't think anything of el's caught in the headlights look or her stammering as she says she doesn’t want to go? were just supposed to gloss over that? lol. ok.) it also doesn't help tht we see them from will's pov where they look giggly n happy, but when we see them from angela's pov they look like they're just there, chilling.

the physical interactions they have after act one aren't super intimate or intense either, and they don't feel too different from when we saw them from angela's pov. even when lucas and max are just standing next to each other, they still feel more couply than those two (and that's with lucas and max being broken up and just friends right now, too, lmao).

to bring up previous evidence of this, i'd also like to submit all of season three. they've supposedly been making out in her room from sunrise to sunset, but el doesn't know anything about herself or what it means to be a human being with your own interests and taste. mike also doesn't seem to know much about her other than she's a brave superhero that likes eggos and shouldn't overwork herself. put that all together and you get the impression that all they did was kiss like hopper said. they never had actual conversations of any value.

every other couple and even friendship on the show can tell you qualities about the other and what they like or don't like--we've seen this time and time again, but never for these two. (S4 literally has every other couple, including by|er, express what they love abt the other person to contrast it with them. mike can't say anything he likes abt el other than her powers and how she saved the world twice [which max said btw], urging her to be their superhero once more [and using other people's words again as he does so]. you're supposed to notice the difference, how one is not like the others, and it's especially hammered home when his speech splits hawkins in four. love did not save the day for once, because this time.. it wasn't true.) even when they're alone, we see mike struggle and evade being emotionally intimate with her and el is left more confused than when they started. their season four fight is the closest they get to their first ever serious conversation post-season one, but as soon as it gets Too Serious and requires him to be honest about his emotions, mike clocks out again.

mike is there in the flesh, yes, but not there-there.

compare this to steve and nancy, where nancy's "bullshit" outburst and inability to say ily and mean it this last time take him by surprise, because everything else made him feel like it was requited. she was there in every way a person can be, and she liked him, so he doesn't understand where this is coming from and assumes he must've done something at first. this is why he goes to say sorry with roses in hand afterward until he later on sees how she acts around jonathan and realizes what her having those feelings for someone really looks like.

mike's physical distance isn't what drives el to realize her suspicions were warranted. it's the fact that he isn't there physically ("the way you looked at me...") and emotionally ("you never say it") that makes her feel wholly unloved. she can't feel his romantic affections through his writing, his words, or his body--nowhere is she receiving it and she wants him to be honest about it for once. she knows that he cares about her, but she doesn't feel any romantic love from him anymore now that they've moved out of that tween puppy love doing-nothing-but-kissing-all-day phase and into what she considers a more serious relationship.

and when mike is then later on talking around his dilemma with will, he doesn't talk about love or romance at all! he just talks about needing to be needed by her and how her relying on him makes him feel like less of a loser. bc mike needs other people and hates that, hates that he needs them but they don't need him. bc mike is scared that if she doesn't need him, then no one does, and why would they? bc mike thinks he's a loser with nothing to offer and no one to love him and it doesn't help that he's heard it from everyone, too. troy, ted, kids at school, and even lucas. el is canonically the first girl that's ever not been grossed out by him. if she exits his life, then what does that make him? it proves that everyone else was right about him. and while mike doesn't want to be popular and is a proud member of hellfire, he still wants what everyone else wants: to be normal, to be a person that's liked, to be found worthy as he is.

he describes el as superman landing on his doorstep, dumb luck, and others describe her as the first girl to ever like him as a person. she's what he perceives as his one chance at being normal, the one person in all his years that he thinks has ever liked him like that. of course he can't give her up, even if he refuses to lie to her by telling her he loves her. of course he's going to will himself to fit in this spot that is simply not made for him no matter how hard he tries.

and while there's always a chance that it couldn't swing this way, i think that his journey is going to be much like nancy's. he'll reach a point where he can no longer pretend and he's going to come clean. he's going to stop playing it safe, stop trying to make himself fit where he doesn't, and will himself to be brave enough to want what he wants and go for it.

because will is the one with shared interests, shared goals, shared history. will is the one with whom he can talk without ever having to actually talk, who can look at him and know exactly what he needs but won't ever ask for. will is the one that he trusts with his emotions, even the most mortifying ones of all. will is the one that he’s always waiting on, always wanting to hear from, always considering his equal partner against the world. he's the one that mike separates from their other friends, the one that hawkins simply isn't the same without, and who he says the past year has been weird without. will is the one he always knows exactly what to say to and who he never chokes up with. he can tell will exactly what he means to him and how important and irreplaceable he is to mike, without will ever having to beg for it. will grills him and mike immediately rises to the challenge, spilling his unfiltered truth at will's feet. will wasn't dumb luck; no, their relationship is the best thing mike's ever done.

it has always been will, for mike. mike just keeps retreating or, perhaps as is more accurate now, getting pulled "back to the safety" of el. el, who he likes, cares for, and thinks so highly of, but doesn't love like that. because he's "harder to read". because he's ultimately "afraid of what would happen if [he] accepted [himself] for who [he] really [is]". he's scared to open up like that, especially to the person he cares about the most, because what if she doesn't like the truth?what if superman looks at him and doesn't like what she sees when he's no longer pretending? who is he, what is he, if he breaks the heart of the hero that's saved them all and the world countless of times when she didn't have to? when she never asked for that? who is he to break the heart of the girl he and everyone else owes their lives to? he can't do that. of course he can't do that--not to her, not a "loser" like him of all people.

he thinks that keeping the band-aid on is an act of mercy, because he doesn't yet realize that eleven wants out. she wants to find out who she is and be seen as that girl and loved for it. he thinks this is what she wants, because will (who has no idea of the clusterfuck that is their relationship) tells him so and he believes anything will tells him, because will never lies and he trusts him more than anyone including himself. because he felt the intensity of will's love for him in that van, was reminded of it when el was on her death bed, and responded to it, but ultimately did nothing when el then didn't discuss it afterward.

when he sees that this is no longer what she wants, when he sees that his "selfishness" won't hurt her as much as he thinks it will, that's when he'll allow himself to want what he wants. because sometimes the scariest thing in the world, the most unspeakable thing in the world, isn't actually as scary or unspeakable as you once thought it was. sometimes, the truth is exactly what the people you care about the most want.

he'll get there, in time, just as his sister did. in every season he's always the last one to arrive, always late to whatever it is, but this time... he'll be on time. he'll say and do whatever it is he needs and it won't be too late. it won't tighten the metaphorical vines around will's throat. it won't split hawkins in four. this time, love, true love, will save the day. (crazy together + you said yes + i think it'll be easier if we're a team + let's start a new party, me and you)

#byler #mine #this looks bite sized on my phone bt im sure its the ugliest wall of text ever on desktop. rip 🤡 #anyway bitches be thinking sometimez when they should be studying for their exam 🤔 hmmmmmmmm

[veeveex3]

Sleepover with the Freshmen (+ Ortho)

idk I just think it'd be cute to see all the freshmen + yuu and grim have a litol slumber party, a slumbie if you will (also fun(?) fact: I've never had a slumber party before so idk why I'm making this lolol)

Time at Night Raven College is fun: you get to do alchemy, learn about history and subjects that aren't from your world, and most important of all, you got to make cool new friends! However, being that NRC is a school, it does get pretty stressful. So to cope with all the work you have on top of the work that Crowley dumps onto you, you decide to host a sleepover with all of your friends from your grade!

NRC Prefect: Hey, are you guys busy this weekend?

xXAce42069Xx: nah not rly y?

DeuceCaboose: Didn't you say we were gonna study over the weekend???

xXAce42069Xx: eh we can study after class on a weekday lol

Jack H.: You wanna do anything over the weekend prefect?

Epel: I can ask Vil if I can come over if we're gonna do a group study

NRC Prefect: I was thinking more we can just have a slumber party or something...

0RTH0 (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧: That sounds like fun! (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

Sebek Zigvolt: I propose that we instead focus on our studies instead of shirking them for a "slumber party".

xXAce42069Xx: lmaooooo whyd you say it like that

Sebek Zigvolt: I haven't a clue what you mean, Ace.

DeuceCaboose: Have you ever been to a slumber party Sebek?

Sebek Zigvolt: No, but I vaguely know of them. That's not the point, though!

0RTH0 (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧: Now that I think about it, I don't remember having a sleepover before either! (⁠･⁠o⁠･⁠;⁠)⁠ 

Epel: I've had a couple before. They're a whole buncha fun!

Jack H.: ^ Plus if we're hanging out over the whole weekend, we can also use this time to study too

xXAce42069Xx: boring... why cant we just have a slumber party or whatever??

DeuceCaboose: Well we need to study at some point yknow

NRC Prefect: Yeah, I like that idea!

Nrc Prefect: So, is Ace the only one against this?

DeuceCaboose: Yeah

Jack H.: Probably

Epel: Yup

0RTH0 (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧: It appears so. (⁠*⁠´⁠ω⁠｀⁠*⁠)

Sebek Zigvolt: As long as we schedule time for our academics, I don't have much issue.

NRC Prefect: So Ace, are you with us or not?

xXAce42069Xx: fine... ig so

NRC Prefect: Great, see you guys then!

Ace Trappola:

He mainly came along so that he wouldn't have to study at Heartslabyul with Riddle

And also to spend time with his best friends but he'd never admit that

Cater lends him a couple card games so that you all can play during the sleepover

Other than that, he doesn't bring much else other than his pajamas, sleeping bag, phone, and homework (forced to bring)

His pajamas consist of a white t-shirt and some heart patterned pants

Doesn't wear socks to bed

Once everyone's in their pajamas, Ace immediately tries to distract everyone from their work

He tries to start a bunch of card games, asks for more snacks, and is the one to start a pillow fight

Once the next day comes though, everyone ignores him so they can get their work done, all to varying degrees of success

Is used to sleeping up late so he's the last person to go to bed

Sleeps all sprawled out, accidentally kicking Deuce, who's right next to him

Deuce Spade:

Deuce is genuinely excited for this little sleepover

Not only does he get to do the studying he was planning on doing anyways, but he also gets to hangout with his friends and potentially learn a bit from them!

Definitely honor student behavior

Trey asks him to give you some cookies for you all to share, as a treat

In comparison to Ace, Deuce over packs rather than under packing, likely since he's basically packing for the two of them

Deuce's pajamas are a set with a cotton shirt and shorts, both with spade patterns

Wears fuzzy navy blue socks his mom got him (won't say this in front of Ace in fear of being teased)

Deuce tries to balance his work time and fun time, but gets easily swept up in whatever shenanigans Ace is pulling

Accidentally throws a pillow too hard and ends up knocking a painting off the wall (in which he apologizes for after)

Like Ace, he's used to staying up late but tries to go to bed at a reasonable hour

Sleeps on his tummy and occasionally kicks too, mainly because Ace keeps kicking back

Jack Howl:

He's had a couple slumber parties in his youth and is honestly glad to have another with his new friends

Also wouldn't admit to it

Leona gives him some money just in case you all decide to order dinner for the sleepover

With the exception of the dinner money and some protein powder packets, he packs pretty light, only taking what he needs like toiletries and his homework

Jack wears a dark green tank top with a wolf design on the back and some striped shorts as pajamas

Also doesn't wear socks to bed but at least he covers his feet

Tries to get his work done before doing anything fun, which is hard considering he goes to bed really early

So instead he just spends the night having fun and promises to work extra hard the next day

Gets pretty sleepy from staying up past his bed time, being the first to go to sleep if it wasn't for Sebek

Sleeps curled up holding his tail and tries to hide it under his blanket

Epel Felmier:

Every month, Epel, Vil, and Rook have their own little spa day, so Epel just sees this as a less intense spa day (don't ask how a spa day can be intense they just are for Epel)

Vil gave him a couple scented tea lights to give out as thank you gifts for everyone while Rook gave a couple fashion magazines to read during the sleepover

In addition to these gifts, Epel, reluctantly, packs a lot more than he usually would due to all of the toiletries and nutrition supplements he has to take

Epel's pajamas are a light purple, fuzzy long sleeved set with has apples on the front of the shirt and on the pants pockets

Not only does Epel have matching fuzzy purple socks, he also has a fuzzy eye mask too, courtesy of Vil

More prone to playing and getting off task than some of the other boys

Has a lot of fun during the pillow fight even though he's just smacking people with a pillow

Stays up until all of the fun dies down and then tucks himself into bed

Sleeps on his side, occasionally tossing and turning

Ortho Shroud:

Given he's a robot, he thought he wouldn't be able to participate in the sleepover unlike his peers

Luckily, his friends still wanna have fun with him regardless and obviously let him come

Idia gave him a board game to play so that him and his friends don't get board (teehee)

Given that Ortho is incredibly complex, he has to pack pretty heavily for things such as his charger and any spart parts he may need

He can't really wear pajamas but has a dark blue blanket Idia made for him with small light blue flames

Probably sets aside his feet when sleeping so that they take up less space

Ortho is a good student, so he starts studying pretty quickly to get it out of the way

After that, he's able to play with his friends and launch pillows at them (gently of course)

Has a set bedtime that he has to shut down by, but since Idia stays up really late, that bedtime is also pretty late into the night

He sleeps straight on his back, using his wireless charger pad as a pillow and covering himself with his blanket

Sebek Zigvolt:

Sebek honestly isn't used to being apart from Malleus and gets embarrassingly anxious when he's apart from him and Lilia

However, the both of them encouraged him to socialize and spend time with people his age other than Silver

Malleus give him a novel to read before bed just in case he has trouble sleeping Lilia also gave him some food to share but Silver luckily took care of that

Given how overly cautious he is, Sebek over packs a lot, bringing a lot of comfort items as well as a lot more toiletries than he needs

Sebek wears very classic button up pajamas with a small lighting bolt pattern on them

Wears normal socks to bed and like Epel, has a matching eye mask with a little night cap too

The most reluctant to slack off, insisting to use this time to further their academic and magical studies

However, he gets jealous from all the fun everyone else is having and joins in under the excuse that he was already distracted

He won't admit it, but he really enjoys spending bonding time with his friends

Like Jack, he also has an early bedtime and sticks to it more than Jack does, mainly out of habit and sleepiness

He sleeps on his back holding his blanket while sleep talking surprisingly quietly

Bonus Grim!:

Didn't ask to be a part of the slumber party nor was he invited, but came anyways since the two of you are basically a buy one, get one free special

Since he's a cat monster, he doesn't wear any jammies but he does have a little blankie he sleeps with every night

You have to move him out of the living room so that everyone can get their fair share of snacks and dinner

Tries to get involved in the pillow fight but he has little fucking kitty arms so he can't really throw lol

Cuddles next to you with his blankie to sleep (which would be nice if he didn't snore so loud)

Wakes you up in the middle of the night for a sippy of water too

#twisted wonderland #twst #ace trappola #deuce spade #jack howl #epel felmier #ortho shroud #sebek zigvolt

[bluntfriend]

Are they night owls or early birds?

ANY WARNING: Just mention trouble sleeping. Some swearing.

A/N: I swear I am not dead... just trying to get back to writing. I kind of went ghost of a couple of months... and I am sorry. Wasn't my intention. But I had some personal issues going on... couldn't write for a while as a result of it. I am back now! And I swear I am working on the two requests I received. Both are going to be posted very soon so watch out for that. And I am also working on other headcanons and imagines that I am very excited to share with you guys. This one has been in my google docs for too long and decided to finish it today. I really do appreciate the patience :)

I hope you enjoy this boring headcanon lol.

DIRECTOR JACK BRIGHT: Hmm... night owl considering how much work he gets done during the night. But that isn't to say that he doesn't get anything done during the day. Because he does. But he just prefers doing more work at nighttime since he can't easily fall asleep. And he needs something to do until he feels sleepy. It is a bit weird too because it is like he gains so much energy during nighttime. He would be finishing projects, documents, and some leftover paperwork that his assistant left for him to do. (Which are months late btw). While binge-watching some Netflix series. Will probably order something to eat online... (if a store is open and he is hungry). And reply to late e-mails. He wouldn't even feel himself getting tired or worn out until like three in the freaking morning. Then he would finally fall asleep. However, he would only sleep for a few hours before waking up for work.

*Also, Bright would sometimes fall asleep but then wake up again and has a hard time falling back asleep... and he hates it! Because he feels so tired... but just can't sleep... it is like his mind wouldn't let him rest. He was once concerned that he was affected by SCP-966 but realized that it was just his insomnia like usual.

DIRECTOR ALTO CLEF: Early bird. He likes to wake up early in the morning like at six (which is pretty normal) however he can't wake up earlier than that. That is hell for him lol... He also has trouble sleeping yet always wakes up early in the morning... which is quite impressive tbh...

DOCTOR CHARLES GEARS: He can be a bit of both. But he is definitely leaning more towards a night owl due to his difficulty staying asleep as well. He does suffer from insomnia too. Gears has grown accustomed to it by now so he would spend his night reading a book or reviving files until he feels sleepy. But there is also a part of him that wakes up very early in the morning despite his restless night. Like at five and he is ready to start his day.

DOCTOR ICEBERG: Oh definitely a night owl. He is the one making so much fucking noise in the kitchen during the nighttime trying to make himself a simple sandwich...

DOCTOR BEN KONDRAKI: Another night owl. He enjoys staying up late in the night when everyone else is already asleep. He will probably go outside to the porch and smoke a bit... take a walk if he is in the mood for it. He does really like taking night walks since there aren't people outside and he hates interacting with people lol. A walk without talking to people and just enjoying the night sky would make him very happy tbh...

DOCTOR AGATHA RIGHTS: Early bird. Even if she stayed up very late last night she is still going to wake up early the next day. It is kind of like a habit of hers.

SCP-073 (CAIN): Definitely an early bird. He wakes up very early in the morning as well and gets things done. He doesn't even need an alarm clock to wake him up either. He just wakes up early...

SCP-076-2(ABLE): He isn't an early bird or night owl. But sort of in between... Like there were days when he would wake up early and is very productive. He gets things done like his older brother. And doesn't seem tired at all. But then there were other days when he would stay up really late. Doing whatever keeps him busy instead of sleeping because he isn't sleepy just yet. Those are the lonely nights when his mind wouldn't shut off and he needs a distraction until he feels tired. In addition to that, he also likes taking short naps throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if he slept early or late last night. He still wants his naps. And he is going to take his naps. He is like a cat when taking his naps too. He can literally fall asleep anywhere, on a tree, chair, couch, or table. All he needs is a quiet place and he is all set. He sometimes prefers taking naps with a small blank and pillow when on the couch. He doesn't use the pillow to rest his head but instead likes holding it in his arms while sleeping. And he would cover the blanket over himself completely.

AND DO. NOT. WAKE HIM UP. He is going to be very annoyed and just glare at you if you dare to wake him up. So, just leave him to take his nap. And besides, he is a bit of a heavy sleeper so it is going to take some effort in waking him up. Aside from that, Able is.... cute when he is sleeping tbh... like oh my god this man just looks so comfortable AND CUTE! HOLDING ONTO HIS PILLOW TIGHTLY! JUST SNOOZING. Idk it is just heartwarming to see a guy that can literally tear you to shreds sleep so peacefully and look cute. A rare sight if I am being honest lol.

Bonus: His S/O would probably be tempted to take a picture of him when he is napping. They can if they want to. But they have to make sure that they don't let him see the picture on their phone later on. He would literally demand them to delete it lol...

#scp fandom #scp foundation #scp character #scp doctors #scp dr gears #scp dr bright #scp headcanons #scp dr clef #scp dr iceberg #scp 073 #scp 076 #dr bright #this one is a bit boring but better ones are coming soon. #i am not dead #currently working on the two requests so they should be out rly soon!

[profanepurity]

If Satanas is just that good a judge of character, that's a little funny to me in this sea of angst. I do have a couple questions though. 1) What exactly happens to the Prime Movers (and Omega) when the church "takes the Papas away?" 2) As Antichrist, I somehow doubt that Copia can remain a puppet forever. Comes a time when our rat-loving Damien Thorne here finally snaps. 3) On the Lilith and Eve thing, well, Eve didn't really submit in the end either did she? And tbh, her eating that fruit is why humanity even knows the difference between good and evil and why we have free will so why aren't our two girls besties at this point? 4) How are we going to keep Natalia safe here if she's the one poking holes in the shit Copia's getting told? Because, speaking as a religious trauma survivor of a high control group, you get paranoid with religious authority figures REAL fast.

No one ever listens to the old goat bastard, no matter how many times he’s right. Satanas really is just that passive aggressive old man in the corner, sipping his ale, minding his business watching everyone cry when shit blows up in their faces like he told them it would. Then when they come crying to him he rolls his eyes into the next universe lol

1) That’s a good question. Hopefully nothing horrible happens to them lol. I’m sure they’re fine

2)Satanas is rattling the little wooden walls of his stable for the day Copia decides to snap. It’s only a matter of time indeed lol

3)I think Eve found convenience and safety in being compliant to a man like Adam. Lilith getting her to eat the fruit did give her enlightenment, but she was aware of the consequences tempting Eve would bring for her as well. Lilith is as flawed as we all are, she was human first. Her actions were out of spite, and she used Eve as a means for her revenge when Eve didn’t deserve it. Lilith doesn’t hate her at all though. I think there’s a level of regret and acceptance between the two now. There’s a respectful understanding.

4)I AM HOLLERING bc I want to tell you about that SO BAD but that would be a major fucking spoiler for what’s to come. (Which is also how Satanas feels a lot of the time). Copia and Natalia are dead ass living in a horror movie, there’s never true safety. Natalia’s relationship with the authority within the church is pivotal. With that said, Natalia is going to show Copia the truth. She is the one that will lead the Guiding Star’s flock. She is the unholy master’s beloved lamb. A gift for the son.

I also just want to take this as an opportunity to say that for all religious trauma survivors, or survivors of any kind, that interact with my content, I want you to feel safe here. Some of the subject matter that I post that deals with religious figures and themes are in no way intended to cause distress, and I apologize if it ever has. My motivation is to tell a story and make people happy and hopefully have fun getting a little sad and a little scared. I have always used art as a means to escape, and I want to offer that all to you as well. There’s been a lot of angst related content recently, but I’m looking forward to getting to the heart of what this story really is; spooky, silly adult fun.

Much love 🖤💐

#the band ghost #the band ghost au #praeteritum au #the band ghost oc #asks answered #asks are always appreciated

[skywalking-through-life]

If you don't mind me asking, what are your tips to getting yourself to write/ making time to write?

This is a GREAT ask, and even though I'm not sure that what works for me will work for everyone, I'm happy to share what I do in case it works for you, anonymous friend! 💙

So, to start, in full transparency: I have ADHD, a very, very busy and stressful job, and a spouse and dog and house, so I'm not always great at this! AND I'm not always great at not shaming myself when I am not great at this, even though I know better than to think that shame is in any way helpful. 💀

Because of all that, I think that step 1 HAS to be an acknowledgement that you aren't always going to find the time/motivation/energy/willpower/inspiration to write - because of things both in and not in your control - and that is totally fine! The acceptance of that being totally fine is an important part of all of this, because I have found that if you are literally ALWAYS stressed about writing more/writing a certain thing/meeting writing goals, then you can very easily fall into the kind of anxiety spiral that inhibits creativity and makes you start to dread or dislike writing. That's no fun, and writing should be fun!

So, I guess my tip for 'getting yourself to write more' is to start by NOT putting unnecessary pressure on yourself to write - which probably feels paradoxical, lol. Instead, only write when you feel the inspiration to! If possible, the literal moment that inspiration strikes, even if it's just you taking 2 seconds to jot down a note in your notes app, so you can come back to it when the inspiration/excitment strikes again! And yeah, I purposefully didn't say to come back when you have the time for it, because if you're like me, having the time to do something can feel oddly paralyzing - I have free time, so I SHOULD do something productive or creative with it, right? But I don't always think so - sometimes you need that time to let your brain be fallow, to wander, to dream. Let your drive to write wax and wane, as all natural things do! There's a rhythm to it, and learning what YOUR rhythms are matters. And, creativity NEEDS rest! If you are trying to make all your free hours productive ones, then your well of ideas and motivation is going to run dry before long.

What has been especially helpful to me during this season of my life is to acknowledge that I get excited about different wips at different moments, and just because I am really into one topic/theme/plot/ship/wip right now, it doesn't mean that I won't get a burst of inspiration for a completely different one next week! Having multiple (for me, wildly different) things on the go at once means that there is always something for me to work on when my brain loses interest in one thing, and knowing that helps me not stress that I've lost all creative steam - it's just gone in a new direction.

Okay, so since this is becoming a novel, just a couple more quick ideas: I listen to music that makes me think when I am trying to puzzle out a writing direction I want to take, and use my commute to and from work in the morning to mentally work out plot points, themes, dialogue, etc. For me that's almost 2 hours out of my day, and it helps me decompress from work! I also like to write in the bath, because that makes me feel contemplative, and sometimes at work on my lunch break, if work itself has provided some inspiration. I basically just try and work little creative moments into my day! You don't need to carve out a big block of time to write during, make it work for you and your schedule.

And genuinely, seriously: don't beat yourself up if you can't focus/make the time. I have been struggling with chapter 4 of '[conduct] not unbecoming' for the past 2 months, and it wasn't until I stopped fighting with it and decided to let my brain go in the direction it wanted to go (a very different one LMAO) that I started to feel light enough, inspired enough, and thoughtful enough to make progress on it again! Listen to your brain when it is telling you what it needs. 💙

#sweet sweet anonymous friends! #writing advice #inasmuch as this is that lol #more like 'what Sky's brain does' #percy's senior year (mis)adventures

[starberry-skies]

Hello! Sorry to bother you, but you are the only blog I know who makes IDs outside of their own stuff so I figured you were the best person to ask. Do you have by any chance ressources to learn how to make and practice them? I want to start using them but I'm not a native speaker and I'm kinda struggling ^^'

Thank you and have a nice day!

oh ofc!! if u want, i have some good posts in the #image descriptions tag on my blog, but i'll link some stuff here too :D

Why and how, basics

Quick tips and tricks

Describing comics

Describing videos

Image Description Guidelines

and a couple of my own tips !!

a great rule of thumb is, "the more time someone would look at an image, the longer + more detailed the description should be". This means, if it's a little doodle or a meme, u don't have to spend hoursss describing every little thing (ie, the clothes ppl are wearing, the lighting, that typa thing -- unlessss it's like,, part of the joke/meme. does that make sense ?) this post by mothfishing [hyperlinked] explains it SO much better than i ever could

on that note, a short/""bad"" id is always better than none at all!! don't worry too much abt the quality, or else you'll get stuck in a loop of fixing and editing and the description will never be published (or is that just me lol)

an absolute lifesaver for me was using a text-to-speech/screen reader to read my descriptions back to me ! especially if it were a longer piece, i would write an id, turn on the screenreader + close my eyes, then see if i missed anything important + if i needed to rephrase anything.

for practicing:

if you see an image w/ a description, try to write one yourself for that image. then just check between those ! it's bound to be different, but how? try to figure out which fits the image better, then adapt !

whenever i'm bored/have nothing to do, i try to describe things in the room. this is mostly just a fun little game to keep my brain busy, but it's also helpful in building skills !

if i can, i like to read out my description to a friend/family member if they're around. i ask them to imagine what i describe, then i show them the image to see if it matches. getting other people's input is always v v helpful... and speaking of....

the people's accessibility discord server!!!!!! i cannot emphasize enough how cool and nice everyone is there !!!!! u can ask for help describing something, ask ppl to double check ur work, or just send an image for ppl to describe!! literally everyone there is just so wonderful and helpful :3 here's an invite link!

little things that i learned:

the screenreader on my phone reads quotes without pause. so it would read "a sentence just like this" as if the quotes weren't there. so i picked up the habit of putting a comma before the quote to break the sentence up. so saying "this" sounds much more different then saying, "this".

(desktop only i think) it's much better for a screen reader to read line breaks (holding shift and enter) than just paragraph breaks (just enter). with paragraph breaks, the person using the screen reader would have to tap on each new paragraph to read it, which can be a hassle. with line breaks, the screen reader just reads the next bit automatically, but the ID is still visually broken up.

save stuff to ur drafts to look over later !

for text-heavy images, use a OCR/image-to-text extractor. just put the image in and copy the text it spits out, maybe looking over it to make sure there aren't any mistakes. this definitely removes a lot of the burden of copying text painstakingly by hand yk

i'm sure there must be more i'm forgetting, so if any of my followers want to leave any more tips in the notes i'd greatly appreciate it :D

#image descriptions #ask #just-an-octopus #fantasticcc url btw !! i used smth similar a while back ^__^

[candy-pants]

Oh no I’m so sorry!! I hesitated to say anything cuz I wasn’t sure if you were just taking your time lol. Sorry we’re down to the last day but let’s pack in a lot of questions in that case!! First off, Ashley is kinda slaying in that vid ngl. And I love learning more about latam Disney channel, thanks for sharing!! What show were they on?? And you have a point about Sabrina lol. Switching gears, ofc ik you love descendants and mal and Ben in particular, who are your favs outside of the core four and why? What are your fav ships besides bal and why? And what are your biggest hopes for rise of red? I hope you have a great holiday and enjoy your gift tomorrow!! Sorry again for the miscommunication!! -gcwca secret Santa

don't worry! i was thinking you were busy or something so i didn't say anything either sdjhdhdsj i know tumblr tends to be the worst functioning website on the planet but we're all still here so i guess that says something about us

okay this is gonna be a long one buckle up

1 - they were in a show called que talento! (yes with an exclamation point) and they were basically playing themselves if they went to high school and were still amateurs lol i really liked the theme song but only the show version bc the studio version sounds awful sorry bruno i know you produced it but it sucks

2 - out of the core four (and ben) i have to say uma is a huge fav for me, probably my 3rd favorite character of the franchise. when i heard china anne mcclain was back on disney channel to play her i was sooooo excited and i can't imagine anyone better for the role. i love that she has such a strong sense of justice and community even if her ways aren't necessarily the best. obviously i love that the franchise makes sure to let us know she and mal are two sides of the same coin and if they weren't both so proud and stubborn they'd be friends, but i like that uma isn't just a carbon copy of mal like they're very much two different characters. uma is driven by collectiveness and she cares so hard about everybody it's almost aggressive and she's such a great example of leadership on the isle (as acknowledged by both ben in d2 and mal in d3 (and as a side note i'm obsessed with mal, ben and uma's dynamic and i could ramble on about it for the next 10 years but that's not the point)) and if i don't stop now this is gonna turn into a mal vs uma analysis

3 - i really really love the idea that mal and uma are exes. like to me that's just canon and no one is gonna tell me otherwise bc it doesn't contradict anything! "and how would you know, mal? you've never had [a boyfriend]" so in my head she could have dated uma idc it was probably quick and messy bc they would have this toxic power struggle which ultimately ends in mal not letting her join the gang. i think they would absolutely kill each other as a couple now bc of how similar they are but as exes? hell yeah that's a vibe

as for present day relationships i'm a fan of harry and uma getting together at some point in the future bc lbr those two are in a weird situationship lmao i also love jay and gil!!! very unexpected but jay realizing how jaded he's become after seeing the beauty of gil experiencing things with such wonder and then deciding to do a gap year so they can travel the world together is something that can actually be so personal

ALSO i'm not usually one for crackships but harry x evie had me like 👀 in d3 bc sorry wtf is this

for the record i don't think they should realistically get together, i don't think they'd work out, but the chemistry is there and for some reason kenny chose to highlight it so idk

4 - oooo so rise of red. here's the thing. i'm fully expecting this movie to be bad sdjdshjdjhsjdh i'm mostly worried about these seemingly amateur writers they got. like. even if descendants is its own little fanfiction thing let's at least try to make things coherent inside its own universe. the fact that they all went to school together defeats the purpose of beast UNITING THE KINGDOMS but well anyway let's see what they're gonna do

i like jennifer phang as a director though! she did two eps of cloak and dagger (one of which is 2x01, one of my personal favs) and the pilot of secrets of sulphur springs, so i know she's competent. and mark hofeling is coming back which is GREAT bc changing the production designer would be a terrible move for a spin-off partly set in present day. i just wish kara saun would come back to do the costumes but oh well

i'm so excited to see your gift!!!!! i hope you have a great holiday as well!!!!!!

#ask #gcwca secret santa #this was such a fun ask!! #too bad tumblr fucked us up

[magicalgirlmascot]

They're done

Submissions aren't open so let's hope I can put all of these in one ask lmao

First up is Tahu, featuring his famous flaming bat. He's none too pleased about having to fight a bear while wearing one of his nicer shirts.

Next, Gali, who is reading the kiddies a story about a powerful dragon called Tahtorak. The kindergartners are particularly fascinated by her necklace of fossilized shark teeth.

And then there's Lewa, who finally cleaned up those flashcards. He's dressed fairly comfortably, and while it's not visible from this angle, he is also sporting a man bun.

Pohatu is prepping for the Students vs Teachers volleyball game, though he didn't have time to change into more athletic wear.

"Children, this is dirt." Onua must be teaching his students about the rock cycle. Admittedly I struggled with the sunglasses, since none of the options looked quite right on him, but I eventually landed on these.

Not much to say about Kopaka, other than that he's probably in the midst of judging Tahu's teaching methods.

Vakama, ever the exposition dumper, is probably explaining something to the Toa. He's got a nice, warm sweater on to fend off the winter chill.

Nokama is here to greet incoming students on the first day as they load off the buses. I leaned into the Lucretia vibes you mentioned, as well as memories of my own elementary school principal.

Matau is absolutely not struggling through a midlife crisis, and frankly, he's offended that you'd even suggest such a thing.

Onewa's here spitting hard truths to someone. Either that or he's complaining about having to go scare off wild animals again.

Whenua's just found a book for a student interested in botany. Just be sure to bring it back in time.

Nuju seems quite busy at the moment. Probably best not to bother him.

And that's everyone! Admittedly, it's a bit tough to show aging in Hero Forge, so the Turaga aren't quite as youthful looking. Also, I might eventually do some others, although Hero Forge isn't well-suited for making child characters, so probably no students. Perhaps a Harkak? Anyway, I had a lot of fun with these, and I hope you like them!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

First of all you are a Hero Forge wizard???? These are amazing!! The posing and details and everything just looks so good!!!

Anyway I'm gonna lose my mind over these for a bit here hang on

I love so much here, like Pohatu looks so good?? I love that he and Matau have their nails painted along with Gali and Nokama, that's so cute. I like his earring and hair and facial hair too! This is a man I would entrust my theoretical children to.

Nokama is absolutely perfect? This is just what Nokama looks like to me now. She looks a lot like a principal I had for a couple years too, specifically the one whose office design I picture when writing scenes in the office lol. And Onewa is also just outstanding, he's the exact right combination of "local art guy" and "world's most crotchety old man" and I love his beard and his hat!

And Gali!! Not to be a lesbian but oh my fucking god. She's so pretty?? Love the Tahtorak dragon book detail too ghklghfgljfdgh

And Whenua's mustache and Lewa and Matau's jackets and Pohatu's sneakers and Onua's sweater vest and I also love how similar Nuju and Kopaka look on first glance but they're clearly still different and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

These are amazing and wonderful and thank you SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!

[golbrocklovely]

it's that time again where i do a tarot reading on snc just bc i want to and also bc i felt the need to do one. i also did one for sam and for colby. i separated them bc good god i have a lot to say apparently lol

i did one earlier this year on snc (linked here) and i thought i might as well do one for the rest of the year and see how they're doing, what's coming up for them, and their love lives.

disclaimer: i understand there are ppl/fans that do tarot readings and personally don't believe that you can do a reading on someone that didn't a) agree to one or b) isn't there with you. and while i understand that, i just need everyone to know that this is just for fun. i go into with all the positivity, and this is really just for me in the end. i never claim to be right, i'm not pretending that this is the truth. this is just for entertainment purposes only. if you don't like it, feel free to not read. please take whatever i say in this post with a grain of salt.

(the other readings will be linked at the bottom)

so, i believe i've told you guys before but i have multiple tarot decks, most of which are all just the traditional one. but i have deck that's called 'the psychic tarot'. it used to be the one i'd used the most, just bc it explores different things outside of the traditional tarot cards, but i haven't used it in years. however a couple days ago, i got this overwhelming urge to do a reading on snc with this deck specifically.

to give a bit of backstory on this deck, it has major arcana cards (which are based off of the traditional major arcana cards but named differently), and then the minor arcana cards are separated into four different types: physical, emotions, mental, and spirit. there's also chakra cards as well. a lot of these cards are self-explanitory, but the booklet that comes with the cards does give a bit of a better understanding for them too. so i'll be using a bit of the booklet and also just what i personally feel the cards are saying.

now, onto the reading:

the first question i asked was "how is the rest of this year gonna look like for snc?" i ended up getting seven cards, and how i read that is the first one is currently how they're feeling, and then the rest are what the next six months will be like for them.

first card: trapped in fear. again, a lot of these cards are self explanatory. this one is telling me that snc are both stuck rn bc mentally they aren't sure of the future. and all of that makes perfect sense, given that colby is still up in the air with his health and whether or not he might have to do more chemo. so it would make sense for them both to not know where things lie as of rn. it's also interesting that this card came up just in time for sam to send out an email talking about fear playing a huge role in not moving forward.

speaking of, the second card: positive movement forward. things will work out for them, work related wise, and they'll have the go ahead to get started on projects that they've been holding back on. overall a good card to get after trapped in fear.

third card: patience. this is a major arcana card, similar to the temperance card. this is telling me that snc, most likely, will jump headfirst back into things and kinda want to make up for lost time. but they're gonna need to be patient bc while they want to get everything done, they can't rush it all in one sitting. the booklet also says that this is a call to make balance in your life, which is something that comes up later too in one of their seperate readings. and as we all know, snc don't know how to have a work life balance lol

fourth card: partnership and alliances. at first i thought this was about them both relying on one another, but it seems as if it's actually saying that they might have some new ppl coming into their lives. possibly new collaborators, maybe new business partners. just new ppl are going to be coming in, and they should be open to those experiences bc they will be beneficial for them.

fifth card: foundation and achievements. this card immediately follows the partnership and alliances card in the deck itself so that's pretty interesting. this card is super positive, basically saying that snc are finally gonna have some peace in their life for a moment. basically everything they have been working on will now give back to them in a way. the booklet also talks about this possibly being the sign of a new home, which eh… idk about that. but maybe it could be about them moving somewhere for a bit of time, like they were doing back in 2021 when they kept going from la to vegas. overall this card is really good for them.

sixth card: mental conflict. now interestingly, this card comes up a couple times, but for one person in particular - sam. now i can only imagine why he would going thru mental conflicts… his life is perfect and totally not completely different lol as the card implies, this is about going thru a lot of stuff mentally. not being in the best headspace. this card basically tells me that someone is not ready to keep pushing forward for whatever reason. that something is holding them back. it might not directly imply to sam, it could be the both of them. they both have had some crazy six months so far. and i have a feeling all of that is gonna catch up to them by the end of the year.

the final card: suffering in silence. again, self explanatory. someone here is not too good at expressing how they're feeling, and bc of that, are slowly suffering in their head. this card applies to both boys, let's be honest. they don't really express how they're feeling all too often to us, so i can only imagine how much they don't do it in their personal lives. but i think this might be a turning point for them. take one of them for example - colby. he said in a podcast, very casually, that he doesn't think this cancer diagnosis has actually hit him yet. which what that means to me is that colby hasn't really accepted that this terrible thing has happened to him. and bc of that, i think when he finally gets back into the swing of things, back to "normal" it's gonna hit him like a train. same thing with sam, he's gone thru a lot of change recently. colby's diagnosis, breaking up with kat… all of that has transpired and while i do think he has accepted it as reality, i don't think he's really allowed himself to feel upset about it. maybe at times, sure. but not majorly.

what does all of this mean? i think the rest of this year is gonna be good for them. things seem to be working in their favor again, which is great. and they seem to be getting back into the swing of things, back to their daily routines before all of this happened. however, bc they never have allowed themselves to fully FEEL what they've gone thru, it's gonna catch up to them by the end of the year. look, as much as i would love for snc to post a podcast or just a video in general letting it all out, i understand that might not happen. imma be honest, idk how i would feel seeing them cry on camera. god knows with how emotional i am anymore, i might ball my eyes out.

however, i do think at the very least, snc need to do some work behind the scenes on their own and allow themselves to really feel. bc i think, if by the end of the year they haven't done the mental and emotional work, it's gonna catch up to them. and it's gonna hinder their business. i wouldn't be surprised if by november/december they take a hiatus or an ACTUAL break just bc after everything they've been thru, they'll need it.

i have high hopes, but this all relies on snc to do the work.

<< sam's reading || colby's reading >>

#sam and colby #sam golbach #colby brock #snc tarot #personal #text

[enchantedchocolatebars]

My addition to the story "Beauty Sleep" written for me by user @angelcloves about My Wittewife!

Got inspired to write my own little insertion after seeing this person do so.

This is probably dumb to say, but I'm OBSESSED with this story (in a good, non-weird way) lol!

This is the first time I've had someone write my oc in something, and as the creator, I gotta do my duty by doing this!

Enjoy! <3

"Come on, come on. Where is she?"

An irritated Philip muttered impatiently under his breath as he watched his brother like a hawk from above the high tree branch.

Sitting beside him was a bucket filled with worms.🪱

Don't ask how he got them, it's a LONG story.

He planned on dumping them on a certain witch, WHO WAS WASTING HIS TIME BY TAKING AN ETERNITY TO COME OUT!

For goodness sake, he didn't have all day.

He was a VERY busy man.

As Philip continued to wait for the deplorable she-demon to show her face, the brunette failed to notice a small sparrow land beside the bucket.

Eyeing the worms inside, the bird's intentions were quite evident.

It wanted a soft, slimy snack.

And there was a bucketful of them right there next to that hairy-looking... lumberjack???

'Boy, his ears sure are funny looking', thought the sparrow, using its beak to latch onto the nearest wiggler.

As it began to pull, Philip sees the sneaky sparrow and IMMEDIATELY shoos the bird away.

"No, no, no! Go on, shoo! Shoo! Those aren't for you!" he'd whipser shout, the bird swiftly dodging his swings.

As he watched the sparrow fly off, an annoyed 'hmph!' left his lips.

Good riddance.

He couldn't stand birds.

A bunch of greedy good for nothing thieves.

He'll never forget the time a swan stole his slice of bread when he was little.

But, that was a story for another time.

His gaze soon returns to the ground.

A conniving smirk crosses his face when his eyes spot his "target" hugged up on his brother from behind.

Look at her, all happy and smiling.

Not a care in the world.

Well, not for long.😈😼

Just when Philip's about to put his plan into motion, he hears a faint 'buzz'.

Looking to his left, he saw a baby firebee and its teeny tiny flame.👶🔥🐝

"Aww, aren't you just the cutest thing?" Philip would lightly coo at the small insect.

It was like a little fire.🔥

He brings his hands between the bug.

CLAP!

The bee was now smushed.

There.

He put it out.

Chuckles came as Philip starts to wipe the remains off his gloves.

Now, back to his--

'BUZZZZZZZ!!!'

The low and loud buzz causes Philip to slightly jump.

What the devil?

Turning back, his eyes widen in horror as he's met with a swarm of bigger, and much angrier, firebees.😡🔥🐝

Apparently, the smaller one that Philip had killed was the smallest and most favorited in the hive.

The baby of babies.

Uh oh.

This won't end well.

Meanwhile, down below, Clara sighed.

"I’ll be a good wife. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Before she could say anything else, the couple's ears pick up on the sound of a high-pitched scream.

Despite the tone, they could tell it came from a man.

Maybe.

But who?

As looks of confusion evolve on their features, the couple didn't seem to see a screaming and falling Philip land deep within the bush behind them.

The sudden scream and rustle from the bush did catch their attention as they turned around, but nothing, or no one, was there.

Huh.

Strange.

Returning their gaze to each other, Caleb simply shrugs as he sends Clara a smile.

She also shrugs and gives him her most sweetest of smiles.

Hand-in-hand, they head back inside for some quality time.

Seconds later, Philip pops his head up from the bushes, a hand going to rub the back of it as he groans in pain.

Parts of his clothes were burnt from the bees while sticks and twigs stuck out of his hair and beard, leaves included.

Great.

Could things get any wor-- Aaaaand what do you know, the bucket falls right on his head, covering him in, you guessed it, worms.

Of course.

The small sparrow from before makes a light landing on Philip's shoulder, grabbing a worm from off of him and slurping it down.

Time to get snacking.

#(the results of getting me super into a story) #(this shouldn't have been as long as it was but) #(yeah) #(lol!) #the owl house #owl house #toh #emperor belos #belos #philip wittebane #moldy crumpet husbando #caleb wittebane #english muffin husbando #clara clawthrone #wittewife #calara (caleb x clara) #writing #my writing

[simhaven]

The Greenleafs pt 5

The end of generation one is near and lowkey I don't like it.

It makes me a bit sad, but space is needed for the new generation, still it's sad when it's time for your sims to go. The Greenleaf's are now focusing on preparing things for the future generation, including securing their marriages.

(Also don't mind the makeshift in the back, that's for the new servant.)

So, I got Stone and Terra married quickly after their surprise woohoo. I couldn't take the chance of a out of wedlock scandal so soon after the class system has been put in place. It would ruin things for both the families which I am trying to avoid.

Pebbles is getting along just fine with the household, lol. Despite the noggie she's receiving, she's friends with almost everyone in the household.

As close as they are, I'm sad to say that the Greenleaf's aren't making a lot of money. I couldn't think of any business I wanted them to work so I allowed them to get outside jobs unlike many of the other lower class families and they can even go up to level 8, but the money isn't coming in fast enough. It bothers me that I couldn't completely furnish the home like I wanted to.

I didn't give them that extra money that the original rules suggested, because I get immense satisfaction when I look at a house I could build, furnish, and decorate purely from the sim's own money, so money rules like that don't appeal to me.

Still they need more money. They can't marry off their daughters without money and their non-heir males need the ability to move out into a home that's acceptable for their position. Avery doesn't have nearly as much money as he should.

I decided that Ivy would have to marry up into the Greenleaf family. She's a family sim who is losing aspiration because she has no romantic interest so far, and the Greenleaf's could use their dowry.

Avery is the only eligible man in the family since the other males are infants. Avery is an artist at heart though and a knowledge sim who isn't very interested in marriage, but the family needs this marriage.

This arrange marriage happens quickly afterward and they are sent off to establish their own household on a lot size equal to their class. The main family will send more money as soon as they have it to help fully furnish their shell a home. I hate that Avery was not fully prepared to move like I would have wanted, but the Greenleaf household had to many sims so they had to go.

Thankfully, with the help of Ivy's dowry, they were able to start a small villa with a separate room for their art gallery. Avery loves making pottery and had a load of them in his inventory to sell.

Business is going well by the look of this line. Avery quickly got a job to help support his family and he makes the pottery after work and Ivy runs the store during the day.

Thanks to some woohoo shenanigans the couple is now expecting their first child. The start of this household is a bit humble for a noble class, but it's growing. Avery is getting promotions left and right.

Baby Ophelia is soon born and the family gathers to celebrate. Even though this is an arranged marriage, it just might be the start of a beautiful relationship.

That's it for now.

Until next time.

[Back to main]

[The Greenleaf family]

#The Greenleaf family #the sims 2 test of time #test of time inspired

[jojoturnip]

"Lol it was an accident"

"Aren't all friendships?"

"Idk I'm trying really hard rn"

I'm currently hunched over my phone, staring at the blue and gray texts between us. It's been a couple of days since we'd sent them, but they haven't left my head since. I was too busy typing up a long-ass message to continue one bit of our ongoing conversation as per usual, and the topic had then changed. It would've been weird for me to bring it up in the middle of our other conversations, and so I never got the chance to respond to this exchange.

Maybe I also didn't say anything then because I know my response would be like this. A long, unwinding, unyielding story of my thoughts pouring out over my thumbs. And much of our texts that night had been about that and how I shouldn't try to relate to people through that anymore.

I can't help it, bud. So here I am. So here it is.

Accidents aren't something insignificant just because they are without intention. And, we could sit and ponder the nature of fate and coincidence and argue whether or not anything is accidental in this universe after all, I know we could. But, I won't dance around the question much here, or at least relative to how much I would typically.

When I was in pre-school, I remember this girl in my class that I thought was just the coolest. Her name was Audrey, and she was artsy and smart, and I wanted nothing more than to be her friend. I tried so hard. I brought her little gifts, I saved her the best candy I had on Valentine's day. I have a vivid memory still of trying to catch up to her after what I think was a puppet show we had both seen so that the two of us could talk about it.

None of it worked. She was a nice person, but we weren't meant to be friends.

In middle school, I did other peoples' homework, managed every group project, and researched hard into all their interests so that I could make conversation. I thought that was what you were supposed to do. Most of them ignored what I liked, if they didn't make fun of it. I wrote them gloriously elaborate stories about the entwining nature of our lives and frivolous things like fate. They liked it for a while, even making playlists and fanfictions of the characters. They liked it until it got real, and they had to see their long-crafted portrait of me fall apart as I revealed the cards I head been dealt and told them how badly I wanted a match to strike against those flimsy pieces of cardstock.

In the Iowian highschool, I was well aware that I would be bullied if I were to be myself. I tried to play the self-righteous card of "I'm going to be myself anyway!" It didn't last more than two weeks of no one shaking my hand or speaking to me or sitting next to me before I faded into colorless hull of what I used to be. I had tried so hard before: wearing funky little dresses, approaching random people all throughout the day and trying to befriend all of them. The only time I was welcomed into a group was when I led a soils judging team to victory; they only spoke to me to ask if they could cheat off my test for the next competition.

During my first year at college, I made small friend group from students I had been grouped with during orientation. I had thought it was as good as it could ever get, then. I got invited out, people wanted me over, and they shared their interests with me and were excited when I studied up on them. Sure, I was still doing their homework for them. Sure, they didn't take notice of my interests at all. Sure, I was waking myself up at absurd hours in the morning to buy hot chocolates with my own meal plan to wake them up with in the morning for their early morning classes every week, like they had asked me to since they'd known I was a morning person. And, sure, I did it all with a cheery smile, even when they cursed at the sound of my voice and rolled their eyes in my direction when I did come.

I thought that was what friendship was. Trying despite everything, trying again and again and again until it hurts.

I guess even now that I'm afraid that I still can't tell if my friends really think of me the same, or if I am, yet again, the pity friend or the one they know they can take advantage of because 'she's so nice, she'll do anything to make you happy.'

How am I supposed to tell? I don't have a good track record for this. Hindsight is 20-20, but I never once saw the signs before. How am I supposed to know if the people I've surrounded myself with actually want me around for me, just me?

That fear haunts me. The silence after showing them all my plans for writing our story has made it set ever deeper.

I think the one person, outside of my cousin and sister, that I haven't had to have the fear with recently was you. You overheard conversations between my family and I and were forced to see the filth of it, of who I was raised by and who I had become because of it. That accident became the beginning of our friendship, not just because of the self-disclosure, I think, but because of the respect and trust it built in me for you.

Because you didn't handle me like I was the naïve sunshine child that I pretend to be to avoid breaking down the image people have of me in their mind. You told me how annoying it felt when I was nice all the time. You taught me that it was okay to be angry, to be pissed with my situation and what they had done to my sister and I. You didn't shy away from the ugly that is a part of who I am, but you were honest and unafraid of hard conversations.

You shared your interests with me, and I was excited to hear about them, but I didn't feel the need to cram my brain with information about them to make talking points for us. I shared my interests back with you, and you listened even if you didn't care nearly as much about it as I did. Hell, our conversations were so choppy and incoherent half the time, but that was okay. Because sometimes it was nice just hanging around you, under the blue light of television screens, in silence or in deep chatter, or over the heavy smoke of the stove nearly burning something in the kitchen. Because both of us were making an equal effort for once.

That's why we became friends, I think.

Wow, I really did end up dancing my way through that one, didn't I? I really just wanted to tell you that I'm glad our accident happened, and I hope you're okay waiting for more accidents. Because it might take time. It took time for us to figure out our own rhythm. Be patient, and don't try so much. It's one thing to reach out to others, and it's a completely different thing to wear yourself thin by trying so hard that you destroy all your healthy boundaries and hand yourself away just to have companionship.

There is something at the core of you that you don't pay enough attention to to appreciate. I've sat and thought about a way to describe it, but no precise words to label it come easily. You care a lot, and there is a warmth inside of you that seeks to leave the everyone and everything and world itself better than when you found it. I've known a lot of people who have wanted to 'make a change,' too, but few have the resolve to actually do it. Whether it be sustainable power and energy, a triggering harassment training at a new job, or the doormat of a girl you accidently met moving into an apartment you saw on a Facebook Marketplace ad, you make positive change wherever you go.

Other people will see it, too. Accidents will happen; they always do.

#friendship #a note to a friend #my writing