#it’s so funny to me that he fought TWO separate people on their relatively first few days in camelot and the lower town was so unbothered 😂

[groundbreakingdot872]

*watching arthur fight yet another stranger in the lower town*

the townspeople: another day, another rando 🥱

#it’s so funny to me that he fought TWO separate people on their relatively first few days in camelot and the lower town was so unbothered 😂 #like this is regular entertainment for them #when’s the next tournament again? #oh whenever the next stranger shows up ig 🤧 #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #and these are all in the same season?! #arthur I love your friend making rituals you himbo 😂😂

[lilacthebooklover]

An analysis of Rococo (OMORI), because he doesn't get enough love :)

This is an analysis of Rococo as a character, looking into almost every word he says and interpreting them. It's time to find out just how tragic this funny little artist man can be >:]

"I've been alone for so long... but after what feels like an eternity... At last... I have... an audience!"// "PLEASE LISTEN! I'M SO LONELY!!"

He's been alone for ages, judging by Sweetheart’s long-lasting relationship with Spaceboy, him falling in love and moving in with SWH when she got her castle 'as a young donut', and his loneliness . This is someone who hasn't spoken to anyone in years and is willing to beg for a bit of company. 

He also clearly thrives on attention, both from this quote and the grand flamboyance of others, so being without that for so long must have been terrible for him. While 'what feels like an eternity' could quite probably be a hyperbole, he's had no way to tell the time since he's been literally trapped inside the walls.

The poor guy's so lonely . :[ 

"In the beginning was me... crying in a pod in the middle of space... witnessing my home planet blow up right before my eyes." // "I can still remember it all so vividly... Fire... Fire... everywhere... and then darkness." // "Even as a baby, I knew I was the sole survivor of my species... the last elf in the entire universe."

I know this is a Superman reference, but I’m going to treat it as its own separate thing for the sake of the backstory :)

Immediately, this shows us that he's lost his home as a child (being a literal baby when his planet was destroyed) alongside any family, friends or even people of the same species. He was completely alone from the start, and there's no way that something like this wouldn't cause issues later on.

Also, the fact that he remembers this shows two things: A- this affected him so deeply that it remains with him to the present day; and B- he can remember it despite being incredibly young. This means that it's likely he remembers a lot more , having such an extensive memory– e.g. everything that happened with SWH, too: them being close, her claiming 'Sweetheart is for everyone', himself getting abducted by the guards, every moment of living in the walls... It may be a stretch, but it's a possibility, and his storytelling shows that he may overdramatise his past a lot, but there are still some key facts within it.

The repetition of 'fire' makes it seem like he's almost reliving it, caught up in his memories. This is a tragic backstory already , and this is just the first 2 lines.

""So this is how it ends..." I thought."

There's no panic, no regret. Just pure, depressing acceptance. He was ready to die, knowing that he couldn't do anything to stop it and having been exposed to death so early on.

(This is also likely just something he made up remembering for the effect, but that shows that either then or later on, he realised he could very well have died in that desert. Ouch)

"Yet... In a stroke of luck, I was found by none other than a young DONUT by the name of SWEETHEART. She brought me to her family and they took me in as one of their own."

He and Sweetheart grew up in the same house, the same area of Faraway, best friends. They seemed to be like siblings, judging by her taking him in, them fighting, and knowing and caring about each other incredibly well. This makes her later betrayal all the more heartbreaking because this isn't just a woman Rococo's pined for before, but rather his entire world . 

He never mentions Donut Grandma or any other relatives outside of this, just her. They don't mention him, either.

 He doesn't have any friends, or a close bond with anybody , except  for Sweetheart, who intentionally locked him in her walls for years. Again, Rococo's completely alone.

"It was a rough childhood. We fought frequently, but she would always win... If I fought back... Well... ..." // "Anyway! I learned to run! And I got quite good at running… But... there's only so far you can run." // "Yes, it was a hard time. But even through that suffering, I stood firm."

I have... A lot of feelings about this part.

He describes his childhood as 'rough' even after he was rescued, which is immediately a red flag. He says that he and Sweetheart fought frequently, and it doesn't seem like any adults broke up their arguments.

Then, Rococo says that SWH always won. They would get mad or disagree, but even as a child, Sweetheart refused to accept she was wrong. This says a lot about her character; Sweetheart's always been like this.

'Fought back' means that Sweetheart had to be fighting him in the first place, and Rococo just had to take it. He was getting hurt, either physically or verbally, on the regular.

The frequent ellipsis throughout show how difficult it is for him to remember and share this. He cuts himself off a few times, his voice trailing off, while never explicitly saying what Sweetheart did.

However, as a result of Sweetheart having different opinions to him, Rococo 'learned to run' . This means he had to be running from something, his forced cheer at the matter and determination to change subjects and make his story dramatic and lighthearted again demonstrated through the exclamation mark. 

Then, there's the phrase, '...there's only so far you can run'. He's speaking from experience here, and it really brings to question again just what he had to run from, and why. 

Furthermore, this is immediately followed by, 'Yes, it was a hard time', showing that he found simply growing up around her– and having reason to run– difficult. This is to be expected growing up with Sweetheart, but the fact that he didn’t seem to have anyone else means that she was his only company constantly. His childhood is far sadder than I initially realised.

'Suffering' again shows us just how much he endured as a child; I'll go back into this in the next point.

"Because even then, I knew everything had a purpose. I was sent to this planet and survived for one reason and one reason only... to repopulate my entire species."

Rococo ploughed through his 'suffering' for only one reason: he felt it was his obligation to repopulate his wiped-out species. That's... Actually really disturbing, when you think about it.

Rococo doesn't think he's alive for the sake of being alive. He doesn't think he was just fortunate enough to survive. He believes that he has been kept alive by the fates solely in order to procreate.

This is an impossible goal, too, since he is the only one left. There are no other elves for him to have kids with– even if they were, options for partners would be incredibly limited and based not on love, but necessity. At best, he could make hybrid elf-donut kids with Sweetheart, but he can't repopulate his species. What he views as his only purpose is one he isn't even able to fulfil.

This is also a huge weight on his shoulders. There would always be that sense of estrangement since he is the only one of his kind, his desire to make more showcasing even that hidden hope for those like him. Because people like to be around those of the same likes, interests and species , but for Rococo, that last bit's impossible.

Loneliness is the centre of his entire backstory, and has followed him relentlessly throughout. 

"There is a conspicuous gap in my memory after this, so I'll fast-forward a few years." // "At some point... SWEETHEART and I fell deeply in love, became engaged, and moved to this giant castle together!"

This has some truly horrible implications. 

Rococo, having remembered his time as a literal baby, lost an entire chunk of his memories as a (presumable) adult? It doesn't seem likely, and 'conspicuous' only further supports this.

The fact that this is immediately followed by him and SWH falling in love seems wrong , to say the least. Rococo has just said he suffered at her hands, fought frequently with her, learned to run because of her, and now, he doesn't even remember falling in love with her.

One moment, he's living in Orange Oasis with his adoptive family. In the next, he's engaged to Sweetheart in a giant pink castle with no clue how he got there.

What seems more likely is that Sweetheart, who loves people loving her , got frustrated with Rococo's lack of blind adoration and decided to do something about it. 

It seems that here is when she encountered the Keeper of the Castle, who she begged to make the castle hers. In the Keeper's words: "That girl. She was an elaborate one.

This dwelling. It takes the shape of one's deepest desires. A place to return to. Somewhere to call home."

Her 'deepest desires' resulted in Rococo having a years-long gap in his memory before finding out he was apparently in love with and engaged to Sweetheart. He probably believed this, too, as by that point, he would have been affected by the Castle he now resided within. 

The Keeper said he gave her "A castle full of riches, servants for her to command, a stage for her to flaunt her power". He does not mention Rococo, but this tells us about SWH's desire for power and reveals that the sprout moles are either of Sweetheart’s creation/wants or were tricked into loving her.

If it is the latter, the same would have likely applied to Rococo.

"We were inseparable, her and I... and we loved each other dearly! I would do anything for her, and I mean anything!"

The ellipsis here indicates either that Rococo looks back on this fondly or with unease. The following exclamation mark again shows that he's trying to make his story seem happy, trying to convince himself that the only person he was close to genuinely cared about him as a person.

The emphasis on 'anything' once again contradicts his feelings prior to the memory gap, suggesting that Rococo's mind has, in fact, been tampered with. There is no mention of SWH doing anything for him– only the Keeper' remark on her hunger for power.

Needless to say, this doesn't suggest that their relationship was particularly healthy .

"I was ready to spend the rest of our lives together... to grow old... and to raise hundreds upon hundreds of children!" // "Hmm... Thinking about it now, I wonder if I ever made that clear to her."

Again, he longs for people of the same type and is excited to fulfil what he believes is his purpose. He made it clear quite early on that he's always wanted to be a father, so him not mentioning this to Sweetheart ever seems unlikely. 

Knowing SWH, she was probably far more focused on her own wants than Rococo's, regardless of his feelings. Their relationship was based off of what she wanted– and it seemed that Rococo grew a little too attached for her liking.

"Alas, all good times must come to an end. As SWEETHEART's fan base grew, she and I grew apart as well."

He views their relationship as 'good times', despite what he's depicted being sudden and unequally reciprocated devotion. As Sweetheart became more centred on her fame and fans, Rococo grew more and more alone. 

Again .

"She began receiving gifts and letters from suitors from all over the universe... asking for a chance to prove their love to her."

The ellipsis once again shows his hesitation. He doesn't want to remember this, yet recounts it all the same as it is an integral part of his story. She’s the only person he has, and Rococo doesn’t want to lose her.

Don't forget that by this point, he and Sweetheart were engaged . 

"Being her one true love, I was vehemently against this notion! But she wouldn't have it!" // "“SWEETHEART is for sharing!” she would say!"

They are planning on getting married by this point. Sweetheart is all Rococo has, and he has said that he would have done anything for her.

And yet, that wasn't enough for Sweetheart. Rococo is being perfectly reasonable here, yet once again, he suffered as a result. This is a sad echo of their apparent fights as children.

"..." // "So... one night while I was asleep... SWEETHEART and her servants tied me up and sealed me inside the walls of her castle."

The pause here shows his sadness at this, seeming to have to take a moment for himself before speaking. Here, his grandeur is gone, replaced by pure misery.

Sweetheart assisted in tying him up, and as the guards were manifested from her desires, them helping her get rid of him shows that she simply no longer desired Rococo.

This would have been traumatising in itself– being kidnapped in the middle of the night and aware enough to see your attackers–, but the fact that Rococo knew and trusted her so much makes this even sadder.

He had nobody else, and Sweetheart sealed him away for what was probably intended to be forever. Rococo, once again, was alone .

"I have been wandering aimlessly through the darkness inside the walls ever since... surviving off old TOAST and TOFU." // "Yes... You four are the first living beings I have seen since that fateful day."

Firstly... Toast? As in, toast that people become if they lose a fight? As in, toast that is essentially dead bodies?

Considering all of Sweetheart’s skeletons in the dungeon, it would not be a surprise if the corpses of those she executed were also thrown into the walls– anything SWH didn't want, after all.

Rococo, potentially having never been exposed to the concept of toast=person, had to survive off of this. What's even worse is that he could have known what it was yet had no choice but to eat it, supported by the use of ‘living’ in the above quote. This also means he's been here for a while , long enough to start starving and for SWH to make through multiple seasons of a show and date Spaceboy.

If that isn't a horrifying thought, then what is?

Secondly, he became absolutely isolated after this. Left with no closure and no explanation, Rococo can only wonder what went so wrong for this to happen.

Living in the walls means he could have been able to hear everything SWH was doing– including her courtship of Spaceboy and 'Sweetheart Quest for Hearts'.

Either that, or he’s been exposed to no other form of human contact for years. He's also in a dungeon , with no natural light and a distinct lack of hygiene or, well, anything really.

"Sniff... Oh... SWEETHEART... Why did you do it? Was I not good enough for you?"

He doesn't blame her. He doesn't blame the fans.

Rococo blames himself .

His idea of 'not being good enough' for Sweetheart is equivalent to him being locked in her walls to rot for years. This is someone who is very much not okay.

He has to stop himself from crying here, sniffing as he laments what he views as his failure. Because Rococo has been alone for his entire life, and Sweetheart was the only exception.

He loved her more than anything, so it's hard for him even after he's found to view her as in the wrong. Sweetheart, after all, was always the one to win their arguments, to do something that caused Rococo to run if he fought back.

!

"Sigh... For the last few years, I've had a long time to think." // "I kind of gave up on my dreams and all that stuff now... It all seems so far away and pointless..." // "So... I've decided to drop everything and become an artist instead!"

He's given up on his dreams. Rococo's main one was to repopulate his species, but now, he can't think of anyone who loves him. It takes two people to make a child, and Rococo's all alone.

So, he's left without a purpose. He has nothing to do but utilise his surroundings– until Omori & co. find him, Rococo believes he's never going to leave the dungeon. So, he decides to use what he has available.

And that's painting supplies. He aspires to become an artist, waiting and waiting for anyone to make art for. He's desperate to be commissioned, to have a purpose again.

We never actually see him leave the dungeon, but he had to be getting those bed upgrades from somewhere . Imagine, after years of solitude, Rococo finally manages to leave the walls, only to retreat back to them at the first possible opportunity. He doesn't know how to live anymore, how to be around other people.

He feels incredibly lonely, but can't find the strength to interact with others anymore.

Art becomes his only reason for existing, Rococo devoting every bit of his time to it until he masters it. But then...

"Thank you, fellow living beings. Through these few commissions... I feel as if I had made great leaps in my quest of self-discovery in the process. I am also very rich now." // "I can do no more for you! I truly feel complete!"

'Fellow living beings'. Rococo's so socially awkward by this point that it's not even funny (okay, maybe it's a little funny). He feels the need to remind himself that he is, in fact, still alive.

He 'feels complete'. There's nothing more for him. He is ready to pass away.

Now, Rococo has managed to 'find his purpose', be it what he originally intended or not. He's become as good as he can at what he focused on doing, except...

...There's nowhere to go from there. 

Rococo will inevitably be left alone once again, trapped in a cycle of loneliness and purposelessness. If his purpose is to be an artist, how will he get any better than he already is? If he wants to spend his money, what will he use it on?

At the end of this story, just like the rest of the points throughout, Rococo is still alone. 

He has money, he has his art, he has a comfortable bed, but he still possesses a total of zero friends. Omori and co. are customers. Sweetheart is in Deeper Well, working for the Slime Girls and not giving a toss about him. None of his adoptive relatives in Orange Oasis seem to care about him.

Rococo always has been, and seemingly always will be, all by himself– all the way up until he dies, just like the rest of his kind. He was never able to complete his original goal, he is left with nothing more to do after completing his last commission, and he has nothing more to spend his money on.

Because Rococo is alone once again

The End :)

Huh, that turned out a little longer than I thought it would. Oh well :)

Rococo's such a fun character but I barely see anyone talking about him, so I hope you enjoyed this little look into him! He's so silly and dramatic and angsty :D

Thanks for getting this far lol

#rococo #rococo omori #omori #analysis #character analysis #omori sweetheart #omori rococo #angst #character study #sweetheart omori #this guy's been trapped in the walls for years #and nobody talks about it #he's such an angsty little elf man #give him some love :)

[astradrifting]

GRRM really created so many parallels and foreshadow using the DoD characters that honestly we could just figure the asoiaf ending by analyzing it. My favorite is the Aegon III-D@ny parallels, the fact that one of his closest allies was a face-scarred Master of coin Lannister who ended as Hand to Bran' parallel character just make it so obvious its funny.

Oh my god I didn’t even realise Tyland Lannister was initially on the greens’ side! I’m not super fond of Tyrion ending up as Hand, but you’re right that it’s so obviously meant to reference him. There’s so many parallels that it’s a little crazy. I don’t want to say that the second Dance will end exactly as the first did, it’d be a little too neat if history repeated entirely, but you can see so many echoes of it even in the show’s bastardised ending.

“The broken, shattered realm suffered for a while yet, but the Dance of the Dragons was done. Now what awaited the realm was the False Dawn, the Hour of the Wolf, the rule of the regents, and the Broken King.”

(TWOIAF, Aegon II)

I’m not sure what the False Dawn is going to parallel to, it refers to the period of time after Aegon II’s death but before Lord Stark got to King’s Landing, when people thought that peace had finally come. It kind of brings to mind the War for the Dawn, though personally I think that the threat of the Others will be resolved before the Dance is over. The Hour of the Wolf is obviously about House Stark’s rise back to power, and the Broken King is Bran - though if he actually becomes known as Bran the Broken I might end up committing violence ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. 

The parts about Lord Corlys Velaryon are why I’m so hopeful that Jon’s book ending will be completely different from the show’s. He’s arrested for Aegon II’s death by Cregan Stark, even though Cregan had previously declared for Rhaenyra, because as TWOIAF puts it, “to kill a cruel and unjust king in lawful battle was one thing. But foul murder, and the use of poison, was a betrayal against the very gods who had anointed him.”

Corlys didn’t deny his guilt, and expressed no regret. “What I did, I did for the good of the realm. I would do the same again. The madness had to end.”

Cregan Stark declared him to be guilty of murder, regicide, and high treason, and he was sentenced to execution. But many spoke in his defence, even people who had fought against him in the Dance. Baela and Rhaena Targaryen, Corlys’ granddaughters and Aegon III’s half-sisters, convinced Aegon to issue an edict pardoning Lord Velaryon, which Alysanne Blackwood then convinced Cregan to let stand. Lord Velaryon was pardoned and even restored to his offices and honours, made one of the king’s regents and given a place on the small council.

Corlys’ words definitely could be Jon’s as well, a much more in-character declaration post-D@ny’s death than the drivel GoT tried to feed us. I was worried for a bit that this would be how Tyrion is let off scot-free, but Baela and Rhaena, who were vital to his release, are such obvious Arya and Sansa stand-ins, and they’re certainly not going to expend any effort in helping Tyrion. So Corlys’ circumstances more likely lays the groundwork for how Jon will be freed and remain in political power, while Tyland frankly inexplicably becoming Aegon III’s Hand after he was in favour of brutally killing him parallels Tyrion managing to fail up, as a way of reconciling the old regime with the new one.

This makes Tyrion becoming Hand more palatable IMO. Either Jon and Tyrion both should have been punished or neither should have been punished, not the travesty where Tyrion gets everything he’s ever wanted while Jon is exiled to a Watch with no purpose and a Wall that’s already half-collapsed, so what exactly can it protect against? I suppose they were afraid of seemingly rewarding Jon for killing d@ny, especially if pol!Jon had been revealed, but most people noticed how nonsensical his ending was, and it just led to ‘Bloodraven/Bran is the real villain’ takes anyway.

(Side note: Asha/Yara basically still being loyal to D at the end annoys me so much, and made no sense. Jon did more to help save her by giving Theon that pep talk than D@ny did. Maybe it was a leftover from her taking Victarion’s role in the story, but in no reasonable world is anyone going to listen to the Ironborn who brought the Fire threat over in the first place.)

Of course Tyland Lannister isn’t actually Hand for long, given that he dies barely two years later from Winter Fever, feared and hated, alone except for a maester and King Aegon. It might be an indication that Tyrion will face a similar fate, that he’ll die after he’s seemingly won, exactly what he threatened Cersei with:

“A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid."

(ACOK, Tyrion XII)

So that I can stop talking about Tyrion, here’s some facts about Rhaena and Baela that are obviously meant to reference Sansa and Arya, so much so that it feels a little bit like GRRM is winking and going “See what I did there? Huh? Huh? Did you see??”:

- their descriptions: “Rhaena was slender and graceful; Baela was lean and quick; Rhaena loved to dance; Baela lived to ride...” + “Baela was wild and willful”, “more boyish than ladylike”, and kept her hair cropped short as a boy’s

- Rhaena spent most of the Dance in the Vale, where she lived in relative comfort as the ward of Lady Jeyne Arryn. Baela was a dragonrider and so moved between Dragonstone and Driftmark, but was captured on Dragonstone when Aegon II descended upon it

- Rhaena was favoured to be queen after her brother, considered more qualified than her wild sister

- Baela liked to spend time with “unsuitable companions” she would bring to the Red Keep - including a comely juggler, a blacksmith’s apprentice whose muscles she admired (!!!), a legless beggar, a pair of twin girls from a brothel, an entire troupe of mummers once

- After her brother’s regents tried to marry her to a lord 40 years older than her, Baela escaped the Red Keep by climbing out of a window, trading clothes with a washerwoman, then walking right out of the front gate. She ran away to Driftmark and married her supposed cousin (though more likely he was her half-uncle), the legitimised bastard Alyn Velaryon, which might have had me worried about j0nrya if Alyn weren’t best known for being a daring sailor who went on many voyages, including sailing the Sunset Sea, until he was finally lost at sea during Aegon IV’s reign. Alyn’s mother was also called Mouse, for being “small, quick, and always underfoot.”

- another fun fact about Alyn: he’s a bad haggler, and had to agree to a high ransom and many concessions in order to get Prince Viserys returned to Westeros. This automatically disqualifies him as a Jon stand-in, because as we all know, Jon Snow can haggle like the best of fishwives.

- My absolutely favourite detail that has my jonsa heart singing - Rhaena was more dutiful than her sister and would have married a man that the king and council chose, saying that as long as he was “kind and gentle and noble, I know that I shall love him.” She was able to marry her first choice, whom the regents didn’t immediately approve of but that they ultimately accepted  - Ser Corwyn Corbray, the brother of the Lord Protector of the Realm, a second son (!) whose late father had gifted him the Valyrian steel sword Lady Forlorn (!!!)

And as a treat for @istumpysk, some similarities between Rickon and Viserys II!

- the youngest child of their family

- separated from their older brother after they were forced to flee their home, trying to get to safety while their other brothers and mother were at war

- worshipped their oldest (half-)brothers, but were closer to the brother nearest their age

- spends the war stuck on an island, populated by people closely linked to their family’s origins - Skagosi are descended mostly from the First Men, while Viserys was on Lys, where the blood of Old Valyria still runs strong

- sought by/held hostage by a powerful and wealthy family, who will treat them well but whose intentions are dubious

- will be brought back from exile by an upjumped bastard/commoner from a port town who was raised to lordship and became their monarch’s chief admiral

- after they are returned, long after the wars and crises, is happily welcomed as the heir to their older brother’s throne (shhhhh just let me have this, let the baby live)

Thanks for the ask!

#astra rambles #asks #its not quite 5000 words but i got it in under the deadline stumpy :P #half speculation half 'my wildest dreams and hopes' #anti tyrion lannister #kind of #rickon stark #jon snow #sansa stark #arya stark #anti got #speculation #meta #dod 2.0 #dod parallels

[innocent-chris-evans-slut]

The Assistant - Part Five

My Masterlist ✨

Series: The Assistant - Part Five

Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four

Word Count: 3.3k

Type: angst

Summary: Y/N is Ransom Dysdale’s assistant. She’s the closest person to him and spends everyday with him at his house. Usually she gets in at nine o’clock and makes sure everything is perfect. One day he doesn’t want to get up and Y/N goes in his room. She finds a surprise.

Warning(s): some swearing, Ransom being an asshole

You wanted to let Ransom come in. You couldn’t lie to yourself; since the moment he had told you would have joined him on his business trip, you first thought was that he would have dragged you in his room and -to be honest- you quite liked the idea.

All the things you’d thought he would have done to you. Maybe Ransom would have forced you to bed all day long and you wouldn’t have fought it.

What Ransom Drysdale wanted; Ransom Drysdale obtained.

You couldn’t deny it, you started feeling something for him. You didn’t want to label it -because, for sure, you would have label it as ‘love’.

You had never experienced anything like that. Your body was aware every time Ransom was in the same room as yours; your cheeks would heat, a shiver would go down your spine, and your knees would cave in. Then there was another part of your body which would be aware of his presence in a crowded room: your core. Your clit would throb, and your slips would be wet just at his first glance.

The day after you got up early in the morning, remembering that the last part of your thesis was to be written and after that you would be able to send it to your Professor. And you thought you could have finished it before going back to Boston -maybe check the form and the grammar once on the plane.

At ten in the morning you were dressed and ready to knock on Ransom’s room’s door, yet none -on inside the room- answered you. You stayed there, uncertain about what to do. Should you have called him, or not? It was your boss and you had to be sure where he was; on the other hand, Ransom was a grown man and he could take care of himself.

Still reluctant, you walked away and reached the bar at the first floor of the hotel. There you met James Barnes, drinking coffee and reading the first page of the newspaper, “Good morning”, he smiled at you and offered you a cup of coffee like his.

“Thank you, Mr. Barnes”, you left sugar fall into your cup and placed it back on the counter once it was enough, “How are you?” you clearly didn’t know what to say to him, yet you didn’t want to stay silent.

“Pretty good. How was your night?” he closed the paper and turned completely to you, his piercing blue eyes on you. Yet they weren’t like his, you loved his eyes.

“The mattress is really comfortable. Nothing compared to my bed in Boston”, you took a long drink of coffee and felt caffeine running into your veins, definitely waking you up. “If I can ask, where’s your assistant?” it wasn’t something like her to leave Barnes alone at the bar.

“I don’t know. She wasn’t in her room this morning.”

Funny, you though, Ransom wasn’t-

And, as if someone had stabbed you right into your chest, the realization hit you violently. You set your coffee down on the counter and tried not to choke on your own saliva.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Barnes tried his best to help you, yet he didn’t know why -all of a sudden- you became pale, as if you’d seen a ghost, “I really don’t want- Are you fucking kidding me?” he made sure you were okay, before approaching someone behind your back.

You turned and you were stabbed another time: in front of you there were Ransom -your Ransom- and Jenny entering the dining room with a huge smile on their faces.

Barnes was in front of them before you could and, judging by his hands closed in fists and his grinded teeth, he wasn’t less happy than you to see them.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Drysdale? My assistant?”

The entire room was now paying attention the group right next the entrance. You jumped down the stool and approached them, in the meantime apologizing for the noises, “Mr. Barnes, Mr. Drysdale, I would be better to discuss outside”, you pushed them out of the dining room and led them to the less crowded area in the hotel’s garden.

“I’m gonna ask this only once”, Barnes’ whole attention is on his assistant. Only her. “Were you with him the entire night?”

Jenny shared a look with Ransom, who had become the most horrifying human being at your eyes, “Yes”, she didn’t even flinch when Barnes’ fist crushed on his friend’s jaw. She screamed, while you got between them, desperately trying to separate them.

“James! Ransom! Stop!” though you were much less strong than them, you pushed Mr. Barnes to a side and Ransom to another, finally making them stop.

“Get out of here!”, the man with long brown hair yelled in the middle of the corridor, “I don’t wanna see you ever again!”

Ransom was about to reply when you yanked him, motioning with your eyes to get back to his room. The last thing you wanted was a picture of Ransom punching his best friend in Miami. When you finally got him walking to the elevator, you glanced over Barnes, making sure he was okay.

“Take him back home”, was the only thing he said to you, before disappearing behind the doors of the dining room.

Once he had closed the door of his room behind his back, Ransom started cursing and throwing everything away. First of all, the sheets on his bed, on the floor one second later he had entered the bedroom, soon followed by pillows, couch’s cushions and other covers from the wardrobe. Not happy with the mess, he threw his suitcase out the closet and filled it up with all his clothes.

“Fucking Barnes and fucking Jeanie, Jimmy or whatever her name is”, a bottle of Whiskey crushed on the wall and the liquid inside of it poured on the wall and on the white carpet on the floor, “Her and her stupid boss. How dar-“

The door of his room opened, revealing you behind it, “Mr. Drysdale, the plane will leave in a coupl- What the hell happened here?” you had a quick look around the room and it seemed like you had to hand a couple of thousand dollars to the receptionist on turn, “What did you do?”

Ransom turned towards you, an angry look on his face, “Of all people you come here, teaching me a fucking lesson”, he approached you with a killing glare, “Guess what? You can’t. You’re my fucking assistant and your job is to make sure my plane is ready in an hour. Nothing more”, having said that, Ransom got rid of his shirt and headed to the bathroom, closing the door with a loud noise.

When he was out of your sight you sat down on his undone bed and recollected all the things he had thrown away. You put his clothes in his suitcases and tried to tidy the room up -with mediocre results. Once the room had been cleaned enough, you sat at the table, waiting for your boss to show up.

Since that moment Ransom Drysdale was no more than your boss. Everything that had happened between the two of you was nothing and it clearly had no importance for him, or else he wouldn’t have ‘cheated’ on you with Jenny. But could you really talk about cheating? In fact nothing was going on between you and, evidently he didn’t feel the same about you. No butterflies in the stomach when he saw you, no feeling of breathtaking when he saw you entering his office.

Nothing like that.

Nothing like how you felt being around him. From your point of view, butterflies had taken residency in your stomach since last month. Your knees would melt every time Ransom looked at you, just like your heart every time he commented your outfits, every time he decided to grab dinner, or lunch with you, instead of calling the service in his room. And then there was your skin, which would burn every time Ransom brushed against you, touched you, or simply looked at you with eyes full of lust.

You were falling hard for Ransom Drysdale -you knew it- and you couldn’t help it.

Nothing more than foreplays had happened between you and Ransom. Or better, something could have happened, if only he didn’t decide to fuck everything up the night before.

With Jenny.

When you let out a sob, you realized you were crying, so you wrote a note to Ransom, telling him you were in your room packing up, which wasn’t a lie since you really had to pack and you still were at a dead point.

Ransom heard you leaving, he heard the door being shut by you and he closed the stream of water in the shower. Of course, he wasn’t, he was just waiting for you to get out of his room so that he was free to get outside without having to look you in your eyes.

Your empty eyes.

Ransom Drysdale was an asshole, yet he still could recognize his feelings and he really didn’t like what his heart said about you. It would beat so fast every time he was around you and he certainly didn’t like how much he quivered every time you were around him. It was so strange for him to experience some kinds of feelings -feeling he had never experienced before you’d come in his life. You brought him back to his childhood, with your scent of berries and wood. Quite an odd mix, though it reminded him of his childhood -entirely spent with his grandfather at his manor. It recalled at his memory the moments he had spent with his family, when he believed that actually someone cared about him. Growing up Ransom discovered that none of his parents -or relatives- took care of him and as time passed, he became what he was at that moment.

A perfect asshole who could have done the biggest mistake of his life.

You barely stand out a word on the plane, back to Boston. The flight took three hours and a half to land in Massachusetts; you worked on your thesis the entire time, finally finishing it up. Once at home you would have been able to edit it and eventually delivering to your Professor.

You kept yourself far away from your boss, avoiding eye contact and talking to him only if strictly necessary. You saw as he smiled at the flight attendant, who had offered him a drink, or at the pilot, who showed him the route before the take-off. Yet when it came to look at you, his eyes were empty, no emotion showed and definitely he hadn’t talked to you until the plane landed in Boston.

“I’ll wait in the car”, as soon as his feet touched the ground, Ransom literally walked away from you, still near the flight assistants waiting for your luggage and making sure the right ones were delivered to you in the late afternoon.

You thanked those you had flight with and greet them. Not knowing that would be your last time flying with them.

Once in the car, you found Ransom wearing his sunglasses, which was strange considered that he hated having them on in enclosed spaces -especially narrow spaces. But you didn’t say anything, too scared of his reaction or just too scared to be ignored by the man, you had acknowledged, you were falling for.

The ride home, just like the entire flight, was silent. The only noises in the car were made by your breaths, which to the both of you seemed too heavy. You heard Ransom clearing his throat more than once; you pretended it’d never happened and kept your eyes on the road.

Then he decided to talk: “I’d like you to sit in the front seats from next time”, he turned to you and added: “Actually there won’t be another time. You’re fired”.

Just like your heart in the moment, the car stopped its ride in front of Ransom’s house and the driver got out of it -as if he was leaving you two to discuss the bomb your boss had just dropped.

“Excuse me?” you tuned your body completely towards him, shocked by his words, “Did I miss something? Or are you out of your mind?” and you were certain it was the second one. Until he confirmed you that he was firing you.

“As a king would say: your services are no longer needed. You’re free to go”, he made a quick movement with his hand and in a matter of seconds he was out of the car, heading to the front door of his house.

“What?” you mumbled to yourself, still alone in the car. The you got out of it and followed your boss -or former boss- inside his house. “What?!” you shouted in the empty and silent house. Your voice echoed between the walls, “Do you think it is that simple to throw me out of your house, and life?”

“Actually”, Ransom turned towards you as he untightened the blue tie around his neck, “Yes, it is”, he threw his phone on the couch and sat down, “Now, grab all your belongings and get out of my house”.

You stood there, in silence, as you watched him getting rid of you as if you were an old piece of furniture, “Why are you doing this?” it came out as no more than a whisper but in the empty house Ransom heard it as if you’d yelled it.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you. Put your things away and get the fuck out of my house”, his voice is calm. Dead calm. Too calm for Ransom Drysdale. You couldn’t see it. None could. But Ransom was holding back his tears, he just hoped you would get out of there in the next two minutes, otherwise he would have forced you to. “Get out.”

“No. Look me in the eyes and tell me why you’re firing me”, you imitated his tone, standing erect in front of him -blocking his view on the TV. “Tell me, Ransom!”

“’Cause you’re not as good as you think you are. ‘Cause you’re nothing special. Y/N Y/L/N you are replaceable, just like everyone else”, Ransom got up and approached you, towering over your tiny figure, “Yet, where’s the problem? Today or in a week, does it change anything for you?”

And in that precise moment you understand. Everything is clearer at your eyes.

“H-how did you-“

“How did I find your letter of resignation? You know, keep it in a drawer in my office wasn’t your brightest idea.”

You couldn’t say anything. He was right.

When you first had written that letter, you hoped you’d never drop it on his desk, that maybe you’d continue being his assistant for ever. Though the thought of getting out of that house had crossed your mind more than once in the last months. You began to worry a couple of weeks back; “how do I tell him that I’m leaving?” “how can I sugarcoat it?”. All of a sudden, all your worries faded away and you were in front of Ransom, who was waiting for you to tell anything.

He really hoped you would say something, maybe even tie yourself in his house, to the couch, or chair, or desk. He wasn’t strong enough to keep you there, to prevent you from step out of his door, to tell you to stay there and hold him.

Hold him.

For the first time in years he admitted he needed someone. And that someone was you.

Yet he wasn’t brave enough to admit it out loud, not brave enough to grab you and force you to stay with him.

Maybe she understands, he thought, but you didn’t.

You were empty, neither an emotion crossed your face as you stayed there, on your feet, your arms rested at both sides of your body and you stared at him, your eyes cold like a stone can be, “So…that’s how it is gonna end? With you kicking me out?” you grabbed your bag and put it over your shoulder, “That’s fine, if it’s what you want”. You were on your way to the door, one hand on the handle when you turned around to face him, “You know what? If this is the last time I’ll ever see you, I’m gonna say a few things”. You completely turned towards his and kept going: “Probably you haven’t read the letter. Actually, I’m pretty sure of it. But I ask- no, I want you to read it once I’ll be gone”, you swallowed the knot in your throat and fought the tears which were about to run down your cheeks, “You’re a coward, Ransom Drysdale. The biggest coward I’ve ever met. You think you are an asshole and everything. The truth is that you’re afraid of risking in your life. You’ll lose everyone. You will lose the one you care about and those who care about you. Those who love you. Those who would do anything for you. Ransom Drysdale you’re weak. Once I’ll be outside, I’ll never come back”.

Having said that, you opened the door and rushed outside. Before jumping in your car, you looked over your shoulder and for the first time ever since the day you met him, you saw a vulnerable Ransom Drysdale, through the window. He got rid of his sunglasses and that was the moment in which you saw the built, strong man crying.

The teenage girl inside you -the one who dreamt about a fairytale for years- wanted to get back inside, hug him and tell him you weren’t going anywhere without him. It was your heart talking. Your mind, instead, was telling you to run away from there as soon as possible. And you did it. Without thinking about it twice.

You were running away from Ransom and, unconsciously, from the only person you loved and cared about you.

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[amanda-teaches]

The Piers of Brooklyn

Marvel Fanfic

Summary: After moving in with the Avengers, Bucky finds himself struggling to let go of his past and find himself again. What he needs is a little help to remind him that he’s home.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2144

Warnings: A lot of emotions, self-doubt and a glimpse of PTSD from Bucky, bittersweet fluff. This is canon-divergent where Bucky joins the group right after CATWS instead of going on the run.

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing for Marvel, and I’m really excited about it. It was written for one of my favorite people, @pinknerdpanda​, and her Birthday Challenge. This story was inspired by the song Beyond by Leon Bridges, and the lyrics are interspersed within. It was also written from a request for my 2k challenge from my beautiful friend, @hannahindie​, who was amazing enough to read this over for me. I was a little nervous writing for a new character and a new fandom, so any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. 

When Bucky first moved into the tower, he did everything he could to adjust, to put his past behind him, become just another member of the team.

He attended the parties, trained with the others, smiled through the group dinners. But, there was always something missing. No matter how hard he tried, a part of him always had his guard up, keeping him separate, walled off from the others. He didn’t know if it was to protect himself from everyone else, or to protect them from him.

Steve was his usual puppy dog self, assuring him that everyone had moved past what he’d done, that they knew it was the programming, not him. His therapist said the same thing, that it wasn’t him, he was powerless to stop it, but every time he looked in Stark’s eyes, he saw his parents. Every time Natasha handed him a cup of coffee or he ran with Sam, he re-lived all of his sins, everything he’d done to hurt them and so many others.

Steve could say that they’d forgiven him all he wanted, but the truth of it all was that Bucky hadn’t forgiven himself. How could he ever expect anyone else to?

So, he moved through his days on autopilot, a part of him always struggling to rediscover that piece of him he’d lost when he fell into that river all those years ago. He saw glimpses of it when he was around Steve, but it felt like seeing someone above water when you were drowning. Blurry and unreachable. It wasn’t until he met you that he felt like he could finally start swimming to the surface.

You moved into the tower a few months after Bucky, having been stationed in D.C. before that. You’d fought against HYDRA during the Battle at the Triskelion, working closely with Steve, Natasha, and Sam, but you’d never actually crossed paths with Bucky. When the fight was over, and Steve had brought Bucky back to New York for rehabilitation, you’d stayed behind in D.C. to deal with the fallout.

With S.H.I.E.L.D essentially disbanded, you found yourself out of a job, so Steve invited you to join the Avengers in their missions to combat the ever-present threat of HYDRA. You’d accepted, packing up your things and making the move up the coast to Manhattan.

You’d settled in easily at the tower, proving yourself a valuable asset on missions and becoming fast friends with the others in the downtime. But, what Bucky found the most interesting was how you’d reacted to him. All of the others, though polite, had initially been distant with him, slow to trust until he could show the Winter Soldier wasn’t who he was anymore. But, you were the exact opposite.

You’d gravitated towards him. The second you moved in, you’d made it a point to invite him to work out with you and include him in activities, both inside and outside the tower. Every movie night, you sat next to him. Every trip to the zoo, you dragged him with you. He knew you were trying to help him heal, get him to find the joy in the normalcy of life, but you never forced him. You were just right by his side, holding his hand the entire way.

It was his lifeline. You were his lifeline. And, he knew, no matter how strong everyone thought he was, one of the biggest reasons he was healing was you.

For months, the two of you continued this way, falling into a comfortable pattern between missions. But, every Saturday, Bucky would break the pattern, going off on his own for a few hours and leaving you behind.

He knew it drove you crazy. When this started, you’d ask what he was doing when he returned at night, but he never told you. He couldn’t tell you.

Eventually, you stopped asking, assuming it was something too personal, a wall he wasn’t ready to let down yet. But, you never stopped wondering where he disappeared to every Saturday. And, he knew it. It was the part of himself he held back, and he vowed that, someday, he’d find the courage to show it to you.

Don't wanna get ahead of myself

Feeling things I've never felt

It's kinda hard for me to explain

Her personality and everything

Brings me to my knees, oh

She shines me up like gold on my arm

Do you think I'm being foolish if I don't rush in?

It was a rainy February Saturday when Bucky finally, fully, let you in.

Most of the Avengers were occupied for the day, either out or working in different parts of the tower. You knew today was Bucky’s day to disappear for the afternoon, so you popped some popcorn and set yourself up in front of Tony’s wide-screen movie-theater-worthy tv. You’d just picked up the remote to dig in when Bucky appeared in the doorway, leaning casually against the wooden frame.

“Hey!” you said, almost dropping your popcorn in surprise. “What’re you still doing here? I thought you’d left already.”

“Yeah, I was on my way.” He shot you a lop-sided grin, locks of his hair falling into his face. “I was wondering, maybe, you know if you weren’t busy, if you’d possibly want to come with me today.”

A rush of excitement flowed through you. You knew how important this alone time was to him and what it must have taken for him to ask you, so you knew how big of a deal this was. Plus, he looked so damn nervous, you couldn’t help but smile. “I thought no one was allowed to come with you, not even Steve.”

His grin wided, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re my one exception. You comin’ or not?”

You laughed at his teasing bravado, but you jumped up immediately, following him to the garage.

You both decided to take Bucky’s bike, and, with your arms wrapped securely around his waist and your cheek pressed against his back, the two of you zoomed in and out of the New York traffic. At some point, the traffic began to thin out and Bucky began to slow, but you weren’t quite sure where you were.

He drew to a stop by a wide stretch of grass, and you could see the water beyond the trees, but not much else. “Where are we?”

He grabbed the helmet from you, placing it on the bike beside his, and smiled softly. “Brooklyn.”

You expected more of an explanation, but Bucky just turned, starting to stride across the grass without saying anything more, not even waiting for you to follow him. 

Damn, was he frustrating.

You sighed and hurried after him, trying to take stock of your surroundings as you worked to keep up. Bucky was a super soldier, so about three of your steps equaled one of his, but he slowed when you neared him, giving you an opportunity to look around.

The grassy area was ending, opening up to the expansive view of New York Harbor in front of you. A pier stretched out to your right, and Bucky made a beeline for it, with you following. You could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance, with the Manhattan skyline and the East River beyond it.

The pier was relatively short, with wavy, black curves painted on the concrete and old-fashioned street lamps punctuating the railing. They turned on while you walked, signalling that night was approaching.

Bucky didn’t stop until he reached the end of the pier, sitting down at a bench by the edge, like you assumed he’d done dozens of times before. You waited a beat before joining him, sitting silently down by his side.

“This is Valentino pier,” he explained softly, breaking the silence. “Back when Steve and I were growing up here, it was called Red Hook. We’d sneak down here sometimes to mess around, watch the boats out in the harbor.” His voice dropped, an edge of sadness underlying it. “It looked a lot different back then.”

Realization hit you, and your heart ached for what he must have felt coming back here, reconciling his memories with how the world had changed. You knew he’d grown up in Brooklyn with Steve, but you’d never thought about the when. When he left here, it was 70 years ago for you, but almost yesterday for him.

“When Steve first brought me back,” he continued, his face remaining expressionless to mask the emotion you could hear in his voice, “it took me a while to come back here. But, my therapist thought it would be good, cathartic or something, so eventually, I worked up the nerve. My old neighborhood had almost completely changed. It felt familiar, but different somehow, like I didn’t really belong anymore.”

You didn’t say anything, just reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it in your lap.

“The first time I came, I just wandered the streets for hours, trying to find something that felt like home. There were things I recognized, but nothing felt quite right, not ‘til I found this. It’s funny, because this whole park wasn’t even here when I was, but this view...” He gestured in front of him, motioning at the sunset that was brewing over the Harbor. “This felt like home. Coming here, I finally started to feel like me again.”

He looked over at you, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. “You know, I came here right before I shipped out.” He gulped, his eyes darkening. “That last night.”

You squeezed his hand gently, wishing you could take some of this weight on for him. “I thought you went to the Stark Expo?”

“I did,” he nodded. “But, the next morning, before sunrise, I came here, to the harbor. I watched the docks awaken, the ships begin to sail out as the sun rose over the horizon, breathing in the Brooklyn air one last time before I reported.” He took a deep, shaky breath. “I think I knew then I wasn’t coming home.”

You placed your free hand on his cheek, pulling his attention away from the dropping sun and over to you. “Bucky, you did come home. You survived. This sunset? This air? It’s the same you felt in 1943. You’re home, Buck.”

The relief on his face was soft, almost unrecognizable, but it was there. You let out a breath at the sight, unaware that a part of you had been holding that breath for months, waiting for this exact moment.

Looking away from him and out towards the water, you kept his hands in yours, the two of you sitting in silence as the sun sank down into the harbor in the distance, the dusk settling into a still darkness.

He began to rub his thumb across the inside of your palm, and you smiled, turning back to study his profile. His face hadn’t changed, but it looked lighter somehow, more relaxed than you’d ever seen. You didn’t know if that was from the view or…

“Buck, why did you ask me to come with you today? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy you did, but this place seems very personal to you, and I’m just…”

His eyes snapped over to meet yours, the shifting blues churning as they scanned yours. “Just what?”

Your eyes dropped to his lips for the barest of seconds before jumping back to his eyes. “A colleague.”

Bucky’s entire face softened, and he pulled his hand from yours, resting it on your thigh. “You think that’s all you are? Jesus, Y/N…” He lifted his other hand, running it slowly through your hair. “You’re so much more than that.”

Everything in you soared at his words, and you ached to lean in and kiss him senseless, but you held back. He’d let you in, but you knew he was still fragile. He wasn’t ready for that, at least not yet.

“You’re more than that to me too, Buck,” you whispered, and his whole face lit up. For the first time since you knew him, he surprised you by pulling you into a hug, his strength and warmth enveloping you. He rested your head on his shoulder and gripped you tightly to him, like he was afraid you’d disappear if he let go.

But, you weren’t going anywhere. No matter how long it took, or what demons he had to fight, you were with him, for the long haul. “Come on, Buck,” you whispered, shifting back to look him in the eye. “Let’s go home.”

Do you think I'm being foolish if I don't rush in?

I'm scared to death that she might be it

That the love is real, that the shoe might fit

She might just be my everything and beyond

Thank you so much for reading!!! Since I’m new to the Marvel fandom, I wasn’t quite sure who to tag for this. I’m tagging the people who expressed interest, but if you would me to tag you in future Marvel fics, please send me an ask! My Marvel tags will be separate from my Supernatural tags.

Also, if you enjoyed this, I would really appreciate if you could please reblog, because I would love to reach as many people as I can. THANK YOU!

@pinknerdpanda @hannahindie​ @emoryhemsworth​ @okay-maybe-i-like-marvel-too​ @im-a-light-child​ @clarinette07​ @mysterious-398​  

#mandabirthdaychallenge #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky fanfic #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction

[mousehole5000]

tgcf lb the third chapter 14 - 21

okay hit me with the lore

Xie Lian hadn’t spoken his next words before the teenager said, “He dug it out himself.” Startled, Xie Lian asked, “Why?” The teen replied, “He went mad.” -digging out your own eye okay worm

If there were demons in this world who would scam or entice the hearts of people, then there would also be humans who would fool demons. There would exist much ongoing exploitation and betrayal. He said, “If it was handed over in infatuation, yet only results in broken bones and scattered ashes, it would indeed render one’s heart to feel aggrieved.” okay also kind of dope i love it when humans and demons get some back and forth. also this feels like it could be foreshadowing

awwww xie lian giving away his only steamed bun what a sweetheart

everyone keeps telling me this book is also a tragedy but now im just laughing at the visual of headless ghosts carrying their heads around and bickering

chronic bad luck and chronic good luck meet... what will happen to our heroes...

Xie Lian raised his head, softly saying, “You are tenacious, extremely dedicated, and despite many bitter encounters with frustrations and dashed hopes, you’ve stayed true to your heart. More often than not, your misfortunes will turn into blessings, calamity to prosperity. You will continue to have good fortune, my friend, your future is radiant and will blossom spectacularly.” All the things he said were made up on the spot, so they were complete nonsense. - fhklasjksldfdfh i know this is a ploy but still this was funny. also why didnt xie lian try to pick up palm reading from another source when he fell? are they just not as good? is he pretentious like that? either way i hope we find out more about what he got up to during those 800 years

Xie Lian felt rather skeptical on how he only ate half a bun for the duration of the entire day. If young people took advantage on their good health like this, sooner or later they would surely end up passed out on the streets. - xie lian is directly calling me out for my quarantine eating habits im sorry king ill do better

Previously, it had always been Xie Lian telling other people ‘it’s alright, it’s okay’. Today was the first time he heard those words spoken back to him, leaving him with an indescribable feeling. - awww okay this got me

oh my god there was only one bed

again comedy of the year. “oh you’re putting up a curtain that repels evil thats so interesting. on an entirely unrelated note im going to make you a door”

Brushing past him, San Lang pulled out the bamboo chopstick. He swayed it twice in front of him before saying, “It got dirty. I’ll throw it out later.” - edgy bastard moments begin

Xie Lian could hear the deliberation win Ling Wen’s tone. One thing he could be sure of was that she must be in a difficult situation. He said, “Okay, I understand. Since this is inconvenient for you, then there’s no need for you to say more. In addition, the two of us never had this conversation in private.” - awwwww considerate crown prince xie lian

“What, do you guys know him?” Xie Lian said. “……” Fu Yao coldly replied, “No we don’t.” - all men do is lie. also love the petty little broom dispute. i know its actually quite intentional and that only makes it funnier. also guys stop wrecking xie lian’s home he just got it fixed up!! if anyone breaks the new door ill be highly disappointed in them

Xie Lian nodded his head. “That’s right. I wrote it. If you guys continued fighting in there, I would be pleading for reconstruction instead of renovation. Then, I would really have no dignity left.” - see xie lian said if youre not going to contribute to it then please dont fight in my monastery its been through enough

Earlier, when Fu Yao had entered, he hadn’t gotten to examine the interior furnishings. Now, after standing in this crooked, shabby house for quite a while, he was able to see it all. As if his entire body, from head to toe, was uncomfortable, he asked, “You live in a place like this?” Xie Lian handed him a chair and said, “I’ve always lived in these kinds of places.” - ive seen this quote before and it really is just that “damn bitch you live this like?” meme. amazing

Fu Yao did not sit, his expression also turning rigid for a second. It was hard to tell what the look on his face was. It seemed nine parts blank shock and one part schadenfreude. - THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE EXPRESSION I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT

In the desert, the difference in temperature between night and day was drastic. During the night, the freezing temperature was cold enough to seep into one’s bones, yet it was still tolerable. But come daytime, it was a whole other experience. The sky here was incredibly clear and expansive with dashes of white clouds, but likewise, the blazing sun was just as fierce. The group continued to walk, but the more they walked, the more it felt as though they were going into an enormous steamer basket. The hot air emitted from deep within the earth felt as though a day’s worth of walking could steam a person alive. - YES DESERTS YES

okay xie lian is so kind and so generous? he keeps giving stuff away when he has almost nothing and making sure that others are taken care of first..... love him

Xie Lian watched them put on airs. But when such airs were discarded, they finally got physical. Separated by the space of the table, the three of them fought with the poor water bottle, pushing it back and forth. - if these three really are who i think they are this is even funnier. the very clear toying thats going on is truly delightful

Even before, Xie Lian had always thought that although this teenager was always smiling, his smile often made it hard for people to distinguish whether it was actually genuine, or whether it was mockery in the guise of compliments. However, this time, anyone would be able to tell that there wasn’t even half an ounce of goodwill in his smile. - yeah that about sums it up. not even half an ounce of goodwill damn that sure the hell is not a lot of goodwill

He had Ruoye go grab onto something sturdy and stable, but Ruoye ended up grabbing onto San Lang! - awwww thats kind of cute. also the mental image... im going to make this its own post too but

im waiting for xie lian to cough up all that sand hes eating and say something funny when we’re back on the ground. i hope we get more very literal decisions from ruoye

It should be noted that there was a common saying within the mortal realm—a powerful dragon cannot crush a snake in its old haunts. - oh i like this and the translators note This is an old Chinese adage that basically means, ‘even a powerful man cannot crush a local bully.’

“General.” Nan Feng and Fu Yao both spoke at the same time, “What?” - CONFIRMED I CALLED IT tbh it was kind of obvious now ig now im just waiting. also again hysterical. if youre gonna hide your identities boys fucking lkafjfjlkdaf; try harder to remember that youre hiding

To be demoted again and again, to the point one couldn’t be demoted any further…… this kind of experience honestly felt too familiar. Xie Lian felt two gazes collectively fall on his body, but he pretended not to notice and continued reading the text on the stone slate. - this is a funny little set up for what seems to be a parallel between xie lian and this central plains general. he tripped on his own bootlace??? this HAS to be xie lian parallel what does it mean. oooh the common people on both sides of the conflict were the ones who commemorated him? interesting..

San Lang faintly smiled before he whispered, “No, I made that up. Since they had laughed at him before, making them kowtow to him now wouldn’t be asking too much, right?” Xie Lian looked and saw that it was really true. There was already no more text left to translate on the stone slate. He had originally wanted to sigh, but now he just found it funny. Thus, he also whispered, “Why are you so cheeky?” San Lang stuck out his tongue. The two of them were laughing when suddenly, someone screamed, “What is this!!!???” - okay they are funny and i respect the deception. also oooh scorpion tailed snake. oooh a horde of them. a classic cave blunder

“Yeah! The results are relatively the same as worshipping that rubbish immortal! The more you worship, the unluckier you become! “ “……” For an arrow to hit the bullseye despite being in a place so distant and unrelated, Xie Lian was left with no words. - oh my god xie lian are you wearing a spiritual “kick me” sign because it really feels like you are

HE GOT STUNG XIE LIAN NO

#i need to take a break from this i got fic to write #tgcf liveblog #mouse mumbles

[okaybutlook]

Gen Xers and Memes: Laughing Through It

If you are the child of Black, Brown, or Indigenous parents of color, chances are you are in a WhatsApp group chat with your immediate or extended family; if any of you are living in the United States, chances are that the chat has been much more active over the last week. The United States’ latest presidential election is sending both nervous and familiar waves all around the world, and they are crashing in WhatsApp group chats, on a background provided by COVID-19.

I am 25. My mom, grandmother, aunties, uncles, sisters, cousins, and I share a group chat on WhatsApp. Some of us live in the United States, some of us live in Haiti, and some of us live in Gabon. Through changing time zones, waves of unrest, and family tragedy, the little green bubble has helped us stay connected and make sense of our lives at many points in time it felt like it had imploded. The American presidential election is no different. 5 years ago, I remember us all coming to terms with the fact that the election would likely be between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump. It had never been clearer to us that America was going to decide between two different kinds of poison, the Clinton family having held Haiti in its claws for decades prior.

Now, 5 years after those first panicked WhatsApp messages, there is a different atmosphere in the group chat; it is not so much because Donald Trump just might lose the 2020 election to Joe Biden as it is because of the Facebook and WhatsApp memes and funny videos we are passing on to each other.

My siblings and cousins have made a separate group chat where we mostly play online games together and check on each other, so in the main family group, it’s mostly the uncles and aunties texting. Apart from my grandmother who fought her way onto WhatsApp, they’re all born between the 1964 and 1974. Knowing the cultural differences that separate us, it has been interesting for me to see most of these memes come from Haitian Gen Xers.

The memes themselves vary; between cartoons, really badly Photoshopped photos, doctored videos, and Facebook text memes, they are the glue that has been holding our collective mind together. Interspersed between them are messages of “How’s Grandma’s knee?” and “Can someone please get Auntie G to pick up her phone,” a reminder that the days are still passing us by, no matter how consequential this election may be for people who have always been disenfranchised.

I will be honest, there is something both comforting and disheartening to me in the fact that in many situations of stress, especially in a time where our family is separated by distance, laughter is the one thing keeping us whole.

I make an effort to remember that my relatives have lived through the Duvalier dictatorship between the late 50s and mid-80s, the Haitian coup of 1994, civil unrest in Haiti in 2004, which like a game of whack-a-mole, continues to rear its head every couple of months in recent years. From my consciousness of the 2004 unrest, memories of many afternoons spent waiting at my grandparents’ house until it was safe for each of us to leave and go home stand out. Those afternoons are dotted with hushed conversations but also loud laughter from the adults, which cascaded down to the children, playing by the stairs or in the living room. Over time, these memories have helped me to rationalize burning tires and barricades, because as WhatsApp surfaced in our lives, videos of live coverage, but also of general foolishness in times of unrest became very easy to share, and share my family did.

Every time the sitting president in Haiti would get on television for an address to the nation, we would wonder what he would say, preemptively roasting his blatant disregard for insecurity in the streets, or lack of food security nationwide. The laughter was never because we were protected, but rather because we had been vulnerable for so long that to acknowledge it would be to let the daily thoughts that plagued us all sink into a space where we went for comfort. We would re-share clips of speech mishaps, screenshots from Twitter, Facebook memes and posts; anything that pulled joy from us became a balm for the evils of the world we lived in.

That balm is still effective today. As I shake my head and smile at these posts about the U.S. presidential election, I remember that this is not resignation nor is it acceptance or joy at the thought of American imperialism wearing a new face. The disenfranchised and disadvantaged know that progress in America rings in a cave the size of the world, the echoes of it reaching us long after it is made. We know that this means little to no change for those of us still living in Haiti, and yet, we laugh. We share the oil that keeps the gears of our sanity, our well-being, and our connections to each other moving.

#writing #thinking

[scripts4dreamers]

Learning to love

Learning to love pt. 6

Part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part seven, part eight, The Epilogue

We’re coming to the end guys! This chapter I thought we’d make a little shorter, because what comes next is super important and I don’t want to separate it.

AN: A Love Story, Interrupted

Characters: Theseus Scamander, Albus Dumbledore, Newt Scamander, Leta Lestrange

Pairings: Theseus Scamander x reader, Leta Lestrange x Newt Scamander

Prompt: “Can yu pls do a Thesus imagine where him and the reader were friends and dating but then they break up but they get back together?”

Warnings: Mention of Death

Spoilers: Spoilers for Crimes of Grindelwald

Ps. This diverges from canon!

--------

Leta Lestrange observed herself in the mirror rather clinically. Her skin was smooth and flawless, her hair perfectly curled and pinned and ready for bed and her armor of casual indifference firmly in place. She looked exactly the way she wanted to and yet she still felt…unsettled. She wasn’t a stupid woman, she knew why, but it did confuse her. Ever since you and Theseus had arrived back at the hotel together, soaked from the rain, with his coat wrapped around your shoulders and a fragile peace between you, things had been different. You hadn’t yelled or fought. There had been no outbursts of any kind actually. If anything, you and Theseus had been overly polite, as though you barely knew one another, not that that was fooling anyone.

Something profound had happened between you that night in the rain. Leta knew it. She could see it in the way you spoke, the way you dressed and stood. She could see it in the way Theseus treated you, the care he took when speaking to you and the way his eyes seemed to swallow you whole whenever they landed on you. There was a kind of closeness between you that had nothing to do with physical distance. You kind of orbited each other, like planets in the night’s sky kept together by something massive and unstoppable. Seeing it made something in Leta’s chest ache. She knew what that kind of closeness felt like. She’d had it before.

She swallowed hard and tried to shake it off. Nothing good could come from her dwelling over Newt anymore. She was an engaged woman now, after all. That thought made her chuckle. Oh God, what a fiasco. If she’d known what she knew now five months ago, she honestly would never have suggested it. She thought back to that night.

Leta sighed, taking another sip of her, now lukewarm, coffee. She was sitting in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, waiting for her cousin to come out of work. She was exhausted and this was the absolute last thing she wanted to be doing right now. Theseus had kept her up most of the night going over his breakup with you and, as much as she cared about him and loved you, she was at the end of her tether. Newt’s book had been published and now she couldn’t go twenty minutes without seeing his face plastered on the cover of some magazine or newspaper. She was proud of him, of course, but she hadn’t seen or heard from Newt in ages and being ambushed with pictures of his face every single day made moving on a lot harder.

She sipped on her coffee again, wondering idly if she would be able to convince Theseus to get out of bed and eat a full meal today. It had been nearly a year and a half since he’d ended things with you and he’d, mostly, recovered but today, Leta suspected, would be different. She thought about the birthday card she’d sent you earlier that morning and sighed, oh yes, today would most definitely be different. If her suspicions were correct, Theseus would probably be spending this fine Saturday lying in bed with the curtains drawn, flicking through old photos of you and just generally being miserable. Not that Leta could really blame him. After all, when Newt had left to do work in the field, she hadn’t gotten out of bed for two weeks. She thought that that was probably why Theseus had come to her in the first place.

“Leta,” a familiar voice called, making her heart plummet, “is that really you?”

Newt Scamander was there. He was there in front of her, smiling that adorable little smile of his as though she was the only person in the world that he’d ever wanted to see. He was so familiar, so painfully, beautifully familiar that it made her feel as though she were flying and she couldn’t help but smile and jump up, leaving her coffee forgotten.

“Newt, hi,” she smiled, standing and forcing herself not to fling her arms around his neck, “what’re you doing here?”

Newt smiled and shuffled his feet, holding his case in front of his legs, “I’m-uh-I’m trying to get my travel documents back,” he explained, “what about you?”

“Orion asked to see me,” she explained, “he’s late.”

Newt nodded, fiddling with his coat pocket the way he did when he was nervous. It made Leta feel something odd, seeing him be uncomfortable around her. They’d been best friends for years. Why would he not be comfortable?

“Well, it’s lovely to see you Leta, but I’ve got to get to my hearing,” Newt said.

“Of course,” Leta said, realizing that she must’ve been staring, “We should have dinner sometime and catch up though,” she suggested hopefully, “now that you’re back. It’s been so long.”

Newt fiddled again, but nodded, not quite meeting her eye, “Yes, well, goodbye.”

He rushed past her, a piece of paper fluttering out of his pocket and landing on the floor. Leta scooped it up and felt her heart stutter. It was a newspaper clipping of a pretty, dark haired woman smiling at the camera nervously with the headline: Tina Goldstein reinstated as Auror.

“Newt,” Leta called, her voice sounding odd even to her own ears, “Newt, you dropped something.”

He turned back, his bright green eyes flicking from Leta’s face to the scrap of paper.

“Oh, yes, thank you,” Newt said, taking the clipping back gently.

He gave the picture such a soft and tender look that it broke Leta’s heart as he folded it gently and tucked it back into his pocket.

“Who is she?” Leta asked, both desperate to know and desperate to never have to think about the pretty woman ever again.

“She’s-uh-she’s an auror,” New explained, “I met her in New York.”

“Oh.”

As Newt vanished into the distance, Leta felt as though the walls were closing in on her. She recognized that soft look on his face all too well. It was the way he’d used to look at her. Suddenly, she couldn’t stand to be there any longer. It felt as though the walls were closing in around her and, without another thought about waiting for his cousin, she turned and fled, stepping out into the street and apparating to the first place that popped into her mind.

She flung open the door to Theseus’ place and strode in, brushing a stray tear from her cheek as she made her way into his room. As she’d expected, Theseus was lying in bed but at that moment, she couldn’t care less about his broken heart. It had finally hit her that her relationship with Newt was over. He’d moved on and found someone who had been smart enough to realize what she had in Newt while she had him and Leta was completely shattered.

“Theseus,” she called, “let’s get married.”

Looking back, she couldn’t even tell her what had made her say it. All she knew was that she’d been hurting and desperate and she’d wanted to do something about it.

“What?” Theseus asked, leaning up on his elbow, his auburn hair ruffled from sleep.

“You and me, let’s get married,”Leta repeated, “why not? We’ve been letting everyone think we’re seeing one another anyway. Why not just get married?”

Theseus frowned at her, sitting up and ruffling his hair, a photo album falling open on his lap. Leta could only just make out a picture of you smiling up at the camera over a glass of champagne, with Theseus beside you, pressing a firm kiss to your temple as you laughed together.

“Leta-“

“Look, Theseus, you’ve fucked it with Y/N, you know you have.” Leta told him, “I’ve fucked it with Newt. Both of us should’ve been married long ago. Why don’t we just end it and marry each other? That way no one can accuse us of being sad, lonely people who are less successful than our exes.”

It had taken a while but, eventually, Theseus had agreed. The next day he’d gotten a beautiful ring from a muggle jeweler and they’d made the announcement. Theseus was, in every conceivable way, the perfect fiancé. He was smart, funny, handsome and ambitious, with a stable job and a kind, open heart. They were the perfect couple and, up until you’d showed up at the ministry that day, everything had been perfect or as perfect as it could be when you were engaged to the man you love’s older brother. Leta had even managed to convince herself that a marriage between friends was enough for her, that, she didn’t need anything more and, for the most part the relationship had been relatively drama free.

“And his wand snapped in two, which was saaaaaad!” Leta heard as the door to her shared hotel room flew open.

She turned and couldn’t stop herself from laughing. It was you, drunk, stumbling and slurring your words, with your shoes in one hand and an empty bottle of Pinnock’s Gigglewater in the other. Your hair was escaping from its updo and you were being partially supported by one of the hotel bellboys. You saw Leta, your face broke into a blinding smile and, for the first time in ages, Leta saw the happy young girl who’d spent so long looking after her in her childhood.

“Leta,” you cried, trying to rush over to her and tripping over your own feet, which made you laugh uproariously, “Leta, Leta, Leta! I’m drunk.”

“I can tell,” she chuckled, gliding up to the door, “you can leave her with me,” she told the bellboy, pressing some money into his palm, “thank you.”

“Leeeeta,” you crooned, as you draped your arms around her neck, “Leeeeeeeeta!”

“Hi Y/N,” she replied, supporting you into the room and plopping you down on the couch, “let’s get you some water, shall we?”

You mumbled something that sounded like an agreement and Leta handed you a full glass of water, which you sipped gratefully.

“You’re so pretty Leta, do you know that?” You said in a singsong voice, “So, so pretty. Pretty, pretty Leta Lestrange. It’s no wonder that Theseus is in love with you.”

Leta sat down beside you, supporting her head with her hand, “Theseus isn’t in love with me, Y/N.” she admitted, secure in the fact that you would probably not even remember this conversation in the morning.

Your eyes widened, “No, you mustn’t think that I’m angry,” you assured quickly, grabbing Leta’s other arm, “no, I want you both to be happy,” you said, nodding vigorously, “and you know that I’ve always loved you.”

Leta blushed, her heart swelling with warmth. You just looked so earnest and sweet and Leta felt a tiny pinch of guilt in her chest.

“I know Y/N,” she said honestly.

“And that’s why I was so sad when you stopped talking to me,” you said, a sad frown disfiguring your normally pretty face for a moment, “but you’re talking to me again now,” you continued, your face brightening, “so I thought we should talk about boys and stuff, like proper friends do. Only that obviously meant talking about Theseus and I usually can’t do that, so I thought I’d get really, really drunk. And now I am really really drunk so now, now we can talk about him, see? And I’ll be totally normal about it I promise.”

“We don’t have to-“ Leta started.

“No! No, I want to,” you insisted, “so, come on, ask me anything you want to know.”

You looked so hopeful that it made Leta smile gently and she thought hard, wondering if there was anything she wanted to know about Theseus. One thing came to mind, but it was so scandalous that she blushed.

“Uh, I was wondering, about-“ Leta faded out, “but you probably wouldn’t even know anyway.”

For a moment, you looked slightly confused, but then your face lit up and you burst out laughing, your eyes twinkling with something a lot like teasing mischief.

“Sex!” you exclaimed, “You want to know about the sex.” Leta blushed even deeper which, apparently you took as an answer, because you tapped her arm knowingly, “Well, you don’t need to worry about that. In my experience the sex was,” you shook you head, smirking, “the sex was great.”

“You had sex?” Leta asked, sitting up.

“Of course we did,” you laughed, “we were together for nearly nine years!”

“But-you’re-but you’re not even married,” Leta said.

You waved it away, looking more carefree than you’d been in ages.

“You know how I feel about those pointless traditions,” you replied, “anyway, we did think that we would be, you know, one day. So really, what was the point of waiting?”

Your voice had taken on a subtle note of sadness and Leta felt the pinch of guilt again.

To cover it up, she asked, “When did it happen? How did it happen?”

You smiled again, even if it was slightly less bright now than it had been, “You really want to know?” you asked. Leta nodded and you leant back in your seat a hint of mischief back in your Y/E/C eyes as you looked up at the ceiling, “It was the night of my Hogwarts graduation,” you started, with the aura of someone settling into a story they knew well, “I was Head Girl so my parents had actually shown up, which was weird, but Theseus and his family had come too. So, we had the ceremony, I did my speech, we took photos, blah blah blah. After dinner all the parents and family members left, some stayed in Hogsmead (mine didn’t) but most of us students stayed at Hogwarts. We had one more night in the castle and the teachers had given us the Great Hall for our graduation party so, obviously, we didn’t want to miss that. We’d all been so stressed about our exams that we kind of needed a release, you know?” you asked, catching Leta’s eye for a moment, “We were each allowed to bring one guest. I brought Theseus, of course and, I don’t know,” you shrugged, “that whole year I’d been so busy with my N.E.W.Ts, and the year before he’d been preoccupied with his so, in a weird way, it felt like it was the first time we’d really been together in ages.” You explained, your voice gentle and steady, “We were dancing and talking and just being and it felt, I don’t know, it felt organic and really, really good,” you continued, with something like passion, “and I just remember looking at Theseus and thinking; This is it, this is the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.” You admitted. There was a long pause in which some of your enthusiasm seemed to leach out and you collapsed in on yourself, which made Leta endlessly sad. You shrugged and continued, but it was obvious that your earlier euphoria was gone, “So I thought, why wait? I took him up to the Head Girl’s room, which was still technically mine and, yeah, the rest is history.” You said with a sad smile, “I remember he was so nervous. He must’ve asked me if I was sure 50 times.”

Leta chuckled gently with you, “Yeah, that sounds like Theseus.” She agreed.

You nodded, “Anyway, after that, things were different. Not bad, not worse, just different. It kind of felt like we’d taken this massive step and now we were really together. We weren’t kids anymore; we were adults, in an adult relationship. The sex,” you explained, “was like the final step, and we were just happy that we’d taken it together.” Your eyes were sad, but Leta could feel that you weren’t on the edge of falling apart anymore. It was as though talking about Theseus openly, for the first time, had sobered you up and given you back some of your stability. You sat up and shrugged again, shooting Leta a rueful smile, “Shows what we knew, doesn’t it. Or at least, what I knew.”

“Y/N, Theseus adores you,” Leta admitted, “I’m sure he feels exactly the same way you do.”

You sighed, suddenly tired, “I don’t know anymore Leta. He’s marrying you so, evidentially he’s not the same person now that he was when we were together. I’m going to get some sleep. Might as well hurry up and get this hangover started.” you joked, standing and wobbling slightly, pulling her into a hug, “You’re going to be fine. He’s a good man and you’re a brilliant woman. It’ll be totally fine, so long as you both follow your hearts.” you smiled and, with a pang of guilt, Leta realized that you were being sincere.

There was no part of you that resented or hated her; you genuinely just wanted her and Theseus to be happy, even if that you yourself had to suffer a little. Leta suddenly wished that she’d just told you about her engagement from the outset and helped you deal with your grief, instead of ghosting you for five months out of fear and leaving you to deal with that pain alone.

“I love you Y/N,” she said, squeezing you tighter as she blinked tears out of her eyes, “I’m sorry. I never told you that enough. You were always the only thing in my life that felt like family.”

“Aw, Lete,” you replied, and she could hear the smile in your voice, “I love you too.” You pulled away and put your hands on Leta’s shoulders, “We are family. After all, us pureblood outcasts have got to stick together, right?” You teased. Leta let out a watery laugh and you smiled gently, “Goodnight, Leta Lestrange.”

“Goodnight, Y/N Y/L/N,” she replied.

You stumbled into your bedroom and Leta collapsed back onto the couch. It was late, but the conversation had left her feeling restless and sleep was evading her. There was a memory itching at the back of her mind and she needed to follow it. So, she stood and went out into the hallway, knocking softly on the door to Theseus’ room. No one answered and Leta breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed the door open. His room was already messy and cluttered, despite the fact that they’d been staying there for less than a week, which made Leta chuckle fondly. She made her way over to his chest of drawers and slowly opened the top one. There it was, the length of delicate blue fabric that she’d been looking for, the center of one of the only points of tension her and Theseus had ever had.

The clutter was finally starting to get to her. After three weeks of living together, Leta Lestrange was officially over the clutter and mess. It was so confusing to her, how Theseus could be so neat and organized at work, but could be such a messy airhead at home. She’d spent the majority of the day cleaning the house, working through each room systematically using a combination of magic and old-fashioned handiwork. It was now only Theseus’ bedroom that she had left and, as she surveyed the absolute chaos she sighed.

“Theseus Scamander,” she tutted, “you absolute slob.”

With a wave of her wand, Leta swept up the clothes on the floor and threw them into the washing basket to sort later before starting on everything else. Downstairs, she could hear the door open and then close, and knew that Theseus was home. She called down to him and he greeted back, taking his time taking off his coat. Leta refocused on her work, clearing Theseus’ bed. As she reached under his pillow, Leta felt her fingers glide over something smooth.

“What the-“ she asked, pulling it out and frowning.

It was a pale, baby blue scarf that she’d never seen before. It definitely wasn’t Theseus’. As she examined it, Leta smelled sweet vanilla and cinnamon and brought it up to her nose, trying to figure out how she knew that particular scent.

“What’re you doing?” Theseus asked, his voice monotone as he appeared in his doorway.

Leta turned, feeling oddly guilty, “Cleaning,” she explained, “trying to figure out what clothes to donate.”

“Not that,” Theseus said quickly, striding forward and almost grabbing the slim strip of fabric away, “that’s-that’s important.” He folded it gently and slid it into the top drawer of his dresser before turning back to her.

“It’s hers, isn’t it?” Leta asked.

Theseus bit down on his jaw, “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does, Theseus. If you’re trying to get over her then surely you should-“

“It’s all I have left of hers,” Theseus interrupted, “I can’t get rid of it okay? I just can’t.”

“Theseus-“

“Drop it, Leta!” He cried.

Nearly five months down the line from that conversation and he still had it. Not only did he still have it, but he’d actually brought it with him to Paris. Something in her chest ached as she looked down at that little scrap of fabric, a forgotten scarf that Theseus has kept with him for more than two years. It was like a physical manifestation of his love for you. No matter what Leta did, no matter how many new coats of paint she put in the house or how many pieces of furniture she bought and rooms she rearranged, you would always be there, in that little blue scarf. It was inevitable. She made up her mind in a flash and sat down on Theseus’ bed, determined to wait there for him. They had to talk now, before it was too late. She thought about you and her resolve hardened. They had to talk, before they both made yet another huge mistake.

—————-

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#jordsie #jordsie writes #theseus fanfiction #theseus scamander fanfic #theseus scamander imagines #theseus x leta #leta lestrange #theseus scamander aesthetic #theseus aesthetic #theseus scamander x reader #theseus x reader #fantastic beasts fanfiction #fantastic beasts movie #fantastic beasts the crimes of grindelwald #fantastic beasts crimes of grindelwald #fbtcog #fbawtft #fbawtfedit #fbawtft aesthetic #learning to love

[billygetup]

the shore

Requested: no

Pairings: Jon Snow x oc

Summary: Amarya arrives at Dragonstone alongside Daenerys and her followers. She is an advisor to her grace and also are the ruler of a few islands off the coast of Essos. She is sent to greet Jon and the northmen with Tyrion and Missandei.

Part 1/?

Warnings: absolutely none!

Word count: 2165

Pronouns etc are female for this one, I can either do ocs or x readers (male and female)

Please don't plagiarise my work!

Amarya always knew that she would stand beside Daenerys Targaryen. The Silver Queen with the fiery temperament. She never expected it to lead her to where she stood now.

Ever since she was eight years old, power had been thrust upon her shoulders, like a heavy cloak weighing her down. Still, Amarya had always loved her people. Would die for them. It was that sense of liability and loyalty that the people of the Perzys Isles always loved in the girl.

Stood on the shore of Dragonstone, there was a queen. Her light, low cut dress brushed against her thighs as her cerulean eyes locked onto the boat coming closer. Amarya could see men squirming on the boat like ants. It wasn't apparent which one was the King in the North.

The invasion was not foreseen. No one knew that they were coming. But when they did, the heavens cried. Countless men, women and children were lost to the storm of chaos the pirates wielded. A young princess was torn that night. But, a queen was born.

When the boat was finally pulled from the frothing sea, it was clear who was king. Jon Snow had rather dark features, and yet he still reminded Amarya of warmth. While the summer queen loitered in the back, Lord Tyrion went to greet the new visitor.

As a small girl cowered in the corner of a dimly lit room, beaten and bruised, chained and defiled, a shadow turned the corner. Flinching, the girl curled in on herself, waiting for another hit.

"The bastard of Winterfell."

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay, little princess. I'll protect you. They can't hurt you anymore."

"The dwarf of Casterly Rock."

"Where's my daddy?"

There was a small silence between the two parties, which wasn't awkward, but brimmed with humour. After a moment, the two men stepped forward and shook hands like old friends.

"I'm so sorry, little princess, but he's gone for a bit now. Don't cry, I'll help you."

"I believe we last saw each other on top of the Wall." Tyrion remarked.

"Are you a pirate?"

"You were pissing off the edge if I remember right," the man joked, "You picked up some scars along the road."

"I am, sweetheart, but don't worry. I'm not like them. I won't hurt you."

Amarya thought that the first sentence sounded just like something her friend would do.

The man slowly reached a hand toward the little body in the corner of the room. She looked weary, but was so hopeless that she had nothing to lose.

Tyrion nodded. "It's been a long road. We're both still here." The two seemed spooked for a moment, before the smaller of them turned to the man beside Jon Snow. He was relatively grey, and his persona reeked of familiarity.

Keeping her eyes locked on his outstretched palm, she slowly reached forward and accepted his help. He was able to see her bruises, purple shapes on her tanned skin. The man felt a tear leave his eye.

"I'm Tyrion Lannister."

"My name's Amarya of the Perzys Isles, what's yours?"

"Davos Seaworth."

"My name is Davos, little one."

Amarya's eyes widened, and a shaky breath escaped her throat.

"Davos? That's a funny name."

"Davos? That's a funny name." Amarya managed to let the words leave her mouth quickly. The man looked over to her. Realisation dawned on him.

The man chuckled lightly. "I know it is, little Amarya. Believe me."

"I know it is, little Amarya. Believe me." His voice was broken, and emerged in little cracks.

The two met in the middle for a bone crushing hug. Davos lifted her off of her feet slightly, and cried for the girl he knew. "I thought you were dead, little queen."

"You can't get rid of me that easily. I took back my family's throne." When they separated, Amarya held her head high. They smiled each other, forgetting everyone who watched in the background.

"I still see you as the daughter I never got to have."

"Well, I've got you. You'll always be a father to me."

A throat was cleared. The two slowly returned to their parties. Davos looked at the young girl. "This is far from over."

Amarya giggled at his remark.

Tyrion decided to speak to the man. "Ah, the Onion Knight. We fought on opposite sides at the Battle of Blackwater Bay."

"Unluckily for me."

But Amarya just couldn't pay attention. Not while those dark eyes rested on her. She tried her hardest not to look to Jon Snow, despite his gaze. When she eventually gave in, he looked as though he was trying to understand one of the world's greatest mysteries. As though he was trying to reach her soul.

Tyrion noticed his look. "This is her grace, Queen Amarya of the Perzys Isles, Protector of the Narrow Sea, Defender of the Innocent, the Phoenix. She is here on behalf of the people who go unrecognised. Those who lay between the two great continents of Westeros and Essos."

Jon gave her a small, fleeting smile. "Pleasure."

She nodded her head in respect. "Missandei is Queen Daenerys' most trusted advisor." She gestured to her left.

Missandei sent her a beautifully kind smile, and stepped forward. "Welcome to Dragonstone. Our queen knows this is a long journey. She appreciates the effort you have made on her behalf. If you wouldn't mind handing over your weapons."

The Northern King was hesitant. He turned to Davos, and then his men. "Of course."

The Dothraki that accompanied the few took heavy strides toward the visitors. Amarya watched as Jon untied his sword and reluctantly gave us to one of the men. The Dothraki also picked up their boat, and began to carry it away.

"Please, this way."

Davos walked over to Amarya, and checked her over. "You've grown. You're not little anymore. I don't like it."

Amarya smirked. "You're grey. You're not young anymore. Come to think of it, you weren't then."

"Oi, less of the snark from you, little queen. Remember who raised you."

"Oh, of course, my lord."

He gave her a kiss on the side of her temple, and went to speak with Missandei. Amarya smiled at the memories she shared with Davos, tucking a piece of golden hair behind her ear.

"You're her, then?"

She looked up to be met with the eyes of Jon Snow. "I'm who, exactly?"

"The one he never shuts up about." He nodded at Davos, who was having a lively discussion about butterflies with Missandei. Amarya watched the two happily.

"I suppose I am."

"You know, you're not what I expected you to be."

Amarya looked at the man, eyes narrowed. "How so?"

"Well, when I heard about another queen, I thought you'd be as stuck up as the rest of them."

"Well, how do you know I'm not?"

"Simple. You have kind eyes."

The group were still scaling the steps toward the castle. Not long since, the dragons had terrified the northmen, which Amarya thought was highly amusing.

The rest of the group were engaging in some conversation, while Amarya walked alone in the back, relishing in the sea spray. Suddenly, the jagged clouds parted, and a flurry of amber and crimson dove from the skies, and toward the front of the company.

The solitary shape darted between the rays of sunlight with a graceful ease, and twists so quick that you'd thought it had two heads.

Amarya gasped lightly. "Milaros!" She pushed to the front. "What are you doing?" She lightly grazed her fingers over his amber feathers, and he purred in delight. The, seemingly, bird was covered in a thick plumage of iridescent feathers, and, from what he could see, eyes a lustrous shade of halcyon.

Davos stepped forward. "Ah, so he grew then."

Amarya turned around to be met by many blank faces, as they were unaware of what creature Milaros was. "Oh, this is Milaros, my phoenix."

Someone in the back shouted to the queen. "What's a phoenix?"

The blonde smiled a little, turning back to Milaros. "A phoenix is an immortal bird which is immune to death. His tears are able to bring a person back from the brink of death. He can disappear and reappear in a burst of flames, and is able to carry the weight of seven men."

"How'd you get him?"

"He was gifted to me as an egg, by Davos." She smiled at the man. "I must go, I have urgent business to attend to." With that, she quickly strode off to feed her phoenix.

As a queen, it was clear where her loyalties lie. The people were everything to her. So it was only natural that she would be watching them on the cliffside in her spare time. Amarya could feel the wind whipping at her gold dress, the loose fabric shifting slightly.

She was used to the sea air, and being on Dragonstone was not that much different from winter in the Perzys Isles. Come to think of it, Amarya missed home.

She missed riding on her black palfrey, Summer, across the greenery of her castle grounds, and she missed her friends. Yes, a queen can have friends. It might have been difficult to spend as much time as she'd be willing to with them, but she loved them all the same.

Then, a voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I didn't even know they existed."

Amarya turned to look at Jon Snow approaching the edge of the cliff. "What, people?"

The man smiled, but it could've been missed if you didn't pay attention. "No, a phoenix. Only ever heard of them from stories."

"Well, where I come from, Westerosi stories are our reality." She looked back at the sea of families below.

Jon Snow could see how much this woman cared for those who had no say, which was different to some power-hungry monarchs. It wasn't very common to find someone who put the people above every single thing in their life. He admired it. He admired a great deal about her, actually. "Have you spoken with Davos?"

"Not yet, actually, but I plan to. I've missed him."

"How did you two meet?"

Amarya's brow furrowed slightly, trying not to relive the horrible memories from her days as a young child. But then, she smiled a little. "He saved me from monsters."

"What monsters?"

The queen looked at him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"No, no, it's quite alright. They were pirates who tried to take over the Isles. They killed my father, many of my people, and committed monstrosities against me." She didn't want to go into the gory details.

He got the message, though. "How old were you?"

"I was a girl of eight when they came."

He looked up to the sky quickly, and then back to the woman who stood before him. "I'm sorry to hear that. Must've been hard."

"It's okay, I've grown since then. Besides, I'd go through it all again if it meant the safety that my peopoe have now."

Jon thought that her sense of duty was admirable. "That's good of you."

"Yes, I suppose it is. And it was good of you to come here for the safety of your people."

"It needed to be done." Amarya could tell that a lot of the King's time was consumed by brooding. She felt curiosity overwhelm her.

"What are they like?"

Jon looked at her, confused.

"The Army of the Dead, what are they like?"

His eyes widened. "You believe me?"

"Please, you're talking to a girl who has a phoenix as a pet." Amarya rolled her eyes.

Jon chuckled slightly in disbelief. "Well, they're cold, and they're like death."

"Like death? Cold? There's plenty of things that are like that. What I mean is, how do they fight? How do they move? What do they want?"

Jon was surprised at how much she wanted to know about the White Walkers. "You can't possibly mean to fight them."

Amarya looked him in the eyes. "No, of course not. That's insane. I can't fight them," She looked away, and mumbled under her breath, "yet."

"I'd advise against it, they're quite strong."

Her head whipped around. "What, and I'm not? I pride myself on my strength. I've been in five battles already. And they weren't small, either. I didn't get names the Defender of the Innocent just for courtesy. I got it because I earned it. And I don't give up. I intend to die for those who would die today, or tomorrow, or any day. Those who need protecting are the ones who protect us the most. Now, I must speak with her grace."

Amarya walked away from Jon Snow, maintaining her calm nature. He went to say something, but the words would not form. He was intoxicated by her. She was new, colourful, and bold. How she stood up for herself showed her determination, which he looked for the most in anyone he met. Sadly, everyone was lacking. Apart from her. Perhaps being stuck on Dragonstone wouldn't be so bad, after all.

--------

Hey! So this is my first ever post, and I wanted to say that I will take requests for any fics you would like me to write regarding Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Once Upon a Time, Friends and etc. I will publish a full list at some point, though! Also, I am willing to write smut ;)

#game of thrones #fanfic #jon snow #x reader #asoiaf #davos seaworth #tyrion lannister #platonic #daenerys targaryen #Missandei

[lightrivals]

so . endgame . this is gonna be a spoiler filled review so pls skip this if u haven’t watched it!! forewarning: this is a relatively positive review and I’m a tony stan so if you disliked the movie / tony stark and want to find more ppl like you, you are not gonna find it here but I am gonna critique a few things too bc there were issues to be addressed. also, while this is a Hot Také™️ opinion piece that doesn’t mean I lack the ability to understand or even agree with the opposing opinions; this is just what I came out the theater with and still think about after discussion with others.

Anyway let’s begin!

Personally, Endgame gave me great closure for one of my favorite characters. I’m extremely Tony biased like, to a very extreme degree but he’s a character I connect with who has personally helped me through the years with his story so I think my attachment and bias can be excused a little. Even with that bias, I believe I can also understand other characters without the “I Love Tony Stark So Much” goggles shaping what I see. This is also gonna focus on the main six because this movie is dedicated to them, but all the other characters were awesome and I enjoyed their cameos/presence.

I’m gonna talk about Tony first because he’s my main focus for being so invested in the MCU. I’ve been watching the MCU since it started and 11 years later, seeing my favorite character, a character I connected with so much especially because of IM3 where he had anxiety and panic attacks like I was having at the time / still have (to a lesser degree though), die hurts so much. I could not stop crying in about the last hour when I knew he was gonna die. I’ve said it before on this site that the logical conclusion for his story is death. The only way Tony is gonna leave the armor as he’s been trying to since Avengers 1 is to die. He IS Iron Man, Iron Man is HIM, there is no difference. The only way Iron Man is over is if his life ends, too. So with that I figured this would be the end for him. I’ve been thinking he’s gonna die since Infinity War so, his death was not too much of a surprise. It still hurt like hell to see it happen, to know he’s truly gone. What hurts the most is that Morgan Stark will never truly know her father personally. She’s too young to remember much but at least she has his legacy surrounding her and loving her, knowing her father exchanged his life for her and everyone else on Earth to live freely. I did like that Tony got to see his dad one last time while he was a father himself. He got to come to terms with his dad in a way he never could before. RDJ’s acting was on point in this movie and I love him for what he’s done with Tony Stark.

I also want to point out the talk between Tony and Steve when Tony returns. I found this conversation to be very vital in addressing the issues between the two and why they possibly lost in Infinity War. I’ve said this before but the obvious thing is that the Avengers probably stood a chance against Thanos if they weren’t all split up thanks to the events of Civil War. Steve said they would fight together and lose together but as Tony points out, they didn’t lose together. They lost separately and Tony was stranded from Earth in space miles away for a month starving and dying. He had foreseen what was gonna happen and tried his best to achieve protection—his armor around the world plan—but the others merely chided him for it and then fought each other because of the consequences of not wanting that particular armor. And then they lost in the end, separated and Tony is torn. He is damaged and weak and sick and tired, he was nearly murdered and he lost the kid in turn. It is a sad moment and I was very happy it wasn’t immediate apologies when Tony arrived. The others had a month to reconcile but Tony was still dealing with what he faced alone with only Nebula and the ashes of Peter in his mind. I really enjoyed that conversation and found it to be a really good prelude to how the rest of the movie would pan out. When he took off the arc reactor and shoved it at Steve and told Steve to run and hide, gave Steve the armor and told him to do something about it…powerful stuff right there.

Now about Tony’s death: I think it was really important for him to do the final snap of ending Thanos’ war. He and Thanos have been the two at odds with each other this entire time. We know it’s going to eventually end up being him against Thanos like it was in Infinity War. But when he took the stones from Thanos and said “I am Iron Man” in retaliation to Thanos claiming he was inevitable!! Thanos is always gonna come but as long as Tony is Iron man, he will be defeated. Tony is the one who can save the universe and I think it’s also super important that he uses the most dangerous weapon ever. Tony protects the world with weapons, he started off profiting from it, but grows throughout the movies to eventually be trusted to use the most powerful weapon in the universe to save it. The Avengers trust him to use it for good and he trusts them to deal with the stones afterwards. It’s beautiful, it so beautiful. He dies with two families: his biological/iron fam and his superhero family. He dies trusting them to carry on not only his legacy but the legacy of Earth, of the Avengers, of avenging the universe in full. He is Iron Man and he finally gets to rest. He gets to put down the armor and save the universe like he’s been trying for years with the Avengers’ trust backing him up. Personally, I believe this is the hero death Tony deserved. He used to be a man who was feared for the destruction he caused and he went through a deep and thorough redemption and self-realizations to then be trusted to use the most destructive weapon for the greater good.

Now on to Thor and Bruce, two characters who I have an issue with in terms of their characterization. Thor’s dealing with a lot of shit. Understandable as hell; his story is probably the most dark given he has no living family anymore. Tony got lucky and his loved ones, Peter aside, survived. Thor lost everyone. He killed Thanos, he went for the head, but still didn’t win. His depression, anxiety, and PTSD is so valid. What I hate is that he didn’t get the same treatment in Endgame Tony got in IM3. Yes, Thor’s is a lot darker of a situation but he didn’t need to be the brunt of jokes. I understand that he is over 1000 years old and in the grand scheme of things, this moment in time is a blink and a bit of a sick joke. I understand that he falls back into his old Viking ways of alcoholism and whatnot. It’s totally understandable but I will always be disappointed in how it was approached. They still could have been humor and jokes without resorting to petty insults. I am glad though that his weight gain did not suddenly disappear. The way the Russo’s went about presenting it was insulting and demeaning but I feel it’s important as well to show that his weight gain wasn’t gonna suddenly disappear now that he’s back to being the mighty Thor.

Bruce was…okay I like Professor Hulk. I think it’s important that Bruce come to terms with his Hulk nature but the point of Hulk is that he’s angry and he unleashes it with smashing and I was just. Expecting more Hulk smash and still that dichotomy even if Bruce has come to terms with being Hulk. The thing I like is that Bruce, who was always scared of his persona as Hulk killing people got to bring back billions of lives as Hulk instead of taking those lives away. Anyway, I had that small beef with Hulk but it wasn’t as much as say against Thor. Bruce’s humor was lighter and not as insulting, it was a refreshing continuation of his Ragnarok/Infinity War characterization.

Speaking of Ragnarok, let’s talk Loki. Loki is my second favorite character and let’s be real, all Loki stans were basically expecting more out of Endgame when it came to this character. I figured he would be in flashbacks but I was hoping still maybe it would be more?? I said before that perhaps Tony breaks Loki out to get the tesseract and I mean, that did kinda happen. But at least we know we have a divergent 2012 timeline and this is probably where the Loki TV show is gonna be set. I’m definitely interested in seeing what happens in that alternate universe but we won’t see that for another two years so, just a big sigh. And also I’ve seen on twitter at least people upset that Thor didn’t talk to Loki when he went back to Asgard. Loki and Thor were at odds and not friends during The Dark World. I don’t think Thor talking to Loki would have done anything important, it wouldn’t have changed anything and it certainly wouldn’t have helped him with his task of getting the Aether from Jane. While it would have been nice to see more Loki when Thor went back to 2013, I think what we did see was the most that could have happened while Thor was also dealing with seeing his mother again.

On the topic of Loki, he seems to like go about as Steve, huh? I thought it was a cute nod to the scene from TDW (I cant remember if it was deleted or not I haven’t seen that movie in years lol) when he shape shifted into Steve to taunt the Avengers. Cheeky Loki is great and so is cheeky Steve. “I could do this all day” and “Yeah, I know, I know.” The Steve vs Steve fight was also really cool. I was surprise he used the mind stone to stop himself though? And I thought it was funny when he said “hail hydra” to get by with the scepter. Now onto Steve’s whole time loop. I am disgruntled but also weirdly okay with how that all ended. I am not anti-Steve in any manner but his MCU characterization is not on my personal top list of Cap storylines. I’ve seen someone say this before and I found I kinda agreed with it. Steve’s progression is becoming more and more selfish when it comes to keeping his family safe while in parallel Tony’s progression is becoming more and more selfless when it comes to keeping his own family safe. Very different takes on how to protect family, but I think it would be wrong to ignore that part of Steve’s story. He will do any and everything to keep Bucky alive at his side, to keep Sam safe, to keep the integrity of the Avengers alive even at the cost of his personal freedom. He wants, no needs, to have his family with him. He will risk damaging relations with everyone else to keep them save. That’s admirable.

That being said, Steve going back in time to be with Peggy is a pathetic conclusion even if I can come to terms with it. In my opinion, Steve is the only Avenger righteous enough to be able to go back to the past to fulfill his own timeline and not do anything about what is coming next. He takes a huge risk in staying back in time to be with Peggy; letting Hydra infiltrate SHIELD is one thing he could not change. No matter what, Thanos is coming. He is inevitable. But Tony is Iron Man, and Tony can only be Iron Man in the first place if he gets kidnapped in Afghanistan. This only happens because of Obadiah’s jealousy and greed, which comes out of Tony becoming CEO of Stark Industries after his parent’s premature deaths. Their premature deaths only happen because Bucky became the Winter Soldier and was brainwashed to kill them. These things have to happen in order for Thanos to be defeated so Steve has to keep these things alive. This also means he has to marry Peggy after he crashed in the ice so there are two Steve’s in the universe, one who is Peggy’s husband and another who is Captain America. He gets the future he always wanted and the superhero story he was born to be a part of. The biggest pieces of bullshit about this storyline is 1) Peggy being used as nothing but someone for Steve to lust over 2) Steve coming back somehow in the end as an old guy. You could sort of explain point 2 by saying old Steve always existed so it’s not actually disrupting the timeline, things are always supposed to be this. You know how in some time travel movies the present/future happens bc someone went back into the past and their actions caused it? Maybe Steve is something like that. I know they explained that it creates a split timeline but if old Steve is always there then it’s not a split timeline it’s just the regular timeline. It still doesn’t explain why old Steve was right there with the Avengers after they sent 2023 Steve to the past. Major plot hole. Also I don’t think him leaving Bucky in 2023 is a plot hole; Bucky has to live his life post being Hydra’s Winter Soldier and without Steve’s shadow over him. It’s gonna be great to see Bucky working with a new Captain America and forming a friendship with Sam.

Side note: I am so pleased about Falcon!Cap that is what I’ve wanted for years in mcu now and it’s here! That is definitely something I am grateful for in all of this. Another thing I liked is Valkyrie becoming the Queen of Asgard and Thor exploring the galaxy with the Guardians. Also Pepper in the Rescue suit, that made me super excited! Seeing all the ladies team up was very fun.

Anyway, on to the last two of the main six Avengers: Clint and Natasha. I think I saw some people upset about Natasha’s death…she was in a very dark place mentally but her sacrifice for her family to live on is just as important as Tony’s. They both exchanged their lives to save the universe and so her death was not pointless at all. It also is a great show of how much Clint loved her, how much he risked to save her and indict her into SHIELD after he was sent to off her all those years ago. As she said in Avengers, they all have blood on their hands, some more than others. This was her way of returning the lives she took just as Tony has done the same by snapping away Thanos’ army at the cost of his life. She was the soul they needed for these three Avengers—Natasha, Bruce, and Tony—who have taken many lives with their own hands if not just obscene amounts of violence, to reverse the Snap and save the universe. Clint can be included actually but since he was Ronin when he was slaying people for revenge I put that separate from when he returned to the Avengers.

MCU Clint isn’t my fave Avenger, both because of Renner and because of his characterization. But Endgame made me like him more, especially in the first five minutes or so as he taught his daughter archery and connected with his family. That was a beautiful opening scene and it wrenched my heart to see his family get dusted away. His dark turn was kinda corny imo I mean, the whole badass punk hipster vibe was funny but I really liked seeing him and Natasha interacting and being friends again. I’m glad he had a sword because while bow and arrow comes in handy, the battle requires close combat and he definitely was gonna get killed if he didn’t have something more than arrows.

Also the quantum realm suits grew on me…they are still ugly but it’s a tolerable ugly now.

AH! important point: Nebula’s storyline! I really liked how she had to literally kill her past self in order to keep herself and her sister alive. That side plot of Nebula battling herself was great and allowed for nice growth of her character and how her past self tried to sabotage her future.

Final point is that I enjoyed the movie for what it is: a beautiful close to the story of the Infinity Saga. It is meant to be a homage to the fans who have seen all the movies, who have followed the MCU for as long as they could. I don’t think this is meant to be for casual viewers, not that you can’t watch casually, but you definitely have to watch knowing what happened before. They don’t introduce Captain Marvel or Antman’s Quantum realm stuff much. It’s probably confusing if you haven’t seen Captain Marvel or the Antman movies. You’re expected to know what came before and I mean, it makes sense. Money making franchise or not, there’s a lot going on in this movie and taking the time to introduce new things over and over is not worth it.

tl;dr: Endgame is the story about end of the two who started the MCU, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. I think you could even say that Steve stuck by Tony’s side until the end of the line. The two leaders of the Avengers, side by side and trusting each other again to get the job done. That is the Endgame because part of the journey is the end and doing whatever it takes to get there. My final thought (before rewatch because lbr, I will most likely watch again) is that I am very grateful for the chance to love Tony Stark as I have, to love him 3000 and 3000 times more and more. I love you, Tony Stark. You can rest now, my love. The universe is indeed safe in your hands~

#mcu #marvel #endgame #avengers endgame #avengers endgame spoilers #tony stark #iron man #steve rogers #captain america #infinity saga #yams rambles #thor #bruce banner #hulk #natasha romanov #black widow #clint barton #hawkeye #ronin #loki #loki laufeyson #the stark gauntlet dream of mine came true #same with falcon cap and the rescue suit #i love tony stark to the end of the world and beyond

[someonefromthere]

Hey! I saw that you were taking requests and I was wondering if you could do a gavin x rk900 carnival “date”? Like it was originally an investigation but they get sidetracked. Bonus points for a ferris wheel kiss 😘

Hey, buddy, I’m sorry it took so long, but everything fell on me this month and there’s so little time before the school starts that I honestly don’t know how I’m gonna make it all work. Anyway, writing this fic was a great, great fun and I just couldn’t stop occasionally adding a little pieces here and there, it was even rewritten once! But I can proudly post it now and hope I delivered - I changed it from an investigation to a stakeout, because it matched better. Hope you enjoy!

Once more time, a huge thank you for @pointeful for helping me with the facts about travelling carnivals - I live in Europe and have never been to that kind of park, and she was there for me when I asked for her help - go check her out!

The fic on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15787071

It turned out Nines actually liked things. It occurred to him some time after the red wall had fallen and his mind had cleared. The thought didn’t hit him all of a sudden, in any poetic way, no. The revelation slowly creeped its way to him, encircling the lines of his code until his awareness hugged it back, and he understood. Deviants were capable of liking. He was too.

Crucial as it was, it was also simple. He liked the way a new loose tee shirt wrapped itself around his broad shoulders and hung freely from them, giving him a feeling of comfort. He liked windy days when a breeze would tousle his hair, and a soft sunrise light falling through the windows. He liked yellow and sunflowers, liked a floral shirt he once saw a little boy wearing, liked the sound of dogs breathing and droplets reaching metal window sills calmly. There were moments when he had to decide – did he like a body warmer more than a coat? Which brand of cologne should he purchase? Did he really felt like going on a walk or did he prefer staying inside? – but some of these preferences came up easily.He liked the smell of Gavin’s usual black coffee and the texture of a paper cup in his hand. He liked the scar on the bridge of his partner’s nose, the stormy grey of his eyes and the small smile the man would give him when he did or said something funny. It soothed him to find the familiar silhouette amongst the others, unknown, when they were on an investigation and the warm presence beside him when they sat in a car on a stakeout. He didn’t understand what it meant to be so strongly affected by these tiny things, but he liked it anyway. It made him feel more human.(Oh, if only CyberLife could see him now, the better Connor, the chance to save humanity, with his code full of feelings he couldn’t comprehend.)One of the things his memory held and shielded from the destructive world was the light on Gavin’s face as they entered a funfair that was supposed to be an area of the stakeout – the appointed place of a red ice dealer and his client. The carnival was full of children and their parents, and teenagers probably having their dates, and elders that came here to retrace their youth memories, and androids that recently discovered the idea of fun. Nines’ internal clock projected a few minutes after eight p.m., and the sky was deep dark by now, yet the crowds occupying the amusement park were still thick, not that the android minded.(He liked people. He liked to be among them.)Nines slipped his hands into the pockets of his lemon body warmer and glanced around, letting his lucid eyes linger on the swift attractions and colorful stalls. He tried not to scan everything around – Gavin didn’t really like it – and just concentrate on simply watching, but a couple notes and conclusions made their way to his vision. Most of these attractions weren’t safe. They were wobbly and set up in a rush, their structure weak. His calculations showed a relatively high probability of an accident, and as he had analyzed each one that happened to be in his area of sight, he decided not to let Gavin on any of them. (He didn’t like the thought of his partner getting hurt. The aspect of not liking was yet mostly unfamiliar, a brand new thing.)“We could have some fun before he arrives,” the android heard Gavin say and when his gaze floated to the man, he saw him looking around with a smile. A faint and not quite full, but it was there, drawing graceful wrinkles around Gavin’s lips and nose. Making Nines want to compliment on them. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he replied instead, brow furrowed. Obviously it wasn’t what he thought – it would be nice to spend more easy time with his partner, learn about his likes, but he also knew it wouldn’t be good for the stakeout. He’d get distracted, which was an effortless thing around Gavin. The man looked at him with an unimpressed expression on his face. “Do you have any updates on the suspect?”And although Nines knew what it gave rise to, he answered honestly. “No. Connor remains silent.” Truth it was, the connection with his predecessor stayed quiet and calm, no comments from RK800 sailing through it. Gavin nodded. “We don’t know when he’ll be here. It could be in ten minutes, or an hour. Come on. Maybe androids don’t get bored, but I surely do,” he mumbled and once again his eyes searched the rows of rides and mini-games booths. RK900 sighed and rolled his eyes – a manner he got after Lieutenant Anderson thanks to all those hours spent in his and Connor’s company – and waited patiently to see if Gavin was a fan of these sketchy roller-coasters and their cousins. Thankfully, he was not.He chose the closest mini-game – half-hidden under a striped, material roof, but illuminated by a set of star-shaped lights that gave the stall somewhat warm and magic look. A man that apparently owned it was somewhere in his forties and wore a joyful smile on his wrinkled face as he instructed a teenage boy with a blonde girl standing beside him how to play. Gavin rummaged through his back pockets in search of his wallet and Nines seized the opportunity to take a closer look at the game itself, his gaze immediately flying to the booth’s wall.Against it, three separate constructions made of milk jars stood, probably set to be targets of whatever game the man offered. They were situated quite neatly as for a human, so the short glass towers looked rather stable and placed within two meters from where the counter was, they seemed to be fair goals. It shouldn’t be difficult to throw off all nine jars that made up for one structure at once.As he finished his analysis, the teenager threw his first ball, the four others laying on the spot in front of him. He hit only one jar, smashing the adjacent two down with it, but the rest remained untouched. The situation repeated until almost the entire tower fell – one piece still standing proudly, seemingly laughing at the kid’s face, but he walked away satisfied nonetheless; the girl received a plush giraffe and gave him a peck in return. “Three, please,” Gavin said to the man and handed him a banknote. Nines eyed his partner, then the target. He should make it, if the calculations were correct.He did. Used all three balls to reach the goal, but the tower came down with a noise and the fair-haired man passed Gavin an elastic keychain with a sound sensor that activated a flashlight upon a whistle as a prize. Gavin snorted, lifting it and pretending to stick it to Nines’ arm. “I’m gonna glue it to you, so I won’t lose you,” he joked and the man behind the counter laughed loudly, looking at the android before bending down to pick the glass from the floor.“I’m gonna buy a chip and use GPS, so you won’t be able to run away,” Nines bit back, earning a noisy burst of laugh from the booth owner who accidentally hit the wall with his head and a shocked look from Gavin. Shocked and betrayed, he could describe it.Gavin shook his head, but said nothing, amusement playing around the corners of his lips. He pointed at Nines when the man appeared in their sight again. “Wonders of technology, huh?”The owner looked surprised, his gaze winging towards Nines’ temple as if to try and spot his LED; he didn’t though. It was long gone, making the android appear much more human than before which helped him in job-related activities.“Didn’t know it was one of them. You know, I think they’re better than most of humans, buddy. It applies to this one, too. You’re lucky.” The wink that followed the sentence made Gavin’s cheeks turn slightly pink for unknown reason.(Nines decided that he liked this color, too, in particular painted on his partner’s body.)“You want to play, pal?”He felt taken-aback by the question, but the man was still looking at him expectantly, waiting for an answer, so the android huffed a quiet yes. It seemed like it was normal for this stranger man to consider an android a living being, so similar to a human, and it made RK900’s artificial heart warm up. He wasn’t there when the revolution started and he barely remembered the end of it, but when he’d grasped his deviancy, he felt proud for his brothers and sisters to have fought their freedom and rights, and acceptance among mankind. “One, three or five?” The man asked. Nines looked at Gavin and saw a challenge in his eyes. Oh, he wouldn’t be himself if he hadn’t take it. “One,” he said, sliding a banknote down the counter, Gavin’s smirk and raised brow in his peripheral. The owner took it, handing him a single plastic ball that quickly ended up wrapped tightly by Nines’ fingers and aimed at a jar placed at the bottom, the one that seemed to hold the entire structure in place. The core. He directed the ball precisely at the opening and–“How did you even do it?” Gavin stared blankly at the spot where a moment ago the tower hovered. Now, the man owning the booth was cleaning up the mess Nines caused, and the android himself glanced proudly at his partner.“Can’t accept the fact that I’m better than you?” He teased, but slouched a bit to find himself on a comfortable level of Gavin’s eyes. The icy-eyed knew the man liked it when his partner wasn’t towering over him like “a fucking Empire State Building’s copy”, as Gavin once told him; besides, it was nice to watch him from close up. The imperfections on his skin were mose visible, the marks and small scars, beauty spots and everything that made him more Gavin, a unique individual Nines was happy to be friends with. (Nines presumably just liked Gavin. It was hard to admit, even for him, but he felt attached to him. The android was curious what would the man’s reaction be if the confession slipped out of his mouth.)Gavin snorted. “I’m all but surprised you reached the target. Should’ve clapped.” But he didn’t. He looked up instead and something in his grey eyes shifted, making Nines’ artificial heart warm up. “You’re great at this,” the fair-haired man commented when all three glass towers came back to life. “Here’s my offer: if you get rid of two more like this, you’ll win the main prize, huh? What do you say?”Nines’ gaze flickered to a shelf he didn’t have time to analyze before – a shelf and a row of hangers that supported a whole collection of toys. They varied in types, colors and sizes, some of them small and colorful such as dolls or pillows, the other bigger and pastel: teddy bears, basketball balls, even tee shirts with text overprints. The android’s attention was immediately struck by the largest teddy in a light hue of lilac that hung low, indicating it was nothing less than heavy. He liked it, the color ever so pretty and the toy itself looking plushy. “I’ll try.”The android wasn’t surprised that he made it with easiness, gathering a not-so-thin crowd around the stall – just a couple of teenagers that tried and failed not to look impressed by Nines’ precision when the next two balls landed perfectly where he sent them. The owner couldn’t be angry anyway, given the fact that Nines made him a great advertisement which caused the teens to play, too. He didn’t seem even a bit unhappy about a disappearance of the best prize his booth offered.Whereas Gavin shot the android the most furious glare he could afford from above the head of the lilac teddy bear he was holding.“What am I supposed to do with this thing?” He didn’t sound resentful – more like playful, though his face was mostly hidden behind the toy and Nines couldn’t make out any of the emotions that probably played on it. He simply smiled in return.

“Take it home. Consider it a gift.”“A gift that I’ll have to fucking drag all around the park, great.”“I think I don’t have to remind you that it was you who wanted to come here and play at first place.”“Robotic bastard.”Nines smirked, glancing around. They stayed in one place, near the previously visited booth, because of the weight and size of the prize – it wasn’t easy to carry him around, really. The teddy was nearly five feet tall which made him almost as tall as Gavin and the human was the one to hold it, so it looked ridiculously, at least to say. “You want to go somewhere else?” Nines asked and brought his gaze back to Gavin with a soft expression on his face. He risked a longer glance, putting down the details about him once again, just like he did those thousands times that never bored him. The crooked curve of the scar and the mole under his right eye, the meadow of freckles on his cheeks, the sharp line of his jaw. Everything that seemed important and unimportant to know; everything. “There was a game when I was younger, I‘m curious if it’s still a thing.”“Want me to search the map?”The android asked the question only out of politeness, already knowing Gavin’s response.“No. Let’s just look for it.”And so they did. Nines liked it better this way, too; it was much more nicer to walk around the carnival in silence than mechanically seek the information in the web like a computer. It made him feel and appear more human if he acted like one which he knew that made Gavin feel better. (He liked the looks his partner would give him after catching him doing some tics, even the nervous ones.)Nines almost felt guilty for letting Gavin carry the teddy bear for the entire walk – it surely didn’t tire him out, but very likely made him uncomfortable to have to peek out over the toy like a five-year-old. Almost. He could recall all the times when his partner was a little shit to him, so the current situation was a kind of revenge, even if he was more civil and wouldn’t sneer at the human the way he did at the beginning of their partnership. (Besides, the android liked that this way he had more possibilities to touch his partner: whether they were passing someone and Gavin didn’t notice them – that’s when Nines’ hand landed on the small of his back – or when he had to guide Gavin on the corners – the fingers around the man’s arm firm but gentle. Nothing able to bruise. Nearly caring.)The game Gavin talked about was still a thing, yes, and it made his face soften, causing the domino effect on Nines who smiled fondly, seeing the enchanting change in his human. The booth supporting the game held a large text consisting of luminous LED letters, each of them shining with a different color, which simply said Dart Game. It was hard for Nines to hold himself from looking it up in the web, but somehow he managed. He brushed his gaze over the stall – its wall was covered in small balloons that formed a colorful mosaic, three or more rows of metal tubes used as hangers for rather not big prizes hovering above it.“It’s simple, you see,” Gavin said, placing the lilac teddy bear on his shoes, careful not to drop it to the dirty ground. The android leaned in closer to him, using the need to hear him better as an excuse. He didn’t though. Gavin continued, “you get a prize of the same color as the balloon you hit. Got it?”“Sure.”Nines folded his arms on his chest, watching an adult man trying to aim at a green balloon placed at an uncomfortable angle. It was a difficult task, much more harder than aiming at a tower of jars if you wanted to actually hit a certain color. He could try it. “You playing?”The android shuffled a bit awkwardly, turning to look at Gavin. “Huh?”“I asked if you want to play.”“You don’t?”“It’s been a long time since I touched a dart, only would’ve made a fool of myself. By the way this,” he patted the teddy’s plushy head, “is enough for one night. But I don’t see why you shouldn’t play.”Nines watched as the man left, a little red-haired girl by his side holding a Minion toy. She looked at Gavin and his teddy curiously and smiled, and then surprisingly Gavin smiled back. Shyly but smiled, lips turned upwards and teeth barely bared. Beautifully. Nines could imagine the Software Instability warning that would’ve appear in his vision now if he was still a machine.“I’ll play.”The owner of the booth was clearly an android – it was hard to tell beside the fact that she had an LED blinking a steady blue on her temple. Nines knew some androids chose to keep theirs as a proud sign of who they were, just like Connor did; he was the one to explain the concept to his younger brother who only seemed confused about it. He didn’t like his own, didn’t like that it reflected his feelings and thoughts, so he got rid of it as soon as he gained consciousness. “Any color in particular you want to hit?” She asked when he lifted a dart, leaning over the counter with her elbow and half-observing Nines from under her long eyelashes. He shrugged. “Yellow. Or red, I guess.”

(Gavin’s favourite color was red. Gavin liked it.)“Make your mind, prick,” Nines heard his partner say quietly and impatiently from behind him. He smirked and aimed, and smoothly moved his hand so the dart made its way to a red balloon, a neighbour of three yellow ones. The android – no, the woman snapped her fingers.“You got it perfectly,” she remarked, grabbing a stool. “Which red thing you want?”Nines sent his gaze over the red section on the hangers, over the teddy bears and material dolls, and balls, and pillows.“That one.”And that way, Gavin ended up with a little Elmo teddy stuffed in the pocket of his leather jacket. “You won it. It’s your prize. You should keep it, why–”“Because I want to,” the android interrupted him as the made their way to a cotton candy stand. His partner shot him a glare to which he responded with a small smile. “I want you to keep it, is it so hard to understand? It’s a gift.”“But–”“No buts. Just shut the fuck up and get your goddamn unhealthy snack.”Gavin averted his gaze, pretending to be offended, but a short snicker escaped his mouth without his consent. It was a pleasant sound, cuter than Nines would admit.(The android liked it. Serenity looked good on his partner.)The lilac teddy bear ended up in Nines’ hands while Gavin’s became busy with a cloud of pink candy-floss of the biggest size. Soon, the colored sugar covered both corners of the man’s lips and his munching lured the android to reach with his fingers and tear a bit of the cotton candy, bringing it to his mouth to analyze.“What the fuck, man,” Gavin muttered, but didn’t even spare him a glance. He got used to it a long time ago, the teasing never ended though. No malice hid behind his words anymore, to Nines’ secret content.The sweet turned out as unhealthy as he initially predicted – overloaded with sugar as it was the only used ingredient, made with high temperature, and also very sweet – Nines couldn’t taste it (he wished he could though), yet his sensors caught the flavor quite fast. He knew that Gavin loved sweetness – he could eat donuts all day long if Nines didn’t intervene, which he rarely did. Consuming sweet food made Gavin happy, and the only thing Nines ever wanted was to see his human partner happy. If it didn’t collide with Gavin’s health, obviously.“Where do you want to go now?”The question made Nines halt and sharply spin his head to look down at Gavin. “What?”“Are your ears bugging or am I too quiet? Shall I fucking shout? Where do you want to go?”“I… I don’t know.” “Do you not find anything here worth attention? Not even a single booth or a roller-coaster? Look around.”The android had a remark about the attractions’ safety on the tip of his tongue, ready to spill it out just for his own sake, but something in the distance caught his eyes at the exact same moment. A huge, lit and moving circle. A ferris wheel, the web in his head whispered helpfully. It was beautiful and looked so magical – much more magical than the mini-game stalls that surrounded them. It didn’t stand out with safety, unfortunately, but if there was something he wanted to try, that was it. “The ferris wheel,” he repeated out loud, watching Gavin’s face change into something fond and sincere, and… Nines couldn’t seize it. It seemed too distant and unfamiliar, too messy for his neat programming. “Then let’s go and make your dreams come true,” the man joked with a slight tilt of his head and a ghost of smile. The wheel looked even more beautiful from close up when Gavin was busy buying them a few rounds and Nines could just stand, his head lifted and eyes focused on the warm lights that decorated the whole attraction. The movement was sluggish and soothing, and it made the android’s Thirium pump somewhat beat slower. “You gonna stand here all night or what?” Gavin asked, making his way to an open bench. The only response he got was a low I’m coming before Nines joined him, taking a seat beside him and placing the teddy on their feet.“If it falls, I will beat the shit out of you,” Gavin threatened with no harm and leaned down to make sure the toy was protected enough; apparently it wasn’t, because he lifted his leg and hooked it around the teddy bear tightly. Nines observed with a sympathetic smile and said nothing, lowering a metal plank that seemed to be used as a kind of protection from downfall. It wasn’t anything near solid – it could easily prevent a child from falling, but it wouldn’t be much of help if a grown man was in danger of it – yet it was better than nothing. The wheel resumed its calm course, sending their bodies into a lazy movement that would’ve send Nines’ LED a peaceful pulsating blue, similar to the one triggered by stasis, if he still had it. Maybe it wouldn’t have, after all – his right thigh was pressed to Gavin’s warm one, spreading something through his artificial skin. Something unknown, but not new. Something good. Distracting. (Nines’ objective was not to get distracted, and yet he found himself enjoying the contact like nothing else in his short deviant life.)“Do you sometimes think about the life you want to live?” Gavin asked when they reached the top and the wheel stopped again, a pair from one of the bottom benches leaving, replaced by another. Nines tore his gaze away from the breathtaking view on the city to look fully at his partner whose face was barely visible in the dim light. He could tell Gavin’s eyes were thoughtful though.“What do you mean?”“Everyone wants a different life than they have. Well, almost everyone. You know, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”“I… I do not want a different life.” It was true, maybe too true for his taste. The wheel jerked to life again. “This is my place. In this precinct, on this position. I very much like what I do for a living and I’m surrounded by people that I’m mostly fond of. I don’t see why I would want to change it.”Gavin watched him for awhile before answering, a bit unsure. “You’re serious.”“Of course I am, Gavin. This is my place. Here. By your side.”It sent a strange jolt through the man who trembled and twitched his hands nervously. It seemed like he couldn’t take his eyes off of the android’s even if he wanted.“You’re better than this, you know that, right? Fowler assigned you to me, but it’s entirely your choice if you want to stay or move on. Nobody will say anything if you do. You’re not fucking tied to me, Nines. It’s not like… It’s not like I will be mad. Do what you want to do.”A crease appeared between the android’s eyes, the frown deepening with each word that fell out of Gavin’s mouth. “Do you want me gone?”“Of course not, Nines,” the man seemed to almost choke on the words, as if he was surprised that his partner would even think of that. “Of course I don’t want you gone. You’re the first person that didn’t dump me. The first partner that didn’t resign after a few months after being partnered with me. I don’t want anything more than to keep doing this, but I don’t want to force you to do the same just because I’m a selfish motherfu–”“When will you stop thinking like that of yourself? You may be rude and overaggressive, but you’re kind and charming when you want to, and you’re a good man, Gavin. You’re worth so much more than you give yourself credit.”It left Gavin speechless. Well, maybe not exactly, because he managed to mutter a very, very quiet bullshit before Nines had enough of his shit and simply said, “I like you.”It was true and painful. It was what triggered the android’s deviancy and what didn’t allow him to not give Gavin all his attention, not that he wanted to stop giving him anything. Nines liked him the most of all people – even more than Connor, actually. He liked him in a way that he couldn’t understand – in a way that maybe wasn’t just liking.Gavin looked at him with sadness and hope in his grey eyes, shifting a bit, not exactly withdrawing – the pressure of his thigh was still perceptible on the android’s leg, thankfully – but turning and ducking his head slightly. “Tell me you’re not joking and I’m not hallucinating, because I don’t think I can handle it if we take it a little further and you want to take it all back.”“I’m serious, Gavin. I like you. I don’t want to leave you unless you tell me to.”“Oh, hell no.”And then he laughed. Honest to God laughed. With his mouth open and teeth bared, eyes squinted, but focused on the android, his entire body trembling with the happy, even if a little bitter sound.Nines thought he’d never seen anything so beautiful.“I like you, too, tin can. Perhaps too much for my own good.”“What does that mean?” Nines eyes him, confused, observing the change in his features; happiness shifted into calmness, calmness into melancholy once again. It hurt.“You trust me, right?”Nines never trusted anyone as much as he trusted his partner. Maybe, if he tried, he could pretend he didn’t and the connection between them wasn’t real, but he didn’t think his pretending would ever look convincing. “I do.”First, a hand on his cheek, gentle and barely-there. It held him steady in one place, yet its force was so small he could easily break the contact if he wanted. He didn’t.Secondly, a hand on his thigh, not close to his knee, still far from his waist. Warm and heavy, laying there seemingly to assure the android that the human was never going anywhere. Thirdly, a little ragged, but soft lips on his own, a pressure telling Nines to tilt his head and adjust to a better angle. His eyes fell shut, his nose bumping slightly against another, soon coming back to rub against it tenderly. Gavin’s skin was rough under the android’s fingers, worn-out from years of hard work and strict lifestyle, but it felt perfect. Everything felt perfect in that moment, in that place.He let his tongue dart inside the man’s mouth, past his teeth to lick at his palate, earning a surprised yelp and a pleased moan mixed into one sound, and suddenly their proximity wasn’t enough. “I wasn’t made to do this. I’m sorry if I’m not good,” Nines whispered, barely moving away. Their lips brushed together when he spoke. “You’re good enough,” was the only response he got before Gavin rushed in to meet him in a slow kiss that sent non-existent goosebumps all over the android’s artificial skin. His sensors felt overloaded, and yet it wasn’t enough. He wanted more.He desired to feel more.The connection between him and Connor twinkled before a message rolled out from the other end.[The suspect’s in there. I shall inform you about his farther moves. Where are you?]Nines hesitated, pulling away to glance at Gavin. His partner watched him with an irritated question in his wide eyes and the android noted that their pupils were dilated.[We’re on the ferris wheel.][On the ferris wheel? Why?][Gavin wanted to have fun and told me to choose.]He mouthed Connor to Gavin, not wanting to break the precious silence that fell over them while the wheel finished its third round. The man rolled his eyes, but his swollen lips stretched out in a fond smile when he watched him.[Ah. OK. Anyway, the suspect’s with a young boy determined to be his oldest son, he’s heading to a roller-coaster in the center. I’ll let you know when he meets with a possible client. Stay tuned.][Thanks, Connor.]Nines dulled the line into the background, far enough to focus entirely on the man in front of him and near enough to hear it open. His fingers grazed Gavin’s hair on the nape of his neck.“We have some time before the suspect does anything notable,” he said in a flirtatious tone, watching as his partner grinned widely, the hand on his thigh moving just a little higher. It stopped low enough to not dare any biting comments, but the warmth definitely didn’t stop spreading.“What are you waiting for, then?”

#reed900 #gavin reed x rk900 #gavin reed #rk900 #connor #detroit become human #dbh fic #again they're hella gay #carnival date #travelling carnival #ferris wheel #fluff #because im a sucker for it #it gets angsty but just a little #gay all the way as they say

[atopearth]

Final Fantasy X HD Remaster Part 8 - Someday the Dream will End

(Thought it’d be a great title since the above is my favourite soundtrack and this is my last post on FFX! XD)

Yay! I got Lulu’s Venus sigil! I was hesitant to start the dodging lightning thing since you have to dodge 200 in a row, but omg, after going on YouTube and knowing that there’s a ditch where you can easily gather the rhythm to do it 200 times, it only surprisingly took me like an hour and a half after getting distracted a few times and failing lmao. Gotta say though, much easier than the stupid Chocobo race for Tidus!🙄 Next thing you know, I try the butterfly catching game for the Saturn sigil and start to contemplate whether I really want to be a perfectionist lmao. I totally forgot that I hate the butterfly game the most, like THE MOST. It’s literally frustrating me more than the Chocobo and lightning combined, I don’t know why everyone on the internet says it’s the easiest of the mini games😣😣 Okay, fine, after another half an hour with trial and error, I finally got the Saturn sigil too, not that bad I guess….

Finally got all the celestial weapons too yeee~ I’ve never gotten everything before so I’m pretty happy right now hahaha! So Yu Yevon is the one that’s been constantly causing this all for a thousand years, hiding within Sin using him as an armour, and then when people defeat Sin with the powers Yunalesca tells them about, he merges with the Final Aeon to continue this cycle of life and death. I guess when everything works out, it’ll be good, but once they defeat Sin, the Fayth will stop dreaming and Tidus will disappear… It’s kinda funny how you used to be all concerned about Yuna dying and now near the end of the game, you instead have to be concerned over Tidus disappearing instead. Why can’t they just be happy together sigh..

Well! I legit spent a day farming sphere levels for Rikku and Tidus to finish off the sphere grid getting all the strength and agility nodes but omggg, can I just say that having triple AP instead of double AP is like the biggest difference ever? LOL. And omg overdrive -> AP is like the best thing ever. So easy to level lol. Funniest thing was when Don Tonberry did 83k damage on my Tidus though hahahaah, did I really kill that many monsters with him🤣 But yeah, it’s cool that I’m progressing with my sphere grid but I’m kinda sad that I’m one hit KOing everything lol. I mean, this is the first time I’ve ever gotten so far in FFX so I feel like I’m killing my experience haha! But I really want to fight nemesis and penance and all the dark aeons so oh well. Btw, it’s because I OHKO Seymour in Sin and didn’t get to see him do anything with his cool music hahaha. At least Yuna finally sent him to the farplane lol. Anyway, back to farming monsters, just need to finish Sin and Omega Ruins and I’m doneeee!

GG though, Omega Ruins took sooo long (I guess Sin did too) but dang was it annoying lol. So anyway, after much leveling with Don Tonberry again, and getting all the strength, defence, magic, magic defence, agility, luck and fortune spheres, I am legit done with the whole sphere grid! I’m honestly not dedicated enough to do 255 everything, so since 255 luck = 255 accuracy and evasion, I am not going to bother lolll. Agility maxes out at 170 as well so yayyy, don’t need to farm moreeee. I’ve legit been spending my week doing all this lmao, watching TVB and farming, that’s been my life hahaha. It’s kinda crazy seeing myself finish all this though. It was super time consuming but it’s nice to see my characters deal 99,999 damage haha. Coolest thing was defeating all the creations by the Monster Arena guy and then beating up Nemesis! Yesssss! It could have been easier if I set my overdrive mode to Comrade (charges overdrive when allies are hit) since he dealt so much damage lol, but silly me left it on Warrior (charges overdrive every time I attack), so yeaaaah, that took longer than I wanted hahaha. Btw, Nemesis is ugly but yay! I’ve completed another goal of mine! Oh yeah, I also beat Omega Weapon, of which, he was so underwhelming, especially with the random monsters you have to fight along the way, FFVIII was so much more annoying and challenging imo with the Ultima Weapon and other guys. I guess we’ll see how I feel once I defeat all the Dark Aeons and fight Penance hahaha.

The Dark Aeons were relatively easy! Especially if you have ribbon/stoneproof, not being petrified and shattered is like the most important thing imo lol. Dark Bahamut kept killing me and pissing me off because he kept petrifying my guys and killing them lol, I had to put stoneproof on my armour to survive, worked out well since I needed it for the Magus Sisters too haha. And yes, I was lazy to fight them altogether so I separated them and fought the sisters one by one to save myself from the agony lol. And what do you know? Dark Yojimbo was actually the one to bring the most trouble! It’s not even because he was hard, it was because I had to fight him 5 times to defeat him and initially, I didn’t know and just defeated him four times and was like wth, why isn’t Penance appearing?! So then, I googled and realised that I had kept missing the true third battle in the green room, so yeah, that frustrated the hell out of me because I legit defeated him 10+ times because I went to the wrong place, didn’t understand etc, yeaaah I was raging lol. I really wanted to finish the game and defeat Penance in the same day with the Dark Aeons so yeah, I was annoyed that I was not on schedule lolol. Oh well, more time to prepare for Penance I guess.

So…. I tried Penance and I died hahahah. Gotta revise my armour lolol. I think ribbon, auto-potion (with only x-potion), auto-haste and auto-protect might be the best combo. I’ll try that and see. Or not lolll! My biggest problem with Penance was not surviving his immolation attack that does a lot of HP damage and sucks all your MP too. Well, anyway, after much googling etc, I revised my armour again, luckily I had 6 million to spend bribing monsters for stuff lmao. I used auto-potion, auto-haste, auto-protect and defence +20%. This accompanied with Rikku’s Ultra NullAll mix (lasts the whole battle as long as you don’t die!) gave me enough defence to survive the whole battle (yay!). After that, it was really rinse and repeat of destroying the arms and then hitting the main body whenever I could. It probably legit took 20-30 minutes. Crazy for sure. Not sure whether it’s really worth it since I didn’t feel very accomplished LOL, I just felt like a robot constantly using quick hit (throwing a three stars so it doesn’t cost MP), dispelling after every immolation attack and thankfully, I had auto-potion because it would have killed me if I had to heal myself every turn. So yeah, after that, it was really just a waiting game where I just kept doing the same thing for 30 minutes, yeah it was pretty boring. I liked the optional bosses from previous games more.

And now I can finally fight Sin! Honestly, seeing Tidus finally open up to Jecht a bit more and be a bit more honest, I felt happy for Jecht. He’s always loved Tidus. Too bad it wasn’t meant to be for them to ever be able to hang out together like buddies. Since I maxed out my stats, last boss was so easy, I barely did anything. Kinda feel like I should have let him do something so I could see it lol, but I was too fast hahaha. Pretty devastating to see Yuna summoning every single summon for Yu Yevon to take over and then we kill it to stop Yu Yevon from having anything to take over anymore. It was heartbreaking to see all the Fayth go like that. But at least, as they said, they can now stop dreaming… Auron always has to be cool doesn’t he lolll, even when Yuna sends him to the Farplane. It hurt when he told Yuna that it was okay to send him. I really liked Auron. It was also saddening when Tidus was like, this is his last battle with them because he’s going to disappear, I guess at least he told them. Slack to Yuna when she wanted to hug him but he was disappearing. Especially when at the end, she kept whistling, waiting for him to come back.

Never even know the Eternal Calm video or whatever existed. Kinda feels weird though because it’s set two years later where all Yuna has been doing is being something like a counsellor to people until a sphere of someone who looks like Tidus (Shuyin~) is found by Kimahri, given to Rikku and then shown to Yuna and then she decides to go look for other spheres like it and soon becomes a sphere hunter. Considering that FFX-2 is set two years later which I assume is not long after this, her personality sure changed quite a bit after getting some freedom haha. I guess it’s true that Yuna has never truly lived for herself until now so it is nice that she can do that now, but how did she learn to use a gun so fast? Lol.

Overall, I enjoyed FFX, but honestly, it’s not one of my favourites haha. It’s one of the first I played as an adult probably but yeah, if I had to really choose, I prefer the previous much more. But I do like FFX because of how much more, simple it is? It’s simple, straightforward and emotional. Rikku and Yuna will always be my favourites. Wakka being silly is also a highlight. Cool Auron will always be the dream guy though hahaha. Happy that I can finally say I’ve finished it completely! Now on to getting 100% completion for FFX-2! I got like 98 or 99 on my first playthrough with the help of a guide every now and then but now I’m gonna use a guide for the whole thing and hope I get the 100% this time around hahaha, wish me luck~

#Final Fantasy X

[its-c0mplicat3d-blog1]

Losing a loved one

There was this day I was worried about only one thing: the project I had to present the next day with a group of classmates.

I got home. I was mentalized, I had to finish, I didn’t care about sleeping. I opened the door and my family was there: my mom, my dad and my little sister (the other one was resting in bed).

They were kind of quiet and weird. My dad asked me if I was feeling good emotionally. I thought it was a joke, cause he’s always joking, but not this time. I looked at my mom and she started to tell me about her day. At that moment I remembered that she and my sister spent the whole day at the doctor because my sister wasn’t feeling good lately.

I felt scared about what she was about to tell me, so I didn’t let her continue and I said “Don’t tell me the cancer is somewhere else now”. She nodded.

God! I was paralyzed. The cancer in her brain was now in her lungs and probably other parts of her body too. The doctor said there was not too much time left. 

I knew this was going to happen, she spent two years in palliative care, but I wasn't ready to let her go, none of us were.

My mind and my heart were hurting, but I didn’t know what to say. I just listened to my mother saying we should keep our promise of using the time we had left loving my sister and doing whatever she wanted so she could be happy as much as possible. That’s what we’ve done the past four years and a half. And I would do it for the rest of my life. I’d do anything for her.

My eyes were full of tears, but I didn’t let myself cry, because I knew I wouldn’t stop if I started.

I went to the room and there she was, sleeping beautifully, peaceful. There were machines, one for the oxygen and the other one for the first dose of morphine to calm her pain. She woke up and was very sleepy, we thought it was the morphine. We didn’t know what was really happening. 

She looked at me while my mom was fixing some things for her. I smiled and she did the same, she looked happy and calm. My dad was behind me making funny faces, I pretended I didn’t realize and she tried to warn me. We laughed. The minutes passed and she was tired, so I told her she should sleep again. My mom told her that she loved her and she answered “I love you more”. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

I knew the news were terrible, but I decided to finish my assignment so I could cry properly later. I stayed working till 4 am in my desk -in the same room where my sister was, our room- while everyone else was sleeping. 

Suddenly my mom appeared in the room and screamed. She said my sister had a strange color in her face. I told her it was the light and she said “no, something’s wrong”. I stopped doing what I was doing and tried to help but I didn’t know how. My mom was desperate, she measured the oxygen saturation and the results were not good. She went to look for an aspiration machine but for some reason it didn’t work. My dad was trying to help too. They tried so many things while I was in the living room crying, my chest was hurting and I was really scared walking from one place to another. It was sad. Time passed and there was nothing we could do, therefore my mom called for help. The doctor said everything indicated that my sister was dying.

Oh my God, we were not prepared. I loved her with my life, I still do.

We called our grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins ​​so they could say goodbye. 

That night was hard, no one could believe how in less than 24 hours things had changed. No one could believe my sister was dying. The atmosphere was calm at times and desolate at other times.

Never before in my life had I experienced anything like this. Relatives had died, but no one so close to me had ever died.

Suddenly I was no tired, I didn’t want to lose time sleeping, I just wanted to be with my sister for the last time. I stayed next to her, I cried in her shoulder, I caressed her face, I kissed her, I told her how much I loved her,  I hugged her, I took her hand, I fixed her hair, I whispered in her ear. In that moment I gave her everything of me, I really can’t explain how, but I did it. That night my entire family was willing to give everything of them, and they did it. 

My mom sang her favorite songs and my heart broke when I saw her telling her she could rest. She told her she was not angry, she told her body was tired and she should not worry about us. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she was listening when my grandma said something funny and she moved her lips like wanting to laugh. 

That night was the most heartbreaking of my life, but I felt grateful for having the opportunity of staying right next to her.

My sister passed away on june 14th at 12:00 O'Clock.

The color of her face started to change and her breathing was slower. My entire family and I were around her bed. My mother was right next to her and I was behind her holding my other sister’s hand. She let out a long sigh and died. No pain, no suffer.

I usually feel weird close to a dead body, but not my sister’s. I treated her with so much love and respect even when she was not breathing. 

It’s funny how some people say you cannot love something that doesn’t exist, because for common people my sister does not longer exist, but I love her with so much power. That’s why I realize that love really transcends everything.

My sister died at 17, she had life ahead, she was so talented, funny and intelligent. Her personality was strong, she was bright and wasn’t afraid of being herself, she was so brave, just like every sick kid fighting. There were so many things she had to do and I still don’t get why this happened. But it doesn’t matter if she’s not here anymore to do all of those things, she did so many other things when she was alive that there’s no way people will forget her.

I’m not gonna lie, I’m terrified of this life without her, I’m afraid of forgetting her face, her smell, her voice, memories of a lifetime. I am completely broken but in some way I’m happy for her and that’s what calms me sometimes. She fought against a terrible illness, she had to face so many difficulties, she had to get used to a new life and a new body. She had a lot of pain.  My only consolation is that now she is not suffering.

I feel her everywhere. There's no day I haven't thought about her since she died and I don't believe there will be a day that I won't think about her. I will never get over her. 

Everyday I get home, I go straight to our room and my heart breaks a little bit when she’s not there. I look at her clothes and my eyes are filled with tears, my heart breaks a little. I smell her pillow, her perfume is disappearing, my heart breaks a little. At nights I’m trying to fall asleep, I turn my head to the left and her bed is not there, my heart breaks a little. Then I look at the wall and there are pictures of loved ones. She put them there cause her memory was failing and didn’t want to forget them. The most striking photo in the wall is one in which she appears, at nights I look at it and I cry, my heart breaks a little. I mostly cry when I’m driving, in the shower or at nights, I guess those are the moments where I have the most time to think.

Sometimes I miss her so much that I want to touch her desperately, that’s almost everyday. I remember there was this time she had a terrible convulsion and I was alone with her. I was so shocked that I couldn’t sleep properly for two months. I would go to her room (because at that time we had separated rooms) and check if she was breathing.

Lately she was really annoying at nights, it was hard for her to sleep so she would just talk A LOT. Sometimes she would wake me up just to tell me some stupid thing or to accommodate her in bed. I’m not even kidding if I say she would do that ten times. But I promise I wouldn’t mind doing all of those things and more everyday for the rest of my life just to have her with me. 

Tomorrow is her birthday, it’s going to be such a special day, it’ll be her day. We are going to celebrate her, just like she deserves. 

I know it sounds flagellating, but I don’t want this pain to go away because it reminds me of how much I love her. Like her, I will learn to live in pain. I will seek happiness, I will be happy for her, missing her, making her proud. 

To be honest I don’t think this is the right title, because I didn’t lose her, she’s in me. And I don’t know if we'll ever see each other again, I only know that in my dreams I can find her. 

[fearofaherobrine]

Roleplay Server Log #208

“Tobias and Bianca, Cp’s nightmare, Steve and TLOT’s Excellent Dream”

[Deer] Wanders towards the kitchen completely naked-

[Steve] Eating toast. There's a couple of runny eggs on his plate too. - He does a bit of a double take and blushes a bit- Good-good morning Deerheart. Did you wake up too hot?

[Deer] -Hm?  What are you talking about?  It's the same temperature as usual

[Steve] Well you're in the buff, I thought... I like to take my shirt off when I get too hot... [He's currently barefoot in just his shirt and pants.]

[Deer] - Oh no, this is how Doc and I sleep

[Steve] Oh, me and TLOT do the same. He's super comfy and warm to snuggle with.

[Deer] - So how was last night for the two of you?

[Steve] Well TLOT was pretty mad, it took him a while to calm down... He didn't give me specifics but I got the gist from his mind. I'd say seeing how the other half lives is a fitting punishment. If Amanda is contrite and apologizes I'm sure he'll change them back.

[Deer] - Weeeeeell, that might be a little hard to do now...

[Steve] How come? He's never had any trouble shifting people, I mean... since we came here...

[Deer] Giggles- I may not have told Doc what TLOT did before we had Splender take HIM to Slender to wipe her memory

[TLOT] Was coming down the stairs - YOU DID WHAT?

[Deer] Yelps in surprise- Oh...  Hehe, TLOT...

[TLOT] Taps his boot- I'm listening-

[Deer] - Well...  I went down to talk with him and they angered me, so I didn't alert Doc to the change before they sent him off

[TLOT] Tps right next to her with a huge toothy grin- Deerheart.... your first grief.. you wicked little beastie!

[Deer] Giggles- Doc found it funny as well

[TLOT] Reads her mind- I'm not sure funny is the right word... that's the kind of laughter that comes when you're just done with everyone's shit. But - He leans in close and says it quietly- good job. - and then louder and more commanding voice- Don't let it happen again! Understood?

[Deer] - Oh alright, we also had quite the conversation with CP

[TLOT] I'm sure he laughed his square asscheeks off too. Shadenfreude is his favorite thing.

[Deer] - Apparently last night Notch hit him with a branch full of honesty blossoms

[TLOT] That would explain the relatively civil discussion I had with him a few minutes ago...

[Deer] - He's probably still covered in pollen

[TLOT] Too bad for him. I doubt Lie will suggest a morning shower then for that very reason.

[Deer] - He also apparently said something very nice to Notch as well

[TLOT] That's beautiful, I'm sure it did him good to hear it. He's been so paternal lately.

[Deer] - I wish I could of seen what transpired

[TLOT] I'll try and pick his thoughts next time I see him, maybe we can see directly.

[Deer] - Oh goody!  Oh and we found that Pinwheel can eat mice

[TLOT] At least someone is enjoying the morsels, Grinny just turns his nose up at them even though I know he wants to play with them.

[Deer] - Since you said you talked to CP, should we expect them for breakfast soon?

[TLOT] No. I decided to let his punishment slide. Lie is clinging to him like she'll die without his warmth. I think they'll be in bed for a while.

[Deer] - Honestly, how she's always so cold is a mystery to me

[TLOT] We all run differently. Cp is so much hotter then I am.

[Steve] That's a dirty lie!

[TLOT] Pshaw, you know what I mean! Lie is just cold for a brine. It might be a sign that her glitch is more compatible with her physiology since she was made a Herobrine intentionally from irl human stock?

[Deer] - Maybe...  Have you seen Flux lately?  I've been trying to find her for another lesson...

[TLOT] Not lately, she tends to wander a lot. Tell me this thoguh, while I'm thinking about it, does Doc run hot? I've hugged them plenty of times, but they're always heavily clothed.

[Deer] - No, not really

[TLOT] what were you hoping to learn? I assume the lessons are going well?

[Deer] - Oh yes, but I've noticed lately with every time my emotions have been running high, the seed responds.  I want to know if there's a way to separate the two so everybody isn't aware of my emotions at times

[liu] -come into the castle and down into the kitchen he seems to be in pain-

[Smile] Is following-

[TLOT] At Deerheart- Maybe I'm the one that actually needs to help you then. I'm sure you can feel the same when I'm upset.  -at Liu- Liu? What happened to you?

[liu] everything hurts I am so sore.

[Deer] - What happened?

[liu] Mix smile and me fought MB so save Jane.

[Deer] - What, you were there too? ��And you had to save Jane?

[liu] yea my whole body is sore from the fight I was wondering if you had anything for it?

[TLOT] Wait, why did you have to save Jane from anyone? I've seen her fight.

[Steve] I'll get some potions!

[liu] she didn't have her knifes I think she lost them then mb took her

[TLOT] I thought Mix killed him?

[liu] she dealt the final blow

[Deer] - Oh wow...

[Steve] Comes back with a potion bottle and a bowl of healing slime- Here you go!

[Smile] Is sniffing all the chests-

[TLOT] Who would have thought?

[liu] -takes the bottle and uses it now able to focus with out pain he covers his eyes and blushes- why is deerheart naked!?

[Deer] - What is with humans and others being naked?

[TLOT] Liu, she just likes being naked. Honestly I do too, but I'd prefer to be in an animal shape so people don't give me shit about it.

[Steve] Are you hungry Smile?

[Smile] - FOOD!

[liu] -is making sure to not look at deerheart- I see

[Steve] Wipes a bit of doggy drool off him- Okay. He squeaks open a chest and pulls out a couple of steaks and stuffs them in the furnace. - Now we just wait a sec annnnnnnnd done! Here you go Smile-

[Smile] Quickly snatches them out of Steve's hands-

[Steve] Good doggy.

[TLOT] That was very brave of you Liu. I know how tough Mb is.

[Deer] - Do you want any food Liu?

[liu] thanks i can't believe i won but i don't think i could of with out mix and yes please

[TLOT] So what's her deal? Is she good with a sword? Perhaps a bow?

[Deer] Starts making food, some pancakes and sausage-

[liu] some kind of gauntlet

[TLOT] Interesting. I know her world had some odd technology, but she seems to keep it close to her vest. How about you Liu? Been practicing your swordplay against the mobs?

[Deer] Quickly finishes the food and takes it to Liu- Here you go

[liu] sometimes but i guess getting two good slices at mb's neck helped and thank you deer -starts to eat-

[TLOT] I'm sure he was tickled. I think he may be the only person who likes to fight more then Cp.

[Deer] - Should we keep those two separated for awhile?  After what CP just did?

[TLOT] What, Mb and Cp? On the contrary it might be good to get them together intentionally. Just wear them both out.

[Deer] - Perhaps...

[liu] I just hope I don't have to fight I'm again

[Lie] Stumbles into the kitchen with CP following-

[TLOT] You might though. If you sufficently entertained him, he may challenge you again.

[Steve] Ah, the happy couple is up! Want some breakfast guys?

[Lie] - Please...  And Deer...  CLOTHES!

[Deer] - You're no fun Lie

[liu] hello lie

[TLOT] I'd say you should just shapeshift Deerheart, but I don't think you'd fit in this room.- Chuckles

[Deer] - Lie's just being a spoilsport

[Lie] Groans as she sits at the table-

[CP] Ignores the others as he digs through the fridge-

[Steve] Brings Lie a full plate. - What's the matter? You look like you have a hangover.

[Lie] - Just not much sleep, CP kept waking up

[CP] - I tried to keep you in a sleep when I could

[TLOT] Hey, I know. Deerheart? We didn't get to see you wear the bikini Doc made for you.

[Steve] Awww... Could you two not reach your shared plane because you weren't relaxed enough?

[Deer] - Oh, alright- She digs through her inventory until she finds and equips it

[TLOT] Hey, that looks nice.

[Lie] - No we kept reaching it, but it's cut short, maybe like what was happening to me before?  Except happening to CP?

[TLOT] Oh dear... do we need to have another session? Although... - he brightens considerably- It won't be nearly as dangerous for me to accompany you as last time. And I have you to thank for that.

[CP] - Stay the fuck out of my head

[Lie] - CP...  Knock it off, it might help, and it was no problem TLOT

[Lie] - Well, maybe it was a bit of a problem, but not in a bad way

[TLOT] Oh Cp.... I've been in your head plenty of times and you've never had il effects from it. Don't you trust me?

[CP] - I don't like you in there at all!

[Smile] - I can take you in there!

[Mix] -wanders in slowly, she looks about as tired as Liu does-

[Steve] Another for breakfast. Want some food Mix?

[Mix] ... yeah, sounds good.

[Steve] Fetches her some pancakes and sausage too-

[TLOT] I heard you prevailed in battle Mix. Good job.

[Lie] Starts eating her food-

[CP] Joins Lie after scrounging some food from the fridge-

[Mix] I want to take a nap after it... I'm so sore... -rubs face a bit-

[TLOT] At Smile- I know you can help, and I might need it. It's appreciated -

[Steve] I can help! I brought more then one potion- gives it to her-

[liu] oh good now no one has to be sore from the fight

[Steve] Use the bowl too, rub some on your arms Liu. It helps a lot.

[Lie] - CP please, let TLOT take a look, he helped me...

[CP] - I'd rather he didn't...

[liu] -starts rubbing it on his arms-

[TLOT] I'm game when you are.

[Smile] - Now?  Now?

[Mix] -Drinks the potion and sits down to eat- Thanks

[Steve] Anytime... sis. - smiles warmly

[Mix] -Blink- .... -Looks up and squints at Steve-

[CP] - No Smile

[Smile] Disappointed whine

[steve] Winks in a totally non-subtle way.

[Mix] -Squints a little bit harder-

[Steve] Huge innocent grin-

[Lie] - TLOT, do you want me to let you know when we sleep next?

[TLOT] Okay. But knowing Cp, he'll hide from me to avoid me helping him.

[Mix] I'm.. not even going to ask. -yawns tiredly before starting to eat-

[Lie] - Not if we've just fucked

[CP] Perks a little

[TLOT] Well that's a good way to make a man tired. Haha.

[Deer] - We could always give you some touchie wine now

[CP] Growls-

[TLOT] I wouldn't mind a little myself actually...

[Deer] - I'll grab it then

[Steve] Gets an even happier smile - Me too please!

[Lie] - TLOT will you be okay to enter our dream after this?

[TLOT] Oh, sure. I'm not goign to get drunk or something.

[Mix] -Halfway through her pancakes when realization hits her. She launches her fork from her hand in panic, missing Steve by a small margin- Who?! Told you?!

[Lie] Yelps- Mix?

[Steve] Is so suprised he darts under the table- Who what? Huh!?

[liu] -panics and falls to the floor-

[Mix] Who told you? -Very clearly frustrated, but also still very tired-

[Deer] Comes back with the wine- Here we go!

[Steve] Peeks cautiously over the edge of the table - Told me what?

[Mix] -Points at Steve- You know what.

[TLOT] Takes the bottle and pours several glasses -

[Steve] That we're... ?

[CP] Is growling at the wine-

[TLOT] Mix are you okay?

[liu] I think I will stay here on the floor

[Mix] Yeah. -Still very much pointing at Steve, some electricity buzzing on the end- Also yes. -Points finger at TLOT for a second before returning it to Steve's direction-

[Steve] whimpers- NK TOLD ME. I THOUGHT IT WAS NEAT!

[TLOT] Don't do that, you're scaring him.

[Mix] ... I'm gonna punch him when I see him next... -Drops hand to table and lowers head a bit-

[Mix] ... Sorry.

[Steve] But it's okay... we're not gonna be mean to you or anything.

[Lie] Takes a glass of the wine-

[TLOT] Seconded, it's unusual, but no big deal.

[Mix] It's embarrassing... .. Does anyone have a second fork? I.. Kind of want to keep eating.

[Deer] - Sure, I'll get you another

[liu] -is trying to grab his food so he can bring it to him being he doesn't want to get off the floor-

[Lie] - Takes a small amount of the wine into her mouth before kissing CP, letting the wine enter his mouth. The effect on her mate was near instant as she smirked and tugged him up out of his stay and started leading him upstairs-

Bianca:hello? Is anyone home? Its me bianca.....i have returned

[Bianca] hello? Is anyone home? Its me bianca.....i have returned

[Deer] Stiffens a little- Um, I'll be right back!-She rushes to the main room where Bianca is- Bianca, hello

[Bianca] where is lie i need to speak to her -takes off her backpack

[Deer] - Lie? She just went upstairs with her husband

[Deer] - Although she did just have some touchie wine, so she may not want to be disturbed...

[Bianca] i must speak with her now, it is very importent.

[Deer] - Wait, how do you know her? I thought you hadn't met anyone yet...

[Bianca] i found a note and heard you all talking about her

[Deer] - Alright, she should be upstairs, but hurry, she and her husband were about to... Well, fuck

[Bianca] - blushes and laughes a bit- ok......-walks upstairs- which room deer?

[Deer] - Just a few floors up, it's the only room there

[Bianca] thank you. -continues up the stairs to the only room

[CP] Is already pawing his wife over, wanting to feel her touch him thanks to the effects of the wine-

[Bianca] hello? Im looking for lie...it..it is very importent

[CP] - FUCK OFF!

[Lie] - CP calm down

[Bianca] i found something unusual during my travels

[Lie] Shush's CP before he can say anything and goes over to the door, opening it- I'm sorry, I'm afraid we haven't met, and you are?

[Bianca] bianca i came here with taylor though im sure you dont know who that is but that doesnt matter right now what matters is that over the south west there is a camp. The people there are after me and taylor. Whatever you do do not let them know we are here

[Lie] - What do mean after you?  What do you need?

[Bianca] there was this villiger he seems to be working for a man from our world

[Lie] - What?  But how would they get the message here?  You'd think Doc, let alone Deer, would be aware of messages being passed through the firewall...

[Bianca] i dont know but if he comes here me you dont know anything  i will try to explain everything

[Lie] - Alright, do you want to tell the others or should I?

[???] -knocks at the door-

[Deer] - Oh?  Another guest?

[Bianca] you tell the others i have to hide. Remember you dont know us

[Lie] - Wait- She spawns a lust blossom in her hand- Do not let the nectar of this flower touch you, it creates a very painful urge, but you can use it on whoever is harassing you

[Deer] Opens the door- Hello?

[???] Hello my name is general tobias i am a villiger from a camp from the south west of here

[Deer] - Oh?  Another group of villagers?  Have you come to talk to TLOT or Father Steve?

[Lie] Privately in chat- Deer?  Please don't let anyone know that Bianca was here

[Deer] - Hm?  Oh, alright

[Tobias] a women named bianca

[Deer] - Bianca?  I don't think I know anyone by that name...

[Bianca] oh gods he knows -takes the flower- please take care.

[Tobias] can i come in?

[Lie] - Stay here, Deer can protect you

[Deer] - Of course!  Just stick close to me, this place is quite the maze

[Tobias] oh thank you

[Deer] Steps aside and lets him in- Would you like some food?  There's a fridge right over there, just hit the button and see's what comes out

[Tobias]no i ate before i came.

[Deer] - Well, is there anything you'd like?

[Tobias] Coffee would be nice

[Deer] - I actually think I have some in my inventory- Digs around and produces a steaming cup and hands it to Tobias- So is there a reason for being here other than this woman you're looking for?

[Tobias] yes i am going around to tell people that these 2 people are wanted for treason and murder -takes out pictures of bianca and taylor- they are very dangerous

[Deer] - Oh my, may I ask what precisely they did?

[Tobias] they claimed my king was corrupt

[Tobias] you see taylor was a cononel im my army best soldier i have ever had. Until he started talking to the bianca girl

[Tobias] she put lies in his head and killed some of his fellow soldiers

[Deer] - There are no kings here other than TLOT...  And the only reason you could be here on this server was if you were spawned here...  So who are you really?

[Tobias] you got me.... i am from the far lands

[Deer] - And what is the real reason you are after these two?

[Tobias] oh those are the reasons

[Tobias] you see there is a kingdom in the far lands. Hidden in the distorted landscape

[Tobias] perfect place to hide

[Deer] - Then tell me, how did those two manage to come from off the server?

[Tobias] -twitchs-

[Tobias] i know who you are deer and i know how they got here

[Deer] - Oh?  And what am I?

[Tobias] my question is why did you open the wall for these 2

[Tobias] you deer are the server

[Deer] - They same reason we accepted the others, they needed help.  Now, care to tell me how you found out about these two and my being the server?

[Tobias] i dont know

[Deer] - You don't know?  Very well, then how have you been receiving your information?

[Tobias] the king has told me and i know who they are and what they did

[Deer] - And who is your king?

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[Tobias] but almost everyone just calls him my king

[Deer] - I see...  How are you getting the information from your king?

[Tobias] letters we do get mail you know

[Deer] - Then perhaps I need to shut that down, only grant access to a few...

[Tobias] what are you talking about

[Deer] - As you pointed out, I am the server, I control every aspect of it because it is me, I can stop your messaging

[Tobias] are you saying your goning to kill the mail officer

[Tobias] now than i must be going. The yelling is too much for my head currently good day

[Deer] - You will not get them, if I must I will use my powers to destroy you as much as I hate the thought

[Tobias] -walks towards the door- deer....im not the only one looking for them. I am only here to protect this server

[Tobias] -walks away

[Deer] - You?  Protect me?  I don't need it, I have my friends and my mate if I ever need it.

[Tobias] -continues to walk away

[Deer] Huffs once he is gone and returns to the kitchen-

[Bianca] -comes down stairs- deer tobias is wrong. We are not criminals

[Deer] Pauses on her way- I believe you Bianca

[Bianca] you must listen to my story

[Deer] - Then speak

[Bianca] you see taylor was in the army he was a cononel and he did have a team. But he didnt kill them. They followed him to save me

[Deer] - Why were you in danger?

[Bianca] i too was a server but there was a virus i was protecting the world and appearing in his dreams

[Bianca] the virus was called the king

[Bianca] because if you dont try to stop it it would rule your world

[Deer] - Doc has great experience removing virus' and unless invited in, that virus cannot reach us.  And even if it could, Flux and I could handle it, she's an even older and stronger server than I am

[Bianca] i know the virus cant get here but tobias must have found a way to take over that villiger.

[Deer] - They can be swayed by words...  CP proved that when he spread a harmful book amongst TLOT's villagers...

[Deer] - I don't know how to stop his words from reaching them, but I'll consult with Flux, she may have a solution

[Bianca] taylor risked everything for me..... and knowing his memory is going to be gone....it hurts

[Deer] - His memory?

[Bianca] what....you didnt notice...

[Deer] - Well last time I saw you he was unconscious...

[Bianca] when you opened the server up and let us in you didnt see a bit of his code get corrupted

[Bianca] as a server you should see that somethings missing in his code.

[Deer] - I'm still learning, I haven't existed in this form for very long.  Doc should be able to fix the corruption though

[Bianca] you cant fix something thats not there......

[Deer] - You'd be surprised

[Bianca] i know looks down at her chest

[Deer] - Doc created themselves, building themselves from a small sentient grouping of pixels.  The can create pixels to fill in the space

[Bianca] i still dont understand how you would build his memories without knowing them

[Deer] - That I don't know...  But there could be a way

[Bianca] if i know anything about people its that we can so something to trigger them. If he can remember to breath

[Deer] - For now I will alert the others to the situation, stay here Bianca, rest and recover

[Taylor] -coughs and yells-

[Deer] - Go to him, now

[Bianca] -nods and runs into the room where taylor is being held she tries to calm him but she cannot-

[Taylor] aghhhh

[Bianca] i cant help him.... im not a server.... i cant force him to sleep

[Taylor] ahhhh. What....what is happening

[Deer] Has followed them down- If you need him to sleep, CP can help you

[Bianca] taylor are you ok

[Taylor] ahh....ah....i...i have the worst headache. -looks at bianca- do....do i know you....

[Bianca] -hugs him tightly with teers in her eyes- yes.....yes you do

[Deer] - I'll leave the two of you be for now

[Bianca] deer wait....

[Deer] - Yes?

[Bianca] -scribbles down names on a piece of paper-can you check if these people are on the server and if not please bring them here

[Deer] - I can try, but unless they make their way to the server, it will be very difficult to find them

[Bianca] dont worry they will find their way.

[Deer] - Very well, I'll keep an eye out for them

[Bianca] lt will need them.

[Deer] - It?

[Bianca] he was a lord at one point

[Deer] - I see, I'll leave the two of you be for now

[Bianca] thank you

[Lie] Once Bianca is gone she closes the door and returns to CP her mate quickly drags his mate over to the bed, wanting her touch-

[CP] - I have to figure out some way to reprimand you for using that damned wine...

[Lie] - You can think of that later- She slips her shirt off and then helps CP with his.  CP hungrily goes after his wife's lips, drawing her closer as he sits on the bed and pulls her onto the bed.

[Lie] Her hands come up to tangle in CP's hair and a moan slips past her lips.  She stands up a little so CP can remove her pants.  She yelps a little as CP flips her around so she is under him, both are panting as the effects of the wine take hold.  CP moves quickly removing the last of their clothes and then went after his wife.  He kissed every inch of her that he could, nipping occasionally while she squirmed beneath him.

[Lie] - CP...  Please...

[CP] Smirks and gently entered his mate, teasing her with gentle thrusts and pauses.  Lie's small frustrated bucks against him were entertaining, but he wouldn't torment her for long as he picked up his pace and strength.

[Lie] Moans and grips at CP, he body filling with pleasure as he works his magic.  Between the effects of the wine and the lack of sex recently, the two came relatively quickly.  Both were panting and CP lay down next to his wife and feeling sleep creeping up on them.  Lie smiles a little before reaching out to TLOT- Give us a few minutes TLOT, then we'll be ready

[TLOT] Ahhhh.... Such a nice feeling... - He tips a bit of the wine into his mouth and leans back to better accomodate his husband sitting across his lap with his face in his mate's hair. His helm is put away for now.

[Lie] Brushes a hand against CP's face, moving some of his hair aside-

[CP] - I really have to be more careful around you when your in one of these moods...

[Lie] - You'll be fine, I'll never do anything to hurt you

[CP] - Nor will I, and I won't let anything hurt you

[TLOT] How does it taste to you Deerheart? You should be more sensitive to these things these days.

[Deer] - Like a warm pulse

[Steve] Does it energize you at all Deerheart? I can feel it secondhand from TLOT, but I'm sure it's not the same.

[Deer] - Maybe?  It's actually very small compared to everything else that's happening on the seed right now...

[TLOT] I guess we seek out what's most familiar then. - happy sigh-

[Deer] - Doc certainly is sleeping late...

[TLOT] Closes his eyes, after a moment he barks out a little laugh. - But it's for a cute reason. You should call for Yaunfen...

[Deer] - Alright...  Yaunfen?

[Yaunfen] Comes toddling in after a moment

[Doc] Follows them downstairs, Xe's yawning and hir coat is slung over hir shoulder with hir gloves sticking out of one pocket. Hir tank is tight as usual but the chest beneath the yellow fabric is flat-

[Deer] Her eyes instinctually flash towards the crotch of her mate-

[Doc] Did I miss anything?

[Deer] - Actually yes, and TLOT?  You should hear this too...

[Deer] Explains everything that just happened and what she had been told-

[Doc] Well.... I guess when I get to meet them, I'll see what I can do. I never though people being able to yell from outside would cause a prooblem.

[Deer] - I don't know how to change that either...

[TLOT] I don't like the idea of people outside influencing the Testificates. They're like stubborn kids when they get a stupid idea in their heads.

[Deer] - I'm planning on talking to Flux and seeing if she has any ideas

[TLOT] Just let me know if anyone needs their asses kicked. I'm sure I could put a bug in Mb's ear and he'd do it for fun.

[Deer] - I will

[Lie] - TLOT, I think we're ready...

[TLOT] Okay Steve, I don't think you want to be part of this.

[Steve] Kisses him before getting off his lap, it's passionate and gentle- Be careful...

[TLOT] I will.

[Doc] What are we doing now?

[Smile] Happily comes over- Now?

[TLOT] I believe so.

[Smile] Wags tail-

[Deer] - Apparently sleep isn't coming easy for CP and Lie so he's going to see if he can help

[Doc] Good plan. - Heads for the kitchen proper

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[Steve] Even if it safe for you to sleep without me, I still wish you wouldn't...

[TLOT] It might be dangerous....

[Steve] Quickly pulls out his armor and hops around putting it and his shoes on. - Ready!

[TLOT] Smile.... can you keep Steve close by you? Just in case?

[Smile] Barks and jumps around happily- Yeah!  Yeah!  Is he coming too?

[TLOT] Yes.

[Steve] Is holding his Enderpearl sword-

[TLOT] It's a dream, just focus on having it in your hand.

[Steve] Oh, right...

[liu] I think I will continue to stay on the floor have fun smile

[TLOT] Crawls up on the errant bed that's still next to the dining room table. He pats the sheets and Steve curls up next to him.

[TLOT- Very quietly- One... two... three... four...

[Steve] Eyes slide closed and TLOT follows him near instantly-

[Doc] Liu, why are you on the floor anyway?

[Mix] Me

[liu] I fell over when mix threw a fork at steve and now I don't feel like getting up

[Doc] Why did you throw cutlery at Steve?

[Smile] Sits next to them and exerts his power, slipping into their shared dream-

[Mix] Nk told him something he shouldn't have, I kind of panicked. Fork was in my hand at the time.

[TLOT] Looks around at the stone room. It's not really furnished, but it's familiar and sufficed with a dim red glow from the stone torches. - Maybe we should get around to cracking this egg open, since there's nothing out there to threaten us anymore.

[Steve] What do you think is up there? It's been so long since either of us looked.

[TLOT] I don't know... perhaps we'll go exploring when this is done.

[Smile] Is digging down from the top-

[Steve] Where's Smile?

[TLOT] Digging I think...

[Steve] You might want to punch out a bit of the bedrock for him....

[TLOT] Wanders around a bit to get a bead on the noise and makes a hole in the bedrock that's encasing the small room.

[Smile] Still digging-

[Smile] Yelps as he falls into the opening-

[TLOT] There you are. Are you okay?

[Steve] Smile forgot rule one!

[TLOT] That's not nice

[Smile] - Good!  Ready to go?

[TLOT] Yes. - He takes Steve's hand-

[Smile] Takes TLOT's hand in his mouth and pulls them through into Lie and CP's dream plane-

-This time the forest is calm, but the volcano is bubbling and spurting lava-

[Steve] Wooooow this place is neat!

[TLOT] It's pretty and deadly. A perfect representation.

[Lie] Steps out of the jungle- There you are, and hello Steve, I wasn't expecting you

[Steve] Even though it's safe for us to sleep seperately, I kinda don't want too.

[TLOT] He wanted to lend his blade to the effort. I'm sure Cp will cuss him out for his troubles, but it isn't to be helped.

[Steve] Your foliage is lovely Lie.

[Lie] - CP's near the volcano, I found out where he was before you got here, and thank you Steve

[TLOT] Looks at the bubbling- Near the volcano? Or IN it?

[Lie] - Edge of the rim

[TLOT] A good place for a brine. Lead on please.

[Lie] Leads them through the jungle, the plants moving aside for her.  The dark rock of the volcano a sharp contrast to the soft soil of the jungle.  As they ascend the rocks start to get sharper-

[Steve] Picks his way carefully along.

[TLOT] Turns up his own heat so the stone goes soft under his boots as he walks.

[CP] Is near the top, it a fitful sleep-

[Lie] - I haven't seen him like this since before he started sleeping with me

[TLOT] Sits on the ground and opens his arms -

[Steve] Sits in the circle of his body-

[TLOT] We're ready-

[Smile] Once again exerts his power and pulls all of them into CP's dream.  Immediately they are overwhelmed by the aura which is surrounding CP's consciousness.  Smile immediately whines in fear at the feeling-

[Steve] Pulls his sword out and trembles beside his husband. The blade has a faint greenish glow from the chunks of enderpearls that make up the blade-

[TLOT] Holy... I... - His face is white and fearful and he draws his own scythe -

[Lie] Freezes in fear- CP...  What did you run into?

[Smile] Bolts in fear, leaving the dream-

[TLOT] Cp? Where are you? Follow my voice!

[CP] Curses and approaches, he appears slowly as the darkness around them is a thick black fog- What the fuck is Steve doing here?

[Steve] Teeth chattering - I-wa-wanted-to-help-

[CP] - Only reason you could have gotten in here was with Smile, but where did Smile go?- He pulls Lie closer to himself, giving her comfort

[TLOT] Shit! Where did he go?! I- I'm gonna try and make some light-

[TLOT] Slides his chest piece off out of habit and swells into his larger shape, growling at the darkness with his mouthful of needle teeth. The white flames on his shoulders make a small pool of light around them-

[Lie] - CP...  I can feel your heart pounding...

[Steve] Is just brandishing his sword and looking in all directions nervously-

[TLOT] I've never felt anything so.. alien...

[CP] - I'll be fine, as far as I can tell there's nothing out there other than the sensation that...  Thing felt like

[TLOT] Hesistates - Cp... what did you see...? Really... What was it?

[CP] - I'm not sure...

[Lie] - You had said something about wolves as well?

[CP] - Yeah, they showed up before that thing

[TLOT] Puts a huge hot hand on Cp's head, it's nearly covering it, with his long fingers brushing Cp's shoulders-

[CP] Jumps a little- FUCKER!  Don't touch me!

[TLOT] He tries to reach the memory directly and jerks away in horror fighting the urge to wretch, he chokes on the vision and swears in binary-

-The feeling around them swells-

[Lie] Whimpers and buries herself into CP's chest-

[TLOT] Clutches his skull in pain- GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

-The air thickens as if they were being dragged underwater, there's a smell of rot and stagnation and the fog solidifies in every direction into an oily blackness. There's a preganant pause and then... it opens. The darkness is full of eyes and toothsome mouths in every direction all conected to an oily black surface that's undulating in a sickening motion-

[Steve] Screams in terror and swings his sword wildly at the tableau-

[CP] Holds Lie close and protectively-

-There's a swelling of another aura which manages to push the other aside.  This other aura is familiar to CP as tall dark and dead looking tree's circle them and Smile runs back up-

[Slender] - Honestly CP, do you even know what you got into this time?

[CP] - Slender...

[Smile] - I got help!

[TLOT] Moves his hands away from his head as the pain receeds-

[Steve] Stops swinging and then screams at the sight of Slender-

[Slender] - That's enough, I assume you are another brine and a... Steve?  I believe?

[TLOT] Turns his toothsome visage toward the Slenderbeing and swallows- Oh dear...

[Steve] Nods mutely-

[TLOT] Takes a long breath and shrinks back to his normal shape- Yes. Herobrine, The Lord of Tears. This is my husband, Steve-

[Slender] The area his eyes should be narrows some- I see...  Now then CP, what do you plan to do about this situation you are in?

[TLOT] I was going to help but, 01001000 01101111 01101100 01111001 00100000 01100011 01110010 01100001 01110000 00100000 01101111 01101110 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100011 01110010 01100001 01100011 01101011 01100101 01110010  that thing was way beyond anything I've ever encountered!

[Slender] - That thing is one of the few things older than my kind

[TLOT] What does it want? And is there a way to get it to leave?

[Slender] - It usually show's itself when it's searching for something, it hasn't done so, at least to my knowledge, for many many years

[Lie] - CP...  Didn't you say you smelled something right before things started happening?

[Steve] Is just staring up at Slender-

[CP] - Well yeah, and then I was busy fighting those weird upright wolves

[Slender] - I see, so that's what it's using...

[TLOT] Maybe you weren't their intended target Cp?

[Steve] Are you just having nightmares because you saw something scary? Or is it actually probing your dream like our NOTCH was?

[Slender] - I highly doubt CP was it's target, that scent probably did have something to do with this

[CP] - It was more unnerving than scary asshole!

[Steve] Quietly- Unnerving nothing, I nearly peed my pants...

[TLOT] Seconded, that was the most horrible thing I've ever come in contact with. Worse then Cp's temper.

[Slender] - I may have some more information on it in my personal library if my brothers haven't trifled with it too much...

[TLOT] Any help would be appreciated. But what do we do about the nightmares in the meantime? Cp needs to sleep. He's meaner then Pinwheel without an occasional respite.

[Steve] Wanders over to one of the trees and breaks off a small branch with a few sparse leaves, the wood is gnarled and a bit gray.

[Slender] - For now this circle I've created should suffice, the tree's are embedded with my aura, they are the same as those in my forest.  I would suggest possibly visiting the witch acquaintance of yours for a longer term solution until an actual solution can be found

[TLOT] Ah, Dawn. Good idea. She kinda owes us after we removed that massive sea monster from her island's coast.

[CP] Groans- I'd rather not go to her...

[Lie] - CP you will go see her if it continues to affect our sleep!  I don't want the memories of that thing anywhere near our dreams

[Slender] - Ah, so that's what happened to Basil, Levi was wondering where it had gone

[TLOT] It's name is BASIL?

[Steve] Twiddling the branch. He's a bit more relaxed now.

[Slender] - After so many years it's difficult to come up with new names, we slender beings have run into similar problems in the past

[TLOT] Shakes his head- Soo... how's the family?

[Slender] - Angry as usual, I have two proxies out due to injuries caused by the botching of a job, and the Rake has decided it wants to scratch up every wall in the manor

[TLOT] Nods- Little Herobrine pulls that stuff. But you know how cats are. Doc's pokemon grew too and they keep getting stuck in doorways. Animals always wreck your house.

[Slender] - Yes well this is a humanoid with long arms and very long claws on each finger

[TLOT] Yikes... time to buy a jumbo scratching post.

[Slender] - He'll stop soon enough when he goes back out into the woods

[Steve] Puts the branch away and swats at the ground, suprisingly, a single cube of dirt pops up and floats innocently-

[TLOT] Why can't he go out? Is he grounded?

[Slender] - Injured, as usual

[TLOT] Did you use the pods Doc gave you? I know they're for spot injuries, but it would still probably help.

[Slender] - They simply do not grow quickly enough

[TLOT] Well Doc made it... I bet this will help- He fusses around and gets into the creative menu. He takes out a stack of bone meal and holds it up- Try sprinkling this on it, just one at a time, it makes stuff grow like crazy.

[Slender] - I shall pass it along to my proxies

[Steve] Whispers mentally to TLOT- These woods are dark and scary... I don't feel safe at all...

[TLOT] Well, I'm here. You're pretty safe. But if it makes you feel better my lamb, just do what you always do when you get scared to calm down.

[Steve] Shakes his head- You're right. - He slides quietly away from the group and takes out a few more blocks of dirt from the edge of the circle of trees, and uses them to make a quick nerd pole and remove some wood from the upper tree branches to avoid damaging the bases of the trees.

[Steve] He works his way back down, already feeling calmer, and pulls out a pickaxe before burrowing under the turf. Moments later he re-emerges with cobbles in hand and lays a small foundation. Working faster out of habit, he fashions a modest stone house with a sunken dirt floor, a spare bed from his inventory, and a roof and door made from the weird gray wood.

[TLOT] Glances over and stifles a laugh because the others haven't noticed what he's doing yet.

[Steve] He fills the window frames with fence posts and lights it up with several plain torches. - mentally to TLOT with just a hint of pride- Now they have someplace safe to sleep in their dream place too.-

[TLOT] You're so thoughtful.

[Steve] Huge grin-

[TLOT] Do you have any..?

[Steve] OH! Yes, you're right... maybe.... - He pats his pockets -And comes up with a single red poppy flower - With a flourish he plants it by the front door. The speck of firey red and lush green is glaring against the dull grey dirt and black shadows of the woods.

[TLOT] Perfect.

[CP] Finally notices- Oh you fuckers!

[Slender] - Yes I suppose the barrenness of my woods can be unsettling at first...

[TLOT] Ah, lighten up Cp, he's just helping out. -at Slender- unlike Cp, I never tried to rule the mobs on our world, Steve knows being without shelter or torches in the woods at night is an invitation to a messy death.

[Slender] - I see, I assure you, the only thing to fear in my woods is myself or my brothers

[Steve] small voice- Can I go on record as saying I would probably be afraid of your brothers?

[TLOT] Except Splender.

[Steve] Same, Splender is awesome.

[Slender] - Oh, even Splender will bare his fangs occasionally, as a slender being he must occasionally consume human flesh like the rest of us

[Steve] Whhhaa... why? - Starts to cry a little bit.

[TLOT] Takes Steve and holds him close- I know Splender is formidable. He was appaerently a a great help in killing the NOTCH that was torturing us. Our Testificates have decided to make him a diety in their pantheon because of the part he played.

[Slender] - Yes he wouldn't shut up about that for a while. And I know my younger brother dislikes having to eat human flesh, but it must occasionally happen or or kind does become feral, and it's very hard to bring us back from that

[TLOT] I wonder what the long term effects of being partially digital will be? It's an interesting mix for someone with a natural EMP field. Plus he should have some common powers with me as well. You know... I hate to volunteer something for them when they're not here, but I'm sure Doc would happily copy organs for Splender so he doesn't have to kill. I'm betting that makes him sad anyway.

[Slender] - Usually an arm, head, or leg will suffice

[Steve] Shivers in fear-

[TLOT] Comforts him- I know, it's hard being human sometimes.

[Slender] - I wouldn't worry about him going after anyone you know, help usually retreat off somewhere secluded to find a human to eat, although you may want to remind him it's almost time again

[TLOT] I'll let him know in the gentlest way possible. And it doesn't matter if it's no one we know. My lamb is sensitive. - Kisses the bit of bangs poking out from under his mate's bone helm - He can't help it.   He's actually turned our enemies into friends on more then one occasion.

[Slender] - I don't think being gentle will help anyways, he's already fairly emotional with his proxy being so close to death

[TLOT] I take it there's a reason he hasn't asked for us to just take them in like we did with Markus? Better digital then dead. I mean, in my opinion at least.

[Slender] - She's very elderly and it's her time

[TLOT] I see. Well. I'll do my best to console him when it's done.

[Steve] Softly weeping.

[Slender] - Poppy was always one of his less annoying proxies

[CP] - Was that the one who managed to actually grow a flower garden at the manor?

[Slender] - I'm surprised you know about that, it was long before your arrival, but yes, she was the one who did that

[TLOT] I have a question, if it's not to impertinent... why do you take them in Slenderman? Is it because... you can't have children?

[Slender] - You mean the other pasta's?  No, it's because there are fates far worse then what I offer them.  There are others who see them as trophies to collect and to strip of all their humanity.  They attempt to raise armies to completely destroy humanity.  I take in every one I find so that they can keep what little humanity they have and merely thin the herd of humans rather than eradicate them completely.  I refer to them all as children simply because they are so much younger than me and usually act as such.

[TLOT] Things like... what we saw.

[Slender] - Yes, although few survive under it's control

[CP] - So where does Zalgo fit into this?

[Slender] Turns towards his fellow pasta- He is an ally, he collects the more demon like of the pasta's

[TLOT] Is he something that can be reasoned with?

[Slender] - Yes, of all of us stronger beings, he is the only one capable of completely controlling Insanity

[TLOT] Good to know. Um... -he shoots a wary gance at Cp- What do you know about... withdrawl from an Insanity posession?

[Slender] - Not much I'm afraid, CP and the others are truly the first cases that I've ever heard of for such a thing

[TLOT] Ah, well, Doc loves breaking new ground. And it might be useful knowledge if it happens to any of the others. Though they seem perfectly content to play the occasional prank and tend quietly to their own affairs. BEN and LJ seem particularly happy.

[Slender] - And BEN's child? Are there any new developments?

[TLOT] Oh Hyrule? He's busy being adorable. He's learned a few small words. Dada which makes BEN melt with happiness and wa-er and baff; which have the opposite effect.

[Slender] Gives a rare staticky chuckle- I can see why, but overall the child is healthy?  There are no side effects or anything of concern?

[TLOT] He has the red on black eyes of both his parents, but other then that he seems to be a perfectly healthly little boy. Lots of energy and a cry you can hear from two chunks away. I suspect he'll be wanting swimming lessons about the same time he learns to walk. He's going make them both gray from worrying I'm sure.

[Slender] - I see, I'm wanting to make sure he's alright because there are two others who have been wanting a child, but I don't want to raise their hopes if something goes wrong

[TLOT] Shall I let Doc know we may have more company?

[Slender] - Perhaps, I'd like to wait a bit longer just to be certain

[TLOT] Understood. It's a big commitment on several levels. Take your time.

[CP] - Will you fuckers get out of my head now?

[TLOT] Is there anything you want me to pass along to the others?

[Slender] - Not at the moment, so long as they continue to check in every once in awhile I am satisfied

[Slender] - Turns towards Smile- Make sure they get back correctly Smile- He then turns and walks away, fading from sight, his tree's however remain

[Smile] Barks and lifts a bit of his power so they end up back in CP and Lie's dream plane, the volcano is now quiet-

[TLOT] That looks better. Much more inviting. Actually... Lie? Could we, borrow you?

[Lie] - Borrow me?

[TLOT] Come back though I and Steve's shared dream, we were going to do a bit of exploring and I think your assistance would be quite helpful.

[Steve] Gives him a questioning look-

[Lie] - Oh, um, alright...  CP?  Will you be alright by yourself?

[CP] - I should be

[TLOT] Gives Lie a mental nudge to kiss Cp.

[Lie] Steps closer and gently kisses him- I'll see you in a while

{CP] - It will give me time to think about how to reprimand you for the wine...

[TLOT] Kinky...

[Lie] Returns to the other two with Smile on her heels-

[Smile] - We go back?

[TLOT] Back to the room you fell into, if you please.

[Steve] Grabs a block of dark soil from the foot of the volcano and puts it away.

[Smile] Takes a bit longer to get back to TLOT and Steve;s dream realm-

[Lie] Glances back and see's her shared dream realm turn into CP's Nether before she's completely in the other dream-

[TLOT] Looks around the small bedrock room and the muted light filtering down the long hole. - Steve? I think you're the expert here.

[Steve] Oh! Right! - He pulls out a pickaxe and begins chopping the hole into rough stairs-

[Lie] - Wow...  This is small

[TLOT] sighs- It kept us safe. I don't even know what's up there anymore. It shows how good Smile is at digging considering he got down to us so quickly.

[Lie] Gently ruffles Smile's fur- Well, he also has some pretty big paws and inhumane strength...  Or would that be indog strength?  I don't know...

[TLOT] Calls up- Tell me when you get near the top!

[Steve] I will!

[Lie] - So, do you want me to add vegetation?

[TLOT] Yes. If there is none I was hoping you'd fill it out a bit. When we were dreaming apart I had a desert, and Steve had a flower forest. Who knows what it looks like now.

[Lie] - Fair point, anything in particular you'd want me to make for you?

[TLOT] Just anything green. My oasis was a bit... sad.

[Lie] - It's probably much better now

[TLOT] I hope so...

[Steve] HOLY CRAP. Guys! Come up here!

[TLOT] I told you to tell me! -Motions for Lie and Smile to follow. The tunnel is only three bolcks high and wide enough to touch both walls from the middle. It's pitch black in places because Steve only had a few torches and a bit claustrophobic.

[Lie] Let's a few of her lantern flowers bloom in the dark spaces as she follows TLOT-

-The smell of rich earth hits them like a wall as they emerge- [TLOT] Is just staring in amazement.

-The air is thick with steam and hot as the height of summer, the ground is a veritible carpet of flowers broken up by bubbling pools of hot mud. Down further a geyzer is shooting superheated water high into the air and the tumbling spray is full of rainbows as the breeze blows it lightly to one side. The hillsides gently roll to the horizon with just a few hardy trees on their summits.

[Steve] Is crying-

[Lie] - Oh TLOT, Steve, it's beautiful...

[Smile] Immediately goes looking for the perfect tree to pee on-

[TLOT] Holds Steve close - All this time, this is what was growing? I never knew it could be so... I was actually afraid it might be barren...

[Lie] - The two of you could never produce anything barren

[Steve] Thank you Lie. You helped too.

[TLOT] We don't have to hide anymore because of you and the others. We owe you all so much.

[Lie] - It's nothing TLOT, we'll always be around to help

[TLOT] Hesistates for a moment but then pounces and adds Lie to their hug.

[Lie] Yelps in surprise-

[TLOT] Lets her go again - I think, before we wake, you should join me for moment more.

[Steve] Steps back with a knowing grin, he got the gist from his lovers mind-

[TLOT] Takes a bow and rolls forward to change into his golden cat form- Would Little Floof like to frolic in the flowers for a bit?

[Steve] I'll let Smile know - goes to find the dog-

[Lie] Laughs- Oh alright- With a brief amount of concentration Lie turns into her small feline form, her clothes crumpled up around her

[Smile] Is peeing on every tree he see's-

[Steve] Hey Smile? Good grief... you're not having bladder issues or something, are you?

[Smile] Gotta mark everything!

[Steve] Shakes his head - Just heads up. Lie and TLOT are frolicking in cat form, don't go chasing them, okay?

[Smile] - Awww...

[TLOT] Romps around a bit and pats playfully at Lie with one big paw-

[Steve] He's almost as big as you like that and Cp would have a fit if you chased Lie. Be good okay?

[Smile] - Okay...

[Lie] Darts between TLOT's legs-

[TLOT] Does a little hop into the air and tries to find her-

[Lie] Pounces TLOT's tail-

[TLOT] Swishes it all around so she can chase it-

[Lie] Chases after it spastically-

[TLOT] Rolls in the flowers and ends up on his back with his paws in the air laughing gleefully-

[Lie] Jumps on his belly and loafs there-

[TLOT] Puts a big paw on her and pats her head- I'm so proud of you.

[Lie] - Over what?

[TLOT] Lots of things, but you're probably the closest I'll ever get to having a daughter. You put me in a rather parental state of mind.

[Lie] Smiles in cat form- Well then, I hope your son in law meets your approval

[TLOT] Grins hugely around his fangs - He's getting better. We'll whip him into shape eventually.

[Lie] - What?  No shot gun threats?

[TLOT] Eyebrow-  I know what a gun is, but not that type... Is it like stuffing someone in a cannon and firing them off?

[Lie] Mentally shows him the classic trope-

[TLOT] Oh boy... I think you're strong enough that that would be redundant. - he pokes her chest lightly with a toe bean- you can wrap him around your dainty little paws, you're just working on the specifics now.

[Lie] Glows brighter in embarrassment-

[TLOT] Leans way over, putting his head almost upside down. He reaches out with a paw and snags a plant on his claws, pulling it down over his face and sniffing deeply- Whoahh... Now I feel a bit dizzy! That's stuff smells amazing!

[Lie] - Er...  TLOT?

[TLOT] Hmm?

[Lie] - That's catnip

[TLOT] Chomps down on the branch so it breaks, scattering bits of it across his chest. - I know. It just smells really good.

[Lie] Purrs a little at the smell-

[Steve] Is trying to play fetch with Smile-

[Smile] Happily chases the stick-

[Lie] Rolls around happily before accidentally sliding off the side of TLOT-

[TLOT] Rolls over as well so she's next to his warm belly. With a grin he gives her face a little lick- It's good to be a kitty sometimes. Cp is just in denial.

[Lie] - Yes, very much so

[CP] Get's tired of waiting and forces his way into TLOT and Steve's dream realm-

[Steve] Throws the stick for the dog and it bounces off Cp's head-

[CP] - YOU FUCKER!

[Smile] Slides to a halt right before ramming into CP-

[Steve] Cp? Sorry! I didn't see you!

[CP] Grumbles, flips Steve off and goes looking for his wife-

[TLOT] Stands up and hops around in the grass, the catnip has him feeling peppy and irresponsible.

[CP] Groans as he see's Lie as a cat-

[TLOT] Sneaks up on Cp in the long grass and flowers-

[CP] Reaches down to pick up his wife-

[TLOT] Darts under Cp's legs and bumps his chin with his fuzzy head as he leans over-

[CP] - Fuck off TLOT!

[TLOT] Scampers a few feet away with a chuckle. - Hey, I have you to thank for this too. -he shouts it loud- Thank you Cp! For helping make this possible!

[CP] - I DON'T FUCKING CARE!

[TLOT] I dooooooo- He modulates his voice and lets the words taper off into a loud caterwaul-

[Lie] Is softly giggling as CP picks her up and cradles her in his arms-

[TLOT] Gathers her clothes and holds them lightly in his teeth for Cp to take-

[CP] Takes them after shifting his small wife into one hand-

[TLOT] Shall we head back then? I mean, unless you want to do some romping with me and Lie.

[CP] Nope- Makes a way back to his and Lie's dream realm

[TLOT] Aww. - Goes off to find Smile and Steve to head back as well-

[Smile] Is panting pretty hard-

[Steve] Are you getting tired Smile?

[Smile] Whines-

[Steve] We should go then, let you get some sleep by youself. You did good today. You're a really good doggie Smile.

[TLOT] saunters up in his normal shape- Time to go?

[Smile] Weakly thumps his tail-

[TLOT] We'll be off then, see you on the other side. - He closes his eyes and reopens them to look into Steve's blue irises as he does the same from mere inches away-

[Smile] Flops as he regains consciousness, panting really hard-

[wonderlust-wonderstruck]

Risk I spent 2 and a half years with a boy I thought I loved. We were two different people with two completely different views on life. It wasn’t necessarily our fault we weren’t right for each other, although, taking 2 and a half years to realize it definitely was. When we inevitably broke up, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. My heart told me to drown in sorrow and my head told me to get back in the game. Normally, I would have stayed in my room for months and mourned the breakup like I would a death. This time, however, I picked myself up and moved on. And started taking risks. On Spring Break, I did God knows what with God knows who and never looked back. I found myself in a mess of boys I didn’t really want or need and when I asked one to my Senior Year Prom and he didn’t come through, I wasn’t really surprised. On Prom night, I showed up to the restaurant dateless. I purposely sat at the end of the table hoping I could avoid conversation and happiness at the same time. My friends did their best to cheer me up. “Take that hot bus boy over there.” one of them said. She was right, he was hot. My new risk taking mindset took over and I left him my number. Prom night was the first night I saw you. The next day, you texted me and for the next few weeks, I got to know you. Before I knew it, my life revolved around you. Naivety Did you know that the average human lifetime consists of 3 billion seconds? I spent the summer of my life with that bus boy. 106 days. That is nine million, one hundred fifty-eight, and four hundred seconds. Not quite a billion and not quite forever, but it might as well have been. I learned that his hands were shaky because when he was 2, he stuck his little fingers into a fireplace and burned them so bad that he lost all feeling; since then, his hands have never stopped trembling. He hated his them for the scars they had, but only in the grasp of his scarred hands did I feel the most safe. He had a beautiful sister that would soon become one of my best friends and two brothers that reminded me too much of my own. I fell in love with his family just as much as I fell in love with him. He was the only boy I knew that listened to Ed Sheeran just as much as I did. We fought, we laughed, we cried; but most importantly, we loved. And we loved hard. I guess I was just naive enough to love you harder. Time You always said you and I didn’t have enough of it. I convinced myself that time was our downfall; that if we just had more time, things would be different. You may be there and I may be here and distance could separate us but time wouldn’t. But, as time has gone on and almost a year has passed since I last saw you, I’ve realized time had nothing to do with it. You see, “time” and “together” don’t correlate half as well as “it’s summer” and “I need someone for the time being.” I don’t blame you, though. Not anymore. We started the relationship knowing that our time would run out. At the end of summer, you were going to the university of your dreams and I was leaving that small town behind on a gut-feeling that I needed to return home to Florida. You had your reservations starting a relationship with me. I didn’t understand it then, but I get it now. You were scared of putting your heart completely on the line for something someone that wouldn’t last. Who wouldn’t be? I should have known then that you and I love differently. Her I knew about her. You tried burying the overwhelming feelings you had for her and forced them upon me. You knew just how much you would always love her and you feared, that I too would be stuck on someone I used to know. I assured you I wasn’t. My past was my past, but you, you were my future. You never believed that though and too often did we fight because of your fits of rage and jealously. When you were mad, your words were harsh and cold. You spoke without thinking and I always forgave you, because that’s what love is. Love. Love is forgiveness. Love is trust. Love is intimate. Love is understanding insecurities. Love is important. Love is listening to understand, not listening to reply. Love is gracious. Love is knowing when no means no and when no means please listen to me, I need you. Love is passionate. Love is extraordinary. Love is crazy. Love is perfectly imperfect. Love is accepting her for her morning messy hair and the times that she accidentally put on a little too much makeup. Love is being okay with her wearing red lipstick even though it’ll stain your check (because she looks hot wearing it) Love is knowing her thoughts without her saying a word. Love is being able to tell her what outfit she wears that you really like. Love is knowing that when she asks you if she should straighten or curl her hair, that she’ll always do the opposite of whatever you say. Love is knowing that she doesn’t like being picked up because she’s self conscious and that has nothing to do with you and she doesn’t mean to hurt your feelings by it. Love is knowing that she will come around, if you let her. Love is giving your best. Love is accepting the fact that sometimes the best someone can give may not meet your standards and that’s okay, because they’re trying. Love means that their happiness becomes yours. Love is letting her drive when she asks, even though you know she’s a terrible driver and you’re risking your life letting her behind the wheel. Love is letting her pay for you occasionally, because she likes to spoil you sometimes too. Love is taking her to see that damn love movie she’s been talking about for months. Love is knowing that when she tells you to listen to a song, it’s because the lyrics remind her of you. Love is knowing that when she tweets Taylor Swift lyrics, you’re either doing something right or you’re in big, big trouble. Love is being able to apologize because you value the relationship more than your ego. Love is knowing when she says she hates you, she means “please don’t let go of me.” Love is knowing she has a terrible voice, but singing along in the car with her anyway. Love is holding her hand in public. Love is loving her when you’re just sleeping. Love is loving her when you do more than sleep. Love is accepting her dysfunctional family as your own. Love is never giving up. Love is keeping promises. Love is knowing how to apologize, not just knowing the phrase “I’m sorry.” Love means never letting each other go to sleep upset. Love, well love is a forever kind of thing. Free “If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they were yours forever. If they don’t, they never were.” The funny thing is, I’m not the one you came back to. It was her. It was her all along and that’s okay. It took me a long time to be okay, but now I can confidently say I wish you a lifetime full of happiness, even if that happiness isn’t with me. One day, my daughter will ask me if I ever had a summer romance and when she does, I’ll be able to tell her about the incredible life lessons I learned from the time I had a summer romance with a bus boy. 1. how to tell the difference between a risk and a purposeful act of self-destruction. 2. there’s a fine line between naivety and ignorance 3. that time really is relative 4. to move on if his eyes don’t light up for you as much as they do when he’s talking about her. 5. everyone loves differently. one day, you’ll find someone who defines love the same way you do. 6. forgive, even when you never got an apology. once you forgive, then you can let go. once you let go, you are finally free.

[wonderlust-wonderstruck]

Risk I spent 2 and a half years with a boy I thought I loved. We were two different people with two completely different views on life. It wasn’t necessarily our fault we weren’t right for each other, although, taking 2 and a half years to realize it definitely was. When we inevitably broke up, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. My heart told me to drown in sorrow and my head told me to get back in the game. Normally, I would have stayed in my room for months and mourned the breakup like I would a death. This time, however, I picked myself up and moved on. And started taking risks. On Spring Break, I did God knows what with God knows who and never looked back. I found myself in a mess of boys I didn’t really want or need and when I asked one to my Senior Year Prom and he didn’t come through, I wasn’t really surprised.   On Prom night, I showed up to the restaurant dateless. I purposely sat at the end of the table hoping I could avoid conversation and happiness at the same time. My friends did their best to cheer me up. “Take that hot bus boy over there.” one of them said. She was right, he was hot. My new risk taking mindset took over and I left him my number. Prom night was the first night I saw you. The next day, you texted me and for the next few weeks, I got to know you. Before I knew it, my life revolved around you. Naivety Did you know that the average human lifetime consists of 3 billion seconds? I spent the summer of my life with that bus boy. 106 days. That is nine million, one hundred fifty-eight, and four hundred seconds. Not quite a billion and not quite forever, but it might as well have been. I learned that his hands were shaky because when he was 2, he stuck his little fingers into a fireplace and burned them so bad that he lost all feeling; since then, his hands have never stopped trembling. He hated his them for the scars they had, but only in the grasp of his scarred hands did I feel the most safe. He had a beautiful sister that would soon become one of my best friends and two brothers that reminded me too much of my own.  I fell in love with his family just as much as I fell in love with him. He was the only boy I knew that listened to Ed Sheeran just as much as I did. We fought, we laughed, we cried; but most importantly, we loved. And we loved hard. I guess I was just naive enough to love you harder. Time You always said you and I didn’t have enough of it. I convinced myself that time was our downfall; that if we just had more time, things would be different. You may be there and I may be here and distance could separate us but time wouldn’t. But, as time has gone on and almost a year has passed since I last saw you, I’ve realized time had nothing to do with it. You see, “time” and “together” don’t correlate half as well as “it’s summer” and “I need someone for the time being.” I don’t blame you, though. Not anymore. We started the relationship knowing that our time would run out. At the end of summer, you were going to the university of your dreams and I was leaving that small town behind on a gut-feeling that I needed to return home to Florida. You had your reservations starting a relationship with me. I didn’t understand it then, but I get it now. You were scared of putting your heart completely on the line for something someone that wouldn’t last. Who wouldn’t be? I should have known then that you and I love differently. Her I knew about her. You tried burying the overwhelming feelings you had for her and forced them upon me. You knew just how much you would always love her and you feared, that I too would be stuck on someone I used to know. I assured you I wasn’t. My past was my past, but you, you were my future. You never believed that though and too often did we fight because of your fits of rage and jealously. When you were mad, your words were harsh and cold. You spoke without thinking and I always forgave you, because that’s what love is. Love. Love is forgiveness. Love is trust. Love is intimate. Love is understanding insecurities. Love is important. Love is listening to understand, not listening to reply. Love is gracious. Love is knowing when no means no and when no means please listen to me, I need you. Love is passionate. Love is extraordinary. Love is crazy. Love is perfectly imperfect. Love is accepting her for her morning messy hair and the times that she accidentally put on a little too much makeup. Love is being okay with her wearing red lipstick even though it’ll stain your check (because she looks hot wearing it) Love is knowing her thoughts without her saying a word. Love is being able to tell her what outfit she wears that you really like. Love is knowing that when she asks you if she should straighten or curl her hair, that she’ll always do the opposite of whatever you say. Love is knowing that she doesn’t like being picked up because she’s self conscious and that has nothing to do with you and she doesn’t mean to hurt your feelings by it. Love is knowing that she will come around, if you let her. Love is giving your best. Love is accepting the fact that sometimes the best someone can give may not meet your standards and that’s okay, because they’re trying. Love means that their happiness becomes yours. Love is letting her drive when she asks, even though you know she’s a terrible driver and you’re risking your life letting her behind the wheel. Love is letting her pay for you occasionally, because she likes to spoil you sometimes too. Love is taking her to see that damn love movie she’s been talking about for months. Love is knowing that when she tells you to listen to a song, it’s because the lyrics remind her of you. Love is knowing that when she tweets Taylor Swift lyrics, you’re either doing something right or you’re in big, big trouble. Love is being able to apologize because you value the relationship more than your ego. Love is knowing when she says she hates you, she means “please don’t let go of me.” Love is knowing she has a terrible voice, but singing along in the car with her anyway. Love is holding her hand in public. Love is loving her when you’re just sleeping. Love is loving her when you do more than sleep. Love is accepting her dysfunctional family as your own. Love is never giving up. Love is keeping promises. Love is knowing how to apologize, not just knowing the phrase “I’m sorry.” Love means never letting each other go to sleep upset. Love, well love is a forever kind of thing. Free “If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they were yours forever. If they don’t, they never were.” The funny thing is, I’m not the one you came back to. It was her. It was her all along and that’s okay. It took me a long time to be okay, but now I can confidently say I wish you a lifetime full of happiness, even if that happiness isn’t with me. One day, my daughter will ask me if I ever had a summer romance and when she does, I’ll be able to tell her about the incredible life lessons I learned from the time I had a summer romance with a bus boy. 1. how to tell the difference between a risk and a purposeful act of self-destruction. 2. there’s a fine line between naivety and ignorance 3. that time reallyis relative 4. to move on if his eyes don’t light up for you as much as they do when he’s talking about her. 5. everyone loves differently. one day, you’ll find someone who defines love the same way you do. 6. forgive, even when you never got an apology. once you forgive, then you can let go. once you let go, you are finally free.

The 6 Stages of Freedom: As Told by a Girl Finally Getting Over Her Broken Heart

#old but good #drafts