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topguncortez · 10 months

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Speak Now ~ J. Seresin

Hangman Masterlist | Main Masterlist

synopsis: Jake gets a wedding invite from the girl he's still in love with. Based off of Speak Now (TV) by Taylor Swift

word count: 4.1k

warnings: cursing, break-ups, runaway bride, miscommunication

Jake knew you probably hated the invites. You had told him over and over that you never wanted a big wedding, you wanted something small. You had agreed with your mom to not just go to the courthouse, but would at least do something a little bigger. Jake ran his fingers over the pale pink paper that was decorated with flowers and had your name and your fiancé’s name written in gold cursive letters. He knew you were somewhere screaming and pulling your hair out.

‘PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE CEREMONY OF MATRIMONY OF Y/N M/N AND BILLY “FRITZ” AVALON’

“Yeah, I just got it,” Jake said to Coyote. He had called his best friend the moment he saw the light pink envelope in his mailbox, “I looked up the address, it’s a church. She always said she wouldn’t get married in a church, she was worried it would burn down around her,”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Javy said, “She must be a different person now, when was the last time you talked to her?”

“I don’t know 2-3 years ago. I heard Bob ask Nat if she had figured out a bridesmaid dress yet,” Jake sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I guess it was for this.”

“Did you expect anything less? They’re best friends.”

Jake shrugged knowing his friend couldn’t see him, “I don’t think I’m gonna go,”

“You can’t do that!”

“Why would I go? To submit myself to the torture of watching her marry someone else? Watching someone else give her the life I couldn’t give her?” Jake said angrily, the images of their last fight filled his mind. He looked over to the front door from his kitchen, the replay of you walking out the door, with your bags packed and tears in your eyes was forever burned into his mind.

“You pushed her away, Jacob. You can only blame yourself for that,” Javy scolded and Jake sighed.

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Jake mumbled.

“Well do the true right thing, and go to the wedding, for her. It’ll make her happy to see you there,” Javy said and Jake told him he’d think about it.

Jake sat down on his couch and closed his eyes. Ever since that fateful day, he let you go, he couldn’t fathom thinking about you with someone else. He knew though, he knew you had met someone else, but didn’t know it was Fritz until about a month ago. The two of you waltzed into the Hard Deck, hand-in-hand, smiles on your face. Jake couldn’t stand the sight of it. It made him physically ill to stand there and keep a smile on his face. You had caught only a glimpse of him as he walked out the door.

Jake pushed himself off of his spot and walked to his room. He pulled down the box that sat on the top shelf of his closet and opened the lid. Pictures, concert tickets, notes, mixed CDs, random t-shirts, and postcards were all packed away in the box. Jake dug to the bottom of the box and pulled out the tiny light blue ring box and opened it. The pear-shaped diamond ring glared up at him in mockery.

———————————————

“Have you ever thought about the future?” You asked him, as you were both relaxing in the bathtub. Jake had a stressful day at work and just wanted to relax. You had made him something to eat and draw a bath.

“Of course,” Jake said, kissing your bare shoulder, “I think about it a lot, what I’m doing next week, or next month, or even next year,”

“Do you ever think of our future?” You asked softly.

“I-I uh, yeah sometimes. But I like where we are,” Jake said and you frowned slightly. You had been with Jake since freshman year of high school, right by his side through it all. From giving up your dream of going to UT, and moving to Maryland while he went to the academy, to waiting with other partners and spouses for him to come off the carrier after a deployment. You loved Jake, you really did, but you were hoping for more, you wanted more.

“I think about getting married,” You said and sighed into Jake, “Something small, probably in my parents’ backyard on a beautiful summer night. I want that perfect day, where you just wake up and say, ‘Let’s get married’, nothing too crazy. I told my mom I won’t just go to the courthouse.”

“Yeah,” was all Jake could say.

“What?” You asked, turning your head to look at him, “You don’t… you don’t see that?”

“It’s not that I don’t see it, it’s that I don’t want it.”

“Oh,” You nodded. There was a beat of silence, until you pushed yourself up from Jake’s embrace.

“Wait, Y/N,” Jake said reaching out to you as you grabbed your towel.

“The water is getting cold,” You said and dried yourself off, before heading into the bathroom.

Jake cursed himself and got out of the bathtub, grabbing his towel and following you. You sat on the bed and looked at Jake with tears in your eyes. You had this sinking feeling for a while. Like things were bound to break between you. You loved Jake, you really did, and every day it felt like you were falling more in love with him. He always did something new to make you fall in love. Whether it was surprising you with some new recipe, bringing you home your favorite flowers, to sending you postcards from where ever he was in the world. But lately, all that had seemed to stop. You had slowly wondered if maybe, just maybe, Jake wasn’t in love with you anymore.

“Y/N…” Jake said your name softly.

“When did you fall out of love?”

“What-“

“Jake, please,” You asked him, tears now running down your face.

“I love you, Y/N, I really do. But I- My career is just starting to take off. I. . .,” Jake sighed, “I- I don’t want to be holding you back from everything that you want.”

“You don’t want to hold me back, or you don’t want me holding YOU back?”

Jake sighed and looked down at his feet. Truth was, he didn’t want to hold you back. He could see the small changes in you. You had decided to change your major from education to business, something that you insisted was what you wanted. He noticed that your grades had slipped, your GPA the lowest it had ever been. You had spent more time at home, next to him, than hanging out with your friends. Jake didn’t want to hurt you, but he wanted you to follow your dreams, even if that meant having to break his and your heart. Jake took a deep breath and grabbed your hands.

“I’m breaking up with you,” He said and bit the bullet. You closed your eyes and Jake was fighting the urge to wipe the tears from your eyes. A sob left your pink lips and you pulled your hands from his, “I’m sorry-“

“Just shut up, Jake,” You said and pushed yourself up from the bed. You walked into the bathroom and slammed it shut, locking the door behind you. You gripped the sides of the sink and sobbed. Jake listened on the other side of the door as you threw everything off the counter, and could hear the breaking of the mirror as you threw a hairbrush at it. Jake changed into his pajamas and then set some out for you. He wrote a note that he was going to stay at Josh’s for the night.

The next morning you woke up to a cold bed and a pounding headache. You looked around the empty room and sighed. You began with the closet, dumping all your clothes into your suitcase, leaving behind the stuff that Jake had either bought you or gifted you. You packed away all your underwear, socks, and makeup. The apartment slowly became bare as you packed your little trinkets and decorations away. You had hoped to get most of it done before Jake came back, but you weren’t that lucky.

“Where are you going?” Jake asked, walking into the apartment and seeing your bags by the front door.

“My sister’s house,” You said and Jake looked at you confused. This was the first time you had mentioned a sister, and he had been dating you for over 5 years, “You don’t know her, she’s a half-sister,”

“Okay… this is really it?”

“Yeah,” You said softly as you looked down at the item in your hand, a picture from your first date, taken when you were both 13. Your parents wouldn’t let you go alone, so Jake’s older sister and her boyfriend at the time had to tag along. She took the picture and Jake gave it to you as a gift on your first anniversary, “Here,” You handed Jake the picture.

“No, no, keep it.”

“I can’t,” You said, your voice breaking. You placed your hand on Jake’s cheek, and kissed his lips softly, one last time, “Goodbye, Jake. Be good to yourself, okay?”

“I will, Y/N. I love you,”

You couldn’t bring yourself to say it back, as you grabbed your bags and walked out the front door. Jake bit his lip as he watched you walk out the door and out of his life.

———————————-

You looked half dead, as you sat in the makeup chair, bright and early on your wedding day. You had tried to go to sleep, but you tossed and turned the whole night. You had thought about running away, getting your car, and driving off to god knows where, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Instead, you took some melatonin and slept for about 4 hours, until Natasha burst through your door with her unusually high amount of energy. You were just happy she brought you red bull and donuts.

“You look like shit?” Natasha said as she poured you a mimosa.

“I feel like it,” you reached your hand out for the glass.

“Oh my god,” She said and pulled the glass back, “Are you pregnant?!”

“No!” You yelled, “Give me the damn drink,”

“Fiesty,” She laughed and handed you the glass, “I steamed your dress, it’s hanging up in the bathroom,”

“Thank you,” You answered, “The boys?”

“I talked to Billy’s brother, Steven, he said they are up and moving. But, if you were wondering Rooster said that they are ALL on their way,”

“He’s coming?”

Natasha gave you a small smile and nodded, before going over to where the rest of your bridesmaids were. You looked up at your makeup artist and smiled as she placed false eyelashes on your eyes. You had tried to keep yourself from shaking with anxiety over seeing Jake, but you couldn’t help it. You had brushed it off as wedding day jitters. For the rest of the morning, you and your bridesmaids drank and ate a light breakfast that your parents had provided. You had a photographer taking pictures of you guys as you got ready. The bridesmaid dresses you had picked were emerald green, and you let them pick their own design. You sucked in a breath, as Natasha zipped the back of your dress. You stared at yourself in the mirror, and could hardly recognize the person in the mirror. The dress you and Billy had picked out was a classic style dress, with a deep v-cut, lace sleeves that went down to your wrists, and an open back. Billy said you looked like Princess Kate, but you felt more like Princess Di.

“Absolutely breathtaking,” Natasha said and You smiled, trying to make yourself feel better, “They want a first look. You okay with that?”

“I mean, Billy picked the dress out, so why not,”

Natasha smiled and walked out of the bedroom. You blinked and stared up at the ceiling, trying not to cry. You took a deep breath and then headed out of the bathroom. You looked up from your shoes to be shocked by the 3 men standing in front of you, one noticeably missing.

“Well god damn, Y/N, you can clean up nicely,” Javy said You laughed and walked over and hugged him.

“Like our very own princess,” Bob said.

“Thank you,” You said looking at all of them. You could feel a certain pair of blue eyes burning into you, “I can’t believe you guys actually came!”

“Well, my girlfriend is your maid of honor,” Javy said, putting his arm around Natasha’s waist.

“She’s the best maid of honor I could ask for,” You smiled at her.

“Speaking of which, we gotta get going. Can’t be late for your own wedding,” Natasha said and your face faltered.

“Yeah,” You said hoping none of them noticed the change in your demeanor, of course the oldest twin did.

“Alright, let’s get going okay,” Natasha said and the boys nodded, following her out of the room, all except Bob who hung back a second.

“You look amazing,” Bob said, “He would be here, but he just couldn’t see you quite yet.”

“Thank you, Bob,” You said honestly. He kissed your cheek and then left your room.

“You ready?” Natasha asked, coming back into the room. You nodded and grabbed the champagne bottle that was next to you. Natasha watched with wide eyes as you downed the rest of the bottle, “Liquid courage?”

“If I do something dumb, you promise to support me?”

Natasha squinted her eyes at you, “Depends on what dumb thing you’re thinking about doing.”

“We’ll have to see,”

The church was decorated beautifully, white roses and emerald green flowers were mixed in and decorated the altar. Javy sat on Jake’s right and Rooster on the left. Jake’s eyes were locked on his shoes as Billy and his parents made their way down the aisle. Rooster nudged him as your mom and brother made their way down the aisle. Your mom sent Jake a warm smile, making his heart beat faster in his chest. The look in her eyes was one that Jake had seen far too often.

‘That should be you.��

“What if I stop the wedding?” Jake asked Javy.

“Don’t even think about it Jacob,” Javy whispered harshly.

“You saw how unhappy she is!”

“She’s nervous, it’s her damn wedding day!” Javy snapped.

“Stop, Natasha is walking down,” Bob said noticing his WSO walking down with your fiancé’s brother. Natasha winked at the boys, as she took her spot right next to wear you would stand at the alter.

Jake’s heart fell to his ass as he heard that oh-so-familiar wedding march and everyone stood up, to look to the back of the church. The doors opened Jake’s breath caught in his throat. You were breathtaking, the dress hugging your body perfectly. Jake couldn’t help but wish that was for him. Your eyes were locked on Billy, as tears left his eyes. You had tried to dig deep in your heart and remember why you were going to marry him, but everything was drawing up a blank. The aisle felt like it was miles long, and you hated everyone’s eyes on you. When you got to the end of the aisle, Billy stepped down to take you from your father.

“Who gives this woman, to this man?” The priest asked.

“Her mother, and I,” Your dad said. He turned to you and hugged you, “Jake is here,” You went to move your head to look for him but your dad kept you from moving, “Make the right choice,” You nodded and kissed his cheek before pulling back and stepping up on the altar.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you maybe be seated,” The priest said and You handed Natasha your bouquet, your eyes searching the crowd of people, and finally landing on those familiar brown eyes, “Welcome, we are gathered here today to witness the symbolic ceremony of love between these two young people, Y/N M/N L/N and Billy Fritz Avalon. Is there anybody who believes that these two shouldn’t be married, speak now or forever hold your peace,”

Y/N closed her eyes and waited for someone to say something. Jake was about to stand before Javy grabbed his arm and held him down. He looked at his wingman with wide eyes, but the boy just shook his head and pointed toward you. Jake looked at you and locked eyes with him, as the priest was reading some passage about marriage and what it means in the Bible. Jake could read it in your eyes, you were really going through with this. Jake saw his window of opportunity finally close and the stages of grief started settling in his chest. He leaned back against the pew and tried to keep from crying.

“Billy, do you take Y/N, to have and to hold, to honor and treasure, to be at her side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times and bad, in sickness and health, for rich or for poor, to love and cherish her always until the moment of your last breath?”

“I do,” Billy said giving your hand a squeeze.

“Y/N,” The priest said, basically startling you, “Do you take Billy, to have and to hold, to honor and treasure, to be at his side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times and bad, in sickness and death, for rich or for poor, to love and cherish him always until the moment of your last breath?”

You looked at the priest and then at Billy, “I…,” You quickly glanced over to Jake, whose green eyes were locked on you. You swallowed and looked back at Billy, “I-”

“No,” A voice from the crowd spoke. You snapped your head towards the audience, seeing Jake standing up and the look of shock on everyone’s face.

“Hangman, what the,” Billy asked, dropping your hands and turning towards him.

“You never wanted to get married in a Church,” Jake said, pushing past Rooster and Bob, to stand in the middle of the aisle, “You said the church of Elvis was fine, but nothing like. . . this,” Jake gestured around, “You want the wedding where you wake up and say ‘let’s get married’. You want to eat hot dogs and mac’n’cheese in your parents’ backyard and light off fireworks.”

Tears gathered in your eyes as Jake stepped closer to you, and you took a step down from the altar.

“You want to jump off the dock at the lake house in your wedding dress because the lake has good luck in it and you believe in that stuff,” Jake licked his lips, “This isn’t you. . .” You nodded and Jake wiped away a stray tear with his thumb, “What do you say? Wanna get out of here?”

“Yes please,” You said, as you grabbed Jake’s hand. The church erupted in chaos as the two of you ran towards the doors.

“The hell did you say to her!?” Your mom asked your father, hitting him lightly on the chest.

“I just told her to make the right choice,” Your dad said smugly, “Never liked Buster anyway.”

“It’s Billy!”

You and Jake were bursting with laughter as you sprinted to his car. Jake had helped gather your dress in the car, before shutting the door carefully and jumping into the driver’s seat. Neither of you guys said anything as you drove away from the church. You weren’t sure where you were driving to, and it honestly didn’t matter. You looked over at Jake, who had a smile on his face as he grabbed your hand, and kissed your knuckles.

But suddenly, the fate of the decision hit you like a ton of bricks.

“Stop the car,” You said.

Jake looked over at you, “What?”

“Stop the damn car!” You yelled. Jake complied and pulled the car over, putting it in park. You got out instantly, running towards the woodline, the soft rain falling on you. Jake watched as you tried to catch your breath. He walked to the other side of his BMW, and leaned against the passenger door as you paced.

“I ran away,” You said eyes wide. You turned to face him, “I just ran away from the altar!”

“Yes, you did,” Jake nodded.

“A-and because of you!” You yelled.

“I’m sorry,” Jake said, honestly. Guilt was swimming in his green eyes as you looked at him. He looked as bad as you felt. His suit was wrinkled, his hair slightly a mess from running his hands through it, his five o’clock shadow settling on his face.

“Why? Why did it take you so long?” You asked and Jake looked at you.

“I was scared,” He admitted, “I was scared of coming back and ruining what you had built. You went back to education, got your degree, you’re living your dream, and I…. I didn’t want to get in the way again.”

You shook your head and walked up to him. You grabbed his hand, “Dance with me,”

Jake nodded and turned up the car radio. The sweet sound of Aretha Franklin’s Natural Woman’ filled your eardrums. Jake grabbed you softly and pulled you into him as he swayed with you in the moonlight. You guys lost track of time, as one song faded into the other, and you were both soaked, your dress was ruined.

“Your dress,” Jake said, looking at the dirty train, “I’m sorry, I’ll pay,”

“No, don’t worry about it,” You said and placed your hands on Jake’s face.

Jake’s rough hands carefully gripped the side of your face and pulled his lips against yours. For the first time in nearly 2 years, you were feeling his lips on yours again. You pulled him against you, wanting him to never let you go. He pulled back and rested his forehead against yours. You two didn’t say anything, but you didn’t have to. It was clear, you had made the right choice.

“Marry me,” Jake said and you looked up at him. He reached into his wet suit jacket and pulled out the blue box, “I don’t know what the hell I was thinking, I had this stashed away for the perfect moment but I just got scared. I didn’t want you to put your dreams on the back burner for me, so I let you go.”

“Jake, you dumbass,” You said, “You are my dream.”

“You’re mine too, I can’t believe I almost lost you to-”

“Shh, you have me now.”

“Marry me, please?” Jake asked getting down on one knee. You smiled and tackled him to the ground. He landed with a thud and laughed as he kissed you passionately. You pulled back and slid the ring that was already on your finger, and replaced it with the one Jake had for you, “Looks better.”

“Much better.” You said kissing him again.

3 weeks later, you woke up one morning to a cold bed, but the covers messed up. You looked out the window, seeing the sun shining and making everything glow warmly. You stretched and headed down to your kitchen, where Jake was already making dinner. You greeted him with a kiss and sat down at the table to eat the vegan pancakes he had made.

“We should get married today,” Jake suggested, “Javy got ordained online a couple of months ago and has been itching to use it.”

“My dad’s got a new dinner recipe he wants to try.” You said sipping your orange juice.

“Then it’s settled,” Jake smiled, “Let’s get married today,”

And that’s exactly what you two did. You sent out a text message for everyone to be at your house by 6 for your wedding. Nobody questioned It, knowing this was exactly what you and Jake wanted. Everyone gathered in your backyard, dressed causally for a summer backyard wedding. Jake stood barefoot in the grass as he waited for you to walk out of the house, in a simple white maxi sun dress. Javy was living for this moment to be the official of a wedding, and what better than to be one at his best friend’s wedding?

“Now, we can actually do this right this time,” Javy said winking at you.

“Jake, do you take Y/N-“

“Yes,” Jake said interrupting his brother.

“I have to say the speech, Jacobl,” Javy scolded and everyone chuckled, “Y/N, do you take Jake-“

“I do!” You answered by doing the same.

“You guys are so impatient,” Javy smiled, “Well, by the power vested in me by some officiating website and the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jake, you may now kiss your bride,”

“Don’t gotta tell me twice,”

You giggled as Jake smashed his lips against yours. Cheers were let out from your family as he dipped you and sealed the deal with a kiss. He set you back on your two feet and grabbed your hand, walking you down the makeshift aisle, finally as husband and wife.

taglist: @shanimallina87 @phoenix1388 @desert-fern @mygyn @cherrycola27 @yanna-banana @seitmai @topgun-imagines @bradleybeachbabe @na-ta-sh-aa @startrekfangirl2233 @xoxabs88xox @atarmychick007 @lunamoonbby @sophiaslastbraincell @bradswolfe @fandom-princess-forevermore @thedroneranger @angelbabyange @callsignharper @dempy @lovelywiseprincess @krismdavis @eternallyvenus @dakotakazansky @pono-pura-vida @callsignartemis @starberryhorse @daggersquadphantom @gspenc @toobouquet @dreamgirl3300 @avada-kedavra-bitch-187

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cuntyqueerleondraisaitl · 1 year

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Fluffy Hilson headcanons because I'm bored

they've slept together at least once while blackout drunk and never mention it because they both think the other forgot

The ducklings all know, all of them, and so does cuddy

Thirteen and Cameron gossip about them all the time (the two of them also def kept in touch after Cameron left)

whenever one of them makes a joke about them being a couple they get momentarily hopeful and then sad again

when they eventually do start dating it's kinda a secret but everyone knows and just pretends not to

house cooks for Wilson, a lot, and Wilson loves it so, so much

I might add more

EDIT: MORE (for @schicksal-von-avalon)

Wilson makes those pancakes a lot and pretends to be mad when House steals them

All the ducklings are happy when they get together, mainly because House is nicer and Wilson is more confident. But they all ship them 2

neither of them officially came out, independently or as a couple, but as I said, everyone knows

House never was into PDA (as we saw with Cuddy) so they just wink at each other a lot (But it's reeeeeeally sweet trust me)

Their first kiss was immediately followed by House saying "I don't know, that's kind of gay" before leaning in again

I'll add more if u want...

EDIT 2: I THOUGHT OF MORE!!

Wilson loves Houses laugh. You know the one. The little head duck and giggle. Even when he's being sarcastic. Whenever House does in Wilson has to physically restrain himself from squealing

They both love roller coasters but House doesn't like how he has to hobble out to get his cane, so Wilson helps him hide it

House can do magic, like well. Slight of hand and card tricks and when they're at home he can do tricks with fire. This makes Wilson clap his hands like a little girl

Wilson sometimes arranges cheese platters when they spend nights together in the shape of cartoon characters and animals.

Whenever one of them wakes u before the other for work or whatever, they leave little cheesy note on the pillow. Ranging from "You're cute" to whole essays. This eventually turns into a contest on who can write the longest letter, the current record holder is Wilson with a 12-paged, double-sided, and single-spaced note.

Pls send me ur own headcanons cause I got one from a user (who preferred to remain anonymous) and it made my week

also, if requested or we reach 175 notes, I'll add more

EDIT: Sorry this update took so long, thanks for everyone’s contributions

Movie nights are common, but house always has to choose because Wilson always spirals when he has to make a decision

Cuddy definitely had a “you better not hurt him” talk with house

House will come home and randomly rearrange Wilson’s furniture, which he finds both annoying and endearing

They get a dog. They name it Steve II. That’s the whole headcannon

Again, I might add more

Ok I though of one more!

Both of them are scared of spiders but House pretends not to be when they're at home. But when they're in the office and see one they have to page Chase, who laughs at them for being scared of a pathetic American spider

#hilson #tv: house md #homosexuality #homosexuality and bisexuality #house md #house x wilson #hate crimes md #allison cameron #remy hadley #thirteen house #gregory house #james wilson #dr house #dr wilson

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velvet-cupcake-games · 7 months

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Made Marion Mini-FAQ, Sept. 23

Just a few bits and bobs that I can talk about at this point in development!

Q: Players commit to their route ending at the end of Chapter 3 and then experience one of two different Chapter 4s. Does that make each chapter 4 choice-free?

There are still choices in the Chapter 4s! Many of the game's major love scenes are in the relevant character's Chapter 4, so you'll have the love scene choice if you have explicit text on. The rest of the choices are for the purpose of role-playing and making decisions about Marion's future. They won't make major changes to the ending, but they'll let you put a personal stamp on your endgame experience.

Except, of course for that choice. The one that leads either to victory or to a bad end. Which choice is it? You'll find out!

Some of your earlier choices can also cause minor changes in Chapter 4. For instance, in Sherwood Common Marion can write either an angry or a diplomatic letter to her father. This may affect whether he appears in the epilogue segment at the end of a Sherwood character's route.

Q: What kind of experience does the option to turn off explicit text provide? Does it allow for asexual relationships?

Because one of the main goals of the Made Marion project was to provide mature-rated love scenes for adult otome/amare fans who were interested in them, we don't have the option for asexual relationships in this game. Marion is allosexual by canon and it's obvious from the way she views the world from the very beginning of the game.

When explicit text is off, the player reads a shortened, non-explicit version of scenes that involve sexual activity. I try to get across the emotions that the characters are feeling without getting into the nitty-gritty of things, but it's still stated that the characters are having a sexual encounter.

Explicit text is ON by default in Made Marion, so players who do not wish to read such text should turn it off in the Options menu ASAP. Once a scene with explicit text has begun, turning the option off won't work until the next explicit scene (not that we're loaded with them, it's just how the script flow of the game works). I may be able to program a "break-out" button later on, but it won't be available as of the first Early Access release.

Q: Characters in Made Marion drink "tisane." Is that tea or something else?

A tisane is a hot drink with an herbal infusion. Many tisanes, also known as herbal teas, do not contain actual tea leaves. Tea is a very specific beverage, and its history in Europe is tied up in colonial-era violence. Instead of trying to work that into my alternate-magical-Europe history, I decided that it made the most sense for Avalons to simply drink non-tea-containing tisanes. Considering that plant druids are all about making magical hybrid plants, they probably have some delicious ones! They are caffeine-free but may contain other types of stimulants.

When Avalons aren't drinking alcohol, there's a good chance that they're drinking tisane. Thanks to druidic knowledge and the environmental protections inherent in the Pact, Avalon drinking water is way cleaner than the water was in Medieval England. But as Avalon science doesn't yet have a working knowledge of microorganisms, boiling your water is still the safest way to go.

#made marion #english otome #amare game #faq

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ellorypurebloodculture · 8 months

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Okay, Petunias been in my head all day so I have three ideas for FSF and I'll take any bone you throw my way: (all of these rely on the idea that Lily and Petunia are still close/Petunia is a follower of Magic)

1. Lily learns from her Sponsors that squib-born children like Petunia can be blood-adopted and gain their magic and works her butt off to gain her rights as a Newblood, just in time for her and Petunia to go to Hogwarts together.

2. Similar to the first, but Newbloods do not have the ability to activate a squib-borns magic, so Lily throws herself into being one of the most eligible Newblood Witches in Avalon and makes Petunia getting blood adopted one of her courtship requirements. (Either by the House interested or their allies)

3. Like the Second, but while Lily is still trying to get her adopted, Severus mentions Petunia's devotion to Magic to Lucius and Pandora (which is practically him waxing poetic in Slytherin), who decide they'd rather like a little sister. Cue Severus having to explain WHY he was talking about Petunia enough that an Ancient House is interested in adopting her. (I loved the Severus/Petunia prices you've done so far)

I just love the idea of the people around Petunia loving her enough to work their butts off to get her a chance at being a witch.

Petunia Evans averts her face when her bedroom door slams open, unable to bear the thought of her sister seeing her cry, the crumpled letter from Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, explaining she cannot attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry resting beside her on the bed.

"I did it, Tuney!" Lily exclaims, her voice bright with joy.

Petunia glances sideways and feels her heart wrench in her chest at the sight of an elaborate hairbrush in Lily's hand; she feels like she's choking as she forces the word "Congratulations!" past her lips.

Lily throws herself onto Petunia's bed, her green eyes fierce with determination, and says, "I'm going to blood adopt you as my sister and then you're coming to Hogwarts with me."

Petunia bursts into tears, but, this time, they're tears of joy and not tears of grief.

#ellory writes #five sentence ficlet #lily evans & petunia evans

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thedeadleafs · 6 months

Text

Where the 1960s "psychedelic" look came from

youtube

When you picture hippies, you probably picture bell bottoms, long hair, and LSD. You might also think of a very specific graphic design and illustration style, seen on concert posters and album covers: curly, cloudy, barely legible lettering, trippy color combinations, and decorative meandering borders. This style was first conceived in San Francisco by a handful of designers in the late 1960s. Their job? Make posters for bands like The Byrds, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Steve Miller Band, Jimi Hendrix … all of whom were just getting their start, competing for nightly stage time at venues like the Fillmore and the Avalon.

But these designers didn’t invent that now-iconic style. In fact, they were heavily influenced by an art movement that started in the late 1800s called Art Nouveau.

#art nouveau #art #advertising #videos

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thenerdyindividual · 1 month

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Ship ranking?? Uhhhh I want in!

The most random ships I have:

Mithian / Vivian, Mithian could turn out to be the one to free Vivian from the enchantment and make her into a better person!

Hunith /Uther or Ygraine / Balinor or Hunith /Ygraine etc etc. All the combinations

Gwaine / Elena I just think they're neat. They both have chaos energy. Plus, Elena's Father seems like a chill guy who would accept a peasant (who isn't actually a peasant huhhhhhhh)

Hear me out... Finna / Alator.

Nimueh / Freya

Julius Borden / Will

I swear I am not throwing these name out randomly there's a thought process behind it

Like Nimueh is of the old religion, so maybe she finds Freya after death in Avalon. And Freya being the kind soul she is can help her heal and grow out of her hatred.

And for Julius and Will... Picture a world where Will didn't die. And now everyone thinks he is a sorcerer. Julius hears rumours of the son of the last dragon lord living in Ealdor. So he goes there and he assumes it's Will, and Will just agrees to cover for Merlin, so he has to fake being a Dragon lord until the letter he sent reaches Merlin to warn him and to idk get help? But huh huh they actually fall in love.

Okay! There’s a lot here and I’m going to unpack all of them! This is fun!

Mithian / Vivian

I’m in favor of lesbian queens ruling a kingdom together, but also I like Mithian and feel she deserves better than Vivian. And I really dislike Vivian because she was mean to Gwen and I adore Gwen. I’m just not that interested in Vivian’s character, personally. I think Mithian, Gwen, and Morgana are all more interesting in her. So for that reason I rank it:

E-Tier

Hunith /Uther

No. Just no. Okay I know Uther was probably not always a genocidal maniac, but to quote Brennan Lee Mulligan “Before you were a fascist, you were a bully.” I think Hunith deserves to get her needs met by someone who would not one day gleefully send her son to the pyre. I rank this ship:

E-Tier

Ygraine / Balinor

Ohhhhh now this has some interesting vibes. Does Ygraine have a romance with Balinor before meeting Uther? Does she find out that Uther cheated on her, and got revenge on Balinor? Was it both? Does that mean that Uther and Ygraine were an arranged marriage? If so that makes Uther and even bigger hypocrite by using her death to justify his hatred.

For sheer implications and intrigue, I rank this:

C-Tier

Hunith /Ygraine

Ooooo a parallel to Arthur and Merlin, hell yes. I’m in favor of more sapphic romances in this fandom, and this could be fun. But also I now want an extremely cracky one shot where Merlin and Arthur are dating and introduce their moms, only for their moms to start hooking up, much to the horror of Merlin and Arthur.

I rank this:

C-Tier

Gwaine / Elena

I see this one a lot in the background of fics and I’m never much of a fan. It’s just a little too quirky for me. Like I’m sure there’s a fic out there that could get me to ship it, but most of the time it feels like people just want to ship the chaotic one with the chaotic one. It rarely feels thought out to me, and often feels like shoehorning it in because everyone needs to be a couple.

That said, it’s never enough to make me click away from a fic. And I could see how I would enjoy it if there was more time and thought put into their relationship. I mean, Gwaine is wandering rogue pre season 4. Chances are he ended up in Gawant at some point right?

I rank it:

C-Tier

For the potential

Finna / Alator

Tbh? In my soul, this is canon.

B-Tier

Nimueh / Freya

I just feel like Nimueh would trigger Freya. Super powerful, super scary, witch lady? After Freya got cursed dating Nimueh would just set Freya up to be terrified all the time. I don’t vibe with it. Also I think Freya has been through enough and doesn’t need to be fixing Nimueh.

I rank it:

D-Tier

Julius Borden / Will

Here’s the thing, I love Borden as a character but I like to make him Merlin’s shitty ex. I know the go to is Cenred, but he has way more chemistry with Borden.

So as far as shipping him with Will? Idk man. I’d maybe be tempted to read the fic you described because it sounds fun as hell, but Borden is just such a fun scummy piece of shit that I don’t ship him seriously with anyone. So without reading that fic, going on vibes alone…. I rank it:

D-Tier

Send me a Merlin Ship and I’ll rank it on a tier list. Note: This is a subjective ranking and a low ranking in no way means that I am shaming you for your taste in ships.

#bbc merlin #merlin #merlin bbc #mithian #princess mithian #gwaine #uther pendragon #king uther #bbc uther #hunith #balinor #merlin ship tier list #i am so sorry #I did not realize how low these would all be and now I feel bad 😬#I think our tastes don’t line up very well

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arcanespillo · 7 months

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it says that ur into poetry in ur bio and thats so cool!!! i like poetry as well and am taking it as an elective at uni but i am actually not too good with poets so was wondering if you had any favourite poets? if not thats totally fine. maybe poetry recs? thanks ☆

poems

i'm not the river / nox by anne carson is tricky to find but there's a fragment here / PORTRAIT OF THE ALCOHOLIC WITH WITHDRAWAL / A BOY STEPS INTO THE WATER / SOME BOYS AREN’T BORN THEY BUBBLE / Thirstiness is Not Equal Division / EVERYTHING THAT MOVES IS ALIVE AND A THREAT–A REMINDER / A Man Said to the Universe / The Worm King’s Lullaby / Cortège / the triumph of achilles by louise gluck / the reticent volcano keeps by emily dickinson / the mirror by louise gluck / i go down the shore / the arrowhead / Brother / My Brother at 3 A.M / I would I might forget that I am I / the second elegy / stripped car / The Saints Come Marching In by Anne Sexton, How to Be a Dog by Andrew Kane, Angel of Hope and Calendars by Anne Sexton / I Remember / WHAT THE BIRD WITH THE HUMAN HEAD KNEW / THE TRUTH THE DEAD KNOW / In The Deep Museum / Lament / The Starry Night / A Curse Against Elegies / jesus suckles / start here / march is march / a bad day by mary oliver / Portrait of the Illness as Nightmare / lord knows / Town of Finding Out About the Love of God / fragments from Avalon Revisited (1963) by Margaret Atwood / from crush by richard siken 'the torn up road', from war of the foxes 'landscape with fruit rot and millipede', 'birds over the trampled field', 'the museum', 'self portrait against red wallpaper'/ from louise gluck's the wild iris 'clear morning' 'spring snow' 'scilla' 'the hawthorn tree' 'april' 'the jacob's ladder' 'matins' 'song' 'vespers' 'harvest' 'retreating light' 'lullaby' 'the gold lily' / from her vita nova 'the open grave' 'roman study' 'timor mortis' 'castile' 'mutable earth' 'inferno' / from faithful and virtuous night 'aboriginal landscape' 'utopia' 'the melancholy assistant' 'a foreshortened journey' 'the horse and the rider' / from meadowlands 'parable of the king' 'moonless night' 'departure' 'rainy morning' 'telemachus' guilt' 'meadowlands I' 'telemachus' kindness' 'parable of the dove' 'purple bathing suit' / from firstborn 'the cripple in the subway' 'seconds' 'letter from provence' 'firstborn' / from the house on marshland 'the pond' 'gratitude' 'abishag' 'the fire' / from descending figure 'the garden (2)' 'origins (4)' 'thanksgiving', from the triumph of achilles 'exile' 'seated figure' 'liberation' 'adult grief' 'horse'/ apostle town / the town of the sound of a twig breaking / strawberry moon by matthew dickman / the wolf god / this poem by mark bibbins (another year on the day/ of class photos/ i scratched at my face/ with a sharpened popsicle stick/ no blood just a few pink lines/ that didn't read/ what else./ i wanted a cast on my leg/i wanted braces and glasses/and my tonsils out/i wanted scars/i don't know when or whether i figured out the difference between wanting to be damaged and wanting to be healed) / ancient text by louise gluck

books

short talks by anne carson, waiting for god by simone weil, blue horses by mary oliver, dog songs poems by mary oliver, men in the off hours by anne carson, trances of the blast by mary ruefle, autobiography of red, red doc and norma jeane baker of troy by anne carson, richard siken and ocean vuong's books are famous honestly but try to read their stuff if you haven't checked them out yet (i don't like ocean vuong but i did like some bits of his first book) and also i suggest reading 'the journal of albion moonlight' if you find yourself particularly liking red doc, i hope you were not expecting old poetry because that really isn't really in my ropes

this is what i have noted on my journal :p if you can't find some stuff dm me but you can search for most poetry books on archive.org and it's free and legal

+ poems by Margaret Atwood ! i forgot, like this one

#i love women who make poetry <3 #thank you i realized i completely stopped posting about poems i read like on my own #like the only poetry i've been posting is just #like reblogging fragments really #anyway i just used you to make a masterlist lol i'll pin this #poetry #ask #thank you for asking lol i hope it's not overwhelming anyway i think i'll start posting most of the poems that arent linked so i can link t #them later on #also. .the way i can literally make every single one of these poems about supernatural is not sane

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omgkatsudonplease · 1 year

Text

[Image Description: A young woman with red hair in a messy bun, Lily Potter, kneels before the Hogwarts Express holding the hand of her eleven-year-old son Harry.]

Lord Harry Potter and the Secret Potion, a fic by @omgkatsudonplease with banner art by the excellent @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm

Mum patted his cheek and put her forehead against his. “I love you so much,” she said, a note of wistfulness filling her voice. “I know I haven’t always been there as much as you need. But I’ll miss you dreadfully when you’re away. Gary and Rose will miss you, too. You can send me letters for them through the school’s owls, and I’ll make sure they get to them.” Harry nodded again, remembering their deal. He has to at least give Hogwarts a try. “I’ll write every week,” he promised. “And you mustn’t let anyone try to talk you into becoming someone you’re not, okay?” continued Mum, kneeling down to look at him seriously. “No one should tell you what House to pick, or whether or not you ought to claim your dad’s titles, or how to talk to your classmates. None of that matters. What matters most is here.” She touched his chest, right above his heartbeat. “Be true to yourself, Harry, promise me that.” Harrison Smith was an ordinary boy, thank you very much. He lived in a flat on a council estate with his mother, he went to school and did his homework, and always left an extra portion of dinner for Mum to have when she got off her late shifts at the local chippie. Harrison Smith didn’t know his dad. Mum said he’d died in a work accident when Harrison was young. Mum didn’t really talk about it much, but Harrison got the feeling from the photographs she kept that they loved each other very much. Everything changed on his eleventh birthday, when he found out he was not only a wizard, but also Harry, Lord of the Honourable and Most Ancient House of Potter. Now Harry must begin his first year at Hogwarts, where he will discover new friends and enemies, as well as the numerous secrets that Mum herself keeps… Part One of Heirs of Avalon, a Pureblood Culture deconstruction.

Read here on AO3!

#harry potter #lily potter #draco malfoy #hermione granger #pureblood culture #deconstruction #hp fanfiction #canon rewrite #heirs of avalon #lily's dabbles #hfpw

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one-way-dream · 1 year

Text

The King's Shadow - Ch. 3

Rating: General

Words: 4900+ (9600+ Total)

Media: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic and the Black Knight

Pairing: Sonic/Lancelot (Sonic/Shadow)

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Developing Feelings, Pining, Alternate Universe - Medieval (Check AO3 for any tag changes!)

Warnings: Canon-typical violence

Chapter: 3/3

Link to the original work

AO3 Summary/Excerpt:

The other’s embarrassment slowly melted away into a resigned sigh, before turning into a smile; mischievous in appearance, but nothing short of putting the sun’s radiance to shame. And then Lancelot truly felt the carefree and trusting weight, the sheer warmth of the newly crowned king’s hand in his own.

And he knew more than ever that his life now belonged to him.

Author's Notes:

cheesus christ i think this is the first time i've ever finished a multichapter fic…….. a short one but multichapter nontheless….. dang

ANYWAY i hope you enjoy :] hope you heeded the warning at the end of ch1

THANK YOU FOR READING I HOPE YOU ENJOY (also thank you for 150+ kudos on ao3 that is WILD) ❤❤❤

Previous/Next

Sonic put his quill pen down with a sigh, before quickly catching his inky mistake of leaving the near-dripping calamus exposed on the expensive desk as he scrambled to place it back in the inkwell.

He leaned back into his extravagantly lush and velvety chair and stared up at the expanse of the accented wall, flourishing with delicate patterns and complemented by rich silk fabric in reds, blues, and golds. While he hadn’t tested it out for himself, the bedroom looked large enough for him to do laps in probably— no, definitely. Just by eyeballing the area, it was more than likely twice as large as Tails’ workshop.

At that name, the pang in his chest came back, harsher than ever before.

Sonic sighed again heavily, lacing his fingers behind his head and running his eyes up the wall until they hit the ceiling, right at the giant gunmetal-steel chandelier that seemed larger than his whole body. A sense of unease crawled through him every time he entered his bedroom; it was the only place where the other knights or Merlina weren’t allowed to visit, and thus, the loneliest place in the entire kingdom.

It was like the room was trying to swallow him whole; like it knew that he didn’t belong there, that he was an intruder bestowed with riches that didn’t belong to him – tearing out pages from the book of legends and rewriting himself into it.

He always believed in deciding his own fate, but… he couldn’t decide for the others unless they wanted it too. He couldn't change the course of their world like that just on a whim. Sonic smiles a little melancholy to himself, thinking about how that line of thinking was probably the most king-like thing he’s done thus far. After all, it wasn’t always about fighting bad guys around these parts, was it?

Even if the others did consent to his continued ruling, now he had a choice – to go back to his own time, to Shadow and the others, and let the people of this world decide their destiny, or he could stay with the kingdom, with Lancelot.

As he looked down at the two letters on his desk, one stamped with red and the other with gold wax, he knew his answer. A pressed violet rested soundly in one letter, while commands almost befitting of his soon-to-be-lost title as a king lay in the other.

Sonic took in a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

His gut feeling wouldn't let him down.

-x-

King Sonic had not made his nest in Avalon for very long, and yet Lancelot felt his presence permeate every inch of their lives with relative ease, making a friend out of everyone he possibly could, regardless of whether they were a peasant or noble.

Each and every townsman had felt it too, Lancelot could tell by their charmed expressions as he accompanied the king on his rounds. He’d insisted on travelling alone, putting his faith in Caliburn should anything take a turn for the worst, but his advisors were persistent. However, when Lancelot’s company was suggested to him, he was surprisingly quick to give in; one could even say that his eyes lit up, though the knight knew not to be so hopeful as to expect the king to enjoy his company above the rest. He could only hope that he didn’t greatly mind Lancelot cherishing their time together.

Even the nobles that had once upturned their noses at the new king, relented to the fact that he was indeed unique – however, that came with a hesitancy, deciding whether or not this new king would be good for their kingdom would be judged in due time, but for now, Lancelot could breathe easy knowing they trusted him for the time being.

But still… what if the rumours were true?

Lancelot’s stomach churned at the mere thought.

The two of them passed a quaint little shop at the far end of the town’s main street, something of a food and trinket vendor that rotated their inventory every other week. They’d been struggling a lot with thieves in the past month or so, but when word got around to the king, he’d rounded up the knights to tighten up the security within the town. And then just like that, those petty thieves were a mere tale of the past.

Much like King Sonic may one day be, Lancelot thought to himself, heart sinking in his chest.

He caught a glimpse of the shop owner standing behind a stand full to the brim with apples; some spotted and bruised, but otherwise perfectly edible and polished with care. Lancelot watches with a newfound fascination as the owner exchanges a bag of seasonal berries for a small bag of what he assumed was coin.

Lancelot curiously fished around the small brown bag secured around his waist, hoping for at least a few shillings to leave behind as they walked past.

The king however, had no intention of simply passing by. He silently gave the knight the sign to wait for the exchange to finish entirely before beelining for the shop with an eager wave. Lancelot glanced to his side, quietly smiling at his king and his ever-so charitable heart of gold.

“Your highness!” The shop owner beams at the approaching hedgehog, “How do you do?”

“Not bad, not bad! I’m happy to see you doing well. Have those thieves come back?” Sonic grinned cheekily, happier and more relieved than ever to hear the shop owner be so easy going about his presence, “I wouldn’t mind giving ‘em a personal message, if ya know what I mean.”

The owner pauses for a moment at the king’s words, a perplexed expression just barely lining the features of their face as they helplessly glanced at the knight and then back at Sonic – it’s a look Lancelot knows far too well. After all, he too was guilty of bearing such an expression at Sonic’s unusual speech mannerisms at the beginning. But they seemed to adjust quickly enough, perking up again with a light laugh as they shook their head, “I think I understand, sire, but there’s no need; there hasn’t been a single robbery ever since you assigned guards to patrol the town.”

Sonic smiles, giving a thumbs up that Lancelot wasn’t sure the other understood, but took politely anyway, “Good to hear it, buddy! Keep up the good work! Oh, and here—”

He fishes through his own mostly-empty bag, frowning when he feels only one coin. He pulls out a single silver penny and lays it on the counter, “Really sorry this is all I had on me. I don’t want anything; it’s just my way of saying good luck. I think silver means good luck, anyway!”

They look back at the king, at a slight loss for words at the sudden donation before Lancelot strolls up to the king’s side and neatly places a stack of coins on the table as well. Sonic’s expression changes from surprised to pleased as he shoots him a wide smile from the side, and Lancelot makes the mistake of looking right at him. He curses himself for being drawn into his gaze, distracted, while they were in the presence of another. The knight swallows thickly and pulls away, face heating up despite not being under the harsh sunlight anymore.

It was… strange how it was sunny much more often. Or maybe it was Lancelot’s imagination.

“T-thank you… it’s truly a miracle that a king like you has come to rule our kingdom, but…” They look away, a forlorn expression on their face. Lancelot can’t fight off the icy dread nipping at his heart, his mind begging away the premonition to no avail, “Forgive me if this isn’t my place, but… I have heard rumours that you will be heading back to your world some time?”

The anxiety hits him full force once the question lands, gauntlet covered hands curling into fists at his side. He knows he can’t bear to look at the king now. Not now. But… like always, he still can’t find himself looking away from the other.

Except the flash of regret, – of sorrow and melancholy, – in Sonic’s eyes devastates him like nothing else.

And it’s only for a moment, and not a moment longer, but it’s enough for Lancelot to understand.

“Yes, I—” He clears his throat, smiles as he scratches his head nervously, “The royal wizard, Merlina, has found a way for me to get back home.”

“I see… how much time do you have left, sire?” Lancelot almost couldn’t hear the owner’s voice over the sound of his own heartbeat.

“…I will be leaving in three days.”

For a moment, Lancelot feels nothing. Almost as if he’d been expecting it since the very moment he laid eyes on the king; but that couldn’t be true – deep down he knew that he wanted to serve King Sonic until the end of his days, and no one else. Until his final breath. Until crimson spilled and met with the soil beneath his feet in the name of honour, or until his old age finally put his battle-worn bones to rest.

But no thoughts of a peaceful or honourable death could put his mind to ease when the anguish suddenly poured in, as if the floodgates had shattered all at once.

He didn’t know what to think. What could he think when he couldn’t even figure out the source of his pain, let alone put a name to it? All he knew was that his chest hurt unbearably, and that he couldn’t bear to let go of someone like Sonic the Hedgehog.

“—H-hey, are you okay?!”

When the world came back into focus, he found both the shop owner and the king looking back at him with worried looks on their faces. Those wondrous, lively eyes so full of worry for him. For him.

Suddenly, he was overcome with the urge to laugh. Had he become so delusional to think that his feelings ever really mattered to begin with?

As a knight, he had a responsibility. And surely, as a mortal hedgehog, he had a heart. He knew well enough that he could not carry both in his hands, and so he chose to be a knight until the very end, just as he’d promised on that fateful day that he took the king’s hand and swore his life to him.

“I’m… quite alright, my liege.”

Lancelot looked back at Sonic with all of his courage, and smiled at him with every bit of strength he could muster.

The king then sighs, face pulling into something almost irritated. Amidst the new surge of fear, Lancelot suddenly finds his wrist captured by the other as he’s pulled into a dark and damp alleyway near the back of the town, ignoring the questioning looks from the other townspeople.

He could barely make out the king’s face in the dim light from the side, but really, it was probably better this way. Although, who was he kidding? He’d already memorised his face down to the small, healed nick by the bridge of his nose that Sonic himself probably hadn’t noticed.

The king relented his grip on Lancelot’s quivering wrist, as they both stood to face each other, their backs to the walls. He huffs, crossing his arms and tapping his foot impatiently, “Okay, what’s up?”

“P-pardon?”

“I mean—” Sonic pinches the bridge of his nose, “What’s the matter? What happened? Are you not feeling well or somethin’?”

“I’m… fine, sire—”

He clicked his tongue and sighed, “Take off your helmet; it’s easier to talk to you face-to-face.”

Lancelot stiffened. He… didn’t usually take it off while outside – it made it easier to obscure his face and somehow, he just felt more comfortable having it down during patrols. But it was rare to hear the other truly ask something of him, and so he was in no position to decline as a knight serving under him. Still, before he could stop himself, he spoke, “Is that a command, sire?”

A look of hesitation flashes over Sonic’s features, opening and closing his mouth before finally sighing, letting his arms fall to the side, “I… no, it’s not. I just wanted to—” He shakes his head, looking away a little embarrassed, “Never mind, forget it.”

There’s a careful beat of silence between them.

“…Is this because I didn’t tell you first?”

The shock that ran through Lancelot’s body was vicious, heart stopping at his words. Yet he shakes his head, even though he was far from incorrect in his judgement of Lancelot. Pathetic, pathetic Lancelot.

“It isn’t like it was my right to know.” He tries to steady his voice, despite the pin-pricking sensation in his chest, “It… doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. You’re my right-hand man. You’re— you’re the person closest to me in this whole kingdom and I…” Sonic stops himself, unaware of the way Lancelot’s heart was caught in his throat, “I wanted to tell you first. That’s why I brought you out today. I didn’t mean for you to find out like this…”

Lancelot finally breathes, the tightness in his chest alleviating a little at the king’s reassuring words. Even if he weren’t his king, Lancelot would trust and respect him all the same; he’d earned that much all on his own. And with that, he loosens the sides of his visor, sliding it all off slowly as his red and black quills trickled out. Sonic looked on with surprise, shoving down yet another pang of nostalgia and longing as he saw the other as he was, stunning ruby eyes, quiet honesty, and awe-inspiring boldness in action. Lancelot set his visor on top of an old crate pushed against the grey stone wall, before setting his sights back on the king, similarly ignoring the way his heart rate spiked at the way Sonic had his eyes set on him.

Slowly his expression falls into something a little more downcast, ears drooping as he breathes out deeply.

“I’m sorry, Lancelot. You deserve better than this.”

This time, Sonic could see how Lancelot’s eyes widened at the words, and his heart ached in wonder of how much he’d wordlessly endured until now. It must not have been easy for him, serving under such a clueless and carefree king right after dealing with the abuses of a corrupt one.

But in Lancelot’s eyes, all he could think about was the fact that someone cared enough to that extent; to reach out a hand to him in battle even when he was covered in mud and grime, to laugh with him at small things, share a meal with him, to race with him against the sweeping winds that spoke to him tales of freedom and adventure, to walk him to his quarters at the end of each wonderful and star-speckled eve. He couldn’t possibly, reasonably, ask for more.

Yet, Lancelot couldn’t help but still be mysteriously drawn into him, almost like it was magnetic.

Could he really be blamed?

“Is, uh… is there something on my face?”

Lancelot doesn’t catch the words at first, far too lost in thought. Too lost in Sonic. Anxiety doesn’t line his breaths anymore, just for a moment, because all he can think about is deep blue and emerald. All he can think about is how he wants to reach out and touch him, make him real – as if he, too, would disintegrate before his eyes like an illusion, like the fallen King Arthur.

But Sonic wasn’t like that.

Even if he would no longer be a part of this world in a few short days, he’d never give in or fade out, stubborn as he is. He’d never disappear like that, would he?

He was all courage and stupidly charming wit and a true follower of his own heart. And perhaps that was why he had such a hold over Lancelot’s own. He was forever burned into their lives, into their memories, regardless of whether he was there to lead them as king or not.

And so he reached out, heart pounding in his chest.

“W-woah,” Sonic laughed nervously as he watched Lancelot’s hand grow closer, “Lance, what are you…?”

“What am I…?”

He paused, mind fully going blank for the first time in his life.

“Oh. There’s… ah, dirt, on your left cheek.” Lancelot fibbed as he scrabbled to pull out a handkerchief, ice running through his veins despite the way his face burned all the way up to his ears. He willed his hands to stop shaking with all his might, and brought his hand up to the other’s cheek, ignoring the wide-eyed and flustered expression the other wore, “M-may I?”

Sonic slowly nodded, unblinking as the soft cotton of Maria’s handmade handkerchief brushed his cheek. Lancelot had hoped that he bought the lie, because he didn’t know what to do if he didn’t.

He doesn’t even know what to make of his own actions, after all.

His strokes are a feather light touch on short-hair peach fur that bloomed a delightful rosy tint that Lancelot would have savoured any other time. But right now, all he could do was hold his breath and hope that the other wouldn’t catch the way he couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

With his heart in his throat, Lancelot shakily breathed out a little carelessly, making the king’s shoulders flinch at the warmth as his eyelids fluttered shut. Despite that, he hadn’t said a word about all this. The knight finally pulled away and tucked his handkerchief back in his bag, leaning until his spines met the wall. It’s only then that he realises that they met in the middle, far closer than they needed to be, and yet King Sonic still hadn’t pulled back.

He looked at the ground, eyes stinging from embarrassment. The king truly is… a wonderful person.

And Lancelot couldn’t begin to think of how despicable he himself truly was.

On the way back, they walked in silence, tension too thick to cut through with their usual easy conversation, which only pained Lancelot more knowing how little time he had left to cherish their moments together. But right now, he couldn’t fathom thinking about anything but their time in the alleyway.

Shame burned like acid inside of him.

Why… had Lancelot done that? Why couldn’t he pull away like always? He knew better than to suspect the king of using witchcraft like he did before – he just wasn’t that kind of dishonest person, and he simply wanted something then he knew that Lancelot would lay down his life for him at his word. If anything, Lancelot was at fault for doing something as disgraceful as touching the king like that, but…

More importantly…

…Why was Sonic looking at him like that?

-x-

Lancelot slides a sealed letter under Gawain’s door, stepping away just in case the door swings open. Despite him feeling apologetic, he wasn’t keen on having a face-to-face conversation, especially not after what happened the last time he tried having one.

He made his way through the winding hallways, footsteps muffled by the crimson carpet laid out before him that seemed to run endlessly. The walls were a decadent light cream, framed portraits of gold lining the walls every fifty or so metres. Lancelot had spent enough time in the castle to count just how many there were; he knew this castle like the back of his hand.

At the end of the hallway, he finds one of the guards with a letter in his hand, carefully wrapped and tied with a dark blue string that would’ve looked black to anyone else. He nods to the guard as he hands over the letter to Lancelot, although the knight has a feeling he knows where it’s from and what it’s about.

Lancelot unties the letter, the string undoing itself rather gracefully with one swift but careful tug. He reads its contents once, and then again, just to really burn it into his memory. It was King Sonic’s handwriting after all, and at this point, what did he have to lose?

A heavy feeling settles into his gut, contrasting the steady beat of his heart pounding. He couldn’t let up now – he couldn’t be afraid.

He swallows dryly, although it does nothing to clear the lump in his throat. Both reading the letter and saying it in his mind made it real, as much as he didn’t want it to be real; today really was the final day.

Lancelot had humbly requested the king’s presence; a request that defied everything he had been taught up until his knighting. But… King Sonic was a strange one; full of life and humour and charisma, full enough that he had no such room for attachment to formalities. Each time he’d been addressed as king, there was a hint of shyness that was easily overtaken by his usual demeanour not a moment later, followed by words along the lines of, “Just call me Sonic!”.

If this had to be his last day, then Lancelot would adhere to a balance for his sake, even if it wasn’t commanded of him. He was such an unusual king, uprooting all that they’d known and creating a pact uniquely his own; to follow your heart, so that you may do good for yourself and those around you.

Any other king, Lancelot might’ve questioned those words. But King Sonic had just as much strength as he did grace and imperfections, and that made him all the more beloved to his kingdom.

He held a fondness for his king that he’d never felt for the fallen King Arthur. A fondness that feels familiar but different in many ways from his sister. A fondness that he still didn’t understand to this day.

Try as he might do his best to defend Arthur’s honour as a king, he could die for his sake, but he could never say that he would weep for him, even if he was ever good.

But… King Sonic…

He was different. He was always different.

Lancelot steps out the castle gates, Arondight tucked into its sheath by his hip and a showy confidence in each step that he wished he truly possessed. It was all just a performance; no one could begin to gauge the ache from the gaping hole in his chest as he pushed through the crowds of townsmen, gaze focused on the violet fields at far reaches of the grassy plains, right where the horizon kissed the outskirts of Camelot.

As soon as Lancelot’s shoes touched the grass at the end of the stone path, he took off at full speed. He couldn’t bear it anymore – he couldn’t bear to waste a second longer away from the king. Their king, his king, even if he could no longer remain as such. But only Lancelot would know how much he meant to him, and maybe it should simply stay that way.

The deep woods aren’t as thick or treacherous as they usually are, and it’s only after a moment that Lancelot notices the dirt path leading out. He smiled to himself as he followed it, knowing full well that the only person who could do something like running back and forth enough times to make a permanent path in the forest would be the fastest thing alive, Sonic the Hedgehog.

At the end of the clearing, he sees him, armour-free and vivid blue against the violet-spotted grass, and it takes every ounce of self control in Lancelot to not trip up over himself at the sight of the king. Even besides being undignified, he couldn’t bear to think of how he’d feel if Sonic saw and tried to help him up. He still couldn’t forget the lingering feeling of Sonic’s hand brushing against his arm from days past.

And oh, how he would miss it dearly.

When the king turns around, his expression brightens tenfold. Lancelot can’t even fight off his own smile as he approaches the other, heart thrumming against his ribcage like butterfly wings batting wildly.

“You came.” Sonic breathes out, closing the formal distance between them.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. After all, it is I who requested your presence.”

“Took you long enough to finally start making demands of me.” He laughed lightly, toothy smile as charming and heart warming as always, “Too bad that… it's the last day.”

A silence treads between them; questions, hundreds of them probably, lingered in the space between whiffs of fragrant flowers and sun-kissed fur. Yet only one honest query made it past Lancelot’s lips.

“Sire…” He starts hesitantly, clearing his throat before Sonic catches onto the tremble of it, “Forgive me but, is this really what you wish?”

“I…” Sonic stops himself, shakes his head as if he can’t make himself say what he truly wants to. Lancelot wishes he would. “It's like I said, everything has its end. Every adventure has its end. I’ll… be leaving to see Merlina after this – I just wanted to see you first.”

Lancelot stops breathing for a moment as Sonic pulls out two letters from his quills, a flash of vulnerability across his expression that he just barely caught.

“This is for the next person who pulls out Caliburn,” He smiles at Lancelot though it doesn’t reach his eyes, handing him one of the letters before pulling out the letter with the gold stamp and placing it firmly in his hand, overlapping his own, “And this is for you. Please… don’t read it until later, okay?”

And before another word could be uttered from the knight, he was held in a sudden embrace, Lancelot’s body stiffening from the contact but melting into the touch within moments all the same. There was just something different about him, something he couldn’t place his finger on quite yet – something he should have been able to figure out as he felt the king’s heart race against his own bare chest.

Sonic pulled back hastily, “I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t do that to my… Shadow.”

“Your… shadow?” Lancelot wondered why he was referring to him with that old name again. He hadn’t heard it since they first met, so why now?

There was a fond, but melancholy look on his face, as though his eyes were searching for something beyond Lancelot.

Something, or someone, just was great as the king was.

“Yeah.” And there was that smile. “My shadow.”

This time, he looked straight at Lancelot; emerald eyes boring into his, with a voice that was drenched in a longing sadness he’d never imagined the king would bear within him. A burden Lancelot so desperately wanted to bear, so that he may alleviate his troubles. Anything to cease his suffering.

But something within him cried out, as if warning him that learning the truth behind those words would undoubtedly crush him.

“It is alright, your majesty…” Lancelot pulled farther away from his touch, already feeling the cool air creep in absence of the other’s warmth. But that was quite alright, because the cold was still familiar enough. “I think I understand.”

And then he heard the king’s breath hitch.

Till the end, he was certain; his life belonged to him.

Even as he kneeled, as he’d done so many a time before, no one’s presence filled his soul so overwhelmingly. Nor his heart so deeply.

Lancelot reached out his hand to hold the king’s in his own, just as he’d done during his inauguration. Feeling the wind begin to settle, he felt King Sonic’s hand gently slip into his with care.

He hung his head, hearing his very own heart pounding in a way he didn’t know what to make of. And over the sound of the howling wind, he heard the words…

“Thank you…” A beat of silence between them as the world stood still for just a heartbeat, “Remember that your destiny is in your hands, but… someone will come for you. I promise, Lance.”

A sharp chill ran down Lancelot’s spine as Sonic squeezed and then carefully pulled his hand away; something about his tone, the uncharacteristic vulnerability behind it, made him look up to face the king against his better judgement.

Just like before, he was gone without a trace. Without another word.

And so Lancelot thought hard to himself, emotions running high while he remained rooted on the spot, as to what everything could mean.

Whether these feelings were ones meant between the strongest of kings and the most loyal of his knights.

Whether such ideals even applied to a king such as Sonic, who had no desire to adhere to a set-in-stone knight’s code, and would rather follow his heart.

Or whether this is what it meant to truly follow his heart. To know affection so deep, a pull stronger than what Gawain knew as honour, and what Percival knew as duty. Far stronger than what Lancelot knew as loyalty.

The blow of reality coursed through him with such a crushing force that it would only be described as heartache. Because even if that rang true, it would not be until he was gone like the wind, that Lancelot realised he had been in love with the wind itself.

It was always destined to be a fruitless endeavour, he thought as he felt his heart fall to endless depths in his despair, and as his vision began to blur.

After all, he was a shadow of the flame that burned the brightest.

And one that went out just as quickly.

#sth #sonic the hedgehog #satbk #lansoni #satbk lancelot #sonadow #shadow the hedgehog #sonic and the black knight #satbk king arthur #satbk sir lancelot #my work #my fics #fanfiction #oh yeah woo yeah

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lettersfromavalon · 6 months

Text

I’ve been tinkering with the amusement area by the shops. I think it’s done 👉👈

#nintendo #switch #acnh #animal crossing #acnh photos #animal crossing new horizons #acnh island #animal crossing designs #letters from avalon

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liminalpsych · 28 days

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My collection groooows

Left to right:

The Complete Arthurian Encyclopedia

Gallant & True (an Arthurian zine I think I backed on Kickstarter at some point, it’s BEAUTIFUL)

The Mabinogian (Sioned Davies translation)

Black Book of Carmarthen

Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain (Faletra translation, also includes Vita Merlini and a bunch of excerpts from various texts eg Nennius)

The Lais of Marie de France (Waters translation)

Lanzelet (I tried reading it. I’ll try again. It’s so dry)

Chretien de Troyes: Lancelot, Erec and Enide, Yvain, Cliges (Ruth Harwood Cline verse translation, I only just now realized they’re out of order, it’s gonna bug me but not enough to fix it and take another picture)

Perlesvaus (Nigel Bryant)

Lancelot-Grail books 1-10 (including Post-Vulgate and chapter summaries)

Silence (Le Roman de Silence)

An Introduction to the Gawain Poet (Putter)

Le Morte d’Arthur (Keith Baines version)

Of Giants (look, Cohen posted some beautifully gay Galehaut/Lancelot and Green Knight and Gawain commentary excerpts on Tumblr and I couldn’t resist)

Arthurianism in Early Plantagenet England (recommended to me by someone who almost did her doctoral thesis on this topic until learning she’d been beaten to it by this text—a history of Arthurianism including the larping that a bunch of nobility did. It just arrived in the mail, I haven’t read it yet)

The Goddodin (Gillian Clarke version; not pictured on the shelf because it’s on my poetry shelf instead. It’s so beautifully translated though, highly recommend Clarke’s version)

Also not pictured: anything I have in ebook format (Tolkien’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, various modern fiction)

And then there’s the Arthurian adjacent and medieval and Renaissance stuff that isn’t really Arthurian but it’s related, so same shelf.

Return to Avalon (short story collection, modern, found at a used book store, why not)

The Book of Chivalry of Geoffrey de Charny (picked this up as a larpwriting reference forever ago, it’s a fascinating read)

Various editions of the Compleat Anachronist, the SCA’s publication

Life in a Medieval City by Gies (I don’t actually remember where I got this or why I have it or if it’s any good. I’m guessing it was another larpwriting reference)

The Book of the Courtier - Castiglione (larp prop and larpwriting reference, actually a really neat read)

Prism Knights by Winter J Kiakas (queer knight short story collection)

Letter Writing in Renaissance England (got this used as a larpwriting reference and it has been SO USEFUL and so fascinating!)

#reading list #arthuriana #Arthurian literature

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gawrkin · 4 months

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The Vanishing of Lancelot's Mom

One of THE most conspicuous things about the Grail Quest and the "Fall of Arthur" narratives is the utter absence of the Lady of the Lake.

Like, in Lancelot Proper, the Lady constantly aids Lancelot and Guinevere multiple times. She even helps Lancelot and Guinevere get together through the Magic Split shield; She even apologizes to Guinevere for a poorly worded letter regarding her maternal relationship with Lancelot.

Then, when the Grail Quest occurs, she just... vanishes.

The Lady is never called into question for her actions regarding the encouragement of the Affair. Neither she nor Galehaut are ever criticized by the narrative.

And when the affair is exposed, the Lady is nowhere in sight. Unlike in Lancelot Proper, Lancelot's mom never comes to Lancelot's aid. Ever. She never comes to warn Lancelot and Guinevere about what will happen or try to avert the affair's exposure. She's not there to support her son during Arthur's assault on Benoic. She's not there to save Gwen from Mordred. She's just gone.

Post-Vulgate makes it worse - it makes the Lady a guardian of King Arthur in lieu of Merlin, because Arthur was mighty defender of chivalry. And the Post-Vulgate assumes the events of Lancelot Proper happened, given the mention of Galehaut in the Suite. Which means the Lady probably supported LanceXGwen, same as before.

And again, the Lady is absent. She's not there for the Grail Quest or the Fall. She doesn't come to Arthur's aid against Mordred.

There's absolutely no intervention from the Lady of the Lake in any of these major story arcs, despite her oaths, her motives, her obligations and her relationships.

Its only with Thomas Malory, and his character Nimue, that the "Lady of the Lake" actually shows up for the Fall... right at the end. Taking Arthur to Avalon. After the final battle. That's it.

**(Note: I don't consider Lancelot's mom to be the Excalibur-giver. It doesn't happen in Vulgate. In Post Vulgate and Le Morte, Balin killed the Excalibur-giver and Nimue/Ninianne shows up later as the Damsel Huntress)

#my thoughts #vulgate cycle #lancelot-grail #mort artu #wtf arthur #arthurian literature #arthuriana #arthurian legend #arthurian legends #arthurian mythology #king arthur #le morte d'arthur #post-vulgate #lady of the lake

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ask-sebastian · 3 months

Note

Thank you for responding so thoroughly to my little music question last night. I too, live almost entirely for the lyrics of a song. Melody has to vibe but the meaning of the song is within the poetry of the lyrics. I'm very much a bookish sort, and I have the impression that you are too. I'm trying to psych myself up to read "Song of Achilles". Do you have any books that you have enjoyed - from now or past? I understand that Hogwarts curriculum already requires a lot of reading, but it would still be interesting to hear your opinion.

It was my pleasure, darling, and your astute impression of me is correct. I cannot imagine what gave me away. *cheeky smile*

I am a lover of music and the written word in equal measure. Sadly, life such as it is, it has been a shamefully long time since I have read much for pleasure. Seems the number of books I wish to read and the time in which I have to read them are inversely proportional.

"Song of Achilles" is on my list as well. Perhaps we shall finally tackle it together? I've enjoyed many books from many different genres -- fiction and nonfiction alike. I enjoy anything that will engage my mind and emotions, be it fanciful, factual, or thought-provoking.

Not sure if there is a specific genre you were curious about, but here's a short list of long-time favourites, in no particular order:

The Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

The Odyssey - Homer

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky

Oedipus Cycle - Sophocles

Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Dickens (A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities)

Shakespeare (anything)

Austen (anything)

Steinbeck's short novels

Jazz by Toni Morrison

Virginia Woolf (To the Lighthouse and A Room of One's Own)

Edgar Allen Poe's short stories (including but not limited to: The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death, The Purloined Letter, The Tell-Tale Heart)

#sebastian speaks #sebastian reads

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mutasmutosarchive · 6 months

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it's been so long.

pairing: avalon sullivan/michael schmidt (antecedent)

word count: 2123

a/n: i do not apologize for people seeing me get back into fnaf because of the movie, I finally got to see it and now old interest is going brr. iykyk the song title.

tags: @staysfrosty @ghilliedup @felixrichtershubby @sugar-and-pearls (let me know if you want to be added!)

The dry feeling of paper between Lonnie’s fingers felt strange as she looked at the paper and the messy cursive that plague that page. Her eyes glanced up from the page as she looked at the shell of a place she once knew. She could smell the must in the air as she stared at the building. The glaring words on the sign taunted her.

‘Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria’

It was a brutal reminder of the past. Something she had sat with for years, a guilt that built up for the lack of attention a thirteen year old couldn’t hold. Avalon took in a deep breath and felt the way the melt bit into her warm skin as she gripped the keys. There was something that felt off about this, the permission to roam an old building from the owner for the sake of closure. She let out a small scoff as she pushed off the tailgate of her truck and got on with it.

Keys rattled in her hands as she unlocked the gate and pushed it open while keeping her shoulder bag from slipping, before sliding the key into the rusty lock of the old doors. She jiggled it before it finally slid open and she stepped inside. Dust invaded her senses and she felt like she had stepped back into the past. They felt like it fizzled out and she was suddenly back, the loud music and laughter of children. There were so many people celebrating birthdays or special occasions.

Lonnie felt bile rise in her throat for a moment as she tried to shake it off and carefully stepped forward into the old building. The fine layer of dust covering everything told the story of how long it had been closed, how it had felt to decay away like the hole in her heart after it all. Her footsteps were the only thing that made noise against that old bowling carpet as she shuffled in. Tired hazel eyes scanned around the area as she looked back down at the paper in her hands. She pushed glasses up the bridge of her nose as she read the notes before she looked back up.

“I guess the back.” She told herself as she looked up again and around it. Everything felt so eerie in the daylight but she felt better when there was light then in the night. Maybe it was the comfort of the dark but she wasn’t so sure. Avalon scurried her way through the main area, weaving through old tables and pushing a door that read employee’s only on it as she stepped into the back. Old sneakers hit the cement floors with patters as she made her way to the back office. An open palm pushed the door open, leaving a print on it as she slipped inside.

The must and grime was prioment, she could tell the way it scratched at her throat and how it almost seemed to cling to her. She put her bag down on the small table and walked over to the breaker. A hesitant hand reached out, black painted nails curling around the handle as she pushed it up. She watched as the lights flashed down and the place came to life with power. She brushed her hands off on her jeans, the dust clinging to clammy palms as she tried to ease her worried mind.

She reached for the old bag of hers on the table and rustled for something, before pulling out a small notebook with a pen tucked inside of it. She shoved the letter she had gotten into it and scooped it up before she left the small office again. Her footsteps were swallowed by the loudness of pinball machines and other arcade games that had flickered back to life as she walked back out into the main hall. She took in a deep breath that shakily rattled out of chapped lips as she reached out to take a chair down from one of the tables and set it down in front of the stage.

Avalon hesitated for a moment as she seemed to hover on the thought of picking up and leaving, the anxiety in her chest swelling but she felt like she was too far in now to back out. She had waited forever to hear back from the owner. She had waited forever to come back to this place that haunted her mind. Her grip on her journal made her knuckles pop from the strength in them before she quickly turned on her heels of her sneakers, her body lunging at that button hitting it a bit harder then she could, causing the main attractions to spring to life.

The curtains swung open as the animatronics moved their rusty mechanically joints as the bear seemed to poorly lipsync to some 80’s song as the chicken and rabbit moved in their spots. The vibrant lights and noises had Avalon freezing in her spot as she watched. Her legs moved as she came back to the chair, shakily reaching out as she sat down. Hazel eyes blown wide as it seemed the current reality and memories mixed together in her head.

Exposure therapy had been known to be effective but also fairly controversial. She can’t remember why at that moment she had agreed with her therapist to come back to this place after it all. She could feel the scab of old wounds in her mind being violently torn back as the memories gushed back out. She remembered her brother, the dark brown eyes and dusty blond hair. The way he had gripped at her shirt as he had been engulfed in the crowd of people so long ago in this place. A birthday party for a friend, their parents had been in town visiting a relative and didn’t want him to go alone, so she was asked to go with. Not like she had any friends anyways to spend more time with. Plus she always liked being around her brother, he was a bit soft spoken but had a way of making the young teen smile. She would have done anything for him.

She had promised to look after him and she remembered the moment she lost sight of him. There was a loud noise and her attention was drawn away. Before she knew it she was glancing back and couldn’t find him. As those bright lights danced in her eyes as she watched that bear, the mascot of this place moved she felt the warm salty tears dripping down her cheeks. The panic in her chest. She couldn’t find him, no matter how much she looked. Slight panic turned into complete panic as she searched for him. She remembered some woman who had been there with her children helping her as she wrestled with a panic attack. Then when the cops showed up and her parents. Things blurred together again as she swam through it all when she felt something touch her shoulder. Avalon never moved so fast out of fear and fell out of chair.

��Whoa whoa, hey, I’m not going to hurt you.” A masculine voice reached her ears as she pulled herself from the visage of old memories and focused back in on the current world around her.

Her hazel eyes met that of man around her age, dark brown eyes that looked almost black in the low light, the shaggy dark hair and scruff that clearly showed a lack of sleep paired with the black bags under his eyes. She felt her heart race in her chest as she took a second to shove down anxiety attack.

“Sorry! I didn’t think that anyone would be here.” She squeaked out.

“Neither did I.” He told her.

“I… I have a letter. I promise I’m not trespassing, I got permission to be here.” She said quickly as she fished out the letter and held it out to him.

The security guard looked a bit confused but took the letter from her shaky hands and looked over it. He looked up when he could feel eyes on him, watching those animatronics move briefly. He swore he could have seen Freddy almost glare at him.

“Yeah, I know. Vanessa said someone was coming by. I didn’t mean to scare you. Here,” He said as he reached out to help her off the floor.

Avalon hesitated for a second before she took his hand and helped pull her up to her feet. She had to look down a bit at him. She had held onto his hand a little too long before she pulled away and apologized under breath to him.

“Why are you here so late?” He asked her.

Avalon had looked a bit confused until she looked up for a moment and noticed how there was no more sunlight coming in and then down at her watch that had read almost 12 am. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting in that chair let alone crying as well.

“Lost track of time. Sorry, I can get out of here.” Avalon apologized to him.

There was another silence between them that was filled by the noise of everything around them before the man spoke again.

“It’s fine. I get it, my name's Mike.” He said as he held out his hand for her to shake.

Avalon reached out and shook his hand before she spoke. “Avalon, most people just call me Lonnie though.” She told him. She watched a small smile work on his face as he looked at her.

“That’s a strange name, but Lonnie you should probably go. You look like you need sleep and I guess only one of us here is meant to be the one who doesn’t sleep.” Mike chuckled.

Avalon gave a small laugh and nodded her head before she folded her arms and tucked her hands out of sight, so they could cling to her shirt. “Yeah. Let me get my stuff from the back.” She added.

“Nah, it’s the least I could do for you. Plus I got to put my stuff back there anyways.” Mike waved off before he moved away from there and headed towards the back, once again leaving Avalon by herself. She turned to look at the animatronics one last time while she waited for the security guard to come back. Hazel eyes flickered at the animatronics but mostly Freddy, she could have sworn those glassy blue eyes stared right back at her before she was brought back to her attention towards Mike when she heard that back door open.

“Here.” Mike said as he held out her bag for her.

Avalon took it with a nod of her head and a nervous smile towards him.

“Thanks, uh, have a good night I guess.” Avalon said with a small voice before she moved from him and turned to leave.

Mike felt like he should have said something to that tall brunette as she left the building. He swore he swore he saw something in those eyes of hers he often saw in the mirror when he looked at himself. A guilt that couldn’t be shaken and held onto you like a ghost. The dark haired man looked back at the stage at the animatronics that moved before he had moved to hit that red button, the animatronics shutting down doing so as the curtains closed. He stalled for a second there in front of the main stage as he tried to wrap his head around it all. He barely paid attention to that letter which he had accidentally kept and set down in the back office.

Michael sighed as he headed back towards the office, his boots thudding against the cement as he headed back. He pushed the door open before taking a seat at the desk, the chair groaning under his weight as he looked at the paper. It had been a letter responding to an inquiry and attached to it was the inquiry. He had reached out and flipped to the back page, a neat handwriting sprawled on it as he caught a name at the bottom and a name.

‘Avalon Sullivan’

The girl he had met. Something about her seemed almost important to this place, he didn’t know why just like he didn’t understand why here his dreams and been so much more vivid as well. He let out a sigh as he leaned back into the old desk chair and looked up at the black and white screens. So much of this was confusing, he didn’t exactly understand it but he knew she had a part to play just as much as he did for some reason.

#╎ok2rb.#╎writing.#╎ship – antecedent.#╎self ship.#self ship #self ship community

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