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mochidolls · 21 days

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𝜗ϱ : just kids.

n : based on this request by anon, i took it more into the childhood friends to lovers direction!

warnings : slight mention of negative body image / mentions of injury

click for palestine / how you can help palestine

it was fourth grade when you realised it. your crush on lottie to be specific. the two of you had been the closest since the day both you lost your first tooth. swinging on the monkey bars, one at each end trying to get to the middle the fastest which ended up with the two of you colliding into one another and out came the first tooth. since then you two were inseparable.

the moment your crush had really solidified had been when the two of you just won your first football national game. you both were on a high from the victory, celebrating at lottie’s home. you two were changing in order to go bowling that same evening along your parents and siblings, lottie’s parents unable to attend due to ‘unexpected’ circumstances at their respective workplaces. everyone knew that it was complete utter bullshit though.

“can you hurry up? your parents will be here soon!” lottie groaned as she watched you fiddle with the hem of your soccer kit, the number 4 written across the back. you were reluctant to change in front of lottie, sure the two of you had been close for years but you were a teenager now it was wayy different from when the two of you were 6 or 7.

“just give me a sec jeez.” you huffed turning your back to face her. if you do it quick enough, she won’t see. if you do it quick enough, she won’t see. a constant mantra you repeated to yourself under your breath which to lottie sounded like:

a. you were either going insane.

b. chanting some sort of spell.

“you okay?” lottie asked slowly, getting up from her bed and approaching you.

“‘m fine.” you quickly tugged down the shirt before crossing your arms over your chest. oh. lottie knew you all too well, especially the cues to signal you were uncomfortable.

“i can go to the kitchen or something while you change.” lottie offered softly.

“it’s fine. i’m okay.” you mumbled back in response, taking an inhale. just change already, don’t be dumb.

quickly you took off your football kit, and your back was shown to lottie, all the scars from your falls while playing displaying themselves to lottie, and although they weren’t something to be shameful of, your teenage brain hated the imperfections that littered your body. lottie took note of that, like she always did when it came to you.

after changing into a much cleaner and comfortable top, you turned to face lottie who had a weirdly odd soft gaze in her eyes.

“what are you looking at?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“nothing, you’re just pretty.” lottie shrugged and how could she? shrug so nonchalantly as if she hadn’t melted your heart completely right there and then.

“thanks.” jesus, talk about being awkward.

you fell out of love with football. more so actually playing the sport. it wasn’t much of your thing anymore, more lottie’s. however as the years passed, your crush for lottie grew stronger.

you watched lottie progress in her soccer career and you had been so very proud of how far she’d come. wanting to still be involved in soccer (and close to lottie) you decided to be the team's physio of sorts. alongside misty you learned first aid as well as other skills to equip you fit enough for the position. every game you’d tend to their calves and potential injuries that would arise. you enjoyed it. more than you anticipated.

today had been training, so you weren’t expecting anything serious needing to be attended to. or so you thought.

you had been seated on the sides, watching the girls play when the disaster struck. in true to playing her position, lottie had tried to defend a goal incoming by jackie. however in trying to get the ball, came a heavy collision, leading lottie on the floor with a groan and she clutched onto her ankle. instantly you sprung into action, running over to her ssessed her ankle, noting the slight swelling and her grimace of pain.

"lot, can you move your ankle?" you asked gently, your voice laced with concern.

lottie winced as she tried to move it. "it hurts," she admitted, her voice strained.

you nodded, your mind racing as you recalled your first aid training. "okay, i’m going to support your ankle and help you sit up slowly," you instructed, slipping your arm under hers and carefully lifting her into a sitting position.

once she was settled, you reached for the first aid kit you always kept nearby during games. with practiced efficiency, you wrapped an ice pack around lottie's ankle to help reduce the swelling, all the while trying to keep your own nerves in check.

as you helped lottie to her feet, a rush of emotions flooded through you. the worry for her well-being mingled with something else, something deeper that you had been trying to ignore for far too long.

with lottie leaning on you, you guided her off the field and towards the team's locker room, your heart pounding in your chest for an entirely different reason now. as you walked, you stole glances at lottie, her hair slightly disheveled from the game, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain and gratitude.

once you reached the locker room, you helped lottie settle onto a bench before sitting down beside her.

as you tended to lottie's ankle, your worry was palpable, etched across your features making it all too easy for the girl in front of you to know your current mental state and lottie, couldn't help but tease you.

"i’m not going to die, y'know?" she teased, a playful glimpse in her eyes as she watched your grim and overly worried expression.

you couldn't help but chuckle, rolling your eyes at her remark. "fuck off, this could’ve been serious" you replied, your tone light despite the worry gnawing at your insides.

the tension broke into laughter, the sound filling the air and momentarily easing the worry that had settled between you. but as the laughter subsided, a silence fell, heavy with unspoken words.

you found yourself gazing into lottie's eyes, your heart fluttering in your chest as if it were trying to escape the confines of your ribcage. for a moment, it felt as if the world had faded away, as if it were reserved for the two of you only.

but then you shifted your gaze away, focusing on lottie's swollen ankle as if it held all the answers you were searching for. "just keep the ice pack and apply a bit of pressure, okay?" you instructed, your voice soft and gentle.

lottie nodded, her hand reaching for the ice pack as you retracted yours, your fingers grazing against each other in a fleeting touch that sent shivers down your spine. your gazes met again. and then, in a burst of courage fueled by the warmth of lottie's gaze, you blurted out words you had kept hidden for far too long.

"lottie, i..." you began, your voice trailing off as you searched for the right words to express the feelings swirling inside you. but fuck, was it difficult.

she looked at you, her eyes filled with curiosity and maybe something else, something that mirrored the emotions swirling inside you. "you what?" she prompted, her voice soft and encouraging.

you took a deep breath, gathering your courage like armour against the vulnerability of your confession. "i care about you. more than just as a friend. like way more than a friend should honestly." you confessed breathlessly, your heart pounding in your chest with the weight of your words.

for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath, the air heavy with anticipation as you waited for lottie's response.

“look, it’s okay if you don’t like me that way, i just—“

and then, with a smile that lit up her face like the sun breaking through the clouds, lottie reached out and took your hand in hers, intertwining your fingers in a gesture that spoke volumes without a single word.

"i love you you too. more than a friend.”

oh.

#lottie matthews x reader #lottie matthews #yellowjackets x reader #yellowjackets lottie #lottie x reader #lottie matthews fluff #yellowjackets

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thisisnotthenerd · 6 months

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ok, i know i put a poll up and that relationship tracking won the poll for what came next on the stats series.

but consider this: relationship tracking takes so goddamn long. i had already started it by the time that i put the poll up, and as of now i'm still not done. granted the list is comprehensive: romantic, platonic, familial, and adversarial relationships, separated by pc-npc and pc-pc. for every season.

anyway, i started tracking character ages in the meantime while i build up the motivation to finish the relationship tracking.

without further ado:

d20 character ages

some of these are listed in the wiki. some of these are based on vibes and more vague indications from the seasons in question. all of them have some element of my commentary. if there isn't an age given i will explain why. it's in the seating chart because that compacts the format into an understandable block and not an infinitely long list.

to be clear, some of these are confirmed with actual numbers, but some aren't, and i'm listing them as unknown and offering my opinion in place of a confirmed number.

fantasy high freshman year: i am convinced that the ages the cast give are vibes based. as someone who did not fit the normal age range of high school, i can tell you that in the US, freshmen are typically 14-15, sophomores 15-16, juniors 16-17, and seniors 17-18. that's not to say that someone can't fall out of those ranges. i did. anyway:

fig faeth: ~15. this is a rough estimate--she'd be born just after fall cutoff for her year to start at 15.

gorgug thistlespring: 14-15. he was confirmed 14 at the start of the season, and presumably turns 15 at some point during the year.

adaine abernant: 14-15. this is based on the fact that she turns 16 before the events of sophomore year

fabian seacaster: 16. a bit older than your average freshman, but i knew people who were 16 freshman year, so it's not that weird.

kristen applebees: 15-16. again a bit older than your average freshman, but younger than fabian.

riz gukgak: 14. this was confirmed in episode 13 iirc. riz is the youngest of the party

escape from the bloodkeep: this party has some major age differences that are very unclear. no real confirmed ages.

maggie: unknown. she and zaul'nazh had been in a relationship for ~100 years, so she's probably got a good couple of centuries under her belt

leiland: unknown. similar deal to maggie--he spent centuries serving zaul'nazh. how many? who knows

efink murderdeath: unknown. she's a tolkienesque high elf. if we go full lotr comparison to arwen, she's over 2000 by the time she marries percival.

sokhbarr: unknown. again, we don't really get confirmation of an age for him--he's just kind of an ageless bog-lord.

lilith: old as time. she ate the stars. definitely the oldest of the party.

markus st. vincent: unknown. human, so he has a human lifespan. i'd pin him in his 30s. given that his closest comparison is probably faramir, who's 35 at the start of the war of the ring, i think 30s tracks.

the unsleeping city: here we have a mix of confirmed ages and some straight up vibes.

ricky matsui: late 20s early 30s. more specifically around 26-31. this is vibes-based. i based this on his career progression.

sofia lee: early-mid 30s. another vibes-based one. again based on career progression. she feels a little older than ricky and pete, but not by much. married to dale for 5 years, so if they got married when she was in her late 20s, this tracks.

kingston brown: 55. thank god a confirmed number.

misty moore: ~400. at least that's how long she's been on earth. this actually comes from tucii. i'd put her misty form in late 70s early 80s, and her rowan form in her mid 20s.

kugrash: ~60, based on his 30 years as a rat druid.

pete conlan: younger than 31. this is based on a reference ally makes in tucii to big business (1988), so i aged him back three years. i would guess mid-late 20s during tuc; he mentions not having seen his dad in 6 years. assuming pete fully transitioned during college/around college age, it would make sense for him to be around 25-28 during the first unsleeping city.

tiny heist: some of these characters just straight up don't age, so they don't really count when evaluating age.

rick diggins: unknown. he's a clicko man. he cannot age except in spirit.

boomer coleoptera: unknown. vaguely middle-aged, though that might just be clint mcelroy's general dad energy

agnes: elderly. no confirmed number, though she's old enough to have a grandma schtick, a reputation, and a terminal illness prognosis of 2 months

ti-83: a teen. and that's all we know. probably younger than bean.

bean: late teens early 20s. a vague range, but at least it's something.

car-go jones: another ageless toy. at least a decade in human years, if we estimate that max got him at a similar age that he gives him to dylan.

a crown of candy: finally some goddamn numbers.

liam wilhelmina: 17-18. he starts at 17 and turns 18 in ep 15 iirc.

theobald gumbar: ~50. this tracks for him assisting lazuli and being amethar's friend during the war

jet rocks: 18. and she never lived past 18.

saccharina frostwhip: 23-24. this tracks for her being born around the ravening war, before the rocks sisters were killed.

ruby rocks: 18. and she keeps living.

amethar rocks: 48. reasonable. he'd have been in his mid 20s during the ravening war.

lapin cadbury: old man. yes that is the actual entry. i'd say he's probably 10-15 years older than amethar to really be considered old.

cumulous rocks: late 30s early 40s. tracks for being created by lazuli while theo was starting his knighthood under her.

fantasy high sophomore year: i'm halfway convinced that the intrepid heroes just don't know how old high schoolers are. granted, they may be going for general teen, i.e. 13+1d6, so the more batshit stuff they do comes across as a little more normal. it's like having actors in their 20s play teens. except they're actually dnd characters. and they're in their 30s.

fig faeth: 16-17. another rough estimate for fig.

gorgug thistlespring: 17. a little funky, since he was 14 at the start of fhfy. the principle of 13+1d6 comes across here

adaine abernant: 16. her age range for the year is 15-16, which is normal for a high school sophomore.

fabian seacaster: 18. definitely stretching it a bit. the listed current age is 18-19, which i'm assuming is using boy's night as reference.

kristen applebees: 16-17, which tracks with her progression from freshman year

riz gukgak: 16. confirmed in ep 14 iirc. since he was 14 in feb of freshman year, and assuming spring break is ~april, he has a spring birthday.

pirates of leviathan: there's a pretty clear split of age groups in this season--the first to introduce adults in spyre.

sunny biscotto: 18. her first adventure as an independent person, even though it was technically her running away from home.

barbarella sarsaparilla gainglynn: 22. it tracks; she grew up isolated on leviathan and isn't super far into her career, though she has a pretty strong base

cheese stormcrank: 16. the youngest of the party, even though he's his family breadwinner. the left table is the young people in this party.

myrtle: 30. aabria calls her a 'dirty thirty'. so that may not be exact.

jack brakkow: late 50s equivalent. granted he's a ratkin, and middle age starts at 25 for them, with old landing at 40. so he may actually be younger, probably closer to myrtle's age if not a little older.

marcid the typhoon: unknown. he's never given a specific age. given that he's known myrtle for a long time, and at some point was nearly drowned in a shipwreck, i'm going to put him in his 30s as well.

the unsleeping city chapter ii: again, a mix of confirmed ages and vibes.

ricky matsui: early 30s. 29-34. this is just three years aged up from the first unsleeping city.

sofia lee: mid 30s. another age-up from

kingston brown: 58. thank god a confirmed number.

iga lisowski: 45. it feels like she kind of plays up the old lady schtick for her job, bc 45 isn't that old.

rowan berry: ~400. at least that's how long she's been on earth. rowan form in her mid 20s.

cody walsh: 26. this is a 26 year old hot topic manager with 12 swords and extreme mediocrity. truly a character designed to cause chaos.

pete conlan: younger than 34. again based on the reference ally makes in tucii to big business (1988). i'd put him at around 28-31. definitely around cody's age, a little older, but not much.

mice & murder: they are animals using variant human stats, so they're using human ages.

gangie green: 55. he definitely acts younger in certain circumstances.

buckster $ boyd: unknown. probably younger than gangie--late 40s perhaps? we know he's a gemini.

daisy d'umpstaire: almost 60. she's past her prime and wondering if she really wants to do this for the rest of her life

ian prescott: unknown. definitely middle aged, probably around buckster's age.

lars vandenchomp: 18, supposedly in dog years. also a cancer. i don't know how, given that they served in the schnauzer war and supposedly have a business degree.

sylvester cross: 55. another person past his prime, and wondering what's he's doing with the rest of his life.

misfits & magic: the first school season to actually have consistent ages, assuming they're entering as sixth years who were in their junior year in the us.

whitney jammer: 16. born around 2005.

k | dream: 17. born around 2004

sam black: 16. another 2005 baby

evan kelmp: 17. born around 2003. this tracks for him not having formal education-- a little old for the grade.

the seven: the first spyre school season to have the ages be consistent. the ladies know teenagerhood well.

the fact they lost a year or so in the palimpsests makes placing their grades a little fuzzier: we know sam, ostentatia, and zelda get taken during the school year. penny goes missing just before the start of the year, and antiope, katja, and danielle get taken beforehand.

antiope jones: 18. she lost a year in the palimpsest, so she's technically a super senior, making her a junior during fhfy.

katja cleaver: 18. another technical super senior, who was a junior during fhfy.

penny luckstone: 18. again, she lost her junior year during fhfy.

danielle barkstock: 16-17. i'd say 17, because that makes her a sophomore during fhfy--she'd have repeated the year to be a junior during the seven.

ostentatia wallace: 16-17. leaning toward 17 again, but younger than danielle. we don't get full confirmation of how old she is/what grade she's in during fhfy, but given the fact that she's established enough to host a party at her house during fhfy, i'd say she's a sophomore, and that's the year she repeats.

sam nightingale: 18. i'd say close to 19, because she's definitely in penelope's age group if not grade, and i'm pretty sure i recall penelope being a senior during fhfy. she may have been young for her grade initially, but came out on the other end after fhfy.

zelda donovan: 16-17. leaning towards 16 for zelda; she's a freshman with the bad kids during fhfy, and is the last maiden to be captured, at some point during the second semester. she could conceivably retake classes over the summer and catch up in order to be a sophomore the same year as the bad kids.

shriek week: this is a college season, so they're college aged. i don't have that much to say--we know exactly how old they are.

terry talbo: 22

megan mirror: 23

tuti iv: 21

seven: 22

a starstruck odyssey: there's a mix here--some vagueness, some numbers. in-universe their ages would be counted differently anyway, since they work off of 6-month cycles and not 12-month years.

gunnie miggles-rashbax: mid 30s. he's got two PhDs and a master's as well as a cyborg body and years of trying to pay off debt.

riva: unknown. it's reasonable to assume that they're on the younger side, given that they are on their galavant. i'd assume around early-mid 20s for their species.

norman takamori: unknown. based on the art and his general timeline, i'd say ~40s. maybe 50s.

skip | valdrinor: unknown. he's a cerebroslug who was presumably raised somewhere, tried to escape, ended up in space and then in a crate of powdered egg substitute.

margaret encino: 24. a savant who began working at 18. truly a girlboss on a quarter life crisis.

sundry sidney: n/a. she's an android--aging doesn't really apply to her. i think it's only been a year or so since the line was shut down, since it's been revamped as the warfare whitneys.

big barry syx: 38. this also carries over to barry nyne. we know barry bohunk created the barry battalion before anarchera 200 (current=220), but they were born as 25 year old beautiful big boys. in short, barry's age is a little questionable.

coffin run: another age split season, since half of the party is immortal.

aleksandr astrovsky: 41. young to be florina's zayde. also 15 sons? especially when he and marina had not been in contact for ~7 years? insane.

squing: old as time. younger than dracula, but only just. just a squishy headed vampire who eats letters.

wetzel: 26. has not even lived a majority of his lifetime and already wants to be a vampire.

may wong: 24. granted that's because she was turned at 24 so as to be eternally young and hot, so she's a bit older than that probably.

a court of fey and flowers: they are archfey that don't die. blooms are centuries apart. assume these age ranges are going to be like the bloodkeep ranges.

andhera: unknown. younger than most of the fae--he's the current heir to the unseelie, but has had many siblings who died previously in pursuit of the throne. most of the others knew them when they were younger; hob unhorsing him on the field of battle is only one example. so definitely like just of age for this prince.

k.p. hob: unknown. definitely older than andhera and likely binx, he's in the prime of his military career. getting closer to middle age, but still a relatively eligible bachelor, given that the goblin court sought to make a marriage alliance with lady sylmenar.

chirp featherfowl: unknown. i'd put her at the archfey equivalent of late 20s early 30s just based on vibes. she's still getting down at the bloom but has a 4 year old at home on the material plane.

squak airavis: unknown. i'd say slightly younger than chirp, but they've been cousins for so long that the difference is irrelevant. late 20s, getting down and breaking hearts at the bloom. considering marriage but shopping around.

delloso de la rue: unknown. rue is a little tricky--they were brought to the court of wonder as a child and presumably aged normally to that point, but they've been an archfey ever since. closer to hob's age than the lords of the wing.

binx choppley: unknown. the crisis of the court of craft happened relatively recently in fey terms and she was an adult by that point, though not truly the leader at the time. i'd say she's older than andhera, younger than the lords of the wing.

neverafter: some weird age splits in this party; kids, adults, inexplicable trickster spirits.

rosamund du prix: 18. technically 118, but that doesn't really matter.

timothy goose: unknown. he's old enough to have greying hair and an adult son--late 40s-early 50s maybe?

pinocchio: 12. this is based on both him and ylfa being 21 during the epilogue, so i'm assuming they're the same/a similar age.

puss in boots/pib: unknown. we meet him when he's on the older side for a cat, but also he's an eternally reincarnating trickster spirit, so that doesn't really matter.

gerard of greenleigh: 32. the other adult in the party, even though he doesn't have everything figured out.

ylfa snorgelsson: 12. this is confirmed in story, and she and pinocchio are the same age.

the ravening war: this season is a little weird because of the time skip and the fact that some ages are unconfirmed.

delissandro katzon: starts at 19, 21 after the first timeskip, 26 after the second. a young man.

raphaniel charlock: unknown. i'd say he starts in his late 60s and ends the season in his mid-70s. old enough to be deteriorating and have specific signs of age, but still spry enough to pull off a cunning action dash.

karna solara: 14 to start, 16 post-timeskip 1, 21 post-timeskip 2. rotting from a young age.

colin provolone: unknown. i'd place him in his late 20s to start, mid 30s by the end, based on his art and the start of cheese pattern baldness.

amangeaux epiceé du peche: unknown. mid 20s to start, early 30s by the end. she and her husband had been trying for heirs for a while--assuming she married young, she's not past her prime, but not having a kid in her position would be a little sus. also the fact that she must have had a relatively healthy uncomplicated pregnancy points to her still being pretty young to start.

dungeons & drag queens: a lot of variance here as well. mostly vibes-based.

troyánn: 242. she's got a combination of elf and immortal mermaid queen--this is reasonable.

princess foehammer: unknown. probably in her 20-30s.

gertrude: unknown. explicitly immortal--the only sign of age is her hair. she's been around for a while.

twyla: unknown. she's another fairy of unknown age.

mentopolis: some of these characters have stated ages. they are also concepts in a brain.

conrad schintz: 10. his growth has been stunted for years.

anastasia tension: 24. an up and coming journalist running form her rich family? say no more.

hunch curio: unknown. he's a concept in a brain. on vibes? 40s.

imelda pulse: unknown. i'd say she's probably around anastasia's age, given that they demonstrably grew up together.

dan fucks: unknown. another concept in a brain. 20-30s on the vibes alone.

the fix: unknown. concept in a brain. old enough to be a father and a contract killer is all i'll say.

burrow's end: this follows stoat aging--some of these are confirmed, some are guesses.

tula: 1-2 years old, leaning towards 2. old enough to have kids of a reasonable age, if the 1 year mark is adulthood (male stoats achieve sexual maturity at 10-11 months)

jaysohn: somewhere between 6 and 8 months old. growing up fast.

viola: 1-2 years old, same litter as tula. i looked up stoat reproduction against recommendation.

thorn vale: 1-2 years old. in the vague adult range with tula and viola.

ava: 4 years old. potentially could live for 15 more winters. unbelievable.

lila: somewhere between 6 and 8 months old. same litter as jaysohn, but is the elder of the two of them.

and that's all for this time! despite being this long, this is still going to be shorter than the relationship tracking. as always the spreadsheet is available for perusal.

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mi-i-zori · 5 months

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The Hunter and The Prey

CoD Fae!AU - Fae!Ghost x f!reader

SYNOPSIS : When the Hunter finds herself vulnerable in the middle of the Frost, a certain spirit decides to make it clear who exactly she belongs to.

WARNINGS : Gore, body horror, violence, predator behavior (Fae VS Human)...

Author’s note : This is part 3 of The Hunter’s story. As always, my take on this AU is inspired by @ghouljams ‘s works.

I do not give anyone permission to re-publish and/or translate my work, be it here or on any other platform.

Her wards are no more, and she doesn’t know why.

This hunt was supposed to be an easy one. And it had been, in a way ; her target had been born not so long ago, and couldn’t gather enough magical power to give her too much trouble. Yet, as she prepared to leave, all her protections had suddenly shattered, leaving her with only her weapons and experience to fight her way back to safety.

A curse falls from her lips. She can feel the shadows slowly tighten around her, their weight hindering her progress through the snow. She has become too vulnerable to be ignored. An easy meal for the beings of the Frost.

The creatures move within the misty darkness of the trees. In their hollow eyes, she sees nothing but the reflection of her own fearless expression. Although wary of the multiple weapons lining her clothes, they linger, waiting for the moment their potential meal will falter ; for a breach to exploit in the seemingly unbreakable walls of her mind. Yet, according to the magic dancing around her, a danger far greater than all of them combined hides in the shadows. While still keeping an eye on the freezing monsters, she steps forward, looking for the outline of a masked silhouette amidst the smog.

She survived many similar situations, she thinks. Hell ; as a child, her father even willingly put her in danger to hone her hunting skills. She can do this.

With a snarl, of the beasts suddenly rises in front of her. Gritting her teeth, she adjusts her stance in the slippery snow. Her dagger sits comfortably in her hand, its iron blade glistening in the wintery sun. Her opponent launches its scaly body at her, and her arm gets ready to plunge the cold metal in its flesh ; but the monster is suddenly covered in multiple layers of smoke, its muffled cries echoing within what soon looks like a thick, misty cocoon. It vanishes seconds later, leaving only a broken, hollow shell in its wake.

A cold, eerie silence falls upon the forest. The young woman suddenly tenses as black tendrils slowly wrap around her, dancing at the edges of her vision. The remaining creatures’ mouths tremble, teeth instinctively ready to rip the flesh from her bones ; yet they can’t stop a series of whimpers from escaping their throats as they crawl in front of the power emanating from the strips of darkness. A large, gloved hand rises from behind her to rest on her chest, a newfound warmth settling against her back and somehow preventing her blade from striking the invisible threat.

In front of her, the monsters take a step back. They know that, even with her wards destroyed and her body covered in wounds, the Hunter is still a threat to their very existence. But as a skull mask emerges from the overwhelming darkness above her, they all understand that, right now, the Spirit of the Fog is the one they should fear ; especially when he is powerful enough to remain unfazed by his close proximity to the living weapon standing right under his palm.

She can feel him shift behind her. His body curls around her own, just enough to dip his head against her shoulder. And, despite his size, he still manages to keep her back flush against his front. She can feel his breath on her neck, probably way too warm for a fae of Winter.

Just like his entire being.

It took her days of cleansing to get rid of just half of his scent. She has a feeling he is going to make this process much longer because of this.

And she knows it’s working just like he wants it to by the way the monsters in front of them keep cowering under the threat of the Ghost’s power.

- Fuck off.

His tone is commanding, somber, cold. The beasts don’t waste a second to scramble away, leaving them both alone in the middle of the misty forest. The silence weighs heavy on her chest as the fae keeps his hand above her heart. A single wrong move could be the end of her, whispers a voice in her mind, and her instincts are torn between fighting him and remaining still.

- Not trying your luck against me, Hunter ?

His low timbre echoes against her back, shaking her very core. Everything about him screams danger. She stays frozen as he slowly turns her around to face him. Her eyes stay focused on every one of his languid movements as he takes off one of his gloves to grab the hand holding her blade. Lifting it to his throat, he slides his fingers against the sharp iron, unbothered by the vicious burns it leaves on his skin. He tilts his head with a low hum, prompting her to answer. The ice of his eyes glow under his balaclava.

Whatever he is, she thinks, she greatly underestimated him. She barely manages to articulate the question that has been bothering her since he showed himself, her teeth almost cracking under the pressure of her jaws.

- You were the one who shattered my wards, weren’t you ?

The Spirit lets out a deep chuckle that sends shivers down her spine.

- What a clever girl.

He leans towards her, the bone of his mask coming to stand right before her face. His free hand steadies her in place when she tries to put some distance in-between their bodies, allowing him to get even closer to her ear.

- One more reason to make you mine.

She finally manages to push him away ; and he lets her, obstructing her view with a thick layer of smog when her dagger tries to strike him. And, just like the first time they met, he leaves her alone in the middle of the Frost, his back fearlessly facing the predator she was raised to be. But as she watches him disappear into the shadows, she can’t help but think that, right now, she feels more like a prey than ever.

What is he ?

#cod x reader #x reader #call of duty x reader #cod au #cod mw2 #fae au #fem!reader #cod #ghost x f!reader #ghost x reader #ghost cod #simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #the brainrot is real #and so is writer’s block #I need the cod guys in my life fr

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boneempress · 1 year

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yellowjackets s2 finale spoilers~

I get that a lot of people are upset at the finale for various reasons, one of which is that Misty is the person who did...you know. Putting aside the implications for Natalie's role in the story, I want to talk about Misty because I think it was a crucial turning point for her and I think she had to be the one to do it for her story to progress.

Halfway through season 2, teen Misty learns Crystal is really Kristen and trades this for a secret that she wildly misjudges as being of equal import. Realizing her mistake, she threatens Kristen, who steps back and falls off a cliff. This death both is and isn't her fault; she didn't really mean to kill her, and she didn't actually touch her. It was an accident. She has an out. And, crucially, she gets away with it: no one else is witness to it, Kristen's body has yet to be found.

Fast forward to the hunt, Misty was the one who pulled Natalie back from trying to save Javi. I suspect she probably realized that saving the group's best hunter was the, objectively, most "rational" thing to do for the group, all else aside. (This is the first of multiple times we see Misty steal Natalie away from death before the wilderness finally comes to collect.)

So when Lottie picks Natalie as her successor, and the girls all give their own versions of fealty, Misty's is this incredibly dramatic bow that Nat laughs at. But Misty is dead serious, because I think she is taking this deadly seriously. The wilderness gave her a purpose she never had before so she trapped them all there within it, and Nat is its favorite. Whatever her reasons, I think this is the moment Misty dedicates herself and her life to Nat. It's why she looks so fucking pleased when Natalie shows up in her living room pointing a rifle at her, 25 years later.

Fast forward to Jessica Roberts. Misty tells us that fentanyl is her weapon of choice because it is legal and it looks like an overdose. Moreover, she doesn't just inject Jessica with fentanyl and fake the death afterwards; she injects the cigarettes, and she lets Jessica choose them. Because, after all, those cigarettes would've killed her anyway, a lot slower. So she does what she needs to do, but she still maintains a distance. And she gets away with it.

In season 2, several people have implied to adult Misty that she has serial killer vibes, and it seems to confound her in spite of the multiple deaths she's responsible for (that we've seen.) She goes into a sensory deprivation tank and concludes that she's a "closer" who cleans up messes for her friends - so that she can be useful to them again like she was in the woods - and she will do anything that that entails. She doesn't questions her methods or motives or do even the slightest bit of self-reflection. As horrible as the Crystal incident was for her, a part of her (like Shauna) has always been drawn to violence until it gets too close and personal to her. She was excited when she cut Ben's leg off and when she watched Shauna beat the shit out of Lottie.

So when it comes time for the hunt again, Misty has loaded up a needle with some drug, either phenobarbital or her favorite fentanyl. She will kill if she has to, for the good of the group. When Lisa threatens Nat with a gun she doesn't hesitate and goes in for the kill.

Only, purely by the good will of Natalie for Lisa, Misty misses her target, and she kills her best friend (again) instead, accidentally frames clean and sober Nat for a relapsed drug overdose, the person she pledged fealty to, the person she was willing to die for, the one person in the entire world whose death could possibly make her stop and question herself, wonder if maybe using violence to solve all her problems is a bad thing, if maybe bringing "it" back with her so gleefully was NOT a good thing. Maybe, just maybe, she will start thinking about the dark and terrible secret she hides - the black box she destroyed and doomed all of her friends with. Part of the reason adult Misty is so fun to watch is because of the delusional levels of self-confidence she possesses, and this is the one and only thing that I think could really shake her to her core. Crystal's death got pretty close when she was 17 and had a lot less armor, but Natalie is someone she has been trauma bonded to for 25 years. She gets away with it in the eyes of the law, yet again, but she knows what she did, and that she can never take it back. She has to live with it. She has to live with the worst possible consequence that playing with other people's lives could have for her.

And that's why it had to be Misty.

#yellowjackets #yellowjackets spoilers #misty quigley #she is so endlessly fascinating to me #actually can't wait to see where they go with her in s3

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perhaps-in-anotherdream · 1 year

Text

[CN] Victor’s Endearing Date (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 可爱之约, that is yet to be released on the global server! ♡

It’s very important to read the event stories first, so please read them before continuing further: ♡ || ♡ || ♡ || ♡ || ♡

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 1】

Ding ding——

A faint ringing comes from beside my pillow, and I groggily reach for it, only to find that the mattress next to me has unexpectedly dipped a little.

I hear a soft, rustling noise in the darkness as if a force has passed over my chest. The next moment, the alarm clock suddenly stops ringing.

Victor: [takes deep air into his 104, like a breath, also a moan] …five o’clock?

Victor: It’s Saturday today. Why are you up so early?

A slightly raspy voice falls into my ears, and I open my eyes to see the hazy rays of dawn seeping through the window curtains. Memories of last night flood my mind.

I instantly snap awake, get up in one smooth motion, and turn on the desk lamp. The sudden brightness causes Victor to furrow his eyebrows, and then he squints at me.

Victor: What’s wrong?

MC: Why do you think I woke up so early?

Seeing him raise his eyebrows in confusion, I let out a slight “humph” from my nose.

MC: Look like CEO Victor has forgotten all about what happened last night. Shall I help you jog your memory, then?

—

───── [Flashback Begins] ─────

The night before. As soon as I return home after getting off work, I see Victor putting on his coat in the living room while I’m changing my shoes at the entrance.

MC: Are you going somewhere?

Victor: The Science and Technology Park investment project has been launched, and the partners have arranged a dinner party.

MC: Is it the investment project that wasn’t making any progress because of the land disputes?

Victor: Mm, there have been some positive developments later on.

Victor’s words are concise, but the slight inflection in his tone gives away his good mood.

During a casual conversation a few days ago, he mentioned the complexity of this case, comparing it to the challenges he faced with several major projects during the early days of his entrepreneurship.

And now, this project has made significant progress. Even though he may not say it out loud, he must feel a sense of accomplishment within himself.

MC: No wonder you were so busy and hardly home for several days.

Victor gives me a slightly amused glance and picks up a tie from the sofa.

Victor: The way a certain someone said that – it sounds like the lady of the house eagerly awaits my return home every day?

The teasing in his words makes me unable to contain my laughter. I stand on my tiptoes to work in concert and thread the tie through his shirt collar, tying it into a knot with familiar movements.

MC: Seeing how happy you are, I won’t eagerly await your return today. Enjoy your time with Lao Wei, Lao Zhang, and the others, and have a drink to your heart’s content!

Victor chuckles softly and taps my forehead.

Victor: [soft, indulgent laugh] Babbling nonsense.

Although he said that, he certainly did not think I was babbling nonsense–– because he really did enjoy his time drinking to his heart’s content and doesn’t return home until the early hours of the morning.

–

Victor: [really trying his best LOL] MC, I am home.

The words that float from the foyer are spoken with rhythmic ups and downs, as if painstakingly emphasizing to make each word clear.

–

I hurriedly walk out of the bedroom, and sure enough, I see Victor standing straight in the pitch-black foyer, his fingers continuously flipping the light switch on the control panel mounted on the wall.

There is not a single crease on his suit, and his hair is still in presentable shape. Despite so, the heavy darkness of the night is unable to conceal his misty gaze and crimson cheeks.

Victor: [flushed cheeks + “genuinely” concerned] Does the light not work?

MC: …you’ve turned on the light outside the front door.

—

He responds with a faint “hmm,” and changes his shoes in silence, swaying as he walks leisurely towards the bathroom. Leaning against the sink, he begins to brush his teeth with one hand.

As I watch his swaying body and the steady hand while he brushes his teeth, I can’t help feeling perplexed and muttering in concern.

MC: Did you have too much to drink?

As if in response to me, he rinses his mouth the next moment and then waves his big hand, inserting the toothbrush directly into the aromatherapy bottle by the sink.

MC: …

—

Before I can say anything, he has already walked out of the bathroom, naturally rolling up his tie and placing it on the bed head. Then he clumsily changes his clothes, stumbling here and there, and finally collapses onto the bed.

I’m at a loss for whether to cry or laugh as I moisten a towel with water. By the time I get out of the bathroom, I see that Victor has already sat up again at some point, tapping away at the phone in his hand.

MC: What are you doing? Let me wipe your face and go back to sleep.

Upon hearing my voice, Victor cranes his neck slightly, giving me a small smile.

Victor: [flushed cheeks + THE GIDDDIEST tone you’ll ever hear + equally giddy “mmmhhn”] We are going to France tomorrow.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 2】

MC: What did you say?

Victor doesn’t answer. The next moment, his arms surprisingly drop as he drifts off to sleep, leaning against the pillow.

MC: …was that drunken nonsense?

I sigh speechlessly and walk over to him with the towel in my hand. As I bend down, my eyes inadvertently catch a glimpse of his phone.

The screen is stuck on a travel app, and on the page is displayed the order for two tickets to France tomorrow at noon, with the names of Victor and I prominently shown as the passengers.

I immediately stand frozen in place.

…why would he suddenly book tickets to France? Is this some impulsive behavior under the influence of alcohol?

But he is Victor… he wouldn’t do something this outrageous, right? If he booked the tickets for a legitimate reason, maybe I should start packing the bags?

I stand there for a while, finding myself at my wit’s end, then poke the soundly sleeping Victor. As the late Friday night stretches on, I am caught in a prolonged dilemma as the late Friday night stretches on.

───── [Flashback Ends] ─────

—

MC: So, since you’re sober now, can CEO Victor provide me with an explanation?

As the dawn gradually brightens, Victor’s face alternates between light and shadow, and his gaze begins to wander as a rare moment’s capture. Even the tips of his ears are tinged with a hint of crimson.

Victor: [heavily blushing + seriously confused] So you’re saying I drank too much last night and then bought two tickets to France?

MC: Every word is true.

MC: Or else, why don’t I show CEO Victor the toothbrush stuck in the aromatherapy as the “evidence”?

Victor: [heavily blushing] …no need.

Seeing the battle of complex emotions on his face, my wicked thoughts surge uncontrollably, and I clear my throat.

MC: I thought that a certain someone would never do anything outrageous even if he had drunk too much.

MC: It’s truly surprising how CEO Victor manages to leave such profound impressions with whatever he does.

Faced with my teasing, his expression stiffens even more. I can’t help but laugh up my sleeves, and then I look at the time with a deadpan face.

MC: There are still five hours until the plane departs.

MC: Now you gotta tell me whether this trip is on purpose or an accidental act under the influence of alcohol?

MC: Should we cancel the tickets, lie down and go back to sleep, or should we get up and prepare for the departure?

His lips twitch slightly, and he lapses into silence for a moment.

Victor: On purpose and accidental, it’s both.

MC: Did the CEO Victor actually just give such an ambiguous answer?

Faced with my taunting, Victor doesn’t say anything to retort and instead kneads the space between his brows helplessly.

Victor: [soft chuckle + helpless sigh] This case has been time-consuming and very laborious. At the dinner table, the atmosphere was lively as everyone acknowledged that the current progress was worth celebrating.

Victor: And plus, a certain someone told me to have a drink to my heart’s content…

MC: Hang on, why are you blaming me now?

Victor: [helpless sigh] I didn’t blame you, nor am I shirking accountability. It was indeed my fault.

Victor: It’s just that, I did listen to your words and took them to heart.

MC: How come I wasn’t aware that you actually obeyed my words this much?

Victor: Well, now you know.

The corners of my lips involuntarily curl upwards for a moment, but I immediately restrain them so as not to weaken my imposing manner, stubbornly letting out a small “humph” through my nostrils.

Victor’s eyebrows relax a little.

Victor: In summary, this was the beginning of the accident.

MC: And the purpose?

Victor: En route to the dinner party last night, I received an email from my mother’s former student in France.

Victor: While tending my mother’s house in France, he stumbled upon something tucked away behind a cupboard labeled as “Confidential Document.”

Victor: Considering that it was her personal belonging, he asked if I wanted to pick it up in person or have it couriered to me.

My eyes widen in surprise. I didn’t expect the reason behind this incident to actually be related to his mother. Thereupon, I subconsciously restrain my attitude.

MC: I see… so, it was because you wanted to pick it up in person, right?

Victor: [chuckles softly] Not entirely.

Victor: You mentioned a few days ago that you would be finishing filming the program this week and wanted to find a place to rest for some time afterward.

Victor: I thought France would be a nice choice.

MC: Oh~~

I can’t help but lower the arms crossed over my chest and tug at the corner of the duvet.

MC: So it turns out CEO Victor still took me into consideration~

An almost imperceptible smile flashes in his eyes, causing me to snap back to my senses, and I pretend to frown once again.

MC: But that’s no reason for you to book the tickets without discussing it with me, is it?

Victor: Indeed not.

Victor: I originally intended to ask about your upcoming schedule after coming back.

Victor: I didn’t expect that…

Victor’s lips open and close, hesitating and not saying anything for a long time, as if he is unable to find the right words to summarize his actions from last night.

Seeing his rare appearance of looking defeated, I “kindly” take the initiative to fill in the blanks for him.

MC: You didn’t expect that you won’t be able to hold your liquor last night. And when you returned home, you imagined you had already discussed it with me, so you decided to book the tickets?

Victor: …

Victor: Although the wording is a bit off, it doesn’t deviate too far from the truth in general.

Victor: If you have other plans for this weekend, I can cancel the tickets.

Cancel the tickets? Are you kidding? It’s France! I agonized for so long last night before finally packing the perfect dress into the suitcase.

I glance subtly at the suitcase in the corner without showing any emotions, and let out a long, drawn-out sigh under his sincere gaze, dragging out a few sentences in a melodramatic tone.

MC: Humph, humph, in fact, I had originally planned to get a manicure this weekend first and then go to a scenic place to relax and unwind.

MC: But if I were to accompany you in France, I could reluctantly postpone that plan.

Victor: [knowing, helpless laughter] In that case, reluctantly get out of bed first for the sake of France.

Amused, Victor rubs my head before getting up and pulling open the curtains. The brilliant sunlight shines upon the head of the bed, creating a pleasant ambiance that makes me stretch my body comfortably.

MC: But why are you so prompt with your responses today? I’m really not used to it.

Victor bends down and neatly arranges the slippers that I unintentionally kicked away last night.

Victor: After all, it was indeed my mistake.

Victor: Naturally, I will make it up to a certain dummy.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 3】

The car drives through the grove of Sycamore trees on both sides of the road and reaches the end, where a peaceful little bungalow stands.

After the tiring journey of nearly a whole day, we finally arrive at Victor’s mum’s residence in France at 7 p.m. local time.

I hug the bouquet in my arms that we’ve bought on the way, taking a deep breath as I get out of the car.

MC: Paris~ the flavor of romance!

Victor gets off the car from the other side and takes the suitcase from the driver’s hand.

Victor: Why have I never heard you mention before that this place has the flavor of romance?

MC: We basically come here for work every time we visit. How could we possibly experience the flavor of romance?

Victor: So, can we say that my unintentional action actually contributed to a certain someone’s romantic experience?

MC: Just a reminder, CEO Victor. Don’t forget that you still need to compensate me for your unintentional act.

Victor: [chuckles softly] ...You have an excellent memory when it comes to matters like this.

As Victor speaks, he retrieves the key and slowly pushes open the door to the bungalow.

A touch of freshness wafts to us as we enter. The warm and tidy living room stands quietly in the evening glow, with the layout remaining exactly the same as I remember.

—

[Tidbits]: MC calls Victor’s mum “伯母” (bómǔ), which is a polite term of address for your BF/GF’s mother, a term you’d usually use to address someone your mom’s age. !! weeping at how she embraces his mom with such love, even though all she knows is the stories she’s heard from him. 😭❤️

—

MC: [calling out to him] Victor, where should I put the flowers for Auntie?

Victor: The vase should be placed by the window. You can fetch water from the kitchen.

He speaks while opening the circuit box and turning on the switch, then gestures toward me with his chin.

I walk over to the window and pick up the vase, then fill it with water from the kitchen before carefully arranging the fresh bouquet inside. As I do so, I murmur to myself softly.

MC: Auntie, I heard that Victor always brings flowers for you every time he visits. Some of the flowers this time were chosen by me. I hope you will like them~

I hear a peal of familiar soft laughter coming from behind me. Through the reflection on the window, I see Victor picking up a glass of water and approaching me from behind.

Victor: [that subtle laugh of joy––] It’s rare for a dummy to grow up so swiftly.

Victor: The last time you were here, you were so nervous that you were at a loss for what to do. But this time, you’ve even thought about your greetings in advance.

—

[Tidbits]: Refresher – he is referring to his 3rd birthday date (Eternal Promise Date on EN).

—

My cheeks turn red at being exposed like this, and I take a big gulp from the glass of water he is holding.

MC: Who said it was thought out in advance? I was just expressing my feelings in the moment!

There is a clear look of sarcasm on his face, and I hastily change the subject to divert attention.

MC: Where’s that document? Have you looked at it?

Victor: The email said that it would be placed on the coffee table.

We walk into the living room and see quite a large white envelope on the coffee table, with the word “CONFIDENTIAL!!” written in exceptionally graceful handwriting.

Just as I’m about to ask Victor whether he needs me to give him some privacy, he opens the envelope without the slightest hesitation.

A red-colored booklet catches my attention, featuring several cute little flowers as embellishments on the cover that encircle the cartoon-style font in the center.

My gaze is involuntarily drawn to the line, and I subconsciously read the words out loud.

MC: “Victor’s Growth Record During the Study Tour Program in France”?

In an instant, all the exhaustion from the journey vanishes, and I sit up straight in pleasant surprise.

MC: So, the confidential document actually turned out to be your study abroad record? Did you come to France for a study tour when you were a kid? How old were you back then?

Victor’s expression freezes as if he didn’t anticipate this to be the content inside the envelope. His Adam’s apple slides up and down, and he shakes his head in resignation.

Victor: I didn’t expect it to be this.

Seemingly sensing my searing gaze, Victor turns his head to look at me.

Victor: [helpless laugh] I can show it to you, so soften that “ferocious” expression on your face.

MC: Really? Victor, you’re so good!

Without waiting for his reply, I solemnly flip open the first page of the journal.

MC: “In commemoration of Vic-Vic’s first study tour trip. Mum’s adorable little gentleman has grown up~”

The adorable tone seems to declare her joyful emotion to the entire world, and I can’t help the smile on my face as I eagerly turn to the next page.

On the brightly colored decorative paper, the top right corner is marked with “Day 0 of the Study Tour,” accompanied by a paragraph of text and a laminated Polaroid photo.

MC: “When I heard that Vic-Vic was going to sign up for an art study tour, I asked him, ‘Why did you choose an art study tour?’”

MC: “He said in reply – because the study tour program to France only offered art, and he simply missed Mum.”

As I read this, my voice unconsciously falters for a moment, and a soft wave of ripples spreads to the bottom of my heart, causing my voice to slow down a little.

MC: “The first…”

Victor: [adorable awkward cough] You can just read it silently. There’s no need to read every single word aloud.

Fearing he might “strip” me of my reading rights, I immediately fall silent and continue to read with gusto.

The following pages are filled with bits and pieces from Victor’s study tour program, each accompanied by a laminated Polaroid.

The scenes captured in the pictures include many scenic spots, as well as many objects filled with significance–– such as a record player, flowers, certificates of achievement…

I read through the pages with exuberant interest. Even though the papers themselves are void of warmth, I seem to touch a tender heart within.

MC: I can’t believe how thick the journal is. Auntie must have put so much thought into it~

MC: And her writing is so vibrant and amusing, unlike a certain someone who wore a poker face all day long––

Victor: Indeed. The “certain someone” you’re referring to used to have a poker face as a kid too.

Victor: But it’s still better than being a dummy since childhood.

Victor arches his eyebrows, wearing a righteous expression. I click my tongue in dissatisfaction and mutter under my breath.

MC: And now, not only does he have a poker face, but he’s also become sharp-tongued, nothing like the “adorable little gentleman” depicted in Auntie’s writing.

MC: I seriously suspect that these three words are Auntie’s “mum filter”!

Victor nods slightly, not offering any rebuttal.

Victor: It’s unusual for you to be correct for once.

Victor: [that loving tone––] It’s true. In my memory, besides her, no one ever used “adorable” to describe me.

MC: Humph, I knew it…

I flip to the next page complacently, only to be smacked in the face by the Polaroid that greets my eyes in the next second.

MC: SO CUTE!!

Little Victor, wearing a flower garland and a crown on his head, is looking into the camera, his big eyes sparkling with pure brilliance.

His chubby cheeks still retain a childlike innocence, but the mature expression and demeanor of a little adult that seems inharmonious reveal a glimpse of his appearance today.

I impatiently turn my attention to the accompanying text, and through the concise words, I learn the story behind this Polaroid––

MC: Wow! This sensible little gentleman participated in an art knowledge quiz competition and won two concert tickets for Auntie.

Victor purses the corners of his attractive lips, seemingly deep in thought about that distant past in his mind, and a glimmer of tenderness flickers in his eyes.

Victor: Mm, I remember this incident distinctly. At that time, she happened to want to attend this music concert, that’s why I participated.

MC: So, it turns out that a certain someone was already this earnest and refined at such a young age.

I lift my head, giving Victor a careful once-over as I purse my lips.

MC: Could it be that all successful entrepreneurs exhibit mature leadership qualities since childhood?

Victor: It’s not as overly dramatic as you’re making it sound.

Victor: [the way he says that asksjds––] Even a successful entrepreneur, when he was a kid, may accidentally knock down a certain someone’s sandcastle and make pudding for her to make amends.

I can’t help but burst into laughter, capturing a hint of teasing in those beautiful eyebrows and eyes.

MC: As wise men said, to err is human~

MC: At least Little Vic has been mature and sensible since childhood and didn’t give his parents much to worry about. We can say that he is their greatest pride, right?

Victor: Looks like a certain someone’s flattery business has expanded to me as a kid as well?

MC: It’s not flattery by any means!

The temperature of the spring night is still accompanied by a slight chill. Without realizing it, I take his hand in mine and point to the journal.

–

[Anika’s Notes]: !! DON’T WORRY VICTOR WRITERS I SEE YOU GUYS!!! The oh-so-subtle reference to “Sweet Tangerine Date,” where she tried to ward off the cold from his palm as he reminisced how his mum would take him on long walks on the streets of France while holding his hand~ 😭

–

MC: I can feel her overflowing happiness and joy from the snippets of her words~

MC: She must have been so very proud of you, which is why she recorded these little details with such satisfaction.

Hearing my words, Victor’s fingertips twitch slightly. His warm palm caresses my cheek, brushing away my stray hair and gently tucking it behind my ear.

I blink and lift my hand sincerely.

MC: So, I’m applying for a copy of this happiness and joy–– let me capture it with my phone and preserve it as a token of remembrance.

As I see his lips about to move, I immediately add another sentence.

MC: I advise you to think carefully before refusing. Don’t forget that you still need to compensate me, and now is a great opportunity.

Victor curls the corners of his lips. The warm radiance from the ceiling light dances in his eyes, making it impossible for me to take my eyes off him.

Victor: [extremely soft laugh] Who said I was going to refuse?

Victor: I just wanted to say that my plan for a “nice compensation” was originally scheduled for tomorrow. But now, it seems like it may not be necessary anymore?

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 4】

I’m momentarily taken aback. Originally, it was purely a joke, but I didn’t realize that he really was mulling over how to “compensate” me.

My heart softens all the more. I can’t resist the urge to reach for his arm and press my cheek against his embrace.

MC: Never mind the compensation.

MC: Opportunities of such “without any plans or arrangements” travel are so difficult to come by for us. So, let’s just do something we both enjoy.

MC: Besides, as long as I’m with you, no matter where we go or what we do, it’s already the best arrangement for me.

I gaze sincerely into his eyes, observing them as they seem to be bathed in an increasingly gentler light, with varying shades of depth and brightness lingering within.

Victor tightens his arms around me, and the soft strands of his hair brush against my cheek. I feel him take a deep breath in the crook of my neck.

Victor: [that prolonged sexy, loving inhale––] Since that’s the case, how about we go and experience the “romantic flavor” of this city, as a certain someone put it?

In the end, Victor doesn’t specify how the next day will be arranged, but I have an incredibly peaceful night’s sleep regardless.

–

The next day. He wakes me up early in the morning.

MC: Where are we going?

Victor: You’ll know when we get there.

Victor pauses, his gaze sweeping over my suitcase.

Victor: Wear that dress you brought.

My heart stirs, and ripples of anticipation surge within me. I promptly get out of bed and freshen up.

—

After driving for a little over two hours, we reach a seaside town near Paris and arrive at a lively beach.

Taking a glance around, I see the azure sky merging seamlessly with the sea, and the golden sandy shore shimmers brightly beneath the sunlight.

After parking the car, we walk down the steps to a relatively gently sloping beach, where various colored sun umbrellas dot the shore, and vendors have set up stalls displaying a wide array of goods.

MC: The sea is so stunning!

Before I can even take a step toward the sea, I’m stopped by Victor.

Victor: Before you get all dirty playing around, come with me to a place first.

Victor clasps my hand firmly and walks straight to a stall in the section with the umbrellas.

—

Looking in the direction of his gaze, I find that the booth in front of me is adorned with an array of colorful bottles and jars, displaying a variety of nail art designs on the table.

It’s actually a nail station!

My eyes widen, and a brief moment of confusion flashes through my mind. But in the next second, it all becomes clear to me, and I realize his intention for bringing me here.

“Get a manicure, and then find a scenic place to relax and unwind…” – this is what I had said to Victor as my “weekend plans” before we set off.

Thinking about the nonsense I cooked up off the top of my head at the time, I can’t help but feel guilty as I swallow.

MC: Di-didn’t you say that we were going to experience the “romantic flavor” of Paris?

Victor nods solemnly, and unexpectedly, a rare hint of apology is weaved in his expression.

Victor: I had initially thought that getting a manicure and relaxing by the beautiful seaside would be sufficiently romantic for a certain someone and would make up for her original weekend plans.

Victor: It seems that I was wrong.

MC: No, no…

I promptly try to explain, but as soon as I raise my head and meet Victor’s gaze, I catch a fleeting glint of teasing in his eyes.

MC: …you already knew from the beginning that my “weekend plans” were some nonsense I made up, didn’t you?

Victor: After all, a certain dummy’s expression was so complacent at the time, and the words “I finally caught you making a mistake” were basically written all over her face.

His righteous tone causes a surge of heat to climb up my cheeks and make them flush, and I can’t help but retort in a low voice.

MC: Since CEO Victor already knew early on, why did he still put so much effort into arranging all these?

Hearing my words, Victor smiles lightly. His voice is low, mellow, and gentle, but it carries within it an unconcealed indulgence.

Victor: I had already answered this question of yours long before our departure.

Victor: It’s because I listen to your words and take them to heart.

I’m briefly taken aback, with the sound of waves crashing and receding echoing in my ears. My heart is also influenced by the tumultuous sea, rising and falling in tandem.

Victor: Why is a certain someone dumbfounded? Does it mean she is refusing this “compensation”?

Snapping out of my reverie, I tuck away the waves of precious emotions in my heart and flash him a playful grin.

MC: That’s right~ ‘cause now I’ve thought of another way of “compensation.”

Without giving him a chance to reply, I firmly grab his hand and trot all the way to the seaside.

The surging fine waves roll to our calves, soaking the hem of my dress and the legs of his pants, making us both look a little disheveled within moments.

Though seeming a little surprised, Victor doesn’t break free from my hand.

—

With a mischievous thought, I give him a strong tug, causing his slippery feet to stumble as we both fall into the shallow water waves, swaying as we do so.

The waves under the sunlight are not chilly, but rather embrace our bodies gently. As I watch the seawater splashing onto the tips of Victor’s hair, I find myself unable to contain my laughter.

He squints his eyes slightly. In the next moment, he suddenly springs to action, pulling me into his arms along with the crashing waves against my back.

The sunlight filters through the gaps in his hair, making its way into my sight. And his face, set against the backdrop of the azure sky, is incredibly dazzling.

Victor arches his brows, resting his forehead against mine, his deep voice revealing an absolute joy that cannot be concealed.

Victor: [you can actually hear the child in him] Is this your so-called way of compensation, or is it a punishment?

MC: Neither~

I lift my head up, bringing myself closer to his breath, touching and feeling the warmth of his body just within reach with insatiable yearning.

MC: I just want you to know that I don’t need any “compensation.”

MC: On the contrary, I find it endearing when you make mistakes.

MC: I like how, even when you’re drunk and can’t tell the switches on the light control panel, you still use all your willpower to go through your bedtime routine.

MC: I like that embarrassed and helpless expression on your face when you learned about your drunken actions.

MC: I like the way you think you “owe” me something, and I like how you solemnly promise to make it up to me.

MC: What I like even more is the way you treat everything related to me with utmost sincerity, no matter how big or small, and I like how you listen to every word I say earnestly.

MC: And like, even now, lying together with me in the sea, looking a little disheveled and rough around the edges…

MC: All of you, with all your realness and adorableness, make up the Victor I love in my eyes.

The roaring sound of the crashing waves reverberates. Fearing that he might not be able to hear my heart’s feelings clearly, I can’t help but increase my volume and articulate them out loud one by one.

Victor is taken aback for a moment, and the shimmering specks of light on the surface of the sea reflect in his eyes, mapping them with incomparable brightness.

Victor: Although these words could be suspected as the way to absolve your reckless behavior…

Victor: But I must admit, I am taken by them.

There is a pause in his tone, and his face under the gorgeous sun gradually regains its customary steadfast composure. A little playfully, he then elevates his intonation as if deliberately radiating a light-hearted and vibrant aura.

Even the corners of his lips and the arches of his eyebrows are adorned with an unmistakable liveliness and cuteness that cannot be concealed.

Victor: So, keep on liking me like this.

Victor: Let me remain this adorable in your eyes forever.

─────

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────

[Anika’s Afterthoughts]

#“i love you because you are YOU and you gave me all of YOU. the most real and genuine YOU─”#“yes your perfections compelled me. but it was when i saw you with all your scars-quirks-human ways did i fall for you even harder.”#LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY #i honestly can’t word just how much i love this man and these two akskdjskab ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽🌊#mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc #mr love victor #mr love queen's choice #恋与制作人 #李泽言 #love and producer #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translations

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tabithatwo · 1 year

Text

fics and posts of note!

if yellowjackets enthusiast is my second job (it is) then, within that, fic writing is my day job and tumblr rambling is my moonlighting, so here's easy access to my fics and to my more involved posts!

current status: I’ve had a long, rough hiatus from writing but I think I’m back! With bee charmer complete (yay!) I plan on finishing abmb then focusing on other things! I have to read abmb so it might be a bit of a wait still, but it’s in progress now and I’m excited to be back in it <3 —2/5

likely order of updates: abmb, resurrection —2/5

multichapter fics

(ongoing)

always be my baby (32/?)

explicit / post-s1 canon-divergence / jackie lives (but shauna doesn't find out until 2021)

jackieshauna centric, taivan background, lottienat background, mistynat implied / ensemble piece; the primary focus is jackieshauna, but the other characters play in heavily and their relationships (both romantic and platonic) are very much explored

novel length (and then some) / wip / primarily 2021 timeline with flashbacks / primarily shauna and jackie pov / includes povs from: taissa, van, natalie, lottie, misty, callie, jeff

All the living yellowjackets are forced together when someone decides to unearth their past. Tensions rise, past relationships are revealed, and new ones are forged in a reunion that no one asked for (except maybe Misty).

Shauna’s world is rocked when Jackie Taylor walks back into it.

read on ao3

we practice resurrection every night (4/?)

explicit / jackie lives au / slice of life

jackieshauna centric, lottienat, ensemble piece

novel length / wip / set in and around 1996 canon / shauna and jackie primary povs, lottie and nat secondary povs, with assorted ensemble povs

A series of moments based pre, during, and post 1996 canon, centered around Jackie and Shauna, accounting for the huge, rippling impact of one small change: the Holmdel bust goes differently. Shauna ends up walking home with Jackie instead of Jeff.

read on ao3

(complete)

you're just a bee charmer (~53k)

explicit / no crash au / shifted ten years (they graduate high school in 2006, rather than 1996)

jackieshauna centric, taivan background, lottienat background

novella length / wip / set in 2006-2007, they are 19 / shauna and jackie pov

They've been at college for an entire semester, and Shauna is really fucking sick of the Jackie-Jeff rollercoaster. So, when Jeff dumps Jackie right before winter break, Shauna decides she's willing to do pretty much anything to keep them broken up. Jackie just wants to feel wanted, so what harm can a few messages from a new account really do?

read on ao3

just unzip me (4/4)

explicit / no crash au

jackieshauna centric, taivan background, lottienat background

novella length / complete / set between 2004-2006 / shauna and jackie pov

Shauna is the maid of honor in the Taylor-Sadecki wedding, but on the big day both the bride and the groom have a confession to make.

(and big moments in Jackie and Shauna’s lives after the not-a-wedding)

read on ao3

and it's spinoff oneshot, the perfect fucking wife (teen and up, three short snippets from three jewish holidays in the shipman household. total fucking fluff.)

read on ao3

oneshots

trying to keep you alive

explicit / canon-compliant / ghost!jackie or hallucination!jackie depending on how you read it

jackieshauna / shauna's relationships with taissa, jeff, and callie

~5k words / set eleven years post return / shauna pov

A night of Shauna feeling especially self-destructive (cruising for women, talking to Jackie's ghost, and burning bridges with the only two people in her corner).

read on ao3

no take backs

mature / canon-compliant / ghost!jackie

jackieshauna centric, lottielee background / jackie and laura lee

~3k words / set during 2x02 / jackie pov

Jackie didn't leave the woods when she died. Laura Lee is a few steps ahead of her in this whole navigating being a ghost thing, but Shauna is falling apart quicker than Jackie can pick up the pieces.

read on ao3

series (jackie lives post-return fluff)

definitely think twice

teen and up / jackieshauna, taivan / ~2.5k words / van pov

Van and Tai head to Jackie and Shauna's to babysit during their much needed vacation, but getting Jackie out the door is proving harder for Shauna than expected.

read on ao3

this she was sure about

teen and up / jackieshauna / ~2k words / jackie pov

Jackie and Shauna bring the kids to Shauna's first book signing after some encouragement from her agent.

read on ao3

no being sad about ice cream

teen and up / jackieshauna / ~3k words / shauna pov

Three slice-of-life moments from Jackie's pregnancy.

read on ao3

and if i can't fix it, i'm gonna make you fix it

teen and up / jackieshauna / ~2k words / jackie pov

Bee has a shitty day and Jackie gives Shauna a pep talk.

read on ao3

posts of note

x jackie taylor is a lesbian frame by frame pt. 1

x jackie taylor is a lesbian frame by frame pt. 2

x tai and shauna / call your mom

x shauna and psychosis

x the "dreams" (travis' dialogue on near death experiences in 2x02)

x the "dreams" (eating and drinking in other realms motif)

x jackieshauna / lottielee

x mirrors and reflections in yj (the pilot)

x pit girl scenes and their cuts away from natalie

x lesbian breakup so bad (yj edition)

x sight and power and leadership (lottie, tai, nat, jackie ruminations)

x jackieshauna / our wives under the sea

x yj and jennifer's body

x nat/jackie ruminations

x why it matters if they keep jackieshauna vague

#here's all my shit all in one place so very organized of me!#yellowjackets fic #yellowjackets theories #yellowjackets meta #jackie taylor #shauna shipman #jackie x shauna #yellowjackets

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star-xxx1 · 7 months

Note

Hi, I would love to request dark Agatha who is obsessed with R and start manipulating R to make us her wife

A witches spell.

A/n: I'm linking this to my recent fic of Agatha Lucid Dreams. This is really short, but enjoy <3.

Agatha Harkness x fem! Reader.

Warnings: Kinda dark! Agatha ig?, Manipulation, drugging.

As your neighbor Agatha moved into the house next door, you quickly found yourself drawn to her. She was friendly, and charming, and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know you. you became fast friends, spending long hours chatting and enjoying each other's company.

As the weeks passed, Agatha seemed to become more and more consumed by your presence, often inviting you over for dinner or offering to help with household tasks. At first, you thought it was just her way of being a good neighbor, but you soon began to suspect that something more was at play.

One day, as Agatha was leaving your house, you noticed that she had accidentally left one of her belongings behind. When you returned it to her, she seemed incredibly grateful, and before you knew it, she was inviting us inside for tea. As you sat chatting, Agatha suddenly changed her demeanor, her voice dropping to a soft, seductive purr as she leaned in close to you. "I'm so glad you decided to come over," she murmured. "I've wanted to tell you something for so long now."

Suddenly, we felt a strange sensation wash over you, as if the air around you had suddenly grown thick and misty. And then, before you knew what was happening, you felt yourselves slipping into unconsciousness, your body going limp as everything faded to black.

When you came to, you found ourselves in Agatha's bedroom, surrounded by soft, luxurious bedding and a dim, shadowy light. your head throbbed, and our limbs felt as if they were made of lead, but as we looked up, you saw Agatha sitting beside us, her dark eyes gleaming with desire. "I'm so glad you're awake," she whispered, her voice husky with excitement. "I was getting worried that this wasn't going to work." As she spoke, she leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, her breath warm against your skin.

As the days went by, you found ourselves drawn deeper and deeper into Agatha's web of manipulation, our every thought and desire consumed by her. you felt like we were walking through a dream, caught in a constant haze of euphoria and desire, unable to resist the pull of Agatha's powerful presence.

And then, one night, as you lay sleepless in bed, your mind racing with thoughts of Agatha,you realized with a shock that you were falling in love with her.

On your wedding day, Agatha stood with you at the altar, her gaze locked with yours, a faint smile curved on her lips. As the ceremony progressed and the vows were exchanged, we felt a sudden and inexplicable rush of emotion, as if we were being pulled into Agatha's orbit, unable to resist her magnetic pull.

As the night wore on and the festivities drew to a close, we found ourselves in Agatha's bed, your bodies entwined in the warm embrace of the blankets. She lay beside you, her head resting on your chest, her breath coming in soft, even breaths, as if she were in a state of utter relaxation.

For a moment, you thought about pulling away, about leaving, but the thought was swept away by the sheer power of Agatha's presence. You felt as if we were being pulled in two different directions, one towards Agatha and one towards the freedom of the world outside. And yet, somehow, you knew that we belonged to Agatha now, that there was no turning back from the path you had chosen.

As the night wore on, you realized that we were happy. For the first time in your lives, you felt as if you belonged, as if we had found your true home in Agatha's arms. And you lay there, basking in the warmth of her embrace, we knew that you had found the love you had always longed for, even if it came at the cost of your autonomy.

Despite being under the influence of Agatha's spell, you unaware that she is a witch and that she made you fall in love with her. As a result, you happily basking in the illusion of a perfect relationship, unaware of the manipulation behind it all.

#agatha all along #agatha harkness smut #agatha coven of chaos #agatha x reader #agatha harkness #kathryn hahn #lesbian

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dark-elf-writes · 6 months

Note

Oooh yes! I imagine Reborn threatens any spies he can before ripping that seal off as soon as possible so Tsuna can grow. He grins when a Cloud stalks his grandson only for the Cloud to bond. When a Sun hovers and Rain draws near. When a Misty girl who needs a family comes close.

Just yeeeees.

Reborn would go to his grave denying that he is soft for anyone. That being said you don’t make it as far as he has in the mafia without placing an incredibly amount of importance on family.

It is child’s play to silence the spies watching over Tsuna’s progress. To twist them until they were singing inly what Reborn wanted them to say. To break the ones who would not give in. To take out Nono’s eyes and ears one by one until any information that made it out of Japan was exactly how he wanted it.

Unsealing Tsuna is harder. His grandson’s flames are angry at being sealed for so long. Wanting to lash out at the perceived threat that bound them, but…

(Reborn pushed the barest hint of his flames into Tsuna’s knees, soothing away the hurt and redness from where he had fallen.

Nana laughed as she watched Tsuna reaching for the twinkling stars she had conjured on his ceiling, her flames twisting and dancing like a mist’s should.)

The sky flames do not burn him. Do not burn Nana. They do however do a number on the room leaving Tsuna’s bedroom a mess of ash and embers before the child finally burns through the initial shock and crumbles against him.

Tsuna clings to him and cries — in relief, in horror, in fury — until he finally falls into easy slumber for the first time since he was five years old.

Comparatively finding his little Sky guardians to protect him is a simple matter. Tsuna seems to pull them in unknowingly. Collecting shattered children like he himself had been shattered and offering them the only thing that could soothe the odd collection he had found.

A home.

Nana never looked happier than she did cooking for a full house of kids (he remembered a little girl leaning against his side, a legion of baby dolls in front of them “I want to be a mama when I grow up. One with a hundred babies.” She never made it to a hundred, but he was sure their rag tag collection of mafiosi, middle schoolers, and criminals had to count for at least that amount). Tsuna was closer to the happy child Reborn remembered before his flames had been snuffed out, bright and laughing and loving everyone he met.

Now if only half of those brats would stop making moon eyes at his grandson whenever they thought no one’s as looking and he finally received permission to assassinate his daughter’s useless husband and life would be perfect.

#the elf talks #reborn #katekyo hitman reborn #dino: I’m Tsuna’s big brother #reborn: technically you’re his uncle #dino: yea- IM HIS WHAT #grandpa reborn

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ellsieee · 1 year

Text

The inevitable angst episode. Sigh. Though episode 8 was really painful, I've actually rewatched it more than episode 7. The acting is so good I feel so many different things, not just sadness.

I swear 70% of what makes Unintentional Love Story so good is Cha Seowon's acting.

The way he's holding back tears along with the dejected acceptance broke my heart.

God. The confrontation. Taejoon's tear falls into Wonyoung's face which makes him shudder. 😭 The emotion here... such pain.

The pain before didn't even compare to this. The look on Taejoon's face... I haven't cried watching dramas in a long time, but I got misty eyed here.

This was such a cute and happy flashback.

Only to see Taejoon in so much pain. 💔

I don't have anything to defend Wonyoung with, but seeing him being treated to such harsh words hurt.

They only see each other in a crowd. This gave me hope that the angst might be short and there wouldn't be too much more pain.

Boy was I wrong. "I no longer have any feelings for you." Yeouch! Way harsh Taejoon. Also a bold faced lie.

Poor baby Wonyoung. He was wrong for not telling Taejoon about the job sooner, but I can't help wanting to protect him and feeling like he doesn't deserve this pain.

Taejoon actually says "you make people sick" here. OUCH. The subs are way nicer. Taejoon is hell bent on inflicting maximum pain on Wonyoung isn't he?

I loved that Wonyoung stood up for himself. Yes he was wrong, but he (all of us) need Taejoon to stop misunderstanding his feelings.

This made me so happy. Don't give up Wonyoung! This whole episode was pain, but just the last two minutes gave me hope. Taejoon clearly still likes Wonyoung and Wonyoung's persistence is making progress.

Now I can spend the week feeling angsty but hopeful for them, instead of just sad and devastated. I need it to be Friday right now!

#this episode was so painful but oh so good #i understand both taejoon and wonyoung #the more a lie festers the harder it is to come clean #i feel bad for both taejoon and wonyoung #taejoon is traumatized by his ex #i love this series so much #unintentional love story #talking into the void because i've been quasi-shadowbanned for no reason 😑

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bracketsoffear · 11 months

Note

I actually have a bunch of ideas for fake crossover statements I've been collecting. Here's my favorites:

“Make A Lot Of Noise”: statement of Sid Phillips regarding his childhood toys. (Toy Story, Stranger); "Make a Lot of Noise" is the song from the Toy Story Musical (yes, that's an official thing) about the toys getting revenge on Sid.

“The Serpent in the Garden”: statement of Warlock Dowling regarding his atypical upbringing. (Good Omens, Stranger/Spiral?); the title here refers to Crowley's origins as the Snake in the Garden of Eden and how he (serpent) and Aziraphale (gardener) raised Warlock, but I'm not sure what Entity "I was raised by two uncanny not-humans who turned out to have thought I was the Antichrist" falls under.

“Ill Met By Moonlight”: statement of Alissa Denton regarding the last performance of Misty Moore. (Dimension 20: The Unsleeping City, Stranger); this would be about "Broadway Brawl," where Misty kills the real Titania while playing her during her rejuvenation ritual and then uses the glamour from the performance to be reborn as Rowan Berry.

“Skulk”: Statement of Steve Bergensten regarding the creature he encountered during a caving expedition. (Minecraft, Dark); Bergensten is Jeb's surname, and skulk is the stuff that summons The Warden.

“The White Whale”: Statement of “The Mariner” regarding how he murdered his stepfather. (The Mariner’s Revenge Song, Hunt/Buried); title is a Moby Dick reference, of course.

“The Entire Circus”: Statement of Gog-Agog regarding why you should be Gog-Agog too! (KSBD, Corruption); title is a reference to the meme "You are not a clown, you are the entire circus," because Gog-Agog is clown-themed.

“Treasure Hunt”: Statement of Stanley Yelnats regarding his imprisonment in a correctionary boot camp. (Holes, Buried)

“Shadow Puppet”: Statement of Lena Sabrewing regarding her troubled relationship with her aunt. (Ducktales 2017, Web); title refers to Lena being a living shadow who was emotionally, then later physically puppeted by her aunt in shadow form, and ultimately possessed.

“Fly Me To The Moon”: Statement of Donald Duck regarding his sister’s disappearance in space. (Ducktales 2017, Vast); title references Della's ill-fated joyride that ended with her being stranded on the moon, and Vast seemed appropriate given how her need for adventure led her to go higher and higher until she vanished into the huge void of space.

“Worldbreaker”: Statement of Gyro Gearloose regarding a recurring problem with his creations. (Ducktales 2017, Extinction); Worldbreaker is the name of the program Akita used to force BOYD to be evil, and one could theorize that Gyro's persistent belief that all of his creations turned evil (because of what happened with BOYD) is what caused him to keep making evil robots in a self-fulfilling prophecy spiral.

“To Have And To Hold”: Statement of Twilight Sparkle regarding her brother’s marriage. (MLP:FIM, Stranger/Corruption); title is from the traditional marriage vow, with this specific line summing up Chrysalis' intentions for Shining Armor.

“Urban Legend”: Statement of Emma-May Dixon regarding the local tourist trap in Gravity Falls. (Gravity Falls, Stranger); title is a play on the cryptids and folklore Stanley uses in the Mystery Shack, and Emma-May Dixon is McGucket's ex-wife.

“See No Evil”: Statement of Tate McGucket regarding his fear of memory loss. (Gravity Falls, Spiral); title refers to the Society of the Blind Eye's goals, and I figured someone who saw his dad progressively lose his memories and sanity without knowing why would develop some hangups about that, especially with an amnesia-inducing cult (that his dad created) running around.

“War Games”: Statement of Jack Merridew, regarding his time stranded on an island as a child. (Lord of the Flies, Slaughter)

“Dollhouse”: Statement of Coraline Jones regarding what was behind a door in her new apartment. (Coraline, Stranger/Web)

“God Save The Queen”: Statement of Julie Jenkins, regarding the murders at her high school prom. (The Ballad of Sara Berry, Slaughter); Julie Jenkins is the girl who was beating Sara out for Prom Queen because people were pity voting for her, and the only target of Sara's rampage to survive.

“Silent Assassin”: Statement of Pam Kingsley, regarding a string of inexplicable assassinations she reported on. (Hitman, Hunt); Silent Assassin is a recurring challenge in Hitman and the subtitle of the second game, and Pam Kingsley is a recurring news anchor character.

“God, That’s Good”: Statement of Tobias Ragg regarding his employment in a meat pie shop. (Sweeney Todd, Flesh); "God, That's Good" is the song Toby sings advertising Ms. Lovett's cannibal pies.

“Future Imperfect”: Statement of Arven Violet regarding the results of his father’s research. (Pokemon Violet, Extinction)

“This Be The Verse”: Statement of Beatrice Baudelaire Jr. regarding her a series of unfortunate events her guardians experienced. (ASOUE, Desolation); "This be the verse" is the poem Count Olaf recites as he dies: "Man hands on misery to man / It deepens like a coastal shelf. / Get out as early as you can / and don't have any kids yourself.

“Mayhem”: Statement of Marla Singer regarding her boyfriend’s involvement in terrorism. (Fight Club, Desolation); title refers to "Project Mayhem."

all of these sound like absolute banger fics!

#asks

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cdyssey · 1 year

Text

Yellowjackets 2.04 Reactions:

Past!Taivan being divided over how they feel about Lottie. :(

Adult Tai experiencing whatever Shadow Tai is doing like an out-of-body, dissociative experience. So, so harrowing. The quick VHR static edits really help to emphasize the jarring nature of it too.

ALSO, Jessica Roberts, my beloved!!!! I miss her.

I SAW SOMEWHERE THAT ALANIS MORISSETTE COVERED THE NEW INTRO. ICONIC. SMASHING. STELLAR!! Lauren Ambrose and Simone in the intro now!! Yes!!!

Shauna not being able to look Jeff in the eye while she’s lying to him is so funny, lmao. And then Jeff lying to her about overhearing cops at the gym. Fail marriage. <3 They’re falling to their old habits of not communicating with each other.

“You’re right. I should have just run around in a ski mask—also in public. Blackmailing people.” Melanie Lynskey, I love you.

NATALIE LEANING IN THE DOOR JUMPSCARE, HELP. MA’AM. WHY ARE YOU STANDING LIKE THAT. Lmfao, Nat has been in that outfit for, like, three days now. Those leather pants cannot be comfortable. My god.

That lingering shot of Lottie and Nat’s hands as Lottie gave her the keys. 😵‍💫 I’m actually quite delusional about them now. I think they should tenderly kiss and/or hatefuck.

“If Taissa and Shauna have both been kidnapped, I’m going to be very, very annoyed.” ANDNNSSNSJWJSIDS.

“I’m honored that I seem to be your favorite Yellowjacket.” QKOQWKJDKWWJ.

YES AT MISTY BEING A SWEENEY TODD ENJOYER. That is so right.

I don’t think Walter is making it out of this season alive, lmfao, but what he and Misty have going on is so good. OH, GOD, Misty and Crystal singing the same song. 😭 For the record, I don’t think she’s making it out of the woods either.

NOT MARI ACCUSING COACH BEN. GIRL, YOU’RE NEVER BEATING THE PIT GIRL ALLEGATIONS.

Ben just straight up asking if the girls would have ate him.

Oooogh, more tensions in the cabin over the supernatural vs. rationality split. It’s important to note that Lottie is very uncomfortable at being thrust into the fore by Mari. This is also the first time that Shauna verbally stakes her claim in the skeptics side. God, poor Lottie—she doesn’t want this.

Nat being really gentle with Lisa and trying to help her see through some of the compound’s bullshit. Ugh, it reminds me of that moment last season when she coached Kevyn’s kid during his game. I love her.

Lottie at the therapist/psychiatrist’s(?) office. The way she so nervously plays with her fingers. The slight crack in her voice. The tears in her eyes. God, I’m so fucking unwell.

“Lottie doesn’t need a gun.” Mari, shut up. 😭

Both adult Lottie and teen Lottie being utterly unmoored the way they are in this episode is horribly sad. As of right now, some of the girls are looking to teen Lottie for guidance, while adult Lottie is desperately wanting something to ground her.

LMFAO, the cut from Shauna realizing that Callie’s been lying to her about going to Iliana’s to immediately snooping through her daughter’s closet. So dirty. So unhinged. Ooh, at her finding the burnt Adam ID.

Ugh, that fucking detective is still flirting with her, EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS SHE’S UNDERAGED. I hope Shauna roasts him on a spit. He’s probably going to be the reason why Shauna/Jeff get away bc of how stupid he’s being.

Mommy-daughter bonding time!!! This is all I’ve ever wanted!!!!!!!!!

Misty being so disgusted by Walter’s condiment habits. So, so funny.

“Excuse me. Do you know about the cult with the purple people?” AKQKQKSJSNSJWIEDJSJ.

“Yes, they’re awful tippers.” KQOQOQOQIEDUDJDID.

Oh, God. Tai is just straight up walking the roads now. I fear for her. She is SO unwell. And I think about her progression from S1, Ep. 1 to now. She used to be the most outwardly put together of the core four. Had the family. Had the money. Had the lucrative career. And now look at her—you can see it in her lined eyes and the unfocused way that she walks. She has gone past the point of spiraling. She is in the abyss.

Mari continuing to hear things that the others don’t... love her and Akilah’s friendship. 🥺

A little mouse!!! Now Akilah has an animal emblem! Rabbits for Shauna. The moose for Nat. Wolves and Tai. Deers and Lottie. Birds and Misty?

Lottie making a blood sacrifice to the hollow. Hhhgh. That musical sting while she was doing so was brutal.

The Fourteenth Gilly!!! ANAJJDJDNSND, NATALIE CUPPING HER FACE ON THE COUCH.

Shauna taking her daughter out to the middle of nowhere with no cellphone reception. <33 Just mother-daughter things.

Shauna being truthful about killing Adam. God. HER TEMPORARILY FORGETTING THAT HE WASN’T THE BLACKMAILER. It’s kind of funny and kind of harrowing, the way that these events are blurred to her. It speaks so much to the way she processes trauma.

“Shoot, yes. Kind of.” AKQKWOOQOQOWJDJDJENS. Melanie Lynskey, we’re getting you that Emmy.

“They did… we did things out there that… we’re really ashamed of. And sorry, I know—maybe one day I can talk to you about it, but for now, um, can that just be enough?” Oh, God. This line. The way that Shauna distances herself from the Yellowjackets at first because compartmentalizing is historically how she copes, but then she revisits the statement. She includes herself, but it’s too hard to talk about. You can see the utter pain in her face as she looks away. And you can also see in Callie’s microgestures that this is genuinely one of the first—if not the very first—time her mother has every willingly broached what happened in those woods. And she’s so hurt for her mom. She’s one of the few people who has identified that Shauna is hurting. I’m sick.

God, poor Callie Sadecki. Her mom’s a killer and her father is a blackmailer. No one is allowed to hate this very normal teenaged girl with fucked up parents.

The symbol-marked trees aligning to actually form the symbol. Oh, God.

Ben and Paul. 😭 Oh, Paul is Ben’s first boyfriend. I’m so tender. LET COACH LIVE.

Lisa at her mom: “I love you even when you try to control me.” Jesus fucking Christ.

NAT FUCKING PUTTING THAT GOLDFISH IN HER FUCKING MOUTH. I LOVE AN UNHINGED QUEEN.

“Is this where the purple people are?” WKWKWOWOOWIEJDWJ.

“Tell her I didn’t want us to fucking starve!” GO, MISTY!!!

Leonard. 😭😭

The direction in this episode is so stunning. Lottie going through that arch of white light and then it become elevator doors closing. So good.

THE MUTED THEME SONG IN THE MALL. ALL THE GIRLS EATING TOGETHER. I’M SO UPSET,

LAURA LEE. THAT’S HER GIRLFRIEND.

“Lottie, if you don’t get out of here, you’re gonna die.” 😭 Laura Lee still trying to protect her beyond the grave. I actually have tears in my eyes.

GODDAMMIT, THE MOOSE. NATALIE CRYING. I’M SO FUCKED UP. SO FUCKED UP.

Natalie pushing away the shot. 😭 She’s invested in Lisa. Oh, I’m so, so tender.

MISTY AND WALTER SPLIT SCREEN PARALLELS. SO GOOD. I JUST KNOW THIS MAN ISN’T LIVING. GOD.

“We only have one kid, and as parents, it’s part of our job, we have to protect her, we have to shield her from making the same shitty mistakes we made, Shauna. To throw our fucking bodies in front of her if that’s what we have to do, and what, you’re telling me that you’ve… you’ve made her an accomplice?” THIS MAN DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THE BABY IN THE WOODS. OTHERWISE, HE WOULDN’T BE FUCKING SAYING THAT, RIGHT? IF HE DOES KNOW, DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“We are lying to everyone, okay, everyone we know. I don’t want to do that to our own daughter.” The vulnerability in Shauna’s voice. So many fascinating layers here. Objectively, Jeff is right—making Callie an accomplice is harrowing. But what’s happening in the subtext is that Callie wants to desperately to connect with her parents, her mom especially, and vice fucking versa!! So it’s fucked up that it’s happening this way, and it’s fucked up that Shauna sounded more like a teenager in that conversation by the car, and it’s fucked up that Callie is so accepting, but that is the literal point here. This family was founded upon deep and unspeakable trauma, and they have to continually grapple with that.

Anyway, Sadecki family bonding moments. <33 I love a family who does crime together and they’re all messed up beyond comprehension.

Shauna tenderly filling Nat’s tub with water. 😭

Oh, my fucking God. The Lottie and Nat tub scene. Sobbing. They’re just kids.

Lottie having a reaction to a Queen card with the eyes scratched out. The girls 100% drew cards to see who the fuck was gonna be hunted.

LOTTIE, LOVE, WHERE ARE YOU TAKING THAT BIG ASS KNIFE?

OH, GOD, SHE’S OFFERING BLOOD SACRIFICES AGAIN. The tears in her eyes.

“Can this just be enough? Please?”

FUCKING JAVI?!

Van exposing Taissa’s preternatural ability. Hhhhgh. Things aren’t looking good for Vantai in the woods.

WHILE YOU WERE STREAMING. AaqkqkkwkqowsksniwiwJQJEJD.

Tai adjusting her hair, even though she clearly hasn’t seen a bed in a week. Go, girl failure. Get ur woman.

ADULT VAN. SOBBING. CRYING SCREAMING. SHE LOOKS SO GOOD.

#yellowjackets #yellowjackets spoilers #s: yellowjackets #maggie blogs #SHOW OF ALL TIME

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justjbeboriginalo · 5 months

Text

Don't Die This Time

Kili Fanfic

Kili meets a girl who has to go along on their quest on Gandalf's request. The girl captures his attention from the first time they meet and they grow to love each other over the course of the quest.

Pairing: Kili x OC female who can control nature

Note 1: Kili stays alive in this fic, along with Fili and Thorin.

Note 2: English is not my first language, so excuse any mistakes

Chapter 2: Long travels

Warnings: none

Gaia follows the heavy footsteps of the company in front of her, sighs leaving them as they make their way to their next destination. They have been traveling for the past three days and they have barely stopped to rest or to eat. This has not really had an effect on Gaia since she is used to her long ventures through forests and woodlands, but the company has been struggling. They are more irritable than usual and they are constantly bickering over silly nonsense.

“How,” Kili heaves out next to her, “are you not tired? You have been more on the outlook than the rest of us, getting even less sleep than us, but you have still more energy than the whole company combined.” Kili almost slips while he talks to her, but she catches him. He mumbles a thank you before he turns his eyes to the ground in front of him.

“I suppose I have been doing this longer than you. I enjoy long walks,” Gaia says in a joking manner which causes Kili to let out a chuckle. He turns his head to look at Gaia and she gives him a small smile. He smiles back at her before he continues with his eyes to the front.

They are walking at the back of the company. Gaia is looking out for the group from behind and she also covers their backs.

Occasionally, she will guide the trees or leaves to cover them from the weather, providing some relief from the burning rays of the sun. It rained the previous night and she provided them with shelter by weaving together broad, large leaves and keeping the woven leaves above their beds.

Kili has also been her partner for conversation since they left her forest. She suspects that Thorin has ordered Kili to keep an eye on her so that she does not sabotage the quest. She cannot complain. He has been good company so far and they share the same sense of humor.

“Is that the one you said dwarves cannot eat?” Kili points to a nearby plant decorated with white flowers. Gaia squints her eyes at the plant. She gives a nod.

“Yes, well done, Kili. You are getting really good.” Kili has a proud smile and he straightens his shoulders. He strides further with confidence and Gaia giggles at his antics.

Kili had asked her to teach him the different types of plants for him to identify what he could eat and what he should stay clear of. This has been the topic of most of the conversations and she enjoys sharing her knowledge. Kili is also a quick learner, so he has made a lot of progress since she started her teachings.

“All right. I think we can make camp here for the night. Take a bath in pairs to look out for any trouble. Gaia and Kili, you are responsible for the food along with Bofur. The rest, get a fire going and get settled. We will not be stopping until we pass through the Misty Mountains,” Thorin commands and the company nearly falls down right where they are with a chorus of groans.

Gaia softly laughs at them as she places the bags from the company down. Kili plunges down next to her, letting out a loud yawn. His head leans back, his eyes closed.

“You can get some rest after we get the food. Come on, or else you are going to fall asleep.” Gaia taps his shoulder, but Kili groans in protest. She laughs lightly and taps him again.

Kili’s eyes remain closed and she shakes her head. He is also exhausted from the travels of the past few days. She does not blame him.

“I will go. You can take a bath in the river and get some rest,” Gaia says, turning on her heels. She needs to have a proper look at her surroundings. She does not know where they are and what food there might or might not be.

She hears a shuffle behind and turns her head slightly, noticing Kili standing up. Gaia comes to a stop and waits for him to catch up.

“I said that you can get some rest.”

“I cannot let you go on your own. Thorin would not be happy. And, he also instructed me to- “ Kili catches himself before he reveals what Gaia already knew, “He said that I was also on food duty. I need to fulfill my role.” He gives Gaia a wide grin and hurries out before Gaia.

She follows him with a smile and they walk to the nearby tree line. There is a small woodland near their camp. It is quite small, but there is bound to be some life in there somewhere.

Kili lifts his bow from his shoulder and gestures for Gaia to be quiet. She purses her lips to prevent a laugh from escaping. He keeps on forgetting she can feel the vibrations of the animals. Well, with these shoes it makes it impossible to feel the vibrations.

Thorin gave her shoes to wear and her clothing is made out of spare clothing that the rest of the company had. He thinks that she will attract too much attention if she wears her usual white dress with flowers and vines. Who is she to argue?

“Quickly,” Kili urges her on, hiding behind a bush. Gaia swiftly makes her way to the bush and stops next to Kili, ensuring she does not make a sound.

A few stray bucks are roaming around, unaware of their presence. Kili readies his bow, the arrow pointing to the largest buck when the wind turns. The herd catches their scent and scatters away, leaving Kili with a disappointed groan.

“I am too exhausted to track them. Is there enough plants here to get some fruits and other . . . stuff from,” Kili says with a defeated sigh. Gaia puts her hand on his arm, squeezing slightly.

“You give up too easily,” she says, winking at him. Kili raises a brow, confused at her. Gaia closes her eyes, focusing all her attention on the wind.

She has never truly mastered the air, but she knows she can bring the herd back here with their scent.

Gaia’s hands move slowly in the air, and Kili feels the wind becoming stronger. The wind suddenly changes direction and a few strands of his hair whips into his face.

The sound of the bucks returning causes Gaia to snap her eyes open. She cannot believe she did not mess it up. Usually, it would take her a few tries.

She turns her head to look at Kili, who is staring mesmerized at her.

Heat rushes to her cheeks and she laughs silently at his intense gaze. Her fingers reach out to the loose strands in his face. She removes his hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear. His eyes are glued to hers and she smiles slightly.

“You can take your shot,” Gaia whispers, barely audible. This snaps Kili from his trance and he gives a quick nod before he turns himself to face the herd.

Again, he readies his bow with the arrow to the largest of the herd. The arrow hits the buck and Gaia inhales sharply.

“Are you all right?” Kili asks, his hand on her shoulder. She nods quickly with a weak smile.

“I will get some herbs for the meat. Along with some other plants,” she says, standing up. Kili follows her and also stands up. “Get the buck and head on out. I will meet you at the tree line.” Kili gives a thumbs-up and heads to his prey.

Gaia hurries while searching for something to eat. She finds some herbs and a few fruits, but the company probably would not like that. It can be sour this time of the year. Perhaps some . . . Ah, yes. She bends down, picking a few berries from the small bush that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. These are always delicious.

With her hands and pockets full of plants, she walks back to the tree line where Kili is patiently waiting for her. She joins him and they head back to the company.

They dump the buck and plants at Bofur’s feet. Bofur rubs his hands together with a satisfied smile.

“We will be having a feast tonight,” he says to them and grabs a handful of the herbs. Kili gestures with his head for Gaia to follow him and they walk back to where they left their stuff. Fili has already set up their beds and is waiting for them, lying on the top of his bed.

“Ah, Ki. We have to take a bath before it gets dark. You done hunting?” Fili asks as he sits up. He stretches himself out, hiding a yawn.

“Yes. We found quite a big one tonight.” Fili gets up with a smile and turns to Gaia.

“Since you have joined our company, we have managed to get meat with every meal. Thank you,” Fili says with a sincere smile. Gaia bows slightly.

“Hey, I am still the one who hunts the deer,” Kili says, crossing his arms across his chest with an angry pout.

“You have been struggling to find any meat.” Fili nudges his brother with his elbow. “Thanks to her, you have been able to find the meat. You needed a spotter,” Fili says and claps Kili’s back. Kili snorts at Fili.

“You are more than welcome to join us. We will behave,” Fili says, looking at Gaia. She laughs softly. “Unless you would want to join Dwalin and Balin.” He gestures to the dwarves who are arguing about something before Thorin manages to break it up. Gaia snaps her eyes to Fili and Kili.

“I would love to join you guys.” Fili hums and goes to retrieve his stuff. Gaia gets her small bag from the pile of bags and follows Fili and Kili to the river. She listens to them talking about the journey and what might await them at the Misty Mountains.

They are interrupted by the loud roaring of the stream of water from the river. The river is quite deep compared to the streams in Gaia’s forest. It is not too strong, surprisingly, for its depth and the way it sounds.

Fili comes to a stop and puts his stuff on the bedrock before he turns to Gaia.

“You can bathe first. We will keep watch. You can keep watch when it is our turn.” Gaia gives a quick nod and the two dwarves turn their back on her, keeping their gaze on the surrounding area.

She slips out of the layers of clothing until she is free from the rags. She tiptoes to the water and feels the temperature of the water. It is not too cold. Quite refreshing, actually.

With a deep breath, she jumps into the water and the water enfolds her body. She surfaces with closed eyes, feeling the rushed vibrations of the river. Her body shivers at the feeling.

Water has always excited her, but she has never succeeded at working with water. It is extremely unpredictable, just like fire.

All she ever could work with were mostly plants, trees, and things like that. She has found a way to work with the air, but water has been largely unsuccessful. Rocks also has been giving her headaches. They never want to move.

“Are you still alive?” Kili shouts over his shoulder which brings Gaia back to the present.

“Yes, I am almost done,” she says, rubbing her skin under the water. She pulls her fingers through her hair, untangling it as she works through the knots.

On the bedrock, Kili and Fili have decided to rather sit down. They are still able to see their surroundings and this way they can rest their legs from the long walk. Kili’s eyes are zoned out, his hands playing with the runestone his mother gave him.

“Ki,” Fili calls him, but he does not hear him at first. When his brother calls again, louder this time, Kili jerks his head to his brother. “Are you all right? You have been acting strange.” Kili tries to force a smile, but he fails.

“Yes,” Kili lies, but his brother looks unamused.

“You can tell me.” Kili takes a deep breath, turning his eyes to the stone in his hand.

“I- I think . . . “ Kili trials off, not knowing how to put it. He has not really thought about saying it out loud, especially not now. Not this soon. What can he say?

“I think I might, uh, like Gaia,” he mumbles the last part, hoping Fili did not hear him. The chuckle that comes from Fili signifies that he did in fact hear Kili.

“Ah, so that is what is bothering you. I thought it was something serious,” Fili jokes. Kili glares at Fili which only causes Fili to laugh. “I am kidding. Are you sure?” Kili furrows his brows, unsure what Fili means by that.

“Am I sure that I like her?” he tries to clarify. Fili adjusts his sitting position, resting on his hands behind him.

“Yes. We have been busy with this quest for quite some time. We have not really had the chance to focus on anything other than the quest. Then the first lass comes along and you like her. I am asking whether you like her for her, or just because she is, you know, a woman. You flirted with the elven maid and then thought one of the male elves was attractive.” Kili hits his brother with the back of his hand, a huff leaving his lips. Fili laughs again. “Come on, Ki. You might just like her because she is the first lass you have spent time with in a long time. Granted, she is a lively character, much like you. But that does not mean you truly have the feelings you think you might have. It might just be a crush.”

Fili’s words crush Kili and he has to hide his disappointment. Everything registers and he realizes that Fili might be correct. He merely has a crush on Gaia. Or might it be more?

Fili has always known Kili almost better than Kili knows himself.

Kili sighs softly as he glances over his shoulder at Gaia. Her long black hair clings to her pale back, her slender fingers working through the locks.

Fili notices the inner turmoil that Kili experiences and he places his hand on his brother’s shoulder. Kili looks at his brother.

“Just give it some time. See what happens. But do not look for something that might be a mere illusion. We still do not know the true intentions of her presence in this quest. Do not get too involved,” Fili says with a sympathetic smile. Kili nods hesitantly.

Do not look for something that might be a mere illusion.

He swallows another sigh that wants to escape him. Fili might be right. He also liked the elven maid from Rivendell. Gaia has the complexion of an Elf, but there is something else. A light that emanates from her whenever she smiles or speaks, unlike that elven maid. Almost more alluring than the Elves.

“I am done,” Gaia’s voice rips him from his thoughts. He hides the blush that covers his face and quickly stands up. He makes his way to the river while he ignores Gaia’s eyes, hoping for some relief from the cold water.

Fili hands Gaia his sword and she takes it, the sword heavy in her hands. He hurries after Kili to the river and they hurry to get in.

Gaia mimics the way they waited for her and sits down with her back to them, the sword next to them. Her hair is still wet from the wash and she tries to maneuver the water out of her hair, but to no avail. Wind is the next best option.

With a determined huff, she focuses on the air that surrounds her and her hands move to create a small breeze. Her hair moves along in the slight wind and she cannot stop a smile from forming. She is starting to get the hang of the wind.

She takes strands of her hair and decides to loosely braid them, just to keep them from flying astray in the breeze.

A loud laughter comes from above the roaring of the river and she glances over her shoulder at the brothers. Fili is dodging water attacks from Kili, who is soaking from the water. They laugh as they splatter water in each other’s direction.

Gaia smiles at their ability to still find something fun to do while they are on such a serious quest.

Strands of Kili’s hair cling to his face and neck, his broad shoulders sparkling in the setting sun. Gaia’s eyes travel from his broad shoulders down his well-toned chest. The thin brown hairs cover his chest and travel down his stomach.

Gaia snaps her head to the front, forcing herself to give him the privacy he gave her. She does not want to invade his privacy.

Her hands cover her face, the heat warm against her cold hands. She cannot believe she stared at a dwarf. An attractive one, but nonetheless. Oh, what has she gotten herself into?

She moves her hands from her face down to her neck, letting her head fall back. She shakes her head slightly, trying to rid them of the images of Kili.

Unfortunately, the images are engrained into her memory.

“You are supposed to be looking out for any danger. What if something attacked us while you were sleeping?” Fili asks when he stops next to her. This startles Gaia and she snaps her eyes to look at Fili.

“You guys are done?” She stands up and hands the sword to Fili before she wipes her hands against her pants. “Good. You were taking forever,” she says, jokingly. Fili smiles at her and sheathes his sword.

Gaia’s eyes turn to Kili, but he is looking at the ground while he squeezes water from his brown locks.

“It is getting darker. We should head back. Uncle might worry about us,” Fili says, breaking the silence. Gaia nods and follows them back to the camp.

At the camp, Bofur is singing again while the rest of the dwarves are also singing and eating. They started without them.

Kili and Fili hurry to join the company, leaving Gaia behind. She watches them with a smile, heading to get something to eat. She is starved.

The company’s spirits seem to be better after a good meal and some singing. They all sit around the fire, listening to Balin recalling the glory days of Erebor. Thorin adds in whenever he remembers something of importance. Kili and Fili seem to be hanging on Balin’s lips along with Ori.

Gaia takes small bites from a yellow fruit, listening to them reminiscing about the good old days. She remembers the short period she spent at Erebor with Gandalf.

They were called for advice and Gandalf wanted someone to accompany him to the King under the mountain - Thror. They left shortly before he got Dragon sickness. They might have been able to prevent him from obtaining all that gold.

Gaia lets out a silent sigh. There is no cure for Dragon sickness, but they could have tried. Surely, between all the wizards and her knowledge of plants, they could have come up with something.

“Gaia, have you ever visited Erebor?” Bilbo asks, trying to bring her into the conversation. She looks at the hobbit with a sad smile. The dwarves wait for her to answer and she gives a quick nod.

“Once. I met Thror. He was a kind host,” she says, inclining her head slightly at Thorin. He also has a sad look in his eyes as he seems to remember his grandfather.

“Have you been there since the dragon . . . “ Oin trails off, not sure how to describe what happened to Erebor. Gaia shakes her head.

“No, this will be my first time.” The company hums in agreement, all seemingly lost in their own thoughts at what Erebor might be like. Gaia plays with a loose strand of hair, thinking about how things might have been different for the dwarves if she went to assist them when Smaug attacked. She has never fought a dragon before, but she has the confidence that she could have prevented thousands, perhaps even more, from dying. But she was too fragile. The possibility of her turning was still high back then.

Gaia stands up and heads to her small bag. She cannot dwell in the past. She supposes she will take the first watch tonight. Or even all the watches. The rest are too tired and she fears they might fall asleep.

She searches through her bag and finally retrieves a few leaves to weave during her watch tonight.

“Who will take the first watch tonight?” Dwalin asks and the dwarves groan in unison. Thorin steps toward the end large rock under which they have made their camp.

“I will take the first watch. Fili will follow me, with Gloin next and lastly Dori.” Thorin walks out from the shelter of the large rocks to take his place for the first watch. The rest of the company silently settles in for the night.

Gaia watches Kili make his way over to her, where his bed is located next to Fili’s. Kili mumbles a good night to her when he passes her and she frowns at him.

Why is he acting all strange suddenly? Perhaps he is just exhausted from the journey, but something else seems off. She wonders what it could be.

“Kili,” Gaia calls softly. He turns his head to her, readying his bed for himself. Gaia shuffles closer to him and places her hand on his arm. Kili averts his gaze to his bed but Gaia turns him to her.

“Kili, what is the matter?” she asks with a whisper. Kili quickly looks at her, giving her a smile.

“Nothing. I am just tired, that is all,” he says before he returns his attention to his bed. Gaia keeps her hand on his arm, forcing him back to her.

“You know you can talk to me. About anything.” Kili flashes her a smile accompanied by a nod. Gaia notices that his smile does not reach his eyes. Perhaps he needs some space. And a good night’s rest.

“All right,” she says, “good night then.” Kili bows his head and she hears a good night from Fili.

With the leaves in her hands, she heads to Thorin. She does not want to pry, but Kili has been acting strange since they came back from the river. What could have happened?

Gaia sees Thorin leaning against another large stone and she softly makes her way to him. He seems deep in thought and does not notice her presence next to him.

Gaia looks at the large mountains that lay before them. The Misty Mountains.

“Oh, I did not hear your arrival. Do you need anything?” Thorin asks with a tired voice. Gaia looks at him and notices the dark circles under his eyes. The quest has also taken a toll on Thorin, even if he tries to hide it.

“I can keep watch. I’m not tired,” Gaia says with a small smile. Thorin furrows his brows together.

“You have been keeping watch each time we have stopped for rest. You cannot continue- “

“I do not need a lot of sleep,” she interrupts him. “Go, get some rest.” Thorin lets out a defeated sigh.

“Wake Fili for the next watch,” Thorin states over his shoulder as he heads back to the camp for rest. He comes to a halt before turning back to Gaia.

“I do not remember ever seeing you at Erebor. When did you visit my grandfather?”

Gaia has a small smile on her face as she looks at Thorin.

“I visited your grandfather before you were born,” she says, turning to face the mountains. Thorin hesitates, trying to piece together the information.

“But that would make you- “ Thorin stops as he comes to the realization. “How old are you?”

Gaia chuckles and shakes her head. She waves her hand dismissively over her shoulder at Thorin. She does not know.

“I have stopped counting ages ago,” she states before she gives Thorin, who is dumbfounded, a warm smile. “Good night.” She returns her gaze to the mountains and starts weaving the old leaves and vines. She hears Thorin walking back to the camp.

She will take the shift for the night. The others seemed too eager for a proper full night of rest. They will need it if they want to get through those mountains in one piece

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