#AND THE FACT THAT HE TRIES IT ONCE MORE- AND THEN TRIES TO BREAK IT ON THE ROCK- LIKE- JACOB HONEY THAT BITCH IS METAL STOP PLEASE- | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

callingbridgerton · 1 day

Text

Is it any surprise that Colin "all or nothing" Bridgerton takes his time trying and failing to understand his feelings after the kiss?

I wrote a little bit about this in a comment on Reddit, but I think some of the frustration that we are hearing from people stems from Colin's lack of vocal processing throughout the first half of the season.

I'll admit that his development is subtle, and happens quietly, but I believe that was done on purpose. It needed to be quiet. For a couple reasons. Hear me out.

For the sake of the carriage scene, Pen needed to not know that Colin was falling for her. People are saying that they felt Colin's declaration felt rushed and sudden, but it was supposed to! His reveal needed to feel completely unexpected!

Penelope is supposed to be shocked by it. In order to believe her shock, we too needed to be a bit shocked. It helped so much with the intensity of the carriage scene. I believe Penelope saw Colin looking at her over the last few weeks, but he's kinda always done that? Only we are supposed to know that Colin feels any differently than normal. If we all had known solidly how Colin felt the whole time then we wouldn't have related to Pen's shock in the carrriage at all. She's shut off any hope of Colin feeling the same way. I think the brevity of the scenes where Colin is looking at her during balls and whatnot are done on purpose (through Pen's eyes). Not to beat a dead horse but the carriage scene really really (to me) wouldn't have felt the same if Colin had given Pen more signs. (And throughout all the criticisms, people seem to all agree that that scene was outstanding. But it doesn't exist in a vacuum!)

So much of what we see of Colin processing his feelings for Penelope is done through looks, facial expressions, body language, etc.

This is a bit unique from the other two seasons, in which Daphne and Anthony were both a bit more aware of what they were feeling (even if they were fighting it) and more obvious about it outwardly to others. Perhaps this is what people feel was missing in the build-up?

We do get some hints of Colin thinking about it and struggling with it as he talks to other people such as the Mondriches, Eloise when he thinks that they've spoken about the kiss, Benedict and Hyacinth after his dream, and later, Violet. But primarily, I think that Colin was simply still figuring it out.

And can we blame him? If I were as all-or-nothing as him, a feeling like I was falling in love with my best friend would scare me half to death. Beyond the initial confusion, he needs to be sure how he feels because once Colin knows what he wants he can't hold himself back from getting it.

I know a lot of people think Colin realizes how he feels immediately after the kiss. I could see that, for sure (and I know it's that way in the books and that Nicola said she thinks it's all in one moment), but ultimately I disagree. It of course jump starts everything (and I don't think anything would have happened without it) but I think that it really does happen more slowly, both before and after that. In the first 2 episodes, Colin is repeatedly affected by Penelope during their scenes. He doesn't overthink it, but it's there. Over episodes 3 and 4 Colin consistently tries and fails to understand what is happening to him, even going as far as to go back to the brothel to try to make it stop, but after kissing them both realizes it's just not the same. (One of my favorite moments was when he goes to kiss one of the ladies, pulls away, and looks dumbfounded after feeling nothing.)

In the last episode, when he's in his study thinking back on the hand-cut scene with Pen, he finally realizes he can't make this stop. In fact, he doesn't even want to. That is the moment everyone was waiting for. And no, it is not shoved in your face, nor in his. It's fast, like "Got it, okay, gotta go." All. Or. Nothing.

Hence Colin making his appearance at the ball, his utter lack of care for society rules in breaking up Pen and Lord Debling's dance. His tunnel vision (and speed, ha!) trying to get to Penelope in the carriage. When Colin knows what he wants he just goes for it. He always does this, as others have said, with Marina, with his investment and then takedown of Jack, with Pen.

If people are left frustrated by the lack of obviousness in Colin's realization, I think that's a little silly. If Colin had fully realized any earlier he would've been breaking things up much faster and it would've been a very different story. The pacing to me was perfect. And it made the pay-off so much more rewarding.

#polin #colin bridgerton #colin x penelope #penelope featherington #bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #i cant keep editing this so im just gonna post it

128 notes · View notes

meownotgood · 22 hours

Text

more mermaid reader x sailor aki. part 2 of this. ignore how long this is... my... brain worms...

aki returns to sailing a few days later. granted, it's in a much smaller boat: one of his spare fishing boats he used before he saved up enough to purchase a proper one. the ocean can never keep him away for long, no matter what it chooses to throw at him. the familiar sun warms his skin, his lungs filled with breath after breath of the sea. rays shimmer off of clear, cool water. it's hard to believe, almost, that this sea was once rocky and wild. that pelting rain, strong winds, and salty depths almost claimed him.

the water is clear enough, in fact, to allow aki to easily spot a glimmer of green scales and a long, damaged tail.

you've been swimming not far from the shore for a few days now. aki figures you can't head back into the deeper parts of the ocean; you're weak, after all. he can spot you for brief moments amongst the rocks and seaweed, but each time he brings his boat in your direction, you disappear as quick as he noticed you.

aki is beginning to question if he's even capable of helping you in the first place. he doesn't fault you for being scared, for not trusting him. he can hardly think of a reason why you'd choose to save him, really. but if he doesn't get you out of this cove, someone is going to notice. someone with much worse intentions.

so aki throws himself back into his boat and sails into the water, again and again. to little success, of course. after days of trying, the closest he ever gets to you is a few feet away; you hover close to the surface of the water, your hair flowing around you, stray nets of fishing line caught in the mess of your tail. your eyes meet his. aki remains still, wonderment in his gaze. but when he reaches out, fingertips hesitantly skimming the surface of the water, you twist and dive deeper, vanishing into the distance.

he's almost ready to give up. to accept you don't trust him, and leave you to your own whims. until, when he's taking a break from searching, lying back on his boat and watching puffy white clouds pass, he manages to spot a shimmer in the very corner of his vision — aki turns, to see you're already staring at him. head tilted, soft eyes on his, your fingers delicately holding the edge of his boat. you let go as he sits up, but for once, you don't disappear. you swim back a bit, and you eye him up and down, the same pinch in your brows he remembers seeing before. but for once, you stay.

aki feels like he's just struck gold. his heart pounds, and he holds as still as possible, trying to think of something to say, something to do. he has his hair half-up, shell-shaped earrings glitter on his lobes. you notice he has nothing in his small boat, save for a brown pack in a far corner. you examine him cautiously, anyways.

"hello," aki manages. he cringes at how nervous he sounds. can you even understand him? he's known sirens to be able to imitate human speech, but mermaids are completely different. they have their own manner of speaking, and they try to stray away from humans whenever possible. your expression changes slightly when you hear him speak. he can't tell if you have any idea what he's said or not. you look annoyed, almost, the fins on your ears pulled back like a cat about to hiss.

raising out of the water a bit more, you give him his first clear view of your face. parts of your shoulders and chest are textured with the same layer of scales as your tail. you raise your hands above water, and you sign.

aki wishes he paid more attention when he was a kid, to the sign language lessons his parents tried to teach him, because then, maybe, he would be able to speak to you freely. his parents were fishers too. they spent every sunlit day on the ocean, up until when they passed away. there's no use in communicating with mermaids, aki thought — he doesn't care to understand them when they have no interest in people.

and yet, you are different. you're here. you saved him. the storm on that fateful night could have taken him, just as it had once taken his parents. when his brother went out to look for them, only to never been seen again, aki prayed for the cruel ocean to have mercy. he hated it. hated the smell of the sea and the whisper of calm waves, but it was all he had left.

it would drown him some day. he knew it would have him in the end, grasping him in dark watery clutches, like how it took everything he once cared about. when the water was choking him, invading his lungs and promising to be his coffin, until his vision was fading into frothy nothingness, he wasn't afraid of death. the ocean is a home for those with nothing left to lose. still, you saved him from that fate.

why, why was his family left to die, while he was made to live?

he's not sure. there probably isn't a reason. no god is taking pity on him, nor the universe, nor the ocean itself — even though its fierce waves should be punishing him. this is his fault. he's the one who toys with death, who doesn't give a damn towards his own well-being. he's the one who got his brother killed.

all he knows now, is that if he gave up here, if he let you die, he'd only be allowing another sacrifice to be in vain. mermaid or not, it doesn't matter. he wouldn't forgive himself.

your mouth presses into a line. your tail sways, while you gesture to him, to yourself. aki takes a moment or so to grasp what you're trying to say. I know who you are.

blinking, he stares at you with slight confusion. your palms cup together, and they imitate the bob of a vessel on waves. boat. your fingers splay and cross over, matching the crosshatch pattern of mesh, before you reach out and imitate a large shape. net. you make a gripping, stabbing motion. harpoon.

"oh," aki swallows, gaze darkening. "I... I get it."

he tries to formulate a response as quick as possible. you watch, wide-eyed, as he clumsily — endearingly, somewhat — attempts to recall what signs he knows. safe, he demonstrates, with a swift movement of hands clenched, arms crossed over. and then, help, followed by an awkward point to himself. he swears under his breath sharply, stalling, struggling to remember. until finally, he signs hastily: sorry.

your gaze scans him, unreadable. he begins to move slowly, his eyes kept on yours. he reaches back, he grabs the strap of his bag. abruptly, you flinch, dipping below the water slightly.

"no, no, it's okay," aki reassures, holding up his palms. you freeze, and perhaps you can understand him, or maybe it's just his smooth voice reassuring you — but still, again, you don't run. thankfully. aki places his bag in his lap and fiddles with the zipper, shaky, nervous hands struggling to do it right.

"I brought supplies. to help you," he says; he digs around his bag once he has it open, he grasps a roll of gauze and takes it out to show you. "see? don't know how well this'll work, but-" he shows you a small bottle, "I brought disinfectant," another bottle, this one is clear, with liquid sloshing inside, "fresh water." then, he pulls out a large hunting knife, the blade sheathed in leather. still, you know exactly what it is. "to cut the fishing line."

your eyes are wide. you tense, you retreat into the water on instinct, leaving just the top of your head visable.

"it's okay, don't run- no knife? alright, okay. that's fine."

aki stands, the boat wobbling slightly from the shift in his weight. you lift up again, just in time to watch him chuck the knife as far as he can into the ocean. it hits the water with a slight plip, only to sink down until it's gone from view.

"there. I won't hurt you, I promise." his gaze meets yours again, and you seem to breathe deeply, relaxing. your expression carries a hint of understanding. aki kneels down, close to the boat's edge. "it's alright if you don't trust me. but please, at least let me repay you. come here, I'll pull you up."

he extends a hand out towards you, and you give him one more quick once over. carefully, hesitantly, you swim closer. aki admires the way sunlight shimmers in the scales on your cheeks, the way your finned ears twitch in interest. you reach up, your delicate fingers brush his — warm, you are warmer than he thought you'd be. delightfully warm. you take his hand, your palm is soft, yet slippery. aki grasps back, and he pulls.

you're dragged up, as aki heaves you onto the boat, making the whole thing sway and his brows knot from the effort. he grasps both your forearms to make it easier. when the weight of your large tail finally rests down in the boat, he's stumbling back. the entire boat is shifting, and you're falling forward as he's losing his footing.

aki tumbles onto his back with a huff, you settle on his chest — oh, how your poor heart races, pattering to a rapid rhythm between your ribs. your hair drips with water, echoing a steady noise when droplets hit the wooden deck of his boat. his palm idly presses to the small of your back as he sits up.

his touch, the reserved sailor you saved that night, with long dark hair, and handsome features you found unforgettable. he was alone when you decided to follow him. sailing alone, late at night with only the light of the moon and the lanterns on his ship to guide him, while thunder rolled overhead and promised sleeplessness to come. he was either a reckless idiot, a self-sabotaging fool, or both. the dark water hid you from view as you followed in the wake left by his ship. you weren't intending to meddle, but when lightning struck down and his boat crumbled, when he went plummeting into the deep, were you just supposed to leave him to the waves?

should you have just let him die?

you pondered it, while hiding in the rocks of the cove, busying yourself with trying to pull splinters of driftwood from the gash in your tail. you have no allegiance to humans, especially senseless ones. you could have left him so easily and never once turned back. but —

aki glances up at you, lightly catching his breath. and he smiles. his eyes crinkle, his lips tip upward. the way he looks at you is the softest, most genuine thing you've ever known.

you've been hiding all your life. you have never been familiar with anything but the depths, and the occasional ships that drift past. you know humans are dangerous. you haven't spoken with your own kind since you were a child, but you've witnessed what they can do, you've been told they'll hunt you if they see you. for your tail and your scales and the glory; you shouldn't have saved him, that much is obvious. everything was telling you that you shouldn't have.

but aki is the first human you've ever met, and the first person to ever smile at you. in a singular moment, all of your regrets disappear, to be replaced by tender, heart-pounding warmth.

"hello," he repeats, breathing a slight sigh in satisfaction. god, he did it, you trust him. adrenaline runs thick in his veins. he has a damn mermaid in his lap, of all ridiculous things.

he allows his gaze to trail over you. he examines your tail, delicate fins tangled up in fishing line. most of your tail looks salvageable. with the missing section of your end fins, you'll likely never swim the same. but once the wound is given a chance to properly heal, he thinks you could definitely be able to leave the cove.

your arms have scales, your wrists and waist are adorned with pearls and shells tied to form makeshift jewelry. around your neck, you're wearing a familiar, rusted silver pendant.

aki reaches towards you, gazing at you gently. your eyes narrowing, he notices when you flinch, and he stops, but you don't move. instead, you allow him to reach close enough to carefully grasp the pendant around your neck.

his thumb runs over the engraved surface. he knew what he saw glinting around your neck wasn't just his imagination. "my locket. you found it."

you eye him silently, for a moment. then, you push away from his chest. you sit up, curling your tail around yourself. aki props up along with you, and you begin to reach back, searching for the clasp on the necklace. you sign one-handed, by pointing to your forehead, then to him. for you. you hold out the necklace, aki's palm outstretched to take it.

for you. his heart skips a few beats at that, somehow.

although, first, you're carefully prying the locket open. you place it into his palm, facing him. your fingertip points to the small picture on the inside. a black and white photo, torn and faded, of a young smiling boy with short, black hair.

you point towards aki next, brows raised. you?

"oh, no," aki shakes his head. he closes the locket, and he puts the necklace into his back pocket.

brother, he signs with both hands. he takes a steady, shuddering breath. then, he glances away for a second. his next sign is done much slower. almost as if every word is formed in earnest. thank you.

you hesitate. a part of you wants to tell him you're welcome, another part of you is set on just staring at his pretty face until he notices. in the end, as aki's dumb, soft smile makes your heart race faster, your lips are left to purse into a pout.

you, you're pointing. foolish, you gesture hastily, almost angrily, with your thumb and your pinkie finger. your temple is knotted, droplets of water shimmer over your skin. then, you sign something he doesn't recognize. some form of movement that certainly carries a hint of disdain, pointing to him first, before two of your fingers press to your palm.

you demonstrate the sign again when he has no response, no reaction besides a small smirk — moving faster, hastier this time. he only shrugs. you breathe a frustrated exhale, and decide to spell the word instead. recalling what you've read from dropped books and drifting bottles, you picture the letters, and you let your hand carefully sign each one.

h- u- m- a- n.

aki shakes his head. he points to himself, he signs instead: a- k- i.

aki. you've never heard such a thing before. his name, perhaps? in that case, you don't think you'll be able to forget it.

"my name is aki," he murmurs. the breeze from the sea rustles his dark hair. it brushes over your cool skin, and you blame your resounding shiver on that, instead of his voice. finally, he points to you, this time. "and you?"

#was not expecting to write about him all day but... here we are #aki possesses me too easily #he'd be so handsome as a sailor... his hair up and perhaps with slightly tanned skin.... GAH!!#content that caters to myself. I love you #aki <3

61 notes · View notes

vickyvicarious · 8 hours

Text

Jonathan's decision to play along today was very difficult to make. But, in the end, it was the right move. He set aside his anger and impulse to rebel... perhaps as much or more out of fear rather than just logic, but we do see his reasoning and it makes sense.

And honestly, I think he pushed his luck nearly to the limit anyways. Look at how Dracula asked. First, he waited a few days after everything that went down with the vampire ladies, perhaps to see if Jonathan would bring up the topic. If Jonathan does, maybe he had plans to lie to him again, to gaslight him about either never sleeping outside of his room, or about Dracula finding him dreaming somewhere else and helping him back to his own bed. Still, Jonathan's reaction to such a lie could very easily force an end to all this pretending. But since he never brings it up at all, Dracula knows he can continue his game. In fact, Jonathan is proving to be a very resilient player, one who has just enough struggle in him to make it more interesting, without being too unmanageable or ever close to actually get away.

Dracula gives Jonathan this 'request' "in the suavest tones" - he's really emphasizing his charm here, being extra friendly as he tries to make Jonathan feel even worse. But then, contrary to what he's seen thus far, Jonathan hesitates.

I would fain have rebelled, but felt that in the present state of things it would be madness to quarrel openly with the Count whilst I am so absolutely in his power; and to refuse would be to excite his suspicion and to arouse his anger. He knows that I know too much, and that I must not live, lest I be dangerous to him; my only chance is to prolong my opportunities. Something may occur which will give me a chance to escape. I saw in his eyes something of that gathering wrath which was manifest when he hurled that fair woman from him. He explained to me that posts were few and uncertain, and that my writing now would ensure ease of mind to my friends; and he assured me with so much impressiveness that he would countermand the later letters, which would be held over at Bistritz until due time in case chance would admit of my prolonging my stay, that to oppose him would have been to create new suspicion.

I think he must have been sitting there making these arguments to himself in real time. Wrestling with his fear and his outrage and possibly losing most of his control over his expression and body language as he did so. And at first, this is fun for Dracula. He wants Jonathan to struggle like this. It's fun to watch. But then, the longer it goes on, the more real becomes the possibility that this will be Jonathan's breaking point. And if it is, if he outright says "no" even this once, then Dracula's entire game is ruined. He's just committed to wanting to keep Jonathan around for another full month. Jonathan passed the test with the other vampires. Dracula has been looking forward to this. How dare he spoil this -

Dracula's rage rises as he finds himself forces to make excuses and be convincing when he likely assumed he no longer needed to put in that much effort. Jonathan finally does agree, but he didn't do so right away. And it's a very fine line, because continuing to do this does in fact make him more interesting and fun in the long run, and thus perhaps allow him to live longer. Maybe after they separate for the evening (morning, being nocturnal) Dracula would actually look back on this moment with indulgent enjoyment. He pushed perhaps right up to the limit of what Dracula would tolerate, but he didn't quite cross it, so the game can continue. But at the same time, pushing like this (or rather, resisting being pushed before giving in) is extremely dangerous in the moment - because in the moment, there's still a chance Jonathan could cross the line. Dracula has a temper and he will take it out on Jonathan if he decides he's had enough.

It's that tightrope again. More of the same. But I just... love imagining this moment. Dracula's sickly-sweet smugness at the start, his utter confidence in his victory once again. And Jonathan - pausing. Saying nothing in response. Thinking it over, taking so long to do so, trying so hard to keep a neutral face but not fully succeeding, maybe keeping his head bowed so his expression can't be seen. Dracula's anger building along with almost a sort of desperation, as he lays out all this bullshit reasoning, maybe losing control of his own tone somewhat as he gets more aggressively vehement. The absolute tension rising, up and up right until the moment Jonathan looks up and agrees, when it suddenly dissipates. But the aftermath lingers, even in Dracula's victory. Even as Jonathan writes the three letters, one after another under Dracula's watchful eye. Dracula takes them from his hand, squeezes his shoulder in ostensible thanks, but such a clear threat. Jonathan's face twitching, a little spasm of fear and despair, at the contact.

It could be SUCH a good scene in an adaptation that emphasized the abusive dynamic here.

#dracula daily #count dracula #jonathan harker #dracula's version of will-they-won't-they except what's in question is if jonathan will break the pretence

73 notes · View notes

avonne-writes · 8 hours

Note

I’d love something abt how John learns abt gales father as they grow closer, whether it be thru stories/behaviors etc, I love everything you write tho so no pressure!!

This is a great ask! Thank you so much 🩷 I'm so sorry for keeping it for so long, I wanted to give it some thought and I kept delaying it.

Canon AU

Gale doesn’t talk about his background at all at first. The guys don’t even know where he’s from unless they ask. Sometimes, he drops comments about how a man ought to behave, usually in a dark or sarcastic tone, and he openly scoffs at being invested in sports teams, but that’s it.

As they grow closer, John learns Gale's nonverbal emotional cues, and knows how to identify when Gale is upset, scared or angry, even if it only lasts a moment. And when he reaches that point, that's when he realizes that some behaviours always get one of these hidden reactions out of Gale.

For example, it frightens him for a split second when the boys play-fight with their belts, or he gets irritated by drunken crowds. John starts to put it together that something left Gale with these instinctual reactions that still show even though he’s trying to cover them.

Eventually, when it’s just the two of them and the moment feels right, he broaches the subject.

I headcanon that Gale is in denial to himself about how his own childhood affected him - he’s purposefully lying to himself about its impact. He detaches his feelings from it. So he talks about terrible memories without emotion or with inappropriate emotion (e.g. amusement) and John doesn’t really know how to deal with it other than absorb them and try to comfort Gale even if he pretends he doesn’t need comfort.

And the heartbreaking thing is that I think Gale's denial would crack in the tender moments, when he and John are much closer (possibly in love already) and he feels loved and appreciated. That's when the emotions flood back into the memories, and John has to pick up the pieces.

In my HS AU

Similarly, Gale doesn’t talk about his family background. If he must, he picks out the good moments. So for all everyone knows, he’s a well-adjusted boy with regular, undivorced parents.

In the beginning of his relationship with Bucky, he lies a lot. About the reason why he’s super tired some days or about his mom picking him up after an outing with Bucky. He does this because he’s afraid to lose Bucky due to his shitty background.

Once Bucky notices that Gale is hiding something from him, he tries to get it out of him, and they have a big fight. They break up for a few days (this is all in 9th grade). Eventually, with Georgia's encouragement, Bucky tries again and he and Gale make up. On the bleachers by the soccer field, Gale tells him everything as it is.

From then on, Bucky tries to look out for Gale the best he can. Gale still doesn’t let him come around to the Clevens' house, but he tells Bucky more and more and leans on him for support during bad times (because it's not always bad).

However, when the thoughts in Gale's head turn really dark (pre-Broken Things), he keeps those secret again.

Gale doesn’t say it out loud that he was abused until he’s an adult. Accepting that fact is a huge milestone for him.

#mota #buck x bucky #gale cleven #john egan #clegan #anon #gale's childhood #hs au

46 notes · View notes

reverieblondie · 2 days

Note

I'm losing my mind thinking about zevlor finally believing that this gorgeous person has eyes for him, truly just for him. Because he's gotten a little injury. Just a silly little scratch, and here they are, fussing to clean it up and get him all bandaged. Once they've gone, all he can do is look down at the little kerchief they'd left for him to keep over his 'wound'.

Oh my god yes!!!

Zevlor would be completely dumbfounded that a beautiful high elf would ever fall for a man like him. But he can no longer ignore the signs! He looks down at the soft kerchief embroidery with flowers and just has the faintest lingering sent of them.

Next time he sees them he gives it back freshly cleaned. But wrapped within it they noticed a small gift? With a bright smile that always sends Zevlors heat racing they eagerly rip it open and see a new Kerchief, with what looks like some bad embroidery of roses and a text they can’t recognize either from the embroidery job or just that the language is foreign to them. They look at Zevlor confused and that’s when they see that his face is just the slightest bit redder and his tail is coiled around his leg…he’s nervous?

“Did you…embroider this for me?” They ask hopeful and Zevlor nods.

“You gave me your only one and well…I didn’t want you to go without in case you need it again so I got you one…it’s simple so I tried to fancy it up some, but I’m afraid I never learned really learned the craft…”

They grab his warm hand and hold it tightly, “thank you Zevlor. I love it! And if you want we can try embroidering together, I could show you how…”

Zevlors eyes go soft like they do everytime they speak to him, his tail starting to sway unashamedly at them liking his gift and the possibility to see them more often.

“I would love that…” he whispers just enough for them to hear in turn making their heart now thump in their chest. Stepping slightly closer they look back at the kerchief, tracing the text and roses with their thumb. “So what does the text mean?”

Zevlor never breaking his eyes from their face smiles as he absent mindedly starts to rub his thumb on their soft hand the other coming to lift their chin to meet his warm eyes. “It’s infernal…but it basically translates to, Angel heart, may flowers always bloom for you…”

They never let anyone else use that kerchief and the always carried it with them from that day on… later they found out Zevlors favorite flower is in fact roses.

#askreverie #bg3 #zevlor bg3 #bg3 zevlor #bg3 drabble #zevlor x reader #zevlor

33 notes · View notes

triplesilverstar · 2 days

Text

A Lost Dream

Rating: 18+ Minors DNI

Pairing: Vash X F!Reader

CW: Pregnancy, character death, dying after childbirth, angst, Vash having trauma, medical inaccuracies, widowed Vash, Dad Vash, Single Dad Vash, dead mom, depressing thoughts

Word count: 1.6K

A/N: Well, thanks, Bee. This idea made my chest hurt, so I had to write it to get it out of my system. I tried to make it a little happier at the end. So yeah, there is character death here where the reader dies and Vash is left with the care of his newborn. And the trauma that comes with that, so enjoy this little heartache.

Vash had been so excited from the moment he had first figured out you were pregnant, as far as he was concerned it was a miracle after everything he had been through before finding you as he continued to run around the planet avoiding both bandits and the forces from Earth.

The tears that had streamed down his face in that dingy motel room and dripped to the floor along with some other fluids from his nose that don’t need to be mentioned in detail. His heart had never felt so full as he dropped to his knees and buried his face in your stomach that wasn’t even a bump yet as he cried over the fact he was going to be a father and you, you were the one carrying his child.

You had been over the moons as he spoke to your flat stomach between sobs and you trailed your hands through the mess of his black locks and told him how silly he was being. Sure it was going to be difficult trying to stay one step ahead of everyone who wanted a piece of the still legendary humanoid typhoon while being pregnant but you felt you could manage.

And you did.

For a while.

But as the days turned to weeks and the flat panes of your stomach were quickly replaced by the swell of your every faster growing baby, you knew something was wrong. Your days of walking for hours had turned into being able to manage to shuffle from a bus to a bed and the opposite the next day. Sweat poured from your skin no matter what you tried to do to keep yourself cool. You also felt as though you never had enough to eat in your system.

The night you woke up with blood pouring from between your thighs and a sharp pain in your stomach nearly twenty weeks after you realized you were pregant you knew deep down that all you wanted, was for the life that had grown inside of you to survive. For the first time in a long time, you prayed, prayed to any being that would listen that you just wanted your baby to come into this world and survive as Vash rushed to the town doctor with you bundled up in soaked blankets that left red drops in the sand.

Hours later, when you heard that first wail all you had left in you was to whisper “Are they ok?”

“She’s ok Mayfly, we have a little girl!” You couldn’t even see his face, or those beautiful teal orbs that still carried the weight of the world in them. All you could think about was how your daughter made it, and you knew Vash would take care of the rest as the void that had been overtaking your senses over the passing of the hours took your last breath.

The wailing of the newborn was lost under the keening of the man who had brought his wife into the clinic in the middle of the night screaming for a doctor. Now as the first rays of dawn painted the room he screamed for a different reason as the tears fell down his face once more.

Vash, for the first time in a long time, didn’t know what to do.

As he felt your hand loosen its grip on his he turned to watch as your chest seemed to shutter before stopping. He’d seen enough death to know you were gone, but that didn’t stop the remaining shards of his heart from breaking. How was he supposed to go on now? After the events with his brother, you had become the light in his life telling him to finally live for himself, and now you were gone?

Vash wasn’t as much of an idiot as he pretended to be. He knew that with almost all of his powers expended, he was slowly dying, in the past year with you he had noticed the crows' feet finally starting to show at the edge of his eyes. He had seen the slight changes in the mirror to know he was aging as if he was human at long last. His plan had been to grow old with you, to spend the rest of his days with his precious Mayfly at long last.

It had never crossed his mind that you might not be with him for the final stretch of his long life.

Vash, for the first time since he was a child on the ship after learning about Tesla, wanted to die.

Only to feel a hand land on his back. “Sir, your daughter is cleaned up. We need you to clear the room.” Her voice had been gentle, but it hadn’t been enough to stir Vash from his melancholy. Not even when his newborn had been thrust into his arms and he was guided into another smaller private room after they wrestled him away from his wife.

He didn’t know what to do as he sat there with the small bundle cradled in his arm. At least not until the tiny girl started to fuss, pulling his broken eyes down to her form. How could such a being that was so little have caused his love so much pain? No. It wasn’t just her. It had also been him. If Vash hadn’t of gotten you pregnant you’d still be with him he realized as he stared at the pale fist swinging from the blanket.

He didn’t deserve to be a father. Not with everything he had done, your death was another in the long line of deaths he had caused since the fall, and project seeds was scattered across this barren wasteland.

He should leave this little girl with someone that wasn’t marred by death.

Unaware of the thoughts swirling in his head, the tiny child reached out flailing as she fussed. Her small palm grabbed the first thing she felt. The edge of a scarred thumb.

Like a spell-breaking Vash started to cry for a different reason. “It’s ok little one, it’s ok. Daddy’s here.” Adjusting his daughter in his arm and smoothing the golden curls from her forehead as her fussing slowed. He’d hate himself in the quiet of the night over the thought that he wanted to leave his baby, the last part of you, behind. “I’ll be here as long as you need me.” Whispering to the infant as he pressed her head over his heart and kissed the top of her head. “I promise.”

Looking out the window as the second sun broke the horizon, he swallowed down his sobs “I guess you’ll need a name my little sprout. That was something your Mom wanted to wait to meet you for.”

“Dad!” A short yell followed by a stomp at the foot of the bed in the hotel and Vash couldn’t help but groan as he rubbed at his face before sitting up.

“It’s too early for this Dawn.” Grumbling as he felt his back pop and the stiff muscles fight him as he sat up, creaks from him that happened to be in time with the worn mattress under him. He always took the worst bed in the rooms they stayed in.

“Dad! It’s almost noon!” Cracking an eye at another stomp, the fire in his little girl's eyes still made his heart clench. Your eyes had a similar fire in them, and the fact that your daughter had your facial features which looked more and more like you every day made his chest hurt from the reminder he’d never see it again.

“The bus doesn’t come for another three hours little sprout.” Yawning as Vash finally rose from the bed, planning to use the washroom to get his morning routine going.

“Dad! I’m not little anymore!” Feeling a small foot land in the small of his back as he let out a soft yelp, at least before turning and scoping his two-year-old daughter who acted more like an adolescent teen into his arm. A little girl that happened to match the body of a teen.

“Not too little for this are we?” Laughing as Dawn started to squeal while Vash tossed her in the air before wrapping his arms around her and rubbing the top of her hair with his flesh hand. The glare she sent him had the breath leave his chest, Dawn growing as fast as was proving to be a double edged sword.

It made being on the run with a baby easy, as she grew quickly and didn’t need much fussing. Vash after he had stayed in town long enough to bury his wife, brought his newborn to Granny and Lina. Hiding there until Dawn was big enough to travel with him and thankfully before anyone had figured out where he was.

But now, the more she grew Vash couldn’t ignore the fact his daughter was very much taking after his dead wife. Minus her coloring, Vash had a mini you on his hands and some days were a lot harder than others to manage between keeping his daughter out of trouble (and himself), while trying to keep the thoughts of you from making him freeze.

“Dad?”

“Hmmm?” A noise as Vash realized his hand had slowed to the point where he was sliding Dawn’s hair between his fingers.

“Do you think someday we can go see Mom?” Such a simple question, but it still made his breathing stop. Dawn knew about you, and knew from all of his stories how much you had loved her before she had been born. It was something Vash had sworn to himself after he left that town, his little girl would know how much his wife had loved her.

“Of course we can.” An easy answer on the surface as his heart throbbed with enough force in his chest that his knees bent from the pain. “I think she’d like that.” Bending to place a kiss to her forehead. “Now, let me get ready and we can go get breakfast before heading towards the bus.”

“Lunch!”

“Right lunch.” Using a smile to hide the pain in his heart as he winked at Dawn. A small part of him wondered if someday, his daughter would see through those smiles as easily as you had. She didn't need to carry his loss of you, not when she had her whole future ahead of her.

@biancalattei enjoy my attempt at angst you monster. KISSES!

#trigun #vash the stampede #trigun vash the stampede #vash x reader #vash the stampede x reader #dad!vash #trigun maximum #post trimax #trimax #trimax spoilers #twink writes

34 notes · View notes

fushipurro · 23 hours

Text

Red Lights Red Flags

Chapter 9 - Promises

<- Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter ->

☆ Content: 18+ MDNI, graphic depictions of death, blood, hurt/comfort, mentions of previous non-con, implied self-mutilation (brief)

☆ Word Count: 4.1k

It doesn’t take long for the fire to spread through the district, now looming just a few buildings away.

Nearly everything in its path has already come crashing down, reduced to nothing but ash while people cry out with blistering screams as they meet their demise. It’s growing hard to see most of your surroundings thanks to the heavy smoke, which might be a blessing if it weren’t from such a calamity.

How can you hope to survive this?

A dozen footsteps can be heard through the wooden planks above your head. Others making their safe escape down paths you peacefully traversed only a week before your confinement.

They wouldn’t leave you, would they?

You can excuse the few and far visitors you’ve had thanks to the fear Hanami has instilled in her courtesans, but to leave you here to die a cruel, agonizing death?

There must be someone coming, there has to. Losing hope now can only mean death. The only thing is… it certainly won’t be quick.

More smoke filters through past your window, collecting over your head like clouds paired with sinister storms. Breathing is becoming increasingly difficult, forcing you lower to the ground, as far away from the wall as your leash will allow.

“Come on,” you groan, prying at the chains. It’s not like you haven’t tried before, but you hope they might now break from adrenaline fueled strength.

They don’t.

Not even the slightest bit.

“Someone…” you mutter, looking around. There’s no one. “H-help.” No one to hear your plea. “Get me out of here!”

A loud noise from right outside covers up your desperate plea. A thick plume of smoke forces its way through, blanketing your cell in black. You’re forced to shut your eyes until the dust settles, coughing up your own storm despite the pain that follows.

It feels like a fire is burning your lungs from the inside out as you breathe, everywhere all around your body nearly scalding from the radiating heat.

When you’re finally able to open your eyes, you can see the last shred of hope you had burn away to nothingness. Instead of the brothel that neighbored yours being visible like it was, it had collapsed just now.

Death is here to greet you in a smoldering embrace, and nobody is coming to save you.

In a last-ditch effort, you try once more to force yourself free. The metal that binds you now hurts to the touch, worse around the cuff linked to your ankle.

Again, no luck.

A week of torture has done little to prepare you for such a calamity, and you’re growing tired of fighting by the second. Sweat coats your body in a vain attempt at keeping you cool, considering the only hydration you’ve had in days was the tangerine offering from the piebald crow.

“Someone help me!” You cry out one final time in desperation. “Please!”

Nothing.

Another wasted attempt that has you curling in on yourself in pain. Between the shouting and coughing, you can’t ignore your ribs anymore, not when they’ve had no chance to recover. Even if you try and resist the urge, it’s impossible when every breath sends you further into death’s hands.

Is this how your life ends?

After everything you’ve been through, just to meet your demise in a horrific dance with sunset-colored flames that crack and sing the song of the end?

You only wish you had the chance to say goodbye to Toji first.

Wherever he is, you hope he’s safe and out of harm’s way. There’s no telling if he’s aware of what’s happened ─ what is happening.

Botan wants you to believe that he betrayed you, that he’s using you, but you know neither is true. No doubt she’s long gone, probably saddened by the fact she can’t watch the devil twirl you around with scorching hands.

You’d give anything to see Toji one last time, if only to say those three words that matter most. There’s nothing more you can do now but sit and await your fate.

But then, a voice hits your ears, perking your head up in its direction.

Between the inferno’s roar, someone is yelling, someone you know quite well, and the figure approaching from within the curtain of ash.

“Shion!?”

She appears outside the doors to your cell with a set of keys in hands, swiftly unlocking the door to enter. “You have to get up now!” Shion undoes the chain that bounds you, giving no regard to how her hands burn in the process. “Come on!”

Shion pulls you up, wrapping her arm around to your good side and keeps your head against her chest to aide you along. Despite several layers of heavy silk fabrics adorning her body, she moves with both ease and urgency to rescue you.

“You came for me?” you ask incredulously.

Without missing a beat she answers, “Of course I did, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be here sooner,” she admits with regret in her tone.

The ceiling cracks and then suddenly caves. Shion tries to pull you out of the way, but is a moment too late when a sharp, burning pain drags down your thigh, causing you to shriek.

Blood quickly forms over the path of your injury, both deep and in need of attention. Shion wastes no time in shredding strips of her precious aster robes using the edges of rubble to tie around the source.

“We have to keep going,” she urges, and you weakly nod, leaning back into her through gritted teeth.

It hurts to keep going, but you must if you’re to survive.

If you want to see him.

Once upstairs, you realize the harrowing situation you’re in. The brothel is encapsulated with flames, and with each passing second, it grows fiercer ─ more demanding on its quest to devour.

Painted murals along the walls you once trailed your fingers along have long since burned to dust. Courtesans and clients alike are all running for their lives to escape. You watch one such couple bound towards the exit, but without so much as a warning, the ceiling gives way. Their screams are cut short as Death makes it claim.

“Marigold!” Shion turns your face to her and away from the gruesome scene. One of her eyes you notice is clouded in black and white specks, as if she’s been blinded but at the same time not. Now isn’t the time to dwell on it. “We need to hurry, or you’ll never make it!”

She pulls you forward down a different corridor. The stench of burning flesh rages in your nose, sending waves of nausea throughout your body.

Outside in the courtyard, it’s no different. There are a few corpses that lay bloodied across the ground of courtesans you knew that had chosen to jump to their death rather than risk being burned alive.

You try to keep your sights set ahead, but it’s hard wondering if all you’re doing now is prolonging your suffering. Like the women you pass by with Shion, you agree with their decision. If it’s meaningless to hope, then you’d rather a quick death.

Shion brings you to one of the walls adjacent to the streets, and only now do you see why she brought you here.

It wasn’t pointless. There’s a hole in the wall. An opening large enough for the two of you to pass through into the outside world, into your escape.

But before you can make a run for it, she stops you. “Listen to me,” she starts, holding you by your shoulders. “You must go now, and don’t look back. You hear me?”

“But Shion–“

“No! I need you to be strong now.” She smiles brightly, yet bittersweet.

Shion reaches up to the crown of her head, pulling out an ornate silver stick from her updo ─ one that couples her own signature piece. She presses it flat against your chest for you to take, then pulls you into a warm embrace. The world stills in that very moment, not a sound besides your own hearts beating as one.

When she lets go, her eyes are both her normal shade of violet again, like nothing ever happened.

Then she pushes you back.

It was unexpected, so you stumble on your feet until your back collides with something hard. Confusion falls over your face mixed with fear as you turn your body only to find him.

Toji.

Thundering flames must’ve clouded your senses, unaware to the sound of his approach atop his jet-black steed. You can’t help the tears that fall as he holds his hand out for you to take, hoping this isn’t some cruel mirage conjured by death’s approach.

“Go, Marigold!” Shion yells, her own face riddled with tears. “Live your life as free as a bird!”

You take Toji’s hand and in one swift motion, the world moves in a blur and then settles with yourself in front of his body. The horse rears slightly, but the man holds hard on the reins while keeping you secure. He nudges with his ankle, urging the horse forward.

“Toji, no ─ go back for her!” You beg him while looking over his shoulder. “Shion!” Your voice cracks with sorrow.

Shion calls out her farewell to you, straining herself to reach your ears, “I’ll always love you, my little Marigold! You’ll forever be one of my own!” Her words fade into the sound of a crow’s caw overhead.

She’s gone ─ and your response is visceral. Thick, heavy tears cascade down your face as you feel your heart shatter.

In the short time you’ve known Shion, she’s become a second mother to you. History repeats itself in front of your eyes as you’re forced go on without them again, without her.

At least this time, you have something to remember her by. Something you never got the chance from your own that day your father cursed you with this life.

As you traverse through the apocalyptic streets, your cries eventually relax as the world around you overshadows any emotion felt. It’s not over until you’re free and clear from the district and this city as a whole.

Toji remains focused on the path ahead with a hardened stare, skillfully maneuvering through crowds and rubble all with one goal in mind.

With all the carnage surrounding you, Toji is the only tether you have to keep from losing yourself to the call of the void. Looking up to his face now through vision blurred from smoke and tears, you remember something long shut away in the depths of your mind, past the wall of thorns.

A mere second glimpse at that look of his was all you needed for everything to come back, and you’re sure of this one thing.

That you’ve finally found that boy again.

It’s a strange feeling leaving the only city you’ve known since birth. By now, you’re somewhere in the mountains east of Kyoto and that place you once called home is but a cloud in the horizon, extinguished by the downpouring of rain. It’s as if the heavens are weeping for all the lives taken today.

The trees do little to shield you and Toji, the both of you soaked from head to toe. He knows he needs to find somewhere to stop, and soon, but this isn’t anywhere close to where he had in mind. Your adrenaline has long since worn off, leaving you visibly in pain and shivering from the cold.

A fork in the road catches his attention, and as if by some miracle from above, the secondary path leads up through a Torii gate.

A shrine, no doubt. They wouldn’t turn away weary travelers.

Dawn has yet to arrive, and while it’s still dark, Toji can clearly see while riding past the gate that it’s not the typical color. What is normally a soft, natural wood tone, or a vermilion hue is instead stained in an unnatural scarlet.

That should be his first warning, but the color means nothing so long as what lies ahead is shelter in the end. So, he veers off from the main road, and up through the overgrown path.

“How are you holding up?” he asks as you adjust yourself for the umpteenth time in the seat.

You’ve never been in the saddle this long, or ever before, and the pain from all over is making you restless. That paired with obvious dehydration leaves you in a weakened state.

“It hurts, Toji,” you mumble with a hoarse tone. Your throat is raw and constantly burns ─ aftereffects from the fire and all your shouting and sobs. But the physical pain you feel is nothing compared to your psyche.

“Hang in there, we’re almost… there.” He trails off at the sight of the shrine, another warning stares blaringly in your face, far more pronounced and nightmarish.

There’s a large wall with a heavy set of crimson doors. Large, jagged spikes adorn the framing and even the rooftops. Bones litter the entrance, strung up like artwork. It even appears blood was used in place of paint for the walls, splashed over every inch of it exterior.

You don’t think too much of it past the ominous look from the pain you’re in, but Toji knows better.

He knows who this shrine belonged to.

A rare instance of hesitation washes over Toji, does he really want to risk hiding out here of all places? He ponders.

The atmosphere is already sickeningly cold, heightened by the rain now taking a turn for the worst. As uninviting as this shrine is to mere humans, it’ll have to do to guarantee your safety.

Toji clicks his tongue for the horse to approach the foreboding doors, but it neighs in refusal the closer it gets.

“Hold on,” he says suddenly, lifting you up in a bridal carry so he can dismount with you as carefully as he’s able to.

You wince at the discomforting feeling, clutching yourself when he sets you down on a clean rock instead of the mud. It takes him only a moment to tie the horse up to a tree and unsaddle them, making a mental note to come back later. For now, he needs to get you inside and treated, silently hoping this shrine is in fact abandoned.

He lifts you again, bringing you through the heavy doors. A part of you wants to voice your concerns over this place now that it’s in front of you, but in all honesty, your mind is too far gone to care.

Toji does stay alert for any bit of noise, feeling for anything out of the ordinary but as far as he can tell, it’s only the two of you here. He hopes it stays like that.

Past the front entrance, there’s a stone pathway that leads up to the sanctuary. To the east and west, there are other buildings, each grand in their own right, but not nearly as pronounced as the one to the north.

Despite the overgrown path on the way up, nothing inside is falling apart. Even the shrubbery is clean and cut, signaling some form of routine care. A worrying sight for Toji, but so long as the rumors prove true, you should be fine.

Toji opts to bring you to one of the buildings along the eastern side. His gut instinct proves correct as you enter what appears to be the building where servants were once housed. If that’s the case, then there’s bound to be supplies in the near vicinity.

“Stay here,” he requests, his voice is calm yet carries palpable tension. “I’m gonna look for some stuff we can use.”

You grab his sleeve before he steps away, your hands shaking in sudden fear. “Don’t leave me…” The words come in the form of a whisper; a pleading look in your glossy eyes. “Please.”

Toji lowers himself to his knee in front of you, so even with your head held down, you’re able to see him. With one hand, he reaches up to your face, brushing the loose hairs behind your ears. It pains him to see you so distraught.

“I’m not going far,” he reassures, his other hand settles around your wrist to help comfort you. “Just need to look for somethin’ to get you cleaned up.”

“Let me come with you then,” you eagerly ask, coughing from the spiked pace.

He sighs. The extent of your injuries are unknown to him and he wants to avoid any further harm until you’ve recovered. It’s bad enough he couldn’t reach you sooner, all because he let his guard down.

“Okay,” he agrees after a moment of thought. “Stay close to me and tell me if you’re hurting.” You nod, sticking faithfully to his side, his arm supporting you as you limp through the halls.

Toji’s able to snag a few robes from the servant quarters ─ something for you to eventually change into. He’d like to find something for himself, but knowing this place, there’s only one option he’d prefer to avoid.

It’s not that he fears a fight with the owner of this shrine, but rather, he’d like to avoid any possible confrontations with you at his side.

Thankfully, it isn’t long before he finds a supply closet of sorts, fitted with cleaning and even medical supplies. Toji grabs a few things he’s sure to need. The next step is finding some fresh water in this place, to which a large basin is found conveniently in the kitchen space.

You stand near the counter, eyeing the calm surface of the water. From the candles illuminating the surface, you’re able to make out a reflection of yourself, and all the horrors that follow.

Your face is dirtied with a layer of soot, grime, and blood in between. Your cheeks are hollowed and bruised from the torture you’ve sustained, and it’ll be a while before you recover from it all, if ever.

The image of yourself is distorted as Toji dips a flask into the pool of water, handing it to you to drink. It doesn’t go down easy, but you need to be hydrated. He then wets a cloth, bringing it slowly to your face, gently wiping away all the filth. Your eyes remain still on the rippling image, tears threatening to fall.

When he’s done with your face, Toji wets the cloth again, this time to assist beneath your robes, but you stop him.

“I-I can do this,” you tell him, but you find it hard to believe your own words. Toji takes the hint, handing you the cloth before turning away.

You want him to see you, but not like this.

Not when you’ve been beaten, assaulted, and used as nothing more than a toy for another’s pleasure ─ his own brother’s twisted pleasure.

It makes you feel broken, defiled, more so terrified that Toji may forever think of you differently now. The boy you’ve longed to see again, and you at your worst.

The evidence remains after all. Caked between your thighs like you yourself are some old, sullied rag. Your whole purpose being to be dirtied by another.

Your ruined marigold robes pool around your feet as you loosen them off, ready to scrub yourself clean. You start slow and gentle at first, increasing in pressure when it won’t come clean ─ when you don’t feel clean again.

Before you know it, the tears in your eyes have broken through, flooding down your face. Sniffles turn to sobs you try to hold back, but the mounting frustration makes it all the more difficult.

It’s not enough.

Your skin quickly reddens and you end up ditching the cloth in favor of your nails, anything to try and fix yourself anew even if it means cutting yourself in the process from the force of your anger.

It’s still not enough.

It feels like the walls are closing in again around you as the cuts worsen and your skin raws. If you can’t feel clean again, then you may as well be back in that cell to rot. You don’t want to be stuck like this forever, but what if you are?

What if there’s nowhere for you to go but back?

Your current freedom is a blessing, but one you aren’t convinced yet is real. The biggest fear you have is that Hanami will find you. She always finds those who leave her. It doesn’t matter that her brothel is a pile of ash.

She always gets what she wants.

What she owns.

But why did it have to be you?

If karma is real, then this all must be your punishment for something. Maybe a mistake in your past life or failing to take care of your family in this life. It’s hard not to blame yourself for how everything turned out if there was something you could’ve done.

Now you just want the pain to end.

For everything to come to a halt so you no longer have to feel it anymore.

A bloodcurdling cry escapes you, aggravating your throat, but immediately Toji grasps your body from behind. You fight it at first, your mind shouting that he can’t see you like this, but he refuses to budge, even securing your wrists to stop any further harm to yourself.

“Breathe.” His voice, soft in your ear, works to try and stabilize you. To bring you back from the edge of the abyss.

Toji lets you cry and break down in his arms, falling to the floor with you, but never failing to keep you close.

This is the first time in your life that you’re free and can allow yourself to feel every emotion you were forced to lock away for self-preservation. He could never take this moment away from you.

After some time, your head falls flat against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat lulling you into a sense of relief. Not a word is shared between the two of you for some time, but his presence is all you need.

It’s all you’ve wanted since the last time you saw him many moons ago.

But he’s here now withyou, and in a way, it’s like he never left. Merely hidden in plain sight ─ unrecognizable until you were ready to be free from trauma’s grasp. If Hanami comes after you now, you won’t be alone, not with Toji at your side to protect you.

With the worst now behind you, you’re able to get the rest of your body clean without much issue. It’s quiet, at least until Toji starts dressing the gashes down your thighs.

“How long?”

Toji hums, subtly encouraging you to continue while wrapping a bandage around your leg

You exhale deeply, nervously biting your lips between your teeth. You don’t have to be afraid with him.

“Back then… in the park.” You pause and his emerald eyes move up to meet yours. He looks curious. Hopeful. “Have you always known it was me since that night?”

That night being when you had “met” Toji in the brothel, unknowingly reuniting and setting forth the events that led you both to this current moment.

“How could I ever forget?” You saved me, he thinks, and a brief minute of silence follows.

Toji finishes the wrapping and then reaches for the pristine white robe he snagged earlier. He stands behind you, helping you into it with careful consideration.

“That promise you made to me all those years ago…” The promise to free you ─ to take you away. “…did you mean it?”

You tie the robe loosely, just enough to cover yourself before turning around to meet his eyes.

The clouds part as you do so, with morning light gleaming through the window behind Toji. Its rays paint the room in warm, amber tones that reflect perfectly in the deepest depths of your eyes.

It’s as if the sun itself chooses to shine if only for you. Or maybe that light comes within you, like it had all those years before when he saw you.

The answer to your question is obvious, with only one possible response he could give. He doesn’t need a sign from the heavens either way to speak from his heart, and he does so, without any hesitation or wavering in his voice.

“Every word.”

You smile, brighter than ever before, even outshining the stars themselves across the skies above. Toji realizes then that there’s still hope of getting you back. Like the mythical bird of fire, you’ll overcome all this pain and come out ethereal once again.

“Then I’ve made my decision.”

☆ Notes: I’ve had to rewrite half this chapter a dozen times over trying to write an emotional breakdown I could be happy about without it sounding weird as hell, especially with dialogue…

But yeah, I had a lot of ideas as to how this chapter would go down, but then I went all in on the trauma and had to push some stuff back but we’ll get to that soon enough :)

☆ Taglist: @fandomtrash5092 @catmania-choco

#toji fushiguro #jjk #jjk toji #jujutsu kaisen #toji zenin #jjk au #toji x reader #toji fushiguro x reader #toji x female reader #toji x you #courtesan!reader #ronin!toji

34 notes · View notes

lemotmo · 1 day

Note

You know I’ve tried so hard to stay neutral on the whole Lou/Tommy of it all. But he did another cameo, which he apparently upped the prices the 145 a video?? But he did another one and he dismissed all of Tommy’s past behavior as being corny and teasing which…does not sit right with me. Like racism, misogyny, toxicity, silent compliance of it all….is not just being corny and teasing. And then he ends the video by talking about Tommy came in at the last minute to save the day and save Bobby and Athena so everyone should be good with him now….. like now we’re taking credit for Hens stuff too?

Idk none of that sat well with me at all and if he is sticking around for any of season 8 I think I need the show to just be like no more cameos from you or something.

Hi Nonny, hope the rest of your day was great. Don't allow things like this to get to you too much. If you feel you need a break from social media, make sure to take it. There is already enough stress in real life, don't let it seep into your fandom life as well. Take care of yourself first. You deserve only the best.

Now on to your ask:

I haven’t seen the cameo you are talking about. I have no desire to see that cameo either. I’ve watched one of Lou’s cameos, way back in the beginning when he started doing them. I found it funny, if a little weird that someone would pay for that, but to each their own.

I’ve been hearing about these cameos more and more lately. And yes, they have started to bother me. Mostly because it seems that Lou is charging these people up to 125 dollar (I’ve even read 145 dollars) to talk about the things ‘he’ thinks or believes to be true about Tommy or Buck/Tommy. Basically he’s talking about his own headcanons as an actor. Which again, is fine, because if it helps him to act better, why not?

The problem lies in the fact that some people have started taking Lou’s headcanons for reality. They hear what he says and see it as ‘canon’ because (right now) Buck/Tommy is a canon couple. While it is true that Buck/Tommy is canon, Lou’s headcanons are just that, little fanfictions he made up in his head. It’s a dangerous road to go down, because where does it end? When Buck/Tommy eventually break up, a lot of people will feel misled by him. It won’t be pretty.

So therefore, I’ve decided to never watch any of his cameos. I’m not really interested in his fantasies for the guest character he plays on my favourite show. I’d much rather be focusing on what 911 is actually showing us on our screens. I focus on the nuances and little details that they want us to pick up on.

Sometimes there are small things that seem inconsequential, but turn out to be very important episodes later. Everything matters on television. There are no coincidences. The writers craft the story, every single thing is planned out for the scene, the actors act it out and we watch on in complete fascination. There is no room for a guest actor’s headcanons or fantasies in a prime time show like this.

That being said though, if he truly dismissed Chimney and Hen’s plight under Captain Gerrard as mere ‘teasing’, that is factually wrong. If you go back to watch the scenes in question, there is bigotry, blatant racism and sexism. It makes me wonder if he even remembers the scenes in question. Did he rewatch them before he came back for season 7? We’ll never know.

But it does highlight, once again, that it isn’t smart to give this guy a platform to talk about his personal headcanons. He was always bound to say something dumb that would piss people off at some point. And here we are today, pissed off and annoyed.

I also want to remind everyone that it wasn’t Tommy who is the real ‘hero’ in the story of saving Bathena on the cruise ship. It was Hen Wilson, who had a bad feeling in her gut and decided to follow that feeling. She got the ball rolling, then Chimney jumped to her aide, because he always will. Buck and Eddie decided to join in, without hesitation, because again—they always will. Tommy was merely the helicopter pilot who flew them all in.

By that definition they are all the heroes in this narrative, which is why they all get medals next episode. But it is only Hen who was smart enough to follow her gut. If all the others are ‘heroes’? Hen Wilson is the only ‘big damn hero’.

I do believe Tommy might be sticking around for the beginning of season 8, because I’m not sure there will be enough time to deal with a proper break up in two episodes. Unless Tim surprises me and actually does manage to pull it off.

But yes, someone should just tell him to stop doing those cameos if his character is to carry over to season 8. It’s starting to get a little worrisome at this point. Charging people to talk about your own fantasies for your character, feels a little exploitative.

Whatever happens with him in season 8, ultimately I’m not really worried about Tommy to be honest. Lou’s stint on 911 is coming to an end pretty soon, one way or the other.

Consider this topic closed for me now. I’ve said all I wanted and needed to say. I don’t feel like wasting any more of my time thinking about or writing about this man and his cameos. I’d rather spend my precious fandom time on the things that matter: the amazing people I’ve met, watching the show and crying copious amounts of tears over these characters I’ve come to love so much, theorising and speculating about what might happen in the next episodes and next season, and above all talking about Buddie—my favourite pastime. 😊

#nonnies galore #the sordid tale of a man and his cameos #I'm not tagging certain actors; character names or ships #I have no desire to spend my precious fandom time deleting inconsequential messages in my inbox #911 fandom discourse

24 notes · View notes

charlie-roe · 2 days

Text

Konig Headcanons - SFW

To preface, I thoroughly, without a doubt, 1000% stand behind the fact that Konig is not a shy uwu boi. He’s got anxiety not a weak constitution. This is just generally about him as a person + a lil drabble about relationships but nothing explicit (I will post that later tehe).

Let’s talk about his anxiety. He has it, but he’s not a crybaby. He’s a grown man who kills people for a living. Do you really think if you hurt his feelings he’d steeple his index fingers together and his eyes would water? No, absolutely fuckin’ not. I think his anxiety has to do with being uncomfortable in situations that he’s not prepared for. If he’s thoroughly briefed on a mission, familiar with people or places, given detailed directions, etc he’s g2g. And I still think even if he’s uncomfortable he wouldn’t outright show it. But he is a fidgeter. He’d probably clench and unclench his fists, rub the hem of his shirt between his fingers, bounce his leg if he’s sitting, pull out his phone to “check the time” often, etc. Konig wouldn’t announce that he’s anxious.

His bio says that he has severe social anxiety and was bullied as a child but doesn’t give more details about his anxiety than that. I see a lot of headcanons saying that it’s because he was chubby, had a stutter, or a harelip but I don’t think that’s the cause. I think he grew up in a very remote area and didn’t have much contact with kids his age (only child vibes), so he didn’t develop social skills. Maybe homeschooled or something. So, I think kids bullied him for being a bit awkward at times, not understanding social cues or simply not talking because he just didn’t know what to say.

Otherwise, I imagine him to be very confident, almost borderline cocky. With people he’s familiar with he can be funny, maybe even goofy and have a good time. Have you heard his voice lines in the game? He’s charismatic because he knows what he’s doing and he’s in his element. Some of his voice lines are even funny. His anxiety is nonexistent when he’s on missions because of this and why he has good comebacks. Especially if he snipes someone and he makes the comment “Heh, and they said I couldn’t be a sniper.” COCKY AF. I think it’s almost like once he’s locked in on a mission, he goes into a certain corner of his brain that is a lil bit bloodthirsty and violent and a bit psychotic. Killer autopilot mode. Because who dafuq just breaks someone’s back over their knees? An entire personality crafted just for war.

Why did he join the military? I think honestly because where he grew up didn’t have many career choices. I imagine he grew up in a little mountain town, so his choices were like a butcher shop, a grocery store, or the post office lmfao. He was good with guns since he hunted since he was a kid and figured that he could send money home to his family and experience the world with the military. Konig’s size and his constant fidgeting barred him from being a sniper. People could see his big ass from a mile away even in a ghillie suit, he just couldn’t blend in no matter how small he tried to scrunch himself together. He was disappointed at first, but I think he came to love being on the front lines and is how the mask came into play. I will explain.

His bio states that there’s a rumor that he wears the hood because underneath is scary. This suggests he’s been mutilated by war, but I think it really is just a rumor. It’s simply a scare tactic and partially for privacy reasons. Imagine being the enemy holed up in a room, the door blasts open and Konig’s inhumanly tall ass steps through the doorway wearing an executioner’s hood and all you can see is the whites of his eyes. It would be terrifying, and it catches the enemy off guard. They’ve heard stories about him, and the legend isn’t a myth. Konig is a known figure throughout the PMC & bad guys world. So, he doesn’t want anyone on the other side to remember his face and see him in public. However, I don’t believe Konig wears his hood all the time. As soon as he’s on that helo headed out, he rips that mask off so he can breathe properly.

So, what’s under the mask? Again, I think the rumors about him being a wreck under the mask are just a part of his lore. I think Konig is either dirty blonde or has auburn hair. I really can’t decide. It’s kept at a shorter length that curls at the ends. His eyes are a like a steely, grey-blue color. His jawline is defined, more in a square shape. Slight cleft chin. His bottom lip is fuller than his top lip. Konig’s nose is slightly crooked from being broken a few times, but the bridge is defined but I think he has a cute lil button-y, retrousse nose. High cheekbones. Thick eyebrows that are sharp in shape. His teeth aren’t 100% perfect, some crowding issues on the bottom. Definitely has had some teeth knocked out so some are fake. He has a light stubble, has the ability to grow a beard but doesn’t because it gets caught in his hood. He does have scars both mild and severe scattered about his face. He’s obviously very muscular, but I do think he has a smidge of fat on his abs because he needs constant food for his body type. Definitely a 12/10 stars pretty man…or he’s very average. There is allegedly a glitch in game where his face is revealed, and he’s not ugly but not hot either.

Let’s address the elephant in the room…his height. I know it’s widely believed or accepted that he is 6’10”. And while I would love to believe that I don’t think it’s true. He is canonically very tall; but I think around 6’6” or 6’7” max and 6’4” being the minimum. Maybe the 6’10” is just another rumor spread to keep up with his imposing legend.

If it’s true that Konig is indeed a colonel, then it would take around 17 years for him to achieve this rank in the German military (I couldn’t find anything specific about Austrian military, plus at this point there’s no clear answer to whether he’s Austrian or German) then canonically he must be at the very least 34 which I agree with, maybe even a few years older. He’s a whole, grown ass adult man not a 20-something year old. I feel like he’s a summer baby.

I honestly have no clue as to what his legal name is. I would like for it to be something sexy like Felix, Leon, Elias, Klaus, or Milo. But I have a feeling it’s something very basic and very Germanic like Karl or Albert. Or even worse something ugly like Wolfgang but I won’t even entertain that idea. I think the name Konig just comes from his cockiness. He’s the king on the battlefield because he excels at what he does. He took down an entire terrorist cell by himself. I’ve seen some people say that maybe it’s his last name or maybe even his first name, but I don’t think that’s right either.

It takes him some time to warm up to people, so he can come off as shy at first or maybe even rude/harsh. But really, he’s just observing to see how he can act around them. If they seem like they wouldn’t appreciate a dirty joke, he won’t say anything inappropriate. He bases his personality on the energy they project. They like to goof off? He can be a dumbass around them. They’re kind and polite? Konig will give it right back. Are they harsh and blunt? He’s got that personality under his belt too. Not to say he doesn’t have his own “real” personality, but I think this is one of his ways to get around his social anxiety.

He won’t shy away from going out with his friends or teammates. In fact, I think he’s funnier when he’s drunk, but he’s still reserved and doesn’t get blackout drunk. He definitely wouldn’t dance or sing, but he gets very chatty and loves to joke but only with the people he knows. He’ll play pool with the guys. He probably wouldn’t chat up strangers at the bar on his own or do something to draw attention to himself. But if someone comes up to him, he’s not going to clam up. Probably just come off as awkward and not have much to say because he ain’t know them like that.

I think he’s popular with the ladies for sure. Like girls definitely notice him and crush on him. I definitely don’t think he’s a 34+ year old virgin or only has a few bodies under his belt. But Konig also isn’t a man whore (but I do love the idea of it). He’s sitting at a 10-15 body count. Not too little, not a whole lot. I don’t think he’s interested in barrack bunnies, but he also would be lying if he said he’s never slept with a fellow soldier that he got close to. But I don’t think he’s the type for a relationship due to his job. He’s always going out on missions in other countries for weeks at a time. When he comes back, he’s exhausted and doesn’t have the energy to put into a relationship so he feels like it’s not fair to have a significant other. Unfortunately, he gives me situationship vibes, but he doesn’t mean for it to happen and in fact doesn’t really care for casual flings, but they just happen. Just keeps seeing the same girl for a few months at a time but then cuts ties when things get a bit too serious. Konig wouldn’t mind having a partner, but he wants to wait until he’s retired so he’s able to actually put effort into the relationship.

Warning: In my world I depict Konig as straight, so the following is based on that belief. I think Konig has a thing for women with long blonde hair, but otherwise doesn’t care too much about height, body shape, weight or race as long as he thinks they’re pretty. His ideal girl would be calm, kind, polite but can dish & take jokes and able to let loose once in a while. I don’t think he’d go for obnoxious, loud or high maintenance ladies. Doesn’t mind someone with a bit of fire to them. He wants a woman, not a silly lil baby lolita egirl teeny bopper (sorry to those who love this idea) so I don’t think he’d go for women under 25ish. He likes them more mature with ambition and a steady head. He doesn’t mind spoiling them every so often, but also thinks women shouldn’t use him for his money either. He doesn’t feel emasculated when his girl pays for dinner. He thinks that a relationship should be equal and fair on both sides. Definite plus if she’s a great cook because this man loves to eat.

For hobbies I think Konig enjoys hunting, he makes his own beer when he’s on leave, hiking, he’s a good cook (at least when it comes to Austrian/German/whatever Activision decides his nationality is today) and has project cars. Let’s break it down.

He grew up in the mountains, so there’s prey animals in abundance and I like to think he did it as a kid with his father or another father figure. He does feel bad for the animals he hunts, but he makes sure to use up every part so nothing goes to waste. Obviously, he uses the meat, he uses the pelts for crafting, he does have a bone collection going and if he took an especially magnificent specimen, he will have it mounted on his cabin wall because he dabbles a little bit in taxidermy but isn’t a trophy hunter.

He’s Austrian/German so beer is in his DNA. He likes to experiment and see what flavors he can create when he makes his beer. If Konig brews a batch that is really good, he will share with family & friends but usually it’s just for his personal consumption. He doesn’t just make beer though; in the summer he’ll make his own wine from berries because his mom/grandma loves it. Lowkey a mama’s boy.

I’d also like to think that he learned cooking with his mom or grandma when he was little. They’d have him help with the small stuff and would hang out with them in the kitchen and observe. As he got older, he would take more part of the cooking to the point where he’d offer to make dinner so his mom/granny whoever can relax. Plus, as I said this man loves to eat and when he’s at his own place off duty he craves hearty meals and mama ain’t there to cook.

I honestly have no source or idea why he likes project cars. I think it mostly has to do with keeping him busy and focused on something. I don’t think Konig tunes them as performance cars, so I don’t think he races them or does anything crazy with them. He does, however, like to drive around for fun, especially on long, windy mountain roads.

Konig loves music and listens to a wide range of it, but I think he’d especially be into German metal (think Rammstein- very stereotypical, I know), but likes Type-O Negative, etc. Anything hard rock. For some reason he likes Sublime even though it’s widely different to what he usually listens to. He hates country music.

If I have any more that I think of I will add. I hope that the big hype surrounding Konig will make Activision bring him more into the game. Maybe not the sole focus of the game, but a campaign mission here or there or he makes an appearance in the very least. I’m just not sure how it would work out because per canon SpecGru and KorTac are rivals. Whether this means they’re actually enemies or just competition in campaign mode or rivals for multiplayer to simplify things I’m still debating about.

Anyhoo, any thoughts or comments are appreciated! I just really wanted to take this from a logical standpoint from what we know and what can be speculated based on the little information we’ve been given about him. I don’t think anyone understands how bad I need him to be real.

#konig mw2 #cod headcanons #cod konig #konig call of duty #konig cod #konig #konig headcanons #call of duty #call of duty headcanons #call of duty modern warfar

34 notes · View notes

hantenguclonesimp-minuszoha · 2 days

Text

Ears.

(It's true, go check it out yourself, episode 4 11:45.)

Note: just the main four cuz I'm lazy.

If it's one thing you had long figured out, it's that the clones are really bad at hiding their emotions. That fact came as no surprise, surprising as that might be (if that makes sense). They always wonder how you know what they truly feel while they don't even realise they're giving it away so obviously.

Your secret? Their ears.

As they grew more vulnerable with you, your noticed overtime that their ears are quite sensitive. Not their hearing, but literally their ears. Their ears tend to react to things whenever they themselves do and you had figured it out by a little experiment you had conducted.

You had once pretended to be in pain and the clone who was present was Urogi. Immediately, you noticed how his ears stood up in concern while also being very alert of his surroundings as he approached you in worry. You also noticed that his ears immediately drooped when you pretended to be hurt and weak, however, he feigned confidence to try and keep you calm. With Urogi, it's very easy to tell how he feels since he barely ever tries to hide his emotions from you. The rare occasion he does, it would probably be one of two reasons. The first being that Sekido must have irritated him enough to the point to feel a spike of anger, leading him to isolate himself on frustration or go for a fly. The second being, when he has to go on rather risky missions. He tends to hide any faint worry he may have to keep you calm. Though, those moments are nearly non-existent thanks to his overgrown ego.

So that's how you know when they're may enjoy you shows of affection them, secretly or not. You especially use this trick on Sekido. "I told you to stop doing that!" Hugging him out of nowhere usually gets him all flustered and he even blushes! Not that he knows or shows it, kind of. His ears gain a red tint and lower, especially if caught by surprise while he pretends that he hates every second of what's happening. Sekido also tends to show his comfort in your presence, especially when you two are alone. Whether it's on your lap, in your room, at the patio or anywhere else where it's just you two, you will always notice that his ears will lower when he feels at peace.

The worst at hiding his emotions is most certainly Aizetsu. While he is mostly gloomy and rather sassy, he will always fail to hide how he truly feels, be it a problem or something he likes, not to mention that his ears are the most sensitive out of everyone else's. You remember how Karaku and Urogi teased him yesterday for his uncontrolled ears that tend to twitch out of the blue. Too bad for Aizetsu, he had to wait it out and listen to the never ending teases and pokes at his ears from his older and younger counterparts. When alone, Aizetsu's ears are guaranteed always lowered, the lowest of the four actually which shows how much he trusts you. He often asks you to kiss his ears, though since it stops them from twitching and since your lips feel nice. They're ticklish though.

And then there's Karaku. Despite the fact that he also sucks just as much as his clone brethren, he does actually do a decent job at hiding his emotions, mostly because he's relaxed most of the times. He tends to play mind games with you and likes to keep you guessing. You immediately get him to break with very soft kiss and caress to his ears though, that's guaranteed. Surprisingly enough, when it comes to being vulnerable, he's the most stubborn after Zohakuten with the excuse that he doesn't like ruining the mood. "Pretty stupid excuse, darling." He was well-aware that it was, but you keeping that frown upside-down was so worth keeping all of that little bit of stress up. "I don't think it is."

That was all for the goofy little ear HCs I had for these idioti.

27 notes · View notes

irish-chikorita · 2 years

Text

I absolutely fucking adore the look Red gives Jacob when he’s doin stupid shit

#the sea beast #jacob holland #maisie brumble #AND THE FACT THAT HE TRIES IT ONCE MORE- AND THEN TRIES TO BREAK IT ON THE ROCK- LIKE- JACOB HONEY THAT BITCH IS METAL STOP PLEASE-#on god when i watched the first time- when i saw him go to do it again at the end of the movie- i was like nononoNO JACOB DONT PLEASE-#second hand embarrassment with only 2 1/2 witnesses is bearable #second hand embarrassment with the entire present kingdom as witnesses is a whole nother level

2K notes · View notes

achilleslyre · 9 months

Text

obito carried so much on his shoulders for his entire life and all you people do is reduce him to an incel…….

#he’s not right or just in everything he did but he genuinely had good intentions and carried the weight of thinking he could end unnecessary #shinobi deaths via war before finding out it was all a LIE anyways #(and he fought to right his wrongs once seeing the lie!)#obito would have faced so much discrimination as a kid simply due to the fact he is an uchiha in an anti uchiha world AND genuinely saw the #horrors of what a cruel and messed up world the shinobi lived in to have to be used as pawns of war and kill other shinobi #on top of that he was manipulated and groomed to believe that he could genuinely fix it and end all fighting and death of shinobi��……#and yet all he’s reduced to is an incel. i’m so tired #rin was the breaking point but was not the reason he tried to do the infinite tsukuyomi…. he just didn’t want anymore ppl to die #i feel like obito is one of the most misunderstood characters #was just talking about this with a mutual but it’s so true #like he’s not entirely good and he’s not entirely bad but… he is sillay!#lol #anyways maybe i’ll make a full post about him later but i cba rn #there’s so much more to talk on tbh #idk i’ve been really coming around to obito lately… he’s just so silly and he sucks so bad he’s amazing…… can’t help it lol #jitter bugs u #naruto

13 notes · View notes

lucalicatteart · 1 year

Text

Poll adventure (paventure? lol) Day 13: read the small story tidbit below the poll for more details, OR just vote based on initial impression

(✦ see past poll results + further information HERE (link) ✦)

Yesterday's poll decided that The Adventurer should just start crying whilst being robbed in the abandoned barn ...

(----- tw for mild violence (he gets into sort of a fight) until after the next orange text section in parentheses -----)

Not sure what else to even do, The Adventurer simply collapses into a ball on the floor and starts sobbing, screaming, and rolling about. The hooded figure pauses in confusion at first, but.. apparently is not very sympathetic to his plight.

They rush over, grappling with him as he cries, fighting to pry the backpack out of his hands. The Adventurer continues screeching frantically, and during some of his flailing accidentally swings his arm up, elbowing the hooded figure in the face. They let out an exasperated sigh, knocking him against the wall then firmly yanking him up by the hair, securing their arm around his throat to restrain him as they grab for the backpack. He kicks a few times, struggling, clawing at the hooded figure's arms, but just isn't strong enough to free himself.. There's a thwack and a sudden sharpness in the side of his head, the backpack pulling away from his shoulders, cold ground, and then… nothing at all..…

(------------------- mild violence tw over -----------------) ...............

The Adventurer slowly opens his eyes to a quiet foggy morning.. Tiny particles in the dusty barn air gently flutter to and fro, dancing around in the streams of early sunlight trickling through the slight crack of the front doors. With a groan, he rolls over, suddenly feeling every ache in his body. His head, his wrist, his leg injury from crashing the raft.. He spends a while just laying on his back, watching the dust and gazing hopelessly at the moldy boards of the roof, mustering the strength to sit upright… What can he even do next? He's failed.. His first EVER actual quest of his adventuring career, and he can't even keep a stupid egg safe for more than a few days! What type of adventurer is that?? Maybe he should just give up.. Go back home and do nothing with his life, just as he was meant to... He sighs, turning back onto his side and curling into a ball to sulk even more dramatically. The cat trots over to him to interrupt his swirling thoughts, pawing at his face, then directing him towards a small stack of hay in the corner where... there it is! His backpack!! He scrambles over, immediately digging through to check for his belongings.. To his surprise, everything it still in it's place. His food, his money, all of the cool shiny rocks he's collected so far.. And tucked away in the very bottom, the Mysterious Egg box remains, completely undamaged.. somehow with the egg still inside! And... a note? He shakily unfolds a crisp sheet of pale yellow paper dotted with a few scribbly letters: "I took care of her for you. Be more careful next time. Just get where you have to go."

Well...... He supposes that if there's apparently going to be weirdos following him around anyway, maybe he's lucky at least one of them seems nice. Better than trying to ROB him, at least.. Even if it is a bit creepy. He realizes now that his injuries have been bandaged as well, and that when he woke up, he was wrapped in a blanket, and.. where is the hooded figure? What does the stranger mean that they "took care" of her?? He turns to the cat for answers, as if they'd be able to clear up his confusions, but they simply make a "mrrp!" noise and stare blankly in response. Figuring that it's all far too much to think about first thing in the morning (especially with the headache that he has), he just decides to be thankful he at least still has the egg, and thus can continue on his grand adventure!! He will NOT let himself fail again! Sore and limping but full of renewed motivation, he leaps up (at least as best he can) and continues back onto the road. After walking only a few hours, he comes to a clearing at the top of a large hill, overlooking the next stop on his journey (then double checks the map just to make sure it actually IS the next stop). This is a much bigger area than the previous villages he's been to, possibly large enough to even count as a small city. With a wider variation of shops and attractions available to him than usual, he wonders if he should just take a break and relax the rest of the day.

He's too tired to walk much today anyway, soo.. maybe it'd be good for him to spend some time in a safe public space, doing something to help take his mind off of this morning's drama… But, what should he do?

Additional Information

the adventurer's current main quest: follow his map to reach the abandoned castle ruins and see the rare animal specialist about the mysterious egg he has

#paventure posting #poll #polls #choose your own adventure #ERM.. okay I didn't mean to take a 2 week break from doing these. I just got really really busy with Life Things #had various appointments in a row and stuff to sort out. I kept thinking like 'oh I need to get back to that!' and then would be doing #other stuff all day and then at the end of the day just realize that I.. hadn't.. BUT i AM DOING IT NOW!!#I think it's more effective if it's at least once every 1-3 days so that people don't forget the entire story before the next one is out lo #*lol.. but.. alas #Sorry I had to have something bad happen to him. I know I could have made it silly instead like the hooded figure was just like #secretly very sensitive and thinking 'AWW sowwy ur crying #do you want a donut? :(' or something but.. I had to be realistic lol #If some obviously threatening person is coming after you because they want to steal and extremely valuable item from you #for their boss or to sell themselves or whatever. you being vulnerable is just going to give them a chance to take it from you #there are very few instances where realistically that WOULDN'T happen. gbhjb..#Also note: I did not make up the mysterious person who ''saves'' him as a cop out from giving him actual consequences t #o his actions or something. I know it's convenient - but it does make sense. There have always been multiple people following him ever #since he was at the Inn. Even though the Inkeeper tried to hide it very fast and keep hush hush about it. there were people there #who were alerted to the fact that he has the egg. Mostly two specifically. One of them has always been more benevolent because #they have a different end goal. Which is like.. not extremely benevolent actually ghhjbhbj.. but it makes sense for them to act #benevolent at the moment because they have an interest in seeing that the egg is taken to it's ''proper place''.#The two people following him were not directly connected or working for the same people or anything. But the one who just helped him #obviously was very aware of the other. and the other didn't know about the helpful one. ANYWAY #A stumbling block in the beginning of his grand adventuring journey. hopefully things go better for him from here lol #His injuries are pretty minor but he still feels bad since he's not used to fighting. I think he deserves a relax day #he was already 5 seconds away from crying at any given time. now on top of that he's got bruises and a sprained wrist and a headache #and he's not used to having ever been injured or ''fought'' anyone before so he WILL be being very dramatic about it in his head and #finding every possible chance to mention to anyone who will listen about how he was so so brave and got in such a wild fight #and also feels so so bad and please tell him everything will be okay and oh he is so so so injured *big wet seal eyes*#he IS going to feel sorry for himself for weeks gghbjhb..

16 notes · View notes