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ficsandcatsandficsandcats · 4 years

Note

Hey, I was wondering if I could request a fic where the reader convinces Geralt to go on a quest to help her retrieve a notebook that a dragon stole from her. And along the way, Geralt catches feeling for the reader and can't figure out why he has such a compulsion to protect her. And then it dawns on him that she's half witcher, and maybe that's where maybe some angst kicks in?

Fandom: The WitcherPairing: Geralt x ReaderWord Count: 1,925Rating: TTaglist: @heroics-and-heartbreak @whatevermonkey @mynamesoundslikesherlock @magic-multicolored-miracle @writingstudent @mlleecrivaine @coffee-and-stories @ultracolorfulnerdcollection @astouract@your-not-invisible-to-me @kemmastan a/n: This was an interesting premise! I hope I did it justice! Thanks!

Geralt was at a point in his career where he could pick and choose jobs as he wished and yours wasn’t the kind he’d usually pick. Retrieving a notebook from a dragon seemed ridiculous. At first he’d gruffly rebuffed you, telling you to buy a new notebook and getting up to walk away. But when you’d called after him that you’d just go on your own if you had to, a strange feeling overcame him. He’d immediately turned around and accepted the job, barking that you’d leave tomorrow at first light, and turned back around before he could see the relieved smile light up your face. Something about you compelled him to keep you safe. He hadn’t felt that kind of pull since Ciri had entered his life but you were no child and the way he felt as he looked at you was far from paternal. He was a professional, though, and he would escort you there and back and that would be it.

That was his plan, at least. A well laid and ultimately useless one. For all that he tried to wedge distance between the two of you, you found your way in. You were funny and charming and the way the fire illuminated your face made you lovelier than all the stars in the skies above you. More than once he felt the urge to pull you close but he fought against it. Partially out of professionalism but more out of fear. He didn’t know what caused this intense attraction but he didn’t trust it.

“Tell me about yourself,” he said one day, hoping that he may learn something that would help him like you less. You walked alongside of Roach and glanced up at the witcher who loomed large above you.

“Why?” you asked bluntly.

“If we are to travel together we may as well learn more about each other,” he replied.

“Alright,” you said, “You go first.”

“I asked first,” he countered.

“What do you want to know?” you asked, pretend he hadn’t just given the most childish rebuttal imaginable.

“Tell me about your family,” he offered. You were quiet for a long moment and he began to regret the question. He had a soft spot in his heart for people with unfortunate families.

“I don’t know much about them,” you admitted.

“Orphaned?”

“Yes, you?”

“Don’t remember them so yes,” he replied.

“Any family at all then?” you asked, seamlessly taking up the mantle of interrogator. Geralt thought of Ciri and Jaskier and everyone at Kaer Morhen.

“Some,” he answered, “Yourself?”

“Some,” you replied with a little smile playing about your lips as you thought of the people you’d come to know and trust in your life.

“So tell me something,” Geralt said, trying another tactic, “Why a witcher to retrieve a notebook? Do you want me to slay the dragon because I can tell you right now that unless the beast is going around eating people I will leave it as it lives.”

“Of course I don’t want you to kill it,” you answered, tone severe and face contorted into a scowl, “I happen to have a tenderness towards monsters. If it were just a matter of killing it I’d be fine. It is specifically because I don’t wish to hurt it that I asked a professional monster wrangler to aid me.”

Geralt’s face crumpled into a very disgruntled expression. You’d answered perfectly and what’s worse his heart had skipped an already slow beat at your mention of feeling tenderness towards monsters.

“Stupid,” he bit out, “It’s stupid to feel tender towards monsters. Good way to get eaten.”

You stopped walking and he paused Roach’s steps, looking back at you. You gave him a cool, withering expression that cut through the layers of thick leather armor on his body, chilling him to the bone.

“Do not underestimate me, Witcher,” you said, “I know of what I speak when it comes to monsters.”

You began to walk again, striding ahead with your head held high as Geralt grumpily trotted after you, falling into a silence that was far less enjoyable than the one before. This, Geralt thought to himself bitterly, is what comes of small talk.

That evening Geralt scouted the area around the campsite twice, senses heightened with the need to ensure your safety. The anxiety for your wellbeing buzzed in his mind like a particularly persistent gnat. You were oblivious it seemed. You made the fire while he was gone and even fed Roach and, to Geralt’s horror, was brushing her coat when he returned. The horse seemed as enchanted with you as Geralt was and his stomach pitched at the thought of how well you seemed to fit into their little life together. He went to his bedroll without a word and went to sleep while you stayed up a bit longer tending the fire and petting Roach.

Somehow Geralt fell asleep but when he woke it was to a sharp spike of panic running through him. He stood up, already reaching for his sword, and a hand clamped around his mouth. He tore at it but he soon recognized it and stilled as you leaned to whisper in his ear.

“I think we found our dragon.”

A brilliant flash of golden scales, illuminated by the fire which was a pile of glowing embers now, rustled through the trees and you kept your hand on Geralt’s mouth, face pressed by his as you watched carefully to see if the dragon would come towards you or move on unimpeded. Geralt’s mind was torn between focusing on the threat and trying to figure out how you had perceived it before he did and how you were strong enough to keep your hand clamped tight around him. The only person who had ever been able to sneak up on him in the past was a fellow witcher and you were not-

Geralt glanced, your face closer than it had ever been and even in the darkness he began to notice little things. Your eyes, though Y/E/C and not the usual witcher’s yellow hue, glowed slightly even in the dark. Your skin wasn’t pale per se but there was a wan quality to it that some may mistake as sickly, but there was nothing weak about your grasp on him. And then Geralt realize your heart wasn’t beating. He listened carefully, your body pressed close enough that he should have felt its rhythm, but there was nothing for 1… 2…. 3…. Thump. You relaxed your grip and stepped back.

“It’s left for now but we should probably get moving,” you said, moving to stir water into the campfire.

“You’re a witcher,” Geralt said, not a question but a confused revelation. You paused and sighed heavily.

“I’m not,” you said.

“Bullshit,” Geralt replied, “I don’t know how it took me this long but you are one, I know that much.”

“I’m not,” you insisted, turning to face him, “I’m… well I suppose at best I’m half.”

Geralt blinked a few times in confusion, trying to process what you’d said.

“No such thing,” he argued, “Witcher’s are sterile and cannot procreate. And those who fail the trial of grasses die.”

“Yes,” you agreed, “They do. But not all stay dead.”

Geralt didn’t have a response for that, just a relentless stare that you met head on. You knew this was a battle of wills that you would try to win but you also knew there was no walking this back, you may as well tell him.

“Girl witchers are rare,” you said, continuing to round up items around the campfire and keeping your voice low, “But not unheard of. I was taken in much as I’m sure you were, offered up by family shortly after birth or maybe being found, I’ve heard different things from different people. I trained and I was submitted to the trial of the grasses but something went wrong. There was an attack that was unanticipated and I was left for dead. Until a mage found me, compelled by something, they say destiny and who am I to disagree with them though I feel it does a disservice to their work. They say there was just enough life left in me to bring back and so here I am. Not a witcher, but not a human either. Something different. Something that doesn’t quite belong anywhere. So yes, Geralt of Rivia, I know monsters. I am a new breed of one. But I dare to think that like that dragon, I deserve to live. Not all would agree. Not all of your own order would agree. But there it is.”

By the time you were done talking you had packed everything up and even saddled Roach while Geralt watched in stunned silence, listening but hardly believing what you told him. He could tell you were being honest, though.

“That’s why I’ve felt so….” He began and then stopped himself. You turned swiftly and looked at him.

“That’s why you’ve felt what?” you asked.

“I’ve felt a sort of… connection with you,” he said, “I thought maybe I was just… but this is why. You’re… well, you’re almost…”

“I know,” you said with a rueful smile, “What to call me? You understand why I don’t really lead with it.”

“But surely somebody knows,” he argued, moving closer and taking the reins from your hands, “Someone in the council knows. Vesemir at the very least must.”

“Don’t,” you said suddenly, face tense and terrified, “You cannot tell anyone. You’re right, some know of me, and none want me around. At best I’m a curiosity to be investigated and dissected. At worst I’m collateral damage and an unnatural thing to be taken back out of the world. If you tell anyone, you write my death sentence.”

“I am a witcher first and foremost,” Geralt said, “I know my people. I would not put your life at risk-”

“The only way you keep me safe is to stay silent,” you protested, “If you cannot, then at least let me get a head start. I’ll stay out of your life, hell I’ll find a mage to try and clear your memory for you if I have to, but know that you tell someone, I am dead.”

Geralt considered your words. He felt certain that he could, and absolutely should, tell his old mentor that you existed, perhaps even have you join them since you clearly possessed some of their abilities. But your words also rang true and the idea of putting you at risk felt as possible as rending his own limbs off. You stared at him in breathless anticipation of what he would say and when he finally looked up at you, you knew he had his answer.

“Go.”

You ran into the night, not looking back or giving him half a chance to think twice about his decision. Geralt watched you go as a deep sense of grief washed over him. If destiny had spared your life it felt that destiny must had brought your lives together for some reason. Though his heart ached as he climbed atop Roach’s back and stared at the spot you’d long since disappeared from view in, he felt a strange sense of certainty as well.

He would see you again and next time, whatever the cost, even if he had to eliminate every threat with his bare hands, he would ensure your safety and if he was lucky he may even get to keep you close.

#miyakokurono #Geralt x Reader #geralt imagines #geralt drabble #geralt angst #reader request

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blake-belladonna-defence-force · 5 years

Text

Ember/Shroud

Okay. I decided to try my hand at an au. Does it even exist yet?

It was mostly born from wanting a more serious reason as to why Blake was scared of dogs. I kind of feel bad.

I’m just going to call it “Emotional Support Soul AU” for now. Is this something people would like to see more of? Is it even a good au? Eh, it was a fun writing exercise at any rate.

Things to note:

Adam (abusive ex) is in jail.

Blake has come a long way but has residual trauma and depression

COMMUNICATION ISSUES

Yang does have a moment of being a lil forgetful and maybe a touch insensitive but she tries to make it better

Blake and Yang were roommates in college who decided to move in together

This is mostly because of Blake’s cat

They don’t know why but being too far apart physically hurts

So oblivious

Adam probably ran a dog fight ring or trained them to attack humans because he’s a goat lookin ass

Faunas are a thing

Set in Vale

Apparently soul pets or bonded animals or whatever are things here

The animal you were always meant to own/your guardian

Even more special if it’s your soulmates pet and it adopts you

Having your soulmates bonded animal approve of you is the highest complement

Both animals getting along and approving of each human in the relationship is rare and usually means they’re soulmates or something

They will often act as wingmen

It’s how Blake and Yang truly bonded as friends

Ember is a stray that Blake rescued as a kitten. When she finds out Yang is her cat’s bonded human, she’s surprised because: blonde party girl. She tried to keep Ember; does not go well.

Yang tried to keep Ember; does not go well

She refused to leave Blake but demanded that her bonded human stay

Even the cat ships them

————————————————————

“…Yang. What is that.”

“It’s a dog, Blake. Ya know, canine? Canis Familaris?”

“I know what a dog is, Xiao Long. I want to know why it’s in our fucking apartment.”

Uh oh. This was bad. Very bad. When Blake was mad she yelled. It was a part of her passionate nature; an injustice is done and Blake will have your head. But it was when she got quiet and spoke in that dangerously low tone of voice that you should probably start backing up. And never mention that’s she’s actually really pretty when she’s mad. Additionally, she was swearing and Blake only really swore when she was really pissed off. And apparently bringing home a Newfoundland equaled really pissed off the cat faunus.

“She needed a home. The poor baby was all alone, isn’t that right, Shroud?” Yang cooed adoringly at the friendly giant laying in front of their sofa.

“That is not a baby. That is a monster that I am sure will probably kill my cat.” Shroud whined and laid her head down, the dog almost seemed hurt. What am I supposed to do about Ember, Yang?!” Almost as on cue, a slender ginger tabby slunk her way into the living room. The cat immediately trotted over to Yang, headbutting her ankles fondly, completely ignoring her actual owner altogether. Before Yang could bend down to let the cat sniff her hands, Ember locked onto Shroud. She slowly walked over sniffed the giant nose that was presented to her. What truly surprised the two girls, however, was when Ember butted her head under the giant dog’s jaw before curling up against the dogs stomach and glancing at them as if to say “this is my bed now”.

“Ember, you traiter. I saved you from the streets when you were a kitten. I raised you and loved you like my own and this is how you repay me?!” Yang wished that she could say that Blake was joking but the cat faunus could be quite… extra when she wanted to be. To say the least; she was not pleased.

Yang walked over and scooped Ember up, not without complaint, and held her out to Blake.

“Aw, c’mon mum. Can we keep her? I’ve only just met her and I love her!” She pitched her voice, wiggling Ember around as though the cat were talking. This resulted in a bitten hand and a very disgruntled cat.

“You earned that. I pay half the rent, Yang. Couldn’t you have spoken to me about this first? You know how I feel about dogs.”

“Yeah, well, that’s kind of why I didn’t.”

“So you decided to ignore how I felt and go behind my back?” Yang winced. When you put it like that…

“Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t talk to you but my old high school buddy needed her gone ASAP. I couldn’t just leave her.” Yang made sure to look her friend in the eyes. She’d learned a long time ago that eye contact was important to the other woman and Yang always tried to make sure that she knew that she had Yang’s attention.

Blake didn’t say anything for a long while.

“Fine. Whatever.” She muttered, faunus ears pinned against her head, before turning on her heel and heading to her room. Yang cringed as she heard Blake’s door slam. Their uni days had taught her when to push and pull and when to back off. This was very much a back off situation. Even if she found it hard to understand why somebody would be so deadset against a dog.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Hours later, she was laying on the floor cuddling with both cat and dog when she heard Blake walk into the kitchen. She immediately headed over and stopped short. She knew Blake. She knew what she looked like when she was ecstatic, what she looked look when she was about to kick somebody’s ass.

Yang also knew what it looked like when one of her friend’s depressive episodes were kicking in. So the sight of a drained, red eyed and shuffling Blake was not new to her. It always broke her heart to see one of the most amazing, incredible people she’s ever met hurt like this. But to know that she was the potential cause…

“Blake?” Yang had never sounded, or felt, so small. Blake breathed deeply for a moment before turning to Yang.

“He used to keep dogs. Trained them to bite and attack. I don’t exactly have pleasant memories of them.” When Blake spoke, carefully holding her hip as it ached, it hit her hard. Of course, that was in the police report when they finally managed to get Blake’s ex away from her for good. Why the hell didn’t she put two and two together?!

“Shit, Blake. I am so sorry. I don’t know why I didn’t- it doesn’t matter. I obviously hurt you and I am so, so sorry.” Yang was close to tears herself at this point. She had seen how that man had broken her friend. Watched as Blake pulled herself from the shadows and stood tall and continued to repeat that process every single time he knocked her down. Now that she was finally free of him, she could be who she was meant to be. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t still haunt her. It hurt to see the pain in the other girl’s eyes but she kept eye contact. “I’ll find her a new home as soon as possible, I swear.”

Maybe that would have been it. Maybe she would have rehomed Shroud and they would have been done with it. But the canine in question suddenly walked into the kitchen and made her way to Blake.

“Just stay still, Blake. It’s okay, I won’t let her hurt you. I promise.” Blake was frozen but before Yang could grab her, Shroud sat at Blake’s feet and stared up at her. Yang paused. It was eerily similar to how Ember had decided that Yang was her bonded person. Blake’s breathing started to even out as she gazed at Shroud, who then proceeded to flip over onto her back and wiggle, tongue and jowls flopping comically.

“Hi?” Blake’s uncertainty would have been adorable had it not been for the situation. As the dog shifted, so too did Blake, her gaze becoming more curious than fearful. There was a patch of white on the dog’s black chest, seeming to form the shape of some kind of flower. “I think the fates are fucking with me.” Blake mumbled. “Because that is a Belladonna plant.”

Yang blinked. Blake met her gaze and before too long, the two women were giggling. Perhaps it was the fact that tensions were running high or perhaps Shroud had somehow known how to break the ice with Blake. Because when Blake spoke next, she left Yang surprised.

“Keep her.” Blake inhales shakily. “But please, for the love of God; train her properly. I can’t live like that again, Yang.” Yang immediately nodded and then, unable to help herself, ran over to hug Blake.

Only to be blocked by a large furry body. Shroud wasn’t growling, merely acting as a barrier. The dog had apparently thought that Yang was going to hurt Blake and was already trying to defend her. Wasn’t there a meme online about that? “I’ve only had Blake for one day but if anything happened to her, I’d kill everyone in this room and then myself.” Evidently, that was what was going on here. Not that Yang could blame the dog. Bonded animals did tend to be extremely protective of their person, if that’s what this was.

“Uh, Blake? I think that you have a body guard now.”

“Oh.” There was a light sniffle as the emotions of the past few hours crashed over Blake. “I think that that’s fair since you stole my cat.” Yang snorted, side stepping around Shroud carefully before wrapping Blake up in a hug.

“Not my fault she’s my soul pet or whatever the hell they’re called.” Yang defended herself. “I can’t believe that I’m going to need to ask a dog for permission to hug you.” Blake giggled weakly, burying her head into Yang’s neck.

“Just… lets take it slow, yeah? I’m not going to become a dog person over night. Even if she is my bonded animal.” Yang hummed. Well, that confirmed it. Most people could tell once eye contact is made. They felt a sort of unspoken promise; the creature would protect their sworn master, so to speak. The bonded animal would then act as a sort of body guard. It was useful many years ago but now it was more about them being glorified emotional support companions. Sometimes the matchups were odd. Yang had honestly beloved hers would be a golden retriever, not her best friend’s cat. And apparently Blake’s bonded animal was her best friend’s dog, despite the fear that she held for them.

Maybe Blake would never love dogs. But Shroud could at least be one dog that Blake could at least be comfortable with. After all, people were usually gifted the animal that they needed the most.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

It was a late afternoon when Yang realised she had been right. It had taken weeks, even months worth of training and slow progress between the two but eventually, Yang was forced to admit that Shroud was meant to never hers. Just like Ember was never meant to Blake’s.

She had just come home from work and had called out to Blake when she heard distant singing coming from the kitchen. Rounding the corner revealed a very surprising sight. One that made Yang melt.

Shroud had her paws on Blake’s shoulder as the young woman danced them around the kitchen singing along to the radio. Those gym sessions were really starting to pay off for Blake.

“You could be my Queen, I could be your dream. Oh, let me be your bumblebee.” Blake giggled as Shroud barked at her. It was a sign of how far they had come considering that she used to flinch at such. “Yang loves this song. Now that I mention her...I think that you might be a much better dancer than your mother, Shroud. Even if she doesn’t quite realise that staring is rude.”

Yang blinked. She’d been caught.

“Sorry, I’m just stupidly proud of you. So proud, in fact, that I’m going to ignore that jab at my awesome dancing abilities and my pride.” Yang glanced down at Shroud, who had dropped to all fours. “You going to say hi, girl, or are you just going to abandon me for a pretty lady?” Shroud almost seemed to glare at her before looking up at Blake who nodded solemnly in return. Yang let out more than a few grumbles about traitorous mutts and reached out to pet Shroud. Until she noticed an envelope in the dog’s collar. She rolled her eyes; they had taken to using the poor dog as a messenger, after all. Opening the letter revealed a reservation for one of the new high end restaurants in Vale. She looked up at Blake in confusion.

“It’s that new faunus cuisine place I told you about. You’re free Friday at six, yeah?” Blake was smirking and leaning up against the bench.

“Um, yes, why?”

“Because if you won’t make the first move beyond telling me I’m “feisty” and “pretty when I’m mad”, then I will.” Blake narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think that I haven’t noticed, Yang.”

“Oh. Am I that obvious?” Yang swallowed nervously.

“Yes. Also your sister and her “BFF” talked to me and have me informed to, and I quote, ‘take your pining, queer ass out before Weiss kills somebody.” I’m still not sure if Weiss wants me to date you or snipe you.” Yang felt her eye twitch. Those two...

“I mean, I’m more than happy to go on date with you and all, Blake, but I kind of want to kill them, now.”

“Want to pretend like nothing’s happened and mess with them for a couple of weeks?”

“How the hell are you so perfect?” Blake simply laughed and walked out of the kitchen with Shroud in tow.

“And of course the stupid dog follows her.” Feeling a bump against her ankles, Yang looked down. Seeing Ember, Yang quickly bent to hold her up to her face.

“But as long she keeps smiling, she can keep stealing from me. I mean, your mum already has my heart and soul, what else could I possibly lose?” She asked the cat quietly. Ember purred, apparently content with the results of her meddling from way back when. Yang smiled. It always made it a little more special when your bonded animal approved of your partner. If she was being honest with herself, so she was on cloud nine. Well, up until she heard Blake’s voice float down the hall.

“I heard that. Oh, you are so never living that one down, Yang!”

#rwby #sir? thats my emotional support soul #au #blake belladonna #bumbleby #yang xiao long #i have no idea if this turned as well as i hoped #thoughts?

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smylealong · 4 years

Text

Embers and Snowflakes - Zutara Week 2020 - Reunion (Modern AU)

@zutaraweek Katara pulled at the hem of her blue sequined dress that ended at her mid-thigh. “Isn’t this a little too short?”

“No,” Suki drawled, without even looking up from her magazine.

“You didn’t even look!”

“Don’t have to.”

Katara rolled her eyes. “Is Jet here yet?”

“Nope.”

Katara adjusted the spaghetti strap of her dress in a self-conscious act. “I don’t want to go. I don’t know what I was thinking when I said yes.”

Suki dropped the magazine on the table and turned to look at her. “Katara! What’s going on?”

With a sigh, Katara sat down on the chair, “Jet asked me out.”

Suki licked her lips and said, “Okay? And?”

“I don’t know. I mean I like him, but I don’t love him.”

“Okay, and did you say that to him?”

Katara shifted uncomfortably. “Not in so many words.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him I would think about it.”

Suki sighed, “No, Katara! If you don’t want to date him, just say so.”

Katara leaned back on the couch and tried to gather her thoughts. “I… I can’t.”

“Can’t what? Tell Jet that you are not into him or move on from your past?”

Katara sighed and closed her eyes, “Both, I guess?”

“Katara, no. You must stop this. It is fine if you are still hung up on your past. What is not fine is stringing the guy along like this. I mean I’m no big fan of his, he seems obnoxious as heck and I get the feeling that he can stir up trouble, but what you are doing is helping neither him nor you. You’re acting like his girlfriend, by agreeing to go with him to every damn party. Don’t give him ideas. If you want to say no to him, say so. Flat out. You have to figure out what you want. And soon.”

“I don’t know,” Katara said, grabbing her head in her hand. “I want to move on. But … Something stops me.”

Suki leaned over and patted her hand. “You are allowed to have fun, Katara. It is okay if you want to live your life.”

“You think I should date Jet?”

“That is a decision only you can make,” Suki said. “Tell you what? Go to this party and consider if this is what you really want for the foreseeable future. If it looks like you can handle it, then go for it. Step out a little. If not, nip it. Sounds fair?”

Katara nodded. When put like that, it did sound fair.

“He can get a tad clingy though.”

Katara’s lips quirked a bit. “He does that, doesn’t he?”

“Make sure you remember that if you do choose to date him.”

Katara turned to her roommate and soon to be sister-in-law to say something when the bell of their tiny apartment rang. Katara took a deep breath, trying to tell herself that she was doing the right thing. While Suki opened the door, Katara stood up.

“Hi, Jet.”

“Hi Suki. Is Katara ready?”

Suki simply stepped aside to let him in. Jet was dressed in a chocolate brown suit, with a white shirt. He had gelled his hair to brush it backward. Stepping into the house, he looked at Katara. His eyes raked over her body in a way she was not entirely comfortable with, and he let out a whistle, “Wow. You’re looking nice.”

Katara swallowed and forced herself to smile. You can do this, Katara. Relax a little. She squared her shoulders and walked over to the shoe rack.

“Thanks. Let’s go,” she said putting on her matching heels.

Jet held out a hand but Katara pretended she did not see it as she busied herself with her purse.

***********************************************************************************

Katara downed the wine in one swig. This party reminded her of the reason she was reluctant to date Jet in the first place. He had brought her to his office party as his date. But now, like always, he was the center of attention. He was sweet-talking to some people, regaling them with some tale as they hung on every word of his, while she was sitting on the sidelines, drinking wine, and nursing a bruised ego.

It was not that she envied him his silver tongue. That was what had drawn her to him in the first place. The smooth nature and sheer charisma that he possessed had momentarily, made her forget … everything. Sometimes, he could take her mind off the constant emptiness, grief, and guilt that threatened to suffocate her. Jet had made her feel like a girl again, something she thought she had forgotten after him. And those were the reasons she was considering saying ‘yes’ to him.

But, in addition to his clinginess, she also had to wonder if she was okay with being Jet’s arm-candy. Supposed to be there at his beck and call, when he needed to show her off. But when he was at the receiving end of attention, she would be cast away, only to be retrieved later when he needed an ego massage. Problem was, Katara knew that she had never really learned to say no to Jet. He had a tendency to sulk when things didn’t go his way, and for reasons she wasn’t entirely certain, Katara found herself indulging his wishes.

Katara kneaded her temple, trying to figure out what to say to Jet. She did not want to be treated like a trophy, to be brought out only when someone wanted to show her off, kept away on the shelf for the rest of the time. But she did not want to nurse a broken heart for the rest of her life either. She wanted to move on.

“Hey, Katara,” Toph’s voice cut through the vortex of darkness that was her thoughts.

“Hey, Toph.”

“What are you doing here all alone?”

Katara made a face, knowing it was pointless, “Take a guess.”

“Jet ditched you again to go frolic somewhere?”

Katara let her silence do the talking.

Toph huffed, “Typical. You know what, let me introduce you to my new partner. I have a feeling you’ll like him.”

“New partner?”

Toph rolled her milky eyes, “What do you think this party is for?”

“Jet didn’t really elaborate. He just said it’s an office party.”

Toph sighed, “That guy! If he were not phenomenal at his job, I’d be kicking his butt for being so irresponsible. Anyway, as you may know, the Bei Fong Corp was looking to expand beyond the Earth Kingdom. This business family who already has a presence all over got wind of it and reached out to me with a lucrative deal. Long story short, we are partnering with them so we can start off big in Caldera.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of all that. Congrats.”

“Come, let me introduce you. You look morose.”

Katara chuckled, “I saw what you did there, Toph.”

Toph guffawed, “Let’s go.”

As she walked with Toph, she wondered about her relationship with the blind woman. Even though she was Jet’s boss, Katara and Toph met through their common friend Aang. In fact, Aang had asked Toph out last year and they were now a couple. She had initially worried about being so friendly with Jet’s boss, but Katara and Toph got along like house on fire. Toph was the girl friend Katara had yearned for all her life, but never really had.

“Do you even know where we are going, Toph?”

“Of course,” she scoffed. “Come on.”

Katara always marveled at Toph’s ability to navigate through the bustling throng of people. It was eerie the way she moved, with complete assurance and without fail. In three years, she had only seen her bump into things or people maybe three times. Katara was convinced that it was a superpower.

The two women reached a group of people that were engaged in a conversation. Toph tapped the shoulder of a tall man in a black suit who was standing with his back to them, and said, “Hey, Partner. I want to introduce you to someone.”

The man turned around and Katara felt as though the ground beneath her fell away. Blood drained from her face and her jaw dropped. She did not even notice when the people he had been talking to moved away. All she could do was look at the man standing in front of her. Staring back at her was an exceedingly familiar face, angular, sharp, and handsome. The angry red scar still looked just as prominent as she remembered, but thanks to his current hairstyle, it blended with his face. It was him.

“Zuko?” she breathed, daring to utter his name in public for the first time in six years.

He gave a small smile and nodded, “Hi, Katara.”

“You guys know each other?” Toph’s incredulous voice came to her as though from miles away.

She opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to find the words to respond. Her breath was stolen from her.

“Yeah,” Zuko answered, not taking his eyes off her. “We were childhood friends.”

While not technically wrong, but that was far from the whole truth. It did not speak about their shared past. The love they held for each other. Their torrid affair. Or their brief marriage. Or Zara.

“How are you, Katara?” Zuko asked, his golden eyes pinning her in place.

For Katara, the world around her ceased to exist. Nothing mattered anymore. Standing in front of her was the man she had loved from before she knew what love meant. And the one she would keep loving till her dying day. Nothing had changed. She had deluded herself into believing that she had learned to live without Zuko, but in just one second, he had shattered the illusion. She had not moved on. She never would. Jet and his attention suddenly seemed childlike in comparison.

She gave a small, tight smile and said, “I … I’m okay. You?”

“Going on,” he replied. When he lifted his scotch to his lips, she noticed the tremble in his hands. She felt a thrill of savage pleasure that even he was not unaffected at this surprise reunion.

She swallowed the icy chunk of nervousness lodged in her throat and pushed the painful images that fought to come to the fore, casting in her mind to say something. She jumped to the obvious. “H-How are Uncle Iroh and Ursa?”

“Uncle’s fine. Just old age issues. Mom’s no more,” he replied, his golden gaze boring into her. “Her cancer returned.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry to hear that,” she meant it.

Somewhere in the recess of her mind, she was aware of the expression on Toph’s face. Her friend was getting very curious, but Katara only had eyes for Zuko. He nodded and licked his lips. His eyes dropped to her lips and she knew he was thinking about the same thing she was. Their kisses. They were, undoubtedly the best kisses she had ever had. Katara bit her lip, suddenly conscious. “How’s Azula?” She asked, hoping to concentrate on anything except the tornado raging inside her.

“Azula is still where she was,” Zuko replied cryptically. Katara knew he did not want to talk about the fact that his sister was currently in a padded cell. Not that she blamed him. She could understand that he would not want to talk about it in front of strangers.

“I see,” she said, wishing she had not left her wine on the table. A sob, six years in making, was building up within her, threatening to break through. Katara blinked rapidly, trying to push away the tears. When her vision focused back, Zuko was looking at her with raw pain on his face. Maybe he too…

“How are Sokka and Hakoda? And Gran?” he rasped, cutting through her train of thoughts. Katara spotted that his fingers were white from clutching his glass tightly.

“Gran passed away two years ago. Old age,” Katara said, willing her heart to stop beating so loud. “Dad’s fine. Sokka too. He’s about to get married soon, in fact.”

“Sorry about Gran. And really, Sokka’s getting married? To whom? That girl … what’s her name …Yuki … no Yue?”

“Oh no! Sokka broke up with Yue a while back. He began dating someone else. That’s who he’ll be marrying next month.”

“That’s great.”

“Katara!” Jet came up to her and draped an arm around her shoulders. Every inch of Katara screamed No. Across from her, she saw Zuko narrow his eyes ever so slightly but otherwise, his face remained impassive. If she had not known Zuko as well as she did, she would not even have noticed the change of expression on his face. “Oh, I see you’ve met Zuko. We’ll be working together for a while, till the office in Caldera is set up.”

“I heard,” Katara said as she subtly wiggled out of Jet’s embrace. Every pore, every fiber of her wanted to move away from Jet. She had the overwhelming urge to cling to her ex-husband and cry into his shoulders. “I … I need to use the restroom. Excuse me.”

Without waiting for either of the men to say anything, Katara turned around and walked away. Once she was out of their sight, she all but ran into the ladies’ room, stumbled over to a toilet, and retched. The wine she had earlier in the evening made its way out, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Somehow, she made her way to the sink after flushing the toilet. She splashed her face multiple times, not caring that her make-up and mascara ran. Finally, she shut the tap and grabbed on to the sink to stay upright.

“Okay, out with it,” Toph’s voice startled her for the second time in the evening. “And don’t give me the ‘childhood friends’ bullshit. What’s happening?”

“I ate something bad, I guess,” Katara croaked, wiping beads of water and sweat from her forehead.

“Bullshit. After you saw Zuko, your voice cracked, and you became completely erratic. I could sense tears in your words. And he seemed shaken too. Something is going on. What?”

In the shock of seeing Zuko after six years, Katara had forgotten just how perceptive Toph was. She could almost always tell when someone was lying. But she was not ready to divulge the truth either. Katara took a deep breath and said, “Toph, I’m sorry, I can’t talk about it right now. I’ll tell you later, okay? Please don’t mind, but I have to go now? Could you tell Jet I was just… not feeling well?”

Toph chewed her bottom lip for a moment and said, “Okay. You do seem very shaken. I’ll arrange for a car. You go,” She fished out her phone and made a quick call. “My car will be waiting for you downstairs.”

Katara gave her friend a hug. “Thanks a ton. I owe you one.”

“Nonsense. You just take care. Don’t stress out, okay?”

On the car-ride back home, Jet called her a few times, and she ignored them all. She was not up to entertaining his clinginess, not when her past was coming to suffocate her. When she dragged herself into her house, she realized, with some amount of relief that Suki was not home. Katara pulled off her shoes, changed into PJs, and threw herself on the bed. She was still reeling from seeing the golden-eyed man again and found herself struggling to breathe. Her phone beeped. She hoped that it was Zuko’s text, for she would not put it past him to ask Toph for her number and she knew Toph would give it, that girl was intuitive beyond belief. She opened her phone, only to find a series of texts from Jet.

Katara, where are you?

Toph said you’re sick. Are you okay?

Why didn’t you tell me? I would have taken you home.

Leaving me like that at the party was not cool.

Katara was about to dump the phone to the side, when it beeped again, showing a new number. Her fingers shook as she opened the text.

Hope you reached home safely. We need to talk. Meet me for coffee tomorrow? – Zuko.

#zutara week #reuinion

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ohgoddard · 4 years

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Storyteller.1.

AN: This will be an infrequent story series comprised of short stories taking place within a dnd world.

The campfire burned with a soft heat, illuminating the grasslands around it. The crimson embers shone with quiet intensity as it warmed those sitting around it. Above in the sky resides a setting sun, with its departure beginning to release a swath of stars. Upon the opposite horizon rises the twin moons, their opposing pale blue and bright white auras bouncing off each other, creating a shimmering wave of light across the coming night sky. Around the fire, two figures rest upon two fallen logs, roasting their hunt upon a stick. Above them, Pteranodons croaked and screech as they flap away into the sunset, chasing smaller birds.

One figure at the campfire pulls in their stick, and raises it to their face. With their free hand, they remove bandages around their face, revealing a beak. He begins eating into the jackrabbit he had on his stick. The man was a tall, spindly thing with wraps tightly clinging to long, thin arms. His body is obscured mostly by a large green cloak, only tightly wrapped arms and legs betraying his stealth. His feet were large,bird-like claws, colored a fading gold.

The other figure sitting across from the cloaked man was almost the complete opposite of him. She was a short-ish, slim elf girl with long golden hair ending in an intricate braid. She wears a light blue frock, accented with small yellow elements. Her pants were a black leather, with a simple leather belt holding everything together. She wore upon her feet a furred boots. Her perky ears stand straight up, with a slight bend pointing behind her. She was currently devouring a small rabbit, which she had roasted over the fire. She finished it ravenously and eyed up the man in the cloak. Her eyes, in contrast to the wrapped man’s glowing amber, were a vibrant emerald green. And green they were, as she jealously eyed up the larger creature the man ate.

“Hey. Hey Armak.” Her voice came out in a beautiful melody, akin to a siren’s song. It wavered in soothing patterns, and lesser man would’ve fallen into a spell listening to her. Armak, the man in the cloak and wrappings, grunted. “Were you planning on finishing that hog there?” Armak slowly turned his head, staring down the elf. Looking at Armak head on, one could see he was an ancient aarakocra. His bandages wrap around his face, gripping it tightly, thus betraying ha rather large eagle head perched atop his rather spindly body.

“Yes.” Armark’s voice came off as a wise man’s. That gruffness that came from ancient knowledge instead of screaming and yelling of anger. It had a slight accent to it, which no one from the continent of Avondale had been able to pin. When asked about it, Armak only replied that, “it is the sound of my people.” People would usually be put off by the man’s appearance, appearing far ancient than his race would allow. He bore no feathers, save for the grey and white that encompass his head.

“Are you sure? You know, I’ve worked quite hard for us today.” The elf jumped from her log stool and walked to where Armak was sitting. Armak had still not stopped eating the whole pig he had stuck. “Holly, you were almost trampled by the animal I am currently eating. I do not think you did much for us today besides laying out the fire.” Holly, the elf, stopped her little walk and immediately went into a pose that suggested a childish pout. She turned and began to walk back to her log stump, when Armak continued. “Plus, you must not eat much, else you lose your figure. Elf men are a pretentious lot, you should know.” Armak ducked out of instinct, and as he did so the log stump Holly was sitting on sailed over his head. He continued to eat.

“I offer only words of wisdom. Is that not what you write in your book?”

Holly was standing across from him, visibly fuming, her face very red. She took several deep breaths, muttering some mantra in elvish to herself in closed eyes, regained her composure, and addressed Armak. “Just so you know, the wisdom you claim to spout is very rude. Second of all, I do not write down what you claim to be wisdom. I write the stories you tell. I’ve told you this many times.”

“I am aware. I just choose to think you write about my wisdom.” Holly hmph’d before retrieving her stump and putting back where it was, grumbling the entire time in a language Armak could not understand, nor in that moment would wish to know what she was saying. Once Holly had situated herself where she began, she was still eyeing Armak.

“Holly, you can quit your jealous gaze. I am not going to give you my meal.”

“No, no I think I deserve something as an apology after that rude comment you made. And if not your food, then something else.”

“You have been getting a bit round around your bottom.” Armak ducked once more as a rock sailed over his head.

Holly spoke once more,a bit more subdued anger in her voice. “Yeah, rude like that. I want a story.”

Armak looked up from his food, looking at Holly. “A story? It is late, and I am tired. Maybe later.”

“No, now. Or else I won’t help you rebandage yourself.”

Armak thought on this. He could easily rebandage himself, but it is such a hassle to do it. He weighed the options..

“Fine, you have forced my hand. I shall tell you a story.”

Holly excitedly started digging the bag sitting next to her, pulling out a journal with a pencil. She propped her legs underneath to form a table, and was facing Armak with glee on her face, ready to write.

“This story is about the time I bested a djinni in a game of chess, saving my life and the life of the yuan-ti princess he had taken as her prisoner.”

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“Well, Flightless One, make your move.”

Armak sat across a man of towering height and awesome strength. His skin was a burgundy red, the only contrasts upon him being the gold bands around his arms and neck and the coal-black pointed facial hair he adorned himself in. His legs were a red mist, billowing below him, and his teeth were whiter than the moons. His arms were cross in front of him, and he was smugly looking down on Armak. He had removed his hood and head wrappings, showing the brilliant grey and white feathers and faded golden beak. They sat in a large, red tent, with beautiful tapestries floating all around him. Below him were carpets that felt softer than the touch of an Aasimar, and more colorful than the feathers of a parrot. Behind him was the tent flaps, being guarded by two large sphinxes. And behind the Djinni, a large golden cage.

Armak had been asked by the local Malekeh, a yuan-ti queen to a nomadic people in the desert long since gone to the sands of time known as the Kasseem, to retrieve her daughter from the great trickster Djinni Bhismah. He had come in the middle of the night, disguised as a prince from another tribe of yuan-ti. He had convinced her to come run away with him. But it was a trap, as when he did so he captured her and planned to extort a ransom in the form of worship from the Kasseem. Armak had been in the area looking for just such a thing, a Djinni would grant him any wish if he were to best it at its own game. He gladly took the Malekeh’s request and tracked the princess to the Djinni’s tent. And this is where he found himself now.

“Great Djinni, I need to hear the stakes once more, so I know I am not to be deceived.” This would not be the first time Armak had tangled with the Djinn, and each was more trickier than the last. “But of course, Flightless One. In this game of chess, if I am to win you AND the princess will be mine, except I will consume you. If you win, I will release the princess into your custody and allow you to leave my tent without harm.”

Armak knew the trick the desert spirit was pulling on him. Not only would he cheat in this game, should he lose it he would send his sphinxes to attack him the minute he left the tent, so he had to think this through. “Thank you for stating them once again. I had to be certain.”

“No foul feelings, Flightless One. Shall we begin?”

Armak could not play chess what-so-ever, and the Djinni knew this. However, he had a trick up his sleeve. Before venturing out here, he asked if the princess could play the game of chess. The Malekeh told him that she is a renowned player amongst the tribes, which gave Armak an idea. He had polished his chestpiece he wore under his cloak to a shine which blinds a man in the sun. Once the game had been decided and the terms set, Armak moved his cloak away from his chest, revealing the chest piece. The princess caught on immediately.

The Djinni had made the first move, a pawn. Armak pondered greatly about his next move, his eyes darting to the princess. His shiny plate had mirrored the game board perfectly to the princess behind the Djinni. She made gestures with her hands indicating the grid square to move, and Armak did just that. A few moves later, and seemingly out of nowhere, Armak won.

The Djinni was speechless, as he had never beaten in chess before, much less by a creature he knew could not play it.

“Well, Flightless One, it seems you have beaten me. And I must abide by my word, as governed by the laws of nature. You may leave my tent with the princess.” He snapped his great red fingers and the cage containing the Yuan-Ti princess opened, releasing her. She quickly walked out, her elegant dress trailing behind her as she attached herself to the arm of Armak.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Great Djinni.” Armak stood and bowed before the crimson creature, and stood tall once more to speak to him. “I do have a question, however.”

The Djinni’s face grew somber, and he shook his face. “Flightless One, I know of your condition. My magic, nor any others, can remove the curse placed upon you. Now, leave my tent.”

Armak bowed once more. “Thank you, Great Djinni.”

As Armak and the princess walked out of the tent, Armak subtly moved his hand to his waist, which lay his short sword. He and the princess left the tent and, to Armak’s prediction, did not get very far from it until the sphinxes attacked. The Djinni could be heard laughing from his tent, as it shimmered away akin to a mirage, leaving only Armak, the princesses, and the sphinxes. Armak drew his short sword, a simple iron thing, and threw it. The accuracy was deadly, the sword lodging into an eye of one sphinx, felling it instantly. The other sphinx charged the princess, but Armak jumped and wrestled with it to the ground. The sphinx bent its head and snapped at Armak’s head, narrowly missing it. He grabbed a dagger from his boot and plunged it deep into the sphinx’s neck. The creature bucked Armak from its body, sending him flying into the sands behind him. The creature shot up and was staring down Armak, growling. Then, the princess called out in broken common, “Quick move now!” Armak dove to the side, as the sphinx turned around. The princess pointed his hands at the creature and out from it came a beam of orange light. The light went into the body of the beast, slowly enveloping it until, after a minute of straight energy being expelled into the animal, the light show ended with the creature no longer being there. Then, exhausted from the attack, the princess fainted into the sands.

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“After that, I carried her back to the camp of her people and left.”

Holly was speechless. Her pencil, while never stopping during the story, now lay idle. Her mouth was agape.

The sky above them was now magnificent shades of violet and blue, with a swath of stars across them like a painter’s canvas. The moons are now high in the sky, casting their pale light onto the duo now. The sounds of cicadas and other insects echo now, as glowflies float in and out view as they illuminate the air. The fire had long since died, only the embers give any faint glow. Armak had finished his meal, and was lounging back on his log.

“You killed a SPHINX?!” Holly exclaimed.

“Coulda just been a rather large dog,lion thing.”

Holly was beside herself due to the company she found herself in. Not too long ago in the city of Clearmont, she met Armak at a bar, and having a hunch decided to follow him. She could sense the history in his voice, and wanted to hear what he could say. She had heard many stories from him, and each one carried an adventure with it. Sometimes however, his stories would be so outlandish she did not fully believe him. “No, I do not believe you felled a sphinx. They are an immortal creature.”

“Think as you must, you asked for my story and I gave one. Now, will you readdress my bandages before I retire?” Holly got up from her stump, and gave herself a stretch.

“Fine, a promise is a promise.” Holly walked to Armak’s bag and started rooting around for new bandages. However she found something else while doing so. With the story still on her mind, she rooted around and found something strange. A large claw, wrapped in an ornamental desert sash.

Perhaps Armak had truth in his story after all.

#ST:og #dnd #dnd stories #original writing #original story #originalwriting #original #fantasy #fantasy story #original roleplay #St:A&H

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likeawildthing · 7 years

Text

75 fluffy jily fics for a happy new year

Anon: Hello! I'm a college freshman and it's my first exams week and I'm physically ill and also homesick and so could you pretty pretty please direst me to some wholesome jily fluffiness to make things better?

Sorry for the late reply! To make up for it, please have way too many fluffy jily fics to make you feel better. <3 I 100% gave some of these drabbles arbitrary titles because ‘untitled’ is boring when repeated thirty times.

hogwarts

and i wait for shore <> jiilys frequently I find myself agreeing to things I shouldn’t just so I can be next to you

arse over tea kettle <> october31st1981

her voice drifts down the corridor, and half of him wants to think something poetic about the way the sound of it envelops him, and the other half of him thinks he is a complete prat for even having such thoughts

ask me <> bcdaily “So, Hogsmeade,” she says, sitting before the fire in the common room next to him, going through some disciplinary paperwork McGonagall had passed off to them that morning–the downside of being Head Boy and Girl. “Have any plans?”

can i tell you a secret? <> october31st1981 “Can I tell you a secret?” he murmurs into her neck. “You’re part troll,” she guesses. She pats him clumsily on the back, unwilling to move from their position sprawled out on the grass. “It’s alright, I’ve accepted you for who you are.”

charms class and jealous hands <> realslytherinchick Sorry? Stop what? That thing you’re doing. Stop it. You’ll have to be a little more clear than that, Evans, I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.

eleven <> october31st1981 James Potter is very different from when he was eleven years old, you think as he kisses you.

first time holding hands <> suchasart He was tall. Tall, and looking down at her, and the embers in his brown-gold eyes warmed a blush across her face.

good, decent <> bcdaily She watched as he wriggled the bits of parchment he’d unceremoniously sprawled himself upon out from underneath him. Instead of tossing them atop one of the piles she already had stacked on the nearby coffee table, he began to skim through them, one by one. “What are you doing?” she asked. His gaze flickered to her briefly. “Helping.”

how will i find you <> jiilys James, you say with your chin on my chest, let’s go live in the moon.

jily drinking together <> october31st1981 “I am a gift,” says James seriously. Lily swings her body around, kicking him in the head in the process. She ignores his yelp, telling him, “That’s a funny way to pronounce ‘git.’”

lily stalks james <> bcdaily “I’m sort of starting to get the feeling that you’re enjoying stalking me.” “I am trying to keep you from blowing up the school,” Lily says, dipping her quill in her inkpot and gently tapping it against the chipped lip. “There’s pleasure in that, certainly.” “You’re sure that’s all it is?”

of sickles and snogging <> jamesstruttingpotter she didn’t even throw it, she just slowly pushed it into his face. it was the most sexually charged pie throwing i’ve ever seen.

new year <> scared-of-clouds Lily Evans is planning on seeing the New Year in alone, then just getting through the rest of the year with as few problems as possible. Unfortunately for Lily Evans, very little in her life is that simple. Still, what difference can a year make?

nice <> newtscmandr In which Lily is hung over and has a nice conversation with James, about a certain part of his anatomy.

this could happen <> jamesstruttingpotter Future planning + Jily flirting.

the one with the forgotten two of diamonds <> iolanthepotter/apalapucian James and Lily brew Amortentia together—and nothing happens. Lily thinks she’s officially gone forever numb, James thinks the dungeons smell like a swamp, and everyone concludes they’re both idiots. Everybody’s daft in love.

quidditch shirt <> iolanthepotter/apalapucian Marlene peered at her and grinned. “He smells that nice, eh?”Lily whipped around to glare at her. “It’s very… comfortable. That’s all.”

study date <> october31st1981 “You’re an awful influence, Evans,” says James, glancing up from his Potions textbook. “I’ve never known you to complain about where I put my hands before,” she says, still grinning widely.

testing (gift for an angel) <> bcdaily If he thought about this critically, James reckons he’s spent the better part of three years planning this date. (It really was a damn shame that Sirius seemed determined to cock it all up.)

that elusive aha moment <> suchasart/wilhelmina willoughby The Aha Moment: a point in time when something finally clicks. Everyone realizes that there’s something more between James and Lily, though it takes some people longer than others. James has always been a slow learner.

the early morning toast brigade <> ghostofbambi In which Lily Evans makes the best of insomnia, with the help of her womanly wiles.

the juggernaut factor <> fabiansgoldwatch There’s something you have to realise about a boy who buys you sweets that taste like torture, fights a branch duel for your honour, or lets you dribble on his jumper: a boy like that should never be ignored.

the long haul <> bigquidditchhero “Don’t try and change the subject,” she said sternly, waggling her finger at him. “You’ve got loads of secrets, I know you have.” He shook his head as he turned his attention back to the crossword. “Evans, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m an open book.”

the story of a lady and a gentleman <> hiddenpolkadots Lily scoffed. “Look who’s talking about rude,” she sniffed. “I’m standing here and you’re sitting there. Didn’t your mother ever teach you that’s it’s gentlemanly to give up your seat for a lady?” “She did,” he allowed. “But I don’t think that rule applies to cheeky bints like you.”

there’s a reason for all those love songs <> gxldentrio If you asked James Potter at what point he figured out that he was absolutely in love with Lily Evans, he wouldn’t be able to give you a straight answer.

married/engaged

a cold war coming <> thequibblah “Here’s an idea,” Lily said suddenly. “I’m all ears.” She grinned widely, her whole face lighting up. “Marry me.”

a compromise <> october31st1981 “And what woman do you expect to carry seven of your offspring into the world?” He takes a moment to consider this. “You, probably.”

a lavish affair <> bigquidditchhero “- I’ll still be thinking Merlin, that Evans, what a killjoy. But then I’ll think, thank goodness I get to do unspeakable things with her as well. The fun’s not completely lost that way, you see.”

adorable drunken babes <> sunshinedaisieswindmills He really would like to kiss her, he decided, so he closed his eyes and tilted his head and moved in, only to find that Lily was no longer standing in front of him. Instead, she sat on the floor giggling. “I fell,” she said, laughing. “There was a puddle and I fell and now my bum’s wet.”

lace <> theodoornott “You look really beautiful,” he suddenly whispers in her ear, and she turns to her husband and just laughs because he looks so lustful and mischievous and positively boyish. She grabs the hand that is currently tickling her side, and kisses its palm. “You too,” she tells him, and she means it.

till kingdom come <> iolanthepotter/apalapucian “I love him so much, you know?” And it’s ridiculous, but Remus’s heart swells, and just then he can feel the tears stinging the corners of his eyes. “Bloody prat’s been in love with you since forever.”

say when <> ravnclaws “James?” she asks and he hums against her ear in response. “Really?” “Just say when.”

starlight <> iolanthepotter/apalapucian “I didn’t let you fall,” he answers. He smirks, draws you closer to labor the point of his pathetic excuse for a catch. Except he did, you think. And you’ve fallen. Oh, how hard have you fallen, Lily Evans, how hard are you still falling, a million times in the million little leaps of faith you’ve made with and for this boy, long before your feet touched the ground.

domestic/family

are you flirting with me <> october31st1981 She takes the hand that is not in hers and places it on her waist, while hers drifts to his collar. “You know, Lily, this feels a lot like flirting,” says James conversationally, his fingers pressing warmly on her rib cage.

morning <> apalapucian/iolanthepotter He was very, very warm. He stood there, still and quiet in all his messy-haired, bespectacled glory, just looking down at you with a raised eyebrow and a quarter of that trademark smirk. “Are you going to take it off or should I?”

ready, set, go <> bigquidditchhero James, Lily, and baby Harry are in hiding in Godric’s Hollow and they entertain themselves by playing with the cat

familiarity (kills the romance) <> ravnclaws When they go to bed that night, she watches as he brushes his teeth and as he changes into his pyjamas and as he kisses her goodnight, and she thinks about how James is not a mystery, he’s just a normal guy after all.

golden days <> suchasart/wilhelmina willoughby James and Lily like to appreciate the little things in life.

golden retrieval <> preciselypotter Lily held up the black-and-purple briefs she’d just found on their bedroom floor. “Are these yours?” “What?” James stuck his head into the room. “What do you mean, are those mine? Have you been having a bloke over while I’m out?”

hands <> theodoornott Call it cabin fever but it has reached the point where she cannot resist looking on as takes the broken and downtrodden into his hands and brings them back to life, whistling tunelessly as he works and clicking his tongue whenever he’s in deep thought.

a cauldron full of strong, hot love <> bigquidditchhero Lily’s got a summer job, and James is suddenly a keen potioneer. No war AU.

blue shell <> jamesstruttingpotter Did you actually just blue shell me on our date?

brand new neighbors au <> iolanthepotter/apalapucian What he’s trying to say is that, well, three knocks is too unceremonious a warning, and that he’s pretty sure this is his soulmate standing before him right now.

in another world <> itwasprongs/padfootdidit They meet accidentally, strings entangling together beneath the ink of Paris’ night. In the lamplight she is a ghost, hair on fire. James goes to her and the stars turn his backpack into dusty wings.

intercepted communication <> ravnclaws I use morse code to talk to my friend during class but it turns out you know morse code too and now you know that i think you have a cute butt AU.

key limes <> fetchalgernon/cgner In which Academy Award winner Lily Evans discovers the periphery of internet fandom and the existence of Prince James’s gold star system.

laugh to fall apart <> realslytherinchick Lily is fond of laser tag, but when the Marauders find out she has no one to play with, they invite themselves along to a game.

lessons in lesson planning <> fetchalgernon/cgner Lily and James are unwittingly set up on a blind date and execute the perfect revenge.

my spellbound heart <> hiddenpolkadots “What kind of person could they be if our shared mark is a pair of antlers on my arse?” asks Lily, craning her neck to stare at the ink, stark against her pale skin. No matter how hard she glares at it, it remains there.

pretty <> realslytherinchick “First you criticize the brilliance of my last-minute costume, then you nearly break my heart. Who are you, Lily, that you have such power over me?” “Either your worst nightmare or your wildest dream come true, but possibly both at once.”

rule #27 /’ the group with the pies’ <> poppypomfrey ‘Lily, take off the moustache, you’ve been wearing it for 20 minutes.’ ‘This is serious business,’ she says, tugging it from her upper lip, ‘and besides, it’s ten times better than your moustache.’ He can’t stop looking at her lips.

seven things <> iolanthepotter/apalapucian James leans in. Lily hears the script crumple in his hands, but she doesn’t look to check. His lips touch the corner of hers, a hand coming up to cup her face. He is moving. So. Maddeningly. Slow… She curses in her head, makes up about a hundred thousand excuses for the next second—and then grabs him down by the back of his neck and kisses him fully, desperately, fervidly.

shades of red <> fetchalgernon/cgner “I’d heard that the potion gave you Veela powers, but I didn’t know that also came with conceitedness.” “Is it conceit if my hair is that good? Because I think that’s just regular pride. Would you rather I lied and said I hated my hair?”

sheep riding and freefalling <> fetchaglernon/cgner He’s leaning forward in his seat to study an air vent, his face only a few inches away from the dashboard, his brow furrowed in concentration.“Fascinating,” he breathes. “Put your seatbelt on or I will pull this car over,” Lily says.

so tender and mild <> hiddenpolkadots If they lived fluffy domestic oneshot.

staff relations <> bigquidditchhero Professor James Potter is happy in his job as Transfiguration teacher - until the new Potions professor tries to ruin his life.

swipe right (into my arms) <> a_lrightevans Her thumb hovers over the unmatch button for a second, but then she switches back to his profile, and he really does have nice arms, so she just types out ‘you’re a massive prat and terminator is a shite movie, anyway’ and hits send instead.

textbooks, time scarves, and tea <> fetchalgernon/cgner Lily visits the coffee shop because Sev works there, even though he’s got a completely obnoxious coworker with admittedly fantastic hair.

the rom coms got it wrong <> hiddenpolkadots Fake dating AU

what a beautiful wedding <> a_lrightevans ‘Sneaking away… from your sister’s wedding… for a snog…’ said James breathlessly between kisses. ‘Classy, Evans—’ She shut him up by kissing him harder, knocking his glasses askew and tangling her hands in his hair. ‘Psh …’ she muttered as his lips moved to her neck. ‘This is what weddings were invented for.’

undercover <> a_lrightevans Lily scoffs. ‘We have sex like, once- maybe four times, and suddenly I’m your girlfriend?’ James shrugs.

mine

a list is just a list - The Marauders think the parchment James just dropped is a list of the places they’ve pulled pranks, but Lily knows better.

feels like love - Lily & James use each other’s wands for the first time.

hello, mister - me and my housemate just spent twenty minutes trying to take the lid off of a blender and had to resort to taking it to our next door neighbor, who we have never met or spoken to before.

pep(per) up, peppermint - Sixth year Lily is home, sick, at Christmas. Can a visit from her friends cheer her up?

shining stars - The ’78 Hogwarts class—Gryffindors, mostly—gather at a pub to catch up when someone brings up who, exactly, was to blame for Breda Padgett’s broken ankle, sixth year.

subtle arrangements - Person A owns a flower shop and Person B comes storming in one day, slaps a 20 on the counter and says, “How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flowers?”

the one that i want - James and Lily end up at the same costume party dressed up as two members of a famous fictional couple. Everyone makes them take pictures together and quote lines from the movie. It starts out really awkward but then Sirius, dressed as a pirate, finds them making out in the bathroom.

three quarts of milk - James and Lily have been in hiding for two months. James is stir crazy and trying not to show it. Lily jumps into action.

your other pillock boyfriend - James writes to Lily to explain a few things.

#jily #jily*#rec #lindsays

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mutascriptor-blog · 5 years

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bbrd 2.0

Dax Clementine Arlo-deus sat in her room. The wood in the fireplace had burnt down to glowing red embers. Only tiny flames, dripping wax onto golden candle holders, lit the open space in which she sat waiting. Three firm knocks came from the door. It was time. Dax took a deep breath, stood up, pulled back her shoulders like her mother had taught her, and confidently strode over to answer the knock that had come.

She was wearing an immaculate black dress, frilled at the bottom with golden petals. Her long black hair flowed in curls down her back to her waste. Her dark brown eyes spoke of a mystery and a deep pain. She had chosen not to wear any jewelry for this occasion though her mother would have scolded her. Being weighed down by that which society finds so attractive that it must wage wars and end lives just to attain it didn’t seem very appropriate for any occasion that Dax could think of.

Lady Dax of House Arlo-deus, the second most powerful house in the city of Yana, save the Maior’s house, often thought of society and culture and its effect on the people and politicians of the major powers of the world. She always felt trapped in the claustrophobic folds the political world forced her into. A Yanan upper-class girl only the age of nine as of four moons ago; Dax was the second youngest child of six in one of the most elite families in the city. This meant she had certain “responsibilities,” or what Dax liked to call “burdens,” that she had to bare. Needless to say, her mother did not care for this term.

There was another louder knock. Dax’s head snapped up; she only just realized that she had paused halfway to the door and had been standing still for far too long. She couldn’t help but to get caught up in thoughts of the overwhelming weight that was on her shoulders.

“My lady?” came a stern low voice. “It’s Penn. I… I was told to be here as the sun set upon the horizon.” She opened the door.

There stood a tall, clean shaven, handsome man with short curly black hair. More a boy, she thought. Penn was only four and ten. His eyes spoke of a deep desire. At first Dax thought the desire was for her, but upon further examination, she realized that the desire went deeper. Far deeper.

“I beg pardon my lord. I was finishing up with my hair.” Dax lied. She often lied about doing girly things like “getting ready” or “doing her hair” or “fixing her make-up” when she really just wanted some time away from the ball or banquet or whatever stupid event her parents were forcing her to attend.

“It’s no problem at all my lady. I was just afraid you hadn’t heard my knock.” Penn said with a warm smile. He seemed kind. Had all of the stories her sister Roma told her about betrothals been a lie just to scare her? Dax wouldn’t doubt that for a second. But still… she wondered.

Penn pulled out the seat for her to sit down. Look who’s acting the gentleman, Dax thought. They had arrived at the best restaurant in the city: Coquus Ciborum Super Mortuo. The chef was waiting next to the table ready to take their order directly. He always saw to the most elite families, making sure nothing was lost in translation on the way back to the kitchens. Dax smelled something off putting as she took her seat. Chef Alta a Mortuis was always surrounded by the scent of rotting food. It often made her wonder about the quality of the meat being served, but no one had ever gotten sick from dining at Coquus and the food was so highly praised as to be confused for mana from heaven.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Dax jolted in surprise as she lifted her head to look into Penn’s eyes as he spoke. He had a very soft voice. She followed his gaze upwards. The infinite sea of stars sprawling across the dark void seemed to mirror Dax’s own far flung thoughts. Was there ever an end?

“You know, it’s even better outside of the city if you can imagine. When all is dark around you with only the stars above. I’ve fallen asleep in many fields dreaming of floating up towards the lights.” He shook his head as if snapping out of a trance. Dax realized that he had said more than he’d intended to. A feeling she was all too familiar with. It was at that moment she realized that she hadn’t said a single word to him in spite of her ever-present internal monologue.

“I’ve never been outside the city.” Dax lied. She had been beyond the walls, just once, and if her father knew he would have locked her in the Onyx Palace for the rest of her life. Nobody knew that she had gone outside of the city walls that night.

“Never outside the city?” Penn said astonished. “You’ve never seen the Purple Forest or the place where the Roman River meets the Italian Gulf? You’ve never really seen the true open sky.” He spoke that last sentence, not as a question, but as a statement of fact laden with woe. “I would love to take you some time. It really is the most beautiful thing you could ever see. Well… I once thought.” Pink flushed to his cheeks. Dax realized what he was thinking and her cheeks brightened to match his. They both looked up at each other and laughed. A nervous laugh.. but a nice one. Penn was nice, but still, she wondered.

The night had gone on far better than Dax could ever have imagined… not that she was pleased with this revelation. This man to whom she was unwillingly betrothed was just so annoyingly charming and handsome. His smile was hard to look away from. It felt so genuine. No, she thought, all boys act like this. That’s what Roma had always told her. It was just an act to appease the nobles and peasants of the city so they wouldn’t seem like monsters. In private, things worked differently. And yet… even when they were alone, when he had come to fetch her from the palace, he was so disarmingly sweet. Maybe, she mused internally, first impressions shouldn’t be discounted.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” He asked. He was always the first one to speak when they fell silent. “And I can tell your mind is always racing.” Dax blushed. No one had ever examined her like this before, especially with such accuracy. She didn’t know if this was the right time to open up to him. For some reason, she still felt guarded.

“I’m nervous.” She half lied, wanting to be somewhat truthful with him. Really though, she felt relatively comfortable around him which wasn’t the case with most people in her life. She never could forget those freezing cold hands…

“Me too.” Penn said with a laugh that seemed to come from a place of relief. “I’ve never really, talked to a girl. Um, well.. like this I mean. A conversation at length that isn’t just about the Velvet Ball or the Noctu Igne Mille. It’s very refreshing.” Has Penn had similar doubts about betrothal and love as she had? He seemed just as forced into the situation as Dax. She had never considered this before. Surely a man enjoyed the company of any woman. That’s what Roma always said at least. “This is the part where you respond.” He said, drawing a laugh out of both of them.

“I feel the same way. I’ve never spoken so freely with a guy in this way.” She paused and gave a deep sigh.

“Is something wrong, Dax?”

“No.. I..” she trailed off with her thoughts.

“You know, it’s not hard to tell you’re hiding something.” He accused lightly. How strange, Dax thought, that he actually seemed to be paying attention to her. She bit her lip and looked down, releasing another deep sigh.

“Well…” Dax didn’t get to finish. A small boy in dark clothing ran up to the table. He tried to relay his message while struggling to catch his breath.

“My lord… my lady… the Maior has called… all of the major hou… gah.. houses to the town hall. I was told to come retrieve you both.” The boy looked worried.

Dax and Penn exchanged a look. Penn had a dark expression on his face. Was he worried too? Did he know what this was about? “Well I guess we better go see what Maior Pyrrha has to tell us at this gods’ forsaken hour.” He stood up and went around the table to pull out Dax’s chair.

“Thank you, Penn.” She said trying not to think of his hand holding hers as he helped her stand. She was almost hoping he wouldn’t let go, but he turned to hurry out of Coquus and down the road towards the town hall. Dax quickly followed.

#writing #my writing #author #constructive criticism #fiction #fantasy

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trans-pepsi · 6 years

Text

Hey! I was your secret santa this year, @creeshtar ! So, I hope you enjoy this alyanette fic I wrote.

@mlsecretsanta

Marinette slumped down onto her bed, sighing after a long day of school and completely typical teenage responsibility. She lets her head rest for a moment, almost rengerizing herself immediately. Tikki landed on the side of her bed as a thought entered Marinette’s brain with almost no prompting,”Alya”. Marinette froze, wanting to groan and blush and probably everything else she could do. Alya was just such a wonderful friend that she had trouble correctly explaining how she felt about her.

It was like a fire, Marinette started to herself. Tender and warm, yet behind it was a burning want or even need for more. Marinette shook her head after she thought that. No, it was quiet, embers slowly kindling and tended to each day that she couldn’t live without them or she’d blow away. Alya isn’t huge into fire, is she? So, it’s a comic book. Inked with love and fascination. A page turner that one thumbs through over and over because no matter how many times she’s read it, it still fascinated her each time she opened an old issue. Marinette opened her eyes again, she really should just be a poet at this rate.

Sighing, Marinette gets up and puts her feet to the ground and slipping them into her night shoes. She rubbed the exhaustion from her eyes as she looked absently at her phone. The lights inside were off, the only light from the street lamps that started to flicker on, giving the room a calm stillness. Marinette shook her head and got up, walking down the steps from her bed. It was when she started to pace around her room that Tikki got up and went over to Marinette

“What’s on your mind, Marinette?” She asked as she tilted her head, buzzing around Marinette like she was ready to do whatever was needed of her though even Tikki doubted she could really help.

Marinette sighed, waving her hand for Tikki to sit down.”Oh, it’s nothing,” she started,”It’s Alya.” she explained. Tikki nodded slowly. Marinette had been hinting at something important about Alya for a long time. Even after much prompting, Marinette refused to budge an inch. “I’d embarrass myself if I actually did anything about it,” she’d say.

‘Alya’. Even saying her name made Marinette smile. It’s what made these thoughts so difficult. Alya wasn’t just amazing girlfriend material, she was also the best friend she could ever want. ‘Alya wasn’t just’ was a game Marinette played with herself a bit too much if she needed to give herself a reality check this late at night. Okay, she shook her head, I need to do something, don’t I? Well, if I do tell Alya my feelings two things will happen, duh. Either she accepts, we date right then and there, maybe some flowers, no, chocolates? Ladybug themed pastries, perfect. The two of them take Paris by storm with her superheroing and tailorship, Alya with her.. Well, to be quick about her encyclopedic knowledge and love of Alya’s skills, then journalism and whatever career Alya might want to pursue. Business? Counselling? She didn’t care. Alya had a certain elegance with whatever she set her mind to.

The other possibility wasn’t as interesting, quite clearly. Alya gets off-put by Marinette’s shortcomings, laughing a little to her face and telling Marinette the truth that she’s so obviously straight (when she wears flannel everyday. What kind of straight girl does that?). Then, being a good friend, Alya says they can still be friends, and it’s not like Marinette has a fear of being ‘friendzoned’. Alya’s still the best friend a girl could ask for. Still, as time went on, Alya would probably find how creepy Marinette can get and distance herself as time went on, eventually breaking their friendship and Marinette’s heart.

Marinette slowly calmed herself, she mustn’t get sad like this when she hasn’t even done anything. Besides, Alya probably would be alright with it, right? Her and Nino are still good friends after they broke up. She sighed, it was hopeless. It’s not like she had the courage to just go up and confess her feelings proudly and actually coherent. She’s gone through notebooks thinking of ways to impress, woo and confess to Alya. She’ll be the first to admit Volume one was just rehashing from Adrien schemes but after that, she got a lot more creative. There was also, of course, Volume three. It was the secret one, the forbidden “Surprise I’m ladybug” ideas that she wrote to herself when Tikki was asleep. Marinette wasn’t sure if Alya having a crush on Ladybug was good or bad. Great that she likes girls, great she likes a version of her, but horrible if Alya is just as blind in love as she was with Adrien.

Mariette had the rest of the day to just pace, sit and lay around uselessly as she kept worrying, thinking and daydreaming about Alya. She’s done this a few too many times, only punctuated by food, work or akumas. Sometimes, she could turn it into fuel for another design or just drawing in general. Tikki sat by Marinette who was now sitting in her desk chair, almost mindlessly looking around online for something to do and get out of this hopeless gay rut.

As if it was an answer to her call, Marinette’s phone lit up. She climbed the ladder again and plopped herself down with it on her bed. Unlocking it she found a text from Alya. “I’ve found who Ladybug and Chat Noir are!” she exclaimed in the text, the excitement bursting from each word. It was like the whole room went quiet as Marinette stared at the screen. She had no idea what this could mean. Alya was known for coming up with silly theories. Just thinking at one point Alya was convinced Chloe was Ladybug made Marinette chuckle softly. Her fingers couldn’t move as her mind was too busy painting out what this could mean if Alya was right.

As if an answer to her question, Alya sent a photo of not Ladybug and Chat Noir, but of two Golden Retrievers with the hero’s masks on. Yes, the dogs were very happy and Good. Boys. Marinette chuckled a bit louder, enjoying the unintentional sweet gesture. “But do you have proof?” She threw back at Alya.

“Of course.” She responded with a second photo of the same dogs without the masks. It was clear Alya was having a lot of fun with this.

“Where are you getting these pictures? Did you stage this?” She laughed more, enjoying how cute Alya is being

“A fan of the Ladyblog sent them in. But you’re totally right, no way a dog is Chat Noir. Don’t dogs hate cats?”

“This one doesn’t quite clearly.”

“Anyways, how have you been Mari? Having a fun and super productive Wednesday?”

“I’ve been good. I did get all my homework done so that’s great.”

“Look at you! Little Miss Perfect Student, huh?”

Marinette rolled her eyes, but she still enjoyed the comment,”Miss Perfect Student? That’s a new one.”

“Hey, can I not support my best friend? The one who actually does her homework at a reasonable hour?”

“You may, of course. Besides, you’ve got the Ladyblog to do.”

“Yeah I guess but that’s more of an excuse than an actual reason.”

Marinette paused, thinking to herself if she wanted to take this conversation where she wished it could.She waved her phone between her thumb and pointer finger as she thought. Eventually, she texted back,”Who do you think Ladybug is?”

Almost instantly, Alya responds,”Girl, do you think I’d hide those ideas from you? I don’t really have a clue if you want the insider scoop.”

“Okay, but like who do you think Ladybug is, personality and stuff.”

“Hmm.. well I don’t mind who it is, really. She’s still ladybug to me.”

“But if you had to answer the question,” Marinette nervously bit her lip to see how this would go. Did she go too far? Would Alya see where she’s going with this?

“Confident in what she does, always wanting to help people, kind to those need her, determined in what she believes, and any other stupid things I’d want from a partner.”

Marinette almost had to give the text a double take. Finally unfreezing from the surprise and with shaking and rushed fingers, she asked,“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Well..” Alya responds with a word and a very long pause. Marinette’s heart was beating harder than she’s ever felt it. A minute passes while an hour passes to Marinette. Finally, Alya explains herself,”Okay, I’ll be honest I always wanted to come out with a ‘not straight’ joke but I guess this is a good in between.” A third text comes right after,”Sorry if that’s a problem :P”

Marinette’s heart couldn’t feel lighter yet fuller like a hot air balloon.”No!” she responded right after the third text.”That’s totally fine. It’s miraculous.” It seems Chat Noir is rubbing off on her, in a good way.

“I just snorted while I laughed like a loser from that.”

“Seriously though,” Marinette started with her text like she couldn’t type fast enough to calm her equally fast heart.”That’s awesome!”

“You have any questions?”

“I don’t need to ask any questions” Marinette responds without a thought.

“Don’t need to, you say?” Alya asks, poking Marinette to see if she’d spill the beans.

“Uh..” Marinette replied, her mind blanking which left leaving Alya to fill in the blanks.

“!!!!” was all Alya could respond with which made Marinette smile and start to giggle to herself. Maybe coming out wasn’t so bad.

“So, we’re the gay ones of the class, huh?” Marinette returned moments later.

“It’s closer to say you were the only straight one of our friends”

“Excuse me?” Marinette responded,”What made you think I was straight?”

“Adrien.” Alya retorted, starting a second thought, “But seriously, Nino and I broke up because he realized he was gay. Adrien is probs bi if you ask me.”

“So wait..” Marinette didn’t just pause for effect in her texts. Her whole brain paused as she realized something. In an almost explosion of typing, she asked, mentally demanding an answer,”Do you have a crush on Ladybug?!?”

“Yes, Ladybug is my Adrien.”

Later, Alya sent “You looking at the Ladyblog to get hints?” But she wasn’t. Marinette was dancing to herself. Even if there was all these uncertainties; if Alya would like Ladybug’s civilian form the same way, or if she would even be willing to continue it as far as Marinette hopes, it didn’t matter. Today, Marinette knows Alya loves her back, even if she doesn’t know that yet.

#alyanette #alya cesaire #marinette dupain cheng #miraculous ladybug #honestly this is half drabble as it basically has two distinct parts but also I really edited this and I think its some of my best work #mostly because I don't edit my stuff usually but ssshh

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writings-kalelculver · 7 years

Text

Lunar Days

Just like the moon, we go through phases. Instead of our phases lasting twenty-seven days, ours begins the day we take our first breath until our last breath is release from our lungs and back into the atmosphere. We are all unique; we all go through different phases, and that means not everyone will understand what we are going through. We may skip through phase, and revert to some over and over again. Life is meant to be the ultimate learning experience for our next journey.

When we are born we automatically know what our intention is for that moment; it is to grow.

New Moon Phase: During this time, we are becoming aware of our body and aware of our soul or lack of. During my new moon phase something must have gone corrupt. My family has told me that from a young at that my all time fears were fire and gaining weight. The fear of fire arose when I was five and lived on the Clinton River in Michigan. There was a large marina across the way that caught fire. I remember being forced to watch it with my family. I remember the awful, acrid aroma that was similar to fatty pork being burned on a charcoal grill. I also remember seeing ember explosions light up the night; yachts became nothing more than fiberglass torches that competed with the stars for attention. The once calm river was riddled with chaos that wouldn’t seem to die.

After having that stench linger in the air for a few days I never really ate meat again. Then about a year or so later and restaurant, a block away from my house that was in the shape of a lighthouse caught fire as well. The same stench hovered in the air for days. It was not until years later that I learned; it was the smell of bodies burning. Every time the aroma of meat was in the air, all I could think about was those who had perished that night. Every time I saw someone eat meat all I could think about was those who were torched alive; followed by that acrid aroma once again, and then it hit me there is no humane way to die if a sentient being does not want to.

We relax into our intentions. Our intentions become as simple as breathing.

Crescent Moon Phase: At this point I was no longer eating meat, or much of anything. My mother had abandoned me for another new boyfriend and my dad was locked up in a Wayne County psychiatric hospital for severe schizophrenia. My life was falling apart at such a young age. I felt like no one wanted me; if your own parents abandon you, it makes you feel like you are absolutely worthless. Luckily I still had people who wanted me. My grandparents were the only ones I had left at the age of eight. They treated me extremely well, even paying for me to attend a prestigious private school. Sure I made friends there but they lived so far away. I learned to be alone, and my only friends were my grandpa, my golden retriever Genevieve, and the books I would read.

I take discerning action to support my intention.

First Quarter Moon Phase: which I fade into and out of quickly means to me that we as human beings are emphatic creatures. And I say fade because we as humans exist beyond a scope of 27 days; our emotions are our driving force. Yes we can cause so much harm, so much destruction, but many of us have heavy hearts—at least I know I do anyway. For those who need me I could never abandon them, because I know too well what this feels like and no one should have to feel alone in the depths of depression like I once did. I remember when I was in sixth grade and my friend Ani overheard Reina talking to herself. I told her if she needed to talk next period she could find me in the counselor’s office where I was assigned to be a student peer advisor for the lower and middle school. Sure enough I saw Reina peeked in, this time her face was completely expressionless. She confessed to me she saw her uncle commit suicide by closing the garage door on his head. She showed me a knife, a butterfly knife to be exact. At that point I got up calmly, walked into the office and told the counselor that a student has a knife. After that instance I never saw Reina again, all I know what happened to her that she went into a psychiatric hospital to get the help she so desperately needed. Sometime I wonder what would have happened if I just let that slide. She might as well have went through her plan and then that blood would have been on my hands as well.

We all go through trials before we understand who we will become during our adolescence; our intention and our so-called purpose in life becomes clearer.

Gibbous Moon: The most awkward time of my life. High school is never the exception to this; it is almost as it has become the rule to make lives miserable. The first time I met Collin was Freshman year of high school, and I swear the first words that 5’3” redneck ever said to me was, “shut the fuck up bitch.” Needless to say I tried to avoid him, like I tried to avoid others like the plague. In this area the only things you could do for fun were to drink, do drugs, or have sex, and I was not interested in any of the three so I became an outsider. The more I tried to avoid Collin the more I ran into him; it seemed as if those who tormented me were always around. He was always embarrassed to ask for help in English. He was a known drug dealer for the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. His racist grandfather is still today Citrus County’s Red Dragon, which means he controls the area. His drug of choice to sell was everything from heroine to marijuana. However, the only drug he touched himself was meth. It is funny that the Klan never found out about his addiction when everyone else did; if they ever found out he would not be alive today. He would come to me in private for some help, and if anyone asked what he was doing he would say I was buying drugs for him.

At this point my life was a complete mess. I was on almost every psychiatric drug under the rainbow, and when you feel, as everyone doesn’t see you as a person anymore you just want to go away. Then I had my first break with a knife and overdosing on my own prescriptions, shortly after I faded out of everyone’s lives and no one seemed to notice. After I came back Collin no longer came to me for any help, I guess no one likes the stigma of suicide. I was all alone again, except those who paid me to write papers for them, I guess these people had no problem being seen with an anorexic suicide addicted girl. The funny thing is if he continued coming to me for help he’d probably have graduated on time and not two years after he was suppose to.

We now are aware of our intentions. We either move on with this intention or we realize that it should not be ours at this time. Either way we release this intention, and our course will continue in the correct manner.

Full Moon Phase: Just because I like to help others does not mean it always works out the way that I have originally intended. In 2013 I worked at a resort in Crystal River, Florida called Plantation Inn. Inside that resort I was a server at the West 82 Bar and Grill, there while working I met an ex-tweaker named Tara. She was quite short and had a very outgoing personality. She was trying really hard to stay sober after rehab to regain custody of her son. I remember her saying that “no matter how bad my addiction to heroine got I never let my son go hungry.” She was a caring person to the whole staff. She would always ask how we were doing and it felt genuine. Then she had nowhere to go, her roommate did not want to sign the lease and she did not have the credit to lease the house on her own. As a result she moved into her boyfriend, Matt’s house. When she first introduced me to him, she told me to call him mommy and that nickname stuck. A few times Tara would call me up and ask for a ride to work, she said she would give me gas money, she never did and I didn’t mind. All I wanted was for her to do what was best for her and her son. Soon she would take advantage of this.

I was end up being the one that gets walked all over in the end; I guess it happens when you care more about others than you do yourself. She one day asked me to take her to her group therapy sessions, which I didn’t mind. However, one day she asked me to take her to a friend’s place real quick, “I’ll be right back sweetie,” she was say in a high pitched voice. She then would return to my car. As I started driving I saw her fidgeting with her purse. “What are you doing?” Then she finally admitted to buying meth and heroine. “You brought drugs into my fucking car?” I remember yelling that so loud and not knowing what to do, so I just dropped her off at her place and I was still pretty much in shock. She would ay that they were not for her, that she was a mule. I did not believe that for one bit. After her one year of sobriety she decided to go back to that life.

During the next few weeks Tara just got worse. I would still go and pick her up to take her to work and she would be stoned. One day she got into an argument with our boss Kelly. She went outside, and when she came back in she was completely unable to function. She was muttering nonsense, scaring the customers on the floor. Kelly then turned to me and said, “What the hell is going on?” I was completely speechless. The dinning had become nothing but a mere circus and Tara was the non-coherent ringleader. “I have no idea,” I said stumbling over my words. Kelly’s presence always made me nervous; she was a dominating and could sweep you under the rug just like a gnat. “She was fine when I went to pick her up this afternoon,” again the words came out of my mouth in a un-composed manner. The god honest truth was that Tara was fine before the shift.

For the rest of the night Tara was extremely sick. She managed to break 36 glasses on the rack as she stumbled throughout the server’s station. The next day when she came to get her things from the office, we found out that she mixed methadone with ecstasy. The end result was the termination of her job and 90 days in rehab. I tried to be a friend to her, I told her she could talk to me about anything and she did. I told her almost everyday that I was proud of her for staying sober. I had no idea how long this façade was going on; hell she could have been lying about being sober the whole time. It goes to show you that some people cannot be helped no matter how much you try.

We feel grateful that our intentions are coming into the form we so desire; we receive these with gratitude.

Disseminating Moon Phase: In October 2013 I learned to appreciate my life and understood how caring I truly was. At the time I was dating this guy named Matthew, who was nothing really special. At the time I was dating him, I was making extra money on the side in a risqué way…I was a cam girl. Even though I always wore masks to hide my face, my ankle tattoo could clearly been seen. I never hid this from Matthew, but I never really told him either, but one day he found out.

Then one day just became a living nightmare. He invited me over to his place in Inverness, Florida and it seemed like a normal day. We went to the park by the courthouse and walked around before returning home. As I entered his room, I felt a push then something hard hitting the back of my head. I got into the kneeling position and then I felt pressure on my legs then I felt his hand around my throat. I could not breathe. I could not move at all. I did not understand why this was happening. I started to fade in and out of conscious. Somehow I managed to get him off me, I do not remember how I did it or if his intention was not to kill me. Either way the authorities did not do a damn thing. This has become a common pattern in my life—all because he said he was hearing voices. The only good thing that came from this is that for the first time in a long time I wanted to live my life and not just die. I always thought that I would welcome death no matter what—I am glad to say that I was wrong and it took a traumatic event to change that.

Now that I am receiving my intention, I give back from a pace of abundance.

Third Quarter Moon Phase: Like I said before I do not give up on people, if they need me I’ll be there to help them, even if they have wronged me in the past. In January 2014 (six years since I last talked to him) Collin decided that he needed to talk to me. This continued until March of that same year. Work and school made my life so hectic that I completely ignored everyone for their own sake. Then in the middle of last July, I was back in town because my neighbors at my complex made living there a living hell; I was attacked the same pit bull three times. The third incident I protected myself—I stabbed the dog to save myself. The dog lived but I faced threats from the owners, they even keyed my car as a result. I lived alone and my family wasn’t too keen of me staying at my apartment when I didn’t have to work. I decided to travel 100 miles back to Citrus County when I wasn’t working for my own safety.

I was in the middle of Dunnellon, Florida having a not so pleasant conversation with my ex-fiancé Aaron. A majority of his family members were harassing me constantly and I wanted them to stop before I went to the local corrupt authorities. He gave little concern. By this point he lost everything he ever worked for, and could careless that this could financially destroy him and his family even more. After hearing enough of his emphatic remarks I headed for my bright blue sedan, sat in it, put my head on my steering wheel and started to contemplate everywhere I could have possibly gone wrong in my life. Then my phone started to buzz and it was Collin. It had been over a year since I heard from him and I must of forgotten that I did not want anything to do with him. He asked if I wanted to see him and talk and after the disastrous night I was having I was inclined to say yes.

That starry night I agreed to meet him. He gave me his address, and my GPS took me through mazes of dusty, country roads. I saw that several people in this area had hogs, and all that did was remind me of a story my grandfather told me growing up about these two travelers in Alpena, Michigan. These two travelers got lost and had some kind of scuffle with a local. A few weeks late the local authorities found some uneaten human remains in the hog’s slop. I never asked my grandfather for proof growing up if this story had any truth to it, but that story played through my mind over and over again. “No one will ever find my body,” I whispered to myself. I hit many potholes going down that dirt road, I thought that my undercarriage would be torn to pieces by the time I even saw his place. Finally I found his driveway, with grass that stood about two feet tall. As I got closer to his house I could not help but notice that he also had hogs in his front yard, there must have been a dozen. I could not help but wonder, is he going to kill me, should I just go back to my grandparent’s house? It was too late; I made eye contact with him so automatically I was even more committed to this arrangement. And all of the nights I forgot to carry a knife in my pocket.

We happily sat on his wood-rot front porch for a while. The crickets were singing and the stars are bright, and the shadows of the trees danced in the distance. As he lit his cigarette he so nonchalantly said, “I just got out of jail.” If I was uncomfortable before, now I was about to get in my car and for sure drive back to my grandparent’s house. But I stayed. A part of me must have been curious because I so politely asked why he was ever in jail. “Driving on a suspended,” he muttered with the cigarette now in his mouth. I stood up and walked to the opposite end of the porch. If there is one thing I cannot stand is the horrid, stale smell of cigarettes. “You need to sit down for this one,” as he patted the chair right next to him. I did as he asked; I am not usually one to not do as a man tells me. “So I was in a 32 car pile up when I was working my way back down from Tennessee. I was the last one in and couldn’t avoid that shit. So I ended up with a ticket and missed my court date on a count that the damn ticket didn’t get forwarded to this address.”

At this point I was more concerned about the safety of my own life. I could care less about anything he had to say. I just kept thinking to myself if I were to die here tonight no one would know, and I would be hog chow in the morning. Still I couldn’t shake the feeling of wondering why I was even there to begin with. Damn. He’s lucky that I had a bad night and needed a way out of it. He just continued to jabber on and not shut up; and men say that women are chatty? I call bull shit right there. Then he actually did it—he said something that caught my attention. He began to confess all the wrongs he did in his life. First he told me how he joined the Ku Klux Klan at 16, which I already knew but I just pretended that this was shocking news. He explained that he is not a racist and that the only color he cares about is green, the only reason that he even joined (besides that his grandfather is the Red Dragon). He told me that he made it through the ranks so quickly, without even knowing. He bragged about the people he fought (he might be 5’3” but I have seen him knock a guy out with one punch back in the high school years). I couldn’t help but blurt out, “you either must be really stupid, or you trust me so much.” He just stared at me for what felt like a century. “Of course I trust you, why wouldn’t I?” I just rolled my eyes in disbelief. “Why does everyone tell me about their skeletons in the closet? Because, hun you ain’t the first to do it and you sure as hell won’t be the last.” I thought saying that in a bitchy, sarcastic tone would be enough that he wouldn’t want to deal with me again. I felt victorious until he asked me if I would like to go inside.

Nothing I could do would work, without actual physical violence. I thought that I would later regret it but I oblige and I’m glad nothing did. After a while the awkwardness went away and it happen to be one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time. He just wanted someone to talk to, someone who has an open mind and the willingness to understand all the nasty shit and abuse that he endured. He was not the monster he was forced to be.

I reflect with thanks. With this I rest. With this I restore and allow myself to persevere.

Balsamic Moon Phase: We are all just sitting here trying to figure out our universe and our purpose which will probably change time and time again). The phases I have gone through have shaped me into the person I am today and I wonder when the next time I’ll go through them again and who will be there with me to witness these glorious events. Because until our next big journey in life—whatever you may believe that to be, will be returned to the earth and I know I can’t wait to return to the stars and live among them as chemicals of my former vessel.

#nonfiction #storytime #daily writing #Original Work #my life is a mess #life lessons #lunar #moon phases #moonlight #depression #depressing thoughts #autobiography #love story #dark romance #to those left behind

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sawrinwrites · 3 months

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March Content Plans (Long Update)

As it is now the 25th here in frosty England, it has officially been 2 months since I published my first piece of fan fiction. In that time, I've released:

A one-shot containing my first ever attempt at both monster smut and an explicit F/F sex scene (which is currently my most popular work????)

A low angst (I know, I can't believe it either) romantic one-shot from the POV of a golden retriever

4 chapters of an emotionally intense story that is so far from my usual writing style I have to re-read earlier chapters to remind myself how to write it (a deliberate stylistic choice but boy, am I paying for it)

3 chapters of what was meant to be a fun side project and is quickly turning into something deep and dark and wonderful in its own right

All in all, that's 4 bodies of work spanning 57.7k words released over a period of 9 weeks (not including the 15-20k which got rewritten / replaced / outright cut). Which is, for me, insane. It's also a pace that I won't be able to maintain going forward, so for the sake of setting expectations (my own, more than anyone else's), here's the current plan for March:

The Monsters At My Side And In My Shadow Ch 1-3 update Given that this has gone from "werewolf smut hiding in a multi-chapter fic" to "multi-fic exploration of abuse with a healthy dollop of smut", I want to revise what's already been released to better align with what I have going forward. There won't be any plot / event changes, scenes that get altered will be getting either an expansion or a rewrite, depending on the work needed (which will include adding more smut-adjacent content because it's currently lacking and I want it to be better).

Untitled - An Ember POV Story to Celebrate 1yr Since The Bees Kissed (March 25th) @reeves3 put the idea in my head and now I have a collection of outlines covering various points in Yang and Blake's relationship all told from the perspective of the Best Girl. They won't come out in chronological order as I'm looking to line them up with various events, but the current plan is that March 25th will cover the introduction of a new member into the Xiao Long-Belladonna pack.

Additionally, I'd like to release the following chapters but I am forcing myself to accept that these will likely get bumped to April:

The Monsters At My Side And In My Shadow Ch 4

Shattered Divinity Ch 5

There's a few reasons for the (temporary) slowdown in content:

I am supposed to draft 1 - 3 OC novels this year (the mistake of mixing alcohol with an empty resolutions boards and the word "bet") and I need to dedicate more time than I have done to those projects to have any hope of doing that.

Rather than wait for the fan fic writer's curse to hit, I've gone and done it to myself by buying my first house. The offer got accepted yesterday, so now I have to deal with the joys of legal and financial paperwork. And start prepping for a move. And every other stressful time consuming thing that comes from this period. Don't get me wrong, I am fucking ecstatic, not least because it means me having an actual bedroom for the first time in almost 4 years, but the next steps are going to take a chunk out of my usual writing time.

@kaelidascope is about to drop a veritable feast of content. Look, I'm not subtle about how much I enjoy her work. She's my favourite fan fic writer. She's probably one of my favourite writers period on account of the emotional damage and veritable joy Mightnight Menagerie has brought me. And I'm not just saying this because she's been exceptionally complimentary of my own work (which, by the way, I am still freaking out over). She is one of the main reasons I started writing fan fiction. If it wasn't for the original Beestfic, I'd never have written The Hunt. Which means I'd never have had the concept ideas that initially led to starting The Monsters At My Side And In My Shadow, and without that fic, I wouldn't have had the 3 experimental scenes between Yang and her grimm which ended up inspiring the idea to write Best Laid Plans from Ember's POV. So I will be setting aside some time (translation: every waking moment I have during release weekend) to thoroughly immerse myself in the relaunch. Also there's two Menagerie chapters due and the previews are already threatening my analytics brain and unfortunately it takes time to launch that kind of assault on AO3's comment section.

So yeah. A few things going on in March. I'm gonna try and do this as a rolling monthly thing going forward in lieu of trying to have a timed release schedule. Hopefully the April one will be a bit lot shorter.

#content update #fuck this is long #march is gonna be a MONTH for me yall

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