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artinandwritin · 1 year

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Alright guys, I’ve got something to talk about cuz the dream I had last night reminded me of it and made me nostalgic for being a kid

When I was little, around 9-14-ish, I was really, really obsessed with this cute little book series written by the Geronimo Stilton author, the Chronicles of the Kingdom of Fantasy, and as you guys know, I’m very Dutch, so I read all of the books plus the sequel series in Dutch. And let me tell you, it shaped so much of my early teenage years personality and my love for fantasy and I never even dared to talk about that part of my life cuz it seemed “cringe”.

I’ll give a summary of the series here, cuz I don’t really think any of my followers have read it due to it not being translated to their language or just... not knowing it existed.

The Chronicles of the Kingdom of Fantasy (de Kronieken van Fantasia in Dutch and Cronache del Regno Della Fantasia in its original language, which is Italian) is a sweet, Lord of the Rings-escue series about a young elf, Ombroso (which is his Italian name, he’s called Saturno in the Dutch version), a 15-year-old refugee from the Land of the Woodelves who had been stranded in the Land of the Star-elves when he was just four years old after a devastating war in his own country. He has grown up as the adoptive son of astrologist Eridanus, who himself had two kids with his now-deceased wife, Mizram - currently 16-year-old Regulus and 13-year-old Spica.

In an effort to save his people and find the birth parents he can’t remember, Ombroso, after receiving a few items from Eridanus which had been stowed away for years until the boy was ready, travels into the Land of the Woodelves through a magical gate linking the two countries together (it’s a whole thing), taking Regulus with him cuz the power of bros is vast enough to do anything. Spica wanted to come, but apparently misogyny is still a thing in this medieval fantasy kingdom (and she’s. literally 13), so the boys leave her at home.

Pretty scarring shenanigans ensue, Ombroso and Reg find the Land of the Woodelves rotten, overtaken by evil creatures serving the Queen of Witches, who, unbeknownst to them, is currently trying to overtake the entire Kingdom of Fantasy. Ombroso learns his mother, Acacia, died while giving birth to him and his father, a mysterious man named Cuortenace (Sterkhart in Dutch, I honestly don’t know if they reveal his past right away in the first book. Every detail from this has melted together in my brain), hasn’t been seen for years. Few think he’s actually still alive. Ombroso also learns (or remembers, I don’t know) his real name is Audace (Dappart in Dutch) and that the name he usually goes by is just a nickname.

The boys meet Robinia, the former princess of the Woodelves whose older brother had actually sold her and her people to the Queen of Witches for a reason I can’t remember. Probably cuz of money or power. She’s 14 years old and really salty her people are suffering, so she doesn’t really like Ombroso and Regulus, but eventually warms up to them.

In the meantime, Spica also does shenanigans. She does a dreamily lovesick dreaming about Ombroso cuz she like-likes him and decides to go against his wishes and help him, cuz he’s totally lost without her. Girlboss, I actually looked up to Spica so much as a kid. Now I just think, “who let a 13 year old kid do war crimes???”.

She meets Stellarius, a grumpy old Gandalf-y wizard who goes by many names. He had actually come for Ombroso, to guide him through his journey, but takes one look at this kid and decides she probably has more braincells than a 15-year-old boy he’s never met before, so he decides she’ll come with him to the Land of the Woodelves to assist Ombroso in his hero’s journey. He informs her that, before they can go, they first need to do their own little thing and defeat the evil bats that have come through the magical gate into the Land of the Star elves - he enchants Spica’s bow and they go do the murder of bats.

I honestly don’t really... remember what happens next. I know Ombroso gets an enchanted sword and finds out about a prophesy in which a Sword, a Bow, a Goose and a Dragon would defeat the Evil Witch and do things, which is super obvious to everyone, even the main characters. He also meets a Hunter, who calls himself Hunter, cuz he’s a Hunter. I don’t think he’s really that creative as we meet him again later and he changes his name to Knight, cuz he’s... a Knight. Um. Yeah.

Ombroso nearly dies at some point, but don’t worry, he does that a lot. He and his new and old friends get the Land of Woodelves back and Ombroso and Spica, reunited and all, decide to fulfill the prophecy and journey through the realms to find a magic Goose and a Dragon to complete the quartet and defeat the Queen of Witches. Regulus and Robinia join them, same with Stellarius and Robinia’s little pet dragon(?), whose name I unfortunately forgot.

They travel to the kingdom of dwarfs through another magical gate in the second book, where they do a liberation of the people and need to find the next magical gate. Also, Ombroso had this really hot moment in this book which was kinda Little Mona’s first introduction to dominant fictional characters ever, which, um. Yeah. You see where I’m going with this. They also find the Goose in this one, a dwarf girl named Favilla (Spranka in Dutch) who got enchanted into a goose after escaping the Queen of Witches, who thought she was to bring her doom because of another prophesy. They take her with them through the gate!

In the third book, they go to a sorta swamp realm, which isn’t really fun for anyone. This one is my favorite, but apparently I don’t own the book, which absolutely sucks. They also get seperated from Stellarius in this one and for the first time ever, the teens have to rely on themselves. This one has a lot of inner conflict and some character development, mainly for Ombroso and Spica, and completes the prophecy quartet in the form on Codamozza (Halvestaart in Dutch, which means Half-Tail), a locked up Dragon Ombroso frees and befriends. At the end, Spica, Regulus, and Robinia get captured by the evil minions of the Queen of Witches and brought to her, seperating them from from Ombroso, Codamozza and Favilla. I don’t remember what Stellarius is doing, ngl.

The fourth book features the wrap up of the series, in which the prophecy comes to life and this part of the adventure ends. Spica, who is a storyteller and inspires herself and the other captured creatures in the Land of the Witches, gets taken before the Queen and drugged (um, yeah, they drug a 13-year-old. It gets really dark in this part) for them to tell them her stories, I don’t remember why. Robinia and Regulus lead a rebellion and meet up with the Hunter/the Knight and Stellarius, while Ombroso and Favilla go into the castle, where they reunite with Spica (who had been saved by a mysterious woman named Anguilla (Aaltje in Dutch), who Favilla had grown up with and lost contact with. She’s distant, however, and only interested in taking the Queen down.

In the final battle the Hunter/the Knight steps into the scene, breaking into the throneroom through the glass window on Codamozza’s back. He reveals himself to be a Knight of the Old Order of Knights of the Rose and Ombroso’s long lost father, Cuortenace. However, he sacrifices himself to save Spica and gets turned to stone by the Queen.

I don’t remember how, but the quartet defeats the Queen in one last effort to succeed. The kingdom celebrates and Ombroso, upset about the loss of his father, asks the Fairy Queen, the one who had chosen him to defeat the Queen of Witches so many years ago, his patron, to please turn him back to flesh and blood. The Fairy Queen doesn’t have that power however, and tells him he has to go to his father’s place of origin, the abandoned Island of the Knights, to restore it in its honor and place its crest back in its right place. Only then, his father and all the other people who had been turned to stone on the Island itself (cuz that happened but I totally forgot about it) would return to their former selves.

This brings us to the last two books of the series, 5 and 6, which shows how Ombroso, Spica and Codamozza, one year after the events of the final book, travel to the Island of the Knights and restore it in its former glory. It’s a bit weaker than the first four books, but it wraps the series up well enough so almost no loose ends are left around.

It does have a sequel series made up of four books, in which a new set of characters, who are the next generation of Knights from the new order Ombroso had build after the events of the first series. We see some small snippets of the old characters, who are around ten to fifteen years older than they were in the original, but it doesn’t tell us much about what happened to them except from what type of job they did. It’s a fun series, but I really would’ve preferred the older characters to be a bit more inserted into the plot.

As I said before, I read this series as a kid, from when I was around 9, up until I was around 14. The first book had been published in 2008, when I was 5, which - holy shit. That’s 15 years ago. This book is old. I mean, no wonder it meant so much to me as a kid. By the time I had started reading them, the final one had just been released and it was one of my first introductions into my beloved fantasy-hero’s journey type of story.

Ombroso was a great hero for something like this and kinda defied the odds of the usual “chosen ones” in other media. He was a bit broody, shy, couldn’t act well around people for a good portion of his life, and moody, so, so moody. His nickname by the Star Elves had been chosen because he just. Refused to smile as a kid. And it just concerned the other elves he lived with. He had his badass moments, really, and his personality made for a great dynamic with the siblings Regulus and Spica. They were so bubbly, so friendly, and while Ombroso wasn’t actively the voice of reason between them, he was the one who strutted behind them with his hands in his pockets and head in the clouds.

Regulus was more of a voice of reason, in typical older brother behaviour. He and Ombroso had this really sweet understanding with each other, and Ombroso viewed him more as a sibling, while viewing Spica as more of a friend, despite growing up with her. The three of them got along so well and looking back on it as an adult, I just feel so protective over these three. They’re so dear to my heart, partly due to them being so young and due to them being the characters who I’ve literally aged out of after having had them be older than me for years. They go through so much and honestly, if this series had been marketed differently, it would’ve passed as a YA-fantasy series. Don’t tell me I’m wrong, cuz I know I’m not.

When I was a kid, Spica had always been my favorite character, with her being so spunky, a storyteller, and someone who actively stood up for themselves. She had a huge impact on my development as a young teen, but as I got older and reviewed the series having grown past her age, Regulus became much more dear to my heart. He was a bookworm, so, so friendly, if not a bit loud and outspoken, not having a great filter, and he just felt so... real. Like a real older brother, a real 16-17 year old finding his way in the world and growing away from his home, venturing out into the world. His character was always so grounded and as a more reserved older sister to a rambunctious twin brother, I felt so connected to that. Also, he’s a himbo. He’s such a himbo.

I’m not really gonna focus on Robinia, I didn’t really connect with her character a whole lot during the series as she was pushed into the background most often during the main series and just,,, completely cut out of the last books, save for a bit in the start and end of the fifth and sixth respectively.

However, what really kept me into this series, was the way my friends from that time reacted to it. Most of us were little girls with a little too much imagination, and my best friend at the time got just as obsessed with it as I did. We played out the books with playmobile figures, talked about everything in it, made original characters and thought about fanfictions we didn’t even know was fanfiction. We made an oc who was Ombroso and Spica’s daughter, gave them all families, fantasized about all the wacky things they would get into as adults. It was just fun, that’s all I can say about it. I’ve lost contact with that friend, we grew apart, but sometimes I see her give a like to my posts on instagram, which reminds me of the fun we used to have as kids.

When I went into middle school, I had another friend who was into the series. We wrote down fanfiction and I sometimes wrote stories on the playmobile plays me and my other friend had made a year prior. I made a full-fledged character out of the kid we gave Ombroso and Spica, whom I named Acacia. She was one heck of a fun character and I absolutely loved writing about her, her siblings, her love interest, and of course, her parents. In total, over the years, I wrote around 100,000 words of fanfiction for this series. These books shaped me so heavily, but as it was so unknown and the author behind Geronimo Stilton is known for their more... childish stories, I wasn’t taken seriously when I talked about it in school. I remember having done a presentation about the first book in my first year of middle school, totally enthusiastic, and hearing how the Dutch teacher had banned Geronimo Stilton books from being presented from the next year and on. I already was the “weird kid” in my class, ahead on the curve, having a bit too much knowledge for my little brain to contain.

Of course a little fantasy series about elves, dragons, a chosen one who was just as much of an outcast as I was and another character I aspired to be more like was gonna be my escape, but as the years passed and I grew up bit by bit, it felt... strange, to be so invested in something that everyone deemed so childish. At the tender age of 14, you do mostly what others expect of you - so I put the books down, stowed them away in a corner of my room where I still knew they were close and could grab onto them any minute, but still far away enough to not realize they were there.

And now I’m 19. It’s been ten years since I first picked up one of the books. They’re still in that little corner in my room and I feel like I’m finally in a place where I won’t be ashamed or embarrassed if I picked them up again. And really, what harm can it do? What harm can liking a book series made for kids really do me? All it can do, is bring me the joy it brought me when I was a kid myself and take me back to the time where I didn’t have college to worry about, where I had a more functional family, where I didn’t worry about who I would offend if I spoke too loudly or what my place in the world would be as a woman and an artist.

I’m at the point in my life where I no longer cringe at my former self and her interests; in fact, she was probably a lot bolder than me for liking something that was so dear to her heart so openly.

Maybe it’s time I start doing that again.

#so yeah #that went deep #but it's time to be cringe again!#i absolutely loved being this sappy for a moment surely over smt that i used to love so much #is it time for a reread? oh heck yeah it is #im very compelled to buy the third and fifth book online cuz i don't have those lmao #i actually recently found out my first friend #who im still in contact with today #also read one of the spinoff series which focusses on other characters #and we bonded over that lmao #so anyway how shall i tag this #artinandwritin's lore #chronicles of the kingdom of fantasy #cronache del regno della fantasia #kronieken van fantasia #geronimo stilton

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alphaofdarkness · 6 months

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Oh my gosh, they are soulmates...

—

I am thoroughly impressed with myself that some handfuls of my art recently have been fanfic inspired, precious Sabezra babes have joined in 💙🧡💜

This scene was inspired by @jessicas-pi’s fanfic Starbirds and Wolves! I am a mess for soulmate inspired aus and believe me when I say it wrecked and got me all emotional through the story especially nearing the climax end of the 1st chapter (heck yeah one more potential continuation ^ↀᴥↀ^).

I skim reread the fanfic several times to get the idea of what the scene appeared like and leading up to it. Midway, it does sound like it takes place after the events season 2 and by the conversations between Sabine and Ezra, I assumed that they have their season 3 designs (one of my favorites, and I also semi-referenced @/arrival-layne's Ezra design on how they drew his hair).

I also had fun just figuring out their soulmarks, which is Sabine’s starbird and Ezra’s loth wolf connection, and how they appear on their hands. I really had fun with this, I hope y’all enjoy ✨🐺 Ellos estan muy cansados ;;w;;

#sabezra #ezrabine #ezra bridger #sabine wren #bluebean #star wars #star wars rebels #alpha’s art

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solitaszn · 1 year

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curtains | ted lasso ✧˚ · .

Pairing: Ted Lasso x fem!reader

Summary: under the employment of one trent crimm at afc richmond, you are the second American hire and only female journalist at the club starting to make headlines following the head coach being the first.

Warnings: cursing

WC: 980

Author's note: This is really my first multi part fic so be gentle!

"Why does AFC Richmond keep hiring Americans when it is on the brink of relegation?"

Ted stares at the article in dismay and then looks at your desk from the window. He gets up and shuts down his laptop, making his way to your office. You hear his gentle knocking on the glass. your eyes brimmed with tears and your head in your hands as you reread the words "hiring Americans" and "relegation".

"Uhm, come in, Ted!" you say, blinking away your tears.

"I saw the email, I’m awful sorry about that," he said.

"No it’s fine; you know how the journalists are here, especially at The Sun."

"Yeah. So hot-headed," he joked

You giggled; it wasn’t even that funny, and you still laughed so hard. It’s probably the first time Ted got you to genuinely laugh since you started becoming an assistant to Trent (now independent), who wanted to get an American’s eyes and edits on his writing for his book about Ted Lasso. Ever since you got to Richmond, you have been reserved and quiet in the office you and Trent shared, which he rarely used. only there to follow him when he had questions about certain American mannerisms that he did not want to ask Ted or Beard about, not wanting to spoil details about said book.

"I’m glad to see you laughing again." It’s nice to have you around; I hope you know that." He winked at you and walked back to his desk.

He caught a glimpse of you smiling and being giddy, with your face turning a shade of pink. Ted didn’t realize he had stopped doing his work and started staring at you until Roy stood in the doorway and made it obvious.

"Put your fucking tongue back in your mouth, or I’ll tell her to get a curtain for that office, you freak."

You said a muffled, "Roy?"

"What?" He’s the only person he tolerates in the locker room office. People often thought the two of you looked related until you spoke. Your dark hair and eyes, and the fact that you both often wore black. You wore it just to be professional, but he did because he couldn’t stand being in color.

"Do you think I’m bringing down the club for being American?"

Dumbfounded, he replied, "Who the fuck said that?"

"The Sun?"

"And why the fuck would you listen to those fucking pricks?" They don’t fucking work anywhere near as hard as you do."

It’s true that although you were technically an assistant journalist for Trent, you took it upon yourself to do other things around the club for the team. often on coffee runs, helping Will, answering emails for Trent, or really anything you could keep yourself busy with. It didn’t help with your personal life, though; you overfilled your day so much that when you get home, you’re too exhausted to do anything else.

"Thanks Roy."

He grunted and left.

You finally clocked out and headed to your car when you caught Ted on his phone next to it.

"Oh, hey, Ted, what are you still doing here?"

"Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to have a drink or something."

"Ted, I would love to, trust me, but I’m just exhausted, and I’m seriously considering just sleeping in my car."

"I mean, heck, I could drive you home if you don’t mind."

You threw him your keys. Unlocking it, he opened the door, still forgetting that it wasn’t his side. Him still leaving the door open for you to get in and jogging to the other side.

"I’d have to say this is the most normal car in this parking lot; there are too many fast Italian ones here," he says as he drives out of the lot.

You scoffed, "You couldn’t make me buy one, I need a Subaru."

"I immediately could tell you weren’t from around here with this janky thing."

"Janky? Were you expecting me to pull in with a huge Ford F-150, Ted?"

"I would’ve liked you to, would make me feel right at home."

"No way you had one!" I wouldn’t have pegged you for a truck guy."

"Yep, a huge navy blue one, had a Kansas State Shockers sticker on the corner of the back window. That’s how I could tell which one was mine.” You could tell he was so happy that he could talk about the American college experience with someone other than a Beard.

"How long did you coach at WSU?"

"Five years took us all the way to the national championship."

You yawned in between words, "That’s amazing, Ted."

"God, I hope I’m not boring you," he laughed.

"You’re so mean! and you missed the turn, just take this left, and we can get into the parking garage."

"Ooh, a parking garage, that’s mighty fancy” he chirped.

"It’s what happens when you don’t spend $400k on a car."

You both pulled into your spots. Once you were parked, you gathered your things. "Here we are, home sweet home," Ted said enthusiastically.

"Actually, Ted, sorry, do you mind if you walk me to my flat? It’s just that it’s late and dark, so I-"

"No, yeah, of course, no need to apologize,” he said, closing the car door that was followed by two beeps echoing off the cement walls.

"Thanks, and thank you so much for bringing me home; you really didn’t have to."

"It was my pleasure, darlin'," he winked.

Surely you hadn’t heard him right. Darlin’? Was he flirting with you? You walked to the door and swiped your security card to get into your building. You turned to hold the door for Ted; you hadn’t noticed how much he towered over you. His six-foot stature made you question how you also hadn’t noticed his shoulders and strong arms. Were his eyes always that warm brown?

chapter 2

#ted lasso #ted lasso x reader #i had been wanting to write about ted's time at WSU so this was so real of me #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fluff #ted lasso smut #ted lasso reader #solitaszn

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moonshine-nightlight · 7 days

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Hi, hi! I've been reading some of your work and when I saw you had a tumblr I just had to come pay your inbox a visit.

I just wanna say, I really love how you write! It's so, so easy to get immersed in your stories, to the point where something kind of funny happened in my case actually XD

So there I was at midnight, browsing the monster romance side of AO3 when I came across Finally Woken. I was looking something on the shorter word count side, but the summary had me very interested. So I go, hmmm I think I'll just read the first chapter to see how it is and if I like it I'll come back to it tomorrow. I definitely liked it, but wanted just a bit more, so I clicked on the second chapter. Then the third. And fourth. And so on until oops, I binged it and it was 4 am hdjsgaca

And then the next day, I was once again browsing. And came across Don't shoot the messenger. And I go, well last night was a success but tonight I definitely only read the first chapter and then if I like it finish tomorrow. Aaaah the lies we tell ourselves. Did not even notice it was the same author until I was halfway through it. This one I managed to finish before 4 am at least XD

And then! The next day! Once again browsing in bed! I come across Sacrifice! Once again didn't look at the author until later! Take a guess at what happened next, surely you will never expect the outcome! (The outcome was exactly the same. I could not stop reading. My self restraint is in shambles.)

So yeah! I just wanted to one, come and thank you for such wonderful stories, and two, compliment the heck out of your writing skills because your pacing, and atmosphere and descriptions are top notch. Like the sense of anticipation before Satrasi knew what that captain had done was chef kiss, or the sense of dread building up to the ritual and then calm once Tai finds the reader. Or the sense of domesticity as time passes with Heshi.

All reader characters and monsters feel unique as well! My personal favorite story so far is Don't shoot the messenger, Satrasi has me swooning fdhdgzh But honestly I loved all of them so much and they're going to my favorite monster romances stash. Oh also, I'm 100% going to go back and reread, kudos and comment more thoroughly on each story, but I was on another account like a fool the first time I read them all gahdgdh So hopefully you'll see me in AO3 soon as well!

Alright I've been rambling enough already haha, so yeah! Tldr, You're a great author, I am weak and procrastinated going to bed because I wanted to read your stuff, love what you do, take care! :D

@roaring-letters

thank you so much! this was such a good message to get and i've been hoarding it for lik 2 months lol because work has been so busy which is why it was even better to get such a nice ask - it really cheered me up!

i'd say i;m sorry for the accidental repeated trapping and keeping you up until 4 am but its kinda the greatest compliment ever lol so i guess i'm not sorry

i'm so happy you enjoyed the stories and the characters and the atmosphere of the stories! my writing means so much to me and i'm always worried that i'm not getting whats in my head down onto paper right so comments/asks like these are so so heartwarming because it makes me feel lik i am in fact getting it right :D

thanks again!!!!

#asks #finally woken #don't shoot the messenger #sacrifice #this is also my time to plug to novel version of DSM #if you want a physical copy and bonus scenes #gestures at my masterlist link lol #also the lovely lovely fan art of him because they always have me swooning #i've defintiely stayed up late reading really good stories so i lov that other ppl think my work is worthy of that #also i did see ur ao3 comments #responding to that soon because u made me be lik #name seems familiar #and then i realized u were also the person who sent in this wonderful ask!#thank you!#comments lik this keep me writing :)

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havin-fun-imagining-twd · 1 year

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souls stripped bare

Happy New Year’s Eve, y’all!

When - starts maybe a half hour after ‘A measure of reverence, Part 2′ which takes place in Season 2, the morning of “Chupacabra.” This story is a bridge to the afternoon of the episode where Daryl gets badly injured and hallucinates Merle.

What - after all that goes on, you and him cannot shake the feeling that you’ve seen each other stripped bare, right down to the soul.

Relationships - Daryl x reader. You help him through a freak out, he physically carries you.

Perspective - it’s Dixon’s POV this time. We see your thoughts once, but he’s got the wheel for this one

Genre - heavier. Souls are getting bared here

Pronouns - she/her

How much time will I need to read it? - depends, but there are ~5,680 words

Should I read all the other stuff in The Slowpoke Series? - oh heck, yeah!

Which ones if I can’t binge all the chapters rn? - the ones directly referenced but not too necessary to reread are Quarter!, There’s also a bar., and Ain’t nothing..., and the stories that will help a lot with context are It was a pragmatic cigarette, and What were your nightmares about? and of course, the chapter directly before this A measure of reverence, Part 2.

(Trigger warnings are below for space)

TWs - Daryl has something of a panic attack, there’s discussion of break-in and subsequent fatalities including that of minors, discussion of killing in self-defense and of guns, foul language, fighting, mention of ‘putting down’ walkers including that of minors, reference to child abuse (Daryl’s scars), and there’s a part where Daryl recognizes the pattern that sometimes occurs in those who have been abused where they may in turn also develop abusive tendencies.

..............................

Him

The other two people got a shallow grave out back with a rock as a place marker and a simple “I don’t know how it all works, but I hope you had some kind of repentance,” out of her. He would’ve left them out to rot or maybe tossed some lighter fluid and a match on them to send them to hell faster.

“They don’t deserve even a damn hole in the ground, Y/N,” he’d said to her when he saw what she was doing.

“It ain’t about ‘deserve,’ man.” And sure enough, she’d dug their damn hole in the ground until her shoulder gave out and her side started bleeding again, so he grit his teeth and finished it for her. Why, he wasn’t sure of.

As for the family, Y/N had carried the baby out first, wrapped in a blanket, then the toddler. He’d carried out the old woman first. They kept them together. How they got the others out was a blur, but he knew that at some point he busted the side-door open and soon he was digging.

The garden had been tilled real good, so there weren’t any roots or rocks to deal with, just the overgrown vegetable plants.

When her arm gave out again and she couldn’t use it anymore, Y/N trudged off to the well to refill their water bottles.

It was right after that when he’d started fucking bawling, and by the time Y/N had gotten back, he still hadn’t stopped.

Slowly, she used her good arm to rub her hand across his upper back and rested her head against his arm.

At some point, he was sitting on his ass in the dirt smoking a cigarette. She’d given him some space for that and, apparently, was gathering up what dead chickens there were and giving them a teeny little grave, too, if her dragging each one with the shovel to that spot by the birdbath and scraping a hole with her foot wasn’t his imagination.

When he was done blubbering like a kid who scraped his knee, that’s when he finished digging the grave for the family.

She brought out a cross that had been hanging on the wall inside, a handful of those prayer bead necklace things, and a blanket that had the Mexican Mary lady on it.

She laid the blanket over bodies after putting a string of prayer bead ropes with each family member. He noticed she pocketed some extras.

Then, together, they covered the family with dirt.

Her hand curled around his and she offered some words that sounded like she was familiar with their type of praying.

Their fingers ended up laced together. Why, he wasn’t sure of.

After the people walkers were given that ‘measure of reverence’ and ‘put out of their misery,’ or ‘laid to rest,’ whatever you wanna call it, Daryl shoved the cross into the ground and secured it with some rocks before storming back into the house.

There was some kind of alcohol in there and he was gonna find that shit.

He checked all the upper cabinets to start, and the first bottle of something useful he came across said ‘p-u-l-q-u-e.’ He didn’t know what that was or why it looked like curdled milk, but it was there, so he uncapped it and chugged some down while pacing back and forth.

This thick, syrupy, sour milk and beer flavor assaulted his mouth and cleared his nostrils.

He kept pacing. Y/N leaned against the counter opposite him and gagged after having a swig of her own.

Another cigarette, that’s what he needed, fuck.

He pulled out his pack and meant to light up, but when he saw his…

His fingers.

His fingers were so…oh my God, they were covered. Shit—his hands, his forearms, his everyth—fuck, fuck, he was filthy, he was—he was covered in dirt!

Her voice sounded far away. “Daryl, what’s wrong?”

Oh God, oh God, his whole body, everything was filthy, fuck, fuck, he needed to get it off! It was all over him, he needed to get it all off—

“—Whoa now, it’s all good,” her voice cut in again. “Honey, come with me, I got ya. Sweetheart, come with me, we’ll wash it off.”

When exactly he’d made his way to the sink and started trying to scrub with a dry sponge, he couldn’t remember.

“Daryl, no, no, with me. With me, baby, this way,” that gentle voice cut in again. “There’s a rain barrel outside, it’ll be nice and clean, c’mon. You got this, man, it’ll be okay, we’re gonna get all off.”

She was cooing like he was a three-year-old and he didn’t even care, he just needed to get clean!

..............................

You

You didn’t think you’d see Daryl Dixon ever panic about dirt. To be fair, you didn’t think you’d see him panic about anything. When he stumbled to the sink and started rubbing his skin raw with the dry sponge, you pried it away, grabbed a dish towel and soap, and lead him through the side-door to where the rain barrel was.

That at first he’d flinched and swatted and drew back from your hand guiding him clued you in further that he’d been treated very badly once.

After he wrenched off the rain barrel’s lid and began to frantically wash up, you gave him his space and stood guard.

You avoided looking at him because when you did, you had the oddest sensation as if his soul was being bared to you against his will.

The most fitting way you can best describe it was as if you’d accidentally walked in on him naked.

On that topic, he yanked off his button-down (one of his only shirts he hasn’t cut the sleeves off). You picked it up and shook the dirt from it.

Now, he was still wearing that worn, yellowed, stained tank that had been his brother’s, but because the straps were so thin and the tank he was in fell lower than Daryl’s do, you thought you briefly saw more tattoos and what looked like…it looked like either bruises or scarring on his upper back.

You checked yourself and avoided looking but wished you could avoid thinking about what you saw. It was just another piece of evidence to how bad things once were for him.

It truly felt like you were seeing pieces of his soul that he wanted to keep hidden, that were meant to be protected. You felt so unbearably close to him, it was insane.

Not two minutes passed before your poor Daryl bent to the side and threw up in the pachysandra.

You rinsed the dish towel in the barrel, delicately pressed it to his neck, then gave him space again.

Besides, you needed a bandage on your stitches and maybe a clean shirt and some painkillers. Going back to camp bloodstained would worry people.

And, those were some Coronas you saw hiding on the top of the fridge, right? Those would help your friend calm down and get the sick taste out of his mouth.

..............................

Him

When he stopped bugging the hell out, he saw that his shirt was folded and set on a lawn chair. He pulled it back on only to discover a bunch of buttons were missing. He stared at his hands, now clean. Scrubbed red.

That morning at the CDC when Y/N kept wiping her hand because she felt like her friend’s blood was still on it popped into his head. The sweet one, Andrea’s little sister, what was her na—Amy. Amy’s blood.

He ran his fingers along his palm to prove there was no grit on there, it was just him bugging out. He looked at his fingernails where he’d scoured every bit of grime from underneath to prove they weren’t still jammed with dirt, it was just him bugging out.

One final splash to his face and he headed back into that house.

Y/N was inside the kitchen, holding an unopened a beer (where the hell she find that, I need one) and looking at all the pictures. There were a lot of family photos. Old ones, new ones, vintage ones. A bunch of what was probably saint stuff.

She turned and sat at the table table. “My eldest sister said pulque was really good fresh, in its defense.” A nod at the beers and the ‘pool-kay’ bottle. “Sit?”

No argument there. He chugged down the can she handed him in one fell swoop before throwing it when that sumbitch decided to screw with him and suddenly be empty.

He felt like Y/N just walked in on him with his boxers down or his back exposed or something, fuck.

Ugh, then his stomach started to churn again.

That was half the reason why when, after tossing a glance at Y/N, only to see her looking at him all pitiful like he was some crying child, got him barking “How are you so—calm? You just had to put down f-fuckin’—” he wouldn’t say the word ‘kids’ and couldn’t say ‘and a baby.’

Her jaw tightened and she took deep breath.

Then another.

The ticking from Dale’s watch and the sounds of the breeze and birds outside filled the silence. Tick, tick, tick, tick.

That broken, soft answer of “I thought you knew I’ve had to do it before, man,” made him forget to breathe for a sec.

The tick, tick, tick, tick got louder.

His brain told him to crack open another beer and slide it to her.

One corner of her mouth lifted but she looked drained. “Very pragmatic.”

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

He heard his pulse thudding in his ears.

His friend took a few gulps from the can and stayed quiet.

“Was that what made you want that cigarette and a drink?” he asked carefully, trying to sound as nonabrasive as he could swing it.

His friend shook her head. “Mama had done it for a ch…for a child, out of necessity twice before I ever had to.” She squeezed her eyes shut as if the memory physically hurt. “Remember how unreal it was findin’ out how other than a blow to the brain, injuries and conditions what no one could ever survive meant nothing to a walker? S-so even if a cure came along, they’d all be dead just the s-same?”

“Can’t forget it.”

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

“We—she—laid them to rest after that, once they’d died. One of our foster kids caught it early on. We kept her in a room after she’d died and turned. Then a neighbor’s kid we’d taken in ’cause his family turned, he’d been bit. When he turned, we put him in there, too, until we found out that it was just the virus usin’ their bodies, that their souls had moved on because they’d died.”

Through her shut eyes, tears made their way out. “But it was when my-my middle sister and,” she swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut. Her lip wobbled. “Um, all them, my brother-in-law, the kids, they all caught it and died and turned, so Shane and Mama and I had to…” her gaze darted up to meet his for a second and she didn’t finish the statement, she just shrugged.

“But that’s not why you were tryin’ to get out of your head the other day?”

“No. That was—” Like she did when she was nervous, she started babbling and stuttering a little. “I-I had gotten reminded of a…bad thing I had to do. An, an objectively bad thing I had the moral obligation to do, you feel me?”

‘An objectively bad thing’ she had ‘the moral obligation to do.’ Sounds like something the old man would say.

“It was two, or, maybe three weeks after what we had to do for my sister. Right before we were gonna go with the Grimes to Atlanta. Tried to go to Atlanta.” She licked her teeth and huffed, a sure sign she was mad. “Can you believe they fuckin’ firebombed them? Wh-what did they achieve with that? All those lives…”

“Less of a crowd to evacuate,” he muttered back. “Fuck the fed.”

“Fuck the fed.” Y/N had another sip of beer, then slid the can back to him. “It was two days before that when, um, Shane and me had g-gone back to the house, we’d been—it doesn’t matter, but, um…”

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

Did she realize she was tapping the table over and over and bouncing her legs? A heavy exhale came before she mumbled, “I did promise I’d tell you, didn’t I?”

All the agitation or whatever the hell was going on with him before fell away and in its place was this urge that his friend not be hurting anymore. “You don’t have to, it ain’t like that.”

“A deal’s a deal, a promise a promise,” she tried to joke.

“M’serious, Y/N.”

“Me, too. You trusted me with your story about bein’ lost in the woods for over a week when you were a little kid, I can trust you with this. Ain’t like it’s a big secret, it’s just…what it is. We all got at least one story like it nowadays.” She gestured around the room, not really looking at anything. Her eyes looked glazed over. “When Shane and I got back to the house, it had been broken into, just like here. Mama and the dog were dead.”

His initial reaction was to push the beer back to her and avoid looking at her.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

Now it made sense why she kept wanting to knock and call and wait yesterday and today before they went into houses.

The weirdest thing started to happen.

He felt as if it would be doing something wrong if he looked at her. It was as if she were, like—he didn’t know how to word it, but it was as if she were naked, so he shouldn’t look.

Like that expression he’d heard about somebody’s soul being “beared” or “bared.”

After another sip, Y/N placed the beer can to the side. “She must’ve been in the early stages of being sick when she was killed, just like some of the people here. We found her walkin’,” Y/N explained simply, avoiding all eye contact. “Had a big old wound this side of her chest.”

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

“The guy whodunnit had shut himself in the bathroom, turns out. Mama had got him with her shotgun, but she—not even with buckshot, she fuckin’ had it loaded with birdshot ’cause she didn’t want to kill, just fend off.”

His friend’s eyes suddenly grew wide and she covered her face. “Oh fuck, I’m insulting my dead mother for bein’ a good person, what the hell, dude?”

“Hey, nah, no way.” He sat up straight, put his hands on the table, and didn’t have to think before telling her: “You ain’t insulting your ma, you’re just mad she got offed like that.”

She didn’t move a muscle, but she did sniffle out, “Yeah, I love you, too, man.”

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

Daryl knew she said those words to the others (and seemed to actually mean it), but that was the first time she’d said it to him. His heartbeat started to pound in his ears loud enough to drown out the tick, tick, tick of the watch.

He took another gulp from the can and pushed it back to her. That she wanted her gun out before going inside made sense now, too. “What happened to the bastard?”

She took another sip and pushed it back to him. “He jumped my brother.” Y/N was starting to sound out of breath. “It was right after Shane took care of our mom, we’d seen the mess, then saw her snarlin’ for us. We, w-we didn’t realize the perp was still in there, rookie mistake, and boom the guy was on him and, I, um—it was all over in a few seconds, and—”

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

The hand she had covering her eyes flopped to her lap.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

She finally looked at him. He couldn’t tell if she was still angry at herself or just sad, but she did try to crack a joke. “Sorry, it ain’t my intention to be all dramatic. At the rate I’m baring my soul down to its skivvies, one of us will have to buy the other dinner.”

“You already owe me dinner,” he reminded her with what may have passed as a one-sided smile. Y/N probably didn’t even remember how she’d awkwardly cracked that joke back at the CDC after she, um, didn’t realize she had her damn boob pressed against his hand while getting his blood sample. “Guess I’ll cover the next one.”

The corners of her mouth did raise a little bit, to his relief.

“To finish up what happened,” she slowly said. “I reacted quick and took care of it before he offed my brother, too.”

Reacted quick and took care of it…‘Took care of it’…

Y/N killed him. Y/N had to kill somebody.

His memories shuffled back to the quarry when she was giving the kids that lesson about throwing punches and all that. “You don’t look like you should be teachin’ no fight club,” were his exact (joking) words to her when she’d asked him to help because she hadn’t actually punched someone before.

Never punched someone, yet she’d had to…damn. He took another sip and drained the last of the beer.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

He hadn’t had to kill a living person yet. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to it, but it was prolly gonna happen sooner rather than later.

Shit, he didn’t know what to say and now the beer can was empty so he couldn’t push it back.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

When he managed to look up at her, her hand was back over her eyes.

Quietly, she drove home that “It was done to protect somebody, Daryl,” as if she were defending herself. “And we buried him, we still gave him that.”

“You did what needed doin’, Y/N.”

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

She stared at the table and tried to nod. Looking at Dale’s watch, she sighed, mumbled “We should oughta go,” and stood up from the table, tossing the empty cans into the recycling bin in the corner (nah, really, she dead-ass sought out the bin with the little hand-drawn recycling sign).

Then, always trying to lighten the damn mood, she added, “If I unpack anymore baggage in here, I’ll have to spend the night.”

Joke’s on him, that comment made him remember what he’d found. “Wait, the shed—come with me, lemme show ya.”

Backpack on, she followed him out the door and into the yard. “What was in there?”

“Little sleeping area between some bins and the wall, had a tarp coverin’ it, too.”

“Dude, are you serious?” Y/N squealed, jogging ahead of him and throwing the shed door open with her good arm.

“Right over here, see back behind those containers?”

A swallowed groan when she moved the wrong way came before what sounded like a happy sob when she saw the little sleeping area. “Are there any more signs? A trail, a, a—”

“—Depends on if she was here before or after the damned storm yesterday. Let’s look around the fruit trees first, she woulda eaten from those and the garden.”

“Daryl, we dug up the garden.” That terrified look came back to her eyes and her voice rose and the babbling took over. “D-did we ruin our chances of findin’ her? It’s my fault, it’s my fault, I insisted on bury—”

“No, we’d still find a trail leading away from it,” he cut in, hoping to stop that shit in its tracks. “Nothin’s ruined, Y/N, and you sure as hell didn’t do nothing wrong. Trust me.” He pointed in the direction of the grave. “The family was owed at least that. One little measure of reverence. Now let’s go look for more signs of our girl.”

Before exiting the shed, she paused and got distracted at the tool display on the wall. “Guess that’s where the perps got the bolt cutters.” There was an outline around a hook that showed the same size and shape as that big pair she’d found by the hatchway. “I’m bringing ’em them back for Teddy, he said he wanted a pair. Back when he was still in the city, he almost got caught by walkers when he was cornered by a fence.”

And the two of them began the search once more.

She followed him for a while, but branched off when nothing was showing up on the property.

They scoured every damn inch of it and the surrounding wooded areas, but there was nothing concrete. The vegetables or fruits could have been eaten by animals or fallen off naturally. The long grasses and the muddy area by the well that should’ve shown something definitive didn’t show shit. Sophia wouldn’t have left heavy footprints, she took up less space, moved lighter than most.

As more time tick, tick, ticked by, it felt as if the air was turning more and more thick. Felt like it was walling him in or smothering him.

He kept looking back at the gravesite and got more and more jumpy, kept looking around the trees and expected to see another chupacabra or a herd of geeks.

Y/N’s scared look didn’t go away, either, it got worse, and she started to seem more and more out of breath, got more and more sweaty, kept bending more and more toward her injured side.

It was when they happened across another dead chicken in the wooded area by the house that she spun around and leaned with her good arm against a tree as she dry heaved.

“Daryl,” she panted, clutching her side again, “Let’s go to the ridge, she wouldn’t have stayed here .”

His thoughts exactly. “This place would’ve scared the shit out of her.”

“I just need me a sec.”

While she caught her breath, doubts and all that stuff he didn’t want to think of started to smack and hit and whip their belts and switches against his back.

You ain’t gonna find her, alive or dead.

You failed at the one useful thing you’re supposed to do.

She’s dead because of you.

You as good as killed that little girl.

The little cot in the cupboard of that farmhouse could’ve been from anybody.

The little sleep area in that shed was probably from the kids who lived there, playing.

You ain’t found shit.

Merle’s gone and you’re all alone again because you couldn’t find him, neither.

By the time they got back to his bike, he began to question if Y/N would even be physically able to climb up the ridge.

She looked awful, plain and simple. She couldn’t seem to use her injured side to hold onto his shoulders while they rode, neither, so was holding on with just one hand as he drove.

But he was getting too desperate and set on making it up there as soon as possible that he didn’t say nothing about it. Those fists and belts and switches hurt, and they kept beating at him over and over.

When they got as far as they could go on the motorcycle and needed to continue on foot, he was feeling almost postal. Getting angry was a hell of an easier emotion to let through rather than crying again.

As for passing on the blame? Saying shit he knew was cruel? That started happening whether he consciously wanted it or not.

And so, that his friend was visibly in pain started to not bother him as much as it probably should’ve.

Soon, it didn’t phase him at all.

Time was running out, so Y/N had to suck it up. She chose to come out today, she chose to dig and carry and do all that stuff she shouldn’t have, she made her bed and was lying in it.

So when she cried out in pain when trying to use her bad shoulder not two minutes into the climb, it was like a fuse blew.

“Just get on the bike!” he exploded, ignoring her trying to pass it off like nothing just happened, and rushing himself down the embankment to the point that it was basically controlled falling.

“Whoa, Daryl, what’s going on?”

“I’m gonna find that little girl on my damn own. I said I needed a horse to get up there, and a horse will be a hell of a lot less annoying and a hell of a lot more useful.”

“Why would you s—why would you say that to me? Where’s this comin’ from?”

He heard himself and how he sounded and he hated it, but didn’t seem able to control it from coming out. Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, sto—“You’re slowing me down and I need you gone. You already wasted enough of my time and Sophia’s time back at that house with all that bullshit.”

Why was that annoying bitch still climbing? He almost climbed back up so he could yank her back down—and all at once, the very truth that he just considered that action scared him.

Why would that have crossed his mind?

“Daryl, just help me up there, we’re here,” she pleaded.

Why did she sound scared, too?

Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop his brain again tried to tell him.

Yet, after Y/N swore, yelped, and slid onto her knees down a particularly steep bank, he twisted the knife instead. “See? I can’t babysit a fuckin’ liability, get on the bike!”

If an actual bucket of cold water was thrown in his face, he wouldn’t have known the difference when she grit back at him, “Go on, keep runnin’ your bitch mouth, Ed.”

She just compared him to—him?

Nah.

No fucking way. He w-wasn’t like...shit. Please, no. Not him, he wasn’t like him, he wasn’t like Ed, he wasn’t like his dad, fuck, no, no, no.

Daryl knew plenty about beaters but he himself wasn’t one of them, he wasn’t. Right? He wasn’t gonna turn into that.

No, no, no, no, no, he was not like him.

But as angrily as he wanted to cuss her out, his ability to respond drained. “That supposed to make me feel bad, scare me or somethin’?”

“If I wanted to do that, I’d just throw some dirt on you,” she had the audacity to spit out, but it still wasn’t as cruel as he’d just been.

That’s when he finally registered that he was watching a dark stain spread wider and wider where she’d gotten stitched up. It’s also when he realized she was wearing a different shirt than before because that one had gotten bloodstained, just like yesterday.

His mind shut off for a second.

It turned back on, he blinked, and saw that she was trying to get up, but couldn’t, not without shaking from how bad it must’ve hurt.

He had to look away after that weird feeling came back that he was seeing her without clothes on.

Y/N started trying a new tactic, inching down the incline while seated on her butt. She was being ridiculous. She was bleeding, she needed help.

“You got a bandage?” he called quietly. His anger was gone.

Hers was not. “The fuck do you care?”

It felt like a slice to his chest, but he accepted it and said nothing back at first. He let his eyes venture up to see if she was making any headway. What he found was her shaking, sweaty—it was too much, way too fucking much. He needed to make her pain stop.

Asking if she ‘wanted’ help would lead nowhere, she hated feeling like a ‘liability,’ he knew that. Asking if she ‘needed’ it wasn’t much better, but his friend liked honesty and that wording would be more likely to keep her honest. “Y/N, d’you need help?”

He heard her swallow a whimper. When he looked, he saw that she slumped where she sat on the ground.

It took her a few moments, but she admitted, “A little.”

So, he walked to the incline, feeling weirdly like he’d just blinked out of the kind of nap you take when you have a fever. He avoided looking at her for too long when reached her and crouched to help her stand. Hopefully, the angle he lifted her from wouldn’t hurt her more, the way he’d done his best to do last night and on that day at the CDC.

As soon as she was upright, she pulled away from him, he pulled away from her.

But when she tried to step down by herself, her knees buckled—and he caught her without really thinking about it. Then, he lifted her up and started to carry her without really thinking about it.

It was an almost immediate reaction for her to stiffen, wriggle, and squeal “Put me down!”

Immediately, he set her on her feet and backed off.

“I didn’t mean to fuckin’…” His anger tried to perk back up, but fell flat. “I didn’t mean to scare ya, Y/N.”

“If you throw out your back, then neither of us is any use.” There it was again, he recognized. She had this thing where she’d push herself too damned hard because she needed to feel useful or whatever it was.

“I won’t throw out my back,” he said to her.

What was the name for the emotion that was kicking his ass? It was like this really, just, unbearable…closeness. He wanted to help her. She was hurting, so he wanted to make it stop. He needed to make it stop.

“I wanna help you,” he told her quietly.

And her responses were getting weaker, which was a good thing. She needed help and she knew it. “Y-you’ll get sweat and blood all over yourself, man.”

He almost smiled when he asked her point-blank, “Think that’ll bother me?”

To that, she made half-hearted giggle, if you can believe it. And she nearly looked at him with that tiny smile on her face, but then she looked down and closed her eyes instead. Her posture slumped again.

“Y/N,” he murmured. “Please. Lemme help you.”

Her head turned to the side and she covered her eyes when she had no other option but to whisper, “Okay.”

Carefully, he walked close again and lifted her in his arms, her bad side against his chest. Using her good arm, he guided her hand to grip the back of his neck for more support.

He felt the thud, thud, thud of her heartbeat against his chest. Felt weird. Not a bad weird, but…he didn’t fucking know, man.

Carefully, he maneuvered down the steep incline.

He kept on carrying her after they reached more level ground, until she lightly tapped him and gestured to be put down.

Carefully, he placed her on her feet. Quietly, she thanked him.

They walked apart from each other. That awful closeness made it feel like there was a string tied in between them. Weird shit.

Once they got to the bike, he asked her to wrap her good arm around his waist so she wouldn’t fall off. She grabbed the sissy bar instead.

He isn’t sure why but he spat before starting the ignition and speeding off, but he knew that he wanted to both get and stay angry at her but simply wasn’t able to. That awful closeness wouldn’t let it.

In its place, the helpless feeling of desperation came back with an extra portion of guilt, plus a new feeling that was a whole lot like confusion.

Y/N had just seen him full-on crumble and need someone to help him out of it. He’d just seen her completely vulnerable and need someone to help her get up from it.

It really felt as if they’d seen each other naked. As if they were stripped bare right down to their souls, if he still believed in those.

These past few days, it’s like the two of them had somehow gotten fused or welded or maybe branded together? Jerry-rigged together with old planks and nails and zip ties was probably closer to it, but that’s what it looked like when he thought about it. It was so fucking weird.

At a sharper turn in the road, Y/N held in a groan and finally hugged his waist with her good arm and adjusted her thigh on her good side so it acted like a hook on his leg. Her forehead pressed to his back and he felt her breathing. He made a point after that to drive slower so the ride wouldn’t hurt, hopefully, at least.

They reached the farm and he slowed down to a crawl once they hit the gravel. Still, it was too much motion and she hobbled off the bike and began to walk. He tried to help her, but only ended up with his hand brushing along her forearm.

He turned off the engine and walked the bike the rest of the way alongside her in silence.

Once they were close enough, Sophia’s ma Carol waved at them from the campsite and stood there, seeing yet again that her daughter still hadn’t been found.

The air started to close in on him again.

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

He slammed down the kickstand and left his bike where it was. All of this was too much and he needed to get that horse and get back to the ridge, ASAP.

“Daryl, wait.”

“What?” He spun around and would’ve glared if he was able. The invisible string tugged.

She shrugged her bookbag off her good shoulder and slung it on the ground, then knelt down to unzip it.

“Take it,” she muttered, and held out one of those kid walkies. Her green one. “Glenn’s got the yellow one, she’s got the pink one,” she let him know, gesturing to Carol.

Without a word, he took it and slid it into his pocket.

“Sweetie, you’re bleeding, a lot,” came that woman’s scared, quiet voice.

Y/N visibly shrunk down in what looked like defeat. “It looks worse than it is. There’s another bandage over it, now, it’s okay.”

“It’s not from a…?”

“No, this ain’t a bite, it’s just my stitches.”

“You probably popped them.” Carol shook her head and helped her stand. “Let’s go see Hershel. Daryl, are you hurt, too?”

“He found something at one of the places we checked,” Y/N changed the subject while letting herself be escorted to the farmhouse. “It looked very plain that somebody little had been in there.”

Which seemed to do the trick because Carol gasped and clasped her hands together and pressed them to her mouth.

Daryl only grew more desperate when he saw the look on her face. He couldn’t fail that woman, he couldn’t fail her little girl. No way, no fucking way.

“I’m headin’ to the ridge now,” he told her, standing taller. “If she’s in our grid, she’s comin’ back home this afternoon.”

Tears flowed up and out of her eyes, but he wasn’t sure if they were happy tears or something else.

At that moment, he hated himself. If again he didn’t find Sophia or at least another sign…

“Please be safe!” Carol whimpered. “I’ll be praying for you.”

Y/N’s exhausted “Honey, don’t die, don’t get bit,” was the last thing he heard, and it made him feel as if the damn string was tugging around his middle and drawing him backward.

So, he booked it for the stables. It was time to steal a goddamned horse.

..............................

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108 notes · View notes

lennjamin-o7 · 8 months

Note

the fic i was looking for was estranger things! danny calling himself his own grandfather was so funny. i have the great fortune of being both a danny phantom and a dsmp fan so i can enjoy all of your writing. that said i am on a strong dsmp kick atm so i have reread all of your dsmp works in the time since my last message :') your technoblade is just so good. he makes me laugh

Oh cool! I'm glad you liked that one! It's a very silly one lololol. Definitely one of my more lighthearted fics!

I'm so glad you like how I wrote Techno!!! My favorite Pigman!

And heck yeah to being both dsmp and Danny Phantom fan! It's a fun life! I've been desperately trying to pull together a Danny Phantom x DSMP crossover idea because I love both so much. I have SOME vibes for it in my head.

Here's what I've got so far, anyway

Yo, Technoblade he was just 14 when his parents made a very strange machine!

Unlike in Danny Phantom, Techno would be an only child. Which is exhausting. His parents care more about their research than they care about him. And as the kid of the weird scientists, he has NO FRIENDS at school. (That's right, its a No One Knows AU. So much angst potential). He's bullied, poor piggy.

His parents portal doesn't work, so for curiosity sake he goes inside and-oops! The portal to The Ghost Zone opens on top of him, half killing him and giving him ghost powers.

Cue Theme Song.

The fic would be THREE CHAPTERS! NO LONGER THAN THREE!

Anyway, first chapter would be dedicated to Technoblade fighting off the weird musician ghosty with fire powers, Wilbur Soot. Wilbur Soot is using his musical abilities to brainwash everyone into basically worshipping him. DP Technoblade would defeat him by pointing out how cringe it was that Wilbur Soot had to brainwash everyone to even listening to his music. Lame. The dude had 0 confidence in his own music. Wilbur Soot gets super peeved off about this, ready to blast Technoblade's eardrums when Technoblade offhandedly mentions he didn’t need to brainwash everyone anyways. Because his music is good. Wilbur Soot is stopped by that. Wilbur seems legitimately excited that someone enjoys his music without the brainwashing, and Technoblade rolls with it. Wilbur Soot promises to stop with the brainwashing if Technoblade promises to meet up and let him play music for him. Technoblade agrees, but says he can't do it too often because he has so much work keeping the ghosts in line.

Wilbur Soot tells him not to worry about it. He'll handle it.

Suddenly, a lot less ghosts come through the portal.

Chapter 2 sees a different ghost causing issues. At first, Technoblade doesn't see it as an issue. Why should he care that all the adults are listening to some trash discs? It doesn't effect him. And Wilbur Soot seems to get a kick out of absolutely rinsing the music disc at every opportunity, saying it sounded like the artist was "forced to write a song for a child".

Techno's parents wanting to go off on some cruise? Totally fine with him. Less dangerous with his parents not around. And Technoblade is desperate for a break. The ghosts have chilled out quite a bit, but it's hard to do school work AND worry about whether or not your family's water was going to get cut off. He never gets to be a kid.

Which is why he is so annoyed when a child ghost with a pirate ship attacks his house. The kid steals a bunch of Tech from his parents. The kid, calling himself Tommy Innit, is very annoying. Technoblade tries to stop him, but fails.

Something else would go here, but basically all the parents get kidnapped on Tommy Innit's pirate cruise for *reasons* and Techno goes to save them. Only to find a very bored Wilbur Soot dressed as a pirate, and a very exhuberant Tommy Innit speaking like a pirate. Technoblade asks what Wilbur is even doing there, and Wilbur Soot says that he has to humor his little brother sometimes.

Tommy Innit throws all the stops at Technoblade. Canons, guns, swordfighting, swashbuckling, etc. Tommy Innit is have the time of his life (or death). He keeps talking about how fun the whole thing is. Or complaining when Technoblade "cheats". Technoblade is about to lose, when he tells Tommy Innit he can't just shoot him. He needs to make Techno walk the plank. Tommy Innit eagerly agrees, and points him towards the plank. He asks Techno if he has any last words and Techno points out that Wilbur Soot should walk the plank as well. Wilbur Soot is just flabbergasted by that, But Techno points out that Wilbur didn't help at all when his Captain needed him. It was worth walking the plank. Tommy Innit agrees, and tries to get Wilbur to also walked the plank. Wilbur refuses. Techno points out that that means it's a mutiny. Tommy Innit is gleeful at the concept of a mutiny, pointing his sword at Wilbur Soot. Wilbur is not all that amused. Technoblade volunteers his services in bringing the "treacherous snake" down in exchange for not having to walk the plank. Tommy Innit agrees and Technoblade full tackles Wilbur Soot, much to Wilbur Soot's dismay and Tommy Innit's delight. They roll around on the deck for a bit, Techno promising he will make it up to Wilbur if he just plays along. Wilbur gives in and goes overdramatic with it.

Tommy Innit is over the moon. He is having so much fun. Wilbur, why didn't you tell him Techno was so much fun? Technoblade points out that there was no way that all the kidnapped adults were any fun. Tommy Innit hadn't even noticed that they evacuated.

Tommy Innit looks and is upset that all of his prisoners have disappeared. No one ever wants to play with him. Technoblade offers to play with him occasionally, if he would, you know, not kidnap people.

Tommy Innit asks if he can kidnap Techno sometimes, instead, because its funny. Techno agrees, but not more than once a month. He has responsibilities. He can't play all the time.

Tommy Innit Agrees, super happy with the idea.

Suddeny, Technoblade's home no longer has to worry about bills anymore. Huh. Maybe his parents finally started to act like parents. He doesn't really complain when Tommy Innit and Wilbur Soot start monopolizing more of his time.

Chapter 3 Listen, this chapter is going to be Reign Storm. But there is no Vlad character in this AU, so I don't know how to start it. Maybe Techno's parents go into the Ghost Zone and steal the ring of rage? Who knows. But the Ghost King is awake, finally free from the eternal sleep he was forced into. Thousands of ghost refugees pour out of the portal. Technoblade is incredibly concerned that he doesn't see Wilbur or Tommy.

Technoblade is doing his best keeping all of the ghosts from hurting people, plus playing keep away with the giant ghost crows that were trying to return the ring of rage back to the Ghost King. Techno is exhausted, everyone is terrified, his parents are trying to use inventions that might get them killed. He's havinf a bad day.

The ghost king pulls the entire town into the ghost zone.

Technoblade is shocked by the whole thing, terrified with no way to fix it.

And then the Ghost King shows up.

King Philza is intense. Burning crown on his head with regal robes flowing all around. Wings blacked than the night sky raised behind him.

He demands the ring back, or else.

Technoblade chooses the latter.

It's not a close fight at all. Technoblade is tired and the ghost king is POWERFUL, even without the ring. Technoblade is forced to change back into his human form, in front of everyone to see. His secret is out, he's injured, and he isn't able to move out of the crater in the ground the ghost king knocked him into.

The king takes back the Ring of Rage, putting it on his finger. He's even more powerful, which Technoblade thinks is cheating. The Ghost King raises a hand and intends to wipe Techno from existence-

Two figures block the hand. Both start shouting at the Ghost King, incredibly annoyed that their Dad would attack their friend. That Technoblade hasn't even had his first deathday and that Dadza was being a bully.

King Philza is incredibly confused. There is no way that Technoblade hasn't reached his first deathday. He's too powerful. But Wilbur Soot and Tommy Innit insist.

Technoblade is a young ghost and he's like a brother to them.

No actually-

He is their brother.

Technoblade tries valiantly to crawl out of the crater. He is hurt, and can't focus on all of the conversation. One minute he is staring at the remains of the football field-

The next he is staring into piercing blue eyes. He flinches back, but two fingers touch his temple. And then everything is black.

Technoblade wakes in a bed inside Philza's Keep, deep in the ghost zone. He cannot leave, phasing through things doesn't work. He is stuck.

Wilbur and Tommy seem over the moon. Their Dad is finally home and they can play with Techno whenever they want!

King Philza seems indulgent of his sons, but doesn't have a ton of time. It takes time to reprganize the entirety of the Infinite Realms under he control. It takes effort into crushing all resistance.

But he makes it known that his newest son WILL behave. He shows Techno a glass ball, inside containing the entirety of Techno's whole town. It would be so easy to shatter.

Technoblade submits, being hugged tightly by an excited Wilbur and Tommy.

So, yeah, I would love to get around to writing that. Especially fleshing out some of the shakier parts lol. But basically Wilbur is Ember, Tommy is Youngblood, and Phil is Pariah Dark. With a LOT of liberties thrown in!

#dp x dsmp #lenn writes #ask and ye shall recieve #anonymous

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anotherrosesthatfell · 9 months

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About No Longer the Guardian...

1. What is Core and Error relationship? Error seems overprotective yet tsundere for them.

2. I need to know how long has Swap... You know, act like he is now. Obsessive... It creeps me out the fact he was like that before Dream retired as a guardian!

3. While waiting for new chapter, I keep rereading the same chapters and there is something that caught my intention. The way you use "Protector" and "Creator". Since this is not a fgod au, those two word are heavily different.

4. So Ink is a trans man here? That's neat but his actions is not- anyway, how many love interest does Dream have.

5. Will any new characters will show up in later chapters? Like king of multiverse or something more powerful-

6. Newstale is a very interesting au. Berita sans, his name technically mean news- like wow, that's smart. Are you going to do this au more on later on?

7. Why is June getting aggressive in each chapters. At first, she was sweet and kind of sad but then in latest chapter, she has a temper issues like wow-

Oop- this is a long asks but anyway- let's gooo

1. At first I want to make them more like father and daughter until I remember Core in this au legit took care of past Error so their relationship are mother and son (Like Nahida and Wanderer ^^!)

2. Oh, for very long time 😊. At first it was just fine until Swap developed a obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). He needs everything to be perfect, clean, nice and Dream is one of them. After Dream is no longer the guardian, he legit took this chance to make Dream perfect again in his own way.

3. 🤫

4. Heck yeah, my least favorite boy is trans because why not? It's fun! Anyway, just Cross. Other ships are platonic, that including Killer since he doesn't really love Dream, he likes the fact Dream resemble July... (June's older sister)

5. Well characters from Newstale then yes.

6. Yep, maybe after this story end. I planning to draw each character, Sans will look like a reporter came from Malaysia/indonesia since his code name are from that countries.

7. Because unlike Dream, June is passive-aggressive. Well she is nice to certain people.. She became like that because of Killer yknow, she lived with Killer. He taught her everything, including stabbing- I mean self defense.

#undertale au #no longer the guardian #nltg ask #ask #dream sans #June Keira #Killer sans #error sans #core frisk #cross sans #Newstale #swap sans #au #sans au #the third question is a secret #platonic errorcore #errorcore #cream ship

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llondonfog · 10 months

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Don’t worry! I plan on sticking around for a very long time! Chaoter 7 may have mugged us in broad daylight, but I’ll be damn to not draw some Lilia and Silver fluff!

Oh! Almost forgot! I just want to say that that lil story you wrote about the bird tapping on the window and Silver realizing something was wrong is an absolute banger!!!! I reread that story so many times! Gonna stop before I get too excited cause that fic had me crackling evilly(cause heck yeah! Angst and scary stuff!) and feeling impending doom.

YESSSSS i have been giddy at seeing all of your pieces crop up on my dash, we need the soft and silly while the diasomnia family crashes and burns all around us :')

and ajdfklks; i'm so glad that you loved it!!! i had such a fun time writing it too— it was such a cathartic piece after all of the tumultuous emotions of that release at the time, and i really just wanted an awful outcome where silver eventually can no longer recall how many dreams he has been placed under, or why it should even matter when his father is safe and smiling by his side?

i know the poor boy is being put THROUGH IT!! by canon right now but hey, i love our father son duo with a little extra trauma for Flavor, it's so deliciously ironic that silver is malleus' knight, but he'd bend the knee and fall on his sword for lilia :')

#lettie's asks #you know all those bloodied stick figure going wild memes #thats me whenever i think of Them

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kazscrows · 1 year

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Six of Crows Reread 🪶

Chapter 39: Inej

Inej’s heart careened against her ribs. On the aerial swings, there was a moment when you let go of one and reached for the next, when you realised you’d made a mistake and you no longer felt weightless, when you simply started to fall…

She’s getting dragged back into the prison…

Oh no oh no oh n—

Yeah Inej! Break that guys nose!!

And yay Jesper and Wylan!

It was all part of the plan

Sort of…

Jesper snatched the choker from Inej’s hand, mouth agape. “Kaz said we needed a diamond. He didn’t tell you to steal Heleen Van Houden’s diamonds!”

Oh lmao I forgot Heleen had a last name

There were plenty of other diamonds she could have stolen for their purposes and other trouble she could have made to attract the guards’ attention. But it was Heleen she’d wanted to dupe. For all the secrets she’d gathered and documents she’d stolen and violence she’d done, it was Heleen Van Houden she’d needed to best.

I still can’t believe they just killed Heleen off in the show like.. what the heck??

Inej needs to be the one to best this awful woman—

During the scuffle in the rotunda, Inej had made sure that she was too focused on being choked to worry about being robbed.

Inej your Kaz-ness is showing

The best way to steal a man’s wallet is to tell him you’re stealing his watch

The best way to rob Heleen is to try choking her to death—

“Hurry,” Inej said.

“Saying that doesn’t actually make me work faster,” Jesper complained as he concentrated on the stones. “If I just break them down, they’ll lose their molecular structure. They have to be cut, carefully, the edges assembled into a single perfect drill bit. I don’t have the training—”

“Whose fault is that?” put in Wylan, not looking up from his own work.

“Again, not helpful.”

Lmao poor Jes getting bossed around and bullied

Jesper, Wylan and Inej might actually be the most chaotic trio of the bunch

Just. Constant Panic!

So much screaming

Then she was running, her feet light, her silks like feathers. In this moment she didn’t mind them. She’d duped Heleen Van Houden. She’d taken a little piece of her away, a silly symbol, but one she prized. It wasn’t enough – it would never be enough – but it was a beginning. There would be other bawds to trick, slavers to fool. Her silks were feathers, and she was free.

So so proud of her

It was an impossible leap, a mad leap, but she was once again her father’s daughter, unbound by the rules of gravity.

And you know what?

She succeeds

She doesn’t fall, she flys-

Every time Inej thinks about her dad I’m so soft-

Ajzxbnxdsafh

I’m giddy-

Here comes the tank scene—

Inej figures out the guns so fast!

“Prettier than diamonds” Inej thinks as she shatters a massive glass wall with essentially a missile

Destruction is a love language

Inej heard footsteps and clanging as Jesper and Wylan climbed onto the tank. Jesper’s head appeared, hanging down from the dome. “You letting me drive?”

The image of Jesper poking his head in and hanging upside down is really funny to me

I should draw it

Also question-

Would Jesper be good or bad at driving a car?

Does the grishaverse have cars?

“Oh, hello, darling,” he said happily. He pulled another lever, and the armoured wagon seemed to shudder to life around them, belching black smoke. What kind of monster is this? Inej wondered.

“That noise!” she cried.

“That engine!” cackled Jesper.

He’s in love

Wylan has competition

Wylan had scratches from the glass all over his cheeks and neck. He was beaming.

Jesper has introduced him to the thrill of danger and violence—

Wylan clutched his middle, still snorting laughter, and pointed downwards. Trailing behind them was a banner, caught in the tank’s treads. Despite the smears of mud and gunpowder burns, Inej could still make out the words: STRYMAKTFJERDAN. Fjerdan might.

Absolute legends

First | Previous | Next

#technically it’s still the same day for ten more minutes so I didn’t lie about when I’d post this-#inej ghafa #six of crows #shadow and bone #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #shadow and bone netflix #shadow and bone season 2 #grishaverse #reading #books #leigh bardugo #kazscrows #kazscrowsreadssoc

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inventors-fair · 6 months

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Treats of the Trick: Halloween 2023 Winners! ~

Congratulations to @coolcoolcooltighttightight, @just--a--penguin and @spooky-bard for winning this week's contest!

@coolcoolcooltighttightight — Food of the Fae

So yeah, I've seen Pan's Labyrinth an age and a half ago. Is this related? Probably not one-to-one but it's also a general mythos with some cool implications here. Blue food has always been a fun little work-around for lifegain for me, and I think that this card's pseudo-mixed-messaging prevents it from being too disjointed. Considering that you might want a mix of faerie and non-faerie creatures, one would think that things would get odd in deckbuilding, but I think that the fun of this is both for flavor and for limited, and the success is a meta one.

The creatures becoming faeries helps with faerie buffs, for one. I think that the activated ability should have a reflexive trigger instead of the kinda-replacement you have currently, but that still shows the fun of having the creature then benefit from faeries AND get flying afterwards. The more food, the more faeries you can make! Even a one-off of a bigger creature like a red brute or a green bigthing would be worth it in the shell. And eating the Food to make faeries? Fantastically done; a draft/sealed deck would use this for sure and it would feel right at home in the western European folktale side of things. Really cute and captivating! ... Oh no. It's got me.

@just--a--penguin — Many-Headed Splendor

Lots of these cards were really well-designed this week, but I had a hard time coming to grips with which ones were best balanced and stood out. Rereading it all, I came back to this card and thought about the design mitigations of having a creature's base P/T become 0. But the ETB replacement making it big like that? I think this card is a blast in a set with big-power-little-toughness cards, with counter synergies, Theros-style heroism, and just in general, it's a card that does just enough of everything to be clever.

The trample's what really sells me, honestly. If absolutely nothing else, it gives a creature some extra evasion for that point of damage. Two of these cards on the same creature is especially fun. I can envision a satyr or human or, I dunno, a Dominarian barbarian jumping out from the woods with a whole bunch of psychic heads growing from them, and feeling that expansion with the weakness inherent to the changed self, having it become splendorous in power but then defined by its new hydra nature, is very cool to me as well. We're in the valley of "they could print this card and I'd love it" and that's just a fun place to be.

@spooky-bard — Shadowtwister Crone

My fellow, my captain, my compatriot—I want this to be an uncommon so badly too but I'm almost 100% convinced that it needs to be a rare. But I don't know. I don't know! It's creepy and spooky and you're making a nightmare out of a scarecrow and I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Remembering other effects similar to this...I can think of, uh, one, and I don't remember the name of it. It's insanely powerful and frustrating without proper removal, but ya know what, isn't everything in this damn game? Argh! Menacing scarecrows! I still love this card!

It's a little bit halloweeny, too, and looking through the winners this week, I actually didn't think about the halloween implications until afterwards. The faerie enchantment plays into established mythos, the hydra card is a solid fantasy card-game staple, and now we're more fully into in-world flavortown in a way that's oppressive on-board and a singular story that's... Heck, I dunno, I'm losing words for precisely what I'm trying to say here about how these cards feels different from each other in unique ways and why this card is a particularly emotion-driven one. Which is a good thing. You took a pushed piece of board presence and gave it a standard but effective creepy air. Perhaps I love the scarecrow and the infrequent kindred nature of those crow-scarin' sons of witches. Perhaps it's the way this woman turns things her scarecrows into nightmares and your creatures into shadows. I think you just nailed a bunch of good pieces together and I'm feeling the heat, so to speak. Is that so wrong? Is that helpful? Is she standing right behind me?

More to come~ @abelzumi

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #inventor's fair #winners #commentary #halloween 2023 contest

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roguelibrarian · 4 months

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books I read in 2023

Threw together a list of books I read this year plus brief thoughts about them Just Because.

The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne - I was so, so ready to like this book and then like one chapter in suddenly got hit with the reveal that the backstory to it is the racist trope of "big scary Native man kidnaps a pure, virginal white girl to be his wife." So....fuck that shit.

So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow - Heck yes. Excellent book. It's a retelling of Little Women set in the Roanoke Freedmen's Colony. The author leans into how aro-coded Jo is. Also Beth lives.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer - Yeah, I didn't finish this one. I got so bored.

Common Bonds: A Speculative Aromantic Anthology ed. by Claudie Arseneault, C.T. Callahan, B.R. Sanders, and RoAnna Sylver - I mean it's an anthology, so some of the stories just did not work for me, but I am ecstatic over the concept alone and most of it was amazing.

The Companion by Katie Alender - Creepy as shit in the best possible way. My one complaint is that after 200 pages without a hint of romance, suddenly a character showed up who was so obviously meant to be the main character's love interest and that part was exhausting. Otherwise excellent, amazing, chilling as hell, and you know I love me some abuse narratives.

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake - I wanted to like this one so bad and it's not that I didn't like it, but it was just kinda...mostly okay? I felt like I was supposed to be creeped out and scared and tbh I should have been because there's some pretty disturbing shit in this book but all just fell so flat.

Sounds Fake But Okay: An Asexual and Aromantic Perspective on Love, Relationships, Sex, and Pretty Much Everything Else by Sarah Costello and Kayla Kaszyca - Bad. Just bad. Oh my g-d this book was so bad and irritating and just...if you want to learn more about aspec people or think you might be aspec yourself, please read literally anything else. I won't go into detail because I wrote a whole post about it here, but just...bad.

Ace and Aro Journeys: A Guide to Embracing Your Aromantic or Asexual Identity by The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project - So, this was definitely better than Sounds Fake But Okay overall, but there is a thread of deep discomfort with the existence of sex-repulsed and romance-repulsed aspecs that keeps popping up throughout the book. It is pretty clear that at least one of the authors (and probably more than one since there were several and apparently no one raised a strong enough objection to get any of this shit scrapped or rewritten) really Does Not Like sex-repulsed and romance-repulsed people.

The Wicked Remain by Laura Pohl - Second part of a duology, and the first book was definitely better. I low-key suspect that this book might have just been Once Upon A Time fanfiction with the serial numbers filed off. That said, I am always here for queerplatonic relationship rep and stories where the Cinderella character ends up single.

Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce - Series of four books, but I'm putting all of them together here because a) my thoughts are kinda the same and b) this post is already too long. I'm not gonna say much because I have a whole post about this series in my drafts already so I'll just leave it with yeah my nostalgia for these books has worn off quite a bit.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - This was another reread and yeah it still holds up just as good as the first time I read it. Literally this is one of my favorite books.

The Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - Another reread. Excellent. Love a sequel that's just as good as the first one. Also one of my favorite books.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo - Yeah I was on a rereading spree this year. This one is also so damn good.

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo - Last Grishaverse book on the list, I promise. So good. Nina went completely off the rails in this one and I love every second of it. Really everyone went off the rails a little bit but Nina most of all.

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan - I have a post about this one here so I won't say too much in this post but g-d I love how unapologetically Jewish this book is. No stopping to explain things to any goyim who might be reading. No coddling goyishe feelings while portraying antisemitism. This book is for Jews and that's beautiful.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - Yet another reread. Actually, genuinely accurate portrayal of how PTSD triggers work. First sign of healing not being a romantic relationship but being the main character telling a shitty friend to fuck off. Literally the only thing stopping me from wholeheartedly shouting "I love this book so much" is that there's a random use of the r-word because this book is from the 90s and back then it was basically illegal to publish fiction about teenagers without having your characters use that word.

We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation by Eric Garcia - So I've got mixed feelings about it but ultimately I'd say this book is a net positive. Definitely recommend it for nonautistic people and for autistic people whose only exposure to the autistic community is through spaces like tumblr. Just don't have this be the only book you read about autistic people, you know?

#book blogging #book club with rogue #''threw together'' is a phrase which hear means ''i've been working on this post for like a week''

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sayakxmi · 5 months

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[Magi reread] Night 30: Miracle

Me @ Myself: Do it for the Magnostadt Arc, Saya. Stay strong.

Sounds a lil bit like victim blaming, but I get the intent + might've been something with wording.

Yeaa, I mean, it would've been nice to, y'know, see all that development, ngl. But I'll let you off the hook this time, it's still a cool moment.

Hell yeah

Final Arc Sinbad would like to disagree.

Like, I'm still salty about so much regarding the Final Arc, but rereading the earlier arc always makes me even saltier. Like, bro.

If I were to write the Final Arc I would've had her break these chains somehow. Oh wait! I'm doing exactly that! Did I ever mention I'm working on a rewrite? Anyway, ad break's over.

The Fanalis roar is one of the coolest things they can do, like, holy fuck, we only see it used like twice, what a goddamn shame.

Or three, I think Morgiana used it for navigation in the Rift?

She got free.

Look at all these cool animals we'll never hear about again! Seriously, I would've loved to know more of the Magi world's flora & fauna.

Honestly, her face looks so cool in here.

Cat on cat violence.

Fr, tho, I feel a bit bad for these animals. It's not like they asked to be there.

It just looks cool.

Welcome back to Morgiana giving no shits.

POV: you're a merchant trying to scam Hakuryuu.

Ok, but jokes aside, well-fucking-earned. Morgiana seriously should be allowed to be scary more often.

Angy

Heck yeah.

Fatima is like top 10 characters we didn't need sad backstories for. Or any backstories for, tbh. But we've got it anyway. And, like, on the one hand, fuck that guy, I don't give a shit, but on the other it does make me think. The way he talks about slaves/slavery throughout this arc, he is, in a way, talking about himself, too. And also the fact that it's implied he was a sex slave in SnB, or at least I've always got that impression? Like, I swear, the way his new owner was looking at him just felt... ew. Anyway, the point is, I don't want to empathize with that guy, but I kind of feel a bit bad for him. Mostly because of SnB, tho. Here he just sucks.

I still kinda wonder what happened to him after that.

And that's how you open the door properly.

(Ok, but to Morgiana's credit, she did try to use the key, it just didn't fit.)

Heh

Ok, but, how the fuck did you even get here.

Oh, it's the end already.

Also, now that I'm thinking. Maybe if Nadja symbolizes little Morgiana, and Morgiana is saving herself etc, Fatima symbolizes what Morgiana could have become? Hm.

#saya's magi reread #magi #morgiana

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striving-artist · 2 years

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Please blame @bourneblack for the brand new idea in my head that I do not have time to write. (so instead I just rambled everything we talked about here below a cut) ((no i did not edit or reread, good luck))

So fem!bucky and Toni are an established relationship, very happy together, are both bi, and sorta miss men. Not in a 'break up over it' way. But in the way that I miss East Coast style egg rolls after years on the West Coast. I'm not gonna die of the lack, but heck yeah if there was a way to get some, I'd be here for it.

Since Bucky and Toni are sexually open and their relationship is solid, they start talking about having a one off. Just to scratch the itch that their straps can't quite get. Being reasonable women, they decide to seduce this very attractive himbo in their friend group who they know, but don't know well. Steve.

Cut to Steve, who is a Socialist Fluff Muffin, and very skilled, very smart, but also the stupidest human to ever live. This is a man who carries a sign at a protest with a guillotine, but censors the word 'fuck' bc there might be kids around. A man who drinks a gallon of respect women juice for breakfast and a gallon of respect lesbian juice with lunch. A man shaped like a dorito, who has had more insane things happen than he can remember. He stopped an honest to god assassination, but he remembers it as the day he was late to brunch and lost his umbrella.

BnT are attractive women, they have no doubt they can seduce this Very Heterosexual Man. They begin subtle. The kind of giggly insinuation thing at a party. 'oh gosh, your biceps are amazing. Have you met my girlfriend? don't you think she's gorgeous?' And our boy just compliments them both and talks about his workout regimen.

They escalate. They give him a borderline sexy massage, and ask if he wants to get his hands on them. Steve, a great guy, says sure! Then proceeds to give them a deep tissue massage that leaves them both moaning, but not in the seduction way they planned.

BnT are stubborn, so they ask him to come be 'an objective opinion' on their costumes for a party. And it's just a series of Sexy Witch, Sexy Nurse, Sexy Pizza Slice. Steve gives them opinions on what colors are most flattering, and talks about how confident they seem in this one or that one. The only time he doesn't is when Bucky puts on a Sexy Cop outfit, and he can't restrain his rant - which still includes asides about how flattering the boots are for Bucky's thighs. They ask if the skirts are too short when they bend over and he averts his eyes.

Things are now getting serious. BnT have accepted that Steve is too nice to notice if they aren't Very Very obvious about this. The next round is absolutely flagrant. Bucky tells him, straight-faced, that its been so long since she kissed a guy she doesn't even remember what it's like, and 'can I practice on you?' And since Toni is sitting right there giving permission, Steve is happy to oblige. BnT then makeout in front of him, so he steps away because obviously they've remembered they don't like men and he wouldn't want to intrude.

Its time for the nuclear option. The backup dancers doing the can-can option. BnT schedule (on a calendar!) a meeting with Steve at a coffee shop and tell him very clearly: "Steve. We want to take a man to bed with us. We know you. We trust you. We want you to be a part of this. Will you come by our place tonight?" And they give him a spare key.

Steve thinks very hard, and agrees. BnT go home, victorious and delighted and pampering themselves as they plan what to wear. Steve thinks really hard again, and decides to go the best man he knows. He goes to Sam... who he seduces... because BnT asked for him to help, and they deserve the best man he knows. He leads Sam to Toni's place, unlocks the door, says 'have fun tonight' and pushes Sam inside.

Sam, who is 100% gay and very confused that his 100% straight friend was whispering in his ear and lightly kissing him, turns around to find two baffled, lingerie-clad women staring at him in bewilderment. They end up ordering pizza and spend a few hours lamenting their failure. Finally, BnT accept that Steve is so not into them that he didn't even notice their efforts. Upsetting, but survivable. They buy new strap ons and get on with their lives.

But, Steve, some guy on the other side of their friend group, is now Steve, borderline best friend and a great human being. They have heard him talk about his ex Sharon, who didn't like him going to protests, or helping random people, or being less than the perfect image of a trophy husband. They do brunch every weekend. Steve built a workout plan for them. It's great. They're all friends.

So they know they're all going to be at the Mudder Race. Steve thinks they're all going as spectators. BnT think they're all going as participants. Steve is.... unprepared to see these two very feminine women he is friends with dressed in tanks and sports bras about to do a mud covered obstacle course race. They work as a team. Toni loses her shirt to the barbed wire crawl. Bucky loses hers so they can reach a wall grip and get over the top. They don't win, but they do a damn good job.

Steve's brain boils out his ears. They wave to him, gesture that they're stepping under the showers to get the worst of the mud off. He watches, because he is physically incapable of doing otherwise. By the time they walk over to him to celebrate their success, Steve's brain is just horny thoughts and klaxon alarms because he is objectifying them and that is Bad and Wrong. BnT ramble at him a bit about how fun it was and how he should be on their team next time, and Steve finally speaks. He interrupts with 'Goodbye' and then walks away with his bag held strategically.

Now Steve has a problem. He has objectified his friends. That is not okay. And! He drinks as much Respect Lesbian Juice as he can! They are together! They do not want him thinking about them! So this is very inappropriate of him! But also, he can't seem to stop getting off to fantasies about things he is suddenly thinking about like 'what if that massage had gone different' and 'what if I'd gone inside instead of Sam'

He knows its wrong though, so he calls Sharon and they get back together and hopefully, this will be enough to distract him from having lustful thoughts.

Sharon is not the greatest, but Steve wants to see the good in her too much to notice. This is all the same friend group though, so eventually there is a big dinner potluck something event. And Sharon is lowkey insulting Steve with every other comment, trying to mold him into the person she wants him to be. Reminding him not-quite-jokingly about table manners. Telling him that no one wants to hear about his silly art hobby. And every time, Steve tries to make her happy by doing it, but his smile gets a little smaller.

BnT though? Who are across the table from them? They're rapidly approaching feral. They keep jumping in to cut her off, but they're clinging to the line of politeness.

Eventually, Sharon goes too far. Toni and Bucky verbally tear her up, laying out all the ways she's hurt Steve, all the ways he's amazing that she doesn't want. There are mild, and not-so-mild threats thrown. Thor and Sam are watching this with popcorn. Carol and Rhodey are recording it from multiple angles.

Steve slips out of the room when it gets really vicious and no one is looking at him. Because it just hit him, all at once, that yes, he does want to look at them disrespectfully, but also he likes them?? and he's starting to think they like him? they care about him??? And he needs a minute to process that. Maybe more like five minutes. or ten.

Point is that by the time he manages to return to the dining room, BnT have left, Carol is handing out forks for everyone huddled at that end of the room to dig into the cobbler, and Sharon has a smug look like she's won. Well. Steve is not the sharpest crayon, but he's a true himbo - which means he also would never be cruel. He firmly, politely, permanently breaks up with her.

Then rushes out without his wallet or phone to go find BnT.

Now, BnT are aware that the saving grace for them tonight is that Steve is apparently blind to how much they like him. This has long since escalated past wanting to borrow him to scratch an itch, but they're not going to push the guy into anything. Luckily, they figure he'll miss the signs in their tirade like he missed everything else.

Thus, they are not expecting it when their door opens so sharply that it dents the wall, and Steve is left holding one side of the handle. Nor are they expecting him to start by apologizing for objectifying them, with a detailed list of examples. But Steve is Steve, and once he starts, he's going to be honest about all of it, because they deserve that if nothing else.

Tells them how much their friendship has meant to him. Tells them he felt so bad after the mudder race because he started to think about them sexually, and apologizes and promises that was the first time he ever thought about them like that. Steve is a good fifteen minutes into this self-flagellant speech and has plenty more to get through.

Bucky and Toni are just staring is horrified awe because they put on their sexiest clothes, they used their go to lines. They sat in his lap and made out with him, and he never -- n e v e r -- thought about them sexually until he saw them covered in mud and bruises??? Toni's brain keeps blue screening over that. Steve isn't going to stop apologizing. So Bucky pulls of Toni's shirt and shoves her at Steve before bracing a chair to keep the door shut.

And then a lot of sex. Wherein Steve might be big and tough and strong but he is not in charge of anything. And since he is deeply dedicated to doing right by his partners, he leaves them both wrecked. And since there are two of them, running on months of defeat and frustration, they leave him wrecked.

Somewhere in the afterglow, curled up and cozy in bed, Toni asks again about if he'd really never thought about this before the race. She's leading him, giving him the opportunity to say he did in a safe space. They want to keep him, and honesty is the best place to start. Honestly, she expects him to admit that he knew and didn't want to intrude on their relationship.

But. Nope. He swears he never did, and apologizes again for what he did and thought after the race. So Bucky and Toni share a quick look of mortified panic, and by the time Steve wakes up from a nap for the next round, Bucky and Toni have sworn all their friends to secrecy while they figure out how to tell Steve what they were up to without making him run away.

#stuckony #fem!bucky #Fem!tony #let bisexuals be bisexual #and let Steve be the Greatest Himbo of all time #this is a very silly thing #and I shan't write it #but if anyone else wants it #feel free

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