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callsign-rogueone · 24 days

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the night we met - b.d.

bodhi durran x reader words: 1.6k 🏷: no book spoilers. she/her reader who wears a dress and makeup. can be read as a standalone, but this is part of Bodhi and Darling’s story!! just our shy bbs meeting for the first time before the revolution. I’m really leaning into the nobility thing here -- I was going for Bridgerton type vibes (that’s where the dress picture is from!) I sketched out their entire story last week and it's safe to say I'm obsessed. I hope you like it 🥺

April 628 AU — Tyrrendor

“The Durrans will be in attendance tonight,” your mother begins, picking at a loose thread on your duvet. “I know you’re fond of the Riorson boy — they’re his aunt’s family.”

“And we need to charm them into making some deal with father?” you guess.

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. You already know what you have to do, what your role is in the evening’s affairs. You have it down to an exact science by now — be on your absolute best behavior, compliment the wife, let the husband boast, make polite conversation, look after the young children, if they have them…

“The deal is already made.”

You meet her eyes in the mirror. Something looks… off about her. Maybe she’s coming down with a cold.

There’s a knock at the door. The housekeeper, Anna, pokes her head in. “My apologies, Lady, but you’re needed downstairs."

Your mother sighs, standing and looking you over before she leaves. She does not comment on your appearance, which means it must be satisfactory -- the image that she desires, the immaculate eldest daughter, quiet and proper.

“Perfect,” your ladies’ maid, Siobhan, pronounces, looking down at you with pride. She’s pressed your hair into smooth curls that will withstand the early summer humidity, letting it fall naturally over your shoulders. “You’ll be the belle of the ball.”

Your cheeks warm at the compliment. “Thank you.”

She fluffs the curls once more, sighing. “To think, we’ll be pinning you up like your mother soon. How the time has flown.”

You give her a nervous smile — you know your days of wearing your hair down, your days as a single woman are numbered.

“Let’s get you dressed, then,” she says, lightening the mood. “Your father bought this for you when he was last in Calldyr city, and told me to save it for the right occasion. I think tonight is that night.”

She pulls open the armoire, taking out a dress you’ve never seen before.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” you breathe. It is indeed — a soft plum silk with nearly-transparent floral lace overtop, complete with tiny beads at the center of the flowers.

“Go put it on,” she says with an easy smile.

You giggle with delight, taking it from her gently and darting behind the changing screen to put it on.

“How do you feel?” she asks, even though it’s obvious you’re in love with it.

“Like a princess,” you grin, unable to stop admiring the fabric in the mirror as she laces up the back for you.

“Then my work here is done.”

The words seem more final than they should. You hug her loosely, careful not to wrinkle your new dress or smudge your makeup. “Thank you,” you say in a whisper. “For everything.”

She rests a hand on your back, smiling. “Of course, dearest. Now go help your mama get everything ready.”

------------------------------------------------------

You’re normally able to take your parents' busy parties in stride, playing your role quietly and without protest, but tonight, you feel stifled by the amount of people in your house.

It’s easy enough to slip away from the festivities, out a side door into the gardens. You take a moment to breathe, letting the cool night air soothe your flushed skin.

Your head turns as you hear someone speaking; a boy your age, pacing back and forth across the path. “I know neither of us had any say in this matter, but I’d like to… no, ugh. I should like to get to know you… I…”

He sighs, straightening and starting over. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady. I hope that we can get to know each other in the coming months, and that we can become friends. I know neither of us had any say in this matter, but you have my word that I will care for you and protect you until the end of our days. I-”

He startles, his eyes widening in shock as he finally sees you standing there.

“I’m sorry. I did not mean to frighten you,” you apologize. “It was a lovely speech. Whatever young lady it is intended for will be quite pleased to hear it.”

“I’m not so sure,” he says, sighing. “Do you know her? Our hosts’ eldest daughter?”

You finally connect the pieces, notice the resemblance he bears to Xaden, the same dark curls and tawny skin… This is him. This is the Durrans’ son.

The deal is already made.

You think you might faint, several emotions hitting you at once, none that you can name. You shove them down before they can rise to the surface. “I do know her,” you manage after a moment. “I am her.”

The boy’s eyes widen further in surprise, but quickly soften at the stunned look on your face. “They didn’t tell you, did they?” he asks quietly.

You shake your head no. You knew the time would come, when your parents would agree to marry you off to the most eligible man, ne’er to be seen again, but you didn’t think it would be so soon.

You take a good look at him, the man whose parties you will host and whose bed you will warm until the end of your days, whom you must provide an heir.

He’s certainly handsome, with smooth brown skin and a head of thick black curls, full lips and a bright smile… and well dressed, too. His jacket looks perfectly tailored, the shirt and cravat underneath pressed and tied neatly. And he’s your age, and not ten years your senior, as some of your friends from school had been matched with. He looks kind, like he’ll treat you well — he’d said as much in the speech you’d heard him rehearse.

You know this is the best possible outcome, but you still feel a flicker of hurt.

He wasn’t given a choice either, but at least his parents had informed him before the party began, had given him a moment, however fleeting, to sit with the news before you met. Was your mother going to tell you before Anna had interrupted, or was she going to wait until he was standing in front of you, until you had no time to protest?

Did Siobhan know, too? Is that why she’d brought out this dress, said that tonight was the night? Had the one person you trusted most in the world, that you felt you could truly be yourself with, kept this from you as well?

You realize you’ve been silent too long, composing yourself quickly. “I agree with you,” you begin, clearing your throat delicately. “If your parents are anything like mine, there is no changing their minds. We’ll just have to make the best of the situation.”

You offer him a soft smile, though it’s clear that you’re still freaking out.

“You already heard most of the speech, I guess,” he says, giving you a bashful smile. “I’m Bodhi.”

He extends a hand to shake — less intimate than the traditional greeting of a kiss to the back of your hand, and more fitting of the occasion; this is a business deal, after all.

You take it.

His skin is soft, and warm despite the chill of the night air, his hand wrapping around yours easily.

You flush and pull away as you realize neither of you are wearing gloves -- you’d tugged yours off when you’d come out here, unable to stand the feeling of the itchy lace between your fingers any longer.

He realizes the same, shoving his hands into his pockets.

You clasp yours in front of you, squeezing your knuckles together to quell your nerves. You don’t know what else to say, how to begin this arrangement that will last you the rest of your lives. How had your parents managed this? And their parents before them?

You hear your name called across the garden, every muscle in your body tensing at your mother’s voice. You scramble to pull your gloves back on, taking a few steps back from Bodhi and smoothing out your skirt.

“Go,” you whisper. “There’s a door past the apple tree.”

He gives you a nod of thanks before he darts away.

“There you are,” she huffs. “Your father and I have been looking everywhere for you.”

You watch Bodhi slip back inside, letting out a small breath of relief. She’s undoubtedly going to give you an earful about abandoning your hostly duties, but at least you won’t have been caught outside with a man, unchaperoned -- though you suppose it wouldn’t really matter, since you’re to be married, anyway.

“I’m sorry,” you say quietly, folding your hands. “I just needed some fresh air.”

She softens, abandoning the lecture, and removes a glove, touching the back of her hand to your forehead. “Do you feel alright? You’re quite warm.”

“I’m fine,” you promise, though your heart has not yet stopped racing. “We should get back to our guests.”

She smiles at you for the first time today, pulling you into an exceptionally rare embrace. “I don’t say it often enough, but I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

Ten minutes ago, the compliment and the loving touch would have made you beam with pride. Now it just gives you a sinking feeling.

Later that night, after you’re formally introduced, when you take his hand and let him lead you to the center of the room for a waltz, you feel like you’ve known each other much longer than one evening; you already have a shared secret.

This might work, you decide. You just might fall in love with him.

#not 100% satisfied with this one but I probably never will be. so.#bodhi durran #bodhi durran x reader #mine #fourth wing x reader #fourth wing #Bodhi and Darling #reader insert

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musings-of-a-rose · 1 year

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I Never Stopped Loving You

Pairing: Joel Miller x OFC “Catie”

Word Count: 7700+

Rating: Mature - 18+ ONLY!

Warnings: Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.

Notes: @theewokingdead is such an enabler and I love her for it! This is 100% her idea (I’ll post it at the end). I’m just doing the words!

And yes, this is my first OFC character!

**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!

Main Masterlist

Joel Miller Masterlist

I Never Stopped Loving You Part 2>>

September 26th, 2013

2 pink lines.

2 little pink lines that will change the entire course of my life from here on out. Not just my life, but his life too.

Joel.

It’s not like we just started dating. It’s been a couple of years, but we hadn’t really brought up the idea of adding another child alongside his Sarah. And yet, here I am, staring down in disbelief at these 2 little pink lines, memories of the night that caused this from a couple weeks ago flashing before my eyes briefly before my brain starts to spiral.

Would he be happy? Mad? Leave me? Feel obligated to marry me? How will Sarah feel?

Before I can spiral more, my phone springs to life, it’s ring loud in my tiny bathroom as it vibrates across the counter. I knew from the ring it was him, but what I didn’t expect was Joel to sound so tired and frustrated.

“Hey baby.”

“Hey, sweetheart.”

“Is that contractor being a dick again?”

He chuckles, low and deep. “How’d you guess?”

“He’s been giving you shit for weeks. I don’t know how you deal with it.”

“Because I need the money. But I’m starting to think it may not be worth it to keep my mouth shut.”

He launches into a story about his day from hell, how the contractor is making everything take 10 times as long as it should. When he finishes, he takes a deep sigh before speaking again.

“You able to check on Sarah?”

“Yeah. She’s doing fine. Ordered a pizza. Sorry I couldn’t hang with her.”

“It’s alright. You feelin’ any better, sweetheart?”

I could tell him now, tell him that my secret suspicion of my nausea over the last several days has been confirmed, but I don’t want to tell him like this. Not over the phone, not when he’s exhausted and frustrated. I’ll tell him when I see him next.

“A little.”

A beep sounds and Joel pauses. “That’s Tommy. I’ll call him back later.”

“No, no. It’s ok, answer it. Just go home and get some sleep.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. See you tomorrow?”

“Definitely, sweetheart. Feel better.”

I feel guilty for not telling him right away, but the timing just isn’t right. Besides, this gives me some time to wrap my own head around it and figure out exactly how to tell him.

—----

Waiting was not a great idea.

I had fallen asleep at some point, but I was woken up by…is that screaming? Something is happening outside and it doesn’t sound good.

Creeping up to the window, I pull the curtains back just enough to peek outside. People are moving about the street, but something isn’t right. They’re all running from Mr. Stevens, my neighbor from several houses down. He’s running after them, but it’s not normal. No…not human. He leaps forward, jumping onto the nearest person and…shit!

I run back to my nightstand and grab my phone. The first few times I try to get a call out, it’s a busy signal. Whether the lines are cut or busy is beyond me, but I have to keep trying. My fingers tremble as I use speed dial to try to get Joel. The phone slips from my hand and clatters to the floor.

“Shit!”

I bend down and pick it up, hitting the green call button and miraculously, the call goes through. My breathing speeds up, I feel like my heart is about to pound out of my chest. I’ve never needed a call to go through more than now-

“Catie?”

“Joel?”

“Thank God. Listen, somethin’ is happening. Something with the people-”

“I know. I saw the neighbor-”

“Stay away from them-.....not right-....Sarah and I-.....”

“Joel?” The line keeps breaking up, static cutting out more than half of whatever he was trying to tell me.

“....just stay put….no lights….there soon…”

“I- ok. I’ll stay here.”

“Love you, sweethea-”

The phone cuts off and the connection dies with it. I pull the phone away from my ear and look down at the screen. My phone still has battery but over the service bars is an X. Guess they either cut the service or something happened at a tower. Either way, it’s not good.

I stay there a moment longer until more screams and glass breaking from across the street somewhere bring me harshly back to reality. I click my lamp off and head into my closet, finding the new hiking backpack I’d bought a couple weeks ago with Joel, who planned to take Sarah and I hiking soon. Be smart, Catie. It’s just like camping. What do I need realistically?

I’m no stranger to traveling, so I roll all my clothes, putting on a 3rd pair of jeans and a shirt, making sure to pack and wear thicker socks that will last longer. I also toss in a bar of soap, my waterproof matches and firestarter, some salves I had just finished making last week, and some other random items. The pack isn’t too heavy, which I’m grateful for. I grab one of Joel’s flannels and throw it on over my clothes before hoisting the backpack over one shoulder.

Quietly, I creep downstairs, ears straining to hear anything out of place. I hear nothing - well, nothing aside from the ominous noises from outside. I’m so glad that I have curtains all around my house, never wanting people to see in, especially at night. I fill my canteen with water and grab a bunch of high protein, portable snacks, tossing them in my bag and strapping the water to the side. I make up another canteen to add to the other side to balance the weight. Plus, having extra water wasn’t a bad thing. Right?

I kept my phone on me in case Joel managed to get through again. I pull it out to see if anything had changed, but nothing. It’s been at least 20 minutes since I spoke to him, but even if he had left his home right at that moment, it would still be another 5 or so minutes before he’d get here. And I’m sure he’s running into obstacles outside.

When it hits the hour mark, I become officially worried.

I know he told me to stay put, but the screams outside are lessening, which can only mean one thing. I’m not waiting around for it to be my turn.

Grabbing a pen, I scribble a quick note telling Joel to meet me at the cabin, my parent’s cabin that they had given me to use with Joel and Sarah. It’s out in the middle of nowhere but it’s self sustainable and the perfect place to hideout from…whatever is happening.

I leave the note in a conspicuous place, hoping that he’ll be able to see it. I check the knives I stored in my boot and one in a leg strap on my thigh. Initially a gag gift from my brother when I started hiking more, I learned how to use them a little, just in case. Otherwise, I have my bow-my bow!

Quickly, I head into my office closet and grab my bow and quiver of arrows, making sure I have the proper attachments for attaching them to my backpack. I pick up my keys, fingers trembling and I nearly drop them.

Then my sliding door crashes open, glass shattering everywhere, inhuman noises coming from whatever fell through it.

I don’t even bother to look, throwing open the front door and slamming it behind me, eyes scanning the yard for any threats. Thank God I have a keyless entry, the car unlocking for me and I throw my bag and bow in as I slide in the seat of my suv, slamming the door shut behind me. I fumble with the keys, trying to jam them in the ignition when I hear my front door slam against the ground. I manage to jam the key in and the engine turns over. I backup quickly out of my driveway and peel off down the street as Mr. Stevens comes out of my house, moving towards my car but quickly giving up as I drive away.

I make it about 10 blocks when I see her. My neighborhood friend Lucia, running for her life from…something who used to be a someone. No hesitation, I turn my suv, slamming into the something and sending it flying. Lucia turns and sees me, eyes wide with fear as she runs towards me as I beckon her to get in. She throws open the passenger door and screams at me to go before she even closes it behind her. I do, speeding off down the road and somehow managing to get out of the nieghborhood without road blocks or hitting anything else.

For now, I’m ignoring what I see and focusing on getting us out.

Lucia says nothing, eyes scanning the road and looking behind us to make sure everything is clear. By the grace of a higher power, we manage to make it to the back highway that will eventually bring us to my parent’s cabin. Or my cabin now, I guess.

“Luce, are you ok?”

Lucia is breathing heavy but she nods, turning her head towards me as she starts to relax slightly. “Thank you for stopping. I..I wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”

“I’m just glad I could help.”

A few moments of silence pass between us before I speak again.

“Are you hurt or..or bit? I don’t..I don’t know what-”

“No. I don’t know how but no.”

“What are they?”

Lucia takes a shaking breath and I can hear her trying to hold back tears. “I..I don’t know. They aren’t…they were people but now?”

“Yeah that’s pretty much all I saw too…oh is there anywhere I need to go or drive by for you?”

She looks away from me quickly. “I uh…no.”

“Where’s your brother?”

She was quiet for a moment. “He left on his business trip a day ago.”

Right. Japan or something.

I reach over and squeeze her hand, feeling us both shaking. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

More silence.

“What about Joel? And Sarah?”

“I uh…I was waiting for them but… I left a note telling them where to meet me.”

“Oh. I’m sure they’re fine.”

We drive for a little bit longer, Lucia messing with the radio to try and find anything that was playing. It was all just static. I take the exit I need and clear my throat.

“I’m pregnant.”

Lucia’s head snaps towards me. “You’re what?”

I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Great timing, huh?”

“Does Joel know?”

A sob jumps out of my throat, one I didn’t know I had. “No. I..he had a hard day at work and I figured I’d tell him tomorrow…”

“Oh, Cat. It’s ok. He…he’ll find you for sure. I know it. Buuut…until then, you have me! Wait, did you pick me up just because I’m a midwife?” I can hear the smile in her words, but she’s still not 100% certain.

“I picked you up because you needed help. And you didn’t look injured.” She laughs at my admission.

“I love your honesty, Cat.”

We chat about the pregnancy the entire way, only quieting when we reach the long, hidden drive to my cabin. We do a quick perimeter check, inside and out. Nothing and no one. The closest neighbors we have are literally miles away. We have more chances of seeing a bear than another person.

Lucia helps me unload the few things I have in the car and heads inside. We take a quick stock of all pantry items and I’m thankful that Sarah and I did so much canning the last time we were here. She had gotten slightly obsessed with the idea and was looking forward to eating it when they were ready. Water wouldn’t be an issue either as we have our own private well, no need for electricity. Which is good because that doesn’t work without the generator and we are not turning that on. It’s too noisy and would attract trouble.

Lucia and I have a low key dinner of beef sticks and some dried vegetables, chatting with each other to try and lighten the dark cloud that has crept over the world. She heads off to one of the bedrooms and I head off to mine, the one I share with Joel. Once I’m finally able to collapse in the bed, I allow myself a moment to cry, worrying about Joel and Sarah and the baby that’s currently growing inside of me. I still have hope they’ll make their way here. I have to or I’ll crumble into bits and float away on the wind.

—----

20 years later…

Lucia and I stayed in the cabin for nearly 10 years. She helped me safely bring my daughter Penelope, or “Poppy”, earthside. We raised her in the cabin, teaching her everything she needed to know about survival and life, despite her young age. This is how life is now. She’s still allowed to have kid time of course, which is why there are murals painted on nearly every corner of the cabin.

About 10 years in, Lucia, who had never given up on finding someone or a transmission on either the radio or the ham radio, finally found one talking about a settlement in Jackson, Wyoming. It would take us nearly a month to get there, let alone the danger we’d be in. The suv would never make it, having given out years ago, but luckily we had managed to make a small farm for us and that included a few horses and a couple that could pull a wagon or 2. After gathering up all the information we could on Jackson, we determined it must be a real place and put it to a vote with all of us. After the winter snows melted, we left for Jackson, packing up our entire lives, or what we could anyway, and plotting out the safest route possible. It would take us about a month, especially with the detours we were taking, but they were necessary to avoid the areas that would most likely have bandits. Or worse.

The last thing I did before I closed the door was to write a letter to Joel and Sarah, telling them where we were going. Even 10 years later, I had not given up on them.

—----

A month later, we arrived in Jackson, a few more scrapes and bruises to our name, but luckily, we hadn’t run into too much trouble.

Lucia got work right away, considering her background as an official midwife. I was hired to help with the gardening because of my immensely green thumb and knowledge of herbs, and Poppy was allowed to help with the livestock we brought, after school was done for the day. Poppy was beside herself with the idea of going to actual school, even though she knew most of what they were teaching anyway.

We all settled nicely, Lucia falling in love with a nice man on the other side of town, eventually moving in with him and starting a family of their own. Poppy made a ton of friends, finally allowed the freedom to be a kid for more than a couple of hours.

As for me?

I never really dated anyone, my heart given to Joel a long time ago. I know the likelihood of seeing him again is extremely slim, but I still have a tiny sliver of hope that he’s around. And maybe he’s heard about Jackson and will head this way. Which didn’t impact my decision to come here. Nope. Not at all.

But the biggest surprise that Jackson held for us was Tommy, Joel’s brother. He was married to Maria, the woman who started this community with her father, and lived on the farm where they kept the horses. Poppy and he got along right away, her begging for more stories about her dad and he would pretend to be annoyed but would give in every single time. She continued this ritual as she grew, eventually bringing her boyfriends with her, searching for Tommy’s approval, just like a father.

One beautiful fall day, I’m walking through the market, trading for new produce and supplies when I hear some people gossiping over lemonade at the small eatery in town. I tend to ignore gossip, never having been one for it, until the phrase “Tommy Miller’s brother” reaches my ear. I freeze, listening intently on their words, but I’m only able to make out that he was here in town.

Joel was here. In Jackson. Joel.

I turn, marching towards the small group of people that were doing the gossiping when I heart the alert - bandits were attempting to attack the dam. Growling out in frustration, I turn to run towards that side of town, slinging the rifle from around my back once I assumed my nearly hidden position on the wall. We make quick work of the bandits, especially since we are heavily fortified and secured. That doesn’t stop them from trying, though.

Once the attack is over, I search the throngs of people for Tommy, just spotting him getting on his horse and heading home. Cursing, I turn, heading towards Tommy’s house on foot, my mind now completely on Joel since the bandit attack was over. Was he still in town? Does he know I’m here? Does he know he has a daughter?

I arrive at the farm and immediately head for the barn, knowing Tommy would still be tending to his horse. Sure enough, he had just finished putting her away, locking the gate behind him.

“Tommy!”

He sighs and doesn’t look at me right away. Which tells me he knows exactly why I’m here.

“Hey, Catie.”

“Is he here?” I’m standing just a couple feet from him, arms crossed and my foot tapping slightly with nerves.

“Who?”

“Fuck you, Tommy. You know who.”

“I-”

“Tell me the truth.”

He meets my gaze for a moment before nodding. “He was.”

He was here. Joel was here, in Jackson, alive and I didn’t- wait. Did he say was?

I swallow hard, willing my tears to just wait until I’m by myself. “Is he ok?”

“Yeah. Well, I mean as much ok as we all are.”

I let out a breath of relief. He was ok. Probably a little worse for wear but he was ok.

“Did…did you tell him I’m here?”

Tommy studies me for several moments, his dark eyes bouncing between mine, as if he’s debating with himself. “I…did.”

He knows I’m here. Joel knows I’m here, alive and well and he just-

Oh.

Of course. It’s been nearly 20 years and it would be ridiculous to think the man still loved me after all this time. He didn’t even know I was still alive. He’d never even met his daughter. If he no longer cared about me, fine. But why wouldn’t he want to meet his daughter? Unless…

“Did you tell him about Poppy?”

Tommy’s entire stance is apologetic and I know his reply before his lips even part. “No.”

“What the fuck, Tommy?”

He puts his hands up in a calming manner. “It shouldn’t come from me.”

“Fuck you, Tommy! He doesn’t even know he has another daughter. He deserves to know-”

“You’re right, he does. But not from me-”

“I can’t fucking believe this. It’s been 20 years, Tommy. 20 years and he didn’t even stop to say hi? Maybe if you’d have told him about Poppy, he’d at least stayed long enough to see her.”

I poke him in the chest as hard as I can. “It’s your fault he left!”

Tommy grabs my wrist and pulls me closer, his voice lowering to just above a whisper. “He had other things to take care of.”

“What could be more important than family?”

“All of humanity.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“He had a girl with him. Maybe…14? 15?”

My heart sinks. Did he have another daughter after the clickers came? As if he could read my mind, Tommy shakes his head.

“Not his. Her name is Ellie and she’s….special.”

“That’s disgusting, Tommy.”

He gives me a look. “She was bit.”

“Bit? And you let her into Jackson?”

“And she hadn’t turned.”

I could feel my eyes grow wide. Bit? Without turning? That’s impossible.

“How do you -”

“Saw the bite myself. I’ve seen enough of ‘em to know what they look like. It’s legit.”

“Fuck,” I whisper. This is huge. Definitely bigger than me.

“Yeah… anyway, he was takin’ Ellie to the Fireflies because they can supposedly make a cure out of her blood. Or that’s the hope anyway.”

“A cure?”

“Yup. This whole mess could be put behind us.”

This…this is life changing. World changing. My 20 year long devotion to a man I was deeply in love with paled in comparison to a cure for the clickers. Tommy told me Joel still had a long way to go, but if anyone could make it, he could.

“ ‘m sorry, Cat. I wish he could’ve stayed to say hi.”

“Did…did he say anything about me?” I hate how needy I sound.

“Honestly, we didn’t really talk about you other than me mentioning you were here. The focus was Ellie.”

I nod. The focus was on the right thing.

“Do you think he’ll come back?”

He rubs the back of his neck. “I doubt it. It’s a long trek and pretty dangerous. He’d be smart to just stay put, especially to take care of Ellie.”

I left the barn and headed straight home. Poppy was out with her boyfriend so I had the whole place to myself. Which gave me plenty of alone time to cry and, for the first time in 20 years, try to move on from the dream I had about starting a little family with a man I never stopped loving.

—----

Spring in Jackson is always beautiful. The colors come alive, blooming from every surface they can for miles in greeting the season change. It’s also the perfect time to start planting certain crops so they’ll be ready when it comes harvest season.

I’ve finished planting in the community garden, dirt crusted under my fingernails despite my scrubbing at the garden sink. I’ll be able to use a brush at home, but for now, I smile at the grime on my clothes. It means Jackson will have food and enough to last through winter.

Taking off my apron, I toss it into the laundry basket to be cleaned and head towards the home I share with Poppy. She doesn’t spend as much time there these days, but I can hardly blame her. She is 20 and in a pretty serious relationship. I would not be surprised if the boy popped the question any day now.

I turn onto Main Street and Mrs. NoseyPants stops me. I know it’s not her real name but it fits her better.

“Catie! How are the crops going? Jackson going to survive?”

“Mmhhmm. We should be great.” I try to step around her, but she blocks my path.

“How’s that daughter of yours? Still getting on with the Miller boy?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I hope he makes an honest woman of her before something happens.”

“Something happens?”

She looks around, as if she expects anyone to actually give a fuck about what we’re saying. “Yes. Like an out of wedlock child.”

I plaster on a fake smile. “Oh yeah. That would be terrible, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t like your tone, Catie.”

I open my mouth to offer some sarcastic retort about not really giving a rat’s ass what she thought of my tone, but my gaze moves over her shoulder and the crowd parts just enough for me to see him.

Joel.

Unmistakably him, despite what the last 20 years has put on his shoulders. His back is to me, but his head is turned to the side, looking at all of the houses and buildings that line Main Street. Fuck he’s still handsome.

“Are you listening to me, Catie?”

I blink but don’t take my eyes off Joel, afraid he’d disappear if I did. “Full offense Mrs. Bennett, but I don’t have time to listen to your outdated and hateful words. Have a nice day.”

I know her jaw has dropped as I scoot around her, and I know I’ll probably pay for that later, but I couldn’t care less. My eyes are fixed on him as he walks slowly, eyes still moving from house to to house, taking it all in. I’m only several feet away before someone literally walks into him, dropping the giant stack of boxes they had been carrying.

“I am so sorry sir!”

The young man stoops to try and gather up the boxes and Joel turns to face him, bending to help him gather them up and reassemble them in his arms. “Don’t worry about it.”

The boy nods and takes off. Joel’s eyes follow him, making sure he doesn’t drop them again when his gaze meets mine. Those dark eyes move right into recognition and shock, blowing wide as it finally sets in who he’s looking at.

I hesitate only a moment before I move towards him, nearly running and shoving a few people out of my way. And suddenly, I’m standing in front of him, all 5’11 and broad shouldered, just as he had been 20 years ago. More lines adorn his face, and several scars, his hair is speckled and streaked with greys, but somehow it makes him all the more attractive. My breath catches in my throat and I find myself speechless in front of the man I would’ve given anything to speak to for 20 years.

“Catie?” He chokes out my name, eyes scanning mine as if he was waiting for me to say he was mistaken. That I wasn’t who he thought I was.

A quick sob escapes me as I nod frantically. “It’s me.”

His hand, large and warm just as it always has been, comes up to cup my face, his thumb tracing my cheek, as if touching me was proving to him that I was real. And then he pulls me into his chest, hugging on to me tight, like I would disappear from his grip if he didn’t. I hug him back, crying into his broad chest, unable to believe that I was finally, finally, holding onto him.

He pushes me back slightly, only to look at my face. “You’re…you’re alive.”

I chuckle through my tears. “And so are you. I thought Tommy told you I was here?”

He nods, his dark eyes still on my face. “I thought he was makin’ shit up to try and keep me here.”

“Well that does sound like Tommy.”

Joel chuckles deeply and it sends a jolt through my body. God how I missed that sound.

“He told me you lived down this way.”

I cock my head to the side. “Were..were you looking for me?”

Pink blooms across his cheeks as if he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t. “I had to see if he was full of shit.”

“Fair point.”

We stand there, in the middle of the street just staring at each other for several minutes before I blink back to reality.

“Are you hungry? I was heading home to make something to eat and shower. I…if you want to join me?”

His eyes darken briefly and I realize too late what I said.

“I’d love to. But…”

He’s struggling with words.

“..but… what?”

He clears his throat, looking away from me for the first time. “Wouldn’t your uh…husband or boy friend or whatever be upset?”

Smiling up at him, I shake my head. “I don’t have either of those.”

His shoulder seem to slacken in relief. “Oh. ‘m sorry.”

“I’m not.”

The corners of his mouth tick upwards in a small grin and I feel like my insides are melting through my skin. How can this man still get me going after 20 years?

“Lead the way.”

I gesture down the street in the direction we’d have to go to get to my place. We don’t say much, Joel still taking in Jackson but always having one eye on me. I know we’re about to have a difficult conversation. How will he feel about Poppy? About how our life turned out? Or his? Tommy had told me about Sarah when I first came to Jackson. The hardness behind his eyes shows that he’s still dealing with the grief and I imagine he always will. It’s no easy thing to lose a child.

We arrive at my house and I unlock the door, heading inside and flipping on a light.

“You have power?” He asks.

“Mmhmm. Tommy was able to hook up a generator of sorts to the power grid. It’s heavily guarded and taken care of so no one has messed with it. He’s been talking about trying to use water or wind energy, but we need someone who knows that.”

I kick off my boots and Joel copies me, setting his down next to mine.

“Poppy? You home?” I call out, not wanting her to walk in the middle of whatever was about to take place. When I receive no reply after a few calls of her name, I shrug my shoulders in a ‘guess she’s not home’ way.

“Who’s Poppy?”

“You thirsty?” I head towards the kitchen and Joel follows, watching as I take out a pitcher of lemonade. “I also have beer. It’s…not the greatest but it’s something.”

“You make the best lemonade. I’ve been dreaming of it for years.”

I smile, turning to grab 2 glasses and putting some ice in each of them before adding the lemonade. I hand Joel his glass and his fingers briefly brush against mine. They’re rougher than before but not by much, and the jolt this light touch sends through is just as strong as it was 20 years ago.

I head back to the living area and sit on the couch, taking a sip while I motion for him to sit as well. He does, taking his own sip and I catch a nearly imperceivable moan at the back of his throat when he tastes the lemonade. I quickly shove my legs together, hoping he doesn’t notice. I try to cover by setting my glass on the coffee table and he copies me, wiping his hand on his jeans as he settles back, his body slightly shifted towards mine.

“Is Poppy your uh…girlfriend?”

I laugh this time, not at the idea of me having a girlfriend but at the look on his face while saying it. “No. No she’s-” time to tell him what you should have all those years ago “- my daughter.”

Joel nods, his eyes looking down at his hands and his shoulder slump slightly as if sad. “You- you said you didn’t have anyone.”

“I don’t.”

A knowing look passes over his eyes. “Oh. ‘m sorry for your loss.”

My eyebrows furrow in confusion. “My loss? No, Joel. Poppy is 20.”

“20…what?”

“20 years old.”

It’s his turn to look confused, as if math was passing over his vision. “She’s…20?”

“Yes.”

“So…that…that would mean when…you…” He shifts nervously in his spot on the couch, another swipe of his palms across his jean clad legs.

“Is…is she…”

“Do you remember that night? You had called me, telling me about that pain in the ass contractor you had to work with?”

Joel nods, his eyes glazed over in memory. “Yeah. I called to check on you because you couldn’t stop throwing…up…” His eyes snap to mine, and to my surprise, they were full of hope.

“I told myself it wasn’t the right time to tell you. But how the fuck would I have known that the world would end?” I chuckle nervously, fumbling as I reach got my glass to try and cover my nerves.

He lets out a puff of air. “So I have a daughter?”

My face feels warm under his intense gaze. “Yes.”

He lets out a half sob half laugh of joy, tears welling in his eyes before he tries to wipe them away with the back of his hand. “All these years I had a kid and I didn’t know. I didn’t know, Catie. I-” Another half sob half laugh escapes him and he takes a moment to compose himself, his body not used to such displays of emotion. Not anymore.

“Why didn’t you just tell me that night?”

Why didn’t I? “You sounded so stressed and worried and I didn’t want to add onto that. I was going to tell you the next time I saw you but…” but indeed.

“How long had you known?”

“That day. I had suspected for a couple of days but I had to wait until I was sure I had missed my period to test and I didn’t want to tell you and be wrong.”

“You should’ve told me, sweetheart. We could’ve done the test together.”

I chuckle darkly. “Yeah I probably should’ve done that.”

“Tommy never told me.”

“What?”

“When I was here before. He told me you were here but not that I…that I have…why the fuck wouldn’t he tell me?” Joel pushes himself up from the couch in anger, pacing back and forth across the hardwood floor. “He should’ve told me!”

“Joel, he did what he thought was right.”

He looks at me, anger flashing in his eyes. “He had no right to keep that from me. If I had known, I would’ve-”

“Not brought Ellie to the Fireflies for a chance to save humanity?”

He stops pacing, turning towards me with shock on his face. “He told you about Ellie?”

I nod, sighing. “He did.”

“And he didn’t tell me I had-have a fucking daughter? And that she was here?”

“In all fairness to Tommy, he only told me after I got pissed he didn’t mention her to you.”

Joel scoffs. “What an asshole.”

“I…I thought maybe if you knew, you would’ve…maybe you would’ve at least stayed to meet her.”

Anger leaves his body and he sits next to me on the couch, hesitantly placing his hand on my thigh. “I definitely would’ve. When he told me you were here…I was intent on seeing you. Or seeing if he was pulling shit out of his ass. But he reminded me how important my cause was and since it was time sensitive, I couldn’t.”

“You couldn’t at least have simply said hi?”

“Sweetheart, there is no ‘simply’ between us. If I’d have seen you, I wouldn’t have been able to leave.”

Tears fall from my eyes and I wipe at them furiously. “Did it work out at least?”

“Did what work out?”

“Ellie. And the Fireflies.”

Joel grows quiet for several moments. “Turns out they didn’t need her after all. Found others and couldn’t use the blood.”

He’s lying. I know he’s lying but now’s not the time to press him for more information.

“She come here with you?”

Joel nods. “I wasn’t just gonna leave her there.”

“No, no. I think that’s great. There’s a good community here. I’m sure she’ll fit right in.”

“She was already makin’ friends the moment we walked in the gate.”

A long pause passes between us, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s a processing silence, both of us trying to categorize and file the information we both learned from the other. When I look at him, I can tell he’s far off, thinking and brooding on things, which isn’t always a good thing.

“I wish you’d have told me that night.”

Ah.

“It wouldn’t have changed anything.”

“It would’ve changed everything! I would’ve grabbed Sarah and headed straight over to your place, bringing you…I don’t know, ginger ale and crackers? Whatever you wanted. We’d have stayed with you, started our family. Sarah so wanted a sibling. Especially a sister. Shit, she’d be so happy right now if she were….”

His voice tapers off but I know what he was going to say.

If she were alive.

I place my hand on his and squeeze it. “Tommy told me. I know nothing I say can make up for it, but I am so sorry Joel. I miss her terribly. I can’t imagine how it is for you.”

His mouth sets in a line, his jaw clenching, hand squeezing a little tighter on my thigh as if he’s trying to prevent himself from losing it.

“Maybe if I had known you were pregnant, and we came over, she’d still be alive.”

“Oh, Joel, no. You can’t think like that-”

“I failed her.”

He spoke so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. The guilt in his words, however, was loud enough to hear from space. I bring my other hand to the side of his face, cupping his cheek, his patchy greyish stubble poking at my fingers, and gently turn his face upwards to mine.

“You are a great man, Joel. And a hell of a father. There is no way that Sarah would ever think that you failed her in any way. She loved you so much and idolized you.”

The tears come this time, unable to hold them back any longer. I pull him to me and hug him, cradling the back of his head as he cries into my shoulder, mourning the loss of his daughter anew as he attempts to put aside the intense load of guilt he’s carried around for the last 2 decades. We stay like this for a while, my own tears mixing with his, as the light from the setting sun streaks through the curtains.

Eventually, Joel pulls back, wiping at his face with the back of his hand before he finally looks at me, his beautiful eyes puffy from tears. I’m sure mine don’t look any better.

“Sorry about that.”

“Sorry for what? Being human?”

He smiles and the room lights up with it. “You were always so good at that.”

“At what?”

“Letting me feel things. And makin’ me feel like I wasn’t a complete fuck up.”

“That’s because you aren’t.”

He scoffs, smirking at me in disbelief. “I’ve had to do some shady shit to survive, sweetheart.”

“Who hasn’t?”

“You got me there. I’m still a fuck up though. Don’t know how you didn’t see it.”

“Hhmm…” I put my finger to my chin in mock thinking. “It’s probably because I’m in love with you then.”

Joel cocks his head slightly to the side, questioning my statement. I’m not sure why, as my love for him is no secret to me.

“In love? Not was in love?”

Oh.

“I-”

The front door opens and Poppy walks in. I nearly jump out of my skin, having been completely absorbed in our conversation. Or was it more of a confession?

“Hey Mom! I’m only home to grab some clothes. Then I’m heading to Lyra’s. There’s this new girl in town, Ellie? She’s only 15 but she’s pretty cool. Oh.” Poppy had walked into the living room, her eyes, exactly like her father’s, shifting from me to Joel. I stand and Joel copies me, staying put while I walk around the couch towards Poppy.

“Mom..I didn’t know you had company. You never have company.” She thinks she’s speaking quietly but it’s not quiet enough.

“Poppy-”

“I mean, I think it’s great, but….but…” Her eyes fully take in Joel, landing on his face as she stares, her eyes slowly widening in realization. She had only seen him in the photos I was able to share with her, a few printed ones and then some on the cell phone I had refused to toss away, carting it across the country along with a charger in hopes of finding power to charge it.

“Dad?” Poppy whispers in disbelief.

Joel looks nervous, his weight shifting from foot to foot. This man has faced countless clickers, bandits, and worse, but meeting his 20 year old daughter is the thing that does him in?

God I love this man.

His hand comes up and does a little wave as he stares back at her, clearing his throat. “Hi. I’m uh… I’m Joel.”

“Dad!” Poppy drops her bag and runs, launching herself over the couch and straight into his arms, wrapping herself around him as she cries. It takes Joel a moment to recover from the intense reaction, but he wraps his arms around her and holds her, hugging her just as tight. Tears obstruct my vision and I blink quickly, trying to wipe them away so I don’t miss a moment of this meeting.

Her feet back on the floor, Poppy pulls back, her eyes raking over Joel’s face. “Was I too much?”

Joel laughs, smiling down at his daughter. “Not enough.”

She laughs and he brings his hand to her face, wiping away her tears. “I’m sorry, Poppy.”

“For what?”

“I didn’t…I didn’t know-”

She waves her hand. “Mom told me everything. You never knew I existed and then the world went to shit. It’s ok. You’re here now and that’s what matters! Wait - you are staying right?”

Joel’s eyes shift from Poppy’s to mine and I look back at him waiting for an answer myself. I want him to stay, desperately need him to stay, but I understand if he wants to leave. I never asked if he had someone waiting for him somewhere.

“I don’t wanna step on you or your mom’s toes-”

Poppy blows a raspberry. “Step away! I know mom is thrilled you’re here. And I want to get to know my dad….dad… I can finally say that! ‘Hey, this is my dad!’ ‘Have you met my dad?’ I just…I can’t believe you’re here and not….not here.”

Clever way of saying dead.

“Me too, Poppy.”

“Mom, I know I said I would meet my friends, but-” she glances back at me and then smiles, giving me a knowing wink “-but I..will be going…to meet up with…Benny. Yeah, he’s uh probably waiting. For me. So I’ll just…grab my things and leave you two…alone…”

She is so not slick, but I love her so much.

She gives me another wink before fully turning to Joel. “We can hangout and talk more?”

“I look forward to it.”

She squeals and gives him one more hug before bounding across the hall to her room and reemerging only a handful of minutes later with a backpack.

“Poppy?”

“Mom?”

“Stay for dinner at least. Then you can meet up with your friends.”

“Ugh, mom. You’re smothering me.” She has a smile while she says it, casually tossing her bag down before sitting next to Joel.

I make dinner while they talk, Poppy telling him about her life and asking him a zillion questions about his. He seems to be able to talk about Sarah now, at least a little before Poppy tactfully changes the topic. They talk throughout dinner, laughing and joking, sounds I never thought I’d hear together. Eventually, Poppy leaves to hang out with her friends, excited to tell them about her dad. As soon as the door closes, Joel turns to me.

“Who’s Benny?”

Protective dad mode activated I see. Smiling, I tell him about Benny and how he’s a good guy and about he and Poppy. He seems more relaxed after but still in protective dad mode.

“I’ll have to meet him.”

“I’m sure you won’t have the choice not to.”

Dishes cleaned up, I offer Joel a glass of whiskey and he takes it, tasting a sip before setting it down on the coffee table as he relaxes back into the couch again.

“You and Ellie have a place to stay?”

“Yeah. Tommy and Maria gave us a house. Actually, it’s not too far from here I don’t think.”

“That’s great. I’m sure Ellie will be happy to have a more permanent place to live.”

“And her own room that she can slam the door to.”

We chat for a few minutes about parenting teenage daughters and the challenges it can bring. He takes another sip of his whiskey after telling me a bit about Ellie, or what he learned about her on their long trek anyway. It’s quiet between us again, but this time, I’m warmed by the whiskey and given a slight bit of confidence.

“In love.”

“What?” Joel asks, setting his glass down.

“From before. In love. Not was.”

He turns to me fully, his eyes raking across my face trying to detect a lie and finding none.

“It’s been 20 years, sweetheart. I don’t expect anythin’-”

“It’s always been you, Joel.”

His large hand cups the back of my head and pulls me to him, his lips crashing against mine and it’s like no time has passed, my lips immediately parting for him like they were created for just this purpose. His other hand comes up to cradle the other side of my head as my fingers cling to his shirt, trying to find purchase on literally anything. I feel like I’m falling but in the most glorious way possible. While I never gave up hope that he was alive, having him here, now, 20 years later, how we both defied odds to just end up in the same community, after the world had been torn apart…

He pulls back, his nose brushing against mine. “I never stopped loving you either, sweetheart.”

My hands slide up his chest and around his neck, gripping the curls at the back of his neck and feeling him groan as he slips his tongue in my mouth again, kissing me harder than before. I feel his fingers gently brush against the exposed skin at my hips, his hands having settled there and I can’t help the moan that escapes me. Joel’s touch has always sent electricity through me, but not having had it for 20 years is a whole new level.

“I don’t mean to be presumptuous, sweetheart, but-”

“My bedroom is down the hall, second door on the right.”

He smiles against my lips, chuckling darkly. “We have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

—----

>>I Never Stopped Living You Part 2>>

❤If you enjoy the fic, please consider giving me a warm beverage! (It is not required in any way!)

Original Idea from @theewokingdead:

"I have had this idea for a long-lost love refound fic with Joel Miller swimming around in my head for a while, but I don't think I'll ever get in the headspace to write it. So enjoy what I wish I could write and hope someone will steal. Warning: mention of pregnancy in the beginning.

Imagine it's September 26, 2013. You've been dating Joel for a while and, oops, you're pregnant. You're a flurry of emotions and have no idea how or when you're going to tell him. He calls you late that night, on his way home from a hellish day at the jobsite, telling you about the prick of a contractor he's been dealing with and can't risk losing his job. When he asks if you've checked in on Sarah you tell him that she's fine and you're sorry you were feeling too ill to stay with her today. When he inquires further about your illness, you opt not to say anything, not like this, not when he's had a shit day, and instead feign that everything is okay and you'll be fine. The call is interrupted by Tommy, and you insist Joel answer his call. He offers to call you back, but you tell him to go home and get some rest, that you'll hopefully see him tomorrow.

Of course, several hours later, all hell breaks loose. You manage to get a call through to Joel, telling you to stay put, that he'll come for you, then you lose connection. Joel never finds you, but you never lose hope.

Two decades later, you're living in Jackson, having crossed paths with Tommy a year earlier when he returned to Texas, where you never strayed far from. You overhear the talk - that Tommy Miller's brother is in town - but bandits attack before you can find the source of the rumor. Later, you find Tommy as he puts a horse away in the stable, and you question if it's true, that Joel is here, and he reluctantly tells you he was. You ask if he told Joel that you're here and he says that he did. Your heart sinks - of course he wouldn't still love you after all these years, but why wouldn't he at least want to see you before he left? You ask if he told Joel about your daughter - his daughter - and Tommy says no, that it shouldn't come from his mouth. You're furious, thinking maybe Joel would've stayed in town if he had known that he has a daughter. You let Tommy have it, and eventually he tells you why Joel was in town and why he left, about Ellie and the hope to find a cure. Finally, you come to your senses, realizing there are far more important matters, and try to move on from dreaming about having a little family with a man you never stopped loving.

Months later, you're walking around town when you run into Joel. There are a million different ways the reunion could go. How would you tell him about your shared daughter? How would he feel? Would he be pissed at Tommy for knowing and not telling him when he first came to Jackson? Would he be angry you didn't tell him that night when he called, before the Outbreak? Would he have done anything differently that night had he known - things that could've changed the trajectory of his entire life? Would he wonder if it would have kept you guys together as a family? Would he wonder if it would have even kept Sarah from suffering the fate she suffered? Would he blame you for it? I just imagine it would be one big emotional reunion. How would it end? I don't know. I just love a good re-found love fic - be it happy or sad. I love angst. I love an emotional Joel. It could be fun. But I'll never get around to writing it so let's just pretend I did 😭"

General Taglist:

@frankie-catfish-morales @chaoticgeminate @janebby @astoryisaloveaffair @balekanemohafe @greeneyedblondie44 @hoeforthefictional @marvelousmermaid @Hauntedmama @giuliarogers-blog @icanbeyourjedi @diaryofkali @sunnshineeexoxo @livingmydreams13 @adventures-of-a-noodle @sara-alonso @theewokingdead @punkerthanpascal @giggly-otter @f0rever15elf @phandoz @dirtytissuebox @jadore-andor @gallowsjoker @lovesbiggerthanpride @sarahmilesbendrix @booksarekindaneat @mrsudontknowme @swol-bear @charlispersonallyhell @xoxabs88xox @amneris21 @gooddaykate @alindeluce @avengers-fixation @paintballkid711 @harriedandharassed @ladykatakuri @marrianena @practicalghost @withakindheartx @batdarkladyvampir @justanotherkpopstanlol @mermaidxatxheart @alexxavicry @ichigodjarin

#joel miller #joel miller x you #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x reader #tlou #tlou fanfic #tlouff #The last of us #the last of us fanfic #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal character fanfic #pedro pascal character ff #pedro pascal character fanfiction

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rayisalive · 10 months

Note

you know what this is about and we talked about it so

there's no way any of us wouldn't say it

headcanons for whatever ones you wanna write for when yuu says that they looked amazing in their overblot form

everyone knows it

if you don't put vil in this i am blocking you

Scared Fabulous

|→ A/N: I am 100% putting Vil in this how could I not along with Azul.

|→ Includes: GN reader, Azul and Vil x reader, spoilers for book 3 and 5

|→ Tag.List: @yinenovica @snek-disappearedagain

|→ More works here

As the area cleared you opened your eyes to be met with a giant figure.

Many would have called it a horrifying sight yet in your eyes he was the beautiful person you’ve ever seen

“You look beautiful,” you said, not realizing the situation you were in.

|→ Azul would be so confused at first, I mean who wouldn’t? Here he was about ready to let all his anger out and you just called him beautiful.

| Jade and Floyd would be confused at first but would probably just be like “that’s cool I guess to each their own.”

| Everyone else just stops before remembering that they’re supposed to be helping with the Overblot.

| Anyways back to Azul, he’s gotten compliments before from other students at NRC but when you specifically tell him that you thought he looked beautiful of all things? He is over the moon.

| He was expecting people to be afraid or disgusted by the sight of him overblotting, not finding him attractive of all things.

| He wouldn’t believe a word you’re saying until you end up just spending the entire time complimenting him.

|→ WAIT WAIT WAIT OK IK I’M NOT BEING PROFESSIONAL RN BUT LIKE IMAGINE AZUL JUST LIKE IMAGINE HEAD TILT HE'S TOTALLY CONFUSED AND INQUIRING ON WHAT YOU MEAN AND THEN YOU JUST PROCEED TO SHOWER HIM IN COMPLIMENTS AND WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING JUST MAKING HIM A CONFUSED AND FLUSTERED MESS.

| LIKE JUST THERE LIKE SOMEHOW CALMING HIM DOWN LIKE THAT-

|→ Now Vil overblotted because despite all his efforts Neige managed to beat him, believing he wasn’t good enough.

| Really he saw himself overblotting as an unsightly and hideous thing, yet somehow you had managed to believe he looked beautiful.

| That was what he needed to hear though. He just needed someone to tell him that even in a state like this that he was stunning, that he was still good enough.

| Rook would probably agree too and everyone else is just so concerned and confused on what’s wrong with y’all.

| Vil would probably continue on trying to destroy everyone yet also be questioning how you could think that, bringing it up after he recovers.

| “You look amazing,” you say as if a giant ass brick wasn’t being thrown at you and everyone else is fighting for their lives.

©rayisalive 9/16/22 None of my work is to be translated, plagiarized, or reposted without my knowledge. Reblogs are appreciated too!

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lunerna21 · 5 months

Text

……Is anyone else kinda disappointed with how Playful Land ended up being?? Or it is just me??

***Slight Spoilers for Playful Land Ahead***

Don’t get me wrong, it was an enjoyable event and everything and I loved seeing new people bonding that we typically wouldn’t see interact like Leona and Trey.

But besides that, it felt sort of lackluster compared to Glorious Masquerade.

Like Azul, Idia and Malleus and the others demonstrated growth compared to their involvement of the main story. Even in Glorious Masquerade, we witnessed everyone going through something traumatic with how dangerous the Fire Lotuses could be, to the scary thought that anyone could lose their magic forever because of Rollo’s choices.

Like I was on the EDGE of my seat as I’m watching students from NRC fight this with everything and EVERY SINGLE STUDENT progressed and showed how much they’ve grown over time.

AND I LOVED IT! ITS STILL MY FAVORITE EVENT!

…..But I don’t think Playful Land lived up to the potential it could have been…

Don’t get me wrong, Fellow blew Rollo out of the water with how fucked up and dark the concept was for Playful Land.

I had to stop SEVERAL times to compute the fucking fact that this is happening to people, and many others weren’t able to stop Fellow and Gidel in time. Like shit was FUCKED UP

BUT WHY DID THEY STOP TALKING ABOUT THE DUDE BEHIND THE SCENES INVOLVING HUMAN TRAFFICKING!?

LIKE NO IT SHOULDN’T JUST END WITH EVERYONE CELEBRATING AND DANCING AND SINGING

SHOULDNT SOMEBODY REPORT WHOEVER THIS WAS, MAYBE HAVE FELLOW RATTING HIM OUT SO IT STOPS HAPPENING!?

Like why did they show Ace slightly scared with the concept of turning into puppets? If it was me, I’d be shitting bricks thinking my body is slowing turning into a mindless puppet and never returning NRC.

And even Kalim I feel like they didn’t really use the opportunity to grow from how he was in Book 4. Ortho showed some growth, but Fairy Gala Remix demonstrated more of how much Ortho was beginning to grow from an android to a human being, to being himself.

Not only the main three, but Lilia, Jade and the others didn’t really get a spotlight moment where we feel proud from how far they came from their involvement in the main story.

ALSO ME BEING AN ACEYUU PSYCHO I WAS HOPING FOR A MOMENT LIKE IN GLORIOUS MASQUERADE WITH ACE COMING IN TO SAVE US OR SHOWING SOME HINT OF WORRY.

BUT NO. NOPE. WE DIDNT GET ANY OF THAT AND I WANNA FLIP THE FUCK OUT I NEED MORE ACEYUU MOMENTS TOGETHER

One thing I did enjoy was there was more interaction with Fellow, Gidel and MC, even after the reveal of Fellow and Gidel’s intentions.

But I just feel like it didn’t live up to being a potential contender for Glorious Masquerade.

Even some of the groovy cards weren’t spectacular. I loved Ace, Ortho and Kalim but the others kinda seemed half-assed

AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHY THEY ALWAYS FUCK UP THE COLOR OF LEONAS SKIN IN EACH OF HIS GROOVY CARDS!? That and it just looks they didn’t put any effort into his groovy whatsoever.

Can we please give Leona a stunning groovy with perfect lighting and color for once!?

I’m kinda worried of what they’re gonna do with the concept of Halloween next year, but I just hope they don’t make it another traumatic event like the past Halloween event

Let’s just give the NRC students and staff a break because what the fuck they went through I would’ve been traumatized, ESPECIALLY TURNING INTO A FUCKING WOODEN PUPPET

AND I HAVENT EVEN SEEN ANY OF THE VIGNETTES BEING MENTIONED (part of it obviously due to some cards not having a vignette) but when Glorious Masquerade came out EVERYONE WAS IN SHAMBLES

I guess only time will tell, but let me know what you thought of Playland Land too I’m super curious if it’s only me who felt this way

But anyway, enjoy the rest of your day~~!❤️❤️❤️

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heyo-428 · 8 months

Text

ACFTL Sneak Peak (Well, now I guess it’s a leak) Chapter Thoughts:

Spoilers below!!

This isn’t proofread if something is confusing please ask me in the replies for clarification

- The dedication to “anyone who ever wanted a second chance” is… almost ominous. On one hand it seems it’s like just a normal dedication but on the other it’s almost as if it’s a warning. Like Stephanie’s trying to warn a person who wants a second that it’s not always gonna end well.

- The story from the beginning about doorknobs was told before I believe and I think emphasizing this again is to allude to her ability to open doors with her blood. Will she figure this out again on her own? The doorknobs to what is rumored (The rumor’s probably true) to be the Valor children’s rooms in Wolf Hall spoke to her.

- Evangeline being absolutely lost is actually so sad to me. While I was reading the second page and it said she was feeling as if she couldn’t breathe I actually started to cry a bit. She’s in an unfamiliar location with no clue how she got there, when she got there, why she’s there.

- Her last memory is her father dying. 😭

- She doesn’t remember anything about Apollo but does remember there was something important she needed to say to someone. She doesn’t remember but it’s that she needs to tell Jacks she loves him. She slightly remembers Jacks even though she’s not able to attach a name to it. (I’m latching onto any hope I can)

- “Your memories were stolen by someone who’s been trying to tear us apart” Apollo if you don’t shut your ass up.

- “…and over his heart was a vibrant tattoo of two swords in the shape of a heart with a name in the center: Evangeline.” I CACKLED. THATS SO BAD 😭 IM DYING FROM SECOND HAND EMBARRASSMENT. She doesn’t really want you Apollo please give up.

- Apollo says that the marks on his back was the price he paid to return from Hell. Also the price Evangeline payed for your stupidity when you decided to get tortured😐 Who even tortured him? Or was it like done on purpose to have a story for why he came back. Doubt it’s the ladder because the curse wasn’t having him thinking right.

- Okay so Apollo’s not lying when he says Jacks put him in a suspended state but, Apollo, PLEASE calm down it’s not that deep. AND STOP LYING JACKS WOULD NEVER INTENTIONALLY HURT EVANGELINE

- Out poor boy Jacks is gonna have a difficult time in acftl 😭

- “You’re looking at me differently” he’s acting like she shouldn’t be…

- No Eva :((((( you didn’t trade your memories to be with him :(((( HE STOLE THEMMMM

- He makes her go back with him and then almost instantly leaves her. She is left as a shadow of herself because of him and he leaves her in her room to go handle matters. Like PLEASE how does Evangeline think this is okay.

- I- Stephanie please stop with mentions of arrows it reminds me of the fact Jacks is the Archer and what he’s been through (this is obviously why she’s doing this and i love and hate her for it)

- Wonder which door handles belong to which of the Valor children’s rooms. If what the rumors say is true. Feel like the one shaped like a dragon is Dane because he was a shifter and the one story LaLa told about him picking her up as a dragon or something. I’m not sure about the fairy wing one or wolf head with crown (maybe Aurora??) because we don’t know a lot about the Valor’s besides the basics. I am very excited to learn more though, they have a very interesting story.

- The fact Evangeline’s having to relive the grief she felt over the death of her parent’s because she doesn’t know it wasn’t very recent (thanks to her memories being stolen) is so tragic. I feel terrible for her :( It’s terrible having both your parents die but to have to deal with the grief twice?

- The door handles speaking to her is crazy because if I remember right known of the others ever did. I wonder why they do that. Probably because they’re old and from a family of people with magical gifts lmao. Plus Eva is literally a part of a prophecy connected to them. It’s gonna have some importance (hopefully)

- Really looking forward to learning again (or hopefully remembering) that she can open doors with her blood.

- Wait crazy theory, what if Stephanie’s making references to things from ouabh and tbona throughout the whole book? Like important things Evangeline forgot? That’s a bit of a stretch but I am writing this at 1 am so

- A few things have happened that are almost like deja vu/repeating history moments. If you think about it, it’s happened a lot throughout the books too. I’ll make a more in depth post on this at a later point.

- The maid Martine seems important. I don’t know what yet but there’s something. How could he just have moved so quickly from the Meridian Empire?? Something isn’t adding up especially her pause in speaking.

- “Her heart still hurt as if it had been broken” This is so sad Stephanie will be expecting many therapy bills after this book.

- It’s so upsetting that Evangeline can’t remember anything like our poor girl :(

- I don’t like this doctor but the helpers are odd

- Wait Evangeline is 17. I guess it makes some sense but like wow that’s crazy.

- I still really hate that reporter guy he’s annoying.

- Who is Yrell really because like why did they shut Telma up? There’s gotta be some reason.

- Okay okay the reporter guy just… disappeared? Like it was super quick too. wtf? How? Probably reading too much into this but how does he just disappear. It’s not like it would take a while to read that card there was nothing on it practically and then he just is gone.

- “He would carry her through more than freezing water” Eva darling that’s not Apollo that’s Jacks please remember 😭😭

- Apollo you are a monster not Jacks so stop lying. You removed Evangeline’s memories, you literally hunted her down and I do not care if you were cursed Jacks got over it before.

- He makes me SO mad. How can he so easily lie??

- APOLLO HAVING DADDY ISSUES

- He’s selfish to think a ton of people would make him monuments and stuff. Apollo you haven’t even done anything grand to help the people (that we know of) why would they do that?

- Who else knows Apollo took her memories? He says that someone does but that he won’t have to worry about them soon. No one else was right there and able to know? Right? I thought they were all in the Valory. It can’t be Jacks because it goes on to talk about Jacks directly after and it’s in a different manner.

- Crazy idea, what if because Apollo knows the Valor’s are out he thinks the one who’s able to see the future (Think his name is Vesper I don’t feel like looking right now) knows what he did 👀 I doubt it but.

- Apollo’s really upset over Jacks being better that he’s making reporter guy make his crimes uglier until he’s caught. He wants his name synonymous with vile, Apollo, you are synonymous with vile please shut the fck up <3

- Was it previously mentioned that the Great Houses have a council? I don’t think so but that makes sense I guess.

- Them talking about Luc attempting to steal the throne and calling him a whelp 💀 Where’d he run to? Back to Chaos’s? Kinda doubt that they have issues because Luc won’t listen to him or something. Wonder where he’s at and if he’s gonna be important this book.

- So funny to me that Wolfric Valor just shows up and is under the house of “Vale” like whose idea was that? It’s like the worst disguise ever Vale and Valor sound the exact same.

- How does Apollo know the Valor’s aren’t really dead? Unless it’s a secret that everyone in the Arcadian family line kept because Wolf Hall used to be the Valor’s.

- Am I the only one who doesn’t like Wolfric that much? I get bad vibes.

- Plus the whole betrothing his daughter to a dude named VENGEANCE

- I know he didn’t exactly know his name before betrothing her but you think he would’ve been like “uhm maybe not” HIS NAMES VENGEANCE I MEAN HE CAN’T BE GOOD

(Sorry had to rant about that because that whole story is absolutely wild to me)

- Who tf is Byron Belleflower. Like I know who he is he’s some lord but like who tf is that??

This whole thing probably doesn’t make sense I’m sleep deprived

#ouabh #tbona #acftl #stephanie garber #evajacks #caraval #evangeline fox #jacks prince of hearts #acftl spoilers #acftl theories #acftl sneak peak #apollo acadian #ew i tagged apollo

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fave-fight · 9 months

Text

ROUND 1, MATCH 44

NO MAGIC, POWERS, WEAPONS, OR ADDITIONAL HELP FROM OTHERS

Chuuya Nakahara:

“He’s the top martial artist in the entire mafia (without using his ability), and on to of that he’s the most powerful ability user (that we know of) in Bungou Stray Dogs. If this is a normal fist fight, he could probably win without using his ability unless his opponent has some form of magic/supernatural assistance. And if they do, he could kill the pretty much instantly using his ability. Also. I’d really like to see him win for once, because in BSD the author has to keep coming up with highly specific scenarios to justify why he’s not just wiping everyone out. Some of those scenarios include: 1) he’s just not there in the first place (he was canonically out of the country for the entire beginning of the series) 2)he gets trapped in the BSD-equivalent of an alternate dimension* (ie someplace you can’t just break out of with brute force) 3)the only guy he regularly fights has the ability to be immune to all abilities AND is the top strategist in BSD (and even so Chuuya still beats him in terms of combative skills) 4)fights that he’s about to win get interrupted by other things, causing both him and his opponent(s) to go “well I guess we could just stop fighting and call it a stalemate 🤷‍♂️ 5) (spoilers for the current manga arc) he’s currently being mind controlled as a vampire (BSD vampires and the equivalent of other media’s zombies. They’re mindless or mind-controlled beings who go around biting people). He would have solved all the problems by now but the author was like “nope!” and yoinked away his free will and autonomy. *for any BSD fans who wanna check me on calling Poe’s ability an alternate dimension, I mean in the same way other subspace-type abilities are “alternate dimensions” as Rimbaud described (counting Rimbaud, Poe, and Lucy for this type of ability), rather than referring to “alternate universes” as in Beast.”

Kevin:

“He has killed before and he will kill again. He is immune to the ol' "go for the eyes" trick some opponents might pull, because he doesn't HAVE eyes. He can still see just fine because he's granted Vision by the Smiling God. Despite the mention of his "smile knife" in the Mudstone Abyss arc, I think Kevin doesn't entirely NEED weapons because I fully believe he will bite anyone and not hold back. He'll rip a chunk off you if he has to, he'll go fucking apeshit. His whole motif is teeth and gore and devouring. And he'll be so upbeat and sunny the whole time. Now if he could GET a weapon, he would prefer that, but if he absolutely has to fight somebody unarmed, he could manage against the average person off the street. However, caught off-guard, he is easily defeated. There's a part in canon where he believes he's having a diplomatic discussion (it was actually pretty fucked up and evil but Kevin's sense of normalcy is hella skewed), and a (presumably human) character just suddenly grabs him and slams him through a portal. So it can be assumed that if someone lands an unexpected attack on Kevin, he'll get his ass kicked easy. Kevin is also probably not formally combat trained. Someone with actual fighting skills would probably beat him. He's just reliant on bizarre violence more than actual skill, in my opinion.”

“hes gods favorite freak. he wrote a whole freak bible about bugs and teeth. also he should get to bite people like that anon said”

#fight fight fight #round 1 #poll tournament #tournament poll #polls #poll #chuuya nakahara #bungou stray dogs #kevin wtnv

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sixpossumsinatrenchcoat · 21 days

Text

Natural Satellite [ch 13]

An In Stars and Time AU. In ch 13, Loop deflects. Siffrin spirals. Isabeau tries to keep up. You can start from chapter one here.

Isabeau nearly jumps out of his skin. “W-Woah!!! Sif!!!” “Yes?” “You’re—wow, you’re like, really quiet!!” “Yes.” Sif flops down in the grass, patting around vaguely till they find a thick-ish branch. They snap it in half with a startling crack, eye it thoughtfully, and then halve it again before unsheathing their dagger. ...Huh. They’re whittling again, even though they know their work won’t outlast the loop. Which means they want to talk about something. “What’s up, Sif?” “The canopy.” “Annnd…?” Sif’s blade digs into the wood, scraping off a long, curling shaving. “And I thought we should talk about Wish Craft.”

[isat spoilers / 2 hats spoilers / spoilers thru act 6]

Isabeau has, like, at least a million questions.

If Loop—(Sif???) (No, they chose the name Loop; that has to matter)—is really some alternate version of Siffrin, then… what? What? What??? What would that even mean??? And why would they keep it a secret from Sif? What’s the point in keeping secrets from yourself?

Of course Isa isn’t going to rat them out. It’s not his place. And he’s definitely not gonna confront them about their past. What kind of a crab could look at someone who Changed that much and try to talk to the person they used to be? Loop is Loop now. Isabeau is totally cool with that.

…He’s just a little confused about why there are two of them.

Isabeau knows how it feels to Change. But it’s not like he walked out of the House holding hands with the kid he used to be. One person can’t become two people. That’s not how it works. (That’s not how anything works.)

He needs to talk to Loop. Luckily, he’s in the right place. There should be at least a few minutes before Siffrin catches up. Longer, if Sif stops to talk to Mira. It’s not ideal, but it should be enough to get at least a few answers.

“Loop!” he gasps, when he spots them.

“What do you want,” Loop asks sourly.

“N-Nothing!! I’m just a little confused, is all!”

“Okay.”

“And… I guess I was hoping you could help with that?”

Loop gives him a close-eyed smile. “Optimistic!”

“I’m just, um. I… guess I’m having a hard time getting my head around it?”

Loop’s eyes snap open. “Why? Because I don’t hang on your every word? Because I’m not some cute little puppy, like your Siffrin?”

“What? No! Because why are there two of you???”

He watches Loop draw themself up to snap at him and then just—settle back into their seat. “Oh.”

Yeah, oh. “So. You know. Why are there two of you?”

“Does it matter?”

“And how do you look so different? Body Craft is, I mean, it’s pretty advanced, but I don’t think it’s possible to—I mean—I’m pretty sure you’re made of light?”

Loop examines their hands, the white shining from under their nails. “It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it?”

“And—” This one is embarrassing, but he can’t help it. “W-Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“…Why would I?”

Yeah, Isabeau probably could’ve seen that coming. “Are you seriously not going to answer any of my questions?”

“I’d have thought that would be obvious.” Loop narrows their eyes at him. “Don’t you have any manners? This is Vaugarde. It’s rude to ask someone about who they used to be.”

Wow, they are really not making this easy! “I’m not— I don’t care that you Changed. Or, I mean, it’s great! If you’re happy, I’m happy! I just… I mean… It kinda seems like you aren’t, though?”

Loop’s face hardens. “I don’t want to talk about this with you.”

“Well, who do you wanna talk to?”

“No one! Ever!!! Till the end of time!!!!”

Isabeau groans. “Look, I didn’t wanna play this card, but you just really don’t seem like you’re doing very well…”

“What impressive powers of perception! Your parents must be proud.”

“…and I guess it seems like you’re cool with that, but I’m not, so I think you probably have to talk to someone, so… i-if you really won’t talk to me, then—” He grimaces, bracing for the worst. “I… think I might have to tell Sif.”

To his surprise, Loop just rolls their eyes. “Knock yourself out. I’m sure he’ll be soooo~ surprised.”

“Wh— Huh???”

“Why are you acting like that?” Loop asks grumpily. “You just said it just last loop. That they guessed who I was, and he thought I was probably him.”

“B-But that’s just a theory!”

“Oh, grow up. How long did it take you to clock me? Three loops? Maybe four? He’s been here for hundreds.”

(“Hund—????”)

“They have all the pieces. He’s just deluding himself because he doesn’t like the implication.”

He almost doesn’t want to ask, but… “What implication?”

Loop smiles nastily. “That—”

“Oh, good,” Siffrin says, from immediately behind him. “You’re already here.”

Isabeau nearly jumps out of his skin. “W-Woah!!! Sif!!!”

“Yes?”

“You’re—wow, you’re like, really quiet!!”

“Yes.” Sif flops down in the grass, patting around vaguely till they find a thick-ish branch. They snap it in half with a startling crack, eye it thoughtfully, and then halve it again before unsheathing their dagger.

Huh. They’re whittling again, even though they know their work won’t outlast the loop. Which means they want to talk about something. “What’s up, Sif?”

“The canopy.”

“Annnd…?”

Sif’s blade digs into the wood, scraping off a long, curling shaving. “And I thought we should talk about Wish Craft.”

“It sounds like you should talk about Wish Craft,” Loop sniffs. “You are the only one who knows the rituals.”

Isabeau gives them a look, but doesn’t argue.

“I don’t think that’s right, though,” Sif mutters. “My wish wasn’t even related. And, I mean… do I know the rituals?”

“You knew the right numbers,” Isa points out. “And the chanting and stuff.”

“Right, but it can’t be that simple. If repeating was all it took, then I’d still have that toilet paper.”

Isabeau stares.

Unexpectedly, Loop stares, too. “Come again?”

“The toilet paper,” Sif says again. “Didn’t you see? In the bathroom on the third floor.”

“I don’t watch you pee, stardust. Gross.”

“Wait,” Isabeau interjects, “I’m sorry, I just… You can do Wish Craft by peeing?”

“Piss Craft,” Sif says, apparently on reflex, and then glares. “I mean, no. Obviously not. Will you just listen?”

Isabeau shuts his mouth obligingly. He’s listening.

* * *

You don’t like that Isabeau is talking to Loop now. You can feel that something’s shifted between them, and you don’t like that, either. But at least Isa still mostly does what you tell him.

“I’m saying I didn’t do Wish Craft,” you explain. “I did the wanting, and the repeating, and it didn’t do anything. I didn’t get what I…”

. . . Wait.

What did you repeat, exactly? It definitely wasn’t “toilet paper, toilet paper, toilet paper.” What were your exact words? You asked it to come with you. No. To loop back with you. And you said—

You said you didn’t want to be alone.

(“S-Sif?” Isa says nervously. “You’re, um. You should probably be careful?”

You follow his gaze toward your hands. You’ve reduced the whole branch to sawdust. You flip your knife shut and brush off your knees in disgust.)

You said you didn’t want to be alone. And you’re not alone anymore, are you? Someone’s looping back with you, but it’s not the blinding toilet paper.

“Oh, Stars,” you mumble. “I did it.”

Loop wheezes. “What, really? Piss Craft?”

“No!! Shut up!! Will you both just shut up and listen? I’m saying that I—” Stars, but it hurts to admit. “It’s— Isa, he’s… It was my fault. I’m the reason he remembers.”

Isabeau’s eyes widen. “Wait, but… are you saying, um. D-Does that mean you wished for me?”

Right. Of course he’d ask that. You squeeze your eyes shut, cringing. “Not… exactly?”

“Toilet paper??????”

“I just wanted something I could hold!!” you say defensively. “I was losing my mind!! I was tired and alone and tired of being alone and I couldn’t make anyone touch me and I was just—so blinding tired of dying that I… yes. Yes. Toilet paper.”

For some reason, Isabeau looks even more confused. “W-Wait, what?”

“I said I wanted something I could hold.”

Loop stops laughing for just long enough to choke out, “Wrong sentence, stardust.”

You frown at them, running over your lines in your mind. It all seems pretty self-explanatory. “What?”

“You—” Isabeau’s face is quickly changing color. “You, um. You… wanted us to touch you?”

Oh. Oh, no.

You can read the rest of ch 13 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53412649/chapters/139473697 Or start from the beginning here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53412649/chapters/135189547

#isat spoilers #in stars and time #isafrin #isat siffrin #isat isabeau #isat loop

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thosehallowedhalls · 24 days

Text

Trial By Dinner

Book: Crimes of Passion

Pairing: Sebastyan Thorne x Emma Rose (F!MC)

Rating: Teen

Word count: 554

Summary: Luke and Ruby knew Sebastyan as Trystan's brother and a murder suspect. Now they have to meet him as their friend's boyfriend. Can they all survive dinner with a minimum of awkwardness?

A/N: I genuinely can't tell if this is terrible, or if it feels wrong because when it comes down to it my heart belongs to Trystan and Emma. But hey, part of this exercise is about second-guessing my writing less, so even if it sucks... up it goes.

This fic is set in my Of Cloudless Climes universe after Bas and Emma get together, so you'll find minor spoilers for upcoming chapters here.

“I’m not sure about this.” Sebastyan adjusts his tie before pushing his hair off his forehead. “Maybe we should…”

“Will you stop? You already look perfect.” Emma makes a face. “Maybe a little too perfect. What is it with you Thornes and your obsession with clothes?"

“My point is…”

“I get your point. Your point is dumb.”

“I can always count on you to soothe my ego, Emma.”

She takes his hand and pulls him close, her other hand cupping his cheek. “It’s just dinner.”

“With my just recently reconciled brother and the rest of your friends.”

“Friends you’ve already met.”

“As a murder suspect. Not as your boyfriend.”

“You’re not a murder suspect now, and they know it. It’ll be fine.”

He drops his forehead to hers. “Are you sure I can’t persuade you to reconsider? I could get you last-minute tickets to Ain’t Too Proud on the West End. I know you’ve been wanting to see it.”

“Playing dirty, are we?”

He smirks. “You know that’s the only way I play, detective.”

“I do. But tough luck there, pal. We’re going into that restaurant, and you will make an effort to get along with my friends. Got it?”

“Loud and clear, Detective Rose.”

“Sarcasm acknowledged and dismissed. Now let’s go.”

The maître d’ leads them to a private room, where Trystan, Ruby, and Luke are already waiting. The greetings are awkward enough to make Emma throw Sebastyan a concerned glance. This has to work. It took her weeks to get him to agree to this dinner. If it fails, she’s going to personally wring the necks of everyone involved.

She exchanges a look with Ruby. Years of friendship make the telepathic transmission go smoothly.

“So, Sebastyan,” Ruby asks. “What are you working on now that the Act for Heir Equity has passed?”

“I’m still looking for my next project.” Emma notices the infinitesimal relaxation of his shoulders when the conversation turns to work. “But I’m interested in programs that assist refugees in adapting to life in Drakovia.”

When Ruby cuts her a quick look, Emma can tell that Sebastyan has just risen in her estimation.

One down, one to go.

She turns to Trystan, a “you’re up next, buddy” gleam in her eyes. He hastens to fill the silence. “Bas, didn’t Lydea tell me you’re also working on a program to ensure lower-income schools get access to IT education?”

Luke’s eyes brighten. “Really? We need more of those programs back home. For all that people like to drone on about the Internet being the great equalizer, very few realize it’s not nearly as equal as it seems.”

And they’re off to the races.

“Don’t think I didn't notice what you did here” Sebastyan whispers when they get up to leave two hours later.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh? So it’s a coincidence that all the topics raised tonight were somehow tailor-made to make me look good in front of your friends.”

“I would have thought a politician would appreciate a little psychological warfare. Are you complaining?”

He waits until they’re outside the restaurant to pull her flush against him, his hands on her hips and a sly smile on his face. “God, no. You know how I love your devious streak.”

Emma grabs his lapels, smiles slowly. “Prove it.”

#sebastyan x emma #sebastyan thorne x mc #sebastyan x mc #sebastyan thorne #emma rose #crimes of passion #playchoices #30 drabbles in 30 days

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babiebom · 3 months

Note

apologies for my absence- holiday periods are tiring lmao how were they for you? unfortunately we have yet to watch the fnaf movie, as our group is one that is exceedingly difficult to make plans around because we're all busy 💀 but then there's the one guy who doesn't want to leave his house lmao luckily, iv'e been pretty good at staying away from spoilers, so i've got that going for me. on the other hand, i'm planning to go see Trolls 3, and my mother and sister recently went to see the new Wonka movie. Though from what i've heard from a friend, Wonka's no good :// Yeahhh, if i actually commit to the mod, i'd have to learn pixel art and reteach myself code and programming 😭... i used to be somewhat decent at it. oooo yes i love a good choose your own adventure! they're so much fun and i've actually coded 1 of my own :,) it was through Visual Basics though, so the formatting was a bit weird for me lmao if you're going for a visual novel type of look and playability, I'd probably recommend Unity or itch.io? in my experience, Unity is probably easier to use.. theres another website/app i used but i can't recall the name sadly :( if i do i'll get back to you though! i don't have that much of a detailed request this time, but perhaps some fluff and love languages between rasmodius and the reader? or like hcs of rasmodius's evolving interest/thoughts arund the reader before finally getting together? i'd perhaps request nsfw/smut stuff too but tbh i just don't have any ideas 💛 tysmm :D -🔮

A/N: I’m glad you’re okay!! Honestly I’ve been sick these past couple of weeks (I caught pneumonia and had it for a month before going to the hospital. I thought it was a cold oopsies) I haven’t watched anything new recently but I am watching the third season of singles inferno with some friends. And I guess until I can figure out how to make a visual novel I have to write the fic out lmao sucks for me because I think a game would be better but oh well. What can I do? And like always I’ll try to do both!! Check back for the second one!!

Tw: cursing, slight nsfw but no full on smut. Let me know if there’s something I missed!!

Wc: I have no idea! But these are headcanons so 10+ is the goal!!

Sdv Masterlist

Okay so there are five main types of love languages.

Physical touch, Words of Affirmation, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Quality Time.

I would also like anyone reading this to remember that these love languages are how you want to be loved/receive love not how you show love to others.

I do think that Rasmodius is very connected to himself

And by that I mean I think he knows himself very well, or at least he thinks he knows himself very well.

And for a long time I think he probably thought that Quality Time and Physical Touch were his main two love languages.

I mean idk if it’s canon but in my opinion I do think he cheated on the witch with Caroline

And I’m not gonna go into it here because this isn’t about them, but I think it might’ve had to do with that and his own struggles with temptations.

And I also think gift giving is canon for literally every single character in stardew because that’s the main way to befriend someone.

But I think that after marrying you/beginning to date you he realizes that his actual love language is words of affirmation.

While Physical touch and quality time are still very important to him, being with you makes him see that he really does like being praised.

Like whenever you say that he has done something well, or that you like something he has done his heart flutters as if he were a teenager again.

Especially when it comes to his magic

Like I feel like the townspeople aren’t really fond of him

And they never thank him for the things that he does whenever they actually need him for stuff

Like the haunted maze

Like they’re just talking about how weird he is and how he got it done

But they never stop and say anything that’s positive like WTF

So I think he would appreciate whenever you thank him or praise him and it would go straight to his head (which one idk 👀)

With quality time I feel like you get a lot of it after he moves to the farm

Like unless he’s working in his tower, or you’re off somewhere like in the mines

That you’re like together even if it’s spent in silence

And he loves that

Like he was super lonely before even if he doesn’t want to admit it

So just being in the same room as you counts as quality time for him.

And if you’re doing an activity that’s particularly domestic

He’s in heaven like he doesn’t wanna make it a big deal

But baking and helping you around the farm makes his heart soar.

I think in terms of how he shows love i think he would show it in acts of service and gift giving

Like oh you don’t feel well?

Don’t bother going to the clinic he’s just going to create a potion that stops you from getting sick

You’re afab and you’re having bad cramps during your period?

Consider them gone

Look at this thing he got for you

And while yeah this might seem like either a lot of insincere

In his mind and heart this is how he shows that he appreciates you and wants you to live a good and easy life.

If he can make things easier and less stressful for you

That’s exactly what he’s going to do

He loves you and while he loves receiving attention and love he’s kinda crap at giving it in the same way because he just doesn’t really know how

So this is how he does

He’s VERY romantic sometimes and shows it through gifts and services.

Very cute and a good significant other when you get past his rough exterior.

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myheartissetinmotion · 1 year

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THE NEW GHOSTS PICTURES OH MY GOD.

(spoilers ahead obvi)

so of course I’m excited about the Pat storyline and all that but WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KITTY RIGHT NOW.

she’s playing Cinderella DO YALL KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?!?!?!?!?

there are about to be some PARALLELS drawn between the panto and her own stepsister’s cruelty. in that flashback, she wanted desperately to go to the ball, and it was Eleanor’s scheming that stopped her. another facet usually focused on in adaptations of the story is Cinderella’s grief for her mother, which is also touched upon in Kitty’s backstory

I’m guessing this might start out as the other ghosts thinking she just wants to be the center of attention and humoring her as they cast it, but as they rehearse, it’ll start bringing some of that trauma back up for her. and maybe this time the others, instead of shutting down her realizations about her past to maintain her cheeriness, will actually help her work through it.

according to Kiell’s tweet, Lolly’s work in this ep is going to be especially incredible, so I bet we’re going to get to see some SERIOUS growth, and, as self-appointed #1 Kitty Fan, I am ridiculously excited

like. she’s gonna be facing the same situation, except this time, she will triumph. she’ll be seen as the lovely one she truly is. the help and support she’s longed for will finally come to her (oh my god PLEASE let Cap play the fairy godmother that would be pure gold). she’ll dance with the prince-

-WHICH GETS A PARAGRAPH OF ITS OWN because there have been hints of her having a crush on Thomas since THE FIRST DAMN EPISODE. as someone who’s utterly obsessed with picking apart subtle little nuances in camera acting, I’m telling you, seriously, watch her during the whole show. watch her face after he thinks she’s Alison, goes in to kiss her, and then is led off by Pat. watch the way she’s so nervous during the sorry song but almost starts to smile when he goes off script with the rap verse. take it from someone with plenty of experience being in love with a friend and trying to keep it under the radar, THESE ARE THE SIGNS. of course it’s vital for Thomas’ development for him to somehow realize, despite the whole stay-how-you-died thing, that there’s more to life than romance; once that happens, series 4’s genuine friendship and banter laid a really nice foundation for the writers to eventually go in that direction later with them if they so choose (“burgundy, big time”, the WAY he LOOKS at her in that post-poetry-reading scene holy SHIT, etcetera). and now they’re gonna combine their Melodramatic Theatre Kid Powers™️ to play the best fairytale romance Button House has ever SEEN.

ANYWAY. after nearly three centuries of just longing to feel like part of something, to matter, to be seen, especially in the context of a party (watching her follow Alison’s friends around during that one episode was fucking devastating as someone who’s experienced something like that many a time), my beloved girl is finally gonna get to be the belle of the ball. and to that I say, GOOD 👏 FOR 👏 HER👏.

tldr; GO KITTY GO.

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wonderlandleighleigh · 1 year

Text

Rewrite 1

Spoilers for the first 2 episodes under the cut.

All things considered, she’s feeling pretty good in her Susie-approved outfit, heading for Rockefeller Center on that crowded train.

It’s not until she peers into the training running alongside her own that her heart skips a beat.

Dark hair.

Trench coat slung over his arm.

A small child’s hand gripped in his own.

They lock eyes and he gives her the most tired grin she has ever seen in her god-damn life. Midge can’t help smiling back.

He nods for her to exit her train, and soon they’re meeting on the platform.

“What happened to the west coast?” She asks, bewildered but still smiling. She just can’t help herself.

He chuckles hollowly. “It uh…it didn’t work out.”

“That was fast.”

“Gramma Sally got us deep sixed,” the little girl attached to Lenny’s leg announces, making him laugh.

“My mother decided to throw me a big show business party,” he explains. “And uh…one of her very talented show business friends started a wildfire behind the house.”

“Oh my god, was everyone okay?” Midge asks, looking alarmed.

“Somebody lost an eyebrow, but other than that, LA’s bravest got it under control pretty quickly,” Lenny shrugs. “But uh…Like Kit said. It got us thrown out. So…at least for now, we’re gonna hang around here. I found a decent apartment in the Village for us. We’ll see how things go.”

“We got our deposit back!” the little girl chirps.

Lenny chuckles a little and turns to the little blonde. “Most of it.” He turns back to Midge. “This is my kid. Kitty. Kit, this is Daddy’s nice friend Midge.”

“You’re pretty,” Kitty says. “I like your skirt.”

Midge beams and swishes the red and black plaid skirt. “It’s a sitting skirt.”

Lenny gives her a confused look. “As opposed to…?”

“I got this job and I won’t be standing very much, so I needed a skirt that looked good while I was-“she stops talking and takes a breath. “I got a gig on Gordon Ford’s writing staff.”

“The couch potato brigade,” Lenny grins, his eyebrows lifting. “Cushy.”

“I guess we’ll see,” Midge shrugs. “It’s my first day. Where are you off to?”

“We are dropping Kitty off at her new school,” he tells her. “And then I have a meeting with a new lawyer, since the west coast isn’t happening.”

She nods, giving him an encouraging smile. “Good luck.”

“Thank you. Supposedly this guy is really something. Kessler.”

Midge lights up. “I know Michael Kessler. He’s represented me before, and he’s friends with my father.”

“I will be sure to name drop,” Lenny promises. “But we have to go. It’s apparently a bad look if your child is late for kindergarten.”

“A disaster,” Midge agrees. “Have a good day, Kitty.”

Kitty waves and keeps holding onto Lenny. “Bye, Miss Midge.”

She’s about to get back on the train when Lenny reaches out, almost taking her hand but stops. Midge turns to look at him curiously.

“I know…I know we sort of…” he fumbles with his words, ducking his head. “I know you said we don’t-“ he stops again, looking at her hopefully. “But maybe we could.”

Midge smiles slowly. “How about I bring dinner by tomorrow night as a housewarming gift?” she offers.

“You don’t have to-“

“I’ll need your address,” she tells him.

He takes a breath and gives it to her, and she nods, committing it to memory.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night after the show,” she promises.

“Bye, Midge,” Lenny says softly, gazing at her gratefully.

She smiles and kneels briefly to fix Kitty’s little hat. “There. Perfect.” She gets up, leaning in and kissing Lenny’s cheek before heading back for the train.

Behind her she can hear Kitty’s little voice as they head for the stairs out of the station.

“She’s nice. I’m glad she’s coming over to see us.”

“Yeah, Kit. Me, too.”

Midge takes a deep breath, and heads for work.

#fic #tmmm #tmmm spoilers #midge x lenny #wrong handsome man

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pinkluver93 · 1 month

Text

Our Own Good

CHAPTER 5 SPOILERS AHEAD! Don’t read this fic if you haven’t reached this in your game yet! Just some more KehXReader for ya. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So much had happened with this investigation, that the Ovenist was tired. They had been chatting with Plant Lady in the garden about the whole thing today and all the events that had transpired, from Keh defending his mock-up, to Cicero admitting she stole the ancient dough and now all of a sudden the dough needed to be frozen.

“It’s just been one thing after another....” The Ovenist said as they drank the herbal tea Plant Lady had made for them. It was a nice, windy afternoon and they were sitting in the Ovenist’s gazebo by the garden. “I don’t know how much more of this investigation I can take, to be honest....”

Plant Lady sips her tea and nods. “It’s a lot, Ovenist, I know. But you’ve been through so much before, and you were triumphant! You’ll finish this challenging event even better than challenges you’ve had before.”

You smile at her. “Thank you. You have a lot more faith in me than most people in this city....”

Plant Lady nudges you. “Aw, I think Alicante and Keh wish they had the brain that you have. They’re just frustrated! Deep down I’m sure they respect how far your business has come.”

You shrug. “I guess....”

“Well,” Plant Lady started. “You certainly have the best garden in all the city! If there’s anything you should be extra proud of, it’s that! Plus it seems you are always out here harvesting, which is great!”

You chuckle. “Leave it to you to always look at the bright side of things when it comes to botany!” You sip your tea again and groan. “Luckily a friend of mine got me something to enhance Keh’s freezer, but....I still dread going back to his shop.”

Plant Lady was in the middle of stroking a ladybug gently with her finger, but suddenly stops and looks at the Ovenist. “I thought you two were getting along better lately?”

“We were, but....he still has to be a jerk and it’s frustrating. I think the guy is destined to never have friends or....any kinds of relationships....”

Plant Lady smiles at the ladybug and puts it on a leaf of a hedge. “Dr. Keh’s been well-known for his abrasiveness, Ovenist. I really think it’s for show; you are his competitor after all.”

You shrug. “I guess. He seems to be that way with everyone but....I don’t know. He seems to seek me out personally sometimes, like he’s got a vendetta with me.”

Plant Lady widens her eyes and looks at you. “Really?”

You nod. “Yeah. He says he’s always got eyes on my shop and he comes over....like a LOT. He claimed I’m not a threat but he acts like I am.”

Plant Lady smiles. “Oh Ovenist. I think my suspicion has been true all along....he likes you in his own way!”

You chuckle. “Very funny. He already knows I like him because I basically outed my emotions to him a couple weeks ago. But he hasn’t even said anything back....”

“Exactly!” Plant Lady exclaims. “He knows how you feel, but he is unsure how he feels about you himself! So he picks on you to make you and others think he doesn’t like you!”

You chuckle again. “That’s something I did in like 3rd grade.” You think for a minute, and remember who you’re talking about. “But then again....”

You notice the sun go down in the sky, and remember you told Dr. Keh you’d meet him at his shop when you found something to enhance his freezer. You hand Plant Lady your teacup.

“I gotta go freeze the dough now. I’ll see you again soon!”

As you leave, Plant Lady waves to you. “Good luck, Ovenist! Let me know how it goes!”

You go inside your shop and grab everything you need, including the ancient dough and the medallion you got from Jingles. It was time to try and save the city....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as you park your car in Keh’s parking lot, you grab your backpack and walked inside Keh’s shop. Keh hands a customer their order, sees you and motions you to a table. You sit and he walks over.

“Ugh, you’re back...”

You smirk at him. “That customer didn’t look too pleased to receive that order, you know.”

Keh crosses his arms and smirks back at you. “Unfortunately he has preset expectations from when he ate at your sad parlor.” He pulls the chair back and sits down at your table. “Now that you got your cheap shot at me, did you find something to enhance my freezer?”

“I sure did!” You pull something out to show Keh, who grimaces at you.

“How is that going to enhance my freezer, you fool? We’re doomed!”

You look at him funny, and realize that you pulled Alicante’s photo out of your backpack by accident. You carry every piece of evidence with you, just incase, and it had been a rough week...

“Oops, wrong thing!” You quickly find the medallion and put it on the table for Keh to see. “It’s an ice medallion. I’m told it can deep freeze anything!”

Keh takes it into his hand and studies it. He’s not sure what to make of it. “Hmmph. I don’t know where you got this, but we’ll see if it actually works....”

“It will!” You confidently say.

“I’ll attach it to my freezer and you seal the dough. Don’t mess this up.”

“I won’t!” You tell him as you both get up to walk to his kitchen.

You marvel at all of Keh’s cool things in his kitchen, from his ingredient storage to his equipment. You’re snapped back into focus as Keh attaches the medallion in place.

“It’s all yours. Try not to kill us and the entire city, okay Ovenist? I have to document my sales for the day, so call me if you need help.”

You nod as he walks away. You had taken a picture of the stone tablet you completed and studied it for a minute.

“Hmm, it looks like I need to put red sauce on one half and then cheese on the other half.”

You put on gloves and get to work. Once you put the toppings on, you look at what to do next.

“Then I put it through the freezer once. Sounds easy enough!”

As soon as you put it through the freezer once, you put it into a special ancient-looking container, take your gloves off, grab your phone and backpack and find Keh, who’s writing something down at the counter. He hears you walking toward him, and he looks up.

“Is it done? Did you defeat Julius Cheeser?”

“Not yet. There’s three steps, so I gotta come back the next two days to do the other steps.”

Keh sighs. “I can’t believe I’m letting you in my kitchen for two more days, but I suppose it’s for my own good.”

You roll your eyes. “Well, mine too! You’re saving me, you should feel good about that....”

Keh blushes. “I-I-....hmmph, whatever, Ovenist. Just come back tomorrow....”

And so you smiled and laughed as you left.

Day 2 went well and you felt like you were really going to save the city!

And then Day 3 comes....

You try to look at the picture of the tablet on your phone and you struggle to see what you need to do next. You start to get knots in your stomach. Not wanting to screw such a big thing up, you begrudgingly go find Dr. Keh.

You go to the counter and see him assisting a customer. You hide behind a wall so the customer doesn’t see you in Keh’s shop and start asking questions. You wait til the customer leaves and call for Keh.

“Psst!”

He hears you and follows you back to where the dough sits.

“It’s about time you asked for my help, Ovenist. I feared you became too arrogant for your own good.”

“Pfft, you should talk. Listen....I took a picture of the stone tablet with my phone and I’m trying to see what the last step is, but the picture I took is too blurry. That’s why I went to get you.”

“Well, let me see,” Keh asks, and you hand him his phone. He looks at the phone and chuckles. “Cute. For some reason, I imagined you’d have this exact phone-”

You cross your arms and scoff. “Real original, Keh. Make fun of me because I have a different cellphone than you, laugh it up.”

“You cut me off. I actually have this exact phone.”

You look at him. “How do you have my exact phone? I figured you’d have the newest model.”

Keh scoffs. “For what? They all do the exact same thing. I save my hard-earned money on other things. Anyway, I was mentioning your rhinestone case. Quite hilarious. Now let me look at this picture....”

Keh tries to zoom in on the picture, change the filters, but still has the same problem.

“Hmm. Let me try something. I’m gonna send this picture to my phone and see if I can use one of my photo-editing apps to enhance it.”

As soon as he sends it and hands your phone back, your hands touch briefly, which causes you to blush. What makes you blush even more....is the realization that THE Dr. Keh has your number! And he didn’t even have to ask you for it!

You start to daydream, but Keh brings you back, his face looking up from his phone.

“I fixed it in the app. It looks like you’ve done everything except freeze it one more time and slice the pizza into eight even slices.”

You nod. “And that’s all I have to do? Nothing else left?”

Keh nods. “That’s all. Seems easy enough that even you can do it.”

You sigh, looking deflated. “I don’t know. You have a lot of confidence in me all of a sudden. You said that wasn’t good....”

Keh notices your sullenness and puts his hand on your back and gently rubs it. “It’ll be okay, Ovenist. I’m right here. If you somehow mess something this easy up, at least we’ll die together, won’t we?”

You nod. “Yep, it’s now or nothing!”

As soon as you freeze the pizza one more time and use Keh’s pizza slicer to cut the pizza, you place it into the ancient-looking box and all of a sudden time stops as you see a flash of light and....

“J-julius Cheeser....”

“Oh my...” Keh says as he looks on and stands in front of you, as if to protect you.

“YOU’LL REGRET THIS OVENIST!” Cheeser yells to them. “I WILL CONQUER THE PIZZA INDUSTRY! MY CHEESE PIZZA WILL PREVAIL ONCE MOOOORE-”

As quickly as he came in, Cheeser disappears into the ancient box as it closes itself. You can say nothing, your mouth stuck open until Keh smiles at you.

“You....you did it! You defeated Julius Cheeser!”

You look dumbstruck. “I-?”

You can’t say any more as Keh has graciously roped you into a hug, and since he was taller than you, he practically lifts you off the ground. As soon as he puts you down, he grins at you.

“All thanks to me!”

So many thoughts are in your head at once. “Huh?”

Keh puts a hand on your shoulder. “Oh, no need to thank me, Ovenist. I’m just glad my freezer saved the day!”

You shake your head and laugh. “Yeah, I guess so. All thanks to me having that photo ready on my phone to send to you. I guess now you can delete my number and all....”

“Oh yes,” Keh coughs and then smiles. “Well, I think I’ll keep your number for now. When PNN writes an op-ed about me and posts it online, I’ll send it to you so it can brighten your day, as it will be very enlightening.”

You roll your eyes and wave goodbye. “Yeah, yeah. See ya later.”

As soon as you put your things in your car and sit down, the realization hits you and you smile as you think about Plant Lady.

“I’ve got so much to tell her!”

#good pizza great pizza #dr keh #dr keh x reader #dr. michael keh #gpgp #gpgpfanfiction #Keh is just like himself in this but flirty #You're still shorter than him #Plant Lady is a cool friend to you here as well #teewritessmth

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maah-long · 1 year

Text

I read TSaTS, and loved every second of it

I disappeared from social media to do that, and seeing things now, apparently people are hating on the book??? I honestly have no idea why, and honestly, it makes me sad. I wrote those notes as I read it, and never felt the book was weak or messy, and I'll stand on that boat, 100%. I LOVE this book with my entire existence now, and what people are thinking about it won't affect that, I truly hope.

And I've been binge reading all of Riordanverse in the last month, so everything is fresh on my mind.

Anyways, I'll just leave the notes I did here while I read it. Of course, SPOILERS! I read it without getting even one spoiler, and that made the experience unique and much more enjoyable than others I had in the past.

• I LOVED the silly star war discussion in the beginning, even not quite understanding it xD It was so cute and genuine, maybe with some probably thinking it’s cringy!

• WILL TALKING ABOUT HIS PAST 🫶🫶🫶🫶 I really wanted to see more of him and his story, so they just there, chilling and talking about things, forgetting, even if for only a few seconds, how their situation is so cruel… It made me really happy! Hope they’ll be back soon to just relax and be cute… (haha...)

• I hope the tiny snippets about the water Nymph will have its own scene!!! I was dying to know how their love story start, so it needs its own full chapter!!! (now finishing it, that didn't happen, but the scenes got longer!!! So, victory!!!)

• Now the first POV switch (ch 10) …. Sus. Is pretty weird that the what they see does not seem reliable, and right after it each one of them shares a vision were they’re suffering, but the other one is being kinda “selfish”, and not like themselves. I totally think what they’re “living” is not true, but I don’t know when they stopped seeing things right, or what happened to them. Where? Weird. I do know Will wouldn’t just give up, “I can’t be here”, or Nico going “Coward!”. The POVs don’t match, and I’m CONFUSED.

• Of course it’s a demon! And I do think it hilarious how they’re discussing gender norms while the demon is trying to strangle Nico…,,, normal day, I guess? And Will immediately saying sorry to them like, LMAO

• Man, playing Hades and seeing Nyx like this on the Riordanverse is PAINFUL. She’s so gorgeous (STUNNING), calm and mother-like there. And she always has this kinda insane-y vibe here.

• Ah, “‘I’ll always be here”. There it is, they’re getting separated.

• AGAIN? “if Nyx wants your darkness so bad, you can just leave some of it with her! That wouldn’t be so bad.’”. IDK man, I’m thinking this will be more true than they think, I just feel it 😭😭 And more literal than that, too. (here I was thinking about Nico leaving his powers there. I was pretty wrong on that xD)

• I think that addressing Will’s irk towards the underworld is pretty important. I really like how both of them are on different, but pretty understandable sides. After everything we know about the UW, it’s hard to be open and accepting to it. Nico is super related to it, and he knows his father’s palace, so he has a completely different view of it. Will is all about life and light, so it should be even less appealing to him. Man, he NEEDS sun to live, it's literally part of his being. It’s easy to understand his side. But there are good people and beings living there too. It’s almost another universe. It’s Nico home, past, family and history. It probably hurts a lot to see his boyfriend being so contrary to it, basically negating a part of him, and kinda making his thoughts of Will “ignoring the “””bad and scary””” “ parts of him to be able to accept Nico hold place. It’s sad, hope this will get a good development and closure. Too bad I’m pretty sure it won’t be soon….

• Okay! The farm commentary! That made me sad. I think here Nico was a tiny bit too much. I felt the “People farm here?” from Will was genuine confusion. I would picture on my mind automatically growing crops underground. Hey, I killed (and it still saddens me) succulents by keeping them inside my no-that-sunlit bedroom. How would people grow things successfully on the underworld? That totally very much probably is not included in common sense! Will most certainly was not trying to stab Nico or the UW life, just would like some explanations.

•The Mythomagic story in Nico’s past 😭😭😭 The feels, I swear. It was pretty relatable, poor boy. And that was on the last century, too, and I can't imagine how hard it would be to deal with being queer at that age.

•But hey, is Will talking about Hermes’ card there? Does he play Mythomagic?? Do they together?? That would be cute as hell, I hope they do.

•The canoe scenes make me so happy! I loved SO MUCH how they put them in between some painful scenes. It made it easier to breathe and take on the hard parts. One of the things I wanted the most was the backstory of their relationship, and being given ALL the details like that was definitely not what I expected. They’ve been amazing, super super cute.

• And hey, Paolo is queer?? He’s one of my fave background characters, and I really liked that 🫶🫶 Nice rep for us Brazilians, I really appreciate that, lol Really missed seeing more of him! Seeing a mention on this book was unexpected, but nice! Hope he’s getting better at communicating with everyone, hahah

• I LOVE MENOETES! The way this book is showing the nice parts of the underworld too, on contrary of house of hades that was pure hOrOR and pAIN. It was not what I was expecting, and I totally appreciate it, it’s cute. And wait does he grow the nectar and ambrosia? That’s genuinely impressive. He's a pretty cool guy.

• BUT HEY, GERYON? Sorry friend, I’m judgin here. Do hope you’re right saying he’s a changed man……,,,

• Now Persephone’s Garden…. One more time, they’re showing the nice parts of the underworld, and that’s super interesting.

• And the Persephone’s scene? I LOVED it, I think it was so necessary. My image of her was kinda bad ngl, remembering about her older appearances. She seemed a little crazy. But at that scene, the way she spoke with fondness and clarity… It was exactly what Will needed to hear, and it makes me happy to see that she’s much more accepting of Nico. Good times.

• But Anphistemis? That was one hard scene. They getting separated and all, but the worst part was the chaos when they reunited, and how the poor guy was used. I totally see why Will did that, hell, I’d do the same or worse, when it comes to surviving. I just hope that that was not the last time we see Amphitemis.

• COCOA PUFFS!! I love them too!! I kinda thought they were cute since they first appeared, and that made me feel weird. Good to see that they really are nice and petable!!

• The last fight made me so anxious. I'm just happy it's over. I really wanted for Nyx to chill and find some other purpose at the end, but I don't think that would be believable. Kinda sad. And I always liked those children of hern on their other book appearances too!!! Especially Nemesis.

• Bob, oh Bob. He's precious. I truly like this crew SO MUCH. Him, Small Bob, Nico, Will and and the Puffs. They just finally relaxing, free. Oh, that was so rewarding. Good for them!

• I CRIED with Nico's dream. All of his family... That was so warm. Nico deserved that, I really loved it. And good to know Amphis was not forgotten!!

• Nico hugging Chiron!!!! Mr D. being actually super nice!!!! Aw really, I loved this entire ending too. Everyone happy, talking, healing. Endings make me worried, sometimes my judgment of the work changes completely if the ending is bad. This one? No. It was a super nice wrapping.

• PIPEEERRRR!!!! Nico and Piper friends ? I'm super behind that, I love them a lot. I missed Piper! And her talk was so genuine. Full of worries that are pretty relatable too. Very sweet, wish the best to her too. I thought it was me expecting too much to see Piper, but I'm glad to be proved wrong.

• I'm sad Bob already left... I hope it'll still be possible for them to meet sometimes, Bob deserves the best in this new chapter of his life!! While writing this I noticed I didn't mention anything about the trogs. I guess my main impressions about them happened already on Apollo Trials, hahah. But I like them a lot too!!! I was very happy to see they're happy building their little world and society, and making even tastier dishes. Hiss-Majesty is amazing too, and I loved their closure working at the farm xD

• Plus Nico and Will at the ending. Very heart warming moment. Their relationship is super healthy, and I do NOT believe in anyone who says the contrary. Both of them clearly saw where they failed, communicated about that, and deeply, honestly, said that they would seek to do their best. Isn't this the most important thing of it all? They're super happy together, love each others' presence, and looking at their future together fills them with hope. Man, they just left TARTARUS. And now they're stronger, filled with joy about what is to come.

And that's it. Been reading through some other people's thoughts, and well. Sometimes I even wonder if we read the same book. Like people saying the writing is the worst thing they ever read. I literally spent the last 3 days finishing the 3 last ToA books and this one. My friends, it was NOT that different. In particular, comparing to HoO, of course, because of the third person narration.

The only thing different for me was the direct approach about feelings, and about being queer too (probably thanks to Mark Oshiro), and I definitely enjoyed those. Probably because of seeing myself in them too.

I think people are being way too judgemental of Will. You can for sure say he was too impulsive when he was so determined and stubborn about going to a place that would be literally poison to him. But people complaining he was already drained before getting to Tartatus, as going though everything he did was easy? That place was his antithesis. I was actually shocked he didn't crumble at the first step into the Underworld. But he went through it, with Nico always on his mind. I don't know, I can't understand the hate. And of course they would not be bubbly and fun, they were going though HELL. Did anyone really expected them to be on their best there?

And I think both of them are very misunderstood characters. I was in the fandom for like, almost no time, thus, idk much about the fanon interpretation of them. But after everything I read about Nico and Will on the books, nothing felt out of place here, no. And it reminded a lot of ToA too.

All in all, awesome book, was even more awesome than what I was expecting, and I was totally not disappointed. I will hold this book dear, close to my heart, and I wish people were more accepting of it. There's even an anti tag for it? I made the mistake of scrolling through it (I'm the type of person that gets sentimental when people attack something I love), and yes, people definitely have different experiences while going through works.

#tsats #the sun and the star #will solace #nico di angelo #tsats spoilers #NOhateforTSATS #solangelo #love tsats #love the sun and the star!#riordanverse #some of the fandom is nyx fr 💀🙁

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