#thanks again for all your help laz!
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A Year in Fanfiction 2024
Hello everyone! It’s the start of a new year, and with that comes new year’s resolutions!
I personally want to try to read more this year, both published books as well as fanfic. I finally made a goodreads account to keep track of my books and wanted a way to track my fanfiction reading too, so with the help of @kinglazrus, King of Spreadsheets, I present to you A Year in Fanfiction 2024: a combination google form and spreadsheet!
All you have to do is fill out the form…
And it automatically adds a new line to the spreadsheet and tallies how many fics and words you’ve read!
There’s a space for the title, author, fandoms, summary, characters, pairings, tags, as well as personal notes and a link to the fic, so you can easily find what you’re looking for, whether you read it on AO3, FFN, or tumblr!
If you’re trying to read more this year, still working your way through all the fics from the last fandom event *cough* @ecto-implosion *cough* shameless plug *cough*, want to make your own AO3 Wrapped at the end of the year, or just think it’s neat 🥔
Click here to make a copy of the spreadsheet
Click here to make a copy of the form
The form is optional if you’d rather manually input the information into the spreadsheet. Just make sure that you put “Finished” in the Reading Status column, or the formula won’t add it to your word count tally.
If you want to use the spreadsheet and the form, read below the cut for instructions on how to link them.
There doesn’t seem to be a simple way to share them already linked, and there are a few quirks with setting this up, but it’s not difficult.
Step 1: go to the Responses tab of the form and click Link to Sheets.
Step 2: Click Select existing spreadsheet and find the copy you saved of the A Year in Fanfiction spreadsheet.
Woohoo! They’re linked! Now this is where things get a little tedious.
You’ll find that you now have two tabs on your spreadsheet, one that has the pretty AO3-inspired formatting, and one that’s plain. The plain sheet is where the form sends your answers.
Alternate Step 2: Click Create a new spreadsheet, this way the plain sheet and the pretty sheet are separate documents.
Step 3: In the plain sheet, hide column A and delete the blank columns to the right.
Step 4: In the pretty sheet, click cell B1, hit ctrl+a, right click, and copy. Go to the plain sheet, click cell B1, hit ctrl+a, right click, and paste.
Step 5: Submit a test response on the form. If you are in edit mode for the form, click the eye symbol at the top to go into preview mode. Your response will appear on row 2 of the sheet.
Step 6: Select row 3 and drag it back to row 2, bumping your test row down.
Step 7: Click cell B1, make sure the formula in orange says $B$3:$B. Repeat with cell C1; the orange formula here should read $M$3:$M and the one in purple should read $H$3:$H. This tells the sheet to start counting at row 3, your first row of fics!
Step 8: PROFIT!
Feel free to play around with it! Change the theme, the alternating colors, add new categories to the form, make it your own!
Happy New Year and happy reading! ♥️
#happy new year#fandom#ao3#ffn#fanfiction#fanfic#reading tracker#reading#new year's resolution#google spreadsheets#google forms#danny phantom#steven universe#good omens#shameless self promo#fic recs#check out laz's fic!#thanks again for all your help laz!
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DATING YOUR GRUMPY ORC GIRLFRIEND INCLUDES:
Her making you breakfast as if it means nothing. She often tells you to “knock off the squealing” and to not make a big deal out of it since it’s just customary in her culture to take care of the one you’ve “bonded” with. But whenever you ask her what exactly the significance of a “bond” is, she often gets red in the face and changes the subject. You’ll get it out of her one of these days...
-You notice her being frustrated one day in the middle of her workout and asking her if there’s anything you can do to help….only for her to raise an eyebrow at you before immediately picking you up and using you as resistance as she does squats. She tells you to stop blushing, but it’s kinda hard considering you’re essentially squashed against her abs, could be worst you suppose.
-Her going out of her way to secretly message all of your friends and family about a surprise party she’s planning for you. She’s not much of a people person, but she knows they know you best and wants to make sure you’ll actually have a good time. She lies when you ask her who planned the event.
-Her taking you to her “weapon’s guy” to pick out your first one. You assume you’ll get a huge axe just like hers and apparently she humours this idea as well by carefully handing you a two-handed one, only for you to immediately be pulled to the floor. The man behind the counter takes a second to think before heading into the back and coming out with a small pair of daggers. You were more than happy with the blades but your partner asks if they could be engraved and customized to your liking (i.e she knows you love the “rainbow metal” as you put it), and you can’t help but fall in love with her again. A few weeks later you both have weapons with matching symbols of her clan.
-Her taking your coffee order from you and marching right into the shop once she realizes they gave you the wrong order. She knows you don’t want to “bother” anyone, but she also knows you deserve to get the damn thing you actually ordered.You give her a small peck as a thank you and your mountain of a girlfriend avoids your gaze, coughing a few times as she says, “whatever, it’s not a big deal.”
-Her letting you sit on her lap and snuggle up when she takes a nap on the giant laZ-boy. You very quickly become her human-sized plush. You sometimes wake up because of her comical snoring or tusks tickling against your neck as she mumbles in her sleep. You once tried to tell her you’ve caught her drooling in her sleep and she denies it with her life.
-No one being able to out-drink her when you guys go out. Too often, you’ve had overly confident strangers challenge her, only for them to end up passed out in a nearby corner (and or alley) while your girlfriend remains perfectly sober and stoic as ever. Depending on her mood, she’ll sometimes whisper in your ear, “I promise to make you come for the number of drinks they have before passing out. You better keep track.” - She finishes with a wink and more often than not she will not adhere to the number, usually going over.
-You accidentally discover how ticklish her back is one day, resulting in a high giggle being released from your usually intimidating partner (but definitely not in this moment). She immediately covers her mouth with her hand, face beet red before throwing you a death glare that says, “this dies with us”. You promptly respond with a zipping your mouth gesture, fighting back a smile. You thought she’d annoyingly stomp off, but she instead sighs in relief before placing an appreciative kiss on your forehead, whispering, “thank you”. You do use her sensitive back to your advantage in more intimate moments going forward...hey, you’re only human.
-Her picking you up from work on her impressive motorcycle, much to the surprise of your coworkers. You especially love her timing when a certain gentleman can’t take no for an answer, only for her to roll up next to you both and very quickly tower over him after getting off the bike. She looks down at him, stoned face before uttering a sentence, her voice completely steady, “if you leave now I promise to let all your limbs stay intact. How’s that sound?”- You’ve never seen a person disappear so quickly before your very eyes. You also can’t help but notice how you both seem to have a “late night” whenever someone attempts to hit on you; hm, weird.
-Her surprisingly giving the best massages you’ve ever had. She’s somehow extremely gentle and yet, also applies the right amount of pressure to your aching muscles. More than once, these massages have started innocent but then become much more heated by the end. It doesn’t help that you’ve once looked back at her as she straddled your form and all you saw was pure lust behind those black eyes. You remember her softly saying, “I’m sorry, my heart, but your noises are starting to become a bit distracting...”. Without missing a beat you respond, “show me how distracting...”- She quickly turned you over and showed you just how “distracting” you’ve been for her, again, and again.
-You coming home to a brand new wooden table in your apartment. What’s more strange is how upon closer inspection, you realize everything about it is your dream table; gorgeous wood choice, details carved into the legs, and a matte finish that brings out the grain. You’ve only told one person about wanting a table straight from a “fantasy novel,” and that same person walks out of the bathroom, dusting themselves of wood chips. She gives you a small smirk, asking if you like it, and you just stand there in awe. She goes on to tell you she’s personally proud of getting the shape “just right,” and that’s when it hits you; she made it. You still ask her in a small voice for confirmation, and she raises an eyebrow as if you’ve asked an obvious question, “I hope so, if not I’m not sure where all these splitters came from,” flashing you a goofy grin. Her grin is replaced with a look of confusion once she feels you suddenly hug her and tightly. If only you knew then that building something for your partner was considered one of the leading steps towards a marriage proposal in her culture. To this day, just looking at that lovely table brings a smile to your face.
#dating#dating hc#monster girlfriend#monster gf#monster fucker#orc#orc girlfriend#female orc#orc woman#female orc x female#female orc x fem reader#self insert#dnd#fantasy#sorry this is shorter#wanted to get something out#ive been super busy and apologize for the lack of content#height difference#tall girlfriend#muscle girlfiend#buff girlfriend#protective
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Fanfic Writer Questions
thanks for the tag @optiwashere!
If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged! But here is one more for the road: @collegeoflore
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
Apparently I have 20? That's news to me lol. I would have guessed like 10 to 12. I've used this AO3 account for a while, I guess.
2. What's your total AO3 word count?
62,119 words, according to the statistics.
3. What fandoms do you write for?
Currently, only Baldur's Gate 3. Before that I was writing lightcanon for League of Legends.
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
1. And They Were Roommates
2. To Muzzle a Gith
3. Misfit and Nomad
4. I Thought About You
5. Workouts in a Winter Hellscape
Damn. Some of these are callbacks.. Not too surprised, though. These either have popular ships or popular fandoms. LoL lightcanon in 1, 3, and 4 make sense to me, even if I'm embarrassed by the writing in them. Continually shocked by To Muzzle a Gith. I guess Shadowzel is that popular? I don't know. I have so little desire to write for them again and the writing in it makes me cringe, tbh. Same with #5 LMAO. You couldn't pay me enough to reread the fics I wrote in highschool.
5. Do you respond to comments?
Yes, always! Well. If someone comments on something really old I might not? But only because im scared they'll ask me to update it lmao. But in general, yes! I love talking and hearing what people liked!
6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
If I'm including the 20 QOTD Challenge fic (and i am because this is my post), I'd have to give it to Nerves, ch19 of that challenge. I mean, its a flashback scene about killing a childhood friend (and maybe lover) for a crumb of an uncaring goddess' attention.
It's pretty much the only piece of angst I've written that doesn't have some overtone of hope to it. I'm hoping to work it into my act 1 rewrite because I like it so much.
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
To me, its Savoring Seconds from the challenge. It's bittersweet but after everything those two have been through... It's the happiest I can envision them ever being. Maybe that's just my bias tho :P
8. Do you get hate on fics?
No? Do most people get hate on fics? I haven't had anything of the sort. Hard to imagine what that would even be like..
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
Yes, I do. Outside of To Muzzle a Gith, I think I write pretty tame stuff? More emotional than anything.
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
A Common Song was really the only crossover, but even then.. it was really just a League of Legends fic with a cyberpunk2077 au. It had some good ideas tho.. maybe I'll return to it some day.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not that I've noticed?
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
Nope!
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Not really. I've helped with brainstorming before but that's really all.
14. What's your all time favorite ship?
This.. is tough. I change fandoms too often for something like this 😭 If I had to pick a bg3 ship... Laz/Karlach. Is it cheating to say my OC ship? Probably. But fuck you, its MY post. I've cried multiple times on the bus just thinking about these two, no one else had quite the strangle hold on me. (I was thinking abt Karlach's funeral btw).
15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
A Common Song. I was cooking on some of those ideas but I was FAR too ambitious lmao
16. What are your writing strengths?
I'm... Not totally sure, to be honest. Its hard to read your own stuff and see what's uniquely strong. If you have any thoughts, please let me know!
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
I don't think my writing has much rhythm to it. I'd like to work on that. Also my grammar is shoddy at best. English classes were always my lowest grades :,)
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?
For fantasy languages I think it's fun! It can add a lot of depth and creates a lot of insight to a characters culture. Dabbling with Drowic for example was a lot of fun.
But like, a real language? Naw. I don't know any other languages so unless it was a phrase I knew a character said in canon.. I wouldn't want to risk a shoddy google translate.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
Uh. It was either Invader Zim, Mass Effect, or SAO? I'm not totally sure. This would have predated AO3, when I was in middle school or something. I've tried to find those fics but I think they're genuinely lost.
Probably for the best lol.
20. Favorite fic you've written?
Currently, it is Snowfall. Once I post it, I think it'll be the act 1 rewrite.
#fanfic writer q#tag game#doing this on my phone was a HUGE pain in the ass#i might go back and hyperlink the fics later if i remember
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can i know abt scully!!!
!!!!!! OUUPIOUOOUUUGHHH GHOOGGHHG !!!!!! TYYY FOR ASKING!!!!!!!!! scullys awesome he is an oc ive had for a bit and had a lotta time to develop and is also a revamped version of an old oc from when i was young trying to avoid making mary sues!! ohh i likesss him hes awesome
so scully is a he/him butch lesbian with soso many issues and problems and shit. he was raised by his pa, a stern bitter old veteran, and scullys ma ran off after he was born. his pa was hard on him, he wanted a son anyhow and when scully started acting masculine he thanked God for givin him a broken daughter and started teaching scully how to be a man. unfortunately this included such beautiful wonderful things such as 'men dont cry' and 'caring for animals makes you look weak' and stuff like that. as a kid scullys pa started getting sick, and they were too poor to do anything about it living in a shack that his pa built, so scully dropped out of middle school and picked up an apprenticeship with a local butcher!!!! his pa was bedridden, so scully took the laz-e-boy that his pa usually slept in, started working, started smoking, and started cooking. his pa told him that cooking was a womans job but he was busy dying in bed and scully was able to steal the scraps from his job so they got by. scullys dad died, and scully dug his pa's grave and nailed together two boards to make a cross and he didnt cry. he just started sleeping in the bed again
but thats all background shit because nowadays this is whats important: scully would throw himself into a volcano if a woman told him to. he falls so utterly head over heels for any gal who so much as looks his way its FUCKED. in school the gals realized this and got him beatin other people up for their lunch money and scully was happy to do it. nowadays he would give a lady the shirt off his back for a kiss blown his way. he holds doors for people and he stumbles over his words and he talks while he smokes by tucking the cigarette in the corner of his mouth. he cooks a lot now, the kitchen in that little shack slowly taking over the whole place like a mold, and he feeds the scraps and bone and gristle to the stray dogs and cats.
he was an angry cruel kid and he was tempered into a kind, awkward, super mega autistic adult. AND! he brews the scariest hooch ever in his house its so scary looking dont drink it. he can still hold his own in a fight but will just take the hits unless its to help a lady, in which case he is letting out years of trauma and anger on your face to turn it into ground beef. hes awesome he has so many issues and he sucks and i love him. i havnt managed to shove him fully into the ebautiful world of tf2 yet (he originated from disco elysium!) but i think it would be funny if hes dating scouts ma and now scout has a new stepdad who keeps trying to be his pal but doesnt got a handle on the whole 'fatherhood' thing as a concept yet.
I DONT HAVE AN UP TO DATE REF OF HIM BUT YOU MUST KNOW THAT HE HAS BIG BEAUTIFUL BROWN COW EYES !!!!!! hes awesome hes fucked up. i have another drawing of him beating someone up but ill post that seperately because its got blood
#scully#animal death#tw animal death#tw animal injury#AAHAHHAAGHAHAGAHAGAH TYYY FOR ASKING!!!!!!!#HES SO SO SOOOO AWESOME I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HIM#he wants to protect the people he cares for and he only knows how to do taht by cooking and punching people#he has so many complex gender and sexuality feelings#he doesnt even realize his dad was bad. hes glad his dad was hard on him. made him tough#he has a deep distrust for doctors and is so scared of getting sick#AGAHAHAGAHAHAH HESS SOOOOO AWESOME HES LIKE A LITTLE PARASITE IN MY HEAD#TYYYY TYY THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR ASKING ABOUT HIM!!!!!!!#HES SO AWESOME HES SO AUTISTIC!!! he only wears white tshirts and sweatpants and jeans#so hes got fucked up tan lines on his arms about it#hes so awesome and evil women love to manipulate him#sometimes i also think of him taking soldiers place in a beautiful tf2 world but thats more nebulous#I LOVE TALKING!!!! TY FOR INDULGING MEEEE!!!!!
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Happy Birthday, Carder Kids!!
Al and Tidus are coming to stop by Joker's party, while Eu and Lazaro are swinging by Punch's.
"The Strap you have that matches the Heartslabyul uniform is lovely," Albert started. "I believe I found one similar, but with a bit of extra padding for more comfortable carrying."
"I wasn't sure how many different kinds of hair accessories you were able to bring with you," Tidus said sheepishly. "But I hope this gives you even more options for however you like styling it." In his gift, an assortment of hair ties, clips and accents lay, all coordinated with red, black, and white.
Over in Punch's Party:
"Hermanito!! Gotta keep those mitts warm and protected out on the hockey field if you wanna play that uke later. Got'cha some custom gloves!" Ignihyde blue, the gloves had 'CARDER' embroidered along the wrist, with a raven over the back of each hand.
"So, I got a couple of guys from your dorm to help me transcribe some songs on the 'Ipod' from my world," Eugenio said, a bit unsure whether it was something that could land. "I got a copy of the actual songs along with the sheet music for you to listen to if you wanted, to get an idea of how they sound." An MP3 player and booklet of sheet music sat in their hand for him to take. A whole new catalogue of songs to learn.
It was Joker and Punch's birthday yesterday, but the party goes on!
Rose petals flutter in the breeze in the Heartslabyul tea garden, and the guest of honor is cooing over a certain Pentergeist's present. "Checkerboard *and* roses? OM7, Al, this is absolutely perfect!" Joker pulled the accordion strap from the tissue paper and held it up against her shoulders, grinning. "You could tell the old one was starting to dig in, huh? It was beginning to wear a little thin on me, so this is fantastic timing. Thank you so much!!" She pulls Albert into a tight side-hug and places a kiss on his cheek, only slightly marking him with a red smudge under one eye. "You're so sweet."
When Tidus approaches, she takes his hand into both of hers to bring him a little closer. "I'm so glad you were able to come by today! I know you haven't been able to come to a lot of proper Queendom events, but here at Heartslabyul you'll get the next closest thing to actually visiting. A lil' adventure until you can go in person, right?" She giggles as she opens his gift. "Aww, you noticed I'm always trying something new? These are gonna match my gear perfectly. Thank you!!" Again, she does the tight, friendly side-hug, but can't quite reach up as high for the cheek smooch. (A pity, really.)
Over at Ignihyde, the lounge has been transformed from its usual sterility to a night at the club! Punch squints good-naturedly through the blue-and-white party lights and leans closer to Laz so he can hear him over the music. "Oh wow!! Yeah, it ain't easy getting gear here, since we haven't got a club or anything for hockey - these are great!" He tries one glove on, flexing his fingers. They're a perfect fit! He offers a fistbump to his senior, grinning wide. "Excellent, brother. Thank you. I gotta get you to the rink soon, let you try out playing. You'll like it."
"Eu! You made it, bud!" Punch gives his friend a hearty handshake. "What's that? Oh, so is this the songs that you've been singing? That's incredible! It'll be so much fun to hear all this new music." His eyes are all lit up, and he's grinning extra hard. "Thank you so much! This is gonna be incredible!!"
#always a pleasure to host your kids; yeet them over any time#carder birthday bash!#twisted wonderland oc#joker carder#punch carder#friend's oc#albert eastwind#tidus rhin#lázaro muertinez#eugenio hernandez
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Hey! It’s CureDeity (sorry tumblr makes me ask from my main). I am here, in your inbox today, to rattle my little empty coin can and ask you to list some of your favorite beyblade fanfics! I’m going around asking a lot of people this, so feel free to ignore it if you want, but I thought this might be a good way for people to shout out some of the fanfic they really enjoy! Btw, if you can, I thought it would be helpful to list which site this fic was on so others could find it easier if they wanted to.
Also, if you’ve written any fic (or have fic ideas, as we all know, imagining the same scene over and over again is the bread and butter of a writer), please also take this chance to have a massive, amazing ego and tell us which of your fics you're most proud of/is your favorite/etc.
oooohh yes yes yes!!!
i'll preface this by saying that i haven't/don't read as much fanfics as i want to and there are just so many amazing stories being made in this fandom honeslty!! also as a non native english speaker i'm always blown away by certain phrases or paragraphs that just scrtch my brain just right it's really inspiring to see what people can do with words in different ways and styles.
So first i thought about @little-christmas-song's secret santa gift to me so this is christmas (the war is over) because TFRGEHYSJ IT IS!!! so good!!! i loved reading it, the ideas and just the feeling of the setting being so well built around me while i read it!! the characterization was so good and that's really amazing because ryuga is a hassle to write right imo,, anyway really amazing style and i can't wait for other pieces from Song (i can confidently say the next one will be a banger :>)
then from @artisadie, her fic the previous wielder (is just a guy) was so emotional and like so nuanced too? like grhjesk i loved it the vibes were really good and the structure made it really pleasant to read
so many others i have to read (i'm sorry guysss) but one fic from @lady-lazagna that i felt was really on point character wise was Pumpkin head it is such a good Yu characterization me think and also Tsubasa's character is really interesting when laz writes him!! makes me appreciate him so much more
I really really loved @andro-dino's toby fic this body of mine, it's been a while and i forgot a lot of it unfortunately but i remember being just !!!!!! aaaaa so touched by that fic like,, it's so well written and just hits close to home in subtle ways and just makes you love Tioby even more if that's possible
But but but i also really loved constants because,, hyoma. And axel writes hyoma so well and i just love him so much
okay now for your fic deity!!! i have,, a lot but i tried to make it a little smaller selection, here it is: first i think aquario's refrain (and also aquario's reawakening) really marked me it's such a good read and expendation on hikaru's character and just,, so so good,, the way you write hikaru's mental health issues and fights is just amazing!!
then i looked through ao3 real quick just now and i thought back to mayblade, the last day actually!! chapter 18: moon this. this gingka, the way he is written and also just how you managed to write so many characters and keep the rythm going and just write an amazing conclusion in general aaaa i still love it immensely
and last but not least Gingka's also adopted?! because man... MAN!!! this fic kncked me down kicked me and brought me back to life and gave me just one of the best aus and ryo characterization ever i just love it it's so good i think it might be my favorite deity fanfic! everything, the different times it takes place in, the phoenix bit especially and just,, the feels so many feels
alright and also i want to take this opportunity to thank the people i've talked to and shared my silly headcanons, ocs and au ideas with, it really is a huge source of joy for me to connect with people through art, through this weird 13yo show we're invested in for one reason or the other. And even though i struggle with writing/can never finish any wip or plan any story for some reason i just love thinking about aus and my shoyo being part of this world too, thinking way too deeply about hyoma or ryuga's characters :') so thank you everyone who has let met talk about all of that with them i love you <3 and thank you for sharing your little aus, ideas, your ocs and everything in between with me too, it's really an immense pleasure to read and exchange about them every time!!
#alright i'm done :D#fanfic day!!! so cool it makes me feel really positive#very nice#mfb#thank you sm for the ask
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wwdits small fic (platonic interaction about instruments and nachos between Laszlo and Sean) :
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"Hey Laz ! If I were an instrument what would I be ?"
"...What do you mean by that ?"
"Metaphorically, like.. would I be more of a guitar ?..a piano ?.. because you really look like a piano man you know !"
"I don't know Sean."
"Oh.. no big deal, don't worry."
Of all the questions Sean asked him during their friendship, this one.. was definitely the strangest.
'What did Sean mean by that ? Is it a weird-ass psychological test ?'
'Does Sean expect me to know the answer ?'
Because to be honest, Laszlo had no idea.
His friend was not elegant, which took away a lot of possibilities, and he has a terrible sense of rhythm according to Charmaine.
'Maybe a drum ?' If you hit it.. it resonates.
However it was truly indelicate to think of his friend in this way, although it's easy to admit that Sean isn't the most lucid chap on this planet.
A xylophone maybe, a childish version of a piano that even a person with no musical experience could play...No.
A harmonica seemed to fit him a little better but Laszlo was still not satisfied.
"Do you want some nachos Laz ?"
The question of his best friend pulled him out of his thoughts.
"No thank you."
'Eureka !'
Laszlo smiles for himself, proud of his quick intellect.
"I think I finally found the instrument that suits you Sean !"
"Cooool ! Tell me man !" Sean moved closer to his neighbor, high hopes in his eyes.
"A triangle."
A heavy silence weighed in the room, Sean stared at him as he proceeded with the information.
"C'MON ARE YOU SERIOUS, A FUCKING TRIANGLE ?"
The man seemed terribly offended and Laszlo could not help but to move back a little facing the sudden outburst of his friend.
He reached out a hand and tried to put it on his lap.
"Well yes my friend, looking at your triangular shaped chips, I thought you might be a triangle."
"Think again Laz.. Because I don't want to be considered as the shittiest instrument in History"
Laszlo frowned as he listened to this statement.
"What do you mean by that ?"
"REALLY ?! Anyone can play it ! You just have to make it ring like a moron, just ONCE !"
Laszlo thought. The triangle was certainly not the most complicated instrument to play, but it requires undeniable precision and listening. One eighth note out of sync can ruin a piece.
"I'm sorry if I offended you Sean."
"Don't worry man, I admit I exaggerated a bit huh-" Sean scratched his neck.
"Anyway, do you want some nachos ?"
His best-friend handed him the basket again.
"Gladly Sean."
And Laszlo took one of these strange chips in his hand and smiled at his fellow friend.
'He was definitely a triangle.'
#wwdits#what we do in the shadows#wwdits fic#wwdits writing#laszlo cravensworth#wwdits laszlo#sean rinaldi#wwdits sean#kztpost
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For bear and Lazarus pleaseeee
💤🍩☀️🎁👑🍼
💤- do they fall asleep easily? What helps them sleep?
- Bear is actually scared to sleep, he's scared that he'll wake up and his brothers are gone. Sleeping is something that he seriously overthinks no matter how much reassurance he gets. He's like this with a partner too it doesn't get any better. He's genuinely panicking, it's intense. His hands are shaking, he's bouncing his leg he even paces. Sleep doesn't come easy for him, it stresses him out so much.
- it's much easier for Lazarus, after he checks on Phoenix to make sure his heart is still beating he goes to bed. Some nights it takes up to twenty minutes, on some up to an hour. He might not sleep through the whole night due to nightmare of Phoenix's death, which to this day he can't forget so he checks on Phoenix again to make sure he really is alive.
🍩- favourite sweet treat?
- Bear has a sweet tooth, but has no preference at all. But his go to I'd say is ice cream. But honestly, he isn't fussed.
- Lazarus doesn't have a sweet tooth at all, much to Phoenix's dismay. Phoenix has tried so hard to actually find something his twin genuinely likes but this continues to be a flop. (Laz doesn't want Phoenix to think he's successful) but Lazarus likes cake, red velvet is his favourite but he'll try anything.
☀️- are they a morning person? What is the first thing they do in the morning?
- Bear loves the morning so much, he's not stressed out or at least not like he is at night. First of all he's checking on his brothers, because he's still terrified but once that's done he's getting a cup of caf. If this sweetheart is in a relationship though? He'll just sit there admiring them, he's soft okay :((
- Lazarus won't admit it to save his life but he is not a morning person at all. He would rather sleep in, but Phoenix will drag him out of bed without any hesitation. "I'm gonna kill you for that one." "You said that yesterday, I'm still kicking!"
🎁- what types of presents would they be most happy to receive? Are they good at gift giving?
- As for Lazarus, he'll thank you sure but he's confused. He doesn't understand why he's getting a gift but hey he'll thank you nonetheless. He's very awkward at gift giving but he's getting better at it!
- Bear doesn't do well with receiving gifts, he gets flustered by it, but if anything definitely trinkets. if it made you think of him, he gets so confused and giddy, it's so unreal to him how someone could think of him. He is amazing at giving gifts, most of the time it's trinkets but he knows those around him so well so you'll most likely like it.
👑- what does your oc want to be remembered as? Why?
- Bear doesn't think he's done anything worth remembering, not even his kindness. Despite being kind to mostly everyone he comes across if he can, in his opinion that means nothing. He doesn't think about this often.
- Lazarus would only want to be remembered for his sacrifice, not for the brothers he's lost. He'd make sure his sacrifice was worth it.
🍼- what are their thoughts on children?
- If Bear's partner wanted kids he's all for it, he'd be really good with kids. After the war his abandonment issues do not improve just a warning, but he's working on it. He thinks about this here and there, it actually makes him emotional. The more he thinks about it, the more he's sure that this is what he wants, but if his partner didn't want kids he'd respect their decision.
- Oh boy, Laz is very on the fence. In his words "I'm not exactly father material." So you'd have to push a bit, he doesn't understand why anyone would want kids with him. You'd get a rare Laz smile (if you can get this boy to smile good job) I think eventually he'd say yes. But you'd have to be really sure that you want this with him.
#blue posts#blue answers#blue's asks#blue's oc rambles#blue's ocs#lazarus#brief phoenix mentions#bear#bear hug#writing some of bear's segments genuinely made me sad i feel so bad for him#Lazarus is traumatised
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while Im reposting Lazarus content lemme repost this short story with him that I lowkey have a soft spot for.
Warning for some blood and guts
______
Fuzzy images flashes by. A dark forest in the early night, completely devoid of noise aside from a labored breath. His own breath. He feels disorientated, lost, sick and feverish... Then a jolt of pain, it feels distant and unreal… A memory of a past injury?
His head is pounding
The blurry forest doesn’t feel as quiet, there is a voice. Someone is talking, it’s unintelligible and muffled. Who is this? What are they saying? Why do they feel familiar?
Sharp pain in his stomach jolts Lazarus wide awake.
He was sitting on a bed, far from the forest he imagined. Before he had the time to do anything about his stomachache nor properly take in his surroundings, a voice calls to him.
“Easy there fella! Lay back down will you, Ill give some painkiller okay”
Lazarus looked up. He knew that face.
“Otto?”
“Er… Have we met before? How do you know my name?”
The black man didn’t answer. Everything made a little more sense. His dream from last night, he was remembering how he met Otto. Well, not that Otto, another one in another world. He must have seen this new Otto coming to his aid before passing out prompting his old memories to come back. His head was still pounding however and he had trouble remembering the previous days. He left the previous dimension he was in in a hurry but he couldn’t recall why.
“Maybe you don’t speak English uh?... Still odd you know my name...” said the elderly white man scratching his head. “Did someone put a bounty on my head?”
“No, I knew a version of you… He was a good friend…”
“A version of me? Like a clone dealio?”
“A you from another dimension.”
“Parallel universe shenanigan like in that hero movie thang?”
“Yeah, pretty much” Lazarus winced, still very much in pain. “I ended up in his world wounded and he took me in, similar to now with you. He was very kind and the world he lived in was very dangerous with poisonous fog that crept on you at a moment’s notice and supersized bugs who evolved after the arrival of said fog… Once I recovered enough to travel through dimensions again I took him with me. Otto became a travel friend of mine for a couple years…”
“What happened to him? Did he kick the bucket? Did you two have a fight and split?”
“No. He was alive when I left and we were in pretty good terms. We just found a world he felt at home in and wanted to stay there so I left on my own.”
“Why though? Why didn’t you stay? Why do you keep traveling like that?”
Lazarus laughed
“It feels a bit odd telling you my story. I can’t help but think ‘I told you in great detail what happened to me already’ even if I know you’re not the same Otto…” Lazarus sighed, the pain was finally diminishing thanks to the pain killers. “It all started when I was 8. I had created inter-dimensional portals before that but they were small and I could only ever stick my arm or head into. Shortly after my 8th birthday however I was able to create my first portal big enough for me to properly pass through. When I did, I entered into a brand new world, in an alien body. I was having a blast. A real dream of adventure in a fantasy land come true…”
“You couldn’t go back to your world after that could you uh?”
“Yeah… When I made a new portal to go back and ended in yet another foreign world. I realzed I had no control and was lost across dimensions…” Laz was surprised Otto caught on so quick. “Then there’s the part you’ll get mad about and think I'm stupid… I somehow ended back in a world very similar to my home. I even found ‘my mom’ there, another version kinda like you and the other Otto.”
“You didn’t stay there did you” the old man sighed with disappointment
“I did, for about 10 years. Then I left to find my ‘real mom’ again.”
“And you ended up lost again…”
“Pretty much…”
“Did you ever find other versions of your mom?”
“Nope. That second mom and you are the only instance of me meeting someone twice through dimensions.”
“Maybe it’s a sign. Maybe you and I should stick together!” He laughed then joked. “That or you missed old me so much that you somehow made your way here!”
“I think you’re not too far off.”
“Huh? Wait. By that logic shouldn’t you have already found your mom or more clones of her?”
“Not quite. I think my subconscious control over my power has been a recent development and..”
“Still!” Otto interrupted “You still miss your mom don’t you? You still miss your home! If you think about it then…”
“It’s not doable anymore. It’s been so many decades that I don’t remember her face… I'm not even sure what her name was. My memories of her are too foggy to focus on. Otto number 1 was someone I met only a few years ago…”
“Decades?! Maybe for the first one but your second mom. You said she raised you for ten years so you were around 18 when you left. You look to be around 30 so that’s just 10 years, and you had just as many years to form memories about her.”
“It’s more complicated.” Lazarus waved the other man’s suggestions off. “It’s been more that just 10 years… I may be physically and mentally 34 but... But I’ve been travel though dimensions for hundreds of years actually. Before I met the first Otto I genuinely had lost track of how long I had been 30. He helped me grow a bit but I’ve again been stuck at 34 for a couple years I think. I'm not even sure How many years I spent lost between dimensions when I was 8. It could have been a few month just as much as it could have been 20 years. You easily lost track of time when you end up in dimensions that used different calendars and no one to remind you it’s your birthday.”
Otto sat there completely silent. What was there to say anyway. The younger man probably had no interest for useless apologies and platitudes. The old man just stared, feeling empty and sad on the trans man’s behalf. The black man didn’t add anything to the conversation either, choosing instead to get a bit comfier in the cover of the borrowed bed he laid on.
Lazarus was silent but he wasn’t upset. He was thankful that this new Otto tried to give him ideas and try to help and he felt bad to have to rebuke him like this. Truth is, he too wished his suggestion worked and he could just go home.
With the conversation over Lazarus finally took the time to look himself over. Under the cover he ran his hands over his body inspecting for changes in skin textures alerting him of scar tissues. He kept the stomach area for last since pain came from her he already knew something was wrong there anyway. When he did touch his abdomen he was surprise to notice the pain came from wounds that hadn’t healed yet. It was quite odd to him. Usually when he got hurt in a dimension any wound would either be healed or nonexistent when traveling to another dimension. Did he get attacked right after ending up here, he wondered.
On the other side of the wooden cabin, Otto was in the kitchen cooking for two. His rescue had been sleeping for quite a while and with how long they talked he was surely hungry. Hopefully this would cheer him up and distract him somewhat from their previous discussion.
“Did you stitch me back up or was I already patched up when you found me?” Lazarus scream-asked from the bedroom
“You were all open when I found you in my yard! I called a doctor over to stuff your insides back in! Hope he did a decent job!”
Otto made his way back to the bedroom to check on him
“You had a clean slash across your tummy like someone tried cutting you up in half. What happened?”
“I can’t remember quite frankly. Maybe the blood-loss messed with my memory…”
“Or you got hit hard on the head on your way there” The grandpa laughed, he always laughed.
Laz was about to respond when his stomach growled, the grumbling echoing through his open mouth. That was a bit embarrassing, but Otto found it quite funny.
“Lunch’s on the way! Give it 5 more minutes!
__________
Lazarus spent the next couple of days bedridden and taken care of by Otto. It wasn’t something Laz frequently allowed people to do. He always had a rather feral and independent attitude, but with Otto it was different. May it be the one he met in his younger years or this one, he had this deep trust in him where he felt safe enough to be vulnerable around him. Otto was like a father to him and even if this one was a different person to him it was like he always knew him. Oddly enough it seemed like Otto reflected this paradoxical familiarity, very much acting like Laz was a long lost son he finally reunited with.
Usually when the inter-dimensional traveler landed in a world, his main course of action was to gather info about any potential version of his mom residing in it. Not this time however. While warm and in good company with Otto, things felt off. He still didn’t remember what world he was just before ending up here, what happened there nor how he got his injury. The fact that said injury had not healed when hopping through his wormhole was concerning itself. The only alternative would be that the injury appeared after the jump which wasn’t any more reassuring since so far jumping through dimensions always landed in in places where he’d be safe.
The only closest instance of something like this happening was when he met the first Otto. He was in a weakened state yes but it wasn’t as bad. He arrived in that fog dimension starving and dehydrated, a portal-hop wouldn’t have fixed it right? From what he understood inter-dimensional traveling did change his body’s appearance and by extension helped heal or erase wounds but it just couldn’t put food in his stomach. But then there was the bear trap thing… He always ended up in places that were safe to him but back then he landed right next to a bear trap and stepped on it. Granted had he not stepped on it the area was in general safe… sort of? Then again him stepping on said trap or just landing there specifically was what allowed Otto to find him and help him get away from the fog so in some way you could say that the trap was a form of safety assurance?
Lazarus was completely lost in his thoughts trying to make sense of everything. Wasn’t there another instance where he wasn’t safe? Yeah there was one other time, a time were everything was off too. He landed in a snowy version of japan where he had no business being seeing as he was wearing summer traditional cabo-verdean clothes. He still hadn’t made sense of what had happened back then either.
All these uncertain feelings have been what kept him here, more than the comfy company of Otto. In any other situation where he was wounded, Lazarus would have done another dimensional jump as soon as he could to get his wound healed, but here? No. No he couldn’t risk it, what if this time it just undid all the stitching and left his wide open with his guts spilled on the floor? Staying here until he had fully recovered was the only option.
“Mornin’ pal” Said the old man, interrupting the black man’s thinking “Holdin’ up good today?”
“Yeah, I'm doing fine” He replied softly “Just.. just wondering about things…”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“I'm thinking… I think I might be dying.”
“What? The doctor said you’d be fine! You’re still a young fella with lots of energy, you’re not going to die!”
“I know my mind and body are somehow still young but… What if my powers are old?”
“I don't get it.”
“When I go through a portal, my body changes and shapeshift to match the new world I end up in right”
“Right?”
“What if my powers are to old for that? Like, I still have enough capabilities to open those inter-dimentional doors but not enough to ‘rebuilt’ my body anymore. What if when I do travel again my body just fall apart, split open at the seams”
“And leave you as if someone cut you clean open…” Otto continued, blood draining from his face. Were his hair not already white it would have lost its color too.
“Yeah.”
“That’s terrifying if that’s what’s going on…b-but you don’t have to worry about that if you just stay here! I know you still want to find your mother but if stepping though one of your doors might kill you, wouldn't it be better to just stay? I don’t mind you sticking around!”
Was he ready to give up on his quest? Not really, but the thought of his potential demise didn’t exactly entice him either.
“I'm not gonna press ya on that” reassured the elderly man. “I can’t imagine being in your shoes right now. If you feel like it’s time for you to go Ill let you go even with the risks. If you want to stay here, my house will always be open for you.”
“I might not even need to leave to be honest. I didn’t really look for my mom here yet. She might be out there in this world, who knows...”
Otto nodded, he could tell Lazarus didn’t believe any of the words he said, he probably only said it to reassure both Otto and himself.
“I think I'm feeling good enough to go out.” said Laz in an attempt at changing the subject. “Maybe you could show me around town.”
“Yeah sure! You’ll love it there!”
The old guy helped his friend off the bed. The clothes the short man was wearing were far to big for him, they were Otto’s. His original clothes had been taken off of him when the doctor patched him up so Otto could clean the blood off of them and had him wear an old shirt the entire time he was stuck in bed. His old garb should be clean and dry by now.
Once dressed up the duo stepped outside. It had only been a few days since he felt the outside wind on his face but it felt like it had been a month to him. He was so used to a fast-paced life always running traveling. This had been so different, but he didn’t hate it.
“Let’s check out my back garden!”
“Something special back there?”
“Well that’s where I found you. Maybe it will bring back memories or you dropped something there, i don’t know!”
Otto’s cabin was smack in the middle of a huge grass field and his ‘back garden’ was just more of that for the most part. Aside from a sea of green there was a patch of dirt with clothing lines, a stone well and a spot of dark plants. His confusion over the brown grass was swiftly cleared up, it was blood. Of course, it hadn’t rained so the spot he was found bleeding out on was still stained. Beside the dried up blood there was nothing there sadly. No trinkets, memento or spark that returned his memory.
“Not doing much fer you uh?”
“Not really no.”
“That’s alright. We gave it a try at least!” he adjusted his cowboy hat “Let’s move it down town and have you meet the good peeps. Ill clean this up later if the weather doesn’t do it for me. I don't really care for the looks but we don’t want no wolf lurkin’ around thinking there’s a snack waiting for him or som’in’.”
With a silent nod from the trans man the two of them made their way back to the front of the estate. From there they took the small dirt road that zig-zaged down the hill. Lazarus wondered what kind of land he was on. The lush green landscape reminded him of the European country side but both Otto’s way of talking and the doctor’s accent it sounded like he was in a western-ish American town. It wasn’t the oddest clashing combination he encountered in his many travels but it was still a bit confusing. The European vibes didn’t leave once he arrived in the village it very much reminded him of a rural Switzerland town he visited once.
“T’s beautiful here ain’t it?”
“It is.”
The streets were sunny, the people were welcoming. It truly was a nice bit of town. Otto introduced him to the butcher, a massive man who playfully laughed quite a bit at the trans man stature and offered him a nice cut of meat to cover his bones. Next was the market manager, she was just a vegetable shopkeeper most of the time but every first Thursday of the month she’d be in charge of setting up and keeping order on the traveling open market going through town. Then Laz got to meet the local seamstress, if he were to stay here he’d need more than one outfit to wear. For now they were just looking though, they didn't really have the money for that just yet.
Before they could reach their next destination, the duo were stopped by the town doctor.
“Hey! How is the foreigner holding up?” asked the practitian.
“I'm doing okay” replied Lazarus
“I’ve nursed him well” added Otto
“That's great to hear. Now I don’t want you to see me as some sort of vulture but… When can I expect some compensation? As much as I’d love to help from the goodness of my heart, I still need to put food on the table and this wasn’t just handing out cough syrup.”
“I totally understand.” Otto said softly “Ill make it up to ya real soon!”
“I hope your mining endeavors are treating you well then.”
“Eh! I kinda gave up on that.” The old man shrugged. “I do know there’s a big bear walkin’ round the forest though. Getting rid of it could bring me a pretty penny with all the meat and the pelt! Would make the place safer to go pick berries too!”
“Ah yes, the one roaming the south quadrant… I haven’t been able to go there to gather herbs since February…I wish you the best of luck with it!”
“Ill try to help the best I can” Added Laz. It kinda felt weird to hears these words come out of his mouth. He spent years on his own only ever looking out for himself, not out of selfishness but out of necessity and saying he’d help someone so genuinely was rather unlike him.
__________
Lazarus had little to no worries hunting a bear. He’s hunted bigger and wilder beast before. The small man fiddled with the bucket filled with spoiled fish guts. In the past his usual method of ‘hunting’ was just making a ruckus until some predators showed up and he’d just pounce on them and fight with his claws but using actual bait and shooting the shit out of the bear from a distance was probably a better tactic.
“Once you have the bait down got hide at your spot okay” Ordered Otto
“I came here to actually help, no sit in a bush.”
“The stitches on your belly are still recent! We don’t need them popping out while you’re chased by a bear!”
Laz grumbled. That was Otto alright, always protective and fatherly.
“If it runs at you and tries to maul you Ill still jump in full force, stitches be damned!”
“Don’t count on that. I never miss my shots!”
“I doubt that.” Lazzy chuckled.
After some bantering the two of them set their plans into motion: setting the bait, moving to secure spots and waiting for the target to show up. They sat in silence for hours hoping for the darn thing to show up. The woods were big so there were no guarantee it would pass by today but they were patient.
An hour became two, then three then the sun was on it’s way out. All they saw come by were a few deers, a wolf and a couple of smaller critters. Otto would have stayed there longer but with the bait being almost gone after the other beasties nibbling on them and Lazarus being around, it would be best to retreat for the day.
“Growing hungry?” Asked the old man looking up at the tree the dark skinned lad sat in. “It’s getting a bit late.”
“I wouldn’t be against it.” he replied, carefully climbing down. While he had mostly healed it was still noticeable that he was still a bit weak and in pain. You can’t walk out a huge injury like your stomach being torn open in just a week after all.
“Alright let’s head out and try again tomorrow!”
It didn’t take too long for them to make their way back home. Once they arrived Otto looked at the backyard. He still hadn’t cleaned the patch of blood back there, maybe it might have brought the bear around here today while they were on the other side of the woodlands. He didn’t know if it would be better to get rid of the iron-filled scent of that spot to raise their chances of attracting the bear on their planned spot or set up their hunting ground here.
Without telling a word to his semi-permanent guest the silver-haired man walked through the back door to go and take a closer look at the ground. The earth had been slightly disturbed indeed, but the tells were far to minimal for them to have been caused by a bear. It must have been a small dog or wolf pup who sniffed by, nothing bigger.
“Otto? Otto?” Lazarus called from the cabin.
“Be there in a sec!” Otto exclaimed as he ran back to his house. “Sorry I wanted to check something real quick. Ill get dinner done!”
“I was actually going to ask you where some of the ustencils were…”
“So YOU would cook? Not thanks!” The big man laughed "Based on how you chewed on the raw slab of meat the butcher gifted you I don’t think I can trust your cooking skills!”
“Just because I enjoy a fresh cut every now and then doesn’t meant I can’t cook!” He retorted with a smile. “But if you want to be my personal chef I'm not against it!”
After some jokes and playful jabs at each other, Lazarus went to lay down on the living room couch. As much as he hated Otto smothering him with his protective remarks he was right in saying he was still recovering and Laz still needed to rest as much as possible. As he lounged around he thought about this world. It’s was rather nice and cozy. Maybe it could use some more technology like a TV perhaps. Sadly he’d need to find something else to keep himself occupied until dinner was ready.
He wondered what kind of job he could get here. Staying seemed like the best option he had right now. Though come to think of it, the town was rather small and everyone seemed to already have their place set. Was there even a job he could take? It seemed Otto was always home with him, did he not have a job of his own? He did mention giving up on his mining project...
“Plates up!” said the old man yoinking Lazzy out of his thoughts. “Hope you like mushroom soup!”
“I do!” The young man looked at the bowls “My portion is twice yours. Are you not hungry?”
“You need a lot of food to heal fast.” He scolded him, pulling on his cheek. “That’s what why you get that much.”
“I get it! I get it!” he patted his cheek. “Doesn’t mean you should starve yourself for me…”
Did he not have enough groceries to feed the both of them properly, he though. Maybe they should have shot and brought over the deer they spotted earlier… Or did he have too limited ammo for that and needed to save them for the more sellable bear.
“Eat up before it get cold you goon!”
“Okay! Okay! Calm down!”
Laz ate but all he could taste was guilt. This old man had been living on his own already not making much. With how much he ate as he was recovering he’d probably decimated all of the poor man’s rations by now. Something needed to be done.
The trans man waited to night to fully set in before heading out. He didn’t mind the darkness too much. He may not have night vision but he was probably more capable of navigating in the darkness than the average human. Forget about the bait bucket, this time around he’ll do things his way. He will find the bear, he will kill it and bring it home for some decent cash.
__________
When Otto woke up in the morning instead of finding Lazarus sleeping in the living room he was met with a bear carcase. He was utterly baffled as to how the small guy could have dragged the thing here. On it a letter was pinned a letter:
Dear Otto,
I'm very sorry for the strain I’ve put on your finances and supplies. There just isn’t enough work or resources in this small town to sustain the both of us. You already barely scrapped by when you were on your own so having an extra mouth to feed and house is just not feasible. I have decided to take my leave to remedy the problem.
I know I could Have maybe tried something else, but to tell you the truth, the resources weren’t the only factor in my decision. Sure, the search for my mother still tug at me but it’s something else still. I loved it here, I felt happy and somewhat at home here. Yet it felt wrong.
Being happy and flourishing like this just doesn’t feel right. It’s not what my normal is. I’ve spent years struggling, learning all kinds of survival skills to keep myself alive. Fighting for my right to live is what I'm supposed to do. At least it’s what it feels like. I want to be happy like this again but I don’t think I’ve deserved it yet somehow. It’s not my time yet. I still belong to the in-between time streams.
I have to leave. I have to run. I have to earn this kind of ‘happy ever after’ bullshit.
I know you said you wouldn’t hold me back if I decided to leave, but I know you, I know you’d have tried to convince me otherwise and you’d have probably been right. I think I know I'm making a stupid decision, it’s sort of hitting me how much of a mistake I'm probably making just by reading the words I'm writing. But something inside me tells me I have to go. I just have to.
I deeply appreciate what you’ve done for me. I don’t know if Ill make it out the other side in one piece but if I do I hope that along my travel Ill meet “you” again.
Signed, Lazarus Buddy Anderson.
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💥🙈💢 for our favorite princelad?
ohoho there's one in there that immediately made me go oh no
💥 COLLISON - what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?
Maahes is not what I would call a sincere person, but he does have a lot of sincere emotions... which definitely causes a lot of internal conflict. he loves easily, he feels deeply, but everything about him is designed to maintain an image no matter the cost to his own sanity.
in that regard, he has a hard time portraying genuine love/affection in earnest, and quite frankly, anything else that comes from a similar place of raw/unfiltered emotion. he either doesn't process it (looking at you, years of untouched grief) or he is hyperaware of it and keeps it locked away, never to be acknowledged.
above all, he truly hates being put in vulnerable positions with regards to his thoughts and feelings. if his deceptive nature can't shake off any questions, he gets angry and dismissive, quite often resorting to just being a fucking mean bitch about it. sharing is only on his terms.
🙈 SEE-NO-EVIL - whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?
this is a really interesting one because like we keep saying, he's very much a curated image of whatever persona he thinks is suitable for Akhenaton's throne. what that looks like might change over time, but the intention remains.
i guess similarly to the above, he's reluctant to be visibly vulnerable and his interpretation of that is showing affection or any sort of deep emotion without any filter slapped on top of it. i also think in moments where mio asks for help that isn't disguised in some sort of deal, he can barely stand to think of how he looks to the people he's asking.
while i'm on the topic though, this could be interesting?? maybe?? it's not something he would outright share but he has alluded to: Mio knows that he really, really wants a family - regardless of the necessity behind having children to continue the divine bloodline, he has so many thoughts and hopes of being a dad and protecting and loving his children no matter what - the kind of unconditional love i think Mio wonders if he was ever given, sometimes. i think again it's the vulnerability aspect playing here, i don't know that he'd feel great showing somebody this side of him.
also relating to this: one thing i don't know that Mio's realized yet, but i don't mind sharing, is i think he really protects his younger self. i don't know how to explain it fully but leaving Akhenaton the way he did felt like being shunted out of his own existence, and he was still so young when it happened that i kind of think he's got that boy hidden away inside. there's a child in him that he protects so intensely and so desperately, that i think it would be deeply uncomfortable to see any glimpses or memories of that child in the Shadowfell or even in Akhenaton - it would be an acknowledgement that he wasn't treated fairly growing up, and it will call into judgement his belief and relationship with akhen and its creator. he couldn't cope with that, and he definitely wouldn't want anybody in Talisman to see him wrestling with that.
💢 ANGER - what are some habits they have that will take some getting used to?
the way he expects luxury LMAO he is 100% an entitled bastard, he will make snide digs if things aren't up to his standards, he won't be a karen about it but he has such a passive aggressive smile reserved for the many nights Talisman have spent in camps on the road. thank god Laz has the ability to cast Magnificent Mansion.
probably another annoying thing is that he rarely tells any one person the full story of something, instead delivering bits and pieces across random scattershot trajectories. sometimes it's intentional, other times it's just because he's a fucking gossip and it's second nature to him to sprinkle little juicy tidbits into a conversation.
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Hex polycule (Bryce, Rust, Lazarus, Chandrelle) thoughts?????
*cracks knuckles* hcs time babey! All under the cut bc it's a long post
Lazarus and Chandrelle were obviously the first ones in the polycule to catch feelings since they've been friends the longest, liking each other during SoL but neither actually properly doing anything about it
Since Chandrelle and Bryce were at the inn the longest though, they had plenty of time to bond. Nothing romantic, but boredom led to them opening up to each other about a lot, both of them disguising it as just casual chatter when it's like "Yeah aha I punched my grandma while trying to punch Irving and now she's permanently injured" "Oh cool Irving tried to fucking murder me"
Rust is the third one to come to the inn, and Bryce is making plenty of attempts to talk to the poor guy, despite Rust being a huge weirdo. Chandrelle wanted to stay out of it, but Bryce kept insisting the three of them sit together to chat
Then when Lazarus finally comes along, things are. A little awkward between him and Chandrelle for a bit. Understandable, given what happened the last time they saw each other
Bryce has heard plenty about Lazarus though, and welcomes him with open arms, happily introducing himself. And once again, as the extrovert, Bryce has Lazarus sit with the trio
Though with things still weird with Laz and Chan, Bryce decides that it'd be best if Laz sits with Rust to keep him company, since neither Laz nor Rust have a super high social battery. So basically Bryce accidentally got all the seating arrangements set up bc adding on, FPP and SWK had no tables to sit at, only left with the bar
So Laz and Rust chat a bit when they're both feeling up for it. Rust can't remember much thanks to the mind control serum, and Lazarus has a lot of repressed memories thanks to trauma, so most chats are about simpler things. Favourite foods, fighting techniques, stuff like that. Rust ends up learning a lot about sword terminology
Post game, Laz and Chandrelle finally properly talk about everything that happened, since everyone can now go anywhere they please again. Small argument, but it's more of just Lazarus having no one else to get angry at now that Irving's dead
They kinda sorta awkwardly hug it out, but none of their prior hugs have been super duper comfortable anyways thanks to Chandrelle's people issues anyways, so it feels more like home than Lazarus would care to admit
Meanwhile, with the MC serum wearing off, Bryce is helping Rust with his Rocky issues. The bonding leads to Rust developing feelings, not that he's emotionally stable enough to acknowledge that nor act out on it
Bryce also does his best to bond more with Laz, having been curious about him for quite some time now. Laz is a bit confused by all the questions, but answers them the best to his ability.
Bryce pretty much starts setting up proper time for him to hang out with the three of them. He drags Chandrelle into cooking/baking with him ("Maybe it could help with your anger issues?" "I don't fucking have anger issues!"), he and Lazarus work out together (nothing intense or anything, just simple stuff), and basically just having a book club type thing with Rust (Which also leads to them figuring out that Rust very badly needs fuckin glasses)
Sometimes the hangouts overlap. Rust will help Bryce and Chandrelle cook, Lazarus will invite Chandrelle to work out with him and Bryce, and Lazarus will go sit with Bryce and Rust so he can read with them.
Lazarus accidentally tells Bryce and Rust during reading time that he's had a long-time crush on his best friend, which even an idiot could figure out is Chandrelle, and Bryce encourages him to go for it. Well then lazarus starts talking abt how he'd feel bad, because he doesnt wanna leave Bryce and Rust for Chandrelle
Which also serves as an accidental confession to the both of them
It takes a lot of talking about it, especially since Rust's still a bit emotionally stunted and Lazarus is very, very new to romance despite the long time crush, but it basically becomes a case of "Let's go kidnap Chandrelle into the newly formed polycule"
Chandrelle's a lil hesitant at first, being even more emotionally stunted than Rust, so they all agree to take it slowly. Small dates, like going out for walks or Bryce cooking everyone dinner, stuff like that. They slowly ease into more romantic stuff
It takes Rust and Chandrelle the longest out of everyone to start doing anything romantic, both from a lack of a close bond and also emotional constipation.
Bryce convinces them to hang out more, so they do. Rust gets to learn more about Chandrelle's magic, though he doesn't really understand it at all, no matter how many times Chandrelle explains it to him
Luckily, she's moronsexual. Exhibit A: Lazarus
They basically only end up properly getting together because they both start accidentally talking about emotional stuff without realizing. And it was like "...Ah okay guess we can kiss or whatever :/"
They take turns with who's on the outside and who's on the inside of cuddle piles. Though the most frequent order is Rust > Bryce > Lazarus > Chandrelle
Lazarus also isn't invited to help out in the kitchen. Hes mistaken salt for sugar and vice versa at least ten times each. He burnt an oven mitt by placing it directly on top of a hot stove ring. He accidentally knocked over a beer bottle right into a hot, greasy pan. He didn't take offence to being kicked out.
Chandrelle has made it her life mission to get Rust to shave. She's failing.
And finally, they all use a weighted blanket when they're cuddling. Rust likes the extra pressure because he got used to sleeping in heavy armour, Bryce just likes being warm, Lazarus has the neurodivergent crave to get his bones crushed, and Chandrelle needs to be kept down so she doesnt have a complex kick in and try to run off
#i'll answer the other asks tmrw bc its like 2am and i gotta wake up at 6#ig i'll be answering them later then huh#but yeah tmrw morning for sure bc im ahead in my first period class#the hex#the hex game#stormbleeze#i still dont have a laz and bryce ship tag yet#oh well regular ol ones will have to do#chandrelle x bryce#chandrelle x rust#bryce x rust#bryce x lazarus#scov.txt#i now understand why people do really long and rambly hc posts in this format its fun and easier than writing a fic#i'll come up with an overall ship tag for the polycule on the bus tmrw. hopefully
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Little Homeworld Life chapter 9: To Err Is Human (originally published on October 10, 2022)
AN: As the talented comedic geniuses that made up Monty Python once said, "And now for something completely different." You know how rampant those human Gem AUs are? Well, allow me to present my spin on the concept inspired by the likes of Saved by the Bell and all the Disney sitcoms of old! I started watching the former on Hulu to get some inspiration, just FYI. Considering how the Alternate Future continuity I have created is a bit different from the Steven Universe we're used to, this should be an interesting take. Anyways, school's in session everybody, so strap in!
Synopsis: Welcome to Crystal High, where the quirky new girl in school Whitney Topaz falls for the captain of the football team Jasper Brooks as she helps her new classmates break free from Ruth Black's oppressive control! Wait, something isn't right.
Cast:
Lauren Ash as Whitney Topaz/White Topaz
Kimberly Brooks as Jasper Brooks/Jasper, Jazz Day/Dalmatian Jasper
Noël Wells as Ruth Black/Black Rutile
Estelle as Estelle Garrett/Garnet
Michaela Dietz as Amy Thomas/Amethyst
Deedee Magno-Hall as Pearl Hall/Pearl
Shelby Rabara as Dot Perry/Peridot
Jennifer Paz as Lana Lance/Lapis Lazuli, Zoey Lance/Zuli, Lucy Lance/Laz
Uzo Aduba as Biddie Matthews/Bismuth
Amy Sedaris as Teal Zircon/Thea Zick
Della Saba as Marina Blue/Aquamarine
Christine Pedi as Agatha Holly/Holly Blue Agate
Casey Lee Williams as Catherine "Cat" Eyre/Cat's Eye
Charlyne Yi as Irene Charles/Eyeball
Featuring Avi Roque as Cindy Barr/Cinnabar
Awkwafina as Kylie Newman/Kyanite
Allison Janney as Piper Ryan/Pyrite
Zehra Fazal as Zelda Sullivan/Zoisite
Lena Hall as Blair Stone/Bloodstone
Jodie Whittaker as Xanthe Turner/Xenotime
Marc Diraison as Ash Topaz
April Winchell as Lauren Topaz
Zeno Robinson as Kenny Topaz
And Fred Stoller as Jameson Brooks
--
Little Homestead, Delmarva was much like any other small American town. Everybody knew each other's names, community get-togethers were a frequent affair, and most of its residents have lived there all their lives. However, one family that had just moved to town from the big city would prove to change its youth forever.
The Topaz family, consisting of husband-and-wife Ash and Lauren, their teenage daughter Whitney and young son Kenny, had moved into town from Riverdale, Empire State, over the weekend after Ash got an assignment from his boss Hiram Lodge to expand Lodge Industries' influence across the Mid-Atlantic. This meant Whitney had to leave her wholesome friends behind. Though it was tough to say goodbye, Whitney always knew she'd be a stone's throw away from seeing them again whenever she liked.
--
"Hi-diddly-ho, new neighborino!" the Topazes' new neighbor Ted greeted them on a warm September morning.
"You must be Ted Sanders, I presume." Ash Topaz replied as he shook Ted's hand. "Ash Topaz, my family and I came here from Riverdale last Saturday."
"Oh, my land, Riverdale?" Ted gasped in elation. "Home of Lodge Industries?!"
"Yep, that's the one." Ash smiled. "I moved the fam here under Hiram's orders, which reminds me. I should probably introduce them to you some time."
"Oh, my boys, the missus, and I would love to meet you!" Ted smiled. "Hey, that reminds me, shouldn't your youngins be getting ready for school right now?"
"Shoot, thanks for the heads up!" Ash gasped in realization. "Talk to you later, okay?"
"My door's always open!" Ted replied as Ash raced back inside his house to get his kids ready.
--
"Sis, sis, you gotta wake up." A ten-year-old platinum blonde-haired boy said while poking his older sister in her plump lips. "Sis, sis!" The boy was still wearing some Cookie Cat-themed pajamas, while the girl had on a Mister Universe T-shirt that was a little too big for her, along with some workout shorts.
"Dah, I'm awake, I'm awake!" sixteen-year-old Whitney Topaz yelled as she jolted awake. "Oh, thanks for the lift, Kenny. So, you ready for your first day of school?"
"Uh, I don't know." Kenny Topaz replied nervously. "What if I don't make any friends at my new school? I'm scared, Whitty."
"Hey, don't get so wound up, Ken." Whitney said with a comforting smile at her little brother. "Besides, I'm pretty nervous too. I'm sure my classmates will be nice, but they got nothing on good ol' Archie and pals!"
"Oh, Whitney, you're awake!" Whitney and Kenny's homemaking mother, Lauren Topaz, said delightedly as she peered into her daughter's room. "Hop to it, young lady, don't want to be late!"
"Don't worry, Mom." Whitney said as she got up and did some stretches that Kenny was quick to try imitating. "Aw, I see someone's already ready."
"Haha, Whitty!" Kenny laughed before suddenly falling over, only to be helped up by his big sister, and the two walked out of Whitney's room hand in hand.
--
Meanwhile, in a slightly grungier part of town frequented by purse snatchers, dognappers, and carjackers, a tall, muscular teen girl with stripe tattoos lining her arms and a jasper nose ring started her morning with a few rounds on her prized punching bag. This was Jasper Brooks, a tough-as-nails punk who grew up in the rough parts of Little Homestead and had to rely on her wits and her strength to survive.
"Oy, Jasper, rise and shine!" Jasper's father, Jameson Brooks, yelled from outside. "It's the first day of school; start prepping already!"
"Whatever." Jasper responded nonchalantly to her father as her punching stopped, and she looked fondly at a photo of herself as a baby with her mother. "Hey, Mom, miss you tons, but Dad and I are still pulling through." She said to the picture while trying not to get too emotional. She had a reputation to uphold, after all. "I know you would've been proud of me."
"Hey, what's keepin' ya?!" Jameson yelled again. "These pancakes ain't gonna eat themselves!"
"I'm coming!" Jasper yelled as she tossed a towel over her shoulders and marched out of her room.
--
"Have fun, Whitney!" Lauren called as she dropped Whitney off at her new high school. "Hope you can make at least one friend today!"
"I hope so too. Love you, Mom!" Whitney yelled back as she turned around to gaze at Crystal High, the number one high school in Little Homestead, and all the cliques that came with being a high school.
"Okay, Jasper, try not to get into too much trouble this year." Jameson said to his daughter as his tow truck pulled up right behind Whitney as the latter girl walked towards the building. "There are only so many football accidents I can help you out of."
"See you later, pops." Jasper responded as she prepared to get out, but her father interrupted her with a hand on her brawny shoulder. "Uh, what is it now?"
"Just wanna say I'm proud of ya for keeping it together." Jameson gave his daughter a genuine smile. "Welp, see ya later."
"Bye." Jasper waved goodbye to her crass but goodhearted dad as his tow truck drove away, and she turned on her heel to walk to another year of high school.
"Okay, Whitney, just gotta play it cool." Whitney said to herself as she looked around at all the various cliques surrounding her. "You're just a by-the-books, plain jane new girl in town who will no doubt initially be looked down upon by your peers for the first couple of weeks. Nothing too huge."
"Hey, new girl, over here!" an overeager dark-skinned girl dressed in teal colors yelled as she raced up to Whitney and gave her a welcoming handshake. "My name's Thea Zick. Welcome to Crystal High! You must be new in town. What's your name?!"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Whitney Topaz." Whitney introduced herself to Thea. "My family moved here from Riverdale a few days ago, and this is my first day here."
"I knew you were the new girl in town because I never saw your face before, and I know everyone's faces!" Thea replied happily. "Anyways, welcome to Crystal High, founded in 1987 by Dr. Rebecca Sucrose to further her goal of enriching the education of our youth community." She then began gesturing to each of the cliques. "Here, you can find all the usual cliques you'd see in all the high school movies. Like the cheerleaders, for example."
"They seem happy to be together again." Whitney nodded at the troupe of pink-and-blue uniform-wearing cheerleaders squeeing at seeing each other again after a long summer before taking notice of two in particular. The first had curly blonde hair with blue streaks, and the other had similarly colored hair tied into a ponytail with a golden bow.
"Wanna know a fun fact?" Thea asked. "The co-captains, Lucy and Zoey Lance, are the daughters of our art teacher, Lana Lance."
"Good to know." Whitney agreed before looking at a group of goths. "Those are the goths, right?"
"You bet." Thea proclaimed proudly before gesturing to other cliques. "You also got the nerds, the hipsters, the drama kids, the gamers, the artists, the preps, the delinquents, but our cream of the crop is the sports teams!"
"Yo Jasper, over here!" one of Jasper's fellow football players called for his captain, and they engaged in a secret handshake. "We missed ya, girl!"
"How did working in the old man's garage treat you?" another of Jasper's teammates asked.
"Check it!" Jasper replied as she flexed her muscles, amazing the football team and causing Whitney to gape in adoration.
"Oh yeah, the Crystal High Wildcats. Best football team in the school district!" Thea exclaimed before she noticed that her new friend was stunned. "Uh oh, somebody's got a crush!"
"What? No, I don't!" Whitney fibbed with a laugh. "I mean, she looks really cool and hot, but it's not like I'm going to lie awake at night thinking about her, right?"
"You keep telling yourself that." Thea smiled knowingly before she winced at another student approaching them. "Oh no, hide! It's her!"
"Who are you talking about?" Whitney asked as she saw her new classmates also tremble in fear, cuing the arrival of a tall, distinguished young woman with black hair sticking in an upward point, red-rimmed glasses, a black dress shirt, and matching pants. She was followed by a much smaller girl who could only reach up to her hips wearing a dark blue sweater-vest and pleated skirt, a woman with white high-heeled boots and a blue blouse with her hair in buns, and another cheerleader with a rather catlike face and a dark brown coat & matching hat. "Who are these girls?"
"I'll tell you later; just act natural!" Thea exclaimed as she nervously hid behind Whitney as the four girls approached the new students.
"We know you're hiding behind her, Thea." The lead girl in black announced, forcing Thea out of hiding. "Why didn't you tell us that we were getting a new student?"
"Oh, it's not my fault; she just got here!" Thea sweated in terror, her teeth chattering in fright, while Whitney stared blankly at the four high schoolers before her.
"Welcome to Crystal High, miss…." The lead girl greeted Whitney with a reach of her hand.
"Whitney Topaz." Whitney introduced herself as she shook the other girl's hand. "And you are?"
"My name is of no importance at the moment." The menacing greeter responded. "But since you asked, you may call me Ruth Black. Now, off to homeroom with you. Go on, vamoose!"
"Uhhhh…." Whitney said flatly as Ruth and her posse walked away.
"And the rest of you, get to your classes, or you're all getting a write-up!" Ruth yelled at her classmates, striking fear into their hearts as they scrambled to their homerooms. "That's right, stick to the status quo, everyone!"
"I'm guessing she's the mean girl I have to watch my step around?" Whitney asked Teal as the two blended in with the scrambling students.
"Ruth Black, student council president and effectively the ruler of this school." Thea replied. "We have a principal here, who's really great, by the way, but Ruth basically has everyone under her foot! We don't know why she wakes up in the morning feeling like making everyone's lives a nightmare, but I don't think we wanna know."
"That's terrible, she's terrible!" Whitney yelled loud enough for anyone around her to hear. "Some student council president she is; she's more like a psycho dictator!"
"You said it." Thea responded with a nod. "So many students have wanted to take her down a peg, but they're too scared to pull through with it because she's just that powerful!"
"Well, someone oughta do something about this!" Whitney declared. "In fact, I nominate myself to help everyone make their school year brighter!"
"Good on you for wanting to finish the fight!" Thea responded happily. "Hey, that reminds me, which homeroom teacher do you have?"
"Oh, I got Ms. Thomas." Whitney said. "How about you?"
"No way, me too!" Thea exclaimed. "She's in Room 111; I think you'll really like her!"
As the two girls searched for their homeroom, another girl whose left eye was hidden behind her bangs watched the duo's conversation before scurrying away to warn her superiors about Whitney's plans.
--
"I don't know, Miss Black, aren't these budget cuts a little drastic?" the guidance counselor Pearl Hall asked as she and Principal Estelle Garrett met with Ruth Black in the principal's office. "I mean, I consider music and art classes to be absolutely vital in youth development!"
"Oh please, I'm plenty developed as is." Ruth scoffed with a shrug. "I never required such classes, so why should everyone else?"
"Remember that regardless of your high status, you're just as much of a student here as the other teenagers here." Estelle tried to bring Ruth's egotism down a peg. "You may think that just because you emerged victorious in the student council elections, you'd use that as an excuse to abuse the power that comes with it, but-"
"Yeah, I know. I'm still just a girl at the end of the day!" Ruth unemphatically cut the principal off before she heard a knock at the door. "I'll get that." She opened the office door to find a panicked Irene on the other side, letting her in. "Irene, my trusted eyes and ears of the entire school, any updates?" Unfortunately, Irene was a little too exhausted and nervous to say any whole sentences, so Ruth just translated her panting. "Wait, Dripping Yellow Madness is back? I thought he moved out after the fifth grade!"
"I'm so sorry; I just ran fast because I needed to warn you." Irene replied. "It's that new girl, Whitney Topaz! She says she wants to change how you run this place, or something like that. She even outright called you a psycho dictator!"
"The new girl wants to help everyone?" Pearl exclaimed in delight. "I'm so excited!" An enraged Ruth glared at the guidance counselor. "I mean, I'm so scared!"
"Emergency council meeting at once." Ruth grumbled as she stormed out of Principal Garrett's office. "I will not tolerate this threat to my power!"
"Looks like someone can't tolerate change too." Estelle snarked as Ruth slammed the door on her way out. "Pearl, I suggest we keep an eye out on this Topaz girl. And tell the other teachers to do the same. I have a feeling she really could make a change here."
"I'll call them to your office during transition." Pearl smiled in response. "Ooh, finally, someone who can save us!"
--
Meanwhile, in Room 111, Mrs. Thomas's homeroom students were all sitting at their desks waiting for their teacher to arrive. Whitney and Thea were seated right next to each other, and unbeknownst to them at the moment, Jasper Brooks was sitting not too far away from the duo. Just then, a woman who looked more likely to be a student with an amethyst brooch attached to her black jacket strolled into the room and sat at her desk. "Morning, everyone. My name's Amy Thomas; I hope you had a great summer! Now, before we start rollcall, let's introduce the new student."
"Hi, everyone; my name's Whitney Topaz." Whitney greeted her new classmates with a smile. "I moved here from Riverdale in Empire State just last weekend, so I hope all of you are just as friendly as my old friends from there."
"Thanks for the heads-up, Whitney. Now let's get roll calling!" Mrs. Thomas said as she pulled out an attendance sheet. "Apologies if I'm going in random order; I didn't have enough time to alphabetize everything. Anyways, Tommy Oliver?"
"Here." A muscular man dressed in a green and white jacket said.
"Sue Heck?" Amy continued reading the attendance sheet.
"Present!" a dorky, brown-haired girl wearing braces exclaimed cheerfully.
"Joey Wheeler?"
"Nyeh, here." A blonde man shuffling a deck of cards responded with a Brooklyn accent.
"Candace Flynn?"
"Uh, here." An orange-haired girl with an unusually long neck said with an awkward wave of her hand.
"I think I like her already." Whitney said to Thea about Mrs. Thomas as the roll call continued. "She looks like she'd rather belong with us students, which makes her instantly relatable."
"Whitney Topaz?" Amy asked for Whitney's name.
"Here!" Whitney exclaimed while raising her hand.
"Good to know you're still onboard." Amy smiled at the new girl. "Thea Zick?"
"Ooh, that's me, that's me!" Thea waved her arms eagerly at hearing her name called.
"Chipper as always, TZ." Amy grinned before returning to roll call. "Okay, who's next? Jasper Brooks?"
"Here." Jasper snorted as she gazed out the window all nonchalantly, finally making Whitney realize that she had shared a homeroom with her new crush. Everything about her seemed perfect to the new student, from her big muscles to her punk rock outfit, the stripes on her arms, her wild hair, and that sense of rebellious nonchalance she carried with her.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing right now?!" Whitney muttered in shock to Thea. "That's the girl I had the hots for earlier! What was her name again?"
"Jasper Brooks, you have a crush on the Jasper Brooks!" Thea replied excitedly. "If you date her, maybe we could be in with the cool kids!"
"Okay everyone, that should be it for rollcall!" Amy declared as she finished listing off her homeroom students. "Go ahead and get comfortable until the bell rings." The students then began getting out of their desks to greet each other, talk about their summers, and get introduced to Whitney. But she had her eyes on someone else.
"Hi, my name's Whitney!" Whitney introduced herself to Jasper as she began blushing like no tomorrow. "I'm sure you've already heard my name a couple of dozen times, but I want to get to know you better! You're Jasper Brooks, right?"
"Yep." Jasper said tersely. "You said you were from Riverdale, right? Home of The Archies?"
"Oh yeah, Archie and his gang were all great pals." Whitney replied. "Maybe someday I could introduce you to them all. Speaking of which, you're on the football team, right?"
"Captain of the Crystal High Wildcats, to be precise." Jasper responded. "You want to come watch me practice after school?"
"Oh, I'd love to, but I have to get home so I can help my family unpack all our stuff from the move." Whitney declined sadly. "But if you'd like, maybe I could text you. Want my phone number? It's 1 (212) 867-5309."
"Thanks for the number." Jasper responded after entering Whitney's number into her phone. "I'll, uh, see you around. What classes do you have next?"
"I got art with Mrs. Lance." Whitney answered. "Ooh, I love art! This is gonna be so much fun!"
"What a coincidence, I got that class too." Jasper grinned in realization. "Any other classes we might happen to share?"
"Well, after that is gym with Ms. Matthews, then science with Mrs. Perry, English with Mr. Sanchez, Spanish with Senor Esteban, lunch, and finally math with Mr. Powers." Whitney responded. "You?"
"I got Matthews, Perry, and Powers too, coincidentally." Jasper added. "Wow, we got a lot of classes together. It's almost like we were destined to meet or something."
"Yeah, maybe." Whitney chuckled awkwardly as her blush got even brighter. Before Jasper could catch on, the two were cut off by Thea squealing in delight over their conversation. "Thea!"
"I can't believe it. Only one conversation, and you got her number!" Thea yelled excitedly. "This is going to be so awesome!" But contrary to what Thea said, someone didn't think things were awesome. Ruth Black shared a homeroom with Whitney, Jasper, and Thea, and she was not happy with what she had just watched.
--
As Whitney began getting used to her new routine at Crystal High and becoming closer to Jasper once homeroom ended, they were unwise to the fact that a sinister plot was brewing right beneath their noses.
"If it cannot break out of its shell, the chick will die without being born. We are the chick; the world is our egg." Ruth monologued to herself as the student council assembled in a meeting room under her orders. "If we don't crack the world's shell, we will die without being born. Smash the world's shell."
"For the revolution of the world!" the student council concluded for Ruth as they were seated at their places at the table. Aside from Ruth herself as their leader, there was the secretary Marina Black, one of the highest-scoring students in Crystal High; the hall monitor Agatha Holly, social media expert, treasurer, and cheer squad representative Catherine "Cat" Eyre. In addition, there was the debate team leader and council advisor Cindy Barr; dance squad leader Kylie Newman, class representative Piper Ryan; sports team manager Jazz Day and her girlfriend Zelda Sullivan; extracurricular activity manager Blair Stone; and co-advisor Xanthe Turner.
"Now, you may wonder why I have gathered you all today." Ruth inquired her council.
"Let me guess, is it that new girl everyone's been talking about?" Marina responded.
"Yes, exactly, it is because of the new girl." Ruth answered quietly before she started yelling. "OF COURSE IT'S BECAUSE OF THE NEW GIRL! HAVE YOU EVER SEEN SOMEONE BE THIS MUCH OF A THREAT TO MY CONTROL OVER THIS SCHOOL AFTER ONLY A FEW PERIODS?!"
"Pardon me for asking Miss Black, but could anyone tell me who the new girl is?" Cindy asked her superior.
"Whitney Topaz, age 16, born February 4, 2001, in Riverdale, Empire State." Agatha read from Whitney's new records. "She has only just started here after moving out of Riverdale due to a job transfer, but it seems the girl has already made a name for herself."
"Haven't seen a new student become this notorious since that Parker boy from a few years back." Catherine purred as she typed away on her phone with a lollipop in her mouth. "Anyone remember him, the little dweeb who suddenly became on par with an Olympian and started getting all the girls?"
"I actually kinda miss that guy." Kylie replied. "We only went on one date before he had to run off, but he was a pretty sweet guy. I hope he and his aunt are doing well."
"Back on subject, we cannot let Whitney's rebellion continue," Ruth stated. "I didn't win the council election in a landslide and earned myself a full-ride scholarship to Diamond University just to let the mother of all generic awkward new girls try to take my place as the talk of the town! And what's worse? She's apparently had eyes for Jasper Brooks, my ex-girlfriend, might I add!"
The rest of the council gasped in shock before they erupted into chattering. "Am I hearing things, or is Whitney having feelings for Brooks of all people?" Jazz asked Zelda.
"Those two won't last a week!" Zelda rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"I'll give them eleven to twenty-two minutes." Piper added.
"We have to do something about this!" Blair yelled. "What kind of dirt on her family can we expose to the public and permanently tarnish her reputation? That always seems to work!"
"From what I've gathered, the Topazes seem to be your perfectly average upper-middle-class nuclear family." Xanthe answered coldly. "Not a one of them seems to have any criminal history, or at the very least have performed any dirty deeds for dirt cheap."
"Order everyone, order!" Ruth yelled as she commanded silence with a bang of a gavel. "We must act quickly before she does anything out of the ordinary! I have worked day and night, micromanaging this school to fit my expectations! Someone hand me Whitney's schedule!"
"Right here, Miss Black." Irene said as she handed the schedule to Ruth, who began looking it over.
"Well, what a surprise. It seems she and Jasper have some classes together this year." Ruth growled as she adjusted her glasses and was handed Jasper's schedule as well. "Girls, I have a little mission for you all."
--
Outside of the meeting, Whitney and Jasper were now at their next class of the day, which was art with Mrs. Lance, the mother of the cheerleading squad's co-captains Lucy and Zoey, dressed in a blue, short-sleeve sweater with gold cuffs, some blue jeans, and a pair of sandals.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm happy that you all made it today." Lana Lance greeted her students. "Considering that I'm in constant danger of losing my job because apparently, I don't teach any vital skills, I'm just delighted to see that people still want to learn art, or meep-morps as I call them."
"Uh, why do you call them meep-morps, anyways?" Whitney raised her hand with a question.
"I don't know, I just went out with the science teacher one night, and we thought it would be funny." Lana chuckled before she continued. "Anyways, over this school year, we'll be doing art projects together in groups of two, so pick your partner. You two will be stuck together for the whole year."
"I already know who I'm picking!" Whitney said as she looked at Jasper, who just blushed as she looked away.
"Oh, you're picking Jasper?" Lana asked Whitney. "What's your name, kid?"
"My name's Whitney Topaz." Whitney introduced herself to her art teacher. "Why, does Jasper not like working in pairs?"
"No, I just wanted to give you a little fun fact." Lana smirked at Jasper's expense. "Jasper actually had a crush on me the first time she was in my class."
"Mrs. Lance!" Jasper yelled in embarrassment. "I kept telling you, I was a dumb teenager at the time, and I'm over it now!"
"I know. I just find it so funny." Lana laughed. "Anyways, I want all my pairs to partner up and start drawing for the day. I shall hand out your sketchbooks immediately."
"What did Mrs. Lance say about constantly being in danger of joblessness?" Whitney murmured to Jasper as everyone received the sketchbooks they would keep for the year.
"Tyrannical student council thinks art isn't a valuable subject to teach." Jasper responded. "I'm sure you may have heard from Thea, but they rule this school."
"Art isn't valuable?!" Whitney exclaimed while Marina Blue secretly stole one of the sketchbooks to throw out, thus making Lana one book short of giving to a student. "Well, in my opinion, art is very valuable because it allows you to express yourself in infinite ways!"
"Ooh, sorry, Whitney, but I think we suddenly ran out of sketchbooks." Lana said sadly as she handed Jasper her empty sketchbook. "But if you'd like, I have some spares coming next week. Until then, maybe you can share with your partner."
"Sure, why not?" Jasper shrugged in agreement, making Whitney hug her new friend in excitement as Marina cursed herself for not considering the art teacher's quick thinking.
"Okay, now that we all have sketchbooks, let's start with a few basic portraits first." Lana stated as she guided her class through the lesson of the day.
--
Once art was finished, it was time for gym with Biddie Matthews, a powerfully built middle-aged woman easily identified by her dyed rainbow dreadlocks and a star tattoo on her upper arm. "Okay, gang, when you're in the gym with me, expect things to get a little intense! Now, I won't go so hard on you guys, but be warned that trips to the nurse's office will be frequent."
"Like, are you challenging me or something?" a hippie-looking boy with shaggy hair dared the gym teacher.
"Easy, Rogers." Biddie said to the student. "Now, in my gym, I got three rules you should all live by! One, be quick on your feet, because you never know when there's a bad situation where you need to hightail out of there. Two, keep a cool head. Gym can be stressful, but don't get too wound up when you screw up. And three, there's no such thing as "I can't do this." We don't go no time for such negativity. The only words you need are, "Let me give this a shot." Are we clear on that?!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Biddie's students declared obediently.
"That's what I wanna hear out of my class!" Biddie exclaimed proudly. "Now then, first things first, let's indulge in an old classic." She whipped out a dodgeball from behind her back. "Last man standing wins!"
"Oh poo, dodgeball." Jasper groaned in disgust.
"Come on, Jasper, dodgeball is pretty fun." Whitney smiled happily as the madness began.
"Not with Ms. Matthews." Jasper said as she casually punched a dodgeball away from her and Whitney. "She means well, but when she's in the zone, there's no stopping her."
"Watch out!" Whitney yelled as she dove in front of Jasper to protect her from another dodgeball. This one seemed to hit harder than all the rest, as if it was filled with rocks or something. "I'm okay!"
"Thanks, Whitney!" Jasper thanked Whitney while helping her up, the two of them unaware that the rock-filled dodgeball was courtesy of Kylie, who chuckled mischievously as she retreated into the shadows.
"Okay, clods, listen up!" the diminutive science teacher Dot Perry declared harshly while dramatically blowing her green lab-coat back like a cape. "I run a pretty tight ship here, so I won't tolerate any kind of chicanery here!"
"Uh, Mrs. Perry, what will we do here?" Whitney asked while raising her hand.
"Come on, if you ever took science class, you should know what to expect here." Dot answered. "We'll be doing experiments, discussing the scientific method, learning about chemistry, anatomy, genetics, and all sorts of things! But thanks to a certain student council, they won't be as fun and exciting as you'd think science would be."
"Well, that's not very fair." Whitney pouted. "Someone should do something about this, someone like me!"
"Oh, I've heard about you around school lately." Dot proclaimed. "You're the new girl, Whitney Topaz, right? Maybe your free thinking could help make a change around here."
"Oh, thank you, I'd be honored to be your teaching assistant around here!" Whitney yelled excitedly and shook Mrs. Perry's hand. "I think this school needs a little touch of Riverdale friendliness!" Catherine simply rolled her eyes at Whitney's declaration before writing down ideas for sabotage in her notebook.
--
Next up on Whitney's schedule was English, which was the first class she didn't share with Jasper. On the plus side, she finally reunited with Thea at last, and Thea has already begun spreading the good word about Whitney's efforts to overturn Ruth's tyranny, making her the talk of the class as Mr. Sanchez began speaking.
"Okay, guys, if we're done talking about the new girl, then allow me to introduce myself." Mr. Sanchez said after gulping a can of soda and burping. "My name is Mr. Sanchez, and I'll be your English teacher for the year. Let's get some ground rules out of the way first." While the English teacher began his lecture, Cindy spied on Whitney and Thea from the back of the room, noticing how close the two had become today.
--
Another class Whitney and Thea shared together was Spanish with Senor Esteban, and they were in the same class as another student council member. Agatha Holly was recording their interactions and how close they seemed while balancing it with dutifully paying attention to Senor Esteban.
--
Following Spanish, it was time for lunch, but unfortunately for Whitney, the food being served didn't seem all that inviting to her.
"Beef jerky, clams, grape punch." The lunch lady said flatly as she served Whitney precisely that.
"Wait, is this all we're being served for lunch?" Whitney asked about her lunch. "Man, this is pretty boring."
"Student council says it's still good for you, no matter how bland it is." The lunch lady responded. "Clams are good for your heart, beef jerky is filled is protein, minerals, and vitamins, and grape punch has a decent amount of carbs."
"Yeah, but would it kill you to have more variety?" Whitney suggested. "Like, try something new like pizza, nachos, burgers, anything zestier than this!"
"You know, you got a good point." The lunch lady agreed with a smile. "Hey, you're that new kid, right? Thanks for the tip. Now please move. You're holding up the line."
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Whitney apologized as she noticed all her impatient classmates in line to get their meals as she raced towards the nearest open table, which coincidentally was where Thea and Jasper were sitting. "Hey, guys! Did you save a spot for little ol' me?"
"You bet we did!" Thea replied happily and hugged Whitney. "So what took you so long?"
"I just wanted to point out to the lunchlady that she should have some more variety in our lunches." Whitney explained. "I mean seriously, beef jerky, clams, and grape punch every day?"
"Been that way ever since Ruth took power." Jasper revealed before she pulled out a paper bag with her name on it. "Luckily, I had my dad pack my lunch ever since."
"Aw, that's so sweet." Whitney cooed as Jasper pulled out a peanut butter sandwich, some tater tots, a bottle of chocolate milk, and a small pack of ketchup. "Anyone want to share?"
"How could I not?" Whitney laughed and reached for the same tot that Jasper was going to take, causing the two to blush at each other while Thea watched as she drank her grape punch. Meanwhile, some student council members gathered at another table not too far away.
"The others were right. They are close." Xanthe stated while sitting down with Jazz, Zelda, Piper, Blair, and Irene. "Maybe a little too close."
"What if we try breaking them up somehow?" Piper suggested while cracking open a clam. "You all know I love some good romantic drama."
"Unfortunately, as Xanthe said, there's nothing we can do to spoil her reputation." Zelda declared. "Unless one of us perhaps makes her an offer she can't possibly refuse."
"Are you suggesting we get her to join us?" Jazz wondered eagerly. "I love your thinking, honey bear!"
"Ooh, Jazzy, you dog!" Zelda barked seductively, much to the annoyance of Piper, Blair, and Irene.
"Get a room, you two!" Blair yelled at the couple. "Or, in this case, a doghouse."
"I'll do it." Irene nominated herself to make the offer without being prompted and marched over to Whitney, Jasper, and Thea's table. "Hello there, Miss Topaz. Since you are so popular around here, might I suggest an opportunity to join us at the student council?"
Thea was momentarily terrified, but thankfully her concerns were alleviated by Whitney's answer. "Oh, that'd be great, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline for now."
"Rats!" Irene shouted and marched back to her table in shame.
--
While Whitney had lunch with her new best friend and her crush, some of her new teachers had gotten together to discuss the new arrival to Crystal High.
"So, it's great that you all found the time to join us today." Pearl said to Lana, Biddie, Amy, and Dot. "And I suppose you might already know why you're here."
"Whitney." Lana and Dot said in unison.
"Whitney." Biddie added.
"Whitney!" Amy declared. "She really brightened my day the moment I called her name."
"Now, let's not shill Whitney too much, lest her head gets as big as Ruth's." Garrett snickered before looking up at a painting dedicated to their old friend and the school's former principal Rosemary Diamond. "But her kind heart and free-thinking really remind me of Rose back when we attended Diamond University together."
"I miss Rose." Amy replied nostalgically. "Maybe we should get back together for lunch someday."
"Oh, that would be great!" Pearl agreed with the homeroom teacher while trying to hide her blush, indicating that she still held a torch for Rose. "Now, back to Whitney, I find it amazing that she wants to change our student body for the better."
"Yeah, plus I'd no longer have to be in danger of unemployment now." Lana stated. "What do you think? Should I get Lucy and Zoey to put her on the cheer squad?"
"Ooh, I got a better idea!" Dot exclaimed. "Why don't we have her give a big speech at the big game in a few weeks?"
"That would be a great idea!" Biddie concurred with the science teacher's idea. "That way, everyone can do their part in cleaning up this school!"
"Then it's agreed." Estelle smiled. "I'll call her parents at once and see what they think. I'm sure they'll love to hear what we think about their daughter."
--
"Good grief, who had the bright idea of teaching math at the end of the day?" Jasper grumbled as she and Whitney headed to their final class for the day together. "I mean, school is already stressful enough, but putting the most stressful subject you can imagine at the end of the day? It's absurd!"
"Well, don't you worry your pretty little head because you got me to keep you sane till it's time to go." Whitney replied while patting Jasper on the head. "Besides, you got practice later, so that should allow you to vent your frustrations healthily."
"Hey, new girl!" Lucy Lance exclaimed as she and her younger sister Zoey approached Whitney and Jasper. "We've heard that you've been doing wonders for the other students, and personally, I think your positive attitude would be killer for the squad!"
"Yeah, wanna come practice with us?" Zoey added. "We got a spare pair of pom poms with your name on them!"
"Oh, I'd love to join the squad, but I think I'll have to turn you guys down for now." Whitney declined the Lance sisters' offer. "But I'd totally be open to joining later when I have the time. When can I come to tryouts?"
"We'll be holding them in a few weeks." Zoey revealed. "Be there or be square!"
"It's a date!" Whitney responded happily as she took Jasper's hand, and the four girls walked into math class together. Once again, however, not one of them realized that a student council member was watching them. Furious about Whitney possibly being on the same cheerleading team as her, Catherine gritted her teeth so hard that she broke the candy part into pieces.
--
"Hey everyone, I'm home!" Whitney called to her family once she returned home at the end of the day after saying goodbye to Jasper and Thea.
"Welcome back, Whitney!" Lauren replied as she fixed an after-school snack for Kenny. "How was your first day today?"
"It was good." Whitney answered as she sat down at the kitchen table. "I managed to make some new friends, but they were all being oppressed by this really horrible student council, and I saw fit to try and change things, which quickly made me the talk of the town."
"Oh, that reminds me, honey." Ash said as he emerged from another room with a phone in hand. "I got a call from the principal earlier, and apparently, they're so happy with what you're doing; they even said they want you to make a big speech at the big game later this month!"
"Oh my gosh, really?!" Kenny exclaimed in delight. "Whitty, that's awesome!"
"I know, right?!" Whitney replied as the Topaz family got together for a big group hug. "And even better, I think I got a crush on someone!"
"A crush already?" Ash grinned. "And on the first day of school, no less. Back when I was in high school, it only took until the Halloween party for your mother and I to get together."
"That reminds me, you need any help with your speech?" Lauren asked her daughter.
"Naw, I think I already know what to write." Whitney said as she left the kitchen and went to her room to write her speech. "Just wait till everyone back at Riverdale hears about this!" Opening up her laptop and creating a new document to type on, Whitney began jotting down her speech. "Thank you, Crystal High, for making me feel so welcome here."
--
As the weeks progressed, more students and teachers became influenced by Whitney's positive thinking and free spirit the more they got to know her. No longer would they be shackled by Ruth's tyranny. Instead, they'd be free to do whatever they wanted. Dot was able to make science class more interesting, the lunches had more variety, Lana could no longer worry about losing her job, and the student council's authority was being questioned more often by the day. Ruth Black couldn't stand it any longer, Whitney needed to be brought to her level no matter what, and she knew just what to do.
Eventually, it came time for the big football game to kick off the fall sports season between the Little Homestead Wildcats and the Keystone Oxen. Sports fans from across town gathered at the school football stadium, eager to watch the intense action between the rival teams. The two teams were evenly matched by halftime, with the score being 12 to 12.
"We are the Wildcats!" the school's cheerleading team sang, with Lucy and Zoey taking the lead. "We're here to win this game! And if you think we can't, we'll try all the same!" As their cheer concluded, the squad began forming a pyramid. "That's why the students of Little Homestead, will cheer for!"
"Lacey Carruthers!" Desirée Glass exclaimed.
"Toni Paul!" Catherine added.
"And Olivia Snow." Zoey sang.
"And Jasper Brooks!" Lucy concluded, to the rejoicing of their adoring fans as the pyramid came apart and Lucy was handed a megaphone. "Thanks for coming out, everyone! Yes, we're all very beautiful, and our players are the cream of the crop, but tonight, we got a special announcement to make."
"Everyone's favorite new kid in town, Whitney Topaz, is here to give a very special speech!" Zoey exclaimed as she ripped the megaphone from her sister's hands. "Now, let's make some noise!"
As the crowd began chanting for Whitney, Catherine snuck away from her fellow cheerleaders and saw Ruth in the audience before giving her a knowing wink. "Good luck out there, sweetheart!" Catherine purred as she passed by the Topaz family and Thea in the stadium halls, covertly stealing Whitney's speech and replacing it with a fake and more profane copy. "Trust me, word of mouth will spread fast."
"Hey, thanks Cat." Whitney smiled as she walked out to the stadium, blissfully unaware that her life could soon be over.
"Good luck, dear!" Ash called out to Whitney before he saw Jasper passing him by, ready to hit the showers. "Hello there! You must be Jasper, right?" he asked. "My name's Ash; I'm Whitney's father. Meet my wife Lauren and our son Kenny."
"Wow, you're just as big as I'd thought you'd be!" Kenny gasped in awe at Jasper's size.
"Ha, that's what she said!" Jasper cackled and tried giving Kenny a high-five, but he had no idea what she had just said.
"Uh, what did she say?" Kenny asked curiously, his innocent ears trying to comprehend the football player's dirty joke.
"You'll know when you're older." Lauren laughed as she covered her son's ears before she noticed something at her feet. "Hey, what's that paper for?"
"Let me see that." Jasper said as she picked up the paper and began to read it, coming to the slow and horrified realization that she was reading Whitney's speech and had seemingly forgotten it. "Oh no, I have to get this to her, quick!"
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Ash replied. "Go, go, go!" At the father's command, Jasper raced out to the field to help Whitney before she could make a huge mistake.
--
"Everything is going according to plan." Ruth smirked as Whitney walked onto the green field, ready to give her speech. "Thanks to Irene, I learned that the teachers offered Whitney to make a speech about how much she will change the school. But luckily, I was able to forge a fake speech in the nick of time that will no doubt ruin her cred the moment she finishes it! All the profanity, all the prejudiced remarks, seeing the reactions will be so invigorating!"
"Good evening, everyone; thank you so much for having me here tonight." Whitney said to the spectators. "First off, I just want to thank Principal Garrett and all the wonderful teachers of Crystal High for giving me this opportunity to spread my mission of love and change to everyone here tonight." The crowd began cheering for the principal and her employees before Whitney continued. "Anyways, I've worked very hard on this speech for the past couple of weeks, and I'd be pleased as punch to share it with you all."
"Whitney, WAIT!" Jasper yelled as she raced back onto the field with Whitney's real speech in hand. "You forgot this. I found it on the floor."
"Wait, that can't be my speech; this is my speech!" Whitney said before she opened her paper to discover the false and very crude speech written to taint her reputation. And the one thing that indicated who the writer was. "Wait, "Student Council rules, Whitney Topaz drools"?!"
"Oh no, she's onto us!" Ruth exclaimed as the student council attempted to make a break for it, only to be cornered at every turn by their fellow spectators who were not happy with their attempted sabotage. "No, this can't be happening!"
"Oh yes, it is, Miss Black." Estelle said as she and Pearl loomed over Ruth. "Did you seriously forge a speech to ruin Whitney's reputation?"
"Yes, of course I did because I was jealous!" Ruth hurriedly admitted. "Jealous that this new girl who's only been in school for a few weeks, yet everyone loves her and fears me! Why is it always the nice people that get attention instead of the ones who demand your respect?!"
"Well, maybe it's because they actually do unto others as they would do to them." Pearl scoffed. "Honestly, Ruth, I expected better from you. As of today, you will be removed from the student council. And we need to discuss that scholarship of yours too."
This caused all the students to cheer over finally being freed from Ruth's tyranny as Ruth herself curled up into a ball of woe. And then, as if to hammer her despair in even further, her former slaves started singing.
"Finally free, finally free, finally free everyone!" everyone began performing an expertly choreographed musical number to celebrate. "Finally free, finally free, finally free, let's have fun! Finally free to just be me!"
"At long last, it's time for celebration! Let's bring down the house!" Whitney began singing along with the crowd and had her first kiss with Jasper in the process, sealing their romance. "It's meant to be that we can all be free; come on and sing it loud!"
"Did you think you'd have us all under control?! My, you took a real nasty fall!" Jasper tauntingly harmonized in Ruth's face, who was simply not having enough of it and decided to make herself scarce. "If we just loved each other for who we are, then we can-"
"TOPAZ!" Jasper's voice echoed throughout the field of dancing spectators, much to Whitney's surprise. "TOPAZ!"
"Wait, Jasper?" Whitney asked. "I thought we were all singing?"
"Singing?" Jasper replied. "You need to wake up!"
--
"Yo, is she gonna be okay?" Amethyst asked as she, Jasper, Garnet, Pearl, Teal Zircon, Lapis, Peridot, Bismuth, Black Rutile's gang, and the Lapis twins all gazed upon a sleeping White Topaz. "Can I poke her even harder?"
"AGH, FINALLY FREE!" White Topaz yelled as she finally woke up and saw all her friends, and others in her company, surrounding her. "What just happened?"
"You fell asleep binging all those Boarding School Broadway movies," Garnet replied. "Is anything the matter?"
"I had the craziest dream, and everyone I knew was there!" White Topaz exclaimed before pointing to everyone she saw in her dream. "And you were there, and you were there, and you! And we were all humans in high school!"
"High school?" Pearl raised an eyebrow at White Topaz's declaration. "Like in Peridot's fanfictions?"
"Ah yes, the high school AU." Peridot observed with a hand to her chin. "Tell me all the details, White Topaz."
"Well, I was the new girl in town, and Black Rutile was the student council president who ruled the school with an iron fist!" White Topaz explained, earning her a glare from her former superior. "Jasper was the football captain I had a crush on, Teal was my first best friend, my teachers included Amethyst, Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth, and I was about to accidentally ruin my reputation before the situation was resolved in a pretty rushed fashion."
"Okay, I think we need to simmer down on all those weird teen shows and movies for you." Lapis smirked as she turned off the movie. "And I thought chili gave you vivid dreams." The preceding one-liner incited mass laughter from the Gems gathered, but it quickly turned awkward and strained before stopping entirely.
"Now what?" Bismuth asked.
--
Now what indeed, Bismuth. This was certainly an interesting and very long chapter to write, and yes, I do admit I had to rush that ending to get it out on time. But in all seriousness, I think I had fun writing my take on a Human Gems AU and if you've seen my episode list, this won't be the last time the concept will be brought up. But in the meantime, next up is a very special two-parter featuring our favorite parody of the MI6 agent on her majesty's secret service with a license to kill. Ladies and gentlemen, next chapter will reintroduce us to Jones. Bane Jones.
#steven universe#steven universe future#fanfiction#steven universe alternate future#little homeworld life#white topaz#jasper#teal zircon#garnet#amethyst#pearl#peridot#lapis lazuli#bismuth#black rutile
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!Eeveelution Explore Beyond your Limits!
Chapter 4 [The Rivalry of Love] +Valentine Special Part 1
As the week go by Mike and the other would head to town to go grocery shopping as they also get stuff Ollie wants to.
"So we splitting into 2 teams, one team goes get groceries as the other helps with getting stuff for Ollie's room. I'll go with Laz as you two go together, better to have someone keep a watch on her at all times."
Karen explains as she heads off with Laz looking down at a note with stuff they need. Mike would take her to girl related shops, mostly cause Karen had a phase for it.
"So how you been so far this week?"
Mike would ask trying to break the silence for a bit, they've gotten more awkward after what happened. They know it's in the past, but the idea she isn't the same Sylveon has bothered them for some time now.
"I'm doing alright, it does help eating berries and other healthy diets. I just don't know how to process I'm not the same Sylveon. I've been trying to accept it even though I'm probably never gonna be related to my parents again. All three of you have made it comforting to accept this new odd experience."
She isn't sad, but at least her smile will never get old.
"Mhm you deserve a second chance."
As she was about to say something pokèmon around them began to say stuff about her
"I wouldn't stay near that heartless killer."
"why is Ice next to her. End her life."
Mike would take her to a store Karen and him gone before.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that the rumors have been spread badly let alone they believe you are the killer, well to be fair every Sylveon in this town has been getting it's fair share of accusations or getting bullied."
Mike would try to distract her as he hands her some items she might like.
"Yeah I understand what they see isn't true, but I have to prove it. I can't talk back when I'll just add more fuel to the fire."
She would pick a rubix cube and look at Mike.
"I don't mind getting this to play and dis—"
A random Pokèmon would try to sneak on him, but Mike would sense her presence and step aside as both watch her crashing into some items dropping them on the floor.
"You are so mean Ice!"
A Absol would get back up and stare up at him she is smaller than him.
"You know I'll keep rejecting you Vixy."
Mike sighs picking up the mess she made as Ollie helps too.
"Your with a Sylveon??? I didn't know you were on a date!! Grr!"
Vixy would glare at Ollie as she is also glaring back?
"We aren't dating, I'm just helping her settle in into our treehouse."
"oh. OH I remembered why I followed you here."
Meet Vixy a Vaporeon who forgets stuff too quickly, and sorta has a thinking delay.
"yeah what is it?"
Finishes picking up the mess and puts it back in it's correct places.
"I finished graduating and I wanna live with you guys! I'm the only Vaporeon in this whole town! So I wanna fit in with roommates who are trying to get one of each eeveelution!"
She isn't wrong, we are looking for every type of eeveelution if they want to stay with us in our treehouse. I technically pay for it anyways, so they are welcomed to stay if they obey the rules.
We gotten a bag of what Ollie wanted as we sat down in a eeveelution like table which are for every other Pokemon who sit differently.
"Alright as of now Vixy & Ollie are both part of the family, so they are roles in the household. You two are now sisters unlike someone who refers us as step family."
Mike would feel a shiver like for some reason he feels targeted.
"He-hey I said I'm sorry, I'm not used to having a growing family."
Laz would stand up for him.
"Hey he may call us his step family he gave you a home you don't know where he came from I don't, but I don't complain if he wants to say that or not. He still gave us a place to stay considering what he gone through to get it."
Mike would look at him like a thank you without saying it outright.
"But!! Let's enjoy our newly members of the family by eating or it'll go raw cause of this negativity!"
Everyone would agree and begin eating having fun talking and sharing stories.
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What's One More?
WC: 3204
Rated: M
Tags: brief mentions of crime/mental illness/child abuse and neglect/substance addiction/theft, fluff, family dynamics, mentions of aging, mentions of difficult pregnancy, softness, anxiety attack
🧠
The harsh vibrating of a phone on the nightstand breaks your slumber. Still half asleep you toss your arm back to thump against your sleeping husband's side. With a groan he answers. You try to settle back into your pillow and the warmth of the blanket. Whoever has the balls to call at this hour has another thing coming - but later because your priority is going back to sleep.
He can't have been on the call more than fifteen seconds before he sits up in bed suddenly, turning on the bedside lamp; his movements grab your attention. You roll over. The light blinds you and you rub at your eyes to adjust. You can't make out what's being said. Looking at the clock to see that it's barely 4 am you know something bad has happened. Quietly you slip out from the covers.
Making your way down the hall you peek into your daughter's room, grateful that she's still fast asleep. Her soft snores punctuate the calm. Your nerves abate knowing she’s safe. By the time you get back to the bedroom Laszlo is up and getting dressed. "What's going on?"
He doesn't answer at first. You wait until he's finished buttoning his shirt to ask again. "Sara was called to consult on a triple homicide case - she's asked for me to come down to the police station. I don't know much yet, but it's something involving a young boy and she wants me to speak with him."
“Did he…?”
“No. He was not directly involved, that much we know.”
You nod, leaning against the door frame. This wasn't the first time that Laszlo had been called in by law enforcement and social services to assist with children and teens that needed psychological help. He had become more active around the time you graduated with your doctorate. After Sophia was born Laszlo helped fund an after school program for kids that focused on support for mental health and behavioral issues. He was so passionate about being able to help these kids. But it was never at this ungodly hour. "You'll call or something when you know what's up?" you ask through a yawn.
"Of course, Bärchen." He gives you a chaste peck. Gently he guides you back towards your bed and sits you down. "Go back to sleep, there's no need to worry. I love you." With that he left.
Your sleep is fitful with him gone. You worry over things that you aren't even aware of, over who is hurt, over how severe a situation it could be to have been called in the middle of the night, over the poor boy that needs Laszlo’s help. When your daughter tiptoes into the room around 6 you welcome her into the bed with open arms.
"Why are you up, baby bug?"
"Where's Papa?" She climbs up on his side of the bed and rubs his cold pillow. On her face is a deep frown.
"He had to go help some very important people early this morning. He'll be back to see you soon, I promise."
"I miss him. He always helps me with my shoes."
You can't help the smile that crosses your face. "I know, baby. But it's still early so let's take a nap before we have to get ready, hmm?" The two of you snuggle under the covers. With her curled into your side you do find rest, even for the short time before your alarm chimes.
The day moves sluggish as you wait for word from your husband. Little work was to be done today at the museum, so there wasn't much to keep your mind off the wondering. You considered calling. You considered texting. But you knew that when the time was right he would let you know. No news is good news, you think.
Finally the day came to a close. You picked up Sophia and stopped by the store on the way home to grab supplies for dinner. She insisted that she carry one of the bags inside - little miss independent that she was. “Careful not to drop it, okay? Use those muscles of yours to hold the bag tight.”
“Mama I know, I help Papa carry all the time,” she explains matter-of-factly.
The townhouse is quiet as you begin to unpack. You do a quick glance into the dining room and parlor to no avail. "Laz, honey? You home?" A few seconds later you hear movement from the stairs.
Your husband rounds the corner into the kitchen, swooping down to scoop your daughter into his left arm, peppering her face in exaggerated smooches. Her giggles light up the room from the dim atmosphere. He perches her on his hip. “How was your day my little dove?”
“So good Papa - I practiced my counting today at school. I can get the biggest in the class! Mommy said I must be the most smartest," she prattles on.
“Wunderbar!” he praises her before turning to you. “I didn't hear you come in." Laszlo kisses you.
Pinning him with a look you say "you also didn't call me today? You said you would and I've been worried all day."
Sophia crosses her arms and harrumphs from her father's hip; "me too Papa." He quirks an eyebrow at her before speaking.
"Yes… there is something I wished to speak with you on but didn't think it was suitable for the phone." You raise your own brows but continue to put away groceries. "I do not wish to discuss certain aspects of the case in present company-" he nods towards Sophia minutely "-but we do have a houseguest for the foreseeable future."
"Oh?" Your brows dip in confusion. This is not what you were expecting.
Laszlo peeks around the doorway and calls out "Stevie, would you come join us in the kitchen please."
Stevie? You don't know a Stevie...
A moment later a lanky boy with scruffy dark blond hair shuffles into the room. He can't be anymore than 15. His clothes are too big on him and his shoes are worn beyond belief; nevertheless he gives you a slight smile. “This is Stevie Taggert, he’s going to be staying here with us in the guest room for now.”
“Good evening Mrs. Kreizler,” the boy says nervously, his voice cracking.
You spare a look at your husband before turning to the teenager with a smile. “Ah, no need for that, kid. You can just call me by my name instead. And welcome to our home. You like spaghetti?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Awesome! And I’m certainly not old enough to be a ma’am,” you give him a wink. You set up a pot to boil the water for the pasta. Laszlo excused himself to spend some time with Sophia, leaving you and Stevie in the kitchen.
He clears his throat behind you. “Would um… is there anything I can do to help?”
"I would love that, thank you."
The two of you get to work on making dinner. Stevie doesn’t say too much, but he is very polite and does his best to be useful. Once the food is nearly finished your family has returned ready to eat. You send Stevie and Sophia to set the table.
“Should I be worried?” you ask Laszlo quietly, watching the doorway the two left through.
“I don’t think so. I just felt that I would rather he have a familiar face to adjust with instead of being placed in a group home like many end up.”
You study his face. “You’ve taken a liking to him haven’t you?”
“Well…" his face reddens at your question. "He reminds me a bit of myself when I was his age.” The conversation is cut short by the kids returning.
The rest of dinner and the evening goes smoothly. You make it a point to not bring up any questions that could trigger the teenager, especially before you’ve spoken with Laszlo about the situation at hand. When Stevie nearly eats his weight in pasta you say nothing, wondering how long it's been since he's had a good home cooked meal. He insists on helping clean up the dishes afterwards. Without even knowing what the boy has gone through your heart aches for him.
You set him up in the small renovated basement downstairs while Laszlo puts Sophia to bed. Handing him one of your husband’s old Harvard t-shirts to sleep in you tell him “I’m sorry you’ll be down here by yourself, but if you need us for anything don’t be afraid to come get us - no matter what time it is, okay? And if you get cold there’s an extra blanket right here for you. I know it's July but….” you shrug. “Tomorrow after I get home from work we can go to the store and get you some stuff to use, some more clothes, that kinda thing.”
“Yes ma’am.” At the teasing look you give him his ears burn red with his mumbled “right sorry.”
“Alright Stevie. We’ll see you in the morning, sleep well.”
Laszlo is in bed reading when you enter the room. Nothing is said as you ready yourself for bed. Slipping under the covers you face him. He sighs and closes his book.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call. I became caught up in the day and only arrived home with Stevie maybe half an hour before you did.” He sighs a second time. “Most of the case I cannot talk about, but what I can say is he was living with his mentally ill father, whom was also an addict. He missed the last few weeks of the school year and has been regularly stealing food to get by. He has no other family. I just… it didn’t feel right to let him process his experiences away from someone properly trained to deal with these sorts of things, in addition to how traumatic entering foster care at his age can be. I spoke with those in social services and was granted temporary custody until we find another more permanent solution.”
“Of course.”
He takes hold of your hand. “You aren’t upset with me?”
“I mean it would’ve been nice to have a bit more warning… but I get it. He can stay as long as he needs to. He’s a sweet kid,” you reassure him. “I told him that I would take him shopping after work tomorrow, so if you could pick up Soph from preschool that would be great.”
“Perhaps instead we can all go? I was thinking that I would bring him to the university with me so that he’s not alone all day. You could get her and then we could meet somewhere, get dinner afterwards?”
You lean closer to him to curl around his arm and rest your head on his shoulder. He always thought so much about others, especially children. Laszlo had such a heart of gold and it honestly left you in awe of just how much he was willing to give so that others could find peace and happiness. Like the older he got the more he had to give. The thought warms you. “How are you literally the best person I know? And to think you used to be so worried about being able to be a good father and now you’re the best of all of us.” He huffs a little as you nuzzle into his chest.
“I have you to thank for that, Bärchen.” He drops a kiss to your head. “But it’s getting late and I’ve been up all day. We should get some sleep.”
Soon after you're both dreaming.
___
Stevie had been with you for three weeks. It only took him a few days to start to settle in, and you discovered that he was quick with his wit and far smarter than he let on. He was a little bit of a sarcastic smart-ass at times, but all in good nature. He was endlessly entertaining. Laszlo sat down with him almost everyday to talk about what he was feeling, the things he experienced, and ways to deal with the loss of his family. Already you both saw improvement.
Even Sophia got on well with him. Most teenage boys wanted nothing to do with little kids, let alone a 4 year old that loved playing 'spaceship barbie'. But not Stevie. On his fifth day you'd found him sat on the floor playing with her and going along with her childlike imagination. When she insisted he play the barbie that needed saving he went along with it, high pitched voice and everything. He even encouraged her to pick up her toys before bed - a feat you and your husband struggled with at times. It struck you how much Stevie became a big brother of sorts to her.
Laszlo grew even more fond of the boy. He wasn't really one for TV, but every evening he sat and watched some show on Netflix about racing with the teen and didn't complain once. Laszlo had tried to explain the role of adrenaline in racing drivers as a psychological function, but Stevie just brushed it off and said it was the driving so fast that made it "cool".
The two did bond over an unlikely subject - punk rock. When you got home from work two weeks into his stay and heard the music blasting in the parlor you worried someone had broken in. Whipping into the room you saw Laszlo in his chair tapping his foot to the intense guitar and singing; Stevie nodded along to the music as he held an old album cover. It didn't take long for Sophia to start jumping along to the music too.
"What is this?" You yelled out over the bass - you couldn't recognize it and it clearly wasn't English.
"Die Toten Hosen, a band I listened to growing up in Germany. Stevie found the record and asked to listen."
"Listen? I think you mean blow out your eardrums!" Even with needing to shout to be heard you had to laugh at the situation. How your husband had a secret love for German punk you'll never know; yet you would never let him live it down.
And when Stevie came and woke you both up in tears three nights ago you made him hot chocolate while Laszlo sat down with him. He confessed that he had never been treated or cared for like he was in your home. How he wished he could stay because he felt wanted. Your heart broke for the boy. To be so young and so lost, craving someone to simply be there for him.
Yet everyday he grew more open. He broke out of his shell. He had goals and ambitions; he wanted to amount to something bigger than he had thought he ever could. It almost shocked you at how much fire was within him.
At how much he fit in with your little family.
At how it was like he was meant to be there.
___
Laszlo was oddly quiet when you got home. Sophia had run off to find Stevie, and you tracked your husband down to his office. He listened as you talked about your day for a good ten minutes; he said almost nothing the whole conversation.
You move closer to him. Placing the back of your hand to his forehead you check to see if he's feverish or sick. He didn't feel warm. "Laz, are you feeling okay?"
He gently pulls your hand down and leaves a kiss on your palm. "The department of social services called this morning to inquire about what we want to do with Stevie. This would be the third time they have asked."
He hadn't mentioned it to you at all that they were calling already. "Okay. What do you think we should do?" You pause for him to continue.
"I told them I would need to speak with you before any further decisions were made regarding him…" His fingers tap against the wood of his desk. "I'm not sure I have an answer for them. Nor for you." He swallows. "I'm afraid of what might become of him should he go into the system. Or that he will not get the support he needs given his past. Any option involving allowing him to stay for a bit longer is a commitment I won't make without your full support, of course. I could never ask that of you." As he speaks you can hear the frustration pouring from him, feel the irritation radiating through the room. "I refuse to give up on him- I- I just don't have the answers on what to do without them hounding me and he deserves better than this, dammit."
"He does… Do you remember on your 50th birthday, what you told me?" Laszlo looks up at you confused. "You said that you had wished you were ten years younger so you had the energy and time to do all of it again. That if you were younger we would've had a whole gaggle of kids - brothers and sisters for Sophia."
"Wishing I was younger doesn't make a difference in helping Stevie-"
"Laszlo - let's adopt him." Your words stop him in his tracks. You had decided not to have any more after your daughter was born. Laszlo was nearing 50 and the pregnancy had been hard on you. But regardless you knew that you both had the means and the love to give another child, probably five or ten more children if you really wanted to. So why not start with one that's already wormed his way in to the family? "I've seen how fond you are of him already. You've taken him under your wing as if he was your own. And how good he is with Sophia? Hell I couldn't ask for a better older sibling for her - and she loves him already. And honestly, Laz, I do too."
"You think we should adopt Stevie?"
"I think we should ask, yeah. He deserves a good home and a strong father figure that's going to put him first. He looks at you like you hung the stars, Laszlo. He needs us, and truthfully I think we need him. So yeah - what's one more added to this little shindig we've got going for us?"
"Have you-"
"-thought it through? Yes. Completely."
You can see the smile he fights to hold back. "We should call tomorrow and see what the protocol is for stating our intent to adopt and getting the paperwork."
"Um…" You shuffle your feet. Nose scrunched, you confess "I may have already called them. On the way from work I asked about what would need to be done if we wanted to pursue that route, but since they already know who we are from you working with them for years it can be fast tracked." You pull him out of his chair to stand before you. "All we have to do is say 'go'."
He has no hesitation.
"Go."
Laszlo doesn't hold back his smile or his laughter as he spins you around his office floor. You're certain your children downstairs can hear your giggles.
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MC comforting Vinca while she is crying
Pairing with: Can we write mc getting terribly injured and almost dying for vinca? and then emotional vinca❤️
Warning: Mentions of blood.
...
Part 1
Written by @cute-ogre
A warm hand squeezes hers and let it go.
Nico breathes in heavily, inhaling the cold air, the familiar smell of antiseptic, bleach and pine telling her immediately exactly where she was.
The bleary vision soon became more focused and she was able to see the nurse standing by her bedside, checking her vitals and taking fast notes. He smiled when he noticed his patient was awake, making a nervous one-sided chat while waiting for the doctor responsible for her, a cautious looking woman that calmly explained her general state and left her alone after a long check up, noticing her tired state.
She closes her eyes, sighing, exhausted. Her body was weirdly numb and she couldn't quite move yet. Her thoughts were difficult to grasp, like they were floating in a tick fog, bouncing slowly back into her mind one by one.
Her house was broken in, she was alone. There were shouts, hers, and growls from the way-smarter-than-it- should-be demon.
(Because, yeah, those exist.)
Cold hands trying to get the locket out of hers. The small locket with, apparently, Vinca's soul in it. Vinca couldn't read her mind and apparently that means creepy, stabby demon time.
Light catching in the metal as a pocket knife was pulled, made a shallow, bloody cut in the left side of her head and then sunk into her abdomen.
A piercing scream as she killed it, a mysterious light shooting from her wound like lightning, disintegrating the demon on the spot. The demon needed her blood for something, she thinks, but couldn't remember why or what.
Bloodied hands trying to make a call with no success.
Bandaging the wound with shaky hands, trying to keep the knife firmly in place.
A seven-minutes-long, careful, anxious walk until Vinca's house. Her hands pressing the wound, trying to keep the knife there without damaging her body even more.
Constantly analyzing her own state while looking for new attackers in the dark streets.
(The injury... below the belly button, lateral, probably non-lethal if treated soon by the looks of it. Elevated breath and heart rate with dizziness, so moderate blood loss, maybe?)
Knocking on the taller woman's door frantically, a door opening, wide blue eyes staring at her in shock.
And then everything was blurry.
The sound of the door opening brought Nico's attention back to the present.
"I can't believe she was stabbed! She will have such a cool scar!"
Trudy's voice rings loud and excited, and Vinca's answer is barely a hiss.
"If you don't shut up and back off, I will make sure you'll get one too."
"Really? That would be so badass!"
There's some commotion, a yelp accompanied by hushed whispered yell and then silence.
Someone clears their throat.
"We will go get some clean clothes for her, Laz is already there taking care of her mom. We'll be back soon." Yvette's voice sounds gentle and low, and was received with a low grunt of agreement and a closed door.
Nico's eyes open again, vision bleary for a second before being filled with the familiar big, crazed,blue eyes and messy blonde hair. The Pride assassin's face close enough that she was able to see the small freckles that adorned her -weirdly- make-up free face.
"H-Hi?"
Vinca just stares intensely at her in silence for a awkwardly long time before smirking, poking the small women's cheek.
"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to wake up! Feeling better, Julius Caesar?"
The dark haired girl blinks, nodding distractedly, her eyes scanning the white hospital room. When she speaks, her voice sounds hoarse and weak.
"Thank you for bringing me here, and I'm sorry, I probably spilled blood all over your nice car."
Vinca's smile appears to waver for a second before she let out a snort, straightening up. "Yeah, your stabbed ass made quite a mess, had to drag you out of the car like a dead corpse. Hope you know that you will be the one cleaning it."
"Hey! It's not my fault I was stabbed!"
"Yes it is, you are the easiest target I have ever seen, you look like the type of person that tries to hold on to the water when you slip on the shower." The blonde shots her a teasing look, seeing the small woman roll her eyes in annoyance, a weak smile on her lips.
"Oh, you can kiss my ass!"
"What ass? You have none, you are flat like the surface of the earth."
She is using humor to cope, like she always does when she feels strong emotions.
Brown eyes stare at Vinca, seeing the model stands up with a tense posture and walk to a table with a jar of water nearby.
"Please tell me you are joking and don't, in fact, believe that the earth is flat."
Like the unbearable brat she is, the blonde woman just shrugs, smirking a little bit before resuming her task, and Nico notices the slight shake of her hands as she pours the water in a plastic cup.
"It may be."
"The- the earth isn't flat."
Nodding slowly, she sits on the bed again, blue eyes twinkling and a soft smile on her lips.
"I know, and neither are you, hotshot." She winks, offering the cup of water, earning a laugh from the bike mechanic. "You should drink it, you lost a disgusting amount of blood."
Nico sighs, before slowly trying to seat up with the taller woman's help.
"Did I pass out? I don't remember anything after knocking on your door."
Smile gone, the tallest Wren sister shakes her head seriously.
"You didn't, but you were definitely confused."
"Oh."
There is a heavy pause with Vinca opening and closing her mouth before clenching her jaw and letting out a annoyed huff.
"I was really... " She waves her hand in the air and grimaces, like the next words are causing her physical pain "...worried about you, I think."
"Aww, you think?"
It takes all of her strength of will, but Nico manages to hold back a smug smirk, looking up to see the blonde scratch uncomfortably one of her slightly reddened cheeks.
"I thought you hated me when we first met. Look at us now, progress!"
She bites her lip, holding back a smile, gives the Chinese woman a side-eyed look and sniffs.
"I did. But eh, you grew on me, like a fungus."
I care a lot about you too
Humming, the bike mechanic takes a sip of water, furrowing her brow when she notice the way the mind-reader keeps looking fixedly at her own hands, opening and closing them repeatedly.
"...Vinca? Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine."
The huge bags under her eyes doesn't exactly scream "fine" to Nico, but she decides to finish her water before asking again.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm peachy, why wouldn't I be?" She snatches the empty cup of water, throwing it into the garbage can without even looking at it.
"It's... It's about the locket? Something happened to it?"
"The locket it's fine." The answer is suddenly tense and Nico looks at her dubiously.
"Are you sure? It seemed impor-"
"Yes, I'm sure. I don't care about the fucking locket."
She grits, crossing her arms in annoyance, voice sounding snappy, but she doesn't meet her eyes when she keeps talking.
"And you are a moron. I can't believe you got yourself stabbed for that stupid thing."
The Chinese woman lets out a incredulous laugh, ignoring the way her head hurt a little when she did.
"A locked with you soul in it,detail you forgot to mention by the way! And you told me to take care of it!"
"I said 'Take care of it', not 'get killed protecting it' you dumbass!"
"Yeah, but I didn't die."
"You almost did!" There's a second of silence after the explosion, and when Vinca lifts her eyes they are shining with unshed tears and more vulnerable than Nico has ever seen them.
"It- it was so much blood and I thought that- I thought that you... and for a stupid locket!" Her breath is uneven, her hands moving in the air, wildly, and her eyes start darting to everything in the room besides the injured woman. "I don't care about my fucking soul! I could kick some old demon ass until they turned ash and get the locket back if it was stolen, but what would I do if I lost you?"
"Vinca..."
The dark haired woman stares at her in stunned silence, her body moving forward instinctively to touch her arm when she is hit by a sharp stab of pain, wincing.
The blonde rushes forward grabbing her shoulders and looking at her with wild eyes. A gentle pressure forcing the small woman to sit back.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
"No. You are hurt."
It's a statement, a statement said with so much anguish that Nico doesn't even know what to do with it.
Long fingers touch delicately the bandage in her head and the sad blue eyes meet hers before learning in to press a soft kiss to her covered forehead earning a perplexed wide eyed stare.
"I'm sorry, you got hurt and I wasn't there to protect your nerd ass."
"Hey..."
The smaller woman mutters, hands cupping Vinca's face, wiping a tear and starting a gentle caress, drawing a shiver out of the woman.
"I'm fine, you are here right now to deck any demon for me, aren't you?"
Vinca smiles weakly and sniffs. "Bitch, you can bet I'm."
"Good. Now come here."
She moves carefully to the side, making a bigger space in the bed. To her surprise the taller woman immediately moves to sit by her side, hiding her face in her neck, inhaling the smell of strawberry shampoo coming from the soft dark hair and muttering:
"....about the locket."
"What?"
Nico feels a warm tear hit her skin.
"I said I'm-"
She huffs annoyed, grabbing a fistful of the brunette hospital gown.
"I'm sorry about the locket. I gave it to you because I thought that you deserved some part of me that wasn't tainted."
Nico forces herself to be silent, unsure of how to answer and her hands lift to caress soft wild hair earning a sigh from the blonde.
I will talk to her about it later
"I shouldn't have- I put you in danger and I'm sorry."
"It's fine, I'm fine. Let's just... forget about it for a while hm? But be aware that you will explain how did your soul ended up in a locked in details after I'm out of this hospital."
Nico jabs a accusatory finger, poking at the pride assassin's ribs.
"Whatever you say, girl boss."
Vinca chuckles, nodding and slowly raising her head and looking at the smaller woman with something in her eyes that the bike mechanic couldn't quite place.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
She hesitates for a moment, calculating, before speaking quietly.
"I... I'm just so glad that you are okay."
And something about the way blue eyes never leave brown tells Nico that that's not really what she was going to say at all.
"Me too."
Nico nods, smiling softly at her and seeing the Pride assassin blush and narrow her eyes.
"But if you tell anyone that I cried I'm gonna kick your tiny ass so hard that you're gonna fly off the planet earth and become a satellite, are we clear?"
"Would you really hurt an injured woman?"
The brown haired girl clutches her chest dramatically, earning a cheeky grin from the blond.
"Have you met me?"
"... Fair point."
#Anonymous#answered#lovestruck#women of lovestruck#sin with me#vinca wren#vinca x mc#swm vinca#sin with me vinca#lovestruck vinca#light angst#woeful wednesday
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CW: Angst, low self-esteem; self degradation; fantasy classism;
He looked at the mirror and felt at odds with the man that looked back. He felt uncomfortable enough with the clothes Säel gave him to work, but managed to accept those as it was part of the job… But these?
The clothes Säel had given him were a pair of the ones he had seen Master and his family wearing to formal events. It was finely made, fitting perfectly on his frame, and probably cost more than Laz could pay if he worked the whole month. He had never worn anything but rags.
And now he felt trapped. He felt awful wearing them, but how could he possibly say no to a gift like that? Säel would be furious. He had it especially tailored for Laz, with such love and care…
He sighed. He hated this. He didn’t want to go. He cursed himself for even agreeing, in the first place. And he felt cold as Säel entered, holding another gift box, the faintest of smiles on his lips.
“...Oh. You look gorgeous!” He tilts his head slightly, his wings pulse back “The tailor is really amazing, aren’t they?”
“Y-yes. You… I… You didn’t have to. Thank you, though”
"It 's alright. Here, I got you something to complete the look”
And Säel opened the little box, it contained a silver headwear, finely sculpted in the shape of flores and leaves. It was… Marvelous. The prettiest headpiece he had ever seen, that’s for sure. And it felt absolutely wasted over his dark hair, framing mismatched eyes.
It took everything in him to not throw it away, as he forced a smile. This was… the nicest thing he had ever been given. And yet he couldn’t help but feel like it was just… bad.
“Is… Is everything okay?” Säel says. He can’t really tell if it’s a threat or not, his expressions are just… blank.
“Y-yes. All good”
“Are you anxious? I’m sure it will be okay…”
“Y-yeah. You are right” He kept smiling, probably unconving.
“Lazarus…” Lazarus, not just Laz. He took a deep breath.
“I just… I don’t know why you would take someone like me to an event like that” He finally admits, falling back on the bed, feeling a weight lifting from his chest “I’m just a servant. I’m fucking lucky I’m allowed to live in the goodlands, going to Ball like that… I should never. It’s not my place”
Säel stays very quiet for some time, candlelights burning around them.
“I know some people have been cruel to you. And many really hold these values you cite to me. But I just don’t see how some people have more value than others, why we should pretend they do”
“The fact that you don’t see it doesn’t mean they won’t treat us like it” He holds back at his knees, barely holding back the tears “Or better - me - because they wouldn’t do that to your face”
He regrets speaking. He fears it will have made him mad. Still his expression is blank, Säel just quietly nods.
“You don’t have to go, if you don’t want to. I just thought we could have fun. I didn’t think it might have been such a problem” he shrugs “...I’m sorry I didn’t look to see your side of the things. Sorry for pressuring you into it”
He gets up and walks out of the room. While he tries to maintain that blank face… He can see some light leave his eyes. Laz curses himself yet again, as it seems he can’t do anything right.
@kim-poce (do you even want to be tagged in these?)
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