#that cat has an absurdly long tail | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

a-libra-writes · 1 year

Note

Ello! may I please request some of the Lackadaisy characters reacting to a ridiculously tall male reader joining their crew?- like hit their head on every doorframe tall?/jk- but in all seriousness, maybe like 8ft or something?

okay im going for like 7ft or so because that SLIGHTLY more reasonable but not by much; idgaf tho this is funny. Also if you will please imagine this as a lanky ass oriental cat a la Pangur of pangur-and-grim fame. also featuring lots of bi cats, because I say so.

Lots under the cut!

♣️Rocky - Oh!! That's a big one! He makes endless "how's the weather up there" jokes (some are so weird) and has lots of ... stories ("St. Louis' very own creature from the river bottoms, only arising when the fog is heaviest!"); it really brings him back to his circus barker days. The first time you picked him up he was momentarily stunned, also he may or may not have climbed up you like a kitten when something startled him. It only happened once, okay? He's also fond of swatting at your absurdly long tail, as in it distracts him mid-sentence and he just has to take a swipe. Look, this probably won't awaken anything in him.

♣️Freckle - First thought? Terrifying, even when you bonked your head pretty bad on the doorframe. Okay, well, you were a little less scary after the third time. He's used to being smaller than most men, but something about you just towering is nothing short of creepy, especially if you have a more tough or intense personality. If you're a kinder soul, Freckle relaxes much faster. When you both have to pile into the back of the car, he feels really awkward about how you have to contort and twist yourself. Jeez, that doesn't look comfortable ... and somehow it makes him feel a lot smaller, which he doesn't appreciate.

♣️Ivy - Omiiigossshhh, the girls at school are not gonna believe this. She beelines to you right away, delighted with the novelty she's discovered. Naturally she wants to dance, and she'd be so shocked and delighted if you were elegant in spite of your lankiness - that'll get her a crush right away. Don't worry, if you're more clumsy, you're still cute! She thinks everything you do is "cute", even if you have the face of a thug and the body of a furry noodle. Having to scoot into cars, towering over the bar when you sit on a stool, your shirt sleeves nearly going to your elbows? Cute! She'd love to buy you something real fancy that fit, she just knows you'd look sharp.

♣️Mitzi - Oh. Oh my. Not her usual taste, but with the right clothes and some pomade, well, you'd be a proper gentleman. Mitzi is already plotting to get you a nice suit made, and good naturedly notes you ought to eat more or the wind will knock you right over. She already feels small next to Atlus and Viktor, but that's doubled with you. Sometimes it makes her a little uncomfortable, but she knows you don't mean to cause the discomfort. If she got you a real nice suit and a gun, you'd be an excellent guard for when she's out and about ...

♣️Viktor - He tries to recall the last time he was this much shorter than someone ... When he was twelve, perhaps? He feels zero intimidation from you, though. Viktor's confident he could snap you in half if need be. Hm, if they got some muscle on you, you might be able to handle some serious firepower... He thinks on it. Oh, and now he isn't the only one having to dodge doorframes. If you're a less violent-inclined person, many times he's growled at you to stop being so slack-jawed and try to look scary, especially when you both are supposed to be guarding.

♣️Zib - Wow yeah okay this is awakening something in him for sure. The musician gets a little hot under the collar when you stand really close and he has to look up, or god forbid, you bend down to his eye level. He has no idea why he's feeling both aroused and terrified, and what that's supposed to mean. Once you said "good boy" as a joke and he nearly tripped and fell off the stage. He's this hopeless even when you're a dork; if you're actually a smooth operator, he's doomed.

♣️Atlas - Yeah, it's not hard to figure out how you stood out to him. You were offered a job, and though you're much lankier than a triggerman out to be, Atlas has plans. Just some fattening up, some practice with a gun and a well-made suit (your Christmas present, in fact), and you cut quite a shadowy figure. The suit is probably the finest one you own, and the only clothing that's fit in years. Mitzi helped choose the color.

🏵️Serafine - She's intrigued right away, which is no surprise. Most people notice you right away, and it's even better if you work for the Marigold gang and she gets to have plenty of time to flirt and bother and amuse you. Serafine is doubly entertained if you're a more clumsy or nervous sort. She loves calling you "le fantôme" or "le boogeyman", and very much admires when you use your height to frighten someone they're having a "talk" with. She has absolutely grabbed your long-ass tail to get your attention.

🏵️Nico - Listen. He's been with men before - not as much as women, mind you, and he's always preferred those who are smaller than him, which is most. But look. You're a tree, he's a squirrel. No shame, you're cute and he'll say it. He can probably pick you up just fine (which he's very proud of) and laughs if it embarrasses you. He's very interested in how you might fight, and has given you several tips on how to use your unusual size to your advantage when going hand-to-hand with someone.

🏵️Mordecai - Yes this is definitely awakening something and he doesnt want to think hard about it also why is EVERY damn person around him a tree -- You drive him up a wall for many reasons. You slouch all the time, your clothes never fit right, you don't carry a gun that would work best for your long fingers. The Savoys joke about you being Mordecai's "project" because he keeps fussing over you. Though they must say, it's a lot easier to get information out of their targets when they have Mordecai's signature glare and a terrifying cryptid looming over him.

⛰️Wick - Oops! All those feelings he's repressed since boarding school are coming out. Note you could be awkwardly trying to get through a doorway or climb out of a car, with clothes that don't fit quite right or trying to finesse a gun that's too small and he is just, totally enamored. If you have more of a scary demeanor - or you put on that act when you're working as Mitzi's bodyguard - then he's still enamored, just with a dash of fear. So. That's confusing.

#i have a lackadaisy OC loosely based on that inbred oriental baby lol #who is just. a fucking tree. a snake with fur.#lackadaisy x reader #rocky rickaby x reader #calvin mcmurray x reader #freckle mcmurray x reader #ivy pepper x reader #mitzi may x reader #viktor vasko x reader #dorian zibowski x reader #zib zibowski x reader #serafine savoy x reader #nicodeme savoy x reader #mordecai heller x reader #wick sable x reader #atlas may x reader

262 notes · View notes

mentallyshattered · 7 months

Text

This is part 3 of the "What if Yuu didn't want to go back?" Series!

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

"Myaah, keep going!"

"Non, chat. You no longer need to be brushed. Vil, how is Yuu's hair coming along?"

Vil sighs. I've noticed he does that a lot. "Not as well as I thought, Rook. Even though the top layer was absurdly thick, the lower layers don't look much better. This is going to take longer than I expected."

I look up and into the mirror in front of me. Vil has cut my hair short, but the process of detangling the remaining mat of hair has caused the detangled hair to be noticeably longer than what's still a total mess. I'd say the hair he's worked through is about 4 inches, just long enough to cover my ears.

"Say, Monseur Mystery, how did you guess Monseur Chat's name?"

"Well..." I hesitate. Even now, the thoughts of his death still hurt. "When I was living in my world, I found a cat. He was my only friend. He was an alley cat, but chubby- not in a concerning or limiting way, just in a cute way- and he was grey with a large patch of white fur on his front, and his tail faded into black at the end, and... he had polydactly. I think that's what it's called, at least. Do you guys know what that is?"

"Nope!" Grim's reply is cheerful, like an island of comfort in a sea of mourning.

"Well, it's a condition where your limbs split off into multiple limbs. So, a two-tipped finger or extra toe or something. Well, my cat had it on the end of his tail. It looked, " I pause, reaching my hand toward Grim and trying, failing, to hold back tears. "Into three. A trident tail, just like this." I'm holding his tail in my hand now, careful, like he might break just as my voice is doing now. I can hardly speak through the lump in my throat, but I can speak.

"A-and that cat's name was Grim. And he was hit by a car when he was eight, and I've never been the same." I'm crying now, my eyes reduced to floodgates and my voice to a wreck. Vil is hugging me, his arms bringing some sense of safe to me, but that sense of safe pales in comparison to the comfort of holding Grim in my arms. His fur is soft, much softer now that he's been brushed, and Rook has joined the hug.

We stay there, just like that, for what feels like forever. Vil's arms are strong around me, as are Rook's, and I'm holding Grim again, and I don't want to lose him again. I can't. I barely survived the first time; I can't survive a second. The guilt would kill me.

"I guessed his name, too. I didn't know how. It just felt right. But... Yuu, you kind of remind me of someone. Another human. He fed me in my dreams, and his name was Yuu, and we were great friends, but one day he just stopped showing up. I never saw him again." Grim's previously sad face brightens a little, like a tea candle with just enough air to burn. "You look a lot like him, but older. Maybe... maybe he was you."

The tears come back. I let them. This time, they're happy tears, and Grim is crying them, too. Vil allows a few more minutes to pass, just like that, before he lets go and resumes his task of unmatting the other half of my hair. Rook pulls away, too, and waves his magic pen.

A tape measure, like you see tailors using in movies, appears in the air in front of him for him to wrap around my waist with skillful hands. Soon, he's removed the tape measure from my waist in favor of wraping it around my chest, and then my arms, and then Vil tells him off for doing something unnecessary.

I laugh. "Say, Monseur Mystery, have you tried to use magic since you arrived?"

I ponder. "Not really."

Rook chuckles. "Facinating."

"Are you okay with others being let into the room, Yuu?" Vil's voice is soft and soothing. I'm a little jealous, but who cares?

"Go right ahead." The lump in my throat is gone now that Grim is purring happily in my arms, just enjoying the sensation of being pet. Rook leaves the room- still holding his tape measure, I notice- and the door shuts behind him. Surprisingly, I don't hear his footsteps as he walks away, even before the door is closed and blocking my view.

Less than a minute later, the door opens again, revealing Rook, Korrak, and Korrak's familiar, whose name I do not yet know. Rook waves his pen, cleaning the cat brush with magic, and starts brushing the strange oppossum as he brushed Grim.

"Hey, what's your name? I'm Grim!"

"Call me Mandible."

Well, I guess I have a name to go with both of my roommates now. Unlike Grim, Mandible needs only a few minutes of brushing before his fur is even and soft, at which point Rook measures him, waves his pen, and voilá: five small stacks of clothing appear on the counter.

"What are those?" Mandible is already poking at the piles by the time he thinks to ask. I wasn't expecting Mandible to be more talkative than Korrak, but I guess Grim and I are no better.

"Uniforms! The white one is a lab coat for alchemy, the violet one is a dorm uniform, the one next to the lab coat is a PE uniform, the one next to the dorm uniform is a school uniform, and the one in between the dorm clothes and lab coat are some ceremonial robes. All are sized exactly for Monseur Opossum, of course." Rook looks quite proud of himself.

"Myaah, neato! Do I get some?"

"But of course, Monseur Chat! If you'll allow me a moment..." Rook starts measuring Grim just like he did with Mandible, and Vil lets out a triumphant "Hah!"

"Finally conquered my hair?"

"Not entirely, but I'm done with the hard part." With this, Vil pulls out a brush- not a cat brush, just a regular human brush- and starts running it through my hair in a soothing rhythm. Tired from the short day's events, I allow it to lull me to sleep.

#tw pet death #tw pet loss #twst #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #disney twst #twst vil #twst rook #twst grim #m!yuu #twst yuu #tw mentions of death #tw suicidality #what if yuu didn't want to go back #part 3

29 notes · View notes

shoppncarticles · 2 years

Text

The Extensive Eevee Family

Oh boy. This is gonna be a long one.

So I guess I was kind of lying earlier when I called Meowth and Charizard the official number twos of Pokemon, since it looks like Eevee has usurped that title recently. It was featured alongside Pikachu as an option to be your partner in the recent Let’s Go games, and is even the only Pokemon to receive an anime-styled voice cry in modern games besides Pikachu. Ew.

Eevee is also extremely popular for being absolutely centered, nay, pigeonholed around the core concept of evolution. Eevee has a current total of 8 different evolutions, the most of any Pokemon to date. Each represents a single type, and only time will tell if they make one for all 18 types. I dread the thought.

Eevee at least looks like a sort of basic, rudimentary Normal critter that could benefit from some extra elemental spice. Its appearance being a sort of cross between a fox, kitten, and other typically cute mammals also helped to skyrocket its popularity far above others in Pokemon’s encyclopedia, helped even further by its special evolution gimmick.

I’m not the first person to think of this idea, but I do think it would be pretty funny to have an evolution of Eevee that only happened at an absurdly high level, and was only a bigger, still Normal type Eevee critter. The Pokedex would make mention that it was only recently discovered simply because no one had bothered raising an Eevee for that long without evolving it. Genius.

I still hope that idea happens someday, but for now the closest we’ll probably get is Gigantamax Eevee, the only other non-fully evolved Pokemon to get one alongside Pikachu and Meowth. It’s alright, not being much more than regular Eevee with bigger neck fluff. That’s cute enough, I suppose.

Score: 3/5

I’ll be ranking each ‘eeveelution’ separately, because I view them all a little differently and it would be a pain to try and group them up by score. I’ll spoil it now, though, none of them crack 5/5.

Vaporeon comes pretty close, though. I enjoy just how devoted this one is to its new Water typing, featuring a fancy finned collar, as well as a dorsal fin atop its head and two where its ears would’ve been. The lined ridge trailing down its back ending in a whale tail is also a neat touch, making Vaporeon really feel like a field or forest mammal hyper-evolved to fit a new aquatic environment.

Vaporeon also possesses the ability to ‘melt’ into water, cloaking itself as a puddle completely. It can even somehow travel between puddles as if teleporting, which is a pretty cool power for a wacky water cat to have.

Score: 4/5

Vaporeon is easily my favorite, even a bit predictably so.

Jolteon isn’t that bad either, this time representing the Electric type. This is shown off by all of its fur standing on end, giving it a staticy coat of spikes covering its body. It can even fire individual hairs like tiny little electrified needles, which is a pretty unnerving concept to picture having to deal with in person. Otherwise, there’s not a lot to comment on.

Score: 3/5

I have even less to say about the Fire type Flareon. It’s pretty much described in the same way as any other first generation Fire type is, leaning towards the underdeveloped Ponyta than the more interesting early game ones are. I do like at least how its tail stands up like a candle flame in the newer games, though.

Score: 2/5

Espeon is pretty cool, though, being a contender for my second favorite of the family. It embodies the Psychic type, and is likely supposed to resemble a hairless sphynx cat, which is an apt fit for those mystic powers.

Espeon evolves by having a high friendship value during the daytime, so of course is described as being extremely loyal and protective of its trainer. More notably, though, it grows weak during the nighttime and loses energy if it’s kept out of the sun for too long. That’s a pretty neat idea, especially given how a lot of mystical Pokemon previously have drawn power from the moon. Espeon is instead solar-powered, and it’s even more unique for a Pokemon that is neither Fire type nor a plant to benefit from strong sunlight.

Score: 4/5

Espeon’s counterpart is Umbreon, who evolves during the night, and is Dark type, which completely nullifies Psychic attacks. It’s a cool sleek black, and those yellow ring elements, likely meant to resemble the moon, make for good splashes of bright color on its design. They even turn bright blue in its shiny for extra flair!

Interestingly, Umbreon started off in development as a Poison type, which still seems to remain as a part of its anatomy. It’s said to secrete poison like sweat to cool itself off, and also likely to deter predators from trying to bite into it. Like Shellder and Lickitung, it’s pretty cool for a Pokemon to still incorporate something like bodily toxins in its design while not fully committing to the Poison typing.

Score: 4/5

The generation four Eevees, though… oof. Leafeon rather clearly is a new Grass type form, and seems to have taken the most rudimentary route when designing one. Sure, just get a catlike creature and slap some leaves and tufts of grass on it. C’mon, you’re not telling me they could’ve done just a little bit more with this design, right? Why not have an Eevee snared up in a bunch of vines, or an Eevee with a large grassy cape covering its body with flowers blooming all over it, or maybe another prickly, thorny Eevee, or SOMETHING. Leafeon is so underwhelming in its design I don’t know what I should take away from it.

Score: 2/5

Man, Glaceon might be even worse. Is there really anything here that makes it clear Glaceon is supposed to be an Ice type? If I hue shifted it purple, would it then be supposed to work as a Poison type? Flareon at least has a tail and tuft of fur on its head that look like flames. Glaceon doesn’t even have that. Shouldn’t it have like, ice encrusting its paws, or something? Maybe icicles hanging from its ears? What about the original Eevee’s scruff of neck fur, huh? Couldn’t that become a scarf or something similar?? Why is Glaceon so bland and underdeveloped, dang it!!!

Score: 1/5

One last Eevee was introduced to show off the new Fairy type, sporting a frilly pink color and adorned with bows and ribbons. Sylveon wouldn’t be all that special, except that the Pokedex describes the ribbons as feelers, which Sylveon coils around the arms of its trainer in an attempt to comfort them. I can’t help but feel like feeling these weird, furred tendrils wrapping around your arm would only distress you further, and the Fairy type’s pension for more mischievous and sinister tendencies does give Sylveon breathing room for more less-than-wholesome intentions if it so desires.

Score: 3.5/5

Phew, that’s a lot of Eevees. They never ranked too highly on my list of personal favorites, so forgive me for not going extremely in depth on most of them.

[Gen 1 Archive]

#pokemon #pokemon review #eevee #vaporeon #jolteon #flareon #espeon #umbreon #leafeon #glaceon #sylveon

3 notes · View notes

eponymous-rose · 3 years

Text

A Critical Role Campaign 2 Mechanics Primer

Got a request from a new Critical Role viewer for some clarification re: rules and characters, and dang, yes, there’s so much stuff to deal with as a new viewer at the moment. So here’s an attempt at clarifying some stuff!

How does D&D work?

Fundamentally, one person (the DM) sets the scene and the players riff off that scene by acting out what their characters would do in response. Whenever a player’s actions would lead to an uncertain result, the DM can call for them to roll a die and try to hit a predetermined target number to see if they succeed. The players’ individual characters have abilities that boost certain categories of rolls and penalize others; a very strong character is more likely than a scrawny one to be able to open a jammed door, but they could still have an unlucky roll. It’s the DM’s job to incorporate the sometimes-absurd results of those die rolls into a coherent story.

Combat is the most “gamey” D&D gets, where everyone has a turn set aside to act (with an order determined by the “initiative” roll that starts combat). This is where character classes come in handy: magic-users cast spells, fighters jump in with their weapons of choice, and so forth. Each character has a set of hit points, and once those reach zero, the character is unconscious and possibly dying. But combat ain’t just hack-and-slash: there can be conversation, strategy, manipulation, collaboration, and all sorts of weird subtleties going on. Fundamentally, players’ actions are limited only by their imaginations.

It can be super weird getting into a D&D show even if you have played a bit because everyone plays the game a bit differently. Critical Role’s gameplay leans hard into roleplaying and character beats (there are episodes with basically no dice rolls) but also leans hard enough into the rules that a random bad or good roll can completely derail the story; rolls aren’t fudged or handwaved for the sake of a predetermined narrative, which means nobody playing (including the DM) knows how things are going to end up. This makes for a viewing experience that is a cross between dramedy improv and live sports; the cast plays out long scenes of conversation, but their characters could also permanently die at any time, adding to the high stakes. It’s also totally unedited, which accounts for the absurdly long runtime.

If any of that isn’t for you, there are a lot of great D&D podcasts out there (often labeled “actual play”) that run the gamut from silly with minimal rules to mechanically involved but edited down. It’s a cool time to get into D&D!

Okay, so how exactly do these characters do their thing?

One of the more confusing aspects for new viewers of the second campaign of Critical Role is that they’re using a fair amount of content that’s not in the baseline ruleset - some character races and classes are coming from expansion content, and some are from Matt Mercer (the DM’s) homebrew. Here’s a quick summary of what each character has going on at the start of the campaign, moving from left to right in the first episode’s seating arrangement.

Fjord (played by Travis Willingham)

If you’re watching the show in video form, Travis is the big guy who looks like he could throw a football real far. If you’re listening to the podcast, his character voice has a Texas twang.

Fjord is a half-orc warlock. A half-orc typically has green skin and tusks but otherwise looks fairly close to a garden-variety human. Warlocks are magic-users who gained their abilities from a bargain with a mysterious (generally somewhat malevolent) being of great power. Mechanically, they rely a lot on what are called cantrips (spells that can be cast an unlimited number of times a day) since the number of more powerful spells at their disposal is very limited. However, unlike most other casters that have to get a full night’s sleep to regain their stronger spells, warlocks just have to rest for an hour or so and they’re good to go. More specifically, Fjord is a hexblade warlock. Hexblades are warlocks who have a particularly strong bond with their weapon of choice and can summon it from nothing.

Beauregard (played by Marisha Ray)

If you’re watching the show in video form, Marisha is the woman who often perches on her chair like she’s about to take flight. If you’re listening to the podcast, her character voice is a bit gruff with a sarcastic drawl.

Beau is a human monk. Both humans in this campaign use a variant version of human that allows them to pick a feat at the start of the campaign: Beau has some extra expertise in investigative and athletic abilities. Monks are preternaturally powerful martial artists; what some classes do with magic, they do with unarmed combat. Mechanically, they rely on an ability called ki points, which are a stockpile of points that can be used for extra-powerful abilities such as being able to hit extra times on an attack or being able to stun an enemy. More specifically, Beau is a Way of the Cobalt Soul monk, which is a homebrew from Matt and means she’s essentially a warrior-monk-librarian whose key abilities center around rooting out useful information.

Caleb (played by Liam O’Brien)

If you’re watching the show in video form, Liam is the guy who perpetually looks like he’s about to launch into a Shakespearean monologue. If you’re listening to the podcast, his character voice is soft with a German accent.

Caleb is a human wizard. His variant human feat gives him an eidetic memory and the ability to always know what time it is. Wizards are magic-users who got to where they are with careful study; Caleb has to keep track of his spells by transcribing them into a spellbook. He also has a familiar in the form of the cat Frumpkin, although Frumpkin can also change forms. Mechanically, wizards can pick up spells from a lot of different sources to learn them, but again, the cost in time and materials of transcribing them into a spellbook can be substantial. More specifically, Caleb is a transmutation wizard, which means his wizardry focuses around the act of transforming one thing into another.

Nott (played by Sam Riegel)

If you’re watching the show in video form, Sam is the guy with an alarmingly big smile and a comically oversized flask. If you’re listening to the podcast, his character voice is high-pitched with varying levels of Cockney accent.

Nott is a goblin rogue. Goblins are small and quick, and may or may not be well-received depending on the location. Rogues are sneaky individuals who do best when striking from the shadows or scouting ahead to investigate potential traps and unlock doors. Mechanically, they get a huge bonus in combat if they attack when unseen or when an opponent is distracted by an ally. They’re also very good at avoiding attacks and at hiding from view. More specifically, Nott is an arcane trickster rogue, which means she also dabbles in magic related to illusions and enchantment.

Jester (played by Laura Bailey)

If you’re watching the show in video form, Laura is the one who may or may not be instigating every round of giggles at accidental innuendo. If you’re listening to the podcast, her character voice is bubbly with an Eastern European accent.

Jester is a tiefling cleric. Tieflings essentially look like brightly-colored humans (Jester has blue skin) with horns and a tail; they’re the result of infernal ancestry and also may or may not be well-received. Clerics are magic-users who derive their power from the blessing of a deity or other extremely powerful entity. Jester’s divine patron is the Traveler, a mysterious trickster with an affinity for phallic graffiti. Mechanically, clerics have a massive stable of spells from which they can choose a subset every morning; their abilities range from healing wounds to causing devastating harm. More specifically, Jester is a trickery domain cleric, which means her spells have a strong focus on illusions and pranks.

Mollymauk (played by Taliesin Jaffe)

If you’re watching the show in video form, Taliesin is the one who looks like he may be some sort of ancient fey creature who’s come to our realm to play D&D. If you’re listening to the podcast, his character voice has an Irish accent of varying intensity.

Molly is a tiefling blood hunter with purple skin. Blood hunters are a custom class Matt created that can use their own blood (in a process called hemocraft) to augment their combat abilities. Mechanically, blood hunters are high-risk high-reward; they can perform devastatingly brutal attacks, but often only at the cost of shedding some of their own blood to do so. More specifically, Molly is an Order of the Ghostslayer blood hunter, which means he’s got an affinity for things relating to the moment of death.

Yasha (played by Ashley Johnson)

If you’re watching the show in video form, Ashley is the one who isn’t around for a little bit (she was splitting her time with a TV show on the opposite coast) and then SHE’S BACK AND I’M STILL SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. If you’re listening to the podcast, her character voice is soft with a faint Scandinavian accent.

Yasha is an aasimar barbarian. Aasimar are the semi-divine counterpart to tieflings, although Yasha is a fallen aasimar with a fairly different aesthetic. Barbarians use their rage to enhance their already fierce battle prowess. Mechanically, barbarians in a rage take less damage and deal more damage, and also embrace a high-risk high-reward playstyle as tanks in the middle of the fray. More specifically, Yasha is a Path of the Zealot barbarian, which means her battle rages are fueled by the influence of a divine being.

Interested in watching from the start of campaign 2? The show has a YouTube channel with each episode posted in its entirety, and all episodes are also available in podcast form (they did jump channels partway through, but you can usually find a playlist that has them all). If you want to delve into campaign 1, I highly recommend it, but be aware that they’re still figuring out tech stuff and you’re also jumping in partway through the game they started years earlier at home. Campaign 2 starts 20 years after campaign 1 on a different continent of the same world, and is intended to be an appropriate jumping-on point for new viewers.

Interested in catching up faster so you can watch live with friends? Search Critical Recap for a series of recap videos on YouTube, which then becomes a series of written summaries on the CritRole website after episode 88. There are also great summaries on the Wiki, and many people have put together catch-up guides for new viewers.

There’s A LOT of content out there. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for skimming the early stuff if you want to get in on the new episodes sooner. <3

Episodes air at 7 PM Pacific every Thursday on Critical Role’s Twitch and YouTube channels; the VOD goes up for free on YouTube the Monday after. In the last few months, the cast has been distanced at the studio (all on separate cameras) and episodes have been pre-recorded several weeks in advance; normally, the show is streamed live and everyone is around the same table.

Hope that helps! If you have any questions, let me know. This is a fun show to get into, and a great all-consuming massive body of entertainment if you have the time for it.

#critical role #eponymous reference tag #long text post

338 notes · View notes

mowulf · 3 years

Text

You Gotta be Kitten Me

CH 2: It's only a flesh wound

A note on cat breeds, because I don’t feel like spending an absurd amount of time describing them. (Also only Spy would have any idea what the different breeds are because he’s fancy like that.) From largest to smallest:

Heavy - Blue maine coon. He’s the largest by weight and length and has the cat equivalent of resting bitch face.

Sniper - Savannah cat. He’s the tallest, but he’s lanky and not nearly as long as Heavy.

Demoman - You know those cats that are so black they’re basically walking black holes? Yeah, that’s him.

Spy - Tuxedo cat. Primarily black with white fingers, white chin, and a white triangle on this neck and chest. When he sits up straight he does, indeed, look like he’s wearing a tiny, furry suit.

Soldier - Siamese. He’s loud. He’s obnoxious. And he makes sure you know he’s there.

Scout - Egyptian Mau/DSH mix. Egyptian Maus are the fastest domestic cat breed, reaching up to 30 mph, and can leap absurdly high. While he’s got the build of a Mau, the DSH shows in his calico coat.

Pyro - Ruddy Abyssinian. They look vaguely burnt and, like Scout, are quite small. Yes, they wear a sock on their head. No, you won't be able to convince them to take it off.

-----

“Gentlemen, we have a situation,” Spy said as he looked around the room. The other cats stopped what they were doing and approached. No point delaying the conversation.

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Scout said as he trotted over to shove Spy. “How come y’all get ta be so much bigger ‘n’ me? ‘S not fair.”

“That is beside the point, Scout.”

“That is exactly the point!”

”Scout.” Spy planted a paw on Scout’s head and pushed him away. Sniper got the hint and gently but firmly shooed Scout to the opposite side of the forming circle.

Demoman took a seat next to the awkward pair while Sniper attempted to figure out a way to gently pin Scout without accidentally crushing him and casually curled his tail around his paws. “It’s not all that bad,” he said casually. “We’re smaller, so we’ll be harder to hit. Pro’ly faster, too.”

Spy folded his ears and sighed deeply. “Really? Really? That’s what we’re going with? ‘It’s not so bad.’ Are you listening to yourself?”

Sniper flicked his tail and snapped, “Yeah, mate, we heard him just fine. What’s your problem?”

“My problem is a distinct lack of thumbs. Or did you forget?” The group fell silent as everyone examined their hands. Once he was satisfied that enough time had passed, Spy continued, “We didn’t just lose a few inches. Sniper is, at best, as long as his rifle, I can’t even hold a knife let alone stab anyone, and I’m reasonably certain the intelligence is twice Scout’s size.” He straightened up and settled a glare around the group. “We’re useless at best. Hell, Medic and Engineer would likely have an easier time in the next mission if we all just stayed at base. Especially if they have Heavy.”

A heavy silence descended on the circle. After a few moments Soldier stood up and yelled, “That’s still no excuse to not fight! We have claws! We have teeth! We’ll just have to fight them the old fashioned way!” His tail lashed as he spoke and at the end he reared back and swiped at the air.

Sniper was quick to shut that down by yelling, “That’s assuming we can even get close to anyone!” He puffed up and growled, high and deep. “We’re too small. We might catch someone off guard the first time, but then everyone will know to look out for us. Alone we stand no chance. As a group, we’re too obvious!”

“‘Sides, we need to get their intelligence back to base. Mission doesn’t end until someone has someone else’s briefcase,” Scout snapped, ready to jump up only to be pressed back into the floor when Sniper stepped on him.

“Those are the words of a coward! There are no cowards here! Or do I need to remind you maggots of that?” Soldier took a step forward, legs stiff and tail lashing in anger.

Sniper lowered his head and curled his lips in a snarl. “If you think I’m going to just throw myself into enemy fire with no hope of walking away, you’re a fool.” Scout squeaked as Sniper stepped on him to approach Soldier. Scout wanted nothing to do with the fight that was about to break out. While Sniper had the upper hand in terms of size, Soldier more than made up for that in crazy.

On the sidelines, the other mercs chimed in trying to break up the fight before it began, but no one was willing to actually get close. Even human, Soldier was not a force to be reckoned with. Once Sniper was no longer standing on him, Scout joined the rest in the safe zone.

Sniper and Soldier approached each other stiffly until there was only a few inches between them. Soldier’s tail continued to lash dramatically while Sniper’s only twitched at the end. For a long minute the pair simply glared and growled.

Soldier made the first move. Sniper flinched back when Soldier lunged forward, allowing the smaller cat to latch onto his neck and shoulder, back legs tearing at whatever they could reach. Sniper shrieked, swatted a couple times at Soldier, before running toward the nearest wall and throwing himself Soldier-first into it. Yelling broke out from everywhere, a combination of cat howls and human shock.

The impact didn’t knock Soldier loose and only seemed to make him more aggressive. The cat twisted and sank his claws deeper into Sniper’s shoulder while pulling with his teeth until he felt something give. Sniper responded by slamming into the wall three more times in quick succession, finally stunning Soldier enough to make him start to lose grip. That was all Sniper needed to finally stick his foot under Soldier and rip the other cat off.

He stumbled back a couple steps before lunging forward with a yell, only to be slammed into the ground by Medic. One hand grabbed the scruff of his neck and the other a fistful of loose skin near his rump and hauled him back, spitting and screaming. Engineer scooped Soldier before he could launch back at Sniper.

The two spit curses and profanities at each other until Demoman leapt between them and bellowed “SHUT UP!” Silence. “Soldier,” he turned to face, “this is not cowardice or abandonment. Think of it as a tactical retreat until we can figure out how to get the upper hand back.”

“That’s true,” Spy said. “We’re at a disadvantage. We need to figure something out.”

“But-” Soldier flinched when Demoman trotted up and bopped him on the nose. “We can’t-” Another bop. “Would you-” Bopbopbop Demoman stopped and hopped away when Engineer waved him off.

Once he was sure that Soldier had shut up, he turned his attention to Sniper. “And you!” Sniper bristled but remained silent. “If yer gonna fight, take it outside. You know th’ rules.”

More silence. Everyone waited tensely until Sniper finally sighed and Soldier relaxed. A collective sigh was released and the tension finally drained from the room.

“I’m going to need the medigun,” Medic announced. “I’ll be right back.” With that he released Sniper and left the room.

Soldier wriggled out of Engineer’s grip and the man made another grab for him but stopped when he saw the cats regather into the circle. Scout made a couple laps of the malformed circle, chirping in distress until Sniper finally dragged himself into their original spot, at which point he tucked himself firmly into the larger cat’s side. He made a few more distressed chirps as he eyed the mauled fur and flesh but was silenced when Sniper lay a paw across his back.

“Establishing communication should be our top priority,” Spy said once the circle had been properly reformed. “We can’t do much if Medic and Engineer can’t understand us.”

The other cats nodded and made various sounds of agreement only to fall silent when a deep voice rumbled, “Da.” Everyone turned to see an absolutely massive maine coon staring down at them. Even Pyro did a double take before scooting to the side to make space. There was a moment of reshuffling before Heavy finally took a spot and lay down, careful to tuck his lugs beneath him. “Doktor is dangerous. Keep distance and avoid his room.” He paused for a second, then added, “Avoid medbay, too. Anywhere he keeps birds.”

The circle gave another chorus of agreement. If Heavy was giving the warning, then extra caution needed to be used. Right as Spy was about to resume the conversation, Medic reentered, paused, and said, “Heavy?” Heavy looked up, flicked his tail, and then pointedly looked away. Sniper looked between the two before deciding they needed space. “I’ll be back,” he muttered before pushing himself to his feet and limping over to Medic.

Spy coughed to draw everyone’s attention. “As I said before, we’ll need to establish some form of communication. Does anyone have any suggestions?”

“What about morse code?” Soldier asked.

Spy hummed. “Not a bad idea, assuming either of them know any. I know a little, but not nearly enough.”

“Do you know enough to get food?” Scout whined, stretching and rolling onto his back dramatically. “I’m dyin’ over here!”

“Scout-”

“No! Shut up!” He hopped onto his feet and puffed. “I didn’t eat supper on account of I wasn’t feelin’ good, and we ain’t had breakfast. I can smell bacon an’ I’m starving!”

“Mmph! Mr hnng trr,” Pyro chirped, also jumping up and circling in place. Spy smacked his face and groaned, knowing that there was no hope of getting the impromptu meeting back on track. Not with Scout and Pryo now feeding each other’s energy. Best to get them both fed before they worked each other into a frenzy.

“What’d I miss?” Sniper asked as he returned to the circle.

“Somethin’ somethin’ marsh code an’ Spy’s gonna get us food,” Scout announced before anyone else could speak. Pyro hopped over, muffled chattering displaying their excitement over the prospect of finally getting to eat something. The rest of the mercs were eagerly discussing breakfast as Demoman took the lead toward the cafeteria.

Medic and Engineer watched as the cats all began filing out of the room. As Heavy passed, Medic leaned down to try and grab Heavy, only to jerk back when the cat whipped around and snapped at him. Heavy gave an angry huffed before ambling after the rest.

“Well,” Engineer said slowly, “That was… interesting.” He stood up from his spot on the floor and stretched. “What do you recon they’re up to now?”

Medic ran a hand through his hair, sighed, and hefted the end of the medigun off the floor where he’d set it after treating Sniper. “Don’t know. Don’t care. Keep an eye on them. I’m going to call Miss Pauling.”

“Good luck with that.”

Engineer trailed after the small army of cats while Medic heaved another sigh and made his way back to the medical bay. The medigun was easily put away and he took a moment to pet Archimedes before he left in search of the base phone. If he was lucky, Pauling would be free enough to swing by the base. She could wrangle everyone under control and figure out what to do next. Or at least give him some pointers on how to take care of cats. Then he’d have to run to town and get cat food.

Fun.

#tf2 #Team Fortress 2 #tf2 scout #tf2 spy #tf2 medic #tf2 heavy #tf2 engineer #tf2 demoman #tf2 pyro #tf2 sniper #tf2 soldier #Hdfjksdjkl why are there so many characters to keep track of #I can barely handle 3 #let alone 9 #absolute chaos

22 notes · View notes

sapphos-ode · 3 years

Note

the thought of alcina having a little kitten that likes to follow her around the castle or sit in her lap while she’s getting work done

she of course is very careful with looking out for him and making sure not to squish him while she’s walking. and she’s super gentle and soft with him

the girls like to tease him by turning into the swarm of insects and having him chase them all around the castle, until he eventually gets tired and goes to find alcina in her office jumping into her lap to take a nap

“they’ve tired my poor kitty out haven’t they?” AND SHE DOES HER LITTLE POUTY FACE WHILE SHE PETS HIM.

(lmao sorry for this it was something i came up with last night and i’m a sucker for soft alci)

Sororry idk how to use tumblr. I’m hoping I’m actually answering this, I think this is an ask?

I love it! As a cat person, omg yes. I feel it would be a ragdoll she’d have. They’d fit in perfectly with her colour scheme. Their fur is a cream off white colour with a dark brown as a secondary colour. So they’d like defo match Alcina nicely. Or to compliment her size, a Norwegian mountain cat. They’re an absurdly large breed and I absolute love them. Their ears sometimes do that thing, where the tips have this extra long little tuft of hair. I love it. Also. Big paws!

She’d have a cute little collar with a little rose that matches her corsage for him! Or it has a metal flower pendant on it that matches the ones her disgusted wear!

I think she’d have the ragdoll type that has all their legs, tail, ears, and face brown whisky the rest is that cream colour. Or maybe I’m simply biased because my cats a ragdoll like that.

Also if Alcina’s all gentle and soft with the kitten, then bonus points because ragdolls typically are the cuddliest breed. Like, my one just flops into me whenever I pick her up. She constantly tries to sit on my lap. I think Alcina would simply adore a ragdoll kitten.

I feel she’d name him after something about Romanian mythology.

Sorry sorry I made this into a ragdoll cat supremacy post.

Also I love the idea of the girls playing with him, getting him to chase them when they’re a swarm! And Alcina getting all pouty cause they tired her poor little baby out. Aaaa! I’m such a sucker for soft Alcina too.

Also the cat has this amazing sixth sense and always seems to know where to find Alcina if he wanders off to do his own thing.

Sometimes the maids can hear the countess having a one sided conversation. One poor girl poked her head in the door to witness Alcina holding the kitten up and talking to it in the voice adults reserve for babies and animals.

Safe to say the maid can no longer meet Alcina’s eye. And Alcina is unaware she was seen coddling the kitten.

#lady dimitrescu #I hope I answered this?#but like please pm me. I love Alcina and can’t get enough

64 notes · View notes

munku-collar · 3 years

Text

sillabub is so much quieter and more shy than jemima. she’s just as sweet, and smart, but where jemima was up and running around with the other kittens early on, always looking for excitement, sillabub is more content to stay tucked away at mommy’s side, or to play quieter games with some of the older cats. it’s partly because she’s the youngest; there aren’t other kittens in her age group, and sometimes her older sister and the others play a little too rough for her, but she’s also just naturally inclined to stay more on the sidelines and watch. she definitely inherited that from demeter. when she was born, she had more of munkustrap’s coloring, lots of gray and hints of brown and a little of dem’s orange and yellow, but when she got a little older, a lot more of demeter’s yellow started to shine through too. she also has the same frown as demeter, which makes munkustrap laugh every time she does it.

and jemima shares many traits with munkustrap, despite him not being her biological father. she wears the same expression as him when she’s proud of something, and they’re both very good at encouraging others with kind words. she has his confidence, his ability to make connections and friendships easily, and she unconsciously adopted his posture too. she’s always kind, and keeps herself busy. she doesn’t have much time for cuddling or grooming, always wanting to do and see more and enjoy life to the fullest. sometimes it gets her into trouble, but she’s usually pretty responsible, and does her best to keep her friends out of trouble, just like her father. demeter loves seeing the two of them stand together or sit together. sometimes their tails will swish in time without either of them knowing it. it’s absurdly cute.

it certainly takes her mind off of some of the traits jemima shares with macavity, the most obvious being the red in her fur. she has the same tone of voice as him when she’s sarcastic too, or rolling her eyes, and though she doesn’t quite have his temper, it’s very clear when jemima’s in a bad mood(but that goes for sillabub too, so it may just be from demeter’s side!). munk sees the similarities too. pretty much everyone who knew mac does, but it’s often overlooked. demeter has never brought them up, and never intends to. it can all stress her out a little, if she thinks on it too long. but she loves her daughter with all her heart, and any relation to macavity is overshadowed by jemima’s unique personality and kind heart. she’s such a wonderful girl, and everyone’s day is made brighter by her presence. the same can be said for sillabub. munk and deme love their girls so much. they’re thankful for them every day, and for each other.

#my shit #cats 1998 #cats the musical #demestrap #jemima #sillabub #macavity #JH #munkustrap #demeter #cats demeter #demeter cats

21 notes · View notes

alpacaparkaseok · 3 years

Text

Lost & Found - 9

Pairing: Park Jimin x soulmate (oc)

Warnings: Insecurity, anxiety, abandonment

Word Count: 5.1k

a/n: this chapter is based off of the song ‘Countdowns’ by Sleeping at Last. I also consider this Jimin’s song for this series! Give it a listen! (also, Sleeping at Last has been a long time favorite band of mine and they are soooo amazing)

Chapter 9. Countdowns

series masterlist

I awake with a distinct feeling of disbelief. Peering down at Elle’s sleeping form, I do my best to maneuver to the side of the bed without waking the pristine white cat. Grabbing my phone off the nightstand, it only takes a couple of seconds before yesterday’s conversation with Park Jaemin appears.

I stare and stare at the screen, scrolling through the light-hearted conversation until I arrive to a conclusion.

“I think I made a friend.” At my quiet utterance Elle stretches and looks at me lazily. “Well, besides you, I suppose.”

Elle rolls to her feet, plopping down on my lap and swishing her tail back and forth. I chew on my lip, checking the time at the top of the screen. It’s still absurdly early, chances are I won’t hear back from Jaemin for a few hours if I decide to text him now.

But, I think I made a friend.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I did that.

That fact alone proves too tempting as I run my fingers through Elle’s fur and snap a photo of her. Quickly captioning it, I send it off and jump out of bed, throwing my phone down on the comforter.

“There,” I grin at my confused cat. “That counts as my social interaction for the day, right?”

It isn’t until I’m in the shower and halfway through shaving my left leg that I realize just how much my newly formed friendship has influenced me. Not only has it granted me a rarely-won feeling of accomplishment, but it’s also spurred me to do something I never fully realized I had stopped in the first place.

For the first time in months - no, perhaps already a year? - I’m singing.

With a silly grin that is so at odds with the rush of tears to my eyes, I sing all the louder.

✂

For the first time since he saw the other half of this thread floating toward him on a phantom breeze, freshly cut, Jimin is singing.

Granted, it’s not the singing most people are used to hearing. The arena is echoing with the sounds of the members of BTS performing their various voice exercises. At first it felt a bit strange, sitting on the edge of the stage where they’ll be having their Muster is a few day’s time. Experimentally projecting his voice, wincing a little at how a few weeks without singing made it a bit difficult.

“How’re you feeling?” Yoongi plops down beside Jimin, leaning back on his hands. Jimin shrugs, looking around the arena.

“I’d forgotten how big these venues are,” he admits. “And it’s only been a few weeks since I last performed.”

Yoongi grunts in acknowledgement, looking at all the empty seats that will soon be filled with their fans. “It’s a humbling feeling, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Will we really fill this place up?”

Snorting, Yoongi gets up to his feet and holds a hand out for Jimin. “We will, I have a feeling that’ll be the least of our problems.”

Clambering to his feet as well, Yoongi’s words remind Jimin of what they have to do today. Heading toward the center of the back of the stage, they enter the loose huddle the others have formed.

The stage director, Kang Jisoo, does a quick headcount before beginning the little meeting. “Ok,” she rolls her shoulders, looking around the circle. “How’s everybody feeling?”

She’s met with an array of responses, all conveying the same meaning.

“Great. Does everyone feel confident with the different stages? Anything you feel like you need to go over before we begin the full rehearsal?” It’s quiet for a moment, but Hoseok voices what’s on everybody’s mind.

“How do you want us to move through Jiminie’s entrance and exit?”

Despite knowing that this question was coming, Jimin can’t help the spike in his heart rate. He’s itching to perform again, but there’s no way for him to anticipate everyone’s reactions when he comes out on stage. All he can do is try his best, he supposes.

The first couple of hours fly by, Jimin watching from the side for the majority of the time. It was decided that he would come on and perform with everyone for the final song, allowing for all of the members to leave at the same time as him.

When it comes time for that final song in the rehearsal, Jimin clenches his jaw while the platform rises up to the stage. Clinging to his microphone for dear life and forcing himself to look out at the empty arena instead of the red thread on his left hand, he readjusts his earpiece and allows for the music to take over.

Jimin’s eyes fall shut as he sings his part, a part of his aching heart basking in the lyrics. He doesn’t open them again until Taehyung’s deep voice is finishing out the song, and he glances around himself as though just remembering where he is.

He’s shocked when he catches Jungkook hastily drying his tears on his shirtsleeves.

“Kookie,” Jimin laughs as he rises from the stool, wandering over to the maknae. He pulls him into a hug, the other members watching with fond expressions. “You alright?”

Jungkook nods, sniffling a little more before pulling away. “Sorry hyung, I just...it’s sad.”

“The song?” Jimin asks with raised brows.

Shrugging and nodding at the same time, Jungkook looks around the empty arena as though able to see into the future when it will be filled with ARMY. “All of it.”

Kang Jisoo rushes over a moment later, her own eyes glinting a little with what might be unshed tears. “Right, after that, I would strongly advise saying goodbye and heading back to the lift.” She looks at Jungkook with a knowing expression. “It’s going to be a bit intense in here, I think. After that performance.”

“Should I have picked a different song?” Jimin asks, worried that it might prove too much for ARMY. “I just don’t think I could do a very high energy one, you know? But we could do 2! 3! Or something-”

It’s Taehyung who steps forward, throwing a comforting arm around his friend. “No. I think ARMY...I think I need to see it, actually.” He sighs. “It’ll hurt, but I think we’ll all look back and see that your performance, returning to the public eye with this song, gives hope.”

Once rehearsal is wrapped up, Jimin finds himself backstage with Jin and Jungkook. The three of them are in the process of stuffing their faces with whatever food they can find when Jin looks at Jimin quizzically.

“Have you texted Jolie at all since last night?”

Jimin’s eyes grow wide. “Er-” he swallows his food, “I forgot to charge my phone last night, it was dead this morning. I threw it on the charger once I got here. Let me find it.” He jumps up, heart beating a bit too quickly as he searches for his charged phone. This morning he’d nearly had a heart attack when he realized he’d fallen asleep with his phone in his hands instead of charging it up. When he tried to turn it on to attempt a good morning text to Jolie, he’d huffed and puffed as his poor phone refused to power up immediately.

By the time he’d rushed over here and found a charger to throw it on, he’d had to go on stage.

Now he finds it in the corner of the room, fully charged and-

“She texted me!” Jimin shouts, ripping his phone off the charger and rushing back over to Jin and Jungkook.

“She did?!” Jungkook and Jin simultaneously shout, eyes wide.

Jimin groans when he sees what time. “At like...four in the morning!”

“What did she say?” Jin urges, nudging him. Jimin unlocks his phone, immediately letting out a choked noise when he sees the adorable message.

It’s a photo of Elle, sprawled out as Jolie’s right hand (obviously not the left, which would show her severed thread), scratches her fluffy belly. Beneath the photo is a message.

Jolie (Elle): Elle’s much happier now, she says good morning!

Jolie (Elle): Oh, and she says thank you for the cuddles 😍

“Thank you for the cuddles,” Jimin squeaks out, parroting the message. Jin and Jungkook read the message over his shoulder, cooing at the adorable cat.

“What are you going to say back?” Jungkook asks, still smiling at the cute message. Jimin takes a moment to think it over, before typing out a message.

Me: Why is she so adorable??

Me: Alsoooo sorry for taking forever to respond. My phone was dead and then I forgot to take it off the charger.

He waits about sixty seconds before firing off another message.

Me: PLEASE DON’T STOP SENDING ME ADORABLE PICTURES OF ELLE THO, I SWEAR I CHERISH THEM

The others chuckle at him, knowing full well not to question him.

✂

I’ve taken a pan out of my cupboard to begin preparing dinner when my phone pings. It just so happens to go off at the same moment someone knocks on my door.

Rounding the corner to open the door, I check my phone on the way and can’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

I was worried that Jaemin wasn’t going to respond.

I mean, I did text him...fourteen hours ago? It’s already six in the evening, it’s about time he responded.

“Open up! It’s the police!”

Rolling my eyes, I yank the door open to reveal a grinning Chung-hei. “Come in, loser.”

She does just that, sniffing the air like some sort of dog. “You haven’t started cooking yet, have you?”

I shake my head. “Just about to start.” Sliding an onion across the counter, I pass her a cutting board as well. “Since you’re late, you can chop the onion.”

Grumbling something under her breath, Chung-hei takes the cutting board and stations herself before the counter. “Yeah, yeah. How’s life?”

Shrugging, I get up on my tip-toes to reach the spices that I for some reason keep on the top shelf. “Pretty good. Actually, today’s been a pretty good day.”

“Oh really?” Hei wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Why? What happened?”

Shouting triumphantly when I finally reach the spices, I grin at my oldest friend. “I think I made a friend.” Then, pausing, I smile even wider. “Actually, two.”

Christina and Jaemin.

What a great starting lineup.

Chung-hei pauses in her chopping, looking genuinely surprised. “You’re being social?”

We both laugh knowingly. She’s always been the more outgoing one out of the two of us, although I used to be just as social as she was. Over the past year or so though, I’ve definitely become more of a recluse.

Almost like I’d forgotten who I was, content to just watch life fly by outside my window. I’d completely forgotten the thrill that comes from making new friends.

“A little,” I shrug. “What about you? How are you doing?”

Chung-hei looks like she wants to ask a bit more about my newfound friends, but drops it for now. “Same old, same old. I’m busy, Namjoon is busy, but we make it work. Actually,” she sets her knife down and steps back to avoid the effects of the onion. “I wanted to come here and apologize.”

Today is definitely turning out to be an...interesting day.

“What?”

Smiling softly, Chung-hei takes the chopped half of the onion to the saucepan on the stovetop and begins sautéing it. “I was...unfair to you the other day. Well, I guess it’s been a couple of weeks now, hasn’t it? For one, I’m sorry that it took me so long to realize that I wasn’t being a very good friend-”

I stop her with a confused look. “Hei, what are you talking about?”

“When I ambushed you at the bread shop with Namjoon.”

“Oh,” I say, stepping back and watching her. “I didn’t realize I’d be getting an apology for that.”

“Well, you deserve one. I wasn’t thinking about how you were feeling, I just got so in my head, just wanting to fix everything.” She shakes her head, staring down at the pan. “The only thing I could think about was how lost Namjoon looked when he came over that night, you know, when everything went down…”

“You mean when I cut the thread.”

Chung-hei finally looks over at me, a little shocked.

“You can say it,” I continue, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “It’s not like it’s a disease or something.”

She nods slowly, returning to the task at hand. “Ok. Well, that night when...when you cut the thread, Namjoon showed up in the middle of the night. He’d just left Jimin, and he was a mess. It took him forever to calm down enough to even speak straight, let alone rest. And of course, I was horrified. So when I found out that it was my best friend who was the reason for all of that pain, pain that I can only imagine was multiplied tenfold for Jimin, I just...freaked out. Bringing Namjoon to confront you seemed to be the only option for me.”

“...but it wasn’t, right?” I ask tentatively, taking in this new information. The thought of Namjoon being such a mess that night had never crossed my mind. I’d imagined that everyone would be angry, sure. But shell-shocked? Shaken to the bone?

“No. There were - still are - so many better options. And that’s been eating me alive the past couple of weeks,” Hei admits. “I’m so sorry, Jolie. For not even taking the time to figure out if you’re ok.”

It’s the apology I didn’t know I needed.

“...do you forgive me?” I ask quietly, realizing that what I may need more than an apology is forgiveness.

Chung-hei turns around to face me, tears rolling down her face that may not be from the onions. “I- of course I do. I did, weeks ago.”

As much as I want to dissolve into my friend’s embrace and cry with her, I find myself needing to know more. In my personal search for forgiveness, I need to understand why.

“How, though?” I venture. “Why?”

Blinking, Hei pushes the onions around on the pan for a moment longer. “How? I just...I love you. Even when you’re an idiot.”

I laugh at her honest response, suddenly feeling much lighter. “Thank you?”

It would appear that Christina is right. As horribly cliché and exhausting as it sounds, that’s the first thing I’ve got to understand if I’m going to find any way out of this mess.

Love just has to always be the answer, doesn’t it?

“Attention hog,” I mutter, quietly attacking love.

“What was that?” Chung-hei asks, thankfully not hearing me above the sizzling of the stove.

“Oh, nothing.” Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I grin at the messages I have waiting for me. It looks like Jaemin slipped another message into the mix, ever the impatient one.

Me: Wowww good to know you’re still breathing

Me: Also, if that’s what it takes to get a text back within a decent amount of time...maybe there will be a shortage of Elle pictures for a while. Thanks for the idea! 😂

✂

When Jimin arrives back at the apartment that evening, he’s a little shocked to find himself walking into World War III.

Both him and Jungkook, who usually tend to share a car, freeze in the doorway as the unmistakable voices of Taehyung and Namjoon bounce off the walls. Jungkook is quick to close the door behind him, hoping that the rest of the prestigious neighborhood didn’t just hear the shouting.

“What do you mean you didn’t know what to do?!” Taehyung shouts, sounding like he’s upstairs. Jungkook and Jimin share a look, unsure of whether they should head up to break up the argument.

It’s been years since Namjoon got caught up in a screaming match with any of the members. Whatever it is, it must be serious.

Yoongi and Hobi sit on a couch in the living room, wincing at the bitter argument. Jimin and Jungkook wander over to them, hoping to find some sort of explanation.

“They came in like this,” Yoongi quietly explains, already knowing that they’d ask. “Didn’t tell us what’s going on, but they shared a car and I guess something happened.”

Before Jimin can ask anything, Namjoon’s voice interrupts him.

“What was I supposed to do, Taehyung?! Break Jimin’s heart all over again? Jolie hardly knows what she’s feeling, let alone how to pick up the pieces-”

“HE DESERVES TO KNOW!”

The entire apartment falls silent as Taehyung’s voice rips through Namjoon like a freshly sharpened knife. “He’s my best friend, and yours too, hyung.” His voice is softer now, although there’s still a barb to it. “Weren’t you the one preaching about ‘let it hurt, then let it go’? How is he ever supposed to let it go when you’ve been hiding this from him?”

“And how do you propose I tell him?” Namjoon says quietly enough that Jimin wonders if he actually heard him.

Before Jungkook can stop him, Jimin is striding up the stairs to see Taehyung standing in the doorway of Namjoon’s room, panting after his outburst. His heart is in his stomach, gut churning as he quietly walks over to his best friend’s side.

Taehyung jumps a little when Jimin appears beside him, but Jimin is immediately drawn in by the image in front of him.

Namjoon is sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands. Looking absolutely devastated.

“Tell me what?”

Head popping up, Namjoon meets Jimin’s eyes with his own blood-shot ones. “You’re home,” he croaks out, his voice sounding raw after the screaming match he just went through.

From the way Taehyung huffs, Jimin can tell he’s still riled up. Placing a protective hand on his shoulder, Taehyung urges his friend forward.

“Yes…” Jimin says, looking back at Taehyung. His friend keeps his eyes trained on Namjoon, almost as though daring him to try hiding the truth. It’s a look that has Jimin shrinking back, even though he’s not on the receiving end of it. “What’s going on, hyung? You- I heard Jolie’s name.”

Sitting up straight and nodding slowly, Namjoon looks utterly defeated. “Come in, Jimin. I...I need to talk to you about something.”

“What happened?” Jimin reiterates, feeling absolutely terrified. Nobody offers him a response just yet, although Taehyung does go inside with Jimin and stands beside him as he sits down in Namjoon’s armchair. It’s clear that Taehyung isn’t going anywhere during this conversation.

After a long moment, Namjoon adjusts to face Jimin, staring down at his hands. “Just, I need you to know that I didn’t hide this from you because I don’t trust you, Chim. I do. You know that.”

He glances up at Jimin, who nods for him to continue.

“Jolie...your soulmate, she’s Chung-hei’s best friend.” He pauses, allowing Jimin to take in this new information. All he can do is blink, his mind beginning to whir with what this implies. “And, er...I met her. A couple weeks ago.”

All Namjoon receives is a blank stare as Jimin tries and fails to compute. Taehyung’s chest is still rising and falling with heavy breaths, attempting to curb his anger.

“Chung-hei was freaked out when she learned about it, and she didn’t know what else to do. I wanted to tell you, Jimin, I swear. But I didn’t want you to get your hopes up-”

“You met her?” The question stops Namjoon in his tracks, instantly feeling more regret piling up as he sees the innocent confusion on Jimin’s face.

Jimin can’t believe that he could intentionally hide this from him.

“I...yes. I did.”

Nodding slowly, as checking off one question and moving to the next, Jimin furrows his brows. “As in, you spoke to her?”

“Yes.”

“But you didn’t tell me.”

“...no.”

“Because you were afraid of me getting my hopes up only to get hurt again?”

“Yes. Jimin, I-”

“Is she ok?”

Jimin asks the question in a quiet tone, but Namjoon has the distinct feeling of being caught in the middle of a hurricane. Indeed, Taehyung still appears to be fuming beside his best friend, but in Jimin’s eyes is a calculated sort of calm.

It hurts, Namjoon realizes. It hurts Jimin to still care so much even after having his heart ripped out. But that’s Jimin. To stop Jimin from loving would be to stop the world from spinning.

“She’s...lost.” Namjoon replies, unsure of how exactly to explain Jolie’s predicament. “Chung-hei feels horrible though, feels like she hasn’t been a very good friend to her over the past few weeks. She’s gone over there tonight to apologize.”

Jimin nods, fiddling with one of his rings. “Will you tell me what she said to you? Tell me everything that happened?” He hesitates. “Tell me...why?”

Namjoon looks more than willing to share that information with him, even if he doesn’t quite know why either. But he pauses for a moment, frowning.

“Jimin, I’m sorry.”

“I know.” Jimin chuckles softly when Namjoon looks confused. He shrugs, gesturing to his face. “You look horrible, so I figured you felt bad.”

Both Namjoon and Taehyung snort, and then the between them dissipates as Namjoon gives him an apologetic look. Taehyung just nods, accepting the silent apology. As long as Jimin’s alright, he’ll be fine.

“Well,” Namjoon stretches a little, “she bakes bread.”

✂

The boys all filter in at some point, listening with every ounce of their attention as Namjoon relates his experience. It’s late, late enough that Jimin knows Jolie probably won’t respond to the text he sends around one in the morning, but hopefully she’ll see it when she wakes up.

Which apparently is around four in the morning each day for work.

Me: Goodnight! I promise to be better at responding from now on 😜 give Elle a kiss goodnight from me

That’s why he’s so surprised when he receives a text back, quickly followed by Namjoon’s phone going off and him accepting a call from Chung-hei.

“She’s probably calling to tell me how it went tonight,” he explains, promising to put her on speaker once he answers the phone.

Jimin nods, wide awake as he unlocks his phone.

Jolie (Elle): Woah woah woah, quit hitting on my cat. She’s taken.

He hastily sends off a reply just as Chung-hei’s voice fills the room.

Me: Ooh, touchy subject. I see that you get grumpy once it’s past your bedtime

“Hey guys! Jimin, can you hear me?”

Jimin nods before realizing that Chung-hei can’t actually see him. “Oh, yeah. How’s it going?”

“Great! I’m so sorry about keeping this from you, Jimin. Really.”

“It’s alright,” Jimin says, getting up to stretch a bit. “So...how’s Jolie?”

“Really, really well. She seemed a lot happier today. Said that she’s made some new friends.”

Jimin’s heart jumps up to his throat, realizing that he may very well be one of those friends.

“Oh.”

“That’s a big deal, though. Jolie hasn’t really gone out of her way to get to know anyone for a while. Seeing her like this was awesome.”

Jimin’s phone lights up with an incoming message, making him smile despite his worry over Jolie’s apparent anti-socialness.

Jolie (Elle): ugh don’t remind me

Jolie (Elle): I have to get up in less than three hours, pray for me 🙏

“The only thing I’m worried about is what’s gonna happen to her once you go back out into the public eye, Jimin,” Chung-hei muses, pulling Jimin’s attention away from his phone. “Jolie is going to become public enemy number one whenever people realize she’s got a cut thread.”

“Oh,” Namjoon mumbles. “I didn’t think about that.” He glances over at Jimin.

“We have to find a way to cover for her,” Jimin thinks aloud. “We’ll come up with something.”

The conversation wraps up, everyone eventually leaving Namjoon’s room as he continues chatting with Chung-hei. Jimin finds himself on the sofa in the living room, fingers hovering over his phone.

Me: I hope you’re asleep by now. Let me know how tomorrow goes for you, don’t fall asleep at work or something.

When he doesn’t receive a response back, he lets out a long sigh. Sliding his feet into his slippers, he heads outside to the balcony. Resting against the railing and looking out into the night, it doesn’t take long before Taehyung shuffles out after him.

“Hey,” he quietly greets. Jimin glances over at his friend, smiling softly.

“Hey.”

It’s quiet for a long moment, both boys taking in the beautiful night before speaking up.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Jimin chews on the question for a while beneath the twinkling stars, grateful for Taehyung’s quiet patience.

“I’m not sure,” Jimin sighs. “I feel like it’s all I ever talk about, but at the same time I don’t know how to talk about anything else.”

Taehyung hums in understanding, cracking his back before leaning up against the railing. “Should we not talk at all, then?”

Chuckling softly, Jimin nods. The silence wraps around the two of them as the night progresses, although it does little to tire Jimin out. He’s still wide awake when the clock hits three, and realizes with a start that Jolie will be waking up soon.

It’s the fact that no matter how hard he tries to hate her but can’t that has him finally opening his mouth to speak. When he does, Taehyung is alert and ready to listen.

“I wonder…” Jimin’s voice is croaky, making it sound like he just woke up. He clears his throat. “I can’t stop myself from wondering about her. She’s constantly on my mind. Especially now that I’ve seen her…” his mind immediately recalls how she looked crouching down to greet Elle, that soft smile on her face. “You know, I can’t help but wonder what’s happened to make her be so quick to cut me out of her life. That’s not normal. I mean, to be a little hesitant, sure. But to go to such lengths?”

“You’re right,” Taehyung murmurs. “What do you think it is?”

Jimin shrugs. “I’m not sure. But I’m going to find out, one way or another.”

✂

Jimin has just finished showering and getting ready for bed when he realizes that it’s already four in the morning. Groaning once he realizes that he actually has to get up and do things in a few hours time, he wonders if he should wish Jolie good morning.

Will she think he’s weird?

Needy?

“Well, I am,” Jimin admits, not shying away from the desire to reach out to his soulmate. Unlocking his phone, he squints at the screen in the darkness, typing out a quick message.

Perhaps he’s a bit tired, or maybe he’s feeling more vulnerable than usual, but he finds himself hit with a sudden wave of loneliness. Wishing, despite the early hour, that he was with Jolie at this hour of the morning. Teasing her for having to get up so early, offering to take her out to lunch while Elle slumbers at the foot of the bed.

Picture perfect.

Me: Good morning 😸 I hope you were able to get some sleep!

The response is almost instantaneous.

Jolie (Elle): did you even go to sleep?? Seriously, if I make it to work in one piece this morning, it’ll be a miracle.

Jolie (Elle): Also, awww did I just receive my first official good morning text? 😌

Taehyung and Namjoon hover outside of Jimin’s room, watching him turn into a giggling mess. They exchange looks, chuckling to themselves.

“Hey, do you have a second?” Namjoon asks quietly. Jimin nods, letting them come in. Nobody bothers to turn the light on, opting to sit in the light darkness rather than blinding themselves at this early hour.

“Hang on, let me just respond to this real quick,” Jimin mumbles, chewing in the inside of his cheek before coming up with something good enough to respond with.

Me: No, haven’t slept yet. Looks like I won’t for a while. Hmmm, looks like I should start sending more morning texts? 😉 seriously though, good luck today. Let me know how you’re holding up.

Once he’s sent off the message, he sets his phone down to face his brothers.

“What’s up?”

Namjoon runs a hand through his hair, Taehyung sitting beside him looking like he’s half-asleep.

“Well, we’re trying to figure out how to smooth everything over for Jolie once word gets out that your thread was cut.” Jimin internally winces at the mention of his thread, but shakes it off as Namjoon continues to speak. “Any ideas?”

✂

I’ve successfully made it through my shift, despite how slowly time was moving this morning. Scrubbing my hands in the big industrial sink in the back, I listen to the quiet chatter going on in the front of the store. It’s a Wednesday morning, not much is going on out there today. Chances are the shop will be empty until either the lunch rush or the end of the work day.

It’s the perfect way for me to slip out unnoticed.

I’m attempting to do just that, my apron already untied, when my boss Yuri calls out to me.

“Jolie! Really quick, before you head out, it looks like we’ve got an impromptu meeting…?” She looks at me expectantly, which has me furrowing my brow. Am I really so tired that I forgot about a meeting?

“Oh, er...ok.”

“Are we alright to have it back here?”

Again, I frown. Why is she asking me? She’s the boss. “Yeah, that’s fine I guess. Whatever works best for you.”

Yuri smiles warmly at me, although I don’t miss the way her gaze dips down to my left hand. “Great. I’ll let them know that we can chat back here.”

Them?

I shake it off, dubbing the strangeness of it all just a side effect to my exhausted state. It was great having Chung-hei over last night, but I haven’t stayed up that late in a long time-

“Hey Jolie, sorry to bombard you like this.”

I whip around at the sound of a familiar voice, eyes widening when I see Kim Namjoon standing before me. Opening my mouth to ask one of the many questions swirling around my mind, I find that no sound comes out as another tall figure steps into the room.

Coming to stand next to Namjoon, Taehyung’s residual smile from chatting with the employees in the front fades to a straight line. No smile, not an ounce of warmth crosses his sculpture-like features.

“Glad we could catch you before you head out,” Taehyung’s quiet, deep voice is nearly inaudible as he watches me from across the room.

Caught indeed.

Previous - Next

main masterlist

taglist is open! comment/send an ask, or click on the link in the series masterlist!

taglist: @baepsaetay @dreamcatcherjiah @kookie-vuitton @thecaffeinatedscribbles @moon-write @fangirl125reader @heishichoulevi @knjkitten @sacha-cff @vik7797 @eusticenatalie @hesmyphenominiall @onewoneman @preciouschimine @missseoulite @marianeamine @somewhereinthestarss @chubsjmin @daydreamerwestwood @010op10 @4evahevah @mawwnsterr @hikka-light @biasnation @betysotelo18 @fangirl125reader @shhhhsecwet @channiespup @loudnecktrashrascal

#Park Jimin x oc #jimin x soulmate #idol!bts #idol!jimin #bts x oc #jimin angst #armywriterssupport #park jimin #bts fluff #bts angst #bts series #bts sfw #jimin sfw #oof #jimin soulmate au #jimin soulmate #bangtan

94 notes · View notes

throughtosunrise · 3 years

Note

Beau/Yasha. Beau drags Yasha down to the second Level in the tower and slow dances with her.

"Come on." Beau laughs a bit as she says it, tugging at Yasha's hand.

"You haven't told me what we're doing yet," Yasha points out, but Beau's hand is warm and solid in hers, and the expression on her face is a unique blend of eager and slightly nervous that is an absurdly new, endearing look on her, so Yasha's voice is only low and amused as they drift downward through the middle of the tower toward the Great Hall.

"Well, yeah, it's a surprise." They touch down on the second floor as Beau says it, already leading Yasha toward one of the sliding wooden doors. She ducks her head, just a trace of sheepishness visible in her posture, and Yasha can definitely appreciate the way that the floating magical lights that illuminate this floor outline Beau's features in profile as she says, "I don't get to do this kind of thing for people very much."

"Beau." Yasha squeezes her hand, though it's nothing compared to the way that confession wrings at her heart, and pulls her just a touch closer. It takes a moment, but when Beau lifts her head again Yasha meets her gaze and murmurs, "You have done nothing but surprise me over and over again since we met. In a good way, I mean," she amends quickly at the flash of hesitation in Beau's eyes.

Beau chuckles, and it's one of those low, brief laughs of hers where Yasha has learned to read uncertainty into what sounds like obnoxiousness. "As long as it's in the good way."

They've come to a stop at the doors by now; Yasha pulls Beau's hand up to press the back of it against her lips just so she can bask in the way Beau's face lights up, all giddy and pleased, at the gesture. "Only the best, I promise."

(She might be making a resolution right here and now to get that reaction out of Beau as often and in as many ways as possible. She's got years of neglect and missed casual affection to make up for, and she'd better get started immediately.)

The faint flush to Beau's cheeks as she looks at the back of her hand is, Yasha decides, absolutely adorable.

"Well, shit," says Beau with another self-deprecating laugh. "Now I hope I can keep the streak going."

Yasha's about to say something, assure her that there's no pressure, really, but with a visible deep breath to brace herself Beau slides the door open. She leads Yasha into a small, modest dance hall — nothing terribly fancy, more reminiscent of Caleb's dance hall in Rexxentrum than anything else, and vacant except for the quintet of fey cats with instruments held in their prehensile tails, which they start to play in some sort of waltz as soon as Yasha shuts the door behind her.

A small laugh bubbles up from Yasha's chest, and it's so easy; it's gotten easier to laugh these past couple of months, with the Mighty Nein, but Beau especially coaxes that lightness out of her without even trying. "What's this?" she asks.

Beau rubs at the back of her neck with her free hand and mumbles, "Something I've been thinking about for a while. Hey, Fluffy!" One of the cats looks at her with what Yasha would swear is a long-suffering air. "Waltzing sucks. Can we, like, change this music up a bit?"

Fluffy's disdainful look intensifies, it seems like, but the song changes to something that Yasha doesn't recognize, but it's languid and gentle and strikes her as one that doesn't call for an especially structured kind of dance. And that's just fine with her — even if she knew much about waltzing, being this close to Beau guarantees that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her steps if she tried.

They make their way out into the middle of the dance floor, Beau's hands coming to rest on Yasha's hips and Yasha's arms draped over her shoulders. It's easy enough to just sway in time with the music like this, matching goofy smiles on their faces as they look into each other's eyes. No defenses, no holding back, just a raw vulnerability that's so intense that it spills over from terrifying to euphoric.

"I've been thinking about this for a while," Beau says again when they finally remember how to speak. "I just didn't want, you know, an audience for it."

Yasha ducks her head down and kisses her in appreciation for the thoughtfulness; Beau makes a soft happy noise against her lips and shifts closer so that they're pressed together, then when they pull apart tucks her head in under Yasha's chin and almost snuggles into her. Really, what can Yasha do in response to that but slide her arms all the way around Beau's waist?

"Since when?" she wants to know.

"Hmm?" Beau sounds so cute when she's blissfully distracted.

"How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Since I met you?" Beau laughs. "No, but seriously — I mean, that's true too, but what you're asking — I think it was on Rumblecusp, when I was watching you out on the dance floor with Jester."

"I thought about it then too," admits Yasha, "but I wasn't sure yet how you felt, and there were so many people, anyway."

It's impossible to see Beau's expression when they're standing like this, of course, but Yasha can feel the way her face pulls into a grin, and she's been watching Beau for so long that she knows exactly what it looks like.

"Too many," Beau agrees, and she doesn't have to elaborate; they've always gotten each other on some unspoken level, since well before either of them was willing to admit it. Anyway, it wasn't as if they would have been ready for it at the time. "Next time, maybe... since when have you been thinking about this?"

Yasha nuzzles into her hair, just breathing in her scent, as she laughs. "Since I met you."

She doesn't need to elaborate on that either, and she's warmed by a sudden overwhelming sense of gratitude that Beau completely understands the arduous journey she's had to take to be able to be here now. She does pull Beau a little more closely against her, though, and feels Beau's arms tighten around her waist in response.

"Dope," Beau says, her voice slightly muffled against Yasha's chest, and then there really isn't anything more to be said. There will be other taverns and dance halls on their travels. Other times when Beau can, as she's said half-jokingly a few times, make everyone else jealous that her girlfriend is the hottest. (And that's still a new enough word that Beau breaks out into a dopey smile every time she says it and it feels like an entire herd of Jester's hamster unicorns is carousing merrily in Yasha's stomach.) Other opportunities for Yasha to revel in the novel and heady thrill of finally, finally being able to love someone openly and without fear.

Happiness is always better shared, Yasha's always thought that, and it was never in question that there's a euphoria in letting everyone around her see how deeply she cares for Beau, but sometimes...

Sometimes happiness is an intimate thing, best shared with only the people who are the cause of it. Tonight it's just the music (and the cats) and the two of them in each other arms, and that's more than enough for now.

#snonner #beauregard lionett #yasha nydoorin #beauyasha #i'll probably toss this up on ao3 later but i'm not even awake yet

69 notes · View notes

madamhatter · 2 years

Note

Wisteria stares down at the little black cat in her wolf form, near unblinking. Eventually her eyes narrowed as she lifts an absurdly large paw, placing it on top Sophie's head as carefully as she could. Cute....

Earthed away by decades of heavy rains and winds, decorated now by small bustles of emerald moss, was none other than the remaining ramshackle wall that marked the boundary of Market Chipping's outskirts. The barrier stands no taller than at chest height with a middle-aged farmer. Erected by the first settlers, caravans, and cattle that established the town, it has witnessed countless locals, traveling wagons, and straggling strays since its existence.

Yet it wasn't the sole observer to the land. A partner once stood parallel to it, separated by the dirt path still used today. Long since has its equal been relocated. Its stones relocated closer to town or in town, repurposed for other infrastructures or homes. No questions asked, no consideration given. All that came to these parts was change, and that was simply that.

Alone today, however, it was not.

As a thick cloak of mist passed through the valley, typical in the early hours of the morrow, most would find such location deserted and uneasily perceivable through the dewy haze. The heavy fog turns idyllic moors and hills to an almost unnavigable labyrinth. Only laborers to the fields and traders of the roads who frequented these parts would bother with the trek.

The only hint of company was a shimmering black disappearing in and out of sight. In a calm rhythm, it moves, but visibly inscrutable it is.

Leaving light imprints in the dirt on the well-traveled road was a curious sight. Pacing to and fro, the rare sunray breaching through mist giving slight shine to silken fur was a feline with a sizeable maroon bow tied on the back of its neck. Irises of mahogany always set forward, glancing around the location with a sheer look of concentration in an otherwise illegible expression.

The cat's tail flickers back and forth, high in the air with a slight curl at the end. Blatant is the existence of intention in mind, but the exact purpose unknown. Even as the early birds begin singing their song, or the start of ruffling in the brush of trees and bushes nearby, the cat gave little attention to the bramble bushes and the daisies growing on the other side of the path. Her nostrils flare a bit with a soft inhale, and her mouth opens a bit. She closes her mouth in seconds, shakes her head, and continues walking.

Retracing her steps, the cat's charcoal paws filled each imprint perfectly. Yet the pacing slows to halt as they approach the edge of the wall facing the wilderness. Front paws line up with where the wall ended, the cat looking down the hillside now where the birch and oak trees thrive. Stationing themselves to a stop, she sits with her tail continues its flicker.

Her eyes of petrified wood gloss over the mossy remains of Market Chipping's ancestry. Unspoken solidarity between feline and wall exists. A component to the town and an ever-present but passive watcher, they both will remain as long as their utility sees them fit or until forgotten.

One long breath, ears folding back, and the cat's head snaps her head forward.

New movement breaks the blanket of mist on the hillside. The closer it got, the more the slow-approaching figure's harmless silhouette had to be reconsidered. Another form of the night appears before the cat's eyes - a looming shadow growing larger and larger with each step taken closer.

Higher and higher does the form ascend up up the hillside and yet the cat remains stationary. Once close enough, the query of who is coming to town is answered. And it is quite a terrifying one.

Razor-sharp fangs of white peeking underneath a long muzzle, fur thicker than a bear and their own height rivaling a bear’s too, a monstrous wolf approaches the idyllic Market Chipping. Two meters between the marvelous beast and the town’s barrier, there is only some moments one can have to themselves before imminent mauling.

Yet there is already the cat springing into action - trotting towards the creature with a soft “mrrw” and her eyes not once leaving the approaching figure.

The behemoth wolf stops in her tracks, watching the nonchalant cat approach without a care in the world. The average feline, meanwhile, affirms her rightful seat before the canine and stares up at her, wide-eyed.

A staring competition begins: the wolf’s stern gaze versus the cat’s entranced stare. Nothing seems to break the spell between them as the cat inflates her chest a bit, a little chirp of enthusiasm leaving before being rendered to complete silence.

Then truly the worst thing happened! Her opponent decided to play dirty: she laid her giant paw over the cat’s face, blinding her! Thankfully, it was only resting on top of her head without any malicious intention. However, judging from the low whine from the cat, she wasn’t at all pleased by the course of action.

Yet now here she is, lifting her own paw, repeatedly tapping at the paw to release her. She already blinked! There’s no sense in trying to rub in the loss! Unless she was trying to pet her...? Which is considerably, given what they are now, and there was certainly an aspect of her not for it. (The thing she fails to mention is that ‘the aspect’ is her smidge of pride).

Now the cat’s other paw joins the fray. Both paws hook over the wolf’s paw, right where the joint is. She pulls it a bit closer, bringing it to her face. Her tongue sticks out and she leans in a bit, now grooming the wolf’s paw without a care with the world. Trying to fix all that wild hair and get it to slick in a certain style was a goal. But judging from how quickly she released it, it was not her current one.

The feline gets back to her feet, nodding her head to the wolf. She takes some steps back, turns herself away from the wolf, and begins pacing a bit forward. Not even a minute passes and the cat is back, with the same pep in her step, and heading straight towards the wolf. She mouths at the wolf’s dense fur, tugging a bit, before taking some steps forward again.

‘Let’s get going back home’ is what has been on her mind all day.

#( checkbooks inquiries and much ; answered asks )#boxofcharacters #( verse: cursed castle crasher )#[ I know you sent this around the sameish time I rb'd the 'catphie with big dogs I need this' post so tyvm Dylan ;A; ]

2 notes · View notes

tribbetherium · 3 years

Text

The Middle Rodentocene: 10 million years post-establishment

Canopy Critters: Arboreal Hamsters of the Middle Rodentocene

The Middle Rodentocene has seen massive explosions in hamster diversity, as various species adapted to take advantage of the banquet of different resources available to them in a mostly-vacant planet. And so, with most of the niches on the ground filled one way or another, the hamsters turned to the much un-exploited resources up above: the trees.

A veritable smorgasbord of seeds, nuts, leaves, fruit, bark and various invertebrates, there was more than enough reason for the hamsters to head skyward into the treetops to feast on the abundance. A tree-dwelling life favored those with more flexible paws for gripping, more agile reflexes, and long tails for aiding in balance, and 10 million years PE, the race to the treetops brought about the evolution of a diverse family: the Arbocricetimorpha, a family comprised of the squizzels and spunkmunks (Arbocricetidae) and the kiterats (Volaticricetidae).

The squizzels are among the most diverse forms around in the treetops, occupying virtually any biome possessing trees, such as tropical jungles, temperate forest, and even in the snowy tundras, where some species, such as the snowy ground squizzel (Pilosocaudamys arcticua) nest in the few sparse conifer trees that thrive in the chilly plains, but forage for food mostly on the ground, retreating to the trees only to sleep or to flee from ground-dwelling predators.

Squizzels are omnivores, feeding on a wide variety of food, with the long-nosed squizzels (Ardillacricetus spp.) being noteworthy for their more insectivorous diet, but nuts and other hard-shelled seeds are a particular favorite of the majority, with them storing nuts in holes gnawed into trees as larders for later meals. Many squizzels are gregarious creatures that store enormous hoards of seeds and nuts from the work of at least a dozen related individuals: benefitting them all in particularly cold climates as it improves the chances of survival of them working together as opposed to just hoarding seeds on their own.

But while most other squizzels are sociable, docile creatures that nest in small family groups, one small subclass, the spunkmunks, are notable for their vastly different temperament: highly aggressive and territorial, they are far more solitary than their gregarious peers, and thus defend themselves from predation not by cooperation or advantage in numbers, but simply by being absurdly vicious for their size. In fact, many species are rather poorly camouflaged: conversely, they have bright warning coloration contrasting light, dark, and warm colors easily seen by diurnal predators-- instead of hiding from their enemies, they outright advertise themselves as something not to be trifled with.

One such notable species is the rocking punkmunk (Rufomelanomys thanatometallicum), distinctive for its pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are a drab shade of brown, and are somewhat more tolerant of other females nesting in the same tree, though not as gregarious as other squizzels are. Male punkmunks, however, are fiercely defensive of their territories and the females their range overlaps with, engaging any other male on sight, and try to intimidate rivals with an exuberant display. They erect a crest-like mane of brilliant orange hair running along their backs, stand on their hind legs, and bare their teeth while making unearthly high-pitched screams to attempt to scare off their rival. This display is their first and final warning: if neither competitor backs down, it quickly escalates into a violent struggle that very frequently results in a messy end for the weaker of the two parties, as their sharp teeth, fast reflexes, and ferocious tenacity can lead to bloody wounds, severed paws, gouged eyes, or even outright evisceration-- and subsequent consumption of the loser by the victor.

Meanwhile, on a separate branch of the family tree from both their gregarious, cooperative cousins and their aggressively-antisocial ones are the kiterats (family Volaticricetidae), a lineage more commonly found in the forest grasslands: areas where small, dense bunches of trees are spread unevenly across thick grassland. With trees being too far away from each other to simply jump too, and the multitude of dangers lurking in the tall grass below, the kiterats instead opt to take to the air: converging heavily on a wide array of unrelated gliding mammals found on Earth.

Kiterats posses stretchy membranes of skin between their wrists and ankles, acting as gliding surfaces as they leap from one tree to another. Flat, feather-like tails act as rudders to change direction and control their descent, and with a good tailwind can easily travel up to 100 feet in a single glide. This enables them to travel quickly and efficiently across the sparse canopy, searching for food, escaping enemies, and tracking down mates as they journey across the treetops.

But of notable interest is one highly unusual kiterat that stands out among the twenty or so species in the Middle Rodentocene: the flittering jazzhand (Protopteramys razzli), the only member of its genus. Its divergence is evident from its broad, webbed hands, which specialized to catch flying insects midair --indeed, it differs from most other omnivorous kiterats by its almost-obligate insectivory-- which it grabs midair with a downstroke clap of its arms. However, these webbed hands serve more than to just act as bug-catching nets: they also increase the jazzhand's gliding surface in order to traverse longer distances than its solely-patagium-based cousins. They are also known to twitch their webbed hands mid-glide in order to gain lift and prolong their glides, and coupled with their insect-seizing clapping motion, would gradually give rise to a stronger flapping downstroke- the beginning of powered flight.

The Arbocricetimorpha, however, are not alone in the trees. A completely separate lineage, the bossums (family Didelphocricetidae) have also colonized the trees at this point. More closely related to the fearrets than they are to the other tree-dwellers of the era, the bossums thrive primarily as arboreal insectivores in dense, tropical jungle.

With grasping paws bearing semi-opposable thumbs and long, flexible tails, the bossums are highly agile and acrobatic in the trees. Most species simply use their tails as counterbalances, as well as tufted flags for signaling, though one species, the speckled bossum (Didelphocricetus variegata), has adapted its tail into a surprisingly-prehensile grasping organ, acting almost as a fifth limb while it clambers about in the treetops.

Most bossums feed mostly on insects, and many species which ambush pollinators among flowers and fruit have taken a liking to the flowers and fruit themselves. However, one genus, Dirodidelphis, has turned its attention from simply bugs and berries, toward another equally-abundant food source in the treetops: other arboreal rodents. The largest species, the tiger bossum (Dirodidelphis pantheri), is roughly the size of a small house cat and is the apex predator of the treetops as of the Middle Rodentocene, hunting squizzels, kiterats and even smaller bossum species as well. Agile in the treetops and able to scale vertical branches and leap from tree-to-tree in a manner akin to the Madagascan fossa of Earth, this canopy carnivore is well-suited for a high-living life, also managing to avoid competition with its distant cousins, the fearrats, which hunt prey on the forest floor and seldom if ever ascend to the trees.

▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

#speculative evolution #speculative biology #spec evo #speculative zoology #hamster's paradise

47 notes · View notes

milknette · 4 years

Text

day 30 - roommates

promise me you’ll stay, beyond the sunrise.

tumblr month: @auyeahaugust

links: ao3 | ff.net

MARINETTE doesn't know how he got her address.

She'd only moved in that day, after a haphazard decision to do so for independence and freedom in her own work. (Though the whole Ladybug-and-unexplained-disappearances thing when living her parents was a huge factor, too.)

Scratch that, it's probably the onlyfactor.

If it weren't for her parents' growing suspicion and concern due to her heroic escapades, Marinette would still choose to stay at home and with them; or at the very least, stay nearby.

She had to move a good distance away— a bus ride or so, in order to rationalize with her parents why she had to move out. ("But why do you have to leave?" "Moving would be easier for me to do my work! It cuts down on transportation time a lot.")

Never mind that as Ladybug, she can move from one side of Paris to another in mere minutes.

The apartment itself is quite modest, with enough space for her to live comfortably (but not much for anything else). Nino, Alya, and Adrien had helped her move in all her stuff, though quite a few were still left untouched inside their boxes.

It's more a reflection of Marinette's need for privacy than their helpfulness as friends, though— since a hefty amount of the items in those containers hold her carefully-curated collection of Adrien Agreste collectibles, limited edition items, and posters.

So. Many. Posters.

(It's been years, but her crush on him has only grown all the more intensely. She's grown out of her stuttering phase, fortunately, but the butterflies in her stomach don't fade, either.)

Exhaustedly, Marinette lies on her mattress.

They only left an hour ago… is it okay to miss them this much?

She's not accustomed to the quiet, especially with the bustling energy of her family and the customers that arrive for their daily dose of caffeine in the early mornings. The lack of aromatic scents of freshly-baked breads and desserts as she lays down is a stark reminder that she's not home anymore.

Marinette sighs to herself.

Maybe she's lonely.

Just a little bit.

It's in that exact moment someone comes knocking on her balcony door. The balcony is a good amount smaller than the one she had at home, only really enough for a few plants and one person—

Or one disguised cat-themed hero.

His smile's bright as she pushes away the curtain and opens the sliding door.

Chat Noir doesn't even wait for a verbal invitation; he walks inside, looking around in wonder.

"Wow, you've already unpacked a lot," he starts, noticing her sewing machine set up on a desk nearby. "You already took it out?"

An eyebrow raised. "Yeah… why?"

"I thought you were setting up your sewing area last," he starts, before absurdly coughing to himself at her suspicious glance. "I mean, considering that it's the only one without a designated space… I thought you'd do everything else first, because it's common sense, right?"

Hmmm.

"That was the original plan," she finally admits. "But I have commissions to work on, so I decided to keep it there. Temporarily, at the very least." Chat Noir nods, before Marinette gestures at him. "So… how did you find out about here?"

"What do you mean?"

"My apartment?" She asks, leaning upon the door frame. "I don't recall telling you where I was moving."

"Oh…," he pauses, sifting through her boxes. "Uh, superhero, remember? Ladybug and I make it a point to know where everybody is at all times. To protect the citizens of Paris and all that!"

Well, that's not even the slightest bit true, but it's not as if Marinette can rebuff him.

So, she nods in fake understanding instead and shrugs.

"That doesn't explain what you're doing here, though?"

Chat Noir smiles. "I figured that you'd meowss the company. You moved pretty far from your friends." He sounds almost sad at that revelation, and Marinette almost feels sorry.

(What would he be so sad for? It's not like she moved far away from him.

Though she wouldn't really know, if she did.)

"Well, I can't say that I don't appreciate you showing up." She smiles, eyes bright.

It's a sweet moment.

Until:

"You can help me unpack everything else."

(They spend the rest of the night unpacking things, but Marinette insists that one box be left alone. When Chat Noir accidentally sees a peak of an all-too-familiar model's poster flap out from its cover…

he thankfully decides against mentioning it.)

ii.

Chat Noir makes it a point to regularly stop by her apartment.

(Even at times he should be busy and on patrol— though more often than not, Marinette can't find it in herself to be angry at him.)

She still doesn't see her friends and family that often, but being with him, she finds, lessens the loneliness a lot; to the point that she finds herself more fulfilled, if anything.

At first, she figured that he'd get tired of him— seeing him both as Ladybug and Marinette, and so often, but it's the complete opposite. They talk about and do everything together, with her learning so much more about him than she'd ever expected to.

If anything, Chat Noir is good and fun company, even though she'll never admit it to his face.

It's a few months into their arrangement of random meetings when Marinette makes the mistake of going to her apartment straight home as Ladybug.

"… milady? What are you doing here?"

She pauses as she reaches for the balcony door, belatedly noticing that Chat Noir follows right after her. He's perched on the balcony railings, staring at her with confusion and almost suspicion.

Oops.

"Chat?! What are you doing here?" She points at him accusingly, almost stumbling backward. "I thought you said you were going straight home after the akuma!"

"Yeah…," he starts, eyebrows knitting together. "But I always stop by Marinette's to check on her if she's doing okay. She just moved away recently, and I just want to make sure she doesn't feel lonely or sad or anything." He pauses, realizing how his statement may sound. "I mean, speaking as a superhero, you know… I can't risk her getting akumatized! Especially since she's Multimouse and all…"

"That's actually… pretty sweet of you Chat."

He smiles softly, before suddenly narrowing his eyes. "That doesn't explain what you're doing here, though?"

She halts, evidently caught off-guard. "I— uh—"

"Ladybug… visiting Marinette… in her apartment… that means…"

"Wait, don't connect the dots—"

"Marinette's planning a surprise for me!"

"I'm not—

Wait. What?"

She's never seen Chat Noir look so excited.

"I knew she was planning something for me! You know, last time I came over, we were talking about birthdays, and I told her it was some time around this month… is that what the two of you were planning all this time? Ack, this is pawsitvely exciting my tails on end!"

Ladybug wonders how he can be so smart but so dumb at the same time.

(Well, whatever the case— it works out well for her.)

Ladybug smiles. "You know I can' tell you that!" Her voice is a notch higher than usual, as she playfully and awkwardly punches his shoulder. "… pal! Now go home and let us plan your surprise, okay?"

"Can I get a hint?!"

"Uh. Cats." She stops, almost similar to the way a robot would if they were to malfunction. "Yup. Cats. Like you. Now that's all!"

She pushes at him, before he finally relents and leaves the balcony.

The next day, Chat Noir comes to Marinette's apartment, and sees his surprise:

A cat-themed party.

Marinette looks absolutely exhausted, but seeing Chat Noir's bright smile— she doesn't quite mind it.

"Happy birthday, kitty: however old you are, and whenever your birthday really is!"

They spend the rest of the night celebrating together.

(Adrien's birthday happens a week later, and she's surprised to find out that he wants to spend it treating her out, just the two of them. She wonders why he doesn't want a birthday party, and he explains that he already had one— and nothing could top how perfect it was.

They spend the day going around together, and end it as he drops her off at her apartment. Alya and Nino insist it's a date.

Marinette vaguely wonders to herself if it was.)

iii.

Chat Noir stops by when Adrien doesn't.

Marinette rereads the text over and over again:

I'm so, so, sorry, Mari. My dad's not letting me out until I finish all the work I do. Let's hang out another time, okay? Miss you, Alya, and Nino a lot!

She sighs, walking over to turn off the oven. The scent of passionfruit macarons makes their way around the apartment, as she carefully puts them into a container. Her outfit, a nicely-fitted red dress— the one Alya calls the first date dress, shines in the room light.

It's a strong inner debate as to whether Marinette should call her friends, but she ultimately decides against it.

(It'd be mean to burst into their lives with last-minute plans, and she especially doesn't want to disappoint them with the news that her dinner-with-Adrien-and-confess-your-love plan had failed spectacularly— before she could even do anything about it.

Marinette figures that she'll just disappoint them later on.)

She raises the container of sweets to her face. "So, what should I do with this…?"

"I'd like to try them."

She almost drops the macarons as a sudden voice bounces off the walls, clutching her heart in evident surprise. "Chat? What the heck, don't scare me like that! How long were you standing there?"

He looks almost sheepish. "A few minutes… I tried knocking, but you seemed so distracted in your thoughts so I just came in." His expression turns concerned. "Are you okay?"

She shrugs. "Just a little upset, but nothing new, really."

"I'm sorry."

Marinette shakes her head. "What are you sorry for? It's not your fault." She sighs to herself, before offering the container to him. "Anyway, do you want to try this? I'm not sure if you'll like it because it's passionfruit, but…"

"Are you kidding me, I love passionfruit! It's my favorite flavor!"

He beams, before quickly taking a bite of the snack, and breathing dreamily to himself. "These taste amazing." Then, a pause. "But are you sure I should eat this? Didn't you make it for someone?"

Marinette laughs softly, then walks over to sit on the couch, gesturing for him to come next to him.

"Chat, do you love anyone?"

The question is upfront and straightforward, and he's evidently surprised by it.

After the initial shock, though, he smiles to himself. "Of course I do. She's the purrfect girl, andI think about her a lot more than I should," he says, staring at her for a good moment.

Marinette doesn't know how to describe how his stare makes her feel.

"I love someone too," she finally admits.

The words hang in the air, and Chat Noir doesn't know what to say.

"He's a lucky guy," he finally breathes, a sad look in his eyes.

"You'd think," she laughs to herself, almost bitterly. "But I don't think he feels the same way, or if he ever will."

"What do you mean— who wouldn't fall in love with you?! You're kind, and sweet, and pretty on a regular day but tonight you're absolutely stunning…"

"Haha, thanks kitty," she mutters, before holding on to her dress. "I even dressed up for him today…"

A quiet pause.

"Wait… the guy you were supposed to meet today is the one you're in love with?'

She nods silently. "Adrien Agreste. He's a good friend of mine, it's just that my feelings are something so much more than that…"

Marinette isn't looking at him directly, so she's surprised to notice him abruptly stand up.

"Sorry, I have to go."

"Chat? I'm sorry if this was too much but…"

"I'll see you around, Marinette."

It's the lack of a playful nickname that gets her.

Almost frozen, she somehow manages to nod.

And Chat Noir disappears into the night.

iv.

The next time they patrol, Chat Noir tells Ladybug they need to talk.

"Are you sure I can't reveal my true identity to anyone?"

Her answer is instantaneous. "Of course. It's too risky." She pauses, then almost careful: "Why do you ask?"

(Things have become more awkward since the last time Chat Noir went to her apartment; when he just left her without explanation and stopped showing up completely. They still meet as heroes, but it's become much more strained since then.)

He sighs to himself. "It's just… I'm in love." Chat Noir pauses, then immediately backtracks. "Not with you, of course. Not anymore. I respect that you love someone else, and I've finally fallen for someone different. And I don't want to reveal too much but… she loves me back."

Marinette feels happy for him, of course, but can't quite explain why her stomach churns uncomfortably at the idea of him being in love with someone else.

"Then, what's the problem?"

He laughs bitterly to himself. "She fell for my civilian identity."

Oh.

"So you want her to know you're the same person?"

Chat Noir pauses for a moment, as if in thought, then shakes his head. "No," he finally says. "I just want to be sure she loves the entire me, and not just the perfect character I keep up in real life. I want her to fall in love with Chat Noir, too. Because this identity's just as much a part of me as Adr— as my civilian self is."

Silence, again.

"As a superhero and the Guardian, I cannot stress the importance of keeping your identity secret. Even if it is someone you love." He winces, and she presses on. "But as your friend, I want you to be happy, kitty. So, do what you must." She smiles at him. "I know you'll do what's right."

The superhero smiles back, then abruptly gets up.

"Then if you don't mind, milady… I have somewhere to be."

By the time Chat Noir arrives at Marinette's apartment, she's already home.

"What are you doing here, Chat?"

"… for two things. Do you mind if I come in?"

She doesn't exactly willing to do so, but lets him in anyway.

"The first part is an apology." He looks at her, evidently ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry I just left like that back then. I shouldn't have left without an explanation, and it was one of the worst things I've ever done. I'm so sorry."

"As you should be," she only says, before sighing to herself. "And the second part?"

"An explanation."

"Better keep it short."

"I can summarize it in three words."

She looks up at him, suddenly intrigued. "Which is?"

"I love you."

(The dots connect themselves even without Marinette willing them to, and she catches on before Chat Noir even realizes the situation they're in.

Knowing about her address, his birthday celebrations, his love for passionfruit, the mysterious person he was in love with—is in love with, and his abrupt disappearance after her confession…

How did she not realize it before?)

The faces of two people Marinette love dearly start blending into one.

She never knew it would be possible to feel so much for one person.

Marinette starts laughing, tears in her eyes, as everything becomes that much clearer.

She smiles.

"I love you too—

Adrien."

(He almost falls off the balcony.

Fortunately, however— this time there's somebody around to catch him.)

He knocks on the correct door, this time around.

And with him, a ton of boxes and containers that tower almost menacingly around his figure.

"Sorry I had to use this door," he starts. "But my stuff wouldn't fit through the balcony."

Marinette laughs, before putting her hands to fold in front of her chest.

"That's a lot of boxes," she observes. "I don't recall you having that much of a problem with my stuff back then."

"That's because I only stayed the night."

"And now?"

He smiles, then presses a sudden kiss to her lips.

"Hopefully, I'm staying the rest of my life."

She huffs at the sudden surprise, then smiles back softly.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that."

#auyeah2020 #mlauyeahaugust2020 #auyeahaugust #auyeah august #marichat #marinette dupain cheng #chat noir #miraculous ladybug #milk writes #this got out of hand so we r using a read more tag #COZ I KNOW HOW TO USE THOSE KNOW #ml fic #ml fanfic

24 notes · View notes

lightningcritter · 4 years

Photo

Abril Day 19! @abrilove

While I love me some balcony aesthetics for Bridgette and Chat Noir, I couldn’t resist imagining Bridgette retreating to the roof of her apartment complex, climbing up the steep Parisian roof to a spot that she claimed as HERS… only to see Chat Noir sitting there, absentmindedly staring at the Eiffel Tower.

Now a short drabble for this absurdly specific AU in which Bridgette doesn’t have a balcony:

Before becoming Ladybug, Bridgette always found herself looking at the bit of roof poking out next to her over-head window when she woke up in the mornings. After a particularly bad day at school and pacing around her room in a frustrated frenzy of letting off steam, she decided to open the window to let in some fresh air.

The part of the roof right beside the window seemed to be easily accessible and longing for some fresh air… yet she was still grounded… so she decided on a whim to climb out. She pulled on a heavier pink jacket rather than her light blazer, and grabbed a half-filled thermos of peach tea and poked her head out into the chilly evening air of an early spring.

The sunset was beautiful, casting gold light onto the side of white and blue buildings, an iron tint reflecting off windows. But it was hard to see beyond that. There was only a bit of the sun poking out above some taller buildings, the winding chimneys casting strange shadows over other rooftops.

Bridgette suddenly wanted to see the entire sunset. So she pulls herself up and over the edge, pushing the glass with her head as she wriggles through. Legs shaking a little, she carefully stands up on the sloped roof because knowing her bad luck she’ll just slip on a loose shingle and then everyone will know where she is when she starts screaming.

Her eyes grow wide, the genetically impossible blue color of them entirely reflecting the bright golden-pink of the glorious Paris sunset. The molten orb was nestled comfortably on the city-scape, casting its orange glow over all the city’s inhabitants. It is a lovely, unblocked view of the sunset.

She looks up, seeing a flat section of the roof not too far from her window. She looks down, swallowing nervously at the height just a few feet from her own feet.

But Bridgette is determined if anything, so she tucks her thermos into her pocket and starts the climb. It’s a pretty quick climb, using her neighbors’ attic awnings as little pit stops. She comes across a flat section of the roof that offers her a grand view of the Eiffel Tower and rest of the city she has come to love after moving from her childhood home in China.

It was still her place, small and tucked away from the city that sometimes seemed too large when the miraculous duo worked tirelessly through the night. She sometimes found herself sitting there on particularly restless nights, comforted by the warm lights in a romantic city that spilled out its orange glow on the rooftops and shone in the darkness of big buildings.

Tikki asked her only once why Bridgette insisted on climbing up to that spot without her miraculous when it was safer and faster. Bridgette cheerfully declared that it’s more fun to struggle up the roof with her pillows, fluffy blankets and snacks. And besides, this is her rooftop. Makes sense to get up there as Bridgette.

Tikki merely laughed, her laughter sounding more like bell-like chimes than human laughter. “You’re still you, with and without the suit Bridgette!” And just offered to carry her bag of snacks for her.

After a year of climbing to her roof by herself, Bridgette liked the company of the little kwami she came to regard as one of her best friends. She loathed to admit it, but the Parisian rooftops seemed emptier without her wisecracking and stupidly flirty cat who made jokes like he was going to run out of air if he didn’t.

But still, she liked her spot.

“WWWHHHHYYY” She wanted to groan when she saw the cat boy on HER roof, sitting in HER spot. But something about his wistful face stopped her. And the fact that his belt… tail…? gently flicked about on the roof much like his namesake.

It was kind of cute.

She wasn’t sure how to announce her presence but he did that for her, turning to look at her with a bit of tenseness… perhaps thinking that the Mime was sneaking up on him. His face changed to an unsure yet still cautious expression. Meanwhile, Bridgette was grinning, unsuccessfully holding in the beginnings of a laugh.

There was something about the stiff way he turned with that weird eyebrow thing he does that just tipped her over the edge as she burst out laughing, hugging the mass of pillow and blanket tightly as she almost doubled over, giggling madly.

His “um” and “uh” and “hrm…?” just made it harder to sober up. Shoulders still shaking with remains of laughter, she makes an attempt to straighten up, looking up to the sky to avoid looking at his probably very confused face. “HAH! Sorry about that, you’re just very uh… funny-looking.”

She looked back down to seeing his irritated, almost offended grumpy cat face that revived her quieting giggles in laughter again. “Wait nonono-” She chokes out as she totters over to where he was, dropping the plush objects in her arms onto the roof. “I just meant that you just looked so cautious! I didn’t mean to laugh.”

“Well… It’s fine.” He responded, rolling his eyes, jumping when she dropped the blankets and pillows right beside him. “What are you doing!?”

“You’re in my spot.” She says, shaking her head as she squats to set up her usual set up, shooing him to move a bit.

“What- wait- why are- how did you even get up here!?”

“I climbed up, obviously. Want a cookie?”

“….” This would be the second time in one day she would be offering him the cookie actually, the first time being in the library. He was so sure that not a lot of people noticed that little study space in the corner but then Bridgette comes out of nowhere with the brightest greeting that he has yet to see anyone top and plops herself in the seat next to him. She chatters about their last shared class as she takes her laptop out from her bag, already pulling up an assignment that Felix would later point out is due next week. He smiles when her head whips to gawk at the screen, her eyes widened almost comically. They easily engage into a comfortable conversation for the rest of the afternoon, snacking on cookies she made last weekend, and he was surprised to find that he was a bit sad when she had to go, finding himself waving at her with a smile as she hustled out of their little study area.

“Sure.” Chat Noir sighs, taking the cookie. He looks at her little set-up, not sure if he should stay or go. But Bridgette makes the decision for him when she looks over and pats a spot next to him on the big green cushion.

“Staying out of trouble?” He asks snarkily after a few minutes of peaceful silence. He bites in the cookie, a pleased sound making its way out of his mouth just as Bridgette squawks in indignation.

“Last time I saw you, you almost became mincemeat.” He retorts after chewing. “Just be more careful, the reporters are already a handful, I would like to,” not risk not being able to save you in time “not have to look out for a pesky civilian on top of that.”

“Well, like I said, it was by accident! How I was supposed to know there was a…” She gestures with her macadamia cookie, trying to find words to describe the saw-blade wielding villain but having no luck especially since Ladybug and Chat Noir avoided interaction with the news let alone release any information to the public. “Strange knife lady with uh, gray skin.” It’d be more than suspicious if she used jargon that the two used when discussing Papillon’s victims.

He snorts at her description. “Talk about taking a stab in the dark.”

She just pokes her tongue out at him, pointedly turning away to take another bite of her cookie.

He finishes his cookie, patting his gloves to get rid of crumbs. He sinks into the comfortable plush of a second cushion up against a surprisingly clean chimney.

“You seem rather prepared.” He comments. “What are you doing up here?”

“I needed space.” She replies. “… To just think. What about you?”

“Same reason.”

#Miraculous Ladybug PV #abrilove #bridgette cheng #chat noir #brichat #brilix

42 notes · View notes

mesmeret · 4 years

Text

KPW 2.0 Day 2: Cat Daddy Hux and Juggalo Kylo

Day 2: Opposites Attract! "Boring" Cat Daddy Hux has a crush on his Juggalo neighbor Kylo. Kylo also has a crush on him. Cussing and lemons

Hux’s heart flipped hearing the loud engine of his crush coming up the block. He had no shame being picked up by his neighbor in front of his office building. Strangers and coworkers turn towards the blasting “Funyuns and Condoms”. The brakes screech and the passenger door unlocks. Hux bites his lip so his grin masks as a smirk while he gets into the decade old white Ford F-150 with peeling black and red flame decals.

He buckles in before looking over at Kylo, “Hey.”

“How’s the overlords?” Kylo is glaring at traffic with a pale white base with black lightning bolts painted all over his face. Hux’s stomach flips at how a few go down Kylo’s neck and get muddled with his neck tattoos. Kylo’s lips are bright red with black lip liner.

Hux knows to talk over Kylo’s cussing and singing along with his CDs, “Fucking awful. Brooks stole my work again. The cronies didn’t bat an eye seeing my watermarks. Thanks for that idea, by the way. Fuck, I am quitting next week. Not giving them any opportunity to fire me.”

“Fuck yeah!” Kylo honked his horn and grinned as the cars around them honked back. “They don’t deserve you!”

Hux felt his face heat up. This was one of the reasons he fell hard for Kylo. The man made him feel valuable.

“So what’s next for m-Mister Hot Shot?” Kylo stuttered as they pulled onto the highway.

“I don’t know. Maybe take a week off before looking for jobs?” Hux shrugged.

“Yeah? Cool,” Kylo gets into the fast lane and looks over at Hux. His voice low, “Gonna let your hair down and go wild?”

Hux managed not to gasp, instead he made a choked off nervous laugh, “Me? I was thinking of checking out the summer art exhibits before they go away.”

Kylo pounds his steering wheel, “Dude! You’re killing me! You can do that any time!”

“No, the exhibits are leaving at the end of July,” Hux feigns sulking to get more of a rise out of Kylo.

“M-Sorry, you fucker!” Kylo caught himself from saying Hux’s second least favorite curse word. “I’m worried about you. Those soul suckers have got you whipped. You should, like, I dunno… spend time with me and the guys that week!”

Hux’s toes would curl in his italian loafers if the narrow shoes would let them. He sighed, “Fine. I guess you’re right.”

“I’m always right!” Kylo puffed up his chest and belted out the lyrics for the next song on the Bang! Pow! Boom! Album. Hux at least remembered the album name. Kylo also surprised him last week remembering the company names of Hux’s favorite porcelain cat figurines. He stared out at the passing traffic. Maybe he could do something to get Kylo to call him Cat Daddy again? Millie hated the ribbons but if he could bribe her…

A few minutes of traffic later, they pull off the highway and quickly get into their neighborhood. Kylo looks over at him a couple of times before speaking, “Hey, would you like to rehearse your resignation?”

Hux sat up in his seat, “Huh? Yeah, that would help. When did you have in mind?”

Kylo stuttered, “I-uh, got some things to do but I can swing by in, uh, an hour?”

Hux nodded, “Sure. I’ll get Millie settled in with her din-din.”

“Cool!” Kylo yelled and went silent with wide eyes. Hux frowned a little but got distracted with Kylo’s arm bracing the back of his seat as Kylo pulled the truck into reverse to parallel park. Hux knew the tattoos were crude and chunky. But their canvas gave them far more allure. Hux didn’t have time to give into the temptation of nuzzling Kylo’s biceps because the man was an impressive parker.

They parted ways and Kylo stomped up to his apartment in his oversized jeans and baggy t-shirt. The clothes made him look absurdly giant. Hux loved it. Once he got into his apartment, he went straight to the kitchen to prepare Millicent’s meal as she mrrp’d her way around his feet. He hummed along with her as he mashed up some wet food with her kibble. He set the bowl down and gave Millicent her privacy as he headed into his bedroom. He took off his dress shirt and slacks. He stared at his closet drawing a blank. What would Kylo like him in? Kylo hardly comments on his clothes. Hux sighed grabbing a white t-shirt and gray lounge pants. Why was he so boring? He flushed at the thought of getting Kylo to give him a makeover. He’d look absolutely ridiculous but Kylo would have his hands all over him.

Hux went into the living room and tidied up the little messes from the past few days. Millicent watched him from her cat tree with her tail swaying to and fro. He came over to kiss the top of her head. She scrunched her eyes and shook her head. He snorted, “I know, so embarrassing. But you’re so cute!”

She squinted at him as he scritched behind her ear. Long orange hairs started to shed. He looked at his watch and decided he could start brushing her coat before Kylo came over. He scooped up Millicent and she gave a chirp seeing him grab the brush kit. He was blessed having a cat who enjoyed grooming. He got most of her back done when there was a knock on the door. Millicent darted to the cat tree as Hux dumped the cat hair in the kitchen trash. He answered the door and was startled to see an unsettling version of Kylo.

Kylo looked normal. He was without his makeup in a black polo and khakis. His hair was tied in a bun. Hux felt sad seeing Kylo’s septum piercing flipped up and hidden. Kylo’s skin was splotchy and textured due to his Kryolan paint stick routine. Hux felt oddly reassured that Kylo wasn’t too perfect. Hux has seen him shirtless with his face painted up and spent many a night stroking to the visuals.

“I-um, thought we could role play?” Kylo shrugged.

Hux blushed realizing he had just stood there staring, “Oh! Wow, you really didn’t need to change. I liked the lightning today. A lot.”

Kylo muttered under his breath, “Fucking dumbass.”

Hux froze, “Excuse me?”

Kylo looked more shocked than Hux felt, “Me! I meant me! I’m the fucking dumbass!”

Hux shook his head, “No you aren’t, come on in.”

Kylo frowned but followed Hux to the couch. Hux’s heart fluttered as Kylo sat next to him, “What’s going on, Kylo?”

Kylo looked at him with a shy glance before looking ahead, “I thought you’d like me more like this? I thought if we roleplayed you quitting your job, we’d-” Kylo takes a deep sigh, “I thought we’d then like makeout or something ‘cuz the past couple of months have been crazy, y’know?”

Hux gulped and tentatively placed his hand over Kylo’s white knuckled fist, “I think you’re hot. But as you usually dress and stuff. This is very different but I see my Kylo. Though...”

Kylo goes cross eyed as Hux flips his septum piercing and bursts into deep laughter, “What the fuck! You’re freaky, Hux!”

Hux blushed, “I guess? Do you like it?”

Kylo’s voice cracked before going bone deep, “Uh, yeah. It’s really fucking hot… babe.”

Hux whined as his body went numb with arousal, “Could we… do something else than role play quitting my job?”

Kylo moaned, “Like what?”

Hux got up to straddle Kylo’s lap. Kylo’s eyes widened and his hands hovered before gripping Hux’s hips. Hux whispers while tugging on Kylo’s polo shirt, “Wanna see your chest again.”

Kylo gave a little nod and pulled off the polo. Hux moaned at the sight of the loosened bun, defined muscles, and garish tattoos. His fingers traced thick lines that trembled. Kylo whined and bucked up. Hux gasped as he slid further into Kylo’s lap and had to brace himself against Kylo’s chest. Kylo grunted, “Permission to kiss?”

Hux gave a nod before kissing Kylo. He sighed at how nice Kylo’s lip and tongue piercings felt. He gave a tentative roll of his hips and Kylo seized with a yelp. Hux hummed in delight feeling the pulse of Kylo’s dick against his. Kylo pulled away from the kiss with a dazed look, “Fuck, I didn’t bring condoms.”

Hux bit his lip, “I’m good with not rushing things. I really do like you. And, ah, would like to fuck when you’re all done up.”

Hux now knows that when Kylo’s eyes widen slightly, his cheeks go bright red. This revelation makes Hux kiss Kylo deeply. Kylo gives a confused sound but goes with the kiss. Hux pulls away when he finally needs air. After catching his breath, he whispers, “I can’t believe you like me.”

Kylo scoffs, “I can’t believe you like me. You of all people.”

Hux whines, “Hush, of course I like you. You’re like my best friend and crush.”

Kylo whimpers squeezing Hux’s ass, “I’m your what?”

“My crush-Ah!” Hux arches his back as Kylo rips his lounge pants. Hux shivers as fingers press through the tear to bare skin. “Nngh! Fuck, tear them more.”

Kylo does so looking up at Hux with a growl. Hux grunts as his cock drops down from the torn confines onto Kylo’s palm. It’s an awkward hand job but feels great. Hux’s mind whites out as Kylo leans up to suck on his neck. The other hand reaches over to press two fingers against Hux’s ass. Hux screeches as the fingers rub frantically with the fist around his cock. He goes limp as his cock twitches.

Kylo mouths his neck lightly before flipping them over. Hux whines as Kylo pulls away to take off his cum stained khakis. Kylo also didn’t bother with underwear and strokes himself while looking down at Hux. Hux studies Kylo’s cock and is a little bummed there’s no piercings visible. Kylo straddles him and moans as his cock head bumps against Hux’s small paunch. Hux blushes deeply once he realizes Kylo is writing his name on Hux’s belly. Hux whispers, “I’d get it tattooed there. Or a tramp stamp.”

Kylo’s eyes bulge and his breathing goes haggard, “Fuck, really?”

Hux bit his lip nodding. Kylo grunted as he came all over Hux’s belly. Hux kissed him softly, “Seriously. Maybe you could help me with the aftercare?”

Kylo snorted and shook his head, “Nah, that’s like ten year anniversary shit.”

“Oh, I guess you’ll just have to cum your name on me until then,” Hux feigned disappointment. “Maybe get me a collar or belt?”

Kylo chuckled, “Fucking freak.”

Hux smirked, “You have no idea.”

#kylux #kylux positivity week #day two #juggalo kylo ren #cat daddy Armitage Hux #millicent the cat #lemon

17 notes · View notes