#why is it only now that I'm seeing the light reflections on the roof of Hasetsu Castle and on Yuuri's glasses? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai · 1 month

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A while ago, I commissioned the wonderful and talented @nae812 to draw a scene from my YOI novelisation Can You Hear My Heartbeat. The scene is part of the Tanabata* chapter, set during the summer of mutual pining, and I'm very proud to share the absolutely gorgeous result with you:

Posted with permission from the artist because commission conditions and stuff. Do not repost.

They fell silent, watching the stars. But Yuuri’s heart refused to be still.

“O-hoshi-sama,” Viktor murmured, gazing at the sky. “I get it now. How can you look at the universe spinning in the sky and simply call them hoshi?”

Yuuri smiled. “Yeah. The stars are that majestic.”

“I like it. This is the most beautiful night of my life so far, Yuuri. Not even the White Nights can compare to this.”

The warm, reverent nuance in his voice made Yuuri tremble. This night, this place—it created a closeness he had never felt before with Viktor. As if a bridge had emerged from the sea of stars between them.

“Um, Viktor. There’s something you should know.”

“Huh?”

“There’s an even larger Tanabata festival held in Fukuoka.” The words welled out of Yuuri, encouraged by the darkness engulfing them and because they were not facing each other. “It’s because they have a huge Tanabata shrine there. I… I didn’t suggest it because you wanted to see the fireworks, but we wouldn’t have been able to stay that late because we’d need to catch the last train back. And I didn’t want to take the van because I wasn’t sure if I’d want to drink and I also don’t like to drive at night.” And because it would have been a date then. “My apologies.”

“No, Yuuri,” Viktor said softly. “I’m glad we stayed here. Fukuoka is likely overcrowded tonight and I don’t want to do that to Makkachin. Besides, here we have a better view of the stars because of less—how did you call it?”

“Light pollution.”

“Right.” Viktor’s voice was warm in the night as if he was smiling. “Thanks for introducing me to this festival, Yuuri.”

Yuuri thought back to the wish he had written on the red tanzaku. I wish that I’ll figure out my feelings for Viktor. I wish it to be love.

“I’m glad we came here, too.”

A reddish shine illuminated the lookout, followed by a cracking noise that ruptured the silence. “The fireworks have started!” Yuuri said. “Let’s watch!”

They hurried to a spot where the trees parted. Orange sparks rose into the sky and blossomed into colourful stars, illuminating rooftops and the people cramming on the beach and along the bridges, glittering on the bay. A sudden giddiness rose in Yuuri.

“When I was younger, I often imagined what it would be like to celebrate Tanabata with you,” he said. Each year, he had written a wish for it and hung it on a tree. “I didn’t ask you because I didn’t know how to do it without things taking a weird turn.”

“Really?” Viktor’s voice was hushed with an undercurrent of excitement.

Yuuri nodded. “The last weeks were very nice. I would have hated to ruin that.”

A hand touched Yuuri’s shoulder, stirring a swarm of butterflies in his stomach. “I enjoy our time together very much, too.”

“Yeah,” Yuuri said. His heart fluttered.

They fell silent, watching the colourful sparks blossoming above the town, mirrored on the silent river. The hand remained on his shoulder and Yuuri found he liked it being there.

“Yuuri?”

“Hum?”

“Will you tell me what you wished for?”

“No, Viktor.”

“I’ll tell you what I wished for in return.”

“It won’t come true when you say it aloud.”

“But if a wish isn’t voiced no one will know and they won’t do anything about it.”

“The gods will.”

If I were already sure of my feelings, this would have been the perfect date, Yuuri mused.

“Will you tell me your wish when it comes true?”

You will know when it comes true, Yuuri thought, struggling to tame the tempest of emotions raging within his heart. “Yes,” he said, leaning his head against Viktor’s shoulder. “I will.”

-- Chapter 17: So close and yet a universe apart

*On Tanabata or the Star Festival:

According to a legend, Princess Orihime fell in love with a cow herd named Hikoboshi, and their love was so great that both neglected their duties whereopun Orihime's father, the Emperor, banished the pair to the heavens with the Milky Way separating them. Orihime became the star Vega and Hikoboshi became the star Altair. Only once a year, in the seventh night of the seventh month, they can meet--but only if the skies are clear.

Tanabata (七夕) is celebrated in July, but in some regions, it's celebrated in August (depending on whether the Gregorian calendar or the lunar calendar is used). The stars Vega and Altair are visible in Japan from July to September. There's a couple of customs surrounding the festival, one of them is to write your wishes on paper strips and hang them on a bamboo tree. These trees are set afloat or burnt during the night. Tanabata is a very popular festival in Japan and often referred to as the most romantic night of the year. However, since in most regions, the rainy season lasts until August, the chances for clear skies are 30% on average and thus people pray for good weather several days in advance.

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howlingday · 4 months

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ARC-THOLOGY

A collection of short Tragic Backstory (TM) tales requested by @noneatnonedotcom

Enjoy!

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WHITE ROSE

Weiss and RWBY’s big day out! it's totally not an excuse for Weiss to buy ruby things she likes so she can make her smile.

Weiss: "I'm only doing this because there's things I want to get it's not like I'm doing it for you d-dolt"

Ruby: "SHE SAID THE LINE!!!"

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

Weiss: I'm sorry, what?

Ruby: You said the line!

Weiss: What line? (Sneezes, Shivers) Am I the only one who feels really cold right now?

Yang: What? How's that possible? You're the Ice Queen.

Weiss: I'm aware of my nickname. What I'm not aware of is what Ruby is talking about.

Blake: The tsundere trope.

Weiss: The what?

Blake: The tsundere trope. A tsundere is a character who acts mean and aggressive towards others, yet has a secret desire for them that they keep hidden.

Weiss: (Rolls eyes) Oh, please. Besides, who would I tsundere at anyways?

Ruby: Well, there's me, and Yang, and Blake, and Jaune-

Weiss: No. No. No. And god no!

Ruby: Weiss! Don't be mean!

Yang: Yeah, wouldn't want ya to be too tsun-tsun, would we?

Weiss: WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!

Ruby/Yang: TSUN-TSUN! TSUN-TSUN!

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RENORA SUPPORTS KING ARC

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

Jaune: Ah... Thanks for hanging out with us on the roof, guys. We really appreciate it.

Nora: Do you, though? We're not getting in the way of your make-out session, are we?

Mercury: Haha! Yeah, are we~?

Pyrrha: (Blushing, Covering her face)

Ren: It's the least we could do. Team RWBEY said they wanted to go out for a girl's night out with just their side of the team, so Nora and I thought we could do something similar with our side.

Jaune: Well, I still appreciate it.

Pyrrha: So do I.

Mercury: Even if we're interrupting your kissing time?

Pyrrha: (Glares at him) Watch it.

Nora: Besides, we're your whistles!

Ren: Vassals.

Nora: Vessels, yeah! Anything for our king.

Jaune: ...What if I wasn't the king? What if I really was who I said I was and I wasn't any kind of royalty. Would you still follow me as your leader?

Mercury: Absolutely not.

Pyrrha: (Growls)

Jaune: That makes sense. I'm nothing special.

Mercury: Heh, and that is why I wouldn't follow you. You're nothing special. Heck, Cinder wasn't either, but she still acted like it. You should really stop putting yourself down so much.

Ren: Especially when you've already done so much for the rest of us.

Jaune: What do you mean?

Ren: When Nora and I left our village, it was after a Grimm attack, and we wandered until we were picked up by an orphanage. We'd been stuck at the hip since then, and I would sometimes think about who I am without Nora. Since becoming part of your team, I feel like we've both grown into our own. Nora's found other friends she can hang around with, and I've spent a lot of time self-reflecting on who I am without her.

Mercury: And what would that be?

Ren: (Looks to Jaune) A brother.

Nora: Aw~!

Mercury: Ugh... This is way to sappy. Can we light a bonfire up here?

Pyrrha: On the roof? I don't think-

Nora: Ooh! Yeah! Let's show Team RWBY what they're missing out on!

Jaune: No, no, we shouldn- ACK! NORA! PUT THAT FIRE OUT RIGHT NOW!

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SALEM AND JAUNE

Jaune and Salem debate the nature of heroism.

Their core arguments are as follows

Salem: "at the end of the day a hero is someone who wishes for others to suffer without the grimm your entire way of life would vanish"

Jaune: "no, a hero is someone who helps. it could be against grimm but just as easily it could be natural disasters, human corruption, or the existential dread of living. the thing that marks a hero is their humility and willingness to try to make things better. a true hero is someone who sees a sacrifice must be made and chooses themselves to pay that price"

Who wins the debate? And what does salem want out of questioning our young hero?

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

???: So, you are the one everyone is talking about?

Jaune: Huh? Who-

???: (Flickers into view) I have to say, I'm impressed by what you and Cinder were able to accomplish what James could not.

Jaune: Cinder? How do you know Cinder?

???: I know a lot of people, dear. But there aren't a lot of people who know me.

Jaune: Ugh... You're as bad as Ozpin.

???: So I've heard. I'll take it as a compliment this time.

Jaune: So, who are you, and what do you want from me?

???: I will answer your question, but only one of them. I'll allow you the choice.

Jaune: ...What do you want from me?

???: Smart. You really are as dangerous as they say, aren't you?

Jaune: That doesn't answer my question.

???: No, it doesn't. ...Very well. I have a question for you, oh "king of Vale".

Jaune: Ugh... No... I'm not-

???: I know you're not the king of Vale.

Jaune: I... You don't?

???: No. I knew the king of Vale, and he was twice the fool you were.

Jaune: Wait, but I thought the king of Vale died a long time ago.

???: He did. Much longer than almost everyone can remember.

Jaune: Almost everyone...

???: And now for my question for you. Are you a hero?

Jaune: What?

???: Are? You? A hero?

Jaune: I... I guess? I mean, that's what everybody else tells me. But I was just doing what I thought was right.

???: What you thought was right... And what of that one fool? That... Bull Faunus who attempted to murder your sister. I have no doubts he thought he was doing what he thought was right.

Jaune: That's not the same. Adam was a terrorist who wanted to hurt people that weren't involved in his cause. He was just looking for a hostage for an easy get away after putting people in danger with his terrorist attack.

???: And because he failed, that makes him the one in the wrong. Could it be that if you were the one who lost that day, that if you were the one imprisoned by the victors that you would be the one who was wrong, and he would be the hero.

Jaune: No, he wouldn't.

???: How can you be so sure?

Jaune: Because threatening children is obviously wrong! Adam Taurus almost murdered my sister, scarring her for life because he wanted to force an ideal that only he believes in!

???: And you believe this difference makes you a hero, and him the villain?

Jaune: What I believe is that everyone wants to throw stupid labels at me when all I want is to just live a normal life without people harassing and threatening my family and friends!

???: And the Wyvern threatened your family and friends, did it not?

Jaune: ...It would have.

???: So you killed it because it WOULD have threatened your family and friends?

Jaune: I-

???: So a hero is someone who slaughters his enemies for the sake of a potential threat to those closest to him. Is that right?

Jaune: ...

???: I will take your silence as-

Jaune: No. That's not what a hero is. A hero is someone who is willing to risk their life to protect someone or something that can't protect themselves, even if that someone or something isn't aware of what's threatening them. A hero acts to protect, not destroy for glory.

???: ...

???: (Fades away) How interesting...

Jaune: Wait, where did you-

Yang: Yo, Vomit Boy!

Jaune: Huh? Yang? Wait, where did she...

Yang: You done hanging out in that alley, or what?

Jaune: Hm... I'll be right there!

Salem: (In her castle, Watching Seer) Yes... How interesting indeed.

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

CASTLE ON THE HILL

Turns out jaune inherited a castle. Like an actual freaking castle. Ozpin's been taking care of it and getting it ready for modern habitation oddly enough it was on the beacon property and left to him by the previous king Ozwald.

Ozpin: **sips coffee** "this should elveviate my bordom. dance puppets dance"

Glynda: "ozpin, did you let qrow spike your coffee again?

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

Nora: Ren! Look! I'm queen of a real castle now~!

Ren: Nora! Get down from there!

Weiss: This castle is massive! It's even bigger than the mansion I grew up in!

Pyrrha: I think you're the only one in this group that can say that.

Ruby: Well, maybe not the only one. (Giggles, Points to Jaune)

Jaune: ...How many pitfalls does this make now?

Yang: I think that's the third one I managed to save your life from.

Jaune: Right. Glad to have you here, Yang. Without you, I surely would have fallen to my ten foot drop to certain death.

Yang: Hey, you never know. One fall could be your last one ever!

Jaune: ...I'm pretty sure Ruby survived bigger falls, but whatever. How much would renovating this cost?

Blake: (Tapping scroll) Considering current cost of construction contracts, and the amount of time it would take to plan, prepare, and execute a renovation, I'd say about five years and one hundred thousand lien.

Jaune: For this whole castle?!

Blake: No, of course not.

Jaune: Phew... For a second, I thought-

Blake: That's just for the central hall. Calculating the rest, it would take-

Jaune: Stop! Stop! I don't even know why Professor Ozpin even game me this stupid castle in the first place, especially since I have to be the one to foot the bill on all of it!

Nora: It's because you're the- WHOA!

Jaune: (Flinches at each crash)

Nora: (At the bottom of a pit) I'M OKAY~!

Yang: Well, it's gonna cost even more now.

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

PURRHA

It's time for a DATE NIGHT! watch as we spin the wheel of romance and end up on.... Blake and Pyrrha? that's a rare pare oh but they're talking about Blake’s fanfics about jaune and Pyrrha, what's this Pyrrha’s been commissioning them? well at least they have fun.... where's jaune? (not pictured jaune training with Nora in the gym to get better at hugging)

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

Blake: So, what else are you and Jaune-

Pyrrha: ATATATA! Pumpkin Pete and Patty!

Blake: Right. What else are "Pumpkin Pete and Patty" doing besides working on their fourteenth kid?

Pyrrha: It's only six children right now, and I was thinking maybe a romantic evening out at the lake.

Cardin: Hey.

Blake: Uh-huh, and how much smut are you wanting in this one?

Pyrrha: It's not smut, it's tasteful lemon.

Blake: Pyrrha, the last scene you had me write was Pumpkin Patty railing Pumpkin Pete on a hotel balcony, with him crying "Pyrrha! Pyrrha!" which you told me was rabbit for "my love."

Cardin: Excuse me.

Pyrrha: But that's-

Blake: And while she's pegging him, Pumpkin Patty is shouting "Jaune! Jaune!" which you insisted was rabbit for "my beloved." Listen, Pyrrha, I enjoy a good nsfw as much as the next girl, but I'm thinking you're not really understanding the amount of effort that goes into-

Cardin: Hey!

Pyrrha: (Turns) WE ARE TRYING TO DISCUSS IMPORTANT DETAILS, WINCHESTER! FUCK OFF!

Cardin: Er, sorry to interrupt your date, but uh... I just thought I'd let you know your boyfriend is gonna throw his back out if his partner keeps swapping weights.

Pyrrha: What are you- JAUNE?!

Jaune: NoRA! Are you SURE this will WOrk?

Nora: HAHAHA! I HAVE NO IDEA!

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WE’RE DOING A PRE-SEQUEL!

they're making a movie about jaune's life! they can't seem to decide on which version of his tragic backstory (tm) they wanna use though. walk us through each of RWBY’s and NPR’s versions of the story using a different genre for each character's narration.

(I find the idea of Weiss being a hopless romantic for jaune and Pyrrha really funny so Weiss’s should be a romance)

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

Nora: Jaune, are you excited about the new movie coming out~?!

Jaune: What new movie? Ooh! Is it gonna have Spruce Willis in it?!

Nora: Mm... No, not that I saw. Why, do you think Spruce Willis could pull off a decent you?

Weiss: I think the bigger issue is a matter of physique. Spruce Willis is a man in his 40s, one who is both bald and physically peaked. Jaune... is Jaune.

Jaune: No offense taken...

Ruby: Spruce Willis probably wouldn't be that great for Jaune. Maybe someone more like... Spark M. Hill.

Weiss: Ruby, he's nearly sixty and his most prominent role now is as a voice actor.

Ruby: (Gasps) It's gonna be animated~?!

Meanwhile, at a meeting with the movie producers, or whoever it is that's creatively responsible for making movies.

"For the millionth and last time, it's not going to be animated!" Yelled a man in a designer T-shirt, featuring a special effects TV show character. "My vision includes real action with real explosions!"

"We don't have it in the budget for any kind of explosions." Calmly replied a man in glasses shifting his abacus to and fro. He didn't know how to use it. He just wanted an excuse to shift beads around like a toddler in a dentist's office. "We also can't afford a team of animators, either. They're almost as expendable as explosives."

"You mean expensive, right?" A woman in a business suit said. When met with silence, she returned to her coffee cup flap. She dressed way too formally for this meeting.

"Well, if we can't do action on such a high budget, how about a detective mystery?" Replied another woman, dressed not as formally with her leather jacket. "Jaune is supposed to be smart, right? Well, why not have him solve detective cases? Have him run around the city of Vale, scrounging for clues, only to realize he was the killer all along."

"...No. Just no."

"Alright, let's put it to a vote then." The man in the T-Shirt said, pulling free an empty water cup. "Maybe we can at least agree on something. Write what you want on this scrap of paper and then put it in the cup. Then I'l lask one of you to pull out a piece while looking the other direction."

The team did so and each wrote their choice and placed them into the cup. Once filled, the man in the T-Shirt rattled the cup around, then held it out to the formally dressed woman. Pulling out a strip of paper, they had their movie genre.

"Harem anime."

A silence fell over the room. One by one, everyone stood from their seats and left the room. Only the woman in the business suit remained, sitting in place as she stared at their movie choice. Looking up, she asked the empty room.

"What's a harem?"

#rwby #rwby au #jaune's tragic backstory (tm) au #tragic backstory (tm)#Tragic backstory (tm) au #jaune arc #ruby rose #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #nora valkyrie #blake belladonna #pyrrha nikos #lie ren #salem #ozpin #glynda goodwitch #cardin winchester #mercury black

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wen-kexing-apologist · 1 year

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EIGHTH SENSE THEORY

(content warning: I will be referencing suicide attempts and vomit in this post)

I saw other people speculating that Episode 6 might be some sort of medication misuse psychotic break on JaeWon's part and honestly? Having just watched it. I definitely think this man is hallucinating.

I'm not entirely sure if this was something that came from the nature of watching this episode not on Viki, but so much of the episode seemed too bright, too blurry. The way the light hit the JiHyun's white jacket made it look like he was reflecting light, like he was heavenly or angelic in a way.

Like when they are in the car in the beginning:

Or eating on the bench:

Or arriving at the beach:

And something I noticed while watching these scenes, admittedly coming in to it having already seen discussions of a possible mental break, is that JaeWon rarely makes eye contact with JiHyun and they do not physically touch until 12 minutes into the episode.

Not until we have seen them walk up the stairs once already.

First set of stairs:

Second set of stairs:

But crucially here, it's windy, and JiHyun is gripping JaeWon in a way that might equate the force you feel from a strong wind.

Other hints that JaeWon might be hallucinating?

Same food order at the same time, something cute if they actually did that, but something that could also be explained if only one person was ordering food.

JiHyun taking his food with him when he goes to the bathroom but leaving his drink. We saw him take a bite out of the food, so if that food was real and he left it on the bench, we would have seen evidence that food had been eaten. But we never see JiHyun take a sip of his drink AND we never see JaeWon or JiHyun buy that drink. Meaning it is completely feasible that JaeWon ordered two drinks and set that one down for "JiHyun" even though he isn't actually there.

And of course, there is further evidence, in my mind, for this being a hallucination or mental break of some sort due to the many, many instances throughout Episode 6 of JaeWon's face being blurry.

For example, here:

And here:

And...ok you know what? I'm going to stop these examples here

The morning they wake up on the beach seems fake, again it feels too bright, too heavenly in a way:

And the kiss scene is so interesting to me for a few reasons, and is also why I am leaning towards hallucination/imagination. First of all, they are in public, there are other people around on that beach. When JaeWon was holding JiHyun's thigh in Episode 4 and JiHyun's best friend came out on the roof, they slid apart real quick.

And it's not like their attraction to one another hasn't been obvious, and it's not like JaeWon hasn't literally kissed men in front of people before. They aren't completely opposed to being openly queer, but this is a huge, undeniable, and extremely public kiss.

I am also just so in love with the choice the production team made to cut out all sound when they are playing in the water. Because that silence can be interpreted so many ways, the main two for me being: intimate and insidious.

"To cause you trauma," is an excellent response to JaeWon asking why JiHyun kissed him. Because water is, presumably, a very traumatizing thing to JaeWon. I don't think he said how his brother died, but his microexpressions to JiHyun referencing water torture definitely lead me to believe that JaeWon's brother drowned (learning to surf perhaps?) and JaeWon finds both comfort and pain in returning to the sea as a way to feel connected to his brother but also to punish himself for failing him.

Then we get the bed scene. Now, I don't want to presume anything about JiHyun, he's totally allowed to be a slut, but...this show has continuously established this boy as naive and innocent. Like, totally unaware of the implications of asking JaeWon if he wants to "eat ramen".

So to go from not understanding innuendos and still not being entirely certain that JaeWon kissed you intentionally that first time or if he was just drunk, to full on make out sessions and getting dicked down? I am all for JiHyun testing out his slut era, but I don't think that is the case here.

And I'm citing the background music as part of my evidence here. Because the background music is the song "I Can't Lose it All" and comes in at the last verse of the song, BEGINNING WITH THE LYRICS:

"I'm losing my mind

So darling just call

Tell me everything's alright

I don't want to slow

I can't lose it all

Make me feel like I'm suppose to go

Tell me what you thinking about me when I'm gone."

Which honestly, makes me believe JaeWon is imagining all of this intimacy with JiHyun as something that he craves but can't let himself actually seek out. Therefore he is letting himself have it all.

And I just want to give a shout out to this shot:

The way the waves are washing over their feet, in this room that we didn't see them rent, when they were only supposed to stay there for one night and now are apparently on night two in a fancy room instead of camping on the beach. It's a beautiful shot, but also some beautiful foreshadowing to the tragedy at the end of the episode, with the water rising up to meet them.

My final piece of evidence that this entire episode has all been in JaeWon's head?

This shot at the end where JaeWon is sitting by himself, looking at his hand in the sand because I'm pretty sure this shot comes chronologically before JiHyun's drowning. I think it's what any outside observer would actually see if they were to look at JaeWon, and I think the image below, in the brighter light, holding JiHyun's hand, is the hallucination that JaeWon is having.

Which meanssssssssssss............

If we believe the trip itself to be real, but JiHyun's presence on the trip to be false...

JAEWON IS THE ONE WHO IS DROWNING/DROWNED.

If we take this entire trip to be imagined/a dream then he hasn't actually woken up from binge drinking the night before and in that case I would say that he could be aspirating on his own vomit at the end. Either way, I feel like next episode might start with JaeWon waking up in a hospital.

Personally I think the greater tragedy would be JaeWon had a mental breakdown, disappeared without a trace, wound up at the beach here, and drowns, alone. With the resolution being that he is rescued, revived, possibly involuntarily committed or something for a possible suicide attempt...

...which now that I think about it, this could straight up be a suicide attempt of him trying to overdose on his medication, and like the alcohol result above, the drowning could be him aspirating his own vomit from overdosing on pills.

ANYWAY

All of this to say, I think JaeWon maybe took his therapist's question "why not make the relationship deeper?" very much to heart, and imagined a world where he was comfortable confiding in JiHyun and being entirely honest with him.

And also all of this to say that I believe there will ultimately be a happy ending for this show with JaeWon almost dying resulting in JaeWon finally cutting his shitty friend out of his life, JaeWon's Dad possibly being less aggressive after realizing he almost lost both of his sons, and JaeWon and JiHyun admitting their feelings for each other and being boyfriends in love surrounded only by supportive friends. I think JaeWon will end up graduating with his business degree but maybe pursue photography as a career or something at the end.

And I'm tagging @bengiyo, @shortpplfedup, @chicademartinica, and @respectthepetty because I want your THOUGHTS, I want your FEELINGS, I want your THEORIES and also tagging @lurkingshan because as I was scrolling through tags to try to find the original post about the possible medication induced psychotic break that started my theories rolling, I noticed you point out a lot of the same things I mentioned here so I also want your thoughts, feelings, and theories, or at the very least say that you are not alone in thinking that this was fake.

#the eighth sense #the eighth sense episode 6 #t8s #cw: suicide #cw: suicide attempt #cw: vomit #jaewon x jihyun #jaewon #jihyun #GOD I NEED TO STOP WATCHING SHOWS BECAUSE MY FUN LITTLE MINDLESS ACTIVITY HAS TURNED INTO A CONSTANT NEED TO CRANK OUT MASSIVE TEXT POSTS

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jellicle-chants · 2 months

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the hug that last longer than the others

So, this ended up being way longer than I anticipated, so it’s mostly going under a cut.

Rumpleteazer sat on the edge of the roof, knees pulled up to her chest. Her tail twitched, as much as she wanted it to be still. She pressed her eyes shut and sighed.

"Your dad means well, you know." She turned her head to see Asparagus climbing out of the attic window. He tried to stand upright on the shingles, using the eave as a handhold.

"You shouldn't be up here, Da. You're going to fall." She wanted to get up and help, but something was keeping her stuck in place.

"Don't worry about me," he said, crouching down and half-sliding, half-crawling to the roof's edge. "I used to do my fair share of climbing when I was your age."

"Really?" She couldn't help but laugh a little at the idea.

"Of course! Well, you know I'm awfully shy now, but it was even worse when I was a kitten. I would do anything I could not to have to talk to people, so I learned how to climb things better than anyone else could." He looked out over the horizon, the rays of the setting sun casting an orange glow over his white fur. "I would sit up at the tops of trees all day, just doing whatever I wanted to, and I loved it. Of course I would come down for meals and that sort of thing, but otherwise nobody could bother me unless I wanted them to." He turned his gaze back to her, smiling sheepishly. "So, I guess I've come to bother you. But only because I want to make sure you're okay."

Rumpleteazer turned away and rested her head on her knee, not able to meet his eyes. "I'm okay, I guess. I just wanted some time to cool off so I wouldn't stay mad at Dad." She paused, a lump hardening in her throat.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this, but what he said, that's not actually what we want for you."

"What do you want, then?"

"Just that you're safe and happy. Whatever that looks like for you, we can deal with."

"Well, then why didn't he just say that?"

Asparagus took in a deep breath. "Nobody's perfect, apricot." Rumpleteazer felt a rush of heat to her cheeks and blinked away a stray tear. "That's why there are two of us, so in case one of us mucks it up, you have the other one to talk it out with." She could hear his voice get strained, like he too was struggling to speak. "Can I tell you something?"

She nodded, turning her head to look at him again. The sun had set enough now that he was cast in shadow, only his eyes reflecting the last specks of light in the sky.

"We were never mad at you, or disappointed. But we were scared, very very scared, that you might—" He broke off, and the next moment she was hugging him, burying her face in the fur of his chest; and he held her close. She had no idea how long they stayed like that, but when she finally lifted her head, night had settled in around them, the streetlamps illuminating the world below in pools of warm yellow light.

Rumpleteazer chuckled, wiping the corners of her eyes. "I think dinner might be ready by now." She stood up, offering her father a hand, which he took gratefully, and they began walking back together.

"Yes, I expect we'll be in for quite a scolding. And, if you wouldn't mind, I'd rather he not know I was climbing about on the roof."

"Your secret's safe with me, Da. Just so long as you can slip me an extra piece of pie at dessert."

"I think that can be arranged," Asparagus said with a grin, closing the window sash. "Now let's hurry, before our food gets cold."

#thank you for the ask!#bombawife #cats the musical #cats musical #my writing #rumpleteazer #asparagus cats #(her other dad is skimble but y'all knew that)#of course i'm incapable of writing things without making them long and sappy #teazer and her two dads is just such a precious family dynamic i love them so much 💕💕💕

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bramble-scramble · 6 months

Text

A Bite for Good Luck

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

(Early, but I'm impatient)

Sooo, I haven't felt like writing in a while, and I'm still mostly inactive here, but I'm not done being... myself. And I may have been really inspired by @hostess-of-horror yet again. Thus I present to you a little vampire-themed Phandrow thing that came to me in a fit of insomnia. It's kinda saucy! Nothing explicit, but, y'know. Vampire stuff.

Enjoy 🩸 🧛

The poet was working again. A multitude of candles illuminated his words, their light reflected in the polished mahogany desk seen on either side of his parchment.

It was hard to believe it had been just over a month since he had received the letter. The summons. So much had changed since then; he had lived a lifetime in those weeks. Become something of a different creature.

He had always been one to stay up late, but now... now the night was his world, and he spent the days languishing. There was little else he could do. He hardly considered... perhaps hardly remembered... the orange and red hues of his homeland, the plump squirrels and healthy pumpkins. His brain was filled with the howl of wolves, the flap of bats' wings- the sounds of the castle and its grounds, which he was forbidden to leave.

Of course, he had hardly known it would come to all this. Despite Sweetlopek's fears, despite Dryad's dire warnings, he had said goodbye to them both. That was the hardest part. And yet... and yet he would do it again. He would make the same choice, knowing it all. He had been more prolific in these past few weeks than in a year or more combined. Because, after all...

Sir Poet-Warden, the letter had said. I request your services. I am in need of a chronicler of my life, my deeds. In return I can offer you room and board, sturdier and more reliable than that with which I know you currently make do. Moreover, while you are under my roof, I can make you a promise. No curse shall harm you, no ill luck will cross my threshold. I know it may be hard to believe, but my powers are great. You may write as much as you desire, on any subject, with no fear of cosmic retribution. In return I only require that you not leave my premises until released, and handle my particular needs with your utmost devotion and priority.

Ever yours,

Lord Tom Phan

Woodrow kept the letter near his heart, in his coat pocket, but he need not pull it out to see it clearly before him. The red ink, the lovely cursive, the gramophone seal... he had memorized every word before he had even set foot in the castle.

The poet found himself stuck on a rhyme, and got up to stretch. As he arose, a sudden rush of dizziness greeted him. He swooned, and stretched out his paws to catch himself on the desk. Stars and sparkles danced in his eyes behind his glasses. When he had regained himself, he lifted a paw and looked down at it in the candle-light. It was hard to remember how pink it had once been. It was certainly a very pale pink now. He wondered how the rest of him must look - he had not seen his own face in an age. There were no mirrors here. Why would there be?

He sat back down on the chair, wondering what Sweets and Dryad would think if they could see him now. But even more than them, he missed... her. Jinx. His cloud. She was not allowed past the threshold. A storm had taken up residence outside the courtyard, a thick and constant rain in the woods that deterred any visitors even moreso than normal. But, true to the master's word, ill fortune could not come in.

...Was all of this really worth it?

The sky outside was beginning to brighten, ever so slightly. Woodrow knew what that meant. He got up and drew the blinds closed in preparation.

Yes. It was worth it.

And before long, the familiar huge shadow filled the doorway to his room. The poet could sense it before he even saw it.

"You're home," said the writer, turning joyously, ready to approach. There was his lord indeed, his black cape, his piercing eyes, his imposing form- but the poet stopped short. There was red on the corners of his lord's mouth, and in his bulbous transparent belly, streaks and rivulets of crimson sloshed and whirled.

"You- you have eaten already," said Woodrow in shock.

"Only a little, my dear," came the reply. "A small hors d'oeuvre."

"Am I no longer enough for you?"

"Of course not," was the cooing answer, and in a smooth movement the master of the house was upon his guest, one paw on his back, the other caressing his hair. "Nothing can satisfy me the way you can. Perish the thought."

Woodrow smiled in relief. He thought he might be blushing, but- he doubted he had the means.

"It is only..." the Lord continued, "I fear I have been pushing too hard. Taking too much. I fear to let you sate me alone."

"I am fine," said the poet. "Truly."

"I do not think so, my darling." He smiled, sweetly, his pointed fangs digging into his lower lip. "And yet... I am still rather hungry, if not famished. So if you are ready-"

"I have been waiting all night," said the other breathlessly. "I have tried to keep myself warm for you."

"Very well, very well," chuckled the ghost. With ease, he lifted the other and carried him to the bed, laying him down, taking off his glasses, settling his head on the red velvet pillow that awaited. The Lord reached for the pink bow that his beloved wore - every morning, it was there, wrapped tightly, keeping the poet's collar close around his neck; and to untie it was to open a present, the same one every day, but one that never got stale. It was a test of patience, and yet, a ritual. With paws trembling in anticipation, Lord Phan pulled at the ribbon until it loosened, then took it off and set it aside. He opened up the collar of his beloved like peeling back the rind of an exquisite fruit. And then-

Woodrow gasped as the fangs found their familiar indentations, and pierced inwards. He may have gotten used to the pain, but he would never fully deaden to it. And he didn't want to.

Despite his claims, his Lord seemed no less hungry tonight than any other. The familiar suction of the skin, the desperate movement of the tongue to clean up any missed drop- the poet moaned and turned his head, an instinctive bodily reaction to such sensation - and soon found a paw on the other side of his face, turning it gently but firmly back - the message was clear: stay still.

"Mmmnm," the soft, involuntary, almost musical hums of bliss that emanated from the Lord as he fed made Woodrow want to melt into the blankets. He had never had much reason to be proud of his body, but apparently his blood was a delicacy. And of that, he was happy... he was lucky, after all... he was precious, wanted, needed so desperately... he...

He passed out.

----

Some time later - he knew not when, for the blinds kept the room as dark as night at all times - he awoke. His coat had been removed in favor of warm blankets, and while he was tucked under them, laying on top of them at his side was his Lord, gently stroking his hair and his cheeks.

"Are you happy?" was the first thing he mumbled as he came to. In his blurred vision, he could make out the red swirls gorging his beloved's clear tummy, cascading around the musical device at his center.

"Of course, my delight. You need never ask," said the vampire-ghost, red still streaking his chin. And yet... he frowned. "But again, I must warn you. When I get started on you, it is ever so hard to stop. And I fear... well, perhaps we shall take a week off, or so."

"My... My Lord..." said the poet in sorrow. He needed the break, of course. And yet...

"Look at this, mon cœur." The Phantom touched Woodrow's hand and brought it up to his face, and the poet saw that his own paw-pad was barely distinguishable from the white fur around it. "You are not well. I shall bring you whatever you desire, and as much of it as you need, whlie you recover your precious health."

Woodrow nodded, feeling that sleep would soon overtake him again. "Pumpkin and carrot soup," he said weakly.

"What?"

"Soup..." he repeated. "The way Sweets makes it... I shall write him for the recipe, when I... when I am up. That's what I need. I'll be... myself in... no time." And he closed his eyes, his breathing slow and heavy.

Lord Phan kissed him on the forehead, leaving a mark of red. He tucked him in even tighter, and arose, heading for his coffin, for his own daily rest.

#mario + rabbids #mario plus rabbids #phandrow #woodrow #ts woodrow #the phantom of the bwahpera #soh vampire au

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rohirric-hunter · 5 months

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My screenshot folder is a nightmare right now, because one thing about the glitch is that I kept bobbing up and down extremely fast, so I kind of had to spam the screenshot hotkey and hope something clear came out. This is a compilation of Interesting Screenshots. I will make a different post for Cool and Pretty Screenshots. Anyway, here's Statdor and Waldorf from behind.

The other, empty VIP box.

No clue what the deal is with the other two VIP boxes in the back; they're constructed the same way and have chairs in them but you can't actually see the stage from them.

Very lovely close-up of the detailing on my bow, which is sort of hard to get screenshots of so there's that.

I've already posted this one but the Court of Lothlorien from above. This grey area is actually the skybox which I assume was used for lighting purposes; entering the void in LotRO, I have discovered, makes the camera stop working.

There's been some discussion in the SARC with regards to various Dwarf statues so of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a good ariel shot of the only ones I was actually able to fly around, in the Hall of Vernozal.

Waaaaay up above the Hall of Vernozal there's this slanty roof thing that covers the balconies and there's some interesting detailing on it. Surprised and impressed, considering you actually can't even see this from any actually legitimate play area.

More Hall of Vernozal roof stuff. Now I'm gonna have to have someone climb up here in a fanfic or something.

I had to get incredibly high above Glinghant before I was able to start seeing the edges of the map and the illusion started to come apart. I'm impressed at how incredibly well-put together the area is. The devs did not need to go that hard.

I'M COMING FOR YOU MR. ARCHIVIST

The Last Homely House also does not have a ceiling and I floated straight up out of the map, but it gave me an opportunity to grab a really cool overhead:

A closer shot of Waggon the Horse and his wagon, right before they despawned.

Waggon emerging from his wall to shame mankind

There's a door buried in the wall above the entrance to Barad Curonn. I do have a theory for why this is: Barad Curonn doesn't have a door; just a portal in an open doorframe. My guess is that at some point in development it did, but when they decided to change that, instead of deleting the door they just moved it upwards until it could no longer be seen. It can't be selected with the cursor; I got it with the delete key, but it's too far away from the floor to be selected that way. So no player would ever find it. In theory. Unfortunately by the time I noticed it I was too high up to try and open it to see what it looked like, and this place was a pain to get to so I opted not to reset just for that.

The upstairs of Lalia's Market:

Forbidden pavilion behind the Prince's Throne in Dol Amroth (many thanks to hallothere for getting me here):

Statue in Barad-dur holding its sword like a weirdo (many thanks to hallothere for getting me here too):

Close-up of a watcher statue in Chamber of Shadows:

Halls of Night looks a little bit like a uterus from above and I'm never going to be able to unsee that now. Also you can see that the little room where you can see your sleeping bodies is an actual physical location built into the map, and not just a reflection of the entry area where the instance starts.

This is what I imagine when people say, "Seven-league boots." Also something, something, "leaping from hilltop to hilltop as carefree as Tom."

Fast-travelling to Mordor via stable-master made the horse fly too. #fledgecore

#lotro

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givehimthemedicine · 1 year

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Henry and one-way mirrors

(not really a theory or anything here, just some observations that perhaps a larger brained Henry theorist would care to chew on)

so I was thinking how gates sorta work like holes that are mirrors.

take Chrissy's gate: the UD kids and the RU kids both go to Eddie's trailer and look through the gate in the ceiling, and they see each other in the same room they themselves are in, just the other dimension's version of it.

(there aren't matching shots in one scene which is annoying but just to illustrate like you didn't already know:)

neither group is seeing the sky above the trailer, as they would be if that gate was a hole that worked how holes usually work.

if you go to the spot in either dimension where that hole would lead if it worked how holes work, it's not there.

when Eddie and Dustin go up to the roof to play Master of Puppets, we see the place where Chrissy's gate would come out, and there's nothing.

so gates are mirror-holes that can only be seen from one side of that surface but not the other. it's not a perfect analogy, but this makes me think of a one-way mirror.

which has been on my mind because baby El throws Henry through a one-way mirror where the first gate opens.

they could've had Henry get zapped against any of the walls of the rainbow room, in fact it would've been easier to film that I'm sure, but instead they went to the trouble of hurling his ass through a one-way mirror into an observation room, and set design isn't random and meaningless.

so I thought some more about one way mirrors. how do they work?

it's a sheet of sorta reflective glass, and to make it do the thing, one room has to be light and the other dark. in the brightly lit room, the subject will see their own reflection. but from the dark room, the observer will see straight through to the subject.

dark vs light is way too broad a theme on ST to begin listing examples, not that I need to, but this made me want to dig around with a focus on mirrors and light/dark mentions as it could maybe be applied to the mirror idea.

some observations in no particular order:

nodding. okay. Henry as the dark observer

of course, hiding in the light means focusing on happy memories and love and yatta yatta which is the way to defeat darkness which is what Henry uses to prey on people.

but in keeping with the mirror thing, does Max "hiding in the light" actually benefit her? because the brighter you are, in this analogy, the more clearly observable you are to the dark viewer.

just saying, this plan ultimately didn't work for her and he literally could not have emphasized the "I see you" thing more

Henry fed El this plan, I'm not sure whether he specified what to tell the orderly or if she came up with that on her own because of her recent concussion, but I lean towards Henry. the plan leads the two of them down to the lab's boiler room or whatever, the only dark place we've ever seen in the building.

I've lost track of whether light is good or bad in this post

idek what this is but intensely bright light emanates from Henry's body and disintegrates him into dark ash or whatever. also you can see the shards around El reflecting the observation room, because it's now the brighter one.

it's another one-way mirror that baby El throws Two against, cracking it all foreshadowingly.

and another one-way mirror that we observe El through as she's questioned by Lenora police.

have to go to season 1 for a clear view of a lab mirror as far as I can remember. Brenner watches El's experiments through one-way mirrors from observation rooms, although with lighting that allows them both to see each other.

one-way mirrors are so heavily featured in 4 when both of the likeliest viewers (Brenner and Henry) are usually in the room with the kids. who's watching 👀

Joyce and jancy detained in what I would swear is the same room but it's not. this isn't the point of this post but why. the mirror is narrower. did they scrap and then 99.9% recreate the same set? Nancy chooses to say "hey asshole" to the camera instead of the mirror, which I trust she's aware of.

Nancy why did you say this in the same episode where Henry talks about mirrors

oh btw, if the lighting is equalish on both sides of a one-way mirror, it just becomes a window, and both people see each other.

Victor saw himself, but Virginia saw Henry.

my melatonin is kicking in so somebody take this from here

#analysis #henry creel #aemiron-main if I know you you already have a coherent version of this in a google doc somewhere #mine #long post

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disco-elysium-via-polls · 1 month

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3. "Try not to shit yourself Gary. It's just an open door."

GARY, THE CRYPTOFASCIST - "What could it be about?" He frets to himself, not taking your advice. "I probably talked too loud. In the Whirling. About some theories I had. Whatever it is, I'm done with it."

"I won't do it again." He looks around nervously. "If there's anything I can do to assist you -- or the Union -- just ask, okay? I'll try to help if I can."

+5 XP

HALF LIGHT [Easy: Success] - This scared him proper. He's positively *melting* from fear. Has to prop himself up with a lot of anger to keep it together.

KIM KITSURAGI - "The weather vane has turned," the lieutenant remarks with a smirk. "He cannot be un-turned."

EMPATHY [Trivial: Success] - He clearly liked his squirming. He may even have changed his mind about the whole door-opening operation.

+1 Reputation

4. "Thank you for your cooperation." [Leave.]

We're going to look for Morell's traps while we keep exploring the coastal area.

🎵 Disco Elysium

No boat in the boat house today.

Snow's really starting to pick up.

OVERSIZED SUPERSTAR SUNGLASSES

+1 Savoir Faire: Dazzling reflexes -1 Visual Calculus: The mirror lies

Is your own stardom too dazzling for your eyes? Can't bear to look at your own fabulous reflection in the mirror? Then these classic oversized sunglasses are for you.

TRAP: BOATHOUSES - There's a trap in the reeds at your feet. Looks like the same one you saw Morell set before -- same mesh, same wiring.

Look around.

Reach for the trap.

[Leave.]

TRAP: BOATHOUSES - Behind you, the ruins of a residential building loom over the reeds. They whisper amongst themselves confidentially. Snowflakes cling to their shivering stems.

SHIVERS [Medium: Success] - When this district was booming, the reeds were kept at bay. Nothing obscured the freshly painted façades, nowhere for drunks and adventurous teenagers to hide. Now only the wind blows...

2. Reach for the trap.

TRAP: BOATHOUSES - Locusts are crawling around in the trap, confused but uneaten. You see no carnivorous *reed-phasmid* gorging on them.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Big surprise." The lieutenant grins mirthlessly. "Anyway -- one down, three to go."

"Damn, I was hoping it would be in the *first* one."

"No need to grin. I'm not *expecting* to find anything. I'm helping some citizens and getting some fresh air."

"It'll be in the next one. *Surely*."

Say nothing, just put the trap down.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Surely," he repeats and looks at the sea, then at you putting the trap back on the ground. "Anyway, the air is nice and fresh here..."

2. [Leave.]

The boathouse is shoddily constructed. A strong breeze might blow it over.

Ancient paint is peeling off the roof of this shaded bench, covered in rust.

The sign says: "Entrée interdite".

An old ticket-taker booth. No longer in operation.

People paid money to park here? No one would pay now...

The door is not only barred shut -- it is inaccessible.

FALN "PIPO" PIPO

+2 Logic: Ultimate peak focus -1 Perception: Eyes on the road

The small wire framing inside this futuristic-looking FALN pipo-hat gives it the aerodynamic shape of a swoop-skiers helmet, but none of its protective qualities. Covers the wearer's ears and eyebrows to bring down the drag coefficient.

🎵 Martinaise, Terminal B (muted)

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - A scattering of bullet holes is spread across the cracked wall, reaching from one corner to the other.

"Look, Kim. Even more bullet holes. Something's definitely gone down here."

[Visual Calculus - Heroic 15] Why this many bullet holes?

Walk away. [Leave.]

KIM KITSURAGI - "Hmm, correct." The lieutenant examines the wall closely. "The density of the bullet holes is unusual, even in a general *average bullet hole frequency in Martinaise* sense. Grim affairs."

"Meaning, this is *a lot* of bullet holes." He brushes the wall with his hand. "Looks like fully-automatic rifle fire. Something you don't see these days..."

"Why not?"

Say nothing, just nod.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant also nods. It is quite a scene -- the two of you standing next to the broken wall of an abandoned building... nodding. Nodding along.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] - Two officers of the law against the world. Nodding in unison. It is your source of power. The bond of camaraderie between you... is palpable...

Nod even more.

Shake your head.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant is nodding so hard it looks like his head is about to snap off his neck.

Don't stop nodding.

Stop nodding.

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant matches your nodding pace. He's a true professional at this.

ENDURANCE [Easy: Success] - The nodding's reaching critical mass! You can't take this much longer, captain!

Keep nodding, goddamn it! Stay the course!

Stop nodding.

KIM KITSURAGI - A small bead of sweat runs down the side of the lieutenant's face as he maintains his nodding...

Just one more nod.

Stop nodding.

KIM KITSURAGI - As the lieutenant takes out a handkerchief and softly taps the sweat off his temple... a faint crack echoes through the coast...

ENDURANCE - Abort! Abort! No... shit, it's too late!

-1 Health

"OH SHIT FUCK HELL!"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Busted the neck, did you?" He cranes his neck left and right, stretching. "Glad I stopped when I did... my neck was really starting to hurt. Don't worry, it'll mend... now, we should get going."

Hold on...

2. [Visual Calculus - Heroic 15] Why this many bullet holes?

+1 Bullet holes on the plaza. +1 Bullet holes in the back yard. +1 Know about the revolution. +1 Know about Feld Electrical.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Heroic: Success] - A row of ghostly shades stand facing the wall. There are many of them, a dozen at least, their heads lowered and eyes blindfolded. It's quiet. No sound, no movement.

Ten metres away -- other shades are lined up in an orderly manner, automatic rifles primed. A gust of wind blows by -- the coats of the firing squad flap slowly in the breeze. A single person stands on the side.

The morning sun rises beyond the horizon, radiating the first light of the day. The order was carried out at dawn.

A long time has passed since the moment of this fusillading. Rain and brine have since washed all the blood away. Not a trace remains.

What *is* this...

VISUAL CALCULUS - The abundance of bullet holes leads to two options: either an inordinate amount of executions were performed here, or they did not use a *conscience round* -- where only one soldier has the loaded rifle. Looks like this was a mass execution with everyone fully armed.

+5 XP

Look at the people against the wall.

Look at the line of soldiers.

Look at the person standing on the side.

"Kim, who was who in this execution?"

Good bye. [Leave.]

VISUAL CALCULUS - A host of men, probably in everyday clothes -- ragged from the conflict and covered in dust. They were not sitting (a common practice for executions in some nations), as demonstrated by the height level of the bullet holes.

They stand, facing the wall... It's impossible to discern any details about their personality or background.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] - Ordinary people -- familiar, each and every one of them.

Who were they?

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Comrades. The forsaken, the wretched, who tried to rise against the horrors of the world.

2. Look at the line of soldiers.

VISUAL CALCULUS - Seven men in combat uniforms and dark coats, holding automatic rifles aimed at the people. Soldiers from some side... but from which one?

AUTHORITY [Medium: Success] - Men of duty. Dark duty.

Who were they?

AUTHORITY - Murderers. Twisted by orders. Young boys forced into killing.

3. Look at the person standing on the side.

VISUAL CALCULUS - The commandant -- the one who gives the order. Machine gun fire crackling through the air, the lights of the muzzle flashes dancing on his face...

4. "Kim, who was who in this execution?"

KIM KITSURAGI - At first the lieutenant doesn't say a word... he just stares at the wall. "I don't know," he says finally. "I don't know who died here, lined up beside that horrible wall. It could have been any of the parties involved in the Revolution."

"Perhaps the ones executed here were the loyalist-conservatives -- killed by the communists at the start of the civil war. Or it could have been the communists, put to death during the last stretch of the conflict by the Coalition forces."

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - Remember what Trant Heidelstam said about Feld.

"What if it was the Feld personnel when their assets were being seized by the revolutionaries?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Another likely scenario." The lieutenant nods.

REACTION SPEED [Easy: Success] - Or maybe...

"What about people from the Coalition? The so-called moralists?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "Yeah... it's very unlikely the Coalition forces were the ones who died here. They were always the *last* ones against the wall."

"To be honest, if a Coalition member was anyone in this situation -- it was the commandant. The superior giving the orders."

+5 XP

5. Good bye. [Leave.]

VISUAL CALCULUS - A cold sea wind blows away the figures.

🎵 Disco Elysium

This section of the coast hasn't been used in decades.

We've been looking at that wall long enough for Gary and Morell to have left.

TRAP: MORELL - This is the trap Morell just set. Checking it over, he said, is just a *technicality*, but...

Look around.

Reach for the trap.

[Leave.]

TRAP: MORELL - The reeds by the abandoned camp site hiss and shake.

SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - The later it gets, the colder. Remnants of the camp can still be seen in the sand, the fire that's gone out... you feel strange, somehow.

2. Reach for the trap.

TRAP: MORELL - This trap is also full of panicked locusts. No sign of any cryptozoological beast inside.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Another empty trap," the lieutenant takes a note -- more out of habit than duty.

"Let's keep going. The next one is the *lucky* one."

"How are you enjoying the cardio, lieutenant? I'm quite enjoying it myself."

"I want to make it clear that I don't *actually* believe the phasmid exists, okay?"

Say nothing, just put the trap down.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Always up for a good jog -- otherwise, would I still be *on* this case with *you*?" He smiles and raises his collar. It's windy.

2. [Leave.]

We're going to double back now, starting to head northeast along the boardwalk - past where Trant and his son are.

Someone must have worked hard to smash the plastic dome.

Buzz. Hum. The electricity flows through the wires with audible power.

RAILING - Someone has left an unidentifiable article of clothing on this railing. It smells really bad.

Touch it.

Take a closer look.

Maybe later. [Leave.]

RAILING - The cloth, if you can still call it that, makes a soft crunching sound as you thrust your finger into it.

2. Take a closer look.

RAILING - It's streaked with dried seagull shit and tangled with pieces of seaweed. A dangling arm suggests that there might be a jacket beneath the crust of filth.

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - It seems likely that it was left in the surf until someone laid it out on this fence to dry out. Unfortunately that just seems to have stiffened it into a shapeless mass.

KIM KITSURAGI - "Please tell me you're not taking that with you."

"I think this is the jacket the Idiot Doom Spiral Guy wanted me to find."

"Why not?"

"It might be a clue."

KIM KITSURAGI - "A clue? You think our suspect is a seagull who's been defecating on unsuspecting jackets?"

"No."

"Yes."

"It could have been multiple seagulls."

KIM KITSURAGI - The lieutenant sighs.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - A poet could write a dozen verses and still not begin to capture the profound vexation in that sigh.

INTERFACING [Trivial: Success] - You should still take it. It's probably Doom Spiral's.

A makeshift roof. Vagrants have tried to make the boardwalk habitable.

That tarp will keep out neither rain, nor snow, nor wind.

A coin operated weighing machine. Hasn't been used for a decade.

MEGA-BINO'S PRESCRIPTION LENSES

+2 Encyclopedia: Discover your inner bino -1 Perception: Nausea inducing hell-glasses

Whose idiotic idea were square and beige plastic frames anyway? Beige is a colour that does not look good on *anyone*. Not to mention that seeing the world through these exceedingly thick lenses feels almost nauseating...

FILTHY JACKET

This filthy rag has been at the mercy of the elements for quite some time. It's streaked with seagull shit and abnormally stiff from god-knows-what natural processes. You can't even tell what brand it is.

>INTERACT

FILTHY JACKET- As you hold it in your hands, it makes an uncomfortable crunching sound...

Man, how did this jacket get so disgusting?

Let's not think about that right now. [Put the filthy jacket away.]

FILTHY JACKET- It's a sordid, filthy tale, not for the weak. Are you sure you can stomach it?

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - Some secrets are better left uncovered. Don't even try, seriously.

But the *content*!

Think about it.

Don't think about it.

FILTHY JACKET- It occurs to you that you're not even *holding* the jacket itself, but rather the thick crust of jetsam and seagull shit that ensconces it.

PERCEPTION (SMELL) [Medium: Success] - It smells like a dead sea creature, tangled in grey strands of seaweed. It must have spent quite some time in the water before the tide deposited it ashore...

Gross.

Okay, but what's the crust *made* of?

FILTHY JACKET- Somehow it was carried or dragged to the boardwalk, if not by human hands than perhaps the feral dogs that prowl the beaches at night...

VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - The faint impressions of many footprints are also present, though it's impossible to tell what kind or how many. Suffice to say, the jacket spent some time on the ground before someone draped it over the railing...

Okay, that's pretty disgusting. I've had enough.

What happened once someone put it on the railing?

FILTHY JACKET- The crust is hard. This jacket spent at least a day baking in the sun. Who knows what happened to it then?

SHIVERS [Medium: Success] - Somewhere, high above the city, a pair of seagulls trace loops through the air...

They are like the bombardiers of the aerostatic brigades, gliding above a *target-rich environment*...

All of a sudden, the bomb bay doors open, and their white glittering payload rushes to the ground...

*SPLAT*. An explosion of white on a man's shoe. A curse goes up, but the birds do not hear.

Why did I just spend all this time thinking about seagull shit?

I feel like I really understand this jacket now. [Put the jacket away.]

COMPOSURE - It's too late! You've already thought about it. And now your hands are covered in muck!

Ew, ew, ew! (Flick your hands.)

Maybe if I wipe my hands on my pants?

COMPOSURE - Now you're just flicking that shit everywhere! This is a disaster. You'll never get the smell out.

-1 Morale

Vagrants have recently painted the tarp red. Water drips from it.

POSTCARD "COURON '33"

This one has 'HELL' written on its back. It could not be further from the truth. It's the boom years, and Couron, the nicest district in Revachol West, is enjoying a sun drenched day. Tall and handsome buildings rise from the riverside: steel, iron and yellow limestone, with cloud shadows sliding on the facades.

A big wine canister -- it's open and empty.

Hm, I've hit image limit. I think I'll close this post here and continue in a new one.

#disco elysium #kim kitsuragi #harrier du bois

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coolfireguy73 · 1 year

Text

Monster/Cryptid TF2 story pt.7

(Read this for context)

(Important author's note at the end, please read)

The night quietly settled over the city, bringing with it a whole new threat. Engi stared at the door in front of him. Any confidence he had a moment ago had evaporated, and he stood there, unsure of what would happen next.

- "Medic." He finally said. On the other side of the door, still sitting in front of it, was a man who didn't even recognize his own name anymore. He didn't answer. - "I know you're listenin'." That was true. Although he stubbornly remained silent, he was very alert to any noises coming from outside his small cell. All the comings and goings, the sound of footsteps, and a few rare monologues. However, he had never heard Engi speak directly to him, which, in a way, surprised him. Engi continued: - "I'm going to open this door, and take you back to the hospital." He paused between each sentence, as if to make sure Medic was indeed listening to him and understood everything he was saying. - "I know you're going to attack me as soon as I open it." He paused again. -"But if you do that, you'll never find your way back to the hospital." He didn't say anything after that. Medic, although strongly affected by what had transformed them all, had not lost all his logical sense. He knew very well that he wouldn't find the hospital by himself. He considered for a moment the idea of killing Engi anyway and shouting for Heavy to help, but if he didn't hear him 3 days ago, why now? That, and he knew Heavy probably wouldn't be able to come for him. After all that time alone (looking for him he assumed) the old torn organs barely keeping him alive must be about to tear apart. Now that he thought about it, he had to go back there. Still thinking about it he felt a slight waft of wind. Concluding that the door had been open, and having made his choice he got up. What he couldn't see was that Engi was carefully watching him, gun in hand. Just in case.

Medic stopped moving. Engi, who was now facing him, clutched his gun in anticipation, but his former colleague didn't move. He stared at him for a few seconds, each more tense than the last, convinced that the next moment Medic would pounce on him like a lion on his prey. But nothing, he was standing there, motionless, bent forward slightly. Engi almost jumped when his comrade turned his head to better listen to him. He himself must have been impatient, why was Engi so silent? Realizing that Medic wasn't planning to attack him, not yet anyway, Engi reached an uncertain hand towards him, keeping an eye on his face, he leaned forward to grab his sleeve, and, gently, brought it back to him. Relieved, and letting the stress slowly go away, he suddenly realized he only had a few minutes before complet nightfall. - "Let's hurry." He didn't start running though, he directed Medic towards the exit. The latter proceeded with a certain restraint, nothing proved to him that this scenarios wasn't a trap, so he remained cautious with each steps.

And that's how the group left the base. The night had already fallen, the air felt colder and the moon illuminated the houses with a weak bluish light. Worried for his life Engie made a decision: - "We'll go through the houses" He said looking up at the dark sky. Doing so would take longer since it wouldn't be a direct path and he would have to warn Medic of any obstacles in his path, but it was the best compromise between bringing Medic back as quickly as possible while avoiding Sniper. He entered the first house, looking worriedly at the roofs of the surrounding houses until he couldn't see them anymore, luckily he didn't see anyone. He would surely be relieved if wasn't holding the hand of another, equally strong threat. So they both sank into almost total darkness, the few rays of moonlight reflected off the suspended dust that filled the rooms. This house, like all the others, was frozen in time, betraying a hasty departure, all the furniture was in its designated place, which made it easier for Engineer, who had to make sure that Medic moved forward smoothly. They exited through the back door, and walked through the next few houses in a similar fashion, occasionally having to enter or exit through a window, which, surprisingly, didn't pose much of a problem for Medic.

-"We are almost there" Engi whispered, his eyes still glued to the rooftops. They inevitably had to spend a few seconds outside between each house, and he dreaded the moment when he would see a distant silhouette, ready to draw an arrow straight into his head. He quickly directed Medic inside the next building. With every second came an extra dose of stress, so far everything was going a bit too well, Engi knew that sooner or later something would happen. He sighed, in a futile effort to keep his anxiety to a minimum, sending dust flying. This house was just as dark as the others, the rooms were still furnished, although the chaotic disposition of some of them suggested that someone run by here at some point, probably being chased by someone else. Also, the ambient smell was different, a visceral, metallic smell, mixed with that of dust and mold. Suddenly, he felt Medic sleeve slip from his hand. He turned to face him, fearing the worst, but Medic was still there and didn't seem to want to attack him. Although he refused to move forward. They both remained in silence. Engi had a hard time discerning Medic in the dark, even though he was right in front of him. He could see the silhouette of his face through the dust that flew in a beam of light that came from outside, creating hundreds of small luminous reflections. Medic seemed to have noticed on something behind him. Engi wanted to speak, to ask him if he had heard something, but preferred to let him listen to the sounds in the room without being bothered by his presence. He lowered his breathing as much as possible as his eyes wandered over the blurry outlines of the objects in the room.

A sudden scream startled him and he looked back at Medic, who had turned his back on Engi and jumped forward, disappearing further into the darkness. Engi couldn't see nothing more than a dark mass on the ground which uttered deep rattles, it took him a moment to recognize that the shadow on the ground in front of him was that of not one, but two people. Medic was trying to strangle what he recognized as Spy. Knowing this situation only too well, Engi grabbed his gun and turned to hit the clone he had correctly guessed was about to attack him, it didn't take long for Spy to get rid of Medic with the help of some clones . Engi swung the butt of his gun in the dark, correctly aiming Spy, who took a few steps back, Engi took the opportunity to grab Medic's arm and run towards the back exit of the house. He opened the door wide open with his shoulder. He blinked several times to help his eyes adapt to this new light level as he tried to move forward, when he was fully adapted he was surprised by a wall of clones blocking the small alley they had exited in. Engi turned around, only to see Spy, knife in hand, ready to attack him, Some clones jumped on medic, he had only a few seconds to react when suddenly... a soft hiss and spy stopped moving, the clones disappeared in a thick cloud of smoke, leaving the alley empty.

An arrow had just missed Engineer by a thread and instead ended it's course in Spy's right eye with just too little force not to pierce through his entire skull. Engi watched him fall to the ground, inert, in a dull sound that lost itself in the silence of the night. Everything became calm again, but not for long, although that arrow saved him, it's presence only indicated one thing, Sniper had found him. He started to run out of the alley and on the main avenue, they were only a few meters from the hospital. He squeezed Medic's wrist to make sure he didn't lose him. Sniper only had time to fire another arrow before they were both out of range, which ricocheted off the fountain in front of the entrance, missing its target.

Out of breath Engi closed the double doors behind him. -"Here we a-" Medic knew exactly where they were, ever since they left, he only hoped for one thing, that Engi would be so naive to walk through the hospital doors with him, that if he didn't try anything on the way, maybe he would let his guard down, and from there... he was easy prey. He jumped on Engi and held him to the ground. The latter tried unsuccessfully to fend off his assailant. He wasn't stupid, of course Medic would try to attack him, why wouldn't he ? But the threat of Sniper made him forget this eventuality. He tried to reach for his weapon which slid on the tiles and out of his reach. Medic grabbed his throat. Engi gasped for air, giving up the idea of retrieving his weapon he tried to loosen the hold Medic had on him, but his grip only only got tighter and tighter. Engi's vision became blurry, it was only a matter of seconds before he would pass out and fall completely at the mercy of Medic.

A deep voice echoed throughout the halls. -"DOCTOR!" A strong voice, though, it sounded weak, like the voice of a man on his deathbed calling for help. Immediately, Medic raised his head, releasing his grip on Engi who took a deep breath. Medic stood silent, listening to the echo of that voice still reasoning in the hallways. After a few seconds, as if he had found something more important to do, Medic sped off towards the stairs and disappeared out of sight.

Out of breath he took a while to get up, waiting for his vision to return to normal. He could hear the frantic run of Medic going towards the top floor. "That voice, it was Heavy's ?" He asked himself. Not curious enough to find out, he took the road back to his base.

(Author's note: I'll be honest, I don't like posting this story. The AU is great and I kinda like the story but the language barrier and the fact that I'm just so bad at writing makes the whole process very stressful. But I don't want to leave it unfinished, I don't like having this thing in the back of my mind. I want to, at least, write the parts I have planed and, if I found one, an ending.

So yeah, I love the cryptids and the concepts but I should never have set myself to write en entire story (in English mind you)

I'll try to stick to drawing after that, I'm very sorry X)

I still hope you enjoyed this chapter even tho this one too is poorly written. And see you in two years for part 8.)

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 au #cryptid au #cryptid TF2 #art #traditional drawing #tf2 medic #tf2 spy #tf2 engineer #tf2 heavy #text #fanfiction

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nevada-wrytes · 3 months

Text

4th of July

An excerpt from what I'm calling The Jamie and Luke Show. Title is yet to be determined.

Luke was gripping onto Jamie's forearm, as if his life depended on it. His fingers dug into skin and Jamie could feel the reverberations from his trembling hands.

Jamie felt amused at the irony of their situation. He was the one with a missing leg and Luke was still more scared of falling off the roof than him.

Luke noticed his smile and frowned, his voice wavering, “You're way too calm about this.”

Jamie laughed to try and break up the tension. “Relax, like I said, I used to climb up here with my dad every year. There's no way we can fall.”

Luke huffed. “Fine, but if we do, I'm using you as a pillow.”

Although Luke was clearly trying to move past it, Jamie had the sudden urge to tease him. He wanted to see him smile. He wanted to ease away that crease in his brows himself.

“Oh, is someone scared of heights?” He leaned in to poke Luke, “Is the two story building bothering you? Should I fight it for your honor?”

His grin was wide and Jamie knew it looked stupid because Luke rolled his eyes, but did not give in to the taunts. Still his mouth curved up.

Jamie stayed like that, silently watching him, for a while. Luke didn't notice, he was looking at the ground, probably sizing up how much damage he could do if he pushed him off right now. Jamie waited for Like to make a light hearted threat that would propel them into more easy banter and lighten the tension along his frame, but it never came.

Instead, Luke scooted closer, so their sides were lined up perfectly, touching ever square inch. Jamie realized Luke may be a lot more scared than he looked. Now he felt bad for dragging him up here.

He leaned in close and spoke softly, not a whisper, but something low and gentle, “Why didn't you tell me you were afraid of heights?”

Luke avoided his eyes. “You already knew. Why do you think I never climbed up the slide like you and Viv did on the playground?”

“That's when we were kids!”

Luke shrugged, or, as best as he could while plastered to roof tiles. “It just never went away I guess,” he mumbled.

Jamie frowned. Guilt crept into his perfect plan. The roof was supposed to be romantic-

Suddenly, Luke turned to him and smiled. Then squeezed his hand. Fuck, he was always so perseptive. He could always tell when Jamie was feeling upset and angry or sad. And he'd always find a way to make it better, sometimes at the expense of himself. Did Jamie really deserve him?

“Luke-” Jamie's voice was thick with emotion, the word stuck in his throat. Even if he could make the words come out, he was interrupted by a loud fizz overheard.

“Oh look! It’s starting!”

Above them, the firework show had begun. Bright sparkling trails raced into the dark clear sky and exploded into crimson, green, and gold showers. The night was soon filled with smoke and noise. Jamie was sure it was a wonderful sight, they were so high up it would almost look like they could touch the glowing sparks, but he wouldn't remember how the fireworks looked that night, because he wasn't paying attention to them at all.

He was looking at Luke. At his best friend. At the one person in the world that completes him.

Luke's eyes reflected the shining world around them like a kaleidoscope. They were wide open in pure joy. His smile was brighter than any firework could have been that night. He had only eyes for the sky, so Jamie took his time memorizing every detail of his face as if it was the first time, as if he hadn't done it before and will do it again. He loves him. He loves him. He loves him. His whole body was thrumming with that song.

Jamie inches closer. His heart was beating furiously in his chest, louder than the explosion of rockets above. During a lull in the show, when Luke turned his head towards him, and their faces were mere hairwidths apart, breaths merging, Jamie had the urge in his gut to do something stupid.

But he was always acting stupid, wasn't he?

“Jamie-?” Luke phrased it as a question, couldn't read the intention in Jamie's eyes, didn't understand the silence or the closeness, so Jamie explained the only way he knew how.

He leaned in and pressed their mouths together.

The fireworks show continued overhead, but a greater explosion was happening in Jamie's mind.

He'd dreamed of this, planned this exact moment for weeks, well maybe not exactly how it was supposed to go, he was supposed to have confessed first, but still, his dreams would never compare to being in the moment.

Luke kissed him back with a desperation Jamie didn't even know he had. His hands were soon under his chin, angling his face up so their lips were never apart. Jamie wished he could bring his hands up too, he wanted to run his fingers under Luke's jaw and over his chest and pull him so very, very close, and he soon cursed his decision of choosing the roof, where he needed both hands to keep his balance.

His first kiss, and Jamie never wanted it to end. It felt like a dream. The fireworks filled the sky with shimmering colors that cast them both in a godly light. Luke's body was warm right next to him, warmer than the now cooling night around him, and his lips were soft and chapped from all that time spent chewing off the skin when stressed. It was such a stunning realization, all these little quirks that made Luke who he was, that Jamie knew of previously, but could now experience in a new way, that he almost forgot to breathe. He didn't want it to end. But his need for air betrayed him.

Jamie gasped, and that must have pulled Luke out of whatever trance he was in, because he stopped closing in. They both panted, faces still breaths apart. Jamie stared into his eyes, and this time Luke stared back, mouth agape. His eyes were wide and dark. Disbelieving? Hopeful? His expression seemed so open, so genuine and cute that Jamie had to bite his lip from trying something again.

“Jamie,” Luke whispered, or maybe Jamie imagined it, because his hammering heart and the screeches of the rockets made it near impossible to hear anything.

Jamie opened his mouth without thinking. “Luke, I think I love you.”

His confession was all warbled and came out much too quiet, because Luke just continued staring at him in shock. His gaze dropped from Jamie's eyes to his lips and something stirred in Jamie's gut.

Jamie's head hurt. He thought it was going to explode along with the next firework. Say something, Luke, he thought, Please.

It only took him a second too long to realize Luke was trembling. Luke looked up at him and nervously said, “I want to get down from here.”

#nev writes #the jamie and luke show #oc writing #writing #my writing #writeblr #tehe :3 #best scene to write about them. makes my heart hammer yk #im going to be writing a bunch of scenes then piecing them together so get ready for that!!

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blvckqwz · 4 months

Text

Lies

Isabelle was mad at Carl.

Because he cared. But she didn’t, at least not anymore. And it annoyed her that someone cared. Her dad didn’t care, he never did. Her uncle cared a bit, but he cared more about other things. Her mom once cared, but now couldn’t anymore, because she wasn’t even there to witness her daughter crumbling apart.

And Isabelle didn’t care anymore, because caring meant eventually losing, and she was tired of that. She couldn’t afford to care, because it means following her heart, and her heart always brought her to the worst places ever.

Last time it was a slaughterhouse run by cannibals, what will it be next time? She decided that she wasn’t willing to find out.

“Hey, earlier you were watching us?” She could hear Rick ask the priest as she got closer to the rest of the group.

Rick was just like a cop, probably because he was before the outbreak. Isabelle wondered why her dad was friends with a cop, if cops were bad and Rick was a cop. Things have changed, she thought.

Carl was nice but he was the son of a cop. But now it was okay for them to be friends, because real cops didn’t exist anymore. He didn’t act like a cop anyway.

“I keep to myself.” Gabriel replied, “Nowadays people are just as dangerous as the dead, don’t you think?” No, they are worse, Isabelle wanted to say, but Rick beat her to it. She could see the priest's expression falter a bit, and she wondered if maybe it was really a trap.

“Well I wasn’t watching you.” He then assured them, “I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today.” He explained.

Then a sinister light reflected in his eyes, “Or maybe I'm lying. Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels.” He spoke and Isabelle felt panicked.

Crap, she knew it. You can’t even trust priests now.

A tense silence fell, and the girl started to grip to her hatchet tighter, just like everyone else did with their weapon. Her gaze fell on her dad, his jaw clenched as he shot a dirty look at the priest. His eyes were vigilant, focussed on the threat. Isabelle almost found him scary.

“Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired.” Gabriel said with an awkward smile, and Isabelle realized that he was just trying to make a joke.

“Yeah I wonder why.” She spat before she could even realize, suddenly feeling aware that no one knew she was there the whole time. She could have been torn apart and eaten by walkers, but no one would know if she just managed to stay quiet.

But the result would be the same. She would be dead.

Her father must have also just become aware of his daughter's presence, because when she looked up to him his eyes were already fixed on her, the usual scowl on his face. Isabelle just rolled her eyes before shifting her weight from one foot to another and crossing her arms.

Gabriel didn’t say any more stupid shit, and for that Isabelle was glad. She was still angry and her head still hurt, but at least now they were walking in silence.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Turns out that the church did really exist, even if it was old and creepy looking. It didn’t look like the house of God, if Isabelle had to be honest it looked more like one of those haunted houses that rich folks set up on halloween. But she couldn’t really be sure because she had never seen one.

The paint was chipping off the worn walls, giving the building a shabby look. The roof was rusty, with dark orange spots all over it. It was ugly, but Isabelle couldn’t really complain, because she would rather sleep in an ugly building rather than in the cold woods, without knowing what lurked in the dark around her. It wasn’t like the places she had stayed before were much more fancy than a dusty church.

She felt a presence near her, and she hoped that it was Carl. But she knew only one person who was able to sneak up on her without making any noise, and that wasn’t Carl.

“You tired?” Her father asked from behind her, his voice low. Isabelle had to bite her tongue to refrain from saying mean things.

Like you care.

She just shrugged, looking down at her shoes. She didn’t know what was getting over her, she just knew that she wasn’t afraid of him and his wrath like she used to be when she was a little kid. Because Isabelle had seen worse, she had done worse, than a few slaps and some yells.

So she was feeling brave, which meant that it was her turn now to be an asshole. Isabelle doubted that he would beat her up in front of all those people, but you never know, so she stayed quiet.

She could feel his gaze on the back of her head, but she didn’t turn around to meet his eyes. She just stood there like an idiot, waiting for his next move.

Daryl sighed, and even if she wasn’t looking at him she knew that he was probably wiping his hand on his face like he always did when he was mad. She hoped he wasn’t that mad, because she wasn’t that brave.

“Listen…” He began, but a shout from ahead of them cut him off before he could even begin to ramble. The man looked up to Rick who was calling for him, saying something about clearing the church.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Like Isabelle gave half a fuck about the church. If the creepy priest wanted their squirrels then let it be. She knew that it was stupid thing to think, because the man could do much worse than taking their squirrels, but she couldn’t bring herself to really care.

“We’ll talk later.” Her father grumbled before walking past her towards the church. Isabelle didn’t reply, her eyes still fixed on her shoes. “Stay with Carl.” He added as he turned around to look at her. She didn’t look up. He dropped his shoulders, sighed again and then entered the church.

Isabelle looked at him just soon enough to see his figure disappearing behind the wooden door. She felt a little bad for not talking to him, but she knew that he never did when he ignored her for all those years.

It was confusing, and she didn’t have time for confusing things.

She walked towards Carl, who was holding his baby sister. Isabelle smiled when the baby’s face turned around enough to look at her and her big dark eyes met her blue ones.

“Hey.” She greeted Carl as she stood on his side. He looked up at her and then smiled. He was much better at smiling than her. His smile looked like a sunny sky, hers looked more like a dying cat begging for mercy.

“Are you okay?” He then asked, shifting the baby in his arms as he eyed her worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m better now.” Isabelle forced out another painful smile as she felt like the biggest liar in the world. She just didn’t want to think that something might be really wrong with her.

Carl hummed even if he didn’t really sound convinced. Isabelle sat down on the dirt and brought her knees up to her, not really caring about staining her jeans. They were already filthy anyway. She heard Carl sit down too, spreading his legs in front of him as little Judith sat on his lap.

“She’s so cute.” The girl said as she watched the baby giggle about whatever, clenching and unclenching her small fists. Babies were just weird like that sometimes. “Yeah, she is.” Carl proudly replied as he also watched his sister, “But she’s getting too heavy for me, she will have to learn to walk soon.” Isabelle wondered how old she was when she started walking. She doubted either her father or uncle remembered, but she was sure that she was older than Judith was. It must be awful to have to grow up so fast in such a bad environment. “Do you think he’s okay?” Carl whispered as he nodded towards the priest standing in front of the church.

Isabelle shrugged, “I think he’s just a bit of chicken. But he has survived until now, so he must be a little smart at least.” “I think it would be good if he turned out to be decent.” The boy replied, “We could use a place to sleep.” He said, turning around to look at her, “Especially some of us.”

Isabelle couldn’t really tell if he was talking about her or not, so she just hugged her knees and shrugged, looking at the dirt in front of them.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A whistle blew from inside the church, and soon enough everyone exited. Rick looked over at them and he nodded. Isabelle thought he was smiling, but she couldn’t understand with all that beard.

“I spent months here without stepping out the front door. If you found someone inside, well, it would have been surprising.” Gabriel said as he got closer to the men. Isabelle and Carl also reached them, but while he went towards his father she just stayed a bit behind, eyeing hers. He still looked sour, so nothing new.

“Thank you for this.” The boy said with his usual smile.

A shiver ran on Isabelle’s back as they entered the church, making her hide behind her uncle, who shot what she assumed was supposed to be a reassuring look before turning back around, following the group.

The church was pretty dark inside, and it was just as creepy as the outside. The dim light made it look like some kind of dream. Isabelle recognized the altar in front of them, a lot of benches in front of it. They didn’t look very comfortable to sleep on, but everything was better than the dirt.

“We found a short bus out back. It don't run, but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two. Father here says he doesn't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport.” Abraham spoke to Rick, “You understand what's at stake here, right?”

“Yes, I do.” The man replied with a serious tone. Isabelle wasn’t sure that she shared the same understanding.

“Now that we can take a breath–” Michonne got cut off by Merle.

“We take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down.” Her uncle scoffed, “I agree with the gingerbread man.” Daryl shot him a warning look, probably about something Isabelle didn’t know they had talked about, perhaps about Merle’s loudmouth.

“We need supplies no matter what we do next.” Michonne gave Merle a dirty look, like she was daring him to disagree with her. “That's right. Water, food, ammunition.” Rick replied, ignoring the tension between the Dixon brothers and the woman.

Daryl agreed with a grunt, earning a scoff from his older brother.

Isabelle decided to flee before the situation escalated, because she really didn’t want to see her uncle throwing punches in the house of the Lord. So she slipped right past him and the rest of the group and instead decided to explore a bit of the creepy church.

There were empty cans of food around the altar, Isabelle noticed as she walked towards it. Weird. He said he always stayed close, but he had lots of food. That was really weird.

She would talk about it with her dad if she could stand him. And she knew that if her uncle heard about it hell would break loose. Maybe she’ll tell Carl, if he swore not to snitch.

She wandered around the dark hallways, careful not to step on anything and alerting everyone that she was indeed snooping.

A framed phrase caught her attention. It had dust on it, but she still recognized the words.

“and let us not grow weary of doing good. For in due season we will reap if we do not give up”

It was Galatians 6:9. Isabelle didn’t know what it meant, it was just written under the phrase. Must be a christian book. She liked the phrase, very fitting. She didn’t have to feel stupid because she believed in good people. And she shouldn’t stop being good just because other people did. That was why Isabelle liked to listen to priests talking, because they always had something very smart to say.

“You shouldn’t be spying into other people’s houses, that’s a sin.” A voice called from behind her.

Maybe she didn’t like to listen to all priests, just some of them. Just the ones that didn’t look like they were about to murder you right where you were standing.

“I wasn’t spying. I’m just checking.” Isabelle crossed her arms, “You got something to hide?” She inquired. She felt stupid for arguing with him. Now he was going to kill her and feed her to the rats that probably lived in that dusty place.

Gabriel made another of his creepy smiles, “Not at all, check all you want.”

Isabelle nodded, but didn’t turn back around. What if she did and he smashed a shovel or something behind her head, knocking her out?

Nope, she was staying alert, like her dad always taught her to be. She couldn’t feel her hatchet on her, she must have left it somewhere. She really was stupid.

“You like the phrase?” The priest nodded towards the frame behind her, “More people should listen to it, don’t you think?” “We have been out there long enough to know not to trust every sign we read.” Isabelle replied. Her mind went back to those train tracks where she and Carl saw the Terminus’s signs for the first time.

Sanctuary for all my ass.

The priest chuckled, “You are smart. That’s good.” The girl was a little taken aback. She wasn’t smart. She was quite the opposite. Everyone made sure to remind her, especially her father.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

“Are you a real priest?” She changed the subject.

“Do you need to see a license?” He joked. Okay maybe he was a bit funny.

The girl shook her head, “It would be a really bad sin if you just lied.”

“You believe in God?” He was now the one taken aback.

Isabelle shrugged, “I used to. Now it doesn’t really matter.”

The priest gave her an unreadable look and the girl started to really wonder if he was going to kill her for saying such a sacrilege.

“Isabelle! Where the heck are ya?!” She heard her father shout from the entrance of the church where the group probably still stood, and for the first time she was happy to hear him.

She said goodbye to Gabriel with a nod and she quickly scrambled back to where she heard her father’s voice come from. She stopped in a halt once she saw him, his furious eyes fixed on her. And he was alone. Crap, here comes the beating.

Isabelle sucked in a breath as she walked towards him, her eyes fixed on her shoes. It was starting to become a habit of hers, but the girl was beginning to find the tip of her dusty boots much more interesting than whatever surrounded her.

“What in the world is wrong with ya?” He grumbled as he closed the distance between them, grabbing her by her bad arm and dragging her away from the hallways, “Don’t ya ever dare disappearin’ again like that, hear me?” Isabelle let out a pained yelp at the feeling of pressure applied on her bruised arm, trying to shake her father’s hand off her, “Let go! Let go!” She yelled as she kept struggling against his firm grip, “It hurts! Let go!” But her father didn’t listen, instead he tightened his grasp even more, making the girl let out another screech, “Let go dad!” She hooted.

Daryl froze for a second, looking down at his daughter's teary eyes. But then decided to keep going, yanking the girl with him.

Isabelle could feel her head pounding as she kept trying to get out his hold, but it was no use. She didn’t want to start crying, to prove that she was still the same crybaby, but the pain in her arm was unbearable.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Her head kept buzzing even louder as her father dragged her across the church. She let out a yell as his grip tightened, “Wha’ is wrong with ya, uh?”

Isabelle didn’t answer, instead cried in pain as Darly shook her, “Quit bein’ a baby, c’mon.” The girl’s tears made her vision blurry as she stumbled across something on the floor, almost falling. Daryl’s grip loosened and Isabelle understood that it was now or ever. So she shoved her father with all the strength that she could muster, which wasn’t much but enough to make him back off a bit.

It came like a reflex, a hand crashing on her cheek, the sting bringing an odd sense of familiarity in Isabelle as she watched her father retreat his arm like he had burnt it. Like he was the one who was hurt.

Her father looked at her with wide eyes as silence fell between them. Isabelle touched her bad arm with the other hand, and it hurt like a bitch. If it wasn’t completely broken before, now it is for sure. “I told you it hurt.” Isabelle barked, “Why do you never listen?” All the shouting must have attracted the rest of the group, because a few seconds later Maggie came bursting inside the church. But Daryl didn’t care, his eyes still wide as he watched the girl send him a hateful glare through her tears.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

“Isabelle, honey, are you okay?” Maggie launched herself to the girl, putting herself between her and Daryl as she checked her for any injury. Her cheek was turning red, but aside from that nothing was wrong. Apparently at least.

The girl nodded, but her eyes were distant. She tugged her sleeve, her eyes now back to her shoes. Maggie didn’t seem convinced, but it was clear that Isabelle wasn’t going to talk anytime soon, so she just shot Daryl a warning look before going away.

Isabelle wanted to cry, but she didn’t have any more tears in her body, which made her feel even more awful. There wasn’t much left to do if not try to swallow the lump in her throat and hope that the slap wouldn’t leave a bruise. It reminded her of the good old times before the apocalypse. Things never change.

Nothing gets better. Her mom is still away. Her dad is still an asshole. She is still a crybaby. Nothing changes. No one changes.

“Isabelle I-” Her father took a step towards her, but Isabelle took two behind her, keeping the distance.

“Don’t.” She hissed, “Don’t say you are sorry. You aren’t.” “I am.” He said, “I really am.” Isabelle just looked him dead in the eyes, “I don’t believe anything that comes out of your mouth.” She tried to sound like she wasn’t crying until a few minutes ago, but her voice was betraying her. It didn’t matter though, because her dad knew. He always did. Daryl sighed, his head dropping, “I know. And I get it.” He murmured, “But I ain’t lying baby, I’m really sorry. For everything.” He took another step towards her. Isabelle took another two back.

“Just leave me alone. It doesn’t matter anymore.” She could feel tears slipping from her eyes. Turns out she still had some of them left.

“I… I can’t.” Her father said, “You’re my daughter.” Something inside Isabelle’s little heart switched. Sadness turned into anger. She bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood, but she knew that it wouldn’t stop the hateful words from slipping out of her mouth. Nothing could anymore.

“I ain’t your daughter. You stopped bein’ my father the day you left me in that trailer park.” She spat, “You ain’t anything but a liar.” “Isabelle…” Her father walked towards his daughter, “I’m sorry.” He spoke all too sincerely. He looked sad. Like he deserved to be sad. Like he deserved to be anything.

“Shut up, I don’t wanna hear it anymore.” She spat, “Dixons don’t apologize. Dixons don’t cry.” She repeated the mantra she had grown up with.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to do.” He mumbled, “I ain’t good with this shit, but I’ll try. I promise.” Isabelle almost felt like forgiving him. Even if he never did, even if he would hit her if the roles were reversed and she was the one crying. But the beast inside her heart and her head called for blood. She didn’t know how to forgive, no one ever taught her.

“I hate you.” She spoke every syllable and Daryl was sure that it felt worse than having a hundred knives in his heart, “I hate you for being a shitty dad. I have you for leaving. I hate you for not caring.” Now it was Isabelle’s turn to walk towards him, pushing him with her good hand, “How does it feel uh?” She asked as she watched her father's eyes water up.

“I love you.” The words came like a whisper but felt like a whole mountain had crumbled on Isabelle as she widened her eyes. He never told her that he loved her. Not when she had to go to the hospital when she was five because she had fallen off a tree and broke her leg. Not when it was her birthday. Never.

“I love ya more than anythin’ else in this world.” Her father’s lips trembled, “And I’m so sorry for making ya believe that I didn’t.”

“Stop lying.” Tears started to flow again from Isabelle’s eyes as she hit him again.

“I ain’t lyin’. I love you Isabelle.” Daryl said.

“Liar!” She yelled, “I hate you!”

A pair of arms wrapped around her, her voice muffled by his chest. A hand ran through her brown hair, like he did when she was young, “Why are you doing this to me?” He could hear her mumble as he kept caressing her head.

Daryl chewed the inside of his lip, “I don’ know baby.” He murmured, “I don’ know why I am a shitty dad, but I’ll make up for it.”

“You left me.” Isabelle buried her face deeper in her father’s chest to hide the tears that were coming out her eyes.

“I know baby. I’m sorry.” His voice was hoarse. He knew why he did it, but she didn’t, and it had to stay that way. Even if it meant that she would hate him for that, “I’ll never leave you again, I promise.” He whispered, “I love you Bambi.” A loud sob came out from Isabelle’s lips, and for the first time in years she cried. Really cried. Without holding back, without swallowing the knot that was starting to untie in her throat.

She sobbed in her father's arms, like she did when she was a little kid. Like when she was still his Bambi and the world seemed like a happy place. She cried because it would never be the same again and because she wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing.

She cried because she could cry, because she was alive with a roof on her head and her father with her. She cried because for the first time she felt loved, because she was safe now.

Isabelle had a lot of reasons to cry and she never realized it.

#fanfic #twd x reader #twd fanfiction #carl grimes fanfiction #carl grimes x reader #carl grimes x oc #the walking dead #isabelle dixon #lost kids ff

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pialikesskz · 6 months

Text

boarding: the floor plans

so um... hi folks! if you're here, you've probably been reading my skz fanfic boarding over on ao3. some of y'all have been asking to see my floor plans that i've made for the story. this is me, obliging. hope you enjoy :)

introduction and vibes

i'm planning to upload some edits to the earlier chapters within the next month or so to give a bit more of an image of what i imagine the space to look like, now that i actually have it. in the beginning, i was really just putting scotch tape over the world-building in order to get to the character interactions. for now, here's the edited version of the initial description of the school:

"In the distance, the sparse forest through which they’re driving melts smoothly into a series of rolling hills. With how early it is, the hilltops still catch a hint of morning reds and pinks from the lazy sunrise. The car rounds one last bend in the road, and Felix’ breath catches in his throat. The ground slopes gently upwards for a few hundred yards, and at the peak of that hill stands an ancient estate, cloaked in brickwork and ivy, rising up out of the landscape with impossible grace. It is majestic, and dignified, and makes his heart sink in his chest with a pain like simmering water." (Intro Pt. I)

i can't actually draw, in fact i can barely sketch, so u will just have to use ur imagination on that. but keep it in mind for overall vibes.

the school grounds

this is the worst of these sketches, and i apologise, but this is generally how i imagine the layout of the school. that big thing in the front is the mains, then the courtyard, and the three houses: yang, park, lee. the line around it is a sort of brick-wall fence, old-looking and worn. it's all surrounded by forest that gets thicker the further u venture away from the school, but light enough to allow for hyunjin to catch glimpses of the sun reflecting off the lake on a good day. here is part of the updated description:

"Changbin directs them outside by way of the back door, which leads out to a large manicured courtyard bisected by cobbled walkways; it’s structured a little like a park, complete with benches clustered around trees and small sectioned-off parts clearly set up for games. It’s about a five-minute walk through the courtyard to the dorm buildings, though that’s with the added weight of the suitcase. Felix tries his hardest to memorise where he needs to go — the school grounds certainly seem large enough to get lost in at some point." (Intro Pt. I)

the distance between the houses and the football field is way larger than it appears here; unfortunately, i only had so much paper to work with, and i wasn't gonna start again at this point. it's definitely a five to ten minute walk from the field gate - u can see it in the gap in the fence - to the football field. the path to it slopes vaguely downward. the building next to the football field is the auditorium where choir practice happens, and sometimes assemblies. (we'll get to that in the story eventually, i promise.) also there's changing rooms for when there's football matches.

the mains

this is how i imagine the layout of the main building. the cellar is on a separate page because i make bad choices in life. "T.H." stands for teacher housing. anything with diagonal lines across it is storage of some sort. the grey-shaded thing on the second floor is a bit of roof - for architectural interest, u feel? i play a lot of sims.

the dorm houses

this is how i imagine the layout of the three houses - or, at least, park house. (btw has anyone figured out why i named the houses the way i did? it made me feel really smart when i came up with it.) more on the single dorms later. the stuff in dotted lines is, like, stuff that exists on one floor but not on others - like, the ground floor has those wing things to the sides, but there's no equivalent above or below, it's just roof. hope that makes sense.

the dorm rooms

and finally, this is the layout of the dorm in my head. yes, it's pretty small, but consider this: stuck-up private schools don't care about the rights of children. for this one, i actually tried to work with some realistic measurements, but like, take it with a grain of salt, y'all, i'm an english literature major. as to who's in which room, peek at the top of the page. updated description:

"(The door) opens into a small common room populated by an assortment of worn-looking furniture: a closed wooden storage cupboard in the corner, a mostly-empty bookshelf leaning against the wall, two sofas with a wild assortment of pillows on them placed haphazardly around a chipped coffee table." (Intro Pt. I)

fin

so that's that! i've put a lot of thought into this space, and i think at this point i've got it down pretty well. of course, these are all just what i have in mind myself - if it doesn't fit with your vision of the story, that's cool! keep picturing that! we love anarchy here.

feel free to let me know your thoughts on the floor plans, the story, anything at all! i am really happy to talk to y'all, and answering tumblr asks make me way less anxious than replying to ao3 comments lol. have a lovely day, and i'll see you for the next chapter!

-pia

ps: i took the leap out of my comfort zone and put this on my personal skz tumblr, instead of one specifically created for the purpose of sharing ao3 things. that's big for me. be nice.

pps: if you know me in real life, and you want to tell me that my writing is cringy: don't! it will make me sad. so mind your business.

ppps: if anyone steals/reposts this, i will hunt them down and make them eat a ten-pack of tissue paper. do not test me.

#my writing #fic writing #do not reblog #do not repost #skz fanfic #boarding ao3

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keikotwins · 8 months

Text

STAR WARS VISIONS SEASON 2 STARTERS & PROMPTS Change and alter as needed! Feel free to add your personal rules when reblogging!

Sith

AU idea: Character has left everything behind and tries to process trauma via art therapy. One day, someone from their past finds them again…

Bend reality in your fist

Steps that turn the floor black

No matter what you do, It always returns

“This is why you left?”

“I found my own path.”

“You belong by my side.”

“I can paint my own destiny.”

Screecher's Reach

AU idea: Character has heard about a dangerous mystical trial. As they cannot stand their boring daily life anymore, they decide to face it…

The beauty of a poisonous flower

In darkness, something is breathing

Who gave you the light guiding you, again…?

“Don't look back.”

“Please… Give me strength…!”

“What did you do?” “I was strong.”

“I heard the ghost isn't a thing you can touch. You see it in your mind.”

In the Stars

AU idea: Only survivors of their people, characters struggle to hide and live. While one wants to fight the oppressor, the other wants to keep everyone safe…

The poison that hides the stars

Courage is what your ancestors left you

Stay invisible, learn all their weaknesses

“They hid us to keep us safe.”

“I almost had it!” “No, it almost had you.”

“This is all we have left, and you are wasting it!”

“If they had not fought, they would still be here.”

I am your mother

AU idea: A team competition is coming up and Character tries to hide it from their annoying potential teammates!

Their pride is your shame

This race was made for you two to win

How many references and fanservice can fit in a single piece?

“I've learnt a lot from you.”

“Second place is last place!”

“Don't you have work?” “It's all right, I'll make up the hours!”

“This old piece of old junk is embarrassing! You! You are embarrassing!”

Journey to the Dark Head

AU idea: Characters have a theory: if they can cut the root of evil directly at the source, they can perhaps save their world.

Red incense that calls danger

The unfathomable face of the gods

A stranger can be the one catching you

“There is so much precious knowledge tangled within the fabric of this place.”

“War and conflicts are constants. They are both built on the sands of time, which will continue to ebb and flow for all eternity.”

“What you're saying is that, by breaking the mirror, we may stand a chance to alter what the mirror reflects.”

“We are always caught in the tide of uncertainty, but the next wave carries as much hope as it does despair.”

The Spy Dancer

AU idea: During a conflict, characters hide their underground activities under a pleasant and welcoming attitude towards the enemy.

Art skills used in war

Mesmerising the enemy

Their eyes reflecting yours

“To the ones we've lost.”

“Let me do more!” “You're not ready yet.”

“I'm not a stargazer, I just want to move on.”

“All these years, I thought they were lost. Now I have a way back to them, and they have a way back to me.”

The Bandits of Golak

AU idea: Running away from their devastated village, characters desperately try to keep each other safe.

Your culture will always show through; don't hide it this time

The only thing they left behind

The games only you two understand

“What are they doing on the roof!?”

“That way! I saw it myself: they have special powers!”

“They've burnt everything. What do they even want?”

“You have shown tremendous courage reaching here. You'll have to let go of them now…”

The Pit

AU idea: Enslaved characters are forced to perform a task threatening their life… Until one has an occasion to break out.

Digging one's own grave

Simple issue, complex solution

A single trace of forgotten heroes

The push that changed everything

“They'll do the right thing if they follow their light.”

“We helped build this city, and now we need your help!”

“How do you know they'll help us?” “I'll bring them here.”

Aau's Song

AU idea: Character has a secret power as great as dangerous. One day, a loved one is in peril; will they risk everything to protect them?

A protective traveller

Corruption of beauty

A voice too dangerous to be heard

“Hmm… They call to you.”

“It's very unstable. Very dangerous.”

“Sometimes they have more curiosity than sense.”

“It is a gift. And I can help you nurture it, but you would have to come with me.”

#rp meme #rp sentence starters #rp starters #rp dialogue prompts #prompts #star wars visions #out of context spoilers

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siriannatan · 4 hours

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The two things goblins respect

Dragon Scott lives rent free in mye head and I'm totally fine with it:)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43916268/chapters/140847319

fWhip had no clue what was wrong with him. Why was he so inclined to visit Chromia and give Scott gifts? Even the sheriff didn't have that kind of pull on him and he represented one of the two things goblins respected above everything. The Law. Other being Dragons.

But Scott had nothing to do with either. He was the furthest thing from lawful fWhip could let pass. And there was no way he was a dragon. He was a colourful peacock of a man, yes. With a big personality. But he had no dragon traits. No horns, no wings, no tail, no scales. Nothing. What respectful dragon would hide all that? In fWhip's imagination it would be damn uncomfortable.

So he huffed and puffed over the newest gift he made for Scott. Shiny bracelet. Gold and precious gems expertly crafted into the delicate piece. He was pretty proud of himself with this one. Now he had to decide an excuse for why he was giving it to Scott. Mostly for himself. Scott needed no excuses to accept gifts.

But fWhip had to rationalise this need. Why was his brain so insistent on giving gifts to Scott who was neither Law or a Dragon? It couldn't be just that he was pretty. Pix and Sausage were plenty pretty but he didn't have such an urge with either of them. So there had to be a reason why Scott in particular had his mind so enamoured.

So he set off to Chromia with a poor excuse of needing dye for a project for his council and anyone who would visit for rocks. He didn't even take Snort with him. Just walked all the way from the Gobland main gate to Chromia. Why? He had no clue.

“Hello fWhip, what brings you here?” Scott grinned jumping off a roof before fWhip could even properly start looking for him.

“I.. I needed some dyes,” fWhip managed to mumble as his brain purred, happy to be in Scott's company.

Scott instantly jumped to business and led fWhip to his storage. Asking a myriad of questions about his fake project. He was going to want to see it wasn't he? fWhip realised amidst making up lies. He wouldn't even remember half of what he was telling Scott by the time he was home.

“Why did you really come here? You answered the same question in five, totally different ways,” Scott sighed, hands on hips as he looked down at fWhip. Not a hard thing considering that even if he was tall for a goblin, fWhip was considerably shorter than Scott.

“No idea. My brain has this… fixation about giving you gifts, I have no clue why since you're neither connected to the Law or a dragon…” fWhip just gave up and said what was bothering him for a few weeks now.

Scot hummed. Eyes narrowing. “Well… hmmm, no, here's not the best, follow me,” he finally said and dragged fWhip to his house.

fWhip was too confused and distracted to argue so he followed. Or more like let himself be dragged along.

In his house Scott locked the door and covered all the windows before saying anything. “Not a word of what happens here leaves here, got it?” He said unusually sternly. fWhip could only nod. “Promise,” Scott insisted.

“Anything you do stays between the two of us,” fWhip said with another nod.

With a deep breath Scott took a step back and suddenly, as he exhaled everything started making sense.

Scott was a dragon. At least partially. With short golden horns. Wings and a tail. And pretty rainbow scales that lily reflected light in a million fascinating ways.

To say fWhip was speechless would be an understatement. A single thought kept repeating in his brain. A dragon. Scott was a dragon all along. And fWhip's instincts caught it instantly and had him act the proper way.

“Say something,” Scott grumbled, clearly irritated by the lack of reaction.

“Wow,” was all fWhip was capable of.

Scott chuckled nervously. “I can't say I ever had a man this speechless before,” he mumbled, sitting down, wrapping his tail and wings around him. “But really, don't tell anyone. I don't want to be chased around again…” he sighed and fWhip felt sudden anger. How dare anyone hunt Scott?

“If anyone ever finds out and gives you trouble for it, come right to me, I'll book some sense into them. Or lock them in a cage above Deep Dark,” fWhip said before he even finished thinking about it. He didn't even realise when he had knelt next to Scott.

Scott giggled and pulled him into a hug. “Even if it's Jimmy?” He asked as fWhip did his best to not audibly purr.

“Well, it is against goblin law to hunt dragons so yes,” fWhip nodded. Scott hummed contently at that. “You're always welcome in Gobland no matter what you know?” He added, more and more tempted to purr before he remembered something.

Scott gilded his head as fWhip pulled back to dig through his pockets. He looked like he was about to say something when fWhip triumphantly pulled the gift out.

“I have a gift, actually,” he said as he sheepishly offered Scott the small red box.

Scott gently, staying mindful of his currently sharper nails, opened the box. “It's so pretty,” he smiled, the tip of his tail moving ever so slightly. “Did you make it yourself?”

“Yup,” fWhip nodded and this time could not help purring. A dragon liked his gift. How could he not be happy about it? “I hope you don't mind me occasionally coming over with more gifts…” he stared but Scott shook his head.

“Not at all, but quite honestly just your company is nice,” Scott chuckled and presented the box to fWhip. “Could you put it in for me?” He asked, presenting his other wrist.

fWhip didn't mind helping Scott get the gift on in the slightest and with minimal issues the bracelet was on his wrist. Making fWhip's instincts even happier. He did end up spending most of the day in Chromia, following Scott along even if all his draconic features were once again hidden.

If there was an annoyed with waiting Sausage present in Gobland when he returned then so be it. fWhip had priorities and Scott was kind of on top of the list of them.

#my stuff #my stories #empires smp #fanfiction #empiresshipping #empires fwhip #empires scott

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spaceyflowerswriting · 2 years

Note

hello!! I love your writing, the soft vibes are exactly what this fandom needs after seeing all the horrific shit that's happened in the recent chapters. I saw your requests are open so may I ask for a gun x reader where they're just relaxing together? maybe a teeny tiny bit suggestive?? no pressure though, I know he can be difficult to characterize. thank you and have a good day <33

nighttime (gun park x reader)

details: oneshot, gender neutral reader but written in 2nd pov, general canon au, you and gun have been dating for a while already, i guess you both live in a house together ?? idk dont think too hard about it its only briefly mentioned in beginning

warnings: suggestive; sorry i think i went over mild because the ending has a heavy implication of how the night ended 🙏

summary: gun gets a day off tomorrow and tells you about it. also, he spends the night with you.

a/n: thank u for the request!! and sjdhshd im glad my writing's helping u cope(?) 😭😭 ngl im not caught up on latest ch since i read from webtoon only but ive seen some vague spoilers and yeah things arent looking too good 💔 especially gun's fashion LMAO

i'd agree gun is a bit difficult to characterize;; for me tho i just try to follow canon him but like... slightly more normal ??? i hope it works for u/isnt too ooc in ur eyes so this oneshot can still be enjoyable !! also i hope u have a good day too <33

btw shoutout to this post ; listening to the song they associated with gun helped me write this ^_^

Gun was more than happy to return home to you with the good news that he had no work for tomorrow. And once he told you, he was pleased to see your shared excitement.

"We should plan a date for tomorrow," he suggested, "What would you like to do?"

He listened intently as you described the activities you had in mind. Whether they were staying at home all day or venturing off into the city, he didn't care as long as it was quality time spent with you. He couldn't wait to devote himself fully to you tomorrow, but for now he had other ideas.

Before he could say anything, you lead him right to it by asking, "What about you? Anything you want to do tomorrow?"

"No, your plans sound just fine. But, I was thinking that for tonight we do what I had planned ever since I got the news that I'm having tomorrow off."

"And that would be...?"

Gun held up a keyring with his car keys, dangling them. "A late night drive around sound good to you?"

"Why not?" His smile reflected yours as he began to lead you out of the house.

Dirving around Seoul and seeing all the night lights was beautiful. The hushed bustling compared to the loudness during the day was also refreshing. Not to mention, the general dark blanket that came with nighttime--it was all relaxing to Gun, and even more so with you by his side.

Not much talking happened throughout the ride, but it wasn't awkward at all. Just a peaceful silence as you both enjoyed the cool air that breezed through the open windows of the car. Of course, the occasional conversations did take place but they were more like lighthearted smalltalk if anything.

While driving, Gun didn't have a fixed destination in mind, but when his random turns lead you both to a quieter part of Seoul, he slowed down and looked for a place to park. It ended up being the parking lot of some abandoned store, or at least it looked like it.

"Late night drive over?" You turned to him as he finished up parking.

He nodded. "Let's stargaze."

"On what grass? I'm not laying on the asphalt floor," you semi-joked, looking around at the street.

Gun just rolled his eyes in amusement. "Who said we're even leaving the car?" He got up with a bent back as to not bump his head on the car's roof before stepping over the car's controls. He then sat down on the second row seats and reached an arm up, grabbing a handle on the roof and pulling it back to reveal a glass roof.

Your jaw dropped momentarily.

"Come on." He waved you over and watched as you moved from your seat to join him in the second row. Once you did, he adjusted the seats so they laid parallel to the floor and you both flopped down at the same time. The two of you glanced at each other for a moment before softly laughing together.

After that came more peaceful silence as you both stared up at the stars. At some point, Gun moved his attention from the sky to you, and he was reminded of another reason why he preferred nighttime over daytime--it was the way moonlight shined on you, the way it added a special charm that highlighted your features.

"I want to show them my appreciation," he thought, hands suddenly aching to touch you. If he wasn't showing you love through gifts, it was definitely through his touch. He figured he might as well express the latter since there were no gifts around to give. Plus he was going to be free tomorrow anyway, why not stay up a little later with his lover?

Gun turned to lay on his side and put an arm over your abdomen, hand resting on your hip. "Hey."

"Mm?" You didn't turn to look at him, too busy admiring the stars. Not for long though, because the words he whispered in your ear made you jerk your head his direction and made your cheeks hotter than the sun. "Gun, we're in public," you practically hissed.

"This is a pretty secluded area. And I don't see anyone around. Do you?" He smirked when you couldn't reply. It only widened when you didn't stop him from sliding his hand up your shirt. "I need your vocal consent before I continue, dear."

Your breath hitched, and slowly you murmured, "By all means, Gun."

Nighttime sure was alluring to Gun, but not as much as you.

#lookism x reader #gun park x reader #gun park #oh my god i hope the car scene makes sense i was fighting for my life trying to describe it #anyways my queued up post of gun x reader with a mildly suggestive thing and then i have this request 😭#i dont mind it at all ofc but its just funny that i have 2 gun writings and both are mildly suggestive #i get it tho hes very attractive 😳#btw i hope u enjoyed my other gun writing <3 #jkbubs #requests

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not-amethyst-anymore · 5 months

Text

I wrote something about Reckless again, sorry for the "I" and "me" but again I had to write something for school😅

The Spider came on a bad night.

That meant: I didn't sleep. I laid awake, staring at the walls and watching the shadows do what they do. They danced and played their games, finally free from the light that bound them to place, almost like the shadows of witches and witchers. And then they told me stories, where they spoke of their lost realm and of the Nowhere realm that they could see if they looked up. Of all the other worlds that they would never go to, and of those they had met that would. My pet spider (yes, I have a pet spider, and no, they have never even tried mutiny and I have never been poisoned or attacked me (I hope)) listened for a while, but then turned, I guess annoyed by the stories, as they weren't about flies, or other things they wanted to eat.

Some time later, even the shadows left, and I was alone. I tried to sleep, but I just couldn't, feeling like I SHOULDN'T. Like something was here.

No, how dare you! Like someONE was here, who wasn't supposed to be here in the least.

I think I'm just really tired. I'm seeing things I shouldn't see, and I'm thinking things I'm not supposed to think because I am supposed to sleep...

Because I was so busy with being stupid and tired, I didn’t notice The Spider. Or maybe I did, but didn’t care. Either way, I realized that they were there, only seconds before they finished their web. I lay on my back, and stared at The Spider weaving their web above my head. But I think I didn’t see it for a long time, because to me, it seemed to just appear.

‘Hello Tisseuse.’ I said.

The Spider didn’t have eyes I could see, but I knew that their eyes widened. ‘How do you know.’ They said. It was a question, but they said it like they didn’t need an answer.

‘Beautiful web,’ I answered, lifting my hand to the threads, but retrieving it quickly. I woke up a bit. Spider webs were dangerous if they were magical. And tonight, it was.

I knew it was magical, I could feel it. It was spun so carefully, thin threats that formed a door to another realm, just like the mirrors. How the light that fell through my window reflected on them, and how the magic seemed to flow through my veins and my blood. You can't see magic, but it was almost like I could. It was just magical. I just knew it…

Also, the strings were golden and light was shining from them. But, I would have known that it was magic, even if they weren't shiny and golden. Most likely. Hopefully… Anyways, they were, so one will never know.

The Spider placed themselves in the middle of their web, and looked at me.

Why again had I called them Tisseuse? That was one of the names of the Weaver, and in this case - or this world - that just didn't make sense…

'My world and your world are not so different. The mirrors are not the only way to travel between the realms. Sometimes, there is magic around, and then my webs would be a way to travel around as well, wouldn't it be for the fact that you mortals will die as soon as you touch it. And then there are things that happen. Just happen. What most people see as a twist of their faith, as something that just had to be, is most of the time a tiny combining of our realms. It could be that someone in your world cuts a tree down, and in mine, suddenly, someone breaks a bone. Or one is sleeping, and their dream-them becomes an embodiment in the other world, and when they wake up, they have dreamt a dream.'

The Spider was staring at me. I think it hoped that I would understand or something, but just like math, it just didn't make sense, and it couldn't be asked of a little kid to give an answer.

Then I realized something. This wasn't my spider, the spider that would sit above my head every night, when I would go to sleep. The spider that would sit where they were sitting now!

I panicked. What had they done to my spider?! But then I saw mine, sitting in a corner of the roof, deeply asleep, as anyone right here, right now.

But if The Spider above my head wasn't my spider, which I of course knew immediately and hadn't just figured out, and you know what? I am too tired to lie right now, so yeah, I didn't notice right away, bad me. Anyways, back to the spider above my head that was coming down by a golden threat and was probably going to try and eat me.

Uhm, how do I say this politely? They were no spider. They were strings and threads and yarn and all that stuff that can get tangled up, formed into a spider. Still, I will continue to call them The Spider, simply because I can't think of anything better AND am very tired, remember? Their eyes were made out of white yarn, the color of death. At least, in their world, white yarn was the yarn of death, fear of death was white, so I think these were eyes of death. I saw myself in these eyes…

To be clear, The Spider didn’t eat me. Not even a little bit. They just came closer to talk.

‘You led Her here.’ I didn’t know who Her was, but The Spider didn’t sound so happy with it. They weren’t mad or something, they sounded… worried. But I had no idea about who.

‘Where is here?’ I asked. I don’t think they meant my room.

‘My lake. You know… behind the webs of the spiders.’

‘Who is her?’

‘I don’t mean her, I mean Her. You should know that Her name is never said, though that might just be in Her world. In yours, there are no fairies. She is the Dark one.’

‘Niomee.’ Yes. I just said Her name. If not spoken in the boundaries of the lake She was born out of, it would turn Her into a willow tree if She would hear it. But She wasn’t here, so I hope nothing happened.

‘How do you know Her name? They keep that a secret, you know?’

‘As Alderelves keep their real face a secret.’ I honestly have no idea how I know these things, because I actually have never heard of Alderelves, or something like that.

‘Y-yes, you are weirdly correct. Though the fairies hoped that nobody would ever say such things again. The humans should have already forgotten about them. But, as it seems, not all of you have,’ The Spider reached my pillow. Their yarn-paws stuck to it. ‘But they are not important yet. The Dark Fairy, you led her to me. Why did you help her? You should have kept her away. Or no, you should have not intervened.’

‘When did I?’ I have never seen a fairy, and I for sure have never helped a fairy find the correct magical spider web, that was a portal to the lake of Tisseuse, that only immortals could go through, and would have most likely gotten me killed.

'Have I told you about the fairies that would be seen by you as a moth sometimes ? They aren't in this world, then. They are in their own lives and own worlds, but they sleep. And the Dark Fairy was sleeping in spider webs last nights. As a moth, she wandered in your world searching for the way to me. And the reason that she was searching me led her to you…' They said that last sentence as if it should have made me realize something. And it should have. So it did.

You see, today, or yesterday, I was outside, and saw a moth tangled up in a cobweb. So, ofcourse, I saved them. As I should have. I had carefully tried to untangle it, which was hard with big human fingers and a small, fragile moth body to untangle. It was a big moth with six spots on their wings and a skull-like patch in the middle. I didn't think anything about it, back then. I didn't think anything about the fact that the threads of the spider's web were almost golden, and not see-through as normal. But now I think anything about it. I think everything about it!

I saved the Dark Fairy from getting eaten in my world…

'But she is immortal, what would have happened if the moth was eaten?' I am really curious. And how would that have to do with Tisseuse? Only if the spider that I saved her from was Tisseuse. But they weren't.

'She would have woken up. But you untangled her, and she didn’t wake up. Instead, she found the way to my lake. And I think she saw it in you.’

That's kinda a weird thing to say. She saw the way in me. I now declare myself a map.

‘Maybe you will understand me better if you know why she was seeking me. Everyone has multiple threads in different colors, and I weave the threads in patterns that only I know. I don’t decide how I weave them, I see what happens, and I weave. Her web was given the golden yarn, the yarn of love. And she wants to cut it. That’s not a normal thing to do for a mortal, but my Dark sister can cut it. However, her web will weaken, and I think it won't hold. That’s why I didn’t want her to find me.’

I could have seen the golden thread they spread across my room, like a great spider web. Could have known that I’d be the fly, or no. The moth. But I didn’t. I was still tired, though I am so much awake by now that that isn’t an excuse anymore, I think. Still, I didn’t see, or notice it. I not-notice a lot tonight.

‘You don’t have golden yarn.’ It took some time for me to realize.

‘What, but I do feel love! I love my siblings and my parents, my pets, my friends, I love a lot of things!’ I always hear of the one type of love that I don’t have, it is sad to hear that a life-string-spider-web-weaving person thinks that’s the only kind of love. Like, very disappointing sad.

‘Ofcourse, you do have golden yarn like that, but not the golden yarn that the Dark one is trying to cut. And therefore, you could help her find me.’

Oh.

‘Oh.’

Oh, so that was it. I saved a moth. And without doing anything, I helped a fairy with that. And now an Almighty-God-Spider-Thing was worried about the safety of that fairy. And they were most likely mad at me. Guess that’s how I’ll die.

Saved a moth from a spider. Spider took revenge. That would be on my tombstone.

‘Calm down. I am not mad. I want you to help her.’

Well. I… Didn’t expect that?

‘How? She is at your lake, and in your world. And I know very well that a mortal cannot go through your webs. Do you want me dead?’ Looking back on this question, I could have said this much more offendedly, assuming that they were trying to get me dead.

‘I don’t think so. You got the fairy out of the cobweb today, didn’t you? That was the same yarn. You practically already freed her from her golden yarn.’

It sounded all but assuring, but you don’t get the chance to help an immortal, powerful fairy in another world so often, and since I am a curious, adventurous person (sometimes) I could not not let that chance pass me by.

‘How could I help her, then, I am in my own world, in my bed, and there are no fairies here.’

The spider smiled. Yes, I know you cannot see a spider’s mouth, and they often don’t smile, but I swear they were smiling.

‘Touch the yarn.’

If a spider, no, The Spider, made of threads and strings, tells you to touch their cobweb, which is golden and known to either teleport you to another world to help a dark fairy, or will immediately kill you, would you do it? Please do note that I was wearing my pajamas and was not ready to do either of these things.

Well? Would you do it?

Yes. Yes of course you would.

At least I did it. Lucky for me, the first thing happened. So there I stood. In my pajamas. In the grass. Next to a great, great lake. Next to La Tisseuse, who wasn’t The Spider anymore.

And next to the Dark fairy…

#reckless series #mirrorworld series #the dark fairy #mirrorworld

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