#RIVER SCENE WAS CRAZY ALSO

[nitemurr]

SILCO FANS HOW ARE WE FEELING AFTER SEASON 2 ACT 1?

[cardassianapplebees]

Watched "Treachery, Faith, and the Great River"

Weyoun 6 fanclub I am running at the clubhouse door at full speed

[vampmira]

put up your hands if you're my bff!

after their new global blow up in popularity, huntr/x get a call from bobby, announcing their new "co-manager in training". you're overly awkward with each other until he finds the ultimate solution – a sleepover.

pairing: platonic!huntrix & gn!manager!reader

warnings: movie spoilers

a/n: there's sprinkled korean in here — in hangeul, romanized, and translated — if that matters. lowk it's so i can practice my korean again 😭 also this one's longg i got excited to write again

a quiet penthouse in the center of seoul doesn't stay quiet for long; not when huntrix, one of the bigger girl groups of their current generation, just finished another perfect concert. their fans disburse through the streets, traffic picking up faster than the speed of light. there are groups of lightsticks along the sidewalks lighting their way home and the girls are doe-eyed as they look out the window at what's bloomed below them.

"they're so cute when you think about it." rumi leans against the window, voice soft and arms crossed in her tanktop and train pants. "getting with their friends, coming out to see us?"

"IT'S SO PRECIOUS!!" zoey's eyes are swallowed in tears as she wildly wipes them away with her arms. their lavender leader pets their youngest's head, demon marks sparkling in the moonlight.

mira looks on at the groups of fans, smiling against each other, protected under the golden honmoon, and nearly cries herself before her phone vibrates — a video call coming in, unfiltered by her activated do not disturb setting. she slides it between the three of them, answering immediately.

"hi bobby!" they respond unanimously to their manager.

"my girls!! you three were INCREDIBLE tonight, as always!" streetlights flash across his face, illuminating his proud smile. "listen! i know it's been a crazy night but i have a liiiiittle favor to ask– SO SMALL, you'll barely even notice it!"

the girls gather on their couch. bobby never asked them for much – maybe for them to stop playfully kicking each other in their makeup chairs or to drink water after concerts or to lean on him if they ever need anything – but never big favors. regardless, huntrix knew they'd do just about anything for him. he's always taken care of them on their best and worst days. their number one behind the scenes, from the stressful rush of comeback season to the grueling nights of unending practice when he waits for them in the car outside until 2 in the morning. so when they gathered the screen and told him to "hit them" with his favor, they knew one thing.

nothing would be too much for bobby.

then they met you.

not you as in you yourself, but you as in their new manager.

"a junior co-manager to even out some of the work around here!" bobby exclaimed when he entered the room. the girls tried not to stiffen when meeting you, this brand new stranger in their home, but their introduction was clunkier than it is on tv.

mira came in too early, rumi came in too loud, zoey came in too late.

"hello-" "hello, we are- are huntrix!" "hun.. huntrix...?"

they physically cringe at the memory.

there were bumps in the road getting you comfortable with each other

you'd get caught off guard by mira's intense stare

rumi would speak so formally with you, it'd make her stutter over her pronunciation

zoey would bow and apologize to you, which you would return with a deeper bow, and she would return deeper

... let's just say you got more flexible as time went on

until bobby had enough of the over politeness.

until the destined sleepover.

"okay!" bobby placed a mountain of chips, sandwiches, and popcorn on the penthouse table, enough to cover it like a river. "welcome to your manager and huntrix girls night! or uh... friendship night!"

"what's this all about?" rumi questions, her members far to excitedly staring at the popcorn to fully listen.

"i know i'm your amazing manager and all but we have a new member on the team!" he gestures over to you, sitting a few visible feet away from the very huddled up idols. "and, for them to do their job, you need to be closer! so, take tonight! have fun, play games, learn secrets- whatever!"

he walks out, waving at the mess of young adults he left behind — you all. it was quiet, unspoken small glances being shared between the four of you before the scary rapper cutely smiled behind her hands, cheeks stuffed with popcorn and eyes sparkling with mischief.

"you guys wanna play 딸기 (ddalgi / strawberry)?"

that game became a staple in your friendship

zoey's amazing rap skills kept her winning but you? oh she was THRILLED she FINALLY had good competition!!

when she, the undefeated champion of 딸기, wore her crown against you for the 3rd round in a row – that's when it got serious

the mario kart was pulled out.

before you knew it, you were leaning against rumi's demon markings, watching her take 1st place again.

"you're rigging the game! totally rigging!" their youngest in fourth place accused their leader, shaking her by her shoulders as she drifts across toad's turnpike seamlessly.

you hung behind her at second until that destined mystery box gave you the one thing you were looking for – a miraculous blue shell. its release was cinematic as it hit her biker princess daisy persona, allowing you to surpass her at the last second mid drift – akira drift style. it was slow motion, that switch of the neck and neck rivalry to a historic soar in the rankings, before the girls lost in fourth and twelfth jumped around you in triumph at the decrowning of their beloved leader.

all lighthearted of course !

rumi called for an immediate rematch but her smile told you it wasn't serious

the rest of the night barely called for icebreakers

no, the ice was thoroughly broken

in fact, the ice was broken, chopped, grinded, melted, refrozen into ice spheres, and plopped into the glasses of 화채 (hwachae) that you all prepared at 2 in the morning

if you asked the girls, there'd be small argument over which part of the sleepover you definitely became friends

zoey would say during 딸기

rumi would claim it was the mario kart

mira would put it on the time she accidentally smeared mascara on your face a week after you met for the first time and didn't tell you until you got in the van post-inkigayo win

...very embarrassing that day.

but for you? the 2am 화채 was it.

you sat against the penthouse's tall windows in your own pajamas, watching your idols excitedly scramble things together on the floor of their living room. chilled watermelon, blueberries, honeydew and kiwi cubes, lemon-lime soda, honey, and sugar are tossed in front of you with wild excitement.

"i can't. believe. you've never. had. HWACHAE." the huntrix maknae leans into you. she was just falling asleep on your shoulder during their 7th rewatch of extraordinary attorney woo a few minutes ago before their deep voiced compadre brought up her craving.

"you're gonna love it." her intense stare is softer now, a stark difference to how she is during rehersal or morning makeup. she looks at you the way she looks at hwachae. she looks at hwachae the way she looks at their fans.

you sat around the combination of fruit and sodas and cups as they start putting it together, the kdrama going on in the background. zoey makes a comment about the love interest being a green forest before absent mindedly pouring in soda, you being the one to stop her before it overflowed.

seoul was bright outside their tall windows, buildings shining with lights and cars passing by here and there, but it was quiet. the sky was clear enough to let the moonlight shine on the girls in front of you, as if they were the chosen ones, and when they looked at you for your first opinion of the sweet treat, you weren't just a manager with the rockstars they "had to babysit". you were a couple of teenagers having a sleepover. the epidemie of youthfulness, humanity, and friendship.

hwachae, k-dramas, and friends.

friends.

the next morning, you were surprised to see that your once fully scheduled phone calender was cleared

instead,, an email sent to you from bobbypearl@huntrix.com, titled "enjoyyyy the day offffff" in your notifications

you never shared this email with the girls, allowing them to sleep in until they groggly arose around noon, but the attatched photo of them laying around you, looking like a pile of emotionally attached puppies in your sleep, went framed in your apartment later that week

when the four of you showed up at work later that week, coffees in hand, engaged in a casual conversation of a show he couldn't recognize, he couldn't help but pat himself on the back, finally free from the collective awkwardness.

[kqutie]

EPIC : THE FAIR MAIDEN (not so platonic ver.)

CHAPTER THREE : THE NEW ISLAND

relations. : platonic various epic characters/reader -- platonic odysseus/reader ; polites/reader ; platonic eurylochus/reader ; platonic elpenor/reader ; platonic perimedes/reader ; platonic odysseus' crew/reader ; hermes/reader

chpt. sum. : You and the crew spend some time on your island, where they try to stay sane from all the crazy antics you pull. One God in particular, however, is having all the laughs, much like his great-grandson.

tags. : reader continues being a disney princess ; female, mute reader ; pure comfort ; reader helps ody get home ; animal crossing new horizons game mechanics ; this chapter is kinda chaotic XD ; the crew are simps ; hermes makes an appearance ; hermes being a flirty menace ; isekai and transmigration ; fix it fic ; characters know their future ; happy ending for everyone!

length. : 6.5k

a/n : I wrote this to feel better from my cold and monthly cramps all at once and I've gotta say, it was the perfect remedy (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)♡ it's just that it may read like the person who wrote this was suffering from sleep-deprivation and if you think that then you're absolutely right! please forgive me (⸝⸝๑﹏๑⸝⸝) i needed something to do other than rot in bed when i couldn't even sleep because it was so hard to breathe without pain anywho~ enjoy!

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Venturing onto the island, you lead the way and invite Odysseus, Polites, Eurylochus and the crew to explore. You know that your island is safe, so you turn to everyone with open arms and a bright smile as if to say ‘Welcome! Please make yourselves at home’. Polites couldn’t help but grin at your obvious invitation, his heart-warming over the ‘open arms’ message he has managed to pass onto you. 

“Thank you, fair maiden,” he takes a knee and bows, prompting everyone else, even Odysseus, their king, to follow his lead, “Thank you for welcoming us here,” The bashful image of you they look up to makes their hearts melt. Soon enough, they were happily setting out to explore the island, taking in its beautiful scenes while you venture off on your own, too. 

You had one goal in mind: setting up a bath. Nothing is more relaxing than having a hot bath to soak in and getting to feel refreshed and new when you’re done washing up. Finding a secluded location, you design a bathing area composed of three outdoor baths with lots of bamboo surrounding it for privacy and equip the general area with the amenities needed, such as baskets full of bath towels and dispensers for shampoo, conditioner and body wash. You even set up a section of shower booths, where you plan on demonstrating how to use the shower before they get in the hot springs, for sanitary purposes.  

The entire time you were putting things together, the crew had settled down, enjoying stable ground for the first time, in a long time. They had never seen such lush grass and thriving wildlife before. However, it only made sense. This was your island, after all, their fair maiden, who only seems to bring peace and comfort. Naturally, your home island would be a paradise.  

“How wondrous,” Polites voices in awe, spotting an orchard of fruit trees and a crop field across the river where a beautiful wooden bridge arches to cross the gap. He’s never seen such elegant architecture quite like it before and speculates that it may come from the distant East. 

“What a beautiful place,” Eurylochus comments, also in awe of the island’s gorgeous scenery and herbage. It was an unknown place that they were exploring for the first time and yet, he’s never felt safer. 

“Where is our fair maiden?” Odysseus asks his nearest crew member, unable to admire the landscape for long, his mind too occupied by where you’ve disappeared off to without warning. Over the few days he’s spent in your company, Odysseus has grown a strong feeling of protectiveness over you. It’s a feeling he can comfortably liken to one he feels over Ctimene, his younger sister. Immediately recognising the warm tenderness and unable to deny it, he falls fully into the emotion instead. He’d happily take on another sister. It’s needed, especially with 600 men surrounding you.

“I believe I just saw her speed by,” Lycaon comments, making the Captain raise a brow. 

“How fast could she possibly be running to—” Odysseus was cut off, however, when he catches your speeding visage in his periphery. Astonished, everyone close by stands still for a moment to observe your activity. One minute, you were racing one way, and the other minute racing the other way. And then, you stop in front of a tree, where the crew are convinced that you’re finally done with your zooming about — that is until you suddenly materialise an axe and begin chopping at the tree, earning you perfectly chopped logs of wood. Some log piles are differently coloured, clearly coming from a different type of tree, but you were hacking your axe at only one tree.

“Huh?...” Elpenor asks, confused as Perimedes stares at you with a blank look on his face. 

Everyone’s jaws collectively drop to the floor. Was a beauty like you always capable of such strong feats of strength? And were the trees here as magical as you?!

“H-how is that possible?” one crew member asks nobody in particular, scratching at his head. 

“She’s the fair maiden, it’s best not to question anything,” another man comments loud enough for all surrounding persons to hear and hum in agreement over. 

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Odysseus chuckles fondly with a shake of his head. Just before you are off zooming again, Odysseus comes up to you and politely asks, “Fair maiden, may we have some of the fruit from the orchard?” smiling, you happily give your consent with a nod, “Thank you,” he bows his head slightly, “do you have a preferred method of how we should go about collecting the fruit?” 

You think for a moment before deciding it won’t harm them much to learn how to shake trees. It’ll save you the hassle of getting them the fruits whenever they feel a little peckish. With a nod, you lead the men over the bridge to your orchard and step up to a pear tree with three ripe and incredibly large pears on it. From a distance, the men watch as you move your soft hands to grip the tree’s trunk and begin violentlyshaking it until the three pears drop, unbruised, from their perch. Their only reaction was stunned silence. Again, had you always been this strong? 

(From a distance, Odysseus can swear he hears a familiar, brain-tickling giggle.)

“I-I assume you want us to keep away from the crop fields’ produce,” Polites asks, stuttering through his stupefied state. 

As expressive as always, you nod, gesturing to the neighbouring crop fields before tapping your chest, as if to say, ‘Yep! That’s mine,’, you then wiggle a finger at them with a teasing shake of your head: ‘Not yours,’ you make an ‘X’ with your arms and then gesture to your hand, ‘Don’t touch,’. Nodding, Polites agrees and spreads the word with instructions on how you want the crewmen to harvest the fruit trees but to keep away from the crop fields. 

“I wonder what you’ve been up to while we’ve been exploring Fair Maiden?” Eurylochus asks, curious about your hidden activities. By now, a majority of the crew have fed back to comment on the things they’ve found about the island, talking about its geography, the landscape, its large variety of vegetation from flowers to overgrown weeds, the path of the freshwater, drinkable rivers, the waterfalls, the large lake and lack of natural threats. This was an island paradise, perfectly safe, as is expected from the island you call home. How lucky they were to have met you and to have landed on your island.

Happy he asked as you were just putting the final touches to the outdoor bathing area, you lead Eurylochus, Odysseus, Polites and some of the crew to the established bathing nook you’ve built. What you show them is nothing like their Greek public baths but it was familiar enough to get their hearts racing with excitement. Bathing in warm waters was always a rejuvenating experience, helping many soldiers with aching muscles and low spirits regain their strength and mental wellness. After their battles and journey, everyone was eager to have a long, hot soak.  

“This is incredible!” Odysseus laughs in his joy, going up to you and fondly messing up your hair, “Did you really set all this up for us?” There were fresh towels in baskets, a nearby waterfall for a cold plunge and three sizeable hot water pools surrounded by heavy rocks. There was even a table provided for their belongings next to an area with alien contraptions and small bottles. Odysseus could only guess that those bottles held the appropriate soaps they needed for a thorough wash. 

Playfully, you nod but huff and cross your arms, gesturing to yourself with a look that says ‘Yes but it’s for me too,’. Your gestures only made Odysseus laugh more, his warm, brown eyes looking fondly at you with a touch of gratitude. 

“Of course, of course, for you as well,” Polites laughs as Eurylochus smiles with his arms crossed, “but I wonder how we should go about using this apparatus…” he points to the shower area you set up on one side, next to the small waterfall — hoping that the association with the waterfall would help them learn that the showers functioned the same way. 

Happily, you demonstrate how to turn the water on and off, doing your best to tell the men to shower first before soaking in the hot springs. You even go so far as to show them the different dispensers for their different washing needs. Everyone has since grown attentive to observing your movements and expressions so it was easy enough to understand which coloured dispenser did what and the order they should go about using them. It was quite novel in appearance but familiar enough that navigation would easily become second nature. Everyone was excited to finally wash the salt off their skin and feel refreshed again. Once they were clear on how things went, you led them out of the area and see if they were satisfied with the privacy the bamboo trees offered along with the strategically placed bamboo partitions. Firstly and most importantly, however, your instructions on how they should use the baths needed to be met strictly. 

“Understood,” Eurylochus voices in his usually strict tone, “I’ll make sure everyone else knows what to do,” gratefully, you nod at him and move to get out of their way but are stopped by Odysseus. 

“Now that you’ve shown us, I believe you should be taking the first bath, Fair Maiden,” he nods towards the showers, “you’ve done so much for my men and me thus far, you are the first of us all who deserves a relaxing bath,” you give him a questioning look, asking ‘are you sure?’. “We’re sure, don’t worry,” he smiles at you kindly before a shout cuts through the tender moment. 

“I will guard the Fair Maiden while she bathes!” a distant hand is raised within the crowd of men, the shout coming out so sudden and loud that it visibly startles you. Seeing your frightened expression, however, gets Odysseus visibly irate and he readies himself to give that particular crewman the tongue-lashing of his life. But before anything can be said, a conflict has already started. 

“No! I will guard the Fair Maiden!” 

“I am better with a sword, I can protect her better than you!”

“There’s nothing to protect her from on this island. I am a great conversationalist, I’m sure she would appreciate the talk while she bathes—”

“Don’t be so stupid, who’d want to listen to your stupid voice while bathing?!” 

Not long into the argument, a fistfight breaks out, but even before that, Polites has already helped you sneak into the baths, making sure you were settled before heading out, promising that he, the Captain and the second commander would take care of things so that you can relax. With a loud shout and a fierce look, Odysseus has the crew behaving again, feeling no sympathy for those showcasing visible black eyes, bruises and swelling cheeks. 

“I expected more of you two,” Odysseus shakes his head at Perimedes, who had a black eye, and Elpenor, who sported two painfully swollen cheeks. Elpenor tried to explain their motivations, but with both of his cheeks swollen, his words were barely decipherable and can be best described as incoherent nonsense. 

“We only fought back because someone dragged us into the fight,” Perimedes explained  before uttering under his breath, “it’s not like anyone else could take better care of our Fair Maiden…”

“Can you really say that after your antics at the boat earlier?” Polities appreciated that the two, at least, had the decency to look bashful. 

“Eurylochus and I will guard the Fair Maiden,” Odysseus announces firmly, leaving no room for argument as Eurylochus stands tall beside him, arms crossed over his chest and making his appendages look all the more muscular — a silent threat to his own men, “Anyone who would like to challenge that is free to prove themselves in a one on one fight with either of us…” obviously, nobody would dare to openly oppose their captain and second commander. “Nobody?… Good, you know your place. Now set up your camps! Polites will supervise you,” Polites nods when Odysseus meets his eyes and happily goes along with his duties, herding the crew away from the bathing area. 

Bathing first really was a good idea. It allowed you to test out the functionality of the baths and provided a rare quiet after days spent with the crewmen. It was so relaxing you didn’t think you would ever leave, but alas, you were getting hungry, and if you were hungry, then the crew were hungry too. You’ll look into your storage for tonight, but tomorrow, you will begin gathering more ingredients again for freshly cooked meals. After your bath, you pull out your wand and easily magic yourself into a new outfit. This one was something you prepared beforehand that matched your new cottage core theme. This outfit featured another custom-designed dress you made. This one was also long and was designed based on the 1804 French evening dress, with a ribbon tied just under your breasts and delicate short sleeves to give you a square neckline. It was a beautiful dress that made you feel like a water sprite. It took you ages to design but, looking in the full-length mirror to one side of the baths, you were happy with the results.

Stepping out of the baths, you greet Odysseus and Eurylochus with a smile, both of whom return the greeting kindly. 

“You look refreshed,” Eurylochus comments with a curt nod of approval. 

“I must say your sense of fashion is very nice, Fair Maiden…” Odysseus’ words make you tilt your head curiously. You wonder where he was going with this, he’s not usually the type to make such comments about your appearance, unlike the other unmarried men of his crew, “Do you suppose you have some similarly styled clothes I can offer to my wife, Penelope?” His words make you beam with excitement, nodding enthusiastically, which makes him grin in return, “You do?! And you’re willing to give them to my wife?” you nod again, “Thank you so much!” 

You wave off the King’s gratitude casually as if you were saying that it wouldn’t be a big deal, and it really wasn’t. It was then, however, that you catch Eurylochus’ shy expression. When you turn to him curiously, Odysseus seems to already know what he wants to ask and has the biggest, teasing grin on his face as you patiently wait for the second commander to explain himself. 

“W-would you be able to do the same for my wife Ctimene?” excitedly, you nod your head as well, instantly wiping away Eurylochus’ worries and making the large, imposing man, grin widely.

Group by group, Odysseus and his crew all take turns soaking in the baths. The only problem after was the clothes they would have to change into knowing that their current attire wasn’t any good. But you had an easy solution to that. Wanting to give them clothing items that seemed familiar, you offered clean Chitons, thankful that you had access to the catalogue from your Nookphone, which was always helpfully tucked away in your back pocket. Conveniently, there was no waiting time needed here, and your orders appeared before you immediately. You save the differently coloured Togas for Odysseus, Polites and Eurylochus to help differentiate them from the rest of the crew members. Odysseus was wearing his signature purple sash, whilst Polites and Eurylochus wore red sashes. Thankfully, you were right to assign the clothing like this, and everyone was thankful for the relaxing bath, clean clothing and the delicious meal you had prepared afterwards: a delicious novel dish (to them) of Fish and Chips. There were satisfied hums and complimentary remarks made all throughout dinner, with everyone taking the chance to look towards you in appreciation at some point in the evening.

“Polites and my crew have informed me of a house on the northeast side of the island,” Odysseus casually brings up as you eat your portion of fish and chips beside him. “Would that happen to be your home?” having perked up at his words, you nod. So your house was still standing… you wonder why your villagers’ houses aren’t, nor the other buildings on the island. “Polites made sure nobody broke in unnecessarily. Tonight, I’m sure you would appreciate sleeping in your home. My men and I have made our camps about the island already, so don’t worry about us,”

You smile at his thoughtfulness and bow your head gratefully, “None of that now,” Odysseus hurries to lift your head, “at this point, we all stand on level ground. You’ve done more for me and my crew than I think you’re aware of,” growing flustered under his high praise, you look away with a bashful smile. Truly, it wasn’t hard for you to do the things you’ve done, you loved playing animal crossing and it’s a joy to experience it in real life, especially when you get to offer the help your favourite characters need at just the right time. It would feel wrong if you didn’t offer your help knowing you had the power to.   

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

The next morning, you spend your time making fishing poles for everyone so that they can fish for their own meals and help you speed up the cooking. They were all more than happy to help you, and eager to learn from you as well. Elpenor especially; he doesn’t seem to have any technique working in his favour. Perimedes, on the other hand, has already caught his dinner and handed it over to you, but, as a faithful friend, he had vowed to stand beside Elpenor until the hopeless fool finally catches a fish himself. Sometimes, the taller blonde was tempted to pull the fishing pole from Elpenor’s useless hands, impatient in his helpfulness, but wanted his friend to feel the achievement of catching the fish himself first. 

“Are you going to fish with us?” Eurylochus asks, turning away from the ocean to look at you curiously. Several other men were set up close by, also waiting for fish to take the bait. Nodding enthusiastically, you look forward with determination as the crew members look on curiously from where they’re stationed. Odysseus and Polites had already caught their fish, and you had helpfully stored away their catches for them. The two stand by, simply observing and eying your flowing dress curiously. You seem to have a habit of doing chores in the most unexpected attire. They suppose it’s because you are that exceptional — no item of clothing will hold you back from the things you want to do, even if they are long flowing, beautiful dresses. 

“If the Fair Maiden catches a fish before you,” Perimedes begins, playfully jabbing his friend’s side with a sharp elbow, “I would begin to question your masculine prowess, dear friend,”

“The Fair Maiden catching a fish before me doesn’t bring my masculinity into question, Perimedes,” Elpenor huffs with a slight redness in his cheeks, “It only attests to the Fair Maiden’s greatness,” 

“I suppose you’re right,” Perimedes shrugs, and they both watch you from their periphery, as is the habit of every crew member whenever they see you nearby. They just can’t help themselves; you draw their eye easily, and they are weak to beauties like you. Beauties with the kindest heart known to man. They yearn to bring you close but are well aware of their self-deficiencies — no man alive is worthy of someone as fair and wondrous as you. Not even the king himself. 

Not long after you’ve cast your fishing pole you get a tug and everyone watches with baited breath as you fight with the fish at the end of your line. Everyone silently cheers you on until their jaws slacken at the monstrous creature you pull out of the water and proudly present to them, carrying it as if it weighs no heavier than a leaf. 

A whale shark! This will earn you good money when you sell it to Tommy and Timmy. 

“Wh-what sort of ocean creature is that?” Polites asks in disbelief, adjusting his glasses as Odysseus laughs from beside him, clutching his stomach as tears of laughter fill his eyes. The kind had long since abandoned all need to find an explanation for your ‘odd’ behaviour, he’s learned to shrug it off and, instead, find joy in the astonished, jaw-dropped, eye-bulging expressions of his crew members. Never before has he laughed so much, and he has you to thank for it. Odysseus wasn't finished laughing, however, as another wave of surprise exclamations, shock and disbelief flooded his crew when you casually stored away the gigantic creature in your back pocket. 

(From a distance, Odysseus hears another familiar giggle overlapping with his own laughter.)

“H-HOW?!” Perimedes shouts with his hands clutching at his head in disbelief, his eyes wide as his brows have flown to his hairline. However, everyone knows that his question will never be answered as you flash him an innocent smile. You can’t speak; they just have to accept things as they come from you. 

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

Savouring the stable ground and the grand scenery of your island paradise, the crew members observe you zipping around the land as if you have all the energy to spare, hitting rocks over and over to draw out raw materials unlike they’ve ever seen anyone else do. It’s as if Mother Nature herself wanted to provide you with everything you need; she was at your beck and call, and it was astonishing to witness. You even manage to draw out solid gold chunks from ordinary rocks, making the crew’s eyes bulge before they furiously rub at them in disbelief. Of course, they don’t confront you about it; it would be extremely rude to do so. They also don’t want their Captain and commanders breathing down their necks about any disorderly behaviour towards you. It’s clear to everyone that you are someone they care very deeply about, and all three have grown especially protective of you, so not only are you the most ethereal being to exist, but you’re also the most protected and secure. 

It was a little scary now that they think about it…

Some of the men have come very close to openly protesting against you, however, especially when several have seen you burying sacks of gold after digging up a glowing area of land a fellow crew member had pointed you towards. Those who witnessed your strange behaviour were very vocal in encouraging you to dig the sack of money back up, but you were adamant about refusing, no matter their sound reasoning. All those men quickly shut up under their Captain’s sharp eyes, their second commander’s growling but firm command to stop, and their third commander’s scary, silent smile. Several days go by, and the crewmen realise that they hadn’t just seen you bury gold coins uselessly but they’ve actually witnessed you plant and grow a money tree. 

As you’ve done many times before, once the tree has grown to its full size, you go up to the trunk and violently shake it to make the three large sacks of money fall from its branches. Before anyone could utter a word, however, you’ve already collected the money and zipped away without a single penny left behind. You were like a greedy little chipmunk, who had looted all the nuts and hurriedly sprinted away without an ounce of remorse at the fact that you left nothing for the others. All the could do was watch with sagging shoulders and depressed expressions as you ran into the sunset, happy with your bountiful haul. 

Sadly, that money tree doesn’t sprout sacks of money again…  

(Distantly, you hear laughter that tickles your brain just right, but you don’t want to get your hopes up.)    

The crew also silently observe as you passionately shake trees every day for sticks and fruit as well as random items ranging from small, miscellaneous trinkets that don’t typically belong on trees to fully built furniture. They’ve all experienced small heart attacks every time, worried for your wellbeing when they see a large piece of furniture emerge from the branches and soundly drop. Thankfully, all items conveniently drop a safe distance away from you. But that’s because you’re the Fair Maiden. They don’t believe they have the same luck as you and it’s deterred a majority of them from shaking trees unless they know what would be dropping down, limiting them to shaking only the fruit trees in your orchard. 

There was a time when you had shaken a tree, and a bee hive fell, sending everyone into an immediate panic as the angry bees rose in anger. Without thinking, Elpenor jumps in the way just as you’ve raised your net, taking the horrible storm of bee stings for you. You fall to the ground with him, holding him close as your apology is clearly expressed in your features, your brows furrowed and tears in your eyes. You want to call him an idiot so badly, didn’t he see your net?! 

…What a loveable fool he was… 

You see that he wants to smile in assurance from where you hold him in your arms but the bee stings make it close to impossible. His lips and eyes are swollen, his cheeks too and his arm and neck! Goodness, everywhere you look there are bee stings! This is much worse than in the game! Frantic, you lay his head on your lap as Perimedes falls to the ground beside you and takes his best friend’s hand in his own. 

“How idiotic can you get Elpenor?!” Despite his words, you can tell the blonde is far from annoyed. Rather, he is more worried for his friend than anything else. 

“The fair maiden was in danger…” Elpenor answers simply, his voice strained but you both shake your heads at him, silently asking that he don’t overtax himself. 

Flicking through your storage, you bring out the bag of medicine you always prepare for emergencies. Usually, you would simply press the ‘take medicine’ option, however, now that this was real life, you were having to reach inside the bag. When you do, you bring out a simple balm, but the case is empty of any instructions or labels. Everyone watches closely as you take some of the balm onto your fingers and spread the ointment over their youngest crew member’s visible stings. All those who are watching, visibly awe at the immediate effects your medicine has on Elpenor. The balm barely stays on for a second to sink in before Elpenor’s injuries completely disappear, his skin no longer swollen, the concerning redness of his stings gone, and his boyish smile has returned. 

“What is this…?” Perimedes asks, eyeing the medicine in disbelief but it had also disappeared along with Elpenor’s injuries. “I can’t believe it…”

“Fair maiden,” Elpenor turns to you with a bright smile, ready to express his gratitude and astonishment but is cut off when you jump into his arms, hoping your tight hug will convey the amount of gratitude you had in your heart for him. He was so brave but what a fool! You hope he never jumps in front of danger like that again!

“It’s okay,” you feel Elpenor gently brush his hand along your back, “I wouldn’t mind taking all the bee stings for you. Especially knowing that you can cure me instantly,” his happy smile can be heard in his words as you bury your face into his broad shoulder. 

“You’re an idiot…” Perimedes laughs as you meet his fond gaze from over Elpenor’s shoulder. You give his much taller friend a look to convey your thoughts somehow and Perimedes nods, “The Fair Maiden doesn’t want you to do that again, so promise her right now or else you will incur her wrath!”

Elpenor laughs bashfully, “I-If that is what the fair maiden wishes,“ he reaches for your hands and kisses your knuckles to seal his promise. 

Those who stood by watching gaze at you in unfiltered amazement. Never before had they seen medicine heal at the rate and effectiveness you have just demonstrated. Every day, they realise just how otherworldly of a person you are. Are you even a person? Maybe they were closer to figuring out your true origins when comparing you to the Gods and Goddesses, after all. 

“None of you are allowed to speak of this to anyone outside of those here, got it?” Odysseus utters, appearing to materialise out of the crowd observing the scene. His sudden appearance startles everyone, but they silently agree with him the instant his words process in their minds. A dark look had overtaken their captain, and it wasn’t one they were fond of. Nobody asked questions, nobody harassed you, nobody stood out of place awkwardly. They know that acting out would only endanger you, making you a target of the gods, much like the way their captain had been targeted in the potential future they were forced to witness through song. There was a silent agreement among them that they weren’t letting anything like that happen again. Not if they could help it. And that means keeping quiet. 

Seeing the amount of things you were doing daily on the island, however, had the crewmen itching to be productive. You understand they want to prove themselves helpful so after you collect the crops, you hand them watering cans to water the crop fields for you, you even teach them to make ingredients such as flour and sugar from the permanent outdoor cooking area you’ve set up. You’ve also helped them use your workbench to create tables and chairs to set up around your cooking area so that food can be eaten more comfortably. Everyone has gotten into the habit of catching their own fish and rationing the fruit so that everyone gets a piece. After only a short time, a functioning routine had been built amongst you, all centred around the chores you would typically do each day about the island but now, you had more people helping you, meaning that you could concentrate on stocking up supplies, cooking good meals for them and creating fun memories of all the wonderful people on Odysseus’ crew. 

Everyone was just doing their part to contribute and make your task of taking care of them that much easier. This was your island, after all; it was the least they could do. If only you weren’t constantly stunning them with your strange antics. At least not any ordinary day goes by. 

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ 

After a week or so spent on the island, you were on the right track to filling up your storage with the right amount of food and ingredients, and everyone had gotten into a good routine. Hermes, however, was just itching to make an introduction. The mischievous god had been observing you for a while. Ever since the rumours began amongst the crew, his curiosity had been piqued, and Athena’s subtle ways of dismissing the gossip only worked at making him all the more curious about you. The messenger god was glad he took the time to investigate you himself; never before had he laughed so much and been so entertained. Despite never having interacted with you, he’s grown a fondness for you already, he delights in your innocent but outrageous displays, leaving the 600 men in your wake with bulging eyes, slack jaws and racing minds that still come slow to comprehend what they were just witnesses to. 

He’s waited long enough, and quite patiently, he’d like to add. It was about time he finally revealed himself to you. And what better time to do so than while the sun sets and you had just said your farewells with the crew for the night, starting your way back home alone? He can’t miss this opportunity.  

“My my, what a beauty~” he coos, doing his best to suppress a giggle at the stunned look on your face when he suddenly floats down from his high perch. “I say, is your name really ‘Fair Maiden’?” seeing the recognition on your face, Hermes flings his luscious, brunette locks over his shoulder with a coy smile, “I see you’ve heard of me~ yes, it is I, Hermes, the God of merchants, thieves, travellers,” his eyes glow a pure white beneath the shadow of his hat, staring at you for one knowing, uncomfortable moment as a large grin occupies the unshadowed part of his face. “And these dashing good looks of mine, of course~” he ends on a cheeky note, winking deviously as you try to muster a smile despite the chill lingering in your spine from his earlier expression. Does he know?

“Of course, I know~” he looks at his nails with admiration, “I was one of the few gods who knew of you the instant you came here,” Hermes flies down, his feet up in the air as he lowers his face to level, leaving only an embarrassing inch of distance between you, “You’re quite the hot topic you know. Athena has her hands full, keeping talks of you to a minimum up in Olympus. I suppose you two have some sort of deal going on between you…” Hermes carefully inspects you as you avoid his eyes. How adorable you are~ So cute! 

It’s not like that…

“Oh? Explain it to me then, pet~” he coos with fondness, reaching up to play with your hair innocently as you try not to get too bashful. Not only was he an intimidating presence, but he had a very handsome face. You can see where Odysseus got his admirable features from. It was in Hermes’ handsome-framing hair, his golden, sun-kissed skin, his charming but disarming eyes, and his pretty lips meant for more than just pleasant words… “Don’t leave me waiting now~ Beauty and sweetness can only get you so far when it comes to wasting the time of a god~” he giggles, leaving his remark suspiciously suspended between humour and a serious threat. 

I- uh… 

“Just kidding!” he giggles into your temple, nuzzling your head affectionately and displaying something similar to cuteness-aggression, “I know you’re only captivated by my gorgeous face, so feel free to take all the time you need in answering me darling~” Hermes wraps his arms around your neck, using you as his anchor to the ground. He continues nuzzling his face into your temple as he kicks his legs in the air like a teenage girl reading her favourite ‘x reader’ fanfiction in bed. Hurriedly stepping away from his dizzying nearness, you take a moment to gather your thoughts, avoiding his teasing grin as you catch your breath. 

Athena and I only share a similar goal. We find that it’s best to work together to achieve it. There isn’t a single bargaining chip put down from either side. You explain in your head as the god nods along, seeming to hear your thoughts telepathically. You suppose all gods have a way of communicating with you. 

“I see~ That’s good! That’s very good actually,” he flies forward, his face inches from your own once again, eager to keep the close proximity as you slowly back yourself into a nearby tree. “That means you don’t have Athena’s blessing,”

N-no, I don’t…

“Fabulous!” Hermes throws his arms up, finally drawing back and striking a celebratory starfish pose whilst suspended mid-air. However, just as quickly as he celebrates, he just as quickly moves closer to you once again, his face so impossibly close that you’re falling into the glow of his eyes and feel the brush of his lips against your own as he speaks, “then I will be giving you my blessing, darling. A great honour, I know~” he suppresses a giggle and affectionately tucks a strand of hair behind your ear before placing his palm against the tree trunk beside your head, effectively pinning you in place, “No need to thank me, pet~ But we do need to seal the deal, somehow,” he talks at such lightening speed that you barely have the time to register his words before he’s capturing your lips in his own, his large hands softly holding your face in place and drawing out the kiss for as long as he wishes. You don’t know whether to push him away or deepen the kiss further. 

Wh-why—…?

“All great travellers are mine to take care of,” he explains in a firm whisper, pulling away as he licks his lips and coos at the stunned, flushed expression on your pretty face, “Call me whenever you need, darling! Take care now~” Hermes begins to float up and slowly disappears into the night sky, revealing from behind him another one of your storage sheds.

Hermes had left your brain in shambles and your heart in a dangerous race with itself. You don’t know how long you stayed slumped against the tree that mischievous god had just claimed your lips against but the sunset had long since passed. 

After calming your racing heart, you step up to the shed and curiously look inside. It looked like any other one of your storage sheds but the black void within was more ominous looking… was this Hermes’ doing? Or was it just because it was nighttime and dark outside? 

A sudden nudge in your back makes you fall into the black void with a yelp, and you fall for a moment before dropping forward onto a hard, cold, wooden floor. Looking around, you take in your surroundings and recognise the layout immediately. You’re on Odysseus’ ship, on the top deck, and in front of your open storage shed. This one was the first you had fallen out of and into this world, which you had kept on board, knowing that you just had to look for your home to access your full storage again. And you had plenty more storage sheds to spare, there was no need to do all that moving about. 

Did you just…? 

Rushing to the shed, you hold your breath and throw yourself forward before you have the chance to second-guess your actions. The same blackness consumes you as a rush makes your head spin but, this time, you fall onto soft grass — you’re back at that other storage shed now. Gasping silently, you admire the grass beneath your hands as your heart begins to race at the incredible gift Hermes had bestowed upon you. 

“What’s the latest, Sulky?” a cute voice enters your ears, making you shoot your head up and gasp at the sight of your villagers. They were not the anthropomorphic cute avatars from Animal Crossing that you were familiar with, but stood before you as normal animals— only, they’ve managed to retain their unusual colouring and patterns. 

“Marshal?...”

navi. | series m.list |

next | four. the washed-up stranger →

next | small imagine : you didn't have to kiss her hermes →

a/n : phew~ I hope everyone had a fun read! I loved writing Hermes hehe~ and if anyone's curious, I imagine his design from Zieru's 'Dangerous' animatic on YouTube. Also the villagers will be appearing in the next chapter but I don't know whether to base it off my villagers or take some favourite villagers suggestions... either way we're definitely having Marshal as a villager!

For those of you who are curious about who my villagers are, here's the list for you: Fauna ; Shino ; Poppy ; Filbert ; Marshal ; Chrissy ; Fang ; Boots ; Gaston ; Mitzi

taglist : @bluepanda08 @doodle-with-rhy @sunshinedaisy21 @jolixtreesunn @ellaprime7 @marcelemry @nishayuro @celestialzdiviner (almost forgot the taglist phew~)

[sweetreasures]

in action

director’s assistant!seonghwa x pornstar!reader

shower sex, fingering, deep throating, dom hwa, sub reader, slight degradation, praise, heavy petnames (angel, star, etc), overstimulation, multiple orgasms

minors dni, ageless blogs will be blocked

happy birthday, seonghwa ❤️

masterlist \\ read part one (our little star, mingi x reader)

seonghwa led you by the shoulders, supporting your bathrobe as you tightened the fabric around your waist. it was only a short walk to the dressing rooms, though the tension in the air was palpable and suffocating.

he hadn’t wasted a single moment after your audition—acting quickly in order to get you cleaned up. and more importantly, get you all to himself.

he couldn’t exactly act on these desires; no, hongjoong wasn’t joking when he said seonghwa wasn’t paid to fuck the talent. in fact, it was strictly forbiddened. hongjoong had no desire to complicate his work by fraternizing, dreading the thought of how many brilliant minds were brought down by needless sexual conflict. this did not stop seonghwa, who regularly found himself tongue deep in a hole to whom he would later have to file their payroll. however, he knew that if he wanted to do this right, he had to get you away from prying eyes.

you noticed the way he looked at you—hungrily, full of an implacable lust, like you were less a human and more a delicious midnight snack. it was a far cry from the person you met when you walked through those doors, the one who rid your body of its anxieties with just one warm smile.

you liked this seonghwa more. you held your breath as this seonghwa pushed open the entrance to a dressing room and motioned for you to step inside. lockers lined the wall, each individually marked with a name—undoubtedly belonging to the actors. you were all too familiar with mingi, but you also recognized “yeosang”, an actor whose niche was primarily workplace taboo.

the thought sent a chill down your spine. how on the nose could this get?

chilled air nips at your skin. seonghwa worked meticulously to strip you back down to nothing, letting his fingers graze lightly over your newly exposed skin. for a second, you expect him to take you right then and there. your cunt throbs, its walls having just recovered from being molded into the shape of song mingi.

“i’ll be right outside,” seonghwa informed you, motioning to a single door on the wall that led into a tiled shower. he presses a long kiss to your forehead, “let me know if you need any help.”

with that, he winks, closing the door and leaving you alone with yourself and his words. where had seonghwa expected you to encounter a problem using a shower, you wondered. the while situation frustrated you—he needed to stop with the mind games and get inside you quick.

the water of the shower warmed your skin as your eyes fluttered shut, allowing yourself to relax with the moment. with every pass of the washcloth, you made sure to give extra attention to your reddening areolas, massaging your nipples in a circular motion. a soft gasp escaped your lips, and you are instantly grateful for the cover of running water that masked your sounds of desperation.

“mmm…nngh…” you groaned as the texture of the cloth teased the overly sensitive buds. the water rushed between your cleavage like river water rushing over glistening rocks. the whole scene was so painfully soft and erotic, you made a mental note to include some similar in your next video.

you allowed the washcloth to venture down, stopping to lightly rub the area between your inner thighs but halting just short of the aching nub hidden within your folds. the heat radiating from your eager cunt was enough to fog up the shower doors all on its own, and the longer you spent trying to get yourself off, the more it drove you crazy.

“you okay in there, star?” seonghwa called from the dressing room, barely audible above the shower water. the words came out before you have time to react, though you didn’t care.

“seonghwa…please…help me…”

you didn’t know when seonghwa finally entered the shower, steam obscuring your vision as he kneeled on the floor beside you. you kept repeating those pleas until a hand takes hold of the cloth, slowly extracting it from your grasp.

“it’s okay, my baby angel. let me take care of you, hm?”

there was that distinctive warmth, his maternal nature complementary to the lustful undertones of his mannerisms. placing your full trust in him, he props you up against the tiled wall, separating your legs so your pussy came out in full display.

“what do you want? use your words, y/n.” his tone is firm yet caring. you didn’t know what you wanted—you hadn’t thought that far ahead. you wanted your dumb pussy sucked raw, you wanted seonghwa to pick a hole and pump you full of his seed. seonghwa looked at you expectant, unwilling to move on until you followed his commands.

“need your cock, hwa. please… need you inside me,” you whimpered, legs pressing together as you instinctively sought out some sort of friction. seonghwa forces them back over, positioning himself to wear his heavy cock lied between your folds. he began to move his hips, rubbing his length against your clit in a slow and deliberate fashion.

you let out a sharp cry every time his cock pressed against your entrance. precum leaked from seonghwa’s reddened tip, and he continued smearing it around your hole as if preparing you for his length. seonghwa watches you squirm like a prey animal, taking in the sight of your pathetic and reckless display of need. he was a man who loved taking his time—preferring to draw out his partner’s orgasms with his tongue or his fingers, anything before introducing his beautiful cock into the picture.

but the way you pleaded with your large doe eyes as those vulgar words came from your innocent lips…how could he not give you exactly what you wanted?

“do you think our mingi has loosened you up enough for me?” he was practically singing as his tip slipped into your slick cunt, watching himself sink halfway inside before pulling out completely.

“fuck me, seonghwa,” you began bucking your own hips up as he moves his cock away, responding to your neediness with a light tap on your pussy.

“i need you to be good for me,” he inserts himself back inside, eyes squeezing shut as you reflexively suck his length deeper into your walls. “can you be good for me?”

you nodded your head furiously, droplets of water landing onto seonghwa’s bare chest. he smirks, removing himself again with a harsh pop.

“words.”

“yes, sir.”

seonghwa snaps his hips against yours, cock bottoming out all at once as you screamed into your hand—uncaring of who was listening in. even seonghwa, who knew this was an hr (hongjoong) visit waiting to happen, did little more to silence you than stuff the wrung out rag inside your mouth. all efforts to be discrete—if any—were futile as the sound of his thrusts echoed off the shower walls.

“so tight…you’re so perfect for us, hm? little pussy was made to take cock. natural little cumslut.”

his words traveled through one ear and straight to your cunt. you couldn’t even form a full thought in your head, all cognitive abilities overwhelmed by the sheer desire to be full and feel good. a primative, subconscious need.

seonghwa continued at his brutal pace, taking a hold of your breast like handlebars. his only goal was making you cream all over him—he knew he had to have you when you finally arrived and provided a gorgeous face to the stories mingi kept telling about you. a million dollar pussy, an ass that deserves an oscar of its own. he was pleasantly surprised to see how receptive you were to his advances, leaving you soaked off just his gaze alone before mingi and hongjoong had even entered the room.

“oh, angel. you shouldn’t be so quick to give in like this,” seonghwa chastised, hypnotized by the way his length disappeared within your slick folds, “can’t have just anyone thinking they can touch you.”

“no, no, just for you. needed you so badly, hwa.” you alternated between drawn out mews and staccato gasping, breathlessly moaning out demands for seonghwa to go faster, harder…

your body no longer felt like your own. the sensation spreading throughout you numbed you from head to toe with pleasure. you were about to cum for the second time, this orgasm building to a much faster peak than the last.

he’s breathtaking, you thought to yourself as seonghwa angled you upwards, his tip pressing right against the sweet spot. hongjoong kept him out of view for a reason, and you figured it was jealousy—who wouldn’t want a body this pleasing all to themselves? you could both leave together, make a name for yourselves in erotica as the hottest film duo to see in action. then, you almost couldn’t believe what was happening to you, dick so good it had you planning a future with him.

“‘m cumming again…fuck it feels so fucking good, hwa,”

seonghwa sandwiches a hand between the two of you as he rubs at your clit, you nearly jump back from the sudden overstimulation. “cum for me, star. make a mess all over my cock. feel me on your clit and let go. just relax.”

he talks you through your orgasm, pace slowing down momentarily as you shook beneath him, vulgar swears escaping your lips in choked gasping phrases. seonghwa pulls out, stroking at his cock as he observed you coming down from orbit, kneading at your supple breasts.

“it’s my turn now, pretty angel. can you do something just for me?”

you didn’t have a moment to answer before seonghwa once again has you in his arms. this time, he lowered himself beneath you, positioning his mouth right below the mess that was your leaking cunt. you had taken up the job of stroking his length, spreading your juices and saliva down his shaft. he moans against your clit, impatiently exciting the sensitive bundle of nerves by attaching himself with powerful suction. you took hold of his lean thighs, body still in recovery from how strong the last orgasm had been.

seonghwa giggled as he studied the way you responded to every stimulus. he slipped three slender fingers inside your cunt and you instinctively began to ride his hand while taking his cock into your mouth. and you worked with desperate haste, relaxing your throat around his girth as best you could while he took control.

“cum for me, angel. you can do it,” seonghwa urged, his fingers pumping out of your hole at an unthinkable pace. his chest tightened—he’s definitely close, too. you felt him twitch inside you, coming up briefly for air before sinking down on his length one last time.

with your own release building up, you barely have time to comprehend seonghwa’s staggering movements before the familiar feeling of hot seed traveling down your throat made your own pussy clench around his fingers. for a moment, everything seemed drowned out by the roar of the shower as both of you rode out your orgasms in blissful silence. you let seonghwa fill up as much of your throat as he could before releasing him from your mouth, allowing the access to wash down the drain. seonghwa licked and sucked at your secretions, loving the way it dripped down his chin.

despite the running water, it made you both feel utterly filthy. seonghwa half expected hongjoong to come bursting through the door—though he’s both relieved and a bit disappointed when the door didn’t immediately open to reveal his short/tempered partner.

“god…i’m so fucking happy i decided to come here.” you said out loud to nobody in particular, hands massaging to soothe your aching cunt.

“me too, star. this has to stay a secret though, okay?” by the time you were able to gain a sense of reality, seonghwa was once again crouched beside you, washcloth hovering over you as he began cleaning you off—for real, this time.

you pouted playfully, “you sure? you don’t want to get that on camera next time?”

seonghwa chuckled, growing more endeared by your joviality with every passing second. “i’ll run that idea by the boss.”

if you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading!

masterlist

taglist

[inbabylontheywept]

can we get more security clearance stories? they are amazing

Yeah, sure. Remember how getting contractors in to perform regular to the maintenance is basically impossible? One of the issues that we have is that the roof is kind of fucked. Like, in the newer sections, it's fine, and in the older sections, it leaks and we just have big barrels to catch the rainwater, and in the oldest sections there are actual holes. Which is crazy, because the oldest sections are where a lot of the tests happen. Those are almost always the most important parts of the facility. And the holes have been a problem for a while, but it is only "recently" (the last ten years) (yes, that is recent in government time) that the holes got big enough to fit birds.

So we have been getting birds into our secret facility.

This causes several issues.

The first issue is that, surprisingly, the people here are gentle, and they don't like seeing birds die. Some of the old hands are pretty jaded about it, and they have tennis rackets that they used to use for uh... bird removal. But the newer batch threw a fit when they suggested that, so now we have to make a big ordeal out of getting the birds out of the building. And if I sound bitter about it, I'm not - I am one of the people that said absolutely no bird smashing. But it is much easier to catch a bird than it is to just smack it out of the air.

(Another layer of difficulty is the whole "working in a labyrinth" thing. The birds have a lot of places to run.)

The second issue is that sometimes we can't get the birds out, and they die in weird places. This isn't just sad - it makes the test areas smell bad for weeks afterwards, and a lot of us spend the majority of our working hours in those locations. So it's sad and gross and stinky.

And the third issue, which is actually kind of the worst, is that government knows about the "perimeter leaks" (IE, large holes in the ceiling) and instead of fixing the holes, they put extra security measures in place. You know, in case spies climb in through the holes. Which means that, unfortunately, instead of getting the holes fixed, we got a state of the art alarm system, complete with motion detection lasers.

So the birds get in, and we actually can't leave until they get out, because they will, and have, and frequently do, trip the alarms. And when the alarms trip, people get called in to check the site and confirm for the 10,000th time that no, it's not Russians: It's birds.

It's always birds.

(Some of the techs actually kind of enjoy those calls during the weekends, because it means free overtime where there's literally nothing asked of them. Getting the "bird alarm" call is just 4 hours of OT where you check the test cell and confirm, no spies, just birds, then sit there and play checkers or read or whatever until the airforce base calls back and says that it seems safe enough for you to go home.)

(Engineers like those calls less, because we don't get time and a half, and we also don't need the cash quite as much as the techs do.)

Anyway, the crazy scenario is when it's like, 30 minutes to quitting, and a bird gets in. Because now we can't leave until we get the bird out. And the scene that happens is actually quite pretty.

So, the first thing that will happen is that there will be yelling downstairs. The downstairs people are always irate about birds getting in close to quitting. The anger is directed vaguely at the bird, and vaguely at the government, and more specifically at whatever absolute fuckhead bought us an alarm system instead of fixing our roof.

The majority of the crowd of grousing engineers and techs will then move into the upper offices. A couple will break off to grab the floodlight and shine it down the stairs, a few more will prop the doors open, and someone will venture back into the basement to turn off the light.

Click, the light goes off, it's dark, there's this big, warm, yellow pool of light just dripping down the stairs like a river of melted butter, and there's a crowd of tennish people + whoever is poking their heads out of the office to watch. No one will be breathing at all... and then, 9 times out of 10, a little bird will flit out of the basement, up the stairs, towards the light, and trigger the apocalypse.

Everyone chases the bird.

The goal at first is not to catch the bird. That's very difficult, and none of us have very good hand eye coordination. The goal is to thunder along and keep the bird from sitting down and having a breather.

We are there to exhaust the bird.

It is just accepted that this thundering herd will go wherever the bird goes. If your office door is open, and the bird flies in, it doesn't matter what reports you're filling out, or what phone call you're on - you are expected to deal with the panting and scrambling and general primal chaos of the hunting party until the bird goes somewhere else. Eventually, the bird will slow down enough that someone can catch it. This is a semi-coveted position, because, yes, you do get to hold a bird in your hand. And holding a bird is a wonderful thing. They are so soft, and so small, and you feel so careful with the poor thing. But also, it will bite you. Always. And the birds out here bite like needle nose pliers. It hurts so bad. I have been the guy holding the bird before, and it's this kind of beautiful scene again - to be standing there, hands cupped gently around this thing that is chewing the fuck out of the squishy webbing between my thumb and my palm. Tears streaming down my cheeks, surrounded by my little hunting party, that is telling me how much further until the nearest exit, opening all the doors for me. Hushed in the silence as they acknowledge my sacrifice. Inspecting the chomps afterwards and giving their opinion on how long it will be until it stops hurting.

I'm getting a little lost in the sauce here and don't really know how to end this. It's a really good job. Wouldn't be half as fun if it was run in a sane and competent manner.

I'll make this into a post at some point.

[spiceforyou]

Skirts and Skins

Summary: Wally begs to eat you out.

Author's Note: This might be trash. It's sat ion my drafts for weeks.

You were a glowing light in the dingey after life of Split River high. You died and somehow became the glue that held the ghosts together after Mr. Martin crossed over. It was just a few weeks after him crossing when you showed up. You were a bit disheveled after dying as any normal person would be but you were still so soft and unmarred by death. You had died in a fairly grim way. You had been helping hang a banner for a school dance extremely high up and had taken a nose dive into the gym floor after losing your balance.

Wally had been in the gym shooting some hoops and watching the livings as he did frequently when you had taken your tumble. He had ran to catch you if only he was alive you wouldn't have fell through his arms into the floor at his feet. You had woken up in the teacher's lounge after Wally had carried you away from the horrific scene. He didn't want you to see yourself like that after what he had seen in his own death.

It had been a few months since your death and you had all of the ghost enamored with your sweet but sassy attitude. Wally couldn't help that his cock twitched every time you sassed him or got grumpy with him. You were just so fucking cute. He had to mentally scold himself when his eyes would glue themselves to your thighs. His mind wandering to how good they would look around his ears or around his hips, how sweet you'd taste and how bossy you'd be. He'd give just about anything to be on his knees before you.

You had noticed Wally's need to please you. He hardly let you lift a finger. You could see how pleased he was after receiving your praise for helping out. You'd never had someone want to do things for you but you were enjoying it. It had you curious where the line was drawn with him. How far would he go to please you.

You had asked for something small like to tie your shoe. He immediately knelt down and placed your sneaker on his thigh. You had grabbed his shoulder to steady yourself. He was so warm under your fingers as you trailed your hand up to his dark hair playing with it gently. Wally felt chills run through his body at your touch. He couldn't help but lean into your hand as he tied your shoe carefully. Once he finished he carefully set your foot back onto the ground before glancing up at you. You were smiling down at him and playing with his hair as you said "Such a good boy for me." Wally's jaw dropped open and his cock hardened at the praise.

You watched his gaze turn desperate as he gently grabbed your calves to steady himself. "Let me take care of you. Please." He begged as his hands drifted to your knees. You smiled down at him "Gonna beg for it, Baby?" you teased him. His eyes closed savoring the pet name before opening again and giving you his best puppy dog eyes as he said "Please let me make you cum. I need it Princess. Can't think of anything but your sweet pussy. Driving me fucking crazy." You smirked down at him before shaking your head at his attempt. "Wally you've gotta try harder than that. Make it special or I am going to keep telling you no, Baby." You say as you run your hands through his hair again giving it a gentle tug before leaving him there on his knees.

You wanted to say yes more than anything but the satisfaction it brought you to have a handsome ghost on his knees for you was too tempting. Wally watched you walk away and his mind immediately thought about how he could make this special. You were special, he needed you to know that. He also had to know how you would feel under him. His palms itched to get your thighs back in them.

°°••♡••°°°°••♡••°°°°••♡••°°°°••♡••°°°°••♡••°°°°••♡••°°

Wally remained by your side but hadn't asked you again. You had however caught his gaze on you many times. He would disappear for a couple hours at a time and you couldn't believe how much you missed him in those hours but you never mentioned it to him. You would gravitate closer to him once he returned but he never noticed. He still took care of your every whim and would triple check you didn't need anything before he left. It warmed your heart and your center that he wanted to take such care of you.

He came back from his daily disappearance with a huge grin on his face. He walked right up to you and grabbed your hand, pulling you as he walked down the hall. You giggled as you stumbled behind him. He glanced back at you a few times his grin getting wider as he lead you to the fallout shelter. He turned to you right outside the entrance turning and saying "Close your eyes please." You raised your eyebrows at him. He walked behind you and covered your eyes with his big hands before guiding you through the door.

He uncovered your eyes and the fallout shelter had string lights circling the room, a blanket laid out on the floor, and a cute picnic basket in the center. You smiled back at Wally as he ushered you towards the blanket. He sat in one corner leaned back with his ankles crossed and you had lowered yourself across from him. "What's in the basket Wally?" You smiled over at him curiously. He smirked at you before sitting up "Open and find out for yourself, Princess." You opened the lid of the basket to find all of your favorite afterlife snacks and drinks with a tulip resting on the top of the food.

You picked up the tulip gently, spinning it in your fingers slowly as a big smile graced your lips. Wally melted as he watched your expression turn giddy as you pulled out snack after snack. You smiled at him through your lashes before saying "Wally this is really sweet. Is this all just to get in my pants?" He smirks at you "Not just to get in your pants. However it is definitely a perk." He teases.

You giggle and begin snacking away as he talks to you about anything and everything. After the both of you get your fill of snacks you begin repacking the basket for later. Wally inches closer to you, eyes glued to yours. "I want you in every since of the word, Princess." He says as his hand grazes your shin. He looks up at you for approval awaiting your response. You smile at him and push his shoulders so he is in a sitting position.

You crawl over to him straddling his hips as he looks up at you in a state of shock and awe. You giggle at him before leaning down and pressing your lips to his warm ones. As soon as your lips touch his hands are on you. They skim from your hips up your sides and back down before resting on your upper thighs. You don't pull away until your lungs begin to burn for air. He chases you with his lips not wanting the kiss to break. You giggle leaning your head against his. You feel his strong hands squeeze your thighs gently before he asks "What are you laughing about?" You giggle even harder as you hear his heavy breathing.

He grunts at you squeezing your thighs tighter before leaning back and giving you a goofy grin. You let your hands run up his neck into his thick hair. He lets out a deep groan that makes you squirm as you lightly scratch his scalp. You grind down into him attaching your lips onto his neck. He tilts his head allowing you more access to his neck as he grabs your hips pulling you into him. You can feel his hard length under you as you push further down on him.

He bucks his hip up into you before he tightens his grip holding you still. "Princess. I need to taste you please. Need it so bad." He begs as you continue your abuse of his neck. You lean back admiring the marks darkening on his neck before he lifts you off his lap and gently rests you on the blanket in front of him. "Just lay back Baby and let me take care of you." He says as his hands glide from your ankle to the bottom of your skirt, bunching it up around your waist.

He admires the wet patch on your pink cotton panties. He takes his letterman off bunching it up before resting it under your head as a pillow. "You comfortable Princess?" he asked as he started to slot himself between your legs. You nodded yes up at him before settling further into the blanket. "Fuck you are so perfect Baby." He groaned as he spread your legs farther apart. Your cheeks heated at the compliment as he gently ran the tip of his finger down your clothed slit. He leaned forward placing a kiss on your mound before dipping his fingers into your waistband and slowly tugging your panties off.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of you glistening in front of him. He used his thumbs to spread you open, you squirmed slightly at the feeling of his hot breath on your bare pussy. His smirk widened as he looked up at you saying "Prettiest pussy i've ever seen. Even better than I imagined." You wet your lips with your tongue as he returned his attention to your center. He flicked his tongue along your clit dragging it down to circle your entrance before taking your clit into his mouth. He hummed at the taste of you causing a gasp to tear from your lips at the sensation.

You swear you could feel his smirk widen on you. He replaced his mouth with his pointer and middle finger rubbing in slow circles as he prodded your center teasingly with his tongue. He sped his fingers up and began thrusting his tongue into your center. A mewl escaped your parted lips as your fingers sank into Wally's hair pulling him impossibly closer to your center. He continued fucking you with his tongue until you got all cute and whiny. Once you were wet enough for him he attached his mouth to your clit and sunk his middle finger into you. You let a hiss out as his cold ring brushed against your center.

Wally couldn't help but to grind his hard cock against the blanket for some type of attention, his cock painfully hard from watching you writhe against his mouth. He adds another finger watching as your wetness pulls him in. You whine out as he curls them into your gummy spot. You swear you see stars as he continues to punish that spot with his fingers. "Gonna cum for me Princess?" He asks so muffled against your clit you almost don't know what he's saying.

He rolls your throbbing clit between his teeth gently while massaging that spot sending you over the edge with a cry. Your whole body tenses, back arching, fingers digging into the blanket, as Wally looks at you like your the prettiest thing he's ever seen spasming around his fingers. He gently removes his fingers bring them to his mouth with a groan. He licks them clean while you stare up at him blurry eyed and red cheeked with a dazed smile on your face. Once he finishes cleaning his fingers he climbs back up your body gently resting his hips against yours. "You okay Baby" he asks while gently grabbing your face so you focus on him.

You smile up at him "Yea Walls I'm good, really good. Want your cock now." Your hands begin to push down his sweats. His large hands grasp your gently as he looks up at you saying "We don't have to if you don't want to." You smile up at his sweetly before you pull your hands from him dipping them into his underwear and grasping his length in your hand gently. His forehead hits your shoulder as he grunts at the feeling of your cost hand wrapped around him. You begin to glide your hand up and down smearing his precum down his length. His hips buck into your hand before he pulls away from you making you release him. "Princess as much as I enjoy this if you keep touching me like that I am gonna cum in my pants and that would really really bruise my ego." he says with a pant while he kicks his pants and boxers off.

You smirk up at him before you maneuver your leg around him flipping onto your knees. Your chest rests against the blanket with your ass in the air. "Holy fuck." Wally grunts out at the sight of you, his hands reach forward squishing your ass cheeks in his hands before spreading you open. He spreads your legs farther apart before he drags his heavy cock through your folds and slapping the head against your throbbing clit. You whine out pushing your hips back against him causing his head to slip into your dripping center. You both moan out at the same time spurring him to sink farther into you.

He bottoms out resting there to allow you to adjust to his thickness. He is trying to do math to stop himself from pounding into you when you squeeze him so tight it sends him into a frenzy. His hips pull all the way out before slamming back into you all the way ripping a scream from your lips. He leans forward grabbing your hair into a ponytail and pulling you flush against his chest causing you to sink completely on him. He reaches around grabbing your jaw tight but not enough to hurt and pulling you to look at him over your shoulder. He makes sure you are looking at him before saying "Tell me this is what you want. Tell me right now if you need me to be gentle otherwise I am going to ruin you." You clench around his cock at the thought before saying "Ruin me please." while looking up at him batting your pretty eyes and fuck he's gone.

He kisses you roughly before he pushes your face into his jacket and ramming into you. Your moans are ruffled by his jacket as he pulls you back onto his cock by your ponytail. The sensation of him pulling your hair and bruising your insides have you teetering over the edge. Wally feels you tighten around him and speeds up his thrust getting the both of you to the edge. You moan out each others names as you cum together. You whine at the sensation of his warmth filling you.

He gently lets go of your ponytail and pulls out of you with a grunt of protest. He pulls his shirt off before gently flipping you onto your back and cleaning you up with the gentlest touches. You lay there watching his attentive nature as he pulls out another blanket unfurling it before covering you up and then attending to himself. He grabs your favorite candy and a water from the basket before he asks you to sit up. He gets behind you so that your head is against his chest and hands you the opened water and candy before tugging the tie out of your hair and gently massaging your head. You whimper out at the sensation feeding candies to the both of you. "Did so good for me Baby. You feeling okay? Anything you need?" he says quietly while playing with your hair.

[epickiya722]

Certain shippers be like "Bakugou and Midoriya will never kiss, you need to accept it, they'll never be canon" is so funny to me because I have seen BakuDeku shippers, heck people who don't ship them too much but like both characters, be happy and satisfied over...

Midoriya calling Bakugou "Kacchan" and Bakugou not telling him to call him that ever

Later, Bakugou even calls himself that... and wasn't that broadcasted?!

The anime adds a kabedon scene in season 2

Midoriya going crazy over Bakugou being kidnapped

Deku vs. Kacchan 2

Bakugou crying and it's always around Midoriya

Someone pointed out how similar they are to Bakugou's own parents

Them slowly but surely mending their relationship

Them being childhood friends in the first place

Bakugou keeps thinking about that darn river and regrets not taking Midoriya's hand that day

Midoriya getting triggered because Monoma talked crap about Bakugou

Midoriya being triggered by Bakugou in general, "control your heart"

The second movie's existence, the kids even look like what you get if you mash Bakugou and Midoriya

Bakugou Rising, like that episode he literally spends thinking about Midoriya, talking about him and then jumps in the way to save him

Volume Covers 29 and 37

Just Horikoshi's art whenever he draws them together... THEY GOT CHERRY BLOSSOMS LIKE TWICE

Bakugou being drawn as Godzilla and Midoriya as Mothra... keep in mind, these are characters owned by Toho... Toho Animation produces MHA's anime... also the relationship between Godzilla and Mothra... 👀

Their hero costumes having similar color palettes

Bakugou getting up, despite being injured, to check on Midoriya in the hospital... TWICE

"... rest of our lives"

Bakugou coming back to life and locking eyes with Midoriya whose expression changes seeing Bakugoh breathing again

Them not needing to verbally communicate to even know what to do to beat the bad guy

Bakugou checking on Midoriya while the class checks on Uraraka

Bakugou giving most financial input for Midoriya's suit

Bakugou shooting up in the ranks after Midoriya became a Pro Hero again

I'm sure I'm missing some things, but in general just anything these two do I have seen BakuDeku shippers be geeked over and still talk about no matter how many years have passed.

Trust me, BakuDeku shippers don't need some "canon kiss" to be happy. Something I didn't see your ship do.

Crazy despite BakuDeku shippers being told not to ship BakuDeku because "it isn't canon" for years, I don't see them doing the same to anyone else.

[giphit]

dude whatever you think about moffat's ability when it comes to showrunning or crafting a concrete narrative, there is no doubt that he is the absolute best at creating crazy cool sci-fi concepts for doctor who.

like...

healing nanobots that pick up a damaged child looking for his mother as the template, proceeding to spread that template to any human they come into contact with

a spaceship that has weird inconsistent time windows into pre revolutionary france

statues that only move when you're not looking. when they touch you, you get transported back in time so that they can leech off of your life energy that, now in the current time, is fully depleted

not just the vashta nerada which are terrifying but also in the library episodes is a concept where a character's communicator, which works via neural link, creates echoes of the character's personality and voice that you can hear for a period after they die(the scene where they first show this is still one of the most heartbreaking and messed up concepts i've seen in the show)

heaven sent

a super huge colony spaceship whose time is dilated by a black hole, causing top of the ship to move slower in time than the bottom of the ship leading to the bottom levels of the ship having lived multiple generations in what would be hours for the top of the ship

river song's entire life

and most recently, a hotel that creates time windows into hotel rooms from various periods across time, allowing residents to pick and choose any time period to stay in as a tourist

there are a lot more but these are the personal highlights for me.

the man is also just generally a genius at using time travel to tell stories.

[tryandbehappy]

Haha, well since we’re already on the topic of June’s sex life — I have to mention one of my videos that you’ll probably never find on YouTube because it’s age-restricted. I honestly don’t even know how I managed to make it, because it’s entirely focused on their sexual obsession with each other.

I just really wanted to compile all the scenes from season 1 where the sexual tension was off the charts. Like… unhinged. I don’t know if any other ship has that kind of explosive chemistry. The symbolism, the not-so-subtle gestures, the sheer intensity — it’s insane.

There’s this moment where she adjusts her dress and he catches a glimpse of her knee — and immediately he starts nervously tapping the table. And she sees it. And it’s just… electric. Or when that tension exists even with Serena right there. She enjoys it, and she wants him, and it’s so obvious.

Or the bathtub scene when she’s thinking of him. Or when they finally sleep together and she’s looking at that wild river current rushing outside, like a metaphor for the storm inside her and also that’s an insanely charged sexual metaphor. It’s all just so much.

Oh, and I absolutely adore that scene where she’s eating the porridge and gets so lost in thoughts about him that she starts licking the spoon like crazy and he sees it. It’s completely insane.

Go watch that video immediately. I swear.

[emryses]

thinking about edwin’s death in regards to, like, public history.

i like to think of edwin’s death being labelled “an act of god” to be because it looks like him and the other boys were essentially raptured. we know simon died and went to hell at the same time edwin died, so we can assume that the demon also killed the other boys as well. in hell edwin and simon are only wearing their underclothes—yet in the scene in 1x01 they’re wearing their night dresses, so what if those were the only things left behind? no bodies, just the nightshirts. raptured! an act of god!

so, six boys disappear and supposedly die on a random night in 1916, it’s eventually labelled an act of god—i wonder by who? the police? the school administration?—regardless, it becomes a sort of local unsolved mystery and goes through waves of interest by local scholars over the years. i’m talking local historians and archivists having an interest and collecting material surrounding all the “missing” boys, conspiracy theories that none of them actually died and staged the rapture to start a new life, for whatever reason, maybe even “theories” that “ritualistic sacrifice” was involved, wouldn’t that be crazy?

st. hilarions becomes like a hotbed for ghost hunters, etc. to come and see if they can contact the boys because there’s rumours the grounds are haunted now—including the river close to the edge of the grounds? people whisper about another boy who died in the 1980s there? a rumoured cover up of something—i’m talking fucking podcasts and reddit posts about this shit. and what if some material—letters, photographs, maybe even the nightshirts in question—belonging to edwin, simon and the other boys ending up in a local archives, maybe even the school archives?

what if edwin’s death was never “solved” in any official sense, but what if the public had an interest in what happened to him? i wonder what he would think about that. would edwin consider his life forgotten then?

[fallloverfic]

Finished the second season of Castlevania: Nocturne and loved it! Spoilers below.

Angry boi PROTEC HIS MAN!!!! Just his running to Mizrak, so worried. Even interrupted his revenge. I just love that his serpent form came back T-T And multiple times!!!

The fight scenes were so good!!! Just so many amazing ones!

ALSO WHAT DOES ADRIAN MEAN NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU SAVED MY LIFE???? I AM-!!!!

(So happy they know each other and I think it's hilarious my fic could potentially be a prequel now alkdjalkdjaljdalj)

Everyone cute. Annette and Richter were just awww. Glad Edouard and Annette get to stay together, and Edouard can go home and get his bass player :3

Also so many gorgeous Adrian bits. Truly. Him coming out of the river was so mmmm. Also loved all the magic he got to use XD And the music was fun!

Also loved all the Egyptian stuff. The soul count was a little... (I was like why are you saying just 2 or 3, there's more than that...?), but apparently the # of parts has changed over time (it's not just 4 or 5) and it's you know, vampires during the French Revolution, so sure, whatever. The trip to Duat was fun! And Ammit's form was pretty cool.

Poor Tera. Bye Emmanuel, no one misses you.

Loved that we got some dragon fighting. Also that the dragon didn't die. Was worried. Though I will say, Sekhmet punching it was kind of funny aldkjlaj I felt sort of bad when Juste, Richter, and Maria were all boosting its breath like, "That can't be too comfortable for the dragon..."

Just think it's funny we have animated Robespierre joining forces with the son of Dracula to defend Paris from a crazy Hungarian serial killer noble who believes she's the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian goddess lol

The return of Drolta was really fun. I was sad she was in so relatively little of season 1. This was really great.

For historical things, I appreciate that they referenced how folks in France sold and bought food to watch executions. I also appreciate the reference to the trend of European obsession with eating mummies.

I will be thinking about Mizrox's future. I feel bad I'm mostly happy Olrox survived the season lol I like Mizrak just fine, and I like that Olrox likes him, but my priority is Olrox, not Mizrak, sorry lol Clearly they have some things to work out XD Should be fun (for someone, I hope). Someone else pointed out they never talked about the animal/soul stuff, and it was kind of just... Mizrak getting over it (or side-stepping it) and not apologizing to Olrox about it. And Olrox just... kind of accepting that the guy he's in love with is like this. I think it's funny that after having written You reluctant demon back in 2023, where they do have a conversation about it, I completely forgot it as a thing I wanted to happen lol Cause in my mind the matter is settled. Like the show, quite frankly, feels like neat fanfiction to me at this point (that's not what it is, but that's how my brain works, it's part of why I wasn't as anxious about season 2 releasing as I was for season 3 of the first series releasing). It's great in all the things it does, amazing stuff I never could have thought of, which is far better than a lot of the stuff I did in my fic (and those fight scenes, dang). But yeah, I do agree, they should have talked about it. And they don't. And it's... mm...

Another thing is that Mizrak maybe still has some racism to unpack. There's that line Olrox has about when his people were massacred by the Spanish, and Olrox says, "And our terrifying gods could do nothing to save us." And Mizrak replies, "Perhaps your gods were the problem," and it's like what the fuck Mizrak lol I don't know if it's part of his struggles with his own faith, which is very obviously happening, how if a god exists, they're allowing all this stuff to happen, that Emmanual failed so hard, and believing in a god - which is his issue - is causing so much of his issues (it's making him believe his affection for Olrox is false, that Olrox doesn't have a soul, and/or it's not saving him from what he believes is a wrong attraction, idk). Or, from a semi-logical standpoint, that Olrox's people were attacked because they weren't Christian, and that the Spanish wouldn't have attacked Olrox's people if they were Christian. Or simply that "well it's your fault for not being Christian", I have no idea. It's a weird moment. We have really not moved past the "animal" conversation all that much. Olrox is very, very forgiving. And I am way more forgiving because I forgot I resolved most of this in my fic over a year ago lol I don't know, relationships are messy, I enjoyed what I saw of them. Olrox running to Mizrak's side was a lot and I loved it. The way Olrox is like, "I thought you wanted to know" killed me.

ANYWAY though... it was a good season. Really, I liked it.

[generalpenguinangel]

For my money, the most (only?) interesting thing about Frank Harkness is seeing where River Cartwright gets his crazy streak from.

River spent most of his childhood and youth raised by his grandparents, in what I can only imagine was a mostly pleasant stereotypically repressed British upbringing. His hometown is wealthy and picturesque. He probably went to a nice university and did mostly normal university things there. And yet he is, canonically, a maniac, who is ready to commit violence at any given moment. My two favourite examples:

s1: beats his erstwhile friend unconscious

s2: chokes a random cab driver (and then tells him "I'm one of the good ones". Lol, okay honey bunny)

And he also has the other side of the coin, which is that he's unruffled by the prospect of enduring physical violence himself.

And Frank sees this in him, instinctually.

When Frank tells Taverner that River is a poor fit for MI-5 and that's why he's mouldering in Slough House - ask yourself, where is the lie? River is constitutionally ill-suited for life in a modern bureaucratic institution, even if that institution does spy stuff.

He would never join Frank's operation because unlike Frank, he has good in him, or at least he wants to do good. But ooh, he also wants to be good at what he's doing. He wants to feel good in the way you feel good when you're doing something that comes naturally to you.

The most best thing about the scene between Frank and River at the bar in season 4 is when Frank gives him a few crumbs of praise and River just fucking eats it up, despite himself. Because actually he IS good at the kinetic stuff. But what drives that side of him is also what gets him continually shit on by the Service. And it must feel amazingly good to have someone recognize and validate that potential in him, even if it's coming from his nutcase absent father.

Lamb sees River's potential, of course, but he never shows it or overtly encourages him because Lamb understands him and knows that he's already got a big head and no impulse control and that he needs to learn to get over himself and calm the fuck down. He doesn't need the OB filling his head with Rudyard Kipling nonsense or Frank Harkness selling him American-style on the glamour of being a mercenary. He needs someone who can show him how the world, in all its ugliness, really works. That's what's going to keep him alive and possibly intact in some sense.

I think this is all pretty obvious but I've been trying and failing to plot a River Harkness AU so here are some thoughts that arose on father/son dynamics.

[sparrowsupportgroup]

hyperspecific things i daydream about for Ais’s route:

i. bar brawl

So, you know how Ais likes bar brawls? Imagine a scene similar to the one when he punches the roughneck in the demo but this time it’s multiple roughnecks and the stakes are even higher, they’re even more deadly, and a lot more is at risk - like your life, for example.

If Ais knocked out a roughneck that threatened you and he barely knew you at that point, I feel he would do even more destructive damage to any threats when he’s really attached to you if it meant keeping you safe.

So I imagine instead of Ais merely just fighting in the bar brawl, he straight up slaughters EVERYBODY(expect you of course) and now y’all are both surrounded by the carnage he created and you have to deal with the aftermath of him struggling to control his emotions, the aftermath of realizing when Ais loves someone, it’s a bloodbath for everyone else. But you already love red if you love Ais.

ii. flood

Considering Eridia is a river city, I wonder if there has ever been a flood?

This could be a bad end scenario or something, but I think it would be crazy if Eridia would have a flood except all the water is from the Seaspring.

Ais could try his best to contain the Seaspring waters but Ocudeus literally forces his hand/takes control of him and Eridia is swept away into a red, watery apocalypse.

Ais has to be tortured by the fact that he not only doomed everyone, he also doomed you.

iii. trust

Sorta continuing from the second scenario, I would love to see a situation where Ais’s self-control is put to the test.

Hyperspecific circumstance, but imagine if Ais has to carry you across the waters of the Seaspring for your safety. Of course, this is a nightmare for the both of you.

You have to anxiously wonder if Ais, known to be unpredictable and slowly losing control of his mind, won’t submerge you under the water, forcing your submission to the Groupmind and Ocudeus, if he has sinked far enough down into the darkness of the abyss to even consider betraying your trust in him in such a horrific way.

For Ais, his façade of calm is slowly splintering. He has lost so many people dear to him, some even by his own hand. He knew better than to get attached to you but it’s too late; you’re in his veins, in his blood, and he cannot purge you out even if he wanted to.

He’s holding you above the water as high he can but it’s so easy, so tempting, to let you go, to let you fall, to hold you down under the water as you struggle for your life, for your sanity, for your humanity.

But every time he toes the edge of that cliff, ready to jump off with you trapped in his arms, Ais pulls himself back. He can’t betray your trust or your hard-earned faith in him; he cannot douse the flickering hope that, against all odds, that he can protect you. That he can save you. That there’s salvation in his hands that can hurt, and will hurt again.

So Ais holds you tighter to him, so tight you’re almost melded into his skin. Whether it’s to comfort you or him, he does not know.

[padfootagain]

Love in Verses (L)

Chapter 50 : ‘And I’d wonder sometimes if I’d ever find you.’

Hi! Here is a new chapter! Our babies are getting married!!!

I hope you like this chapter! Tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader (professor!AU)

Warnings: slow burn, angst, hurt, hurt/comfort, tooth-rotting fluff in later chapters, some scenes in later chapters will have heavy sexual themes even if it’s not explicit nsfw description, so no minors here

Summary: Your life seems perfect. You're engaged, your career is thriving as you become an assistant professor at Trinity College, and this Andrew Hozier-Byrne you're sharing an office with seems to be a nice guy you hope to call a friend soon. Life seems to be smiling at you... until everything goes sour. When your fiancé breaks up with you, your perfect world shatters. And when your colleague also gets his heart broken soon after, your shared office seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. But Andrew seems determined to mend your broken hearts... Will things finally go according to plan?

Word Count: 3526

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s masterlist – Main masterlist

If I Had Three Lives

If I had three lives, I’d marry you in two. The other? Perhaps that life over there at Starbucks, sitting alone, writing — a memoir, maybe a novel or this poem. No kids, probably, a small apartment with a view of the river, and books — lots of books, and time to read. Friends to laugh with, and a man sometimes, for a weekend, to remember what skin feels like when it’s alive. I’d be thinner in that life, vegan, practice yoga. I’d go to art films, farmers markets, drink martinis in swingy skirts and big jewelry. I’d vacation on the Maine coast and wear a flannel shirt weekend guy left behind, loving the smell of sweat and aftershave more than I did him. I’d walk the beach at sunrise, find perfect shell spirals and study pockmarks water makes in sand. And I’d wonder sometimes if I’d ever find you.

Sarah Russell

Fuck traditions.

Fuck traditions and fuck you for wanting to respect this one.

Alright, maybe… just maybe Andrew was being a little overdramatic because he was tipsy and it was almost midnight, which meant that it was almost the day he would fucking marry you. But as he stared at the clock on the wall of the pub where he was celebrating his bachelor party, all he wanted was to go home and hold you, and kiss you, and fuck you senseless and then…

“Hey! Is our groom being a little nostalgic of good old celibacy over there?” Rory joked, nudging Andrew in the arm and making him laugh again.

“God no!” he answered. “I just… I’m tired, I think we should call it a day. Thank you all for tonight, it was good craic.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” Alex grinned, satisfied that his simple plans had made his friend happy.

They hadn’t done anything crazy for their night together. They had spent some time playing some music, had eaten a nice dinner and then headed to a few pubs. Nothing fancy, nothing crazy, but they had a lot of fun, and Andrew didn’t want to do anything crazy anyway. Alex had made sure they would all drink responsibly so they would be ready for the big day.

“Yeah, it was grand. Thank you, for planning all this for me.”

Alex was a little emotional when drunk, but still, Andrew was surprised when his best friend hugged him tight.

“I’m really fucking thrilled for you, you know that, right?”

Andrew merely chuckled.

“Yeah, I know. You must be relieved too, that I’m never going to mop around in your flat again…”

“You can’t imagine how relieved I am that you’ll spare me from now on.”

They both laughed, both of them trying to hide how emotional they truly were.

“I’ll be waiting for your call for me to be you best man soon enough…” Andrew teased his friend, making him roll his eyes.

“Argh… we’re not there yet.”

“You live together, you spend all your time together… last week, you were talking about babies…”

“Oh… Siobhán’s the one, don’t get me wrong. I just… we’re good as we are for now. Although… I’m sure I’ll be the next one celebrating the end of celibacy…”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. I’m happy for you.”

Alex gave him a grin.

“And who knows… we’re thinking about a baby… maybe you’ll have a call to be godfather too!”

Andrew tried to hide his teary eyes, failed miserably at it.

“I would be honoured.”

“Good. Cause Y/N would obviously be the godmother so… would be easier.”

“You really imagined for a second that I would say no?”

Alex laughed.

“No, no! I knew you’d say yes. I’m just… happy to hear it. But we’re not there yet! So don’t get all excited!”

“I already am!”

“You’re such a sap…”

“Always.”

“Come on, time to go home,” John proclaimed as he got up, and pulled his younger brother by the sleeve. “I’m taking you home.”

“Wait, I’m gonna call Y/N before we go.”

“You’ll see her tomorrow! You said you were respecting the ‘not seeing the bride the night before the wedding’ thing.”

“Calling her is not seeing her.”

John rolled his eyes, but he was fondly smiling at his brother too.

“You are addicted to her, huh? She got you wrapped around her finger…”

“She’s my fiancée… what did you expect?”

“In less than 24 hours, she’ll be your wife.”

Stars and tears shone in Andrew’s eyes.

“Yeah… yeah…”

“Come on, call her, then! I’ll wait for you in the car.”

Everyone gathered for one last bit of joking around, and then Andrew bid his friends goodnight. While everyone was heading home, he pulled out his phone to call you.

You answered on the third ring, you wore a smile on your voice.

“Baby! How are you? Where are you now?”

“Hey, honey,” he answered with a smile on his voice too, and he wasn’t ashamed to show it, not to you… never to you… “I’m outside a pub… I’m going to head to my parents’ now, John didn’t drink and he’s driving. But… I just wanted to call before going to sleep. You’re alright? How was your evening?”

“It was fun! Siobhán outdid herself. We ate a lot, went to a pub and then watched a movie while eating again. It was amazing. We played games too. Everyone’s gone home, they left like… ten minutes ago to let me have my beauty sleep for tomorrow.”

Andrew hummed, grinning.

“I’m glad you had a nice evening, love.”

“What about you? You went to a pub then?”

“Hmm… yeah! Played some music at Alex’s, then we went out for dinner, and then we went to a few pubs.”

“You sound tipsy,” you stated in a giggle.

“You too,” Andrew answered, his laughter matching yours.

“Hmm… yeah, I am, a little bit.”

Andrew pushed his tongue against his cheek, but didn’t say what he longed to express. That he loved you more than anything. That he wanted to go home now and be with you instead of going to his parents…

“I should let you sleep, then,” were the only words he spoke aloud.

“Yeah…”

You sounded disappointed.

“Baby?”

“Yes, love?”

“I miss you,” you confessed.

God, how could you make his heart melt this way over and over again?

“I miss you too, darling. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

A short silence, before your voice came back to the phone, shy and hesitant.

“I… I know that I wanted to do that traditional thing of not seeing you tonight and all but… can you come home now? I… I want you to be here. I really miss you a lot.”

“You’re sure?” Andrew asked, even though a wave of relief washed over him at your words.

“Yeah… I want to fall asleep with you. Please, come home. Fuck traditions.”

He chuckled, trying to hide how eager he was to come home too.

“Alright, I’ll come home then. I should be there in twenty.”

“Okay, be careful on the road.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, babe.”

Andrew hurried to his brother’s car, climbed in the passenger seat and fumbled with the seatbelt.

“Alright, change of plans,” he started, but John quickly cut him off.

“Oh, let me guess… you’re going home because you can’t stay away from your fiancée more than five minutes?”

Andrew grinned.

“Yeah…”

John merely laughed, a fond expression on his face.

“I knew it. When you told me about this plan staying at our parents’, I knew you’d end up going home.”

“Yeah, we just… we need to be together tonight.”

“Yeah… I get that.”

The rest of the ride was quiet, and Andrew thanked his brother again when he dropped him home. He would come and pick him up the next day at nine, so he would get ready for the ceremony.

Andrew hurried to your front door, fumbled with the keys in his haste. When he opened the door, he called for you.

He had barely taken off his shoes and jacket that you were appearing at the bottom of the stairs, a relieved smile on your face.

“You’re home,” you let out in a breath, hurrying towards him.

He welcomed you in a tight embrace, kissing your hair.

“I needed you tonight,” you explained. “I just… I need you here…”

“I’m here. I’m here, love.”

“That tradition sucks.”

“Yeah, it does,” he nodded with a chuckle.

“I need to be close to you. I think… I’m stressed about tomorrow.”

“Why? It’s all gonna be fine.”

“Aren’t you anxious?”

“A bit,” he admitted. “But I’m… excited, rather. I can’t wait.”

You remained quiet.

“It’s all gonna be fine. Everything is planned, we have our friends and families to help us, and we only invited the people we love… it’s all going to be fine. And even if some things don’t go according to plan… as long as I get to marry you tomorrow, I don’t care about the rest.”

You moved in his arms, pressing your body against his. When you started kissing his neck, he knew where this was heading.

“Love?” he called as he pulled away just enough to look at you properly. “Are you drunk?”

“No… I only had like… two glasses of wine during the evening. Didn’t want to risk a hangover tomorrow. You?”

But Andrew shook his head, already leaning down to kiss you.

“I’m barely tipsy, I know what I’m doing.”

“Me too.”

And then he was kissing you, and God… it still felt the same. The best feeling in the world…

Your kisses quickly turned desperate. Somehow, Andrew lost his shirt and undershirt in a matter of minutes, while you were now pressed against the wall. You ran your fingers down the length of his chest, and Andrew trembled under your touch.

But then, you stopped, and he froze as well, throwing you a questioning look.

“This… this is our last time as… fiancés,” you whispered, something emotional weighing on your voice.

His expression changed from hungry to tender, he softly stroked your cheek with his thumb.

“Better make it memorable then,” he answered with a suave voice, and he noticed the way your breath staggered.

You bit on your lip, something tempting and mischievous in your eyes. You gently pushed on his chest so you could move out of his embrace, took his hand and pulled him towards the stairs.

“That, we can do…”

That was it.

You looked at yourself one last time in your dress, feeling beautiful, feeling like none of this was real, and yet it was.

You were getting married.

“Andrew’s here!” Siobhán announced. “He did, indeed, arrive on time for once!”

“His parents and brother were driving him,” you explained, teasing in your voice.

“That explains everything! Do you need anything?”

“A hug?”

Your friend laughed, but hugged you without a second-thought anyway.

“I’m so happy for you and Andy! You’re going to be so happy together,” she whispered in your ear, making you emotional again.

“Yeah… I know…”

“He’s not going to believe his eyes when he sees you, you look so beautiful!” she complimented you, pulling away and readjusting one of the flowers in your hair.

“Thanks.”

“Alright, you stay here, I’ll get everything ready and I’ll come get you to take a first look at your groom, alright?”

“Okay.”

She gave your hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving. But despite her reassuring gesture, you couldn’t help the scenarios that played in your head. Even though you knew Andrew loved you, you knew that he was earnest, you knew that he wanted to marry you. Still… all you could think of as you stared at your own reflection in the mirror was the fear that he would leave…

Frank had bailed out, what if Andrew did the same?

But then Siobhán was back, a grin on her face.

“Alright, come on. Andy’s waiting for you. And if I might be allowed a spoiler… he’s so fucking hot…”

You laughed at that, a mixture of excitement and apprehension twisting your stomach.

What if Andrew didn’t like your dress? But you couldn’t wait to see him in his suit, your imagination was running wild at how handsome he must be…

“Alright, you close your eyes,” Siobhán instructed as you reached the back door of your friends’ house, and you obeyed.

She guided you a few meters away from the house. Your photographer had set up some cameras to catch the moment when you and Andrew would see each other in your wedding clothes for the first time, and your friend guided you at the right spot.

“Alright, you two!” she instructed in a louder voice so that Andrew could hear. “I’ll go now, I have a handsome Best Man to enjoy! You’re not the only ones looking stunning today, and I intend to enjoy seeing my boyfriend in a suit. So… you wait till I close the door, and then you both countdown from ten and turn around.”

“Okay,” you heard Andrew’s voice coming from behind you, it was deeper than usual, you guessed his throat had tightened.

“Okay,” you nodded as well.

“Alright, have fun!”

You heard her moving away, and when you opened your eyes, you were facing a tall oak tree in the middle of a patch of grass.

You heard the door slamming shut.

“Alright, ten,” Andrew spoke behind you, and your heart sped up even more as you started counting with him.

Your hands were clammy now, and your stomach was a mess of knots, and you hoped he wouldn’t leave, you didn’t want him to leave, what if he left…

“Three, two, one…”

You took a deep breath, and then you turned around.

And God… he was so… divine…

His dark suit suited him perfectly, the white of the flower pinned to his chest matching the bouquet you would soon be holding. His hair was partly up, and he just looked so handsome in his three-piece suit, with an elegant bowtie and shining black shoes, and…

And that was your groom right there…

You caught his hazel eyes when he was blinking, letting tears escape his eyes. And you read it all in his eyes then, the same adoration you felt for him, the same love, the same devotion, the same utter joy to see you standing there, ready to marry him…

All the doubts you had left vanished when he started walking over to you, crying, looking at you like you were something divine, something out of this world…

Your feet moved on their own accord, and the next second, you were in Andrew’s arms, breathing in his scent, holding tightly, your arms wrapping around his neck.

“God… Andy, you’re so handsome,” you whispered, crying as well now. “You’re gorgeous, God, you’re so beautiful, you look so good…”

He pulled away just enough to look at you. Your hands moved to hold his face, to run your thumbs over the sharp edge of his cheekbones.

He shook his head, opening and closing his mouth. He chuckled as he cried, looking at you like he couldn’t believe his own eyes.

His gaze travelled down your body, and then back up to your eyes. And he tried to speak again, but merely cried some more instead. He had a lovestruck grin on his lips, though.

“You’re so handsome,” you repeated yourself, and he sniffed, cleared his throat, tried to summon his voice back.

“You’re gorgeous,” he finally let out in a hoarse whisper. “Christ, baby… you’re so beautiful… The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen…”

You both chuckled, and cried, too happy to believe it was all real.

“You’re so beautiful… so beautiful…” he kept on repeating, before taking your face in his hands as well and crushing his lips to yours. “You’re gorgeous… God… love… my love…” he kept on mumbling between kisses.

You kissed and hugged and giggled and tried to realise that this was all real for a few minutes. Andrew seemed calmer, at last, and dried his cheeks on a tissue.

“Told you I would cry,” he chuckled, blushing hard.

“I cried so much too,” you reassured him.

“Yeah… but you must give me a spin. Give me a spin!” he insisted, taking your hand and making you laugh as you spined around. “God, you’re gorgeous…”

“You like my dress?”

“You’re perfect… you’re breathtaking.”

“Thank you…”

You hugged for a while longer, whispering sweet nothings and repeating how much you loved each other…

And there was no doubt left. When Raine arrived a few minutes later to let you know you needed to get ready for the ceremony, you left feeling nothing but happiness, love and a deep sense of peace.

Andrew was the love of your life, and he would stay, you were safe with him. You knew he would stay, no matter what…

The ceremony itself happened in a blur.

The next day, Andrew would remember every moment, every detail. But when it happened, all his brain could register was the silence that meant he needed to say ‘I do’, your voice when you spoke those words too, the moment when he slipped a ring around your finger and you did the same for him. And then the words ‘I now declare you husband and wife’, and then he was kissing you, and kissing you again, and again…

You were married. You were fucking married…

The papers were signed, and everyone hugged him, and then you escaped for a couple of hours to get some photos taken of the two of you. Then it was time to party, and he sang a song for you, because it would make you happy. For your first dance, he was worried to walk on your feet, clumsy as he was with his long limbs, but you seemed so happy all his worries faded the second your gaze caught his.

There was delicious food, drinking, games, some nice speeches from Alex and Siobhán, and a lot of love… so much love… so much happiness…

You never left his side, all day long the two of you remained glued to the hip. He didn’t want you out of his sight, and several times throughout the day he would glimpse at his wedding band, and then yours, and remind himself that you were married now.

She’s my wife.

Every time he looked at you, that simple truth slapped him in the face, and he couldn’t believe this was real…

Around midnight, while everyone was dancing, Andrew managed to sneak out of the tent with you, wanting to be alone for a moment.

The air was cold, September announcing Autumn and its colder weather. You had been lucky though, it had been sunny all day. Andrew put his jacket on your naked shoulders, and you thanked him with a tender smile. There were lights shining in the park, and you walked a little further away from the tent. You could still hear Alex and his band playing, but you were alone now, and Andrew held your hand in his, running his finger over your wedding ring as you settled behind a pine tree. The light was dim, but the full moon was bright, and paired with the yellowish lights of the nearby path, he could perfectly see your features.

You looked up at him with a radiant grin.

“Can you believe that in two days we’ll be on our honeymoon?” you asked.

“Not really, no,” Andrew shook his head, wrapping an arm around your waist to hold you close.

“You’re my husband,” you whispered, running your fingers through his hair.

“And you’re my wife,” he answered, a stupid grin on his face.

“You make me so happy, you know? I’m so lucky you love me.”

He kissed your cheek, your jaw, your lips.

“You make me happy too,” he whispered, emotions making his voice hoarse. “You’re the love of my life.”

“And you’re the love of mine.”

“Today was perfect,” he whispered, resting his forehead against yours and closing his eyes, letting your perfume make his head spin.

“It was…”

“The cake was the best part, by the way.”

You laughed at that.

“You’re so silly…” you said with so much fondness in your voice.

He kissed your closed eyelids.

“I know that we should get back, have fun with everyone for a little longer…”

“But?”

“But I want to go home and be just with you now.”

You bit on your lip, pulling away just enough to look for his phone in the pocket of his jacket.

“Text your mom, and then we’re getting a cab.”

“You’re sure? We can stay…”

“I want to go home. I want to enjoy some alone time with my husband.”

He giggled like an idiot at your words.

“Jesus… it’s gonna take me a while to get used to that…”

“Are you very drunk?”

“No… tipsy. Why?”

“Because… it’s our wedding night…”

He wiggled his eyebrows, making you giggle. He tried to hide the warmth that spread throughout his body at your innuendo, but failed.

“Hmm… I see…”

“I think you’re going to like what I’m wearing under that dress…”

“Yeah, okay, you’re getting the cab, I’ll sneak back in the tent to get your purse, you text my mom.”

He was already heading back towards the tent when you called for him, making him turn around.

And you were so beautiful in this dual light, golden and silvery, in your wedding dress, with flowers in your hair and joy making your entire body glow…

And you were his wife. He was your husband. You would love him for the rest of your lives… when did he get so lucky? How…?

“I love you, baby.”

He grinned, falling in love with you a little bit more… he would spend his entire life falling more and more in love with you…

“I love you too, darling. I love you so much…”

[puttersmile]

Smiling Critters OC: Ruby Rivers

Ruby Rivers is technically the main character of the Critter Crossing AU. An animator who worked within the in house animation studio of PlayCo. Also worked on commercials and box art. She was a pretty down to earth person but some of her co-workers believed in some weird things.

Here is some story stuff written like emails. To give some backstory. Enjoy!

From: Ruby Rivers

To: Peter Klein

Date: April 12, 1991

Time: 10:23 AM

Hey Pete,

Got your notes from yesterday’s meeting. Thanks for following up. I noticed you didn’t mention anything about your “poppy ink theory.” Maybe you realized it sounds a bit, well, out there?

You know I’m all for creative energy and inspiration—who wouldn’t be in this line of work? But this idea that our work is alive? Or that ink mixed with poppy seeds could somehow “bridge worlds”? Come on. Feels like you’ve been spending too much time watching the Twilight Zone.

Let’s not forget the real world here: poppy seeds contain weird compounds that can mess with your head. I’m pretty sure you’re not summoning spirits; you’re just getting secondhand microdosed. If anything, it’s probably giving folks mild hallucinations, not creating sentient cartoons.

Ruby

PS: Good idea switching to personal emails. I think our boss wasn't enjoying your crazy talk! No offense.

Subject: Re: Meeting Follow-Up

From: Peter Klein

To: Ruby Rivers

Date: April 12, 1991

Time: 11:09 AM

Ruby,

You’re missing the point! Sure, poppy seeds have… side effects, but this isn’t just about the ink. Have you ever thought about why characters like Dogday and Catnap feel so real? Why their stories seem to write themselves? Or why we all end up saying, “That’s exactly what Dogday would do” as if he’s deciding, not us?

I’m telling you, the ink might just be the catalyst. Look at the anomalies: the way sketches sometimes seem to shift slightly after we leave the room, or how animation frames appear more fluid than the tech should allow. Did you know Jill said she dreamed of Dogday last week, warning her not to approve a particular scene? She swears she woke up to find her storyboard reworked—better than before!

Something’s happening here, Ruby. Whether you believe it or not, you can’t deny the connection we feel with these characters.

Pete

Subject: Re: Meeting Follow-Up

From: Ruby Rivers

To: Peter Klein

Date: April 12, 1991

Time: 11:37 AM

Pete,

“Sketches shifting”? “Dream warnings”? That’s not supernatural, that’s sleep deprivation and caffeine overload. I don’t know why Jill redid her storyboard, but it wasn’t Dogday whispering in her ear. Maybe she was inspired and forgot about it—our brains are weird like that.

And yeah, we connect with the characters. We created them, after all. But they’re not real. They’re reflections of us, our ideas, and our teamwork. And a unhelpfully healthy dose of instructions from the higher ups. But anyway, That’s why they seem alive—it’s projection, not some alternate dimension leaking into the studio. Come on, Pete.

As for the ink, I’ll humor you for a second. Let’s say it does something weird. You think PlayCo would let us use it if they knew it could, I don’t know, break reality? They’d sell it as a toy themselves if it were that special.

Ruby

Subject: Re: Meeting Follow-Up

From: Peter Klein

To: Ruby Rivers

Date: April 12, 1991

Time: 12:15 PM

Ruby,

Have you looked at the new toy prototypes yet? You might be more right than you think, Ruby.

You don’t have to believe me, but don’t dismiss it entirely. You said it yourself—our characters are reflections of us. What if those reflections are more than just ideas? What if they’re connected to something bigger?

Remember the early versions of Dogday and Catnap? You told me once that you used to imagine Hot Clawffee and Snoozle Dreamhound sitting on your shoulders, like little muses. Maybe that’s closer to the truth than you think. Maybe they’re still there, influencing what you create.

I’ll leave you with this: if these characters weren’t real in some way, why would they mean so much to us?

Pete

Subject: Re: Meeting Follow-Up

From: Ruby Rivers

To: Peter Klein

Date: April 12, 1991

Time: 1:08 PM

Pete,

Hot Clawffee and Snoozle Dreamhound were my creations, and yeah, I still think about them. Sometimes when I’m stuck on a scene, I picture them sitting on my shoulders, one whispering something clever, the other reminding me to take a nap. It’s silly, but it helps. Kind of soothes my wounded pride that PlayCo wanted so many changes.

Eh Dogday is fine. But Catnap. When I see the big one walking around in that orphan city, it creeps me out like crazy. I can barely stand to look at it directly. But this is getting off topic!

All of that is just my imagination, not proof of anything supernatural. Characters are important because we pour ourselves into them, not because they’re alive. And I won’t deny that Dogday and Catnap feel like they’ve taken on lives of their own in some ways. We are working near unethical work hours in this place. Probably why we are hearing and seeing strange shit.

So no, I don’t think we’re breaking any laws of nature here. But I’ll admit this much: these characters matter. To us at least. And the kids. Not because they’re "real", but because they remind us of the best parts of ourselves. That's just how I see it.

But anyway, I've got to go turn in some animatics. See you later.

Ruby