#SO I'D JUST BE WRITING IT FOR NOTHING

[cheritzssebba]

Secret Ending Three - Chapter Eight: Two Steps Forward

I'm getting really bored of this chapter..and I accidentally posted it instead of saving it as a draft so it's really annoying me to find it under all my posts. So I'll just write it so it's out my way -3- if I do it poorly, I can always edit it in AO3

I don't remember the last time I left the house this early. Rubbing our eyes, stomachs full on Yeonho's million course breakfast, it's still surreal to be out while the streets are so empty and the sun has barely even risen yet.

I do hate this sensation... I can't help but be reminded of when I was trapped in that world with my bear, without anyone else. The eerie quiet sends chills up and down my spine. I'm not sure who I'm trying to comfort when I instinctively grab his hand as we step out of the limo, huddling together for warmth.

After we all were standing on the pavement, waving goodbye to Yuri and Tei, I heard a sudden crunch, and then a loud gasp, and, "Nooooooooooooo!!"

I quickly turned around. "Yeonho?? Is everything alright??" I'm sure that must have been the loudest thing I've ever heard come from his mouth. Is he okay??

"What's wrong, Yeonho??" Red exclaimed, rushing over to him.

He's frozen, crouched onto the ground. It does remind me of when he found John the cat, but there isn't a cat, or even a creature in sight. "Noooooo!!" he cried again, and he reached out towards something on the ground. "I crushed a snail..!"

Oh... I hadn't noticed, nor do I think anyone else did at all, but if you look close enough, there lies the crushed shell of a snail next to his foot...

"Oh..! That's...um." Snails are a bit gross. I guess I'm glad it's not a spider.

"Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry..." I hear Yeonho whispering to himself.

"Oh, it's just a snail. I thought you were hurt," Lance said coldly. "Then come on, let's keep going." With that, he turned back around and marched on towards the academy.

"It wasn't doing anything! Just because it's small doesn't mean we can just step on it!" Yeonho argued. He picks up the broken corpse gently and breathes in and out.

I never considered something like this before, but...I guess it is a bit sad, isn't it? Just because a snail is gross or you can go your whole day without even thinking about one, does that really mean that it's death is meaningless? I don't know... I've never thought about it before.

"That's really thoughtful, Yeonho. You didn't mean to do it though, you shouldn't feel too bad about it," I said, patting his shoulder as a way to comfort him.

"Thank you, Eri," he replied, trying to smile. But he frowned sadly again as he walked towards, but not through, the school gate. I watched him kneel down at the grass, whispering "ashes to ashes, dust to dust," apparently giving the snail a tiny funeral. He, Red and I all bowed our heads in respect. My bear followed suit afterwards.

Once ready, Yeonho led the way to catch up with Lance, and my bear nudged me and whispered, "that was weird."

"Yeah. It was, wasn't it? But it was a bit cute that we did it together," I giggled, taking Red's hand and walking through the school gates. My bear just nodded in response.

The halls are so empty this early and the clouds outside so grey, it's hard to believe it's even a school day. But the five of us all make our way to freshman class N to start the day.

"Are you excited to start school?" Red asked my bear. "I won't be able to be with you guys all day, since I go to a different classroom, but see you again at lunchtime!"

"I guess," my bear responds, clinging to my side. I think he's a bit shy, but he'll warm up to everything eventually, I'm sure.

"Then I'll see you later, okay? I gotta go speak to the drama club president quickly, so I'll let you guys get on with your tour of the school," said Red, waving. I worry slightly about him leaving my side, but I won't be alone.

"Please familiarise yourself with your surroundings," Lance says to my bear, dumping his schoolbag under his seat and putting on his teacher voice. "This is the classroom you will be spending the most time in. If you get lost or forget where to go, do not worry. You can always ask the students around you or any teachers about where you're meant to be. Shall we give you a tour of the rest of the building?"

My teddy was about to respond, hopefully a yes, but we were interrupted by a hesitant knock at the classroom door. We all turned to see a senior shyly open it and stare at us with wide eyes. We're the only ones in the classroom yet. What's she doing here?

"Um. Excuse me." Her voice is quiet and her eyes only focus on the floor. "Um. You're Lance, right?"

He gave an exhausted sigh at the question. "Correct. And I am not interested if you are asking me out on a date. No exceptions."

"Um. No. It-it's not that," the girl stuttered, twisting a strand of hair around her fingers. "It's nothing like that. It's something else. I need to speak to you about something...important."

Maybe it's about his student government duties? He rolls his eyes, clearly annoyed, and says finally, "alright. But make it quick."

"I- um- I... I'll try?" she stammered and followed him quickly out of the classroom.

I looked between my bear and Yeonho after he left and asked, "Yeonho, have you seen that girl anywhere before?" But he doesn't respond... "Yeonho?"

"Hm? Oh, uh no," he replied, startled, after turning away from the window. "Sorry. I was still thinking about that snail."

"Aw, I'm sure it's happy in snail heaven."

"I don't know if I believe in a heaven, but I do believe in a hell," my bear says.

Papers and posters decorate the four walls around him and he's especially captivated by a painting of a dandelion at the back of the classroom. "Don't we have this one at home?"

"Huh! Oh yeah, we do!" I replied. I don’t really look at the classroom that much so I hadn't noticed until he'd pointed it out. I follow him to the back and take a look myself.

The majority of the decorations are maths formulas, which would probably have helped me if I knew they were there. Eh, never mind.

But when I look closer at them... "Isn't that actually Lance's handwriting?" Am I wrong? All of the maths posters are written by Lance. I'm sure that's his handwriting.

"Oh yes, it is! I never noticed that before!" exclaimed Yeonho. "I'm sure in my world it was different. Wow, Lance... He did all of this?

"Hey, Lance!" Yeonho beamed, rushing out of the classroom to call him. He stuck his head out the door to look left and right. "... Lance?" But from what I could hear, there was no one there, not even the girl that called for him.

"Lance..?" I called into the void behind Yeonho. He said he'd be quick... "I guess he's gone."

"Hm," my bear mumbled and tugged at my sleeve. He looks all cute and bashful like that.

"You okay?"

"Eh... Are we still going to do that tour?" he asked without making eye contact. He keeps fiddling with my blazer like a little kid.

"Oh, um. I hope so. I have no idea when he might be back though, so I'm not sure. I'll text him-"

"You can't."

"Why not?"

"There," he said. His finger pointed towards Lance's seat. On it, Lance's phone.

"Oh... Um, he'll be back for it soon, right?"

"I don't know," Yeonho commented. "He might be going to a student government meeting. And plus, he has to do his discipline guide duties, so he probably won't be back in time."

Lance... What are we gonna do?

"Then...we'll look after his things for him while he's gone," I sighed. Sadly, I watched my bear's expression turn to a dejected frown. "Are you okay with that..?" Mute, he shrugged at me and kicked at the floor. Is he disappointed?

"Hey," called Yeonho, "don't be sad. We can still do it without him."

"... We can?"

"Yeah, of course! Lance knows the school like the back of his hand, but we know some stuff too! What do you think? Why don't the three of us go and show you around together?"

Offering a hand, Yeonho stood like a big brother above my bear with a kind smile on his face. Hesitantly, he looked to me for reassurance and slowly took the hand given to him... Since when did my dolls get so cute??

And just like that, the day went just as smoothly as planned. The tour went just fine, but although we searched most of the classrooms, we still couldn't find Lance... Will he be okay wherever he is?

By the time all the other students had started filing in, we're already finished touring and are sat chatting in the classroom, waiting for everyone else. I check my phone but when I look at Lance's desk, his phone is still sitting there, exactly where we left it.

The bell rings. It's the start of our first class of the day and the start of my bear's first class ever. But I start to worry when the teacher begins the lesson and there are still people who are missing...

Where are Soi and Shinbi?

I send them a text on our new group chat: "Hey guys! Lesson's already started and there's someone I want you to meet. Are you not in today?"

"Do you- Uh...um," I start to my bear on my right, about to ask him about Soi and Shinbi, but I don't know what to say when I look at him trying to write the date in his notebook. Does he know how to hold a pen properly?

"Hey," I say, and I take the pen from him. "You should hold it like this. See?" I explain, modelling the grip with his pen. "It's easier to control it like this, where you put it between your thumb and forefinger like that. You try."

"Okay..." he said, looking a bit annoyed, but he obeyed anyway and tried holding it how I showed him...awkwardly. He frowns at the page and sticks his tongue out, pen shaking in his hand. Has he broken a sweat? Oh dear... I think the handwriting was better before.

"You know what, if its hard for you, you don't have to do it that way. I just thought it would help, but you should just do it whatever way you feel comfortable with." Would Lance have dealt with this situation better? Whoops.

Snatching my attention away comes the vibrating desk from the notification on my phone. A message on the group chat from Soi: "sick".

Hmm... Well that's sad! I wonder why she didn't tell me. But the chat is showing that Shinbi's read the message as well, does that mean she's sick too, since they live together?

I write back: "Oh no! Hope you get better soon, want me to take notes for you?" The light to show that the message was read displays brightly and instantly, but I don't get another message on the chat, not for the rest of the entire day...

The bell rings for lunch, and, "Eri," I hear. Caught up in my thoughts about Soi and Shinbi, Yeonho calls me.

"I've got a surprise," he beams, the biggest smile on his face I think I've ever seen him show. He opens his bag. "You looked a little down for some reason. I hope this can cheer you up."

Two cute bento boxes are revealed and set out onto our desks before he pushes our desks together so that we can all eat right next to each other. He also pulls from his bag two little flatware sets decorated with cute characters - mine pink, my bear's purple. Adorable!

"Oh, Yeonho! I didn't know you did this, that's so nice!" I cry, witnessing the arrangement in the boxes of vegetable, fish and rice. My favourite bibimbap. "Yes, I didn't want the first day back to be too stressful with dealing with the cafeteria so I made this for you guys," he smiled, clearly proud of himself in his own little adorable way.

"That's really kind of you," I said, taking out my chopsticks. "Oh, it's fine, you don't have to worry about it. I can do it every day if you like?" "Every day? Really, Yeonho??" My eyes widened. "Yeah." But Yeonho's face remained the same, calm and unfazed. "Yeonho, that's so..."

A little voice on my right. "... Thank you." I see my bear, spoon clutched in his right hand and the little lunchbox in his left. Already, grains of rice sticking to his lower lip, his face, eyes wider than the headlights, reminds me of a baby deer.

Yeonho reaches back into his bag and hands him a napkin with another sweet smile, and says, "you're welcome."

We continued the rest of the break, and the rest of the day, just perfectly. But I was surprised to see a text on our group chat from Lance...on Red's phone?

[fogdraws]

Yess I've always wanted to do something for HOUN..... That's it

Yeah the dog has no eyes pretend it is a very clever design choice that has deep simbolism or something (I actually forgot it and am lazy,,)

More colours and the sketch after the cut bcs I'm indecisive

[earlgrayfog]

my true calling in life is too be rich enough to fund my crippling fanfic addiction

[tr1cked]

they block me because of my genderfluid loki swag & respect for trans muses.

[blueskittlesart]

*sigh* thoughts on Nintendo's botw/totk timeline shenanigans and tomfoolery?

tbh. my maybe-unpopular opinion is that the timeline is only important when a game's place on the timeline seriously informs the way their narrative progresses. the problem is that before botw we almost NEVER got games where it didn't matter. it matters for skyward sword because it's the beginning, and it matters for tp/ww/alttp (and their respective sequels) because the choices the hero of time makes explicitly inform the narrative of those games in one way or another. it matters which timeline we're in for those games because these cycles we're seeing are close enough to oot's cycle that they're still feeling the effects of his choices. botw, however, takes place at minimum 10 thousand years after oot, so its place on the timeline actually functionally means nothing. botw is completely divorced from the hero of time & his story, so what he does is a nonissue in the context of botw link and zelda's story. thus, which timeline botw happens in is a nonissue. honestly I kind of liked the idea that it happened in all of them. i think there's a cool idea of inevitability that can be played with there. but the point is that the timeline exists to enhance and fill in the lore of games that need it, and botw/totk don't really need it because the devs finally realized they could make a game without the hero of time in it.

[carnation-damnation]

Fear of being left behind, and wanting to be loved as much as you love others. Sometimes little reminders from a friend can help. Peep my tags

[buglaur]

this is kit, please commission some art from them on social bunny 🙏

[sage-nebula]

What's funny is that Friede isn't even haunting the narrative, because the narrative never fucking mentions him.

[bumblingbabooshka]

What if Janeway (as a lieutenant commander) habitually went to the mess hall late at night because she's a cook so terrible it extends to replicated food and she can usually find something to snack on there but one day she finds that among the usual things left out for people to grab, there's something homemade and she takes a chance on it to find it's DELICIOUS!

From that point on she sometimes finds homemade things with a note in the same handwriting, declaring that anyone's free to take a portion. (Janeway sometimes takes more than one, oops) and she becomes increasingly curious about who it is leaving these dishes and though other people have also taken portions no one seems to know who's leaving them.

Then one night she comes into the mess hall to find Tuvok there. She tenses up, ready for a confrontation. To say they don't get along well would be an understatement, but she can't just turn around and walk right back out after locking eyes with him. They both give each other a terse, obligatory greeting. Then as Tuvok moves away Janeway notices that he left a tray of something...with a note. With THE Note!! It's his handwriting! Janeway stops Tuvok to talk about how she's been eating the food he leaves sometimes and how good it is and Tuvok seems to be responding woodenly, as if he wants to end the interaction as soon as possible which irritates Janeway and so (along with genuine curiosity) she decides to extend the conversation by asking why he sometimes leaves food. Tuvok hesitates then admits he at times makes too much unconsciously because he's used to cooking for a large family. Before [re-]joining Starfleet he was never really away from them. He asks that Janeway not reveal his identity because he doesn't want others to perceive it as an attempt to curry favor (he's remembering the sulu incident). Janeway softens a bit. She didn't know Tuvok had a family or could admit to making mistakes. It makes her like him more. They say goodnight to one another and Tuvok leaves. The next day when they happen to see each other, Janeway tells Tuvok (in a conspiratorially low voice) that she found the dish he made last night exquisite as always. Tuvok says a brief thank you, then hurries off, almost as if embarrassed. Janeway smiles. It's one of the first breaks in the ice between them.

[mattodore]

also dw theo is still the prettiest guy you've ever seen

[calamitoustide]

Lily, oh Lily I just loathe you lately...

microfic - jegulily/regulily - 1.7k

  It started with a kiss. 

One Regulus wasn’t even included in. He wasn’t even there, he didn’t see it, and yet he replays it in his head almost constantly. It’s the first thought he has in the morning, he carries it with him through lunch. White knuckles braced against the table as he stares longing towards the other side of the hall, his ears ringing and he can’t hear anything anyone is trying to say to him. His friends all make comments but he doesn’t notice them. His mind is too loud, thinking of soft skin and eyes that bite. He forgets his notes, it doesn’t matter, they’re not even there. He lays awake at night unable to close his eyes without thinking, thinking, thinking. 

He should be thinking about James. He should be obsessively counting his every step. It’s how this whole thing started. James is everything, he hung the moon, and every single star in the night sky. He walks around the halls calling out to everyone by name, his smile hung wide across his face. And yes, Regulus thinks of him. He thinks of his sweat covered skin as he skips off to the locker rooms after practice. He thinks of him drunkenly coming up to him, leaning close to his ear to whisper nonsense. Even if he can’t understand it Regulus clings onto every single word. He thinks of how he looks in the morning, a sight Regulus has only seen a handful of times and yet he cherishes it like it’s the world. He thinks of his hair all messed up, and his eyes wide and soft like an infant. He thinks of him stretching out his exhaustion and the little moment his shirt lifts up to reveal what’s underneath. He thinks and he thinks and he thinks, but he’s not looking over at him. He’s looking at her. 

The rumors of James Potter and Lily Evans finally working it out spread like wildfire. It’s embers branching out until there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know about it. Their kiss happened in the middle of the Gryffindor common room, apparently no one was there, but there are always sources. Always whispers. Regulus woke up to a burn to his cheek, and a crackling outside of his window. His friends looked over at him, pity drowning in their eyes, but none of them said anything. None of them knew how. It was Pandora who finally brought him over, holding his hands gently as she broke him the news. He can’t remember his reaction. He just remembers the moment his face dropped, but he wasn’t thinking of him, he was thinking about her. 

He never minded Lily Evans before, he barely gave her a second glance. He saw her sometimes in the library, she always sat alone, pushed in the back. Even in the darkest parts of the castle the sunlight always tended to reach her. It covered her and highlighted every freckle on her face. Her eyes were always soft with contemplation, but Regulus didn’t care for her much. He always heard about James’ crush on her, of course he did, but he never cared. He didn’t think it would go anywhere. He thought to himself Lily Evans was as blind as a person can be for rejecting James. He could never understand it. How could she get James to even so much as look at her and not truly understand what that meant. How much other people would die for him to look at them like that. Resentment climbed in his liver, it overwhelmed him. Before it was a scoff at any remark. It was an eye roll at the stupidity of Lily for thinking James would just be there when she realized how daft she was truly being. 

Though the only stupid person truly was Regulus, for James was there waiting for when Lily finally opened her eyes. He was there to chase after her, like the tail-end of a shooting star. James ran circles around her, watching her like she was everything, like she was his entire world. He held open every single door for her. He’d make himself bleed for an ounce of her attention, and she never never cared. She never cared before now, but Regulus has been here. He’s been here and Lily just walked the epitome of angel dust to smile and beckon James over to her like he’s a dog on a leash she’s holding. 

“Regulus,” Pandora’s voice catches him out of his retched mind. 

“What?” Regulus snaps, not taking his eyes off her. Her with her perfect skin. Her with her perfect everything. 

“You’re going to drill a hole in her head, you know,” She comments. 

Regulus finally releases his gaze, “What are you talking about?” 

It’s just the two of them. Barty and Evan ran off somewhere, and Dorcas well she’s always with Marlene now anyway. Pandora looks over at him softly, her eyes filled with pity, “You don’t have to pretend you’re looking at James when it’s just me.” 

Regulus furrows his eyebrows, shaking his head, “I’m not just looking at her.” 

“You’re looking at both of them?” Pandora suggests. 

“Yeah,” Regulus answers, lies dripping from his mouth. 

Pandora smiles, “James walked away five minutes ago.” 

Regulus head whips aside to find her right. It’s only Lily, laughing at something one of her friends are telling her. She throws her head back like she’s a little kid. Coated in innocence in a kind of nostalgia not many people can reach towards. Sunlight nips at her face as her nose crinkles in a laugh. Her beauty endless, it’s like a knife to Regulus’ skin. Every perfection he finds in her is a scar on him. 

“Regulus?” Pandora calls out again, as if she’s talking to a child. “Is there something you need to tell me?” 

“Like what?” Regulus grumbles, looking back down at his plate, trying to fight the pull to look over at her. It’s like he’s under a spell, he’s certain she’s behind it. She wants him to look at her. She wants for all of this. She’s out to get him. He looks up again. She’s still sitting there. Why is she still there? Shouldn’t she be off chasing after James? Shouldn’t she be at his feet beck and call? Shouldn’t she be giving him the world right now? Why is she still just sitting there? 

Pandora hums, “Nothing.” 

Regulus looks over at her, “What’s your problem?” 

“You’re torturing yourself,” Pandora tells him. 

Regulus hesitates, he opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. In any other world this would be torture. He’s staring off at the girl who’s got the one thing he’s been begging for his entire life. He’s never wanted something as much as he’s wanted James. Looking over at Lily should be torture. It should kill him. It is. It’s the sweetest kind of torture. It’s a twisted lullaby. It’s a stinging on his cheek. 

“Unless,” Pandora starts, “You want to be looking at her.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Regulus says quickly. 

Pandora reaches out to grab his hand,  “I’m gonna hold your hand while I tell you this.” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Regulus tries to cut her off but when Pandora gets something in her mind it’s hard to resist it. 

“I did it with James,” Pandora explains quickly. “I’ll do the same now. You’re in love with Lily Evans.” 

“I am not in love with Lily Evans,” Regulus argues. 

Pandora narrows her eyes, “You’re not?” 

“No.” 

“Why are you staring at her?” Pandora asks. 

“She’s with James,” Regulus answers weakly. 

“Why aren’t you watching him then?” Pandora questions. “Do you even know where he is? You used to always know, you used to have his schedule perfect.” 

Regulus shrugs, “I’ve gotten busy.” 

“Right,” Pandora scoffs. “So you wouldn’t mind if I called her over here.” 

“Pan—“ 

Before he can even finish Pandora is raising her hand. Shouting out across the hall, “Hey, Evans!” 

Regulus scrambles for something to hold, to bring Pandora’s hand down and stop her from this, but it doesn’t do any good. Lily’s already looking over, her eyes dazzling in the sun. The rest happens like a dream as she leans over to her friends explaining that she’ll be going. She walks over on clouds and then she’s in front of him. His stomach ties itself together. His mouth opens but nothing comes out. 

“Hey,” Lily says, leaning across the bench to put her hands on the table. Her perfume reaches Regulus’ nose and it’s overwhelming, it’s making him slip back, like he’s in an ocean, drowning in all the waves. 

“Hi,” Pandora replies. 

Both of their gazes go towards him, but Regulus is only looking at her. 

Lily smiles with his silence, he wants to kill her. She looks away and he wants to kill her even more, “You still working on that potion?” 

“You know it,” Pandora tells her. “It’s close to being done now.” 

Regulus doesn’t care what they’re saying. He just watches Lily. He can’t look away. She’s the greatest thing that’s ever existed, and she’s got James Potter wrapped around her finger. Its should be him. 

She doesn’t stay long. Before she leaves she looks back over at Regulus, “Goodbye, Regulus.” 

“Bye,” he forces out, his tongue resting uncomfortably in his mouth. 

She laughs, it’s as soft as fresh daisies and she’s doing him in, “You’re cute,” she says, like it’s nothing, like it’s not eating Regulus whole. “I’ll see you two around.” 

Then she’s gone again. Walking down the hall, her hair blowing behind her like a fucking magazine ad. There can’t be someone that perfect. She’s just a person. She’s nobody. She’s the one James wants. She won his heart over. She’s the one lying beside him. And all Regulus wants is to lie when she lies. Lily Evans is poison and it’s slowly driving Regulus mad. She’s everywhere, like a call of the wind. He’s nothing worshipping at her feet, it makes him uneasy. 

“So,” Pandora breaks the echoing silence. “Not in love.” 

Regulus swallows thickly, his eyes still stuck in the last place she was, even if she’s moved on, “Not in love,” he forces out. 

The ache is endless, and bullets line his skin. A scar for every beauty, for which Lily Evans has infinite. 

[vaguely-concerned]

there's this... idea/concept that keeps swirling around in my head of rook going down lethally injured in combat. and spite and lucanis as one voice going 'no. nope. nah. quite simply nuh-uh' but like on a level that reverberates through the real world and the fade because of their soul Situation, so when they wrap rook up in wings and arms and cradle them against them to just -- hold rook's soul in place in their body until emmrich can arrive with the emergency spirit healing of all time to anchor them safely back in the world of the living without the need for spite life support... it actually somehow works, and they're safe and awake and still breathing against lucanis' chest by the end of it all.

it's definitely a one-time trick lucanis has no fucking clue how he even pulled off afterwards, once the 'I can see the weave of the world' flow state has faded, and no one has any good explanation for how it could even be possible, outside of the fact that no spirit and person have ever been so completely and cleanly unified to one purpose before lol. but with rook still walking about safe and sound and already cracking bad jokes, i don't think anyone would particularly care

[solradguy]

Interlude 08 was such a drag but it had to be done. Interlude chapter 09 is happening already. Can you believe it? I am putting that bad guy back into more situations and it hasn't even been 6 months between updates yet. There are going to be women. There are going to be guns. Someone might die. Things might get lit on fire. I'm hoping there might be an explosion but you know what. Do you want to know a secret

I haven't planned a damn thing that's happened in this fic. I'm just making this shit up as it goes. What's gonna happen next? I dunno, but we are going to find out together

[asgardian--angels]

....idk in a fandom this gigantic how are people already coalescing onto a handful of popular headcanons and scenarios that just become the baseline now, when the source material gives us literally limitless possibilities to work with

[zestyzigzagoon]

If any non-writers want to have a glimpse into what it's actually like to write, then here. I've been stuck on this lame half-sentence for approximately thirteen days now.