#aspen's random thoughts

[thepossumest-awesome]

If there are a million switches, I am one

If there are a hundred switches, I am one

If there are ten switches, I am one

If there is one switch, that's me

If there are no switches, I am dead

[pro-logue-epi-logue]

RANDOM DEVIL'S NIGHT THOUGHTS

~NUMBER 67~

I headcanon, that even though Will adopted Diablo, he is indie's dog and her best friend no one elses.

[nazrigar]

Pando - The Largest Single Organism by Mass and 14,000 years old, and some perspective on just how old that is.

A random thought came to my head last night...

This is Pando.

All of this? Is a single male aspen tree. This entire thing is a single tree with multiple stems sharing a single root system.

It is the largest tree by mass, and the heaviest single organism, weighing in at 6000 metric tons. For perspective, that's 20 blue whales in mass.

But what also intrigues me is that... well. It's an old tree.

Established in 12,000 BCE, meaning it would be 14000 years old by 2023.

By the the last Smilodons died out in 10,000 BCE, it would have already been 2000 years old.

And Pando is still a youngster compared to the high estimate age of this clonal colony of sea grass estimated to be 100,000 years old.

For perspective, when the last Neanderthal died in 40,000 BCE?

This sea grass would have already been 60,000 years old.

If human civilization (as in, the kind of organized polity that can be identified with things as "states" and "urbanization" among a plethora of other things) was established during 5000 BCE, and thus 7000 years old:

Pando would have already been 5000 years old.

The Sea grass colony would have already been 93,000 years old.

And considering that the oldest vertebrate, that is the Greenland Shark can live for 500 years?

All of human civilization encompasses the lifespans of just 14 Greenland Sharks.

I dunno... it just really shows that we pretty are a tiny blip in the grand scheme of Earth's geological history.

A very humbling thought if you ask me.

[knightoftableround]

i'm very eepy but i am unable to sleep because my brother is the loudest vessel on planet earth and not even tchaikovsky can defeat him so im finding an excuse to type up a lisa frankenstein paragraph

LETS TALK about the wave of mutilation scene!!!!! i feel this is a very vulnerable moment for the creature and lisa too, but i always thought about creature during this scene especially everything going on in the 1st photo alone from his face to his body language.

he left that axe out for lisa because he knew she'd be following him and he's literally silently communicating 'do what you need to if i went too far'. hes giving her that choice and he's not even planning to resist. doesn't turn around till he hears the sound of lisa dropping the axe, yeah??

but i always notice how tense his face and general demeanor is and i swear hes even shaking a little, and i feel like he's ready to let lisa do what she feels she needs to but at the same time isn't ready, hes afraid even if he's letting her do it.

also see how his hand is on his chest? i don't know exactly what that insinuates but an idea that comes to mind is he's like trying to feel his heart beating. is he really alive? they came this far but was it really gonna end like this? then, when he hears the axe drop and he turns around and sees lisa, hes still so tense and only loosens up once lisa says 'you love me?'

ive made this point before in my post about the not bashing in his skull on first meeting, but it seriously reminds me of their first encounter- hes in a vulnerable position and she has every chance to totally kick him to the curb and he's even AFRAID but lisa just can't bring herself to do it.

not to mention the way he automatically brightens up at 'you cut it off for me?' he's so proud of himself when he gets that conformation that really he didn't do anything wrong and that lisa won't hurt him.

thats your non daily random aspen yap paragraph about her passions

[kat651]

Hanahkai.

You woke and got out of bed with a smile, the sun was warm and there wasn’t cloud in sight. You quickly dressed and headed out of your room and down the hall to the library. 

You stoped and leaned agents a bookshelf, panting slightly. ‘Why am I so out of breath?’ You thought. 

“Y/n? Are you alright?”

You turned to see Lindir. “I- yes I’m alright.” You said, standing up straight. 

Lindir smiled softly. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

You nodded. “I was just about to grab a book and head outside for a bit.”

“A wonderful idea.” Lindir said. “I wish I could do the same but my duties lie here,” he said, giving off a dry chuckle. You studied his face. It looked like he’d been crying. 

You nodded and walked down a row full of books, fighting back the feeling of tears. You loved him deeply but he would never feel the same. you reached the end and turned to round the corner and go down another row before you gasped then coughed. 

You watched in shock as a blue flower petal slowly fell to the ground. You quickly picked it up. “What on earth?” 

You fell into another coughing fit and two more petals fell to the floor. You scooped them up, shoved them in your pocket, grabbed a random book and ran to your room. 

Two days later you had a jar filled half way with the blue petals. Why you kept them you didn’t know, perhaps a part of you was intrigued by the phenomenon of flower petals falling from your mouth. 

Your lungs and throat hurt and it was difficult to breathe. You decided to consult lord Elrond. Perhaps he knew what was going on. 

You walked down the hall and knocked on the door to lord Elrond’s study. “Come in.”

You slowly opened the door fighting back a cough. “Do you have a few minutes?”

Lord Elrond put down his quill. “I can spare a few, what is it, y/n?”

You wrung your hands and sighed. “I have a question… a-a rather odd question.”

“Well what is it?”

“W-well would you happen to know what it would mean if a person were to…to…” you paused. 

“Were to what?”

“Cough rose petals, specifically blue ones.”

Elrond stood, knocking his chair over in the process. “You don’t have it do you?”

“No, it’s Just… academic reasons. Blue petals in particular.”

Elrond walked over to a shelf and grabbed a book. “Here, this book contains everything you’d need to know. If you have more questions I can answer them tonight or you may ask lindir he has also read this book.”

“Thank you.” 

You quickly read through the book. Blue roses meant unrequited love. Aspen flowers meant being afraid to love. A pink camellia meant longing for love. You continued, eyes wide. Apparently this disease would fill your lungs until you could no longer breathe and you suffocated. The only cure would be if lindir fell in love with you. Or you could have the rose removed, but the side effect would be that you felt a deep hate towards lindir for eternity. You couldn’t do that. 

You poured the petals onto a cloth then shoved the cloth into your pocket. 

You decided to go to lindir. Sure it hurt to speak with him but you were panicking. You weren’t ready to die. 

You knocked on his door. “Lindir?”

You slowly opened it. On the bed sat Linder. His eyes were puffy and red. Like he’d been crying. 

You stood in the doorway trembling as you clutched the book to your chest. Your eyes quickly scanned the room. Not a single thing was out of place. You felt like an intruder. 

Lindir sniffled. “What is it y/n?”

You walked towards him. “Hey, are you ok?”

Lindir went to answer but just let out a sob instead. “Yeah, I’m just very tired…mentally…”

Your heart ached and then you fell to your knees, coughing as well. Lindir knelt in front of you, clutching your arms as you coughed up blood and flower petals. Your body then went limp and you fell in Lindir’s arms, gasping for air. 

Lindir caught the blue petals and looked at you with worry. “You have it…” he whispered, lifting you and gently placing you on his bed. He pulled you to his chest, rubbing your back. 

You nodded and coughed again as you pulled out the cloth, dropping it on the bed to reveal the hundred or more petals. 

Lindir gasped and shook his head. “No…”

You let out a sob. “I’m scared…”

Lindir’s hand fell on your cheek as he let out a sob as well. “Who is he?”

You moaned and coughed again. “T-that’s why I-I’m here.” You panted. “I-it’s you. I love you…” you then let your eyes fall closed and you let your body fall limp. “I-I don’t have much time left… and I… I refuse to have… the flowers removed. I can’t bare the thought… of living a life… not loving you.” You coughed up more blood and petals. “I’m not asking you… to love me… just don’t… don’t blame yourself when I’m dea-”

Your words were cut short as lindor placed his finger over your lips. “You aren’t going to die. I love you too, I have for years.”

You felt the tears that you had been holding back roll down your cheeks. “You love me?”

Lindir nodded, wiping away your tears. 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Elrond came in. “Lindir, i believe y/n has… Hanahkai .”

Elrond stared at the pile of flower petals that lay before you both. You coughed again, clutching your chest. 

“You know she has it?”

You smiled wearily and let your head fall on Lindir’s shoulder. “”Heh, I guess love is worth dying for.”

Lindir gently rubbed your back. “No one is going to die,” he whispered before looking up at lord Elrond. “I only found out a minute ago.”

You coughed again and gasped for air. You could feel the rose forcing itself out of your lungs. You’d found your cure. But it was still hard to breathe, the flower was huge. 

Elrond looked at you and shook his head. “We need to get that flower out of your lungs now, before it kills you.”

Lindir clutched your weakened body closer. “The flower isn’t going to kill her.”

“Lindir, did you not read the book? That flower will continue to grow until it kills her.”

“And make her hate-”

“I’d rather her hate whomever this is then us loose her.”

Lindir clutched your body to his chest. “She’s going to be fine…”

Lindit stoped as you coughed more petals. 

“She has to be…”

Elrond’s expression softened. “It’s you isn’t it? She loves you.”

Lindir nodded as tears spilt from his eyes. “Please y/n…”

“And you love her…”

Lindor nodded, holding you close. “I’d take this disease if it meant she could live…”

Elrond spoke softly. “There is a second way…”

You both looked at him. 

“Kiss her…”

Lindir looked at you and blinked. You blushed and nodded. 

“I’ll give you two some privacy.” Elrond said, stepping out of the room. 

Lindir gently kissed your forehead. 

“My lips lindir…” you breathed. 

Lindir turned bright pink and placed his lips on yours, pulling your body close. 

You moaned softly to let him know he was doing everything right and he seemed to gain confidence, pulling you onto his lap and sliding his tongue into your mouth. 

Your eyelids fluttered and you griped him tightly, moaning softly once more. “I love you…” you murmured as you felt the flower in your lungs dissipate to nothing. “I will always love you…”

[owo-writing-man]

Play stupid games when stupid prizes really.

Lucky it ended with just a confrontation really. Know a lot of people who would do a lot worse. Don't call random people in public slurs. Especially if you're gonna run away when they come at you about it.

If you're talking shit. At least be able to put your money where your mouth is. Before you crawl back to your sever talking about "being scared for you life"

Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes.

-Charlie (technically I'm not supposed to make any post on Aspen. Or things in general. But this man has thoughts)

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

to start off this is long and rambly but please bear with me

you occasionally reblog pro/antiship discourse on the side of "real people are not haunted by fiction or people's opinions" and you generally seem to be very much against the idea of trying to hold people's thoughts against them etc in not phrasing this well but I hope you get my meaning. How does that affect the way you write about Renn?

Aspen and most of the other crew mates are deeply disturbed by him saying that he thinks genetic engineering of brains could sometimes be useful, to the point where his single defining quality is "the guy who supports Lyson projects" and somebody was willing to murder him over it. From a modern perspective what he said doesn't seem incredibly radical (I definitely disagree with the concept, but it's not even close to my least favorite conservative opinion). Maybe I'd be angrier if it was someone minimizing a real tragedy like he was in-universe? That probably played into it.

I'm not trying to imply Aspen's thoughts are your thoughts, or that you should've written them more similar to you, but it is a really interesting dynamic and wondering how/why you came up with it.

Lyson projects have nothing to do with genetic engineering. They're about emotional/behavioural control via brain damage.

I'm not really sure what you mean about people's opinions haunting people. People's opinions influence their behaviour, which absolutely can cause problems for other people. Somebody who thinks gay people are mentally ill predators out to corrupt children is dangerous in groups, in the voting booth, and in general life because they hold that opinion.

I don't agree with Aspen on most things, and this Lyson disagreement got into the story the same way all the other ones do -- I come up with a topical conundrum about care, community, liberty or justice, and throw as many different viewpoints at it as possible from different crew members. Which crew member I personally agree with is more or less random; their positions are chosen by their personalities, not mine. I'm interested in giving the reader a space to consider a messy issue, not forcing them to listen to my opinion specifically. (If I wanted to do that, I'd just get into online discourse about it instead).

In the case of Lyson projects, the issue is pretty obviously the question of risk and autonomy in the care of vulnerable patients, and the question of benefits of certain treatments vs. their potential for abuse. I was specifically thinking about euthanasia and MAID when I wrote it but there are literally uncountable other examples of the same conundrum, including the more literal (long discontinued) parallel of performing medical lobotomies.

If you're interested in discussing the ethical stuff that shows up in TTOU specifically, the Discord is constantly having those conversations.

[inspiteofganon]

@bloobluebloo replied to your post “@aspen-of-the-gentry replied to your post “Another...”:

The problem is that Nintendo didn't really think of any of this when they created the Gerudo apart from lifting the most basic of orientalist stereotypes when it comes to the harem in designing them as eyecandy. So, to be honest, I think its perfectly acceptable and encouraged to make hcs that step out of canon when its initial representation is steeped in racism, misogyny and transphobia tbh

​TRUE. It's pretty embarrassing that the thought process that went into them was so shallow that they didn't even consider all the implications. It's not the '90s anymore... do better!

I do feel like I'm losing my marbles a wee bit when people act like their interpretations are canon though. As if I don't have to memorize an entirely new set of rules and information every time I engage with a fanwork that has its own interpretation of the gerudo that mismatches canon by enough-- which isn't a huge ask of a reader/viewer, but it adds up over time precisely because so many people want to fix the gerudo. Like, it's NOT obvious!! You (as in fanartists in question) made "that" (whatever "it" is) up independently of the canon and you have to keep talking/creating if you want me to have the slightest idea what you're on about and think it worthy of accepting!! The "fandom fixer-upper" pattern of flawed canon things having their main appeal being that they must be completely rebuilt by randoms because they have a nugget of coolness under the trash makes me dissolve into slime. BUT I DIGRESS...

It IS perfectly acceptable and encourage-able. The canon is racist, misogynist, and transphobic to a cringe degree, and it can be rather dubious if one enjoys leaning into all that by too much. I like seeing what people come up with to try and do the gerudo justice and make them more than just an uncomfortable orientalistic fantasy. Because they could be! I want them to be. If anything, people don't talk enough about how they want to change the gerudo. Goodness knows I'm trying in my own little corner to be more bold with them.

Wish that Nintendo cared enough to do that work for us so we could all get on the same page.

[pinkamour1588]

Red, White, and Royal Blue Masterlist

Fics

All links to AO3 unless noted otherwise.

Jealous of a goddamn...Wait. What?

Rating: E Word count: 1,704 Summary: The second the door closed behind them, Alex was shoving Henry back against it. “Hello to you too, dear,” Henry laughed. “Fuck you and your polo playing.”

Blue

Rating: T Word count: 2,567 Summary: Sometimes the bad days come when they're least expected.

Bloom

Rating: E Word count: 5,288 Summary: It wasn’t that Alex hadn’t considered it in the year and half they’d been dating. It was more that he didn’t consciously consider it until the thought crossed his mind too many times to ignore. Or Alex wants to try bottoming.

Darling

Rating: T Word count: 1,038 Summary: Sometimes Alex needs a little help taking care of himself because ADHD is a bitch.

Comfortitties (link to fic on AO3)

Rating: T Word count: 283 Summary: Alex has a unique way of relieving stress after work one day.

Pressure Points

Rating: E Word count: 1,020 Summary: Alex discovers he enjoys a little deep pressure therapy in times of stress.

Spreading Book Cheeks

Rating: E Word count: 3,002 Summary: “I won’t say it again…If I get to spread a different set of cheeks.” Aka Alex makes a bad joke and they end up in the bedroom

Invincible

Rating: T Word count: 7,807 Summary: Reasons Henry will be fine: 1. He’s been playing polo for years. 2. He’s definitely fallen off a horse before. 3. Even though he’s fallen off a horse before, he was fine afterwards. 4. He wears the best protective gear money can buy. 5. He’s Henry. 6. He has to be fine.  Or Henry gets injured while playing polo.

Forever

Rating: T Word count: 1,734 Summary: As soon as Henry laid eyes on Alex, he felt his eyes well up with tears. He rushed down the staircase, meeting Alex halfway and immediately grabbing hold of him. His knees gave out and he pulled Alex down with him onto the steps. OR An extended version of the staircase scene. *Additional note: exclusively movie universe, not the book universe

In the middle of the night...

Rating: T Word count: 1,587 Summary: “Hey, Henry. Are you awake?” Alex asked, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. “Unfortunately,” Henry sighed into his pillow. OR Alex asks ridiculous questions when he can't sleep.

Never Forget You

Rating: T Word count: 3,637 Summary: Henry always visits Arthur's grave on the anniversary of his death, but what happens when he can't?

Doesn't have to be Louis V

Rating: T Word count: 1,028 Summary: “They’re just a little…much sometimes.” Henry frowned. “What do you mean?” “You buy me a lot of stuff, babe.” “No, I don’t.” Or Henry's love of buying Alex random gifts becomes a bit much.

Princess

Rating: E Word count: 4,469 Summary: “Fuck no. You’re an arse,” Henry answered. “And you’re a brat.” “You say it like it’s a bad thing.” Or Henry is a bratty submissive and Alex puts him in his place.

Sweet Boy

(Sequel to "Princess") Rating: E Word count: 6,436 Summary: “Ready?” Pez asked. “Yes,” Henry nodded excitedly. “C’mere then, princess,” Alex said Or Henry is a very good boy for two doms. Or Alex and Henry have a threesome with Pez.

You are in love

Rating: T Word count: 3,053 Summary: For the past week, Henry had been a bundle of nerves. Everytime Alex had asked if something was wrong, Henry just said he was excited to see their families for Christmas and New Year’s at the house they were renting in Aspen. It wasn’t entirely a lie. He was excited about their trip, though it had less to do with spending time with family and more to do with the small velvet box tucked in a pair of socks.

Bigger than the whole sky

Rating: M Word count: 12,303 Summary: “We’re having a baby?” Henry whispered softly. “We’re having a baby.” Or The start of seahorse dad Alex

I've been waiting for you

(Sequel to Bigger than the whole sky) Rating: M Word count: 16,760 Summary: “What is it? Is it good?” “Oh, darling. It’s very good,” Henry said breathlessly. Or Alex and Henry have a baby!

So good

Rating: E Word count: 2,029 Summary: “What do you need, darling?” “Need to be good for you.” Or Alex needs to clear his head and Henry is more than happy to help.

The very first night

Rating: E Word count: 2,650 Summary: Alex knew exactly how he got into this position. Afterall, he was the one who told Henry to come to his bedroom. He was the one who started unbuttoning his shirt. He was the one stradling Henry on his couch, though Henry had pulled him into that position. He was the one grinding down into Henry’s lap. They’d both made it clear how much they wanted this. So why was he starting to panic? Or The first time Alex and Henry hookup except Alex is trans in this version.

Headcanons

Henry & the Spanish language

Alex & the shelter

Firstprince Sticky Notes

Henry and Philip's friend from uni

[gaypiece]

Another Life; Ch 2

Part 2 of my OP isekai bullshit daydream! I am always open to feedback!!! I’m half asleep posting this so i may come back and edit cws and description

Ch1 // Ch3

Chapter 2: The Surgeon of Death

☁︎ word count: 3.5k

☁︎cw: named self insert, bit of anxiety

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Consciousness came back to me slowly. I was vaguely aware of a steady beeping sound nearby. This confused me. I was sure I had died, and I didn’t think the afterlife would sound like a hospital. My eyes fluttered, cracking open lethargically. The lights above me were bright, and I could tell that I was indoors somewhere. My head turned to the sound of the beeping, silently rejoicing the fact that I was able to move again. There was a monitor to my left, displaying my heart rate and other information my foggy brain didn’t care to make sense of.

”Good, you’re awake.”

I would have jumped in surprise, had I not been so sluggish. But, did I know that voice? I turned to find the source. He stood with his back to me, writing something on a clipboard. The hat he wore. . .

He turned to me then, and my stomach dropped. No fucking way. What kind of Isekai bullshit. . .?

”You’re lucky we found you when we did. What were you thinking, eating that fruit?” He must have noticed the way I paled, and my jump in heart rate. He added, “No need to be afraid, you’re safe,” though, his golden eyes seemed almost as cautious as I was.

I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing. “I-I’m not— you don’t understand.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” he muttered. He turned away from me again, setting the clipboard down.

I laughed once, humorlessly. “At least I’m not the only one who’s confused.” I ran my hands over my face in my distress. I kept my face covered as I tried to remember my breathing exercises: in four seconds, hold four seconds. Out four seconds, hold four seconds. Repeat.

He seemed to realize what I was doing, not speaking as I tried to calm myself. Once my heart slowed, I removed my hands from my face and tried to sit. My head swam.

He reached a hand out to me, as if to steady me, but didn’t touch me. “Take it easy, you’ve been out for a while. We don’t need you passing out again.”

”How long?” I asked.

”We found you two days ago.”

Two days. That makes five since I woke up on that forest floor. If I weren’t incapacitated for most of it, the time might have been enough to convince me this was real.

”I never got your name,” he stated, interrupting my thoughts.

”Rain. Aspen Rain.”

”Trafalgar Law.”

My heart jumped again. “I know.”

”I thought so, given your reaction to seeing me.”

I laughed again. “You don’t know the half of it.”

He studied me a moment, still cautious.

”Why did you help me?” I asked suddenly. I knew his character well enough to know that Law wasn’t exactly the hero type. Not that type to go out of the way to help a random person unless there was some benefit to him.

My question caught him off guard. He looked away again, fumbling to respond at first. “We came to the island looking for that fruit you ate. I wanted to study its paralytic properties for possible medical use in the future, and reverse engineer an antidote that might work for other, similar situations. You could imagine my surprise when we arrived to find someone poisoned by exactly the fruit I was looking for. You were a convenient test subject.” I nodded along as he explained. Of course, saving me was a convenience, but it almost sounded like an excuse. He may have been able to perform whatever tests he needed even if I wasn’t alive for it. “You know,” he turned to me once more, “you could have eaten any other fruit on that island and been fine. You’re lucky someone with my capabilities found you. Or that anyone found you at all, for that matter.”

“Lucky me,” I muttered, “eating the only poisonous fruit on the whole damned island.”

He almost cracked a smile. ”What were you doing there anyway?”

I stared at him, unsure if he truly wanted to know about the strange situation. Deciding I had nothing to lose, I told him, “I don’t know.”

His brow furrowed. “What do you mean, you ‘don’t know’?”

“I mean,” I took a deep breath, “I fell asleep in my bed, at home, and woke up on a forest floor with nothing to my name, and not even a hint of a soul around.” My voice rose as I spoke, nearing hysterics. “Not to mention, I went to sleep a normal human being, and woke up with fucking cat ears.” I made a vague gesture at my head for more emphasis.

”And tail,” he noted. “I can see now why you’re so confused.”

”I have a tail??” I couldn’t stop the laugh that erupted out of me. “This is insane,” I giggled. “I’m going insane.”

”I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for all of this.” He seemed to be reassuring himself more than me.

I tried to collect myself, breathing deeply again. Once I could control my voice, I said, “I haven’t even told you the craziest part yet.”

He looked even more apprehensive now. “Tell me.” He pulled a chair to the end of the hospital bed and sat, facing me. Good. He would need to be sitting for this.

Once again, I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and trying to steady myself. “What if I told you,” I began, “you’re not supposed to be real? What if I told you that I know of you not just as a pirate captain and former warlord, but as a character from my favorite TV show?”

He stared at me blankly, almost as if he was waiting for me to say I was joking. When I didn’t, he told me, “You’re insane.”

“That’s the conclusion I came to as well, and exactly how I expected you to respond.” My tone was resigned.

His tattooed hand came to pinch the bridge of his nose. He seemed to be collecting himself. Wondering just what the hell he got himself into by rescuing me, I figured. Suddenly, Law stood, pulling on a pair of medical gloves and beginning to disconnect the wires and tubes attached to me. He spoke as he moved. “I have some things to tend to. I’m going to have someone bring you some food and show you to the showers so you can get cleaned up. Then we’ll decide what to do with you.” He refused to meet my eyes. “Hold still, this will probably be uncomfortable.” He quickly and efficiently removed a feeding tube from my nose, wordlessly handing me a tissue afterward.

I remained still and silent as he worked over me, trying to ignore the way my heart thudded on the occasion his gloved fingers brushed against my skin.

He didn’t speak again as he gathered a few things and headed toward the door. He turned to me then, but still didn’t meet my gaze. “Someone will be in shortly. Just. . . don’t say anything crazy to them.” He waited for my nod, then the door closed with a soft click.

As soon as I was alone, I curled myself into a ball, wrapping my arms around myself for some sense of security in this foreign place. I was unable to stop the tears that welled up, lost and confused as I was. What was happening, and why? It’s one thing to wake up in a strange place, but entirely different to wake up in a different world. Why did this happen? Why the world of my favorite anime? And why, out of every possible person, did it have to be my fictional crush from this universe to find me? There were too many questions buzzing around in my head, questions that I didn’t have answers to.

I wondered if my world went on without me, or was it frozen in time? Perhaps I had died and this was some bizarre afterlife. I wondered if I had simply disappeared, just as I seemingly appeared here. Would my fiancé search for me? Would my family? How was I going to get back? What if I never did? My stomach dropped.

As I deliberated, the door reopened and someone entered the room, prompting me to quickly dry my eyes. I recognized my visitor as Ikkaku, the only female member of Law’s crew. I didn’t know much about her, and wasn’t sure what to expect of her personality. She wheeled a cart in after her, which held two plates of steaming food and a pitcher of water. The smell of the food had my mouth watering, tastebuds restless after not eating for so long.

“You have some timing,” she stated as our eyes met. “Lunch was just about to be served when the captain asked me to bring you food.” She stopped the cart at my bedside, moving the chair which Law previously sat in to the other side. “I’m Ikkaku, by the way,” she informed me as she took her seat, facing me. “What should I call you?”

”Rain,” I said. “Or Aspen. Either is fine.”

She asked, “What do your friends call you?”

”Rain.”

“Rain it is.” She grinned at me before digging into one of the plates upon the cart.

I hesitated, shy.

”It’s not poisoned,” Ikkaku teased.

Her bubbly nature softened my reserve. With the slightest smile, I scooted toward the edge of the bed where the cart sat. Timid as ever, I didn’t meet Ikkaku’s eyes as I reached for the water pitcher, filling both of our glasses. She thanked me cheerfully before taking a sip. I mirrored her, relishing the taste of the cold, refreshing water. I didn’t realize just how thirsty I was, quickly emptying my glass. I immediately refilled it, only to empty it halfway again.

”Slow down,” Ikkaku warned. “You don’t want to make yourself sick.”

I obeyed, studying my plate as I gave myself time to breathe. It was some kind of stir fried noodle dish, nothing elaborate. Still, I salivated. I was unable to make myself wait very long before digging in. I gave an appreciative hum as I chewed, it was an effort not to moan instead. Maybe it was the fact that I just almost starved to death, but nothing had ever tasted better.

”Oh, come on,” Ikkaku scoffed. “Uni’s cooking isn’t that good.”

I spoke with my mouth half full. “I almost starved to death, give me a break,” I half-joked.

She laughed, and I found it difficult not to return her smile. I decided I could get along with Ikkaku.

”So,” she began, sipping at her water again, “does the captain know you from somewhere?”

I paused in surprise and confusion. “I . . . don’t think so, why do you ask?”

“I’ve never seen him so quick to save a stranger,” she mused, “except for that Straw Hat at Marineford.”

“Um. . . Well, he did tell me that he was trying to make an antidote for the poison of the fruit I ate.”

”Coincidence,” Ikkaku contradicted. “He didn’t know you were poisoned when we found you, but insisted on helping you the moment he saw you.”

”Huh.” So it was an excuse. But why would he have wanted to help me so badly? “No, we’ve never met before. I’m not sure why he would do that.”

“Well, as out of character as it might’ve been for him, I’m not one to question my captain. I’m sure he had his reasons.”

I hummed in agreement, chewing my food slowly as I mulled over the possibilities. Nothing I could come up with seemed logical. I could see that Ikkaku had more questions, but neither of us spoke again as we finished eating.

Ikkaku stood once both of our plates were empty. “Now! Let’s get you a shower!”

I followed her quietly as she led me through the hallways of the Polar Tang. She briefly stopped at a closet, pulling out a boiler suit like hers, and holding it up to me to judge the size. She explained that it was the only clothing she could offer me to change into. I took it gladly, thankful to have clean clothes after being stuck in the same outfit for days. Ikkaku then led me to the showers, leaving me at the door. She explained where I could find the soap and towels, then told me that she would be waiting on the other side of the door once I was done, and to let her know if I needed anything. I was grateful for the time alone, locking the door behind me as a precaution.

As I looked in the mirror, I was almost surprised to see that I was still me. I looked a bit thinner, maybe, along with some other changes, but I was still the same Rain. My eyes were the same hazel they had always been, but I now had slits for pupils. This almost explained my improved vision. Cat eyes to go with my cat ears. And tail. Ugh. I could see it flicking behind me in annoyance. It was black, as were my new ears. My hair, which had previously been dyed pastel pink, my natural dark brown showing at the roots, now seemed to grow naturally pink. Weird. I noticed that half of my face was bright red, I assumed from the sunburn. Though, it looked as if it was medicated while I was unconscious. That was going to be a fun tan line. I shook my head in annoyance, tail still flicking, as I headed to the shower.

Ikkaku smiled at me brightly once I emerged from the room, freshened up and ready to go. The boiler suit was a tad long on me, and I had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs to accommodate my short limbs. There was no hole for my tail to come out of in the back, so it was stuffed into the suit with the rest of my body. It was uncomfortable, and grew even more so as I walked, following Ikkaku to our next destination. I made a note to myself to modify it if I had to continue wearing it. Ikkaku chittered as we walked, talking about the other crew members, explaining that they were doing chores, which was why we weren’t seeing them. I wasn’t listening, really. I was anxious to find out how Law wanted to deal with me.

Ikkaku stopped to knock on a door, and waited for permission to enter. My heart skipped a beat when Law’s voice said, “Come in,” from the other side, and Ikkaku opened the door, allowing me to enter first. I stepped into what appeared to be Law’s office. The walls were lined with shelf after shelf of books. There seemed to be only two areas on the wall not containing books: another door, which I guessed led to Law’s bedroom, and a little alcove nestled into the shelves, containing a cushioned bench and a window, through which I could see that we were still at the island where I woke up. Taking up almost half of the space of the room was a large, disorganized desk, facing the doorway I entered from. At this desk was where Law sat, thoughtful eyes trained on me from the moment I had entered.

Ikkaku was about to follow me in, when Law said, “You can go, Ikkaku.”

“Right!” Ikkaku responded, turning on her heel.

”Close the door before you go.”

She hesitated the slightest bit, eyeing me with concern. “Good luck,” she whispered to me before shutting the door.

”Have a seat,” Law ordered, nodding to the chairs in front of his desk. I obeyed silently. “You have two options,” he told me. “You can stay here, where we found you—“

”Pass.”

He paused at my interruption, giving me a disapproving look. “Or,” he continued, “we can drop you at the next island we stop at, provided it’s not deserted.”

I considered the idea, but where would I go? Was I to just start a new life in this world that I didn’t belong in? Would I be able to? How would I find my way home? Then, an idea occurred to me.

”Can I join your crew?”

He eyed me suspiciously. “That wasn’t an option.”

”I don’t like the options you gave me. It’s called ‘negotiation’.”

Raising a brow, he said, “Give me one reason why I would want you on my crew.”

I sighed. “I know you think I’m crazy, but I can show you that I’m not. At least, not entirely. I’m still trying to figure out what the hell’s going on, myself, but I won’t ask you to help me. Just let me stay, and I can be useful.” I looked into his eyes then, a strenuous task for me, given my shyness and Law’s intimidating aura. My tone was almost pleading. “I have nowhere to go. I know that you know what that’s like.”

His eyes softened just slightly, but he didn’t seem to like the use of reverse psychology. “How would you know that?”

”Believe it or not, I know a lot about you, Trafalgar. Things your crew might not even know. Don’t forget where I told you I know about you from.”

He seemed irked that I would bring it up again, and his tone was skeptical as he humored me. “What exactly do you know about me?”

I took a deep breath as I prepared to state everything I knew about this man. “Trafalgar D. Water Law, also known as The Surgeon of Death, wielder of the Ope Ope no Mi Devil Fruit ability, captain of the Heart Pirates, former Warlord of the Sea, a title you obtained by delivering the hearts of one hundred pirates to the world government.” He seemed almost unfazed as I rattled off the basic information, only reacting when I said the “D” in his name. “Born October sixth, you are twenty-six years old, a Libra, six feet and three inches tall, blood type F. You were born in a country called Flevance, located in the North Blue, nicknamed ‘White Town’ after the White Lead that was mined there.” His face began to pale. “You lived there with your younger sister and your parents, who were doctors and trained you and your sister to be as well. For this reason, the Ope Ope no Mi Devil Fruit was an excellent fit for you.” I averted my eyes. “For your sake, I won’t get into the details of how you came across the devil fruit. I assume it’s a touchy subject.” When I glanced back up at Law, the look he was giving me was deadly. “Do I need to continue?”

”How do you know all of that?”

”I already told you how I know.” I folded my arms across my chest.

He stared me down. Though my cheeks burned, I gave him an unwavering look of my own.

“How do I know that I can trust you?” Still suspicious.

”You don’t, I suppose. But I’ve been completely honest with you this whole time. I have no reason to lie, and nothing to lose. All I’m asking for is a place to stay for the time being. If you don’t trust me, take my heart if it will give you some peace of mind.”

”Keep your heart.” He almost seemed like he was starting to believe me. “Tell me about this . . . TV show.”

“It’s called ‘One Piece’ and it follows Straw Hat Luffy’s journey to become Pirate King . . .” I continued, explaining only relevant details, such as the places the Straw Hats had visited, where I was in the story, and the differences between this world and the one I came from. Occasionally, he would ask for more details, and I would give them to him, surprising myself with how much I remembered. He seemed more convinced with each detail I gave him of my world. His eyes didn’t leave me the entire time I spoke, and when I finished, he continued his piercing gaze, seeming contemplative. This time, I found it difficult to stare back, shying away from his intense look. I was grateful when he spoke before I started blushing again.

”You said that you can be useful. How?”

”Umm . . . I would probably be most useful in the kitchen. I’m a decent cook, but I’m more of a baker. I suppose that comes with the territory of the family name.” I chuckled slightly at my joke. “Other than that, I’m pretty good at tinkering and fixing things, anything involving creativity, really. I’m probably no good in a fight right now, but I can train. And I am a quick study, if there’s anything else you may want me to do.”

He stared at me a few more moments before he sighed, seeming to give in. “Just to be clear,” he began, “I still think you’re insane. However, you seem trustworthy enough, and you’re right.” His gaze softened. “I won’t leave you with nowhere to go.”

”So . . .?”

”So,” he repeated, pausing as he hesitated, “welcome to the Heart Pirates.”

I could have cried with the relief I felt. I had somewhere to stay. “Thank you,” I breathed, hanging my head.

”I will be keeping an eye on you though,” he warned. “Don’t make me regret this.”

”I promise, I’ll do my very best.”

He stood. “Come with me. I’ll show you to your quarters.”

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

[fables-if]

Would you be willing to share a few random fun facts about the ROs? Just like little stuff about them. (Please include little Rami, I just adore animals. You got fur? Now you're my bestie)

Of course!! I love questions like this ❤️.

Caterina: Caterina has a tattoo on her right arm of a beautiful combing her long hair while sitting on a rock. She doesn't have any other tattoos and when MC was younger, they used to ask her the meaning of the tattoo but she would always say "I'll tell you when you're older". She hasn't revealed the meaning yet.

Ana: Ana wears a lot of bangles and always has long earrings on. She makes a lot of noise when she walks but it's always a relaxing sort of noise. It's never too much. The bangles are not tacky or anything, they're a mix of silver bracelets and some handmade ones made of strings and thread. She enjoys board games a lot but never gets competitive (cause it's just a game to her). She remains the winner of every Monopoly game she has played.

Anne/An/Antón: Anne/An/Antón gesticulate a lot while speaking. Like the words are not enough no fully express what they truly think. They move a lot while having a conversation like they can't stay idle. So they're always either pacing, or they're moving one of their legs up and down constantly. Basically, they need to be in constant movement to be able to connect with their thoughts better, that's why their go-to date is taking a walk or going to a botanical garden. A place where you can relax while walking and you're able to have a nice conversation.

Diego/Diana/Dix: Diego/Diana/Dix has a sweet spot for cats and they have always wanted to have a kitten but unfortunately cats seem very freaked out around them and always scratch him or hiss at him breaking their heart. So they have settled for two ferrets that they rescued a few years ago. The names of the ferrets are Aspen and Vesper. Aspen's coat is a little bit darker than white, like a champagne colour, and Vesper's coat is white with little grey patterns.

Bingen: Bingen has a hard time socializing since he's used to being alone a lot and has social anxiety but he set up a little bookshelf on the path that goes from the village to the forest where he leaves books with little annotations about what type of book it is, who might enjoy it, and recommendations of other books similar to that one. Some villagers have set up a little bookclub with the books he recommends and he's always invited but doesn't gather up the courage to go.

Rami: Rami is super sweet but has a tendency to steal shiny objects and accumulate them in a secret spot. As helpful as Rami is, they have a tendency to be distracted with anything that shines, or that it's gold or silver. Rami gets along the best with Ana because she's always willing to give Rami a valuable trinket.

I hope you enjoy the fun facts ❤️

[aconflagrationofmyown]

Will there be smut between Elvis and Elaine in the 70s/80s chapter of the saga? I absolutely adore the second gen, but i am also really obsessed about the both of them still finding time (to make babys obvsly) but also enjoy eachother soo passionately like in the early years 😍 i am very invested 😂

Oh, oh darling yes there will be and…it just might be my favorite of all their eras. Plenty of fic in the works, and I’m delighted that interests you. Nothing hotter than a couple fused together by time and devotion. Also, this is beyond random but I do envision Elvis getting a bit cuddlier and bulkier into the 90’s…whereas in this AU the 70’s remain about the same health and looks as around ‘74…with some gray allowed to creep in by the mid 80’s. 😏 ALL THAT TO SAY, I find the idea of warm and sturdy Elvis being enamored with his Pilates obsessed wife pretty swoonworthy

There’s a lot coming soon for the 80’s and earlier but for now, how about a little intermediate, plotless, fluffy, wintry smut fest between Grandpa Elvis and his Tink when they’re stuck in a ski lift on their aspen holiday? …it goes something like this (WARNINGS, fluffy smut involving p in v, semi public sex but not observed, tender cum feeding (somehow Elaine made that a thing) and subby older Elvis, 18+:

Sarge & lil Mama blurb, Jan 1995,

|| Snow Bunnies

“When’d I get so damn fat?” Elaine hears her man huff over the rustling sound of their snow coats rubbing together and wants to roll her eyes, amused that Elvis didn’t expect that result from almost nightly burger and shake runs with Shiloh for the past decade.

She does roll her eyes at the thought that he wiggled her snow pants down and her panties, too, before even unzipping himself.

“You’re cuddly,” she retorts with a smile directed down to the ski slope far below them, her hand pressed to the frosting glass of the lift, “as all grandpa’s should be. Nobody wants a scrawny grandpa.”

Case in point is the waft of steaming heat Elaine feels against her bare backside the minute he gets his pants undone, sweaty body heat radiating off of him despite the freezing temperatures around them. Instinctively she arches her back a little and shifts her footing, putting a leg up on the bench to make some room for little Elvis, slotting her ski carefully between the narrow walls. It barely fits.

She thanks God for the fact she’s got just enough height to her that they can do this standing up, have been doing it this way for over three decades now, because if he can’t wait for a private moment and if he must take advantage of the stalled ski lift, then she’s secretly relieved she won’t be the one exerting effort with ten pounds extra of ski equipment hampering her.

As it is, it’s funny how swelteringly hot they both feel besides their barely exposed privates. She can hear the minute Elvis frees himself from his little wounded hiss at the cold air and his pitiful need always did make her run wet.

“C’mon mopey, come to mama.” she encourages and braces her hand on the glass, checking to make certain her long coat covers any frontal view, only the back tugged down and her husband is soon behind her with enough width and padding to hide a dumpster. “Give lil Elvis some shelter.” she tries to reach between her legs to guide him but there’s too much winter bulk in the way and only her fingertips make it to his line of sight.

Elvis moans at the eager gesture anyway, touched by how ready she still remains for him, how willing even when it ain’t her idea or need.

“Keep ya hand right there, Mamas.” he tells her in a conspiratorial little whisper, “Hims gots a little gift for hers.” he says and Elaine grins wildly in delight, trying to anticipate it, beyond the delicious stretch she readies for with braced and booted feet.

She hears the shlick/shlack of him rubbing something, along with the muffled creaking of his nylon jacket and leather gloves, and after a few moments of white breathed puffing behind her she feels a warm drop hit her finger tip.

Then another, and another and then a little string of liquid and she knows it’s his precum, he’s dripping it onto her hand and Elaine closes her eyes against the bright white landscape of an Aspen morning and imagines his drippy pink cock in a sea of leather and nylon, one warm and vulnerable little knob in the harsh elements and she knocks her forehead against the glass wall in mouthwatering craving.

“Oh Elvis!” she groans, curling her fingers as the puddle grows and begins to puddle in her palm, slicking up her own curls down where her hand is wedged so tightly from her barely removed pants. “Put it in baby, mama wants it, c’mon pretty baby.”

“Ok.” The whine and shuffle she hears behind her sounds like a child clumsily but eagerly obeying and that’s rather characteristic of her man. She bites her gloved thumb at the feel of his tip pressing blindly at her folds, poking and prodding the wrong places for entry and strangely it’s terribly exciting, this inhibited Elvis, this clumsy man who wants her so bad he’d try to bonk her in a sky lift with Pillsbury Doughboy amounts of padding striving to keep them apart.

The path of true love never did run smooth.

The jabbing and novice pokes are worth it for his frustrated little grunts in her ear and the way he tries to wiggle on top of her leaning frame, like extra height is going to help matters. She bends a little further with a fond smirk, wanting to chuckle at the way his arm presses across her shoulder and the back of her neck. It’s so desperate it’s comical and Elaine always has a weakness for being overly wanted by him.

His face is hanging over her left shoulder when he manages to wedge an inch into the correct hole and his hot breath blasts her cheek in relief and she spares a gloved hand from propping herself against the glass to pat his squishy cheek. It’s not fair how packing on a few pounds has seemed to erase the age from him, filling out the wrinkles he collected last decade and turning him into something as cute as the grandsons all over again.

Elaine feels like she did when she was freshly married and he was a chubby cheeked baby man. Even now when she can’t really see his face with the positioning, she can imagine it and it makes her heart flutter. She pats at his face and the scritch of his trimmed sideburns is noisy against the leather, Elvis nuzzles her palm.

Before she knows it he’s got her gloved fingers in his mouth and his teeth clamp against the leather at the tips and he starts to pull the glove off. She helps him, yanking her wrist and he drops the glove over her shoulder like a dog depositing a gift.

“Pet me, mamas.” Elvis begs again and nestles into her body a little further, half way in if she were to guess, and after all these years, she’s a pretty good guesser about little Elvis. “M’too fat to get in all the ways.” he fusses, forlornly starting to hump inside her in aborted little fucks like a bunny with his mate.

The mental image makes Elaine chortle, as do the silly little jabs from those famous hips. He’d get more depth violating a jacuzzi jet but Elvis Presley waits for no man and she supposes if the slide is tight enough to drag his little scarf back and forth, maybe it’ll be sufficient. She clenches for him, little rhythmic kegels that remind her of postpartum rehabilitation and his answering moan encourages her. “That feel good, baby boy? Hmm? Is mama warm and cozy?” she asks, her cheek getting sweaty from where his is pressed to hers.

Into their sixties and Elvis still twitches madly under her doting, purring in her ear when he’s being spoiled.

“Ssso’cozzzeeey.” he slurs right into her ear and she shudders in delight, feeling his arm around her waist through her layers of bundling, his hand on her shoulder needy and insistent.

After a decade of peace and over three so intertwined and inseparable, it’s as if Elvis has forgotten they are separate people. Older and less fastidious over timing or moods, when her husband gets a craving for his better half, he indulges it. It’s wholesomely nasty and Elaine doesn’t expect her children or the public to understand but she gets it.

She leans her forehead against the glass, lets her sweat smudge the clear view, and thinks she sees the specks that are their friends and kids below, commenting on the stalled lift no doubt, and she grins at the notion that Elvis can’t get enough momentum to actually make it obvious as to what these two bundles in the sky are doing.

His chubby and familiar cock is rubbing inside her delightfully as do his balls, hanging lower and swollen by age, smack her backside with every lurch, and she lets out a happy sigh at the slick sounds of his sloppy movements. Elaine can hear when he starts to get close, his breathy moans of exertion quicken and he lets out throaty little noises of delighted panic as his climax nears. His hands grasp her hips over the padding and he nearly climbs on her like it’s a piggy back ride, squirming to get a little deeper before letting out a long and loud sigh of contentment as he lets go, a sigh that has begun to crack at the end in a hoarse moan the older he gets.

“You feel so good, Tink.” he groans into her ear and her pussy clenches at the praise and the feel of his wet slop inside her.

The gush between her legs is obscene due to his shallow depth and just when she thinks he’s done with his deposit, Elvis will jerk some more and out sputters another little bit to join the rest slowly leaking out of her and dripping onto the crotch of her ski pants. “Mmm, shit, I made a mess, mama.” he mumbles apologetically at the obvious and easily foreseeable consequences to his actions.

“S’ok mopey,” she reaches back and strokes his sweaty cheek as he burrows his lips into the collar of her jacket and kisses her neck ardently and grateful, “that do it for ya, baby?” she asks, tipping her head back to allow him more access.

“Yeas,” He sighs happily, “m’all better.” he declares and Elaine’s heart thuds like a teenager from his soft, adoring tone, from the way she’s still his cure-all at all times. “But damn is it soupy down there, sorry mama.”

“You’ve been holding that in for a couple days now,” she coos, “been makin’ you grumpy and it must’ve been so hard, bein’ so full and achy and not able to relieve it.”

Elvis sniffles into her neck even as he begins to pull out, the gush of his release beginning to pour out and she quickly cups her hand to her cunt to catch some of it in her palm and spare her pants just a little.

“It’s been verra rough.” he agrees with a pout that no longer reaches anywhere else on his face save his mouth, quite an improvement from the grumpy storm cloud that was Elvis traveling here yesterday in a crowded Bus with kids and grandkids, deprived of his naps and his autonomy, with his bed full of grandkids at night and unable to have his Tink at whim.

Vacations were nice in theory, and suddenly relieved of his more irritable humors -which Elaine was cupping milky white in her palm- they might end up being nice in practice too. He just needed a little dotin’ on, like a vintage car, one can’t expect it to purr constantly without some upkeep. Tink knows this and she smiles back at him sweetly, same way she smiled at him on the bus when his boyish and round face was puckered in a moody scowl that matched Jack’s a few rows behind.

“Yeah, I know,” she’s still smiling but he watches her glance down to the pearly puddle in her palm as she adds, “but we gotta count our blessings we’ve got kids who wanna bug us as much as they do, people dream about families working as well as ours. Nothin’ we did alone, God’s been good to us, I mean -look at those sweet idiots, they’re not even skiing even though the conditions are perfect, they’re too worried for us. Don’t you think most rich kids would be hoping the car falls so they get the inheritance faster?”

Elvis wheezes a laugh and does a little hop to pull his padded pants back up, struggling with the zipper a bit. Slightly thicker around the middle and he acts like he’s nine months pregnant, unable to fasten his closures or put his shoes on, the pink happiness in his cheeks when Elaine offers to help him, betrays his act each time.

“I’ll help ya, if you need,” she offers, her own pants having been pulled up by him as he’s a gentleman, even if he’s a feral one.

“Yeah baby I need a hand.” grunts and his chin has a soft double under it as he looks down to his fly.

“Well, then clean me up so I can help.” she casually presents her cum coated hand and he balks for a brief moment until her unflinching little smile tells him she’s not kidding in the slightest, and he doesn’t need her to remind him she’ll be waddling and skiing all day in the soupy mess he made in her pants. It’s the least he can do, her eyebrow remind, and with a stuttering little whimper of aversion he takes her wrist in his large, gloved hand and bends over it like he’s gonna kiss it with all his Hollywood honed suavity.

Instead he gets to work on his task with only a fleeting grimace at the tepid saltiness of his own release and his compliance makes Elaine shiver and clench. She can feel the warm little kitten licks from his tongue, so reminiscent of other activities she uses him for, and his black lashes fan against his cheeks through the orange visor of his ski glasses as he peaks up to see her approving expression.

“That’s good enough, well done, let me help you now, sweet man.” she sighs dreamily while rubbing her finger against his curling tongue.

Elaine pats her shiny hand on her leather vinyl ski pants and finds it ineffective for drying it but there’s nothing to be done about it and so she dutifully lifts up his jackets and grasps the top of his pants and brings them together, “Suck in just a lil.” she suggests as her knuckles dig into the soft, hairy flesh of his belly, rubbing against his little treasure trail. “There we go.” she clasps it and he lets out a sigh and she steps back and both smile shyly at each other over the pretense of him needing help with something so easy.

“I love you.” it bubbles out of her lips as she sees him bundled and shy in front of her with a face shiny from his exertions inside her.

Elvis’ pink lips gasp a little at the common little declaration and he brings his large hand to the back of her neck, pulling her in for a deep kiss. She tastes his salty spend still on his tongue and moans into his scorching mouth. Her man and his body -always so warm and never more so than when he’s been freshly sated.

The ski lift jolts and Elaine falls further forward into Elvis’ embrace, losing her footing in the clumsy footwear, and he holds her up, looking above them to find the car has begun to lurch in what he hopes is an intentional motion to help the stall.

“Are we about to die?” Elaine asks with a giggle into the poofy padding of his jacket and his own laugh rumbles under her ear.

“Dunno,” he jokes, “but if we are, I want ya to know I don’t regret a damn thing ‘bout lovin’ you, ‘cept that I just left ya hangin’ in our last ron-day-voo like a green boy.”

Elaine smacks at his arm and feels the ski lift start to slide down the cable as it ought to have a whole half an hour before. “Gosh, I think we’re actually going to make it.” she mutters as their skiing party has remained intact for the most part, loathing to split off before the Boss and Boss Lady made it up safe.

When they get to their drop Elvis helps Elaine hop off the lift and he follows after, being swarmed by kids and grandkids and their friends asking if they’re alright. Which they are, of course they are.

A employee from the Resort, no doubt the fella who got them moving again, comes up and apologizes profusely for the inconvenience.

“Say nothin’ of it boy.” Elvis beams and claps him on the shoulder and Jack shares a look with his wife Vic at the quite obvious attitude adjustment that seems to have occurred since leaving the lodge. “Ya never know, one day I might tip ya for stallin’ an elevator or something so I can get this sweet creature alone for a minute.” and Elvis squeezes Elaine to his side like a typical, flirty old man and the poor employee stops chewing his gum in confusion.

“Uh. Well I’m glad you’re not shaken up, these things are quite safe they just stall occasionally.” the guy assures, loathe to get a bad review from the Presleys of all people.

“Yes of course.” Elaine smiles demurely at him and that should be his signal to move along but he’s one of those overachiever types, rules and regulation sorts, and so he persists.

“What can be dangerous is rocking a car in hopes to get it going.” he explains, “If this happens again, God forbid-“

“-better not.”

“-then it’s really important not to rock the thing or sway it too much, that can snap a cable, really Mr. Presley it’s important you guys don’t try that again.”

“We-we didn’t-“ Elvis is the picture of confusion even as Elaine’s face solidifies into diplomatic blankness.

“But we saw it rocking.” Bee, Shiloh’s best buddy and a tag-along to all Presley events, insists she saw what she saw, which was the lift rocking. She had commented as much to Danny despite his arguments that it was the wind before he dragged her off to watch him fail at a misty ski trick.

That’s why his forehead was busted and Elaine stares at the gash partially hidden by his shaggy brown hair with some concern.

“Must’ve been the wind.” Elvis repeats his son’s logic and Bee stares in confusion as they’re all out to ski because of the lack of wind.

Elaine beckons Danny over and makes his lanky frame crouch a little so she can ascertain the damage to his head while elbowing a still protesting Elvis in the ribs.

“We did try hopping a few times.” she admits breezily and as soon as she says it, Elvis stops his lying, quickly clamping his mouth shut, “Just thought we might get the momentum back. I’m sorry sir, we didn’t know we could die, we won’t try it again.” she assures.

Content the employee leaves them be and the various groups split off for the various courses, eager and red cheeked. Elvis and Elaine agree to shepard the youngest kids in the group down the easier slopes with the help of Rosalee and Sam.

On their way to their starting places Elvis brushes by Elaine, grandchild's hand in his on his opposite side and mutters in her ear, “Shouldn't make promises ya can’t keep.”

🥰 I hope y’all don’t mind me tagging y’all in blurbs as well as fics, most of y’all asked to be tagged in “everything” so I took you pretty literally, lol. Let me know and I’ll remove you for future. Xoxoxo

@paradsol000

@eliseinmemphis

@prompted-wordsmith

@ab4eva

@foreverdolly

@powerofelvis

@butlersxbirdy

@crash-and-cure

@elvisabutler

@heartbrake-hotel

@stylespresleyhearted

@thatbanditqueen

@crazymadpassionatelove

@myradiaz

@ash-omalley

@arianatheangelgirl

@steph-speaks

@burningloverdoll

@angelface-555

@lookingforrainbows

@missmaywemeetagain

@coolgirl462

@kingdomforapony

@18lkpeters

@richardslady121

@from-memphis-with-love

@lillypink

@artlover8992

@pennyroyalcreep

@notstefaniepresley

@ellie-24

@renaissingle

@waiting4brucewayne2adoptme

@presleyenterprise

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[crycxbey]

𝑰𝒏 𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑰𝑰

𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕

𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐𝒘: ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

January 10th 2044

Sercia sat curled up on the couch again, clutching a throw pillow tightly against her chest like a lifeline. Her fingers dug into the fabric as she stared at the fox, Orion, as they had introduced themselves. She took a deep, breath, trying to push past the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to consume her.

The fox watched her patiently, waiting for her questions.

“Alright,” she exhaled, forcing herself to stay calm. “Can you tell me what’s is going on?”

Orion didn’t hesitate while their voice remained steady, as if they had rehearsed this conversation a thousand times. “Your suspicions are correct; you are no longer in your world. You are in Love and Deepspace.”

Sercia’s grip on the pillow tightened at his response as his words hit her like a slap to the face.

Orion continued; “Last night, you and Aspen swapped worlds.”

"….."

For a few seconds, all she could hear was the faint hum of the apartment’s air conditioning and the sound of her own shallow breathing. She blinked. Once. Then twice.

“Okay,” she said finally, her voice tensing as her thoughts became a tangled mess. “Let me get this straight.” She lifted her head, meeting Orion’s gaze. “You’re telling me that I’m in the world of Love and Deepspace, which, last time I checked, was the game I was playing last night.” She then gestured vaguely around her, “And now I’m actually here, in Aspen’s apartment?”

Orion nodded once.

“And Aspen, my character, the MC, is somehow in my world?”

Another nod. 

Sercia blinked again as her mind tried to process the information. “How? Why?” she questioned, voice tinged with frustration. “None of this makes any sense! Aspen isn’t even real! She’s just- she’s a game persona that I created!”

Orion didn’t flinch at her outburst and instead tilted their head slightly, unmoving as they stared at the women. “And yet,” they said smoothly, “she exists. Just as you do. This world is real to its inhabitants, just as your world is real to you.”

Sercia opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Her brain was scrambling to reconcile the words with the logic she had known her entire life.

She’s real? Actually real?

No. No, that wasn’t how it worked.

“This still doesn’t make sense,” she insisted, shaking her head. “Millions of other people play this game. Millions. If Aspen is the main character, then why am I the only one here? There are tons of MCs that other players have created. If this world exists, then where are they?”

Orion regarded her for a moment, gaze unreadable. Then, with a slow, deliberate blink, they answered. “They exist.”

Sercia frowned. “What?”

“The other MCs,” Orion continued, voice steady and sure. “They exist, just as Aspen does.”

Her stomach twisted. “Then where are they?”

“They belong to their own separate worlds. Just as Aspen was created by you, the other main characters were created by other players. And with each creation, a separate version of this world came into existence. One unique to them.”

Sercia’s breath caught in her throat. “…You’re saying that this is Aspen’s version of Love and Deepspace?”

Orion nodded once. “This world belongs to her. It was brought into being the moment you created an account, designed her, and started to play the story.”

The air around her started to feel heavier, pressing down on her shoulders with the weight of realization. This wasn’t just any version of the game, it was Aspen’s version… because Sercia had created her. Her fingers picked at the pillow in her lap as her pulse roared in her ears. This wasn’t just some weird glitch, or some random mistake in the system. No…she had made Aspen and with it, this reality came into existence. But even with Orion’s explanation, she was still confused. The idea that her world, her life being tangled up in the fiction of some romance game felt impossible. And yet, here she was, living proof that the impossible had already happened.

“Okay, but how did we swap places?” she pressed. “My life isn’t a game. There are no Wanderers, no Evols, no Protocores in my world. It’s just… normal. My world isn’t some Sci-Fi fantasy where stuff like this happens.”

Orion watched her patiently, as if waiting for her to finish before they spoke. “There is a connection,” they replied. “A bridge of sorts, between the two of you.”

Sercia’s brows furrowed. “A bridge?”

Orion gave a small nod. “This is due to your dynamic as creator and created.”

Sercia eyes drifted in a brief thought. Creator and created…

“So what, because I made Aspen, we have some weird link?” she asked, skepticism creeping into her tone.

“In a sense,” Orion replied. “But your worlds were never meant to mix beyond a screen. However, something… disrupted the bridge.”

Sercia’s heart skipped a beat at Orion’s response; the careful wording, the slight pause, it sent the feeling of anxiety through her. Something disrupted the bridge. She then swallowed hard, suddenly aware of the way Orion had gone silent. Too silent. She narrowed her eyes at them. “And what, exactly, caused that disruption?”

Orion didn’t answer immediately. Eyes flickering for just for a moment, before they let out a slow, measured breath. “Have you heard the name Astra?” They asked.

Sercia blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Of course I have,” she said swiftly. “That name is everywhere in the game.”

Orion nodded slightly, as if they expected her answer. “Then, are you aware of who Astra truly is?”

 “The god of disaster,” she replied, shifting uncomfortably. “I learned about him in Zayne’s Myth.” She recalled the storyline; how Zayne, cold and devoted, was the most loyal follower and Foreseer of Astra in Philos. However, he had turned his back on Astra for the sake of love and the enraged God vowed that in every lifetime, his relationship with the MC would be doomed to fail until Zayne realized his true purpose by Astra’s side. But what did that have to do with this?

Orion watched her closely. “Then I will tell you the truth,” they said. “The reason you and Aspen swapped places is simple: Astra wants her gone.”

Sercia stared at Orion, her brain stuttering over the words. “What?”

“Astra wants Aspen out of this world permanently,” Orion repeated. “And this is how he chose to do it.”

A chill slowly seeped into Sercia’s bones as she tried to understand what she was hearing.  

 “When Zayne betrayed Astra out of love for Aspen, Astra told him that until he comes to his senses, his relationship with her will be doomed in every lifetime.” Orion’s voice was steady, but there was an underlying weight to their words. “And this time… Astra wanted to make sure that she would be gone from this universe for good.”

Sercia got why Astra wanted to ruin the relationship but she was still lost. “Astra is from the future though; he isn’t even mentioned in this current timeline and the people in this time don’t even know who he is. So how could he have swapped Aspen and I if this version of her is from the past?”

Orion inclined their head slightly. “Astra couldn’t just kill Aspen for good but since this current version had the strongest connection you, he found a way to bend the very rules of this world, even those he was meant to follow.”

A wave of realization hit Sercia. Of course, Aspen was cursed to reincarnate. She couldn’t just be erased. Even if Astra wanted to kill her, she’d come back in another lifetime. “…Because Aspen is cursed to reincarnate, right?” Sercia guessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Orion’s head shook. “No.”

Sercia’s face scrunched “No?”

Orion’s eyes then bore into hers, their next words sending a chill through her veins. “It’s because the MC is the center of this world,” they explained, tone even but lined with something deeper, something ominous. “They are the one piece holding everything together. And if that piece were to be removed…this whole world would collapse. And with it… Astra himself would be destroyed.”

The air in the room felt heavier as Sercia sat there, stunned, her heart racing in her chest. “But… if Aspen was removed, how is the world still standing?” she asked shakily.

Orion’s eyes narrowed. “Because you exist.”

 “…What?”

“You created Aspen,” Orion said. “And by doing so, she became a part of you in sense. That made you the perfect replacement, the only one that could keep this world from falling apart in her absence.”

She inhaled sharply when she realized Astra hadn’t just swapped them only out of spite. He had swapped them because he had to. He couldn’t destroy Aspen without destroying himself, so he found a loophole. And now, she was stuck in her place. Sercia took another deep breath, forcing her thoughts into order. Her entire world had just been upended, and panic was starting to curl at the edges of her mind, waiting to sink its claws into her. But she didn’t have time to break down. She steeled her gaze and looked directly at Orion, determination hardening her voice.

“What do I do now?” she asked. “I can’t stay here; I have a life, a family, a world without monsters in it. Living in a place where creatures like Wanderers exist was not on my 2025 bingo card.” She paused. “…Or is it 2044 now since that’s when the game starts?” She didn’t even know what year it technically was anymore but that wasn’t the point. The point was that she had to get back home.

Orion regarded her for a moment before speaking. “If you want to go home, you need to seek out the others, and soon.” Sercia’s brows furrowed. “Why?”

“The longer you remain here, the more this world will tether to you,” Orion explained. “It is sinking into you like an anchor, slowly attaching itself and the stronger that grip becomes, the harder it will be to leave. Eventually… it will be impossible.”

Sercia’s stomach twisted. “Impossible? But why?”

Orion let out a sigh “Even though you took Aspen’s place in this world, you are not exactly her ad the differences between you two are stark,” Orion gestured a paw in her direction. “For example, you do not have an Evol, let alone a resonance one; and that power is important to this story. The world might correct this by giving you an Evol that could be similar to hers.” Orion then put his paw down as he continued. “The longer you stay, the more similar you will become to her as this world will attempt to replace you with Aspen, that is why you need to return to your world as soon as possible.”

 Sercia’s expression was still as she took in the information. “So, you’re saying if I don’t act fast, I’ll be stuck here forever?” Orion nodded once; their expression impassive.

A sense of dread then settled over her. Keeping to herself until things magically sorted themselves out was not going to work. If she didn’t do something now, she was going to be permanently locked in a world that wasn’t hers. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “And finding the others, what does that actually do?”

“For now,” Orion said, “you just need to seek them out. Build a connection with them.”

Sercia narrowed her eyes. “…That’s really vague.”

Orion’s gaze didn’t waver.

“There’s more to it, isn’t there?”

Orion stayed silent before saying, “Focus on this for now. When the time comes, I’ll tell you what to do next.”

Sercia clenched her jaw, irritation flaring in her chest. She hated being strung along by people, or foxes, apparently. But she also had a feeling that no amount of prying was going to get Orion to spill anything else right now.

She let out a annoyed sigh. “Fine,” she muttered. “Let’s say I do this. How exactly am I supposed to find five incredibly important and busy men in this place? I don’t even know my way around, let alone how to reach them.”

Orion’s eyes gleamed as they tilted their head slightly. “That is one of the reasons why I’m here.”

Sercia’s head then titled like Orion. "Okay... and how exactly are you supposed to help me? And now that I think about it, what are you anyway?"

Orion didn’t answer right away. Instead, they calmly raised a paw, and with a soft shimmer of light, something appeared out of thin air. Sercia’s breath stopped as a small heap of glimmering gold materialized on the table before her. The coins sparkled, catching the morning light in a way that looked almost unreal.

 "Is that… money?" she asked, leaning forward in disbelief.

"Yes," Orion said simply. "Gold. The currency they use here."

Sercia stared at the pile, her mind struggling to keep up. "You can just… summon money?"

Orion regarded her evenly. "I am being that is not bound to this world," they explained. "Nor to its rules. I am simply here to guide people like you back to where you originated from and there are things I can do that may seem like miracles to you."

Before she could even react to that, Orion lifted their paw again, summoning something else. A slim smartphone appeared in midair before landing softly on the couch beside her. Sercia blinked, then hesitantly picked it up, turning it over in her hands. The device was not too different from the one she had and it brought her comfort to know that she had something familiar to work with.

"This phone is linked to this world," Orion explained. "You can use it to access information, navigate the city, and communicate with whoever you meet."

Sercia glanced up, already sensing a caveat. "But let me guess, it won’t connect to anything from my world?"

"Correct."

Sercia exhaled, shaking her head. "Of course not."

As Sercia continued to examine the phone, running her fingers along its smooth edges, Orion spoke again. "Living in this world will not be easy," they said, their voice calm yet firm. "But you are not alone. You have me to rely on. And now, you have the resources to begin."

Sercia hummed in response, half-distracted as she swiped across the display, watching the screen shift seamlessly under her touch. Her mind spun with the sheer absurdity of her current situation. A day ago, she had been a working college student, living a life that was nothing worth writing home about. Now, she was inside her favorite game, stuck in her characters place, talking to a glowing-eyed fox who could summon gold out of thin air. It was one of the most ridiculous and bizarre situations that she could go through, and yet, here she was.

She set the phone down beside her as reality settled heavily on her shoulders. If she wanted to go home, she had to figure out her next course of action and get started. The sooner, the better.  She straightened, rolling her shoulders back as she steadied herself.

"Alright," She glanced at Orion once more. "Where do we start?"

Orion’s eyes seemed to light up at her confidence. “We’ll start with Xavier. He’s the easiest to locate since he lives on the floor above us. From there, we’ll work to finding the others as the days go by.” 

Sercia leaned back as she pondered over the suggestion. Going to him first made sense, but she couldn’t say she was thrilled about it. In fact, her feeling were the opposite. Xavier was her favorite love interest in the game; his quiet demeanor, half-lidded eyes, and soft-spoken words had always drawn her in. But that was when he was behind a screen, confined to scripted dialogue and programmed actions. Meeting him in person would be a whole different story, and she wasn’t naïve enough to expect it to be all sunshine and rainbows.

There was one thing she knew for sure; it was that Xavier wasn’t just the sleepy-eyed, mysterious man most people assumed him to be. Beneath that calm exterior lurked something far more intense. When it came to strangers, especially those who so much as breathed in Aspen’s direction, Xavier had a tendency to grow jealous, possessive even. His jealousy wasn’t just subtle brooding; it was a force that could shift the entire atmosphere of a room, turning his icy gaze into something that could send chills down anyone’s spine.

And don’t even get her started on how he handled dangerous situations. This was the same man who had nearly obliterated an arcade over a unicorn plushie. Only for it to be the one with a sparkler on its head. That ridiculous, over-the-top reaction had been funny to watch but experiencing that kind of unhinged determination in real life? Yeah… Sercia wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing that firsthand.

She then let out a sigh. “Easier said than done. How am I even supposed to approach Xavier? Wouldn’t it be weird if some random stranger just showed up out of nowhere, asking about his partner despite never being mentioned before? That would make me look suspicious.”

She could already see it; Xavier’s gaze turning sharp the second she so much as uttered Aspen’s name and the way his entire body would start radiating a quiet menace. No doubt he’d see right through any weak excuse she came up with. And if he didn’t like her answers? Well, she didn’t want to think about what might happen.

Orion, however, remained unbothered. “That’s exactly why you need to create an identity that connects you to Aspen,” he said smoothly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

She blinked. “An identity?”

“Yes. Something that gives you credibility, something that makes sense within this world,” Orion explained. “If you walk in as a stranger, Xavier will shut you down before you can even finish a sentence. But if you have a reason, a history that ties you to Aspen, he’ll be more likely to speak to you.”

She let the idea sink in, chewing on her bottom lip. “And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”

“That’s up to you,” Orion said, tilting their head slightly. “Do you have any ideas?”

Sercia sat in deep thought, tapping her fingers against her thigh as she tried to come up with something that could justify her sudden appearance in Aspen’s life. After a few moments, a spark of inspiration hit her, and she perked up.

“I could be her long-lost sister!” she blurted out, looking at Orion with hopeful enthusiasm.

Silence.

Orion just stared at her like she had completely lost her mind. Their expression was a perfect mix of disappointment and disbelief, their tail flicking behind them as their ears flattened. “… the only family Aspen ever had was her adopted grandmother and Caleb,” they said, voice flat with exasperation. “Plus, you two look nothing alike.”

Sercia deflated instantly. “Oh. Right,” she mumbled, scratching the back of her head.

Still determined, she dove back into her thoughts, wracking her brain for something more believable. After a few more moments, she snapped her fingers. “Okay, what about this; I could be her cousin!”

Another beat of silence.

Orion’s eyes narrowed into an unimpressed squint, ears now twitching in clear irritation. “No” they said simply, their deadpan tone making it clear they weren’t even going to entertain that idea.

Sercia groaned, running her hands down her face. Come on, think! If she couldn’t pass as direct family, then she needed another angle. Something realistic. Something that made sense in the world Aspen lived in. Her mind flickered through Aspen’s story; her struggles, the people she met, the challenges she faced. There had to be something she could latch onto, something she could slip herself into without setting off every red flag Xavier had.

And then it hit her.

“I got it!” She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as the perfect idea clicked into place.

She quickly ran through the details in her head, remembering one of the game’s missions involving the search for Aether core fragments. In Zayne’s route, players had been introduced to a city called Chansia, a place Aspen had visited before during a previous event. The problem? Sercia had never actually played that event, so she had no idea what had happened the first time around. But maybe… just maybe, she could work around that.

Turning to Orion, she explained her plan. “I’ll say I’m someone Aspen met in Chansia,” she said, the pieces falling into place as she spoke. “She saved me from a Wanderer attack, and ever since then, I’ve been forever grateful. After that, we swapped socials on Moments and kept in touch every once in a while.”

Orion tilted their head, considering the idea. “That’s… a start,” they admitted, though their skeptical expression told Sercia they weren’t completely convinced. “But if you want to make this believable, you’ll need more than just a story. Xavier won’t just take your word for it. How do you plan on proving that you and Aspen know each other?”

Sercia then smirk. “That’s where you come in,” she said confidently and without hesitation, Sercia grabbed the new phone and held it out toward them. “Since you can bring things into existence, I need you to create a fake Moments profile for me, one that looks completely legit.”

Orion raised a brow. “Go on.”

Sercia took a deep breath, laying out her plan. “I'm going to need followers, realistic ones. Then, I need you to add me to Aspen’s followers, and vice versa, so it looks like we’ve been connected for a while. I also need fake comments and likes from me on her posts and hers on mine. Make it look like we’ve interacted naturally over time, dating back at least a year.”

Orion hummed in thought but didn’t interrupt, so Sercia kept going.

“Then, I need you to add fake DMs; casual conversations, links to random videos, stuff that makes it seem like we actually talk every once in a while. Nothing too deep, just enough to make it believable.”

Orion finally let out a small chuckle, shaking their head. “You really thought this through in a short amount of time.”

Sercia folded her arms. “I just came up with whatever to be honest. But can you do it?”

Orion gave a single nod. “Yes, I can do that. Give me a moment.”

A faint glow surrounded their raised paw, and Sercia felt a subtle pulse of energy pass through the phone still in her grasp. The screen flickered slightly before settling. Curious, she swiped to unlock it, her eyes widening in awe. The Moments app was there and fully functional, as if it had always existed.

Clicking on it, she was met with a complete profile: a perfectly crafted account under her name, filled with old posts, a reasonable follower count, and most importantly, Aspen as a mutual friend. Scrolling through, she saw the carefully placed likes and comments from her, and clicked on Aspen's profile to see the same thing. She then tapped into her DMs and saw messages from other people, but she barely glanced at those. What caught her attention were the messages between her and Aspen. There was small check-ins, shared memes, and harmless exchanges about daily life.

Sercia let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. “Wow,” she muttered. “That's incredible.”

“Like I said, I'm not bound to these rules.”

Now, with a fully fabricated digital history, she thought she stood a chance at pulling this off. But there was one more thing. Even with the profile, her sudden arrival would still seem off. If the others had already noticed Aspen was missing, why would she be the one showing up now? Why would she even be in Linkon City in the first place? She needed a reason, a sense of urgency that would justify her presence.

Her gaze flickered back to Orion, a new idea forming in her mind. “Can you add a distress message?” she asked. “Something from her… in our DMs?”

Orion’s ears perked up with interest. “A distress message?”

“Yeah,” Sercia nodded, thinking fast. “Something that makes it look like she reached out to me before she "disappeared", like she was in trouble but didn’t have time to explain everything.” Then, another thought struck her. “And a voice message, too. Something unfinished, like it cuts off suddenly.”

Orion’s eyes gleamed with approval. “That’s actually a really good idea.”

The same pulse of energy passed through Sercia’s phone and she watched as the messages appeared before her eyes in real time, seamlessly integrated into the existing chat history. A text message from Aspen, timestamped from last night before, reading:

"Sercia, I think I messed up. I went out to check on something, and now… I don’t know. I don’t think I should be here. I should’ve told someone, but it’s too late now. If anything happens, please, just-"

It cut off abruptly, the unfinished sentence leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

Right below it was an unopened voice message and she hesitated for a moment before pressing play.

Aspen’s voice crackled through the speaker, slightly distorted as if it had been recorded in motion.

"Sercia… I-" A sharp breath. Footsteps pounding against pavement. The sound of her breathing growing heavier.

"I went out to do something, but something’s here. I don’t know what it is, but it’s-"

A harsh, static-like noise interrupted her for a second before she continued, voice more frantic now.

"I-It’s something I can’t fight. I should’ve told someone where I was going but I didn’t, and now I'm going-"

A heavy thud. The sound of something scraping, a gasp-

And then-

Silence.

The message cut off completely.

Sercia let out a slow breath and glanced at Orion, who simply tilted their head.

“Yeah,” she muttered, locking the screen. “That’s definitely convincing enough.”

She played the voice message one more time, listening carefully as Aspen’s frantic words crackled through the speaker. Even though she knew it was fake, the realism sent a still made her uneasy. With a quick shake of her head, she placed the phone down on the coffee table and got up, stretching her arms to shake off the lingering tension. She then looked over at Orion. “Alright, I’m ready to go meet Xavier.”

Then, as if on que, her stomach growled and she frowned. “But I need fuel first. No way I’m meeting ‘his majesty’ on an empty stomach.”

Orion let out an amused huff as she turned on her heel and made her way to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she peeked inside and paused. Something about it caught her attention now that she was getting a good look at it. The fridge was very full, far more stocked than she would have expected for someone who lived alone. But then, realization hit.

Oh, right. She and Xavier share fridges.

That thought alone made her snort. Seeing it in person was different from reading about it. The neatly arranged, nutritious meals? Definitely Aspen’s doing. The sheer number of energy drinks, instant meals, and random convenience store snacks stuffed in the door compartments? 1000% Xavier. She shook her head with a small chuckle before grabbing a pre-made sandwich. It looked decent enough, and honestly, she doubted Xavier would even notice if it went missing. This man was the type to survive off gas station food and black coffee; if he did notice, he probably wouldn’t even care. Just as she turned around-

"AHHHHHHH!"

She screamed, nearly dropping the sandwich as she stumbled back.

Orion was right there. Floating.

Levitating effortlessly in front of her, their tails swaying in the air like they had always belonged there. Their white eyes twinkled with amusement as if this were the most casual thing in the world.

Sercia clutched her chest, breathing heavily. “How are you floating like that?!”

“It’s something I’ve always been able to do,” they said casually, as if floating mid-air was the most natural thing in the world.

Sercia scoffed and rolling her eyes. “Of course it is,” she muttered before leaning onto the kitchen island and taking bite of the sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully before raising a brow at them. “Anything else I should know about you before we do this?”

“I can disappear.”

Sercia blinked. “Disappear?”

They nodded. “You won’t be able to see me, but I’ll always be there. No one in this world can know about me except for you.” Their gaze sharpened slightly as they floated closer. “So be mindful. Try not to mention me to anyone.”

Sercia let that sink in before nodding in understanding. “Got it.”

Finishing the last of her sandwich, she walked over to the trash can and tossed the wrapper inside. As she straightened up, she glanced down and realized-

She had no shoes on.

Her eyes flicked to Orion, and without a word, they got the memo. With a simple wave, a pair of slippers materialized in front of her.

Sercia gave a small smile while slipping them on. “Thanks.”

With that taken care of, she made her way back to the coffee table, picking up the phone before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her old one. She then put her old phone on the table and made a mental note to put it somewhere even safer when she got back.

With that done, she turned to Orion, clapped her hands together, and grinned. “Alright. Now I’m ready.”

𓍯𓂃𓂃𓂃

Sercia peeked her head out of the apartment and scanned the hallway for any signs of movement but the coast was clear. It was close to 9 AM, which meant most people were probably already at work. Good, the last thing she needed was to awkwardly run into any of Aspen’s other neighbors. If someone did stop to talk or question her, she wouldn’t have the faintest clue on what to say.

She glanced back at Orion, who was floating behind her. “We’re good,” she whispered, stepping out into the hallway with them following closely behind. With that, the two of them headed out, the door clicking shut behind them and that’s when it hit her. Her eyes widened, and she whipped around, staring at the door in sudden horror.

“…Wait. I don’t have a way to get back in.”

Orion let out a sigh, like they had expected this from her. “The code is 3614,” they deadpanned.

Sercia turned to them, eyes narrowing. “You couldn’t have told me that before we left?”

Orion shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”

She muttered something under her breath but chose not to argue. Instead, she made a mental note of the code, mouthing the numbers to herself just in case. She’d rather not embarrass herself later by being locked out. With that small crisis averted, the duo walked down the hallway toward the elevator. Thankfully, no one else was around to witness the strange sight of a floating fox and a woman who has never been seen in this building before. When they reached the elevator, she pressed the button and took a deep breath. When the doors slid open, and they stepped inside, her hand hovered over the buttons for a moment before she pressed 6, the floor Xavier was on.

As the elevator doors shut, Sercia inhaled, “Okay. You got this.” Sercia then exhaled deeply and nodded. “You’re just a concerned friend, looking for Aspen. Nothing weird. Just be normal. Be cool.”

The elevator chimed, signaling their arrival and she clenched her fists.

Showtime.

The two headed down the hallway, the soft chime of the elevator faded behind them. Her mind buzzed with nerves as her feet carried her forward automatically, muscle memory kicking in from all the times she had seen this in the game.

Apartment 636.

She repeated the number in her head as they approached, each step making her pulse quicken. This is actually happening. Oh my god. I am about to knock on Xavier’s door. The reality of it felt suffocating. It wasn’t just some scripted event she could sit back, and watch unfold. No, this was her, now standing outside his door, about to try and initiate a conversation with someone who, if things went south, could probably end her existence. Her hand hovered just shy of the smooth surface of the door, hesitating. A long pause stretched between her and the moment, tension pressing against her chest like a weighted blanket. She sucked in another deep breath, exhaled slowly through her nose, then finally moved.

One sharp rap.

Two lighter ones.

The sound echoed faintly in the hallway as she waited. Her body stiff and ears straining for any sign of movement from the other side.

Nothing.

Maybe he didn’t hear me? She knocked again, this time a little louder, her knuckles rapping firmly against the door.

Still, there was no response.

Sercia let out a frustrated sigh, turning her head slightly to glance at Orion. “Of course he’s not home, why would finding him be this easy?"

“We could go out and look for him,” They suggested.

Sercia immediately shook her head. “No way. That’s way too risky.” She still wasn’t comfortable going outside yet, not without a solid plan at least. If she got caught up in something unexpected, she wasn’t sure how well she could handle it. “We should just go back to Aspen’s place and wait a few hours before trying again,” she decided, turning back toward the elevator. Orion gave a small hum of agreement, and the two began walking. But just as they neared the elevator, the faint sound of footsteps reached their ears.

Before she could react, Orion had already disappeared into thin air without a sound. She let out a huff, knowing they’d still be there but unseen. She kept her head down, assuming it was just some random tenant passing through. No reason to panic. No reason to overthink it. Her mind drifted as she walked, thoughts spinning around what she was going to do if she could find Xavier. Would he even believe her? Would he listen? How was she supposed to handle him if he didn’t?”

The footsteps grew closer.

Then, just as she was about to brush past the person, a strange sensation went through her chest. It was subtle, unshakable feeling in the back of her mind, telling her to look and before she could stop herself, she turned her head slightly.

And froze, breath catching in her throat.

No way. No freaking way.

There he was.

Walking toward his apartment and with his back towards her, she could tell it was him by his silver hair and white hunter clothes he wore. He moved with heavy steps and his body looked sluggish and tired, as if he hasn’t slept in days.

Xavier.

The real, actual Xavier.

Sercia stared, completely forgetting how to function for a second.

Oh. My. God.

ꫂ ၴႅၴ Taglist: @llamabois

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈! 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔!

[butchboromir]

do u have a primer on ur ocs. i want to understand

hi aspen. oc primer incoming under the cut :-)

the setting: university of south florida

our players:

J (Jenny Boyd) • they/them (he/she) • 20 • sophmore exuberant english major. has a brightly dyed mullet, is a big stompy boots wearer, and you are unlikely to see them not wearing either a homemade tank top, or a battle jacket. skateboarder of debatable skill. actually a pretty big nerd, but they won't tell you that. (there will be signs, though).

Beck Hammond • he/they • 43 • professor thoughtful, introverted, & nerdy shakespeare professor. long hair, glasses, dresses smart casual on days he's teaching (jeans and button ups, mostly). has a long time partner, but is becoming bored/uncomfortable with their relationship. video game enthusiast. fond of sci-fi & fantasy. writing a book in his spare time.

Cade Dalgaard • he/him • 21 • junior a strong and silent type punk. short, but makes up for it with a giant fan mohawk. has sick patch pants. seems intimidating, but is a big softie. really dry humor. a friend of J's from shakespeare class. has a will they/won't they thing going on with Kota.

Kota Takahashi • they/them • 20 • sophmore extremely dramatic theatre major. very silly, outgoing (matches J's silly to a dangerous extent). wolf cut, dresses retro/artsy, likes to wear different colored contacts for funsies. J's best friend (they met online in highschool and decided to go to college together). skateboarder of an actually decent skill.

the rough plot outline is this:

j thinks they're late for their first day of classes, is NOT looking where they're going when they're skating to class, and they accidentally totally bowl over a really hot person on their way there. they stop, help pick of mysterious hot person's books (wow, that's a lot of shakespeare), and then run off to try and make it to class. J makes it to class on time (yay!). then, mysterious hot person they bowled over earlier walks in. Oh shit, hot person i skateboarded over is my professor? whatever, i guess, i'll be normal about this. (spoiler alert. J is NOT normal about this). anyways, as the semesters go on, J ends up getting closer and closer with Beck. (J goes to a looooot of office hours). eventually Beck ends up pretty much just letting J hang around his office to chat at random times. the tl;dr is they move from just a professor and their dedicated student to actual friends, and then eventually from friends to having a full blown affair.

Eventually, something will happen that means J+Beck get found out, or J and Beck will realize that what they're doing is unsustainable. Because they are in love, and crazy, J will suggest "fuck it, let's blow this place and run away to Maine together". And because Beck is equally in love and crazy, (after some time to think), he will agree to doing this. Whether or not they make it to Maine is immaterial, they just need to reach the point where it's brought up as a suggestion.

the TL;DR is that going to maine is a mainly character/relationship focused piece, so it's basically just chronicling J+Beck's relationship/affair, and how that relationship/affair progresses over time. there's also a b plot going on with kota+cade having a will they won't they thing, but that's less important to the story and more just for funsies

the TL;DR's TL;DR is college student and their professor have an affair and elope to maine together

going to maine is also really heavily based off of some mountain goats songs. namely, going to maine. other important ones are the alphonse mambo and alibi. below is my playlist for it :-)

[lazyveta]

Yelizaveta Koval, Introduction

Get ready for a lot of text, because I'm not a person of few words (⁠￣⁠ヘ⁠￣⁠;⁠)

————————————————————————

Full name: Yelizaveta Eridanus Blackmoth-Koval

The middle name—and all short forms of it—are only allowed to be used by family members or close friends.

The tradition of giving a second name based on stars or constellations dates back hundreds of years, from a time when the Blacks and the Blackmoths had a more amicable relationship. A member of the Black family once married into the Blackmoth family. Since then, the two families eventually fell out, became rivals for a while, and now simply acknowledge each other as much as society requires.

Short names/nicknames: Elv, Liz, Eri, Dan, Ridan, Storm (her older siblings used to call her "cloud" when she was little, but as she grew up, her personality became more like a storm) Чортеня/бісення (“imp” — used affectionately by her parents and eldest brother) Dragon (she and her siblings used to give each other names based on magical creatures)

Her parents are a triad (two dads and one mother). She has eight siblings besides herself (two sets of twins — one adopted — and she is part of a set of triplets)

Features: she is around 5,7 feet tall, with slim, fit body (naturally lanky, I guess); has dark blonde hair with almost white strips in the front; her eyes are green and she has freckles (more apparent in the summer).

She is both British and Ukrainian but feels more connected to Ukrainian culture. That’s likely due to being the Koval heir and spending most of her childhood in Ukraine, which she generally relates to more than Britain.

Birthday: June 22, 1961

Soulmate: Regulus Black

Blood status: Pure-blood

Personality: bold (can be provocative when offended), quick-witted, diligent, observant, perspicacious (astute) and very self-aware.

Often perceived as extroverted, easygoing, and open — but in truth, she's more introverted and keeps people at arm’s length. Liz can talk a lot, sharing plenty of surface-level information, but rarely anything truly deep or meaningful.

She relies far more on logic than on emotion, simply because logic is clearer to her. Still, she remains deeply empathetic and understanding of others — even if it sometimes comes at her own expense (she knows this and gets frustrated with herself, often trying to cover up her soft-hearted nature)

Liz is the type to feel too deeply — so on the outside, it can seem like she doesn’t care at all.

Elemental predisposition: water in childhood; in her teen age her magic core shifted drastically towards fire, though she retains some water affinity

Magic wands: pine and phoenix feather (one for who she is); aspen and dragon whisker (one for who she wish to be)

Patronus: eagle (one of the most happiest memory, and the one she first time summoned her patronus with, was about the feeling pure freedom)

Animagus form: snow leopard (her parents decided that if they couldn't avoid the inevitable, it should at least happen under their supervision, so they themselves taught their children animagus magic)

Hobbies: hiking (usually with Sam); drawing (through her teenage years, it was the easiest way for her to express herself, especially when she couldn’t put her feelings into words); indulging in weird or silly research based on random thoughts; playing bandura or guitar (later self taught; it very similar to kobza which she also knows how to play), horse riding

Outstanding skills: artificery (natural sensitivity to magic makes it easier for her to work with magical flows), martial arts (was determined to learn despite not having a natural aptitude — and succeeded), charms and runes, analytic thinking

Likes ⁠♡: freedom; rain; thunderstorms; tea; family evenings; risk/adrenaline; mindless hiking; creating; dragons; cold weapons (daggers, sabers etc); researching; bantering and discussing; delicious food; collecting jewelry; leather jackets

Dislikes /: some of her relatives; being given orders; cooking; close-minded people; stereotypical thinking; depending on others (she knows she can't control other people or their decisions and doesn't want to be disappointed); long, loose hair (she doesn’t get how others aren’t annoyed by it); boredom

Style: she often leans towards more masculine appearances (doesn't wear skirts or dresses, but has some of them in closet); likes to wear traditional and fancy outfits, but often chose casual ones in everyday life for the sake of more comfort and laziness; likes embroidery and jewellery

I do have a lot more to say, and have no idea when to stop (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)✨

[More headcanoncs?]

[thepossumest-awesome]

me

Me me

Me when

When me

Me