#// BUT I MEAN. we'll see how i feel about it entirely once i finish it up !!!

[mythcaels-a]

me who has been watching a.vatar because i have to

[cutielando]

world champion | m.v.

synopsis: in which he finally achieves his dream

my masterlist

Ever since he started in Formula 1, the biggest dream Max had was becoming a World Champion. Signing with Red Bull was the first step towards making his dream come true.

Having you by his side was the second thing he needed.

His family couldn't come at every single race that he had, having their own lives and work prevented them from being able to fly out to the numerous countries that he found himself in every week.

But you had a very flexible job, you had your own little business and could essentially work from your laptop from anywhere you were, which was why you had never missed a race since Max started in F1.

He always joked with Christian in calling you his lucky charm.

The season had been going well for him, he'd won numerous races and was now tied with Charles Leclerc in the Championship standings. But you knew he could do it, you could feel the win coming.

"I'm going crazy" he told you the night before the race that would essentially decide who the champion is.

The famous Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

"Stop stressing, you're going to give yourself wrinkles if you stress so much" you called out from the hotel bathroom where you were doing your skincare routine before bed.

"How can I not be stressed? My career is essentially on the line. Everything relies on what happens tomorrow, I can't let everyone down and not win" he said, his voice quiet and somber.

You finished doing your skincare routine and exited the bathroom, joining him on the king sized bed and wrapping your arms around him.

He buried his face in your chest and held onto you tightly, your arms being the only comfort for his nerves before every single race.

"Nobody is going to hate you or judge you if you don't win. Everybody is going to be proud of you for being able to be at the top for the entire season. I'm proud of you, Max, and I'll be proud of you regardless if you finish in first or last place. Don't beat yourself up if things don't go your way tomorrow, there is always next year and we're all going to be there for you, no matter what" you explained, kissing the top of his head as a confirmation that you were there and will always be by his side, no matter the results.

"You really mean that?" his voice was timid, but you could feel his muscles starting to relax under your touch.

"Of course I do. You don't have to put this kind of pressure on yourself. You're not doing this for the fans or for your family or for me, you're only doing this for yourself. Just go out there and drive your best and let the results come to you if it's meant to be"

He nodded and squeezed you tighter. 

"I love you, so damn much" he mumbled, kissing your clothes chest and settling back down against you.

"I love you too, baby" you whispered and started running your hand up and down his back, knowing it was one of his favorite things.

As minutes went by, his breath started to slow down, indicating that he had fallen asleep. You smiled and placed a final kiss on his forehead before getting comfortable to go to sleep yourself, excited for what tomorrow would bring. 

♡♡♡♡♡

The atmosphere in the Red Bull garage was exhilarating. For Christian and all the engineers, Max was already the World Champion.

Nothing could ruin their mood that morning, and the same could be said about you.

"How are you feeling?" you asked your boyfriend as he started getting ready to go in the car.

"Still nervous, but not as much as before. What happens, happens. I'll give it my best and we'll see" he said and gave you a sincere smile, reassuring you that he was okay.

"Good luck, baby. I love you, please be safe" you said and leaned up to kiss his lips before he'd have to put on his balaclava and helmet.

"I will. I love you too" 

He departed after that, going over last-minute strategies with his engineers and making sure the car was ready for battle.

Once the mechanics rolled him out of the garage and onto the track, you took a seat next to his race engineer, who immediately gave you a pair of headphones.

"How's our boy?" he asked you, a warm smile on his face.

You and Gianpiero had a close relationship ever since he started working with Max, frequently exchanging thoughts and opinions before and after every race.

Sure, you didn't have the whole technical knowledge perfected yet, but you knew your way around the sport and strategies and everything after being with Max for so many years.

"He's nervous, but I know he's going to give it his all. I told him to drive his best and see what happens. Didn't feel like putting more pressure on him than necessary" you explained, earning a nod from the engineer.

"He'll win, I can feel it"

♡♡♡♡♡

And right he was.

Seeing him cross that finish line and checkered flag long before anyone else was like a breath of fresh air. You and Gianpiero jumped up from your seats and hugged each other, your cheeks already full of the tears that were flowing down.

You took your headphones off and make your way out of the garage, impatiently waiting for Max to pull up and get out of the car.

Once you saw his car approaching, you started jumping up and down, feeling happier than you had ever been.

"You did it!!" you screamed once Max got out of the car and enveloped you in his arms.

You didn't even care that he was sweaty and tired, all you could focus on was the fact that he had finally achieved his childhood dream.

"I did it" he sobbed into your shoulder, his arms holding you tightly against his body.

As you stood embraced in the middle of the paddock in your own little bubble, you knew that all of the sleepless nights, the hundred hours of training, the dozens races he's done, his entire hard work has finally paid off.

He was World Champion.

But more importantly, he was your champion. 

comments and re-blogs help us grow!

much appreciated!!

REQUEST HERE

[ecrivainalene]

Leviathan Panel at Otakon 2024

I was OVERJOYED to be at the Leviathan panel during Otakon 2024! I'll do my best to recap it below, but if you want a more coherent play by play, this Twitter user did an excellent job.

I've got a handful of photos, recap of Sharp Gender Discussion, plus misc. things I remember.

Not everyone was up for the entire time, but I snapped this photo near the end when everyone was on stage! From left to right: Waki Kiyotaka (Studio Orange), Yoshihiro Watanabe (Studio Orange), Scott Westerfeld, Christophe Ferreira (Quibic Pictures), Justin Leach (Quibic Pictures), Katrina Minett (Quibic Pictures), and Diana Garnet (ending theme vocalist).

New concept art! Looks like Dr. Barlow, Klopp, Alek, and Sharp, right before the Germans attack the Leviathan.

More under the cut!

Alternative shot of that art bc I couldn't get my lighting right:

Clanker and Darwinist technology designs. Watanave explained that Studio Orange's early days were spent doing contract work on Gundam anime, so I can't wait to see how that translates to the Clanker machines.

Some more concept art:

By the way, the entire series is being adapted at once - so we'll get the complete story at once! That in mind, the second image here makes me think of that maneuver near the beginning of Goliath to pick up the cargo.

Sharp!!! Look at them!!!

I don't have much to say about these but I'm fairly sure I hadn't seen them before. I am wondering if they downsized Alek's crew for the sake of the story, or perhaps we just haven't seem Bauer and Hoffman yet.

We got some new character art! The panel was very cryptic about who the character designer is. Apparently they're pretty well known, but they can't share it yet!

Volger I am so sorry your photo was unfocused. Forgive me.

The panel jokingly described him as "Alek's dad," which feels accurate. And maybe I misunderstood, but it sounds like he plays an even more important role in the anime than he does in the books. I've always considered Volger to be a pretty important character, so I wonder what else he'll do in this new series.

Klopp looks exactly like how I pictured him in my mind!! They said if Volger is Alek's dad, then Klopp is like his mom. Which is very fair but also made me laugh a lot.

Dr. Barlow!! She looks amazing. There was a lot of talk about the dynamic between her and Volger and how they're often playing mental chess games with each other. I'm really glad they're leaning into that dynamic.

And one more concept art:

This looks like the visit to Istanbul, which I'm desperately hoping means we'll see my favorite chaotic bisexual, Lilit.

That's all of the photos I have! They also showed us a preview of the show plus a live performance of the ending song with Diana Garnet. No video recording was allowed and I don't break rules, but believe me when I tell you it was stunning. The world feels so full of life and adventure and I can't wait to see the final show.

Tbh I was too busy holding back tears of joy but one thing I remember distinctly is there's a shot of Sharp getting ready for the day, and we see a sheet of paper with a bunch of names written and crossed out before finally (I think) "Dylan" is circled.

Which actually brings me to the Q&A part. TLDR, between the use of "Sharp" for Deryn's name, Scott referring to Sharp as "she/he/they" during the panel, and the scene I mentioned earlier, I feel really hopeful about how they're approaching Deryn's gender and identity in this adaptation.

I asked a question about this at the Q&A and voice recorded it, so I'll try to transcribe it here as best I can because the audio is not great lol. I stumbled through my question so I trimmed it down here but I'll transcribe the response as clearly as I can!

Me: I just finished re-reading [the series] for the first time since I was probably in high school, and one of the things that interests me about this adaptation is the approach to Sharp's character... I guess I'm just interested, like, was there a lot of thought put behind, or what kind of thought was put behind how to approach their character in the anime, I guess as a chance to re-approach the story however many years after it was originally written.

Scott Westerfeld: Yeah, there's a lot to that. The "girl dressing as a boy" as a trope was something completely different in 2007 when I started writing this than it is now. And so we really approached Deryn's identity as what was at stake rather than just... rather than just her being in disguise, it's about their recreating themselves and becoming a different person and transitioning and, and so... but it's always been interesting to me that the words that I wrote back in 2009, 10, 11, y'know, as an old guy who grew up in Texas in the 70s - who was David Bowie fan! - but otherwise didn't have a lot of access into issues of gender, I'm amazed at how many people have been [able to?] adopt Deryn/Dylan as one of their own. I just got an email a week ago from a trans boy whose chosen name is Dylan. So it is amazing to me how whatever imperfections or whatever problematics there are in the text, people still find their way into what they need from a character. And as a writer, I can say that I always respected that character, I always respected their choices, I always respected who they were. I never tried to stick them into a dress and have everyone go "Ooh now you're pretty 'because 'cause you're in dress!" We didn't do that, and I think that what may be important for people and I think that's why it's still what's gonna work here, but it's been fun to be able to update it and everybody on the team's been really great about understanding that.

TLDR I don't want to get anyone's hopes up too high, but I'm really appreciative of the care that's being taken with Sharp's story and identity in this adaptation. It seems like Scott and the others on the team are taking that into account, and I'm excited to see how it plays out.

Other random things I remember:

THERE WAS AN ALEK COSPLAYER. I took a photo with them but I won't post it without their consent. Just trust that they looked fantastic.

Scott said one of the first things he was told was that Alek can't actually kill Nikola Tesla because he's too well loved by people in Japan, which I think is the funniest possible reason for a change to be made in an adaptation.

Diana Garnet (they/any) mentioned how much they love Sharp (don't we all) and also how they used to work at a Barnes and Noble and remembers selling lots of Westerfeld books!

Scott said his approach in writing Leviathan was taking everything he'd always wanted to write about and basically throwing it together, because he was just coming off of the success of Uglies and figured he could get away with it.

If I remember anything else I'll add on to this post! Overall, it was a wonderful panel and I'm incredibly excited for this project.

[dotster001]

The collapse one was really good! Can I get riddle, Cater, Azul, malleus, and Kalim too?

CW: burnout (obviously), passing out from burnout, References to drinking/overdrinking in Kalim's part

Part One Part Two-Malleus is in here

Riddle's overblot is a textbook case of gifted child burnout I'm not projecting. How! Dare! You! However, you don't learn anything until the third or fourth breakdown. Not projecting. So while he's better, he's not super aware of your feelings and mental state. He tries! He's just not good at it yet. 

So when you're homework load gets exponentially higher after you hit a wall in your studies (due to not knowing anything about this fucking planet) he thinks you've got this under control. Plus he's got his own homework, and his job as housewarden, so he's kind of just hoping if you need help, you'll just outright come to him.

Then he finds you passed out on his bed, face pressed painfully into your books. He panics. Probably runs to get Trey, because he has no idea what to do.

Trey checks you out, then says you'll wake up on your own time, he should just let you rest for now. Riddle tucks you in, then kisses your forehead, and spends the night sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of his bed, hoping you'll wake him when you're up.

You wake up to see your sleeping queen, his  neck in a position that will definitely be sore when he wakes up. You coax sleepy Riddle into the bed with you, and you snuggle the rest of the night away. 

He's pretty smart, so he's been trying to distract you from your stress for a while. If he thinks you're getting too tense, in comes Cay Cay to save the day! But he's about to learn that "distraction" only works for so long.

You're doing homework, while sitting in his room. He's been editing a photo of the two of you, as study buddies, for the past hour, and telling you he'd be right with you every time you asked for him. It's not that you need the editing, but the lighting on him is just off enough…

Once he finishes, he turns to you triumphantly, only to see you snoozing away on your textbook. It's so cute that he has to take another picture! He's so lucky to have you and get to experience moments like these!

It's after the picture, when he tries to gently wake you enough so you can at least get to his bed for the evening, that he realizes you're non responsive.

He panics and does the first thing that comes to mind. Call Trey. Trey calms him down over the phone, then tells him to stay in place until he gets there. He arrives and helps Cater carry you to the hospital wing, where the nurse says that you over extended yourself, and that your body took matters into it's own hands. He sends Cater to get a snack and drink so that he can feed it to you when you wake up, and tells him it'll be best if you stay here for a while so he can ensure your body recoops.

Cater sits on the edge of his chair for hours, his phone scarily unused as he just stares at you. Once you wake up, he wraps you in a hug, explains what happened, and then waits on you hand and foot. He's much more of a nervous mother hen about you from now on. But you know he means we'll.

He's one who it would take a lot for him not to notice. He has had his own collapses, in the time he's spent making himself into his ideal person, many of his tactics not entirely healthy. And he works very hard to make sure you never go through that yourself.

But let's say he's been busy with the opening week of the second lounge location. And he'd normally have the twins…um…observe you from afar, but they are also busy with opening week buzz. So the most he sees of you is a kiss on the cheek in the morning, before he runs off.

Enter a certain crow. To Azul, it doesn't matter what the task was, or how important it was. What matters is that he got a call in the middle of the day that you had passed out in alchemy, and he happens to have lots of dirt on the bird he can give to the school board. When he sees you laying on a medical bed, non responsive, and a sickly color, all he sees is red.

He trusts the nurse to take care of you while he handles some…business…and he and the twins take a trip. Based on what he was told, he has plenty of time before you'll wake up.

When you wake up, Azul is sitting attentively by your side, stroking your hand, the twins standing by the doors. He sends them to get you food and water, and stands patiently as the nurse checks you over. The next several weeks, he keeps you in his room, and treats you to anything you could possibly want, freaking out a little every time you get up. He's just so benevolent, but if you truly want to pay him back, he'll offer a great deal. All he wants is to hold you and remind you of your worth.

O sweet oblivious baby. He has no idea the workload you are dealing with. Partially because when he invites you to a party, you always come with a smile on your face. So the thought that everything you're dealing with is too much…it just never occurs to him.

And he still doesn't really get it. You're asleep at the party, and he's pretty sure you're either worn out, or drank just a little too much. So he sits next to you to stand guard, and potentially snuggle if you wake up and sleepily ask for him.

It's not until Jamil, who is carrying a trash bag full of empty cups and wearing a scowl on his face, points out that you look off, does he start to even question anything. He asks Kalim a lot of questions, and it's through answering that he starts to come to the conclusion that maybe you're not too tired/drank too much. He kind of just stares at Jamil with wide eyes. He has no idea what to do.

Jamil sighs heavily, and scoops you up, carrying you to Kalim's room. He tells Kalim he'll make you some tea, and gives him a cold cloth, telling him to place it on your forehead, and the back of your neck if you start to get hot. He comes back with the tea, assuring Kalim it has healing properties, and then leaves the rest to him.

Kalim watches you for hours, but eventually he falls asleep, his head resting on your stomach. You wake up to him there, drink the tea you assume is yours, and then feel immediately better. You run your fingers through his hair, and he smiles and mutters something happily in his sleep. You smile at him, and drift off into real sleep.

The Asim family donates enough money, the next week, to allow Crowley to hire an assistant.

[pure-oddity]

Worth the Trouble

Simon/Ghost x Mean!fem!Reader

Warnings: slightly toxic? Reader is verbally mean and ghost Def manipulates the situation so he can have the missus come see him. PiV , Smut MDNI

“Heard LTs lost it, goin around on a rampage.”

“Just about near it. Price thinks he's injured and trying to downplay it. Won't tell him much aside from ‘I'm fine’. Hell for all we know hes just got a man-cold”

“Ach, the poor bastard”

Gaz snorts and continues with the next set, Soap checks for signs of struggle or strain before continuing (a dutiful gym buddy)

“Heard he blew some recruits ear out.”

“Think he backed out entirely, can't blame him - if I weren't already knee deep in this shit I'd tuck tail and run from Ghost”

“You n me both. Well. I did always have a taste for trouble. Probably woulda sought him out and he mighta strangled me.” he muses happily imagining his Lt tossing him around.

“Surprised he hasn't already “ gaz laughs, his eyes determined through the final pushes.

Soap laughs at that, thinks his lt has gotten close once or twice.

“Don't worry much about it though” gaz grunts.

Soap meets gaz's eye, watches a bead of sweat trickle down into his hair line.

“Why not?”

“Captain says he's calling in the secret weapon. Going nuclear.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Johnny questions, thinks of what could possibly be nuclear in regards to Ghost.

“Dunno. But I guess we'll find out.” Gaz finishes, setting the bar back in place and sitting up with a groan. He gives a sniff to his shirt and audibly gags.

“Yea that's rank, you wanna hit the showers?”

“Sayin I stink Garrick?”

“Sayin we should hit the showers”

“Cheeky cunt”

Soap follows his fellow Sargent to freshen up in the shower block, a stealthy sniff to his armpit solidifying his choice in joining.

The issue of the ornery Lieutenant momentarily forgotten.

—----------

He always knew price had an easy time with the ladies, but to parade one around so freely - a young woman at that?

“Well well, did price finally let you out his basement? I knew he had a pretty bird caged away somewhere!”

He reaches out a rugged palm and his smile is all boyish charm.

“Names Soap, nice to meet you bonnie”

She doesn't respond and doesn't move to shake his hand. Her arms remain seated within pockets of the leather jacket she adorns. Just continues to chew a wad of gum, sizing him up like one would an enemy. She looks bored, mildly annoyed.

He can't feel too upset over the snuff, the ample amount of cleavage on display makes up for it.

“Not the sociable type? No problem, work with one of those - I'll break you down”

She looks at price now, who - soaps noticing - looks like he swallowed a lemon laced with depression.

“MacTavish. This young lady is not my bird - lovely as she is - but she is the solution to our problem.”

For once Soap is speechless. Realization kicking in suddenly and with a force so strong his jaw drops.

“.....is that why he's pissed?? Lads gone without a bit of pussy and he's lost the plot? “

“MacTavish”

“Just sayin! Sorry lass, don't mean to be crude” he does mean to be crude actually. He is crude, but usually he waits till the second date before parading that fact around.

“......let's just get this over with. Fuckin bullshit for you to pull me out here. again” She grosses, looking miffed.

“Right, yes. Again, I do sincerely apologize- I wouldn't if I had another option”

“You're his captain, just order the fucker to act right” She scolds him, dissaproval evident in how she sizes him up.

“Unfortunately my lieutenant is a master of malicious compliance. Sweet as sugar with me, but a menace to anyone else.”

She sighs something resigned and annoyed. He watches as she blows a small bubble and pops it with a sharp click. Her brows scrunched and nose wrinkled into a sneer.

“Are…are you actually here to - do I get something like this if I start throwing a fit?!”

He eyes the woman next to his captain as she walks past him, seemingly familiar with the layout of the building.

“MacTavish. Shut up.”

“Yes sir.”

A brief pause

“Is it cause he's a lieutenant? Do I need to be a lieutenant?”

“Give me 50 Sargent MacTavish “

“Yes sir.”

He drops quickly and works through the 50, counting quickly before springing back up and towards the direction his captain and mystery woman left. He catches up to the tail end of their conversation.

“-he won't come out”

“really. Have you tried, I don't know, kicking the door in?”

“No. A bit extreme don't you think?”

He watches as she walks to the door, examines it, and he thinks ‘no, no way’. Watches as she turns and braces herself against the doorframe and thinks ‘Oh she's insane’ as she picks her foot up and slams it back against the door with a solid thump.

She gets 4 in, he notices the damage to the door grows steadily - the odd tinge of arousal at the unhinged behavior of this woman.

Feels his stomach drop to his knees when the door is thrust open and she's dragged inside the darkness.

The door is hardly shut when the screaming begins.

His captain waits patiently while he looks towards him and the door.

His LT is loud but she's managed to be louder. He can't make much out from how fast everything is said, muffled through the slightly askew door

“-acting like a fucking toddler!”

While this isn't his particular brand of dirty talk, he supposes it makes sense for the ghost to want a heavier hand.

Too heavy, it would seem. The loud thump is jarring, enough so that he springs towards the door. Price grabs him, handles him into his side with a fierce look and a sternly mouthed ‘no’

The screaming had stopped. The silence is deafening. Johnny thinks at least one of them is dead. A woman that crazy probably wouldn't go down that easy, even against a ghost.

His body flinches when the door opens, he expects a limp hand to flop out horror movie style- heavily surprised to find the lass perfectly intact, not a hair out of place.

He peeks in the open doorway to see Ghost knelt in a way that can only be described at revenant. He sits at her feet, face pressed to her stomach while he clutches her body to him. she has a hand on each of his shoulders and glares down like an angry God.

“We'll be in the infirmary captain, he's got an infection. Stupid fuck.” She slips from Ghosts grasp with some struggle, swatting at clutching hands as she commands him “up”

Ghost, much like his namesake,rises like the dead and slinks out of the shadows of his room and into the light. He looks, oddly pleased(downright giddy) for a guy just pronounced a ‘stupid fuck’.

He watches as the fury marches towards the medbay, her hellhound shadow tight on her heels - might have even carried her if she didn't look as rabid as she did.

“Captain?”

“That's Doll, Johnny. Ghosts leash, and Simon's keeper. Try to annoy her less yea? She sends ghost after you and there'll be fuck all I can do to stop him.”

“Heard…..doll? Really? I think of a doll, I think sweet and porcelain. Not, pissy with a heavy heaping of crazy. She looks like the type to cut brake lines.”

“Yea well, just don't let her know which car is yours and you'll be fine.”

“Sure she won't just cut them all?”

He sighs, something heavy and worn.

“I'm hoping she's forgotten where we keep them.”

—-------

“Hi just him today, thanks.”

“Oh um, and you are?” Doctor Nicole has seen a lot. Hasn't seen this yet. Might see more if spouses were more common on base.

“Im his voice currently. And his brain. He's not smart enough to use either on his own to tell you about his infection. Left leg, by the way.”

“Oh well. Oh. Um. I - I'll have you hop up on the bed then lieutenant! I'll take a look and. And fix that.”

He doesn't move, stares at the woman(his voice and brain, apparently) like she's the only one in the room - in the world.

His world groans and throws her head back - he chuffs.

“Listen to the fucking doctor , on the bed. Now.”

His steps are heavy and solid as he seats himself on the edge of the bed. Thighs spread and hands limp between his legs. He looks like a hunched beast eyeing his next meal.

The doctor finds that having her keep his attention is better than having it herself.

“Well. Uh, left you said?”

“Yeah. Calf area - knife probably? Something sharp.”

“Well then, uh , lieutenant? Are you able to, to roll your pant leg up for me to see? Or is the pain too severe?” she prods gently, he doesn't respond.

“Roll up your pants.” like a marionette with strings tightly wrapped around her fingers, he moves to roll up his jeans to reveal the sickly wound.

“Oh yeah definitely an infection. Odd for you lieutenant, usually you're better at catching this.”

The woman scoffs and slumps in her seat. He leans towards her as she sends him a scathing look.

“He's a fucking man child. Threw a tantrum to get what he wanted and now he's being pampered.”

“Mhm.” The affirmation is the most sound he's made since coming in here.

“Well I'll just. I'll just get this taken care of” Nicole stumbles put, feeling like an intruder.

“ ‘Priciate that doc. Don't be afraid to make it hurt.” Her tone is tinged with sadistic hope.

“Oh I. I'd never intentionally hurt someone under my care - that's unethical “ the military may not be the most ethical, but she's damn sure going to try to be.

“Pity. He'd deserve it, letting it get this bad-willingly might I add.” She snips at him , face scrunched.

He hums something delighted, and the doctor wonders if she should order a psych evaluation. Remembers the 141 are notorious for dodging said evals and dismisses the thought entirely.

If he likes when women are mean and degrade him, that's his business.

He sits still, moving only when told by the woman in the chair who's now playing on her phone.

He stares at her intently, glares at the phone occasionally. The doctor finishes quickly, grateful that the infection was only in its earliest of stages.

“Okay so I'm prescribing a round of antibiotics, I noticed that you have an allergy to penicillin so I'm giving you doxycycline." She writes the perscriptipn down quickly, grabs a bottle stocked preemptively for cases like this.

"Take it with a meal twice a day every 12 hours until the bottle is empty. Come back within a few days just to make sure it's progressing and then again when the bottle is empty.” She types in a quick series of notes notating the lieutenants upcoming appointments.

“He'll be here. I'll make sure of it” there's a bitter edge to the woman's words, the doctor wonders how anyone could stand to be with someone so angry.

“God I hope you do” ghost groans out, threat either going over his head or straight to his crotch.

The doctor flinches, forgetting the lieutenant capable of speech.

“Well thanks for the help. I'll be getting him back to his captain.” the woman hops up and walks towards the door.

“Oh uh, have a g-good one!”

She smiles politely, drops it quickly when she eyes the once again silent wraith behind her

“Let's go, it would be rude to make your captain wait.”

He nods and follows along after her, like a deformed elongated shadow.

An odd couple, the doctor muses. But not the oddest she's seen. Not even the weirdest.

Another soldier bursts in, she hears the words ‘snake bite’ and ‘penis’, wishes she was stuck back with the ghost and his guide.

—-------

“You alright then, lieutenant? Everything sorted?”

“Affirmative sir. I've got the prescription, doc cleaned me up and changed my bandage. “

“Good. Thank you for coming, Doll.”

“He only acts like this because you let him, you know.”

“I do. But sometimes it's easier to go along the path of least resistance. Trying to argue with a stubborn mut, or handle the fury of his actual commanding officer? I'll take you anyday love.” He finishes with a purr, noting the sudden tenseness in Ghosts shoulders.

“Careful, might put thoughts in a girl's head if you keep talking like that.” She notices too, but eggs the poor lieutenant on - smile a touch cruel.

“Oh? That all it takes? Not a fan of Mactavish then?” semi-joking now. He'd be a liar if he said having a pretty woman snark up at him didn't effect him at all.

“Prefer waking up with mouthful of English breakfast personally. Speaking of-” She turns towards ghost, her face still cold and indifferent as always.

“I'll be in your room. I'll only be here another hour and then I'm gone. Why don't you see if your captain can find it in his heart to dismiss you early”

She smiles something sharp and sinful, takes off in a run that makes Ghost body jolt - he looks like a junkyard dog choking himself on the end of his lead trying to get a bone just out of reach.

“Captain. May I be dismissed.”

“Well-”

“Captain.”

“Simon”

“Captain price, may I please be dismissed, sir”

There's a desperate edge john isn't used to. Something rabid, something hungry. A darkness kept caged wriggling through iron bars.

“dismissed, lieutenant “

The ghost breaks off into a sprint, and the hunt is on. Price can't think too much about how it ends, his trousers already too tight at his twinge of interest.

Similar shades of fucked up, the both of them.

—----

He's panting in your ear, groaning as his hips slap against and bruise your ass.

“fu-fuck. Come on, give it to me. Show me you're- fuck! Show me you're worth all the fuckin trouble - Oh god, simon!” You can't help but scream, hope he doesn't have neighbors.

His pace is mind-numbingly good, making up for the dry start in the beginning. Prepped just enough to fit him but not enough for the ache to be avoided. But he knows your body thoroughly , and with a few well aimed thrusts and a circles of your clit you're dripping down your own AND his thighs.

A mess on his bedsheets - he thinks of it as a present for later, you think you spoil him.

He fucks you like an animal, unhinged and hurried- like he's worried you'll get up and leave, worried you'll realize he's not worth the trouble.

He pins you further under his weight and changes the angle - groans at your wail of ecstasy .

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! You - you better not pull this shit again. I - I let you keep this fuckin job -please don't stop- let you play hero but -oh god, oh god - but don't-”

You gasp, moan something pained and drawn out as you come again along his rigid cock - muffling a scream into his pillow as he grinds up into the sensitive spots in your cunt to draw your orgasm out further.

“k-keep this shit up toy soldier, see how quick I put you back in the box!” You snarl , glaring at him over your shoulder. He groans deep and slams as deep as he can, unloading against the deepest parts of your hole.

He's still hard when he slips from you, wrangling you onto your back before slipping back in. Your legs fit nicely on his shoulders, and you're grateful for your flexibility.

You scoff. “can't cum lookin at a skull , switch to another one or take it off - might have a chance of getting me off then” you wonder how mean he'll be, wonder if he'll actually stop to find a different mask.

Dont have wonder long as he's quick to throw the whole thing off. The black grease around his eyes is streaked from the sweat - hair plastered to his forhead. He looks happy to see you.

“not - not bad! Might be worth all this after- after-after!” You buffer aloud. Like a skipping record, you'd be humiliated if it didn't feel as good as it does.

In fact. You should be mad at his constant interruptions, but he's persistent on fucking through your cunt and into your brain.

“Tell me. Tell me dolly. Tell me sweet heart. I'm worth the trouble, yeah? I'm your trouble right? Gonna keep coming back, keep coming on my cock?” He says it like he doesn't exist somewhere in your rib cage nearest to your heart. Like you don't already live in his.

“Yes, yes!” You promise, the one you will die before you break.

“Yes what?" He implores, a steady chant of 'keep me, keep me, keep me' running through his head.

“To all of it you fuck! Yes! All mine, my cock, my headache, my brute - fuck!” your own mind proclaiming that you'll keep him 'forever, forever, forever"

You're crying now, overstimulated tears as your thighs quiver on his shoulders.

“Yeah. Yeah. All yours, n' you're mine. All fuckin mine. Not Prices and not fuckin Johnnys” he snarls, bitter and possessive.

“Gotta act up, gotta cause a mess. Can't get you here otherwise. “ he continues, pace consistent to further along your impending ruin.

It's getting hard to keep up with the banter. Hate how he's still capable of talking while you're becoming goo.

“J-just fuckin wait till you're off deployment! Fuck!”

“Nu-uh, get too tight n mean when I do. Have to drag you here to give you your fix so you're sweet when I get home. You're my sweet girl right?” He coos mockingly.

You don't respond. too busy clawing red ribbons into his back.

“Right?” He punches your cervix now, enough to make you choke and bite into the meat of his shoulder.

You bite hard. Harder when he moans. You lick at the indents and nose into the hammering pulse at his neck.

You can tells he's close with how his tempo gets thrown off, how his huffs louder. Having forgiven him for making you drive all this way, you give the dog a well earned bone.

“Yours, your sweet girl. You just need to work for it a bit hm? You don't mind huh big guy? My big guy?” You whisper into his ear, whine into it in a way you know drives him crazy.

He comes with a shout, one you know the whole fucking base heard. You're too fucked out to care much, especially when the brute lakes down and settles his weight on you with a contented sigh.

He hums, a touch demanding and you roll your eyes. You rub a hand gently up and down his torn back, scratching gently at his scalp to feel his heavy sigh of contentment.

“You gonna take care of yourself now? Got everything out your system?”

He hums, tone non-committal - fucker. As long as price has your number, as long as the ghost stays restless - you'll be called in eventually. Not a matter of 'if', but 'when".

Thankfully you don't mind being the nuclear option. Not much anyway. Especially if this is what it gets you. A moment of peace, skin pressed against skin - soft breaths evening out against your collarbone.

'Yea', you think. 'He's worth the trouble.'

(End notes: the thump that was heard was actually Simon falling to his knees. Dude goes from 0-100 when it comes to love so he either ghosts(hehe) you or worships you.)

[ronearoundblindly]

Love of My Life (a RoAR drabble)

Flufftober Day 10, Ransom Drysdale x rich!Reader (see series)

This is it, gang, the moment Ran has avoided for soooo long... No warnings, and I even avoided cursing (there is one 'damn' and some taking the lord's name in vain lol). Hopefully, it still seems like Ran then! 🤣 Unedited, short.

"Watch out!"

Ran yanks his foot off the gas and swivels the beamer to the right, missing his chance to merge up the ramp to Drop Offs.

"My god, Hugh, what is wrong with you? Should I have called Dubois?"

"No," he bites back, "I just didn't see that guy in my blindspot."

Ran is utterly distracted while driving you to the airport. You're on your way back to Beijing for who knows how long, and since everything changed two days ago, he's struggled to focus.

Now he has to loop around the entire place to get back to your departure door. That gives him time, but he hasn't used that wisely so far. Why would traffic be different?

His head pivots back and forth, triple-checking his mirrors.

Your hand lightly lays on his arm. He can't feel the warmth of your skin through his sweater sleeve, sadly.

"Hugh," you soothe, "we'll figure out the money and get you back out to visit soon, I promise."

For once--for one bizarre and shining moment in Ransom Drysdale's life--this isn't about money, so he huffs in annoyance.

"That's not... Let's just get you there."

He takes only a split second to look at your soft smile before overly attending the road. He's not thinking about the heated conversation in this very car the other night, he's ignoring the elephant in the back seat with a tattooed forehead that reads "marriage," and he's definitely swallowing three gigantic stone words.

His car pulls up to the busy curb, and you start for the door handle.

"Wait," he shout-whispers, unable to figure out what his voice should sound like. If he speaks deeper, will that be more serious? If he's quiet, will it seem gentle and genuine? He has no idea. Ran's never told anyone this before, not deliberately, not for real.

You squeeze his hand sweetly when he reaches out.

"I promise I charged my phone."

"No, that--"

"And I've CC-ed you on all my itinerary emails."

"Great but--"

"Yes, I ordered more night cream for the hotel, and I'll keep up with--"

"Just SHUT UP for a--" Ran covers his mouth "--sorry. I--I just..."

He can't finish the damn phrase. The pressure in his chest is topping out the meters and he can't do it.

Patiently, you sit back in the front seat, sighing, eyes darting between him and the airport security guard keeping the flow of cars steady. You bite your lip instead of prompting him.

He has another false start.

By this point, Ransom might cry in frustration.

This is not supposed to be so difficult. Why has he made this so difficult? You two have shared far more intimate things than this. Christ, he's proposed already! It's a good thing you've asked him not to tell anybody because he can't even say I love you.

"I know you do, Hugh. It's okay."

Did he? Did he just blurt that out in the middle of thought?!? That's twice now then, but perhaps the first instance you've truly heard. Third time's the charm maybe...

"I love you," he says, no chance to be mistaken. He hears it, he knows you hear it, and he means it. His voice sounds normal yet foreign, changed but unchanged, kind. He sounds kind. Ran isn't sure if he likes it.

"And I love you, too," you return easily.

The true and enormous grin that blooms across your face is something he definitely likes though--loves even.

He smiles but quickly reins it back in, aware that stupid guard is eyeing their immobile vehicle with no one unloading.

"Come 'ere," he breathes.

You're on him in a flash, tender lips kissing his, and just for luck, he mumbles it a few more times. Practice. He'll need practice. You told him he would to lead a new life with you. One day it will seem as normal as swiping his credit card.

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

He gets his favorite giggle in response. He really is a sucker for that silly noise. How he used to hate it...but oh, how he loves it now.

There's a bracing tap at his window.

"Hey! Let's get moving, you two. Other people need this space."

Yeah, whatever, Ran thinks. I don't care about anyone but her.

[Main Masterlist; Root of All Ransom Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

@supraveng @1950schick @patzammit @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @yiiiikesmish @ashesofblackroses @starkleila @brandycranby

[aotopmha]

In celebration of spoiler embargo lifting I want to talk about probably my favourite dungeon in Dawntrail so far and how it examplifies the shift in dungeon design while also being really cool narratively.

This dungeon is Tender Valley.

First, I think this might be one of the few dungeons in the game I absolutely love all of the bosses from on a gameplay level.

Barreltender flexing between attacks is super fun, but almost all of his attacks being broadening AoE effects makes him a really fun dance. You have just enough time to react to them.

I think the exploding cactusses are the hardest to dodge because the safe spot is so specific and fairly small, but you never have too much downtime and always have to pay attention somewhat.

It's a great example of bosses being more engaging, rather than necessarily "harder" and I think a great fresh take on a classic Final Fantasy enemy.

Anthracite, on the other hand, has a really interesting dance that you need to read your environment for solving.

There are the obvious big AoE bombs, but there are also two different shapes of holes that lead to the labyrithine sewer system.

If a bomb falls into the round opening on one side, the attack will go through the round openings on one side of the arena.

If the bomb falls into the square hole on the other side, the attack will go through the square holes you can see on the other side of the arena.

It took me a bit to figure out there were two different shapes, but combining this with the base AoE can make for a little more involved dance, since, once again, you can't sit still for long.

This boss is a great example of also testing your environmental awareness in a little more of an inventive way than maybe some other encounters.

As you move towards the third boss, the environment changes and enemies styled after the Skydeep Cenote.

Or are they?

And then there's an interesting mob situation where you enter a room, which the mob essentially uses to attack with lasers while you have to use the walls in the room to dodge them.

But just like with Skydeep Cenote, the reference point is now pretty obvious.

This is strangely similar to some of the mobs and contraptions in Qitana Ravel.

And who else is the final boss, but the Greatest Serpent of Ron-Tural!

Yes, Tural!

I has such a grin on my face when I saw it.

It's a great punchline if you've done at least even the starting part of the questline in Rak'tika with Quinfort and his dreams suddenly fit perfectly within lore. He just had dreams of The Source.

It's like a perfect capstone to that questline.

I suspected the Ronkan connection the moment I saw Y'Shtola with those tablets in the trailer, but considering the Ronkan principles of "history being learned, not remembered" and in turn their similarity of the Yok Huy's principles of "we die when we are forgotten", it all falls into place in a great way.

Very smooth ties here. Now that we have this setup all nicely established, I wonder what else they plan to do with it.

It's "minor" enough on its own that it can just stay as a fun bit to further confirm Source/Shard connections, but I feel like Ronkans and the Yok Huy just might have some more important lore stuff coming.

We have the Shard travel plot line with Unukalhai and Cyella and the 13th and Ryne and Gaia also still truly looking to restore the First.

I'm curious if Rak'tika might just become extremely important regarding these plots now since we have this clear connection.

But this also is an optional dungeon.

We'll see.

To finish off talking about the dungeon itself, though, The Greatest Serpent of Ron-, I mean Tural, combines the two aspects of engagement of the previous two bosses.

You have the reactive aspects with reading the Bouncy Council (great name) and the various AoEs and the environmental aspect with Greatest Labyrith, where you have to find the correct path of arrows out of the maze.

I think there are varying solutions for the maze, but I'm not entirely sure. It's another great call back to Rak'tika, though.

I enjoyed the puzzle solo duties a bunch and I still think they're some of the more cool and unique ones from the game.

It's a very specific kind of "great" to me.

Some are really great at specifically gameplay/story integration (Amaurot, Dead Ends), some have really great set pieces/bosses (Matoya's Relict, Bardam's Mettle) and some just combine some really cool important "side" lore elements with great bosses (The Twinning).

Tender Valley feels like a Twinning moment to me where technically it is all "side" stuff, but not really because it is still connected to pretty important big picture stuff.

I'm curious what they'll do with it. And honestly okay with the answer is "nothing much", but I also don't buy it wouldn't have more importance in some way.

[buckevantommy]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a coaches AU and a vampire AU 👀

"Look, kid—"

Buck has to pull up short as Tommy stops and rounds on him, bringing them almost nose to nose. Buck stumbles back a few steps in the rocky soil.

"I'm not looking for a life coach, alright? Especially not one who's still in his twenties."

Rude. He's closer to thirty, anyway. And he's been around the block more than once. "I-I'm just saying. Y-you don't kill just anyone, right?"

Tommy bristles, his shoulders pulling back. "No."

"Right! There's plenty of people in the world who deserve a-a lot worse than they ever get."

"I don't disagree."

"Great! 'Cos I, uh. I-I can help you develop a uh— a code of ethics to determine your next target."

"You mean, my next meal?"

"Yeah! Totally! Somatic techniques can help you deal with your trauma, a-and neuro-linguistic programming can help adjust your behaviour by a-aligning your thought processes with long-term goals so that— u-uh, um." Now it's Buck's turn to pull up short.

Tommy blinks at him, expecting. "So that.. what?"

Buck's cheeks heat. Tommy can probably hear the way his heartbeat stutters and kicks up a notch. It's kinda embarrassing. "Uh, s-so that you don't. Y-y'know.."

Tommy is looking at him pretty intently. Was he looking at him so intently before?

Buck swallows.

"I don't, actually." Tommy takes a step closer. "Know."

Suddenly, Tommy looms in his space. And look: Buck is a tall, fit guy. And Tommy is about the same height, but he has a broadness to his frame that Buck just can't match and bigger muscles plus an imposing presence that Buck isn't entirely sure is a vampire thing or just a Tommy thing.

Buck doesn't even know if the glamour thing is fact or fiction - there's a lot he doesn't know about vampires - but something about Tommy compels him to finish his thought.

"Get noticed. Found out. Killed." The words tumble out of him. No stammer, and almost no natural stopping point. He almost says: get a stake through the heart or an axe to the neck or thrown into a fire— but he snaps his mouth shut.

"Okay, Evan."

Buck blinks. The air feels different. His body feels slow. Or maybe the world has slowed. He feels a little unmoored. "O-okay?"

"Maybe you can help me."

"I-I can?" He wants to.

"I mean, I guess we'll see."

"We will?"

Tommy's smile forms slow and devastating. His eyes are dark. Or maybe that's the night falling around them.

Buck feels warm all over in the cool evening air. Tommy has closed a little more distance between them. Or.. was that Buck? There's something.. something preternatural going on here and for that, Buck should be scared. But he got himself into this - chased down a vampire after watching Tommy's teeth rip the neck out of the guy who attacked Buck. He probably should've thought this through better, especially considering his job, but he's here now and he's.. not scared.

Tommy's voice seems to take more chill out of the air as he says, "You're hired."

Buck gets the uncanny feeling that he could warm his frozen bones in Tommy's orbit, if he let him. That he'd burn himself to ash just to get closer to him. If Tommy asked him to, he'd give everything he had, everything he was for him.

But at the same time Buck knows without proof or reason that Tommy wouldn't let any harm come to him. Tommy would protect him. He just met this guy - a real life vampire - and yet something about him has Buck feeling like he's found a port in the storm. A safe harbor. He hasn't felt this safe in someone's company in a long, long time. How could he possibly say no to that?

doing this thing

[darklinaforever]

Anti-Targaryen people are really sick...

A headcanon that the Targaryens brought peace to Westeros ? Someone hasn't read the books...

I'm not even going to bother debunking the bullshit about Rhaegar other than to say that Lyanna was 16 and not 14. But hey, that's common among these people to lower Lyanna's age to further victimize her.

We also love the fact of never taking into account the rules of the feudal world / GRRM to impose a modern perspective...

Denying that Targaryen women had more freedom in the age of dragons, etc.

Saying that the Targaryens are worse than other families, under the pretext that they were in power, when no.

Once again, their reign brought peace. Before their arrival, the lords of Westeros went to war every week. The Targaryens did not bring war to Westeros ON THE CONTRARY !

“But it’s not good that they conquered Westeros anyway!” Okay, so the best thing was to let Westeros be destroyed by lords more hungry for power than the others who were at war all the time I suppose...

Knowing that in addition a prophecy essentially predicting the coming apocalypse was added to the picture.

Of course the Targaryens are so horrible for stopping the war between the lords and trying to save Westeros from this prophecy...

Supremacist and racist ? Just because they talk about preserving their bloodline and magical blood ? I remind you that the Targaryens once again married more outside their family than within their family... We will come back to racism.

Plus, all the houses in Westeros tend to feel superior, does that make them racist ?

It's a noble and lordly thing in general, nothing to do with racism !

Implying that conqueror goes hand in hand with colinizer when NO.

Also the fact that women marry young has nothing to do with the Targaryens... It's a thing of society in general.

Not to mention that the Targaryens are the ones who hurt women the most with some example who are in fact not more numerous than other members of the other Houses of Westeros...

Once again there were so many assholes among the Targaryen than in the other Houses.

And the treatment of Targaryen women got worse when the dragons disappeared because before they had much more freedom as a result of their existence.

You just have to read the books to realize it !

Not to mention the fact that this person can spit on ancient Valyria all they want, but it's definitely suggested in the work that women were treated better there than in Westeros, which makes sense when you consider sees how Targaryen women were in Westeros compared to other women before the loss of the dragons and therefore that Targaryens unfortunately adhere more and more to the traditions of Westeros, to which they had already acclimatized, which the colonizers do not do...

But I guess these canon facts don't agree with the view of the Targaryens being the worst with women so we'll just say it doesn't exist to demonize them ?

With the logic of these people, the end of GRRM's story is just going to be the destruction of House Targaryen or of its entire universe ? Like the apocalypse is going to happen and everyone is going to die ? 😂

Are they stupid or what ?

No, because let's be honest, the anti-Targ people who try to qualify their remarks like this person by saying that everyone is bad don't really mean it since they always try to make the Targ worse for obscure reasons.

Even though they loudly proclaim that everyone is horrible I doubt that at the end of GRRM's story they want everyone to lose, not at all.

The reality is that they just want the Targaryens eradicated and nothing more. Frankly, if GRRM one day finishes his story, or simply delivers what he had planned for the end... all these people risk being deeply disillusioned.

I can't stand all these idiots anymore...

[tesalicious2]

so, ive gotten into Delta Squad recently and something that has always interested me is the dynamic between different types of troopers.

Among the GAR, i'd imagine what you do affects everything in your life. Who you're friends with, who you know, how you act, even how you think. Theyve created a heirarchy, excluding cc and captains, i'd imagine Commandos are at the top of the pyramid. ARCs coming in next, then Medics, then ARF, then engineers (anyone who works on any machine but doesn't get deployed, includes any clone that maintains/directs fighters), then command/greys (those who work in the command tower or who can wear greys to work, seen as lower for not directly fighting), then maintenance, and then the shinies.

They've built a system and it may not be super strict and they are friendly with one another off duty, once the pressure is on, everyone falls in line. It's not something that is spoken about either, I would even say they do it more subconsciously than anything, but its there.

Now, will they be mean/rude/hostile to anyone who branches out or is friendly/friends with those of a different level? No! They are brothers and they know every job matters. They are one collective and they each have a role. However, if someone from maintenance starts saying they're gonna be an ARC, well expect jokes to be made and comments to pop up.

Funnily enough, Commandos don't feel this at all. They hardly interact with the regs, and when they do its for a point. Now, they just see everyone as below them so, again, the heirarchy doesn't affect them. They have their superiors they follow but don't expect them to be buddy buddy with an ARC.

There is a group above the Commandos, the Advisors, that aren't actually known at all. Everyone assumes the Commandos get their orders from the nat-borns they work. Advisors fall under the Commanders level, even though everyone on that level doesn't know they exist; especially since they are considered a separate entity and they only follow commands of those they are temporarily serving. This can cause issues and it did for CC-01/425 'Advisor' for the Delta Squad.

Their armor is blank, though they can see action, so 'Advisor' was mistaken for a shiny. A Captain was directing shinies to load crates and called out 'Advisor' for slacking off. 'Advisor' ignored the Captain and continued to the Command Center to guide Delta Squad. The Captain grabbed him and dressed him down on the deck, the shinies watching. Before the Captain could finish his rant, Sev came looking for 'Advisor' and quickly fixed the misunderstanding (read: threatened bodily harm in many different ways before yanking 'Advisor' along to the meeting).

Another group that this wouldn't entirely apply to is the Coruscant Guard (me? talk about them? the horror). They had it, it was there, then everyone got overworked and short on supplies so its just hold on and we'll live. The only heirarchy is by rank, even then its hardly applied unless their on-duty.

(headcanon time), The 141st Blackout Corps works on the other side of the galaxy from the GAR so they are also disconnected from them. Their armor is the most different and unique, made up of a pitch black base (where the name Blackout came from) with bright colors painted on. The system doesn't apply to them either due to the fact that theyre pretty isolated and its common for people to pickup the slack where needed. An ARC to help a engineer or a Maintanence to take a shift in the command center.

[vintagepresley]

could you do one where you and Austin go on a date night at a bar..everything’s fine until one of your Exs shows up austin thinks he’s hitting on you..which causes an argument after dinner outside the bar austin is being an asshole about it he leave you at a bar in tears you walk home..until it starts to rain then you see Austin come back an hour later to pick you up all ends in fluff and some late smut cus wants to make it up to you.

Thanks so much for the request!! ❤️

You had gone on several dates with Austin since you had begun dating about a month ago, tonight he decided to take you to a local bar, which you were pretty relieved about because the two of you got to dress a bit more casual. Austin had his arm wrapped around your waist as the two of you walked inside and his hand gripping at the fabric of your skirt as he held you close. A few things you had noticed about Austin once you started dating was that he was slightly possessive and sometimes a bit jealous, but you always found it so cute and never minded it one bit. As the two of you found a booth to sit in you removed your jean jacket and sitting it beside you and fixing your blouse. You smiled over at Austin you took a hold of your hand in his and his fingers lightly brushing over your hand. You grabbed one of the menus and flipping through it, trying to decide on what you wanted and you glanced over at Austin who had already made his decision as he placed his menu back.

Once the waiter had come over you had finally decided on what you wanted and you both placed your orders and you smiled over at him as he continued to caress your hand in his and when you got your drinks you sipped slowly on your coke. "How did you hear about this place?" you smiled. "I saw a few friends mentioning it on instagram." he laughed. You raised an eyebrow at him. "You? On instagram? Thats funny. Well, I like it so far!" you giggled. He grinned and nodded his head. "Me too." he beamed. The two of you continued to chat until you were interrupted by a gentlemen and you glanced up to see it was your ex who Austin had unfortunately had the pleasure of meeting once before who he was convinced still had feelings for you. "Hey, Y/N." he says with the smile. "Austin.." he says with a nod. Austin's who demeanor changed now as he sat up straight in his chair and his eyes narrowed at your ex. "Oh hi." you said sweetly, not wanting to be rude.

Austin watched the two of you chatting away and you wanted nothing more for the conversation to end because you could see Austin's face during the entire thing and he was not happy. "We'll I'll let the two of you get back to your dinner.." he says and you nodded saying goodbye to him and turning your attention back to Austin who was fuming but doing his best to try to keep it contained as your food finally came out. The dinner was a silent one as two of you shared glances, and you wanted to say something but he was angry that you didn't bother. Once the two you had finished dinner and were on your way out he wasn't even holding you the way he had when you walked in he wouldn't even touch you now and the moment the two of you stepped out side that's when he turned to you his eyes black with anger, grabbing you by the arm to stop you and he was hurting you. "What the hell is the matter with you!?" he yells. You tried to break free of his tight hold over you. "What? What do you mean?" Your brows furrowed as you looked confused. "Your ex! He was hitting on you and you were just continuing to talk to him." he yells angrily. "I wasn't! He wasn't hitting on me.. You know I don't have any feelings for him. I wouldn’t do that." you say, trying your best to plead your case as the two of you argued right outside the bar.

"You're a goddamn liar! I was sitting there watching the two of you! Out of all the bars this is the one he happens to come to as well?" he says, trying to imply something. "What are you trying to say? That I planned for this to happened?? You said it yourself you saw this place on social media. He probably did too!" you shouted. "Doesn't excuse you flirting with him!" he grunted angrily. "I wasn't flirting with him! You're being such a jealous asshole.." you blurted out as your eyes begun to well up with tears. "Oh, I'm an asshole? Right, okay, fine.. I'll be a real asshole and you can walk the fuck home." he spat. "W-What?" you say shakily, now your tears were falling from your eyes. He started walking away from you fuming with so much anger. "Fine! You asshole!" you screamed as you began to cry harder, sniffling as you turned on your heels and began to walk home in the opposite direction. Austin slammed the door to his car as he got inside and he started it up as he started driving making it almost home after 30 minutes before it had started pouring rain.

You clutched onto your jacket as you were being drenched in rain and shivering from how cold it had become and your makeup a mess from a combination of your tears and the rain as you continued to walk alone. You just couldn't believe he would accuse you of something like that and that he would even think you'd do that to him. You cared about him and liked him so much that you were crazy about him. You didn't want anyone else and certainly not your ex. Austin was stopped at a red light seeing how badly the rain was coming down and now he begun to feel bad thinking of you walking alone at night in this weather, he'd never forgive himself if something happened to you. He realized he was wrong for the way he lashed out and handled that situation and that he tends to get too jealous sometimes. He let out a soft sigh and quickly made a u-turn and was nearly driving like a mad man trying to get back to you as quick as possible. Once he had gotten back to where the bar was he started to slow down and drive in the direction he saw you walking in and peering out the window to keep look out for you as he drove.

You could hear roaring sound of a car following behind you and you were too frighten to look back to see that it was Austin so you walked faster thinking you were being followed but then Austin rolled his window down. "Y/N! Y/N! Get in the car!" he yelled which stopped you in your tracks and turning to see it was him. Part of you felt so relieved to see his face but another part was so mad and upset with him still and you turned around and continued to walk not wanting to speak to him. He slowly continued to follow behind you. "Baby, please.. Get in the car. I'm sorry." he shouted to you. "No! You were so mean to me!" you said with a pout. He sighed. "Baby, I swear I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you." he says, but you refused to listen. He promptly stopped the car in the middle of the street and he hopped out running over to you and you stopped to turn around to face him. His hands reaching up to cup your wet face in his hands as he now was becoming drenched in the rain along with you. "I'm so so so sorry.. I-I don't know what I was thinking. My jealously got the better of me." he says and you could see those blues eyes of his again that you always felt comfort in. "You hurt me, Austin.. I would never do what you accused me of. Then you leave me by myself.." you pouted, sniffling softly.

"I know.. I know, you have no idea how sorry I am. I know you'd never do that. I'm crazy about you and sometimes I let my jealousy and my insecurities about losing you get the better of me." he says as he shakes his head at his behavior. "But you have nothing to worry about.. You aren't going to lose me. I'm crazy about you too, don't you know that? I only want to be with you." you said softly as you continued to shiver, reaching up to place your cold hands over his that continued to cup your face. He nodded at your words. "I-I do now.." a small smile forming on his lips and he leaned toward you to place a soft kiss to your trembling lips and you kissed him back. "Please don't ever do that again to me.." you mumbled on his lips. He nodded at your words slowly. "I won't.. I promise, I'll never do anything to hurt you again." he said assuringly. You pulled back looking into his eyes and seeing the sincerity in them, nodding. "Now let's get you back into the car before you catch a cold." he said softly, slipping his arms around you and feeling how badly you were trembling and you clung to him as he helped you into the car and then he got back in on the drivers side, rolling up his window and blasting the heat as you wrapped your arms around yourself, shivering.

He still felt so bad and he turned back around to head to his place and doing his best to hurry so he could get you into dry and warm clothes. When the two of you finally arrived he took you into his arms as you made it into his house and he led you into the bedroom. "Let's get you a warm bath and some warm clothes, baby." he nodded as he walked into the bathroom to run a warm bath for you and you followed behind him and once he had the water running he turned to help you get out of your wet clothes a small smile forming on your lips seeing how attentive and sweet he was being which was the Austin you were use to not that one that you saw outside the bar tonight. He helped you into the warm bath water and sat down letting out a sigh of relief once your body felt the warmth. You stared up at him. "Are you going to join me?" you say softly. He smiled warmly. "Would like me too, baby?" he asked. You nodded. "Yes.." you hummed. He nodded and began to strip away his own wet clothes and then he stepped into the tub sitting on the opposite side of you, smiling. You quickly moved over to him, slipping your arms around his shoulders and pressing a few soft kisses to his lips.

"There's my sweet man.." you whispered on his lips causing a smile to form on his lips as he kissed you and you climbed on top of him, straddling his waist and he slipped his arms around your torso as the two of you continued to kiss softly and passionately. You pressed yourself up against him, your harden nipples brushing up against his light chest hair and you giggled softly from the tickling feeling. You pressed soft kisses along his face. “I’m yours and only yours..” you whispered to him as you continued to cover his face in kisses. He smiled as he reached a hand up and combing his fingers through your hair slowly as he brushed it behind your ear and he let out a soft groan when he felt you brush up against his cock. His fingertips running along your face. “Let me remind you of that in case you may forget..” he teased with a wink. He slid his hand down into the water and wrapped his hand around his cock and slowly stroking himself a few times until he was hard, letting out another soft groan.

You bit down on your bottom watching the pleasurable expression on his face and your arms tightened around him when you felt him brush the head of his cock between your velvety folds but only for a moment because then he guiding himself into you and you let out a soft gasp, still never being use to the size of him as he forced his way deeper inside of you and you let out a soft whine as your face buried into his neck, whimpering softly as you pressed soft kisses to his neck and he grabbed a hold of your his hips, gripping them in his big hands and you begun to grind your hips against his causing soft noises to escape the both of you as you started to slowly ride him, moving yourself up and down at a steady pace as he began to thrust his hips against your own matching your movements, the two of you moaning softly and the sounds of the water splashing around you as your bodies slammed up against one another in the most sensual way, it hadn't been like other times you had sex. It felt different this time, more gentle, passionate, filled with love.

You lifted your head and took his face in your hands as you kissed him deeply and moaned out into his mouth as the two of you moved in rhythm with one another as you slowly begun to move faster, your hands running up to tangle in his blonde hair, tugging gently as his name left your lips in soft whimpers as his cock plunged deeper inside of you, filling you up and taking what belonged to him and making sure you'd never forget it by the way he slammed harder into you, hitting right up against your cervix causing your eyes to roll back as you threw your head back in pleasure. His groans growing louder and soft whimpers escaping his lips as he breathed heavy, running his hands up to squeeze your breasts in his hands and pinching your nipples between his fingers, the sounds of both your moans and the splashing of the water echoing throughout his bathroom. One of your hands firmly pressing up against the shower wall. "Oh.. A-Austin..." you whined, hardly able to even form words.

Your face pressing up against his own as you panted softly against his ear as your one hand stayed tangled in his hair while the other gripped onto the wall tighter and you could feel your climax already building and you knew Austin was nearly there with the way his breath became so heavy and shaky and his body squirmed beneath you. He slipped his arms back around your waist and he plowed into you harder, causing the most pornographic sound to escape you as he slammed against your walls. "F-Fuck... Baby.. I'm gonna.." you whimpered not being able to get the words out, but he knew. "M-Me too, baby.." he said in an airy voice as his head rested up against the wall, his lips parted as he moaned. The two of you pushing yourselves further into pure bliss as you continued to move against one another and your lips finding his again and kissing deeply, sloppily as you couldn't contain your loud nosies as you slammed against one another once more both of your climaxes reaching at the same time, your lips parted in a shape of O as you moans came out in loud droves against his mouth and he grunted loudly as his hips bucked against yours and his breath catching in his throat as you the both of you came together.

Your breathing coming out hitched and shaky and your forehead resting against his as your movements came to a slow stop but he kept his cock inside of you and you wiggled your hips against him playfully letting out a soft giggle as the two of you devoured your each other's lips in a hot passionate kiss, his hands running along the curves of your body slowly and you pulled back from the kiss your lips hovering over his for a moment. "Austin?" you whispered. "Yeah, baby?" he hummed. You hesitated for a moment, but the words were right there, right at the tip of your tongue those very words you had been wanting to tell him for so long now and you took a deep breath, brushing your nose up against his. "I-I love you.." you whispered nervously as you awaited his response. His eyes lit up when he heard those words leave your lips and a smile plastered on his face that you even caught him blushing a bit, which made you giggle, still anxiously waiting for him to say it back. "Y/N?" he said softly. "Yes..?" you purred. "I love you too, baby." he grinned.

You couldn't contain the happiness that washed over you and the blush that was sure turn your face all red and you wrapped your arms around him tight as you stole several kisses from his lips which slowly led into a full on make out session in the bath and you giggled against his lips, feeling his cock that was still inside of you hard as a rock. "Mm.. Round two, handsome?" you smirked. He wouldn't dare say no to an offer like that.

**

Romcom vibes, that's alll I have to say. Enjoy!

@purejasmine

[xerith-42]

My Street Stoner Headcanons

This is part 1 in a series of posts I wanna make about different characters in the Aphverse who partake in the devil's lettuce.

Important disclaimer, I don't really like My Street! It peaked with season 2, it's got a lot of problems from day one that remain problems in it's sixth season, they manage to have TWO beach SEASONS and neither one has someone who was easily one of the main characters of the series it was based on, and it really lost the plot. Like way faster than MCD did. But there is stuff to love about it.

I love the idea of My Street as it was initially promised. A slice of lice modern AU of MCD that is a SLICE OF LIFE. No grand stakes of the universe, nobody's getting blown up (unless it's for comedic effect), and nobody's dying. It's about a bunch of young adults, some of whom have known each other since high school or longer, all living on the same street together and the day to day shenanigans they get up to. So basically Season 3 but the entire series is like that. This is my very long winded way of saying that none of the "lore" of My Street matters to me and when you read my headcanons, know that I ignore the canon of My Street more than I ignore the canon of Minecraft Diaries. I don't care about the angels, I just want to get high with my friends.

Anyways wanna smoke some weed?

Blaze is the main weed dealer of My Street. Man has both an indoor and outdoor garden with multiple plants. He and the werewolf trio all live together and they actually help him out with his business sometimes. It's the main way Blaze pays rent on their place and also just a great side hustle. Like Blaze never has to worry about money, and he's constantly giving free stuff to his friends if they want it.

His first ever costumer in the friend group was actually Aaron. The two got high in High School like once when Aaron was inexplicably at Blaze's house. He's still not entirely sure how he got there to this day, the whole experience feels very surreal and liminal. But he remembers how freeing it was, how much stress he was able to let go of. So when college is kicking his ass, he hits up Blaze expecting to just like share half a blunt like they did before, and then they hotbox Blaze's dorm with a gravity bong.

If it wasn't already clear, Blaze is the top stoner of the entire My Street Universe. Some characters are definitely more frequent users than others (we'll get to Travis), but for Blaze, I mean... C'mon. His birthday is literally April 20th. He's the stoner friends to end all stoner friends but he also gets weirdly emotional with people when they're high and basically makes his friends process their shit every now and then by offering to get them high as a stress reliever. It all started with Aaron showing up in his door, getting baked enough to see God, and then randomly confessing that he was actually a werewolf the entire time. Even though. Blaze already knew that.

And then Aaron confesses it to Irena (C!Aphmau) while they're late night gaming. Like she mentions that Katelyn's room smelled funny when she went into it the other day and Aaron instantly jumps to "I've gotten high with Blaze before." So she tries it out of morbid curiosity, and while she enjoys it, she ultimately decides it's not something she wants to do on the regular. Maybe for celebrations of like finishing a semester of college or finally getting that fucking promotion.

Katelyn definitely smokes it the most when she's living with Irena and Nana. Not having a solid job for a few months really fucked with her stress levels, even if she managed to make it work cause her roommates are awesome. But, she'll only do it outside or in her room and then instantly light a candle to clear out the smell, but they both eventually figure it out. Nana literally walks in on Katelyn lighting a blunt in her room when she's just trying to ask Katelyn what she wants on her pizza. There's a pause, Katelyn answers, and then Nana gives her a thumbs up and leaves.

The next morning Katelyn opens up the fridge and finds a small tray of brownies with her name written on the post-it note slapped onto them. Another note reads "For when you want to be subtle about it ;)"

Nana learned that she could put weed into butter and therefore she could make edibles from one of her sisters randomly showing up in town, dropping a bunch of life lessons and also useless bull shit on her, and then leaving and never elaborating. And the thing Nana mainly got from it is to make her own edibles because it's way cheaper than buying them. Nana doesn't smoke because she has asthma so this is like game changing for her.

She doesn't realize that she even has a chance to know who her dealer is because she's super paranoid about buying it. So she like goes through all these extra steps to hide it and hide her privacy and Blaze literally knows what she smells like and knows who she is, but he gets that people can be hesitant for others to know. Just strange that she's getting all weird about it when he and Katelyn were just hot boxing his car when she texted him.

Most characters have an experience like this. Trying it out for the first time, usually with Blaze or on their own, trying to hide it, only to stumble upon one of their roommates high as balls watching Lord of The Rings at 3 am and realize they're all a bunch of pothead losers and that's fine.

Blaze knows all. Like, he has heard everything. People feel randomly prompted to just start telling him stories from their childhood, confessing in the way of like "haha you wanna know something funny I never told anybody?" and then Laurance confesses he's been in love with Garroth since they were freshman. Or Zane confesses to really liking My Little Pony. Or Dante reveals that he's questioning his gender identity. Blaze just knows all these people on deeper levels than most of them realize if they don't frequently hang out with him.

And if they do, then they know that Blaze is no low level just grows for his friends and accepts tips. No, he's a full blown dealer. he's really strict about rules of wherever he lives, especially when he started dealing to raise money so he could pay tuition at PDH, he didn't want it effecting his family at all. and Blaze can literally chuck you through a window so it's hard for anyone to really pressure him into doing stuff he doesn't want to do. And all he wants to do is grow quality product for everyone to enjoy.

It's why his friends don't mind helping him out sometimes. Like Laurance comes over to his house to ask if he can use Blaze's three foot bong so he gets high enough his body stops cramping, but when he gets there Blaze has some classic rock on and he's just packaging orders and Laurance sits down at the table and joins him.

And while hanging out with Blaze, he always has just the most random wack ass stories. He meets so many strange people in the world, he travels a lot because he's technically unemployed, and he has the wildest adventures that people love hearing about.

Travis and Dante's house always smells different. If they're expecting company they'll use some kind of air fresher, or light candles or incense, or do something to get rid of the smell. But if they have nothing going on? If Travis is on break from classes to get his masters and Dante has the weekend off of work? That house is going to fucking reek for three days. They always take care of it eventually, but when they go on what they jokingly call their benders, they don't bother.

Due to this most people would assume one of the two of them is the biggest stoner on My Street (that isn't Blaze). Or maybe Katelyn and Nana. It's actually Vylad. He's just really good at hiding it.

Vylad got insane stoner rng and is able to be tripping balls and have no visual effect on his eyes. Like maybe they look tired, but they aren't bloodshot, even while he's sitting in a freshly hotboxed room. So Vylad likes hiding it because it confuses his friends and that's just always fun to do.

Despite being so judgemental, Zane oddly never makes any comment about this. If someone's room smells funny or Nana slips a special kind of butter into a batch of cupcakes and insists those are her batch, he doesn't say anything. It's not clear whether he's chill with it or not? Both his brothers smoke, even if Garroth is more infrequent about it, so maybe it's becuase of them? But even then he'll get upset at someone for something but not upset at his brothers when they do the same thing so??

Garroth asks Blaze if Zane smokes one day, and Blaze is just in shock because "You didn't know? Why do you think he wears the mask?" "Because he has facial dysphoria?" "Well, that, and because he can take a sneaky hit from his vape when no one's looking."

Zane has never forgiven Blaze for revealing his secret because now Vylad and Garroth keep asking him for hits.

If you have any specific MS characters that I didn't mention in here, or more in depth headcanons, feel free to send me an ask! I have. A lot. Of these.

[shsenhaji]

Les Misérables - Tome 1: Fantine; Livre 1: Un Juste; Chapitre 1: Monsieur Myriel)

After finally reading - and actually finishing - Les Misérables in 2023, thanks to Les Mis Letters, I've decided to jump right in again! I told myself I'd read it in French this time, since my French is pretty good and I've already read the book once.

However, not only will I attempt Les Mis Letters in French this 2024, I've decided to go for the audiobook!

Due to unfortunate formatting regarding the audiobook, and being so engrossed in the story that I forgot the Preface was not actually that long, I accidentally went straight into the first chapter yesterday! I decided to accept this as a sign, and finished the chapter, which means I didn't listen to Les Mis today (I'm trying to go for one chapter a day... we'll see how it goes...)

In part because of the narrator's skill, and in part due to my knowledge of the book still very fresh in my mind, I found it easier to follow than I'd feared. There were a sentences I wasn't quite sure of, but I also feel that I was able to gain a greater and deeper understanding of the first chapter than this time last year. Specifically, M. Myriel's backstory hit different, and the interaction between him and Napoleon. As well, I noticed how - as many others have pointed out - the way the village responds to him at first and then later in his tenure really sets the stage for the book's main themes, as embodied by Jean Valjean's entire character and arc especially.

Final thoughts on 1.1.1: My main goal this year, apart from being able to say that I've read Les Mis in its truest original glory, is to be more active in the Les Mis Letters community.

After the first week or so last year, I wasn't much on the Discord, and I only read the very amazing analyses and thoughts and metas of others.

Can't promise I'll add much of my own insight into the book's nuances, but it would be nice to regularly post my reactions and thoughts about the day's chapter.

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Please remember you love me -Danny Words: 2,282 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'As It Was' -by Harry Styles

XXI: Don't Forget to Hold Your Grudges, Ladies!

Arachne's portraying me in the middle of a fight. In the tapestry, I look taller and older, I've got a fierce gaze as I lift my sword to kill a monster, and lightning strikes behind me just the right way to make me look menacing.

"Now, that's the daughter of Olympus," I think appreciatively. 

Arachne turns in my direction. I yelp at the horrible sight, and the creature hisses. "LEAVE!"

The ground crumbles under me, and I smell a sulfuric scent that suffocates me.

Ara sits up gasping for clean air, feeling the emptiness in her gut as if she were still falling. It takes her a moment to gather her thoughts, but she's almost certain that in her dream, she was falling straight to Tartarus.

Someone knocks on her door and Hedge walks in without waiting for a reply. "Rise and shine, Strategus! Valdez says the ship's about to land."

"I've studied maps of Rome before. I've always wanted to come here, but..." Jason doesn't finish his sentence, too amazed to think. 

Ara, however, isn't eager. The dream she just had told her what she needed to know, and she doesn't want to leave the ship.

"Plans?" Hazel inquires. "Nico has until sunset—at best. And this entire city is supposedly getting destroyed today."

Ara takes a moment to hype herself up before she speaks. "I'm going with Annabeth and Percy."

Annabeth scowls. "No! This is my mission—"

"Percy can't walk around Rome alone, I'll be keeping the numbers even," she replies, eyes fixed on the town ahead so they can't see the fear in her eyes. "We won't follow you when it's time to part ways, you have my word."

"Fine," Annabeth grumbles, having no option but to give in. "Hazel, now that we're in Rome, do you think you can pinpoint Nico's location?"

"Um... hopefully, if I get close enough. I'll have to walk around the city. Frank, would you come with me?"

"Absolutely."

"And, uh... Leo," Hazel adds awkwardly. "It might be a good idea if you came along too. The fish-centaurs said we'd need your help with something mechanical."

"Yeah, no problem."

Piper draws out her dagger and Ara steps back looking at it with contempt, but no one seems to notice. "Jason and I can watch the ship for now. I'll see what Katoptris can show me. But, Hazel, if you guys get a fix on Nico's location, don't go in there by yourselves. Come back and get us. It'll take all of us to fight the giants."

"Good idea," Percy continues. "How about we plan to meet back here at... what?"

"Three this afternoon?" Jason offers. "That's probably the latest we could rendezvous and still hope to fight the giants and save Nico. If something happens to change the plan, try to send an Iris-message."

"That'll give me time to eat the coconuts—I mean dig the coconuts out of our hull," Hedge mutters. "Percy, Annabeth... Just remember: behave. If I hear about any funny business, I will ground you until the Styx freezes over."

Ara makes a face. "Man, I'm going with them, don't get your knickers in a bunch."

"We'll be back soon," Percy gives Ara a fleeting look before walking away. "Good luck, everyone."

Ara walks forward, her gut twisting in knots but deciding that once she leaves the ship she'll be leaving her fear too. Before she departs, though, Leo seizes her wrist. 

"Look after yourself," He tells her.

Ara kisses his cheek and mumbles. "I'll see you soon."

Percy and Annabeth end up super glad that Ara joined them, she's the only one who can kind of speak Italian.

They decide to get food so they go to a restaurant near the river. Ara spaces out for a while, brooding on her dream and her prophecy, giving Percy and Annabeth a moment to be as cheesy as they please.

"So," Percy bites on his thin pizza. "Did you know Ara had a crush on Mike?"

She snaps out of her thoughts. "Are you serious?"

"You had a crush on Mike?" Annabeth raises a brow. "I thought you liked Nico!"

"Right?" Percy continues.

Annabeth's eyes turn sadder. "He was a brother to Lily. I can see the appeal, er... for you, I mean. He was always on your side, looking after you. Kind of like Leo, if Leo knew how to fix people instead of machines."

Percy swallows his food, looking slightly guilty. "I've always had this feeling Lily never forgave me for what happened..."

"I think she blames me more," Ara admits quietly. "Maybe she has the right to be angry... about everything," the girl stabs several pieces of lettuce with her fork, but she doesn't eat them. "I come here to try and show her that he didn't die in vain, and now..."

Now I'm dying, and she won't even know that I'm sorry.

"You know, this feels like the old days," Annabeth tries to lift their spirits. "When it was just us."

"We're missing Grover, nervously chewing trash," Ara retorts.

"This is exactly like the old days," Percy responds, having none of it. "You two hiding things from me, and I have no option but to follow blindly. Did you know she decided to become a daughter of Olympus a year before the war?"

He stares at Annabeth pointedly, and the girl heaves a sigh. "No, but it makes sense." She looks at Ara. "Your mother talked you into it, didn't she?"

Ara shifts in her seat awkwardly. "Not like you think. She was trying to make me feel proud of who I was when I didn't have much to hold onto. I made the choice."

"I think you refuse to see it how it is," Annabeth's gaze isn't as resentful as Percy's, but there is some kind of concern there. "Maybe it's better like this if you want a somewhat nice, sane life. My mom isn't my best ally nowadays..."

Percy eyes both girls, worried at how defeated they sound. "Annabeth, you don't have to do this."

"You'll have to trust me," she says firmly. "You've got to believe I'll come back."

"I believe in you. That's not the problem. But come back from where?"

"Now, that..." Ara lifts her fork and stares at the lettuce, "is the question..."

The roar of an engine cuts through their conversation: a couple of vintage-looking adults are approaching, and Ara knows right away these people are 1. Not mortal, and 2. Looking for them.

"Why, hello," the guy slips off his bike.

"We've had the most lovely morning," the woman tells them as if they're all old friends.

"Oh, gods," Annabeth stammers. "How—how... ?"

Ara kicks her brother's foot. "You know them?"

"No. But you guys do look familiar," he hums. "Are you that guy on Mad Men?"

"Percy!" Annabeth gasps.

"What? I don't watch a lot of TV."

"That's Gregory Peck!" Annabeth exclaims like that would mean anything to Ara and Percy. "And... oh gods! Audrey Hepburn! I know this movie. Roman Holiday. But that was from the 1950s. How—?"

"Oh, my dear! I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else! My name is Rhea Silvia. I was the mother to Romulus and Remus, thousands of years ago. But you're so kind to think I look as young as the 1950s. And this is my husband..."

"Tiberinus. God of the River Tiber," he shakes Percy's hand and winks at Ara.

"Yeah, I see the Aubrey Hepburn," Ara observes the couple with interest. "I'm Ara, this is my brother Percy, and this is Annabeth."

"Uh, hi. Do you two always look like American movie stars?" Percy asks.

"Do we? I'm not sure, actually. The migration of Western civilization goes both ways, you know. Rome affected the world, but the world also affects Rome. There does seem to be a lot of American influence lately. I've rather lost track over the centuries."

"Okay," Percy glances at the girls. "But... you're here to help?"

"My naiads told me you were here." The guy turns to Annabeth. "You have the map, my dear? And your letter of introduction?"

"Uh..." Annabeth hands him the disk and the letter. Ara can't help but notice she's glowing scarlet. "S-so... you've helped other children of Athena with this quest?"

"Oh, my dear! Tiberinus is ever so helpful. He saved my children Romulus and Remus, you know, and brought them to the wolf goddess Lupa. Later, when that old king Numen tried to kill me, Tiberinus took pity on me and made me his wife. I've been ruling the river kingdom at his side ever since. He's just dreamy!"

"Thank you, my dear. And, yes, Annabeth Chase, I've helped many of your siblings... to at least begin their journey safely. A shame all of them died painfully later on. Well, your documents seem in order. We should get going. The Mark of Athena awaits!"

Percy's hand moves across the table and grasps Annabeth's before she can get up. "Tiberinus, let me go with her. Just a little farther."

"But you can't, silly boy!" The lady laughs. "You must return to your ship and gather your other friends. Confront the giants! The way will appear in your friend Piper's knife. Annabeth has a different path. She must walk alone."

"Indeed," The god nods. "Annabeth must face the guardian of the shrine by herself. It is the only way. And Jacksons, you have less time than you realized to rescue your friend in the jar. You must hurry."

"But—"

"It's all right, guys," Annabeth eases them. "I need to do this."

A split second goes by in which Percy realizes he can't work his way around this. "You're right," he struggles to speak. "Be safe."

"Safe? Not at all! But necessary," the goddess beams. "Come, Annabeth, my dear. We will show you where your path starts. After that, you're on your own."

Annabeth kisses Percy and then hugs Ara. The girl squeezes her tightly. 

"If you get yourself killed," Ara whispers. "I'm forcing Hades to spit you out. Don't make me break the rules, please."

Her friend chuckles. "Noted."

Percy and Ara watch Annabeth climb onto the Vespa and leave with the gods.

"There she goes," Ara says plainly. "Let's go."

The boy glares at her. "How can you watch your oldest friendship go on a life-threatening quest like it's nothing?"

Ara sighs without looking at him. "If I had a crisis every time someone I love goes on a quest, I'd have to be institutionalized."

Percy sounds even more frustrated. "You weren't like this."

She locks eyes with him. "When you were sent to Calypso's island, Hephaestus said enduring your absence would be helpful in the future, and it was—"

"So you're saying it's my fault—"

"You were the first person to hand me a sword," she reminds him. "Maybe you didn't believe I had it in me to become more than just a mildly decent warrior, but yeah, I'd say you sort of encouraged this."

"That's not true!" Percy stops her before she crosses a road without looking at both sides. "I believe in you, but if you had the brains to think twice before trying something dangerous, maybe I wouldn't freak out as much—Quests aren't games, Ara! I wish you stopped acting like they are!"

The girl snatches her arm away. "I'm not a ten-year-old anymore, Percy, I know what I'm doing! Stay out of my way!" 

Ara pushes past him and quickens her pace.

Ara stays with Hedge after she and Percy go back to the ship. Piper hands her Katroptis and tells her she can keep an eye on everyone. Ara holds it, and her entire body buzzes with familiarity.

Ara tries to imagine what it felt like to be on the run, with only that dagger to update her on the state of her old motherland. She wonders if the remains of her primal life marked all of the rest, frightening her with thoughts of solitude and exile.

Aphrodite says she isn't Helen, and Ara doesn't want to be Helen, but sometimes she can see Helen reflected in her words and actions, and fears it'll take her to the same end.

She gives the dagger to Hedge. "Here, you can look for those baseball scores and keep an eye on everyone, I'll be at the helm."

The satyr eyes her intently, sensing her stress. "You alright, Strategus?"

Ara walks to the control board and changes the subject. "Do you know how to use this, Coach?"

He goes to her. "Only you and Valdez know how to operate that labyrinth of buttons and levels."

"I'll show you what each one does, and you must try to memorize it."

Her prophecy might come to fruition today, so she has to leave everything in order in case she doesn't come back after they get Annabeth from her solo quest. Ara acts like she's just making conversation with Hedge to pass the time, she teaches him how to use the control board, mentions where she keeps an emergency stash of drachmas, and then, talks about where she keeps the pictures, what things she wants to give to Percy after they return, to Lily and Leo...

Hedge listens with a funny look in his eyes and that's when Ara realizes she's been using charmspeak. She's so anxious about leaving, that the satyr gets the full blast of it. But being honest, it's better this way.

Not even five minutes have passed when the satyr comes back and shoves the dagger into her hand. "You should see this."

Ara grabs the blade and the visions clears: Percy, Jason, and Piper are face-to-face with the giant twins. Behind them, a large bronze jar is set between two large praetor chairs. Ara drops the dagger and picks up her Octopi backpack from under the control board. 

"Hedge, you saw where the others are?"

"No, but I can look for them."

"Cool. I'm going to help these guys."

"You can't go alone!"

Ara hesitates but in the end, she picks up Piper's dagger. "Stay here and wait, I'll contact you once I'm done."

"Strategus!"

Ara runs out with Lily's dagger on her belt and Almighty in her pocket.

Next Chapter ->

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @asnyox-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh

[mamuzzy]

okay for the wip game, I gotta ask.. what on earth is 13. rwerwerwerwerwerwer? I wish to know more xD

AND I SHALL PROVIDE. @hurryupmerlin since you asked for 13 as well, I tag you here where you can read it too. :))) Now what do we have here... rwerwerwerwerwerwer, what do you mean it's not self-explanatory??? *mamuzzy actually has to look into the file to know wtf is inside*

Oh. OOOOHHHH. It was one of my first attempts to try out my new tablet in summer! I've actually made a post about the early sketch -> HERE Commander Thire, Commander Fox and Commander Thorn are chilling while watching a documentary about Space KitKat (a tiktok video about people reacting what the filling really is, @ithillia showed me once and got inspired). But with job and constant migraines, and feeling that I'm working on one drawing unsuccessfully for over two weeks and I did that rather slowly, I quickly lost interest in it and decided to put away for a while. It's a gamer trick. When a game makes you ragequit, leave it, and when you try again with cooler head later, you will succeed at the first try, you'll see. I'll be honest, I still have trouble with digital canvas sizes because I'm started to actively draw digitally recently and I have no idea what I'm doing. I just can't understand what measurements I need to use, what resolution, so I just go by instinct for the one size I don't see annoying extra pixels when zooming in. And since you can't change canvas size while drawing (or at least I couldn't find the way in Manga Studio) it was a chore to put layers from one file to another and still messing up. You see my problem is that I want a literal wall of text at the upper panel and some reactions to the second. And I just couldn't find the perfect balance. Ragequit. Now I would do differently, not doing details before everything is on the paper exactly how I want it. I want to say I plan to finish it... sometimes... we'll see.

Overall, I love how Thire and Thorn turned out but I'm not entirely satisfied with Fox so if I ever come back to this drawing, he'll definitely need a redraw. HE LOOKS SO SMOL!!!! But I'll definitely keep the socks. They are all comfy like this <3 BTW this is the original sketch about it. :))))

-------------------------- If you want to know more about my other wips, check out the list <3

[kimberly-stocks]

So happy that you answered my ask and are open for prompts.I have no problem with your favorite phase of Literati.I too hate Logan with a passion.I do enjoy fics in which he is proven to be the asshat that he is and Rory/Jess ride into the sunset together though.

Some prompts:

Dean never moved to SH.Jess shows up as usual in early season 2.

Rory and Paris lose the election at the end of season 2 and Rory spends the sumner in SH.The kiss still hapenned.

Rory decides to keep going to public school in SH.What happens when she crosses paths with Jess a lot more.Maybe they even have projects they need to work on together...

What if Luke and Jess moved into the appartment in season 2?Luke still has the habit to stay above the dinner for deliveries and hook ups with Nicole. How will the lovebirds use the space and privacy once they figure their shit out in season 3?.

It's all I got for now.

Thanks again and take care.

My god, this ask stayed in my inbox for a while because I didn't know how to answer it. I mean, all of these prompts are AMAZING ideas for a full length multi-chaptered fic, not for short ficlets that I had in mind when asking for prompts.

I mean, I wanna read all of those stories! Please, somebody write them!

And what's good about them is that they are all unique, and I don't remember seeing anything like this already published on AO3 or FF.

If Dean never moved in SH, Jess could've been Rory's first boyfriend. It would completely change their dynamic as a couple. Jess wouldn't have to feel less than, when Rory was constantly comparing him to Dean, like how Dean always called when he said he would, and had plans and whatnot.

If Rory and Paris lost the election, she would've spent the entire summer in SH, while Dean was in Chicago. I think I remember reading something along the lines of Rory sneaking around with Jess and him teaching her sexual stuff 'to be a better girlfriend for Dean', but that concept seems kinda far fetched to me. I can't even imagine what that summer would've looked like. It needs some serious thinking.

Rory staying in SH high would be an interesting thing to explore, when Jess shows up. They could be friends, but all of those girls who painted their nails in class in a pilot episode would definitely be all over him. How would that go, I don't know either.

And Luke actually buying an apartment to move with Jess would be such an amazing concept to explore. Jess having his own space, his own room. Rory would definitely stay over a lot, and some nsfw things would definitely happen 😏

My god, these are all amazing ideas. I don't even know where to start. I would love to write long fics for all of them, but I don't know if I have a mental capacity for it at the moment. I mean I can't even finish the next chapter of Things I'd never say. We'll see how it goes. I'm definitely gonna think about these ideas. Thank you for sending these. Have you thought about writing them yourself? I would love to read them ☺️