#‘Long Road’ || Verse: Main

[thehuntressbailey]

Music spilled out into the warm summer night from the open bar door, mingling with the din of people shouting over one another to be heard. Smoke trailed after it, rising in lazy curls towards a star filled sky. Taking a deep breath, Bailey bounced a few times on the balls of her feet. The last time she had came here, Bobby had drug her home where he gave her a right ass chewing for it.

But she couldn’t help herself. Sam had taken off for college, Dean never would let her hunt and Bobby still saw her as a broken little girl. The bar was where she could let go, dance, hustle and just cause general chaos without too much issue. But, just maybe, it would lure one of them home to see her. Time and again Bailey threw herself into trouble to draw their attention, but time and again it failed.

Wandering in, she slipped onto the barstool. Was she under the legal age? Yes. Did she care? No. The bartender sure didn’t, paying more attention to the cut up Journey shirt she had reclaimed from the pile of laundry left forgotten or outgrown by the brothers. Sipping the hard cider placed before her, she spun the stool around to watch the crowd, mulling over what to do first in what time she had.

[brandileigh2003]

Older wolfstar fic recs: (older in age that is)

let me know what I missed and self recs are welcome (also as always check tags for each one to protect yourself) **And I know older is relative term bc most of these wolfstar are in their 30s I do believe. But. They have more life experience than in Hogwarts or uni.

--orange juice (i've been ready for you to come home for so long) by raggedypond: divorced parents of teddy with one bed at his graduation

-Honey If I'm Not by @brigid-faye divergent post war where remus left, jily lived, and wolfstar only reconnects years later by chance. (Also has a Sirius pov)

---used my best colours for your portrait by @littleoldrachel lie low at Lupin's with flashbacks exploring remus' life

-Looking for Moony by Writer_INFJ_2w1: meet and fall in love birthday party

-Flight of Destiny by @lucigoo lesbian wolfstar meet on plane (Luci also has several others where they're older and lots of beautiful fics

--Aging Gracelessly by orphan_account: texting fic

--the mayors of simpleton by fruity_individual divorced wolfstar get back together, raising teddy

-Second Generation by MsAlexWP single parents, getting back together. The sequel is so perfect too! It's a Nice Day for a Wolfstar Wedding

-the sea is a good place to think of the future by peachyybabe (second in series is mcd but this one is open ending)

-Of Memories and Milk Thievery by moonymoment raising teddy, get back together

--Birthday Blues by YouBlitheringIdiot @blitheringmcgonagall :Sirius is turning sixty and he is appalled...

--Give Quarter to Old Men - @krethes series

--dear your holiness by mollymarymarie

--The Postwar Chronicles by @sliebman10 post canon series

-Vigil Strange I Kept by whitmans_kiss explores effects of lycanthropy

--ten reasons (to go to michigan) by @greyeyedmonster-18 remus headed home, trying to move on from divorce

--Prettiest Star Verse by Raging_queer

-I didn’t sign up for this by Moonystoastandmarsbar divorced wolfstar

-Of Protein Powders and PTAs by @squintclover and @tracingpatternswrites rivals to lovers

-An Infinte Ocean by orphan_account raising teddy strangers to lovers

--The Road Not Taken by @mollymarymarie

-extra credit by MsAlexWP rivals to lovers

-Baby On Board by aqua_myosotis

-Of Memories, Bitter and Sweet by MsAlexWP memory loss

**luci's recs

-my love, take care of yourself by littleoldrachel

-How to romance a guy with (terrible) poetry by BayleyWinchester

-Teddy Plays Matchmaker by grow_as_we_go

-The Front Step Surprise by R33sesPieces

**Recs from others** (I haven't read all these yet but wanted to include)

--Just what the doctor ordered by WrappedUp (be aware there is age gap)

--The Lab by de_sire again an age gap

-Till We Have Arrived Home Again by prouvairing divergent post canon raising harry

-The Patchwork of Us by TracingPatterns

-The Things I Did by Lolo_row

-The Phoenix Agency by LupinsChocolatePraline

-The Fall by EuripidesTrousers

-Pages of You by wolfpants this is drarry main but apparently background wolfstar is really good

-Just Like Heaven by the_prettiest_w0lf_star: mechanic Sirius and librarian Remus

-soloorganaas

-impishtubist

***Self rec***

--Memories of You: mcd exploring memory loss

--Through the Years: Sirius thinks about the past and how handsome his husband is while holding their granddaughter.

--DN(R): Lie low at Lupin's era where they discuss decisions Remus made in the lost years.

**also- the wolfstar librarian is always a great resource make sure to give some likes on posts: 30yo and Up part 2 Bring Black Back Back from the Veil Lie Low at Lupin’s Post Azkaban Grimmauld Place

--Feel free to check my other rec lists, as well as the rest of my fics

[tryingtodotheright-thing]

Hello, Sunset - 1

AN: So, the inspiration randomly came to me. I've never written with an unnamed character before and I haven't written fanfic since 2017. Bear with me and I appreciate all feedback. Not sure how long this is going to be but it will be multi-part.

Pairing: Seungcheol x fem!reader

Genre: exes to lovers, idol verse, angst

Word Count: 1733

Warnings: reader has anxiety and depression, swearing

NEXT

Summer was coming to an end. This week was the season’s last gift; it was unusually warm, endless blue skies that you saw in paintings and sunsets that seemed to last all evening. Y/N had chosen to make the most of it, knowing this was her last moment to enjoy a little break in nature before life got busy again. She was always regretful when it got to the end of summer, wishing she’d spent more time outdoors, made the most of the good weather and just lived life a bit more fervently as she once used to. She didn’t quite know how to relax anymore. Even now, as she walked along the streets of London, she couldn’t quite slow down to a leisurely pace to admire the eclectic collection of shops that graced this particular street, hidden behind the famous streets of St James’s. Y/N called it being a Londoner, that you walked with purpose, always in a race to get to your next destination. Who had time to admire their surroundings when you had places to be? You definitely didn’t want to look like a tourist. 

Y/N had arrived early, one for the books since there were train strikes this weekend and she’d had to get a taxi to Wimbledon so she could take the District Line. She now had 30 minutes to waste before she could head to the restaurant, knowing that her perpetually late best friend wouldn’t arrive till at least 15 minutes after the reservation time. The sun was burning this afternoon and she knew that continuing to walk around without finding a spot of shade would just make things worse. She was parched and she’d forgotten to grab the bottle of water she’d prepared in her rush to check her doors were locked as the taxi waited for her. There was no choice but to fork up a fiver for a very expensive bottle of water in order to survive the heat. Making a swift decision, she turned around to head back to the main road. Walking briskly to escape the glares of the blazing star at its peak, she swiftly walked into Itsu. The air-conditioning inside the store gave her instant relief and she basked in it as she selected a bottle of water. After paying at the self-checkout till, she immediately opened the bottle to take a big gulp of the cold drink. Her thirst satisfied, Y/N walked out of the store and back into the heat of the summer. 

As she walked back towards the restaurant, Y/N tried to slow her steps, observing those around her. It was the summer bank holiday weekend, so it was the last hooray for many of the working population in the UK. There was a mix of tourists and locals: parents with their little ones for a family day out, young couples walking with their fingers intertwined  and rowdy teenagers in denial of schools restarting the next week. Time passed so quickly. She could remember being a teenager like it was yesterday but here she was in her last year of 20s, so different from her younger self when she was at the cusp of adulthood. So much had happened, so much had changed and yet sometimes she still felt a little like the insecure young woman who didn’t quite know where she fit in the vast world. Whoever said that with age comes wisdom was telling the biggest lie on earth. 

Lost in her thoughts, Y/N had arrived at the Japanese restaurant she was set to have her lunch at. The hostess greeted her and took her down the stairs and to the private room reserved. She looked around as she took her handbag off her shoulder and settled into her seat. The room was big enough to seat six people but it would be just Y/N and her friend, Rachel. She’d been at the restaurant exactly two years ago. That time, she’d been seated in the general restaurant then when Rachel had taken her out to celebrate Y/N’s new job. Y/N was no longer working at that company. In fact, Y/N had left the corporate world 15 months ago after suddenly landing in the spotlight. Speaking of said spotlight, the hostess had returned with chilled still water. She poured some water for Y/N before placing the bottle on a coaster. She hesitated to leave after Y/N thanked, struggling to decide whether to verbalise her thoughts or not. Taking a deep breath, she brought forward a framed picture. 

“Sorry to ask but would you mind please signing this picture? We’d love to display this in the restaurant.”

Y/N smiled and reached for the pen and frame, quickly writing out a message and a signature that still seemed unfamiliar to her. Returning the items back to the hostess, Y/N reassured the hostess it was no problem and posed for a photo too. Picture taken, the hostess thanked her again profusely before closing the door behind her, leaving Y/N to silence. 

Y/N sat back down in her chair and took her phone to check whether she had any messages from Rachel. Sure enough, there were three unread messages from Rachel. Yan Ya, called by all but her parents and grandparents as Rachel, was running late to no one’s surprise. Rachel was beautiful and graceful as her parents had hoped when they named her but her trouble with punctuality was a running joke between everyone who knew and loved her. 

After texting Rachel back to reassure her that she’d only just arrived, Y/N scrolled through the other notifications on her phone, mostly notifications from her public Instagram account that she swiped to ignore. She came across a message from her manager that she had received about an hour ago, asking Y/N to call her. Y/N was immediately nervous about what Sian would have to say. The urgency and the cryptic instruction with no context also didn’t help. Biting the bullet, Y/N pressed the call button at the top of the screen. Sian picked up on the second ring and immediately said, “Are you alone?”

The nerves that filled her stomach had now tripled and she could almost hear the padams of her heart go faster. 

“Yes, I’m in a private room at Ginza. What’s wrong?”

“Have you seen Twitter today? You’re trending right now.” Y/N could trace the panic hidden in Sian’s voice. “Dispatch posted a picture of you with him.”

Suddenly, Y/N could barely hear Sian as she continued talking. Her breaths were louder and she felt her anxiety soar as her throat dried up. 

“I can’t tell when it was taken but it’s so obviously the two of you. HYBE has put out a statement already denying a relationship and saying it was just two friends meeting for a meal. But Dispatch has made another post saying they have more pictures to prove that you’re in a relationship.”

Y/N took the glass of water the hostess had kindly poured for her earlier and took a sip, her hand clutching the cold glass and trying to focus on the condensation that surrounded the glass and counting in her head as she took a deep breath.

“Y/N, we need to put out a statement before HYBE to steer the narrative and protect you. You need to cancel whatever plans you have and head to my office. I’m ordering a car to pick you up from Ginza. It should be there in 5 minutes.”

Receiving no reply, Sian called out, “Y/N, are you there? Y/N?”

“Hmmm?”

Hearing the rushed breath and the breaking voice, Sian immediately softened her voice. “Honey, we can get this under control. It won’t be bad like last time. Okay? Trust in me and the company to protect you.”

“I don’t want things to get worse!” 

“It won’t, I promise. I’ve got you, okay? Take a deep breath for me, hun. That’s it. It’ll all be fine. We just need a plan, okay?”

Y/N meekly responded, nodding to no one as she tried to hold the tears back. The door behind her opened without a warning. Y/N flipped to find Rachel behind her with a bouquet of pink peonies. Rachel’s smile and cheery greeting grew to a stop as she noticed the crushed expression on Y/N’s face and the frazzled greetings from Sian as she tried to catch her attention again. Rushing into the room, Rachel wrapped one arm around Y/N and took Y/N’s phone from her tight clasp. 

“Sian, it’s Rachel. I'm with Y/N. What’s going on?”

“Oh, thank God! Rachel, there isn’t much time to explain. There’s a car outside Ginza waiting; it’ll take you to my office. I’ll explain everything once you get here. Look after Y/N and make sure no one sees her or definitely no pictures in the state she’s in. I’ll call the restaurant right now to settle the bill.”

Rachel, understanding the urgency of the situation, ended the call with Sian and quickly gathered their belongings. Making sure she’d taken everything, she turned to Y/N, who was still in shock. 

Rachel brushed Y/N’s hair away from her face and grasped her face to look at Rachel. 

“Hey, whatever it is, we’ll get through it together. Where’s my strong, independent and resilient Y/N?” 

“I don’t feel like any of those words right now.”

“No no no! We don’t do low confidence in this friendship when I know how amazing my friend is.” Y/N let out a shaken breath that was a mixture of laughter and tears.

Rachel quickly dabbed away the tears that fell and said, “Keep calm and carry on, as Mr Parry would say right?” 

This time, Y/N smiled hearing the favourite saying of her old biology teacher. Feeling better, she rubbed her hands on her skirt and stood up. 

“Right. Okay, let’s go.”

“That’s my girl!” Rachel cheered and looped her arm through Y/N’s. Pausing before the door, she turned to her left to look at her shorter friend and said, “And fuck anybody that tried to mess with you, especially one S.Coups!” 

With that said, Rachel opened the door and led the way out of the restaurant. 

[m1ssunderstanding]

Get Back Rewatch 55 Years On: Day Seven

Okay if anyone is super well-versed in the whole northern songs drama, I would LOVE your insights. I haven’t really looked into it, so all I know is they lost it right before the divorce meeting. What happened? What the hell is this? -- “Which includes Paul and John,” “Just about.” “What does that mean?” “No comment.”

The scouse getting thicker and thicker after “Carolina moOOn?” What can I say? I’m a sucker for it.

Paul’s absolute sugar-cookie heart-eyes when George walks in and then Ringo’s high-pitched “Hi Georgie!” Guys. Tone it down! I know you love him. But you just saw him yesterday, and you’ll see him again tomorrow. Oh wait . . . is today the day he quits?

John. If you look at your boyfriend like that while he’s being an attention-whore, he’s going to keep being an attention whore. So just. You know. Keep in mind what you’re encouraging here.

OMG they’re KISSING! (Live George reaction)

Paul. If you give your boyfriend what he wants while he’s being an attention-whore, he’s going to keep being an attention whore. So just. You know. Keep in mind what you’re encouraging here. (but literally, John just becomes a maniac, dancing and shouting, the MOMENT Paul goes to talk to George, and Paul’s instantly like “George, what george?”)

This Paul/George fight is, boiled down, literally just Paul being paranoid and anal and George trying to reassure him. “It’s not passe, it’s just a chord . . . yeah, but some drainies suit different occasions.”

“You need Eric Clapton.” “You need George Harrison.” John wasn’t here to be cute when George walked in, so he’s making up for it now.

“If you vamp, then it takes away from his vamping.” He says to the lead guitarist. Rolling my eyes so hard right now. See, the problem is, Paul loves George. But he’s IN love with John.

Literally, a montage of them raw-dogging it on the ground would be less gay than this insanity.

Poor baby. I would’ve quit a long time ago. Good for you.

I love John’s angsty guitar and torn-up vocals post-george.

And the minute her number one hater is gone, my girl gets on a mic! Way to be, honestly. And here’s the thing. Paul and Ringo (and obviously John) love it! There should’ve been a Beatles-Ono colab on a helter-skelter type track. Would’ve killed.

Paul swinging around on that scaffolding and me doing cartwheels in the bathroom between LSAT sections. ADHD besties!

John when George quits: “If he doesn’t come back by Tuesday we get Clapton in” (which he obviously doesn’t fully mean) VS John’s reaction when Paul misses one session: sprinting down the road and climbing a wall and screaming at him

Yoko sure does know how to cater to a fearful-anxious attachment. “John, John, John, Joooooooohhhhhhhnnnn!”

Literally Mo, marry me immediately! My kingdom for a kiss! She’s literally soo beyond gorgeous, I’m dying. Okay sorry I’ll be done now.

Men are the WORST! But who is making her laugh like that? Ringo? Is she looking off in the direction of the band? I can’t tell.

Another rare Paul feminist moment! Woop! “A7, D7, G7. Get ‘em off over the weekend and you’re in.”

“So, cats and kittens. What we gonna do?” . . . “Catch up! Cats and kittens. Don’t get left behind.” ???? There have got to be so many secret jabs on RAM for John to hate it so much that we just don’t understand. Is this one of them? Was this a saying of theirs?

Okay, good job. Now that the band is here, Mo isn’t being fucking mean-girled out of the circle. Also, Ringo sits by his wife, John by his girlfriend, and Paul by his daddy. As they should.

“The maresey beat awords for the best coople of the yeeuh.” Everyone studiously ignoring him. He’s so embarrassing.

I really really love Mo, though. Like I know I’m biased because she’s pretty, but her cute little “Yes!” when Paul jokingly suggests they do it at the cavern. She loved those days. The fact that she’s an og? God bless her, literally.

“Location isn’t really our main problem at the moment.” George Martin. “It’s breathing, actually.” said in the most casual voice possible but meant with the most wounded heart. Gosh, that one hurt. And then look how George Martin looks at him. His best boy is going through it.

The huggle! Ringo initiates it with Paul, of course, turning to him and gently gripping both biceps as he forces deep, direct eye contact. But then as Ringo’s pulling away, Paul leans into him and holds him there, talking. And as Ringo’s nodding, he looks to John, who basically pounces on both of them, head bowed, arms aggressive, pulling them all in, tighter, tighter until it’s a three-way head-bonk. Ringo’s hand at John’s waist now, and Paul’s fucking iron talons clenching desperately around his bicep. But still, John manages to pull away from Paul’s grip as Yoko inserts herself between them where, really, she decidedly does Not belong. It’s got to be the most painful non-hug ever recorded on camera. Nobody knows what anyone wants, let alone how to give it to them.

Why did the gayest one also have to be the saddest one though? I guess the Lord gives his hardest battles to his gayest soldiers, smh

[everythingfiction13]

Disclaimer: I may have cried while writing this.

Korra and Asami, along with Mako and Bolin, Tenzin and his family, Kya, Bumi and a-very-much-deprived-of-any-fun Lin decide to visit the Southern Water Tribe for one of their many festivals.

Once there, the others are quick to jump into the action, and Mako wins several gifts for Ikki who still isn't over her crush on him. Meanwhile, Bolin and Meelo playfully race along the roads of the SWT, but the general rule is that they don't use their bending. It is purely a test of speed and power, and nearly all of the gang has placed their bets on either boy, mostly in favor of Bolin. It is not quite a surprise when Meelo actually wins.

Jinora, for once, decides to let her hair down and enjoy the parades with Kai, and through much persuasion, Tenzin sort of relaxes thanks to his mother and Pema. After all, the children won't be as such for much longer, a fact that the Airbending Master can not get over, no matter how old his children get. Lin and Kya spend much of their time together, drinking and placing bets, trying to showcase who is stronger and who can hold their liquor, and at some point, Korra could have sworn she'd seen them flirting though they would surely deny it later on.

All in all, everyone's having fun and enjoying a much needed respite from saving the world from anyone who thinks of wreaking havoc again. All except for Asami, but nobody notices. Korra has her suspicions, deems it wise to let her girlfriend confide in her when she's ready. They'd already had this conversation before with Asami confessing that sometimes, when things got a bit overwhelming, she just needed her space. And Korra gave her all the space possible, letting her hang back while the others threw themselves in a series of shenanigans, yet always kept a watchful eye on the heiress. At some point, Korra was distracted long enough for Asami to slip away, this particular bout of uncertainty taking longer to shake off than normal.

Asami could feel her chest tightening, the air in her lungs barely enough to keep her on her feet, but she was well-versed in the art of hiding her turmoil, a smile always at the ready to protect her from any inquiring looks.

A gentle hand finds her shoulder, big enough to clasp her whole bone, yet tender and warm.

"Hey kiddo." Tonraq. Asami would always recognize his voice.

She turns to him a moment later, flashing that same practiced smile. But a look of concern furrows the man's brows, and he towers over her, large and imposing and so caring that the heiress can't help but feel so small.

"You feeling alright?"

"Yes, yes," she says, though the lump in her throat threatened to choke her.

Tonraq sees right through her. "Asami, you know you can confide in me. I may be Korra's dad and all, but I'm still here for you."

Tears swell in her eyes, but again, Asami will always hide her feelings in such moments. She can not afford to be weak, to let herself be so easily uncovered. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. But I promise, I'm fine."

"Have we not passed over the formalities? You are dating my daughter."

At that, a genuine grin curled Asami's lips. It feels weird, however, to call him by his name, almost as if she is breaking some unnamed rule. "I suppose so. I'll need some time to get used to it, though."

"As long as it takes, honey. Are you sure you're alright?"

Asami nods, swallows the knot in the back of her throat. Tonraq, she knows, is not convinced. There is little, however, she can do about it, only hopes that he isn't as persistent as his daughter.

He isn't. With one last smile, he rejoins the others, leaving Asami to her own thoughts. Relief washes over her, but she still can't find herself to breathe properly, the need to disappear for a moment gnawing at her.

Later, when everyone is fast asleep under the heavy covers to keep them warm, Asami finds herself clutching at a cup of tea she's made herself, sitting on a chair in the private kitchen even though the main hall was all but empty. This place was smaller, cozier. It suited her mood just as well. In her other free hand, Asami holds the one thing Lin was able to salvage from the wreckage that was the hummingbird Hiroshi and her had used in the battle against Kuvira, a pair of bent golden spectacles with no glass to keep it together. Asami can't bring herself to look at it, but it feels good to have it between her fingers, clasp at the very last thing that connected her to her dad.

"Oh, sorry I...I figured it would be empty," Senna breaks the silence. "Asami, are you okay, sweetheart?"

The young woman's lips quiver, unable to hold it together any longer. She swallows, her voice wavering. "Not really, no."

Senna pulls the chair beside her. She does not fail to notice the glasses, but makes no move to reach for Asami's hand. The latter doesn't blame her, she wouldn't touch something as tainted with blood either. Her father was a criminal after all.

"Sweetheart."

A single tear streaks down Asami's cheek. "My mom used to call me that. All the time. I miss her."

Another tear. Senna ticks with compassion, grabbing the younger woman then in a hug Asami had not been privileged with for so, so long. And for once, she hangs on, fingers clutching at Senna's shirt as her tears flow freely down her face.

"I can't...I can't breathe," she chokes out. "I can't breathe."

Tender hands clasp her face, and Korra looks so much like her mother, just as Asami reflected Yasuko's features, only older.

"I need you to breathe with me, sweetheart. Can you do that?"

Yet again, Asami nods. Her tears do not stop. Her breathing becomes erratic instead, but Senna's touches, firmer now, ground her. "You're okay, sweetheart. I got you. I got you."

"Why does it...why does...hurt...? Why did they leave me all alone?"

"Oh honey, they didn't. They never did leave you."

"They did. Everyone leaves me. Everyone..."

"Asami, sweetheart, that's not going to happen. Your friends are here, and you have Tonraq and me, and Korra..."

But the words fall on deaf ears, try as she may to take them in. "I never got to say goodbye. It hurts..."

"I know it does. But believe me, your mom and dad are with you, Asami. They will always be a part of you. Always."

"You don't...know that."

"But you do. In everything that you do, Asami, every waking moment, your being alive and well and happy is a testament to how much your mom and dad loved you." Senna brushes the girl's tears, pulls her in closer so that her head rests upon her chest. Tea discarded, glasses still clutched in her hand, Asami lets herself cry for what feels like the first time in years.

Of course, she'd done so before, several times, when the hurt became so much she was going to explode, but those were in her private moments. Never in front of anyone. Never.

"Sen?"

Great. If she had felt embarrassed at the start of her confession, Asami doubled in it.

Tonraq catches on quickly, and he wraps his arms around them both, setting a soft kiss on Asami's head. He does not need to say a thing because with Senna's words and his embrace, Asami feels safe again.

[scionshtola]

ardor

pairing: Corisande Ymir/Y'shtola Rhul word count: 2.1k | rated: Explicit notes: another fic in the rodeo au verse, where Y'shtola is a geologist come to survey the land of the ranch that Cori works on [divider credit]

Seated in the passenger seat of Corisande’s pickup, Y’shtola was growing increasingly desperate. 

Only a few steps outside the truck’s door was the spot where she and Corisande had first kissed beneath the starlit sky. A long way off the main road, it was the perfect place for both privacy and a picturesque view, the green and flowered countryside stretching in all directions. 

Kisses had come easily since then. Chaste brushes of their lips when Y’shtola left the ranch for the day; sweet, smiling kisses an hour or two later, their legs dangling from the bed of the truck; featherlight against her knuckles when they helped her out of the truck; deep and lingering against the door of her motel room when they saw her to her door at night. 

To Y’shtola’s dismay, they had yet to progress beyond that. It wasn’t for a lack of desire on her part, and didn’t seem to be for Corisande either—she felt their hands warm on her sides, pulling her closer, and she saw the reluctance when they pulled away from her, their hesitancy when they parted for the night. 

But they did pull away every time, their hands staying sweetly on Y’shtola’s waist or the back of her neck, leaving them both wanting. More and more Y’shtola found herself distracted by the prospect of sleeping with them. Her mind drifted to the ways they might touch her, with competent hands used to hard work, and the ways she might return the favor, with the kind of zeal she typically reserved for mapping the ground she worked on. 

She’d had a moment of shining hope earlier in the evening: she and Corisande on the picnic blanket after sharing the meal they’d packed, her legs thrown over theirs as they traded kisses, Corisande’s hand on her bare knee below the hem of her dress. Until Corisande pulled away, their cheeks warm, muttering about getting Y’shtola back to her motel before it grew too late. 

But even now, as she waited for Corisande to get in the truck, Y’shtola wasn’t completely without hope. She would simply have to be more direct. 

Corisande slid gracefully into the truck and, just as Y’shtola had hoped, leaned down to kiss her. Slow, lingering, all the time in the world in this space between the end of their date and dropping Y’shtola off at her room. 

Y’shtola seized her opportunity. She slipped her hand lightly up the back of Corisande’s neck until she could tangle her fingers in the thick curls of their hair. They responded in kind, cupping her neck gently, their thumb gliding across her jaw and, encouraged, Y’shtola pressed forward. She rose slowly to her knees on the bench seat, kissing Corisande deeply as she moved closer.

She half expected Corisande to pull back—this was already more intimate than they had yet been. Instead, she grinned into the kiss when Corisande’s hands found her waist, pulling her closer.

She wriggled her way into Corisande’s lap, uncomfortably caught between the hard leather of the steering wheel and their chest. Perhaps she could maneuver them to the other side of the cab, or onto their back—or onto her back, Corisande’s lean muscle on top—

“Y’shtola.” Corisande pulled back slightly, her fingers curling into the fabric at Y’shtola’s waist. Y’shtola paused, biting back a desperate sigh at the touch—how she longed to feel it beneath her dress, her deft hands against her skin. She waited, forehead pressed to Corisande’s, giving her time—if not space— to voice her thoughts.

But hardly a second passed before Corisande leaned forward again, chasing Y’shtola’s lips with her own. She kissed her deeply, clutching at Y’shtola’s hips until she was flush against her. 

Delighted by the turn of events, Y’shtola slipped a hand between them, plucking at the buttons of Corisande’s plaid shirt. She had undone half of them and slipped her hand inside their shirt, cupping their breast through the tank top they wore beneath, before they pulled away again.

Y’shtola sat back, ignoring the way the steering wheel pressed into her back. The setting sun cast a golden light through the partially rolled down windows, falling warmly across Corisande’s face. She pulled her hand away from their chest and cupped their cheek instead, an ache in her chest forming under their open, searching look. 

“What is it?” she asked gently, not wanting to startle her. Despite the hesitancy, there was a longing in Corisande’s expression that she did not wish to extinguish. Whatever was holding her back, they could only work through it if Corisande shared.

Corisande swallowed, and seemed to change her mind. “Nothing,” she said, her eyes darting to Y’shtola’s lips. “It’s nothing.”

Y’shtola would not let them away so easily. She curled a finger under Corisande’s chin, lifting their face to hers, a hairsbreadth of space between their lips, but did not close the gap. “Corisande,” she said, gently but firmly, and a tiny thrill trilled down her spine at the way their eyelids briefly fluttered closed, their breath quickening against her lips. “Tell me.”

“I like you,” Corisande said in a rush of breath. Her grip on Y’shtola’s waist tightened reflexively, and Y’shtola’s pulse thrummed in her body at the pressure. Every place their bodies touched was a beacon of heat against her skin, and she had to hold herself still against the urge to press closer.  “A lot.”

“I gathered that much.” An obvious admission, but it pleased her to hear it anyway. A small bloom of warmth unfurled inside her and she leaned down, rewarding them with a kiss. “I feel the same.”

“I know,” Corisande said, their tone so perfectly pleased and sincere that Y’shtola could not help but smile. She felt their own grin when she kissed them again. “I just thought—I wanted the first time we—”

Corisande cut herself off, heat blooming in her cheeks. “I was just waiting for the right moment, is all.”

Y’shtola brushed a wayward curl out of Corisande’s face. “That’s very sweet.” Romantic. A complicated tangle of emotions knotted itself in her stomach. She’d never had much time or use for romance before, not when casual sexual relationships could get the job done without any distractions from her studies. She was still growing used to the way Corisande did things—the dates after work, the walking her to her door, the slow dances under the light of the moon. Things she hadn’t even known she would enjoy until it was Corisande doing them for her. Doing them with her. 

Maybe she could return the favor. 

“I suppose I was holding out for somewhere nicer than my truck,” Corisande said, still sounding a bit sheepish, though she kept her gaze on Y’shtola. 

Y’shtola leaned forward again, not quite brushing her lips against theirs. “Do you want to kiss me, Corisande?”

Their eyes dropped to her lips as they answered. “Yes.”

The corners of Y’shtola’s lips lifted into a satisfied smile. She lowered herself into their lap, her chest flush against theirs when she pressed a kiss to the side of their neck. “Do you want to touch me?”

She couldn’t see Corisande’s expression now, but her breathily exhaled “Yes” was more than enough encouragement. Y’shtola traced the buckle of Corisande’s belt with one finger, tapping the center, and asked, “Do you want me to touch you?”

Corisande’s chest hitched before she answered. “I do.”

“Then I would say now is the right moment, wouldn’t you?” Y’shtola pressed another kiss to their neck, just to drive home her reasoning. 

She had just enough time to glimpse Corisande’s growing grin before they kissed her. The urgency that had driven Y’shtola to this moment returned, twice over, echoed back to her in the way their mouth met hers—hot and open and seeking. She resumed her earlier task, undoing the remaining buttons of Corisande’s shirt and sliding her hand beneath their tank top. She felt the quiver of their belly beneath her touch as she glided her hand over their skin, felt their gasp against her lips when she took the slight weight of their breast in her hand, rolling her palm across their nipple.

Corisande’s own hands were busy, gliding over Y’shtola’s arms, chest, waist, heat trailing in their wake that left her craving their touch on bare skin. Their fingers traced the neckline of her dress, skimming the top of her breasts. They moved down her body, cupping and kneading through her dress, lower and lower until their hands rested on her knees, thumbs running soothing circles over her skin. 

And then finally, finally, Corisande’s hands found their way beneath her skirt, moving decisively up her thighs to the join between Y’shtola’s legs. She brushed against her lightly, but before Y’shtola could admonish her for teasing, Corisande pushed her underwear aside with a touch that brought a whimper from her lips. She canted her hips, seeking more of their touch—warm, deft, sure, just as she had imagined it would be.

Corisande broke away from her mouth, trailing kisses down the side of her neck. She followed her fingers' earlier path across the neckline of Y’shtola’s dress and Y’shtola, impatient and desperate, reached down and tugged at the ties until the front of her dress fell open. She cupped her own breast, lifting it, pleased when Corisande’s head dipped lower to meet the gesture with her lips. 

A knot formed once more, the threads of Y’shtola’s pleasure coalescing into a bright, hot, point low inside her. She gripped tightly at the seat behind Corisande, holding herself up while they kissed her, touched her, the rhythm of their fingers growing faster, more urgent. A well timed flick of their tongue across Y’shtola’s nipple coincided with a brush of their palm against her clit, and the threads of her pleasure pulled taut. 

She moaned, her back arching, her fingers grasping at the leather beneath them. Corisande wrapped an arm around her waist and Y’shtola sagged against her, letting her do the work of holding her up, her hands and lips still moving against Y’shtola as she rode her climax out. 

Corisande seemed intent on building her to her peak once more—and, Y’shtola suspected, likely beyond once more. But Y’shtola’s thoughts in the previous days had involved much more reciprocal scenarios.

Y’shtola made quick work of Corisande’s belt and the button on her jeans. A soft sound escaped Corisande when Y’shtola’s fingers pressed against her center, already slick with her desire. Y’shtola fixated on the sound with a greedy desire, desperate to draw it out of her as she dipped inside her, to capture the sound with her lips as they kissed. Corisande’s head tipped against the  window behind her, eyes closed, and this was better than anything Y’shtola’s imagination had conjured—Corisande under her, soft and warm around her fingers, breath hitching in her chest, one hand clutching desperately at Y’shtola’s waist, the other creating an erratic rhythm between Y’shtola’s legs.

It was not long before Corisande came with a soft, quiet cry. Y’shtola kissed her through it, savoring the slight pain of Corisande’s fingers digging into her waist, a delicious heat pulsing within her. She kept kissing her even as she steadied, as Corisande’s hands picked up its pace—not quite as gentle or as clever as before, but just as sure, just as capable of bringing Y’shtola gasping over the edge.

After, Y’shtola rested her head on their shoulder, and a strange contentment fell over her. Not just with having sated her desire, or theirs, but also with the way they held each other, with Corisande’s lips brushing a featherlight kiss to her forehead. If they had not been cramped in the driver's seat of Corisande’s pickup, she might’ve wanted to stay in the circle of their arms a while longer. 

Y’shtola pushed herself up and leaned back as far as the steering wheel would allow. With another touch to their chin, she lifted Corisande’s face until she could meet their gaze. She had only meant to kiss them before shifting back into her own seat, but the sun had not quite finished setting, and she was caught once more by the way the light fell across them. Gold limned the curve of their cheek, their parted lips, the disarrayed splay of the hair that framed their face.

“What is it?” Corisande asked, amusement evident beneath her curiosity.

“You’re beautiful,” Y’shtola answered, a simple declaration of fact. A feeling she did not yet want to name welled in her then, more than affection or that strange contentment, more than simple want or need. 

And then Corisande smiled at her, her green eyes bright, and Y’shtola’s stomach swooped in a way she had long thought herself inured against, and it didn’t matter that she would not name the feeling, because there was no denying its presence. 

But she didn’t have to think on it for long, because Corisande leaned forward to kiss her. Y’shtola, allowing herself back in the warm circle of Corisande’s arms, met her in the middle. 

[speaker-of-the-void-cats]

"You must learn to tease apart the hues of your own heart." —Parables of the Allspring.

Hey all! I'm a Warlock main named Matt and I've been posting my scattershot Destiny musings, ramblings, and theories since Lightfall's release. In that time, I've really enjoyed exploring the mysteries of the lore and honing my thoughts on Destiny's story through various posting styles. Particularly, I've loved exploring topics like the nature of the Darkness and the Veil, and their place in the story, as well as the generally rhyming, looping, spiraling structure of the game's narrative. I also love Eris, Drifter, Savathûn, and Osiris!

Sometimes I get a little all over, especially in those early posts, with big leaps and a lot of my own writing connecting the dots in an attempt to see a bit into the future. You'll have to pardon some of them, as I'm sure a few have aged pretty poorly or are just straight up bad. But as we've gone through the seasons and learned more, I've tried a sort of variation on web-weaving and assemblage by using lore entries, images, video, and sometimes song lyrics and poetry in a particular order and context to evoke specific moods or convey big, hard to articulate ideas and speculation. Sometimes, I just explore a theme or specific lore nook that fascinates me. It's a weird little practice in meaning-making I really like and the process has helped me unearth possible connections between things I've never considered in my many years following the lore.

As we move through The Final Shape, I wanted to finally compile a list of links to all my posts. Pardon the amount of repetition and, probably, off-the-wall speculation, but I hope you find something interesting if you decide to check them out! Also, keep an eye out for links. Sometimes it's simply the source text on Ishtar, other times.... something more. Please keep in mind that all these are products of the moment in time they were posted in, so topics I explored in early ones may have questions answered in the seasons since, or theories may have been proven unequivocally wrong. The list will largely go from earliest to most recent, and I'll put a * next to my favorites!

The Veil, Nezarec, and Jakob Bohme

Seeing the murals above the Veil enclosure

EMBRACE THE DARKNESS

Thank You, Verse 154i:4 - Call the Thrall

MCXLLII-I, forthcoming.

The EDZ saw paracausal conflict long before the Collapse

Pattern is system and system is sequence, but what is sequence?

Forsaken Lightfall

Deterministic Chaos

Eight

SALVAGE THE TRUTH

Aren't they beautiful?

"What is this feeling? I do not want it."

"They desired meaning. A Winnower to shape the garden."*

"How many legends of katabasis do we have, Ikora?"*

The Sundial

The Dreaming Cities

Not Light, not Dark: Power.*

Chiasmus*

Conspiracy Theory-D

The Truth in the Darkness...

Have you ever been afraid of your own Shadow?*

[I could be wrong. Is it possible the Black Heart will beat again?]*

©0RrUptIôN.*

Prismatic Hearts*

"We are unique emanations of the same shared Light."

Kugelblitz

Final attempts to understand before the Shape is unveiled*

[The following posts contain entries, imagery, and spoilers for the Final Shape and Echoes]

Paradrome

Speaker's Sight — Study the voice. Gaze into the heart.

"Focus. The Pyramid distracts. Nothing more."

It all means one thing

DECRYPTION KEY: 3136664202-777

Ruinous Effigy

There is only SUFFERING

SPOILER ALERT

Hope for the Future

It's not over

Echoing

Echoes of Deep Hidden Truth

Solipsism

Anima Mundi

Caught up in a web

II. Theory**

Gardener|ɿɘwonniW**

Cipher**

Eclipse**

"What is 'OXA,' and who was 'MSund12'?"

I know you're not afraid of a little dark...

How do I live?

Half-Truths**

!lettinggo*

Abyssus abyssum invocat***

THE POINT***

Eyes up, Guardian

"The road ahead is unknown, but time tells us many things. The moments that become past in turn become blueprints for the future. In this space, there is no right or wrong. "We find a contemporaneous merging of what is known and what is unknown here. Somewhere between the knowns and unknowns lies the real. The tangible. "There is a weight to it; a feeling that tells you what you hold is true. "But what if the truth hasn't been told? What if the truth is a lie? "New paths present themselves. Blueprints change. We walk the line of truth every day. "But now, the line that holds the gentle balance has been crossed. "The truth is, this won't be the last time."

—Excerpt from the Symmetry pamphlet, "A Place Between"

Reading for world-building is a skill. I have seen brilliant people, laureates, inventors, Ph.D.s, try to read fiction with deep world-building and fail completely, looping back, rereading, never following events, trapped in a sense of muddled wandering. Reading for world-building requires retaining information without context: a term, a place, a coin, a category comes up once and we know what that is—a puzzle piece—and that our task is to gather up these pieces as the author drops them, and to slowly assemble the whole. This is not easy. Human memory needs hooks for facts: a mnemonic, a story, context, something; grueling textbook rote-learning fades quickly, but a story of the statesman or the king, that's what makes knowledge stay. To retain puzzle pieces that don't connect, dropped without context, is a skill that not all have. All had it once: it is how children read, every book, poster, and headline a stream of unknown terms, far too many to ask about them all, but the child retains them, trusting that they will connect to something someday. Kids collect Earth's puzzle pieces every time they read, but as we move to grown-up books they all use the same picture, and define immediately those terms they fear a reader may not know. Thus the skill of keeping puzzle pieces fades, unless we read books set in other worlds, new puzzle pictures which make us retain the skill, as frogs sometimes retain their tadpole tails into adulthood. This—many have observed—is why most F&SF readers come to the genre young, it's hard to start in adulthood when one's puzzle memory skill has sat atrophied. We find dozens of other puzzle pieces—creatures, buried engines, monstrous plants—but they don't connect either, no explanations, no recurrences. We trust. We ponder. We wade through the clutter of clashing technologies, tales of degeneration, glories lost, but there's no fall-of-space-Rome story to connect it up. We can guess at one, as we can guess the missing end of the story of the strange plants, as we can guess at several ways rats could gain language if time passed and—click—we see it. These puzzle pieces do not fit together—rather this puzzle-maker trusts that we are puzzle-masters and know the archetypes that must fill in between (a rise, an age, a destined king.) So we spread our disconnected puzzle pieces out, not assuming that the strange creatures come from one origin, the ruins from one era, and as we spread out, looking not for direct connections but for fragments of arcs and colors, our 100 puzzle pieces let us glimpse an image so vast it would take 100,000—an image large enough to capture true Deep Future, years numbered in millions, where contours that do connect do so at scales which make the layers of Freud's Rome appear shallow as coats of paint.

—Excerpts from The Path of the New Sun by Ada Palmer, introduction to The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

[lamialamia]

hai!!! are there any sledgefu fanfics or writers u could rec to me?

Anon I'm so sorry it took me so long to get to this. I was swamped with exams and deadlines and traveling. But gosh. I GOT CHU. I got recs!!!

This got insanely long so I'm putting a read more

Fanfic - Canon-verse (no AU)

Sleep Aid by someonesgrlbomb. Gosh. Okay. We all know the weird, fucked up bond between Sledge and Snafu is so interesting. They are traumatized young men who are wrestling with their humanity in hellish conditions. And this fic is one amazing look into this bond.

C’est ta main dans ma main doucement oubliée. by ijustlookatpictures. This one is heartbreaking. Not healthy in the slightest. But if you want to be devastated, this fic is for you.

I do my best because I'm counting on you counting on me by ijustlookatpictures. A groundhog day AU set in the war so I still put it here. I love this fic for its Snafu's voice. Trust me, Snafu is a tough character to write for because he is a layered bastard who has so much going for him. I re-read this fic like once every few months.

As It Was by SJtrinity. Possibly one of the best post-war fics for sledgefu out there. This fic might be formatted a little weird on Ao3 but trust me, it's worth it. Sledge and Snafu's road to a happy endings isn't easy or simple and this fic makes them earn their happy endings (even after surviving a war). READ THIS FIC PLEASE. I'M ON MY KNEES BEGGING YOU.

i’m the diode, you’re the kerosene by getmean. This imo is one of the required reading sledgefu fics. I mean, I would say that about any of getmean's fic but yeah. Realistic about PTSD but so perfectly balance with the slow-burn romance we all crave. Simply magnificent.

an angel like a memory by starblessed. Another incredible fic that nailed Snafu's voice.

gone but not entirely by marinersapptcomplex. Angst for the ages. Sledgefu is treasure trove of angst and in the right hand, it would fuck you up. Because this fic fucked me up. It's so good and deserve thousand of kudos.

The Boy and the Magpie by harin91. Oh this is a special sledgefu fic. It moved me to tears. It showed but never told. It got me craving for all the pretty jewels and lost loves and fairy-tale dreamings one could possibly have. If I think about this fic too much I might lost it.

Come Take Me Home Again by ThrillingDetectiveTales. Ehehhe, very sexy and very cute and made me giggle every time I re-read this.

Let Me Know The Way by bearkare. Epistolary story telling is no small task to pull off. Something which was done here so good it felt like I actually get to step into the characters' heads and dive into their inner turmoil. Another fic that takes the slow road to Sledgefu's happy ending. Love every word of this.

a collection of fragmented thoughts that were never written and never sent by canimo. Underrated. So fucking underrated. All the angst, and well, sledgefu have a tendency in many fic to not end happily at all. They are after all two very different people and with everything that happened, no matter how much love they might share, it isn't easy.

I Was Fixed on Your Hand of Gold by Cinderscream. Another epistolary fic that amazed me with the ease of how they manage to make story unfold within the limited confinement of letter writing. Love this one to bits.

friends who share your past by kinnoth. Once in a while, you had to let your OTP be toxic and unhealthy and unable to communicate and lead them to their downfall. Yeah.

fill in the holes you've made by foreignconstellations. Relationships are complicated. This one managed to capture that in just 2.5k words, which I absolutely can not comprehend.

Sweet Water, Wash Me Down by modernature. Atmospheric and very gripping. Amazing world building where the world felt alive and wriggling and squirming in the best possible way.

Leave your baggage here by malmanagement. Sometimes, we needed a groundhog day AU to make stubborn idiots understands.

Fanfic - AU:

got a fire but you just can't use it by getmean. I binged this instead of sleeping. Worth it.

catch it down in new orleans by starblessed. This is one of my comfort fics of all time. It's so funny and so charming. Never failed to lift me out of a bad mood.

Unknown Number by harin91. In which our favorite idiots tried long distance and it is endlessly entertaining.

lest we fall into the dark by gingerwerk. Oh everything about this AU is incredible. The slowburn is so good I wish I can lost my memory to read this again completely fresh.

Oh! Darling by Anonymous. I waited years for this fic to finally finish. I screamed when I saw the final update. Sexy and lovely. Can not recommend this fic enough.

Author:

getmean. Well you can't mention sledgefu without this author. No matter what their fics deliver. I aspire to write as good as them one day.

SJtrinity. I don't know what to say about this author because... my english could never measure my awe and love for their works

starblessed. You saw how many times I rec their fics? Yeah. Read everything this author write please.

Stolperzunge. I love them and their works. I could write a love letter here but I don't wanna be cringe.

bearkare. ANything written by this author made me feral <3 <3 <3

Honorable mention: eugeneshelton whose sledgefu fics gave me diabetes, and endlessly inspire me with his sledgefu ideas :*

[jamesheathridge]

can you please please please break down your end song passenger edit i have not stopped thinking about it since you posted it

buffy thank u for permission to let me be further insane on main

im putting it under the cut cause its kind of long lmao

okay. first and foremost. the line that got me the most with the song is "you know what they do to little dogs like you" which is. sooo incredibly ranson coded to me. its originally just over benson, but in the second chorus i wanted it over both of them, instead of just randy. i think the line fits more with benson seeing himself in randy, knowing what happens to boys who just lay down and let whatever happen happen, who don't fight back, who hold their tongue and endure the punches. he knows what happens to people like that because he's lived it firsthand, and he can't stomach the same trauma or feelings being handed to randy.

the first verse is incredibly benson to me, "i choose to stay / there is no other way" is just him staying in the same town he's lived his entire life, driving the same roads every day (which is why the first 3 shots i put in are just his house & him driving) it's an active choice whether he knows it or not, he's forever tied to this town thats made him this incredibly damaged guy that he is now. "i read the sign / i do not ask it why" is him taking what happened to randy that this is a sign that this is the day, this is the day he's going to do something about it, that he's going to drag randy by his collar and change his life, whether it ends in himself dying or not.

the first dual audio/parallel is just because how they start & end in the diner, with benson giving a willful monologue to randy vs almost the exact reverse. benson thinks he's about to change randy's life & randy thinks he's about to change benson's mind.

i put in the shots of miss beard's eye event + sheppard dying because they're both the catalysts for their own fucked up shit & their dynamic. the shots of benson in the car afterwards + randy on miss beard's couch because they're both healing in completely different ways. benson can only think of healing as violence, while randy gets his closure in a peaceful way, even though he also expects violence.

"there are certain decisions that are bad decisions that make me hurt you" + the restaurant murders = all of this was benson's decision, every decision randy makes is because of the large one benson made. whether he likes it or not, every single thing that happens is completely his fault. every time he hurts randy, every time randy questions him, its completely his fault, all because of this one decision he made.

"because of me her life was ruined" + bathroom scene + "you're the one who killed sheppard?" randy feels such immense guilt for trauma he inflicted someone while benson's abuser is walking free and loved and praised by everyone in his life. he can't understand the remorse that randy feels because no ones ever shown him any. sheppard dies guilt free and viewed as an innocent victim by others.

in general. they are both dogs dragging each other around on the same leash. they are almost exact mirrors of each other and it drives me insane

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

hi, lately I have been thinking how long MLQC is gonna be on air, like, will I feel empty if suddenly my time, money and effort goes into nothing? makes me feels like I'm in nonstop running. what are your thoughts about it, the game will still last some years?

hello! you and i both know i don’t have an absolute/ definite answer to your question haha, so whatever i say in response, please do take it with a grain of salt :>

firstly, the answer will vary depending on which server you’re playing on. regarding the CN i.e., the og server, looking at all the events that are already on the calendar, it’s safe to say lovepro will definitely keep updating for a long time. even if papergames decides to end the main story at some point, they can still continue with the dating verse content, given that there’s been more than enough elements and foundations put in place in the past six years + paper has the money to keep the game running for as long as there’s demand in their market (just look at their crazy marketing for Love and Deepspace, the game’s not even been out for a month yet LOL). and the demand for lovepro will surely run for a couple more years down the road. after all, it’s no small feat being in the market for 6+ years and still having a secured spot in the CN big 4 otome games despite all the shiny new contenders that are constantly being released.

as for the global server aka MLQC, i won’t sugar-coat things. and honestly, the continuous revenue drop does worry me sometimes (coming from someone who logs into her global account only during events due to completionist complex lmao). it’s absolutely crazy to think how the global server lost its players almost overnight due to that fiasco. it’s really a shame, though, b/c despite as much grudge as i have against Elex, i must admit they seem to be trying pretty hard recently and unfortunately the efforts do go unnoticed. also that’s why i encourage people to spend on the game within their comfort limit, however little it may be.

and as for if you’d feel empty if it all suddenly goes into nothing — of course, i can’t tell you how to feel/ react. as for my personal feelings on the matter, while i do plan out my spending habits since i’m still a student and i’m not gonna gacha all my hard-earned money away LOL, but i don’t consider spending (or investing time for that matter) on something that’s made me happy or something i enjoyed a waste. think of it as something similar to buying movie tickets (which only have one time usage) or guilty midnight snack takeouts (a spur of the moment thing) – as long as you know your limits and have made peace with yourself, it’s easier to have the load off of your mind haha~ (⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠*⁠)💕

—

[starrrling]

TASK 005: THE TALENT SHOW

"Y'know, I had to retune my guitar for this, you guys..."

Richard got her the guitar for her fourteenth birthday, and she named it Desdemona. It was a vintage Taylor, exactly like she’d asked for, an electro-acoustic Dreadnought in whiskey sour. She’d loved it fiercely for years, irritating everybody on the third floor (Reece didn’t like the sound-proof music room in the basement—not enough light) with her covers of Liz Phair, The Cure, No Doubt. 

How many Fridays in a row were the wards treated to a breakfast performance from Reece, singing “I don’t care if Monday’s blue…!” into her cereal spoon? (That was after Richard made a rule about Reece not bringing her boombox down to the breakfast table, but before Mrs. Tristan made a rule that Reece could only eat cereal with her hands—a rule which lasted all the way through 1992.)

Desdemona remained behind at the Woodrow House when Reece moved out, replaced by her more portable electric Jaguar, Jenny. But she had Desdemona with her again now, still spangled with faded stickers, just a little bit too big for her to comfortably cradle sitting down. She wanted to tell herself that something about it just felt right. She didn’t want to think about the fact that she’d forgotten the Jaguar at the apartment that she was not sure she could go back to, the apartment she’d shared with Jack and from which she’d fled to Alison’s car with only the essentials. But Jenny had been an essential, and Reece had forgotten. 

So she had Desdemona in hand when she stepped into the pool of golden light in the spare room, onto a sort of stage they’d set up, because they were doing a talent show. Reece was plaintively aware of her status as entirely unextraordinary in comparison to the vast majority of the other wards; rather than brimming with potential, she’d been a lost soul, somebody to be saved. 

“Last January,” Reece said, moving to the mic, squinting a little against the light, her smile self-effacing, “when D was driving me to rehab—that long, quiet drive downstate, y’know, hours where you don’t see a single other soul on the road—he turned on the radio. Switched it from static to NPR, sort of mindlessly, but they were talking about Bush’s second inauguration, which made me want to drink, so I changed the station until I got to one playing Green Day. This song. The chorus came on, and there’s this part, right, where Billie Joe Armstrong rhymes the word ‘again’ with itself, a little clumsy. So, when he heard that, Richard sort of frowned, and he said, ‘Adverb epiphora in a chorus? That makes me want to drink.’ So, this is for him. Just the verses.”

The song’s main riff itself was simple enough, a lot of 0-2-3 stuff around the fifth and sixth chords, quick and twangy and vaguely hypnotic. A few repeating counts of just that sound in the quiet, her calloused fingers plucking at the strings in rote memory, and then Reece began to sing. Her voice was somehow both dulcet and hoarse; she didn’t think she had the kind of voice that anyone really needed to hear, but when had that ever stopped her?

Summer has come and passed,  the innocent can never last, wake me up when September ends. 

Richard had signed her up for singing lessons shortly after she arrived at Woodrow (“What she lacks in discipline, she makes up for in volume,” the instructor had told Richard once); then followed piano, percussion, guitar, music theory. When she started really learning to write music at 15, it was euphoric, like her skull had split clean open, but her actual aspirations for her future remained vague. Maybe she never really believed that she was talented enough to get very far, or maybe she just couldn’t picture any future version of herself that was successful, capable, exceptional. She wandered her way through a few years of majoring in ‘recorded music’ at NYU, and she ended up as a dropout guitar teacher in Staten Island. 

Like my father’s come to pass,  seven years has gone so fast, wake me up when September ends. 

The song, she knew, was so absurdly apt, almost too on-the-nose. It seemed somehow like the safest option for her performance, like the plain honesty of the song would keep every other true thing that Reece didn’t want everyone to know from pushing past her lips when she stepped onto the stage. Reece was trying very hard to make herself opt for whatever the safest option was, but it was behavior that didn’t come naturally to her at all. 

Ring out the bells again, like we did when Spring began wake me up when September ends. 

Her voice was too loud in her own ears; her exposed skin felt sunburnt from the spotlight’s glare. She was too terribly present, so here and now exactly when she didn’t want to be, exactly when she didn’t know if she could handle it. It was as if Reece could suddenly see her whole life condensed, a series of saviors and nosedives, the bleakness of who she was when nobody else was around to hear her. The word curse was lodged behind her uvula, it was catching between her two front teeth. Richard was dead, and she was starting to wonder if maybe it mattered that she was a lost cause who was probably completely doomed.

[silentmagi]

Rising Star

What new calamity is rising now?

2. Their guide, the sun, is covered with clouds and storm, they are lost

Main Page

So, the tarps and lean-to held the night and kept them mostly dry, and more importantly kept the books and scrolls safe from the rain. Sadly that was little comfort as they trudged in the gray gloom and dark day that was barely brighter than midnight. The mud clung to their legs like they were a lifeline from the ground itself, shoving the cart from behind with the horse hitched to the front.

Trying to focus on the good like the wise wizard one told her class, “when the heart wants lifting, think of pleasant things. Currently she was up to ten spells that would have been so useful in this situation she had in her spellbook, fifteen of her favorite dishes, and the thought of a hot bath soaking by a fire.

“You know, if you keep muttering death threats, you’re going to kill yourself with stress,” Luna teased, her voice strained with exertion as the reached a patch of grass that wasn’t full of roots and could rest their shoulders for the moment.

Star blinked as she made the futile gesture of wiping the water from her face. “Death threats?”

“Is that not what you were saying?” Luna asked with a twinkle in her eye, seeking some source of enjoyment in the celestial deluge they were heading. They had long since given up any hope of finding a path, instead focusing on just getting out of the forest and mud.

Shaking her head, she moved to rub her shoulder through the oiled cloak keeping the majority of her body warm, even if dry was a distant dream. “Trying to keep positive by listing off spells, meals, anything that could help keep me going.”

“If that’s not working, we could sing a song, I’ve seen field workers, soldiers, and many others do it to keep their spirits up,” Luna offered as she let out a small laugh. “How about a fun little drinking song?”

Singing? What good would singing do that listing off her favorite things wouldn’t? Rolling her eyes, she figured that it would at least not be heard by anyone else on this horrendous day. Her voice wasn’t the greatest, but at least it was something to keep her mind off things.

“Do you know the Bottom of the Bottle?” the wizard asked, remembering some lingering memories of that song from when she had her little party and tryst she could barely remember. Luna let out a small laugh as she patted the cart in time.

“Ten versions, take the lead on the first verse.”

Nodding her head, Star let her feet match the tempo of the beat as best she could, the mud causing some troubles. Taking a deep breath, she began to sing a little uncertainly since she wasn’t currently drunk enough to be confident.

“The Bottom of the Bottle, glass molded and mottle. Upon the skies you do gaze, despite our bleary haze. Twice do you see a cloud, once silent, the other loud…”

Luna licked her lip as she let out a soft laugh, seems she recognized this one at least for she joined in on the next lines. “The Bottom of the Bottle, glass molded and mottle. Drink upon our memories as we drain your gift, be it fruit, grain, or bereft.”

With the song lifting their mind beyond the rain, they continued through the song, with Luna mixing the other versions to form a longer song. Star could just manage to get her mind off the current troubles and think they could do this. Hopefully they’d be able to get some direction where they were.

[jenuinelycurious]

So, I have a couple of thoughts about the fnaf movie. Theories, if you will. Specifically concerning Vanessa.

This will contain spoilers. Proceed with caution if you haven't seen the movie, yet, or scroll past.

Okay, Vanessa Shelly and my thoughts/theories surrounding her in the movie verse. There are 3 (with some points in between).

1) Her name. I do not think it is an alias, I think that is her actual surname -- specifically from her mom. We don't know anything about her full dynamic family life as a child, except that her dad is William Afton. So, I think it's safe to speculate that, in the movie at least, William and his wife had a divorce. Vanessa's Mom won custody over her and changed her last name from Afton to Shelly, Mom's maiden name. Visitation or shared custody was still a thing that could happen after divorce, especially in the 80s and 90s by court order in some states so kids could have some semblance of having two parents in their lives (maddening, I know), so of course she would still have photos of herself and her dad. But, the main holder of child custody can enforce a name change, if they so choose. And, if the mother went thru a name change after the divorce, so too would have Vanessa.

So, at least for me, Vanessa really is Vanessa Shelly and comes from a broken family. We can see semblance of this when her and and Mike are talking by the water drain/river in his neighborhood. When he mentioned that before Garrett's abduction, his parents were the kind you'd see on television: have family dinner at the table, hold hands, and say grace. Vanessa's expression is one of pain, longing, and jealousy--her family was nothing like that, and she likely never knew what a loving family ever felt like. This is also the moment that she truly sees the outside perspective of the damages that her father had done: she'd *never* met someone from the families that had been affected by his evil. Until she met Mike. Her father *broke* this family, just had he had heartlessly *broken her*, his own daughter. This was the start of her turning point: meeting Abby, talking with Mike, and connecting the dots on what happened. However, she is still a victim of harsh, narcissistic parent manipulation: it is always going to be a long and hard road for her.

2) "He really fucked you up, didn't he?"

I think it goes without saying that Vanessa is as much a victim as the children, Mike, and Abby in this movie (as well as the countless security guards that died prior to Mike getting the job). However, a thought struck me that...well, I'll be honest. It's fucked up and broke my heart, but it also came about when I questioned one thing during the moment when Vanessa was telling Mike in further detail on what happened to the children that disappeared during the 3rd act of the movie on the Fifth night.

*how did she know the animatronics still holds the children's bodies, when no one found them to begin with?*

Here's my fucked up theory that I'm starting to believe: William Afton not only manipulated and mentally/emotionally hurt and broke his daughter--he brain washed her into helping him abduct those children.

Yes, he was the one that did the evil deed, however, what better way to have a child that is a stranger to you be trusting and calm and not fight back when you're a 6 ft, adult sized animatronic/rabbit suit?

Have another child close by.

Vanessa was there to either lure the kids away into the back, and/or was there to keep them from screaming or running away. This also means that it's very, highly likely that she saw her father in the spring Bonny suit, kill those kids and hide their bodies. Remember, every time she talked about Freddy's and had that haunting look in her eye, we the audience heard her thoughts: screaming children.

She not only witnessed the events, she was a brainwashed participant to them.

3) "You may have forgotten your loyalties..." -- the way William said this line was filled with years of discontempt. Not just from her holding a gun at him and telling him to stop. Like, he wasn't surprised or this wasn't the first time they've seriously, seriously stood on opposing sides.

Honestly, two things on this bit: 1) Vanessa having chosen to become a police officer after knowing everything her father has done physically shows the amount of guilt she's carried into adulthood. She holds herself partly responsible for what happened, and has chosen a job that will allow her to enforce protection and safety over harm and manipulation. 2) The last thing I'm sure William would have wanted was for Vanessa to become a police officer. It puts him at danger of likely getting caught, after years of careful arrangement to prevent that from happening. When he found out that she joined the force, he was most likely livid. Scared, but livid. However, a narcissistic manipulator will never share that--instead, he most likely either blackmailed her to stay quiet (the whole "if they find out about me, I'll make sure they find out about you" spiel) OR he manipulated her. I'm more willing to believe that it's the latter, considering what she says to Mike: "If I go back and he's there... I will be useless to you. Trust me." And she said that with fear in her eyes and voice--she was aware of the power that he had over her. He's had years to break her down and become his puppet. She didn't want the chance of endangering someone that was already a victim to her father once before.

She wouldn't be able to handle that guilt.

3) "You knew!?"

So, we all know that William abducted Garrett. But like my previous points, it was something that Vanessa said that made me mentally double take:

"I didn't know when we met, but after we talked..."

**What**

After she and Mike talked about his brother, *she knew*. With only a name and some semblance of clues. Reminding here--he never said that Garrett was taken when he and his family were out camping, and he never shared a picture of Garrett to anyone, especially Vanessa. He only shared that when he was twelve, he was supposed to watch his brother and he was taken, and that he was trying to figure out who did it by way of dream theory memory retrievement. She was the one that mentioned the Nebraska pine forest poster during this talk. **Because she knew.**

Vanessa knew because she was there.

Remember when I said that I theorized Vanessa was brainwashed to help her father abduct children? Garrett's abduction would have lined up with the children disappearances at Freddy's. Mike was 12 years old when Garrett disappeared--and he's most likely in his early-to-mid twenties, most likely having been 13-15 when Abby was born (giving a three year gap, cause we don't know how their parents were with each other during that time) and Abby looks like she's somewhere between 7-10 years old, putting her birth year between 1990 and 1993. Meaning, Garrett was abducted the summer of either '87 or '88 (I'm willing to bet '87, because that's a significant year to the franchise).

It is very likely that Garrett was the first victim, to test whether or not the daddy-daughter duo that William had built by manipulating his own daughter could actually work. That she would actually follow his instructions without question and, in a heavily public setting, be able to kidnap a child from their family without struggle. Why didn't we see her in the memory dreams? She could have been sitting in the front passenger seat--Mike would not have seen her.

Again though, these are just my thoughts. These are just my theories. Decided to share them in case anyone else may have had the same thoughts--and also to get them out of my head. They've been burning holes in an already soupy brain (busy season at work--yay).

[boundinparchment]

Dream a Little Dream of Me - XXX

Celestia has a cruel sense of humor. He’s always known this, ever since his days as a student. But a soulmate? Really? Dottore/Female Reader Soulmate AU. Lore speculation, interpretations, etc. Chapter on AO3 here.

He surfaced at a break in the Leylines, water splashing at his boots as the world resettled around him.  You barely stirred in his arms, not waking even for a moment when he dove into the veins of the world.  Your limbs were limp, your body dead weight.  A Rishboland tiger could come and swipe at both of you and you would be none the wiser.

You recognized him when you woke the first time, even if the lines were blurred.  It was too early to draw conclusions but it was likely indicative that, at least cognitively, you were whole.  

Dottore preferred you that way.  You wouldn’t be who you were if…

He took a moment to look around, finding the waterway quiet and otherwise unbothered by his disruption.  Fungi slept nearby, frogs croaked in familiar rhythms, and a waterfall churned nearby.  The air smelled damp and not just from the pools of water.  It rained recently in the span of time that he was gone.  

The formations were familiar and he could see the worn path of the main road nearby.  Dottore calculated the time it took from the lab to this particular point; he’d been under for all of a few minutes, which meant he hadn’t gone all that far from Sumeru City.  In fact, he spent a great deal of time here in his younger years.

He shifted you in his arms and tried not to think about how warm you were, how well you fit there.  Now wasn’t the time, although he’d long debated with himself that there was never an opportune time for you .  He could feel the nagging scratching at his mind from the other Segments, the hive mind disrupted now that everyone else was keenly aware of what had transpired.

Above all of the chatter, the memories he’d forced into Omega floated like ice upon a thawing lake.  Whatever progress had been made was now lost and all he had of it were moments that felt stolen.  They shouldn’t even matter.  He never asked for this, for you.  

What to do with you?

Dottore looked down, your head pressed against his chest, brow creased.  

If he left you with your colleagues, returned you where you belonged, all it would do would signal to Omega that you were free to be bothered again.  The Segment would find you, ruin what little you had left.

Which wasn’t much.

His doing.  His Segment’s execution, yes, but it was his own neutrality that gave you the credence to stay.  You would have pushed back, would have stayed regardless of his stance on the matter, and therefore he was not going to waste precious time arguing that point.  He may not have known Omega’s plans or intent but events would have gone differently if he’d stopped being an observer in his own life, no?

Was this Omega’s point?  That he was too well-versed in neutrality, in observation, that the Segment saw no action in the decisions based on the evidence and data he gathered?

Even if he took you back to the inn, Omega could have laid seeds already taking root: you were gone for days, a search would have been enacted for a foreign visitor, or worse yet, no one would be expecting you and you left of your own volition.  He knew nothing about the situation. 

Your words rang in his ears as if you’d woken up just to say them again, your voice crystal clear.

If you care about me at all, let me go.

How could he do that when you were literally woven into whatever destiny Celestia had chosen for him, for you?  Ignoring everything was no longer a viable option, not when Omega forced his hand and potentially altered you permanently.

It would be tantamount to abandoning you.  And it would be impossible to forget you.  Celestia would never let him and you would haunt his dreams for the rest of your days.

Variables he never foresaw, not in this fashion.

Omega would obtain the Gnoses, if only out of the set parameters and system functions.  His goal was still intact, if a bit derailed.  Dottore could return to Snezhnaya as requested without hindering the long-term plans.

Leyline travel wasn’t going to work, not with the way his mind was clouded, and not when he hadn’t had a chance to observe the effects of Omega’s actions.  

He had to stay in Sumeru a while longer.  Of that, he was certain.

But you didn’t have to stay with him.  In fact, it was very clear the first time you would prefer not to.  

His arms tensed and he pulled your form into him a little tighter, the hand on your arm squeezing a little as his shoulders rounded, as if to shield you.  You smelled differently than you had when he first saw you, drew close to you.  Like singed metal and antiseptic.  Familiar scents but ones that did not suit you.

The one person who might tolerate him, understand what it meant to go beyond normality and cross the threshold into exceptional…were you, too, out of his reach despite being so close?

For a moment, he entertained the selfish tug in his stomach to simply steal you away, to keep you from harm, delve into what it meant to be bonded from every angle he could possibly conceive.  None of it would undo Omega’s damage but it would help him untangle another mystery of Teyvat.  One that he presumed would have to be left unanswered because for centuries, Celestia gave him nothing but misery for simply thinking differently.  There were few things in this world that he had yet to uncover and you provided the perfect entry into one of the remaining unanswered questions.

You would never stand for it, though.  He knew that much.  A caged bird would never sing, not of its own volition, its own passion.  Omega laid the groundwork.  If he wasn’t careful, Zandik would crush what remained.

For once, he’d hoped for more.  Wondered what could be.  What the world was like with someone by his side who might, at least, listen to him.  Someone that didn’t use his intellect and skills for their own gain in exchange for belonging, who accepted him and all of the monstrosity inside of him.

His attention snapped from his thoughts as a frog croaked loudly nearby, hopping once to rest on his boot.  Dottore clicked his tongue and shook the amphibian from his foot, trying not to jostle you in the process.  He couldn’t stay here, out in the open.  The last thing he needed was a forest ranger on patrol nearby spotting him, a Fatui Harbinger, holding an unconscious figure in the middle of the jungle.  

Dottore gritted his teeth and released a harsh breath.  Constantly sabotaging himself to the point of logic loops that were, in fact, bordering on nonsensical.  

If he recalled correctly, one of his first workshops wasn’t terribly far from here.  It was probably a little overgrown but it would do.  Assuming, of course, that another scholar hadn’t taken it for themselves.

He needed to know the effects of Omega’s actions, first and foremost, and he could only do that if you were awake. 

[sasiaucompetition]

Preliminary Round Matchings!

Matchings! There are images of the matchings below the text, it's all the same information!

List of all AUs in the preliminary round!

List of all AUs submitted!

Remember, any AUs not in the preliminary round have already moved on to the main competition!

43. one chance to change your fate - @/iclaimedtobethebetterbard (ao3)

62. Ghost AU - @/tsghostau (tumblr)

77. A Series of Silly Questions - @/SoDoRoses (ao3)

32. Hidden In Shadows - @/Kaysigns (ao3)

37. Monsterous Roomates - @/Willowanderer (ao3)

39. Pumpkin Spice - @/VoidDragons (ao3)

22. Eucatastrophe - @/arealsword (ao3)

36. Lost & Found AU - @/rollthewhatever (tumblr)

18. Crown Princes And Butterfly Wings - @/Ended_Flames (ao3)

28. How to Fuck with Humanity 101 - @/Jungle321jungle (ao3)

72. murder mystery - @/thecrowslullaby (tumblr)

25. Stray Hearts Are Subject To change - @/Queen_Whovian (ao3)

38. Between Light and Darkness - ORPHANED (ao3)

61. You Can't Go Back - @/delimeful (ao3)

47. The Long Road Home - @/warcatscat (ao3)

64. Janus Sanders and the Cassandra Fallacy - @/arealsword (ao3)

19. Where the Lovestruck Bleeds - @/Fangirltothefullest (ao3)

63. Live Without You - @/stormsofstarlight (ao3)

15. Touch Transcends Language - @/IfFoundPleaseReturnToJanus (18+) (ao3)

33. Labeled - @/AdrianaintheSnow (ao3)

14. 100 Seconds to Midnight - @/never_the_rose (ao3)

3. What you need - @/Anxiousgaypanicking (18+) (tumblr)

12. The Stowaway's Heart - @/thesympatheticvillain (ao3)

59. Vanished - @/red_imeanblue (ao3)

76. Spirit Complex AU - @/casart (tumblr)

41. Is there anything left of Patton - @/AdrianaintheSnow (ao3)

70. unsympathetic patton au - @/aidensm8 (tumblr)

56. Pieces Verse - @/SoDoRoses (FairyChess) (ao3)

24. Beside Me - Dee - Thrall - @/edupunkn00b (ao3)

21. Through Hades and Back - @/glacierruler (tumblr)

11. Logan Accidentally Steals Two (2) Children - @/the-panmixxia (ao3)

9. Fairies in the Forest - @/Ended_Flames (ao3)

51. Endless Sides (Sandman AU) - @/sometimes-love-is-enough (tumblr)

26. How the Angels got their Wings - @/SunRey1116 (ao3)

54. lavender for luck - @/lovelylogans (ao3)

66. Plant Parents Dukeceit - @/ThreeCrowsInATrenchcoat (ao3)

73. guilty tears - @/not-exactly-laborious (tumblr)

13. They Share A Kitchen - @/BuddyBuddyPalBuddy (ao3)

55. The Starlight Universe - @/iclaimedtobethebetterbard (ao3)

7. One Coffee, Morally Gray - @/Duckduck_Scribblerswan (Caellie_E_and_Vaye_R) (ao3)

45. KNEE DEEP - @/plumcat (ao3)

69. genius loci - @/oldkamelle (tumblr)

68. The Other Side(s) - @/VillainVogue (ao3)

44. A Moment with Potential - @/Midniteblue (ao3)

53. A Bug in the System - @/AwLawdItComin (ao3)

6. Archduke of Demonic Cultivation - @/ThreeCrowsInATrenchcoat (ao3)

27. don't paint wonderful lies on me (that wash away) - @/codevassie (ao3)

23. Side by Side in the Mindscape - @/edupunkn00b (ao3)

65. Short Sides AU - @/nachosforfree (tumblr)

16. Flores Facets - @/Whiskey_With_Patron (ao3)

52. The Ghost and the Reaper - @/thatonelesbianfander (tumblr)

4. Happily Ever After Universe - @/edupunkn00b (ao3)

8. A Dragon's Treasure - @/TypicallyUntipical (ao3)

5. Never Met You - @/Nad98 (ao3)

35. Painful Death - @/VoidDragons (ao3)

42. if you're going my way, i'll go with you - @/iclaimedtobethebetterbard (ao3)

31. Virgil’s Guide to Avoid Accidentally Falling In Love With Your Boss’ Boss - @/Jungle321jungle (ao3)

48. Punks, Poets, Parents - @/edupunkn00b (ao3)

60. Space and Everything In It - @/Greenninjagal (ao3)

74. ride the cyclone - @/purplecrayonismine (tumblr)

67. For the Record/The Sanders Archive - @/VillainVogue (ao3)

20. Banding With You - @/glacierruler (tumblr)

50. A lesson in practicality - @/ResidentAnchor (ao3)

2. Chessboxing AU - @/arealsword (ao3)

75. Pingverse - @/SoDoRoses (ao3)

1. The Other Side of the Mirror - @/Frejennix and @/Lalijinx (ao3)

71. cat virgil - @/its-the-cat-queen (tumblr)

40. Pick A Side (i love you and everything is beautiful) - @/arealsword (ao3)

10. Ghost Janus AU - @/SoDoRoses (FairyChess) (ao3)

49. Flightless Bird - @/AvoSunflowerTea (ao3)

57. (Un)Wanted - @/TheAsexualofSpades (ao3)

29. What You Can Stand - @/ManyFandomsOneLog (ao3)

34. Dreaming While I Wake - @/VoidDragons (ao3)

46. House of Tarot Cards - @/FlowerMeat (ao3)

58. Black Hole Sun - @/coconutcluster (ao3)

17. Life's A Drag - @/infawrit10 (ao3)

30. All of These Stars (Will Guide Us Home) - @/lucernis (ao3)

[whosxafraid]

Meme: Send me a face claim and I will use that face claim to make a NPC in my muse’s life, as well as talk about their relationship, connection and feelings towards my muse. Status: Open URL: @tabbyrp Answer 1 of 2 Keanu Reeves

Name: Jackie Age: unknown Species: werewolf occupation: Animal Rescue Owner and Operator Status: Alive Relationship: Friend Verse: Tra La La La La || Main Verse Story:

Jackie. Not Jack. Just Jackie. No permanent address. He runs his rescue out of his RV. Moving from place to place. Often acting as an animal uber for pets that get adopted by people far from where they live. He's moved around all his life. And while the specifics are unknown to Luka, Jackie was turned sometime in his early twenties. And it didn't take him long to work out, he wasn't like most of his kind.

Where many were dominated by rage and the primal urge to kill and feed--Jackie had none of those urges. In fact he was everything their opposite. Calm. In control. His personality is much more akin to a lab or retriever than a wolf. And he leads his adoptive pack with understanding and love instead feared respect.

Luka and Jackie met in a rather...chaotic kind of way. Jackie hit an already dazed and confused Luka with his RV. But thankfully the werewolf had a conscience and he couldn't just leave his accidental victim. So he did what what Jackie always does. He rescued. Dragging Luka into his RV and taking him along with him. Meaning to drop him off at the nearest hospital but thankfully Luka woke up before that. And a rather eventful adventure followed shortly after.

One in which Jackie's RV went up in flames, and Luka felt compelled to make up the difference. Replacing it with a much nicer set of wheels and the two have remained friends since. Though as to what actually happened on that adventure...neither one will say. No matter how much you might pester them.

Every now and again Jackie will turn up on Luka's door step, sans his four legged friends of course. But most of his time is spent on the road. Though he does send Luka updates sporadically. AKA when his ADHD's object permanence issue allows him to remember and/or he's stuck in bumfuck Egypt and needs a little help to get him to the next stop. Help that Luka, to this day, hasn't failed to give.