pumeyamann

[endless-ineffabilities]

jealous ewan headcanon idea: how about matt and reader sitting down to have lunch together and ewan is fuming in the corner and then he tried to butt in by dragging his chair into the table and started trying to insert himself in the conversation? just a thought. 🥰

Love this! Got my mind racing, so read more below. A little something for my chem ov readers - I hope this finds you and I hope that Ewan drives you mad 😉💙

After the table read in part seven...

The cast and crew help themselves to catering after successfully accomplishing the table read. The adjacent meeting hall is decked out with various offerings, and everyone is scattered across several tables.

You've just gotten a plate of your food, Matt in tow, and the two of you settle down at one of the small circular corner tables that happened to have only two seats.

"Anything planned for the weekend?" you ask him.

"Why, love?" he asks, smirking. "Do you have something in mind?"

You have to bite the inside of your cheek to keep from smiling due to his blatant charm. You know you've been doing it too much.

"Well, I wanted to invite some of you over for drinks on Saturday night, and Emma and Liv will be busy going out of town, Phia has a date with her boyfriend, Bethany's got an audition, and I still have to ask the others really -

" - I'm in, why not?" he says.

"Oh!" you don't hold back your smile then. "That's great! I think Fabs might come, too, but only for a while since he promised Bella -

"What about Ewan?"

"What about me?" Ewan retorts suddenly, making his presence known. Unbeknownst to you and Matt, he had dragged another chair across the carpet, in order to join your table.

He twirls the chair in place in one hand, and plops down on it. He is positioned somewhat in the middle of yourself and Matt, but he is angled closer to you, laying a hand on the back of your seat. He sips his can of Coke for a second, then he repeats, "What's going on?"

"Oh, mate, just - " Matt starts to explain.

"It's nothing," you find yourself cutting him off, growing pissed off by the way Ewan just inserted himself in the conversation. His tone doesn't leave much to be desired, either. You add, "We were just talking about the script. You did well, and we're just happy for Aemond and where his story is going."

Matt is confused as to why you don't just invite Ewan as well, but he notices the tense air between the two of you and the way your shoulders stiffened at his proximity. He decides to let it go.

"Though of course, your scenes are just excellent this season, aren't they?" Matt points to you. "Especially the ones with Daemon."

Ewan has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from cursing, due to Matt's apparent audacity to flirt with his girl.

"Mhmm," you smile, "I do get some good ones. I must say I really liked - "

Ewan interjects, "Alyna did have two scenes with Aemond towards the end. And even in those, she's got a more charged dynamic than what she has with Daemon."

"Alyna and Aemond?" Matt scoffs. "Come on, mate. She wouldn't fraternise with the enemy!"

Ewan shakes his head, "I wouldn't say no, I mean, what she and Aemond have is something... chemical, you know? Riveting. The tension is electrifying, so to speak. Whereas with Daemon, it's more tame and... familial."

"Uhhh - " you open your mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. You mull his words over, and you know he's right.

But Matt counters with, "Is that so? Well, you know what they say about Targaryens. They like to keep it in the family. So there's nothing wrong with Daemon and Alyna acting familial, if you know what I mean." He laughs dryly, before throwing you a cheeky wink.

You respond in kind, snorting at his humour while shaking your head fondly.

"Mmm." Ewan simply hums, before taking a long, slow sip of his drink.

He thinks of The Battle Above The Gods Eye, and how it will be such an insane and challenging scene.

Daemon against Aemond?

He can't wait.

[flagellant]

imagine you're born and your parents love you but youre born wrong. not anyones fault. sometimes it happens. except it doesnt matter whose fault it is, you were born wrong, and your parents love you but the world hates and fears you. even as a child. you grow up in this world which sees you as disgusting and evil and a bad omen and you have no one around who can tell you otherwise in any meaningful way. your parents try and help but they cant imagine the things you're going through. you're like a deep-sea fish to them. completely foreign. utterly alien.

this whole world wants you dead and so you say, fine, if i can never be seen as anything but evil then i will choose to embrace it rather than fight it. except you're just a teenager. and you aren't evil. so what you end up doing is hating yourself for being evil (you aren't) and anyway you're terrified that the world wants you and everyone like you dead so you begin finding some comfort in the dead. you learn necromancy both as armor and weapon. finally you feel like you aren't powerless but you're still so lonely.

so your parents couldnt help but youve heard so many stories and legends of your grandmother who also knows magic and you hope beyond hope that maybe if you go to her she can understand you and help you except you meet her and she's angry and mean and grumbling about how her son raised you badly. the only times you hear her praise you is when you discover that despite all your wishes, you are actually extremely good at separating men's ghosts from their bodies. you kill people well and get praised for it and nobody seems to notice or maybe not care that you aren't exactly okay with this and aren't doing well.

rephrase: one guy notices. and he is the nicest guy you have ever met. perhaps even the nicest guy on the whole planet. just the most terrifyingly nicest guy. and he keeps calling you his friend and being nice to you and you're cringing away from him like a dog thats been hit too many times because there is no way that this is actually who he is. real people don't act like he does. real people aren't always nice like he is. it's a trick and you won't fall for it, and anyway, even if he is actually this nice, you don't know how to deal with that even a little bit because if people like him exist then where were they? where were they when you were a child, where were they when you were a teenager? nice things don't get to happen to people like you. you aren't going to fall for it, because if people could be really as nice as you, they would have come before you were this badly wounded. how dare you come to me when i am this and all.

anyway then you try to save a nine year old who was born wrong like you from an adult tormenting and torturing her. and you fail and the nine year old dies and after going through shock you raise her corpse to speak with it and you just confirm to yourself that yeah. yeah, no, you don't get to have nice things. you're only good at one thing and it's death, not life. because if you're good at anything other than death then that just means you werent good enough at life when it actually mattered most.

anyway this was session one for my new bg3 boy and oh boy its all going downhill in the most luscious of ways!

[writerbuddha]

Your blog is interesting and informative. Learning the behind the scenes stuff is interesting but I have found that I cannot accept some of the things Lucas says. Especially the discourse around attachment. Having watched the movies and read their novelizations I just do not find Lucas’s idea behind what he was trying to convey to be in his story.

This really hit home for me when rewatching The Clone Wars. In the episode Voyage of Temptation (season 2 episode 13) Obi-Wan and Anakin have this discussion:

Obi-Wan My duty as a Jedi demanded I be elsewhere.

Anakin Demanded? But it’s obvious you had feelings for her. Surely that would affect your decision.

Obi-Wan Oh, it did. I live by the Jedi Code.

Anakin Of course. As Master Yoda says, “A Jedi must not form attachments.”

Obi-Wan Yes. But he usually leaves out the undercurrent of remorse.

I cannot square the idea that a Jedi would feel an undercurrent of remorse about not having a supposedly negative thing in their life. The only thing I can conclude is that it does not mean a negative and just means having a partner. Having love.

I'm really glad you like my blog, Anon! :)

What I take from your message is that you're a bit confused about attachment and non-attachment and how not forming attachments is guiding the life of a Jedi Knight.

You seem to equate "attachment" with "love" and "having a partner." However, this isn't quite right: attachment is the feeling that you like or love something or someone, paired with the feeling that you would be unhappy without them. Attachment is not the same as liking or loving, because attachment is characterized by the feeling that you have to have the things or people you like or love in your life to keep yourself happy. Once you feel this, you start to want things to not to change, to stay as they are, you want to permanently have things. But everything changes, things come and things go, you can't stop that. Attachment is an unrealistic and unreasonable desire that will lead to the fear of loss, and out of that comes anger, and from that comes hate. And being filled by fear, anger and hate is suffering.

The things we're attached to are most likely very positive, very good and very enjoyable, since we love and like them. Having a romantic partner and a romantic, loving relationship with that partner is not a problem at all, because that's not an attachment. Rather, attachment is the harmful and destructive way of relating to having a romantic partner and a romantic, loving relationship with that partner.

Let's go through this dialogue in Voyage of Temptation!

ANAKIN: You didn't stay to help her? OBI-WAN: That would have been problematic. My duty as a Jedi demanded I be elsewhere. ANAKIN: Demanded? But it's obvious you had feelings for her. Surely that would affect your decision. OBI-WAN: Oh, it did. I live by the Jedi code. ANAKIN: Of course. As master Yoda says, "a Jedi must not form attachments." OBI-WAN: Yes. But he usually leaves out the undercurrent of remorse.

It would be important to be able to distinguish between not forming attachments and the life of the Jedi Knight made possible by not forming attachments, since the two are related, but very different.

ANAKIN: You didn't stay to help her? OBI-WAN: That would have been problematic. My duty as a Jedi demanded I be elsewhere.

Jedi Knights aren't where they would like to be, but where they are needed, and for a good Jedi Knight, who lives on compassion, the two are the same. They dedicate themselves to serve the entire known universe, to guard peace and justice, to settle disputes and make sure that everyone is protected. Obi-Wan couldn't stay with Satine, because as he tells Anakin, his Jedi duty demanded him to be elsewhere. He isn't saying, his duty as a Jedi was to "be nowhere near her," because a Jedi is not allowed to have partners and love.

The reason why Jedi Knights aren't entering marriages and romantic relationships is not that these would be attachments. They won't do it because it's simply impractical. The duty of the parent and spouse, who has to protect and support their family and the duty of the Jedi, who has to guard peace and justice in the entire universe cannot be fulfilled at the same time.

ANAKIN: Demanded? But it's obvious you had feelings for her. Surely that would affect your decision. OBI-WAN: Oh, it did. I live by the Jedi code. ANAKIN: Of course. As master Yoda says, "a Jedi must not form attachments."

Attachment is a very conditional way of relating to others. It says, "You make me very happy, I enjoy you so much, so I love you and I cherish you." It says, "You make me very unhappy, I despise you so much, I I hate you and I want to harm you." And it says, "You do not make me feel happy nor unhappy, I have no concern for you." And these are walking hand in hand: when Padmé made Anakin feel very happy, he wanted her to be safe, he was willing to pledge loyalty to Darth Sidious to keep her alive and in his life, but on Mustafar, when she made him feel unhappy, he wanted her to be miserable and he choked her. A Jedi Knight shall not form attachments, rather, they must have unconditional love, which is compassion. True love says, "I want you to be happy and free from suffering."

It's an aspiration coming from the simple realization that we're the same human beings in wanting to be happy and free from suffering. This can extend to all living things: the people who make us feel happy, the people who make us feel unhappy and the rest. Obi-Wan had to adhere to the Jedi code, "a Jedi must not form attachments." Compassion is central to a Jedi Knight's life. So, Obi-Wan had to make a decision that is based on compassion, the concern for the well-being of everyone, not just the concern for the woman he has romantic feelings for, who he likes and cherishes. Satine had a hard task ahead of her, but the war was over and she was safe. Others, however, were in need of the protection and guidance of the Jedi.

OBI-WAN: Yes. But he usually leaves out the undercurrent of remorse.

What Obi-Wan feels an undercurrent of remorse about not having is a very positive thing: it's the relationship that he had with Satine, what he sacrificed for the life of a Jedi Knight. It was a hard choice, he loved Satine greatly. He doesn't feel bad about serving others as a Jedi Knight, but he does feel bad about leaving Satine.

But Satine didn't ask him to leave the Order, and by the end of the arc, they were both able to find peace, knowing that they made the right decision. I've already posted this quote from the great Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, but it's still explains this perfectly: "As a monastic you lead a life of monastic celibacy and community, and if the one you love realizes that, she will not suffer and you will not suffer, because love is much more than having a sexual relationship. Because of great love you can sacrifice that aspect of love, and your love becomes much greater. That nourishes you, that nourishes the other person, and finally your love will have no limit. That is the Buddha’s love."

Obviously, the disappearance of a loved one from our lives will never be easy, will bring sadness, and their absence will always be felt. But the severe pain, sorrow, regret over this, the anguish that we are not with them, the intense yearning to be with them, to get them back is stemming from our desire to hold on to what we find pleasant, good and joyous, from the inability to accept that we can never truly have, own, possess anything. If we cease the unrealistic and unreasonable yearning, we’re able to allow change, to allow death to enter into our lives and seeing it as a natural part of it. And we can be at peace.

[milksnake-tea]

OMG COULD I FOR THE FFOR TH- SAMPO 66666666ckfkuff 0PRŌMPY

OKAY I GOT THIS! FOR THE EVENT COULD I JAVE FLUFF PROMOT 6 ACCIDENDNFLLY FALLING ASLEP ON SAMPO???? HAVE A GREAT! YOUR WRITING 🥺☺️😊

❀ ˎˊ- prompt: You accidentally falling asleep on them. ❀ ˎˊ- 1k followers event ❀ ˎˊ- character: sampo ❀ ˎˊ- warnings: mentions of alcohol ❀ ˎˊ- a/n: IM SORRY IN ADVANCE IM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WRITE SAMPO,,, HOPE U LIKE IT THO VI !!! also this hinges on the masked fools sampo theory so coughs

It's late at night at a bar in Epsilon, the home of the Masked Fools. The sound of laughter, the pouring of alcohol, and the songs of bards fill the air. Bright, warm lights, coupled with the darkness of night outside, create a beautiful balance.

You laugh at one of your fellow masked followers' jokes, leaning on Sampo as you sip at your preferred drink. Your lover in question is prattling on to another follower, retelling the story of Belobog and the Astral Express in a far more entertaining and dramatic fashion.

You'd love to live in this moment forever, basking in the blessings of the Elation. However, you were still only human, and the hours without sleep were beginning to get to you.

But you weren't one to ruin the joy of others on your account. A simple nap would do. Just a few minutes, and you'd be back on your feet with everyone else. Just a few... minutes...

Behind your mask, your eyelids drooped, and your head lolled onto Sampo's shoulder. Soon enough, five minutes turned to ten, and ten into twenty.

"Huh? Oh," Sampo laughed when he saw you dozing off on him, his chest rumbling with his laughter. "Would you look at that."

In one fell swoop, he swept you into his arms, and stood up from the table. He does it so easily, it's almost like second nature to him. Meanwhile, you are none the wiser, lost in your own dreamland.

"Well, it seems our night together is coming to an end, my good friends!" he declared, keeping his voice loud and joyful, but not too loud that you would awaken. He bows the best he can with you in his arms, careful not to drop you. "Let's continue this tale another time, yeah?"

He only chuckled when his friends jokingly boo him, sauntering off as they ushered him away. Using his foot to open the door, Sampo finds that the outside is much quieter than the roars of the tavern. Much more peaceful, he muses.

As he headed towards your shared inn, your head bumped against his chest, jolting you awake. You yawned in his embrace, stretching.

"Sampo..?" you said drowsily, blinking deliriously at him from behind your mask. "Where... are we?"

"We're just about headed home," he replies, grinning down at you with that cheeky smile of his. You don't know how he did it, but he'd already removed his mask. Why he didn't remove yours, you didn't care to find out.

"Mm." You hummed, curling into yourself to snuggle closer against his chest. "You didn't have to leave, you know."

"Yeah," Sampo agreed, "but how could I leave my little angel to sleep in such a loud place? Just isn't right."

You laughed, the sound warming Sampo's heart. "You're so sweet."

"Aren't I?" Sampo chuckled. "Make sure to tell the guys and girls over at Belobog that, won't you?"

"I always do." You let out another yawn, closing your eyes once again. Sampo wanted to protest, but you were already knocked out. He sighed to himself, smiling fondly as he arrived at the inn.

"You are so high maintenance sometimes, you know that?" he said to no one in particular, not really meaning what he said. "Eh, whatever. Still love you though."

reblogs w comments are appreciated !!

[speedycoffeedelight]

An Animalistic Disaster

Summery: Where you remember some bad memories and almost get into an accident.

CH-4: Bad memories and a deery situation

TW: Truma flashbacks and strong languages. Though Angel being here means there's gonna strong language every chapter.

Wait you guys?!? What the fuck happened? please tell me I'm just hallucinating from my drinks!'Angel practically screamed as he frantically looked around at the animals around him which sounded like his friends. Charlie looked at Angel sympathetically. Angel was now a white furry spider with a big pink heart on his back with two of his big mismatched eyes and six small pink eyes.'Clam down angel, we'll explain everything' Charlie said, preparing to tell the tale of her mistake again.

Angel's mind was practically blown after he heard Charlie's story. 'What the fuck do we do now?? I was just wondering where the hell everyone went since the hotel was feeling empty. I never imagined get sucked in a book like this' Angel freaked out more. 'And worse looking like this!'

'Clam down angel.. we'll figure something out.. eventually..' Charlie cringed mentally as she said that since all of this was practically her fault. If she had only listened to Vaggie back then, this wouldn't happen. Meanwhile while they were talking Niffty went around the house looking for something to clean with. This place was rather filthy in her opinion and she wanted to clean it. But she had to find something of her size to clean with. After some searching she came across a small brush perfect for cleaning and she could hold it in her mouth. Cleaning with brush in her mouth was much harder then she imagined, but she was determined to make this place squeaky clean.

Meanwhile you reached the city soon enough, parking your car, you quickly headed to the nearest super market. You finished picking your stuff soon enough. Making sure to get enough dog foods and treats.You bought enough to last a week.

Since you live alone now and you didn't really want to drive for over an hour total everyday to buy foods. After completing the purchase, you picked up the bags in both hands and headed towards your car. While walking, someone suddenly called you.

Looking back you saw some man with shit eating grin checking you up and down. "Hey doll~ need a man's help carrying that many bags?" You internally gagged at his words. But you forced a tight smile on your face. "No, it's quite alright my good sir. These little bags feel nothing to me!"

To emphasize your point you pulled the bags higher and twirled around a little. "But I do thank you for your most gracious offer" with a fake smile you turned around and started walking again. The man was quite shocked at your strength. Even he could tell the bags were quite heavy.

While walking, some angry shouts reached your ears. Looking at the source of sound, you noticed it was a couple nearby who were blaming each other for something. You became tensed and uncomfortable at their screaming and started to walk faster. You desperately wanted to drown out their screams as soon as you could before...oh..

'You are a disgrace to our family!'

'You are a bad example for our daughter, we don't want you near her!'

'I really hope you won't turn out to be a disappointment like your mother!'

'You lying bitch! My son did nothing wrong!'

'Can you do anything right?!'

'look at me when I talk!'

Tears strung at your eyes and memories started to storm through your brain. You desperately tried to forget them as much as you can. You really hated screaming or being screamed at. It made you want to rush to a quiet place,and blast music in your ears till those screams were drowned. You bit your cheek and held your tears in. When you reached your car, you quickly put down the bags and just sat on seat, trying to collect yourself and your thoughts. 'alright I can do this, you're a big girl now (y/n) and they aren't here anymore, collect yourself.' you told yourself as you as you started the car and wiped your eyes.

The rest of the journey was going rather smoothly. You were humming alongside your favourite songs playing in the car. You were close to your cabin. You looked down for a second to change a song as no other car was in the road. But when you looked up at the road, suddenly there was a deer, standing right middle on the road, looking straight at your car. Panic took over your mind as you pushed the break as fast as you could. A bad screeching sound was heard as your car stopped meters away from the deer.

It felt like the deer suddenly came into life. Your (e/c) eyes locked with the deer's red eyes for a split second before the deer sprinted away within the forest beside the road. You gripped the steering wheel hard, breathing heavily from what just happened. Your shopping bags were now on the floor of the car. You were sure some of the eggs you bought broke. You just hoped all of them didn't. You ran a hand through your hair, trying to clam yourself down. This day was just going great.

You put the bags up and started driving again. This time, a lot slower then before. You finally reached your home, parking the car, you took out the bags and went in front of the door. You quickly opened the lock of the door, pushing the door inside. "Home,sweet home" you mumbled. The puppy ran straight at you holding your detailing brush..? In her mouth? Crouching, you put the groceries down and picked up the puppy as it let go off the brush and barked at you happily. You were largely unaware of a pair of red eyes watching you from the distance.

Walking inside and closing the door, you noticed your floors looking a lot...cleaner then before. You looked at the fallen brush which now had dirt on it and then at the puppy. "Did you do this darling? Did you clean my room while I was gone?" You only got some small barks in return. Looking ahead you saw the sheep coming out of your room with the moth on its head as usual. You crouched down again, holding the puppy with one hand and extending the other. "Come here little ewe, I need you guys a bit" The sheep somehow understood what you meant as it came into your arms. The moth again flew to your hair. You held both the puppy and the sheep close in a warm hug, feeling today's fatigue slowly fading away.

"Thank you guys.." you mumbled. In reply the sheep nuzzled into your neck a bit more, the puppy licked your cheek a little and the moth buzzed a little on top of your head. You slowly let go off the animals as you stood up. "Welp,there's no use moping around, let's get you some food puppy!" you took the groceries inside and pulled out the dog food. You picked out a bowl and poured some of the food inside and gave it to Niffty. Niffty began to eat as soon as you put down the plate which startled you. "Guess you were really hungry huh?" You said smiling.

You decided to properly sort through the groceries later. For now you choose to just put the perishable foods like meat and milk inside the freeze. You wanted to begin working as soon as you could so you could distract yourself for a bit. You went into your room to change. After changing into more comfortable clothes, you sat on the chair and turned on your laptop. You were an online newspaper editor. It was your job to make sure there are no typos or mistakes and everything was written well. You would change the narrative of some lines to make them appear more 'exciting' to read, without changing the truth of course.

While waiting for your page to load,you absentmindedly looked around your room. ' Hmm..i should probably get some paintings for the wall, it looks rather empty. Oh look there's a big spider on one corner watching me. As for pillows, I should buy some-'

'THERE'S A BIG SPIDER??'

A.N:(Please read) Just wanted to let you guys know, English isn't my first language. So if y'all find any grammatical errors, I'm really sorry. I'll get back to editing again once my exams are over :')

Also our reader is going to be a physically strong girl, not too much, but stronger than average. So yes she has a bit of muscle. It'll be explained later.

Also reader is a big fan of hazbin hotel:). I wasn't sure to make them a fan or not but think of all the fun scenarios of the characters going through your fanfic history and your thirsty posts about them. Wouldn't that be a sight to see ? :)

*Sips tea cutely*

Author out✌️

Master list

[xmarchwarden-of-lothlorienx]

Bad Moon Rising

Boromir x male!reader

Requested: Anonymous

Summary:

heyyy so idk if you still take requests for LOTR but if you do i have one! its been rlly difficult to find male readers and as a trans guy i cant stand to read the fem readers so i decided to specifically request one instead. I was wondering if you could do headcanons or a short story about the fellowship having the male reader who is secretly a werewolf in their company. I think maybe he transforms during a fight or smth and it freaks people out a bit. Platonic relationships are good except for maybe theres some slight crushing with Boromir. Thanks so much!

Author’s Note: Sorry to keep you waiting. I really enjoyed writing this, so I hope you see this! I have been in my Boromir and Faramir era, so I am loving finally writing for them

There were few skin-changers left. There were fewer still that continued to shift forms - lest others became aware of their ability. Decades upon decades of being hunted for the entertainment of orcs caused your people to live in fear.

You kept your identity as one of the wolf-changing folk under wraps, choosing to walk under the sun and posing as the race of man. Only a few non-skin-changer individuals had learned of your secret, yet none of them were within your present company.

A rather odd company, or fellowship as Elrond had termed it, it was. A wizard, an elf, a dwarf, four halflings, two men, and a skin-changer (or was it simply three men? After all, everyone believed you to be a man, but you weren't really. Were you? This would be added to the list of things to mull over while trying, and failing, to get a fitful nights sleep).

Despite your secret and the initial distance you tried to keep with the others at first, you found yourself easily brought into the fold. Trying to quietly hold in your laughter with Aragorn as Legolas and Gimli started bickering for what must have been the hundredth time. Helping Sam collect firewood and wild berries to make dinner. Eagerly listening to Gandalf's accounts of his previous adventures, and sharing quite a few of your own high spirited ones that he delighted in. Discovering your and Frodo's similar taste for literature, resulting in many discussions on the hobbit's favorite books - your way of lightening his mood while undertaking such a heavy burden.

Of course, your favorite moments were often with Merry and Pippin. Boromir undertook the task of training them for combat, something he roped you into. You feigned hesitance, but really you did not mind doing something to make the Captain of Gondor happy. It was only an added benefit that the hobbits seemed delighted for you to join them.

Admittedly, you had grown rather fond of Boromir. Something fleeting you would surely get over once the fellowship was over. The experienced and generational fear and trauma of being hunted made you hesitant to open up to anyone about being a skin-changer. Boromir, along with the other members of the fellowship, seemed kind, yet would they understand why you kept such a major part of yourself secret? You cherished the connections that were taking root, but as the weeks wore on confiding in them seemed to grow ever more impossible than if you told them from the beginning of the fellowship.

--

"humph," you let out a small grunt as you stumbled over Merry and Pippin. Once again, you were too busy warring with your thoughts to notice the group had been called to a halt. "Forgive me, my mind was elsewhere, I did not mean to run over you two," you apologized, hoping the hobbits wouldn't be upset thinking you had overlooked them.

"Oh, it's quite alright," Pippin answered and shot a look towards Merry.

"Yes, we'll get you back when you practice sparring with us," Merry teased.

"Ah, I see, you two aren't going to take it easy on a poor son of man like myself? Tsk tsk I shall be too ashamed to show my face in society ever again," you started to break into a laugh at the end of this sentence, which was only made worse when the pair adopted stiff postures and what they called 'elegant, knightly airs'. As your laughter drew to a close, a warmth brushed against your shoulder.

"I take it then we are ready to begin tonight's training, little ones?" Boromir smiled at the two, but not without taking a moment to shift his glance towards you.

"We were born ready!" Pippin asserted and darted off to lead the way to a clear area next to the night's campsite.

"Pip, wait for me," Merry called after him.

"I admire how cheerful they've managed to stay," You reflected aloud while Boromir chuckled at their antics.

"Agreed, perhaps they should be the ones teaching us instead," Boromir mused whilst the two of you walked over to join the hobbits.

You hummed in response, reaching the hobbits and drawing your swords. Merry entered one of the opening stances Boromir had shown him and engaged in a round of sparring with you.

"Very good, Merry, remember to keep your weight centered. You never want to let your opponent find you unbalanced," You instructed as the sparring continued. You had to admit, he (and Pippin) improved very quickly under your and Boromir's tutelage. They had learned to use their small size and speed to their advantage - something causing you to focus more on Merry's swift parries and thrusts. One misstep, and you found the hobbit sweeping your feet out from underneath you.

"It seems I should have heeded my own advice," you laughed. Merry offered his hand to help pull you up, more of a gesture than a reality, yet you still took it as you regained your feet. "Very well done," you ruffled his hair, a satisfied grin growing on his face.

"Are we ready to go again?" he asked eagerly. Glancing towards Boromir, who was still sparring with Pippin, you returned your gaze to Merry and nodded. The second round had only just begun when the voice of Legolas shouting something in elvish made everyone in the encampment pause.

"Orcs!" Aragorn shouted in the common tongue. Quickly, you and Boromir closed ranks to better protect Merry and Pippin. In a fraction of a second, the previously peaceful hillside was suddenly swarming with orcs. No matter how many you cut down, more continued to flood around you. It wasn't until you were faced with a particularly large and foul smelling orc that you realized you were cut off from Boromir and the two hobbits.

At first, you were fine holding your own against the orc - until others started to draw nearer. The orc was not so skillful with a sword, but was able to utilize his brute strength to disarm you. The force from his disarming blow sent a shock of pain through your arm and to your shoulder. A quick look at your surroundings, and you were surrounded. Several yards away, you could see the orcs were closing in on Boromir, Merry, and Pippin as well.

You could hear your heartbeat pounding in your head as the world seemed to slow down. Your eyes fluttered closed and a chill ran up your spine. You would do what you must.

Skin-changing wasn't painful, but it wasn't comfortable either. It felt like a rather intense itch as your bones reformed a fur sprouted from your skin. Time and events felt different as a wolf - as though they were slightly fuzzy and happening very fast. It was almost an out-of-body experience: you could hear yourself growling and snapping at the orcs that left a foul taste in your mouth. You could see yourself, pouncing on them and clearing a way to your companions. You could feel the intense itching return as the last of the orcs were slain, your bones shifting and the fur retreating.

You quickly grabbed your cloak from where it had fallen to the ground and wrapped it around yourself. Shooting a look around to ensure no one was watching you at that moment, you picked up your pack and slipped into a change of clothing before rejoining the group.

Upon your re-entrance, you could feel many pairs of eyes burning into you. You joined them in putting things back in order after the skirmish, but it seemed no one dared to speak. By the time you and the others were finished, the sun had set and dinner was ready but you had no appetite.

You took a seat a couple yards away from the rest of the group, facing away from them as they ate and engaged in sparse, whispered conversations.

"Care if I join you?" You looked up and gave a weary smile to the speaker, Boromir. He was holding two bowls of the stew Sam must have managed to pull together.

"Sure," you sighed. "You may be the only one here that cares to keep my company now." He lowered himself to the ground beside you and offered you one of the bowls, which you hesitantly accepted.

"I'd rather you not say such things. Everyone is merely... surprised is all," Boromir reassured.

"Thank you, but I'm sure seeing one of their companions go through a skin-change may have been too horrifying, even for those such as Gandalf." A silence pervaded after you made this statement. The lack of a response brought tears to your eyes - it must have been true then...

"I cannot speak for the others," Boromir finally broke the silence. "I found your transformation, or skin-change, to be-" he paused, searching for the right word. "-beautiful."

"I - what? Really?" Of all things you had been expecting, it wasn't this.

"Yes. I have only ever heard of you, your kind, in stories from legend. I never thought I should see a skin-changer in my lifetime, but I have now, and I have never seen a more stunning sight." This brought a flush of heat to your face

"If I knew, I would have shared this part of me with you, all of you, sooner. I hope you may understand, but I was afraid." Boromir shifted his own bowl of stew to one hand, freeing his arm to wrap it around you. Feeling his warmth and the soft strength he seemed to always carry brought a wave of comfort.

"Well, you shall have nothing to fear, so long as I stand by your side."

[prettypinkporkchop]

A/n: MANS IS OLDER. I do not write about underage people, period. In this story it is after breaking dawn and errthang. Imma say he's 23 in this story!

Seth clearwater x fem reader

When you know, you know

Moving to Forks was not an easy choice to make. But, leaving behind your abusive boyfriend was much needed. Of course, missing family is a price to pay. It's just the fresh start, the new scenery, and new people. You're grown now and it's time to live on your own.

You sit on your couch in your very inexpensive tiny house. You made it due! It's cute! You have your laptop on your lap, sipping your favorite beverage.

"Hello, this is y/n speaking. How may I assist you?" You answer the video call for a customer. Working from home has helped a lot! You make barely anything but just enough for you. Unfortunately, you don't have a vehicle yet, so Uber is your bestie. Some days, it's not worth the money, so you walk.

Your shift is over. It was an easy day, thank goodness. You sigh and lay down on your bed. Suddenly, there's a knock on your door. You stand up, confused. Who is here this late? I mean, who is here, period?

You slowly open the door, and there stands a cop! "Is something wrong?" You ask. He's an older man with a black mustache.

His name on his shirt says, 'Swan'.

He rubs his chin and leans on the door frame. "I got a call for a missing person. They were last seen in this area. I was wondering if you have seen him." He holds up a picture.

You scan his face, taking in every feature. "No, sir. I just moved here a couple of weeks ago. I don't know anyone. I barely leave my house." You look at him.

"Oh, yes ma'am. I'm asking everyone around. Thanks for your time. Call if you find anything." He hands you a card and walks away.

Hmm. Missing person?

The next day, you decided to hit up the beach. You take an Uber to La Push. You step out with your bag. You brought dry clothes, towels, snacks, and drinks.

"Thank you." You wave to the Uber.

You make your way on the sand and lay your blanket down. It's a pretty warm day, just very, very cloudy.

You get in the water when suddenly, there's a loud group of voices.

"Hey, pretty lady! Why don't you come here?" A man from the sand calls out to you.

You scoff and keep floating on your back. Oh, shit! Your bag!

You quickly jump up and try to move as fast as you can through the water when one of the guys grabs your bag. There are three men. As you get closer, panicking, you see their red eyes. What. The. Hell. Thinking they are contacts, you look over their faces. The man holding your bag is the missing guy!

"Put my bag down, now!" You sternly say. You are used to dealing with horrible men and having to stand up for yourself. "Ooh, here that friends? We've got a fiesty one here." He chuckles.

The other man flashes behind you. You jump and begin to believe they aren't human. He wraps a hand around your neck, holding tightly. You try to elbow him in the stomach, but he doesn't flinch.

"I want to play with you before I rip your neck apart." The man laughs. The other two nod their heads, smirking.

He holds your arms while the other guys hold each leg. You scream as loud as you can, thrashing, to no avail. They lead you into the woods and drop you on the ground. One of them picks you up and throws you back into a tree.

The wind is knocked out of you. You gasp for air and try to stand back up.

A twig snaps, causing the three men to look up. "Damn it." They start running. Loud pounding on the ground and a terrifying roar fills your ears. A gigantic wolf sprints past you, chasing the other men.

Maybe Forks was a bad idea.

"Hey, don't worry. Let me help you." A soft voice is heard beside you. You look up to see a man with a gentle smile, holding out his hand. You grab his hand so he can lift you up. But, you are stood in shock as a surge of lightening runs up your arm. He doesn't let go. You both look up to make eye contact. He stares with a look of awe. There's something going on. Whatever it is, as lana del rey says, 'when you know, you know'.

He snaps out of it, blinking rapidly, then letting go of your hand. "I-i can explain everything. Do you have time? You are safe." He reassures you and looks over you for any injuries. You feel safe.

"Yes.'' You're still in shock. "Are you familiar with the Quileute legends?" He softly touches your shoulder to turn you around, looking over your back for any injuries. "No, I'm sorry." You say weakly.

"May I, uh, lift to see your back?" He asks. You simply nod your head. Oh, yeah, you wore a tank top to swim in. He gently lifts it, and he sighs. "Okay, not too terrible."

He grabs your duffle bag, picking up everything, giving you a drink, and you guys walk. He ends up telling you about wolves and vampires. Most importantly, he imprinted on you.

Soon, you end up in his truck. "I'm going to take you home. Can you promise me you'll be safe?'' He looks at you pleadingly. "Yes, Seth." You smile at him.

Even though he is tan, you could see a red tint glow on his cheeks when you said his name.

1 month later

"C'mon, y/n! It'll be so fun!" He begs, gently pulling your arm towards your front door. "Seth, I don't know. What if your friends don't like me?" You question. He gently pulls you into his chest, looking deep into your eyes. "I like you, so they will." He smiles. You shudder at this physical and eye contact.

You guys have not kissed yet or made anything official. There's just so much tension!

You give in and sigh while smiling back at him. "Fine." You giggle.

You guys pull up to a small house in the middle of nowhere! There are so many dudes here and a few girls. Some old men, too. The young men are all shirtless. "Seth, I have to tell you something." You look away from the window and at him.

"Anything." He puts your hair behind your ear and cups your cheek.

"You know how I said I moved to Forks for personal reasons?" He nods his head. "I'm ready to tell you. I was in a very abusive relationship. I had to get away. I needed a fresh start. I grew up, and my home didn't feel like home anymore. Something pulled me here, and I'm not so sure why. But, now I know."

He has a tender look on his face. He leans in, pressing his lips to his forehead. You crumble and close your eyes, soaking in the feeling pouring into your body. "You will never be hurt again. Do you understand?" You whispers. You bite your lip and nod and then turn back to the window. He steps out of the truck and opens your door. You step out, and he instantly grabs your hand, interlocking your fingers. He walks up to the group of guys. "Sup?!" He beams.

"Oh! This is y/n, isn't it?" He reaches his hand out, "Paul." He smiles. You shake it and smile at him. "Nice to meet you." You reply. He turns to look around, "my fiance, Rachel is somewhere. She's Jacob's sister! I think he's the one that chased the vampire away from you." He awkwardly takes a bite of his steak he holds in his hand.

"Yeah, yeah! I think." You turn to Seth. He leans his head down on yours and whispers in your hair, "it's okay. You're doing perfect."

The night was so fun! You learned so much more about the tribe! Your favorite girlies are Renesme, Kim, and Emily.

Seth opens your door and walks inside with you. You turn to face him to say goodnight. Instead of words, he holds your face and gently presses his lips on yours. You're shocked but quickly deepen the feeling by kissing back. You hold on to his shirt on his sides. He smells so good. His lips move with yours perfectly.

He pulls away and looks into your eyes. "I love you." You blurt on accident but you felt it.

His lips spread into the happiest smile. "I love you, too!" He picks you up. You laugh and wrap your arms around his neck, and your legs wrap around his waist. He brings you to your bed.

When you know, you know.

For the first time in years, you feel safe.

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

???: Hello? Who are you?

Ruby: I ... My Name's Ruby.

???: That's a lovely Name, you share it with my younger daughter. Where are you?

Ruby: I- I- ... You sound familiar ...

Summer: *Walking into view* What do you-

Ruby: ... Mom?

Summer: RUBY?!?!

Ruby: *Tearing up* MOM!

Summer: *Also Crying* RUBY!

They rush together, holding each other close, hugging so tight it had to be painful.

Summer: How- Why Are you here? You shouldn't- I-

Ruby: Mom, I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I did my best-

Summer: Ruby, Take a Breathe, and if anyone should be apologizing it's me. What Happened? Why are you here?

Ruby: I- I followed my dream of becoming a Huntress- I got into Beacon Early-

Summer: You What?

Ruby: I .. Got into Beacon ... Early?

Summer: Do you know what Ozpin's Deal is?

Ruby: I know that The Maidens and the Girl in The Tower are real. That and The Girl that fell through the world.

Summer: *Pinching her nose, clearly upset and worried* Okay. Is that why you're here.

Ruby: We- we were getting the Staff of Creation while Salem was actively attacking Atlas, and we made a path to Vacuo.

Ruby: Me, Yang, and our Teammates - and a Friend - Fell off the Path into the Ever After.

Summer: ... So the Jabberwocker got you?

Ruby: N-No ... Someone we fought along the way wanted me dead so ... she made me give Up. I drank her tea, which had a leaf in it- I-

Summer: You weren't killed?

Ruby: .. Not ... I ...

Ruby: *Crying again* I- I decided not to be me anymore ...

Summer: *Holding her cheek, also crying again* Oh, Ruby, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry you got caught up in all this. I'm sorry I couldn't stop Salem for you- I tried, and I'm sorry I failed. I'm sorry you chose to end your life ... But ... You haven't. Not yet.

Ruby: What do you mean?

Summer: You ... Aren't dead. You're ascending. Somewhere between Life and Death. You can still live.

Ruby: How? After every way I failed everyone-

Ruby: I made Atlas Fall! I Watched a Friend Die right in front of me Because I wasn't fast enough! Another friend sacrificed herself to save others, and She'd already Died once! Hell! My best friend since Day one got stuck here for half his lifetime, and now probably hates me!

Ruby: I've Gotten people Killed Mom! What good are Silver Eyes if I'm not good enough to save people without them!

Summer: ... Ruby. Did your plans fail because they were bad or because people got in the way of them? Have people died because you got them killed or because you were exhausted and got blindsided?

Summer: I don't know how old you are, but I'm guessing you can't drink yet, given how long I think it's been.

Summer: You're young. Just over half my age at most.

Summer: You got your hands on a Relic?

Ruby: On the Lamp and the Staff, but Salem stole them back, and she's got a maiden on her side.

Summer: Ruby, I never even saw the Relics. I never met a Maiden. I was born into a quiet life, and disappeared, with the amount of people knowing where I was able to be counted a hand that's lost three fingers.

Summer: You have gone so far and beyond what I did. I- I don't know that full story, obviously, but it feels like you're putting all the blame on yourself. You're amazing. You're strong, and smart, and kind.

Summer: Ruby Ginosa Rose. You are my Daughter, and I love you. I don't know what you have to do, but please, please don't let go of yourself completely just yet.

Ruby: ...

Summer: I can only imagine how hard it's been on you, But I trust you to pull through. You've gotten help if you've got a team at your back. Even if you don't, someone else will. Try and find the people that would keep walking after you fall and try to team up with them. you'll make even bigger strides together.

Ruby: ... Thanks Mom. I ... I needed to hear that. Thank you.

Summer: ...

Ruby: ... Yang's got a girlfriend!

Summer: That's great to know Ruby, But I think it's time for you to head back out.

Ruby: *Beginning to fade from this place* Yeah, YEah! I can do this, The world can do this! Thanks Mom! Love you!

Summer: I love you too rosebud, and Tell Yang I miss and Love her a lot too!

Ruby: *Continuing to fade*

Summer: Oh and one more thing!

Ruby: *Almost gone to the Blacksmith* Hmm?

Summer: If I see you within the next Fifty Years You are grounded Missy!

Ruby: *Fully disappearing* You got it Mom-

[samssims]

Hi Sam! I was wondering if I could ask for some advice on how to make simblr fun again? I love storytelling (it's how I have fun with the game) but lately with writing posts and even in game, I just find myself stressing over if it's good/interesting enough or if I took good screenshots, if my writing is good, etc. I love this game and sharing my stories with this community, so it sucks to feel like this. Thank you sm ♥

Oh Nonny, how I feel this pain. I wish I had a sure fire answer to this but sadly there isn't just one thing that will work.

I will put some advice below for some things that have worked for me in my experience if you're interested in trying them out to try to find that spark again!

Now I have been on tumblr sharing my sims since 2013 so I have seen the community change a lot. Things change, people come and go, it's just the natural way of things. So a lot of the time your community can change around you and so a few years ago sims storytelling was really popular and it was the thing everyone was doing. And I mean everyone.

But now things have sort of fallen off or shifted and there is no shame in that for those who moved onto other things and hobbies. Sims storytelling, at it's core, is a hobby. No one is making money off of it (unless you write it all down and get it published in which case, hell yeah go you!)

That being said, finding your spark again is going to be finding what YOU like about storytelling in the sims.

So here are some tips you can try out in the game to keep it fresh and exciting:

Play the Game

The game has changed a lot and added a lot. It came out in 2014. It's about to be 10 years old. With expansions still being added. Honestly having a family where you can just play through what the game offers you can offer inspiration on how to use in game things for story related things later on.

I have found having a lowkey gameplay (for yourself or even for your blog if you are posting) is an easy way to stay active in the community while keeping things low stakes and casual for yourself while you work on finding your spark again.

Change Up your Post Style

Idk about you Nonny, but nothing gets me less motivated than having to edit photos. If I could just point, shoot, and post, I would have content coming out my ears. Which is what I started doing with my Princess Legacy. All I do is crop it. I add some things here and there but really it's all pretty much easy.

Now I have done it all.

Prose on photos.

Prose under photos:

Icons Only:

Gameplay Only:

And finally just cropped:

Now what is the best? That is personal preference especially for the project you are doing. However I have definitely discovered the crop method to be SUPER helpful.

It makes me not have to worry about the whole photo. Sometimes I have this SUPER awesome detail in the back of a photo but when I crop them I lose all that. Which is not good for storytelling lets be honest but does force me to focus on what is actually important in the shot.

Example: Here is the full cottage photo from above You can see that I cropped out a lot of the cottage in favor of being able to see the deer and swans as i thought that was more a cozy fairytale vibe than just the cottage itself. I lost a lot of this detail yet the point still came across.

TBH the paired crop photos also makes me cut out a lot of access photos if they don't have a pair. It's sort of made me realize how much I don't need to take screenshots of. Though I am definitely an overtaker of photos so I always have plenty to choose from. Sometimes I even queue them then look back and realize they aren't needed and delete. It's humbled me a bit.

I could break down every one of these posting styles but that's a whole other thing you didn't ask about.

TLDR of this section is to experiment with how you post. You can have a lot of fun with that.

If Something is Boring, Skip it.

Do you hate the infant stage? Age them past it. Do you hate the winter months in game? Set seasons to never have winter. Do you hate in game holidays ruining your plans? Delete them all from your calendar. Is it a crucial part to your story? Not anymore. Write around it. Or find some creative angles and dialogue to write over it.

Make the game fit you!

Follow the Inspo

Have inspiration to make a new sim in CAS? Do it! Want to make a whole new save? Have an idea for one scene that could start a whole story but you have nothing else for it? DO IT!!!

The game is supposed to be fun. If you have inspiration for a project, live in it. Have fun with it.

But Sam, what if only lasts 2 weeks and I never touch it again?

Me too, babes. Happens to me all the time. Own it. Keep it around in case you want to mess with it later. Have 10 million saves. It's your life and if it brings you a moment of joy to work on it, then it totally is worth it.

If you want to be like me: Be chaotic and post it too. Then private the posts later when you decide to never touch it again. Never delete tho. I always tend to regret deleted things.

Find Your Community

You should ultimately write and create for yourself, but find others who are doing it too! Lift them up as well! Use one day a week on your blog to give reblogs or shoutouts to your fellow creators and writers! It's all about lifting each other up and making friends who all have the same hobby as us.

Try New Challenges

A lot of my sims storytelling started from inspiration around legacy challenges. I loved to take challenge rules and figure out how to make a story around them. But remember: Rules are made to be broken. Especially in favor of a good story.

If you are working on a current challenge/story, find another to merge with it or to give yourself a heck of a fun plot twist. There are no rules!

Have Fun!

This is sort of the whole crux of it, right? And if you're not having fun then...

Take a Break

You are not beholden to your queue! Let it die out! Disappear for 6 months. Return when you want. Go play Animal Crossing or BG3 or whatever it is at the moment. Sims is a hobby. But it does not have to be your ONLY hobby. Let your brain rest.

In my case, whenever I leave the sims I am always filled with ideas and ready to come back in like 3 days.

This could also mean take a break from your save too. Maybe spend some time in CAS. Or in build mode. Or cleaning out your mods. You can still do sims things while letting your story brain rest.

TLDR:

There is no right answer for this, Nonny. I promise your photos are all gorgeous and your story is wonderful! But creativity like anything ebbs and flows so give yourself that grace to let yourself rest and just enjoy the game again, or enjoy time away from it! You deserve it you superstar creator!

[manwalksintobar]

I Couldn't Sleep In My Dream // Alice Notley

I couldn't sleep in my dream. The moon was a vast flower but broken, behind leaves and the force of distortion. Where does that come from? There's no moon here. Distortion's all that I know. I walked near the ocean unable to sleep. Trying to receive messages, though I know there's no one to send them. Here are the words you were looking for. But I wanted something different-Or is this it? Any- thing, anything's different. I left with another widow and a divorcee. I didn't say goodbye. But that's just autobiographical, who cares? I want to live here, where nothing coheres. Who'd be in ordinary life, working or shopping, looking forward to whatever it turns out it's about, in the eyes of belief. I don't believe something. Here I'm spooked, it's not that I like that, it's that I stand in for that, rather. Though Here's so total. Someone's screaming from the basement, who's going away tomorrow; and I'm no particular age. I have no fear. I'm only that I am this moment, inside sheer unsteadiness, the night-time of crisis as tone. Awake the banks are failing, but I've nothing invested there. I'm listening for something else, not Death, but what she hears. She hears me, but I can't always hear me saying to her, Keep me at arm's length. I don't know a thing yet, and I haven't lived. I'm starting to now, aren't I? No, you're asleep, you're always asleep. I meet someone else who knows nothing, the woman who said I am big- hearted. I think about her but I'm dreaming my dream. She flows into me then rolls away. I approach my holy, haunted railroad stations, underground networks, airports, trying to leave. I don't know what I'm leaving or where I'm going. I don't seem to mind, I'm in the state of traveling. Suspended. That's always been my state. This is my heart, or is it yours, I move within. Death's faceless, looking for my face to wear within her hair shape, just for a minute, before she moves on to another. Everyone does it. Well I'm gone. Not with death, but from the market. Evaporated I've never been there. I don't know how to dream but I'm dreaming. In front of the house where I began; then I'm still no one and everything. Everything circumscribed by this child's body that's grown, but is dimensionless near the dark tree. Enter door once more-It's too personal. And I go in, it's just a portal after all. I don't know what's inside. Whatever happens next. Nothing happens; things coalesce then melt again, as if you yourself create them. Well don't I? I create death, and time. Make my story have a shape that's understood. No, I won't be pressed for emotion now that I'm back. If I hear people marching, mobilized, I won't be one. I'm free in this house that doesn't exist. And the crowd's passed crying out for power. I have no needs. No country, no continent, no hope. I sit in blackness where I once lived. In magic, the only force I recognize. What is it? a face cries, skittering away. All that's left, I reply, the basis of life, the explanation of how I came to town. Oh, there's furniture, some old couch I knew but can't remember, tranquilizer of my thought. Press cheek to it, sit on lino, breathe. I used to remember this floor but I don't. I mean I'm just here. I was cared for, and now I care for myself, but I'm the early one too; though the carers aren't here, perhaps the care is. Don't turn on the radio, the old console, a period piece. I'm not one. I'm immortal, like the universe. All I feel is the tingle of this existence, or non-existence, if you're an activist, handing out parts out there where Death's invoked. Does she come to them sooner, for all their rage to find her?

The sun is rising, and light enters my old house. What sun is this? The desert star or some one flame as in transcendence? I won't ask it. I won't ask anyone anything. I got tired of being childish. In your assigned role you were a woman. But I've always been a poet, that's all, no sex or race, no age or face. Can Eternity strip me of it? That's only another word. I'm inside myself, and inside it. Today's the new fact. Are there others there? Timeless, and loveless, this light touches me. I won't need anything else.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Ara having a villian origin story every so often is very funny to me -Danny Words: 3,068 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Nobody's Soldier' -by Hozier

XIV: To Whoever's Controlling Me Like a Sims Character, It's Not Funny Anymore

It gets dark awfully quickly after an hour of walking, Ara is lighting their path with Almighty, keeping her eyes ahead trying to look out for monsters, when Meg squeaks suddenly and yanks her back.

"What?" Ara looks down in alarm.

"You almost stepped on that!" Meg points with disgust. 

Ara has been too busy looking ahead to spot it but feels a shiver run down her spine when she recognizes what Meg's looking at. "Myrmeke. Thank gods it's dead!"

"A murr-murr-key?"

"A giant ant," Apollo clarifies. "There must be a colony somewhere in the woods."

Meg squirms. "I hate bugs."

"I'm partial to them—but yeah, these in particular are not friendly," Ara examines the corpse with curiosity. "It's really hard to kill one with brute force, this looks like something took a bite. Maybe Pollo did it while playing in the forest..." Her lion growls and shakes its mane, he knows better than to get near acidic stuff since he came back to life.

Apollo gulps. "Well, the rain should keep the myrmekes in their tunnels. Just don't make yourself an attractive target. They like bright, shiny things."

Ara glances at Almighty, remembering how they took Festus into their layer the last time she encountered them. She turns it into a compass and puts it away. "Alright, so we depend on Pollo's eyesight now. Everyone hold onto the lion."

The deeper they go, the weather changes, becoming hotter without losing its humidity. "What's going on?" Meg huffs. "Feels like a tropical rain forest now."

"A geyser," Apollo says sounding weirdly excited.

"A geyser," Meg frowns. "Like Old Faithful?"

"This is excellent news. Perhaps we can get directions. Our lost demigods might have even found sanctuary there!"

"With the geysers," Meg tilts her head.

"No, my ridiculous girl," Apollo brushes it off. "With the geyser gods. Assuming they're in a good mood, this could be great."

"And if they're in a bad mood?"

"Then we'll cheer them up before they can boil us. Follow me!" 

The geyser wants them to take a survey. He keeps ignoring their questions and Meg is even more impatient than Ara, so the girl pushes her inquiries in a sharper voice. "Can you tell us anything about a secret grove with whispering trees?"

"Oh." Pete the geyser blushes. "I'm not supposed to talk about the grove."

"Why can't you talk about the grove, Pete?" Apollo raises a brow.

"Paulie said it would scare away tourists.'Talk about the dragons,' he told me. 'Talk about the wolves and serpents and ancient killing machines. But don't mention the grove.'"

"Ancient killing machines?" Meg asks in alarm.

"Yeah. We're marketing them as fun family entertainment. But the grove... Paulie said that was our worst problem. The neighborhood isn't even zoned for an Oracle. Paulie went there to see if maybe we could relocate it, but—"

"He didn't come back," Apollo guesses.

Pete pouts miserably. "How am I supposed to run the marketing campaign all by myself? Sure, I can use robo-calls for the phone surveys, but a lot of networking has to be done face-to-face, and Paulie was always better with that stuff. I miss him."

"I know how it feels to lose your better half," Ara tries patiently, slipping charmspeak into it. "So help us out, buddy."

"Maybe we could find him," Meg nods, "and bring him back."

"Paulie made me promise not to follow him and not to tell anybody else where the grove is," Pete hesitates. "He's pretty good at resisting those weird voices, but you guys wouldn't stand a chance."

"Sorry, Pete." Apollo pipes in. "I'm just not buying it."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I don't think this grove exists. And if it does, I don't think you know its location."

"I—I do know! Of course it exists!" 

"Oh, really? Then why aren't there billboards about it all over the place? And a dedicated Web site? Why haven't I seen a groveofdodona hashtag on social media?"

"I suggested all that! Paulie shot me down!" Pete hisses.

"So do some outreach! Sell us on your product! Show us where this grove is!"

"I can't. The only entrance... Ah, spew." 

The lights go off but Ara hears the noises and recognizes them without even needing to look back. "Ah, crap. I'm reliving every single one of my childhood traumas..."

"Pete," Apollo says shakily, "when you said your spotlights attracted the wrong kind of attention—"

"I meant the myrmekes," he says quietly. "I hope this won't affect your online review of the Woods at Camp Half-Blood." 

"Apollo, stay back," Ara orders firmly.

"Thank you!" Apollo retorts. 

"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to my lion!" She huffs. 

"His name is Apollo?" He asks in a heavily flattered tone that Ara hates.

"Only when I'm stressed out by his presence, now shut up," she grumbles. Meg presses closer to her, and Ara does her best to shield the girl. Pollo remains alert although he steps back, hesitant to attack the acid-spitting creatures.

"Oh, Pete?" Apollo whispers. "How do you deal with myrmekes invading your territory?" 

"By hiding," he vanishes instantly.

"Never trust gods," Ara mutters.

"I heard that!" He whispers angrily.

"That was on purpose!"

"Can we dive in?" Meg asks glancing at the geyser.

"Only if you fancy boiling to death in a pit of scalding water." Apollo grabs his ukulele very slowly. "I have an idea..."

"I thought you swore not to play," Meg says quietly.

"I did. But if I throw this shiny object to one side, the ants might—"

The myrmekes jump into action, snapping their massive fangs. Apollo falls on his butt and Ara turns Almighty into a shotgun, firing at their faces but having a hard time aiming in the dark.

"Hey, bugs!" Meg's weapons materialized in her hands, Ara didn't know she had any.

"Aim low!" The girl shouts out as they charge together. "They've got big heads and tiny eyes, so that's a lot of blind spots! Their bodies are tough to get through—hurt their legs!"

Meg does what she's told and Ara feels a wave of pride cursing through her. She turns Almighty into a spear, the distance giving her safety but also easier access to spots such as the mouths and antennae.

"Strategus!" Apollo shrieks when the third ant goes for him. 

Ara rushes to his aid and jumps onto the myrmeke's back using her spear for impulse, then wraps her legs around the thin neck and stabs its eyes ferociously. "Go help Meg!" Ara commands him.

The ant tries to shrug her off violently swaying side to side and slamming its body against the trees, Pollo jumps into action and topples the ant, but traps Ara beneath it in the process. "Back off!" Ara hisses at the lion.

Apollo shows up again and pulls her out from under the bug while Pollo bites and claws at its carcass ferally. "Peaches," the boy huffs out as they both fall back. "Where is that stupid diaper demon when we need him?"

"Where's Meg?" Ara sits up and then stands on shaky legs, looking around anxiously. "I told you to help her!"

A second myrmeke comes at them, they roll to different sides, and out of nowhere, Ara catches a snippet of  'Sweet Caroline'. With horror, she spots Apollo playing his ukulele, actively breaking his vow. "No!" She picks up her spear.

Apollo keeps singing, looking at her urgently trying to convey a message. Be ready. He's guiding the ant toward the geyser. The ant shrieks and pounces, the boy jumps out of the way and causes the ant's gigantic head to sink down the geyser's hole.

Ara drives Almighty right below the ant's jaw. Meg's screams cut through the air and Ara pulls her sword out, Apollo and her lion following closely as she runs to the noise. They reach her just in time to see the last myrmeke grab her and scurry into the trees. "NO!" Ara and Apollo cry out. 

Apollo seizes his ukulele again, but the second his fingers run over the strings, he collapses. She's seen this many times, demigods faint after using large amounts of their powers. It used to happen to her.

Ara decides he'll be okay, but when she turns to save Meg, she freezes. It's too dark and she can't hear the creature, they've always been quieter than most. "Pollo..." she turns and gasps, noticing the state of her lion. "Oh, gods, my baby..." She approaches and hugs the creature, gently examining his burnt paws. 

By the time Apollo wakes up, Ara has healed Pollo and the boy's superficial wounds. "You broke your oath," it's the first thing she tells him, staring at him like he's gum in her shoe.

Apollo sits up groaning. "Meg..."

"Gone," Ara frowns. "She has a day at most before they eat her."

"I know how myrmekes work, thank you," he scowls, rubbing the back of his head.

"You need to get that geyser talking," Ara continues. "So pull out the myrmeke's corpse out of his hole, and try again."

"Okay, so I've had enough of you," Apollo replies impatiently. "I only take orders from Meg because I have no choice, but you—"

"I'm your general," Ara stares at him defiantly. "I'm in charge of every mortal that's attached to the gods and—oh? Oh, what's that? You're Zeus's son!" She says sarcastically. "So you take orders from me! And since the gods abandoned us, you have no choice but to listen to me."

Apollo throws a tantrum, stomping and clenching his fists like a real teenager, so the transformation must be complete. "You're insufferable!"

"Meg is in trouble because you didn't listen!"

"I was trying to save you!"

"So I could save Meg for you!" Ara yanks him up to his feet by the bandana around his neck. "Do what I tell you next time, or I'll kill you myself!"

All she sees when she looks at Apollo is Olympus, and right now, she's got no sympathy for them. Percy was right, they mistreat her, and if Zeus is handing her a former god on a silver platter ready to be manhandled and yelled at, she won't waste the opportunity to do it. To Hades with helping the gods, Apollo serves her now.

Lester has a head injury Ara missed, so he's too dizzy and weak to walk, and to top it all, he's made a new vow to save Meg at the risk of dying instantly if he doesn't. Ara isn't speaking to him as they go back to camp, but she's forced to do so when he starts to hallucinate. 

"I loved you..." he whispers.

Ara looks down at him. "What?"

He sits up abruptly on Pollo's back and holds onto her shoulders tightly. "You were my first true love. Oh, Daphne!"

"Dude, back off!" His face is much too close to hers. She pushes him away and he falls face first on the mud. The girl turns to Pollo. "Can you..." Her question is left unfinished as she spots a second lion in front of her, smaller than hers, approaching from the trees. Her eyes keep moving, and they spot none other than Rhea, with a second lion walking lazily by her side. 

"My lady," Ara hops off and bows. Pollo sits reverently as well.

"Get up, princess," the woman walks past her and pats her head, when she does that, little flowers sprout in between Ara's brown locks like a flower crown directly from her scalp. The woman reaches Apollo. "Wake up."

The boy sits up and speaks hoarsely. "Rhea..."

"Peace, Apollo. I don't want to bum you out, but we need to talk." 

"Why are you... Where have you been all these centuries?"

"Upstate." Pollo skips over and rolls on his belly, the woman pets him gently. "After Woodstock, I stuck around, started a pottery studio."

"You... what?"

"Was that last week or last millennium? I've lost track."

"I—I believe you're describing the 1960s. That was last century."

"Oh, bummer. I get mixed up after so many years."

"I sympathize."

Ara can't say she's starstruck, but she'd never thought this was going to be her life at fifteen years old, that she would hang out in the forest with Apollo and Rhea while her Nemean lion demands to be petted. It's... pretty cool.

"After I left Kronos... well, that man was so square, you could cut yourself on his corners, you know what I mean? He was the ultimate 1950s dad—wanted us to be Ozzie and Harriet or Lucy and Ricky or something."

"He—he swallowed his children alive," Apollo frowns.

"Yeah. That was some bad karma. Anyway, I left him. Back then divorce wasn't cool. You just didn't do it. But me, I burned my apodesmos and got liberated. I raised Zeus in a commune with a bunch of naiads and kouretes. Lots of wheat germ and nectar. The kid grew up with a strong Aquarian vibe."

"And he came out just perfect," Ara says, unable to hold back the sarcasm.

The goddess is on some kind of trip and Ara wonders if gods can get high, or if they simply think I'll get high, and then forget to call it off because they're tripping so bad they can't snap out of it.

"Well, anyway, the communication lines are down, man. Nothing works. Rainbow messages, flying scrolls, Hermes Express... it's all going haywire." 

"We know this. But we don't know why." Apollo replies.

"It's them. They're doing it."

"Who?"

"The Man, man. Big Brother. The suits. The imperators."

"Triumvirate Holdings." 

"Yea. That's their new military-industrial complex. It's bumming me out in a big way."

"How is this possible? How have they come back?"

"They never went away," Rhea shrugs. "They did it to themselves, you know. Wanted to make themselves gods. That never works out well. Ever since the old days they've been hiding out, influencing history from behind the curtains. They're stuck in a kind of twilight life. They can't die; they can't really live."

"Wait, what?" Ara frowns. "What do you mean they did this? Like, simply willed themselves not to die?"

"But how could we not know about this?" Apollo frowns. "We are gods!"

"Apollo, Grandson, beautiful child... Has being a god ever stopped someone from being stupid?"

"I'd say it makes them even more stupid," Ara nods. "Present company excluded, mother Rhea."

"Your shoulders are so rigid," Rhea touches her and the muscles in her body stop responding. "Chill out."

Ara falls back, eyes wide but unable to stop it. "Can't move."

"That's great. Now, the emperors of Rome... They can't all be immortal," Apollo continues, getting used to ignoring her.

"No," Rhea agrees. "Just the worst of them, the most notorious. They live in human memory, man. That's what keeps them alive. Same as us, really. They're tied to the course of Western civilization, even though that whole concept is imperialist Eurocentric propaganda, man. Like my guru would tell you—"

"Rhea, can we stick to one problem at a time?" 

"Yeah, okay. I didn't mean to blow your mind."

"But how can they affect our lines of communication? How can they be so powerful?"

"They've had centuries, Apollo. Centuries. All that time, plotting and making war, building up their capitalist empire, waiting for this moment when you are mortal, when the Oracles are vulnerable for a hostile takeover. It's just evil. They have no chill whatsoever."

"I thought that was a more modern term."

"Evil?"

"No. Chill. Never mind. The Beast... he is the leader?"

"Afraid so. He's as twisted as the others, but he's the smartest and the most stable—in a sociopathic homicidal way. You know who he is—who he was, right?"

Apollo shakes his head in defeat. "It's true, then... The other Oracles still exist. The emperors hold them all?"

"They're working on it. Python has Delphi—that's the biggest problem. But you won't have the strength to take him head-on. You've got to pry their fingers off the minor Oracles first, loosen their power. To do that, you need a new source of prophecy for this camp—an Oracle that is older and independent."

"Dodona. Your whispering grove."

"Right on. I thought the grove was gone forever. But then—I don't know how—the oak trees regrew themselves in the heart of these woods. You have to find the grove and protect it."

"I'm working on that. But my friend Meg—"

"Yeah. You had some setbacks. But there are always setbacks, Apollo. When Lizzy Stanton and I hosted the first women's rights convention in Woodstock—"

"I think you mean Seneca Falls?"

"Wasn't that in the '60s?"

"The '40s. The 1840s, if memory serves."

"I'm having so much fun," Ara speaks from her patch of grass. "Can you please make my nervous system go back to normal?"

Rhea touches her again without paying much attention. "So... Jimi Hendrix wasn't there?"

"Doubtful."

"Then who set that guitar on fire? Ah, never mind. The point is, you have to persevere. Sometimes change takes centuries."

"Except that I'm mortal now. I don't have centuries."

"But you have willpower. You have mortal drive and urgency, just like our daughter of Olympus here present. Those are things the gods often lack." Her lions sit up and pace around anxiously. "I've gotta split. If the imperators track me down—bad scene, man. I've been off the grid too long. I'm not going to get sucked into that patriarchal institutional oppression again. Just find Dodona. That's your first trial."

"And if the Beast finds the grove first?"

"Oh, he's already found the gates, but he'll never get through them without you and the girl." 

"I—I don't understand."

"That's cool. Just breathe. Find your center. Enlightenment has to come from within."

"But what do I do? How do I save Meg?"

"First, get healed. Rest up. Then... well, how you save Meg is up to you. The journey is greater than the destination, you know?" She hands him a set of wind chimes. "Hang these in the largest ancient oak. That will help you focus the voices of the Oracle. If you get a prophecy, groovy. It'll only be the beginning, but without Dodona, nothing else will be possible. 

The emperors will suffocate our future and divide up the world. Only when you have defeated Python can you reclaim your rightful place on Olympus. My kid, Zeus... he's got this whole 'tough love' disciplinarian hang-up, you dig? Taking back Delphi is the only way you're going to get on his good side."

"I—I was afraid you would say that."

"There's one other thing. The Beast is planning some kind of attack on your camp," she looks at Ara when she says that. "I don't know what it is, but it's going to be big. Like, even worse than napalm. You have to warn your friends."

Ara stands and pulls Apollo to his feet, nodding dutifully. "You got it."

"Good luck. I've got to check my kiln before my pots crack. Keep on trucking, and save those trees!"

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

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[bonebabbles]

First Battle Aftermath

For the first battle itself go here

lol. Lmao, even.

Not, "Oh my god what have I done," but "I'm so weak. I can't even kill," while wearing Rainswept Flower like a new pair of fur boots

first Adoption Win in 3 books. What's the tally on that one-- 1 to 10?

Clear Sky doesn't understand the point of burials lmao. Dude did leave that dead mom he killed out in the open for the flies to find, until Wind Runner and Gorse Fur came across the corpse and put it in the ground.

And he can't remember killing Rainswept Flower either, in spite of the fact he was coherent enough to justify his actions to Gray Wing, because the Clear Sky chapters aren't meant to be a glimpse into the mind of a detestable character. They exist to garner your sympathy.

Was that enough regret for you? Hope you got your fill because it's RIGHT back to Gray Wing's Excuse Hour

WE?!

WE LET IT GET TOO FAR

We Let It Get Too Far

"My brother :(((( He's a good man :(((((((( He's a good guy even though he just starved Jackdaw's Cry before trying to murder everyone and told Thunder he shouldn't exist and slaughtered Rainswept Flower in a fit of rage :((((((((((((((((((( He gave up some food after I asked him to when we were like 17 so that means he could never be a bad person"

It's right there on the goddamn page, Clear Sky wasn't BORN EVIL so he's GOOD ACTUALLY because NO CAT CHANGES THAT MUCH.

It's EXPLICIT, am I going crazy here?! The narrative says EXACTLY that because he was good when he was young, he can't possibly have changed into a monster. "No one changes that much"

FEAR OR GREED. GOOD OR EVIL. The writing is SO BAD that they attempted to tell a story with an ounce of more nuance than usual and just ended up re-inventing a Light vs Darkness dichotomy with different nouns!

And just when you thought we'd hit rock bottom, StarClan arrives with the reinforcements needed to DIG DEEPER

Enjoy Clear Sky being called a fool once, just a silly little slip-up, an Oopsie Daisy. "I only wanted--" goes UNADDRESSED as Turtle titters about "killing only ever leads to more killing" because they have to find SOME way of getting mad at Tall Shadow too.

Turtle Tail says some romantic schlock to Gray Wing about the kits and thanks Thunder for scraping her pancaked body off the pavement where she died, and then Gray Wing decides that actually he's mad that her magic ghost came down from the heavens because it's Too Painful to see her again or something. Because he's a GREAT character.

"We came to spread the Good News Gospel, Gray Wing. You need to know that god is real to live here peacefully."

DOTC is about to say that the cats need StarClan to avoid these sorts of massacres, because actually Clear Sky is fearful, NOT greedy, and believing in God means he won't be so scared that he feels the need to abuse women and children

(But also that everyone's kinda responsible for the First Battle because Clear Sky is a good boy and WE let it get too far)

Anyway, Fridge Wife 2 starts interrogating Clear Sky. They do this incredibly insulting chapter transition where Gray Wing goes, "idk if he wants to listen to herrrr..." and Clear's chapter opens up with "LOVE OVERWHELMS HIM" because, AGAIN, Clear Sky's chapters exist to garner your sympathy.

"I was scared my heart would break if I had to see someone else die, which is why I wanted to kill orphans, threw disabled people out into the wilderness, clobbered a kitten, told my son he shouldn't exist, performed public humiliations, and beat 3 women to death"

Wanna take a break and go check out the tally of things he did in the past 3 books, and compare it to his self-defense? Be Storm! Go check that out, keep everything he did in mind.

Ask yourself this; were his actions truly consistent with someone who was just scared he would see someone die of starvation, OR, were they consistent with a domestic abuser who enjoys the power he has over people?

Storm buys it.

"FEAR IS WHAT DROVE YOU," she said with relief.

If you're AFRAID then ABUSE IS UNDERSTANDABLE. IT'S OKAY! It's all fine in the end if your motivator wasn't greed, AKA "BORN EVIL"

"Now you see there's no need to be afraid because God is real, death isn't the end, and the assurance of religion with an eternal afterlife will make you a better person"

They're saying pain is less painful if you believe in God and this is why Godless Heathens are bad in the Warrior Cats series. When Gray Wing decided to proselytize to Wind Runner and tell her it was good that her weakest child died, because it meant he was in a "better place", THIS is what that was building to narratively.

PIETY will fix Clear Sky's abusiveness. YAAAAAAY!

ALSO THIS IS TALL SHADOW'S FAULT TOO SOMEHOW?!

DIE AGAIN, SHADED MOSS, BEFORE I BEAT YOU INTO COSMIC DUST. I HOPE THERE'S MORE TRUCKS IN HEAVEN

"how did you know he was going to kill-" CONTEXT. CLUES.

SHE MADE AN EDUCATED GUESS BASED ON ALL THE CATS POKING HOLES IN EACH OTHER AND SHOUTING "it's murderin' time!!!"

She was a female Warrior Cats character in the general vicinity so they had to make sure to shame her because god forbid they imply that Clear Sky is the only one to blame for this bloodbath

In fact they do it again, Clear Sky snaps and starts barking at River Ripple for being a foreigner in his presence, right in front of God, and they don't skip a beat,

It CANNOT remain about Clear Sky, EVER. Storm whips over to GRAY WING and accuses HIM of bringing death to the mountains too, closing out the whole rant with, "ALL of you need to make amends"

This is like when a bully spits on you, calls you insults, and slaps and hits you where the teacher won't see, all while you keep trying to negotiate, but then YOU punch back and you both get equally punished because retaliation is just as bad as being attacked.

The book ends on the cats deciding it's time to bury the dead. Thus concludes The First Battle, and Clear Sky's Redemption Arc begins in Blazing Star. Because this means they nonsensically get rid of their main antagonist, they have to conjure up an Evil Foreigner to take his place.

"Unite or Die" isn't a message about actual peace and unity, that thing that the Non-Clear Sky cats have been hopelessly committed to, it's actually a message about how they're about to have a very convenient common enemy.

Y'know, someone who isn't "scared," just "greedy," one of those evil Godless Heathens, so we don't have to 'feel bad' about murdering him. One Eye time!

[kingwithpaintedfingers]

As promised!! My recommendations for Warhammer 40k reading

So, rayshell22live asked me what I thought GW was doing wrong vis a vis Warhammer 40k, and I responded with a rant about Black Library instead.

Oops. (Listen, a lot of this is pent up...)

But! I promised (myself) I would list my favorite stuff I've read from Warhammer 40k. For ease of access, I have divided it into several categories.

XENOS

There are not enough stories about Xenos. And apparently a lot of them aren't good. But here are a couple I read and liked!

The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath: Everyone recommends this, and for good reason. Fun, sometimes lighthearted, sometimes deep, it's the story of two old robots who hate each other but are forced to work together. It's a tale of two opposing forces, the past and the future, and what they both could mean for the present of the Necron race. Come for the dinosaurs and enemies-to-friends, stay for the old man fights and pranks gone horribly wrong.

War in the Museum by Robert Rath: Basically a deleted scene from The Infinite and the Divine. A short story.

Brutal Kunnin' by Mike Brooks: Orks vs. Tech Priests. Turned out to have way more humans than I would have liked, but still fun! Includes some hell-yeah moments and very quotable lines AND includes TWO non-binary characters! Very nice. Introduces two heroes for the ages: Ufthak Blackhawk, and his squig. The best squig.

Road Rage and Where Dere's Da Warp Dere's a Way by Mike Brooks: More Ufthak shenanigans! Both short stories.

Da Gobbo's Revenge by Mike Brooks: A Grot, tired of being abused by Orks, takes up the role of the ancient Grot hero Da Red Gobbo and begins a revolution. A novella, not long but fun.

The Hand of Darkness by Gav Thorpe: A lovely audio drama about Yvraine, the last hope of the Aeldari, on a mad quest to deprive Chaos of a dangerous asset. (Or, when I want to pretend to be bitter, "Rob's Not Actually Girlfriend (Seriously, She's Just An Ally) Breaks Into Mort's Basement and Ruins the Only Piece of Art He's Ever Made" It is a fantastically emo piece of art, I can't believe I've never referenced it in a fanfic before.) It's a good audio drama, I like it!

The Child Foretold by Nicholas Kaufmann: This one. This one is so. So freaking. GOOD. I just. It's so good??? A man adopts a baby. He has no idea what he's gotten himself into. Warning, it's also from Warhammer Horror.

And, recommended by friends, though I haven't read them yet:

The Twice-Dead King by Nate Crowley: A series of novels about a Necron phaeron trying to save his dynasty. Supposed to be really good, if less humorous than The Infinite and the Divine.

Day of Ascension by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Supposed to be a really good sci-fi novel all around, it tells the tale of a genestealer uprising.

THE CIAPHAS CAIN SERIES by Sandy Mitchell

Listen, you're either going to love this series, or you're going to hate it. Most people can get over the stylistic choices (seriously, there are a lot of phrases that are repeated over and over and over and over and over again by the author), but others find those phrases grating after a while. Give the series a try (personally I think the series gets really good with the second and third books) and decide for yourself. If you like it, you're in good company, and if you don't, that's okay, you're still in good company. Personal highlights for me include The Traitor's Hand, Death or Glory, Cain's Last Stand, the audio drama Dead in the Water, and the novella Good Soldiers Never Die.

BOOKS THAT MENTION MORTARION

There is probably at least one person out there who wants to know what books I recommend for the way I write him. So I included this in its own section.

The Buried Dagger by James Swallow: my first Horus Heresy novel, and the last one before the Siege. Aka "Oh Fuck, We Forgot to Give Mortarion an Actual Personality and Now He Needs to Do Some Emotional Heavy Lifting." And let me just say, Swallow knocks it out the fucking park on this one. I cried. Then I found out he's not written like this in almost ANY other story, even ones by James Swallow, and I cried even more. Do yourself a favor, pick up the audio book, because the way Jonathon Keebler says "I know" in Interval Two is heartbreaking.

"Lantern's Light" by James Swallow: A lot of BL books have what I like to call a "companion short story" that goes with it. This is the one for Mortarion's half of The Buried Dagger. It elaborates Mort's relationship with the Emperor and why it's so bad (hint: it has nothing to do with the Emperor killing his adopted dad).

Unification by Chris Wraight: One of Mortarion's sons reflects on why he follows Mortarion into battle. A companion short story to The Lords of Silence (see below).

Mortarion Pale King of Barbarus and Verdict of the Scythe by David Annandale: While I wish they had gone more in-depth with his character, they both provide us with some intriguing details into how Mortarion wages war in the Great Crusade, and why he does it in the way he does. As well as what his brothers think of him, and how that weighs on him and his actions (a lot more than he's willing to admit).

The above are really good for Mortarion as his own character, and the tragic protagonist of his own story.

Scars, the Path of Heaven, and Warhawk by Chris Wraight: Whereas these stories are good at depicting Mortarion as his own villainous character. Most stories twist and turn Mortarion's personality to depict him as the Jungian shadow of whatever character is the protagonist of this series. Not so the Jaghatai Khan trilogy. Here he is still (mostly) recognizable as the same character as the Buried Dagger's Mortarion, but now he's a villain. Kind of. He's not the main villain of the first two books, but he kind of is for the third one? He doesn't show up often, but it's interesting when he does.

Daemonology by Chris Wraight: There's only one paragraph from his perspective, and it's the last paragraph of the story. Regardless, it provides us with a rare look at how people weaker than Mortarion who aren't on his good side see him. And it shows us that, like the witches and sorcerers he hates, Mortarion has more brains than sense.

Honorable mentions:

Grandfather's Gift by Guy Haley, because Mortarion enjoys a garden in it and it mentions how much pain Mortarion's transformation is (also, he's mostly naked for most of it, make of that what you will). Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow has one or two good scenes with Mortarion, but he's barely in it.

HORUS HERESY AND PRIMARCHS

Saturnine by Dan Abnett: Some people hated it, some people loved it, personally I'm in the Loved It camp? It had some memorable moments and some interesting battles! On the other hand, if you're a Fulgrim fan, skip it, it does him no favors. If you're a Perturabo fan, give it a try! He gets some great Only Sane Man moments (and a shirtless scene. That's not important, but it's there.)

Magnus the Red Master of Prospero by Graham McNeill: It's a Magnus book, but it's a fuckin' banger for Perturabo. Good stuff. Petition to have McNeill write all the Perturabo stuff? Just...not the War of Rust, please.

Lorgar Bearer of the Word by Gav Thorpe: Holy shit, did Lorgar not have a happy childhood. Depicts him very sympathetically!

Fulgrim the Palatine Phoenix by Josh Reynolds and Ferrus Manus Gorgon of Medusa by David Guymer: Both of these go on the list for having scenes that live rent-free in my head, most of them involving either Fulgrim or one of Fulgrim's sons. Josh Reynolds is a really good writer in general, though I think he might be the one who doesn't write for GW/BL anymore.

A Lesson in Darkness by Ian St. Martin: Creepy, serial killer fun starring Konrad Curze doing creepy, fucked-up Night Haunter shit. An Audio Drama.

Angron Slave of Nuceria by Ian St. Martin: a grim look at Angron's backstory, and how the suffering he experienced in his past doomed his entire legion. There's a companion short story called "Ghosts of Nuceria," but I'm saving that one for when I really, really need to cry as if the world is ending, so I haven't read it yet. I've read part of it already and man. Man.

OTHERS FROM 40K

The Lords of Silence by Chris Wraight: Generally agreed to be one of the best Chaos Space Marine novels, it follows the story of a warband of Death Guard, the titular Lords of Silence, as they wage war and have existential crises. Introspective and philosophical at times, and always careful to make everyone a well-rounded character, has mystery elements. The story is told out of order and in the present tense, so if those are dealbreakers for you, you'll have to sit them out. also includes a great scene with Mortarion okay thanks bye

The Way Out by Rachel Harrison: part of the Black Library's Warhammer Horror line, it's an audio drama that will keep you guessing until the end. Spooky and creepy and mysterious.

A couple more honorable mentions to round things out. The following all have scenes that live rent-free in my mind, all are either short stories or novels from Warhammer Horror, all take place in 40k:

The Deacon of Wounds by David Annandale; The Bookkeeper's Skull by Justin D. Hill; Imperator Gladio by Richard Strachan.

AND A FEW FROM AGE OF SIGMAR Not very many, though, because I haven't read very many...

Hallowed Knights: Plague Garden by Josh Reynolds: the only AoS novel I've ever read. Loved it. If Torgun dies, I'll fucking riot. Part of a series that may have been stopped, sadly.

The Vintage by David Annandale: a Warhammer Horror short story I hated the first time, loved the second time. Got a really killer premise, pun not intended. From that one year where Games Workshop decided that all of the Warhammer Horror Week stories would be about vampires.

Anyway, some of the stuff I enjoyed.

[elliewiltarwyn]

I have to ask top 5 npc 👀

well if you guys insist 👀 this will get extremely long, i'm sure, so i'll throw it under the cut to save your dashes lol

-----------------------------------

5. Emet-Selch

yes part of me is a basic bitch and is in agreement with everyone that damn, that villain of the award-winning expansion of the critically acclaimed MMORPG do be written ridiculously well. part of me is such a basic bitch that i am among the many who made an ancient OC named Persephone. (She isn't Ellie's ancient, and therefore not Azem, for whatever that's worth. :V)

but I mean. damn, he's written well. and I really feel his influence in nearly every corner of the ingame universe. Ellie stands firmly against him, but also can't say for certain she'd make any different choices if she had been in his position, having lost everyone she ever loved. honestly one of the best implementations of the "everyone is the hero of their own story" concept I've ever seen.

plus he's just such a rude, uptight little bitch, and it's amazing to watch.

4. Alisaie

Both of the twins are really good, and I am definitely among those who, despite their less-than-stellar introductions, eventually ended up going all "I'm having children. it's you. sign these adoption papers." but Alisaie in particular has the fierce drive and endless capacity for love that connects with Ellie so well. they're both fiery and vivacious and searching for some sort of purpose in a world that doesn't care and eventually find that meaning in the people they love. Straightforward, hates beating around the bush, so eager to cut to the point that she pops the LB immediately every dang time on like the GCD right before I try going for it--

yeah she's just really good and she feels like a sister after everything we've been through.

3. Lyse

So, I grew up in the shadow of an older brother; he was immensely popular, very self-confident, and knew what he wanted to do with his life ever since he was a kid. Everyone loved him, everyone admired his clear sense of purpose... and more than a few people looked at me in his wake and literally asked "why aren't you that cool? you should try and be more like him." not even exaggerating.

thankfully, I've done a lot of self-growth and am on very good terms with him these days. A lot of that sense of self-growth came from finding the courage to strike out on a path he hadn't laid down before me, find ways to define myself that aren't just carbon copies of his own traits. It was better for everyone for me to figure out what I wanted and how to achieve that by becoming the best version of myself -- not anyone else.

is it any godsdamn wonder Lyse resonates so much with me? plus she's a beautiful kinda-dumb punch girl, and I live for that archetype. In my canon, Ellie drops reaper after Endwalker and trains up to be a monk under Lyse, because albeit for different reasons, Ellie also empathizes a ton with Lyse's struggles and development. to the extent of fairly severely crushing on her for a long time imma be real.

2. Esteem

you ever just *clenches fist* become so traumatized that in order to cope you manifest your own inner darkness that wants you to love yourself so much that she tries to subsume you into herself so you don't have to suffer anymore, only to come to terms with the weight of all the traumas you are carrying and learning to love yourself through it all anyway, in a way that helps you master the darkness and bring it to bear against those who deserve it? is-- is this not a common experience? oh. well I mean. it was very cool to have that happen.

Ryne

i made a meme a long time ago for this exact purpose:

i love my beautiful gay daughter

thanks for the prompt and the excuse to gush, @oneiroy and @alliezweihander!!

[deathofacupid]

games // part four (final part) | p.p.

who says peter parker owns an apartment 

final partttt

request, vote, and comment

masterlist to this here!

peter made a point to stay away from me the following week, and for that i didn't blame him. i'd fucked up and this is what i deserved. i didn't know what to say or do that would make this better.

all in all, i'd chickened out. i was scared and i had no other reasoning. does this count as trama-induced shit? i don't know. 

it was too late now, really.  he hated me and that was fine, it would be better off this way. we would be better off this way. i wouldn't accidently hurt him or vice versa, yeah?

yeah. 

...yeah?

i was currently hiding in library, so i would be able to avoid peter's sad eyes.

"you're a bitch, ya know?"

i was taken aback, my head snapping towards the voice. 

mj. it was mj.

"i-i'm sorry?"

"don't act like you don't know what i'm talking about. it's not like the whole school knows, anyways. that's literally what everyone's talking about."

"i.."

she raised an eyebrow. "you stood up peter?"

"that's not- i didn't-"

"yeah. you did. why? he doesn't deserve that, and you know it."

blinking, i wasn't sure what to say? i was scared? to what, break my heart? quietly, i whispered a response. "i dunno," lie, "i wasn't really thinking," lie, "i guess i was afraid?" truth.

"to what?"

"hurt him. break his heart? break mine? these things never end well."

"well, how's that working for you?"

"what do you mean?"

"breaking hearts," mj explained.

oh. oh, okay. i see. i may have contridicted myself here. i shook my head, very literally trying to shake the thoughts out of my head. "no, you don't get it."

"then help me. help me understand."

"...i-" what was there to explain? "my parents got divorced," short and sweet."

"okay? my parents got divorced."

"not the same."

"why?" 

"because."

"because why?"

"god, why are you doing this?"

"no, why are you doing this?"

i threw my hands up in the air, exasperated. "doing what!?"

"you're running away. from this. from him. don't you realize that it won't help anything?"

"but my parents-"

"you aren't your parents. their love story doesn't dictate yours. make your own, your own story. fill up the pages with whatever the hell you want, but don't you dare close that book."

yes, it was a weird comparison, but it oddly made sense. 

"what are you getting at?"

"you can be your own person. just because your mom and dad didn't work, doesn't mean you and peter won't. it doesn't even have to be serious, just try it. for him. for yourself. give it a chance, maybe he'll end up being the one. besides, peter isn't like that. he's a gentleman. i pretty sure. unless he's a secret fuckboy, i don't know.

"but what i do know is that you'll never find out if you don't try."

i sucked in a breath, "what if it's too late?"

"it's never too late. go get your man," she winked. 

"okay, yeah. i-i'm doing this... uh, maybe after school, though." she nodded, going back to her book. 

"thank you," i whispered. 

"it's fine. everyone gets misguided sometimes. just takes a little nudge to get back on track," mj paused, "besides, i know you're, like, hopelessly in love with him." 

and before i could ask, she added, "it's pretty obvious."

despite the growing blush on my face, i grinned. 

- 

i paced in front of peter's house, like i had been for the past 30 minutes. may's car wasn't in the driveway, and i didn't know when she'd be back or where she was going. 

i'd been hiding behind a bush as i'd watched her drive away, so maybe i'd have, like, another 30 minutes? 

what would i say to make this all better? was there even anything to say? "sorry" didn't seem like enough, it was such a small, pathetic word. vague and insincere.

sorry what?

sorry i stood you up.

sorry i led you on.

sorry i was a bitch.

sorry i'm scared. 

sorry i'm like this.

sorry because you don't deserve this. you deserve better. so much better, and i'm not sure if i can give that to you. 

i cracked my knuckles and chewed on my bottom lip, letting my fist hover over the front door. suddenly, the door opened. my eyes widened and i jumped back, met by the face of curly haired boy. 

i'd been in my head all day, dreaming up fake scenarios where everything would be okay, and we'd, i don't know, end up kissing? (and other ones that ended up with peter taking over the world.)

he sighed, pressing his lips together. 

"i- you- i was just... because- you know, like... yeah."

peter shook his head, "i saw you through the window, like, 15 minutes ago. i figured i would let you actually do something, but you didn't, and i got kinda impatient."

"oh." oh? seriously? that's all i can muster up?

he waited for another moment and then looked away, "look, it's fine."

it is?

"you don't like me and that's it. there's not really anything to do about that. it was kinda too good to be true. i should've listened to ned. you're friends with flash, for god's sakes. what on earth did i expect? not that you go around playing fucking games or something."

peter shrugged, looking back up at me, "i guess i thought you were better than that."

my throat felt dry, and if felt like sharp pieces of glass were shredding my vocal cords, because i couldn't say anything. his eyes lingered on me for a bit longer, and when he realized that i wasn't going to say anything, he shut the door.

almost.

"what-?"

i blew out a breath, "ow, that kinda hurt. i may need better shoes." i unwedged my foot from between the door, pushing it back open with my hand.

i tried again, getting kind of desperate. "i- i don't... i didn't mean-"

"it's fine," he said, stressing every syllable. "i don't care."

"you- you don't?"

"oh, i'm sorry, did you want me to be hung over your rejection the rest of your life and follow you around like a fucking puppy or something?"

"no! no, of course not." i don't think i've ever really heard peter swear before, so he must've been really mad, and i don't blame him. i'd want to defenestrate myself, too, if i were him. 

in fact, i do.

"i messed up and i know that," his expression read that my statement was rather obvious. "but- i... i really do like you."

peter raised an eyebrow.

"i know that nothing i say can make this better, and i get that. i don't expect you to forgive or give me another chance, but please hear me out."

"okay," he said timidly, so i sat down on the front steps.

"it's stupid and i know that, okay? so don't laugh." peter didn't respond, so i continued. "my parents got divorced when i was really young, and i didn't really expect it. you know, because i thought they were perfect. and at least in my eyes, they were."

"my parents are... uh, dead," i looked over at him, frowning. but when i saw he had a half-smile on my face, i felt my heart beat faster. 

"they had a fight, got divorced, and... and, yeah. i'm not sure how my dad took it, because he never talked about it. he still doesn't. i've tried asking, he doesn't like that. i guess he must've removed all info from friday, too, because she claims to not know anything. 

"my mom died just a year or two after. kinda went off the rails, maybe. she died from overdose. i don't know whether it was accidental or not, my dad didn't tell me that either. i don't think it was."

"i-i'm so sorry-... i had no idea."

"i know. it's okay. i'm just scared. i don't want to end up like her." once i'd started, i couldn't stop, it was thrilling to be actually talking about it. because i'd never done that before. 

my dad had gotten me a therapist after my mom died, but i'd refused to talk to her, so that was that. 

"so it's not that i don't like you. because i really, really do. you mean a lot to me, and if i'm being honest, i don't really think i've felt this way for anyone before. you're- you're different. i feel happy when i'm with you, like i don't have to pretend. because i know you won't judge."

i sighed, "i know it's not fair to call anyone perfect, but i really think you are."

"i want to be with you, peter. you know, if you'll have me."

"i do. i- i mean, i do want to have you. well, you're not an object, i mean, like, be with you. and you don't have to worry, y/n. i'd never do anything to hurt you, i love you too much. we can take things slow if you want, test out the waters."

at that point, i realized what we hadn't wasn't perfect, but that was okay. i loved us for it. 

i nodded, "so you aren't mad?"

"no, i'm happy that you told me this. i'm glad you could trust me. so... wanna restart?"

tilting my head to the side, i raised a brow.

"i'm peter," he held out a hand, grinning dorkily. i took it and pulled him close to me, kissing him. clearly, he was shocked, because he didn't kiss me back for a moment. but when he did, it was the best thing in the world. 

after all, we didn't have to restart completely.

[xthe-writing-vampirex]

Oh, my word! You have no idea how happy I was to discover your story collection! Borrowers are 1 of my favorite concepts and I was thrilled to find out that a friend and I aren't the only 1s to think that it would be fun to have Fnaf SB and Borrowers be a thing! If you are still doing requests, I would like to see more Sun and Moon and a Borrower child reader, please! Look forward to what you create in the future!

Hi! I'm really glad you found my account! I looked for borrower content in FNAF for ages and couldn't find any. So given my past in fanfic writing I decided to write some of my own and put my own spin on things. I actually plan on doing some with some of the older versions of the characters too eventually. Anyway here's a short little fic with Sun and Moon!

Sun & Moon x Child! Borrower! Reader

Sun went about his normal day as more and more kids piled into the daycare. Things were hopping as usual and he moved between groups of kids to play with and check on everyone. He goes on like this for most of the day until closing time when all of his friends have to leave. He waves them off like usual and turns back to the daycare to start his usual cleaning. What was unusual was the familiar sound of a child crying. Everyone had left right? So why would there be someone crying? Sun makes his way around the daycare, following the sound of the small sobs, eventually getting to one of the play sets. He looks around, trying to find the source, confused when he can't.

"Hey friend! The daycare is closed! Please come out and I can take you to your parents!" Sun states in his typical cheerful voice. The crying stops pretty much immediately after he hears a small gasp, like whoever it was was surprised by him. He continues trying to look for the source but can't find them. He starts to go back to cleaning until he hears a small voice.

"I-I got lost.....I can't find mommy." You state, watching the huge animatronic. Your mom had always told you to avoid these monstrosities but you couldn't help it. At this point you'd be separated from your mother all day and you were terrified of what my happen if she didnt find you. This sun animatronic scared you but you didnt know what else to do. You couldn't find her all on your own.

"Lost, tch tch tch. Well thats no good. What's your name friend? I can search you in our database." Sun states, seeing as thats the main way he's programmed to help in these situations.

"I-I'm Y/N......but I'm not like the others." You explain, afraid to admit exactly what you are. After all the first rule you were taught was never get caught. In this case though it seemed you had no choice.

"You're not in my database friend. Please come out so I can get you to safety before all of the staff leaves for the night." Sun explains, trying to at least see you and figure it out from there. He'd never seen anyone that wasn't in his database before.

"No! Please dont take me to them! They'll hurt me!" You say in panic, humans means a trap. This can't be good. Without thinking about it you move out of your hiding spot. The suns white eyes land on you and you feel yourself start to panic. You try to think of where to run.

Sun on the other hand can't believe his eyes. Standing a few inches from him on the plastic towers is a 2 inch tall being that looks exactly like a normal human, though its clearly not. "Its okay friend. Please don't panic. Let's work together to find your mom. Its like a game of hide and seek!" Sun states, trying to get you to calm down and not see him as something scary. You on the other hand are still panicking but you know this is your only chance of finding your mom so you nod.

"O-Okay."

🌿🌿🌿

Hope you liked it! I'll try to do a version of this with Moon for you too if you'd like!