#FAST snow whale!!!

[aquanutart]

I enjoyed watching a cetitan chase arven in paldean winds. I thought "wow they are Fast"

[themotherofhorses]

Hiiii wanted to request Dark Aemond x Mermaid reader.

Reader is from house Manderly [ their flag had a merman in it ] and Aemond finds our her secret so he blackmails her father into marrying her.

Also some smut too maybe breeding kink of sorts.

even the whales fall prey to men.

pairing: dark!aemond targaryen x fem!mermaid!reader

warnings: very much nsfw. explicit language. blackmailing on aemond's part. forced marriage. dubcon. breeding kink. allusions to violence and death. mentions of pregnancy.

notes: dark & obsessive!aemond targaryen makes my head go brrr. also this smut will totally suck and i take full responsibility for it.

masterlist

The sea is much colder than usual, and across the winter sky hangs a thick blanket of clouds, dark as smoke.

It will snow soon, your mother had said at breakfast, bundled up in all her warm furs while you broke fast together. Today may be the last day we are able to swim for a while, so do make your peace and say all your goodbyes to your grandfather.

You sit on the jagged rocks that stand strong in the waters, watching as your mother and sisters finish with their own wreaths. Yours lays draped across your lap, weaved from rosemary and sea kale and the pretty blackthorn that bloomed on the nearby cliffs. The whales were making one final visit to White Harbor before leaving for warmer waters, and it was tradition to see them goodbye, and to flower them with the newly made wreathes and long garlands. It would not be until the early summer months that they would return.

“Little fish,” your mother calls out for you, already knee-high deep in the bitter sea waters. Your sisters did not wait for neither you nor her, deciding on a small race between each other. “Lost in thought, my little love?” Her face is soft and sweet, with two dimples on both cheeks, “Come or we’ll miss them!”

You were born a Manderly, under the cold moon, on the White Knife. On your first nameday, a great storm wailed outside the New Castle, crushing your lord father’s fleet to kindle and drowning the port city. Some said it was the Stranger waging war against the Father and the Warrior, high in the heavens, while others claimed the old sea god Caraxes was celebrating the birth of a new granddaughter.

Your father claimed direct descendance from the First Men, while your mother was of the true goldenblood of Old Valyria, a daughter of Caraxes himself. His mermaids, women with silver crowns and dark violet eyes and a fish’s tail for legs. The seamen swore you existed, but the rest of Westeros refused to believe.

Perhaps that was why you never strayed far from the White Knife, and from your mother’s side too.

Then again, your lady mother never faltered in warning you and your elder sisters of the myriad of dangers that came with your blood, and of people finding out the truth of such. She was a protective woman, prideful and beautiful, and a great warrior too. The magic she practiced since girlhood allowed for her to shift her appearances, and when you grew of age, she taught you the different spells and rituals, the small incantations to mumble under your breath, and the ways of honoring your grandfather.  

“Be smart about it,” she cautioned, though not sternly. With a gentle palm resting over your cheekbone, she kissed the tip of your nose, smiling down at you, “always be mindful of one’s eyes and ears, my little one. The whales know no true safety, not even in their own home.”

Oh, how you wish to go back and believe her words a little more

It came as a great surprise that, while you were gone, your lord father had welcomed in a guest.

You had not been made aware of such, and neither was your mother, who took it as quite the insult. She immediately sent you and your sisters to your personal chambers, to wash up from the heavy sea salt that clung to your skin and hair, and to dress nicely. “The blue velvet, please,” she said, with a smile that did not reach her purple eyes. “We must look our best.” You had not the slightest clue of who the guest might be, and you ask your eldest sister if she caught a whisper. But she just shrugs. “A Stark, maybe? Or perhaps a Baratheon.”

“But what would they want with us?”

“Maybe a marriage pact is finally being proposed between our houses,” she replies with a sigh, a stupid lovesick grin twisting on her pink lips. She is a maiden of twenty and two, tall and slender and beautiful like your mother, and beyond ready to become a lord’s wife. You make a face at that but say nothing more. Would your mother even allow for that to happen? Perhaps for your sisters, but not for you.

You were still too young, a pretty daylily not yet ready for plucking.

In the Merman’s Court, you find your mother pacing by the castle’s throne, biting at her nails. She looks nervous, with eyes darting between the doors and the households that stood around the hall, cloaked in wools of blue and green. When she finally takes notice of your presence, she drops her hand and draws you into a hug. “Little fish,” and she studies you over, at how you brushed out your silver hair till it shone, and wore your nicest silks. “Very pretty, my little one. Very pretty, indeed.”

You remain by her side, clutching tightly her hand as your sisters soon step inside the hall, all clad in their prettiest gowns, in bright colors of green and navy and white, and giggling amongst themselves. Then come the court ladies and lords, the few maesters that lived in the New Castle, and your father, the Lord Manderly, followed by-

“Prince Aemond of the House Targaryen, son of King Viserys II and the Queen Alicent.”

Your eyes grow wide at the sight of Aemond One Eye, and you subtly shift closer to your mother. He was terribly handsome, you think, shrouded in black riding leather and a long cape that pooled around his dark boots. At his waist hangs a sheathed long-sword. Both his hands are tucked behind his back, shoulders straight and proud, and he wears a smirk. And his hair, every bit the same silver as yours, long and straight and neatly combed.

“Ah, Prince Aemond,” your mother greets. She curtsies, low and graceful to her knees, and you do the same. “Your visit is quite the unexpected one, but we welcome you into our home. Is White Harbor to your liking, my prince?”

He hums. “There are many seamen that dock themselves at King’s Landing, and almost all of them have spoken of the White Harbor, and the beauty that it possesses, particularly during these winter months.” His voice is deep, almost a purr, with a crownlands accent. “Although, my lady, now I cannot help but wonder if your daughters are the reason for that.”

Your mother clicks her tongue, and ever so slightly her eyes narrow. “You honor me, my prince,” she said, “and my daughters.”

Prince Aemond grins at that.

It was your father who spoke next. “My love, the Prince Aemond has arrived with a most equitable offer from the King and Queen themselves.” He sounds quite proud, and incredibly happy at whatever that offer might be. “They are asking for an alliance to be made between our house and House Targaryen,” but he pauses, holding his gaze on your mother, “-through marriage. Prince Aemond is here to choose one of our daughters to wed.”

Your face snaps to your mother, who stood speechless.

“Our eldest is twenty and two, and a fine lady,” your father adds, nodding to your sisters that stood to your left, “and our second-born daughter just celebrated her twentieth nameday. She has no current betrothed, though she is not without suitors, of course.” Your mother holds her tongue, it seemed, choosing to keep you tucked by her side.

But Prince Aemond shakes his head. “Your two daughters are very beautiful, Lord Manderly, I speak nothing but the truth with that, but I have no interest in having their hands,” he says, before focusing his one eye on you. “It is your youngest I wish to have.”

Your mind goes blank.

“My youngest?” Your father sputters. “Forgive me for my words, my prince, but we have not planned to wed her off yet.”

Aemond shrugs. “I do not care about that; it is she who I desire the most.” He looks at your father, tilting his head, sounding curious, “Did you not promise to me any choice of your daughters, for an alliance with my family?” Lord Manderly appears nervous now, and embarrassed as well, with cheeks and a forehead flushing a bright pink. “Well…I suppose so…”

“Mama?” you whisper, tucking yourself behind her. Your fingers tremble greatly, and it soon feels too difficult to breathe. You could feel your sisters’ eyes on you, along with your father’s and the eyes of the many court lords and ladies, and the household guards too. They all feel too judgemental, pitiful and sympathetic. But your mother, she fought back. “No,” she says, loudly. “No, you shall not have her.”

“You deny your own prince?” Aemond asks, incredulous. “Such boldness, my Lady Manderly. But alas, I came to retrieve my bride, and I shall leave with her, make no mistake in believing that.”

“No,” your mother repeats, much louder than the first. Her voice, strong and willful, echoes across the Merman’s Court, sounding every much a crack of thunder, or perhaps even a roar of a she-dragon. “She is still too young, my prince, you must understand that. I will not be separated from my youngest, she is not ready to become a wife-”

“She has celebrated her eighteenth nameday, has she not?” Your mother stays silent, and Aemond grins. “She is well old enough to be my wife.”  

Your mother shakes her head. “Please, you can have my two other daughters, but not her. I refuse it! I refuse it!” She turns to your father, “My love, see with reason! She is not ready! The ocean still needs her, I still need her! Refuse it! I will not allow it! No, I will not-” But Prince Aemond cuts her off, “Refuse it?” He laughs, and you flinch at it.

“You have no power to do such a thing, least you wish to die of treason, a bloody traitor to your crown. To your King and Queen!”

He takes a step forwards, to you and your mother. “I know you, Lady Manderly,” he says, slowly, carefully, as if approaching a wild forest beast, “I know the sort of mother you are. It is very honorable, very admirable, and I thank you, from the bottom of my own heart, for raising my new bride well. But I also know you are very protective of them, and I understand.” Prince Aemond then leans his face close, until his lips linger over your mother’s ear, “-after all, dangers do tend to follow the daughters of Caraxes, do they not? And his granddaughters too. His pretty mermaids.”

He pulls back, a dark grin curling on his lips, his tone seeping in false concern. “What might happen if the world found out the truth of you? And your daughters? How you are not just liars, but neither full humans as well. The creatures the seamen lust after, alive and flourishing on the White Knife…”

Prince Aemond then peers at you from where you stood, his face softening. You timidly meet his eye. “Come, my lady, allow me a better look at you.” You swallow but do as he asked, moving to stand in front of him. “Look at you, a vision of pure beauty. You are so much lovelier than what I imagined when coming here,” and you could not figure out what hurts more: his grip on your upper arm, or the way your mother did nothing.

When you turn to glance back at your lady mother, she looks more a stranger than the woman you knew- weak and humiliated and defeated, almost in tears. It reminds you of something she told you, so many moons ago, back on the beachside. There was a dead whale carcass, fat and bloated, drifting back and forth in the harbor. In its side was buried a harpoon. Your mother shook her head at the sight.

“Even the whales fall prey to men.”

Five days later, Aemond One Eye claims you as his wife.

He allows the wedding to partake on the beach, alongside the ocean where you grew up and loved so dearly. Your mother had pleaded with him to agree on his part to wed you in the customs of Old Valyria, and he could not say no.

I, too, am of the blood of Old Valyria, he said, quite proudly. It will be an honor to both our ancestors, may they bear down on us as we continue our bloodline.

But afterward, he was quick to whisk you away to King’s Landing, to the Red Keep where he swore you rightfully belonged. You only caught a short glimpse of the Queen Alicent Hightower and her father, the Hand, before you were locked you in his royal chambers. And now, you lay across his bed, a flood of whimpers and moans spilling from your pink lips as he squashes his face only deeper between your thighs. “You have the sweetest cunt,” he groans, sucking on your clit as your head thrashes around, and your hips buck against his mouth.

“I knew I had to have you,” he says, while running his tongue along your wet folds. Your taste, it is like no other, and he swears himself a new and addicted man. He will spend the rest of his days worshipping you if the gods allow it. “The moment I saw you, you were mine. The gods could not even deny me of you. Your lips, my sweet girl, they looked so sweet, and I wondered if your cunt would be the same.”

Both your breasts sit in his hands, and he palms at them, sliding his face up to yours, peppering kiss after kiss across your hipbones and stomach. You are so beautiful, he thinks, while pressing his face against your belly. It should be a sin that you are not with child. “I cannot wait till our firstborn sleeps here,” he mumbles, kissing it, “I will make you the most beautiful mother known to the world, and men will envy me for the rest of their damned days.”

His words make you whimper, chewing on your bottom lip as his mouth soon hovers over yours. “Tell me you want my seed,” he demands in a whisper, gripping your chin between his fingers. “Tell me how bad you need it…and I promise you, my love, you will have it.”

“Please…”

His eyebrow raises, and he chuckles. “Please, what?”

He wishes for you to beg for him- for his seed and his love and soul, to plead with him for everything, to come undone and submit yourself- as his woman and wife and the mother of his children.

But you shy away, choosing to hide your face within the pillows, a bit too embarrassed to answer him properly. It is cute until Aemond grows too impatient. His craving for you spanned over too many moons, ever since he took first sight of you swimming in the waters of the White Knife. He toasts to both the Mother and the Maiden, perhaps even the Crone, that you never saw Vhagar flying in the sky above.

“It does not matter,” he says, kissing your forehead softly before moving to your lips. The kiss leaves you breathless, trembling and hungry for more. He flings your legs over his waist, pulling you down to where you lay completely underneath him, “I do not need your permission to seed my wife, and to make her a mother,” and against your lips, he mumbles, “you belong to me, do you understand? You are mine, from this day till the end.” And within a minute, his cock is stuffed deep inside you.

“It is too big…!” you cry, grasping onto his shoulders as he fucks you hard and deep, his thrusts seeming too unforgiving.

Perhaps he is punishing you, though you had not the smallest idea as to why.

“Please! Please, husband- please, slow down!” You bounce beneath him, fingers finding your own nipples as you twist and tweak them. It felt right in the moment, having remembered him doing it only several minutes ago.

“I do not give a shit,” he grunts, his hands resting on your hips, “you were fucking made for me. This body was made for my seed, for my children, now you will take it.” Sweat beads along his forehead as he moans and grunts some more and whines, feeling the way your cunt tightens around his cock. It is perfection, a feeling that was made just for him. “You have evaded my hands for too fucking long, now you suffer the consequences.”

You feel as if your eyes might roll to the back of your skull. Your pants are heavy and hot, and you cannot help the shriek when his fingers pinch your clit, before rubbing his thumb over it. He laughs, quickening his thrusts. “And to think, your mother would have kept this from me, kept you away from me. Ah, should I speak to you the truth, my love?” It is a cruel taunt, as you cannot answer, too overtaken by this pleasure. “I would have burned the White Harbor to the ground if I was denied you. Burned your entire fucking family to ashes if they dared keep you from me. House Strong has gone extinct because of me, maybe they will come up with a new nickname for that. Aemond Targaryen, kinslayer. Aemond Targaryen, house-destroyer.”

He shakes his head, snickering, “No, those are too silly, are they not, my love?”

Your face twists up, all in utter pleasure, and your body tightens too as you cream all over his cock. Soon after, he fills you with his cum, so much it trickles down from your cunt, staining the bedsheets along with your blood. But Aemond is quick to gather it with his fingertip, though, and shove it back in you. “Every bit of it matters, my lady, especially if we wish for you be with child by the next moon.” You try to smile, but you are so exhausted and ruined and all you yearn for is sleep.

“Did…did I do good?” you breathe.

Aemond smiles, and kisses your lips, soft and sweet and loving. He strokes your hair, twirling a silver strand around his finger. You are gorgeous, his beautiful wife, this sweet granddaughter of Caraxes. All his. You and the babe that you will carry soon.

“You did perfect, my little fish.”

[teriri-sayes]

TCF Modern AU Character Checklist (Official)

RIDI, one of the Korean publishers of TCF/LCF, recently released new ebook volumes for TCF. The volume set consisted of volumes 10-18, spanning chapters 201-398 of Part 1. And RIDI added a "Character Checklist" as the exclusive bonus content for buying the volume set.

What is this character checklist about? It's just a list of things that the characters are most likely to do or prefer. But it is set in a modern AU (alternate universe) setting.

Those who want to purchase official merchandise can head over to RIDI to buy the new ebooks. You can get a 10% discount and a 5000 won coupon if you participate in the event, so the cost for the new volume set will only be 24,160 won. But be aware that this is only in the Korean language. There is no official English ebook for TCF. 🥲

The new ebooks included new novel covers. For volumes 1 - 9, they changed the ebook cover to this:

And for volumes 10-18, the new ebook cover is this:

Because the character checklist is not publicly available for free, I will only post a quick summary of it.

***

Alberu 

likes to eat snacks while working

beautiful handwriting

celebrates others' birthdays grandly

frequent social media poster because of work

Beacrox 

makes tteok-galbi and gives it to Cale

2nd best at making snow ducks

Ron

makes travel plans because of the kids

good at claw machines

Bud 

world traveler who's good at driving any vehicle

frequent social media poster because he's an attention-seeker

Hilsman 

scared of bugs

Witira 

heavy drinker

troublemaker child because she couldn't control her strength

Eruhaben 

good singer of old songs but only does it upon the kids' request

picky appetite

doesn't use kiosks because he's not interested in learning anything new

On

great dancer

makes travel plans

knows the most about memes

Hong

makes travel plans

likes winter because of family get-togethers

frequent social media poster because he finds it exciting

good at drawing because everyone praised their drawings

posts memes

Raon

makes travel plans

prefers to play together than go on amusement park rides

likes winter because of family get-togethers

late sleeper because he always daydreams of going on trips with his family

good at drawing because everyone praised their drawings

Choi Han

stiff dancer

secretly prefers thrills in the amusement park

good at making snow ducks

student with low grades

Deruth

believes in fortune telling stuff but is in denial over it

Cale

somehow ends up as the leader in team projects

celebrates others' birthdays secretly

best fit as the leader of a K-pop boy group

buys lots of online books to read when he achieves slacker life

heavy reader

drinks hot Americano because Ron says cold drinks is bad for him

Mary

likes spicy food

likes horror movies

good at computers because Tasha taught her

Lock

first to apologize after getting into a fight

model student with good grades

Tasha

loves to eat meat

Archie

always grumbles on trips but shuts up when Cale stares at him

Toonka

bad at using machines and gadgets

Cage

prefers eating over studying

Rosalyn

drinks iced Americano in the morning

troublemaker child because she wanted to do lots of things

Jack

likes pineapple pizza

Hannah

likes mint chocolate and eats it together with Mary

***

Some trivia:

Mint chocolate in Korea is similar to pineapple pizza that people either heavily like or dislike.

Witira being a heavy drinker is a pun related to her race as a whale tribe. Sulgorae (술고래) is a figurative expression for a heavy drinker. It’s a combination of the words 술 (alcohol) and 고래 (whale). English has a similar expression to it - drink like a fish

Making snow ducks is a trend in Korea. They use plastic tongs with a duck mold to create snow ducks. Some treat is a game where you make dozens of it fast as if printing out items in a factory, and line it up in a row.

Tteok-galbi is grilled short rib patties. Hmm, delicious~! 😋

[ghostgorlsworld]

Johnny Boy (part 5)

werewolf!Johnny x reader

part one is here

Once upon a time, you would've done anything for John Mctavish. He had been your older brother's cool best friend, and you were always desperate for him to see you as more--until one fateful night that ends up with you pregnant and him...gone. Fast forward six years and you've made a good life for yourself with your daughter Emma, with Johnny none the wiser. Until he decides to knock on your door.

Johnny spent a fair amount of time with you and Emma for the next week, weaseling himself into your schedule with a kind of single-minded determination that must have gotten him far in the military.

By Friday, you were exhausted, irritated, overstimulated, and, disappointingly enough, horny. It turned out the lack of sex over the last year or two had turned your hormones into monsters that were very attracted to the nice smelling man that fixed your refrigerator and coaxed Emma to eat her greens. It didn’t seem to matter that it was Johnny of all people, or the fact that you still couldn’t look at him without anger sparking in your heart.

What was worse was that Johnny brought up finances on Thursday, mentioning something about helping with the bills. That had been like a shot of adrenaline, your blood pressure rising through the roof.. 

You had dropped the bowl you were washing into the sink, shattering it into a thousand pieces. “I don’t need your help, John,” you had snapped. “I haven’t for the last decade.”

Johnny left shortly after that, seeming to have traded in his old hot-headedness for the same soft, patient tone he uses with Emma. He had explained it well, saying he hadn’t had a house or a family to spend his savings on in the last six years, and he wanted to ease the load for both you and Emma’s sakes.

But it was the fact that he felt so comfortable to casually interject himself into your lives. What would happen if you became dependent on Johnny again and he died? Or decided that family life wasn’t for him?

Then both you and Emma would be crushed. You didn’t want your finances to be involved as well.

So you were angry with him, avoiding the polite texts he had sent and the phone call that you sent to voicemail. All you wanted was peace and a night out with Charlie, perhaps a bit of making out and/or hands-in-pants involved.

You hadn’t gone that far with Charlie yet. Both of you had been burned in the past and you were enjoying the slowness of it all. Today, however, you were ready to be properly touched by a man. It had been too long.

Emma was spending the day with her grandparents by their request–they had picked her up an hour ago, your Mum seeming to sense you needed a nice, peaceful morning. 

You did laundry. You cleaned the kitchen. You made yourself lunch and watched an entire episode of the Bachelor without interruption, then took a hot bath with rose petals and a vibrator.

It was lovely.

You were cheerful as you dressed and packed Emma’s overnight bag, planning on dropping it off at Tom’s place since your parents had her. 

You turned the page in Jack’s novel before you left, smiling up at the paper maché whale. 

It was a nice walk, the air brisk and the snow crisp under your boots. You went over the Emma list in your mind: snacks, her favorite books, her favorite stuffy, toothbrush, pj’s, a chilled and chopped steak in case Tom had forgotten to grab dinner, crayons, paper…

Before you knew it, you were popping the door open with your hip. You had already mentioned to Tom you were popping in so there shouldn’t be any unwelcome, undressed visitors.

Except there was.

A man in a black surgical mask stood in the dark of Tom’s hallway, huge, dark-eyed, and super fucking bloody intimidating.

 You dropped the bag with a screech, thinking of burglars, murderers,oh-my-god-is-Tommy-murdered-like-that-woman-in-that-documentary-you-saw-once-

“Shut up!” Tommy said, frowning at you from the couch. “Fuck, lovie, he’s a friend from work.”

The man in the mask raised a hand in an awkward wave.

“Oh,” you said, your heart pounding in your ears. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You’re a right scary chap and my brother usually keeps female company.” “You’re alright, love,” the masked man said, his voice like gravel. He picked up Emma’s backpack from the floor, offering it to you with a massive hand.

The mask was odd and the hoodie covering the rest of his face and hair was odder. But your brother had rather imaginative taste in friends and you had seen and met much worse.

“Thank you,” you said, smiling as your heart resumed its normal pace. “I’m his sister.”

The man hummed, as if amused. “I can tell.” He offered you a gloved palm. “M’name is Simon.”

You shook it firmly, giving him your name in return. “Sorry, if I had known if Tommy was having company I would’ve called before I came over.”

“He’s not company, he’s a guest,” Tommy said, rising to herd you into the kitchen. “He’s staying here for a bit with Johnny.” That certainly had your spine straightening. You hadn’t thought Johnny would still be here, after all there were a dozen relatives that would all love to host their long lost war hero.

“He’s out for an errand, lovie, don’t look so tense.” 

You relaxed a fraction, soothed by the thought that you won’t have to deal with Johnny in your hair before your date with Charlie.

“You’re a friend of John’s then?” You asked Simon, your tone just a mite cooler than it had been before. 

Simon nodded, his dark gaze tinged with humor. “Don’t hold it against me, love.”

It took you a second to see that he was a wolf too. It was all in the way he moved, the languid way he blinked at his surroundings. “Easier said than done,” you teased, forcing yourself into the good mood you were in before. “In that case, Tom, do I need to reschedule? Emma isn’t much for strangers.”

Tom shrugged, unzipping Em’s pack.“Johnny isn’t much of a stranger now, and Simon is a good lad, he won’t mind her.” Simon nodded again, sinking into the shadows as he took a seat at the kitchen table. “I’ve heard she’s a sweet girl.” “The best,” you said, smiling. 

“Jesus, lovie, did you pack enough?” Tom said dryly, pulling out the sliced steak. “I’ve never let the girl starve, not in the last six years.” “You’re a busy man, I was just making sure in case you forgot,” you said. “By the way, she likes a glass of milk before bed now. And her favorite book is the one on top, the one with the rabbits, plus King Robert is the sheep she sleeps with-” “Right. I’ve got this. I promise.” You felt Simon’s eyes on you, judging, appraising. You were sure Johnny probably didn’t have the nicest things to say about you–most likely that you were an irritating little girl that followed him around for twenty years then proceeded to get pregnant and raise the child without him knowing,

“And Johnny will be here, so he’ll be able to spend some time with her,” Tom said, putting the steak in the fridge. “If that’s alright with you.” “It sounds like it’s already been planned,” you said, trying your very best not to be hateful in front of guests.

Tom sighed. “If I were half as smart as you think I am with your theories of scheming and plotting, I’d be living in a much nicer neighborhood.”

You laughed. “No, you’d be in jail.”

“Touché. Simon, how do you feel about a classic steak and potatoes meal tonight? It’s Emma’s favorite, she’s our six year old codger.”

Simon made an agreeable noise, his nose now in some masculine-looking magazine with bears and car parts on the front. He was quite a large man, commanding such a presence.

Johnny was an unsuspecting kind of violent, always smiling and laughing until he wasn’t, until it was serious. Simon was different. He felt older. 

Oddly, you didn’t mind him around Emma. You’ve wanted to expose her around more adult wolves anyways, so she’ll learn her manners.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright?” You said, anxiety creeping in like it always did whenever you would be separated from Emma for longer than a few hours. 

“We’ll all keep an eye on her, pet,” Simon said. “Between the three of us, I think she’ll be safe.” You relaxed. “Right. Thank you, Simon.”

Tommy ushered you out of his house quickly after that, his phone blowing up with Johnny’s texts and calls. You saw his black truck pull up minutes later, but by then you were already through your door. 

Emma and your parents stopped by for lunch, your mother chattering about how she had seen Johnny at the grocery store and how much he had grown. It was like the last six years had been erased in their minds, the times when Emma was ill and you were at your wit’s end, the pregnancy you had spent constantly sick and deeply depressed–all of it was gone. 

Your mother was imagining a new life for her daughter, a life of being married to the man that gave you Emma and making a dozen more pups in a nicer house, with financial stability. She didn’t know the whole story with Johnny–hardly anyone did. She assumed the two of you had been dating when you had conceived Emma, and you had never thought to tell her differently.

Johnny had never actually wanted you. He was just drunk and about to truly leave the only home he had ever known. And you were right there, tipsy and desperate for his attention. You had missed him like a lost limb when he started ignoring your letters and calls, and seeing him again had brought up all those feelings again. 

But now, he was just setting a trap. He wanted to be in Emma’s life, and when her grandparents, uncle, and various other relatives were on his side…it made your life a lot harder.

Emma nuzzled into your side, sensing your turn in mood. “You smell sad,” she said, her mouth dusted with biscuit crumbs. “You always smell sad.”

Your mother heard her, and seemed to gain some perspective. “When I saw him, I was so angry. I just thought of all the things he had done to you…but then, when I came up to him, he was just so different. He’s a different man than he was all those years ago.”

And you were a different woman. It wasn’t revolutionary to change. 

Emma followed you into your bathroom and watched as you began to primp, perched up on your counter as you brushed your teeth and curled your hair, patting makeup over the purple half-moons under your eyes.

Emma was quiet mostly, sensing the strange mood you were in. She played with your red lipstick and powder, smudging them around her lips. “Careful, it might stain,” you said. “And what will Tom say if you’ve got red all over your face?” “Is Johnny going to be there?” Emma asked hopefully. “He’s fun.”

“Yes, he’s staying at Uncle Tom’s house.”

She nodded, smiling messily at herself in the mirror. “He smells just like me, Mum, and he looks like me too.”

“He’s your father, Em, of course he does.” You blinked hard in the mirror, trying not to cry. “But Mum…” Emma looked at you, her face suddenly serious. “If you don’t like Johnny, I don’t like him either.”

You actually did cry then, bringing your daughter to your chest like you did when she was a baby. You could still remember the day that you first held her in your arms, and all of the heartbreak had seemed worth it. “God, Em, it’s not like I don’t like him,” you said, burying your face in her strawberry-shampoo scented hair. “It’s just…we’re adults, and adults have tricky feelings. I could never dislike Johnny, he gave you to me.” “But you’re so sad when he’s here, we can smell it,” Emma said, sniffling. 

“I’m always sad, Em, I cried every morning I dropped you off at school for months.” That seemed to make her feel better. She snuffled, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. “Are you going to see the book man?” She asked.

You nodded. “We’re friends, we’re going to go have dinner, maybe see a movie.”

“Good,” she said, wiser than her years. “You never go out.”

She allowed you to wipe the makeup from her mouth without a fuss before your parents ushered her out the door, giving your cheek a slobbery kiss before waving goodbye.

The house was too quiet, so you turned on music, the old crooning stuff that Jack liked. Another half an hour and you were ready, wearing your second-nicest dress and your favorite red heels as you frantically dried your Chanel nail polish. 

Charlie was usually early, but time ticked on well past the time he was supposed to be there. He’s never been late, not in the two years you had known him, not even to work. 

You texted a few times, staring at the screen for a response. He lived in the city, so an accident was well possible–he wouldn’t just ditch you, would he?

Maybe he had forgotten. You did make the plans the week before…

Time ticked on. You gave him a call.

“Hello?” Charlie sounded distracted and irritated. You cleared your throat, “Hey, Charlie, I was just calling to see if we’re still on tonight?” Charlie made an apologetic noise. “Ah, shit, I forgot.”

“Oh,” you said, trying very hard not to sound hurt. 

“Our team had a last minute thing at the bar and I completely forgot about our date, sweetie, I’m so sorry.”

“That’s-that’s alright,” you said, kicking off your heels. 

“Would you like to join us? We’re at the corner bar where the boss had his divorce party.”

“No, no, that’s alright. I’m not really in the mood for a bar,” you said, undoing the clasps to your nice earrings. “Rain check, I suppose.” “I really am sorry,” Charlie said, sounding it. “I can’t believe I forgot.” “I can’t believe it either,” you said, then you hung up. 

You stared at the phone, feeling miserable and very, very sorry for yourself. Of course, the first date in ages and you get tossed up for a group of sweaty, gross men.

You showered, to scrub the makeup and product out of your hair. You might have cried a bit, but that was between you and the water faucet.

[roserobineva]

Hi! Your page is so cute!

Would you please do a oneshot WLW of Abby and reader hanging out after a long day of patrol, they watch movies whilst a storm is outside?

I LOVE FLUFF <3

cheers big ears :3

A SILENT NIGHT IN

I hardly feel like I’m going to make it; With each step the knives dig into my soles. I’ve been out on the front for the past few days, and most of that time was spent on my feet. If I had spent any longer out there I would’ve deteriorated into a pile flesh, bones and sweat. So when the vine entrenched ferris wheel that graces the pier creeps into my view, I can’t help but feel relief wash over my sapped body. But even then, I consider whether it was worth the trek. I denied the more welcoming option of my bed, for a comforting presence. Three days since I had been dispatched to the FOB, three days without the company of my girl. 

The first few weeks after the WLF took my cousin and I in, I was despondent to their fast pace  of living. It was and still is a completely different world to the quaint, agrarian compound I was born in to. On top of that, we hadn’t been around such an amount of people in our lives; Seattle was a bustling city, and we were small country kids. But as I tried to keep up with the cyclic demands of my new superiors, my social life collapsed. My brain couldn’t cope with the needs of both. Abby was the one to save me from my sullen pit. I think, even if I maintained an intimidating demeanour, she could see my aptitude to isolate. She saw me. So she began partnering with me on paired patrols, inviting me to group meets, and despite my dejection I found her care and enthusiasm began to rub off on me. Eventually, I was out of my pit and we became close friends. 

From then onwards, we would hardly ever spend time apart; She didn’t know it, or at least I hadn’t mentioned it, but her and my cousin are my glue. These passing days have been a test of my physical and mental strength, so you can imagine the beams of happiness that seeped through me as I see her pull open the aquarium doors. 

“Hey you! You got my note?” Her face looks flushed with the same happiness that is embellishing me. 

“Why else would I be here?” I spout jovially. She grins and gestures for me to enter. The decorations from Christmas are still strewn over the entrance hall; The giant model whale looks as if its wearing a glowing pearl necklace. The thought sends a ripple of joy through me. 

Abby’s clement tone draws me out of my daydream, “So, how was your first weekend along the front?” She walks over to the front desk and perches on the edge, her gaze welcoming and warm.

I try to be honest. 

“It was okay I think. Not easy, but not as terrible as I expected it to be. It definitely didn’t live up to your hellish stories.” I snicker. 

She scoffs at my sass, “They’re not hellish! Just… honest. At least for me.”

“If you say so.” I chirp back. 

We spend a moment in gentle silence, seemingly rejuvenated by each others presence. I take this quiet moment to absorb the entrance hall in its christmassy nostalgia. It feels like years ago I’d had a proper Christmas, but I doubt my ability to enjoy it now. An intake of breath shoots through the silent air, “I’ve got a surprise for you. I thought you might need a pick-me-up after all your hard work.” I see an excited glint shine across her eyes. I can tell she’s been waiting for me to arrive. I endorse her, “What? Really? What is it?” I struggle to contain my unceasing bundle of questions, her happiness is completely contagious. 

“Follow me, it’s upstairs.” She places a guiding hand on the base of my back and softly pushes me in and toward the stairs. Her touch sends laps of tenderness across my skin. We enter the upstairs room, also still adorned with festivities and twinkling lights. A wonky, wilted Christmas tree with a haphazard array of baubles and tinsel is tucked away in the corner, waiting to be cloistered into its cupboard. A gentle scatter of snow dances in the evening blue. My eyes dance with them.

In my periphery I see Abby leaned against what looks like a large black box rested on top of a dusty cabinet. She’s doing a shit job of hiding it because it is immediately apparent as to what the surprise is. 

“Oh my god. Abby you’re kidding me! Where did you find this?” I gush. Unable to form any coherent sentence, I run my hand over it’s dusty black casing of the TV in awe. I am unintentionally drawn back into my childhood, the memory of Sunday movie nights momentarily thawing my heart. 

“It’s been here a while, Owen and I found it shoved in one of the cupboards so we thought we’d try and fix it up.” I fail to muster anything other than a radiant beam. 

“Well… do you want to watch something?” She queries hopefully. 

Before I can answer, reality crushes me. My next rotation is in less than 6 hours, despite only being back from the front for 4. I’ll be lucky to get a wink of sleep. 

“Abby, I’d love to but I can’t-” Despite my harsh truth, her face is still riddled with roguery. My brow furrows in confusion, her mischievous appeal stopping me in my tracks.

“What did you do?” I question amusedly. She rubs the back of her neck, “I might have marked you and I a day off tomorrow,” she remarks sarcastically. She’s so pleased with herself. I see right through her. 

Time slipped out of our grasps, and soon the evening had drifted across the milky sky, the only light emitting from the amalgamation of lamps and dim flashes from the TV. Tucked away under Abby’s arm, like an endearing dog, my eyelids grow heavy and enervated. Cosily I glance upwards, catching an obscured glimpse of her drowsy expression. I nudge into her side, breathing in her musk. She smells like home. 

“Abby?” I muster through a wall of lassitude. She huffs out a mhm with breathy inflections. I take a moment, unsure whether she’s conscious enough to register my words. “I love you.” I muster. A small yet comforting laugh reverberates through her core, “Yeah, I know. I love you too.” Her words send a pang through my chest, one of guilt and pleasure. She’s so much like her. This grief passes over me swiftly as the rise and fall of her chest gently rocks me into a dreamless state. The storm had picked up since I arrived, and a howling bluster rattles the decrepit foundation of our aquarium. Natures harsh tune ushers me to sleep, the best sleep I’ve had in months, in the arms of the person I love most. In this moment, I’m the happiest I’ve been in years. 

[wifetomegatron]

countries and cities i've been to that i think the lost light crew will enjoy (vol. i)

i think ratchet would like switzerland. snowy alps, open green fields where purple and yellow poppies littered across the grass dance with the northern wind. he enjoys the secluded valleys and will spend hours just driving past the topaz lakes. he likes the quiet of it all, the serenity, the closure. he makes drift join him in their holoforms to walk, taking in the traditional log houses and brightly-colored buildings, shops, and restaurants surrounded by lush woodlands, upland meadows, and snow-capped cliffs. grindelwald because drift is fascinated by humans and their winter sports, ascona for when it gets warmer and the boats are out by the docks. in a first contact au, ratchet would most likely end up working in either zurich or geneva, working closely with earth's international bodies like the united nations to facilitate human-cybertronian relations. i can also see the medic crew stationed there as well; running the first cybertronian medical facility on earth.

drift, predictably, would prefer japan more. osaka and tokyo for its entertainment, where he and rodimus would spend hours exploring the nightlife in their disguises. at times, they would even go as their alt-modes. rodimus gets ahead of himself with all the attention he's getting. he'd travel through many prefectures, driving past the borders to clear his head — perks of having a conjunx that works closely with human organizations is that he gets exempted from all the paperwork — but always end up somewhere private, tranquil. the shrines, the forests, the mountains — he would even be bold enough to dream of settling down there. one time ratchet flew in to visit him at a resort by the foot of mount fuji, and his husband was neck-deep inside the natural saunas. content and purring, sinking into recharge against the stones.

i have a feeling brainstorm and skids would stir up trouble somewhere in the netherlands. most likely in the infamous lecture halls of leiden university, where great minds like descartes and rembrandt once walked in. they'd hate the weather, where the sun becomes optional the moment it hits autumn (even before, apparently.) the roads are small, so they'd have difficulty navigating at first, nearly driving into a canal because of how fast people bike. direct, with just the right amount of witty, the pair are glad to enjoy the company of dutchies without having to rely on their (human) food because nothing that they've seen looks appealing or digestible. getaway is also there, most likely in amsterdam, where his holoform is most likely to get cornered in an alley and have his bike stolen.

nautica would love the sea, the vast, great open oceans of southeast asia would be the perfect place for her. ever the adventurer, she would drag riptide and velocity with her to explore the islands of the philippines & indonesia. where she'd learn how to dive and swim with the animals past the coral reefs. sweet girl nearly cried when she saw a group of whale sharks. anode and lug are content sitting by the beach, sipping on their latest invention — coconut-infused energon. bali is where i imagine the girls ( and riptide ) would go for a nice getaway. the people are all smiles, warm and friendly, and passionate about their culture. even if the two are more inclined towards the sciences, the flourishing art and spirituality of the balinese people made them feel at home again. ( if not nostalgic for caminus.)

i know rodimus is living his life in spain. maybe it won't be his designated home on earth. but with the lost light stationed in geneva, where ratchet, minimus, and megatron are with the rest of the united nations council ( because there is no way they can park the ship anywhere in the new york branch ), barcelona was his first solo trip on earth without straying too far from his co-captain's watchful eye. it was the peak of summer and there he was under the sun. the people were only initially surprised, but then again, they'd probably seen weirder things than a sixty-foot-tall robot asking them if he could join their game of volley by the beach. he bumps into krok and his rag-tag team — who's also trying to get away from minimus — so that's how he and misfire end up nearly drowning after a competitive game of water tag.

[theinsanecrayonbox]

Sabretooth War part 1

LETS GET READY FOR DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!!

Mk so I will give it some points for starting almost similarly (in the barest of ideas at least) to the first issue of the Lavalle trilogy; Victor fighting X-men, messing up Cyclops’ head. That said…it falls apart real fast

Cause he wasn’t fighting Wolverine, but another alternate Sabretooth???

Who are you? Where are you from?? How did we get you here??? Why are you birb????

Wait they did all that OFF SCREEN??!! That’s like a whole miniseries in of itself!! How do you even have working inter dimensional travel still? Why didn’t these three stay home once they got back there?? This means we’re gonna get no development or histories for them because they already did that while we weren’t looking. I guess at east that explains the time discrepancy for why they were gone for so long. But cmon!! The most interesting story beats were done off screen and are apparently uninteresting. UHG!!

Moving on…

Oh well that answers my question of when this takes place. It’s after Target Beast. So yay that storyline now has spoilers. Great job.

Let’s see, what’s going on in this storyline though.

Why am I getting Star Trek vibes…

-Tom gets pings on Krakoa; Kid Omega goes off to check on it himself; the Sabre Squad are the pings; they murder and eat Quinten.

-Logan has bad vibes cause it’s his birthday I guess; tells both his kids he loves them; reveals apparently Piotr didn’t tell him Vic escaped since he thinks he’s still in the Pit.

-the Sabre Squad attack; Daken is killed; message left in the snow using body parts would be hilarious if it wasn’t stupid over the top edgelord nonsense

I honestly think this panel sums it all up

We’ll have to wait and see how the rest of it goes I guess, but so far the reasonable things I was hoping for are already crossed off, so I’m not holding out much hope. Not sure even a whale could help this time.

[thana-topsy]

Topsy, for your ask game you made, please answer me a good four or five you're -really fast eyes- to answer :>

I'd ask all of them otherwise lol

Oohoho you're giving me freedom?? That's so nice of you. I'm going to exploit this and, in favor of an OC, I pick our favorite NPC to answer these: NELOTH!

Do they believe the College of Winterhold caused the Great Collapse? If no, what is their theory?

"While there are certainly mages who could cause such a catastrophic event, I very much doubt the College had anything to do with the Great Collapse. No, it was most likely caused by something rather mundane. The seismic quakes from the eruption of Red Mountain, perhaps. If you're going to build a city perched on the edge of the sea, you should surely account for the forces of nature when doing so. Yes, I'm afraid it was simply hubris that caused the collapse of Winterhold. The College stands because Shalidor was one of the greatest mages known to history and protected the structure against such inevitable things as natural disasters. It's only a matter of time before Solitude crumbles into the sea as well."

Do they regret journeying to Skyrim?

"Regret is a useless emotion driven by fear and attachment. Do I regret walking from one end of the room to the other simply because it requires me to leave my belongings temporarily? Live as long as I have and you'll find that there is very little point in languishing away over 'regrets'. There are simply actions you have taken and actions you have yet to take. One must adapt to the consequences accordingly."

Do they believe in snow/sky whales?

"What in the name of Oblivion is a sky whale?"

If they are a magic user, what is their favorite school of magic? Do they have a natural talent for magic, or does it require diligence and study?

"What a charming and utterly juvenile question. What might the point of choosing a 'favorite' school of magic be? Are we children? All spells have their uses, though I could argue over 'schools' and classifications until Alduin himself returns to devour us all and end my suffering. "And as for the second question: also ridiculous. All are born with the gifts of Magnus. It is a skill like anything else, one that can be cultivated through devoted study. Though there is no accounting for intelligence, I'm afraid."

[thecunnydiaries]

27th Wednesday

Fine: Sighted some Islands ahead, the first of which the Captains Landed on and christened it, giving three cheers and drinking the Queens health. It is a high Island Rock entirely covered with Snow except the Sea faces of it. The boats had hard work to effect a landing: there was no birds of any Kind: it is nearly in 76 South. Passed Some very large Icebergs: got foul of a Small one which carried away our Dolphin Striker & BobStay.

Campbell's Notes:

First island, Ross, Voyage, I. pp. 214–5. ‘We proceeded at once therefore to take possession of the island in due form; and to the great satisfaction of every individual in the expedition, I named it “Franklin Island;” in compliment to His Excellency Captain Sir John Franklin, of the Royal Navy….‘Franklin Island is situate in lat. 76 8 S., long. 168 12 E.’

Landing, Robertson, A few General Remarks, pp. 50–1. ‘… our chiefs being determined to effect a landing somewhere. After much examination, the only place likely to favour their desire was the trap dyke … and to this the whale-boat was backed: but such was the rise and fall of the waves, that a landing was almost despaired of, when Captain Ross stood up in the boat, resting his hand on Captain Crozier's shoulder, and evidently resolved for a spring at whatever risk. … and instantly springing upon the shelf of the dyke, he quickly succeeded in scrambling up the rock, whilst the angry sea dashed its spray upon his heels. It was now Captain Crozier's turn, and he, watching his moment with a seaman's eye, also got cleverly up the icy rocks clear of danger: but it was not so with many that followed; for not withstanding the kind-hearted Captain had considerately made one end of a line fast to a rock, and threw the other into the boat, to enable the officers to land with greater safety, two were overtaken by the waves, and had they not fortunately had hold or the line, they must have been washed away. A third, being less cautious, made his spring on the rock without taking hold of the rope; the sea caught him, and instantly overwhelmed him, to the great horror of all. On his reappearing, pale and exhausted, he was so close to the boat that one of the seamen caught him, and soon placed him safely amongst his many anxious shipmates…. Captain Ross… instantly and authoritatively forbade all further attempts at landing… It is due to poor Jack to state, that no sooner was the half drowned young man lifted into the boat, than the kind-hearted sailors had him stripped of all his wet clothing, each vying with the other who should be the first to divest himself of his flushing jacket, for his protection and comfort; and with the temperature of the air at 18 Fahrenheit, the sea being 30.’

[wrathofrats]

Wrath, you’re amazing and I appreciate you so much! 💚

I just woke up and I’m looking adoringly at my girlfriend who is still half asleep on our video call. I’ve got two big assignments for uni to hand in this weekend, and all I can think of is one of my WIPs that I wanna work on hehe. I’ll try to keep it as a reward for myself if I get my uni stuff done fast.

How’s your day? 🥹

Me (going to cry) thank you so much ur so sweet??

That’s so so cute omg!!! I hope you’re girlfriend is doing well, that’s very adorable

Good luck on the assignments! Uni is fucking hard, you have every ounce of my support. And i hope the wip goes well!! I’m excited to see it I love your writing so much I hope you know that

Yesterday was … a lot!! Caused a bunch of problems at work and got stranded at a friends house in the snow and had a terrible headache all day, but oh whale, just an off day. Today will be better!! Thank you for asking 🫶🫶

[runefactorynonsense]

Glad you're feeling a little better!! Maybe one of your favorite locations from Frontier? I haven't played it but it looks beautiful from what I've seen

Thank you for this ask, Twig. It was a wonderful excuse to paint a background, which is my most favorite thing♥

I have to say, I waffled on this decision because there's so many things "your favorite location" could mean; most story memorable, most beautiful, place with the best music, etc.

Eventually I decided on the game's second dungeon,

LAVA RUINS.

In a way, this place is none of the above; it doesn't have my favorite music from the game's soundtrack (that would be the Snow Ruins).

It isn't my most beautiful (Raguna's homestead or the Town Square with full Runeys, just, yes).

It isn't the most story memorable (that, again, belongs to Snow Ruins. Notice a pattern?)

BUT. This place won out over its wintery cousin in this art choice because it has personal significance, in the place where I got nearly softlocked in this game for four. years. all because I had the WORST rng known to mankind.

A tip, if you ever get one or two pieces of silver at this point in the game, covet them. Make them into an icy hammer, or a nice sickle. Then you unlock the rest of the game. Try to not be like me, who simply never got a silver drop, who had to kill mini golem after mini golem after mini golem in vain hopes that were almost never fulfilled. My younger self, in my first year of college, could only find the time to play this game during summer and winter break. And it took... several tries.

I have such a love-hate relationship with it. I hear the first minute of this place's theme in my head, and can remember the run to a certain junction where those golems spawned. I remember the RELIEF, and how FAST I got things done after I got that little piece of ore. The white whale of my Rune Factory life was slain. It is also just, an amazing place lore wise that sets the tone for the rest of the game; a Rune Research Facility, destroyed by some experiment done there years and years ago... These Raguna games are subtly dark, yo, and I love it.

All in all, this is not a true to life representation of this place. I no longer have a save file where I can run around and take screenshots, so I decided to not base this on any particular area. The patterns on the place's walls seem to be mainly geometric from screenshots I found, so I decided to make up my own patterns. Two of the game's bosses are hidden in the walls, and a Terrable is in between them. Because, well. I can.

Also, the dungeon theme for the road;

[semi-sketchy]

PAW Patrol Episode Thoughts - Season 1

I'm copy-pasting this from my DeviantArt, kinda hoping it may give me the strength to pull through season 3 (season 4 has Sweetie BUT THE ROAD THERE IS SO BAD) and eventually the rest of this ongoing show.

In the future, this Tumblr should be updated at the same time as my DA, but for now, here's my season 1 thoughts.

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

I decided to watch all the PAW Patrol episodes and summarize some thoughts, as I do. Some of these I've never seen and others it's been a long time, so kinda curious how they've all held up.

Just gonna give a little rating of 1-10 based on my initial reaction.

1/10 - The episode you'd force your worst enemy to watch on repeat

2/10 - Just awful

3/10 - Pretty terrible

4/10 - Didn't hate, but wouldn't wanna watch again

5/10 - Just okay

6/10 - Decent, wouldn't mind watching it again

7/10 - The average good

8/10 - Really liked it!

9/10 - This is a must-watch

10/10 - Probably my favorite episode ever like maybe two are going to get this rating

Obviously this is all subjective, just because an episode shares the same rating as another doesn't mean I think they're equal. I don't want to get into .5s and such, so I'm just rounding.

I'm also going by the episode order listed on the Fandom wiki, which doesn't correlate to the US air date in the slightest.

Also yeah, I'm gonna mention my OCs because I like them.

Episode 1: Pups Make a Splash/Pups Fall Festival

A: Rubble skateboards, Marshall doesn't know what a bay is, Rocky drops Cali in the tub twice, Captain Turbot is very kooky. 7/10

B: Snow in the fall, proof this is Canada. Also really love the pups going out and just being members of the community, not to mention Zuma and Skye are cute. 9/10

Episode 2: Pups save the Sea Turtles/Pups and the Very Big Baby

A: This is the introduction of Alex, which immediately knocks the score down, although it is the first instance of ChaseXSkye being teased and it is kinda informative about turtles. 7/10

B: Saving a beached whale is a cool concept and the interactions are good. 7/10

Episode 3: Pups and the Kitty-tastrophe/Pups Save a Train

A: Zuma...a kitten stole your hovercraft. Rubble is extra adorable, although I have to ask why Ryder thinks it's a good idea to send dogs to rescue cats. 8/10

B: I call BS trains cannot stop that fast and Chase absolutely should not be JUMPING OFF THE ROOF OF A MOVING TRAIN, very accurate on what a cat will do for food though. 9/10

Episode 4: Pup Pup Boogie/Pups in a Fog

A: Skye is a DDR master and Marshall can moonwalk confirmed. It's also weird how the groomer is basically the town vet. 8/10

B: Ryder knows how to break and enter. 7/10

Episode 5: Pup Pup Goose/Pup Pup and Away

A: RUBBLE NO DON'T GIVE GEESE BREAD THAT'S BAD FOR THEM. Marshall and Fuzzy are cute though and the amount of geese is further proof this is Canada. 7/10

B: Immediately knocking the score down for the fact this is the first instance of that annoying bowling-pin sound and the introduction of Mayor Humdinger. Although is this confirmation that Goodway stole Chickaletta from Farmer Yumi? 7/10

Episode 6: Pups on Ice/Pups and the Snow Monster

A: Yeah Alex is a very accurate representation of a little kid, thinking that being in mortal danger is super fun. 7/10

B: I have to immediately scream at them driving across a train bridge when there's a perfectly good road leading to the mountain. I never took Rubble for being cowardly, either, but here we are. 6/10

Episode 7: Pups Save the Circus/Pup a Doodle Do

A: Ryder, riding elephants is NOT something you should do and you don't calm an animal by climbing on their back. Also the air mattress should've popped. 5/10

B: Overall this one had a few good chuckles and the interactions were decent, but it was such a roundabout way to pad the timer. 6/10

Episode 8: Pups Pit Crew/Pups Fight Fire

A: Alex once again causes problems because he refuses to listen, thankfully he gets scolded by everyone when he shows he didn't learn anything, but...Ryder, you should've installed proper breaks to begin with like....come on. You're smarter than that. 5/10

B: Ryder being like "Marshall, you're our emergency" was just mean. I also don't realize how they were so inconsistent with the timer, but it was cute seeing everyone come together for Marshall. 7/10

Episode 9: Pups Save the Treats/Pups Get a Lift

A: Mr. Porter...why didn't you use your parking break on a hill? Also Ryder had all that talk about "using a hovercraft to not put extra weight on the ice" THEN JUST WALKED OUT ON IT ANYWAYS AND GOT INTO TROUBLE. FOLLOW YOUR OWN ADVICE, DUDE. 7/10

B: Cats completely freaking out and hating the cold is so accurate it hurts. Also Rubble is so adorable here. 9/10

Episode 10: Pups and the Ghost Pirate

Rubble dressed as Elvis is so cute, but why does Ryder keep asking Marshall to be flown even though he knows he's scared of flying...like anyone could go in the air here. Still, good laughs. 7/10

Episode 11: Pups Save Christmas

Pretty alright and kinda what I expect of a Christmas episode. Ryder completely got cheated out of a gift, though. 6/10

Episode 12: Pups Get a Rubble/Pups Save a Walrus

A: Kinda set the gold standard for how to introduce OCs and I really wish they did more origin stories for the pups, even though there's more than a few inconsistencies. Rubble really is a writers pet. 7/10

B: Kinda wish they used this fishing net story to bring more attention to how much ocean trash there is, but it fell short in that regard. 6/10

Episode 13: Pups Save the Bunnies/Pup-tacular

A: Not gonna fault on the whole "you shouldn't give rabbits carrots" since these are wild bunnies and carrots are like candy to them, BUT I will fault Ryder and others for PICKING UP WILD ANIMALS AND FEEDING THEM CAKE. Surprised we never heard anything more about the rabbit Skye kept, WHICH AGAIN, YOU CANNOT JUST TAKE A WILD ANIMAL FOR A PET. 7/10

B: Poor Katie, getting disappointed again and again as each pup gets called away, but Rocky pushing aside his wants for her was super sweet and made it a feel-good episode. 9/10

Episode 14: Pups Save the Bay/Pups Save a Goodway

A: This was kinda informative about ocean oil spills, but the methods... I know, kids show, they're not gonna set their bay on fire, but still, towels are not a skimmer replacement. 7/10

B: Accurate to how family treats you over small things. It's kinda weird that the statue is just Humdinger's model, but this was the first season and they were on a budget. 6/10

Episode 15: Pups Save a Hoedown/Pups Save Alex

A: All the pups in their little cowboy hats are so cute, but it was an enjoyable episode, too. 7/10

B: Oh my god cats hissing and slapping carriers....accurate. Don't know why it's titled "save Alex" since he just...tags along and acts like an excited little kid. 8/10

Episode 16: Pups Save a School Day/Pups Turn on the Lights

A: Don't know why Alex was planning on eating a tuna sandwich that had been unrefrigerated over night, I think it's better that Cali got it. Although, Ryder, bro...you need to actually MEASURE the food so that way you're not over/under feeding your dogs. Also Rocky is a purse-snatcher. 8/10

B: The amount of UNIQUE ANIMATION in this episode is great and Adventure Bay runs on renewable energy, but the wind turbines weren't made correctly. Still, the surprise party for Chase is cute and Byte would be great in an episode like this. Surprised Ryder doesn't have a generator, though, or at least a battery backup. 7/10

Episode 17: Pups Save a Pool Day/Circus Pup-Formers

A: Marshall has the most indestructible pool floatie I've ever seen and his elevator joke actually got a chuckle out of me. But, if the water tower pipe is bent that would cut off the water for the whole town and not just the pool? And if everyone was so hot why not swim in the ocean...? 7/10

B: Ryder just reads the cereal box while eating instead of watching YouTube like the rest of us. Ryder volunteering his pups without their consent was kinda scummy though and Marshall's reaction was completely warranted. 6/10

Episode 18: Pups Save the Easter Egg Hunt

Is this Skye's bunny making a return? First Fuzzy comes back in episode 16 and now Skye's bunny, are they beginning to care about continuity? Do love how everyone is just like "oh no! That eagle took all the eggs and candy! ...Oh yeah and Rocky too, I guess." What I wanna know is how Alex got that egg out of the nest when it was so high up and how the egg was still alive without the warmth. Skye also not being afraid of eagles feels weird. 6/10

Episode 19: Pups Save a Super Pup/Pups Save Ryder's Robot

A: Rubble cosplays and it's adorable, also is 10x better than Mighty Pups could ever dream of being. This seems like a good job for Tara, although Zuma struggling to drive Rubble's rig is cute. 6/10

B: Ryder starting the robot apocalypse to replace all his dogs with machines. 6/10

Episode 20: Pups Go All Monkey/Pups Save a Hoot

A: Mr. Porter you should know better than to leave the keys in your car, just lucky Ryder somehow knows how to drive an actual car despite being 10. 7/10

B: Chase is very cute with little Hooty, also kinda funny how Chase is just BSing the entire "yes I can speak owl" thing. Honestly the nostalgia of this one was better than the actual episode. 8/10

Episode 21: Pups Save a Bat/Pups Save a Toof

A: Ryder just like "thank god, finally a day without any trouble-- ah shit". What this episode was so delicately trying to walk around is if a bat is out during the day, they could be rabid. Ryder's smart sending in his dogs since they've gotta be vaccinated. 8/10

B: After getting my wisdom teeth out, I am 100% behind Chase. Fuck the dentist/oral surgeon. It's also just a loose puppy tooth, it would come out on it's own anyway. Ryder and Rocky not liking brussel sprouts and water though don't really count as fears? And we didn't even see Zuma's fear. Also might want to point out that a human dentist isn't going to work on a dog's teeth. Ryder, take your damn dogs to a vet. 9/10

Episode 22: Pups Save the Camping Trip/Pups and the Trouble with Turtles

A: Rocky really was about to light up a turtle, huh. It's cute seeing the pups just out having a life outside of rescuing and this episode teases Chase's crush on Skye even more. 8/10

B: Everyone naming the turtles something that rhymes with "turtle" then Marshall just going "Joey. What? I like the name Joey" was great, although it's so weird seeing Ryder only call one pup for a mission? This one was also really good, solid 8/10

Episode 23: Pups and the Beanstalk/Pups Save the Turbots

A: Chase's crushing on Skye is so obvious even Rubble knows. While I don't really care for the Rubble's dream episodes, this one was good. 7/10

B: I don't know how I feel about Skye swooning over Francois, you know, A HUMAN, and then Rubble being like "I can be French too! Impressed?" Also this actively made me look up if a blue-footed booby bird is real and...yes. It is. I think they just used it to see if they could get away with that name. But god is Francois insufferable in this episode. 7/10

Episode 24: Pups and the Lighthouse Boogie/Pups Save Ryder

A: Rubble is pure lightning at DDR, his speed is incredible, even though Zuma can outlast him. Still, a cute rescue and the water animation/texture actually has some effort put into it! 8/10

B: You know considering he was on a cliff, I'm surprised the pups didn't think he went splat. Also surprised the pup pad didn't completely shatter, I mean... I cracked a phone screen once when it fell 2 inches. A 100 foot drop doesn't break it, but a goat's teeth does. Amazing. Is really cute to see the pups actually take full command here. 8/10

Episode 25: Pups Great Race/Pups Take the Cake

A: Chase completely panicking about his cones is funny, but man Alex did good keeping up with them. 7/10

B: Goodway, you need to give much more advance notice to a baker for a big cake like this, you can't frost a cake while it's hot! This "let's get it done in a few hours" is completely unrealistic, even if it was just a single layer sheet cake. Also it needs HEAVY DUTY SUPPORTS so the layers don't crush each other. Still a cute episode though. 8/10

Episode 26: Pups and the Pirate Treasure

Ah! A pirate's cave! Another episode Tara would be perfect for. Although, all the pups working together to solve a mystery and find pirate treasure is cute and cool and a good way to end off season 1. 8/10

Season 1 overall:

The voice acting in some of the earlier episodes is pretty mediocre, but there's some actual effort put into the animation and lighting. Not to mention, all the characters have personalities. They're actual members of the community, the dogs are dogs and you can really see the bond they have with Ryder. Watching it reminds me of why I fell in love with the series to begin with.

[mamamittens]

Feels nice to return to an old fic series and get one step closer to finishing it for good.

Now onto sleepy time rambles!

Based off what I've heard of normal park rangers/fire watch, there's a lot of unexpected downtime. So I imagine over the years (assuming Nikia picked up the job around 18~, she's had to have been at her post for almost a decade at this point going by my own age) she's picked up a few hobbies in her downtime. Random things to pass the time during slews of blizzards and bad weather.

Maybe some I wish I had time or energy to get into

Not much point shoveling snow when another foot is going to drop in the hour after all. And despite her best effort, she can't sleep forever.

Sure, she could leave through a balcony but she likes the solitude. So she takes advantage of the isolation to try things out based on books or advice from relatives. She's notated cookbooks with observations on recipes, tweaks she's made depending on her mood or if she's nauseous at the time to make it easier to hold down.

Braids and bracelets she's made in front of the fire. Good luck charms from guide books. Repairs to her clothes and blankets she's made. It's a sort of secondary income for her to sell them or just gift them if she feels like it.

Sometimes, when the silence gets too thick in a whiteout, she pulls out her violin and plays. Enjoying the vibrations and vibrato in her chest. Dancing along her fingertips as she half reads from an old music book that's all finger notations cause she couldn't be bothered to learn sheet music. Her only audience her snail, quietly napping in his terrarium.

Sometimes she just wants the nostalgic sounds of a little kalimba she owns. Tin notes resonating just over the fireplace as she waits for dinner to finish cooking.

At some point she wrote short stories into journals originally given to her as diaries that she could never be bothered to write in as intended. Whatever struck her mood after some time mulling over it. Her hand writing absolutely abysmal because she tends go too fast and swirly in half cursive.

Her father finds some of these and asks if he could have them transcribed and printed under a pen name. She didn't care and neither expected them to sell as well as they did. Some more than others. The romances did especially well though her first success was an adventure novel. Not Uta level or anything like that, but voracious readers with decent trade access would be familiar with at least a few stories.

Thatch thinks the original journals are collector's edition of one of his favorite small time authors and is massively jealous. Kept forgetting to ask where the hell she got them. Does connect some dots when he looks at her cookbook and recognizes the scrawling letters. He can read it pretty well cause Marco's is just as bad when he's on a bender.

Her collection is a little eclectic. Books cluttering the shelves in the den but her real prizes are in her room. Delicate glass figures lining shelves along her walls with the occasional sentimental picture and gifts. Stone animals carved from precious stone. Gems that catch the light just so. Jewelry in miniature display cabinets for safe keeping. Obviously, not things she's comfortable displaying where sticky fingers can take them.

One of the few things she takes out of her room despite the sentimental nature is a curious bolt of fabric, almost a scarf. Yellow silk with a slightly golden pattern woven in so close to the main color it only shows as the light hits it. Scrawling waves and sea life immaculately detailed. She can't see it, never notices it, but Thatch's name is hidden beneath a breaching whale.

She doesn't know it, but it's Thatch's best foulard. The one he usually only wears on special occasions or when he desperately wants to impress without being too obvious about it.

She's... Aware that this gesture means something to pirates. Something quite serious. But Thatch waves off "forgetting" it so she leaves it be. Wearing it around her waist (it's meant to loosely tie around Thatch's broad shoulder, so it's plenty big enough for her smaller figure) as an embarrassingly wistful gesture. If he ever asks if she knows what it means, she'd confirm. Thinks he has to ask if he came by and saw how she wears it so often. Washing it carefully by hand when it gets dirty, mindful of the craftsmanship that went into it.

But when he sees her wearing it for the first time, he just preens. He never thinks to ask if she knows mortified to explain how bold he was, making a claim like that before asking her out. And she never explains, worried that he just didn't follow that tradition and the foulard is a gift for hosting him a whole week. (His actual gift was cooking all the meals, something he also never clarifies).

So close but never far...

[omori-ethereal-route]

“Mari and I decided to head out into town.~ I had just remembered we were gonna be getting a bit of heavier snowfall due to the Snow Whale migration that happens above us around this time of year so I made sure to get us dressed and outside as fast as possible so we wouldn’t miss it.”

“Here I managed to get the attention of not just a Sleet Whale who’s in the background, but also one of the Snow Bunny Sea Slugs that was hitching a ride on it.~ Mari was pleasantly surprised when the bunny hopped onto her head and I’m thankful I decided to bring our camera with us!”